Real-Time Observations of Food and Fluid Timing During a 120 km Ultramarathon.

PubMed

Wardenaar, Floris C; Hoogervorst, Daan; Versteegen, Joline J; van der Burg, Nancy; Lambrechtse, Karin J; Bongers, Coen C W G

2018-01-01

The aim of the present case study was to use real-time observations to investigate ultramarathon runners' timing of food and fluid intake per 15 km and per hour, and total bodyweight loss due to dehydration. The study included 5 male ultramarathon runners observed during a 120 km race. The research team members followed on a bicycle and continuously observed their dietary intake using action cameras. Hourly carbohydrate intake ranged between 22.1 and 62.6 g/h, and fluid intake varied between 260 and 603 mL/h. These numbers remained relatively stable over the course of the ultra-endurance marathon. Runners consumed food and fluid on average 3-6 times per 15 km. Runners achieved a higher total carbohydrate consumption in the second half of the race ( p = 0.043), but no higher fluid intake ( p = 0.08). Energy gels contributed the most to the total average carbohydrate intake (40.2 ± 25.7%). Post-race weight was 3.6 ± 2.3% (range 0.3-5.7%) lower than pre-race weight, revealing a non-significant ( p = 0.08) but practical relevant difference. In conclusion, runners were able to maintain a constant timing of food and fluid intake during competition but adjusted their food choices in the second half of the race. The large variation in fluid and carbohydrate intake indicate that recommendations need to be individualized to further optimize personal intakes.

The influence of tourniquet use and operative time on the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Hernandez, Arnaldo José; Almeida, Adriano Marques de; Fávaro, Edmar; Sguizzato, Guilherme Turola

2012-09-01

To evaluate the association between tourniquet and total operative time during total knee arthroplasty and the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis. Seventy-eight consecutive patients from our institution underwent cemented total knee arthroplasty for degenerative knee disorders. The pneumatic tourniquet time and total operative time were recorded in minutes. Four categories were established for total tourniquet time: <60, 61 to 90, 91 to 120, and >120 minutes. Three categories were defined for operative time: <120, 121 to 150, and >150 minutes. Between 7 and 12 days after surgery, the patients underwent ascending venography to evaluate the presence of distal or proximal deep vein thrombosis. We evaluated the association between the tourniquet time and total operative time and the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty. In total, 33 cases (42.3%) were positive for deep vein thrombosis; 13 (16.7%) cases involved the proximal type. We found no statistically significant difference in tourniquet time or operative time between patients with or without deep vein thrombosis. We did observe a higher frequency of proximal deep vein thrombosis in patients who underwent surgery lasting longer than 120 minutes. The mean total operative time was also higher in patients with proximal deep vein thrombosis. The tourniquet time did not significantly differ in these patients. We concluded that surgery lasting longer than 120 minutes increases the risk of proximal deep vein thrombosis.

Positive affect among nursing home residents with Alzheimer's dementia: the effect of recreational activity.

PubMed

Schreiner, A S; Yamamoto, E; Shiotani, H

2005-03-01

The experience of positive emotions is an integral component of quality of life. Research suggests that cognitive deficits in persons with dementia may impede their ability to generate pleasurable moments and hence decrease their positive affect. Therefore, structured recreation activities may have the potential to significantly improve resident affect. However, differences in affect between ordinary time and recreation time are not well known. The present study used previously published structured-observation instruments to measure affect and behaviour among 35 dementia residents at two nursing homes in Japan during ordinary time and during recreation time. A total of 3,854 one-minute observations were coded. Dementia residents expressed happiness over seven times more often during recreation time than during ordinary time. Over 60% of ordinary time was solitary, with 65.72% of all observed affect being 'Null Affect'. A total of 43.75% of residents expressed happiness only during recreation time. In addition 48.9% of all behaviour during 'Ordinary Time' was coded as 'Null Behaviour', which indicated that the resident was sitting and doing nothing. Findings indicate that recreation time is significantly higher in positive affect than ordinary time and that virtually all residents benefited from recreation.

A Total Lightning Perspective of the 20 May 2013 Moore, Oklahoma Supercell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stano, Geoffrey T.; Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; MacGorman, Don R.; Calhoun, Kristin M.

2014-01-01

In the early afternoon of 20 May 2013, a storm initiated to the west-southwest of Newcastle, Oklahoma. This storm would rapidly intensify into the parent supercell of the tornado that struck the city of Moore, Oklahoma. This article describes what contributions total lightning observations from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array could provide to operational forecasters had these observations been available in real-time. This effort includes a focus on the GOES-R pseudo-geostationary lightning mapper demonstration product as well as the NASA SPoRT / Meteorological Development Laboratory's total lightning tracking tool. These observations and tools identified several contributions. Two distinct lightning jumps at 1908 and 1928 UTC provided a lead time of 19 minutes ahead of severe hail and 26 minutes ahead of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado's touchdown. These observations provide strong situational awareness to forecasters, as the lightning jumps are related to the rapid strengthening of the storm's updraft and mesocyclone and serve as a precursor to the stretching of the storm vortex ahead severe weather.

Cumulative Total South America Freshwater Losses as Seen by NASA GRACE, 2002-15

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-12-08

Cumulative total freshwater losses in South America from 2002 to 2015 (in inches) observed by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. Total water refers to all of the snow, surface water, soil water and groundwater combined. Much of the Amazon River basin experienced increasing total water storage during this time period, though the persistent Brazilian drought is apparent to the east. Groundwater depletion strongly impacted total water losses in the Guarani aquifer of Argentina and neighboring countries. Significant water losses due to the melting ice fields of Patagonia are also observed. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20205

Fluctuating observation time ensembles in the thermodynamics of trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budini, Adrián A.; Turner, Robert M.; Garrahan, Juan P.

2014-03-01

The dynamics of stochastic systems, both classical and quantum, can be studied by analysing the statistical properties of dynamical trajectories. The properties of ensembles of such trajectories for long, but fixed, times are described by large-deviation (LD) rate functions. These LD functions play the role of dynamical free energies: they are cumulant generating functions for time-integrated observables, and their analytic structure encodes dynamical phase behaviour. This ‘thermodynamics of trajectories’ approach is to trajectories and dynamics what the equilibrium ensemble method of statistical mechanics is to configurations and statics. Here we show that, just like in the static case, there are a variety of alternative ensembles of trajectories, each defined by their global constraints, with that of trajectories of fixed total time being just one of these. We show how the LD functions that describe an ensemble of trajectories where some time-extensive quantity is constant (and large) but where total observation time fluctuates can be mapped to those of the fixed-time ensemble. We discuss how the correspondence between generalized ensembles can be exploited in path sampling schemes for generating rare dynamical trajectories.

[Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic water by Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi].

PubMed

Wang, Chao; Zhang, Wen-ming; Wang, Pei-fang; Hou, Jun

2007-05-01

Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi, a native kind of floating vegetation resembling Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., is widespread in ditches, ponds and rivers of Taihu Lake Basin. Its growth habits indicate its potential use in aquatic ecological restoration in Taihu Lake Basin. The removal effects of Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi on nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic water were further studied in indoor experiment, as well as in field observation. The results of indoor experiment show that in summer, the removal rate for total nitrogen was 60%, which is 1.6, 1.9 and 2.8 times greater than that of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms., Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., and control, respectively, and the removal rate for total phosphorus was about 25%, which is 0.3 times lower than that of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms., but 0.9 and 4 times higher than that of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., and control, in winter, the removal rates for total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 23% and 20%, 2.3 and 1 times higher than that of control; Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi also has good removal effects for ammonia and nitrite. And the results of field observation in Linzhuanggang River, Yixing City, show that the removal rates of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in July to October were 10.2%-19.6% and 23.4%-41.6% in the reach with Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi, while only 0.1%-1.6% and 3.7%-5.6% in control reach. Based on its good purifying effect on nitrogen and phosphorus in indoor experiment and field observation, the indigene Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi is recommended as one species of aquatic vegetation in phytoremediation for eutrophic water in rivers of Tailu Lake Basin.

Global Lightning Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, Hugh J.

2004-01-01

Our knowledge of the global distribution of lightning has improved dramatically since the advent of spacebased lightning observations. Of major importance was the 1995 launch of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD), followed in 1997 by the launch of the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Together, these instruments have generated a continuous eight-year record of global lightning activity. These lightning observations have provided a new global perspective on total lightning activity. For the first time, total lightning activity (cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud) has been observed over large regions with high detection efficiency and accurate geographic location. This has produced new insights into lightning distributions, times of occurrence and variability. It has produced a revised global flash rate estimate (44 flashes per second) and has lead to a new realization of the significance of total lightning activity in severe weather. Accurate flash rate estimates are now available over large areas of the earth (+/- 72 deg. latitude). Ocean-land contrasts as a function of season are clearly reveled, as are orographic effects and seasonal and interannual variability. The space-based observations indicate that air mass thunderstorms, not large storm system dominate global activity. The ability of LIS and OTD to detect total lightning has lead to improved insight into the correlation between lightning and storm development. The relationship between updraft development and lightning activity is now well established and presents an opportunity for providing a new mechanism for remotely monitoring storm development. In this concept, lightning would serve as a surrogate for updraft velocity. It is anticipated that this capability could lead to significantly improved severe weather warning times and reduced false warning rates. This talk will summarize our space-based lightning measurements, will discuss how lightning observations can be used to monitor severe weather, and present a concept for continuous geostationary-based lightning observations.

What do ICU doctors do? A multisite time and motion study of the clinical work patterns of registrars.

PubMed

Li, Ling; Hains, Isla; Hordern, Toni; Milliss, David; Raper, Ray; Westbrook, Johanna

2015-09-01

To quantify the time that intensive care unit registrars spend on different work tasks with other health professionals and patients and using information resources, and to compare them with those of clinicians in general wards and the emergency department (ED). A prospective, observational time-and-motion study of two ICUs with a total of 71 beds at two major teaching hospitals in Sydney. Twenty-six registrars were observed between 08:00 and 18:00 on weekdays for a total of 160.52 hours. Proportions of time spent on different tasks, using specific information resources, working with other health professionals and patients, and rates of multitasking and interruptions. A total of 12 043 distinct tasks were observed. Registrars spent 69.2% of time working at patients' bedsides, 49.6% in professional communication and 39.0% accessing information resources. Half of their time (53.8%) was spent with other ICU doctors and 29.2% with nurses. Compared with doctors and nurses on general wards, and doctors in the ED, ICU registrars were more likely to multitask (40.1 times/hour [24.4% of their time]). ICU registrars had a higher interruption rate than ward clinicians, (4.2 times/hour), but a lower rate than ED doctors. Face-to-face communication and information seeking consume a vast proportion of ICU registrars' time. Multitasking and handling frequent interruptions characterise their work, and such behaviours may create an increased risk of task errors. Electronic clinical information systems may be particularly beneficial in this information-rich environment.

Applying Squeaky-Wheel Optimization Schedule Airborne Astronomy Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Jeremy; Kuerklue, Elif

2004-01-01

We apply the Squeaky Wheel Optimization (SWO) algorithm to the problem of scheduling astronomy observations for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, an airborne observatory. The problem contains complex constraints relating the feasibility of an astronomical observation to the position and time at which the observation begins, telescope elevation limits, special use airspace, and available fuel. Solving the problem requires making discrete choices (e.g. selection and sequencing of observations) and continuous ones (e.g. takeoff time and setting up observations by repositioning the aircraft). The problem also includes optimization criteria such as maximizing observing time while simultaneously minimizing total flight time. Previous approaches to the problem fail to scale when accounting for all constraints. We describe how to customize SWO to solve this problem, and show that it finds better flight plans, often with less computation time, than previous approaches.

Correlated Flare and CME Energies for the October/November 2003 Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Brian R.; Haga, Leah; Medlin, Drew; Tolbert, A. Kimberly

2006-01-01

We find a strong correlation between the kinetic energies (KEs) of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the radiated energies of the associated solar flares for the events that occurred during the period of intense solar activity between 18 October and 08 November 2003. CME start times, speeds, mass, and KEs were taken from Gopalswamy et al. (2005), who used SOHO/LASCO observations. The GOES observations of the associated flares were analyzed to find the peak SXR flux, the radiated energy in SXRs (L(sub sxr)), and the radiated energy from the SXR emitting plasma across all wavelengths (L(sub hot)). RHESSI observations were also used to find the energy in non-thermal electrons, ions, and the plasma thermal energy for some events. For two events, SORCE/TIM observations of the total solar irradiance during a flare were also available to give the total radiated flare energy (L(sub total)). We find that the total flare energies of the larger events are of the same order of magnitude as the CME KE with a stronger correlation than has been found in the past for other time intervals. The following rule-of-thumb (good to an order of magnitude for the larger events} can be used to relate flare and CME energies: CME KE l(sub total) 10 L(sub hot) 100 L(sub SXR).

Galactic Shapiro delay to the Crab pulsar and limit on weak equivalence principle violation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Shantanu; Kahya, Emre

2018-02-01

We calculate the total galactic Shapiro delay to the Crab pulsar by including the contributions from the dark matter as well as baryonic matter along the line of sight. The total delay due to dark matter potential is about 3.4 days. For baryonic matter, we included the contributions from both the bulge and the disk, which are approximately 0.12 and 0.32 days respectively. The total delay from all the matter distribution is therefore 3.84 days. We also calculate the limit on violations of Weak equivalence principle by using observations of "nano-shot" giant pulses from the Crab pulsar with time-delay <0.4 ns, as well as using time differences between radio and optical photons observed from this pulsar. Using the former, we obtain a limit on violation of Weak equivalence principle in terms of the PPN parameter Δ γ < 2.41× 10^{-15}. From the time-difference between simultaneous optical and radio observations, we get Δ γ < 1.54× 10^{-9}. We also point out differences in our calculation of Shapiro delay and that from two recent papers (Yang and Zhang, Phys Rev D 94(10):101501, 2016; Zhang and Gong, Astrophys J 837:134, 2017), which used the same observations to obtain a corresponding limit on Δ γ.

The Impact of Withholding Observations from TOMS or SBUV Instruments on the GEOS Ozone Data Assimilation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stajner, Ovanka; Riishojgaard, Lars Peter; Rood, Richard B.

2000-01-01

In a data assimilation system (DAS), model forecast atmospheric fields, observations and their respective statistics are combined in an attempt to produce the best estimate of these fields. Ozone observations from two instruments are assimilated in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) ozone DAS: the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument. The assimilated observations are complementary; TOMS provides a global daily coverage of total column ozone, without profile information, while SBUV measures ozone profiles and total column ozone at nadir only. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of the ozone assimilation system in the absence of observations from one of the instruments as it can happen in the event of a failure of an instrument or when there are problems with an instrument for a limited time. Our primary concern is for the performance of the GEOS ozone DAS when it is used in the operational mode to provide near real time analyzed ozone fields in support of instruments on the Terra satellite. In addition, we are planning to produce a longer term ozone record by assimilating historical data. We want to quantify the differences in the assimilated ozone fields that are caused by the changes in the TOMS or SBUV observing network. Our primary interest is in long term and large scale features visible in global statistics of analysis fields, such as differences in the zonal mean of assimilated ozone fields or comparisons with independent observations, While some drifts in assimilated fields occur immediately, after assimilating just one day of different observations, the others develop slowly over several months. Thus, we are also interested in the length of time, which is determined from time series, that is needed for significant changes to take place.

Service and Education: The Association Between Workload, Patient Complexity, and Teaching on Internal Medicine Inpatient Services.

PubMed

Ratcliffe, Temple A; Crabtree, Meghan A; Palmer, Raymond F; Pugh, Jacqueline A; Lanham, Holly J; Leykum, Luci K

2018-04-01

Attending rounds remain the primary venue for formal teaching and learning at academic medical centers. Little is known about the effect of increasing clinical demands on teaching during attending rounds. To explore the relationships among teaching time, teaching topics, clinical workload, and patient complexity variables. Observational study of medicine teaching teams from September 2008 through August 2014. Teams at two large teaching hospitals associated with a single medical school were observed for periods of 2 to 4 weeks. Twelve medicine teaching teams consisting of one attending, one second- or third-year resident, two to three interns, and two to three medical students. The study examined relationships between patient complexity (comorbidities, complications) and clinical workload variables (census, turnover) with educational measures. Teams were clustered based on clinical workload and patient complexity. Educational measures of interest were time spent teaching and number of teaching topics. Data were analyzed both at the daily observation level and across a given patient's admission. We observed 12 teams, 1994 discussions (approximately 373 h of rounds) of 563 patients over 244 observation days. Teams clustered into three groups: low patient complexity/high clinical workload, average patient complexity/low clinical workload, and high patient complexity/high clinical workload. Modest associations for team, patient complexity, and clinical workload variables were noted with total time spent teaching (9.1% of the variance in time spent teaching during a patient's admission; F[8,549] = 6.90, p < 0.001) and number of teaching topics (16% of the variance in the total number of teaching topics during a patient's admission; F[8,548] = 14.18, p < 0.001). Clinical workload and patient complexity characteristics among teams were only modestly associated with total teaching time and teaching topics.

Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) of Land Cover Using All Available Landsat Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Z.; Woodcock, C. E.

2012-12-01

A new algorithm for Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) of land cover using all available Landsat data is developed. This new algorithm is capable of detecting many kinds of land cover change as new images are collected and at the same time provide land cover maps for any given time. To better identify land cover change, a two step cloud, cloud shadow, and snow masking algorithm is used for eliminating "noisy" observations. Next, a time series model that has components of seasonality, trend, and break estimates the surface reflectance and temperature. The time series model is updated continuously with newly acquired observations. Due to the high variability in spectral response for different kinds of land cover change, the CCDC algorithm uses a data-driven threshold derived from all seven Landsat bands. When the difference between observed and predicted exceeds the thresholds three consecutive times, a pixel is identified as land cover change. Land cover classification is done after change detection. Coefficients from the time series models and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) from model fitting are used as classification inputs for the Random Forest Classifier (RFC). We applied this new algorithm for one Landsat scene (Path 12 Row 31) that includes all of Rhode Island as well as much of Eastern Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut. A total of 532 Landsat images acquired between 1982 and 2011 were processed. During this period, 619,924 pixels were detected to change once (91% of total changed pixels) and 60,199 pixels were detected to change twice (8% of total changed pixels). The most frequent land cover change category is from mixed forest to low density residential which occupies more than 8% of total land cover change pixels.

Evaluation of Bayesian estimation of a hidden continuous-time Markov chain model with application to threshold violation in water-quality indicators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deviney, Frank A.; Rice, Karen; Brown, Donald E.

2012-01-01

Natural resource managers require information concerning  the frequency, duration, and long-term probability of occurrence of water-quality indicator (WQI) violations of defined thresholds. The timing of these threshold crossings often is hidden from the observer, who is restricted to relatively infrequent observations. Here, a model for the hidden process is linked with a model for the observations, and the parameters describing duration, return period, and long-term probability of occurrence are estimated using Bayesian methods. A simulation experiment is performed to evaluate the approach under scenarios based on the equivalent of a total monitoring period of 5-30 years and an observation frequency of 1-50 observations per year. Given constant threshold crossing rate, accuracy and precision of parameter estimates increased with longer total monitoring period and more-frequent observations. Given fixed monitoring period and observation frequency, accuracy and precision of parameter estimates increased with longer times between threshold crossings. For most cases where the long-term probability of being in violation is greater than 0.10, it was determined that at least 600 observations are needed to achieve precise estimates.  An application of the approach is presented using 22 years of quasi-weekly observations of acid-neutralizing capacity from Deep Run, a stream in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. The time series also was sub-sampled to simulate monthly and semi-monthly sampling protocols. Estimates of the long-term probability of violation were unbiased despite sampling frequency; however, the expected duration and return period were over-estimated using the sub-sampled time series with respect to the full quasi-weekly time series.

Psychosocial quality of life in patients after total laryngectomy.

PubMed

Babin, E; Beynier, D; Le Gall, D; Hitier, M

2009-01-01

To examine Psychosocial Quality-of Life (PSQL) changes occurring over time among patients treated for laryngeal carcinoma by total laryngectomy. A retrospective, observational transversal study was performed on PSQL changes over time in laryngeal carcinoma patients having undergone total laryngectomy. Patients were interviewed using a questionnaire developed by two sociologists and a head and neck surgeon. Changes over time were assessed according to information with regards to smoking, alcohol consumption, psychological well-being, social life, family support, occupation and medical and demographic data regarding age, gender, verbal communication and patient appearance. 150 patients completed the questionnaire. All were aged over 50 years at the time of surgery (total laryngectomy). Eighty-five percent of patients were smokers and 81% drinkers. On average, the questionnaires were completed by patients 6 years after surgery. Before and after total laryngectomy, no statistical differences were noted for marital status (p = 1.000), frequency of dining at home with friends (p = 0.175), frequency of weekend outings (p = 0.092) or frequency of holidays (p = 0.565). A significant decrease was noted for smoking and drinking (p < 0.001), frequency of going to a café (p < 0.001), frequency of dinner outings at friends' homes (p = 0.032) and frequency of going out to a restaurant (p < 0.001). A significant increase was observed in: owning a pet (p = 0.02) and time spent watching television (p < 0.001). The two latter results are indicative of feelings of solitude among total laryngectomees. Tracheostoma and voice deprivation are limiting factors in social relationships, hence pushing individuals into withdrawal.

Neutral points of skylight polarization observed during the total eclipse on 11 August 1999.

PubMed

Horváth, Gábor; Pomozi, István; Gál, József

2003-01-20

We report here on the observation of unpolarized (neutral) points in the sky during the total solar eclipse on 11 August 1999. Near the zenith a neutral point was observed at 450 nm at two different points of time during totality. Around this celestial point the distribution of the angle of polarization was heterogeneous: The electric field vectors on the one side were approximately perpendicular to those on the other side. At another moment of totality, near the zenith a local minimum of the degree of linear polarization occurred at 550 nm. Near the antisolar meridian, at a low elevation another two neutral points occurred at 450 nm at a certain moment during totality. Approximately at the position of these neutral points, at another moment of totality a local minimum of the degree of polarization occurred at 550 nm, whereas at 450 nm a neutral point was observed, around which the angle-of-polarization pattern was homogeneous: The electric field vectors were approximately horizontal on both sides of the neutral point.

Heliophysics at total solar eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.

2017-08-01

Observations during total solar eclipses have revealed many secrets about the solar corona, from its discovery in the 17th century to the measurement of its million-kelvin temperature in the 19th and 20th centuries, to details about its dynamics and its role in the solar-activity cycle in the 21st century. Today's heliophysicists benefit from continued instrumental and theoretical advances, but a solar eclipse still provides a unique occasion to study coronal science. In fact, the region of the corona best observed from the ground at total solar eclipses is not available for view from any space coronagraphs. In addition, eclipse views boast of much higher quality than those obtained with ground-based coronagraphs. On 21 August 2017, the first total solar eclipse visible solely from what is now United States territory since long before George Washington's presidency will occur. This event, which will cross coast-to-coast for the first time in 99 years, will provide an opportunity not only for massive expeditions with state-of-the-art ground-based equipment, but also for observations from aloft in aeroplanes and balloons. This set of eclipse observations will again complement space observations, this time near the minimum of the solar activity cycle. This review explores the past decade of solar eclipse studies, including advances in our understanding of the corona and its coronal mass ejections as well as terrestrial effects. We also discuss some additional bonus effects of eclipse observations, such as recreating the original verification of the general theory of relativity.

Inter-session reliability and sex-related differences in hamstrings total reaction time, pre-motor time and motor time during eccentric isokinetic contractions in recreational athlete.

PubMed

Ayala, Francisco; De Ste Croix, Mark; Sainz de Baranda, Pilar; Santonja, Fernando

2014-04-01

The purposes were twofold: (a) to ascertain the inter-session reliability of hamstrings total reaction time, pre-motor time and motor time; and (b) to examine sex-related differences in the hamstrings reaction times profile. Twenty-four men and 24 women completed the study. Biceps femoris and semitendinosus total reaction time, pre-motor time and motor time measured during eccentric isokinetic contractions were recorded on three different occasions. Inter-session reliability was examined through typical percentage error (CVTE), percentage change in the mean (CM) and intraclass correlations (ICC). For both biceps femoris and semitendinosus, total reaction time, pre-motor time and motor time measures demonstrated moderate inter-session reliability (CVTE<10%; CM<3%; ICC>0.7). The results also indicated that, although not statistically significant, women reported consistently longer hamstrings total reaction time (23.5ms), pre-motor time (12.7ms) and motor time (7.5ms) values than men. Therefore, an observed change larger than 5%, 9% and 8% for total reaction time, pre-motor time and motor time respectively from baseline scores after performing a training program would indicate that a real change was likely. Furthermore, while not statistically significant, sex differences were noted in the hamstrings reaction time profile which may play a role in the greater incidence of ACL injuries in women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemotherapy Order Entry by a Clinical Support Pharmacy Technician in an Outpatient Medical Day Unit

PubMed Central

Neville, Heather; Broadfield, Larry; Harding, Claudia; Heukshorst, Shelley; Sweetapple, Jennifer; Rolle, Megan

2016-01-01

Background: Pharmacy technicians are expanding their scope of practice, often in partnership with pharmacists. In oncology, such a shift in responsibilities may lead to workflow efficiencies, but may also cause concerns about patient risk and medication errors. Objectives: The primary objective was to compare the time spent on order entry and order-entry checking before and after training of a clinical support pharmacy technician (CSPT) to perform chemotherapy order entry. The secondary objectives were to document workflow interruptions and to assess medication errors. Methods: This before-and-after observational study investigated chemotherapy order entry for ambulatory oncology patients. Order entry was performed by pharmacists before the process change (phase 1) and by 1 CSPT after the change (phase 2); order-entry checking was performed by a pharmacist during both phases. The tasks were timed by an independent observer using a personal digital assistant. A convenience sample of 125 orders was targeted for each phase. Data were exported to Microsoft Excel software, and timing differences for each task were tested with an unpaired t test. Results: Totals of 143 and 128 individual orders were timed for order entry during phase 1 (pharmacist) and phase 2 (CSPT), respectively. The mean total time to perform order entry was greater during phase 1 (1:37 min versus 1:20 min; p = 0.044). Totals of 144 and 122 individual orders were timed for order-entry checking (by a pharmacist) in phases 1 and 2, respectively, and there was no difference in mean total time for order-entry checking (1:21 min versus 1:20 min; p = 0.69). There were 33 interruptions not related to order entry (totalling 39:38 min) during phase 1 and 25 interruptions (totalling 30:08 min) during phase 2. Three errors were observed during order entry in phase 1 and one error during order-entry checking in phase 2; the errors were rated as having no effect on patient care. Conclusions: Chemotherapy order entry by a trained CSPT appeared to be just as safe and efficient as order entry by a pharmacist. Changes in pharmacy technicians’ scope of practice could increase the amount of time available for pharmacists to provide direct patient care in the oncology setting. PMID:27402999

Chemotherapy Order Entry by a Clinical Support Pharmacy Technician in an Outpatient Medical Day Unit.

PubMed

Neville, Heather; Broadfield, Larry; Harding, Claudia; Heukshorst, Shelley; Sweetapple, Jennifer; Rolle, Megan

2016-01-01

Pharmacy technicians are expanding their scope of practice, often in partnership with pharmacists. In oncology, such a shift in responsibilities may lead to workflow efficiencies, but may also cause concerns about patient risk and medication errors. The primary objective was to compare the time spent on order entry and order-entry checking before and after training of a clinical support pharmacy technician (CSPT) to perform chemotherapy order entry. The secondary objectives were to document workflow interruptions and to assess medication errors. This before-and-after observational study investigated chemotherapy order entry for ambulatory oncology patients. Order entry was performed by pharmacists before the process change (phase 1) and by 1 CSPT after the change (phase 2); order-entry checking was performed by a pharmacist during both phases. The tasks were timed by an independent observer using a personal digital assistant. A convenience sample of 125 orders was targeted for each phase. Data were exported to Microsoft Excel software, and timing differences for each task were tested with an unpaired t test. Totals of 143 and 128 individual orders were timed for order entry during phase 1 (pharmacist) and phase 2 (CSPT), respectively. The mean total time to perform order entry was greater during phase 1 (1:37 min versus 1:20 min; p = 0.044). Totals of 144 and 122 individual orders were timed for order-entry checking (by a pharmacist) in phases 1 and 2, respectively, and there was no difference in mean total time for order-entry checking (1:21 min versus 1:20 min; p = 0.69). There were 33 interruptions not related to order entry (totalling 39:38 min) during phase 1 and 25 interruptions (totalling 30:08 min) during phase 2. Three errors were observed during order entry in phase 1 and one error during order-entry checking in phase 2; the errors were rated as having no effect on patient care. Chemotherapy order entry by a trained CSPT appeared to be just as safe and efficient as order entry by a pharmacist. Changes in pharmacy technicians' scope of practice could increase the amount of time available for pharmacists to provide direct patient care in the oncology setting.

Chain Rule Approach for Calculating the Time-Derivative of Flux

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

Langenbrunner, James R.; Booker, Jane M.

The reaction history (gamma-flux observable) is mathematically studied by using the chain rule for taking the total-time derivatives. That is, the total time-derivative of flux is written as the product of the ion temperature derivative with respect to time and the derivative of the flux with respect to ion temperature. Some equations are derived using the further simplification that the fusion reactivity is a parametrized function of ion temperature, T. Deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion is used as the application with reactivity calculations from three established reactivity parametrizations.

Geographically Distributed Citizen Scientist Training for the 2017 Citizen CATE Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelderman, Richard; Penn, Matt; Baer, Robert; Isberner, Fred; Pierce, Michael; Walter, Donald K.; Yanamandra-Fisher, Padma; Sheeley, Neil R.

2016-01-01

The solar eclipse of 21 August 2017 will be visible to over a half billion people across the entire North American continent. The roughly 100-mile wide path of totality, stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, will be the destination for tens of millions of people. In the decades since 1979, when the last total solar eclipse was visible from the continental USA, the phenomenon of Internet enabled citizen science has grown to be an accepted mode for science. The Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (Citizen CATE) experiment has been funded as one of the three 2017 eclipse related NASA STEM agreements to engage citizen scientists in a unique, cutting-edge solar physics experiment. Teams across the USA will be trained to use standardized refracting telescope and digital imager set-ups to observe the solar corona during the eclipse, acquiring multiple exposures to create one high dynamic range image. After observing during the eclipse, the CATE volunteers will upload the combined image to a cloud-storage site and the CATE team will then work to properly orient and align all the images collected from across the continent to produce a continuous 90-minutes movie. A time-compressed first cut of the entire sequence will be made available to media outlets on the same afternoon of the eclipse, with hope that high quality images will encourage the most accurate coverage of this Great American Eclipse. We discuss overall the project, as well as details of the initial tests of the prototype set-up (including in the Faroe Islands during the March 2015 total solar eclipse) and plans for the future night-time and day-time observing campaigns, and for a handful of observing teams positioned for overlapping observations of the March 2016 total solar eclipse in the South Pacific.

Measuring the EMS patient access time interval and the impact of responding to high-rise buildings.

PubMed

Morrison, Laurie J; Angelini, Mark P; Vermeulen, Marian J; Schwartz, Brian

2005-01-01

To measure the patient access time interval and characterize its contribution to the total emergency medical services (EMS) response time interval; to compare the patient access time intervals for patients located three or more floors above ground with those less than three floors above or below ground, and specifically in the apartment subgroup; and to identify barriers that significantly impede EMS access to patients in high-rise apartments. An observational study of all patients treated by an emergency medical technician paramedics (EMT-P) crew was conducted using a trained independent observer to collect time intervals and identify potential barriers to access. Of 118 observed calls, 25 (21%) originated from patients three or more floors above ground. The overall median and 90th percentile (95% confidence interval) patient access time intervals were 1.61 (1.27, 1.91) and 3.47 (3.08, 4.05) minutes, respectively. The median interval was 2.73 (2.22, 3.03) minutes among calls from patients located three or more stories above ground compared with 1.25 (1.07, 1.55) minutes among those at lower levels. The patient access time interval represented 23.5% of the total EMS response time interval among calls originating less than three floors above or below ground and 32.2% of those located three or more stories above ground. The most frequently encountered barriers to access included security code entry requirements, lack of directional signs, and inability to fit the stretcher into the elevator. The patient access time interval is significantly long and represents a substantial component of the total EMS response time interval, especially among ambulance calls originating three or more floors above ground. A number of barriers appear to contribute to delayed paramedic access.

Factors affecting medication-order processing time.

PubMed

Beaman, M A; Kotzan, J A

1982-11-01

The factors affecting medication-order processing time at one hospital were studied. The order processing time was determined by directly observing the time to process randomly selected new drug orders on all three work shifts during two one-week periods. An order could list more than one drug for an individual patient. The observer recorded the nature, location, and cost of the drugs ordered, as well as the time to process the order. The time and type of interruptions also were noted. The time to process a drug order was classified as six dependent variables: (1) total time, (2) work time, (3) check time, (4) waiting time I--time from arrival on the dumbwaiter until work was initiated, (5) waiting time II--time between completion of the work and initiation of checking, and (6) waiting time III--time after the check was completed until the order left on the dumbwaiter. The significant predictors of each of the six dependent variables were determined using stepwise multiple regression. The total time to process a prescription order was 58.33 +/- 48.72 minutes; the urgency status of the order was the only significant determinant of total time. Urgency status also significantly predicted the three waiting-time variables. Interruptions and the number of drugs on the order were significant determinants of work time and check time. Each telephone interruption increased the work time by 1.72 minutes. While the results of this study cannot be generalized to other institutions, pharmacy managers can use the method of determining factors that affect medication-order processing time to identify problem areas in their institutions.

Techniques for measuring arrival times of pulsar signals 1: DSN observations from 1968 to 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downs, G. S.; Reichley, P. E.

1980-01-01

Techniques used in the ground based observations of pulsars are described, many of them applicable in a navigation scheme. The arrival times of the pulses intercepting Earth are measured at time intervals from a few days to a few months. Low noise, wide band receivers, amplify signals intercepted by 26 m, 34, and 64 m antennas. Digital recordings of total received signal power versus time are cross correlated with the appropriate pulse template.

[Study on extraction process of zhanjin ruji].

PubMed

Du, Zhi-qian; Du, Tian-xin; Wang, Zhong-dong; Li, Gen-lin

2003-01-01

To select the optimum extraction process of Zhanjin Ruji. To observe influence of extraction time upon the extraction rate of volatile oil, the orthogonal test was adopted to observe the extraction process by alcohol from the extraction rate and content of the total saponins in Radix Notoginseng. The three kinds of herbs including Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Resina Olibani and Myrrha were extracted with water for 3 hours, 95% of volatile oil can be distilled. The three kinds of herbs including Radix Notoginseng, Herba Lycopodii and Radix Gentianae Macrophyllac were extracted by alcohol. Four factors such as alcohol concentration(A), extraction times(B), extraction time(C), and solvent amount(D), had not significant effect on the content of total saponins in Radix Notoginseng in herbal extraction, but factor A and B had significant effect on the extraction rate. The optimum extraction process was as follows extracted with 5 times the amount of the solvent volum 60% alcohol for 3 times and with each time for 1 hour. Three times experiments showed that the extraction rate was 26.5% and the content of the total saponins in Radix Notoginseng was 17.28% mg.g-1. The above experimental results can provide experimental basis for deciding the extraction process of Zhanjin Ruji.

Hilbert-Huang Transformation Based Analyses of FP1, FP2, and Fz Electroencephalogram Signals in Alcoholism.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Feng; Su, Jiun-Yi; Wang, Hao-Min

2015-09-01

Chronic alcoholism may damage the central nervous system, causing imbalance in the excitation-inhibition homeostasis in the cortex, which may lead to hyper-arousal of the central nervous system, and impairments in cognitive function. In this paper, we use the Hilbert-Huang transformation (HHT) method to analyze the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from control and alcoholic observers who watched two different pictures. We examined the intrinsic mode function (IMF) based energy distribution features of FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals in the time and frequency domains for alcoholics. The HHT-based characteristics of the IMFs, the instantaneous frequencies, and the time-frequency-energy distributions of the IMFs of the clinical FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals recorded from normal and alcoholic observers who watched two different pictures were analyzed. We observed that the number of peak amplitudes of the alcoholic subjects is larger than that of the control. In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficients of the IMFs, and the energy-IMF distributions of the clinical FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals recorded from normal and alcoholic observers were analyzed. The analysis results show that the energy ratios of IMF4, IMF5, and IMF7 waves of the normal observers to the refereed total energy were larger than 10 %, respectively. In addition, the energy ratios of IMF3, IMF4, and IMF5 waves of the alcoholic observers to the refereed total energy were larger than 10 %. The FP1 and FP2 waves of the normal observers, the FP1 and FP2 waves of the alcoholic observers, and the FP1 and Fz waves of the alcoholic observers demonstrated extremely high correlations. On the other hand, the FP1 waves of the normal and alcoholic observers, the FP1 wave of the normal observer and the FP2 wave of the alcoholic observer, the FP1 wave of the normal observer and the Fz wave of the alcoholic observer, the FP2 waves of the normal and alcoholic FP2 observers, and the FP2 wave of the normal observer and the Fz wave of the alcoholic observer demonstrated extremely low correlations. The IMF4 of the FP1 and FP2 signals of the normal observer, and the IMF5 of the FP1 and FP2 signals of the alcoholic observer were correlated. The IMF4 of the FP1 signal of the normal observer and that of the FP2 signal of the alcoholic observer as well as the IMF5 of the FP1 signal of the normal observer and that of the FP2 signal of the alcoholic observer exhibited extremely low correlations. In this manner, our experiment leads to a better understanding of the HHT-based IMFs features of FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals in alcoholism. The analysis results show that the energy ratios of the wave of an alcoholic observer to its refereed total energy for IMF4, and IMF5 in the δ band for FP1, FP2, and Fz channels were larger than those of the respective waves of the normal observer. The alcoholic EEG signals constitute more than 1 % of the total energy in the δ wave, and the reaction times were 0_4, 4_8, 8_12, and 12_16 s. For normal EEG signals, more than 1 % of the total energy is distributed in the δ wave, with a reaction time 0 to 4 s. We observed that the alcoholic subject reaction times were slower than those of the normal subjects, and the alcoholic subjects could have experienced a cognitive error. This phenomenon is due to the intoxicated central nervous systems of the alcoholic subjects.

Observation of an ionospheric disturbance caused by a gamma-ray burst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, G. J.; Inan, U. S.

1988-01-01

A first observation of an ionospheric disturbance from a gamma-ray burst is reported. The burst, GB30801, occurred at 22:14:18 UT on August 1, 1983, and was one of the strongest ever observed. The total fluence was 0.002 erg/sq cm, most of which occurred in the first 4 s of the burst. Simultaneously, a change was observed in the amplitude of a VLF radio signal from a transmitter in Rugby, England indicative of an ionospheric disturbance. Weaker disturbances were also recorded at the same receiving site on signals from VLF stations in Annapolis, Maryland and Lualualei, Hawaii. The times of the burst and the disturbances are coincident within the 10-s resolution of the VLF recording system. No similar disturbances were observed within 60 hr around the time of the burst. In the future, a network of VLF burst monitors may provide measurements of the total ionizing energy fluence from a burst, as well as some limited directional information.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Velocities in the A2345 cluster (Boschin+, 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschin, W.; Barrena, R.; Girardi, M.

2011-08-01

Multi-object spectroscopic observations of A2345 were carried out at the TNG telescope in August 2008. We used DOLORES/MOS with the LR-B Grism 1, yielding a dispersion of 187Å/mm. We used the new E2V CCD, a matrix of 2048x2048 pixels with a pixel size of 13.5um. In total we observed four MOS masks for a total of 147 slits. Total exposure times were of 1h for three masks and 1.5h for the remaining mask. (1 data file).

Analysis of total visual and ccd v-broadband observation of comet c/1995 o1 (hale-bopp): 1995-2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Almeida, A. A.; Boczko, R.; Lopes, A. R.; Sanzovo, G. C.

The wealth of available information on total visual magnitudes and broadband-V CCD observations of the exceptionally bright Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) proved to be an excellent opportunity to test the Semi-Empirical Method of Visual Magnitudes (de Almeida, Singh & Huebner, 1997) for very bright comets. The main objective is to extend the method to include total visual magnitude observations obtained with CCD detector and V filter in our analysis of total visual magnitudes and obtain a single light curve. We compare the CCD V-broadband careful observations of Liller (1997) by plotting then together with the total visual magnitude observations from experienced visual observers found in the International Comet Quarterly (ICQ) archive. We find a nice agreement despite of the fact that CCDs and V filter passbands detect systematically more coma than visual observers, since they have different responses to C2, which is the main emission from the coma, and consequently they should be used with larger apperture diameters. A data set of ˜400 CCD selected observations covering about the same 5 years time span of the ˜12,000 ICQ total visual magnitude observations were used in the analysis. A least-squares fit to the values yielded a relation for water production rates vs heliocentric distances for the pre- and post-perihelion phases and are converted into gas production rates (in g/s) released by the nucleus. The dimension of the nucleus as well as its effective active area is determined and compared to other works.

Observations of brine plumes below melting Arctic sea ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Algot K.

2018-02-01

In sea ice, interconnected pockets and channels of brine are surrounded by fresh ice. Over time, brine is lost by gravity drainage and flushing. The timing of salt release and its interaction with the underlying water can impact subsequent sea ice melt. Turbulence measurements 1 m below melting sea ice north of Svalbard reveal anticorrelated heat and salt fluxes. From the observations, 131 salty plumes descending from the warm sea ice are identified, confirming previous observations from a Svalbard fjord. The plumes are likely triggered by oceanic heat through bottom melt. Calculated over a composite plume, oceanic heat and salt fluxes during the plumes account for 6 and 9 % of the total fluxes, respectively, while only lasting in total 0.5 % of the time. The observed salt flux accumulates to 7.6 kg m-2, indicating nearly full desalination of the ice. Bulk salinity reduction between two nearby ice cores agrees with accumulated salt fluxes to within a factor of 2. The increasing fraction of younger, more saline ice in the Arctic suggests an increase in desalination processes with the transition to the new Arctic.

Biomass burning signals over the South Atlantic Ocean before and during the El Niño event of 2015/16

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Sabrina G.; Feist, Dietrich G.; Marshall, Julia; Guillermo Nuñez Ramirez, Tonatiuh

2017-04-01

The Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC) has been operating a Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (FTS) on Ascension Island (8° S, 14° W) as part of the Total Carbon Column Observation Network (TCCON). Since 2012, this instrument has been observing column-averaged dry-air mole fractions (commonly referred to as Xgas) of greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4, CO, N2O and others. Due to its location in the southern trade wind zone, the station is downwind from Africa most of the time. Different parts of the total column above the station are influenced by fluxes from different regions. Especially the lower layers of the free troposphere just above the planetary boundary layer (PBL) show strong biomass burning signals. XCH4 and especially XCO are strongly enhanced during the northern and southern African burning seasons. For XCO, enhancements of 50-100% in the total column can be observed on the time scale of days. Transport model simulations suggest that biomass burning signals from as far as the Eastern Indian Ocean may be detected over Ascension Island. Most of these effects are not visible from observations in the PBL. The 5-year time series allows a first look at the effect of the 2015/16 El Niño on the biomass burning patterns in the Southern Hemisphere.

Effects of Inhalation Aromatherapy on Symptoms of Sleep Disturbance in the Elderly with Dementia

PubMed Central

Watanuki, Emiko

2017-01-01

This study investigated the effects of inhalation aromatherapy on sleep disturbance in elderly individuals with dementia. In 19 subjects, normal sleep was observed for a 20-day control period, inhalation aromatherapy was then applied for a 20-day intervention period, and the control and intervention periods were compared. During the intervention period, essential oils were placed nightly on towels around the subjects' pillows. The measured sleep conditions were sleep latency, total sleep time, sleep efficacy, duration of the longest sustained sleep period, wake time after sleep onset, early morning awakening, total daytime sleep, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Total sleep time was significantly longer in the intervention period than in the control period (p < 0.05). The duration of the longest sustained sleep period was significantly longer in the intervention period than in the control period (p < 0.05). Early morning awakening in the intervention period was significantly less compared to that in the control period (p < 0.05). Total daytime sleep could not be adequately measured and was omitted from the analysis. No significant differences in other sleep conditions were observed. These results indicated positive effects of inhalation aromatherapy on symptoms of sleep disturbance in elderly individuals with dementia. PMID:28400839

Observed impacts of duration and seasonality of atmospheric-river landfalls on soil moisture and runoff in coastal northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ralph, F.M.; Coleman, T.; Neiman, P.J.; Zamora, R.J.; Dettinger, Mike

2013-01-01

This study is motivated by diverse needs for better forecasts of extreme precipitation and floods. It is enabled by unique hourly observations collected over six years near California’s Russian River and by recent advances in the science of atmospheric rivers (ARs). This study fills key gaps limiting the prediction of ARs and, especially, their impacts by quantifying the duration of AR conditions and the role of duration in modulating hydrometeorological impacts. Precursor soil moisture conditions and their relationship to streamflow are also shown. On the basis of 91 well-observed events during 2004-10, the study shows that the passage of ARs over a coastal site lasted 20 h on average and that 12% of the AR events exceeded 30 h. Differences in storm-total water vapor transport directed up the mountain slope contribute 74% of the variance in storm-total rainfall across the events and 61% of the variance in storm-total runoff volume. ARs with double the composite mean duration produced nearly 6 times greater peak streamflow and more than 7 times the storm-total runoff volume. When precursor soil moisture was less than 20%, even heavy rainfall did not lead to significant streamflow. Predicting which AR events are likely to produce extreme impacts on precipitation and runoff requires accurate prediction of AR duration at landfall and observations of precursor soil moisture conditions.

Cross-sectional associations of total sitting and leisure screen time with cardiometabolic risk in adults. Results from the HUNT Study, Norway.

PubMed

Chau, Josephine Y; Grunseit, Anne; Midthjell, Kristian; Holmen, Jostein; Holmen, Turid L; Bauman, Adrian E; van der Ploeg, Hidde P

2014-01-01

To examine associations of total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers in adults. Population based cross-sectional study. Waist circumference, BMI, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, non-fasting glucose, gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and triglycerides were measured in 48,882 adults aged 20 years or older from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2006-2008 (HUNT3). Adjusted multiple regression models were used to test for associations between these biomarkers and self-reported total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use in the whole sample and by cardiometabolic disease status sub-groups. In the whole sample, reporting total sitting time ≥10 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, non-fasting glucose, GGT and triglyceride levels compared to those reporting total sitting time <4h/day (all p<0.05). TV-viewing ≥4 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, GGT and triglycerides compared to TV-viewing <1h/day (all p<0.05). Leisure-time computer use ≥1 h/day was associated with poorer BMI, total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, GGT and triglycerides compared with those reporting no leisure-time computing. Sub-group analyses by cardiometabolic disease status showed similar patterns in participants free of cardiometabolic disease, while similar albeit non-significant patterns were observed in those with cardiometabolic disease. Total sitting time, TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use are associated with poorer cardiometabolic risk profiles in adults. Reducing sedentary behaviour throughout the day and limiting TV-viewing and leisure-time computer use may have health benefits. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paramedics on the job: dynamic trunk motion assessment at the workplace.

PubMed

Prairie, Jérôme; Corbeil, Philippe

2014-07-01

Many paramedics' work accidents are related to physical aspects of the job, and the most affected body part is the low back. This study documents the trunk motion exposure of paramedics on the job. Nine paramedics were observed over 12 shifts (120 h). Trunk postures were recorded with the computer-assisted CUELA measurement system worn on the back like a knapsack. Average duration of an emergency call was 23.5 min. Sagittal trunk flexion of >40° and twisting rotation of >24° were observed in 21% and 17% of time-sampled postures. Medical care on the scene (44% of total time) involved prolonged flexed and twisted postures (∼ 10s). The highest extreme sagittal trunk flexion (63°) and twisting rotation (40°) were observed during lifting activities, which lasted 2% of the total time. Paramedics adopted trunk motions that may significantly increase the risk of low back disorders during medical care and patient-handling activities. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evidence of Significant Energy Input in the Late Phase of a Solar Flare from NuSTAR X-Ray Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Säm; Hannah, Iain G.; Glesener, Lindsay; Saint-Hilaire, Pascal; Grefenstette, Brian W.; Hudson, Hugh S.; White, Stephen M.; Smith, David M.; Marsh, Andrew J.; Wright, Paul J.; Boggs, Steven E.; Christensen, Finn E.; Craig, William W.; Hailey, Charles J.; Harrison, Fiona A.; Stern, Daniel; Zhang, William W.

2017-01-01

We present observations of the occulted active region AR 12222 during the third Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray (NuSTAR) solar campaign on 2014 December 11, with concurrent Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/AIA and FOXSI-2 sounding rocket observations. The active region produced a medium-size solar flare 1 day before the observations, at ˜18 UT on 2014 December 10, with the post-flare loops still visible at the time of NuSTAR observations. The time evolution of the source emission in the SDO/AIA 335 Å channel reveals the characteristics of an extreme-ultraviolet late-phase event, caused by the continuous formation of new post-flare loops that arch higher and higher in the solar corona. The spectral fitting of NuSTAR observations yields an isothermal source, with temperature 3.8-4.6 MK, emission measure (0.3-1.8) × 1046 cm-3, and density estimated at (2.5-6.0) × 108 cm-3. The observed AIA fluxes are consistent with the derived NuSTAR temperature range, favoring temperature values in the range of 4.0-4.3 MK. By examining the post-flare loops’ cooling times and energy content, we estimate that at least 12 sets of post-flare loops were formed and subsequently cooled between the onset of the flare and NuSTAR observations, with their total thermal energy content an order of magnitude larger than the energy content at flare peak time. This indicates that the standard approach of using only the flare peak time to derive the total thermal energy content of a flare can lead to a large underestimation of its value.

EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT ENERGY INPUT IN THE LATE PHASE OF A SOLAR FLARE FROM NuSTAR X-RAY OBSERVATIONS

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

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Säm; Hannah, Iain G.

We present observations of the occulted active region AR 12222 during the third Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray ( NuSTAR ) solar campaign on 2014 December 11, with concurrent Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO )/AIA and FOXSI-2 sounding rocket observations. The active region produced a medium-size solar flare 1 day before the observations, at ∼18 UT on 2014 December 10, with the post-flare loops still visible at the time of NuSTAR observations. The time evolution of the source emission in the SDO/ AIA 335 Å channel reveals the characteristics of an extreme-ultraviolet late-phase event, caused by the continuous formation of newmore » post-flare loops that arch higher and higher in the solar corona. The spectral fitting of NuSTAR observations yields an isothermal source, with temperature 3.8–4.6 MK, emission measure (0.3–1.8) × 10{sup 46} cm{sup −3}, and density estimated at (2.5–6.0) × 10{sup 8} cm{sup −3}. The observed AIA fluxes are consistent with the derived NuSTAR temperature range, favoring temperature values in the range of 4.0–4.3 MK. By examining the post-flare loops’ cooling times and energy content, we estimate that at least 12 sets of post-flare loops were formed and subsequently cooled between the onset of the flare and NuSTAR observations, with their total thermal energy content an order of magnitude larger than the energy content at flare peak time. This indicates that the standard approach of using only the flare peak time to derive the total thermal energy content of a flare can lead to a large underestimation of its value.« less

Evidence of Significant Energy Input in the Late Phase of A Solar Flare from NuSTAR X-Ray Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuhar, Matej; Krucker, Sam; Hannah, Iain G.; Glesener, Lindsay; Saint-Hilaire, Pascal; Grefenstette, Brian W.; Hudson, Hugh S.; White, Stephen M.; Smith, David M.; Marsh, Andrew J.;

A reanalysis of ozone on Mars from assimilation of SPICAM observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, James A.; Lewis, Stephen R.; Patel, Manish R.; Lefèvre, Franck

2018-03-01

We have assimilated for the first time SPICAM retrievals of total ozone into a Martian global circulation model to provide a global reanalysis of the ozone cycle. Disagreement in total ozone between model prediction and assimilation is observed between 45°S-10°S from LS = 135-180° and at northern polar (60°N-90°N) latitudes during northern fall (LS = 150-195°). Large percentage differences in total ozone at northern fall polar latitudes identified through the assimilation process are linked with excessive northward transport of water vapour west of Tharsis and over Arabia Terra. Modelling biases in water vapour can also explain the underestimation of total ozone between 45°S-10°S from LS = 135-180°. Heterogeneous uptake of odd hydrogen radicals are unable to explain the outstanding underestimation of northern polar total ozone in late northern fall. Assimilation of total ozone retrievals results in alterations of the modelled spatial distribution of ozone in the southern polar winter high altitude ozone layer. This illustrates the potential use of assimilation methods in constraining total ozone where SPICAM cannot observe, in a region where total ozone is especially important for potential investigations of the polar dynamics.

Short daily exposure to hand-arm vibrations in Swedish car mechanics.

PubMed

Barregård, Lars

2003-01-01

The aim of the study was to examine the daily exposure times to hand-arm vibrations in Swedish car mechanics, to test a method for estimating the exposure time without observing the workers for whole days, and to use the results for predicting the prevalence of vibration-induced white fingers (VWF) by the ISO 5349-model. Six garages were surveyed. In each garage, 5-10 car mechanics were observed in random order every 30 seconds throughout working days. The daily exposure time for each mechanic was estimated from the fraction of the observations that the mechanic was exposed. A total of 51 mechanics were observed, most of them on two different working days, yielding estimates for 95 days. The median effective exposure time was 10 minutes per day (95% confidence interval 5-15 minutes, arithmetic mean 14 minutes, maximum 80 minutes), and most of the exposure time was attributable to fastening and loosening nuts. The within-worker and between-worker variability was high (total sigma2 0.99, geometric standard deviation of 2.7). Using the observed exposure time and data on vibration levels of the main tools in Swedish car mechanics (average weighted acceleration level of 3.5 m/s2), the model in ISO-standard 5349 would predict that only three percent of the car mechanics will suffer from VWF after 20 years of exposure. In contrast, a recent survey of VWF showed the prevalence to be 25 percent. The precision of the observation method was estimated and was found to be good for the group daily mean. On the individual level the precision was only acceptable if the daily exposure time was > or = 40 minutes. In conclusion, the daily exposure time was short and the vibration level was limited. Nevertheless, hand-arm vibrations cause VWF in a significant number of car mechanics. The method of observing workers intermittently seemed to work well.

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

Column descriptions ID : Unique integer for each control time simulation LABEL : Description unique to each ID (see paper) Z : Redshift TIMEAREA : Observer-frame control time x area at 'Z' (year-arcmin ^2) Z2 : Second redshift TIMEVOL : Total rest-frame control time x volume between 'Z' and 'Z2' (year

Real-time Retrieving Atmospheric Parameters from Multi-GNSS Constellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Zus, F.; Lu, C.; Dick, G.; Ge, M.; Wickert, J.; Schuh, H.

2016-12-01

The multi-constellation GNSS (e.g. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou) bring great opportunities and challenges for real-time retrieval of atmospheric parameters for supporting numerical weather prediction (NWP) nowcasting or severe weather event monitoring. In this study, the observations from different GNSS are combined together for atmospheric parameter retrieving based on the real-time precise point positioning technique. The atmospheric parameters retrieved from multi-GNSS observations, including zenith total delay (ZTD), integrated water vapor (IWV), horizontal gradient (especially high-resolution gradient estimates) and slant total delay (STD), are carefully analyzed and evaluated by using the VLBI, radiosonde, water vapor radiometer and numerical weather model to independently validate the performance of individual GNSS and also demonstrate the benefits of multi-constellation GNSS for real-time atmospheric monitoring. Numerous results show that the multi-GNSS processing can provide real-time atmospheric products with higher accuracy, stronger reliability and better distribution, which would be beneficial for atmospheric sounding systems, especially for nowcasting of extreme weather.

[Effect of ear point embedding on plasma and effect site concentrations of propofol-remifentanil in elderly patients after target-controlled induction].

PubMed

Zheng, Xiaochun; Wan, Liling; Gao, Fei; Chen, Jianghu; Tu, Wenshao

2017-08-12

To observe the clinical effect of ear point embedding on plasma and effect site concentrations of propofol-remifentanil in elderly patients who underwent abdominal external hernia surgery at the time of consciousness and pain disappearing by target-controlled infusion (TCI) and bispectral index (BIS). Fifty patients who underwent elective abdominal hernia surgery were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, 25 cases in each one. In the observation group, 30 minutes before anesthesia induction, Fugugou (Extra), Gan (CO 12 ), Pizhixia (AT 4 ), and Shenmen (TF 4 ) were embedded by auricular needles until the end of surgery, 10 times of counter press each point. In the control group, the same amount of auricular tape was applied until the end of surgery at the same points without stimulation 30 minutes before anesthesia induction. Patients in the two groups were given total intravenous anesthesia, and BIS was monitored by BIS anesthesia depth monitor. Propofol was infused by TCI at a beginning concentration of 1.5μg/L and increased by 0.3μg/L every 30s until the patients lost their consciousness. After that, remifentanil was infused by TCI at a beginning concentration of 2.0μg/L and increased by 0.3μg/L every 30s until the patients had no body reaction to pain stimulation (orbital reflex). Indices were recorded, including mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and the BIS values, at the time of T 0 (entering into the operation room), T 1 (losing consciousness) and T 2 (pain relief), the plasma and effect site concentrations of propofol at T 1 , the plasma and effect site concentrations of remifentanil at T 2 . After surgery we recorded the total amounts of propofol and remifentanil, surgery time and anesthesia time. At T 1 and T 2 , MAP and HR of the observation group were higher than those of the control group ( P <0.05, P <0.01). At T 1 , the plasma and effect site concentrations of propofol in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05, P <0.01). At T 2 , the plasma and effect site concentrations of remifentanil in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05, P <0.01). There was no significant difference in BIS values at T 1 and T 2 between the two groups (both P >0.05). There was no significant difference in operation time and anesthesia time between the two groups (both P >0.05). The total amount of remifentanil in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P <0.01). There was no significant difference in the total amount of propofol between the two groups ( P >0.05). Ear points embedding combined with propofol-remifentanil TCI could reduce the plasma and effect site concentrations of propofol and remifentanil and the total amount of remifentanil in elderly patients with extra-abdominal hernia surgery, and had the effect of assisting sedation and analgesia.

Seasonal variability of surface and column carbon monoxide over the megacity Paris, high-altitude Jungfraujoch and Southern Hemispheric Wollongong stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Té, Yao; Jeseck, Pascal; Franco, Bruno; Mahieu, Emmanuel; Jones, Nicholas; Paton-Walsh, Clare; Griffith, David W. T.; Buchholz, Rebecca R.; Hadji-Lazaro, Juliette; Hurtmans, Daniel; Janssen, Christof

2016-09-01

This paper studies the seasonal variation of surface and column CO at three different sites (Paris, Jungfraujoch and Wollongong), with an emphasis on establishing a link between the CO vertical distribution and the nature of CO emission sources. We find the first evidence of a time lag between surface and free tropospheric CO seasonal variations in the Northern Hemisphere. The CO seasonal variability obtained from the total columns and free tropospheric partial columns shows a maximum around March-April and a minimum around September-October in the Northern Hemisphere (Paris and Jungfraujoch). In the Southern Hemisphere (Wollongong) this seasonal variability is shifted by about 6 months. Satellite observations by the IASI-MetOp (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) and MOPITT (Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere) instruments confirm this seasonality. Ground-based FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) measurements provide useful complementary information due to good sensitivity in the boundary layer. In situ surface measurements of CO volume mixing ratios at the Paris and Jungfraujoch sites reveal a time lag of the near-surface seasonal variability of about 2 months with respect to the total column variability at the same sites. The chemical transport model GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observing System chemical transport model) is employed to interpret our observations. GEOS-Chem sensitivity runs identify the emission sources influencing the seasonal variation of CO. At both Paris and Jungfraujoch, the surface seasonality is mainly driven by anthropogenic emissions, while the total column seasonality is also controlled by air masses transported from distant sources. At Wollongong, where the CO seasonality is mainly affected by biomass burning, no time shift is observed between surface measurements and total column data.

The indirect cost of Patient-Specific Instruments.

PubMed

Thienpont, Emmanuel; Paternostre, Frederic; Van Wymeersch, Charles

2015-09-01

To calculate the indirect costs of Patient Specific Instruments (PSI) based on an opportunity cost, cost of efforts and a supply chain cost model to compare PSI for value with conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In 81 patients the total (direct+indirect) cost of PSI-assisted TKA was compared with conventional TKA. Surgical times and coronal mechanical alignment were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of the PSI system. Indirect costs (459 euro) make up 40% of the total cost that can run up to 1142 euro for a patient operated with PSI guides. No difference in surgical times or coronal alignment was observed in between both groups. Considering the total cost of PSI no value was found for the use of PSI in primary TKA as measured by surgical times or for obtaining a neutral mechanical axis in the coronal plane.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Velocities in ZwCl2341.1+0000 field (Boschin+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschin, W.; Girardi, M.; Barrena, R.

2014-07-01

Multi-object spectroscopic observations of ZwCl 2341+00 were carried out at the TNG in 2009 October, 2011 August and 2011 December. We used the instrument Device Optimized for the Low Resolution (DOLORES) in multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) mode with the LR-B Grism. In summary, we observed four MOS masks for a total of 142 slits. The total exposure time was 3600s for three masks and 5400s for the last one. (1 data file).

Cumulative Total U.S. Freshwater Losses as Seen by NASA GRACE, 2002-15

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-12-08

Cumulative total freshwater losses in the United States from 2002 to 2015 (in inches) observed by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. Total water refers to all of the snow, surface water, soil water and groundwater combined. Much of the northern half of the country experienced increasing total water storage during this time period, while total water storage in the southern half decline. Areas where groundwater depletion strongly impacted total water losses include California's Central Valley, and the southern High Plains aquifer beneath the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. Total water storage in the Upper Missouri River basin increased signficantly and contributed to considerable flooding during the 2002-15 time period. Image updated from Famiglietti and Rodell, 2013. Citation of Record: Famiglietti, J. S., and M. Rodell, Water in the Balance, Science, 340, 1300-1301. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20204

Testing the Accuracy of Aerial Surveys for Large Mammals: An Experiment with African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana).

PubMed

Schlossberg, Scott; Chase, Michael J; Griffin, Curtice R

2016-01-01

Accurate counts of animals are critical for prioritizing conservation efforts. Past research, however, suggests that observers on aerial surveys may fail to detect all individuals of the target species present in the survey area. Such errors could bias population estimates low and confound trend estimation. We used two approaches to assess the accuracy of aerial surveys for African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in northern Botswana. First, we used double-observer sampling, in which two observers make observations on the same herds, to estimate detectability of elephants and determine what variables affect it. Second, we compared total counts, a complete survey of the entire study area, against sample counts, in which only a portion of the study area is sampled. Total counts are often considered a complete census, so comparing total counts against sample counts can help to determine if sample counts are underestimating elephant numbers. We estimated that observers detected only 76% ± SE of 2% of elephant herds and 87 ± 1% of individual elephants present in survey strips. Detectability increased strongly with elephant herd size. Out of the four observers used in total, one observer had a lower detection probability than the other three, and detectability was higher in the rear row of seats than the front. The habitat immediately adjacent to animals also affected detectability, with detection more likely in more open habitats. Total counts were not statistically distinguishable from sample counts. Because, however, the double-observer samples revealed that observers missed 13% of elephants, we conclude that total counts may be undercounting elephants as well. These results suggest that elephant population estimates from both sample and total counts are biased low. Because factors such as observer and habitat affected detectability of elephants, comparisons of elephant populations across time or space may be confounded. We encourage survey teams to incorporate detectability analysis in all aerial surveys for mammals.

Testing the Accuracy of Aerial Surveys for Large Mammals: An Experiment with African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana)

PubMed Central

Schlossberg, Scott; Chase, Michael J.; Griffin, Curtice R.

2016-01-01

Accurate counts of animals are critical for prioritizing conservation efforts. Past research, however, suggests that observers on aerial surveys may fail to detect all individuals of the target species present in the survey area. Such errors could bias population estimates low and confound trend estimation. We used two approaches to assess the accuracy of aerial surveys for African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in northern Botswana. First, we used double-observer sampling, in which two observers make observations on the same herds, to estimate detectability of elephants and determine what variables affect it. Second, we compared total counts, a complete survey of the entire study area, against sample counts, in which only a portion of the study area is sampled. Total counts are often considered a complete census, so comparing total counts against sample counts can help to determine if sample counts are underestimating elephant numbers. We estimated that observers detected only 76% ± SE of 2% of elephant herds and 87 ± 1% of individual elephants present in survey strips. Detectability increased strongly with elephant herd size. Out of the four observers used in total, one observer had a lower detection probability than the other three, and detectability was higher in the rear row of seats than the front. The habitat immediately adjacent to animals also affected detectability, with detection more likely in more open habitats. Total counts were not statistically distinguishable from sample counts. Because, however, the double-observer samples revealed that observers missed 13% of elephants, we conclude that total counts may be undercounting elephants as well. These results suggest that elephant population estimates from both sample and total counts are biased low. Because factors such as observer and habitat affected detectability of elephants, comparisons of elephant populations across time or space may be confounded. We encourage survey teams to incorporate detectability analysis in all aerial surveys for mammals. PMID:27755570

Potential of wind turbines to elicit seizures under various meteorological conditions.

PubMed

Smedley, Andrew R D; Webb, Ann R; Wilkins, Arnold J

2010-07-01

To determine the potential risk of epileptic seizures from wind turbine shadow flicker under various meteorologic conditions. We extend a previous model to include attenuation of sunlight by the atmosphere using the libradtran radiative transfer code. Under conditions in which observers look toward the horizon with their eyes open we find that there is risk when the observer is closer than 1.2 times the total turbine height when on land, and 2.8 times the total turbine height in marine environments, the risk limited by the size of the image of the sun's disc on the retina. When looking at the ground, where the shadow of the blade is cast, observers are at risk only when at a distance <36 times the blade width, the risk limited by image contrast. If the observer views the horizon and closes their eyes, however, the stimulus size and contrast ratio are epileptogenic for solar elevation angles down to approximately 5 degrees. Large turbines rotate at a rate below that at which the flicker is likely to present a risk, although there is a risk from smaller turbines that interrupt sunlight more than three times per second. For the scenarios considered, we find the risk is negligible at a distance more than about nine times the maximum height reached by the turbine blade, a distance similar to that in guidance from the United Kingdom planning authorities.

Control of oral malodour by dentifrices measured by gas chromatography.

PubMed

Newby, Evelyn E; Hickling, Jenneth M; Hughes, Francis J; Proskin, Howard M; Bosma, Marylynn P

2008-04-01

To evaluate the effect of toothpaste treatments on levels of oral volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) measured by gas chromatography in two clinical studies. These were blinded, randomised, controlled, crossover studies with 16 (study A) or 20 (study B) healthy volunteers between the ages of 19-54. Study A: breath samples were collected at baseline, immediately and lhr after brushing. Four dentifrices (Zinc A, Zinc B, commercially available triclosan dentifrice and zinc free control) were evaluated. Study B: breath samples were collected at baseline, immediately, 1, 2, 3 and 7 hours after treatment. Subjects consumed a light breakfast then provided an additional breath sample between baseline assessment and treatment. Two dentifrices (gel-to-foam and a commercially available triclosan dentrifrice) were evaluated. Breath samples were collected in syringes and analysed for VSCs (hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan and Total VSCs) utilising gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric detection. Study A: immediately after treatment, a statistically significant reduction in VSCs from baseline was observed for Zinc A product only. A statistically significant reduction in VSCs from baseline was observed after 1 hour for all products. Both zinc products exhibited a significantly greater reduction from baseline VSCs than Colgate Total and Control at all time points. Study B: a statistically significant reduction in VSCs from baseline was observed at all time points for both products. The gel-to-foam product exhibited significantly greater reduction from baseline Total VSC concentration than Colgate Total at all time points from 1 hour post-treatment. Control of oral malodour by toothpaste treatment, evaluated as VSC levels using GC, has been demonstrated. Zinc is effective at reducing VSCs and the efficacy of zinc is formulation dependent. A gel-to-foam dentifrice was more effective at reducing VSCs than Colgate Total up to 7 hours.

Chandra observations of GW170817 260 days since merger: first statistically significant evidence for an X-ray decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajela, A.; Alexander, K. D.; Eftekhari, T.; Margutti, R.; Fong, W.; Berger, E.

2018-05-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory started another round of follow-up observations of GW170817. The first observation (ID 21080) was taken on May 03, 2018 at 10:41:26 UT (t 259 d after merger) for a total exposure time of 50.8 ks (PI Wilkes; program 19408644).

A Coordinated X-Ray and Optical Campaign of the Nearby Massive Binary Sigma Orionis Aa. II; X-Ray Variability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, J.; Huenemoerder, D. P.; Corcoran, M. F.; Waldron, W.; Naze, Y; Pollock, A. M. T.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Lauer, J.; Shenar, T.; Russell, C. M. P.;

The NASA Thunderstorm Observations and Research (ThOR) Mission: Lightning Mapping from Space to Improve the Short-term Forecasting of Severe Storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, S. J.; Christian, H. J.; Boccippio, D. J.; Koshak, W. J.; Cecil, D. J.; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The ThOR mission uses a lightning mapping sensor in geostationary Earth orbit to provide continuous observations of thunderstorm activity over the Americas and nearby oceans. The link between lightning activity and cloud updrafts is the basis for total lightning observations indicating the evolving convective intensification and decay of storms. ThOR offers a national operational demonstration of the utility of real-time total lightning mapping for earlier and more reliable identification of potentially severe and hazardous storms. Regional pilot projects have already demonstrated that the dominance in-cloud lightning and increasing in-cloud lash rates are known to precede severe weather at the surface by tens of minutes. ThOR is currently planned for launch in 2005 on a commercial or research satellite. Real-time data will be provided to selected NWS Weather Forecast Offices and National Centers (EMC/AWC/SPC) for evaluation.

Is Biology Destiny? Birth Weight and Differential Parental Treatment

PubMed Central

Hsin, Amy

2016-01-01

Time diaries of sibling pairs from the PSID-CDS are used to determine whether maternal time investments compensate for or reinforce birth-weight differences among children. The findings demonstrate that the direction and degree of differential treatment vary by mother's education. Less-educated mothers devote more total time and more educationally oriented time to heavier-birth-weight children, whereas better-educated mothers devote more total and more educationally oriented time to lower-birth-weight children. The compensating effects observed among highly educated mothers are substantially larger than the reinforcing effects among the least-educated mothers. The findings show that families redistribute resources in ways that both compensate for and exacerbate early-life disadvantages. PMID:22865101

Hydrologic modeling of two glaciated watersheds in Northeast Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Srinivasan, M.S.; Hamlett, J.M.; Day, R.L.; Sams, J.I.; Petersen, G.W.

1998-01-01

A hydrologic modeling study, using the Hydrologic Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF), was conducted in two glaciated watersheds, Purdy Creek and Ariel Creek in northeastern Pennsylvania. Both watersheds have wetlands and poorly drained soils due to low hydraulic conductivity and presence of fragipans. The HSPF model was calibrated in the Purdy Creek watershed and verified in the Ariel Creek watershed for June 1992 to December 1993 period. In Purdy Creek, the total volume of observed streamflow during the entire simulation period was 13.36 x 106 m3 and the simulated streamflow volume was 13.82 x 106 m3 (5 percent difference). For the verification simulation in Ariel Creek, the difference between the total observed and simulated flow volumes was 17 percent. Simulated peak flow discharges were within two hours of the observed for 30 of 46 peak flow events (discharge greater than 0.1 m3/sec) in Purdy Creek and 27 of 53 events in Ariel Creek. For 22 of the 46 events in Purdy Creek and 24 of 53 in Ariel Creek, the differences between the observed and simulated peak discharge rates were less than 30 percent. These 22 events accounted for 63 percent of total volume of streamflow observed during the selected 46 peak flow events in Purdy Creek. In Ariel Creek, these 24 peak flow events accounted for 62 percent of the total flow observed during all peak flow events. Differences in observed and simulated peak flow rates and volumes (on a percent basis) were greater during the snowmelt runoff events and summer periods than for other times.A hydrologic modeling study, using the Hydrologic Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF), was conducted in two glaciated watersheds, Purdy Creek and Ariel Creek in northeastern Pennsylvania. Both watersheds have wetlands and poorly drained soils due to low hydraulic conductivity and presence of fragipans. The HSPF model was calibrated in the Purdy Creek watershed and verified in the Ariel Creek watershed for June 1992 to December 1993 period. In Purdy Creek, the total volume of observed streamflow during the entire simulation period was 13.36??106 m3 and the simulated streamflow volume was 13.82??106 m3 (5 percent difference). For the verification simulation in Ariel Creek, the difference between the total observed and simulated flow volumes was 17 percent. Simulated peak flow discharges were within two hours of the observed for 30 of 46 peak flow events (discharge greater than 0.1 m3/sec) in Purdy Creek and 27 of 53 events in Ariel Creek. For 22 of the 46 events in Purdy Creek and 24 of 53 in Ariel Creek, the differences between the observed and simulated peak discharge rates were less than 30 percent. These 22 events accounted for 63 percent of total volume of streamflow observed during the selected 46 peak flow events in Purdy Creek. In Ariel Creek, these 24 peak flow events accounted for 62 percent of the total flow observed during all peak flow events. Differences in observed and simulated peak flow rates and volumes (on a percent basis) were greater during the snowmelt runoff events and summer periods than for other times.

Wastewater disinfection alternatives: chlorine, ozone, peracetic acid, and UV light.

PubMed

Mezzanotte, V; Antonelli, M; Citterio, S; Nurizzo, C

2007-11-01

Disinfection tests were carried out at pilot scale to compare the disinfection efficiency of ozone, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), peracetic acid (PAA), and UV irradiation. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli were monitored as reference microorganisms. Total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) were also enumerated by cytometry. At similar doses, NaOCl was more effective than PAA, and its action was less affected by contact time. The results obtained by ozonation were comparable for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E. coli. On the contrary, some differences among the three indicators were observed for NaOCl, PAA, and UV. Differences increased with increasing values of the disinfectant concentration times contact time (C x t) and were probably the result of different initial counts, as total coliforms include fecal coliforms, which include E. coli. The UV irradiation lead to complete E. coli removals, even at low doses (10 to 20 mJ/cm2). Total heterotrophic bacteria appeared to be too wide a group to be a good disinfection indicator; no correlation was found among THB inactivation, dose, and contact time.

Engaging Citizen Scientists across North America to Monitor Eclipse-driven Environmental Change through NASA GLOBE Observer, Results and Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riebeek Kohl, H.; Weaver, K.; Overoye, D.; Martin, A.; Andersen, T.

2017-12-01

How cool was the eclipse? NASA GLOBE Observer challenged citizen scientists across North America to answer that question by observing temperature and cloud changes throughout the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse. The experiment was meant to chart the impact of changes in solar energy at Earth's surface across all regions that experienced the eclipse, both partial and total. Citizen scientists reported air temperature every 5-10 minutes from first contact to last contact through the free GLOBE Observer app. They also reported cloud cover and cloud type every 15-30 minutes or as changes happened as a proxy for changes in the atmosphere. No data were collected during totality, as we wanted citizen scientists to focus on the eclipse at that time. To recruit citizen scientists, members of the GLOBE Observer Team participated in six large outreach events across the path of totality. We also encouraged participation outside the path of totality though partnerships with informal education institutions and direct communication to the public through NASA communication channels. This presentation will report statistics on citizen science participation and lessons learned about citizen science as an outreach tool. Did participation in the experiment enhance a person's eclipse experience? Did citizen scientists find enough value in the experiment to continue to participate in GLOBE Observer, a long-term citizen science program, after the eclipse? We will also present early results of observed temperature and cloud changes.

Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Observed by Detrended Total Electron Content Maps Over Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueiredo, C. A. O. B.; Takahashi, H.; Wrasse, C. M.; Otsuka, Y.; Shiokawa, K.; Barros, D.

2018-03-01

A ground-based network of Global Navigation Satellite Systems receivers has been used to monitor medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). MSTIDs were studied using total electron content perturbation maps and keograms over south-southeast of Brazil during the period from December 2012 to February 2016. In total, 826 MSTIDs were observed mainly in daytime, thus presenting median values of horizontal wavelength, period, and horizontal phase velocity of 452 ± 107 km, 24 ± 4 min. and 323 ± 81 m/s, respectively. The direction of propagation varies on the season: during the winter (June-August), the waves preferentially propagated to north-northeast, while in the other seasons the waves propagated to other directions. The anisotropy observed in the MSTID propagation direction could be associated with the region of the gravity wave generation that takes place in the troposphere. We also found that the MSTIDs were observed most frequently during the daytime, between 11 and 15 local time in winter and near to dusk solar terminator (17-19 local time) in the other seasons. Furthermore, the occurrence of MSTIDs was higher in winter. We suggest that atmospheric gravity waves in the thermosphere, mesosphere, and troposphere could play an important role in generating the MSTIDs and the propagation direction may depend on location of the wave sources.

Multifactorial analysis of human blood cell responses to clinical total body irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuhas, J. M.; Stokes, T. R.; Lushbaugh, C. C.

1972-01-01

Multiple regression analysis techniques are used to study the effects of therapeutic radiation exposure, number of fractions, and time on such quantal responses as tumor control and skin injury. The potential of these methods for the analysis of human blood cell responses is demonstrated and estimates are given of the effects of total amount of exposure and time of protraction in determining the minimum white blood cell concentration observed after exposure of patients from four disease groups.

Fight and air exposure times of caught and released salmonids from the South Fork Snake River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roth, Curtis J.; Schill, Daniel J.; Quist, Michael C.

2018-01-01

Catch-and-release regulations are among the most common types of fishing regulations. In recent years, concerns have arisen regarding the exposure of fish to air during catch-and-release angling. The purpose of our study was to quantify the length of time angled fish were exposed to air by anglers in a typical catch-and-release fishery and relate it to the lengths of time reported to produce negative effects. In total, 312 individual anglers were observed on the South Fork Snake River, Idaho, from May through August 2016. Fight time varied from 1.1 s to 230.0 s, and average fight time was 40.0 s (SD = 36.8). Total air exposure times varied from 0.0 s to 91.8 s and averaged 19.3 s (SD = 15.0). Though not statistically significant, a trend in reduced fight times was observed when anglers were guided and increased air exposure times when a net was used and a picture was taken. Results of the current study suggest that anglers expose fish to air for periods that are much less than those reported to cause mortality.

Episodic nature of the delta 4-ene and delta 5-ene steroidogenic pathways and their relationship to the adreno-gonadal axis in stallions.

PubMed

Ganjam, V K

1979-01-01

Changes in the daily secretory patterns of testosterone and other 17 beta-hydroxyandrogen, total oestrogens and total corticoids were investigated in 7 stallions. Pulsatile fluctuations in plasma hormone levels were found in the serial blood samples collected hourly for 24 h in all animals. The plasma profiles indicated that corticoids, oestrogens and androgens were secreted episodically at all times in stallions. A significant correlation was observed between the precursor and products of delta 4-ene and delta 5-ene pathways and in inverse correlation (r = -0.68; P less than 0.01) was observed between total androgens and total corticoids. The significance of these episodic fluctuations of the major steroid hormones are discussed.

Ultrasound with neurostimulation compared with ultrasound guidance alone for lumbar plexus block: A randomised single blinded equivalence trial.

PubMed

Arnuntasupakul, Vanlapa; Chalachewa, Theerawat; Leurcharusmee, Prangmalee; Tiyaprasertkul, Worakamol; Finlayson, Roderick J; Tran, De Q

2018-03-01

Ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus blocks usually require confirmatory neurostimulation. A simpler alternative is to inject local anaesthetic inside the posteromedial quadrant of the psoas muscle under ultrasound guidance. We hypothesised that both techniques would result in similar total anaesthesia time, defined as the sum of performance and onset time. A randomised, observer-blinded, equivalence trial. Ramathibodi Hospital and Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Thailand) from 12 May 2016 to 10 January 2017. A total of 110 patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty, who required lumbar plexus block for postoperative analgesia. In the combined ultrasonography-neurostimulation group, quadriceps-evoked motor response was sought at a current between 0.2 and 0.8 mA prior to local anaesthetic injection (30 ml of lidocaine 1% and levobupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 μg ml and 5 mg of dexamethasone). In the ultrasound guidance alone group, local anaesthetic was simply injected inside the posteromedial quadrant of the psoas muscle. We measured the total anaesthesia time, the success rate (at 30 min), the number of needle passes, block-related pain, cumulative opioid consumption (at 24 h) and adverse events (vascular puncture, paraesthesia, local anaesthetic spread to the epidural space). The equivalence margin was 7.4 min. Compared with ultrasound guidance alone, combined ultrasonography-neurostimulation resulted in decreased mean (±SD) total anaesthesia time [15.3 (±6.5) vs. 20.1 (±9.0) min; mean difference, -4.8; 95% confidence interval, -8.1 to -1.9; P = 0.005] and mean (±SD) onset time [10.2 (±5.6) vs. 15.5 (±9.0) min; P = 0.004). No inter-group differences were observed in terms of success rate, performance time, number of needle passes, block-related pain, opioid consumption or adverse events. Although the ultrasonography-neurostimulation technique results in a shorter total anaesthesia time compared with ultrasound guidance alone, this difference falls within our accepted equivalence margin (±7.4 min). www.clinicaltrials in the (Study ID: TCTR20160427003).

Determination of Protein Surface Hydration by Systematic Charge Mutations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jin; Jia, Menghui; Qin, Yangzhong; Wang, Dihao; Pan, Haifeng; Wang, Lijuan; Xu, Jianhua; Zhong, Dongping; Dongping Zhong Collaboration; Jianhua Xu Collaboration

Protein surface hydration is critical to its structural stability, flexibility, dynamics and function. Recent observations of surface solvation on picosecond time scales have evoked debate on the origin of such relatively slow motions, from hydration water or protein charged sidechains, especially with molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we used a unique nuclease with a single tryptophan as a local probe and systematically mutated neighboring three charged residues to differentiate the contributions from hydration water and charged sidechains. By mutations of alternative one and two and all three charged residues, we observed slight increases in the total tryptophan Stokes shifts with less neighboring charged residue(s) and found insensitivity of charged sidechains to the relaxation patterns. The dynamics is correlated with hydration water relaxation with the slowest time in a dense charged environment and the fastest time at a hydrophobic site. On such picosecond time scales, the protein surface motion is restricted. The total Stokes shifts are dominantly from hydration water relaxation and the slow dynamics is from water-driven relaxation, coupled with local protein fluctuations.

Barroom Aggression in Hoboken, New Jersey: Don't Blame the Bouncers!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, James C.

2007-01-01

Relying on a structured observation guide listing a large number of variables shown to be good predictors of aggression in bars by past researchers, trained observers spent a total of 444 hours collecting data in 25 licensed drinking establishments in Hoboken, New Jersey. Observations took place at two separate time periods, 7:30pm-10:30pm and…

Temporal variability of total cloud cover at a Mediterranean megacity in the 20th century: Evidence from visual observations and climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Founda, Dimitra; Giannakopoulos, Christos; Pierros, Fragiskos

2013-04-01

Cloud cover is one of the major factors that determine the radiation budget and the climate system of the Earth. Moreover, the response of clouds has always been an important source of uncertainty in global climate models. Visual surface observations of clouds have been conducted at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) since the mid 19th century. The historical archive of cloud reports at NOA since 1860 has been digitized and updated, spanning now a period of one and a half century. Mean monthly values of total cloud cover were derived by averaging subdaily observations of cloud cover (3 observations/day). Changes in observational practice (e.g. from 1/10 to 1/8 units) were considered, however, subjective measures of cloud cover from trained observers introduces some kind of uncertainty in the time series. Data before 1884 were considered unreliable, so the analysis was restricted to the series from 1884 to 2012. The time series of total cloud cover at NOA is validated and correlated with historical time series of other (physically related) variables such as the total sunshine duration as well as DTR (Diurnal Temperature Range) which are independently measured. Trend analysis was performed on the mean annual and seasonal series of total cloud cover from 1884-2012. The mean annual values show a marked temporal variability with sub periods of decreasing and increasing tendencies, however, the overall linear trend is positive and statistically significant (p <0.001) amounting to +2% per decade and implying a total increase of almost 25% for the whole analysed period. These results are in agreement qualitatively with the trends reported in other studies worldwide, especially concerning the period before the mid 20th century. On a seasonal basis, spring and summer series present outstanding positive long term trends, while in winter and autumn total cloud cover reveals also positive but less pronounced long term trends Additionally, an evaluation of cloud cover and/or sunshine duration/diurnal temperature range as depicted by regional climate models over Athens will be performed. Regional climate models are valuable tools for projections of future climate change but their performance is typically assessed only in terms of temperature and precipitation. The representation of non-standard parameters such as cloud cover and/or sunshine duration/diurnal temperature range has so far seen little or no evaluation in the models and can therefore be prone to large uncertainties. Regional climate models developed in the framework of recent EU projects, such as the ENSEMBLES (www.ensembles-eu.org) and the CIRCE (www.circeproject.eu) projects, will be used and an initial validation of these parameters against the historical archive of NOA will be performed.

Scheduling with non-decreasing deterioration jobs and variable maintenance activities on a single machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xingong; Yin, Yunqiang; Wu, Chin-Chia

2017-01-01

There is a situation found in many manufacturing systems, such as steel rolling mills, fire fighting or single-server cycle-queues, where a job that is processed later consumes more time than that same job when processed earlier. The research finds that machine maintenance can improve the worsening of processing conditions. After maintenance activity, the machine will be restored. The maintenance duration is a positive and non-decreasing differentiable convex function of the total processing times of the jobs between maintenance activities. Motivated by this observation, the makespan and the total completion time minimization problems in the scheduling of jobs with non-decreasing rates of job processing time on a single machine are considered in this article. It is shown that both the makespan and the total completion time minimization problems are NP-hard in the strong sense when the number of maintenance activities is arbitrary, while the makespan minimization problem is NP-hard in the ordinary sense when the number of maintenance activities is fixed. If the deterioration rates of the jobs are identical and the maintenance duration is a linear function of the total processing times of the jobs between maintenance activities, then this article shows that the group balance principle is satisfied for the makespan minimization problem. Furthermore, two polynomial-time algorithms are presented for solving the makespan problem and the total completion time problem under identical deterioration rates, respectively.

Copernicus atmospheric service for stratospheric ozone: validation and intercomparison of four near real-time analyses, 2009-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefever, K.; van der A, R.; Baier, F.; Christophe, Y.; Errera, Q.; Eskes, H.; Flemming, J.; Inness, A.; Jones, L.; Lambert, J.-C.; Langerock, B.; Schultz, M. G.; Stein, O.; Wagner, A.; Chabrillat, S.

2014-05-01

This paper evaluates the performance of the stratospheric ozone analyses delivered in near real time by the MACC (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate) project during the 3 year period between September 2009 and September 2012. Ozone analyses produced by four different chemistry transport models and data assimilation techniques are examined: the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System (IFS) coupled to MOZART-3 (IFS-MOZART), the BIRA-IASB Belgian Assimilation System for Chemical ObsErvations (BASCOE), the DLR/RIU Synoptic Analysis of Chemical Constituents by Advanced Data Assimilation (SACADA), and the KNMI Data Assimilation Model based on Transport Model version 3 (TM3DAM). The assimilated satellite ozone retrievals differed for each system: SACADA and TM3DAM assimilated only total ozone observations, BASCOE assimilated profiles for ozone and some related species, while IFS-MOZART assimilated both types of ozone observations. The stratospheric ozone analyses are compared to independent ozone observations from ground-based instruments, ozone sondes and the ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment - Fourier Transform Spectrometer) satellite instrument. All analyses show total column values which are generally in good agreement with groundbased observations (biases <5%) and a realistic seasonal cycle. The only exceptions are found for BASCOE which systematically underestimates total ozone in the Tropics with about 7-10% at Chengkung (Taiwan, 23.1° N/121.365° E), resulting from the fact that BASCOE does not include any tropospheric processes, and for SACADA which overestimates total ozone in the absence of UV observations for the assimilation. Due to the large weight given to column observations in the assimilation procedure, IFS-MOZART is able to reproduce total column observations very well, but alternating positive and negative biases compared to ozonesonde and ACE-FTS satellite data are found in the vertical as well as an overestimation of 30 to 60% in the polar lower stratosphere during ozone depletion events. The assimilation of near real-time (NRT) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) profiles which only go down to 68 hPa is not able to correct for the deficiency of the underlying MOZART model, which may be related to the applied meteorological fields. Biases of BASCOE compared to ozonesonde or ACE-FTS ozone profiles do not exceed 10% over the entire vertical stratospheric range, thanks to the good performance of the model in ozone hole conditions and the assimilation of offline MLS profiles going down to 215 hPa. TM3DAM provides very realistic total ozone columns, but is not designed to provide information on the vertical distribution of ozone. Compared to ozonesondes and ACE-FTS satellite data, SACADA performs best in the Arctic, but shows large biases (>50%) for ozone in the lower stratosphere in the Tropics and in the Antarctic, especially during ozone hole conditions. This study shows that ozone analyses with realistic total ozone column densities do not necessarily yield good agreement with the observed ozone profiles. It also shows the large benefit obtained from the assimilation of a single limb-scanning instrument (Aura MLS) with a high density of observations. Hence even state-of-the-art models of stratospheric chemistry still require the assimilation of limb observations for a correct representation of the vertical distribution of ozone in the stratosphere.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Radial velocities of galaxies in A523 field (Girardi+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girardi, M.; Boschin, W.; Gastaldello, F.; Giovannini, G.; Govoni, F.; Murgia, M.; Barrena, R.; Ettori, S.; Trasatti, M.; Vacca, V.

2016-09-01

Multi-object spectroscopic observations of A523 were carried out at the TNG in 2012 December and 2014 January. We used the instrument DOLORES in MOS mode with the LR-B Grism. In summary, we observed six MOS masks for a total of 210 slits. The total exposure time was 3600s for three masks, 5400s for two masks and 7200s for the last one. Our photometric observations were carried out with the Wide Field Camera (WFC), mounted at the prime focus of the 2.5-m INT telescope. We observed A523 in g, r and i Sloan-Gunn filters in photometric conditions and a seeing of ~1.4arcsec. (1 data file).

Resource Letter OSE-1: Observing Solar Eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.; Fraknoi, Andrew

2017-07-01

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the available literature, listing selected books, articles, and online resources about scientific, cultural, and practical issues related to observing solar eclipses. It is timely, given that a total solar eclipse will cross the continental United States on August 21, 2017. The next total solar eclipse path crossing the U.S. and Canada will be on April 8, 2024. In 2023, the path of annularity of an annular eclipse will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with partial phases visible throughout those countries.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ALLSMOG final data release. A new APEX CO survey (Cicone+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cicone, C.; Bothwell, M.; Wagg, J.; Moller, P.; De Breuck, C.; Zhang, Z.; Martin, S.; Maiolino, R.; Severgnini, P.; Aravena, M.; Belfiore, F.; Espada, D.; Flutsch, A.; Impellizzeri, V.; Peng, Y.; Raj, M. A.; Ramirez-Olivencia, N.; Riechers, D.; Schawinski, K.

2017-10-01

ALLSMOG is an ESO Large Programme for the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX, project no.: E-192.A-0359, principal investigator (PI): J. Wagg) targeting the CO(2-1) emission line (rest frequency, νCO(2-1)=230.538GHz) in 88 local, low-M* star-forming galaxies. The project was initially allocated 300h of ESO observing time over the course of four semesters, corresponding to 75h per semester throughout periods P92-P95 (October 2013 - September 2015). However, during P94 and P95 there was a slowdown in ALLSMOG observations, mainly due the installation of the visiting instrument Supercam in combination with better-than-average weather conditions - causing other programmes requiring more stringent precipitable water vapour (PWV) constraints to be prioritised. Because of the resulting ~50% time loss for ALLSMOG during two semesters, the ESO observing programmes committee (OPC) granted a one-semester extension of the project, hence allowing us to complete the survey in P96 (March 2016). The final total APEX observing time dedicated to ALLSMOG amounts to 327h, including the overheads due to setup and calibration but not accounting for possible additional time lost because of technical issues. In 2014 a northern component of the ALLSMOG survey was approved at the IRAM 30m telescope (project code: 188-14, PI: S. Martin), aimed at observing the CO(1-0) (rest frequency, νCO(1-0)=115.271GHz) and CO(2-1) emission lines in a sample of nine additional galaxies characterised by stellar masses, M*<109Mȯ. A total of 22h of observations were obtained with the IRAM 30m during two observing runs in November 2014 and May 2015. (5 data files).

Concentration and flux of total and dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, chloride, and total suspended solids for monitored tributaries of Lake Champlain, 1990-2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medalie, Laura

2014-01-01

Annual and daily concentrations and fluxes of total and dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, chloride, and total suspended solids were estimated for 18 monitored tributaries to Lake Champlain by using the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Seasons regression model. Estimates were made for 21 or 23 years, depending on data availability, for the purpose of providing timely and accessible summary reports as stipulated in the 2010 update to the Lake Champlain “Opportunities for Action” management plan. Estimates of concentration and flux were provided for each tributary based on (1) observed daily discharges and (2) a flow-normalizing procedure, which removed the random fluctuations of climate-related variability. The flux bias statistic, an indicator of the ability of the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season regression models to provide accurate representations of flux, showed acceptable bias (less than ±10 percent) for 68 out of 72 models for total and dissolved phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chloride. Six out of 18 models for total suspended solids had moderate bias (between 10 and 30 percent), an expected result given the frequently nonlinear relation between total suspended solids and discharge. One model for total suspended solids with a very high bias was influenced by a single extreme value; however, removal of that value, although reducing the bias substantially, had little effect on annual fluxes.

An intercomparison of multidecadal observational and reanalysis data sets for global total ozone trends and variability analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Kaixu; Chang, Ni-Bin; Shi, Runhe; Yu, Huijia; Gao, Wei

2017-07-01

A four-step adaptive ozone trend estimation scheme is proposed by integrating multivariate linear regression (MLR) and ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) to analyze the long-term variability of total column ozone from a set of four observational and reanalysis total ozone data sets, including the rarely explored ERA-Interim total ozone reanalysis, from 1979 to 2009. Consistency among the four data sets was first assessed, indicating a mean relative difference of 1% and root-mean-square error around 2% on average, with respect to collocated ground-based total ozone observations. Nevertheless, large drifts with significant spatiotemporal inhomogeneity were diagnosed in ERA-Interim after 1995. To emphasize long-term trends, natural ozone variations associated with the solar cycle, quasi-biennial oscillation, volcanic aerosols, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation were modeled with MLR and then removed from each total ozone record, respectively, before performing EEMD analyses. The resulting rates of change estimated from the proposed scheme captured the long-term ozone variability well, with an inflection time of 2000 clearly detected. The positive rates of change after 2000 suggest that the ozone layer seems to be on a healing path, but the results are still inadequate to conclude an actual recovery of the ozone layer, and more observational evidence is needed. Further investigations suggest that biases embedded in total ozone records may significantly impact ozone trend estimations by resulting in large uncertainty or even negative rates of change after 2000.

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array: Recent Severe Storm Observations and Future Prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, S. J.; Blakeslee, R.; Christian, H.; Koshak, W.; Bailey, J.; Hall, J.; McCaul, E.; Buechler, D.; Darden, C.; Burks, J.

2004-01-01

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array became operational in November 2001 as a principal component of a severe weather test bed to infuse new science and technology into the short-term forecasting of severe and hazardous weather, principally within nearby National Weather Service forecast offices. Since the installation of the LMA, it has measured the total lightning activity of a large number of severe weather events, including three supercell tornado outbreaks, two supercell hailstorm events, and numerous microburst-producing storms and ordinary non-severe thunderstorms. The key components of evolving storm morphology examined are the time rate-of-change (temporal trending) of storm convective and precipitation characteristics that can be diagnosed in real-time using NEXRAD WSR-88D Doppler radar (echo growth and decay, precipitation structures and velocity features, outflow boundaries), LMA (total lightning flash rate and its trend) and National Lightning Detection Network (cloud-to- ground lightning, its polarity and trends). For example, in a transitional season supercell tornado outbreak, peak total flash rates for typical supercells in Tennessee reached 70-100/min, and increases in the total flash rate occurred during storm intensification as much as 20-25 min prior to at least some of the tornadoes. The most intense total flash rate measured during this outbreak (over 800 flashes/min) occurred in a storm in Alabama. In the case of a severe summertime pulse thunderstorm in North Alabama, the peak total flash rate reached 300/min, with a strong increase in total lightning evident some 9 min before damaging winds were observed at the surface. In this paper we provide a sampling of LMA observations and products during severe weather events to illustrate the capability of the system, and discuss the prospects for improving the short-term forecasting of convective weather using total lightning data.

Transition from Crawling to Walking and Infants' Actions with Objects and People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karasik, Lana B.; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.; Adolph, Karen E.

2011-01-01

Associations between infants' transition to walking and object activities were examined. Fifty infants were observed longitudinally during home observations. At 11 months, all infants were crawlers; at 13 months, half became walkers. Over age, infants increased their total time with objects and frequency of sharing objects with mothers.…

Inhibitory Control and Impulsivity Levels in Women Crack Users.

PubMed

Hess, Adriana Raquel Binsfeld; Menezes, Carolina B; de Almeida, Rosa Maria Martins

2018-05-12

investigate impulsivity levels and inhibitory control in women crack users and explore the relationships between impulsivity and inhibitory control. 52 healthy women (M = 32.83 years; SD = 9.54) and 46 crack cocaine users (M = 31.02 years; SD = 7.73), in abstinence, performed the assessment protocol included a Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a GO/No-Go Task and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11). It was a quantitative research with cross-sectional design and control group. crack group showed higher levels of impulsivity in all domains when compared to the control group (crack group M = 76.39, SD = 11.39, control group M = 58.53, SD = 10.76, p <.01). Participants from the crack group presented a significantly higher total reaction time in the Go-NoGo task (F(1,93) = 9.93, p =.002; effect size =.09, observed power =.87) and significantly more commission (F(1,93) = 7.20, p =.009; effect size =.07, observed power =.75) and omission errors (F(1,93) = 6.04, p =.01; effect size =.06, observed power =.68), in Go/NoGo Task. Groups did also significantly differ on total standard deviations suggesting that variability in total reaction time was significantly greater in the crack group. Results showed that only in the crack group there were significant correlations between Go-NoGo parameters and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Our findings are consistent that impulsivity and inhibitory control are closely linked to crack use in women. Future studies should consider to evaluate crack users in different withdrawal times, controlling the impact of abstinence time in the variables studied.

The role of serial free/total prostate-specific antigen ratios in a watchful observation protocol for men with localized prostate cancer.

PubMed

Do, V; Choo, R; De Boer, G; Klotz, L; Danjoux, C; Morton, G; Szumacher, E; Fleshner, N; Bunting, P

2002-05-01

To examine the change in the free/total prostate specific antigen ratio (f/tPSA) with time and to assess the potential value of serial measurements of f/tPSA as a determinant of disease progression in untreated, low-to-intermediate grade prostate cancer (T1b-T2b N0M0, Gleason score < or = 7 and PSA < or = 15 ng/mL). In a prospective single-arm cohort study from November 1995, patients were conservatively managed with watchful observation alone unless they met arbitrarily defined criteria (clinical, histological and biochemical) of disease progression. Patients were followed regularly and underwent blood tests including PSA and f/tPSA. The initial and mean f/tPSA and the rate of change of f/tPSA with time were evaluated against the rate constant for the PSA doubling time (PSATd). Correlation analyses were used to evaluate any association between baseline clinical variables and either the rate of change of f/tPSA or initial f/tPSA. As of December 2000, 161 of a total of 206 accrued patients had three or more f/tPSA measurements and formed the basis of the study (median age 70 years; median follow-up 2.7 years). The median initial f/tPSA was 0.16; there was a significant negative correlation between this value and the initial total PSA. The mean f/tPSA and rate of change of f/tPSA with time were significantly negatively correlated with the rate constant for PSATd. Also, the rate of change of f/tPSA correlated negatively with clinical T stage, but not with other baseline variables, including initial PSA, age and Gleason score. The f/tPSA in men with untreated, clinically localized prostate cancer varied widely. The negative correlation between the rate of change of f/tPSA with time and rate constant for PSATd suggests that both might provide valuable information to allow clinicians to develop a strategy for optimizing the timing of therapeutic intervention for those patients choosing watchful observation alone.

Effect of major school playground reconstruction on physical activity and sedentary behaviour: Camden active spaces.

PubMed

Hamer, Mark; Aggio, Daniel; Knock, Georgina; Kipps, Courtney; Shankar, Aparna; Smith, Lee

2017-06-07

The physical school environment is a promising setting to increase children's physical activity although robust evidence is sparse. We examined the effects of major playground reconstruction on physical activity and sedentary time in primary schools using a quasi-experimental design (comparison group pre-test/post-test design). Five experimental and two control schools from deprived areas of inner city London were recruited at baseline. Main outcome was physical activity and sedentary time measured from objective monitoring (Actigraph accelerometer) at one year follow up. Pupils' impressions of the new playground were qualitatively assessed post construction. A total of 347 pupils (mean age = 8 years, 55% boys; 36% Caucasian) were recruited into the study at baseline; 303 provided valid baseline Actigraph data. Of those, 231 (76%) completed follow-up (n = 169 intervention; n = 62 control) and 77.4% of the sample recorded at least 4 days of Actigraph wear. In mixed models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, ratio activity or sedentary/wear time at baseline, wear time at follow up, and school, no differences were observed in total moderate - vigorous activity (B = -1.4, 95% CI, -7.1, 4.2 min/d), light activity (B = 4.1, 95% CI, -17.9, 26.1), or sedentary time (B = -3.8, 95% CI, -29.2, 21.6 min/d) between groups. There were significant age interactions for sedentary (p = 0.002) and light intensity physical activity (p = 0.008). We observed significant reductions in total sedentary (-28.0, 95% CI, -1.9, -54.1 min/d, p = 0.037) and increases in total light intensity activity (24.6, 95% CI, 0.3, 48.9 min/d, p = 0.047) for children aged under 9 yrs. old in the intervention. Major playground reconstruction had limited effects on physical activity, but reduced sedentary time was observed in younger children. Qualitative data suggested that the children enjoyed the new playgrounds and experienced a perceived positive change in well-being and social interactions.

Treatment of synthetic refinery wastewater in anoxic-aerobic sequential moving bed reactors and sulphur recovery.

PubMed

Mallick, Subrat Kumar; Chakraborty, Saswati

2017-11-10

Objective of the present study was to simultaneously biodegrade synthetic petroleum refinery wastewater containing phenol (750 mg/L), sulphide (750 mg/L), hydrocarbon (as emulsified diesel of 300 mg/L), ammonia-nitrogen (350 mg/L) at pH >9 in anoxic-aerobic sequential moving bed reactors. The optimum mixing speed of anoxic reactor was observed at 20 rpm and beyond that, removal rate remained constant. In anoxic reactor the minimum hydraulic retention time was observed to be 2 days for complete removal of sulphide, 40-50% removal of phenol and total hydrocarbons and 52% of sulphur recovery. The optimum HRT of aerobic moving bed reactor was observed as 16 h (total HRT of 64 h for anoxic and aerobic reactors) for complete removals of phenol, total hydrocarbons, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and ammonia-nitrogen with nitrification.

Cigarette sales in pharmacies in the USA (2005-2009).

PubMed

Seidenberg, Andrew B; Behm, Ilan; Rees, Vaughan W; Connolly, Gregory N

2012-09-01

Several US jurisdictions have adopted policies prohibiting pharmacies from selling tobacco products. Little is known about how pharmacies contribute to total cigarette sales. Pharmacy and total cigarette sales in the USA were tabulated from AC Nielsen and Euromonitor, respectively, for the years 2005-2009. Linear regression was used to characterise trends over time, with observed trends extrapolated to 2020. Between 2005 and 2009, pharmacy cigarette sales increased 22.72% (p=0.004), while total cigarette sales decreased 17.43% (p=0.015). In 2005, pharmacy cigarette sales represented 3.05% of total cigarette sales, increasing to 4.54% by 2009. Extrapolation of these findings resulted in estimated pharmacy cigarette sales of 14.59% of total US cigarette sales by 2020. Cigarette sales in American pharmacies have risen in recent years, while cigarette sales nationally have declined. If current trends continue, pharmacy cigarette market share will, by 2020, increase to more than four times the 2005 share.

Spectral irradiance variations: comparison between observations and the SATIRE model on solar rotation time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unruh, Y. C.; Krivova, N. A.; Solanki, S. K.; Harder, J. W.; Kopp, G.

2008-07-01

Aims: We test the reliability of the observed and calculated spectral irradiance variations between 200 and 1600 nm over a time span of three solar rotations in 2004. Methods: We compare our model calculations to spectral irradiance observations taken with SORCE/SIM, SoHO/VIRGO, and UARS/SUSIM. The calculations assume LTE and are based on the SATIRE (Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstruction) model. We analyse the variability as a function of wavelength and present time series in a number of selected wavelength regions covering the UV to the NIR. We also show the facular and spot contributions to the total calculated variability. Results: In most wavelength regions, the variability agrees well between all sets of observations and the model calculations. The model does particularly well between 400 and 1300 nm, but fails below 220 nm, as well as for some of the strong NUV lines. Our calculations clearly show the shift from faculae-dominated variability in the NUV to spot-dominated variability above approximately 400 nm. We also discuss some of the remaining problems, such as the low sensitivity of SUSIM and SORCE for wavelengths between approximately 310 and 350 nm, where currently the model calculations still provide the best estimates of solar variability.

On the link between martian total ozone and potential vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, S.; Holmes, J.; Patel, M.

2016-12-01

We demonstrate for the first time that total ozone in the martian atmosphere is highly correlated with the dynamical tracer, potential vorticity, under certain conditions. The degree of correlation is investigated using a Mars global circulation model including a photochemical model. Potential vorticity is the quantity of choice to explore the dynamical nature of polar vortices because it contains information on winds and temperature in a single scalar variable.The correlation is found to display a distinct seasonal variation, with a strong positive correlation in both northern and southern winter at poleward latitudes in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively. The identified strong correlation implies variations in polar total ozone during winter are predominantly controlled by dynamical processes in these spatio-temporal regions. The weak correlation in northern and southern summer is due to the dominance of photochemical reactions resulting from extended exposure to sunlight. The total ozone/potential vorticity correlation is slightly weaker in southern winter due to topographical variations and the preference for ozone to accumulate in Hellas basin. In northern winter, total ozone can be used to track the polar vortex edge. The ozone/potential vorticity ratio is calculated for both northern and southern winter on Mars for the first time. Using the strong correlation in total ozone and potential vorticity in northern winter inside the polar vortex, it is shown that potential vorticity can be used as a proxy to deduce the distribution of total ozone where satellites cannot observe for the majority of northern winter. Where total ozone observations are available on the fringes of northern winter at poleward latitudes, the strong relationship of total ozone and potential vorticity implies that total ozone anomalies in the surf zone can be of use to investigate the origin of potential vorticity filaments.

On the link between martian total ozone and potential vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, James A.; Lewis, Stephen R.; Patel, Manish R.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate for the first time that total ozone in the martian atmosphere is highly correlated with the dynamical tracer, potential vorticity, under certain conditions. The degree of correlation is investigated using a Mars global circulation model including a photochemical model. Potential vorticity is the quantity of choice to explore the dynamical nature of polar vortices because it contains information on winds and temperature in a single scalar variable. The correlation is found to display a distinct seasonal variation, with a strong positive correlation in both northern and southern winter at poleward latitudes in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively. The identified strong correlation implies variations in polar total ozone during winter are predominantly controlled by dynamical processes in these spatio-temporal regions. The weak correlation in northern and southern summer is due to the dominance of photochemical reactions resulting from extended exposure to sunlight. The total ozone/potential vorticity correlation is slightly weaker in southern winter due to topographical variations and the preference for ozone to accumulate in Hellas basin. In northern winter, total ozone can be used to track the polar vortex edge. The ozone/potential vorticity ratio is calculated for both northern and southern winter on Mars for the first time. Using the strong correlation in total ozone and potential vorticity in northern winter inside the polar vortex, it is shown that potential vorticity can be used as a proxy to deduce the distribution of total ozone where satellites cannot observe for the majority of northern winter. Where total ozone observations are available on the fringes of northern winter at poleward latitudes, the strong relationship of total ozone and potential vorticity implies that total ozone anomalies in the surf zone of the northern polar vortex can potentially be used to determine the origin of potential vorticity filaments.

Association between neighborhood walkability and GPS-measured walking, bicycling and vehicle time in adolescents.

PubMed

Carlson, Jordan A; Saelens, Brian E; Kerr, Jacqueline; Schipperijn, Jasper; Conway, Terry L; Frank, Lawrence D; Chapman, Jim E; Glanz, Karen; Cain, Kelli L; Sallis, James F

2015-03-01

To investigate relations of walking, bicycling and vehicle time to neighborhood walkability and total physical activity in youth. Participants (N=690) were from 380 census block groups of high/low walkability and income in two US regions. Home neighborhood residential density, intersection density, retail density, entertainment density and walkability were derived using GIS. Minutes/day of walking, bicycling and vehicle time were derived from processing algorithms applied to GPS. Accelerometers estimated total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Models were adjusted for nesting of days (N=2987) within participants within block groups. Walking occurred on 33%, active travel on 43%, and vehicle time on 91% of the days observed. Intersection density and neighborhood walkability were positively related to walking and bicycling and negatively related to vehicle time. Residential density was positively related to walking. Increasing walking in youth could be effective in increasing total physical activity. Built environment findings suggest potential for increasing walking in youth through improving neighborhood walkability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Satellite observations of energetic electron precipitation during the 1979 solar eclipse and comparisons with rocket measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaines, E. E.; Imhof, W. L.; Voss, H. D.; Reagan, J. B.

1983-07-01

During the solar eclipse of 26 February 1979, the P78-1 satellite passed near Red Lake, Ontario, at an altitude of about 600 km. On two consecutive orbits spanning the time of total eclipse, energetic electrons were measured with two silicon solid state detector spectrometers having excellent energy and angular resolution. Significant fluxes of precipitating electrons were observed near the path of totality. Comparisons of flux intensities and energy spectra with those measured from a Nike Orion and two Nike Tomahawk rockets launched near Red Lake before and during total eclipse give good agreement and indicate that the electron precipitation was relatively uniform for more than an hour and over a broad geographical area.

Usage of Sit-Stand Workstations and Associations Between Work and Nonwork Sitting Time: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Mazzotta, Michael A; Ferrar, Katia; Fraysse, Francois; Lewis, Lucy K; McEvoy, Maureen

2018-05-01

No studies have objectively measured habitual usage of sit-stand workstations. Eighteen full-time office workers participated (47.9 ± 9.2 years, 61% female). Sitting time was objectively measured (activPAL, 24 h/7 days), and time at desk, desk position, and perceptions of desk use were self-reported. Participants sat for 39% of their daily workstation time, and changed workstation position twice daily. The most common reasons for standing included back pain (44%) and tiredness (22%). The majority of participants received no workstation occupational health (72%) or educational (61%) information. Workstation standing time had a significant moderate correlation with total daily standing time (P = 0.02). Office workers with sit-stand workstations rarely change desk position, and there is no relationship between the time spent sitting at the workstation, and total daily sitting time. Education about the workstations was limited.

Preparations for Integrating Space-Based Total Lightning Observations into Forecast Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stano, Geoffrey T.; Fuell, Kevin K.; Molthan, Andrew L.

2016-01-01

NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has been a leader in collaborating with the United States National Weather Service (NWS) offices to integrate ground-based total lightning (intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground) observations into the real-time operational environment. For much of these collaborations, the emphasis has been on training, dissemination of data to the NWS AWIPS system, and focusing on the utility of these data in the warning decision support process. A shift away from this paradigm has occurred more recently for several reasons. For one, SPoRT's collaborations have expanded to new partners, including emergency managers and the aviation community. Additionally, and most importantly, is the impending launch of the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). This has led to collaborative efforts to focus on additional forecast needs, new data displays, develop training for GLM uses based on the lessons learned from ground-based lightning mapping arrays, and ways to better relate total lightning data to other meteorological parameters. This presentation will focus on these efforts to prepare the operational end user community for GLM with an eye towards sharing lessons learned as EUMETSAT prepares for the Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager. This will focus on both software and training needs. In particular, SPoRT has worked closely with the Meteorological Development Laboratory to create the total lightning tracking tool. This software allows for NWS forecasters to manually track storms of interest and display a time series trend of observations. This tool also has been expanded to work on any gridded data set allowing for easy visual comparisons of multiple parameters in addition to total lightning. A new web display has been developed for the ground-based observations that can be easily extended to satellite observations. This paves the way for new collaborations outside of the NWS, both domestically and internationally, as the web display will be functional on PCs and mobile devices. Furthermore, SPoRT has helped developed the software plug-in to visualize GLM data. Examples using the official GLM proxy product will be used to provide a glimpse as to what real-time GLM and likely MTG-LI data will be in the near future.

A time and imaging cost analysis of low-risk ED observation patients: a conservative 64-section computed tomography coronary angiography "triple rule-out" compared to nuclear stress test strategy.

PubMed

Takakuwa, Kevin M; Halpern, Ethan J; Shofer, Frances S

2011-02-01

The study aimed to examine time and imaging costs of 2 different imaging strategies for low-risk emergency department (ED) observation patients with acute chest pain or symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome. We compared a "triple rule-out" (TRO) 64-section multidetector computed tomography protocol with nuclear stress testing. This was a prospective observational cohort study of consecutive ED patients who were enrolled in our chest pain observation protocol during a 16-month period. Our standard observation protocol included a minimum of 2 sets of cardiac enzymes at least 6 hours apart followed by a nuclear stress test. Once a week, observation patients were offered a TRO (to evaluate for coronary artery disease, thoracic dissection, and pulmonary embolus) multidetector computed tomography with the option of further stress testing for those patients found to have evidence of coronary artery disease. We analyzed 832 consecutive observation patients including 214 patients who underwent the TRO protocol. Mean total length of stay was 16.1 hours for TRO patients, 16.3 hours for TRO plus other imaging test, 22.6 hours for nuclear stress testing, 23.3 hours for nuclear stress testing plus other imaging tests, and 23.7 hours for nuclear stress testing plus TRO (P < .0001 for TRO and TRO + other test compared to stress test ± other test). Mean imaging times were 3.6, 4.4, 5.9, 7.5, and 6.6 hours, respectively (P < .05 for TRO and TRO + other test compared to stress test ± other test). Mean imaging costs were $1307 for TRO patients vs $945 for nuclear stress testing. Triple rule-out reduced total length of stay and imaging time but incurred higher imaging costs. A per-hospital analysis would be needed to determine if patient time savings justify the higher imaging costs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-frequency video capture and a computer program with frame-by-frame angle determination functionality as tools that support judging in artistic gymnastics.

PubMed

Omorczyk, Jarosław; Nosiadek, Leszek; Ambroży, Tadeusz; Nosiadek, Andrzej

2015-01-01

The main aim of this study was to verify the usefulness of selected simple methods of recording and fast biomechanical analysis performed by judges of artistic gymnastics in assessing a gymnast's movement technique. The study participants comprised six artistic gymnastics judges, who assessed back handsprings using two methods: a real-time observation method and a frame-by-frame video analysis method. They also determined flexion angles of knee and hip joints using the computer program. In the case of the real-time observation method, the judges gave a total of 5.8 error points with an arithmetic mean of 0.16 points for the flexion of the knee joints. In the high-speed video analysis method, the total amounted to 8.6 error points and the mean value amounted to 0.24 error points. For the excessive flexion of hip joints, the sum of the error values was 2.2 error points and the arithmetic mean was 0.06 error points during real-time observation. The sum obtained using frame-by-frame analysis method equaled 10.8 and the mean equaled 0.30 error points. Error values obtained through the frame-by-frame video analysis of movement technique were higher than those obtained through the real-time observation method. The judges were able to indicate the number of the frame in which the maximal joint flexion occurred with good accuracy. Using the real-time observation method as well as the high-speed video analysis performed without determining the exact angle for assessing movement technique were found to be insufficient tools for improving the quality of judging.

Effects of acute hyperinsulinaemia on total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin concentration in metabolically healthy but obese postmenopausal women: a Montreal-Ottawa New Emerging Team (MONET) study.

PubMed

Elisha, B; Karelis, A D; Imbeault, P; Rabasa-Lhoret, R

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the differences and changes in total and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin levels among metabolically healthy but obese (MHO) postmenopausal women in response to acute hyperinsulinaemia. In this cross-sectional study, 55 non-diabetic overweight and obese postmenopausal women underwent a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp test to evaluate insulin sensitivity. Subjects within the upper tertile of insulin sensitivity were described as 'MHO' (n=18), whereas those within the lowest tertile were considered 'at risk' (n=18). Plasma total and HMW adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA at 0 (baseline), 90, 160 and 180 min during the clamp. At baseline and at all time points during the clamp, MHO individuals had significantly higher total and HMW adiponectin levels than at-risk subjects (AUC: total adiponectin=2506 ± 1010 vs 1616 ± 830; HMW adiponectin=909 ± 307 vs 604 ± 349; P<0.05). In addition, a significant reduction in total adiponectin was observed at 160 min and 180 min in at-risk and MHO subjects, respectively, while HMW adiponectin significantly decreased at 160 min in at-risk subjects, and at 90 min as well as 160 min in MHO women. MHO postmenopausal women had higher levels of plasma total and HMW adiponectin than at-risk subjects at baseline and during the clamp. Furthermore, significant decreases in total and HMW adiponectin were observed at certain time points in both the MHO and at-risk subjects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Scope of Nursing Care in Polish Intensive Care Units

PubMed Central

Wysokiński, Mariusz; Ksykiewicz-Dorota, Anna; Fidecki, Wiesław

2013-01-01

Introduction. The TISS-28 scale, which may be used for nursing staff scheduling in ICU, does not reflect the complete scope of nursing resulting from varied cultural and organizational conditions of individual systems of health care. Aim. The objective of the study was an attempt to provide an answer to the question what scope of nursing care provided by Polish nurses in ICU does the TISS-28 scale reflect? Material and Methods. The methods of working time measurement were used in the study. For the needs of the study, 252 hours of continuous observation (day-long observation) and 3.697 time-schedule measurements were carried out. Results. The total nursing time was 4125.79 min. (68.76 hours), that is, 60.15% of the total working time of Polish nurses during the period analyzed. Based on the median test, the difference was observed on the level of χ 2 = 16945.8,P < 0.001 between the nurses' workload resulting from performance of activities qualified into the TISS-28 scale and load resulting from performance of interventions within the scopes of care not considered in this scale in Polish ICUs. Conclusions. The original version of the TISS-28 scale does not fully reflect the workload among Polish nurses employed in ICUs. PMID:24490162

Estimate of overdiagnosis of breast cancer due to mammography after adjustment for lead time. A service screening study in Italy

PubMed Central

Paci, Eugenio; Miccinesi, Guido; Puliti, Donella; Baldazzi, Paola; De Lisi, Vincenzo; Falcini, Fabio; Cirilli, Claudia; Ferretti, Stefano; Mangone, Lucia; Finarelli, Alba Carola; Rosso, Stefano; Segnan, Nereo; Stracci, Fabrizio; Traina, Adele; Tumino, Rosario; Zorzi, Manuel

2006-01-01

Introduction Excess of incidence rates is the expected consequence of service screening. The aim of this paper is to estimate the quota attributable to overdiagnosis in the breast cancer screening programmes in Northern and Central Italy. Methods All patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 50 and 74 years who were resident in screening areas in the six years before and five years after the start of the screening programme were included. We calculated a corrected-for-lead-time number of observed cases for each calendar year. The number of observed incident cases was reduced by the number of screen-detected cases in that year and incremented by the estimated number of screen-detected cases that would have arisen clinically in that year. Results In total we included 13,519 and 13,999 breast cancer cases diagnosed in the pre-screening and screening years, respectively. In total, the excess ratio of observed to predicted in situ and invasive cases was 36.2%. After correction for lead time the excess ratio was 4.6% (95% confidence interval 2 to 7%) and for invasive cases only it was 3.2% (95% confidence interval 1 to 6%). Conclusion The remaining excess of cancers after individual correction for lead time was lower than 5%. PMID:17147789

Long-term changes (1980-2003) in total ozone time series over Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Białek, Małgorzata

2006-03-01

Long-term changes in total ozone time series for Arosa, Belsk, Boulder and Sapporo stations are examined. For each station we analyze time series of the following statistical characteristics of the distribution of daily ozone data: seasonal mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum of total daily ozone values for all seasons. The iterative statistical model is proposed to estimate trends and long-term changes in the statistical distribution of the daily total ozone data. The trends are calculated for the period 1980-2003. We observe lessening of negative trends in the seasonal means as compared to those calculated by WMO for 1980-2000. We discuss a possibility of a change of the distribution shape of ozone daily data using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and comparing trend values in the seasonal mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum time series for the selected stations and seasons. The distribution shift toward lower values without a change in the distribution shape is suggested with the following exceptions: the spreading of the distribution toward lower values for Belsk during winter and no decisive result for Sapporo and Boulder in summer.

Resource Use and Cost of Alzheimer's Disease in France: 18-Month Results from the GERAS Observational Study.

PubMed

Rapp, Thomas; Andrieu, Sandrine; Chartier, Florence; Deberdt, Walter; Reed, Catherine; Belger, Mark; Vellas, Bruno

2018-03-01

There is little longitudinal data on resource use and costs associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in France. To evaluate resource use and societal costs associated with AD in a French cohort of patients and their caregivers and the effect of patient cognitive decline on costs over an 18-month period. Community-dwelling patients with mild, moderate, or moderately severe/severe AD dementia (n = 419) were followed-up for 18 months. Total societal costs were estimated by applying 2010 unit costs to resource use, including outpatient visits, hospital days, institutionalization, and caregiver hours. Cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Mean cumulative total costs over the 18-month period were €24,140 for patients with mild AD dementia, €34,287 for those with moderate AD dementia, and €44,171 for those with moderately severe/severe AD dementia (P < 0.001; ANOVA comparison between severity groups). The biggest contributor to total societal costs was caregiver informal care (>50% of total costs at all stages of AD dementia). Cognitive decline (≥3-point decrease in Mini-Mental State Examination score or institutionalization) was associated with a 12.5% increase in total costs (P = 0.02). Significant differences were observed across severity groups for caregiver time (P < 0.001); mean monthly caregiver time increased at each time point over the 18 months in each severity group. Increasing severity of AD dementia in France is associated with increased use of resources as well as increased total societal and patient costs; informal care was the greatest cost contributor. Clinically meaningful cognitive decline is associated with significantly increased costs. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rejoining and misrejoining of radiation-induced chromatin breaks. I. experiments with human lymphocytes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durante, M.; George, K.; Wu, H.; Yang, T. C.

1996-01-01

Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a composite probe for human chromosome 4 and a probe that stained all centromeres was used to study gamma-ray induced breakage, rejoining and misrejoining in prematurely condensed chromosomes in human lymphocytes. Dose-response curves for the induction of all types of aberrations in prematurely condensed human chromosomes 4 were determined immediately after irradiation and after 8 h postirradiation incubation. In addition, aberrations were measured after various incubation times from 0 to 18 h after a dose of 7 Gy. Unrejoined chromosome breaks were the most frequent type of aberration observed immediately after irradiation. Approximately 15% of total aberrations observed were chromosome exchanges. After 8 h postirradiation incubation, the frequency of breaks in prematurely condensed chromosomes declined to about 20% of the initial value, and chromosomal exchanges became the most frequent aberration. Results of metaphase analysis were similar to those for prematurely condensed chromosomes after 8 h incubation with the exception that a significantly lower frequency of fragments was observed. Symmetrical and asymmetrical interchanges were found at similar frequencies at all doses. No complex exchanges were observed in lymphocyte chromosomes immediately after exposure. They accounted for about 1% of total exchanges in metaphase chromosomes at doses <3 Gy and about 14% at 7 Gy. Incomplete exchanges amounted to approximately 15% of total exchanges at all doses. The kinetics of break rejoining was exponential, and the frequency of exchanges increased with kinetics similar to that observed for the rejoining of the breaks. This increase in the total exchanges as a function of the time between irradiation and fusion was due to a rapid increase in reciprocal interchanges, and a slower increase in complex exchanges; the frequency of incomplete exchanges increased initially, then decreased with prolonged incubation to the level observed in metaphase. It is concluded that the formation of each kind of chromosome aberrations follows different kinetics.

Evaluation of the UP4FUN Intervention: A Cluster Randomized Trial to Reduce and Break Up Sitting Time in European 10-12-Year-Old Children

PubMed Central

Vik, Frøydis N.; Lien, Nanna; Berntsen, Sveinung; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Grillenberger, Monika; Manios, Yannis; Kovacs, Eva; Chinapaw, Mai J. M.; Brug, Johannes; Bere, Elling

2015-01-01

Background The UP4FUN intervention is a family-involved school-based intervention aiming at reducing and breaking up sitting time at home (with special emphasis on screen time), and breaking up sitting time in school among 10–12 year olds in Europe. The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate its short term effects. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 3147 pupils from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Norway participated in a school-randomized controlled trial. The intervention included 1–2 school lessons per week for a period of six weeks, along with assignments for the children and their parents. Screen time and breaking up sitting time were registered by self-report and total sedentary time and breaking up sitting time by accelerometry. The effect of the intervention on these behaviors was evaluated by multilevel regression analyses. All analyses were adjusted for baseline values and gender. Significance level was p≤0.01. No significant intervention effects were observed, neither for self-reported TV/DVD or computer/game console time, nor for accelerometer-assessed total sedentary time and number of breaks in sitting time. The intervention group, however, reported more positive attitudes towards (β = 0.25 (95% CI 0.11, 0.38)) and preferences/liking for (β = 0.20 (95% CI 0.08, 0.32)) breaking up sitting time than the control group. Conclusions/Significance No significant intervention effect on self-reported screen time or accelerometer-assessed sedentary time or breaks in sitting time was observed, but positive effects on beliefs regarding breaking up sitting time were found in favor of the intervention group. Overall, these results do not warrant wider dissemination of the present UP4FUN intervention. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registry ISRCTN34562078 PMID:25826704

Building on the US Eclipse Experience in Schools, with the Public, and Beyond the US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Mike; Chee, Zoe; Bartolone, Lindsay

2018-01-01

Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) organized several programs for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, both before and after the event, to increase participation, build on the inspiration of the eclipse, share the eclipse experience, and prepare for the eclipse in 2024.AWB focused on preparing institutions that were least likely to receive resources despite extensive nationwide efforts. AWB distributed more than 100,000 donated glasses, to isolated schools, children's cancer hospitals, abused women’s shelters, and other institutions without access to other resource providers.AWB’s Building on the Eclipse Education Program builds on the inspiration of the eclipse for STEM education. The program uses a small, personal spectroscope kit to study sunlight in different scientific fields and includes free classroom activities that meet NGSS standards.A program to collect eclipse observing glasses for schools in developing countries for future eclipses was announced around the time of the eclipse and quickly went viral, with coverage by national and innumerable local media outlets. This effort builds on AWB’s earlier programs for schools in Africa and in South America for past eclipses. Well over one million pairs are expected, as compared to the tens of thousands AWB provided through crowdfunding for previous efforts. Nearly 1000 glasses collection centers were created spontaneously, without a public call. Factors leading to widespread and diverse public participation will be presented.A program calling for first-time eclipse observers to share their experiences addresses a major issue in encouraging people to travel to the path of totality. Expert and eclipse-enthusiast testimony often fails to convince people of the value of the experience of totality as “a few minutes of darkness.” This program will share the disconnect between expectation and experience from first-time “ordinary” observers to encourage others to travel to the path of totality for the total solar eclipse in 2024.Analysis and planned follow-up and expanded programs will also be described.

Realizing improved patient care through human-centered operating room design: a human factors methodology for observing flow disruptions in the cardiothoracic operating room.

PubMed

Palmer, Gary; Abernathy, James H; Swinton, Greg; Allison, David; Greenstein, Joel; Shappell, Scott; Juang, Kevin; Reeves, Scott T

2013-11-01

Human factors engineering has allowed a systematic approach to the evaluation of adverse events in a multitude of high-stake industries. This study sought to develop an initial methodology for identifying and classifying flow disruptions in the cardiac operating room (OR). Two industrial engineers with expertise in human factors workflow disruptions observed 10 cardiac operations from the moment the patient entered the OR to the time they left for the intensive care unit. Each disruption was fully documented on an architectural layout of the OR suite and time-stamped during each phase of surgery (preoperative [before incision], operative [incision to skin closure], and postoperative [skin closure until the patient leaves the OR]) to synchronize flow disruptions between the two observers. These disruptions were then categorized. The two observers made a total of 1,158 observations. After the elimination of duplicate observations, a total of 1,080 observations remained to be analyzed. These disruptions were distributed into six categories such as communication, usability, physical layout, environmental hazards, general interruptions, and equipment failures. They were further organized into 33 subcategories. The most common disruptions were related to OR layout and design (33%). By using the detailed architectural diagrams, the authors were able to clearly demonstrate for the first time the unique role that OR design and equipment layout has on the generation of physical layout flow disruptions. Most importantly, the authors have developed a robust taxonomy to describe the flow disruptions encountered in a cardiac OR, which can be used for future research and patient safety improvements.

Observations of Fe XIV Line Intensity Variations in the Solar Corona During the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Payton; Ladd, Edwin

2018-01-01

We present time- and spatially-resolved observations of the inner solar corona in the 5303 Å line of Fe XIV, taken during the 21 August 2017 solar eclipse from a field observing site in Crossville, TN. These observations are used to characterize the intensity variations in this coronal emission line, and to compare with oscillation predictions from models for heating the corona by magnetic wave dissipation.The observations were taken with two Explore Scientific ED 102CF 102 mm aperture triplet apochromatic refractors. One system used a DayStar custom-built 5 Å FWHM filter centered on the Fe XIV coronal spectral line and an Atik Titan camera for image collection. The setup produced images with a pixel size of 2.15 arcseconds (~1.5 Mm at the distance to the Sun), and a field of view of 1420 x 1060 arcseconds, covering approximately 20% of the entire solar limb centered near the emerging sunspot complex AR 2672. We obtained images with an exposure time of 0.22 seconds and a frame rate of 2.36 Hz, for a total of 361 images during totality.An identical, co-aligned telescope/camera system observed the same portion of the solar corona, but with a 100 Å FWHM Baader Planetarium solar continuum filter centered on a wavelength of 5400 Å. Images with an exposure time of 0.01 seconds were obtained with a frame rate of 4.05 Hz. These simultaneous observations are used as a control to monitor brightness variations not related to coronal line oscillations.

Daily Temperature and Precipitation Data for 223 Former-USSR Stations (NDP-040)

DOE Data Explorer

Razuvaev, V. N. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre; Apasova, E. B. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre; Martuganov, R. A. [Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information-World Data Centre

1990-01-01

The stations in this dataset are considered by RIHMI to comprise one of the best networks suitable for temperature and precipitation monitoring over the the former-USSR. Factors involved in choosing these 223 stations included length or record, amount of missing data, and achieving reasonably good geographic coverage. There are indeed many more stations with daily data over this part of the world, and hundreds more station records are available through NOAA's Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCND) database. The 223 stations comprising this database are included in GHCND, but different data processing, updating, and quality assurance methods/checks mean that the agreement between records will vary depending on the station. The relative quality and accuracy of the common station records in the two databases also cannot be easily assessed. As of this writing, most of the common stations contained in the GHCND have more recent records, but not necessarily records starting as early as the records available here. This database contains four variables: daily mean, minimum, and maximum temperature, and daily total precipitation (liquid equivalent). Temperature were taken three times a day from 1881-1935, four times a day from 1936-65, and eight times a day since 1966. Daily mean temperature is defined as the average of all observations for each calendar day. Daily maximum/minimum temperatures are derived from maximum/minimum thermometer measurements. See the measurement description file for further details. Daily precipitation totals are also available (to the nearest tenth of a millimeter) for each station. Throughout the record, daily precipitation is defined as the total amount of precipitation recorded during a 24-h period, snowfall being converted to a liquid total by melting the snow in the gauge. From 1936 on, rain gauges were checked several times each day; the cumulative total of all observations during a calendar day was presumably used as the daily total. Again, see the measurement description file for further details.

Long-term downward trend in total solar irradiance.

PubMed

Willson, R C; Hudson, H S; Frohlich, C; Brusa, R W

1986-11-28

The first 5 years (from 1980 to 1985) of total solar irradiance observations by the first Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM I) experiment on board the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft show a clearly defined downward trend of -0.019% per year. The existence of this trend has been confirmed by the internal self-calibrations of ACRIM I, by independent measurements from sounding rockets and balloons, and by observations from the Nimbus-7 spacecraft. The trend appears to be due to unpredicted variations of solar luminosity on time scales of years, and it may be related to solar cycle magnetic activity.

Solar diameter measurements from eclipses as a solar variability proxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunham, David W.; Sofia, Sabatino; Guhl, Konrad; Herald, David

The widths of total solar eclipse paths depends on the diameter of the Sun, so if observations are obtained near both the northern and southern limits of the eclipse path, in principle, the angular diameter of the Sun can be measured. Concerted efforts have been made to obtain contact timings from locations near total solar eclipse path edges since the mid 19th century, and Edmund Halley organized a rather successful first effort in 1715. Members of IOTA have been making increasingly sophisticated observations of the Baily's bead phenomena near central solar eclipse path edges since 1970.

Identifying EGRET Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, E.; Norris, Jay P. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This project was awarded funding from the CGRO program to support ROSAT and ground-based observations of unidentified sources from data obtained by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The critical items in the project are the individual ROSAT observations that are used to cover the 99% error circle of the unidentified EGRET source. Each error circle is a degree or larger in diameter. Each ROSAT field is about 30 deg in diameter. Hence, a number (>4) of ROSAT pointings must be obtained for each EGRET source to cover the field. The scheduling of ROSAT observations is carried out to maximize the efficiency of the total schedule. As a result, each pointing is broken into one or more sub-pointings of various exposure times. This project was awarded ROSAT observing time for four unidentified EGRET sources, summarized in the table. The column headings are defined as follows: 'Coverings' = number of observations to cover the error circle; 'SubPtg' = total number of sub-pointings to observe all of the coverings; 'Rec'd' = number of individual sub-pointings received to date; 'CompFlds' = number of individual coverings for which the requested complete exposure has been received. Processing of the data can not occur until a complete exposure has been accumulated for each covering.

Frequency of pubic hair transfer during sexual intercourse.

PubMed

Exline, D L; Smith, F P; Drexler, S G

1998-05-01

This study measured the frequency of pubic hair transfer between a limited number of consenting heterosexual partners. The results derive from controlled experiments with a number of human subjects rather than forensic casework. Standardized collection procedures were observed, situational variables were tracked. Participants (forensic laboratory employees and their spouses) were six Caucasian couples who collected their pubic hair combings immediately following intercourse. Subjects provided informed consent in accordance with the protocol for human subjects approved by the U.A.B. institutional review board. The experiment was replicated ten times for five couples, and five times for another couple (total n = 110). Transfer frequencies were calculated from instances where foreign (exogenous) hairs were observed. Results showed at least one exogenous pubic hair in 17.3% (19/110) of combings. Transfers to males (23.6%, or 13/55) were more prevalent than transfers to females (10.9%, or 6/55). Only once were transfers observed simultaneously between both male and female. A total of 28 exogenous pubic hairs were identified. Subjects reported intercourse duration of 2-25 min, intervening intervals of 1-240 h, pre-coital bathing intervals of 0.25-24 h, and predominantly missionary position (76%). No clear relationship among these other survey variables was observed. The prevalence of female-to-male pubic hair transfers suggests the importance of collecting pubic hair combings from the male suspects as well as from female victims, provided the time interval is not extreme. Even under these optimum collection conditions, pubic hair transfers were observed only 17.3% of the time.

Understanding and Visualizing Multitasking and Task Switching Activities: A Time Motion Study to Capture Nursing Workflow

PubMed Central

Yen, Po-Yin; Kelley, Marjorie; Lopetegui, Marcelo; Rosado, Amber L.; Migliore, Elaina M.; Chipps, Esther M.; Buck, Jacalyn

2016-01-01

A fundamental understanding of multitasking within nursing workflow is important in today’s dynamic and complex healthcare environment. We conducted a time motion study to understand nursing workflow, specifically multitasking and task switching activities. We used TimeCaT, a comprehensive electronic time capture tool, to capture observational data. We established inter-observer reliability prior to data collection. We completed 56 hours of observation of 10 registered nurses. We found, on average, nurses had 124 communications and 208 hands-on tasks per 4-hour block of time. They multitasked (having communication and hands-on tasks simultaneously) 131 times, representing 39.48% of all times; the total multitasking duration ranges from 14.6 minutes to 109 minutes, 44.98 minutes (18.63%) on average. We also reviewed workflow visualization to uncover the multitasking events. Our study design and methods provide a practical and reliable approach to conducting and analyzing time motion studies from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. PMID:28269924

Understanding and Visualizing Multitasking and Task Switching Activities: A Time Motion Study to Capture Nursing Workflow.

PubMed

Yen, Po-Yin; Kelley, Marjorie; Lopetegui, Marcelo; Rosado, Amber L; Migliore, Elaina M; Chipps, Esther M; Buck, Jacalyn

2016-01-01

A fundamental understanding of multitasking within nursing workflow is important in today's dynamic and complex healthcare environment. We conducted a time motion study to understand nursing workflow, specifically multitasking and task switching activities. We used TimeCaT, a comprehensive electronic time capture tool, to capture observational data. We established inter-observer reliability prior to data collection. We completed 56 hours of observation of 10 registered nurses. We found, on average, nurses had 124 communications and 208 hands-on tasks per 4-hour block of time. They multitasked (having communication and hands-on tasks simultaneously) 131 times, representing 39.48% of all times; the total multitasking duration ranges from 14.6 minutes to 109 minutes, 44.98 minutes (18.63%) on average. We also reviewed workflow visualization to uncover the multitasking events. Our study design and methods provide a practical and reliable approach to conducting and analyzing time motion studies from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.

Vertical distribution of ozone and the variation of tropopause heights based on ozonesonde and satellite observations. [Contract title: Internal Wave Motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Liu, J. M.

1986-01-01

The distribution of atmospheric ozone is nonuniform both in space and time. Local ozone concentration vary with altitude, latitude, longitude, and season. Two year ozonesonde data, January 1981 to December 1982, observed at four Canadian stations and 2.5 year backscattered ultraviolet experiment data on the Nimbus-4 satellite, April 1970 to August 1972, observed over five American stations were used to study the relationship between the total ozone, vertical height distribution of the ozone mixing ratio, vertical height distribution of half total ozone, and the local tropopause height. The results show that there is a postive correlation between total ozone in Dobson Units and the tropopause height in terms of atmospheric pressure. This result suggests that local intrusion of the statosphere into the troposphere, or the local decreasing of tropopause height could occur if there is a local increasing of total ozone. A comparison of the vertical height distribution of the ozone mixing ratio, the modified pressure height of half total ozone and the tropopause height shows that the pressure height of an ozone mixing ratio of 0.3 micrograms/g, and the modified pressure height of half total ozone are very well correlated with the tropopause pressure height.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Collinder 261 Chandra sources & optical counterparts (Vats+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vats, S.; van den Berg, M.

2017-10-01

Cr 261 was observed with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on board Chandra starting 2009 November 9 14:50 UTC, for a total exposure time of 53.8ks (ObsID 11308). We retrieved optical images of Cr 261 in the B and V bands from the ESO public archive. These data were taken as part of the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS; program ID 164.O-0561). The observations of Cr 261 were made using the Wide Field Imager (WFI), mounted on the 2.2m MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla, Chile. The Cr 261 data were taken from 2001 June 27 23:55 UTC to 2001 June 28 00:38 UTC, with a total exposure time of 510s in the B and V filter each. (2 data files).

[Optimization of extraction technics of total saponins from Pulsatilla cernua].

PubMed

Li, Hai-Yan; Hao, Ning; Xu, Yong-Nan; Piao, Zhong-Yun

2010-04-01

The extraction condition of total saponins from Pulsatilla cenua by ultrasonic wave was optimized by single factor and orthogonal experiments. The largest absorbency of saponin was intended to be 470 nm by wavelength scan method with the pulchinenoside B4 as control sample, the linear relationship was observed between the absorbency and the content of saponin in the range of 0 - 0.040 mg/mL. The optimal conditions of extraction was as following: 80% of alcohol concentration, 40 min of ultrasonic time, 1: 20 of solid to liquid ratio, 80 W of ultrasonic power and one time for extraction. Among them, alcohol had the most significant effect on the extraction of total saponins. The content of total saponins in Pulsatilla cernua was 4. 32% under the optimal condition. The method developed here is efficient, stable, accurate and repeatable.

Standardizing Care and Improving Quality under a Bundled Payment Initiative for Total Joint Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Froemke, Cecily C; Wang, Lian; DeHart, Matthew L; Williamson, Ronda K; Ko, Laura Matsen; Duwelius, Paul J

2015-10-01

Increasing demands for episodic bundled payments in total hip and knee arthroplasty are motivating providers to wring out inefficiencies and coordinate services. This study describes a care pathway and gainshare arrangement as the mechanism by which improvements in efficiency were realized under a bundled payment pilot. Analysis of cut-to-close time, LOS, discharge destination, implant cost, and total allowed claims between pre-pilot and pilot cohorts showed an 18% reduction in average LOS (70.8 to 58.2 hours) and a shift from home health and skilled nursing facility discharge to home self-care (54.1% to 63.7%). No significant differences were observed for cut-to-close time and implant cost. Improvements resulted in a 6% reduction in the average total allowed claims per case. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solar radius change between 1925 and 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sofia, S.; Dunham, D. W.; Dunham, J. B.; Fiala, A. D.

1983-01-01

From an analysis of numerous reports from different locations on the duration of totality of the solar eclipses on January 24, 1925, and February 26, 1979, it is found that the solar radius at the earlier date was 0.5 arcsec (or 375 km) larger than at the later date. The correction to the standard solar radius found for each eclipse is different when different subsets of the observations are used (for example, edge of path of totality timings compared with central timings). This is seen as suggesting the existence of systematic inaccuracies in our knowledge of the lunar figure. The differences between the corrections for both eclipses, however, are very similar for all subsets considered, indicating that changes of the solar size may be reliably inferred despite the existence of the lunar figure errors so long as there is proper consideration of the distribution of the observations. These results are regarded as strong evidence in support of the occurrence of solar radius changes on shorter than evolutionary time scales.

Effects of backing board materials on wood combustion performance

Treesearch

Mathew J. Hagge; Kenneth M. Bryden; Mark A. Dietenberger

2004-01-01

Cone calorimeter tests show that backing board materials do not affect the ignition time, initial heat release rate, or the total heat released of combustion for redwood slabs. However, it has been observed that backing board materials alter combustion performance by altering the secondary heat release peak observed when the pyrolysis reaction front nears the unheated...

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy following total artificial heart implantation.

PubMed

Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Dimitriou, Alexandros Merkourios; Serrano, Maria Rosario; Guersoy, Dilek; Autschbach, Ruediger; Goetzenich, Andreas; Koerfer, Reiner; Tenderich, Gero

2015-07-01

Coagulation disorders and an immune-altered state are common among total artificial heart patients. In this context, we sought to evaluate the safety of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in cases of prolonged need for mechanical ventilatory support. We retrospectively analysed the charts of 11 total artificial heart patients who received percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. We focused on early and late complications. We observed no major complications and no procedure-related deaths. Early minor complications included venous oozing (45.4%) and one case of local infection. Late complications, including subglottic stenosis, stomal infection or infections of the lower respiratory tract, were not observed. In conclusion, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in total artificial heart patients is safe. Considering the well-known benefits of early tracheotomy over prolonged translaryngeal intubation, we advocate early timing of therapy in cases of prolonged mechanical ventilation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Long Duration X-ray Bursts Observed by MAXI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serino, Motoko; Iwakiri, Wataru; Tamagawa, Toru; Sakamoto, Takanori; Nakahira, Satoshi; Matsuoka, Masaru; Yamaoka, Kazutaka; Negoro, Hitoshi

Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) is X-ray mission on the International Space Station. MAXI scans all sky every 92 min and detects various X-ray transient events including X-ray bursts. Among the X-ray bursts observed by MAXI, eleven had long duration and were observed more than one scan. Six out of eleven long bursts have the e-folding time of >1 h, that should be classified as "superbursts", while the rest are "intermediate-duration bursts". The total emitted energy of these long X-ray bursts range from 1041 to 1042 ergs. The lower limits of the superburst recurrence time of 4U 0614+091 and Ser X-1 are calculated as 4400 and 59 days, which may be consistent with the observed recurrence time of 3523 and 1148 days, respectively.

Establishing a community pharmacy residency at an independent pharmacy: Time allocation and valuation.

PubMed

Shugart, Katherine; Bryant, Jason; Kress, Dean; Ziegler, Bryan; Connelly, Lynn; Brittain, Kristy

2015-12-01

The value of a first-year community pharmacy residency program (CPRP) at an independent pharmacy was estimated based on time allocation for resident responsibilities. Predefined time allocation categories for the pharmacy resident were used to consistently classify and document time completing residency activities. Benefit-to-cost ratio was determined by tabulating total costs and total benefits of the residency program. A retrospective-prospective comparison of overall change in revenue, operating expense, and prescription volume was performed between the preresident time period (July 2012 to June 2013) and the postresident time period (July 2013 to June 2014). This comparison accounted for resident activities that did not directly generate revenue. Time allocations for the resident out of 2,221 total hours logged were dispensing (40%), clinical setup (16%), research (8%), professional meetings (7%), clinical activities (5%), resident education (5%), site precepting (4%), residency meetings (4%), didactic teaching (3%), miscellaneous (3%), marketing (2%), training (2%), and public health promotion (1%). Total costs were $77,422, and total benefits were $118,410. The benefit-to-cost ratio was 1.53. The postresident time interval had $172,451 more revenue and $6,622 more in operating expenses than the preresident time interval, and prescription volume decreased by 2,000 prescriptions compared to the previous year. The benefit-to-cost analysis indicated a $1.53 return for every $1.00 invested into a CPRP. An increase in revenue and operating expenses for the pharmacy was observed after implementation of the CPRP compared to the previous year. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Extending single molecule fluorescence observation time by amplitude-modulated excitation

PubMed Central

Kisley, Lydia; Chang, Wei-Shun; Cooper, David; Mansur, Andrea P; Landes, Christy F

2014-01-01

We present a hardware-based method that can improve single molecule fluorophore observation time by up to 1500% and super-localization by 47% for the experimental conditions used. The excitation was modulated using an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) synchronized to the data acquisition and inherent data conversion time of the detector. The observation time and precision in super-localization of four commonly used fluorophores were compared under modulated and traditional continuous excitation, including direct total internal reflectance excitation of Alexa 555 and Cy3, non-radiative Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) excited Cy5, and direct epi-fluorescence wide field excitation of Rhodamine 6G. The proposed amplitude-modulated excitation does not perturb the chemical makeup of the system or sacrifice signal and is compatible with multiple types of fluorophores. Amplitude-modulated excitation has practical applications for any fluorescent study utilizing an instrumental setup with time-delayed detectors. PMID:24587894

Healthcare resource utilization for anemia management: current practice with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and the impact of converting to once-monthly C.E.R.A.

PubMed

Saueressig, Ulrich; Kwan, Jonathan T C; De Cock, Erwin; Sapède, Claudine

2008-01-01

Background andMethods: A prospective, observational study in 12 German and UK dialysis centers which quantified personnel time for anemia treatment using erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Tasks directly observable were measured through the time-and-motion method; time for non-observable tasks was estimated by healthcare staff. Using activity-based costing methods, time was converted into monetary units. Modeling was used to estimate potential time and cost savings using once-monthly C.E.R.A., a continuous erythropoietin receptor activator. For current ESAs in Germany and the UK, respectively: mean observed time was 1.67 and 2.67 min/patient/administration, corresponding to 31 and 42 days/year/center/100 patients; mean total time/center/100 patients/year was estimated at 79 and 95 days, equivalent to EUR 17,031 and GBP 18,739. Assuming 100% once-monthly C.E.R.A. uptake, the observed time/patient/year may decrease by 79 and 84% in Germany and the UK, respectively, compared with traditional ESAs. Conversion to once-monthly C.E.R.A. may offer the potential to reduce time spent on ESA administration in hemodialysis centers. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A Coordinated X-Ray and Optical Campaign of the Nearest Massive Eclipsing Binary, Delta Orionis Aa. II. X-Ray Variability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, J.; Huenemoerder, D. P.; Corcoran, M. F.; Waldron, W.; Naze, Y.; Pollock, A. M. T.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Lauer, J.; Shenar, T.; Russell, C. M. P.;

Statistical analysis of ionospheric TEC anomalies before global M w ≥ 7.0 earthquakes using data of CODE GIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenjing; Xu, Liang

2017-07-01

Based on Center of Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) global ionospheric map (GIM) data, a statistical analysis of local total electron content (TEC) anomalies before 121 low-depth ( D ≤ 100 km) strong ( M w ≥ 7.0) earthquakes has been made using the sliding median differential calculation method combining with a new approach of image processing technique. The results show that significant local TEC anomalies could be observed 0-6 days before 80 earthquakes, about 66.1% out of the total. The positive anomalies occur more often than negative ones. For 26 cases, both positive and negative anomalies are observed before the shock. The pre-earthquake TEC anomalies show local time recurrence for 38 earthquakes, which occur around the same local time on different days. The local time distribution of the pre-earthquake TEC anomalies mainly concentrates between 19 and 06 LT, roughly from the sunset to sunrise. Most of the pre-earthquake TEC anomalies do not locate above the epicenter but shift to the south. The pre-earthquake TEC anomalies could be extracted near the magnetic conjugate point of the epicenter for 40 events, which is 50% out of the total 80 cases with significant local TEC anomalies. In general, the signs of the anomalies around epicenter and its conjugate point are the same, but the abnormal magnitude and lasting time are not.

A Study to Determine the Distribution of the Time Spent by Nursing Personnel at Oak Hills Care Center, San Antonio, Texas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-05-06

activities is contained in the following table. TABLE I SELECTED FINDINGS* Activities RN LVN Nurse Aide Med Aide Direct Patient Care (15.3 23.0% 52.5...Personnel Observed Area of Activity Total, Profes- Practi- Nurs- Medi-All Per-sional cal ing cal sonnel Nurse Nurse Aide Aide Total, all areas 1000.1i0..0...sonnel nurse nurse nurse aide Profes- Practi- * sional cal nurse n urse Total. all areas --------- 100.0 100.0 100.0 100 0 100.0 --------- 100.( Total

Atmospheric Ozone Response to the Disrupted 2015-2016 Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramarova, N. A.; Tweedy, O. V.; Strahan, S. E.; Newman, P. A.; Coy, L.; Randel, W. J.; Park, M.; Waugh, D. W.; Frith, S.

2017-01-01

The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) - a quasi-periodic alternation between easterly and westerly zonal winds in the tropical stratosphere - is a main driver of inter-annual ozone variability in the stratosphere. During the late-2015 through 2016 time period, the QBO experienced a major disruption unlike any observed since wind measurements began in 1953. We examined the ozone response to this QBO disruption using profile ozone measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler and total column measurements from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) Merged Ozone Data Set (MOD). Positive anomalies in stratospheric equatorial O3 developed between 50 and 30 hPa in May-September of 2016, and negative ozone anomalies were observed in the subtropics of both hemispheres. As a consequence of this QBO disruption, extratropical total ozone values during the spring-summer 2016 were at or near seasonal record lows over the more than 40 years of the total ozone record, resulting in an increase of surface UV index during northern hemisphere summer. We found very consistent responses in all considered ozone observations in terms of time, amplitude and spatial patterns. We will show the ozone changes associated with this disrupted QBO throughout the winter and spring 2017.

Swift and RXTE follow up observations of the transient currently active in the globular cluster Terzan 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altamirano, D.; Degenaar, N.; Heinke, C. O.; Homan, J.; Pooley, D.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Wijnands, R.

2011-10-01

Following the detection of an X-ray outburst in the direction of Terzan 5 (ATEL #3714), we obtained a Swift observation and additional RXTE observations. The XRT aboard Swift observed Terzan 5 on Oct. 26, 2011 in imaging mode for a total exposure time of 967 s. The source was detected at high count rates causing significant pile-up (the core is saturated), and a bad column intersects the point-spread function.

Application of a simple recording system to the analysis of free-play behavior in autistic children1

PubMed Central

Boer, Arend P.

1968-01-01

An observational system, which has been developed to facilitate recording of the total behavioral repertoire of autistic children, involves time-sampling recording of behavior with the help of a common Stenograph machine. Categories which exhausted all behavior were defined. Each category corresponded with a designated key on the Stenograph machine. The observer depressed one key at each 1-sec interval. The observer was paced by audible beats from a metronome. A naive observer can be used with this method. The observer is not mechanically limited and a minimum of observer training is required to obtain reliable measures. The data sampled during a five-week observation period indicated the stability of a taxonomic instrument of behavior based upon direct, time-sampling observations and the stability of spontaneous autistic behavior. Results showed that the behavior of the subjects was largely nonrandom and unsocialized in character. PMID:16795193

Application of a simple recording system to the analysis of free-play behavior in autistic children.

PubMed

Boer, A P

1968-01-01

An observational system, which has been developed to facilitate recording of the total behavioral repertoire of autistic children, involves time-sampling recording of behavior with the help of a common Stenograph machine. Categories which exhausted all behavior were defined. Each category corresponded with a designated key on the Stenograph machine. The observer depressed one key at each 1-sec interval. The observer was paced by audible beats from a metronome. A naive observer can be used with this method. The observer is not mechanically limited and a minimum of observer training is required to obtain reliable measures. The data sampled during a five-week observation period indicated the stability of a taxonomic instrument of behavior based upon direct, time-sampling observations and the stability of spontaneous autistic behavior. Results showed that the behavior of the subjects was largely nonrandom and unsocialized in character.

Planck 2013 results. VII. HFI time response and beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planck Collaboration; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Armitage-Caplan, C.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Atrio-Barandela, F.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Battaner, E.; Benabed, K.; Benoît, A.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bobin, J.; Bock, J. J.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Bowyer, J. W.; Bridges, M.; Bucher, M.; Burigana, C.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Catalano, A.; Challinor, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chary, R.-R.; Chiang, H. C.; Chiang, L.-Y.; Christensen, P. R.; Church, S.; Clements, D. L.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Delouis, J.-M.; Désert, F.-X.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Dunkley, J.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Galeotta, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gratton, S.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Haissinski, J.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hornstrup, A.; Hou, Z.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Jones, W. C.; Juvela, M.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Knox, L.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Laureijs, R. J.; Lawrence, C. R.; Leonardi, R.; Leroy, C.; Lesgourgues, J.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; MacTavish, C. J.; Maffei, B.; Mandolesi, N.; Maris, M.; Marshall, D. J.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Massardi, M.; Matarrese, S.; Matsumura, T.; Matthai, F.; Mazzotta, P.; McGehee, P.; Melchiorri, A.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Naselsky, P.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Netterfield, C. B.; Nørgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Osborne, S.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Paci, F.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paoletti, D.; Pasian, F.; Patanchon, G.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Pierpaoli, E.; Pietrobon, D.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polegre, A. M.; Polenta, G.; Ponthieu, N.; Popa, L.; Poutanen, T.; Pratt, G. W.; Prézeau, G.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Ricciardi, S.; Riller, T.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Roudier, G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Sauvé, A.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Spencer, L. D.; Starck, J.-L.; Stolyarov, V.; Stompor, R.; Sudiwala, R.; Sureau, F.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Tavagnacco, D.; Terenzi, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Vittorio, N.; Wade, L. A.; Wandelt, B. D.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2014-11-01

This paper characterizes the effective beams, the effective beam window functions and the associated errors for the Planck High Frequency Instrument (HFI) detectors. The effective beam is theangular response including the effect of the optics, detectors, data processing and the scan strategy. The window function is the representation of this beam in the harmonic domain which is required to recover an unbiased measurement of the cosmic microwave background angular power spectrum. The HFI is a scanning instrument and its effective beams are the convolution of: a) the optical response of the telescope and feeds; b) the processing of the time-ordered data and deconvolution of the bolometric and electronic transfer function; and c) the merging of several surveys to produce maps. The time response transfer functions are measured using observations of Jupiter and Saturn and by minimizing survey difference residuals. The scanning beam is the post-deconvolution angular response of the instrument, and is characterized with observations of Mars. The main beam solid angles are determined to better than 0.5% at each HFI frequency band. Observations of Jupiter and Saturn limit near sidelobes (within 5°) to about 0.1% of the total solid angle. Time response residuals remain as long tails in the scanning beams, but contribute less than 0.1% of the total solid angle. The bias and uncertainty in the beam products are estimated using ensembles of simulated planet observations that include the impact of instrumental noise and known systematic effects. The correlation structure of these ensembles is well-described by five error eigenmodes that are sub-dominant to sample variance and instrumental noise in the harmonic domain. A suite of consistency tests provide confidence that the error model represents a sufficient description of the data. The total error in the effective beam window functions is below 1% at 100 GHz up to multipole ℓ ~ 1500, and below 0.5% at 143 and 217 GHz up to ℓ ~ 2000.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: RR Lyrae population in the Phoenix dwarf galaxy (Ordonez+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordonez, A. J.; Yang, S.-C.; Sarajedini, A.

2017-06-01

The HST/WFPC2 images of the two target fields around Phoenix used in this study were retrieved from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. The original observing campaign (PI: A. Aparicio; GO-8706) was intended to study the spatial structure and the stellar age and metallicity distribution of this dwarf galaxy. Therefore, it provides deep time-series photometry with fairly good quality for detecting legitimate RR Lyrae variable candidates. Images were taken in both the F555W and F814W filters. A total of two fields were observed: one centered on Phoenix itself, and the other on the outskirts of the galaxy 2.7' from the centered field. The total observed field of view with these observations is equal to 11.4 arcmin2 on the sky. (3 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: gi photometry of Bootes I (Roderick+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roderick, T. A.; Mackey, A. D.; Jerjen, H.; da Costa, G. S.

2017-11-01

Observations were carried out as part of observing proposal 2013A-0617 (PI: D. Mackey), on 2013 February 15, using DECam on the 4m Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo in Chile. DECam is comprised of a hexagonal mosaic of 62 2Kx4K CCDs, each with a pixel scale of 0.27arcsec/pix, creating a total field of view of 3deg2. The data set consists of a single pointing taken in the direction of Bootes I (see Fig. 1), in g- and i-band filters. A total of 3x300s exposures were taken in each filter, providing a total integration time of 900s each, with an average seeing of 1.30 and 1.14-arcsec in g and i, respectively. (1 data file).

Daily total physical activity level and premature death in men and women: results from a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan (JPHC study).

PubMed

Inoue, Manami; Iso, Hiroyasu; Yamamoto, Seiichiro; Kurahashi, Norie; Iwasaki, Motoki; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Tsugane, Shoichiro

2008-07-01

The impact of daily total physical activity level on premature deaths has not been fully clarified in non-Western, relatively lean populations. We prospectively examined the association between daily total physical activity level (METs/day) and subsequent risk of all-cause mortality and mortalities from cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. A total of 83,034 general Japanese citizens ages 45-74 years who responded to the questionnaire in 1995-1999 were followed for any cause of death through December 2005. Mutlivariate-adjusted hazard ratios were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model controlling for potential confounding factors. During follow-up, a total of 4564 deaths were recorded. Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile, increased daily total physical activity was associated with a significantly decreased risk of all-cause mortality in both sexes (hazard ratios for the second, third, and highest quartiles were: men, 0.79, 0.82, 0.73 and women, 0.75, 0.64, 0.61, respectively). The decreased risk was observed regardless of age, frequency of leisure-time sports or physical exercise, or obesity status, albeit with a degree of risk attenuation among those with a high body mass index. A significantly decreased risk was similarly observed for death from cancer and heart disease in both sexes, and from cerebrovascular disease in women. Greater daily total physical activity level, either from occupation, daily life, or leisure time, may be of benefit in preventing premature death.

Comparison of total costs of administering calcium polycarbophil and psyllium mucilloid in an institutional setting.

PubMed

Mamtani, R; Cimino, J A; Cooperman, J M; Kugel, R

1990-01-01

The total cost of administering calcium polycarbophil per unit dose (two tablets) was compared with that of administering psyllium mucilloid (one packet dissolved in 8 oz of water) in 20 elderly nursing-home residents. Times for printing labels, checking and initialing labels, gathering materials needed, and preparing and administering the medications were recorded during at least 50 observations in each treatment group. Total cost included nurses' and pharmacists' time, materials, and medications. Calcium polycarbophil doses were prepared and administered more quickly (mean, 49.5 sec) than psyllium mucilloid (105.3 sec). The mean cost of preparing and administering a unit dose was 28.2 for calcium polycarbophil tablets and 59.9 for psyllium mucilloid. The results suggest that the use of calcium polycarbophil tablets would save time and money in institutions in which laxatives are frequently administered.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: HI data cubes of 4 edge-on spiral galaxies (Allaert+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allaert, F.; Gentile, G.; Baes, M.; de Geyter, G.; Hughes, T. M.; Lewis, F.; Bianchi, S.; de Looze, I.; Fritz, J.; Holwerda, B. W.; Verstappen, J.; Viaene, S.

2015-09-01

The reduced and Cleaned HI data cubes of the HEROES galaxies NGC 973, UGC 4277, NGC 5529 and NGC 5907 are presented as FITS files. The equatorial coordinates and the beam FWHM, velocity resolution and rms noise of the data cubes are given in a separate table. NGC 973 and UGC 4277 were observed by the authors with the GMRT. The total time on source was 5.7 and 6.2 hours, respectively. For NGC 5529, the data were obtained by Kregel et al. (2004MNRAS.352..768K) using the Maxi-Short configuration of the WSRT, with a total time on source of 11.9 hours. Finally, NGC 5907 was observed by Shang et al. (1998ApJ...504L..23S) with the VLA in Modified C configuration. The total time on source was 4.7 hours. The raw interferometric data can be obtained from the online data archives of the telescopes in question. For IC 2531 and NGC 4217, the reduced data were made available to us by S. Peters (Peters et al., 2013arXiv1303.2463P) and M. Verheijen (Verheijen & Sancisi, 2001A&A...370..765V), respectively. We refer the user to the original papers for further questions or requests about the data. (2 data files).

Rapid formation of cholesterol crystals in gallbladder bile is associated with stone recurrence after laparoscopic cholecystotomy.

PubMed

Jüngst, D; del Pozo, R; Dolu, M H; Schneeweiss, S G; Frimberger, E

1997-03-01

Laparoscopic cholecystotomy (LCT) with subsequent extraction of gallstones and primary closure of the gallbladder has been introduced as an alternative therapy for patients with cholecystolithiasis and preserved gallbladder function. However, stone recurrence has to be considered as a major drawback that might be related to lithogenic factors of gallbladder bile or the composition of gallbladder stones. Therefore, these were studied in relation to stone recurrence within an observation period of 1 to 5 years (median, 3.6 years) in 50 patients after LCT. The concentrations of total and individual bile acids, phospholipids, cholesterol, total lipids, mucin, protein, and the cholesterol saturation indices in gallbladder bile were not significantly different between 10 patients with and 40 patients without stone recurrence. However, the crystal observation time was significantly (P < .02) shorter (range, 1-2 days; median, 1.5) in the bile of patients with stone recurrence compared to those without (range, 1-21 days, median 3.5). Moreover, all 10 stone recurrences were observed in the 28 patients with a crystal observation time in the bile of less than or equal to 2 days (approximate annual risk: 12%-15%), and no recurrences were observed in the 22 patients with a crystal observation time greater than 2 days (P < .0001) or in patients with pigment stones. The rapid formation of cholesterol monohydrate crystals in bile seems to be the major risk factor for recurrent stones after LCT. These are most likely cholesterol stones and, therefore, are amenable to oral bile-acid prevention or treatment.

The economics of using prophylactic antibiotic-loaded bone cement in total knee replacement.

PubMed

Gutowski, C J; Zmistowski, B M; Clyde, C T; Parvizi, J

2014-01-01

The rate of peri-prosthetic infection following total joint replacement continues to rise, and attempts to curb this trend have included the use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement at the time of primary surgery. We have investigated the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of the use of antibiotic-loaded cement for primary total knee replacement (TKR) by comparing the rate of infection in 3048 TKRs performed without loaded cement over a three-year period versus the incidence of infection after 4830 TKRs performed with tobramycin-loaded cement over a later period of time of a similar duration. In order to adjust for confounding factors, the rate of infection in 3347 and 4702 uncemented total hip replacements (THR) performed during the same time periods, respectively, was also examined. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of the patients in the different cohorts. The absolute rate of infection increased when antibiotic-loaded cement was used in TKR. However, this rate of increase was less than the rate of increase in infection following uncemented THR during the same period. If the rise in the rate of infection observed in THR were extrapolated to the TKR cohort, 18 additional cases of infection would have been expected to occur in the cohort receiving antibiotic-loaded cement, compared with the number observed. Depending on the type of antibiotic-loaded cement that is used, its cost in all primary TKRs ranges between USD $2112.72 and USD $112 606.67 per case of infection that is prevented.

Global Lightning Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, Hugh

2003-01-01

Our knowledge of the global distribution of lightning has improved dramatically since the 1995 launch of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) followed in 1997 by the launch of the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Together, these instruments have generated a continuous seven-year record of global lightning activity. These lightning observations have provided a new global perspective on total lightning activity. For the first time, total lightning activity (CG and IC) has been observed over large regions with high detection efficiencies and accurate geographic location. This has produced new insights into lightning distributions, times of occurrence and variability. It has produced a revised global flash rate estimate (46 flashes per second) and has lead to a new realization of the significance of total lightning activity in severe weather. Accurate flash rate estimates are now available for large areas of the earth (+/- 72deg latitude) Ocean-land contrasts as a function of season are clearly revealed, as are orographic effects and seasonal and interannual variability. The data set indicates that air mass thunderstorms, not large storm systems dominate global activity. The ability of LIS and OTD to detect total lightning has lead to improved insight into the correlation between lightning and storm development. The relationship between updraft development and lightning activity is now well established and presents an opportunity for providing a new mechanism for remotely monitoring storm development. In this concept, lightning would serve as a surrogate for updraft velocity. It is anticipated hat this capability could lead to significantly improved severe weather warning times and reduced false warning rates.

Factors affecting return to oral intake in inpatient rehabilitation after acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Kjaersgaard, Annette; Nielsen, Lars Hedemann; Sjölund, Bengt H

2015-01-01

To extend previous observations by investigating if differences exist in time to initiation or to recovery of total oral intake in patients with acquired brain injury assessed by either Facial-Oral Tract Therapy (F.O.T.T.) or Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and to investigate whether other factors influence these outcomes. Randomized controlled trial. One hundred and nineteen patients with dysphagia in inpatient neurorehabilitation were randomized. The main outcome was time to maximum on the Functional Oral Intake Scale. There was no difference in time to initiation or recovery of total oral intake using F.O.T.T. or FEES. Oral intake was initiated for 42% on admission and 92% at discharge; 2.5% of the patients were on total oral intake within 24 hours of admission and 37% at discharge. The likelihood of recovery to total oral intake before discharge was found to depend on age, Functional Independence Measure score, length of stay and number of dysphagia interventions. There was no significant difference in time to initiation and recovery of total oral intake before discharge, whether assessed by F.O.T.T. or FEES, indicating that an instrumental assessment is unnecessary for standard evaluation. Age, functional independence and length of stay had a significant influence.

The solar corona through the sunspot cycle: preparing for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.; Seaton, Daniel; Rusin, Vojtech

2017-01-01

We discuss the evolution of the solar corona as seen at eclipses through the solar-activity cycle. In particular, we discuss the variations of the overall shape of the corona through the relative proportions of coronal streamers at equatorial and other latitudes vs. polar plumes. We analyze the two coronal mass ejections that we observed from Gabon at the 2013 total solar eclipse and how they apparently arose from polar crown filaments, one at each pole. We describe the change in the Ludendorff flattening index from solar maximum in one hemisphere as of the 2013 eclipse through the 2015 totality's corona we observed from Svalbard and, with diminishing sunspot and other magnetic activity in each hemisphere, through the 2016 corona we observed from Ternate, Indonesia.We discuss our observational plans for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse from our main site in Salem, Oregon, and subsidiary sites in Madras, OR; Carbondale, IL; and elsewhere, our main site chosen largely by its favorable rating in cloudiness statistics. We discuss the overlapping role of simultaneous spacecraft observations, including those expected not only from NASA's SDO, ESA's SWAP on PROBA2, and NRL/NASA/ESA's LASCO on SOHO but also from the new SUVI (Solar Ultraviolet Imager) aboard NOAA's GOES-R satellite, scheduled as of this writing to have been launched by the time of this January 2017 meeting.Our research on the 2013 and 2015 total solar eclipses was supported by grants from the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society (NG-CRE). Our research on the 2017 total solar eclipse is supported by both NG-CRE and the Solar Terrestrial Program of the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation.

Comparison of self-reported and observed prevalence of safety belt and helmet use in Florence.

PubMed

Lorini, C; Pieralli, F; Mersi, A; Cecconi, R; Garofalo, G; Santini, M G; Bonaccorsi, G

2014-01-01

Safety belt and helmet use was estimated from PASSI data and measured through Ulisse observations. Between 2008 and 2012 a total of 2,081 cars and motorcycle users were interviewed in the LHU of Florence and a total of 59,787 drivers (11,870 front passengers, 1,129 rear passengers and 16,816 motorcyclists) were observed. The comparison between self-reported and observed prevalences was performed by calculating the over-reporting factor (ORF), defined as the ratio of the self-reported to the observed prevalence of seat belt or helmet use. The time trend of the prevalence (both from self-reported and observed data) and of the ORF was assessed by using linear regression and Poisson's regression, respectively. The correlation between self-reported and observed prevalence is high, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.95 (p <0.05). Regarding front seat belt use rates, the difference between self-reported and observed data increases over time and the ORF range varies from 1.12 to 1.32. Rear seat belt data show a great variability, and the ORF varies from 0.67 to 1.37. In 2011 and 2012, the observed prevalence was higher than the self-reported one (ORF <1). Helmet use rates are very high, close to 100% with both methods; ORF has very small oscillations and ranges from 0.98 to 1, showing a good correlation between self-reported and observational data. There are no significant temporal variations both for the prevalences of use and for the ORF. The reasonable accuracy of self-reported data makes this method fit in the routinary assessment of safety belts and helmet usage, in order to limit the observations of the Ulisse system at predetermined time intervals. However, self-reported estimates need to be adjusted using an appropriate over-reporting factor.

Characterizing Dusty Debris Disks with the Gemini Planet Imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Christine; Arriaga, Pauline; Bruzzone, Sebastian; Choquet, Elodie; Debes, John H.; Donaldson, Jessica; Draper, Zachary; Duchene, Gaspard; Esposito, Thomas; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Golimowski, David A.; Hines, Dean C.; Hinkley, Sasha; Hughes, A. Meredith; Kalas, Paul; Kolokolova, Ludmilla; Lawler, Samantha; Matthews, Brenda C.; Mazoyer, Johan; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Moro-Martin, Amaya; Nesvold, Erika; Padgett, Deborah; Patience, Jenny; Perrin, Marshall D.; Pueyo, Laurent; Rantakyro, Fredrik; Rodigas, Timothy; Schneider, Glenn; Soummer, Remi; Song, Inseok; Stark, Chris; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Wilner, David J.

2017-01-01

We have been awarded 87 hours of Gemini Observatory time to obtain multi-wavelength observations of HST resolved debris disks using the Gemini Planet Imager. We have executed ~51 hours of telescope time during the 2015B-2016B semesters observing 12 nearby, young debris disks. We have been using the GPI Spec and Pol modes to better constrain the properties of the circumstellar dust, specifically, measuring the near-infrared total intensity and polarization fraction colors, and searching for solid-state spectral features of nearby beta Pic-like disks. We expect that our observations will allow us to break the degeneracy among the particle properties such as composition, size, porosity, and shape. We present some early results from our observations.

Time analysis of volcanic activity on Io by means of plasma observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mekler, Y.; Eviatar, A.

1980-01-01

A model of Io volcanism in which the probability of activity obeys a binomial distribution is presented. Observed values of the electron density obtained over a 3-year period by ground-based spectroscopy are fitted to such a distribution. The best fit is found for a total number of 15 volcanoes with a probability of individual activity at any time of 0.143. The Pioneer 10 ultraviolet observations are reinterpreted as emissions of sulfur and oxygen ions and are found to be consistent with a plasma much less dense than that observed by the Voyager spacecraft. Late 1978 and the first half of 1979 are shown to be periods of anomalous volcanicity. Rapid variations in electron density are related to enhanced radial diffusion.

The VLA Low-band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (VLITE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, Tracy; Peters, Wendy; Brisken, Walter; Giacintucci, Simona; Kassim, Namir; Polisensky, Emil; Helmboldt, Joseph; Richards, Emily E.; Erickson, Alan; Ray, Paul S.; Kerr, Matthew T.; Deneva, Julia; Coburn, William; Huber, Robert; Long, Jeff

2018-01-01

The VLA Low-band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (VLITE, http://vlite.nrao.edu/ ) is a commensal low-frequency observing system that has been operational on the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) since late 2014. The separate optical paths of the prime-focus sub-GHz dipole feeds and the Cassegrain-focus 1-50 GHz feeds allow both systems to operate simultaneously with independent correlators. The initial 2.5 years of VLITE operation provided real-time correlation of 10 antennas across the 320-384 MHz band with a total observing time approaching 12,000 hours. During the summer of 2017, VLITE was upgraded to a total of 16 antennas (more than doubling the number of baselines) with enhanced correlator capabilities to enable correlation of the on-the-fly observing mode being used for the new NRAO VLA Sky Survey (VLASS).We present an overview of the VLITE system, including highlights of the complexities of a commensal observing program, sparse-array challenges, and scientific capabilities from our science-ready data pipeline. In the longer term, we seek a path to broadband expansion across all VLA antennas to develop a powerful new LOw Band Observatory (LOBO).

Surface tension and modeling of cellular intercalation during zebrafish gastrulation.

PubMed

Calmelet, Colette; Sepich, Diane

2010-04-01

In this paper we discuss a model of zebrafish embryo notochord development based on the effect of surface tension of cells at the boundaries. We study the process of interaction of mesodermal cells at the boundaries due to adhesion and cortical tension, resulting in cellular intercalation. From in vivo experiments, we obtain cell outlines of time-lapse images of cell movements during zebrafish embryo development. Using Cellular Potts Model, we calculate the total surface energy of the system of cells at different time intervals at cell contacts. We analyze the variations of total energy depending on nature of cell contacts. We demonstrate that our model can be viable by calculating the total surface energy value for experimentally observed configurations of cells and showing that in our model these configurations correspond to a decrease in total energy values in both two and three dimensions.

Behavior of ionospheric total electron content over Ankara. Final report, 1 January 1975--31 December 1977

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

Tulunay, Y.K.

1977-12-31

Total Electron Content (TEC) was determined between October, 1975 and August, 1976 from measurements of the Faraday rotation of a plane polarized wave transmitted at 140 MHz from the geostationary satellite ATS 6, located at approximately 35 deg E over the equator. The computed results are presented as diurnal variations for single days and monthly means. Maximum daytime TEC values were observed in April (about 20 x 10/sup 16/ el/sq m) and minimum in January (about 9 x 10/sup 16/ el/sq m); maximum night-time values were observed in January and February (about 3 x 10/sup 16/ el/sq m). The responsemore » of TEC to the high magnetic activity associated with substorms was found to depend greatly on the time of day when the storm occurred.« less

Temporal Variations in Distributions of NO and NO2 Densities in Streamer Corona Discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurakane, Hiroshi; Aramaki, Mitsutoshi; Sasaki, Koichi

2006-10-01

The distributions of NO and NO2 densities were measured in high-pressure streamer corona discharges by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy at various delay times after applying pulsed high voltages between needle and planar electrodes. It was found that the decrease in NO2 density in an N2/O2/NO2 discharge was more efficient than that in an N2/NO2 discharge. The dominant removal reaction of NO2 from the N2/O2/NO2 discharge was NO2+O→NO+O2. The importance of this reaction has been confirmed by the simultaneous observation of the distributions of the NO and NO2 densities. The total amount of NO2 removed from the N2/O2/NO2 discharge roughly coincided with the total amount of NO observed at the same delay time.

Reconstruction of erythemal UV irradiance at Hohenpeissenberg (1968-2001) considering trends of total ozone, cloudiness, and turbidity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trepte, S.; Winkler, P.

2003-04-01

The global mean total column ozone amount for the period 1997-2001 was approximately 3% below the 1964-1980 average. The largest ozone decreases in the northern hemisphere midlatitudes are observed during winter-spring (˜4%), with summer-autumn decreases approximately half as large. Total ozone measured at Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (48^oN, 11^oE) shows a strong decrease by about 10% since 1968, representing the long-term downward trend over Central Europe. The main consequence of this phenomenon is the expected increase of solar ultraviolet irradiation (UV-B) reaching the Earth's surface with the known harmful effects on the biosphere. Global data records of reliable routine observations of UV irradiance are still too short for accurate estimation of long-term UV variations and trends. While direct UV mesaurements at Hohenpeissenberg are available only since 1990, the long-term development of UV-B have to be reconstructed. Besides on the amount of total ozone the UV irradiation at the ground depends also on atmospheric turbidity and cloudiness. The reconstruction method is based on statistical correlations of measured UV-B data with the influencing parameters total ozone, turbidity and cloud modification factors derived from eye-observations in connection with total solar irradiance data. These observed data allow a realistic reconstruction of the UV-B time series, since no assumption on these influencing data have to be made. A model is presented, using hourly observed spectral UV-B irradiance (1990-1998), total solar irradiance, total ozone amount (daily mean) and clouds to derive erythemal UV irradiance and daily doses at Hohenpeissenberg in the period 1968-2001. A comparison with recorded UV data shows good agreement. Due to long-term total ozone loss, peak values of erythemal UV irradiance in spring and summer at clear-sky conditions have strongly increased (+4.2%/decade in June). Mean daily doses have also increased in this season (+5.4%/decade in May) but meteorological changes like reduced sunshine duration and increased cloudiness lead to a partly compensation of the ozone-loss effect in spring and to an overcompensation in autumn, where we found a long-term decrease of the daily dose (-3.0%/decade in September). Model calculations also demonstrate large year-to-year fluctuations of UV doses induced by meteorological variability, which exceed the long-term trend of the various months significantly. Nevertheless, this investigation has shown that on a long-term time scale the daily doses develop in a different way as compared to the peak values because the reasons for ozone decline (anthropogenic CFC's) and the cloud cover (hydrological cycle changes due to greenhouse effect) are caused by different phenomena.

A real-world, multi-site, observational study of infusion time and treatment satisfaction with rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with intravenous golimumab or infliximab.

PubMed

Daniel, Shoshana R; McDermott, John D; Le, Cathy; Pierce, Christine A; Ziskind, Michael A; Ellis, Lorie A

2018-05-25

To assess real-world infusion times for golimumab (GLM-IV) and infliximab (IFX) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and factors associated with treatment satisfaction. An observational study assessed infusion time including: clinic visit duration, RA medication preparation and infusion time, and infusion process time. Satisfaction was assessed by a modified Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (patient) and study-specific questionnaires (patient and clinic personnel). Comparative statistical testing for patient data utilized analysis of variance for continuous measures, and Fisher's exact or Chi-square test for categorical measures. Multivariate analysis was performed for the primary time endpoints and patient satisfaction. One hundred and fifty patients were enrolled from six US sites (72 GLM-IV, 78 IFX). The majority of patients were female (80.0%) and Caucasian (88.7%). GLM-IV required fewer vials per infusion (3.7) compared to IFX (4.9; p = .0001). Clinic visit duration (minutes) was shorter for GLM-IV (65.1) compared to IFX (153.1; p < .0001), as was total infusion time for RA medication (32.8 GLM-IV, 119.5 IFX; p < .0001) and infusion process times (45.8 GLM-IV, 134.1 IFX; p < .0001). Patients treated with GLM-IV reported higher satisfaction ratings with infusion time (p < .0001) and total visit time (p = .0003). Clinic personnel reported higher satisfaction with GLM-IV than IFX specific to medication preparation time, ease of mixing RA medication, frequency of patients requiring pre-medication, and infusion time. Findings may not be representative of care delivery for all RA infusion practices or RA patients. Shorter overall clinic visit duration, infusion process, and RA medication infusion times were observed for GLM-IV compared to IFX. A shorter duration in infusion time was associated with higher patient and clinic personnel satisfaction ratings.

22 July 2009 total solar eclipse induced gravity waves in ionosphere as inferred from GPS observations over EIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, K. Vijay; Maurya, Ajeet K.; Kumar, Sanjay; Singh, Rajesh

2016-11-01

In the present contribution we investigate the variation in the Global Positioning System (GPS) derived ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) over Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region on the rare occasional astronomical phenomenon of total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009. The aim is to study and identify the wave like structure enumerated due to solar eclipse induced gravity waves in the F-region ionosphere altitude. The work is aimed to understand features of horizontal and vertical variation of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) properties over the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region in Indian low latitude region. The ionospheric observations is from the site of Allahabad (lat 25.4° N; lon. 81.9° E; dip 38.6° N) located at the fringe of eclipse totality path. The estimated vertical electron density profile from FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC GPS-RO satellite, considering all the satellite line of sight around the time of eclipse totality shows maximum depletion of 43%. The fast fourier transform and wavelet transform of GPS DTEC data from Allahabad station (Allahabad: lat 25.4 N; lon. 81.9 E) shows the presence of periodic waves of ∼20 to 45 min and ∼70 to 90 min period at F-region altitude. The shorter period correspond to the sunrise time morning terminator and longer period can be associated with solar eclipse generated AGWs. The most important result obtained is that our results along with previous result for wave like signatures in D-region ionosphere from Allahabad station show that AGWs generated by sunrise time terminator have similarity in the D and F region of the ionosphere but solar eclipse induced AGWs show higher period in the F-region compared to D-region ionosphere.

The Longterm Centimeter-band Total Flux and Linear Polarization Properties of the Pearson-Readhead Survey Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D.; Hughes, P. A.

2001-12-01

Using centimeter-band total flux and linear polarization observations of the Pearson-Readhead sample sources systematically obtained with the UMRAO 26-m radio telescope during the past 16 years, we identify the range of variability properties and their temporal changes as functions of both optical and radio morphological classification. We find that our earlier statistical analysis, based on a time window of 6.4 years, did not delineate the full amplitude range of the total flux variability; further, several galaxies exhibit longterm, systematic changes or rather infrequent outbursts requiring long term observations for detection. Using radio classification as a delineator, we confirm, and find additional evidence, that significant changes in flux density can occur in steep spectrum and lobe-dominated objects as well as in compact, flat-spectrum objects. We find that statistically the time-averaged total flux density spectra steepen when longer time windows are included, which we attribute to a selection effect in the source sample. We have identified preferred orientations of the electric vector of the polarized emission (EVPA) in an unbiased manner in several sources, including several QSOs which have exhibited large variations in total flux while maintaining stable EVPAs, and compared these with orientations of the flow direction indicated by VLB morphology. We have looked for systematic, monotonic changes in EVPA which might be expected in the emission from a precessing jet, but none were identified. A Scargle periodogram analysis found no strong evidence for periodicity in any of the sample sources. We thank the NSF for grants AST-8815678, AST-9120224, AST-9421979, and AST-9900723 which provided partial support for this research. The operation of the 26-meter telescope is supported by the University of Michigan Department of Astronomy.

Effect of Prothioconazole Application Timing on Fusarium Mycotoxin Content in Maize Grain.

PubMed

Limay-Rios, Victor; Schaafsma, Arthur W

2018-05-16

In 2010 and 2011, studies to determine the optimal timing of prothioconazole application (200 g a.i./ha) for reducing Fusarium mycotoxin accumulation in grain were conducted in controlled replicated experiments under small-plot mist-irrigated experiments and in field-scale experiments using two hybrids susceptible to F. gramineaerum infection. A significant decrease in total deoxynivalenol (DON) [DON + 15-acetyl-DON + DON 3-glucoside + 3-acetyl-DON] and zearalenone concentrations was observed when fungicide was sprayed at VT (tasseling) and R1 (silking; P < 0.01) followed by applications at V18 (18th leaf) and R2 (blister; P < 0.05) stages, corresponding to silk completely emerged and fully elongated and to silk emergence and browning, respectively. No reduction in Fusarium graminearum toxins was found after silk senescence (R3 or milk) stage. Moniliformin, fumonisins, beauvericin, enniatins, HT-2 and T-2 toxins were also found in small quantities, and no reduction was observed after treatment ( P > 0.05). Mean reduction (±s.d.) of 59 ± 20% and 57 ± 38% of total DON and zearalenone was observed at full silk elongation, respectively.

Terrestrial Waters and Sea Level Variations on Interannual Time Scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llovel, W.; Becker, M.; Cazenave, A.; Jevrejeva, S.; Alkama, R.; Decharme, B.; Douville, H.; Ablain, M.; Beckley, B.

2011-01-01

On decadal to multi-decadal time scales, thermal expansion of sea waters and land ice loss are the main contributors to sea level variations. However, modification of the terrestrial water cycle due to climate variability and direct anthropogenic forcing may also affect sea level. For the past decades, variations in land water storage and corresponding effects on sea level cannot be directly estimated from observations because these are almost non-existent at global continental scale. However, global hydrological models developed for atmospheric and climatic studies can be used for estimating total water storage. For the recent years (since mid-2002), terrestrial water storage change can be directly estimated from observations of the GRACE space gravimetry mission. In this study, we analyse the interannual variability of total land water storage, and investigate its contribution to mean sea level variability at interannual time scale. We consider three different periods that, each, depend on data availability: (1) GRACE era (2003-2009), (2) 1993-2003 and (3) 1955-1995. For the GRACE era (period 1), change in land water storage is estimated using different GRACE products over the 33 largest river basins worldwide. For periods 2 and 3, we use outputs from the ISBA-TRIP (Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere-Total Runoff Integrating Pathways) global hydrological model. For each time span, we compare change in land water storage (expressed in sea level equivalent) to observed mean sea level, either from satellite altimetry (periods 1 and 2) or tide gauge records (period 3). For each data set and each time span, a trend has been removed as we focus on the interannual variability. We show that whatever the period considered, interannual variability of the mean sea level is essentially explained by interannual fluctuations in land water storage, with the largest contributions arising from tropical river basins.

Total joint Perioperative Surgical Home: an observational financial review.

PubMed

Raphael, Darren R; Cannesson, Maxime; Schwarzkopf, Ran; Garson, Leslie M; Vakharia, Shermeen B; Gupta, Ranjan; Kain, Zeev N

2014-01-01

The numbers of people requiring total arthroplasty is expected to increase substantially over the next two decades. However, increasing costs and new payment models in the USA have created a sustainability gap. Ad hoc interventions have reported marginal cost reduction, but it has become clear that sustainability lies only in complete restructuring of care delivery. The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model, a patient-centered and physician-led multidisciplinary system of coordinated care, was implemented at UC Irvine Health in 2012 for patients undergoing primary elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). This observational study examines the costs associated with this initiative. The direct cost of materials and services (excluding professional fees and implants) for a random index sample following the Total Joint-PSH pathway was used to calculate per diem cost. Cost of orthopedic implants was calculated based on audit-verified direct cost data. Operating room and post-anesthesia care unit time-based costs were calculated for each case and analyzed for variation. Benchmark cost data were obtained from literature search. Data are presented as mean ± SD (coefficient of variation) where possible. Total per diem cost was $10,042 ± 1,305 (13%) for TKA and $9,952 ± 1,294 (13%) for THA. Literature-reported benchmark per diem cost was $17,588 for TKA and $16,267 for THA. Implant cost was $7,482 ± 4,050 (54%) for TKA and $9869 ± 1,549 (16%) for THA. Total hospital cost was $17,894 ± 4,270 (24%) for TKA and $20,281 ± 2,057 (10%) for THA. In-room to incision time cost was $1,263 ± 100 (8%) for TKA and $1,341 ± 145 (11%) for THA. Surgery time cost was $1,558 ± 290 (19%) for TKA and $1,930 ± 374 (19%) for THA. Post-anesthesia care unit time cost was $507 ± 187 (36%) for TKA and $557 ± 302 (54%) for THA. Direct hospital costs were driven substantially below USA benchmark levels using the Total Joint-PSH pathway. The incremental benefit of each step in the coordinated care pathway is manifested as a lower average length of stay. We identified excessive variation in the cost of implants and post-anesthesia care.

Total joint Perioperative Surgical Home: an observational financial review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The numbers of people requiring total arthroplasty is expected to increase substantially over the next two decades. However, increasing costs and new payment models in the USA have created a sustainability gap. Ad hoc interventions have reported marginal cost reduction, but it has become clear that sustainability lies only in complete restructuring of care delivery. The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model, a patient-centered and physician-led multidisciplinary system of coordinated care, was implemented at UC Irvine Health in 2012 for patients undergoing primary elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). This observational study examines the costs associated with this initiative. Methods The direct cost of materials and services (excluding professional fees and implants) for a random index sample following the Total Joint-PSH pathway was used to calculate per diem cost. Cost of orthopedic implants was calculated based on audit-verified direct cost data. Operating room and post-anesthesia care unit time-based costs were calculated for each case and analyzed for variation. Benchmark cost data were obtained from literature search. Data are presented as mean ± SD (coefficient of variation) where possible. Results Total per diem cost was $10,042 ± 1,305 (13%) for TKA and $9,952 ± 1,294 (13%) for THA. Literature-reported benchmark per diem cost was $17,588 for TKA and $16,267 for THA. Implant cost was $7,482 ± 4,050 (54%) for TKA and $9869 ± 1,549 (16%) for THA. Total hospital cost was $17,894 ± 4,270 (24%) for TKA and $20,281 ± 2,057 (10%) for THA. In-room to incision time cost was $1,263 ± 100 (8%) for TKA and $1,341 ± 145 (11%) for THA. Surgery time cost was $1,558 ± 290 (19%) for TKA and $1,930 ± 374 (19%) for THA. Post-anesthesia care unit time cost was $507 ± 187 (36%) for TKA and $557 ± 302 (54%) for THA. Conclusions Direct hospital costs were driven substantially below USA benchmark levels using the Total Joint-PSH pathway. The incremental benefit of each step in the coordinated care pathway is manifested as a lower average length of stay. We identified excessive variation in the cost of implants and post-anesthesia care. PMID:25177486

AN ASTEROID BELT INTERPRETATION FOR THE TIMING VARIATIONS OF THE MILLISECOND PULSAR B1937+21

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

Shannon, R. M.; Cordes, J. M.; Metcalfe, T. S.

Pulsar timing observations have revealed companions to neutron stars that include other neutron stars, white dwarfs, main-sequence stars, and planets. We demonstrate that the correlated and apparently stochastic residual times of arrival from the millisecond pulsar B1937+21 are consistent with the signature of an asteroid belt having a total mass {approx}< 0.05 M{sub Circled-Plus }. Unlike the solar system's asteroid belt, the best fit pulsar asteroid belt extends over a wide range of radii, consistent with the absence of any shepherding companions. We suggest that any pulsar that has undergone accretion-driven spin-up and subsequently evaporated its companion may harbor orbitingmore » asteroid mass objects. The resulting timing variations may fundamentally limit the timing precision of some of the other millisecond pulsars. Observational tests of the asteroid belt model include identifying periodicities from individual asteroids, which are difficult; testing for statistical stationarity, which becomes possible when observations are conducted over a longer observing span; and searching for reflected radio emission.« less

Phytochemical profiling of the ripening of Chinese mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars by real-time monitoring using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and its potential benefits as prebiotic ingredients.

PubMed

Hu, Kai; Dars, Abdul Ghani; Liu, Qiudou; Xie, Bijun; Sun, Zhida

2018-08-01

Maturity has important effects on the phytochemical and biochemical characteristics of fruits. It affects the quality, nutritional value, harvest time and commercial operations. In this study, Keitt, Sensation and Xiangya mango cultivars in four distinct stages from southwest China were evaluated for their phytochemical profiling and antioxidant activities in real time. Furthermore, the biochemical characteristics indices polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and pectin methylesterase (PME) activities were determined. Antioxidant compounds such as vitamin C, total phenolic, total flavonoid and total carotenoid content were also analysed. A total of 34 phenolic compounds were identified and quantitatively monitored by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS. Consecutive degradation of phenolic acids and its derivatives were observed upon maturity. We found that in addition to carotenoids, phenolic acids could also be used as a measurement index of maturity in mango. Mango juices and its phenolic extracts may be used as potential prebiotics for modulating probiotic proliferation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Electrodermal lability as an indicator for subjective sleepiness during total sleep deprivation.

PubMed

Michael, Lars; Passmann, Sven; Becker, Ruth

2012-08-01

The present study addresses the suitability of electrodermal lability as an indicator of individual vulnerability to the effects of total sleep deprivation. During two complete circadian cycles, the effects of 48h of total sleep deprivation on physiological measures (electrodermal activity and body temperature), subjective sleepiness (measured by visual analogue scale and tiredness symptom scale) and task performance (reaction time and errors in a go/no go task) were investigated. Analyses of variance with repeated measures revealed substantial decreases of the number of skin conductance responses, body temperature, and increases for subjective sleepiness, reaction time and error rates. For all changes, strong circadian oscillations could be observed as well. The electrodermal more labile subgroup reported higher subjective sleepiness compared with electrodermal more stable participants, but showed no differences in the time courses of body temperature and task performance. Therefore, electrodermal lability seems to be a specific indicator for the changes in subjective sleepiness due to total sleep deprivation and circadian oscillations, but not a suitable indicator for vulnerability to the effects of sleep deprivation per se. © 2011 European Sleep Research Society.

Observations of the ratio of low-energy cosmic-ray positrons and electrons during solar quiet times

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, G. J.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Stone, E. C.; Vogt, R. E.

1974-01-01

Simultaneous observations of the quiet-time interplanetary positron and electron spectra between 0.16 and 1.6 MeV are reported. The measurements were made in selected time intervals between October 1, 1972 and February 1, 1973 with the Caltech Electron/Isotope Spectrometer on the IMP-7 satellite. The detector system consists of a stack of 11 silicon surface-barrier detectors surrounded by a plastic scintillator anti-coincidence cup. The method of e+ identification and possible background effects are discussed and upper limits to the 0.16 to 1.6 MeV quiet-time positron flux are reported. During this period positrons amounted to less than 20% of the total 0.16 to 1.6 MeV electron flux.

First results from the NASA WB-57 airborne observations of the Great American 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caspi, Amir; Tsang, Constantine; DeForest, Craig; Seaton, Daniel B.; Bryans, Paul; Tomczyk, Steven; Burkepile, Joan; Judge, Phil; DeLuca, Edward E.; Golub, Leon; Gallagher, Peter T.; Zhukov, Andrei; West, Matthew; Durda, Daniel D.; Steffl, Andrew J.

2017-08-01

Total solar eclipses present rare opportunities to study the complex solar corona, down to altitudes of just a few percent of a solar radius above the surface, using ground-based and airborne observatories that would otherwise be dominated by the intense solar disk and high sky brightness. Studying the corona is critical to gaining a better understanding of physical processes that occur on other stars and astrophysical objects, as well as understanding the dominant driver of space weather that affects human assets at Earth and elsewhere. For example, it is still poorly understood how the corona is heated to temperatures of 1-2 MK globally and up to 5-10 MK above active regions, while the underlying chromosphere is 100 times cooler; numerous theories abound, but are difficult to constrain due to the limited sensitivities and cadences of prior measurements. The origins and stability of coronal fans, and the extent of their reach to the middle and outer corona, are also not well known, limited in large part by sensitivities and fields of view of existing observations.Airborne observations during the eclipse provide unique advantages; by flying in the stratosphere at altitudes of 50 kft or higher, they avoid all weather, the seeing quality is enormously improved, and additional wavelengths such as near-IR also become available due to significantly reduced water absorption. For an eclipse, an airborne observatory can also follow the shadow, increasing the total observing time by 50% or more.We present the first results from airborne observations of the 2017 Great American Total Solar Eclipse using two of NASA's WB-57 research aircraft, each equipped with two 8.7" telescopes feeding high-sensitivity visible (green-line) and near-IR (3-5 µm) cameras operating at high cadence (30 Hz) with ~3 arcsec/pixel platescale and ±3 R_sun fields of view. The aircraft will fly along the eclipse path, separated by ~90 km, to observe a summed ~8 minutes of totality in both visible and NIR, enabling groundbreaking studies of high-speed wave motions and nanojets in the lower corona, the structure and extent of coronal fans, and constraints on a potential primordial dust ring around the Sun.

Optical observations of Magnetosphere-Ionosphere coupling: Inter-hemispheric electron reflections within pulsating aurora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samara, M.; Michell, R.; Khazanov, G. V.; Grubbs, G. A., II

2017-12-01

Magnetosphere-Ionosphere coupling is exhibited in reflected primary and secondary electrons which constitute the second step in the formation of the total precipitating electron distribution. While they have largely been missing from the current theoretical studies of particle precipitation, ground based observations point to the existence of a reflected electron population. We present evidence that pulsating aurora is caused by electrons bouncing back and forth between the two hemispheres. This means that these electrons are responsible for some of the total light in the aurora, a possibility that has largely been ignored in theoretical models. Pulsating auroral events imaged optically at high time resolution present direct observational evidence in agreement with the inter-hemispheric electron bouncing predicted by the SuperThermal Electron Trans-port (STET) model. Immediately following each of the `pulsation-on' times are equally spaced, and subsequently fainter pulsations, which can be explained by the primary precipitating electrons reflecting upwards from the ionosphere, traveling to the opposite hemisphere, and reflecting upwards again. The high time-resolution of these data, combined with the short duration of the `pulsation-on' time ( 1 s) and the relatively long spacing between pulsations ( 6 to 9 s) made it possible to observe the faint optical pulses caused by the reflected electrons coming from the opposite hemisphere. These results are significant and have broad implications because they highlight that the formation of the auroral electron distributions within regions of diffuse and pulsating aurora contain contributions from reflected primary and secondary electrons. These processes can ultimately lead to larger fluxes than expected when considering only the primary injection of magnetospheric electrons.

Effects of agricultural land-management practices on water quality in northeastern Guilford County, North Carolina, 1985-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harned, Douglas A.

1995-01-01

The effects of selected agricultural land-management practices on water quality were assessed in a comparative study of four small basins in the Piedmont province of North Carolina. Agricultural practices, such as tillage and applications of fertilizer and pesticides, are major sources of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides in surface water, and of nutrients and pesticides in ground water. The four study basins included two adjacent row-crop fields, a mixed land-use basin, and a forested basin. One of the row-crop fields (7.4 acres) was farmed by using conservation land-management (CLM) practices, which included strip cropping, contour plowing, field borders, and grassed waterways. The other row-crop field (4.8 acres) was farmed by using standard land-management (SLM) practices, which included continuous cropping, straight-row plowing without regard to land topography, and poorly maintained waterways. The mixed land-use basin (665 acres) was monitored to compare water quality in surface water as SLM practices were converted to CLM practices during the project. The forested basin (44 acres) provided background surface-water hydrologic and chemical-quality conditions. Surface-water flow was reduced by 18 percent by CLM practices compared to surface-water flow from the SLM practices basin. The thickness of the unsaturated zone in the row-crop basins ranged from a few feet to 25 feet. Areas with thick unsaturated zones have a greater capacity to intercept and store nutrients and pesticides than do areas with thinner zones. Sediment concentrations and yields for the SLM practices basin were considerably higher than those for the other basins. The median sediment concentration in surface water for the SLM basin was 3.4 times that of the CLM basin, 8.2 times that of the mixed land-use basin, and 38.4 times that of the forested basin. The total sediment yield for the SLM basin was 2.3 times that observed for the CLM basin, 14.1 times that observed for the mixed land-use basin, and 19.5 times the yield observed for the forested basin. Nutrient concentrations in surface water from the row-crop and mixed land-use basins were higher than those measured in the forested basin and in precipitation collected near the row-crop basins. The SLM basin generally had the highest concentrations of total nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate, total phosphorus (equivalent to the mixed land-use basin), and potassium. Nutrient concentrations in soil water and ground water were less than concentrations in surface water for the row-crop basins. Nutrient concentrations generally were at least slightly below the root zone (3-foot depth) and in ground water. Differences in nutrient yields among basins had patterns similar to those observed for nutrient concentrations. The total nitrogen yield for the SLM basin was 1.2 times the yield for the CLM basin, 1.9 times the yield for the mixed land-use basin, and 4.2 times the yield for the forested basin. The total phosphorus yield for the SLM basin was 1.7 times the yield for the CLM basin, 3.3 times the yield for the mixed land-use basin, and 7.8 times the yield for the forested basin. No significant differences in pesticide concentrations in surface water were identified between those measured in the SLM basin and those measured in the CLM basin. Significantly higher pesticide concentrations were observed at the row-crop basins compared with those observed at the mixed land-use basin probably because sampling sites for the row-crop basins were closer to the pesticide sources. No pesticides were detected in the forested basin. Comparisons of pesticide concentrations in soil from the two row-crop basins indicated some differences. Concentrations of the soil pesticides isopropalin and flumetralin were higher in the SLM basin than in the CLM basin. The surface-water quality of the mixed land-use basin generally was less affected by agricultural nonpoint sources than that of the smaller row-crop b

Outcomes of Lisfranc Injuries in the National Football League.

PubMed

McHale, Kevin J; Rozell, Joshua C; Milby, Andrew H; Carey, James L; Sennett, Brian J

2016-07-01

Tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint injuries commonly occur in National Football League (NFL) competition; however, the career effect of these injuries is unknown. To define the time to return to competition for NFL players who sustained Lisfranc injuries and to quantify the effect on athletic performance. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Data on NFL players who sustained a Lisfranc injury between 2000 and 2010 were collected for analysis. Outcomes data included time to return to competition, total games played after season of injury, yearly total yards and touchdowns for offensive players, and yearly total tackles, sacks, and interceptions for defensive players. Offensive power ratings (OPR = [total yards/10] + [total touchdowns × 6]) and defensive power ratings (DPR = total tackles + [total sacks × 2] + [total interceptions × 2]) were calculated for the injury season and for 3 seasons before and after the injury season. Offensive and defensive control groups consisted of all players without an identified Lisfranc injury who competed in the 2005 season. The study group was composed of 28 NFL athletes who sustained Lisfranc injuries during the study period, including 11 offensive and 17 defensive players. While 2 of 28 (7.1%) players never returned to the NFL, 26 (92.9%) athletes returned to competition at a median of 11.1 (interquartile range [IQR], 10.3-12.5) months from time of injury and missed a median of 8.5 (IQR, 6.3-13.0) regular-season games. Analysis of pre- and postinjury athletic performance revealed no statistically significant changes after return to sport after Lisfranc injury. The magnitude of change in median OPR and DPR observed in offensive and defensive Lisfranc-injured study groups, -34.8 (IQR, -64.4 to 1.4) and -13.5 (-30.9 to 4.3), respectively, was greater than that observed in offensive and defensive control groups, -18.8 (-52.9 to 31.5) and -5.0 (-22.0 to 14.0), respectively; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance (P = .33 and .21, respectively). Evaluation of the durability of injured players after the season of injury revealed no statistically significant difference in career length compared with controls. More than 90% of NFL athletes who sustained Lisfranc injuries returned to play in the NFL at a median of 11.1 months from time of injury. Offensive and defensive players experienced a decrease in performance after return from injury that did not reach statistical significance compared with their respective control groups over a similar time period. © 2016 The Author(s).

Effect of the flexibility training performed immediately before resistance training on muscle hypertrophy, maximum strength and flexibility.

PubMed

Junior, Roberto Moriggi; Berton, Ricardo; de Souza, Thiago Mattos Frota; Chacon-Mikahil, Mara Patrícia Traina; Cavaglieri, Cláudia Regina

2017-04-01

It has been suggested that flexibility training may reduce the total volume of training during resistance trainings. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of flexibility training immediately before resistance training (FLEX-RT) versus resistance training without flexibility training (RT) on maximum strength and the vastus lateralis muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). Participants had each leg assigned to RT or FLEX-RT. Both groups performed four sets of leg extensions to voluntary failure of 80% of one repetition maximum (1RM); however, FLEX-RT performed two sets of 25 s of static stretching before resistance training. Number of repetitions and total volume were calculated during weeks 1-5 and 6-10. Vastus lateralis muscle CSA, 1RM, and flexibility were assessed at baseline and after 10 weeks. The number of repetitions and total training volume were greater for RT than FLEX-RT for weeks 1-5 and 6-10. Regarding the vastus lateralis muscle CSA, a main time effect was observed, however, greater change was observed for RT than FLEX-RT (12.7 and 7.4%, respectively). A main time effect for 1RM was also observed with similar changes for RT and FLEX-RT (12.7 and 12.9%, respectively). Flexibility was increased pre- to post-training for FLEX-RT with greater change for FLEX-RT (10.1%) than RT (2.1%). These results show that performing flexibility training immediately before resistance training can contribute to a lower number of repetitions, total volume, and muscle hypertrophy.

Observations of a probable change in the solar radius between 1715 and 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, D. W.; Sofia, S.; Fiala, A. D.; Muller, P. M.; Herald, D.

1980-01-01

A decrease in the solar radius is determined using the technique of Dunham and Dunham (1973), in which timed observations are made just inside the path edges. When the method is applied to the solar eclipses of 1715, 1976, and 1979, the solar radius for 1715 is 0.34 + or - 0.2 arc second larger than the recent values, with no significant change between 1976 and 1979. The duration of totality is examined as a function of distance from the edges of the path. Corrections to the radius of the sun derived from observations of the 1976 and 1979 eclipses by the International Occultation Timing Association are also presented.

Baily's Beads Atlas in 2005 - 2008 Eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigismondi, C.; Dunham, D. W.; Guhl, K.; Andersson, S.; Bode, H.; Canales, O.; Colona, P.; Farago, O.; Fernández-Ocaña, M.; Gabel, A.; Haupt, M.; Herold, C.; Nugent, R.; Oliva, P.; Patel, M.; Perello, C.; Rothe, W.; Rovira, J.; Schaefer, T.; Schnabel, C.; Schwartz, D.; Selva, A.; Strickling, W.; Tegtmeier, A.; Tegtmeier, C.; Thome, B.; Warren, W. H.

2009-09-01

In the annular or total eclipses of 3 October 2005, 29 March 2006, 22 September 2006, and 1 August 2008, observational campaigns were organized to record the phenomenon of Baily’s beads. These campaigns were internationally coordinated through the International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) at both its American and European sections. From the stations in the northern and southern zones of grazing eclipse, the eclipses have been recorded on video. Afterward, as many beads as possible have been identified by analyzing the video data of each observing station. The atlas presented in this paper includes 598 data points, obtained by 23 observers operating at 28 different observing stations. The atlas lists the geographic positions of the observing stations and the observed time instants of disappearance or reappearance of beads, identified by an angle measured relative to the Moon’s axis of rotation. The atlas will serve as a basis for determining the solar diameter.

MITHRAS: A Program of Simultaneous Radar Observations of the High-Latitude Auroral Zone.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

Latitude * and Time for Chatanika ..... ................. ... 38 111-5 Cross Polar Cap Potential Versus Solar-Wind Energy Parameter...49 vii 9 III-10 Scatter Plot of Pedersen Conductivities as a Function of Average Energy for Two Levels of Total...Precipitated Energy ....... ....... ......... .. 51 -IIl-1 For Initial Time and Steady State, (a) Latitudinal Profile of the Meridional Electric-Field

Surgeon and hospital cost variability for septoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction.

PubMed

Thomas, Andrew; Alt, Jeremiah; Gale, Craig; Vijayakumar, Sathya; Padia, Reema; Peters, Matthew; Champagne, Trevor; Meier, Jeremy D

2016-10-01

Septoplasty and turbinate reduction (STR) is a common procedure for which cost reduction efforts may improve value. The purpose of this study was to identify sources of variation in medical facility and surgeon costs associated with STR, and whether these costs correlated with short-term complications. An observational cohort study was performed in a multifacility network using a standardized cost-accounting system to determine costs associated with adult STR from January 1, 2008 to July 31, 2015. A total of 4007 cases, performed at 21 facilities, by 72 different surgeons were included in the study. Total costs, variable costs, operating room (OR) time, and 30-day complications (eg, epistaxis) were compared among surgeons, facilities, and specialties. Total procedure cost: (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) $2503 ± $790 (range, $852 to $10,559). Mean total variable cost: $1147 ± $423 (range, $400 to $5,081). Intersurgeon and interfacility variability was significant for total cost (p < 0.0001) and OR time (p < 0.0001). Intersurgeon OR supply cost variability was also significant (p < 0.0001). Otolaryngologists had less total cost (p < 0.0001), OR time/cost (p < 0.0001), and complications (p = 0.0164), but greater supply cost (p < 0.0001), than other specialties. There is wide variation in cost associated with STR. Significant variance in OR time and supply cost between surgeons suggests these are potential areas for cost reduction. Although no increased 30-day complications were seen with faster and less costly surgeries, further research is needed to evaluate how time and cost relate to quality of care. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Observation of 1-D time dependent non-propagating laser plasma structures using fluid and PIC codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Deepa; Bera, Ratan Kumar; Kumar, Atul; Patel, Bhavesh; Das, Amita

2017-12-01

The manuscript reports the observation of time dependent localized and non-propagating structures in the coupled laser plasma system through 1-D fluid and Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations. It is reported that such structures form spontaneously as a result of collision amongst certain exact solitonic solutions. They are seen to survive as coherent entities for a long time up to several hundreds of plasma periods. Furthermore, it is shown that such time dependence can also be artificially recreated by significantly disturbing the delicate balance between the radiation and the density fields required for the exact non-propagating solution obtained by Esirkepov et al., JETP 68(1), 36-41 (1998). The ensuing time evolution is an interesting interplay between kinetic and field energies of the system. The electrostatic plasma oscillations are coupled with oscillations in the electromagnetic field. The inhomogeneity of the background and the relativistic nature, however, invariably produces large amplitude density perturbations leading to its wave breaking. In the fluid simulations, the signature of wave breaking can be discerned by a drop in the total energy which evidently gets lost to the grid. The PIC simulations are observed to closely follow the fluid simulations till the point of wave breaking. However, the total energy in the case of PIC simulations is seen to remain conserved throughout the simulations. At the wave breaking, the particles are observed to acquire thermal kinetic energy in the case of PIC. Interestingly, even after wave breaking, compact coherent structures with trapped radiation inside high-density peaks continue to exist both in PIC and fluid simulations. Although the time evolution does not exactly match in the two simulations as it does prior to the process of wave breaking, the time-dependent features exhibited by the remnant structures are characteristically similar.

Dynamical description of the fission process using the TD-BCS theory

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

Scamps, Guillaume, E-mail: scamps@nucl.phys.tohoku.ac.jp; Simenel, Cédric; Lacroix, Denis

2015-10-15

The description of fission remains a challenge for nuclear microscopic theories. The time-dependent Hartree-Fock approach with BCS pairing is applied to study the last stage of the fission process. A good agreement is found for the one-body observables: the total kinetic energy and the average mass asymmetry. The non-physical dependence of two-body observables with the initial shape is discussed.

Television as a Talking Picture Book: A Prop for Language Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemish, Dafna; Rice, Mabel L.

This study provides longitudinal observations of young children's behaviors while viewing television in their own homes, over a time when the children were actively involved in the process of language acquisition. A total of 16 children were observed for a period ranging from 6 to 8 months. At the beginning, their ages ranged from 6 and 1/2 to 29…

Estimating the time for dissolution of spent fuel exposed to unlimited water

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

Leider, H.R.; Nguyen, S.N.; Stout, R.B.

1991-12-01

The release of radionuclides from spent fuel cannot be precisely predicted at this point because a satisfactory dissolution model based on specific chemical processes is not yet available. However, preliminary results on the dissolution rate of UO{sub 2} and spent fuel as a function of temperature and water composition have recently been reported. This information, together with data on fragment size distribution of spent fuel, are used to estimate the dissolution response of spent fuel in excess flowing water within the framework of a simple model. In this model, the reaction/dissolution front advances linearly with time and geometry is preserved.more » This also estimates the dissolution rate of the bulk of the fission products and higher actinides, which are uniformly distributed in the UO{sub 2} matrix and are presumed to dissolve congruently. We have used a fuel fragment distribution actually observed to calculate the time for total dissolution of spent fuel. A worst-case estimate was also made using the initial (maximum) rate of dissolution to predict the total dissolution time. The time for total dissolution of centimeter size particles is estimated to be 5.5 {times} 10{sup 4} years at 25{degrees}C.« less

Observing Solar Eclipses in the Developing World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, J. M.

2006-08-01

The paths of totality of total solar eclipses cross the world, with each spot receiving such a view about every 300 years. The areas of the world from which partial eclipses are visible are much wider. For the few days prior to a total eclipse, the attention of a given country is often drawn toward the eclipse, providing a teachable moment that we can use to bring astronomy to the public's attention. Also, it is important to describe how to observe the partial phases of the eclipse safely. Further, it is important to describe to those people in the zone of totality that it is not only safe but also interesting to view totality. Those who are misled by false warnings that overstate the hazards of viewing the eclipse, or that fail to distinguish between safe and unsafe times for naked-eye viewing, may well be skeptical when other health warnings--perhaps about AIDS or malaria prevention or polio inoculations--come from the authorities, meaning that the penalties for misunderstanding the astronomical event can be severe. Through the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Solar Eclipses and through the I.A.U.'s Program Group on Public Education at the Times of Eclipses, part of the Commission on Education and Development, we make available information to national authorities, to colleagues in the relevant countries, and to others, through our Websites at http://www.eclipses.info and http://www.totalsolareclipse.net and through personal communication. Among our successes at the 29 March 2006 total solar eclipse was the distribution through a colleague in Nigeria of 400,000 eye-protection filters.

Public outreach and education during the 2016 total solar eclipse in Palu and Malang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachmadian, A. P.; Kunjaya, C.; Wahono, W.; Anugrah, A. A.

2016-11-01

MAGIC (Ma Chung Galactic Club) of Ma Chung University, Malang, is one of the amateur astronomers club who did public outreach and education during the Total Solar Eclipse March 9, 2016. The motivation for doing this was the bad experience during Total Solar Eclipse 1983. At that time the Indonesian government forbid the people to observe the Total Solar Eclipse in a way to avoid blindness. We try to fix this misunderstanding by educating people the safe way to enjoy the partial and total solar eclipse. MAGIC team was divided into two teams, one team went to Palu and did the solar eclipse related education in six high schools before and during the eclipse. The other team did the observation on Ma Chung University campus, Malang, to accompany people who want to see the partial solar eclipse through filtered telescopes. The sky during the solar eclipse was clear both in Malang and Palu. People were very excited and satisfied with the solar eclipse, and their interest to astronomy is increased.

Evaluation of eating and rumination behaviour in cows using a noseband pressure sensor

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background An automated technique for recording eating and rumination behaviour was evaluated in ten lactating Brown Swiss cows by comparing data obtained from a pressure sensor with data obtained via direct observation over a 24-hour period. The recording device involved a pressure sensor integrated in the noseband of a halter. The analysed variables included number and duration of individual rumination, eating and resting phases, total daily length of these phases and number of cuds chewed per day. Results Eating and rumination phases were readily differentiated based on characteristic pressure profiles. Chewing movements during rumination were regular and generated regular waveforms with uniform amplitudes, whereas eating generated irregular waveforms with variable amplitudes. There was complete or almost complete agreement and no significant differences between data obtained via direct observation and pressure sensor technique. Both methods yielded an average of 16 daily eating phases with a mean duration of 28.3 minutes. Total time spent eating was 445.0 minutes for direct observation and 445.4 minutes for the pressure sensor technique. Both techniques recorded an average of 13.3 rumination phases with a mean duration of 30.3 (direct observation) and of 30.2 (pressure sensor) minutes. Total time spent ruminating per day, number of cuds per day and chewing cycles per cud were 389.3 and 388.3 minutes, 410.1 and 410.0 and 60.0 and 60.3 for direct observation and pressure sensor technique, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two methods with respect to mean number of chewing cycles per day (24′669, direct observation vs. 24′751, pressure sensor, P < 0.05, paired t-test). There were strong correlations between the two recording methods with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.98 to 1.00. Conclusions The results confirmed that measurements of eating and rumination variables obtained via the pressure sensor technique are in excellent agreement with data obtained via direct observation. PMID:23941142

VizieR Online Data Catalog: MOST photometry of Proxima (Kipping+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kipping, D. M.; Cameron, C.; Hartman, J. D.; Davenport, J. R. A.; Matthews, J. M.; Sasselov, D.; Rowe, J.; Siverd, R. J.; Chen, J.; Sandford, E.; Bakos, G. A.; Jordan, A.; Bayliss, D.; Henning, T.; Mancini, L.; Penev, K.; Csubry, Z.; Bhatti, W.; da Silva Bento, J.; Guenther, D. B.; Kuschnig, R.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Rucinski, S. M.; Weiss, W. W.

2017-06-01

Microwave and Oscillations of STars (MOST) telescope is a 53kg satellite in low Earth orbit with a 15cm aperture visible band camera (35-750nm). MOST observed Proxima Centauri in 2014 May (beginning on HJD(2000) 2456793.18) for about 12.5 days. MOST again observed Proxima Centauri in 2015 May (starting on HJD(2000) 2457148.54), this time for a total of 31 days. Independent of the MOST observations, Proxima Cen was also monitored by the HATSouth ground-based telescope network. The network consists of six wide-field photometric instruments located at three observatories in the Southern Hemisphere (Las Campanas Observatory [LCO] in Chile, the High Energy Stereoscopic System [HESS] site in Namibia, and Siding Spring Observatory [SSO] in Australia), with two instruments per site. Each instrument consists of four 18cm diameter astrographs and associated 4K*4K backside-illuminated CCD cameras and Sloan r-band filters, placed on a common robotic mount. The four astrographs and cameras together cover a 8.2°*8.2° mosaic field of view at a pixel scale of 3.7''/pixel. Observations of a field containing Proxima Cen were collected as part of the general HATSouth transit survey, with a total of 11071 (this number does not count observations that were rejected as not useful for high-precision photometry, or those that produced large-amplitude outliers in the Proxima Cen light curve) composite 3*80s exposures gathered between 2012 June 14 and 2014 September 20. These include 3430 observations made with the HS-2 unit at LCO, 4630 observations made with the HS-4 unit at the HESS site, and 3011 observations made with the HS-6 unit at the SSO site. Due to weather and other factors, the cadence was nonuniform. The median time difference between consecutive observations in the full time series is 368s. (2 data files).

On the Impact of Multi-GNSS Observations on Real-Time Precise Point Positioning Zenith Total Delay Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Wenwu; Teferle, Norman; Kaźmierski, Kamil; Laurichesse, Denis; Yuan, Yunbin

2017-04-01

Observations from multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) can improve the performance of real-time (RT) GNSS meteorology, in particular of the Zenith Total Delay (ZTD) estimates. RT ZTD estimates in combination with derived precipitable water vapour estimates can be used for weather now-casting and the tracking of severe weather events. While a number of published literature has already highlighted this positive development, in this study we describe an operational RT system for extracting ZTD using a modified version of the PPP-wizard (with PPP denoting Precise Point Positioning). Multi-GNSS, including GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, observation streams are processed using a RT PPP strategy based on RT satellite orbit and clock products from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). A continuous experiment for 30 days was conducted, in which the RT observation streams of 20 globally distributed stations were processed. The initialization time and accuracy of the RT troposphere products using single and/or multi-system observations were evaluated. The effect of RT PPP ambiguity resolution was also evaluated. The results revealed that the RT troposphere products based on single system observations can fulfill the requirements of the meteorological application in now-casting systems. We noted that the GPS-only solution is better than the GLONASS-only solution in both initialization and accuracy. While the ZTD performance can be improved by applying RT PPP ambiguity resolution, the inclusion of observations from multiple GNSS has a more profound effect. Specifically, we saw that the ambiguity resolution is more effective in improving the accuracy, whereas the initialization process can be better accelerated by multi-GNSS observations. Combining all systems, RT troposphere products with an average accuracy of about 8 mm in ZTD were achieved after an initialization process of approximately 9 minutes, which supports the application of multi-GNSS observations and ambiguity resolution for RT meteorological applications.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Radial velocities of HD 133131A and HD 133131B (Teske+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teske, J. K.; Shectman, S. A.; Vogt, S. S.; Diaz, M.; Butler, R. P.; Crane, J. D.; Thompson, I. B.; Arriagada, P.

2017-05-01

The radial velocity observations of HD133131A and B are part of the large Magellan Planet Search Program, which began in 2002 and is surveying a sample of ~500 of the nearest stars (<100pc). The survey was started with observations from the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle (MIKE) echelle spectrograph, mounted for a limited time on the Magellan I (Baade), but mostly on Magellan II (Clay), 6.5m telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory. In 2010, the survey switched to using the Carnegie Planet Finder Spectrograph (PFS), a temperature-controlled high-resolution echelle spectrograph built for precision radial velocity observations, on Magellan II. Only HD133131A observations from MIKE are included here. Using a 0.35*5'' slit, MIKE provides spectra with R~70000 in the blue and ~50000 in the red and covers 3900-6200Å. Only the red MIKE orders are used for radial velocity determination, while the blue orders provide coverage of the CaIIH and K lines for monitoring stellar activity. The MIKE observations of HD133131A span 2003 June to 2009 July, with total exposure times ranging from 150 to 600s, depending on observing conditions. Both HD133131A and B were observed with PFS, the former observations ranging from 2010 February to 2015 September, and the latter from 2010 August to 2015 September. PFS has a more limited wavelength range than MIKE (3880-6680Å), but still covers the entire iodine wavelength region, CaIIH and K, and Hα. We use a 0.5*2.5'' slit for target observations, providing R~80000 in the iodine region. The total exposure times for the A component range from 285 to 720s, and for the B component range from 282 to 800s. (6 data files).

Accelerometer-based wireless body area network to estimate intensity of therapy in post-acute rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Choquette, Stéphane; Hamel, Mathieu; Boissy, Patrick

2008-01-01

Background It has been suggested that there is a dose-response relationship between the amount of therapy and functional recovery in post-acute rehabilitation care. To this day, only the total time of therapy has been investigated as a potential determinant of this dose-response relationship because of methodological and measurement challenges. The primary objective of this study was to compare time and motion measures during real life physical therapy with estimates of active time (i.e. the time during which a patient is active physically) obtained with a wireless body area network (WBAN) of 3D accelerometer modules positioned at the hip, wrist and ankle. The secondary objective was to assess the differences in estimates of active time when using a single accelerometer module positioned at the hip. Methods Five patients (77.4 ± 5.2 y) with 4 different admission diagnoses (stroke, lower limb fracture, amputation and immobilization syndrome) were recruited in a post-acute rehabilitation center and observed during their physical therapy sessions throughout their stay. Active time was recorded by a trained observer using a continuous time and motion analysis program running on a Tablet-PC. Two WBAN configurations were used: 1) three accelerometer modules located at the hip, wrist and ankle (M3) and 2) one accelerometer located at the hip (M1). Acceleration signals from the WBANs were synchronized with the observations. Estimates of active time were computed based on the temporal density of the acceleration signals. Results A total of 62 physical therapy sessions were observed. Strong associations were found between WBANs estimates of active time and time and motion measures of active time. For the combined sessions, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.93 (P ≤ 0.001) for M3 and 0.79 (P ≤ 0.001) for M1. The mean percentage of differences between observation measures and estimates from the WBAN of active time was -8.7% ± 2.0% using data from M3 and -16.4% ± 10.4% using data from M1. Conclusion WBANs estimates of active time compare favorably with results from observation-based time and motion measures. While the investigation on the association between active time and outcomes of rehabilitation needs to be studied in a larger scale study, the use of an accelerometer-based WBAN to measure active time is a promising approach that offers a better overall precision than methods relying on work sampling. Depending on the accuracy needed, the use of a single accelerometer module positioned on the hip may still be an interesting alternative to using multiple modules. PMID:18764954

Effects of cow diet on the microbial community and organic matter and nitrogen content of feces.

PubMed

van Vliet, P C J; Reijs, J W; Bloem, J; Dijkstra, J; de Goede, R G M

2007-11-01

Knowledge of the effects of cow diet on manure composition is required to improve nutrient use efficiency and to decrease emissions of N to the environment. Therefore, we performed an experiment with nonlactating cows to determine the consequences of changes in cow rations for the chemical characteristics and the traits of the microbial community in the feces. In this experiment, 16 cows were fed 8 diets, differing in crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, starch, and net energy content. These differences were achieved by changing dietary ingredients or roughage to concentrate ratio. After an adaptation period of 3 wk, fecal material was collected and analyzed. Observed results were compared with simulated values using a mechanistic model that provides insight into the mechanisms involved in the effect of dietary variation on fecal composition. Feces produced on a high-fiber, low-protein diet had a high C:N ratio (>16) and had lower concentrations of both organic and inorganic N than feces on a low-fiber, high-protein diet. Fecal bacterial biomass concentration was highest in high-protein, high-energy diets. The fraction of inorganic N in the feces was not significantly different between the different feces. Microbial biomass in the feces ranged from 1,200 to 8,000 microg of C/g of dry matter (average: 3,700 microg of C/g of dry matter). Bacterial diversity was similar for all fecal materials, but the different protein levels in the feeding regimens induced changes in the community structure present in the different feces. The simulated total N content (N(total)) in the feces ranged from 1.0 to 1.5 times the observed concentrations, whereas the simulated C:N(total) of the feces ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 times the observed C:N(total). However, bacterial biomass C was not predicted satisfactorily (simulated values being on average 3 times higher than observed), giving rise to further discussion on the definition of microbial C in feces. Based on these observations, it was concluded that diet composition affected fecal chemical composition and microbial biomass. These changes may affect the nutrient use and efficiency of the manure. Because the present experiment used a limited number of dry cows and extreme diet regimens, extrapolation of results to other dairy cow situations should be done with care.

A real-time ionospheric model based on GNSS Precise Point Positioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Rui; Zhang, Hongping; Ge, Maorong; Huang, Guanwen

2013-09-01

This paper proposes a method of real-time monitoring and modeling the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) by Precise Point Positioning (PPP). Firstly, the ionospheric TEC and receiver’s Differential Code Biases (DCB) are estimated with the undifferenced raw observation in real-time, then the ionospheric TEC model is established based on the Single Layer Model (SLM) assumption and the recovered ionospheric TEC. In this study, phase observations with high precision are directly used instead of phase smoothed code observations. In addition, the DCB estimation is separated from the establishment of the ionospheric model which will limit the impacts of the SLM assumption impacts. The ionospheric model is established at every epoch for real time application. The method is validated with three different GNSS networks on a local, regional, and global basis. The results show that the method is feasible and effective, the real-time ionosphere and DCB results are very consistent with the IGS final products, with a bias of 1-2 TECU and 0.4 ns respectively.

Determination of the Io heat flow. 1: Eclipse observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinton, W. M.; Kaminski, C.

1983-01-01

The thermal emission from Io during eclipse by Jupiter yields data from which the total thermal flux from the volcanoes on the satellite surface can be estimated. Thermal infrared observations in spectral bands between 3.5 and 30 microns of five Io eclipse reappearances and one eclipse disappearance are reported and discussed. The thermal emission of the volcanoes which occurs almost all of the time was determined from the Io heat flux data. The thermal observations of Io are discussed with respect to previous thermophysical theories.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: V873 Per BVR light curves (Kriwattanawong+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriwattanawong, W.; Poojon, P.

2015-07-01

BVR photometric observations of V873 Per were carried out on the 0.5-m telescope at Sirindhorn Observatory, Chiang Mai University. The photometric data were taken during four nights (November 27-30, 2011), by using SBIG CCD (Model of ST10-XME), with exposure time of 90s. A total of 855 individual observations were obtained in three filter bands (285 observations per filter band). The IRAF package was used for data reduction and the BVR magnitude measurements. (1 data file).

BIODEGRADATION OF HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN THE UNSATURATED ZONE

EPA Science Inventory

The time-averaged concentration of hydrocarbon and oxygen vapors were measured in the unsaturated zone above the residually contaminated capillary fringe at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City, Michigan. Total hydrocarbon and oxygen vapor concentrations were observe...

Magnetic navigation system for percutaneous coronary intervention

PubMed Central

Qi, Zhiyong; Wu, Bangwei; Luo, Xinping; Zhu, Jun; Shi, Haiming; Jin, Bo

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Magnetic navigation system (MNS) allows calculation of the vessel coordinates in real space within the patient's chest for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, its impact on the procedural parameters and clinical outcomes is still a matter of debate. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Methods and Results: Studies exploring the advantages of MNS were identified in English-language articles by search of Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Databases (inception to October 2015). A standardized protocol was used to extract details on study design, region origin, demographic data, lesion type, and clinical outcomes. The main outcome measures were contrast consumption, procedural success rate, contrast used for wire crossing, procedure time to cross the lesions, and the fluoroscopy time fluoroscopy time. A total of 12 clinical trials involving 2174 patients were included for analysis (902 patients in the magnetic PCI group and 1272 in the conventional PCI group). Overall, contrast consumption was decreased by 40.45 mL (95% confidence interval [CI] −70.98 to −9.92, P = 0.009) in magnetic PCI group compared with control group. In addition, magnetic PCI was associated with significantly decreasing procedural time by 2.17 minutes (95% CI −3.91 to −0.44, P = 0.01) and the total fluoroscopy time was significantly decreased by 1.43 minutes (95% CI −2.29 to −0.57, P = 0.001) in magnetic PCI group. However, procedural success rate, contrast used for wire crossing, procedure time to cross the lesions, and the fluoroscopy time to cross the lesions demonstrated that no statistically difference was observed between 2 groups. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis indicated an improvement of overall contrast consumption, total procedural time, and fluoroscopy time in magnetic PCI group. However, no significant advantages were observed associated with procedural success rate. PMID:27442645

Magnetic navigation system for percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Qi, Zhiyong; Wu, Bangwei; Luo, Xinping; Zhu, Jun; Shi, Haiming; Jin, Bo

2016-07-01

Magnetic navigation system (MNS) allows calculation of the vessel coordinates in real space within the patient's chest for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, its impact on the procedural parameters and clinical outcomes is still a matter of debate. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Studies exploring the advantages of MNS were identified in English-language articles by search of Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Databases (inception to October 2015). A standardized protocol was used to extract details on study design, region origin, demographic data, lesion type, and clinical outcomes. The main outcome measures were contrast consumption, procedural success rate, contrast used for wire crossing, procedure time to cross the lesions, and the fluoroscopy time fluoroscopy time. A total of 12 clinical trials involving 2174 patients were included for analysis (902 patients in the magnetic PCI group and 1272 in the conventional PCI group). Overall, contrast consumption was decreased by 40.45 mL (95% confidence interval [CI] -70.98 to -9.92, P = 0.009) in magnetic PCI group compared with control group. In addition, magnetic PCI was associated with significantly decreasing procedural time by 2.17 minutes (95% CI -3.91 to -0.44, P = 0.01) and the total fluoroscopy time was significantly decreased by 1.43 minutes (95% CI -2.29 to -0.57, P = 0.001) in magnetic PCI group. However, procedural success rate, contrast used for wire crossing, procedure time to cross the lesions, and the fluoroscopy time to cross the lesions demonstrated that no statistically difference was observed between 2 groups. The present meta-analysis indicated an improvement of overall contrast consumption, total procedural time, and fluoroscopy time in magnetic PCI group. However, no significant advantages were observed associated with procedural success rate.

Short timescale photometric and polarimetric behavior of two BL Lacertae type objects

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

Covino, S.; Baglio, M. C.; Foschini, L.

Context. Blazars are astrophysical sources whose emission is dominated by non-thermal processes, typically interpreted as synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. Although the general picture is rather robust and consistent with observations, many aspects are still unexplored. Aims. Polarimetric monitoring can offer a wealth of information about the physical processes in blazars. Models with largely different physical ingredients can often provide almost indistinguishable predictions for the total flux, but usually are characterized by markedly different polarization properties. We explore, with a pilot study, the possibility to derive structural information about the emitting regions of blazars by means of a joint analysismore » of rapid variability of the total and polarized flux at optical wavelengths. Methods. Short timescale (from tens of seconds to a couple of minutes) optical linear polarimetry and photometry for two blazars, BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, was carried out with the PAOLO polarimeter at the 3.6 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Several hours of almost continuous observations were obtained for both sources. Results. Our intense monitoring allowed us to draw strongly different scenarios for BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, with the former characterized by intense variability on time-scales from hours to a few minutes and the latter practically constant in total flux. Essentially the same behavior is observed for the polarized flux and the position angle. The variability time-scales turned out to be as short as a few minutes, although involving only a few percent variation of the flux. The polarization variability time-scale is generally consistent with the total flux variability. Total and polarized flux appear to be essentially uncorrelated. However, even during our relatively short monitoring, different regimes can be singled out. Conclusions. No simple scenario is able to satisfactorily model the very rich phenomenology exhibited in our data. As a result, detailed numerical simulations show that the emitting region should be characterized by some symmetry, and the inclusion of turbulence for the magnetic field may constitute the missing ingredient for a more complete interpretation of the data.« less

Short timescale photometric and polarimetric behavior of two BL Lacertae type objects

DOE PAGES

Covino, S.; Baglio, M. C.; Foschini, L.; ...

2015-06-05

Context. Blazars are astrophysical sources whose emission is dominated by non-thermal processes, typically interpreted as synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. Although the general picture is rather robust and consistent with observations, many aspects are still unexplored. Aims. Polarimetric monitoring can offer a wealth of information about the physical processes in blazars. Models with largely different physical ingredients can often provide almost indistinguishable predictions for the total flux, but usually are characterized by markedly different polarization properties. We explore, with a pilot study, the possibility to derive structural information about the emitting regions of blazars by means of a joint analysismore » of rapid variability of the total and polarized flux at optical wavelengths. Methods. Short timescale (from tens of seconds to a couple of minutes) optical linear polarimetry and photometry for two blazars, BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, was carried out with the PAOLO polarimeter at the 3.6 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. Several hours of almost continuous observations were obtained for both sources. Results. Our intense monitoring allowed us to draw strongly different scenarios for BL Lacertae and PKS 1424+240, with the former characterized by intense variability on time-scales from hours to a few minutes and the latter practically constant in total flux. Essentially the same behavior is observed for the polarized flux and the position angle. The variability time-scales turned out to be as short as a few minutes, although involving only a few percent variation of the flux. The polarization variability time-scale is generally consistent with the total flux variability. Total and polarized flux appear to be essentially uncorrelated. However, even during our relatively short monitoring, different regimes can be singled out. Conclusions. No simple scenario is able to satisfactorily model the very rich phenomenology exhibited in our data. As a result, detailed numerical simulations show that the emitting region should be characterized by some symmetry, and the inclusion of turbulence for the magnetic field may constitute the missing ingredient for a more complete interpretation of the data.« less

Real time in situ detection of organic nitrates in atmospheric aerosols.

PubMed

Rollins, Andrew W; Smith, Jared D; Wilson, Kevin R; Cohen, Ronald C

2010-07-15

A novel instrument is described that quantifies total particle-phase organic nitrates in real time with a detection limit of 0.11 microg m(-3) min(-1), 45 ppt min(-1) (-ONO(2)). Aerosol nitrates are separated from gas-phase nitrates with a short residence time activated carbon denuder. Detection of organic molecules containing -ONO(2) subunits is accomplished using thermal dissociation coupled to laser induced fluorescence detection of NO(2). This instrument is capable of high time resolution (seconds) measurements of particle-phase organic nitrates, without interference from inorganic nitrate. Here we use it to quantify organic nitrates in secondary organic aerosol generated from high-NO(x) photooxidation of limonene, alpha-pinene, Delta-3-carene, and tridecane. In these experiments the organic nitrate moiety is observed to be 6-15% of the total SOA mass.

Size-resolved emission rates of airborne bacteria and fungi in an occupied classroom

PubMed Central

Qian, J; Hospodsky, D; Yamamoto, N; Nazaroff, W W; Peccia, J

2012-01-01

The role of human occupancy as a source of indoor biological aerosols is poorly understood. Size-resolved concentrations of total and biological particles in indoor air were quantified in a classroom under occupied and vacant conditions. Per-occupant emission rates were estimated through a mass-balance modeling approach, and the microbial diversity of indoor and outdoor air during occupancy was determined via rDNA gene sequence analysis. Significant increases of total particle mass and bacterial genome concentrations were observed during the occupied period compared to the vacant case. These increases varied in magnitude with the particle size and ranged from 3 to 68 times for total mass, 12–2700 times for bacterial genomes, and 1.5–5.2 times for fungal genomes. Emission rates per person-hour because of occupancy were 31 mg, 37 × 106 genome copies, and 7.3 × 106 genome copies for total particle mass, bacteria, and fungi, respectively. Of the bacterial emissions, ∼18% are from taxa that are closely associated with the human skin microbiome. This analysis provides size-resolved, per person-hour emission rates for these biological particles and illustrates the extent to which being in an occupied room results in exposure to bacteria that are associated with previous or current human occupants. Practical Implications Presented here are the first size-resolved, per person emission rate estimates of bacterial and fungal genomes for a common occupied indoor space. The marked differences observed between total particle and bacterial size distributions suggest that size-dependent aerosol models that use total particles as a surrogate for microbial particles incorrectly assess the fate of and human exposure to airborne bacteria. The strong signal of human microbiota in airborne particulate matter in an occupied setting demonstrates that the aerosol route can be a source of exposure to microorganisms emitted from the skin, hair, nostrils, and mouths of other occupants. PMID:22257156

Controlling factors of evaporation and CO2 flux over an open water lake in southeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Q.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Wang, L.; Xu, L.

2017-12-01

Erhai lake is located in the southeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau. Based on the 4 years measurement over Erhai lake with eddy covariance technique (EC) from 2012 to 2015, the diurnal and seasonal variations of latent and sensible heat and CO2 fluxes, and their controlling factors over different time scales were analyzed. The diurnal average LE ranged from 31 to 171 Wm-2, while Hs ranged from -31 to 21 Wm-2. Bowen ratio was larger during January and May and smaller during June and October. The lake continued storing heat during January and June, and releasing heat since July. The diurnal average CO2 fluxes during nighttime were higher than the daytime, and carbon uptake was almost observed during the midday time of the day for the whole study period. The annual carbon budget fluctuated from 117.5 to 161.7 g C m-2 a-1, while annual total evaporation (ET) from 1120.8 to 1228.5 mm for the four-years period. The Erhai Lake behaved as a net carbon source over the whole period but carbon uptake was observed during the middle time of each year. The difference between water surface and air temperature (DeltaT) and the product of DeltaT and wind speed were the main controlling factors for Hs from halfhourly to monthly scale. There was significant relationship between wind speed, the product of wind speed and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and LE on halfhourly and daily scales. The total cloud amount and net radiation (Rn) had a large effect on monthly variation of LE. Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and wind speed was mainly responsible for the variation of halfhourly and daily CO2 fluxes, respectively. The total cloud amount was the most important factors controlling for annual total ET. The annual rainfall, water surface temperature was observed to be negatively related with annual CO2 fluxes.

Use of electrical penetration graphs (EPG) and quantitative PCR to evaluate the relationship between feeding behaviour and Pandora neoaphidis infection levels in green peach aphid, Myzus persicae.

PubMed

Chen, Chun; Ye, Sudan; Hu, Huajun; Xue, Chengmei; Yu, Xiaoping

2018-01-01

A real-time qPCR method was developed, validated, and used to quantity the fungal pathogen, P. neoaphidis, within aphids at different times during infection; colonization rate fitted the Gompertz model well (R 2  = 0.9356). Feeding behaviour of P. neoaphidis-infected and uninfected M. persicae were investigated, for the first time, using DC-electrical penetration graphs (DC-EPG) that characterized the waveforms made during different aphid stylet probing periods corresponding to epidermis penetration, salivation and ingestion. In the 6 h following the 12-h incubation period (to achieve infection), there were significant differences in the number of events of Np (non-probing) and C (stylet pathway) between infected and uninfected aphids. However, the difference between total duration of Np and C were not significantly different between infected and uninfected aphids. There were no significant differences in the number of events or total duration of E1 (phloem salivation) or E2 (phloem ingestion) between infected and uninfected aphids. There were significant differences in mean number of events and total duration of the pd waveform (intracellular punctures) in infected and uninfected aphids. In the 16 h prior to death, the same differences in behaviour were observed but they were even more obvious. Furthermore, the total duration time of E2 was significantly greater in uninfected aphids than infected aphids, a change that had not been observed in the first 6 h observation period. In conclusion, qPCR quantification demonstrated 'molecular' colonization levels throughout infection, and EPG data analysis during the two periods (during early infection and then during late infection just prior to death) demonstrated the actual physical effects of fungal infection on feeding behaviour of M. persicae; this has the potential to decrease the aphid's capacity of transmission and dispersal. These studies increase our understanding of the interaction between P. neoaphidis and its host aphid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct total and free testosterone measurement by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry across two different platforms.

PubMed

Rhea, Jeanne M; French, Deborah; Molinaro, Ross J

2013-05-01

To develop and validate liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods for the direct measurement of total and free testosterone in patient samples on two different analytical systems. An API 4000 and 5000 triple quadropoles were used and compared; the former is reported to be 3-5 times less sensitive, as was used to set the quantitation limits. Free testosterone was separated from the protein-bound fraction by equilibrium dialysis followed by derivatization. Either free or total testosterone, and a deuterated internal standard (d3-testosterone) were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction. The validation results were compared to two different clinical laboratories. The use of d2-testosterone was found to be unacceptable for our method. The total testosterone LC-MS/MS methods on both systems were linear over a wide concentration range of 1.5-2000ng/dL. Free testosterone was measured directly using equilibrium dialysis coupled LC-MS/MS and linear over the concentration range of 2.5-2500pg/mL. Good correlation (total testosterone, R(2)=0.96; free testosterone, R(2)=0.98) was observed between our LC-MS/MS systems and comparator laboratory. However, differences in absolute values for both free and total testosterone measurements were observed while a comparison to a second published LC-MS/MS method showed excellent correlation. Free and total testosterone measurements correlated well with clinical observations. To our knowledge, this is the first published validation of free and total testosterone methods across two analytical systems of different analytical sensitivities. A less sensitive system does not sacrifice analytical or clinical sensitivity to directly measure free and total testosterone in patient samples. Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High energy X-ray observations of the 38-second pulsar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byrne, P. F.; Levine, A. M.; Bautz, M.; Howe, S. K.; Lang, F. L.; Primini, F. A.; Lewin, W. H. G.; Gruber, D. E.; Knight, F. K.; Nolan, P. L.

1981-01-01

The results of observations of the 38-second pulsar obtained at high X-ray energies (13-180 keV) with the UCSD/MIT instrument aboard HEAO 1 are reported. The results include a measurement of the source location, measurement of the pulse profile, and determination of the average intensity and spectrum during each of three time intervals spanning a baseline of 1 year. The total intensity of the pulsar is seen to vary on a 6-month time scale. The spectrum is hard but, like other X-ray pulsars, steepens at energies above 20 keV.

Motor competence and characteristics within the preschool environment.

PubMed

True, Larissa; Pfeiffer, Karin Allor; Dowda, Marsha; Williams, Harriet G; Brown, William H; O'Neill, Jennifer R; Pate, Russell R

2017-08-01

Environmental characteristics within preschools that influence children's motor competence are largely unknown. The purpose of the present study was to examine the contribution of various preschool environmental characteristics to children's locomotor, object control, and total gross motor scores. Cross-sectional, observational study of 3-5 year-old children (n=229) from 22 preschools in South Carolina. The Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study (CHAMPS) Motor Skills Protocol assessed MC. Preschool directors provided information regarding policies and practices. The research team measured playgrounds and classrooms, and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised assessed preschool quality. Time spent in open space and electronic media use were also assessed using direct observation. The aforementioned variables predicted children's object control, locomotor, and total gross motor scores. Classroom size/child ratio, teacher education, playground size, electronic media use, and trips to outside organizations emerged as significant predictors of locomotor score and total motor score. The object control model was non-significant. Preschools may be able to promote motor competence by allowing children more time in open spaces, structured activity experiences, and by expanding existing outdoor playground space whenever possible. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the relation between activity-related frequency shifts and the sunspot distribution over the solar cycle 23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Ângela R. G.; Cunha, Margarida S.; Avelino, Pedro P.; Chaplin, William J.; Campante, Tiago L.

2017-10-01

The activity-related variations in the solar acoustic frequencies have been known for 30 years. However, the importance of the different contributions is still not well established. With this in mind, we developed an empirical model to estimate the spot-induced frequency shifts, which takes into account the sunspot properties, such as area and latitude. The comparison between the model frequency shifts obtained from the daily sunspot records and those observed suggests that the contribution from a stochastic component to the total frequency shifts is about 30%. The remaining 70% is related to a global, long-term variation. We also propose a new observable to investigate the short-and mid-term variations of the frequency shifts, which is insensitive to the long-term variations contained in the data. On the shortest time scales the variations in the frequency shifts are strongly correlated with the variations in the total area covered by sunspots. However, a significant loss of correlation is still found, which cannot be fully explained by ignoring the invisible side of the Sun when accounting for the total sunspot area. We also verify that the times when the frequency shifts and the sunspot areas do not vary in a similar way tend to coincide with the times of the maximum amplitude of the quasi-biennial variations found in the seismic data.

Association Between Peri-implant Bone Morphology and Marginal Bone Loss: A Retrospective Study on Implant-Supported Mandibular Overdentures.

PubMed

Ding, Qian; Zhang, Lei; Geraets, Wil; Wu, Wuqing; Zhou, Yongsheng; Wismeijer, Daniel; Xie, Qiufei

The present study aimed to explore the association between marginal bone loss and type of peri-implant bony defect determined using a new peri-implant bony defect classification system. A total of 110 patients with implant-supported mandibular overdentures were involved. Clinical information was collected, including gender, age, smoking habit, and the overdenture attachment system used. Peri-implant bony defect types and marginal distances (ie, distance between the marginal bone level and the top of the implant shoulder) of all sites were identified on panoramic radiographs by a single experienced observer. The associations between marginal distance and peri-implant bony defect type, gender, age, smoking habit, attachment system, and time after implantation were investigated using marginal generalized linear models and regression analysis. A total of 83 participants were included in the final sample with a total of 224 implants involving 3,124 implant sites. The mean observation time was 10.7 years. All peri-implant bony defect types except Type 5 (slit-like) were significantly related to marginal distance in all models (P < .01). Smoking and time after implantation were significantly related to marginal distance while gender, age, and the overdenture attachment system used were not. The peri-implant bony defect type, determined using the new classification system, is associated with the extent of marginal bone loss.

Relative humidity and activity patterns of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, K.A.; Ginsberg, Howard S.; Gonzalez, L.; Mather, T.N.

2014-01-01

Laboratory studies have shown clear relationships between relative humidity (RH) and the activity and survival of Ixodes scapularis Say (blacklegged tick). However, field studies have produced conflicting results. We examined this relationship using weekly tick count totals and hourly RH observations at three field sites, stratified by latitude, within the state of Rhode Island. Records of nymphal tick abundance were compared with several RH-related variables (e.g., RH at time of sampling and mean weekly daytime RH). In total, 825 nymphs were sampled in 2009, a year of greater precipitation, with a weighted average leaf litter RH recorded at time of sampling of 85.22%. Alternatively, 649 nymphs were collected in 2010, a year of relatively low precipitation, and a weighted average RH recorded at time of sampling was 75.51%. Negative binomial regression analysis of tick count totals identified cumulative hours <82% RH threshold as a significant factor observed in both years (2009: P = 0.0037; 2010: P < 0.0001). Mean weekly daytime RH did not significantly predict tick activity in either year. However, mean weekly daytime RH recorded with 1-wk lag before sample date was a significant variable (P = 0.0016) in 2010. These results suggest a lag effect between moisture availability and patterns of tick activity and abundance. Differences in the relative importance of each RH variable between years may have been due to abnormally wet summer conditions in 2009.

Evaluating the primary-to-specialist referral system for elective hip and knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Fyie, Ken; Frank, Cy; Noseworthy, Tom; Christiansen, Tanya; Marshall, Deborah A

2014-02-01

Persistently long waiting times for hip and knee total joint arthroplasty (TJA) specialist consultations have been identified as a problem. This study described referral processes and practices, and their impact on the waiting time from referral to consultation for TJA. A mixed-methods retrospective study incorporating semi-structured interviews, patient chart reviews and observational studies was conducted at three clinic sites in Alberta, Canada. A total of 218 charts were selected for analysis. Standardized definitions were applied to key event dates. Performance measures included waiting times percentage of referrals initially accepted. Voluntary (patient-related) and involuntary (health system-related) waiting times were quantified. All three clinics had defined, but differing, referral processing rules. The mean time from referral to consultation ranged from 51 to 139 business days. Choosing a specific surgeon for consultation rather than a next available surgeon lengthened waits by 10-47 business days. Involuntary waiting times accounted for at least 11% of total waiting time. Approximately 40-80% of the time patients with TJA wait for surgery was in the consultation period. Fifty-four per cent of new referrals were initially rejected, prolonging patient waits by 8-46 business days. Our results suggest that variation in referral processing led to increased waiting times for patients. The large proportion of total wait attributable to waiting for a surgical consultation makes failure to measure and evaluate this period a significant omission. Improving referral processes and decreasing variation between clinics would improve patient access to these specialist referrals in Alberta. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fluxes of total reactive atmospheric nitrogen using eddy covariance above arable land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brummer, C.; Marx, O.; Kutsch, W. L.; Ammann, C.; Wolff, V.; Freibauer, A.

2011-12-01

A novel measurement technique (TRANC: Total Reactive Atmospheric Nitrogen Converter) was used to determine the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of the sum of all airborne reactive nitrogen (Nr) compounds. While concentration and flux measurements of Nr species from agriculture are still challenging from a metrological point of view and well-established measurement techniques (e.g., chemiluminescence detector (CLD), molybdenum converter, denuder/impinger with ion chromatography analysis) are usually limited to single compounds or provide concentration values and flux rates in poor time resolution and require labour and cost-intensive lab analyses, we present results from a campaign where the TRANC in combination with a fast-response analyzer (CLD) was used in an eddy-covariance (EC) setup to quantify total Nr. The basic measurement concept of the TRANC is the full conversion of all Nr compounds in the sample air to nitrogen monoxide (NO) within two reaction steps. Initially, reduced N compounds are being oxidized, whereas oxidized N compounds are thermally converted to compounds of lower oxidation states. Particulate N is being sublimated and oxidized or reduced afterwards. In a second reaction step, remaining higher N oxides in the sample air or those originated in the first reaction step are catalytically converted to NO. Carbon monoxide is used as reduction gas. The 10-months field campaign was conducted at an agricultural site planted with winter wheat in Thuringia, Germany. Total Nr concentrations were usually in the range of 5 to 30 ppb showing distinctive diurnal patterns with relatively low values from midday to late afternoon and highest values at night. Amplitudes were observed to be higher during the period of growth when no fertilizer was added. After fertilization events, total Nr concentrations were as high as 200 ppb for a short period of time. Different diurnal flux patterns depending on season and time passed since the last fertilization could be identified. In periods following fertilization, mean diurnal fluxes with peak emission rates of 5 ng m-2 s-1 in the afternoon were observed. On average up to 2 ng m-2 s-1 were taken up in the early morning hours during the vegetation period before the first fertilizer was applied. A strong linear correlation (R2=0.78) was found between the total Nr flux and stomatal conductance multiplied by total Nr concentration. The cumulative curve of the total Nr fluxes after 10 months of measurements showed that the three fertilization events almost compensated the usually observed slight total Nr deposition. The net total Nr uptake at the end of our campaign was ~2 kg N ha-1. The results of our campaign show that the usage of the TRANC within an EC setup was successfully established and allows for the permanent determination of the net total Nr exchange between ecosystem and atmosphere.

Modeling of the Ionospheric Scintillation and Total Electron Content Observations during the 21 August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta-Barua, S.; Gachancipa, J. N.; Deshpande, K.; Herrera, J. A.; Lehmacher, G. A.; Su, Y.; Gyuk, G.; Bust, G. S.; Hampton, D. L.

2017-12-01

High concentration of free electrons in the ionosphere can cause fluctuations in incoming electromagnetic waves, such as those from the different Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The behavior of the ionosphere depends on time and location, and it is highly influenced by solar activity. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a total solar eclipse on the local ionosphere in terms of ionospheric scintillations, and on the global ionosphere in terms of TEC (Total Electron Content). The studied eclipse occurred on 21 August 2017 across the continental United States. During the eclipse, we expected to see a decrease in the scintillation strength, as well as in the TEC values. As a broader impact part of our recently funded NSF proposal, we temporarily deployed two GNSS receivers on the eclipse's totality path. One GNSS receiver was placed in Clemson, SC. This is a multi-frequency GNSS receiver (NovAtel GPStation-6) capable of measuring high and low rate scintillation data as well as TEC values from four different GNSS systems. We had the receiver operating before, during, and after the solar eclipse to enable the comparison between eclipse and non-eclipse periods. A twin receiver collected data at Daytona Beach, FL during the same time, where an 85% partial solar eclipse was observed. Additionally, we set up a ground receiver onsite in the path of totality in Perryville, Missouri, from which the Adler Planetarium of Chicago launched a high-altitude balloon to capture a 360-degree video of the eclipse from the stratosphere. By analyzing the collected data, this study looks at the effects of partial and total solar eclipse periods on high rate GNSS scintillation data at mid-latitudes, which had not been explored in detail. This study also explores the impact of solar eclipses on signals from different satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo). Throughout the eclipse, the scintillation values did not appear to have dramatic changes. However, we observed lower scintillation activity on several satellites from different constellations. For example, between 16 UTC and 22 UTC, there was a slight drop in the S4 scintillation Index (amplitude) values, reaching a local minimum during the time of eclipse totality ( 18:30 UTC). Regarding the Total Electron Content (TEC), which measures the quantity of electrons in the ionosphere, there was a more drastic decrease in the values throughout the partial and total solar eclipse. Additionally, σφ (sigma-phi) values for phase scintillation showed the similar behavior compared to previous few days. This reveals that the solar eclipse did not have a major effect on the phase scintillation. In any case, the totality path was entirely in mid-latitude regions, where phase scintillations are expected to be lower compared to high latitudes.

Scaling of water vapor in the meso-gamma (2-20km) and lower meso-beta (20-50km) scales from tall tower time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pressel, K. G.; Collins, W.; Desai, A. R.

2011-12-01

Deficiencies in the parameterization of boundary layer clouds in global climate models (GCMs) remains one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate change predictions. Many GCM cloud parameterizations, which seek to include some representation of subgrid-scale cloud variability, do so by making assumptions regarding the subgrid-scale spatial probability density function (PDF) of total water content. Properly specifying the form and parameters of the total water PDF is an essential step in the formulation of PDF based cloud parameterizations. In the cloud free boundary layer, the PDF of total water mixing ratio is equivalent to the PDF of water vapor mixing ratio. Understanding the PDF of water vapor mixing ratio in the cloud free atmosphere is a necessary step towards understanding the PDF of water vapor in the cloudy atmosphere. A primary challenge in empirically constraining the PDF of water vapor mixing ratio is a distinct lack of a spatially distributed observational dataset at or near cloud scale. However, at meso-beta (20-50km) and larger scales, there is a wealth of information on the spatial distribution of water vapor contained in the physically retrieved water vapor profiles from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder onboard NASA`s Aqua satellite. The scaling (scale-invariance) of the observed water vapor field has been suggested as means of using observations at satellite observed (meso-beta) scales to derive information about cloud scale PDFs. However, doing so requires the derivation of a robust climatology of water vapor scaling from in-situ observations across the meso- gamma (2-20km) and meso-beta scales. In this work, we present the results of the scaling of high frequency (10Hz) time series of water vapor mixing ratio as observed from the 447m WLEF tower located near Park Falls, Wisconsin. Observations from a tall tower offer an ideal set of observations with which to investigate scaling at meso-gamma and meso-beta scales requiring only the assumption of Taylor`s Hypothesis to convert observed time scales to spatial scales. Furthermore, the WLEF tower holds an instrument suite offering a diverse set of variables at the 396m, 122m, and 30m levels with which to characterize the state of the boundary layer. Three methods are used to compute scaling exponents for the observed time series; poor man`s variance spectra, first order structure functions, and detrended fluctuation analysis. In each case scaling exponents are computed by linear regression. The results for each method are compared and used to build a climatology of scaling exponents. In particular, the results for June 2007 are presented, and it is shown that the scaling of water vapor time series at the 396m level is characterized by two regimes that are determined by the state of the boundary layer. Finally, the results are compared to, and shown to be roughly consistent with, scaling exponents computed from AIRS observations.

Evaluation of a novel canine activity monitor for at-home physical activity analysis.

PubMed

Yashari, Jonathan M; Duncan, Colleen G; Duerr, Felix M

2015-07-04

Accelerometers are motion-sensing devices that have been used to assess physical activity in dogs. However, the lack of a user-friendly, inexpensive accelerometer has hindered the widespread use of this objective outcome measure in veterinary research. Recently, a smartphone-based, affordable activity monitor (Whistle) has become available for measurement of at-home physical activity in dogs. The aim of this research was to evaluate this novel accelerometer. Eleven large breed, privately owned dogs wore a collar fitted with both the Whistle device and a previously validated accelerometer-based activity monitor (Actical) for a 24-h time period. Owners were asked to have their dogs resume normal daily activities. Total activity time obtained from the Whistle device in minutes was compared to the total activity count from the Actical device. Activity intensity from the Whistle device was calculated manually from screenshots of the activity bars displayed in the smartphone-application and compared to the activity count recorded by the Actical in the same 3-min time period. A total of 3740 time points were compared. There was a strong correlation between activity intensity of both devices for individual time points (Pearson's correlation coefficient 0.81, p < 0.0001). An even stronger correlation was observed between the total activity data between the two devices (Pearson's correlation coefficient 0.925, p < 0.0001). Activity data provided by the Whistle activity monitor may be used as an objective outcome measurement in dogs. The total activity time provided by the Whistle application offers an inexpensive method for obtaining at-home, canine, real-time physical activity data. Limitations of the Whistle device include the limited battery life, the need for manual derivation of activity intensity data and data transfer, and the requirement of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth availability for data transmission.

Sunflower Seeds at Syracuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Kenneth A.

1993-01-01

Syracuse University (New York) has found that the focused, collaborative approach to institutional administration embodied in Total Quality Management is beneficial. It requires allocation of adequate time and resources, observation of others, communication, addressing high-need areas first, and willingness to adapt, but it may bring resistance…

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 6.7GHz methanol maser polarization in SFR (Surcis+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surcis, G.; Vlemmings, W. H. T.; van Langevelde, H. J.; Hutawarakorn Kramer, B.; Bartkiewicz, A.; Blasi, M. G.

2015-09-01

The first seven massive SFRs were observed at 6.7GHz in full polarization spectral mode with eight of the EVN antennas (Effelsberg, Jodrell, Onsala, Medicina, Noto, Torun, Westerbork, and Yebes-40m) between November 2012 and June 2013, for a total observation time of 49h. The bandwidth was 2MHz, providing a velocity range of ~100km/s. (8 data files).

Principles of antibiotic application in children with lobar pneumonia: Step-up or step-down.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Han, Feng; Yang, Yan; Chu, Jianwei

2017-06-01

In order to provide a scientific basis for rational use of antibiotics, we studied and compared the therapeutic effects of step-down and step-up antibiotic treatment schemes in children with lobar pneumonia. Eighty cases of children with lobar pneumonia were enrolled in this study and were randomly divided into two groups: The observation group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. In the observation group, there were 23 cases with mild and 17 cases with severe lobar pneumonia, and in the control group, 25 were mild and 15 were severe cases. Patients in the control group were treated with antibiotics using step-up therapy method, while patients in the observation group were treated using step-down antibiotic therapy. Our results showed no significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) reduction rate, the course of antibiotic treatment, disappearance time of pulmonary rales and total efficiency in children with mild lobar pneumonia in the observation group after 72 h of treatment. The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the observation group were significantly lower. After 72 h of treatment of children with severe lobar pneumonia in the observation group, the rate of WBC reduction accelerated significantly. Compared to the patients in the control group, the course of antibiotic treatment and disappearance time of pulmonary rales were shortened significantly, while the total efficiency of treatment was improved considerably in the observation group. Also in the observation group, hs-CRP and PCT levels were significantly lower than that in the control group. In severe cases, step-down therapy showed a better result in relieving the inflammatory reactions. The disappearance time of pulmonary rales and the effective rate of treatment was significantly higher than those of step-up therapy. It was obvious that for children with severe lobar pneumonia, step-down therapy produced better results in relieving the inflammatory reaction.

Contextual amplification or attenuation of the impact of pubertal timing on Mexican-origin boys' mental health symptoms.

PubMed

White, Rebecca M B; Deardorff, Julianna; Liu, Yu; Gonzales, Nancy A

2013-12-01

To examine the role of neighborhood contextual variation in the putative association between pubertal timing and internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Mexican-origin boys. In a sample of seventh-grade Mexican-origin boys (N = 353; x¯age=12.8years) we assessed a range of secondary sexual characteristics, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms. Reports on all secondary sexual characteristics were collapsed and age-standardized to represent total pubertal timing. We also distinguished between the timing of physical changes driven by adrenal versus gonadal maturation. Boys' residential addresses were geocoded and American Community Survey data were used to describe neighborhoods along two dimensions: ethnic concentration and socioeconomic disadvantage. Three years later (in 10th grade) we re-assessed internalizing and externalizing symptoms. We examined the moderating influence of neighborhood ethnic concentration and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on the prospective associations between puberty timing (total, gonadal, adrenal) and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Earlier total pubertal timing predicted increases in externalizing symptoms, but only when Mexican-origin boys lived in neighborhoods low on ethnic concentration. Total timing results for externalizing symptoms were replicated for adrenal timing. Furthermore, early adrenal timing predicted increases in internalizing symptoms, but again, only when boys lived in neighborhoods low on ethnic concentration. No effects were observed for gonadal timing specifically. Early pubertal timing, especially advanced physical changes initiated and regulated by adrenal maturation, have important implications for Mexican-origin boys' internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but these implications depend on neighborhood characteristics. Ethnically concentrated neighborhoods are protective for early-maturing Mexican-origin boys. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organosulfates and organic acids in Arctic aerosols: speciation, annual variation and concentration levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, A. M. K.; Kristensen, K.; Nguyen, Q. T.; Zare, A.; Cozzi, F.; Nøjgaard, J. K.; Skov, H.; Brandt, J.; Christensen, J. H.; Ström, J.; Tunved, P.; Krejci, R.; Glasius, M.

2014-02-01

Sources, composition and occurrence of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the Arctic were investigated at Zeppelin Mountain, Svalbard, and Station Nord, northeast Greenland, during the full annual cycle of 2008 and 2010 respectively. We focused on the speciation of three types of SOA tracers: organic acids, organosulfates and nitrooxy organosulfates from both anthropogenic and biogenic precursors, here presenting organosulfate concentrations and compositions during a full annual cycle and chemical speciation of organosulfates in Arctic aerosols for the first time. Aerosol samples were analysed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer (HPLC-q-TOF-MS). A total of 11 organic acids (terpenylic acid, benzoic acid, phthalic acid, pinic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, pinonic acid, diaterpenylic acid acetate (DTAA) and 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acid (MBTCA)), 12 organosulfates and one nitrooxy organosulfate were identified at the two sites. Six out of the 12 organosulfates are reported for the first time. Concentrations of organosulfates follow a distinct annual pattern at Station Nord, where high concentration were observed in late winter and early spring, with a mean total concentration of 47 (±14) ng m-3, accounting for 7 (±2)% of total organic matter, contrary to a considerably lower organosulfate mean concentration of 2 (±3) ng m-3 (accounting for 1 (±1)% of total organic matter) observed during the rest of the year. The organic acids followed the same temporal trend as the organosulfates at Station Nord; however the variations in organic acid concentrations were less pronounced, with a total mean organic acid concentration of 11.5 (±4) ng m-3 (accounting for 1.7 (±0.6)% of total organic matter) in late winter and early spring, and 2.2 (±1) ng m-3 (accounting for 0.9 (±0.4)% of total organic matter) during the rest of the year. At Zeppelin Mountain, organosulfate and organic acid concentrations remained relatively constant during most of the year at amean concentration of 15 (±4) ng m-3 (accounting for 4 (±1)% of total organic matter) and 3.9 (±1) ng m-3 (accounting for 1.1 (±0.1)% of total organic matter) respectively. However during four weeks of spring remarkably higher concentrations of total organosulfates (23-36 ng m-3) and total organic acids (7-10 ng m-3) were observed. The periods of observed elevated organosulfate and organic acid concentration at Station Nord and at Zeppelin Mountain coincided with the Arctic Haze period. Furthermore, backwards air mass trajectories indicated northern Eurasia as the main source region of the Arctic haze aerosols at both sites. Periods with air mass transport from Russia to Zeppelin Mountain were associated with a doubled number of detected organosulfate species compared with periods of air mass transport from the Arctic Ocean, Scandinavia and Greenland. Our analysis showed the presence of organosulfates and organic acids of both biogenic and anthropogenic origin throughout the year at both Arctic sites. As the formation of organosulfates binds inorganic sulfate, their presence may possibly affect the formation and lifetime of clouds in the Arctic atmosphere.

CATS Version 2 Aerosol Feature Detection and Applications for Data Assimilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowottnick, Ed; Yorks, John; McGill, Matt; Scott, Stan; Palm, Stephen; Hlavka, Dennis; Hart, William; Selmer, Patrick; Kupchock, Andrew; Pauly, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Using GEOS-5, we are developing a 1D ENS approach for assimilating CATS near real time observations of total attenuated backscatter at 1064 nm: a) After performing a 1-ENS assimilation of a cloud-free profile, the GEOS-5 analysis closely followed observed total attenuated backscatter. b) Vertical localization length scales were varied for the well-mixed PBL and the free troposphere After assimilating a cloud free segment of a CATS granule, the fine detail of a dust event was obtained in the GEOS-5 analysis for both total attenuated backscatter and extinction. Future Work: a) Explore horizontal localization and test within a cloudy aerosol layer. b) Address noisy analysis increments in the free troposphere where both CATS and GEOS-5 aerosol loadings are low. c) Develop a technique to screen CATS ground return from profiles. d) "Dynamic" lidar ratio that will evolve in conjunction with simulated aerosol mixtures.

SETI Observations of Exoplanets with the Allen Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, G. R.; Richards, Jon; Tarter, Jill C.; Dreher, John; Jordan, Jane; Shostak, Seth; Smolek, Ken; Kilsdonk, Tom; Wilcox, Bethany R.; Wimberly, M. K. R.; Ross, John; Barott, W. C.; Ackermann, R. F.; Blair, Samantha

2016-12-01

We report radio SETI observations on a large number of known exoplanets and other nearby star systems using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). Observations were made over about 19000 hr from 2009 May to 2015 December. This search focused on narrowband radio signals from a set totaling 9293 stars, including 2015 exoplanet stars and Kepler objects of interest and an additional 65 whose planets may be close to their habitable zones. The ATA observations were made using multiple synthesized beams and an anticoincidence filter to help identify terrestrial radio interference. Stars were observed over frequencies from 1 to 9 GHz in multiple bands that avoid strong terrestrial communication frequencies. Data were processed in near-real time for narrowband (0.7-100 Hz) continuous and pulsed signals with transmitter/receiver relative accelerations from -0.3 to 0.3 m s-2. A total of 1.9 × 108 unique signals requiring immediate follow-up were detected in observations covering more than 8 × 106 star-MHz. We detected no persistent signals from extraterrestrial technology exceeding our frequency-dependent sensitivity threshold of 180-310 × 10-26 W m-2.

HARBO, a simple computer-aided observation method for recording work postures.

PubMed

Wiktorin, C; Mortimer, M; Ekenvall, L; Kilbom, A; Hjelm, E W

1995-12-01

The aim of the study was to present an observation method focusing on the positions of the hands relative to the body and to evaluate whether this simple observation technique gives a reliable estimate of the total time spent in each of five work postures during one workday. In the first part of the study the interobserver reliability of the observation method was tested with eight blue-collar workers. In the second part the observed time spent with work above the shoulder level was tested in relation to an upper-arm position analyzer, and observed time spent in work below knuckle level was tested in relation to a trunk flexion analyzer, both with 72 blue-collar workers. The interobserver reliability for full-day registrations was high. The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.99 to 1.00. The observed duration of work with hands above shoulder level correlated well with the measured duration of pronounced arm elevation (> 75 degrees). The product moment correlation coefficient was 0.97. The observed duration of work with hands below knuckle level correlated well with the measured duration of pronounced trunk flexion angles (> 40 degrees). The product moment correlation coefficient was 0.98. The present observation method, designed to make postural observations continuously for several hours, is easy to learn and seems reliable.

Performance and activated sludge characteristics at short solid retention time in a submerged MBR: effects of C/N ratio of wastewater.

PubMed

Sari Erkan, Hanife; Onkal Engin, Guleda

2018-02-22

This study investigated the effect of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of influent wastewater on performance and activated sludge properties at a sludge retention time of 5 d in a submerged membrane bioreactor. The chemical oxygen demand and ammonia-Nitrogen (NH 3 -N) removal efficiencies were found to be over 96.3% and 86.9% in the sMBRs having different C/N ratios. It was found that total extracellular polymeric substances and total soluble microbial products increased with an increase in C/N ratio. It was also observed that critical flux, relative hydrophobicity and zeta potential values decreased, and capillary suction time, particle size and viscosity of sludge increased as the C/N ratio increased.

A Coordinated X-Ray and Optical Campaign of the Nearest Massive Eclipsing Binary, δ Orionis Aa. II. X-Ray Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nichols, J.; Huenemoerder, D. P.; Corcoran, M. F.; Waldron, W.; Nazé, Y.; Pollock, A. M. T.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Lauer, J.; Shenar, T.; Russell, C. M. P.; Richardson, N. D.; Pablo, H.; Evans, N. R.; Hamaguchi, K.; Gull, T.; Hamann, W.-R.; Oskinova, L.; Ignace, R.; Hoffman, Jennifer L.; Hole, K. T.; Lomax, J. R.

2015-08-01

We present time-resolved and phase-resolved variability studies of an extensive X-ray high-resolution spectral data set of the δ Ori Aa binary system. The four observations, obtained with Chandra ACIS HETGS, have a total exposure time of ≈ 479 ks and provide nearly complete binary phase coverage. Variability of the total X-ray flux in the range of 5-25 Å is confirmed, with a maximum amplitude of about ±15% within a single ≈ 125 ks observation. Periods of 4.76 and 2.04 days are found in the total X-ray flux, as well as an apparent overall increase in the flux level throughout the nine-day observational campaign. Using 40 ks contiguous spectra derived from the original observations, we investigate the variability of emission line parameters and ratios. Several emission lines are shown to be variable, including S xv, Si xiii, and Ne ix. For the first time, variations of the X-ray emission line widths as a function of the binary phase are found in a binary system, with the smallest widths at ϕ = 0.0 when the secondary δ Ori Aa2 is at the inferior conjunction. Using 3D hydrodynamic modeling of the interacting winds, we relate the emission line width variability to the presence of a wind cavity created by a wind-wind collision, which is effectively void of embedded wind shocks and is carved out of the X-ray-producing primary wind, thus producing phase-locked X-ray variability. Based on data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MOST satellite, a Canadian Space Agency mission, jointly operated by Dynacon Inc., the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies, and the University of British Columbia, with the assistance of the University of Vienna.

Disentangling residence time and temperature sensitivity of microbial decomposition in a global soil carbon model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Exbrayat, J.-F.; Pitman, A. J.; Abramowitz, G.

2014-03-01

Recent studies have identified the first-order parameterization of microbial decomposition as a major source of uncertainty in simulations and projections of the terrestrial carbon balance. Here, we use a reduced complexity model representative of the current state-of-the-art parameterization of soil organic carbon decomposition. We undertake a systematic sensitivity analysis to disentangle the effect of the time-invariant baseline residence time (k) and the sensitvity of microbial decomposition to temperature (Q10) on soil carbon dynamics at regional and global scales. Our simulations produce a range in total soil carbon at equilibrium of ~ 592 to 2745 Pg C which is similar to the ~ 561 to 2938 Pg C range in pre-industrial soil carbon in models used in the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. This range depends primarily on the value of k, although the impact of Q10 is not trivial at regional scales. As climate changes through the historical period, and into the future, k is primarily responsible for the magnitude of the response in soil carbon, whereas Q10 determines whether the soil remains a sink, or becomes a source in the future mostly by its effect on mid-latitudes carbon balance. If we restrict our simulations to those simulating total soil carbon stocks consistent with observations of current stocks, the projected range in total soil carbon change is reduced by 42% for the historical simulations and 45% for the future projections. However, while this observation-based selection dismisses outliers it does not increase confidence in the future sign of the soil carbon feedback. We conclude that despite this result, future estimates of soil carbon, and how soil carbon responds to climate change should be constrained by available observational data sets.

Patients with type 2 diabetes benefit from primary care-based disease management: a propensity score matched survival time analysis.

PubMed

Drabik, Anna; Büscher, Guido; Thomas, Karsten; Graf, Christian; Müller, Dirk; Stock, Stephanie

2012-08-01

This study aimed to assess the impact of a nationwide German diabetes mellitus disease management program (DMP) on survival time and costs in comparison to routine care. The authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using routine administration data from Germany's largest sickness fund to identify insured suffering from diabetes in 2002. A total of 95,443 insured with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were born before January 1, 1962 met the defined inclusion criteria, resulting in 19,888 pairs of DMP participants and nonparticipants matched for socioeconomic and health status using propensity score matching methods. This is the first time propensity score matching has been used to evaluate a survival benefit of DMPs. In the time frame analyzed (3 years), mean survival time for the DMP group was 1045 days vs. 985 days for the routine care group (P<0.001). Mean daily hospital and total costs (including DMP administration and medical costs) were lower for the DMP group in the case of deceased insureds (92€ vs. 139€ and 122€ vs. 169€, respectively) as well as for censored observations (6€ vs. 7€ and 12.9€ vs. 13.4€, respectively). Mean daily drug costs were slightly lower for deceased insured in the DMP group (difference 0.6€), while no identifiable difference was found for censored observations. In this study, insured who were enrolled in a DMP for diabetes mellitus in the German Statutory Health Insurance showed a significant benefit in survival time. They also incurred lower costs compared to propensity score matched insured in routine care.

Shifting baselines in the Ems Dollard estuary: A comparison across three decades reveals changing benthic communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compton, Tanya J.; Holthuijsen, Sander; Mulder, Maarten; van Arkel, Maarten; Schaars, Loran Kleine; Koolhaas, Anita; Dekinga, Anne; ten Horn, Job; Luttikhuizen, Pieternella C.; van der Meer, Jaap; Piersma, Theunis; van der Veer, Henk W.

2017-09-01

At a time when there is a growing discussion about the natural state of estuaries, a comparison of macrozoobenthos communities from two surveys conducted 30 years apart in the Ems Dollard estuary, in the eastern Wadden Sea, The Netherlands, provides a unique opportunity to compare changes over time. As expected, our comparison revealed a gradient in species composition from land (the Dollard) to sea (the Outer Ems) at both points in time, with brackish species in the Dollard and more marine species in the Outer Ems (Wadden Sea). Total richness increased over time; however, this mainly reflected the immigration of new species and sampling differences. In the Dollard, total biomass declined over time, most likely reflecting de-eutrophication in this area. Strikingly, at the meeting point between the sea and the brackish Dollard, i.e. the Inner Ems, the community composition changed from one dominated by bivalves (1970s) to one dominated by worms (since 2009). This change involved a reduction in total biomass, mainly of Mya arenaria, and immigration of polychaete worms (Marenzellaria viridis and Alitta succinea). In the Outer Ems, an increase in total biomass was observed, associated with the recent successful recruitment of Cerastoderma edule. This comparison highlights that historical data provides useful insights at large spatial scales. However, a full understanding of the complex dynamics of estuaries requires an analysis of continuous long-term monitoring series.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: HARPS-N radial velocities of KOI-70 (Buchhave+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchhave, L. A.; Dressing, C. D.; Dumusque, X.; Rice, K.; Vanderburg, A.; Mortier, A.; Lopez-Morales, M.; Lopez, E.; Lundkvist, M. S.; Kjeldsen, H.; Affer, L.; Bonomo, A. S.; Charbonneau, D.; Collier, Cameron A.; Cosentino, R.; Figueira, P.; Fiorenzano, A. F. M.; Harutyunyan, A.; Haywood, R. D.; Johnson, J. A.; Latham, D. W.; Lovis, C.; Malavolta, L.; Mayor, M.; Micela, G.; Molinari, E.; Motalebi, F.; Nascimbeni, V.; Pepe, F.; Phillips, D. F.; Piotto, G.; Pollacco, D.; Queloz, D.; Sasselov, D.; Segransan, D.; Sozzetti, A.; Udry, S.; Watson, C.

2017-01-01

We obtained 125 observations of Kepler-20 (KOI-70, KIC 6850504, 2MASS J19104752+4220194) with the HARPS-N spectrograph on the 3.58m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) located at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Spain. HARPS-N is an updated version of the original HARPS spectrograph on the 3.6m telescope at the European Southern Observatory on La Silla, Chile. HARPS-N is an ultra-stable fiber-fed high-resolution (R=115000) spectrograph with an optical wavelength coverage from 383 to 693nm. We obtained 61 and 64 observations of Kepler-20 in the 2014 and 2015 observing seasons, respectively (125 observations in total). We rejected 21 observations obtained under poor observing conditions where the internal error estimate exceeded 5m/s leaving a total of 104 observations. Kepler-20 has a mV=12.5 and required 30 minute exposure times to build up an adequate signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). The average S/N per pixel of the observations at 550nm is 30, yielding an average internal uncertainty estimate of 3.66m/s. The radial velocities and their 1σ errors are shows in Table1. (1 data file).

[Clinical study on depression differentiated as yang deficiency treated with the combined therapy of ginger-isolated moxibustion and western medicine].

PubMed

Xie, Yanying; Liu, Liangsheng; Xie, Jiajiang

2016-12-12

To compare the differences in the clinical efficacy on depression differentiated as yang deficiency between the combined therapy of ginger-isolated moxibustion and escitalopram and the simple application escitalopram. Eighty patients of depression differentiated as yang deficiency were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each one. In the control group, escitalopram was prescribed for oral administration, 10 mg a day, after each breakfast. In the observation group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, the ginger-isolated moxibustion was supplemented at Dazhui (GV 14) and bilateral back- shu points of five zang organs[Xinshu (BL 15), Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20), Feishu (BL 13) and Shenshu (BL 23)]. Moxibustion was used 5 times a week. Twenty times of moxibustion were taken as one session and totally 3 sessions were required (totally 84 days). After 3 sessions of treatment, the concentration of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) before and after treatment and clinical efficacy were observed in the two groups. After 3 sessions of treatment, escitalopram was taken continuously, 10 mg a day for 9 months in the two groups and the recurrent rate was observed in a half year after discontinuity of medication in the two groups. The total effective rate was 97.5% (39/40) in the observation group and was 92.5% (37/40) in the control group. The total effective rate was similar between the two groups (both P >0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the observation group, better than 62.5% (25/40) in the control group ( P <0.05). The serum 5-HT after treatment was increased as compared with that before treatment in the patients of the two groups (both P <0.05), but the diffe-rence was not significant statistically between the two groups ( P >0.05). The recurrent rate of depression was 7.7% (3/39) in the observation group, lower than 27.0% (10/37) in the control group ( P <0.05). The combined therapy of ginger-isolated moxibustion and escitalopram achieves the better curative and remarkably effective rate as compared with the simple western medicine and it significantly reduces the recurrence of depression.

Prospective, randomized comparison of a prototype endoscope with deflecting working channels versus a conventional double-channel endoscope for rectal endoscopic submucosal dissection in an established experimental simulation model (with video).

PubMed

Jung, Yunho; Kato, Masayuki; Lee, Jongchan; Gromski, Mark A; Chuttani, Ram; Matthes, Kai

2013-11-01

A prototype endoscope was designed to improve visualization and dissection of tissue with the use of 2 working channels with different deflections. To evaluate the efficacy and operability of a prototype endoscope in comparison with a conventional double-channel endoscope for rectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Randomized, prospective, controlled, ex vivo study. Academic medical center. A total of 80 standardized artificial lesions measuring 3 × 3 cm were created approximately 5 cm from the anal verge in fresh ex vivo porcine colorectal specimens. Two endoscopists each completed 20 cases with the prototype endoscope and 20 cases with the conventional endoscope. An independent observer recorded procedure time, specimen size, en bloc resection, and perforation rate. For the ESD novice, the mean submucosal dissection time (10.5 ± 3.8 vs 14.9 ± 7.3 minutes; P = .024) and total procedure time (18.1 ± 5.2 vs 23.6 ± 8.2 minutes; P = .015) were significantly shorter in the prototype group in comparison with the conventional group. For the ESD expert, there was no significant difference between the mean circumferential resection, submucosal dissection, and total procedure time (prototype group 14.2 ± 6.0 minutes, conventional group 14.2 ± 8.8 minutes; P = .992). The overall perforation and en bloc resection rates were not significantly different between groups. Ex vivo study. In this ex vivo prospective comparison study, there was a technical advantage for the ESD novice with the prototype endoscope that resulted in a shorter procedure time, which was not observed for cases performed by the ESD expert. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Early postoperative changes in cerebral oxygen metabolism following neonatal cardiac surgery: Effects of surgical duration

PubMed Central

Buckley, Erin M.; Lynch, Jennifer M.; Goff, Donna A.; Schwab, Peter J.; Baker, Wesley B.; Durduran, Turgut; Busch, David R.; Nicolson, Susan C.; Montenegro, Lisa M.; Naim, Maryam Y.; Xiao, Rui; Spray, Thomas L.; Yodh, A. G.; Gaynor, J. William; Licht, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Objective The early postoperative period following neonatal cardiac surgery is a time of increased risk for brain injury, yet the mechanisms underlying this risk are unknown. To understand these risks more completely, we quantified changes in postoperative cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral blood flow (CBF) compared with preoperative levels by using noninvasive optical modalities. Methods Diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy were used concurrently to derive cerebral blood flow and oxygen utilization postoperatively for 12 hours. Relative changes in CMRO2, OEF, and CBF were quantified with reference to preoperative data. A mixed-effect model was used to investigate the influence of total support time and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest duration on relative changes in CMRO2, OEF, and CBF. Results Relative changes in CMRO2, OEF, and CBF were assessed in 36 patients, 21 with single-ventricle defects and 15 with 2-ventricle defects. Among patients with single-ventricle lesions, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest duration did not affect relative changes in CMRO2, CBF, or OEF (P > .05). Among 2-ventricle patients, total support time was not a significant predictor of relative changes in CMRO2 or CBF (P > .05), although longer total support time was associated significantly with greater increases in relative change of postoperative OEF (P = .008). Conclusions Noninvasive diffuse optical techniques were used to quantify postoperative relative changes in CMRO2, CBF, and OEF for the first time in this observational pilot study. Pilot data suggest that surgical duration does not account for observed variability in the relative change in CMRO2, and that more comprehensive clinical studies using the new technology are feasible and warranted to elucidate these issues further. PMID:23111021

Volatile organic compound measurements at Trinidad Head, California, during ITCT 2K2: Analysis of sources, atmospheric composition, and aerosol residence times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millet, Dylan B.; Goldstein, Allen H.; Allan, James D.; Bates, Timothy S.; Boudries, Hacene; Bower, Keith N.; Coe, Hugh; Ma, Yilin; McKay, Megan; Quinn, Patricia K.; Sullivan, Amy; Weber, Rodney J.; Worsnop, Douglas R.

2004-12-01

We report hourly in-situ observations of C1-C8 speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) obtained at Trinidad Head CA in April and May 2002 as part of the NOAA Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation study. Factor analysis of the VOC data set was used to define the dominant processes driving atmospheric chemical composition at the site, and to characterize the sources for measured species. Strong decreases in background concentration were observed for several of the VOCs during the experiment due to seasonal changes in OH concentration. CO was the most important contributor to the total measured OH reactivity at the site at all times. Oxygenated VOCs were the primary component of both the total VOC burden and of the VOC OH reactivity, and their relative importance was enhanced under conditions when local source contributions were minimal. VOC variability exhibited a strong dependence on residence time (slnX = 1.55τ-0.44, r2 = 0.98; where slnX is the standard deviation of the natural logarithm of the mixing ratio), and this relationship was used, in conjunction with measurements of 222Rn, to estimate the average OH concentration during the study period (6.1 × 105 molec/cm3). We also employed the variability-lifetime relationship defined by the VOC data set to estimate submicron aerosol residence times as a function of chemical composition. Two independent measures of aerosol chemical composition yielded consistent residence time estimates. Lifetimes calculated in this manner were between 3-7 days for aerosol nitrate, organics, sulfate, and ammonium. The lifetime estimate for methane sulfonic acid (˜12 days) was slightly outside of this range. The lifetime of the total aerosol number density was estimated at 9.8 days.

A New Method to Directly Observe Tuberculosis Treatment: Skype Observed Therapy, a Patient-Centered Approach.

PubMed

Buchman, Tavora; Cabello, Celina

Tuberculosis (TB) treatment completion is in part determined by patient's adherence to long-term drug regimens. To best ensure compliance, directly observed therapy (DOT) is considered the standard of practice. Nassau County Department of Health TB Control is responsible for providing DOT to patients with TB. Tuberculosis Control sought to use and evaluate Skype Observed Therapy (SOT) as an alternative to DOT for eligible patients. The evaluation included analysis of patient's acceptance and adherence to drug regimen using SOT. Tuberculosis Control assessed staff efficiency and cost savings for this program. Percentages of SOT of patients and successful SOT visits, mileage, and travel time savings. Twenty percent of the caseload used SOT and 100% of patients who were eligible opted in. Average SOT success was 79%. Total mileage savings and time saved were $9,929.07 and 614 hours. Because SOT saves cost and time and is a suitable alternative to DOT for patients, it should be considered as part of new policies and practices in TB control programs.

An accurate Kriging-based regional ionospheric model using combined GPS/BeiDou observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelazeem, Mohamed; Çelik, Rahmi N.; El-Rabbany, Ahmed

2018-01-01

In this study, we propose a regional ionospheric model (RIM) based on both of the GPS-only and the combined GPS/BeiDou observations for single-frequency precise point positioning (SF-PPP) users in Europe. GPS/BeiDou observations from 16 reference stations are processed in the zero-difference mode. A least-squares algorithm is developed to determine the vertical total electron content (VTEC) bi-linear function parameters for a 15-minute time interval. The Kriging interpolation method is used to estimate the VTEC values at a 1 ° × 1 ° grid. The resulting RIMs are validated for PPP applications using GNSS observations from another set of stations. The SF-PPP accuracy and convergence time obtained through the proposed RIMs are computed and compared with those obtained through the international GNSS service global ionospheric maps (IGS-GIM). The results show that the RIMs speed up the convergence time and enhance the overall positioning accuracy in comparison with the IGS-GIM model, particularly the combined GPS/BeiDou-based model.

IUE observations of Comet Halley: Evolution of the UV spectrum between September 1985 and July 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, P. D.; Festou, Michael C.; Ahearn, M. F.; Arpigny, C.; Butterworth, P. S.; Cosmovici, C. B.; Danks, A. C.; Gilmozzi, R.; Jackson, W. M.; Mcfadden, L. A.

1986-01-01

The ultraviolet spectrum of comet P/Halley was monitored with the IUE between 12 September 1985 and 8 July 1986 (r <2.6 AU pre and post-perihelion) at regular time intervals except for a two-month period around the time of perihelion. A complete characterization of the UV spectrum of the comet was obtained to derive coma abundances and to study the light emission mechanisms of the observed species. The Fine Error Sensor (FES) camera of the IUE was used to photometrically investigate the coma brightness variation on time scales of the order of hours. Spectroscopic observations as well as FES measurements show that the activity of the nucleus is highly variable, particularly at the end of December 1985 and during March and April 1986. The production rates of OH, CS and dust are derived for the entire period of the observations. The total water loss rate for this period is estimated to be 150 million metric tons.

Description and primary results of Total Solar Irradiance Monitor, a solar-pointing instrument on an Earth observing satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongrui; Fang, Wei; Li, Huiduan

2015-04-01

Solar driving mechanism for Earth climate has been a controversial problem for centuries. Long-time data of solar activity is required by the investigations of the solar driving mechanism, such as Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) record. Three Total Solar Irradiance Monitors (TSIM) have been developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics for China Meteorological Administration to maintain continuities of TSI data series which lasted for nearly 4 decades.The newest TSIM has recorded TSI daily with accurate solar pointing on the FY-3C meteorological satellite since Oct 2013. TSIM/FY-3C has a pointing system for automatic solar tracking, onboard the satellite designed mainly for Earth observing. Most payloads of FY-3C are developed for observation of land, ocean and atmosphere. Consequently, the FY-3C satellite is a nadir-pointing spacecraft with its z axis to be pointed at the center of the Earth. Previous TSIMs onboard the FY-3A and FY-3B satellites had no pointing system, solar observations were only performed when the sun swept through field-of-view of the instruments. And TSI measurements are influenced inevitably by the solar pointing errors. Corrections of the solar pointing errors were complex. The problem is now removed by TSIM/FY-3C.TSIM/FY-3C follows the sun accurately by itself using its pointing system based on scheme of visual servo control. The pointing system is consisted of a radiometer package, two motors for solar tracking, a sun sensor and etc. TSIM/FY-3C has made daily observations of TSI for more than one year, with nearly zero solar pointing errors. Short time-scale variations in TSI detected by TSIM/FY-3C are nearly the same with VIRGO/SOHO and TIM/SORCE.Instrument details, primary results of solar pointing control, solar observations and etc will be given in the presentation.

Using cure models for analyzing the influence of pathogens on salmon survival

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ray, Adam R; Perry, Russell W.; Som, Nicholas A.; Bartholomew, Jerri L

2014-01-01

Parasites and pathogens influence the size and stability of wildlife populations, yet many population models ignore the population-level effects of pathogens. Standard survival analysis methods (e.g., accelerated failure time models) are used to assess how survival rates are influenced by disease. However, they assume that each individual is equally susceptible and will eventually experience the event of interest; this assumption is not typically satisfied with regard to pathogens of wildlife populations. In contrast, mixture cure models, which comprise logistic regression and survival analysis components, allow for different covariates to be entered into each part of the model and provide better predictions of survival when a fraction of the population is expected to survive a disease outbreak. We fitted mixture cure models to the host–pathogen dynamics of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Coho Salmon O. kisutch and the myxozoan parasite Ceratomyxa shasta. Total parasite concentration, water temperature, and discharge were used as covariates to predict the observed parasite-induced mortality in juvenile salmonids collected as part of a long-term monitoring program in the Klamath River, California. The mixture cure models predicted the observed total mortality well, but some of the variability in observed mortality rates was not captured by the models. Parasite concentration and water temperature were positively associated with total mortality and the mortality rate of both Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon. Discharge was positively associated with total mortality for both species but only affected the mortality rate for Coho Salmon. The mixture cure models provide insights into how daily survival rates change over time in Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon after they become infected with C. shasta.

COAL/POLYMER COPROCESSING WITH EFFICIENT USE OF HYDROGEN

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

Dr. Linda J. Broadbelt; Matthew J. DeWitt; Hsi-Wu Wong

2000-09-30

The final project period was devoted to investigating the binary mixture pyrolysis of polypropylene and polystyrene. Their interactions were assessed in order to provide a baseline for experiments with multicomponent mixtures of polymers with coal. Pyrolysis of polypropylene, polystyrene and their binary mixture was investigated at temperatures of 350 C and 420 C with reaction times from 1 to 180 minutes. Two different loadings, 10 mg and 20 mg, were studied for neat polypropylene and polystyrene to assess the effect of total pressure on product yields and selectivities. For neat pyrolysis of polypropylene, total conversion was much higher at 420more » C, and no significant effect of loading on the total conversion was observed. Four classes of products, alkanes, alkenes, dienes, and aromatic compounds, were observed, and their distribution was explained by a typical free radical mechanism. For neat polystyrene pyrolysis, conversion reached approximately 75% at 350 C, while at 420 C the conversion reached a maximum around 90% at 10 minutes and decreased at longer times because of condensation reactions. The selectivities to major products were slightly different for the two different loadings due to the effect of total reaction pressure on secondary reactions. For binary mixture pyrolysis, the overall conversion was higher than the average of the two neat cases. The conversion of polystyrene remained the same, but a significant enhancement in the polypropylene conversion was observed. This suggests that the less reactive polypropylene was initiated by polystyrene-derived radicals. These results are summarized in detail in an attached manuscript that is currently in preparation. The other results obtained during the lifetime of this grant are documented in the set of attached manuscripts.« less

Influence of surgical experience on the efficiency of discectomy in TLIF: a cadaveric testing in 40 levels.

PubMed

Pumberger, Matthias; Hughes, Alexander P; Girardi, Federico P; Gogia, Jaspaul; Kotwal, Suhel Y; Thaler, Christoph; Sama, Andrew A

2012-12-01

Cadaveric study. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of surgical experience on the efficiency of lumbar discectomy in open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. There is limited knowledge about the efficiency of discectomy among surgeons. As a first study, we are evaluating the effect of surgical experience on it. Manual and powered discectomies were randomized and performed by 3 attending spine surgeons and 2 clinical spine fellows. Each discectomy procedure was analyzed for the area of complete endplate preparation, total elapsed time, and number of instrument passes. The surface area of discectomy at each endplate was measured utilizing digital imaging and the appropriate software. For the purpose of the analysis, the superior and the inferior endplates were divided into ipsilateral and contralateral halves, and each half was further divided into ventral and dorsal quadrants. Each quadrant was analyzed in a blinded manner by 2 observers. A total of 40 discectomies were performed on 9 fresh-frozen cadaveric torsos between the levels T12 and S1. A powered discectomy device was used in levels 9 and 11 by the attendings. Manual discectomy was performed in 11 levels by the spine fellows and 9 by the spine attendings. No significant difference was observed between the spine fellows and spine attendings when the manual instruments were used (P = 0.924). However, the spine attending surgeon group had a significantly increased total area of discectomy compared with the fellows (P = 0.003). No significant difference was observed between the groups when instrument passes or the total elapsed time were compared either utilizing the manual or the powered technique. Our results demonstrate that a satisfactory discectomy may be performed by surgeons with relatively less surgical experience in the transforaminal approach using a powered discectomy device.

Statistical and observational research of solar flare for total spectra and geometrical features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimoto, S.; Watanabe, K.; Imada, S.; Kawate, T.; Lee, K. S.

2017-12-01

Impulsive energy release phenomena such as solar flares, sometimes affect to the solar-terrestrial environment. Usually, we use soft X-ray flux (GOES class) as the index of flare scale. However, the magnitude of effect to the solar-terrestrial environment is not proportional to that scale. To identify the relationship between solar flare phenomena and influence to the solar-terrestrial environment, we need to understand the full spectrum of solar flares. There is the solar flare irradiance model named the Flare Irradiance Spectral Model (FISM) (Chamberlin et al., 2006, 2007, 2008). The FISM can estimate solar flare spectra with high wavelength resolution. However, this model can not express the time evolution of emitted plasma during the solar flare, and has low accuracy on short wavelength that strongly effects and/or controls the total flare spectra. For the purpose of obtaining the time evolution of total solar flare spectra, we are performing statistical analysis of the electromagnetic data of solar flares. In this study, we select solar flare events larger than M-class from the Hinode flare catalogue (Watanabe et al., 2012). First, we focus on the EUV emission observed by the SDO/EVE. We examined the intensities and time evolutions of five EUV lines of 55 flare events. As a result, we found positive correlation between the "soft X-ray flux" and the "EUV peak flux" for all EVU lines. Moreover, we found that hot lines peaked earlier than cool lines of the EUV light curves. We also examined the hard X-ray data obtained by RHESSI. When we analyzed 163 events, we found good correlation between the "hard X-ray intensity" and the "soft X-ray flux". Because it seems that the geometrical features of solar flares effect to those time evolutions, we also looked into flare ribbons observed by SDO/AIA. We examined 21 flare events, and found positive correlation between the "GOES duration" and the "ribbon length". We also found positive correlation between the "ribbon length" and the "ribbon distance", however, there was no remarkable correlation of the "ribbon width". To understand physical process of flare emission, we performed numerical simulation (Imada et al., 2015), and compared with the observational flare model. We also discuss the flare numerical model which can be fitted to the observational flare model.

Time-series photometric spot modeling. 2: Fifteen years of photometry of the bright RS CVn binary HR 7275

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strassmeier, K. G.; Hall, D. S.; Henry, G. W.

1994-01-01

We present a time-dependent spot modeling analysis of 15 consecutive years of V-band photometry of the long-period (P(sub orb) = 28.6 days) RS CVn binary HR 7275. This baseline in time is one of the longest, uninterrupted intervals a spotted star has been observed. The spot modeling analysis yields a total of 20 different spots throughout the time span of our observations. The distribution of the observed spot migration rates is consistent with solar-type differential rotation and suggests a lower limit of the differential-rotation coefficient of 0.022 +/-0.004. The observed, maximum lifetime of a single spot (or spot group) is 4.5 years, the minimum lifetime is approximately one year, but an average spot lives for 2.2 years. If we assume that the mechanical shear by differential rotation sets the upper limit to the spot lifetime, the observed maximum lifetime in turn sets an upper limit to the differential-rotation coefficient, namely 0.04 +/- 0.01. This would be differential rotation just 5 to 8 times less than the solar value and one of the strongest among active binaries. We found no conclusive evidence for the existence of a periodic phenomenon that could be attributed to a stellar magnetic cycle.

Chasing the Great American 2017 Total Solar Eclipse: Coronal Results from NASA's WB-57F High-Altitude Research Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caspi, A.; Tsang, C.; DeForest, C. E.; Seaton, D. B.; Bryans, P.; Burkepile, J.; Casey, T. A.; Collier, J.; Darrow, D.; DeLuca, E.; Durda, D. D.; Gallagher, P.; Golub, L.; Judge, P. G.; Laurent, G. T.; Lewis, J.; Mallini, C.; Parent, T.; Propp, T.; Steffl, A.; Tomczyk, S.; Warner, J.; West, M. J.; Wiseman, J.; Zhukov, A.

2017-12-01

Total solar eclipses present rare opportunities to study the complex solar corona, down to altitudes of just a few percent of a solar radius above the surface, using ground-based and airborne observatories that would otherwise be dominated by the intense solar disk and high sky brightness. Studying the corona is critical to gaining a better understanding of physical processes that occur on other stars and astrophysical objects, as well as understanding the dominant driver of space weather that affects human assets at Earth and elsewhere. For example, it is still poorly understood how the corona is heated to temperatures of 1-2 MK globally and up to 5-10 MK above active regions, while the underlying chromosphere is 100 times cooler; numerous theories abound, but are difficult to constrain due to the limited sensitivities and cadences of prior measurements. The origins and stability of coronal fans, and the extent of their reach to the middle and outer corona, are also not well known, limited in large part by sensitivities and fields of view of existing observations. Airborne observations during the eclipse provide unique advantages; by flying in the stratosphere at altitudes of 50 kft or higher, they avoid all weather, the seeing quality is enormously improved, and additional wavelengths such as near- IR also become available due to significantly reduced water absorption. For an eclipse, an airborne observatory can also follow the shadow, increasing the total observing time by 50% or more. We present results of solar coronal measurements from airborne observations of the 2017 Great American Total Solar Eclipse using two of NASA's WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft, each equipped with two 8.7" telescopes feeding high-sensitivity visible (green-line) and medium-wave IR (3-5 μm) cameras operating at high cadence (30 Hz) with 3 arcsec/pixel platescale and ±3 R_sun fields of view. The aircraft flew along the eclipse path, separated by 110 km, to observe a summed 7.5 minutes of totality in both visible and NIR, enabling groundbreaking studies of high-speed wave motions and nanojets in the lower corona, the structure and extent of coronal fans, and constraints on a potential primordial dust ring around the Sun. We review the mission, and the results of analysis on the visible and IR coronal measurements.

Precipitation Structure in the Sierra Nevada of California During Winter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pandey, Ganesh R.; Cayan, Daniel R.; Georgakakos, Kostantine P.

1998-01-01

The influences of upper air characteristics along the coast of California upon the winter time precipitation in the Sierra Nevada region were investigated. Most precipitation episodes in the Sierra are associated with moist southwesterly winds and also tend to occur when the 700-mb temperature is close to -2 C. This favored wind direction and temperature signifies the equal importance of moisture transport and orographic lifting for maximum precipitation frequency. Making use of this observation, simple linear models were formulated to quantify the precipitation totals observed at different sites as a function of moisture transport. The skill of the model is least for daily precipitation and increases with time scale of aggregation. In terms of incremental gain, the skill of the model is optimal for an aggregation period of 5-7 days, which is also the duration of the most frequent precipitation events in the Sierra. This indicates that upper air moisture transport at can be used to make reasonable estimates of the precipitation totals for most frequent events in the Sierra region.

Spatio-temporal variations of nitric acid total columns from 9 years of IASI measurements - a driver study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronsmans, Gaétane; Wespes, Catherine; Hurtmans, Daniel; Clerbaux, Cathy; Coheur, Pierre-François

2018-04-01

This study aims to understand the spatial and temporal variability of HNO3 total columns in terms of explanatory variables. To achieve this, multiple linear regressions are used to fit satellite-derived time series of HNO3 daily averaged total columns. First, an analysis of the IASI 9-year time series (2008-2016) is conducted based on various equivalent latitude bands. The strong and systematic denitrification of the southern polar stratosphere is observed very clearly. It is also possible to distinguish, within the polar vortex, three regions which are differently affected by the denitrification. Three exceptional denitrification episodes in 2011, 2014 and 2016 are also observed in the Northern Hemisphere, due to unusually low arctic temperatures. The time series are then fitted by multivariate regressions to identify what variables are responsible for HNO3 variability in global distributions and time series, and to quantify their respective influence. Out of an ensemble of proxies (annual cycle, solar flux, quasi-biennial oscillation, multivariate ENSO index, Arctic and Antarctic oscillations and volume of polar stratospheric clouds), only the those defined as significant (p value < 0.05) by a selection algorithm are retained for each equivalent latitude band. Overall, the regression gives a good representation of HNO3 variability, with especially good results at high latitudes (60-80 % of the observed variability explained by the model). The regressions show the dominance of annual variability in all latitudinal bands, which is related to specific chemistry and dynamics depending on the latitudes. We find that the polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) also have a major influence in the polar regions, and that their inclusion in the model improves the correlation coefficients and the residuals. However, there is still a relatively large portion of HNO3 variability that remains unexplained by the model, especially in the intertropical regions, where factors not included in the regression model (such as vegetation fires or lightning) may be at play.

Evaluation of incubation time for dermatophytes cultures.

PubMed

Rezusta, Antonio; de la Fuente, Sonia; Gilaberte, Yolanda; Vidal-García, Matxalen; Alcalá, Leticia; López-Calleja, Ana; Ruiz, Maria Angeles; Revillo, Maria José

2016-07-01

In general, it is recommended to incubate dermatophytes cultures for a minimum of 4 weeks. Several aspects of routine fungal cultures should be evaluated in order to implement appropriate and necessary changes. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum incubation time for routine dermatophytes cultures, analysing the time to find first fungal growth by visual observation. We recorded the time when the initial growth was detected for all dermatophyte isolates during a 4-year period. A total of 5459 dermatophyte cultures were submitted to our laboratory. From the total cultures, only 16 (1.42%) isolates were recovered over/after 17 days of incubation and only three dermatophyte species were recovered over 17 days. Fourteen isolates belong to Trichophyton rubrum, one isolate to Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex and one isolate to Epidermophyton floccosum. We concluded that an incubation period of 17 days is enough to establish a microbiological diagnosis of dermatophytosis. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Ablation of silicon with bursts of femtosecond laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudiuso, Caterina; Kämmer, Helena; Dreisow, Felix; Ancona, Antonio; Tünnermann, Andreas; Nolte, Stefan

2016-03-01

We report on an experimental investigation of ultrafast laser ablation of silicon with bursts of pulses. The pristine 1030nm-wavelength 200-fs pulses were split into bursts of up to 16 sub-pulses with time separation ranging from 0.5ps to 4080ps. The total ablation threshold fluence was measured depending on the burst features, finding that it strongly increases with the number of sub-pulses for longer sub-pulse delays, while a slowly increasing trend is observed for shorter separation time. The ablation depth per burst follows two different trends according to the time separation between the sub-pulses, as well as the total threshold fluence. For delays shorter than 4ps it decreases with the number of pulses, while for time separations longer than 510ps, deeper craters were achieved by increasing the number of subpulses in the burst, probably due to a change of the effective penetration depth.

Does diet mediate associations of volume and bouts of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health indicators in adolescents?

PubMed

Fletcher, Elly A; Carson, Valerie; McNaughton, Sarah A; Dunstan, David W; Healy, Genevieve N; Salmon, Jo

2017-03-01

Examine the mediating role of diet in the relationship between volume and duration of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Adolescents (12-19 years) participating in the 2003/04 and 2005/06 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Cardiometabolic health indicators were body mass index z-scores (zBMI) (n = 1,797) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n = 812). An ActiGraph hip-worn accelerometer was used to derive total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine five dietary mediators [total energy intake, discretionary foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables, and dietary quality] of the relationship between total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI and MetS. Total sedentary time was inversely associated with zBMI (β = -1.33; 95% CI -2.53 to -0.13) but attenuated after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. No significant associations were observed between usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI or either sedentary measure with MetS. None of the five dietary variables mediated any of the relationships examined. Further studies are needed to explore associations of specific time periods (e.g., after school) and bout durations with both cardiometabolic health indicators and dietary behaviors. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

Does diet mediate associations of volume and bouts of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health indicators in adolescents?

PubMed Central

Carson, Valerie; McNaughton, Sarah A.; Dunstan, David W.; Healy, Genevieve N.; Salmon, Jo

2017-01-01

Objective Examine the mediating role of diet in the relationship between volume and duration of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Methods Adolescents (12‐19 years) participating in the 2003/04 and 2005/06 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Cardiometabolic health indicators were body mass index z‐scores (zBMI) (n = 1,797) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n = 812). An ActiGraph hip‐worn accelerometer was used to derive total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24‐hour dietary recalls. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine five dietary mediators [total energy intake, discretionary foods, sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables, and dietary quality] of the relationship between total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI and MetS. Results Total sedentary time was inversely associated with zBMI (β = −1.33; 95% CI −2.53 to −0.13) but attenuated after adjusting for moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity. No significant associations were observed between usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI or either sedentary measure with MetS. None of the five dietary variables mediated any of the relationships examined. Conclusions Further studies are needed to explore associations of specific time periods (e.g., after school) and bout durations with both cardiometabolic health indicators and dietary behaviors. PMID:28120527

Generation of real-time mode high-resolution water vapor fields from GPS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chen; Penna, Nigel T.; Li, Zhenhong

2017-02-01

Pointwise GPS measurements of tropospheric zenith total delay can be interpolated to provide high-resolution water vapor maps which may be used for correcting synthetic aperture radar images, for numeral weather prediction, and for correcting Network Real-time Kinematic GPS observations. Several previous studies have addressed the importance of the elevation dependency of water vapor, but it is often a challenge to separate elevation-dependent tropospheric delays from turbulent components. In this paper, we present an iterative tropospheric decomposition interpolation model that decouples the elevation and turbulent tropospheric delay components. For a 150 km × 150 km California study region, we estimate real-time mode zenith total delays at 41 GPS stations over 1 year by using the precise point positioning technique and demonstrate that the decoupled interpolation model generates improved high-resolution tropospheric delay maps compared with previous tropospheric turbulence- and elevation-dependent models. Cross validation of the GPS zenith total delays yields an RMS error of 4.6 mm with the decoupled interpolation model, compared with 8.4 mm with the previous model. On converting the GPS zenith wet delays to precipitable water vapor and interpolating to 1 km grid cells across the region, validations with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer near-IR water vapor product show 1.7 mm RMS differences by using the decoupled model, compared with 2.0 mm for the previous interpolation model. Such results are obtained without differencing the tropospheric delays or water vapor estimates in time or space, while the errors are similar over flat and mountainous terrains, as well as for both inland and coastal areas.

Sojourning with the Homogeneous Poisson Process.

PubMed

Liu, Piaomu; Peña, Edsel A

2016-01-01

In this pedagogical article, distributional properties, some surprising, pertaining to the homogeneous Poisson process (HPP), when observed over a possibly random window, are presented. Properties of the gap-time that covered the termination time and the correlations among gap-times of the observed events are obtained. Inference procedures, such as estimation and model validation, based on event occurrence data over the observation window, are also presented. We envision that through the results in this paper, a better appreciation of the subtleties involved in the modeling and analysis of recurrent events data will ensue, since the HPP is arguably one of the simplest among recurrent event models. In addition, the use of the theorem of total probability, Bayes theorem, the iterated rules of expectation, variance and covariance, and the renewal equation could be illustrative when teaching distribution theory, mathematical statistics, and stochastic processes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This article is targeted towards both instructors and students.

[Malignant ovarian tumors and second look operations].

PubMed

Yasuda, M

1983-08-01

There are many problems that, the timing of S.L.O. the range of reduction, and side effects etc., we studied retrospectively for the S.L.O. The number of subjects were 302 of common epithelial and 251 of germinal cell tumors, totalling 553 cases. Among them, 41 cases were common epithelial and 49 cases germ cell origine respectively, totalling 90 cases of S.L.O. were carried out. Conclusion The 5 year survival rate of S.L.O. was observed to a significant extent. The mean survival time of S.L.O. group: were significantly prolonged. Complete surgery at the S.L.O. of the patient with epithelial and germinal affected the survival rate significantly.

Self-reporting bias in Chinook salmon sport fisheries in Idaho: implications for roving creel surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCormick, Joshua L.; Quist, Michael C.; Schill, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Self-reporting bias in sport fisheries of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in Idaho was quantified by comparing observed and angler-reported data. A total of 164 observed anglers fished for 541 h and caught 74 Chinook Salmon. Fifty-eight fish were harvested and 16 were released. Anglers reported fishing for 604 h, an overestimate of 63 h. Anglers reported catching 66 fish; four less harvested and four less released fish were reported than observed. A Monte Carlo simulation revealed that when angler-reported data were used, total catch was underestimated by 14–15 fish (19–20%) using the ratio-of-means estimator to calculate mean catch rate. Negative bias was reduced to six fish (8%) when the means-of-ratio estimator was used. Multiple linear regression models to predict reporting bias in time fished had poor predictive value. However, actual time fished and a categorical covariate indicating whether the angler fished continuously during their fishing trip were two variables that were present in all of the top a priori models evaluated. Underreporting of catch and overreporting of time fished by anglers present challenges when managing Chinook Salmon sport fisheries. However, confidence intervals were near target levels and using more liberal definitions of angling when estimating effort in creel surveys may decrease sensitivity to bias in angler-reported data.

Assessment of Air Pollution Effects on the Respiratory System Based on Pulmonary Function Tests Performed During Spirometry Days.

PubMed

Dąbrowiecki, Piotr; Mucha, Dominika; Gayer, Anna; Adamkiewicz, Łukasz; Badyda, Artur J

2015-01-01

The Polish Spirometry Day is an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the causes, symptoms, course, and effects that accompany respiratory diseases, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2013, the second edition of the Spirometry Day was held. It gathered 180 medical centers and other institution. The final analysis encompassed a total of 1187 persons from 26 different locations, including rural areas, and smaller and larger city agglomerations. Of this total, 755 persons (63.6 %) completed their spirometry tests for the first time in life. Each person fulfilled a questionnaire regarding the personal information, respiratory diseases, symptoms, lifestyle, and a place of residence. In the total group, 234 (19.7 %) cases of bronchial obstruction were diagnosed. A hundred and thirty four persons with obstruction, among those tested for the first time in life (17.8 %), were unaware of their disease. The lowest values of FEV1 and FEF(1)/FVC, corresponding to the highest percentage of persons with obstruction (27.9 %) were observed in small and medium cities (100,000-500,000 inhabitants). There were differences in the prevalence of obstruction depending on the distance of the place of residence from a busy traffic road. A significant decrease of both spirometric variables was observed among people living in cities above 100,000 inhabitants within a distance lower than 50 m from roads. In general, better spirometry results were observed among inhabitants living more than 150 m from main roads.

White-Light Observations of Major Flares Compared to Total Solar Irradiance and Short-Wavelength Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrie, Gordon; Kopp, Greg; Harvey, J. W.

2014-06-01

The NSO’s GONG network produces “white light” (WL) continuum intensity images from one-minute integrations averaged across a 0. Å wide band pass centered at 676 Å at one minute cadence using six sites worldwide. Clear WL signatures of solar flares are present in GONG intensity data for only the largest flares because of low spatial resolution (2.5 arcsec pixel size). For six major flares (GOES class X6.5 - X28) observed by GONG, we compare integrated GONG full-disk WL intensity curves with SORCE/TIM total solar irradiance (TSI) measurements. Distinctive p-mode signatures are evident in both GONG and SORCE time series, though the correlation between GONG and SORCE data varies from flare to flare. In some cases a clear TSI peak and an interruption of the GONG p-mode pattern accompany the flare. The flare signature is generally weaker in the GONG data, suggesting that most of the TIM flare signal arises from wavelengths shorter than the GONG band pass. The flare kernels nevertheless are clear and last many minutes in the spatially resolved GONG image time series. We also compare the GONG active region intensity observations with shorter-wavelength data. In one case observed by TRACE, the GONG and TRACE WL curves are very similar and the TRACE 160 Å curve shows a significant precursor and a long tail. In most cases the GONG WL and RHESSI 25-100 keV counts appear well correlated in time. This work utilizes GONG data obtained by the NSO Integrated Synoptic Program (NISP), managed by the National Solar Observatory, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Observations of Total Lightning Associated with Severe Convection During the Wet Season in Central Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, D.; Williams, E.; Weber, M.; Goodman, Steven J.; Raghavan, R.; Matlin, A.; Boldi, B.

1998-01-01

This paper will discuss findings of a collaborative lightning research project between National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Weather Service office In Melbourne Florida. In August 1996, NWS/MLB received a workstation which incorporates data from the KMLB WSR-88D, Cloud to Ground (CG) stroke data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), and 3D volumetric lightning data collected from the Kennedy Space Centers' Lightning Detection And Ranging (LDAR) lightning system. The two primary objectives of this lightning workstation, called Lightning Imaging Sensor Data Applications Display (USDAD), are to: observe how total lightning relates to severe convective storm morphology over central Florida, and compare ground based total lightning data (LDAR) to a satellite based lightning detection system. This presentation will focus on objective #1. The LISDAD system continuously displays CG and total lighting activity overlaid on top of the KMLB composite reflectivity product. This allows forecasters to monitor total lightning activity associated with convective cells occurring over the central Florida peninsula and adjacent coastal waters. The LISDAD system also keeps track of the amount of total lightning data, and associated KMLB radar products with individual convective cells occurring over the region. By clicking on an individual cell, a history table displays flash rate information (CG and total lightning) in one minute increments, along with radar parameter trends (echo tops, maximum dBz and height of maximum dBz) every 5 minutes. This history table Is updated continuously, without user intervention, as long as the cell is identified. Reviewing data collected during the 1997 wet season (21 cases) revealed that storms which produced severe weather (hall greater or = 0.75 in. or wind damage) typically showed a rapid rise In total lightning prior to the onset of severe weather. On average, flash rate increases of 25 FPM per minute over a time scale of approximately 5 minutes were common. These pulse severe storms typically reached values of 150 to 200 FPM with some cells exceeding 400 FPM. One finding which could have a direct application to the warning process is that the rapid increase in lightning typically occurred in advance of the warning issuance time. Comparisons between the ending time of the rapid rate increase and the time of when the warning was issued by NWS/MLB meteorologist exhibited a lead time of 8 minutes. It is conceivable that if close monitoring of the LISDAD system by operational meteorologist is routinely performed, warnings for pulse severe storms could be issued up to 4 to 6 minutes earlier than what is issued currently.

Total photoionization cross sections of atomic oxygen from threshold to 44.3 A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angel, G. C.; Samson, James A. R.

1988-01-01

Synchrotron radiation was used to obtain the relative photoionization cross section of atomic oxygen for the production of singly charged ions over the 44.3-910.5-A wavelength range. Measurement of the contribution of multiple ionization to the cross sections has made possible the determination of total photoionization cross sections below 250 A. The series of autoionizing resonances leading to the 4P state of the oxygen ion has been observed using an ionization-type experimental procedure for the first time.

Holographic entanglement entropy and cyclic cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frampton, Paul H.

2018-06-01

We discuss a cyclic cosmology in which the visible universe, or introverse, is all that is accessible to an observer while the extroverse represents the total spacetime originating from the time when the dark energy began to dominate. It is argued that entanglement entropy of the introverse is the more appropriate quantity to render infinitely cyclic, rather than the entropy of the total universe. Since vanishing entanglement entropy implies disconnected spacetimes, at the turnaround when the introverse entropy is zero the disconnected extroverse can be jettisoned with impunity.

INTEGRAL observation of SWIFT J1756.9-2508 in outburst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzola, S.; Bozzo, E.; Kuulkers, E.; Ferrigno, C.; Savchenko, V.; Ducci, L.

2018-04-01

Following the discovery of a new outburst from the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SWIFT J1756.9-2508 (ATel #11497, #11502, #11505), a dedicated target of opportunity observation with INTEGRAL was carried out from 2018 April 1 at 08:30 to 23:15 (UTC; total exposure time 85 ks). The source was detected in the 20-40 keV IBIS/ISGRI mosaic at a significance level of 20 sigma.

Portable Low-Volume Therapy for Severe Blood Loss

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

with Tukey’s post hoc test were performed to find treatment differences within different time points for total hemoglobin (tHb), pH, pressure of...Tukey’s post hoc test were performed to find treatment differences within time points. No correlation was observed for any of the parameters at any...Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB

Hydrodynamic Trails Produced by Daphnia: Size and Energetics

PubMed Central

Wickramarathna, Lalith N.; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of to and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between and , respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers. PMID:24671019

Patterns of objectively measured sedentary time in 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children: an observational study within the ENERGY-project.

PubMed

Verloigne, Maïté; Ridgers, Nicola D; Chinapaw, Mai; Altenburg, Teatske M; Bere, Elling; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Cardon, Greet; Brug, Johannes; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2017-06-14

This study examined the frequency of and differences in sedentary bouts of different durations and the total time spent in sedentary bouts on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period in a sample of 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children. Accelerometer data were collected as part of the ENERGY-project in Belgium (n = 577, 10.9 ± 0.7 years, 53% girls) in 2011. Differences in total sedentary time, sedentary bouts of 2-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and ≥30 min and total time accumulated in those bouts were examined on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period, using multilevel analyses in MLwiN 2.22. More than 60% of the participants' waking time was spent sedentary. Children typically engaged in short sedentary bouts of 2-5 and 5-10 min, which contributed almost 50% towards their total daily sedentary time. Although the differences were very small, children engaged in significantly fewer sedentary bouts of nearly all durations during after-school hours compared to during school hours and in the evening period. Children also engaged in significantly fewer sedentary bouts of 5-10, 10-20, and 20-30 min per hour on a weekend day than on a weekday. Although primary school children spend more than 60% of their waking time sedentary, they generally engaged in short sedentary bouts. Children's sedentary bouts were slightly longer on weekdays, particularly during school hours and in the evening period, although the differences were very small. These results suggest that in this age group, interventions focusing on reducing total sedentary time rather than interrupting prolonged sedentary time are needed.

Trunnionosis: Does Head Size Affect Fretting and Corrosion in Total Hip Arthroplasty?

PubMed

Del Balso, Christopher; Teeter, Matthew G; Tan, Sok Chuen; Howard, James L; Lanting, Brent A

2016-10-01

Wear and tribocorrosion at the modular head-neck taper interface may be a cause of failure in metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty (THA). The present investigation endeavored to elucidate the effect of femoral head diameter on fretting and corrosion in retrieved head-neck tapers. A retrieval analysis of THA prostheses in vivo for a minimum of 1 year was performed. Twenty-three femoral heads of 32-mm diameter were matched with 28-mm heads based on time in vivo and head length (-3 mm to +8 mm). All included implants featured a single taper design from a single manufacturer. Fretting and corrosion damage scoring was performed for each implant under stereomicroscopic visualization. Head diameter was observed to affect fretting (P = .01), with 32-mm femoral heads exhibiting greater total fretting scores than 28-mm heads. Fretting damage was greatest (P = .01) in the central concentric zone of the femoral head bore tapers, regardless of head diameter, length, or stem offset. No significant effect on total corrosion scores was observed for any head or stem variable. Retrieved implant total corrosion scores were positively correlated (ρ = 0.51, P < .001) with implantation time. Increased femoral head diameter in THA may produce greater fretting damage owing to and increased head-neck moment arm. There is no associated increase in corrosion with 28-mm and 32-mm heads of this taper design. The longer a THA prosthesis is implanted, the greater the risk of damage due to corrosion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solar Coronal Jets Extending to High Altitudes Observed during the 2017 August 21 Total Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanaoka, Yoichiro; Hasuo, Ryuichi; Hirose, Tsukasa; Ikeda, Akiko C.; Ishibashi, Tsutomu; Manago, Norihiro; Masuda, Yukio; Morita, Sakuhiro; Nakazawa, Jun; Ohgoe, Osamu; Sakai, Yoshiaki; Sasaki, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Koichi; Toi, Toshiyuki

2018-06-01

Coronal jets, which extend from the solar surface to beyond 2 R ⊙, were observed in the polar coronal hole regions during the total solar eclipse on 2017 August 21. In a time-series of white-light images of the corona spanning 70 minutes taken with our multi-site observations of this eclipse, six jets were found as narrow structures upwardly ejected with an apparent speed of about 450 km s‑1 in polar plumes. On the other hand, extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images taken with the Atmospheric Image Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory show that all of the eclipse jets were preceded by EUV jets. Conversely, all the EUV jets whose brightnesses are comparable to ordinary soft X-ray jets and that occurred in the polar regions near the eclipse period, were observed as eclipse jets. These results suggest that ordinary polar jets generally reach high altitudes and escape from the Sun as part of the solar wind.

Technical Note: New ground-based FTIR measurements at Ile de La Réunion: observations, error analysis, and comparisons with independent data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senten, C.; de Mazière, M.; Dils, B.; Hermans, C.; Kruglanski, M.; Neefs, E.; Scolas, F.; Vandaele, A. C.; Vanhaelewyn, G.; Vigouroux, C.; Carleer, M.; Coheur, P. F.; Fally, S.; Barret, B.; Baray, J. L.; Delmas, R.; Leveau, J.; Metzger, J. M.; Mahieu, E.; Boone, C.; Walker, K. A.; Bernath, P. F.; Strong, K.

2008-01-01

Ground-based high spectral resolution Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) solar absorption spectroscopy is a powerful remote sensing technique to obtain information on the total column abundances and on the vertical distribution of various constituents in the atmosphere. This work presents results from two short-term FTIR measurement campaigns in 2002 and 2004, held at the (sub)tropical site Ile de La Réunion (21°S, 55°E). These campaigns represent the first FTIR observations carried out at this site. The results include total column amounts from the surface up to 100 km of ozone (O3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon monoxide (CO), ethane (C2H6), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and nitric acid (HNO3), as well as some vertical profile information for the first four mentioned trace gases. The data are characterised in terms of the vertical information content and associated error budget. In the 2004 time series, the seasonal increase of the CO concentration was observed by the end of October, along with a sudden rise that has been attributed to biomass burning events in southern Africa and Madagascar. This attribution was based on trajectory modeling. In the same period, other biomass burning gases such as C2H6 also show an enhancement in their total column amounts which is highly correlated with the increase of the CO total columns. The observed total column values for CO are consistent with correlative data from MOPITT (Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere). Comparisons between our ground-based FTIR observations and space-borne observations from ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment - Fourier Transform Spectrometer) and HALOE (Halogen Occultation Experiment) confirm the feasibility of the FTIR measurements at Ile de La Réunion.

Comparing predictors of part-time and no vocational engagement in youth primary mental health services: A brief report.

PubMed

Cairns, Alice J; Kavanagh, David J; Dark, Frances; McPhail, Steven M

2017-05-19

This investigation aims to identify if correlates of not working or studying were also correlated with part-time vocational participation. Demographic and vocational engagement information was collected from 226 participant clinical charts aged 15 to 25 years accessing a primary youth health clinic. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine potential correlates no and part-time vocational engagement compared to those full-time. A total of 33% were not working or studying and 19% were part-time. Not working or studying was associated with secondary school dropout and a history of drug use. These associations were not observed in those participating part-time. This result suggests that the markers of disadvantage observed in those not working or studying do not carry over to those who are part-time. Potentially, those who are part-time are less vulnerable to long-term disadvantage compared to their unemployed counterparts as they do not share the same indicators of disadvantage. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Investigation of transient earth resources phenomena: Continuation study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldman, G. C.

1974-01-01

Calculated sensitivity requirements for an earth resource satellite in a geostationary orbit are reported. Radiance levels at the satellite sensor were computed for twenty top-priority Synchronous Earth Observatory Satellite (SEOS) applications. The observation requirements were reviewed and re-evaluated in terms of spectral band definition, spectral signatures of targets and backgrounds, observation time, and site location. With these data and an atmospheric attenuation and scattering model, the total radiances observed by the SEOS sensor were calculated as were the individual components contributed by the target, target variations, and the atmosphere.

The time-efficiency principle: time as the key diagnostic strategy in primary care.

PubMed

Irving, Greg; Holden, John

2013-08-01

The test and retest opportunity afforded by reviewing a patient over time substantially increases the total gain in certainty when making a diagnosis in low-prevalence settings (the time-efficiency principle). This approach safely and efficiently reduces the number of patients who need to be formally tested in order to make a correct diagnosis for a person. Time, in terms of observed disease trajectory, provides a vital mechanism for achieving this task. It remains the best strategy for delivering near-optimal diagnoses in low-prevalence settings and should be used to its full advantage.

Corpus callosum volumes in the 5 years following the first-episode of schizophrenia: Effects of antipsychotics, chronicity and maturation.

PubMed

de Moura, Mariana T M; Zanetti, Marcus V; Duran, Fabio L S; Schaufelberger, Maristela S; Menezes, Paulo R; Scazufca, Marcia; Busatto, Geraldo F; Serpa, Mauricio H

2018-01-01

White matter (WM) structural changes, particularly affecting the corpus callosum (CC), seem to be critically implicated in psychosis. Whether such abnormalities are progressive or static is still a matter of debate in schizophrenia research. Aberrant maturation processes might also influence the longitudinal trajectory of age-related CC changes in schizophrenia patients. We investigated whether patients with first-episode schizophrenia-related psychoses (FESZ) would present longitudinal CC and whole WM volume changes over the 5 years after disease onset. Thirty-two FESZ patients and 34 controls recruited using a population-based design completed a 5-year assessment protocol, including structural MRI scanning at baseline and follow-up. The linear effects of disease duration, clinical outcome and antipsychotic (AP) use over time on WM and CC volumes were studied using both voxelwise and volume-based morphometry analyses. We also examined maturation/aging abnormalities through cross-sectional analyses of age-related trajectories of total WM and CC volume changes. No interaction between diagnosis and time was observed, and clinical outcome did not influence CC volumes in patients. On the other hand, FESZ patients continuously exposed to AP medication showed volume increase over time in posterior CC. Curve-estimation analyses revealed a different aging pattern in FESZ patients versus controls: while patients displayed a linear decline of total WM and anterior CC volumes with age, a non-linear trajectory of total WM and relative preservation of CC volumes were observed in controls. Continuous AP exposure can influence CC morphology during the first years after schizophrenia onset. Schizophrenia is associated with an abnormal pattern of total WM and anterior CC aging during non-elderly adulthood, and this adds complexity to the discussion on the static or progressive nature of structural abnormalities in psychosis.

Intake and time dependence of blueberry flavonoid-induced improvements in vascular function: a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study with mechanistic insights into biological activity.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana; Rendeiro, Catarina; Bergillos-Meca, Triana; Tabatabaee, Setareh; George, Trevor W; Heiss, Christian; Spencer, Jeremy Pe

2013-11-01

There are very limited data regarding the effects of blueberry flavonoid intake on vascular function in healthy humans. We investigated the impact of blueberry flavonoid intake on endothelial function in healthy men and assessed potential mechanisms of action by the assessment of circulating metabolites and neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity. Two randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover human-intervention trials were conducted with 21 healthy men. Initially, the impact of blueberry flavonoid intake on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and polyphenol absorption and metabolism was assessed at baseline and 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after consumption of blueberry containing 766, 1278, and 1791 mg total blueberry polyphenols or a macronutrient- and micronutrient-matched control drink (0 mg total blueberry polyphenols). Second, an intake-dependence study was conducted (from baseline to 1 h) with 319, 637, 766, 1278, and 1791 mg total blueberry polyphenols and a control. We observed a biphasic time-dependent increase in FMD, with significant increases at 1-2 and 6 h after consumption of blueberry polyphenols. No significant intake-dependence was observed between 766 and 1791 mg. However, at 1 h after consumption, FMD increased dose dependently to ≤766 mg total blueberry polyphenol intake, after which FMD plateaued. Increases in FMD were closely linked to increases in circulating metabolites and by decreases in neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity at 1-2 and 6 h. Blueberry intake acutely improves vascular function in healthy men in a time- and intake-dependent manner. These benefits may be mechanistically linked to the actions of circulating phenolic metabolites on neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01292954 and NCT01829542.

Use of diagnostic imaging in the emergency department for cervical spine injuries in Kingston, Ontario.

PubMed

Pickett, William; Kukaswadia, Atif; Thompson, Wendy; Frechette, Mylene; McFaull, Steven; Dowdall, Hilary; Brison, Robert J

2014-01-01

This study assessed the use and clinical yield of diagnostic imaging (radiography, computed tomography, and medical resonance imaging) ordered to assist in the diagnosis of acute neck injuries presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in Kingston, Ontario, from 2002-2003 to 2009-2010. Acute neck injury cases were identified using records from the Kingston sites of the Canadian National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Use of radiography was analyzed over time and related to proportions of cases diagnosed with clinically significant cervical spine injuries. A total of 4,712 neck injury cases were identified. Proportions of cases referred for diagnostic imaging to the neck varied significantly over time, from 30.4% in 2002-2003 to 37.6% in 2009-2010 (ptrend  =  0.02). The percentage of total cases that were positive for clinically significant cervical spine injury ("clinical yield") also varied from a low of 5.8% in 2005-2006 to 9.2% in 2008-2009 (ptrend  =  0.04), although the clinical yield of neck-imaged cases did not increase across the study years (ptrend  =  0.23). Increased clinical yield was not observed in association with higher neck imaging rates whether that yield was expressed as a percentage of total cases positive for clinically significant injury (p  =  0.29) or as a percentage of neck-imaged cases that were positive (p  =  0.77). We observed increases in the use of diagnostic images over time, reflecting a need to reinforce an existing clinical decision rule for cervical spine radiography. Temporal increases in the clinical yield for total cases may suggest a changing case mix or more judicious use of advanced types of diagnostic imaging.

On the conditions of exponential stability in active disturbance rejection control based on singular perturbation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, S.; Gao, Z.

2017-10-01

Stability of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) is analysed in the presence of unknown, nonlinear, and time-varying dynamics. In the framework of singular perturbations, the closed-loop error dynamics are semi-decoupled into a relatively slow subsystem (the feedback loop) and a relatively fast subsystem (the extended state observer), respectively. It is shown, analytically and geometrically, that there exists a unique exponential stable solution if the size of the initial observer error is sufficiently small, i.e. in the same order of the inverse of the observer bandwidth. The process of developing the uniformly asymptotic solution of the system reveals the condition on the stability of the ADRC and the relationship between the rate of change in the total disturbance and the size of the estimation error. The differentiability of the total disturbance is the only assumption made.

Space Based Observations of Coronal Cavities in Conjunction with the Total Solar Eclipse of July 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kucera, T. A.; Berger, T. E.; Druckmuller, M.; Dietzel, M.; Gibson, S. E.; Habbal, S. R.; Morgan, H.; Reeves, K. K.; Schmit, D. J.; Seaton, D. B.

2010-01-01

In conjunction with the total solar eclipse on July 11, 2010 we coordinated a campaign between ground and space based observations. Our specific goal was to augment the ground based measurement of corona) prominence cavity temperatures made using iron lines in the IR (Habbal et al. 2010 ApJ 719 1362) with measurements performed by space based instruments. Included in the campaign were Hinode/EIS, XRT and SOT, PROBA2/SWAP, SDO/AIA, SOHO/CDS and STEREO/SECCHI/EUVI, in addition to the ground based IR measurements. We plan to use a combination of line ratio and forward modeling techniques to investigate the density and temperature structure of the cavities at that time.

Global distribution of carbon turnover times in terrestrial ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalhais, Nuno; Forkel, Matthias; Khomik, Myroslava; Bellarby, Jessica; Jung, Martin; Migliavacca, Mirco; Mu, Mingquan; Saatchi, Sassan; Santoro, Maurizio; Thurner, Martin; Weber, Ulrich; Ahrens, Bernhard; Beer, Christian; Cescatti, Alessandro; Randerson, James T.; Reichstein, Markus

2015-04-01

The response of the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems to climate variability remains one of the largest uncertainties affecting future projections of climate change. This feedback between the terrestrial carbon cycle and climate is partly determined by the response of carbon uptake and by changes in the residence time of carbon in land ecosystems, which depend on climate, soil, and vegetation type. Thus, it is of foremost importance to quantify the turnover times of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and its spatial co-variability with climate. Here, we develop a global, spatially explicit and observation-based assessment of whole-ecosystem carbon turnover times (τ) to investigate its co-variation with climate at global scale. Assuming a balance between uptake (gross primary production, GPP) and emission fluxes, τ can be defined as the ratio between the total stock (C_total) and the output or input fluxes (GPP). The estimation of vegetation (C_veg) stocks relies on new remote sensing-based estimates from Saatchi et al (2011) and Thurner et al (2014), while soil carbon stocks (C_soil) are estimated based on state of the art global (Harmonized World Soil Database) and regional (Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database) datasets. The uptake flux estimates are based on global observation-based fields of GPP (Jung et al., 2011). Globally, we find an overall mean global carbon turnover time of 23-4+7 years (95% confidence interval). A strong spatial variability globally is also observed, from shorter residence times in equatorial regions to longer periods at latitudes north of 75°N (mean τ of 15 and 255 years, respectively). The observed latitudinal pattern reflect the clear dependencies on temperature, showing increases from the equator to the poles, which is consistent with our current understanding of temperature controls on ecosystem dynamics. However, long turnover times are also observed in semi-arid and forest-herbaceous transition regions. Furthermore, based on a local correlation analysis, our results reveal a similarly strong association between τ and precipitation. A further analysis of carbon turnover times as simulated by state-of-the-art coupled climate carbon-cycle models from the CMIP5 experiments reveals wide variations between models and a tendency to underestimate the global τ by 36%. The latitudinal patterns correlate significantly with the observation-based patterns. However, the models show stronger associations between τ and temperature than the observation-based estimates. In general, the stronger relationship between τ and precipitation is not reproduced and the modeled turnover times are significantly faster in many semi-arid regions. Ultimately, these results suggest a strong role of the hydrological cycle in the carbon cycle-climate interactions, which is not currently reproduced by Earth system models.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Young star systems observed with SALT (Riedel+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, A. R.; Alam, M. K.; Rice, E. L.; Cruz, K. L.; Henry, T. J.

2017-11-01

The sample of stars was drawn from the TINYMO survey (Riedel 2012PhDT.......100R). In that survey, nearby low-proper-motion M dwarfs in the southern hemisphere were identified in the SuperCOSMOS Science Archive (Hambly+ 2001MNRAS.326.1279H). We have obtained low-resolution optical spectroscopy from the SALT telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland, South Africa and the Robert Stoble Spectrograph (RSS), which provides optical spectroscopy between 3200 and 9000Å with a resolving power of up to 6000, depending on slit width. Observations were conducted in semesters 2013A and 2013B. In total, there are 165 spectra of the 79 stars: SCR 2237-2622 was only observed once, two stars (SCR 1816-6305, 2MASS 2004-3356) were observed three times, three stars (2MASS 0510-2340B, 2MASS 1207-3247, SCR 1842-5554A) were observed four times, and the remainder were observed twice. (5 data files).

Swift/XRT detection of an outburst from SXP 15.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducci, L.; Romano, P.; Kennea, J. A.; Malacaria, C.; Covino, S.; Santangelo, A.; Evans, P. A.; Coe, M. J.; Townsend, L. J.

2017-12-01

During an observation of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) carried out from December 2nd 2017, 11:12:03 UT to 19:30:52 UT (total exposure time of 7 ks), Swift/XRT detected renewed activity from the Be X-ray binary SXP 15.3.

Strategies to optimize the performance of Robotic-assisted ­laparoscopic hysterectomy

PubMed Central

Lambrou, N.; Diaz, R.E.; Hinoul, P.; Parris, D.; Shoemaker, K.; Yoo, A.; Schwiers, M.

2014-01-01

A hybrid technique of robot-assisted, laparoscopic hysterectomy using the ENSEAL® Tissue Sealing Device is described in a retrospective, consecutive, observational case series. Over a 45 month period, 590 robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomies +/- oophorectomy for benign and malignant indications were performed by a single surgeon with a bedside assistant at a tertiary healthcare center. Patient demographics, indications for surgery, comorbidities, primary and secondary surgical procedures, total operative and surgical time, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), complications, transfusions and subsequent readmissions were analyzed. The overall complication rate was 5.9% with 35 patients experiencing 69 complications. Mean (SD) surgery time, operating room (OR) time, EBL, and LOS for the entire cohort were 75.5 (39.42) minutes, 123.8 (41.15) minutes, 83.1 (71.29) millilitres, and 1.2 (0.93) days, respectively. Mean surgery time in the first year (2009) was 91.6 minutes, which declined significantly each year by 18.0, 19.0, and 24.3 minutes, respectively. EBL and LOS did not vary ­significantly across the entire series. Using the cumulative sum method, an optimization curve for surgery time was evaluated, with three distinct optimization phases observed. In summary, the use of an advanced laparoscopic tissue-sealing device by a bedside surgical assistant provided an improved operative efficiency and reliable vessel sealing during robotic hysterectomy. PMID:25374656

Quantitative evaluation of pregnant women delivery status' records in Akure, Nigeria.

PubMed

Adejumo, Adebowale O; Suleiman, Esivue A; Okagbue, Hilary I; Oguntunde, Pelumi E; Odetunmibi, Oluwole A

2018-02-01

In this data article, monthly records (datasets) of total delivery, normal delivery, delivery through Caesarean section and number of still births from pregnant women in Akure, the capital city of Ondo state Nigeria, for a period of ten years, between January 2007 and December 2016 were considered. Correlational and time series analyses were conducted on the monthly records of total delivery, normal delivery (delivery through woman virginal), delivery through Caesarean section, and number of still births, in order to observe the patterns each of these indicators follows and to recommend appropriate model for forecasting their future values. The data were obtained in raw form from State Specialist Hospital (SSH), Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. A clear description and variation in each of these indicators (total delivery, normal delivery, caesarean section, and still births) were considered separately using descriptive statistics and box plots. Different models were also proposed for each of these indicators using time series models.

EXEIS - Expert Screening and Optimal Extraction/Injection Pumping Systems for Short-Term Plume Immobilization

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

i at time t, (L). hL lower limit on head at pump i, (L). i xviii hU upper limit on head at -’ump i, (L).i (h j ,TT) d head at observation well j which...constraints: L U hL U h .. (9) h. ih. i ...I hi,t 1 S(hj Q........................(10) J ho ,TT - (h ,TT ) d . . . . .. . . . . . .O where: I = total number...at pump i at time period t, (L); = hi, 0 -s i,t hU = upper limit on head at pump i, (L); 1 (hTT ) d = head at each observation well j which is down

Simulating recurrent event data with hazard functions defined on a total time scale.

PubMed

Jahn-Eimermacher, Antje; Ingel, Katharina; Ozga, Ann-Kathrin; Preussler, Stella; Binder, Harald

2015-03-08

In medical studies with recurrent event data a total time scale perspective is often needed to adequately reflect disease mechanisms. This means that the hazard process is defined on the time since some starting point, e.g. the beginning of some disease, in contrast to a gap time scale where the hazard process restarts after each event. While techniques such as the Andersen-Gill model have been developed for analyzing data from a total time perspective, techniques for the simulation of such data, e.g. for sample size planning, have not been investigated so far. We have derived a simulation algorithm covering the Andersen-Gill model that can be used for sample size planning in clinical trials as well as the investigation of modeling techniques. Specifically, we allow for fixed and/or random covariates and an arbitrary hazard function defined on a total time scale. Furthermore we take into account that individuals may be temporarily insusceptible to a recurrent incidence of the event. The methods are based on conditional distributions of the inter-event times conditional on the total time of the preceeding event or study start. Closed form solutions are provided for common distributions. The derived methods have been implemented in a readily accessible R script. The proposed techniques are illustrated by planning the sample size for a clinical trial with complex recurrent event data. The required sample size is shown to be affected not only by censoring and intra-patient correlation, but also by the presence of risk-free intervals. This demonstrates the need for a simulation algorithm that particularly allows for complex study designs where no analytical sample size formulas might exist. The derived simulation algorithm is seen to be useful for the simulation of recurrent event data that follow an Andersen-Gill model. Next to the use of a total time scale, it allows for intra-patient correlation and risk-free intervals as are often observed in clinical trial data. Its application therefore allows the simulation of data that closely resemble real settings and thus can improve the use of simulation studies for designing and analysing studies.

Impact of sleep duration on seizure frequency in adults with epilepsy: a sleep diary study.

PubMed

Cobabe, Maurine M; Sessler, Daniel I; Nowacki, Amy S; O'Rourke, Colin; Andrews, Noah; Foldvary-Schaefer, Nancy

2015-02-01

Prolonged sleep deprivation activates epileptiform EEG abnormalities and seizures in people with epilepsy. Few studies have addressed the effect of chronic partial sleep deprivation on seizure occurrence in populations with epilepsy. We tested the primary hypothesis that partial sleep deprivation over 24- and 72-hour periods increases seizure occurrence in adults with epilepsy. Forty-four subjects completed a series of self-reported instruments, as well as 1-month sleep and seizure diaries, to characterize their sleep and quality of life. Diaries were used to determine the relationship between seizure occurrence and total sleep time 24 and 72h before seizure occurrence using random effects models and a logistic regression model fit by generalized estimating equations. A total of 237 seizures were recorded during 1295 diary days, representing 5.5±7.0 (mean±SD) seizures per month. Random effects models for 24- and 72-hour total sleep times showed no clinically or statistically significant differences in the total sleep time between preseizure periods and seizure-free periods. The average 24-hour total sleep time during preseizure 24-hour periods was 8min shorter than that during seizure-free periods (p=0.51). The average 72-hour total sleep time during preseizure periods was 20min longer than that during seizure-free periods (p=0.86). The presence of triggers was a significant predictor of seizure occurrence, with stress/anxiety noted most often as a trigger. Mean total sleep time was 9h, and subjects took an average of 12±10 naps per month, having a mean duration of 1.9±1.2h. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and insomnia symptoms were commonly reported. Small degrees of sleep loss were not associated with seizure occurrence in our sample of adults with epilepsy. Our results also include valuable observations of the altered sleep times and frequent napping habits of adults with refractory epilepsy and the potential contribution of these habits to quality of life and seizure control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

'Real-life' study of imatinib therapy in chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia: A novel retrospective observational longitudinal analysis.

PubMed

Merante, Serena; Ferretti, Virginia; Elena, Chiara; Calvello, Celeste; Rocca, Barbara; Zappatore, Rita; Cavigliano, Paola; Orlandi, Ester

2017-01-01

Imatinib is a cornerstone of treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. It remains unclear whether transient treatment discontinuation or dose changes affect outcome and this approach has not yet been approved for use outside clinical trials. We conducted a retrospective single-institution observational study to evaluate factors affecting response in 'real-life' clinical practice in 138 chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase treated with imatinib. We used a novel longitudinal data analytical model, with a generalized estimating equation model, to study BCR-ABL variation according to continuous standard dose, change in dose or discontinuation; BCR-ABL transcript levels were recorded. Treatment history was subdivided into time periods for which treatment was given at constant dosage (total 483 time periods). Molecular and cytogenetic complete response was observed after 154 (32%) and 358 (74%) time periods, respectively. After adjusting for length of time period, no association between dose and cytogenetic complete response rate was observed. There was a significantly lower molecular complete response rate after time periods at a high imatinib dosage. This statistical approach can identify individual patient variation in longitudinal data collected over time and suggests that changes in dose or discontinuation of therapy could be considered in patients with appropriate biological characteristics.

ΔT and tidal acceleration values from three european medieval eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, M. J.; Marco, F. J.

2011-10-01

There are many possible reasons for the fact that the rate of rotation of the Earth is slowly decreasing in time, being the most important the tidal friction. Since Universal Time (UT) is a time scale based on the rotation of the Earth and ΔT defined as the difference between the uniform time-scale (Dynamical Time), and the Universal Time, clearly that ΔT will vary with time. The problem is that this variation is not uniform, existing irregular fluctuations. In addition, it is not possible to predict exact values for ΔT, being the only possibility its deduction a posteriori from observations. ΔT is strongly related with occultations and eclipses, because it is used for the calculation of exact times of the event, and for determining the position of the central line or the zone of visibility. In this sense, a value ΔT =3600s is roughly equivalent to a shift of 15. in longitude. Past values of ΔT can be deduced from historical astronomical observations such as ancient eclipses which have been widely studied by F.R. Stephenson [3] and [4] who has even obtained an approximation fitted with cubic splines for ΔT from -500 to +1950. This approximation is nowadays widely used in astronomical calculations. The derived relative error from ΔT obtained from ancient eclipsed is quite large, mainly because of the large width of the totality zone and the inaccuracy in the definition of the observational place. A possibility to partially solve these former problems is the analysis of total eclipse records from multiple sites, which could provide a narrow parameter range. In addition, The conjunct analysis of these astronomical phenomena is useful for determining a range of ΔT in function of the tidal acceleration of the Moon. Further discussion about these eclipses in under review.

An insight on correlations between kinematic rupture parameters from dynamic ruptures on rough faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thingbijam, Kiran Kumar; Galis, Martin; Vyas, Jagdish; Mai, P. Martin

2017-04-01

We examine the spatial interdependence between kinematic parameters of earthquake rupture, which include slip, rise-time (total duration of slip), acceleration time (time-to-peak slip velocity), peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. These parameters were inferred from dynamic rupture models obtained by simulating spontaneous rupture on faults with varying degree of surface-roughness. We observe that the correlations between these parameters are better described by non-linear correlations (that is, on logarithm-logarithm scale) than by linear correlations. Slip and rise-time are positively correlated while these two parameters do not correlate with acceleration time, peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. On the other hand, peak slip velocity correlates positively with rupture velocity but negatively with acceleration time. Acceleration time correlates negatively with rupture velocity. However, the observed correlations could be due to weak heterogeneity of the slip distributions given by the dynamic models. Therefore, the observed correlations may apply only to those parts of rupture plane with weak slip heterogeneity if earthquake-rupture associate highly heterogeneous slip distributions. Our findings will help to improve pseudo-dynamic rupture generators for efficient broadband ground-motion simulations for seismic hazard studies.

Balance and gait analysis of senior tumble-prone patients with cerebrovascular disease.

PubMed

Fang, Hong

2017-05-01

This study aims to observe the tumble status for senior patients with cerebrovascular disease, and to analyze the balance and gait condition in order to provide the basis for clinical prevention and nursing care. A total of 48 senior patients with cerebrovascular disease were investigated with the Tinetti balance and gait evaluation, and the relation between tumble occurrence and balance ability was interrogated. The total score of balance evaluation value and gait value for 89.1% of the senior patients with cerebrovascular disease was fewer than 19 points, which indicated a risk of tumble. The majority of patients could not complete the immediate standing balance well, turning stand balance, mild chest-pushed balance and eyes-closed standing balance. The occurrence of immediate standing balance and turning stand balance fewer than three times was less frequent than the occurrence of tumble for one time, which had significant difference (P<0.05). The senior patients with cerebrovascular disease and immediate standing balance and turning stand balance could easily tumble many times, which was crucial for the nursing staff to carry out preventive strategies. Detailed observations of balance and gait function for senior patients were described, which provided a promising basis for designing appropriate nursing measures.

Emissions of methane in Europe inferred by total column measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wunch, D.; Deutscher, N. M.; Hase, F.; Notholt, J.; Sussmann, R.; Toon, G. C.; Warneke, T.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric total column measurements have been used to infer emissions of methane in urban centres around the world. These measurements have been shown to be useful for verifying city-scale bottom-up inventories, and they can provide both timely and sub-annual emission information. We will present our analysis of atmospheric total column measurements of methane and carbon monoxide to infer annual and seasonal regional emissions of methane within Europe using five long-running atmospheric observatories. These observatories are part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network, part of a global network that has been carefully designed to measure these gases on a consistent scale. Our inferred emissions will then be used to evaluate gridded emissions inventories in the region.

Time-shifted synchronization of chaotic oscillator chains without explicit coupling delays.

PubMed

Blakely, Jonathan N; Stahl, Mark T; Corron, Ned J

2009-12-01

We examine chains of unidirectionally coupled oscillators in which time-shifted synchronization occurs without explicit delays in the coupling. In numerical simulations and in an experimental system of electronic oscillators, we examine the time shift and the degree of distortion (primarily in the form of attenuation) of the waveforms of the oscillators located far from the drive oscillator. Surprisingly, under weak coupling we observe minimal attenuation in spite of a significant total time shift. In contrast, at higher coupling strengths the observed attenuation increases dramatically and approaches the value predicted by an analytically derived estimate. In this regime, we verify directly that generalized synchronization is maintained over the entire chain length despite severe attenuation. These results suggest that weak coupling generally may produce higher quality synchronization in systems for which truly identical synchronization is not possible.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Light curves of AV Hya and DZ Cas (Yang+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.-G.; Li, L.-H.; Dai, H.-F.

2013-10-01

BVR photometry of AV Hya and DZ Cas was acquired with the 60cm telescope at the Xinglong stations (XLs) of the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC). The standard Johnson-Cousins UBVRI filters were used. Photometric observations of AV Hya were obtained on 2009 January 1, 6, and 9. another two eclipsing times of AV Hya were observed on 2008 December 17 and 2011 September 5 using the 85cm telescope at the Xinglong station of NAOC. DZ Cas was observed from 2011 September 29 to October 2. Additionally, two eclipsing times of DZ Cas were obtained on 2004 December 4 and 6 using the 1.0m telescope of the Yunnan Astronomical Observatory (YNAO), and on 2009 November 4 with the 1.0m telescope at the Weihai observatory (WHO) of Shandong University in China. For AV Hya, we collected a total of 130 light minimum times which cover the time span 1944-2011 (Table 3). For DZ Cas, the 93 collected eclipsing times come from 1934 up to 2012, with a long gap between 1981 and 1990. (5 data files).

Multiband optical variability of the blazar OJ 287 during its outbursts in 2015-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Alok C.; Agarwal, Aditi; Mishra, Alka; Gaur, H.; Wiita, P. J.; Gu, M. F.; Kurtanidze, O. M.; Damljanovic, G.; Uemura, M.; Semkov, E.; Strigachev, A.; Bachev, R.; Vince, O.; Zhang, Z.; Villarroel, B.; Kushwaha, P.; Pandey, A.; Abe, T.; Chanishvili, R.; Chigladze, R. A.; Fan, J. H.; Hirochi, J.; Itoh, R.; Kanda, Y.; Kawabata, M.; Kimeridze, G. N.; Kurtanidze, S. O.; Latev, G.; Dimitrova, R. V. Muñoz; Nakaoka, T.; Nikolashvili, M. G.; Shiki, K.; Sigua, L. A.; Spassov, B.

2017-03-01

We present recent optical photometric observations of the blazar OJ 287 taken during 2015 September-2016 May. Our intense observations of the blazar started in 2015 November and continued until 2016 May and included detection of the large optical outburst in 2015 December that was predicted using the binary black hole model for OJ 287. For our observing campaign, we used a total of nine ground-based optical telescopes of which one is in Japan, one is in India, three are in Bulgaria, one is in Serbia, one is in Georgia, and two are in the USA. These observations were carried out in 102 nights with a total of ∼1000 image frames in BVRI bands, though the majority were in the R band. We detected a second comparably strong flare in 2016 March. In addition, we investigated multiband flux variations, colour variations, and spectral changes in the blazar on diverse time-scales as they are useful in understanding the emission mechanisms. We briefly discuss the possible physical mechanisms most likely responsible for the observed flux, colour, and spectral variability.

Fourth-grade children's dietary recall accuracy is influenced by retention interval (target period and interview time).

PubMed

Baxter, Suzanne Domel; Hardin, James W; Guinn, Caroline H; Royer, Julie A; Mackelprang, Alyssa J; Smith, Albert F

2009-05-01

For a 24-hour dietary recall, two possible target periods are the prior 24 hours (24 hours immediately preceding the interview time) and previous day (midnight to midnight of the day before the interview), and three possible interview times are morning, afternoon, and evening. Target period and interview time determine the retention interval (elapsed time between to-be-reported meals and the interview), which, along with intervening meals, can influence reporting accuracy. The effects of target period and interview time on children's accuracy for reporting school meals during 24-hour dietary recalls were investigated. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS/SETTING: During the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007 school years in Columbia, SC, each of 374 randomly selected fourth-grade children (96% African American) was observed eating two consecutive school meals (breakfast and lunch) and interviewed to obtain a 24-hour dietary recall using one of six conditions defined by crossing two target periods with three interview times. Each condition had 62 or 64 children (half boys). Accuracy for reporting school meals was quantified by calculating rates for omissions (food items observed eaten but unreported) and intrusions (food items reported eaten but unobserved); a measure of total inaccuracy combined errors for reporting food items and amounts. For each accuracy measure, analysis of variance was conducted with target period, interview time, their interaction, sex, interviewer, and school year in the model. There was a target-period effect and a target-period by interview-time interaction on omission rates, intrusion rates, and total inaccuracy (six P values <0.004). For prior-24-hour recalls compared to previous-day recalls, and for prior-24-hour recalls in the afternoon and evening compared to previous-day recalls in the afternoon and evening, omission rates were better by one third, intrusion rates were better by one half, and total inaccuracy was better by one third. To enhance children's dietary recall accuracy, target periods and interview times that minimize the retention interval should be chosen.

Laboratory investigations of the effects of geologic heterogeneity on groundwater salinization and flush-out times from a tsunami-like event.

PubMed

Vithanage, M; Engesgaard, P; Jensen, K H; Illangasekare, T H; Obeysekera, J

2012-08-01

This intermediate scale laboratory experimental study was designed to improve the conceptual understanding of aquifer flushing time associated with diffuse saltwater contamination of coastal aquifers due to a tsunami-like event. The motivation comes from field observations made after the tsunami in December, 2004 in South Asia. The focus is on the role and effects of heterogeneity on flushing effectiveness. A scheme that combines experimentation in a 4.8m long laboratory tank and numerical modeling was used. To demonstrate the effects of geologic heterogeneity, plume migration and flushing times were analyzed in both homogeneous and layered media and under different boundary conditions (ambient flow, saltwater infiltration rate, freshwater recharge). Saltwater and freshwater infiltrations imitate the results of the groundwater salinization from the tsunami and freshening from the monsoon rainfall. The saltwater plume behavior was monitored both through visual observations (digital photography) of the dyed salt water and using measurements taken from several electrical conductivity sensors installed through the tank walls. The variable-density, three dimensional code HST3D was used to simulate the tank experiments and understand the fate and movement of the saltwater plume under field conditions. The results from the tank experiments and modeling demonstrated that macro-scale heterogeneity significantly influenced the migration patterns and flushing times of diffuse saltwater contamination. Ambient flow had a direct influence on total flush-out time, and heterogeneity impacted flush-out times for the top part of the tank and total flush-out times. The presence of a continuous low-permeability layer caused a 40% increase in complete flush-out time due to the slower flow of salt water in the low-permeability layer. When a relatively small opening was introduced in the low-permeability layer, salt water migrated quickly into a higher-permeable layer below causing a reduction in flush-out time. Freshwater recharge caused an early dilution of salt water in the top part of the tank in the case of a layered media, but also pushed the saltwater plume into the low-permeability layer which led to increased total flush-out times. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ELF/VLF wave propagation at subauroral latitudes: Conjugate observation between the ground and Van Allen Probes A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Calderon, Claudia; Shiokawa, Kazuo; Miyoshi, Yoshizumi; Keika, Kunihiro; Ozaki, Mitsunori; Schofield, Ian; Connors, Martin; Kletzing, Craig; Hanzelka, Miroslav; Santolik, Ondrej; Kurth, William S.

2016-06-01

We report simultaneous observation of ELF/VLF emissions, showing similar spectral and frequency features, between a VLF receiver at Athabasca (ATH), Canada, (L = 4.3) and Van Allen Probes A (Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) A). Using a statistical database from 1 November 2012 to 31 October 2013, we compared a total of 347 emissions observed on the ground with observations made by RBSP in the magnetosphere. On 25 February 2013, from 12:46 to 13:39 UT in the dawn sector (04-06 magnetic local time (MLT)), we observed a quasiperiodic (QP) emission centered at 4 kHz, and an accompanying short pulse lasting less than a second at 4.8 kHz in the dawn sector (04-06 MLT). RBSP A wave data showed both emissions as right-hand polarized with their Poynting vector earthward to the Northern Hemisphere. Using cross-correlation analysis, we did, for the first time, time delay analysis of a conjugate ELF/VLF event between ground and space, finding +2 to +4 s (ATH first) for the QP and -3 s (RBSP A first) for the pulse. Using backward tracing from ATH to the geomagnetic equator and forward tracing from the equator to RBSP A, based on plasmaspheric density observed by the spacecraft, we validate a possible propagation path for the QP emission which is consistent with the observed time delay.

Extreme events in total ozone over Arosa - Part 1: Application of extreme value theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, H. E.; Staehelin, J.; Maeder, J. A.; Peter, T.; Ribatet, M.; Davison, A. C.; Stübi, R.; Weihs, P.; Holawe, F.

2010-10-01

In this study ideas from extreme value theory are for the first time applied in the field of stratospheric ozone research, because statistical analysis showed that previously used concepts assuming a Gaussian distribution (e.g. fixed deviations from mean values) of total ozone data do not adequately address the structure of the extremes. We show that statistical extreme value methods are appropriate to identify ozone extremes and to describe the tails of the Arosa (Switzerland) total ozone time series. In order to accommodate the seasonal cycle in total ozone, a daily moving threshold was determined and used, with tools from extreme value theory, to analyse the frequency of days with extreme low (termed ELOs) and high (termed EHOs) total ozone at Arosa. The analysis shows that the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) provides an appropriate model for the frequency distribution of total ozone above or below a mathematically well-defined threshold, thus providing a statistical description of ELOs and EHOs. The results show an increase in ELOs and a decrease in EHOs during the last decades. The fitted model represents the tails of the total ozone data set with high accuracy over the entire range (including absolute monthly minima and maxima), and enables a precise computation of the frequency distribution of ozone mini-holes (using constant thresholds). Analyzing the tails instead of a small fraction of days below constant thresholds provides deeper insight into the time series properties. Fingerprints of dynamical (e.g. ENSO, NAO) and chemical features (e.g. strong polar vortex ozone loss), and major volcanic eruptions, can be identified in the observed frequency of extreme events throughout the time series. Overall the new approach to analysis of extremes provides more information on time series properties and variability than previous approaches that use only monthly averages and/or mini-holes and mini-highs.

Extreme events in total ozone over Arosa - Part 1: Application of extreme value theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, H. E.; Staehelin, J.; Maeder, J. A.; Peter, T.; Ribatet, M.; Davison, A. C.; Stübi, R.; Weihs, P.; Holawe, F.

2010-05-01

In this study ideas from extreme value theory are for the first time applied in the field of stratospheric ozone research, because statistical analysis showed that previously used concepts assuming a Gaussian distribution (e.g. fixed deviations from mean values) of total ozone data do not adequately address the structure of the extremes. We show that statistical extreme value methods are appropriate to identify ozone extremes and to describe the tails of the Arosa (Switzerland) total ozone time series. In order to accommodate the seasonal cycle in total ozone, a daily moving threshold was determined and used, with tools from extreme value theory, to analyse the frequency of days with extreme low (termed ELOs) and high (termed EHOs) total ozone at Arosa. The analysis shows that the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) provides an appropriate model for the frequency distribution of total ozone above or below a mathematically well-defined threshold, thus providing a statistical description of ELOs and EHOs. The results show an increase in ELOs and a decrease in EHOs during the last decades. The fitted model represents the tails of the total ozone data set with high accuracy over the entire range (including absolute monthly minima and maxima), and enables a precise computation of the frequency distribution of ozone mini-holes (using constant thresholds). Analyzing the tails instead of a small fraction of days below constant thresholds provides deeper insight into the time series properties. Fingerprints of dynamical (e.g. ENSO, NAO) and chemical features (e.g. strong polar vortex ozone loss), and major volcanic eruptions, can be identified in the observed frequency of extreme events throughout the time series. Overall the new approach to analysis of extremes provides more information on time series properties and variability than previous approaches that use only monthly averages and/or mini-holes and mini-highs.

Insights into Tropical Tropospheric Ozone from Satellite and Sonde Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.

2003-01-01

The first climatological overview of total, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone in the southern hemisphere tropical and subtropics is based on ozone sounding data from 10 sites comprising the Southern Hemisphere Additional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) network. Observations were made over: Ascension Island; Nairobi, Kenya; Irene, South Africa; Reunion Island; Watukosek, Java; Fiji; Tahiti; American Samoa; San Cristobal, Galapagos; Natal, Brazil. The data reside at: http://code916.gsfc.nasa.gov/Data_services/shadoz. SHADOZ ozone time-series and profiles give a perspective on tropical total, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone. Prominent features are highly variable tropospheric ozone and a zonal wave-one pattern in total (and tropospheric) column ozone. Dynamical and chemical influences appear to be of comparable magnitude though model studies are needed to quantify this. In addition to leading the SHADOZ network, we have been producing near-real tropical tropospheric ozone ('TTO') data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) since 1997 with Prof. Hudson and students at the University of Maryland: http://metosrv2.umd.edu/tropo. Further perspective on the complexity of tropospheric ozone variability is shown using satellite observations.

Trends of ozone total columns and vertical distribution from FTIR observations at 8 NDACC stations around the globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vigouroux, C.; Blumenstock, T.; Coffey, M.; Errera, Q.; García, O.; Jones, N. B.; Hannigan, J. W.; Hase, F.; Liley, B.; Mahieu, E.; Mellqvist, J.; Notholt, J.; Palm, M.; Persson, G.; Schneider, M.; Servais, C.; Smale, D.; Thölix, L.; De Mazière, M.

2014-09-01

Ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements of solar absorption spectra can provide ozone total columns with a precision of 2%, but also independent partial column amounts in about four vertical layers, one in the troposphere and three in the stratosphere up to about 45 km, with a precision of 5-6%. We use eight of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Compososition Change (NDACC) stations having a long-term time series of FTIR ozone measurements to study the total and vertical ozone trends and variability, namely: Ny-Alesund (79° N), Thule (77° N), Kiruna (68° N), Harestua (60° N), Jungfraujoch (47° N), Izaña (28° N), Wollongong (34° S) and Lauder (45° S). The length of the FTIR time-series varies by station, but is typically from about 1995 to present. We applied to the monthly means of the ozone total and four partial columns a stepwise multiple regression model including the following proxies: solar cycle, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Arctic and Antarctic Oscillation (AO/AAO), tropopause pressure (TP), equivalent latitude (EL), Eliassen-Palm flux (EPF), and volume of polar stratospheric clouds (VPSC). At the Arctic stations, the trends are found mostly negative in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, very mixed in the middle stratosphere, positive in the upper stratosphere due to a large increase in the 1995-2003 period, and non-significant when considering the total columns. The trends for mid-latitude and subtropical stations are all non-significant, except at Lauder in the troposphere and upper stratosphere, and at Wollongong for the total columns and the lower and middle stratospheric columns; at Jungfraujoch, the upper stratospheric trend is close to significance (+0.9 ± 1.0 % decade-1). Therefore, some signs of the onset of ozone mid-latitude recovery are observed only in the Southern Hemisphere, while a few more years seems to be needed to observe it at the northern mid-latitude station.

Trends of ozone total columns and vertical distribution from FTIR observations at eight NDACC stations around the globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vigouroux, C.; Blumenstock, T.; Coffey, M.; Errera, Q.; García, O.; Jones, N. B.; Hannigan, J. W.; Hase, F.; Liley, B.; Mahieu, E.; Mellqvist, J.; Notholt, J.; Palm, M.; Persson, G.; Schneider, M.; Servais, C.; Smale, D.; Thölix, L.; De Mazière, M.

2015-03-01

Ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements of solar absorption spectra can provide ozone total columns with a precision of 2% but also independent partial column amounts in about four vertical layers, one in the troposphere and three in the stratosphere up to about 45km, with a precision of 5-6%. We use eight of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) stations having a long-term time series of FTIR ozone measurements to study the total and vertical ozone trends and variability, namely, Ny-Ålesund (79° N), Thule (77° N), Kiruna (68° N), Harestua (60° N), Jungfraujoch (47° N), Izaña (28° N), Wollongong (34° S) and Lauder (45° S). The length of the FTIR time series varies by station but is typically from about 1995 to present. We applied to the monthly means of the ozone total and four partial columns a stepwise multiple regression model including the following proxies: solar cycle, quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Arctic and Antarctic Oscillation (AO/AAO), tropopause pressure (TP), equivalent latitude (EL), Eliassen-Palm flux (EPF), and volume of polar stratospheric clouds (VPSC). At the Arctic stations, the trends are found mostly negative in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, very mixed in the middle stratosphere, positive in the upper stratosphere due to a large increase in the 1995-2003 period, and non-significant when considering the total columns. The trends for mid-latitude and subtropical stations are all non-significant, except at Lauder in the troposphere and upper stratosphere and at Wollongong for the total columns and the lower and middle stratospheric columns where they are found positive. At Jungfraujoch, the upper stratospheric trend is close to significance (+0.9 ± 1.0% decade-1). Therefore, some signs of the onset of ozone mid-latitude recovery are observed only in the Southern Hemisphere, while a few more years seem to be needed to observe it at the northern mid-latitude station.

Long-term reconstructions of total solar irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivova, Natalie; Solanki, Sami K.; Dasi Espuig, Maria

2012-07-01

Solar irradiance is the main external driver of the Earth's climate, although its relative contribution compared to other internal and anthropogenic factors is not yet well determined. Variations of total solar irradiance have being measured for over three decades and are relatively well understood. Reconstructions of the irradiance into the past remain, however, rather uncertain. In particular, the magnitude of the secular change is highly debated. The reason is the lack of direct and well-sampled proxies of solar magnetic activity on time scales longer than a few decades. Reconstructions on time scales of centuries rely on sunspot observations available since 1610. Reconstructions on millennial time scales use concentrations of the cosmogenic isotopes in terrestrial archives. We will review long-term reconstructions of the solar irradiance using the SATIRE set of models, compare them with other recent models and discuss the remaining uncertainties.

Status of Pelagic Prey Fishes in Lake Michigan, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, David M.; Farha, Steven A.; Claramunt, Randall M.; Hanson, Dale; O'Brien, Timothy P.

2015-01-01

Acoustic surveys were conducted in late summer/early fall during the years 1992-1996 and 2001-2014 to estimate pelagic prey fish biomass in Lake Michigan. Midwater trawling during the surveys as well as target strength provided a measure of species and size composition of the fish community for use in scaling acoustic data and providing species-specific abundance estimates. The 2014 survey consisted of 27 acoustic transects (603 km total) and 31 midwater trawl tows. Four additional transects were sampled in Green Bay but were not included in lakewide estimates. Mean prey fish biomass was 6.5 kg/ha [31.7 kilotonnes (kt = 1,000 metric tons)], equivalent to 69.9 million pounds, which was similar to the estimate in 2013 (29.6 kt) and 25% of the long-term (19 years) mean. The numeric density of the 2014 alewife year-class was 3% of the time series average and was the lowest observed in the 19 years of sampling. This year-class contributed <1% of total alewife biomass (4.6 kg/ha). Alewife ≥age-1 comprised 99.5% of alewife biomass. Numeric density of alewife in Green Bay was more than three times that of the main lake. In 2014, alewife comprised 71% of total prey fish biomass, while rainbow smelt and bloater were 1% and 28% of total biomass, respectively. Rainbow smelt biomass in 2014 (0.08 kg/ha) was 66% lower than in 2013, 2% of the long-term mean, and lower than in any previous year. Bloater biomass in 2014 was 1.8 kg/ha, nearly three times more than the 2013 biomass, and 20% of the long-term mean. Mean density of small bloater in 2014 (122 fish/ha) was lower than peak values observed in 2007-2009 but was similar to the time series mean (124 fish/ha). In 2014, pelagic prey fish biomass in Lake Michigan was 71% of that in Lake Huron (all basins), where the community is dominated by bloater.

Diversity of cuticular wax among Salix species and Populus species hybrids.

PubMed

Cameron, Kimberly D; Teece, Mark A; Bevilacqua, Eddie; Smart, Lawrence B

2002-08-01

The leaf cuticular waxes of three Salix species and two Populus species hybrids, selected for their ability to produce high amounts of biomass, were characterized. Samples were extracted in CH(2)Cl(2) three times over the growing season. Low kV SEM was utilized to observe differences in the ultrastructure of leaf surfaces from each clone. Homologous series of wax components were classified into organic groups, and the variation in wax components due to clone, sample time, and their interaction was identified. All Salix species and Populus species hybrids showed differences in total wax load at each sampling period, whereas the pattern of wax deposition over time differed only between the Salix species. A strong positive relationship was identified between the entire homologous series of alcohols and total wax load in all clones. Similarly strong relationships were observed between fatty acids and total wax load as well as fatty acids and alcohols in two Salix species and one Populus species hybrid. One Salix species, S. dasyclados, also displayed a strong positive relationship between alcohols and alkanes. These data indicate that species grown under the same environmental conditions produce measurably different cuticular waxes and that regulation of wax production appears to be different in each species. The important roles cuticular waxes play in drought tolerance, pest, and pathogen resistance, as well as the ease of wax extraction and analysis, strongly suggest that the characteristics of the cuticular wax may prove to be useful selectable traits in a breeding program.

[Airborne particles in a multi-wall carbon nanotube production plant: observation of particle emission and personal exposure 1: Measurement in the packing process].

PubMed

Takaya, Mitsutoshi; Serita, Fumio; Ono-Ogasawara, Mariko; Shinohara, Yasushi; Saito, Hiroyuki; Koda, Shigeki

2010-01-01

In order to assess the exposure risks of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for packing workers, we carried out real-time monitoring in the two types of packing facilities of MWCNT, and exposure measurements for the packing workers. In the real-time monitoring, a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and an optical particle counter (OPC) were used to measure nanoscale particles and sub-micron/micron scale particles, respectively. A personal sampler with PM 4.0 was used to measure the personal exposures in the packing facilities. One of the packing facilities is manually operated and the other is automated. The concentrations of airborne dust in both facilities were almost the same as each other at 0.24 mg/m(3) (total dust). However, the results of personal exposure measurements were quite different between the two facilities. The exposure concentrations of workers in the manually and automated operations were 2.39/0.39 (total/respirable) mg/m(3) and 0.29/0.08 (total/respirable) mg/m(3), respectively. From the time series study, submicron scale particles were released into the workplace air when the CNT products were put into temporary container bags from a hopper and manually packed into shipping bags. However, the task-related nanoscale particle release was not observed. The manual packing operation is one of the "hot spots" in MWCNT production facilities, and automation brings much improvement to reduce MWCNT exposure.

Are There Side Effects to Watching 3D Movies? A Prospective Crossover Observational Study on Visually Induced Motion Sickness

PubMed Central

Solimini, Angelo G.

2013-01-01

Background The increasing popularity of commercial movies showing three dimensional (3D) images has raised concern about possible adverse side effects on viewers. Methods and Findings A prospective carryover observational study was designed to assess the effect of exposure (3D vs. 2D movie views) on self reported symptoms of visually induced motion sickness. The standardized Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) was self administered on a convenience sample of 497 healthy adult volunteers before and after the vision of 2D and 3D movies. Viewers reporting some sickness (SSQ total score>15) were 54.8% of the total sample after the 3D movie compared to 14.1% of total sample after the 2D movie. Symptom intensity was 8.8 times higher than baseline after exposure to 3D movie (compared to the increase of 2 times the baseline after the 2D movie). Multivariate modeling of visually induced motion sickness as response variables pointed out the significant effects of exposure to 3D movie, history of car sickness and headache, after adjusting for gender, age, self reported anxiety level, attention to the movie and show time. Conclusions Seeing 3D movies can increase rating of symptoms of nausea, oculomotor and disorientation, especially in women with susceptible visual-vestibular system. Confirmatory studies which include examination of clinical signs on viewers are needed to pursue a conclusive evidence on the 3D vision effects on spectators. PMID:23418530

Are there side effects to watching 3D movies? A prospective crossover observational study on visually induced motion sickness.

PubMed

Solimini, Angelo G

2013-01-01

The increasing popularity of commercial movies showing three dimensional (3D) images has raised concern about possible adverse side effects on viewers. A prospective carryover observational study was designed to assess the effect of exposure (3D vs. 2D movie views) on self reported symptoms of visually induced motion sickness. The standardized Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) was self administered on a convenience sample of 497 healthy adult volunteers before and after the vision of 2D and 3D movies. Viewers reporting some sickness (SSQ total score>15) were 54.8% of the total sample after the 3D movie compared to 14.1% of total sample after the 2D movie. Symptom intensity was 8.8 times higher than baseline after exposure to 3D movie (compared to the increase of 2 times the baseline after the 2D movie). Multivariate modeling of visually induced motion sickness as response variables pointed out the significant effects of exposure to 3D movie, history of car sickness and headache, after adjusting for gender, age, self reported anxiety level, attention to the movie and show time. Seeing 3D movies can increase rating of symptoms of nausea, oculomotor and disorientation, especially in women with susceptible visual-vestibular system. Confirmatory studies which include examination of clinical signs on viewers are needed to pursue a conclusive evidence on the 3D vision effects on spectators.

A comparison of cleat types during two football-specific tasks on FieldTurf.

PubMed

Queen, R M; Charnock, B L; Garrett, W E; Hardaker, W M; Sims, E L; Moorman, C T

2008-04-01

To examine the effect of different cleat plate configurations on plantar pressure during two tasks. Thirty-six athletes ran an agility course 5 times while wearing 4 different types of Nike Vitoria cleats: (1) bladed, (2) elliptical firm ground, (3) hard ground and (4) turf. Plantar pressure data were recorded during a side cut and a cross cut using Pedar-X insoles. Controlled laboratory study No history of lower extremity injury in the past 6 months, no previous foot or ankle surgery, not currently wearing foot orthotics and play a cleated sport at least twice a week. Total foot contact time, contact area, maximum force, peak pressure and the force-time integral (FTI) in the medial, middle and lateral regions of the forefoot were collected. A 1x4 ANOVA (alpha = 0.05) was performed on each dependent variable. A Bonferroni adjustment was conducted (alpha = 0.008). In the cross cut task, statistical differences between cleats were observed in three variables: total foot peak pressure, lateral forefoot FTI, and lateral forefoot normalised maximum force. In the side cut task, statistical differences between cleats were observed in 4 variables: total foot peak pressure, the medial and middle forefoot FTI, and the medial and middle forefoot normalised maximum force. Significant differences in forefoot loading patterns existed between cleat types. Based on the results of this study, it might be beneficial to increase the forefoot cushioning in cleats in an attempt to decrease loading in these regions of the foot.

Constraints on the neutrino parameters by future cosmological 21 cm line and precise CMB polarization observations

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

Oyama, Yoshihiko; Kohri, Kazunori; Hazumi, Masashi, E-mail: oyamayo@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: kohri@post.kek.jp, E-mail: masashi.hazumi@kek.jp

2016-02-01

Observations of the 21 cm line radiation coming from the epoch of reionization have a great capacity to study the cosmological growth of the Universe. Besides, CMB polarization produced by gravitational lensing has a large amount of information about the growth of matter fluctuations at late time. In this paper, we investigate their sensitivities to the impact of neutrino property on the growth of density fluctuations, such as the total neutrino mass, the effective number of neutrino species (extra radiation), and the neutrino mass hierarchy. We show that by combining a precise CMB polarization observation such as Simons Array withmore » a 21 cm line observation such as Square kilometer Array (SKA) phase 1 and a baryon acoustic oscillation observation (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument:DESI) we can measure effects of non-zero neutrino mass on the growth of density fluctuation if the total neutrino mass is larger than 0.1 eV. Additionally, the combinations can strongly improve errors of the bounds on the effective number of neutrino species σ (N{sub ν}) ∼ 0.06−0.09 at 95 % C.L.. Finally, by using SKA phase 2, we can determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at 95 % C.L. if the total neutrino mass is similar to or smaller than 0.1 eV.« less

High Artic Glaciers and Ice Caps Ice Mass Change from GRACE, Regional Climate Model Output and Altimetry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciraci, E.; Velicogna, I.; Fettweis, X.; van den Broeke, M. R.

2016-12-01

The Arctic hosts more than the 75% of the ice covered regions outside from Greenland and Antarctica. Available observations show that increased atmospheric temperatures during the last century have contributed to a substantial glaciers retreat in all these regions. We use satellite gravimetry by the NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), and apply a least square fit mascon approach to calculate time series of ice mass change for the period 2002-2016. Our estimates show that arctic glaciers have constantly contributed to the sea level rise during the entire observation period with a mass change of -170+/-20 Gt/yr equivalent to the 80% of the total ice mass change from the world Glacier and Ice Caps (GIC) excluding the Ice sheet peripheral GIC, which we calculated to be -215+/-32 GT/yr, with an acceleration of 9+/-4 Gt/yr2. The Canadian Archipelago is the main contributor to the total mass depletion with an ice mass trend of -73+/-9 Gt/yr and a significant acceleration of -7+/-3 Gt/yr2. The increasing mass loss is mainly determined by melting glaciers located in the northern part of the archipelago.In order to investigate the physical processes driving the observed ice mass loss we employ satellite altimetry and surface mass balance (SMB) estimates from Regional climate model outputs available for the same time period covered by the gravimetry data. We use elevation data from the NASA ICESat (2003-2009) and ESA CryoSat-2 (2010-2016) missions to estimate ice elevation changes. We compare GRACE ice mass estimates with time series of surface mass balance from the Regional Climate Model (RACMO-2) and the Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) and determine the portion of the total mass change explained by the SMB signal. We find that in Iceland and in the and the Canadian Archipelago the SMB signal explains most of the observed mass changes, suggesting that ice discharge may play a secondary role here. In other region, e.g. in Svalbar, the SMB signal explain only a portion of the observed mass loss, here elevation changes from altimetry observations suggest the presence of ice dynamic contribution.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and effects on exercise performance of L-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate in trained adult men.

PubMed

Campbell, Bill; Roberts, Mike; Kerksick, Chad; Wilborn, Colin; Marcello, Brandon; Taylor, Lem; Nassar, Erika; Leutholtz, Brian; Bowden, Rodney; Rasmussen, Chris; Greenwood, Mike; Kreider, Richard

2006-09-01

We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of l-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) in trained adult men. Subjects participated in two studies that employed a randomized, double-blind, controlled design. In study 1, 10 healthy men (30-50 y old) fasted for 8 h and then ingested 4 g of time-released or non-timed-released AAKG. Blood samples were taken for 8 h after AAKG ingestion to assess the pharmacokinetic profile of L-arginine. After 1 wk the alternative supplement was ingested. In study 2, which was placebo controlled, 35 resistance-trained adult men (30-50 y old) were randomly assigned to ingest 4 g of AAKG (three times a day, i.e., 12 g daily, n = 20) or placebo (n = 15). Participants performed 4 d of periodized resistance training per week for 8 wk. At 0, 4, and 8 wk of supplementation the following tests were performed: clinical blood markers, one repetition maximum bench press, isokinetic quadriceps muscle endurance, anaerobic power, aerobic capacity, total body water, body composition, and psychometric parameters tests. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. In study 1, significant differences were observed in plasma arginine levels in subjects taking non-timed-release and timed-release AAKG. In study 2, significant differences were observed in the AAKG group (P < 0.05) for 1RM bench press, Wingate peak power, blood glucose, and plasma arginine. No significant differences were observed between groups in body composition, total body water, isokinetic quadriceps muscle endurance, or aerobic capacity. AAKG supplementation appeared to be safe and well tolerated, and positively influenced 1RM bench press and Wingate peak power performance. AAKG did not influence body composition or aerobic capacity.

Digestion-resistant maltodextrin effects on colonic transit time and stool weight: a randomized controlled clinical study.

PubMed

Abellán Ruiz, María Salud; Barnuevo Espinosa, María Dolores; Contreras Fernández, Carlos J; Luque Rubia, Antonio J; Sánchez Ayllón, Francisca; Aldeguer García, Miriam; García Santamaría, Carlos; López Román, Francisco Javier

2016-12-01

Increased awareness of the importance of dietary fibre has led to increased interest in "functional" fibre components like digestion-resistant maltodextrin (RMD). This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessed the effects of RMD in the colonic transit time (CTT) and defecation characteristics (frequency, stool volume and consistency). Sixty-six healthy adult volunteers (32 men) who did not have a daily defecation habit had a 7-day run-in period before the 21-day intervention period with RMD or placebo. CTT and segmental CTT (SCTT) were assessed by a single abdominal X-ray film taken at the end of both periods after radiopaque marker ingestion. Defecation characteristics and intestinal functions were also assessed, which were self-reported by patients. Intragroup comparisons were evaluated by Student's paired t test, Bonferroni test and Chi-square test, while time comparisons by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and time-by-treatment interaction by repeated-measures ANOVA. Fifty-seven subjects were assessed for CTT (placebo, n = 28; RMD, n = 29). In the RMD group, the total CTT, left SCTT and rectosigmoidal SCTT decreased significantly compared to baseline (p < 0.01 each; -13.3, -4.7, -8.7 h, respectively). Significant differences between groups were observed in total CTT and left SCTT. Significant time-by-treatment interaction was observed in the RMD group for stool volume (p = 0.014), increasing 56 % compared to baseline (p < 0.01), while remained unchanged in the placebo group. Stool consistency was improved only in the RMD group (p < 0.01). No adverse effects related to study products were observed. The results show that RMD improved CTT, stool volume, stool consistency and some intestinal functions in a healthy population.

Ethnic group disparities in 10-year trends in stroke incidence and vascular risk factors: the South London Stroke Register (SLSR).

PubMed

Heuschmann, Peter U; Grieve, Andy P; Toschke, Andre Michael; Rudd, Anthony G; Wolfe, Charles D A

2008-08-01

Data monitoring trends in stroke risk among different ethnic groups are lacking. Thus, we investigated trends in stroke incidence and modifiable stroke risk factors over a 10-year time period between different ethnic groups. Changes in stroke incidence were investigated with the South London Stroke Register (SLSR). The SLSR is a population-based stroke register, covering a multiethnic population of 271 817 inhabitants in South London with 63% white, 28% black, and 9% of other ethnic group (2001 Census). Between 1995 and 2004, 2874 patients with first-ever stroke of all age groups were included. Total stroke incidence decreased over the 10-year study period in men (incidence rate ratio 1995 to 1996 versus 2003 to 2004 [IRR] 0.82, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.97) and in women (IRR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.90). A similar decline in total stroke incidence could be observed in whites for men and women (IRR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.93 versus IRR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.89, respectively); in blacks, total stroke incidence was reducing only in women (IRR 0.48, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.75). In whites, the prevalence of prior-to-stroke hypertension (P=0.0017), atrial fibrillation (P=0.0113), and smoking (P=0.0177) decreased; no statistically significant changes in prior-to-stroke risk factors were observed in blacks. Total stroke incidence was higher in blacks compared to whites (IRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.46 in men; IRR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.50 in women), but the black-white gap reduced during the 10-year time period (IRR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.82 in 1995 to 1996 to 1.18, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.49 in 2003 to 2004). Stroke incidence decreased over a 10-year time period. The greatest decline in incidence was observed in black women, but ethnic group disparities still exist, indicating a higher stroke risk in black people compared to white people. Advances in risk factor reduction observed in the white population were failed transferring to the black population.

Possible Transit Timing Variations of the TrES-3 Planetary System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ing-Guey; Yeh, Li-Chin; Thakur, Parijat; Wu, Yu-Ting; Chien, Ping; Lin, Yi-Ling; Chen, Hong-Yu; Hu, Juei-Hwa; Sun, Zhao; Ji, Jianghui

2013-03-01

Five newly observed transit light curves of the TrES-3 planetary system are presented. Together with other light-curve data from the literature, 23 transit light curves in total, which cover an overall timescale of 911 epochs, have been analyzed through a standard procedure. From these observational data, the system's orbital parameters are determined and possible transit timing variations (TTVs) are investigated. Given that a null TTV produces a fit with reduced χ2 = 1.52, our results agree with previous work, that TTVs might not exist in these data. However, a one-frequency oscillating TTV model, giving a fit with a reduced χ2 = 0.93, does possess a statistically higher probability. It is thus concluded that future observations and dynamical simulations for this planetary system will be very important.

Measuring Changes in Social Communication Behaviors: Preliminary Development of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC).

PubMed

Grzadzinski, Rebecca; Carr, Themba; Colombi, Costanza; McGuire, Kelly; Dufek, Sarah; Pickles, Andrew; Lord, Catherine

2016-07-01

Psychometric properties and initial validity of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC), a measure of treatment-response for social-communication behaviors, are described. The BOSCC coding scheme is applied to 177 video observations of 56 young children with ASD and minimal language abilities. The BOSCC has high to excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability and shows convergent validity with measures of language and communication skills. The BOSCC Core total demonstrates statistically significant amounts of change over time compared to a no change alternative while the ADOS CSS over the same period of time did not. This work is a first step in the development of a novel outcome measure for social-communication behaviors with applications to clinical trials and longitudinal studies.

Flocculent Settling of Food Wastes.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Mohammad Monirul Islam; Kim, Mingu; Haroun, Basem Mikhaeil; Nakhla, George; Keleman, Michael

2016-07-01

This study evaluated the flocculent settling in water and municipal wastewater (MWW) in a 10.6 ft deep column. A total of eight runs at three different testing conditions involving MWW alone, food waste (FW) alone, and FW in MWW (FW+MWW) were conducted. Total suspended solid (TSS), total BOD (TBOD), total COD (TCOD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) removal efficiencies after 3 hours of settling were 62%, 46%, 49%, 46% and 62% for FW, and 50%, 43%, 39%, 37% and 24% for MWW. Removal efficiencies of particulate COD (PCOD) and particulate BOD (PBOD) at the lowest surface overflow rate (SOR) of 1.1 m3/m2/hr corresponding to the longest settling time of 3 hours were 59% and 64% for FW, and 65% and 70% for FW with MWW samples. On the other hand, no significant variation between FW and FW with MWW was observed for PN removal after 3 hours of settling.

Variation of Care Time Between Nursing Units in Classification-Based Nurse-to-Resident Ratios: A Multilevel Analysis

PubMed Central

Planer, Katarina; Hagel, Anja

2018-01-01

A validity test was conducted to determine how care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios compare with actual daily care times per resident in Germany. Stability across different long-term care facilities was tested. Care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios were compared with the standard minimum nurse-to-resident ratios. Levels of care are determined by classification authorities in long-term care insurance programs and are used to distribute resources. Care levels are a powerful tool for classifying authorities in long-term care insurance. We used observer-based measurement of assignable direct and indirect care time in 68 nursing units for 2028 residents across 2 working days. Organizational data were collected at the end of the quarter in which the observation was made. Data were collected from January to March, 2012. We used a null multilevel model with random intercepts and multilevel models with fixed and random slopes to analyze data at both the organization and resident levels. A total of 14% of the variance in total care time per day was explained by membership in nursing units. The impact of care levels on care time differed significantly between nursing units. Forty percent of residents at the lowest care level received less than the standard minimum registered nursing time per day. For facilities that have been significantly disadvantaged in the current staffing system, a higher minimum standard will function more effectively than a complex classification system without scientific controls. PMID:29442533

Variation of Care Time Between Nursing Units in Classification-Based Nurse-to-Resident Ratios: A Multilevel Analysis.

PubMed

Brühl, Albert; Planer, Katarina; Hagel, Anja

2018-01-01

A validity test was conducted to determine how care level-based nurse-to-resident ratios compare with actual daily care times per resident in Germany. Stability across different long-term care facilities was tested. Care level-based nurse-to-resident ratios were compared with the standard minimum nurse-to-resident ratios. Levels of care are determined by classification authorities in long-term care insurance programs and are used to distribute resources. Care levels are a powerful tool for classifying authorities in long-term care insurance. We used observer-based measurement of assignable direct and indirect care time in 68 nursing units for 2028 residents across 2 working days. Organizational data were collected at the end of the quarter in which the observation was made. Data were collected from January to March, 2012. We used a null multilevel model with random intercepts and multilevel models with fixed and random slopes to analyze data at both the organization and resident levels. A total of 14% of the variance in total care time per day was explained by membership in nursing units. The impact of care levels on care time differed significantly between nursing units. Forty percent of residents at the lowest care level received less than the standard minimum registered nursing time per day. For facilities that have been significantly disadvantaged in the current staffing system, a higher minimum standard will function more effectively than a complex classification system without scientific controls.

The influences of CO2 fertilization and land use change on the total aboveground biomass in Amazonian tropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castanho, A. D.; Zhang, K.; Coe, M. T.; Costa, M. H.; Moorcroft, P. R.

2012-12-01

Field observations from undisturbed old-growth Amazonian forest plots have recently reported on the temporal variation of many of the physical and chemical characteristics such as: physiological properties of leaves, above ground live biomass, above ground productivity, mortality and turnover rates. However, although this variation has been measured, it is still not well understood what mechanisms control the observed temporal variability. The observed changes in time are believed to be a result of a combination of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration, climate variability, recovery from natural disturbance (drought, wind blow, flood), and increase of nutrient availability. The time and spatial variability of the fertilization effect of CO2 on above ground biomass will be explored in more detail in this work. A precise understanding of the CO2 effect on the vegetation is essential for an accurate prediction of the future response of the forest to climate change. To address this issue we simultaneously explore the effects of climate variability, historical CO2 and land-use change on total biomass and productivity using two different Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVM). We use the Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) and the Ecosystem Demography Model 2.1 (ED2.1). Using land use changes database from 1700 - 2008 we reconstruct the total carbon balance in the Amazonian forest in space and time and present how the models predict the forest as carbon sink or source and explore why the model and field data diverge from each other. From 1970 to 2005 the Amazonian forest has been exposed to an increase of approximately 50 ppm in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Preliminary analyses with the IBIS and ED2.1 dynamic vegetation model shows the CO2 fertilization effect could account for an increase in above ground biomass of 0.03 and 0.04 kg-C/m2/yr on average for the Amazon basin, respectively. The annual biomass change varies temporally and spatially from about 0.01 - 0.08 Kg-C/m2/yr, indicating a significant combined effect of the physical environment and climatological variability. The change in biomass due to CO2 fertilization in this study is comparable to the lower limit of the change that has been observed in the field (0.04 - 0.085 kg-C/m2/yr), which suggests that other factors must also be considered to explain the total amount of biomass change observed in the field.

GISS GCMAM Modeled Climate Responses to Total and Spectral Solar Forcing on Decadal and Centennial Time Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Guoyong; Cahalan, Robert; Rind, David; Jonas, Jeffrey; Pilewskie, Peter; Harder, Jerry

2014-05-01

We examine the influence of the SORCE (Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment) SIM (Spectral Irradiance Monitor) observed spectral solar irradiance (SSI) variations on Earth's climate. We apply two reconstructed spectral solar forcing scenarios, one SIM based, the other based on the SATIRE (Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstruction) model, as inputs to the GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) GCMAM (Global Climate Middle Atmosphere Model) to examine the climate responses on decadal and centennial time scales. We show that the atmosphere has different temperature, ozone, and dynamic responses to the two solar spectral forcing scenarios, even when the variations in TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) are the same. We find that solar variations under either scenario contribute a small fraction of the observed temperature increase since the industrial revolution. The trend of global averaged surface air temperature response to the SIM-based solar forcing is 0.02 °C/century, about half of the temperature trend to the SATIRE-based SSI. However the temporal variation of the surface air temperature for the SIM-based solar forcing scenario is much larger compared to its SATIRE counterpart. Further research is required to examine TSI and SSI variations in the ascending phase of solar cycle 24, to assess their implications for the solar influence on climate.

GISS GCMAM Modeled Climate Responses to Total and Spectral Solar Forcing on Decadal and Centennial Time Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, G.; Cahalan, R. F.; Rind, D. H.; Jonas, J.; Pilewskie, P.; Harder, J. W.; Krivova, N.

2014-12-01

We examine the influence of the SORCE (Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment) SIM (Spectral Irradiance Monitor) observed spectral solar irradiance (SSI) variations on Earth's climate. We apply two reconstructed spectral solar forcing scenarios, one SIM based, the other based on the SATIRE (Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstruction) model, as inputs to the GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) GCMAM (Global Climate Middle Atmosphere Model) to examine the climate responses on decadal and centennial time scales. We show that the atmosphere has different temperature, ozone, and dynamic responses to the two solar spectral forcing scenarios, even when the variations in TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) are the same. We find that solar variations under either scenario contribute a small fraction of the observed temperature increase since the industrial revolution. The trend of global averaged surface air temperature response to the SIM-based solar forcing is 0.02 °C/century, about half of the temperature trend to the SATIRE-based SSI. However the temporal variation of the surface air temperature for the SIM-based solar forcing scenario is much larger compared to its SATIRE counterpart. Further research is required to examine TSI and SSI variations in the ascending phase of solar cycle 24, to assess their implications for the solar influence on climate.

[Occupational health studies on airport transport workers. I. Results of ergonomic time and motion studies (author's transl)].

PubMed

Rutenfranz, J; Löwenthal, I; Kylian, H; Klimmer, F; Flöring, R; Gärtner, K H; Brockmann, W

1980-01-01

Loading and unloading of aircrafts involves lifting, moving, and carrying of heavy cargo in unfavourable body positions and in narrow spaces. This transport work was subjected to an investigation in a big airport. Forty-three male transport workers and foremen were studied during 46 total shifts. The type of activity was recorded by using the standardized procedure, the so-called "Arbeitswissenschaftliches Erhebungsverfahren zur Tätigkeitsanalyse" (AET). For time and motion analysis, body positions were recorded by continuous observation during the total shift. For typical activities the energy expenditure was determined. The strain caused by transport work was estimated by recording the heart rate with a portable cardiocorder during the total shift. The results show that both dynamic and static work are involved in the loading and unloading of aircrafts. The heart rate varied characteristically according to the body position and to type of activity. The body position was mainly determined by the height of the bellies (from 0.61-1.97 m) of different aircrafts. An additional influence due to weight carrying could be observed only in body positions with low energy expenditure. Recommendations for changing the height of the bellies or to the appropriate selection of workers were made.

The First Multichroic Polarimeter Array on the Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Characterization and Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, S. P.; Pappas, C. G.; Austermann, J.; Beall, J. A.; Becker, D.; Choi, S. K.; Datta, R.; Duff, S. M.; Gallardo, P. A.; Grace, E.;

The First Multichroic Polarimeter Array on the Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Characterization and Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, S. P.; Pappas, C. G.; Austermann, J.; Beall, J. A.; Becker, D.; Choi, S. K.; Datta, R.; Duff, S. M.; Gallardo, P. A.; Grace, E.; Hasselfield, M.; Henderson, S. W.; Hilton, G. C.; Hubmayr, J.; Koopman, B. J.; Lanen, J. V.; Li, D.; McMahon, J.; Nati, F.; Niemack, M. D.; Niraula, P.; Salatino, M.; Schillaci, A.; Schmitt, B. L.; Simon, S. M.; Staggs, S. T.; Stevens, J. R.; Ward, J. T.; Wollack, E. J.; Vavagiakis, E. M.

2016-08-01

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) is a polarization sensitive receiver for the 6-m Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and measures the small angular scale polarization anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The full focal plane is composed of three detector arrays, containing over 3000 transition edge sensors (TES detectors) in total. The first two detector arrays, observing at 146 GHz, were deployed in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The third and final array is composed of multichroic pixels sensitive to both 90 and 146 GHz and saw first light in February 2015. Fabricated at NIST, this dichroic array consists of 255 pixels, with a total of 1020 polarization sensitive bolometers and is coupled to the telescope with a monolithic array of broad-band silicon feedhorns. The detectors are read out using time-division SQUID multiplexing and cooled by a dilution refrigerator at 110 mK. We present an overview of the assembly and characterization of this multichroic array in the lab, and the initial detector performance in Chile. The detector array has a TES detector electrical yield of 85 %, a total array sensitivity of less than 10 \\upmu K√{ {s}}, and detector time constants and saturation powers suitable for ACT CMB observations.

ALMACAL IV: A catalogue of ALMA calibrator continuum observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonato, M.; Liuzzo, E.; Giannetti, A.; Massardi, M.; De Zotti, G.; Burkutean, S.; Galluzzi, V.; Negrello, M.; Baronchelli, I.; Brand, J.; Zwaan, M. A.; Rygl, K. L. J.; Marchili, N.; Klitsch, A.; Oteo, I.

2018-05-01

We present a catalogue of ALMA flux density measurements of 754 calibrators observed between August 2012 and September 2017, for a total of 16,263 observations in different bands and epochs. The flux densities were measured reprocessing the ALMA images generated in the framework of the ALMACAL project, with a new code developed by the Italian node of the European ALMA Regional Centre. A search in the online databases yielded redshift measurements for 589 sources (˜78 per cent of the total). Almost all sources are flat-spectrum, based on their low-frequency spectral index, and have properties consistent with being blazars of different types. To illustrate the properties of the sample we show the redshift and flux density distributions as well as the distributions of the number of observations of individual sources and of time spans in the source frame for sources observed in bands 3 (84-116 GHz) and 6 (211-275 GHz). As examples of the scientific investigations allowed by the catalogue we briefly discuss the variability properties of our sources in ALMA bands 3 and 6 and the frequency spectra between the effective frequencies of these bands. We find that the median variability index steadily increases with the source-frame time lag increasing from 100 to 800 days, and that the frequency spectra of BL Lacs are significantly flatter than those of flat-spectrum radio quasars. We also show the global spectral energy distributions of our sources over 17 orders of magnitude in frequency.

Grazing behaviour and dry matter intake of llamas (Lama glama) and German black- head mutton sheep (Ovis orientalis forma aries) under Central European conditions.

PubMed

Stölzl, Anna Maria; Lambertz, Christian; Gauly, Matthias

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the behaviour of llamas (Lama glama) and German blackhead mutton sheep (Ovis orientalis forma aries) when kept under Central European grazing conditions. In total, six adult female sheep and six adult female llamas were observed by direct observation during one week, in which each group was observed for a total time of 24 h. The animals were kept on the same pasture, but the species were raised in separate plots. Forage height before and after the experimental period were determined using a rising plate meter to calculate the average daily dry matter intake (DMI). Llamas had a daily DMI of 0.85%/BW and sheep of 1.04%/BW, respectively. The following behaviours were recorded by direct observation: grazing standing up, grazing lying down, ruminating standing up, ruminating lying down, lying down, lying down lateral and standing. Both species grazed for more than 50% of the time. Ruminating was predominantly performed while standing and lying by sheep (about 50% of the night and 12% of the day) and while lying by llamas (54% of the night and 10% of the day). In conclusion, sheep and llamas differed in grazing behaviour and daily biorhythm. These differences indicate that sheep and llamas may not synchronize their behaviour when co-grazed, though particularly in co-grazing studies the observation period should be extended.

Total solar eclipse effects on VLF signals: Observations and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clilverd, Mark A.; Rodger, Craig J.; Thomson, Neil R.; Lichtenberger, János; Steinbach, Péter; Cannon, Paul; Angling, Matthew J.

During the total solar eclipse observed in Europe on August 11, 1999, measurements were made of the amplitude and phase of four VLF transmitters in the frequency range 16-24 kHz. Five receiver sites were set up, and significant variations in phase and amplitude are reported for 17 paths, more than any previously during an eclipse. Distances from transmitter to receiver ranged from 90 to 14,510 km, although the majority were <2000 km. Typically, positive amplitude changes were observed throughout the whole eclipse period on path lengths <2000 km, while negative amplitude changes were observed on paths >10,000 km. Negative phase changes were observed on most paths, independent of path length. Although there was significant variation from path to path, the typical changes observed were ~3 dB and ~50°. The changes observed were modeled using the Long Wave Propagation Capability waveguide code. Maximum eclipse effects occurred when the Wait inverse scale height parameter β was 0.5 km-1 and the effective ionospheric height parameter H' was 79 km, compared with β=0.43km-1 and H'=71km for normal daytime conditions. The resulting changes in modeled amplitude and phase show good agreement with the majority of the observations. The modeling undertaken provides an interpretation of why previous estimates of height change during eclipses have shown such a range of values. A D region gas-chemistry model was compared with electron concentration estimates inferred from the observations made during the solar eclipse. Quiet-day H' and β parameters were used to define the initial ionospheric profile. The gas-chemistry model was then driven only by eclipse-related solar radiation levels. The calculated electron concentration values at 77 km altitude throughout the period of the solar eclipse show good agreement with the values determined from observations at all times, which suggests that a linear variation in electron production rate with solar ionizing radiation is reasonable. At times of minimum electron concentration the chemical model predicts that the D region profile would be parameterized by the same β and H' as the LWPC model values, and rocket profiles, during totality and can be considered a validation of the chemical processes defined within the model.

Time trends in lifetime incidence rates of first-time diagnosed anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa across 16 years in a Danish nationwide psychiatric registry study.

PubMed

Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Jensen, Christina Mohr

2015-11-01

To study recent time trends in the incidence of diagnosed anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) based on nationwide psychiatric register data. The Danish Psychiatric Central Research Registry was used to identify the incidence of diagnosed cases with AN and BN at the ages of 4-65 years from 1995 to 2010. Age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were calculated and were adjusted for time trends in the total number of people diagnosed in psychiatry. Time trends were analyzed using JoinPoint regression analysis. A total of N = 5,902 persons had a first-time incidence of AN, and a total of N = 5,113 had first-time incidence of BN. Incidence rates increased for AN from 6.4 to 12.6 per 100,000 person-years, and for BN from 6.3 to 7.2 per 100,000 person-years. In 2010, the male-to-female ratio was 1:8 for AN, and 1:20 for BN. There was an earlier onset for AN than for BN, and age at incidence decreased during the observation period for AN but not for BN. A sizeable part of the increasing incidence rates for AN and in particular, the younger AN age groups, could be attributed to an increase in the total number of N = 249,607 persons with first-time diagnoses in psychiatry. Incidence rates had increased slightly for AN, but were stable for BN across 16 years in this nationwide study and to a large extent were reflective of a general increase in diagnosed mental disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Toddlers’ transition to out-of-home day care: Settling into a new care environment

PubMed Central

Datler, Wilfried; Ereky-Stevens, Katharina; Hover-Reisner, Nina; Malmberg, Lars-Erik

2012-01-01

This study investigates toddlers’ initial reaction to day care entry and their behaviour change over the first few months in care. One hundred and four toddlers (10–33 months of age) in Viennese childcare centres participated in the study. One-hour video observations were carried out at 3 time points during the first 4 months in the setting and coded into a total of 36 5-min observation segments. Multilevel models (observation segments nested within children) with an autoregressive error structure fitted data well. Two weeks after entry into care, toddlers’ levels of affect and interaction were low. Overall, changes in all areas of observed behaviour were less than expected. There were considerable individual differences in change over time, mostly unrelated to child characteristics. Significant associations between children's positive affect, their dynamic interactions and their explorative and investigative interest were found. PMID:22721743

Spectrum and energy levels of six-times ionized yttrium (Y VII)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reader, Joseph

2018-03-01

The spectrum of six-times ionized yttrium, Y VII, was photographed with a sliding-spark discharge on 10.7 m normal- and grazing-incidence spectrographs. The region of observation was 157-824 Å. The observations extend the known configurations 4s24p3, 4s4p4, 4p5, 4s24p25s, 4s24p26s to the nearly complete 4s24p24d configuration. Our results for 4s24p24d significantly revise results of Rahimullah et al (1978 Phys. Scr. 18 96); Ateqad et al (1984 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Phys. 17 4617). A total of 168 lines and 56 energy levels are now known for this ion. The observed configurations were interpreted with Hartree-Fock calculations and least-squares fits of the energy parameters to the observed levels. Transition probabilities for all classified lines were calculated with the fitted parameters.

Near-Earth-Object identification over apparitions using n-body ranging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granvik, Mikael; Muinonen, Karri

2007-05-01

Earth-based telescopes can observe Near-Earth objects (NEOs) continuously for a few weeks or months during each apparition. Due to the usually complicated dynamics of the Sun-Earth-NEO triplet, the time interval between consecutive apparitions typically ranges from months to several years. On these timescales single-apparition sets of observations (SASs) having reasonably small observational time-intervals lead to substantial orbital uncertainties. The linking of SASs over apparitions thus becomes a nontrivial task. Of a total of roughly 4,100 NEO observation sets, or orbits, currently known, some 500 are SASs for which the observational time interval is less than 7 days. Either these SASs have not been observed at an apparition following the discovery apparition (some 40% of the above NEO SASs have been obtained in 2005 or later), or the linkage of SASs has failed, an option which should preferably be eliminated. As a continuation to our work on the short-arc linking problem at the discovery moment (Granvik and Muinonen, 2005, Icarus 179, p. 109), we have investigated the possibility of using a similar method for the linking of SASs over apparitions. Assuming that the observational time-interval for SASs of NEOs is typically at least one day (minimum requirement set by the Minor Planet Center), the orbital-element probability density function is constrained as compared to the typical short-arc case with an observational time interval of only a few tens of minutes. Because of the smaller orbital-element uncertainty, we can use the short-arc method (comparison in ephemeris space) for longer time spans, or even do the comparison directly in orbital-element space (Keplerian, equinoctial, etc.), thus allowing us to assess the problem of linking SASs of NEOs. We will present linking results by using both simulated and real NEO SASs.

Respiratory-Induced Prostate Motion Using Wavelet Decomposition of the Real-Time Electromagnetic Tracking Signal

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

Lin, Yuting; Liu, Tian; Yang, Xiaofeng

2013-10-01

Purpose: The objective of this work is to characterize and quantify the impact of respiratory-induced prostate motion. Methods and Materials: Real-time intrafraction motion is observed with the Calypso 4-dimensional nonradioactive electromagnetic tracking system (Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc. Seattle, Washington). We report the results from a total of 1024 fractions from 31 prostate cancer patients. Wavelet transform was used to decompose the signal to extract and isolate the respiratory-induced prostate motion from the total prostate displacement. Results: Our results show that the average respiratory motion larger than 0.5 mm can be observed in 68% of the fractions. Fewer than 1% ofmore » the patients showed average respiratory motion of less than 0.2 mm, whereas 99% of the patients showed average respiratory-induced motion ranging between 0.2 and 2 mm. The maximum respiratory range of motion of 3 mm or greater was seen in only 25% of the fractions. In addition, about 2% patients showed anxiety, indicated by a breathing frequency above 24 times per minute. Conclusions: Prostate motion is influenced by respiration in most fractions. Real-time intrafraction data are sensitive enough to measure the impact of respiration by use of wavelet decomposition methods. Although the average respiratory amplitude observed in this study is small, this technique provides a tool that can be useful if one moves to smaller treatment margins (≤5 mm). This also opens ups the possibility of being able to develop patient specific margins, knowing that prostate motion is not unpredictable.« less

Physical and Physiological Demands of Elite Rugby Union Officials.

PubMed

Blair, Matthew R; Elsworthy, Nathan; Rehrer, Nancy J; Button, Chris; Gill, Nicholas D

2018-04-13

To examine the movement and physiological demands of rugby union officiating within elite competition. Movement demands of 9 elite officials across 12 Super Rugby matches were calculated, using global positioning system devices. Total distance (m), relative distance (m·min -1 ), percentage time spent within various speed zones were calculated across a match. Heart rate responses were also recorded throughout each match. Cohen d effect sizes were reported to examine the within match variations. The total distance covered was 8,030 ± 506 m, with a relative distance of 83 ± 5 m·min -1 and with no differences observed between halves. Most game time was spent at lower movement speeds (76 ± 2%; <2.0 m·s -1 ), with large effects for time spent >7.0 m·s -1 between halves (d=2.85). Mean heart rate was 154 ± 10 b·min -1 (83.8 ± 2.9% HR max ), with no differences observed between the first and second halves. Most game time was spent between 81-90% HR max (40.5 ± 7.5%) with no observable differences between halves. Distances covered above 5.1 m·s -1 were highest during the first 10 minutes of a match, while distance at speeds 3.7-5 m·s -1 decreased during the final 10 minutes of play. These findings highlight the highly demanding and intermittent nature of rugby union officiating, with only some minor variations in physical and physiological demands across a match. These results have implications for the physical preparation of professional rugby union referees.

Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia associated with traumatic brain injury: a single-case experimental design.

PubMed

Ouellet, Marie-Christine; Morin, Charles M

2007-12-01

To test the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia in persons having sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI). Single-case design with multiple baselines across participants. Outpatient rehabilitation center. Eleven subjects having sustained mild to severe TBI who developed insomnia after the injury. Eight-week CBT for insomnia including stimulus control, sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, sleep hygiene education, and fatigue management. Total wake time, sleep efficiency, and diagnostic criteria. Visual analyses, corroborated by intervention time series analyses and t tests, revealed clinically and statistically significant reductions in total wake time and sleep efficiency for 8 (73%) of 11 participants. An average reduction of 53.9% in total wake time was observed across participants from pre- to post-treatment. Progress was in general well maintained at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. The average sleep efficiency augmented significantly from pretreatment (77.2%) to post-treatment (87.9%), and also by the 3-month follow-up (90.9%). Improvements in sleep were accompanied by a reduction in symptoms of general and physical fatigue. The results of this study show that psychologic interventions for insomnia are a promising therapeutic avenue for TBI survivors.

Intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy after totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy: A single-center 7-year experience

PubMed Central

Chen, Ke; Pan, Yu; Cai, Jia-Qin; Xu, Xiao-Wu; Wu, Di; Yan, Jia-Fei; Chen, Rong-Gao; He, Yang; Mou, Yi-Ping

2016-01-01

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy in patients undergoing laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of 81 consecutive patients who underwent LTG with the same surgical team between November 2007 and July 2014 was performed. Four types of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using staplers or hand-sewn suturing were performed after LTG. Data on clinicopatholgoical characteristics, occurrence of complications, postoperative recovery, anastomotic time, and operation time among the surgical groups were obtained through medical records. RESULTS: The average operation time was 288.7 min, the average anastomotic time was 54.3 min, and the average estimated blood loss was 82.7 mL. There were no cases of conversion to open surgery. The first flatus was observed around 3.7 d, while the liquid diet was started, on average, from 4.9 d. The average postoperative hospital stay was 10.1 d. Postoperative complications occurred in 14 patients, nearly 17.3%. However, there were no cases of postoperative death. CONCLUSION: LTG performed with intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using laparoscopic staplers or hand-sewn suturing is feasible and safe. The surgical results were acceptable from the perspective of minimal invasiveness. PMID:27022225

Intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy after totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy: A single-center 7-year experience.

PubMed

Chen, Ke; Pan, Yu; Cai, Jia-Qin; Xu, Xiao-Wu; Wu, Di; Yan, Jia-Fei; Chen, Rong-Gao; He, Yang; Mou, Yi-Ping

2016-03-28

To assess the efficacy and safety of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy in patients undergoing laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer. A retrospective review of 81 consecutive patients who underwent LTG with the same surgical team between November 2007 and July 2014 was performed. Four types of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using staplers or hand-sewn suturing were performed after LTG. Data on clinicopatholgoical characteristics, occurrence of complications, postoperative recovery, anastomotic time, and operation time among the surgical groups were obtained through medical records. The average operation time was 288.7 min, the average anastomotic time was 54.3 min, and the average estimated blood loss was 82.7 mL. There were no cases of conversion to open surgery. The first flatus was observed around 3.7 d, while the liquid diet was started, on average, from 4.9 d. The average postoperative hospital stay was 10.1 d. Postoperative complications occurred in 14 patients, nearly 17.3%. However, there were no cases of postoperative death. LTG performed with intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using laparoscopic staplers or hand-sewn suturing is feasible and safe. The surgical results were acceptable from the perspective of minimal invasiveness.

The impact of old age on surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

PubMed

Kim, Min Gyu; Kim, Hee Sung; Kim, Byung Sik; Kwon, Sung Joon

2013-11-01

Old age is regarded as the risk factor of major abdominal surgery due to the lack of functional reserve and the increased presence of comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of old age on the surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. This study enrolled 389 gastric cancer patients who underwent totally laparoscopic gastrectomy at Hanyang University Guri Hospital and ASAN Medical Center. The patients were classified into two groups according to age as those older than 70 years and those younger than 70 years. Early surgical outcomes such as operation time, postoperative complications, time to first flatus, days until soft diet began, and hospital stay were evaluated. No patient was converted to open surgery. The two groups differed significantly in terms of overall postoperative complication rate, time to first flatus, days until soft diet began, and hospital stay. The patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy differed in incidence of postoperative ileus but not in severe postoperative complication rate. The results of this study demonstrated that old age can have an effect on the surgical outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy. This study especially showed that elderly patients are affected by the return of bowel movement after totally laparoscopic gastrectomy. On the other hand, however, it is presumed that old age has not had a serious impact on surgical outcomes in totally laparoscopic gastrectomy because no difference in the severe postoperative complication rate was observed.

Time dependent uptake, bioaccumulation and biotransformation of cell free crude extract microcystins from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala by Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa and Hydrilla verticillata.

PubMed

Romero-Oliva, Claudia Suseth; Contardo-Jara, Valeska; Pflugmacher, Stephan

2015-10-01

Recent studies evidence that macrophytes can uptake and bioaccumulate microcystins (MC) from contaminated environments, suggesting their use in phytoremediation. In the present study Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa and Hydrilla verticillata were exposed to cell free crude extracts (CE) containing three MC congeners MC-LR, MC-RR and MC-YR at a total MC concentration of 104.4 ± 7.6 μg/L from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala. Time dependent total glutathione (tGSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), disappearance of MC from exposure medium and macrophyte uptake as well as calculated uptake and biotransformation rates and bioconcentration factors (BCF) were monitored after 1, 4, 8 hours (h) and 1, 3, 7 and 14 days (d). Results showed that tGSH concentrations in all exposed macrophytes were enhanced by CE. Disappearance of 62.1 ± 13, 40.8 ± 3.1 and 37.8 ± 3.5 μg/L total MCs from exposure mediums with E. densa, H. verticillata and C. demersum were observed after 1 h. Followed by the total elimination of MCs in exposure medium from H. verticillata after 14 d. Highest MC bioaccumulation capacity (BCF), was observed in E. densa followed by C. demersum and H. verticillata. The here presented results imply the strong MC phytoremediation potential of the evaluated macrophytes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Global Observing System for Total Lightning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Steven J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Koshak, W.; Buechler, D.; Carey, L.; Chronis, T.; Mach, D.; Bateman, M.; Peterson, H.; McCaul, E. W., Jr.;

New Mission to Measure Global Lightning from the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blakeslee, R. J.; Christian, H. J., Jr.; Mach, D. M.; Buechler, D. E.; Koshak, W. J.; Walker, T. D.; Bateman, M. G.; Stewart, M. F.; O'Brien, S.; Wilson, T. O.; Pavelitz, S. D.; Coker, C.

2015-12-01

Over the past 20 years, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and their partners developed and demonstrated the effectiveness and value of space-based lightning observations as a remote sensing tool for Earth science research and applications, and, in the process, established a robust global lightning climatology. The observations included measurements from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) that acquired global observations of total lightning (i.e., intracloud and cloud-to-ground discharges) from November 1997 to April 2015 between 38° N/S latitudes, and its Optical Transient Detector predecessor that acquired observation from May 1995 to April 2000 over 75° N/S latitudes. In February 2016, as an exciting follow-on to these prior missions, a space-qualified LIS built as a flight-spare for TRMM will be delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 2 year or longer mission, flown as a hosted payload on the Department of Defense Space Test Program-Houston 5 (STP-H5) mission. The LIS on ISS will continue observations of the amount, rate, and radiant energy of total lightning over the Earth. More specifically, LIS measures lightning during both day and night, with storm scale resolution (~4 km), millisecond timing, and high, uniform detection efficiency, without any land-ocean bias. Lightning is a direct and most impressive response to intense atmospheric convection. ISS LIS lightning observations will continue to provide important gap-filling inputs to pressing Earth system science issues across a broad range of disciplines. This mission will also extend TRMM time series observations, expand the latitudinal coverage to 54° latitude, provide real-time lightning data to operational users, espically over data sparse oceanic regions, and enable cross-sensor observations and calibrations that includes the new GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager (MTG LI). The ISS platform will also uniquely enable LIS to provide simultaneous and complementary observations with other ISS payloads such as the European Space Agency's Atmosphere-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM) exploring the connection between lightning and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs).

Catastrophic cooling and cessation of heating in the solar corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, H.; Bingert, S.; Kamio, S.

2012-01-01

Context. Condensations in the more than 106 K hot corona of the Sun are commonly observed in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). While their contribution to the total solar EUV radiation is still a matter of debate, these condensations certainly provide a valuable tool for studying the dynamic response of the corona to the heating processes. Aims: We investigate different distributions of energy input in time and space to investigate which process is most relevant for understanding these coronal condensations. Methods: For a comparison to observations we synthesize EUV emission from a time-dependent, one-dimensional model for coronal loops, where we employ two heating scenarios: simply shutting down the heating and a model where the heating is very concentrated at the loop footpoints, while keeping the total heat input constant. Results: The heating off/on model does not lead to significant EUV count rates that one observes with SDO/AIA. In contrast, the concentration of the heating near the footpoints leads to thermal non-equilibrium near the loop top resulting in the well-known catastrophic cooling. This process gives a good match to observations of coronal condensations. Conclusions: This shows that the corona needs a steady supply of energy to support the coronal plasma, even during coronal condensations. Otherwise the corona would drain very fast, too fast to even form a condensation. Movies are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

EVOLUTION OF SPINNING AND BRAIDING HELICITY FLUXES IN SOLAR ACTIVE REGION NOAA 10930

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

Ravindra, B.; Yoshimura, Keiji; Dasso, Sergio, E-mail: ravindra@iiap.res.in, E-mail: yosimura@solar.physics.montana.edu, E-mail: dasso@df.uba.ar

2011-12-10

The line-of-sight magnetograms from Solar Optical Telescope Narrowband Filter Imager observations of NOAA Active Region 10930 have been used to study the evolution of spinning and braiding helicities over a period of five days starting from 2006 December 9. The north (N) polarity sunspot was the follower and the south (S) polarity sunspot was the leader. The N-polarity sunspot in the active region was rotating in the counterclockwise direction. The rate of rotation was small during the first two days of observations and it increased up to 8 Degree-Sign hr{sup -1} on the third day of the observations. On themore » fourth and fifth days it remained at 4 Degree-Sign hr{sup -1} with small undulations in its magnitude. The sunspot rotated about 260 Degree-Sign in the last three days. The S-polarity sunspot did not complete more than 20 Degree-Sign in five days. However, it changed its direction of rotation five times over a period of five days and injected both the positive and negative type of spin helicity fluxes into the corona. Through the five days, both the positive and negative sunspot regions injected equal amounts of spin helicity. The total injected helicity is predominantly negative in sign. However, the sign of the spin and braiding helicity fluxes computed over all the regions were reversed from negative to positive five times during the five-day period of observations. The reversal in spinning helicity flux was found before the onset of the X3.4-class flare, too. Though, the rotating sunspot has been observed in this active region, the braiding helicity has contributed more to the total accumulated helicity than the spinning helicity. The accumulated helicity is in excess of -7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 43} Mx{sup 2} over a period of five days. Before the X3.4-class flare that occurred on 2006 December 13, the rotation speed and spin helicity flux increased in the S-polarity sunspot. Before the flare, the total injected helicity was larger than -6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 43} Mx{sup 2}. The observed reversal in the sign of spinning and braiding helicity fluxes could be the signature of the emergence of a twisted flux tube, which acquires the writhe of an opposite sign. The magnetic cloud associated with the ejected mass has carried about -7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} Mx{sup 2} of helicity. A time integration of helicity flux of about 1.2 hr integrated backward in time of the observation of the coronal mass ejection is sufficient for this event.« less

Speckle interferometry at SOAR in 2012 and 2013

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

Tokovinin, Andrei; Mason, Brian D.; Hartkopf, William I., E-mail: atokovinin@ctio.noao.edu, E-mail: bdm@usno.navy.mil, E-mail: wih@usno.navy.mil

2014-05-01

We report the results of speckle runs at the 4.1 m Southern Astronomical Research telescope in 2012 and 2013. A total of 586 objects were observed. We give 699 measurements of 487 resolved binaries and upper detection limits for 112 unresolved stars. Eleven pairs (including one triple) were resolved for the first time. Orbital elements have been determined for the first time for 13 pairs; orbits of another 45 binaries are revised or updated.

Measurements of Velocity and Ablation from Bering Glacier During the Recent Surge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuchman, R. A.; Roussi, C.; Endsley, K. A.; Josberger, E. G.; Hart, B. E.

2011-12-01

Bering Glacier, in south central Alaska, the largest and longest glacier in continental North America, is once again surging. The last surge occurred in the 1993-1995 time period; the current surge was first documented by satellite observations in January 2011. In mid-May 2011 we deployed Glacier Ablation Sensing System (GASS) units at six sites from the terminus (sea level) to the Bagley Ice field (1200m). At each GASS site the date, time, GPS WAAS enabled location, air temperature, melt, wind speed, upward and downward looking light intensity are measured and recorded on an hourly basis. The melt is determined by measuring acoustically the distance between the sensor's housing which is mounted on an aluminum pole stream drilled approximately 10 m in to the ice or snow surface. Two of the GASS sites nearest the terminus transmit data back via the iridium network and are reported on the web (www.beringglacier.org - click on 2011 ablation monitoring). As of late July 2011, the glacier had moved approximately 785m at the terminus (B1) and 858m at B2 approximately 15 km up glacier at an altitude of approximately 340m. B1 total melt from mid-May was 494 cm, while B2 melted 383 cm. From previous observations, the average daily melt at Bering in the summer is approximately 5cm/day, and the velocity at B2 was 4.5 m/day, with a total displacement in 2010 of approximately 280m. B2 is presently moving 12m/day down from its peak observed displacement of 18m/day in late May. In late July, B1 at the terminus is moving approximately 7m/day, slower than its maximum daily displacement of over 15m/day observed in late May. In contrast, the 2010 GASS unit measurement at the glacier terminus observed a daily movement of only .14m/day with a total displacement of only approximately 10 meters. The hourly observations for all six GASS units will be presented along with interpretation as to why the melts and displacements vary over the observation period.

Analysis of ionospheric irregularities during total solar eclipse 2016 based on GNSS observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husin, A.; Jiyo; Anggarani, S.; Ekawati, S.; Dear, V.

2016-11-01

A total solar eclipse occurred over Indonesia in the morning hours on 9 March 2016. Ionisations in the ionosphere which is associated with the solar radiation during the total eclipse provided a good opportunity to study the ionospheric irregularities. Using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data taken from dual-frequency receivers in Manado, we investigated and analysed the total electron content (TEC) perturbations with a time resolution of 60 s to reveal ionospheric irregularities during total eclipse. Result showed that TEC conditions based on IPP were decreased during solar eclipse on March 9, comparing with the neighbour day. The maximum percentage deviation (DTEC) from the average value during eclipse period, 00:00 - 02:40 UT reach -41.5%. The duration of maximum decrement in TEC occurs were around 2-30 minutes after the maximum obscuration.

How to deal with missing longitudinal data in cost of illness analysis in Alzheimer's disease-suggestions from the GERAS observational study.

PubMed

Belger, Mark; Haro, Josep Maria; Reed, Catherine; Happich, Michael; Kahle-Wrobleski, Kristin; Argimon, Josep Maria; Bruno, Giuseppe; Dodel, Richard; Jones, Roy W; Vellas, Bruno; Wimo, Anders

2016-07-18

Missing data are a common problem in prospective studies with a long follow-up, and the volume, pattern and reasons for missing data may be relevant when estimating the cost of illness. We aimed to evaluate the effects of different methods for dealing with missing longitudinal cost data and for costing caregiver time on total societal costs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). GERAS is an 18-month observational study of costs associated with AD. Total societal costs included patient health and social care costs, and caregiver health and informal care costs. Missing data were classified as missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR) or missing not at random (MNAR). Simulation datasets were generated from baseline data with 10-40 % missing total cost data for each missing data mechanism. Datasets were also simulated to reflect the missing cost data pattern at 18 months using MAR and MNAR assumptions. Naïve and multiple imputation (MI) methods were applied to each dataset and results compared with complete GERAS 18-month cost data. Opportunity and replacement cost approaches were used for caregiver time, which was costed with and without supervision included and with time for working caregivers only being costed. Total costs were available for 99.4 % of 1497 patients at baseline. For MCAR datasets, naïve methods performed as well as MI methods. For MAR, MI methods performed better than naïve methods. All imputation approaches were poor for MNAR data. For all approaches, percentage bias increased with missing data volume. For datasets reflecting 18-month patterns, a combination of imputation methods provided more accurate cost estimates (e.g. bias: -1 % vs -6 % for single MI method), although different approaches to costing caregiver time had a greater impact on estimated costs (29-43 % increase over base case estimate). Methods used to impute missing cost data in AD will impact on accuracy of cost estimates although varying approaches to costing informal caregiver time has the greatest impact on total costs. Tailoring imputation methods to the reason for missing data will further our understanding of the best analytical approach for studies involving cost outcomes.

P-CPA pretreatment reverses the changes in sleep and behavior following acute immobilization stress rats.

PubMed

Sinha, Rakesh Kumar

2006-02-01

The effects of p-CPA (para-chlorophenylalanine) pretreatment was studied on the sleep-wake parameters and patterns of behavioral activities in an animal model of acute immobilization stress. For the experiments, young male Charles Foster rats were divided into three groups, subjected to (i) acute immobilization stress for four hours on specially designed wooden boards, (ii) a similar model of acute immobilization stress after pretreatment of p-CPA (injected through i.p. route), and (iii) control rats (p-CPA untreated and unstressed). Three channels of electrographic signals, i.e., EEG (electroencephalogram), EOG (electrooculogram), and EMG (electromyogram) were recorded continuously for four hours for all three groups of rats to analyze the changes in sleep-wake stages. The assessment of behavior was performed just after the stress on separate groups of rats in Open-Field (OF) and Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM) apparatuses. The significant changes in total sleep time (P < 0.05), total time for rapid eye movement sleep (P < 0.01), and total time in wakefulness (P < 0.01) following acute immobilization stress were found reversed in the p-CPA (a serotonin inhibitor) pretreated group of rats. Simultaneously, the results of the present work also revealed that the changes in grooming behavior (P < 0.05) in OF and the total time spent on the center of EPM (P < 0.05) were observed altered in p-CPA pretreated group of rats.

The Revised Pole Model and New Observations of Triton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.-Y.; Shen, K.-X.; Qiao, R.-Ch; Dourneau, G.; Yu, Y.

2015-10-01

We used 3108 Earth-based astrometric observations from the Natural Satellite Data Center (NSDC) over more than 30 years time span from 1975 to 2006 for determining the epoch state vectors of the Neptunes largest satellite Triton. In integrating the perturbation equation, the barycentric frame of Neptune-Triton system is adopted, and in considering the oblateness perturbation due to Neptune, a revised pole model describing the precession of the Neptune's pole is used in our calculation. Moreover, a total of 1095 new observed positions of Triton were collected during 46 nights of observations in 2007, 2008 and 2009. We compared our observations to two ephemerides of Triton and most of the available planetary ephemerides of Neptune.

Platelet function measurement-based strategy to reduce bleeding and waiting time in clopidogrel-treated patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: the timing based on platelet function strategy to reduce clopidogrel-associated bleeding related to CABG (TARGET-CABG) study.

PubMed

Mahla, Elisabeth; Suarez, Thomas A; Bliden, Kevin P; Rehak, Peter; Metzler, Helfried; Sequeira, Alejandro J; Cho, Peter; Sell, Jeffery; Fan, John; Antonino, Mark J; Tantry, Udaya S; Gurbel, Paul A

2012-04-01

Aspirin and clopidogrel therapy is associated with a variable bleeding risk in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). We evaluated the role of platelet function testing in clopidogrel-treated patients undergoing CABG. One hundred eighty patients on background aspirin with/without clopidogrel therapy undergoing elective first time isolated on-pump CABG were enrolled in a prospective single-center, nonrandomized, unblinded investigation (Timing Based on Platelet Function Strategy to Reduce Clopidogrel-Associated Bleeding Related to CABG [TARGET-CABG] study) between September 2008 and January 2011. Clopidogrel responsiveness (ADP-induced platelet-fibrin clot strength [MA(ADP)]) was determined by thrombelastography; CABG was done within 1 day, 3-5 days, and >5 days in patients with an MA(ADP) >50 mm, 35-50 mm, and <35 mm, respectively. The primary end point was 24-hour chest tube drainage and key secondary end point was total number of transfused red blood cells. Equivalence was defined as ≤25% difference between groups. ANCOVA was used to adjust for confounders. Mean 24-hour chest tube drainage in clopidogrel-treated patients was 93% (95% confidence interval, 81-107%) of the amount observed in clopidogrel-naive patients, and the total amount of red blood cells transfused did not differ between groups (1.80 U versus 2.08 U, respectively, P=0.540). The total waiting period in clopidogrel-treated patients was 233 days (mean, 2.7 days per patient). A strategy based on preoperative platelet function testing to determine the timing of CABG in clopidogrel-treated patients was associated with the same amount of bleeding observed in clopidogrel-naive patients and ≈50% shorter waiting time than recommended in the current guidelines. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00857155.

Coastal ocean acidification and increasing total alkalinity in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapsenberg, Lydia; Alliouane, Samir; Gazeau, Frédéric; Mousseau, Laure; Gattuso, Jean-Pierre

2017-05-01

Coastal time series of ocean carbonate chemistry are critical for understanding how global anthropogenic change manifests in near-shore ecosystems. Yet, they are few and have low temporal resolution. At the time series station Point B in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, seawater was sampled weekly from 2007 through 2015, at 1 and 50 m, and analyzed for total dissolved inorganic carbon (CT) and total alkalinity (AT). Parameters of the carbonate system such as pH (pHT, total hydrogen ion scale) were calculated and a deconvolution analysis was performed to identify drivers of change. The rate of surface ocean acidification was -0.0028 ± 0.0003 units pHT yr-1. This rate is larger than previously identified open-ocean trends due to rapid warming that occurred over the study period (0.072 ± 0.022 °C yr-1). The total pHT change over the study period was of similar magnitude as the diel pHT variability at this site. The acidification trend can be attributed to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) forcing (59 %, 2.08 ± 0.01 ppm CO2 yr-1) and warming (41 %). Similar trends were observed at 50 m but rates were generally slower. At 1 m depth, the increase in atmospheric CO2 accounted for approximately 40 % of the observed increase in CT (2.97 ± 0.20 µmol kg-1 yr-1). The remaining increase in CT may have been driven by the same unidentified process that caused an increase in AT (2.08 ± 0.19 µmol kg-1 yr-1). Based on the analysis of monthly trends, synchronous increases in CT and AT were fastest in the spring-summer transition. The driving process of the interannual increase in AT has a seasonal and shallow component, which may indicate riverine or groundwater influence. This study exemplifies the importance of understanding changes in coastal carbonate chemistry through the lens of biogeochemical cycling at the land-sea interface. This is the first coastal acidification time series providing multiyear data at high temporal resolution. The data confirm rapid warming in the Mediterranean Sea and demonstrate coastal acidification with a synchronous increase in total alkalinity.

Impact of ultraviolet radiation treatments on the physicochemical properties, antioxidants, enzyme activity and microbial load in freshly prepared hand pressed strawberry juice.

PubMed

Bhat, Rajeev; Stamminger, Rainer

2015-07-01

Freshly prepared, hand-pressed strawberry fruit juice was exposed to ultraviolet radiation (254 nm) at room temperature (25 ℃ ± 1 ℃) for 15, 30 and 60 min with 0 min serving as control. Results revealed decrease in pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity, while colour parameters (L*, a* and b* values) and clarity of juice (% transmittance) increased significantly. All the results corresponded to exposure time to ultraviolet radiation. Bioactive compounds (total phenolics, ascorbic acid and anthocyanins) decreased along with a recorded reduction in polyphenol oxidase enzyme and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging activities, which were again dependent on exposure time. Results on the microbial studies showed significant reduction by 2-log cycles in aerobic plate count as well as in total yeast and mould counts. Though negative results were observed for certain parameters, this is the first time it was endeavoured to demonstrate the impact of ultraviolet radiation radiation on freshly prepared, hand-pressed strawberries juice. © The Author(s) 2014.

Remote observing environment using a KVM-over-IP for the OAO 188 cm telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagisawa, Kenshi; Inoue, Goki; Kuroda, Daisuke; Ukita, Nobuharu; Mizumoto, Yoshihiko; Izumiura, Hideyuki

2016-08-01

We have prepared remote observing environment for the 188 cm telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. A KVM-over-IP and a VPN gateway are employed as core devices, which offer reliable, secure and fast link between on site and remote sites. We have confirmed the KVM-over-IP has ideal characteristics for serving the remote observing environment; the use is simple for both users and maintainer; access from any platform is available; multiple and simultaneous access is possible; and maintenance load is small. We also demonstrated that the degradation of observing efficiency specific to the remote observing is negligibly small. The remote observing environment has fully opened since the semester 2016A, about 30% of the total observing time in the last semester was occupied by remote observing.

IRIS-S - Extending geodetic very long baseline interferometry observations to the Southern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, W. E.; Robertson, D. S.; Nothnagel, A.; Nicolson, G. D.; Schuh, H.

1988-12-01

High-accuracy geodetic very long baseline interferometry measurements between the African, Eurasian, and North American plates have been analyzed to determine the terrestrial coordinates of the Hartebeesthoek observatory to better than 10 cm, to determine the celestial coordinates of eight Southern Hemisphere radio sources with milliarc second (mas) accuracy, and to derive quasi-independent polar motion, UTI, and nutation time series. Comparison of the earth orientation time series with ongoing International Radio Interferometric Surveying project values shows agreement at about the 1 mas of arc level in polar motion and nutation and 0.1 ms of time in UTI. Given the independence of the observing sessions and the unlikeliness of common systematic error sources, this level of agreement serves to bound the total errors in both measurement series.

Single-Molecule Three-Color FRET with Both Negligible Spectral Overlap and Long Observation Time

PubMed Central

Hohng, Sungchul

2010-01-01

Full understanding of complex biological interactions frequently requires multi-color detection capability in doing single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Existing single-molecule three-color FRET techniques, however, suffer from severe photobleaching of Alexa 488, or its alternative dyes, and have been limitedly used for kinetics studies. In this work, we developed a single-molecule three-color FRET technique based on the Cy3-Cy5-Cy7 dye trio, thus providing enhanced observation time and improved data quality. Because the absorption spectra of three fluorophores are well separated, real-time monitoring of three FRET efficiencies was possible by incorporating the alternating laser excitation (ALEX) technique both in confocal microscopy and in total-internal-reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. PMID:20808851

Report on studies to monitor the interactions between offshore geophysical exploration activities and bowhead whales in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea, Fall 1982

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

Reeves, R.; Ljungblad, D.; Clarke, J.T.

1983-07-01

A total of 34 survey flights were initiated between 27 August and 4 October 1982 to assess the potential effects of marine geophysical survey work on westward migrating bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). No overt changes in whale behavior were observed that could unequivocally be interpreted as responses to seismic noise, with the possible exception of huddling behavior observed on 14-15 September that may have been caused by the onset of seismic sounds. Statistical analyses were performed on four categories of respiratory behavior (blows per surfacing, mean blow interval per surfacing, surface times and dive times) to test for differences betweenmore » times when whales were and were not exposed to seismic sounds.« less

Real-Time Precise Point Positioning (RTPPP) with raw observations and its application in real-time regional ionospheric VTEC modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Teng; Zhang, Baocheng; Yuan, Yunbin; Li, Min

2018-01-01

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) is an absolute positioning technology mainly used in post data processing. With the continuously increasing demand for real-time high-precision applications in positioning, timing, retrieval of atmospheric parameters, etc., Real-Time PPP (RTPPP) and its applications have drawn more and more research attention in recent years. This study focuses on the models, algorithms and ionospheric applications of RTPPP on the basis of raw observations, in which high-precision slant ionospheric delays are estimated among others in real time. For this purpose, a robust processing strategy for multi-station RTPPP with raw observations has been proposed and realized, in which real-time data streams and State-Space-Representative (SSR) satellite orbit and clock corrections are used. With the RTPPP-derived slant ionospheric delays from a regional network, a real-time regional ionospheric Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) modeling method is proposed based on Adjusted Spherical Harmonic Functions and a Moving-Window Filter. SSR satellite orbit and clock corrections from different IGS analysis centers are evaluated. Ten globally distributed real-time stations are used to evaluate the positioning performances of the proposed RTPPP algorithms in both static and kinematic modes. RMS values of positioning errors in static/kinematic mode are 5.2/15.5, 4.7/17.4 and 12.8/46.6 mm, for north, east and up components, respectively. Real-time slant ionospheric delays from RTPPP are compared with those from the traditional Carrier-to-Code Leveling (CCL) method, in terms of function model, formal precision and between-receiver differences of short baseline. Results show that slant ionospheric delays from RTPPP are more precise and have a much better convergence performance than those from the CCL method in real-time processing. 30 real-time stations from the Asia-Pacific Reference Frame network are used to model the ionospheric VTECs over Australia in real time, with slant ionospheric delays from both RTPPP and CCL methods for comparison. RMS of the VTEC differences between RTPPP/CCL method and CODE final products is 0.91/1.09 TECU, and RMS of the VTEC differences between RTPPP and CCL methods is 0.67 TECU. Slant Total Electron Contents retrieved from different VTEC models are also validated with epoch-differenced Geometry-Free combinations of dual-frequency phase observations, and mean RMS values are 2.14, 2.33 and 2.07 TECU for RTPPP method, CCL method and CODE final products, respectively. This shows the superiority of RTPPP-derived slant ionospheric delays in real-time ionospheric VTEC modeling.

EUVE and IR observations of the Polars HU Aqr and AR UMa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, S.; Ciardi, D.

1999-12-01

Simultaneous EUVE and ground-based near-infrared J and K observations of the magnetic CV HU Aqr were performed. The observations occurred during a super-high state never before observed in HU Aqr. The average EUVE count-rate was 30-60 times higher than had been measured previously, allowing us to present the first ever EUV spectra of HU Aqr. The near-infrared observations show a corresponding flux increase of 2-3 times over previous J and K observations. However, the near-infrared eclipse minimum during this super-high state are the same as seen in previous observations, indicating that the eclipse in the near-infrared is total. We present a detailed comparison of the EUV and near-infrared emission of HU Aqr as a function of orbital phase and discuss the geometry and physical properties of the high energy and infrared emitting regions. AR UMa is the brightest EUV source yet observed with the EUVE satellite and is also the polar with the largest magnetic field, 250 MG. EUVE observations of the polar AR UMa have allowed, for the first time, EUV time-resolved spectral analysis and radial velocity measurements. We present EUV phase-resolved photometry and spectroscopy and show that the He 304 emission line is not produced on the heated face of the secondary star, but emanates from the inner illuminated regions of the coupling region and accretion stream. We comment on the overall structure of the accretion geometry as well. The authors acknowledge partial support of the research by NASA cooperative agreement NCC5-138 via an EUVE guest Observer mini-grant.

Fast Computation of Ground Motion Shaking Map base on the Modified Stochastic Finite Fault Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, W.; Zhong, Q.; Shi, B.

2012-12-01

Rapidly regional MMI mapping soon after a moderate-large earthquake is crucial to loss estimation, emergency services and planning of emergency action by the government. In fact, many countries show different degrees of attention on the technology of rapid estimation of MMI , and this technology has made significant progress in earthquake-prone countries. In recent years, numerical modeling of strong ground motion has been well developed with the advances of computation technology and earthquake science. The computational simulation of strong ground motion caused by earthquake faulting has become an efficient way to estimate the regional MMI distribution soon after earthquake. In China, due to the lack of strong motion observation in network sparse or even completely missing areas, the development of strong ground motion simulation method has become an important means of quantitative estimation of strong motion intensity. In many of the simulation models, stochastic finite fault model is preferred to rapid MMI estimating for its time-effectiveness and accuracy. In finite fault model, a large fault is divided into N subfaults, and each subfault is considered as a small point source. The ground motions contributed by each subfault are calculated by the stochastic point source method which is developed by Boore, and then summed at the observation point to obtain the ground motion from the entire fault with a proper time delay. Further, Motazedian and Atkinson proposed the concept of Dynamic Corner Frequency, with the new approach, the total radiated energy from the fault and the total seismic moment are conserved independent of subfault size over a wide range of subfault sizes. In current study, the program EXSIM developed by Motazedian and Atkinson has been modified for local or regional computations of strong motion parameters such as PGA, PGV and PGD, which are essential for MMI estimating. To make the results more reasonable, we consider the impact of V30 for the ground shaking intensity, and the results of the comparisons between the simulated and observed MMI for the 2004 Mw 6.0 Parkfield earthquake, the 2008 Mw 7.9Wenchuan earthquake and the 1976 Mw 7.6Tangshan earthquake is fairly well. Take Parkfield earthquake as example, the simulative result reflect the directivity effect and the influence of the shallow velocity structure well. On the other hand, the simulative data is in good agreement with the network data and NGA (Next Generation Attenuation). The consumed time depends on the number of the subfaults and the number of the grid point. For the 2004 Mw 6.0 Parkfield earthquake, the grid size we calculated is 2.5° × 2.5°, the grid space is 0.025°, and the total time consumed is about 1.3hours. For the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, the grid size calculated is 10° × 10°, the grid space is 0.05°, the total number of grid point is more than 40,000, and the total time consumed is about 7.5 hours. For t the 1976 Mw 7.6 Tangshan earthquake, the grid size we calculated is 4° × 6°, the grid space is 0.05°, and the total time consumed is about 2.1 hours. The CPU we used is 3.40GHz, and such computational time could further reduce by using GPU computing technique and other parallel computing technique. This is also our next focus.

Expanding the Operational Use of Total Lightning Ahead of GOES-R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stano, Geoffrey T.; Wood, Lance; Garner, Tim; Nunez, Roland; Kann, Deirdre; Reynolds, James; Rydell, Nezette; Cox, Rob; Bobb, William R.

2015-01-01

NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) has been transitioning real-time total lightning observations from ground-based lightning mapping arrays since 2003. This initial effort was with the local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) that could use the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). These early collaborations established a strong interest in the use of total lightning for WFO operations. In particular the focus started with warning decision support, but has since expanded to include impact-based decision support and lightning safety. SPoRT has used its experience to establish connections with new lightning mapping arrays as they become available. The GOES-R / JPSS Visiting Scientist Program has enabled SPoRT to conduct visits to new partners and expand the number of operational users with access to total lightning observations. In early 2014, SPoRT conducted the most recent visiting scientist trips to meet with forecast offices that will used the Colorado, Houston, and Langmuir Lab (New Mexico) lightning mapping arrays. In addition, SPoRT met with the corresponding Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) to expand collaborations with the aviation community. These visits were an opportunity to learn about the forecast needs of each office visited as well as to provide on-site training for the use of total lightning, setting the stage for a real-time assessment during May-July 2014. With five lightning mapping arrays covering multiple geographic locations, the 2014 assessment has demonstrated numerous uses of total lightning in varying situations. Several highlights include a much broader use of total lightning for impact-based decision support ranging from airport weather warnings, supporting fire crews, and protecting large outdoor events. The inclusion of the CWSUs has broadened the operational scope of total lightning, demonstrating how these data can support air traffic management, particularly in the Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACON) region around an airport. These collaborations continue to demonstrate, from the operational perspective, the utility of total lightning and the importance of continued training and preparation in advance of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

X-RAY OUTBURSTS OF ESO 243-49 HLX-1: COMPARISON WITH GALACTIC LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARY TRANSIENTS

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

Yan, Zhen; Zhang, Wenda; Yu, Wenfei

2015-09-20

We studied the outburst properties of the hyper-luminous X-ray source ESO 243-49 HLX-1, using the full set of Swift monitoring observations. We quantified the increase in the waiting time, recurrence time, and e-folding rise timescale along the outburst sequence, and the corresponding decrease in outburst duration, total radiated energy, and e-folding decay timescale, which confirms previous findings. HLX-1 spends less and less time in outburst and more and more time in quiescence, but its peak luminosity remains approximately constant. We compared the HLX-1 outburst properties with those of bright Galactic low-mass X-ray binary transients (LMXBTs). Our spectral analysis strengthens themore » similarity between state transitions in HLX-1 and those in Galactic LMXBTs. We also found that HLX-1 follows the nearly linear correlations between the hard-to-soft state transition luminosity and the peak luminosity, and between the rate of change of X-ray luminosity during the rise phase and the peak luminosity, which indicates that the occurrence of the hard-to-soft state transition of HLX-1 is similar to those of Galactic LMXBTs during outbursts. We found that HLX-1 does not follow the correlations between total radiated energy and peak luminosity, and between total radiated energy and e-folding rise/decay timescales we had previously identified in Galactic LMXBTs. HLX-1 would follow those correlations if the distance were several hundreds of kiloparsecs. However, invoking a much closer distance for HLX-1 is not a viable solution to this problem, as it introduces other, more serious inconsistencies with the observations.« less

Population dietary habits and physical activity modification with age.

PubMed

Schröder, H; Marrugat, J; Covas, M; Elosua, R; Pena, A; Weinbrenner, T; Fito, M; Vidal, M A; Masia, R

2004-02-01

The aim of the present study was to analyse the relation between age and both dietary habits and leisure-time physical activity, and to determine nutrient inadequacy of aged groups in our population. Cross-sectional study. A random sample of the 25-74-y-old population of Gerona, Spain. A total of 838 men and 910 women were selected from among the general population according to the 1991 census. Analysis of dietary habits, including amount and type of alcohol consumption, and detailed evaluation of leisure-time physical activity. Nutrient densities of carbohydrates, vitamin B(1), vitamin B(12), vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, and dietary fiber increased significantly (P<0.05) with age in both genders, whereas an inverse trend was observed for total fat, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and sodium. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a direct association of healthy dietary habits, characterized through a composite dietary score, with age after adjusting for several confounders both in men and women (P<0.001). This score was composed of folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, dietary fibre, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, and sodium. In all, 29 and 10% of male and female subjects aged 65-74 y, respectively, reported inadequate intakes of six or more of 16 nutrients. Total leisure-time physical activity increased with age in men (P<0.002), and was not different among female age groups. Dietary behaviours and levels of physical activity spent during leisure time indicate a healthy lifestyle of the aged men and women in the present population. Nutrient inadequacy observed in some aged men and women, however, deserves particular intervention of health-care programmes for this growing part of our society.

XMM-Newton RGS observations of the Cat's Eye Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, M. A.; Toalá, J. A.; Chu, Y.-H.; Gruendl, R. A.

2015-02-01

We present an analysis of XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) observations of the planetary nebula (PN) NGC 6543. These observations render it the second PN with high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations after BD +30°3639. The observations consist of 26 pointings, 14 of which included RGS observations for a total integration time of 435 ks. Many of these observations, however, were severely affected by high-background levels, and the net useful exposure time is drastically reduced to 25 ks. Only the O vii triplet at 22 Å is unambiguously detected in the RGS spectrum of NGC 6543. We find this spectrum consistent with an optically thin plasma at 0.147 keV (1.7 MK) and nebular abundances. Unlike BD +30°3639, the X-ray emission from NGC 6543 does not reveal overabundances of C and Ne. The results suggest that the N/O ratio of the hot plasma is consistent with that of the stellar wind, that is, it is lower than the nebular N/O ratio, but this result is not conclusive.

Sparsely-Observed Pulsating Red Giants in the AAVSO Observing Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Percy, J. R.

2018-06-01

This paper reports on time-series analysis of 156 pulsating red giants (21 SRa, 52 SRb, 33 SR, 50 Lb) in the AAVSO observing program for which there are no more than 150-250 observations in total. Some results were obtained for 68 of these stars: 17 SRa, 14 SRb, 20 SR, and 17 Lb. These results generally include only an average period and amplitude. Many, if not most of the stars are undoubtedly more complex; pulsating red giants are known to have wandering periods, variable amplitudes, and often multiple periods including "long secondary periods" of unknown origin. These results (or lack thereof) raise the question of how the AAVSO should best manage the observation of these and other sparsely-observed pulsating red giants.

Implementing the concurrent operation of sub-arrays in the ALMA correlator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amestica, Rodrigo; Perez, Jesus; Lacasse, Richard; Saez, Alejandro

2016-07-01

The ALMA correlator processes the digitized signals from 64 individual antennas to produce a grand total of 2016 correlated base-lines, with runtime selectable lags resolution and integration time. The on-line software system can process a maximum of 125M visibilities per second, producing an archiving data rate close to one sixteenth of the former (7.8M visibilities per second with a network transfer limit of 60 MB/sec). Mechanisms in the correlator hardware design make it possible to split the total number of antennas in the array into smaller subsets, or sub-arrays, such that they can share correlator resources while executing independent observations. The software part of the sub-system is responsible for configuring and scheduling correlator resources in such a way that observations among independent subarrays occur simultaneously while internally sharing correlator resources under a cooperative arrangement. Configuration of correlator modes through its CAN-bus interface and periodic geometric delay updates are the most relevant activities to schedule concurrently while observations happen at the same time among a number of sub-arrays. For that to work correctly, the software interface to sub-arrays schedules shared correlator resources sequentially before observations actually start on each sub-array. Start times for specific observations are optimized and reported back to the higher level observing software. After that initial sequential phase has taken place then simultaneous executions and recording of correlated data across different sub-arrays move forward concurrently, sharing the local network to broadcast results to other software sub-systems. The present paper presents an overview of the different hardware and software actors within the correlator sub-system that implement some degree of concurrency and synchronization needed for seamless and simultaneous operation of multiple sub-arrays, limitations stemming from the resource-sharing nature of the correlator, limitations intrinsic to the digital technology available in the correlator hardware, and milestones so far reached by this new ALMA feature.

Prediction possibilities of Arosa total ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, R. P.

1987-01-01

Using the periodicities obtained by a Maximum Entropy Spectral Analysis (MESA) of the Arosa total ozone data ( CC') series for 1932 1971, the values predicted for 1972 onwards were compared with the observed values of the ( AD) series. A change of level was noticed, with the observed ( AD) values lower by about 7 D.U. Also, the matching was poor in 1980, 1981, 1982. In the monthly values, the most prominent periodicity was the annual wave, comprising some 80% variance. In the 12 month running averages, the annual wave was eliminated and the most prominent periodicity was T=3.7 years, encompassing roundly 20% variance. This and other periodicities at T=4.7, 5.4, 6.2, 10 and 16 years were all statistically significant at a 3.5δ a priori i.e., 2δ a posteriori level. However, the predictions from these were unsatisfactory, probably because some of these periodicities may be transient i.e., changing amplitudes and/or phases with time. Thus, no meaningful prediction seem possible for Arosa total ozone.

DDT_jcernich_10: Time Variability of Thermal Molecular Line Emission in IRC+10216 (4th Epoch)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cernicharo, J.

2013-04-01

We have found during our GT line survey of IRC+10216 and the search for hydrides (OT1 proposal) that some molecular lines present a strong intensity variation with time due to the role of infrared pumping. For some lines the intensity change in six months reaches a factor 3 (CCH). We have checked that the effect is not instrumental and than it arises from physical processes ignored so far in the radiative transfer models. We propose to observe the CCH and HNC lines within bands 1a-5b of HIFI every four months (three observing slots) to allow a detailed study of the variation of thermal molecular emission, and dust emission, in this prototype of AGB C-rich object. The settings will also provide, as a bonus, many lines of SiO, SiS, CS, HCN, CO and 13CO for which intensity variations of up to 30% have been found. In addition, a few specificc settings for HCN and CO will complete the observations. SPIRE and PACS observations will complement, with lower spectral resolution, the whole spectrum of each of these molecules and will provide a global view of the total intensity change of these lines with time. A crude estimate of the distance could be also obtained from the observed time lags between the blue and red parts of the line profiles observed with HIFI.

OT2_jcernich_9: Time Variability of Thermal Molecular Line Emission in IRC+10216

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cernicharo, J.

2011-09-01

We have found during our GT line survey of IRC+10216 and the search for hydrides (OT1 proposal) that some molecular lines present a strong intensity variation with time due to the role of infrared pumping. For some lines the intensity change in six months reaches a factor 3 (CCH). We have checked that the effect is not instrumental and than it arises from physical processes ignored so far in the radiative transfer models. We propose to observe the CCH and HNC lines within bands 1a-5b of HIFI every four months (three observing slots) to allow a detailed study of the variation of thermal molecular emission, and dust emission, in this prototype of AGB C-rich object. The settings will also provide, as a bonus, many lines of SiO, SiS, CS, HCN, CO and 13CO for which intensity variations of up to 30% have been found. In addition, a few specificc settings for HCN and CO will complete the observations. SPIRE and PACS observations will complement, with lower spectral resolution, the whole spectrum of each of these molecules and will provide a global view of the total intensity change of these lines with time. A crude estimate of the distance could be also obtained from the observed time lags between the blue and red parts of the line profiles observed with HIFI.

Real-time PCR detection of Brucella spp. DNA in lesions and viscera of bovine carcasses.

PubMed

Sola, Marília Cristina; da Veiga Jardim, Eurione A G; de Freitas, Marcius Ribeiro; de Mesquita, Albenones José

2014-09-01

This study reports a real-time PCR assay for the detection of Brucella spp. associated with the FTA® Elute method in lesions observed during sanitary inspections in beef slaughter. Of the total 276 samples, 78 (28.3%) tested positive and 198 (71.7%) negative for Brucella spp. The real-time PCR technique associated with the FTA® Elute method proved to be an important tool for the diagnosis, judgment about and disposal of carcasses and viscera of slaughtered animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observing changes in atmospheric heat content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2011-10-01

Globally, air temperatures near the surface over land have been rising in recent decades, and this has been presented as solid evidence of global warming. However, some scientists have argued that total heat content (energy), rather than temperature, should be used as a metric of warming trends. Surface air temperature is only one component of the energy content of the surface atmosphere—kinetic energy and latent heat also contribute. Peterson et al. present the first study to use observational data to estimate global changes in surface energy of the atmosphere over time. They include temperature, kinetic energy, and latent heat in their analysis. The authors found that total global surface atmospheric energy and heat content have increased since the 1970s, even though kinetic energy decreased slightly and in some regions latent heat declined while temperature increased.

A Two-Year Longitudinal MRI Study of the Corpus Callosum in Autism

PubMed Central

Frazier, Thomas W.; Keshavan, Matcheri S.; Minshew, Nancy J.; Hardan, Antonio Y.

2015-01-01

A growing body of literature has identified size reductions of the corpus callosum (CC) in autism. However, to our knowledge, no published studies have reported on the growth of CC volumes in youth with autism. Volumes of the total CC and its sub-divisions were obtained from 23 male children with autism and 23 age-matched male controls at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Persistent reductions in total CC volume were observed in participants with autism relative to controls. Only the rostral body sub-division showed a normalization of size over time. Persistent reductions are consistent with the diagnostic stability and life-long impairment observed in many individuals with autism. Multimodal imaging studies are needed to identify specific fiber tracks contributing to CC reductions. PMID:22350341

Vibratory onset and offset times in children: A laryngeal imaging study

PubMed Central

Patel, Rita R.

2016-01-01

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in vibratory onset and offset times across age (adult males, adult females, and children) and waveform types (total glottal area waveform, left glottal area waveform, and right glottal area waveform) using high-speed videoendoscopy. Methods In this prospective study, vibratory onset and offset times were evaluated in a total of 86 participants. Forty-three children (23 girls, 18 boys) between 5–11 years and 43 gender matched vocally normal young adults (23 females and 18 males) in the age range (21–45 years) were recruited. Vibratory onset and offset times were calculated in milliseconds from the total, left, and right Glottal Area Waveform (GAW). A two-factor analysis of variance was used to compare the means among the subject groups (children, adult male, and adult female) and waveform type (total GAW, left GAW, right GAW) for onset and offset variables. Post hoc analyses were performed using the Fishers Least Significant Different test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results Children exhibited significantly shorter vibratory onset and offset times compared to adult males and females. Differences in vibratory onset and offset times were not statistically significant between adult males and females. Across all waveform types (i.e. total GAW, left GAW, and right GAW), no statistical significance was observed among the subject groups. Conclusion This is the first study reporting vibratory onset and offset times in the pediatric population. The study findings lay the foundation for the development of a large age- and gender- based database of the pediatric population to aid the study of the effects of maturation of vocal fold vibration in adulthood. The findings from this study may also provide the basis for evaluating the impact of numerous lesions on tissue pliability, and thereby has potential utility for the clinical differentiation of various lesions. PMID:27368436

An evaluation of methods for estimating decadal stream loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Casey J.; Hirsch, Robert M.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Holtschlag, David J.; Preston, Stephen D.; Crawford, Charles G.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

2016-11-01

Effective management of water resources requires accurate information on the mass, or load of water-quality constituents transported from upstream watersheds to downstream receiving waters. Despite this need, no single method has been shown to consistently provide accurate load estimates among different water-quality constituents, sampling sites, and sampling regimes. We evaluate the accuracy of several load estimation methods across a broad range of sampling and environmental conditions. This analysis uses random sub-samples drawn from temporally-dense data sets of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate, and suspended-sediment concentration, and includes measurements of specific conductance which was used as a surrogate for dissolved solids concentration. Methods considered include linear interpolation and ratio estimators, regression-based methods historically employed by the U.S. Geological Survey, and newer flexible techniques including Weighted Regressions on Time, Season, and Discharge (WRTDS) and a generalized non-linear additive model. No single method is identified to have the greatest accuracy across all constituents, sites, and sampling scenarios. Most methods provide accurate estimates of specific conductance (used as a surrogate for total dissolved solids or specific major ions) and total nitrogen - lower accuracy is observed for the estimation of nitrate, total phosphorus and suspended sediment loads. Methods that allow for flexibility in the relation between concentration and flow conditions, specifically Beale's ratio estimator and WRTDS, exhibit greater estimation accuracy and lower bias. Evaluation of methods across simulated sampling scenarios indicate that (1) high-flow sampling is necessary to produce accurate load estimates, (2) extrapolation of sample data through time or across more extreme flow conditions reduces load estimate accuracy, and (3) WRTDS and methods that use a Kalman filter or smoothing to correct for departures between individual modeled and observed values benefit most from more frequent water-quality sampling.

An evaluation of methods for estimating decadal stream loads

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Casey; Hirsch, Robert M.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Holtschlag, David J.; Preston, Stephen D.; Crawford, Charles G.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

2016-01-01

Effective management of water resources requires accurate information on the mass, or load of water-quality constituents transported from upstream watersheds to downstream receiving waters. Despite this need, no single method has been shown to consistently provide accurate load estimates among different water-quality constituents, sampling sites, and sampling regimes. We evaluate the accuracy of several load estimation methods across a broad range of sampling and environmental conditions. This analysis uses random sub-samples drawn from temporally-dense data sets of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate, and suspended-sediment concentration, and includes measurements of specific conductance which was used as a surrogate for dissolved solids concentration. Methods considered include linear interpolation and ratio estimators, regression-based methods historically employed by the U.S. Geological Survey, and newer flexible techniques including Weighted Regressions on Time, Season, and Discharge (WRTDS) and a generalized non-linear additive model. No single method is identified to have the greatest accuracy across all constituents, sites, and sampling scenarios. Most methods provide accurate estimates of specific conductance (used as a surrogate for total dissolved solids or specific major ions) and total nitrogen – lower accuracy is observed for the estimation of nitrate, total phosphorus and suspended sediment loads. Methods that allow for flexibility in the relation between concentration and flow conditions, specifically Beale’s ratio estimator and WRTDS, exhibit greater estimation accuracy and lower bias. Evaluation of methods across simulated sampling scenarios indicate that (1) high-flow sampling is necessary to produce accurate load estimates, (2) extrapolation of sample data through time or across more extreme flow conditions reduces load estimate accuracy, and (3) WRTDS and methods that use a Kalman filter or smoothing to correct for departures between individual modeled and observed values benefit most from more frequent water-quality sampling.

Activity analysis of English Premiership rugby football union refereeing.

PubMed

Martin, J; Smith, N C; Tolfrey, K; Jones, A M

2001-10-10

Little is known about the physiological demands placed on officials during sporting activities. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the movement activities of referees during English Premiership rugby football union matches, and to determine the frequency and duration of these activities. Nine referees who were ranked in the top 20 referees in England were videotaped during a total of 19 matches. During playback of the videotapes, a single observer coded the referees' activities into one of six distinct categories (standing, walking forwards, walking backwards, jogging, running and sprinting) using a computerized video editing system (Observer Video-Pro). The referees were timed over a 20 m distance for the modes of locomotory activity, and the average velocity of the referee for each activity was used to calculate the total distance covered in each mode of activity during matches. The total distance covered during a match was (chi +/- SD) 8581 +/- 668 m. The mean percentage of total playing time spent in each activity was: standing still, 37.0 +/- 11.0%; walking forward, 29.5 +/- 7.2%; walking backward, 9.9 +/- 3.2%; jogging, 12.8 +/- 3.2%; running, 9.8 +/- 2.3%; and sprinting, 1.0 +/- 0.4%. There were a total of 672 transitions between modes of activity during a match. The results of this study suggest that refereeing top English rugby football union matches is physically demanding. Although the major physiological load is placed on the oxygen transport system, frequent sprint bouts and the associated requirements for acceleration and deceleration impose additional metabolic demands on referees. This information may be used in the design of physical training programmes to optimize performance in referees.

Heat penetration attributes of milkfish (Chanos chanos) thermal processed in flexible pouches: a comparative study between steam application and water immersion.

PubMed

Adepoju, Mary A; Omitoyin, Bamidele O; Mohan, Chitradurga O; Zynudheen, Aliyam A

2017-05-01

The difference in the heating penetration characteristics of product processed in retort by steam-air application and water immersion was studied. Fresh milkfish ( Chanos chanos ) packed in dry pack and in oil medium, both in flexible pouches, was thermal processed to minimum F 0 value of 7.77 at 121.1°C. Heat penetration values were recorded for each minute of processing with the aid Ellab (TM 9608, Denmark) temperature recorder. Retort come up time to achieve 121.1°C was observed to be less in steam-air which invariably led to a lower Ball's process time (B) and the total process time (T) observed in steam-air as compared to water immersion. Obtained data were plotted on a semi-logarithmic paper with temperature deficit on x -axis against time on the y -axis.

The effects of running cadence manipulation on plantar loading in healthy runners.

PubMed

Wellenkotter, J; Kernozek, T W; Meardon, S; Suchomel, T

2014-08-01

Our purpose was to evaluate effects of cadence manipulation on plantar loading during running. Participants (n=38) ran on a treadmill at their preferred speed in 3 conditions: preferred, 5% increased, and 5% decreased while measured using in-shoe sensors. Data (contact time [CT], peak force [PF], force time integral [FTI], pressure time integral [PTI] and peak pressure [PP]) were recorded for 30 right footfalls. Multivariate analysis was performed to detect differences in loading between cadences in the total foot and 4 plantar regions. Differences in plantar loading occurred between cadence conditions. Total foot CT and PF were lower with a faster cadence, but no total foot PP differences were observed. Faster cadence reduced CT, pressure and force variables in both the heel and metatarsal regions. Increasing cadence did not elevate metatarsal loads; rather, total foot and all regions were reduced when healthy runners increased their cadence. If a 5% increase in cadence from preferred were maintained over each mile run the impulse at the heel would be reduced by an estimated 565 body weights*s (BW*s) and the metatarsals 140-170 BW*s per mile run despite the increased steps taken. Increasing cadence may benefit overuse injuries associated with elevated plantar loading. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: λ Bootis stars: the southern survey I. (Gray+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, R. O.; Riggs, Q. S.; Koen, C.; Murphy, S. J.; Newsome, I. M.; Corbally, C. J.; Cheng, K.-P.; Neff, J. E.

2017-10-01

Observations were carried out with the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) SpCCD grating spectrograph, attached to the SAAO 1.9m telescope. Grating 6 was employed, which yields a resolution of about 2Å/2 pixels and a spectral range from 3600 to 5400Å. Time was granted for four observing runs of about 5 days each in 2013 December, and 2014 March, June, and September, enabling us to cover the entire southern sky. A total of 291 program stars, plus a number of MK standards, were observed over the four runs. (6 data files).

Solar UV-B irradiance and total ozone in Italy: Fluctuations and trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casale, G. R.; Meloni, D.; Miano, S.; Palmieri, S.; Siani, A. M.; Cappellani, F.

2000-02-01

Solar UV irradiance spectra (290-325 nm) together with daily total ozone column observations have been collected since 1992 by means of Brewer spectrophotometers at two Italian stations (Rome and Ispra). The available Brewer irradiance data, recorded around noon and at fixed solar zenith angles, together with the output of a radiative transfer model (the STAR model) are presented and analyzed. The Brewer irradiance measurements and total ozone fluctuations and anomalies are investigated, pointing out the correlation between the high-frequency O3 components and irradiance at 305 nm. In addition, the total ozone long time series of Arosa (170 km apart from Ispra) and Vigna di Valle (very close to Rome) are analyzed to illustrate evidence of temporal variations and a possible trend.

Sodium hydroxide pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of coastal Bermuda grass.

PubMed

Wang, Ziyu; Keshwani, Deepak R; Redding, Arthur P; Cheng, Jay J

2010-05-01

Coastal Bermuda grass was pretreated with NaOH at concentrations from 0.5% to 3% (w/v) for a residence time from 15 to 90min at 121 degrees C. The pretreatments were evaluated based on total lignin removal and production of total reducing sugars, glucose and xylose from enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated biomass. Up to 86% lignin removal was observed. The optimal NaOH pretreatment conditions at 121 degrees C for total reducing sugars production as well as glucose and xylose yields are 15min and 0.75% NaOH. Under these optimal pretreatment conditions, total reducing sugars yield was about 71% of the theoretical maximum, and the overall conversion efficiencies for glucan and xylan were 90.43% and 65.11%, respectively. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of sample hydration on 13C CPMAS NMR spectra of fulvic acids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatcher, P.G.; Wilson, M.A.

1991-01-01

Three fulvic acids, two of which have been well studied by a number of other groups (Armadale and Suwannee river fulvic acids) have been examined by high resolution solid-state 13C-NMR techniques to delineate the effect of absorbed water. Two main effects of absorbed water were observed: (1) changes in spin lattice relaxation times in the rotating frame and cross polarization times and (2) total loss of signal so that some fulvic acid is effectively in solution. These results suggest that discrepancies in the literature concerning observed relative signal intensities from different structural groups are due to absorbed water and emphasize the necessity for proper precautionary drying before spectroscopic analysis. ?? 1991.

Study of Swift Heavy Ion Modified Conducting Polymer Composites for Application as Gas Sensor

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Alok; Singh, Virendra; Dhand, Chetna; Kaur, Manindar; Singh, Tejvir; Witte, Karin; Scherer, Ulrich W.

2006-01-01

A polyaniline-based conducting composite was prepared by oxidative polymerisation of aniline in a polyvinylchloride (PVC) matrix. The coherent free standing thin films of the composite were prepared by a solution casting method. The polyvinyl chloride-polyaniline composites exposed to 120 MeV ions of silicon with total ion fluence ranging from 1011 to 1013 ions/cm2, were observed to be more sensitive towards ammonia gas than the unirradiated composite. The response time of the irradiated composites was observed to be comparably shorter. We report for the first time the application of swift heavy ion modified insulating polymer conducting polymer (IPCP) composites for sensing of ammonia gas.

Spectral line and continuum studies using Haystack antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

During the last half of 1972, the Haystack antenna was utilized 88% of the time. Of this useful time, 81% was devoted to radio astronomy investigations, 8% was spent on radar-related research and 11% was scheduled for maintenance and system improvements. Thirteen programs were completed of which 10 were spectral-line studies involving primarily recombination lines and H2O vapor investigations. The others involved 2 cm and 1.3 cm continuum observations. Fifteen new programs were accepted and the currently active radio observing programs totalled 24 as of 31 December 1973. The last radar measurements in the lunar topography program have now been completed. Radar activity, including measurements on Mercury, Venus and synchronous satellites has continued.

Time-of-Flight Measurements as a Possible Method to Observe Anyonic Statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umucalılar, R. O.; Macaluso, E.; Comparin, T.; Carusotto, I.

2018-06-01

We propose a standard time-of-flight experiment as a method for observing the anyonic statistics of quasiholes in a fractional quantum Hall state of ultracold atoms. The quasihole states can be stably prepared by pinning the quasiholes with localized potentials and a measurement of the mean square radius of the freely expanding cloud, which is related to the average total angular momentum of the initial state, offers direct signatures of the statistical phase. Our proposed method is validated by Monte Carlo calculations for ν =1 /2 and 1 /3 fractional quantum Hall liquids containing a realistic number of particles. Extensions to quantum Hall liquids of light and to non-Abelian anyons are briefly discussed.

Hydrodynamic trails produced by Daphnia: size and energetics.

PubMed

Wickramarathna, Lalith N; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of 1.8 x 10(-6) W/kg to 3.4 x 10(-6) W/kg and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between 1.3 x 10(-9) W and 1 x 10(-8) W, respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

Extreme events in total ozone over the Northern mid-latitudes: an analysis based on long-term data sets from five European ground-based stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, Harald E.; Jancso, Leonhardt M.; Rocco, Stefania Di; Staehelin, Johannes; Maeder, Joerg A.; Peter, Thomas; Ribatet, Mathieu; Davison, Anthony C.; de Backer, Hugo; Koehler, Ulf; Krzyścin, Janusz; Vaníček, Karel

2011-11-01

We apply methods from extreme value theory to identify extreme events in high (termed EHOs) and low (termed ELOs) total ozone and to describe the distribution tails (i.e. very high and very low values) of five long-term European ground-based total ozone time series. The influence of these extreme events on observed mean values, long-term trends and changes is analysed. The results show a decrease in EHOs and an increase in ELOs during the last decades, and establish that the observed downward trend in column ozone during the 1970-1990s is strongly dominated by changes in the frequency of extreme events. Furthermore, it is shown that clear ‘fingerprints’ of atmospheric dynamics (NAO, ENSO) and chemistry [ozone depleting substances (ODSs), polar vortex ozone loss] can be found in the frequency distribution of ozone extremes, even if no attribution is possible from standard metrics (e.g. annual mean values). The analysis complements earlier analysis for the world's longest total ozone record at Arosa, Switzerland, confirming and revealing the strong influence of atmospheric dynamics on observed ozone changes. The results provide clear evidence that in addition to ODS, volcanic eruptions and strong/moderate ENSO and NAO events had significant influence on column ozone in the European sector.

Evaluation of the usefulness of color digital summation radiography in temporally sequential digital radiographs: a phantom study.

PubMed

Ogata, Yuji; Naito, Hiroaki; Tomiyama, Noriyuki; Hamada, Seiki; Kozuka, Takenori; Koyama, Mitsuhiro; Tsubamoto, Mitusko; Murai, Sachiko; Ueguchi, Takashi; Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro; Tamura, Shinichi; Nakamura, Hironobu; Johkoh, Takeshi

2006-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of color digital summation radiography (CDSR) for detection of nodules on chest radiographs by observers with different levels of experience. A total of 30 radiographs of chest phantoms with abnormalities and 30 normal ones were arranged at random. Set A was conventional radiographs only. Set B consisted of both conventional radiographs and CDSR images, which were colored with magenta. Five chest radiologists and five residents evaluated both image sets on a TFT monitor. The observers were asked to rate each image set using a continuous rating scale. The reading time for each set was also recorded. In set A, the performance of chest radiologists was significantly superior to that of the residents (P < 0.05). However, in set B, there was no significant difference in the performance of the chest radiologists and the residents. In both observer groups, the mean reading time per case in set B was significantly shorter than that in set A (P < 0.01). By using CDSR, the detection capability of observers with little experience improves and is comparable to that of experienced observers. Moreover, the reading time becomes much shorter using CDSR.

Elimination of waste: creation of a successful Lean colonoscopy program at an academic medical center.

PubMed

Damle, Aneel; Andrew, Nathan; Kaur, Shubjeet; Orquiola, Alan; Alavi, Karim; Steele, Scott R; Maykel, Justin

2016-07-01

Lean processes involve streamlining methods and maximizing efficiency. Well established in the manufacturing industry, they are increasingly being applied to health care. The objective of this study was to determine feasibility and effectiveness of applying Lean principles to an academic medical center colonoscopy unit. Lean process improvement involved training endoscopy personnel, observing patients, mapping the value stream, analyzing patient flow, designing and implementing new processes, and finally re-observing the process. Our primary endpoint was total colonoscopy time (minutes from check-in to discharge) with secondary endpoints of individual segment times and unit colonoscopy capacity. A total of 217 patients were included (November 2013-May 2014), with 107 pre-Lean and 110 post-Lean intervention. Pre-Lean total colonoscopy time was 134 min. After implementation of the Lean process, mean colonoscopy time decreased by 10 % to 121 min (p = 0.01). The three steps of the process affected by the Lean intervention (time to achieve adequate sedation, time to recovery, and time to discharge) decreased from 3.7 to 2.4 min (p < 0.01), 4.0 to 3.4 min (p = 0.09), and 41.2 to 35.4 min (p = 0.05), respectively. Overall, unit capacity of colonoscopies increased from 39.6 per day to 43.6. Post-Lean patient satisfaction surveys demonstrated an average score of 4.5/5.0 (n = 73) regarding waiting time, 4.9/5.0 (n = 60) regarding how favorably this experienced compared to prior colonoscopy experiences, and 4.9/5.0 (n = 74) regarding professionalism of staff. One hundred percentage of respondents (n = 69) stated they would recommend our institution to a friend for colonoscopy. With no additional utilization of resources, a single Lean process improvement cycle increased productivity and capacity of our colonoscopy unit. We expect this to result in increased patient access and revenue while maintaining patient satisfaction. We believe these results are widely generalizable to other colonoscopy units as well as other process-based interventions in health care.

History of Martian Atmosphere and Volatiles Derived From MAVEN Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakosky, B. M.

2017-12-01

The MAVEN spacecraft has been observing loss of volatiles from the Mars upper atmosphere to space for more than a full Mars year. By understanding the present-day loss rates and the processes that drive loss, we can extrapolate to past epochs and estimate the total amount of gas lost to space through time. The current total loss rate is more than 2 kg/s. With the increased loss rate in the past due to the greater solar EUV flux and solar-wind intensity early in history, we estimate that more than 0.5 bar of CO2 might have been lost to space. This plausibility argument is augmented by observations of the 38Ar/36Ar ratio today that provide a direct indication of the integrated loss through time; the measurements indicate that the majority of atmospheric gas has, in fact, been lost to space. Combined with the lack of carbonates on the surface that can be a reservoir for CO2 from an earlier, thick atmosphere, these results point to loss to space as having been the major process for driving the changes in the atmosphere. Loss to space appears to have been responsible for changing the Martian climate from an early, warm, wet environment to the cold, dry climate that we see today.

Seismic Observations and Interpretation in NE China, Infrasound Observations and Interpretation in Utah

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-30

from Xu et al., 2005). (b) Map of SMU-IGPCEA Huailai Seismic Network and seismicity ( open circles) for the time period of January 01, 2002 through...the Beijing-Huailai-Fengzhen (H20) refraction/ wide angle reflection profile (Zhu et al., 1997). Open circles are locations of two historical...historycatalog_query.jsp) and the China Seismograph Network ( CSN ) Catalog (http://210.72.96.165/wdcd/csn_catalog_p001.jsp) list a total of 323 earthquakes with magnitude

Role of external neutrons of weakly bound nuclei in reactions with their participation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumenko, M. A.; Penionzhkevich, Yu E.; Samarin, V. V.; Sobolev, Yu G.

2018-05-01

The paper presents the results of measurement of the total cross sections for reactions 4,6He+Si and 6,7,9Li+Si in the beam energy range 5–50 A MeV. The enhancements of the total cross sections for reaction 6He+Si compared with reaction 4He+Si and 9Li+Si compared with reactions 6,7Li+Si have been observed. The performed microscopic analysis of total cross sections for reactions 6He+Si and 9Li+Si based on numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for external neutrons of projectile nuclei 6He and 9Li yielded good agreement with experimental data.

Cost-efficient observation of working postures from video recordings--more videos, more observers or more views per observer?

PubMed

Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Liv, Per; Wahlström, Jens

2012-01-01

In ergonomics, assessing the working postures of an individual by observation is a very common practice. The present study investigated whether monetary resources devoted to an observational study should preferably be invested in collecting many video recordings of the work, or in having several observers estimate postures from available videos multiple times. On the basis of a data set of observed working postures among hairdressers, necessary information in terms of posture variability, observer variability, and costs for recording and observing videos was entered into equations providing the total cost of data collection and the precision (informative value) of the resulting estimates of two variables: percentages time with the arm elevated <15 degrees and >90 degrees. In all 160 data collection strategies, differing with respect to the number of video recordings and the number of repeated observations of each recording, were simulated and compared for cost and precision. For both posture variables, the most cost-efficient strategy for a given budget was to engage 4 observers to look at available video recordings, rather than to have one observer look at more recordings. Since the latter strategy is the more common in ergonomics practice, we recommend reconsidering standard practice in observational posture assessment.

Enhanced X-ray Activity of the UHBL Source 1ES 0033+595

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapanadze, Bidzina

2018-04-01

The TeV-detected ultra-high-energy peaked BL Lacertae source (UHBL) 1ES 0033+595 was observed 87 times with X-Ray Telescope (XRT) onboard the Neil Geherels Swift Observatory since 2005 April 1 with a total exposure of 117 ks (Mostly, in the framework of our ToO requests).

Navy Maintenance: The P-3 Aircraft Overhaul Program Can Be Improved.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

Air Sys- tems Command’s Naval Aviation Logistics Center, we obtained data on aircraft turnaround times, mobilization requirements, and aircraft over...480 561 637 P-3 Workload as a Percent of 23 22 25 27 Total FINDING Z: Aplicability of Procedural Changes To Other Aircraft. The GAO observed that the

The Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI) on the FY-4 satellite and a typical application experiment using the LMI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, F.; Hui, W.; Li, X.; Liu, R.; Zhang, Z.; Zheng, Y.; Kang, N.

2017-12-01

The Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI) on the FY-4A satellite, which was launched successfully in December 2016, is the first satellite-based lightning detector from space independently developed in China, and one of the world's first two stationary satellite LMIs. The optical imaging technique with a 400x600 CCD array plane and a frequency of 500 frames/s is adopted in the FY-4A LMI to perform real-time and continuous observation of total lightening in the Chinese mainland and adjacent areas. As of July 2017, the in-orbit test shows that the lightening observation date could be accurately obtained by the FY-4A LMI, and that the geo-location could be verified by the ground lightening observation network over China. Since the beginning of the 2017 flood season, every process of strong thunderstorms has been monitored by the FY-4A LMI throughout the various areas of China, and of these are used as a typical application case in this talk. On April 8 and 9, 2017, a strong convective precipitation process occurred in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. The observation data of the FY-4A LMI are used to monitor the occurrence, development, shift and extinction of the thunderstorm track. By means of analyzing the station's synchronous precipitation observation data, it is indicated that the moving track of the thunderstorm is not completely consistent with that of the precipitation center, and while the distribution areas of thunderstorm and precipitation are consistent to a certain extent, a significant difference also exists. This difference is mainly caused by the convective precipitation and stratus precipitation area during the precipitation process. Through comparative analysis, the preliminary satellite and foundation lightening observation data show a higher consistency. However, the time of lightening activity observed by satellite is one hour earlier than that of the ground observation, which is likely related to the total lightning observation by satellite rather than the cloud-ground lightning observation by the ground network. The application test shows that the FY-4A LMI can achieve the real-time and continuous observation on the lightening activity with a strong convective system. This is a significant technological breakthrough in China's lightening detection field.

Effects of the Length of Stay on the Cost of Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013.

PubMed

Molloy, Ilda B; Martin, Brook I; Moschetti, Wayne E; Jevsevar, David S

2017-03-01

Utilization of total knee and hip arthroplasty has greatly increased in the past decade in the United States; these are among the most expensive procedures in patients with Medicare. Advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and care pathways decrease hospital length of stay. We examined how trends in hospital cost were altered by decreases in length of stay. Procedure, demographic, and economic data were collected on 6.4 million admissions for total knee arthroplasty and 2.8 million admissions for total hip arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013 using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Trends in mean hospital costs and their association with length of stay were estimated using inflation-adjusted, survey-weighted generalized linear regression models, controlling for patient demographic characteristics and comorbidity. From 2002 to 2013, the length of stay decreased from a mean time of 4.06 to 2.97 days for total knee arthroplasty and from 4.06 to 2.75 days for total hip arthroplasty. During the same time period, the mean hospital cost for total knee arthroplasty increased from $14,988 (95% confidence interval [CI], $14,927 to $15,049) in 2002 to $22,837 (95% CI, $22,765 to $22,910) in 2013 (an overall increase of $7,849 or 52.4%). The mean hospital cost for total hip arthroplasty increased from $15,792 (95% CI, $15,706 to $15,878) in 2002 to $23,650 (95% CI, $23,544 to $23,755) in 2013 (an increase of $7,858 or 49.8%). If length of stay were set at the 2002 mean, the growth in cost for total knee arthroplasty would have been 70.8% instead of 52.4% as observed, and the growth in cost for total hip arthroplasty would have been 67.4% instead of 49.8% as observed. Hospital costs for joint replacement increased from 2002 to 2013, but were attenuated by reducing inpatient length of stay. With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift toward younger population groups, reduction in length of stay remains an important target for procedure-level cost containment under emerging payment models.

Transaxillary Robotic Thyroid Surgery: A Preliminary European Experience

PubMed Central

Lallemant, Benjamin; Chambon, Guillaume; Galy-Bernadoy, Camille; Chapuis, Héliette; Guedj, Anne-Marie; Pham, Huy Trang; Lallemant, Jean-Gabriel; Rupp, Damien

2013-01-01

Background Robot-assisted endoscopic transaxillary thyroidectomy is an emerging surgical technique that needs to be evaluated in European patients. We evaluate the feasibility and preliminary results of our experience of this technique in a cohort of patients from within a single European university hospital (Nîmes, France). Methods We performed a retrospective review of the first 23 patients, treated consecutively between September 2010 and June 2012. Results Nine patients underwent total thyroidectomy and 14 patients lobectomies. All procedures were completed successfully with a mean total operative time of 134 min. We observed a single case of internal jugular vein injury during the console time. No instances of persistent complications were observed; however, minor postoperative events occurred in 5 patients. Pathological diagnoses included benign follicular adenoma in 18 patients, benign adenoma with lymphoid thyroiditis in 1 patient, and benign adenoma with Graves' disease in 4 patients. Conclusions Robotic thyroid surgery is feasible in European patients and can be safely performed on selected patients. This technique has infrequent minor complications and provides a high level of satisfaction. PMID:24783048

A Numerical Method of Calculating Propeller Noise Including Acoustic Nonlinear Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korkan, K. D.

1985-01-01

Using the transonic flow fields(s) generated by the NASPROP-E computer code for an eight blade SR3-series propeller, a theoretical method is investigated to calculate the total noise values and frequency content in the acoustic near and far field without using the Ffowcs Williams - Hawkings equation. The flow field is numerically generated using an implicit three dimensional Euler equation solver in weak conservation law form. Numerical damping is required by the differencing method for stability in three dimensions, and the influence of the damping on the calculated acoustic values is investigated. The acoustic near field is solved by integrating with respect to time the pressure oscillations induced at a stationary observer location. The acoustic far field is calculated from the near field primitive variables as generated by NASPROP-E computer code using a method involving a perturbation velocity potential as suggested by Hawkings in the calculation of the acoustic pressure time-history at a specified far field observed location. the methodologies described are valid for calculating total noise levels and are applicable to any propeller geometry for which a flow field solution is available.

Measurement of pelvic osteolytic lesions in follow-up studies after total hip arthroplasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castaneda, Benjamin; Tamez-Pena, Jose G.; Totterman, Saara; O'Keefe, Regis; Looney, R. John

2006-03-01

Previous studies have demonstrated the plausibility of using volumetric computerized tomography to provide an accurate representation and measurement of volume for pelvic osteolytic lesions following total hip joint replacement. These studies have been performed manually (or computed-assisted) by expert radiologists with the disadvantage of poor reproducibility of the experiment. The purpose of this work is to minimize the effect of user interaction in these experiments by introducing Laplacian level set methods in the volume segmentation process and using temporal articulated registration in order to follow the evolution of a lesion over time. Laplacian level set methods reduce the inter and intra-observer variability by attaching the segmented contour to edges defined in the image while keeping smoothness. The registration process allows the information of the lesion from the first visit to be used in the segmentation process of the current visit. This work compares the automated results on 7 volunteers versus the volume measured manually. Results have shown that the proposed technique is able to track osteolytic lesions and detect changes in volume over time. Intra-reader and inter-observer variabilities were reduced.

Molecular dynamics of conformational substates for a simplified protein model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grubmüller, Helmut; Tavan, Paul

1994-09-01

Extended molecular dynamics simulations covering a total of 0.232 μs have been carried out on a simplified protein model. Despite its simplified structure, that model exhibits properties similar to those of more realistic protein models. In particular, the model was found to undergo transitions between conformational substates at a time scale of several hundred picoseconds. The computed trajectories turned out to be sufficiently long as to permit a statistical analysis of that conformational dynamics. To check whether effective descriptions neglecting memory effects can reproduce the observed conformational dynamics, two stochastic models were studied. A one-dimensional Langevin effective potential model derived by elimination of subpicosecond dynamical processes could not describe the observed conformational transition rates. In contrast, a simple Markov model describing the transitions between but neglecting dynamical processes within conformational substates reproduced the observed distribution of first passage times. These findings suggest, that protein dynamics generally does not exhibit memory effects at time scales above a few hundred picoseconds, but confirms the existence of memory effects at a picosecond time scale.

SOME PROBLEMS OF COSMICAL PHYSICS, SOLVED AND UNSOLVED.

PubMed

Rayleigh, L

1929-07-26

The Great success of theoretical investigations in recent times naturally leads enterprising spirits to use them not only in interpreting what we know or can verify by observation, but to lead us into regions where experiment is not available as a check. I believe that this does nothing but good in times like ours, when there is no danger of the doctrines even of a master being unduly pressed, if the evidence of observed fact turns against them. At the same time, we must not expect too much of pure intellect unchecked by observation. Theories that do not stand the test of time pass for the most part into complete oblivion, and we are apt to forget how appallingly large a mass of wreekage the total of them represents. The next generation remembers chiefly those that survive, and does not take full advantage of the lesson of how easy it is for an apparently inevitable conslusion to be wrong. Unless the argument carried its own verification by some accurate and previously unforeseen numerical coincidence, it is hard indeed to tell if we are on the right track.

X-ray observations of a flare in NGC 4151 from OSO 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, R. F.; Holt, S. S.; Serlemitsos, P. J.

1978-01-01

The 2-60-keV flux from NGC 4151 has been observed to change by a factor of 2 on a time scale of 1.5 days. No fluctuations in excess of a factor of 3 are detected on time scales less than 4 hours. During a total observation of approximately 11 days there were no statistically significant changes in spectral shape. The spectrum can be fitted by a power law with photon index of about 1.42 + or - 0.06 and a hydrogen column density of approximately 7.5 + or - 0.5 x 10 to the 22nd power atoms/sq cm. A 2-sigma residual to this fit implies fluorescent Fe line emission with an equivalent width of about 240 eV. Both synchrotron self-Compton and thermal Compton models are consistent with the X-ray data.

POSSIBLE TRANSIT TIMING VARIATIONS OF THE TrES-3 PLANETARY SYSTEM

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

Jiang, Ing-Guey; Wu, Yu-Ting; Chien, Ping

2013-03-15

Five newly observed transit light curves of the TrES-3 planetary system are presented. Together with other light-curve data from the literature, 23 transit light curves in total, which cover an overall timescale of 911 epochs, have been analyzed through a standard procedure. From these observational data, the system's orbital parameters are determined and possible transit timing variations (TTVs) are investigated. Given that a null TTV produces a fit with reduced {chi}{sup 2} = 1.52, our results agree with previous work, that TTVs might not exist in these data. However, a one-frequency oscillating TTV model, giving a fit with a reducedmore » {chi}{sup 2} = 0.93, does possess a statistically higher probability. It is thus concluded that future observations and dynamical simulations for this planetary system will be very important.« less

IDE spatio-temporal impact fluxes and high time-resolution studies of multi-impact events and long-lived debris clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulholland, J. Derral; Singer, S. Fred; Oliver, John P.; Weinberg, Jerry L.; Cooke, William J.; Kassel, Philip C.; Wortman, Jim J.; Montague, Nancy L.; Kinard, William H.

1991-01-01

During the first 12 months of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) mission, the Interplanetary Dust Experiment (IDE) recorded over 15,000 total impacts on six orthogonal faces with a time resolution on the order of 15 to 20 seconds. When combined with the orbital data and the stabilized configuration of the spacecraft, this permits a detailed analysis of the micro-particulate environment. The functional status of each of the 459 detectors was monitored every 2.4 hours, and post-flight analyses of these data has now permitted an evaluation of the effective active detection area as a function of time, panel by panel and separately for the two sensitivity levels. Thus, total impacts were transformed into areal fluxes, and are presented here for the first time. Also discussed are possible effects of these fluxes on previously announced results: apparent debris events, meteor stream detections, and beta meteoroids in observationally significant numbers.

Effects on mortality, treatment, and time management as a result of routine use of total body computed tomography in blunt high-energy trauma patients.

PubMed

van Vugt, Raoul; Kool, Digna R; Deunk, Jaap; Edwards, Michael J R

2012-03-01

Currently, total body computed tomography (TBCT) is rapidly implemented in the evaluation of trauma patients. With this review, we aim to evaluate the clinical implications-mortality, change in treatment, and time management-of the routine use of TBCT in adult blunt high-energy trauma patients compared with a conservative approach with the use of conventional radiography, ultrasound, and selective computed tomography. A literature search for original studies on TBCT in blunt high-energy trauma patients was performed. Two independent observers included studies concerning mortality, change of treatment, and/or time management as outcome measures. For each article, relevant data were extracted and analyzed. In addition, the quality according to the Oxford levels of evidence was assessed. From 183 articles initially identified, the observers included nine original studies in consensus. One of three studies described a significant difference in mortality; four described a change of treatment in 2% to 27% of patients because of the use of TBCT. Five studies found a gain in time with the use of immediate routine TBCT. Eight studies scored a level of evidence of 2b and one of 3b. Current literature has predominantly suboptimal design to prove terminally that the routine use of TBCT results in improved survival of blunt high-energy trauma patients. TBCT can give a change of treatment and improves time intervals in the emergency department as compared with its selective use.

[Effect of joss stick moxibustion combined with pricking and cupping for acute herpes zoster and its mechanism of analgesia].

PubMed

Ye, Guoping; Su, Meiling; Zhu, Dingyu; Zhang, Linyun; Lin, Wang; Huang, Li; Wu, Mingxia

2017-12-12

To observe the effects of conventional western medication and joss stick moxibustion combined with pricking and cupping for herpes zoster in acute stage, and to explore its analgesic mechanism. Seventy patients with acute herpes zoster were randomized into an observation group (33 cases after 2 dropping) and a control group (34 cases after 1 dropping). Patients in the observation group were treated with joss stick moxibustion combined with pricking and cupping at local ashi points for 7 times, once every other day. Oral acyclovir, vitamin B 1 and mecobalamin tablets were applied in the control group for continuous 14 days, and interferon injection was used for continuous 6 days, etc. The herpes evaluation indexes of blister stopping time, scab time and decrustation time as well as pain intensity were observed before and after treatment. Peripheral serum substance P (SP) content of herpes local situation was detected. The comprehensive effects were evaluated. The blister stopping time, scab time and decrustation time in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (all P <0.05). There was no statistical significance for pain relief degree between the two groups ( P >0.05). The pain beginning to ease time and duration time in the observation group were better than those in the control group (both P <0.05). The contents of SP in the two groups decreased after treatment (both P <0.01), and it was better in the observation group ( P <0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group after treatment was 87.9% (29/33), and that of the control group was 85.3% (29/34), which were not statistically significant ( P >0.05). The cured rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group [66.7% (22/33) vs 58.8% (20/34), P <0.05]. Joss stick moxibustion combined with pricking and cupping are effective for herpes zoster, which have quicker and good analgesic effects than conventional western medication. Its mechanism may be related to reducing the content of SP more fast and to a larger degree.

Association between domains of physical activity and all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality.

PubMed

Autenrieth, Christine S; Baumert, Jens; Baumeister, Sebastian E; Fischer, Beate; Peters, Annette; Döring, Angela; Thorand, Barbara

2011-02-01

Few studies have investigated the independent effects of domain-specific physical activity on mortality. We sought to investigate the association of physical activity performed in different domains of daily living on all-cause, cardiovascular (CVD) and cancer mortality. Using a prospective cohort design, 4,672 men and women, aged 25-74 years, who participated in the baseline examination of the MONICA/KORA Augsburg Survey 1989/1990 were classified according to their activity level (no, light, moderate, vigorous). Domains of self-reported physical activity (work, transportation, household, leisure time) and total activity were assessed by the validated MOSPA (MONICA Optional Study on Physical Activity) questionnaire. After a median follow-up of 17.8 years, a total of 995 deaths occurred, with 452 from CVD and 326 from cancer. For all-cause mortality, hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval (HR, 95% CI) of the highly active versus the inactive reference group were 0.69 (0.48-1.00) for work, 0.48 (0.36-0.65) for leisure time, and 0.73 (0.59-0.90) for total activity after multivariable adjustments. Reduced risks of CVD mortality were observed for high levels of work (0.54, 0.31-0.93), household (0.80, 0.54-1.19), leisure time (0.50, 0.31-0.79) and total activity (0.75, 0.55-1.03). Leisure time (0.36, 0.23-0.59) and total activity (0.62, 0.43-0.88) were associated with reduced risks of cancer mortality. Light household activity was related to lower all-cause (0.82, 0.71-0.95) and CVD (0.72, 0.58-0.89) mortality. No clear effects were found for transportation activities. Our findings suggest that work, household, leisure time and total physical activity, but not transportation activity, may protect from premature mortality.

SS 433: Total Coverage of 162-Day Precession Phase in Four Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Band, David L.

1997-01-01

The observations prior to AO-4 covered a number of precession phases, leaving a gap at phase 0.8. In addition, ASCA and previous observations of SS 433 did not observe the spectrum above approx. 10 keV, and consequently the continuum underlying the spectral lines was poorly constrained. Therefore RXTE observations were scheduled for April 1997 to extend the observed spectrum to higher energies; these observations were planned to sample the X-ray lightcurve during the 13.08 day binary period, concentrating on the eclipse of the compact object which emits the jets. We proposed and were awarded ASCA observations simultaneous with the RXTE observations; the purpose of the ASCA observations was to provide greater spectral resolution at the low end of the spectrum observed by RXTE, and to complete the phase coverage of SS 433. As a result of scheduling difficulties early in the mission the RXTE observations were confined to a much shorter time range than originally planned, April 18-91 1997. Optical observations of SS 433 were performed at a number of observatories. The ASCA observations occurred from April 18 13:10 (UT) to April 21 13:20 (UT) for a total effective exposure of 120 ks. The continuum X-ray light curve shows that the ASCA observations started shortly before the ingress into the X-ray partial eclipse, and ended approximately at the time of the egress. Light curves were also obtained for the prominent Fe emission lines in the blue-shifted frame (approaching jet), red-shifted frame (receding jet), and the stationary frame (fluorescent line from the ambient matter). Through the eclipse mapping technique using the light curves, the parameters of the jet emission model were constrained, showing that the kinetic power in the jet exceeds 104? erg s-l. If the energy source is gravitational accretion, as is commonly believed, the derived l;inetic power implies extremely supercritical accretion even for a black; hole with 10M. These results will be described more fully in a major presentation of all the ASCA observations of SS 433.

How well are the climate indices related to the GRACE-observed total water storage changes in China?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devaraju, B.; Vishwakarma, B.; Sneeuw, N. J.

2017-12-01

The fresh water availability over land masses is changing rapidly under the influence of climate change and human intervention. In order to manage our water resources and plan for a better future, we need to demarcate the role of climate change. The total water storage change in a region can be obtained from the GRACE satellite mission. On the other hand, many climate change indicators, for example ENSO, are derived from sea surface temperature. In this contribution we investigate the relationship between the total water storage change over China with the climate indices using statistical time-series decomposition techniques, such as Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess (STL), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The anomalies in climate variables, such as sea surface temperature, are responsible for anomalous precipitation and thus an anomalous total water storage change over land. Therefore, it is imperative that we use a GRACE product that can capture anomalous water storage changes with unprecedented accuracy. Since filtering decreases the sensitivity of GRACE products substantially, we use the data-driven method of deviation for recovering the signal lost due to filtering. To this end, we are able to obtain the spatial fingerprint of individual climate index on total water storage change observed over China.

Defense reactions of bean genotypes to bacterial pathogens in controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uysal, B.; Bastas, K. K.

2018-03-01

This study was focused on the role of antioxidant enzymes and total protein in imparting resistance against common bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) and halo blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Psp) in bean. Activities of Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Catalase (CAT) and total protein were studied in resistant and susceptible bean genotypes. Five-day-old seedlings were inoculated with a bacterial suspension (108 CFU ml-1) and harvested at different time intervals (0, 12, 24 and 36 up to 72 h) under controlled growing conditions and assayed for antioxidant enzymes and total protein. Temporal increase of CAT, APX enzymes activities showed maximum activity at 12 h after both pathogens inoculation (hpi) in resistant cultivar, whereas in susceptible it increased at 72 h after both pathogens inoculation for CAT and 12, 24 h for APX enzymes. Maximum total protein activities were observed at 12 h and 24 h respectively after Xap, Psp inoculation (hpi) in resistant and maximum activities were observed at 24 h and 72 h respectively after Xap, Psp inoculation (hpi) in susceptible. Increase of antioxidant enzyme and total protein activities might be an important component in the defense strategy of resistance and susceptible bean genotypes against the bacterial infection. These findings suggest that disease protection is proportional to the amount of enhanced CAT, APX enzyme and total protein activity.

Sedentary behavior and prostate cancer risk in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.

PubMed

Lynch, Brigid M; Friedenreich, Christine M; Kopciuk, Karen A; Hollenbeck, Albert R; Moore, Steven C; Matthews, Charles E

2014-05-01

Sedentary behavior (sitting time) has been proposed as an independent risk factor for some cancers; however, its role in the development of prostate cancer has not been determined. We examined the prospective associations of self-reported daily sitting time and daily television/video viewing time with the risk of developing or dying from prostate cancer among 170,481 men in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. We estimated HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox proportional hazards regression. Between 1996 and 2006, there were 13,751 incident (including 1,365 advanced) prostate cancer cases identified; prostate cancer mortality (through 2008) was 669. No strong or significant association with prostate cancer risk was seen in fully adjusted models for either daily sitting or television/video time. There were some suggestions of effect modification by body mass index (BMI; interaction for television/video time and BMI, P = 0.02). For total prostate cancer risk, television/video time was associated with a slightly elevated, but nonsignificant, increase amongst obese men (HR = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.98-1.69); a null association was observed amongst overweight men (HR = 1.04; 0.89-1.22); and, for men with a normal BMI, television/video time was associated with a nonsignificant risk decrease (HR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.66-1.01). Similar patterns were observed for total daily sitting and television/video time in advanced prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality. Sedentary behavior seems to play a limited role in the development of prostate cancer; however, we cannot rule out potential effect modification by BMI or the impact of measurement error on results. ©2014 AACR.

A new short-term forecasting model for the total electron content storm time disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsagouri, Ioanna; Koutroumbas, Konstantinos; Elias, Panagiotis

2018-06-01

This paper aims to introduce a new model for the short-term forecast of the vertical Total Electron Content (vTEC). The basic idea of the proposed model lies on the concept of the Solar Wind driven autoregressive model for Ionospheric short-term Forecast (SWIF). In its original version, the model is operationally implemented in the DIAS system (http://dias.space.noa.gr) and provides alerts and warnings for upcoming ionospheric disturbances, as well as single site and regional forecasts of the foF2 critical frequency over Europe up to 24 h in advance. The forecasts are driven by the real time assessment of the solar wind conditions at ACE location. The comparative analysis of the variations in foF2 and vTEC during eleven geomagnetic storm events that occurred in the present solar cycle 24 reveals similarities but also differences in the storm-time response of the two characteristics with respect to the local time and the latitude of the observation point. Since the aforementioned dependences drive the storm-time forecasts of the SWIF model, the results obtained here support the upgrade of the SWIF's modeling technique in forecasting the storm-time vTEC variation from its onset to full development and recovery. According to the proposed approach, the vTEC storm-time response can be forecasted from 1 to 12-13 h before its onset, depending on the local time of the observation point at storm onset at L1. Preliminary results on the assessment of the performance of the proposed model and further considerations on its potential implementation in operational mode are also discussed.

Sedentary behavior and prostate cancer risk in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

PubMed Central

Lynch, Brigid M.; Friedenreich, Christine M.; Kopciuk, Karen A.; Hollenbeck, Albert R.; Moore, Steven C.; Matthews, Charles E.

2014-01-01

Sedentary behavior (sitting time) has been proposed as an independent risk factor for some cancers; however, its role in the development of prostate cancer has not been determined. We examined the prospective associations of self-reported daily sitting time and daily television/video viewing time with risk of developing or dying from prostate cancer among 170,481 men in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. We estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals using Cox Proportional Hazards regression. Between 1996 and 2006 there were 13,751 incident (including 1,365 advanced) prostate cancer cases identified; prostate cancer mortality (through 2008) was 669. No strong or significant association with prostate cancer risk was seen in fully adjusted models for either daily sitting or television/video time. There was some suggestion of effect modification by body mass index (interaction for television/video time and body mass index, p = 0.02). For total prostate cancer risk, television/video time was associated with a slightly elevated, but non-significant increased amongst obese men (HR=1.28, 95%CI: 0.98, 1.69); a null association was observed amongst overweight men (HR=1.04, 0.89, 1.22); and, for men with a normal body mass index, television/video time was associated with a non-significant risk decrease (HR=0.82, 95%CI: 0.66, 1.01). Similar patterns were observed for total daily sitting and television/video time in advanced prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality. Sedentary behavior appears to play a limited role in the development of prostate cancer, however we cannot rule out potential effect modification by body mass index or the impact of measurement error on results. PMID:24526287

Validation of TES ammonia observations at the single pixel scale in the San Joaquin Valley during DISCOVER-AQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Kang; Cady-Pereira, Karen; Miller, David J.; Tao, Lei; Zondlo, Mark A.; Nowak, John B.; Neuman, J. A.; Mikoviny, Tomas; Müller, Markus; Wisthaler, Armin; Scarino, Amy J.; Hostetler, Chris A.

2015-05-01

Ammonia measurements from a vehicle-based, mobile open-path sensor and those from aircraft were compared with Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) NH3 columns at the pixel scale during the NASA Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality field experiment. Spatial and temporal mismatches were reduced by having the mobile laboratory sample in the same areas as the TES footprints. To examine how large heterogeneities in the NH3 surface mixing ratios may affect validation, a detailed spatial survey was performed within a single TES footprint around the overpass time. The TES total NH3 column above a single footprint showed excellent agreement with the in situ total column constructed from surface measurements with a difference of 2% (within the combined measurement uncertainties). The comparison was then extended to a TES transect of nine footprints where aircraft data (5-80 ppbv) were available in a narrow spatiotemporal window (<10 km, <1 h). The TES total NH3 columns above the nine footprints agreed to within 6% of the in situ total columns derived from the aircraft-based measurements. Finally, to examine how TES captures surface spatial gradients at the interpixel scale, ground-based, mobile measurements were performed directly underneath a TES transect, covering nine footprints within ±1.5 h of the overpass. The TES total columns were strongly correlated (R2 = 0.82) with the median NH3 mixing ratios measured at the surface. These results provide the first in situ validation of the TES total NH3 column product, and the methodology is applicable to other satellite observations of short-lived species at the pixel scale.

Optimizing MRI Logistics: Prospective Analysis of Performance, Efficiency, and Patient Throughput.

PubMed

Beker, Kevin; Garces-Descovich, Alejandro; Mangosing, Jason; Cabral-Goncalves, Ines; Hallett, Donna; Mortele, Koenraad J

2017-10-01

The objective of this study is to optimize MRI logistics through evaluation of MRI workflow and analysis of performance, efficiency, and patient throughput in a tertiary care academic center. For 2 weeks, workflow data from two outpatient MRI scanners were prospectively collected and stratified by value added to the process (i.e., value-added time, business value-added time, or non-value-added time). Two separate time cycles were measured: the actual MRI process cycle as well as the complete length of patient stay in the department. In addition, the impact and frequency of delays across all observations were measured. A total of 305 MRI examinations were evaluated, including body (34.1%), neurologic (28.9%), musculoskeletal (21.0%), and breast examinations (16.1%). The MRI process cycle lasted a mean of 50.97 ± 24.4 (SD) minutes per examination; the mean non-value-added time was 13.21 ± 18.77 minutes (25.87% of the total process cycle time). The mean length-of-stay cycle was 83.51 ± 33.63 minutes; the mean non-value-added time was 24.33 ± 24.84 minutes (29.14% of the total patient stay). The delay with the highest frequency (5.57%) was IV or port placement, which had a mean delay of 22.82 minutes. The delay with the greatest impact on time was MRI arthrography for which joint injection of contrast medium was necessary but was not accounted for in the schedule (mean delay, 42.2 minutes; frequency, 1.64%). Of 305 patients, 34 (11.15%) did not arrive at or before their scheduled time. Non-value-added time represents approximately one-third of the total MRI process cycle and patient length of stay. Identifying specific delays may expedite the application of targeted improvement strategies, potentially increasing revenue, efficiency, and overall patient satisfaction.

Inference of scale-free networks from gene expression time series.

PubMed

Daisuke, Tominaga; Horton, Paul

2006-04-01

Quantitative time-series observation of gene expression is becoming possible, for example by cell array technology. However, there are no practical methods with which to infer network structures using only observed time-series data. As most computational models of biological networks for continuous time-series data have a high degree of freedom, it is almost impossible to infer the correct structures. On the other hand, it has been reported that some kinds of biological networks, such as gene networks and metabolic pathways, may have scale-free properties. We hypothesize that the architecture of inferred biological network models can be restricted to scale-free networks. We developed an inference algorithm for biological networks using only time-series data by introducing such a restriction. We adopt the S-system as the network model, and a distributed genetic algorithm to optimize models to fit its simulated results to observed time series data. We have tested our algorithm on a case study (simulated data). We compared optimization under no restriction, which allows for a fully connected network, and under the restriction that the total number of links must equal that expected from a scale free network. The restriction reduced both false positive and false negative estimation of the links and also the differences between model simulation and the given time-series data.

Behavior of total tropospheric ozone, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide column over western Indian region by exploring space based satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, B. M.; Saxena, Abhishek; Shekhawat, M. S.

2018-05-01

Monthly, seasonal and annual variation of major atmospheric pollutant levels, such as Total Tropospheric Ozone (TO), Total NO2 columnar content (TNO2) and Total CO columnar content (TCO) have been presented first time for eleven district sites of Rajasthan state located in the western tropical Indian region. The study is based on collection of above air pollutant data retrieved from space based satellite measurements by exploring OMI and MOPITT data for a three year period from Jan 2009 to December 2012. A clear, distinct seasonal dependence in TO, TCO and TNO2 column content values have been noticed all over selected measuring location. The maximum average seasonal TO is observed in pre-monsoon and their minimum value in the monsoon months. However, in TCO and TNO2 case, the highest TCO and TNO2 level is seen rather in the winter and their respective lowest value in monsoon season. Thus, their seasonal variability of TNO2 and TCO in their ranges have been systematically found to be reduced and obeyed the following descending order, i.e., winter> post-monsoon> pre-monsoon> monsoon seasons. As far as concerned with their annual values, the observed values of all considered atmospheric pollutants are almost found in the same levels with slight discrepancies over their lower air pollutant levels recorded in hot, arid, rural as compared to the prevailing elevated value at urban region. The more detail investigation of comparison of present observations with earlier reported similar studies over other Indian regions and their possible explanation is also discussed.

XTE J1946+274 = GRO J1944+26 Observations with RXTE and BATSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Colleen A.; Finger, Mark H.; Scott, D. Matthew

2000-01-01

XTE J1946+274 = GRO J1944+26 is a 15.8 second transient X-ray pulsar discovered simultaneously with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) onboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) during an outburst in September 1998. Since its discovery, XTE J1946+274 has undergone 7 regularly spaced outbursts, that were observed with BATSE and the RXTE All-Sky Monitor (ASM). The pulse frequency and pulsed flux measurements with BATSE suggest that XTE J1946+274 is in an about 170 day orbit and is outbursting twice per orbit. The first outburst, which was brighter and longer than subsequent outbursts, was also observed with the RXTE Proportional Counter Array (PCA). We present histories of pulse frequency, pulsed flux, and total flux measured in the 20-50 keV band with BATSE and a history of the 2-10 keV total flux measured with the RXTE ASM. From the first outburst, we present energy and power spectra and pulse profiles from RXTE PCA observations.

Validation of GOME-2/Metop total column water vapour with ground-based and in situ measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalakoski, Niilo; Kujanpää, Jukka; Sofieva, Viktoria; Tamminen, Johanna; Grossi, Margherita; Valks, Pieter

2016-04-01

The total column water vapour product from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 on board Metop-A and Metop-B satellites (GOME-2/Metop-A and GOME-2/Metop-B) produced by the Satellite Application Facility on Ozone and Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring (O3M SAF) is compared with co-located radiosonde observations and global positioning system (GPS) retrievals. The validation is performed using recently reprocessed data by the GOME Data Processor (GDP) version 4.7. The time periods for the validation are January 2007-July 2013 (GOME-2A) and December 2012-July 2013 (GOME-2B). The radiosonde data are from the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) maintained by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The ground-based GPS observations from the COSMIC/SuomiNet network are used as the second independent data source. We find a good general agreement between the GOME-2 and the radiosonde/GPS data. The median relative difference of GOME-2 to the radiosonde observations is -2.7 % for GOME-2A and -0.3 % for GOME-2B. Against the GPS, the median relative differences are 4.9 % and 3.2 % for GOME-2A and B, respectively. For water vapour total columns below 10 kg m-2, large wet biases are observed, especially against the GPS retrievals. Conversely, at values above 50 kg m-2, GOME-2 generally underestimates both ground-based observations.

Trend Analysis of Total Ozone Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Neil Richard Peter

The total column ozone data for many Dobson stations are examined for the existence of long-term changes, principally in the period 1965-1986. Analysis of the measurements taken at Arosa, Switzerland from August 1931 to July 1988 reveals a statistically significant wintertime loss in recent years of about 6% compared to historic values. Examination of data from several other ground stations gave similar results, and in addition incongruous features were found in many of the published records. Bojkov (1987/8) produced a set of Provisionally Revised data by adjusting the data using information about the Dobson instrument calibrations made available by the individual stations. Similar winter -time losses are found in an analysis of this Provisionally Revised set of data as are found in the published data. Multiple regression analyses were performed using a model which seeks trends on a monthly basis after allowance for the effects of the solar cycle and the quasi-biennial oscillation. Between 1969 and 1986 the observed decreases in total column ozone in three latitude bands from 30^circ N to 64^circN ranged from -2.3% at the lower latitudes to -6.2% at the higher latitudes during the winter (December through March) and from -0.2% to -1.9% in the summer (May through August). Sensitivity studies are presented which show the robustness of these results to such factors as the length of time considered, the solar cycle, the injection of nitrogen oxides by the nuclear bomb tests which were carried out in the atmosphere in the early 1960's, and the assumed nature of the loss. The seasonal and the latitudinal variations of these losses are qualitatively similar to the predictions of the current 2-D photochemical models of the atmosphere. However the observed losses are greater than the predicted losses by as much as a factor of four at 60^circ N in winter. Finally there is some evidence for longitudinal variations in both the observed trends and in the observed response of total ozone to the atmospheric bomb tests of the early 1960's.

On the role of precipitation latent heating in modulating the strength and width of the Hadley circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Sneha Susan; Kumar, Karanam Kishore

2018-05-01

The latent heat released in the clouds over the tropics plays a vital role in driving the Hadley circulation (HC). The present study discusses the influence of latent heating (LH) on the HC parameters viz., centre, strength and total width by using precipitation LH profiles derived from the space-borne observations of the Precipitation Radar (PR) onboard Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) and meridional stream function (MSF) derived from ECMWF-Interim reanalysis. The latitude of peak latent heating, width of the latent heating distribution and the total LH released within the ascending limb of the HC are estimated and their influence on the HC centre, strength and width is quantified, for the first time. The present results show that the latitude of peak LH significantly influences the position of the HC centre with correlation coefficient of 0.90. This high correlation between these two quantities seems to be due to their co-variability with the apparent motion of the Sun across the latitudes. The intensity of the HC in the NH as well as SH shows high correlation with the latitude of peak LH with coefficients - 0.85 and - 0.78, respectively. These results indicate that farther the latitude of peak LH from the equator in the summer hemisphere, stronger is the HC intensity in the winter hemisphere. The present analysis also reveals that the total LH released within the ascending limb of HC substantially influence the total width of the HC, with correlation coefficient 0.52, as compared to the other two LH parameters. This observation can be attributed to the fact that the HC is sensitive to the latent heat release in the mid-tropospheric levels in the tropics. An attempt is also made to investigate the degree of variability of these parameters after deseasonalization and results are discussed in the light of present understanding. The significance of the present study lies in providing the observational evidence for the influence of latent heating on the HC strength/width variability, quantitatively, for the first time using TRMM observations of precipitation latent heating.

CHANDRA Observations of V407 Vul: Confirmation of the Spin-up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strohmayer, T.

2004-01-01

V407 Vu1 (RX J1914.4+2456) is a candidate double-degenerate binary with a putative 1.756 mHz (9.5 min) orbital frequency. In a previous timing study using archival ROSAT and ASCA data we reported evidence for an increase of this frequency at a rate consistent with expectations for gravitational radiation from a detached ultracompact binary system. Here we report the results of new Chandra timing observations which confirm the previous indications of spin-up of the X-ray frequency, and provide much tighter constraints on the frequency derivative, nu (raised dot). We obtained with Chandra a total of 90 ksec of exposure in two epochs separated in time by 11.5 months. The total time span of the archival ROSAT, ASCA and new Chandra data is now approximately equal to 10.5 years. This more than doubles the interval spanned by the ROSAT and ASCA data alone, providing much greater sensitivity to a frequency derivative. With the addition of the Chandra data an increasing frequency is unavoidable, and the mean nu (raised dot) is 7.0 plus or minus 0.8 x l0(exp -18) Hz per second. Although a long-term spin-up trend is confirmed, there is excess variance in the phase timing residuals, perhaps indicative of shorter timescale torque fluctuations or phase instability associated with the source of the X-ray flux. Power spectral searches for periods longward of the 9.5 minute period do not find any significant modulations, however, the sensitivity of searches in this frequency range are somewhat compromised by the dithering of the Chandra attitude. The observed spin-up is of a magnitude consistent with that expected from gravitational radiation decay, however, the factor of approximately equal to 3 variations in flux combined with the timing noise could conceivably result from accretion-induced spin-up of a white dwarf. Continued monitoring to explore correlations of torque with X-ray flux could provide a further test of this hypothesis.

A fire model with distinct crop, pasture, and non-agricultural burning: use of new data and a model-fitting algorithm for FINAL.1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabin, Sam S.; Ward, Daniel S.; Malyshev, Sergey L.; Magi, Brian I.; Shevliakova, Elena; Pacala, Stephen W.

2018-03-01

This study describes and evaluates the Fire Including Natural & Agricultural Lands model (FINAL) which, for the first time, explicitly simulates cropland and pasture management fires separately from non-agricultural fires. The non-agricultural fire module uses empirical relationships to simulate burned area in a quasi-mechanistic framework, similar to past fire modeling efforts, but with a novel optimization method that improves the fidelity of simulated fire patterns to new observational estimates of non-agricultural burning. The agricultural fire components are forced with estimates of cropland and pasture fire seasonality and frequency derived from observational land cover and satellite fire datasets. FINAL accurately simulates the amount, distribution, and seasonal timing of burned cropland and pasture over 2001-2009 (global totals: 0.434×106 and 2.02×106 km2 yr-1 modeled, 0.454×106 and 2.04×106 km2 yr-1 observed), but carbon emissions for cropland and pasture fire are overestimated (global totals: 0.295 and 0.706 PgC yr-1 modeled, 0.194 and 0.538 PgC yr-1 observed). The non-agricultural fire module underestimates global burned area (1.91×106 km2 yr-1 modeled, 2.44×106 km2 yr-1 observed) and carbon emissions (1.14 PgC yr-1 modeled, 1.84 PgC yr-1 observed). The spatial pattern of total burned area and carbon emissions is generally well reproduced across much of sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, Central Asia, and Australia, whereas the boreal zone sees underestimates. FINAL represents an important step in the development of global fire models, and offers a strategy for fire models to consider human-driven fire regimes on cultivated lands. At the regional scale, simulations would benefit from refinements in the parameterizations and improved optimization datasets. We include an in-depth discussion of the lessons learned from using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm in an interactive optimization for a dynamic global vegetation model.

Decadal Record of Satellite Carbon Monoxide Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worden, Helen; Deeter, Merritt; Frankenberg, Christian; George, Maya; Nichitiu, Florian; Worden, John; Aben, Ilse; Bowman, Kevin; Clerbaux, Cathy; Coheur, Pierre-Francois; de Laat, Jos; Warner, Juying; Drummond, James; Edwards, David; Gille, John; Hurtmans, Daniel; Ming, Luo; Martinez-Alonso, Sara; Massie, Steven; Pfister, Gabriele

2013-04-01

Atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) distributions are controlled by anthropogenic emissions, biomass burning, chemical production, transport and oxidation by reaction with the hydroxyl radical (OH). Quantifying trends in CO is therefore important for understanding changes related to all of these contributions. Here we present a comprehensive record of satellite observations from 2000 through 2011 of total column CO using the available measurements from nadir-viewing thermal infrared instruments: MOPITT, AIRS, TES and IASI. We examine trends for CO in the Northern and Southern hemispheres along with regional trends for E. China, E. USA, Europe and India. Measurement and sampling methods for each of the instruments are discussed, and we show diagnostics for systematic errors in MOPITT trends. We find that all the satellite observations are consistent with a modest decreasing trend around -1%/year in total column CO over the Northern hemisphere for this time period. Decreasing trends in total CO column are observed for the United States, Europe and E. China with more than 2σ significance. For India, the trend is also decreasing, but smaller in magnitude and less significant. Decreasing trends in surface CO have also been observed from measurements in the U.S. and Europe. Although less information is available for surface CO in China, there is a decreasing trend reported for Beijing. Some of the interannual variability in the observations can be explained by global fire emissions, and there may be some evidence of the global financial crisis in late 2008 to early 2009. But the overall decrease needs further study to understand the implications for changes in anthropogenic emissions.

TIME DEPENDENT NONEQUILIBRIUM IONIZATION OF TRANSITION REGION LINES OBSERVED WITH IRIS

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

Martínez-Sykora, Juan; Pontieu, Bart De; Hansteen, Viggo H.

The properties of nonstatistical equilibrium ionization of silicon and oxygen ions are analyzed in this work. We focus on five solar targets (quiet Sun; coronal hole; plage; quiescent active region, AR; and flaring AR) as observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). IRIS is best suited for this work owing to the high cadence (up to 0.5 s), high spatial resolution (up to 0.″32), and high signal-to-noise ratios for O iv λ1401 and Si iv λ1402. We find that the observed intensity ratio between lines of three times ionized silicon and oxygen ions depends on their total intensity and that this correlationmore » varies depending on the region observed (quiet Sun, coronal holes, plage, or active regions) and on the specific observational objects present (spicules, dynamic loops, jets, microflares, or umbra). In order to interpret the observations, we compare them with synthetic profiles taken from 2D self-consistent radiative MHD simulations of the solar atmosphere, where the statistical equilibrium or nonequilibrium treatment of silicon and oxygen is applied. These synthetic observations show vaguely similar correlations to those in the observations, i.e., between the intensity ratios and their intensities, but only in the nonequilibrium case do we find that (some of) the observations can be reproduced. We conclude that these lines are formed out of statistical equilibrium. We use our time-dependent nonequilibrium ionization simulations to describe the physical mechanisms behind these observed properties.« less

Evolution of lightning in an isolated hailstorm of moderate size in the tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamra, A. K.; Pawar, S. D.

2007-10-01

Evolution of lightning activity in a tropical hailstorm of moderate size that developed in the premonsoon season at Pune (18°32'N, 73°51'E, 559 m above sea level) is studied from the measurements of surface electric field, the Maxwell current and thunder. Total flash rate is counted from the electric field record, and the cloud-to-ground (CG) flash rate is estimated from the visual observations. Precise timings of their occurrence were confirmed from the observations of overshoot in the Maxwell current records. The storm exhibited an almost constant rate of one CG flash every 1 to 2 min over the whole life time of the storm. The ratio of intracloud (IC) to CG flashes (IC/CG) increased with the increase in total flash rate. In the convective stage of the storm, field changes from consecutive flashes were generally found to alternate in polarity. Moreover, in this stage, field changes occur in pairs, the first field change of each pair being of negative polarity and the second one of positive polarity. The two field changes in a pair occur with an average time difference of 14.3 ± 8.4 s while two consecutive pairs appear after 29.3 ± 9.1 s. In between the convective and mature stages, our observations suggest the occurrence of the phenomenon of rain gush and the field excursion associated with falling precipitation. Development of the mature stage was marked with rapid transitions in the surface electric field and the Maxwell current polarities from negative to positive. Further, total flash rate and IC/CG ratio sharply increase, and the lightning-induced electric field changes become almost exclusively of negative polarity. Observations suggest possibly a lifting up of the charging region in mature stage of the storm. The dissipating stage of the storm witnessed hail and rain showers, sharp transition of electric field and the Maxwell current from positive to negative polarity and occurrence of a few positive CG discharges. Our observations are consistent with the general belief that that some lightning flashes, by neutralizing and depositing charge in the region of opposite polarity, change the charge distribution so as to trigger another discharge in the storm.

Mission planning optimization of video satellite for ground multi-object staring imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Kaikai; Xiang, Junhua; Zhang, Yulin

2018-03-01

This study investigates the emergency scheduling problem of ground multi-object staring imaging for a single video satellite. In the proposed mission scenario, the ground objects require a specified duration of staring imaging by the video satellite. The planning horizon is not long, i.e., it is usually shorter than one orbit period. A binary decision variable and the imaging order are used as the design variables, and the total observation revenue combined with the influence of the total attitude maneuvering time is regarded as the optimization objective. Based on the constraints of the observation time windows, satellite attitude adjustment time, and satellite maneuverability, a constraint satisfaction mission planning model is established for ground object staring imaging by a single video satellite. Further, a modified ant colony optimization algorithm with tabu lists (Tabu-ACO) is designed to solve this problem. The proposed algorithm can fully exploit the intelligence and local search ability of ACO. Based on full consideration of the mission characteristics, the design of the tabu lists can reduce the search range of ACO and improve the algorithm efficiency significantly. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional algorithm in terms of optimization performance, and it can obtain satisfactory scheduling results for the mission planning problem.

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

Harp, G. R.; Richards, Jon; Tarter, Jill C.

We report radio SETI observations on a large number of known exoplanets and other nearby star systems using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). Observations were made over about 19000 hr from 2009 May to 2015 December. This search focused on narrowband radio signals from a set totaling 9293 stars, including 2015 exoplanet stars and Kepler objects of interest and an additional 65 whose planets may be close to their habitable zones. The ATA observations were made using multiple synthesized beams and an anticoincidence filter to help identify terrestrial radio interference. Stars were observed over frequencies from 1 to 9 GHzmore » in multiple bands that avoid strong terrestrial communication frequencies. Data were processed in near-real time for narrowband (0.7–100 Hz) continuous and pulsed signals with transmitter/receiver relative accelerations from −0.3 to 0.3 m s{sup −2}. A total of 1.9 × 10{sup 8} unique signals requiring immediate follow-up were detected in observations covering more than 8 × 10{sup 6} star-MHz. We detected no persistent signals from extraterrestrial technology exceeding our frequency-dependent sensitivity threshold of 180–310 × 10{sup −26} W m{sup −2}.« less

Lepidoptera Larvae as an Indicator of Multi-trophic Level Responses to Changing Seasonality in an Arctic Tundra Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daly, K. M.; Steltzer, H.; Boelman, N.; Weintraub, M. N.; Darrouzet-Nardi, A.; Wallenstein, M. D.; Sullivan, P.; Gough, L.; Rich, M.; Hendrix, C.; Kielland, K.; Philip, K.; Doak, P.; Ferris, C.; Sikes, D.

2011-12-01

Earlier snowmelt and warming temperatures in the Arctic will impact multiple trophic levels through the timing and availability of food resources. Lepidoptera are a vital link within the ecosystem; their roles include pollinator, parasitized host for other pollinating insects, and essential food source for migrating birds and their fledglings. Multiple environmental cues including temperature initiate plant growth, and in turn, trigger the emergence of Lepidoptera and the migrations of birds. If snowmelt is accelerated and temperature is increased, it is expected that the Lepidoptera larvae will respond to early plant growth by increasing their abundance within areas that have accelerated snowmelt and warmer conditions. In May of 2011 in a moist acidic tussock tundra system, we accelerated snowmelt by 15 days through the use of radiation-absorbing fabric and warmed air and soil temperatures using open-top chambers, individually and in combination. Every 1-2 days from May 27th to July 8th, 2 minute searches were performed for Lepidoptera larvae in all treatments; when an animal was found, their micro-habitat, surface temperature, behavior, food source, and time of day were noted. The length, body and head width were measured, and the animals were examined for braconid wasp and tachinid fly parasites. Lepidoptera larvae collected in pitfall traps from May 26th to July 7th were also examined and measured. Total density of parasitized larvae accounted for 54% of observed specimens and 50% of pitfall specimens, indicating that Lepidoptera larvae serve an integral role as a host for other pollinators. Total larvae density was highest within the accelerated snowmelt plots compared to the control plots; 66% of observed live specimens and 63% of pitfall specimens were found within the accelerated snowmelt plots. Ninety percent of the total observed animals were found within the open-top warming chambers. Peak density of animals occurred at Solar Noon between 14:00 -15:00, the warmest part of the Arctic day. An earlier, warmer Arctic summer will alter the timing of Lepidoptera and pollinator-dependent life cycles, which could then affect the bird migration timing through greater food availability.

Age and ethnic disparities in incidence of stroke over time: the South London Stroke Register.

PubMed

Wang, Yanzhong; Rudd, Anthony G; Wolfe, Charles D A

2013-12-01

Data on continuous monitoring of stroke risk among different age and ethnic groups are lacking. We aimed to investigate age and ethnic disparities in stroke incidence over time from an inner-city population-based stroke register. Trends in stroke incidence and before-stroke risk factors were investigated with the South London Stroke Register, a population-based register covering a multiethnic population of 357 308 inhabitants. Age-, ethnicity-, and sex-specific incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, assuming a Poisson distribution and their trends over time tested by the Cochran-Armitage test. Four thousand two hundred forty-five patients with first-ever stroke were registered between 1995 and 2010. Total stroke incidence reduced by 39.5% during the 16-year period from 247 to 149.5 per 100 000 population (P<0.0001). Similar declines in stroke incidence were observed in men, women, white groups, and those aged>45 years, but not in those aged 15 to 44 years (12.6-10.1; P=0.2034) and black groups (310.1-267.5; P=0.3633). The mean age at stroke decreased significantly from 71.7 to 69.6 years (P=0.0001). The reduction in prevalence of before-stroke risk factors was mostly seen in white patients aged>55 years, whereas an increase in diabetes mellitus was observed in younger black patients aged 15 to 54 years. Total stroke incidence decreased during the 16-year time period. However, this was not seen in younger age groups and black groups. The advances in risk factor reduction observed in white groups aged>55 years failed to be transferred to younger age groups and black groups.

Associations between Screen Time and Physical Activity among Spanish Adolescents

PubMed Central

Serrano-Sanchez, Jose A.; Martí-Trujillo, Sara; Lera-Navarro, Angela; Dorado-García, Cecilia; González-Henríquez, Juan J.; Sanchís-Moysi, Joaquín

2011-01-01

Background Excessive time in front of a single or several screens could explain a displacement of physical activity. The present study aimed at determining whether screen-time is associated with a reduced level of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Spanish adolescents living in favorable environmental conditions. Methodology/Principal Findings A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select 3503 adolescents (12–18 years old) from the school population of Gran Canaria, Spain. MVPA, screen-time in front of television, computer, video game console and portable console was assessed in the classroom by fulfilling a standardized questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted by a set of social-environmental variables were carried out. Forty-six percent of girls (95% CI±2.3%) and 26% of boys (95% CI±2.1%) did not meet the MVPA recommendations for adolescents. Major gender differences were observed in the time devoted to vigorous PA, video games and the total time spent on screen-based activities. Boys who reported 4 hours•week−1 or more to total screen-time showed a 64% (OR = 0.61, 95% CI, 0.44–0.86) increased risk of failing to achieve the recommended adolescent MVPA level. Participation in organized physical activities and sports competitions were more strongly associated with MVPA than screen-related behaviors. Conclusions/Significance No single screen-related behavior explained the reduction of MVPA in adolescents. However, the total time accumulated through several screen-related behaviors was negatively associated with MVPA level in boys. This association could be due to lower availability of time for exercise as the time devoted to sedentary screen-time activities increases. Participation in organized physical activities seems to counteract the negative impact of excessive time in front of screens on physical activity. PMID:21909435

Associations between screen time and physical activity among Spanish adolescents.

PubMed

Serrano-Sanchez, Jose A; Martí-Trujillo, Sara; Lera-Navarro, Angela; Dorado-García, Cecilia; González-Henríquez, Juan J; Sanchís-Moysi, Joaquín

2011-01-01

Excessive time in front of a single or several screens could explain a displacement of physical activity. The present study aimed at determining whether screen-time is associated with a reduced level of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Spanish adolescents living in favorable environmental conditions. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to select 3503 adolescents (12-18 years old) from the school population of Gran Canaria, Spain. MVPA, screen-time in front of television, computer, video game console and portable console was assessed in the classroom by fulfilling a standardized questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted by a set of social-environmental variables were carried out. Forty-six percent of girls (95% CI±2.3%) and 26% of boys (95% CI±2.1%) did not meet the MVPA recommendations for adolescents. Major gender differences were observed in the time devoted to vigorous PA, video games and the total time spent on screen-based activities. Boys who reported 4 hours•week(-1) or more to total screen-time showed a 64% (OR = 0.61, 95% CI, 0.44-0.86) increased risk of failing to achieve the recommended adolescent MVPA level. Participation in organized physical activities and sports competitions were more strongly associated with MVPA than screen-related behaviors. No single screen-related behavior explained the reduction of MVPA in adolescents. However, the total time accumulated through several screen-related behaviors was negatively associated with MVPA level in boys. This association could be due to lower availability of time for exercise as the time devoted to sedentary screen-time activities increases. Participation in organized physical activities seems to counteract the negative impact of excessive time in front of screens on physical activity.

Assessing the efficacy of rescue equipment in lifeguard resuscitation efforts for drowning.

PubMed

Barcala-Furelos, Roberto; Szpilman, David; Palacios-Aguilar, Jose; Costas-Veiga, Javier; Abelairas-Gomez, Cristian; Bores-Cerezal, Antonio; López-García, Sergio; Rodríguez-Nuñez, Antonio

2016-03-01

The whole drowning process usually occurs within seconds to a few minutes. An early rescue may stop and/or prevent most medical complications. Fins, rescue tube, and rescue board (RB) are the equipment most frequently used by lifeguards. Our objective was to compare, in a water rescue quasiexperimental trial, these different pieces of rescue equipment to define the safest and with the lower rescue time as well as to assess their effects on the lifeguards' physiological state and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance. A controlled trial was conducted to study the time effect of 4 different rescue techniques and assess CPR quality, along with the physiological effects of each rescue technique (blood lactate and subjective Borg's scale effort perception) on 35 lifeguards. Among the final sample subjects (n = 23), a total of 92 rescues were completed. Total water rescue time was longer without equipment (NE). The total rescue time was significantly lower using RB (P < .001). Similar good quality of CPR before and after water rescue was observed in all trials (P > .05), although correct ventilations represented less than 50% of total in all trials. Blood lactate increased after all rescues. The subjective effort Borg's scale showed significantly less effort using RB vs without equipment, fins, and fins and rescue tube. The use of propelling and/or floating equipment saves precious time with repercussions in the reduction of drowning mortality and morbidity. The RB offers a significant advantage. Lifeguards need more CPR training, especially considering the importance of efficient ventilations for drowning victims. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astronomy behind Enemy Lines: Colonial American Field Expeditions, 1761--1780

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schechner, Sara J.

2012-09-01

In May 1761, John Winthrop packed up two students, two telescopes, a clock, and an octant, and embarked for Newfoundland, to observe the Transit of Venus. Winthrop's departure was hasty. Only days before had the President and Fellows of Harvard College approve Professor Winthrop's request to take the college apparatus behind enemy lines during the French and Indian War, to serve the cause of science. Winthrop knew he had no time to waste if he were to reach St. Johns and properly calibrate his equipment before the Transit. In 1761 Winthrop was the sole North American astronomer in a global network helping to determine the distance from the Earth to the Sun. The expedition was a major achievement for colonial astronomy, especially in time of war. Winthrop, however, looked forward to a second chance to observe a transit in 1769. Benjamin Franklin urged him to go to Lake Superior, but preparations for the transit were thwarted by two events: the loss of Harvard's apparatus in a 1764 fire; and pre-Revolutionary War politics in the American colonies. In the end, Winthrop was forced to content himself with observations in Cambridge. In 1780 Winthrop's successor at Harvard, Samuel Williams, risked the college apparatus once again. During the American War of Independence, he received permission to go behind British enemy lines in order to observe a total solar eclipse in Penobscot Bay, Maine. Limitations placed on his encampment led him to be slightly outside totality, but able to observe what would later be known as Baily's beads. This paper will examine the challenges of observational science in provincial America, especially when one had to negotiate with enemies to have access to the best apparatus and field sites.

Wide-Field Plate Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsvetkov, M. K.; Stavrev, K. Y.; Tsvetkova, K. P.; Semkov, E. H.; Mutatov, A. S.

The Wide-Field Plate Database (WFPDB) and the possibilities for its application as a research tool in observational astronomy are presented. Currently the WFPDB comprises the descriptive data for 400 000 archival wide field photographic plates obtained with 77 instruments, from a total of 1 850 000 photographs stored in 269 astronomical archives all over the world since the end of last century. The WFPDB is already accessible for the astronomical community, now only in batch mode through user requests sent by e-mail. We are working on on-line interactive access to the data via INTERNET from Sofia and parallel from the Centre de Donnees Astronomiques de Strasbourg. (Initial information can be found on World Wide Web homepage URL http://www.wfpa.acad.bg.) The WFPDB may be useful in studies of a variety of astronomical objects and phenomena, andespecially for long-term investigations of variable objects and for multi-wavelength research. We have analysed the data in the WFPDB in order to derive the overall characteristics of the totality of wide-field observations, such as the sky coverage, the distributions by observation time and date, by spectral band, and by object type. We have also examined the totality of wide-field observations from point of view of their quality, availability and digitisation. The usefulness of the WFPDB is demonstrated by the results of identification and investigation of the photometrical behaviour of optical analogues of gamma-ray bursts.

Balloon-Borne Measurements of Total Reactive Nitrogen, Nitric Acid, and Aerosol in the Cold Arctic Stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondo, Y.; Aimedieu, P.; Matthews, W. A.; Fahey, D. W.; Murcray, D. G.; Hofmann, D. J.; Johnston, P. V.; Iwasaka, Y.; Iwata, A.; Sheldon, W. R.

1990-01-01

Total reactive nitrogen (NO(Y)) between 15 and 29 km was measured for the first time on board a balloon within the Arctic cold vortex. Observations of HNO3, aerosol, and ozone were made by instruments on the same balloon gondola which was launched from Esrange, Sweden (68 deg N, 20 deg E) on January 23, 1989. The NO(y) mixing ratio was observed to increase very rapidly from 6 ppbv at 18 km altitude to a maximum of 21 ppbv at 21 km, forming a sharp layer with a thickness of about 2 km. A minimum in the NO(y) mixing ratio of 5 ppbv was found at 27 km. The measured HNO3 profile shows broad similarities to that of NO(y). This observation, together with the observed very low column amount of NO2, shows that NO(x) had been almost totally converted to HNO3, and that NO(y) was composed mainly of HNO3. The enhanced aerosol concentration between 19 and 22 km suggests that the maximum abundance of HNO3 trapped in the form of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) was about 6 ppbv at 21 km. The sampled air parcels were highly supersaturated with respect to NAT. Although extensive denitrification throughout the stratosphere did not prevail, an indication of denitrification was found at altitudes of 27 and 22 km, and between 18 and 15 km.

Alice Solar Occultation

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-07-17

This figure shows how the Alice instrument count rate changed over time during the sunset and sunrise observations. The count rate is largest when the line of sight to the sun is outside of the atmosphere at the start and end times. Molecular nitrogen (N2) starts absorbing sunlight in the upper reaches of Pluto's atmosphere, decreasing as the spacecraft approaches the planet's shadow. As the occultation progresses, atmospheric methane and hydrocarbons can also absorb the sunlight and further decrease the count rate. When the spacecraft is totally in Pluto's shadow the count rate goes to zero. As the spacecraft emerges from Pluto's shadow into sunrise, the process is reversed. By plotting the observed count rate in the reverse time direction, it is seen that the atmospheres on opposite sides of Pluto are nearly identical. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19716

Ensemble Pulsar Time Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Dong-shan; Gao, Yu-ping; Zhao, Shu-hong

2017-07-01

Millisecond pulsars can generate another type of time scale that is totally independent of the atomic time scale, because the physical mechanisms of the pulsar time scale and the atomic time scale are quite different from each other. Usually the pulsar timing observations are not evenly sampled, and the internals between two data points range from several hours to more than half a month. Further more, these data sets are sparse. All this makes it difficult to generate an ensemble pulsar time scale. Hence, a new algorithm to calculate the ensemble pulsar time scale is proposed. Firstly, a cubic spline interpolation is used to densify the data set, and make the intervals between data points uniform. Then, the Vondrak filter is employed to smooth the data set, and get rid of the high-frequency noises, and finally the weighted average method is adopted to generate the ensemble pulsar time scale. The newly released NANOGRAV (North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves) 9-year data set is used to generate the ensemble pulsar time scale. This data set includes the 9-year observational data of 37 millisecond pulsars observed by the 100-meter Green Bank telescope and the 305-meter Arecibo telescope. It is found that the algorithm used in this paper can reduce effectively the influence caused by the noises in pulsar timing residuals, and improve the long-term stability of the ensemble pulsar time scale. Results indicate that the long-term (> 1 yr) stability of the ensemble pulsar time scale is better than 3.4 × 10-15.

The 1988 Antarctic ozone monitoring Nimbus-7 TOMS data atlas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krueger, Arlin J.; Penn, Lanning M.; Larko, David E.; Doiron, Scott D.; Guimaraes, Patricia T.

1989-01-01

Because of the great environmental significance of ozone and to support continuing research at McMurdo, Syowa, and other Southern Hemisphere stations, the development of the 1988 ozone hole was monitored using data from the Nimbus-7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument, produced in near-real-time. This Atlas provides a complete set of daily polar orthographic projections of the TOMS total ozone measurements over the Southern Hemisphere for the period August 1 through November 17, 1988. Although total ozone in mini-holes briefly dropped below 150 DU in late August, the main ozone hole is seen to be much less pronounced than in 1987. Minimum values, observed in late September and early October 1988, were seldom less than 175 DU. Compared with the same period in 1987, when a pronounced ozone hole whose minimum value of 109 Dobson Units (DU) was the lowest total ozone ever observed, the 1988 ozone hole is displaced from the South Pole, opposing a persistent maximum with values consistently above 500 DU. Daily ozone values above selected Southern Hemisphere stations are presented, along with comparisons of the 1988 ozone distribution to that of other years.

Modeling Circumstellar Disks of B-Type Stars with Observations from the Palomar Testbed Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grzenia, B. J.; Tycner, C.; Jones, C. E.; Rinehart, S. A.; vanBelle, G. T.; Sigut, T. A. A.

2013-01-01

Geometrical (uniform disk) and numerical models were calculated for a set of B-emission (Be) stars observed with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). Physical extents have been estimated for the disks of a total of15 stars via uniform disk models. Our numerical non-LTE models used parameters for the B0, B2, B5, and B8spectral classes and following the framework laid by previous studies, we have compared them to infrared K-band interferometric observations taken at PTI. This is the first time such an extensive set of Be stars observed with long-baseline interferometry has been analyzed with self-consistent non-LTE numerical disk models.

Cumulant generating function formula of heat transfer in ballistic systems with lead-lead coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huanan; Agarwalla, Bijay Kumar; Wang, Jian-Sheng

2012-10-01

Based on a two-time observation protocol, we consider heat transfer in a given time interval tM in a lead-junction-lead system taking coupling between the leads into account. In view of the two-time observation, consistency conditions are carefully verified in our specific family of quantum histories. Furthermore, its implication is briefly explored. Then using the nonequilibrium Green's function method, we obtain an exact formula for the cumulant generating function for heat transfer between the two leads, valid in both transient and steady-state regimes. Also, a compact formula for the cumulant generating function in the long-time limit is derived, for which the Gallavotti-Cohen fluctuation symmetry is explicitly verified. In addition, we briefly discuss Di Ventra's repartitioning trick regarding whether the repartitioning procedure of the total Hamiltonian affects the nonequilibrium steady-state current fluctuation. All kinds of properties of nonequilibrium current fluctuations, such as the fluctuation theorem in different time regimes, could be readily given according to these exact formulas.

Microbial examination of anaerobic sludge adaptation to animal slurry.

PubMed

Moset, V; Cerisuelo, A; Ferrer, P; Jimenez, A; Bertolini, E; Cambra-López, M

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the microbial population of anaerobic sludge digesters during the adaptation to pig slurry (PS) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and qualitative scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the relationship between microbial parameters and sludge physicochemical composition and methane yield was examined. Results showed that the addition of PS to an unadapted thermophilic anaerobic digester caused an increase in volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration, a decrease in removal efficiency and CH4 yield. Additionally, increases in total bacteria and total archaea were observed using qPCR. Scanning electron micrographs provided a general overview of the sludge's cell morphology, morphological diversity and degree of organic matter degradation. A change in microbial morphotypes from homogeneous cell morphologies to a higher morphological diversity, similar to that observed in PS, was observed with the addition of PS by SEM. Therefore, the combination of qPCR and SEM allowed expanding the knowledge about the microbial adaptation to animal slurry in thermophilic anaerobic digesters.

Three kinds of particles on a single rationally parameterized world line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassandrov, V. V.; Markova, N. V.

2016-10-01

We consider the light cone (`retardation') equation (LCE) of an inertially moving observer and a single worldline parameterized by arbitrary rational functions. Then a set of apparent copies, R- or C-particles, defined by the (real or complex conjugate) roots of the LCE will be detected by the observer. For any rational worldline the collective R-C dynamics is manifestly Lorentz-invariant and conservative; the latter property follows directly from the structure of Vieta formulas for the LCE roots. In particular, two Lorentz invariants, the square of total 4-momentum and total rest mass, are distinct and both integer-valued. Asymptotically, at large values of the observer's proper time, one distinguishes three types of the LCE roots and associated R-C particles, with specific locations and evolutions; each of three kinds of particles can assemble into compact large groups - clusters. Throughout the paper, we make no use of differential equations of motion, field equations, etc.: the collective R-C dynamics is purely algebraic

Solar Irradiance Variability is Caused by the Magnetic Activity on the Solar Surface.

PubMed

Yeo, Kok Leng; Solanki, Sami K; Norris, Charlotte M; Beeck, Benjamin; Unruh, Yvonne C; Krivova, Natalie A

2017-09-01

The variation in the radiative output of the Sun, described in terms of solar irradiance, is important to climatology. A common assumption is that solar irradiance variability is driven by its surface magnetism. Verifying this assumption has, however, been hampered by the fact that models of solar irradiance variability based on solar surface magnetism have to be calibrated to observed variability. Making use of realistic three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the solar atmosphere and state-of-the-art solar magnetograms from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we present a model of total solar irradiance (TSI) that does not require any such calibration. In doing so, the modeled irradiance variability is entirely independent of the observational record. (The absolute level is calibrated to the TSI record from the Total Irradiance Monitor.) The model replicates 95% of the observed variability between April 2010 and July 2016, leaving little scope for alternative drivers of solar irradiance variability at least over the time scales examined (days to years).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Gould's Belt VLA survey. III. Orion region (Kounkel+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kounkel, M.; Hartmann, L.; Loinard, L.; Mioduszewski, A. J.; Dzib, S. A.; Ortiz-Leon, G. N.; Rodriguez, L. F.; Pech, G.; Rivera, J. L.; Torres, R. M.; Boden, A. F.; Evans, N. J., II; Briceno, C.; Tobin, J.

2015-09-01

Fields in the Orion A and B molecular clouds were observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in its A configuration. The 210 individual fields have been split into 7 maps, with 30 fields being observed per map, as follows: 12 in λ Ori, 3 in L1622, 27 are shared between NGC 2068 and NGC 2071, 14 are shared between NGC 2023 and NGC 2024, 11 in σ Ori, 109 in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC), 16 in L1641-N, 8 in L1641-C, and 10 in L1641-S (see Figures 1-7). All the maps were imaged closely in time, and a total of three epochs separated by approximately a full month were acquired in summer 2011. Assuming a FWHM diameter of the primary beam of 10' and 6' at 4.5 and 7.5GHz respectively, the total area covered by our observations is 2.26 and 1.35deg2, respectively. (2 data files).

Kinematic and Microphysical Significance of Lightning Jumps versus Non-Jump Increases in Total Flash Rate

PubMed Central

Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Elise V.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

2017-01-01

Thirty-nine thunderstorms are examined using multiple-Doppler, polarimetric and total lightning observations to understand the role of mixed phase kinematics and microphysics in the development of lightning jumps. This sample size is larger than those of previous studies on this topic. The principal result of this study is that lightning jumps are a result of mixed phase updraft intensification. Larger increases in intense updraft volume (≥ 10 m s−1) and larger changes in peak updraft speed are observed prior to lightning jump occurrence when compared to other non-jump increases in total flash rate. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Rank Sum testing yields p-values ≤0.05, indicating statistical independence between lightning jump and non-jump distributions for these two parameters. Similar changes in mixed phase graupel mass magnitude are observed prior to lightning jumps and non-jump increases in total flash rate. The p-value for graupel mass change is p=0.096, so jump and non-jump distributions for graupel mass change are not found statistically independent using the p=0.05 significance level. Timing of updraft volume, speed and graupel mass increases are found to be 4 to 13 minutes in advance of lightning jump occurrence. Also, severe storms without lightning jumps lack robust mixed phase updrafts, demonstrating that mixed phase updrafts are not always a requirement for severe weather occurrence. Therefore, the results of this study show that lightning jump occurrences are coincident with larger increases in intense mixed phase updraft volume and peak updraft speed than smaller non-jump increases in total flash rate. PMID:29158622

Kinematic and Microphysical Significance of Lightning Jumps versus Non-Jump Increases in Total Flash Rate.

PubMed

Schultz, Christopher J; Carey, Lawrence D; Schultz, Elise V; Blakeslee, Richard J

2017-02-01

Thirty-nine thunderstorms are examined using multiple-Doppler, polarimetric and total lightning observations to understand the role of mixed phase kinematics and microphysics in the development of lightning jumps. This sample size is larger than those of previous studies on this topic. The principal result of this study is that lightning jumps are a result of mixed phase updraft intensification. Larger increases in intense updraft volume (≥ 10 m s -1 ) and larger changes in peak updraft speed are observed prior to lightning jump occurrence when compared to other non-jump increases in total flash rate. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Rank Sum testing yields p-values ≤0.05, indicating statistical independence between lightning jump and non-jump distributions for these two parameters. Similar changes in mixed phase graupel mass magnitude are observed prior to lightning jumps and non-jump increases in total flash rate. The p-value for graupel mass change is p=0.096, so jump and non-jump distributions for graupel mass change are not found statistically independent using the p=0.05 significance level. Timing of updraft volume, speed and graupel mass increases are found to be 4 to 13 minutes in advance of lightning jump occurrence. Also, severe storms without lightning jumps lack robust mixed phase updrafts, demonstrating that mixed phase updrafts are not always a requirement for severe weather occurrence. Therefore, the results of this study show that lightning jump occurrences are coincident with larger increases in intense mixed phase updraft volume and peak updraft speed than smaller non-jump increases in total flash rate.

Kinematic and Microphysical Significance of Lightning Jumps Versus Non-Jump Increases in Total Flash Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Elise V.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

2017-01-01

Thirty-nine thunderstorms are examined using multiple-Doppler, polarimetric and total lightning observations to understand the role of mixed phase kinematics and microphysics in the development of lightning jumps. This sample size is larger than those of previous studies on this topic. The principal result of this study is that lightning jumps are a result of mixed phase updraft intensification. Larger increases in intense updraft volume greater than or equal to 10 m(sup -1) and larger changes in peak updraft speed are observed prior to lightning jump occurrence when compared to other non-jump increases in total ash rate. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Rank Sum testing yields p-values 0.05, indicating statistical independence between lightning jump and non-jump distributions for these two parameters. Similar changes in mixed phase graupel mass magnitude are observed prior to lightning jumps and non-jump increases in total ash rate. The p-value for graupel mass change is p=0.096, so jump and non-jump distributions for graupel mass change are not found statistically independent using the p=0.05 significance level. Timing of updraft volume, speed and graupel mass increases are found to be 4 to 13 minutes in advance of lightning jump occurrence. Also, severe storms without lightning jumps lack robust mixed phase updrafts, demonstrating that mixed phase updrafts are not always a requirement for severe weather occurrence. Therefore, the results of this study show that lightning jump occurrences are coincident with larger increases in intense mixed phase updraft volume and peak updraft speed than smaller non-jump increases in total ash rate.

Raspberry Pi Eclipse Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chizek Frouard, Malynda

2018-01-01

The 21 August 2017 solar eclipse was an excellent opportunity for electronics and science enthusiasts to collect data during a fascinating phenomenon. With my recent personal interest in Raspberry Pis, I thought measuring how much the temperature and illuminance changes during a total solar eclipse would be fun and informational.Previous observations of total solar eclipses have remarked on the temperature drop during totality. Illuminance (ambient light) varies over 7 orders of magnitude from day to night and is highly dependent on relative positions of Sun, Earth, and Moon. I wondered whether totality was really as dark as night.Using a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a Pimoroni Enviro pHAT, and a portable USB charger, I collected environmental temperature; CPU temperature (because the environmental temperature sensor sat very near the CPU on the Raspberry Pi); barometric pressure; ambient light; R, G, and B colors; and x, y, and z acceleration (for marking times when I moved the sensor) data at a ~15 second cadence starting at about 5 am until 1:30 pm from my eclipse observation site in Glendo, WY. Totality occurred from 11:45 to 11:47 am, lasting about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.The Raspberry Pi recorded a >20 degree F drop in temperature during the eclipse, and the illuminance during totality was equivalent to twilight measurements earlier in the day. A limitation in the ambient light sensor prevented accurate measurements of broad daylight and most of the partial phase of the eclipse, but an alternate ambient light sensor combined with the Raspberry Pi setup would make this a cost-efficient set-up for illuminance studies.I will present data from the ambient light sensor, temperature sensor, and color sensor, noting caveats from my experiments, lessons learned for next time, and suggestions for anyone who wants to perform similar experiments for themselves or with a classroom.

A Pilot Study of a Novel Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential (SSEP) Monitoring Device for Detection and Prevention of Intraoperative Peripheral Nerve Injury in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Surgery.

PubMed

Chui, Jason; Murkin, John M; Drosdowech, Darren

2018-05-21

Peripheral nerve injury is a potentially devastating complication after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) surgery. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using an automated somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) device to provide a timely alert/intervention to minimize intraoperative nerve insults during TSA surgery. A prospective, single-arm, observational study was conducted in a single university hospital. The attending anesthesiologist monitored the study participants using the EPAD automated SSEP device and an intervention was made if there was an alert during TSA surgery. The median, radial, and ulnar nerve SSEP on the operative arm, as well as the median nerve SSEP of the nonoperative arm were monitored for each patient. All patients were evaluated for postoperative neurological deficits 6 weeks postoperatively. In total, 21 patients were consented and were successfully monitored. In total, 4 (19%) patients developed intraoperative abnormal SSEP signal changes in the operative arm, in which 3 were reversible and 1 was irreversible till the end of surgery. Median and radial nerves were mostly involved (3/4 patients). The mean cumulative duration of nerve insult (abnormal SSEP) was 21.7±26.2 minutes. Univariate analysis did not identify predictor of intraoperative nerve insults. No patients demonstrated postoperative peripheral neuropathy at 6 weeks. A high incidence (19%) of intraoperative nerve insult was observed in this study demonstrating the feasibility of using an automated SSEP device to provide a timely alert and enable an intervention in order to minimize peripheral nerve injury during TSA. Further randomized studies are warranted.

Effects of salinity on egg and fecal pellet production, development and survival, adult sex ratio and total life span in the calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa: a laboratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shayegan, Majid; Esmaeili Fereidouni, Abolghasem; Agh, Naser; Jani Khalili, Khosrow

2016-07-01

The effects of salinity on the copepod, Acartia tonsa in terms of daily egg production rate (EPR), hatching success, fecal pellet production rate (FPR), naupliar development time and survival, sex ratio, and total life span were determined in laboratory conditions through three experiments. In experiment 1, EPR, hatching success, and FPR of individual females were monitored at salinities of 13, 20, 35 and 45 during short-periods (seven consecutive days). Results show EPR was affected by salinity with the highest outputs recorded at 20 and 35, respectively, which were considerably higher than those at 13 and 45. Mean FPR was also higher in 35 and 20. In experiment 2, the same parameters were evaluated over total life span of females (long-term study). The best EPR and FPR were observed in 35, which was statistically higher than at 13 and 20. In experiment 3, survival rates of early nauplii until adult stage were lowest at a salinity of 13. The development time increased with increasing of salinity. Female percentage clearly decreased with increasing salinity. Higher female percentages (56.7% and 52.2%, respectively) were significantly observed at two salinities of 13 and 20 compared to that at 35 (25%). Total longevity of females was not affected by salinity increment. Based on our results, for mass culture we recommend that a salinity of 35 be adopted due to higher reproductive performances, better feeding, and faster development of A. tonsa.

Dairy products intake and the risk of incident cataracts surgery in an elderly Mediterranean population: results from the PREDIMED study.

PubMed

Camacho-Barcia, Lucía; Bulló, Mònica; García-Gavilán, Jesús F; Martínez-González, Miguel A; Corella, Dolores; Estruch, Ramón; Fitó, Montse; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Arós, Fernando; Fiol, Miquel; Santos-Lozano, José M; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Basora, Josep; Toledo, Estefanía; Muñoz, Miguel A; Zanon-Moreno, Vicente; García-Layana, Alfredo; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi

2018-03-27

The aim of this study was to examine the association between the consumption of total and specific types of dairy products and the risk of incident cataracts in an elderly Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk. We prospectively analyzed 5860 subjects from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study. The time to cataract surgery was calculated as the time between recruitment and the date of the surgery, last visit of the follow-up, date of death, or until the end of the study. Dairy products intake was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazard regression to assess the risk of cataract surgery according to average dietary energy-adjusted total dairy products, milk, yogurt and cheese consumption. We documented a total of 768 new cataract events after a median of 5.6 years of follow-up. Subjects in the second [hazard ratio (HR) 0.62; 95% CI 0.52, 0.74] and third tertile (HR: 0.71; 95% CI 0.60, 0.85) of skimmed yogurt intake had a significantly lower risk of cataracts after adjusting for potential confounders. No significant associations were observed for total dairy products, whole and skimmed milk, whole yogurt and cheese consumption. The intake of skimmed yogurt was associated with a reduced risk of cataracts in an elderly Mediterranean population with high cardiovascular risk. No significant associations were observed for other type of dairy product. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 35739639. Registration date: 5 October 2005.

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigo, T.; Pineda, N.; Bech, J.

2010-09-01

Monitoring thunderstorms activity is an essential part of operational weather surveillance given their potential hazards, including lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds or even tornadoes. This study has two main objectives: firstly, the description of a methodology, based on radar and total lightning data to characterise thunderstorms in real-time; secondly, the application of this methodology to 66 thunderstorms that affected Catalonia (NE Spain) in the summer of 2006. An object-oriented tracking procedure is employed, where different observation data types generate four different types of objects (radar 1-km CAPPI reflectivity composites, radar reflectivity volumetric data, cloud-to-ground lightning data and intra-cloud lightning data). In the framework proposed, these objects are the building blocks of a higher level object, the thunderstorm. The methodology is demonstrated with a dataset of thunderstorms whose main characteristics, along the complete life cycle of the convective structures (development, maturity and dissipation), are described statistically. The development and dissipation stages present similar durations in most cases examined. On the contrary, the duration of the maturity phase is much more variable and related to the thunderstorm intensity, defined here in terms of lightning flash rate. Most of the activity of IC and CG flashes is registered in the maturity stage. In the development stage little CG flashes are observed (2% to 5%), while for the dissipation phase is possible to observe a few more CG flashes (10% to 15%). Additionally, a selection of thunderstorms is used to examine general life cycle patterns, obtained from the analysis of normalized (with respect to thunderstorm total duration and maximum value of variables considered) thunderstorm parameters. Among other findings, the study indicates that the normalized duration of the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle is similar in most thunderstorms, with the longest duration corresponding to the maturity stage (approximately 80% of the total time).

V380 Dra: New short-period totally eclipsing active binary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özdarcan, O.

2014-02-01

In this study, first complete and standard BVR light curves and photometric analysis of the eclipsing binary system V380 Dra are presented. Photometric analysis result indicates that the system has components which are cool main sequence stars. In light and color curves, remarkable asymmetry is observed, especially after secondary minimum, which is believed to be a result of chromospheric activity in one or both components. O-C diagram of available small number of eclipse times, together with new eclipse timings in this work, exhibits no significant variation. Preliminary light curve solution shows that the secondary minimum is total eclipse. By using the advantage of total eclipse and mass-luminosity relation, it is found that the system has a possible mass ratio of q = 0.81. First estimation of masses and radii of primary and secondary components are M1 = 0.77 M⊙,M2 = 0.62 M⊙ and R1 = 0.93 R⊙,R2 = 0.77 R⊙, respectively.

A Measure of Total Research Impact Independent of Time and Discipline

PubMed Central

Pepe, Alberto; Kurtz, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Authorship and citation practices evolve with time and differ by academic discipline. As such, indicators of research productivity based on citation records are naturally subject to historical and disciplinary effects. We observe these effects on a corpus of astronomer career data constructed from a database of refereed publications. We employ a simple mechanism to measure research output using author and reference counts available in bibliographic databases to develop a citation-based indicator of research productivity. The total research impact (tori) quantifies, for an individual, the total amount of scholarly work that others have devoted to his/her work, measured in the volume of research papers. A derived measure, the research impact quotient (riq), is an age-independent measure of an individual's research ability. We demonstrate that these measures are substantially less vulnerable to temporal debasement and cross-disciplinary bias than the most popular current measures. The proposed measures of research impact, tori and riq, have been implemented in the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System. PMID:23144782

Evaluation of clinical curative effects of disposable stitching instrument in redundant prepuce patients

PubMed Central

Wang, Haitao; Chen, Ningjie; Huo, Ran; Yang, Jincun; Li, Xia; Xing, Nan

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical curative effect of disposable stitching instrument operation in patients with redundant prepuce or phimosis. A total of 102 cases of patients with circumcision were randomly selected (from June 2013 to December 2014) from the department of plastic and aesthetic surgery of our hospital and were randomly divided into control and observation groups (n=51). Patients in the control group were treated by traditional circumcision operation, while patients in the observation group were treated by novel disposable circumcision stitching instrument. Operation time, bleeding volume, incision healing time, postoperative complications and incision aesthetic satisfaction in the groups were observed. As a result, intraoperative bleeding volume of patients in the observation group was significantly less in comparison to the control group. Operation time and incision healing time of patients in the observation group was shorter than that of the control group. Additionally, the incidence of postoperative complications of patients in the observation group was noted to be lower than that of the control group. On the other hand, the incision aesthetic satisfaction of patients in the observation group was higher than that of the control group. Blood vessel counting and nerve fiber counting of tissue specimen in the observation group were more than those of the control group. Postoperative VAS scores of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than that of the control group. Each rating scale scores of EPQ of patients in the observation group improved significantly compared with that of the control group. In conclusion, the present findings show that disposable circumcision stitching instrument operation is more advantageous in comparison to the traditional procedure along with minimal compilations and better post surgery health condition of patients. PMID:28672929

Evaluation of myocardial defect detection between parallel-hole and fan-beam SPECT using the Hotelling trace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollenweber, S. D.; Tsui, B. M. W.; Lalush, D. S.; Frey, E. C.; Gullberg, G. T.

1998-08-01

The objective of this study was to implement the Hotelling trace (HT) to evaluate the potential increase in defect detection in myocardial SPECT using high-resolution fan-beam (HRF) versus parallel-hole (HRP) collimation and compare results to a previously reported human observer study (G.K. Gregoriou et al., ibid., vol. 42, p. 1267-75, 1995). Projection data from the 3D MCAT torso phantom were simulated including the effects of attenuation, collimator-detector response blurring and scatter. Poisson noise fluctuations were then simulated. The HRP and HRF collimators had the same spatial resolution at 20 cm. The total counts in the projection data sets were proportional to the detection efficiencies of the collimators and on the order of that found in clinical Tc-99m studies. In six left-ventricular defect locations, the HT found for HRF was superior to that for HRP collimation. For HRF collimation, the HT was calculated for reconstructed images using 64/spl times/64, 128/spl times/128 and 192/spl times/192 grid sizes. The results demonstrate substantial improvement in myocardial defect detection when the grid size was increased from 64/spl times/64 to 128/spl times/128 and slight improvement from 128/spl times/128 to 192/spl times/192. Also, the performance of the Hotelling observer in terms of the HT at the different grid sizes correlates at better than 0.95 to that found in human observers in a previously reported observer experiment and ROC study.

Patient characteristics associated with self-presentation, treatment delay and survival following primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Austin, David; Yan, Andrew T; Spratt, James C; Kunadian, Vijay; Edwards, Richard J; Egred, Mohaned; Bagnall, Alan J

2014-09-01

Delayed arrival to a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI)-capable hospital following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poorer outcome. The influence of patient characteristics on delayed presentation during STEMI is unknown. This was a retrospective observational study. Patients presenting for PPCI from March 2008 to November 2011 in the north of England (Northumbria, Tyne and Wear) were included. The outcomes were self-presentation to a non-PPCI-capable hospital, symptom to first medical contact (STFMC) time, total ischaemic time and mortality during follow-up. STEMI patients included numbered 2297; 619 (26.9%) patients self-presented to a non-PPCI-capable hospital. STFMC of >30 min and total ischaemic time of >180 min was present in 1521 (70.7%) and 999 (44.9%) cases, respectively. Self-presentation was the strongest predictor of prolonged total ischaemic time (odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI): 5.05 (3.99-6.39)). Married patients (OR 1.38 (1.10-1.74)) and patients living closest to an Emergency Room self-presented more commonly (driving time (vs. ≤10 min) 11-20 min OR 0.66 (0.52-0.83), >20 minutes OR 0.46 (0.33-0.64). Unmarried females waited longest to call for help (OR vs. married males 1.89 (1.29-2.78) and experienced longer total ischaemic times (OR 1.51 (1.10-2.07)). Married patients had a borderline association with lower mortality (hazard ratio 0.75 (0.53-1.05), p=0.09). Unmarried female patients had the longest treatment delays. Married patients and those living closer to an Emergency Room self-present more frequently. Early and exclusive use of the ambulance service may reduce treatment delay and improve STEMI outcome. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

Ionospheric TEC Weather Map Over South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, H.; Wrasse, C. M.; Denardini, C. M.; Pádua, M. B.; de Paula, E. R.; Costa, S. M. A.; Otsuka, Y.; Shiokawa, K.; Monico, J. F. Galera; Ivo, A.; Sant'Anna, N.

2016-11-01

Ionospheric weather maps using the total electron content (TEC) monitored by ground-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers over South American continent, TECMAP, have been operationally produced by Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais's Space Weather Study and Monitoring Program (Estudo e Monitoramento Brasileiro de Clima Especial) since 2013. In order to cover the whole continent, four GNSS receiver networks, (Rede Brasileiro de Monitoramento Contínuo) RBMC/Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics, Low-latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network, International GNSS Service, and Red Argentina de Monitoreo Satelital Continuo, in total 140 sites, have been used. TECMAPs with a time resolution of 10 min are produced in 12 h time delay. Spatial resolution of the map is rather low, varying between 50 and 500 km depending on the density of the observation points. Large day-to-day variabilities of the equatorial ionization anomaly have been observed. Spatial gradient of TEC from the anomaly trough (total electron content unit, 1 TECU = 1016 el m-2 (TECU) <10) to the crest region (TECU > 80) causes a large ionospheric range delay in the GNSS positioning system. Ionospheric plasma bubbles, their seeding and development, could be monitored. This plasma density (spatial and temporal) variability causes not only the GNSS-based positioning error but also radio wave scintillations. Monitoring of these phenomena by TEC mapping becomes an important issue for space weather concern for high-technology positioning system and telecommunication.

Study of methanogen communities associated with different rumen protozoal populations

PubMed Central

Belanche, Alejandro; de la Fuente, Gabriel; Newbold, Charles J

2014-01-01

Protozoa-associated methanogens (PAM) are considered one of the most active communities in the rumen methanogenesis. This experiment investigated whether methanogens are sequestrated within rumen protozoa, and structural differences between rumen free-living methanogens and PAM. Rumen protozoa were harvested from totally faunated sheep, and six protozoal fractions (plus free-living microorganisms) were generated by sequential filtration. Holotrich-monofaunated sheep were also used to investigate the holotrich-associated methanogens. Protozoal size determined the number of PAM as big protozoa had 1.7–3.3 times more methanogen DNA than smaller protozoa, but also more endosymbiotic bacteria (2.2- to 3.5-fold times). Thus, similar abundance of methanogens with respect to total bacteria were observed across all protozoal fractions and free-living microorganisms, suggesting that methanogens are not accumulated within rumen protozoa in a greater proportion to that observed in the rumen as a whole. All rumen methanogen communities had similar diversity (22.2 ± 3.4 TRFs). Free-living methanogens composed a conserved community (67% similarity within treatment) in the rumen with similar diversity but different structures than PAM (P < 0.05). On the contrary, PAM constituted a more variable community (48% similarity), which differed between holotrich and total protozoa (P < 0.001). Thus, PAM constitutes a community, which requires further investigation as part of methane mitigation strategies. PMID:25195951

Comparison of homogenization techniques and incidence of aflatoxin contamination in dried figs for export.

PubMed

Bircan, Cavit

2009-01-01

To determine differences in mean aflatoxin contamination and subsample variance from dry and slurry homogenizations, 10 kg of six different, naturally contaminated dried fig samples were collected from various exporting companies in accordance with the EU Commission Directive. The samples were first dry-mixed for 5 min using a blender and sub-sampled seven times; the remainder was slurry homogenized (1 : 1, v/v) and sub-sampled seven times. Aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin levels were recorded and coefficient of variations (CV) computed for all sub-samples. Only a small reduction in sub-sample variations, indicated by the lower CV values, and slight differences in mean aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin levels were observed when slurry homogenization was applied. Therefore, 7326 dried figs, destined for export from Turkey to the EU and collected during the 2008 crop year, were dry-homogenized and tested for aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) by immunoaffinity column clean-up using RP-HPLC. While 34% of the samples contained detectable levels of total aflatoxins (0.20-208.75 µg kg(-1)), only 9% of them exceeded the EU limit of 4 µg kg(-1) in the range 2.0-208.75 µg kg(-1), respectively. A substantial increase in the incidence of aflatoxins was observed in 2008, most likely due to the drought stress experienced in Aydin province as occurred in 2007.

Possible Connection of Geological Composition With Geomagnetic Field Change In Kopaonik Thrust Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popeskov, Mirjana; Cukavac, Milena; Lazovic, Caslav

This paper should consider interpretation of geomagnetic field changes on the basis of possible connection with geological composition of deformation zone. Analysis of total magnetic field intensity data from 38 surveys, carried out in the period may 1980 ­ november 2001 in Kopaonik thrust region, central Serbia, reveals anomalous behaviour of local field changes in particular time intervals. These data give us possibility to observe geomagnetic changes in long period of time. This paper shall consider if and how different magnetizations of geological composition of array are in connection with anomalous geomagnetic field change. We shall consider how non-uniform geological structure or rocks with different magnetizations can effect geomagnetic observations and weather sharp contrast in rock magnetization between neighbour layers can give rise to larger changes in the geomagnetic total intensity than those for a uniform layer. For that purpose we are going to consider geological and tectonical map of Kopaonik region. We shall also consider map of vertical component of geomagnetic field because Kopaonik belongs to high magnetic anomaly zone. Corelation of geomagnetic and geological data is supposed to give us some answers to the question of origine of some anomalious geomagnetic changes in total intensity of geomagnetic field. It can also represent first step in corelationof geomagnetic field changes to other geophysical, seismological or geological data that can be couse of geomagnetic field change.

Optimisation of wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy: towards high throughput cell screening.

PubMed

Praveen, Bavishna B; Mazilu, Michael; Marchington, Robert F; Herrington, C Simon; Riches, Andrew; Dholakia, Kishan

2013-01-01

In the field of biomedicine, Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique to discriminate between normal and cancerous cells. However the strong background signal from the sample and the instrumentation affects the efficiency of this discrimination technique. Wavelength Modulated Raman spectroscopy (WMRS) may suppress the background from the Raman spectra. In this study we demonstrate a systematic approach for optimizing the various parameters of WMRS to achieve a reduction in the acquisition time for potential applications such as higher throughput cell screening. The Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the Raman bands depends on the modulation amplitude, time constant and total acquisition time. It was observed that the sampling rate does not influence the signal to noise ratio of the Raman bands if three or more wavelengths are sampled. With these optimised WMRS parameters, we increased the throughput in the binary classification of normal human urothelial cells and bladder cancer cells by reducing the total acquisition time to 6 s which is significantly lower in comparison to previous acquisition times required for the discrimination between similar cell types.

Association of peripheral differential leukocyte counts with dyslipidemia risk in Chinese patients with hypertension: insight from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial.

PubMed

Liu, Yanhong; Kong, Xiangyi; Wang, Wen; Fan, Fangfang; Zhang, Yan; Zhao, Min; Wang, Yi; Wang, Yupeng; Wang, Yu; Qin, Xianhui; Tang, Genfu; Wang, Binyan; Xu, Xiping; Hou, Fan Fan; Gao, Wei; Sun, Ningling; Li, Jianping; Venners, Scott A; Jiang, Shanqun; Huo, Yong

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between peripheral differential leukocyte counts and dyslipidemia in a Chinese hypertensive population. A total of 10,866 patients with hypertension were enrolled for a comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk factors using data from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. Plasma lipid levels and total leukocyte, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were determined according to standard methods. Peripheral differential leukocyte counts were consistently and positively associated with serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and TG levels (all P < 0.001 for trend), while inversely associated with HDL cholesterol levels (P < 0.05 for trend). In subsequent analyses where serum lipids were dichotomized (dyslipidemia/normolipidemia), we found that patients in the highest quartile of total leukocyte count (≥7.6 × 10 9 cells/l) had 1.64 times the risk of high TG [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46, 1.85], 1.34 times the risk of high TC (95% CI: 1.20, 1.50), and 1.24 times the risk of high LDL-C (95% CI: 1.12, 1.39) compared with their counterparts in the lowest quartile of total leukocyte count. Similar patterns were also observed with neutrophils and lymphocytes. In summary, these findings indicate that elevated differential leukocyte counts are directly associated with serum lipid levels and increased odds of dyslipidemia. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

On-eye optical quality of daily disposable contact lenses for different wearing times.

PubMed

Montés-Micó, Robert; Belda-Salmerón, Lurdes; Ferrer-Blasco, Teresa; Albarrán-Diego, César; García-Lázaro, Santiago

2013-09-01

To quantify the optical quality of various daily disposable contact lenses in vivo and to ascertain its variation in terms of wearing time by means of objective non-invasive determination of wavefront patterns. The crx1 adaptive-optics system was used to measure the wavefront aberrations in 15 myopic eyes before and at 2-h intervals after contact lens fitting, over a 12-h wearing period. Seven types of contact lenses having different material, water content and lens design were evaluated in this study: Dailies Total1, Dailies AquaComfort Plus, Proclear 1 Day, 1-Day Acuvue TruEye, 1-Day Acuvue moist, SofLens daily disposable and Clariti 1-Day. The aberration data were analysed by fitting Zernike polynomials up to the 5th-order for 3 and 5-mm pupils. The optical quality under each condition and at each point in time was described by means of the Root-Mean-Square (RMS) value of wavefront aberration, Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), Point Spread Function and cut-off spatial frequency. A RMS increase was observed after contact lens fitting as well as over time, both for a 3-mm and a 5-mm pupil. Each type of lens induced a different amount of wavefront aberrations, which vary over time also in a different manner. Dailies Total1 showed the lowest RMS values both at baseline and at the end of the day. In addition, Dailies Total1 provided the best MTF out of all the contact lenses that were assessed. These observations were reflected in higher cut-off spatial frequencies and visual resolution both at baseline and after 12 h of wearing time. Aberrometry makes it possible to analyse accurately and in vivo the optical quality of contact lenses and to assess how lenses having different characteristics - such as material or water content - behave for different wearing times. These variations across contact lenses may result in differences in visual performance. © 2013 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2013 The College of Optometrists.

Evaluating fungal populations by genera/species on wide body commercial passenger aircraft and in airport terminals.

PubMed

McKernan, Lauralynn Taylor; Burge, Harriet; Wallingford, Kenneth M; Hein, Misty J; Herrick, Robert

2007-04-01

Given the potential health effects of fungi and the amount of time aircrew and passengers spend inside aircraft, it is important to study fungal populations in the aircraft environment. Research objectives included documenting the genera/species of airborne culturable fungal concentrations and total spore concentrations on a twin-aisle wide body commercial passenger aircraft. Twelve flights between 4.5 and 6.5 h in duration on Boeing 767 (B-767) aircraft were evaluated. Two air cooling packs and 50% recirculation rate (i.e. 50:50 mix of outside air and filtered inside air) were utilized during flight operations. Passenger occupancy rates varied from 67 to 100%. N-6 impactors and total spore traps were used to collect sequential, triplicate air samples in the front and rear of coach class during six sampling intervals throughout each flight: boarding, mid-climb, early cruise, mid-cruise, late cruise and deplaning. Comparison air samples were also collected inside and outside the airport terminals at the origin and destination cities resulting in a total of 522 culturable and 517 total spore samples. A total of 45 surface wipe samples were collected using swabs onboard the aircraft and inside the airport terminals. A variety of taxa were observed in the culturable and total spore samples. A frequency analysis of the fungal data indicated that Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Penicillium were predominant genera in the culturable samples whereas Cladosporium, Basidiospores and Penicillium/Aspergillus were predominant in the total spore samples. Fungal populations observed inside the aircraft were comprised of similar genera, detected significantly less frequently and with lower mean concentrations than those observed in typical office buildings. Although sources internal to the aircraft could not be ruled out, our data demonstrate the importance of passenger activity as the source of the fungi observed on aircraft. Isolated fungal peak events occurred occasionally when concentrations of a particular genus or species rose sharply inside the cabin for a limited period. Overall, our research demonstrates that on the sampled flights the B-767 filtration system operated efficiently to remove fungal spores when two air cooling packs and 50% recirculation rate were utilized during flight operations.

Mass-induced [|#8#|]Sea Level Variations in the Red Sea from Satellite Altimetry and GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, W.; Lemoine, J.; Zhong, M.; Hsu, H.

2011-12-01

We have analyzed mass-induced sea level variations (SLVs) in the Red Sea from steric-corrected altimetry and GRACE between January 2003 and December 2010. The steric component of SLVs in the Red Sea calculated from climatological temperature and salinity data is relatively small and anti-phase with the mass-induced SLV. The total SLV in the Red Sea is mainly driven by the mass-induced SLV, which increases in winter when the Red Sea gains the water mass from the Gulf of Aden and vice versa in summer. Spatial and temporal patterns of mass-induced SLVs in the Red Sea from steric-corrected altimetry agree very well with GRACE observations. Both of two independent observations show high annual amplitude in the central Red Sea (>20cm). Total mass-induced SLVs in the Red Sea from two independent observations have similar annual amplitude and phase. One main purpose of our work is to see whether GRGS's ten-day GRACE results can observe intra-seasonal mass change in the Red Sea. The wavelet coherence analysis indicates that GRGS's results show the high correlation with the steric-corrected SLVs on intra-seasonal time scale. The agreement is excellent for all the time-span until 1/3 year period and is patchy between 1/3 and 1/16 year period. Furthermore, water flux estimates from current-meter arrays and moorings show mass gain in winter and mass loss in summer, which is also consistent with altimetry and GRACE.

'We can't get anything done because...': making sense of 'barriers' to Practice-based Commissioning.

PubMed

Checkland, Kath; Coleman, Anna; Harrison, Stephen; Hiroeh, Urara

2009-01-01

To investigate the issues raised by participants as 'barriers' to the development of Practice-based Commissioning (PBC) in 'early adopter' sites in England. Detailed case studies of five PBC consortia in three Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). Data collection included interviews with a wide range of respondents (46 in total), including general practitioners, PCT employees, Local Authority employees and patient representatives, observation of many different types of meetings (68 in total), and analysis of documents tabled at meetings and circulated at other times. It has been claimed that progress in developing PBC has been slow. Our respondents articulated a number of factors that they felt were holding them back, which could have been identified as 'barriers' preventing change. The issues raised were consistent across our sites (lack of time, resources and personnel, and difficult relationships with the PCT), but observation suggested that these issues arose out of very different organizational 'sensemaking', and as a result the apparent 'barriers' had different meanings in different organizational contexts. Weick's concept of 'organizational sensemaking' provides a useful framework within which to explore the problems encountered when implementing policy. Observational methods are a powerful tool in understanding sensemaking. The variations in sensemaking that we observed suggest that the use of 'barrier' metaphors in descriptions of implementation problems risks homogenizing the portrayal of situations that differ greatly in reality. This implies that top-down or centrally driven solutions to such situations will often be inappropriate.

Near-real-time TOMS, telecommunications and meteorological support for the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ardanuy, P.; Victorine, J.; Sechrist, F.; Feiner, A.; Penn, L.

1988-01-01

The goal of the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment was to improve the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole. Total ozone data taken by the Nimbus-7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) played a central role in the successful outcome of the experiment. During the experiment, the near-real-time TOMS total ozone observations were supplied within hours of real time to the operations center in Punta Arenas, Chile. The final report summarizes the role which Research and Data Systems (RDS) Corporation played in the support of the experiment. The RDS provided telecommunications to support the science and operations efforts for the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment, and supplied near real-time weather information to ensure flight and crew safety; designed and installed the telecommunications network to link NASA-GSFC, the United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UKMO), Palmer Station, the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to the operation at Punta Arenas; engineered and installed stations and other stand-alone systems to collect data from designated low-orbiting polar satellites and beacons; provided analyses of Nimbus-7 TOMS data and backup data products to Punta Arenas; and provided synoptic meteorological data analysis and reduction.

Lack of generalizability of observational studies' findings for turnover time reduction and growth in surgery based on the State of Iowa, where from one year to the next, most growth was attributable to surgeons performing only a few cases per week.

PubMed

Dexter, Franklin; Jarvie, Craig; Epstein, Richard H

2018-02-01

Three observational studies at large teaching hospitals found that reducing turnover times resulted in the surgeons performing more cases. We sought to determine if these findings are generalizable to other hospitals, because, if so, reducing turnover times may be an important mechanism for hospitals to use for growing caseloads. Observational cohort study. 116 hospitals in Iowa with inpatient or outpatient surgery from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015. Surgeons in Iowa, each with a unique identifier among hospitals. The independent variable was the number of inpatient and outpatient cases that each surgeon performed each week during the first fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013. The dependent variables were surgeons' number of inpatient and outpatient surgical cases, and intraoperative work relative value units (RVU's) for outpatient cases, during the second fiscal year. The average hospital in Iowa had less than half of its growth from year 1 to year 2 in numbers of cases among surgeons who performed >2 cases per week in the baseline year (23.0%±2.5% [SE], P<0.0001 comparing mean to 50%). Less than half the growth in RVU's was among those surgeons (18.1%±2.2%, P<0.0001). The average hospital in Iowa had less than half of its growth in numbers of cases among surgeons who performed 2 or fewer cases per week at the hospital during the baseline year and >2 cases per week at other hospitals in the state during that year (24.4%±2.6%, P<0.0001). Less than half the growth in RVU's was among those surgeons (21.3%±2.5%, P<0.0001). Most (≥50%) annual growth in surgery, both based on the number of total inpatient and outpatient surgical cases, and on the total outpatient RVU's, was attributable to surgeons who performed 2 or fewer cases per week at each hospital statewide during the preceding year. Therefore, the strategic priority should be to assure that the many low-caseload surgeons have access to convenient OR time (e.g., by allocating sufficient OR time, and assigning surgeon blocks, in a mathematically sound, evidence-based way). Although reducing turnover times and anesthesia-controlled times to promote growth will be beneficial for a few surgeons, the effect on total caseload will be small. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Renal Cell Carcinoma Perfusion before and after Radiofrequency Ablation Measured with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Wah, Tze Min; Sourbron, Steven; Wilson, Daniel Jonathan; Magee, Derek; Gregory, Walter Martin; Selby, Peter John; Buckley, David L

2018-01-08

To investigate if the early treatment effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be detected with dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI and to correlate RCC perfusion with RFA treatment time. 20 patients undergoing RFA of their 21 RCCs were evaluated with DCE-MRI before and at one month after RFA treatment. Perfusion was estimated using the maximum slope technique at two independent sittings. Total RCC blood flow was correlated with total RFA treatment time, tumour location, size and histology. DCE-MRI examinations were successfully evaluated for 21 RCCs (size from 1.3 to 4 cm). Perfusion of the RCCs decreased significantly ( p < 0.0001) from a mean of 203 (±80) mL/min/100 mL before RFA to 8.1 (±3.1) mL/min/100 mL after RFA with low intra-observer variability ( r ≥ 0.99, p < 0.0001). There was an excellent correlation ( r = 0.95) between time to complete ablation and pre-treatment total RCC blood flow. Tumours with an exophytic location exhibit the lowest mean RFA treatment time. DCE-MRI can detect early treatment effects by measuring RCC perfusion before and after RFA. Perfusion significantly decreases in the zone of ablation, suggesting that it may be useful for the assessment of treatment efficacy. Pre-RFA RCC blood flow may be used to predict RFA treatment time.

Current Sheet Formation in a Conical Theta Pinch Faraday Accelerator with Radio-frequency Assisted Discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Hallock, Ashley K.; Choueiri, Edgar Y.

2008-01-01

Data from an inductive conical theta pinch accelerator are presented to gain insight into the process of inductive current sheet formation in the presence of a preionized background gas produced by a steady-state RF-discharge. The presence of a preionized plasma has been previously shown to allow for current sheet formation at lower discharge voltages and energies than those found in other pulsed inductive accelerator concepts, leading to greater accelerator efficiencies at lower power levels. Time-resolved magnetic probe measurements are obtained for different background pressures and pulse energies to characterize the effects of these parameters on current sheet formation. Indices are defined that describe time-resolved current sheet characteristics, such as the total current owing in the current sheet, the time-integrated total current ('strength'), and current sheet velocity. It is found that for a given electric field strength, maximums in total current, strength, and velocity occur for one particular background pressure. At other pressures, these current sheet indices are considerably smaller. The trends observed in these indices are explained in terms of the principles behind Townsend breakdown that lead to a dependence on the ratio of the electric field to the background pressure. Time-integrated photographic data are also obtained at the same experimental conditions, and qualitatively they compare quite favorably with the time-resolved magnetic field data.

From blackbirds to black holes: Investigating capture-recapture methods for time domain astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laycock, Silas G. T.

2017-07-01

In time domain astronomy, recurrent transients present a special problem: how to infer total populations from limited observations. Monitoring observations may give a biassed view of the underlying population due to limitations on observing time, visibility and instrumental sensitivity. A similar problem exists in the life sciences, where animal populations (such as migratory birds) or disease prevalence, must be estimated from sparse and incomplete data. The class of methods termed Capture-Recapture is used to reconstruct population estimates from time-series records of encounters with the study population. This paper investigates the performance of Capture-Recapture methods in astronomy via a series of numerical simulations. The Blackbirds code simulates monitoring of populations of transients, in this case accreting binary stars (neutron star or black hole accreting from a stellar companion) under a range of observing strategies. We first generate realistic light-curves for populations of binaries with contrasting orbital period distributions. These models are then randomly sampled at observing cadences typical of existing and planned monitoring surveys. The classical capture-recapture methods, Lincoln-Peterson, Schnabel estimators, related techniques, and newer methods implemented in the Rcapture package are compared. A general exponential model based on the radioactive decay law is introduced which is demonstrated to recover (at 95% confidence) the underlying population abundance and duty cycle, in a fraction of the observing visits (10-50%) required to discover all the sources in the simulation. Capture-Recapture is a promising addition to the toolbox of time domain astronomy, and methods implemented in R by the biostats community can be readily called from within python.

Validation of parent-reported physical activity and sedentary time by accelerometry in young children.

PubMed

Sarker, Hrishov; Anderson, Laura N; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Abreo, Kathleen; Tremblay, Mark S; Lebovic, Gerald; Maguire, Jonathon L; Parkin, Patricia C; Birken, Catherine S

2015-11-30

It is unknown if young children's parent-reported physical activity and sedentary time are correlated with direct measures. The study objectives were to compare parent-reported physical and sedentary activity versus directly measured accelerometer data in early childhood. From 2013 to 2014, 117 healthy children less than 6 years of age were recruited to wear Actical accelerometers for 7 days. Accelerometer data and questionnaires were available on 87 children (74%). Average daily physical activity was defined as the sum of activity ≥100 counts per minute, and sedentary time as the sum of activity <100 counts per minute during waking hours. Parents reported daily physical activity (unstructured free play in and out of school, and organized activities) and selected sedentary behaviors (screen time, stroller time, time in motor vehicle). Spearman correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the validity of parent-reported measures compared to accelerometer data. Total physical activity was significantly greater when measured by accelerometer than parent-report; the median difference was 131 min/day (p < 0.001). Parent-reported child physical activity was weak to moderately correlated with directly measured total physical activity (r = 0.39, 95% CI 0.19, 0.56). The correlations between types of physical activity (unstructured free play in and outside of school/daycare, and organized structured activity) and accelerometer were r = 0.30 (95% CI 0.09, 0.49); r = 0.42 (95% CI 0.23, 0.58); r = 0.26 (95% CI 0.05, 0.46), respectively. There was no correlation between parent-reported and accelerometer-measured total sedentary time in children (r = 0.10, 95% CI -0.12, 0.33). When the results were stratified by age group (<18, 18-47, and 48-70 months of age) no statistically significant correlations were observed and some inverse associations were observed. The correlation between parent-report of young children's physical activity and accelerometer-measured activity was weak to moderate depending on type of activity and age group. Parent-report of children's sedentary time was not correlated with accelerometer-measured sedentary time. Additional validation studies are needed to determine if parent-reported measures of physical activity and sedentary time are valid among children less than 6 years of age and across these young age groups.

Detection of a stellar flare at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barstow, M. A.; Denby, M.; Pye, J. P.; Pankiewicz, G. S.; Bromage, G. E.; Gonzalez-Riestra, R.

1991-01-01

During the all-sky survey conducted by the Rosat Wide Field Camera, the binary flare star system BY Draconis was monitored with coverage by the IUE satellite far-UV and optical observations and by the Rosat X-ray telescope for part of the time. A stellar flare was detected in all four wavebands. This is the first unambiguous EUV detection of a flare and one of the widest simultaneous wavelength-range coverages obtained. The peak luminosity and total energy of this flare in the photon energy range 0.08-0.18 keV are comparable with the values obtained for a number of flares integrated over a larger energy range by Exosat satellite observations in 1983-86. It is concluded that radiation in the EUV carries away a substantial fraction of the total flare energy.

A study of integrated learning and the value of science in remote education: using the Internet to relay the total solar eclipse of 2001 June 11 in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Agata, H.; Maeda, K.; Okyudo, M..; Yamazaki, Y.

A total solar eclipse was observed on 2001 June 21 in Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Africa. For the purpose of promotion of science education using a solar eclipse as an educational project, the whole image and an enlarged image of the Sun, that showed the process of an eclipse and how things went in the observation area, were broadcast to the world through the Internet (Live Eclipse). Such images were distributed to four primary schools in Hiroshima and the Science and Technology Museum in Tokyo to give a remote lecture through computers. To find the effectiveness of the lecture, the learning effect on the participating children was examined two times before and after the remote lecture on the solar eclipse.

Suzaku observation of the eclipsing high mass X-ray binary pulsar XTE J1855-026

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devasia, Jincy; Paul, Biswajit

2018-02-01

We report results from analysis performed on an eclipsing supergiant high mass X-ray binary pulsar XTE J1855-026 observed with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) on-board Suzaku Observatory in April 2015. Suzaku observed this source for a total effective exposure of ˜ 87 ks just before an eclipse. Pulsations are clearly observed and the pulse profiles of XTE J1855-026 did not show significant energy dependence during this observation consistent with previous reports. The time averaged energy spectrum of XTE J1855-026 in the 1.0-10.5 keV energy range can be well fitted with a partial covering power law model modified with interstellar absorption along with a black-body component for soft excess and a gaussian for iron fluorescence line emision. The hardness ratio evolution during this observation indicated significant absorption of soft X-rays in some segments of the observation. For better understanding of the reason behind this, we performed time-resolved spectroscopy in the 2.5-10.5 keV energy band which revealed significant variations in the spectral parameters, especially the hydrogen column density and iron line equivalent width with flux. The correlated variations in the spectral parameters indicate towards the presence of clumps in the stellar wind of the companion star accounting for the absorption of low energy X-rays in some time segments.

Learning by viewing versus learning by doing: A comparative study of observer and participant experiences during an interprofessional simulation training.

PubMed

Reime, Marit Hegg; Johnsgaard, Tone; Kvam, Fred Ivan; Aarflot, Morten; Engeberg, Janecke Merethe; Breivik, Marit; Brattebø, Guttorm

2017-01-01

Larger student groups and pressure on limited faculty time have raised the question of the learning value of merely observing simulation training in emergency medicine, instead of active team participation. The purpose of this study was to examine observers and hands-on participants' self-reported learning outcomes during simulation-based interprofessional team training regarding non-technical skills. In addition, we compared the learning outcomes for different professions and investigated team performance relative to the number of simulations in which they participated. A concurrent mixed-method design was chosen to evaluate the study, using questionnaires, observations, and focus group interviews. Participants included a total of 262 postgraduate and bachelor nursing students and medical students, organised into 44 interprofessional teams. The quantitative data showed that observers and participants had similar results in three of six predefined learning outcomes. The qualitative data emphasised the importance of participating in different roles, training several times, and training interprofessionally to enhance realism. Observing simulation training can be a valuable learning experience, but the students' preferred hands-on participation and learning by doing. For this reason, one can legitimise the observer role, given the large student groups and limited faculty time, as long as the students are also given some opportunity for hands-on participation in order to become more confident in their professional roles.

Emergency Department Crowding and Time at the Bedside: A Wearable Technology Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Castner, Jessica; Suffoletto, Heidi

2018-04-25

ED crowding is a public health crisis, limiting quality and access to lifesaving care. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the feasibility of radio-frequency identification tags to measure clinician-patient contact and (2) to test the relationship between ED occupancy and clinician-patient contact time. In this 4-week observational study, radio-frequency identification tags were worn by emergency clinicians in a 21-bay urban teaching hospital emergency department. The time-motion data were merged with electronic medical repository patient information (N = 3,237) to adjust for occupancy, age, gender, and acuity. Qualitative themes were generated from focus group (N = 39) debriefings of the quantitative results. Data were collected on 56,342 total clinician events. Adjusting for patient age, increasing ED occupancy increased the number of times the attending physician entered and left the patient room (b = 0 .008, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.001-0.016], P = 0.03). There was no relationship for patient gender, triage acuity, shift at arrival, disposition to home, or discharge diagnosis category with either total minutes or number of encounters per patient visit. No time-motion and occupancy associations were observed for nurses, residents, or nurse practitioners/physician assistants. Debriefings indicated occupancy influenced the quality of care, despite maintaining the same quantity of contact time. The physical environment and clinician privacy concerns limit the feasibility of wearable tracking technology in the emergency setting. Attending physician care becomes more fragmented with increasing ED occupancy. Other clinicians report changes in the quality of care, whereas the quantity of time and encounters were unchanged with occupancy rates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A New Model for Real-Time Regional Vertical Total Electron Content and Differential Code Bias Estimation Using IGS Real-Time Service (IGS-RTS) Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelazeem, Mohamed; Çelik, Rahmi N.; El-Rabbany, Ahmed

2016-04-01

The international global navigation satellite system (GNSS) real-time service (IGS-RTS) products have been used extensively for real-time precise point positioning and ionosphere modeling applications. In this study, we develop a regional model for real-time vertical total electron content (RT-VTEC) and differential code bias (RT-DCB) estimation over Europe using the IGS-RTS satellite orbit and clock products. The developed model has a spatial and temporal resolution of 1°×1° and 15 minutes, respectively. GPS observations from a regional network consisting of 60 IGS and EUREF reference stations are processed in the zero-difference mode using the Bernese-5.2 software package in order to extract the geometry-free linear combination of the smoothed code observations. The spherical harmonic expansion function is used to model the VTEC, the receiver and the satellite DCBs. To validate the proposed model, the RT-VTEC values are computed and compared with the final IGS-global ionospheric map (IGS-GIM) counterparts in three successive days under high solar activity including one of an extreme geomagnetic activity. The real-time satellite DCBs are also estimated and compared with the IGS-GIM counterparts. Moreover, the real-time receiver DCB for six IGS stations are obtained and compared with the IGS-GIM counterparts. The examined stations are located in different latitudes with different receiver types. The findings reveal that the estimated RT-VTEC values show agreement with the IGS-GIM counterparts with root mean-square-errors (RMSEs) values less than 2 TEC units. In addition, RMSEs of both the satellites and receivers DCBs are less than 0.85 ns and 0.65 ns, respectively in comparison with the IGS-GIM.

Defining the Costs of Reusable Flexible Ureteroscope Reprocessing Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing.

PubMed

Isaacson, Dylan; Ahmad, Tessnim; Metzler, Ian; Tzou, David T; Taguchi, Kazumi; Usawachintachit, Manint; Zetumer, Samuel; Sherer, Benjamin; Stoller, Marshall; Chi, Thomas

2017-10-01

Careful decontamination and sterilization of reusable flexible ureteroscopes used in ureterorenoscopy cases prevent the spread of infectious pathogens to patients and technicians. However, inefficient reprocessing and unavailability of ureteroscopes sent out for repair can contribute to expensive operating room (OR) delays. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) was applied to describe the time and costs involved in reprocessing. Direct observation and timing were performed for all steps in reprocessing of reusable flexible ureteroscopes following operative procedures. Estimated times needed for each step by which damaged ureteroscopes identified during reprocessing are sent for repair were characterized through interviews with purchasing analyst staff. Process maps were created for reprocessing and repair detailing individual step times and their variances. Cost data for labor and disposables used were applied to calculate per minute and average step costs. Ten ureteroscopes were followed through reprocessing. Process mapping for ureteroscope reprocessing averaged 229.0 ± 74.4 minutes, whereas sending a ureteroscope for repair required an estimated 143 minutes per repair. Most steps demonstrated low variance between timed observations. Ureteroscope drying was the longest and highest variance step at 126.5 ± 55.7 minutes and was highly dependent on manual air flushing through the ureteroscope working channel and ureteroscope positioning in the drying cabinet. Total costs for reprocessing totaled $96.13 per episode, including the cost of labor and disposable items. Utilizing TDABC delineates the full spectrum of costs associated with ureteroscope reprocessing and identifies areas for process improvement to drive value-based care. At our institution, ureteroscope drying was one clearly identified target area. Implementing training in ureteroscope drying technique could save up to 2 hours per reprocessing event, potentially preventing expensive OR delays.

The investigation of short-term variations of Jupiter's Synchrotron Radiation with the large radio interferometer GMRT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Kota; Misawa, Hiroaki; Bhardwaj, Anil; Tsuchiya, Fuminori; Doi, Akihiro; Kondo, Tetsuro; Morioka, Akira

The goal of this research is to investigate physical processes of short term variations of Jupiter's Synchrotron Radiation (JSR) which is important for revealing the origin of relativistic electrons at Jupiter's Radiation Belt (JRB). JSR has been frequently observed by radio interferometers and single dish radio telescopes to understand characteristics of the spatial distribution and variations inferring dynamics and energetics of the relativistic electrons. Observations with radio interferometers have showed JSR source structure (Dunn et al., 2003, etc), and contributed to modeling of JRB (Garrett et al., 2005, etc). On the other hand, observations of total intensity of JSR with a single dish radio telescope have revealed characteristics of time variable phenomena. The time variations are indispensable parameters giving clues to understand particle source and/or loss processes which characterize the formation of JRB. Recently, Miyoshi et al. (1999) and Bolton et al. (2002) confirmed the existence of short term (days to weeks) variations in JSR. The detection of short term variations makes a great impact on the study on JRB because it has been believed for a long time that the strong internal magnetic field and rapidly rotating magnetosphere of Jupiter protect the JRB region from solar wind variations and magnetospheric disturbances as theoretically suggested by de Pater and Goertz (1994). So far we have made the JSR observations to investigate the short term variations of mainly several hundreds MHz JSR which is emitted by low energy particles (< 10MeV) and has been observed systematically only few times (Miyoshi et al., 1999, Misawa et al., 2005, etc). The latter observation suggested that the short term variation is a general feature at low frequencies. Therefore, it is essential to study its detailed characteristics and the causalities. Theoretically expected physical processes which are responsible for the short term variation are enhanced radial diffusion initiated by solar UV flux enhancement and scattering of the JRB particles toward the polar region by whistler-mode wave, although it is still not known whether solar UV flux or whistler-mode wave is a dominant initiator. In order to investigate physical processes of short term variations, we observed JSR with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) from 23rd May 2007 to 27th June 2007. Bhardwaj et al. (2005) first made JSR observations with the GMRT for about a week in 2003 and suggested that JSR flux increased with Solar 10.7cm radio flux (F10.7), which is correlated to solar UV flux. On the other hand, the initial results of GMRT observation in 2007 show that the total flux of JSR varies in several days but is not strongly correlated to F10.7. Then, when the total flux of JSR increased, the peak position of JSR moved outward, and the flux of JSR increased in the outer emitting region. It is implied that the other acceleration processes cause these variations except the enhanced radial diffusion, because enhanced radial diffusion increases the flux of JSR and the peak position of JSR moves toward Jupiter. In this presentation, we will discuss the variations of JSR spatial distribution shown in the 2007 GMRT observation results. Acknowledgement: We would like to appreciate helpful support of Ishwara Chandra C. H. And, we thank the staff of the GMRT who have made these observations possible. GMRT is run by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Pathogen removal from domestic and swine wastewater by experimental constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Giácoman-Vallejos, G; Ponce-Caballero, C; Champagne, P

2015-01-01

This study examined the performance of subsurface flow horizontal wetlands in total coliforms, faecal coliforms, enterococci and Salmonella removal from swine and domestic wastewaters. The effects of organic loading rate, contact time (CT) and the presence of aquatic macrophytes, Typha dominguensis and Typha latifolia, on treatment performance were evaluated. In general, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) were reduced by 66 and 72% after 24 h and 75 and 84% after 48 h in domestic wastewaters, and 73 and 71% after 24 h and 72 and 78% after 48 h in swine wastewater. Total coliform and faecal coliform reductions of 70-83% and 65-78% were observed in the vegetated systems after 24 h of CT, while after 48 h, total coliform and faecal coliform reductions of 80-82% and 86-91% were noted.

Interpreting space-based trends in carbon monoxide with multiple models

DOE PAGES

Strode, Sarah A.; Worden, Helen M.; Damon, Megan; ...

2016-06-10

Here, we use a series of chemical transport model and chemistry climate model simulations to investigate the observed negative trends in MOPITT CO over several regions of the world, and to examine the consistency of time-dependent emission inventories with observations. We also found that simulations driven by the MACCity inventory, used for the Chemistry Climate Modeling Initiative (CCMI), reproduce the negative trends in the CO column observed by MOPITT for 2000–2010 over the eastern United States and Europe. However, the simulations have positive trends over eastern China, in contrast to the negative trends observed by MOPITT. The model bias inmore » CO, after applying MOPITT averaging kernels, contributes to the model–observation discrepancy in the trend over eastern China. This demonstrates that biases in a model's average concentrations can influence the interpretation of the temporal trend compared to satellite observations. The total ozone column plays a role in determining the simulated tropospheric CO trends. A large positive anomaly in the simulated total ozone column in 2010 leads to a negative anomaly in OH and hence a positive anomaly in CO, contributing to the positive trend in simulated CO. Our results demonstrate that accurately simulating variability in the ozone column is important for simulating and interpreting trends in CO.« less

Interpreting space-based trends in carbon monoxide with multiple models

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

Strode, Sarah A.; Worden, Helen M.; Damon, Megan

Here, we use a series of chemical transport model and chemistry climate model simulations to investigate the observed negative trends in MOPITT CO over several regions of the world, and to examine the consistency of time-dependent emission inventories with observations. We also found that simulations driven by the MACCity inventory, used for the Chemistry Climate Modeling Initiative (CCMI), reproduce the negative trends in the CO column observed by MOPITT for 2000–2010 over the eastern United States and Europe. However, the simulations have positive trends over eastern China, in contrast to the negative trends observed by MOPITT. The model bias inmore » CO, after applying MOPITT averaging kernels, contributes to the model–observation discrepancy in the trend over eastern China. This demonstrates that biases in a model's average concentrations can influence the interpretation of the temporal trend compared to satellite observations. The total ozone column plays a role in determining the simulated tropospheric CO trends. A large positive anomaly in the simulated total ozone column in 2010 leads to a negative anomaly in OH and hence a positive anomaly in CO, contributing to the positive trend in simulated CO. Our results demonstrate that accurately simulating variability in the ozone column is important for simulating and interpreting trends in CO.« less

Total Lightning Observations within Electrified Snowfall using Polarimetric Radar LMA, and NWN Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Bruning, Eric C.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

2013-01-01

Tall structures play and important role in development of winter time lightning flashes.To what extent still needs to be assessed. Tower initiated flashes typically occur as banded structures pass near/overhead. Hi resolution RHI s from polarimetric radar show that the lightning has a tendency to propagate through layered structures within these snowstorms.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Abundances of the brightest member of Tuc III (Hansen+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, T. T.; Simon, J. D.; Marshall, J. L.; Li, T. S.; Carollo, D.; Depoy, D. L.; Nagasawa, D. Q.; Bernstein, R. A.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Bechtol, K.; Benoit-Levy, A.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Carretero, J.; Cunha, C. E.; da Costa, L. N.; Desai, S.; Eifler, T. F.; Fausti Neto, A.; Flaugher, B.; Frieman, J.; Garcia-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gschwend, J.; Gutierrez, G.; James, D. J.; Krause, E.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Miquel, R.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Santiago, B.; Scarpine, V.; Smith, R. C.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Walker, A. R.; DES Collaboration

2017-10-01

We observed DES J235532.66-593114.9 with the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan/Clay telescope on the night of 2015 August 14. We obtained a total of 3.5hr of integration time (R=28000 on the blue channel and R=22000 on the red channel). (2 data files).

Real-Time Detection of Tsunami Ionospheric Disturbances with a Stand-Alone GNSS Receiver: A Preliminary Feasibility Demonstration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savastano, Giorgio; Komjathy, Attila; Verkhoglyadova, Olga; Mazzoni, Augusto; Crespi, Mattia; Wei, Yong; Mannucci, Anthony J.

2017-04-01

It is well known that tsunamis can produce gravity waves that propagate up to the ionosphere generating disturbed electron densities in the E and F regions. These ionospheric disturbances can be studied in detail using ionospheric total electron content (TEC) measurements collected by continuously operating ground-based receivers from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Here, we present results using a new approach, named VARION (Variometric Approach for Real-Time Ionosphere Observation), and estimate slant TEC (sTEC) variations in a real-time scenario. Using the VARION algorithm we compute TEC variations at 56 GPS receivers in Hawaii as induced by the 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami event. We observe TEC perturbations with amplitudes of up to 0.25 TEC units and traveling ionospheric perturbations (TIDs) moving away from the earthquake epicenter at an approximate speed of 316 m/s. We perform a wavelet analysis to analyze localized variations of power in the TEC time series and we find perturbation periods consistent with a tsunami typical deep ocean period. Finally, we present comparisons with the real-time tsunami MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model produced by the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research and we observe variations in TEC that correlate in time and space with the tsunami waves.

Real-Time Detection of Tsunami Ionospheric Disturbances with a Stand-Alone GNSS Receiver: A Preliminary Feasibility Demonstration

PubMed Central

Savastano, Giorgio; Komjathy, Attila; Verkhoglyadova, Olga; Mazzoni, Augusto; Crespi, Mattia; Wei, Yong; Mannucci, Anthony J.

2017-01-01

It is well known that tsunamis can produce gravity waves that propagate up to the ionosphere generating disturbed electron densities in the E and F regions. These ionospheric disturbances can be studied in detail using ionospheric total electron content (TEC) measurements collected by continuously operating ground-based receivers from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Here, we present results using a new approach, named VARION (Variometric Approach for Real-Time Ionosphere Observation), and estimate slant TEC (sTEC) variations in a real-time scenario. Using the VARION algorithm we compute TEC variations at 56 GPS receivers in Hawaii as induced by the 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami event. We observe TEC perturbations with amplitudes of up to 0.25 TEC units and traveling ionospheric perturbations (TIDs) moving away from the earthquake epicenter at an approximate speed of 316 m/s. We perform a wavelet analysis to analyze localized variations of power in the TEC time series and we find perturbation periods consistent with a tsunami typical deep ocean period. Finally, we present comparisons with the real-time tsunami MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model produced by the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research and we observe variations in TEC that correlate in time and space with the tsunami waves. PMID:28429754

Real-Time Detection of Tsunami Ionospheric Disturbances with a Stand-Alone GNSS Receiver: A Preliminary Feasibility Demonstration.

PubMed

Savastano, Giorgio; Komjathy, Attila; Verkhoglyadova, Olga; Mazzoni, Augusto; Crespi, Mattia; Wei, Yong; Mannucci, Anthony J

2017-04-21

It is well known that tsunamis can produce gravity waves that propagate up to the ionosphere generating disturbed electron densities in the E and F regions. These ionospheric disturbances can be studied in detail using ionospheric total electron content (TEC) measurements collected by continuously operating ground-based receivers from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Here, we present results using a new approach, named VARION (Variometric Approach for Real-Time Ionosphere Observation), and estimate slant TEC (sTEC) variations in a real-time scenario. Using the VARION algorithm we compute TEC variations at 56 GPS receivers in Hawaii as induced by the 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami event. We observe TEC perturbations with amplitudes of up to 0.25 TEC units and traveling ionospheric perturbations (TIDs) moving away from the earthquake epicenter at an approximate speed of 316 m/s. We perform a wavelet analysis to analyze localized variations of power in the TEC time series and we find perturbation periods consistent with a tsunami typical deep ocean period. Finally, we present comparisons with the real-time tsunami MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model produced by the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research and we observe variations in TEC that correlate in time and space with the tsunami waves.

The Climate Hazards group InfraRed Precipitation (CHIRP) with Stations (CHIRPS): Development and Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, P.; Funk, C. C.; Husak, G. J.; Pedreros, D. H.; Landsfeld, M.; Verdin, J. P.; Shukla, S.

2013-12-01

CHIRP and CHIRPS are new quasi-global precipitation products with daily to seasonal time scales, a 0.05° resolution, and a 1981 to near real-time period of record. Developed by the Climate Hazards Group at UCSB and scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center specifically for drought early warning and environmental monitoring, CHIRPS provides moderate latency precipitation estimates that place observed hydrologic extremes in their historic context. Three main types of information are used in the CHIRPS: (1) global 0.05° precipitation climatologies, (2) time-varying grids of satellite-based precipitation estimates, and (3) in situ precipitation observations. CHIRP: The global grids of long-term (1980-2009) average precipitation were estimated for each month based on station data, averaged satellite observations, and physiographic parameters. 1981-present time-varying grids of satellite precipitation were derived from spatially varying regression models based on pentadal cold cloud duration (CCD) values and TRMM V7 training data. The CCD time-series were derived from the CPC and NOAA B1 datasets. Pentadal CCD-percent anomaly values were multiplied by pentadal climatology fields to produce low bias pentadal precipitation estimates. CHIRPS: The CHG station blending procedure uses the satellite-observed spatial covariance structure to assign relative weights to neighboring stations and the CHIRP values. The CHIRPS blending procedure is based on the expected correlation between precipitation at a given target location and precipitation at the locations of the neighboring observation stations. These correlations are estimated using the CHIRP fields. The CHG has developed an extensive archive of in situ daily, pentadal and monthly precipitation totals. The CHG database has over half a billion daily rainfall observations since 1980 and another half billion before 1980. Most of these observations come from four sets of global climate observations: the monthly Global Historical Climate Network version 2 archive, the daily Global Historical Climate Network archive, the Global Summary of the Day dataset (GSOD), and the daily Global Telecommunication System (GTS) archive provided by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC). A screening procedure was developed to flag and remove potential false zeros from the daily data, since these potentially spurious data can artificially suppress rainfall totals. Validation: Our validation focused on precipitation products with global coverage, long periods of record and near real-time availability: CHIRP, CHIRPS, CPC-Unified, CFS Reanalysis and ECMWF datasets were compared to GPCC and high quality datasets from Uganda, Colombia and the Sahel. The CHIRP and CHIRPS are shown to have low systematic errors (bias) and low mean absolute errors. Analyses in Uganda, Colombia and the Sahel indicate that the ECMWF, CPC-Unified and CFS-Reanalysis have large inhomogeneities, making them unsuitable for drought monitoring. The CHIRPS performance appears quite similar to research quality products like the GPCC and GPCP, but with higher resolution and lower latency.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Detected sources in the region of Magellanic Stream (For+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

For, B.-Q.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Matthews, D.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.

2017-04-01

The ATCA high-resolution MS survey covers a 500 deg2 field Magellanic Stream (here after MS) using the H75 configuration of the ATCA. MS I to MS IV, part of the SMC, and the Interface Region (IFR) are covered in this survey. The observations were carried out over a period from 2005 to 2006, which resulted in ~180 hr of total observing time. The entire area was divided into 33 regions with 154 pointing centers per region, resulting in 5082 pointing centers. Each pointing center was separated by 20', arranged in a hexagonal grid, observed for 20 s, and revisited six times during an average of 10 hours of observation. The resulting ATCA data have an angular resolution of 413''x330'', a brightness sensitivity of 210 mK and a velocity resolution of 1.65 km/s after Hanning smoothing. The survey covers the local standard of rest velocity (VLSR) between -315 and +393 km/s. (1 data file).

Obtaining coincident image observations for Mission to Planet Earth science data return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Lauri Kraft; Folta, David C.; Farrell, James P.

1994-01-01

One objective of the Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) program involves comparing data from various instruments on multiple spacecraft to obtain a total picture of the Earth's systems. To correlate image data from instruments on different spacecraft, these spacecraft must be able to image the same location on the Earth at approximately the same time. Depending on the orbits of the spacecraft involved, complicated operational details must be considered to obtain such observations. If the spacecraft are in similar orbits, close formation flying or synchronization techniques may be used to assure coincident observations. If the orbits are dissimilar, the launch time of the second satellite may need to be restricted in order to align its orbit with that of the first satellite launched. This paper examines strategies for obtaining coincident observations for spacecraft in both similar and dissimilar orbits. Although these calculations may be performed easily for coplanar spacecraft, the non-coplanar case involves additional considerations which are incorporated into the algorithms presented herein.

Nocturnal behavior in captive giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)--A pilot study.

PubMed

Duggan, Graham; Burn, Charlotte C; Clauss, Marcus

2016-01-01

Captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are known to perform oral and locomotor stereotypies. However, many studies do not consider the behavioral repertoire of these animals during the time when animals are confined to night quarters. At two zoological institutions, a total of six captive giraffes were observed via camera trap technology throughout six diurnal and nocturnal periods to record feeding, ruminating, and stereotypic behaviors. The effect of browse enrichment was assessed on alternate nights to determine how behaviors may be altered in the presence of natural forage. Results need to be interpreted with caution due to a high proportion of time when animals were out of camera range. For the observed time, stereotypical licking behavior was significantly higher at night compared to daytime at both facilities, while tongue play increased at the same time, but not significantly. The provision of browse enrichment during the night decreased the rate of tongue playing, but not significantly; however, browse did significantly reduce pacing behavior. Across treatments and institutions, observed oral stereotypies tended to correlate negatively with increased feeding behavior. Apart from a short-term effect of enrichment, this study indicates relevant differences in the frequencies of behaviors observed during the day and night, suggesting that assessing nocturnal behavior specifically may be important in many species. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying high frequency signals in the daily swath mascon solutions from GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Save, H.

2016-12-01

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has provided us with unique information about the total water column in the Earth system over the past 14 years. The GRACE project provides a monthly mean time-variable gravity solution. There has been significant progress in the community over the years to develop shorter time-window gravity solutions. The daily swath mascon solutions, which are under development at the Center for Space Research (CSR), are computed using daily GRACE observation data. This paper discusses the development and the progress of this product. This paper summarizes the analysis of these solutions with special emphasis on identifying the higher frequency natural processes observed by GRACE using these daily swath mascon solutions.

Skylab short-lived event alert program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Citron, R. A.

1974-01-01

During the three manned Skylab missions, the Center for Short-Lived Phenomena (CSLP) reported a total of 39 significant events to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) as part of the Skylab Short-Lived Event Alert Program. The telegraphed daily status reports included the names and locations of the events, the track number and revolution number during which the event could be observed, the time (GMT) to within plus or minus 2 sec when Skylab was closest to the event area, and the light condition (daylight or darkness) at that time and place. The messages sent to JSC during the Skylab 4 mission also included information pertaining to ground-truth studies and observations being conducted on the events. Photographic priorities were assigned for each event.

Communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge of various sewage treatment plants in Tokyo.

PubMed

Limpiyakorn, Tawan; Shinohara, Yuko; Kurisu, Futoshi; Yagi, Osami

2005-10-01

We investigated ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in activated sludge collected from 12 sewage treatment systems, whose ammonia removal and treatment processes differed, during three different seasons. We used real-time PCR quantification to reveal total bacterial numbers and total ammonia oxidizer numbers, and used specific PCR followed by denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis, cloning, and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes to analyze ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities. Total bacterial numbers and total ammonia oxidizer numbers were in the range of 1.6 x 10(12) - 2.4 x 10(13) and 1.0 x 10(9) - 9.2 x 10(10)cellsl(-1), respectively. Seasonal variation was observed in the total ammonia oxidizer numbers, but not in the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities. Members of the Nitrosomonas oligotropha cluster were found in all samples, and most sequences within this cluster grouped within two of the four sequence types identified. Members of the clusters of Nitrosomonas europaea-Nitrosococcus mobilis, Nitrosomonas cryotolerans, and unknown Nitrosomonas, occurred solely in one anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) system. Members of the Nitrosomonas communis cluster occurred almost exclusively in association with A2O and anaerobic/aerobic systems. Solid residence time mainly influenced the total numbers of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, whereas dissolved oxygen concentration primarily affected the ammonia-oxidizing activity per ammonia oxidizer cell.

Temporal evolution of total ozone and circulation patterns over European mid-latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monge Sanz, B. M.; Casale, G. R.; Palmieri, S.; Siani, A. M.

2003-04-01

Linear correlation analysis and the running correlation technique are used to investigate the interannual and interdecadal variations of total ozone (TO) over several mid-latitude European locations. The study includes the longest series of ozone data, that of the Swiss station of Arosa. TO series have been related to time series of two circulation indices, the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI) and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI). The analysis has been performed with monthly data, and both series containing all the months of the year and winter (DJFM) series have been used. Special attention has been given to winter series, which exhibit very high correlation coefficients with NAOI and AOI; interannual variations of this relationship are studied by applying the running correlation technique. TO and circulation indices data series have been also partitioned into their different time-scale components with the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko method. Long-term components indicate the existence of strong opposite connection between total ozone and circulation patterns over the studied region during the last three decades. However, it is also observed that this relation has not always been so, and in previous times differences in the correlation amplitude and sign have been detected.

Hypercholesterolemia is associated with the apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3) genotype in children receiving HAART: an eight-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Rocco, Carlos A; Mecikovsky, Debora; Aulicino, Paula; Bologna, Rosa; Sen, Luisa; Mangano, Andrea

2012-01-01

Polymorphisms in apolipoprotein genes have shown to be predictors of plasma lipid levels in adult cohorts receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Our objective was to confirm the association between the APOC3 genotype and plasma lipid levels in an HIV-1-infected pediatric cohort exposed to HAART. A total of 130 HIV-1-infected children/adolescents that attended a reference center in Argentina were selected for an 8-year longitudinal study with retrospective data collection. Longitudinal measurements of plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C were analyzed under linear or generalized linear mixed models. The contribution of the APOC3 genotype at sites -482, -455 and 3238 to plasma lipid levels prediction was tested after adjusting for potential confounders. Four major APOC3 haplotypes were observed for sites -482/-455/3238, with estimated frequencies of 0.60 (C/T/C), 0.14 (T/C/C), 0.11 (C/C/C), and 0.11 (T/C/G). The APOC3 genotype showed a significant effect only for the prediction of total cholesterol levels (p<0.0001). However, the magnitude of the differences observed was dependent on the drug combination (p = 0.0007) and the drug exposure duration at the time of the plasma lipid measurement (p = 0.0002). A lower risk of hypercholesterolemia was predicted for double and triple heterozygous individuals, mainly at the first few months after the initiation of Ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor-based regimens. We report for the first time a significant contribution of the genotype to total cholesterol levels in a pediatric cohort under HAART. The genetic determination of APOC3 might have an impact on a large portion of HIV-1-infected children at the time of choosing the treatment regimens or on the counter-measures against the adverse effects of drugs.