Personnel resources in physical therapy: an analysis of supply, career patterns, and methods to enhance availability.

PubMed

Gwyer, J

1995-01-01

Describing the ever-changing supply and demand for physical therapy personnel in the United States is an intricate, complex, and profoundly significant task for the profession. In this article, a review of data relating to the supply of physical therapy personnel in the work force and their typical career patterns is presented. The estimates of the numbers of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are discussed, as are problems associated with such estimates. Studies of career patterns of physical therapists are compared. Changes in the participation rates of women in the physical therapy work force over the last three decades are described. Career expectations, defined as both length and pattern of work-force participation, of entering physical therapy professionals are presented. Strategies to adjust the work-force participation of personnel through changes in the educational process, career patterns, and practice patterns are discussed.

Patterns of Physical Activity Outside of School Time among Japanese Junior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Li; Ishii, Kaori; Shibata, Ai; Adachi, Minoru; Nonoue, Keiko; Oka, Koichiro

2013-01-01

Background: Physical activity is beneficial for adolescent health. The physical activity patterns of Japanese adolescents are relatively unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the current patterns of physical activity and to identify sex and grade differences among them. Methods: The participants comprised 714 Japanese adolescents aged…

Coordination strategies of crew management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conley, Sharon; Cano, Yvonne; Bryant, Don

1991-01-01

An exploratory study that describes and contrasts two three-person flight crews performing in a B-727 simulator is presented. This study specifically attempts to delineate crew communication patterns accounting for measured differences in performance across routine and nonroutine flight patterns. The communication patterns in the two crews evaluated indicated different modes of coordination, i.e., standardization in the less effective crew and planning/mutual adjustment in the more effective crew.

A synoptic climatology for forest fires in the NE US and future implications for GCM simulations

Treesearch

Yan Qing; Ronald Sabo; Yiqiang Wu; J.Y. Zhu

1994-01-01

We studied surface-pressure patterns corresponding to reduced precipitation, high evaporation potential, and enhanced forest-fire danger for West Virginia, which experienced extensive forest-fire damage in November 1987. From five years of daily weather maps we identified eight weather patterns that describe distinctive flow situations throughout the year. Map patterns...

Local Conjecturing Process in the Solving of Pattern Generalization Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutarto; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji; Sisworo

2016-01-01

This aim of this study is to describe the process of local conjecturing in generalizing patterns based on Action, Process, Object, Schema (APOS) theory. The subjects were 16 grade 8 students from a junior high school. Data collection used Pattern Generalization Problem (PGP) and interviews. In the first stage, students completed PGP; in the second…

Early Adolescent Age and Gender Differences in Patterns of Emotional Self-Disclosure to Parents and Friends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papini, Dennis R.; And Others

This study explored adolescent age and gender differences in patterns of emotional self-disclosure to parents and friends. An additional purpose was to describe how familial and individual developmental characteristics influence patterns of adolescent emotional disclosure. The sample consisted of 174 junior high school students between 12 and 15…

Building Project Management Communities: Exploring the Contribution of Patterns Supported by Web 2.0 Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burd, Elizabeth L.; Hatch, Andrew; Ashurst, Colin; Jessop, Alan

2009-01-01

This article describes an approach whereby patterns are used to describe management issues and solutions to be used during the project management of team-based software development. The work describes how web 2.0 technologies have been employed to support the use and development of such patterns. To evaluate the success of patterns and the…

Classification and machine recognition of severe weather patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, P. P.; Burns, R. C.

1976-01-01

Forecasting and warning of severe weather conditions are treated from the vantage point of pattern recognition by machine. Pictorial patterns and waveform patterns are distinguished. Time series data on sferics are dealt with by considering waveform patterns. A severe storm patterns recognition machine is described, along with schemes for detection via cross-correlation of time series (same channel or different channels). Syntactic and decision-theoretic approaches to feature extraction are discussed. Active and decayed tornados and thunderstorms, lightning discharges, and funnels and their related time series data are studied.

Citation Analysis: A Case Study of Korean Scientists and Engineers in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieh, Hae-young

1993-01-01

Describes a study that investigated the citation patterns of publications by scientists and engineers in electrical and electronics engineering in Korea. Citation behavior of personnel in government, universities, and industry is compared; and citation patterns from articles in Korean and non-Korean publications are contrasted. (Contains 27…

Family and Career Patterns of Women Dentists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habenicht, Donna J.; And Others

A study was conducted to describe the family patterns and attitudes toward dentistry of women dentists. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 226 women dentists selected from the 1979 membership list of the American Association of Women Dentists, with a return of 65 percent. Almost half of those surveyed had…

Patterns of informal reasoning in the context of socioscientific decision making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to a theoretical knowledge base through research by examining factors salient to science education reform and practice in the context of socioscientific issues. The study explores how individuals negotiate and resolve genetic engineering dilemmas. A qualitative approach was used to examine patterns of informal reasoning and the role of morality in these processes. Thirty college students participated individually in two semistructured interviews designed to explore their informal reasoning in response to six genetic engineering scenarios. Students demonstrated evidence of rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive forms of informal reasoning. Rationalistic informal reasoning described reason-based considerations; emotive informal reasoning described care-based considerations; and intuitive reasoning described considerations based on immediate reactions to the context of a scenario. Participants frequently relied on combinations of these reasoning patterns as they worked to resolve individual socioscientific scenarios. Most of the participants appreciated at least some of the moral implications of their decisions, and these considerations were typically interwoven within an overall pattern of informal reasoning. These results highlight the need to ensure that science classrooms are environments in which intuition and emotion in addition to reason are valued. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Use patterns of health information exchange through a multidimensional lens: conceptual framework and empirical validation.

PubMed

Politi, Liran; Codish, Shlomi; Sagy, Iftach; Fink, Lior

2014-12-01

Insights about patterns of system use are often gained through the analysis of system log files, which record the actual behavior of users. In a clinical context, however, few attempts have been made to typify system use through log file analysis. The present study offers a framework for identifying, describing, and discerning among patterns of use of a clinical information retrieval system. We use the session attributes of volume, diversity, granularity, duration, and content to define a multidimensional space in which each specific session can be positioned. We also describe an analytical method for identifying the common archetypes of system use in this multidimensional space. We demonstrate the value of the proposed framework with a log file of the use of a health information exchange (HIE) system by physicians in an emergency department (ED) of a large Israeli hospital. The analysis reveals five distinct patterns of system use, which have yet to be described in the relevant literature. The results of this study have the potential to inform the design of HIE systems for efficient and effective use, thus increasing their contribution to the clinical decision-making process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical methods for detecting and comparing periodic data and their application to the nycthemeral rhythm of bodily harm: A population based study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Animals, including humans, exhibit a variety of biological rhythms. This article describes a method for the detection and simultaneous comparison of multiple nycthemeral rhythms. Methods A statistical method for detecting periodic patterns in time-related data via harmonic regression is described. The method is particularly capable of detecting nycthemeral rhythms in medical data. Additionally a method for simultaneously comparing two or more periodic patterns is described, which derives from the analysis of variance (ANOVA). This method statistically confirms or rejects equality of periodic patterns. Mathematical descriptions of the detecting method and the comparing method are displayed. Results Nycthemeral rhythms of incidents of bodily harm in Middle Franconia are analyzed in order to demonstrate both methods. Every day of the week showed a significant nycthemeral rhythm of bodily harm. These seven patterns of the week were compared to each other revealing only two different nycthemeral rhythms, one for Friday and Saturday and one for the other weekdays. PMID:21059197

Dietary Assessment on a Mobile Phone Using Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Techniques: Algorithm Design and System Prototyping.

PubMed

Probst, Yasmine; Nguyen, Duc Thanh; Tran, Minh Khoi; Li, Wanqing

2015-07-27

Dietary assessment, while traditionally based on pen-and-paper, is rapidly moving towards automatic approaches. This study describes an Australian automatic food record method and its prototype for dietary assessment via the use of a mobile phone and techniques of image processing and pattern recognition. Common visual features including scale invariant feature transformation (SIFT), local binary patterns (LBP), and colour are used for describing food images. The popular bag-of-words (BoW) model is employed for recognizing the images taken by a mobile phone for dietary assessment. Technical details are provided together with discussions on the issues and future work.

Waves and patterning in developmental biology: vertebrate segmentation and feather bud formation as case studies

PubMed Central

Baker, Ruth E.; Schnell, Santiago; Maini, Philip K.

2014-01-01

In this article we will discuss the integration of developmental patterning mechanisms with waves of competency that control the ability of a homogeneous field of cells to react to pattern forming cues and generate spatially heterogeneous patterns. We base our discussion around two well known patterning events that take place in the early embryo: somitogenesis and feather bud formation. We outline mathematical models to describe each patterning mechanism, present the results of numerical simulations and discuss the validity of each model in relation to our example patterning processes. PMID:19557684

Interface Pattern Selection Criterion for Cellular Structures in Directional Solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trivedi, R.; Tewari, S. N.; Kurtze, D.

1999-01-01

The aim of this investigation is to establish key scientific concepts that govern the selection of cellular and dendritic patterns during the directional solidification of alloys. We shall first address scientific concepts that are crucial in the selection of interface patterns. Next, the results of ground-based experimental studies in the Al-4.0 wt % Cu system will be described. Both experimental studies and theoretical calculations will be presented to establish the need for microgravity experiments.

T-pattern analysis for the study of temporal structure of animal and human behavior: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Casarrubea, M; Jonsson, G K; Faulisi, F; Sorbera, F; Di Giovanni, G; Benigno, A; Crescimanno, G; Magnusson, M S

2015-01-15

A basic tenet in the realm of modern behavioral sciences is that behavior consists of patterns in time. For this reason, investigations of behavior deal with sequences that are not easily perceivable by the unaided observer. This problem calls for improved means of detection, data handling and analysis. This review focuses on the analysis of the temporal structure of behavior carried out by means of a multivariate approach known as T-pattern analysis. Using this technique, recurring sequences of behavioral events, usually hard to detect, can be unveiled and carefully described. T-pattern analysis has been successfully applied in the study of various aspects of human or animal behavior such as behavioral modifications in neuro-psychiatric diseases, route-tracing stereotypy in mice, interaction between human subjects and animal or artificial agents, hormonal-behavioral interactions, patterns of behavior associated with emesis and, in our laboratories, exploration and anxiety-related behaviors in rodents. After describing the theory and concepts of T-pattern analysis, this review will focus on the application of the analysis to the study of the temporal characteristics of behavior in different species from rodents to human beings. This work could represent a useful background for researchers who intend to employ such a refined multivariate approach to the study of behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Repeating Patterns: Strategies to Assist Young Students to Generalise the Mathematical Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Elizabeth; Miller, Jodie; Cooper, Thomas

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on very young students' ability to engage in repeating pattern tasks and identifying strategies that assist them to ascertain the structure of the pattern. It describes results of a study which is part of the Early Years Generalising Project (EYGP) and involves Australian students in Years 1 to 4 (ages 5-10). This paper reports…

Soil moisture and vegetation patterns in northern California forests

Treesearch

James R. Griffin

1967-01-01

Twenty-nine soil-vegetation plots were studied in a broad transect across the southern Cascade Range. Variations in soil moisture patterns during the growing season and in soil moisture tension values are discussed. Plot soil moisture values for 40- and 80-cm. depths in August and September are integrated into a soil drought index. Vegetation patterns are described in...

The Dynamics of Visual Experience, an EEG Study of Subjective Pattern Formation

PubMed Central

Elliott, Mark A.; Twomey, Deirdre; Glennon, Mark

2012-01-01

Background Since the origin of psychological science a number of studies have reported visual pattern formation in the absence of either physiological stimulation or direct visual-spatial references. Subjective patterns range from simple phosphenes to complex patterns but are highly specific and reported reliably across studies. Methodology/Principal Findings Using independent-component analysis (ICA) we report a reduction in amplitude variance consistent with subjective-pattern formation in ventral posterior areas of the electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEG exhibits significantly increased power at delta/theta and gamma-frequencies (point and circle patterns) or a series of high-frequency harmonics of a delta oscillation (spiral patterns). Conclusions/Significance Subjective-pattern formation may be described in a way entirely consistent with identical pattern formation in fluids or granular flows. In this manner, we propose subjective-pattern structure to be represented within a spatio-temporal lattice of harmonic oscillations which bind topographically organized visual-neuronal assemblies by virtue of low frequency modulation. PMID:22292053

Modeling pattern in collections of parameters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, W.A.

1999-01-01

Wildlife management is increasingly guided by analyses of large and complex datasets. The description of such datasets often requires a large number of parameters, among which certain patterns might be discernible. For example, one may consider a long-term study producing estimates of annual survival rates; of interest is the question whether these rates have declined through time. Several statistical methods exist for examining pattern in collections of parameters. Here, I argue for the superiority of 'random effects models' in which parameters are regarded as random variables, with distributions governed by 'hyperparameters' describing the patterns of interest. Unfortunately, implementation of random effects models is sometimes difficult. Ultrastructural models, in which the postulated pattern is built into the parameter structure of the original data analysis, are approximations to random effects models. However, this approximation is not completely satisfactory: failure to account for natural variation among parameters can lead to overstatement of the evidence for pattern among parameters. I describe quasi-likelihood methods that can be used to improve the approximation of random effects models by ultrastructural models.

Morbidity Forecast in Cities: A Study of Urban Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil.

PubMed

de Souza, Fabio Teodoro

2018-05-29

In the last two decades, urbanization has intensified, and in Brazil, about 90% of the population now lives in urban centers. Atmospheric patterns have changed owing to the high growth rate of cities, with negative consequences for public health. This research aims to elucidate the spatial patterns of air pollution and respiratory diseases. A data-based model to aid local urban management to improve public health policies concerning air pollution is described. An example of data preparation and multivariate analysis with inventories from different cities in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba was studied. A predictive model with outstanding accuracy in prediction of outbreaks was developed. Preliminary results describe relevant relations among morbidity scales, air pollution levels, and atmospheric seasonal patterns. The knowledge gathered here contributes to the debate on social issues and public policies. Moreover, the results of this smaller scale study can be extended to megacities.

I've changed, but I'm not less happy: Interview study among nonclinical relatives of long-term missing persons.

PubMed

Lenferink, Lonneke I M; de Keijser, Jos; Piersma, Eline; Boelen, Paul A

2018-07-01

Twenty-three nonclinical relatives of long-term missing persons were interviewed. Patterns of functioning over time were studied retrospectively by instructing participants to draw a graph that best described their pattern. Patterns most frequently drawn were a recovery and resilient/stable pattern. Participants were also asked to select 5 out of 15 cards referring to coping strategies, which they considered most helpful in dealing with the disappearance. Acceptance, emotional social support, mental disengagement, and venting emotions were most frequently chosen. This study provided some indication of coping strategies that could be strengthened in treatment for those in need of support.

The impact of reduced coal consumption on the Southeastern Railroad Network.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The study had three goals: 1. to document historical coal production, consumption, and transportation patterns in the eastern U.S. east of the Mississippi River and to describe changes to those patterns over the past two decades 2. to catalogue and a...

The First Morphometric Study of the Horn Morphological Pattern in a Geotrupidae: The Case of the Dor Beetle Ceratophyus rossii Jekel, 1865.

PubMed

Pizzo, Astrid; Mazzone, Fabio; Palestrini, Claudia

2015-01-01

Among beetles, thousands of species develop horns, the size of which is often extraordinarily disproportionate with respect to body size. The Scarabaeidae is the family in which horned species are most predominant, but other families, such as the Geotrupidae (dor beetles), also show remarkable horns, although in a more limited number of species. Horn expression mechanisms are well documented in Scarabaeidae but, despite the wealth of studies on this family, the horn morphological pattern of the Geotrupidae, to our knowledge, has never been investigated. In this paper, we describe for the first time the horn expression pattern in a dor beetle. As a study species, we chose Ceratophyus rossii, an Italian endemic dor beetle of the protected Mediterranean maquis in Tuscany, which shows remarkable head and pronotal horns in males and a notable cephalic horn in females. We identified and modeled shape and size horn patterns combining traditional and geometric morphometric approaches. We discuss the results in the wider landscape of developmental models described for other, more well-characterized, scarab beetles.

Probing Atomic Dynamics and Structures Using Optical Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmittberger, Bonnie L.; Gauthier, Daniel J.

2015-05-01

Pattern formation is a widely studied phenomenon that can provide fundamental insights into nonlinear systems. Emergent patterns in cold atoms are of particular interest in condensed matter physics and quantum information science because one can relate optical patterns to spatial structures in the atoms. In our experimental system, we study multimode optical patterns generated from a sample of cold, thermal atoms. We observe this nonlinear optical phenomenon at record low input powers due to the highly nonlinear nature of the spatial bunching of atoms in an optical lattice. We present a detailed study of the dynamics of these bunched atoms during optical pattern formation. We show how small changes in the atomic density distribution affect the symmetry of the generated patterns as well as the nature of the nonlinearity that describes the light-atom interaction. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Science Foundation through Grant #PHY-1206040.

Dietary Assessment on a Mobile Phone Using Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Techniques: Algorithm Design and System Prototyping

PubMed Central

Probst, Yasmine; Nguyen, Duc Thanh; Tran, Minh Khoi; Li, Wanqing

2015-01-01

Dietary assessment, while traditionally based on pen-and-paper, is rapidly moving towards automatic approaches. This study describes an Australian automatic food record method and its prototype for dietary assessment via the use of a mobile phone and techniques of image processing and pattern recognition. Common visual features including scale invariant feature transformation (SIFT), local binary patterns (LBP), and colour are used for describing food images. The popular bag-of-words (BoW) model is employed for recognizing the images taken by a mobile phone for dietary assessment. Technical details are provided together with discussions on the issues and future work. PMID:26225994

Pattern of Cortical Fracture following Corticotomy for Distraction Osteogenesis.

PubMed

Luvan, M; Kanthan, S R; Roshan, G; Saw, A

2015-11-01

Corticotomy is an essential procedure for deformity correction and there are many techniques described. However there is no proper classification of the fracture pattern resulting from corticotomies to enable any studies to be conducted. We performed a retrospective study of corticotomy fracture patterns in 44 patients (34 tibias and 10 femurs) performed for various indications. We identified four distinct fracture patterns, Type I through IV classification based on the fracture propagation following percutaneous corticotomy. Type I transverse fracture, Type II transverse fracture with a winglet, Type III presence of butterfly fragment and Type IV fracture propagation to a fixation point. No significant correlation was noted between the fracture pattern and the underlying pathology or region of corticotomy.

Lexical Connection: Semiterm Grammatical Patterns in Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrero, Carmen Lopez

2012-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe the grammatical patterns of a set of nouns frequently used in Spanish specialized discourse: the so-called "semiterms". The following nouns were selected for the study: "problema" "problem", "resultado" "result", "motivo" "motive/reason", "razon" "reason", and "consecuencia" "consequence". Apart from…

Median Hetero-Associative Memories Applied to the Categorization of True-Color Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez, Roberto A.; Sossa, Humberto

Median associative memories (MED-AMs) are a special type of associative memory based on the median operator. This type of associative model has been applied to the restoration of gray scale images and provides better performance than other models, such as morphological associative memories, when the patterns are altered with mixed noise. Despite of his power, MED-AMs have not been applied in problems involving true-color patterns. In this paper we describe how a median hetero-associative memory (MED-HAM) could be applied in problems that involve true-color patterns. A complete study of the behavior of this associative model in the restoration of true-color images is performed using a benchmark of 14400 images altered by different type of noises. Furthermore, we describe how this model can be applied to an image categorization problem.

Thematic Structure in Barack Obama's Press Conference: A Systemic Functional Grammar Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuswoyo, Heri

2016-01-01

This article looks into the theme--rheme pattern of presidential press conference that can be employed by speakers to organize the text in order to have a texture. Since a message should be conveyed in clause contextually and co-textually. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to analyze and describe the theme-rheme pattern employed in…

Symptomatic muscular sarcoidosis: Lessons from a nationwide multicenter study.

PubMed

Cohen Aubart, Fleur; Abbara, Salam; Maisonobe, Thierry; Cottin, Vincent; Papo, Thomas; Haroche, Julien; Mathian, Alexis; Pha, Micheline; Gilardin, Laurent; Hervier, Baptiste; Soussan, Michael; Morlat, Philippe; Nunes, Hilario; Benveniste, Olivier; Amoura, Zahir; Valeyre, Dominique

2018-05-01

To describe clinicopathologic features of muscular sarcoidosis and the associated sarcoidosis phenotype through a nationwide multicenter study. Patients were included if they had histologically proven sarcoidosis and symptomatic muscular involvement confirmed by biological, imaging, or histologic examinations. Forty-eight patients (20 males) were studied, with a median age at muscular symptoms onset of 45 years (range 18-71). Four patterns were identified: a nodular pattern (27%); smoldering phenotype (29%); acute, subacute, or progressive myopathic type (35%); and combined myopathic and neurogenic pattern (10%). In all patterns, sarcoidosis was multivisceral with a median of 3 extramuscular organs involved (mostly lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, and skin) and a prolonged course with long-term use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Muscular patterns differed according to clinical presentation (myalgia, nodules, or weakness), electromyographic findings, muscular MRI, and response to sarcoidosis treatment. The myopathic and neuromuscular patterns were more severe. This nationwide study of muscular sarcoidosis allowed the identification of 4 patterns of granulomatous myositis, which differed by phenotypes and the clinical course.

Epistolary and Expository Interaction Patterns in a Computer Conference Transcript.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Patrick J.

2002-01-01

Discusses the relationship of gender and discourse types, including epistolary and expository, in computer-mediated communication such as listservs. Describes a study that used transcript analysis to determine whether gender patterns could be detected in an online graduate course and considers the strategic value of discourse styles in group…

Regional Patterns of Communication in the United States: A Theoretical Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Peter A.; And Others

1987-01-01

Provides the rationale for a systematic study of regional patterns of communication in the United States. Conceptualizes regionalism, appraises regional influences on communication, and establishes their significance. Describes regional development of the U.S. and proposes a program of regional research on U.S. communication. Examines deficiencies…

Patterns of antimicrobial use for respiratory tract infections in older residents of long-term care facilities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

OBJECTIVE: To describe patterns of antimicrobial use for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) among elderly residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). DESIGN: Data from a prospective, randomized, controlled study conducted from April 1998 through August 2001 to investigate the effect of vitamin ...

The Heterogeneity of Picture-Supported Narratives in Alzheimer's Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duong, A.; Giroux, F.; Tardif, A.; Ska, B.

2005-01-01

This study describes discourse patterns produced by 46 Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and 53 normal elderly subjects in two picture-supported narratives. Nine measures derived from a cognitive model of discourse processing were obtained and submitted to cluster analysis. Results indicate that discourse patterns elicited from both stimuli were…

Who's the Boss? Patterns of Control in Adolescents' Sibling Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Corinna Jenkins; Updegraff, Kim

2010-01-01

The goals of this study were to examine longitudinal changes in perceived control in adolescents' sibling relationships and to describe the nature and correlates of three distinct control patterns: firstborn dominant, equal, and secondborn dominant. Firstborn and secondborn adolescents in 184 predominately European-American families participated…

Interaction Patterns in Synchronous Online Calculus and Linear Algebra Recitations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Greg; Hendricks, Cher

2014-01-01

This study describes interaction patterns observed during a pilot project that explored the use of web-conferencing (WC) software in two undergraduate distance education courses offered to advanced high-school students. The pilot program replaced video-conferencing technology with WC software during recitations, so as to increase participation in…

Behavioral and Temporal Pattern Detection Within Financial Data With Hidden Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

probabilistic pattern detector to monitor the pattern. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Runtime verification, Hidden data, Hidden Markov models, Formal specifications...sequences in many other fields besides financial systems [L, TV, LC, LZ ]. Rather, the technique suggested in this paper is positioned as a hybrid...operation of the pattern detector . Section 7 describes the operation of the probabilistic pattern-matching monitor, and section 8 describes three

Numerical approaches to model perturbation fire in turing pattern formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagna, R.; Brancaccio, M.; Cuomo, S.; Mazzoleni, S.; Russo, L.; Siettos, K.; Giannino, F.

2017-11-01

Turing patterns were observed in chemical, physical and biological systems described by coupled reaction-diffusion equations. Several models have been formulated proposing the water as the causal mechanism of vegetation pattern formation, but this isn't an exhaustive hypothesis in some natural environments. An alternative explanation has been related to the plant-soil negative feedback. In Marasco et al. [1] the authors explored the hypothesis that both mechanisms contribute in the formation of regular and irregular vegetation patterns. The mathematical model consists in three partial differential equations (PDEs) that take into account for a dynamic balance between biomass, water and toxic compounds. A numerical approach is mandatory also to investigate on the predictions of this kind of models. In this paper we start from the mathematical model described in [1], set the model parameters such that the biomass reaches a stable spatial pattern (spots) and present preliminary studies about the occurrence of perturbing events, such as wildfire, that can affect the regularity of the biomass configuration.

Laban Movement Analysis towards Behavior Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Luís; Dias, Jorge

This work presents a study about the use of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) as a robust tool to describe human basic behavior patterns, to be applied in human-machine interaction. LMA is a language used to describe and annotate dancing movements and is divided in components [1]: Body, Space, Shape and Effort. Despite its general framework is widely used in physical and mental therapy [2], it has found little application in the engineering domain. Rett J. [3] proposed to implement LMA using Bayesian Networks. However LMA component models have not yet been fully implemented. A study on how to approach behavior using LMA is presented. Behavior is a complex feature and movement chain, but we believe that most basic behavior primitives can be discretized in simple features. Correctly identifying Laban parameters and the movements the authors feel that good patterns can be found within a specific set of basic behavior semantics.

Patterns of treatment services and costs for young offenders with mental disorders.

PubMed

Shelton, Deborah

2005-01-01

This study describes mental health treatment service delivery patterns and costs for youth in a juvenile justice system. A secondary data analysis on a random sample of juvenile offenders (N = 312) was completed. Service patterns and costs were described. Selected variables were examined for their ability to predict who received treatment. Only 23% of youth diagnosed with a mental disorder received any treatment. Older youth and African American youth received fewer services, and race was the only significant predictor for receiving treatment (p = .001). Mental health treatment services were scarce, and the data reflects a race bias in the provision of services. Although the law protects the right to treatment for these individuals, provision of services remains a challenge.

In-volume structuring of a bilayered polymer foil using direct laser interference patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rößler, Florian; Günther, Katja; Lasagni, Andrés F.

2018-05-01

Periodic surface patterns can provide materials with special optical properties, which are usable in decorative or security applications. However, they can be sensitive to contact wear and thus their lifetime and functionality are limited. This study describes the use of direct laser interference patterning for structuring a multilayered polymer film at its interface creating periodic in-volume structures which are resistant to contact wear. The spatial period of the structures are varied in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.0 μm in order to produce decorative elements. The pattern formation at the interface is explained using cross sectional observations and a thermal simulation of the temperature evolution during the laser treatment at the interface. Both, the diffraction efficiency and direct transmission are characterized by light intensity measurements to describe the optical behavior of the produced periodic structures and a decorative application example is presented.

Pattern of Cortical Fracture following Corticotomy for Distraction Osteogenesis

PubMed Central

Luvan, M; Roshan, G; Saw, A

2015-01-01

Corticotomy is an essential procedure for deformity correction and there are many techniques described. However there is no proper classification of the fracture pattern resulting from corticotomies to enable any studies to be conducted. We performed a retrospective study of corticotomy fracture patterns in 44 patients (34 tibias and 10 femurs) performed for various indications. We identified four distinct fracture patterns, Type I through IV classification based on the fracture propagation following percutaneous corticotomy. Type I transverse fracture, Type II transverse fracture with a winglet, Type III presence of butterfly fragment and Type IV fracture propagation to a fixation point. No significant correlation was noted between the fracture pattern and the underlying pathology or region of corticotomy. PMID:28611907

Searching Electronic Health Records for Temporal Patterns in Patient Histories: A Case Study with Microsoft Amalga

PubMed Central

Plaisant, Catherine; Lam, Stanley; Shneiderman, Ben; Smith, Mark S.; Roseman, David; Marchand, Greg; Gillam, Michael; Feied, Craig; Handler, Jonathan; Rappaport, Hank

2008-01-01

As electronic health records (EHR) become more widespread, they enable clinicians and researchers to pose complex queries that can benefit immediate patient care and deepen understanding of medical treatment and outcomes. However, current query tools make complex temporal queries difficult to pose, and physicians have to rely on computer professionals to specify the queries for them. This paper describes our efforts to develop a novel query tool implemented in a large operational system at the Washington Hospital Center (Microsoft Amalga, formerly known as Azyxxi). We describe our design of the interface to specify temporal patterns and the visual presentation of results, and report on a pilot user study looking for adverse reactions following radiology studies using contrast. PMID:18999158

Striation Patterns of Ox Muscle in Rigor Mortis

PubMed Central

Locker, Ronald H.

1959-01-01

Ox muscle in rigor mortis offers a selection of myofibrils fixed at varying degrees of contraction from sarcomere lengths of 3.7 to 0.7 µ. A study of this material by phase contrast and electron microscopy has revealed four distinct successive patterns of contraction, including besides the familiar relaxed and contracture patterns, two intermediate types (2.4 to 1.9 µ, 1.8 to 1.5 µ) not previously well described. PMID:14417790

Cellular-automata-based learning network for pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzionas, Panagiotis G.; Tsalides, Phillippos G.; Thanailakis, Adonios

1991-11-01

Most classification techniques either adopt an approach based directly on the statistical characteristics of the pattern classes involved, or they transform the patterns in a feature space and try to separate the point clusters in this space. An alternative approach based on memory networks has been presented, its novelty being that it can be implemented in parallel and it utilizes direct features of the patterns rather than statistical characteristics. This study presents a new approach for pattern classification using pseudo 2-D binary cellular automata (CA). This approach resembles the memory network classifier in the sense that it is based on an adaptive knowledge based formed during a training phase, and also in the fact that both methods utilize pattern features that are directly available. The main advantage of this approach is that the sensitivity of the pattern classifier can be controlled. The proposed pattern classifier has been designed using 1.5 micrometers design rules for an N-well CMOS process. Layout has been achieved using SOLO 1400. Binary pseudo 2-D hybrid additive CA (HACA) is described in the second section of this paper. The third section describes the operation of the pattern classifier and the fourth section presents some possible applications. The VLSI implementation of the pattern classifier is presented in the fifth section and, finally, the sixth section draws conclusions from the results obtained.

"I just couldn't step out of the circle. I was trapped": Patterns of endurance and distress in Chinese-Canadian women with a history of suicidal behaviour.

PubMed

Zaheer, Juveria; Shera, Wes; Tsang, A Ka Tat; Law, Samuel; Fung, Wai Lun Alan; Eynan, Rahel; Lam, June; Zheng, Xiaoqian; Pozi, Liu; Links, Paul S

2016-07-01

Recent studies have highlighted higher rates of suicidal ideation and behaviour and associated themes of gender role stress in Chinese women residing in North America. However, qualitative studies, which privilege their voices in the discourse of suicide prevention and provide insight into their experiences, are lacking. To gain an understanding of the life histories, patterns of distress and constructions of suicide of Chinese-Canadian women with a history of suicidal behaviour. Ten women were recruited from four mental health programs in Toronto, Canada and participated in qualitative interviewing and analysis informed by constructivist grounded theory. Chinese-Canadian women describe experiencing "stress" or "pressure" leading to the exacerbation of depressive symptoms. Stress and pressure are managed through a coping strategy of endurance, informed by the cultural conception of "ren". Cultural influences contribute to the manifestation of stress and pressure as somatic symptoms and sleeplessness. Finally, the women describe feeling unable to endure through worsening distress, reaching a "breaking point"; suicidal behaviour is constructed as a strategy to disrupt this cycle. This study challenges the binary notion that suicidal behaviour is either a consequence of mental illness or a reaction to interpersonal stress. Rather, the women describe an ingrained pattern of enduring through psychosocial problems without acknowledging worsening anxiety, depressive and physical symptoms. The pattern of endurance also prevents early treatment of these difficulties, resulting in the intensification of symptoms until a breaking point is reached. Knowledge of these patterns and coping strategies can allow for earlier identification and intervention for women at risk to prevent the worsening of distress leading to suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in flower color variation and patterning of Japanese morning glory and petunia

PubMed Central

Morita, Yasumasa; Hoshino, Atsushi

2018-01-01

The Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil) and petunia (Petunia hybrida), locally called “Asagao” and “Tsukubane-asagao”, respectively, are popular garden plants. They have been utilized as model plants for studying the genetic basis of floricultural traits, especially anthocyanin pigmentation in flower petals. In their long history of genetic studies, many mutations affecting flower pigmentation have been characterized, and both structural and regulatory genes for the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway have been identified. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in the understanding of flower pigmentation in the two species with respect to flower hue and color patterning. Regarding flower hue, we will describe a novel enhancer of flavonoid production that controls the intensity of flower pigmentation, new aspects related to a flavonoid glucosyltransferase that has been known for a long time, and the regulatory mechanisms of vacuolar pH being a key determinant of red and blue coloration. On color patterning, we describe particular flower patterns regulated by epigenetic and RNA-silencing mechanisms. As high-quality whole genome sequences of the Japanese morning glory and petunia wild parents (P. axillaris and P. inflata, respectively) were published in 2016, further study on flower pigmentation will be accelerated. PMID:29681755

Patterns of gender development.

PubMed

Martin, Carol Lynn; Ruble, Diane N

2010-01-01

A comprehensive theory of gender development must describe and explain long-term developmental patterning and changes and how gender is experienced in the short term. This review considers multiple views on gender patterning, illustrated with contemporary research. First, because developmental research involves understanding normative patterns of change with age, several theoretically important topics illustrate gender development: how children come to recognize gender distinctions and understand stereotypes, and the emergence of prejudice and sexism. Second, developmental researchers study the stability of individual differences over time, which elucidates developmental processes. We review stability in two domains-sex segregation and activities/interests. Finally, a new approach advances understanding of developmental patterns, based on dynamic systems theory. Dynamic systems theory is a metatheoretical framework for studying stability and change, which developed from the study of complex and nonlinear systems in physics and mathematics. Some major features and examples show how dynamic approaches have been and could be applied in studying gender development.

Patterns of Gender Development

PubMed Central

Martin, Carol Lynn; Ruble, Diane N.

2013-01-01

A comprehensive theory of gender development must describe and explain long-term developmental patterning and changes and how gender is experienced in the short term. This review considers multiple views on gender patterning, illustrated with contemporary research. First, because developmental research involves understanding normative patterns of change with age, several theoretically important topics illustrate gender development: how children come to recognize gender distinctions and understand stereotypes, and the emergence of prejudice and sexism. Second, developmental researchers study the stability of individual differences over time, which elucidates developmental processes. We review stability in two domains—sex segregation and activities/interests. Finally, a new approach advances understanding of developmental patterns, based on dynamic systems theory. Dynamic systems theory is a metatheoretical framework for studying stability and change, which developed from the study of complex and nonlinear systems in physics and mathematics. Some major features and examples show how dynamic approaches have been and could be applied in studying gender development. PMID:19575615

Marriage and Family Therapists and Psychotropic Medications: Practice Patterns from a National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Barbara Couden; Doherty, William J.

2005-01-01

A national sample of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) was used to describe practice patterns of MFTs whose clients use psychotropics and to compare medicated and nonmedicated clients. Marriage and Family Therapists (n = 283) reported on 195 medicated and 483 nonmedicated adult clients. Clients (n = 375) rated their improvement and…

Between-Word Simplification Patterns in the Continuous Speech of Children with Speech Sound Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Harriet B.; Liu-Shea, May

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to identify and describe between-word simplification patterns in the continuous speech of children with speech sound disorders. It was hypothesized that word combinations would reveal phonological changes that were unobserved with single words, possibly accounting for discrepancies between the intelligibility of…

Identifying Residual Speech Sound Disorders in Bilingual Children: A Japanese-English Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jonathan L.; Seki, Ayumi

2011-01-01

Purpose: To describe (a) the assessment of residual speech sound disorders (SSDs) in bilinguals by distinguishing speech patterns associated with second language acquisition from patterns associated with misarticulations and (b) how assessment of domains such as speech motor control and phonological awareness can provide a more complete…

Student Reasoning about Electrostatic and Gravitational Potential Energy: An Exploratory Study with Interdisciplinary Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsey, Beth A.

2014-01-01

This paper describes an investigation into student reasoning about potential energy in the context of introductory electrostatics. Similar incorrect reasoning patterns emerged both in written questions administered after relevant instruction and in one-on-one interviews. These reasoning patterns are also prevalent in responses to questions posed…

Voronoi cell patterns: Theoretical model and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Diego Luis; Einstein, T. L.

2011-11-01

We use a simple fragmentation model to describe the statistical behavior of the Voronoi cell patterns generated by a homogeneous and isotropic set of points in 1D and in 2D. In particular, we are interested in the distribution of sizes of these Voronoi cells. Our model is completely defined by two probability distributions in 1D and again in 2D, the probability to add a new point inside an existing cell and the probability that this new point is at a particular position relative to the preexisting point inside this cell. In 1D the first distribution depends on a single parameter while the second distribution is defined through a fragmentation kernel; in 2D both distributions depend on a single parameter. The fragmentation kernel and the control parameters are closely related to the physical properties of the specific system under study. We use our model to describe the Voronoi cell patterns of several systems. Specifically, we study the island nucleation with irreversible attachment, the 1D car-parking problem, the formation of second-level administrative divisions, and the pattern formed by the Paris Métro stations.

Romantic Relationship Patterns from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Family and Peer Experiences in Early Adolescence.

PubMed

Boisvert, Stéphanie; Poulin, François

2016-05-01

The present study identifies and describes romantic relationship patterns from adolescence to adulthood and examines their associations with family and peer experiences in early adolescence. In a 13-year longitudinal study, 281 youth (58 % girls) identified all their romantic partners each year from the ages of 16-24. Dimensions of family relationships (family cohesion, parent-child conflict) and peer relationships (peer likeability, social withdrawal, close friendships, other-sex friendships) were assessed at age 12. Latent class analyses brought out five distinct romantic relationship patterns and significant associations were found with family and peer relationships in early adolescence. These five romantic relationship patterns appeared to follow a continuum of romantic involvement, with romantic relationship patterns situated a both ends of this continuum (later involvement pattern and intense involvement pattern) being associated with more interpersonal experiences in early adolescence.

Assessment of Human Health Vulnerability to Climate Variability and Change in Cuba

PubMed Central

Bultó, Paulo Lázaro Ortíz; Rodríguez, Antonio Pérez; Valencia, Alina Rivero; Vega, Nicolás León; Gonzalez, Manuel Díaz; Carrera, Alina Pérez

2006-01-01

In this study we assessed the potential effects of climate variability and change on population health in Cuba. We describe the climate of Cuba as well as the patterns of climate-sensitive diseases of primary concern, particularly dengue fever. Analyses of the associations between climatic anomalies and disease patterns highlight current vulnerability to climate variability. We describe current adaptations, including the application of climate predictions to prevent disease outbreaks. Finally, we present the potential economic costs associated with future impacts due to climate change. The tools used in this study can be useful in the development of appropriate and effective adaptation options to address the increased climate variability associated with climate change. PMID:17185289

Spatial arrangement of faults and opening-mode fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laubach, S. E.; Lamarche, J.; Gauthier, B. D. M.; Dunne, W. M.; Sanderson, David J.

2018-03-01

Spatial arrangement is a fundamental characteristic of fracture arrays. The pattern of fault and opening-mode fracture positions in space defines structural heterogeneity and anisotropy in a rock volume, governs how faults and fractures affect fluid flow, and impacts our understanding of the initiation, propagation and interactions during the formation of fracture patterns. This special issue highlights recent progress with respect to characterizing and understanding the spatial arrangements of fault and fracture patterns, providing examples over a wide range of scales and structural settings. Five papers describe new methods and improvements of existing techniques to quantify spatial arrangement. One study unravels the time evolution of opening-mode fracture spatial arrangement, which are data needed to compare natural patterns with progressive fracture growth in kinematic and mechanical models. Three papers investigate the role of evolving diagenesis in localizing fractures by mechanical stratigraphy and nine discuss opening-mode fracture spatial arrangement. Two papers show the relevance of complex cluster patterns to unconventional reservoirs through examples of fractures in tight gas sandstone horizontal wells, and a study of fracture arrangement in shale. Four papers demonstrate the roles of folds in fracture localization and the development spatial patterns. One paper models along-fault friction and fluid pressure and their effects on fault-related fracture arrangement. Contributions address deformation band patterns in carbonate rocks and fault size and arrangement above a detachment fault. Three papers describe fault and fracture arrangements in basement terrains, and three document fracture patterns in shale. This collection of papers points toward improvement in field methods, continuing improvements in computer-based data analysis and creation of synthetic fracture patterns, and opportunities for further understanding fault and fracture attributes in the subsurface through coupled spatial, size, and pattern analysis.

The Kunming CalFit study: modeling dietary behavioral patterns using smartphone data.

PubMed

Seto, Edmund; Hua, Jenna; Wu, Lemuel; Bestick, Aaron; Shia, Victor; Eom, Sue; Han, Jay; Wang, May; Li, Yan

2014-01-01

Human behavioral interventions aimed at improving health can benefit from objective wearable sensor data and mathematical models. Smartphone-based sensing is particularly practical for monitoring behavioral patterns because smartphones are fairly common, are carried by individuals throughout their daily lives, offer a variety of sensing modalities, and can facilitate various forms of user feedback for intervention studies. We describe our findings from a smartphone-based study, in which an Android-based application we developed called CalFit was used to collect information related to young adults' dietary behaviors. In addition to monitoring dietary patterns, we were interested in understanding contextual factors related to when and where an individual eats, as well as how their dietary intake relates to physical activity (which creates energy demand) and psychosocial stress. 12 participants were asked to use CalFit to record videos of their meals over two 1-week periods, which were translated into nutrient intake by trained dietitians. During this same period, triaxial accelerometry was used to assess each subject's energy expenditure, and GPS was used to record time-location patterns. Ecological momentary assessment was also used to prompt subjects to respond to questions on their phone about their psychological state. The GPS data were processed through a web service we developed called Foodscoremap that is based on the Google Places API to characterize food environments that subjects were exposed to, which may explain and influence dietary patterns. Furthermore, we describe a modeling framework that incorporates all of these information to dynamically infer behavioral patterns that may be used for future intervention studies.

Measurement of trained speech patterns in stuttering: interjudge and intrajudge agreement of experts by means of modified time-interval analysis.

PubMed

Alpermann, Anke; Huber, Walter; Natke, Ulrich; Willmes, Klaus

2010-09-01

Improved fluency after stuttering therapy is usually measured by the percentage of stuttered syllables. However, outcome studies rarely evaluate the use of trained speech patterns that speakers use to manage stuttering. This study investigated whether the modified time interval analysis can distinguish between trained speech patterns, fluent speech, and stuttered speech. Seventeen German experts on stuttering judged a speech sample on two occasions. Speakers of the sample were stuttering adults, who were not undergoing therapy, as well as participants in a fluency shaping and a stuttering modification therapy. Results showed satisfactory inter-judge and intra-judge agreement above 80%. Intervals with trained speech patterns were identified as consistently as stuttered and fluent intervals. We discuss limitations of the study, as well as implications of our findings for the development of training for identification of trained speech patterns and future outcome studies. The reader will be able to (a) explain different methods to measure the use of trained speech patterns, (b) evaluate whether German experts are able to discriminate intervals with trained speech patterns reliably from fluent and stuttered intervals and (c) describe how the measurement of trained speech patterns can contribute to outcome studies.

Evaluation of Geographic Indices Describing Health Care Utilization.

PubMed

Kim, Agnus M; Park, Jong Heon; Kang, Sungchan; Kim, Yoon

2017-01-01

The accurate measurement of geographic patterns of health care utilization is a prerequisite for the study of geographic variations in health care utilization. While several measures have been developed to measure how accurately geographic units reflect the health care utilization patterns of residents, they have been only applied to hospitalization and need further evaluation. This study aimed to evaluate geographic indices describing health care utilization. We measured the utilization rate and four health care utilization indices (localization index, outflow index, inflow index, and net patient flow) for eight major procedures (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, surgery after hip fracture, knee replacement surgery, caesarean sections, hysterectomy, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging scans) according to three levels of geographic units in Korea. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance database in Korea. We evaluated the associations among the health care utilization indices and the utilization rates. In higher-level geographic units, the localization index tended to be high, while the inflow index and outflow index were lower. The indices showed different patterns depending on the procedure. A strong negative correlation between the localization index and the outflow index was observed for all procedures. Net patient flow showed a moderate positive correlation with the localization index and the inflow index. Health care utilization indices can be used as a proxy to describe the utilization pattern of a procedure in a geographic unit.

US NDC Modernization: Service Oriented Architecture Study Status

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

Hamlet, Benjamin R.; Encarnacao, Andre Villanova; Harris, James M.

2014-12-01

This report is a progress update on the USNDC Modernization Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) study describing results from Inception Iteration 1, which occurred between October 2012 and March 2013. The goals during this phase are 1) discovering components of the system that have potential service implementations, 2) identifying applicable SOA patterns for data access, service interfaces, and service orchestration/choreography, and 3) understanding performance tradeoffs for various SOA patterns

Gender Repetition: School Access, Transitions and Equity in the "Birth-to-Twenty" Cohort Panel Study in Urban South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleisch, Brahm; Shindler, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Using data collected by the Birth-to-Twenty child cohort study in urban South Africa, this paper describes the patterns of schooling of a population of children born in the Greater Johannesburg area in April to June 1990. This paper examines the patterns of initial enrolment in Grade 1, transitions through grades, and trends in primary school…

Pattern of Task Interpretation and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies of High School Students and College Freshmen during an Engineering Design Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawanto, Oenardi; Butler, Deborah; Cartier, Sylvie C.; Santoso, Harry B.; Goodridge, Wade; Lawanto, Kevin N.; Clark, David

2013-01-01

The objective of this exploratory study was to describe patterns in self-regulated learning (SRL) for both high school students and college freshmen while engaged in a design activity. The main research question guiding this study was: How did high school and first-year college students self-regulate their approaches to learning when engaged in an…

Episodes of breathlessness: types and patterns - a qualitative study exploring experiences of patients with advanced diseases.

PubMed

Simon, Steffen T; Higginson, Irene J; Benalia, Hamid; Gysels, Marjolein; Murtagh, Fliss Em; Spicer, James; Bausewein, Claudia

2013-06-01

Despite the high prevalence and impact of episodic breathlessness, information about characteristics and patterns is scarce. To explore the experience of patients with advanced disease suffering from episodic breathlessness, in order to describe types and patterns. Qualitative design using in-depth interviews with patients suffering from advanced stages of chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer or motor neurone disease. As part of the interviews, patients were asked to draw a graph to illustrate typical patterns of breathlessness episodes. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Framework Analysis. The graphs were grouped according to their patterns. Fifty-one participants (15 chronic heart failure, 14 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 13 lung cancer and 9 motor neurone disease) were included (mean age 68.2 years, 30 of 51 men, mean Karnofsky 63.1, mean breathlessness intensity 3.2 of 10). Five different types of episodic breathlessness were described: triggered with normal level of breathlessness, triggered with predictable response (always related to trigger level, e.g. slight exertion causes severe breathlessness), triggered with unpredictable response (not related to trigger level), non-triggered attack-like (quick onset, often severe) and wave-like (triggered or non-triggered, gradual onset). Four patterns of episodic breathlessness could be identified based on the graphs with differences regarding onset and recovery of episodes. These did not correspond with the types of breathlessness described before. Patients with advanced disease experience clearly distinguishable types and patterns of episodic breathlessness. The understanding of these will help clinicians to tailor specific management strategies for patients who suffer from episodes of breathlessness.

Careers in Teaching: Following Members of the High School Class of 1972 In and Out of Teaching. Analysis Report. National Longitudinal Studies of the High School Class of 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hafner, Anne; Owings, Jeffrey

This study of career patterns in teaching was conducted to provide insight into the development of careers within the teaching profession. The objectives of the study were: to describe the career patterns of a national sample of individuals from the high school class of 1971 (1,011 individuals surveyed during the period 1972-86) who were either…

Ex Vivo Artifacts and Histopathologic Pitfalls in the Lung.

PubMed

Thunnissen, Erik; Blaauwgeers, Hans J L G; de Cuba, Erienne M V; Yick, Ching Yong; Flieder, Douglas B

2016-03-01

Surgical and pathologic handling of lung physically affects lung tissue. This leads to artifacts that alter the morphologic appearance of pulmonary parenchyma. To describe and illustrate mechanisms of ex vivo artifacts that may lead to diagnostic pitfalls. In this study 4 mechanisms of ex vivo artifacts and corresponding diagnostic pitfalls are described and illustrated. The 4 patterns of artifacts are: (1) surgical collapse, due to the removal of air and blood from pulmonary resections; (2) ex vivo contraction of bronchial and bronchiolar smooth muscle; (3) clamping edema of open lung biopsies; and (4) spreading of tissue fragments and individual cells through a knife surface. Morphologic pitfalls include diagnostic patterns of adenocarcinoma, asthma, constrictive bronchiolitis, and lymphedema. Four patterns of pulmonary ex vivo artifacts are important to recognize in order to avoid morphologic misinterpretations.

A Case Study of an Adolescent Male with XXXXY Klinefelter's Syndrome. Brief Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Margaret K.; Radlinski, Sara

1988-01-01

The developmental history of a 14-year-old male with Klinefelter's Syndrome (XXXXY) is described. The boy's physical development was consistent with many patterns described in the XXXXY literature, although his retardation was not as severe as expected from the literature. (Author/DB)

Public School Nursing Practice in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willgerodt, Mayumi A.; Brock, Douglas M.; Maughan, Erin D.

2018-01-01

School nursing practice has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, yet few nationally representative investigations describing the school nursing workforce have been conducted. The National School Nurse Workforce Study describes the demographic and school nursing practice patterns among self-reported public school nurses and the number and…

Rotordynamic Behavior Of Sawtooth-Pattern Damping Seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolan, Steven A.

1992-01-01

Report describes comparative experimental and theoretical study of rotordynamics of several different annular liquid pump seals. Introduces damping seals of new type in which inner surfaces of stators have saw-tooth-cross-section axial grooves interrupted at regular axial intervals by circumferential dams. Teeth of sawtooth patterns directed against rotations in attempt to reduce further asymptotic circumferential velocities of fluids.

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Observable Moon Phases and Pattern of Change in Phases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Atwood, Ronald K.; Christopher, John E.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe selected content knowledge held by 52 preservice elementary teachers about the observable phases of the moon and the monthly pattern of change in observable phases. Data were obtained from participants in a physics course before and after they received inquiry-based instruction designed to promote…

Effects of Various Environmental Stressors on Cognitive Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

environmental effects. The stressors included: hypobaric hypoxia, cold, dehydration, and atropine. The paper describes both our research findings...Operation Everest II, and Tyrosine Evaluation studies inveatigated high altitude e-posure in a hypobaric chamber. Repeated testing procedures and...values on moot of the tasks, I.e. Coding, Grammatical Reasoning, Pattern Rscognition, Pattern Comparison , and Comaputer Interaction. COGNITIVE TASK

Gait Patterns in Twins with Cerebral Palsy: Similarities and Development over Time after Multilevel Surgery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Drongelen, Stefan; Dreher, Thomas; Heitzmann, Daniel W. W.; Wolf, Sebastian I.

2013-01-01

To examine gait patterns and gait quality, 7 twins with cerebral palsy were measured preoperatively and after surgical intervention. The aim was to study differences and/or similarities in gait between twins, the influence of personal characteristics and birth conditions, and to describe the development of gait over time after single event…

Impacts on South Carolina timber production over the last five decades.

Treesearch

Jinglong Mo; Thomas Straka; Richard Harper

2013-01-01

Timberland ownership patterns and national forest timber harvesting policy have undergone significant changes in South Carolina over the past five decades. Timber output studies for the state commonly focused on short time frames and seldom addressed timberland ownership patterns in detail. We describe fifty-year timber output for South Carolina, allowing us to address...

Predictors of Student Enrollment Patterns in High School Career Academies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, E. Daniel

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe participation patterns at the district level of students enrolled in career academies and determine whether participation in career academies is a function of demographic and/or prior learning experience and prior performance variables. Ex-post facto data was used to determine six-year enrollment trends.…

Patterns of Lung Volume Use during an Extemporaneous Speech Task in Persons with Parkinson Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunton, K.

2005-01-01

This study examined patterns of lung volume use in speakers with Parkinson disease (PD) during an extemporaneous speaking task. The performance of a control group was also examined. Behaviors described are based on acoustic, kinematic and linguistic measures. Group differences were found in breath group duration, lung volume initiation, and lung…

Error Patterns with Fraction Calculations at Fourth Grade as a Function of Students' Mathematics Achievement Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Robin F.; Malone, Amelia S.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to describe fraction-calculation errors among fourth-grade students and to determine whether error patterns differed as a function of problem type (addition vs. subtraction; like vs. unlike denominators), orientation (horizontal vs. vertical), or mathematics-achievement status (low-, average-, or high-achieving). We…

Is It a Pattern?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGarvey, Lynn M.

2013-01-01

This article describes how in early mathematics learning, young children are often asked to recognize and describe visual patterns in their environment--perhaps on their clothing, a toy, or the carpet; around a picture frame; or in the playground equipment. Exploring patterns in the early years is seen as an important introduction to algebraic…

Do patients with OAB experience bladder sensations in the same way as healthy volunteers? A focus group investigation.

PubMed

Heeringa, R; van Koeveringe, G A; Winkens, B; van Kerrebroeck, P E V; de Wachter, S G G

2012-04-01

To describe the terminology and pattern of bladder sensations experienced during non-invasive rapid bladder filling in a controlled setting in patients with OAB and to compare these results with a previous study conducted in healthy volunteers. Three groups of patients with OAB, in total 10 patients, participated in three consecutive focus group sessions. Before each session a strict water loading protocol was given. During the first two sessions, participants described how they experienced their bladder sensations in daily life and during a non-invasive bladder filling with constant focus on their bladder. The third session focused on verifying the interpretation of the data gathered and describing the pattern of sensations. Patients describe their bladder sensations as a pressure or a tingling sensation and the pattern can be described by terms ranging from no sensation to an absolute need to void. The absolute need to void may develop suddenly or more slowly progressive. The mean development of bladder sensation is significantly different between patients and healthy volunteers as well as their average diuresis. Patients with OAB describe their bladder sensations as a pressure or a tingling sensation. There appear to be two types of urgency: a sudden absolute need to void and a slowly developing absolute need to void. Furthermore bladder sensation develops significantly different in volunteers than in OAB patients. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Singular patterns for an aggregation model with a confining potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolokolnikov, Theodore; Huang, Yanghong; Pavlovski, Mark

2013-10-01

We consider the aggregation equation with an attractive-repulsive force law. Recent studies (Kolokolnikov et al. (2011) [22]; von Brecht et al. (2012) [23]; Balague et al. (2013) [15]) have demonstrated that this system exhibits a very rich solution structure, including steady states consisting of rings, spots, annuli, N-fold symmetries, soccer-ball patterns etc. We show that many of these patterns can be understood as singular perturbations off lower-dimensional equilibrium states. For example, an annulus is a bifurcation from a ring; soccer-ball patterns bifurcate off solutions that consist of delta-point concentrations. We apply asymptotic methods to classify the form and stability of many of these patterns. To characterize spot solutions, a class of “semi-linear” aggregation problems is derived, where the repulsion is described by a nonlinear term and the attraction is linear but non-symmetric. For a special class of perturbations that consists of a Newtonian repulsion, the spot shape is shown to be an ellipse whose precise dimensions are determined via a complex variable method. For annular shapes, their width and radial density profile are described using perturbation techniques.

Analysis of a Spatial Point Pattern: Examining the Damage to Pavement and Pipes in Santa Clara Valley Resulting from the Loma Prieta Earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, G.A.

2008-01-01

This report describes some simple spatial statistical methods to explore the relationships of scattered points to geologic or other features, represented by points, lines, or areas. It also describes statistical methods to search for linear trends and clustered patterns within the scattered point data. Scattered points are often contained within irregularly shaped study areas, necessitating the use of methods largely unexplored in the point pattern literature. The methods take advantage of the power of modern GIS toolkits to numerically approximate the null hypothesis of randomly located data within an irregular study area. Observed distributions can then be compared with the null distribution of a set of randomly located points. The methods are non-parametric and are applicable to irregularly shaped study areas. Patterns within the point data are examined by comparing the distribution of the orientation of the set of vectors defined by each pair of points within the data with the equivalent distribution for a random set of points within the study area. A simple model is proposed to describe linear or clustered structure within scattered data. A scattered data set of damage to pavement and pipes, recorded after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, is used as an example to demonstrate the analytical techniques. The damage is found to be preferentially located nearer a set of mapped lineaments than randomly scattered damage, suggesting range-front faulting along the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains is related to both the earthquake damage and the mapped lineaments. The damage also exhibit two non-random patterns: a single cluster of damage centered in the town of Los Gatos, California, and a linear alignment of damage along the range front of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. The linear alignment of damage is strongest between 45? and 50? northwest. This agrees well with the mean trend of the mapped lineaments, measured as 49? northwest.

From Patterns to Function in Living Systems: Dryland Ecosystems as a Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meron, Ehud

2018-03-01

Spatial patterns are ubiquitous in animate matter. Besides their intricate structure and beauty they generally play functional roles. The capacity of living systems to remain functional in changing environments is a question of utmost importance, but its intimate relationship to pattern formation is largely unexplored. Here, we address this relationship using dryland vegetation as a case study. Following a brief introduction to pattern-formation theory, we describe a mathematical model that captures several mechanisms of vegetation pattern formation and discuss ecological contexts that showcase different mechanisms. Using this model, we unravel the different vegetation patterns that keep dryland ecosystems viable along the rainfall gradient, identify multistability ranges where fronts separating domains of alternative stable states exist, and highlight the roles of front dynamics in mitigating or reversing desertification. The utility of satellite images in testing model predictions is discussed. An outlook on outstanding open problems concludes this paper.

An Exploration of Smoking-to-Vaping Transition Attempts Using a "Smart" Electronic Nicotine Delivery System.

PubMed

Blank, Mei-Ling; Hoek, Janet; George, Mark; Gendall, Philip; Conner, Tamlin S; Thrul, Johannes; Ling, Pamela M; Langlotz, Tobias

2018-06-06

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are used to aid smoking cessation attempts; however, many smokers continue to smoke while using an ENDS (dual use). Although uncertainty remains regarding whether specific ENDS patterns hinder or support successful smoking cessation, recent advances in "smart" technology allow passive and active recording of behaviors in real time, enabling more detailed insights into how smoking and vaping patterns may coevolve. We describe patterns of ENDS initiation, and subsequent use, including any changes in cigarette consumption, among daily smokers using a "smart" ENDS (S-ENDS) to quit smoking. An 8-week long mixed-methods feasibility study used Bluetooth-enabled S-ENDS that passively recorded real-time device use by participants (n = 11). Daily surveys administered via smartphones collected data on self-reported cigarette consumption. All 11 participants were dual users, at least initially, during their quit attempt. We observed three provisional vaping and smoking patterns: immediate and intensive ENDS initiation coupled with immediate, dramatic, and sustained smoking reduction, leading to smoking abstinence; gradual ENDS uptake with gradual smoking reductions, leading to daily dual use throughout the study period; and ENDS experimentation with return to exclusive smoking. For six participants, the patterns observed in week 1 were similar to the vaping and smoking patterns observed throughout the rest of the study period. Technological advances now allow fine-grained description of ENDS use and smoking patterns. Larger and longer studies describing smoking-to-vaping patterns, and estimating associations with smoking outcomes, could inform ENDS-specific cessation advice promoting full transition from smoking to exclusive ENDS use. The use of an S-ENDS that recorded real-time device use among daily smokers engaged in a quit attempt provides insight into patterns and trajectories of dual use (continuing to smoke while using ENDS), and the possible associations between ENDS initiation, subsequent use, and smoking cessation outcomes. Such work could support more targeted cessation counseling and technical advice for smokers using ENDS to quit smoking, reduce the risk of users developing long-term dual use patterns, and enhance the contributions ENDS may make to reducing smoking prevalence.

Reflector antennas with low sidelobes, low cross polarization, and high aperture efficiency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faigen, I. M.; Reichert, C. F.; Sletten, C. J.; Shore, R. A.

1984-01-01

Techniques are presented for computing the horn near field patterns on the subreflectors and for correcting the phase center errors of the horn pattern by shaping the subreflector surface. The diffraction pattern computations for scanned beams are described. The effects of dish aperture diffraction on pattern bandwidth are investigated. A model antenna consisting of a reflector, shaped subreflector, and corrugated feed horn is described.

Prevalence of frontal plane pelvic postural asymmetry--part 1.

PubMed

Juhl, John Henry; Ippolito Cremin, Tonya M; Russell, George

2004-10-01

Despite 80 years of study, questions of how leg length difference relates to recurrent pain and somatic dysfunction remain controversial. The authors hypothesize that a correlation exists between leg length inequality and back pain. They further hypothesize that if common compensatory patterns described in classic osteopathic medical literature exist, these patterns should interact with the pelvic postural asymmetry patterns of Lloyd and Eimerbrink in a predictable, most probable, and congruent fashion. This article reviews the osteopathic medical, as well as the allopathic medical and chiropractic literature for studies that meet criteria for evidence-based comparison. Using lumbar radiographic studies produced with subjects standing, the authors examined the prevalence of six types of pelvic postural asymmetry in a consecutive case series of 421 patients with low back pain. Establishing the frequency of pelvic postural asymmetry patterns is a necessary first step in creating an evidence-based foundation to further clarify postural compensatory patterns. Various correlations between and within these patterns are identified.

Sports and nutritional supplement use in USMC recruits: a pilot study.

PubMed

Young, Colin R; Stephens, Mark B

2009-02-01

This is a pilot study to describe patterns of nutritional supplement use by recruits entering the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). A survey asking USMC recruits to self-report nutritional supplement use was administered upon entry to basic training. Simple descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios were used to describe patterns of supplement use. The response rate was 65%. Half of respondents reported nutritional sports supplement use at some point before boot camp. The five most commonly supplements were: protein powder (43%), postrecovery workout drinks (36%), vitamin supplements (26%), creatine (26%), and nitric oxide (16%). Nutritional supplement use is frequent among recruits entering the USMC. The impact of supplement use on recruit fitness, training, and injury rates is not known.

The study on the effect of pattern density distribution on the STI CMP process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sub, Yoon Myung; Hian, Bernard Yap Tzen; Fong, Lee It; Anak, Philip Menit; Minhar, Ariffin Bin; Wui, Tan Kim; Kim, Melvin Phua Twang; Jin, Looi Hui; Min, Foo Thai

2017-08-01

The effects of pattern density on CMP characteristics were investigated using specially designed wafer for the characterization of pattern-dependencies in STI CMP [1]. The purpose of this study is to investigate the planarization behavior based on a direct STI CMP used in cerium (CeO2) based slurry system in terms of pattern density variation. The minimal design rule (DR) of 180nm generation technology node was adopted for the mask layout. The mask was successfully applied for evaluation of a cerium (CeO2) abrasive based direct STI CMP process. In this study, we described a planarization behavior of the loading-effects of pattern density variation which were characterized with layout pattern density and pitch variations using masks mentioned above. Furthermore, the characterizing pattern dependent on the variations of the dimensions and spacing features, in thickness remaining after CMP, were analyzed and evaluated. The goal was to establish a concept of library method which will be used to generate design rules reducing the probability of CMP-related failures. Details of the characterization were measured in various layouts showing different pattern density ranges and the effects of pattern density on STI CMP has been discussed in this paper.

Transition from propagating localized states to spatiotemporal chaos in phase dynamics

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

Brand, H.R.; Deissler, R.J.; Brand, H.R.

1998-10-01

We study the nonlinear phase equation for propagating patterns. We investigate the transition from a propagating localized pattern to a space-filling spatiotemporally disordered pattern and discuss in detail to what extent there are propagating localized states that breathe in time periodically, quasiperiodically, and chaotically. Differences and similarities to the phenomena occurring for the quintic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation are elucidated. We also discuss for which experimentally accessible systems one could observe the phenomena described. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

Solution Strategies, Modes of Representation and Justifications of Primary Five Pupils in Solving Pre Algebra Problems: An Experience of Using Task-Based Interview and Verbal Protocol Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Gan We; Ghazali, Munirah

2007-01-01

This descriptive study was aimed at looking into how Primary 5 pupils solve pre-algebra problems concerning patterns and unknown quantities. Specifically, objectives of this study were to describe Primary 5 pupils' solution strategies, modes of representations and justifications in: (a) discovering, describing and using numerical and geometrical…

Clinical management of a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome from maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) genetic inheritance.

PubMed

Bellon-Harn, Monica L

2005-01-01

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is reported in 1 in 10,000-15,000 individuals. Unfortunately, many cases are missed due to clinicians' lack of familiarity with the syndrome as well as clinical and laboratory diagnostic criteria. Although common clinical characteristics are reported, variety exists in the nature and severity of dysfunction associated with PWS. Case studies can provide information to understand relationships between phenotypic characteristics and genetic inheritance, which can in turn lead to effective clinical management. The purpose of this case study was to describe the characteristics of a child with PWS due to maternal uniparental disomy inheritance pattern and to describe clinical management and treatment outcomes. The reader will obtain information about: (1) the genetic inheritance patterns and clinical characteristics of Prader-Willi Syndrome, (2) genotypic/phenotypic relationships specific to Prader-Willi Syndrome, and (3) clinical implications, management, and outcomes in a case description of a child with PWS due to maternal uniparental disomy inheritance pattern.

Mid-term migration analysis of a femoral short-stem prosthesis: a five-year EBRA-FCA-study.

PubMed

Freitag, Tobias; Fuchs, Michael; Woelfle-Roos, Julia V; Reichel, Heiko; Bieger, Ralf

2018-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the mid-term migration pattern of a femoral short stem. Implant migration of 73 femoral short-stems was assessed by Ein-Bild-Roentgen-Analysis Femoral-Component-Analysis (EBRA-FCA) 5 years after surgery. Migration pattern of the whole group was analysed and compared to the migration pattern of implants "at risk" with a subsidence of more than 1.5 mm 2 years postoperative. Mean axial subsidence was 1.1 mm (-5.0 mm to 1.5 mm) after 60 months. There was a statistical significant axial migration until 2 years postoperative with settling thereafter. 2 years after surgery 18 of 73 Implants were classified "at risk." Nevertheless, all stems showed secondary stabilisation in the following period with no implant failure neither in the group of implants with early stabilisation nor the group with extensive early onset migration. In summary, even in the group of stems with more pronounced early subsidence, delayed settling occurred in all cases. The determination of a threshold of critical early femoral short stem subsidence is necessary because of the differing migration pattern described in this study with delayed settling of the Fitmore stem 2 years postoperatively compared to early settling within the first postoperative year described for conventional stems.

Solution strategies as possible explanations of individual and sex differences in a dynamic spatial task.

PubMed

Peña, Daniel; Contreras, María José; Shih, Pei Chun; Santacreu, José

2008-05-01

When individuals perform spatial tasks, individual differences emerge in accuracy and speed as well as in the response patterns used to cope with the task. The purpose of this study is to identify, through empirical criteria, the different response patterns or strategies used by individuals when performing the dynamic spatial task presented in the Spatial Orientation Dynamic Test-Revised (SODT-R). Results show that participants can be classified according to their response patterns. Three different ways of solving a task are described, and their relation to (a) performance factors (response latency, response frequency, and invested time) and (b) ability tests (analytical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and spatial estimation) are investigated. Sex differences in response patterns and performance are also analyzed. It is found that the frequency with which men and women employ each one of the strategies described here, is different and statistically significant. Thus, employed strategy plays an important role when interpreting sex differences on dynamic spatial tasks.

Electromyography variables during the golf swing: a literature review.

PubMed

Marta, Sérgio; Silva, Luís; Castro, Maria António; Pezarat-Correia, Pedro; Cabri, Jan

2012-12-01

The aim of the study was to review systematically the literature available on electromyographic (EMG) variables of the golf swing. From the 19 studies found, a high variety of EMG methodologies were reported. With respect to EMG intensity, the right erector spinae seems to be highly activated, especially during the acceleration phase, whereas the oblique abdominal muscles showed moderate to low levels of activation. The pectoralis major, subscapularis and latissimus dorsi muscles of both sides showed their peak activity during the acceleration phase. High muscle activity was found in the forearm muscles, especially in the wrist flexor muscles demonstrating activity levels above the maximal voluntary contraction. In the lower limb higher muscle activity of the trail side was found. There is no consensus on the influence of the golf club used on the neuromuscular patterns described. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies on average golf players, since most studies were executed on professional or low handicap golfers. Further EMG studies are needed, especially on lower limb muscles, to describe golf swing muscle activation patterns and to evaluate timing parameters to characterize neuromuscular patterns responsible for an efficient movement with lowest risk for injury. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process, pattern and scale: hydrogeomorphology and plant diversity in forested wetlands across multiple spatial scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, L.; Hupp, C. R.; Forman, R. T.

2002-12-01

Many geodisturbances occur across large spatial scales, spanning entire landscapes and creating ecological phenomena in their wake. Ecological study at large scales poses special problems: (1) large-scale studies require large-scale resources, and (2) sampling is not always feasible at the appropriate scale, and researchers rely on data collected at smaller scales to interpret patterns across broad regions. A criticism of landscape ecology is that findings at small spatial scales are "scaled up" and applied indiscriminately across larger spatial scales. In this research, landscape scaling is addressed through process-pattern relationships between hydrogeomorphic processes and patterns of plant diversity in forested wetlands. The research addresses: (1) whether patterns and relationships between hydrogeomorphic, vegetation, and spatial variables can transcend scale; and (2) whether data collected at small spatial scales can be used to describe patterns and relationships across larger spatial scales. Field measurements of hydrologic, geomorphic, spatial, and vegetation data were collected or calculated for 15- 1-ha sites on forested floodplains of six (6) Chesapeake Bay Coastal Plain streams over a total area of about 20,000 km2. Hydroperiod (day/yr), floodplain surface elevation range (m), discharge (m3/s), stream power (kg-m/s2), sediment deposition (mm/yr), relative position downstream and other variables were used in multivariate analyses to explain differences in species richness, tree diversity (Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index H'), and plant community composition at four spatial scales. Data collected at the plot (400-m2) and site- (c. 1-ha) scales are applied to and tested at the river watershed and regional spatial scales. Results indicate that plant species richness and tree diversity (Shannon-Wiener diversity index H') can be described by hydrogeomorphic conditions at all scales, but are best described at the site scale. Data collected at plot and site scales are tested for spatial heterogeneity across the Chesapeake Bay Coastal Plain using a geostatistical variogram, and multiple regression analysis is used to relate plant diversity, spatial, and hydrogeomorphic variables across Coastal Plain regions and hydrologic regimes. Results indicate that relationships between hydrogeomorphic processes and patterns of plant diversity at finer scales can proxy relationships at coarser scales in some, not all, cases. Findings also suggest that data collected at small scales can be used to describe trends across broader scales under limited conditions.

[Applications of 2D and 3D landscape pattern indices in landscape pattern analysis of mountainous area at county level].

PubMed

Lu, Chao; Qi, Wei; Li, Le; Sun, Yao; Qin, Tian-Tian; Wang, Na-Na

2012-05-01

Landscape pattern indices are the commonly used tools for the quantitative analysis of landscape pattern. However, the traditional 2D landscape pattern indices neglect the effects of terrain on landscape, existing definite limitations in quantitatively describing the landscape patterns in mountains areas. Taking the Qixia City, a typical mountainous and hilly region in Shandong Province of East China, as a case, this paper compared the differences between 2D and 3D landscape pattern indices in quantitatively describing the landscape patterns and their dynamic changes in mountainous areas. On the basis of terrain structure analysis, a set of landscape pattern indices were selected, including area and density (class area and mean patch size), edge and shape (edge density, landscape shape index, and fractal dimension of mean patch), diversity (Shannon's diversity index and evenness index) , and gathering and spread (contagion index). There existed obvious differences between the 3D class area, mean patch area, and edge density and the corresponding 2D indices, but no significant differences between the 3D landscape shape index, fractal dimension of mean patch, and Shannon' s diversity index and evenness index and the corresponding 2D indices. The 3D contagion index and 2D contagion index had no difference. Because the 3D landscape pattern indices were calculated by using patch surface area and surface perimeter whereas the 2D landscape pattern indices were calculated by adopting patch projective area and projective perimeter, the 3D landscape pattern indices could be relative accurate and efficient in describing the landscape area, density and borderline, in mountainous areas. However, there were no distinct differences in describing landscape shape, diversity, and gathering and spread between the 3D and 2D landscape pattern indices. Generally, by introducing 3D landscape pattern indices to topographic pattern, the description of landscape pattern and its dynamic change would be relatively accurate.

Dermatoscopic features of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas

PubMed Central

Keir, Jeff

2014-01-01

Background: The dermatoscopic features of facial lentigo maligna (LM), facial lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) and acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) have been well described. This is the first description of the dermatoscopic appearance of a clinical series of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas. Objective: To describe the dermatoscopic features of a series of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas in an Australian skin cancer practice. Method: Single observer retrospective analysis of dermatoscopic images of a one-year series of cutaneous non-facial, non-acral melanomas reported as having a lentiginous growth pattern detected in an open access primary care skin cancer clinic in Australia. Lesions were scored for presence of classical criteria for facial LM; modified pattern analysis (“Chaos and Clues”) criteria; and the presence of two novel criteria: a lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border, and large polygons. Results: 20 melanomas occurring in 14 female and 6 male patients were included. Average patient age was 64 years (range: 44–83). Lesion distribution was: trunk 35%; upper limb 40%; and lower limb 25%. The incidences of criteria identified were: asymmetry of color or pattern (100%); lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border (90%); asymmetrically pigmented follicular openings (APFO’s) (70%); grey blue structures (70%); large polygons (45%); eccentric structureless area (15%); bright white lines (5%). 20% of the lesions had only the novel criteria and/or APFO’s. Limitations: Single observer, single center retrospective study. Conclusions: Cutaneous non-facial non-acral melanomas with a lentiginous growth pattern may have none or very few traditional criteria for the diagnosis of melanoma. Criteria that are logically expected in lesions with a lentiginous growth pattern (lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border, APFO’s) and the novel criterion of large polygons may be useful in increasing sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of these lesions. Further study is required to establish the significance of these observations. PMID:24520520

Dermatoscopic features of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas.

PubMed

Keir, Jeff

2014-01-01

The dermatoscopic features of facial lentigo maligna (LM), facial lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) and acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) have been well described. This is the first description of the dermatoscopic appearance of a clinical series of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas. To describe the dermatoscopic features of a series of cutaneous non-facial non-acral lentiginous growth pattern melanomas in an Australian skin cancer practice. Single observer retrospective analysis of dermatoscopic images of a one-year series of cutaneous non-facial, non-acral melanomas reported as having a lentiginous growth pattern detected in an open access primary care skin cancer clinic in Australia. Lesions were scored for presence of classical criteria for facial LM; modified pattern analysis ("Chaos and Clues") criteria; and the presence of two novel criteria: a lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border, and large polygons. 20 melanomas occurring in 14 female and 6 male patients were included. Average patient age was 64 years (range: 44-83). Lesion distribution was: trunk 35%; upper limb 40%; and lower limb 25%. The incidences of criteria identified were: asymmetry of color or pattern (100%); lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border (90%); asymmetrically pigmented follicular openings (APFO's) (70%); grey blue structures (70%); large polygons (45%); eccentric structureless area (15%); bright white lines (5%). 20% of the lesions had only the novel criteria and/or APFO's. Single observer, single center retrospective study. Cutaneous non-facial non-acral melanomas with a lentiginous growth pattern may have none or very few traditional criteria for the diagnosis of melanoma. Criteria that are logically expected in lesions with a lentiginous growth pattern (lentigo-like pigment pattern lacking a lentigo-like border, APFO's) and the novel criterion of large polygons may be useful in increasing sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of these lesions. Further study is required to establish the significance of these observations.

Error Patterns with Fraction Calculations at Fourth Grade as a Function of Students' Mathematics Achievement Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Robin F.; Malone, Amelia S.

2017-01-01

The goal of the present study was to describe fraction-calculation errors among 4th-grade students and determine whether error patterns differed as a function of problem type (addition vs. subtraction; like vs. unlike denominators), orientation (horizontal vs. vertical), or mathematics-achievement status (low- vs. average- vs. high-achieving). We…

Patterns of Drug Use in a Sample of 200 Young Drug Users in London

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCambridge, Jim; Strang, John

2004-01-01

A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected during a secondary prevention intervention study was conducted to describe patterns of drug use in a non-treatment sample of young drug users recruited in ten further-education colleges across inner London. Participants were 200 young people who were either weekly cannabis users and/or who had…

Patterns of testicular activity in captive and wild Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Treesearch

Kerry Fanson; Nadja C. Wielebnowski; Tanya M. Shenk; Walter J. Jakubas; John R. Squires; Jeffrey R. Lucas

2010-01-01

Canada lynx are listed as a threatened species in the contiguous US. Understanding the reproductive characteristics (i.e., mating system, behavior, physiology) of a species is useful for ensuring effective in situ and ex situ management plans. The goal of this study was to describe patterns of androgen expression in both captive and wild male Canada lynx using...

A Statewide Profile of Frequent Users of School-Based Health Centers: Implications for Adolescent Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koenig, Kevin T.; Ramos, Mary M.; Fowler, Tara T.; Oreskovich, Kristin; McGrath, Jane; Fairbrother, Gerry

2016-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study is to describe patterns of care and service use among adolescent school-based health center (SBHC) users in New Mexico and contrast patterns and services between frequent and infrequent users. Methods: Medical claims/encounter data were analyzed from 59 SBHCs located in secondary schools in New Mexico during…

Influences of body size and environmental factors on autumn downstream migration of bull trout in the Boise River, Idaho

Treesearch

Lauri Monnot; Jason B. Dunham; Tammy Hoem; Peter Koetsier

2008-01-01

Many fishes migrate extensively through stream networks, yet patterns are commonly described only in terms of the origin and destination of migration (e.g., between natal and feeding habitats). To better understand patterns of migration in bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus we studied the influences of body size (total length [TL]) and environmental...

Processing and Memory of Color, Contour, and Pattern Found in Computer Digitized Color Pictures for Elementary Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marschalek, Douglas G.

1988-01-01

Describes study of children in grades one, three, and five that examined their active processing and short term memory (STM) of color, contour, and interior pattern of shapes found in computer digitized pictures. Age-related differences are examined, and the role of processing visual information in the learning process is discussed. (12…

Students' Understanding of Cells & Heredity: Patterns of Understanding in the Context of a Curriculum Implementation in Fifth & Seventh Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cisterna, Dante; Williams, Michelle; Merritt, Joi

2013-01-01

This study explores upper-elementary and early-middle-school students' ideas about cells and inheritance and describes patterns of understanding for these topics. Data came from students' responses to embedded assessments included in a technology-enhanced curriculum designed to help students learn about cells and heredity. Our findings suggest…

Modern Standard Arabic and Rural Palestinian Dialect: Patterns of the Active Participle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohaidat, Mohammed Mahmoud Talal

2017-01-01

This paper was mainly concerned with analyzing the processes of active participle formation in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). It also aimed to examine the Rural Palestinian Dialect (RPD) in order to reveal the derivation of the active participle in this dialect and to describe any patterns that might vary from MSA. The study was based on the…

A Computational Method to Quantify Fly Circadian Activity.

PubMed

Lazopulo, Andrey; Syed, Sheyum

2017-10-28

In most animals and plants, circadian clocks orchestrate behavioral and molecular processes and synchronize them to the daily light-dark cycle. Fundamental mechanisms that underlie this temporal control are widely studied using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In flies, the clock is typically studied by analyzing multiday locomotor recording. Such a recording shows a complex bimodal pattern with two peaks of activity: a morning peak that happens around dawn, and an evening peak that happens around dusk. These two peaks together form a waveform that is very different from sinusoidal oscillations observed in clock genes, suggesting that mechanisms in addition to the clock have profound effects in producing the observed patterns in behavioral data. Here we provide instructions on using a recently developed computational method that mathematically describes temporal patterns in fly activity. The method fits activity data with a model waveform that consists of four exponential terms and nine independent parameters that fully describe the shape and size of the morning and evening peaks of activity. The extracted parameters can help elucidate the kinetic mechanisms of substrates that underlie the commonly observed bimodal activity patterns in fly locomotor rhythms.

What Do Happy People Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, John P.; Martin, Steven

2008-01-01

Little attention in the quality-of-life literature has been paid to data on the daily activity patterns of happy and less happy people. Using ratings-scale information from time-diary studies, this article examines the hypothesis that people who describe themselves as happier engage in certain activities more than those who describe themselves as…

Descriptive Analysis in Education: A Guide for Researchers. NCEE 2017-4023

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Susanna; Dynarski, Susan; McFarland, Daniel; Morris, Pamela; Reardon, Sean; Reber, Sarah

2017-01-01

Whether the goal is to identify and describe trends and variation in populations, create new measures of key phenomena, or describe samples in studies aimed at identifying causal effects, description plays a critical role in the scientific process in general and education research in particular. Descriptive analysis identifies patterns in data to…

Detecting Distortion: Bridging Visual and Quantitative Reasoning on Similarity Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Dana C.; Lo, Jane-Jane

2014-01-01

This study is focused on identifying and describing the reasoning patterns of middle grade students when examining potentially similar figures. Described here is a framework that includes 11 strategies that students used during clinical interview to differentiate similar and non-similar figures. Two factors were found to influence the strategies…

Evaluation of Geographic Indices Describing Health Care Utilization

PubMed Central

Park, Jong Heon

2017-01-01

Objectives The accurate measurement of geographic patterns of health care utilization is a prerequisite for the study of geographic variations in health care utilization. While several measures have been developed to measure how accurately geographic units reflect the health care utilization patterns of residents, they have been only applied to hospitalization and need further evaluation. This study aimed to evaluate geographic indices describing health care utilization. Methods We measured the utilization rate and four health care utilization indices (localization index, outflow index, inflow index, and net patient flow) for eight major procedures (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, surgery after hip fracture, knee replacement surgery, caesarean sections, hysterectomy, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging scans) according to three levels of geographic units in Korea. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance database in Korea. We evaluated the associations among the health care utilization indices and the utilization rates. Results In higher-level geographic units, the localization index tended to be high, while the inflow index and outflow index were lower. The indices showed different patterns depending on the procedure. A strong negative correlation between the localization index and the outflow index was observed for all procedures. Net patient flow showed a moderate positive correlation with the localization index and the inflow index. Conclusions Health care utilization indices can be used as a proxy to describe the utilization pattern of a procedure in a geographic unit. PMID:28173689

The usefulness of GPS telemetry to study wolf circadian and social activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, S.B.; David, Mech L.

2003-01-01

This study describes circadian and social movement patterns of 9 wolves and illustrates capabilities and limitations of Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry for analysis of animal activity patterns. Wolves were studied at the Camp Ripley National Guard Training Site in Little Falls, Minnesota, and were captured via helicopter net-gunning. All study wolves showed nocturnal movement patterns regardless of time of year. One wolf's movement pattern switched to diurnal when he conducted an extraterritorial foray from his natal territory. All data sets with GPS intervals ???1 hour (n = 4) showed crepuscular movement peaks. We identified patterns of den visitation and attendance, estimated minimum distances traveled and minimum rates of movement, and observed that GPS location intervals may affect perceived rates of wolf travel. Global Positioning System telemetry was useful in determining when pack members were traveling together or apart and how long a breeding female wolf spent near her pups (e.g., 10-month-old pups were left unattended by their mother for as long as 17 days).

Seasonal and nonseasonal variability of satellite-derived surface pigment concentration in the California Current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strub, P. Ted; James, Corinne; Thomas, Andrew C.; Abbott, Mark R.

1990-01-01

The large-scale patterns of satellite-derived surface pigment concentration off the west coast of North America are presented and are averaged into monthly mean surface wind fields over the California Current system (CCS) for the July 1979 to June 1986 period. The patterns are discussed in terms of both seasonal and nonseasonal variability for the indicated time period. The large-scale seasonal characteristics of the California Current are summarized. The data and methods used are described, and the problems known to affect the satellite-derived pigment concentrations and the wind data used in the study are discussed. The statistical analysis results are then presented and discussed in light of past observations and theory. Details of the CZCS data processing are described, and details of the principal estimator pattern methodology used here are given.

Patterns of participation over four rounds of annual fecal immunochemical test-based screening for colorectal cancer: what predicts rescreening?

PubMed

Osborne, Joanne M; Wilson, Carlene; Duncan, Amy; Cole, Stephen R; Flight, Ingrid; Turnbull, Deborah; Hughes, Donna L; Young, Graeme P

2017-08-01

Participation at the recommended intervals is critical for screening to be effective in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence. This study describes patterns of screening participation over four rounds of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to identify whether demographic variables and prior screening satisfaction are significantly associated with patterns of re-participation. Baseline surveys were mailed to 4000 South Australians randomly selected from the electoral-roll. Respondents (n = 1928/48.2%) were offered four annual FIT rounds. Screening participation and satisfaction at each round were recorded. Study participation was 58.5, 66.9, 73.1 and 71.4% respectively over four rounds. Three participation patterns were described: consistent participation (43.1%), consistent non-participation (26.4%) and inconsistent participation (changeable; 30.5%), including intermittent and sustained change patterns. Sustained change described those who changed participatory behavior and then maintained for at least two rounds (n = 375/19.5%). Older people, and those not working were most likely to sustain participation. Younger invitees, especially men, were more likely to change participatory behavior and sustain the change. People with higher disadvantage, less education, not working and with no prior (pre-trial) screening experience were more likely to start participating and drop out. People dissatisfied with a prior screening test, including finding aspects embarrassing or unpleasant, were also more likely not to participate in annual screening or to drop out. The findings identify those at risk of non- or inconsistent participation in rescreening. They should aid targeting of interventions for demographic groups at risk and ensuring screening experiences are not perceived as unpleasant or difficult.

Treatment patterns of adjuvant interferon-α2b for high-risk melanoma: a retrospective study of the Grupo Español Multidisciplinar de Melanoma – Prima study

PubMed Central

Soriano, Virtudes; Malvehy, Josep; Berrocal, Alfonso; Martínez de Prado, Purificación; Quindós, María; Soria, Ainara; Márquez-Rodas, Iván; Palacio, Isabel; Cerezuela, Pablo; López-Vivanco, Guillermo; Alonso, Lorenzo; Samaniego, Elia; Ballesteros, Ana; Puértolas, Teresa; Díaz-Beveridge, Rodrigo; de la Cruz-Merino, Luis; López Castro, Rafael; López López, Rafael; Stevinson, Kendall; del Barrio, Patricia; Tornamira, Maria V.; Guillém, Vicente; Martín-Algarra, Salvador

2016-01-01

Adjuvant interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) has been studied extensively in clinical trials, but there have been few studies of real-world use. The aim of this study is to describe the IFN-α2b real-world patterns in patients with high-risk melanoma in Spain. This was a retrospective and multicentre chart review study of an unselected cohort of patients with melanoma at high risk for relapse (stage IIB/IIC/III) treated with IFN-α2b. Patterns were assessed in terms of dose and compliance to planned treatment. A survival analysis was carried out for the full population and according to Kirkwood scheme compliance and the presence of ulceration. Of 327 patients treated with IFN-α2b, 318 received a high-dose regimen following the standard Kirkwood scheme; thus, patterns are described for this regimen. A total of 121 (38%) and 88 (28%) patients had at least one dose reduction during the induction and maintenance phases, respectively. Dose delay was required in fewer than 10% of patients. A total of 78, 40 and 38% of the patients completed the induction phase, maintenance phase and completed treatment, respectively. The median progression-free and overall survival for the full population were 3.2 and 10.5 years, respectively. There were no differences in progression-free survival and overall survival according to Kirkwood scheme compliance and the presence of ulceration. The most frequent adverse events were neutropenia (31%) and fatigue (30%). High-dose IFN-α2b is the most frequently used regimen in Spain as an adjuvant systemic treatment for high-risk melanoma. Despite poor compliance, in this retrospective study, IFN-α2b treatment provided a benefit consistent with that described previously. PMID:26958991

Treatment patterns of adjuvant interferon-α2b for high-risk melanoma: a retrospective study of the Grupo Español Multidisciplinar de Melanoma - Prima study.

PubMed

Espinosa, Enrique; Soriano, Virtudes; Malvehy, Josep; Berrocal, Alfonso; Martínez de Prado, Purificación; Quindós, María; Soria, Ainara; Márquez-Rodas, Iván; Palacio, Isabel; Cerezuela, Pablo; López-Vivanco, Guillermo; Alonso, Lorenzo; Samaniego, Elia; Ballesteros, Ana; Puértolas, Teresa; Díaz-Beveridge, Rodrigo; de la Cruz-Merino, Luis; López Castro, Rafael; López López, Rafael; Stevinson, Kendall; Del Barrio, Patricia; Tornamira, Maria V; Guillém, Vicente; Martín-Algarra, Salvador

2016-06-01

Adjuvant interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) has been studied extensively in clinical trials, but there have been few studies of real-world use. The aim of this study is to describe the IFN-α2b real-world patterns in patients with high-risk melanoma in Spain. This was a retrospective and multicentre chart review study of an unselected cohort of patients with melanoma at high risk for relapse (stage IIB/IIC/III) treated with IFN-α2b. Patterns were assessed in terms of dose and compliance to planned treatment. A survival analysis was carried out for the full population and according to Kirkwood scheme compliance and the presence of ulceration. Of 327 patients treated with IFN-α2b, 318 received a high-dose regimen following the standard Kirkwood scheme; thus, patterns are described for this regimen. A total of 121 (38%) and 88 (28%) patients had at least one dose reduction during the induction and maintenance phases, respectively. Dose delay was required in fewer than 10% of patients. A total of 78, 40 and 38% of the patients completed the induction phase, maintenance phase and completed treatment, respectively. The median progression-free and overall survival for the full population were 3.2 and 10.5 years, respectively. There were no differences in progression-free survival and overall survival according to Kirkwood scheme compliance and the presence of ulceration. The most frequent adverse events were neutropenia (31%) and fatigue (30%). High-dose IFN-α2b is the most frequently used regimen in Spain as an adjuvant systemic treatment for high-risk melanoma. Despite poor compliance, in this retrospective study, IFN-α2b treatment provided a benefit consistent with that described previously.

Distinct Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns for Apparent Motion Processing in School-Aged Children.

PubMed

Campbell, Julia; Sharma, Anu

2016-01-01

Measures of visual cortical development in children demonstrate high variability and inconsistency throughout the literature. This is partly due to the specificity of the visual system in processing certain features. It may then be advantageous to activate multiple cortical pathways in order to observe maturation of coinciding networks. Visual stimuli eliciting the percept of apparent motion and shape change is designed to simultaneously activate both dorsal and ventral visual streams. However, research has shown that such stimuli also elicit variable visual evoked potential (VEP) morphology in children. The aim of this study was to describe developmental changes in VEPs, including morphological patterns, and underlying visual cortical generators, elicited by apparent motion and shape change in school-aged children. Forty-one typically developing children underwent high-density EEG recordings in response to a continuously morphing, radially modulated, circle-star grating. VEPs were then compared across the age groups of 5-7, 8-10, and 11-15 years according to latency and amplitude. Current density reconstructions (CDR) were performed on VEP data in order to observe activated cortical regions. It was found that two distinct VEP morphological patterns occurred in each age group. However, there were no major developmental differences between the age groups according to each pattern. CDR further demonstrated consistent visual generators across age and pattern. These results describe two novel VEP morphological patterns in typically developing children, but with similar underlying cortical sources. The importance of these morphological patterns is discussed in terms of future studies and the investigation of a relationship to visual cognitive performance.

Distinct Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns for Apparent Motion Processing in School-Aged Children

PubMed Central

Campbell, Julia; Sharma, Anu

2016-01-01

Measures of visual cortical development in children demonstrate high variability and inconsistency throughout the literature. This is partly due to the specificity of the visual system in processing certain features. It may then be advantageous to activate multiple cortical pathways in order to observe maturation of coinciding networks. Visual stimuli eliciting the percept of apparent motion and shape change is designed to simultaneously activate both dorsal and ventral visual streams. However, research has shown that such stimuli also elicit variable visual evoked potential (VEP) morphology in children. The aim of this study was to describe developmental changes in VEPs, including morphological patterns, and underlying visual cortical generators, elicited by apparent motion and shape change in school-aged children. Forty-one typically developing children underwent high-density EEG recordings in response to a continuously morphing, radially modulated, circle-star grating. VEPs were then compared across the age groups of 5–7, 8–10, and 11–15 years according to latency and amplitude. Current density reconstructions (CDR) were performed on VEP data in order to observe activated cortical regions. It was found that two distinct VEP morphological patterns occurred in each age group. However, there were no major developmental differences between the age groups according to each pattern. CDR further demonstrated consistent visual generators across age and pattern. These results describe two novel VEP morphological patterns in typically developing children, but with similar underlying cortical sources. The importance of these morphological patterns is discussed in terms of future studies and the investigation of a relationship to visual cognitive performance. PMID:27445738

A novel approach to describing and detecting performance anti-patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Jinfang; Wang, Yihan; Hu, Peipei; Wang, Bin

2017-08-01

Anti-pattern, as an extension to pattern, describes a widely used poor solution which can bring negative influence to application systems. Aiming at the shortcomings of the existing anti-pattern descriptions, an anti-pattern description method based on first order predicate is proposed. This method synthesizes anti-pattern forms and symptoms, which makes the description more accurate and has good scalability and versatility as well. In order to improve the accuracy of anti-pattern detection, a Bayesian classification method is applied in validation for detection results, which can reduce false negatives and false positives of anti-pattern detection. Finally, the proposed approach in this paper is applied to a small e-commerce system, the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated further through experiments.

Student Use of Out-of-Class Study Groups in an Introductory Undergraduate Biology Course

PubMed Central

Rybczynski, Stephen M.; Schussler, Elisabeth E.

2011-01-01

Self-formed out-of-class study groups may benefit student learning; however, few researchers have quantified the relationship between study group use and achievement or described changes in study group usage patterns over a semester. We related study group use to performance on content exams, explored patterns of study group use, and qualitatively described student perceptions of study groups. A pre- and posttest were used to measure student content knowledge. Internet-based surveys were used to collect quantitative data on exam performance and qualitative data on study group usage trends and student perceptions of study groups. No relationship was found between gains in content knowledge and study group use. Students who participated in study groups did, however, believe they were beneficial. Four patterns of study group use were identified: students either always (14%) or never (55%) used study groups, tried but quit using them (22%), or utilized study groups only late in the semester (9%). Thematic analysis revealed preconceptions and in-class experiences influence student decisions to utilize study groups. We conclude that students require guidance in the successful use of study groups. Instructors can help students maximize study group success by making students aware of potential group composition problems, helping students choose group members who are compatible, and providing students materials on which to focus their study efforts. PMID:21364102

Disentangling dynamic networks: Separated and joint expressions of functional connectivity patterns in time.

PubMed

Leonardi, Nora; Shirer, William R; Greicius, Michael D; Van De Ville, Dimitri

2014-12-01

Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is highly variable across the duration of a scan. Groups of coevolving connections, or reproducible patterns of dynamic FC (dFC), have been revealed in fluctuating FC by applying unsupervised learning techniques. Based on results from k-means clustering and sliding-window correlations, it has recently been hypothesized that dFC may cycle through several discrete FC states. Alternatively, it has been proposed to represent dFC as a linear combination of multiple FC patterns using principal component analysis. As it is unclear whether sparse or nonsparse combinations of FC patterns are most appropriate, and as this affects their interpretation and use as markers of cognitive processing, the goal of our study was to evaluate the impact of sparsity by performing an empirical evaluation of simulated, task-based, and resting-state dFC. To this aim, we applied matrix factorizations subject to variable constraints in the temporal domain and studied both the reproducibility of ensuing representations of dFC and the expression of FC patterns over time. During subject-driven tasks, dFC was well described by alternating FC states in accordance with the nature of the data. The estimated FC patterns showed a rich structure with combinations of known functional networks enabling accurate identification of three different tasks. During rest, dFC was better described by multiple FC patterns that overlap. The executive control networks, which are critical for working memory, appeared grouped alternately with externally or internally oriented networks. These results suggest that combinations of FC patterns can provide a meaningful way to disentangle resting-state dFC. © 2014 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The usefulness of GPS telemetry to study wolf circadian and social activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Samuel B.; Mech, L. David

2003-01-01

This study describes circadian and social movement patterns of 9 wolves and illustrates capabilities and limitations of Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry for analysis of animal activity patterns. Global Positioning System telemetry was useful in determining when pack members were traveling together or apart and how long a breeding female wolf spent near her pups (e.g., 10-month-old pups were left unattended by their mother for as long as 17 days).

Clinicopathological patterns and distribution of Schistosomiasis in Asir Region.

PubMed

Morad, N A; Khan, A R

2001-06-01

The objective of this study is to report, for the first time, the histopathologic pattern of Schistosomiasis from the Asir Region and to compare it to patterns reported from other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Several studies have reported the patterns of Schistosomiasis in other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries where Schistosomiasis is endemic. Schistosomiasis is endemic in certain areas of Asir region, however no data is available concerning the clinicopathological pattern of Schistosomiasis in the Asir Region. This is a retrospective analysis of 217 cases of Schistosomiasis from surgical and biopsy files of Asir Central Hospital during a period from January 1990 to October 1999. Our study revealed that Schistosomiasis was more common among the expatriate population of Asir Region than Saudi nationals residing in this area. The urinary tract was most commonly involved, and then in descending frequency came the vermiform appendix, liver and large bowel. These findings are somewhat different from those observed in the Riyadh Region where the vermiform appendix was the most commonly affected organ. Based on the histopathologic pattern, our study describes the pattern of Schistosomiasis in the Asir Region and may serve as a base-line for future research work.

Disorderly Light.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Ivars

1991-01-01

The relationship between theories about electrical conductivity in microscopic wires and laser speckle patterns is described. Practical applications of laser speckle patterns are included. Wave ideas are being used to describe and predict novel phenomena in disordered solids. (KR)

Dermoscopic patterns of Melanoma Metastases: inter-observer consistency and accuracy for metastases recognition

PubMed Central

Costa, J.; Ortiz-Ibañez, K.; Salerni, G.; Borges, V.; Carrera, C.; Puig, S.; Malvehy, J.

2013-01-01

Background Cutaneous metastases of malignant melanoma (CMMM) can be confused with other skin lesions. Dermoscopy could be helpful in the differential diagnosis. Objective To describe distinctive dermoscopic patterns that are reproducible and accurate in the identification of CMMM Methods A retrospective study of 146 dermoscopic images of CMMM from 42 patients attending a Melanoma Unit between 2002 and 2009 was performed. Firstly, two investigators established six dermoscopic patterns for CMMM. The correlation of 73 dermoscopic images with their distinctive patterns was assessed by four independent dermatologists to evaluate the reproducibility in the identification of the patterns. Finally, 163 dermoscopic images, including CMMM and non-metastatic lesions, were evaluated by the same four dermatologists to calculate the accuracy of the patterns in the recognition of CMMM. Results Five CMMM dermoscopic patterns had a good inter-observer agreement (blue nevus-like, nevus-like, angioma like, vascular and unspecific). When CMMM were classified according to these patterns, correlation between the investigators and the four dermatologists ranged from κ = 0.56 to 0.7. 71 CMMM, 16 angiomas, 22 blue nevus, 15 malignant melanoma, 11 seborrheic keratosis, 15 melanocytic nevus with globular pattern and 13 pink lesions with vascular pattern were evaluated according to the previously described CMMM dermoscopy patterns, showing an overall sensitivity of 68% (between 54.9–76%) and a specificity of 81% (between 68.6–93.5) for the diagnosis of CMMM. Conclusion Five dermoscopic patterns of CMMM with good inter-observer agreement obtained a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of metastasis, the accuracy varying according to the experience of the observer. PMID:23495915

Voronoi Cell Patterns: theoretical model and application to submonolayer growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Diego Luis; Einstein, T. L.

2012-02-01

We use a simple fragmentation model to describe the statistical behavior of the Voronoi cell patterns generated by a homogeneous and isotropic set of points in 1D and in 2D. In particular, we are interested in the distribution of sizes of these Voronoi cells. Our model is completely defined by two probability distributions in 1D and again in 2D, the probability to add a new point inside an existing cell and the probability that this new point is at a particular position relative to the preexisting point inside this cell. In 1D the first distribution depends on a single parameter while the second distribution is defined through a fragmentation kernel; in 2D both distributions depend on a single parameter. The fragmentation kernel and the control parameters are closely related to the physical properties of the specific system under study. We apply our model to describe the Voronoi cell patterns of island nucleation for critical island sizes i=0,1,2,3. Experimental results for the Voronoi cells of InAs/GaAs quantum dots are also described by our model.

Infant obesity and severe obesity growth patterns in the first two years of life.

PubMed

Gittner, Lisaann S; Ludington-Hoe, Susan M; Haller, Harold S

2014-04-01

Distinguishing an obesity growth pattern that originates during infancy is clinically important. Infancy based obesity prevention interventions may be needed while precursors of later health are forming. Infant obesity and severe obesity growth patterns in the first 2-years are described and distinguished from a normal weight growth pattern. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Body mass index (BMI) growth patterns from birth to 2-years are described for children categorized at 5-years as normal weight (n = 61), overweight (n = 47), obese (n = 41) and severely obese (n = 72) cohorts using WHO reference standards. BMI values were calculated at birth, 1-week; 2-, 4-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-, 18-months; and 2- and 5-years. Graphs of the longitudinal Analysis of Variance of Means of BMI values identified the earliest significant divergence of a cohort's average BMI pattern from other cohorts' patterns. ANOVA and Pearson Product Moment correlations were also performed. Statistically significant differences in BMI values and differences in growth patterns between cohorts were evident as early as 2-6 months post-birth. Children who were obese or severely obese at 5-years demonstrated a BMI pattern that differed within the first 2-years of life from that of children who were normal weight at 5-years. The earliest significant correlation between early BMI values and 5-year BMI value was at 4-months post-birth. The study fills an important gap by demonstrating early onset of an infant obesity growth pattern in full-term children who were healthy throughout their first 5 years of life.

Identification of dietary patterns in urban population of Argentina: study on diet-obesity relation in population-based prevalence study.

PubMed

Pou, Sonia Alejandra; Del Pilar Díaz, María; De La Quintana, Ana Gabriela; Forte, Carla Antonella; Aballay, Laura Rosana

2016-12-01

In Argentina, obesity prevalence rose from 14.6% in 2005 to 20.8% in 2013. Although the number of studies on noncommunicable diseases and dietary patterns as a unique dietary exposure measure has increased, information on this topic remains scarce in developing countries. This is the first population-based study investigating the association between diet and obesity using a dietary pattern approach in Argentina. We aimed (a) to identify current dietary patterns of the population of Córdoba city, (b) to investigate its association with obesity prevalence, and (c) to identify and describe dietary patterns from the subgroup of people with obesity. The Córdoba Obesity and Diet Study (CODIES) was conducted in Córdoba city by using a random sample of n = 4,327 subjects between 2005 and 2012. Empirically derived dietary patterns were identified through principal component factor analysis. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of dietary patterns with obesity. Four dietary patterns were identified, called " Starchy-Sugar ", " Prudent ", " Western ", and " Sugary drinks ". High scores for the " Western " pattern (with strongest factor loading on meats/eggs, processed meats, and alcohol) showed a positive association with obesity (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.06-1.67, for third versus first tertile of factor score). " Meats/Cheeses " and " Snacks/Alcohol " patterns emerged in people with obesity. The findings suggest that high adherence to the " Western " pattern promoted obesity in this urban population. In addition, people with obesity showed characteristic dietary patterns that differ from those identified in the overall population.

Organizing pneumonia pattern in the follow-up CT of Legionella-infected patients.

PubMed

Haroon, Attiya; Higa, Futoshi; Hibiya, Kenji; Haranaga, Shusaku; Yara, Satomi; Tateyama, Masao; Fujita, Jiro

2011-08-01

The main aim of this study was to describe the appearance of the CT pattern of organizing pneumonia in Legionella-infected patients. Serial CT scans obtained from five sporadic cases of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia were retrospectively reviewed. The mean time of follow-up was 14 days. Chest CT was analyzed with regard to frequency and appearance of CT patterns of pulmonary abnormalities. Consolidation and ground-glass opacities, with or without an air bronchogram, were the most common abnormalities detected in CT scans during follow-up patients with L. pneumophila pneumonia. Two patterns were observed: subpleural and peribronchovascular. The subpleural pattern was seen in four patients and the peribronchovascular pattern in one. Interlobular septal thickening was seen in one patient. Pleural effusion was seen in one patient. The CT pattern of organizing pneumonia, a subpleural pattern, was frequently observed after treatment of L. pneumophila pneumonia.

Identifying Residual Speech Sound Disorders in Bilingual Children: A Japanese-English Case Study

PubMed Central

Preston, Jonathan L.; Seki, Ayumi

2012-01-01

Purpose The purposes are to (1) describe the assessment of residual speech sound disorders (SSD) in bilinguals by distinguishing speech patterns associated with second language acquisition from patterns associated with misarticulations, and (2) describe how assessment of domains such as speech motor control and phonological awareness can provide a more complete understanding of SSDs in bilinguals. Method A review of Japanese phonology is provided to offer a context for understanding the transfer of Japanese to English productions. A case study of an 11-year-old is presented, demonstrating parallel speech assessments in English and Japanese. Speech motor and phonological awareness tasks were conducted in both languages. Results Several patterns were observed in the participant’s English that could be plausibly explained by the influence of Japanese phonology. However, errors indicating a residual SSD were observed in both Japanese and English. A speech motor assessment suggested possible speech motor control problems, and phonological awareness was judged to be within the typical range of performance in both languages. Conclusion Understanding the phonological characteristics of L1 can help clinicians recognize speech patterns in L2 associated with transfer. Once these differences are understood, patterns associated with a residual SSD can be identified. Supplementing a relational speech analysis with measures of speech motor control and phonological awareness can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a client’s strengths and needs. PMID:21386046

Comparing rainfall patterns between regions in Peninsular Malaysia via a functional data analysis technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhaila, Jamaludin; Jemain, Abdul Aziz; Hamdan, Muhammad Fauzee; Wan Zin, Wan Zawiah

2011-12-01

SummaryNormally, rainfall data is collected on a daily, monthly or annual basis in the form of discrete observations. The aim of this study is to convert these rainfall values into a smooth curve or function which could be used to represent the continuous rainfall process at each region via a technique known as functional data analysis. Since rainfall data shows a periodic pattern in each region, the Fourier basis is introduced to capture these variations. Eleven basis functions with five harmonics are used to describe the unimodal rainfall pattern for stations in the East while five basis functions which represent two harmonics are needed to describe the rainfall pattern in the West. Based on the fitted smooth curve, the wet and dry periods as well as the maximum and minimum rainfall values could be determined. Different rainfall patterns are observed among the studied regions based on the smooth curve. Using the functional analysis of variance, the test results indicated that there exist significant differences in the functional means between each region. The largest differences in the functional means are found between the East and Northwest regions and these differences may probably be due to the effect of topography and, geographical location and are mostly influenced by the monsoons. Therefore, the same inputs or approaches might not be useful in modeling the hydrological process for different regions.

Nutrient Patterns and Their Food Sources in Older Persons from France and Quebec: Dietary and Lifestyle Characteristics.

PubMed

Allès, Benjamin; Samieri, Cécilia; Lorrain, Simon; Jutand, Marthe-Aline; Carmichael, Pierre-Hugues; Shatenstein, Bryna; Gaudreau, Pierrette; Payette, Hélène; Laurin, Danielle; Barberger-Gateau, Pascale

2016-04-19

Dietary and nutrient patterns have been linked to health outcomes related to aging. Food intake is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. The aim of the present study was to compare nutrient patterns across two elderly populations sharing a common ancestral cultural background, but living in different environments. The diet quality, lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics of participants from the Three-City Study (3C, France, n = 1712) and the Québec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge, Quebec, Canada, n = 1596) were analyzed. Nutrient patterns and their food sources were identified in the two samples using principal component analysis. Diet quality was compared across sample-specific patterns by describing weekly food intake and associations with the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI). Three nutrient patterns were retained in each study: a healthy, a Western and a more traditional pattern. These patterns accounted for 50.1% and 53.5% of the total variance in 3C and NuAge, respectively. Higher education and non-physical occupations over lifetime were associated with healthy patterns in both studies. Other characteristics such as living alone, having a body mass index lower than 25 and being an ex-smoker were associated with the healthy pattern in NuAge. No association between these characteristics and the nutrient patterns was noted in 3C. The healthy and Western patterns from each sample also showed an inverse association with C-HEI. The two healthy patterns showed important similarities: adequate food variety, consumption of healthy foods and associations with common sociodemographic factors. This work highlights that nutrient patterns derived using a posteriori methods may be useful to compare the nutritional quality of the diet of distinct populations.

Studies in Public Welfare. Paper No. 12 (Part II): The Family, Poverty and Welfare Programs--Household Patterns and Government Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joint Economic Committee, Washington, DC.

The papers in this volume deal with patterns of household composition and income sharing among low-income families as well as current and proposed Government policies directly related to family structure. Government policies relevant to family structure make up one set of topics. Irene Cox describes how public income transfer benefits and…

Lifetime Learning Trajectories: Close Encounters of Five Kinds. Patterns of Participation in Adult Education and Training. Working Paper 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen; Rees, Gareth; Fevre, Ralph; Furlong, John

This working paper is a product of a regional study in industrial South Wales of the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. This paper describes the…

Staying in the Science Stream: Patterns of Participation in A-Level Science Subjects in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Emma

2011-01-01

This paper describes patterns of participation and attainment in A-level physics, chemistry and biology from 1961 to 2009. The A level has long been seen as an important gateway qualification for higher level study, particularly in the sciences. This long-term overview examines how recruitment to these three subjects has changed in the context of…

1977 Nationwide Personal Transportation Study : household vehicle utilization

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-04-01

This report is part of a series that presents findings from the 1977 Nationwide Personal Transportation Study (NPTS). This report describes patterns of utilization of private vehicles (annual miles driven) in 1977. Utilization is keyed to estimates p...

A Cognitive and Affective Pattern in Posterior Fossa Strokes in Children: A Case Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kossorotoff, Manoelle; Gonin-Flambois, Coralie; Gitiaux, Cyril; Quijano, Susana; Boddaert, Nathalie; Bahi-Buisson, Nadia; Barnerias, Christine; Dulac, Olivier; Brunelle, Francis; Desguerre, Isabelle

2010-01-01

Aim: Posterior fossa strokes account for about 10% of ischaemic strokes in children. Although motor and dysautonomic symptoms are common, to our knowledge cognitive and affective deficits have not been described in the paediatric literature. Our aim, therefore, was to describe these symptoms and deficits. Method: In a retrospective study, we…

A Tutorial on Multiblock Discriminant Correspondence Analysis (MUDICA): A New Method for Analyzing Discourse Data from Clinical Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Lynne J.; Abdi, Herve; French, Rebecca; Orange, Joseph B.

2010-01-01

Purpose: In communication disorders research, clinical groups are frequently described based on patterns of performance, but researchers often study only a few participants described by many quantitative and qualitative variables. These data are difficult to handle with standard inferential tools (e.g., analysis of variance or factor analysis)…

Using a neural network to proximity correct patterns written with a Cambridge electron beam microfabricator 10.5 lithography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, K. D.; Frye, R. C.; Rietman, E. A.

1990-10-01

This letter describes the initial results of using a theoretical determination of the proximity function and an adaptively trained neural network to proximity-correct patterns written on a Cambridge electron beam lithography system. The methods described are complete and may be applied to any electron beam exposure system that can modify the dose during exposure. The patterns produced in resist show the effects of proximity correction versus noncorrected patterns.

Study of Track Irregularity Time Series Calibration and Variation Pattern at Unit Section

PubMed Central

Jia, Chaolong; Wei, Lili; Wang, Hanning; Yang, Jiulin

2014-01-01

Focusing on problems existing in track irregularity time series data quality, this paper first presents abnormal data identification, data offset correction algorithm, local outlier data identification, and noise cancellation algorithms. And then proposes track irregularity time series decomposition and reconstruction through the wavelet decomposition and reconstruction approach. Finally, the patterns and features of track irregularity standard deviation data sequence in unit sections are studied, and the changing trend of track irregularity time series is discovered and described. PMID:25435869

Minimal-resource computer program for automatic generation of ocean wave ray or crest diagrams in shoaling waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poole, L. R.; Lecroy, S. R.; Morris, W. D.

1977-01-01

A computer program for studying linear ocean wave refraction is described. The program features random-access modular bathymetry data storage. Three bottom topography approximation techniques are available in the program which provide varying degrees of bathymetry data smoothing. Refraction diagrams are generated automatically and can be displayed graphically in three forms: Ray patterns with specified uniform deepwater ray density, ray patterns with controlled nearshore ray density, or crest patterns constructed by using a cubic polynomial to approximate crest segments between adjacent rays.

Careflow Mining Techniques to Explore Type 2 Diabetes Evolution.

PubMed

Dagliati, Arianna; Tibollo, Valentina; Cogni, Giulia; Chiovato, Luca; Bellazzi, Riccardo; Sacchi, Lucia

2018-03-01

In this work we describe the application of a careflow mining algorithm to detect the most frequent patterns of care in a type 2 diabetes patients cohort. The applied method enriches the detected patterns with clinical data to define temporal phenotypes across the studied population. Novel phenotypes are discovered from heterogeneous data of 424 Italian patients, and compared in terms of metabolic control and complications. Results show that careflow mining can help to summarize the complex evolution of the disease into meaningful patterns, which are also significant from a clinical point of view.

A Compact Prototype of an Optical Pattern Recognition System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Y.; Liu, H. K.; Marzwell, N. I.

1996-01-01

In the Technology 2006 Case Studies/Success Stories presentation, we will describe and demonstrate a prototype of a compact optical pattern recognition system as an example of a successful technology transfer and continuuing development of state-of-the-art know-how by the close collaboration among government, academia, and small business via the NASA SBIR program. The prototype consists of a complete set of optical pattern recognition hardware with multi-channel storage and retrieval capability that is compactly configured inside a portable 1'X 2'X 3' aluminum case.

Mechanism underlying the diverse collective behavior in the swarm oscillator model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasa, Masatomo; Tanaka, Dan

2017-09-01

The swarm oscillator model describes the long-time behavior of interacting chemotactic particles, and it shows numerous types of macroscopic patterns. However, the reason why so many kinds of patterns emerge is not clear. In this study, we elucidate the mechanism underlying the diversity of the pattens by analyzing the model for two particles. Focusing on the behavior when the two particles are spatially close, we find that the dynamics is classified into eight types, which explain most of the observed 13 types of patterns.

Safety Case Patterns: Theory and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denney, Ewen W.; Pai, Ganesh J.

2015-01-01

We develop the foundations for a theory of patterns of safety case argument structures, clarifying the concepts involved in pattern specification, including choices, labeling, and well-founded recursion. We specify six new patterns in addition to those existing in the literature. We give a generic way to specify the data required to instantiate patterns and a generic algorithm for their instantiation. This generalizes earlier work on generating argument fragments from requirements tables. We describe an implementation of these concepts in AdvoCATE, the Assurance Case Automation Toolset, showing how patterns are defined and can be instantiated. In particular, we describe how our extended notion of patterns can be specified, how they can be instantiated in an interactive manner, and, finally, how they can be automatically instantiated using our algorithm.

A Local Agreement Pattern Measure Based on Hazard Functions for Survival Outcomes

PubMed Central

Dai, Tian; Guo, Ying; Peng, Limin; Manatunga, Amita K.

2017-01-01

Summary Assessing agreement is often of interest in biomedical and clinical research when measurements are obtained on the same subjects by different raters or methods. Most classical agreement methods have been focused on global summary statistics, which cannot be used to describe various local agreement patterns. The objective of this work is to study the local agreement pattern between two continuous measurements subject to censoring. In this paper, we propose a new agreement measure based on bivariate hazard functions to characterize the local agreement pattern between two correlated survival outcomes. The proposed measure naturally accommodates censored observations, fully captures the dependence structure between bivariate survival times and provides detailed information on how the strength of agreement evolves over time. We develop a nonparametric estimation method for the proposed local agreement pattern measure and study theoretical properties including strong consistency and asymptotical normality. We then evaluate the performance of the estimator through simulation studies and illustrate the method using a prostate cancer data example. PMID:28724196

A local agreement pattern measure based on hazard functions for survival outcomes.

PubMed

Dai, Tian; Guo, Ying; Peng, Limin; Manatunga, Amita K

2018-03-01

Assessing agreement is often of interest in biomedical and clinical research when measurements are obtained on the same subjects by different raters or methods. Most classical agreement methods have been focused on global summary statistics, which cannot be used to describe various local agreement patterns. The objective of this work is to study the local agreement pattern between two continuous measurements subject to censoring. In this article, we propose a new agreement measure based on bivariate hazard functions to characterize the local agreement pattern between two correlated survival outcomes. The proposed measure naturally accommodates censored observations, fully captures the dependence structure between bivariate survival times and provides detailed information on how the strength of agreement evolves over time. We develop a nonparametric estimation method for the proposed local agreement pattern measure and study theoretical properties including strong consistency and asymptotical normality. We then evaluate the performance of the estimator through simulation studies and illustrate the method using a prostate cancer data example. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Modeling and forecasting rainfall patterns of southwest monsoons in North-East India as a SARIMA process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narasimha Murthy, K. V.; Saravana, R.; Vijaya Kumar, K.

2018-02-01

Weather forecasting is an important issue in the field of meteorology all over the world. The pattern and amount of rainfall are the essential factors that affect agricultural systems. India experiences the precious Southwest monsoon season for four months from June to September. The present paper describes an empirical study for modeling and forecasting the time series of Southwest monsoon rainfall patterns in the North-East India. The Box-Jenkins Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) methodology has been adopted for model identification, diagnostic checking and forecasting for this region. The study has shown that the SARIMA (0, 1, 1) (1, 0, 1)4 model is appropriate for analyzing and forecasting the future rainfall patterns. The Analysis of Means (ANOM) is a useful alternative to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for comparing the group of treatments to study the variations and critical comparisons of rainfall patterns in different months of the season.

Where Am I? Location Archetype Keyword Extraction from Urban Mobility Patterns

PubMed Central

Kostakos, Vassilis; Juntunen, Tomi; Goncalves, Jorge; Hosio, Simo; Ojala, Timo

2013-01-01

Can online behaviour be used as a proxy for studying urban mobility? The increasing availability of digital mobility traces has provided new insights into collective human behaviour. Mobility datasets have been shown to be an accurate proxy for daily behaviour and social patterns, and behavioural data from Twitter has been used to predict real world phenomena such as cinema ticket sale volumes, stock prices, and disease outbreaks. In this paper we correlate city-scale urban traffic patterns with online search trends to uncover keywords describing the pedestrian traffic location. By analysing a 3-year mobility dataset we show that our approach, called Location Archetype Keyword Extraction (LAKE), is capable of uncovering semantically relevant keywords for describing a location. Our findings demonstrate an overarching relationship between online and offline collective behaviour, and allow for advancing analysis of community-level behaviour by using online search keywords as a practical behaviour proxy. PMID:23704964

Where am I? Location archetype keyword extraction from urban mobility patterns.

PubMed

Kostakos, Vassilis; Juntunen, Tomi; Goncalves, Jorge; Hosio, Simo; Ojala, Timo

2013-01-01

Can online behaviour be used as a proxy for studying urban mobility? The increasing availability of digital mobility traces has provided new insights into collective human behaviour. Mobility datasets have been shown to be an accurate proxy for daily behaviour and social patterns, and behavioural data from Twitter has been used to predict real world phenomena such as cinema ticket sale volumes, stock prices, and disease outbreaks. In this paper we correlate city-scale urban traffic patterns with online search trends to uncover keywords describing the pedestrian traffic location. By analysing a 3-year mobility dataset we show that our approach, called Location Archetype Keyword Extraction (LAKE), is capable of uncovering semantically relevant keywords for describing a location. Our findings demonstrate an overarching relationship between online and offline collective behaviour, and allow for advancing analysis of community-level behaviour by using online search keywords as a practical behaviour proxy.

Dynamic camouflage by Nassau groupers Epinephelus striatus on a Caribbean coral reef.

PubMed

Watson, A C; Siemann, L A; Hanlon, R T

2014-11-01

This field study describes the camouflage pattern repertoire, associated behaviours and speed of pattern change of Nassau groupers Epinephelus striatus at Little Cayman Island, British West Indies. Three basic camouflaged body patterns were observed under natural conditions and characterized quantitatively. The mean speed of pattern change across the entire body was 4.44 s (range = 0.97-9.87 s); the fastest pattern change as well as contrast change within a fixed pattern occurred within 1 s. Aside from apparent defensive camouflage, E. striatus used camouflage offensively to approach crustacean or fish prey, and three successful predation events were recorded. Although animal camouflage is a widespread tactic, dynamic camouflage is relatively uncommon and has been studied rarely in marine teleosts under natural conditions. The rapid changes observed in E. striatus suggest direct neural control of some skin colouration elements, and comparative studies of functional morphology and behaviour of colour change in other coral-reef teleosts are likely to reveal new mechanisms and adaptations of dynamic colouration. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Spiral and never-settling patterns in active systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Marenduzzo, D.; Marchetti, M. C.

2014-01-01

We present a combined numerical and analytical study of pattern formation in an active system where particles align, possess a density-dependent motility, and are subject to a logistic reaction. The model can describe suspensions of reproducing bacteria, as well as polymerizing actomyosin gels in vitro or in vivo. In the disordered phase, we find that motility suppression and growth compete to yield stable or blinking patterns, which, when dense enough, acquire internal orientational ordering to give asters or spirals. We predict these may be observed within chemotactic aggregates in bacterial fluids. In the ordered phase, the reaction term leads to previously unobserved never-settling patterns which can provide a simple framework to understand the formation of motile and spiral patterns in intracellular actin systems.

Granular Silo collapse: an experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clement, Eric; Gutierriez, Gustavo; Boltenhagen, Philippe; Lanuza, Jose

2008-03-01

We present an experimental work that develop some basic insight into the pre-buckling behavior and the buckling transition toward plastic collapse of a granular silo. We study different patterns of deformation generated on thin paper cylindrical shells during granular discharge. We study the collapse threshold for different bed height, flow rates and grain sizes. We compare the patterns that appear during the discharge of spherical beads, with those obtained in the axially compressed cylindrical shells. When the height of the granular column is close to the collapse threshold, we describe a ladder like pattern that rises around the cylinder surface in a spiral path of diamond shaped localizations, and develops into a plastic collapsing fold that grows around the collapsing silo.

[How to start a neuroimaging study].

PubMed

Narumoto, Jin

2012-06-01

In order to help researchers understand how to start a neuroimaging study, several tips are described in this paper. These include 1) Choice of an imaging modality, 2) Statistical method, and 3) Interpretation of the results. 1) There are several imaging modalities available in clinical research. Advantages and disadvantages of each modality are described. 2) Statistical Parametric Mapping, which is the most common statistical software for neuroimaging analysis, is described in terms of parameter setting in normalization and level of significance. 3) In the discussion section, the region which shows a significant difference between patients and normal controls should be discussed in relation to the neurophysiology of the disease, making reference to previous reports from neuroimaging studies in normal controls, lesion studies and animal studies. A typical pattern of discussion is described.

An immunocytochemical, histochemical and ultrastructural study of the nervous system of the tapeworm Cyathocephalus truncatus (Cestoda, Spathebothriidea).

PubMed

Terenina, Nadezhda B; Poddubnaya, Larisa G; Tolstenkov, Oleg O; Gustafsson, Margaretha K S

2009-01-01

This study is the first detailed study of the organisation of the neuromuscular system of Cyathocephalus truncatus (Cestoda, Spathebothriidea). Five techniques have been used: (1) immunocytochemistry, (2) staining with TRITC-conjugated phalloidin, (3) NADPHdiaphorase histochemistry, (4) confocal scanning laser microscopy and (5) transmission electron microscopy. The patterns of nerves immunoreactive (IR) to antibodies towards serotonin (5-HT) and the invertebrate neuropeptide FMRFamide are described in relation to the musculature. The patterns of NADPHdiaphorase positive nerves and 5-HT-IR nerves are compared. The fine structure of the nervous system (NS) is described. The organisation of NS in the non-segmented, polyzoic C. truncatus differs clearly from that in the non-segmented, monozoic Caryophyllaeus laticeps and shows distinct similarities with the NS in pseudophyllidean cestodes. This supports the hypothesis that taxon Caryophyllidea and Spatheobothriidea form independent lineages within Eucestoda.

Stability-based validation of dietary patterns obtained by cluster analysis.

PubMed

Sauvageot, Nicolas; Schritz, Anna; Leite, Sonia; Alkerwi, Ala'a; Stranges, Saverio; Zannad, Faiez; Streel, Sylvie; Hoge, Axelle; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Albert, Adelin; Guillaume, Michèle

2017-01-14

Cluster analysis is a data-driven method used to create clusters of individuals sharing similar dietary habits. However, this method requires specific choices from the user which have an influence on the results. Therefore, there is a need of an objective methodology helping researchers in their decisions during cluster analysis. The objective of this study was to use such a methodology based on stability of clustering solutions to select the most appropriate clustering method and number of clusters for describing dietary patterns in the NESCAV study (Nutrition, Environment and Cardiovascular Health), a large population-based cross-sectional study in the Greater Region (N = 2298). Clustering solutions were obtained with K-means, K-medians and Ward's method and a number of clusters varying from 2 to 6. Their stability was assessed with three indices: adjusted Rand index, Cramer's V and misclassification rate. The most stable solution was obtained with K-means method and a number of clusters equal to 3. The "Convenient" cluster characterized by the consumption of convenient foods was the most prevalent with 46% of the population having this dietary behaviour. In addition, a "Prudent" and a "Non-Prudent" patterns associated respectively with healthy and non-healthy dietary habits were adopted by 25% and 29% of the population. The "Convenient" and "Non-Prudent" clusters were associated with higher cardiovascular risk whereas the "Prudent" pattern was associated with a decreased cardiovascular risk. Associations with others factors showed that the choice of a specific dietary pattern is part of a wider lifestyle profile. This study is of interest for both researchers and public health professionals. From a methodological standpoint, we showed that using stability of clustering solutions could help researchers in their choices. From a public health perspective, this study showed the need of targeted health promotion campaigns describing the benefits of healthy dietary patterns.

The use of network analysis to study complex animal communication systems: a study on nightingale song.

PubMed

Weiss, Michael; Hultsch, Henrike; Adam, Iris; Scharff, Constance; Kipper, Silke

2014-06-22

The singing of song birds can form complex signal systems comprised of numerous subunits sung with distinct combinatorial properties that have been described as syntax-like. This complexity has inspired inquiries into similarities of bird song to human language; but the quantitative analysis and description of song sequences is a challenging task. In this study, we analysed song sequences of common nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) by means of a network analysis. We translated long nocturnal song sequences into networks of song types with song transitions as connectors. As network measures, we calculated shortest path length and transitivity and identified the 'small-world' character of nightingale song networks. Besides comparing network measures with conventional measures of song complexity, we also found a correlation between network measures and age of birds. Furthermore, we determined the numbers of in-coming and out-going edges of each song type, characterizing transition patterns. These transition patterns were shared across males for certain song types. Playbacks with different transition patterns provided first evidence that these patterns are responded to differently and thus play a role in singing interactions. We discuss potential functions of the network properties of song sequences in the framework of vocal leadership. Network approaches provide biologically meaningful parameters to describe the song structure of species with extremely large repertoires and complex rules of song retrieval.

The use of network analysis to study complex animal communication systems: a study on nightingale song

PubMed Central

Weiss, Michael; Hultsch, Henrike; Adam, Iris; Scharff, Constance; Kipper, Silke

2014-01-01

The singing of song birds can form complex signal systems comprised of numerous subunits sung with distinct combinatorial properties that have been described as syntax-like. This complexity has inspired inquiries into similarities of bird song to human language; but the quantitative analysis and description of song sequences is a challenging task. In this study, we analysed song sequences of common nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) by means of a network analysis. We translated long nocturnal song sequences into networks of song types with song transitions as connectors. As network measures, we calculated shortest path length and transitivity and identified the ‘small-world’ character of nightingale song networks. Besides comparing network measures with conventional measures of song complexity, we also found a correlation between network measures and age of birds. Furthermore, we determined the numbers of in-coming and out-going edges of each song type, characterizing transition patterns. These transition patterns were shared across males for certain song types. Playbacks with different transition patterns provided first evidence that these patterns are responded to differently and thus play a role in singing interactions. We discuss potential functions of the network properties of song sequences in the framework of vocal leadership. Network approaches provide biologically meaningful parameters to describe the song structure of species with extremely large repertoires and complex rules of song retrieval. PMID:24807258

Intricate but tight coupling of spiracular activity and abdominal ventilation during locust discontinuous gas exchange cycles.

PubMed

Talal, Stav; Gefen, Eran; Ayali, Amir

2018-03-15

Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the best studied among insect gas exchange patterns. DGE cycles comprise three phases, which are defined by their spiracular state: closed, flutter and open. However, spiracle status has rarely been monitored directly; rather, it is often assumed based on CO 2 emission traces. In this study, we directly recorded electromyogram (EMG) signals from the closer muscle of the second thoracic spiracle and from abdominal ventilation muscles in a fully intact locust during DGE. Muscular activity was monitored simultaneously with CO 2 emission, under normoxia and under various experimental oxic conditions. Our findings indicate that locust DGE does not correspond well with the commonly described three-phase cycle. We describe unique DGE-related ventilation motor patterns, coupled to spiracular activity. During the open phase, when CO 2 emission rate is highest, the thoracic spiracles do not remain open; rather, they open and close rapidly. This fast spiracle activity coincides with in-phase abdominal ventilation, while alternating with the abdominal spiracle and thus facilitating a unidirectional air flow along the main trachea. A change in the frequency of rhythmic ventilation during the open phase suggests modulation by intra-tracheal CO 2 levels. A second, slow ventilatory movement pattern probably serves to facilitate gas diffusion during spiracle closure. Two flutter-like patterns are described in association with the different types of ventilatory activity. We offer a modified mechanistic model for DGE in actively ventilating insects, incorporating ventilatory behavior and changes in spiracle state. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Describing spatial pattern in stream networks: A practical approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ganio, L.M.; Torgersen, C.E.; Gresswell, R.E.

2005-01-01

The shape and configuration of branched networks influence ecological patterns and processes. Recent investigations of network influences in riverine ecology stress the need to quantify spatial structure not only in a two-dimensional plane, but also in networks. An initial step in understanding data from stream networks is discerning non-random patterns along the network. On the other hand, data collected in the network may be spatially autocorrelated and thus not suitable for traditional statistical analyses. Here we provide a method that uses commercially available software to construct an empirical variogram to describe spatial pattern in the relative abundance of coastal cutthroat trout in headwater stream networks. We describe the mathematical and practical considerations involved in calculating a variogram using a non-Euclidean distance metric to incorporate the network pathway structure in the analysis of spatial variability, and use a non-parametric technique to ascertain if the pattern in the empirical variogram is non-random.

A geostatistical approach for describing spatial pattern in stream networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ganio, L.M.; Torgersen, C.E.; Gresswell, R.E.

2005-01-01

The shape and configuration of branched networks influence ecological patterns and processes. Recent investigations of network influences in riverine ecology stress the need to quantify spatial structure not only in a two-dimensional plane, but also in networks. An initial step in understanding data from stream networks is discerning non-random patterns along the network. On the other hand, data collected in the network may be spatially autocorrelated and thus not suitable for traditional statistical analyses. Here we provide a method that uses commercially available software to construct an empirical variogram to describe spatial pattern in the relative abundance of coastal cutthroat trout in headwater stream networks. We describe the mathematical and practical considerations involved in calculating a variogram using a non-Euclidean distance metric to incorporate the network pathway structure in the analysis of spatial variability, and use a non-parametric technique to ascertain if the pattern in the empirical variogram is non-random.

A Holarctic Biogeographical Analysis of the Collembola (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) Unravels Recent Post-Glacial Colonization Patterns

PubMed Central

Ávila-Jiménez, María Luisa; Coulson, Stephen James

2011-01-01

We aimed to describe the main Arctic biogeographical patterns of the Collembola, and analyze historical factors and current climatic regimes determining Arctic collembolan species distribution. Furthermore, we aimed to identify possible dispersal routes, colonization sources and glacial refugia for Arctic collembola. We implemented a Gaussian Mixture Clustering method on species distribution ranges and applied a distance- based parametric bootstrap test on presence-absence collembolan species distribution data. Additionally, multivariate analysis was performed considering species distributions, biodiversity, cluster distribution and environmental factors (temperature and precipitation). No clear relation was found between current climatic regimes and species distribution in the Arctic. Gaussian Mixture Clustering found common elements within Siberian areas, Atlantic areas, the Canadian Arctic, a mid-Siberian cluster and specific Beringian elements, following the same pattern previously described, using a variety of molecular methods, for Arctic plants. Species distribution hence indicate the influence of recent glacial history, as LGM glacial refugia (mid-Siberia, and Beringia) and major dispersal routes to high Arctic island groups can be identified. Endemic species are found in the high Arctic, but no specific biogeographical pattern can be clearly identified as a sign of high Arctic glacial refugia. Ocean currents patterns are suggested as being an important factor shaping the distribution of Arctic Collembola, which is consistent with Antarctic studies in collembolan biogeography. The clear relations between cluster distribution and geographical areas considering their recent glacial history, lack of relationship of species distribution with current climatic regimes, and consistency with previously described Arctic patterns in a series of organisms inferred using a variety of methods, suggest that historical phenomena shaping contemporary collembolan distribution can be inferred through biogeographical analysis. PMID:26467728

Biomechanics of the natural, arthritic, and replaced human ankle joint

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The human ankle joint complex plays a fundamental role in gait and other activities of daily living. At the same time, it is a very complicated anatomical system but the large literature of experimental and modelling studies has not fully described the coupled joint motion, position and orientation of the joint axis of rotation, stress and strain in the ligaments and their role in guiding and stabilizing joint motion, conformity and congruence of the articular surfaces, patterns of contact at the articular surfaces, patterns of rolling and sliding at the joint surfaces, and muscle lever arm lengths. The present review article addresses these issues as described in the literature, reporting the most recent relevant findings. PMID:24499639

Instabilities and spatiotemporal patterns behind predator invasions with nonlocal prey competition.

PubMed

Merchant, Sandra M; Nagata, Wayne

2011-12-01

We study the influence of nonlocal intraspecies prey competition on the spatiotemporal patterns arising behind predator invasions in two oscillatory reaction-diffusion integro-differential models. We use three common types of integral kernels as well as develop a caricature system, to describe the influence of the standard deviation and kurtosis of the kernel function on the patterns observed. We find that nonlocal competition can destabilize the spatially homogeneous state behind the invasion and lead to the formation of complex spatiotemporal patterns, including stationary spatially periodic patterns, wave trains and irregular spatiotemporal oscillations. In addition, the caricature system illustrates how large standard deviation and low kurtosis facilitate the formation of these spatiotemporal patterns. This suggests that nonlocal competition may be an important mechanism underlying spatial pattern formation, particularly in systems where the competition between individuals varies over space in a platykurtic manner. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns of breast cancer mortality trends in Europe.

PubMed

Amaro, Joana; Severo, Milton; Vilela, Sofia; Fonseca, Sérgio; Fontes, Filipa; La Vecchia, Carlo; Lunet, Nuno

2013-06-01

To identify patterns of variation in breast cancer mortality in Europe (1980-2010), using a model-based approach. Mortality data were obtained from the World Health Organization database and mixed models were used to describe the time trends in the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR). Model-based clustering was used to identify clusters of countries with homogeneous variation in ASMR. Three patterns were identified. Patterns 1 and 2 are characterized by stable or slightly increasing trends in ASMR in the first half of the period analysed, and a clear decline is observed thereafter; in pattern 1 the median of the ASMR is higher, and the highest rates were achieved sooner. Pattern 3 is characterised by a rapid increase in mortality until 1999, declining slowly thereafter. This study provides a general model for the description and interpretation of the variation in breast cancer mortality in Europe, based in three main patterns. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity, abundance, and size structure of bivalve assemblages in the Sipsey River, Alabama

Treesearch

Wendell R. Haag; Melvin L. Jr. Warren

2010-01-01

1. Patterns of mussel diversity and assemblage structure in the Sipsey River, Alabama, are described. Qualitative data were used to describe river-wide patterns of diversity. Quantitative data were used to describe the structure of mussel assemblages at several sites based on whole-substrate sampling that ensured all size classes were detected. 2. Major human impacts...

Stereotyping in a Traditional Society and Its Implications for School Psychologist Referral Patterns: The Case of the Negev Bedouin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thein, Ram

2007-01-01

The present report describes the psycho-educational services referral pattern in the school system serving both a permanent Bedouin town A and its vicinity in Israel's Negev desert. The subjects of the study were students in the school system in A between the years 1997 to 2002 (with additional data from 2004). The total number of referrals to…

Polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for mass spectrometry imaging using nano-thermal analysis with atomic force microscopy

DOE PAGES

Tai, Tamin; Kertesz, Vilmos; Lin, Ming -Wei; ...

2017-05-11

As the spatial resolution of mass spectrometry imaging technologies has begun to reach into the nanometer regime, finding readily available or easily made resolution reference materials has become particularly challenging for molecular imaging purposes. This study describes the fabrication, characterization and use of vertical line array polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for nano-thermal analysis/atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry chemical imaging.

Fates of live trees retained in forest cutting units, western Cascade Range, Oregon.

Treesearch

P.E. Busby; P. Adler; T.L. Warren; F.J. Swanson

2006-01-01

To assess the fate of live trees retained in dispersed patterns across cutting units in the western Cascade Range of Oregon, we conducted repeat surveys (1993 and 2001) of sites cut as early as 1983. Our objectives in this study are to (1) survey survival and mortality of trees retained at the time of harvest, (2) describe temporal patterns of windthrow and other...

Polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for mass spectrometry imaging using nano-thermal analysis with atomic force microscopy

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

Tai, Tamin; Kertesz, Vilmos; Lin, Ming -Wei

As the spatial resolution of mass spectrometry imaging technologies has begun to reach into the nanometer regime, finding readily available or easily made resolution reference materials has become particularly challenging for molecular imaging purposes. This study describes the fabrication, characterization and use of vertical line array polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for nano-thermal analysis/atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry chemical imaging.

What does convergent evolution mean? The interpretation of convergence and its implications in the search for limits to evolution

PubMed Central

Stayton, C. Tristan

2015-01-01

Convergent evolution is central to the study of life's evolutionary history. Researchers have documented the ubiquity of convergence and have used this ubiquity to make inferences about the nature of limits on evolution. However, these inferences are compromised by unrecognized inconsistencies in the definitions, measures, significance tests and inferred causes of convergent evolution. I review these inconsistencies and provide recommendations for standardizing studies of convergence. A fundamental dichotomy exists between definitions that describe convergence as a pattern and those that describe it as a pattern caused by a particular process. When this distinction is not acknowledged it becomes easy to assume that a pattern of convergence indicates that a particular process has been active, leading researchers away from alternative explanations. Convergence is not necessarily caused by limits to evolution, either adaptation or constraint; even substantial amounts of convergent evolution can be generated by a purely stochastic process. In the absence of null models, long lists of examples of convergent events do not necessarily indicate that convergence or any evolutionary process is ubiquitous throughout the history of life. Pattern-based definitions of convergence, coupled with quantitative measures and null models, must be applied before drawing inferences regarding large-scale limits to evolution. PMID:26640646

Structure of a human pulmonary acinus.

PubMed

Berend, N; Rynell, A C; Ward, H E

1991-02-01

The structure of the human pulmonary acinus has been described infrequently. The aim of the study was to determine the branching pattern of respiratory bronchioles and alveolar ducts in a human acinus from the peripheral part of the lung, where space constraints may have affected airway branching patterns. The lungs were obtained from an 18 year old victim of a motor vehicle accident and fixed in inflation under a pressure of 25 cm H2O. A block was cut from the lower edge of the right lower lobe and embedded in plastic. Serial sections were cut and the branching pattern of airways subtended by a terminal bronchiole were followed. The acinus was bounded on two sides by pleura and on the remaining sides by connective tissue septa. The terminal bronchiole divided into two respiratory bronchioles, each of which gave rise to four systems of alveolar ducts. Between successive systems of alveolar ducts the respiratory bronchioles continued as single airways, becoming progressively more alveolated towards the periphery but not subtending further branches of respiratory bronchioles. The duct systems became less complex towards the periphery, near to the edge of the lung. The total volume of the acinus was similar to that found in previous studies. This branching pattern has not been described previously in a human acinus.

The impact of shift work on eating patterns and self-care strategies utilised by experienced and inexperienced nurses.

PubMed

Gifkins, Jane; Johnston, Amy; Loudoun, Rebecca

2018-05-08

For nurses, shift work is a necessity, required to provide 24-h continuous care for patients. Research posits that fatigue amongst shift-working nurses is associated with inadequate and poorly timed sleep and also strongly influenced by the timing, quality and quantity of food consumed. The aim of this investigation was to examine differences and similarities in the food choices and eating patterns of nurses exposed to different lengths of time in shift work, as a means of understanding how nurses can adapt their eating patterns to better manage fatigue and sleep loss. Qualitative methodology was utilised to study and capture in-depth information about nurses' daily working lives. A case study approach allowed for the investigation of nurses with limited and extensive experience of shift work. Increased food craving, caffeine consumption and snacking behaviours during night shifts were described by both groups of nurses, as was the inability to drink enough fluids at work. Meal skipping at work, associated with high workload, was detailed more by experienced nurses. Experienced nurses described shopping and preparing home cooked meals in advance to manage food intake and associated fatigue, contrasting with patterns from inexperienced nurses. Experienced nurses recounted drinking alcohol as a way to rest and recover from shift work, unlike their less inexperienced colleagues. These findings indicate organisational and work place issues such as shift work and rostering influence the food choices and eating patterns of shift-working nurses. Experienced nurses, however, draw on a greater range of strategies around diet and eating patterns to minimise these impacts.

Videodermoscopy and doppler-ultrasound in spider naevi: towards a new classification?

PubMed

Alegre-Sánchez, A; Bernárdez, C; Fonda-Pascual, P; Moreno-Arrones, O M; López-Gutiérrez, J C; Jaén-Olasolo, P; Boixeda, P

2018-01-01

Spider naevi (SN) are considered a subtype of telangiectasias, currently classified as low-flow vascular malformations. To describe the videodermoscopy and Doppler-ultrasound (US) features of a large group of SN. A retrospective study of cases of SN collected at our Dermatology department during the period between June 2015 and June 2017 was performed. Clinical images, dermoscopic, videodermoscopic and Doppler-US files were reviewed. For each case, the age of the patient, time since onset, size and dermoscopic pattern of the lesions were recorded. The presence of pulsatility was also evaluated visually on the videodermoscopy. Two hundred and thirty-three SN in 189 patients were included. The mean age was 39.5 years (range: 10-76 years). Mean size of the lesions was 4.1 ± 2.0 mm. We described three dermoscopic patterns: network, star and looping. Older age, longer time since onset and larger size were found associated with higher frequency of the looping and star patterns compared to that of network pattern (P < 0.01). Pulsatility during videodermoscopy was found in 88 patients (37%). This pulsatility phenomenon was more commonly associated with the looping pattern (64.7%) than star- (40.3%) or network-like patterns (29.9%) (P < 0.001). In Doppler-US studies, a high-flow with arterial biphasic waveform was found. In the light of the results, we support that SN could be reconsidered in upcoming classifications as lesions closer to the group of high-flow arteriovenous malformations. © 2017 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Vocal fold contact patterns based on normal modes of vibration.

PubMed

Smith, Simeon L; Titze, Ingo R

2018-05-17

The fluid-structure interaction and energy transfer from respiratory airflow to self-sustained vocal fold oscillation continues to be a topic of interest in vocal fold research. Vocal fold vibration is driven by pressures on the vocal fold surface, which are determined by the shape of the glottis and the contact between vocal folds. Characterization of three-dimensional glottal shapes and contact patterns can lead to increased understanding of normal and abnormal physiology of the voice, as well as to development of improved vocal fold models, but a large inventory of shapes has not been directly studied previously. This study aimed to take an initial step toward characterizing vocal fold contact patterns systematically. Vocal fold motion and contact was modeled based on normal mode vibration, as it has been shown that vocal fold vibration can be almost entirely described by only the few lowest order vibrational modes. Symmetric and asymmetric combinations of the four lowest normal modes of vibration were superimposed on left and right vocal fold medial surfaces, for each of three prephonatory glottal configurations, according to a surface wave approach. Contact patterns were generated from the interaction of modal shapes at 16 normalized phases during the vibratory cycle. Eight major contact patterns were identified and characterized by the shape of the flow channel, with the following descriptors assigned: convergent, divergent, convergent-divergent, uniform, split, merged, island, and multichannel. Each of the contact patterns and its variation are described, and future work and applications are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recognizing References to Physical Places Inside Short Texts by Using Patterns as a Sequence of Grammatical Categories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, A.; Sol, D.

2017-09-01

Collecting data by crowdsourcing is an explored trend to support database population and update. This kind of data is unstructured and comes from text, in particular text in social networks. Geographic database is a particular case of database that can be populated by crowdsourcing which can be done when people report some urban event in a social network by writing a short message. An event can describe an accident or a non-functioning device in the urban area. The authorities then need to read and to interpret the message to provide some help for injured people or to fix a problem in a device installed in the urban area like a light or a problem on road. Our main interest is located on working with short messages organized in a collection. Most of the messages do not have geographical coordinates. The messages can then be classified by text patterns describing a location. In fact, people use a text pattern to describe an urban location. Our work tries to identify patterns inside a short text and to indicate when it describes a location. When a pattern is identified our approach look to describe the place where the event is located. The source messages used are tweets reporting events from several Mexican cities.

Functioning in everyday life after stroke: a longitudinal study of elderly people receiving rehabilitation at home.

PubMed

Ekstam, Lisa; Uppgard, Brittmari; von Koch, Lena; Tham, Kerstin

2007-12-01

There is a need to identify different rehabilitation needs over time among individuals with stroke in order to implement client-centred rehabilitation interventions after stroke. The objective of this research was to describe changes in some aspects of functioning and to explore the patterns of change in functioning in everyday life during the first year after stroke for elderly patients participating in rehabilitation at home. Patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria for a regular rehabilitation-at-home programme after stroke were considered for participation in this study. Twenty-seven elderly patients participated on four data collection occasions during the year immediately subsequent to a stroke. The mean age of the 27 participants was 78.8 years (SD = 5.9) and 67% of the participants were women. Data on certain aspects of functioning were collected and a person-oriented approach was used to describe the patterns in the change in functioning for individuals. Four different patterns were identified: (a) moderate change in functioning (n = 4), (b) minor change in functioning (n = 11), (c) minor change despite major life event (n = 7), (d) disrupted change in functioning (n = 5). The study group improved significantly in most aspects of functioning, but still, most participants (n = 20) showed dissatisfaction with life as a whole 12 months after their stroke. This study identified different patterns of change in functioning in everyday life. This knowledge should serve to help guide rehabilitation professionals in their assessment of clients' needs during different phases after stroke.

Changes in breathing pattern in the normal horse at rest up to age one year.

PubMed

Koterba, A M; Wozniak, J A; Kosch, P C

1995-07-01

Changes in pattern of airflow, sequence of respiratory muscle activation and generated pressures were measured serially in a group of foals during the first year post partum, in order to describe the maturation of the equine breathing pattern. In neonatal foals, inspiration and expiration were both primarily active and airflow pattern was essentially monophasic. By age 1 year, foals displayed essentially the same breathing pattern previously described in adult horses, utilising a combination of active and passive inspiration and expiration to breathe around, rather than from, the relaxation volume of the respiratory system (Vrx). A strong temporal relationship during growth was found between the timing of changes observed in airflow pattern and in the neuromuscular strategy of breathing. The transition to the adult breathing pattern appeared to involve a time delay in activation of both inspiratory and expiratory muscle groups, establishing a passive and active component to both inspiration and expiration. Throughout the study period, concurrent with the increase in delay of abdominal muscle activation, the expiratory flow pattern became progressively more biphasic in appearance. The time of appearance of a consistent biphasic inspiratory flow pattern was considerably later, at approximately age 1 year and coincided with the appearance of a delay in inspiratory muscle activation. From our results, we conclude that the transition from the neonatal to the adult breathing strategy in the horse appears not to be induced by the time course of chest wall stiffening during maturation. While changes in relative body proportions and size of abdominal contents during growth may influence the transition in breathing, our results also indicate that respiratory control mechanisms play an essential role in the expression of the polyphasic breathing pattern.

Seizure-onset patterns in focal cortical dysplasia and neurodevelopmental tumors: Relationship with surgical prognosis and neuropathologic subtypes.

PubMed

Lagarde, Stanislas; Bonini, Francesca; McGonigal, Aileen; Chauvel, Patrick; Gavaret, Martine; Scavarda, Didier; Carron, Romain; Régis, Jean; Aubert, Sandrine; Villeneuve, Nathalie; Giusiano, Bernard; Figarella-Branger, Dominique; Trebuchon, Agnès; Bartolomei, Fabrice

2016-09-01

The study of intracerebral electroencephalography (EEG) seizure-onset patterns is crucial to accurately define the epileptogenic zone and guide successful surgical resection. It also raises important pathophysiologic issues concerning mechanisms of seizure generation. Until now, several seizure-onset patterns have been described using distinct recording methods (subdural, depth electrode), mostly in temporal lobe epilepsies or with heterogeneous neocortical lesions. We analyzed data from a cohort of 53 consecutive patients explored by stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) and with pathologically confirmed malformation of cortical development (MCD; including focal cortical dysplasia [FCD] and neurodevelopmental tumors [NDTs]). We identified six seizure-onset patterns using visual and time-frequency analysis: low-voltage fast activity (LVFA); preictal spiking followed by LVFA; burst of polyspikes followed by LVFA; slow wave/DC shift followed by LVFA; theta/alpha sharp waves; and rhythmic spikes/spike-waves. We found a high prevalence of patterns that included LVFA (83%), indicating nevertheless that LVFA is not a constant characteristic of seizure onset. An association between seizure-onset patterns and histologic types was found (p = 001). The more prevalent patterns were as follows: (1) in FCD type I LVFA (23.1%) and slow wave/baseline shift followed by LVFA (15.4%); (2) in FCD type II burst of polyspikes followed by LVFA (31%), LVFA (27.6%), and preictal spiking followed by LVFA (27.6%); (3) in NDT, LVFA (54.5%). We found that a seizure-onset pattern that included LVFA was associated with favorable postsurgical outcome, but the completeness of the EZ resection was the sole independent predictive variable. Six different seizure-onset patterns can be described in FCD and NDT. Better postsurgical outcome is associated with patterns that incorporate LVFA. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

Conjecturing and Generalization Process on The Structural Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni'mah, Khomsatun; Purwanto; Bambang Irawan, Edy; Hidayanto, Erry

2017-06-01

This study aims to describe how conjecturing process and generalization process of structural development to thirty children in middle school at grade 8 in solving problems of patterns. Processing of the data in this study uses qualitative data analysis techniques. The analyzed data is the data obtained through direct observation technique, documentation, and interviews. This study based on research studies Mulligan et al (2012) which resulted in a five - structural development stage, namely prestructural, emergent, partial, structural, and advance. From the analysis of the data in this study found there are two phenomena that is conjecturing and generalization process are related. During the conjecturing process, the childrens appropriately in making hypothesis of patterns problem through two phases, which are numerically and symbolically. Whereas during the generalization of process, the childrens able to related rule of pattern on conjecturing process to another context.

Muscle MRI in patients with dysferlinopathy: pattern recognition and implications for clinical trials.

PubMed

Diaz-Manera, Jordi; Fernandez-Torron, Roberto; LLauger, Jaume; James, Meredith K; Mayhew, Anna; Smith, Fiona E; Moore, Ursula R; Blamire, Andrew M; Carlier, Pierre G; Rufibach, Laura; Mittal, Plavi; Eagle, Michelle; Jacobs, Marni; Hodgson, Tim; Wallace, Dorothy; Ward, Louise; Smith, Mark; Stramare, Roberto; Rampado, Alessandro; Sato, Noriko; Tamaru, Takeshi; Harwick, Bruce; Rico Gala, Susana; Turk, Suna; Coppenrath, Eva M; Foster, Glenn; Bendahan, David; Le Fur, Yann; Fricke, Stanley T; Otero, Hansel; Foster, Sheryl L; Peduto, Anthony; Sawyer, Anne Marie; Hilsden, Heather; Lochmuller, Hanns; Grieben, Ulrike; Spuler, Simone; Tesi Rocha, Carolina; Day, John W; Jones, Kristi J; Bharucha-Goebel, Diana X; Salort-Campana, Emmanuelle; Harms, Matthew; Pestronk, Alan; Krause, Sabine; Schreiber-Katz, Olivia; Walter, Maggie C; Paradas, Carmen; Hogrel, Jean-Yves; Stojkovic, Tanya; Takeda, Shin'ichi; Mori-Yoshimura, Madoka; Bravver, Elena; Sparks, Susan; Bello, Luca; Semplicini, Claudio; Pegoraro, Elena; Mendell, Jerry R; Bushby, Kate; Straub, Volker

2018-05-07

Dysferlinopathies are a group of muscle disorders caused by mutations in the DYSF gene. Previous muscle imaging studies describe a selective pattern of muscle involvement in smaller patient cohorts, but a large imaging study across the entire spectrum of the dysferlinopathies had not been performed and previous imaging findings were not correlated with functional tests. We present cross-sectional T1-weighted muscle MRI data from 182 patients with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathies. We have analysed the pattern of muscles involved in the disease using hierarchical analysis and presented it as heatmaps. Results of the MRI scans have been correlated with relevant functional tests for each region of the body analysed. In 181 of the 182 patients scanned, we observed muscle pathology on T1-weighted images, with the gastrocnemius medialis and the soleus being the most commonly affected muscles. A similar pattern of involvement was identified in most patients regardless of their clinical presentation. Increased muscle pathology on MRI correlated positively with disease duration and functional impairment. The information generated by this study is of high diagnostic value and important for clinical trial development. We have been able to describe a pattern that can be considered as characteristic of dysferlinopathy. We have defined the natural history of the disease from a radiological point of view. These results enabled the identification of the most relevant regions of interest for quantitative MRI in longitudinal studies, such as clinical trials. NCT01676077. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenyon, Cynthia

1988-01-01

Discusses advantages of nematode use for studying patterns of cell division, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Describes nematode development. Cites experimental approaches available for genetic studies. Reviews the topics of control of cell division and differentiation, the nervous system, and muscle assembly and function of the organism. (RT)

PRT Impact Study - Operational Phase : Volume 1. Travel Analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-03-01

Part of a three-volume work, this report describes the analysis performed on travel data collected for the Pre-PRT Impact Study. The data analyzed consist of travel behavior, travel patterns, model utilization and travel costs of various modes of tra...

PRT Impact Study Pre-PRT Phase : Volume 1. Travel Analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-03-01

Part of a three-volume work, this report describes the analysis performed on travel data collected for the Pre-PRT Impact Study. The data analyzed consist of travel behavior, travel patterns, model utilization and travel costs of various modes of tra...

24-h actigraphic monitoring of motor activity, sleeping and eating behaviors in underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese children.

PubMed

Martoni, Monica; Carissimi, Alicia; Fabbri, Marco; Filardi, Marco; Tonetti, Lorenzo; Natale, Vincenzo

2016-12-01

Within a chronobiological perspective, the present study aimed to describe 24 h of sleep-wake cycle, motor activity, and food intake patterns in different body mass index (BMI) categories of children through 7 days of actigraphic recording. Height and weight were objectively measured for BMI calculation in a sample of 115 Italian primary schoolchildren (10.21 ± 0.48 years, 62.61 % females). According to BMI values, 2.60 % were underweight, 61.70 % were of normal weight, 29.60 % were overweight and 6.10 % were obese. Participants wore a wrist actigraph continuously for 7 days to record motor activity and describe sleep-wake patterns. In addition, participants were requested to push the event-marker button of the actigraph each time they consumed food to describe their circadian eating patterns. BMI group differences were found for sleep quantity (i.e. midpoint of sleep and amplitude), while sleep quality, 24-h motor activity and food intake patterns were similar between groups. Regression analyses showed that BMI was negatively predicted by sleep duration on schooldays. BMI was also predicted by motor activity and by food intake frequencies recorded at particular times of day during schooldays and at the weekend. The circadian perspective seems to provide promising insight into childhood obesity, but this aspect needs to be further explored.

Nutrient patterns and their food sources in an International Study Setting: report from the EPIC study.

PubMed

Moskal, Aurelie; Pisa, Pedro T; Ferrari, Pietro; Byrnes, Graham; Freisling, Heinz; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Cadeau, Claire; Nailler, Laura; Wendt, Andrea; Kühn, Tilman; Boeing, Heiner; Buijsse, Brian; Tjønneland, Anne; Halkjær, Jytte; Dahm, Christina C; Chiuve, Stephanie E; Quirós, Jose R; Buckland, Genevieve; Molina-Montes, Esther; Amiano, Pilar; Huerta Castaño, José M; Gurrea, Aurelio Barricarte; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Lentjes, Marleen A; Key, Timothy J; Romaguera, Dora; Vergnaud, Anne-Claire; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bamia, Christina; Orfanos, Philippos; Palli, Domenico; Pala, Valeria; Tumino, Rosario; Sacerdote, Carlotta; de Magistris, Maria Santucci; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Ocké, Marga C; Beulens, Joline W J; Ericson, Ulrika; Drake, Isabel; Nilsson, Lena M; Winkvist, Anna; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Hjartåker, Anette; Riboli, Elio; Slimani, Nadia

2014-01-01

Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied, in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses. We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores, presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores. The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and perspectives of using nutrient patterns in future studies particularly at international level.

Workload-Adaptive Human Interface to Aid Robust Decision Making in Human-System Interface. Year 1 Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-30

performance is to create a computational system to mimic human game-play patterns. The objective of this study is to see to what extent we can...estimates as a function of task load. We conducted a pair of studies towards’ this end. In a first study , described in detail in Appendix D...could inform a system as to the relative workload of a user. In a second study , described in detail in Appendix E, participants were exposed to a 40

Analysis of EMG patterns of control subjects and subjects with ACL deficiency during an unanticipated walking cut task.

PubMed

Houck, Jeff R; Wilding, Gregory E; Gupta, Resmi; De Haven, Kenneth E; Maloney, Mike

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the muscle activation patterns of the vastus lateralis (VL), medial hamstrings (MH) and lateral hamstrings (LH) associated with subjects that were anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient and controls. A total of 54 subjects participated in this study including 25 ACL deficient subjects subdivided into copers (n=9) and non-copers (n=16) using clinical criteria. Muscle activation patterns were recorded at 1000 Hz during an unanticipated side step cut task. The root mean square processed data (time constant 11 ms) were ensemble averaged from 20% of stance before heel strike to toe off. Using the first five harmonics of the Fourier Coefficients as features, muscle activation patterns were divided using a cluster analysis algorithm. A majority (76-93%) of control subjects used three muscle activation patterns for each muscle. The coper group preferentially used a particular VL and MH activation pattern >2 times more frequently than controls. The non-coper group also preferentially used a MH activation pattern >2 times more frequently than controls and utilized a unique MH and LH activation pattern, distinct from the copers and controls. Specific muscle activation patterns distinguish subsets of subjects that are healthy and injured, suggesting possible patterns of muscle activation that contribute to coping status.

Practice-based learning and improvement: a two-year experience with the reporting of morbidity and mortality cases by general surgery residents.

PubMed

Falcone, John L; Lee, Kenneth K W; Billiar, Timothy R; Hamad, Giselle G

2012-01-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competency of practice-based learning and improvement can be assessed with surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference (MMC). We aim to describe the MMC reporting patterns of general surgery residents, describe the adverse event rate for patients and compare that with existing published rates, and describe the nature of our institutional adverse events. We hypothesize that reporting patterns and incidence rates will remain constant over time. In this retrospective cohort study, archived MMC case lists were evaluated from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. The reporting patterns of the residents, the adverse event ratios, and the specific categories of adverse events were described over the academic years. χ(2) and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare across academic years, using an α = 0.05. There were 85 surgical MMC case lists evaluated. Services achieved a reporting rate above 80% (p < 0.001). The most consistent reporting was done by postgraduate year (PGY) 5 level chief residents for all services (p > 0.05). Out of 11,368 patients evaluated from complete MMC submissions, 289 patients had an adverse event reported (2.5%). This was lower than published reporting rates for patient adverse event rates (p < 0.001). Adverse event rates were consistent for residents at the postgraduate year 2, 4, and 5 levels for all services (p > 0.05). Over 2 years, 522 adverse events were reported for 461 patients. A majority of adverse events were from death (24.1%), hematologic and/or vascular events (16.7%), and gastrointestinal system events (16.1%). Surgery resident MMC reporting patterns and adverse event rates are generally stable over time. This study shows which adverse event cases are important for chief residents to report. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic Differentiation in Insular Lowland Rainforests: Insights from Historical Demographic Patterns in Philippine Birds

PubMed Central

Sánchez-González, Luis Antonio; Hosner, Peter A.; Moyle, Robert G.

2015-01-01

Phylogeographic studies of Philippine birds support that deep genetic structure occurs across continuous lowland forests within islands, despite the lack of obvious contemporary isolation mechanisms. To examine the pattern and tempo of diversification within Philippine island forests, and test if common mechanisms are responsible for observed differentiation, we focused on three co-distributed lowland bird taxa endemic to Greater Luzon and Greater Negros-Panay: Blue-headed Fantail (Rhipidura cyaniceps), White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis), and Lemon-throated Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus cebuensis). Each species has two described subspecies within Greater Luzon, and a single described subspecies on Greater Negros/Panay. Each of the three focal species showed a common geographic pattern of two monophyletic groups in Greater Luzon sister to a third monophyletic group found in Greater Negros-Panay, suggesting that common or similar biogeographic processes may have produced similar distributions. However, studied species displayed variable levels of mitochondrial DNA differentiation between clades, and genetic differentiation within Luzon was not necessarily concordant with described subspecies boundaries. Population genetic parameters for the three species suggested both rapid population growth from small numbers and geographic expansion across Luzon Island. Estimates of the timing of population expansion further supported that these events occurred asynchronously throughout the Pleistocene in the focal species, demanding particular explanations for differentiation, and support that co-distribution may be secondarily congruent. PMID:26312748

Comprehensive quantitative investigation of arm swing during walking at various speed and surface slope conditions.

PubMed

Hejrati, Babak; Chesebrough, Sam; Bo Foreman, K; Abbott, Jake J; Merryweather, Andrew S

2016-10-01

Previous studies have shown that inclusion of arm swing in gait rehabilitation leads to more effective walking recovery in patients with walking impairments. However, little is known about the correct arm-swing trajectories to be used in gait rehabilitation given the fact that changes in walking conditions affect arm-swing patterns. In this paper we present a comprehensive look at the effects of a variety of conditions on arm-swing patterns during walking. The results describe the effects of surface slope, walking speed, and physical characteristics on arm-swing patterns in healthy individuals. We propose data-driven mathematical models to describe arm-swing trajectories. Thirty individuals (fifteen females and fifteen males) with a wide range of height (1.58-1.91m) and body mass (49-98kg), participated in our study. Based on their self-selected walking speed, each participant performed walking trials with four speeds on five surface slopes while their whole-body kinematics were recorded. Statistical analysis showed that walking speed, surface slope, and height were the major factors influencing arm swing during locomotion. The results demonstrate that data-driven models can successfully describe arm-swing trajectories for normal gait under varying walking conditions. The findings also provide insight into the behavior of the elbow during walking. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Genetic Differentiation in Insular Lowland Rainforests: Insights from Historical Demographic Patterns in Philippine Birds.

PubMed

Sánchez-González, Luis Antonio; Hosner, Peter A; Moyle, Robert G

2015-01-01

Phylogeographic studies of Philippine birds support that deep genetic structure occurs across continuous lowland forests within islands, despite the lack of obvious contemporary isolation mechanisms. To examine the pattern and tempo of diversification within Philippine island forests, and test if common mechanisms are responsible for observed differentiation, we focused on three co-distributed lowland bird taxa endemic to Greater Luzon and Greater Negros-Panay: Blue-headed Fantail (Rhipidura cyaniceps), White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis), and Lemon-throated Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus cebuensis). Each species has two described subspecies within Greater Luzon, and a single described subspecies on Greater Negros/Panay. Each of the three focal species showed a common geographic pattern of two monophyletic groups in Greater Luzon sister to a third monophyletic group found in Greater Negros-Panay, suggesting that common or similar biogeographic processes may have produced similar distributions. However, studied species displayed variable levels of mitochondrial DNA differentiation between clades, and genetic differentiation within Luzon was not necessarily concordant with described subspecies boundaries. Population genetic parameters for the three species suggested both rapid population growth from small numbers and geographic expansion across Luzon Island. Estimates of the timing of population expansion further supported that these events occurred asynchronously throughout the Pleistocene in the focal species, demanding particular explanations for differentiation, and support that co-distribution may be secondarily congruent.

Country-specific dietary patterns and associations with socioeconomic status in European children: the IDEFICS study.

PubMed

Fernández-Alvira, J M; Bammann, K; Pala, V; Krogh, V; Barba, G; Eiben, G; Hebestreit, A; Veidebaum, T; Reisch, L; Tornaritis, M; Kovacs, E; Huybrechts, I; Moreno, L A

2014-07-01

Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) may be at higher risk of unhealthy eating. We described country-specific dietary patterns among children aged 2-9 years from eight European countries participating in the IDEFICS study and assessed the association of dietary patterns with an additive SES indicator. Children aged 2-9 years from eight European countries were recruited in 2007-2008. Principal component analysis was applied to identify dietary country-specific patterns. Linear regression analyses were applied to assess their association with SES. Two to four dietary patterns were identified in the participating regions. The existence of a 'processed' pattern was found in the eight regions. Also, a 'healthy' pattern was identified in seven of the eight regions. In addition, region-specific patterns were identified, reflecting the existing gastronomic and cultural differences in Europe. The 'processed' pattern was significantly inversely associated with the SES additive indicator in all countries except Sweden, whereas the 'healthy' pattern was positively associated with SES in the Belgian, Estonian, German and Hungarian regions, but was not significant in the Italian, Spanish and Swedish regions. A 'processed' pattern and a 'healthy' pattern were found in most of the participating countries in the IDEFICS study, with comparable food item profiles. The results showed a strong inverse association of SES with the 'processed' pattern, suggesting that children of parents with lower SES may be at higher risk of unhealthy eating. Therefore, special focus should be given to parents and their children from lower SES levels when developing healthy eating promotion strategies.

Emergent Vortex Patterns in Systems of Self-Propelled, Chiral Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, Lorenz; Denk, Jonas; Reithmann, Emanuel; Frey, Erwin

Self-organization of FtsZ polymers is vital for Z-ring assembly during bacterial cell division, and has been studied using reconstituted in vitro model systems. Employing Brownian dynamics simulations and a Boltzmann approach, we model FtsZ polymers as active particles moving along chiral circular paths. With both theoretical approaches we find self-organization into vortex structures and characterize different states in parameter states. Our work demonstrates that these patterns are robust and are generic for active chiral matter. Moreover, we show that the dynamics at the onset of pattern formation is described by a generalized complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.

Slug to churn transition analysis using wire-mesh sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

H. F. Velasco, P.; Ortiz-Vidal, L. E.; Rocha, D. M.; Rodriguez, O. M. H.

2016-06-01

A comparison between some theoretical slug to churn flow-pattern transition models and experimental data is performed. The flow-pattern database considers vertical upward air-water flow at standard temperature and pressure for 50 mm and 32 mm ID pipes. A briefly description of the models and its phenomenology is presented. In general, the performance of the transition models is poor. We found that new experimental studies describing objectively both stable and unstable slug flow-pattern are required. In this sense, the Wire Mesh Sensor (WMS) can assist to that aim. The potential of the WMS is outlined.

The Foundation Stakes: It's No Horse Race.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarrell, H. Judith

1980-01-01

A study on foundation grant patterns, which found that certain types of institutions get more gifts--and larger ones--than do others, is described. Public and Black institutions and five types of private institutions (research, doctoral, comprehensive, liberal arts, and two-year colleges) were studied. (MLW)

Notes for Teachers on an Earth Science Excursion to the Sellicks Beach Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, R.

1977-01-01

Describes approximately 15 hours of activities in the Sellicks Beach Area suitable for high school students interested in studying sedimentary and structural geology, geomorphology, and human land use patterns. (CP)

Three-phase Discussion Sessions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karr, M. C.; And Others

1988-01-01

Describes the procedures, organizational pattern and design of basic soils course used by teaching assistants. Cites studies which support small-group discussion for promoting higher levels of intellectual functioning. Presents tables showing survey evaluation results of this method. (RT)

Single-walled carbon nanotubes/polymer composite electrodes patterned directly from solution.

PubMed

Chang, Jingbo; Najeeb, Choolakadavil Khalid; Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Kim, Jae-Ho

2011-06-07

This work describes a simple technique for direct patterning of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) composite electrodes in a large area on a substrate based on the solution transfer process by microcontact printing using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps. Various shapes of SWNT/PEDOT-PSS composite patterns, such as line, circle, and square, can be easily fabricated with high pattern fidelity and structural integrity. The single parallel line pattern device exhibits high electrical conductivity (0.75 × 10(5) S/m) and electronic stability because of alignment of nanotubes and big-size SWNT bundles (∼5 nm). The electromechanical study reveals that the composite patterns show ∼1% resistance change along SWNT alignment direction and ∼5% resistance change along vertical alignment direction after 200 bend cycles. Our approach provides a facile, low-cost method to pattern transparent conductive SWNT/polymer composite electrodes and demonstrates a novel platform for future integration of conducting SWNT/polymer composite patterns for optoelectronic applications.

Listening to sound patterns as a dynamic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Mari Riess

2003-04-01

The act of listening to a series of sounds created by some natural event is described as involving an entrainmentlike process that transpires in real time. Some aspects of this dynamic process are suggested. In particular, real-time attending is described in terms of an adaptive synchronization activity that permits a listener to target attending energy to forthcoming elements within an acoustical pattern (e.g., music, speech, etc.). Also described are several experiments that illustrate features of this approach as it applies to attending to musiclike patterns. These involve listeners' responses to changes in either the timing or the pitch structure (or both) of various acoustical sequences.

Landscape metrics for three-dimension urban pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, M.; Hu, Y.; Zhang, W.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Understanding how landscape pattern determines population or ecosystem dynamics is crucial for managing our landscapes. Urban areas are becoming increasingly dominant social-ecological systems, so it is important to understand patterns of urbanization. Most studies of urban landscape pattern examine land-use maps in two dimensions because the acquisition of 3-dimensional information is difficult. We used Brista software based on Quickbird images and aerial photos to interpret the height of buildings, thus incorporating a 3-dimensional approach. We estimated the feasibility and accuracy of this approach. A total of 164,345 buildings in the Liaoning central urban agglomeration of China, which included seven cities, were measured. Twelve landscape metrics were proposed or chosen to describe the urban landscape patterns in 2- and 3-dimensional scales. The ecological and social meaning of landscape metrics were analyzed with multiple correlation analysis. The results showed that classification accuracy compared with field surveys was 87.6%, which means this method for interpreting building height was acceptable. The metrics effectively reflected the urban architecture in relation to number of buildings, area, height, 3-D shape and diversity aspects. We were able to describe the urban characteristics of each city with these metrics. The metrics also captured ecological and social meanings. The proposed landscape metrics provided a new method for urban landscape analysis in three dimensions.

Usual interstitial pneumonia: typical, possible, and “inconsistent” patterns

PubMed Central

Torres, Pedro Paulo Teixeira e Silva; Rabahi, Marcelo Fouad; Moreira, Maria Auxiliadora Carmo; Meirelles, Gustavo de Souza Portes; Marchiori, Edson

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a severe and progressive chronic fibrosing interstitial lung disease, a definitive diagnosis being established by specific combinations of clinical, radiological, and pathological findings. According to current international guidelines, HRCT plays a key role in establishing a diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Current guidelines describe three UIP patterns based on HRCT findings: a typical UIP pattern; a pattern designated “possible UIP”; and a pattern designated “inconsistent with UIP”, each pattern having important diagnostic implications. A typical UIP pattern on HRCT is highly accurate for the presence of histopathological UIP, being currently considered to be diagnostic of UIP. The remaining patterns require further diagnostic investigation. Other known causes of a UIP pattern include drug-induced interstitial lung disease, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, occupational diseases (e.g., asbestosis), and connective tissue diseases, all of which should be included in the clinical differential diagnosis. Given the importance of CT studies in establishing a diagnosis and the possibility of interobserver variability, the objective of this pictorial essay was to illustrate all three UIP patterns on HRCT. PMID:29160385

When do predatory mites (Phytoseiidae) attack? Understanding their diel and seasonal predation patterns.

PubMed

Pérez-Sayas, Consuelo; Aguilar-Fenollosa, Ernestina; Hurtado, Mónica A; Jaques, Josep A; Pina, Tatiana

2017-06-16

Predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are considered one of the most important groups of natural enemies used in biological control. The behavioral patterns of arthropods can differ greatly daily and seasonally; however, there is a lack of literature related to Phytoseiidae diel and seasonal predation patterns. The predatory activity of three phytoseiid species (two Tetranychidae-specialists, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus, and one omnivore, Euseius stipulatus) that occur naturally in Spanish citrus orchards was observed under laboratory conditions in winter and summer. The temperature and photoperiod of the climatic chamber where the mites were reared did not change during the experiment. Our study demonstrates that phytoseiids can exhibit diel and seasonal predatory patterns when feeding on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae). Neoseiulus californicus was revealed to be a nocturnal predator in summer but diurnal in winter. In contrast, P. persimilis activity was maximal during the daytime, and E. stipulatus showed no clear daily predation patterns. The predatory patterns described in this study should be taken into account when designing laboratory studies and also in field samplings, especially when applying molecular techniques to unveil trophic relationships. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Intracoastal shipping drives patterns of regional population expansion by an invasive marine invertebrate.

PubMed

Darling, John A; Herborg, Leif-Matthias; Davidson, Ian C

2012-10-01

Understanding the factors contributing to expansion of nonnative populations is a critical step toward accurate risk assessment and effective management of biological invasions. Nevertheless, few studies have attempted explicitly to test hypotheses regarding factors driving invasive spread by seeking correlations between patterns of vector movement and patterns of genetic connectivity. Herein, we describe such an attempt for the invasive tunicate Styela clava in the northeastern Pacific. We utilized microsatellite data to estimate gene flow between samples collected throughout the known range of S. clava in the region, and assessed correlation of these estimates with patterns of intracoastal commercial vessel traffic. Our results suggest that recent shipping patterns have contributed to the contemporary distribution of genetic variation. However, the analysis also indicates that other factors-including a complex invasion history and the influence of other vectors-have partially obscured genetic patterns associated with intracoastal population expansion.

In Vivo Measurement of Glenohumeral Joint Contact Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bey, Michael J.; Kline, Stephanie K.; Zauel, Roger; Kolowich, Patricia A.; Lock, Terrence R.

2009-12-01

The objectives of this study were to describe a technique for measuring in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns during dynamic activities and to demonstrate application of this technique. The experimental technique calculated joint contact patterns by combining CT-based 3D bone models with joint motion data that were accurately measured from biplane x-ray images. Joint contact patterns were calculated for the repaired and contralateral shoulders of 20 patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair. Significant differences in joint contact patterns were detected due to abduction angle and shoulder condition (i.e., repaired versus contralateral). Abduction angle had a significant effect on the superior/inferior contact center position, with the average joint contact center of the repaired shoulder 12.1% higher on the glenoid than the contralateral shoulder. This technique provides clinically relevant information by calculating in-vivo joint contact patterns during dynamic conditions and overcomes many limitations associated with conventional techniques for quantifying joint mechanics.

Three-dimensional patterning in biomedicine: Importance and applications in neuropharmacology.

PubMed

Vikram Singh, Ajay; Gharat, Tanmay; Batuwangala, Madu; Park, Byung-Wook; Endlein, Thomas; Sitti, Metin

2018-04-01

Nature manufactures biological systems in three dimensions with precisely controlled spatiotemporal profiles on hierarchical length and time scales. In this article, we review 3D patterning of biological systems on synthetic platforms for neuropharmacological applications. We briefly describe 3D versus 2D chemical and topographical patterning methods and their limitations. Subsequently, an overview of introducing a third dimension in neuropharmacological research with delineation of chemical and topographical roles is presented. Finally, toward the end of this article, an explanation of how 3D patterning has played a pivotal role in relevant fields of neuropharmacology to understand neurophysiology during development, normal health, and disease conditions is described. The future prospects of organs-on-a--like devices to mimic patterned blood-brain barrier in the context of neurotherapeutic discovery and development for the prioritization of lead candidates, membrane potential, and toxicity testing are also described. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1369-1382, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Who's the Boss? Patterns of Control in Adolescents' Sibling Relationships.

PubMed

Tucker, Corinna Jenkins; Updegraff, Kimberly A; Baril, Megan E

2010-12-01

The goals of this study were to examine longitudinal changes in perceived control in adolescents' sibling relationships and to describe the nature and correlates of three distinct control patterns: Firstborn dominant, equal, and secondborn dominant. Firstborn and secondborn adolescents in 184 predominately European-American families participated in home interviews and a series of phone interviews as part of a longitudinal a study of family relationships and adolescent development. Findings revealed changes in control over three years as well as sibling differences. In addition, different patterns of control were linked to qualities of the sibling relationship and to adolescent adjustment. The different roles that firstborn and secondborn siblings assume, and why these roles are linked to relationship experiences and adjustment, are discussed.

Who’s the Boss? Patterns of Control in Adolescents’ Sibling Relationships

PubMed Central

Tucker, Corinna Jenkins; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Baril, Megan E.

2011-01-01

The goals of this study were to examine longitudinal changes in perceived control in adolescents’ sibling relationships and to describe the nature and correlates of three distinct control patterns: Firstborn dominant, equal, and secondborn dominant. Firstborn and secondborn adolescents in 184 predominately European-American families participated in home interviews and a series of phone interviews as part of a longitudinal a study of family relationships and adolescent development. Findings revealed changes in control over three years as well as sibling differences. In addition, different patterns of control were linked to qualities of the sibling relationship and to adolescent adjustment. The different roles that firstborn and secondborn siblings assume, and why these roles are linked to relationship experiences and adjustment, are discussed. PMID:21857761

Interaction order and anxiety disorder: A 'Batesonian' heuristic of speaking patterns during psychotherapy.

PubMed

Streeck, Jürgen

2011-01-01

This paper describes speaking practices enacted by young female in-patients during psychotherapy sessions. The patients are in treatment for anxiety and panic disorders (social phobias). The practices involve prosodic, lexical and pragmatic aspects of utterance construction. An effect that they share is that the speaker's embodied presence in her talk and her epistemic commitment to it are reduced as the utterance progresses. The practices are interpreted in light of Bateson's interactional theory of character formation: as elements of a self-sustaining system Angst (anxiety). The study has grown out of an interdisciplinary effort to explore possible relationships between types of anxiety and the communicative and linguistic patterns by which patients describe panic attacks and other highly emotional experiences.

Dietary pattern as identified by factorial analysis and its association with lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose among Iranian individuals with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Sabour, Hadis; Soltani, Zahra; Latifi, Sahar; Javidan, Abbas Norouzi

2016-07-01

Plasma lipids (triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C)) may be associated with dietary intakes. The purpose of this study was to identify the most common food patterns among Iranian persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and investigate their associations with lipid profile. Cross-sectional. Tertiary rehabilitation center. Referred individuals to Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center (BASIR) from 2011 to 2014. Dietary intakes were assessed by 24-hour dietary recall interviews in three non-consecutive days. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify dietary patterns. Total of 100 persons (83 male and 17 female) entered the study. Four food patterns were detected. The most common dietary pattern (Pattern 1) included processed meat, sweets desserts and soft drink and was similar to 'Western' food pattern described previously. Pattern 1 was related to higher levels of TC and LDL-C (r = 0.09; P = 0.04 and r = 0.11; P = 0.03 for TC and LDL-C, respectively) only in male participants. Pattern 2 which included tea, nuts, vegetable oil and sugars had a positive association with TC level (r = 0.11; P = 0.02) again in male participants. Pattern 3 which represented a healthy food pattern showed no significant influence on lipid profiles. In this study, the four most common dietary patterns among Iranian individuals with SCI have been identified. Western food pattern was the most common diet and was associated with increased TC and LDL-C. The healthy food pattern, in which the major source of calories was protein, was not associated with variance in lipid profile.

Ultrastructural Study of Some Pollen Grains of Prairie Flowers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozar, Frank

1973-01-01

Discusses the importance of the electron microscope, and in particular the scanning electron microscope, in studying the surface topography, sectional substructures, and patterns of development of pollen grains. The production, dispersal methods, and structure of pollen grains are described and illustrated with numerous electron micrographs. (JR)

Characteristics of the Japanese Diet Described in Epidemiologic Publications: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

PubMed

Suzuki, Nozomu; Goto, Yoshihito; Ota, Haruka; Kito, Kumiko; Mano, Fumika; Joo, Erina; Ikeda, Kaori; Inagaki, Nobuya; Nakayama, Takeo

2018-01-01

International interest in the Japanese diet has grown in recent years. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate and organize the Japanese diet and dietary characteristics from an epidemiological perspective, mainly focusing on the nutritional and dietary elements. PubMed, Web of Science, Japan Medical Abstracts Society, JDream III, and CiNii databases were searched. The eligibility criteria included research with an epidemiological study design that was either cross-sectional, cohort, or case-control-based that defined the dietary patterns of the Japanese diet using dietary pattern analysis. A total of 39 research articles that described the Japanese diet were included. The data that were extracted included the following: implementing country, location, study design, participant characteristics, key outcomes, methods used in the analysis of dietary patterns, and descriptions of the Japanese diet. As a result of the systematic review analyzing the descriptions of the Japanese diet from 39 selected articles, we were able to aggregate the descriptions into 16 categories from 33 factors. After performing a content analysis using a further aggregation of categories, we found that the top three applicable categories were soybeans/soybean-derived products, seafood, and vegetables; these were followed by rice and miso soup. The Japanese dietary content was found to be diverse based on an examination of epidemiological studies; however, we were able to aggregate the content into 16 categories. The Japanese diet is considered to be a dietary pattern that contains a combination of factors: the dietary staple, side dishes, and soup.

Urban-Related Environmental Variables and Their Relation with Patterns in Biological Community Structure in the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2003-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zuellig, Robert E.; Bruce, James F.; Evans, Erin E.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2007-01-01

In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, began a study to evaluate the influence of urbanization on stream ecosystems. To accomplish this task, invertebrate, fish, stream discharge, habitat, water-chemistry, and land-use data were collected from 13 sites in the Fountain Creek basin from 2003 to 2005. The Hydrologic Index Tool was used to calculate hydrologic indices known to be related to urbanization. Response of stream hydrology to urbanization was evident among hydrologic variables that described stormflow. These indices included one measurement of high-flow magnitude, two measurements of high-flow frequency, and one measurement of stream flashiness. Habitat and selected nonstormflow water chemistry were characterized at each site. Land-use data were converted to estimates of impervious surface cover and used as the measure of urbanization annually. Correlation analysis (Spearman?s rho) was used to identify a suite of nonredundant streamflow, habitat, and water-chemistry variables that were strongly associated (rho > 0.6) with impervious surface cover but not strongly related to elevation (rho < 0.60). An exploratory multivariate analysis (BIO-ENV, PRIMER ver 6.1, Plymouth, UK) was used to create subsets of eight urban-related environmental variables that described patterns in biological community structure. The strongest and most parsimonious subset of variables describing patterns in invertebrate community structure included high flood pulse count, lower bank capacity, and nutrients. Several other combinations of environmental variables resulted in competing subsets, but these subsets always included the three variables found in the most parsimonious list. This study found that patterns in invertebrate community structure from 2003 to 2005 in the Fountain Creek basin were associated with a variety of environmental characteristics influenced by urbanization. These patterns were explained by a combination of hydrologic, habitat, and water-chemistry variables. Fish community structure showed weaker links between urban-related environmental variables and biological patterns. A conceptual model was developed that showed the influence of urban-related environmental variables and their relation to fish and invertebrate assemblages. This model should prove helpful in guiding future studies on the impacts of urbanization on aquatic systems. Long-term monitoring efforts may be needed in other drainages along the Front Range of Colorado to link urban-related variables to aquatic communities in transition zone streams.

Linear Optical and SERS Study on Metallic Membranes with Subwavelength Complementary Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Qingzhen; Zeng, Yong; Jensen, Lasse; Werner, Douglas; Crespi, Vincent; Huang, Tony Jun; Interdepartmental Collaboration

2011-03-01

An efficient technique is developed to fabricate optically thin metallic films with subwavelength patterns and their complements simultaneously. By comparing the spectra of the complementary films, we show that Babinet's principle nearly holds in the optical domain. A discrete-dipole approximation can qualitatively describe their spectral dependence on the geometry of the constituent particles and the illuminating polarization. Using pyridine as probe molecules, we studied surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) from the complementary structure. Although the complementary structure posses closely related linear spectra, they have quite different near-field behaviors. For hole arrays, their averaged local field gains as well as the SERS enhancements are strongly correlated to their transmission spectra. We therefore can use cos 4 θ to approximately describe the dependence of the Raman intensity on the excitation polarization angle θ , while the complementary particle arrays present maximal local field gains at wavelengths generally much bigger than their localized surface plasmonic resonant wavelengths.

On the interaction of deaffrication and consonant harmony*

PubMed Central

Dinnsen, Daniel A.; Gierut, Judith A.; Morrisette, Michele L.; Green, Christopher R.; Farris-Trimble, Ashley W.

2010-01-01

Error patterns in children’s phonological development are often described as simplifying processes that can interact with one another with different consequences. Some interactions limit the applicability of an error pattern, and others extend it to more words. Theories predict that error patterns interact to their full potential. While specific interactions have been documented for certain pairs of processes, no developmental study has shown that the range of typologically predicted interactions occurs for those processes. To determine whether this anomaly is an accidental gap or a systematic peculiarity of particular error patterns, two commonly occurring processes were considered, namely Deaffrication and Consonant Harmony. Results are reported from a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of 12 children (age 3;0 – 5;0) with functional phonological delays. Three interaction types were attested to varying degrees. The longitudinal results further instantiated the typology and revealed a characteristic trajectory of change. Implications of these findings are explored. PMID:20513256

CFD Analysis of the 24-inch JIRAD Hybrid Rocket Motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Pak-Yan; Ungewitter, Ronald; Claflin, Scott

1996-01-01

A series of multispecies, multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of the 24-inch diameter joint government industry industrial research and development (JIRAD) hybrid rocket motor is described. The 24-inch JIRAD hybrid motor operates by injection of liquid oxygen (LOX) into a vaporization plenum chamber upstream of ports in the hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) solid fuel. The injector spray pattern had a strong influence on combustion stability of the JIRAD motor so a CFD study was initiated to define the injector end flow field under different oxidizer spray patterns and operating conditions. By using CFD to gain a clear picture of the flow field and temperature distribution within the JIRAD motor, it is hoped that the fundamental mechanisms of hybrid combustion instability may be identified and then suppressed by simple alterations to the oxidizer injection parameters such as injection angle and velocity. The simulations in this study were carried out using the General Algorithm for Analysis of Combustion SYstems (GALACSY) multiphase combustion codes. GALACSY consists of a comprehensive set of droplet dynamic submodels (atomization, evaporation, etc.) and a computationally efficient hydrocarbon chemistry package built around a robust Navier-Stokes solver optimized for low Mach number flows. Lagrangian tracking of dispersed particles describes a closely coupled spray phase. The CFD cases described in this paper represent various levels of simplification of the problem. They include: (A) gaseous oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls at various oxidizer injection angles and velocities, (B) gaseous oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls, and (C) liquid oxygen with combusting fuel vapor blowing off the walls. The study used an axisymmetric model and the results indicate that the injector design significantly effects the flow field in the injector end of the motor. Markedly different recirculation patterns are observed in the vaporization chamber as the oxygen velocity and/or spray pattern is varied. The ability of these recirculation patterns to stabilize the diffusion flame above the surface of the solid fuel gives a plausible explanation for the experimentally determined combustion stability characteristics of the JIRAD motor, and suggests how combustion stability can be assured by modifications to the injector design.

Separating macroecological pattern and process: comparing ecological, economic, and geological systems.

PubMed

Blonder, Benjamin; Sloat, Lindsey; Enquist, Brian J; McGill, Brian

2014-01-01

Theories of biodiversity rest on several macroecological patterns describing the relationship between species abundance and diversity. A central problem is that all theories make similar predictions for these patterns despite disparate assumptions. A troubling implication is that these patterns may not reflect anything unique about organizational principles of biology or the functioning of ecological systems. To test this, we analyze five datasets from ecological, economic, and geological systems that describe the distribution of objects across categories in the United States. At the level of functional form ('first-order effects'), these patterns are not unique to ecological systems, indicating they may reveal little about biological process. However, we show that mechanism can be better revealed in the scale-dependency of first-order patterns ('second-order effects'). These results provide a roadmap for biodiversity theory to move beyond traditional patterns, and also suggest ways in which macroecological theory can constrain the dynamics of economic systems.

Why We Teach: Autobiographies of Traditionally and Alternatively Certified Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santoli, Susan

2009-01-01

This study describes the analysis of the social studies autobiographies of 46 students compiled over a 15 month period. Two major questions were addressed: (1) what motivational patterns are revealed in these autobiographies and (2) what differences and similarities exist in the autobiographies of students seeking alternative and traditional…

Children's Reproduction of Modeled Sequential Actions. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uzgiris, Ina C.

This paper describes seven interrelated studies concerned with children's understanding of sequential actions and with the effects of observing a model on this understanding. A total of 546 elementary and secondary school students served as subjects for the studies. The tasks for all of the studies involved deriving the pattern for a sequence from…

Three-dimensional patterning methods and related devices

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

Putnam, Morgan C.; Kelzenberg, Michael D.; Atwater, Harry A.

2016-12-27

Three-dimensional patterning methods of a three-dimensional microstructure, such as a semiconductor wire array, are described, in conjunction with etching and/or deposition steps to pattern the three-dimensional microstructure.

The genetics of geometry

PubMed Central

Coen, Enrico; Rolland-Lagan, Anne-Gaëlle; Matthews, Mark; Bangham, J. Andrew; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw

2004-01-01

Although much progress has been made in understanding how gene expression patterns are established during development, much less is known about how these patterns are related to the growth of biological shapes. Here we describe conceptual and experimental approaches to bridging this gap, with particular reference to plant development where lack of cell movement simplifies matters. Growth and shape change in plants can be fully described with four types of regional parameter: growth rate, anisotropy, direction, and rotation. A key requirement is to understand how these parameters both influence and respond to the action of genes. This can be addressed by using mechanistic models that capture interactions among three components: regional identities, regionalizing morphogens, and polarizing morphogens. By incorporating these interactions within a growing framework, it is possible to generate shape changes and associated gene expression patterns according to particular hypotheses. The results can be compared with experimental observations of growth of normal and mutant forms, allowing further hypotheses and experiments to be formulated. We illustrate these principles with a study of snapdragon petal growth. PMID:14960734

GIS-supported investigation of human EHEC and cattle VTEC O157 infections in Sweden: geographical distribution, spatial variation and possible risk factors.

PubMed Central

Kistemann, Thomas; Zimmer, Sonja; Vågsholm, Ivar; Andersson, Yvonne

2004-01-01

This article describes the spatial and temporal distribution of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli among humans (EHEC) and cattle (VTEC) in Sweden, in order to evaluate relationships between the incidence of EHEC in humans, prevalence of VTEC O157 in livestock and agricultural structure by an ecological study. The spatial patterns of the distribution of human infections were described and compared with spatial patterns of occurrence in cattle, using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The findings implicate a concentration of human infection and cattle prevalence in the southwest of Sweden. The use of probability mapping confirmed unusual patterns of infection rates. The comparison of human and cattle infection indicated a spatial and statistical association. The correlation between variables of the agricultural structure and human EHEC incidence was high, indicating a significant statistical association of cattle and farm density with human infection. The explained variation of a multiple linear regression model was 0.56. PMID:15188718

Leak location using the pattern of the frequency response diagram in pipelines: a numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Pedro J.; Vítkovský, John P.; Lambert, Martin F.; Simpson, Angus R.; Liggett, James A.

2005-06-01

This paper presents a method of leak detection in a single pipe where the behaviour of the system frequency response diagram (FRD) is used as an indicator of the pipe integrity. The presence of a leak in a pipe imposes a pattern on the resonance peaks of the FRD that can be used as a clear indication of leakage. Analytical expressions describing the pattern of the resonance peaks are derived. Illustrations of how this pattern can be used to individually locate and size multiple leaks within the system are presented. Practical issues with the technique, such as the procedure for frequency response extraction, the impact of measurement position, noise- and frequency-dependent friction are also discussed.

Faraday instability on patterned surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Jie; Rubinstein, Gregory; Jacobi, Ian; Stone, Howard

2013-11-01

We show how micro-scale surface patterning can be used to control the onset of the Faraday instability in thin liquid films. It is well known that when a liquid film on a planar substrate is subject to sufficient vibrational accelerations, the free surface destabilizes, exhibiting a family of non-linear standing waves. This instability remains a canonical problem in the study of spontaneous pattern formation, but also has practical uses. For example, the surface waves induced by the Faraday instability have been studied as a means of enhanced damping for mechanical vibrations (Genevaux et al. 2009). Also the streaming within the unstable layer has been used as a method for distributing heterogeneous cell cultures on growth medium (Takagi et al. 2002). In each of these applications, the roughness of the substrate significantly affects the unstable flow field. We consider the effect of patterned substrates on the onset and behavior of the Faraday instability over a range of pattern geometries and feature heights where the liquid layer is thicker than the pattern height. Also, we describe a physical model for the influence of patterned roughness on the destabilization of a liquid layer in order to improve the design of practical systems which exploit the Faraday instability.

Computer Representation of Fabric Pattern Weaves as Woven Fabric Samples and Texture Maps for Educational and Industrial Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murtha, Judith Rush

The purpose of this study was to write a computer program that would not only output a color pattern weave to a cathode ray tube (CRT), but would also analyze a painted design and output a printed diagram that would show how to set up a loom in order to produce the woven design. The first of seven chapters describes the problem and the intent of…

Nonlinear ring resonator: spatial pattern generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Vladimir Y.; Lachinova, Svetlana L.; Irochnikov, Nikita G.

2000-03-01

We consider theoretically spatial pattern formation processes in a unidirectional ring cavity with thin layer of Kerr-type nonlinear medium. Our method is based on studying of two coupled equations. The first is a partial differential equation for temporal dynamics of phase modulation of light wave in the medium. It describes nonlinear interaction in the Kerr-type lice. The second is a free propagation equation for the intracavity field complex amplitude. It involves diffraction effects of light wave in the cavity.

Point pattern analysis of FIA data

Treesearch

Chris Woodall

2002-01-01

Point pattern analysis is a branch of spatial statistics that quantifies the spatial distribution of points in two-dimensional space. Point pattern analysis was conducted on stand stem-maps from FIA fixed-radius plots to explore point pattern analysis techniques and to determine the ability of pattern descriptions to describe stand attributes. Results indicate that the...

Surgical Considerations of the Cystic Duct and Heister Valves

PubMed Central

Pina, Lucas N.; Samoilovich, Franca; Urrutia, Sebastián; Rodríguez, Agustín; Alle, Lisandro; Ferreres, Alberto R.

2015-01-01

Objectives Heister valves are mucosal folds located on the endoluminal surface of the cystic duct (CD) and were first described by Lorenz Heister in 1732. Their presence could represent an obstacle that impedes transcystic exploration. It has been suggested that the distribution of Heister valves follows a steady rhythmic pattern in a spiral disposition; however, there is no conclusive data to support this claim. The aim of this study was to describe the main characteristics of the CD and Heister valves in adult human cadavers. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 46 extrahepatic biliary tracts. Results The CD has an average length of 25.37 mm and diameter of 4.53 mm. The most frequent level of junction was the middle union. Heister valves were present on 32 CDs; in most cases, they were distributed uniformly on the duct and presented an oblique disposition. A nonreticular pattern was the most frequent reticular pattern. The most frequent type of the nonreticular type was the B1 subtype. The most frequent type of distribution was the nonreticular type, particularly the B1 type. Conclusions The cystic fold could hinder transcystic exploration. The cysticotomy incision should not be determined by the distribution of the fold on the CD. The morphology of the Heister valves does not show evidence of a steady systematic pattern. PMID:28824966

Flow-driven instabilities during pattern formation of Dictyostelium discoideum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholami, A.; Steinbock, O.; Zykov, V.; Bodenschatz, E.

2015-06-01

The slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is a well known model system for the study of biological pattern formation. In the natural environment, aggregating populations of starving Dictyostelium discoideum cells may experience fluid flows that can profoundly change the underlying wave generation process. Here we study the effect of advection on the pattern formation in a colony of homogeneously distributed Dictyostelium discoideum cells described by the standard Martiel-Goldbeter model. The external flow advects the signaling molecule cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) downstream, while the chemotactic cells attached to the solid substrate are not transported with the flow. The evolution of small perturbations in cAMP concentrations is studied analytically in the linear regime and by corresponding numerical simulations. We show that flow can significantly influence the dynamics of the system and lead to a flow-driven instability that initiate downstream traveling cAMP waves. We also show that boundary conditions have a significant effect on the observed patterns and can lead to a new kind of instability.

Using Antenna Arrays to Motivate the Study of Sinusoids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, J. P.

2010-01-01

Educational activities involving antenna arrays to motivate the study of sinusoids are described. Specifically, using fundamental concepts related to phase and simple geometric arguments, students are asked to predict the location of interference nulls in the radiation pattern of two-element phased array antennas. The location of the radiation…

Researching Learner Self-Efficacy and Online Participation through Speech Functions: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sánchez-Castro, Olga; Strambi, Antonella

2017-01-01

This study explores the potential contribution of Eggins and Slade's (2004) Speech Functions as tools for describing learners' participation patterns in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC). Our analysis focuses on the relationship between learners' self-efficacy (i.e. personal judgments of second language performance capabilities)…

Decoding Dynamic Brain Patterns from Evoked Responses: A Tutorial on Multivariate Pattern Analysis Applied to Time Series Neuroimaging Data.

PubMed

Grootswagers, Tijl; Wardle, Susan G; Carlson, Thomas A

2017-04-01

Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) or brain decoding methods have become standard practice in analyzing fMRI data. Although decoding methods have been extensively applied in brain-computer interfaces, these methods have only recently been applied to time series neuroimaging data such as MEG and EEG to address experimental questions in cognitive neuroscience. In a tutorial style review, we describe a broad set of options to inform future time series decoding studies from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Using example MEG data, we illustrate the effects that different options in the decoding analysis pipeline can have on experimental results where the aim is to "decode" different perceptual stimuli or cognitive states over time from dynamic brain activation patterns. We show that decisions made at both preprocessing (e.g., dimensionality reduction, subsampling, trial averaging) and decoding (e.g., classifier selection, cross-validation design) stages of the analysis can significantly affect the results. In addition to standard decoding, we describe extensions to MVPA for time-varying neuroimaging data including representational similarity analysis, temporal generalization, and the interpretation of classifier weight maps. Finally, we outline important caveats in the design and interpretation of time series decoding experiments.

Patterns of lung volume use during an extemporaneous speech task in persons with Parkinson disease.

PubMed

Bunton, Kate

2005-01-01

This study examined patterns of lung volume use in speakers with Parkinson disease (PD) during an extemporaneous speaking task. The performance of a control group was also examined. Behaviors described are based on acoustic, kinematic and linguistic measures. Group differences were found in breath group duration, lung volume initiation, and lung volume termination measures. Speakers in the control group alternated between a longer and shorter breath groups. With starting lung volumes being higher for the longer breath groups and lower for shorter breath groups. Speech production was terminated before reaching tidal end expiratory level. This pattern was also seen in 4 of 7 speakers with PD. The remaining 3 PD speakers initiated speech at low starting lung volumes and continued speaking below EEL. This subgroup of PD speakers ended breath groups at agrammatical boundaries, whereas control speakers ended at appropriate grammatical boundaries. As a result of participating in this exercise, the reader will (1) be able to describe the patterns of lung volume use in speakers with Parkinson disease and compare them with those employed by control speakers; and (2) obtain information about the influence of speaking task on speech breathing.

On the mechanochemical theory of biological pattern formation with application to vasculogenesis.

PubMed

Murray, James D

2003-02-01

We first describe the Murray-Oster mechanical theory of pattern formation, the biological basis of which is experimentally well documented. The model quantifies the interaction of cells and the extracellular matrix via the cell-generated forces. The model framework is described in quantitative detail. Vascular endothelial cells, when cultured on gelled basement membrane matrix, rapidly aggregate into clusters while deforming the matrix into a network of cord-like structures tessellating the planar culture. We apply the mechanical theory of pattern formation to this culture system and show that neither strain-biased anisotropic cell traction nor cell migration are necessary for pattern formation: isotropic, strain-stimulated cell traction is sufficient to form the observed patterns. Predictions from the model were confirmed experimentally.

Horizontal and vertical combination of multi-tenancy patterns in service-oriented applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mietzner, Ralph; Leymann, Frank; Unger, Tobias

2011-02-01

Software as a service (SaaS) providers exploit economies of scale by offering the same instance of an application to multiple customers typically in a single-instance multi-tenant architecture model. Therefore the applications must be scalable, multi-tenant aware and configurable. In this article, we show how the services in a service-oriented SaaS application can be deployed using different multi-tenancy patterns. We describe how services in different multi-tenancy patterns can be composed on the application level. In addition to that, we also describe how these multi-tenancy patterns can be applied to middleware and hardware components. We then show with some real world examples how the different multi-tenancy patterns can be combined.

Prevalence of injuries among young adults in sport centers: relation to the type and pattern of activity.

PubMed

Lubetzky-Vilnai, A; Carmeli, E; Katz-Leurer, M

2009-12-01

The rate of injuries resulting from physical exercise in sport centers as well as related factors has not yet been described. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of self-reported activity-specific injuries, to identify the relations between injury profile and different types and patterns of physical activity and to assess whether gender is a modifying variable in that connection. Four hundred and fifty-seven men and women aged 20-35 years participated in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the types and patterns of physical activity performed in the 12 months preceding the study and sports injuries sustained during that time. One hundred and ninety of the 457 subjects reported an injury as a result of exercising (41.6%). A relationship was found between weight training and injuries of the upper extremity (UE) for men and between spinning classes and knee injuries for women. Among those who participated in weight-training exercises, more frequent and longer duration exercise was associated with UE injury, and among those who participated in spinning classes more frequent exercise was associated with knee injury. Future injury prevention programs in sport centers should pay special attention to men who participate in weight training and to women who participate in spinning classes.

Gaze patterns reveal how situation models and text representations contribute to episodic text memory.

PubMed

Johansson, Roger; Oren, Franziska; Holmqvist, Kenneth

2018-06-01

When recalling something you have previously read, to what degree will such episodic remembering activate a situation model of described events versus a memory representation of the text itself? The present study was designed to address this question by recording eye movements of participants who recalled previously read texts while looking at a blank screen. An accumulating body of research has demonstrated that spontaneous eye movements occur during episodic memory retrieval and that fixation locations from such gaze patterns to a large degree overlap with the visuospatial layout of the recalled information. Here we used this phenomenon to investigate to what degree participants' gaze patterns corresponded with the visuospatial configuration of the text itself versus a visuospatial configuration described in it. The texts to be recalled were scene descriptions, where the spatial configuration of the scene content was manipulated to be either congruent or incongruent with the spatial configuration of the text itself. Results show that participants' gaze patterns were more likely to correspond with a visuospatial representation of the described scene than with a visuospatial representation of the text itself, but also that the contribution of those representations of space is sensitive to the text content. This is the first demonstration that eye movements can be used to discriminate on which representational level texts are remembered and the findings provide novel insight into the underlying dynamics in play. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Prx1 limb enhancers: targeted gene expression in developing zebrafish pectoral fins.

PubMed

Hernández-Vega, Amayra; Minguillón, Carolina

2011-08-01

Limbs represent an excellent model to study the induction, growth, and patterning of several organs. A breakthrough to study gene function in various tissues has been the characterization of regulatory elements that allow tissue-specific interference of gene function. The mouse Prx1 promoter has been used to generate limb-specific mutants and overexpress genes in tetrapod limbs. Although zebrafish possess advantages that favor their use to study limb morphogenesis, there is no driver described suitable for specifically interfering with gene function in developing fins. We report the generation of zebrafish lines that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the mouse Prx1 enhancer in developing pectoral fins. We also describe the expression pattern of the zebrafish prrx1 genes and identify three conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) that we use to generate fin-specific EGFP reporter lines. Finally, we show that the mouse and zebrafish regulatory elements may be used to modify gene function in pectoral fins. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Data-Driven Asthma Endotypes Defined from Blood Biomarker and Gene Expression Data

PubMed Central

George, Barbara Jane; Reif, David M.; Gallagher, Jane E.; Williams-DeVane, ClarLynda R.; Heidenfelder, Brooke L.; Hudgens, Edward E.; Jones, Wendell; Neas, Lucas; Hubal, Elaine A. Cohen; Edwards, Stephen W.

2015-01-01

The diagnosis and treatment of childhood asthma is complicated by its mechanistically distinct subtypes (endotypes) driven by genetic susceptibility and modulating environmental factors. Clinical biomarkers and blood gene expression were collected from a stratified, cross-sectional study of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children from Detroit, MI. This study describes four distinct asthma endotypes identified via a purely data-driven method. Our method was specifically designed to integrate blood gene expression and clinical biomarkers in a way that provides new mechanistic insights regarding the different asthma endotypes. For example, we describe metabolic syndrome-induced systemic inflammation as an associated factor in three of the four asthma endotypes. Context provided by the clinical biomarker data was essential in interpreting gene expression patterns and identifying putative endotypes, which emphasizes the importance of integrated approaches when studying complex disease etiologies. These synthesized patterns of gene expression and clinical markers from our research may lead to development of novel serum-based biomarker panels. PMID:25643280

A field guide to pedoderm and pattern classes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pedoderm and Pattern Classes (PPCs) describe the soil pedoderm (i.e., the air-soil interface), the spatial arrangement (pattern) of plants potentially influencing the soil pedoderm, and evidence of soil redistribution. PPCs provide a record of soil surface features and plant patterns that influence ...

Formation of banded vegetation patterns resulted from interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth.

PubMed

Huang, Tousheng; Zhang, Huayong; Dai, Liming; Cong, Xuebing; Ma, Shengnan

2018-03-01

This research investigates the formation of banded vegetation patterns on hillslopes affected by interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth. The following two perspectives in the formation of these patterns are taken into consideration: (a) increased sediment deposition from plant interception, and (b) reduced plant biomass caused by sediment accumulation. A spatial model is proposed to describe how the interactions between sediment deposition and vegetation growth promote self-organization of banded vegetation patterns. Based on theoretical and numerical analyses of the proposed spatial model, vegetation bands can result from a Turing instability mechanism. The banded vegetation patterns obtained in this research resemble patterns reported in the literature. Moreover, measured by sediment dynamics, the variation of hillslope landform can be described. The model predicts how treads on hillslopes evolve with the banded patterns. Thus, we provide a quantitative interpretation for coevolution of vegetation patterns and landforms under effects of sediment redistribution. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Hydrologic controls on equilibrium soil depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicótina, L.; Tarboton, D. G.; Tesfa, T. K.; Rinaldo, A.

2011-04-01

This paper deals with modeling the mutual feedbacks between runoff production and geomorphological processes and attributes that lead to patterns of equilibrium soil depth. Our primary goal is an attempt to describe spatial patterns of soil depth resulting from long-term interactions between hydrologic forcings and soil production, erosion, and sediment transport processes under the framework of landscape dynamic equilibrium. Another goal is to set the premises for exploiting the role of soil depths in shaping the hydrologic response of a catchment. The relevance of the study stems from the massive improvement in hydrologic predictions for ungauged basins that would be achieved by using directly soil depths derived from geomorphic features remotely measured and objectively manipulated. Hydrological processes are here described by explicitly accounting for local soil depths and detailed catchment topography. Geomorphological processes are described by means of well-studied geomorphic transport laws. The modeling approach is applied to the semiarid Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, located near Boise, Idaho. Modeled soil depths are compared with field data obtained from an extensive survey of the catchment. Our results show the ability of the model to describe properly the mean soil depth and the broad features of the distribution of measured data. However, local comparisons show significant scatter whose origins are discussed.

The dance of communication: retaining family membership despite severe non-speech dementia.

PubMed

Walmsley, Bruce D; McCormack, Lynne

2014-09-01

There is minimal research investigating non-speech communication as a result of living with severe dementia. This phenomenological study explores retained awareness expressed through non-speech patterns of communication in a family member living with severe dementia. Further, it describes reciprocal efforts used by all family members to engage in alternative patterns of communication. Family interactions were filmed to observe speech and non-speech relational communication. Participants were four family groups each with a family member living with non-speech communication as a result of severe dementia. Overall there were 16 participants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. One superordinate theme, Dance of Communication, describes the interactive patterns that were observed during family communication. Two subordinate themes emerged: (a) in-step; characterised by communication that indicated harmony, spontaneity and reciprocity, and; (b) out-of-step; characterised by communication that indicated disharmony, syncopation, and vulnerability. This study highlights that retained awareness can exist at levels previously unrecognised in those living with limited or absent speech as a result of severe dementia. A recommendation for the development of a communication program for caregivers of individuals living with dementia is presented. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Ultrastructural characters of the spermatozoa in Digeneans of the genus Lecithochirium Lühe, 1901 (Digenea, Hemiuridae), parasites of fishes: comparative study of L. microstomum and L. musculus

PubMed Central

Ndiaye, Papa Ibnou; Quilichini, Yann; Sène, Aminata; Tkach, Vasyl V.; Bâ, Cheikh Tidiane; Marchand, Bernard

2014-01-01

This study provides the first ultrastructural data of spermatozoa in the genus Lecithochirium. The spermatozoa of L. microstomum (from Trichiurus lepturus in Senegal) and L. musculus (from Anguilla anguilla in Corsica) exhibit the general pattern described in the great majority of the Digenea, namely two axonemes with the 9 + “1” pattern typical of the Trepaxonemata, one mitochondrion, a nucleus, parallel cortical microtubules and external ornamentation of the plasma membrane. Spermatozoa of L. microstomum and L. musculus have some specific features such as the presence of a reduced number of cortical microtubules arranged on only one side of the spermatozoon, the lack of spine-like bodies and expansion of the plasma membrane. The external ornamentation of the plasma membrane entirely covers the anterior extremity of the spermatozoa. The ultrastructure of the posterior extremity of the spermatozoa corresponds to the pattern previously described in the Hemiuridae, characterized by only singlets of the second axoneme. A particularity of these spermatozoa is the organization of the microtubule doublets of the second axoneme around the nucleus in the posterior part of the spermatozoon. PMID:25275216

Overhead Projector Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolb, Doris, Ed.

1989-01-01

Described are three chemistry demonstrations: (1) a simple qualitative technique for taste pattern recognition in structure-activity relationships; (2) a microscale study of gaseous diffusion using bleach, HCl, ammonia, and phenolphthalein; and (3) the rotation of polarized light by stereoisomers of limonene. (MVL)

Patterns of Adherence of Helicobacter pylori Clinical Isolates to Epithelial Cells, and its Association with Disease and with Virulence Factors.

PubMed

Vázquez-Jiménez, Flor Elizabeth; Torres, Javier; Flores-Luna, Lourdes; Cerezo, Silvia Giono; Camorlinga-Ponce, Margarita

2016-02-01

Adherence to the gastric epithelium is one of the most important steps of Helicobacter pylori to remain and cause disease. The aim of this study was to analyze whether H. pylori isolates from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases present differences in the pattern of adherence to gastric epithelial cells (AGS), in the ability to induce IL-8, and in the presence of virulence genes. We tested 75 H. pylori strains isolated from nonatrophic gastritis, gastric cancer, and duodenal ulcer patients. The adhesion pattern and IL-8 induction were determined in AGS cells, and invasion of AGS cells was studied using a gentamicin protection assay. The IL-8 levels induced were determined by ELISA. Helicobacter pylori strains presented diffuse adherence (DA) and localized (LA) adherence patterns, similar to those described for enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), were observed in AGS cells. A DA pattern was observed in 57% and LA in 43% of the strains, and DA was more frequent in isolates from patients with gastric cancer (p = 0.044). Strains with a LA pattern induced higher levels of IL-8 (p = 0.042) in AGS cells. The adherence pattern was not associated with neither invasiveness nor with the presence of virulence genes. Our study shows that H. pylori strains present adherence patterns to AGS cells resembling those observed in EPEC and that these patterns may be associated with disease and with activity on AGS cells. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is there a step-wise migration in Nigeria? A case study of the migrational histories of migrants in Lagos.

PubMed

Afolayan, A A

1985-09-01

"The paper sets out to test whether or not the movement pattern of people in Nigeria is step-wise. It examines the spatial order in the country and the movement pattern of people. It then analyzes the survey data and tests for the validity of step-wise migration in the country. The findings show that step-wise migration cannot adequately describe all the patterns observed." The presence of large-scale circulatory migration between rural and urban areas is noted. Ways to decrease the pressure on Lagos by developing intermediate urban areas are considered. excerpt

Techniques for plotting shadow patterns

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

Bainbridge, D.A.

1982-02-01

Basic approaches for plotting shadow patterns (summer or winter) are discussed, illustrated, and compared. The solar simulator technique uses floodlights or a moveable table to mimic the sun's path over a model of the building being studied. The drawback is that, for large developments, very small models would have to be built. Graphic solutions (2 types) are described in which: (1) sun angles are used to calculate shadow patterns using trigonometry and (2) drawings are made and shadows are calculated. Examples are given for a house on level ground and on sloping ground. Calculations of shade density are also illustrated.more » 8 references. (MJJ)« less

Can Sleep and Resting Behaviours Be Used as Indicators of Welfare in Shelter Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)?

PubMed

Owczarczak-Garstecka, Sara C; Burman, Oliver H P

2016-01-01

Previous research on humans and animals suggests that the analysis of sleep patterns may reliably inform us about welfare status, but little research of this kind has been carried out for non-human animals in an applied context. This study explored the use of sleep and resting behaviour as indicators of welfare by describing the activity patterns of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) housed in rescue shelters, and comparing their sleep patterns to other behavioural and cognitive measures of welfare. Sleep and activity patterns were observed over five non-consecutive days in a population of 15 dogs. Subsequently, the characteristics of sleep and resting behaviour were described and the impact of activity on patterns of sleep and resting behaviour analysed. Shelter dogs slept for 2.8% of the day, 14.3% less than previously reported and experienced less sleep fragmentation at night (32 sleep bouts). There were no statistically significant relationships between behaviours exhibited during the day and sleep behaviour. A higher proportion of daytime resting behaviour was significantly associated with a positive judgement bias, less repetitive behaviour and increased time spent coded as 'relaxed' across days by shelter staff. These results suggest that, in the context of a busy shelter environment, the ability to rest more during the day could be a sign of improved welfare. Considering the non-linear relationship between sleep and welfare in humans, the relationship between sleep and behavioural indicators of welfare, including judgement bias, in shelter dogs may be more complex than this study could detect.

Seasonality of cholera from 1974 to 2005: a review of global patterns

PubMed Central

Emch, Michael; Feldacker, Caryl; Islam, M Sirajul; Ali, Mohammad

2008-01-01

Background The seasonality of cholera is described in various study areas throughout the world. However, no study examines how temporal cycles of the disease vary around the world or reviews its hypothesized causes. This paper reviews the literature on the seasonality of cholera and describes its temporal cycles by compiling and analyzing 32 years of global cholera data. This paper also provides a detailed literature review on regional patterns and environmental and climatic drivers of cholera patterns. Data, Methods, and Results Cholera data are compiled from 1974 to 2005 from the World Health Organization Weekly Epidemiological Reports, a database that includes all reported cholera cases in 140 countries. The data are analyzed to measure whether season, latitude, and their interaction are significantly associated with the country-level number of outbreaks in each of the 12 preceding months using separate negative binomial regression models for northern, southern, and combined hemispheres. Likelihood ratios tests are used to determine the model of best fit. The results suggest that cholera outbreaks demonstrate seasonal patterns in higher absolute latitudes, but closer to the equator, cholera outbreaks do not follow a clear seasonal pattern. Conclusion The findings suggest that environmental and climatic factors partially control the temporal variability of cholera. These results also indirectly contribute to the growing debate about the effects of climate change and global warming. As climate change threatens to increase global temperature, resulting rises in sea levels and temperatures may influence the temporal fluctuations of cholera, potentially increasing the frequency and duration of cholera outbreaks. PMID:18570659

The A-Maizing Corn Lab: A Geneticist's Biography Leads a Mathematics Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cwikla, Julie; Patterson, Marcelle Dessommes

2006-01-01

This article describes an innovative lesson that uses the biography "Barbara McClintock: Alone in her Field" (Heiligman, 1994) to integrate genetics, literature, and mathematics as a context for students to investigate patterns on Indian corn. This two-day lesson requires students to estimate, collect data, identify and describe patterns,…

Modifiers: Increasing Richness and Nuance of Design Pattern Languages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolfschoten, Gwendolyn L.; Briggs, Robert O.; Lukosch, Stephan

One of the challenges when establishing and maintaining a pattern language is to balance richness with simplicity. On the one hand, designers need a variety of useful design patterns to increase the speed of their design efforts and to reduce design risk. On the other hand, the greater the variety of design patterns in a language, the higher the cognitive load to remember and select among them. One solution to this problem is the concept of a modifier design pattern, a design pattern for pattern languages. A modifier pattern is a named, documented variation that can be applied to some set of other design patterns. They create similar, useful changes and refinements to the solutions derived from any pattern to which they are applied. The modifier concept, described in this paper emerged in a relatively new design pattern language for collaborative work practices in which the design patterns are called thinkLets. When analyzing the thinkLet pattern language, we found that many of the patterns we knew were variations and refinements of other patterns. However, we also found patterns in these variations; we found variations that could be applied to different patterns, with similar effects. We document these variations as modifiers. In this paper, we introduce the concept of modifier design patterns and illustrate the use of modifiers with two case studies.

Systematic Review of Brain Metastases in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the United States, European Union, and Japan.

PubMed

Fenske, D Christian; Price, Gregory L; Hess, Lisa M; John, William J; Kim, Edward S

2017-11-01

Brain metastases (BRM) occur frequently in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and present a substantial unmet medical need. Previous literature on global BRM prevalence, treatment patterns, costs, and outcomes typically has described a subset of these factors. The primary objective of this systematic literature review was to summarize BRM-related epidemiology, treatment patterns, costs, and survival of patients with NSCLC in the United States, European Union, and Japan. The study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Ovid MedLine, and Embase to identify studies published between 2003 and 2014. Peer-reviewed, English language, and human observational studies of patients with NSCLC and BRM were identified. Demographic characteristics, treatment patterns, histology subtype, costs, and survival data were extracted into Microsoft Excel and descriptively analyzed using SAS version 9.2 (SAS Institute, Inc). Of 8257 studies, 243 were eligible. Data from 46,422 patients with NSCLC and 27,907 patients with BRM were summarized. Radiation therapy was used by 70.7% (n = 19,736) of the total BRM population, followed by systemic therapy (8.9%, n = 2497), and surgery (6.1%, n = 1690). Reported median survival was 9.78 months ranging from 2.5 to 38 months. Radiation therapy had the best outcome at 10.0 months with 41.6% (n = 101) of the studies reporting the use of stereotactic radiosurgery. Highly variable median survival and treatment patterns were reported between countries. Costs and histology subtype data were not reported for most countries, highlighting the need for additional research to describe the economic burden of BRM and improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and prescription of effective therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dietary patterns and associated lifestyles in preconception, pregnancy and postpartum.

PubMed

Cucó, G; Fernández-Ballart, J; Sala, J; Viladrich, C; Iranzo, R; Vila, J; Arija, V

2006-03-01

To identify dietary patterns in women who are planning immediate pregnancy in preconception, weeks 6, 10, 26 and 38 of pregnancy, and 6 months postpartum, and to describe how particular lifestyles, the body mass index (BMI) and sociodemographic factors are associated to these patterns. Longitudinal study throughout the reproductive cycle of food consumption carried out in a Spanish Mediterranean city. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University. In total, 80 healthy female volunteers who were planning immediate pregnancy. A seven-consecutive-day dietary record was used to evaluate the dietary intake. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the main dietary patterns in each of the periods. Fitted multiple linear regression models were used to study the associations between the lifestyle and sociodemographic variables, and each dietary pattern. The 'sweetened beverages and sugars' pattern was identified from preconception to 6 months postpartum and the 'vegetables and meat' pattern to the end of pregnancy. The 'sweetened beverages and sugars' pattern is positively associated with smoking and negatively associated with physical activity before conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy. The 'vegetables and meat' pattern is negatively associated with the BMI during the preconception period and positively associated with age in weeks 10 and 38 of pregnancy. It is shown that the patterns do not change significantly throughout the period studied. We have identified two stable dietary patterns from preconception to postpartum. The 'sweetened beverages and sugars' pattern is associated with habits of risk for the health of the pregnant woman and her offspring. 'Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología' (CICYT: ALI89-0388) and 'Instituto de Salud Carlos III', RCMN (C03/08), Madrid, Spain'.

Modifiability Tactics

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

The Pattern Understood in Terms of Tactics 44 13.4 Variants 44 14 Microkernel Pattern 45 14.1 Problem 45 14.2 Solution 45 14.3 The Pattern...Figure 12: Model-View-Controller Pattern Structure 42 Figure 13: Presentation-Abstraction-Control Pattern Structure 43 Figure 14: Microkernel ...Presentation- Abstraction- Control X X X X Microkernel X X X X X Reflection X X Each pattern is described in more detail in the

Temporal patterns and a disease forecasting model of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Jakarta based on 10 years of surveillance data.

PubMed

Sitepu, Monika S; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit; Luplerdlop, Nathanej; Soonthornworasiri, Ngamphol; Silawan, Tassanee; Poungsombat, Supawadee; Lawpoolsri, Saranath

2013-03-01

This study aimed to describe the temporal patterns of dengue transmission in Jakarta from 2001 to 2010, using data from the national surveillance system. The Box-Jenkins forecasting technique was used to develop a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model for the study period and subsequently applied to forecast DHF incidence in 2011 in Jakarta Utara, Jakarta Pusat, Jakarta Barat, and the municipalities of Jakarta Province. Dengue incidence in 2011, based on the forecasting model was predicted to increase from the previous year.

How Do We See Art: An Eye-Tracker Study

PubMed Central

Quiroga, Rodrigo Quian; Pedreira, Carlos

2011-01-01

We describe the pattern of fixations of subjects looking at figurative and abstract paintings from different artists (Molina, Mondrian, Rembrandt, della Francesca) and at modified versions in which different aspects of these art pieces were altered with simple digital manipulations. We show that the fixations of the subjects followed some general common principles (e.g., being attracted to saliency regions) but with a large variability for the figurative paintings, according to the subject’s personal appreciation and knowledge. In particular, we found different gazing patterns depending on whether the subject saw the original or the modified version of the painting first. We conclude that the study of gazing patterns obtained by using the eye-tracker technology gives a useful approach to quantify how subjects observe art. PMID:21941476

A prospective cohort study of dietary patterns of non-western migrants in the Netherlands in relation to risk factors for cardiovascular diseases: HELIUS-Dietary Patterns

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In Western countries the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is often higher in non-Western migrants as compared to the host population. Diet is an important modifiable determinant of CVD. Increasingly, dietary patterns rather than single nutrients are the focus of research in an attempt to account for the complexity of nutrient interactions in foods. Research on dietary patterns in non-Western migrants is limited and may be hampered by a lack of validated instruments that can be used to assess the habitual diet of non-western migrants in large scale epidemiological studies. The ultimate aims of this study are to (1) understand whether differences in dietary patterns explain differences in CVD risk between ethnic groups, by developing and validating ethnic-specific Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs), and (2) to investigate the determinants of these dietary patterns. This paper outlines the design and methods used in the HELIUS-Dietary Patterns study and describes a systematic approach to overcome difficulties in the assessment and analysis of dietary intake data in ethnically diverse populations. Methods/Design The HELIUS-Dietary Patterns study is embedded in the HELIUS study, a Dutch multi-ethnic cohort study. After developing ethnic-specific FFQs, we will gather data on the habitual intake of 5000 participants (18-70 years old) of ethnic Dutch, Surinamese of African and of South Asian origin, Turkish or Moroccan origin. Dietary patterns will be derived using factor analysis, but we will also evaluate diet quality using hypothesis-driven approaches. The relation between dietary patterns and CVD risk factors will be analysed using multiple linear regression analysis. Potential underlying determinants of dietary patterns like migration history, acculturation, socio-economic factors and lifestyle, will be considered. Discussion This study will allow us to investigate the contribution of the dietary patterns on CVD risk factors in a multi-ethnic population. Inclusion of five ethnic groups residing in one setting makes this study highly innovative as confounding by local environment characteristics is limited. Heterogeneity in the study population will provide variance in dietary patterns which is a great advantage when studying the link between diet and disease. PMID:21649889

[Utilization of nursing diagnosis according to Nanda's classification for the systematization of nursing care in breast feeding].

PubMed

Abrão, A C; de Gutiérrez, M R; Marin, H F

1997-04-01

The present study aimed at describing the reformulated instrument used in the puerperal woman nursing consultation based on the identified diagnoses classification according to the Taxonomy-I reviewed by NANDA, and the identification of the most frequent nursing diagnoses concerning maternal breastfeeding, based on the reformulated instrument. The diagnoses found as being over 50% were: knowledge deficit (100%); sleep pattern disturbance (75%), altered sexuality patterns (75%), ineffective breastfeeding (66.6%) and impaired physical mobility (66.6%).

The anticipatory profile. An attempt to describe anticipation as process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadin, Mihai

2012-01-01

Inductive class representation and the more comprehensive evolving transformation system (ETS) are congenial to the subject matter of anticipation. In substantiating this assertion, we examine the epistemological premises of a new form of representation, of interest to pattern recognition and Artificial Intelligence (AI), but even more to the study of living systems. Some concepts, such as classes, time and time scale, and generative processes are examined in detail with respect to their pertinence to anticipation. Finally, pattern generation and ETS programming are suggested.

Collaboration Is Key: Librarians and Composition Instructors Analyze Student Research and Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barratt, Caroline Cason; Nielsen, Kristin; Desmet, Christy; Balthazor, Ron

2009-01-01

This study describes a collaborative research project between two composition instructors and two librarians that analyzed citation patterns among students in the First-year Composition Program at the University of Georgia. Built upon earlier bibliometric studies, this study seeks not only to examine a large data set of citations--larger than was…

Inertial Sensor Based Analysis of Lie-to-Stand Transfers in Younger and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Schwickert, Lars; Boos, Ronald; Klenk, Jochen; Bourke, Alan; Becker, Clemens; Zijlstra, Wiebren

2016-01-01

Many older adults lack the capacity to stand up again after a fall. Therefore, to analyse falls it is relevant to understand recovery patterns, including successful and failed attempts to get up from the floor in general. This study analysed different kinematic features of standing up from the floor. We used inertial sensors to describe the kinematics of lie-to-stand transfer patterns of younger and healthy older adults. Fourteen younger (20–50 years of age, 50% men) and 10 healthy older community dwellers (≥60 years; 50% men) conducted four lie-to-stand transfers from different initial lying postures. The analysed temporal, kinematic, and elliptic fitting complexity measures of transfer performance were significantly different between younger and older subjects (i.e., transfer duration, angular velocity (RMS), maximum vertical acceleration, maximum vertical velocity, smoothness, fluency, ellipse width, angle between ellipses). These results show the feasibility and potential of analysing kinematic features to describe the lie-to-stand transfer performance, to help design interventions and detection approaches to prevent long lies after falls. It is possible to describe age-related differences in lie-to-stand transfer performance using inertial sensors. The kinematic analysis remains to be tested on patterns after real-world falls. PMID:27529249

The description of a new species Polymastigos javaensis n.sp. (Annelida: Capitellidae) from the Segara Anakan mangroves, Central Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Pamungkas, Joko

2015-06-29

A new species, Polymastigos javaensis n. sp., is described from sandy clay sediment (0-30 cm depth) of the Segara Anakan mangroves. The species is described based on the distribution of capillaries and hooks, and the form of the prostomium, thorax, abdomen, lateral organs, genital pores, branchiae and pygidium. Methyl green staining pattern was applied to examine the similarity between the material of this study and Green's material. Polymastigos javaensis n. sp. is the second species belonging to the genus Polymastigos, after P. reishi Green, 2002. It differs from P. reishi in the form of abdominal segments and hooks, and the methyl green staining pattern. A key to distinguish the two species is provided in this paper.

Disassortative mixing patterns of drug-using and sex networks on HIV risk behaviour among young drug users in Yunnan, China.

PubMed

Li, J; Luo, J; Li, J; Liu, H

2015-09-01

The dominant mode of HIV transmission in China has changed from injection drug use to sexual contact. The objectives of this study were to describe the disassortative and assortative mixing patterns of drug-using and sex networks among young drug users in China. Cross-sectional study. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to recruit young drug users in an egocentric network study in Yunnan, China. Egos were categorized as having disassortative mixing network patterns if they reported both sex and drug-using networks. Egos who only had a sex network (no drug-using network), or only a drug-using network (no sex network) were categorized as having assortative mixing network patterns. Multiple logistic regression was performed to analyze the relationships between disassortative patterns with risky sexual behaviour and drug-using practices. A total of 426 participants were recruited into the study. Two hundred forty-two egos reported disassortative mixing patterns and 139 egos had assortative patterns. The RDS-adjusted proportion of having a disassortative pattern was 53.2%. Participants with disassortative patterns were more likely to engage in HIV risk behaviour compared to those with assortative patterns. Specifically, drug users with disassortative patterns reported more multiple sex partners (31.4% vs 19.6%), concurrent partnerships (52.1% vs 39.0%), non-regular sex partners (12.0% vs 4.3%), and sex partners who were IDUs (24.9% vs 12.5%). Consistent condom use with regular or non-regular partners was low (between 18.9% and 47.2%) regardless of the mixing pattern. However, parenteral risk for HIV transmission was relatively low in both groups. The transition of the HIV epidemic in China from injection drug use to sexual contact may be attributed to disassortative mixing in drug-use and sexual networks. HIV programs should consider disassortative mixing patterns when designing new behavioural interventions. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tile Patterns with LOGO--Part II: Tile Patterns from Rep Tiles Using LOGO.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clason, Robert G.

1991-01-01

Described is a recursive LOGO method for dissecting polygons into congruent parts (rep tiles) similar to the original polygon, thereby producing unexpected patterns. A list of descriptions for such dissections is included along with suggestions for modifications that allow extended student explorations into tile patterns. (JJK)

Patterns of everyday technology use and activity involvement in mild cognitive impairment: a five-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Hedman, Annicka; Kottorp, Anders; Nygård, Louise

2018-05-01

The aims were to describe longitudinal patterns in terms of perceived ability to use everyday technology (ET) and involvement in everyday activities over five years in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to examine the predictive value of these patterns regarding diagnostic outcomes. Thirty older adults diagnosed with MCI at inclusion, reported their perceived ability in using ET and involvement in everyday activities on seven occasions over five years. Individual longitudinal case plots and a pattern-oriented analysis were used to compare the participants' distribution in earlier identified stable/ascending, fluctuating and descending patterns of functioning (year 0-2). Fisher's exact test was used for testing the relation between pattern and diagnostic outcomes. An initial descending pattern of functioning tended to continue; none of these participants later developed a more stable pattern. More congruent trajectories of change appeared over time. Pattern affinity years 0-2 and diagnostic outcome were significantly related (p = .05), with a dementia diagnosis being more likely for those initially displaying an early descending pattern Conclusion: These findings point to a need for early support focusing on the use of ET for persons with MCI who early after diagnosis descend in functioning.

Neuron-like PC12 cell patterning on a photoactive self-assembled monolayer.

PubMed

Cheng, Nan; Cao, Xudong

2013-11-01

A new approach to pattern cells using photochemistry and self-assembled monolayer (SAM) was described in this study. Photocleavable 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl chloroformate (NVOC) protected amine on an alkanethiol-gold SAM was developed for cell patterning. The cleavage of NVOC and the deprotection of amines on the SAM were controlled spatially by two sequential UV exposures with a photomask. Biomolecule patterning was achieved by introducing cell nonadhesive poly(ethylene glycol) after the first exposure and subsequently cell adhesive protein laminin after the second exposure to create surface cell adhesiveness differential for cell patterning. UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to determine the photolysis of caged self-assembled molecules; in addition, water contact angle, atomic force microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize properties of different surfaces. To test the efficacy of resulting surfaces in patterning cells, a neuron-like cell line, PC12 cell line, was used. The in vitro cell studies showed successful PC12 cell patterns on the photoactive SAM surfaces. This patterning technique is unique in that it does not rely on cell adhesive or nonadhesive properties of the starting base material as both cell adhesive and cell nonadhesive molecules were individually introduced onto the base material surface through photo-uncaging at preselected regions for the ultimate cell patterning. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Australian population study of factors associated with MRI patterns in cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Reid, Susan M; Dagia, Charuta D; Ditchfield, Michael R; Carlin, John B; Meehan, Elaine M; Reddihough, Dinah S

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patterns in a large population sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to examine associations between MRI patterns, and antenatal and perinatal variables. Data were retrieved from the Victorian CP Register for 884 children (527 males, 357 females) born between 1999 and 2006. Postneonatal MRI was classified for 594 children. For 563 children (329 males, 234 females) for whom classification was to a single MRI pattern, the frequency of each variable was compared between patterns and with the population frequency. White matter injury was the most common MRI pattern (45%), followed by grey matter injury (14%), normal imaging (13%), malformations (10%), focal vascular insults (9%), and miscellaneous patterns (7%). Parity, birth gestation, level of neonatal care, Apgar score, and time to established respiration varied between MRI patterns (p<0.01). Nulliparity was most strongly associated with focal vascular insults, whereas multiparity was associated only with malformations. Grey matter injury was not associated with birth in a tertiary unit, but was strongly associated with severe perinatal compromise. The frequency of neonatal seizures and of nursery admissions was lowest among children with malformations. As known risk factors for CP are differentially associated with specific MRI patterns, future exploration of causal pathways might be facilitated when performed in pathogenically defined groups. © 2013 Mac Keith Press.

Breastfeeding patterns in the rural community of Hilo, Hawai'i: an exploration of existing data sets.

PubMed

Flood, Jeanie L

2013-03-01

Before any breastfeeding promotion effort, an understanding of the existing breastfeeding patterns is essential. Hawai'i County is a rural, ethnically diverse, medically underserved community. The purpose of this study was to describe the breastfeeding patterns of women living in Hilo, Hawai'i. Data from several existing national, state, and local data sets were accessed to identify and describe the breastfeeding patterns of women in this community. Available breastfeeding data about women in Hilo was obtained from the Hawai'i WIC program and includes initiation, duration, exclusivity of breastfeeding, and reasons for not breastfeeding. These data were compared to data from published reports available at the county, state, and national level. The State of Hawai'i and Hilo exceed national targets for breastfeeding initiation; however, rates soon drop following delivery, and mixed feedings of infants is common. The highest percentage of mothers weaned their infants within the first four weeks postpartum. The reasons the majority of the mothers gave for weaning were tied to breastfeeding situations that are amenable to skilled lactation support (eg, milk supply issues and latch or sucking problems). While available data sets offer valuable information on the breastfeeding patterns in this rural community, there are limitations to their usefulness, primarily due to the inconsistent operational definitions of infant feeding variables used in the surveys, and the lack of availability of community level data.

Breastfeeding Patterns in the Rural Community of Hilo, Hawai‘i: An Exploration of Existing Data Sets

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Before any breastfeeding promotion effort, an understanding of the existing breastfeeding patterns is essential. Hawai‘i County is a rural, ethnically diverse, medically underserved community. The purpose of this study was to describe the breastfeeding patterns of women living in Hilo, Hawai‘i. Data from several existing national, state, and local data sets were accessed to identify and describe the breastfeeding patterns of women in this community. Available breastfeeding data about women in Hilo was obtained from the Hawai‘i WIC program and includes initiation, duration, exclusivity of breastfeeding, and reasons for not breastfeeding. These data were compared to data from published reports available at the county, state, and national level. The State of Hawai‘i and Hilo exceed national targets for breastfeeding initiation; however, rates soon drop following delivery, and mixed feedings of infants is common. The highest percentage of mothers weaned their infants within the first four weeks postpartum. The reasons the majority of the mothers gave for weaning were tied to breastfeeding situations that are amenable to skilled lactation support (eg, milk supply issues and latch or sucking problems). While available data sets offer valuable information on the breastfeeding patterns in this rural community, there are limitations to their usefulness, primarily due to the inconsistent operational definitions of infant feeding variables used in the surveys, and the lack of availability of community level data. PMID:23520565

Achieving Dramatic School Improvement: An Exploratory Study. A Cross-Site Analysis from the Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform Program Implementation and Outcomes Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Daniel K.; Birman, Beatrice F.; Orland, Martin; Harr-Robins, Jenifer; Heredia, Alberto; Parrish, Thomas B.; Ruffini, Stephen J.

2010-01-01

This exploratory study describes approaches to improving schools through retrospective, in-depth qualitative case studies. To select schools to be examined, the authors sought to identify Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) schools demonstrating two distinctive patterns of improved student achievement between 2000 and 2005, rapid-improvement (i.e.,…

Variations of flow in human airways as a consequence of lung diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizal, Frantisek; Stejskal, David; Belka, Miloslav; Jedelsky, Jan; Jicha, Miroslav; Brat, Kristian; Herout, Vladimir; Lizalova Sujanska, Elena

2018-06-01

The efficiency of drug delivery administered by inhalation depends, among other factors, such as size and shape of aerosol particles, significantly also on the flow in the airways. As many lung diseases change both the breathing pattern and the shape of airways, we focus in this study on the influence of several selected diseases on the distribution of flow between the lung lobes and on changes the diseases induce on the course of flowrate. First, we present results of a literature survey focused on the published records of pathological breathing patterns. In the second part, we describe the newly designed breathing simulator and the implementation of the patterns into it. The last part is focused on the experimental verification of fidelity of the simulated breathing patterns.

Patterning in systems driven by nonlocal external forces.

PubMed

Luneville, L; Mallick, K; Pontikis, V; Simeone, D

2016-11-01

This work focuses on systems displaying domain patterns resulting from competing external and internal dynamics. To this end, we introduce a Lyapunov functional capable of describing the steady states of systems subject to external forces, by adding nonlocal terms to the Landau Ginzburg free energy of the system. Thereby, we extend the existing methodology treating long-range order interactions, to the case of external nonlocal forces. By studying the quadratic term of this Lyapunov functional, we compute the phase diagram in the temperature versus external field and we determine all possible modulated phases (domain patterns) as a function of the external forces and the temperature. Finally, we investigate patterning in chemical reactive mixtures and binary mixtures under irradiation, and we show that the last case opens the path toward micro-structural engineering of materials.

The role of the equivalent blackbody temperature in the study of Atlantic Ocean tropical cyclones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steranka, J.; Rodgers, E. B.; Gentry, R. C.

1983-01-01

Satellite measured equivalent blackbody temperatures of Atlantic Ocean tropical cyclones are used to investigate their role in describing the convection and cloud patterns of the storms and in predicting wind intensity. The high temporal resolution of the equivalent blackbody temperature measurements afforded with the geosynchronous satellite provided sequential quantitative measurements of the tropical cyclone which reveal a diurnal pattern of convection at the inner core during the early developmental stage; a diurnal pattern of cloudiness in the storm's outer circulation throughout the life cycle; a semidiurnal pattern of cloudiness in the environmental atmosphere surrounding the storms during the weak storm stage; an outward modulating atmospheric wave originating at the inner core; and long term convective bursts at the inner core prior to wind intensification.

Patterning in systems driven by nonlocal external forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luneville, L.; Mallick, K.; Pontikis, V.; Simeone, D.

2016-11-01

This work focuses on systems displaying domain patterns resulting from competing external and internal dynamics. To this end, we introduce a Lyapunov functional capable of describing the steady states of systems subject to external forces, by adding nonlocal terms to the Landau Ginzburg free energy of the system. Thereby, we extend the existing methodology treating long-range order interactions, to the case of external nonlocal forces. By studying the quadratic term of this Lyapunov functional, we compute the phase diagram in the temperature versus external field and we determine all possible modulated phases (domain patterns) as a function of the external forces and the temperature. Finally, we investigate patterning in chemical reactive mixtures and binary mixtures under irradiation, and we show that the last case opens the path toward micro-structural engineering of materials.

Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in a naturalistic schizophrenia population: diagnostic value of actometric movement patterns.

PubMed

Janno, Sven; Holi, Matti M; Tuisku, Katinka; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2008-04-18

Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders (NIMDs) have overlapping co-morbidity. Earlier studies have described typical clinical movement patterns for individual NIMDs. This study aimed to identify specific movement patterns for each individual NIMD using actometry. A naturalistic population of 99 schizophrenia inpatients using conventional antipsychotics and clozapine was evaluated. Subjects with NIMDs were categorized using the criteria for NIMD found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).Two blinded raters evaluated the actometric-controlled rest activity data for activity periods, rhythmical activity, frequencies, and highest acceleration peaks. A simple subjective question was formulated to test patient-based evaluation of NIMD. The patterns of neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) and pseudoakathisia (PsA) were identifiable in actometry with excellent inter-rater reliability. The answers to the subjective question about troubles with movements distinguished NIA patients from other patients rather well. Also actometry had rather good screening performances in distinguishing akathisia from other NIMD. Actometry was not able to reliably detect patterns of neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia. The present study showed that pooled NIA and PsA patients had a different pattern in lower limb descriptive actometry than other patients in a non-selected sample. Careful questioning of patients is a useful method of diagnosing NIA in a clinical setting.

Comprehensive analysis of the flowering genes in Chinese cabbage and examination of evolutionary pattern of CO-like genes in plant kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xiaoming; Duan, Weike; Huang, Zhinan; Liu, Gaofeng; Wu, Peng; Liu, Tongkun; Li, Ying; Hou, Xilin

2015-09-01

In plants, flowering is the most important transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. The flowering patterns of monocots and eudicots are distinctly different, but few studies have described the evolutionary patterns of the flowering genes in them. In this study, we analysed the evolutionary pattern, duplication and expression level of these genes. The main results were as follows: (i) characterization of flowering genes in monocots and eudicots, including the identification of family-specific, orthologous and collinear genes; (ii) full characterization of CONSTANS-like genes in Brassica rapa (BraCOL genes), the key flowering genes; (iii) exploration of the evolution of COL genes in plant kingdom and construction of the evolutionary pattern of COL genes; (iv) comparative analysis of CO and FT genes between Brassicaceae and Grass, which identified several family-specific amino acids, and revealed that CO and FT protein structures were similar in B. rapa and Arabidopsis but different in rice; and (v) expression analysis of photoperiod pathway-related genes in B. rapa under different photoperiod treatments by RT-qPCR. This analysis will provide resources for understanding the flowering mechanisms and evolutionary pattern of COL genes. In addition, this genome-wide comparative study of COL genes may also provide clues for evolution of other flowering genes.

Patterns of oribatid mite species diversity: testing the effects of elevation, area and sampling effort.

PubMed

Mumladze, Levan; Murvanidze, Maka; Maraun, Mark

2017-07-01

Elevational gradients in species diversity and species area relationships are two well established patterns that are not mutually exclusive in space and time. Elevation and area are both considered as good proxies to detect and characterize the patterns of species diversity distribution. However, such studies are hampered by the incomplete biodiversity data available for ecologists, which may affect the pattern perceptions. Using the large dataset of oribatid mite communities sampled in Georgia, we tested the effects of altitude and area on species distribution using various approaches, while explicitly considering the biases from sampling effort. Our results showed that elevation and area are strongly correlated (with increasing absolute elevation, land area decreases) and both have strong linear effects on species diversity distribution when studied separately. Approaches based on multiple regression and direct removal of co-varied factors, indicated that the effect of area can actually override the effect of elevation in describing the oribatid species diversity distribution along with elevation. On the other hand, the bias of sampling proved significant in perception of elevational species richness pattern with less effect on elevational species area relationship. We suggest that the sampling alone may be responsible for patterns observed and thus should be considered in ecological studies when eligible.

Walking-age analyzer for healthcare applications.

PubMed

Jin, Bo; Thu, Tran Hoai; Baek, Eunhye; Sakong, SungHwan; Xiao, Jin; Mondal, Tapas; Deen, M Jamal

2014-05-01

This paper describes a walking-age pattern analysis and identification system using a 3-D accelerometer and a gyroscope. First, a walking pattern database from 79 volunteers of ages ranging from 10 to 83 years is constructed. Second, using feature extraction and clustering, three distinct walking-age groups, children of ages 10 and below, adults in 20-60s, and elders in 70s and 80s, were identified. For this study, low-pass filtering, empirical mode decomposition, and K-means were used to process and analyze the experimental results. Analysis shows that volunteers' walking-ages can be categorized into distinct groups based on simple walking pattern signals. This grouping can then be used to detect persons with walking patterns outside their age groups. If the walking pattern puts an individual in a higher "walking age" grouping, then this could be an indicator of potential health/walking problems, such as weak joints, poor musculoskeletal support system or a tendency to fall.

Use of administrative records to describe longitudinal patterns of health services use among veterans.

PubMed Central

Williams, B C; Mehr, D R; Fries, B E

1994-01-01

Administrative records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the National Death Index were linked to create a four-year longitudinal database that describes the clinical status, hospital and nursing home use, and mortality for a nationwide cohort of persons admitted to DVA nursing homes (n = 23,039). Using Social Security Numbers as identifiers, the records of only 6% of these persons had logically inconsistent or implausible patterns. Nineteen percent of the remaining records had correctable logical errors. Information on the creation, consistency, and potential uses of this database may prove useful to health services researchers interested in describing longitudinal patterns of health care use across multiple settings within and outside the DVA. PMID:7719818

In utero gratification behaviour in male fetus.

PubMed

Rodríguez Fernández, Vanesa; López Ramón Y Cajal, Carlos

2016-10-01

Fetal masturbation has been described previously once in utero but only as a description of an action. Masturbation is well described in infancy and early childhood when they discover that this practice can give them pleasure. Our letter proves that it could begin in utero as a 'gratification behaviour'. We have shown this pattern clearly by using a volumetric rendering mode study. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Student Engagement for College Students with the Hidden Disability of Orthostatic Intolerance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabin, Beverly Lynn

2010-01-01

This study described the factors that contribute to engagement patterns of college students with the hidden health-related disability of orthostatic intolerance. Specifically, it used a qualitative methodology and collective-case study design to explore the categories of campus physical, institutional, academic and social engagement from a student…

Cultural Diversity and the Experiences of Alaska Native Nursing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmon, Margaret E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this ethnonursing research study was to discover, describe, and systematically analyze the care expressions, practices, and patterns of Alaska Native nurses within the context of their nursing school experience. The goals of this study were to identify generic and professional care factors that promote the academic success of Alaska…

Factors of Attrition in Cohort Doctoral Education: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Linda Ann

2013-01-01

Attrition rates, completion rates, and time to degree are the key areas researchers have sought to examine influencing factors and patterns of behavior that describe the departure process of students in doctoral study. Through the lens of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was…

Depression and Dementia in Aging Adults with Down Syndrome: A Case Study Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Hyunsook; And Others

1997-01-01

A case study of three adults (ages 46-47) with Down syndrome investigated the patterns of symptoms associated with depression and dementia. Characteristics that distinguish between dementia and depression in adults with Down syndrome are described. Periodic comprehensive assessment of adults with Down syndrome to detect functioning changes is…

A Social Judgment Analysis of Information Source Preference Profiles: An Exploratory Study to Empirically Represent Media Selection Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefl-Mabry, Joette

2003-01-01

Describes a study that empirically identified individual preferences profiles to understand information-seeking behavior among professional groups for six selected information sources. Highlights include Social Judgment Analysis; the development of the survey used, a copy of which is appended; hypotheses tested; results of multiple regression…

The Social Studies Wars, Now and Then

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Ronald W.

2006-01-01

The objectives of this article are, first, to capture the main camps and patterns of the "social studies wars" since the beginning of the twentieth century and, second, to describe critical episodes from that long history that will help put the contemporary controversies in historical perspective. Here, the author features six critical episodes…

Constructing Affective Security in Children: Case Study in Educational Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margenat, Montserrat; Dalmau, Mariona; Vendrell, Roser; Ibarz, Lidia

2016-01-01

In line with Bowlby's theoretical approach, where he established a relationship between the quality of experiences lived in the first relationships and subsequent behaviours, we are carrying out a case study research project. The objectives are as follows: (1) To describe interactive patterns as observed in natural contexts and focusing on the…

Community and Campus Crime: A Geospatial Examination of the Clery Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nobles, Matt R.; Fox, Kathleen A.; Khey, David N.; Lizotte, Alan J.

2013-01-01

Despite the provisions of the Clery Act, which requires institutional reporting of crime on college campuses, patterns of campus crime have received surprisingly little research attention to date. Furthermore, few studies have described the extent to which college students engage in criminal behaviors. This study examines the criminality of…

Interpersonal Violence Cases Reported to the Police: A Nigerian Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okulate, Gbenga T.

2005-01-01

The study involves 204 cases of interpersonal assault reported to the police during a period of 1 year. The patterns of domestic violence and community violence involving friends, neighbors, and strangers are described. The most common type of violence reported to the police is community interpersonal violence in which victims are mostly females…

Racial identity, academic achievement, and the psychological well-being of economically disadvantaged adolescents.

PubMed

Arroyo, C G; Zigler, E

1995-11-01

The relation between racial identity and personal psychological functioning was examined within the framework of the "racelessness" construct proposed by Fordham and Ogbu (S. Fordham, 1988; S. Fordham & J. U. Ogbu, 1986). These researchers have proposed that academically successful African American students achieve their success by adopting behaviors and attitudes that distance them from their culture of origin, resulting in increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and identity confusion. Studies 1 and 2 describe the development of the Racelessness Scale (RS) designed to test these assumptions. Study 2 also investigated Race X Achievement level differences in students' responses to the RS. In Study 3, correlations between the RS and measures of depression, self-efficacy, anxiety, alienation, and collective self-esteem were assessed. The pattern of results in Study 2 suggest that the behaviors and attitudes described by Fordham and Ogbu are common to high-achieving adolescents and not specific to African Americans. However, racial differences in the pattern of associations between the RS and measures of depression suggest that racelessness may have important psychological consequences for African American adolescents.

A Primer on the Pathway to Scholarly Writing: Helping Nascent Writers to Unlearn Conditioned Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDougall, Dennis; Ornelles, Cecily; Rao, Kavita

2015-01-01

In this article, we identify eight common error patterns of nascent writers when they attempt to navigate the pathway to scholarly writing. We illustrate each error pattern via examples and counter-examples (corrections). We also describe how to identify such patterns, why those patterns might occur and persist, and why each pattern is…

Seizures and EEG features in 74 patients with genetic-dysmorphic syndromes.

PubMed

Alfei, Enrico; Raviglione, Federico; Franceschetti, Silvana; D'Arrigo, Stefano; Milani, Donatella; Selicorni, Angelo; Riva, Daria; Zuffardi, Orsetta; Pantaleoni, Chiara; Binelli, Simona

2014-12-01

Epilepsy is one of the most common findings in chromosome aberrations. Types of seizures and severity may significantly vary both between different conditions and within the same aberration. Hitherto specific seizures and EEG patterns are identified for only few syndromes. We studied 74 patients with defined genetic-dysmorphic syndromes with and without epilepsy in order to assess clinical and electroencephalographic features, to compare our observation with already described electro-clinical phenotypes, and to identify putative electroencephalographic and/or seizure characteristics useful to address the diagnosis. In our population, 10 patients had chromosomal disorders, 19 microdeletion or microduplication syndromes, and 32 monogenic syndromes. In the remaining 13, syndrome diagnosis was assessed on clinical grounds. Our study confirmed the high incidence of epilepsy in genetic-dysmorphic syndromes. Moreover, febrile seizures and neonatal seizures had a higher incidence compared to general population. In addition, more than one third of epileptic patients had drug-resistant epilepsy. EEG study revealed poor background organization in 42 patients, an excess of diffuse rhythmic activities in beta, alpha or theta frequency bands in 34, and epileptiform patterns in 36. EEG was completely normal only in 20 patients. No specific electro-clinical pattern was identified, except for inv-dup15, Angelman, and Rett syndromes. Nevertheless some specific conditions are described in detail, because of notable differences from what previously reported. Regarding the diagnostic role of EEG, we found that--even without any epileptiform pattern--the generation of excessive rhythmic activities in different frequency bandwidths might support the diagnosis of a genetic syndrome. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Not accounting for interindividual variability can mask habitat selection patterns: a case study on black bears.

PubMed

Lesmerises, Rémi; St-Laurent, Martin-Hugues

2017-11-01

Habitat selection studies conducted at the population scale commonly aim to describe general patterns that could improve our understanding of the limiting factors in species-habitat relationships. Researchers often consider interindividual variation in selection patterns to control for its effects and avoid pseudoreplication by using mixed-effect models that include individuals as random factors. Here, we highlight common pitfalls and possible misinterpretations of this strategy by describing habitat selection of 21 black bears Ursus americanus. We used Bayesian mixed-effect models and compared results obtained when using random intercept (i.e., population level) versus calculating individual coefficients for each independent variable (i.e., individual level). We then related interindividual variability to individual characteristics (i.e., age, sex, reproductive status, body condition) in a multivariate analysis. The assumption of comparable behavior among individuals was verified only in 40% of the cases in our seasonal best models. Indeed, we found strong and opposite responses among sampled bears and individual coefficients were linked to individual characteristics. For some covariates, contrasted responses canceled each other out at the population level. In other cases, interindividual variability was concealed by the composition of our sample, with the majority of the bears (e.g., old individuals and bears in good physical condition) driving the population response (e.g., selection of young forest cuts). Our results stress the need to consider interindividual variability to avoid misinterpretation and uninformative results, especially for a flexible and opportunistic species. This study helps to identify some ecological drivers of interindividual variability in bear habitat selection patterns.

Characterizing and understanding body weight patterns in patients treated with pregabalin.

PubMed

Cabrera, Javier; Emir, Birol; Dills, Diana; Murphy, T Kevin; Whalen, Ed; Clair, Andrew

2012-06-01

We examined patterns of weight change among patients treated with pregabalin for up to 1 year. Patients with ≥1 pre-treatment weight measurement, ≥2 measurements in Period 1 (day 2-56), and ≥2 during Period 2 (day 57-356) were identified from pooled data of 106 studies including 43,525 patients. Seven patterns were developed and used for exploratory 'change point' analyses (day on-treatment when weight-change trend changed from initial trajectory) and to assess patterns of weight change by baseline weight/body mass index (BMI). A total of 3187 patients (from 41 studies) were eligible. 98.9% of patients were described by three of the seven patterns. The majority of patients (2607/3187 [81.8%]) remained within ±7% of baseline weight ('Pattern 4'). Fewer patients (463/3187 [14.5%]) were 'delayed weight gainers' (exceeded 7% weight gain in Period 2 but not Period 1 ['Pattern 6']), fewer still (82/3187 [2.6%]) were 'early weight gainers' (exceeded ≥7% baseline weight in Period 1 and remained above 7% or continued to gain weight in Period 2 ['Pattern 7']). Overall weight gainers (Patterns 6, 7) experienced 1-year weight gain (median [% change]) of +6.20 kg [+9.12%] and 5.46 kg [+13.9%] vs. 2.22 kg [+2.10%] for non-weight gainers (Pattern 4). Average baseline weight/BMI was lower for weight gainers (Patterns 6, 7) versus other patterns. Early weight gainers (Pattern 7) had change point day at day 40 versus day 54 for Pattern 4 and day 69 for Pattern 6. Use of concomitant medications and influence of comorbid conditions on weight should be considered as inherent variables when interpreting the study. The majority of patients treated with pregabalin (150-600 mg/day) for 1 year maintained weight within ±7% baseline weight. One in six patients gained ≥7% weight from baseline, and generally exceeded 7%, 2-12 months after treatment onset.

Students Mental Representation of Biology Diagrams/Pictures Conventions Based on Formation of Causal Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampurno, A. W.; Rahmat, A.; Diana, S.

2017-09-01

Diagrams/pictures conventions is one form of visual media that often used to assist students in understanding the biological concepts. The effectiveness of use diagrams/pictures in biology learning at school level has also been mostly reported. This study examines the ability of high school students in reading diagrams/pictures biological convention which is described by Mental Representation based on formation of causal networks. The study involved 30 students 11th grade MIA senior high school Banten Indonesia who are studying the excretory system. MR data obtained by Instrument worksheet, developed based on CNET-protocol, in which there are diagrams/drawings of nephron structure and urinary mechanism. Three patterns formed MR, namely Markov chain, feedback control with a single measurement, and repeated feedback control with multiple measurement. The third pattern is the most dominating pattern, differences in the pattern of MR reveal the difference in how and from which point the students begin to uncover important information contained in the diagram to establish a causal networks. Further analysis shows that a difference in the pattern of MR relate to how complex the students process the information contained in the diagrams/pictures.

A Theoretical Approach to Analyze the Parametric Influence on Spatial Patterns of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations.

PubMed

Garcia, A G; Godoy, W A C

2017-06-01

Studies of the influence of biological parameters on the spatial distribution of lepidopteran insects can provide useful information for managing agricultural pests, since the larvae of many species cause serious impacts on crops. Computational models to simulate the spatial dynamics of insect populations are increasingly used, because of their efficiency in representing insect movement. In this study, we used a cellular automata model to explore different patterns of population distribution of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), when the values of two biological parameters that are able to influence the spatial pattern (larval viability and adult longevity) are varied. We mapped the spatial patterns observed as the parameters varied. Additionally, by using population data for S. frugiperda obtained in different hosts under laboratory conditions, we were able to describe the expected spatial patterns occurring in corn, cotton, millet, and soybean crops based on the parameters varied. The results are discussed from the perspective of insect ecology and pest management. We concluded that computational approaches can be important tools to study the relationship between the biological parameters and spatial distributions of lepidopteran insect pests.

Learning Cue Phrase Patterns from Radiology Reports Using a Genetic Algorithm

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

Patton, Robert M; Beckerman, Barbara G; Potok, Thomas E

2009-01-01

Various computer-assisted technologies have been developed to assist radiologists in detecting cancer; however, the algorithms still lack high degrees of sensitivity and specificity, and must undergo machine learning against a training set with known pathologies in order to further refine the algorithms with higher validity of truth. This work describes an approach to learning cue phrase patterns in radiology reports that utilizes a genetic algorithm (GA) as the learning method. The approach described here successfully learned cue phrase patterns for two distinct classes of radiology reports. These patterns can then be used as a basis for automatically categorizing, clustering, ormore » retrieving relevant data for the user.« less

Pattern formation--A missing link in the study of ecosystem response to environmental changes.

PubMed

Meron, Ehud

2016-01-01

Environmental changes can affect the functioning of an ecosystem directly, through the response of individual life forms, or indirectly, through interspecific interactions and community dynamics. The feasibility of a community-level response has motivated numerous studies aimed at understanding the mutual relationships between three elements of ecosystem dynamics: the abiotic environment, biodiversity and ecosystem function. Since ecosystems are inherently nonlinear and spatially extended, environmental changes can also induce pattern-forming instabilities that result in spatial self-organization of life forms and resources. This, in turn, can affect the relationships between these three elements, and make the response of ecosystems to environmental changes far more complex. Responses of this kind can be expected in dryland ecosystems, which show a variety of self-organizing vegetation patterns along the rainfall gradient. This paper describes the progress that has been made in understanding vegetation patterning in dryland ecosystems, and the roles it plays in ecosystem response to environmental variability. The progress has been achieved by modeling pattern-forming feedbacks at small spatial scales and up-scaling their effects to large scales through model studies. This approach sets the basis for integrating pattern formation theory into the study of ecosystem dynamics and addressing ecologically significant questions such as the dynamics of desertification, restoration of degraded landscapes, biodiversity changes along environmental gradients, and shrubland-grassland transitions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time-location patterns of a diverse population of older adults: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air).

PubMed

Spalt, Elizabeth W; Curl, Cynthia L; Allen, Ryan W; Cohen, Martin; Adar, Sara D; Stukovsky, Karen H; Avol, Ed; Castro-Diehl, Cecilia; Nunn, Cathy; Mancera-Cuevas, Karen; Kaufman, Joel D

2016-06-01

The primary aim of this analysis was to present and describe questionnaire data characterizing time-location patterns of an older, multiethnic population from six American cities. We evaluated the consistency of results from repeated administration of this questionnaire and between this questionnaire and other questionnaires collected from participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air). Participants reported spending most of their time inside their homes (average: 121 h/week or 72%). More than 50% of the participants reported spending no time in several of the location options, including at home outdoors, at work/volunteer/school locations indoors or outdoors, or in "other" locations outdoors. We observed consistency between self-reported time-location patterns from repeated administration of the time-location questionnaire and compared with other survey instruments. Comparisons with national cohorts demonstrated the differences in time-location patterns in the MESA Air cohort due to differences in demographics, but the data showed similar trends in patterns by age, gender, season, and employment status. This study was the first to explicitly examine the time-location patterns in an older, multiethnic population and the first to add data on Chinese participants. These data can be used to inform future epidemiological research of MESA Air and other studies that include diverse populations.

Quantifying the pattern of beta/A4 amyloid protein distribution in Alzheimer's disease by image analysis.

PubMed

Bruce, C V; Clinton, J; Gentleman, S M; Roberts, G W; Royston, M C

1992-04-01

We have undertaken a study of the distribution of the beta/A4 amyloid deposited in the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies which have examined the differential distribution of amyloid in the cortex in order to determine the laminar pattern of cortical pathology have not proved to be conclusive. We have developed an alternative method for the solution of this problem. It involves the immunostaining of sections followed by computer-enhanced image analysis. A mathematical model is then used to describe both the amount and the pattern of amyloid across the cortex. This method is both accurate and reliable and also removes many of the problems concerning inter and intra-rater variability in measurement. This method will provide the basis for further quantitative studies on the differential distribution of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease and other cases of dementia where cerebral amyloidosis occurs.

Patterning of Endothelial Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Laser-Assisted Bioprinting to Study Cell Migration.

PubMed

Bourget, Jean-Michel; Kérourédan, Olivia; Medina, Manuela; Rémy, Murielle; Thébaud, Noélie Brunehilde; Bareille, Reine; Chassande, Olivier; Amédée, Joëlle; Catros, Sylvain; Devillard, Raphaël

2016-01-01

Tissue engineering of large organs is currently limited by the lack of potent vascularization in vitro . Tissue-engineered bone grafts can be prevascularized in vitro using endothelial cells (ECs). The microvascular network architecture could be controlled by printing ECs following a specific pattern. Using laser-assisted bioprinting, we investigated the effect of distance between printed cell islets and the influence of coprinted mesenchymal cells on migration. When printed alone, ECs spread out evenly on the collagen hydrogel, regardless of the distance between cell islets. However, when printed in coculture with mesenchymal cells by laser-assisted bioprinting, they remained in the printed area. Therefore, the presence of mesenchymal cell is mandatory in order to create a pattern that will be conserved over time. This work describes an interesting approach to study cell migration that could be reproduced to study the effect of trophic factors.

Patterning of Endothelial Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Laser-Assisted Bioprinting to Study Cell Migration

PubMed Central

Medina, Manuela; Rémy, Murielle; Thébaud, Noélie Brunehilde; Bareille, Reine; Chassande, Olivier; Amédée, Joëlle; Catros, Sylvain

2016-01-01

Tissue engineering of large organs is currently limited by the lack of potent vascularization in vitro. Tissue-engineered bone grafts can be prevascularized in vitro using endothelial cells (ECs). The microvascular network architecture could be controlled by printing ECs following a specific pattern. Using laser-assisted bioprinting, we investigated the effect of distance between printed cell islets and the influence of coprinted mesenchymal cells on migration. When printed alone, ECs spread out evenly on the collagen hydrogel, regardless of the distance between cell islets. However, when printed in coculture with mesenchymal cells by laser-assisted bioprinting, they remained in the printed area. Therefore, the presence of mesenchymal cell is mandatory in order to create a pattern that will be conserved over time. This work describes an interesting approach to study cell migration that could be reproduced to study the effect of trophic factors. PMID:27833916

Scaling of global input-output networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Sai; Qi, Zhengling; Qu, Shen; Zhu, Ji; Chiu, Anthony S. F.; Jia, Xiaoping; Xu, Ming

2016-06-01

Examining scaling patterns of networks can help understand how structural features relate to the behavior of the networks. Input-output networks consist of industries as nodes and inter-industrial exchanges of products as links. Previous studies consider limited measures for node strengths and link weights, and also ignore the impact of dataset choice. We consider a comprehensive set of indicators in this study that are important in economic analysis, and also examine the impact of dataset choice, by studying input-output networks in individual countries and the entire world. Results show that Burr, Log-Logistic, Log-normal, and Weibull distributions can better describe scaling patterns of global input-output networks. We also find that dataset choice has limited impacts on the observed scaling patterns. Our findings can help examine the quality of economic statistics, estimate missing data in economic statistics, and identify key nodes and links in input-output networks to support economic policymaking.

Molecular modeling of directed self-assembly of block copolymers: Fundamental studies of processing conditions and evolutionary pattern design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaira, Gurdaman Singh

Rapid progress in the semi-conductor industry has pushed for smaller feature sizes on integrated electronic circuits. Current photo-lithographic techniques for nanofabrication have reached their technical limit and are problematic when printing features small enough to meet future industrial requirements. "Bottom-up'' techniques, such as the directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCP), are the primary contenders to compliment current "top-down'' photo-lithography ones. For industrial requirements, the defect density from DSA needs to be less than 1 defect per 10 cm by 10 cm. Knowledge of both material synthesis and the thermodynamics of the self-assembly process are required before optimal operating conditions can be found to produce results adequate for industry. The work present in this thesis is divided into three chapters, each discussing various aspects of DSA as studied via a molecular model that contains the essential physics of BCP self-assembly. Though there are various types of guiding fields that can be used to direct BCPs over large wafer areas with minimum defects, this study focuses only on chemically patterned substrates. The first chapter addresses optimal pattern design by describing a framework where molecular simulations of various complexities are coupled with an advanced optimization technique to find a pattern that directs a target morphology. It demonstrates the first ever study where BCP self-assembly on a patterned substrate is optimized using a three-dimensional description of the block-copolymers. For problems pertaining to DSA, the methodology is shown to converge much faster than the traditional random search approach. The second chapter discusses the metrology of BCP thin films using TEM tomography and X-ray scattering techniques, such as CDSAXS and GISAXS. X-ray scattering has the advantage of being able to quickly probe the average structure of BCP morphologies over large wafer areas; however, deducing the BCP morphology from the information in inverse space is a challenging task. Using the optimization techniques and molecular simulations discussed in the first chapter, a methodology to reconstruct BCP morphology from X-ray scattering data is described. It is shown that only a handful of simulation parameters that come directly from experiment are able to describe the morphologies observed from real X-ray scattering experiments. The last chapter focuses on the use of solvents to assist the self-assembly of BCPs. Additional functionality to capture the process of solvent annealing is also discussed. The bulk behavior of solvated mixtures of BCPs with solvents of various affinities is described, and the results are consistent with the experimentally observed behavior of BCPs in the presence of solvents.

Recombination of an intrachromosomal paracentric insertion of chromosome 3

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

Best, R.G.; Burnett, W.J.; Brock, J.K.

1994-09-01

Cytogenetic studies were initiated on a newborn female due to multiple congenital anomalies including microcephaly, clinodactyly, abnormal positioning of hands, left facial palsy, heart defect, sacral dimple, and facial dysmorphic features. Facial features were described as low set rotated ears, nystagmus, and a small, flattened nose. A structural rearrangement of the long arm of chromosome 3 was observed with a complex banding pattern. Study of parental chromosomes revealed a normal male pattern for the father, and an intrachromosomal insertion on the long arm of chromosome 3 for the mother described as 46,XX,dir ins(3)(q21q23q26.2). Further characterization of the proband`s structurally abnormalmore » chromosome 3 revealed a karyotype best described as: 46,XX,rec(3),dupq23{r_arrow}q26.2::q21{r_arrow}q23,dir ins(3)(q21q23q26.2), which is a partial duplication of both the inserted segment as well as the intervening segment between the inserted segment and the insertion site. This would appear to be the result of a three-strand double cross-over within the insertion loop. Molecular cytogenetic studies are presently underway to further elucidate chromosome structure of the proband and her mother.« less

Beneath the Surface: Understanding Patterns of Intra-Domain Orientational Order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Ishan; Seo, Youngmi; Hall, Lisa; Grason, Gregory

Block copolymers (BCP) self assemble into a rich spectrum of ordered phases due to asymmetry in copolymer architecture. Despite extensive study of spatially-ordered composition patterns of BCP, knowledge of orientational order of chain segments that underlie these spatial patterns is evidently missing. We show using self consistent field (SCF) theory and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that, even without explicit orientational interactions between segments, BCP exhibit generic patterns of intra-domain segment orientation, which vary both within a given morphology and from morphology to morphology. We find that segment alignment is usually both normal and parallel to the interface within different local regions of a BCP sub-domain. We describe principles that control relative strength and directionality of alignment in different morphologies and report a surprising yet generic emergence of biaxial segment order in morphologies with anisotropic curved interfaces, such as cylinders and gyroid phases. Finally, we focus our study on cholesteric textures that pervade mesochiral BCP morphologies, specifically alternating double gyroid (aDG) and helical cylinder (H*) phases, and analyze patterns of twisted (nematic and polar) segment order within these domains.

Theoretical study of fabrication of line-and-space patterns with 7 nm quarter-pitch using electron beam lithography with chemically amplified resist process: III. Post exposure baking on quartz substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozawa, Takahiro

2015-09-01

Electron beam (EB) lithography is a key technology for the fabrication of photomasks for ArF immersion and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and molds for nanoimprint lithography. In this study, the temporal change in the chemical gradient of line-and-space patterns with a 7 nm quarter-pitch (7 nm space width and 21 nm line width) was calculated until it became constant, independently of postexposure baking (PEB) time, to clarify the feasibility of single nano patterning on quartz substrates using EB lithography with chemically amplified resist processes. When the quencher diffusion constant is the same as the acid diffusion constant, the maximum chemical gradient of the line-and-space pattern with a 7 nm quarter-pitch did not differ much from that with a 14 nm half-pitch under the condition described above. Also, from the viewpoint of process control, a low quencher diffusion constant is considered to be preferable for the fabrication of line-and-space patterns with a 7 nm quarter-pitch on quartz substrates.

Pattern transitions in spatial epidemics: Mechanisms and emergent properties.

PubMed

Sun, Gui-Quan; Jusup, Marko; Jin, Zhen; Wang, Yi; Wang, Zhen

2016-12-01

Infectious diseases are a threat to human health and a hindrance to societal development. Consequently, the spread of diseases in both time and space has been widely studied, revealing the different types of spatial patterns. Transitions between patterns are an emergent property in spatial epidemics that can serve as a potential trend indicator of disease spread. Despite the usefulness of such an indicator, attempts to systematize the topic of pattern transitions have been few and far between. We present a mini-review on pattern transitions in spatial epidemics, describing the types of transitions and their underlying mechanisms. We show that pattern transitions relate to the complexity of spatial epidemics by, for example, being accompanied with phenomena such as coherence resonance and cyclic evolution. The results presented herein provide valuable insights into disease prevention and control, and may even be applicable outside epidemiology, including other branches of medical science, ecology, quantitative finance, and elsewhere. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coping with Multiple Innovations in Schools: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Mike

1991-01-01

Reviews small-scale, exploratory research into British schools' management of concurrent educational reform innovations generated by government, local education authorities, and the schools themselves. Describes changing innovations patterns, key factors influencing their adoption and implementation, the central management strategies employed, and…

The Multigroup Multilevel Categorical Latent Growth Curve Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Lai-Fa

2010-01-01

Longitudinal data describe developmental patterns and enable predictions of individual changes beyond sampled time points. Major methodological issues in longitudinal data include modeling random effects, subject effects, growth curve parameters, and autoregressive residuals. This study embedded the longitudinal model within a multigroup…

The Primary Dental Care Workforce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neenan, M. Elaine; And Others

1993-01-01

A study describes the characteristics of the current primary dental care workforce (dentists, hygienists, assistants), its distribution, and its delivery system in private and public sectors. Graduate dental school enrollments, trends in patient visits, employment patterns, state dental activities, and workforce issues related to health care…

The Spatial Behaviour of Animals and Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brindley, T. S.

1973-01-01

Describes some common patterns of animal spatial behavior, and discusses spatial relationships that can be observed as an important component of human social behavior. Reports the results of a study relating to the interpersonal distances of people in bus queues in Britain. (JR)

Repeating Patterns in Kindergarten: Findings from Children's Enactments of Two Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsamir, Pessia; Tirosh, Dina; Levenson, Esther S.; Barkai, Ruthi; Tabach, Michal

2017-01-01

This paper describes kindergarten children's engagement with two patterning activities. The first activity includes two tasks in which children are asked to choose possible ways for extending two different repeating patterns and the second activity calls for comparing different pairs of repeating patterns. Children's recognition of the unit of…

A Novel Method for Discovering Fuzzy Sequential Patterns Using the Simple Fuzzy Partition Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ruey-Shun; Hu, Yi-Chung

2003-01-01

Discusses sequential patterns, data mining, knowledge acquisition, and fuzzy sequential patterns described by natural language. Proposes a fuzzy data mining technique to discover fuzzy sequential patterns by using the simple partition method which allows the linguistic interpretation of each fuzzy set to be easily obtained. (Author/LRW)

Mammographic breast density patterns in asymptomatic mexican women.

PubMed

Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura; Sanabria-Mondragón, Mónica; Hernández-Beltrán, Lourdes; López-Amador, Noé; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M

2012-01-01

Breast density (BD) is a risk factor for breast cancer. Aims. To describe BD patterns in asymptomatic Mexican women and the pathological mammographic findings. Methods and Material. Prospective, descriptive, and comparative study. Women answered a questionnaire and their mammograms were analyzed according to BI-RADS. Univariate (χ(2)) and conditional logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. In 300 women studied the BD patterns were fat 56.7% (170), fibroglandular 29% (87), heterogeneously dense 5.7% (17), and dense pattern 8.6% (26). Prevalence of fat pattern was significantly different in women under 50 years (37.6%, 44/117) and older than 50 (68.8%, 126/183). Patterns of high breast density (BD) (dense + heterogeneously dense) were observed in 25.6% (30/117) of women ≤50 years and 7.1% (13/183) of women >50. Asymmetry in BD was observed in 22% (66/300). Compression cone ruled out underlying disease in 56 cases. In the remaining 10, biopsy revealed one fibroadenoma, one complex cyst, and 6 invasive and 2 intraductal carcinomas. 2.6% (8/300) of patients had non-palpable carcinomas. Benign lesions were observed in 63.3% (190/300) of cases, vascular calcification in 150 cases (78.9%), and fat necrosis in 38 cases (20%). Conclusions. Mexican women have a low percentage of high-density patterns.

A Versatile Method of Patterning Proteins and Cells.

PubMed

Shrirao, Anil B; Kung, Frank H; Yip, Derek; Firestein, Bonnie L; Cho, Cheul H; Townes-Anderson, Ellen

2017-02-26

Substrate and cell patterning techniques are widely used in cell biology to study cell-to-cell and cell-to-substrate interactions. Conventional patterning techniques work well only with simple shapes, small areas and selected bio-materials. This article describes a method to distribute cell suspensions as well as substrate solutions into complex, long, closed (dead-end) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels using negative pressure. This method enables researchers to pattern multiple substrates including fibronectin, collagen, antibodies (Sal-1), poly-D-lysine (PDL), and laminin. Patterning of substrates allows one to indirectly pattern a variety of cells. We have tested C2C12 myoblasts, the PC12 neuronal cell line, embryonic rat cortical neurons, and amphibian retinal neurons. In addition, we demonstrate that this technique can directly pattern fibroblasts in microfluidic channels via brief application of a low vacuum on cell suspensions. The low vacuum does not significantly decrease cell viability as shown by cell viability assays. Modifications are discussed for application of the method to different cell and substrate types. This technique allows researchers to pattern cells and proteins in specific patterns without the need for exotic materials or equipment and can be done in any laboratory with a vacuum.

Patterns of decision making by wives of patients with life-threatening cardiac disease.

PubMed

Hall, Patricia; Sanford, Julie T; Demi, Alice S

2008-08-01

Implementation of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) in the United States has transferred decision making from the responsibility of health care professionals to the responsibility of family members. Dilemmas occurring as a result of this responsibility may cause stress and conflict among family members. The purpose of this study is to describe the patterns of decision making by family members of patients with life-threatening cardiac disease. Purposive sampling is used to select 10 wives of patients with life-threatening cardiovascular disease. Data are gathered through unstructured interviews and are analyzed using grounded theory and theory triangulation. Analysis of the data reveal three patterns of decision making: advocacy, acquiescence, and abdication.

Leveraging workflow control patterns in the domain of clinical practice guidelines.

PubMed

Kaiser, Katharina; Marcos, Mar

2016-02-10

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) include recommendations describing appropriate care for the management of patients with a specific clinical condition. A number of representation languages have been developed to support executable CPGs, with associated authoring/editing tools. Even with tool assistance, authoring of CPG models is a labor-intensive task. We aim at facilitating the early stages of CPG modeling task. In this context, we propose to support the authoring of CPG models based on a set of suitable procedural patterns described in an implementation-independent notation that can be then semi-automatically transformed into one of the alternative executable CPG languages. We have started with the workflow control patterns which have been identified in the fields of workflow systems and business process management. We have analyzed the suitability of these patterns by means of a qualitative analysis of CPG texts. Following our analysis we have implemented a selection of workflow patterns in the Asbru and PROforma CPG languages. As implementation-independent notation for the description of patterns we have chosen BPMN 2.0. Finally, we have developed XSLT transformations to convert the BPMN 2.0 version of the patterns into the Asbru and PROforma languages. We showed that although a significant number of workflow control patterns are suitable to describe CPG procedural knowledge, not all of them are applicable in the context of CPGs due to their focus on single-patient care. Moreover, CPGs may require additional patterns not included in the set of workflow control patterns. We also showed that nearly all the CPG-suitable patterns can be conveniently implemented in the Asbru and PROforma languages. Finally, we demonstrated that individual patterns can be semi-automatically transformed from a process specification in BPMN 2.0 to executable implementations in these languages. We propose a pattern and transformation-based approach for the development of CPG models. Such an approach can form the basis of a valid framework for the authoring of CPG models. The identification of adequate patterns and the implementation of transformations to convert patterns from a process specification into different executable implementations are the first necessary steps for our approach.

Are There Gendered Pathways to Intimacy in Early Adolescents' and Emerging Adults' Friendships?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radmacher, Kimberley; Azmitia, Margarita

2006-01-01

Two studies addressed age- and gender-related patterns in early adolescents' and emerging adults' conceptions of intimacy in friendships. Forty-one early adolescents and 96 emerging adults in Study 1 and 174 emerging adults in Study 2 described a time when they felt especially close to a friend. Narratives were coded for intimate behaviors and…

Indochinese Refugees in America: Profiles of Five Communities. A Case Study. Executive Seminar in National and International Affairs (22nd).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gim, Wever; Litwin, Tybel

Five case studies describe experiences in the resettlement of Indochinese refugees in Albuquerque, New Mexico; San Diego, California; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Des Moines, Iowa. The case studies focus on local government and community attitudes toward the refugees; patterns of resettlement; and the nature and…

Dermoscopic patterns of melanocytic nevi in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study*

PubMed Central

Piazza, Christiane Donato; Yamada, Sergio; Marcassi, Aline P; Maciel, Marina G; Seize, Maria P; Cestari, Silmara C P

2017-01-01

Background Childhood is a dynamic period regarding nevogenesis. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique, recommended for the evaluation of pigmented cutaneous lesions. Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe the structures and dermoscopic patterns of melanocytic nevi observed in children and adolescents. Methods Dermoscopy with photographic documentation was used for nevi located on the face, trunk, and extremities of 38 patients aged from one to 16 years examined at the Pediatric Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University of São Paulo. Results The study included 201 skin lesions that were diagnosed as nevi during clinic examination. Upon evaluation of the global dermoscopic pattern of the lesions, the most frequently observed nevi were reticular (39.0%), followed by homogeneous (23.9%) and globular nevi (16.4%). During evaluation of the dermoscopic structures, according to the body site, the pigment network was the most observed in the extremities. Study limitations A limitation to be considered is that the inclusion of small or new lesions may hinder the differentiation between dots and globules. Conclusions In our study, the most observed pattern was reticular. There was a difference in the predominance of structures dependent on the anatomical location. PMID:29186245

Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality12

PubMed Central

Mikic, Anja; Pietrolungo, Cara E

2016-01-01

There is much emerging information surrounding the impact of sleep duration and quality on food choice and consumption in both children and adults. However, less attention has been paid to the effects of dietary patterns and specific foods on nighttime sleep. Early studies have shown that certain dietary patterns may affect not only daytime alertness but also nighttime sleep. In this review, we surveyed the literature to describe the role of food consumption on sleep. Research has focused on the effects of mixed meal patterns, such as high-carbohydrate plus low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets, over the short term on sleep. Such studies highlight a potential effect of macronutrient intakes on sleep variables, particularly alterations in slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep with changes in carbohydrate and fat intakes. Other studies instead examined the intake of specific foods, consumed at a fixed time relative to sleep, on sleep architecture and quality. Those foods, specifically milk, fatty fish, tart cherry juice, and kiwifruit, are reviewed here. Studies provide some evidence for a role of certain dietary patterns and foods in the promotion of high-quality sleep, but more studies are necessary to confirm those preliminary findings. PMID:27633109

Modifying patterns of movement in people with low back pain -does it help? A systematic review.

PubMed

Laird, Robert A; Kent, Peter; Keating, Jennifer L

2012-09-07

Physiotherapy for people with low back pain frequently includes assessment and modification of lumbo-pelvic movement. Interventions commonly aim to restore normal movement and thereby reduce pain and improve activity limitation. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate: (i) the effect of movement-based interventions on movement patterns (muscle activation, lumbo-pelvic kinematics or postural patterns) of people with low back pain (LBP), and (ii) the relationship between changes in movement patterns and subsequent changes in pain and activity limitation. MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, AMI, CINAHL, Scopus, AMED, ISI Web of Science were searched from inception until January 2012. Randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials of people with LBP were eligible for inclusion. The intervention must have been designed to influence (i) muscle activity patterns, (ii) lumbo-pelvic kinematic patterns or (iii) postural patterns, and included measurement of such deficits before and after treatment, to allow determination of the success of the intervention on the lumbo-pelvic movement. Twelve trials (25% of retrieved studies) met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently identified, assessed and extracted data. The PEDro scale was used to assess method quality. Intervention effects were described using standardised differences between group means and 95% confidence intervals. The included trials showed inconsistent, mostly small to moderate intervention effects on targeted movement patterns. There was considerable heterogeneity in trial design, intervention type and outcome measures. A relationship between changes to movement patterns and improvements in pain or activity limitation was observed in one of six studies on muscle activation patterns, one of four studies that examined the flexion relaxation response pattern and in two of three studies that assessed lumbo-pelvic kinematics or postural characteristics. Movement-based interventions were infrequently effective for changing observable movement patterns. A relationship between changes in movement patterns and improvement in pain or activity limitation was also infrequently observed. No independent studies confirm any observed relationships. Challenges for future research include defining best methods for measuring (i) movement aberrations, (ii) improvements in movements, and (iii) the relationship between changes in how people move and associated changes in other health indicators such as activity limitation.

Sonographic Bands of Hypoechogenicity in the Spleen in Children: Zebra Spleen.

PubMed

Kuint, Ruth Cytter; Daneman, Alan; Navarro, Oscar M; Oates, Adam

2016-09-01

Zebra spleen is the normal pattern of splenic enhancement during the arterial phase of CT and MRI and is attributed to different flow rates. The purpose of this study was to describe the appearance and occurrence of bands of hypoechogenicity in the spleen on unenhanced sonograms of children with no splenic abnormalities. We reviewed 100 abdominal ultrasound studies to evaluate the ultrasound characteristics of the spleen. Demographic data were collected for all patients. Homogeneous echogenicity of the spleen was found in 92 children. Heterogeneous echogenicity was present in eight. Three of the eight had discrete macronodules due to known splenic disease. The other five had bands of hypoechogenicity. These five had no known splenic disease, but one had mild splenomegaly of unknown cause. The pattern of hypoechoic bands occurred in 5% of our series. This pattern cannot be explained simply by different flow rates and probably reflects different structural components of the parenchyma. At ultrasound this pattern should be considered a normal finding that may simulate a splenic mass.

Pulmonary Vein Doppler Patterns in Infants with Single Right Ventricle Anomalies After Initial Staged Palliations.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, Edward C; Steltzer, Jessica; Simpson, Pippa; Pan, Amy; Dragulescu, Andrea; Falkensammer, Christine B; Gelehrter, Sarah; Lai, Wyman W; Levine, Jami; Miller, Stephen; Miller, Thomas A; Pruetz, Jay; Sachdeva, Ritu; Thacker, Deepika; Frommelt, Peter

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to describe serial changes in echocardiographic Doppler pulmonary vein flow (PVF) patterns in infants with single right ventricle (RV) anomalies enrolled in the Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial. Measurement of PVF peak systolic (S) and diastolic (D) velocities, velocity time integrals (VTI), S/D peak velocity and VTI ratios, and frequency of atrial reversal (Ar) waves were made at three postoperative time points in 261 infants: early post-Norwood, pre-stage II surgery, and 14 months. Indices were compared over time, between initial shunt type [modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) and right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt (RVPAS)] and in relation to clinical outcomes. S velocities and VTI increased over time while D wave was stable, resulting in increasing S/D peak velocity and VTI ratios, with a median post-Norwood S/D VTI ratio of 1.14 versus 1.38 at pre-stage II and 1.89 at 14 months (P < 0.0001 between intervals). MBTS subjects had significantly higher S/D peak velocity and VTI ratios compared to RVPAS at the post-Norwood and pre-stage II time points (P < 0.0001) but not by 14 months. PVF patterns did not correlate with survival or hospitalization course at 1 year. PVF patterns after Norwood palliation differ from normal infants by having a dominant systolic pattern throughout infancy. PVF differences based upon shunt type resolve by 14 months and did not correlate with clinical outcomes. This study describes normative values and variations in PVF for infants with a single RV from shunt-dependent pulmonary blood flow to cavopulmonary blood flow.

Coxiella burnetii shedding by dairy cows.

PubMed

Guatteo, Raphaël; Beaudeau, François; Joly, Alain; Seegers, Henri

2007-01-01

While shedding routes of Coxiella burnetii are identified, the characteristics of Coxiella shedding are still widely unknown, especially in dairy cattle. However, this information is crucial to assess the natural course of Coxiella burnetii infection within a herd and then to elaborate strategies to limit the risks of transmission between animals and to humans. The present study aimed at (i) describing the characteristics of Coxiella burnetii shedding by dairy cows (in milk, vaginal mucus, faeces) in five infected dairy herds, and at (ii) investigating the possible relationships between shedding patterns and serological responses. A total of 145 cows were included in a follow-up consisting of seven concomitant samplings of milk, vaginal mucus, faeces and blood (Day 0, D7, D14, D21, D28, D63, D90). Detection and quantification of Coxiella burnetii titres were performed in milk, vaginal mucus and faeces samples using real-time PCR assay, while antibodies against Coxiella were detected using an ELISA technique. For a given shedding route, and a given periodicity (weekly or monthly), cows were gathered into different shedding kinetic patterns according to the sequence of PCR responses. Distribution of estimated titres in Coxiella burnetii was described according to shedding kinetic patterns. Coxiella burnetii shedding was found scarcely and sporadically in faeces. Vaginal mucus shedding concerned almost 50% of the cows studied and was found intermittently or sporadically, depending on the periodicity considered. Almost 40% of cows were detected as milk shedders, with two predominant shedding patterns: persistent and sporadic, regardless of the sampling periodicity. Significantly higher estimated titres in Coxiella burnetii were observed in cows with persistent shedding patterns suggesting the existence of heavy shedder cows. These latter cows were mostly, persistently highly-seropositive, suggesting that repeated serological testings could be a reliable tool to screen heavy shedders, before using PCR assays.

Patterns of functional vision loss in glaucoma determined with archetypal analysis

PubMed Central

Elze, Tobias; Pasquale, Louis R.; Shen, Lucy Q.; Chen, Teresa C.; Wiggs, Janey L.; Bex, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy accompanied by vision loss which can be mapped by visual field (VF) testing revealing characteristic patterns related to the retinal nerve fibre layer anatomy. While detailed knowledge about these patterns is important to understand the anatomic and genetic aspects of glaucoma, current classification schemes are typically predominantly derived qualitatively. Here, we classify glaucomatous vision loss quantitatively by statistically learning prototypical patterns on the convex hull of the data space. In contrast to component-based approaches, this method emphasizes distinct aspects of the data and provides patterns that are easier to interpret for clinicians. Based on 13 231 reliable Humphrey VFs from a large clinical glaucoma practice, we identify an optimal solution with 17 glaucomatous vision loss prototypes which fit well with previously described qualitative patterns from a large clinical study. We illustrate relations of our patterns to retinal structure by a previously developed mathematical model. In contrast to the qualitative clinical approaches, our results can serve as a framework to quantify the various subtypes of glaucomatous visual field loss. PMID:25505132

Construction, alignment, and implementation of an acousto-optical deflector-based system for patterned uncaging with ultraviolet light.

PubMed

Civillico, Eugene F; Shoham, Shy; O'Connor, Daniel H; Sarkisov, Dmitry V; Wang, Samuel S-H

2012-08-01

The method of patterned photoactivation is a natural fit for the study of neuronal dendritic integration. Photoactivatable molecules that influence a wide range of extracellular and intracellular neurophysiological functions are available. The choice of photosensitive molecules depends on the research question and will influence the design of the experimental apparatus. An acousto-optical deflector (AOD)-based system can be used for rapid ultraviolet (UV) photolysis in arbitrary spatial and temporal patterns. Photolysis-activated "caged" diffusible molecules or newer light-sensitive membrane proteins can be used in this system. This protocol describes the addition of a UV beam for uncaging to a homebuilt two-photon microscope. The goal is to get UV light from the light source (laser) to the approximate center of the objective's back aperture, passing through a pair of perpendicularly oriented AODs along the way. The protocol also describes the fine alignment of the UV beam and the implementation of AOD-based beam steering. Performing the final alignment with the beam passing through the AODs will ensure that the system is optimized for the idiosyncrasies of the crystals.

Self-organization of human embryonic stem cells on micropatterns

PubMed Central

Deglincerti, Alessia; Etoc, Fred; Guerra, M. Cecilia; Martyn, Iain; Metzger, Jakob; Ruzo, Albert; Simunovic, Mijo; Yoney, Anna; Brivanlou, Ali H.; Siggia, Eric; Warmflash, Aryeh

2018-01-01

Fate allocation in the gastrulating embryo is spatially organized as cells differentiate to specialized cell types depending on their positions with respect to the body axes. There is a need for in vitro protocols that allow the study of spatial organization associated with this developmental transition. While embryoid bodies and organoids can exhibit some spatial organization of differentiated cells, these methods do not yield consistent and fully reproducible results. Here, we describe a micropatterning approach where human embryonic stem cells are confined to disk-shaped, sub-millimeter colonies. After 42 hours of BMP4 stimulation, cells form self-organized differentiation patterns in concentric radial domains, which express specific markers associated with the embryonic germ layers, reminiscent of gastrulating embryos. Our protocol takes 3 days; it uses commercial microfabricated slides (CYTOO), human laminin-521 (LN-521) as extra-cellular matrix coating, and either conditioned or chemically-defined medium (mTeSR). Differentiation patterns within individual colonies can be determined by immunofluorescence and analyzed with cellular resolution. Both the size of the micropattern and the type of medium affect the patterning outcome. The protocol is appropriate for personnel with basic stem cell culture training. This protocol describes a robust platform for quantitative analysis of the mechanisms associated with pattern formation at the onset of gastrulation. PMID:27735934

Health administrative data can be used to define a shared care typology for people with HIV.

PubMed

Kendall, Claire E; Younger, Jaime; Manuel, Douglas G; Hogg, William; Glazier, Richard H; Taljaard, Monica

2015-11-01

Building on an existing theoretical shared primary care/specialist care framework to (1) develop a unique typology of care for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Ontario, (2) assess sensitivity of the typology by varying typology definitions, and (3) describe characteristics of typology categories. Retrospective population-based observational study from April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2012. A total of 13,480 eligible patients with HIV and receiving publicly funded health care in Ontario. We derived a typology of care by linking patients to usual family physicians and to HIV specialists with five possible patterns of care. Patient and physician characteristics and outpatient visits for HIV-related and non-HIV-related care were used to assess the robustness and characteristics of the typology. Five possible patterns of care were described as low engagement (8.6%), exclusively primary care (52.7%), family physician-dominated comanagement (10.0%), specialist-dominated comanagement (30.5%), and exclusively specialist care (5.2%). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated robustness of typology assignments. Visit patterns varied in ways that conform to typology assignments. We anticipate this typology can be used to assess the impact of care patterns on the quality of primary care for people living with HIV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recurrent Bleeding After Perimesencephalic Hemorrhage.

PubMed

Kauw, Frans; Velthuis, Birgitta K; Kizilates, Ufuk; van der Schaaf, Irene C; Rinkel, Gabriel J E; Vergouwen, Mervyn D I

2017-12-01

Perimesencephalic hemorrhage (PMH) is a type of subarachnoid hemorrhage with excellent long-term outcomes. Only 1 well-documented case of in-hospital rebleeding after PMH is described in the literature, which occurred after initiating antithrombotic treatment because of myocardial ischemia. We describe a patient with PMH without antithrombotic treatment who had 2 episodes of recurrent bleeding on the day of ictus. To validate the radiologic findings, we conducted a case-control study. Six neuroradiologists and 2 neuroradiology fellows performed a blinded assessment of serial unenhanced head computed tomography (CT) scans of 8 patients with a perimesencephalic bleeding pattern (1 index patient, 6 patients with PMH, 1 patient with perimesencephalic bleeding pattern and basilar artery aneurysm) to investigate a potential increase in amount of subarachnoid blood. A 56-year-old woman with a perimesencephalic bleeding pattern and negative CT angiography had 2 episodes after the onset headache with a sudden increase of the headache. Blinded assessment of serial head CT scans of 8 patients with a perimesencephalic bleeding pattern identified the patient who was clinically suspected to have 2 episodes of recurrent bleeding to have an increased amount of subarachnoid blood on 2 subsequent CT scans. Recurrent bleeding after PMH may also occur in patients not treated with antithrombotics. Even after early rebleeding, the prognosis of PMH is excellent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding the spatiotemporal pattern of grazing cattle movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Kun; Jurdak, Raja

2016-08-01

Understanding the drivers of animal movement is significant for ecology and biology. Yet researchers have so far been unable to fully understand these drivers, largely due to low data resolution. In this study, we analyse a high-frequency movement dataset for a group of grazing cattle and investigate their spatiotemporal patterns using a simple two-state ‘stop-and-move’ mobility model. We find that the dispersal kernel in the moving state is best described by a mixture exponential distribution, indicating the hierarchical nature of the movement. On the other hand, the waiting time appears to be scale-invariant below a certain cut-off and is best described by a truncated power-law distribution, suggesting that the non-moving state is governed by time-varying dynamics. We explore possible explanations for the observed phenomena, covering factors that can play a role in the generation of mobility patterns, such as the context of grazing environment, the intrinsic decision-making mechanism or the energy status of different activities. In particular, we propose a new hypothesis that the underlying movement pattern can be attributed to the most probable observable energy status under the maximum entropy configuration. These results are not only valuable for modelling cattle movement but also provide new insights for understanding the underlying biological basis of grazing behaviour.

Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution.

PubMed

Joshi, Ganesh Arun; Joshi, Prajakta Ganesh

2015-02-01

The gynecological health needs of girls with disabilities is an issue related to their rights as individuals. The objective of this study is to describe the menstrual pattern of girls with disabilities. A descriptive study was undertaken on thirty girls with different types of disabilities in a residential institution. The diagnosis, type of disability, secondary sexual characters, age at menarche, menstrual pattern and practice of menstrual hygiene was noted. The girls with intellectual disabilities had later age of menarche, irregular cycles and more behaviour problems. The girls with hearing impairment and locomotor disabilities had normal menstrual pattern. The girl with low vision had earlier menarche and regularized cycles. Girls with normal intelligence and mild intellectual disabilities were independent in maintaining menstrual hygiene. The menstrual disorders are managed conservatively in accordance with latest guidelines. Onset of menarche is towards the extremes of normal age range in girls with intellectual disabilities or visual impairment but not in girls with hearing impairments or locomotor disabilities. Girls with disabilities have potential for independent menstrual care. Menstrual disorders were managed conservatively.

Multivariate temporal pattern analysis applied to the study of rat behavior in the elevated plus maze: methodological and conceptual highlights.

PubMed

Casarrubea, M; Magnusson, M S; Roy, V; Arabo, A; Sorbera, F; Santangelo, A; Faulisi, F; Crescimanno, G

2014-08-30

Aim of this article is to illustrate the application of a multivariate approach known as t-pattern analysis in the study of rat behavior in elevated plus maze. By means of this multivariate approach, significant relationships among behavioral events in the course of time can be described. Both quantitative and t-pattern analyses were utilized to analyze data obtained from fifteen male Wistar rats following a trial 1-trial 2 protocol. In trial 2, in comparison with the initial exposure, mean occurrences of behavioral elements performed in protected zones of the maze showed a significant increase counterbalanced by a significant decrease of mean occurrences of behavioral elements in unprotected zones. Multivariate t-pattern analysis, in trial 1, revealed the presence of 134 t-patterns of different composition. In trial 2, the temporal structure of behavior become more simple, being present only 32 different t-patterns. Behavioral strings and stripes (i.e. graphical representation of each t-pattern onset) of all t-patterns were presented both for trial 1 and trial 2 as well. Finally, percent distributions in the three zones of the maze show a clear-cut increase of t-patterns in closed arm and a significant reduction in the remaining zones. Results show that previous experience deeply modifies the temporal structure of rat behavior in the elevated plus maze. In addition, this article, by highlighting several conceptual, methodological and illustrative aspects on the utilization of t-pattern analysis, could represent a useful background to employ such a refined approach in the study of rat behavior in elevated plus maze. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patterns of health-related behaviours among adolescents: a cross-sectional study based on the National Survey of School Health Brazil 2012

PubMed Central

Azeredo, Catarina Machado; Levy, Renata Bertazzi; Peres, Maria Fernanda Tourinho; Menezes, Paulo Rossi; Araya, Ricardo

2016-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyse the clustering of multiple health-related behaviours among adolescents and describe which socio-demographic characteristics are associated with these patterns. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Brazilian schools assessed by the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE, 2012). Participants 104 109 Brazilian ninth-grade students from public and private schools (response rate=82.7%). Methods Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to identify behaviour clustering and linear regression models were used to identify socio-demographic characteristics associated with each one of these behaviour patterns. Results We identified a good fit model with three behaviour patterns. The first was labelled ‘problem-behaviour’ and included aggressive behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use and unsafe sex; the second was labelled ‘health-compromising diet and sedentary behaviours’ and included unhealthy food indicators and sedentary behaviour; and the third was labelled ‘health-promoting diet and physical activity’ and included healthy food indicators and physical activity. No differences in behaviour patterns were found between genders. The problem-behaviour pattern was associated with male gender, older age, more developed region (socially and economically) and public schools (compared with private). The ‘health-compromising diet and sedentary behaviours’ pattern was associated with female gender, older age, mothers with higher education level and more developed region. The ‘health-promoting diet and physical activity’ pattern was associated with male gender and mothers with higher education level. Conclusions Three health-related behaviour patterns were found among Brazilian adolescents. Interventions to decrease those negative patterns should take into account how these behaviours cluster together and the individuals most at risk. PMID:28186927

A review of electronic journal acquisition, management, and use in health sciences libraries.

PubMed

Burrows, Suzetta

2006-01-01

The paper describes patterns of electronic journal usage in health sciences libraries during the past decade. The paper presents a case study, documenting the pattern of acquisition, management, and usage at the Louis Calder Memorial Library of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Health sciences journals were early to offer electronic alternatives to print. As a result, health sciences libraries, their patrons, and the public at large were early to embrace the new versions and continue to embrace the significant changes in scholarly communication they enable. Although the patterns of electronic journals among health sciences libraries and other special and academic libraries have similarities, they also have differences. Broad studies of electronic journals in non-health sciences libraries have been published, but a retrospective review of electronic journals in health sciences libraries has not.

Spacer geometry and particle deposition in spiral wound membrane feed channels.

PubMed

Radu, A I; van Steen, M S H; Vrouwenvelder, J S; van Loosdrecht, M C M; Picioreanu, C

2014-11-01

Deposition of microspheres mimicking bacterial cells was studied experimentally and with a numerical model in feed spacer membrane channels, as used in spiral wound nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems. In-situ microscopic observations in membrane fouling simulators revealed formation of specific particle deposition patterns for different diamond and ladder feed spacer orientations. A three-dimensional numerical model combining fluid flow with a Lagrangian approach for particle trajectory calculations could describe very well the in-situ observations on particle deposition in flow cells. Feed spacer geometry, positioning and cross-flow velocity sensitively influenced the particle transport and deposition patterns. The deposition patterns were not influenced by permeate production. This combined experimental-modeling approach could be used for feed spacer geometry optimization studies for reduced (bio)fouling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational patterns of people with dementia in residential care: an ethnographic study.

PubMed

Holthe, Torhild; Thorsen, Kirsten; Josephsson, Staffan

2007-06-01

This paper describes an ethnographic study that sought to gain knowledge of the occupational patterns of persons with dementia in a care home and how the residents perceived the group activities in which they participated. The residents' ages ranged from 82 to 92 years. They were seven women and one man. Both participant observation and interviews were used to collect data. Data analysis resulted in an ethnographic story organised around two key themes: (1) the occupational patterns of the residents, and (2) the residents' perceptions of the activities offered. In this story residents appeared passive, playing the role of guests in the care home. Residents were dependent on staff to engage in daily occupations. Interviews revealed that residents perceived participation in activities as important to their mental and physical health and an advantage of living in the care home.

Statistics and dynamics of attractor networks with inter-correlated patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kropff, E.

2007-02-01

In an embodied feature representation view, the semantic memory represents concepts in the brain by the associated activation of the features that describe it, each one of them processed in a differentiated region of the cortex. This system has been modeled with a Potts attractor network. Several studies of feature representation show that the correlation between patterns plays a crucial role in semantic memory. The present work focuses on two aspects of the effect of correlations in attractor networks. In first place, it assesses how a Potts network can store a set of patterns with non-trivial correlations between them. This is done through a simple and biologically plausible modification to the classical learning rule. In second place, it studies the complexity of latching transitions between attractor states, and how this complexity can be controlled.

Dermoscopic findings and histological correlation of the acral volar pigmented maculae in Laugier-Hunziker syndrome.

PubMed

Sendagorta, Elena; Feito, Marta; Ramírez, Paloma; Gonzalez-Beato, María; Saida, Toshiaki; Pizarro, Angel

2010-11-01

Laugier-Hunziker syndrome (LHS) is an acquired, benign, macular hyperpigmentation of the lips and oral mucosa, often associated with pigmentation of the nails. Volar acral maculae on the palms and fingertips of patients affected by LHS are a typical feature of this rare entity. Dermoscopic examination of these maculae has been described in a previous report, in which authors found a parallel-furrow pattern. We describe two cases in which a parallel-ridge pattern (PRP) was found on the dermoscopic examination of the pigmented acral lesions. Histological examination showed increased melanin in basal keratinocytes, which was most prominent in those located at the crista intermedia profunda, that is, in the epidermal rete ridges underlying the surface ridges. In our study, dermoscopic features of the pigmented maculae found on LHS differed from those previously described. In addition, by means of this case report, the histological features of these lesions are described for the first time, showing an excellent correlation with dermoscopy. The reported cases prove that although the PRP is very specific of melanoma, it is also possible to find it in benign lesions. Therefore, we must be familiar with the differential diagnosis of PRP, and take into consideration the clinical context in which we find it. Further studies are needed to increase our knowledge on the histological and dermoscopic features of acral pigmented maculae of LHS. © 2010 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Exploring Nonconvex, Crossed and Degenerate Polygons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Contreras, Jose N.

2004-01-01

An exploration of nonconvex, crossed, and degenerate polygons (NCCDPs) are described with the help of examples with pedagogical tips and recommendations that are found useful when teaching the mathematical process of extending geometric patterns to NCCDPs. The study concludes that investigating such extensions with interactive geometry software…

Teachers and Electronic Mail: Networking on the Network.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broholm, John R.; Aust, Ronald

1994-01-01

Describes a study that examined the communication patterns of teachers who used UNITE (Unified Network for Informatics in Teacher Education), an electronic mail system designed to encourage curricular collaboration and resource sharing. Highlights include computer-mediated communication, use of UNITE by librarians, and recommendations for…

Fruit and vegetable intake among older adults: a scoping review

PubMed Central

Kadell, Andria R.

2013-01-01

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the world population. Older adults are also at heightened risk of chronic conditions (such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer) and specific geriatric conditions (such as cognitive impairment, frailty, and falls). Research studies have examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and subsequent health outcomes and the correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in the U.S. population. However, relatively few studies have specifically examined health impacts and correlates of fruit and vegetable intake among older adults, who have unique biophysical and socioeconomic circumstances. Evidence is reviewed to (1) describe findings related to consumption and chronic, geriatric, and other health outcomes among older adults and (2) describe patterns in fruit and vegetable consumption among older adults and how these patterns vary within and among populations. This review addresses specific barriers faced by older adults in obtaining and consuming fruits and vegetables in community settings. Recommendations for practice and policy are discussed. PMID:23769545

Decoding Hemodynamics of Large Vessels via Dispersion of Contrast Agent in Cardiac Computed Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eslami, Parastou; Seo, Jung-Hee; Abd, Thura T.; George, Richard; Lardo, Albert C.; Chen, Marcus Y.; Mittal, Rajat

2015-11-01

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) has emerged as a powerful tool for the assessment of coronary artery disease and other cardiac conditions. Continuous improvements in the spatial and temporal resolution of CT scanners are revealing details regarding the spatially and temporally varying contrast concentration in the vasculature, that were not evident before. These contrast dispersion patterns offer the possibility of extracting useful information about the hemodynamics from the scans. In the current presentation, we will describe experimental studies carried out with CT compatible phantoms of coronary vessels that provide insights into the effect of imaging artifacts on the observed intracoronary contrast gradients. In addition, we will describe a series of computational fluid dynamics studies that explore the dispersion of contrast through the ascending-descending aorta with particular focus on the effect of the aortic curvature on the dispersion patterns. PE is supported by the NIH Graduate Partnership Program. RM and ACL pending patents in CTA based flow diagnostics and have other significant financial interests in these technologies.

Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland with Four Morphological Features

PubMed Central

Rosero, David S; Alvarez, Ramiro; Gambó, Paula; Alastuey, María; Valero, Alberto; Torrecilla, Nerea; Roche, A. Belén; Simón, Sara

2016-01-01

Acinic cell carcinoma arising in salivary glands is a rare tumor, accounting for 2% to 5% of the primary neoplasms of the parotid gland. When these tumors are well-differentiated, the neoplasia has innocuous aspect, due to the similarity to normal parotid tissue. This makes the diagnosis difficult. Initially the malignancy of this tumor was uncertain; however, recent studies have declared it as malignant. The female / male ratio is 3:2. The nodule usually presents as solitary and well defined shape. Several authors have used different terms to describe histomorphological patterns of these tumors. Four descriptive categories (solid, microcystic, papillary-cystic and follicular) are useful for pathologists. Here we report a case of a 49 yr old man with a left parotid nodule of 5 cm. Parotidectomy was performed at the Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, in Zaragoza (Spain). The microscopy showed a tumor with acinic semblance, having the four morphologic patterns previously described. The morphological and immunohistochemical study was consistent with the diagnosis of acinic cell carcinoma. PMID:27499783

Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland with Four Morphological Features.

PubMed

Rosero, David S; Alvarez, Ramiro; Gambó, Paula; Alastuey, María; Valero, Alberto; Torrecilla, Nerea; Roche, A Belén; Simón, Sara

2016-01-01

Acinic cell carcinoma arising in salivary glands is a rare tumor, accounting for 2% to 5% of the primary neoplasms of the parotid gland. When these tumors are well-differentiated, the neoplasia has innocuous aspect, due to the similarity to normal parotid tissue. This makes the diagnosis difficult. Initially the malignancy of this tumor was uncertain; however, recent studies have declared it as malignant. The female / male ratio is 3:2. The nodule usually presents as solitary and well defined shape. Several authors have used different terms to describe histomorphological patterns of these tumors. Four descriptive categories (solid, microcystic, papillary-cystic and follicular) are useful for pathologists. Here we report a case of a 49 yr old man with a left parotid nodule of 5 cm. Parotidectomy was performed at the Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, in Zaragoza (Spain). The microscopy showed a tumor with acinic semblance, having the four morphologic patterns previously described. The morphological and immunohistochemical study was consistent with the diagnosis of acinic cell carcinoma.

Study of abrasive resistance of foundries models obtained with use of additive technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ol'khovik, Evgeniy

2017-10-01

A problem of determination of resistance of the foundry models and patterns from ABS (PLA) plastic, obtained by the method of 3D printing with using FDM additive technology, to abrasive wear and resistance in the environment of foundry sand mould is considered in the present study. The description of a technique and equipment for tests of castings models and patterns for wear is provided in the article. The manufacturing techniques of models with the use of the 3D printer (additive technology) are described. The scheme with vibration load was applied to samples tests. For the most qualitative research of influence of sandy mix on plastic, models in real conditions of abrasive wear have been organized. The results also examined the application of acrylic paintwork to the plastic model and a two-component coating. The practical offers and recommendation on production of master models with the use of FDM technology allowing one to reach indicators of durability, exceeding 2000 cycles of moulding in foundry sand mix, are described.

Personal Care Product Use in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: Implications for Exposure Assessment.

PubMed

Lang, Carly; Fisher, Mandy; Neisa, Angelica; MacKinnon, Leona; Kuchta, Sandra; MacPherson, Susan; Probert, Adam; Arbuckle, Tye E

2016-01-06

Concern regarding the potential for developmental health risks associated with certain chemicals (e.g., phthalates, antibacterials) used in personal care products is well documented; however, current exposure data for pregnant women are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the pattern of personal care product use in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Usage patterns of personal care products were collected at six different time points during pregnancy and once in the postpartum period for a cohort of 80 pregnant women in Ottawa, Canada. The pattern of use was then described and groups of personal care product groups commonly used together were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that product use varied by income and country of birth. General hygiene products were the most commonly used products and were consistently used over time while cosmetic product use declined with advancing pregnancy and post-delivery. Hand soaps and baby products were reported as used more frequently after birth. This study is the first to track personal care product use across pregnancy and into the postpartum period, and suggests that pregnant populations may be a unique group of personal care product users. This information will be useful for exposure assessments.

Schizophrenia, depression, and sleep disorders: their traditional Oriental medicine equivalents.

PubMed

Bosch, Peggy; de Rover, Peter; Staudte, Heike; Lim, Sabina; van den Noort, Maurits

2015-02-01

Psychiatric disorders can be described and treated from both a Western (allopathic) and an Eastern perspective, which should be taken into account when conducting research. Patients with schizophrenia or depression are likely to be undergoing Western treatment when they are referred to an acupuncturist for (add-on) treatment, and knowledge of both types of treatments is necessary to integrate them successfully. In this study, the different Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) diagnostic patterns in patients with a Western diagnosis of schizophrenia, depression, or sleep disorders are described from a literature and a clinical perspective. The data on 30 depression and 30 schizophrenia patients from a German study are presented. Our results show that if a psychiatric group, sorted in accordance to Western diagnostic principles, is diagnosed on the basis of TOM diagnostic patterns, it can be categorized into different groups of patients with psychiatric disorders; this finding has far-reaching consequences in scientific research on acupuncture. Moreover, we found a high prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with both schizophrenia and depression, which could be explained from the perspective of a TOM diagnostic pattern. Finally, we discuss sleep quality as a treatment objective that may play a crucial role in mediating acupuncture-induced treatment effects in patients with schizophrenia and depression. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Personal Care Product Use in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: Implications for Exposure Assessment

PubMed Central

Lang, Carly; Fisher, Mandy; Neisa, Angelica; MacKinnon, Leona; Kuchta, Sandra; MacPherson, Susan; Probert, Adam; Arbuckle, Tye E.

2016-01-01

Concern regarding the potential for developmental health risks associated with certain chemicals (e.g., phthalates, antibacterials) used in personal care products is well documented; however, current exposure data for pregnant women are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the pattern of personal care product use in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Usage patterns of personal care products were collected at six different time points during pregnancy and once in the postpartum period for a cohort of 80 pregnant women in Ottawa, Canada. The pattern of use was then described and groups of personal care product groups commonly used together were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that product use varied by income and country of birth. General hygiene products were the most commonly used products and were consistently used over time while cosmetic product use declined with advancing pregnancy and post-delivery. Hand soaps and baby products were reported as used more frequently after birth. This study is the first to track personal care product use across pregnancy and into the postpartum period, and suggests that pregnant populations may be a unique group of personal care product users. This information will be useful for exposure assessments. PMID:26751460

Inferring the Limit Behavior of Some Elementary Cellular Automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruivo, Eurico L. P.; de Oliveira, Pedro P. B.

Cellular automata locally define dynamical systems, discrete in space, time and in the state variables, capable of displaying arbitrarily complex global emergent behavior. One core question in the study of cellular automata refers to their limit behavior, that is, to the global dynamical features in an infinite time evolution. Previous works have shown that for finite time evolutions, the dynamics of one-dimensional cellular automata can be described by regular languages and, therefore, by finite automata. Such studies have shown the existence of growth patterns in the evolution of such finite automata for some elementary cellular automata rules and also inferred the limit behavior of such rules based upon the growth patterns; however, the results on the limit behavior were obtained manually, by direct inspection of the structures that arise during the time evolution. Here we present the formalization of an automatic method to compute such structures. Based on this, the rules of the elementary cellular automata space were classified according to the existence of a growth pattern in their finite automata. Also, we present a method to infer the limit graph of some elementary cellular automata rules, derived from the analysis of the regular expressions that describe their behavior in finite time. Finally, we analyze some attractors of two rules for which we could not compute the whole limit set.

More about How to Teach Fractal Geometry with Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padula, Janice

2009-01-01

Padula, J. (2005) described how mathematics teachers can channel the passion of students interested in electronic music by teaching the mathematics that has been used to create it. She hypothesised that the study and enjoyment of music may help the study of mathematics since both mathematics and music are symbol systems and pattern (and its…

Different but Similar: Computer Use Patterns between Young Korean Males and Females

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Keol; Meier, Ellen B.

2011-01-01

This study was developed to identify and describe new trends and gender differences in the use of computers and the Internet in South Korea. In this mixed-method study, both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used. Results indicated that both males and females used computers generally for four purposes: social networking, personal…

Convenience or Credibility? A Study of College Student Online Research Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biddix, J. Patrick; Chung, Chung Joo; Park, Han Woo

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate where students turn for course-related assignments, whether an ordered pattern could be described in terms of which sources students turn to and how students evaluated the information they chose to use. Data were drawn from open-ended questionnaires (n = 282). Semantic network analysis was conducted…

Language Policy and Literacy Practices in the Family: The Case of Ethiopian Parental Narrative Input

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stavans, Anat

2012-01-01

The present study analyses the Family Language Policy (FLP) in regards language literacy development of children in Ethiopian immigrant families. Bridging the gap between linguistic literacy at home and at school hinders a smooth societal integration and a normative literacy development. This study describes the home literacy patterns shaped by…

Citation Behavior and Place of Publication in the Authors from the Scientific Periphery: A Matter of Quality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekavac, Anamarija; And Others

1994-01-01

Describes a study that examined the communication pattern of Croatian scientists in the field of biomedicine related to citing articles in domestic sources. An analysis of references and a survey of authors are used to study differences in scientists' attitudes toward domestic versus international journals. (Contains 13 references.) (LRW)

Cumulative Advantage in the Skill Development of STEM Graduate Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldon, David F.; Maher, Michelle A.; Roksa, Josipa; Peugh, James

2016-01-01

Studies of skill development often describe a process of cumulative advantage, in which small differences in initial skill compound over time, leading to increasing skill gaps between those with an initial advantage and those without. We offer evidence of a similar phenomenon accounting for differential patterns of research skill development in…

Teaching New Orleans: A Cultural Immersion and Service Learning Travel Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luquet, Wade J.

2009-01-01

This article describes a travel course to New Orleans that allows students the opportunity to study a unique culture in the United States. Students in the course are able to study how the culture developed through its immigration patterns, its food, its architecture, and the development of jazz. Since the flooding following Hurricane Katrina, a…

An Empirical Study of the Career Paths of Senior Educational Administrators in Manitoba, Canada: Implications for Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallin, Dawn C.

2012-01-01

This paper conceptualizes queue theory (Tallerico & Blount, 2004) to discuss a mixed-methods study that determined the career patterns of senior educational administrators in public school divisions in Manitoba, Canada, compared by position, context and sex. Findings indicate that queue theory has merit for describing the career paths of…

Alcohol-Related Injuries among Eastern Croatian University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miskulin, Ivan; Peek-Asa, Corinne; Miskulin, Maja

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the alcohol consumption patterns and to identify the association of injury with excess drinking among Croatian students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 university students by the use of the WHO AUDIT questionnaire. A total of 39.9% of the university students reported some level of excess…

Graduation and Withdrawal from RN Programs. A Report of the Nurse Career-Pattern Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knopf, Lucille

Based on a larger longitudinal study, this document examines three nursing groups--those entering schools preparing registered nurses in 1962, 1965, and 1967. It describes and compares those who graduated and those who withdrew before graduation and examines the reasons why the students withdraw from both the students' and the program directors'…

From Student-Athlete to Student-Teacher: A Case Study of One Student's Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caniglia, Joanne; Pellegrino, Christine

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe patterns of behavior that a student-athlete not only exhibits during athletic competition, but also transfers from the soccer field to the college classroom and to the teaching profession. Using journals, lesson plans, teaching commentaries, videos, and interviews, a qualitative case study…

A Merger Feasibility Study: Greenville City and Pitt County (North Carolina) Schools. Final Report, 22N-2572.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyecha, John N.; And Others

This report contains findings and recommendations based on a study conducted to determine the feasibility of merging the Pitt County and Greenville County (North Carolina) school systems. Each school system is described in terms of pupil population patterns, building use, and educational and administrative services; issues related to these…

Combinatorial Histone Acetylation Patterns Are Generated by Motif-Specific Reactions.

PubMed

Blasi, Thomas; Feller, Christian; Feigelman, Justin; Hasenauer, Jan; Imhof, Axel; Theis, Fabian J; Becker, Peter B; Marr, Carsten

2016-01-27

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are pivotal to cellular information processing, but how combinatorial PTM patterns ("motifs") are set remains elusive. We develop a computational framework, which we provide as open source code, to investigate the design principles generating the combinatorial acetylation patterns on histone H4 in Drosophila melanogaster. We find that models assuming purely unspecific or lysine site-specific acetylation rates were insufficient to explain the experimentally determined motif abundances. Rather, these abundances were best described by an ensemble of models with acetylation rates that were specific to motifs. The model ensemble converged upon four acetylation pathways; we validated three of these using independent data from a systematic enzyme depletion study. Our findings suggest that histone acetylation patterns originate through specific pathways involving motif-specific acetylation activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mountaintop island age determines species richness of boreal mammals in the American Southwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frey, J.K.; Bogan, M.A.; Yates, Terry L.

2007-01-01

Models that describe the mechanisms responsible for insular patterns of species richness include the equilibrium theory of island biogeography and the nonequilibrium vicariance model. The relative importance of dispersal or vicariance in structuring insular distribution patterns can be inferred from these models. Predictions of the alternative models were tested for boreal mammals in the American Southwest. Age of mountaintop islands of boreal habitat was determined by constructing a geographic cladogram based on characteristics of intervening valley barriers. Other independent variables included area and isolation of mountaintop islands. Island age was the most important predictor of species richness. In contrast with previous studies of species richness patterns in this system, these results supported the nonequilibrium vicariance model, which indicates that vicariance has been the primary determinant of species distribution patterns in this system.

Interactive design of generic chemical patterns.

PubMed

Schomburg, Karen T; Wetzer, Lars; Rarey, Matthias

2013-07-01

Every medicinal chemist has to create chemical patterns occasionally for querying databases, applying filters or describing functional groups. However, the representations of chemical patterns have been so far limited to languages with highly complex syntax, handicapping the application of patterns. Graphic pattern editors similar to chemical editors can facilitate the work with patterns. In this article, we review the interfaces of frequently used web search engines for chemical patterns. We take a look at pattern editing concepts of standalone chemical editors and finally present a completely new, unpublished graphical approach to pattern design, the SMARTSeditor. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Injury profile suffered by targets of antipersonnel improvised explosive devices: prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Smith, Shane; Devine, Melissa; Taddeo, Joseph

2017-01-01

Objective To describe pattern 1 injuries caused by the antipersonnel improvised explosive device (AP-IED) in comparison to those previously described for antipersonnel mines (APM). Design Prospective cohort study of 100 consecutive pedestrian victims of an AP-IED, with traumatic amputation without regard for gender, nationality or military status. Setting Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. Participants One hundred consecutive patients, all male, 6–44 years old. Main outcome measures The details of injuries were recorded to describe the pattern and characterise the injuries suffered by the target of AP-IEDs. The level of amputation, the level of soft tissue injury, the fracture pattern (including pelvic fractures) as well as perineal, gluteal, genital and other injuries were recorded. Results Victims of AP-IED were more likely, compared with APM victims, to have multiple amputations (70.0% vs 10.4%; p<0.001) or genital injury (26% vs 13%; p=0.007). Multiple amputations occurred in 70 patients: 5 quadruple amputations, 27 triple amputations and 38 double amputations. Pelvic fracture occurred in 21 victims, all but one of whom had multiple amputations. Severe perineal, gluteal or genital injuries were present in 46 patients. Severe soft tissue injury was universal, with injection of contaminated soil along tissue planes well above entry sites. There were 13 facial injuries, 9 skull fractures and 3 traumatic brain injuries. Eleven eye injuries were seen; none of the victims with eye injuries were wearing eye protection. The casualty fatality rate was at least 19%. The presence of more than one amputation was associated with a higher rate of pelvic fracture (28.6% vs 3.3%; p=0.005) and perineal–gluteal injury (32.6% vs 11.1%; p=0.009). Conclusion The injury pattern suffered by the target of the AP-IED is markedly worse than that of conventional APM. Pelvic binders and tourniquets should be applied at the point of injury to patients with multiple amputations or perineal injuries. PMID:28835410

Coexistent Superscan and Lincoln Sign on Bone Scintigraphy.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Mukta; Soni, Atul; Shetkar, Shubhangi; Amer, Momin; Mulavekar, Amruta; Joshi, Prathamesh

2017-08-01

A 70-year-old man underwent Tc-methylene diphosphonate scintigraphy for staging of adenocarcinoma prostate. Scintigraphy revealed diffuse increased tracer uptake in skeletal system along with faint renal visualization, a pattern compatible with metastatic superscan. The scintigraphy also revealed increased radiotracer uptake in the body of the mandible-Lincoln sign or black beard sign. Radiological imaging revealed sclerotic lesions throughout the skeleton including the mandible, confirming widespread skeletal metastases. Lincoln sign is previously described in monostotic Paget disease of the mandible and in contiguous spread of oral malignancy. We describe this pattern in distant metastatic involvement from carcinoma prostate with coexistent superscan pattern.

Feasibility of applying the life history calendar in a population of chronic opioid users to identify patterns of drug use and addiction treatment.

PubMed

Fikowski, Jill; Marchand, Kirsten; Palis, Heather; Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia

2014-01-01

Uncovering patterns of drug use and treatment access is essential to improving treatment for opioid dependence. The life history calendar (LHC) could be a valuable instrument for capturing time-sensitive data on lifetime patterns of drug use and addiction treatment. This study describes the methodology applied when collecting data using the LHC in a sample of individuals with long-term opioid dependence and aims to identify specific factors that impact the feasibility of administering the LHC interview. In this study, the LHC allowed important events such as births, intimate relationships, housing, or incarcerations to become reference points for recalling details surrounding drug use and treatment access. The paper concludes that the administration of the LHC was a resource-intensive process and required special attention to interviewer training and experience with the study population. These factors should be considered and integrated into study plans by researchers using the LHC in addiction research.

Evidence for Nipah virus recrudescence and serological patterns of captive Pteropus vampyrus

PubMed Central

SOHAYATI, A. R.; HASSAN, L.; SHARIFAH, S. H.; LAZARUS, K.; ZAINI, C. M.; EPSTEIN, J. H.; NAIM, N. SHAMSYUL; FIELD, H. E.; ARSHAD, S. S.; AZIZ, J. ABDUL; DASZAK, P.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY This study aimed to describe the transmission dynamics, the serological and virus excretion patterns of Nipah virus (NiV) in Pteropus vampyrus bats. Bats in captivity were sampled every 7–21 days over a 1-year period. The data revealed five NiV serological patterns categorized as high and low positives, waning, decreasing and increasing, and negative in these individuals. The findings strongly suggest that NiV circulates in wild bat populations and that antibody could be maintained for long periods. The study also found that pup and juvenile bats from seropositive dams tested seropositive, indicating that maternal antibodies against NiV are transmitted passively, and in this study population may last up to 14 months. NiV was isolated from the urine of one bat, and within a few weeks, two other seronegative bats seroconverted. Based on the temporal cluster of seroconversion, we strongly believe that the NiV isolated was recrudesced and then transmitted horizontally between bats during the study period. PMID:21524339

Methods and Materials for Selective Modification of Photopatterned Polymer Films.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-06-28

reactivity templates (see below) formed by patterned irradiation of polymer films. In particular, the invention describes binding materials and processes ...image of the attached functional group) or that region of the polymer film left unexposed and unchanged during the aforementioned patterning process ...invention are accomplished by the structures and processes hereinafter 15 described. An aspect of the present invention is a process for modifying a

Manipulating Cells with Static Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valles, J. M.; Guevorkian, K.

2005-07-01

We review our investigations of the use of static magnetic fields, B, for manipulating cells and cellular processes. We describe how B fields modify the cell division pattern of frog embryos and consequently can be used to probe the pattern determinants. We also observe that magnetic fields modify the swimming behavior of Paramecium Caudatum. We describe these modifications and their potential application to investigations of their swimming behavior.

Depressed Skull Fractures: A Pattern of Abusive Head Injury in Three Older Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Anselm C. W.; Ou, Yvonne; Fong, Dawson

2003-01-01

Objective: To describe a pattern of abusive head injury in a series of children older than 4 years of age. Methods: A hospital chart review of abused children with skull fractures from 1999 to 2001 was carried out. The clinical features, social background, and subsequent outcome and management are described. Results: An 11-year-old girl and a pair…

Computer vision for microscopy diagnosis of malaria.

PubMed

Tek, F Boray; Dempster, Andrew G; Kale, Izzet

2009-07-13

This paper reviews computer vision and image analysis studies aiming at automated diagnosis or screening of malaria infection in microscope images of thin blood film smears. Existing works interpret the diagnosis problem differently or propose partial solutions to the problem. A critique of these works is furnished. In addition, a general pattern recognition framework to perform diagnosis, which includes image acquisition, pre-processing, segmentation, and pattern classification components, is described. The open problems are addressed and a perspective of the future work for realization of automated microscopy diagnosis of malaria is provided.

Nursing at ground zero: experiences during and after September 11 World Trade Center attack.

PubMed

Dickerson, Suzanne Steffan; Jezewski, Mary Ann; Nelson-Tuttle, Christine; Shipkey, Nancy; Wilk, Nancy; Crandall, Blythe

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to discover shared perceptions, feelings, and common experiences of nurses after the September 11th World Trade Center terrorist attack through interpretive analysis of narrative stories of seventeen nurses. Six themes and one constitutive pattern describe the experiences: (a) Loss of a symbol and regaining new meaning, (b) Disaster without patients, (c) Coordinating with and without organizations, (d) Rediscovering the pride in nursing, (e) Traumatic Stress, and (f) Preparing for the future. The constitutive pattern is that nursing enables a humanitarian disaster response.

Applying local binary patterns in image clustering problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorokhod, Nikolai N.; Elizarov, Alexey I.

2017-11-01

Due to the fact that the cloudiness plays a critical role in the Earth radiative balance, the study of the distribution of different types of clouds and their movements is relevant. The main sources of such information are artificial satellites that provide data in the form of images. The most commonly used method of solving tasks of processing and classification of images of clouds is based on the description of texture features. The use of a set of local binary patterns is proposed to describe the texture image.

Life Style Types and Patterns of Retirement of Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snow, Robert B.; Havighurst, Robert J.

1977-01-01

Administrators in higher education disclosed life style patterns for the "retirement period" from ages 65 to 75. Two contrasting patterns are described-Transformers and Maintainers. These groups reported differences in boyhood experiences, attitudes toward retirement, and choices of activity after age 65. (Author)

Many local pattern texture features: which is better for image-based multilabel human protein subcellular localization classification?

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Xu, Ying-Ying; Shen, Hong-Bin

2014-01-01

Human protein subcellular location prediction can provide critical knowledge for understanding a protein's function. Since significant progress has been made on digital microscopy, automated image-based protein subcellular location classification is urgently needed. In this paper, we aim to investigate more representative image features that can be effectively used for dealing with the multilabel subcellular image samples. We prepared a large multilabel immunohistochemistry (IHC) image benchmark from the Human Protein Atlas database and tested the performance of different local texture features, including completed local binary pattern, local tetra pattern, and the standard local binary pattern feature. According to our experimental results from binary relevance multilabel machine learning models, the completed local binary pattern, and local tetra pattern are more discriminative for describing IHC images when compared to the traditional local binary pattern descriptor. The combination of these two novel local pattern features and the conventional global texture features is also studied. The enhanced performance of final binary relevance classification model trained on the combined feature space demonstrates that different features are complementary to each other and thus capable of improving the accuracy of classification.

Athlete's heart patterns in elite rugby players: effects of training specificities.

PubMed

Chevalier, Laurent; Kervio, Gaëlle; Corneloup, Luc; Vincent, Marie-Pierre; Baudot, Christophe; Rebeyrol, Jean-Louis; Merle, Francis; Gencel, Laurent; Carré, François

2013-02-01

Athlete's heart patterns have been widely described. However, to our knowledge, few studies have focused on professional rugby players, who train differently according to their field position. To describe electrocardiographic and echocardiographic patterns observed in elite rugby players according to their field position. One hundred and thirty-five professional rugby players at the end of the competitive season were included. According to a modified Pelliccia's classification, 68.1% of electrocardiograms were normal or had minor abnormalities, 27.2% were mildly abnormal and 3.7% were distinctly abnormal. Heart rate was higher in scrum first-row players (P<0.05). Absolute and indexed left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameters (LVIDd; absolute value 59.3±4.7 mm) exceeded 65 mm and 32 mm/m2 in 13% and 1.5% of players, respectively. Indexed LVIDd values were higher in back players (P<0.001). Left ventricular interventricular septum and posterior wall thicknesses (absolute values 9.4±1.7 mm and 9.2±1.6 mm, respectively) exceeded 13 mm in 3.7% of players. Concentric cardiac hypertrophy was noted in 3.7% of players. Except for one Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern, players with significant ECG or echocardiographic abnormalities showed no cardiovascular event or disease during follow-up. Thus, elite rugby players present similar heart patterns to elite athletes in other sports. Major electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities are quite rare. Eccentric cardiac remodelling is more frequent in back players. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Finding the multipath propagation of multivariable crude oil prices using a wavelet-based network approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Xiaoliang; An, Haizhong; Sun, Xiaoqi; Huang, Xuan; Gao, Xiangyun

2016-04-01

The globalization and regionalization of crude oil trade inevitably give rise to the difference of crude oil prices. The understanding of the pattern of the crude oil prices' mutual propagation is essential for analyzing the development of global oil trade. Previous research has focused mainly on the fuzzy long- or short-term one-to-one propagation of bivariate oil prices, generally ignoring various patterns of periodical multivariate propagation. This study presents a wavelet-based network approach to help uncover the multipath propagation of multivariable crude oil prices in a joint time-frequency period. The weekly oil spot prices of the OPEC member states from June 1999 to March 2011 are adopted as the sample data. First, we used wavelet analysis to find different subseries based on an optimal decomposing scale to describe the periodical feature of the original oil price time series. Second, a complex network model was constructed based on an optimal threshold selection to describe the structural feature of multivariable oil prices. Third, Bayesian network analysis (BNA) was conducted to find the probability causal relationship based on periodical structural features to describe the various patterns of periodical multivariable propagation. Finally, the significance of the leading and intermediary oil prices is discussed. These findings are beneficial for the implementation of periodical target-oriented pricing policies and investment strategies.

Developmental Transitions as Successive Reorganizations of a Control Hierarchy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plooij, Frans X.; And Others

1990-01-01

Describes two studies involving chimpanzee mother-infant pairs in Tanzania between 1980 and 1987 that implemented control theory concepts. The first identified behavioral development in infant chimps; the second observed the growth of independence and parenting patterns. Concludes that the hierarchy of controlled variables develops consecutively…

Videotaping the Lifespan of a Soap Bubble.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramme, Goran

1995-01-01

Describes how the use of a videotape to record the history of a soap bubble allows a study of many interesting events in considerable detail including interference fringes, convection and turbulence patterns on the surface, formation of black film, and the ultimate explosion of the bubble. (JRH)

Rural Practitioners' Involvement in Response to Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahill, Susan M.; McGuire, Beatriz; Krumdick, Nathaniel D.; Lee, Michelle M.

2015-01-01

Objective: This study describes perceived levels of involvement in school-based Response to Intervention (RtI) initiatives as reported by occupational therapy (OT) practitioners from different types of communities (i.e., rural, suburban, and urban). In addition, it identifies differences among practice patterns of rural OT practitioners, compared…

Program Strategies for Adolescent Smoking Cessation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fritz, Deborah J.; Wider, Lottchen Crane; Hardin, Sally B.; Horrocks, Michelle

2008-01-01

School nurses who work with adolescents are in an ideal position to promote smoking cessation. This opportunity is important because research suggests teens who smoke are likely to become habitual smokers. This study characterizes adolescents' patterns and levels of smoking, describes adolescents' perceptions toward smoking, and delineates quit…

Argument Structure of Tsou: Simplex and Complex Predicates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Gujing

2010-01-01

This thesis investigates the argument structure of Tsou, a Formosan language within the Austronesian family. The investigation studies both simplex and complex predicates as well as describes the valency groupings and alignment patterns emerging from various clausal configurations. Assuming the stance that language description should respect…

Self-Disclosure as an Exchange Process: Reinforcement Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dalmas A.

In association with an extensive examination of the disclosure literature, this paper describes two laboratory studies designed to yield information regarding the effects of reinforcement on self-disclosing behaviors in an exchange process. In one series, the experimenters manipulated the patterns of personal reward/cost experiences, hypothesizing…

Bit patterned media with composite structure for microwave assisted magnetic recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eibagi, Nasim

Patterned magnetic nano-structures are under extensive research due to their interesting emergent physics and promising applications in high-density magnetic data storage, through magnetic logic to bio-magnetic functionality. Bit-patterned media is an example of such structures which is a leading candidate to reach magnetic densities which cannot be achieved by conventional magnetic media. Patterned arrays of complex heterostructures such as exchange-coupled composites are studied in this thesis as a potential for next generation of magnetic recording media. Exchange-coupled composites have shown new functionality and performance advantages in magnetic recording and bit patterned media provide unique capability to implement such architectures. Due to unique resonant properties of such structures, their possible application in spin transfer torque memory and microwave assisted switching is also studied. This dissertation is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter covers the history of magnetic recording, the need to increase magnetic storage density, and the challenges in the field. The second chapter introduces basic concepts of magnetism. The third chapter explains the fabrication methods for thin films and various lithographic techniques that were used to pattern the devices under study for this thesis. The fourth chapter introduces the exchanged coupled system with the structure of [Co/Pd] / Fe / [Co/Pd], where the thickness of Fe is varied, and presents the magnetic properties of such structures using conventional magnetometers. The fifth chapter goes beyond what is learned in the fourth chapter and utilizes polarized neutron reflectometry to study the vertical exchange coupling and reversal mechanism in patterned structures with such structure. The sixth chapter explores the dynamic properties of the patterned samples, and their reversal mechanism under microwave field. The final chapter summarizes the results and describes the prospects for future applications of these structures.

Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in a naturalistic schizophrenia population: diagnostic value of actometric movement patterns

PubMed Central

Janno, Sven; Holi, Matti M; Tuisku, Katinka; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2008-01-01

Background Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders (NIMDs) have overlapping co-morbidity. Earlier studies have described typical clinical movement patterns for individual NIMDs. This study aimed to identify specific movement patterns for each individual NIMD using actometry. Methods A naturalistic population of 99 schizophrenia inpatients using conventional antipsychotics and clozapine was evaluated. Subjects with NIMDs were categorized using the criteria for NIMD found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Two blinded raters evaluated the actometric-controlled rest activity data for activity periods, rhythmical activity, frequencies, and highest acceleration peaks. A simple subjective question was formulated to test patient-based evaluation of NIMD. Results The patterns of neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) and pseudoakathisia (PsA) were identifiable in actometry with excellent inter-rater reliability. The answers to the subjective question about troubles with movements distinguished NIA patients from other patients rather well. Also actometry had rather good screening performances in distinguishing akathisia from other NIMD. Actometry was not able to reliably detect patterns of neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia. Conclusion The present study showed that pooled NIA and PsA patients had a different pattern in lower limb descriptive actometry than other patients in a non-selected sample. Careful questioning of patients is a useful method of diagnosing NIA in a clinical setting. PMID:18419829

Prospective associations between socio-economic status and dietary patterns in European children: the Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-induced Health Effects in Children and Infants (IDEFICS) Study.

PubMed

Fernández-Alvira, Juan Miguel; Börnhorst, Claudia; Bammann, Karin; Gwozdz, Wencke; Krogh, Vittorio; Hebestreit, Antje; Barba, Gianvincenzo; Reisch, Lucia; Eiben, Gabriele; Iglesia, Iris; Veidebaum, Tomas; Kourides, Yannis A; Kovacs, Eva; Huybrechts, Inge; Pigeot, Iris; Moreno, Luis A

2015-02-14

Exploring changes in children's diet over time and the relationship between these changes and socio-economic status (SES) may help to understand the impact of social inequalities on dietary patterns. The aim of the present study was to describe dietary patterns by applying a cluster analysis to 9301 children participating in the baseline (2-9 years old) and follow-up (4-11 years old) surveys of the Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-induced Health Effects in Children and Infants Study, and to describe the cluster memberships of these children over time and their association with SES. We applied the K-means clustering algorithm based on the similarities between the relative frequencies of consumption of forty-two food items. The following three consistent clusters were obtained at baseline and follow-up: processed (higher frequency of consumption of snacks and fast food); sweet (higher frequency of consumption of sweet foods and sweetened drinks); healthy (higher frequency of consumption of fruits, vegetables and wholemeal products). Children with higher-educated mothers and fathers and the highest household income were more likely to be allocated to the healthy cluster at baseline and follow-up and less likely to be allocated to the sweet cluster. Migrants were more likely to be allocated to the processed cluster at baseline and follow-up. Applying the cluster analysis to derive dietary patterns at the two time points allowed us to identify groups of children from a lower socio-economic background presenting persistently unhealthier dietary profiles. This finding reflects the need for healthy eating interventions specifically targeting children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

General aviation air traffic pattern safety analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. C.

1973-01-01

A concept is described for evaluating the general aviation mid-air collision hazard in uncontrolled terminal airspace. Three-dimensional traffic pattern measurements were conducted at uncontrolled and controlled airports. Computer programs for data reduction, storage retrieval and statistical analysis have been developed. Initial general aviation air traffic pattern characteristics are presented. These preliminary results indicate that patterns are highly divergent from the expected standard pattern, and that pattern procedures observed can affect the ability of pilots to see and avoid each other.

Stochastic nonlinear dynamics pattern formation and growth models

PubMed Central

Yaroslavsky, Leonid P

2007-01-01

Stochastic evolutionary growth and pattern formation models are treated in a unified way in terms of algorithmic models of nonlinear dynamic systems with feedback built of a standard set of signal processing units. A number of concrete models is described and illustrated by numerous examples of artificially generated patterns that closely imitate wide variety of patterns found in the nature. PMID:17908341

The longitudinal course of insomnia symptoms: inequalities by sex and occupational class among two different age cohorts followed for 20 years in the west of Scotland.

PubMed

Green, Michael J; Espie, Colin A; Hunt, Kate; Benzeval, Michaela

2012-06-01

The natural history of insomnia symptomatology is poorly understood. Cross-sectional associations have been demonstrated among socioeconomic disadvantage, female sex, and poor sleep but it is unclear how these social factors predict patterns of insomnia symptoms over time. The aim of this article is to describe longitudinal patterns of insomnia symptoms as people age and investigate how they vary by sex and occupational class. A prospective cohort study with 20 yr of follow-up from 1987 to 1988. West of Scotland. One cohort approximately 36 yr of age at baseline aging to 57 yr (n = 1,444), and another aging from approximately 56 to 76 yr (n = 1,551). N/A. At approximately 5-yr intervals, respondents self-reported trouble initiating and maintaining sleep. Latent class analysis identified 4 main sleep patterns: a healthy pattern with little sleeping trouble across the 20 yr; an episodic pattern, characterized by trouble maintaining sleep; a chronic pattern with trouble maintaining and initiating sleep throughout the study; and a pattern where symptoms developed during the 20-yr follow-up. Chronic patterns were more likely in the older cohort than the younger one, for women than men in the older cohort, and for those from a manual rather than a nonmanual occupational class in both cohorts. In the middle-aged cohort a developing pattern was more likely for women than men. Chronic symptoms, characterized by both trouble maintaining and initiating sleep, are patterned by social factors.

Isoform-level gene expression patterns in single-cell RNA-sequencing data.

PubMed

Vu, Trung Nghia; Wills, Quin F; Kalari, Krishna R; Niu, Nifang; Wang, Liewei; Pawitan, Yudi; Rantalainen, Mattias

2018-02-27

RNA sequencing of single cells enables characterization of transcriptional heterogeneity in seemingly homogeneous cell populations. Single-cell sequencing has been applied in a wide range of researches fields. However, few studies have focus on characterization of isoform-level expression patterns at the single-cell level. In this study we propose and apply a novel method, ISOform-Patterns (ISOP), based on mixture modeling, to characterize the expression patterns of isoform pairs from the same gene in single-cell isoform-level expression data. We define six principal patterns of isoform expression relationships and describe a method for differential-pattern analysis. We demonstrate ISOP through analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data from a breast cancer cell line, with replication in three independent datasets. We assigned the pattern types to each of 16,562 isoform-pairs from 4,929 genes. Among those, 26% of the discovered patterns were significant (p<0.05), while remaining patterns are possibly effects of transcriptional bursting, drop-out and stochastic biological heterogeneity. Furthermore, 32% of genes discovered through differential-pattern analysis were not detected by differential-expression analysis. The effect of drop-out events, mean expression level, and properties of the expression distribution on the performances of ISOP were also investigated through simulated datasets. To conclude, ISOP provides a novel approach for characterization of isoformlevel preference, commitment and heterogeneity in single-cell RNA-sequencing data. The ISOP method has been implemented as a R package and is available at https://github.com/nghiavtr/ISOP under a GPL-3 license. mattias.rantalainen@ki.se. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Construction of quality of life change patterns: example in oncology in a phase III therapeutic trial (FFCD 0307).

PubMed

Nuemi, Gillles; Devilliers, Hervé; Le Malicot, Karine; Guimbaud, Rosine; Lepage, Côme; Quantin, Catherine

2015-09-22

Quality of life data in cancerology are often difficult to summarize due to missing data and difficulty to analyze the pattern of evolution in different groups of patients. The aim of this work was to apply a new methodology to construct Quality of Life (QoL) change patterns within patients included in a clinical trial comparing to regimen of treatment in locally advanced eosogastric cancer. In this trial, QoL was assessed every 2 months by self-reported EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Physical dimension scores were analyzed. After multiple imputation of missing data, 27 statistical measures aiming to describe the variation of QoL measures among follow-up were computed for each patient. Based on these measures, patient were grouped into homogenous groups in terms of QoL variation pattern using a K-Means classification method. The mean QoL score at each time was graphically represented in each obtained pattern. Finally, clinical characteristic of patients in each pattern of QoL were described and compared. The trial included 416 patients and 1023 questionnaire were collected. 74% of patients were male with a mean ± SD age of 62 ± 11 years. 43% of scores were missing. Patients were grouped into four classes of homogeneous QoL variation patterns. 1) a Pattern of 24 (6%) patients showing improvement in QoL with a mean variation of +10.7 points on the 0-100 scale, 2) a Pattern of 171 (41 %) patients showing a stability 3) two Patterns of 78 (19%) and 143 (34%) patients respectively showing a deterioration of QoL with a mean variation of -67.2 and -67.6, respectively. There were no difference between patterns in terms of gender or age. Patients within "degradation" pattern had significantly lower performance status (p = 0.015), higher severe after-effects rate (p < 10-3) and death rate (p < 10-3). This work opens up perspectives for longitudinal data analysis with a high probability of missing values while providing a relevant graphical summary. Patterns of QoL evolution with clinical relevance may help to interpret longitudinal QoL data in Cancer studies.

Morphological abnormalities in the cladoceran Ilyocryptus spinifer (Apipucos Reservoir, Pernambuco State, Brazil).

PubMed

Elmoor-Loureiro, L M

2004-02-01

In a sample taken from Apipucos Reservoir (Recife, PE, Brazil) for taxonomic study, a high percentage (40%) was found of cladoceran Ilyocryptus spinifer individuals with morphological abnormalities on their postabdomen. There was not a fixed pattern of the malformations, which varied in gravity, and could affect the postanal spines or terminal claws. The postabdominal abnormalities are described and compared to the ones described in the literature. The hypothesis of the morphological abnormalities being induced by an occasional environmental toxicant is discussed.

A software simulation study of a (255,223) Reed-Solomon encoder-decoder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollara, F.

1985-01-01

A set of software programs which simulates a (255,223) Reed-Solomon encoder/decoder pair is described. The transform decoder algorithm uses a modified Euclid algorithm, and closely follows the pipeline architecture proposed for the hardware decoder. Uncorrectable error patterns are detected by a simple test, and the inverse transform is computed by a finite field FFT. Numerical examples of the decoder operation are given for some test codewords, with and without errors. The use of the software package is briefly described.

Graphical Representations of Electronic Search Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Xia; And Others

1991-01-01

Discussion of search behavior in electronic environments focuses on the development of GRIP (Graphic Representor of Interaction Patterns), a graphing tool based on HyperCard that produces graphic representations of search patterns. Search state spaces are explained, and forms of data available from electronic searches are described. (34…

LARGE-SCALE PATTERNS OF STREAMFLOW DISTURBANCE AND FISH COMMUNITIES IN UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Patterns of streamflow variability are likely to be a major organizing feature of the habitat template for stream fishes. Functional organization of stream communities has been linked to streamflow, especially to patterns of flow variability that describe the physical disturbanc...

LARGE-SCALE PATTERNS OF STREAMFLOW DISTURBANCE AND FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Patterns of streamflow variability are likely to be a major organizing feature of the habitat template for stream fishes. Ecological organization of stream communities has been linked to streamflow, especially to patterns of flow variability that describe the physical disturbanc...

Patterning of oxide-hardened gold black by photolithography and metal lift-off

Treesearch

Deep Panjwani; Mehmet Yesiltas; Janardan Nath; D.E. Maukonen; Imen Rezadad; Evan M. Smith; R.E. Peale; Carol Hirschmugl; Julia Sedlmair; Ralf Wehlitz; Miriam Unger; Glenn Boreman

2014-01-01

A method to pattern infrared-absorbing gold black by conventional photolithography and lift-off is described. A photo-resist pattern is developed on a substrate by standard photolithography. Gold black is deposited over the whole by thermal evaporation in an inert gas at

Health and Dietary Patterns of the Elderly in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruapula, Segametsi; Chapman-Novakofski, Karen

2007-01-01

Objective: To describe associations among socioeconomic conditions and dietary patterns of Botswana elderly. Design: Secondary analysis from a cross-sectional nationwide survey. Participants: Subjects (N = 1086, 60-99 years old) were selected after multistage sampling. Main Outcome Measures: Dietary patterns were dependent variables; health and…

Eating patterns and overweight in 9- to 10-year-old children in Telemark County, Norway: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Oellingrath, I M; Svendsen, M V; Brantsæter, A L

2010-01-01

Background/Objectives: Increasing prevalence of overweight in children is a growing health problem. The aim of this study was to describe the eating patterns of 9- to 10-year-old schoolchildren, and to investigate the relationship between overweight and eating patterns. Subjects/Methods: We recruited 1045 children for a cross-sectional study in Telemark County, Norway. The children's food, snacking and meal frequencies were reported by their parents using a retrospective food frequency questionnaire. Height and weight were measured by health professionals, and body mass index categories were calculated using international standard cutoff points (International Obesity Task Force values). Complete data were obtained for 924 children. Four distinct eating patterns were identified using principal component analysis. We used multiple logistic regression and calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for being overweight, and adjusted for parental characteristics and physical activity levels of the children (aORs). Results: Parental characteristics and physical activity were associated with both obesity and eating patterns. Children adhering to a ‘junk/convenient' eating pattern had a significantly lower likelihood of being overweight (aOR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4, 0.9), whereas children adhering to a ‘varied Norwegian' or a ‘dieting' eating pattern had a significantly higher likelihood of being overweight (respective values: aOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3, 3.2; aOR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4, 3.4). No association with overweight was seen for a ‘snacking pattern'. Conclusions: The main finding was that, although family characteristics influenced both the prevalence of overweight and overall dietary behaviour, independent associations were evident between eating patterns and overweight, indicating parental modification of the diets of overweight children. PMID:20717128

Spatial and temporal patterns of stranded intertidal marine debris: is there a picture of global change?

PubMed

Browne, Mark Anthony; Chapman, M Gee; Thompson, Richard C; Amaral Zettler, Linda A; Jambeck, Jenna; Mallos, Nicholas J

2015-06-16

Floating and stranded marine debris is widespread. Increasing sea levels and altered rainfall, solar radiation, wind speed, waves, and oceanic currents associated with climatic change are likely to transfer more debris from coastal cities into marine and coastal habitats. Marine debris causes economic and ecological impacts, but understanding the scope of these requires quantitative information on spatial patterns and trends in the amounts and types of debris at a global scale. There are very few large-scale programs to measure debris, but many peer-reviewed and published scientific studies of marine debris describe local patterns. Unfortunately, methods of defining debris, sampling, and interpreting patterns in space or time vary considerably among studies, yet if data could be synthesized across studies, a global picture of the problem may be avaliable. We analyzed 104 published scientific papers on marine debris in order to determine how to evaluate this. Although many studies were well designed to answer specific questions, definitions of what constitutes marine debris, the methods used to measure, and the scale of the scope of the studies means that no general picture can emerge from this wealth of data. These problems are detailed to guide future studies and guidelines provided to enable the collection of more comparable data to better manage this growing problem.

Racial segregation in postbellum Southern cities: The case of Washington, D.C.

PubMed Central

Logan, John R.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND Segregation in Southern cities has been described as a 20th-century development, layered onto an earlier pattern in which whites and blacks (both slaves and free black people) shared the same neighborhoods. Urban historians have pointed out ways in which the Southern postbellum pattern was less benign, but studies relying on census data aggregated by administrative areas – and segregation measures based on this data – have not confirmed their observations. METHODS This study is based mainly on 100% microdata from the 1880 census that has been mapped at the address level in Washington, D.C. This data makes it possible to examine in detail the unique spatial configuration of segregation that is found in this city, especially the pattern of housing in alleys. RESULTS While segregation appears to have been low, as reflected in data by wards and even by much smaller enumeration districts, analyses at a finer spatial scale reveal strongly patterned separation between blacks and whites at this early time. CONTRIBUTION This research provides much new information about segregation in a major Southern city at the end of the 19th century. It also demonstrates the importance of dealing explicitly with issues of both scale and spatial pattern in studies of segregation. PMID:29375269

Precision medicine for hepatocelluar carcinoma using molecular pattern diagnostics: results from a preclinical pilot study.

PubMed

Agarwal, Rahul; Cao, Yuan; Hoffmeier, Klaus; Krezdorn, Nicolas; Jost, Lukas; Meisel, Alejandro Rodriguez; Jüngling, Ruth; Dituri, Francesco; Mancarella, Serena; Rotter, Björn; Winter, Peter; Giannelli, Gianluigi

2017-06-08

The aim of this study was to design a road map for personalizing cancer therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using molecular pattern diagnostics. As an exploratory study, we investigated molecular patterns of tissues of two tumors from individual HCC patients, which in previous experiments had shown contrasting reactions to the phase 2 transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 inhibitor galunisertib. Cancer-driving molecular patterns encompass - inter alias - altered transcription profiles and somatic mutations in coding regions differentiating tumors from their respective peritumoral tissues and from each other. Massive analysis of cDNA ends and all-exome sequencing demonstrate a highly divergent transcriptional and mutational landscape, respectively, for the two tumors, that offers potential explanations for the tumors contrasting responses to galunisertib. Molecular pattern diagnostics (MPDs) suggest alternative, individual-tumor-specific therapies, which in both cases deviate from the standard sorafenib treatment and from each other. Suggested personalized therapies use kinase inhibitors and immune-focused drugs as well as low-toxicity natural compounds identified using an advanced bioinformatics routine included in the MPD protocol. The MPD pipeline we describe here for the prediction of suitable drugs for treatment of two contrasting HCCs may serve as a blueprint for the design of therapies for various types of cancer.

Thoracic costotransverse joint pain patterns: a study in normal volunteers.

PubMed

Young, Brian A; Gill, Howard E; Wainner, Robert S; Flynn, Timothy W

2008-10-15

Pain referral patterns of asymptomatic costotransverse joints have not been established. The objective of this study was to determine the pain referral patterns of asymptomatic costotransverse joints via provocative intra-articular injection. Eight asymptomatic male volunteers received a combined total of 21 intra-articular costotransverse joint injections. Fluoroscopic imaging was used to identify and isolate each costotransverse joint and guide placement of a 25 gauge, 2.5 inch spinal needle into the costotransverse joint. Following contrast medium injection, the quality, intensity, and distribution of the resultant pain produced were recorded. Of the 21 costotransverse joint injections, 16 (76%) were classified as being intra-articular via arthrograms taken at the time of injection, and 14 of these injections produced a pain sensation distinctly different from that of needle placement. Average pain produced was 3.3/10 on a 0-10 verbal pain scale. Pain was described generally as a deep, dull ache, and pressure sensation. Pain patterns were located superficial to the injected joint, with only the right T2 injections showing referred pain 2 segments cranially and caudally. No chest wall, upper extremity or pseudovisceral pains were reported. This study provides preliminary data of the pain referral patterns of costotransverse joints. Further research is needed to compare these findings with those elicited from symptomatic subjects.

Patterns of anger expression among middle-aged Korean women: Q methodology.

PubMed

Lee, Yong Mi; Kim, Geun Myun

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of anger expression in middle-aged Korean women by categorizing their patterns of expression while considering the complexity and multidimensionality of anger, and by investigating the characteristics relative to the patterns. The research design was a descriptive design using Q methodology, which is a method of measuring subjectivity. A convenience sample of 42 participants aged 40-60 years and living in the community in Korea was recruited. The PC-QUANL software program (a factor analysis program for the Q technique) was used to analyze the Q-sort data. Four factors were extracted that described different expressions of anger among middle-aged Korean women; these factors explained 50.1% of the total variance. The frames of reference of the four factors were a) direct diversion, b) silent masking with remaining anger, c) self digestion, and d) controlling anger with objectification. In this study has identified patterns and characteristics of anger expression among middle-aged Korean women were identified, which will aid the development of effective anger-management programs for controlling anger in this population. In future studies, it would be helpful to investigate how the patterns of anger expression established herein are associated with specific health problems such as cardiovascular disorder and cancer.

Factors influencing time-location patterns and their impact on estimates of exposure: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air).

PubMed

Spalt, Elizabeth W; Curl, Cynthia L; Allen, Ryan W; Cohen, Martin; Williams, Kayleen; Hirsch, Jana A; Adar, Sara D; Kaufman, Joel D

2016-06-01

We assessed time-location patterns and the role of individual- and residential-level characteristics on these patterns within the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air) cohort and also investigated the impact of individual-level time-location patterns on individual-level estimates of exposure to outdoor air pollution. Reported time-location patterns varied significantly by demographic factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, education, and employment status. On average, Chinese participants reported spending significantly more time indoors and less time outdoors and in transit than White, Black, or Hispanic participants. Using a tiered linear regression approach, we predicted time indoors at home and total time indoors. Our model, developed using forward-selection procedures, explained 43% of the variability in time spent indoors at home, and incorporated demographic, health, lifestyle, and built environment factors. Time-weighted air pollution predictions calculated using recommended time indoors from USEPA overestimated exposures as compared with predictions made with MESA Air participant-specific information. These data fill an important gap in the literature by describing the impact of individual and residential characteristics on time-location patterns and by demonstrating the impact of population-specific data on exposure estimates.

The life cycles of persistent anomalies and blocking over the North Pacific

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dole, Randall M.

1986-01-01

The evolution of persistent anomaly patterns over the central North Pacific is investigated. Composite time evolution fields of the 500-mbar anomaly patterns are constructed from low-pass and unfiltered height anomaly data; the time scales for the development and decay of these persistent anomalies are analyzed. The relationship between zonal flow in the Pacific jet region and the development of the anomaly patterns is examined. The effect of baroclinic instabilities on the development of the anomalies is studied. The vertical structure and synoptic characteristics of the evolution of the anomalies are described. It is noted that the initial rapid growth of the main center may be associated with a propagating, intensifying, synoptic-scale disturbance which originates in the midlatitudes over eastern Asia.

Patients' Care Needs: Documentation Analysis in General Hospitals.

PubMed

Paans, Wolter; Müller-Staub, Maria

2015-10-01

The purpose of the study is (a) to describe care needs derived from records of patients in Dutch hospitals, and (b) to evaluate whether nurses employed the NANDA-I classification to formulate patients' care needs. A stratified cross-sectional random-sampling nursing documentation audit was conducted employing the D-Catch instrument in 10 hospitals comprising 37 wards. The most prevalent nursing diagnoses were acute pain, nausea, fatigue, and risk for impaired skin integrity. Most care needs were determined in physiological health patterns and few in psychosocial patterns. To perform effective interventions leading to high-quality nursing-sensitive outcomes, nurses should also diagnose patients' care needs in the health management, value-belief, and coping stress patterns. © 2014 NANDA International, Inc.

IMAAAGINE: a webserver for searching hypothetical 3D amino acid side chain arrangements in the Protein Data Bank

PubMed Central

Nadzirin, Nurul; Willett, Peter; Artymiuk, Peter J.; Firdaus-Raih, Mohd

2013-01-01

We describe a server that allows the interrogation of the Protein Data Bank for hypothetical 3D side chain patterns that are not limited to known patterns from existing 3D structures. A minimal side chain description allows a variety of side chain orientations to exist within the pattern, and generic side chain types such as acid, base and hydroxyl-containing can be additionally deployed in the search query. Moreover, only a subset of distances between the side chains need be specified. We illustrate these capabilities in case studies involving arginine stacks, serine-acid group arrangements and multiple catalytic triad-like configurations. The IMAAAGINE server can be accessed at http://mfrlab.org/grafss/imaaagine/. PMID:23716645

Aging in the natural world: comparative data reveal similar mortality patterns across primates.

PubMed

Bronikowski, Anne M; Altmann, Jeanne; Brockman, Diane K; Cords, Marina; Fedigan, Linda M; Pusey, Anne; Stoinski, Tara; Morris, William F; Strier, Karen B; Alberts, Susan C

2011-03-11

Human senescence patterns-late onset of mortality increase, slow mortality acceleration, and exceptional longevity-are often described as unique in the animal world. Using an individual-based data set from longitudinal studies of wild populations of seven primate species, we show that contrary to assumptions of human uniqueness, human senescence falls within the primate continuum of aging; the tendency for males to have shorter life spans and higher age-specific mortality than females throughout much of adulthood is a common feature in many, but not all, primates; and the aging profiles of primate species do not reflect phylogenetic position. These findings suggest that mortality patterns in primates are shaped by local selective forces rather than phylogenetic history.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorder surveillance using the Washington state workers' compensation system: Recent declines and patterns by industry, 1999-2013.

PubMed

Marcum, Jennifer; Adams, Darrin

2017-05-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common and place large economic and social burdens on workers and their communities. We describe recent WMSD trends and patterns of WMSD incidence among the Washington worker population by industry. We used Washington State's workers' compensation compensable claims from 1999 to 2013 to describe incidence and cost of WMSD claims by body part and diagnosis, and to identify high-risk industries. WMSD claim rates declined by an estimated annual 5.4% (95% CI: 5.0-5.9%) in Washington State from 1999 to 2013, but WMSDs continue to account for over 40% of all compensable claims. High risk industries identified were Construction; Transportation and Warehousing; Health Care and Social Assistance; and Manufacturing. As documented in other North American contexts, this study describes an important decline in the incidence of WMSDs. The Washington State workers' compensation system provides a rich data source for the surveillance of WMSDs. © Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Right upper limb bud triplication and polythelia, left sided hemihypertrophy and congenital hip dislocation, facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and scoliosis: disorganisation-like spectrum or patterning gene defect?

PubMed

Sabry, M A; al-Saleh, Q; al-Saw'an, R; al-Awadi, S A; Farag, T I

1995-07-01

A Somali female baby with right upper limb triplication, polythelia, left sided hemihypertrophy, congenital hip dislocation, facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and scoliosis is described. It seems that the above described pattern of anomalies has not been reported before. The possible developmental genetic mechanism responsible for this phenotype is briefly discussed.

PatternLab for proteomics 4.0: A one-stop shop for analyzing shotgun proteomic data

PubMed Central

Carvalho, Paulo C; Lima, Diogo B; Leprevost, Felipe V; Santos, Marlon D M; Fischer, Juliana S G; Aquino, Priscila F; Moresco, James J; Yates, John R; Barbosa, Valmir C

2017-01-01

PatternLab for proteomics is an integrated computational environment that unifies several previously published modules for analyzing shotgun proteomic data. PatternLab contains modules for formatting sequence databases, performing peptide spectrum matching, statistically filtering and organizing shotgun proteomic data, extracting quantitative information from label-free and chemically labeled data, performing statistics for differential proteomics, displaying results in a variety of graphical formats, performing similarity-driven studies with de novo sequencing data, analyzing time-course experiments, and helping with the understanding of the biological significance of data in the light of the Gene Ontology. Here we describe PatternLab for proteomics 4.0, which closely knits together all of these modules in a self-contained environment, covering the principal aspects of proteomic data analysis as a freely available and easily installable software package. All updates to PatternLab, as well as all new features added to it, have been tested over the years on millions of mass spectra. PMID:26658470

Formation mechanisms and characteristics of transition patterns in oblique detonations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Shikun; Zhou, Jin; Liu, Shijie; Cai, Xiaodong

2018-01-01

The transition structures of wedge-induced oblique detonation waves (ODWs) in high-enthalpy supersonic combustible mixtures are studied with two-dimensional reactive Euler simulations based on the open-source program AMROC (Adaptive Mesh Refinement in Object-oriented C++). The formation mechanisms of different transition patterns are investigated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Results show that transition patterns of ODWs depend on the pressure ratio Pd/Ps, (Pd, Ps are the pressure behind the ODW and the pressure behind the induced shock, respectively). When Pd/Ps > 1.3, an abrupt transition occurs, while when Pd/Ps < 1.3, a smooth transition appears. A parameter ε is introduced to describe the transition patterns quantitatively. Besides, a criterion based on the velocity ratio Φ=U0/UCJ is proposed to predict the transition patterns based on the inflow conditions. It is concluded that an abrupt transition appears when Φ < 0.98Φ*, while a smooth transition occurs when Φ > 1.02Φ∗ (Φ∗ is the critical velocity ratio calculated with an empirical formula).

Extrinsic effects on the disorder dynamics of Bénard-Marangoni patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerisier, P.; Rahal, S.; Billia, B.

1996-10-01

The influence of the vessel shape, the initial conditions, and the vertical temperature gradient on dynamics and amount of disorder in convective patterns evolving in Bénard-Marangoni instability have been analyzed by using statistical tools, namely the density of defects, a disorder function, the order-disorder (m,σ) diagram introduced from the minimal spanning tree approach by Dussert et al., [Phys. Rev. B 34, 3528 (1986)] and the entropy function recently defined by Loeffler (unpublished). Pattern disorder is studied for transient and steady states. Experimental results show that the disorder in the hexagonal patterns of Bénard-Marangoni convection (i) is minimized in a hexagonal vessel and (ii) can be described as a Gaussian noise superimposed on a perfect array of hexagonal cells. Starting from imposed arrays, both hexagonal and nonhexagonal, with a wavelength different from the one that is naturally selected, the final state is independent of initial conditions. Disorder increases with the distance from the threshold. Depending on the Prandtl number, different behaviors of the patterns are observed.

Boyfriends and booty calls: sexual partnership patterns among Canadian Aboriginal young people.

PubMed

Devries, Karen M; Free, Caroline J

2011-01-01

Sexual partnership patterns, forced sex, and condom non-use can contribute to STI risk, but little is known about these patterns among Aboriginal young people despite elevated STI risk in this group. We describe sexual relationship and condom use patterns among Canadian Aboriginal young people, and how these patterns relate to the socio-structural context as experienced by young people. We use data from in-depth individual interviews conducted in 2004 with 22 young people who reported ever having sex and who self-identified as Aboriginal in British Columbia, Canada. A thematic analysis is presented. Young people described a range of partnership patterns, including 'on-off' relationships which could have high rates of partner turnover but could sometimes be viewed as acceptable contexts for pregnancy, precluding condom use. Contextual elements beyond individual control appeared to contribute to these patterns. Migration between geographic locations was linked with risky partnership patterns, especially if it was linked with family instability or substance use problems. Sexual health interventions for this group must address partnership patterns in addition to promoting condom use. Survey research into 'migration' as a risk factor for STI transmission should consider reasons for migration. Interventions that address both individual level behaviour and the contextual elements that shape behaviour should be developed and tested.

Differential organization of taxonomic and functional diversity in an urban woody plant metacommunity

Treesearch

Christopher M. Swan; Anna Johnson; David J. Nowak; Alicia Acosta

2016-01-01

Questions: Urban ecosystems present an opportunity to study ecological communities in the context of unprecedented environmental change. In the face of urban land conversion, ecologists observe new patterns of species composition, dominance, behaviour and dispersal.We propose a hypothetical socioeconomic template that describes a gradient...

Comparison of the Development of Ratio Concepts in Two Domains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bar, Varda

1987-01-01

Describes a study which sought to identify development patterns related to the acquisition of proportional reasoning in two areas, namely electricity and chemical solutions. Results from children ages 9-11 indicated that development of understanding of chemical solutions was asymmetric whereas it was symmetrical with electricity. Includes sample…

Teacher Styles in Questioning and Explaining. Technical Report No. 39.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Carol Ann

The primary purpose of this study was to identify and describe individual differences in teaching style (i.e., teachers' patterns of questioning and explaining) in a standardized teaching situation. The secondary purpose was to explore relationships between teaching behavior and other teacher characteristics: teaching experience; sex and selected…

Age Differences in Resistance to Peer Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Laurence; Monahan, Kathryn C.

2007-01-01

Prior research describes the development of susceptibility to peer pressure in adolescence as following an inverted U-shaped curve, increasing during early adolescence, peaking around age 14, and declining thereafter. This pattern, however, is derived mainly from studies that specifically examined peer pressure to engage in antisocial behavior. In…

Building Employment Training Partnerships between Vocational Rehabilitation and Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindstrom, Lauren E.; Flannery, K. Brigid; Benz, Michael R.; Olszewski, Brandon; Slovic, Roz

2009-01-01

This article examined the implementation of an occupational skills training partnership developed between the Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and four local community colleges. Case study methods were used to describe the pattern of services provided to rehabilitation consumers and document the resulting changes in the…

Latent Classes of Psychiatric Symptoms among Chinese Children Living in Poverty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Keith C.; Bi, Yu; Borden, Lindsay A.; Reinke, Wendy M.

2012-01-01

Describing co-occurring symptom patterns among children in nonwestern contexts may have important implications for how emotional and behavior problems are defined, conceptualized, studied, and ultimately prevented. A latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted on the co-occurring psychiatric symptoms of 196 Chinese children living in poverty.…

Uses and Values for News on Cable Television.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Thomas F.; And Others

1992-01-01

Discusses cable television subscribers' perceptions and consumption patterns of television news and describes a survey that compared broadcast and cable television news viewing habits. Media dependency and media consumption are considered, attitudes toward news sources and the perceived monetary value of the Cable News Network (CNN) are studied,…

A Narrative Study of Qualitative Data on Sexual Assault, Coercion and Harassment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cairns, Kathleen V.

1994-01-01

Describes narrative analysis of college student stories of unwanted sexual attention. Reviews four story types with separate consideration for males and females. Discusses patterns of sexual harassment in residence halls and consequences for residents with particular reference to implications for counseling and recommendations concerning content…

Student Success Skills: A Structured Group Intervention for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Linda; Brigman, Greg A.

2007-01-01

This article describes the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention developed for school counselors targeting academic outcomes. The SSS program is based on extensive reviews of research about the skills students need to be successful. Studies supporting program effectiveness are briefly reviewed and show consistent patterns of…

Parenting Styles and Attachment in School-Aged Children Who Stutter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Su Re; Beilby, Janet M.; Byrnes, Michelle L.; Hennessey, Neville W.

2012-01-01

Parental input has been described as influential in early childhood stuttering yet the exact nature of this influence remains equivocal. The present study aimed to examine whether quantitative measures of parenting styles, parent and peer attachment patterns, and parent- and self-reported child behaviour could differentiate between school-aged…

Children of Mothers with Mental Ilness: Attachment, Emotional and Behavioural Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Judi; Harris, Gillian; Vostanis, Panos; Oyebode, Femi; Blissett, Jackie

2004-01-01

This study describes the pattern of emotional and behavioural difficulties of children whose mothers have mental illness, and explores the relationship between children's behavioural and emotional difficulties and maternal perceptions of attachment. Thirteen mothers previously admitted to psychiatric hospital for mental illness completed a measure…

Suicide Compared to Other Causes of Mortality in Physicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torre, Dario M.; Wang, Nae-Yuh; Meoni, Lucy A.; Young, J. Hunter; Klag, Michael J.; Ford, Daniel E.

2005-01-01

Physicians frequently are early adopters of healthy behaviors based on their knowledge and economic resources. The mortality patterns of physicians in the United States, particularly suicide, have not been rigorously described for over a decade. Previous studies have shown lower all-cause mortality among physicians yet reported conflicting results…

Women, Men and the Doctorate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centra, John A; Kuykendall, Nancy M.

This study describes the current status and professional development of a sample of women doctorates and compares them to a sample of men who have attained the same educational status. Chapters cover the sample and procedures used; employment patterns; doctorates in academe; publications, income, and job satisfaction; marriage and family life;…

Visual Neuroscience: A Retinal Ganglion Cell to Report Image Focus?

PubMed

Baden, Tom; Schaeffel, Frank; Berens, Philipp

2017-02-20

A recent study describes a mouse neuron projecting from the retina to the brain that exhibits exquisitely high sensitivity to high spatial frequency patterns presented over an unusually large receptive field: could this cell be a (de)focus detector? Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survival After Early and Normal Retirement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Suzanne G.; And Others

1978-01-01

Describes an epidemiological study of the patterns and correlates of survival after early (age 62 to 64) and normal retirement (age 65). Death rates were significantly elevated during the first, fourth, and fifth years after early retirement. Pre-retirement health status was the only significant predictor of survival after early retirement.…

Thinking Children: Learning about Schemas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Anne; Cubey, Pam

Schemas are cognitive structures or forms of thought, like pieces of ideas or concepts. Patterns in children's behavior, or in their drawings and paintings, indicate common themes or threads (schemas) running through them. The action research study described in this report examined the effects on children's learning of intervening in their…

Metropolitan School Organization: Basic Problems and Patterns. Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKelvey, Troy V., Ed.

This anthology describes and discusses the study and development of metropolitan educational delivery systems--the process of bringing education under the control of one system spanning the city and its suburbs. Substantive works focus on the forces presently surrounding the problem of metropolitan educational reform and the present state of…

Differences between Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Education: Profiles to Describe Congruence and Friction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Könings, Karen D.; Seidel, Tina; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Merriënboer, Jeroen J. G.

2014-01-01

Teachers and students have their own perceptions of education. Congruent perceptions contribute to optimal teaching-learning processes and help achieving best learning outcomes. This study investigated patterns in differences between students' and teachers' perceptions of their learning environment. Student profiles were identified taking into…

Physical Interactions Involving Preschoolers and Kindergartners in a Childcare Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleck, Bethany; Chavajay, Pablo

2009-01-01

This naturalistic observational study described the similarities and differences in physical interactions involving preschoolers and kindergartners within the context of a US childcare facility. It examined patterns of touch involving the children across center and circle activities within the course of their day. Results indicated that…

Transnational Older Adults and Their Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treas, Judith

2008-01-01

This qualitative study explores the international migration patterns and the family lives of older adults. Informants (N = 54) reported that they came to the United States to help out their grown children with housekeeping, child care, and domestic economizing. They described how they strategically navigated U.S. immigration laws choosing to…

Benthic Habitat-Based Framework for Ecological Production Functions: Case Study for Utilization by Estuarine Birds in a Northeast Pacific Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

Habitat-based frameworks have been proposed for developing Ecological Production Functions (EPFs) to describe the spatial distribution of ecosystem services. As proof of concept, we generated EPFs that compared bird use patterns among intertidal benthic habitats for Yaquina estu...

The Termination Process: Communication Patterns in Decaying Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Lawrence Rand

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…

Managerial Attention Patterns: A Micro-Behavioral Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sproull, Lee S.

This paper describes a study of managerial behavior in educational organizations that focused on managerial attention as an organizational coupling mechanism. Structured observation was used to collect minute-by-minute time allocation protocols for five first-line education program managers over 20 working days, and these protocols were analyzed…

Tegotae-based decentralised control scheme for autonomous gait transition of snake-like robots.

PubMed

Kano, Takeshi; Yoshizawa, Ryo; Ishiguro, Akio

2017-08-04

Snakes change their locomotion patterns in response to the environment. This ability is a motivation for developing snake-like robots with highly adaptive functionality. In this study, a decentralised control scheme of snake-like robots that exhibited autonomous gait transition (i.e. the transition between concertina locomotion in narrow aisles and scaffold-based locomotion on unstructured terrains) was developed. Additionally, the control scheme was validated via simulations. A key insight revealed is that these locomotion patterns were not preprogrammed but emerged by exploiting Tegotae, a concept that describes the extent to which a perceived reaction matches a generated action. Unlike local reflexive mechanisms proposed previously, the Tegotae-based feedback mechanism enabled the robot to 'selectively' exploit environments beneficial for propulsion, and generated reasonable locomotion patterns. It is expected that the results of this study can form the basis to design robots that can work under unpredictable and unstructured environments.

Optical patterning and dynamics of torons and hopfions in a chiral nematic with photo-tunable equilibrium pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Hayley; Ackerman, Paul; Smalyukh, Ivan

Three-dimensional (3D) topological solitons arise in field theories ranging from particle physics to condensed matter and cosmology. They are the 3D counterparts of 2D skyrmions (often called ``baby skyrmions''), which attract a great deal of interest in studies of chiral ferromagnets and enable the emerging field of skyrmionics. In chiral nematic liquid crystals, the stability of such solitons is enhanced by the chiral medium's tendency to twist the director field describing the 3D spatial patterns of molecular alignment. However, their experimental realization, control and detailed studies remain limited. We combine experimental realization and numerical modeling of such light-responsive solitonic structures, including elementary torons and hopfions, in confined chiral nematic liquid crystals with photo-tunable cholesteric pitch. We show that the optical tunability of the pitch allows for using low-intensity light to control the soliton stability, dimensions, spatial patterning and dynamics.

A review of electronic journal acquisition, management, and use in health sciences libraries

PubMed Central

Burrows, Suzetta

2006-01-01

Purpose: The paper describes patterns of electronic journal usage in health sciences libraries during the past decade. Method: The paper presents a case study, documenting the pattern of acquisition, management, and usage at the Louis Calder Memorial Library of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Results: Health sciences journals were early to offer electronic alternatives to print. As a result, health sciences libraries, their patrons, and the public at large were early to embrace the new versions and continue to embrace the significant changes in scholarly communication they enable. Although the patterns of electronic journals among health sciences libraries and other special and academic libraries have similarities, they also have differences. Broad studies of electronic journals in non–health sciences libraries have been published, but a retrospective review of electronic journals in health sciences libraries has not. PMID:16404472

Dysregulated Breastfeeding Behaviors in Children Later Diagnosed With Autism

PubMed Central

Lucas, Ruth Fitts; Cutler, Ann

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Newborn breastfeeding behaviors have not been characterized in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a qualitative interview, 16 mothers (28–56 years) of children with ASD described their 19 full-term infants’ (38–42 weeks’ gestational age) breastfeeding behaviors. Nine mothers described their infants as demonstrating a dysregulated breastfeeding pattern of sucking without stopping of their own volition. The infants’ latch, weight gain, and other behaviors were recalled as not problematic. This feature of dysregulated feeding pattern in infancy has not been reported previously for children with ASD. If supported by future research, the pattern of a dysregulated feeding pattern in newborns could be evaluated by clinicians in the general pediatric population and/or at-risk infant siblings of children with ASD. PMID:26834438

Aesthetic Responses to Exact Fractals Driven by Physical Complexity

PubMed Central

Bies, Alexander J.; Blanc-Goldhammer, Daryn R.; Boydston, Cooper R.; Taylor, Richard P.; Sereno, Margaret E.

2016-01-01

Fractals are physically complex due to their repetition of patterns at multiple size scales. Whereas the statistical characteristics of the patterns repeat for fractals found in natural objects, computers can generate patterns that repeat exactly. Are these exact fractals processed differently, visually and aesthetically, than their statistical counterparts? We investigated the human aesthetic response to the complexity of exact fractals by manipulating fractal dimensionality, symmetry, recursion, and the number of segments in the generator. Across two studies, a variety of fractal patterns were visually presented to human participants to determine the typical response to exact fractals. In the first study, we found that preference ratings for exact midpoint displacement fractals can be described by a linear trend with preference increasing as fractal dimension increases. For the majority of individuals, preference increased with dimension. We replicated these results for other exact fractal patterns in a second study. In the second study, we also tested the effects of symmetry and recursion by presenting asymmetric dragon fractals, symmetric dragon fractals, and Sierpinski carpets and Koch snowflakes, which have radial and mirror symmetry. We found a strong interaction among recursion, symmetry and fractal dimension. Specifically, at low levels of recursion, the presence of symmetry was enough to drive high preference ratings for patterns with moderate to high levels of fractal dimension. Most individuals required a much higher level of recursion to recover this level of preference in a pattern that lacked mirror or radial symmetry, while others were less discriminating. This suggests that exact fractals are processed differently than their statistical counterparts. We propose a set of four factors that influence complexity and preference judgments in fractals that may extend to other patterns: fractal dimension, recursion, symmetry and the number of segments in a pattern. Conceptualizations such as Berlyne’s and Redies’ theories of aesthetics also provide a suitable framework for interpretation of our data with respect to the individual differences that we detect. Future studies that incorporate physiological methods to measure the human aesthetic response to exact fractal patterns would further elucidate our responses to such timeless patterns. PMID:27242475

Scientific Growth and Identity Development during a Postbaccalaureate Program: Results from a Multisite Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remich, Robin; Naffziger-Hirsch, Michelle E.; Gazley, J. Lynn; McGee, Richard

2016-01-01

This report builds upon our previous study, which described five patterns of why college graduates join National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded diversity-focused Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREP). A 2015 report from the NIH showed that a high fraction of PREP participants matriculate into PhD and MD/PhD programs. This current…

An Overview and Analysis of Journal Operations, Journal Publication Patterns, and Journal Impact in School Psychology and Related Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floyd, Randy G.; Cooley, Kathryn M.; Arnett, James E.; Fagan, Thomas K.; Mercer, Sterett H.; Hingle, Christine

2011-01-01

This article describes the results of three studies designed to understand better the journal operations, publishing practices, and impact of school psychology journals in recent years. The first study presents the results of a survey focusing on journal operations and peer-review practices that was completed by 61 journal editors of school…

Longitudinal Analysis of Inpatient Care Utilization among People with Intellectual Disabilities: 1999-2002

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, C.-H.; Lin, J.-D.; Choi, I.-C.; Yen, C.-F.; Hsu, S.-W.; Wu, J.-L.; Tang, C. C.

2007-01-01

Background: There has been no longitudinal study in Taiwan to identify the nature and the scale of medical care utilization of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) up to the present. The aim of this study is to describe inpatient utilization among people under ID care in institutions in order to identify the pattern of medical care needs…

The Role of School-Based Health Centers in Increasing Universal and Targeted Delivery of Primary and Preventive Care among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parasuraman, Sarika R.; Shi, Leiyu

2014-01-01

Background: School-based health centers (SBHC) can provide equitable and comprehensive care for adolescents; yet, few studies have described how patterns of health service utilization differ among groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in utilization and perceptions of SBHC care among adolescents. Methods: This study…

Prevalence and Patterns of Academic Enabling Behaviors: An Analysis of Teachers' and Students' Ratings for a National Sample of Students. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Stephen N.; DiPerna, James Clyde; Mroch, Andrew A.; Lang, Sylvia C.

2004-01-01

Academic enabling behaviors play a significant role in the development of academically competent students. Academic enablers are behaviors that facilitate learning such as social skills, study skills, motivation, and engagement. In this study, teacher and student ratings were used to describe the academic enablers of a nationally representative…

Violent Delinquents. A Report to the Ford Foundation from the Vera Institute of Justice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strasburg, Paul A.

This book presents the findings of a year-long study of the problem of juvenile violence. The scope of the problem is discussed in terms of arrest data and a review of related surveys, studies, and literature. Factors considered in describing the characteristics of violent delinquents include patterns of delinquency and violence, sex, age, racial…

Herpes in Dyadic Relationships: Patterns and Treatment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drob, Sanford; Bernard, Harold S.

1985-01-01

Explores how dyadic relationships can be affected when one partner suffers from genital herpes. Six patterns are described: When One Partner Does Not Know, The Compromise Relationship, The Enraged Partner, The Mark of Guilt, Problems in Risk Management, and Herpes Used as Weapon. Treatment strategies for dealing with patterns are offered.…

Cultural Differences in Communication Patterns: Classroom Adaptations and Translation Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Cathie

This paper discusses patterns of communication, particularly teaching/learning communication, in Hawaiian families, and the ways that these patterns affect the behaviors, expectations, and skills that Hawaiian children bring to school. It also describes some examples of educationally effective adaptations to these expectations and skills which…

Promoting Repeating Patterns with Young Children--More than Just Alternating Colours!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papic, Marina

2007-01-01

Patterning is an essential skill in early mathematics learning, particularly in the development of spatial awareness, sequencing and ordering, comparison, and classification. This includes the ability to identify and describe attributes of objects and similarities and differences between them. Patterning is also integral to the development of…

Imaging diagnosis--pulmonary metastases in New World camelids.

PubMed

Gall, David A; Zekas, Lisa J; Van Metre, David; Holt, Timothy

2006-01-01

The radiographic appearance of pulmonary metastatic disease from carcinoma is described in a llama and an alpaca. In one, a diffuse miliary pattern was seen. In the other, a more atypical unstructured interstitial pattern was recognized. Metastatic pulmonary neoplasia in camelids may assume a generalized miliary or unstructured pattern.

Customized Geological Map Patterns for the Macintosh Computer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Paul Slayton

1986-01-01

Describes how the graphics capabilities of the Apple Macintosh computer can be used in geological teaching by customizing fill patterns with lithologic symbols. Presents two methods for doing this: creating a dummy document, or by changing the pattern resource resident in the operating system. Special symbols can also replace fonts. (TW)

Effects of nursing unit spatial layout on nursing team communication patterns, quality of care, and patient safety.

PubMed

Hua, Ying; Becker, Franklin; Wurmser, Teri; Bliss-Holtz, Jane; Hedges, Christine

2012-01-01

Studies investigating factors contributing to improved quality of care have found that effective team member communication is among the most critical and influential aspects in the delivery of quality care. Relatively little research has examined the role of the physical design of nursing units on communication patterns among care providers. Although the concept of decentralized unit design is intended to increase patient safety, reduce nurse fatigue, and control the noisy, chaotic, and crowded space associated with centralized nursing stations, until recently little attention has been paid to how such nursing unit designs affected communication patterns or other medical and organizational outcomes. Using a pre/post research design comparing more centralized or decentralized unit designs with a new multi-hub design, the aim of this study was to describe the relationship between the clinical spatial environment and its effect on communication patterns, nurse satisfaction, distance walked, organizational outcomes, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Hospital institutional data indicated that patient satisfaction increased substantially. Few significant changes were found in communication patterns; no significant changes were found in nurse job satisfaction, patient falls, pressure ulcers, or organizational outcomes such as average length of stay or patient census.

Self-organized surface ripple pattern formation by ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofsäss, Hans; Zhang, Kun; Bobes, Omar

2016-10-01

Ion induced ripple pattern formation on solid surfaces has been extensively studied in the past and the theories describing curvature dependent ion erosion as well as redistribution of recoil atoms have been very successful in explaining many features of the pattern formation. Since most experimental studies use noble gas ion irradiation, the incorporation of the ions into the films is usually neglected. In this work we show that the incorporation or implantation of non-volatile ions also leads to a curvature dependent term in the equation of motion of a surface height profile. The implantation of ions can be interpreted as a negative sputter yield; and therefore, the effect of ion implantation is opposite to the one of ion erosion. For angles up to about 50°, implantation of ions stabilizes the surface, whereas above 50°, ion implantation contributes to the destabilization of the surface. We present simulations of the curvature coefficients using the crater function formalism and we compare the simulation results to the experimental data on the ion induced pattern formation using non-volatile ions. We present several model cases, where the incorporation of ions is a crucial requirement for the pattern formation.

Oscillations and patterns in a model of simultaneous CO and C2H2 oxidation and NO(x) reduction in a cross-flow reactor.

PubMed

Hadač, Otto; Kohout, Martin; Havlica, Jaromír; Schreiber, Igor

2015-03-07

A model describing simultaneous catalytic oxidation of CO and C2H2 and reduction of NOx in a cross-flow tubular reactor is explored with the aim of relating spatiotemporal patterns to specific pathways in the mechanism. For that purpose, a detailed mechanism proposed for three-way catalytic converters is split into two subsystems, (i) simultaneous oxidation of CO and C2H2, and (ii) oxidation of CO combined with NOx reduction. The ability of these two subsystems to display mechanism-specific dynamical effects is studied initially by neglecting transport phenomena and applying stoichiometric network and bifurcation analyses. We obtain inlet temperature - inlet oxygen concentration bifurcation diagrams, where each region possessing specific dynamics - oscillatory, bistable and excitable - is associated with a dominant reaction pathway. Next, the spatiotemporal behaviour due to reaction kinetics combined with transport processes is studied. The observed spatiotemporal patterns include phase waves, travelling fronts, pulse waves and spatiotemporal chaos. Although these types of pattern occur generally when the kinetic scheme possesses autocatalysis, we find that some of their properties depend on the underlying dominant reaction pathway. The relation of patterns to specific reaction pathways is discussed.

Lightning studies using LDAR and LLP data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forbes, Gregory S.

1993-01-01

This study intercompared lightning data from LDAR and LLP systems in order to learn more about the spatial relationships between thunderstorm electrical discharges aloft and lightning strikes to the surface. The ultimate goal of the study is to provide information that can be used to improve the process of real-time detection and warning of lightning by weather forecasters who issue lightning advisories. The Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) System provides data on electrical discharges from thunderstorms that includes cloud-ground flashes as well as lightning aloft (within cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and sometimes emanating from cloud to clear air outside or above cloud). The Lightning Location and Protection (LLP) system detects primarily ground strikes from lightning. Thunderstorms typically produce LDAR signals aloft prior to the first ground strike, so that knowledge of preferred positions of ground strikes relative to the LDAR data pattern from a thunderstorm could allow advance estimates of enhanced ground strike threat. Studies described in the report examine the position of LLP-detected ground strikes relative to the LDAR data pattern from the thunderstorms. The report also describes other potential approaches to the use of LDAR data in the detection and forecasting of lightning ground strikes.

Optimal pattern distributions in Rete-based production systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Stephen L.

1994-01-01

Since its introduction into the AI community in the early 1980's, the Rete algorithm has been widely used. This algorithm has formed the basis for many AI tools, including NASA's CLIPS. One drawback of Rete-based implementation, however, is that the network structures used internally by the Rete algorithm make it sensitive to the arrangement of individual patterns within rules. Thus while rules may be more or less arbitrarily placed within source files, the distribution of individual patterns within these rules can significantly affect the overall system performance. Some heuristics have been proposed to optimize pattern placement, however, these suggestions can be conflicting. This paper describes a systematic effort to measure the effect of pattern distribution on production system performance. An overview of the Rete algorithm is presented to provide context. A description of the methods used to explore the pattern ordering problem area are presented, using internal production system metrics such as the number of partial matches, and coarse-grained operating system data such as memory usage and time. The results of this study should be of interest to those developing and optimizing software for Rete-based production systems.

Spatial patterns of development drive water use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanchez, G.M.; Smith, J.W.; Terando, Adam J.; Sun, G.; Meentemeyer, R.K.

2018-01-01

Water availability is becoming more uncertain as human populations grow, cities expand into rural regions and the climate changes. In this study, we examine the functional relationship between water use and the spatial patterns of developed land across the rapidly growing region of the southeastern United States. We quantified the spatial pattern of developed land within census tract boundaries, including multiple metrics of density and configuration. Through non‐spatial and spatial regression approaches we examined relationships and spatial dependencies between the spatial pattern metrics, socio‐economic and environmental variables and two water use variables: a) domestic water use, and b) total development‐related water use (a combination of public supply, domestic self‐supply and industrial self‐supply). Metrics describing the spatial patterns of development had the highest measure of relative importance (accounting for 53% of model's explanatory power), explaining significantly more variance in water use compared to socio‐economic or environmental variables commonly used to estimate water use. Integrating metrics characterizing the spatial pattern of development into water use models is likely to increase their utility and could facilitate water‐efficient land use planning.

Spatial Patterns of Development Drive Water Use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, G. M.; Smith, J. W.; Terando, A.; Sun, G.; Meentemeyer, R. K.

2018-03-01

Water availability is becoming more uncertain as human populations grow, cities expand into rural regions and the climate changes. In this study, we examine the functional relationship between water use and the spatial patterns of developed land across the rapidly growing region of the southeastern United States. We quantified the spatial pattern of developed land within census tract boundaries, including multiple metrics of density and configuration. Through non-spatial and spatial regression approaches we examined relationships and spatial dependencies between the spatial pattern metrics, socio-economic and environmental variables and two water use variables: a) domestic water use, and b) total development-related water use (a combination of public supply, domestic self-supply and industrial self-supply). Metrics describing the spatial patterns of development had the highest measure of relative importance (accounting for 53% of model's explanatory power), explaining significantly more variance in water use compared to socio-economic or environmental variables commonly used to estimate water use. Integrating metrics characterizing the spatial pattern of development into water use models is likely to increase their utility and could facilitate water-efficient land use planning.

Prevalence and patterns of neurological involvement in Behcet's disease: a prospective study from Iraq

PubMed Central

Al-Araji, A; Sharquie, K; Al-Rawi, Z

2003-01-01

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of neurological involvement in Behcet's disease in a prospective study, and to describe the clinical patterns of neurological presentation in this disease in patients attending a multidisciplinary clinic in Baghdad. Methods: All patients attending the clinic who fulfilled the international study group criteria for the diagnosis of Behcet's disease were studied during a two year period starting in April 1999. Patients were assessed neurologically by a neuro-Behcetologist. All those with clinical neurological manifestations were sent for CSF examination, cranial magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance venography and were followed up to explore the patterns of neurological relapse. Results: 140 patients with Behcet's disease were studied. Their mean age was 34.2 years (range 16 to 66); 105 (75%) were men and 35 (25%) were women. The mean duration of the disease was 4.2 years (range 0.4 to 26). Twenty patients (14%) had neurological involvement (neuro-Behcet's disease); 14 of these (70%) were men and six (30%) women. The mean age at the first neurological presentation was 34.1 years. The mean duration of follow up of patients with neuro-Behcet's disease was 20.7 months. Ten patients with neuro-Behcet's disease (50%) presented with parenchymal CNS involvement, six (30%) with intracranial hypertension, and four (20%) with a mixed pattern of both parenchymal CNS involvement and intracranial hypertension. Conclusions: Careful neurological assessment of patients with Behcet's disease may show a relatively high prevalence of neuro-Behcet features, and though the clinical patterns of presentation are characteristic a mixed pattern may occur. PMID:12700303

Semantic mapping reveals distinct patterns in descriptions of social relations in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Luo, Sean X; Shinall, Jacqueline A; Peterson, Bradley S; Gerber, Andrew J

2016-08-01

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may describe other individuals differently compared with typical adults. In this study, we first asked participants to describe closely related individuals such as parents and close friends with 10 positive and 10 negative characteristics. We then used standard natural language processing methods to digitize and visualize these descriptions. The complex patterns of these descriptive sentences exhibited a difference in semantic space between individuals with ASD and control participants. Machine learning algorithms were able to automatically detect and discriminate between these two groups. Furthermore, we showed that these descriptive sentences from adults with ASD exhibited fewer connections as defined by word-word co-occurrences in descriptions, and these connections in words formed a less "small-world" like network. Autism Res 2016, 9: 846-853. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An ecologic study of peat landforms in Canada and Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, P. H.

1986-01-01

The role of groundwater and surface runoff in controlling the water chemistry and development of peat landforms in northern Minnesota are described. The LANDSAT imagery taken duing spring break-up are particularly valuable in identifying potential zones of groundwater discharge. The vascular floras of raised bogs in eastern North Americas demonstrating the remarkabe uniformity of the ombrotrophic flora over broad geographic regions are described. The evolution of peat landforms in the major boreal peatlands of eastern America is examined. The LANDSAT imagery is used to determine the area of patterned to featureless peatlands, the area of ombrotrophic bog relative to minerotrophic fen, and the relative size and degree of streamlining of island landforms entirely composed of peat. Such measurements can be used to assess the role of climate, time, and hydrology in controlling the formation of peatland patterns across broad geographic regions.

Using High Performance Computing to Examine the Processes of Neurogenesis Underlying Pattern Separation and Completion of Episodic Information.

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

Aimone, James Bradley; Bernard, Michael Lewis; Vineyard, Craig Michael

2014-10-01

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus region of the brain is a neurobiological process that is believed to contribute to the brain's advanced abilities in complex pattern recognition and cognition. Here, we describe how realistic scale simulations of the neurogenesis process can offer both a unique perspective on the biological relevance of this process and confer computational insights that are suggestive of novel machine learning techniques. First, supercomputer based scaling studies of the neurogenesis process demonstrate how a small fraction of adult-born neurons have a uniquely larger impact in biologically realistic scaled networks. Second, we describe a novel technical approach bymore » which the information content of ensembles of neurons can be estimated. Finally, we illustrate several examples of broader algorithmic impact of neurogenesis, including both extending existing machine learning approaches and novel approaches for intelligent sensing.« less

Effective characterization of Salmonella Enteritidis by most probable number (MPN) followed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods.

PubMed

Zappelini, Lincohn; Martone-Rocha, Solange; Dropa, Milena; Matté, Maria Helena; Tiba, Monique Ribeiro; Breternitz, Bruna Suellen; Razzolini, Maria Tereza Pepe

2017-02-01

Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a relevant pathogen involved in gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. In this study, we determined the capacity to combine the most probable number (MPN) and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods to characterize the most important Salmonella serotypes in raw sewage. A total of 499 isolates were recovered from 27 raw sewage samples and screened using two previously described multiplex PCR methods. From those, 123 isolates were selected based on PCR banding pattern-identical or similar to Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium-and submitted to conventional serotyping. Results showed that both PCR assays correctly serotyped Salmonella Enteritidis, however, they presented ambiguous results for Salmonella Typhimurium identification. These data highlight that MPN and multiplex PCR can be useful methods to describe microbial quality in raw sewage and suggest two new PCR patterns for Salmonella Enteritidis identification.

DNA Methylation and Cancer Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Delpu, Yannick; Cordelier, Pierre; Cho, William C.; Torrisani, Jérôme

2013-01-01

DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification that is strongly involved in the physiological control of genome expression. DNA methylation patterns are largely modified in cancer cells and can therefore be used to distinguish cancer cells from normal tissues. This review describes the main technologies available for the detection and the discovery of aberrantly methylated DNA patterns. It also presents the different sources of biological samples suitable for DNA methylation studies. We discuss the interest and perspectives on the use of DNA methylation measurements for cancer diagnosis through examples of methylated genes commonly documented in the literature. The discussion leads to our consideration for why DNA methylation is not commonly used in clinical practice through an examination of the main requirements that constitute a reliable biomarker. Finally, we describe the main DNA methylation inhibitors currently used in clinical trials and those that exhibit promising results. PMID:23873296

Fetal heart rate patterns at 20 to 24 weeks gestation as recorded by fetal electrocardiography

PubMed Central

Hofmeyr, F; Groenewald, CA; Nel, DG; Myers, MM; Fifer, WP; Signore, C; Hankins, GDV; Odendaal, HJ

2014-01-01

Introduction With advancing technology it has become possible to accurately record and assess fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns from gestations as early as 20 weeks. The aim of our study was to describe early patterns of FHR, as recorded by transabdominal fetal electrocardiogram according to the Dawes-Redman criteria. Accordingly, short-term variability, basal heart rate, accelerations and decelerations were quantified at 20-24 weeks gestation among women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods This study was conducted in a subset of participants enrolled in a large prospective pregnancy cohort study. Our final data set consisted of 281 recordings of women with good perinatal outcomes that had undergone fetal electrocardiographic assessment as part of the Safe Passage Study. Results The success rate of the recordings was 95.4%. The mean frequency of small and large accelerations was 0.5 and 0.1 per 10 minutes respectively and that of small and large decelerations 0.3 and 0.008 per 10 minutes respectively. The mean and basal heart rates were both equal to 148.0 bpm at a median gestation of 161 days. The mean short term variation was 6.2 (SD 1.4) milliseconds and mean minute range 35.1 (SD 7.1) milliseconds. Conclusion The 20 to 24 week fetus demonstrates FHR patterns with more accelerations and decelerations, as well as higher baseline variability than was anticipated. Information from this study provides an important foundation for further, more detailed, studies of early FHR patterns. PMID:23991757

Quantum Mechanics, Pattern Recognition, and the Mammalian Brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapline, George

2008-10-01

Although the usual way of representing Markov processes is time asymmetric, there is a way of describing Markov processes, due to Schrodinger, which is time symmetric. This observation provides a link between quantum mechanics and the layered Bayesian networks that are often used in automated pattern recognition systems. In particular, there is a striking formal similarity between quantum mechanics and a particular type of Bayesian network, the Helmholtz machine, which provides a plausible model for how the mammalian brain recognizes important environmental situations. One interesting aspect of this relationship is that the "wake-sleep" algorithm for training a Helmholtz machine is very similar to the problem of finding the potential for the multi-channel Schrodinger equation. As a practical application of this insight it may be possible to use inverse scattering techniques to study the relationship between human brain wave patterns, pattern recognition, and learning. We also comment on whether there is a relationship between quantum measurements and consciousness.

Reconstitution of a Patterned Neural Tube from Single Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

PubMed

Ishihara, Keisuke; Ranga, Adrian; Lutolf, Matthias P; Tanaka, Elly M; Meinhardt, Andrea

2017-01-01

The recapitulation of tissue development and patterning in three-dimensional (3D) culture is an important dimension of stem cell research. Here, we describe a 3D culture protocol in which single mouse ES cells embedded in Matrigel under neural induction conditions clonally form a lumen containing, oval-shaped epithelial structure within 3 days. By Day 7 an apicobasally polarized neuroepithelium with uniformly dorsal cell identity forms. Treatment with retinoic acid at Day 2 results in posteriorization and self-organization of dorsal-ventral neural tube patterning. Neural tube organoid growth is also supported by pure laminin gels as well as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based artificial extracellular matrix hydrogels, which can be fine-tuned for key microenvironment characteristics. The rapid generation of a simple, patterned tissue in well-defined culture conditions makes the neural tube organoid a tractable model for studying neural stem cell self-organization.

A Novel Modeling Approach for Estimating Patterns of Migration into and out of San Francisco by HIV Status and Race among Men Who Have Sex with Men.

PubMed

Hughes, Alison J; Chen, Yea-Hung; Scheer, Susan; Raymond, H Fisher

2017-06-01

In the early 1980s, men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco were one of the first populations to be affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, and they continue to bear a heavy HIV burden. Once a rapidly fatal disease, survival with HIV improved drastically following the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy in 1996. As a result, the ability of HIV-positive persons to move into and out of San Francisco has increased due to lengthened survival. Although there is a high level of migration among the general US population and among HIV-positive persons in San Francisco, in- and out-migration patterns of MSM in San Francisco have, to our knowledge, never been described. Understanding migration patterns by HIV serostatus is crucial in determining how migration could influence both HIV transmission dynamics and estimates of the HIV prevalence and incidence. In this article, we describe methods, results, and implications of a novel approach for indirect estimation of in- and out-migration patterns, and consequently population size, of MSM by HIV serostatus and race in San Francisco. The results suggest that the overall MSM population and all the MSM subpopulations studied decreased in size from 2006 to 2014. Further, there were differences in migration patterns by race and by HIV serostatus. The modeling methods outlined can be applied by others to determine how migration patterns contribute to HIV-positive population size and output from these models can be used in a transmission model to better understand how migration can impact HIV transmission.

Controlling Cell Function with Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mrksich, Milan

2012-02-01

This presentation will describe the use of patterned substrates to control cell shape with examples that illustrate the ways in which cell shape can regulate cell function. Most cells are adherent and must attach to and spread on a surface in order to survive, proliferate and function. In tissue, this surface is the extracellular matrix (ECM), an insoluble scaffold formed by the assembly of several large proteins---including fibronectin, the laminins and collagens and others---but in the laboratory, the surface is prepared by adsorbing protein to glass slides. To pattern cells, gold-coated slides are patterned with microcontact printing to create geometric features that promote cell attachment and that are surrounded by inert regions. Cells attach to these substrates and spread to adopt the shape defined by the underlying pattern and remain stable in culture for several days. Examples will be described that used a series of shapes to reveal the relationship between the shape of the cell and the structure of its cytoskeleton. These geometric cues were used to control cell polarity and the tension, or contractility, present in the cytoskeleton. These rules were further used to control the shapes of mesenchymal stem cells and in turn to control the differentiation of these cells into specialized cell types. For example, stem cells that were patterned into a ``star'' shape preferentially differentiated into bone cells whereas those that were patterned into a ``flower'' shape preferred a fat cell fate. These influences of shape on differentiation depend on the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton. These examples, and others, reveal that shape is an important cue that informs cell function and that can be combined with the more common soluble cues to direct and study cell function.

Formation and function of a new pollen aperture pattern in angiosperms: The proximal sulcus of Tillandsia leiboldiana (Bromeliaceae).

PubMed

Albert, Béatrice; Matamoro-Vidal, Alexis; Raquin, Christian; Nadot, Sophie

2010-02-01

Pollen grains are generally surrounded by an extremely resistant wall interrupted in places by apertures that play a key role in reproduction; pollen tube growth is initiated at these sites. The shift from a proximal to distal aperture location is a striking innovation in seed plant reproduction. Reversals to proximal aperture position have only very rarely been described in angiosperms. The genus Tillandsia belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, and its aperture pattern has been described as distal monosulcate, the most widespread aperture patterns recorded in monocots and basal angiosperms. Here we report developmental and functional elements to demonstrate that the sulcate aperture in Tillandsia leiboldiana is not distal as previously described but proximal. Postmeitotic tetrad observation indicates unambiguously the proximal position of the sulcus, and in vitro germination of pollen grains confirms that the aperture is functional. This is the first report of a sulcate proximal aperture with proximal germination. The observation of microsporogenesis reveals specific features in the patterns of callose thickenings in postmeiotic tetrads.

Theory of domain patterns in systems with long-range interactions of Coulomb type.

PubMed

Muratov, C B

2002-12-01

We develop a theory of the domain patterns in systems with competing short-range attractive interactions and long-range repulsive Coulomb interactions. We take an energetic approach, in which patterns are considered as critical points of a mean-field free energy functional. Close to the microphase separation transition, this functional takes on a universal form, allowing us to treat a number of diverse physical situations within a unified framework. We use asymptotic analysis to study domain patterns with sharp interfaces. We derive an interfacial representation of the pattern's free energy which remains valid in the fluctuating system, with a suitable renormalization of the Coulomb interaction's coupling constant. We also derive integro-differential equations describing stationary domain patterns of arbitrary shapes and their thermodynamic stability, coming from the first and second variations of the interfacial free energy. We show that the length scale of a stable domain pattern must obey a certain scaling law with the strength of the Coulomb interaction. We analyzed the existence and stability of localized (spots, stripes, annuli) and periodic (lamellar, hexagonal) patterns in two dimensions. We show that these patterns are metastable in certain ranges of the parameters and that they can undergo morphological instabilities leading to the formation of more complex patterns. We discuss nucleation of the domain patterns by thermal fluctuations and pattern formation scenarios for various thermal quenches. We argue that self-induced disorder is an intrinsic property of the domain patterns in the systems under consideration.

Imprint process performance for patterned media at densities greater than 1Tb/in2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zhengmao; Carden, Scott; Hellebrekers, Paul; LaBrake, Dwayne; Resnick, Douglas J.; Melliar-Smith, M.; Sreenivasan, S. V.

2012-03-01

The use of bit pattern media beyond densities of 1Tb/in2 requires the ability to pattern dimensions to sub 10nm. This paper describes the techniques used to reach these dimensions with imprint lithography and avoid such challenges as pattern collapse, by developing improved resist materials with higher strength, and utilizing a reverse tone J-FIL/R process.

Patterns of patient safety culture: a complexity and arts-informed project of knowledge translation.

PubMed

Mitchell, Gail J; Tregunno, Deborah; Gray, Julia; Ginsberg, Liane

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns of patient safety culture that emerged from an innovative collaboration among health services researchers and fine arts colleagues. The group engaged in an arts-informed knowledge translation project to produce a dramatic expression of patient safety culture research for inclusion in a symposium. Scholars have called for a deeper understanding of the complex interrelationships among structure, process and outcomes relating to patient safety. Four patterns of patient safety culture--blinding familiarity, unyielding determination, illusion of control and dismissive urgency--are described with respect to how they informed creation of an arts-informed project for knowledge translation.