Exploring the Potential Competitiveness of Utility-Scale Photovoltaics plus Batteries with Concentrating Solar Power, 2015–2030

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

Feldman, David; Margolis, Robert; Denholm, Paul

Declining costs of both solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage have raised interest in the creation of “solar-plus-storage” systems to provide dispatchable energy and reliable capacity. There has been limited deployment of PV-plus-energy storage systems (PV+ESS), and the actual configuration and performance of these systems for dispatchable energy are in the early stages of being defined. In contrast, concentrating solar power with thermal energy storage (CSP+TES) has been deployed at scale with the proven capability of providing a dispatchable, reliable source of renewable generation. A key question moving forward is how to compare the relative costs and benefits of PV+ESSmore » and CSP+TES. While both technologies collect solar radiation and produce electricity, they do so through very different mechanisms, which creates challenges for direct comparison. Nonetheless, it is important to establish a framework for comparison and to identify cost and performance targets to aid meeting the nation’s goals for clean energy deployment. In this paper, we provide a preliminary assessment comparing the cost of energy from CSP+TES and PV+ESS that focuses on a single metric: levelized cost of energy (LCOE). We begin by defining the configuration of each system, which is particularly important for PV+ESS systems. We then examine a range of projected cost declines for PV, batteries, and CSP. Finally, we summarize the estimated LCOE over a range of configuration and cost estimates. We conclude by acknowledging that differences in these technologies present challenges for comparison using a single performance metric. We define systems with similar configurations in some respects. In reality, because of inherent differences in CSP+TES and PV+ESS systems, they will provide different grid services and different value. For example, depending on its configuration, a PV+ESS system may provide additional value over CSP+TES by providing more flexible operation, including certain ancillary services and the ability to store off-peak grid energy. Alternatively, direct thermal energy storage allows a greater capture of solar energy, reducing the potential for curtailments in very high solar scenarios. So while this analysis evaluates a key performance metric (cost per unit of generation) under a range of cost projections, additional analysis of the value per unit of generation will be needed to comprehensively assess the relative competitiveness of solar energy systems deployed with energy storage.« less

The Potential of Energy Storage Systems with Respect to Generation Adequacy and Economic Viability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradbury, Kyle Joseph

Intermittent energy resources, including wind and solar power, continue to be rapidly added to the generation fleet domestically and abroad. The variable power of these resources introduces new levels of stochasticity into electric interconnections that must be continuously balanced in order to maintain system reliability. Energy storage systems (ESSs) offer one potential option to compensate for the intermittency of renewables. ESSs for long-term storage (1-hour or greater), aside from a few pumped hydroelectric installations, are not presently in widespread use in the U.S. The deployment of ESSs would be most likely driven by either the potential for a strong internal rate of return (IRR) on investment and through significant benefits to system reliability that independent system operators (ISOs) could incentivize. To assess the potential of ESSs three objectives are addressed. (1) Evaluate the economic viability of energy storage for price arbitrage in real-time energy markets and determine system cost improvements for ESSs to become attractive investments. (2) Estimate the reliability impact of energy storage systems on the large-scale integration of intermittent generation. (3) Analyze the economic, environmental, and reliability tradeoffs associated with using energy storage in conjunction with stochastic generation. First, using real-time energy market price data from seven markets across the U.S. and the physical parameters of fourteen ESS technologies, the maximum potential IRR of each technology from price arbitrage was evaluated in each market, along with the optimal ESS system size. Additionally, the reductions in capital cost needed to achieve a 10% IRR were estimated for each ESS. The results indicate that the profit-maximizing size of an ESS is primarily determined by its technological characteristics (round-trip charge/discharge efficiency and self-discharge) and not market price volatility, which instead increases IRR. This analysis demonstrates that few ESS technologies are likely to be implemented by investors alone. Next, the effects of ESSs on system reliability are quantified. Using historic data for wind, solar, and conventional generation, a correlation-preserving, copula-transform model was implemented in conjunction with Markov chain Monte Carlo framework for estimating system reliability indices. Systems with significant wind and solar penetration (25% or greater), even with added energy storage capacity, resulted in considerable decreases in generation adequacy. Lastly, rather than analyzing the reliability and costs in isolation of one another, system reliability, cost, and emissions were analyzed in 3-space to quantify and visualize the system tradeoffs. The modeling results implied that ESSs perform similarly to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) systems with respect to generation adequacy and system cost, with the primary difference being that the generation adequacy improvements are less for ESSs than that of NGCC systems and the increase in LCOE is greater for ESSs than NGCC systems. Although ESSs do not appear to offer greater benefits than NGCC systems for managing energy on time intervals of 1-hour or more, we conclude that future research into short-term power balancing applications of ESSs, in particular for frequency regulation, is necessary to understand the full potential of ESSs in modern electric interconnections.

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

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

Conover, David R.; Crawford, Aladsair J.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.

2014-06-01

The Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems (PNNL-22010) was first issued in November 2012 as a first step toward providing a foundational basis for developing an initial standard for the uniform measurement and expression of energy storage system (ESS) performance. Its subsequent use in the field and review by the protocol working group and most importantly the users’ subgroup and the thermal subgroup has led to the fundamental modifications reflected in this update of the 2012 Protocol. As an update of the 2012 Protocol, this document (the June 2014 Protocol) is intended to supersedemore » its predecessor and be used as the basis for measuring and expressing ESS performance. The foreword provides general and specific details about what additions, revisions, and enhancements have been made to the 2012 Protocol and the rationale for them in arriving at the June 2014 Protocol.« less

Regenerative fuel cell systems for mid- to high-orbit satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taenaka, R. K.; Adler, E.; Stofel, E. J.; Clark, K. B.

1987-01-01

An assessment of the present and projected capabilities of selected hydrogen-oxygen and hydrogen-halogen fuel cell and electrolyzer combinations for energy storage systems (ESS) in configurations useful for spacecraft missions operating in the 10- to 50-kW range for many years in midaltitude to geosynchronous orbits has recently been completed. Results of the study indicate that regenerative fuel cell ESS are feasible for the intended application. A computer model was used to provide tradeoff analyses for optimizing the various ESS fuel cell concepts. When appropriately configured to be compatible with the mission needs of the selected model spacecraft, the specific energy for these ESS are intermediate between that presently available for nickel-hydrogen batteries and that expected for the newly emerging sodium-sulfur technology.

Two methods for damping torsional vibrations in DFIG-based wind generators using power converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zuyi; Lu, Yupu; Xie, Da; Yu, Songtao; Wu, Wangping

2017-01-01

This paper proposes novel damping control algorithms by using static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and energy storage system (ESS) to damp torsional vibrations in doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind turbine systems. It first analyses the operating characteristics of STATCOM and ESS for regulating power variations to increase grid voltage stability. Then, new control strategies for STATCOM and ESS are introduced to damp the vibrations. It is followed by illustration of their effectiveness to damp the drive train torsional vibrations of wind turbines, which can be caused by grid disturbances, such as voltage sags and frequency fluctuations. Results suggest that STATCOM is a promising technology to mitigate the torsional vibrations caused by grid voltage sags. By contrast, the ESS connected to the point of common coupling (PCC) of wind turbine systems shows even obvious advantages because of its capability of absorbing/releasing both active and reactive power. It can thus be concluded that STATCOM is useful for stabilizing power system voltage fluctuations, and ESS is more effective both in regulating PCC voltage fluctuations and damping torsional vibrations caused by grid voltage frequency fluctuations.

Performance of Optimization Heuristics for the Operational Planning of Multi-energy Storage Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, J.; Schradi, J.; Nowak, W.

2016-12-01

In the transition to low-carbon energy sources, energy storage systems (ESS) will play an increasingly important role. Particularly in the context of solar power challenges (variability, uncertainty), ESS can provide valuable services: energy shifting, ramping, robustness against forecast errors, frequency support, etc. However, these qualities are rarely modelled in the operational planning of power systems because of the involved computational burden, especially when multiple ESS technologies are involved. This work assesses two optimization heuristics for speeding up the optimal operation problem. It compares their accuracy (in terms of costs) and speed against a reference solution. The first heuristic (H1) is based on a merit order. Here, the ESS are sorted from lower to higher operational costs (including cycling costs). For each time step, the cheapest available ESS is used first, followed by the second one and so on, until matching the net load (demand minus available renewable generation). The second heuristic (H2) uses the Fourier transform to detect the main frequencies that compose the net load. A specific ESS is assigned to each frequency range, aiming to smoothen the net load. Finally, the reference solution is obtained with a mixed integer linear program (MILP). H1, H2 and MILP are subject to technical constraints (energy/power balance, ramping rates, on/off states...). Costs due to operation, replacement (cycling) and unserved energy are considered. Four typical days of a system with a high share of solar energy were used in several test cases, varying the resolution from one second to fifteen minutes. H1 and H2 achieve accuracies of about 90% and 95% in average, and speed-up times of two to three and one to two orders of magnitude, respectively. The use of the heuristics looks promising in the context of planning the expansion of power systems, especially when their loss of accuracy is outweighed by solar or wind forecast errors.

Bandwidth based methodology for designing a hybrid energy storage system for a series hybrid electric vehicle with limited all electric mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahverdi, Masood

The cost and fuel economy of hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs) are significantly dependent on the power-train energy storage system (ESS). A series HEV with a minimal all-electric mode (AEM) permits minimizing the size and cost of the ESS. This manuscript, pursuing the minimal size tactic, introduces a bandwidth based methodology for designing an efficient ESS. First, for a mid-size reference vehicle, a parametric study is carried out over various minimal-size ESSs, both hybrid (HESS) and non-hybrid (ESS), for finding the highest fuel economy. The results show that a specific type of high power battery with 4.5 kWh capacity can be selected as the winning candidate to study for further minimization. In a second study, following the twin goals of maximizing Fuel Economy (FE) and improving consumer acceptance, a sports car class Series-HEV (SHEV) was considered as a potential application which requires even more ESS minimization. The challenge with this vehicle is to reduce the ESS size compared to 4.5 kWh, because the available space allocation is only one fourth of the allowed battery size in the mid-size study by volume. Therefore, an advanced bandwidth-based controller is developed that allows a hybridized Subaru BRZ model to be realized with a light ESS. The result allows a SHEV to be realized with 1.13 kWh ESS capacity. In a third study, the objective is to find optimum SHEV designs with minimal AEM assumption which cover the design space between the fuel economies in the mid-size car study and the sports car study. Maximizing FE while minimizing ESS cost is more aligned with customer acceptance in the current state of market. The techniques applied to manage the power flow between energy sources of the power-train significantly affect the results of this optimization. A Pareto Frontier, including ESS cost and FE, for a SHEV with limited AEM, is introduced using an advanced bandwidth-based control strategy teamed up with duty ratio control. This controller allows the series hybrid's advantage of tightly managing engine efficiency to be extended to lighter ESS, as compared to the size of the ESS in available products in the market.

Suitability of representative electrochemical energy storage technologies for ramp-rate control of photovoltaic power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yu; Fletcher, John; Burr, Patrick; Hall, Charles; Zheng, Bowen; Wang, Da-Wei; Ouyang, Zi; Lennon, Alison

2018-04-01

Photovoltaic (PV) systems can exhibit rapid variances in their power output due to irradiance changes which can destabilise an electricity grid. This paper presents a quantitative comparison of the suitability of different electrochemical energy storage system (ESS) technologies to provide ramp-rate control of power in PV systems. Our investigations show that, for PV systems ranging from residential rooftop systems to megawatt power systems, lithium-ion batteries with high energy densities (up to 600 Wh L-1) require the smallest power-normalised volumes to achieve the ramp rate limit of 10% min-1 with 100% compliance. As the system size increases, the ESS power-normalised volume requirements are significantly reduced due to aggregated power smoothing, with high power lithium-ion batteries becoming increasingly more favourable with increased PV system size. The possibility of module-level ramp-rate control is also introduced, and results show that achievement of a ramp rate of 10% min-1 with 100% compliance with typical junction box sizes will require ESS energy and power densities of 400 Wh L-1 and 2300 W L-1, respectively. While module-level ramp-rate control can reduce the impact of solar intermittence, the requirement is challenging, especially given the need for low cost and long cycle life.

Use of an Electrostatic Spraying System or the Sprayed Lethality in Container Method To Deliver Antimicrobial Agents onto the Surface of Beef Subprimals To Control Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Stella, J Max; Luchansky, John B; Miller, Kelsey; Shoyer, Bradley A; Shane, Laura E; McGeary, Lianna; Osoria, Manuela; Stahler, Laura J; Sevart, Nicholas J; Phebus, Randall K; Thippareddi, Harshavardhan; Porto-Fett, Anna C S

2017-08-01

The efficacy of an electrostatic spraying system (ESS) and/or the sprayed lethality in container (SLIC) method to deliver antimicrobial agents onto the surface of beef subprimals to reduce levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was evaluated. Beef subprimals were surface inoculated (lean side; ca. 5.8 log CFU per subprimal) with 2 mL of an eight-strain cocktail comprising single strains of rifampin-resistant (100 μg/mL) STEC (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O111:H - , O121:H19, O145:NM, and O157:H7). Next, inoculated subprimals were surface treated with lauric arginate (LAE; 1%), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 0.025%), or cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC; 0.4%) by passing each subprimal, with the inoculated lean side facing upward, through an ESS cabinet or via SLIC. Subprimals were then vacuum packaged and stored at 4°C. One set of subprimals was sampled after an additional 2 h, 3 days, or 7 days of refrigerated storage, whereas another set was retreated via SLIC after 3 days of storage with a different one of the three antimicrobial agents (e.g., a subprimal treated with LAE on day 0 was then treated with PAA or CPE on day 3). Retreated subprimals were sampled after 2 h or 4 days of additional storage at 4°C. A single initial application of LAE, PAA, or CPC via ESS or SLIC resulted in STEC reductions of ca. 0.3 to 1.3 log CFU per subprimal after 7 days of storage. However, when subprimals were initially treated with LAE, PAA, or CPC via ESS or SLIC and then separately retreated with a different one of these antimicrobial agents via SLIC on day 3, additional STEC reductions of 0.4 to 1.0 log CFU per subprimal were observed after an additional 4 days of storage. Application of LAE, PAA, or CPC, either alone or in combination, via ESS or SLIC is effective for reducing low levels (ca. 0.3 to 1.6 log CFU) of STEC that may be naturally present on the surface of beef subprimals.

Energy Storage System Safety: Plan Review and Inspection Checklist

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

Cole, Pam C.; Conover, David R.

Codes, standards, and regulations (CSR) governing the design, construction, installation, commissioning, and operation of the built environment are intended to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. While these documents change over time to address new technology and new safety challenges, there is generally some lag time between the introduction of a technology into the market and the time it is specifically covered in model codes and standards developed in the voluntary sector. After their development, there is also a timeframe of at least a year or two until the codes and standards are adopted. Until existing model codes andmore » standards are updated or new ones are developed and then adopted, one seeking to deploy energy storage technologies or needing to verify the safety of an installation may be challenged in trying to apply currently implemented CSRs to an energy storage system (ESS). The Energy Storage System Guide for Compliance with Safety Codes and Standards1 (CG), developed in June 2016, is intended to help address the acceptability of the design and construction of stationary ESSs, their component parts, and the siting, installation, commissioning, operations, maintenance, and repair/renovation of ESS within the built environment.« less

The welfare effects of integrating renewable energy into electricity markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamadrid, Alberto J.

The challenges of deploying more renewable energy sources on an electric grid are caused largely by their inherent variability. In this context, energy storage can help make the electric delivery system more reliable by mitigating this variability. This thesis analyzes a series of models for procuring electricity and ancillary services for both individuals and social planners with high penetrations of stochastic wind energy. The results obtained for an individual decision maker using stochastic optimization are ambiguous, with closed form solutions dependent on technological parameters, and no consideration of the system reliability. The social planner models correctly reflect the effect of system reliability, and in the case of a Stochastic, Security Constrained Optimal Power Flow (S-SC-OPF or SuperOPF), determine reserve capacity endogenously so that system reliability is maintained. A single-period SuperOPF shows that including ramping costs in the objective function leads to more wind spilling and increased capacity requirements for reliability. However, this model does not reflect the inter temporal tradeoffs of using Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to improve reliability and mitigate wind variability. The results with the multiperiod SuperOPF determine the optimum use of storage for a typical day, and compare the effects of collocating ESS at wind sites with the same amount of storage (deferrable demand) located at demand centers. The collocated ESS has slightly lower operating costs and spills less wind generation compared to deferrable demand, but the total amount of conventional generating capacity needed for system adequacy is higher. In terms of the total system costs, that include the capital cost of conventional generating capacity, the costs with deferrable demand is substantially lower because the daily demand profile is flattened and less conventional generation capacity is then needed for reliability purposes. The analysis also demonstrates that the optimum daily pattern of dispatch and reserves is seriously distorted if the stochastic characteristics of wind generation are ignored.

A wavelet-fuzzy logic based energy management strategy for a fuel cell/battery/ultra-capacitor hybrid vehicular power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdinc, O.; Vural, B.; Uzunoglu, M.

Due to increasing concerns on environmental pollution and depleting fossil fuels, fuel cell (FC) vehicle technology has received considerable attention as an alternative to the conventional vehicular systems. However, a FC system combined with an energy storage system (ESS) can display a preferable performance for vehicle propulsion. As the additional ESS can fulfill the transient power demand fluctuations, the fuel cell can be downsized to fit the average power demand without facing peak loads. Besides, braking energy can be recovered by the ESS. This study focuses on a vehicular system powered by a fuel cell and equipped with two secondary energy storage devices: battery and ultra-capacitor (UC). However, an advanced energy management strategy is quite necessary to split the power demand of a vehicle in a suitable way for the on-board power sources in order to maximize the performance while promoting the fuel economy and endurance of hybrid system components. In this study, a wavelet and fuzzy logic based energy management strategy is proposed for the developed hybrid vehicular system. Wavelet transform has great capability for analyzing signals consisting of instantaneous changes like a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) power demand. Besides, fuzzy logic has a quite suitable structure for the control of hybrid systems. The mathematical and electrical models of the hybrid vehicular system are developed in detail and simulated using MATLAB ®, Simulink ® and SimPowerSystems ® environments.

Hazardous Waste Minimization Assessment: Fort Meade, MD

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Manual TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act TSDF T.xatment. Storage, and Disposal Facility USACERL U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory...generation; and current methods of treatment, storage, and disposal, researchers conducted feasibility and economicanalyses of milnimizaion options...Bernard A. Donahue 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) ANO ADO ESS(ES) S. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research

Enhanced syndromic surveillance for mass gatherings in the Pacific: a case study of the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts in Solomon Islands, 2012.

PubMed

Hoy, Damian; Saketa, Salanieta T; Maraka, Roy Roger; Sio, Alison; Wanyeki, Ian; Frison, Pascal; Ogaoga, Divi; Iniakawala, Dennie; Joshua, Cynthia; Duituturaga, Sala; Lepers, Christelle; Roth, Adam; White, Paul; Souares, Yvan

2016-01-01

Mass gatherings pose public health challenges to host countries, as they can cause or exacerbate disease outbreaks within the host location or elsewhere. In July 2012, the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA), a mass gathering event involving 22 Pacific island states and territories, was hosted by Solomon Islands. An enhanced syndromic surveillance (ESS) system was implemented for the event. Throughout the capital city, Honiara, 15 sentinel sites were established and successfully took part in the ESS system, which commenced one week before the FOPA (25 June) and concluded eight days after the event (22 July). The ESS involved expanding on the existing syndromic surveillance parameters: from one to 15 sentinel sites, from four to eight syndromes, from aggregated to case-based reporting and from weekly to daily reporting. A web-based system was developed to enable data entry, data storage and data analysis. Towards the end of the ESS period, a focus group discussion and series of key informant interviews were conducted. The ESS was considered a success and played an important role in the early detection of possible outbreaks. For the period of the ESS, 1668 patients with syndrome presentations were received across the 15 sentinel sites. There were no major events of public health significance. Several lessons were learnt that are relevant to ESS in mass gathering scenarios, including the importance of having adequate lead in time for engagement and preparation to ensure appropriate policy and institutional frameworks are put in place.

Enhanced syndromic surveillance for mass gatherings in the Pacific: a case study of the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts in Solomon Islands, 2012

PubMed Central

Hoy, Damian; Saketa, Salanieta T; Maraka, Roy Roger; Sio, Alison; Wanyeki, Ian; Frison, Pascal; Ogaoga, Divi; Iniakawala, Dennie; Joshua, Cynthia; Duituturaga, Sala; Lepers, Christelle; Roth, Adam; White, Paul; Souares, Yvan

2016-01-01

Mass gatherings pose public health challenges to host countries, as they can cause or exacerbate disease outbreaks within the host location or elsewhere. In July 2012, the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA), a mass gathering event involving 22 Pacific island states and territories, was hosted by Solomon Islands. An enhanced syndromic surveillance (ESS) system was implemented for the event. Throughout the capital city, Honiara, 15 sentinel sites were established and successfully took part in the ESS system, which commenced one week before the FOPA (25 June) and concluded eight days after the event (22 July). The ESS involved expanding on the existing syndromic surveillance parameters: from one to 15 sentinel sites, from four to eight syndromes, from aggregated to case-based reporting and from weekly to daily reporting. A web-based system was developed to enable data entry, data storage and data analysis. Towards the end of the ESS period, a focus group discussion and series of key informant interviews were conducted. The ESS was considered a success and played an important role in the early detection of possible outbreaks. For the period of the ESS, 1668 patients with syndrome presentations were received across the 15 sentinel sites. There were no major events of public health significance. Several lessons were learnt that are relevant to ESS in mass gathering scenarios, including the importance of having adequate lead in time for engagement and preparation to ensure appropriate policy and institutional frameworks are put in place. PMID:27766181

Development of a Real-Time Hardware-in- the-Loop Power Systems Simulation Platform to Evaluate Commercial Microgrid Controllers

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-23

52 A.3 Solar irradiance profile. 53 xi LIST OF TABLES Table Page No. 1 Cable Impedances 14 2 PV Component Specifications 25 3 ESS...of the physical DER devices, including gensets, a battery-based energy storage system with a bidirectional power converter, a solar photovoltaic ( PV ...this was done for the energy storage, solar PV , and breakers.) Implement several relay protection functions to actuate the breakers. Implement various

Impact of wind generator infed on dynamic performance of a power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Md. Ahsanul

Wind energy is one of the most prominent sources of electrical energy in the years to come. A tendency to increase the amount of electricity generation from wind turbine can be observed in many countries. One of the major concerns related to the high penetration level of the wind energy into the existing power grid is its influence on power system dynamic performance. In this thesis, the impact of wind generation system on power system dynamic performance is investigated through detailed dynamic modeling of the entire wind generator system considering all the relevant components. Nonlinear and linear models of a single machine as well as multimachine wind-AC system have been derived. For the dynamic model of integrated wind-AC system, a general transformation matrix is determined for the transformation of machine and network quantities to a common reference frame. Both time-domain and frequency domain analyses on single machine and multimachine systems have been carried out. The considered multimachine systems are---A 4 machine 12 bus system, and 10 machine 39 bus New England system. Through eigenvalue analysis, impact of asynchronous wind system on overall network damping has been quantified and modes responsible for the instability have been identified. Over with a number of simulation studies it is observed that for a induction generator based wind generation system, the fixed capacitor located at the generator terminal cannot normally cater for the reactive power demand during the transient disturbances like wind gust and fault on the system. For weak network connection, system instability may be initiated because of induction generator terminal voltage collapse under certain disturbance conditions. Incorporation of dynamic reactive power compensation scheme through either variable susceptance control or static compensator (STATCOM) is found to improve the dynamic performance significantly. Further improvement in transient profile has been brought in by supporting STATCOM with bulk energy storage devices. Two types of energy storage system (ESS) have been considered---battery energy storage system, and supercapacitor based energy storage system. A decoupled P -- Q control strategy has been implemented on STATCOM/ESS. It is observed that wind generators when supported by STATCOM/ESS can achieve significant withstand capability in the presence of grid fault of reasonable duration. It experiences almost negligible rotor speed variation, maintains constant terminal voltage, and resumes delivery of smoothed (almost transient free) power to the grid immediately after the fault is cleared. Keywords: Wind energy, induction generator, dynamic performance of wind generators, energy storage system, decoupled P -- Q control, multimachine system.

Potential Arbitrage Revenue of Energy Storage Systems in PJM

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

Salles, Mauricio; Huang, Junling; Aziz, Michael

The volatility of electricity prices is attracting interest in the opportunity of providing net revenue by energy arbitrage. We analyzed the potential revenue of a generic Energy Storage System (ESS) in 7395 different locations within the electricity markets of Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland interconnection (PJM), the largest U.S. regional transmission organization, using hourly locational marginal prices over the seven-year period 2008–2014. Assuming a price-taking ESS with perfect foresight in the real-time market, we optimized the charge-discharge profile to determine the maximum potential revenue for a 1 MW system as a function of energy/power ratio, or rated discharge duration, from 1 to 14more » h, including a limited analysis of sensitivity to round-trip efficiency. We determined minimum potential revenue with a similar analysis of the day-ahead market. We presented the distribution over the set of nodes and years of price, price volatility, and maximum potential arbitrage revenue. From these results, we determined the break even overnight installed cost of an ESS below which arbitrage would be profitable, its dependence on rated discharge duration, its distribution over grid nodes, and its variation over the years. We showed that dispatch into real-time markets based on day-ahead market settlement prices is a simple, feasible method that raises the lower bound on the achievable arbitrage revenue.« less

Potential Arbitrage Revenue of Energy Storage Systems in PJM

DOE PAGES

Salles, Mauricio; Huang, Junling; Aziz, Michael; ...

2017-07-27

The volatility of electricity prices is attracting interest in the opportunity of providing net revenue by energy arbitrage. We analyzed the potential revenue of a generic Energy Storage System (ESS) in 7395 different locations within the electricity markets of Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland interconnection (PJM), the largest U.S. regional transmission organization, using hourly locational marginal prices over the seven-year period 2008–2014. Assuming a price-taking ESS with perfect foresight in the real-time market, we optimized the charge-discharge profile to determine the maximum potential revenue for a 1 MW system as a function of energy/power ratio, or rated discharge duration, from 1 to 14more » h, including a limited analysis of sensitivity to round-trip efficiency. We determined minimum potential revenue with a similar analysis of the day-ahead market. We presented the distribution over the set of nodes and years of price, price volatility, and maximum potential arbitrage revenue. From these results, we determined the break even overnight installed cost of an ESS below which arbitrage would be profitable, its dependence on rated discharge duration, its distribution over grid nodes, and its variation over the years. We showed that dispatch into real-time markets based on day-ahead market settlement prices is a simple, feasible method that raises the lower bound on the achievable arbitrage revenue.« less

Eco-friendly Energy Storage System: Seawater and Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

PubMed

Kim, Jae-Kwang; Mueller, Franziska; Kim, Hyojin; Jeong, Sangsik; Park, Jeong-Sun; Passerini, Stefano; Kim, Youngsik

2016-01-08

As existing battery technologies struggle to meet the requirements for widespread use in the field of large-scale energy storage, novel concepts are urgently needed concerning batteries that have high energy densities, low costs, and high levels of safety. Here, a novel eco-friendly energy storage system (ESS) using seawater and an ionic liquid is proposed for the first time; this represents an intermediate system between a battery and a fuel cell, and is accordingly referred to as a hybrid rechargeable cell. Compared to conventional organic electrolytes, the ionic liquid electrolyte significantly enhances the cycle performance of the seawater hybrid rechargeable system, acting as a very stable interface layer between the Sn-C (Na storage) anode and the NASICON (Na3 Zr2 Si2 PO12) ceramic solid electrolyte, making this system extremely promising for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly large-scale energy storage. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Combined effects of climate and land-use change on the provision of ecosystem services in rice agro-ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langerwisch, Fanny; Václavík, Tomáš; von Bloh, Werner; Vetter, Tobias; Thonicke, Kirsten

2018-01-01

Irrigated rice croplands are among the world’s most important agro-ecosystems. They provide food for more than 3.5 billion people and a range of other ecosystem services (ESS). However, the sustainability of rice agro-ecosystems is threatened by continuing climate and land-use changes. To estimate their combined effects on a bundle of ESS, we applied the vegetation and hydrology model LPJmL to seven study areas in the Philippines and Vietnam. We quantified future changes in the provision of four essential ESS (carbon storage, carbon sequestration, provision of irrigation water and rice production) under two climate scenarios (until 2100) and three site-specific land-use scenarios (until 2030), and examined the synergies and trade-offs in ESS responses to these drivers. Our results show that not all services can be provided in the same amounts in the future. In the Philippines and Vietnam the projections estimated a decrease in rice yields (by approximately 30%) and in carbon storage (by 15%) and sequestration (by 12%) towards the end of the century under the current land-use pattern. In contrast, the amount of available irrigation water was projected to increase in all scenarios by 10%-20%. However, the results also indicate that land-use change may partially offset the negative climate impacts in regions where cropland expansion is possible, although only at the expense of natural vegetation. When analysing the interactions between ESS, we found consistent synergies between rice production and carbon storage and trade-offs between carbon storage and provision of irrigation water under most scenarios. Our results show that not only the effects of climate and land-use change alone but also the interaction between ESS have to be considered to allow sustainable management of rice agro-ecosystems under global change.

ESS Cryogenic System Process Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, P.; Hees, W.; Jurns, J.; Su, X. T.; Wang, X. L.; Weisend, J. G., II

2015-12-01

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a neutron-scattering facility funded and supported in collaboration with 17 European countries in Lund, Sweden. Cryogenic cooling at ESS is vital particularly for the linear accelerator, the hydrogen target moderators, a test stand for cryomodules, the neutron instruments and their sample environments. The paper will focus on specific process design criteria, design decisions and their motivations for the helium cryoplants and auxiliary equipment. Key issues for all plants and their process concepts are energy efficiency, reliability, smooth turn-down behaviour and flexibility. The accelerator cryoplant (ACCP) and the target moderator cryoplant (TMCP) in particular need to be prepared for a range of refrigeration capacities due to the intrinsic uncertainties regarding heat load definitions. Furthermore the paper addresses questions regarding process arrangement, 2 K cooling methodology, LN2 precooling, helium storage, helium purification and heat recovery.

The Salem Smart Power Center: An Assessment of Battery Performance and Economic Potential

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

Balducci, Patrick J.; Alam, M. J.E.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur

This paper presents an assessment of the economic potential of a 5 MW/1.25 MWh Energy Storage System (ESS) installed at the Salem Smart Power Center (SSPC), a smart grid technology demonstration facility owned and operated by Portland General Electric (PGE) in Salem, Oregon. The ESS and the grid conditions in which it operates were modeled using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Battery Storage Evaluation Tool (BSET) to explore tradeoffs between services, and to develop optimal control strategies. This assessment monetized the value derived from nine services the SSPC could provide to PGE and the customers it serves. The ESS and themore » grid conditions in which it operates were modeled using PNNL’s in-house optimization tool BSET to explore tradeoffs between services, and to develop optimal control strategies. The analysis resulted in a number of lessons that provide crucial insights into the practical application of ESS, including; The SSPC, which was originally conceived as a research and test facility and built with the prevailing maturity technology level, was built at a cost ($20.4 million) that exceeds current day prices ($5.4 million) for a similarly designed and built 5 MW/1.25 MWh system; In terms of economic operation, the SSPC is currently underutilized, deployed only for primary frequency response. PNNL modeling indicates that optimal operation of the ESS could generate an additional value of $2.3 million over 20 years. It should also be noted that primary frequency response is the highest benefit application but requires a response from the SSPC only 17 hours each year. While optimally engaged, the ESS would provide arbitrage and ancillary services 78 percent of the time, but those services generate only 27 percent of the total value; Participation in Western EIM represents an interesting opportunity for PGE with a potential to generate $2.1 million value in PV terms over 20 years in the 5-min real-time market; With an energy to power ratio of only 0.25, the SSPC is not well suited to engage in most energy-intensive applications such as arbitrage or ancillary services. By upsizing the storage capacity to 5 MWh and 10MWh, the additional value allows the benefits ($13.3 million and 20.3 million, respectively) to exceed the system’s revenue requirements ($11.5 and $16.4 million, respectively). For the SSPC, ROI ratios exceeded 1.0 when the energy to power ratio fell between 0.5 and 3.5, and peaked at an energy to power ratio of 2.0. This report represents the output of the first of a two-phase effort. Phase II will involve the development of enhanced control strategies to assist PGE in realizing the benefits of energy storage in real-time.« less

Safety Outreach and Incident Response Stakeholder Strategy

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

Rosewater, David Martin; Conover, David

2016-06-01

The objective of this document is to set out a strategy to reach all stakeholders that can impact the timely deployment of safe stationary energy storage systems in the built environment with information on ESS technology and safety that is relevant to their role in deployment of the technology.

Performance Study of Salt Cavern Air Storage Based Non-Supplementary Fired Compressed Air Energy Storage System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaotao; Song, Jie; Liang, Lixiao; Si, Yang; Wang, Le; Xue, Xiaodai

2017-10-01

Large-scale energy storage system (ESS) plays an important role in the planning and operation of smart grid and energy internet. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is one of promising large-scale energy storage techniques. However, the high cost of the storage of compressed air and the low capacity remain to be solved. This paper proposes a novel non-supplementary fired compressed air energy storage system (NSF-CAES) based on salt cavern air storage to address the issues of air storage and the efficiency of CAES. Operating mechanisms of the proposed NSF-CAES are analysed based on thermodynamics principle. Key factors which has impact on the system storage efficiency are thoroughly explored. The energy storage efficiency of the proposed NSF-CAES system can be improved by reducing the maximum working pressure of the salt cavern and improving inlet air pressure of the turbine. Simulation results show that the electric-to-electric conversion efficiency of the proposed NSF-CAES can reach 63.29% with a maximum salt cavern working pressure of 9.5 MPa and 9 MPa inlet air pressure of the turbine, which is higher than the current commercial CAES plants.

Energy Storage Sizing Taking Into Account Forecast Uncertainties and Receding Horizon Operation

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

Baker, Kyri; Hug, Gabriela; Li, Xin

Energy storage systems (ESS) have the potential to be very beneficial for applications such as reducing the ramping of generators, peak shaving, and balancing not only the variability introduced by renewable energy sources, but also the uncertainty introduced by errors in their forecasts. Optimal usage of storage may result in reduced generation costs and an increased use of renewable energy. However, optimally sizing these devices is a challenging problem. This paper aims to provide the tools to optimally size an ESS under the assumption that it will be operated under a model predictive control scheme and that the forecast ofmore » the renewable energy resources include prediction errors. A two-stage stochastic model predictive control is formulated and solved, where the optimal usage of the storage is simultaneously determined along with the optimal generation outputs and size of the storage. Wind forecast errors are taken into account in the optimization problem via probabilistic constraints for which an analytical form is derived. This allows for the stochastic optimization problem to be solved directly, without using sampling-based approaches, and sizing the storage to account not only for a wide range of potential scenarios, but also for a wide range of potential forecast errors. In the proposed formulation, we account for the fact that errors in the forecast affect how the device is operated later in the horizon and that a receding horizon scheme is used in operation to optimally use the available storage.« less

Comparing Bioenergy Production Sites in the Southeastern US Regarding Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand

PubMed Central

Meyer, Markus A.; Chand, Tanzila; Priess, Joerg A.

2015-01-01

Biomass for bioenergy is debated for its potential synergies or tradeoffs with other provisioning and regulating ecosystem services (ESS). This biomass may originate from different production systems and may be purposefully grown or obtained from residues. Increased concerns globally about the sustainable production of biomass for bioenergy has resulted in numerous certification schemes focusing on best management practices, mostly operating at the plot/field scale. In this study, we compare the ESS of two watersheds in the southeastern US. We show the ESS tradeoffs and synergies of plantation forestry, i.e., pine poles, and agricultural production, i.e., wheat straw and corn stover, with the counterfactual natural or semi-natural forest in both watersheds. The plantation forestry showed less distinct tradeoffs than did corn and wheat production, i.e., for carbon storage, P and sediment retention, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity. Using indicators of landscape composition and configuration, we showed that landscape planning can affect the overall ESS supply and can partly determine if locally set environmental thresholds are being met. Indicators on landscape composition, configuration and naturalness explained more than 30% of the variation in ESS supply. Landscape elements such as largely connected forest patches or more complex agricultural patches, e.g., mosaics with shrub and grassland patches, may enhance ESS supply in both of the bioenergy production systems. If tradeoffs between biomass production and other ESS are not addressed by landscape planning, it may be reasonable to include rules in certification schemes that require, e.g., the connectivity of natural or semi-natural forest patches in plantation forestry or semi-natural landscape elements in agricultural production systems. Integrating indicators on landscape configuration and composition into certification schemes is particularly relevant considering that certification schemes are governance tools used to ensure comparable sustainability standards for biomass produced in countries with variable or absent legal frameworks for landscape planning. PMID:25768660

Assessing the Accuracy of Soil Carbon Inventories in a Forested Watershed Using Conventional and Advanced Approaches

EPA Science Inventory

Soils provide a number of vital Ecosystem Services (ESs) that society depends upon. Carbon held in soils contributes to a number of ESs including the production of food and fiber; water recharge, storage and purification; nutrient cycling, reducing soil erosion and climate regul...

DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA

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

Akhil, Abbas A.; Huff, Georgianne; Currier, Aileen B.

2016-09-01

The Electricity Storage Handbook (Handbook) is a how-to guide for utility and rural cooperative engineers, planners, and decision makers to plan and implement energy storage projects. The Handbook also serves as an information resource for investors and venture capitalists, providing the latest developments in technologies and tools to guide their evaluations of energy storage opportunities. It includes a comprehensive database of the cost of current storage systems in a wide variety of electric utility and customer services, along with interconnection schematics. A list of significant past and present energy storage projects is provided for a practical perspective. This Handbook, jointlymore » sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute in collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, is published in electronic form at www.sandia.gov/ess.« less

Working memory, short-term memory, and reading disabilities: a selective meta-analysis of the literature.

PubMed

Swanson, H Lee; Xinhua Zheng; Jerman, Olga

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to synthesize research that compares children with and without reading disabilities (RD) on measures of short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM). Across a broad age, reading, and IQ range, 578 effect sizes (ESs) were computed, yielding a mean ES across studies of -.89 (SD = 1.03). A total of 257 ESs were in the moderate range for STM measures (M = -.61, 95% confidence range of -.65 to -.58), and 320 ESs were in the moderate range for WM measures (M = -.67, 95% confidence range of -.68 to -.64). The results indicated that children with RD were distinctively disadvantaged compared with average readers on (a) STM measures requiring the recall of phonemes and digit sequences and (b) WM measures requiring the simultaneous processing and storage of digits within sentence sequences and final words from unrelated sentences. No significant moderating effects emerged for age, IQ, or reading level on memory ESs. The findings indicated that domain-specific STM and WM differences between ability groups persisted across age, suggesting that a verbal deficit model that fails to efficiently draw resources from both a phonological and executive system underlies RD.

Multi-Time Step Service Restoration for Advanced Distribution Systems and Microgrids

DOE PAGES

Chen, Bo; Chen, Chen; Wang, Jianhui; ...

2017-07-07

Modern power systems are facing increased risk of disasters that can cause extended outages. The presence of remote control switches (RCSs), distributed generators (DGs), and energy storage systems (ESS) provides both challenges and opportunities for developing post-fault service restoration methodologies. Inter-temporal constraints of DGs, ESS, and loads under cold load pickup (CLPU) conditions impose extra complexity on problem formulation and solution. In this paper, a multi-time step service restoration methodology is proposed to optimally generate a sequence of control actions for controllable switches, ESSs, and dispatchable DGs to assist the system operator with decision making. The restoration sequence is determinedmore » to minimize the unserved customers by energizing the system step by step without violating operational constraints at each time step. The proposed methodology is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and can adapt to various operation conditions. Furthermore, the proposed method is validated through several case studies that are performed on modified IEEE 13-node and IEEE 123-node test feeders.« less

Multi-Time Step Service Restoration for Advanced Distribution Systems and Microgrids

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

Chen, Bo; Chen, Chen; Wang, Jianhui

Modern power systems are facing increased risk of disasters that can cause extended outages. The presence of remote control switches (RCSs), distributed generators (DGs), and energy storage systems (ESS) provides both challenges and opportunities for developing post-fault service restoration methodologies. Inter-temporal constraints of DGs, ESS, and loads under cold load pickup (CLPU) conditions impose extra complexity on problem formulation and solution. In this paper, a multi-time step service restoration methodology is proposed to optimally generate a sequence of control actions for controllable switches, ESSs, and dispatchable DGs to assist the system operator with decision making. The restoration sequence is determinedmore » to minimize the unserved customers by energizing the system step by step without violating operational constraints at each time step. The proposed methodology is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and can adapt to various operation conditions. Furthermore, the proposed method is validated through several case studies that are performed on modified IEEE 13-node and IEEE 123-node test feeders.« less

Zinc Bromide Flow Battery Installation for Islanding and Backup Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-18

ability to control the generation has become more difficult with the increase of renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaics ( PV ) and wind... PV and Inverter Room Building 6311 Rooftop Solar PV 30kW 232kW STC PV Array B5-PS2T33 Pad Switchboard ZnBr Energy Storage System (ESS) PowerBoxEnergy...Agreement • 1.5 MW of Photovoltaic • PV Parking lot lights • 24 Solar Thermal systems including the Combat Training Tank (Pool) Energy/Water Efficiency

DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA.

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

Akhil, Abbas Ali; Huff, Georgianne; Currier, Aileen B.

2015-02-01

The Electricity Storage Handbook (Handbook) is a how - to guide for utility and rural cooperative engineers, planners, and decision makers to plan and implement energy storage projects. The Handbook also serves as an information resource for investors and venture capitalists, providing the latest developments in technologies and tools to guide their evaluation s of energy storage opportunities. It includes a comprehensive database of the cost of current storage systems in a wide variety of electric utility and customer services, along with interconnection schematics. A list of significant past and present energy storage projects is provided for a practical perspectivemore » . This Handbook, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute in collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, is published in electronic form at www.sandia.gov/ess. This Handbook is best viewed online.« less

Multipurpose Controller with EPICS integration and data logging: BPM application for ESS Bilbao

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arredondo, I.; del Campo, M.; Echevarria, P.; Jugo, J.; Etxebarria, V.

2013-10-01

This work presents a multipurpose configurable control system which can be integrated in an EPICS control network, this functionality being configured through a XML configuration file. The core of the system is the so-called Hardware Controller which is in charge of the control hardware management, the set up and communication with the EPICS network and the data storage. The reconfigurable nature of the controller is based on a single XML file, allowing any final user to easily modify and adjust the control system to any specific requirement. The selected Java development environment ensures a multiplatform operation and large versatility, even regarding the control hardware to be controlled. Specifically, this paper, focused on fast control based on a high performance FPGA, describes also an application approach for the ESS Bilbao's Beam Position Monitoring system. The implementation of the XML configuration file and the satisfactory performance outcome achieved are presented, as well as a general description of the Multipurpose Controller itself.

Benefit/cost framework for evaluating modular energy storage : a study for the DOE energy storage systems program.

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

Eyer, James M.; Schoenung, Susan M.

2008-02-01

The work documented in this report represents another step in the ongoing investigation of innovative and potentially attractive value propositions for electricity storage by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Energy Storage Systems (ESS) Program. This study uses updated cost and performance information for modular energy storage (MES) developed for this study to evaluate four prospective value propositions for MES. The four potentially attractive value propositions are defined by a combination of well-known benefits that are associated with electricity generation, delivery, and use. The value propositions evaluated are: (1) transportable MES for electric utilitymore » transmission and distribution (T&D) equipment upgrade deferral and for improving local power quality, each in alternating years, (2) improving local power quality only, in all years, (3) electric utility T&D deferral in year 1, followed by electricity price arbitrage in following years; plus a generation capacity credit in all years, and (4) electric utility end-user cost management during times when peak and critical peak pricing prevail.« less

Design Guide for Earth System Science Education: Common Student Learning Objectives and Special Pedagogical Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, D.

2006-12-01

As part of the NASA-supported undergraduate Earth System Science Education (ESSE) program, fifty-seven institutions have developed and implemented a wide range of Earth system science (ESS) courses, pedagogies, and evaluation tools. The Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation section of USRA's online ESSE Design Guide showcases these ESS learning environments. This Design Guide section also provides resources for faculty who wish to develop ESS courses. It addresses important course design issues including prior student knowledge and interests, student learning objectives, learning resources, pedagogical approaches, and assessments tied to student learning objectives. The ESSE Design Guide provides links to over 130 ESS course syllabi at introductory, senior, and graduate levels. ESS courses over the past 15 years exhibit common student learning objectives and unique pedagogical approaches. From analysis of ESS course syllabi, seven common student learning objectives emerged: 1) demonstrate systems thinking, 2) develop an ESS knowledge base, 3) apply ESS to the human dimension, 4) expand and apply analytical skills, 5) improve critical thinking skills, 6) build professional/career skills, and 7) acquire an enjoyment and appreciation for science. To meet these objectives, ESSE often requires different ways of teaching than in traditional scientific disciplines. This presentation will highlight some especially successful pedagogical approaches for creating positive and engaging ESS learning environments.

Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century: Progress and Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzek, M.; Johnson, D. R.; Wake, C.; Aron, J.

2005-12-01

Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE 21) is a collaborative undergraduate/graduate Earth system science education program sponsored by NASA offering small grants to colleges and universities with special emphasis on including minority institutions to engage faculty and scientists in the development of Earth system science courses, curricula, degree programs and shared learning resources. The annual ESSE 21 meeting in Fairbanks in August, 2005 provided an opportunity for 70 undergraduate educators and scientists to share their best classroom learning resources through a series of short presentations, posters and skills workshops. This poster will highlight meeting results, advances in the development of ESS learning modules, and describe a community-led proposal to develop in the coming year a Design Guide for Undergraduate Earth system Science Education to be based upon the experience of the 63 NASA-supported ESSE teams over the past 15 years. As a living document on the Web, the Design Guide would utilize and share ESSE experiences that: - Advance understanding of the Earth as a system - Apply ESS to the Vision for Space Exploration - Create environments appropriate for teaching and learning ESS - Improve STEM literacy and broaden career paths - Transform institutional priorities and approaches to ESS - Embrace ESS within Minority Serving Institutions - Build collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships - Develop ESS learning resources and modules The Design Guide aims to be a synthesis of just how ESS has been and is being implemented in the college and university environment, listing items essential for undergraduate Earth system education that reflect the collective wisdom of the ESS education community. The Design Guide will focus the vision for ESS in the coming decades, define the challenges, and explore collaborative processes that utilize the next generation of information and communication technology.

Modular Robotic Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borroni-Bird, Christopher E. (Inventor); Lapp, Anthony Joseph (Inventor); Vitale, Robert L. (Inventor); Lee, Chunhao J. (Inventor); Bluethmann, William J. (Inventor); Ridley, Justin S. (Inventor); Junkin, Lucien Q. (Inventor); Ambrose, Robert O. (Inventor); Lutz, Jonathan J. (Inventor); Guo, Raymond (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A modular robotic vehicle includes a chassis, driver input devices, an energy storage system (ESS), a power electronics module (PEM), modular electronic assemblies (eModules) connected to the ESS via the PEM, one or more master controllers, and various embedded controllers. Each eModule includes a drive wheel containing a propulsion-braking module, and a housing containing propulsion and braking control assemblies with respective embedded propulsion and brake controllers, and a mounting bracket covering a steering control assembly with embedded steering controllers. The master controller, which is in communication with each eModule and with the driver input devices, communicates with and independently controls each eModule, by-wire, via the embedded controllers to establish a desired operating mode. Modes may include a two-wheel, four-wheel, diamond, and omni-directional steering modes as well as a park mode. A bumper may enable docking with another vehicle, with shared control over the eModules of the vehicles.

Review of droop-controlled bi-directional inverter in conducting islanded operation of photovoltaic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaw, Ace Lin Yi; Wong, Jianhui; Lim, Yun Seng

2017-04-01

Global warming due to the excessive greenhouse gas emissions has led to the emergence of green technologies in Malaysia, particularly photovoltaic (PV) systems. Under the current regulatory framework, islanded operation of the PV system is not permissible. As a result, any renewable energy sources will be disconnected immediately in the event of grid outages. This practice is to ensure the safety of working personnel, as well as the customer equipment connected within the distribution networks. In addition, there is no synchronizing equipment to aid the reconnection of the islanded network to the grid. However, with the shutdown of the Distributed Generator (DG) during islanded operation, the customers are not able to utilize the available renewable energy and the number of power interruption is not improved with the renewable energy sources. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of the PV system in conducting islanding operation with the use of Energy Storage System (ESS). This paper also proposes a control algorithm to maintain the voltage and frequency excursion within the statutory limit by manipulating the real and reactive power flow of the ESS within the transition period between grid connected and islanding operation.

Short-term bulk energy storage system scheduling for load leveling in unit commitment: modeling, optimization, and sensitivity analysis

PubMed Central

Hemmati, Reza; Saboori, Hedayat

2016-01-01

Energy storage systems (ESSs) have experienced a very rapid growth in recent years and are expected to be a promising tool in order to improving power system reliability and being economically efficient. The ESSs possess many potential benefits in various areas in the electric power systems. One of the main benefits of an ESS, especially a bulk unit, relies on smoothing the load pattern by decreasing on-peak and increasing off-peak loads, known as load leveling. These devices require new methods and tools in order to model and optimize their effects in the power system studies. In this respect, this paper will model bulk ESSs based on the several technical characteristics, introduce the proposed model in the thermal unit commitment (UC) problem, and analyze it with respect to the various sensitive parameters. The technical limitations of the thermal units and transmission network constraints are also considered in the model. The proposed model is a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) which can be easily solved by strong commercial solvers (for instance CPLEX) and it is appropriate to be used in the practical large scale networks. The results of implementing the proposed model on a test system reveal that proper load leveling through optimum storage scheduling leads to considerable operation cost reduction with respect to the storage system characteristics. PMID:27222741

Short-term bulk energy storage system scheduling for load leveling in unit commitment: modeling, optimization, and sensitivity analysis.

PubMed

Hemmati, Reza; Saboori, Hedayat

2016-05-01

Energy storage systems (ESSs) have experienced a very rapid growth in recent years and are expected to be a promising tool in order to improving power system reliability and being economically efficient. The ESSs possess many potential benefits in various areas in the electric power systems. One of the main benefits of an ESS, especially a bulk unit, relies on smoothing the load pattern by decreasing on-peak and increasing off-peak loads, known as load leveling. These devices require new methods and tools in order to model and optimize their effects in the power system studies. In this respect, this paper will model bulk ESSs based on the several technical characteristics, introduce the proposed model in the thermal unit commitment (UC) problem, and analyze it with respect to the various sensitive parameters. The technical limitations of the thermal units and transmission network constraints are also considered in the model. The proposed model is a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) which can be easily solved by strong commercial solvers (for instance CPLEX) and it is appropriate to be used in the practical large scale networks. The results of implementing the proposed model on a test system reveal that proper load leveling through optimum storage scheduling leads to considerable operation cost reduction with respect to the storage system characteristics.

Diagnostic Performance of Electronic Syndromic Surveillance Systems in Acute Care

PubMed Central

Kashiouris, M.; O’Horo, J.C.; Pickering, B.W.; Herasevich, V.

2013-01-01

Context Healthcare Electronic Syndromic Surveillance (ESS) is the systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of ongoing clinical data with subsequent dissemination of results, which aid clinical decision-making. Objective To evaluate, classify and analyze the diagnostic performance, strengths and limitations of existing acute care ESS systems. Data Sources All available to us studies in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus databases, from as early as January 1972 through the first week of September 2012. Study Selection: Prospective and retrospective trials, examining the diagnostic performance of inpatient ESS and providing objective diagnostic data including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. Data Extraction Two independent reviewers extracted diagnostic performance data on ESS systems, including clinical area, number of decision points, sensitivity and specificity. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated for each healthcare ESS system. A likelihood matrix summarizing the various ESS systems performance was created. Results The described search strategy yielded 1639 articles. Of these, 1497 were excluded on abstract information. After full text review, abstraction and arbitration with a third reviewer, 33 studies met inclusion criteria, reporting 102,611 ESS decision points. The yielded I2 was high (98.8%), precluding meta-analysis. Performance was variable, with sensitivities ranging from 21% –100% and specificities ranging from 5%-100%. Conclusions There is significant heterogeneity in the diagnostic performance of the available ESS implements in acute care, stemming from the wide spectrum of different clinical entities and ESS systems. Based on the results, we introduce a conceptual framework using a likelihood ratio matrix for evaluation and meaningful application of future, frontline clinical decision support systems. PMID:23874359

Urban expansion simulation and the spatio-temporal changes of ecosystem services, a case study in Atlanta Metropolitan area, USA.

PubMed

Sun, Xiao; Crittenden, John C; Li, Feng; Lu, Zhongming; Dou, Xiaolin

2018-05-01

Urban expansion can lead to land use changes and, hence, threatens the ecosystems. Understanding the effects of urbanization on ecosystem services (ESs) can provide scientific guidance for land use planning and the protection of ESs. We established a framework to assess the spatial distributions of ESs based on land use changes in the Atlanta Metropolitan area (AMA) from 1985 to 2012. A new comprehensive ecosystem service (CES) index was developed to reflect the comprehensive level of ESs. Associated with the influential factors, we simulated the business as usual scenario in 2030. Four alternative scenarios, including more compact growth (MCG), riparian vegetation buffer (RVB), soil conservation (SC), and combined development (CD) scenarios were developed to explore the optimal land use strategies which can enhance the ESs. The results showed that forest and wetland had the greatest decreases, while low and high intensity built-up lands had the greatest increases. The values of CES and most of ESs decreased significantly due to the sprawling expansion of built-up land. The scenario analysis revealed that the CD scenario performs best in CES value, while it performs the worst in food supply. Compared with the RVB and SC scenarios, MCG scenario is a more optimal land use strategy to enhance the ESs without at the expense of food supply. To integrate multiple ESs into land use planning and decision making, corresponding land management policies and ecological engineering measures should be implemented to enhance: (1) the water yield and water purification in urban core counties, (2) the carbon storage, habitat quality, and recreational opportunity in counties around the core area, and (3) the soil conservation and food supply in surrounding suburban counties. The land use strategies and ecological engineering measures in this study can provide references for enhancing the ESs in the AMA and other metropolitan areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental analysis of Hybridised Energy Storage Systems for automotive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarwar, Wasim; Engstrom, Timothy; Marinescu, Monica; Green, Nick; Taylor, Nigel; Offer, Gregory J.

2016-08-01

The requirements of the Energy Storage System (ESS) for an electrified vehicle portfolio consisting of a range of vehicles from micro Hybrid Electric Vehicle (mHEV) to a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) vary considerably. To reduce development cost of an electrified powertrain portfolio, a modular system would ideally be scaled across each vehicle; however, the conflicting requirements of a mHEV and BEV prevent this. This study investigates whether it is possible to combine supercapacitors suitable for an mHEV with high-energy batteries suitable for use in a BEV to create a Hybridised Energy Storage System (HESS) suitable for use in a HEV. A passive HESS is found to be capable of meeting the electrical demands of a HEV drive cycle; the operating principles of HESSs are discussed and factors limiting system performance are explored. The performance of the HESS is found to be significantly less temperature dependent than battery-only systems, however the heat generated suggests a requirement for thermal management. As the HESS degrades (at a similar rate to a specialised high-power-battery), battery resistance rises faster than supercapacitor resistance; as a result, the supercapacitor provides a greater current contribution, therefore the energy throughput, temperature rise and degradation of the batteries is reduced.

Dynamic model based novel findings in power systems analysis and frequency measurement verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kook, Kyung Soo

This study selects several new advanced topics in power systems, and verifies their usefulness using the simulation. In the study on ratio of the equivalent reactance and resistance of the bulk power systems, the simulation results give us the more correct value of X/R of the bulk power system, which can explain why the active power compensation is also important in voltage flicker mitigation. In the application study of the Energy Storage System(ESS) to the wind power, the new model implementation of the ESS connected to the wind power is proposed, and the control effect of ESS to the intermittency of the wind power is verified. Also this study conducts the intensive simulations for clarifying the behavior of the wide-area power system frequency as well as the possibility of the on-line instability detection. In our POWER IT Laboratory, since 2003, the U.S. national frequency monitoring network (FNET) has been being continuously operated to monitor the wide-area power system frequency in the U.S. Using the measured frequency data, the event of the power system is triggered, and its location and scale are estimated. This study also looks for the possibility of using the simulation technologies to contribute the applications of FNET, finds similarity of the event detection orders between the frequency measurements and the simulations in the U.S. Eastern power grid, and develops the new methodology for estimating the event location based on the simulated N-1 contingencies using the frequency measurement. It has been pointed out that the simulation results can not represent the actual response of the power systems due to the inevitable limit of modeling power systems and different operating conditions of the systems at every second. However, in the circumstances that we need to test such an important infrastructure supplying the electric energy without taking any risk of it, the software based simulation will be the best solution to verify the new technologies in power system engineering and, for doing this, new models and better application of the simulation should be proposed. Conducting extensive simulation studies, this dissertation verified that the actual X/R ratio of the bulk power systems is much lower than what has been known as its typical value, showed the effectiveness of the ESS control to mitigate the intermittence of the wind power from the perspective of the power grid using the newly proposed simulation model of ESS connected to the wind power, and found many characteristics of the wide-area frequency wave propagation. Also the possibility of using the simulated responses of the power system for replacing the measured data could be confirmed and this is very promising to the future application of the simulation to the on-line analysis of the power systems based on the FNET measurements.

Frequency Based Real-time Pricing for Residential Prosumers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hambridge, Sarah Mabel

This work is the first to explore frequency based pricing for secondary frequency control as a price-reactive control mechanism for residential prosumers. A frequency based real-time electricity rate is designed as an autonomous market control mechanism for residential prosumers to provide frequency support as an ancillary service. In addition, prosumers are empowered to participate in dynamic energy transactions, therefore integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), and increasing distributed energy storage onto the distributed grid. As the grid transitions towards DERs, a new market based control system will take the place of the legacy distributed system and possibly the legacy bulk power system. DERs provide many benefits such as energy independence, clean generation, efficiency, and reliability to prosumers during blackouts. However, the variable nature of renewable energy and current lack of installed energy storage on the grid will create imbalances in supply and demand as uptake increases, affecting the grid frequency and system operation. Through a frequency-based electricity rate, prosumers will be encouraged to purchase energy storage systems (ESS) to offset their neighbor's distributed generation (DG) such as solar. Chapter 1 explains the deregulation of the power system and move towards Distributed System Operators (DSOs), as prosumers become owners of microgrids and energy cells connected to the distributed system. Dynamic pricing has been proposed as a benefit to prosumers, giving them the ability to make decisions in the energy market, while also providing a way to influence and control their behavior. Frequency based real-time pricing is a type of dynamic pricing which falls between price-reactive control and transactive control. Prosumer-to-prosumer transactions may take the place of prosumer-to-utility transactions, building The Energy Internet. Frequency based pricing could be a mechanism for determining prosumer prices and supporting stability in a free, competitive, market. Frequency based pricing is applied to secondary frequency control in this work, providing support at one to five minute time intervals. In Chapter 2, a frequency based pricing curve is designed as a preliminary study and the response of the prosumer is optimized for economic dispatch. In Chapter 3, a day-ahead schedule and real-time adjustment energy management framework is presented for the prosumer, creating a market structure similar to the existing energy market supervised by Independent System Operators (ISOs). Enabling technology, such as the solid state transformer (SST) is described for prosumer energy transactions, controlling power flow from the prosumer's energy cell to the grid or neighboring prosumer as an energy router. Experimental results are shown to demonstrate this capability. Additionally, the SST is capable of measuring the grid frequency. Lastly, a frequency based real-time hybrid electricity rate is presented in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. Chapter 4 specializes in a single direction rate while Chapter 5 presents a bi-directional rate. A Time-of-use (TOU) rate is combined with the real-time frequency based price to lower energy bills for a residential prosumer with ESS, in agreement with the proposed day-ahead and real-time energy management framework. The cost to the ESS is also considered in this section. Linear programming and strategic rule based methods are utilized to find the lowest energy bill. As a result, prosumers can use ESS to balance the grid, reducing their bill as much per kWh as PV or DG under a TOU net-metering price scheme, while providing distributed frequency support to the grid authority. The variability of the frequency based rate is similar to variability in the stock market, which gives a sense of how prosumers will interact with variable prices in a system supported by The Energy Internet.

Electro shield system applications on set gill net as efforts to preserve shark resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri Aristi, DP; Boesono, H.; Prihantoko, K. E.; Gautama, D. Y.

2018-05-01

Sharks are kind of ETP biota (Endangered, Threatened, and Protected), and are generally caught as by catch during fishing operations. In addition, sharks are one of the biota that plays a role in the life cycle in coastal waters. The Electro Shield System (ESS) was a device with an electromagnetic wave source that the shark can detect and make it afraid. ESS can be applied to set gill net operation to prevent the shark from getting caught. The objective of the study was to analyze the ESS on shark catches during set gill net operations. The research method was experimental fishing, conducted in March-May 2017 in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia. Design the study by comparing shark catches during set gill net operation between those without using ESS (control) and using ESS with frequency 55 Hz. The shark catch by using Electro Shield System was 5.26% lower than control (7.80%). T-student analysis (sign 0.05) indicates that there was a significant difference between the set gill net without ESS and using the ESS against shark biota as bycatch. This indicates that the application of ESS in set gill net can reduce the capture of shark as by catch.

Spatiotemporal assessment and trade-offs of multiple ecosystem services based on land use changes in Zengcheng, China.

PubMed

Sun, Xiao; Li, Feng

2017-12-31

Driven by rapid urbanization, land use change has become a significant factor influencing ecosystem services (ESs). To support the decision-making process of city planners and policy makers, assessing the spatiotemporal changes associated with multiple ESs is vital. In this study, we developed a general structure to assess the changes of multiple ESs in Zengcheng, China. A new index also was developed to measure the comprehensive ecosystem service (CES). Trade-offs of various ESs were analyzed by using correlation analysis. We then designed four alternate scenarios to explore the optimal land use strategies to increase the CES value and minimize trade-offs among various ESs. Results demonstrated that rapid expansion of built-up land and traffic land resulted in a decrease of CES in Zengcheng from 2003 to 2013. Although the water supply, water purification, and vegetable and fruit production services increased, the climate regulation, soil conservation, biodiversity protection, recreation opportunity and grain production services decreased during the ten-year period. Government should implement land use policies and ecological engineering measures to improve soil conservation in the northern region; recreation opportunity in the central region; and carbon storage, water purification, biodiversity protection and recreation opportunity in the southern region. Among all alternative scenarios, woodland buffer and soil conservation scenarios exhibit the highest CES values, indicating that policies such as the "Ecological corridor construction" project and the "Grain for Green" project should be implemented. However, a caveat is that these policies improve the ESs at the expense of food production due to significant trade-off relationships. To minimize the trade-offs, a more sustainable intensification of agriculture should be adopted to increase food production without decreasing other ESs or occupying additional land. The land use strategies and ecological engineering measures in this study can provide a reliable reference for sustainable development of other urbanized regions in China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A software tool for ecosystem services assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riegels, Niels; Klinting, Anders; Butts, Michael; Middelboe, Anne Lise; Mark, Ole

2017-04-01

The EU FP7 DESSIN project is developing methods and tools for assessment of ecosystem services (ESS) and associated economic values, with a focus on freshwater ESS in urban settings. Although the ESS approach has gained considerable visibility over the past ten years, operationalizing the approach remains a challenge. Therefore, DESSSIN is also supporting development of a free software tool to support users implementing the DESSIN ESS evaluation framework. The DESSIN ESS evaluation framework is a structured approach to measuring changes in ecosystem services. The main purpose of the framework is to facilitate the application of the ESS approach in the appraisal of projects that have impacts on freshwater ecosystems and their services. The DESSIN framework helps users evaluate changes in ESS by linking biophysical, economic, and sustainability assessments sequentially. It was developed using the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) and the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts, Responses) adaptive management cycle. The former is a standardized system for the classification of ESS developed by the European Union to enhance the consistency and comparability of ESS assessments. The latter is a well-known concept to disentangle the biophysical and social aspects of a system under study. As part of its analytical component, the DESSIN framework also integrates elements of the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services-Classification System (FEGS-CS) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). As implemented in the software tool, the DESSIN framework consists of five parts: • In part I of the evaluation, the ecosystem is defined and described and the local stakeholders are identified. In addition, administrative details and objectives of the assessment are defined. • In part II, drivers and pressures are identified. Once these first two elements of the DPSIR scheme have been characterized, the claimed/expected capabilities of a proposed project can be estimated to determine whether the project affects drivers, pressures, states or a combination of these. • In part III, information about impacts on drivers, pressures, and states is used to identify ESS impacted by a proposed project. Potential beneficiaries of impacted ESS are also identified. • In part IV, changes in ESS are estimated. These estimates include changes in the provision of ESS, the use of ESS, and the value of ESS. • A sustainability assessment in Part V estimates the broader impact of a proposed project according to social, environmental, governance and other criteria. The ESS evaluation software tool is designed to assist an evaluation or study leader carrying out an ESS assessment. The tool helps users move through the logic of the ESS evaluation and make sense of relationships between elements of the DPSIR framework, the CICES classification scheme, and the FEGS approach. The tool also provides links to useful indicators and assessment methods in order to help users quantify changes in ESS and ESS values. The software tool is developed in collaboration with the DESSIN user group, who will use the software to estimate changes in ESS resulting from the implementation of green technologies addressing water quality and water scarcity issues. Although the software is targeted to this user group, it will be made available for free to the public after the conclusion of the project.

Reliability evaluation of microgrid considering incentive-based demand response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ting-Cheng; Zhang, Yong-Jun

2017-07-01

Incentive-based demand response (IBDR) can guide customers to adjust their behaviour of electricity and curtail load actively. Meanwhile, distributed generation (DG) and energy storage system (ESS) can provide time for the implementation of IBDR. The paper focus on the reliability evaluation of microgrid considering IBDR. Firstly, the mechanism of IBDR and its impact on power supply reliability are analysed. Secondly, the IBDR dispatch model considering customer’s comprehensive assessment and the customer response model are developed. Thirdly, the reliability evaluation method considering IBDR based on Monte Carlo simulation is proposed. Finally, the validity of the above models and method is studied through numerical tests on modified RBTS Bus6 test system. Simulation results demonstrated that IBDR can improve the reliability of microgrid.

EssC: domain structures inform on the elusive translocation channel in the Type VII secretion system

PubMed Central

Zoltner, Martin; Ng, Wui M.A.V.; Money, Jillian J.; Fyfe, Paul K.; Kneuper, Holger; Palmer, Tracy; Hunter, William N.

2016-01-01

The membrane-bound protein EssC is an integral component of the bacterial Type VII secretion system (T7SS), which is a determinant of virulence in important Gram-positive pathogens. The protein is predicted to consist of an intracellular repeat of forkhead-associated (FHA) domains at the N-terminus, two transmembrane helices and three P-loop-containing ATPase-type domains, D1–D3, forming the C-terminal intracellular segment. We present crystal structures of the N-terminal FHA domains (EssC-N) and a C-terminal fragment EssC-C from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans, encompassing two of the ATPase-type modules, D2 and D3. Module D2 binds ATP with high affinity whereas D3 does not. The EssC-N and EssC-C constructs are monomeric in solution, but the full-length recombinant protein, with a molecular mass of approximately 169 kDa, forms a multimer of approximately 1 MDa. The observation of protomer contacts in the crystal structure of EssC-C together with similarity to the DNA translocase FtsK, suggests a model for a hexameric EssC assembly. Such an observation potentially identifies the key, and to date elusive, component of pore formation required for secretion by this recently discovered secretion system. The juxtaposition of the FHA domains suggests potential for interacting with other components of the secretion system. The structural data were used to guide an analysis of which domains are required for the T7SS machine to function in pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus. The extreme C-terminal ATPase domain appears to be essential for EssC activity as a key part of the T7SS, whereas D2 and FHA domains are required for the production of a stable and functional protein. PMID:27130157

The loss of ecosystem services due to land degradation. Integration of mechanistic and probabilistic models in an Ethiopian case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerretelli, Stefania; Poggio, Laura; Gimona, Alessandro; Peressotti, Alessandro; Black, Helaina

2017-04-01

Land and soil degradation are widespread especially in dry and developing countries such as Ethiopia. Land degradation leads to ecosystems services (ESS) degradation, because it causes the depletion and loss of several soil functions. Ethiopia's farmland faces intense degradation due to deforestation, agricultural land expansion, land overexploitation and overgrazing. In this study we modelled the impact of physical factors on ESS degradation, in particular soil erodibility, carbon storage and nutrient retention, in the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley, northwestern of Hawassa. We used models of the Sediment retention/loss, the Nutrient Retention/loss (from the software suite InVEST) and Carbon Storage. To run the models we coupled soil local data (such as soil organic carbon, soil texture) with remote sensing data as input in the parametrization phase, e.g. to derive a land use map, to calculate the aboveground and belowground carbon, the evapotraspiration coefficient and the capacity of vegetation to retain nutrient. We then used spatialised Bayesian Belief Networks (sBBNs) predicting ecosystem services degradation on the basis of the results of the three mechanistic models. The results show i) the importance of mapping of ESS degradation taking into consideration the spatial heterogeneity and the cross-correlations between impacts ii) the fundamental role of remote sensing data in monitoring and modelling in remote, data-poor areas and iii) the important role of spatial BBNs in providing spatially explicit measures of risk and uncertainty. This approach could help decision makers to identify priority areas for intervention in order to reduce land and ecosystem services degradation.

Developing Earth System Science Courses and Programs at Minority Serving Institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, D. R.; Jackson, C.; Ruzek, M.

2004-12-01

In the current NASA/USRA ESSE21 Program, emphasis is placed on the development of Earth System Science courses and degree offerings in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Of the 18 colleges/universities being supported by NASA through USRA, 10 colleges/universities are MSIs. While there is recognition of the need for Earth system science courses, minors and degree programs by NASA and other agencies, within MSIs, a central challenge is how to provide a vision of the future opportunities in ESS and STEM disciplines that attracts and motivates students to these studies. Students need career guidance, role models and mentoring to encourage entry into STEM in general, and Earth system science in particular. Then there is the question of how to bring interested faculty together in institutions to form a critical mass that would forego the breadth and depth of disciplinary interests to undertake the development of multi/cross and interdisciplinary courses, minors and degree programs in ESS. Within the ESSE21 Diversity Working Group, the question has been raised as to how will MSIs ever be mainstream participants in ESS without teaching and engaging in research in remote sensing, modeling of the Earth's climate system and other like endeavors. Two other related questions raised within the Working Group are what are the long-term objectives of MSI adoption of ESS and what course corrections are needed to make ESS viable at MSIs. Within these considerations there are unresolved questions concerning the need and availability of resources from NASA, other agencies and local institutions. Apart from these larger considerations, efforts are underway within the ESSE21 Program that provide for sharing of resources among participants, organization of and access to materials that already exist, online resources, course outlines and successful listings for online resources by topics for particular courses and subject areas. The Lesson Learned Working Group, as well as the program office continue with efforts in organization of the resources to foster availability and utilization. Then there is the emphasis on educational assessment, formative, ongoing and summative by the Evaluation Working Group. These challenges, questions and Working Group activities will be briefly reviewed in relation to the collaborative development of Earth System Science and STEM education within ESSE21 and its current focus on MSIs.

College and University Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE 21)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, D. R.; Ruzek, M.; Schweizer, D.

2002-12-01

The NASA/USRA Cooperative University-based Program in Earth System Science Education (ESSE), initiated over a decade ago through NASA support, has led in the creation of a nationwide collaborative effort to bring Earth system science into the undergraduate classroom. Forty-five ESSE institutions now offer over 120 Earth system courses each year, reaching thousands of students annually with interdisciplinary content. Through the course offerings by faculty from different disciplines and the organizational infrastructure of colleges and universities emphasizing cross disciplinary curricula, programs, degrees and departments, the ESSE Program has led in systemic change in the offering of a holistic view of Earth system science in the classroom. Building on this successful experience and collaborative infrastructure within and among colleges, universities and NASA partners, an expanded program called ESSE 21 is being supported by NASA to extend the legacy established during the last decade. Through its expanded focus including partnerships with under represented colleges and universities, the Program seeks to further develop broadly based educational resources, including shared courses, electronic learning materials and degree programs that will extend Earth system science concepts in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms and laboratories. These resources emphasizing fundamentals of Earth system science advance the nation's broader agenda for improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics competency. Overall the thrust within the classrooms of colleges and universities is critical to extending and solidifying courses of study in Earth system and global change science. ESSE 21 solicits proposals from undergraduate institutions to create or adopt undergraduate and graduate level Earth system science content in courses, curricula and degree programs. The goal for all is to effect systemic change through developing Earth system science learning materials, courses, curricula, minors or degree tracks, and programs or departments that are self-sustaining in the coming decades. Interdisciplinary college and university teams are competitively selected through a peer-reviewed Call for Participation. ESSE 21 offers an infrastructure for an interactive community of educators and researchers including under represented participants that develops interdisciplinary Earth system science content utilizing NASA resources involving global change data, models, visualizations and electronic media and networks. The Program provides for evaluation and assessment guides to help assure the pedagogical effectiveness of materials developed. The ultimate aim of ESSE 21 is to expand and accelerate the nation's realization of sound, scientific interdisciplinary educational resources for informed learning and decision-making by all from the perspective of sustainability of the Earth as a system.

Model-based Impact Assessment of an Integrated Water Management Strategy on Ecosystem Services relevant to Food Security in Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luetkemeier, R.; Liehr, S.

2012-04-01

North-central Namibia is characterized by seasonal alterations of drought and heavy rainfall, mostly saline groundwater resources and a lack of perennial rivers. Water scarcity poses a great challenge for freshwater supply, harvest and food security against the background of high population growth and climate change. CuveWaters project aims at poverty reduction and livelihood improvement on a long term basis by introducing a multi-resource-mix as part of an integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach. Herein, creating water buffers by rainwater harvesting (RWH) and subsurface water storage as well as reuse of treated wastewater facilitates micro-scale gardening activities. This link constitutes a major component of a sustainable adaptation strategy by contributing to the conservation and improvement of basic food and freshwater resources in order to reduce drought vulnerability. This paper presents main findings of an impact assessment carried out on the effect of integrated water resources management on ecosystem services (ESS) relevant to food security within the framework of CuveWaters project. North-central Namibia is perceived as a social-ecological system characterized by a strong mutual dependence between natural environment and anthropogenic system. This fundamental reliance on natural resources highlights the key role of ESS in semi-arid environments to sustain human livelihoods. Among other services, food provision was chosen for quantification as one of the most fundamental ESS in north-central Namibia. Different nutritional values were utilized as indicators to adopt a demand-supply approach (Ecosystem Service Profile) to illustrate the ability of the ecosystem to meet people's nutritional requirements. Calculations have been conducted using both Bayesian networks to incorporate uncertainty introduced by the variability of monthly precipitation and the application of plant specific water production functions. Results show that improving the water buffer and water use efficiency by facilities of the multi-resource-mix increases the amount of water available for irrigation and thus enhances intermediate and finale ESS relevant to food supply on the household scale. Furthermore, surplus water can be purified and used as an additional drinking water resource. The case study at hand shows that specific components of an IWRM approach can significantly increase the availability of supporting and provisioning ESS and thus reduce people's vulnerability to climate change and associated impacts. The model itself and the analytical framework as a whole can be utilized as a decision-support-tool in order to determine the optimal size of technological variables to maximize yields especially as a function of hydro-meteorological and socio-economic framework conditions.

Project report : road weather information system phase I

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-01

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) initiated the first eight environmental sensor stations (ESS) in the Anchorage area, called the Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Phase I. The ESS are used to detect road weat...

A critical overview of definitions and determination techniques of the internal resistance using lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel metal-hydride batteries and electrochemical double-layer capacitors as examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piłatowicz, Grzegorz; Marongiu, Andrea; Drillkens, Julia; Sinhuber, Philipp; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2015-11-01

The internal resistance (Ri) is one of the key parameters that determine the current state of electrochemical storage systems (ESS). It is crucial for estimating cranking capability in conventional cars, available power in modern hybrid and electric vehicles and for determining commonly used factors such as state-of-health (SoH) and state-of-function (SoF). However, ESS are complex and non-linear systems. Their Ri depends on many parameters such as current rate, temperature, SoH and state-of-charge (SoC). It is also a fact that no standardized methodologies exist and many different definitions and ways of Ri determination are being used. Nevertheless, in many cases authors are not aware of the consequences that occur when different Ri definitions are being used, such as possible misinterpretations, doubtful comparisons and false figures of merit. This paper focuses on an application-oriented separation between various Ri definitions and highlights the differences between them. The investigation was based on the following technologies: lead-acid, lithium-ion and nickel metal-hydride batteries as well as electrochemical double-layer capacitors. It is not the target of this paper to provide a standardized definition of Ri but to give researchers, engineers and manufacturers a possibility to understand what the term Ri means in their own work.

Impacts of climate change on prioritizing conservation areas of hydrological ecosystem services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lien, Wan Yu; Lin, Yu Pin

2015-04-01

Ecosystem services (ESs) including hydrological services play important roles in our daily life and provide a lot of benefits for human beings from ecological systems. The systems and their services may be threatened by climate change from global to local scales. We herein developed a systematic approach to assess the impacts of climate change on the hydrological ecosystem services, such as water yield, nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) retention, and soil retention in a watershed in Northern Taiwan. We first used an ecosystem service evaluation model, InVEST, to estimate the amount and spatial patterns of annual and monthly hydrological ecosystem services under historical weather data, and different climate change scenarios based on five GMSs. The monthly and annual spatiotemporal variations of the ESs were analyzed in this study. Finally, the multiple estimated ESs were considered as the protection conservation targets and regarded as the input data of the systematic conservation planning software, Zonation, to systematically prioritize reserve areas of the ESs under the climate change scenarios. The ES estimation results indicated that the increasing rainfall in wet season leads to the higher water yield and results in the higher sediment and nutrient export indirectly. The Zonation successfully fielded conservation priorities of the ESs. The conservation priorities of the ESs significantly varied spatially and monthly under the climate change scenarios. The ESs results also indicated that the areas where ESs values and conservation priorities with low resilience under climate change should be considered as high priority protected area to ensure the hydrological services in future. Our proposed approach is a novel systematic approach which can be applied to assess impacts of climate change on spatiotemporal variations of ESs as well as prioritize protected area of the ESs under various climate change scenarios. Keyword: climate change, ecosystem service, conservation planning, spatial analysis.

Tested Tools You Can Use: Evaluating Earth System Science Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. P.; Prakash, A.; Reider, D.; Baker, D.

2006-12-01

Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE 21) has created a public access on-line evaluation resource available at http://esse21.usra.edu/evaltoolkit in collaboration with the ESSE 21 institutions, PIs, and evaluators. The purpose of the ESSE toolkit is to offer examples of how evaluation and assessment are/have been used in Earth System Science courses and programs. Our goal is to help instructors recognize different types of assessment and evaluation tools and uses that have proved useful in these courses and provide models for designing assessments in new courses. We have included actual examples of evaluations used by ESSE institution faculty in their own courses. This is not a comprehensive toolkit on educational evaluation and assessment, but it does provide several examples of evaluations that have been used successfully in Earth System Science courses and links to many good web resources on course evaluation. We have provided examples of assessments that are designed to collect information from students before, during and after courses. Some, presented in different formats, are designed to assess what students learn, others are designed to provide course instructors with information they can use to revise their courses. These assessments range from content tests to portfolios, from feedback forms to interviews, and from concept maps to attitude surveys.

Earth Systems Science: An Analytic Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Fred N.; Nam, Younkeyong; Oughton, John

2011-01-01

Earth Systems Science (ESS) is emerging rapidly as a discipline and is being used to replace the older earth science education that has been taught as unrelated disciplines--geology, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography. ESS is complex and is based on the idea that the earth can be understood as a set of interacting natural and social systems.…

Charting a Course to Earth System Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karsten, J. L.; Koch, L.; Ridky, R.; Wei, M.; Ladue, N.

2008-12-01

Public literacy of fundamental ideas in Earth System Science (ESS) is immensely important, both because of its relevance to the daily lives of individual citizens and the role played by informed policy decisions related to water, energy, climate change, and hazards in securing our Nation's well-being and prosperity. The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) argued that topics which comprise ESS also have tremendous value in providing context and meaning for the teaching of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics concepts and their applications, thereby serving the goals of the America COMPETES Act. Yet, as documented in the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, the U.S. continues to lag significantly behind other developed nations in science literacy. A major obstacle to improving public ESS literacy, specifically, and strengthening science literacy, in general, is the fact that fewer than 30% of students in U.S. high schools take any courses related to ESS. Often, these courses are taught by teachers with limited preparation in this content area. A new grass-roots movement within the geoscience research and education communities, fueled by interagency collaboration, is seeking to overcome these obstacles and steer a new course for ESS education in the Nation. The Earth System Science Literacy Initiative (ESSLI) builds on recent efforts within portions of the geosciences community to reach consensus on what defines scientific literacy within their fields. Individual literacy frameworks now exist for the ocean, atmospheric science, Earth science, and climate topic areas, and others are under development. The essential principles and fundamental concepts articulated in these frameworks provide consistent core messages that can be delivered and reinforced not only through formal education channels, but also through informal education activities and the media, thereby avoiding the inherent obstacles of the formal education setting. Efforts underway to (1) integrate the individual literacy documents into a coherent, scientifically accurate ESS literacy framework that reflects the interactive complexity of Earth systems and (2) establish a new strategic plan for reforming ESS education in the U.S., in order to achieve such ESS literacy, will be described.

Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) - A New U.S. DOE Data Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, D.; Varadharajan, C.; Cholia, S.; Snavely, C.; Hendrix, V.; Gunter, D.; Riley, W. J.; Jones, M.; Budden, A. E.; Vieglais, D.

2017-12-01

The ESS-DIVE archive is a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data archive designed to provide long-term stewardship and use of data from observational, experimental, and modeling activities in the earth and environmental sciences. The ESS-DIVE infrastructure is constructed with the long-term vision of enabling broad access to and usage of the DOE sponsored data stored in the archive. It is designed as a scalable framework that incentivizes data providers to contribute well-structured, high-quality data to the archive and that enables the user community to easily build data processing, synthesis, and analysis capabilities using those data. The key innovations in our design include: (1) application of user-experience research methods to understand the needs of users and data contributors; (2) support for early data archiving during project data QA/QC and before public release; (3) focus on implementation of data standards in collaboration with the community; (4) support for community built tools for data search, interpretation, analysis, and visualization tools; (5) data fusion database to support search of the data extracted from packages submitted and data available in partner data systems such as the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) and DataONE; and (6) support for archiving of data packages that are not to be released to the public. ESS-DIVE data contributors will be able to archive and version their data and metadata, obtain data DOIs, search for and access ESS data and metadata via web and programmatic portals, and provide data and metadata in standardized forms. The ESS-DIVE archive and catalog will be federated with other existing catalogs, allowing cross-catalog metadata search and data exchange with existing systems, including DataONE's Metacat search. ESS-DIVE is operated by a multidisciplinary team from Berkeley Lab, the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), and DataONE. The primarily data copies are hosted at DOE's NERSC supercomputing facility with replicas at DataONE nodes.

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

Kizilyalli, Isik; Evans, Craig; Matocha, Kevin

The ARPA-E model is unique in that the agency does not just provide teams funding. Throughout the lifetime of an ARPA-E award, ARPA-E Program Directors and Tech-to-Market Advisors also provide teams with expert advice through quarterly reviews and onsite visits. This hands-on approach helps ensure teams can meet ambitious milestones, target and tackle problems early on, and advance their technologies towards commercialization. Program Director Dr. Isik Kizilyalli explains the importance of this active project management approach in helping teams identify and overcome barriers. In this video, Energy Storage Systems (ESS) from the GRIDS program and Monolith Semiconductors from the SWITCHESmore » program discuss how ARPA-E’s active project management approach helped them find solutions to technical challenges.« less

Improved design of proton source and low energy beam transport line for European Spallation Source

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

Neri, L., E-mail: neri@lns.infn.it; Celona, L.; Gammino, S.

2014-02-15

The design update of the European Spallation Source (ESS) accelerator is almost complete and the construction of the prototype of the microwave discharge ion source able to provide a proton beam current larger than 70 mA to the 3.6 MeV Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) started. The source named PS-ESS (Proton Source for ESS) was designed with a flexible magnetic system and an extraction system able to merge conservative solutions with significant advances. The ESS injector has taken advantage of recent theoretical updates and new plasma diagnostics tools developed at INFN-LNS (Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare). Themore » design strategy considers the PS-ESS and the low energy beam transport line as a whole, where the proton beam behaves like an almost neutralized non-thermalized plasma. Innovative solutions have been used as hereinafter described. Thermo-mechanical optimization has been performed to withstand the chopped beam and the misaligned focused beam over the RFQ input collimator; the results are reported here.« less

Comparison of Nutech Functional Score with European Stroke Scale for Patients with Cerebrovascular Accident Treated with Human Embryonic Stem Cells: NFS for CVA Patients Treated with hESCs.

PubMed

Shroff, Geeta

2017-06-01

Stem cell therapy is a promising modality for treatment of patients with chronic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in whom treatment other than physiotherapy or occupational therapy does not address the repair or recovery of the lost function. In this study, the author aimed at evaluating CVA patients treated with human embryonic stem cell (hESC) therapy and comparing their study outcomes with globally accepted European Stroke Scale (ESS) to that with novel scoring system, Nutech functional score (NFS), a 21-point positional and directional scoring system for assessing patients with CVA. Patients diagnosed with CVA were assessed with NFS and ESS before and after hESC therapy. NFS assessed the patients in the direction of 1-5 (bad to good), where 5 was considered as the highest possible grade (HPG). The findings were obtained for the patients who scored HPG, and had shown improvement by at least one grade. Overall, 66.7% of patients scored HPG level on the NFS scale and about 62.5% of the patients scored HPG according to the ESS scale. Approximately, 52.2% patients showed an improvement of 100% (by at least one grade) on NFS scale. None of the patients showed 100% improvement in the alteration of the score by at least one grade when scored with ESS. NFS and ESS scores show that a large population of CVA patients was benefitted with hESC therapy. NFS was found to give more convincing results than ESS, and overcomes the shortcomings of ESS.

Quantitative Digital Autoradiography for Environmental Swipe Sample Prioritization: System design, Characterization, and Initial Measurements

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

McDonald, Benjamin S.; Zalavadia, Mital A.; Miller, Brian W.

Environmental sampling and sample analyses by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) is a critical technical tool used to detect facility misuse under a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and to verify the absence of undeclared nuclear material activities under an Additional Protocol. Currently all environmental swipe samples (ESS) are screened using gamma spectrometry and x-ray fluorescence to estimate the amount of U and/or Pu in the ESS, to guide further analysis, and to assist in the shipment of ESS to the NWAL. Quantitative Digital Autoradiography for Environmental Samples (QDARES) is being developed to complement existing techniquesmore » through the use of a portable, real-time, high-spatial-resolution camera called the Ionizing-radiation Quantum Imaging Detector (iQID). The iQID constructs a spatial map of radionuclides within a sample or surface in real-time as charged particles (betas) and photons (gamma/x-rays) are detected and localized on an event-by-event basis. Knowledge of the location and nature of radioactive hot spots on the ESS could provide information for subsequent laboratory analysis. As a nondestructive technique, QDARES does not compromise the ESS chain of custody or subsequent laboratory analysis. In this paper we will present the system design and construction, characterization measurements with calibration sources, and initial measurements of ESS.« less

Electrosteric stealth Rivastigmine loaded liposomes for brain targeting: preparation, characterization, ex vivo, bio-distribution and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies.

PubMed

Nageeb El-Helaly, Sara; Abd Elbary, Ahmed; Kassem, Mohamed A; El-Nabarawi, Mohamed A

2017-11-01

Being one of the highly effective drugs in treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Rivastigmine brain targeting is highly demandable, therefore liposomal dispersion of Rivastigmine was prepared containing 2 mol% PEG-DSPE added to Lecithin, Didecyldimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB), Tween 80 in 1:0.02:0.25 molar ratio. A major challenge during the preparation of liposomes is maintaining a stable formulation, therefore the aim of our study was to increase liposomal stability by addition of DDAB to give an electrostatic stability and PEG-DSPE to increase stability by steric hindrance, yielding what we called an electrosteric stealth (ESS) liposomes. A medium nano-sized liposome (478 ± 4.94 nm) with a nearly neutral zeta potential (ZP, -8 ± 0.2 mV) and an entrapment efficiency percentage of 48 ± 6.22 was prepared. Stability studies showed no major alteration after three months storage period concerning particle size, polydispersity index, ZP, entrapment efficiency and in vitro release study confirming the successful formation of a stable liposomes. No histopathological alteration was recorded for ESS liposomes of the sheep nasal mucosa. While ESS liposomes showed higher % of drug permeating through the sheep nasal mucosa (48.6%) than the drug solution (28.7%). On completing the in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of 36 rabbits showed 424.2% relative bioavailability of the mean plasma levels of the formula ESS compared to that of RHT intranasal solution and 486% relative bioavailability of the mean brain levels.

Tectono-metallogenetic evolution of the Fe-Cu deposit of Dominga, northern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veloso, E.; Cembrano, J.; Arancibia, G.; Heuser, G.; Neira, S.; Siña, A.; Garrido, I.; Vermeesch, P.; Selby, D.

2017-04-01

The Dominga district in northern Chile (2082 Mt at 23.3 % Fe, 0.07 % Cu) shows a spatial and genetic affinity among distinctive structural elements and Fe-Cu-rich paragenetic mineral assemblages. Deep seated, NE-to-E striking structural elements form a right-lateral duplex-like structural system (early structural system, ESS) that cuts a regionally extensive alteration (stage I) zone. The EES system served as a locus and as path for the emplacement of biotite-magnetite alteration/mineralization (stage IIa) as veins and Fe-bearing layers following altered volcano sedimentary strata. NW-striking actinolite-magnetite hydrothermal breccias, coeval with and part of the ESS, include apatite (stage IIb) crystallized at 127 ± 15 Ma (U-Pb, 2σ). The ESS was also the locus of subsequent alteration/mineralization represented by K-feldspar, epidote, and albite (stage IIIa) and Fe-Cu-rich (vermiculite-anhydrite-chalcopyrite, stage IIIb) mineral associations. Shallowly developed, NNE-striking, left-lateral structural elements defining the El Tofo Structural System (ETSS)—probably part of the Atacama Fault System—clearly crosscut the ESS. Minerals associated with alteration/mineralization stage IIIb also occur as veins and as part of hydrothermal breccias of the ETSS, marking the transition from the ESS to ETSS. Molybdenite associated with alteration/mineralization stage IIIb yielded a Re-Os age of 127.1 ± 0.7 Ma (2σ). Both the ESS and ETSS were cut by left-lateral, NW- to E-striking shallowly developed structural elements (Intermediate Structural System, ISS) on which a hematite-calcite assemblage (stage IV) occurs mostly as infill material of veins and fault veins. The ISS is cut by N-striking, left-lateral, and shallowly developed structural elements (Late Structural System, LSS) showing no evidence of alteration/mineralization. Estimated strain and stress fields indicate an overall NW-trending shortening/compression and NE-trending stretching/tension strike-slip regime probably due to oblique subduction during the Mesozoic. However, the orientations of the stress and strain fields calculated for each structural system suggest a back-and-forth rotation pattern during transition from one structural system to the other—as they change between transtension and transpression—and between alteration/mineralization stages.

Supporting NEESPI with Data Services - The SIB-ESS-C e-Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerlach, R.; Schmullius, C.; Frotscher, K.

2009-04-01

Data discovery and retrieval is commonly among the first steps performed for any Earth science study. The way scientific data is searched and accessed has changed significantly over the past two decades. Especially the development of the World Wide Web and the technologies that evolved along shortened the data discovery and data exchange process. On the other hand the amount of data collected and distributed by earth scientists has increased exponentially requiring new concepts for data management and sharing. One such concept to meet the demand is to build up Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) or e-Infrastructures. These infrastructures usually contain components for data discovery allowing users (or other systems) to query a catalogue or registry and retrieve metadata information on available data holdings and services. Data access is typically granted using FTP/HTTP protocols or, more advanced, through Web Services. A Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach based on standardized services enables users to benefit from interoperability among different systems and to integrate distributed services into their application. The Siberian Earth System Science Cluster (SIB-ESS-C) being established at the University of Jena (Germany) is such a spatial data infrastructure following these principles and implementing standards published by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The prime objective is to provide researchers with focus on Siberia with the technical means for data discovery, data access, data publication and data analysis. The region of interest covers the entire Asian part of the Russian Federation from the Ural to the Pacific Ocean including the Ob-, Lena- and Yenissey river catchments. The aim of SIB-ESS-C is to provide a comprehensive set of data products for Earth system science in this region. Although SIB-ESS-C will be equipped with processing capabilities for in-house data generation (mainly from Earth Observation), current data holdings of SIB-ESS-C have been created in collaboration with a number of partners in previous and ongoing research projects (e.g. SIBERIA-II, SibFORD, IRIS). At the current development stage the SIB-ESS-C system comprises a federated metadata catalogue accessible through the SIB-ESS-C Web Portal or from any OGC-CSW compliant client. Due to full interoperability with other metadata catalogues users of the SIB-ESS-C Web Portal are able to search external metadata repositories. The Web Portal contains also a simple visualization component which will be extended to a comprehensive visualization and analysis tool in the near future. All data products are already accessible as a Web Mapping Service and will be made available as Web Feature and Web Coverage Services soon allowing users to directly incorporate the data into their application. The SIB-ESS-C infrastructure will be further developed as one node in a network of similar systems (e.g. NASA GIOVANNI) in the NEESPI region.

LiCl-LiI molten salt electrolyte with bismuth-lead positive electrode for liquid metal battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Junsoo; Shin, Donghyeok; Jung, Youngjae; Hwang, Soo Min; Song, Taeseup; Kim, Youngsik; Paik, Ungyu

2018-02-01

Liquid metal batteries (LMBs) are attractive energy storage device for large-scale energy storage system (ESS) due to the simple cell configuration and their high rate capability. The high operation temperature caused by high melting temperature of both the molten salt electrolyte and metal electrodes can induce the critical issues related to the maintenance cost and degradation of electrochemical properties resulting from the thermal corrosion of materials. Here, we report a new chemistry of LiCl-LiI electrolyte and Bi-Pb positive electrode to lower the operation temperature of Li-based LMBs and achieve the long-term stability. The cell (Li|LiCl-LiI|Bi-Pb) is operated at 410 °C by employing the LiCl-LiI (LiCl:LiI = 36:64 mol %) electrolyte and Bi-Pb alloy (Bi:Pb = 55.5:44.5 mol %) positive electrode. The cell shows excellent capacity retention (86.5%) and high Coulombic efficiencies over 99.3% at a high current density of 52 mA cm-2 during 1000th cycles.

Expert system verification and validation study. Phase 2: Requirements Identification. Delivery 2: Current requirements applicability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The second phase of a task is described which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate Expert Systems (ESs) Verification and Validation (V and V) tools and techniques are available for Space Station Freedom Program Knowledge Based Systems development. The purpose of this phase is to recommend modifications to current software V and V requirements which will extend the applicability of the requirements to NASA ESs.

Opportunity to Participate in ESSE 21: The 2003 Call for Participation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzek, M.; Johnson, D. R.

2003-12-01

Earth System Science Education for the 21st Century (ESSE 21), sponsored by NASA through the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), is a collaborative undergraduate/graduate education program offering small grants to colleges and universities to engage a diverse interdisciplinary community of faculty and scientists in the development of courses, curricula and degree programs and sharing of learning resources focused on the fundamental understanding and application of Earth system principles for the classroom and laboratory. Through an expanded focus including partnerships with minority institutions, ESSE 21 is further developing broadly based courses, educational resources, electronic learning materials and degree programs that extend Earth system science concepts in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms and laboratories. These resources emphasizing the fundamentals of Earth system science advance the nation's broader agenda for improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics competency. The thrust to establish Earth system and global change science within the classrooms of colleges and universities is critical to laying and extending the foundation for knowledge-based decision making in the 21st century by both scientists and society in an effort to achieve sustainability. ESSE 21 released a Call for Participation (CFP) in the Fall of 2002 soliciting proposals from undergraduate institutions to create and adopt undergraduate and graduate level Earth system science content in courses, curricula and degree programs. In February 2003, twelve college and university teams were competitively selected through the CFP as the Year 1 and Year 2 Program participants. Eight of the participating teams are from minority institutions. The goal for all is to effect systemic change through developing Earth system science learning materials, courses, curricula, degree tracks or programs, and departments that are self-sustaining in the coming decades. ESSE 21 offers an expanded infrastructure for an interactive community of educators and researchers including minority participants that develops interdisciplinary Earth system science content. Emphasis is on the utilization of NASA resources involving global change data, models, visualizations and electronic media and networks. The ultimate aim of ESSE 21 is to expand and accelerate the nation's realization of sound, scientific interdisciplinary educational resources for informed learning and decision-making by all from the perspective of sustainability of the Earth as a system. The next Call for Participation will be released in late 2003.

Extravehicular activity translation arm (EVATA) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Preiswerk, P. R.; Stammreich, J. R.

1978-01-01

The preliminary design of a deployable Extravehicular Activity Translation Arm (EVATA) assembly which will allow an EVA crewman to perform tasks in the vicinity of the External TNK (ET) umbilical doors and to inspect most of the underside of the shuttle spacecraft is reported. The concept chosen for the boom structure was the Astro Extendable Support Structure (ESS) which formed the main structure for the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Antenna System on the SEASAT A spacecraft. This structure is a deployable triangular truss. A comparison of the EVATA and the SEASAT A ESS is shown. The development of status of the ESS is shown. The satellite configuration, the stowed truss load path, and the envelope deployment sequence for the ESS are also shown.

Road weather information system environmental sensor station siting guide, version 2.0

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-01

FHWA initiated an effort in 2007 to evaluate and update, as necessary the ESS Guidelines first published in 2004 (FHWA-HOP-05-026). This effort is summarized in a companion report Implementation and Evaluation of RWIS ESS Siting Guidelines. The...

"Cut-and-Paste" Manufacture of Multiparametric Epidermal Sensor Systems.

PubMed

Yang, Shixuan; Chen, Ying-Chen; Nicolini, Luke; Pasupathy, Praveenkumar; Sacks, Jacob; Su, Becky; Yang, Russell; Sanchez, Daniel; Chang, Yao-Feng; Wang, Pulin; Schnyer, David; Neikirk, Dean; Lu, Nanshu

2015-11-04

Multifunctional epidermal sensor systems (ESS) are manufactured with a highly cost and time effective, benchtop, and large-area "cut-and-paste" method. The ESS made out of thin and stretchable metal and conductive polymer ribbons can be noninvasively laminated onto the skin surface to sense electrophysiological signals, skin temperature, skin hydration, and respiratory rate. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sinus surgery can improve quality of life, lung infections, and lung function in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

PubMed

Alanin, Mikkel Christian; Aanaes, Kasper; Høiby, Niels; Pressler, Tania; Skov, Marianne; Nielsen, Kim Gjerum; Johansen, Helle Krogh; von Buchwald, Christian

2017-03-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and bacterial sinusitis are ubiquitous in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). From the sinuses, Pseudomonas aeruginosa can infect the lungs. We studied the effect of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on symptoms of CRS and lower airway infections in PCD patients in a prospective single-arm intervention study of ESS with adjuvant therapy using nasal irrigation with saline, topical nasal steroids, and 2 weeks of systemic antibiotics. Additional treatment with local colistin for 6 months was instigated when P. aeruginosa was cultured at ESS. Twenty-four PCD patients underwent ESS to search for an infectious focus (n = 10), due to severe symptoms of CRS (n = 8), or both (n = 6). Bacteria were cultured from sinus samples in 21 patients (88%), and simultaneous sinus and lung colonization with identical pathogens were observed in 13 patients (62%). Four patients with preoperative P. aeruginosa lung colonization (25%) had no regrowth during follow-up; 2 of these had P. aeruginosa sinusitis. Sinonasal symptoms were improved 12 months after ESS and we observed a trend toward better lung function after ESS. We demonstrated an improvement in CRS-related symptoms after ESS and adjuvant therapy. In selected PCD patients, the suggested regimen may postpone chronic lung infection with P. aeruginosa and stabilize lung function. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Use of air-assisted electrostatic spraying system (ESS)or the sprayed lethality in container(SLIC) method to deliver anticmicrobials onto the surface of beef subprimals to ... shiga toxin-producing cells of Escherichia coli

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We evaluated the efficacy of an air-assisted electrostatic spraying system (ESS) and/or the Sprayed Lethality in Container (SLIC) method to deliver antimicrobials onto the surface of beef subprimals to reduce levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Beef subprimals were surface inocu...

The Effects of High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) on Telecommunications Assets

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

common to a whole class of switches. 5ESS switch software controls the operating system, call processing, and system administration andgmaintenance...LEVEL (ky/rn)3 (a). Mean Fraction of Preset Calls Dropped Due to Induced Transients3 1.0 W -o35kVhM (36 EVENTS) 5-40 kV/M (13 EVENTS) IAUTOMATIC ...eel PERIPHRAL UNIT BUS,IMNA The entire 4ESS system is controlled by the 1A processor. The processor monitors and controls the operation of the

A Novel ESAT-6 Secretion System-Secreted Protein EsxX of Community-Associated Staphylococcus aureus Lineage ST398 Contributes to Immune Evasion and Virulence.

PubMed

Dai, Yingxin; Wang, Yanan; Liu, Qian; Gao, Qianqian; Lu, Huiying; Meng, Hongwei; Qin, Juanxiu; Hu, Mo; Li, Min

2017-01-01

The ESAT-6 secretion system (ESS) has been reported to contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of several Staphylococcus aureus strains such as USA300 and Newman. However, the role of the ESS in community-associated S. aureus (CA-SA) lineage ST398 in China is not well understood. By comparing the ess locus of ST398 with the published S. aureus sequence in the NCBI database, we found one gene in the ess locus encoding a novel WXG superfamily protein that is highly conserved only in ST398. LC-MS/MS and Western blot analysis revealed that this protein is a novel secreted protein controlled by the ST398 ESS, and we named the protein EsxX. Although EsxX was not under the control of the accessory gene regulator like many other virulence factors and had no influence on several phenotypes of ST398, such as growth, hemolysis, and biofilm formation, it showed important impacts on immune evasion and virulence in ST398. An esxX deletion mutant led to significantly reduced resistance to neutrophil killing and decreased virulence in murine skin and blood infection models, indicating its essential contribution to the evasion of innate host defense and virulence to support the pathogenesis of ST398 infections. The function of this novel secreted protein EsxX might help us better understand the role of the ESS in the virulence and epidemic success of the CA-SA lineage ST398.

Energy-Efficient Systems Eliminate Icing Danger for UAVs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

Ames Research Center engineer Leonard Haslim invented an anti-icing t echnology called an electroexpulsive separation system, which uses m echanical force to shatter potentially dangerous ice buildup on an ai rcraft surface. Temecula, California-based Ice Management Systems (no w known as IMS-ESS) licensed the technology from Ames and has discov ered a niche market for the lightweight, energy-efficient technology: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). IMS-ESS systems now prevent damagi ng ice accumulation on military UAVs, allowing the vehicles to carry out crucial missions year round.

Comparison of least squares and exponential sine sweep methods for Parallel Hammerstein Models estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebillat, Marc; Schoukens, Maarten

2018-05-01

Linearity is a common assumption for many real-life systems, but in many cases the nonlinear behavior of systems cannot be ignored and must be modeled and estimated. Among the various existing classes of nonlinear models, Parallel Hammerstein Models (PHM) are interesting as they are at the same time easy to interpret as well as to estimate. One way to estimate PHM relies on the fact that the estimation problem is linear in the parameters and thus that classical least squares (LS) estimation algorithms can be used. In that area, this article introduces a regularized LS estimation algorithm inspired on some of the recently developed regularized impulse response estimation techniques. Another mean to estimate PHM consists in using parametric or non-parametric exponential sine sweeps (ESS) based methods. These methods (LS and ESS) are founded on radically different mathematical backgrounds but are expected to tackle the same issue. A methodology is proposed here to compare them with respect to (i) their accuracy, (ii) their computational cost, and (iii) their robustness to noise. Tests are performed on simulated systems for several values of methods respective parameters and of signal to noise ratio. Results show that, for a given set of data points, the ESS method is less demanding in computational resources than the LS method but that it is also less accurate. Furthermore, the LS method needs parameters to be set in advance whereas the ESS method is not subject to conditioning issues and can be fully non-parametric. In summary, for a given set of data points, ESS method can provide a first, automatic, and quick overview of a nonlinear system than can guide more computationally demanding and precise methods, such as the regularized LS one proposed here.

Electronic surveillance systems in infection prevention: Organizational support, program characteristics, and user satisfaction

PubMed Central

Grota, Patti G.; Stone, Patricia W.; Jordan, Sarah; Pogorzelska, Monika; Larson, Elaine

2012-01-01

Background The use of electronic surveillance systems (ESSs) is gradually increasing in infection prevention and control programs. Little is known about the characteristics of hospitals that have a ESS, user satisfaction with ESSs, and organizational support for implementation of ESSs. Methods A total of 350 acute care hospitals in California were invited to participate in a Web-based survey; 207 hospitals (59%) agreed to participate. The survey included a description of infection prevention and control department staff, where and how they spent their time, a measure of organizational support for infection prevention and control, and reported experience with ESSs. Results Only 23% (44/192) of responding infection prevention and control departments had an ESS. No statistically significant difference was seen in how and where infection preventionists (IPs) who used an ESS and those who did not spend their time. The 2 significant predictors of whether an ESS was present were score on the Organizational Support Scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.18) and hospital bed size (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.00-1.007). Organizational support also was positively correlated with IP satisfaction with the ESS, as measured on the Computer Usability Scale (P = .02). Conclusion Despite evidence that such systems may improve efficiency of data collection and potentially improve patient outcomes, ESSs remain relatively uncommon in infection prevention and control programs. Based on our findings, organizational support appears to be a major predictor of the presence, use, and satisfaction with ESSs in infection prevention and control programs. PMID:20176411

Electronic surveillance systems in infection prevention: organizational support, program characteristics, and user satisfaction.

PubMed

Grota, Patti G; Stone, Patricia W; Jordan, Sarah; Pogorzelska, Monika; Larson, Elaine

2010-09-01

The use of electronic surveillance systems (ESSs) is gradually increasing in infection prevention and control programs. Little is known about the characteristics of hospitals that have a ESS, user satisfaction with ESSs, and organizational support for implementation of ESSs. A total of 350 acute care hospitals in California were invited to participate in a Web-based survey; 207 hospitals (59%) agreed to participate. The survey included a description of infection prevention and control department staff, where and how they spent their time, a measure of organizational support for infection prevention and control, and reported experience with ESSs. Only 23% (44/192) of responding infection prevention and control departments had an ESS. No statistically significant difference was seen in how and where infection preventionists (IPs) who used an ESS and those who did not spend their time. The 2 significant predictors of whether an ESS was present were score on the Organizational Support Scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.18) and hospital bed size (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.00-1.007). Organizational support also was positively correlated with IP satisfaction with the ESS, as measured on the Computer Usability Scale (P = .02). Despite evidence that such systems may improve efficiency of data collection and potentially improve patient outcomes, ESSs remain relatively uncommon in infection prevention and control programs. Based on our findings, organizational support appears to be a major predictor of the presence, use, and satisfaction with ESSs in infection prevention and control programs.

The Crew Earth Observations Experiment: Earth System Science from the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefanov, William L.; Evans, Cynthia A.; Robinson, Julie A.; Wilkinson, M. Justin

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the use of Astronaut Photography (AP) as taken from the International Space Station (ISS) in Earth System Science (ESS). Included are slides showing basic remote sensing theory, data characteristics of astronaut photography, astronaut training and operations, crew Earth observations group, targeting sites and acquisition, cataloging and database, analysis and applications for ESS, image analysis of particular interest urban areas, megafans, deltas, coral reefs. There are examples of the photographs and the analysis.

75 FR 27414 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus A318, A319, A320, A321 Series Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... occurrences of loss of the AC [alternating current] BUS 1 have been reported which led in some instances to the loss of the AC ESS [essential] BUS and DC [direct current] ESS BUS and connected systems. The... condition for the specified products. The MCAI states: Several occurrences of loss of the AC [alternating...

ISHN Ion Source Control System. First Steps Toward an EPICS Based ESS-Bilbao Accelerator Control System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eguiraun, M.; Jugo, J.; Arredondo, I.; del Campo, M.; Feuchtwanger, J.; Etxebarria, V.; Bermejo, F. J.

2013-04-01

ISHN (Ion Source Hydrogen Negative) consists of a Penning type ion source in operation at ESS-Bilbao facilities. From the control point of view, this source is representative of the first steps and decisions taken towards the general control architecture of the whole accelerator to be built. The ISHN main control system is based on a PXI architecture, under a real-time controller which is programmed using LabVIEW. This system, with additional elements, is connected to the general control system. The whole system is based on EPICS for the control network, and the modularization of the communication layers of the accelerator plays an important role in the proposed control architecture.

Expert system verification and validation survey, delivery 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The purpose is to determine the state-of-the-practice in Verification and Validation (V and V) of Expert Systems (ESs) on current NASA and Industry applications. This is the first task of a series which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate ES V and V tools and techniques are available for Space Station Knowledge Based Systems development. The strategy for determining the state-of-the-practice is to check how well each of the known ES V and V issues are being addressed and to what extent they have impacted the development of ESs.

Expert system verification and validation survey. Delivery 2: Survey results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The purpose is to determine the state-of-the-practice in Verification and Validation (V and V) of Expert Systems (ESs) on current NASA and industry applications. This is the first task of the series which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate ES V and V tools and techniques are available for Space Station Knowledge Based Systems development. The strategy for determining the state-of-the-practice is to check how well each of the known ES V and V issues are being addressed and to what extent they have impacted the development of ESs.

Expert system verification and validation survey. Delivery 5: Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The purpose is to determine the state-of-the-practice in Verification and Validation (V and V) of Expert Systems (ESs) on current NASA and Industry applications. This is the first task of a series which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate ES V and V tools and techniques are available for Space Station Knowledge Based Systems development. The strategy for determining the state-of-the-practice is to check how well each of the known ES V and V issues are being addressed and to what extent they have impacted the development of ESs.

Expert system verification and validation survey. Delivery 3: Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The purpose is to determine the state-of-the-practice in Verification and Validation (V and V) of Expert Systems (ESs) on current NASA and Industry applications. This is the first task of a series which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate ES V and V tools and techniques are available for Space Station Knowledge Based Systems development. The strategy for determining the state-of-the-practice is to check how well each of the known ES V and V issues are being addressed and to what extent they have impacted the development of ESs.

Plutonium Oxide Containment and the Potential for Water-Borne Transport as a Consequence of ARIES Oxide Processing Operations

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

Wayne, David Matthew; Rowland, Joel C.

2015-02-01

The question of oxide containment during processing and storage has become a primary concern when considering the continued operability of the Plutonium Facility (PF-4) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). An Evaluation of the Safety of the Situation (ESS), “Potential for Criticality in a Glovebox Due to a Fire” (TA55-ESS-14-002-R2, since revised to R3) first issued in May, 2014 summarizes these concerns: “The safety issue of fire water potentially entering a glovebox is: the potential for the water to accumulate in the bottom of a glovebox and result in an inadvertent criticality due to the presence of fissionable materials inmore » the glovebox locations and the increased reflection and moderation of neutrons from the fire water accumulation.” As a result, the existing documented safety analysis (DSA) was judged inadequate and, while it explicitly considered the potential for criticality resulting from water intrusion into gloveboxes, criticality safety evaluation documents (CSEDs) for the affected locations did not evaluate the potential for fire water intrusion into a glovebox.« less

Challenges of the NGSS for Future Geoscience Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wysession, M. E.; Colson, M.; Duschl, R. A.; Lopez, R. E.; Messina, P.; Speranza, P.

2013-12-01

The new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which spell out a set of K-12 performance expectations for life science, physical science, and Earth and space science (ESS), pose a variety of opportunities and challenges for geoscience education. Among the changes recommended by the NGSS include establishing ESS on an equal footing with both life science and physical sciences, at the full K-12 level. This represents a departure from the traditional high school curriculum in most states. In addition, ESS is presented as a complex, integrated, interdisciplinary, quantitative Earth Systems-oriented set of sciences that includes complex and politically controversial topics such as climate change and human impacts. The geoscience communities will need to mobilize in order to assist and aid in the full implementation of ESS aspects of the NGSS in as many states as possible. In this context, the NGSS highlight Earth and space science to an unprecedented degree. If the NGSS are implemented in an optimal manner, a year of ESS will be taught in both middle and high school. In addition, because of the complexity and interconnectedness of the ESS content (with material such as climate change and human sustainability), it is recommended (Appendix K of the NGSS release) that much of it be taught following physics, chemistry, and biology. However, there are considerable challenges to a full adoption of the NGSS. A sufficient work force of high school geoscientists qualified in modern Earth Systems Science does not exist and will need to be trained. Many colleges do not credit high school geoscience as a lab science with respect to college admission. The NGSS demand curricular practices that include analyzing and interpreting real geoscience data, and these curricular modules do not yet exist. However, a concerted effort on the part of geoscience research and education organizations can help resolve these challenges.

Applying a Dynamic Stomatal Optimization to Predict Shifts in the Functional Composition of Tropical Forests Under Increased Drought And CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartlett, M. K.; Detto, M.; Pacala, S. W.

2017-12-01

The accurate prediction of tropical forest carbon fluxes is key to forecasting global climate, but forest responses to projected increases in CO2 and drought are highly uncertain. Here we present a dynamic optimization that derives the trajectory of stomatal conductance (gs) during drought, a key source of model uncertainty, from plant and soil water relations and the carbon economy of the plant hydraulic system. This optimization scheme is novel in two ways. First, by accounting for the ability of capacitance (i.e., the release of water from plant storage tissue; C) to buffer evaporative water loss and maintain gs during drought, this optimization captures both drought tolerant and avoidant hydraulic strategies. Second, by determining the optimal trajectory of plant and soil water potentials, this optimization quantifies species' impacts on the water available to competing plants. These advances allowed us to apply this optimization across the range of physiology trait values observed in tropical species to evaluate shifts in the competitively optimal trait values, or evolutionarily stable hydraulic strategy (ESS), under increased drought and CO2. Increasing the length of the dry season shifted the ESS towards more drought tolerant, rather than avoidant, trait values, and these shifts were larger for longer individual drought periods (i.e., more consecutive days without rainfall), even if the total time spent in drought was the same. Concurrently doubling the CO2 level reduced the magnitude of these shifts and slightly favored drought avoidant strategies under wet conditions. Overall, these analyses predicted that short, frequent droughts would allow elevated CO2 to shift the functional composition in tropical forests towards more drought avoidant species, while infrequent but long drought periods would shift the ESS to more drought tolerant trait values, despite increased CO2. Overall, these analyses quantified the impact of physiology traits on plant performance and competitive ability, and provide a mechanistic, trait-based approach to predict shifts in the functional composition of tropical forests under projected climatic conditions.

Language/Culture Modulates Brain and Gaze Processes in Audiovisual Speech Perception.

PubMed

Hisanaga, Satoko; Sekiyama, Kaoru; Igasaki, Tomohiko; Murayama, Nobuki

2016-10-13

Several behavioural studies have shown that the interplay between voice and face information in audiovisual speech perception is not universal. Native English speakers (ESs) are influenced by visual mouth movement to a greater degree than native Japanese speakers (JSs) when listening to speech. However, the biological basis of these group differences is unknown. Here, we demonstrate the time-varying processes of group differences in terms of event-related brain potentials (ERP) and eye gaze for audiovisual and audio-only speech perception. On a behavioural level, while congruent mouth movement shortened the ESs' response time for speech perception, the opposite effect was observed in JSs. Eye-tracking data revealed a gaze bias to the mouth for the ESs but not the JSs, especially before the audio onset. Additionally, the ERP P2 amplitude indicated that ESs processed multisensory speech more efficiently than auditory-only speech; however, the JSs exhibited the opposite pattern. Taken together, the ESs' early visual attention to the mouth was likely to promote phonetic anticipation, which was not the case for the JSs. These results clearly indicate the impact of language and/or culture on multisensory speech processing, suggesting that linguistic/cultural experiences lead to the development of unique neural systems for audiovisual speech perception.

Modification of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in Central China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jin Nong; Peng, Bo; Zhao, Ting Ting; Xiang, Min; Fu, Wei; Peng, Yi

2011-12-01

The well-known excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) assessment, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), is not consistently qualified for patients with diverse living habits. This study is aimed to build a modified ESS (mESS) and then to verify its feasibility in the assessment of EDS for patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in central China. A Ten-item Sleepiness Questionnaire (10-ISQ) was built by adding two backup items to the original ESS. Then the 10-ISQ was administered to 122 patients in central China with suspected SDB [among them, 119 cases met the minimal diagnostic criteria for obstructive sleep apnea by sleep study, e.g., apnea and hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 h(-1)] and 117 healthy central Chinese volunteers without SDB. Multivariate exploratory techniques were used for item validation. The unreliable item in the original ESS was replaced by the eligible backup item, thus a modified ESS (mESS) was built, and then verified. Item 8 proved to be the only unreliable item in central Chinese patients, with the least factor loading on the main factor and the lowest item-total correlation both in the 10-ISQ and in the original ESS, deletion of it would increase the Cronbach's alpha (from 0.86 to 0.87 in the 10-ISQ; from 0.83 to 0.85 in the original ESS). The mESS was subsequently built by replacing item 8 in the original ESS with item 10 in the 10-ISQ. Verification with patients' responses revealed that the mESS was a single-factor questionnaire with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86). The sum score of the mESS not only correlated with AHI (P < 0.01) but was also able to discriminate the severity of obstructive apnea (P < 0.01). Nasal CPAP treatment for severe OSA reduced the score significantly (P < 0.001). The performance of the mESS was poor in evaluating normal subjects. The mESS improves the validity of ESS for our patients. Therefore, it is justified to use it instead of the original one in assessment of EDS for patients with SDB in central China.

Correlating Subjective and Objective Sleepiness: Revisiting the Association Using Survival Analysis

PubMed Central

Aurora, R. Nisha; Caffo, Brian; Crainiceanu, Ciprian; Punjabi, Naresh M.

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) are the most commonly used measures of subjective and objective sleepiness, respectively. The strength of the association between these measures as well as the optimal ESS threshold that indicates objective sleepiness remains a topic of significant interest in the clinical and research arenas. The current investigation sought to: (a) examine the association between the ESS and the average sleep latency from the MSLT using the techniques of survival analysis; (b) determine whether specific patient factors influence the association; (c) examine the utility of each ESS question; and (d) identify the optimal ESS threshold that indicates objective sleepiness. Design: Cross-sectional study. Patients and Settings: Patients (N = 675) referred for polysomnography and MSLT. Measurements and Results: Using techniques of survival analysis, a significant association was noted between the ESS score and the average sleep latency. The adjusted hazard ratios for sleep onset during the MSLT for the ESS quartiles were 1.00 (ESS < 9), 1.32 (ESS: 10–13), 1.85 (ESS: 14-17), and 2.53 (ESS ≥ 18), respectively. The association was independent of several patient factors and was distinct for the 4 naps. Furthermore, most of the ESS questions were individually predictive of the average sleep latency except the tendency to doze off when lying down to rest in the afternoon, which was only predictive in patients with less than a college education. Finally, an ESS score ≥ 13 optimally predicted an average sleep latency < 8 minutes. Conclusions: In contrast to previous reports, the association between the ESS and the average sleep latency is clearly apparent when the data are analyzed by survival analysis, and most of the ESS questions are predictive of objective sleepiness. An ESS score ≥ 13 most effectively predicts objective sleepiness, which is higher than what has typically been used in clinical practice. Given the ease of administering the ESS, it represents a relatively simple and cost-effective method for identifying individuals at risk for daytime sleepiness. Citation: Aurora RN; Caffo B; Crainiceanu C; Punjabi NM. Correlating subjective and objective sleepiness: revisiting the association using survival analysis. SLEEP 2011;34(12):1707-1714. PMID:22131609

Effect of primary empty sella syndrome on pituitary surgery for Cushing's disease.

PubMed

Mehta, Gautam U; Bakhtian, Kamran D; Oldfield, Edward H

2014-09-01

Primary empty sella syndrome (ESS) results from herniation of arachnoid mater into the pituitary fossa. It has been suggested to have a negative effect on pituitary surgery; however, outcomes in this cohort have not been defined. This study was performed to determine the effect of ESS on immediate and long-term biochemical outcome after pituitary surgery for Cushing's disease (CD). Using a matched cohort study design, the authors followed patients treated with pituitary surgery for CD with and without ESS. Complete ESS was defined as pituitary gland height ≤ 2 mm, whereas partial ESS was defined as pituitary gland height > 2 mm but less than three-quarters of the total sellar depth. The primary end points were immediate and long-term biochemical outcome. Cerebrospinal fluid leaks were recorded as a secondary end point. Seventy-eight patients with CD and primary ESS were identified and matched with 78 patients with CD without ESS. After surgical management, immediate biochemical remission was achieved in 69 patients (88%) with ESS and 75 controls (96%, p = 0.10). Long-term remission was achieved in most patients in both groups (5-year cure: 85% vs 92%, p = 0.10). Among patients with ESS, the presence of complete ESS predicted a worse long-term outcome (p = 0.04). Intraoperative CSF leaks were significantly more frequent with ESS (54% vs 24%, p < 0.001), and despite sellar floor repair, the rate of postoperative CSF leaks was also increased (6% vs 3%, p = 0.27). Biochemical outcome after pituitary surgery for CD was worse in patients with complete ESS, and the risk of a CSF leak was increased with both partial and complete ESS. However, as outcome remains superior to those following alternative therapies and the biology of these tumors is unchanged in the setting of ESS, pituitary surgery should remain the initial treatment of choice.

Directional dual-tree rational-dilation complex wavelet transform.

PubMed

Serbes, Gorkem; Gulcur, Halil Ozcan; Aydin, Nizamettin

2014-01-01

Dyadic discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has been used successfully in processing signals having non-oscillatory transient behaviour. However, due to the low Q-factor property of their wavelet atoms, the dyadic DWT is less effective in processing oscillatory signals such as embolic signals (ESs). ESs are extracted from quadrature Doppler signals, which are the output of Doppler ultrasound systems. In order to process ESs, firstly, a pre-processing operation known as phase filtering for obtaining directional signals from quadrature Doppler signals must be employed. Only then, wavelet based methods can be applied to these directional signals for further analysis. In this study, a directional dual-tree rational-dilation complex wavelet transform, which can be applied directly to quadrature signals and has the ability of extracting directional information during analysis, is introduced.

Plant trait-based models identify direct and indirect effects of climate change on bundles of grassland ecosystem services

PubMed Central

Lamarque, Pénélope; Lavorel, Sandra; Mouchet, Maud; Quétier, Fabien

2014-01-01

Land use and climate change are primary causes of changes in the supply of ecosystem services (ESs). Although the consequences of climate change on ecosystem properties and associated services are well documented, the cascading impacts of climate change on ESs through changes in land use are largely overlooked. We present a trait-based framework based on an empirical model to elucidate how climate change affects tradeoffs among ESs. Using alternative scenarios for mountain grasslands, we predicted how direct effects of climate change on ecosystems and indirect effects through farmers’ adaptations are likely to affect ES bundles through changes in plant functional properties. ES supply was overall more sensitive to climate than to induced management change, and ES bundles remained stable across scenarios. These responses largely reflected the restricted extent of management change in this constrained system, which was incorporated when scaling up plot level climate and management effects on ecosystem properties to the entire landscape. The trait-based approach revealed how the combination of common driving traits and common responses to changed fertility determined interactions and tradeoffs among ESs. PMID:25225382

Plant trait-based models identify direct and indirect effects of climate change on bundles of grassland ecosystem services.

PubMed

Lamarque, Pénélope; Lavorel, Sandra; Mouchet, Maud; Quétier, Fabien

2014-09-23

Land use and climate change are primary causes of changes in the supply of ecosystem services (ESs). Although the consequences of climate change on ecosystem properties and associated services are well documented, the cascading impacts of climate change on ESs through changes in land use are largely overlooked. We present a trait-based framework based on an empirical model to elucidate how climate change affects tradeoffs among ESs. Using alternative scenarios for mountain grasslands, we predicted how direct effects of climate change on ecosystems and indirect effects through farmers' adaptations are likely to affect ES bundles through changes in plant functional properties. ES supply was overall more sensitive to climate than to induced management change, and ES bundles remained stable across scenarios. These responses largely reflected the restricted extent of management change in this constrained system, which was incorporated when scaling up plot level climate and management effects on ecosystem properties to the entire landscape. The trait-based approach revealed how the combination of common driving traits and common responses to changed fertility determined interactions and tradeoffs among ESs.

The ESS Superconducting RF Cavity and Cryomodule Cryogenic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darve, C.; Elias, N.; Molloy, S.; Bosland, P.; Renard, B.; Bousson, S.; Olivier, G.; Reynet, D.; Thermeau, J. P.

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is one of Europe's largest research infrastructures, tobring new insights to the grand challenges of science and innovation in fields as diverse as material and life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage,solid-state and fundamental physics by the end of the decade. The collaborative project is funded by a collaboration of 17 European countries and is under design and construction in Lund, Sweden. A 5 MW, long pulse proton accelerator is used to reach this goal. The pulsed length is 2.86 ms and the repetition frequency is 14 Hz (4% duty cycle). The choice of SRF technology is a key element in the development of the ESS linear accelerator (linac). The superconducting linacis composed of one section of spoke cavity cryomodules(352.21 MHz) and two sections of elliptical cavity cryomodules (704.42 MHz). These cryomodules contain niobium SRF cavities operating at 2 K, cooled by the accelerator cryoplantthrough the cryogenic distribution system. This paper presents the superconducting RF cavity and cryomodule cryogenic processes, which are developed for the technology demonstrators and to be ultimately integrated for the ESS tunnel operation.

Report from enhanced safety surveillance of two influenza vaccines (Vaxigrip and Intanza 15 μg) in two European countries during influenza season 2016/17 and comparison with 2015/16 season

PubMed Central

Chabanon, Anne Laure; Bricout, Hélène; Ballandras, Céline; Souverain, Audrey; Caroe, Timothy David; Butler, Karina M.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Passive enhanced safety surveillance (ESS) was implemented in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland for Vaxigrip and Intanza 15 µg influenza vaccines during the 2016/17 influenza season. Lessons learned during 2015/16 ESS implementation were integrated and applied towards the current ESS. The primary objective was to estimate the reporting rates of suspected adverse reactions (ARs) occurring within 7 days of vaccination with Vaxigrip or Intanza 15 µg. For Vaxigrip (N = 962), 17 vaccinees (1.8%) reported 59 suspected ARs (6.1%) within 7 days of vaccination. For Intanza 15 µg (N = 1000), 21 vaccinees (2.1%) reported 101 (10.1%) suspected ARs within 7 days of vaccination. No obvious pattern in the type of suspected ARs or their frequency was observed for either vaccine. None of the frequencies of suspected ARs were above the 2015/16 ESS frequencies for Vaxigrip, whereas for Intanza 15 µg only one AR (oropharyngeal pain) crossed the historical threshold. There was no change in reactogenicity and data was consistent with the safety profiles of the two vaccines. The passive ESS experience gained from season to season will help to contribute to a sustainable safety surveillance system of seasonal influenza vaccines early in the season. PMID:29148911

Assessment of Dry Epidermal Electrodes for Long-Term Electromyography Measurements

PubMed Central

Peters, Keshia M.; Milovanovic, Ivana; Kuang, Irene; Yang, Zeyu; Lu, Nanshu; Steele, Katherine M.

2018-01-01

Commercially available electrodes can only provide quality surface electromyography (sEMG) measurements for a limited duration due to user discomfort and signal degradation, but in many applications, collecting sEMG data for a full day or longer is desirable to enhance clinical care. Few studies for long-term sEMG have assessed signal quality of electrodes using clinically relevant tests. The goal of this research was to evaluate flexible, gold-based epidermal sensor system (ESS) electrodes for long-term sEMG recordings. We collected sEMG and impedance data from eight subjects from ESS and standard clinical electrodes on upper extremity muscles during maximum voluntary isometric contraction tests, dynamic range of motion tests, the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test, and the Box & Block Test. Four additional subjects were recruited to test the stability of ESS signals over four days. Signals from the ESS and traditional electrodes were strongly correlated across tasks. Measures of signal quality, such as signal-to-noise ratio and signal-to-motion ratio, were also similar for both electrodes. Over the four-day trial, no significant decrease in signal quality was observed in the ESS electrodes, suggesting that thin, flexible electrodes may provide a robust tool that does not inhibit movement or irritate the skin for long-term measurements of muscle activity in rehabilitation and other applications. PMID:29677129

The effect of augmented real-time image guidance on task workload during endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Dixon, Benjamin J; Chan, Harley; Daly, Michael J; Vescan, Allan D; Witterick, Ian J; Irish, Jonathan C

2012-01-01

Due to proximity to critical structures, the need for spatial awareness during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is essential. We have developed an augmented, real-time image-guided surgery (ART-IGS) system that provides live navigational data and proximity alerts to the operating surgeon during ablation. We wished to test the hypothesis that task workload would be reduced when using this technology. A trial involved 8 otolaryngology residents and fellows performing ESS on cadaveric specimens; 1 side in a conventional method (control) and 1 side with ART-IGS. After computed tomography scanning, anatomical contouring, and registration of the head, a three-dimensional (3D) virtual endoscopic view, ablative tool tracking, and proximity alerts were enabled. Each subject completed ESS tasks and rated their workload during and after the exercise using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Task Load Index (TLX). A questionnaire and open feedback interview were completed after the procedure. There was a significant reduction in mental demand, temporal demand, effort, and frustration when using the ART-IGS system in comparison to the control (p < 0.02). Perceived performance was increased (p = 0.02). Most subjects agreed that the system was sufficiently accurate, caused minimal interruption, and increased confidence. Optical tracking line-of-sight issues were frequently cited as the main limitation early in the study; however, this was largely resolved. ART-IGS reduces task workload for trainees performing ESS. Live navigation and alert zones may be a valuable intraoperative teaching aid. Copyright © 2012 American Rhinologic Society-American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, LLC.

Standardized error severity score (ESS) ratings to quantify risk associated with child restraint system (CRS) and booster seat misuse.

PubMed

Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Kramer, Chelsea; Langerak, Robin; Scipione, Andrea; Kelsey, Shelley

2017-11-17

Although numerous research studies have reported high levels of error and misuse of child restraint systems (CRS) and booster seats in experimental and real-world scenarios, conclusions are limited because they provide little information regarding which installation issues pose the highest risk and thus should be targeted for change. Beneficial to legislating bodies and researchers alike would be a standardized, globally relevant assessment of the potential injury risk associated with more common forms of CRS and booster seat misuse, which could be applied with observed error frequency-for example, in car seat clinics or during prototype user testing-to better identify and characterize the installation issues of greatest risk to safety. A group of 8 leading world experts in CRS and injury biomechanics, who were members of an international child safety project, estimated the potential injury severity associated with common forms of CRS and booster seat misuse. These injury risk error severity score (ESS) ratings were compiled and compared to scores from previous research that had used a similar procedure but with fewer respondents. To illustrate their application, and as part of a larger study examining CRS and booster seat labeling requirements, the new standardized ESS ratings were applied to objective installation performance data from 26 adult participants who installed a convertible (rear- vs. forward-facing) CRS and booster seat in a vehicle, and a child test dummy in the CRS and booster seat, using labels that only just met minimal regulatory requirements. The outcome measure, the risk priority number (RPN), represented the composite scores of injury risk and observed installation error frequency. Variability within the sample of ESS ratings in the present study was smaller than that generated in previous studies, indicating better agreement among experts on what constituted injury risk. Application of the new standardized ESS ratings to installation performance data revealed several areas of misuse of the CRS/booster seat associated with high potential injury risk. Collectively, findings indicate that standardized ESS ratings are useful for estimating injury risk potential associated with real-world CRS and booster seat installation errors.

77 FR 37795 - Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-25

... display of ELEC:LH ESS PWR LO or ELEC:LH ESS NO PWR (Abnormal procedure 3-190-40), land at nearest suitable airport Upon display of ELEC:RH ESS PWR LO and ELEC:RH ESS NO PWR (Abnormal procedure 3-190-45...

Quantifying the effect of side branches in endothelial shear stress estimates

PubMed Central

Giannopoulos, Andreas A.; Chatzizisis, Yiannis S.; Maurovich-Horvat, Pal; Antoniadis, Antonios P.; Hoffmann, Udo; Steigner, Michael L.; Rybicki, Frank J.; Mitsouras, Dimitrios

2016-01-01

Background and aims Low and high endothelial shear stress (ESS) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis progression and high-risk plaque features. Coronary ESS is currently assessed via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation in the lumen geometry determined from invasive imaging such as intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. This process typically omits side branches of the target vessel in the CFD model as invasive imaging of those vessels is not clinically-indicated. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which this simplification affects the determination of those regions of the coronary endothelium subjected to pathologic ESS. Methods We determined the diagnostic accuracy of ESS profiling without side branches to detect pathologic ESS in the major coronary arteries of 5 hearts imaged ex vivo with CT angiography. ESS of the three major coronary arteries was calculated both without (test model), and with (reference model) inclusion of all side branches >1.5 mm in diameter, using previously-validated CFD approaches. Diagnostic test characteristics (accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive value [NPV/PPV]) with respect to the reference model were assessed for both the entire length as well as only the proximal portion of each major coronary artery, where the majority of high-risk plaques occur. Results Using the model without side branches overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 83.4%, 54.0%, 96%, 95.9% and 55.1%, respectively to detect low ESS, and 87.0%, 67.7%, 90.7%, 93.7% and 57.5%, respectively to detect high ESS. When considering only the proximal arteries, test characteristics differed for low and high ESS, with low sensitivity (67.7%) and high specificity (90.7%) to detect low ESS, and low sensitivity (44.7%) and high specificity (95.5%) to detect high ESS. Conclusions The exclusion of side branches in ESS vascular profiling studies greatly reduces the ability to detect regions of the major coronary arteries subjected to pathologic ESS. Single-conduit models can in general only be used to rule out pathologic ESS. PMID:27372207

Quantifying the effect of side branches in endothelial shear stress estimates.

PubMed

Giannopoulos, Andreas A; Chatzizisis, Yiannis S; Maurovich-Horvat, Pal; Antoniadis, Antonios P; Hoffmann, Udo; Steigner, Michael L; Rybicki, Frank J; Mitsouras, Dimitrios

2016-08-01

Low and high endothelial shear stress (ESS) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis progression and high-risk plaque features. Coronary ESS is currently assessed via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of coronary blood flow in the lumen geometry determined from invasive imaging such as intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. This process typically omits side branches of the target vessel in the CFD model as invasive imaging of those vessels is not usually clinically-indicated. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which this simplification affects the determination of those regions of the coronary endothelium subjected to pathologic ESS. We determined the diagnostic accuracy of ESS profiling without side branches to detect pathologic ESS in the major coronary arteries of 5 hearts imaged ex vivo with computed tomography angiography (CTA). ESS of the three major coronary arteries was calculated both without (test model), and with (reference model) inclusion of all side branches >1.5 mm in diameter, using previously-validated CFD approaches. Diagnostic test characteristics (accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive value [NPV/PPV]) with respect to the reference model were assessed for both the entire length as well as only the proximal portion of each major coronary artery, where the majority of high-risk plaques occur. Using the model without side branches overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 83.4%, 54.0%, 96%, 95.9% and 55.1%, respectively to detect low ESS, and 87.0%, 67.7%, 90.7%, 93.7% and 57.5%, respectively to detect high ESS. When considering only the proximal arteries, test characteristics differed for low and high ESS, with low sensitivity (67.7%) and high specificity (90.7%) to detect low ESS, and low sensitivity (44.7%) and high specificity (95.5%) to detect high ESS. The exclusion of side branches in ESS vascular profiling studies greatly reduces the ability to detect regions of the major coronary arteries subjected to pathologic ESS. Single-conduit models can in general only be used to rule out pathologic ESS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

`Teaching What I Learned': Exploring students' Earth and Space Science learning experiences in secondary school with a particular focus on their comprehension of the concept of `geologic time'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sae Yeol; Peate, David W.

2015-06-01

According to the national survey of science education, science educators in the USA currently face many challenges such as lack of qualified secondary Earth and Space Science (ESS) teachers. Less qualified teachers may have difficulty teaching ESS because of a lack of conceptual understanding, which leads to diminished confidence in content knowledge. More importantly, teachers' limited conceptual understanding of the core ideas automatically leads to a lack of pedagogical content knowledge. This mixed methods study aims to explore the ways in which current secondary schooling, especially the small numbers of highly qualified ESS teachers in the USA, might influence students' learning of the discipline. To gain a better understanding of the current conditions of ESS education in secondary schools, in the first phase, we qualitatively examined a sample middle and high school ESS textbook to explore how the big ideas of ESS, particularly geological time, are represented. In the second phase, we quantitatively analyzed the participating college students' conceptual understanding of geological time by comparing those who had said they had had secondary school ESS learning experience with those who did not. Additionally, college students' perceptions on learning and teaching ESS are discussed. Findings from both the qualitative and quantitative phases indicate participating students' ESS learning experience in their secondary schools seemed to have limited or little influence on their conceptual understandings of the discipline. We believe that these results reflect the current ESS education status, connected with the declining numbers of highly qualified ESS teachers in secondary schools.

Geobiological constraints on Earth system sensitivity to CO₂ during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic.

PubMed

Royer, D L; Pagani, M; Beerling, D J

2012-07-01

Earth system climate sensitivity (ESS) is the long-term (>10³ year) response of global surface temperature to doubled CO₂ that integrates fast and slow climate feedbacks. ESS has energy policy implications because global temperatures are not expected to decline appreciably for at least 10³ year, even if anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions drop to zero. We report provisional ESS estimates of 3 °C or higher for some of the Cretaceous and Cenozoic based on paleo-reconstructions of CO₂ and temperature. These estimates are generally higher than climate sensitivities simulated from global climate models for the same ancient periods (approximately 3 °C). Climate models probably do not capture the full suite of positive climate feedbacks that amplify global temperatures during some globally warm periods, as well as other characteristic features of warm climates such as low meridional temperature gradients. These absent feedbacks may be related to clouds, trace greenhouse gases (GHGs), seasonal snow cover, and/or vegetation, especially in polar regions. Better characterization and quantification of these feedbacks is a priority given the current accumulation of atmospheric GHGs. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Media as an Invaluable Tool for Informal Earth System Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, E.; Gautier, C.

2001-12-01

One of the most widely utilized avenues for educating the general public about the Earth's environment is the media, be it print, radio or broadcast. Accurate and effective communication of issues in Earth System Science (ESS), however, is significantly hindered by the public's relative scientific illiteracy. Discussion of ESS concepts requires the laying down of a foundation of complex scientific information, which must first be conveyed to an incognizant audience before any strata of sophisticated social context can be appropriately considered. Despite such a substantial obstacle to be negotiated, the environmental journalist is afforded the unique opportunity of providing a broad-reaching informal scientific education to a largely scientifically uninformed population base. This paper will review the tools used by various environmental journalists to address ESS issues and consider how successful each of these approaches has been at conveying complex scientific messages to a general audience lacking sufficient scientific sophistication. Different kinds of media materials used to this effect will be analyzed for their ideas and concepts conveyed, as well as their effectiveness in reaching the public at large.

MS PHD'S: A Synergistic Model for Diversifying the Earth Science Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricciardi, L.; Johnson, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Braxton, L.; Johnson, A.

2013-05-01

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) program focuses on increasing the number of underrepresented minorities (URM) receiving advanced degrees in Earth system sciences (ESS). Subscribing to Aristotle's philosophy that the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts", MS PHD'S uses a synergistic model of tiered mentoring practices, successful minority scientist role models, peer-to-peer community building activities, professional development training techniques, networking opportunities, and state of the art virtual communication tools to facilitate the retention and advancement of underrepresented ESS scientists. Using a three-phase program structure supported by a virtual community, URM students in ESS are afforded opportunities to establish mentoring relationships with successful scientists, build meaningful ties with URM peers and future colleagues, strengthen oral and written communication skills, engage in networking opportunities within premier scientific venues, and maintain continuity of networks formed through program participation. Established in 2003, MS PHD'S is now in its ninth cohort. From the original cohort of 24 participants, the program has grown to support 213 participants. Of these 213 participants, 42 have obtained the doctorate and are employed within the ESS workforce. Another 71 are enrolled in doctoral programs. Looking to the future with the purpose of continually furthering its synergistic philosophy, MS PHD'S has developed a new initiative, Beyond the PhD, designed to support and advance the representation of URM scientists within a global workforce.

Revenue sources for essential services in Florida: findings and implications for organizing and funding public health.

PubMed

Livingood, William C; Morris, Michael; Sorensen, Bonita; Chapman, Karen; Rivera, Lillian; Beitsch, Les; Street, Phil; Coughlin, Susan; Smotherman, Carmen; Wood, David

2013-01-01

The Florida Public Health Practice-Based Research Network conducted the study of Florida county health departments (CHDs) to assess relationships between self-assessed performance on essential services (ESs) and sources of funding. Primary data were collected using an online survey based on Public Health Accreditation Board standards for ES. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the relationship of sources and amounts of revenue obtained from the Florida Department of Health financial system to responses to the survey of CHD capacity for ESs. Self-assessed CHD performance for each ES varied extensively among the CHDs and across the 10 ESs, ranging from a high of 98% CHDs completely or almost completely meeting the standards for ES 2 (Investigating Problems and Hazards) to a low of 32% completely or almost completely meeting standards for ES 10 (Research/Evidence). Medicaid revenue and fees were positively correlated with some ESs. Per capita revenue support varied extensively among the CHDs. Revenue for ES is decreasing and is heavily reliant on noncategorical (discretionary) revenue. This study has important implications for continued reliance on ES as an organizing construct for public health.

Mobile Visualization and Analysis Tools for Spatial Time-Series Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eberle, J.; Hüttich, C.; Schmullius, C.

2013-12-01

The Siberian Earth System Science Cluster (SIB-ESS-C) provides access and analysis services for spatial time-series data build on products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and climate data from meteorological stations. Until now a webportal for data access, visualization and analysis with standard-compliant web services was developed for SIB-ESS-C. As a further enhancement a mobile app was developed to provide an easy access to these time-series data for field campaigns. The app sends the current position from the GPS receiver and a specific dataset (like land surface temperature or vegetation indices) - selected by the user - to our SIB-ESS-C web service and gets the requested time-series data for the identified pixel back in real-time. The data is then being plotted directly in the app. Furthermore the user has possibilities to analyze the time-series data for breaking points and other phenological values. These processings are executed on demand of the user on our SIB-ESS-C web server and results are transfered to the app. Any processing can also be done at the SIB-ESS-C webportal. The aim of this work is to make spatial time-series data and analysis functions available for end users without the need of data processing. In this presentation the author gives an overview on this new mobile app, the functionalities, the technical infrastructure as well as technological issues (how the app was developed, our made experiences).

Role of Low Endothelial Shear Stress and Plaque Characteristics in the Prediction of Nonculprit Major Adverse Cardiac Events: The PROSPECT Study.

PubMed

Stone, Peter H; Maehara, Akiko; Coskun, Ahmet Umit; Maynard, Charles C; Zaromytidou, Marina; Siasos, Gerasimos; Andreou, Ioannis; Fotiadis, Dimitris; Stefanou, Kostas; Papafaklis, Michail; Michalis, Lampros; Lansky, Alexandra J; Mintz, Gary S; Serruys, Patrick W; Feldman, Charles L; Stone, Gregg W

2018-03-01

This study sought to determine whether low endothelial shear stress (ESS) adds independent prognostication for future major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in coronary lesions in patients with high-risk acute coronary syndrome (ACS) from the United States and Europe. Low ESS is a proinflammatory, proatherogenic stimulus associated with coronary plaque development, progression, and destabilization in human-like animal models and in humans. Previous natural history studies including baseline ESS characterization investigated low-risk patients. In the PROSPECT (Providing Regional Observations to Study Predictors of Events in the Coronary Tree) study, 697 patients with ACS underwent 3-vessel intracoronary imaging. Independent predictors of MACE attributable to untreated nonculprit (nc) coronary lesions during 3.4-year follow-up were large plaque burden (PB), small minimum lumen area (MLA), and thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) morphology. In this analysis, baseline ESS of nc lesions leading to new MACE (nc-MACE lesions) and randomly selected control nc lesions without MACE (nc-non-MACE lesions) were calculated. A propensity score for ESS was constructed for each lesion, and the relationship between ESS and subsequent nc-MACE was examined. A total of 145 lesions were analyzed in 97 patients: 23 nc-MACE lesions (13 TCFAs, 10 thick-cap fibroatheromas [ThCFAs]), and 122 nc-non-MACE lesions (63 TCFAs, 59 ThCFAs). Low local ESS (<1.3 Pa) was strongly associated with subsequent nc-MACE compared with physiological/high ESS (≥1.3 Pa) (23 of 101 [22.8%]) versus (0 of 44 [0%]). In propensity-adjusted Cox regression, low ESS was strongly associated with MACE (hazard ratio: 4.34; 95% confidence interval: 1.89 to 10.00; p < 0.001). Categorizing plaques by anatomic risk (high risk: ≥2 high-risk characteristics PB ≥70%, MLA ≤4 mm 2 , or TCFA), high anatomic risk, and low ESS were prognostically synergistic: 3-year nc-MACE rates were 52.1% versus 14.4% versus 0.0% in high-anatomic risk/low-ESS, low-anatomic risk/low-ESS, and physiological/high-ESS lesions, respectively (p < 0.0001). No lesion without low ESS led to nc-MACE during follow-up, regardless of PB, MLA, or lesion phenotype at baseline. Local low ESS provides incremental risk stratification of untreated coronary lesions in high-risk patients, beyond measures of PB, MLA, and morphology. Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are all quantitative postmarketing signal detection methods equal? Performance characteristics of logistic regression and Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker.

PubMed

Berlin, Conny; Blanch, Carles; Lewis, David J; Maladorno, Dionigi D; Michel, Christiane; Petrin, Michael; Sarp, Severine; Close, Philippe

2012-06-01

The detection of safety signals with medicines is an essential activity to protect public health. Despite widespread acceptance, it is unclear whether recently applied statistical algorithms provide enhanced performance characteristics when compared with traditional systems. Novartis has adopted a novel system for automated signal detection on the basis of disproportionality methods within a safety data mining application (Empirica™ Signal System [ESS]). ESS uses two algorithms for routine analyses: empirical Bayes Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker and logistic regression (LR). A model was developed comprising 14 medicines, categorized as "new" or "established." A standard was prepared on the basis of safety findings selected from traditional sources. ESS results were compared with the standard to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV), specificity, and sensitivity. PPVs of the lower one-sided 5% and 0.05% confidence limits of the Bayes geometric mean (EB05) and of the LR odds ratio (LR0005) almost coincided for all the drug-event combinations studied. There was no obvious difference comparing the PPV of the leading Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terms to the PPV for all terms. The PPV of narrow MedDRA query searches was higher than that for broad searches. The widely used threshold value of EB05 = 2.0 or LR0005 = 2.0 together with more than three spontaneous reports of the drug-event combination produced balanced results for PPV, sensitivity, and specificity. Consequently, performance characteristics were best for leading terms with narrow MedDRA query searches irrespective of applying Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker or LR at a threshold value of 2.0. This research formed the basis for the configuration of ESS for signal detection at Novartis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The ESS and replicator equation in matrix games under time constraints.

PubMed

Garay, József; Cressman, Ross; Móri, Tamás F; Varga, Tamás

2018-06-01

Recently, we introduced the class of matrix games under time constraints and characterized the concept of (monomorphic) evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) in them. We are now interested in how the ESS is related to the existence and stability of equilibria for polymorphic populations. We point out that, although the ESS may no longer be a polymorphic equilibrium, there is a connection between them. Specifically, the polymorphic state at which the average strategy of the active individuals in the population is equal to the ESS is an equilibrium of the polymorphic model. Moreover, in the case when there are only two pure strategies, a polymorphic equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable under the replicator equation for the pure-strategy polymorphic model if and only if it corresponds to an ESS. Finally, we prove that a strict Nash equilibrium is a pure-strategy ESS that is a locally asymptotically stable equilibrium of the replicator equation in n-strategy time-constrained matrix games.

ESS++: a C++ objected-oriented algorithm for Bayesian stochastic search model exploration

PubMed Central

Bottolo, Leonardo; Langley, Sarah R.; Petretto, Enrico; Tiret, Laurence; Tregouet, David; Richardson, Sylvia

2011-01-01

Summary: ESS++ is a C++ implementation of a fully Bayesian variable selection approach for single and multiple response linear regression. ESS++ works well both when the number of observations is larger than the number of predictors and in the ‘large p, small n’ case. In the current version, ESS++ can handle several hundred observations, thousands of predictors and a few responses simultaneously. The core engine of ESS++ for the selection of relevant predictors is based on Evolutionary Monte Carlo. Our implementation is open source, allowing community-based alterations and improvements. Availability: C++ source code and documentation including compilation instructions are available under GNU licence at http://bgx.org.uk/software/ESS.html. Contact: l.bottolo@imperial.ac.uk Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:21233165

Use of demand for and spatial flow of ecosystem services to identify priority areas.

PubMed

Verhagen, Willem; Kukkala, Aija S; Moilanen, Atte; van Teeffelen, Astrid J A; Verburg, Peter H

2017-08-01

Policies and research increasingly focus on the protection of ecosystem services (ESs) through priority-area conservation. Priority areas for ESs should be identified based on ES capacity and ES demand and account for the connections between areas of ES capacity and demand (flow) resulting in areas of unique demand-supply connections (flow zones). We tested ways to account for ES demand and flow zones to identify priority areas in the European Union. We mapped the capacity and demand of a global (carbon sequestration), a regional (flood regulation), and 3 local ESs (air quality, pollination, and urban leisure). We used Zonation software to identify priority areas for ESs based on 6 tests: with and without accounting for ES demand and 4 tests that accounted for the effect of ES flow zone. There was only 37.1% overlap between the 25% of priority areas that encompassed the most ESs with and without accounting for ES demand. The level of ESs maintained in the priority areas increased from 23.2% to 57.9% after accounting for ES demand, especially for ESs with a small flow zone. Accounting for flow zone had a small effect on the location of priority areas and level of ESs maintained but resulted in fewer flow zones without ES maintained relative to ignoring flow zones. Accounting for demand and flow zones enhanced representation and distribution of ESs with local to regional flow zones without large trade-offs relative to the global ES. We found that ignoring ES demand led to the identification of priority areas in remote regions where benefits from ES capacity to society were small. Incorporating ESs in conservation planning should therefore always account for ES demand to identify an effective priority network for ESs. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Early results of an in vivo trial of ESS in thyroid cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, Jennifer E.; Goukassian, Ilona D.; A'Amar, Ousama M.; Bigio, Irving J.; Lee, Stephanie L.

2012-02-01

Introduction: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. The current gold standard for diagnosis, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, yields 10-25% of indeterminate cytology results, leading to patients undergoing thyroidectomy for diagnosis. We assessed the technical potential of a miniaturized in vivo ESS (elastic light scattering spectroscopy) probe, built into an FNA needle assembly, to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules. Methods: Under IRB approval, 15 patients in the endocrine clinic undergoing FNAB of a thyroid nodule had collection of ESS data using our novel miniaturized FNA probe. Using final surgical pathology as our gold standard, data post processing and visual inspection was completed. Results: 225 spectra were grouped and analyzed (120 benign, 30 malignant and 75 from indeterminate cytology). ESS probes demonstrated excellent reproducibility in use. Initial analysis of these preliminary data is promising, indicating distinction of spectral ESS features between malignant and benign conditions. Conclusion(s): An in vivo trial of an invasive miniaturized integrated ESS biopsy probe is acceptable to patients, and collection of ESS data is feasible and reliable. With development of a disease-specific algorithm, ESS could potentially be used as an in-situ real time intra-operative diagnostic tool or as a minimally invasive adjunct to conventional FNA cytology.

Does "Enhanced Support" for Offenders Effectively Reduce Custodial Violence and Disruption? An Evaluation of the Enhanced Support Service Pilot.

PubMed

Camp, Jake; Joy, Kerry; Freestone, Mark

2018-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of The Enhanced Support Service (ESS) pilot in reducing custodial violence and disruption, and the associated costs, by observing the behavioural change of the 35 service users who participated in ESS intervention within its first 22 months of operation. Frequencies of recorded incidents of aggressive behaviours, self-harming behaviours, noncompliance, and positive behaviours were counted from routine administrative systems using a coding structure developed in previous studies. The count data were analysed using nonparametric tests and Poisson regression models to derive an Incident Rate Ratio (IRR). Findings suggest the ESS is associated with a reduction in aggressive behaviours and noncompliance, with medium to large effect sizes ( r = .31-.53); however, it was not associated with a reduction in deliberate self-harm or increased positive behaviours. The Poisson models revealed that levels of pre-intervention behaviour, intervention length, intervention completion, and service location had varying effects on postintervention behaviour, with those who completed intervention demonstrating more favourable outcomes. The ESS service model was associated with a reduction in behaviour that challenges, which has implications for the reduction in associated social, economic, and political costs-as well as the commissioning of interventions and future research in this area.

NASA's Software Bank (CLIPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) was used by Esse Systems to develop an expert system for clients who want to automate portions of their operations. The resulting program acts as a scheduling expert and automates routine, repetitive scheduling decisions, allowing employees to spend time on more creative projects.

Validation of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents using Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Janssen, Kitty C; Phillipson, Sivanes; O'Connor, Justen; Johns, Murray W

2017-05-01

A validated measure of daytime sleepiness for adolescents is needed to better explore emerging relationships between sleepiness and the mental and physical health of adolescents. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a widely used scale for daytime sleepiness in adults but contains references to alcohol and driving. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) has been proposed as the official modified version of the ESS for children and adolescents. This study describes the psychometric analysis of the ESS-CHAD as a measure of daytime sleepiness for adolescents. The ESS-CHAD was completed by 297 adolescents, 12-18 years old, from two independent schools in Victoria, Australia. Exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the scale. Exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis indicated that ESS-CHAD has internal validity and a unidimensional structure with good model fit. Rasch analysis of four subgroups based on gender and year-level were consistent with the overall results. The results were consistent with published ESS results, which strongly indicates that the changes to the scale do not affect the scale's capacity to measure daytime sleepiness. It is concluded that the ESS-CHAD is a reliable and internally valid measure of daytime sleepiness in adolescents 12-18 years old. Further studies are needed to establish the internal validity of the ESS-CHAD for children under 12 years, and to establish external validity and accurate cut-off points for children and adolescents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High voltage energy storage system design for a parallel-through-the-road plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belt, Bryan Whitney D.

A parallel-through-the-road (PTTR) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) pairs an engine powering the front wheels of a vehicle with an electric motor powering the rear wheels. This arrangement gives the flexibility of being able to operate the vehicle in an all-electric mode, an all biodiesel mode, or a combination of both to create maximum power. For this work, a 1.7 L CIDI engine running on biodiesel will be the engine being used and a 103 kW Magna motor will power the rear wheels. In order to power the motor, a high voltage (HV) energy storage system (ESS) needs to be designed and integrated into the vehicle. The goal for the mechanical design of the ESS is to create a structure that will enclose all of the batteries and battery control modules to protect them from environmental factors such as dirt and water as well as to prevent them from becoming dislodged in the event of a collision. The enclosure will also serve as a means to protect the consumer from the dangers of HV. The mechanical design also entailed designing a cooling system that will keep the batteries operating in an acceptable temperature range while they are charging and discharging. The electrical design focused on designing a HV system that could adequately supply enough current flow to each component to meet the peak loading condition yet be able to disconnect should a fault occur to prevent component damage. The system was also designed with safety in mind. Controllers will constantly be monitoring both the HV and LV systems to make sure that each is isolated from the other. Should a controller detect a problem, it will disconnect the HV system. The electrical system will have a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL). The HVIL will be a continuous LV circuit that passes through every HV connector and various switches, so that, if a connector is unplugged or a switch is flipped, the circuit will open. A controller will be monitoring the HVIL for LV. Should it not detect LV, the controller will disconnect the HV system. Several simulations and calculations were conducted as to whether six or seven batteries should be used. Seven batteries will allow the vehicle to accelerate quicker and have lower fuel consumption and emissions produced. However, there are several integration and cooling challenges that arise when trying to integrate seven batteries onto the vehicle. In the end, these challenges outweighed the benefits of seven batteries, and the six battery system was chosen. On top of all of the design and simulation results discussed above, there were also many lessons learned in regards to managing the design team involved in this project. The best way found to keep all members on task was to split the project into smaller sections, create a timeline with specific tasks and corresponding completion dates, and assign a person to be responsible for each task. This helped to gauge whether the project was behind schedule but also gave each member a responsibility and ownership to the project. It was also established that the best way to transmit data was to have a secure, networked drive that allowed members to access it from any computer at any time. This gave members the flexibility to work whenever and wherever was most convenient for them and allowed them to easily share data amongst members without having to attach large files to emails.

77 FR 15293 - Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-15

...-190-20), land at nearest suitable airport Upon display of ELEC:LH ESS PWR LO or ELEC:LH ESS NO PWR (Abnormal procedure 3-190-40), land at nearest suitable airport Upon display of ELEC:RH ESS PWR LO and ELEC...

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

Ene, D.; Andersson, K.; Jensen, M.

The European Spallation Source (ESS) will produce tritium via spallation and activation processes during operational activities. Within the location of ESS facility in Lund, Sweden site it is mandatory to demonstrate that the management strategy of the produced tritium ensures the compliance with the country regulation criteria. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the different aspects of the tritium management in ESS facility. Besides the design parameter study of the helium coolant purification system of the target the consequences of the tritium releasing into the environment were also analyzed. Calculations show that the annual releasemore » of tritium during the normal operations represents a small fraction from the estimated total dose. However, more refined calculations of migration of activated-groundwater should be performed for higher hydraulic conductivities, with the availability of the results on soil examinations. With the assumption of 100% release of tritium to the atmosphere during the occurring of the extreme accidents, it was found as well that the total dose complies with the constraint. (authors)« less

Endometrial stromal tumors: the new WHO classification.

PubMed

Conklin, Christopher M J; Longacre, Teri A

2014-11-01

Endometrial stromal tumors are rare uterine mesenchymal neoplasms that have intrigued pathologists for years, not only because they commonly pose diagnostic dilemmas, but also because the classification and pathogenesis of these tumors has been widely debated. The current World Health Organization recognizes 4 categories of endometrial stromal tumor: endometrial stromal nodule (ESN), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS), and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS). uterine sarcoma. These categories are defined by the presence of distinct translocations as well as tumor morphology and prognosis. Specifically, the JAZF1-SUZ12 (formerly JAZF1-JJAZ1) fusion identifies a large proportion of ESN and LG-ESSs, whereas the YWHAE-FAM22 translocation identifies HG-ESSs. The latter tumors appear to have a prognosis intermediate between LG-ESS and UUS, which exhibits no specific translocation pattern. This review (1) presents the clinicopathologic features of endometrial stromal tumors; (2) discusses their immunophenotype; and (3) highlights the recent advances in molecular genetics which explain their pathogenesis and lend support for a new classification system.

Experimental Evaluation and Workload Characterization for High-Performance Computer Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Ghazawi, Tarek A.

1995-01-01

This research is conducted in the context of the Joint NSF/NASA Initiative on Evaluation (JNNIE). JNNIE is an inter-agency research program that goes beyond typical.bencbking to provide and in-depth evaluations and understanding of the factors that limit the scalability of high-performance computing systems. Many NSF and NASA centers have participated in the effort. Our research effort was an integral part of implementing JNNIE in the NASA ESS grand challenge applications context. Our research work under this program was composed of three distinct, but related activities. They include the evaluation of NASA ESS high- performance computing testbeds using the wavelet decomposition application; evaluation of NASA ESS testbeds using astrophysical simulation applications; and developing an experimental model for workload characterization for understanding workload requirements. In this report, we provide a summary of findings that covers all three parts, a list of the publications that resulted from this effort, and three appendices with the details of each of the studies using a key publication developed under the respective work.

Psychometric properties of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale: A factor analysis and item-response theory approach.

PubMed

Pilcher, June J; Switzer, Fred S; Munc, Alec; Donnelly, Janet; Jellen, Julia C; Lamm, Claus

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in two languages, German and English. Students from a university in Austria (N = 292; 55 males; mean age = 18.71 ± 1.71 years; 237 females; mean age = 18.24 ± 0.88 years) and a university in the US (N = 329; 128 males; mean age = 18.71 ± 0.88 years; 201 females; mean age = 21.59 ± 2.27 years) completed the ESS. An exploratory-factor analysis was completed to examine dimensionality of the ESS. Item response theory (IRT) analyses were used to provide information about the response rates on the items on the ESS and provide differential item functioning (DIF) analyses to examine whether the items were interpreted differently between the two languages. The factor analyses suggest that the ESS measures two distinct sleepiness constructs. These constructs indicate that the ESS is probing sleepiness in settings requiring active versus passive responding. The IRT analyses found that overall, the items on the ESS perform well as a measure of sleepiness. However, Item 8 and to a lesser extent Item 6 were being interpreted differently by respondents in comparison to the other items. In addition, the DIF analyses showed that the responses between German and English were very similar indicating that there are only minor measurement differences between the two language versions of the ESS. These findings suggest that the ESS provides a reliable measure of propensity to sleepiness; however, it does convey a two-factor approach to sleepiness. Researchers and clinicians can use the German and English versions of the ESS but may wish to exclude Item 8 when calculating a total sleepiness score.

Randomized, Paired-site Comparison of Autologous Engineered Skin Substitutes and Split-thickness Skin Graft for Closure of Extensive, Full-thickness Burns

PubMed Central

Boyce, Steven T.; Simpson, Peggy S.; Rieman, Mary T.; Warner, Petra M.; Yakuboff, Kevin P.; Bailey, J. Kevin; Nelson, Judith K.; Fowler, Laura A.; Kagan, Richard J.

2016-01-01

Objectives Stable closure of full-thickness burn wounds remains a limitation to recovery from burns of greater than 50% of the total body surface area (TBSA). Hypothetically, engineered skin substitutes (ESS) consisting of autologous keratinocytes and fibroblasts attached to collagen-based scaffolds may reduce requirements for donor skin, and decrease mortality. Methods ESS were prepared from split-thickness skin biopsies collected after enrollment of 16 pediatric burn patients into an approved study protocol. ESS and split-thickness autograft (AG) were applied to 15 subjects with full-thickness burns involving a mean of 76.9% TBSA. Data consisted of photographs, tracings of donor skin and healed wounds, comparison of mortality with the National Burn Repository (NBR), correlation of TBSA closed wounds with TBSA full-thickness burn, frequencies of regrafting, and immunoreactivity to the biopolymer scaffold. Results One subject expired before ESS application, and 15 subjects received 2056 ESS grafts. The ratio of closed wound to donor areas was 108.7±9.7 for ESS compared with a maximum of 4.0±0.0 for AG. Mortality for enrolled subjects was 6.25%, and 30.3% for a comparable population from the NBR (p<0.05). Engraftment was 83.5±2.0% for ESS and 96.5±0.9 for AG. Percentage TBSA closed was 29.9±3.3% for ESS, and 47.0±2.0 for AG. These values were significantly different between the graft types. Correlation of % TBSA closed with ESS with % TBSA full-thickness burn generated an R2 value of 0.65 (p<0.001). Conclusions These results indicate that autologous ESS reduce mortality and requirements for donor skin harvesting, for grafting of full-thickness burns of greater than 50% TBSA. PMID:27404165

Randomized, Paired-Site Comparison of Autologous Engineered Skin Substitutes and Split-Thickness Skin Graft for Closure of Extensive, Full-Thickness Burns.

PubMed

Boyce, Steven T; Simpson, Peggy S; Rieman, Mary T; Warner, Petra M; Yakuboff, Kevin P; Bailey, J Kevin; Nelson, Judith K; Fowler, Laura A; Kagan, Richard J

Stable closure of full-thickness burn wounds remains a limitation to recovery from burns of greater than 50% of the total body surface area (TBSA). Hypothetically, engineered skin substitutes (ESS) consisting of autologous keratinocytes and fibroblasts attached to collagen-based scaffolds may reduce requirements for donor skin, and decrease mortality. ESS were prepared from split-thickness skin biopsies collected after enrollment of 16 pediatric burn patients into an approved study protocol. ESS and split-thickness autograft (AG) were applied to 15 subjects with full-thickness burns involving a mean of 76.9% TBSA. Data consisted of photographs, tracings of donor skin and healed wounds, comparison of mortality with the National Burn Repository, correlation of TBSA closed wounds with TBSA full-thickness burn, frequencies of regrafting, and immunoreactivity to the biopolymer scaffold. One subject expired before ESS application, and 15 subjects received 2056 ESS grafts. The ratio of closed wound to donor areas was 108.7 ± 9.7 for ESS compared with a maximum of 4.0 ± 0.0 for AG. Mortality for enrolled subjects was 6.25%, and 30.3% for a comparable population from the National Burn Repository (P < .05). Engraftment was 83.5 ± 2.0% for ESS and 96.5 ± 0.9% for AG. Percentage TBSA closed was 29.9 ± 3.3% for ESS, and 47.0 ± 2.0% for AG. These values were significantly different between the graft types. Correlation of % TBSA closed with ESS with % TBSA full-thickness burn generated an R value of 0.65 (P < .001). These results indicate that autologous ESS reduce mortality and requirements for donor skin harvesting, for grafting of full-thickness burns of greater than 50% TBSA.

45 CFR 156.1125 - Enrollee satisfaction survey system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Enrollee satisfaction survey system. 156.1125... RELATED TO EXCHANGES Quality Standards § 156.1125 Enrollee satisfaction survey system. (a) General requirement. A QHP issuer must contract with an HHS-approved enrollee satisfaction survey (ESS) vendor, as...

The puzzle of partial migration: Adaptive dynamics and evolutionary game theory perspectives.

PubMed

De Leenheer, Patrick; Mohapatra, Anushaya; Ohms, Haley A; Lytle, David A; Cushing, J M

2017-01-07

We consider the phenomenon of partial migration which is exhibited by populations in which some individuals migrate between habitats during their lifetime, but others do not. First, using an adaptive dynamics approach, we show that partial migration can be explained on the basis of negative density dependence in the per capita fertilities alone, provided that this density dependence is attenuated for increasing abundances of the subtypes that make up the population. We present an exact formula for the optimal proportion of migrants which is expressed in terms of the vital rates of migrant and non-migrant subtypes only. We show that this allocation strategy is both an evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) as well as a convergence stable strategy (CSS). To establish the former, we generalize the classical notion of an ESS because it is based on invasion exponents obtained from linearization arguments, which fail to capture the stabilizing effects of the nonlinear density dependence. These results clarify precisely when the notion of a "weak ESS", as proposed in Lundberg (2013) for a related model, is a genuine ESS. Secondly, we use an evolutionary game theory approach, and confirm, once again, that partial migration can be attributed to negative density dependence alone. In this context, the result holds even when density dependence is not attenuated. In this case, the optimal allocation strategy towards migrants is the same as the ESS stemming from the analysis based on the adaptive dynamics. The key feature of the population models considered here is that they are monotone dynamical systems, which enables a rather comprehensive mathematical analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A randomized controlled trial of a middle meatal silastic stent for reducing adhesions and middle turbinate lateralization following endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Chan, Chun L; Elmiyeh, Behrad; Woods, Charmaine; Ullah, Shahid; Gunawardena, Indunil; Carney, A Simon; Ooi, Eng H

2015-06-01

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is indicated for patients with recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis symptoms. However, surgical revision can be required because of adhesion formation and middle turbinate lateralization. We investigate the efficacy of a middle meatal silastic stent in reducing these complications after ESS. Thirty-six patients were randomized to receive a silastic stent in the middle meatus unilaterally after ESS. The surgeon was blinded to the side receiving the stent until completion of the ESS. The contralateral side, with no stent, was the control side. Patients completed a 7-day, postoperative, visual analog scale symptom diary and were blinded to the stent side until its removal at the first postoperative visit. Patients were followed up after 2, 8, and 24 weeks. Endoscopic video of the sinus cavities were recorded at all visits and 2 blinded, independent ear/nose/throat (ENT) surgeons assessed the videos using a modified Lund-Kennedy scoring system. Thirty-five of 36 patients completed 6-months' follow-up. Middle turbinate lateralization was observed in 13 sides without a stent vs 1 side with a stent. There was a significant reduction in adhesions at weeks 2 and 8 (p < 0.001) and crusting (p < 0.01) in the stent side compared to control. Video scores at 6 months after surgery for stent and control sides remained unchanged from the 8-week visit. There was no difference between sides for symptom scores, edema, or nasal discharge. Middle meatal silastic stents are well tolerated by patients and effective in reducing middle turbinate lateralization, adhesions, and crusting postoperatively in ESS. © 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Thermoelectric generator installation at Divide Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-04-13

The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has a network of Road Weather Information System (RWIS) environmental sensor stations (ESS) deployed along the road network. Six of the stations do not have access to commercial power an...

Networked Microgrids for Self-healing Power Systems

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

Wang, Zhaoyu; Chen, Bokan; Wang, Jianhui

This paper proposes a transformative architecture for the normal operation and self-healing of networked microgrids (MGs). MGs can support and interchange electricity with each other in the proposed infrastructure. The networked MGs are connected by a physical common bus and a designed two-layer cyber communication network. The lower layer is within each MG where the energy management system (EMS) schedules the MG operation; the upper layer links a number of EMSs for global optimization and communication. In the normal operation mode, the objective is to schedule dispatchable distributed generators (DGs), energy storage systems (ESs) and controllable loads to minimize themore » operation costs and maximize the supply adequacy of each MG. When a generation deficiency or fault happens in a MG, the model switches to the self-healing mode and the local generation capacities of other MGs can be used to support the on-emergency portion of the system. A consensus algorithm is used to distribute portions of the desired power support to each individual MG in a decentralized way. The allocated portion corresponds to each MG’s local power exchange target which is used by its EMS to perform the optimal schedule. The resultant aggregated power output of networked MGs will be used to provide the requested power support. Test cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.« less

Problem-Based Learning and Earth System Science - The ESSEA High School Earth System Science Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, R.; Botti, J.

2002-12-01

The high school Earth system science course is web based and designed to meet the professional development needs of science teachers in grades 9-12. Three themes predominate this course: Earth system science (ESS) content, collaborative investigations, and problem-based learning (PBL) methodology. PBL uses real-world contexts for in-depth investigations of a subject matter. Participants predict the potential impacts of the selected event on Earth's spheres and the subsequent feedback and potential interactions that might result. PBL activities start with an ill-structured problem that serves as a springboard to team engagement. These PBL scenarios contain real-world situations. Teams of learners conduct an Earth system science analysis of the event and make recommendations or offer solutions regarding the problem. The course design provides an electronic forum for conversations, debate, development, and application of ideas. Samples of threaded discussions built around ESS thinking in science and PBL pedagogy will be presented.

Problem-Based Learning and Earth System Science - The ESSEA High School Earth System Science Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, R. J.; Botti, J. A.

2001-12-01

The high school Earth system science course is web based and designed to meet the professional development needs of science teachers in grades 9-12. Three themes predominate this course: Earth system science (ESS) content, collaborative investigations, and problem-based learning (PBL) methodology. PBL uses real-world contexts for in-depth investigations of a subject matter. Participants predict the potential impacts of the selected event on Earth's spheres and the subsequent feedback and potential interactions that might result. PBL activities start with an ill-structured problem that serves as a springboard to team engagement. These PBL scenarios contain real-world situations. Teams of learners conduct an Earth system science analysis of the event and make recommendations or offer solutions regarding the problem. The course design provides an electronic forum for conversations, debate, development, and application of ideas. Samples of threaded discussions built around ESS thinking in science and PBL pedagogy will be presented.

Development of the mechanical properties of engineered skin substitutes after grafting to full-thickness wounds.

PubMed

Sander, Edward A; Lynch, Kaari A; Boyce, Steven T

2014-05-01

Engineered skin substitutes (ESSs) have been reported to close full-thickness burn wounds but are subject to loss from mechanical shear due to their deficiencies in tensile strength and elasticity. Hypothetically, if the mechanical properties of ESS matched those of native skin, losses due to shear or fracture could be reduced. To consider modifications of the composition of ESS to improve homology with native skin, biomechanical analyses of the current composition of ESS were performed. ESSs consist of a degradable biopolymer scaffold of type I collagen and chondroitin-sulfate (CGS) that is populated sequentially with cultured human dermal fibroblasts (hF) and epidermal keratinocytes (hK). In the current study, the hydrated biopolymer scaffold (CGS), the scaffold populated with hF dermal skin substitute (DSS), or the complete ESS were evaluated mechanically for linear stiffness (N/mm), ultimate tensile load at failure (N), maximum extension at failure (mm), and energy absorbed up to the point of failure (N-mm). These biomechanical end points were also used to evaluate ESS at six weeks after grafting to full-thickness skin wounds in athymic mice and compared to murine autograft or excised murine skin. The data showed statistically significant differences (p <0.05) between ESS in vitro and after grafting for all four structural properties. Grafted ESS differed statistically from murine autograft with respect to maximum extension at failure, and from intact murine skin with respect to linear stiffness and maximum extension. These results demonstrate rapid changes in mechanical properties of ESS after grafting that are comparable to murine autograft. These values provide instruction for improvement of the biomechanical properties of ESS in vitro that may reduce clinical morbidity from graft loss.

Validation of a Hindi version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) at AIIMS, New Delhi in sleep-disordered breathing.

PubMed

Kanabar, K; Sharma, S K; Sreenivas, V; Biswas, A; Soneja, M

2016-12-01

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is one of the most widely used questionnaire for the assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This study was conducted to assess the validity of ESS in the Hindi language. The Hindi version was developed by translation and back translation by independent translators. The English and Hindi versions were administered to 115 bilingual subjects who presented with symptoms of SDB, of whom 98 underwent a polysomnography at a tertiary care hospital in North India. The questionnaire had a high level of internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.84). There was no significant difference between the mean ESS scores of Hindi and English versions (11.65 ± 5.47 vs 11.70 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.80). The Hindi version of ESS showed a strong correlation with the English version (Spearman's correlation ρ = 0.98 and weighted kappa = 0.94). Each of the 8 individual questions of Hindi ESS demonstrated a good agreement with the corresponding English version. The Hindi ESS score was significantly higher in subjects with OSA compared to those without OSA (12.67 ± 5.29 vs 7.76 ± 5.44, respectively; p = 0.002). However, there was no difference in ESS score between mild and moderate OSA or between moderate and severe OSA. The Hindi version of the ESS showed a good internal consistency and a strong correlation with the English version and can be used in the Hindi-speaking population.

Endometrial stromal sarcomas and related high-grade sarcomas: immunohistochemical and molecular genetic study of 31 cases.

PubMed

Kurihara, Shuichi; Oda, Yoshinao; Ohishi, Yoshihiro; Iwasa, Atsuko; Takahira, Tomonari; Kaneki, Eisuke; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Wake, Norio; Tsuneyoshi, Masazumi

2008-08-01

Classification and terminology of non-low-grade endometrial sarcomas, which show significant nuclear atypia, have been controversial. Currently, these tumors seem to be classified all together into "undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma (UES)." However, it remains unclear whether these non-low-grade sarcomas are universally "undifferentiated." We divided these sarcomas morphologically into undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma with nuclear uniformity (UES-U) and undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma with nuclear pleomorphism (UES-P), and compared their molecular genetic and immunohistochemical profiles. Eighteen low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS-LG), 7 UES-U, and 6 UES-P were examined. All the patients with ESS-LG were still alive, either with or without disease, whereas 4 of the 5 patients with advanced stage UES-U and all 3 of the patients with advanced stage UES-P had died of the disease. JAZF1-JJAZ1 fusion transcript was detected in 6 (50%) out of 12 ESS-LG and in 1 (33%) of 3 UES-U, whereas it was not detected in any of the cases of UES-P. ESS-LG and UES-U frequently showed positive immunoreaction for estrogen receptor (ESS-LG: 94%, UES-U: 57%) and progesterone receptor (ESS-LG: 94%, UES-U: 57%), whereas all the UES-P were negative for these receptors. Nuclear beta-catenin expression was more frequently recognized in ESS-LG (47%) and UES-U (85%), compared with UES-P (33%). Moreover, nuclear accumulation of p53 and TP53 gene missense mutations were limited to 3 UES-P cases. Our data suggest that UES-U shares some molecular genetic and immunohistochemical characteristics with ESS-LG, but UES-P considerably differs from ESS-LG.

KSC-2009-1996

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Media were invited to a showing of the Ares I-X simulator rocket segments at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here, Bob Ess and Jon Cowart discuss the flight test objectives of the Ares I-X targeted for launch in July 2009. Ess is manager of the Ares I-X project. Cowart is Ares I-X deputy mission manager. The I-X flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I, part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

ESS/Special Education Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Daniel W.

This teacher's guide provides Elementary Science Study (ESS) units that can be used with students in grades 1-12 in special education programs. The ESS units represent an interdisciplinary approach to learning and emphasize "hands-on" activities. Activities include Mirror Cards, Pattern Blocks, Clay Boats, Mapping, Earthworms, and…

76 FR 49484 - Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of New System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-10

..., Director, Office of Information Management. GSA/CIO-2 SYSTEM NAME: Enterprise Server Services (ESS) SYSTEM... Office of Management and Budget (OMB) when necessary to the review of private relief legislation pursuant... Personnel Management (OPM), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Government Accountability Office...

Aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of endometrial stromal sarcomas with YWHAE-FAM22 rearrangement indicate the clinical importance to recognize this subset.

PubMed

Kruse, Arnold-Jan; Croce, Sabrina; Kruitwagen, Roy F P M; Riedl, Robert G; Slangen, Brigitte F M; Van Gorp, Toon; Van de Vijver, Koen K

2014-11-01

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003 defined endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) in general have a good prognosis, considerable differences in clinical behavior and prognosis may exist between different patients with ESS. The ESSs of the type associated with YWHAE-NUTM2 (previously named YWHAE-FAM22) fusion have a more aggressive clinical behavior and poorer prognosis than conventional ESS. Recently, the WHO 2014 classification recognizes this subset of ESS as a separate entity and classifies these as high-grade ESSs. Recognition of this subset has therefore an important clinical impact. We performed a review of the literature to delineate the clinicopathologic features of ESS patients with an YWHAE-NUTM2 rearrangement, with the goal to recognize this subset of ESS. We report a case of a woman with WHO 2014-defined high-grade ESS. Furthermore, published English literature was reviewed for YWHAE-FAM22 ESS and uterus. Twenty patients were identified, with a median age of 50 (range, 28-67) years. There were no clinical features able to recognize YWHAE-NUTM2 ESS. However, they characteristically contain specific histopathological features. Furthermore, YWHAE-NUTM2 ESSs are strongly cyclin D1 positive in contrast to conventional low-grade ESSs. YWHAE-NUTM2 ESSs represent a subset of ESSs with an aggressive clinical behavior and poor prognosis. Specific histopathological features may indicate the presence of YWHAE-NUTM2 rearrangement, which subsequently can be confirmed by cyclin D1 immunostaining.

Cost of outpatient endoscopic sinus surgery from the perspective of the Canadian government: a time-driven activity-based costing approach.

PubMed

Au, Jennifer; Rudmik, Luke

2013-09-01

The time-driven activity-based costing (TD-ABC) method is a novel approach to quantify the costs of a complex system. The aim of this study was to apply the TD-ABC technique to define the overall cost of a routine outpatient endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) from the perspective of the Canadian government payer. Costing perspective was the Canadian government payer. All monetary values are in Canadian dollars as of December 2012. Costs were obtained by contacting staff unions, reviewing purchasing databases and provincial physician fee schedules. Practical capacity time values were collected from the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta. Capacity cost rates ($/min) were calculated for all staff, capital equipment, and hospital space. The overall cost for routine outpatient ESS was $3510.31. The cost per ESS case for each clinical pathway encounter was as follows: preoperative holding ($49.19); intraoperative ($3296.60); sterilization ($90.20); postanesthesia care unit ($28.64); and postoperative day ward ($45.68). The 3 major cost drivers were physician fees, disposable equipment, and nursing costs. The intraoperative phase contributed to 94.5% of the overall cost. This study applied the TD-ABC method to evaluate the cost of outpatient ESS from the perspective of the Canadian government payer and defined the overall cost to be $3510.31 per case. © 2013 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Building Climate Resilience in the Blue Nile/Abay Highlands: A Role for Earth System Sciences

PubMed Central

Zaitchik, Benjamin F.; Simane, Belay; Habib, Shahid; Anderson, Martha C.; Ozdogan, Mutlu; Foltz, Jeremy D.

2012-01-01

The Blue Nile (Abay) Highlands of Ethiopia are characterized by significant interannual climate variability, complex topography and associated local climate contrasts, erosive rains and erodible soils, and intense land pressure due to an increasing population and an economy that is almost entirely dependent on smallholder, low-input agriculture. As a result, these highland zones are highly vulnerable to negative impacts of climate variability. As patterns of variability and precipitation intensity alter under anthropogenic climate change, there is concern that this vulnerability will increase, threatening economic development and food security in the region. In order to overcome these challenges and to enhance sustainable development in the context of climate change, it is necessary to establish climate resilient development strategies that are informed by best-available Earth System Science (ESS) information. This requirement is complicated by the fact that climate projections for the Abay Highlands contain significant and perhaps irreducible uncertainties. A critical challenge for ESS, then, is to generate and to communicate meaningful information for climate resilient development in the context of a highly uncertain climate forecast. Here we report on a framework for applying ESS to climate resilient development in the Abay Highlands, with a focus on the challenge of reducing land degradation. PMID:22470302

Review-of-systems questionnaire as a predictive tool for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

PubMed

Robles, Liliana; Chiang, Sharon; Haneef, Zulfi

2015-04-01

Patients with refractory epilepsy undergo video-electroencephalography for seizure characterization, among whom approximately 10-30% will be discharged with the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs). Clinical PNES predictors have been described but in general are not sensitive or specific. We evaluated whether multiple complaints in a routine review-of-system (ROS) questionnaire could serve as a sensitive and specific marker of PNESs. We performed a retrospective analysis of a standardized ROS questionnaire completed by patients with definite PNESs and epileptic seizures (ESs) diagnosed in our adult epilepsy monitoring unit. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to determine whether groups with PNES and ES differed with respect to the percentage of complaints in the ROS questionnaire. Tenfold cross-validation was used to evaluate the predictive error of a logistic regression classifier for PNES status based on the percentage of positive complaints in the ROS questionnaire. A total of 44 patients were included for analysis. Patients with PNESs had a significantly higher number of complaints in the ROS questionnaire compared to patients with epilepsy. A threshold of 17% positive complaints achieved a 78% specificity and 85% sensitivity for discriminating between PNESs and ESs. We conclude that the routine ROS questionnaire may be a sensitive and specific predictive tool for discriminating between PNESs and ESs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

What's Up in the Atmosphere? Exploring How Aerosols Impact Sky Color Through Hands-on Activities with Elementary GLOBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damadeo, K.; Taylor, J.

2015-12-01

What color is the sky today? The GLOBE Kids - Anita, Simon, and Dennis want to know why the sky isn't always the same shade of blue and sometimes isn't even blue. Through the new Elementary GLOBE Aerosols Storybook and Learning Activities, the GLOBE Kids learn that there's a lot more than air in the atmosphere, which can affect the colors we see in the sky. There are four hands-on activities in this unit: 1) Sky Observers - Students make observations of the sky, record their findings and share their observation reports with their peers. The activity promotes active observation and recording skills to help students observe sky color, and recognize that sky color changes; 2) Why (Not) So Blue? - Students make predictions about how drops of milk will affect color and visibility in cups of water representing the atmosphere to help them understand that aerosols in the atmosphere have an effect on sky conditions, including sky color and visibility. The activity also introduces the classification categories for daytime sky color and visibility; 3) See the Light - Students use prisms and glue sticks to explore the properties of light. The activity demonstrates that white light is made up of seven colors that represent different wavelengths, and illustrates why the sky is blue during the day and red at sunset; 4) Up in the Air - Students work in groups to make an aerosol sampler, a simple adhesive tool that allows students to collect data and estimate the extent of aerosols present at their school, understanding that, in fact, there are particles in the air we breathe. NGSS Alignment includes: Disciplinary Core Ideas- ESS2.D: Weather and Climate, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation, ESS3.A: Natural Resources; Science and Engineering Practices- Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out an Investigation, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information; Crosscutting Concepts- Patterns and Cause and Effect; and Performance Expectations- K-ESS2-1, K-ESS2-2, 4-ESS3-1.

SLS-PLAN-IT: A knowledge-based blackboard scheduling system for Spacelab life sciences missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, Cheng-Yan; Lee, Seok-Hua

1992-01-01

The primary scheduling tool in use during the Spacelab Life Science (SLS-1) planning phase was the operations research (OR) based, tabular form Experiment Scheduling System (ESS) developed by NASA Marshall. PLAN-IT is an artificial intelligence based interactive graphic timeline editor for ESS developed by JPL. The PLAN-IT software was enhanced for use in the scheduling of Spacelab experiments to support the SLS missions. The enhanced software SLS-PLAN-IT System was used to support the real-time reactive scheduling task during the SLS-1 mission. SLS-PLAN-IT is a frame-based blackboard scheduling shell which, from scheduling input, creates resource-requiring event duration objects and resource-usage duration objects. The blackboard structure is to keep track of the effects of event duration objects on the resource usage objects. Various scheduling heuristics are coded in procedural form and can be invoked any time at the user's request. The system architecture is described along with what has been learned with the SLS-PLAN-IT project.

Assessing Regional-Scale Impacts of Short Rotation Coppices on Ecosystem Services by Modeling Land-Use Decisions.

PubMed

Schulze, Jule; Frank, Karin; Priess, Joerg A; Meyer, Markus A

2016-01-01

Meeting the world's growing energy demand through bioenergy production involves extensive land-use change which could have severe environmental and social impacts. Second generation bioenergy feedstocks offer a possible solution to this problem. They have the potential to reduce land-use conflicts between food and bioenergy production as they can be grown on low quality land not suitable for food production. However, a comprehensive impact assessment that considers multiple ecosystem services (ESS) and biodiversity is needed to identify the environmentally best feedstock option, as trade-offs are inherent. In this study, we simulate the spatial distribution of short rotation coppices (SRCs) in the landscape of the Mulde watershed in Central Germany by modeling profit-maximizing farmers under different economic and policy-driven scenarios using a spatially explicit economic simulation model. This allows to derive general insights and a mechanistic understanding of regional-scale impacts on multiple ESS in the absence of large-scale implementation. The modeled distribution of SRCs, required to meet the regional demand of combined heat and power (CHP) plants for solid biomass, had little or no effect on the provided ESS. In the policy-driven scenario, placing SRCs on low or high quality soils to provide ecological focus areas, as required within the Common Agricultural Policy in the EU, had little effect on ESS. Only a substantial increase in the SRC production area, beyond the regional demand of CHP plants, had a relevant effect, namely a negative impact on food production as well as a positive impact on biodiversity and regulating ESS. Beneficial impacts occurred for single ESS. However, the number of sites with balanced ESS supply hardly increased due to larger shares of SRCs in the landscape. Regression analyses showed that the occurrence of sites with balanced ESS supply was more strongly driven by biophysical factors than by the SRC share in the landscape. This indicates that SRCs negligibly affect trade-offs between individual ESS. Coupling spatially explicit economic simulation models with environmental and ESS assessment models can contribute to a comprehensive impact assessment of bioenergy feedstocks that have not yet been planted.

Assessing Regional-Scale Impacts of Short Rotation Coppices on Ecosystem Services by Modeling Land-Use Decisions

PubMed Central

Schulze, Jule; Frank, Karin; Priess, Joerg A.; Meyer, Markus A.

2016-01-01

Meeting the world’s growing energy demand through bioenergy production involves extensive land-use change which could have severe environmental and social impacts. Second generation bioenergy feedstocks offer a possible solution to this problem. They have the potential to reduce land-use conflicts between food and bioenergy production as they can be grown on low quality land not suitable for food production. However, a comprehensive impact assessment that considers multiple ecosystem services (ESS) and biodiversity is needed to identify the environmentally best feedstock option, as trade-offs are inherent. In this study, we simulate the spatial distribution of short rotation coppices (SRCs) in the landscape of the Mulde watershed in Central Germany by modeling profit-maximizing farmers under different economic and policy-driven scenarios using a spatially explicit economic simulation model. This allows to derive general insights and a mechanistic understanding of regional-scale impacts on multiple ESS in the absence of large-scale implementation. The modeled distribution of SRCs, required to meet the regional demand of combined heat and power (CHP) plants for solid biomass, had little or no effect on the provided ESS. In the policy-driven scenario, placing SRCs on low or high quality soils to provide ecological focus areas, as required within the Common Agricultural Policy in the EU, had little effect on ESS. Only a substantial increase in the SRC production area, beyond the regional demand of CHP plants, had a relevant effect, namely a negative impact on food production as well as a positive impact on biodiversity and regulating ESS. Beneficial impacts occurred for single ESS. However, the number of sites with balanced ESS supply hardly increased due to larger shares of SRCs in the landscape. Regression analyses showed that the occurrence of sites with balanced ESS supply was more strongly driven by biophysical factors than by the SRC share in the landscape. This indicates that SRCs negligibly affect trade-offs between individual ESS. Coupling spatially explicit economic simulation models with environmental and ESS assessment models can contribute to a comprehensive impact assessment of bioenergy feedstocks that have not yet been planted. PMID:27082742

Energy management and cooperation in microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahbar, Katayoun

Microgrids are key components of future smart power grids, which integrate distributed renewable energy generators to efficiently serve the load demand locally. However, random and intermittent characteristics of renewable energy generations may hinder the reliable operation of microgrids. This thesis is thus devoted to investigating new strategies for microgrids to optimally manage their energy consumption, energy storage system (ESS) and cooperation in real time to achieve the reliable and cost-effective operation. This thesis starts with a single microgrid system. The optimal energy scheduling and ESS management policy is derived to minimize the energy cost of the microgrid resulting from drawing conventional energy from the main grid under both the off-line and online setups, where the renewable energy generation/load demand are assumed to be non-causally known and causally known at the microgrid, respectively. The proposed online algorithm is designed based on the optimal off-line solution and works under arbitrary (even unknown) realizations of future renewable energy generation/load demand. Therefore, it is more practically applicable as compared to solutions based on conventional techniques such as dynamic programming and stochastic programming that require the prior knowledge of renewable energy generation and load demand realizations/distributions. Next, for a group of microgrids that cooperate in energy management, we study efficient methods for sharing energy among them for both fully and partially cooperative scenarios, where microgrids are of common interests and self-interested, respectively. For the fully cooperative energy management, the off-line optimization problem is first formulated and optimally solved, where a distributed algorithm is proposed to minimize the total (sum) energy cost of microgrids. Inspired by the results obtained from the off-line optimization, efficient online algorithms are proposed for the real-time energy management, which are of low complexity and work given arbitrary realizations of renewable energy generation/load demand. On the other hand, for self-interested microgrids, the partially cooperative energy management is formulated and a distributed algorithm is proposed to optimize the energy cooperation such that energy costs of individual microgrids reduce simultaneously over the case without energy cooperation while limited information is shared among the microgrids and the central controller.

An ultrasensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for determination of estrone 3-sulfate sodium salt based on molecularly imprinted polymer modified carbon paste electrode.

PubMed

Song, Han; Wang, Yuli; Zhang, Lu; Tian, Liping; Luo, Jun; Zhao, Na; Han, Yajie; Zhao, Feilang; Ying, Xue; Li, Yingchun

2017-11-01

A highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor based on carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) has been developed for the determination of estrone 3-sulfate sodium salt (ESS). MIPs were prepared in polar medium via bulk polymerization and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was performed to the study preparation process and binding behavior of the MIP-modified CPE (MIP/CPE) toward ESS. The conditions for preparing MIPs and MIP/CPE as well as ESS detection were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the detection linear range for ESS is 4 × 10 -12 to 6 × 10 -9  M with a limit of detection of 1.18 × 10 -12  M (S/N = 3). In addition, the sensor exhibits high binding affinity toward ESS over its structural analogues with excellent repeatability and stability. The fabricated MIP/CPE was then successfully employed to detect ESS in pregnant mare urine (PMU) without any pretreatment, and the average recoveries were from 99.6 to 104.9% with relative standard deviation less than 3.0%. High-performance liquid chromatography was adopted as a reference to validate the established approach in detecting ESS and their results showed good agreement. The as-prepared sensor has high potential to be a decent tool for on-site determination of ESS in PMU in a fast and convenient manner. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

NCMS ESS 2000 Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibbel, Mark; Bellamy, Marvin; DeSantis, Charlie; Hess, John; Pattok, Tracy; Quintero, Andrew; Silver, R.

1996-01-01

ESS 2000 has the vision of enhancing the knowledge necessary to implement cost-effective, leading-edge ESS technologies and procedures in order to increase U.S. electronics industry competitiveness. This paper defines EES and discusses the factors driving the project, the objectives of the project, its participants, the three phases of the project, the technologies involved, and project deliverables.

The effect of endoscopic sinus surgery on symptoms of eustachian tube dysfunction.

PubMed

Stoikes, Nathaniel F N; Dutton, Jay M

2005-01-01

The symptom of eustachian tube dysfunction has been categorized as a "minor" symptom in chronic rhinosinusitis. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the frequency of otologic symptoms in patients with confirmed rhinosinusitis and the likelihood of its resolution in those patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Questionnaires were obtained from 168 patients who had undergone prior ESS over a 5-year period. Patients were asked to evaluate if they suffered from several different potential symptoms of eustachian tube dysfunction before ESS and whether that symptom changed postoperatively. Using the binomial test, 95% confidence intervals were determined for the following otologic symptoms of tubal dysfunction: "earfullness and congestion," "ear cracking and popping," "dizziness," and "ear pain. "ESS was found to have a significant treatment effect for the indicated otologic symptoms of tubal dysfunction. Tubal dysfunction, as manifested by otologic symptoms, is common in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis undergoing ESS. The classification of this as a "minor" symptom of rhinosinusitis needs to be reevaluated. These symptoms improve or resolve in the majority of patients undergoing ESS.

Norfolk State University Research Experience in Earth System Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhury, Raj

2002-01-01

The truly interdisciplinary nature of Earth System Science lends itself to the creation of research teams comprised of people with different scientific and technical backgrounds. In the annals of Earth System Science (ESS) education, the lack of an academic major in the discipline might be seen as a barrier to the involvement of undergraduates in the overall ESS-enterprise. This issue is further compounded at minority-serving institutions by the rarity of departments dedicated to Atmospheric Science, Oceanography or even the geosciences. At Norfolk State University, a Historically Black College, a six week, NASA-supported, summer undergraduate research program (REESS - Research Experience in Earth System Science) is creating a model that involves students with majors in diverse scientific disciplines in authentic ESS research coupled with a structured education program. The project is part of a wider effort at the University to enhance undergraduate education by identifying specific areas of student weaknesses regarding the content and process of science. A pre- and post-assessment test, which is focused on some fundamental topics in global climate change, is given to all participants as part of the evaluation of the program. Student attitudes towards the subject and the program's approach are also surveyed at the end of the research experience. In 2002, 11 undergraduates participated in REESS and were educated in the informed use of some of the vast remote sensing resources available through NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE). The program ran from June 3rd through July 12, 2002. This was the final year of the project.

75 FR 12256 - United States, et al. v. Election Systems and Software, Inc.; Proposed Final Judgment and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-15

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Antitrust Division United States, et al. v. Election Systems and Software... Columbia in United States, et al. v. Election Systems and Software Inc., Civil Action No. 10-00380. On... Systems and Software, Inc., (``ES&S'') of Premier Election Services, Inc., and PES Holdings, Inc. violated...

Demonstration of decomposition and optimization in the design of experimental space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon; Sandridge, Chris A.; Haftka, Raphael T.; Walsh, Joanne L.

1989-01-01

Effective design strategies for a class of systems which may be termed Experimental Space Systems (ESS) are needed. These systems, which include large space antenna and observatories, space platforms, earth satellites and deep space explorers, have special characteristics which make them particularly difficult to design. It is argued here that these same characteristics encourage the use of advanced computer-aided optimization and planning techniques. The broad goal of this research is to develop optimization strategies for the design of ESS. These strategics would account for the possibly conflicting requirements of mission life, safety, scientific payoffs, initial system cost, launch limitations and maintenance costs. The strategies must also preserve the coupling between disciplines or between subsystems. Here, the specific purpose is to describe a computer-aided planning and scheduling technique. This technique provides the designer with a way to map the flow of data between multidisciplinary analyses. The technique is important because it enables the designer to decompose the system design problem into a number of smaller subproblems. The planning and scheduling technique is demonstrated by its application to a specific preliminary design problem.

Detection of symmetric homoclinic orbits to saddle-centres in reversible systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagasaki, Kazuyuki; Wagenknecht, Thomas

2006-02-01

We present a perturbation technique for the detection of symmetric homoclinic orbits to saddle-centre equilibria in reversible systems of ordinary differential equations. We assume that the unperturbed system has primary, symmetric homoclinic orbits, which may be either isolated or appear in a family, and use an idea similar to that of Melnikov’s method to detect homoclinic orbits in their neighbourhood. This technique also allows us to identify bifurcations of unperturbed or perturbed, symmetric homoclinic orbits. Our technique is of importance in applications such as nonlinear optics and water waves since homoclinic orbits to saddle-centre equilibria describe embedded solitons (ESs) in systems of partial differential equations representing physical models, and except for special cases their existence has been previously studied only numerically using shooting methods and continuation techniques. We apply the general theory to two examples, a four-dimensional system describing ESs in nonlinear optical media and a six-dimensional system which can possess a one-parameter family of symmetric homoclinic orbits in the unperturbed case. For these examples, the analysis is compared with numerical computations and an excellent agreement between both results is found.

Transmission calculation and intensity suppression for a proton therapy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Yang, Jun; Qin, Bin; Liang, ZhiKai; Chen, Qushan; Liu, Kaifeng; Li, Dong; Fan, Mingwu

2018-02-01

A proton therapy project HUST-PTF (HUST Proton Therapy Facility) based on a 250 MeV isochronous superconducting cyclotron is under development in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). In this paper we report the main design features of the beam line in HUST-PTF project. The energy selection system (ESS) for energy modulation is discussed in detail, including the collimators, momentum slit and transmission calculation. Due to significant difference among the transmissions of ESS for different energies, the intensity suppression scheme by defocusing beam at high energies on collimators in the beam line is proposed and discussed. Finally, the ratios of beam intensities between low and high energies are expected to be controlled within 10 to meet the clinical requirement, and the beam optics of each energy step after intensity suppression is studied respectively.

A design study of the energy selection system for carbon-ion therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, Garam; An, Dong Hyun; Hong, Bong Hwan; Kim, Geun Beom; Yim, Heejoong; Chang, Hong Seok; Jung, In Su; Kang, Kun Uk; Nam, Sang Hoon; Park, Inkyu

2015-02-01

KHIMA, a research project to construct a carbon radio-therapy facility in Korea, has been developing a superconducting cyclotron named KIRAMS-430 as a carbon(12 C 6+) particle accelerator. Due to the fixed beam energy of the cyclotron, an energy selection system (ESS) is required for treatment of tumors located at various depths in the human body. In the present paper, two design stages of the ESS are discussed. First, the beam tracks behind the degrader block and the statistical twiss parameters for the entire energy range were calculated by using the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. Analysis of the beam transmission and the contamination ratios were performed. In the second stage, the beam optics was designed to support the same phase profile at the end regardless of the variations in all of input twiss parameters and the emittance.

Self-evaluated and Close Relative-Evaluated Epworth Sleepiness Scale vs. Multiple Sleep Latency Test in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PubMed Central

Li, Yun; Zhang, Jihui; Lei, Fei; Liu, Hong; Li, Zhe; Tang, Xiangdong

2014-01-01

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine (1) the agreement in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) evaluated by patients and their close relatives (CRs), and (2) the correlation of objective sleepiness as measured by multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) with self-evaluated and close relative-evaluated ESS. Methods: A total of 85 consecutive patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (70 males, age 46.7 ± 12.9 years old) with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 5 events per hour (mean 38.9 ± 26.8/h) were recruited into this study. All participants underwent an overnight polysomnographic assessment (PSG), MSLT, and ESS rated by both patients and their CRs. Mean sleep latency < 8 min on MSLT was considered objective daytime sleepiness. Results: Self-evaluated global ESS score (ESSG) was closely correlated with evaluation by CRs (r = 0.79, p < 0.001); the mean ESSG score evaluated by patients did not significantly differ from that evaluated by CRs (p > 0.05). However, Bland- Altman plot showed individual differences between self-evaluated and CR-evaluated ESS scores, with a 95%CI of -9.3 to 7.0. The mean sleep latency on MSLT was significantly associated with CR-evaluated ESSG (r = -0.23, p < 0.05); significance of association with self-evaluated ESSG was marginal (r = -0.21, p = 0.05). Conclusions: CR-evaluated ESS has a good correlation but also significant individual disagreement with self-evaluated ESS in Chinese patients with OSA. CR-evaluated ESS performs as well as, if not better than, self-evaluated ESS in this population when referring to MSLT. Citation: Li Y; Zhang J; Lei F; Liu H; Li Z; Tang X. Self-evaluated and close relative-evaluated Epworth Sleepiness Scale vs. multiple sleep latency test in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(2):171-176. PMID:24533000

Microlith-based Structured Sorbent for Carbon Dioxide, Humidity, and Trace Contaminant Control in Manned Space Habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Junaedi, Christian; Roychoudhury, SUbir; Howard, David F.; Perry, Jay L.; Knox, James C.

2011-01-01

To support continued manned space exploration, the development of atmosphere revitalization systems that are lightweight, compact, durable, and power efficient is a key challenge. The systems should be adaptable for use in a variety of habitats and should offer operational functionality to either expel removed constituents or capture them for closedloop recovery. As mission durations increase and exploration goals reach beyond low earth orbit, the need for regenerable adsorption processes for continuous removal of CO2 and trace contaminants from cabin air becomes critical. Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) and NASA Marshall (MSFC) have been developing an Engineered Structured Sorbents (ESS) approach based on PCI s patented Microlith technology to meet the requirements of future, extended human spaceflight explorations. This technology offers the inherent performance and safety attributes of zeolite and other sorbents with greater structural integrity, regenerability, and process control, thereby providing potential durability and efficiency improvements over current state-of-the-art systems. The major advantages of the ESS explored in this study are realized through the use of metal substrates to provide structural integrity (i.e., less partition of sorbents) and enhanced thermal control during the sorption process. The Microlith technology also offers a unique internal resistive heating capability that shows potential for short regeneration time and reduced power requirement compared to conventional systems. This paper presents the design, development, and performance results of the integrated adsorber modules for removing CO2, water vapor, and trace chemical contaminants. A related effort that utilizes the adsorber modules for sorption of toxic industrial chemicals is also discussed. Finally, the development of a 4-person two-leg ESS system for continuous CO2 removal is also presented.

[Long-term outcome of budesonide middle meatus treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis patients following endoscopic sinus surgery].

PubMed

Chen, Xiaodong; Wang, Haiting; Shi, Zhaohui; Li, Xiaoyuan; Shan, Boyi; Xue, Tao; Qiao, Li; Chen, Fuquan

2016-02-01

To investigate the long term clinical effect of budesonide treatment in middle meatus for chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). A total number of 53 patients with CRS received ESS were divided into two groups according to budesonide treatment: budesonide-treated group with 21 cases (39.6%) and control group with 32 cases (60.4%). Gelatin sponges soaked with 1 ml budesonide suspension were put in middle meatus in budesonide-treated group, while only gelatin sponges were put in middle meatus in control group. Visual analogy score (VAS), sino-nasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22) and Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scale were carried out before ESS and two years after ESS. In budesonide-treated group, there were a statistical difference before and after ESS in the VAS, SNOT-20 and Lund-Kennedy score (P<. 05). In control group, difference was also significant in VAS, SNOT-20 and Lund-Kennedy score before and after ESS (P < 0.05). The VAS gap of post-operative and pre-operative in two groups are significantly different (P<. 05). However, there was no significant difference in the SNOT-20 and Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scale gap before or after the operation between two groups. It is safe, convenient and practicable to perform budesonide treatment in middle meatus following ESS, which can significantly ease the post-operative discomfort of nose.

Nash Equilibrium of Social-Learning Agents in a Restless Multiarmed Bandit Game.

PubMed

Nakayama, Kazuaki; Hisakado, Masato; Mori, Shintaro

2017-05-16

We study a simple model for social-learning agents in a restless multiarmed bandit (rMAB). The bandit has one good arm that changes to a bad one with a certain probability. Each agent stochastically selects one of the two methods, random search (individual learning) or copying information from other agents (social learning), using which he/she seeks the good arm. Fitness of an agent is the probability to know the good arm in the steady state of the agent system. In this model, we explicitly construct the unique Nash equilibrium state and show that the corresponding strategy for each agent is an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) in the sense of Thomas. It is shown that the fitness of an agent with ESS is superior to that of an asocial learner when the success probability of social learning is greater than a threshold determined from the probability of success of individual learning, the probability of change of state of the rMAB, and the number of agents. The ESS Nash equilibrium is a solution to Rogers' paradox.

Appropriateness criteria predict outcomes for sinus surgery and may aid in future patient selection.

PubMed

Beswick, Daniel M; Mace, Jess C; Soler, Zachary M; Ayoub, Noel F; Rudmik, Luke; DeConde, Adam S; Smith, Timothy L

2018-05-14

Appropriateness criteria to determine surgical candidacy for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have recently been described. This study stratified patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) according to these new appropriateness criteria and evaluated postoperative improvements among appropriateness categories. Adult patients with uncomplicated CRS electing ESS were prospectively enrolled in a multi-institutional cohort study between March 2011 and June 2015 to assess outcomes. Subsequently, appropriateness criteria that consider preoperative medical therapy, 22-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores, and Lund-Mackay computed tomography scores were retrospectively applied. A total of 92.6% (436 of 471) were categorized as "appropriate" ESS candidates, 3.8% (18 of 471) as "uncertain," and 3.6% (17 of 471) as "inappropriate." Among uncertain patients, two-thirds (12 of 18) had identifiable reasons for undergoing ESS, most commonly oral corticosteroid intolerance (n = 6). Postoperative follow-up was available for 79% (n = 372). Clinically significant SNOT-22 improvements occurred in both appropriate and uncertain groups (all P < 0.050) but not among the inappropriate group. The inappropriate group reported less mean improvement in SNOT-22 total score compared to appropriate (P = 0.008) and uncertain (P = 0.006) groups. The vast majority of patients (∼93%) who underwent ESS in a multi-institutional research program were identified as appropriate candidates for surgical intervention, as defined by current appropriateness criteria. Valid considerations frequently exist for offering ESS to patients categorized as uncertain. Appropriate and uncertain candidates report similar, clinically significant SNOT-22 improvements following surgery. Patients classified as inappropriate reported significantly less improvement following ESS. Surgical appropriateness criteria may assist in predicting outcomes of ESS. 2b. Laryngoscope, 2018. © 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

A high-resolution near-infrared extraterrestrial solar spectrum derived from ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menang, Kaah P.; Coleman, Marc D.; Gardiner, Tom D.; Ptashnik, Igor V.; Shine, Keith P.

2013-06-01

A detailed spectrally resolved extraterrestrial solar spectrum (ESS) is important for line-by-line radiative transfer modeling in the near-IR. Very few observationally based high-resolution ESS are available in this spectral region. Consequently, the theoretically calculated ESS by Kurucz has been widely adopted. We present the CAVIAR (Continuum Absorption at Visible and Infrared Wavelengths and its Atmospheric Relevance) ESS, which is derived using the Langley technique applied to calibrated observations using a ground-based high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) in atmospheric windows from 2000 to 10,000 cm-1 (1-5 µm). There is good agreement between the strengths and positions of solar lines between the CAVIAR and the satellite-based Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-FTS ESS, in the spectral region where they overlap, and good agreement with other ground-based FTS measurements in two near-IR windows. However, there are significant differences in the structure between the CAVIAR ESS and spectra from semiempirical models. In addition, we found a difference of up to 8% in the absolute (and hence the wavelength-integrated) irradiance between the CAVIAR ESS and that of Thuillier et al., which was based on measurements from the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science satellite and other sources. In many spectral regions, this difference is significant, because the coverage factor k = 2 (or 95% confidence limit) uncertainties in the two sets of observations do not overlap. Because the total solar irradiance is relatively well constrained, if the CAVIAR ESS is correct, then this would indicate an integrated "loss" of solar irradiance of about 30 W m-2 in the near-IR that would have to be compensated by an increase at other wavelengths.

Identifying clinically important difference on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale: results from a narcolepsy clinical trial of JZP-110.

PubMed

Scrima, Lawrence; Emsellem, Helene A; Becker, Philip M; Ruoff, Chad; Lankford, Alan; Bream, Gary; Khayrallah, Moise; Lu, Yuan; Black, Jed

2017-10-01

While scores ≤10 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) are within the normal range, the reduction in elevated ESS score that is clinically meaningful in patients with narcolepsy has not been established. This post hoc analysis of a clinical trial of patients with narcolepsy evaluated correlations between Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) and ESS. Data of adult patients with narcolepsy from a double-blind, 12-week placebo-controlled study of JZP-110, a wake-promoting agent, were used in this analysis. Descriptive statistics and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis compared PGI-C (anchor measure) to percent change from baseline in ESS to establish the responder criterion from patients taking either placebo or JZP-110 (treatments). At week 12, patients (n = 10) who reported being "very much improved" on the PGI-C had a mean 76.7% reduction in ESS score, and patients (n = 33) who reported being "much improved" on the PGI-C had a mean 49.1% reduction in ESS score. ROC analysis showed that patients who improved were almost exclusively from JZP-110 treatment group, with an area-under-the-curve of 0.9, and revealed that a 25% reduction in ESS (sensitivity, 81.4%; specificity, 80.9%) may be an appropriate threshold for defining a meaningful patient response to JZP-110 and placebo. A ≥25% reduction in patients' subjective ESS score may be useful as a threshold to identify patients with narcolepsy who respond to JZP-110 treatment. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical biopsy for the diagnosis of dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickard, David C. O.; Bigio, Irving J.; Bown, Stephen G.; Lovat, Laurence B.; Ripley, Paul M.; Novelli, Marco

2002-05-01

Several research groups have been developing optical-spectroscopy methods, often mediated by fibre-optic probes, to noninvasively identify dysplasia and cancer in situ and in real time: often called 'optical biopsy'. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, New Mexico) have developed the method of elastic-scattering spectroscopy (ESS). ESS is a point measurement that is sensitive to the morphological changes at the cellular and sub-cellular level, including changes in the size and/or density of the nuclei, mitochondria or other organelles. It is therefore sensitive to morphology features that a pathologist looks for during histological examination. We report on the first stages of a clinical study currently under way at the Middlesex Hospital an University College London, designed to test the ESS method for identification of dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus. Preliminary results using elastic-scattering spectroscopy during endoscopic examination show that this technique has potential as a real-time test for in vivo detection of dysplasia or early cancer within Barrett's mucosa, or at least as a guide to assist in locating optimum sites for biopsy. Initial data sets are encouraging and the randomly chosen testing and training sets give specificities and sensitivities comparable to the accuracy of histology. It is evident that the ESS technique is proving to be convenient for the physicians given its speed and compatibility with endoscopic equipment. It is intended to begin prospective trials in the next few months to assess the systems suitability for general clinical practice.

Excessive daytime sleepiness in patients on intrathecal analgesia for chronic pain.

PubMed

Demartini, Laura; Fanfulla, Francesco; Bonezzi, Cesare; Armiento, Luciana; Buonocore, Michelangelo

2015-01-01

Intrathecal (IT) drug administration is an advanced technique in pain treatment algorithm for patients poorly responsive to systemic pharmacological treatment or less invasive techniques. The aim is to improve analgesia lowering side effects; despite this premise, many side effects of long-term IT therapy have been described, mainly related to opioid administration. We observed, in some of the patients regularly followed for pump refills in our Pain Unit, the appearance of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) interfering with daily life and work activity; this study aims to investigate the incidence of EDS in patients on IT analgesia with opioid or non-opioid drugs and its possible relationship with respiratory problems during sleep. 21 patients on IT therapy for chronic pain answered the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The incidence of EDS in patients receiving IT opioids was compared to a control group not receiving opioids. In 10 patients, who performed polysomnography (PSG) and maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) for sleep complaints, we studied the relationship between PSG data and ESS scores and we verified the concordance of ESS and MWT results. 38% of the patients reported EDS, according to ESS data; all the patients with EDS were receiving an IT opioid. Even if some patients presented sleep apneas, we failed to correlate this data with daytime sleepiness. Subjective sleepiness is confirmed by the results of MWT. Our data demonstrate that EDS is a frequent and important side effect of IT analgesia and it seems related to opioids administration.

Educator Perspectives on Earth System Science Literacy: Challenges and Priorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaDue, Nicole; Clark, Scott K.

2012-01-01

The challenges and priorities of defining and achieving Earth System Science (ESS) literacy are examined through surveys of geoscience educators attending a professional geological meeting. Two surveys with Likert-style and free-response questions were distributed to geoscientists and K-12 teachers to elicit what instructors think are important…

Six Questions about The World Bank's 2020 Education Sector Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafiq, M. Najeeb

2011-01-01

Based on interviews with World Bank staff in April 2011, this article answers six questions about the World Bank's Education Sector Strategy 2020 (ESS 2020): (1) What is the ESS 2020? (2) What is it not? (3) How was the development process of the ESS 2020 different from that of past Strategies? (4) How are the policy recommendations of the ESS…

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

Anderson, David E.

The JEMA modulator was originally developed for the European Spallation Source (ESS) when Spain was under consideration as a location for the ESS facility. Discussions ensued and the Spallation Neutron Source Research Accelerator Division agreed to form a collaboration with ESS-Bilbao (ESS-B) consortium to provide services for specifying the requirements for a version of the modulator capable of operating twelve 550 kW klystrons, monitoring the technical progress on the contract with JEMA, installing and commissioning the modulator at SNS, and performing a 30 day full power test. This work was recently completed, and this report discusses those activities with primarymore » emphasis on the installation and testing activities.« less

Environmental Test Screening Procedure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeidler, Janet

2000-01-01

This procedure describes the methods to be used for environmental stress screening (ESS) of the Lightning Mapper Sensor (LMS) lens assembly. Unless otherwise specified, the procedures shall be completed in the order listed, prior to performance of the Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP). The first unit, S/N 001, will be subjected to the Qualification Vibration Levels, while the remainder will be tested at the Operational Level. Prior to ESS, all units will undergo Pre-ESS Functional Testing that includes measuring the on-axis and plus or minus 0.95 full field Modulation Transfer Function and Back Focal Length. Next, all units will undergo ESS testing, and then Acceptance testing per PR 460.

Heritability of lenticular myopia in English Springer spaniels.

PubMed

Kubai, Melissa A; Labelle, Amber L; Hamor, Ralph E; Mutti, Donald O; Famula, Thomas R; Murphy, Christopher J

2013-11-08

We determined whether naturally-occurring lenticular myopia in English Springer spaniels (ESS) has a genetic component. Streak retinoscopy was performed on 226 related ESS 30 minutes after the onset of pharmacologic mydriasis and cycloplegia. A pedigree was constructed to determine relationships between affected offspring and parents. Estimation of heritability was done in a Bayesian analysis (facilitated by the MCMCglmm package of R) of refractive error in a model, including terms for sex and coat color. Myopia was defined as ≤-0.5 diopters (D) spherical equivalent. The median refractive error for ESS was 0.25 D (range, -3.5 to +4.5 D). Median age was 0.2 years (range, 0.1-15 years). The prevalence of myopia in related ESS was 19% (42/226). The ESS had a strong correlation (r = 0.95) for refractive error between the two eyes. Moderate heritability was present for refractive error with a mean value of 0.29 (95% highest probability density, 0.07-0.50). The distribution of refractive error, and subsequently lenticular myopia, has a moderate genetic component in ESS. Further investigation of genes responsible for regulation of the development of refractive ocular components in canines is warranted.

Confidence intervals for effect sizes: compliance and clinical significance in the Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology.

PubMed

Odgaard, Eric C; Fowler, Robert L

2010-06-01

In 2005, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) became the first American Psychological Association (APA) journal to require statistical measures of clinical significance, plus effect sizes (ESs) and associated confidence intervals (CIs), for primary outcomes (La Greca, 2005). As this represents the single largest editorial effort to improve statistical reporting practices in any APA journal in at least a decade, in this article we investigate the efficacy of that change. All intervention studies published in JCCP in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008 were reviewed. Each article was coded for method of clinical significance, type of ES, and type of associated CI, broken down by statistical test (F, t, chi-square, r/R(2), and multivariate modeling). By 2008, clinical significance compliance was 75% (up from 31%), with 94% of studies reporting some measure of ES (reporting improved for individual statistical tests ranging from eta(2) = .05 to .17, with reasonable CIs). Reporting of CIs for ESs also improved, although only to 40%. Also, the vast majority of reported CIs used approximations, which become progressively less accurate for smaller sample sizes and larger ESs (cf. Algina & Kessleman, 2003). Changes are near asymptote for ESs and clinical significance, but CIs lag behind. As CIs for ESs are required for primary outcomes, we show how to compute CIs for the vast majority of ESs reported in JCCP, with an example of how to use CIs for ESs as a method to assess clinical significance.

"Cut-and-paste" manufacture of multiparametric epidermal electronic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Nanshu; Yang, Shixuan; Wang, Pulin

2016-05-01

Epidermal electronics is a class of noninvasive and unobstructive skin-mounted, tattoo-like sensors and electronics capable of vital sign monitoring and establishing human-machine interface. The high cost of manpower, materials, vacuum equipment, and photolithographic facilities associated with its manufacture greatly hinders the widespread use of disposable epidermal electronics. Here we report a cost and time effective, completely dry, benchtop "cut-and-paste" method for the freeform and portable manufacture of multiparametric epidermal sensor systems (ESS) within minutes. This versatile method works for all types of thin metal and polymeric sheets and is compatible with any tattoo adhesives or medical tapes. The resulting ESS are multimaterial and multifunctional and have been demonstrated to noninvasively but accurately measure electrophysiological signals, skin temperature, skin hydration, as well as respiratory rate. In addition, planar stretchable coils exploiting double-stranded serpentine design have been successfully applied as wireless, passive epidermal strain sensors.

Automated sampling assessment for molecular simulations using the effective sample size

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xin; Bhatt, Divesh; Zuckerman, Daniel M.

2010-01-01

To quantify the progress in the development of algorithms and forcefields used in molecular simulations, a general method for the assessment of the sampling quality is needed. Statistical mechanics principles suggest the populations of physical states characterize equilibrium sampling in a fundamental way. We therefore develop an approach for analyzing the variances in state populations, which quantifies the degree of sampling in terms of the effective sample size (ESS). The ESS estimates the number of statistically independent configurations contained in a simulated ensemble. The method is applicable to both traditional dynamics simulations as well as more modern (e.g., multi–canonical) approaches. Our procedure is tested in a variety of systems from toy models to atomistic protein simulations. We also introduce a simple automated procedure to obtain approximate physical states from dynamic trajectories: this allows sample–size estimation in systems for which physical states are not known in advance. PMID:21221418

Electron shuttles in biotechnology.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kazuya; Manefield, Mike; Lee, Matthew; Kouzuma, Atsushi

2009-12-01

Electron-shuttling compounds (electron shuttles [ESs], or redox mediators) are essential components in intracellular electron transfer, while microbes also utilize self-produced and naturally present ESs for extracellular electron transfer. These compounds assist in microbial energy metabolism by facilitating electron transfer between microbes, from electron-donating substances to microbes, and/or from microbes to electron-accepting substances. Artificially supplemented ESs can create new routes of electron flow in the microbial energy metabolism, thereby opening up new possibilities for the application of microbes to biotechnology processes. Typical examples of such processes include halogenated-organics bioremediation, azo-dye decolorization, and microbial fuel cells. Herein we suggest that ESs can be applied widely to create new microbial biotechnology processes.

Comparison of qubit and qutrit like entangled squeezed and coherent states of light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najarbashi, G.; Mirzaei, S.

2016-10-01

Squeezed state of light is one of the important subjects in quantum optics which is generated by optical nonlinear interactions. In this paper, we especially focus on qubit like entangled squeezed states (ESS's) generated by beam splitters, phase-shifter and cross Kerr nonlinearity. Moreover the Wigner function of two-mode qubit and qutrit like ESS are investigated. We will show that the distances of peaks of Wigner functions for two-mode ESS are entanglement sensitive and can be a witness for entanglement. Like the qubit cases, monogamy inequality is fulfilled for qutrit like ESS. These trends are compared with those obtained for qubit and qutrit like entangled coherent states (ECS).

Lossless compression of image data products on th e FIFE CD-ROM series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newcomer, Jeffrey A.; Strebel, Donald E.

1993-01-01

How do you store enough of the key data sets, from a total of 120 gigabytes of data collected for a scientific experiment, on a collection of CD-ROM's, small enough to distribute to a broad scientific community? In such an application where information loss in unacceptable, lossless compression algorithms are the only choice. Although lossy compression algorithms can provide an order of magnitude improvement in compression ratios over lossless algorithms the information that is lost is often part of the key scientific precision of the data. Therefore, lossless compression algorithms are and will continue to be extremely important in minimizing archiving storage requirements and distribution of large earth and space (ESS) data sets while preserving the essential scientific precision of the data.

Governing Education in Europe: A "New" Policy Space of European Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlos, Sofia

2012-01-01

European Schools are a particular type of school that are not integrated into any national education system but are nonetheless official educational establishments that constitute a European Schools System (ESS) governed jointly by the Member States of the European Union. This positioning creates particularly interesting issues of governance that…

PubMed Central

Voultsos, P.; Casini, M.; Ricci, G.; Tambone, V.; Spagnolo, A.G.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY The aim of the present study is to propose legal reform limiting surgeons' criminal liability in high-accuracy and high-risk surgery such as endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The study includes a review of the medical literature, focusing on identifying and examining reasons why ESS carries a very high risk of serious complications related to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers and reviewing British and Italian legal theory and case-law on medical negligence, especially with regard to Italian Law 189/2012 (so called "Balduzzi" Law). It was found that serious complications due to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers may occur in ESS regardless of the skill, experience and prudence/diligence of the surgeon. Subjectivity should be essential to medical negligence, especially regarding high-accuracy surgery. Italian Law 189/2012 represents a good basis for the limitation of criminal liability resulting from inaccurate manoeuvres in high-accuracy surgery such as ESS. It is concluded that ESS surgeons should be relieved of criminal liability in cases of simple/ordinary negligence where guidelines have been observed. PMID:28374874

Highly-Stable Li₄Ti₅O12 Anodes Obtained by Atomic-Layer-Deposited Al₂O₃.

PubMed

Yoon, Jae Kook; Nam, Seunghoon; Shim, Hyung Cheoul; Park, Kunwoo; Yoon, Taeho; Park, Hyung Sang; Hyun, Seungmin

2018-05-16

LTO (Li₄Ti₅O 12 ) has been highlighted as anode material for next-generation lithium ion secondary batteries due to advantages such as a high rate capability, excellent cyclic performance, and safety. However, the generation of gases from undesired reactions between the electrode surface and the electrolyte has restricted the application of LTO as a negative electrode in Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS). As the generation of gases from LTO tends to be accelerated at high temperatures (40⁻60 °C), the thermal stability of LTO should be maintained during battery discharge, especially in EVs. To overcome these technical limitations, a thin layer of Al₂O₃ (~2 nm thickness) was deposited on the LTO electrode surface by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and an electrochemical charge-discharge cycle test was performed at 60 °C. The capacity retention after 500 cycles clearly shows that Al₂O₃-coated LTO outperforms the uncoated one, with a discharge capacity retention of ~98%. TEM and XPS analyses indicate that the surface reactions of Al₂O₃-coated LTO are suppressed, while uncoated LTO undergoes the (111) to (222) phase transformation, as previously reported in the literature.

Effect of food intake on left ventricular wall stress.

PubMed

Gårdinger, Ylva; Hlebowicz, Joanna; Björgell, Ola; Dencker, Magnus

2014-01-28

Left ventricular wall stress has been investigated in a variety of populations, but the effect of food intake has not been evaluated. We assessed whether left ventricular wall stress is affected by food intake in healthy subjects. Twenty-three healthy subjects aged 25.6 ± 4.5 years were investigated. Meridional end-systolic wall stress (ESS) and circumferential end-systolic wall stress (cESS) were measured before, 30 minutes after, and 110 minutes after a standardised meal. Both ESS and cESS decreased significantly (P < 0.001) from fasting values 30 minutes after the meal, and had not returned to baseline after 110 minutes. ESS decreased from 65 ± 16 kdynes/cm2 (fasting) to 44 ± 12 kdynes/cm2 30 minutes after, and to 58 ± 13 kdynes/cm2 110 minutes after eating. cESS decreased from 98 ± 24 kdynes/cm2 to 67 ± 18 kdynes/cm2 30 minutes after, and to 87 ± 19 kdynes/cm2 110 minutes after the meal. This study shows that left ventricular wall stress is affected by food intake in healthy subjects.

Epistaxis grading in Osler's disease: comparison of comprehensive scores with detailed bleeding diaries.

PubMed

Parzefall, Thomas; Wolf, Axel; Frei, Klemens; Kaider, Alexandra; Riss, Dominik

2017-03-01

Use of reliable grading scores to measure epistaxis severity in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is essential in clinical routine and for scientific purposes. For practical reasons, visual analog scale (VAS) scoring and the Epistaxis Severity Score (ESS) are widely used. VAS scores are purely subjective, and a potential shortcoming of the ESS is that it is based on self-reported anamnestic bleeding data. The aim of this study was to validate the level of correlation between VAS scores, the ESS, and actual bleeding events, based on detailed epistaxis diaries of patients. Records from daily epistaxis diaries maintained by 16 HHT patients over 112 consecutive days were compared with the monthly ESS and daily VAS scores in the corresponding time period. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient, analysis of variance models, and multiple R 2 measures were used for statistical analysis. Although the ESS and VAS scores generally showed a high degree of correlation with actual bleeding events, mild events were underrepresented in both scores. Our results highlight the usefulness of the ESS as a standard epistaxis score in cohorts with moderate to severe degrees of epistaxis. The use of detailed epistaxis diaries should be considered when monitoring patients and cohorts with mild forms of HHT. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Ethmoidectomy combined with superior meatus enlargement increases olfactory airflow

PubMed Central

Kondo, Kenji; Nomura, Tsutomu; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2017-01-01

Objectives The relationship between a particular surgical technique in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and airflow changes in the post‐operative olfactory region has not been assessed. The present study aimed to compare olfactory airflow after ESS between conventional ethmoidectomy and ethmoidectomy with superior meatus enlargement, using virtual ESS and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Study Design Prospective computational study. Materials and Methods Nasal computed tomography images of four adult subjects were used to generate models of the nasal airway. The original preoperative model was digitally edited as virtual ESS by performing uncinectomy, ethmoidectomy, antrostomy, and frontal sinusotomy. The following two post‐operative models were prepared: conventional ethmoidectomy with normal superior meatus (ESS model) and ethmoidectomy with superior meatus enlargement (ESS‐SM model). The calculated three‐dimensional nasal geometries were confirmed using virtual endoscopy to ensure that they corresponded to the post‐operative anatomy observed in the clinical setting. Steady‐state, laminar, inspiratory airflow was simulated, and the velocity, streamline, and mass flow rate in the olfactory region were compared among the preoperative and two postoperative models. Results The mean velocity in the olfactory region, number of streamlines bound to the olfactory region, and mass flow rate were higher in the ESS‐SM model than in the other models. Conclusion We successfully used an innovative approach involving virtual ESS, virtual endoscopy, and CFD to assess postoperative outcomes after ESS. It is hypothesized that the increased airflow to the olfactory fossa achieved with ESS‐SM may lead to improved olfactory function; however, further studies are required. Level of Evidence NA. PMID:28894833

Economic Evaluation of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery versus Continued Medical Therapy for Refractory Chronic Rhinosinusitis

PubMed Central

Rudmik, Luke; Soler, Zachary M.; Mace, Jess C.; Schlosser, Rodney J.; Smith, Timothy L.

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) compared to continued medical therapy for patients with refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Study Design Cohort-style Markov decision tree economic evaluation Methods The economic perspective was the US third party payer with a 30 year time horizon. The two comparative treatment strategies were: 1) ESS followed by appropriate postoperative medical therapy and 2) continued medical therapy alone. Primary outcome was the incremental cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY). Costs were discounted at a rate of 3.5% in the reference case. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed including differing time-horizons, discounting scenarios, and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). Results The reference case demonstrated that the ESS strategy cost a total of $48,838.38 and produced a total of 20.50 QALYs. The medical therapy alone strategy cost a total of $28,948.98 and produced a total of 17.13 QALYs. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) for ESS versus medical therapy alone is $5,901.90 per QALY. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve from the PSA demonstrated that there is 74% certainty that the ESS strategy is the most cost-effective decision for any willingness to pay threshold greater then $25,000. The time horizon analysis suggests that ESS becomes the cost-effective intervention within the 3rd year after surgery. Conclusion Results from this study suggest that employing an ESS treatment strategy is the most cost-effective intervention compared to continued medical therapy alone for the long-term management of patients with refractory CRS. PMID:25186499

A new methodology for accurate 3-dimensional coronary artery reconstruction using routine intravascular ultrasound and angiographic data: implications for widespread assessment of endothelial shear stress in humans.

PubMed

Bourantas, Christos V; Papafaklis, Michail I; Athanasiou, Lambros; Kalatzis, Fanis G; Naka, Katerina K; Siogkas, Panagiotis K; Takahashi, Saeko; Saito, Shigeru; Fotiadis, Dimitrios I; Feldman, Charles L; Stone, Peter H; Michalis, Lampros K

2013-09-01

To develop and validate a new methodology that allows accurate 3-dimensional (3-D) coronary artery reconstruction using standard, simple angiographic and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data acquired during routine catheterisation enabling reliable assessment of the endothelial shear stress (ESS) distribution. Twenty-two patients (22 arteries: 7 LAD; 7 LCx; 8 RCA) who underwent angiography and IVUS examination were included. The acquired data were used for 3-D reconstruction using a conventional method and a new methodology that utilised the luminal 3-D centreline to place the detected IVUS borders and anatomical landmarks to estimate their orientation. The local ESS distribution was assessed by computational fluid dynamics. In corresponding consecutive 3 mm segments, lumen, plaque and ESS measurements in the 3-D models derived by the centreline approach were highly correlated to those derived from the conventional method (r>0.98 for all). The centreline methodology had a 99.5% diagnostic accuracy for identifying segments exposed to low ESS and provided similar estimations to the conventional method for the association between the change in plaque burden and ESS (centreline method: slope= -1.65%/Pa, p=0.078; conventional method: slope= -1.64%/Pa, p=0.084; p =0.69 for difference between the two methodologies). The centreline methodology provides geometrically correct models and permits reliable ESS computation. The ability to utilise data acquired during routine coronary angiography and IVUS examination will facilitate clinical investigation of the role of local ESS patterns in the natural history of coronary atherosclerosis.

Character and Implications of a Newly Identified Creeping Strand of the San Andreas fault NE of Salton Sea, Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janecke, S. U.; Markowski, D.

2015-12-01

The overdue earthquake on the Coachella section, San Andreas fault (SAF), the model ShakeOut earthquake, and the conflict between cross-fault models involving the Extra fault array and mapped shortening in the Durmid Hill area motivate new analyses at the southern SAF tip. Geologic mapping, LiDAR, seismic reflection, magnetic and gravity datasets, and aerial photography confirm the existence of the East Shoreline strand (ESS) of the SAF southwest of the main trace of the SAF. We mapped the 15 km long ESS, in a band northeast side of the Salton Sea. Other data suggest that the ESS continues N to the latitude of the Mecca Hills, and is >35 km long. The ESS cuts and folds upper Holocene beds and appears to creep, based on discovery of large NW-striking cracks in modern beach deposits. The two traces of the SAF are parallel and ~0.5 to ~2.5 km apart. Groups of east, SE, and ENE-striking strike-slip cross-faults connect the master dextral faults of the SAF. There are few sinistral-normal faults that could be part of the Extra fault array. The 1-km wide ESS contains short, discontinuous traces of NW-striking dextral-oblique faults. These en-echelon faults bound steeply dipping Pleistocene beds, cut out section, parallel tight NW-trending folds, and produced growth folds. Beds commonly dip toward the ESS on both sides, in accord with persistent NE-SW shortening across the ESS. The dispersed fault-fold structural style of the ESS is due to decollements in faulted mud-rich Pliocene to Holocene sediment and ramps and flats along the strike-slip faults. A sheared ladder-like geometric model of the two master dextral strands of the SAF and their intervening cross-faults, best explains the field relationships and geophysical datasets. Contraction across >40 km2 of the southernmost SAF zone in the Durmid Hills suggest that interaction of active structures in the SAF zone may inhibit the nucleation of large earthquakes in this region. The ESS may cross the northern Coachella Valley to join the blind Palm Spring dextral fault- a source of microearthquakes and differential subsidence. The ESS may also continue north parallel to the margin of the Salton Trough or have both a NW and NE branch. The risk of a future large earthquake directly beneath the greater Palm Springs metropolitan area may be larger if the first or last options are correct.

The Australian Computational Earth Systems Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mora, P.; Muhlhaus, H.; Lister, G.; Dyskin, A.; Place, D.; Appelbe, B.; Nimmervoll, N.; Abramson, D.

2001-12-01

Numerical simulation of the physics and dynamics of the entire earth system offers an outstanding opportunity for advancing earth system science and technology but represents a major challenge due to the range of scales and physical processes involved, as well as the magnitude of the software engineering effort required. However, new simulation and computer technologies are bringing this objective within reach. Under a special competitive national funding scheme to establish new Major National Research Facilities (MNRF), the Australian government together with a consortium of Universities and research institutions have funded construction of the Australian Computational Earth Systems Simulator (ACcESS). The Simulator or computational virtual earth will provide the research infrastructure to the Australian earth systems science community required for simulations of dynamical earth processes at scales ranging from microscopic to global. It will consist of thematic supercomputer infrastructure and an earth systems simulation software system. The Simulator models and software will be constructed over a five year period by a multi-disciplinary team of computational scientists, mathematicians, earth scientists, civil engineers and software engineers. The construction team will integrate numerical simulation models (3D discrete elements/lattice solid model, particle-in-cell large deformation finite-element method, stress reconstruction models, multi-scale continuum models etc) with geophysical, geological and tectonic models, through advanced software engineering and visualization technologies. When fully constructed, the Simulator aims to provide the software and hardware infrastructure needed to model solid earth phenomena including global scale dynamics and mineralisation processes, crustal scale processes including plate tectonics, mountain building, interacting fault system dynamics, and micro-scale processes that control the geological, physical and dynamic behaviour of earth systems. ACcESS represents a part of Australia's contribution to the APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation (ACES) international initiative. Together with other national earth systems science initiatives including the Japanese Earth Simulator and US General Earthquake Model projects, ACcESS aims to provide a driver for scientific advancement and technological breakthroughs including: quantum leaps in understanding of earth evolution at global, crustal, regional and microscopic scales; new knowledge of the physics of crustal fault systems required to underpin the grand challenge of earthquake prediction; new understanding and predictive capabilities of geological processes such as tectonics and mineralisation.

Electrical signals as mechanism of photosynthesis regulation in plants.

PubMed

Sukhov, Vladimir

2016-12-01

This review summarizes current works concerning the effects of electrical signals (ESs) on photosynthesis, the mechanisms of the effects, and its physiological role in plants. Local irritations of plants induce various photosynthetic responses in intact leaves, including fast and long-term inactivation of photosynthesis, and its activation. Irritation-induced ESs, including action potential, variation potential, and system potential, probably causes the photosynthetic responses in intact leaves. Probable mechanisms of induction of fast inactivation of photosynthesis are associated with Ca 2+ - and (or) H + -influxes during ESs generation; long-term inactivation of photosynthesis might be caused by Ca 2+ - and (or) H + -influxes, production of abscisic and jasmonic acids, and inactivation of phloem H + -sucrose symporters. It is probable that subsequent development of inactivation of photosynthesis is mainly associated with decreased CO 2 influx and inactivation of the photosynthetic dark reactions, which induces decreased photochemical quantum yields of photosystems I and II and increased non-photochemical quenching of photosystem II fluorescence and cyclic electron flow around photosystem I. However, other pathways of the ESs influence on the photosynthetic light reactions are also possible. One of them might be associated with ES-connected acidification of chloroplast stroma inducing ferredoxin-NADP + reductase accumulation at the thylakoids in Tic62 and TROL complexes. Mechanisms of ES-induced activation of photosynthesis require further investigation. The probable ultimate effect of ES-induced photosynthetic responses in plant life is the increased photosynthetic machinery resistance to stressors, including high and low temperatures, and enhanced whole-plant resistance to environmental factors at least during 1 h after irritation.

Modeling and optimization of energy storage system for microgrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Xin

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) is well suited for the applications of microgrid and renewable energy. This thesis will have a practical analysis of the battery itself and its application in microgrid systems. The first paper analyzes the VRB use in a microgrid system. The first part of the paper develops a reduced order circuit model of the VRB and analyzes its experimental performance efficiency during deployment. The statistical methods and neural network approximation are used to estimate the system parameters. The second part of the paper addresses the implementation issues of the VRB application in a photovoltaic-based microgrid system. A new dc-dc converter was proposed to provide improved charging performance. The paper was published on IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, Vol. 5, No. 4, July 2014. The second paper studies VRB use within a microgrid system from a practical perspective. A reduced order circuit model of the VRB is introduced that includes the losses from the balance of plant including system and environmental controls. The proposed model includes the circulation pumps and the HVAC system that regulates the environment of the VRB enclosure. In this paper, the VRB model is extended to include the ESS environmental controls to provide a model that provides a more realistic efficiency profile. The paper was submitted to IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy. Third paper discussed the optimal control strategy when VRB works with other type of battery in a microgird system. The work in first paper is extended. A high level control strategy is developed to coordinate a lead acid battery and a VRB with reinforcement learning. The paper is to be submitted to IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid.

Stability improvement of an operational two-way satellite time and frequency transfer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yi-Jiun; Fujieda, Miho; Takiguchi, Hiroshi; Tseng, Wen-Hung; Tsao, Hen-Wai

2016-04-01

To keep national time accurately coherent with coordinated universal time, many national metrology institutes (NMIs) use two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT) to continuously measure the time difference with other NMIs over an international baseline. Some NMIs have ultra-stable clocks with stability better than 10-16. However, current operational TWSTFT can only provide frequency uncertainty of 10-15 and time uncertainty of 1 ns, which is inadequate. The uncertainty is dominated by the short-term stability and the diurnals, i.e. the measurement variation with a period of one day. The aim of this work is to improve the stability of operational TWSTFT systems without additional transmission, bandwidth or increase in signal power. A software-defined receiver (SDR) comprising a high-resolution correlator and successive interference cancellation associated with open-loop configuration as the TWSTFT receiver reduces the time deviation from 140 ps to 73 ps at averaging time of 1 h, and occasionally suppresses diurnals. To study the source of the diurnals, TWSTFT is performed using a 2  ×  2 earth station (ES) array. Consequently, some ESs sensitive to temperature variation are identified, and the diurnals are significantly reduced by employing insensitive ESs. Hence, the operational TWSTFT using the proposed SDR with insensitive ESs achieves time deviation to 41 ps at 1 h, and 80 ps for averaging times from 1 h to 20 h.

Tyrosine kinase receptor status in endometrial stromal sarcoma: an immunohistochemical and genetic-molecular analysis.

PubMed

Cossu-Rocca, Paolo; Contini, Marcella; Uras, Maria Gabriela; Muroni, Maria Rosaria; Pili, Francesca; Carru, Ciriaco; Bosincu, Luisanna; Massarelli, Giovannino; Nogales, Francisco F; De Miglio, Maria Rosaria

2012-11-01

Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) are rare uterine malignant mesenchymal neoplasms, which are currently treated by surgery, as effective adjuvant therapies have not yet been established. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have rarely been applied in ESS therapy, with few reports describing imatinib responsivity. The aim of this study was to analyze the status of different tyrosine kinase receptors in an ESS series, in order to evaluate their potential role as molecular targets. Immunohistochemistry was performed for EGFR, c-KIT, PDGFR-α, PDGFR-β, and ABL on 28 ESS. EGFR, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β gene expression was investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on selected cases. "Hot-spot" mutations were screened for on EGFR, c-KIT, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β genes, by sequencing. All analysis was executed from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Immunohistochemical overexpression of 2 or more tyrosine kinase receptors was observed in 18 of 28 tumors (64%), whereas only 5 tumors were consistently negative. Gene expression profiles were concordant with immunohistochemical overexpression in only 1 tumor, which displayed both high mRNA levels and specific immunoreactivity for PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β. No activating mutations were found on the tumors included in the study. This study confirms that TKRs expression is frequently observed in ESS. Considering that the responsiveness to tyrosine kinase inhibitors is known to be related to the presence of specific activating mutations or gene over-expression, which are not detectable in ESS, TKRs immunohistochemical over-expression alone should not be considered as a reliable marker for targeted therapies in ESS. Specific post-translational abnormalities, responsible for activation of TKRs, should be further investigated.

An ESS maximum principle for matrix games.

PubMed

Vincent, T L; Cressman, R

2000-11-01

Previous work has demonstrated that for games defined by differential or difference equations with a continuum of strategies, there exists a G-function, related to individual fitness, that must take on a maximum with respect to a virtual variable v whenever v is one of the vectors in the coalition of vectors which make up the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS). This result, called the ESS maximum principle, is quite useful in determining candidates for an ESS. This principle is reformulated here, so that it may be conveniently applied to matrix games. In particular, we define a matrix game to be one in which fitness is expressed in terms of strategy frequencies and a matrix of expected payoffs. It is shown that the G-function in the matrix game setting must again take on a maximum value at all the strategies which make up the ESS coalition vector. The reformulated maximum principle is applicable to both bilinear and nonlinear matrix games. One advantage in employing this principle to solve the traditional bilinear matrix game is that the same G-function is used to find both pure and mixed strategy solutions by simply specifying an appropriate strategy space. Furthermore we show how the theory may be used to solve matrix games which are not in the usual bilinear form. We examine in detail two nonlinear matrix games: the game between relatives and the sex ratio game. In both of these games an ESS solution is determined. These examples not only illustrate the usefulness of this approach to finding solutions to an expanded class of matrix games, but aids in understanding the nature of the ESS as well.

An ecosystem service approach to support integrated pond management: a case study using Bayesian belief networks--highlighting opportunities and risks.

PubMed

Landuyt, Dries; Lemmens, Pieter; D'hondt, Rob; Broekx, Steven; Liekens, Inge; De Bie, Tom; Declerck, Steven A J; De Meester, Luc; Goethals, Peter L M

2014-12-01

Freshwater ponds deliver a broad range of ecosystem services (ESS). Taking into account this broad range of services to attain cost-effective ESS delivery is an important challenge facing integrated pond management. To assess the strengths and weaknesses of an ESS approach to support decisions in integrated pond management, we applied it on a small case study in Flanders, Belgium. A Bayesian belief network model was developed to assess ESS delivery under three alternative pond management scenarios: intensive fish farming (IFF), extensive fish farming (EFF) and nature conservation management (NCM). A probabilistic cost-benefit analysis was performed that includes both costs associated with pond management practices and benefits associated with ESS delivery. Whether or not a particular ESS is included in the analysis affects the identification of the most preferable management scenario by the model. Assessing the delivery of a more complete set of ecosystem services tends to shift the results away from intensive management to more biodiversity-oriented management scenarios. The proposed methodology illustrates the potential of Bayesian belief networks. BBNs facilitate knowledge integration and their modular nature encourages future model expansion to more encompassing sets of services. Yet, we also illustrate the key weaknesses of such exercises, being that the choice whether or not to include a particular ecosystem service may determine the suggested optimal management practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endoscopic sinus surgery reduces antibiotic utilization in rhinosinusitis

PubMed Central

Bhandarkar, Naveen D.; Mace, Jess C.; Smith, Timothy L.

2011-01-01

Background Antibiotics are a mainstay of treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS). Although quality-of-life outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) have been previously studied, the change in antibiotic utilization following ESS is less well known. Objective We aimed to determine the effect of ESS on antibiotic utilization in CRS and RARS. Methods A multi-institutional, prospective cohort of patients with CRS and RARS was enrolled between January, 2001 and January, 2009. Patients completed the medication subscale of the Chronic Sinusitis Survey, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare differences in the overall reported time of antibiotic between preoperative and postoperative time points. Results 503 patients were followed for an average 17.3 months. Overall, patients reported a 57.2% reduction in time on antibiotics following ESS. The majority of patients (60.4%) reported significantly less antibiotic utilization after ESS (p<0.001) consisting of an 83.7% reduction in the time on antibiotics. Subgroup analysis also revealed a significant reduction in antibiotic utilization for patients with and without nasal polyposis (59.0% and 58.2%; both p<0.001) as well as RARS (61.2%; p=0.001). Conclusion ESS significantly reduces antibiotic utilization for CRS and RARS. This finding demonstrates potential for lower health care expenditures related to antibiotics, as well as reduced risk of both antibiotic related morbidity and development of bacterial resistance. PMID:21666846

Influence of a New "Call-Out Algorithm" for Management of Postoperative Pain and Its Side Effects on Length of Stay in Hospital: A Two-Centre Prospective Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Dybvik, Lisa; Skraastad, Erlend; Yeltayeva, Aigerim; Konkayev, Aidos; Musaeva, Tatiana; Zabolotskikh, Igor; Bjertnaes, Lars; Dahl, Vegard; Raeder, Johan; Kuklin, Vladimir

2017-01-01

We recently introduced the efficacy safety score (ESS) as a new "call-out algorithm" for management of postoperative pain and side effects. In this study, we report the influence of ESS recorded hourly during the first 8 hours after surgery on the mobility degree, postoperative nonsurgical complications, and length of hospital stay (LOS). We randomized 1152 surgical patients into three groups for postoperative observation: (1) ESS group ( n = 409), (2) Verbal Numeric Rate Scale (VNRS) for pain group ( n = 417), and (3) an ordinary qualitative observation (Control) group ( n = 326). An ESS > 10 or VNRS > 4 at rest or a nurse's observation of pain or adverse reaction to analgesic treatment in the Control group served as a "call-out alarm" for an anaesthesiologist. We found no significant differences in the mobility degree and number of postoperative nonsurgical complications between the groups. LOS was significantly shorter with 12.7 ± 6.3 days (mean ± SD) in the ESS group versus 14.2 ± 6.2 days in the Control group ( P < 0.001). Postoperative ESS recording in combination with the possibility to call upon an anaesthesiologist when exceeding the threshold score might have contributed to the reductions of LOS in this two-centre study. This trial is registered with NCT02143128.

Productivity costs decrease after endoscopic sinus surgery for refractory chronic rhinosinusitis.

PubMed

Rudmik, Luke; Smith, Timothy L; Mace, Jess C; Schlosser, Rodney J; Hwang, Peter H; Soler, Zachary M

2016-03-01

The primary objective of this pilot study was to define the change in productivity costs following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Secondary objectives were to identify CRS-related characteristics that may influence the degree of productivity improvement after ESS. Prospective, multi-institutional, observational cohort study. The human capital approach was used to define productivity costs. Annual absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost leisure time were quantified to define annual lost productive time (LPT). LPT was monetized using the annual daily wage rates obtained from the 2012 US Census and the 2013 US Department of Labor statistics. Twenty-seven patients with refractory CRS who underwent ESS were followed for a mean of 15 months (range, 8-25 months). Following ESS, there were improvements in annual absenteeism (22 days reduced to 3 days), annual presenteeism (41 days reduced to 19 days), and annual household days lost (12 days reduced to 6 days). Overall, the preoperative productivity costs were reduced after ESS ($9,190 vs. $3,373, respectively; P < .001). Daily productivity is negatively impacted by the presence of CRS. The outcomes from this study provide the first insights into the reduced productivity costs associated with receiving ESS for refractory CRS. Future studies with larger sample sizes will need to validate the results from this pilot study. 2c Laryngoscope, 126:570-574, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Productivity Costs Decrease After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Refractory Chronic Rhinosinusitis

PubMed Central

Rudmik, Luke; Smith, Timothy L.; Mace, Jess C.; Schlosser, Rodney J.; Hwang, Peter H.; Soler, Zachary M.

2015-01-01

Objective The primary objective of this pilot study was to define the change in productivity costs following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Secondary objectives were to identify CRS-related characteristics that may influence the degree of productivity improvement after ESS. Study Design Prospective, multi-institutional, observational cohort study. Methods The human capital approach was used to define productivity costs. Annual absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost leisure time was quantified to define annual lost productive time (LPT). LPT was monetized using the annual daily wage rates obtained from the 2012 US National Census and the 2013 US Department of Labor statistics. Results 27 patients with refractory CRS who underwent ESS were followed for a mean of 15 [SD 4.0] months (range: 8 – 25 months). Following ESS, there were improvements in annual absenteeism (22 days reduced to 3 days), annual presenteeism (41 days reduced to 19 days), and annual household days lost (12 days reduced to 6 days). Overall, the preoperative productivity costs were reduced after ESS, $9,097 vs. $3,301, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion Daily productivity is negatively impacted by the presence of CRS. The outcomes from this study provide the first insights into the reduced productivity costs associated with receiving ESS for refractory CRS. Future studies with larger sample sizes will need to validate the results from this pilot study. PMID:26371457

CNA Independent Assessment: Air Force Acquisition. Return to Excellence

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

symptoms that indicate problems with its acquisition system and processes. Some of the most pressing of these symptoms have been: Numerous cost...indicate problems with its acquisition system and proc- esses. Some of the most pressing of these symptoms have been: Frequent cost-schedule performance...Military Deputy MS Milestone NAVAIR Naval Air Systems Command PAR Program Assessment Review PCO Principal Contracting Officer PDR

A proposal for limited criminal liability in high-accuracy endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Voultsos, P; Casini, M; Ricci, G; Tambone, V; Midolo, E; Spagnolo, A G

2017-02-01

The aim of the present study is to propose legal reform limiting surgeons' criminal liability in high-accuracy and high-risk surgery such as endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). The study includes a review of the medical literature, focusing on identifying and examining reasons why ESS carries a very high risk of serious complications related to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers and reviewing British and Italian legal theory and case-law on medical negligence, especially with regard to Italian Law 189/2012 (so called "Balduzzi" Law). It was found that serious complications due to inaccurate surgical manoeuvers may occur in ESS regardless of the skill, experience and prudence/diligence of the surgeon. Subjectivity should be essential to medical negligence, especially regarding high-accuracy surgery. Italian Law 189/2012 represents a good basis for the limitation of criminal liability resulting from inaccurate manoeuvres in high-accuracy surgery such as ESS. It is concluded that ESS surgeons should be relieved of criminal liability in cases of simple/ordinary negligence where guidelines have been observed. © Copyright by Società Italiana di Otorinolaringologia e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, Rome, Italy.

Soil management shapes ecosystem service provision and trade-offs in agricultural landscapes.

PubMed

Tamburini, Giovanni; De Simone, Serena; Sigura, Maurizia; Boscutti, Francesco; Marini, Lorenzo

2016-08-31

Agroecosystems are principally managed to maximize food provisioning even if they receive a large array of supporting and regulating ecosystem services (ESs). Hence, comprehensive studies investigating the effects of local management and landscape composition on the provision of and trade-offs between multiple ESs are urgently needed. We explored the effects of conservation tillage, nitrogen fertilization and landscape composition on six ESs (crop production, disease control, soil fertility, water quality regulation, weed and pest control) in winter cereals. Conservation tillage enhanced soil fertility and pest control, decreased water quality regulation and weed control, without affecting crop production and disease control. Fertilization only influenced crop production by increasing grain yield. Landscape intensification reduced the provision of disease and pest control. We also found tillage and landscape composition to interactively affect water quality regulation and weed control. Under N fertilization, conventional tillage resulted in more trade-offs between ESs than conservation tillage. Our results demonstrate that soil management and landscape composition affect the provision of several ESs and that soil management potentially shapes the trade-offs between them. © 2016 The Author(s).

Alaska's Secondary Science Teachers and Students Receive Earth Systems Science Knowledge, GIS Know How and University Technical Support for Pre- College Research Experiences: The EDGE Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, C. L.; Prakash, A.

2007-12-01

Alaska's secondary school teachers are increasingly required to provide Earth systems science (ESS) education that integrates student observations of local natural processes related to rapid climate change with geospatial datasets and satellite imagery using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Such skills are also valued in various employment sectors of the state where job opportunities requiring Earth science and GIS training are increasing. University of Alaska's EDGE (Experiential Discoveries in Geoscience Education) program has provided training and classroom resources for 3 cohorts of inservice Alaska science and math teachers in GIS and Earth Systems Science (2005-2007). Summer workshops include geologic field experiences, GIS instruction, computer equipment and technical support for groups of Alaska high school (HS) and middle school (MS) science teachers each June and their students in August. Since 2005, EDGE has increased Alaska science and math teachers' Earth science content knowledge and developed their GIS and computer skills. In addition, EDGE has guided teachers using a follow-up, fall online course that provided more extensive ESS knowledge linked with classroom standards and provided course content that was directly transferable into their MS and HS science classrooms. EDGE teachers were mentored by University faculty and technical staff as they guided their own students through semester-scale, science fair style projects using geospatial data that was student- collected. EDGE program assessment indicates that all teachers have improved their ESS knowledge, GIS knowledge, and the use of technology in their classrooms. More than 230 middle school students have learned GIS, from EDGE teachers and 50 EDGE secondary students have conducted original research related to landscape change and its impacts on their own communities. Longer-term EDGE goals include improving student performance on the newly implemented (spring 2008) 10th grade, standards-based, High School Qualifying Exam, on recruiting first-generation college students, and on increasing the number of Earth science majors in the University of Alaska system.

Beam commission of the high intensity proton source developed at INFN-LNS for the European Spallation Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, L.; Celona, L.; Gammino, S.; Miraglia, A.; Leonardi, O.; Castro, G.; Torrisi, G.; Mascali, D.; Mazzaglia, M.; Allegra, L.; Amato, A.; Calabrese, G.; Caruso, A.; Chines, F.; Gallo, G.; Longhitano, A.; Manno, G.; Marletta, S.; Maugeri, A.; Passarello, S.; Pastore, G.; Seminara, A.; Spartà, A.; Vinciguerra, S.

2017-07-01

At the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (INFN-LNS) the beam commissioning of the high intensity Proton Source for the European Spallation Source (PS-ESS) started in November 2016. Beam stability at high current intensity is one of the most important parameter for the first steps of the ongoing commissioning. Promising results were obtained since the first source start with a 6 mm diameter extraction hole. The increase of the extraction hole to 8 mm allowed improving PS-ESS performances and obtaining the values required by the ESS accelerator. In this work, extracted beam current characteristics together with Doppler shift and emittance measurements are presented, as well as the description of the next phases before the installation at ESS in Lund.

A configurable electronics system for the ESS-Bilbao beam position monitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muguira, L.; Belver, D.; Etxebarria, V.; Varnasseri, S.; Arredondo, I.; del Campo, M.; Echevarria, P.; Garmendia, N.; Feuchtwanger, J.; Jugo, J.; Portilla, J.

2013-09-01

A versatile and configurable system has been developed in order to monitorize the beam position and to meet all the requirements of the future ESS-Bilbao Linac. At the same time the design has been conceived to be open and configurable so that it could eventually be used in different kinds of accelerators, independent of the charged particle, with minimal change. The design of the Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) system includes a test bench both for button-type pick-ups (PU) and striplines (SL), the electronic units and the control system. The electronic units consist of two main parts. The first part is an Analog Front-End (AFE) unit where the RF signals are filtered, conditioned and converted to base-band. The second part is a Digital Front-End (DFE) unit which is based on an FPGA board where the base-band signals are sampled in order to calculate the beam position, the amplitude and the phase. To manage the system a Multipurpose Controller (MC) developed at ESSB has been used. It includes the FPGA management, the EPICS integration and Archiver Instances. A description of the system and a comparison between the performance of both PU and SL BPM designs measured with this electronics system are fully described and discussed.

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

Lindroos M.; Calaga R.; Bousson S.

In 2003 the joint European effort to design a European Spallation Source (ESS) resulted in a set of reports, and in May 2009 Lund was agreed to be the ESS site. The ESS Scandinavia office has since then worked on setting all the necessary legal and organizational matters in place so that the Design Update and construction can be started in January 2011, in collaboration with European partners. The Design Update phase is expected to end in 2012, to be followed by a construction phase, with first neutrons expected in 2018-2019.

Construct validity and factor structure of the pittsburgh sleep quality index and epworth sleepiness scale in a multi-national study of African, South East Asian and South American college students.

PubMed

Gelaye, Bizu; Lohsoonthorn, Vitool; Lertmeharit, Somrat; Pensuksan, Wipawan C; Sanchez, Sixto E; Lemma, Seblewengel; Berhane, Yemane; Zhu, Xiaotong; Vélez, Juan Carlos; Barbosa, Clarita; Anderade, Asterio; Tadesse, Mahlet G; Williams, Michelle A

2014-01-01

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) are questionnaires used to assess sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in clinical and population-based studies. The present study aimed to evaluate the construct validity and factor structure of the PSQI and ESS questionnaires among young adults in four countries (Chile, Ethiopia, Peru and Thailand). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8,481 undergraduate students. Students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire that collected information about lifestyle, demographic, and sleep characteristics. In each country, the construct validity and factorial structures of PSQI and ESS questionnaires were tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA). The largest component-total correlation coefficient for sleep quality as assessed using PSQI was noted in Chile (r = 0.71) while the smallest component-total correlation coefficient was noted for sleep medication use in Peru (r = 0.28). The largest component-total correlation coefficient for excessive daytime sleepiness as assessed using ESS was found for item 1 (sitting/reading) in Chile (r = 0.65) while the lowest item-total correlation was observed for item 6 (sitting and talking to someone) in Thailand (r = 0.35). Using both EFA and CFA a two-factor model was found for PSQI questionnaire in Chile, Ethiopia and Thailand while a three-factor model was found for Peru. For the ESS questionnaire, we noted two factors for all four countries. Overall, we documented cross-cultural comparability of sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness measures using the PSQI and ESS questionnaires among Asian, South American and African young adults. Although both the PSQI and ESS were originally developed as single-factor questionnaires, the results of our EFA and CFA revealed the multi- dimensionality of the scales suggesting limited usefulness of the global PSQI and ESS scores to assess sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness.

ED20. Crisis or Opportunity? Earth and Space Science Education at the State and National Levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brett, J. M.

2011-12-01

Scientists and researchers, those often in oversight positions and often control of the purse strings, have historically not been kind to the Earth Systems Science (ESS) discipline. This is puzzling to those of us who are ESS educators because we know that to appreciate how our planet works it is necessary to integrate and apply all the disciplines of science. With our amazing technologies and the increasing demands of a growing population we are dramatically changing our home planet. Perhaps a crisis? As the last century ended we found ESS in the same minor league position it was in when the 20th Century started. During the review period of what was to become the National Science Education Standards (NSES) draft after draft, no matter what color the cover was, seemed to ignore, omit, or severely limit ESS topics in meteorology and oceanography. Once published the NSES became the basis for the science standards in many states with what many said were critical gaps. In the years following 1996 different groups have worked to correct the omissions they found by developing guides...Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles of Ocean Science K-12 and Climate Literacy: The Essential Principals of Climate Science. An observer on the side might have considered each effort one of lobbying to get attention, funding and materials. Each effort was clearly interested in making an impact where it mattered...in the classroom. Now our Opportunity! The NAS process for developing "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" presented ESS educators with a real opportunity and we can proudly say we made our voices heard. And while there is great enthusiasm for the framework and the Chapter 7 Earth and Space we face critically important work to bring real Earth Space Science Education into the K-12 classroom. The possibility of the standards to be developed from the Framework becoming Common Core for the majority of states following the course of ELA and mathematics requires that those who previously guarded their territory collaborate.

Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) Beyond the PhD Professional Development Program: A Pilot Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Jearld, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Huggans, M.; Ricciardi, L.; Thomas, S. H.; Jansma, P. E.

2012-12-01

In 2011 the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S)® initiative launched its newest activity entitled the MS PHD'S "Beyond the PhD (B-PhD) Professional Development Program." This exciting new program was designed to facilitate the development of a new community of underrepresented minority (URM) doctoral candidates and recent doctorate degree recipients in Earth system science (ESS)-related fields. The MS PHD'S B-PhD provides customized support and advocacy for MS PHD'S B-PhD participants in order to facilitate smoother and informed transitions from graduate school, to postdoctoral and tenure-track positions, as well as other "first" jobs in government, industry, and non-profit organizations. In November 2011 the first cohort of MS PHD'S B-PhD participants engaged in intensive sessions on the following topics: "Toolkits for Success for Academia, Business/Industry, Federal Government and Non-Profits", "Defining Short, Mid and Long Term Career Goals", "Accessing and Refining Skill Sets and Other Door Openers", "International Preparation and Opportunities", "Paying it Forward/Lifting as You Climb", and "Customized Strategies for Next Steps". This pilot event, which was hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington's (UTA) College of Science, also provided opportunities for participants to serve as guest lecturers in the UTA's Colleges of Science and Engineering and included one-on-one discussions with MS PHD'S B-PhD mentors and guest speakers who are well established within their individual ESS fields. Insights regarding opportunities, challenges and obstacles commonly faced by URMs within the ESS fields, as well as strategies for success were shared by MS PHD'S B-PhD mentors and guest speakers. Survey results indicate that MS PHD'S B-PhD participants appreciated not only the material covered during this pilot activity, but also appreciated the opportunity to become part of a community of young URM ESS professionals who are committed to achieving successful careers and supporting one another. This presentation will discuss outcomes from this pilot project, the use of social media to track and support ongoing MS PHD'S B-PhD activities, and "next steps" for the MS PHD'S B-PhD Professional Development Program.

Plans of Implementation and Methods for Increasing Student Enrollment in the Earth Systems Science Course at Elizabeth City State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, W.

2001-12-01

This presentation reviews the experience of Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in offering the Earth Systems Science (ESS) online course sponsored the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) and how it relates to our plans to offer the course in the Spring Semester of 2002. The course was offered for the first time at ECSU during the Fall semester 2000. Eight students were enrolled in the course, which may not be considered a large number; however, we felt the administration of the course was successful because of the staff's learning experience. The small number is also a reflection of the nature of ECSU's primary recruitment region of northeastern North Carolina; this area is extremely rural with a smaller population, lower economic development, and fewer cultural amenities than most regions of the state. Our approach to this project is for a long-term effective offering of a course that is much needed, especially in this area of the state. The ultimate goal is to develop ESS as our online offering of courses in the Geoscience Department curriculum as to recruit students who might not have the opportunity to take college-level courses because of daytime work commitments and/or inaccessibility to a local college or university. A major component of ESS is its focus on problem-based learning built upon the life experiences of participating students. Having learned from the previous offering of the course, the following are objectives related to the Spring Semester 2002: 1. To get ESS to become a part of the Geoscience curriculum so that it will be listed on the schedule of classes for the Spring Semester 2002 and each succeeding semester; 2. To aggressively reach out to the public school teachers, especially in the recruitment region of ECSU in northeastern North Carolina, by using effective recruitment strategies; 3. To have an active and continuous communication with prospective students prior to and immediately after the enrollment, as well as being accessible to them during the entire period of the course; and 4. To have students focus on the problem-based aspect of the course as it relates to their life experiences. These objectives are designed to increase enrollment in the course as well as to enhance the retention of participating students.

Using the Lens of Social Capital to Understand Diversity in the Earth System Sciences Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan, Caitlin N.; Libarkin, Julie C.; McCallum, Carmen M.; Atchison, Christopher L.

2015-01-01

In this commentary, we argue that social capital theory, the idea that membership in a group creates opportunities to acquire valuable information and resources from other group members, is a useful framework in which to consider ways to increase diversity in the Earth System Sciences (ESS) and in the science, technology, engineering, and…

Influence of a New “Call-Out Algorithm” for Management of Postoperative Pain and Its Side Effects on Length of Stay in Hospital: A Two-Centre Prospective Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Dybvik, Lisa; Skraastad, Erlend; Yeltayeva, Aigerim; Konkayev, Aidos; Musaeva, Tatiana; Zabolotskikh, Igor; Dahl, Vegard; Raeder, Johan

2017-01-01

Background We recently introduced the efficacy safety score (ESS) as a new “call-out algorithm” for management of postoperative pain and side effects. In this study, we report the influence of ESS recorded hourly during the first 8 hours after surgery on the mobility degree, postoperative nonsurgical complications, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Methods We randomized 1152 surgical patients into three groups for postoperative observation: (1) ESS group (n = 409), (2) Verbal Numeric Rate Scale (VNRS) for pain group (n = 417), and (3) an ordinary qualitative observation (Control) group (n = 326). An ESS > 10 or VNRS > 4 at rest or a nurse's observation of pain or adverse reaction to analgesic treatment in the Control group served as a “call-out alarm” for an anaesthesiologist. Results We found no significant differences in the mobility degree and number of postoperative nonsurgical complications between the groups. LOS was significantly shorter with 12.7 ± 6.3 days (mean ± SD) in the ESS group versus 14.2 ± 6.2 days in the Control group (P < 0.001). Conclusion Postoperative ESS recording in combination with the possibility to call upon an anaesthesiologist when exceeding the threshold score might have contributed to the reductions of LOS in this two-centre study. This trial is registered with NCT02143128. PMID:28855800

Stochastic evolutionary voluntary public goods game with punishment in a Quasi-birth-and-death process.

PubMed

Quan, Ji; Liu, Wei; Chu, Yuqing; Wang, Xianjia

2017-11-23

Traditional replication dynamic model and the corresponding concept of evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) only takes into account whether the system can return to the equilibrium after being subjected to a small disturbance. In the real world, due to continuous noise, the ESS of the system may not be stochastically stable. In this paper, a model of voluntary public goods game with punishment is studied in a stochastic situation. Unlike the existing model, we describe the evolutionary process of strategies in the population as a generalized quasi-birth-and-death process. And we investigate the stochastic stable equilibrium (SSE) instead. By numerical experiments, we get all possible SSEs of the system for any combination of parameters, and investigate the influence of parameters on the probabilities of the system to select different equilibriums. It is found that in the stochastic situation, the introduction of the punishment and non-participation strategies can change the evolutionary dynamics of the system and equilibrium of the game. There is a large range of parameters that the system selects the cooperative states as its SSE with a high probability. This result provides us an insight and control method for the evolution of cooperation in the public goods game in stochastic situations.

Sandboxes for Model-Based Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, Corey; Holbert, Nathan; Soylu, Firat; Novak, Michael; Wilensky, Uri

2015-04-01

In this article, we introduce a class of constructionist learning environments that we call Emergent Systems Sandboxes ( ESSs), which have served as a centerpiece of our recent work in developing curriculum to support scalable model-based learning in classroom settings. ESSs are a carefully specified form of virtual construction environment that support students in creating, exploring, and sharing computational models of dynamic systems that exhibit emergent phenomena. They provide learners with "entity"-level construction primitives that reflect an underlying scientific model. These primitives can be directly "painted" into a sandbox space, where they can then be combined, arranged, and manipulated to construct complex systems and explore the emergent properties of those systems. We argue that ESSs offer a means of addressing some of the key barriers to adopting rich, constructionist model-based inquiry approaches in science classrooms at scale. Situating the ESS in a large-scale science modeling curriculum we are implementing across the USA, we describe how the unique "entity-level" primitive design of an ESS facilitates knowledge system refinement at both an individual and social level, we describe how it supports flexible modeling practices by providing both continuous and discrete modes of executability, and we illustrate how it offers students a variety of opportunities for validating their qualitative understandings of emergent systems as they develop.

The ESS spoke cavity cryomodules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bousson, Sebastien; Darve, Christine; Duthil, Patxi; Elias, Nuno; Molloy, Steve; Reynet, Denis; Thermeau, Jean-Pierre

2014-01-01

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research centre under design and construction in Lund, Sweden. This new facility is funded by a collaboration of 17 European countries and is expected to be up to 30 times brighter than today's leading facilities and neutron sources. The ESS will enable new opportunities for researchers in the fields of life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics. A 5 MW long pulse proton accelerator is used to reach this goal. The pulsed length is 2.86 ms, the repetition frequency is 14 Hz (4 % duty cycle), and the beam current is 62.5 mA. It is composed of one string of spoke cavity cryomodule and two strings of elliptical cavity cryomodules. This paper introduces the thermo-mechanical design and expected operation of the ESS spoke cavity cryomodules. These cryomodules contain two double spoke bulk Niobium cavities operating at 2 K and at a frequency of 352.21 MHz. The superconducting section of the Spoke Linac accelerates the beam from 90 MeV to 220 MeV. A Spoke Cavity Cryomodule Technology Demonstrator will be built and tested in order to validate the ESS series production.

The ESS elliptical cavity cryomodules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darve, Christine; Bosland, Pierre; Devanz, Guillaume; Olivier, Gilles; Renard, Bertrand; Thermeau, Jean-Pierre

2014-01-01

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research centre under design and construction in Lund, Sweden. This new facility is funded by a collaboration of 17 European countries and is expected to be up to 30 times brighter than today's leading facilities and neutron sources. The ESS will enable new opportunities for researchers in the fields of life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics. A 5 MW long pulse proton accelerator is used to reach this goal. The pulsed length is 2.86 ms, the repetition frequency is 14 Hz (4 % duty cycle), and the beam current is 62.5 mA. The superconducting section of the Linac accelerates the beam from 80 MeV to 2.0 GeV. It is composed of one string of spoke cavity cryomodule and two strings of elliptical cavity cryomodules. These cryomodules contain four elliptical Niobium cavities operating at 2 K and at a frequency of 704.42 MHz. This paper introduces the thermo-mechanical design, the prototyping and the expected operation of the ESS elliptical cavity cryomodules. An Elliptical Cavity Cryomodule Technology Demonstrator (ECCTD) will be built and tested in order to validate the ESS series production.

Large-Scale Features of Pliocene Climate: Results from the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haywood, A. M.; Hill, D.J.; Dolan, A. M.; Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Bragg, F.; Chan, W.-L.; Chandler, M. A.; Contoux, C.; Dowsett, H. J.; Jost, A.;

Western states one-stop shop for rural traveler information : research on Clarus system data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-01

Weather is a primary item of interest to travelers, but generally scattered numerous sources and in varying formats, making it difficult to assemble prior travel. Within this project, a website was developed to display Clarus ESS data, along with oth...

LearnAlaska Portal

Science.gov Websites

ESS (Employee Self Service) E-Travel Online Login IRIS FIN/PROC Login IRIS HRM Login LearnAlaska SFOA SharePoint Site TRIPS (Traveler Integrated Profile System) Vendor Self Service (VSS) Resources Alaska & Resources Manuals Payment Detail Report Salary Schedules SFOA SharePoint Site (SOA Only) Training

Medium-range predictability of early summer sea ice thickness distribution in the East Siberian Sea based on the TOPAZ4 ice-ocean data assimilation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakanowatari, Takuya; Inoue, Jun; Sato, Kazutoshi; Bertino, Laurent; Xie, Jiping; Matsueda, Mio; Yamagami, Akio; Sugimura, Takeshi; Yabuki, Hironori; Otsuka, Natsuhiko

2018-06-01

Accelerated retreat of Arctic Ocean summertime sea ice has focused attention on the potential use of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), for which sea ice thickness (SIT) information is crucial for safe maritime navigation. This study evaluated the medium-range (lead time below 10 days) forecast of SIT distribution in the East Siberian Sea (ESS) in early summer (June-July) based on the TOPAZ4 ice-ocean data assimilation system. A comparison of the operational model SIT data with reliable SIT estimates (hindcast, satellite and in situ data) showed that the TOPAZ4 reanalysis qualitatively reproduces the tongue-like distribution of SIT in ESS in early summer and the seasonal variations. Pattern correlation analysis of the SIT forecast data over 3 years (2014-2016) reveals that the early summer SIT distribution is accurately predicted for a lead time of up to 3 days, but that the prediction accuracy drops abruptly after the fourth day, which is related to a dynamical process controlled by synoptic-scale atmospheric fluctuations. For longer lead times ( > 4 days), the thermodynamic melting process takes over, which contributes to most of the remaining prediction accuracy. In July 2014, during which an ice-blocking incident occurred, relatively thick SIT ( ˜ 150 cm) was simulated over the ESS, which is consistent with the reduction in vessel speed. These results suggest that TOPAZ4 sea ice information has great potential for practical applications in summertime maritime navigation via the NSR.

Investigation of the Oxidative Stress and DIO1 Expression in CRF Patients Accompanied With and Without Euthyroid Sick Syndrome.

PubMed

Shu-Lan, Qin; Chun-Yan, He; Qi, He; Juan, Chen; Cheng-Fang, Jiang; Aimee, Young Charlotte; Xia, Sheng; Zhi-Hong, Li; Long-Xin, Xiong

2018-01-01

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is often accompanied by increased oxidative stress and euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS). The cause of ESS is unknown, and it is unknown whether there exists a link between oxidant stress and ESS in CRF patients. Therefore, we aim to investigate oxidative stress and type 1 deiodinase (DIO1) expression, which plays the key role in the ESS in CRF patients. In-patients with CRF were divided into the two group: Group 1 is ESS patients consisting of 60 patients with low free triiodothyronine (FT3) and Group 2 consisting of 60 patients with normal FT3. Group 3 consisted of 60 healthy volunteers recruited as controls. The baseline clinical parameters of patients were evaluated with standard routine methods in a clinical laboratory. Serum levels of 8-isoprostane and DIO1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between oxidative stress, DIO1 and FT3. The concentrations of serum 8-Isoprostane in Group 1 and Group 2 were substantially higher than that of Group 3 (p< 0.05), however there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (p=0.516). The serum DIO1 level was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 and Group 3 (p< 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the DIO1 concentration and FT3 level were not associated with the concentration of serum 8-Isoprostane. CRF patients showed elevated oxidative stress. The CRF patients without ESS showed higher expression of DIO1 than patients with ESS and the control group. The concentration of serum 8-Isoprostane was not correlated with FT3 and DIO1 levels. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Graphene based nanocomposite hybrid electrodes for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aphale, Ashish N.

There is an unmet need to develop high performance energy storage systems (ESS), capable of storing energy from both renewable and non-renewable sources to meet the current energy crisis and depletion of non-renewable sources. Amongst many available ESS, supercapacitors (ECs) are the most promising because they exhibit a high charge/discharge rate and power density, along with a long cycle life. The possibility of exploring the use of atomically thin carbon allotropes like graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and electrically conducting polymers (ECPs) such as polypyrrole (PPy) has been studied as a high performance conducting electrodes in supercapacitor application. A novel templated sustainable nanocomposite electrode has been fabricated using cellulose extracted from Cladophora c. aegagropila algae as component of the assembled supercapacitor device which later has been transitioned to a unique template-less freestanding nanocomposite supercapacitor electrode. The specific capacitance of polypyrrole-graphene-cellulose nanocomposite as calculated from cyclic voltammetry curve is 91.5 F g -1 at the scan rate 50 m Vs-1 in the presence of 1M NaCl electrolyte. The open circuit voltage of the device with polypyrrole -graphene-cellulose electrode was found to be around 225 m V and that of the polypyrrole -cellulose device is only 53 m V without the presence of graphene in the nanocomposite electrode. Understanding the fundamentals by fabricating template nanocomposite electrode, it led to fabricate a unique nanocomposite template-less freestanding film which comprises of polypyrrole-graphene-CNT hybrid. Various experiments have been performed using different electrolytes such ascorbic acid, sodium sulfate and sulfuric acid in different scan rates. The specific capacitance of polypyrrole-graphene-CNT nanocomposite with 0.1 wt% of graphene-CNT, as calculated from cyclic voltammetry curve is 450 F g-1 at the scan rate 5 m V s-1. For the first time a nanofibrous membrane has been developed as a separator which acts as an electrolyte reservoir and ionic diffusion membrane. The performance of the fabricated supercapacitor device has been analyzed using a multimeter and compared with a conventional alkaline (1.5 V) battery. Lighting up of 2.2 V light emitting diode has been demonstrated using the fabricated supercapacitor.

Closeout of CRADA JSA 2012S004: Chapter 5, Integrated Control System, of the document of the ESS Conceptual Design Report, publicly available at https://europeanspallationsource.se/accelerator-documents

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

Satogata, Todd

2013-04-22

The integrated control system (ICS) is responsible for the whole ESS machine and facility: accelerator, target, neutron scattering instruments and conventional facilities. This unified approach keeps the costs of development, maintenance and support relatively low. ESS has selected a standardised, field-proven controls framework, the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), which was originally developed jointly by Argonne and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Complementing this selection are best practices and experience from similar facilities regarding platform standardisation, control system development and device integration and commissioning. The components of ICS include the control system core, the control boxes, the BLED databasemore » management system, and the human machine interface. The control system core is a set of systems and tools that make it possible for the control system to provide required data, information and services to engineers, operators, physicists and the facility itself. The core components are the timing system that makes possible clock synchronisation across the facility, the machine protection system (MPS) and the personnel protection system (PPS) that prevent damage to the machine and personnel, and a set of control system services. Control boxes are servers that control a collection of equipment (for example a radio frequency cavity). The integrated control system will include many control boxes that can be assigned to one supplier, such as an internal team, a collaborating institute or a commercial vendor. This approach facilitates a clear division of responsibilities and makes integration much easier. A control box is composed of a standardised hardware platform, components, development tools and services. On the top level, it interfaces with the core control system components (timing, MPS, PPS) and with the human-machine interface. At the bottom, it interfaces with the equipment and parts of the facility through a set of analog and digital signals, real-time control loops and other communication buses. The ICS central data management system is named BLED (beam line element databases). BLED is a set of databases, tools and services that is used to store, manage and access data. It holds vital control system configuration and physics-related (lattice) information about the accelerator, target and instruments. It facilitates control system configuration by bringing together direct input-output controller (IOC) con guration and real-time data from proton and neutron beam line models. BLED also simplifies development and speeds up the code-test-debug cycle. The set of tools that access BLED will be tailored to the needs of different categories of users, such as ESS staff physicists, engineers, and operators; external partner laboratories; and visiting experimental instrument users. The human-machine interface is vital to providing a high-quality experience to ICS users. It encompasses a wide array of devices and software tools, from control room screens to engineer terminal windows; from beam physics data tools to post-mortem data analysis tools. It serves users with a wide range of skills from widely varied backgrounds. The Controls Group is developing a set of user profiles to accommodate this diverse range of use-cases and users.« less

Violations of Assumptions in School-Based Single-Case Data: Implications for the Selection and Interpretation of Effect Sizes.

PubMed

Solomon, Benjamin George

2014-07-01

A wide variety of effect sizes (ESs) has been used in the single-case design literature. Several researchers have "stress tested" these ESs by subjecting them to various degrees of problem data (e.g., autocorrelation, slope), resulting in the conditions by which different ESs can be considered valid. However, on the back end, few researchers have considered how prevalent and severe these problems are in extant data and as a result, how concerned applied researchers should be. The current study extracted and aggregated indicators of violations of normality and independence across four domains of educational study. Significant violations were found in total and across fields, including low levels of autocorrelation and moderate levels of absolute trend. These violations affect the selection and interpretation of ESs at the individual study level and for meta-analysis. Implications and recommendations are discussed. © The Author(s) 2013.

Efficiency in evolutionary games: Darwin, Nash and the secret handshake.

PubMed

Robson, A J

1990-06-07

This paper considers any evolutionary game possessing several evolutionarily stable strategies, or ESSs, with differing payoffs. A mutant is introduced which will "destroy" any ESS which yields a lower payoff than another. This mutant possesses a costless signal and also conditions on the presence of this signal in each opponent. The mutant then can protect itself against a population playing an inefficient ESS by matching this against these non-signalers. At the same time, the mutants can achieve the more efficient ESS against the signaling mutant population itself. This construction is illustrated by means of the simplest possible example, a co-ordination game. The one-shot prisoner's dilemma is used to illustrate how a superior outcome which is not induced by an ESS may be temporarily but not permanently attained. In the case of the repeated prisoner's dilemma, the present argument seems to render the "evolution of co-operation" ultimately inevitable.

Approaches to Polymer Curing and Imaging Via the In Situ Generation of a Catalyst

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-20

polyimide can be formulated from a polyamic acid derivative and a photo- precursor of base. Of particular interest are systems that incorporate chemical...amplification. In these systems the initial radiation induced proc- ess, photogeneration of the acid or base catalyst within the polymer film, is...different, new systems better suited for the high demands of modem microlithography have been developed. Issues of particular relevance in the design of

28 CFR 16.98 - Exemption of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-limited access.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (Justice/DEA-013) (7) System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE/Ballistics) (Justice/DEA... Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE/Ballistics) (Justice/DEA-014) only to the extent that..., implemented internal quality assurance procedures to ensure that ESS data is as thorough, accurate, and...

28 CFR 16.98 - Exemption of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-limited access.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (Justice/DEA-013) (7) System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE/Ballistics) (Justice/DEA... Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE/Ballistics) (Justice/DEA-014) only to the extent that..., implemented internal quality assurance procedures to ensure that ESS data is as thorough, accurate, and...

Image-guidance in endoscopic sinus surgery: is it associated with decreased medicolegal liability?

PubMed

Eloy, Jean Anderson; Svider, Peter F; D'Aguillo, Christine M; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael; Folbe, Adam J

2013-12-01

The use of image-guidance (IG) in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has escalated over the last decade despite a lack of consensus that its use improves outcomes or decreases complications. One theoretical reason for using IG in ESS is its potential to minimize legal liability should an adverse outcome occur. In this study, we aimed to characterize the role of IG in ESS litigation, and further detail other factors in pertinent cases. A secondary objective was to characterize recent malpractice litigation for other relevant factors. Relevant cases from Westlaw were examined to determine whether the use of IG played a role in initiating litigation in ESS malpractice suits. Factors such as patient demographics and alleged cause(s) of malpractice litigation were examined. Out of 30 malpractice cases from 2004 to April 2013, 4 (13.3%) mentioned the use of IG during ESS, although this did not appear to be a factor affecting the plaintiff's decision to initiate litigation, nor the case outcomes. In the 26 cases (86.7%) in which IG was not used, its non-use was not specified as an alleged cause of negligence. Eleven (36.7%) cases were resolved in the defendant's favor. Frequently-cited factors included iatrogenic injury (83.3%), permanent deficits (66.7%), needing additional surgery (63.3%), orbital and intracranial injury, and perceived deficits in informed consent (40.0%). The use of IG was not found to be a factor in ESS litigation. This suggests that not using IG does not necessarily make one more vulnerable to malpractice litigation. © 2013 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

[Circadian rhythm : Influence on Epworth Sleepiness Scale score].

PubMed

Herzog, M; Bedorf, A; Rohrmeier, C; Kühnel, T; Herzog, B; Bremert, T; Plontke, S; Plößl, S

2017-02-01

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is frequently used to determine daytime sleepiness in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. It is still unclear whether different levels of alertness induced by the circadian rhythm influence ESS score. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of circadian rhythm-dependent alertness on ESS performance. In a monocentric prospective noninterventional observation study, 97 patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing were investigated with respect to daytime sleepiness in temporal relationship to polysomnographic examination and treatment. The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) served as references for the detection of present sleepiness at three different measurement times (morning, noon, evening), prior to and following a diagnostic polysomnography night as well as after a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration night (9 measurements in total). The KSS, SSS, and ESS were performed at these times in a randomized order. The KSS and SSS scores revealed a circadian rhythm-dependent curve with increased sleepiness at noon and in the evening. Following a diagnostic polysomnography night, the scores were increased compared to the measurements prior to the night. After the CPAP titration night, sleepiness in the morning was reduced. KSS and SSS reflect the changes in alertness induced by the circadian rhythm. The ESS score war neither altered by the intra-daily nor by the inter-daily changes in the level of alertness. According to the present data, the ESS serves as a reliable instrument to detect the level of daytime sleepiness independently of the circadian rhythm-dependent level of alertness.

Success and failure in narrowing the disability employment gap: comparing levels and trends across Europe 2002-2014.

PubMed

Geiger, Ben Baumberg; van der Wel, Kjetil A; Tøge, Anne Grete

2017-12-02

International comparisons of the disability employment gap are an important driver of policy change. However, previous comparisons have used the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), despite known comparability issues. We present new results from the higher-quality European Social Survey (ESS), compare these to EU-SILC and the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), and also examine trends in the disability employment gap in Europe over the financial crisis for the first time. For cross-sectional comparisons of 25 countries, we use micro-data for ESS and EU-SILC for 2012 and compare these to published EU-LFS 2011 estimates. For trend analyses, we use seven biannual waves of ESS (2002-2014) with a total sample size of 182,195, and annual waves of EU-SILC (2004-2014) with a total sample size of 2,412,791. (i) Cross-sectional: countries that have smaller disability employment gaps in one survey tend to have smaller gaps in the other surveys. Nevertheless, there are some countries that perform badly on the lower-quality surveys but better in the higher-quality ESS. (ii) Trends: the disability employment gap appears to have declined in ESS by 4.9%, while no trend is observed in EU-SILC - but this has come alongside a rise in disability in ESS. There is a need for investment in disability measures that are more comparable over time/space. Nevertheless, it is clear to policymakers there are some countries that do consistently well across surveys and measures (Switzerland), and others that do badly (Hungary).

Siberian Earth System Science Cluster - A web-based Geoportal to provide user-friendly Earth Observation Products for supporting NEESPI scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eberle, J.; Gerlach, R.; Hese, S.; Schmullius, C.

2012-04-01

To provide earth observation products in the area of Siberia, the Siberian Earth System Science Cluster (SIB-ESS-C) was established as a spatial data infrastructure at the University of Jena (Germany), Department for Earth Observation. This spatial data infrastructure implements standards published by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the International Organizsation for Standardization (ISO) for data discovery, data access, data processing and data analysis. The objective of SIB-ESS-C is to faciliate environmental research and Earth system science in Siberia. The region for this project covers the entire Asian part of the Russian Federation approximately between 58°E - 170°W and 48°N - 80°N. To provide discovery, access and analysis services a webportal was published for searching and visualisation of available data. This webportal is based on current web technologies like AJAX, Drupal Content Management System as backend software and a user-friendly surface with Drag-n-Drop and further mouse events. To have a wide range of regular updated earth observation products, some products from sensor MODIS at the satellites Aqua and Terra were processed. A direct connection to NASA archive servers makes it possible to download MODIS Level 3 and 4 products and integrate it in the SIB-ESS-C infrastructure. These data can be downloaded in a file format called Hierarchical Data Format (HDF). For visualisation and further analysis, this data is reprojected, converted to GeoTIFF and global products clipped to the project area. All these steps are implemented as an automatic process chain. If new MODIS data is available within the infrastructure this process chain is executed. With the link to a MODIS catalogue system, the system gets new data daily. With the implemented analysis processes, timeseries data can be analysed, for example to plot a trend or different time series against one another. Scientists working in this area and working with MODIS data can make use of this service over the webportal. Both searching manually the NASA archive for MODIS data, processing these data automatically and then download it for further processing and using the regular updated products.

Creation of an emergency surgery service concentrates resident training in general surgical procedures.

PubMed

Ahmed, Hesham M; Gale, Stephen C; Tinti, Meredith S; Shiroff, Adam M; Macias, Aitor C; Rhodes, Stancie C; Defreese, Marissa A; Gracias, Vicente H

2012-09-01

Emergency general surgery (EGS) is increasingly being provided by academic trauma surgeons in an acute care surgery model. Our tertiary care hospital recently changed from a model where all staff surgeons (private, subspecialty academic, and trauma academic) were assigned EGS call to one in which an emergency surgery service (ESS), staffed by academic trauma faculty, cares for all EGS patients. In the previous model, many surgeries were "not covered" by residents because of work-hour restrictions, conflicting needs, or private surgeon preference. The ESS was separate from the trauma service. We hypothesize that by creating a separate ESS, residents can accumulate needed and concentrated operative experience in a well-supervised academic environment. A prospectively accrued EGS database was retrospectively queried for the 18-month period: July 2010 to June 2011. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) databases were queried for operative numbers for our residency program and for national resident data for 2 years before and after creating the ESS. The ACGME operative requirements were tabulated from online sources. ACGME requirements were compared with surgical cases performed. During the 18-month period, 816 ESS operations were performed. Of these, 307 (38%) were laparoscopy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy were most common (138 and 145, respectively) plus 24 additional laparoscopic surgeries. Each resident performed, on average, 34 basic laparoscopic cases during their 2-month rotation, which is 56% of their ACGME basic laparoscopic requirement. A diverse mixture of 70 other general surgical operations was recorded for the remaining 509 surgical cases, including reoperative surgery, complex laparoscopy, multispecialty procedures, and seldom-performed operations such as surgery for perforated ulcer disease. Before the ESS, the classes of 2008 and 2009 reported that only 48% and 50% of cases were performed at the main academic institution, respectively. This improved for the classes of 2010 and 2011 to 63% and 68%, respectively, after ESS creation. An ESS rotation is becoming essential in large teaching hospitals by helping to fulfill ACGME requirements and by providing emergent general surgical skills an efficient and well-supervised academic environment. Movement toward concentrating EGS on a single service can enhance resident education and may decrease the need to supplement certain aspects of general surgery education with away rotations.

Effect of CPAP Therapy in Improving Daytime Sleepiness in Indian Patients with Moderate and Severe OSA.

PubMed

Battan, Gulshan; Kumar, Sanjeev; Panwar, Ajay; Atam, Virendra; Kumar, Pradeep; Gangwar, Anil; Roy, Ujjawal

2016-11-01

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disease and a major public health issue in India. Excessive daytime sleepiness is an almost ubiquitous symptom of OSA. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score is a validated objective score to measure the degree of daytime sleepiness. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy has been established as the gold standard treatment modality for OSA patients. A few Indian studies have reported the effectiveness of CPAP therapy in improving ESS scores after 1 st month of CPAP use. To observe both, short-term (one month) and long-term (three month) effects of CPAP therapy on ESS scores in moderate to severe OSA patients. The patients complaining of excessive day-time sleepiness, snoring and choking episodes during sleep, consecutively presenting to medicine OPD over a period of 2 years, were subjected to Polysomnography (PSG). Seventy-three patients with apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥15 were categorised as having moderate to severe forms of OSA (moderate OSA with AHI=15-30 and severe OSA with AHI >30), and were scheduled for an initial trial of CPAP therapy. Forty-seven patients reported good tolerance to CPAP therapy after a trial period of 2 weeks and comprised the final study group. ESS scores in these patients were recorded at the baseline, and after 1 st and 3 rd month of CPAP therapy, and statistically analysed for significance. Mean ESS score at the baseline among moderate and severe OSA patients were 13.67±2.29 and 16.56 ±1.87, respectively. ESS score in both these subgroups improved significantly to 11.63±3.79, p=0.022, CI (0.3293-4.0106)} and 14.13 ±3.74, p < 0.001, CI (1.2991-4.5408), respectively after one month of CPAP therapy. Likewise, mean ESS scores among moderate and severe OSA patients improved significantly to 9.84 ±2.97, p = 0.022, CI (0.3293-4.0106) and 12.29 ±3.97, p <0.001, CI (2.9414-6.1385), respectively after three months of CPAP therapy. The result of the present study shows that CPAP therapy is significantly effective in improving ESS scores in Indian patients having moderate to severe OSA. Benefits in daytime sleepiness were observed after short-term as well as long-term use of CPAP therapy.

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) modulate metabolic and inflammatory markers in a spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus model (Stillman Salgado rats).

PubMed

Dain, Alejandro; Repossi, Gaston; Diaz-Gerevini, Gustavo T; Vanamala, Jairam; Das, Undurti N; Eynard, Aldo R

2016-11-25

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex disease with alterations in metabolic and inflammatory markers. Stillman Salgado rats (eSS) spontaneously develop type 2 DM by middle age showing progressive impairment of glucose tolerance with hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperinsulinemia. We analyzed the effects of supplementation of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with or without nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) added, an antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitor, on metabolic and inflammatory parameters in eSS rats to evaluate whether they can delay development and/or prevent progression of DM. After weaning, eSS rats received, intraperitoneally, once a month ω-3 (EPA 35% and DHA 40%-6.25 mg/Kg) or ω-6 (90% arachidonic acid- 6. 25 mg/Kg) for twelve months. Two additional groups of rats received 1.9 mg/kg NDGA added to ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids. Blood samples were collected at day 40, and at the end of the 6th month and 12th month of age to determine plasma triglycerides (TGs), total plasma fatty acids (FA), A1C hemoglobin (HbA1C), C-reactive protein (CRP), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lipo and hydro peroxides, nitrites and IL-6 (in plasma and liver, kidney, and pancreas) and underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as well. Wistar and eSS rats that received saline solution were used as controls. Plasma lipids profile, TG, fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels, and glycosylated HbA1C showed significant improvements in ω-3 and ω-3 + NDGA treated animals compared to eSS control group. ω-3 and ω-3 + NDGA groups showed an inverse correlation with fasting blood glucose and showed lower plasma levels of GGT, TG, and CRP. eSS rats treated with ω-3 LCPUFAs showed reduced level of inflammatory and oxidative indices in plasma and liver, kidney and pancreas tissues in comparison with eSS control (non-treated) and ω-6 treated groups. eSS rats are a useful model to study type 2 DM pathophysiology and related inflammatory indices. ω-3 + NDGA supplementation, at the doses tested, ameliorated inflammatory, metabolic and oxidative stress markers studied.

A "TNM" classification system for cancer pain: the Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain (ECS-CP).

PubMed

Fainsinger, Robin L; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl L

2008-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of a "TNM" cancer pain classification system for advanced cancer patients, the Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain (ECS-CP). Until we have a common international language to discuss cancer pain, understanding differences in clinical and research experience in opioid rotation and use remains problematic. The complexity of the cancer pain experience presents unique challenges for the classification of pain. To date, no universally accepted pain classification measure can accurately predict the complexity of pain management, particularly for patients with cancer pain that is difficult to treat. In response to this gap in clinical assessment, the Edmonton Staging System (ESS), a classification system for cancer pain, was developed. Difficulties in definitions and interpretation of some aspects of the ESS restricted acceptance and widespread use. Construct, inter-rater reliability, and predictive validity evidence have contributed to the development of the ECS-CP. The five features of the ECS-CP--Pain Mechanism, Incident Pain, Psychological Distress, Addictive Behavior and Cognitive Function--have demonstrated value in predicting pain management complexity. The development of a standardized classification system that is comprehensive, prognostic and simple to use could provide a common language for clinical management and research of cancer pain. An international study to assess the inter-rater reliability and predictive value of the ECS-CP is currently in progress.

Empty Sella Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... hormone prolactin, which can interfere with the normal function of the testicles and ovaries. Primary ESS is most common in adults and women, ... hormone prolactin, which can interfere with the normal function of the testicles and ovaries. Primary ESS is most common in adults and women, ...

An adaptive sharing elitist evolution strategy for multiobjective optimization.

PubMed

Costa, Lino; Oliveira, Pedro

2003-01-01

Almost all approaches to multiobjective optimization are based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs), and implementations based on Evolution Strategies (ESs) are very rare. Thus, it is crucial to investigate how ESs can be extended to multiobjective optimization, since they have, in the past, proven to be powerful single objective optimizers. In this paper, we present a new approach to multiobjective optimization, based on ESs. We call this approach the Multiobjective Elitist Evolution Strategy (MEES) as it incorporates several mechanisms, like elitism, that improve its performance. When compared with other algorithms, MEES shows very promising results in terms of performance.

Sleep disorder among medical students: relationship to their academic performance.

PubMed

Abdulghani, Hamza M; Alrowais, Norah A; Bin-Saad, Norah S; Al-Subaie, Nourah M; Haji, Alhan M A; Alhaqwi, Ali I

2012-01-01

Medical students are exposed to a significant level of pressure due to academic demands. Their sleep pattern is characterized by insufficient sleep duration, delayed sleep onset, and occurrence of napping episodes during the day. To examine the prevalence of sleep disorder among medical students and investigate any relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance. This is a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire-based study. The participants were medical students of the first, second, and third academic years. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was also included to identify sleep disorder and grade point average was recorded for academic performance. There were 491 responses with a response rate of 55%. The ESS score demonstrated that 36.6% of participants were considered to have abnormal sleep habits, with a statistically significant increase in female students (p = 0.000). Sleeping between 6-10 h per day was associated with normal ESS scores (p = 0.019) as well as the academic grades ≥ 3.75. Abnormal ESS scores were associated with lower academic achievement (p = 0.002). A high prevalence of sleep disorder was found in this group of students, specifically female students. Analysis of the relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance indicates a significant relationship between abnormal ESS scores, total sleeping hours, and academic performance.

Numerical Investigation on Head and Brain Injuries Caused by Windshield Impact on Riders Using Electric Self-Balancing Scooters

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yanting; Shen, Ming; Yang, Xianfeng

2018-01-01

To investigate head-brain injuries caused by windshield impact on riders using electric self-balancing scooters (ESS). Numerical vehicle ESS crash scenarios are constructed by combining the finite element (FE) vehicle model and multibody scooter/rider models. Impact kinematic postures of the head-windshield contact under various impact conditions are captured. Then, the processes during head-windshield contact are reconstructed using validated FE head/laminated windshield models to assess the severity of brain injury caused by the head-windshield contact. Governing factors, such as vehicle speed, ESS speed, and the initial orientation of ESS rider, have nontrivial influences over the severity of a rider's brain injuries. Results also show positive correlations between vehicle speed and head-windshield impact speeds (linear and angular). Meanwhile, the time of head-windshield contact happens earlier when the vehicle speed is faster. According to the intensive study, windshield-head contact speed (linear and angular), impact location on the windshield, and head collision area are found to be direct factors on ESS riders' brain injuries during an impact. The von Mises stress and shear stress rise when relative contact speed of head-windshield increases. Brain injury indices vary widely when the head impacting the windshield from center to the edge or impacting with different areas. PMID:29770161

Aging reduces the association between sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing

PubMed Central

Morrell, Mary; Finn, Laurel; McMillian, Alison; Peppard, Paul E.

2013-01-01

Aim To investigate age-related changes in sleepiness symptoms associated with sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Methods Wisconsin Sleep Cohort participants were assessed with polysomnography, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). SDB was defined as an apnea/hypopnea index≥15 events/hour, sleepiness as ESS≥10 and MSLT≤5 minutes. Odds ratios were calculated using generalized estimating equations associating sleepiness with SDB, and conditional logistic regression examining changes in longitudinal sleepiness status (ESS only). Models were, a priori, stratified by gender. Results ESS was measured in 1281 participants and MSLT in 998, at multiple time points (ESS n=3695; MSLT n=1846). Significant interactions were found between SDB and age in men, but not women. The odds ratios (OR) modeled for sleepiness in a 40 year old male with SDB were significant, compared to a male without SDB (OR: ESS 2.1; MSLT 2.9); however, these associations were not significant at 60 years. The within-subject odds ratio for sleepiness was also significant at 40 years (OR: 3.4), but not at 60 years. Conclusion The age-related reductions in the association between sleepiness and SDB may have clinical implications for the diagnosis and treatment of SDB in older people since sleepiness is often used as a therapeutic marker. PMID:22241742

EVALUATION OF EFFICACY AND SAFETY POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT BY INTRAMUSCULAR ANALGESIA AFTER DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANAESTHESIA: PILOT CLINICAL PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

PubMed

Konkaev, A K; Eltaeva, A A; Zabolotskikh, I B; Musaeva, T S; Dibvik, L Z; Kuklin, V N

2016-11-01

Efficacy Safety Score (ESS) with "call-out algorithm" developed in Kongsberg hospital, Norway was used for the validation. ESS consists of the mathematical sum ofscorefrom: 2 subjective (Visual Analog Scale: VAS at rest and during mobilization) and 4 vital (conscious levels, PONV circulation and respiration status) parameters and ESS > 10 is a "call-out alarm "for visit ofpatient by anaesthesiologist. Hourly registration of ESS, mobility degree and amounts of analgetics during the first 8 hours after surgery was recorded in the specially designed IPad program. According to the type ofanaesthesia all patients were allocated in 4 groups: I spinal anaesthesia (SA), II general anesthesia (GA), III peripheral blockade (PB) and IV Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). A total of 223 patients were included in the study. Statistically low levels of both VAS and ESS in the first 2-4 postoperative hours were found in SA and PB groups compared to GA and TIVA groups. During 8 post-operative hours, VAS> 3 was recorded in 10.5% of SA, 13.9% in GA, 12.8% in PG and 23.5% in TIVA patients. Intramuscular postoperative analgesia was effective in SA, GA and PG groups. More attention of anaesthesiologist must be paid to patients ofter TIVA.

Outcome assessment of patients undergoing maxillofacial procedures for the treatment of sleep apnea: comparison of subjective and objective results.

PubMed

Dattilo, David J; Drooger, Scott A

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the subjective findings of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to the objective findings of the overnight sleep study (OSS) in 57 patients who underwent phase I and phase II surgery for the correction of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Forty-two patients in phase I category (hyoid suspension, palatal surgery, and/or genioglossus advancement) and 15 patients in phase II category (maxillomandibular advancement) were examined. All patients had an OSS and completion of an ESS preoperatively and at a minimum of 8 weeks postoperatively. The results of each test were evaluated to examine any relationship between the improvements of the findings of the OSS to the changes in the ESS. Using accepted criteria, phase I surgery produced an 80% success rate and phase II surgery produced a greater than 95% success rate in both the respiratory disturbance index and the ESS. 1) Both phase I and phase II procedures are effective in treating OSA. 2) Phase II appears to be more effective in treating OSA using both objective and subjective evaluations. 3) Improvement in ESS scores and excessive daytime sleepiness seems to parallel the improvement in OSS scores in patients undergoing surgical correction of OSA.

Understanding Enterprise Systems' Impact(s) on Business Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekman, Peter; Thilenius, Peter

Enterprise systems (ESs), i.e. standardized applications supplied from software vendors such as SAP or Oracle, have been extensively employed by companies during the last decade. Today all Fortune 500 companies have, or are in the process of installing, this kind of information system (Seddon et al. 2003). A wide-spread denotation for these applications is enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. But the broad utilization use of these software packages in business is rendering this labelling too narrow (Davenport 2000).

Characterizing and Mapping of Ecosystem Services (CMESs) Literature Database Version 1.0

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services (ESs) represent an ecosystem’s capacity for satisfying essential human needs, directly or indirectly, above that required to maintain ecosystem integrity (structure, function and processes). The spatial characterization and mapping of ESs is an essential first ...

A spiritual sleepiness scale: the Friday prayer.

PubMed

Abouda, Maher; Turki, Senda; Hachicha, Amani; Yangui, Ferdaous; Triki, Miriam; Charfi, Med Ridha

2016-03-01

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) affects 5% to 20% of the population and is involved in a large number of traffic accidents. EDS is a major symptom in sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). The daytime sleepiness is evaluated subjectively using scales and questionnaires based on perception. This study is aimed to build a new questionnaire more suited to our lifestyle and then to compare it to the Epworth sleepiness scales (ESS). We administered to 91 adult's patients (76 men and 15 women) consulting for sleep disturbance the ESS and a single subjective question tendency to drowsiness during the Friday prayer. Patients were listed in four groups according to their response to the question «During the past month, have you ever doze or fall asleep during the sermon of the Friday prayer? » By G1 never dozes, G2 low chance of falling asleep, G3 average chance of dozing, G4 high chance of falling asleep. Only 63 patients (58 men and 5 women) responded to both questionnaires. Group 1 included 14 patients with a ESS of 5.5 +/- 1.8, Group 2 included 18 patients with a ESS of 7.3 +/- 1.9, Group 3 included 18 patients with a ESS of 11.05 +/- 2 and Group 4 included 13 patients with a ESS of 14.69 +/- 2.3. The Rho correlation coefficient was high (0.86) and shows a strong correlation between the Results of the two questionnaires. the answer to the question " During the past month, have you ever doze or fall asleep during the sermon of the Friday prayer? » seems to be an appropriate Sleepiness Scale among Muslim patients.

Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma of the Uterus: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Including Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Value and Its Correlation With Ki-67 Expression.

PubMed

Li, Hai Ming; Liu, Jia; Qiang, Jin Wei; Gu, Wei Yong; Zhang, Guo Fu; Ma, Feng Hua

2017-11-01

This study aimed to investigate the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) features of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) including a preliminary investigation of the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and Ki-67 expression. The clinical and MRI data of 15 patients with ESS confirmed by surgery and pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The conventional MR morphological features, signal intensity on DWI, ADC value (n = 14), and clinicopathological marker Ki-67 (n = 13) were evaluated. Of 15 patients with ESS, 13 tumors were low-grade ESS (LGESS), and the remaining 2 were high-grade ESS (HGESS); 9 tumors were located in the myometrium, 5 were located in the endometrium and/or cervical canal, and 1 was located in extrauterine. Thirteen (87%) of 15 tumors showed a homo- or heterogeneous isointensity on T1-weighted imaging and a heterogeneous hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging. The hypointense bands were observed in 11 tumors (73%) on T2-weighted imaging. The degenerations (cystic/necrosis/hemorrhage) were observed in 7 LGESS tumors and 2 HGESS tumors. The DWI hyperintensity was observed in 13 tumors (93%) and isointensity in remaining 1. The mean ADC value of the solid components in 14 ESSs was (1.05 ± 0.20) × 10mm/s. The contrast-enhanced MRI showed an obvious enhancement in 14 tumors (93%) (heterogeneous in 7 LGESSs and 2 HGESSs; homogeneous in 5 LGESSs). The ADC value was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 expression (r = -0.613, P = 0.026). Patients with ESS showed some characteristics on conventional MRI and DWI, and there was an inverse correlation between the ADC value and Ki-67 expression.

Impact of synechiae after endoscopic sinus surgery on long-term outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis

PubMed Central

Henriquez, Oswaldo A.; Schlosser, Rodney J.; Mace, Jess. C; Smith, Timothy L.; Soler, Zachary M.

2013-01-01

Introduction Synechiae are one of the most common unwanted outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, there has been scant investigation into the true significance of synechiae formation after ESS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of synechiae formation on quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes after ESS in patients with CRS. Study Design Prospective, multi-institutional cohort. Methods Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) scores were measured in adult patients before and after undergoing ESS for CRS. Differences in QOL were evaluated between those who developed sinonasal synechiae and those who did not, controlling for demographic factors, medical comorbidities, and measures of disease severity at baseline. Results A total of 286 patients underwent ESS, with 55 (19.2%) developing synechiae in the follow-up period. Patients developing synechiae reported significantly less improvement on the RSDI total scores (13.5 vs. 21.4, p=0.008), RSDI physical subscores (5.3 vs. 8.3, p=0.007), RSDI emotional subscores (2.9 vs. 5.8, p=0.008), CSS total scores (14.5 vs. 21.2, p=0.093) and CSS symptom subscores (19.9 vs 30.3, p=0.069) compared to those who did not develop synechiae postoperatively. These differences persisted even after controlling for baseline differences in disease severity. Conclusions Synechiae of the sinonasal cavity commonly occurs following ESS, particularly in those undergoing revision surgeries. Although both groups improve, the degree of QOL improvement appears to be less in those who form postoperative synechaie after surgery compared to those who do not. PMID:23670876

Outcome and Prognostic Factors in Endometrial Stromal Tumors: A Rare Cancer Network Study

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

Schick, Ulrike, E-mail: Ulrike.schick@icr.ac.uk; Bolukbasi, Yasmin; Thariat, Juliette

2012-04-01

Purpose: To provide further understanding regarding outcome and prognostic factors of endometrial stromal tumors (EST). Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis was performed on the records of 59 women diagnosed with EST and treated with curative intent between 1983 and 2007 in the framework of the Rare Cancer Network. Results: Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) were found in 44% and undifferentiated ESS (UES) in 49% of the cases. In 7% the grading was unclear. Of the total number of patients, 33 had Stage I, 4 Stage II, 20 Stage III, and 1 presented with Stage IVB disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administeredmore » to 12 patients, all with UES. External-beam radiotherapy (RT) was administered postoperatively to 48 women. The median follow-up was 41.4 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 96.2% and 64.8% for ESS and UES, respectively, with a corresponding 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 49.4% and 43.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, adjuvant RT was an independent prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.007) and DFS (p = 0.013). Locoregional control, DFS, and OS were significantly associated with age ({<=}60 vs. >60 years), grade (ESS vs. UES), and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (I-II vs. III-IV). Positive lymph node staging had an impact on OS (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The prognosis of ESS differed from that of UES. Endometrial stromal sarcomas had an excellent 5-year OS, whereas the OS in UES was rather low. However, half of ESS patients had a relapse. For this reason, adjuvant treatment such as RT should be considered even in low-grade tumors. Multicenter randomized studies are still warranted to establish clear guidelines.« less

The intriguing evolution of effect sizes in biomedical research over time: smaller but more often statistically significant.

PubMed

Monsarrat, Paul; Vergnes, Jean-Noel

2018-01-01

In medicine, effect sizes (ESs) allow the effects of independent variables (including risk/protective factors or treatment interventions) on dependent variables (e.g., health outcomes) to be quantified. Given that many public health decisions and health care policies are based on ES estimates, it is important to assess how ESs are used in the biomedical literature and to investigate potential trends in their reporting over time. Through a big data approach, the text mining process automatically extracted 814 120 ESs from 13 322 754 PubMed abstracts. Eligible ESs were risk ratio, odds ratio, and hazard ratio, along with their confidence intervals. Here we show a remarkable decrease of ES values in PubMed abstracts between 1990 and 2015 while, concomitantly, results become more often statistically significant. Medians of ES values have decreased over time for both "risk" and "protective" values. This trend was found in nearly all fields of biomedical research, with the most marked downward tendency in genetics. Over the same period, the proportion of statistically significant ESs increased regularly: among the abstracts with at least 1 ES, 74% were statistically significant in 1990-1995, vs 85% in 2010-2015. whereas decreasing ESs could be an intrinsic evolution in biomedical research, the concomitant increase of statistically significant results is more intriguing. Although it is likely that growing sample sizes in biomedical research could explain these results, another explanation may lie in the "publish or perish" context of scientific research, with the probability of a growing orientation toward sensationalism in research reports. Important provisions must be made to improve the credibility of biomedical research and limit waste of resources. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

The alignment of enzymatic steps reveals similar metabolic pathways and probable recruitment events in Gammaproteobacteria.

PubMed

Poot-Hernandez, Augusto Cesar; Rodriguez-Vazquez, Katya; Perez-Rueda, Ernesto

2015-11-17

It is generally accepted that gene duplication followed by functional divergence is one of the main sources of metabolic diversity. In this regard, there is an increasing interest in the development of methods that allow the systematic identification of these evolutionary events in metabolism. Here, we used a method not based on biomolecular sequence analysis to compare and identify common and variable routes in the metabolism of 40 Gammaproteobacteria species. The metabolic maps deposited in the KEGG database were transformed into linear Enzymatic Step Sequences (ESS) by using the breadth-first search algorithm. These ESS represent subsequent enzymes linked to each other, where their catalytic activities are encoded in the Enzyme Commission numbers. The ESS were compared in an all-against-all (pairwise comparisons) approach by using a dynamic programming algorithm, leaving only a set of significant pairs. From these comparisons, we identified a set of functionally conserved enzymatic steps in different metabolic maps, in which cell wall components and fatty acid and lysine biosynthesis were included. In addition, we found that pathways associated with biosynthesis share a higher proportion of similar ESS than degradation pathways and secondary metabolism pathways. Also, maps associated with the metabolism of similar compounds contain a high proportion of similar ESS, such as those maps from nucleotide metabolism pathways, in particular the inosine monophosphate pathway. Furthermore, diverse ESS associated with the low part of the glycolysis pathway were identified as functionally similar to multiple metabolic pathways. In summary, our comparisons may help to identify similar reactions in different metabolic pathways and could reinforce the patchwork model in the evolution of metabolism in Gammaproteobacteria.

Utilizing an Energy Management System with Distributed Resources to Manage Critical Loads and Reduce Energy Costs

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

peak shaving, conducting power factor correction, matching critical load to most efficient distributed resource, and islanding a system during...photovoltaic arrays during islanding, and power factor correction, the implementation of the ESS by itself is likely to prove cost prohibitive. The DOD...These functions include peak shaving, conducting power factor correction, matching critical load to most efficient distributed resource, and islanding a

Earth System Science Education in a General Education Context: Two Case Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herring, J. A.

2004-12-01

The teaching of Earth System Science (ESS) to non-science majors is examined in a large lecture format class at a state university and in small classes with a significant research component at a liberal arts college. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations of both approaches reveal some of the challenges educators face as they work to advance students' integrated understanding of the Earth system. Student learning on selected concepts in the large lecture format class was poorly or negatively correlated with the amount of class time spent on the topic, even when the time was spent in teacher-student dialogue or in cooperative learning activities. The small class format emphasized student participation in research, which was found to be particularly effective when the class operated as a three-week intensive block and student use of computer models to simulate the dynamics of complex systems, which was found to be more effective when the class was held in a ten-week quarter. This study provides some clarification as to the utility of specific pedagogical frameworks (such as constructivism and experiential education) in the teaching of ESS to a general education audience and emphasizes the importance of carefully defining educational goals (both cognitive and affective) as a part of the curriculum design.

Structural control on fluid flow at the Dominga IOCG deposit in Northern Chile: insights from microtextural analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heuser, G.; Arancibia, G.; Veloso, E. A.; Reich, M.; Morales, H.

2017-12-01

The Fe-Cu paragenetic assemblages at the Cretaceous Dominga IOCG deposit in northern Chile (2082 Mt at 23% Fe, 0.07% Cu) show a spatial and genetic affinity with major structural systems in the district: the Early Structural System (ESS), El Tofo Structural System (ETSS) and Intermediate Structural System (ISS), developed under different tectonic regimes, from transtension (ESS) to transpression (ETSS, ISS). The ESS is a NE-ENE-trending right-lateral strike slip duplex related to the formation of biotite-magnetite mineralization in Fe-rich bands parallel to bedding (stage I), and magnetite-apatite-actinolite-quartz hydrothermal breccia (stage II). The ETSS is a NNE left-lateral fault breccia related to K-feldspar veins and anhydrite-chalcopyrite hydrothermal breccia (stage III). The ISS is a NW-WNW left lateral strike slip duplex composed of calcite veins (stage IV). However, an understanding of fault-driven fluid flow mechanisms and their impact on the studied Fe-Cu deposit is still lacking. We analyzed representative textures from veins and hydrothermal breccias of stages II, III and IV. Microstructural analysis was made in thin/polished sections normal and parallel to the vein wall using optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Stage II shows euhedral magnetite with ilmenite lamellae exsolution textures and intergrowths between magnetite and anhedral mosaic quartz. Hydrothermal breccias contain euhedral quartz with double-terminated crystal shapes and concentric growth zoning surrounded by plumose quartz. Stage III exhibits zoned K-feldspar veins, banded plumose quartz veins, and mosaic subhedral anhydrite. Stage IV is characterized by banded veins of plumose and rhombic calcite, and dilational jogs with rhombic calcite. The observed microtextures suggest slow cooling of high temperature Fe-Cu-rich fluid, suspension in aqueous fluid during crystal growth, and boiling. Despite the different tectonic regimes, the paleo-fluids at the Dominga IOCG deposit were emplaced under similar conditions during the main activity of each structural system, i.e., 1) development of veins related to fluid overpressure and 2) episodic boiling triggered by abrupt pressure drop. Acknowledgements: CONICYT Ph.D. Scholarship, Millennium Nucleus for Metal Tracing Along Subduction NC 130065.

Darwinism in quantum systems?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, A.; Toor, A. H.

2002-03-01

We investigate the role of quantum mechanical effects in the central stability concept of evolutionary game theory, i.e., an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS). Using two and three-player symmetric quantum games we show how the presence of quantum phenomenon of entanglement can be crucial to decide the course of evolutionary dynamics in a population of interacting individuals.

BONE PICTURE BOOK, A BOOK FOR STUDENTS USING THE ESS UNIT BONES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elementary Science Study, Newton, MA.

THIS PICTURE BOOK WAS DEVELOPED FOR USE WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCIENCE STUDY UNIT ON "BONES." THE UNIT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP MANY CONCEPTS ABOUT THE SKELETAL SYSTEM. NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PROVIDED OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FIVE VERTEBRATE CLASSES AND SELECTED INVERTEBRATES. BOTH EXTANT AND EXTINCT MEMBERS ARE REPRESENTED.…

Computational fluid dynamics tools can be used to predict the progression of coronary artery disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coşkun, A. Ümit; Chen, Caixia; Stone, Peter H.; Feldman, Charles L.

2006-03-01

Atherosclerosis is focal and individual plaques evolve in an independent manner. The endothelium regulates arterial behavior by responding to its local shear stress. In vitro studies indicate that low endothelial shear stress (ESS) upregulates the genetic and molecular responses leading to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and promotes inflammation and formation of other features characteristic of vulnerable plaque. Physiologic ESS is vasculoprotective and fosters quiescence of the endothelium and vascular wall. High ESS promotes platelet aggregation. ESS and vascular wall morphology along the course of human coronary arteries can now be characterized in vivo, and may predict the focal areas in which atherosclerosis progression occurs. Rapidly evolving methodologies are able to characterize the arterial wall and the local hemodynamic factors likely responsible for progression of coronary disease in man. These new diagnostic modalities allow for identification of plaque progression. Accurate identification of arterial segments at high-risk for progression may permit pre-emptive intervention strategies to avoid adverse coronary events.

Exploring optimal supplement strategy of medicinal herbs and tea extracts for bioelectricity generation in microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Chen, Bor-Yann; Liao, Jia-Hui; Hsu, An-Wei; Tsai, Po-Wei; Hsueh, Chung-Chuan

2018-05-01

This first-attempt study used extracts of appropriate antioxidant abundant Camellia and non-Camellia tea and medicinal herbs as model ESs to stably intensify bioelectricity generation performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). As electron shuttles (ESs) could stimulate electron transport phenomena by significant reduction of electron transfer resistance, the efficiency of power generation for energy extraction in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) could be appreciably augmented. Using environmentally friendly natural bioresource as green bioresource of ESs is the most promising to sustainable practicability. As comparison of power-density profiles indicated, supplement of Camellia tea extracts would be the most appropriate, then followed non-Camellia Chrysanthemum tea and medicinal herbs. Antioxidant activities, total phenolic contents and power stimulating activities were all electrochemically associated. In particular, the extract of unfermented Camellia tea (i.e., green tea) was the most promising ESs to augment bioenergy extraction compared to other refreshing medicinal herb extracts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of embolic signals with directional dual tree rational dilation wavelet transform.

PubMed

Serbes, Gorkem; Aydin, Nizamettin

2016-08-01

The dyadic discrete wavelet transform (dyadic-DWT), which is based on fixed integer sampling factor, has been used before for processing piecewise smooth biomedical signals. However, the dyadic-DWT has poor frequency resolution due to the low-oscillatory nature of its wavelet bases and therefore, it is less effective in processing embolic signals (ESs). To process ESs more effectively, a wavelet transform having better frequency resolution than the dyadic-DWT is needed. Therefore, in this study two ESs, containing micro-emboli and artifact waveforms, are analyzed with the Directional Dual Tree Rational-Dilation Wavelet Transform (DDT-RADWT). The DDT-RADWT, which can be directly applied to quadrature signals, is based on rational dilation factors and has adjustable frequency resolution. The analyses are done for both low and high Q-factors. It is proved that, when high Q-factor filters are employed in the DDT-RADWT, clearer representations of ESs can be attained in decomposed sub-bands and artifacts can be successfully separated.

New light for old eyes: comparing melanopsin-mediated non-visual benefits of blue-light and UV-blocking intraocular lenses.

PubMed

Schmoll, Conrad; Khan, Ashraf; Aspinall, Peter; Goudie, Colin; Koay, Peter; Tendo, Christelle; Cameron, James; Roe, Jenny; Deary, Ian; Dhillon, Bal

2014-01-01

Melanopsin-expressing photosensitive retinal ganglion cells form a blue-light-sensitive non-visual system mediating diverse physiological effects including circadian entrainment and cognitive alertness. Reduced blue wavelength retinal illumination through cataract formation is thought to blunt these responses while cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation have been shown to have beneficial effects on sleep and cognition. We aimed to use the reaction time (RT) task and the Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) as a validated objective platform to compare non-visual benefits of UV- and blue-blocking IOLs. Patients were prospectively randomised to receive either a UV- or blue-blocking IOL, performing an RT test and ESS questionnaire before and after surgery. Optical blurring at the second test controlled for visual improvement. Non-operative age-matched controls were recruited for comparison. 80 participants completed the study. Those undergoing first-eye phacoemulsification demonstrated significant improvements in RT over control (p=0.001) and second-eye surgery patients (p=0.03). Moreover, reduced daytime sleepiness was measured by ESS for the first-eye surgery group (p=0.008) but not for the second-eye group (p=0.09). Choice of UV- or blue-blocking IOL made no significant difference to magnitude of cognitive improvement (p=0.272). Phacoemulsification, particularly first-eye surgery, has a strong positive effect on cognition and daytime alertness, regardless of IOL type.

Importance of electromyography and the electrophysiological severity scale in forensic reports.

PubMed

Bilgin, Nursel Gamsiz; Ozge, Aynur; Mert, Ertan; Yalçinkaya, Deniz E; Kar, Hakan

2007-05-01

Forensic reports on traumatic peripheral nerve injuries include dysfunction degrees of extremities, which are arranged according to the Turkish Penalty Code. The aim of this study is to discuss the role and importance of electromyography while preparing forensic reports in the cases of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries and the usefulness of scoring systems. A modified global scale, recommended by Mondelli et al., was used to assess the electrophysiological impairment of each peripheral nerve. Forensic reports of 106 patients, reported between 2002 and 2004, were evaluated. Thirty-four percent of the cases were reported as "total loss of function," 41.5% were reported as "functional disability," and there were no dysfunctions in the other cases in forensic reports that were prepared based on Council of Social Insurance Regulations of Health Processes and Guide prepared by the Council of Forensic Medicine and profession associations of forensic medicine. When we rearranged these forensic reports based on the electrophysiological severity scale (ESS), it was clearly found that all of the score 2 cases and 86.7% of the score 3 cases corresponded to "functional disability" and 91.4% of the score 4 cases correspond to "total loss of function." We found a significant correlation between the ESS and functional evaluation in peripheral nerve injury cases. Evaluation of functional disabilities in peripheral nerve injuries with the ESS represents a standardized and objective method used for forensic reports.

The relationship between driving simulation performance and obstructive sleep apnoea risk, daytime sleepiness, obesity and road traffic accident history of commercial drivers in Turkey.

PubMed

Demirdöğen Çetinoğlu, Ezgi; Görek Dilektaşlı, Aslı; Demir, Nefise Ateş; Özkaya, Güven; Acet, Nilüfer Aylin; Durmuş, Eda; Ursavaş, Ahmet; Karadağ, Mehmet; Ege, Ercüment

2015-09-01

Driving performance is known to be very sensitive to cognitive-psychomotor impairment. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between obesity, risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), daytime sleepiness, history of road traffic accident (RTA) and performance on a driving simulator, among commercial drivers. We examined commercial vehicle drivers admitted to Psycho-Technical Assessment System (PTAS), which is a computer-aided system that includes a driving simulator test and tests assessing psychomotor-cognitive skills required for driving. Risk of OSA and daytime sleepiness were assessed by the Berlin Questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), respectively. A total of 282 commercial vehicle drivers were consecutively enrolled. The age range was 29-76 years. Thirty drivers were at high risk of OSA. Median ESS of the group was 2 (0-20). Forty-seven percent of the subjects at high risk of OSA failed in early reaction time test, while 28% of the drivers with low risk of OSA failed (p = 0.03). The obese drivers failed the peripheral vision test when compared with non-obese drivers (p = 0.02). ESS was higher for drivers with a history of RTA when compared to those without RTA (p = 0.02). Cognitive-psychomotor functions can be impaired in obese and high risk of OSA patients. In our opinion, requiring obese and/or high risk of OSA drivers to take PTAS tests that assess driving skills and psychomotor-cognitive functions crucial to those skills would significantly improve road traffic safety, which is of considerable importance to public health.

Gibberellic Acid, Synthetic Auxins, and Ethylene Differentially Modulate α-l-Arabinofuranosidase Activities in Antisense 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic Acid Synthase Tomato Pericarp Discs1

PubMed Central

Sozzi, Gabriel O.; Greve, L. Carl; Prody, Gerry A.; Labavitch, John M.

2002-01-01

α-l-Arabinofuranosidases (α-Afs) are plant enzymes capable of releasing terminal arabinofuranosyl residues from cell wall matrix polymers, as well as from different glycoconjugates. Three different α-Af isoforms were distinguished by size exclusion chromatography of protein extracts from control tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) and an ethylene synthesis-suppressed (ESS) line expressing an antisense 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic synthase transgene. α-Af I and II are active throughout fruit ontogeny. α-Af I is the first Zn-dependent cell wall enzyme isolated from tomato pericarp tissues, thus suggesting the involvement of zinc in fruit cell wall metabolism. This isoform is inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, but remains stable in the presence of NaCl and sucrose. α-Af II activity accounts for over 80% of the total α-Af activity in 10-d-old fruit, but activity drops during ripening. In contrast, α-Af III is ethylene dependent and specifically active during ripening. α-Af I released monosaccharide arabinose from KOH-soluble polysaccharides from tomato cell walls, whereas α-Af II and III acted on Na2CO3-soluble pectins. Different α-Af isoform responses to gibberellic acid, synthetic auxins, and ethylene were followed by using a novel ESS mature-green tomato pericarp disc system. α-Af I and II activity increased when gibberellic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was applied, whereas ethylene treatment enhanced only α-Af III activity. Results suggest that tomato α-Afs are encoded by a gene family under differential hormonal controls, and probably have different in vivo functions. The ESS pericarp explant system allows comprehensive studies involving effects of physiological levels of different growth regulators on gene expression and enzyme activity with negligible wound-induced ethylene production. PMID:12114586

High performance bio-based thermosets for composites and coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramarta, Adlina Ambeg

In the recent decade, there has been increasing interest in using renewable feedstocks as chemical commodities for composites and coatings application. Vegetable oils are promising renewable resources due to their wide availability with affordable cost. In fact, the utilization of vegetable oils to produce composite and coatings products has been around for centuries; linseed oil was widely used for wide variety of paints. However, due to its chemical structure, the application of vegetable oils for high-performance materials is limited; and thus chemical modification is necessary. One of the modification approaches is by substituting the glycerol core in the triglycerides with sucrose to form sucrose esters of vegetable oil fatty acids, in which this resin possesses a higher number of functional group per molecule and a more rigid core. In this research, thermosets of highly functionalized sucrose esters of vegetable oils were developed. Two crosslinking methods of epoxidized surcrose soyate (ESS) resins were explored: direct polymerization with anhydride moieties for composite applications and Michael-addition reaction of acrylated-epoxidized sucrose soyate (AESS) for coatings applications. In the first project, it was shown that the reaction kinetics, thermal and mechanical properties of the materials can be tuned by varying the molar ratio between the epoxide and anhydride, plus the type and amount of catalyst. Furthermore, the toughness properties of the ESS-based thermosets can be improved by changing the type of anhydride crosslinkers and incorporating secondary phase rubbers. Then, in the second system, the epoxy functionality in the ESS was converted into acrylate group, which then crosslinked with amine groups through the Michael-addition reaction to produce coatings systems. The high number of functional groups and the fast reactivity of the crosslinker results in coatings that can be cured at ambient temperature, yet still possess moderately high glass transition temperatures.

Prediction of Indications for Valve Replacement Among Asymptomatic or Minimally Symptomatic Patients With Chronic Aortic Regurgitation and Normal Left Ventricular Performance

PubMed Central

Borer, Jeffrey S.; Hochreiter, Clare; Herrold, Edmond McM; Supino, Phyllis; Aschermann, Michael; Wencker, Detlef; Devereux, Richard B.; Roman, Mary J.; Szulc, Massimiliano; Kligfield, Paul; Isom, O. Wayne

2013-01-01

Background Optimal criteria for valve replacement are unclear in asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) and normal left ventricular (LV) performance at rest. Moreover, previous studies have not assessed the prognostic capacity of load-adjusted LV performance (“contractility”) variables, which may be fundamentally related to clinical state. Therefore, 18 years ago, we set out to test prospectively the hypothesis that objective noninvasive measures of LV size and performance and, specifically, of load-adjusted variables, assessed at rest and during exercise (ex), could predict the development of currently accepted indications for operation for AR. Methods and Results Clinical variables and measures of LV size, performance, and end-systolic wall stress (ESS) were assessed annually in 104 patients by radionuclide cineangiography at rest and maximal ex and by echocardiography at rest; ESS was derived during ex. During an average 7.3-year follow-up among patients who had not been operated on, 39 of 104 patients either died suddenly (n = 4) or developed operable symptoms only (n = 22) or subnormal LV performance with or without symptoms (n= 13) (progression rate = 6.2%/y). By multivariate Cox model analysis, change (Δ) in LV ejection fraction (EF) from rest to ex, normalized for ΔESS from rest to ex (ΔLVEF-ΔESS index), was the strongest predictor of progression to any end point or to sudden cardiac death alone. Unadjusted ΔLVEF was almost as efficient. Symptom status modified prediction on the basis of the ΔLVEF-ΔESS index. The population tercile at highest risk by ΔLVEF-ΔESS progressed to end points at a rate of 13.3%/y, and the lowest-risk tercile progressed at 1.8%/y. Conclusions Currently accepted symptom and LV performance indications for valve replacement, as well as sudden cardiac death, can be predicted in asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic patients with AR by load-adjusted ΔLVEF-ΔESS index, which includes data obtained during exercise. PMID:9494022

Fatigue as Presenting Symptom and a High Burden of Premature Ventricular Contractions Are Independently Associated With Increased Ventricular Wall Stress in Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Function.

PubMed

van Huls van Taxis, Carine F B; Piers, Sebastiaan R D; de Riva Silva, Marta; Dekkers, Olaf M; Pijnappels, Daniël A; Schalij, Martin J; Wijnmaalen, Adrianus P; Zeppenfeld, Katja

2015-12-01

High idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVC) burden has been associated with PVC-induced cardiomyopathy. Patients may be symptomatic before left ventricular (LV) dysfunction develops. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and circumferential end-systolic wall stress (cESS) on echocardiography are markers for increased ventricular wall stress. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between presenting symptoms, PVC burden, and increased ventricular wall stress in patients with frequent PVCs and preserved LV function. Eighty-three patients (41 men; 49±15 years) with idiopathic PVCs and normal LV function referred for PVC ablation were included. Type of symptoms (palpitations, fatigue, and [near-]syncope), PVC burden on 24-hour Holter, NT-proBNP levels, and cESS on echocardiography were assessed before and 3 months after ablation. Sustained successful ablation was defined as ≥80% PVC burden reduction during follow-up. Patients were symptomatic for 24 months (Q1-Q3, 16-60); 73% reported palpitations, 47% fatigue, and 30% (near-)syncope. Baseline PVC burden was 23±13%, median NT-proBNP 92 pg/mL (Q1-Q3 50-156), and cESS 143±35 kdyne/cm(2). Fatigue was associated with higher baseline NT-proBNP and cESS (P<0.001, P=0.011, respectively). After sustained successful ablation, achieved in 81%, NT-proBNP and cESS decreased significantly (P<0.001 and P=0.036, respectively). Fatigue was independently associated with a significantly larger reduction in NT-proBNP. In patients with nonsuccessful ablation, NT-proBNP and cESS remained unchanged. In patients with frequent PVCs and preserved LV function, fatigue was associated with higher baseline NT-proBNP and cESS, and with a significantly larger reduction in NT-proBNP after sustained successful ablation. These findings support a link between fatigue and PVC-induced increased ventricular wall stress, despite preserved LV function. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

MAUVE: A New Strategy for Solving and Grading Physics Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Nicole Breanne

2016-05-01

MAUVE (magnitude, answer, units, variables, and equations) is a framework and rubric to help students and teachers through the process of clearly solving and assessing solutions to introductory physics problems. Success in introductory physics often derives from an understanding of units, a command over dimensional analysis, and good bookkeeping. I developed MAUVE for an introductory-level environmental physics course as an easy-to-remember checklist to help students construct organized and thoughtful solutions to physics problems. Environmental physics is a core physics course for environmental and sustainability science (ESS) majors that teaches principles of radiation, thermodynamics, and mechanics within the context of the environment and sustainable energy systems. ESS student concentrations include environmental biology, applied ecology, biogeochemistry, and natural resources. The MAUVE rubric, inspired by nature, has encouraged my students to produce legible and tactical work, and has significantly clarified the grading process.

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

Ostdiek, K.; Anderson, T.; Bauder, W.

Radioisotopes, produced in stars and ejected into the Interstellar Medium, are important for constraining stellar and early Solar System (ESS) models. In particular, the half-life of the radioisotope, Fe-60, can have an impact on calculations for the timing for ESS events, the distance to nearby Supernovae, and the brightness of individual, non-steady-state Fe gamma ray sources in the Galaxy. A half-life measurement has been undertaken at the University of Notre Dame and measurements of the Fe-60/Fe-56 concentration of our samples using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry has begun. This result will be coupled with an activity measurement of the isomeric decay inmore » Co-60, which is the decay product of Fe. Preliminary half-life estimates of (2.53 +/- 0.24) x 10(6) years seem to confirm the recent measurement by Rugel et al. (2009). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.« less

Impact of Wireless Power Transfer in Transportation: Future Transportation Enabler, or Near Term Distraction

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

Onar, Omer C; Jones, Perry T

2014-01-01

While the total liquid fuels consumed in the U.S. for transportation of goods and people is expected to hold steady, or decline slightly over the next few decades, the world wide consumption is projected to increase of over 30% according to the Annual Energy Outlook 2014 [1]. The balance of energy consumption for transportation between petroleum fuels and electric energy, and the related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced consuming either, is of particular interest to government administrations, vehicle OEMs, and energy suppliers. The market adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) appears to be inhibited by many factors relating to themore » energy storage system (ESS) and charging infrastructure. Wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies have been identified as a key enabling technology to increase the acceptance of EVs. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been involved in many research areas related to understanding the impacts, opportunities, challenges and costs related to various deployments of WPT technology for transportation use. Though the initial outlook for WPT deployment looks promising, many other emerging technologies have met unfavorable market launches due to unforeseen technology limitations, sometimes due to the complex system in which the new technology was placed. This paper will summarize research and development (R&D) performed at ORNL in the area of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT). ORNL s advanced transportation technology R&D activities provide a unique set of experienced researchers to assist in the creation of a transportation system level view. These activities range from fundamental technology development at the component level to subsystem controls and interactions to applicable system level analysis of impending market and industry responses and beyond.« less

Inositol phosphate pathway controls transcription of telomeric expression sites in trypanosomes

PubMed Central

Cestari, Igor; Stuart, Ken

2015-01-01

African trypanosomes evade clearance by host antibodies by periodically changing their variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. They transcribe only one VSG gene at a time from 1 of about 20 telomeric expression sites (ESs). They undergo antigenic variation by switching transcription between telomeric ESs or by recombination of the VSG gene expressed. We show that the inositol phosphate (IP) pathway controls transcription of telomeric ESs and VSG antigenic switching in Trypanosoma brucei. Conditional knockdown of phosphatidylinositol 5-kinase (TbPIP5K) or phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphatase (TbPIP5Pase) or overexpression of phospholipase C (TbPLC) derepresses numerous silent ESs in T. brucei bloodstream forms. The derepression is specific to telomeric ESs, and it coincides with an increase in the number of colocalizing telomeric and RNA polymerase I foci in the nucleus. Monoallelic VSG transcription resumes after reexpression of TbPIP5K; however, most of the resultant cells switched the VSG gene expressed. TbPIP5K, TbPLC, their substrates, and products localize to the plasma membrane, whereas TbPIP5Pase localizes to the nucleus proximal to telomeres. TbPIP5Pase associates with repressor/activator protein 1 (TbRAP1), and their telomeric silencing function is altered by TbPIP5K knockdown. These results show that specific steps in the IP pathway control ES transcription and antigenic switching in T. brucei by epigenetic regulation of telomere silencing. PMID:25964327

Estimating the Effective Sample Size of Tree Topologies from Bayesian Phylogenetic Analyses

PubMed Central

Lanfear, Robert; Hua, Xia; Warren, Dan L.

2016-01-01

Bayesian phylogenetic analyses estimate posterior distributions of phylogenetic tree topologies and other parameters using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. Before making inferences from these distributions, it is important to assess their adequacy. To this end, the effective sample size (ESS) estimates how many truly independent samples of a given parameter the output of the MCMC represents. The ESS of a parameter is frequently much lower than the number of samples taken from the MCMC because sequential samples from the chain can be non-independent due to autocorrelation. Typically, phylogeneticists use a rule of thumb that the ESS of all parameters should be greater than 200. However, we have no method to calculate an ESS of tree topology samples, despite the fact that the tree topology is often the parameter of primary interest and is almost always central to the estimation of other parameters. That is, we lack a method to determine whether we have adequately sampled one of the most important parameters in our analyses. In this study, we address this problem by developing methods to estimate the ESS for tree topologies. We combine these methods with two new diagnostic plots for assessing posterior samples of tree topologies, and compare their performance on simulated and empirical data sets. Combined, the methods we present provide new ways to assess the mixing and convergence of phylogenetic tree topologies in Bayesian MCMC analyses. PMID:27435794

Pathways to URM Retention: IBP's Professional Development and Mentoring Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Ricciardi, L.; Detrick, L.; Siegfried, D.; Fauver, A.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Thomas, S. H.; Valaitis, S.

2013-05-01

As a not for profit organization, the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) hosts a variety of initiatives designed to increase the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) students pursuing pathways in STEM. IBP also assists with formative program evaluation design and implementation to help strengthen URM recruitment and retention elements. Successful initiatives include virtual and face-to-face components that bring together URM students with established URM and other scientists in academia, government and industry. These connections provide URMs with mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional skill development contributing to an improved retention rate of URM students. IBP's initiatives include the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (NASA OSSI), Pathways to Ocean Science and Engineering, and the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) in Earth System Science (ESS) Professional Development Program. The NASA OSSI recruits and facilitates student engagement in NASA education and employment opportunities. Pathways to Ocean Science connects and supports URM students with Ocean Science REU programs and serves as a resource for REU program directors. Pathways to Engineering has synthesized mentoring resources into an online mentoring manual for URM students that has been extensively vetted by mentoring experts throughout the country. The mentoring manual, which is organized by roles, provides undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty and project directors with valuable resources. MS PHD'S, one of IBP's longest running and most successful initiatives, focuses on increasing the retention rate of URM students receiving advanced degrees in ESS. The program addresses barriers to retention in ESS including isolation, lack of preparation and professional development, and lack of mentoring. Program activities center on peer-to-peer community building, professional development exercises, networking experiences, one-on-one mentoring, and a facilitated virtual community. MS PHD'S students report a reduced sense of isolation, an increased sense of community, and a higher level of confidence about their ability to succeed in their chosen field. 42 MS PHD'S alumni have completed their PhD and are actively engaged in the ESS workforce.

A proposed framework to operationalize ESS for the mitigation of soil threats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwilch, Gudrun; Bernet, Lea; Fleskens, Luuk; Mills, Jane; Stolte, Jannes; van Delden, Hedwig; Verzandvoort, Simone

2015-04-01

Despite various research activities in the last decades across the world, many challenges remain to integrate the concept of ecosystem services (ESS) in decision-making, and a coherent approach to assess and value ESS is still lacking. There are a lot of different - often context-specific - ESS frameworks with their own definitions and understanding of terms. Based on a thorough review, the EU FP7 project RECARE (www.recare-project.eu) suggests an adapted framework for ecosystem services related to soils that can be used for practical application in preventing and remediating degradation of soils in Europe. This lays the foundation for the development and selection of appropriate methods to measure, evaluate, communicate and negotiate the services we obtain from soils with stakeholders in order to improve land management. Similar to many ESS frameworks, the RECARE framework distinguishes between an ecosystem and human well-being part. As the RECARE project is focused on soil threats, this is the starting point on the ecosystem part of the framework. Soil threats affect natural capital, such as soil, water, vegetation, air and animals, and are in turn influenced by those. Within the natural capital, the RECARE framework focuses especially on soil and its properties, classified in inherent and manageable properties. The natural capital then enables and underpins soil processes, while at the same time being affected by those. Soil processes, finally, are the ecosystem's capacity to provide services, thus they support the provision of soil functions and ESS. ESS may be utilized to produce benefits for individuals and human society. Those benefits are explicitly or implicitly valued by individuals and human society. The values placed on those benefits influence policy and decision-making and thus lead to a societal response. Individual (e.g. farmers') and societal decision making and policy determine land management and other (human) driving forces, which in turn affect soil threats and natural capital. In order to improve ESS with Sustainable Land Management (SLM) - i.e. measures aimed to prevent or remediate soil threats, the services identified in the framework need to be "manageable" (modifiable) for the stakeholders. To this end, effects of soil threats and prevention / remediation measures are captured by key soil properties as well as through bio-physical (e.g. reduced soil loss), socio-economic (e.g. reduced workload) and socio-cultural (e.g. aesthetics) impact indicators. In order to use such indicators in RECARE, it should be possible to associate the changes in soil processes to impacts of prevention / remediation measures (SLM). This requires the indicators to be sensitive enough to small changes, but still sufficiently robust to provide evidence of the change and attribute it to SLM. The RECARE ESS framework will be presented and discussed in order to further develop its operationalization. Inputs from the conference participants are highly welcome.

On the Berry-Esséen bound of frequency polygons for ϕ-mixing samples.

PubMed

Huang, Gan-Ji; Xing, Guodong

2017-01-01

Under some mild assumptions, the Berry-Esséen bound of frequency polygons for ϕ -mixing samples is presented. By the bound derived, we obtain the corresponding convergence rate of uniformly asymptotic normality, which is nearly [Formula: see text] under the given conditions.

The Landscape Framework for the Spatial Characterization and Mapping of Ecosystem Services: What is the State of the Science?

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services (ESS) represent an ecosystems capacity for satisfying essential human needs, directly or indirectly, above that required to maintain ecosystem integrity (structure, function and processes). The spatial characterization and mapping of ESS is an essential first s...

The Early Years: The Earth-Sun System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2015-01-01

We all experience firsthand many of the phenomena caused by Earth's Place in the Universe (Next Generation Science Standard 5-ESS1; NGSS Lead States 2013) and the relative motion of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. Young children can investigate phenomena such as changes in times of sunrise and sunset (number of daylight hours), Moon phases, seasonal…

Seeing the Solar System through Two Perspectives. Part 2 of a Series Focusing on Learning Progressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tretter, Thomas R.; Thornburgh, William R.; Duckwall, Mark

2016-01-01

Supporting elementary student understandings of ideas related to Earth's Place in the Universe (ESS1) can be challenging, especially given the large time and distance scales involved with many of the concepts. However, with effective use of crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices, important concepts within this content domain…

Military Suicide Research Consortium

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

Presented at the Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Education System’s Evidence~Based Interventions for Suicidal Persons conference, Denver, CO...on failed belongingness and perceived burdensomeri.ess in returning combat Veterans. Presented at the International Association for Relationship...Betthauser, L. M. Veterans’ experiences of habituation to painful stimuli, perceived burdensomeness and failed belongingness . Presented at · the American

Fidelity Optimization of Microprocessor System Simulations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

effort feasible in terms of required CPU time would be to employ a separate clock with an artificially compressed time base in the serial...RETURN ILINCR -NU𔃾OPS D.% PROt.ESSING 900 IF IIERP2.NF.41 GO TO 1000 IFRCOD - L CALL VAIRCO 1A(61,NUMVALLEPCOOl IEPRZ -IEACCO IF hEARR .GT. 01 RETURN I

Evaluation of the Biopesticidal Potential of Hedychium Species for Pests and Disease Control in Organic Vegetable Production Systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The genus Hedychium belongs to the ginger family and consists of about 80 species, which are used for various purposes. Hedychium has become increasingly popular as an ornamental because of the showy and aromatic inflorescences of many of its species, which are also cultivated for their perfume esse...

Contemporary considerations in concurrent endoscopic sinus surgery and rhinoplasty.

PubMed

Steele, Toby O; Gill, Amarbir; Tollefson, Travis T

2018-06-11

Characterize indications, perioperative considerations, clinical outcomes and complications for concurrent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and rhinoplasty. Chronic rhinosinusitis and septal deviation with or without inferior turbinate hypertrophy independently impair patient-reported quality of life. Guidelines implore surgeons to include endoscopy to accurately evaluate patient symptoms. Complication rates parallel those of either surgery (ESS and rhinoplasty) alone and are not increased when performed concurrently. Operative time is generally longer for joint surgeries. Patient satisfaction rates are high. Concurrent functional and/or cosmetic rhinoplasty and ESS is a safe endeavor to perform in a single operative setting and most outcomes data suggest excellent patient outcomes. Additional studies that include patient-reported outcome measures are needed.

Impact of shift work on sleep and daytime performance among health care professionals.

PubMed

Alshahrani, Sultan M; Baqays, Abdulsalam A; Alenazi, Abdelelah A; AlAngari, Abdulaziz M; AlHadi, Ahmad N

2017-08-01

To evaluate sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in health care professionals who are performing shift work. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 510 health care professionals at Prince Sultan Military Medical City and King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between December 2015 and April 2016. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Participants were divided into 2 groups: shift workers and non-shift workers. Results: We compared both groups regarding the effect of shift work on the total score of PSQI and ESS. We found that the PSQI global score (p less than 0.001) and the total ESS score (p=0.003) were significantly higher in shift work health care professionals.  Conclusion: Shift work among health care professionals is associated with poor sleep quality but not excessive daytime sleepiness. Health care professionals performing shift work have PSQI and ESS scores slightly higher than non-shift work health professionals.

Psychosocial effects of competitive Boccia program in persons with severe chronic disability.

PubMed

Barak, Sharon; Mendoza-Laiz, Nuria; Fuentes, Maria Teresa Gutierrez; Rubiera, Maria; Huyzler, Yeshayahu

2016-01-01

People with severe physical disabilities may experience psychosocial problems. Boccia is one sport that athletes with severe disability can engage in, but no information on the effects of Boccia on psychosocial outcomes for participants with severe disability is available. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of Boccia on psychosocial outcomes in persons with severe disabilities. The study included two competitive Boccia groups: independent competitive (IC) (n = 9) and nonindependent competitive (NIC) (n = 7), as well as a recreational Boccia group (n = 14) and control subjects (n = 13) (mean age = 46.46 +/- 10.75). All participants underwent a rehabilitation program. Between-group differences in change scores were assessed using analysis of variance/multivariate analysis of variance. Within-group differences were compared using t-tests and effect sizes (ESs). Change in psychosocial parameters was not significantly influenced by study group (p > 0.05). All groups presented moderate-to-large ESs in physical and psychological quality of life (ES > 0.51). In comparison to the control group, who presented small-to-trivial ESs in General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Profile of Mood States-Tension, the IC and recreational group presented moderate ESs in GHQ-28, whereas the NIC group presented moderate ESs in anxiety and tension. In conclusion, the rehabilitation program had a general positive effect on the psychosocial status of individuals with severe physical disabilities. However, the competitive Boccia groups demonstrated a greater number of favorable changes, suggesting an added value of participation in Boccia.

Construct validity of the ovine model in endoscopic sinus surgery training.

PubMed

Awad, Zaid; Taghi, Ali; Sethukumar, Priya; Tolley, Neil S

2015-03-01

To demonstrate construct validity of the ovine model as a tool for training in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Prospective, cross-sectional evaluation study. Over 18 consecutive months, trainees and experts were evaluated in their ability to perform a range of tasks (based on previous face validation and descriptive studies conducted by the same group) relating to ESS on the sheep-head model. Anonymized randomized video recordings of the above were assessed by two independent and blinded assessors. A validated assessment tool utilizing a five-point Likert scale was employed. Construct validity was calculated by comparing scores across training levels and experts using mean and interquartile range of global and task-specific scores. Subgroup analysis of the intermediate group ascertained previous experience. Nonparametric descriptive statistics were used, and analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Reliability of the assessment tool was confirmed. The model discriminated well between different levels of expertise in global and task-specific scores. A positive correlation was noted between year in training and both global and task-specific scores (P < .001). Experience of the intermediate group was variable, and the number of ESS procedures performed under supervision had the highest impact on performance. This study describes an alternative model for ESS training and assessment. It is also the first to demonstrate construct validity of the sheep-head model for ESS training. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

PROTECTED POLYMORPHISMS AND EVOLUTIONARY STABILITY OF PATCH-SELECTION STRATEGIES IN STOCHASTIC ENVIRONMENTS

PubMed Central

EVANS, STEVEN N.; HENING, ALEXANDRU; SCHREIBER, SEBASTIAN J.

2015-01-01

We consider a population living in a patchy environment that varies stochastically in space and time. The population is composed of two morphs (that is, individuals of the same species with different genotypes). In terms of survival and reproductive success, the associated phenotypes differ only in their habitat selection strategies. We compute invasion rates corresponding to the rates at which the abundance of an initially rare morph increases in the presence of the other morph established at equilibrium. If both morphs have positive invasion rates when rare, then there is an equilibrium distribution such that the two morphs coexist; that is, there is a protected polymorphism for habitat selection. Alternatively, if one morph has a negative invasion rate when rare, then it is asymptotically displaced by the other morph under all initial conditions where both morphs are present. We refine the characterization of an evolutionary stable strategy for habitat selection from [Schreiber, 2012] in a mathematically rigorous manner. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an ESS that uses all patches and determine when using a single patch is an ESS. We also provide an explicit formula for the ESS when there are two habitat types. We show that adding environmental stochasticity results in an ESS that, when compared to the ESS for the corresponding model without stochasticity, spends less time in patches with larger carrying capacities and possibly makes use of sink patches, thereby practicing a spatial form of bet hedging. PMID:25151369

Automated embolic signal detection using Deep Convolutional Neural Network.

PubMed

Sombune, Praotasna; Phienphanich, Phongphan; Phuechpanpaisal, Sutanya; Muengtaweepongsa, Sombat; Ruamthanthong, Anuchit; Tantibundhit, Charturong

2017-07-01

This work investigated the potential of Deep Neural Network in detection of cerebral embolic signal (ES) from transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). The resulting system is aimed to couple with TCD devices in diagnosing a risk of stroke in real-time with high accuracy. The Adaptive Gain Control (AGC) approach developed in our previous study is employed to capture suspected ESs in real-time. By using spectrograms of the same TCD signal dataset as that of our previous work as inputs and the same experimental setup, Deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which can learn features while training, was investigated for its ability to bypass the traditional handcrafted feature extraction and selection process. Extracted feature vectors from the suspected ESs are later determined whether they are of an ES, artifact (AF) or normal (NR) interval. The effectiveness of the developed system was evaluated over 19 subjects going under procedures generating emboli. The CNN-based system could achieve in average of 83.0% sensitivity, 80.1% specificity, and 81.4% accuracy, with considerably much less time consumption in development. The certainly growing set of training samples and computational resources will contribute to high performance. Besides having potential use in various clinical ES monitoring settings, continuation of this promising study will benefit developments of wearable applications by leveraging learnable features to serve demographic differentials.

Preparing Laboratory and Real-World EEG Data for Large-Scale Analysis: A Containerized Approach

PubMed Central

Bigdely-Shamlo, Nima; Makeig, Scott; Robbins, Kay A.

2016-01-01

Large-scale analysis of EEG and other physiological measures promises new insights into brain processes and more accurate and robust brain–computer interface models. However, the absence of standardized vocabularies for annotating events in a machine understandable manner, the welter of collection-specific data organizations, the difficulty in moving data across processing platforms, and the unavailability of agreed-upon standards for preprocessing have prevented large-scale analyses of EEG. Here we describe a “containerized” approach and freely available tools we have developed to facilitate the process of annotating, packaging, and preprocessing EEG data collections to enable data sharing, archiving, large-scale machine learning/data mining and (meta-)analysis. The EEG Study Schema (ESS) comprises three data “Levels,” each with its own XML-document schema and file/folder convention, plus a standardized (PREP) pipeline to move raw (Data Level 1) data to a basic preprocessed state (Data Level 2) suitable for application of a large class of EEG analysis methods. Researchers can ship a study as a single unit and operate on its data using a standardized interface. ESS does not require a central database and provides all the metadata data necessary to execute a wide variety of EEG processing pipelines. The primary focus of ESS is automated in-depth analysis and meta-analysis EEG studies. However, ESS can also encapsulate meta-information for the other modalities such as eye tracking, that are increasingly used in both laboratory and real-world neuroimaging. ESS schema and tools are freely available at www.eegstudy.org and a central catalog of over 850 GB of existing data in ESS format is available at studycatalog.org. These tools and resources are part of a larger effort to enable data sharing at sufficient scale for researchers to engage in truly large-scale EEG analysis and data mining (BigEEG.org). PMID:27014048

Ecosystem service trade-offs and their influencing factors: A case study in the Loess Plateau of China.

PubMed

Feng, Qiang; Zhao, Wenwu; Fu, Bojie; Ding, Jingyi; Wang, Shuai

2017-12-31

Soil erosion control (SEC), carbon sequestration (CAS), and soil moisture (SMO) strongly interact in the semi-arid Loess Plateau. Since SMO has supportive effects on SEC and CAS, it can be considered as ecosystem service (ES), and there is an immediate need to coordinate the relationships among these ecosystem services (ESs) to promote the sustainability of vegetation recovery. In this study, we quantified the ESs, ES trade-offs, and the environmental factors in 151 sample plots in the Ansai watershed, and we used a redundancy analysis (RDA) to clarify the effects of environmental factors on these ESs and their trade-offs. The results were as follows: (1) the general trend in the SEC of vegetation types was Robinia pseudoacacia (CH)>native grass (NG)>small arbor (ST)>Hippophae rhamnoides (SJ)>artificial grass (AG)>Caragana korshinskii (NT)>apple orchard (GY)>crop (CP); the CAS trend was CH>SJ>NT>AG>CP>ST>GY>NG; and the SMO trend was CP>NG>GY>AG>SJ>ST>CH>NT. (2) For SEC-SMO trade-offs, the influence of vegetation type, altitude, silt and sand composition was dominant. The arrangement of NG, AG, and SJ could decrease the extent of the trade-offs. (3) For CAS-SMO trade-offs, vegetation coverage and types were the dominant factors, but the effects were not complex. The extent of these trade-offs was lowest for NT, and that for SJ was the second lowest. (4) Considering the relationships among the three ESs, SJ was the most appropriate afforestation plant. Combing the vegetation types, slope position, slope gradient, and soil properties could regulate these ES relationships. The dominant factors influencing ES trade-offs varied among the different soil layers, so we must consider the corresponding influencing factors to regulate ESs. Moreover, manual management measures were also important for coordinating the ES relationships. Our research provides a better understanding of the mechanisms influencing the relationships among ESs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EssOilDB: a database of essential oils reflecting terpene composition and variability in the plant kingdom

PubMed Central

Kumari, Sangita; Pundhir, Sachin; Priya, Piyush; Jeena, Ganga; Punetha, Ankita; Chawla, Konika; Firdos Jafaree, Zohra; Mondal, Subhasish; Yadav, Gitanjali

2014-01-01

Plant essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds, which play indispensable roles in the environment, for the plant itself, as well as for humans. The potential biological information stored in essential oil composition data can provide an insight into the silent language of plants, and the roles of these chemical emissions in defense, communication and pollinator attraction. In order to decipher volatile profile patterns from a global perspective, we have developed the ESSential OIL DataBase (EssOilDB), a continually updated, freely available electronic database designed to provide knowledge resource for plant essential oils, that enables one to address a multitude of queries on volatile profiles of native, invasive, normal or stressed plants, across taxonomic clades, geographical locations and several other biotic and abiotic influences. To our knowledge, EssOilDB is the only database in the public domain providing an opportunity for context based scientific research on volatile patterns in plants. EssOilDB presently contains 123 041 essential oil records spanning a century of published reports on volatile profiles, with data from 92 plant taxonomic families, spread across diverse geographical locations all over the globe. We hope that this huge repository of VOCs will facilitate unraveling of the true significance of volatiles in plants, along with creating potential avenues for industrial applications of essential oils. We also illustrate the use of this database in terpene biology and show how EssOilDB can be used to complement data from computational genomics to gain insights into the diversity and variability of terpenoids in the plant kingdom. EssOilDB would serve as a valuable information resource, for students and researchers in plant biology, in the design and discovery of new odor profiles, as well as for entrepreneurs—the potential for generating consumer specific scents being one of the most attractive and interesting topics in the cosmetic industry. Database URL: http://nipgr.res.in/Essoildb/ PMID:25534749

Spatial clusters of daytime sleepiness and association with nighttime noise levels in a Swiss general population (GeoHypnoLaus).

PubMed

Joost, Stéphane; Haba-Rubio, José; Himsl, Rebecca; Vollenweider, Peter; Preisig, Martin; Waeber, Gérard; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Heinzer, Raphaël; Guessous, Idris

2018-05-31

Daytime sleepiness is highly prevalent in the general adult population and has been linked to an increased risk of workplace and vehicle accidents, lower professional performance and poorer health. Despite the established relationship between noise and daytime sleepiness, little research has explored the individual-level spatial distribution of noise-related sleep disturbances. We assessed the spatial dependence of daytime sleepiness and tested whether clusters of individuals exhibiting higher daytime sleepiness were characterized by higher nocturnal noise levels than other clusters. Population-based cross-sectional study, in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. Sleepiness was measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for 3697 georeferenced individuals from the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus cohort (period = 2009-2012). We used the sonBASE georeferenced database produced by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment to characterize nighttime road traffic noise exposure throughout the city. We used the GeoDa software program to calculate the Getis-Ord G i * statistics for unadjusted and adjusted ESS in order to detect spatial clusters of high and low ESS values. Modeled nighttime noise exposure from road and rail traffic was compared across ESS clusters. Daytime sleepiness was not randomly distributed and showed a significant spatial dependence. The median nighttime traffic noise exposure was significantly different across the three ESS Getis cluster classes (p < 0.001). The mean nighttime noise exposure in the high ESS cluster class was 47.6, dB(A) 5.2 dB(A) higher than in low clusters (p < 0.001) and 2.1 dB(A) higher than in the neutral class (p < 0.001). These associations were independent of major potential confounders including body mass index and neighborhood income level. Clusters of higher daytime sleepiness in adults are associated with higher median nighttime noise levels. The identification of these clusters can guide tailored public health interventions. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Azithromycin add-on therapy in high-risk postendoscopic sinus surgery patients failing corticosteroid irrigations: A clinical practice audit.

PubMed

Maniakas, Anastasios; Desrosiers, Martin

2014-01-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has a high potential for recurrence after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), despite a postoperative therapy of topical corticosteroid irrigations. Azithromycin (AZI) is a macrolide antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties that may be of benefit in such steroid-unresponsive patients. Follow-up study was performed to (1) review the effectiveness of the management strategy of adding AZI in high-risk post-ESS patients failing standard management and (2) identify predictive factors for steroid nonresponsiveness. A retrospective audit of the postoperative evolution of all patients undergoing ESS for CRS in 2010 by a single surgeon was undertaken. Patients deemed at high risk of recurrence based on preoperative history and/or perioperative findings received nasal irrigation with 0.5 mg of budesonide (BUD) in 240 mL of saline twice daily after ESS. Patients showing signs of endoscopic recurrence at 4 months, despite BUD, had AZI at 250 mg three times a week added to their treatment regimen. A total of 57 high-risk patients underwent ESS during this period. At 4 months, 63.2% (36/57) had a favorable outcome solely with BUD. Twelve of the 21 nonresponders received AZI, with an additional 66.7% (8/12) subsequently showing a favorable response. Failure of BUD was associated with female gender (p = 0.048), having elevated alpha-1-antitrypsin levels (p = 0.037) and lower recovery rates of Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0.063). Although the AZI subgroup was too small for statistical analysis, female gender was more frequently associated with failure of both BUD and AZI, while IgE was not useful. A significant subgroup of high-risk patients showing disease recurrence after ESS despite topical corticosteroid therapy may respond to the addition of AZI as part of their therapy. These findings suggest that topical steroid-unresponsive CRS may represent a distinct entity and that alternate anti-inflammatory agents may be required for optimal management.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma involving the urinary bladder: a study of 6 cases.

PubMed

Tian, Wei; Latour, Mathieu; Epstein, Jonathan I

2014-07-01

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) involving the urinary bladder is very rare, with no prior series reported. We identified 6 cases of low-grade ESS involving the bladder at our institution (1998 to 2013), 5 of them consults. The median age at bladder involvement was 60 years (range, 44 to 77 y). One patient presented with bladder involvement at initial diagnosis of ESS. The remaining 5 cases with bladder involvement presented 7 to 30 years (mean 18 y) after a known diagnosis of ESS (n=2) or after a remote history of hysterectomy with an uncertain diagnosis (n=3). The location of bladder involvement included dome (n=1), trigone (n=2), diffuse (n=1), and unknown (n=2). Two cases demonstrated worm-like infiltrating tumor nests classic of low-grade ESS with little stromal reaction with retraction artifact mimicking vascular invasion. One case originating from the ovary showed focal glandular differentiation in the bladder, resembling endometriosis. Two cases had abundant keloidal collagen formation, arranged haphazardly or in a sunburst pattern. One case showed primitive cells infiltrating entirely hyalinized stroma, after chemotherapy given for a misdiagnosis of urothelial carcinoma. CD31 was negative in all cases, except for 1 case with obvious large vessel invasion. The differential diagnosis included a large nested variant of urothelial carcinoma, carcinoid tumor, synovial sarcoma, solitary fibrous tumor, Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and endometriosis. CD10 was strongly positive in 5 cases, and 1 case had very focal, moderate staining. Estrogen receptor showed strong and diffuse staining in all 6 cases. Progesterone receptor showed moderate to strong staining in 5 cases and focal staining in 1 case. One case showed PAX8 expression, and 2 cases showed p16 nuclear and cytoplasmic expression. CD56 showed weak to strong staining in 4 cases. Two cases had diffuse synaptophysin, and 1 case had focal p63 positivity. GATA-3, CD34, and CD99 were negative in all cases. The Ki-67 index was 1% to 10% (mean 4%). The mitotic count was 0 to 3/10 HPF (mean <1/10 HPF). Two patients had metastases to pelvic lymph nodes, and 1 had possible lung metastasis. Three patients were treated with Megace and 1 with Arimidex after surgery. Follow-up averaged 19 years (0 to 33 y) after the initial diagnosis of ESS or hysterectomy and 3.5 years (0 to 11 y) after bladder surgery. ESS involving the bladder is extremely rare with a very long interval from onset to bladder involvement. In female patients, low-grade spindle cell lesions involving the bladder should include ESS in the differential diagnosis.

Scaling Characteristics of Mesoscale Wind Fields in the Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Implications for Wind Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiliyanpilakkil, Velayudhan Praju

Atmospheric motions take place in spatial scales of sub-millimeters to few thousands of kilometers with temporal changes in the atmospheric variables occur in fractions of seconds to several years. Consequently, the variations in atmospheric kinetic energy associated with these atmospheric motions span over a broad spectrum of space and time. The mesoscale region acts as an energy transferring regime between the energy generating synoptic scale and the energy dissipating microscale. Therefore, the scaling characterizations of mesoscale wind fields are significant in the accurate estimation of the atmospheric energy budget. Moreover, the precise knowledge of the scaling characteristics of atmospheric mesoscale wind fields is important for the validation of the numerical models those focus on wind forecasting, dispersion, diffusion, horizontal transport, and optical turbulence. For these reasons, extensive studies have been conducted in the past to characterize the mesoscale wind fields. Nevertheless, the majority of these studies focused on near-surface and upper atmosphere mesoscale regimes. The present study attempt to identify the existence and to quantify the scaling of mesoscale wind fields in the lower atmospheric boundary layer (ABL; in the wind turbine layer) using wind observations from various research-grade instruments (e.g., sodars, anemometers). The scaling characteristics of the mesoscale wind speeds over diverse homogeneous flat terrains, conducted using structure function based analysis, revealed an altitudinal dependence of the scaling exponents. This altitudinal dependence of the wind speed scaling may be attributed to the buoyancy forcing. Subsequently, we use the framework of extended self-similarity (ESS) to characterize the observed scaling behavior. In the ESS framework, the relative scaling exponents of the mesoscale atmospheric boundary layer wind speed exhibit quasi-universal behavior; even far beyond the inertial range of turbulence (Delta t within 10 minutes to 6 hours range). The ESS framework based study is extended further to enquire its validity over complex terrain. This study, based on multiyear wind observations, demonstrate that the ESS holds for the lower ABL wind speed over the complex terrain as well. Another important inference from this study is that the ESS relative scaling exponents corresponding to the mesoscale wind speed closely matches the scaling characteristics of the inertial range turbulence, albeit not exactly identical. The current study proposes benchmark using ESS-based quasi-universal wind speed scaling characteristics in the ABL for the mesoscale modeling community. Using a state-of-the-art atmospheric mesoscale model in conjunction with different planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization schemes, multiple wind speed simulations have been conducted. This study reveals that the ESS scaling characteristics of the model simulated wind speed time series in the lower ABL vary significantly from their observational counterparts. The study demonstrate that the model simulated wind speed time series for the time intervals Delta t < 2 hours do not capture the ESS-based scaling characteristics. The detailed analysis of model simulations using different PBL schemes lead to the conclusion that there is a need for significant improvements in the turbulent closure parameterizations adapted in the new-generation atmospheric models. This study is unique as the ESS framework has never been reported or examined for the validation of PBL parameterizations.

A randomized prospective study of oral levofloxacin vs intravenous flomoxef prophylaxis in postoperative infection after endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Inoshita, Ayako; Yokoi, Hidenori; Matsumoto, Fumihiko; Yao, Toru; Kawano, Kenji; Furukawa, Masayuki; Ikeda, Katsuhisa

2010-01-01

The clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of oral antimicrobial prophylaxis with levofloxacin (LVFX) on endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) was evaluated. Ninety-three patients undergoing ESS were prospectively enrolled in the present study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, LVFX and flomoxef (FMOX). Two hundred milligrams of LVFX was orally given 2 hours before the start of surgery and 6 hours after the end of surgery, which was followed by the administration of 200 mg every 12 hours for 2 days. One gram of FMOX was dissolved in 100 ml of physiological saline and given intravenously at the induction of anesthesia and 6 hours after the end of surgery, followed by infusion twice daily for 2 days. There were no statistically significant differences between 2 groups in terms of age, sex, systemic complications, surgical procedures, the duration of the operation, the length of hospitalization, the amount of blood loss, body temperature, or the number of white blood cells or C-reactive protein. Although no statistical significance was observed in the bacterial resistance between the two antibiotics, LVFX seems to show a low rate of resistance pattern change as compared to FMOX. The present study demonstrated that no patients treated with LVFX or FMOX were afflicted with postsurgical infection. Oral administration of LVFX is a simple, cost-effective and safe alternative to intravenous prophylaxis in ESS based on clinical efficacy and bacteriological study. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal Energy Management for Microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zheng

Microgrid is a recent novel concept in part of the development of smart grid. A microgrid is a low voltage and small scale network containing both distributed energy resources (DERs) and load demands. Clean energy is encouraged to be used in a microgrid for economic and sustainable reasons. A microgrid can have two operational modes, the stand-alone mode and grid-connected mode. In this research, a day-ahead optimal energy management for a microgrid under both operational modes is studied. The objective of the optimization model is to minimize fuel cost, improve energy utilization efficiency and reduce gas emissions by scheduling generations of DERs in each hour on the next day. Considering the dynamic performance of battery as Energy Storage System (ESS), the model is featured as a multi-objectives and multi-parametric programming constrained by dynamic programming, which is proposed to be solved by using the Advanced Dynamic Programming (ADP) method. Then, factors influencing the battery life are studied and included in the model in order to obtain an optimal usage pattern of battery and reduce the correlated cost. Moreover, since wind and solar generation is a stochastic process affected by weather changes, the proposed optimization model is performed hourly to track the weather changes. Simulation results are compared with the day-ahead energy management model. At last, conclusions are presented and future research in microgrid energy management is discussed.

Child-Parent Attachment and Children's Peer Relations: A Quantitative Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Barry H.; Atkinson, Leslie; Tardif, Christine

2001-01-01

Used meta-analysis to examine premise that the early child-parent bond is reflected in interpersonal relationships across the life span. Found that overall effect size (ES) for child-mother attachment was small to moderate. ESs were similar in studies using Strange Situation and Q-sort methods. ESs were larger for middle childhood and adolescent…

Standalone engine simulator (SAES), Engine Dynamics simulator (EDS) Xerox Sigma 5 interface hardware manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirshten, P. M.; Black, S.; Pearson, R.

1979-01-01

The ESS-EDS and EDS-Sigma interfaces within the standalone engine simulator are described. The operation of these interfaces, including the definition and use of special function signals and data flow paths within them during data transfers, is presented along with detailed schematics and circuit layouts of the described equipment.

The Impact of Work-Integrated Learning Experiences on Attaining Graduate Attributes for Exercise and Sports Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Melinda; Pascoe, Deborah; Charity, Megan

2017-01-01

Exercise and Sports Science (E&SS) programs at Federation University Australia provide work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for students to develop, apply and consolidate theoretical knowledge in the workplace. This study aimed to determine the influence of WIL experiences on achieving common graduate attributes for E&SS students.…

Social Inequality in Education and the Use of Extramural Support Services: Access and Parental Experiences in Disadvantaged Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodvin, Kathleen; Verschueren, Karine; De Haene, Lucia; Struyf, Elke

2018-01-01

As low socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic minority students often experience barriers during their school career, increased levels of referral of these students to extramural support services in education (ESS) can be expected. Yet, research indicates that disadvantaged students are often underrepresented in different types of ESS. The purpose…

A Comparison of Biologic Content in Three Elementary-School Science Curriculum Projects: ESS, S-APA, SCIS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Ronald D.

1974-01-01

Three elementary school science curriculum projects, Elementary Science Study (ESS), Science - A Process Approach (S-APA), and Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), are compared concerning the biologic content each project contains. The reviewer found a lack of activities designed to represent functions at the cellular level. Two projects…

CAT/RF Simulation Lessons Learned

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-11

IVSS-2003-MAS-7 CAT /RF Simulation Lessons Learned Christopher Mocnik Vetronics Technology Area, RDECOM TARDEC Tim Lee DCS Corporation...developed a re- configurable Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) simulation for the Crew integration and Automation Test bed ( CAT ) and Robotics Follower (RF...Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) experiments. This simulation was developed as a component of the Embedded Simulation System (ESS) of the CAT

Neural Development in tsc2-Deficient Zebrafish

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

mTOR signaling pathway, current therapies remain ineffective with many patients suffering from intractable epilepsy as well as autism , developmental...are generally severe, with many patients suffering from intractable epilepsy, autism , behavioral problems and mental retardation (Ess, 2006). These...is an important model system for the study of brain malformations as well as the pathogenesis of epilepsy and autism . Advances in these fields require

Regulation of Neurotransmitter Responses in the Central Nervous System

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-05

A~~ C-DSP 6C. ADORtESS tCIY State ad lip CodeA 7b. ADDRESS IYit. Stele end ZIP COO) ~ AJ C 6200 Freeport Centre Boiling Air Force Base P .A1...considered binding (Table 2). significantly different for a p value of :!0.05. Protein concentrations were determined using reagent kits from Bio -Rad (Richmond

An Energy Saving System for a Beam Pumping Unit

PubMed Central

Lv, Hongqiang; Liu, Jun; Han, Jiuqiang; Jiang, An

2016-01-01

Beam pumping units are widely used in the oil production industry, but the energy efficiency of this artificial lift machinery is generally low, especially for the low-production well and high-production well in the later stage. There are a number of ways for energy savings in pumping units, with the periodic adjustment of stroke speed and rectification of balance deviation being two important methods. In the paper, an energy saving system for a beam pumping unit (ESS-BPU) based on the Internet of Things (IoT) was proposed. A total of four types of sensors, including load sensor, angle sensor, voltage sensor, and current sensor, were used to detect the operating conditions of the pumping unit. Data from these sensors was fed into a controller installed in an oilfield to adjust the stroke speed automatically and estimate the degree of balance in real-time. Additionally, remote supervision could be fulfilled using a browser on a computer or smartphone. Furthermore, the data from a practical application was recorded and analyzed, and it can be seen that ESS-BPU is helpful in reducing energy loss caused by unnecessarily high stroke speed and a poor degree of balance. PMID:27187402

Impact of electronic healthcare-associated infection surveillance software on infection prevention resources: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Russo, P L; Shaban, R Z; Macbeth, D; Carter, A; Mitchell, B G

2018-05-01

Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections is fundamental for infection prevention. The methods and practices for surveillance have evolved as technology becomes more advanced. The availability of electronic surveillance software (ESS) has increased, and yet adoption of ESS is slow. It is argued that ESS delivers savings through automation, particularly in terms of human resourcing and infection prevention (IP) staff time. To describe the findings of a systematic review on the impact of ESS on IP resources. A systematic search was conducted of electronic databases Medline and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature published between January 1 st , 2006 and December 31 st , 2016 with analysis using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. In all, 2832 articles were reviewed, of which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. IP resources were identified as time undertaken on surveillance. A reduction in IP staff time to undertake surveillance was demonstrated in 13 studies. The reduction proportion ranged from 12.5% to 98.4% (mean: 73.9%). The remaining three did not allow for any estimation of the effect in terms of IP staff time. None of the studies demonstrated an increase in IP staff time. The results of this review demonstrate that adopting ESS yields considerable dividends in IP staff time relating to data collection and case ascertainment while maintaining high levels of sensitivity and specificity. This has the potential to enable reinvestment into other components of IP to maximize efficient use of scarce IP resources. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detectors Requirements for the ODIN Beamline at ESS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgano, Manuel; Lehmann, Eberhard; Strobl, Markus

The upcoming high intensity pulsed spallationneutron source ESS, now in construction in Sweden, will provide unprecedented opportunities for neutron science worldwide. In particular, neutron imaging will benefit from the time structure of the source and its high brilliance. These features will unlock new opportunities at the imaging beamline ODIN, but only if suitable detectors are employed and, in some cases, upgraded. In this paper, we highlight the current state-of-the-art for neutron imaging detectors, pointing out that, while no single presently existing detector can fulfill all the requirements currently needed to exploit the source to its limits, the wide range of applications of ODIN can be successfully covered by a suite of current state-of-the-art detectors. Furthermore we speculate on improvements to the current detector technologies that would expand the range of the existing detectors and application range and we outline a strategy to have the best possible combined system for the foreseen day 1 operations of ODIN in 2019.

Developing Systems Engineering Graduate Programs Aligned to the Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering (BKCASE (trademark)) Guidelines

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

2011 6 Topic 2 (Article Title) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet[1], consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore ...consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor [2] in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolor eu feugiat nulla facilisis at...vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem

Introduction: Why Link Indigenous Ways of Knowing with the Teaching of Environmental Studies and Sciences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Nancy

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a mini-symposium on bringing Indigenous ways of knowing together with the teaching of environmental studies and sciences (ESS). Both knowledges share a fundamental interest in the relationship of humans with the Earth, yet until recently, Indigenous ways of knowing have rarely been visible in the teaching of ESS. Teaching…

A Study of the Cognitive and Affective Performance of Children in the Elementary Science Study Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henson, Stanley

Three studies are reported for children participating in the Elementary Science Study (ESS) program. They are the cognitive and affective performances and the classroom learning environment. Three groups of ESS children were evaluated: nine-year-olds, ten-year-olds, and eleven-year-olds. Each age group contained 30 randomly selected subjects. The…

Comparing the Preparedness, Content Knowledge, and Instructional Quality of Elementary Science Specialists and Self-Contained Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brobst, Joseph; Markworth, Kimberly; Tasker, Tammy; Ohana, Chris

2017-01-01

In this article, we report on the results of a study comparing the preparedness, content knowledge, and instructional practices of elementary science specialist (ESS) teachers with those of a matched sample of self-contained elementary teachers. Analysis of survey data collected for the two groups indicated that ESS teachers were more likely than…

Improving the critical thinking skills of junior high school students on Earth and Space Science (ESS) materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marlina, L.; Liliasari; Tjasyono, B.; Hendayana, S.

2018-05-01

Critical thinking skills need to be developed in students. With critical thinking skills, students will be able to understand the concept with more depth easily, be sensitive with problems that occur, understand and solve problems that occur in their surroundings, and apply the concepts in different situations. Earth and Space Science (ESS) material is part of the science subjects given from elementary school to college. This research is a test of research program with quantitative method. This study aims to investigate the improvement of critical thinking skills of students through training of science teachers in junior high school in designing learning media for teaching ESS. With samples of 24 science teachers and 32 students of grade 7th in junior high school which are chosen by purposive sampling in a school in Ogan Ilir District, South Sumatra, obtained average pre-test and post-test scores of students’ critical thinking skills are 52.26 and 67.06 with an average N-gain of 0.31. A survey and critical thinking skills based-test were conducted to get the data. The results show positive impact and an increase in students’ critical thinking skills on the ESS material.

A systematic review of validated sinus surgery simulators.

PubMed

Stew, B; Kao, S S-T; Dharmawardana, N; Ooi, E H

2018-06-01

Simulation provides a safe and effective opportunity to develop surgical skills. A variety of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) simulators has been described in the literature. Validation of these simulators allows for effective utilisation in training. To conduct a systematic review of the published literature to analyse the evidence for validated ESS simulation. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Cinahl were searched from inception of the databases to 11 January 2017. Twelve thousand five hundred and sixteen articles were retrieved of which 10 112 were screened following the removal of duplicates. Thirty-eight full-text articles were reviewed after meeting search criteria. Evidence of face, content, construct, discriminant and predictive validity was extracted. Twenty articles were included in the analysis describing 12 ESS simulators. Eleven of these simulators had undergone validation: 3 virtual reality, 7 physical bench models and 1 cadaveric simulator. Seven of the simulators were shown to have face validity, 7 had construct validity and 1 had predictive validity. None of the simulators demonstrated discriminate validity. This systematic review demonstrates that a number of ESS simulators have been comprehensively validated. Many of the validation processes, however, lack standardisation in outcome reporting, thus limiting a meta-analysis comparison between simulators. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sleep Respiratory Disorders and Clinical Profile in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Fontela, Paula Caitano; Winkelmann, Eliane Roseli; Pretto, Luciana Meggiolaro; Berlezi, Evelise Moraes

2014-01-01

Introduction Sleep respiratory disorders (SRDs) are often found in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objective The aim was to establish the prevalence of risk to develop an SRD using the Clinical Berlin Questionnaire (CBQ) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in patients with T2DM and verifying the correlation of anthropometric measurements and life quality (LQ) with ESS. Methods A descriptive and analytical study of a case series evaluating 208 patients with T2DM, submitted to clinical and biochemical evaluation and implementation of CBQ, ESS, and WHOQOL-bref to evaluate LQ. Results Mean age was 60.8 ± 8.8 years, and 65.4% were women. Most diabetics were overweight (36.1%), and 29.8% were class I obese. One-third had positive risk signals for a SRD, with 87.0 and 34.1% having high risk in CBQ and sleep disorders in ESS, respectively. There was a significant difference in the general LQ between the low- and high-risk groups in the CBQ. Conclusion In this scenario, it is noteworthy that the active search for sleep disorders must start from simple methods, such as application of protocols. PMID:25992154

[Research of the Epworth sleepiness scale based on ruzzy comprehensive evaluation].

PubMed

Li, P; Lv, Y H; Ma, L; Yang, S H; Xiang, Y; Lei, Q; Du, G D; Huang, D J

2017-03-05

Objective: This research explores the effect of Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) items on domestic patients. Method: Four thousand six hundred and thirty-three suspected OSAHS patients with snoring were selected from respiratory sleep center in the first people's hospital, Yunnan province, between January 2006 and December 2012. These patients filled in the ESS before PSG test. Firstly, these questionnaires were preprocessed, and the null and incorrect ones were deleted. Then, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was applied for the value of each item in ESS. Finally, the reliability was compared between before and after the removal of the lowest values. Result: Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation results show that the total value is 1.016, the item value of Sitting and talking to someone and In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic is the lowest, which is 0.131. The result of reliability analysis shows that the value increases 0.2% after the two items being deleted. Conclusion: Some items of ESS are not suitable for Chinese patients, and they need to be deleted or modified to improve the screening efficiency. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Selection of energy source and evolutionary stable strategies for power plants under financial intervention of government

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafezalkotob, Ashkan; Mahmoudi, Reza

2017-09-01

Currently, many socially responsible governments adopt economic incentives and deterrents to manage environmental impacts of electricity suppliers. Considering the Stackelberg leadership of the government, the government's role in the competition of power plants in an electricity market is investigated. A one-population evolutionary game model of power plants is developed to study how their production strategy depends on tariffs levied by the government. We establish that a unique evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) for the population exists. Numerical examples demonstrate that revenue maximization and environment protection policies of the government significantly affect the production ESS of competitive power plants. The results reveal that the government can introduce a green energy source as an ESS of the competitive power plants by imposing appropriate tariffs.

NREL Testing Erigo's and EaglePicher's Microgrid Energy Storage System |

Science.gov Websites

EaglePicher's Microgrid Energy Storage System NREL researchers are testing an energy storage system for a contains three independently controllable energy storage technologies. Photo of energy storage system hardware in a laboratory Photo by Dennis Schroeder Microgrids-and effective storage systems supporting them

Development and Field Testing of a Model to Simulate a Demonstration of Le Chatelier's Principle Using the Wheatstone Bridge Circuit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vickner, Edward Henry, Jr.

An electronic simulation model was designed, constructed, and then field tested to determine student opinion of its effectiveness as an instructional aid. The model was designated as the Equilibrium System Simulator (ESS). The model was built on the principle of electrical symmetry applied to the Wheatstone bridge and was constructed from readily…

Manufacturing considerations for AMLCD cockpit displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Fang-Chen

1995-06-01

AMLCD cockpit displays need to meet more stringent requirements compared with AMLCD commercial displays in areas such as environmental conditions, optical performance and device reliability. Special considerations are required for the manufacturing of AMLCD cockpit displays in each process step to address these issues. Some examples are: UV stable polarizers, wide-temperature LC material, strong LC glue seal, ESS test system, gray scale voltage EEPROM, etc.

High Efficiency GPS Block III L1 band Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-31

intermo asymmetric ri nction and is d 30.69MHz w measured with pe Amplifier e CGH40120F Sub-System: F e RFPA and E Fig. 7: Nati The switcher the...Paul T. The Efficiency W ack Power Am Dongsu Ki Bumman, "Hi lator for Enve ess Componen Hassan, M. ing power-sup z LTE Envelop ts Conference

The Next Generation Science Standards: An Historic Opportunity for K-12 Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. M.; Passow, M. J.; Holzer, M. A.; Moore, J.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an historic opportunity to significantly improve Earth and space science (ESS) education nationally at the K-12 level. The increased emphasis on ESS related topics in the NGSS relative to previous standards provides a real opportunity for ensuring all K-12 students in adopting states learn about the ESS - allowing us to reach many more students than are currently are exposed to our discipline. The new standards are also exciting in that they explicitly couple science and engineering practice, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in such a way that student must actively demonstrate their understanding through actions rather than through mere regurgitation of memorized responses. Achieving mastery of NGSS Performance Expectations will require practice with higher-order learning skills - with students engaging in the practices of scientists and engineers. Preparing students for this mastery will be a challenging task for teachers, since in many states professional development support is limited at best for the current curriculum - let alone the curricula that will be developed to address the NGSS. As adoption of the NGSS expands across the country, states will be at various levels of implementation of the new standards over the next several years - and there is real concern that teachers must have sufficient professional development to be able to be successful in preparing their students - particularly in view of likely coupled assessments and teacher evaluations. NESTA strongly supports implementation of the NGSS, and the rigorous and compelling ESS education it will engender, when coupled with a strong emphasis nationwide on teacher professional development. For the past two years, the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has continued our leadership in K-12 ESS education through workshops, web seminars, events and publications that emphasize implementation of the NGSS in ESS-related courses. Our recent survey of K-12 Earth and space science educators confirms widespread enthusiasm about the potential offered by the new standards, as well as concern about the urgent need for professional development to support teacher implementation of the standards.

The SERI solar energy storage program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copeland, R. J.; Wright, J. D.; Wyman, C. E.

1980-01-01

In support of the DOE thermal and chemical energy storage program, the solar energy storage program (SERI) provides research on advanced technologies, systems analyses, and assessments of thermal energy storage for solar applications in support of the Thermal and Chemical Energy Storage Program of the DOE Division of Energy Storage Systems. Currently, research is in progress on direct contact latent heat storage and thermochemical energy storage and transport. Systems analyses are being performed of thermal energy storage for solar thermal applications, and surveys and assessments are being prepared of thermal energy storage in solar applications. A ranking methodology for comparing thermal storage systems (performance and cost) is presented. Research in latent heat storage and thermochemical storage and transport is reported.

Enabling the development of Community Extensions to GI-cat - the SIB-ESS-C case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigagli, L.; Meier, N.; Boldrini, E.; Gerlach, R.

2009-04-01

GI-cat is a Java software package that implements discovery and access services for disparate geospatial resources. An instance of GI-cat provides a single point of service for querying and accessing remote, as well as local, heterogeneous sources of geospatial information, either through standard interfaces, or taking advantage of GI-cat advanced features, such as incremental responses, query feedback, etc. GI-cat supports a number of de-iure and de-facto standards, but can also be extended to additional community catalog/inventory services, by defining appropriate mediation components. The GI-cat and the SIB-ESS-C development teams collaborated in the development of a mediator to the Siberian Earth Science System Cluster (SIB-ESS-C), a web-based infrastructure to support the communities of environmental and Earth System research in Siberia. This activity resulted in the identification of appropriate technologies and internal mechanisms supporting the development of GI-cat extensions, that are the object of this work. GI-cat is actually built up of a modular framework of SOA components, that can be variously arranged to fit the needs of a community of users. For example, a particular GI-cat instance may be configured to provide discovery functionalities onto an OGC WMS; or to adapt a THREDDS catalog to the standard OGC CSW interface; or to merge a number of CDI repositories into a single, more efficient catalog. The flexibility of GI-cat framework is achieved thanks to its design, that follows the Tree of Responsibility (ToR) pattern and the Uniform Pipe and Filter architectural style. This approach allows the building of software blocks that can be flexibly reused and composed in multiple ways. In fact, the components that make up any GI-cat configuration all implement two common interfaces (i.e. IChainNode and ICatalogService), that support chaining one component to another . Hence, it would suffice to implement those interfaces (plus an appropriate factory class: the mechanism used to create GI-cat components) to support a custom community catalog/inventory service in GI-cat. In general, all the terminal nodes of a GI-cat configuration chain are in charge of mediating between the GI-cat common interfaces and a backend, so we implemented a default behavior in an abstract class, termed Accessor, to be more easily subclassed. Moreover, we identified several typical backend scenarios and provided specialized Accessor subclasses, even simpler to implement. For example, in case of a coarse-grained backend service, that responds its data all at once, a specialized Accessor can retrieve the whole content the first time, and subsequently browse/query the local copy of the data. This was the approach followed for the development of SibesscAccessor. The SIB-ESS-C case study is also noticeable because it requires mediating between the relational and the semi-structured data models. In fact, SIB-ESS-C data are stored in a relational database, to provide performant access even to huge amounts of data. The SibesscAccessor is in charge of establishing a JDBC connection to the database, reading the data by means of SQL statements, creating Java objects according to the ISO 19115 data model, and marshalling the resulting information to an XML document. During the implementation of the SibesscAccessor, the mix of technologies and deployment environments and the geographical distribution of the development teams turned out to be important issues. To solve them, we relied on technologies and tools for collaborative software development: the Maven build system, the SVN version control system, the XPlanner project planning and tracking tool, and of course VOIP tools. Moreover, we shipped the Accessor Development Kit (ADK) Java library, containing the classes needed for extending GI-cat to custom community catalog/inventory services and other supporting material (documentation, best-practices, examples). The ADK is distributed as a Maven artifact, to simplify dependency management and ease the common tasks of testing, packaging, etc. The SibesscAccessor was the first custom addition to the set of GI-cat accessors. Later, also the so-called Standard Accessors library has been refactored onto the ADK. The SIB-ESS-C case study also gave us the opportunity to refine our policies for collaborative software development. Besides, several improvements were made to the overall GI-cat data model and framework. Finally, the SIB-ESS-C development team developed a GI-cat web client by means of Web 2.0 technologies (JavaScript, XML, HTML, CSS, etc.) The client can easily be integrated in any HTML context on any web page. The web GUI allows the user to define requests to GI-cat by entering parameter strings and/or selecting an area of interest on a map. The client sends its request to GI-cat via SOAP through HTTP-POST, parses GI-cat SOAP responses and presents user-friendly information on a web page.

Long-term sinonasal outcomes of aspirin desensitization in aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease.

PubMed

Cho, Kyu-Sup; Soudry, Ethan; Psaltis, Alkis J; Nadeau, Kari C; McGhee, Sean A; Nayak, Jayakar V; Hwang, Peter H

2014-10-01

This study aimed to assess sinonasal outcomes in patients with aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) undergoing aspirin desensitization following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Case series with chart review. University hospital. A retrospective review of sinonasal outcomes was conducted for 30 AERD patients undergoing aspirin desensitization and maintenance therapy following ESS. Sinonasal outcomes were prospectively assessed by the Sinonasal Outcomes Test-22 (SNOT-22) and endoscopic polyp grading system. Data were collected preoperatively, 1 and 4 weeks postsurgery (before desensitization), and 1, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months after aspirin desensitization. Twenty-eight of 30 patients (93.3%) successfully completed aspirin desensitization, whereas 2 of 30 (6.7%) were unable to complete desensitization due to respiratory intolerance. Of the 21 patients who successfully completed a minimum of 24 weeks of follow-up, 20 (95.2%) patients demonstrated sustained endoscopic and symptomatic improvement for a median follow-up period of 33 months. After surgical treatment but before desensitization, patients experienced significant reductions in SNOT-22 and polyp grade scores. In the first 6 months after aspirin desensitization, patients experienced further significant reductions in SNOT-22 scores, whereas polyp grade remained stable. The improvements in symptom endoscopic scores were preserved throughout the follow-up period after desensitization. No patients required additional sinus surgery. One patient had to discontinue aspirin therapy due to gastrointestinal side effects. No other adverse reactions to aspirin were noted. Aspirin desensitization following ESS appears to be a well-tolerated and effective adjunctive therapy for long-term control of nasal polyposis in patients with AERD. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

Perceived sleepiness in Canadian anesthesia residents: a national survey.

PubMed

Hanlon, John G; Hayter, Megan A; Bould, M Dylan; Joo, Hwan S; Naik, Viren N

2009-01-01

To compare the self-perceived sleepiness of Canadian anesthesia residents providing modified on-call duties (12-16 h) vs. traditional on-call duties (24 h). A 25-item online survey was distributed to all Canadian anesthesia residents who, at that time, were on anesthesia rotations. The survey assessed resident demographics, perceived work patterns, and sleepiness, as well as their opinions on resident work hour reform. Self-perceived sleepiness was quantified using the validated Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Three hundred eight of 400 (77%) eligible Canadian anesthesia residents completed the survey. Forty-three percent of residents who worked traditional on-call (duration 24.1 +/- 0.5 h) shifts and 48% of residents who worked modified on-call (duration 15.5 +/- 1.8 h) shifts met ESS criteria for excessive daytime sleepiness. Overall mean ESS scores did not differ significantly between the traditional (9.1 +/- 4.9) and the modified call groups (9.5 +/- 4.8). Residents with an on-call frequency of >or=1:4 days or those who slept

Using Earth System Science as Basis for Sustainability Education in an Undergraduate Environmental Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinton, C. W.

2012-12-01

Undergraduate programs in Environmental Science (ES) have progressively grown over the past decades. One of the many challenges of providing an effective curriculum is deciding what content and which skills are included in such a wide ranging field. Certainly geoscience needs to be included as part of the content but how is this best executed? More precisely, what should ES majors know about how the earth, oceans, and atmosphere work? One possible approach is to include existing undergraduate geology or atmospheric science courses as part of the required core, but this has potential pitfalls. For example, courses may be geared toward general education requirements or may be designed more for geology majors. A better solution is to offer a course or set of courses that are specifically tailored for ES majors. I propose that Earth System Science (ESS) is an excellent approach as it incorporates the earth as a whole system and can be taught within the context of environmental sustainability. My approach to ESS is to focus on the movement/cycles of matter (e.g., carbon, calcium, nitrogen) and energy. By referring back to this focus throughout the semester, students are provided with a structure to begin to make sense of a complex problem. In support of this, lab exercises provide practice in collecting and analyzing data using a variety resources.

Proceedings of the DOE chemical energy storage and hydrogen energy systems contracts review

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

Not Available

Sessions were held on electrolysis-based hydrogen storage systems, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage systems, hydrogen storage materials, end-use applications and system studies, chemical heat pump/chemical energy storage systems, systems studies and assessment, thermochemical hydrogen production cycles, advanced production concepts, and containment materials. (LHK)

Spacecraft cryogenic gas storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rysavy, G.

1971-01-01

Cryogenic gas storage systems were developed for the liquid storage of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and helium. Cryogenic storage is attractive because of the high liquid density and low storage pressure of cryogens. This situation results in smaller container sizes, reduced container-strength levels, and lower tankage weights. The Gemini and Apollo spacecraft used cryogenic gas storage systems as standard spacecraft equipment. In addition to the Gemini and Apollo cryogenic gas storage systems, other systems were developed and tested in the course of advancing the state of the art. All of the cryogenic storage systems used, developed, and tested to date for manned-spacecraft applications are described.

High prevalence of recurrent nocturnal desaturations in systemic AL amyloidosis: a cross-sectional pilot study.

PubMed

Mahmood, Shameem; Sovani, Milind; Smith, Peter; George, Leena; Quarta, Christina C; Sachchithanantham, Sajitha; Fontana, Marianna; Whelan, Carol J; Lachmann, Helen J; Gillmore, Julian D; Hawkins, Philip N; Wechalekar, Ashutosh D

2017-04-01

Cardiac involvement and/or macroglossia with soft tissue deposits are risk factors for central sleep apnoea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and common features of systemic AL amyloidosis. Little data exist on the occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or recurrent nocturnal hypoxia in amyloidosis, which this study sought to investigate. A total of 72 consecutive patients with systemic amyloidosis (mean age 69 years and mean BMI 25) were evaluated for occurrence of SDB, by overnight continuous pulse oximetry, and completed Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS) and STOPBANG questionnaires. Patients included: AL cardiac (AL-C), AL macroglossia (AL-M), AL both (AL-CM) and transthyretin (ATTR). Mean overnight oxygen saturations were 93% (SD ± 2, 95% CI 87-96) with abnormal oximetry (4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) >5/hour): AC-C 84%, AL-M 57%, AL-CM 62% and ATTR 47%. NYHA class directly correlated with a higher 4% ODI, NYHA class I vs 3, (p = 0.01). Two-thirds of patients had STOPBANG scores >3 and abnormally high ESS scores (>10) were seen in up to 30% of patients. Recurrent nocturnal hypoxaemia, suggestive of sleep-disordered breathing, is frequent in systemic AL amyloidosis. The higher incidence in cardiac amyloidosis highlights CSA and recurrent hypoxia as possible mechanisms for morbidity/mortality in these cases. A detailed polysomnography study is planned to clarify and further investigate these findings. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessing narcolepsy with cataplexy in children and adolescents: development of a cataplexy diary and the ESS-CHAD

PubMed Central

Wang, Y Grace; Benmedjahed, Khadra; Lambert, Jérémy; Evans, Christopher J; Hwang, Steve; Black, Jed; Johns, Murray W

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate concepts for incorporation into a daily diary to capture cataplexy frequency and to assess the content validity of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) in pediatric patients with narcolepsy. Patients and methods Face-to-face concept elicitation and cognitive interviews were conducted with children (7–9 years; n=13) and adolescents (10–17 years; n=16) who have narcolepsy with cataplexy, and their parents/caregivers. Results Similarities and differences were noted between narcolepsy concepts described by children and their parents/caregivers, suggesting some different but complementary perspectives; parents may not recognize cataplexy symptoms/triggers as well as children, but parents have greater recognition of the circumstances of falling asleep. Cataplexy diary modifications included changes in definitions and examples of cataplexy, using child-friendly terminology, adding a quantitative question to determine daily frequency, and standardizing the questionnaire for evening administration with self-completion by the child. Modifications were made to ESS-CHAD for child-friendly wording and to ensure that items reflect activities (eating, watching TV/video) and environments (school, bus/car transport) in which children are likely to participate. Two ESS-CHAD versions were proposed: one with a 1-month recall period, for general use, and the other with a recall period of “since your last study visit,” for research, which could be shorter or longer than 1 month (as short as 1 week). Conclusion The cataplexy diary and ESS-CHAD were modified for the assessment of children and adolescents. Further psychometric validation is recommended. These measures are being used in a Phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trial of sodium oxybate in children and adolescents with narcolepsy. PMID:28860883

Report of the Peer Review Panel on the early site suitability evaluation of the Potential Repository Site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

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

NONE

1992-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Yucca mountain Site Characterization Project Office (YMPO) assigned Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Technical and Management Support Services (T&MSS) contractor to the YmPo, the task of conducting an Early Site Suitability Evaluation (ESSE) of the Yucca mountain site as a potential site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. First, the assignment called for the development of a method to evaluate a single site against the DOE General Guidelines for Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories, 10 CFR Part 960. Then, using this method, an evaluation team, the ESSE Core Team, of seniormore » YMP scientists, engineers, and technical experts, evaluated new information obtained about the site since publication of the final Environmental Assessment (DOE, 1986) to determine if new suitability/unsuitability findings could be recommended. Finally, the Core Team identified further information and analyses needed to make final determinations for each of the guidelines. As part of the task, an independent peer review of the ESSE report has been conducted. Expertise was solicited that covered the entire spectrum of siting guidelines in 10 CFR Part 960 in order to provide a complete, in-depth critical review of the data evaluated and cited in the ESSE report, the methods used to evaluate the data, and the conclusions and recommendations offered by the report. Fourteen nationally recognized technical experts (Table 2) served on the Peer Review Panel. The comments from the Panel and the responses prepared by the ESSE Core Team, documented on formal Comment Response Forms, constitute the body of this document.« less

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness is Associated with Longer Culprit Lesion and Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Hang; Ng, Wai-Yee; Hau, William; Ho, Hee-Hwa; Tai, Bee-Choo; Chan, Mark Y.; Richards, A. Mark; Tan, Huay-Cheem

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: We assessed whether excessive daytime sleepiness was associated with coronary plaque phenotype and subsequent adverse cardiovascular events. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examination of the culprit coronary stenosis was performed. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire was administered, and the patients were divided into 2 groups—(1) sleepier and (2) less sleepy—based on the ESS score. Adverse cardiovascular outcomes were defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unplanned revascularization, or heart failure admission. Results: One hundred seventeen patients undergoing urgent or non-urgent coronary angiography were recruited. Compared with the less sleepy group (ESS ≤ 10, n = 87), the sleepier group (ESS > 10, n = 30) had higher serum levels of total cholesterol and of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterols (p < 0.05 for both). The IVUS examinations indicated coronary stenoses were longer in the sleepier group than in the less sleepy group (p = 0.011). The cumulative incidence of adverse cardiovascular events at 16-month follow-up was higher in the sleepier than the less sleepy group (12.5% versus 6.9%, p = 0.03). Cox regression analysis adjusting for age and smoking showed increased hazard of adverse cardiovascular events in sleepier group as compared to less sleepy group (HR = 3.44, 95% CI 1.01-11.72). Conclusion: In patients presenting with coronary artery disease, excessive daytime sleepiness based on ESS > 10 was associated with longer culprit lesions and future adverse cardiovascular events. Citation: Lee CH; Ng WY; Hau W; Ho HH; Tai BC; Chan MY; Richards AM; Tan HC. Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with longer culprit lesion and adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(12):1267-1272. PMID:24340288

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of SNOT-22 Outcomes after Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis.

PubMed

Le, Phong T; Soler, Zachary M; Jones, Rabun; Mattos, Jose L; Nguyen, Shaun A; Schlosser, Rodney J

2018-04-01

Objective Wide variation exists regarding reported outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This study seeks to combine data across studies to generate a summary measure and explore factors that might lead to variation. Data Sources OVID Medline, Scopus, EbscoHost, Database of Abstracts and Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment, and National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database. Review Methods A search was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Two independent researchers conducted a search using the mentioned data sources. Studies published before August 29, 2016, that involved ESS to treat CRSwNP were included. Mean changes in Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) scores were determined through metaregression of the following independent variables: publication year, sex, age, allergy status, asthma, tobacco use, prior surgery, follow-up length, and preoperative SNOT-22. Results Fifteen articles with 3048 patients treated with ESS met inclusion criteria. Pooled analyses of SNOT-22 scores revealed a mean change of 23.0 points (95% CI, 20.2-25.8; P < .001). A metaregression of patient factor effects on the mean change of SNOT-22 scores demonstrated that age ( r = 0.71, P = .01), asthma ( r = 0.21, P = .01), prior ESS ( r = 0.29, P = .01), and preoperative SNOT-22 score ( r = 0.4, P < .01) correlated with greater improvement in SNOT-22 scores. Tobacco use ( r = -0.91, P = .01) and longer lengths of follow-up ( r = -0.45, P < .01) were associated with less improvement in SNOT-22 scores. Conclusions Quality-of-life outcomes are significantly improved after ESS among patients with CRSwNP. Patient-specific factors may affect the degree of SNOT-22 change after surgery.

Evolving trends in sinus surgery: What is the impact of balloon sinus dilation?

PubMed

Svider, Peter F; Darlin, Spencer; Bobian, Michael; Sekhsaria, Vibhav; Harvey, Richard J; Gray, Stacey T; Baredes, Soly; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2018-06-01

Balloon dilation (BD) represents a minimally invasive alternative to endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Although BD was introduced in 2006, distinct Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were not available until 2011, making prior analysis of population-based trends difficult. Our objectives were to evaluate these trends and compare any changes to the use of traditional ESS techniques. Geographic trends also were evaluated. Medicare Part B national datasets encompassing procedures from 2011 to 2015 were obtained. ESS CPT codes (frontal sinusotomy, maxillary antrostomy with/without tissue removal, sphenoidotomy) and BD codes were searched to determine temporal trends in their use. Additionally, state carriers were individually evaluated for geographic trends. National use of BD increased greater than five-fold (39,193 from 7,496 among Medicare patients), whereas the use of ESS increased by only 5.9%. This increase in BD was observed across all sites, including the sphenoid (7.0x), maxillary (5.1x), and frontal (4.7x) sinuses. In the most recent year for which data was available (2015), a significantly greater portion of sinus procedures in these sites utilized BD in the South (42.1%) compared to the Northeast (30.6%), West (29.5%), and Midwest (25.3%) regions (P < 0.0001). The performance of BD has increased markedly in recent years. Because the use of ESS codes remain stable, observed BD trends are unlikely to be due simply to greater familiarity with newer CPT coding. The reasons for the striking increase in BD popularity are speculative and beyond the scope of this analysis, but further study may be needed. NA. Laryngoscope, 128:1299-1303, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Comparison of intranasal fluticasone spray, budesonide atomizer, and budesonide respules in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis after endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Neubauer, Paul D; Schwam, Zachary G; Manes, R Peter

2016-03-01

Nasal steroids are a critical part of the management of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Increasingly, practitioners are using budesonide respules delivered to the sinonasal cavities, which is an off-label use, in lieu of traditional nasal steroids. There has been little research comparing budesonide with traditional nasal steroids and the most effective delivery method of budesonide. A randomized controlled trial was performed on patients after ESS for CRSwNP in a tertiary care center. Patients were randomized into 1 of 3 groups: group A received fluticasone nasal spray twice daily; group B received budesonide respules via a mucosal atomization device (MAD) twice daily; and group C received budesonide respules instilled via the vertex-to-floor (VF) position twice daily. Primary endpoints were 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and Lund-Kennedy scores at 6 months. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study, 23 of whom completed the 6-month trial. There were no significant differences among groups A, B, and C with respect to age, gender, asthma, aspirin sensitivity, or previous ESS. Group B had a statistically significant greater reduction in SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores at the primary endpoint of 6 months compared to groups A and C. Group C had the next greatest reduction, which was statistically significant, followed by group A. Patients treated with budesonide after ESS for CRSwNP had greater improvement in SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores compared to fluticasone at 6 months. The data supports the use of budesonide respules, particularly with a MAD, over fluticasone for CRSwNP patients after ESS. © 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Antibodies to pituitary surface antigens during various pituitary disease states.

PubMed

Keda, Y M; Krjukova, I V; Ilovaiskaia, I A; Morozova, M S; Fofanova, O V; Babarina, M B; Marova, E I; Pankov, Y A; Kandror, V I

2002-11-01

Autoantibodies to cell surface antigens of human somatotropinoma (ASAS), human prolactinoma (ASAP) and rat adenohypophysis (ASARA) were assayed in the serum of patients with pituitary diseases associated with GH deficiency (GHD), such as pituitary dwarfism and primary empty sella syndrome (ESS), and in the serum of patients with hyperprolactinaemia of different etiologies: idiopathic hyperprolactinaemia, prolactinoma and ESS. The investigation was carried out with a cellular variant of an ELISA. Among children with GHD, the highest percentage of antibody-positive patients was found in the group with idiopathic isolated GHD (89% of ASAS(+) patients and 30% of ASARA(+) patients vs 33.3% and 0% respectively in the group with idiopathic combined pituitary hormone deficiency, and 33.3% and 9% in patients with pituitary hypoplasia associated with isolated GHD or combined pituitary hormone deficiency). Among hyperprolactinaemic patients, the highest ASAP and ASARA frequency was observed in patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinaemia (67.7% and 41.9% respectively) where it was twice as high as in the group of patients with prolactinoma. The proportion of ASAS(+) and ASARA(+) did not differ significantly between the groups of patients with ess with or without GHD. Similarly, there was no significant difference between the number of ESS ASAP(+) and ASARA(+) patients with or without hyperprolactinaemia. The data obtained suggested that autoimmune disorders may be primary, and responsible, at least in part, for pituitary dysfunction in the cases of idiopathic isolated GHD and idiopathic hyperprolactinaemia. At the same time, the autoimmune disorders in the patients with prolactinoma or ESS are probably secondary to the organic pituitary lesion and their significance in the development of the pituitary dysfunction is obscure.

Assessment of environmental consequences of the normal operations of the ESS facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ene, D.; Avila, R.; Hjerpe, T.; Bugay, D.; Stenberg, K.

2018-06-01

As other accelerator based facilities, the European Spallation Source ESS facility will interact with the environment. The Swedish legislation requires a demonstration that the sum of the doses resulting from the exposure of any member of the public to ionizing radiation dose does not exceed the specified limit of 50 μSv/year. A radiological assessment has been produced to provide that demonstration. This evaluation was based upon the actual status of the ESS design. A graded approach was adopted through over the assessment allowing estimating dose for all radionuclides and exposure pathways, but the degree of detail in the assessment depend upon their relative radiological importance. The total dose was obtained making the sum of the contribution of all-important radionuclides treated realistically with that of all screened out radionuclides, derived by means a conservative method.

Extraction, scrub, and strip test results for the salt waste processing facility caustic side solvent extraction solvent example

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

Peters, T. B.

An Extraction, Scrub, and Strip (ESS) test was performed on a sample of Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent and salt simulant to determine cesium distribution ratios (D(Cs)), and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Parsons to help determine if the solvent is qualified for use at the SWPF. The ESS test showed acceptable performance of the solvent for extraction, scrub, and strip operations. The extraction D(Cs) measured 12.9, exceeding the required value of 8. This value is consistent with results from previousmore » ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. Similarly, scrub and strip cesium distribution ratios fell within acceptable ranges.« less

Stand-alone digital data storage control system including user control interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Kenneth D. (Inventor); Gray, David L. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A storage control system includes an apparatus and method for user control of a storage interface to operate a storage medium to store data obtained by a real-time data acquisition system. Digital data received in serial format from the data acquisition system is first converted to a parallel format and then provided to the storage interface. The operation of the storage interface is controlled in accordance with instructions based on user control input from a user. Also, a user status output is displayed in accordance with storage data obtained from the storage interface. By allowing the user to control and monitor the operation of the storage interface, a stand-alone, user-controllable data storage system is provided for storing the digital data obtained by a real-time data acquisition system.

Assessing the Reliability and Use of the Expository Scoring Scheme as a Measure of Developmental Change in Monolingual English and Bilingual French/English Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bird, Elizabeth Kay-Raining; Joshi, Nila; Cleave, Patricia L.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The Expository Scoring Scheme (ESS) is designed to analyze the macrostructure of descriptions of a favorite game or sport. This pilot study examined inter- and intrarater reliability of the ESS and use of the scale to capture developmental change in elementary school children. Method: Twenty-four children in 2 language groups (monolingual…

"Teaching What I Learned": Exploring Students' Earth and Space Science Learning Experiences in Secondary School with a Particular Focus on Their Comprehension of the Concept of "Geologic Time"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Sae Yeol; Peate, David W.

2015-01-01

According to the national survey of science education, science educators in the USA currently face many challenges such as lack of qualified secondary Earth and Space Science (ESS) teachers. Less qualified teachers may have difficulty teaching ESS because of a lack of conceptual understanding, which leads to diminished confidence in content…

A Case of Fragmented High School Earth and Space Science Education in the Great Plains: Tracing Teacher Certification Policy to Students' Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elizabeth; Lu, Jia

2017-01-01

Although U.S. high school students' access to Earth and space science (ESS) varies widely from state to state, nationally, ESS content is the most neglected area of science education and scientific literacy. States have been considering whether they will formally adopt, or less formally adapt, the new national science education standards, the Next…

Shame, trauma, temperament and psychopathology: Construct validity of the Experience of Shame Scale.

PubMed

Vizin, Gabriella; Urbán, Róbert; Unoka, Zsolt

2016-12-30

Although Experience of Shame Scale (ESS) is used in clinical research and it covers psychiatrically relevant dimensions of chronic shame, characterological (CS), behavioral (BS) and bodily (BoS) respectively, its factor structures were not confirmed on clinical sample. The goals of our research were to examine the factor structure of the Hungarian version of ESS, in addition, to analyze the associations between factors of ESS and different types of predictors, such as clinical status, gender, age, school years, early abuse history, general psychopathology (GSI), and temperament dimensions by using a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) with covariates in a large clinical and matched healthy sample. Psychiatric inpatients (N=148) and healthy control subjects (N=148) participated in this cross-sectional questionnaire study. In both samples, the degree of fit was adequate. The final CFA with covariates model showed significant and positive associations between CS and clinical status and education respectively, between CS, BS, BoS and frequency of verbal abuse, between CS and BoS and GSI and between CS and BS and harm avoidance and in addition we found negative associations between each of the shame factors and age. Our results support the psychiatric validity of the ESS construct. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scientific Research for Integrated Solutions to Community Challenges: The Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udu-gama, N.; Pandya, R.

2015-12-01

There is tremendous unmet and sometimes unrealized need for Earth and space science (ESS) expertise as part of civic decisions and local planning for climate change, natural hazards and natural resources. The Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) helps AGU contribute that expertise to humanity in respectful, integrated ways. TEX brings ESS scientists together with local communities tackling issues of climate change, natural hazards and natural resources to co-design solutions that equitably integrate both scientific and community knowledge. To achieve this ambitious goal, TEX is partnering with organizations that are respected by and knowledgeable about communities both in the United States and internationally. Such partnerships include Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities Initiative, ICLEI USA, MIT's Climate Colab, among others. TEX works with these partners to approach communities who are ready to or already addressing ESS related issues. With partners, we help the communities define their goals, develop specific projects, and connect with relevant and helpful ESS scientists. We will also show how we help scientists and community leaders work productively together, and the tools we bring to support their innovation. It will highlight international examples, such as in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan-Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia, and provide concrete examples of how these initiatives are helping TEX further expand the frontiers of collaborative research.

Beam modulation: A novel ToF-technique for high resolution diffraction at the Beamline for European Materials Engineering Research (BEER)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouijaa, M.; Kampmann, R.; Šaroun, J.; Fenske, J.; Beran, P.; Müller, M.; Lukáš, P.; Schreyer, A.

2018-05-01

The Beamline for European Materials Engineering Research (BEER) is under construction at the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden. A basic requirement on BEER is to make best use of the long ESS pulse (2.86 ms) for engineering investigations. High-resolution diffraction, however, demands timing resolution up to 0.1% corresponding to a pulse length down to about 70 μs for the case of thermal neutrons (λ ∼ 1.8 Å). Such timing resolution can be achieved by pulse shaping techniques cutting a short section out of the long pulse, and thus paying for resolution by strong loss of intensity. In contrast to this, BEER proposes a novel operation mode called pulse modulation technique based on a new chopper design, which extracts several short pulses out of the long ESS pulse, and hence leads to a remarkable gain of intensity compared to nowadays existing conventional pulse shaping techniques. The potential of the new technique can be used with full advantage for investigating strains and textures of highly symmetric materials. Due to its instrument design and the high brilliance of the ESS pulse, BEER is expected to become the European flagship for engineering research for strain mapping and texture analysis.

NLP is a novel transcription regulator involved in VSG expression site control in Trypanosoma brucei.

PubMed

Narayanan, Mani Shankar; Kushwaha, Manish; Ersfeld, Klaus; Fullbrook, Alexander; Stanne, Tara M; Rudenko, Gloria

2011-03-01

Trypanosoma brucei mono-allelically expresses one of approximately 1500 variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes while multiplying in the mammalian bloodstream. The active VSG is transcribed by RNA polymerase I in one of approximately 15 telomeric VSG expression sites (ESs). T. brucei is unusual in controlling gene expression predominantly post-transcriptionally, and how ESs are mono-allelically controlled remains a mystery. Here we identify a novel transcription regulator, which resembles a nucleoplasmin-like protein (NLP) with an AT-hook motif. NLP is key for ES control in bloodstream form T. brucei, as NLP knockdown results in 45- to 65-fold derepression of the silent VSG221 ES. NLP is also involved in repression of transcription in the inactive VSG Basic Copy arrays, minichromosomes and procyclin loci. NLP is shown to be enriched on the 177- and 50-bp simple sequence repeats, the non-transcribed regions around rDNA and procyclin, and both active and silent ESs. Blocking NLP synthesis leads to downregulation of the active ES, indicating that NLP plays a role in regulating appropriate levels of transcription of ESs in both their active and silent state. Discovery of the unusual transcription regulator NLP provides new insight into the factors that are critical for ES control.

Elastic scattering spectroscopy of coagulated brain tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ateş, Filiz; Tabakoğlu, Haşim Özgür; Bozkulak, Özgüncem; Canpolat, Murat; Gülsoy, Murat

2006-02-01

The goal of this study was to differentiate the parts of lamb brain according to elastic scattering spectroscopy and detect the optical alterations due to coagulation. Cells and tissues are not uniform and have complex structures and shapes. They can be referred to as scattering particles. The process of scattering depends on the light wavelength and on the scattering medium properties; especially on the size and the density of the medium. When elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) is employed, the morphological alterations of tissues can be detected using spectral measurements of the elastic scattered light over a wide range of wavelengths. In this study firstly, the slopes of ESS spectra were used to differentiate the parts of lamb brains (brainstem, cerebellum, gray matter, white matter) in vitro in the range of 450 - 750 nm. Secondly, tissues were coagulated at different temperatures (45, 60, and 80 °C) and ESS spectra were taken from native and coagulated tissues. It was observed that as the coagulation temperature increased, the slope of the elastic scattering spectra decreased. Thus, optical properties of tissues were changed with respect to the change in nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio due to the water loss. Results showed that the slopes of ESS spectra in the visible range revealed valuable information about the morphological changes caused by coagulation.

Comparing Treatment Effect Measurements in Narcolepsy: The Sustained Attention to Response Task, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.

PubMed

van der Heide, Astrid; van Schie, Mojca K M; Lammers, Gert Jan; Dauvilliers, Yves; Arnulf, Isabelle; Mayer, Geert; Bassetti, Claudio L; Ding, Claire-Li; Lehert, Philippe; van Dijk, J Gert

2015-07-01

To validate the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) as a treatment effect measure in narcolepsy, and to compare the SART with the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Validation of treatment effect measurements within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Ninety-five patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. The RCT comprised a double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial comparing the effects of 8-w treatments with pitolisant (BF2.649), modafinil, or placebo (NCT01067222). MWT, ESS, and SART were administered at baseline and after an 8-w treatment period. The severity of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy was also assessed using the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI-C). The SART, MWT, and ESS all had good reliability, obtained for the SART and MWT using two to three sessions in 1 day. The ability to distinguish responders from nonresponders, classified using the CGI-C score, was high for all measures, with a high performance for the SART (r = 0.61) and the ESS (r = 0.54). The Sustained Attention to Response Task is a valid and easy-to-administer measure to assess treatment effects in narcolepsy, enhanced by combining it with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Thermal Storage Applications Workshop. Volume 2: Contributed Papers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The solar thermal and the thermal and thermochemical energy storage programs are described as well as the technology requirements for both external (electrical) and internal (thermal, chemical) modes for energy storage in solar power plants. Specific technical issues addressed include thermal storage criteria for solar power plants interfacing with utility systems; optimal dispatch of storage for solar plants in a conventional electric grid; thermal storage/temperature tradeoffs for solar total energy systems; the value of energy storage for direct-replacement solar thermal power plants; systems analysis of storage in specific solar thermal power applications; the value of seasonal storage of solar energy; criteria for selection of the thermal storage system for a 10 MW(2) solar power plant; and the need for specific requirements by storage system development teams.

Thermal energy storage devices, systems, and thermal energy storage device monitoring methods

DOEpatents

Tugurlan, Maria; Tuffner, Francis K; Chassin, David P.

2016-09-13

Thermal energy storage devices, systems, and thermal energy storage device monitoring methods are described. According to one aspect, a thermal energy storage device includes a reservoir configured to hold a thermal energy storage medium, a temperature control system configured to adjust a temperature of the thermal energy storage medium, and a state observation system configured to provide information regarding an energy state of the thermal energy storage device at a plurality of different moments in time.

Open systems storage platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, Kirby

1992-01-01

The building blocks for an open storage system includes a system platform, a selection of storage devices and interfaces, system software, and storage applications CONVEX storage systems are based on the DS Series Data Server systems. These systems are a variant of the C3200 supercomputer with expanded I/O capabilities. These systems support a variety of medium and high speed interfaces to networks and peripherals. System software is provided in the form of ConvexOS, a POSIX compliant derivative of 4.3BSD UNIX. Storage applications include products such as UNITREE and EMASS. With the DS Series of storage systems, Convex has developed a set of products which provide open system solutions for storage management applications. The systems are highly modular, assembled from off the shelf components with industry standard interfaces. The C Series system architecture provides a stable base, with the performance and reliability of a general purpose platform. This combination of a proven system architecture with a variety of choices in peripherals and application software allows wide flexibility in configurations, and delivers the benefits of open systems to the mass storage world.

FY97 Materials & Processes Technology Area Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

Offices ess has Center Technology Coun- ings, the first use ever of gamma (SPOs). In addition, we provide cil (CTCs) technology needs Titanium Aluminide ...300,000 in form- structive evaluation (NDE). Four Agreements (CRDAs) with 7 ing of Titanium Aluminide with Data EAchange Agreements more in negotiation and...Systems Aircraft Range with r 50% Decrease in Fuel Propulsion Syste s =Consumption Titanium Aluminides Cast Titanium 25000F Ceramic Matrix Transition

Integrated Cognition - A Proposed Definition of Ingredients, A Survey of Systems, and Example Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-01

Information Proc- essing Technology Office (IPTO) for their support of this work. We thank Dr. John Salasin for his vision in conceiving these...ingredients of cognition identified in the INCOG framework presented herein, including: Dr. John R. Anderson, Mr. Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Dr...Goertzel, Professor Marvin Minsky, Dr. Robert Hecht-Nielsen, Dr. Marcus J. Huber, Dr. John Laird, Professor Pat Langley, Dr. Christian Lebiere, Dr

Scientific Visualization & Modeling for Earth Systems Science Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhury, S. Raj; Rodriguez, Waldo J.

2003-01-01

Providing research experiences for undergraduate students in Earth Systems Science (ESS) poses several challenges at smaller academic institutions that might lack dedicated resources for this area of study. This paper describes the development of an innovative model that involves students with majors in diverse scientific disciplines in authentic ESS research. In studying global climate change, experts typically use scientific visualization techniques applied to remote sensing data collected by satellites. In particular, many problems related to environmental phenomena can be quantitatively addressed by investigations based on datasets related to the scientific endeavours such as the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Working with data products stored at NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers, visualization software specifically designed for students and an advanced, immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environment, students engage in guided research projects during a structured 6-week summer program. Over the 5-year span, this program has afforded the opportunity for students majoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering and science education to work collaboratively in teams on research projects that emphasize the use of scientific visualization in studying the environment. Recently, a hands-on component has been added through science student partnerships with school-teachers in data collection and reporting for the GLOBE Program (GLobal Observations to Benefit the Environment).

Expert system verification and validation study. Phase 2: Requirements identification. Delivery 1: Updated survey report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The purpose is to report the state-of-the-practice in Verification and Validation (V and V) of Expert Systems (ESs) on current NASA and Industry applications. This is the first task of a series which has the ultimate purpose of ensuring that adequate ES V and V tools and techniques are available for Space Station Knowledge Based Systems development. The strategy for determining the state-of-the-practice is to check how well each of the known ES V and V issues are being addressed and to what extent they have impacted the development of Expert Systems.

Investigation of storage system designs and techniques for optimizing energy conservation in integrated utility systems. Volume 2: (Application of energy storage to IUS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The applicability of energy storage devices to any energy system depends on the performance and cost characteristics of the larger basic system. A comparative assessment of energy storage alternatives for application to IUS which addresses the systems aspects of the overall installation is described. Factors considered include: (1) descriptions of the two no-storage IUS baselines utilized as yardsticks for comparison throughout the study; (2) discussions of the assessment criteria and the selection framework employed; (3) a summary of the rationale utilized in selecting water storage as the primary energy storage candidate for near term application to IUS; (4) discussion of the integration aspects of water storage systems; and (5) an assessment of IUS with water storage in alternative climates.

Annual Report 1998: Chemical Structure and Dynamics

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

SD Colson; RS McDowell

1999-05-10

The Chemical Structure and Dynamics (CS&D) program is a major component of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Labo- ratory (EMSL), developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide a state-of- the-art collaborative facility for studies of chemical structure and dynamics. We respond to the need for a fundamental, molecular-level understanding of chemistry at a wide variety of environmentally important interfaces by (1) extending the experimental characterization and theoretical description of chemical reactions to encompass the effects of condensed media and interfaces; (2) developing a multidisciplinary capability for describing interracial chemical processes within which the new knowledge generatedmore » can be brought to bear on complex phenomena in envi- ronmental chemistry and in nuclear waste proc- essing and storage; and (3) developing state-of- the-art analytical methods for characterizing com- plex materials of the types found in stored wastes and contaminated soils, and for detecting and monitoring trace atmospheric species. Our program aims at achieving a quantitative understanding of chemical reactions at interfaces and, more generally, in condensed media, compa- rable to that currently available for gas-phase reactions. This understanding will form the basis for the development of a priori theories for pre- dicting macroscopic chemical behavior in con- densed and heterogeneous media, which will add significantly to the value of field-scale envi- ronmental models, predictions of short- and long- term nuclear waste storage stabilities, and other areas related to the primary missions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).« less

Energy management and control of active distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariatzadeh, Farshid

Advancements in the communication, control, computation and information technologies have driven the transition to the next generation active power distribution systems. Novel control techniques and management strategies are required to achieve the efficient, economic and reliable grid. The focus of this work is energy management and control of active distribution systems (ADS) with integrated renewable energy sources (RESs) and demand response (DR). Here, ADS mean automated distribution system with remotely operated controllers and distributed energy resources (DERs). DER as active part of the next generation future distribution system includes: distributed generations (DGs), RESs, energy storage system (ESS), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and DR. Integration of DR and RESs into ADS is critical to realize the vision of sustainability. The objective of this dissertation is the development of management architecture to control and operate ADS in the presence of DR and RES. One of the most challenging issues for operating ADS is the inherent uncertainty of DR and RES as well as conflicting objective of DER and electric utilities. ADS can consist of different layers such as system layer and building layer and coordination between these layers is essential. In order to address these challenges, multi-layer energy management and control architecture is proposed with robust algorithms in this work. First layer of proposed multi-layer architecture have been implemented at the system layer. Developed AC optimal power flow (AC-OPF) generates fair price for all DR and non-DR loads which is used as a control signal for second layer. Second layer controls DR load at buildings using a developed look-ahead robust controller. Load aggregator collects information from all buildings and send aggregated load to the system optimizer. Due to the different time scale at these two management layers, time coordination scheme is developed. Robust and deterministic controllers are developed to maximize the energy usage from rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generation locally and minimize heat-ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) consumption while maintaining inside temperature within comfort zone. The performance of the developed multi-layer architecture has been analyzed using test case studies and results show the robustness of developed controller in the presence of uncertainty.

RADC (Rome Air Development Center) Guide to Environmental Stress Screening

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

and the processes which are used in their manufacture. ESS is the vehicle by which latent defects are accelerated to early failure in the factory. ESS...structured as part of a production 2 reliability assurance program, is the vehicle through which product reliability in manufacture can be maintained...mechanical, electrical and/or thermal stresses to an equipment item for the purpose of precipitating latent part and workmanship defects to early failure

Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy for the Detection of Pre-Cancer and Early Cancer of the Breast

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

and it is not currently possible even to use biopsy forceps through the sheath alone. However, it is practical to pass an ESS probe through the...to accept our ESS probe, tiny biopsy forceps or brushes for cytological PAGE 53 PAGE 54 examination. We envisage being able to take...ductoscopy (where biopsy is not feasible) and detect aneuploidy, an important prognostic factor. These results justify further prospective studies

Systematic neutron guide misalignment for an accelerator-driven spallation neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zendler, C.; Bentley, P. M.

2016-08-01

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a long pulse spallation neutron source that is currently under construction in Lund, Sweden. A considerable fraction of the 22 planned instruments extend as far as 75-150 m from the source. In such long beam lines, misalignment between neutron guide segments can decrease the neutron transmission significantly. In addition to a random misalignment from installation tolerances, the ground on which ESS is built can be expected to sink with time, and thus shift the neutron guide segments further away from the ideal alignment axis in a systematic way. These systematic errors are correlated to the ground structure, position of buildings and shielding installation. Since the largest deformation is expected close to the target, even short instruments might be noticeably affected. In this study, the effect of this systematic misalignment on short and long ESS beam lines is analyzed, and a possible mitigation by overillumination of subsequent guide sections investigated.

Extraction, scrub, and strip test results for the solvent transfer to salt waste processing facility

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

Peters, T.

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) prepared approximately 240 gallons of Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent for use at the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). An Extraction, Scrub, and Strip (ESS) test was performed on a sample of the prepared solvent using a salt solution prepared by Parsons to determine cesium distribution ratios (D(Cs)), and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams. This data will be used by Parsons to help qualify the solvent for use at the SWPF. The ESS test showed acceptable performance of the solvent for extraction, scrub, and strip operations.more » The extraction D(Cs) measured 15.5, exceeding the required value of 8. This value is consistent with results from previous ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. Similarly, scrub and strip cesium distribution ratios fell within acceptable ranges.« less

Levothyroxine Improves Subjective Sleepiness in a Euthyroid Patient with Narcolepsy without Cataplexy

PubMed Central

Sobol, Danielle L.; Spector, Andrew R.

2014-01-01

Objective: We discuss the use of levothyroxine for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and prolonged nocturnal sleep time in a euthyroid patient with narcolepsy. Methods: After failure of first-line narcolepsy treatments, a 48-year-old female began levothyroxine (25 mcg/day). After 12 weeks of treatment, the patient was evaluated for improvement in total sleep time and subjective daytime sleepiness assessed by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: At baseline, ESS score was 16 and total sleep time averaged 16 h/day. After 12 weeks, ESS was 13 and reported total sleep time was 13 h/day. Conclusions: Levothyroxine improved EDS and total sleep time in a euthyroid patient with narcolepsy without cataplexy after 12 weeks without side effects. Citation: Sobol DL, Spector AR. Levothyroxine improves subjective sleepiness in a euthyroid patient with narcolepsy without cataplexy. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(11):1231-1232. PMID:25325591

Multi-views storage model and access methods of conversation history in converged IP messaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Meilian; Yang, Dong; Zhou, Xing

2013-03-01

Based on the analysis of the requirements of conversation history storage in CPM (Converged IP Messaging) system, a Multi-views storage model and access methods of conversation history are proposed. The storage model separates logical views from physical storage and divides the storage into system managed region and user managed region. It simultaneously supports conversation view, system pre-defined view and user-defined view of storage. The rationality and feasibility of multi-view presentation, the physical storage model and access methods are validated through the implemented prototype. It proves that, this proposal has good scalability, which will help to optimize the physical data storage structure and improve storage performance.

Storage systems for solar thermal power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calogeras, J. E.; Gordon, L. H.

1978-01-01

The development status is reviewed of some thermal energy storage technologies specifically oriented towards providing diurnal heat storage for solar central power systems and solar total energy systems. These technologies include sensible heat storage in caverns and latent heat storage using both active and passive heat exchange processes. In addition, selected thermal storage concepts which appear promising to a variety of advanced solar thermal system applications are discussed.

High Density Digital Data Storage System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Kenneth D., II; Gray, David L.; Rowland, Wayne D.

1991-01-01

The High Density Digital Data Storage System was designed to provide a cost effective means for storing real-time data from the field-deployable digital acoustic measurement system. However, the high density data storage system is a standalone system that could provide a storage solution for many other real time data acquisition applications. The storage system has inputs for up to 20 channels of 16-bit digital data. The high density tape recorders presently being used in the storage system are capable of storing over 5 gigabytes of data at overall transfer rates of 500 kilobytes per second. However, through the use of data compression techniques the system storage capacity and transfer rate can be doubled. Two tape recorders have been incorporated into the storage system to produce a backup tape of data in real-time. An analog output is provided for each data channel as a means of monitoring the data as it is being recorded.

Neutron optics concept for the materials engineering diffractometer at the ESS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šaroun, J.; Fenske, J.; Rouijaa, M.; Beran, P.; Navrátil, J.; Lukáš, P.; Schreyer, A.; Strobl, M.

2016-09-01

The Beamline for European Materials Engineering Research (BEER) has been recently proposed to be built at the European Spallation Source (ESS). The presented concept of neutron delivery optics for this instrument addresses the problems of bi-spectral beam extraction from a small moderator, optimization of neutron guides profile for long-range neutron transport and focusing at the sample under various constraints. They include free space before and after the guides, a narrow guide section with gaps for choppers, closing of direct line of sight and cost reduction by optimization of the guides cross-section and coating. A system of slits and exchangeable focusing optics is proposed in order to match various wavelength resolution options provided by the pulse shaping and modulation choppers, which permits to efficiently trade resolution for intensity in a wide range. Simulated performance characteristics such as brilliance transfer ratio are complemented by the analysis of the histories of “useful” neutrons obtained by back tracing neutrons hitting the sample, which helps to optimize some of the neutron guide parameters such as supermirror coating.

"Are cognitive interventions effective in Alzheimer's disease? A controlled meta- analysis of the effects of bias": Correction to Oltra-Cucarella et al. (2016).

PubMed

2016-07-01

Reports an error in "Are Cognitive Interventions Effective in Alzheimer's Disease? A Controlled Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Bias" by Javier Oltra-Cucarella, Rubén Pérez-Elvira, Raul Espert and Anita Sohn McCormick (Neuropsychology, Advanced Online Publication, Apr 7, 2016, np). In the article the first sentence of the third paragraph of the Source of bias subsection in the Statistical Analysis subsection of the Correlational Meta-Analysis section should read "For the control condition bias, three comparison groups were differentiated: (a) a structured cognitive intervention, (b) a placebo control condition, and (c) a pharma control condition without cognitive intervention or no treatment at all." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-16656-001.) There is limited evidence about the efficacy of cognitive interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, aside from the methodological quality of the studies analyzed, the methodology used in previous meta-analyses is itself a risk of bias as different types of effect sizes (ESs) were calculated and combined. This study aimed at examining the results of nonpharmacological interventions for AD with an adequate control of statistical methods and to demonstrate a different approach to meta-analysis. ESs were calculated with the independent groups pre/post design. Average ESs for separate outcomes were calculated and moderator analyses were performed so as to offer an overview of the effects of bias. Eighty-seven outcomes from 19 studies (n = 812) were meta-analyzed. ESs were small on average for cognitive and functional outcomes after intervention. Moderator analyses showed no effect of control of bias, although ESs were different from zero only in some circumstances (e.g., memory outcomes in randomized studies). Cognitive interventions showed no more efficacy than placebo interventions, and functional ESs were consistently low across conditions. cognitive interventions delivered may not be effective in AD probably due to the fact that the assumptions behind the cognitive interventions might be inadequate. Future directions include a change in the type of intervention as well as the use of outcomes other than standardized tests. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and different designs are needed to increase the power of both primary studies and meta-analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Staphylococcus aureus biofilms: Nemesis of endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Singhal, Deepti; Foreman, Andrew; Jervis-Bardy, Joshua; Bardy, Josh-Jervis; Wormald, Peter-John

2011-07-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients with biofilms have persistent postoperative symptoms, ongoing mucosal inflammation, and recurrent infections. Recent evidence suggests that biofilms of differing species confer varying disease profiles in CRS patients. We aimed to prospectively investigate the effects of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, and fungal biofilms on outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Prospective blinded study. In this prospective blinded study, 39 patients undergoing ESS for CRS assessed their symptoms preoperatively using internationally accepted standardized symptom scoring systems and quality-of-life measures (10-point visual analog scale, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20, global severity of CRS). Their sinonasal mucosa was graded (Lund-Kennedy scale) and extent of radiologic disease on computed tomography scans scored (Lund-McKay scale). Random sinonasal tissue samples were assessed for different bacterial species forming biofilms by using fluorescent in-situ hybridization and confocal laser microscopy. For 12 months after surgery, CRS symptoms, quality of life, and objective evidence of persisting disease were assessed by using the preoperative tools. Different bacterial species combinations were found in 30 of 39 patients; 60% of these 30 biofilms were polymicrobial biofilms and 70% had S aureus biofilms. Preoperative nasendoscopy and radiologic disease severity were significantly worse in patients with multiple biofilms (P = .02 and P = .01, respectively), and they had worse postsurgery mucosal outcomes on endoscopy (P = .01) requiring significantly more postoperative visits (P = .04). Those with S aureus biofilms progressed poorly with their symptom scores and quality-of-life outcomes, with significant differences in nasendoscopy scores (P = .007). S. aureus biofilms play a dominant role in negatively affecting outcomes of ESS with persisting postoperative symptoms, ongoing mucosal inflammation, and infections. Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

The SGI/CRAY T3E: Experiences and Insights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, Lisa Hamet

1999-01-01

The focus of the HPCC Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) Project is capability computing - pushing highly scalable computing testbeds to their performance limits. The drivers of this focus are the Grand Challenge problems in Earth and space science: those that could not be addressed in a capacity computing environment where large jobs must continually compete for resources. These Grand Challenge codes require a high degree of communication, large memory, and very large I/O (throughout the duration of the processing, not just in loading initial conditions and saving final results). This set of parameters led to the selection of an SGI/Cray T3E as the current ESS Computing Testbed. The T3E at the Goddard Space Flight Center is a unique computational resource within NASA. As such, it must be managed to effectively support the diverse research efforts across the NASA research community yet still enable the ESS Grand Challenge Investigator teams to achieve their performance milestones, for which the system was intended. To date, all Grand Challenge Investigator teams have achieved the 10 GFLOPS milestone, eight of nine have achieved the 50 GFLOPS milestone, and three have achieved the 100 GFLOPS milestone. In addition, many technical papers have been published highlighting results achieved on the NASA T3E, including some at this Workshop. The successes enabled by the NASA T3E computing environment are best illustrated by the 512 PE upgrade funded by the NASA Earth Science Enterprise earlier this year. Never before has an HPCC computing testbed been so well received by the general NASA science community that it was deemed critical to the success of a core NASA science effort. NASA looks forward to many more success stories before the conclusion of the NASA-SGI/Cray cooperative agreement in June 1999.

Survival of Burns Involving 90% of the Total Body Surface Area After Treatment With Autologous Engineered Skin Substitutes

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

during acute hospitalization, and can result in long-term morbidity from scars . In this study, autologous ESS were compared with split-thickness...meshed skin autograft treatment of two pediatric patients with burns of 90% TBSA or greater, and evaluated qualitatively for formation of scar , and...populations ( Armour et al. 2007). Availability of ESS for treatment of extensive, deep burns may reduce time to wound closure, morbidity and

Treatment of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma in a nulligravid woman.

PubMed

Michael Straughn, J; Boitano, Teresa; Smith, Haller J; Dilley, Sarah E; Liang, Margaret I; Novak, Lea

2018-06-07

A 32 year-old nulligravid woman with a uterine mass underwent exploratory laparotomy with myomectomy. Final pathology revealed a low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) with positive margins. She subsequently underwent definitive robotic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy with ovarian preservation. She was diagnosed with a stage IB low-grade ESS. She is currently undergoing observation. Discussion of classification, surgical options, and adjuvant therapy is presented. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of electrical and switch-skipping mechanical switch for self-powered SSHI in medium coupled piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asanuma, H.; Sakamoto, K.; Komatsuzaki, T.; Iwata, Y.

2018-07-01

To increase output power for piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters, considerable attention has recently been focused on a self-powered synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) technique employing an electrical and mechanical switch. However, there are two technical issues: in a medium or highly coupled harvester, the piezoelectric coupling force, which increases as the SSHI’s voltage increases, will reduce the harvester’s displacement and the resulting output power, and there are few reports comparing the performance of electrical switch SSHI (ESS) and mechanical switch SSHI (MSS) that include consideration of the piezoelectric coupling force. We developed a simulation technique that allows us to evaluate the output power considering the piezoelectric coupling force, and investigated the performance of stopper-based MSS and ESS, both numerically and experimentally. The numerical investigation predicted the following: (1) the output power for the ESS is lower than that for the MSS at acceleration lower than 3.5 m s‑2 and (2) intriguingly, the output power for the MSS continues to increase, whereas the peak–peak displacement remains constant. The experimental results showed behaviour similar to that of the numerical predictions. The results are attributed to the different switching strategies: the MSS turns on only when the harvester’s displacement exceeds the gap distance, while the ESS turns on at every maximum/minimum displacement.

Ectopic Acromegaly Arising from a Pituitary Adenoma within the Bony Intersphenoid Septum of a Patient with Empty Sella Syndrome

PubMed Central

Arzamendi, Audrey E.; Shahlaie, Kiarash; Latchaw, Richard E.; Lechpammer, Mirna; Arzumanyan, Hasmik

2016-01-01

Objective  To describe the work-up and treatment of rare ectopic acromegaly caused by a biopsy-proven somatotroph pituitary adenoma located within the bony intersphenoid septum of a patient with empty sella syndrome (ESS). Methods  We report the presentation, clinical course, diagnostic work-up, and lesion localization and treatment challenges encountered in a 55-year-old patient, with a brief review of relevant literature. Results  A 55-year-old African-American man presented with acromegaly and ESS. Attempts to definitively localize the causative tumor were unsuccessful, though petrosal sinus sampling supported central growth hormone production and imaging suggested bone-enclosed subsellar pituitary tissue. Endoscopic endonasal transphenoidal exploration was undertaken with resection of a somatotroph pituitary microadenoma, and subsequent clinical improvement and biochemical remission. Retrospective review revealed the patient's pituitary to have been located ectopically within a unique bony intersphenoid septum. Conclusion  This report describes the first known case of an ectopic pituitary adenoma located within the midline bony intersphenoid septum, which we postulate to have resulted from anomalous embryological pituitary migration. Intra-intersphenoid septal tumors should be considered in cases of apparent central acromegaly with ESS or absence of tumor tissue within the paranasal sinuses or other peripheral locations. Indexing  Acromegaly, ESS, pituitary adenoma, sphenoid sinus septum. PMID:27468406

Storage system software solutions for high-end user needs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, Carole B.

1992-01-01

Today's high-end storage user is one that requires rapid access to a reliable terabyte-capacity storage system running in a distributed environment. This paper discusses conventional storage system software and concludes that this software, designed for other purposes, cannot meet high-end storage requirements. The paper also reviews the philosophy and design of evolving storage system software. It concludes that this new software, designed with high-end requirements in mind, provides the potential for solving not only the storage needs of today but those of the foreseeable future as well.

MEIGO: an open-source software suite based on metaheuristics for global optimization in systems biology and bioinformatics.

PubMed

Egea, Jose A; Henriques, David; Cokelaer, Thomas; Villaverde, Alejandro F; MacNamara, Aidan; Danciu, Diana-Patricia; Banga, Julio R; Saez-Rodriguez, Julio

2014-05-10

Optimization is the key to solving many problems in computational biology. Global optimization methods, which provide a robust methodology, and metaheuristics in particular have proven to be the most efficient methods for many applications. Despite their utility, there is a limited availability of metaheuristic tools. We present MEIGO, an R and Matlab optimization toolbox (also available in Python via a wrapper of the R version), that implements metaheuristics capable of solving diverse problems arising in systems biology and bioinformatics. The toolbox includes the enhanced scatter search method (eSS) for continuous nonlinear programming (cNLP) and mixed-integer programming (MINLP) problems, and variable neighborhood search (VNS) for Integer Programming (IP) problems. Additionally, the R version includes BayesFit for parameter estimation by Bayesian inference. The eSS and VNS methods can be run on a single-thread or in parallel using a cooperative strategy. The code is supplied under GPLv3 and is available at http://www.iim.csic.es/~gingproc/meigo.html. Documentation and examples are included. The R package has been submitted to BioConductor. We evaluate MEIGO against optimization benchmarks, and illustrate its applicability to a series of case studies in bioinformatics and systems biology where it outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. MEIGO provides a free, open-source platform for optimization that can be applied to multiple domains of systems biology and bioinformatics. It includes efficient state of the art metaheuristics, and its open and modular structure allows the addition of further methods.

MEIGO: an open-source software suite based on metaheuristics for global optimization in systems biology and bioinformatics

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Optimization is the key to solving many problems in computational biology. Global optimization methods, which provide a robust methodology, and metaheuristics in particular have proven to be the most efficient methods for many applications. Despite their utility, there is a limited availability of metaheuristic tools. Results We present MEIGO, an R and Matlab optimization toolbox (also available in Python via a wrapper of the R version), that implements metaheuristics capable of solving diverse problems arising in systems biology and bioinformatics. The toolbox includes the enhanced scatter search method (eSS) for continuous nonlinear programming (cNLP) and mixed-integer programming (MINLP) problems, and variable neighborhood search (VNS) for Integer Programming (IP) problems. Additionally, the R version includes BayesFit for parameter estimation by Bayesian inference. The eSS and VNS methods can be run on a single-thread or in parallel using a cooperative strategy. The code is supplied under GPLv3 and is available at http://www.iim.csic.es/~gingproc/meigo.html. Documentation and examples are included. The R package has been submitted to BioConductor. We evaluate MEIGO against optimization benchmarks, and illustrate its applicability to a series of case studies in bioinformatics and systems biology where it outperforms other state-of-the-art methods. Conclusions MEIGO provides a free, open-source platform for optimization that can be applied to multiple domains of systems biology and bioinformatics. It includes efficient state of the art metaheuristics, and its open and modular structure allows the addition of further methods. PMID:24885957

Uncoupling File System Components for Bridging Legacy and Modern Storage Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golpayegani, N.; Halem, M.; Tilmes, C.; Prathapan, S.; Earp, D. N.; Ashkar, J. S.

2016-12-01

Long running Earth Science projects can span decades of architectural changes in both processing and storage environments. As storage architecture designs change over decades such projects need to adjust their tools, systems, and expertise to properly integrate such new technologies with their legacy systems. Traditional file systems lack the necessary support to accommodate such hybrid storage infrastructure resulting in more complex tool development to encompass all possible storage architectures used for the project. The MODIS Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS) and the Level 1 and Atmospheres Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) is an example of a project spanning several decades which has evolved into a hybrid storage architecture. MODAPS/LAADS has developed the Lightweight Virtual File System (LVFS) which ensures a seamless integration of all the different storage architectures, including standard block based POSIX compliant storage disks, to object based architectures such as the S3 compliant HGST Active Archive System, and the Seagate Kinetic disks utilizing the Kinetic Protocol. With LVFS, all analysis and processing tools used for the project continue to function unmodified regardless of the underlying storage architecture enabling MODAPS/LAADS to easily integrate any new storage architecture without the costly need to modify existing tools to utilize such new systems. Most file systems are designed as a single application responsible for using metadata to organizing the data into a tree, determine the location for data storage, and a method of data retrieval. We will show how LVFS' unique approach of treating these components in a loosely coupled fashion enables it to merge different storage architectures into a single uniform storage system which bridges the underlying hybrid architecture.

Cost and performance of thermal storage concepts in solar thermal systems, Phase 2-liquid metal receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenzie, A. W.

Cost and performance of various thermal storage concepts in a liquid metal receiver solar thermal power system application have been evaluated. The objectives of this study are to provide consistently calculated cost and performance data for thermal storage concepts integrated into solar thermal systems. Five alternative storage concepts are evaluated for a 100-MW(e) liquid metal-cooled receiver solar thermal power system for 1, 6, and 15 hours of storage: sodium 2-tank (reference system), molten draw salt 2-tank, sand moving bed, air/rock, and latent heat (phase change) with tube-intensive heat exchange (HX). The results indicate that the all sodium 2-tank thermal storage concept is not cost-effective for storage in excess of 3 or 4 hours; the molten draw salt 2-tank storage concept provides significant cost savings over the reference sodium 2-tank concept; and the air/rock storage concept with pressurized sodium buffer tanks provides the lowest evaluated cost of all storage concepts considered above 6 hours of storage.

40 CFR 280.220 - Ownership of an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system or facility or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ownership of an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system or facility or property on which an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system is located. 280.220 Section 280.220 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID...

Subcontracted activities related to TES for building heating and cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J.

1980-01-01

The subcontract program elements related to thermal energy storage for building heating and cooling systems are outlined. The following factors are included: subcontracts in the utility load management application area; life and stability testing of packaged low cost energy storage materials; and development of thermal energy storage systems for residential space cooling. Resistance storage heater component development, demonstration of storage heater systems for residential applications, and simulation and evaluation of latent heat thermal energy storage (heat pump systems) are also discussed. Application of thermal energy storage for solar application and twin cities district heating are covered including an application analysis and technology assessment of thermal energy storage.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Effects of Grid-Scale Electricity Storage in a Decarbonizing Power System

DOE PAGES

Craig, Michael T.; Jaramillo, Paulina; Hodge, Bri-Mathias

2018-01-03

While grid-scale electricity storage (hereafter 'storage') could be crucial for deeply decarbonizing the electric power system, it would increase carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions in current systems across the United States. To better understand how storage transitions from increasing to decreasing system CO 2 emissions, we quantify the effect of storage on operational CO 2 emissions as a power system decarbonizes under a moderate and strong CO 2 emission reduction target through 2045. Under each target, we compare the effect of storage on CO 2 emissions when storage participates in only energy, only reserve, and energy and reserve markets. Wemore » conduct our study in the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system and use a capacity expansion model to forecast generator fleet changes and a unit commitment and economic dispatch model to quantify system CO 2 emissions with and without storage. We find that storage would increase CO 2 emissions in the current ERCOT system, but would decrease CO 2 emissions in 2025 through 2045 under both decarbonization targets. Storage reduces CO 2 emissions primarily by enabling gas-fired generation to displace coal-fired generation, but also by reducing wind and solar curtailment. We further find that the market in which storage participates drives large differences in the magnitude, but not the direction, of the effect of storage on CO 2 emissions.« less

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Effects of Grid-Scale Electricity Storage in a Decarbonizing Power System

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

Craig, Michael T.; Jaramillo, Paulina; Hodge, Bri-Mathias

While grid-scale electricity storage (hereafter 'storage') could be crucial for deeply decarbonizing the electric power system, it would increase carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions in current systems across the United States. To better understand how storage transitions from increasing to decreasing system CO 2 emissions, we quantify the effect of storage on operational CO 2 emissions as a power system decarbonizes under a moderate and strong CO 2 emission reduction target through 2045. Under each target, we compare the effect of storage on CO 2 emissions when storage participates in only energy, only reserve, and energy and reserve markets. Wemore » conduct our study in the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system and use a capacity expansion model to forecast generator fleet changes and a unit commitment and economic dispatch model to quantify system CO 2 emissions with and without storage. We find that storage would increase CO 2 emissions in the current ERCOT system, but would decrease CO 2 emissions in 2025 through 2045 under both decarbonization targets. Storage reduces CO 2 emissions primarily by enabling gas-fired generation to displace coal-fired generation, but also by reducing wind and solar curtailment. We further find that the market in which storage participates drives large differences in the magnitude, but not the direction, of the effect of storage on CO 2 emissions.« less

Terrestrial Energy Storage SPS Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandhorst, Henry W., Jr.

1998-01-01

Terrestrial energy storage systems for the SSP system were evaluated that could maintain the 1.2 GW power level during periods of brief outages from the solar powered satellite (SPS). Short-term outages of ten minutes and long-term outages up to four hours have been identified as "typical" cases where the ground-based energy storage system would be required to supply power to the grid. These brief interruptions in transmission could result from performing maintenance on the solar power satellite or from safety considerations necessitating the power beam be turned off. For example, one situation would be to allow for the safe passage of airplanes through the space occupied by the beam. Under these conditions, the energy storage system needs to be capable of storing 200 MW-hrs and 4.8 GW-hrs, respectively. The types of energy storage systems to be considered include compressed air energy storage, inertial energy storage, electrochemical energy storage, superconducting magnetic energy storage, and pumped hydro energy storage. For each of these technologies, the state-of-the-art in terms of energy and power densities were identified as well as the potential for scaling to the size systems required by the SSP system. Other issues addressed included the performance, life expectancy, cost, and necessary infrastructure and site locations for the various storage technologies.

Combined on-board hydride slurry storage and reactor system and process for hydrogen-powered vehicles and devices

DOEpatents

Brooks, Kriston P; Holladay, Jamelyn D; Simmons, Kevin L; Herling, Darrell R

2014-11-18

An on-board hydride storage system and process are described. The system includes a slurry storage system that includes a slurry reactor and a variable concentration slurry. In one preferred configuration, the storage system stores a slurry containing a hydride storage material in a carrier fluid at a first concentration of hydride solids. The slurry reactor receives the slurry containing a second concentration of the hydride storage material and releases hydrogen as a fuel to hydrogen-power devices and vehicles.

Battery management system with distributed wireless sensors

DOEpatents

Farmer, Joseph C.; Bandhauer, Todd M.

2016-02-23

A system for monitoring parameters of an energy storage system having a multiplicity of individual energy storage cells. A radio frequency identification and sensor unit is connected to each of the individual energy storage cells. The radio frequency identification and sensor unit operates to sense the parameter of each individual energy storage cell and provides radio frequency transmission of the parameters of each individual energy storage cell. A management system monitors the radio frequency transmissions from the radio frequency identification and sensor units for monitoring the parameters of the energy storage system.

Tenth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies in Cooperation with the Nineteenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

2002-01-01

This document contains copies of those technical papers received in time for publication prior to the Tenth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies which is being held in cooperation with the Nineteenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems at the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center April 15-18, 2002. As one of an ongoing series, this Conference continues to provide a forum for discussion of issues relevant to the ingest, storage, and management of large volumes of data. The Conference encourages all interested organizations to discuss long-term mass storage requirements and experiences in fielding solutions. Emphasis is on current and future practical solutions addressing issues in data management, storage systems and media, data acquisition, long-term retention of data, and data distribution. This year's discussion topics include architecture, future of current technology, storage networking with emphasis on IP storage, performance, standards, site reports, and vendor solutions. Tutorials will be available on perpendicular magnetic recording, object based storage, storage virtualization and IP storage.

Energy Storage Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL

Science.gov Websites

technologies. Key Infrastructure Energy storage system inverter, energy storage system simulators, research Plug-In Vehicles/Mobile Storage The plug-in vehicles/mobile storage hub includes connections for small integration. Key Infrastructure Ample house power, REDB access, charging stations, easy vehicle parking access

Analysis of exergy efficiency of a super-critical compressed carbon dioxide energy-storage system based on the orthogonal method.

PubMed

He, Qing; Hao, Yinping; Liu, Hui; Liu, Wenyi

2018-01-01

Super-critical carbon dioxide energy-storage (SC-CCES) technology is a new type of gas energy-storage technology. This paper used orthogonal method and variance analysis to make significant analysis on the factors which would affect the thermodynamics characteristics of the SC-CCES system and obtained the significant factors and interactions in the energy-storage process, the energy-release process and the whole energy-storage system. Results have shown that the interactions in the components have little influence on the energy-storage process, the energy-release process and the whole energy-storage process of the SC-CCES system, the significant factors are mainly on the characteristics of the system component itself, which will provide reference for the optimization of the thermal properties of the energy-storage system.

Analysis of exergy efficiency of a super-critical compressed carbon dioxide energy-storage system based on the orthogonal method

PubMed Central

He, Qing; Liu, Hui; Liu, Wenyi

2018-01-01

Super-critical carbon dioxide energy-storage (SC-CCES) technology is a new type of gas energy-storage technology. This paper used orthogonal method and variance analysis to make significant analysis on the factors which would affect the thermodynamics characteristics of the SC-CCES system and obtained the significant factors and interactions in the energy-storage process, the energy-release process and the whole energy-storage system. Results have shown that the interactions in the components have little influence on the energy-storage process, the energy-release process and the whole energy-storage process of the SC-CCES system, the significant factors are mainly on the characteristics of the system component itself, which will provide reference for the optimization of the thermal properties of the energy-storage system. PMID:29634742

Volumetric analysis of chronic maxillary atelectasis.

PubMed

Lin, Giant C; Sedaghat, Ahmad R; Bleier, Benjamin S; Holbrook, Eric H; Busaba, Nicolas Y; Yoon, Michael K; Gray, Stacey T

2015-01-01

The relationship between orbit and maxillary sinus volumes in patients with chronic maxillary atelectasis (CMA), commonly known as silent sinus syndrome if enophthalmos is present, is poorly understood. A retrospective review of 22 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for CMA from 2005 to 2013 was performed. Computed tomography (CT) images were analyzed using OsiriX 5.8.2 software for volumetric analysis of the orbit and maxillary sinus at presentation and after surgical treatment with ESS. Pretreatment mean orbit volumes on the diseased side (DS) and the contralateral side (CS) were 29.22 and 26.50 mL, respectively (p < 0.001); mean sinus volumes on the DS and CS were 8.51 and 17.20 mL, respectively (p < 0.001); and pretreatment mean midorbit heights (MOHs) on the DS and CS were 3.39 cm and 3.07 cm, respectively (p < 0.001). The percent decrease in sinus volume on the DS compared to that on the CS did not correlate significantly with the percent orbit-volume increase. Enophthalmos was present in nine (41%) patients, and diplopia was present in three (14%) patients. The measured degree of increased orbit volume and decreased sinus volume secondary to CMA did not significantly predict the presence of enophthalmos at presentation. Seven patients underwent sinus CT more than 6 months after ESS. In these patients, orbit volume on the DS decreased from 29.67 to 27.52 mL (p = 0.005), and sinus volume on the DS increased from 9.78 to 11.84 mL (p = 0.08). Volumetric analysis is a powerful and novel method for objectively demonstrating the degree of orbit expansion and maxillary sinus contraction seen with CMA. Spontaneous maxillary sinus expansion and a decrease in orbit volume can occur after ESS, but post-ESS volumes do not return to the normal volume of the CS.

Does the length of uvula affect the palatal implant outcome in the management of habitual snoring?

PubMed

Akpinar, Meltem Esen; Yigit, Ozgur; Kocak, Ismail; Altundag, Aytug

2011-05-01

To evaluate the impact of the uvular length on the efficacy of palatal implants in primary snoring. Prospective case series, tertiary hospital, snoring and respiratory sleep disorders center. Forty subjects with inserted palatal implants and diagnoses of primary snoring were included. All met the inclusion criteria of age >18 years, body mass index <30, apnea-hypopnea index <5, tonsil grade <3, soft-palate length >25 mm, and Friedman tongue position <3 following clinical, endoscopic, and polysomnographic evaluation. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and the snoring-intensity visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded before and 9 months after the implant. Four subjects with extruded implants were excluded; the remaining 36 subjects were divided into two groups, Group I and Group II, with uvular lengths of ≤15 mm and >15 mm, respectively. The study assessed and compared subjective outcome measures including the partner's satisfaction (PS), partner's reported improvement (PRI), 50% VAS and ESS reduction, and subjective success (SS) defined as 50% VAS reduction. The Student t test, χ(2) test, and logistic regression models were used for statistical evaluation. SS (50% VAS reduction), PS, PRI, and 50% ESS reduction were significantly higher in Group I (P < .001, P = .0257, P = .027, P < .001). The overall SS, PRI, PS, and 50% ESS reduction were 33%, 78%, 50%, and 50%, respectively. The uvular length was found to be the determinant factor of SS (P = .005; odds ratio = 0.75), PRI (P = .039; odds ratio = 0.83), and 50% ESS reduction (P = .038; odds ratio: 0.84) following implant insertion through stepwise logistic regression analysis. Excess uvular length (>15 mm) is an important anatomic feature decreasing the efficacy of palatal implants in snoring, and additional measures, such as uvulectomy, should be considered simultaneously for better outcomes (level 4). Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Local rhamnosoft, ceramides and L-isoleucine in atopic eczema: a randomized, placebo controlled trial

PubMed Central

Marseglia, Alessia; Licari, Amelia; Agostinis, Fabio; Barcella, Antonio; Bonamonte, Domenico; Puviani, Mario; Milani, Massimo; Marseglia, GianLuigi

2014-01-01

Background A non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory moisturizing cream containing rhamnosoft, ceramides, and L-isoleucine (ILE) (pro-AMP cream) has been recently developed for the specific treatment of atopic eczema (AE) of the face. In this trial, we evaluated the clinical efficacy and tolerability of pro-AMP cream in the treatment of facial AE in children in comparison with an emollient cream. Methods In a randomized, prospective, assessor-blinded, parallel groups (2:1) controlled trial, 107 children (72 allocated to pro-AMP cream and 35 allocated to control group) with mild-to-moderate chronic AE of the face were enrolled. Treatments were applied twice daily for a 6-week period. Facial Eczema Severity Score (ESS) was evaluated at baseline, week 3, and week 6, by an assessor unaware of treatment allocation. Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score was assessed at week 3 and at week 6. Tolerability was evaluated at week 3 and at week 6 using a 4-point score (from 0: low tolerability to 3: very good tolerability). Results At baseline ESS, mean (SD) was 6.1 (2.4) in the pro-AMP cream group and 5.3 (3) in the control group. In the pro-AMP group, in comparison with baseline, ESS was significantly reduced to 2.5 (−59%) after 3 wks and to 1.0 (−84%) at week 6 (p = 0.0001). In the control group, ESS was reduced to 3 (−42%) at week 2 and to 2.6 (−50%) at week 6. At week 6, ESS in pro-AMP cream was significantly lower than the control group (1.0 vs. 2.6; p = 0.001). Both products were well tolerated. Conclusion Pro-AMP cream has shown to be effective in the treatment of mild-to-moderate chronic lesion of AE of the face. Clinical efficacy was greater in comparison with an emollient cream. (Clinical trial Registry: NTR4084). PMID:24750568

Bipolar microdebrider may reduce intraoperative blood loss and operating time during nasal polyp surgery.

PubMed

Kumar, Nishant; Sindwani, Raj

2012-08-01

Bleeding during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) can interrupt the flow of the procedure and increase the risk of complications. Advances in microdebrider design now allow for bleeding to be controlled by bipolar energy during the suctioning and shaving of polyps. We conducted a retrospective study to examine the effects of this technology on blood loss and operating times during ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRS+P). Our patient population was made up of 80 patients who had undergone ESS for CRS+P by the same surgeon from January 2007 through May 2008. All surgeries were performed with either the PK diego bipolar microdebrider (Gyrus ACMI, ENT Division; Bartlett, Tenn.) or a standard microdebrider. There were 40 patients in each group. The PK group was made up of 23 males and 17 females, aged 14 to 66 years (mean: 43.1), and the control group included 21 males and 19 females, aged 17 to 71 years (mean: 43.1); there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of sex and age. In addition to demographic data, the charts were reviewed for comorbidities and operative variables; the latter included blood loss, operating room (OR) time, and complications. The preoperative treatment and anesthesia protocols were similar for all patients, and all patients demonstrated a similar disease burden on imaging (mean Harvard CT stage: 3.12 for the PK group and 3.15 for the controls; p > 0.05). We found that during ESS, the PK group experienced significantly less intraoperative blood loss than did the controls (means: 86.0 and 123.0 ml, respectively; p = 0.015). In addition, the PK device was associated with significantly shorter OR times (means: 88.9 and 101.4 min, respectively; p = 0.026). There were no complications in either group. We conclude that using a microdebrider with bipolar capabilities during ESS may offer the advantages of less blood loss and shorter operating times in patients with nasal polyps.

Community-based Monitoring of Water Resources in Remote Mountain Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buytaert, W.; Hannah, D. M.; Dewulf, A.; Clark, J.; Zulkafli, Z. D.; Karpouzoglou, T.; Mao, F.; Ochoa-Tocachi, B. F.

2016-12-01

Remote mountain regions are often represented by pockets of poverty combined with accelerated environmental change. The combination of harsh climatic and topographical conditions with limited infrastructure puts severe pressures on local livelihoods, many of which rely strongly on local ecosystem services (ESS) such as agricultural production and water supply. It is therefore paramount to optimise the management of ESS for the benefit of local people. This is hindered by a scarcity of quantitative data about physical processes such as precipitation and river flow as well as qualitative data concerning the management of water and land. National and conventional scientific monitoring networks tend to be insufficient to cover adequately the spatial and temporal gradients. Additionally, the data that are being collected often fail to be converted into locally relevant and actionable knowledge for ESS management. In such conditions, community-based monitoring of natural resources may be an effective way to reduce this knowledge gap. The participatory nature of such monitoring also enhances knowledge co-production and integration in locally-based decision-making processes. Here, we present the results of a 4-year consortium project on the use of citizen science technologies for ecosystem services management (Mountain-EVO). The project analyzed ecosystem service dynamics and decision-making processes and implemented a comparative analysis of experiments with community-based monitoring of water resources in 4 remote mountain regions, i.e. Peru, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, and Ethiopia. We find that community-based monitoring can have a transformative impact on local ESS management, because of its potential to be more inclusive, polycentric, and context-driven as compared to conventional monitoring. However, the results and effectiveness of community-based approaches depend strongly on the natural and socio-economic boundary conditions. As such, this requires a tailored and bottom-up approach to implementation, which ideally isrooted in locally-based set of actors that can act as catalysts for knowledge co-production between the scientific community and local ESS users.

Numerical simulations of earthquakes and the dynamics of fault systems using the Finite Element method.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettle, L. M.; Mora, P.; Weatherley, D.; Gross, L.; Xing, H.

2006-12-01

Simulations using the Finite Element method are widely used in many engineering applications and for the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs). Computational models based on the solution of PDEs play a key role in earth systems simulations. We present numerical modelling of crustal fault systems where the dynamic elastic wave equation is solved using the Finite Element method. This is achieved using a high level computational modelling language, escript, available as open source software from ACcESS (Australian Computational Earth Systems Simulator), the University of Queensland. Escript is an advanced geophysical simulation software package developed at ACcESS which includes parallel equation solvers, data visualisation and data analysis software. The escript library was implemented to develop a flexible Finite Element model which reliably simulates the mechanism of faulting and the physics of earthquakes. Both 2D and 3D elastodynamic models are being developed to study the dynamics of crustal fault systems. Our final goal is to build a flexible model which can be applied to any fault system with user-defined geometry and input parameters. To study the physics of earthquake processes, two different time scales must be modelled, firstly the quasi-static loading phase which gradually increases stress in the system (~100years), and secondly the dynamic rupture process which rapidly redistributes stress in the system (~100secs). We will discuss the solution of the time-dependent elastic wave equation for an arbitrary fault system using escript. This involves prescribing the correct initial stress distribution in the system to simulate the quasi-static loading of faults to failure; determining a suitable frictional constitutive law which accurately reproduces the dynamics of the stick/slip instability at the faults; and using a robust time integration scheme. These dynamic models generate data and information that can be used for earthquake forecasting.

NREL Tests Energy Storage System to Fill Renewable Gaps | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Tests Energy Storage System to Fill Renewable Gaps NREL Tests Energy Storage System to Fill -megawatt energy storage system from Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Americas will assist research that aims to optimize the grid for wind and solar plants. The system arrived at NREL's National Wind Technology

The Design of Distributed Micro Grid Energy Storage System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ya-feng; Wang, Yan-ping

2018-03-01

Distributed micro-grid runs in island mode, the energy storage system is the core to maintain the micro-grid stable operation. For the problems that it is poor to adjust at work and easy to cause the volatility of micro-grid caused by the existing energy storage structure of fixed connection. In this paper, an array type energy storage structure is proposed, and the array type energy storage system structure and working principle are analyzed. Finally, the array type energy storage structure model is established based on MATLAB, the simulation results show that the array type energy storage system has great flexibility, which can maximize the utilization of energy storage system, guarantee the reliable operation of distributed micro-grid and achieve the function of peak clipping and valley filling.

Telemetry data storage systems technology for the Space Station Freedom era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, John T.

1989-01-01

This paper examines the requirements and functions of the telemetry-data recording and storage systems, and the data-storage-system technology projected for the Space Station, with particular attention given to the Space Optical Disk Recorder, an on-board storage subsystem based on 160 gigabit erasable optical disk units each capable of operating at 300 M bits per second. Consideration is also given to storage systems for ground transport recording, which include systems for data capture, buffering, processing, and delivery on the ground. These can be categorized as the first in-first out storage, the fast random-access storage, and the slow access with staging. Based on projected mission manifests and data rates, the worst case requirements were developed for these three storage architecture functions. The results of the analysis are presented.

Conceptual design of thermal energy storage systems for near-term electric utility applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, E. W.

1980-01-01

Promising thermal energy storage systems for midterm applications in conventional electric utilities for peaking power generation are evaluated. Conceptual designs of selected thermal energy storage systems integrated with conventional utilities are considered including characteristics of alternate systems for peaking power generation, viz gas turbines and coal fired cycling plants. Competitive benefit analysis of thermal energy storage systems with alternate systems for peaking power generation and recommendations for development and field test of thermal energy storage with a conventional utility are included. Results indicate that thermal energy storage is only marginally competitive with coal fired cycling power plants and gas turbines for peaking power generation.

49 CFR 173.311 - Metal hydride storage systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Metal hydride storage systems. 173.311 Section 173... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Gases; Preparation and Packaging § 173.311 Metal hydride storage systems. The following packing instruction is applicable to transportable UN Metal hydride storage systems...

49 CFR 173.311 - Metal hydride storage systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Metal hydride storage systems. 173.311 Section 173... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Gases; Preparation and Packaging § 173.311 Metal hydride storage systems. The following packing instruction is applicable to transportable UN Metal hydride storage systems...

49 CFR 173.311 - Metal hydride storage systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Metal hydride storage systems. 173.311 Section 173... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Gases; Preparation and Packaging § 173.311 Metal hydride storage systems. The following packing instruction is applicable to transportable UN Metal hydride storage systems...

The Global File System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soltis, Steven R.; Ruwart, Thomas M.; OKeefe, Matthew T.

1996-01-01

The global file system (GFS) is a prototype design for a distributed file system in which cluster nodes physically share storage devices connected via a network-like fiber channel. Networks and network-attached storage devices have advanced to a level of performance and extensibility so that the previous disadvantages of shared disk architectures are no longer valid. This shared storage architecture attempts to exploit the sophistication of storage device technologies whereas a server architecture diminishes a device's role to that of a simple component. GFS distributes the file system responsibilities across processing nodes, storage across the devices, and file system resources across the entire storage pool. GFS caches data on the storage devices instead of the main memories of the machines. Consistency is established by using a locking mechanism maintained by the storage devices to facilitate atomic read-modify-write operations. The locking mechanism is being prototyped in the Silicon Graphics IRIX operating system and is accessed using standard Unix commands and modules.

Online mass storage system detailed requirements document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The requirements for an online high density magnetic tape data storage system that can be implemented in a multipurpose, multihost environment is set forth. The objective of the mass storage system is to provide a facility for the compact storage of large quantities of data and to make this data accessible to computer systems with minimum operator handling. The results of a market survey and analysis of candidate vendor who presently market high density tape data storage systems are included.

Chemical hydrogen storage material property guidelines for automotive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semelsberger, Troy A.; Brooks, Kriston P.

2015-04-01

Chemical hydrogen storage is the sought after hydrogen storage media for automotive applications because of the expected low pressure operation (<20 atm), moderate temperature operation (<200 °C), system gravimetric capacities (>0.05 kg H2/kgsystem), and system volumetric capacities (>0.05 kg H2/Lsystem). Currently, the primary shortcomings of chemical hydrogen storage are regeneration efficiency, fuel cost and fuel phase (i.e., solid or slurry phase). Understanding the required material properties to meet the DOE Technical Targets for Onboard Hydrogen Storage Systems is a critical knowledge gap in the hydrogen storage research community. This study presents a set of fluid-phase chemical hydrogen storage material property guidelines for automotive applications meeting the 2017 DOE technical targets. Viable material properties were determined using a boiler-plate automotive system design. The fluid-phase chemical hydrogen storage media considered in this study were neat liquids, solutions, and non-settling homogeneous slurries. Material properties examined include kinetics, heats of reaction, fuel-cell impurities, gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage capacities, and regeneration efficiency. The material properties, although not exhaustive, are an essential first step in identifying viable chemical hydrogen storage material properties-and most important, their implications on system mass, system volume and system performance.

Application of electrochemical energy storage in solar thermal electric generation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, R.; Krauthamer, S.; Frank, H.

1982-01-01

This paper assesses the status, cost, and performance of existing electrochemical energy storage systems, and projects the cost, performance, and availability of advanced storage systems for application in terrestrial solar thermal electric generation. A 10 MWe solar plant with five hours of storage is considered and the cost of delivered energy is computed for sixteen different storage systems. The results indicate that the five most attractive electrochemical storage systems use the following battery types: zinc-bromine (Exxon), iron-chromium redox (NASA/Lewis Research Center, LeRC), sodium-sulfur (Ford), sodium-sulfur (Dow), and zinc-chlorine (Energy Development Associates, EDA).

Capacity value of energy storage considering control strategies.

PubMed

Shi, Nian; Luo, Yi

2017-01-01

In power systems, energy storage effectively improves the reliability of the system and smooths out the fluctuations of intermittent energy. However, the installed capacity value of energy storage cannot effectively measure the contribution of energy storage to the generator adequacy of power systems. To achieve a variety of purposes, several control strategies may be utilized in energy storage systems. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of different energy storage control strategies on the generation adequacy. This paper presents the capacity value of energy storage to quantitatively estimate the contribution of energy storage on the generation adequacy. Four different control strategies are considered in the experimental method to study the capacity value of energy storage. Finally, the analysis of the influence factors on the capacity value under different control strategies is given.

Carbon dioxide emissions effects of grid-scale electricity storage in a decarbonizing power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, Michael T.; Jaramillo, Paulina; Hodge, Bri-Mathias

2018-01-01

While grid-scale electricity storage (hereafter ‘storage’) could be crucial for deeply decarbonizing the electric power system, it would increase carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in current systems across the United States. To better understand how storage transitions from increasing to decreasing system CO2 emissions, we quantify the effect of storage on operational CO2 emissions as a power system decarbonizes under a moderate and strong CO2 emission reduction target through 2045. Under each target, we compare the effect of storage on CO2 emissions when storage participates in only energy, only reserve, and energy and reserve markets. We conduct our study in the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system and use a capacity expansion model to forecast generator fleet changes and a unit commitment and economic dispatch model to quantify system CO2 emissions with and without storage. We find that storage would increase CO2 emissions in the current ERCOT system, but would decrease CO2 emissions in 2025 through 2045 under both decarbonization targets. Storage reduces CO2 emissions primarily by enabling gas-fired generation to displace coal-fired generation, but also by reducing wind and solar curtailment. We further find that the market in which storage participates drives large differences in the magnitude, but not the direction, of the effect of storage on CO2 emissions.

Detailed partial load investigation of a thermal energy storage concept for solar thermal power plants with direct steam generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitz, M.; Hübner, S.; Johnson, M.

2016-05-01

Direct steam generation enables the implementation of a higher steam temperature for parabolic trough concentrated solar power plants. This leads to much better cycle efficiencies and lower electricity generating costs. For a flexible and more economic operation of such a power plant, it is necessary to develop thermal energy storage systems for the extension of the production time of the power plant. In the case of steam as the heat transfer fluid, it is important to use a storage material that uses latent heat for the storage process. This leads to a minimum of exergy losses during the storage process. In the case of a concentrating solar power plant, superheated steam is needed during the discharging process. This steam cannot be superheated by the latent heat storage system. Therefore, a sensible molten salt storage system is used for this task. In contrast to the state-of-the-art thermal energy storages within the concentrating solar power area of application, a storage system for a direct steam generation plant consists of a latent and a sensible storage part. Thus far, no partial load behaviors of sensible and latent heat storage systems have been analyzed in detail. In this work, an optimized fin structure was developed in order to minimize the costs of the latent heat storage. A complete system simulation of the power plant process, including the solar field, power block and sensible and latent heat energy storage calculates the interaction between the solar field, the power block and the thermal energy storage system.

NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Ben (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor); Blasso, L. G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Application. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include the following: magnetic disk and tape technologies; optical disk and tape; software storage and file management systems; and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.

NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications, volume 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Ben (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor); Blasso, L. G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990s.

Comparison of advanced thermal and electrical storage for parabolic dish solar thermal power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, T.; Birur, G. C.; Schredder, J. M.; Bowyer, J. M.; Awaya, H. I.

Parabolic dish solar concentrator cluster concepts are explored, with attention given to thermal storage systems coupled to Stirling and Brayton cycle power conversion devices. Sensible heat storage involving molten salt (NaOH), liquid sodium, and solid cordierite bricks are considered for 1500 F thermal storage systems. Latent heat storage with NaF-MgF2 phase change materials are explored in terms of passive, active, and direct contact designs. Comparisons are made of the effectiveness of thermal storage relative to redox, Na-S, Zn-Cl, and Zn-Br battery storage systems. Molten lead trickling down through a phase change eutectic, the NaF-MgF2, formed the direct contact system. Heat transport in all systems is effected through Inconel pipes. Using a cost goal of 120-150 mills/kWh as the controlling parameter, sensible heat systems with molten salts transport with either Stirling or Brayton engines, or latent heat systems with Stirling engines, and latent heat-Brayton engine with direct contact were favored in the analyses. Battery storage systems, however, offered the most flexibility of applications.

Comparison of advanced thermal and electrical storage for parabolic dish solar thermal power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujita, T.; Birur, G. C.; Schredder, J. M.; Bowyer, J. M.; Awaya, H. I.

1982-01-01

Parabolic dish solar concentrator cluster concepts are explored, with attention given to thermal storage systems coupled to Stirling and Brayton cycle power conversion devices. Sensible heat storage involving molten salt (NaOH), liquid sodium, and solid cordierite bricks are considered for 1500 F thermal storage systems. Latent heat storage with NaF-MgF2 phase change materials are explored in terms of passive, active, and direct contact designs. Comparisons are made of the effectiveness of thermal storage relative to redox, Na-S, Zn-Cl, and Zn-Br battery storage systems. Molten lead trickling down through a phase change eutectic, the NaF-MgF2, formed the direct contact system. Heat transport in all systems is effected through Inconel pipes. Using a cost goal of 120-150 mills/kWh as the controlling parameter, sensible heat systems with molten salts transport with either Stirling or Brayton engines, or latent heat systems with Stirling engines, and latent heat-Brayton engine with direct contact were favored in the analyses. Battery storage systems, however, offered the most flexibility of applications.

Boiler Control Systems Oxygen Trim Systems Manual.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

F/ G 5/9 N EhhhhhhhmonsoI smhhhEmhhhhhh smhhhhhhhhhhh Ehh0h0010I-E1E FEmhhhhEmmhhhhhhI LL+4 -.Lm(m~mkl~~d - - ." " - , -, - - ’ - °. ,,_ ". . . b...PAGIES Ik NNITrG A9NC ORS7 Ir- e, 0) 1 SECURITY CLASS. (of K4* MPMf) Office, g &, Washington, DC 20360 Unclassified Naval Facilities Engineering Coand...1NPLJT SoNAI . S141NAL. f* FIR4GIb[CTIQNAL SCkEMIATC DICIAN A’ RLfL FOSITIOWINC- SY<STEM1 (FUUMArIC) PRESSURE PROC.ESS PIIN42 ATI 6 C~rEMASTERO F13UE

Observer Based Compensators for Nonlinear Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-31

T’niversitV of California I_ ______ Air Force Office Of Scientific RPesprc~i 6c. ADDI ESS ( C ..ty. State, ania ZIP Code) 7b. ADDRESS (City, State, and Z...Mathematics, M. Luksik, C . Martin and W. Shadwick, eds. Contempary Mathematics V.68, American Mathematical Society, Providence, 157-189. 2. 1987 Krener, A...ibution I University of California C AvJility Codes Avail ,111d I of Davis, CA 95616 sai. spvc-d TABLE OF CONTENTS A bstract

40 CFR 280.230 - Operating an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... underground storage tank or underground storage tank system. (a) Operating an UST or UST system prior to...) Operating an UST or UST system after foreclosure. The following provisions apply to a holder who, through..., the purchaser must decide whether to operate or close the UST or UST system in accordance with...

40 CFR 280.230 - Operating an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... underground storage tank or underground storage tank system. (a) Operating an UST or UST system prior to...) Operating an UST or UST system after foreclosure. The following provisions apply to a holder who, through..., the purchaser must decide whether to operate or close the UST or UST system in accordance with...

40 CFR 280.230 - Operating an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... underground storage tank or underground storage tank system. (a) Operating an UST or UST system prior to...) Operating an UST or UST system after foreclosure. The following provisions apply to a holder who, through..., the purchaser must decide whether to operate or close the UST or UST system in accordance with...

40 CFR 280.230 - Operating an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... underground storage tank or underground storage tank system. (a) Operating an UST or UST system prior to...) Operating an UST or UST system after foreclosure. The following provisions apply to a holder who, through..., the purchaser must decide whether to operate or close the UST or UST system in accordance with...

40 CFR 280.230 - Operating an underground storage tank or underground storage tank system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... underground storage tank or underground storage tank system. (a) Operating an UST or UST system prior to...) Operating an UST or UST system after foreclosure. The following provisions apply to a holder who, through..., the purchaser must decide whether to operate or close the UST or UST system in accordance with...

Laws, Place, History and the Interpretation of Earth Surface Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Jonathan

2016-04-01

The state of an Earth surface system (ESS is determined by three sets of factors: Laws, place, and history. Laws (L = L1, L2, . . . , Ln) are the n general principles, relationships, and representations applicable to any such system at any time. Place factors (P = P1, P2, . . . , Pm) are the m relevant properties or characteristics of the local or regional environment - e.g., climate, tectonic setting, geology, traits of the local biota, etc. History factors (H = H1 , H2, . . . , Hq) include the previous evolutionary pathway of the ESS, its stage of development, past disturbance, and in some contexts initial conditions. Geoscience investigation may be focused on laws (e.g., theoretical deductions, process modeling, laboratory experiments), place (e.g., regional geology or geography, soil-landscape studies), or history (e.g., paleoenvironmental studies, environmental history, historical geology or geography). Ultimately, however, all three sets of factors are necessary to fully understand and explain ESS. Beyond providing a useful checklist (analogous to the factorial models often used in pedology and ecology), the LPH framework gives us analytical traction to some difficult research problems. For example, studies of the avulsions of three southeast Texas rivers showed substantial differences in avulsion regimes and resulting alluvial morphology, despite the proximity and superficial similarity of the systems. Avulsion dynamics are governed by the same laws in all three cases [L(A) = L(B) = L(C)], and the three rivers, once part of a single system at lower sea-levels, have undergone the same sea-level, climate, and tectonic histories, as well as the same general types of anthropic impacts [H(A) ≈ H(B) ≈ H(C)]. Though the regional-scale environmental controls are similar, local details such as the location of the modern main channel relative to Pleistocene meander channels differ, and thus these place factors explain the differences between the rivers. The LPH framework can also be used to determine the source of similarities among disparate systems. A classic example is the topology of fluvial channel networks, which have similar characteristics despite a great variety in place and history factors. Since P(i) ≠ P(j), H(i) ≠ H(j), this points to L factors as the controls of the similarities. Similar trends are emerging in the study of root-rock interactions in forest regoliths, where similar phenomena occur despite variations in underlying geology, vegetation, and disturbance regimes. The LPH framework, or very similar types of reasoning, is implicit in many types of geoscience analysis. More explicit attention to the triad can help us solve or address many specific problems and remind us of the importance of all three sets of factors.

Ichthyoplankton entrainment study at the SRS Savannah River water intakes for Westinghouse Savannah River Company

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

Paller, M.

1992-03-26

Cooling water for L and K Reactors and makeup water for Par Pond is pumped from the Savannah River at the 1G, 3G, and 5G pump houses. Ichthyoplankton (drifting fish larvae and eggs) from the river are entrained into the reactor cooling systems with the river water and passed through the reactor's heat exchangers where temperatures may reach 70[degrees]C during full power operation. Ichthyoplankton mortality under such conditions is assumed to be 100 percent. The number of ichthyoplankton entrained into the cooling system depends on a variety of variables, including time of year, density and distribution of ichthyoplankton in themore » river, discharge levels in the river, and the volume of water withdrawn by the pumps. Entrainment at the 1 G pump house, which is immediately downstream from the confluence of Upper Three Runs Creek and the Savannah River, is also influenced by discharge rates and ichthyoplankton densities in Upper Three Runs Creek. Because of the anticipated restart of several SRS reactors and the growing concern surrounding striped bass and American shad stocks in the Savannah River, the Department of Energy requested that the Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) of the Savannah River Laboratory sample ichthyoplankton at the SRS Savannah River intakes. Dams Moore, Inc., under a contract with Westinghouse Savannah River Company performed the sampling and data analysis for the ESS.« less

Birth of the first ESS: George Price, John Maynard Smith, and the discovery of the lost "Antlers" paper.

PubMed

Harman, Oren

2011-01-15

The application of game theory to evolutionary problems is so commonplace today, that few stop to consider how it all began. John Maynard Smith and George R. Price's 1973 Nature article, "The Logic of Animal Conflict," is often referred to as the first description in the literature of the concept of an evolutionary stable strategy (ESS), but what was the "behind the scenes" of the writing of that seminal paper? This article tracks the little known story of the curious American polymath, George Price. As will be shown, it was an earlier paper, the lost "Antlers, Intraspecific Combat, and Altruism," sent by Price to Nature in August 1968 (Unpublished), and refereed by Maynard Smith, which instigated the birth of the first ESS. Recently, the "Antlers" paper has been re-discovered by the author, shedding new light, together with letters and journals from the personal papers of George Price and John Maynard Smith, on their historical paper. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Extraction-Scrub-Strip test results from the interim Salt Disposition Program Macrobatch 9 Tank 21H qualification samples

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

Peters, T.

2016-02-23

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 9 for the Interim Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). The Salt Batch 9 characterization results were previously reported. An Extraction-Scrub-Strip (ESS) test was performed to determine cesium distribution ratios (D (Cs)) and cesium concentration in the strip effluent and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Tank Farm Engineering to project a cesium decontamination factor (DF). This test used actual Tank 21H material, and a blend solvent prepared by SRNL that mimics the solvent composition currently being used atmore » the Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). The ESS test showed acceptable performance with an extraction D (Cs) value of 52.4. This value is consistent with results from previous salt batch ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. This compares well against the predicted value of 56.5 from a recently created D (Cs) model« less

Ensete superbum ameliorates renal dysfunction in experimental diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Sreekutty, M S; Mini, S

2016-01-01

Hyperglycemia mediated oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications like nephropathy. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of ethanolic extract of Ensete superbum seeds (ESSE) on renal dysfunction and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Glucose, HbA1c, total protein, albumin, renal function markers (urea, uric acid and creatinine), and lipid peroxidation levels were evaluated. Renal enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were examined along with renal histopathological study. ESSE (400 mg/kg BW t) administration reduced glucose and HbA1c, and improved serum total protein and albumin in diabetic rats. ESSE in diabetic rats recorded decrement in renal function markers and renal lipid peroxidation products along with significant increment in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Renal morphological abnormalities of diabetic rats were markedly ameliorated by E. superbum. These results suggest that the antioxidant effect of E. superbum could ameliorate oxidative stress and delay/prevent the progress of diabetic nephropathy in diabetes mellitus.

Extraction, Scrub, and Strip Test Results for the Salt Waste Processing Facility Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Solvent Sample

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

Peters, T. B.

An Extraction, Scrub, and Strip (ESS) test was performed on a sample of Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) solvent and salt simulant to determine cesium distribution ratios (D( Cs)), and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Parsons to help determine if the solvent is qualified for use at the SWPF. The ESS test showed acceptable performance of the solvent for extraction, scrub, and strip operations. The extraction D( Cs) measured 12.5, exceeding the required value of 8. This value is consistent with resultsmore » from previous ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. Similarly, scrub and strip cesium distribution ratios fell within acceptable ranges. This revision was created to correct an error. The previous revision used an incorrect set of temperature correction coefficients which resulted in slight deviations from the correct D( Cs) results.« less

Extraction, -scrub, -strip test results from the interim salt disposition program macrobatch 10 tank 21H qualification samples

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

Peters, T. B.

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 10 for the Interim Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). The Salt Batch 10 characterization results were previously reported.ii,iii An Extraction, -Scrub, -Strip (ESS) test was performed to determine cesium distribution ratios (D(Cs)) and cesium concentration in the strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS) streams; this data will be used by Tank Farm Engineering to project a cesium decontamination factor (DF). This test used actual Tank 21H material, and a sample of the NGS Blend solvent currently being used at the Modularmore » Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). The ESS test showed acceptable performance with an extraction D(Cs) value of 110. This value is consistent with results from previous salt batch ESS tests using similar solvent formulations. This is better than the predicted value of 39.8 from a recently created D(Cs) model.« less

Hippotherapy effects on trunk, pelvic, and hip motion during ambulation in children with neurological impairments.

PubMed

Encheff, Jenna L; Armstrong, Charles; Masterson, Michelle; Fox, Christine; Gribble, Phillip

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effects of a 10-week hippotherapy program on trunk, pelvis, and hip joint positioning during the stance phase of gait. Eleven children (6 boys and 5 girls; 7.9 ± 2.7 years) with neurological disorders and impaired ambulation participated. Joint range of motion data were collected via 3-dimensional computerized gait analysis before and after the program. Paired t tests were performed on kinematic data for each joint. Significant improvements (P ≤ .008) and large effect sizes (ESs) for sagittal plane hip positions at initial contact and toe-off were found. No differences in pelvic or trunk positioning were determined, although sagittal plane pelvic positioning displayed a trend toward improvement with large ESs. Several trunk variables displayed moderate ESs with a trend toward more upright positioning. Improvements in pelvic and hip joint positioning and more normalized vertical trunk position may indicate increased postural control during gait after 10 sessions of hippotherapy.

75 FR 27463 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS[supreg] HD System Revision 1; Correction AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory... fuel storage casks to add revision 1 to the NUHOMS HD spent fuel storage cask system. This action is... Federal Register on May 7, 2010 (75 FR 25120), that proposes to amend the regulations that govern storage...

National Storage Laboratory: a collaborative research project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coyne, Robert A.; Hulen, Harry; Watson, Richard W.

1993-01-01

The grand challenges of science and industry that are driving computing and communications have created corresponding challenges in information storage and retrieval. An industry-led collaborative project has been organized to investigate technology for storage systems that will be the future repositories of national information assets. Industry participants are IBM Federal Systems Company, Ampex Recording Systems Corporation, General Atomics DISCOS Division, IBM ADSTAR, Maximum Strategy Corporation, Network Systems Corporation, and Zitel Corporation. Industry members of the collaborative project are funding their own participation. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory through its National Energy Research Supercomputer Center (NERSC) will participate in the project as the operational site and provider of applications. The expected result is the creation of a National Storage Laboratory to serve as a prototype and demonstration facility. It is expected that this prototype will represent a significant advance in the technology for distributed storage systems capable of handling gigabyte-class files at gigabit-per-second data rates. Specifically, the collaboration expects to make significant advances in hardware, software, and systems technology in four areas of need, (1) network-attached high performance storage; (2) multiple, dynamic, distributed storage hierarchies; (3) layered access to storage system services; and (4) storage system management.

Electrochemical energy storage systems for solar thermal applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krauthamer, S.; Frank, H.

1980-01-01

Existing and advanced electrochemical storage and inversion/conversion systems that may be used with terrestrial solar-thermal power systems are evaluated. The status, cost and performance of existing storage systems are assessed, and the cost, performance, and availability of advanced systems are projected. A prime consideration is the cost of delivered energy from plants utilizing electrochemical storage. Results indicate that the five most attractive electrochemical storage systems are the: iron-chromium redox (NASA LeRC), zinc-bromine (Exxon), sodium-sulfur (Ford), sodium-sulfur (Dow), and zinc-chlorine (EDA).

The state of energy storage in electric utility systems and its effect on renewable energy resources

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

Rau, N S

1994-08-01

This report describes the state of the art of electric energy storage technologies and discusses how adding intermittent renewable energy technologies (IRETs) to a utility network affects the benefits from storage dispatch. Load leveling was the mode of storage dispatch examined in the study. However, the report recommended that other modes be examined in the future for kilowatt and kilowatt-hour optimization of storage. The motivation to install storage with IRET generation can arise from two considerations: reliability and enhancement of the value of energy. Because adding storage increases cost, reliability-related storage is attractive only if the accruing benefits exceed themore » cost of storage installation. The study revealed that the operation of storage should not be guided by the output of the IRET but rather by system marginal costs. Consequently, in planning studies to quantify benefits, storage should not be considered as an entity belonging to the system and not as a component of IRETS. The study also indicted that because the infusion of IRET energy tends to reduce system marginal cost, the benefits from load leveling (value of energy) would be reduced. However, if a system has storage, particularly if the storage is underutilized, its dispatch can be reoriented to enhance the benefits of IRET integration.« less

Adenotonsillectomy outcomes in children with sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

PubMed

Biyani, Sneh; Cunningham, Tina D; Baldassari, Cristina M

2017-09-01

To identify improvements in daytime sleepiness following adenotonsillectomy in children with non-severe obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Case series with chart review over 15 years. Tertiary Children's Hospital. Children between 6 and 17 years of age with narcolepsy that underwent adenotonsillectomy for non-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were included. Narcolepsy was diagnosed based on clinical assessment and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) results. A standardized instrument, the pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), was used to assess daytime sleepiness before and after adenotonsillectomy. Nine children with a mean age of 12.1 years were included. The majority of the subjects (78%, n = 7) were African American and six children (66.7%) were obese. Four children (44%) were treated with wake promoting agents during the study. The mean preoperative apnea hypopnea index on polysomnography was 4.89 (SD 1.86), while the mean sleep latency on MSLT was 6.32 min (SD 3.14). The mean preoperative ESS was 16.10 and the postoperative ESS was 10.80 (SD 3.96). There was significant improvement (p = 0.02) in the ESS following adenotonsillectomy with seven children (78%) reporting diminished daytime sleepiness. Children with non-severe OSA and narcolepsy experience significant improvement in daytime sleepiness following adenotonsillectomy. Future studies are needed to determine the incidence and clinical significance of non-severe OSA in children with narcolepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Black start research of the wind and storage system based on the dual master-slave control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leng, Xue; Shen, Li; Hu, Tian; Liu, Li

2018-02-01

Black start is the key to solving the problem of large-scale power failure, while the introduction of new renewable clean energy as a black start power supply was a new hotspot. Based on the dual master-slave control strategy, the wind and storage system was taken as the black start reliable power, energy storage and wind combined to ensure the stability of the micorgrid systems, to realize the black start. In order to obtain the capacity ratio of the storage in the small system based on the dual master-slave control strategy, and the black start constraint condition of the wind and storage combined system, obtain the key points of black start of wind storage combined system, but also provide reference and guidance for the subsequent large-scale wind and storage combined system in black start projects.

Capacity value of energy storage considering control strategies

PubMed Central

Luo, Yi

2017-01-01

In power systems, energy storage effectively improves the reliability of the system and smooths out the fluctuations of intermittent energy. However, the installed capacity value of energy storage cannot effectively measure the contribution of energy storage to the generator adequacy of power systems. To achieve a variety of purposes, several control strategies may be utilized in energy storage systems. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of different energy storage control strategies on the generation adequacy. This paper presents the capacity value of energy storage to quantitatively estimate the contribution of energy storage on the generation adequacy. Four different control strategies are considered in the experimental method to study the capacity value of energy storage. Finally, the analysis of the influence factors on the capacity value under different control strategies is given. PMID:28558027

21 CFR 864.9900 - Cord blood processing system and storage container.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cord blood processing system and storage container... Manufacture Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) § 864.9900 Cord blood processing system and storage container. (a) Identification. A cord blood processing system and storage...

40 CFR 1066.985 - Fuel storage system leak test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fuel storage system leak test... Refueling Emission Test Procedures for Motor Vehicles § 1066.985 Fuel storage system leak test procedure. (a... conditions. (3) Leak test equipment must have the ability to pressurize fuel storage systems to at least 4.1...

21 CFR 864.9900 - Cord blood processing system and storage container.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Cord blood processing system and storage container... Manufacture Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) § 864.9900 Cord blood processing system and storage container. (a) Identification. A cord blood processing system and storage...

21 CFR 864.9900 - Cord blood processing system and storage container.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Cord blood processing system and storage container... Manufacture Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) § 864.9900 Cord blood processing system and storage container. (a) Identification. A cord blood processing system and storage...

21 CFR 864.9900 - Cord blood processing system and storage container.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Cord blood processing system and storage container... Manufacture Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) § 864.9900 Cord blood processing system and storage container. (a) Identification. A cord blood processing system and storage...

21 CFR 864.9900 - Cord blood processing system and storage container.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Cord blood processing system and storage container... Manufacture Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) § 864.9900 Cord blood processing system and storage container. (a) Identification. A cord blood processing system and storage...

NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor); Blasso, L. G. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Papers and viewgraphs from the conference are presented. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disks and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.

Survey of Mass Storage Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-09-01

software that Pre- cision Instruments can provide. System Name: IBM 3850 Mass Storage System Manufacturer and Location: International Business Machines...34 Datamation, pp. 52-58, October 1973. 15 17. International Business Machines, IBM 3850 Mass Storage System Facts Folder, White Plains, NY, n.d. 18... International Business Machines, Introduction to the IBM 3850 Mass Storage System (MSS), White Plains, NY, n.d. 19. International Business Machines

LVFS: A Big Data File Storage Bridge for the HPC Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golpayegani, N.; Halem, M.; Mauoka, E.; Fonseca, L. F.

2015-12-01

Merging Big Data capabilities into High Performance Computing architecture starts at the file storage level. Heterogeneous storage systems are emerging which offer enhanced features for dealing with Big Data such as the IBM GPFS storage system's integration into Hadoop Map-Reduce. Taking advantage of these capabilities requires file storage systems to be adaptive and accommodate these new storage technologies. We present the extension of the Lightweight Virtual File System (LVFS) currently running as the production system for the MODIS Level 1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) to incorporate a flexible plugin architecture which allows easy integration of new HPC hardware and/or software storage technologies without disrupting workflows, system architectures and only minimal impact on existing tools. We consider two essential aspects provided by the LVFS plugin architecture needed for the future HPC community. First, it allows for the seamless integration of new and emerging hardware technologies which are significantly different than existing technologies such as Segate's Kinetic disks and Intel's 3DXPoint non-volatile storage. Second is the transparent and instantaneous conversion between new software technologies and various file formats. With most current storage system a switch in file format would require costly reprocessing and nearly doubling of storage requirements. We will install LVFS on UMBC's IBM iDataPlex cluster with a heterogeneous storage architecture utilizing local, remote, and Seagate Kinetic storage as a case study. LVFS merges different kinds of storage architectures to show users a uniform layout and, therefore, prevent any disruption in workflows, architecture design, or tool usage. We will show how LVFS will convert HDF data produced by applying machine learning algorithms to Xco2 Level 2 data from the OCO-2 satellite to produce CO2 surface fluxes into GeoTIFF for visualization.

A feasible thermal-cycle screening system for cryogenic semiconductor components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ligang; Liu, Dafu; Huang, Yimin; Zhu, Sangen; Gong, Haimei

2005-01-01

For the limit of its lifetime, the Stirling cooler is operated on the intermittent mode in satellite in some cases. Thus such cryogenic semiconductor components as HgCdTe mid or long wavelength infrared (IR) detectors are subjected to thousands of repeated thermal cycles from below -173°C to room temperature. Therefore, a series of experiments focused on quality, performance and reliability are essential in order to satisfy the reasonable requirements. Accordingly, a feasible thermal cycle screening system is put forward. And a vast experimental data show that thermal cycle tests play the most effective role in the environment stress screen (ESS). In this paper, we introduce the system to help to study the main failure mechanisms and improve the performance of the semiconductor components. Such main failure mechanisms as solder-ball invalidation encountered commonly in the detector modules, which is due to the large thermal expansion coefficient mismatch among different materials. The thermal cycle system is based on the principle of heat exchange. We expect HgCdTe IR detectors be cooled to lower than -173°C and heated to room temperature in a few minutes. Above all, we simulate the heating and cooling system through finite element method (FEM). As a result, the computations reveal that the IR detectors can be heated and cooled at a higher rate than expected. A consequent design of the entire system is founded on the simulation. At last, we adjust the mechanical structure of heat exchange system to the adaptive state to accomplish the ESS. The thermal cycle screening system includes an autocontrol part and a test part. The autocontrol part is adopted to realize the heat exchange between IR detectors and the environment, and the test one to inspect the temperature and electrical parameters of these detectors. And at least four IR detector samples can be screened at one time.

Chemical hydrogen storage material property guidelines for automotive applications

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

Semelsberger, Troy; Brooks, Kriston P.

2015-04-01

Chemical hydrogen storage is the sought after hydrogen storage media for automotive applications because of the expected low pressure operation (<20 atm), moderate temperature operation (<200 C), system gravimetric capacities (>0.05 kg H2/kg system), and system volumetric capacities (>0.05 kg H2/L system). Currently, the primary shortcomings of chemical hydrogen storage are regeneration efficiency, fuel cost and fuel phase (i.e., solid or slurry phase). Understanding the required material properties to meet the DOE Technical Targets for Onboard Hydrogen Storage Systems is a critical knowledge gap in the hydrogen storage research community. This study presents a set of fluid-phase chemical hydrogen storagemore » material property guidelines for automotive applications meeting the 2017 DOE technical targets. Viable material properties were determined using a boiler-plate automotive system design. The fluid phase chemical hydrogen storage media considered in this study were neat liquids, solutions, and non-settling homogeneous slurries. Material properties examined include kinetics, heats of reaction, fuel-cell impurities, gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage capacities, and regeneration efficiency. The material properties, although not exhaustive, are an essential first step in identifying viable chemical hydrogen storage material propertiesdand most important, their implications on system mass, system volume and system performance.« less

Test report : Raytheon / KTech RK30 Energy Storage System

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

Rose, David Martin; Schenkman, Benjamin L.; Borneo, Daniel R.

2013-10-01

The Department of Energy Office of Electricity (DOE/OE), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Base Camp Integration Lab (BCIL) partnered together to incorporate an energy storage system into a microgrid configured Forward Operating Base to reduce the fossil fuel consumption and to ultimately save lives. Energy storage vendors will be sending their systems to SNL Energy Storage Test Pad (ESTP) for functional testing and then to the BCIL for performance evaluation. The technologies that will be tested are electro-chemical energy storage systems comprising of lead acid, lithium-ion or zinc-bromide. Raytheon/KTech has developed an energy storage system that utilizes zinc-bromide flowmore » batteries to save fuel on a military microgrid. This report contains the testing results and some limited analysis of performance of the Raytheon/KTech Zinc-Bromide Energy Storage System.« less

The Third NASA Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies held in October 1993. The conference served as an informational exchange forum for topics primarily relating to the ingestion and management of massive amounts of data and the attendant problems involved. Discussion topics include the necessary use of computers in the solution of today's infinitely complex problems, the need for greatly increased storage densities in both optical and magnetic recording media, currently popular storage media and magnetic media storage risk factors, data archiving standards including a talk on the current status of the IEEE Storage Systems Reference Model (RM). Additional topics addressed System performance, data storage system concepts, communications technologies, data distribution systems, data compression, and error detection and correction.

Renewable Energy Systems for Forward Operating Bases: A Simulations-Based Optimization Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

07. C-8 ENERGY STORAGE MODELS Two types of energy storage were compared in these simulations: lead-acid batteries and molten salt storage...of charge: 80% The initial state of charge used for the molten salt storage system is slightly higher than that used for the lead-acid battery ...cost for lead-acid batteries was assumed to be $630/kWh. MOLTEN SALT STORAGE Domestic installed cost for the molten salt storage system was

Extensive survey of terrestrial organic carbon in surface sediments of the East Siberian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vonk, Jorien; Gustafsson, Örjan; Alling, Vanja; Sánchez-García, Laura; van Dongen, Bart; Andersson, Per; Dudarev, Oleg; Semiletov, Igor; Eglinton, Tim

2010-05-01

The East Siberian Sea (ESS) is the largest and shallowest continental shelf sea of the Arctic Ocean, yet it is the least explored. The perenially frozen tundra and taiga of the circum-Arctic coastal area holds approximately half of the global belowground carbon pool. Significant amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (terrOC) are exported with the Great Siberian Arctic rivers to the shelf seas. In addition, the carbon-rich, ice-bound Yedoma coasts in East Siberia release significant amounts of Pleistocene carbon through thermal degradation and coastal erosion. The fate of these large-scale releases of terrOC in the East Siberian Shelf Sea is still poorly understood. The urgency of this research is accentuated by the fact that the East-Siberian Arctic landmass is experiencing the strongest climate warming on Earth, with a great potential for various carbon-climate feedback links. During the International Siberian Shelf Study 2008 (ISSS-08), a 50-day research expedition onboard the Russian vessel Yakob Smirnitskiy in late summer 2008, we obtained surface sediments from over 60 ESS locations. The data obtained after bulk analyses of these sediments are combined with results obtained from previous ESS campaigns in 2003 and 2004 to facilitate a comprehensive investigation of the ESS surface sediment composition. Sedimentary OC contents were between 0.13 and 3.7% (median 1.02%, interquartile range 0.563) with the highest values near the Indigirka and Kolyma river mouths and in the Long Strait. Stable carbon isotope values were in the range of -27.4 to -21.2 per mill (median -25.3 per mill, interquartile range 2.04), with more depleted values close to the coast. A clear transition was observed east of 170° E with more enriched values, signalling a regime shift with stronger influence of the Pacific Ocean. The terrOC fraction in the surface sediments was estimated from the 13C data to be on average 70% for ESS as a whole, with maximal values of 90-100% (along most of the coastline and in Sannikov and Dmitry Laptev Strait) and minimal values of 10-35% (outer shelf and Long Strait). An extensive set of bulk organic 14C data of the sedimentary OC in the ESS will also be interpreted with respect to relative contributions of coastal Yedoma erosion versus river input. Based on published and calculated (calculated from ISSS08 sediment cores) sedimentation velocities, we estimated terrOC burial sink on the East Siberian Shelf Sea.

High-performance mass storage system for workstations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiang, T.; Tang, Y.; Gupta, L.; Cooperman, S.

1993-01-01

Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) workstations and Personnel Computers (PC) are very popular tools for office automation, command and control, scientific analysis, database management, and many other applications. However, when using Input/Output (I/O) intensive applications, the RISC workstations and PC's are often overburdened with the tasks of collecting, staging, storing, and distributing data. Also, by using standard high-performance peripherals and storage devices, the I/O function can still be a common bottleneck process. Therefore, the high-performance mass storage system, developed by Loral AeroSys' Independent Research and Development (IR&D) engineers, can offload a RISC workstation of I/O related functions and provide high-performance I/O functions and external interfaces. The high-performance mass storage system has the capabilities to ingest high-speed real-time data, perform signal or image processing, and stage, archive, and distribute the data. This mass storage system uses a hierarchical storage structure, thus reducing the total data storage cost, while maintaining high-I/O performance. The high-performance mass storage system is a network of low-cost parallel processors and storage devices. The nodes in the network have special I/O functions such as: SCSI controller, Ethernet controller, gateway controller, RS232 controller, IEEE488 controller, and digital/analog converter. The nodes are interconnected through high-speed direct memory access links to form a network. The topology of the network is easily reconfigurable to maximize system throughput for various applications. This high-performance mass storage system takes advantage of a 'busless' architecture for maximum expandability. The mass storage system consists of magnetic disks, a WORM optical disk jukebox, and an 8mm helical scan tape to form a hierarchical storage structure. Commonly used files are kept in the magnetic disk for fast retrieval. The optical disks are used as archive media, and the tapes are used as backup media. The storage system is managed by the IEEE mass storage reference model-based UniTree software package. UniTree software will keep track of all files in the system, will automatically migrate the lesser used files to archive media, and will stage the files when needed by the system. The user can access the files without knowledge of their physical location. The high-performance mass storage system developed by Loral AeroSys will significantly boost the system I/O performance and reduce the overall data storage cost. This storage system provides a highly flexible and cost-effective architecture for a variety of applications (e.g., realtime data acquisition with a signal and image processing requirement, long-term data archiving and distribution, and image analysis and enhancement).

Optimizing the performance of Ice-storage Systems in Electricity Load Management through a credit mechanism. An analytical work for Jiangsu, China

DOE PAGES

Han, Yafeng; Shen, Bo; Hu, Huajin; ...

2015-01-12

Ice-storage air-conditioning is a technique that uses ice for thermal energy storage. Replacing existing air conditioning systems with ice storage has the advantage of shifting the load from on-peak times to off-peak times that often have excess generation. However, increasing the use of ice-storage faces significant challenges in China. One major barrier is the inefficiency in the current electricity tariff structure. There is a lack of effective incentive mechanism that induces ice-storage systems from achieving optimal load-shifting results. This study presents an analysis that compares the potential impacts of ice-storage systems on load-shifting under a new credit-based incentive scheme andmore » the existing incentive arrangement in Jiangsu, China. The study indicates that by changing how ice-storage systems are incentivized in Jiangsu, load-shifting results can be improved.« less

Role of Pumped Storage Hydro Resources in Electricity Markets and System Operation: Preprint

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

Ela, E.; Kirby, B.; Botterud, A.

2013-05-01

The most common form of utility- sized energy storage system is the pumped storage hydro system. Originally, these types of storage systems were economically viable simply because they displace more expensive generating units. However, over time, as those expensive units became more efficient and costs declined, pumped hydro storage units no longer have the operational edge. As a result, in the current electricity market environment, pumped storage hydro plants are struggling. To offset this phenomenon, certain market modifications should be addressed. This paper will introduce some of the challenges faced by pumped storage hydro plants in today's markets and purposemore » some solutions to those problems.« less

Development of a system for off-peak electrical energy use by air conditioners and heat pumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, L. D.

1980-05-01

Investigation and evaluation of several alternatives for load management for the TVA system are described. Specific data for the TVA system load characteristics were studied to determine the typical peak and off peak periods for the system. The alternative systems investigated for load management included gaseous energy storage, phase change materials energy storage, zeolite energy storage, variable speed controllers for compressors, and weather sensitive controllers. After investigating these alternatives, system design criteria were established; then, the gaseous and PCM energy storage systems were analyzed. The system design criteria include economic assessment of all alternatives. Handbook data were developed for economic assessment. A liquid/PCM energy storage system was judged feasible.

Ford/BASF/UM Activities in Support of the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence

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

Veenstra, Mike; Purewal, Justin; Xu, Chunchuan

Widespread adoption of hydrogen as a vehicular fuel depends critically on the development of low-cost, on-board hydrogen storage technologies capable of achieving high energy densities and fast kinetics for hydrogen uptake and release. As present-day technologies -- which rely on physical storage methods such as compressed hydrogen -- are incapable of attaining established Department of Energy (DOE) targets, development of materials-based approaches for storing hydrogen have garnered increasing attention. Material-based storage technologies have potential to store hydrogen beyond twice the density of liquid hydrogen. To hasten development of these ‘hydride’ materials, the DOE previously established three centers of excellence formore » materials storage R&D associated with the key classes of materials: metal hydrides, chemical hydrogen, and adsorbents. While these centers made progress in identifying new storage materials, the challenges associated with the engineering of the system around a candidate storage material are in need of further advancement. In 2009 the DOE established the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence with the objective of developing innovative engineering concepts for materials-based hydrogen storage systems. As a partner in the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence, the Ford-UM-BASF team conducted a multi-faceted research program that addresses key engineering challenges associated with the development of materials-based hydrogen storage systems. First, we developed a novel framework that allowed for a material-based hydrogen storage system to be modeled and operated within a virtual fuel cell vehicle. This effort resulted in the ability to assess dynamic operating parameters and interactions between the storage system and fuel cell power plant, including the evaluation of performance throughout various drive cycles. Second, we engaged in cost modeling of various incarnations of the storage systems. This analysis revealed cost gaps and opportunities that identified a storage system that was lower cost than a 700 bar compressed system. Finally, we led the HSECoE efforts devoted to characterizing and enhancing metal organic framework (MOF) storage materials. This report serves as a final documentation of the Ford-UM-BASF project contributions to the HSECoE during the 6-year timeframe of the Center. The activities of the HSECoE have impacted the broader goals of the DOE-EERE and USDRIVE, leading to improved understanding in the engineering of materials-based hydrogen storage systems. This knowledge is a prerequisite to the development of a commercially-viable hydrogen storage system.« less

Energy Storage Systems as a Compliment to Wind Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieling, Jared D.; Niederriter, C. F.; Berg, D. A.

2006-12-01

As Gustavus Adolphus College prepares to install two wind turbines on campus, we are faced with the question of what to do with the excess electricity that is generated. Since the College pays a substantial demand charge, it would seem fiscally responsible to store the energy and use it for peak shaving, instead of selling it to the power company at their avoided cost. We analyzed six currently available systems: hydrogen energy storage, flywheels, pumped hydroelectric storage, battery storage, compressed air storage, and superconducting magnetic energy storage, for energy and financial suitability. Potential wind turbine production is compared to consumption to determine the energy deficit or excess, which is fed into a model for each of the storage systems. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the storage systems and their suitability for energy storage and peak shaving in this situation.

Dish Stirling High Performance Thermal Storage FY14Q4 Quad Chart

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

Andraka, Charles E.

2014-10-01

The goals of this project are to demonstrate the feasibility of significant thermal storage for dish stirling systems to leverage their existing high performance to greater capacity; demonstrate key components of a latent storage and transport system enabling on-dish storage with low energy losses; and provide a technology path to a 25kW e system with 6 hours of storage.

78 FR 32077 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-29

... Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR[supreg] System AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct... final rule that would have revised its spent fuel storage regulations to include Amendment No. 3 to... All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR[supreg]) System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel...

Design tool for estimating chemical hydrogen storage system characteristics for light-duty fuel cell vehicles

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

Brooks, Kriston P.; Sprik, Samuel J.; Tamburello, David A.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a vehicle framework model to simulate fuel cell-based light-duty vehicle operation for various hydrogen storage systems. This transient model simulates the performance of the storage system, fuel cell, and vehicle for comparison to DOE’s Technical Targets using four drive cycles/profiles. Chemical hydrogen storage models have been developed for the Framework model for both exothermic and endothermic materials. Despite the utility of such models, they require that material researchers input system design specifications that cannot be easily estimated. To address this challenge, a design tool has been developed that allows researchers to directlymore » enter kinetic and thermodynamic chemical hydrogen storage material properties into a simple sizing module that then estimates the systems parameters required to run the storage system model. Additionally, this design tool can be used as a standalone executable file to estimate the storage system mass and volume outside of the framework model and compare it to the DOE Technical Targets. These models will be explained and exercised with existing hydrogen storage materials.« less

Proceedings of the NSSDC Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackwell, Kim; Blasso, Len (Editor); Lipscomb, Ann (Editor)

1991-01-01

The proceedings of the National Space Science Data Center Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications held July 23 through 25, 1991 at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center are presented. The program includes a keynote address, invited technical papers, and selected technical presentations to provide a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.

Valuing the Resilience Provided by Solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems

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

McLaren, Joyce A; Mullendore, Seth; Laws, Nicholas D

This paper explores the impact of valuing resilience on the economics of photovoltaics (PV) and storage systems for commercial buildings. The analysis presented here illustrates that accounting for the cost of grid power outages can change the breakeven point for PV and storage system investment, and increase the size of systems designed to deliver the greatest economic benefit over time. In other words, valuing resilience can make PV and storage systems economical in cases where they would not be otherwise. As storage costs decrease, and outages occur more frequently, PV and storage are likely to play a larger role inmore » building design and management considerations.« less

Onboard power line conditioning system for an electric or hybrid vehicle

DOEpatents

Kajouke, Lateef A.; Perisic, Milun

2016-06-14

A power line quality conditioning system for a vehicle includes an onboard rechargeable direct current (DC) energy storage system and an onboard electrical system coupled to the energy storage system. The energy storage system provides DC energy to drive an electric traction motor of the vehicle. The electrical system operates in a charging mode such that alternating current (AC) energy from a power grid external to the vehicle is converted to DC energy to charge the DC energy storage system. The electrical system also operates in a vehicle-to-grid power conditioning mode such that DC energy from the DC energy storage system is converted to AC energy to condition an AC voltage of the power grid.

Thermal Storage Applications Workshop. Volume 1: Plenary Session Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The importance of the development of inexpensive and efficient thermal and thermochemical energy storage technology to the solar power program is discussed in a summary of workship discussions held to exchange information and plan for future systems. Topics covered include storage in central power applications such as the 10 MW-e demonstration pilot receiver to be constructed in Barstow, California; storage for small dispersed systems, and problems associated with the development of storage systems for solar power plants interfacing with utility systems.

Microscale Enhancement of Heat and Mass Transfer for Hydrogen Energy Storage

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

Drost, Kevin; Jovanovic, Goran; Paul, Brian

2015-09-30

The document summarized the technical progress associated with OSU’s involvement in the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence. OSU focused on the development of microscale enhancement technologies for improving heat and mass transfer in automotive hydrogen storage systems. OSU’s key contributions included the development of an extremely compact microchannel combustion system for discharging hydrogen storage systems and a thermal management system for adsorption based hydrogen storage using microchannel cooling (the Modular Adsorption Tank Insert or MATI).

Development and Test of a Computer Readability Editing System (CRES).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

11OISTURE !.TC ETRE HOLECULE iATE !.ETRIC PIOMENT ATIAL ilIDDLE MOPENTARY MAL IlDNIGHT MOINDAY kTHH~ATICS 1I1D!WAY HONEY .. , -TR MIGHT MONITOR !ATT")ESS ILE...FOOT GRAY FEATURE FOR GREASE FEDERAL FORCE GREAT FEEL FORE GREEN FEET FOREARM GROOM FELLOW FORECASTLE GROLD FEMALE FOREIGN GROUP FEW FORM GUARD F IBER...CURRENT AS REQUIRED FOR SURFACE SHIPS. BEE PARAGRAPHS 079-eO.e6 THROUGH 079- 20.32. THE OVERHAULING ACTIVITY SHALL REVISE THE DAMAGE CONTROL BOOK TO

Fuel cell energy storage for Space Station enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stedman, J. K.

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on fuel cell energy storage for space station enhancement are presented. Topics covered include: power profile; solar dynamic power system; photovoltaic battery; space station energy demands; orbiter fuel cell power plant; space station energy storage; fuel cell system modularity; energy storage system development; and survival power supply.

78 FR 16619 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-18

...-0308] RIN 3150-AJ22 List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR[supreg] System AGENCY: Nuclear... proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc., Modular Advanced Generation Nuclear All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR[supreg]) Cask System listing within the ``List...

The Impact Of Optical Storage Technology On Image Processing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garges, Daniel T.; Durbin, Gerald T.

1984-09-01

The recent announcement of commercially available high density optical storage devices will have a profound impact on the information processing industry. Just as the initial introduction of random access storage created entirely new processing strategies, optical technology will allow dramatic changes in the storage, retrieval, and dissemination of engineering drawings and other pictorial or text-based documents. Storage Technology Corporation has assumed a leading role in this arena with the introduction of the 7600 Optical Storage Subsystem, and the formation of StorageTek Integrated Systems, a subsidiary chartered to incorporate this new technology into deliverable total systems. This paper explores the impact of optical storage technology from the perspective of a leading-edge manufacturer and integrator.

Research on Battery Energy Storage System Based on User Side

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qian; Zhang, Yichi; Yun, Zejian; Wang, Xuguang; Zhang, Dong; Bian, Di

2018-01-01

This paper introduces the effect of user side energy storage on the user side and the network side, a battery energy storage system for the user side is designed. The main circuit topology of the battery energy storage system based on the user side is given, the structure is mainly composed of two parts: DC-DC two-way half bridge converter and DC-AC two-way converter, a control strategy combining battery charging and discharging characteristics is proposed to decouple the grid side and the energy storage side, and the block diagram of the charging and discharging control of the energy storage system is given. The simulation results show that the battery energy storage system of the user side can not only realize reactive power compensation of low-voltage distribution network, but also improve the power quality of the users.

High-performance metadata indexing and search in petascale data storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, A. W.; Shao, M.; Bisson, T.; Pasupathy, S.; Miller, E. L.

2008-07-01

Large-scale storage systems used for scientific applications can store petabytes of data and billions of files, making the organization and management of data in these systems a difficult, time-consuming task. The ability to search file metadata in a storage system can address this problem by allowing scientists to quickly navigate experiment data and code while allowing storage administrators to gather the information they need to properly manage the system. In this paper, we present Spyglass, a file metadata search system that achieves scalability by exploiting storage system properties, providing the scalability that existing file metadata search tools lack. In doing so, Spyglass can achieve search performance up to several thousand times faster than existing database solutions. We show that Spyglass enables important functionality that can aid data management for scientists and storage administrators.

Methods and devices for determining quality of services of storage systems

DOEpatents

Seelam, Seetharami R [Yorktown Heights, NY; Teller, Patricia J [Las Cruces, NM

2012-01-17

Methods and systems for allowing access to computer storage systems. Multiple requests from multiple applications can be received and processed efficiently to allow traffic from multiple customers to access the storage system concurrently.

Eighth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies in Cooperation with the Seventeenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobler, Benjamin (Editor); Hariharan, P. C. (Editor)

2000-01-01

This document contains copies of those technical papers received in time for publication prior to the Eighth Goddard Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies which is being held in cooperation with the Seventeenth IEEE Symposium on Mass Storage Systems at the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center March 27-30, 2000. As one of an ongoing series, this Conference continues to provide a forum for discussion of issues relevant to the management of large volumes of data. The Conference encourages all interested organizations to discuss long term mass storage requirements and experiences in fielding solutions. Emphasis is on current and future practical solutions addressing issues in data management, storage systems and media, data acquisition, long term retention of data, and data distribution. This year's discussion topics include architecture, future of current technology, new technology with a special emphasis on holographic storage, performance, standards, site reports, vendor solutions. Tutorials will be available on stability of optical media, disk subsystem performance evaluation, I/O and storage tuning, functionality and performance evaluation of file systems for storage area networks.

Simulation and optimization study of a solar seasonal storage district heating system: the Fox River Valley case study

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

Michaels, A.I.; Sillman, S.; Baylin, F.

1983-05-01

A central solar-heating plant with seasonal heat storage in a deep underground aquifer is designed by means of a solar-seasonal-storage-system simulation code based on the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) code for Solar Annual Storage Simulation (SASS). This Solar Seasonal Storage Plant is designed to supply close to 100% of the annual heating and domestic-hot-water (DHW) load of a hypothetical new community, the Fox River Valley Project, for a location in Madison, Wisconsin. Some analyses are also carried out for Boston, Massachusetts and Copenhagen, Denmark, as an indication of weather and insolation effects. Analyses are conducted for five different typesmore » of solar collectors, and for an alternate system utilizing seasonal storage in a large water tank. Predicted seasonal performance and system and storage costs are calculated. To provide some validation of the SASS results, a simulation of the solar system with seasonal storage in a large water tank is also carried out with a modified version of the Swedish Solar Seasonal Storage Code MINSUN.« less

Large-Scale Wireless Temperature Monitoring System for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Storage Tanks.

PubMed

Fan, Guangwen; Shen, Yu; Hao, Xiaowei; Yuan, Zongming; Zhou, Zhi

2015-09-18

Temperature distribution is a critical indicator of the health condition for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage tanks. In this paper, we present a large-scale wireless temperature monitoring system to evaluate the safety of LPG storage tanks. The system includes wireless sensors networks, high temperature fiber-optic sensors, and monitoring software. Finally, a case study on real-world LPG storage tanks proves the feasibility of the system. The unique features of wireless transmission, automatic data acquisition and management, local and remote access make the developed system a good alternative for temperature monitoring of LPG storage tanks in practical applications.

Research and implementation on improving I/O performance of streaming media storage system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Zheng-wu; Wang, Yu-de; Jiang, Guo-song

2008-12-01

In this paper, we study the special requirements of a special storage system: streaming media server, and propose a solution to improve I/O performance of RAID storage system. The solution is suitable for streaming media applications. A streaming media storage subsystem includes the I/O interfaces, RAID arrays, I/O scheduling and device drivers. The solution is implemented on the top of the storage subsystem I/O Interface. Storage subsystem is the performance bottlenecks of a streaming media system, and I/O interface directly affect the performance of the storage subsystem. According to theoretical analysis, 64 KB block-size is most appropriate for streaming media applications. We carry out experiment in detail, and verified that the proper block-size really is 64KB. It is in accordance with our analysis. The experiment results also show that by using DMA controller, efficient memory management technology and mailbox interface design mechanism, streaming media storage system achieves a high-speed data throughput.

P-wave velocity models of continental shelf of East Siberian Sea using the Laplace-domain full waveform inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, S. G.; Hong, J. K.; Jin, Y. K.; Jang, U.; Niessen, F.; Baranov, B.

2017-12-01

2016 IBRV ARAON Arctic Cruise Leg-2, Expedition ARA07C was a multidisciplinary undertaking carried out in the East Siberian Sea (ESS) from August 25 to September 10, 2016. The program was conducted as a collaboration between the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IORAS), and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). During this expedition, the multi-channel seismic (MCS) data were acquired on the continental shelf and the upper slope of the ESS, totaling 3 lines with 660 line-kilometers. The continental shelf of ESS is one of the widest shelf seas in the world and it is believed to cover the largest area of sub-sea permafrost in the Arctic. According to the present knowledge of the glacial history of the western Arctic Ocean, it is likely that during the LGM with a sea level approximately 120 m below present, the entire shelf area of the ESS was exposed to very cold air temperatures so that thick permafrost should have formed. Indeed, in water depths shallower than 80 m, sub-bottom profiles in the ESS recorded from the shelf edge to a latitude of 74°30' N in 60 m water depth exhibited acoustic facies, suggesting that at least relicts of submarine permafrost are present. In order to identify the existence and/or non-existence of subsea permafrost in our study area, we analyze the MCS data using the Laplace domain full waveform inversion (FWI). In case of the Canadian continental shelf of the Beaufort Sea, subsea permafrost has high seismic velocity values (over 2.6 km/sec) and strong refraction events were found in the MCS shotgathers. However, in the EES our proposed P-wave velocity models derived from FWI have neither found high velocity structures (over 2.6 km/sec) nor indicate strong refraction events by subsea permafrost. Instead, in 300 m depth below sea floor higher P-wave velocity structures (1.8 2.2 km/s) than normal subsea sediment layers were found, which are interpreted as cemented strata by glaciation activities.