49 CFR 40.243 - What is the procedure for an alcohol screening test using an EBT or non-evidential breath ASD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false What is the procedure for an alcohol screening test using an EBT or non-evidential breath ASD? 40.243 Section 40.243 Transportation Office of the...-evidential breath ASD? As the BAT or STT, you must take the following steps: (a) Select, or allow the...

49 CFR 40.243 - What is the procedure for an alcohol screening test using an EBT or non-evidential breath ASD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What is the procedure for an alcohol screening test using an EBT or non-evidential breath ASD? 40.243 Section 40.243 Transportation Office of the...-evidential breath ASD? As the BAT or STT, you must take the following steps: (a) Select, or allow the...

Perfect Color Registration Realized.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovedahl, Gerald G.

1979-01-01

Describes apparatus and procedures to design and construct a "printing box" as a graphic arts project to make color prints on T-shirts using photography, indirect and direct photo screen methods, and other types of stencils. Step-by-step photographs illustrate the process. (MF)

A framework provided an outline toward the proper evaluation of potential screening strategies.

PubMed

Adriaensen, Wim J; Matheï, Cathy; Buntinx, Frank J; Arbyn, Marc

2013-06-01

Screening tests are often introduced into clinical practice without proper evaluation, despite the increasing awareness that screening is a double-edged sword that can lead to either net benefits or harms. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of new screening strategies. Elaborating on the existing concepts proposed by experts, a stepwise framework is proposed to evaluate whether a potential screening test can be introduced as a screening strategy into clinical practice. The principle of screening strategy evaluation is illustrated for cervical cancer, which is a template for screening because of the existence of an easily detectable and treatable precursor lesion. The evaluation procedure consists of six consecutive steps. In steps 1-4, the technical accuracy, place of the test in the screening pathway, diagnostic accuracy, and longitudinal sensitivity and specificity of the screening test are assessed. In steps 5 and 6, the impact of the screening strategy on the patient and population levels, respectively, is evaluated. The framework incorporates a harm and benefit trade-off and cost-effectiveness analysis. Our framework provides an outline toward the proper evaluation of potential screening strategies before considering implementation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation-based hypothesis testing of high dimensional means under covariance heterogeneity.

PubMed

Chang, Jinyuan; Zheng, Chao; Zhou, Wen-Xin; Zhou, Wen

2017-12-01

In this article, we study the problem of testing the mean vectors of high dimensional data in both one-sample and two-sample cases. The proposed testing procedures employ maximum-type statistics and the parametric bootstrap techniques to compute the critical values. Different from the existing tests that heavily rely on the structural conditions on the unknown covariance matrices, the proposed tests allow general covariance structures of the data and therefore enjoy wide scope of applicability in practice. To enhance powers of the tests against sparse alternatives, we further propose two-step procedures with a preliminary feature screening step. Theoretical properties of the proposed tests are investigated. Through extensive numerical experiments on synthetic data sets and an human acute lymphoblastic leukemia gene expression data set, we illustrate the performance of the new tests and how they may provide assistance on detecting disease-associated gene-sets. The proposed methods have been implemented in an R-package HDtest and are available on CRAN. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

One step versus two step approach for gestational diabetes screening: systematic review and meta-analysis of the randomized trials.

PubMed

Saccone, Gabriele; Caissutti, Claudia; Khalifeh, Adeeb; Meltzer, Sara; Scifres, Christina; Simhan, Hyagriv N; Kelekci, Sefa; Sevket, Osman; Berghella, Vincenzo

2017-12-03

To compare both the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes by either the one-step or the two-step approaches. Electronic databases were searched from their inception until June 2017. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the one-step with the two-step approaches for the screening and diagnosis of GDM. The primary outcome was the incidence of GDM. Three RCTs (n = 2333 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. 910 were randomized to the one step approach (75 g, 2 hrs), and 1423 to the two step approach. No significant difference in the incidence of GDM was found comparing the one step versus the two step approaches (8.4 versus 4.3%; relative risk (RR) 1.64, 95%CI 0.77-3.48). Women screened with the one step approach had a significantly lower risk of preterm birth (PTB) (3.7 versus 7.6%; RR 0.49, 95%CI 0.27-0.88), cesarean delivery (16.3 versus 22.0%; RR 0.74, 95%CI 0.56-0.99), macrosomia (2.9 versus 6.9%; RR 0.43, 95%CI 0.22-0.82), neonatal hypoglycemia (1.7 versus 4.5%; RR 0.38, 95%CI 0.16-0.90), and admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (4.4 versus 9.0%; RR 0.49, 95%CI 0.29-0.84), compared to those randomized to screening with the two step approach. The one and the two step approaches were not associated with a significant difference in the incidence of GDM. However, the one step approach was associated with better maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Utilization of International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria vs. a two-step approach to screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese women with twin pregnancies.

PubMed

Liu, X; Chen, Y; Zhou, Q; Shi, H; Cheng, W W

2015-03-01

To evaluate prevalence and pregnancy outcomes using the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria and screening protocol vs. a standard two-step screening approach for gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese twin pregnancies. A retrospective cohort study for pregnancies during 2007-2013 was performed in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. Data were abstracted from the medical records of twin pregnancies delivered at the hospital. During the period 2007-2011, this hospital used a two-step approach with a 50 g screening with a cut-off value of ≥ 7.8 mmol/l followed by a 100 g diagnostic oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) utilizing Carpenter-Coustan criteria. In 2012-2013, the hospital switched to the IADPSG protocol of universal 75 g OGTT. Among 1461 twin pregnancies, 643 were screened utilizing IADPSG criteria and 818 using the two-step protocol. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed more frequently in the IADPSG group than in the two-step group [20.4% and 7.0%, respectively; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.30-4.52]. During the IADPSG period, the incidence of pre-eclampsia was 38% lower in non-gestational diabetes mellitus affected pregnancies compared with the two-step period (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.44-0.87). We observed no significant differences in most perinatal outcomes between the two groups. Compared with a standard two-step approach to screening and diagnosis, the IADPSG screening method resulted in a three-fold increase in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus in twin pregnancies, with a 38% lower risk of pre-eclampsia but no significant difference in most perinatal outcomes in non-gestational diabetes mellitus affected pregnancies. © 2014 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2014 Diabetes UK.

Evidence-Based Practice Guideline: Depression Detection in Older Adults With Dementia.

PubMed

Brown, Ellen Leslie; Raue, Patrick J; Halpert, Karen

2015-11-01

Depression and dementia are the two most common psychiatric syndromes in the older adult population. Depression in older adults with and without dementia often goes unrecognized and untreated. The current guideline recommends a three-step procedure that can be used across health care settings to screen for the presence of depressive symptoms. Implementation of the evidence-based guideline requires administration of the Mini-Mental State Examination and either the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form or Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, depending on level of cognitive functioning. The algorithm provided is designed to be used by nurses, physicians, and social workers for the purpose of depression screening in older adults with dementia. Detection of depression in individuals with dementia is hindered by a lack of a validated, brief screening tool. More research is needed on the use of such screenings among older adults with cognitive impairment. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Solution of elliptic partial differential equations by fast Poisson solvers using a local relaxation factor. 2: Two-step method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, S. C.

1986-01-01

A two-step semidirect procedure is developed to accelerate the one-step procedure described in NASA TP-2529. For a set of constant coefficient model problems, the acceleration factor increases from 1 to 2 as the one-step procedure convergence rate decreases from + infinity to 0. It is also shown numerically that the two-step procedure can substantially accelerate the convergence of the numerical solution of many partial differential equations (PDE's) with variable coefficients.

Valuing Equal Protection in Aviation Security Screening.

PubMed

Nguyen, Kenneth D; Rosoff, Heather; John, Richard S

2017-12-01

The growing number of anti-terrorism policies has elevated public concerns about discrimination. Within the context of airport security screening, the current study examines how American travelers value the principle of equal protection by quantifying the "equity premium" that they are willing to sacrifice to avoid screening procedures that result in differential treatments. In addition, we applied the notion of procedural justice to explore the effect of alternative selective screening procedures on the value of equal protection. Two-hundred and twenty-two respondents were randomly assigned to one of three selective screening procedures: (1) randomly, (2) using behavioral indicators, or (3) based on demographic characteristics. They were asked to choose between airlines using either an equal or a discriminatory screening procedure. While the former requires all passengers to be screened in the same manner, the latter mandates all passengers undergo a quick primary screening and, in addition, some passengers are selected for a secondary screening based on a predetermined selection criterion. Equity premiums were quantified in terms of monetary cost, wait time, convenience, and safety compromise. Results show that equity premiums varied greatly across respondents, with many indicating little willingness to sacrifice to avoid inequitable screening, and a smaller minority willing to sacrifice anything to avoid the discriminatory screening. The selective screening manipulation was effective in that equity premiums were greater under selection by demographic characteristics compared to the other two procedures. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Fast method for the simultaneous quantification of toxic polyphenols applied to the selection of genotypes of yam bean (Pachyrhizus sp.) seeds.

PubMed

Lautié, E; Rozet, E; Hubert, P; Vandelaer, N; Billard, F; Felde, T Zum; Grüneberg, W J; Quetin-Leclercq, J

2013-12-15

The purpose of the research was to develop and validate a rapid quantification method able to screen many samples of yam bean seeds to determine the content of two toxic polyphenols, namely pachyrrhizine and rotenone. The analytical procedure described is based on the use of an internal standard (dihydrorotenone) and is divided in three steps: microwave assisted extraction, purification by solid phase extraction and assay by ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Each step was included in the validation protocol and the accuracy profiles methodology was used to fully validate the method. The method was fully validated between 0.25 mg and 5 mg pachyrrhizin per gram of seeds and between 0.58 mg/g and 4 mg/g for rotenone. More than one hundred samples from different accessions, locations of growth and harvest dates were screened. Pachyrrhizine concentrations ranged from 3.29 mg/g to lower than 0.25 mg/g while rotenone concentrations ranged from 3.53 mg/g to lower than 0.58 mg/g. This screening along with principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) analyses allowed the selection of the more interesting genotypes in terms of low concentrations of these two toxic polyphenols. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Redo Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass: One-Step or Two-Step Procedure?

PubMed

Theunissen, Caroline M J; Guelinckx, Nele; Maring, John K; Langenhoff, Barbara S

2016-11-01

The adjustable gastric band (AGB) is a bariatric procedure that used to be widely performed. However, AGB failure-signifying band-related complications or unsatisfactory weight loss, resulting in revision surgery (redo operations)-frequently occurs. Often this entails a conversion to a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). This can be performed as a one-step or two-step (separate band removal) procedure. Data were collected from patients operated from 2012 to 2014 in a single bariatric centre. We compared 107 redo LRYGB after AGB failure with 1020 primary LRYGB. An analysis was performed of the one-step vs. two-step redo procedures. All redo procedures were performed by experienced bariatric surgeons. No difference in major complication rate was seen (2.8 vs. 2.3 %, p = 0.73) between redo and primary LRYGB, and overall complication severity for redos was low (mainly Clavien-Dindo 1 or 2). Weight loss results were comparable for primary and redo procedures. The one-step and two-step redos were comparable regarding complication rates and readmissions. The operating time for the one-step redo LRYGB was 136 vs. 107.5 min for the two-step (median, p < 0.001), excluding the operating time of separate AGB removal (mean 61 min, range 36-110). Removal of a failed AGB and LRYGB in a one-step procedure is safe when performed by experienced bariatric surgeons. However, when erosion or perforation of the AGB occurs, we advise caution and would perform the redo LRYGB as a two-step procedure. Equal weights can be achieved at 1 year post redo LRYGB as after primary LRYGB procedures.

Efficiency and Safety of One-Step Procedure Combined Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Eretrograde Cholangiopancreatography for Treatment of Cholecysto-Choledocholithiasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Liu, Zhiyi; Zhang, Luyao; Liu, Yanling; Gu, Yang; Sun, Tieliang

2017-11-01

We aimed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of one-step procedure combined endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for treatment of patients with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis. A prospective randomized study was performed on 63 consecutive cholecysto-choledocholithiasis patients during 2008 and 2011. The efficiency and safety of one-step procedure was assessed by comparing the two-step LC with ERCP + endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST). Outcomes including intraoperative features, postoperative features (length of stay and postoperative complications) were evaluated. One- or two-step procedure of LC with ERCP + EST was successfully performed in all patients, and common bile duct stones were completely removed. Statistical analyses showed that length of stay and pulmonary infection rate were significantly lower in the test group compared with that in the control group (P < 0.05), whereas no statistical difference in other outcomes was found between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The one-step procedure of LC with ERCP + EST is superior to the two-step procedure for treatment of patients with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis regarding to the reduced hospital stay and inhibited occurrence of pulmonary infections. Compared with two-step procedure, one-step procedure of LC with ERCP + EST may be a superior option for cholecysto-choledocholithiasis patients treatment regarding to hospital stay and pulmonary infections.

49 CFR 40.241 - What are the first steps in any alcohol screening test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... facility who is required to have a post-accident test), do not delay this treatment to conduct a test. (c... test? 40.241 Section 40.241 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Alcohol Screening Tests § 40.241 What are the first...

49 CFR 40.241 - What are the first steps in any alcohol screening test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... facility who is required to have a post-accident test), do not delay this treatment to conduct a test. (c... test? 40.241 Section 40.241 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Alcohol Screening Tests § 40.241 What are the first...

49 CFR 40.241 - What are the first steps in any alcohol screening test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... facility who is required to have a post-accident test), do not delay this treatment to conduct a test. (c... test? 40.241 Section 40.241 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Alcohol Screening Tests § 40.241 What are the first...

49 CFR 40.241 - What are the first steps in any alcohol screening test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... facility who is required to have a post-accident test), do not delay this treatment to conduct a test. (c... test? 40.241 Section 40.241 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Alcohol Screening Tests § 40.241 What are the first...

49 CFR 40.241 - What are the first steps in any alcohol screening test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... facility who is required to have a post-accident test), do not delay this treatment to conduct a test. (c... test? 40.241 Section 40.241 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Alcohol Screening Tests § 40.241 What are the first...

Test equality between two binary screening tests with a confirmatory procedure restricted on screen positives.

PubMed

Lui, Kung-Jong; Chang, Kuang-Chao

2015-01-01

In studies of screening accuracy, we may commonly encounter the data in which a confirmatory procedure is administered to only those subjects with screen positives for ethical concerns. We focus our discussion on simultaneously testing equality of sensitivity and specificity between two binary screening tests when only subjects with screen positives receive the confirmatory procedure. We develop four asymptotic test procedures and one exact test procedure. We derive sample size calculation formula for a desired power of detecting a difference at a given nominal [Formula: see text]-level. We employ Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the performance of these test procedures and the accuracy of the sample size calculation formula developed here in a variety of situations. Finally, we use the data obtained from a study of the prostate-specific-antigen test and digital rectal examination test on 949 Black men to illustrate the practical use of these test procedures and the sample size calculation formula.

Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Eastern and Southeastern Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Binns, Colin W.; Duong, Dat Van; Lee, Andy H.

2018-01-01

Aim To review the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Eastern and Southeastern Asia. Methods We systematically searched for observational studies on GDM prevalence from January 2000 to December 2016. Inclusion criteria were original English papers, with full texts published in peer-reviewed journals. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the guidelines of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia. Fixed effects and random effects models were used to estimate the summary prevalence of GDM and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 4415 papers were screened, and 48 studies with 63 GDM prevalence observations were included in the final review. The pooled prevalence of GDM was 10.1% (95% CI: 6.5%–15.7%), despite substantial variations across nations. The prevalence of GDM in lower- or upper-middle income countries was about 64% higher than in their high-income counterparts. Moreover, the one-step screening method was twice more likely to be used in diagnosing GDM when compared to the two-step screening procedure. Conclusions The prevalence of GDM in Eastern and Southeastern Asia was high and varied among and within countries. There is a need for international uniformity in screening strategies and diagnostic criteria for GDM. PMID:29675432

The impact of a public health department's expansion from a one-step to a two-step refugee screening process on the detection and initiation of treatment of latent tuberculosis.

PubMed

Einterz, E M; Younge, O; Hadi, C

2018-06-01

To determine, subsequent to the expansion of a county health department's refugee screening process from a one-step to a two-step process, the change in early loss to follow-up and time to initiation of treatment of new refugees with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Quasi-experimental, quantitative. Review of patient medical records. Among 384 refugees who met the case definition of LTBI without prior tuberculosis (TB) classification, the number of cases lost to early follow-up fell from 12.5% to 0% after expansion to a two-step screening process. The average interval between in-country arrival and initiation of LTBI treatment was shortened by 41.4%. The addition of a second step to the refugee screening process was correlated with significant improvements in the county's success in tracking and treating cases of LTBI in refugees. Given the disproportionate importance of foreign-born cases of LTBI to the incidence of TB disease in low-incidence countries, these improvements could have a substantial impact on overall TB control, and the process described could serve as a model for other local health department refugee screening programs. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and referral rates in neonatal hearing screening program using two step hearing screening protocol in Chennai - A prospective study.

PubMed

Vignesh, S S; Jaya, V; Sasireka, B I; Sarathy, Kamala; Vanthana, M

2015-10-01

To estimate the prevalence and referral rates in well born and high risk babies using two step hearing screening protocol with Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR). A prospective study was carried out on 1405 neonates (983 well born babies and 422 high risk babies) who were screened during May 2013 to January 2015 at Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Madras Medical College, Chennai. All neonates were screened using two step screening protocol. They were initially tested with DPOAE. Referred babies in DPOAE were screened with AABR subsequently. Among 1405 (100%) neonates 983 (69.96%) were well born babies and 422 (30.03%) were high risk babies. Total referral rate in DPOAE was found to be 311 (22.13%) among which 195 (13.87%) were well born babies and 116 (8.25%) were high risk babies. Out of 311 babies 31 (2.20%) babies were referred in AABR screening. In 31 babies referred in AABR 11(0.78%) were from well born group and 20 (1.42%) were from the high risk group. Further diagnostic evaluation of these babies, 2 (0.14%) were confirmed to have hearing loss. This study reveals, the prevalence of congenital hearing loss in our population is 1.42 per 1000 babies. Using two step protocol especially AABR along with DPOAE at the initial level of testing significantly reduces referral rates in new born screening programs. Also AABR decreases the false positive responses hence increasing the efficiency of screening program. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening of synthetic and natural product databases: Identification of novel androgens and antiandrogens.

PubMed

Bobach, Claudia; Tennstedt, Stephanie; Palberg, Kristin; Denkert, Annika; Brandt, Wolfgang; de Meijere, Armin; Seliger, Barbara; Wessjohann, Ludger A

2015-01-27

The androgen receptor is an important pharmaceutical target for a variety of diseases. This paper presents an in silico/in vitro screening procedure to identify new androgen receptor ligands. The two-step virtual screening procedure uses a three-dimensional pharmacophore model and a docking/scoring routine. About 39,000 filtered compounds were docked with PLANTS and scored by Chemplp. Subsequent to virtual screening, 94 compounds, including 28 steroidal and 66 nonsteroidal compounds, were tested by an androgen receptor fluorescence polarization ligand displacement assay. As a result, 30 compounds were identified that show a relative binding affinity of more than 50% in comparison to 100 nM dihydrotestosterone and were classified as androgen receptor binders. For 11 androgen receptor binders of interest IC50 and Ki values were determined. The compound with the highest affinity exhibits a Ki value of 10.8 nM. Subsequent testing of the 11 compounds in a PC-3 and LNCaP multi readout proliferation assay provides insights into the potential mode of action. Further steroid receptor ligand displacement assays and docking studies on estrogen receptors α and β, glucocorticoid receptor, and progesterone receptor gave information about the specificity of the 11 most active compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 40.245 - What is the procedure for an alcohol screening test using a saliva ASD or a breath tube ASD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... a breath tube ASD? (a) As the STT or BAT, you must take the following steps when using the saliva... ATF. (b) As the STT or BAT, you must take the following steps when using the breath tube ASD: (1... the manufacturer's directions. (11) You must note the fact that you used a breath tube device in Step...

The pros and cons of the fourth revision of thalassaemia screening programme in Iran.

PubMed

Moafi, Alireza; Vallian, Reihaneh; Vallian, Sadeq; Rahgozar, Soheila; Torfenajad, Mohammad; Moafi, Hadi

2017-03-01

Objective To evaluate the repercussions of recent changes to the cut-offs used in the first screening step of the pre-marital screening programme for thalassaemia prevention in Iran. Methods The profiles of 984 subjects referred to a genetic laboratory, and the tests of 242 parents of children with thalassaemia major were assessed for red blood cell (RBC) indices, haemoglobin (Hb) A2 levels and results of Hb electrophoresis. Results Of 407 suspected thalassaemia minor (STM) cases, 18 proved positive for thalassaemia minor on molecular analysis (18/407, confidence interval 2.6-6.9%). If the revised screening cut-offs had been used to determine who would undergo molecular analysis, two of these cases would not have been identified. Only 4.4% of suspected cases with lower than normal RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume <80 fl and mean corpuscular Hb <27 pg) and HbA2 (<3.5%) were diagnosed with thalassaemia minor. Conclusion The thalassaemia major prevention programme is performed in two separate steps. One step involves the screening of subjects and identification of β-thalassaemia minor, suspected cases for thalassaemia minor (STM), and normal subject groups. The other step concerns the identification of thalassaemia minor in the STM group. Changing the cut-offs at the first screening step does not result in significant improvement from an economic view, and is associated with significant risk at the second screening step.

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases in Costa Rica: a feasibility study toward a national screening program

PubMed Central

Wesseling, Catharina; Román, Norbel; Quirós, Indiana; Páez, Laura; García, Vilma; María Mora, Ana; Juncos, Jorge L.; Steenland, Kyle N.

2013-01-01

Background The integration of mental and neurologic services in healthcare is a global priority. The universal Social Security of Costa Rica aspires to develop national screening of neurodegenerative disorders among the elderly, as part of the non-communicable disease agenda. Objective This study assessed the feasibility of routine screening for Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) within the public healthcare system of Costa Rica. Design The population (aged ≥65) in the catchment areas of two primary healthcare clinics was targeted for motor and cognitive screening during routine annual health check-ups. The screening followed a tiered three-step approach, with increasing specificity. Step 1 involved a two-symptom questionnaire (tremor-at-rest; balance) and a spiral drawing test for motor assessment, as well as a three-word recall and animal category fluency test for cognitive assessment. Step 2 (for those failing Step 1) was a 10-item version of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Step 3 (for those failing Step 2) was a comprehensive neurologic exam with definitive diagnosis of PD, AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), other disorders, or subjects who were healthy. Screening parameters and disease prevalence were calculated. Results Of the 401 screened subjects (80% of target population), 370 (92%), 163 (45%), and 81 (56%) failed in Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3, respectively. Thirty-three, 20, and 35 patients were diagnosed with PD, AD, and MCI, respectively (7 were PD with MCI/AD); 90% were new cases. Step 1 sensitivities of motor and cognitive assessments regarding Step 2 were both 93%, and Step 2 sensitivities regarding definitive diagnosis 100 and 96%, respectively. Specificities for Step 1 motor and cognitive tests were low (23% and 29%, respectively) and for Step 2 tests acceptable (76%, 94%). Based on international data, PD prevalence was 3.7 times higher than expected; AD prevalence was as expected. Conclusion Proposed protocol adjustments will increase test specificity and reduce administration time. A routine screening program is feasible within the public healthcare system of Costa Rica. PMID:24378195

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases in Costa Rica: a feasibility study toward a national screening program.

PubMed

Wesseling, Catharina; Román, Norbel; Quirós, Indiana; Páez, Laura; García, Vilma; Mora, Ana María; Juncos, Jorge L; Steenland, Kyle N

2013-12-27

The integration of mental and neurologic services in healthcare is a global priority. The universal Social Security of Costa Rica aspires to develop national screening of neurodegenerative disorders among the elderly, as part of the non-communicable disease agenda. This study assessed the feasibility of routine screening for Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) within the public healthcare system of Costa Rica. The population (aged ≥65) in the catchment areas of two primary healthcare clinics was targeted for motor and cognitive screening during routine annual health check-ups. The screening followed a tiered three-step approach, with increasing specificity. Step 1 involved a two-symptom questionnaire (tremor-at-rest; balance) and a spiral drawing test for motor assessment, as well as a three-word recall and animal category fluency test for cognitive assessment. Step 2 (for those failing Step 1) was a 10-item version of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Step 3 (for those failing Step 2) was a comprehensive neurologic exam with definitive diagnosis of PD, AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), other disorders, or subjects who were healthy. Screening parameters and disease prevalence were calculated. Of the 401 screened subjects (80% of target population), 370 (92%), 163 (45%), and 81 (56%) failed in Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3, respectively. Thirty-three, 20, and 35 patients were diagnosed with PD, AD, and MCI, respectively (7 were PD with MCI/AD); 90% were new cases. Step 1 sensitivities of motor and cognitive assessments regarding Step 2 were both 93%, and Step 2 sensitivities regarding definitive diagnosis 100 and 96%, respectively. Specificities for Step 1 motor and cognitive tests were low (23% and 29%, respectively) and for Step 2 tests acceptable (76%, 94%). Based on international data, PD prevalence was 3.7 times higher than expected; AD prevalence was as expected. Proposed protocol adjustments will increase test specificity and reduce administration time. A routine screening program is feasible within the public healthcare system of Costa Rica.

Two-Step Process for ED UTI Screening in Febrile Young Children: Reducing Catheterization Rates.

PubMed

Lavelle, Jane M; Blackstone, Mercedes M; Funari, Mary Kate; Roper, Christine; Lopez, Patricia; Schast, Aileen; Taylor, April M; Voorhis, Catherine B; Henien, Mira; Shaw, Kathy N

2016-07-01

Urinary tract infection (UTI) screening in febrile young children can be painful and time consuming. We implemented a screening protocol for UTI in a high-volume pediatric emergency department (ED) to reduce urethral catheterization, limiting catheterization to children with positive screens from urine bag specimens. This quality-improvement initiative was implemented using 3 Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, beginning with a small test of the proposed change in 1 ED area. To ensure appropriate patients received timely screening, care teams discussed patient risk factors and created patient-specific, appropriate procedures. The intervention was extended to the entire ED after providing education. Finally, visual cues were added into the electronic health record, and nursing scripts were developed to enlist family participation. A time-series design was used to study the impact of the 6-month intervention by using a p-chart to determine special cause variation. The primary outcome measure for the study was defined as the catheterization rate in febrile children ages 6 to 24 months. The ED reduced catheterization rates among febrile young children from 63% to <30% over a 6-month period with sustained results. More than 350 patients were spared catheterization without prolonging ED length of stay. Additionally, there was no change in the revisit rate or missed UTIs among those followed within the hospital's network. A 2-step less-invasive process for screening febrile young children for UTI can be instituted in a high-volume ED without increasing length of stay or missing cases of UTI. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pilot trial on separation conditions for diaper recycling.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung-Shin; Cho, Hee-Sun

2017-09-01

By utilizing laboratory-scale tests, the optimal separation conditions for diaper recycling were identified, and then, these conditions were validated by a pilot trial. In this research, we determined the mass balances derived during various processing steps and identified the most feasible procedures to use for separating each material in the output flow. The results showed that drum screening was not able to remove all the fiber and super absorbent particles (SAP) in the plastic-rich fraction and that cellulose enzyme treatment can be a good solution. To achieve better separation of fibers and SAP, slot screening followed by a cleaner is a potential option. A feasible diaper recycling process was recommended based on these results. This process involves screening and enzymatic treatment for the plastic fraction, and screening, cleaning, and thickening for the fiber fraction. Treatment procedures were also proposed for the SAP fraction and rejected materials. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of Provider Skills in Performing Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid in the Cervical Cancer Screening Program in the Meknes-Tafilalet Region of Morocco.

PubMed

Selmouni, Farida; Sauvaget, Catherine; Zidouh, Ahmed; Plaza, Consuelo Alvarez; Muwonge, Richard; Rhazi, Karima El; Basu, Partha; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy

2016-01-01

This study documented the performance of providers of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) at primary health centers, assessing their compliance with the VIA skills checklist and determinants of non-compliance, and exploring their perceptions of VIA training sessions. A cross- sectional study was conducted among VIA providers in the Meknes-Tafilalet region of Morocco. Structured observation of their performance was conducted through supervisory visits and multiple focus group discussions (FGDs). Performance of all the recommended steps for effective communication was observed in a low proportion of procedures (36.4%). Midwives/nurses had higher compliance than general practitioners (GPs) (p<0.001). All recommended steps for VIA examination were performed for a high proportion of procedures (82.5%). Compliance was higher among midwives/nurses than among GPs (p<0.001) and among providers in rural areas than those in urban areas (p<0.001). For pre-VIA counselling, all recommended steps were performed for only 36.8% of procedures. For post-VIA counseling, all recommended steps were performed in a high proportion (85.5% for VIA-negative and 85.1% for VIA-positive women). Midwives/nurses had higher compliance than GPs when advising VIA-positive women (p=0.009). All infection prevention practices were followed for only 14.2% of procedures, and compliance was higher among providers in rural areas than those in urban areas (p<0.001). Most FGD participants were satisfied with the content of VIA training sessions. However, they suggested periodic refresher training and supportive supervision. Quality assurance of a cervical cancer screening program is a key element to ensure that the providers perform VIA correctly and confidently.

[Using an employee survey as a means of quality assurance in newborn hearing screening].

PubMed

Depenbrock, A; Matulat, P; am Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, A

2013-03-01

Studies drawing information not only from technical data but also from surveying human resources behind the universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) appear to be a rarity. This study aims at showing how the state of both knowledge and practical skills among the screening staff are essential aspects in future quality management. A self-developed questionnaire was sent to hospital staff addressing a total of 710 nurses who were registered as having undertaken a UNHS training course. Questions were aimed at aspects of organization, personal practical skills, current problems and improvement possibilities. High rates of occupancy, lack of trained personnel, technical issues and background noise disturbances were considered to be factors that increased time pressure and slowed down procedures. Of the participants 16 % considered communicating a "refer" result to parents a difficult step and 8 % felt insecure when explaining the aims and procedures to parents. There was a high interest in further training sessions. This survey served well to reveal aspects of improvement in screening procedures and meeting staff needs. The training sessions should outline practical aspects of conducting screening and also professional, sensitive communication to parents.

Solution of elliptic PDEs by fast Poisson solvers using a local relaxation factor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Sin-Chung

1986-01-01

A large class of two- and three-dimensional, nonseparable elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs) is presently solved by means of novel one-step (D'Yakanov-Gunn) and two-step (accelerated one-step) iterative procedures, using a local, discrete Fourier analysis. In addition to being easily implemented and applicable to a variety of boundary conditions, these procedures are found to be computationally efficient on the basis of the results of numerical comparison with other established methods, which lack the present one's: (1) insensitivity to grid cell size and aspect ratio, and (2) ease of convergence rate estimation by means of the coefficient of the PDE being solved. The two-step procedure is numerically demonstrated to outperform the one-step procedure in the case of PDEs with variable coefficients.

A new one-step procedure for pulmonary valve implantation of the melody valve: Simultaneous prestenting and valve implantation.

PubMed

Boudjemline, Younes

2018-01-01

To describe a new modification, the one-step procedure, that allows interventionists to pre-stent and implant a Melody valve simultaneously. Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is the standard of care for managing patients with dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract, and the approach is standardized. Patients undergoing PPVI using the one-step procedure were identified in our database. Procedural data and radiation exposure were compared to those in a matched group of patients who underwent PPVI using the conventional two-step procedure. Between January 2016 and January 2017, PPVI was performed in 27 patients (median age/range, 19.1/10-55 years) using the one-step procedure involving manual crimping of one to three bare metal stents over the Melody valve. The stent and Melody valve were delivered successfully using the Ensemble delivery system. No complications occurred. All patients had excellent hemodynamic results (median/range post-PPVI right ventricular to pulmonary artery gradient, 9/0-20 mmHg). Valve function was excellent. Median procedural and fluoroscopic times were 56 and 10.2 min, respectively, which significantly differed from those of the two-step procedure group. Similarly, the dose area product (DAP), and radiation time were statistically lower in the one-step group than in the two-step group (P < 0.001 for all variables). After a median follow-up of 8 months (range, 3-14.7), no patient underwent reintervention, and no device dysfunction was observed. The one-step procedure is a safe modification that allows interventionists to prestent and implants the Melody valve simultaneously. It significantly reduces procedural and fluoroscopic times, and radiation exposure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A multiplexed microfluidic toolbox for the rapid optimization of affinity-driven partition in aqueous two phase systems.

PubMed

Bras, Eduardo J S; Soares, Ruben R G; Azevedo, Ana M; Fernandes, Pedro; Arévalo-Rodríguez, Miguel; Chu, Virginia; Conde, João P; Aires-Barros, M Raquel

2017-09-15

Antibodies and other protein products such as interferons and cytokines are biopharmaceuticals of critical importance which, in order to be safely administered, have to be thoroughly purified in a cost effective and efficient manner. The use of aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is a viable option for this purification, but these systems are difficult to model and optimization procedures require lengthy and expensive screening processes. Here, a methodology for the rapid screening of antibody extraction conditions using a microfluidic channel-based toolbox is presented. A first microfluidic structure allows a simple negative-pressure driven rapid screening of up to 8 extraction conditions simultaneously, using less than 20μL of each phase-forming solution per experiment, while a second microfluidic structure allows the integration of multi-step extraction protocols based on the results obtained with the first device. In this paper, this microfluidic toolbox was used to demonstrate the potential of LYTAG fusion proteins used as affinity tags to optimize the partitioning of antibodies in ATPE processes, where a maximum partition coefficient (K) of 9.2 in a PEG 3350/phosphate system was obtained for the antibody extraction in the presence of the LYTAG-Z dual ligand. This represents an increase of approx. 3.7 fold when compared with the same conditions without the affinity molecule (K=2.5). Overall, this miniaturized and versatile approach allowed the rapid optimization of molecule partition followed by a proof-of-concept demonstration of an integrated back extraction procedure, both of which are critical procedures towards obtaining high purity biopharmaceuticals using ATPE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A one-step extraction procedure for the screening of cocaine, amphetamines and cannabinoids in postmortem blood samples.

PubMed

Pelição, Fabrício Souza; Peres, Mariana Dadalto; Pissinate, Jauber Fornaciari; De Martinis, Bruno Spinosa

2014-01-01

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous detection and quantification in postmortem whole blood samples of cocaine (COC), amphetamines (AMPs) and cannabis; the main drugs involved in cases of impaired driving in Brazil. The analytes were extracted by solid-phase extraction by means of Bond-Elute Certify cartridges, derivatized with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide at 80°C for 30 min and analyzed by GC-MS. Linearity ranged from 10 to 500 ng/mL, except for ecgonine methyl ester, for which linearity ranged from 10 to 100 ng/mL. Inter- and intra-day imprecision ranged from 2.8 to 18.4% and from 1.5 to 14.9%, respectively. Accuracy values lay between 86.9 and 104.4%. The limit of quantitation for all drugs was 10 ng/mL and recoveries were >74% for all analytes, except for cannabinoids, which showed poor recovery (∼30%). The developed method was applied to real samples collected from deceased victims due to traffic accidents. These samples were selected according to the results obtained in immunoassay screening on collected urine samples. Five samples were positive for the presence of COC and metabolites, four samples were positive for cannabinoids, six samples were positive for AMPs and two samples were drug negative. Some samples were positive for more than one class of drug. Results obtained from whole blood samples showed good agreement with urine screening. The developed method proved capable of quantifying all three classes of drugs of abuse proposed in this study, through a one-step extraction procedure. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Two-Step Screening for Depressive Symptoms and Prediction of Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure.

PubMed

Lee, Kyoung Suk; Moser, Debra K; Pelter, Michele; Biddle, Martha J; Dracup, Kathleen

2017-05-01

Comorbid depression in patients with heart failure is associated with increased risk for death. In order to effectively identify depressed patients with cardiac disease, the American Heart Association suggests a 2-step screening method: administering the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire first and then the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. However, whether the 2-step method is better for predicting poor prognosis in heart failure than is either the 2-item or the 9-item tool alone is not known. To determine whether the 2-step method is better than either the 2-item or the 9-item questionnaire alone for predicting all-cause mortality in heart failure. During a 2-year period, 562 patients with heart failure were assessed for depression by using the 2-step method. With the 2-step method, results are considered positive if patients endorse either depressed mood or anhedonia on the 2-item screen and have scores of 10 or higher on the 9-item screen. Screening results with the 2-step method were not associated with all-cause mortality. Patients with scores positive for depression on either the 2-item or 9-item screen alone had 53% and 60% greater risk, respectively, for all-cause death than did patients with scores negative for depression after adjustments for covariates (hazard ratio, 1.530; 95% CI, 1.029-2.274 for the 2-item screen; hazard ratio, 1.603; 95% CI, 1.079-2.383 for the 9-item screen). The 2-step method has no clear advantages compared with the 2-item screen alone or the 9-item screen alone for predicting adverse prognostic effects of depressive symptoms in heart failure. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Company Workers: Development of a Two-Step Screening Strategy with a New Questionnaire.

PubMed

Eijsvogel, Michiel M; Wiegersma, Sytske; Randerath, Winfried; Verbraecken, Johan; Wegter-Hilbers, Esther; van der Palen, Job

2016-04-15

To develop and evaluate a screening questionnaire and a two-step screening strategy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in healthy workers. This is a cross-sectional study of 1,861 employees comprising healthy blue- and white-collar workers in two representative plants in the Netherlands from a worldwide consumer electronic company who were approached to participate. Employees were invited to complete various sleep questionnaires, and undergo separate single nasal flow recording and home polysomnography on two separate nights. Of the 1,861 employees, 249 provided informed consent and all nasal flow and polysomnography data were available from 176 (70.7%). OSAS was diagnosed in 65 (36.9%). A combination of age, absence of insomnia, witnessed breathing stops, and three-way scoring of the Berlin and STOPBANG questionnaires best predicted OSAS. Factor analysis identified a six-factor structure of the resulting new questionnaire: snoring, snoring severity, tiredness, witnessed apneas, sleep quality, and daytime well-being. Subsequently, some questions were removed, and the remaining questions were used to construct a new questionnaire. A scoring algorithm, computing individual probabilities of OSAS as high, intermediate, or low risk, was developed. Subsequently, the intermediate risk group was split into low and high probability for OSAS, based on nasal flow recording. This two-step approach showed a sensitivity of 63.1%, and a specificity of 90.1%. Specificity is important for low prevalence populations. A two-step screening strategy with a new questionnaire and subsequent nasal flow recording is a promising way to screen for OSAS in a healthy worker population. Development and validation of a screening instrument for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in healthy workers. Netherlands Trial Register (www.trailregister.nl), number: NTR2675. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Feasibility and utility of screening for depression and anxiety disorders in patients with cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Celano, Christopher M; Suarez, Laura; Mastromauro, Carol; Januzzi, James L; Huffman, Jeff C

2013-07-01

Depression and anxiety in patients with cardiac disease are common and independently associated with morbidity and mortality. We aimed to explore the use of a 3-step approach to identify inpatients with cardiac disease with depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or panic disorder; understand the predictive value of individual screening items in identifying these disorders; and assess the relative prevalence of these disorders in this cohort. To identify depression and anxiety disorders in inpatients with cardiac disease as part of a care management trial, an iterative 3-step screening procedure was used. This included an existing 4-item (Coping Screen) tool in nursing data sets, a 5-item screen for positive Coping Screen patients (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 [PHQ-2], GAD-2, and an item about panic attacks), and a diagnostic evaluation using PHQ-9 and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders anxiety disorder modules. Overall, 6210 inpatients received the Coping Screen, 581 completed portions of all 3 evaluation steps, and 210 received a diagnosis (143 depression, 129 GAD, 30 panic disorder). Controlling for age, sex, and the other screening items, PHQ-2 items independently predicted depression (little interest/pleasure: odds ratio [OR]=6.65, P<0.001; depression: OR=5.24, P=0.001), GAD-2 items predicted GAD (anxious: OR=4.09, P=0.003; unable to control worrying: OR=10.46, P<0.001), and the panic item predicted panic disorder (OR=49.61, P<0.001). GAD was nearly as prevalent as depression in this cohort, and GAD-2 was an effective screening tool; however, panic disorder was rare. These results support the use of 2-step screening for depression and GAD beginning with a 4-item scale (GAD-2 plus PHQ-2). Unique Identifier: NCT01201967. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01201967.

Effectiveness of a two-step population-based osteoporosis screening program using FRAX: the randomized Risk-stratified Osteoporosis Strategy Evaluation (ROSE) study.

PubMed

Rubin, K H; Rothmann, M J; Holmberg, T; Høiberg, M; Möller, S; Barkmann, R; Glüer, C C; Hermann, A P; Bech, M; Gram, J; Brixen, K

2018-03-01

The Risk-stratified Osteoporosis Strategy Evaluation (ROSE) study investigated the effectiveness of a two-step screening program for osteoporosis in women. We found no overall reduction in fractures from systematic screening compared to the current case-finding strategy. The group of moderate- to high-risk women, who accepted the invitation to DXA, seemed to benefit from the program. The purpose of the ROSE study was to investigate the effectiveness of a two-step population-based osteoporosis screening program using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) derived from a self-administered questionnaire to select women for DXA scan. After the scanning, standard osteoporosis management according to Danish national guidelines was followed. Participants were randomized to either screening or control group, and randomization was stratified according to age and area of residence. Inclusion took place from February 2010 to November 2011. Participants received a self-administered questionnaire, and women in the screening group with a FRAX score ≥ 15% (major osteoporotic fractures) were invited to a DXA scan. Primary outcome was incident clinical fractures. Intention-to-treat analysis and two per-protocol analyses were performed. A total of 3416 fractures were observed during a median follow-up of 5 years. No significant differences were found in the intention-to-treat analyses with 34,229 women included aged 65-80 years. The per-protocol analyses showed a risk reduction in the group that underwent DXA scanning compared to women in the control group with a FRAX ≥ 15%, in regard to major osteoporotic fractures, hip fractures, and all fractures. The risk reduction was most pronounced for hip fractures (adjusted SHR 0.741, p = 0.007). Compared to an office-based case-finding strategy, the two-step systematic screening strategy had no overall effect on fracture incidence. The two-step strategy seemed, however, to be beneficial in the group of women who were identified by FRAX as moderate- or high-risk patients and complied with DXA.

Automatic sequencing and control of Space Station airlock operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Himel, Victor; Abeles, Fred J.; Auman, James; Tqi, Terry O.

1989-01-01

Procedures that have been developed as part of the NASA JSC-sponsored pre-prototype Checkout, Servicing and Maintenance (COSM) program for pre- and post-EVA airlock operations are described. This paper addresses the accompanying pressure changes in the airlock and in the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). Additionally, the paper focuses on the components that are checked out, and includes the step-by-step sequences to be followed by the crew, the required screen displays and prompts that accompany each step, and a description of the automated processes that occur.

The screening of visual impairment among preschool children in an urban population in Malaysia; the Kuching pediatric eye study: a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To screen for visual impairment in Malaysian preschool children. Methods Visual screening was conducted in 400 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years. The screening involved two basic procedures; the distant visual acuity test using the Sheridan Gardiner chart and the depth perception test using the Langs stereoacuity test. Criteria for referral were a visual acuity of 6/12 or less in the better eye or a fail in the depth perception test. Results The prevalence of visual impairment was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.3, 7.6). Of the 400 preschool children screened, 20 of them failed the distant visual acuity test or the stereopsis test. Refractive errors were the most common cause of visual impairment (95%, 95% CI = 76.2, 98.8); myopic astigmatism was the commonest type of refractive error (63.2%, 95% CI = 40.8, 80.9). Conclusion The study is a small but important step in the effort to understand the problem of visual impairment among our preschool children. Our study showed that it is feasible to measure distant visual acuity and stereopsis in this age group. PMID:23601160

The screening of visual impairment among preschool children in an urban population in Malaysia; the Kuching pediatric eye study: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Premsenthil, Mallika; Manju, Rose; Thanaraj, Asokumaran; Rahman, Syed Alwi Syed Abdul; Kah, Tan Aik

2013-04-19

To screen for visual impairment in Malaysian preschool children. Visual screening was conducted in 400 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years. The screening involved two basic procedures; the distant visual acuity test using the Sheridan Gardiner chart and the depth perception test using the Langs stereoacuity test. Criteria for referral were a visual acuity of 6/12 or less in the better eye or a fail in the depth perception test. The prevalence of visual impairment was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.3, 7.6). Of the 400 preschool children screened, 20 of them failed the distant visual acuity test or the stereopsis test. Refractive errors were the most common cause of visual impairment (95%, 95% CI = 76.2, 98.8); myopic astigmatism was the commonest type of refractive error (63.2%, 95% CI = 40.8, 80.9). The study is a small but important step in the effort to understand the problem of visual impairment among our preschool children. Our study showed that it is feasible to measure distant visual acuity and stereopsis in this age group.

Comparison of Methods for Demonstrating Passage of Time When Using Computer-Based Video Prompting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mechling, Linda C.; Bryant, Kathryn J.; Spencer, Galen P.; Ayres, Kevin M.

2015-01-01

Two different video-based procedures for presenting the passage of time (how long a step lasts) were examined. The two procedures were presented within the framework of video prompting to promote independent multi-step task completion across four young adults with moderate intellectual disability. The two procedures demonstrating passage of the…

Two-Step Screening of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers in Thai Children with Language Delay and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srisinghasongkram, Pornchada; Pruksananonda, Chandhita; Chonchaiya, Weerasak

2016-01-01

This study aimed to validate the use of two-step Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) screening adapted for a Thai population. Our participants included both high-risk children with language delay (N = 109) and low-risk children with typical development (N = 732). Compared with the critical scoring criteria, the total scoring method…

The purification step is not crucial in EIA measurements of thromboxane B2 and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 in human plasma.

PubMed

Sadilkova, Lenka; Paluch, Zoltan; Mottlova, Jirina; Bednar, Frantisek; Alusik, Stefan

2012-01-01

Thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and particularly 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-dTxB2) are widely used as prognostic risk markers of platelet activation in cardiovascular diseases. The main errors in TxB2 and 11-dTxB2 determination include either low concentrations of circulating TxB2 (1 - 2 pg/mL) and 11-dTxB2 (0.9 - 4.3 pg/mL) or rather high transiency (mean TxB2 half-life is approximately 5 minutes) as well as an incorrect pre-analytical phase set up. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a widely used purification step on the results of enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA)--based measurement of the two selected thromboxanes. For the purpose of this study, 20 plasma samples (10 healthy donors, 10 patients under treatment with acetylsalicylic acid) were screened for TxB2 and 11-dTxB2 concentrations using commercial competitive EIA kits (Cayman Chemicals, Tallinn, Estonia; Neogen, Lexington, KY, USA) with or without the introduction of the purification procedure. The purification step does not significantly affect the results of EIA measurements of the two of TxA2 metabolites (TxB2, 11-dTxB2) in human plasma. The levels of TxB2 and 11-dTxB2 determined in the plasma samples were not significantly changed (p < 0.05) when the purification step was omitted compared to the purified samples. This study establishes a protocol allowing for reliable and reproducible plasma TxB2 and 11-dTxB2 EIA measurement for routine basic screening of platelet function.

Developing Programs for the Gifted and Talented. 1985 Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrum, Judith L.

Program development in gifted and talented education is the focus of the digest. Elements of a successful program, including statements of support for differential education, staff orientation, and multiple appropriate screening and identification procedures are listed. Beginning steps for planning committees are noted. Identification approaches…

Biologic considerations regarding the one and two step procedures in the management of patients with invasive carcinoma of the breast.

PubMed

Fisher, E R; Sass, R; Fisher, B

1985-09-01

Investigation of the biologic significance of delay between biopsy and mastectomy was performed upon women with invasive carcinoma of the breast in protocol four of the NSABP. Since the period of delay was two weeks or less in approximately 75 per cent, no comment concerning the possible effects of longer periods can be made. Life table analyses failed to reveal any difference in ten year survival rates between patients undergoing radical mastectomy management by the one and two step procedures. Similarly, no difference in adjusted ten year survival rate was observed between women managed by the two step procedure who did or did not have residual tumor identified in the mastectomy specimen after the first step or biopsy. Importantly, the clinical or pathologic stages, sizes of tumor or histologic grades were similar in women managed by the one and two step procedures minimizing selection bias. The material used also allowed for study of the possible causative role of biopsy of the breast on the development of sinus histiocytosis in regional axillary lymph nodes. No difference in degree or types of this nodal reaction could be discerned in the lymph nodes of the mastectomy specimens obtained from patients who had undergone the one and two step procedures. This finding indicates that nodal sinus histiocytosis is indeed related to the neoplastic process, albeit in an undefined manner, rather than the trauma of biopsy per se as has been suggested. These results do not invalidate the use of the one step procedure in the management of patients with carcinoma of the breast. Indeed, it is highly likely that it will be commonly used now that breast-conserving operations appear to represent a viable alternative modality for the primary surgical treatment of carcinoma of the breast. Yet, it is apparent that the one step procedure will be performed for technical and practical rather than biologic reasons.

Modelling of current loads on aquaculture net cages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristiansen, Trygve; Faltinsen, Odd M.

2012-10-01

In this paper we propose and discuss a screen type of force model for the viscous hydrodynamic load on nets. The screen model assumes that the net is divided into a number of flat net panels, or screens. It may thus be applied to any kind of net geometry. In this paper we focus on circular net cages for fish farms. The net structure itself is modelled by an existing truss model. The net shape is solved for in a time-stepping procedure that involves solving a linear system of equations for the unknown tensions at each time step. We present comparisons to experiments with circular net cages in steady current, and discuss the sensitivity of the numerical results to a set of chosen parameters. Satisfactory agreement between experimental and numerical prediction of drag and lift as function of the solidity ratio of the net and the current velocity is documented.

Screening procedure for airborne pollutants emitted from a high-tech industrial complex in Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, John H C; Tsai, Ching-Tsan; Chiang, Chow-Feng

2015-11-01

Despite the modernization of computational techniques, atmospheric dispersion modeling remains a complicated task as it involves the use of large amounts of interrelated data with wide variability. The continuously growing list of regulated air pollutants also increases the difficulty of this task. To address these challenges, this study aimed to develop a screening procedure for a long-term exposure scenario by generating a site-specific lookup table of hourly averaged dispersion factors (χ/Q), which could be evaluated by downwind distance, direction, and effective plume height only. To allow for such simplification, the average plume rise was weighted with the frequency distribution of meteorological data so that the prediction of χ/Q could be decoupled from the meteorological data. To illustrate this procedure, 20 receptors around a high-tech complex in Taiwan were selected. Five consecutive years of hourly meteorological data were acquired to generate a lookup table of χ/Q, as well as two regression formulas of plume rise as functions of downwind distance, buoyancy flux, and stack height. To calculate the concentrations for the selected receptors, a six-step Excel algorithm was programmed with four years of emission records and 10 most critical toxics were screened out. A validation check using Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) model with the same meteorological and emission data showed an acceptable overestimate of 6.7% in the average concentration of 10 nearby receptors. The procedure proposed in this study allows practical and focused emission management for a large industrial complex and can therefore be integrated into an air quality decision-making system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feature Screening for Ultrahigh Dimensional Categorical Data with Applications.

PubMed

Huang, Danyang; Li, Runze; Wang, Hansheng

2014-01-01

Ultrahigh dimensional data with both categorical responses and categorical covariates are frequently encountered in the analysis of big data, for which feature screening has become an indispensable statistical tool. We propose a Pearson chi-square based feature screening procedure for categorical response with ultrahigh dimensional categorical covariates. The proposed procedure can be directly applied for detection of important interaction effects. We further show that the proposed procedure possesses screening consistency property in the terminology of Fan and Lv (2008). We investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulation studies, and illustrate the proposed method by two empirical datasets.

The Next Step Trial: impact of a worksite colorectal cancer screening promotion program.

PubMed

Tilley, B C; Vernon, S W; Myers, R; Glanz, K; Lu, M; Hirst, K; Kristal, A R

1999-03-01

The Next Step Trial was a randomized trial of worksite colorectal cancer screening promotion and nutrition interventions for automobile industry employees at increased risk of colorectal cancer. Interventions were tested at 28 worksites with 5,042 employees. This report describes results of the screening promotion intervention. Worksites randomized to the control group received a standard program including rectal examination, fecal occult blood testing, and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Intervention worksites received an enhanced program (i.e., standard program plus an educational booklet/telephone call). Compliance (i.e., completion of all recommended screening examinations) and coverage (i.e., completion of at least one screening examination), the primary and secondary outcomes, were measured over 2 years. In the 2 years prior to baseline, 61% of employees had been screened. After random assignment, baseline differences in several employee characteristics and worksite screening procedures were detected, including more past history of screening in control worksites. After adjusting for differences, we found modest, but higher, compliance and coverage in intervention compared with control worksites (odds ratio [95% confidence limits] = 1.46 [1.1-2.0] and 1.33 [1.1, 1.6], respectively). Adding a personally tailored behavioral intervention to a standard colorectal cancer screening program can promote continued employee participation in screening as measured by compliance. Further research is needed to assess intervention effects in other populations. Copyright 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of membrane-bound pyrophosphatases.

PubMed

Kellosalo, Juho; Kajander, Tommi; Honkanen, Riina; Goldman, Adrian

2013-02-01

Membrane-bound pyrophosphatases (M-PPases) are enzymes that enhance the survival of plants, protozoans and prokaryotes in energy constraining stress conditions. These proteins use pyrophosphate, a waste product of cellular metabolism, as an energy source for sodium or proton pumping. To study the structure and function of these enzymes we have crystallized two membrane-bound pyrophosphatases recombinantly produced in Saccharomyces cerevisae: the sodium pumping enzyme of Thermotoga maritima (TmPPase) and the proton pumping enzyme of Pyrobaculum aerophilum (PaPPase). Extensive crystal optimization has allowed us to grow crystals of TmPPase that diffract to a resolution of 2.6 Å. The decisive step in this optimization was in-column detergent exchange during the two-step purification procedure. Dodecyl maltoside was used for high temperature solubilization of TmPPase and then exchanged to a series of different detergents. After extensive screening, the new detergent, octyl glucose neopentyl glycol, was found to be the optimal for TmPPase but not PaPPase.

Towards Protein Crystallization as a Process Step in Downstream Processing of Therapeutic Antibodies: Screening and Optimization at Microbatch Scale

PubMed Central

Zang, Yuguo; Kammerer, Bernd; Eisenkolb, Maike; Lohr, Katrin; Kiefer, Hans

2011-01-01

Crystallization conditions of an intact monoclonal IgG4 (immunoglobulin G, subclass 4) antibody were established in vapor diffusion mode by sparse matrix screening and subsequent optimization. The procedure was transferred to microbatch conditions and a phase diagram was built showing surprisingly low solubility of the antibody at equilibrium. With up-scaling to process scale in mind, purification efficiency of the crystallization step was investigated. Added model protein contaminants were excluded from the crystals to more than 95%. No measurable loss of Fc-binding activity was observed in the crystallized and redissolved antibody. Conditions could be adapted to crystallize the antibody directly from concentrated and diafiltrated cell culture supernatant, showing purification efficiency similar to that of Protein A chromatography. We conclude that crystallization has the potential to be included in downstream processing as a low-cost purification or formulation step. PMID:21966480

Genetic Interaction Mapping in Schizosaccharomyces pombe Using the Pombe Epistasis Mapper (PEM) System and a ROTOR HDA Colony Replicating Robot in a 1536 Array Format.

PubMed

Roguev, Assen; Xu, Jiewei; Krogan, Nevan

2018-02-01

This protocol describes an optimized high-throughput procedure for generating double deletion mutants in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using the colony replicating robot ROTOR HDA and the PEM (pombe epistasis mapper) system. The method is based on generating high-density colony arrays (1536 colonies per agar plate) and passaging them through a series of antidiploid and mating-type selection (ADS-MTS) and double-mutant selection (DMS) steps. Detailed program parameters for each individual replication step are provided. Using this procedure, batches of 25 or more screens can be routinely performed. © 2018 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Are women positive for the One Step but negative for the Two Step screening tests for gestational diabetes at higher risk for adverse outcomes?

PubMed

Caissutti, Claudia; Khalifeh, Adeeb; Saccone, Gabriele; Berghella, Vincenzo

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate if women meeting criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by the One Step test as per International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria but not by other less strict criteria have adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with GDM-negative controls. The primary outcome was the incidence of macrosomia, defined as birthweight > 4000 g. Electronic databases were searched from their inception until May 2017. All studies identifying pregnant women negative at the Two Step test, but positive at the One Step test for IADPSG criteria were included. We excluded studies that randomized women to the One Step vs. the Two Step tests; studies that compared different criteria within the same screening method; randomized studies comparing treatments for GDM; and studies comparing incidence of GDM in women doing the One Step test vs. the Two Step test. Eight retrospective cohort studies, including 29 983 women, were included. Five study groups and four control groups were identified. The heterogeneity between the studies was high. Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and large for gestational age, as well as in some analyses cesarean delivery, macrosomia and preterm birth, were significantly more frequent, and small for gestational age in some analyses significantly less frequent, in women GDM-positive by the One Step, but not the Two Step. Women meeting criteria for GDM by IADPSG criteria but not by other less strict criteria have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and large for gestational age, compared with GDM-negative controls. Based on these findings, and evidence from other studies that treatment decreases these adverse outcomes, we suggest screening for GDM using the One Step IADPSG criteria. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Pesticide Cumulative Risk Assessment: Framework for Screening Analysis

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document provides guidance on how to screen groups of pesticides for cumulative evaluation using a two-step approach: begin with evaluation of available toxicological information and, if necessary, follow up with a risk-based screening approach.

Development of a high-throughput screening system for identification of novel reagents regulating DNA damage in human dermal fibroblasts.

PubMed

Bae, Seunghee; An, In-Sook; An, Sungkwan

2015-09-01

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major inducer of skin aging and accumulated exposure to UV radiation increases DNA damage in skin cells, including dermal fibroblasts. In the present study, we developed a novel DNA repair regulating material discovery (DREAM) system for the high-throughput screening and identification of putative materials regulating DNA repair in skin cells. First, we established a modified lentivirus expressing the luciferase and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) genes. Then, human dermal fibroblast WS-1 cells were infected with the modified lentivirus and selected with puromycin to establish cells that stably expressed luciferase and HPRT (DREAM-F cells). The first step in the DREAM protocol was a 96-well-based screening procedure, involving the analysis of cell viability and luciferase activity after pretreatment of DREAM-F cells with reagents of interest and post-treatment with UVB radiation, and vice versa. In the second step, we validated certain effective reagents identified in the first step by analyzing the cell cycle, evaluating cell death, and performing HPRT-DNA sequencing in DREAM-F cells treated with these reagents and UVB. This DREAM system is scalable and forms a time-saving high-throughput screening system for identifying novel anti-photoaging reagents regulating DNA damage in dermal fibroblasts.

Added value of interferon-gamma release assays in screening for tuberculous infection in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Erkens, C G M; Dinmohamed, A G; Kamphorst, M; Toumanian, S; van Nispen-Dobrescu, R; Alink, M; Oudshoorn, N; Mensen, M; van den Hof, S; Borgdorff, M; Verver, S

2014-04-01

Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are reported to be more specific for the diagnosis of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) than the tuberculin skin test (TST). The two-step procedure, TST followed by an IGRA, is reported to be cost-effective in high-income countries, but it requires more financial resources. To assess the added value of IGRA compared to TST alone in the Netherlands. Test results and background data on persons tested with an IGRA were recorded by the Public Municipal Health Services in a web-based database. The number of persons diagnosed with LTBI using different screening algorithms was calculated. In those tested with an IGRA, at least 60% of persons who would have been diagnosed with LTBI based on TST alone had a negative IGRA. Among those with a TST reaction below the cut-off for the diagnosis of LTBI, 13% had a positive IGRA. For 41% of persons tested with an IGRA after TST, the IGRA influenced whether or not an LTBI diagnosis would be made. With the IGRA as reference standard, a high proportion of persons in low-prevalence settings are treated unnecessarily for LTBI if tested with TST alone, while a small proportion eligible for preventive treatment are missed. Incremental costs of the two-step strategy seem to be balanced by the improved targeting of preventive treatment.

Oral cancer screening: serum Raman spectroscopic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Aditi K.; Dhoot, Suyash; Singh, Amandeep; Sawant, Sharada S.; Nandakumar, Nikhila; Talathi-Desai, Sneha; Garud, Mandavi; Pagare, Sandeep; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Nair, Sudhir; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Murali Krishna, C.

2015-11-01

Serum Raman spectroscopy (RS) has previously shown potential in oral cancer diagnosis and recurrence prediction. To evaluate the potential of serum RS in oral cancer screening, premalignant and cancer-specific detection was explored in the present study using 328 subjects belonging to healthy controls, premalignant, disease controls, and oral cancer groups. Spectra were acquired using a Raman microprobe. Spectral findings suggest changes in amino acids, lipids, protein, DNA, and β-carotene across the groups. A patient-wise approach was employed for data analysis using principal component linear discriminant analysis. In the first step, the classification among premalignant, disease control (nonoral cancer), oral cancer, and normal samples was evaluated in binary classification models. Thereafter, two screening-friendly classification approaches were explored to further evaluate the clinical utility of serum RS: a single four-group model and normal versus abnormal followed by determining the type of abnormality model. Results demonstrate the feasibility of premalignant and specific cancer detection. The normal versus abnormal model yields better sensitivity and specificity rates of 64 and 80% these rates are comparable to standard screening approaches. Prospectively, as the current screening procedure of visual inspection is useful mainly for high-risk populations, serum RS may serve as a useful adjunct for early and specific detection of oral precancers and cancer.

Project B.E.S.T.: Language Development Handbook. Kentucky's Individualized Kindergartens (KIK).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort. Bureau of Education for Exceptional Children.

Project BEST (Building Educational and Social Skills Through Training) seeks to develop social skills in students. As a first step, high-risk kindergarten students attending school in Spencer County, Kentucky, were identified through systematic screening and assessment procedures and a curriculum was developed to meet the individual needs of the…

Development and validation of a screening procedure to identify speech-language delay in toddlers with cleft palate.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Line Dahl; Willadsen, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a clinically useful speech-language screening procedure for young children with cleft palate ± cleft lip (CP) to identify those in need of speech-language intervention. Twenty-two children with CP were assigned to a +/- need for intervention conditions based on assessment of consonant inventory using a real-time listening procedure in combination with parent-reported expressive vocabulary. These measures allowed evaluation of early speech-language skills found to correlate significantly with later speech-language performance in longitudinal studies of children with CP. The external validity of this screening procedure was evaluated by comparing the +/- need for intervention assignment determined by the screening procedure to experienced speech-language pathologist (SLP)s' clinical judgement of whether or not a child needed early intervention. The results of real-time listening assessment showed good-excellent inter-rater agreement on different consonant inventory measures. Furthermore, there was almost perfect agreement between the children selected for intervention with the screening procedure and the clinical judgement of experienced SLPs indicate that the screening procedure is a valid way of identifying children with CP who need early intervention.

Bimodal imprint chips for peptide screening: integration of high-throughput sequencing by MS and affinity analyses by surface plasmon resonance imaging.

PubMed

Wang, Weizhi; Li, Menglin; Wei, Zewen; Wang, Zihua; Bu, Xiangli; Lai, Wenjia; Yang, Shu; Gong, He; Zheng, Hui; Wang, Yuqiao; Liu, Ying; Li, Qin; Fang, Qiaojun; Hu, Zhiyuan

2014-04-15

Peptide probes and drugs have widespread applications in disease diagnostics and therapy. The demand for peptides ligands with high affinity and high specificity toward various targets has surged in the biomedical field in recent years. The traditional peptide screening procedure involves selection, sequencing, and characterization steps, and each step is manual and tedious. Herein, we developed a bimodal imprint microarray system to embrace the whole peptide screening process. Silver-sputtered silicon chip fabricated with microwell array can trap and pattern the candidate peptide beads in a one-well-one-bead manner. Peptides on beads were photocleaved in situ. A portion of the peptide in each well was transferred to a gold-coated chip to print the peptide array for high-throughput affinity analyses by surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi), and the peptide left in the silver-sputtered chip was ready for in situ single bead sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Using the bimodal imprint chip system, affinity peptides toward AHA were efficiently screened out from the 7 × 10(4) peptide library. The method provides a solution for high efficiency peptide screening.

DEC Ada interface to Screen Management Guidelines (SMG)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laomanachareon, Somsak; Lekkos, Anthony A.

1986-01-01

DEC's Screen Management Guidelines are the Run-Time Library procedures that perform terminal-independent screen management functions on a VT100-class terminal. These procedures assist users in designing, composing, and keeping track of complex images on a video screen. There are three fundamental elements in the screen management model: the pasteboard, the virtual display, and the virtual keyboard. The pasteboard is like a two-dimensional area on which a user places and manipulates screen displays. The virtual display is a rectangular part of the terminal screen to which a program writes data with procedure calls. The virtual keyboard is a logical structure for input operation associated with a physical keyboard. SMG can be called by all major VAX languages. Through Ada, predefined language Pragmas are used to interface with SMG. These features and elements of SMG are briefly discussed.

Approach for ochratoxin A fast screening in spices using clean-up tandem immunoassay columns with confirmation by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).

PubMed

Goryacheva, I Yu; De Saeger, S; Lobeau, M; Eremin, S A; Barna-Vetró, I; Van Peteghem, C

2006-09-01

An approach for ochratoxin A (OTA) fast cost-effective screening based on clean-up tandem immunoassay columns was developed and optimized for OTA detection with a cut-off level of 10 microg kg(-1) in spices. Two procedures were tested and applied for OTA detection. Column with bottom detection immunolayer was optimized for OTA determination in Capsicum ssp. spices. A modified clean-up tandem immunoassay procedure with top detection immunolayer was successfully applied for all tested spices. Its main advantages were decreasing of the number of analysis steps and quantity of antibody and also minimizing of matrix effects. The total duration of the extraction and analysis was about 40 min for six samples. Chilli, red pepper, pili-pili, cayenne, paprika, nutmeg, ginger, white pepper and black pepper samples were analyzed for OTA contamination by the proposed clean-up tandem immunoassay procedures. Clean-up tandem immunoassay results were confirmed by HPLC-MS/MS with immunoaffinity column clean-up. Among 17 tested Capsicum ssp. spices, 6 samples (35%) contained OTA in a concentration exceeding the 10 microg kg(-1) limit discussed by the European Commission. All tested nutmeg (n=8), ginger (n=5), white pepper (n=7) and black pepper (n=6) samples did not contain OTA above this action level.

Efficient screening for COPD using three steps: a cross-sectional study in Mexico City.

PubMed

Franco-Marina, Francisco; Fernandez-Plata, Rosario; Torre-Bouscoulet, Luis; García-Sancho, Cecilia; Sanchez-Gallen, Elisa; Martinez, David; Perez-Padilla, Rogelio

2014-05-20

Underdiagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care can be improved by a more efficient screening strategy. To evaluate a three-step method of screening for COPD consisting of an initial short questionnaire followed by measurement of forced expiratory volume in 1s/forced expiratory volume in 6s (FEV1/FEV6) using an inexpensive pocket spirometer in those with high risk, and diagnostic quality spirometry in those with a low FEV1/FEV6. We analysed two related Mexico City cross-sectional samples. The 2003 Mexico City PLATINO survey (n=542) was used to develop a short questionnaire to determine the risk of COPD and a 2010 survey (n=737) additionally used a pocket spirometer. The discriminatory power of the two instruments was assessed with receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves using three COPD definitions. The developed COPD scale included two variables from a simple questionnaire and, in ROC analysis, an area under the curve (AUC) between 0.64 and 0.77 was found to detect COPD. The pocket spirometer had an AUC between 0.85 and 0.88 to detect COPD. Using the COPD scale as a first screening step excluded 35-48% of the total population from further testing at the cost of not detecting 8-18% of those with COPD. Using the pocket spirometer and sending those with a FEV1/FEV6<0.80 for diagnostic quality spirometry is very efficient, and substantially improved the positive predictive value at the cost of not detecting one-third of COPD cases. A three-step screening strategy for COPD substantially reduces the need for spirometry testing when only a COPD scale is used for screening.

Model-Free Conditional Independence Feature Screening For Ultrahigh Dimensional Data.

PubMed

Wang, Luheng; Liu, Jingyuan; Li, Yong; Li, Runze

2017-03-01

Feature screening plays an important role in ultrahigh dimensional data analysis. This paper is concerned with conditional feature screening when one is interested in detecting the association between the response and ultrahigh dimensional predictors (e.g., genetic makers) given a low-dimensional exposure variable (such as clinical variables or environmental variables). To this end, we first propose a new index to measure conditional independence, and further develop a conditional screening procedure based on the newly proposed index. We systematically study the theoretical property of the proposed procedure and establish the sure screening and ranking consistency properties under some very mild conditions. The newly proposed screening procedure enjoys some appealing properties. (a) It is model-free in that its implementation does not require a specification on the model structure; (b) it is robust to heavy-tailed distributions or outliers in both directions of response and predictors; and (c) it can deal with both feature screening and the conditional screening in a unified way. We study the finite sample performance of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulations and further illustrate the proposed method through two real data examples.

Hybrid method to estimate two-layered superficial tissue optical properties from simulated data of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Hsieh, Hong-Po; Ko, Fan-Hua; Sung, Kung-Bin

2018-04-20

An iterative curve fitting method has been applied in both simulation [J. Biomed. Opt.17, 107003 (2012)JBOPFO1083-366810.1117/1.JBO.17.10.107003] and phantom [J. Biomed. Opt.19, 077002 (2014)JBOPFO1083-366810.1117/1.JBO.19.7.077002] studies to accurately extract optical properties and the top layer thickness of a two-layered superficial tissue model from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) data. This paper describes a hybrid two-step parameter estimation procedure to address two main issues of the previous method, including (1) high computational intensity and (2) converging to local minima. The parameter estimation procedure contained a novel initial estimation step to obtain an initial guess, which was used by a subsequent iterative fitting step to optimize the parameter estimation. A lookup table was used in both steps to quickly obtain reflectance spectra and reduce computational intensity. On simulated DRS data, the proposed parameter estimation procedure achieved high estimation accuracy and a 95% reduction of computational time compared to previous studies. Furthermore, the proposed initial estimation step led to better convergence of the following fitting step. Strategies used in the proposed procedure could benefit both the modeling and experimental data processing of not only DRS but also related approaches such as near-infrared spectroscopy.

Incidence, risk factors, and pregnancy outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus using one-step versus two-step diagnostic approaches: A population-based cohort study in Isfahan, Iran.

PubMed

Hosseini, Elham; Janghorbani, Mohsen; Aminorroaya, Ashraf

2018-06-01

To study the incidence, risk factors, and pregnancy outcomes associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed with one-step and two-step screening approaches. 1000 pregnant women who were eligible and consented to participate underwent fasting plasma glucose testing at the first prenatal visit (6-14 weeks). The women free from GDM or overt diabetes were screened at 24-28 weeks using the 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) followed by 100-g, 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (two-step method). Regardless of the GCT result, all women underwent a 75-g, 2-h OGTT within one-week interval (one-step method). GDM incidence using the one-step and two-step methods was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.4-11.2) and 4.2% (95% CI: 2.9-5.5). GDM significantly increased the risk of macrosomia, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and cesarean section and older age and family history of diabetes significantly increased the risk of developing GDM in both approaches. In two-step method, higher pre-pregnancy body mass index and lower physical activity during pregnancy along with higher earlier cesarean section also increased significantly the risk of developing GDM. Despite a higher incidence of GDM using the one-step approach, more risk factors for and a stronger effect of GDM on adverse pregnancy outcomes were found when using the two-step approach. Longer follow-up of women with and without GDM may change the results using both approaches. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vitrification of zona-free rabbit expanded or hatching blastocysts: a possible model for human blastocysts.

PubMed

Cervera, R P; Garcia-Ximénez, F

2003-10-01

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of one two-step (A) and two one-step (B1 and B2) vitrification procedures on denuded expanded or hatching rabbit blastocysts held in standard sealed plastic straws as a possible model for human blastocysts. The effect of blastocyst size was also studied on the basis of three size categories (I: diameter <200 micro m; II: diameter 200-299 micro m; III: diameter >/==" BORDER="0">300 micro m). Rabbit expanded or hatching blastocysts were vitrified at day 4 or 5. Before vitrification, the zona pellucida was removed using acidic phosphate buffered saline. For the two-step procedure, prior to vitrification, blastocysts were pre- equilibrated in a solution containing 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and 10% ethylene glycol (EG) for 1 min. Different final vitrification solutions were compared: 20% DMSO and 20% EG with (A and B1) or without (B2) 0.5 mol/l sucrose. Of 198 vitrified blastocysts, 181 (91%) survived, regardless of the vitrification procedure applied. Vitrification procedure A showed significantly higher re-expansion (88%), attachment (86%) and trophectoderm outgrowth (80%) rates than the two one-step vitrification procedures, B1 and B2 (46 and 21%, 20 and 33%, and 18 and 23%, respectively). After warming, blastocysts of greater size (II and III) showed significantly higher attachment (54 and 64%) and trophectoderm outgrowth (44 and 58%) rates than smaller blastocysts (I, attachment: 29%; trophectoderm outgrowth: 25%). These result demonstrate that denuded expanded or hatching rabbit blastocysts of greater size can be satisfactorily vitrified by use of a two-step procedure. The similarity of vitrification solutions used in humans could make it feasible to test such a procedure on human denuded blastocysts of different sizes.

Optimal Cut-Off Points of Fasting Plasma Glucose for Two-Step Strategy in Estimating Prevalence and Screening Undiagnosed Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes in Harbin, China

PubMed Central

Sun, Bo; Lan, Li; Cui, Wenxiu; Xu, Guohua; Sui, Conglan; Wang, Yibaina; Zhao, Yashuang; Wang, Jian; Li, Hongyuan

2015-01-01

To identify optimal cut-off points of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) for two-step strategy in screening abnormal glucose metabolism and estimating prevalence in general Chinese population. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 7913 people aged 20 to 74 years in Harbin. Diabetes and pre-diabetes were determined by fasting and 2 hour post-load glucose from the oral glucose tolerance test in all participants. Screening potential of FPG, cost per case identified by two-step strategy, and optimal FPG cut-off points were described. The prevalence of diabetes was 12.7%, of which 65.2% was undiagnosed. Twelve percent or 9.0% of participants were diagnosed with pre-diabetes using 2003 ADA criteria or 1999 WHO criteria, respectively. The optimal FPG cut-off points for two-step strategy were 5.6 mmol/l for previously undiagnosed diabetes (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of FPG 0.93; sensitivity 82.0%; cost per case identified by two-step strategy ¥261), 5.3 mmol/l for both diabetes and pre-diabetes or pre-diabetes alone using 2003 ADA criteria (0.89 or 0.85; 72.4% or 62.9%; ¥110 or ¥258), 5.0 mmol/l for pre-diabetes using 1999 WHO criteria (0.78; 66.8%; ¥399), and 4.9 mmol/l for IGT alone (0.74; 62.2%; ¥502). Using the two-step strategy, the underestimates of prevalence reduced to nearly 38% for pre-diabetes or 18.7% for undiagnosed diabetes, respectively. Approximately a quarter of the general population in Harbin was in hyperglycemic condition. Using optimal FPG cut-off points for two-step strategy in Chinese population may be more effective and less costly for reducing the missed diagnosis of hyperglycemic condition. PMID:25785585

Processes for producing low cost, high efficiency silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Rohatgi, Ajeet; Doshi, Parag; Tate, John Keith; Mejia, Jose; Chen, Zhizhang

1998-06-16

Processes which utilize rapid thermal processing (RTP) are provided for inexpensively producing high efficiency silicon solar cells. The RTP processes preserve minority carrier bulk lifetime .tau. and permit selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions, including emitter and back surface field (bsf), within the silicon substrate. In a first RTP process, an RTP step is utilized to simultaneously diffuse phosphorus and aluminum into the front and back surfaces, respectively, of a silicon substrate. Moreover, an in situ controlled cooling procedure preserves the carrier bulk lifetime .tau. and permits selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions. In a second RTP process, both simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum as well as annealing of the front and back contacts are accomplished during the RTP step. In a third RTP process, the RTP step accomplishes simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum, annealing of the contacts, and annealing of a double-layer antireflection/passivation coating SiN/SiO.sub.x. In a fourth RTP process, the process of applying front and back contacts is broken up into two separate respective steps, which enhances the efficiency of the cells, at a slight time expense. In a fifth RTP process, a second RTP step is utilized to fire and adhere the screen printed or evaporated contacts to the structure.

Steepest descent method implementation on unconstrained optimization problem using C++ program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napitupulu, H.; Sukono; Mohd, I. Bin; Hidayat, Y.; Supian, S.

2018-03-01

Steepest Descent is known as the simplest gradient method. Recently, many researches are done to obtain the appropriate step size in order to reduce the objective function value progressively. In this paper, the properties of steepest descent method from literatures are reviewed together with advantages and disadvantages of each step size procedure. The development of steepest descent method due to its step size procedure is discussed. In order to test the performance of each step size, we run a steepest descent procedure in C++ program. We implemented it to unconstrained optimization test problem with two variables, then we compare the numerical results of each step size procedure. Based on the numerical experiment, we conclude the general computational features and weaknesses of each procedure in each case of problem.

A new screening method for amphetamine and methamphetamine using dansyl chloride derivatization and cartridge fluorescence.

PubMed

Yamada, H; Ikeda-Wada, S; Oguri, K

1998-07-01

A new screening method for amphetamines was developed. It consists of derivatization with dansyl chloride, extraction of the derivative using a Sep-Pak C18 or a Bond Elut C18, solid phase extraction columns, and visualization of the fluorescence of the cartridge. A control test using drug-free urine showed no fluorescence. Amphetamine, methamphetamine and the methylenedioxy derivatives exhibited strong fluorescence, while related compounds, such as N-ethylamphetamine and fenetylline, were negative or weakly positive. The disadvantage of the present method is that it is a multi-step procedure and 20-30 min is required for screening. However, since it has a different specificity from the widely used immunochemical technique, it is suggested to be a useful screen for amphetamines.

Lyme Disease Tests: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

MedlinePlus

... and Human Services; Lyme Disease: Transmission [updated 2015 Mar 4; cited 2017 Dec 28]; [about 2 screens]. ... Disease: Two-step Laboratory Testing Process [updated 2015 Mar 26; cited 2017 Dec 28]; [about 2 screens]. ...

Occult Cushing's syndrome in type-2 diabetes.

PubMed

Catargi, Bogdan; Rigalleau, Vincent; Poussin, Agathe; Ronci-Chaix, Nathalie; Bex, Veronique; Vergnot, Vincent; Gin, Henri; Roger, Patrick; Tabarin, Antoine

2003-12-01

Subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS) caused by adrenal incidentalomas is frequently associated with overweight and insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome X may therefore be a clue to the presence of CS. However, the incidence of CS in this situation remains unknown. We have conducted a prospective study to evaluate the prevalence of occult CS in overweight, type-2 diabetic patients devoided of specific clinical symptoms of CS. Two hundred overweight, type-2 diabetic patients, consecutively referred for poor metabolic control (HbA(1C) > 8%), were studied as inpatients. A first screening step was performed with the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST) using a revised criterion for cortisol suppression (60 nmol/liter) to maximize the sensitivity of the procedure. A second confirmatory step of biochemical investigations (midnight plasma cortisol concentration, plasma cortisol circadian rhythm, morning plasma ACTH concentration, 24-h urinary free cortisol, and 4-mg i.v. DST) was performed in patients with impaired 1-mg DST. A third step of imaging studies was performed according to the results of second-step investigations. Fifty-two patients had impaired 1-mg DST. Among these, 47 were further evaluated. Thirty were considered as false positives of the 1-mg DST, whereas 17 displayed at least one additional biological abnormality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Definitive occult CS was identified in four patients (2% of the whole series) with Cushing's disease (n = 3) and surgically proven adrenal adenoma (n = 1). Definitive diagnosis remains to be established in seven additional patients (3.5%) with mild occult CS associated with unsuppressed plasma ACTH concentrations and a unilateral adrenal tumor of 10-29 mm in size showing prevalent uptake at radiocholesterol scintigraphy. In conclusion, a relatively high prevalence of occult CS was found in our study. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the cure of occult CS on obesity and diabetes mellitus in these patients. Such studies might provide a rationale for systematic screening of occult CS in this population.

Modeling Woven Polymer Matrix Composites with MAC/GMC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Arnold, Steven M. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

NASA's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) is used to predict the elastic properties of plain weave polymer matrix composites (PMCs). The traditional one step three-dimensional homogertization procedure that has been used in conjunction with MAC/GMC for modeling woven composites in the past is inaccurate due to the lack of shear coupling inherent to the model. However, by performing a two step homogenization procedure in which the woven composite repeating unit cell is homogenized independently in the through-thickness direction prior to homogenization in the plane of the weave, MAC/GMC can now accurately model woven PMCs. This two step procedure is outlined and implemented, and predictions are compared with results from the traditional one step approach and other models and experiments from the literature. Full coupling of this two step technique with MAC/ GMC will result in a widely applicable, efficient, and accurate tool for the design and analysis of woven composite materials and structures.

Clean Up Your Image: A Beginner's Guide to Scanning and Photoshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stitzer, Michael S.

2005-01-01

In this article, the author addresses the key steps of scanning and illustrates the process with screen shots taken from a Macintosh G4 Powerbook computer running OSX and Adobe Photoshop 7.0. After reviewing scanning procedures, the author describes how to use Photoshop 7.0 to manipulate a scanned image. This activity gives students a good general…

Notes on testing non-inferiority under the partial verification design with a confirmatory procedure limited to screen positives.

PubMed

Lui, Kung-Jong

2012-05-01

When a new test with fewer invasions or less expenses to administer than the traditional test is developed, we may be interested in testing whether the former is non-inferior to the latter with respect to test accuracy. We define non-inferiority via both the odds ratio (OR) of correctly identifying a case and the OR of correctly identifying a non-case between two tests under comparison. We focus our discussion on testing the non-inferiority of a new screening test to a traditional screening test when a confirmatory procedure is performed only on patients with screen positives. On the basis of well-established methods for paired-sample data, we derive an asymptotic test procedure and an exact test procedure with respect to the two ORs defined here. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we evaluate the performance of these test procedures in a variety of situations. We note that the test procedures proposed here can also be applicable if we are interested in testing non-inferiority with respect to the ratio of sensitivities and the ratio of specificities. We discuss interval estimation of these ORs and sample size calculation based on the asymptotic test procedure considered here. We use the data taken from a study of the prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) test and the digital rectal examination (DRE) test to illustrate the practical use of these test procedures, interval estimators and sample size calculation formula. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct methylation procedure for converting fatty amides to fatty acid methyl esters in feed and digesta samples.

PubMed

Jenkins, T C; Thies, E J; Mosley, E E

2001-05-01

Two direct methylation procedures often used for the analysis of total fatty acids in biological samples were evaluated for their application to samples containing fatty amides. Methylation of 5 mg of oleamide (cis-9-octadecenamide) in a one-step (methanolic HCl for 2 h at 70 degrees C) or a two-step (sodium methoxide for 10 min at 50 degrees C followed by methanolic HCl for 10 min at 80 degrees C) procedure gave 59 and 16% conversions of oleamide to oleic acid, respectively. Oleic acid recovery from oleamide was increased to 100% when the incubation in methanolic HCl was lengthened to 16 h and increased to 103% when the incubation in methoxide was modified to 24 h at 100 degrees C. However, conversion of oleamide to oleic acid in an animal feed sample was incomplete for the modified (24 h) two-step procedure but complete for the modified (16 h) one-step procedure. Unsaturated fatty amides in feed and digesta samples can be converted to fatty acid methyl esters by incubation in methanolic HCl if the time of exposure to the acid catalyst is extended from 2 to 16 h.

Preparative isolation, fast centrifugal partition chromatography purification and biological activity of cajaflavanone from Derris ferruginea stems.

PubMed

Morel, Sylvie; Landreau, Anne; Nguyen, Van Hung; Derbré, Séverine; Grellier, Philippe; Pape, Patrice Le; Pagniez, Fabrice; Litaudon, Marc; Richomme, Pascal

2012-01-01

The Derris genus is known to contain flavonoid derivatives, including prenylated flavanones and isoflavonoids such as rotenoids, which are generally associated with significant biological activity. To develop an efficient preparative isolation procedure for bioactive cajaflavanone. Fast centrifugal partition chromatography (FCPC) was optimised to purify cajaflavanone from Derris ferruginea stems in a single step as compared to fractionation from the cyclohexane extract by successive conventional solid-liquid chromatography procedures. The purification yield, purity, time and solvent consumption per procedure are described. The anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-leishmanial, anti-plasmodial, anti-oxidant activities and the inhibition of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) by cajaflavanone accumulation are described. FCPC enabled cajaflavanone purification in a single separation step, yielding sufficient quantities to perform in vitro biological screening. Interestingly, cajaflavanone had an inhibitory effect on the formation of AGEs, without displaying any in vitro anti-oxidant activity. A simple and efficient procedure, in comparison with other preparative methods, for bioactive cajaflavone purification has been developed using FCPC. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Safety of the two-step tuberculin skin test in Indian health care workers.

PubMed

Christopher, Devasahayam J; Shankar, Deepa; Datey, Ashima; Zwerling, Alice; Pai, Madhukar

2014-12-01

Health care workers (HCW) in low and middle income countries are at high risk of nosocomial tuberculosis infection. Periodic screening of health workers for both TB disease and infection can play a critical role in TB infection control. Occupational health programs that implement serial tuberculin skin testing (TST) are advised to use a two-step baseline TST. This helps to ensure that boosting of waned immune response is not mistaken as new TB infection (i.e. conversion). However, there are no data on safety of the two-step TST in the Indian context where HCWs are repeatedly exposed. Nursing students were recruited from 2007 to 2009 at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India. Consenting nursing students were screened with a baseline two-step TST at the time of recruitment. From 2007 to 2008 adverse events were recorded when reported during the TST reading (Cohort A). Nurses recruited in the final study year (2009) answered an investigator administered questionnaire assessing all likely side-effects Cohort B). This information was extracted from the case report forms and analysed. Between 2007 and 09, 800 trainees consented to participate in the annual TB screening study and 779 did not have a past history of TB or recall a positive TST and were selected to administer TST. Of these, 755 returned for reading the result and had complete data and were included for the final analysis - 623 subjects in (cohort A) and 132 in (cohort B). These were included for the final analysis. In cohort A only 1.3% reported adverse events. In cohort B, as per the investigator administered questionnaire; 25% reported minor side effects. Itching and local pain were the most common side effects encountered. There were no major adverse events reported. In particular, the adverse events were similar in the second step of the test and not more severe. Screening of HCWs with two-step TST for LTBI is simple and safe, and hence suitable for wide scale implementation in high-burden settings such as India. Copyright © 2014 Asian-African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-Throughput RNA Interference Screening: Tricks of the Trade

PubMed Central

Nebane, N. Miranda; Coric, Tatjana; Whig, Kanupriya; McKellip, Sara; Woods, LaKeisha; Sosa, Melinda; Sheppard, Russell; Rasmussen, Lynn; Bjornsti, Mary-Ann; White, E. Lucile

2016-01-01

The process of validating an assay for high-throughput screening (HTS) involves identifying sources of variability and developing procedures that minimize the variability at each step in the protocol. The goal is to produce a robust and reproducible assay with good metrics. In all good cell-based assays, this means coefficient of variation (CV) values of less than 10% and a signal window of fivefold or greater. HTS assays are usually evaluated using Z′ factor, which incorporates both standard deviation and signal window. A Z′ factor value of 0.5 or higher is acceptable for HTS. We used a standard HTS validation procedure in developing small interfering RNA (siRNA) screening technology at the HTS center at Southern Research. Initially, our assay performance was similar to published screens, with CV values greater than 10% and Z′ factor values of 0.51 ± 0.16 (average ± standard deviation). After optimizing the siRNA assay, we got CV values averaging 7.2% and a robust Z′ factor value of 0.78 ± 0.06 (average ± standard deviation). We present an overview of the problems encountered in developing this whole-genome siRNA screening program at Southern Research and how equipment optimization led to improved data quality. PMID:23616418

A calibration method for fringe reflection technique based on the analytical phase-slope description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuxiang; Yue, Huimin; Pan, Zhipeng; Liu, Yong

2018-05-01

The fringe reflection technique (FRT) has been one of the most popular methods to measure the shape of specular surface these years. The existing system calibration methods of FRT usually contain two parts, which are camera calibration and geometric calibration. In geometric calibration, the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen position calibration is one of the most difficult steps among all the calibration procedures, and its accuracy is affected by the factors such as the imaging aberration, the plane mirror flatness, and LCD screen pixel size accuracy. In this paper, based on the deduction of FRT analytical phase-slope description, we present a novel calibration method with no requirement to calibrate the position of LCD screen. On the other hand, the system can be arbitrarily arranged, and the imaging system can either be telecentric or non-telecentric. In our experiment of measuring the 5000mm radius sphere mirror, the proposed calibration method achieves 2.5 times smaller measurement error than the geometric calibration method. In the wafer surface measuring experiment, the measurement result with the proposed calibration method is closer to the interferometer result than the geometric calibration method.

Frailty screening and assessment tools: a review of characteristics and use in Public Health.

PubMed

Gilardi, F; Capanna, A; Ferraro, M; Scarcella, P; Marazzi, M C; Palombi, L; Liotta, G

2018-01-01

Frailty screening and assessment are a fundamental issue in Public Health in order to plan prevention programs and services. By a narrative review of the literature employing the International Narrative Systematic Assessment tool, the authors aims to develop an updated framework for the main procedures and measurement tools to assess frailty in older adults, paying attention to the use in the primary care setting. The study selected 10 reviews published between January 2010 and December 2016 that define some characteristics of the main tools used to measure the frailty. Within the selected reviews only one of the described tools met all the criteria (multidimensionality, quick and easy administration, accurate risk prediction of negative outcomes and high sensitivity and specificity) necessary for a screening tool. Accurate risk prediction of negative outcomes could be the appropriate and sufficient criteria to assess a tool aimed to detect frailty in the community-dwelling elderly population. A two-step process (a first short questionnaire to detect frailty and a second longer questionnaire to define the care demand at individual level) could represent the appropriate pathway for planning care services at community level.

A rational approach to heavy-atom derivative screening

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

Joyce, M. Gordon; Radaev, Sergei; Sun, Peter D., E-mail: psun@nih.gov

2010-04-01

In order to overcome the difficulties associated with the ‘classical’ heavy-atom derivatization procedure, an attempt has been made to develop a rational crystal-free heavy-atom-derivative screening method and a quick-soak derivatization procedure which allows heavy-atom compound identification. Despite the development in recent times of a range of techniques for phasing macromolecules, the conventional heavy-atom derivatization method still plays a significant role in protein structure determination. However, this method has become less popular in modern high-throughput oriented crystallography, mostly owing to its trial-and-error nature, which often results in lengthy empirical searches requiring large numbers of well diffracting crystals. In addition, the phasingmore » power of heavy-atom derivatives is often compromised by lack of isomorphism or even loss of diffraction. In order to overcome the difficulties associated with the ‘classical’ heavy-atom derivatization procedure, an attempt has been made to develop a rational crystal-free heavy-atom derivative-screening method and a quick-soak derivatization procedure which allows heavy-atom compound identification. The method includes three basic steps: (i) the selection of likely reactive compounds for a given protein and specific crystallization conditions based on pre-defined heavy-atom compound reactivity profiles, (ii) screening of the chosen heavy-atom compounds for their ability to form protein adducts using mass spectrometry and (iii) derivatization of crystals with selected heavy-metal compounds using the quick-soak method to maximize diffraction quality and minimize non-isomorphism. Overall, this system streamlines the process of heavy-atom compound identification and minimizes the problem of non-isomorphism in phasing.« less

Single-step colony assay for screening antibody libraries.

PubMed

Kato, Mieko; Hanyu, Yoshiro

2017-08-10

We describe a method, single-step colony assay, for simple and rapid screening of single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) libraries. Colonies of Escherichia coli expressing the scFv library are formed on a hydrophilic filter that is positioned in contact with a membrane coated with an antigen. scFv expression is triggered upon treatment of colonies with an induction reagent, following which scFvs are secreted from the cells and diffused to the antigen-coated membrane. scFvs that exhibit binding affinity for the antigen are captured by the membrane-immobilized antigen. Lastly, detection of scFv binding of the antigen on the membrane allows identification of the clones on the filter that express antigen-specific scFvs. We tested this methodology by using an anti-rabbit IgG scFv, scFv(A10B), and a rat immune scFv library. Experiments conducted using scFv(A10B) revealed that this method improves scFv expression during the colony assay. By using our method to screen an immune library of 3×10 3 scFv clones, we established several clones exhibiting affinity for the antigen. Moreover, we tested 7 other antigens, including peptides, and successfully identified positive clones. We believe that this simple procedure and controlled scFv expression of the single-step colony assay could make the antibody screening both rapid and reliable and lead to successful isolation of positive clones from antibody libraries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A two-step ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry with mass defect filtering method for rapid identification of analogues from known components of different chemical structure types in Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae herb pair extract and in rat's blood.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Shan, Jinjun; Meng, Minxin

2018-08-17

Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae herb pair is an herbal formula used extensively to treat inflammation and fever, but few systematic identification studies of the bioactive components have been reported. Herein, the unknown analogues in the first-step screening were rapidly identified from representative compounds in different structure types (geniposide as iridoid type, crocetin as crocetin type, jasminoside B as monocyclic monoterpene type, oleanolic acid as saponin type, 3-caffeoylquinic acid as organic acid type, forsythoside A as phenylethanoid type, phillyrin as lignan type and quercetin 3-rutinoside as flavonoid type) by UPLC-Q-Tof/MS combined with mass defect filtering (MDF), and further confirmed with reference standards and published literatures. Similarly, in the second step, other unknown components were rapidly discovered from the compounds identified in the first step by MDF. Using the two-step screening method, a total of 58 components were characterized in Fructus Gardeniae-Fructus Forsythiae (FG-FF) decoction. In rat's blood, 36 compounds in extract and 16 metabolites were unambiguously or tentatively identified. Besides, we found the principal metabolites were glucuronide conjugates, with the glucuronide conjugates of caffeic acid, quercetin and kaempferol confirmed as caffeic acid 3-glucuronide, quercetin 3-glucuronide and kaempferol 3-glucuronide by reference standards, respectively. Additionally, most of them bound more strongly to human serum albumin than their respective prototypes, predicted by Molecular Docking and Simulation, indicating that they had lower blood clearance in vivo and possibly more contribution to pharmacological effects. This study developed a novel two-step screening method in addressing how to comprehensively screen components in herbal medicine by UPLC-Q-Tof/MS with MDF. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avalanche for shape and feature-based virtual screening with 3D alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diller, David J.; Connell, Nancy D.; Welsh, William J.

2015-11-01

This report introduces a new ligand-based virtual screening tool called Avalanche that incorporates both shape- and feature-based comparison with three-dimensional (3D) alignment between the query molecule and test compounds residing in a chemical database. Avalanche proceeds in two steps. The first step is an extremely rapid shape/feature based comparison which is used to narrow the focus from potentially millions or billions of candidate molecules and conformations to a more manageable number that are then passed to the second step. The second step is a detailed yet still rapid 3D alignment of the remaining candidate conformations to the query conformation. Using the 3D alignment, these remaining candidate conformations are scored, re-ranked and presented to the user as the top hits for further visualization and evaluation. To provide further insight into the method, the results from two prospective virtual screens are presented which show the ability of Avalanche to identify hits from chemical databases that would likely be missed by common substructure-based or fingerprint-based search methods. The Avalanche method is extended to enable patent landscaping, i.e., structural refinements to improve the patentability of hits for deployment in drug discovery campaigns.

Development of a comprehensive list of criteria for evaluating consumer education materials on colorectal cancer screening

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Appropriate patient information materials may support the consumer’s decision to attend or not to attend colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests (fecal occult blood test and screening colonoscopy). The aim of this study was to develop a list of criteria to assess whether written health information materials on CRC screening provide balanced, unbiased, quantified, understandable, and evidence-based health information (EBHI) about CRC and CRC screening. Methods The list of criteria was developed based on recommendations and assessment tools for health information in the following steps: (1) Systematic literature search in 13 electronic databases (search period: 2000–2010) and completed by an Internet search (2) Extraction of identified criteria (3) Grouping of criteria into categories and domains (4) Compilation of a manual of adequate answers derived from systematic reviews and S3 guidelines (5) Review by external experts (6) Modification (7) Final discussion with external experts. Results Thirty-one publications on health information tools and recommendations were identified. The final list of criteria includes a total of 230 single criteria in three generic domains (formal issues, presentation and understandability, and neutrality and balance) and one CRC-specific domain. A multi-dimensional rating approach was used whenever appropriate (e.g., rating for the presence, correctness, presentation and level of evidence of information). Free text input was allowed to ensure the transparency of assessment. The answer manual proved to be essential to the rating process. Quantitative analyses can be made depending on the level and dimensions of criteria. Conclusions This comprehensive list of criteria clearly has a wider range of evaluation than previous assessment tools. It is not intended as a final quality assessment tool, but as a first step toward thorough evaluation of specific information materials for their adherence to EBHI requirements. This criteria list may also be used to revise leaflets and to develop evidence-based health information on CRC screening. After adjustment for different procedure-specific criteria, the list of criteria can also be applied to other cancer screening procedures. PMID:24028691

A multi-step system for screening and localization of hard exudates in retinal images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bopardikar, Ajit S.; Bhola, Vishal; Raghavendra, B. S.; Narayanan, Rangavittal

2012-03-01

The number of people being affected by Diabetes mellitus worldwide is increasing at an alarming rate. Monitoring of the diabetic condition and its effects on the human body are therefore of great importance. Of particular interest is diabetic retinopathy (DR) which is a result of prolonged, unchecked diabetes and affects the visual system. DR is a leading cause of blindness throughout the world. At any point of time 25 - 44% of people with diabetes are afflicted by DR. Automation of the screening and monitoring process for DR is therefore essential for efficient utilization of healthcare resources and optimizing treatment of the affected individuals. Such automation would use retinal images and detect the presence of specific artifacts such as hard exudates, hemorrhages and soft exudates (that may appear in the image) to gauge the severity of DR. In this paper, we focus on the detection of hard exudates. We propose a two step system that consists of a screening step that classifies retinal images as normal or abnormal based on the presence of hard exudates and a detection stage that localizes these artifacts in an abnormal retinal image. The proposed screening step automatically detects the presence of hard exudates with a high sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV ). The detection/localization step uses a k-means based clustering approach to localize hard exudates in the retinal image. Suitable feature vectors are chosen based on their ability to isolate hard exudates while minimizing false detections. The algorithm was tested on a benchmark dataset (DIARETDB1) and was seen to provide a superior performance compared to existing methods. The two-step process described in this paper can be embedded in a tele-ophthalmology system to aid with speedy detection and diagnosis of the severity of DR.

Enhancing the population impact of collaborative care interventions: Mixed method development and implementation of stepped care targeting posttraumatic stress disorder and related comorbidities after acute trauma

PubMed Central

Zatzick, Douglas; Rivara, Frederick; Jurkovich, Gregory; Russo, Joan; Trusz, Sarah Geiss; Wang, Jin; Wagner, Amy; Stephens, Kari; Dunn, Chris; Uehara, Edwina; Petrie, Megan; Engel, Charles; Davydow, Dimitri; Katon, Wayne

2011-01-01

Objective To develop and implement a stepped collaborative care intervention targeting PTSD and related co-morbidities to enhance the population impact of early trauma-focused interventions. Method We describe the design and implementation of the Trauma Survivors Outcomes & Support Study (TSOS II). An interdisciplinary treatment development team was comprised of trauma surgical, clinical psychiatric and mental health services “change agents” who spanned the boundaries between front-line trauma center clinical care and acute care policy. Mixed method clinical epidemiologic and clinical ethnographic studies informed the development of PTSD screening and intervention procedures. Results Two-hundred and seven acutely injured trauma survivors with high early PTSD symptom levels were randomized into the study. The stepped collaborative care model integrated care management (i.e., posttraumatic concern elicitation and amelioration, motivational interviewing, and behavioral activation) with cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy targeting PTSD. The model was feasibly implemented by front-line acute care MSW and ARNP providers. Conclusions Stepped care protocols targeting PTSD may enhance the population impact of early interventions developed for survivors of individual and mass trauma by extending the reach of collaborative care interventions to acute care medical settings and other non-specialty posttraumatic contexts. PMID:21596205

Processes for producing low cost, high efficiency silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Rohatgi, A.; Doshi, P.; Tate, J.K.; Mejia, J.; Chen, Z.

1998-06-16

Processes which utilize rapid thermal processing (RTP) are provided for inexpensively producing high efficiency silicon solar cells. The RTP processes preserve minority carrier bulk lifetime {tau} and permit selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions, including emitter and back surface field (bsf), within the silicon substrate. In a first RTP process, an RTP step is utilized to simultaneously diffuse phosphorus and aluminum into the front and back surfaces, respectively, of a silicon substrate. Moreover, an in situ controlled cooling procedure preserves the carrier bulk lifetime {tau} and permits selective adjustment of the depth of the diffused regions. In a second RTP process, both simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum as well as annealing of the front and back contacts are accomplished during the RTP step. In a third RTP process, the RTP step accomplishes simultaneous diffusion of the phosphorus and aluminum, annealing of the contacts, and annealing of a double-layer antireflection/passivation coating SiN/SiO{sub x}. In a fourth RTP process, the process of applying front and back contacts is broken up into two separate respective steps, which enhances the efficiency of the cells, at a slight time expense. In a fifth RTP process, a second RTP step is utilized to fire and adhere the screen printed or evaporated contacts to the structure. 28 figs.

Antibiosis and bmyB Gene Presence As Prevalent Traits for the Selection of Efficient Bacillus Biocontrol Agents against Crown Gall Disease.

PubMed

Frikha-Gargouri, Olfa; Ben Abdallah, Dorra; Bhar, Ilhem; Tounsi, Slim

2017-01-01

This study aimed to improve the screening method for the selection of Bacillus biocontrol agents against crown gall disease. The relationship between the strain biocontrol ability and their in vitro studied traits was investigated to identify the most important factors to be considered for the selection of effective biocontrol agents. In fact, previous selection procedure relying only on in vitro antibacterial activity was shown to be not suitable in some cases. A direct plant-protection strategy was performed to screen the 32 Bacillus biocontrol agent candidates. Moreover, potential in vitro biocontrol traits were investigated including biofilm formation, motility, hemolytic activity, detection of lipopeptide biosynthetic genes ( sfp, ituC and bmyB ) and production of antibacterial compounds. The obtained results indicated high correlations of the efficiency of the biocontrol with the reduction of gall weight ( p = 0.000) and the antibacterial activity in vitro ( p = 0.000). Moreover, there was strong correlations of the efficiency of the biocontrol ( p = 0.004) and the reduction in gall weight ( p = 0.000) with the presence of the bmyB gene. This gene directs the synthesis of the lipopeptide bacillomycin belonging to the iturinic family of lipopeptides. These results were also confirmed by the two-way hierarchical cluster analysis and the correspondence analysis showing the relatedness of these four variables. According to the obtained results a new screening procedure of Bacillus biocontrol agents against crown gall disease could be advanced consisting on two step selection procedure. The first consists on selecting strains with high antibacterial activity in vitro or those harbouring the bmyB gene. Further selection has to be performed on tomato plants in vivo . Moreover, based on the results of the biocontrol assay, five potent strains exhibiting high biocontrol abilities were selected. They were identified as Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . These strains were found to produce either surfactin or surfactin and iturin lipopeptides. In conclusion, our study presented a new and effective method to evaluate the biocontrol ability of antagonistic Bacillus strains against crown gall disease that could increase the efficiency of screening method of biocontrol agents. Besides, the selected strains could be used as novel biocontrol agents against pathogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains.

Antibiosis and bmyB Gene Presence As Prevalent Traits for the Selection of Efficient Bacillus Biocontrol Agents against Crown Gall Disease

PubMed Central

Frikha-Gargouri, Olfa; Ben Abdallah, Dorra; Bhar, Ilhem; Tounsi, Slim

2017-01-01

This study aimed to improve the screening method for the selection of Bacillus biocontrol agents against crown gall disease. The relationship between the strain biocontrol ability and their in vitro studied traits was investigated to identify the most important factors to be considered for the selection of effective biocontrol agents. In fact, previous selection procedure relying only on in vitro antibacterial activity was shown to be not suitable in some cases. A direct plant-protection strategy was performed to screen the 32 Bacillus biocontrol agent candidates. Moreover, potential in vitro biocontrol traits were investigated including biofilm formation, motility, hemolytic activity, detection of lipopeptide biosynthetic genes (sfp, ituC and bmyB) and production of antibacterial compounds. The obtained results indicated high correlations of the efficiency of the biocontrol with the reduction of gall weight (p = 0.000) and the antibacterial activity in vitro (p = 0.000). Moreover, there was strong correlations of the efficiency of the biocontrol (p = 0.004) and the reduction in gall weight (p = 0.000) with the presence of the bmyB gene. This gene directs the synthesis of the lipopeptide bacillomycin belonging to the iturinic family of lipopeptides. These results were also confirmed by the two-way hierarchical cluster analysis and the correspondence analysis showing the relatedness of these four variables. According to the obtained results a new screening procedure of Bacillus biocontrol agents against crown gall disease could be advanced consisting on two step selection procedure. The first consists on selecting strains with high antibacterial activity in vitro or those harbouring the bmyB gene. Further selection has to be performed on tomato plants in vivo. Moreover, based on the results of the biocontrol assay, five potent strains exhibiting high biocontrol abilities were selected. They were identified as Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. These strains were found to produce either surfactin or surfactin and iturin lipopeptides. In conclusion, our study presented a new and effective method to evaluate the biocontrol ability of antagonistic Bacillus strains against crown gall disease that could increase the efficiency of screening method of biocontrol agents. Besides, the selected strains could be used as novel biocontrol agents against pathogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains. PMID:28855909

Phage display for the discovery of hydroxyapatite-associated peptides.

PubMed

Jin, Hyo-Eon; Chung, Woo-Jae; Lee, Seung-Wuk

2013-01-01

In nature, proteins play a critical role in the biomineralization process. Understanding how different peptide or protein sequences selectively interact with the target crystal is of great importance. Identifying such protein structures is one of the critical steps in verifying the molecular mechanisms of biomineralization. One of the promising ways to obtain such information for a particular crystal surface is to screen combinatorial peptide libraries in a high-throughput manner. Among the many combinatorial library screening procedures, phage display is a powerful method to isolate such proteins and peptides. In this chapter, we will describe our established methods to perform phage display with inorganic crystal surfaces. Specifically, we will use hydroxyapatite as a model system for discovery of apatite-associated proteins in bone or tooth biomineralization studies. This model approach can be generalized to other desired crystal surfaces using the same experimental design principles with a little modification of the procedures. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early phase drug discovery: cheminformatics and computational techniques in identifying lead series.

PubMed

Duffy, Bryan C; Zhu, Lei; Decornez, Hélène; Kitchen, Douglas B

2012-09-15

Early drug discovery processes rely on hit finding procedures followed by extensive experimental confirmation in order to select high priority hit series which then undergo further scrutiny in hit-to-lead studies. The experimental cost and the risk associated with poor selection of lead series can be greatly reduced by the use of many different computational and cheminformatic techniques to sort and prioritize compounds. We describe the steps in typical hit identification and hit-to-lead programs and then describe how cheminformatic analysis assists this process. In particular, scaffold analysis, clustering and property calculations assist in the design of high-throughput screening libraries, the early analysis of hits and then organizing compounds into series for their progression from hits to leads. Additionally, these computational tools can be used in virtual screening to design hit-finding libraries and as procedures to help with early SAR exploration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnetic particles as powerful purification tool for high sensitive mass spectrometric screening procedures.

PubMed

Peter, Jochen F; Otto, Angela M

2010-02-01

The effective isolation and purification of proteins from biological fluids is the most crucial step for a successful protein analysis when only minute amounts are available. While conventional purification methods such as dialysis, ultrafiltration or protein precipitation often lead to a marked loss of protein, SPE with small-sized particles is a powerful alternative. The implementation of particles with superparamagnetic cores facilitates the handling of those particles and allows the application of particles in the nanometer to low micrometer range. Due to the small diameters, magnetic particles are advantageous for increasing sensitivity when using subsequent MS analysis or gel electrophoresis. In the last years, different types of magnetic particles were developed for specific protein purification purposes followed by analysis or screening procedures using MS or SDS gel electrophoresis. In this review, the use of magnetic particles for different applications, such as, the extraction and analysis of DNA/RNA, peptides and proteins, is described.

Design of polynomial fuzzy observer-controller for nonlinear systems with state delay: sum of squares approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gassara, H.; El Hajjaji, A.; Chaabane, M.

2017-07-01

This paper investigates the problem of observer-based control for two classes of polynomial fuzzy systems with time-varying delay. The first class concerns a special case where the polynomial matrices do not depend on the estimated state variables. The second one is the general case where the polynomial matrices could depend on unmeasurable system states that will be estimated. For the last case, two design procedures are proposed. The first one gives the polynomial fuzzy controller and observer gains in two steps. In the second procedure, the designed gains are obtained using a single-step approach to overcome the drawback of a two-step procedure. The obtained conditions are presented in terms of sum of squares (SOS) which can be solved via the SOSTOOLS and a semi-definite program solver. Illustrative examples show the validity and applicability of the proposed results.

Pre-operative Screening and Manual Drilling Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Thermal Injury During Minimally Invasive Cochlear Implantation Surgery.

PubMed

Dillon, Neal P; Fichera, Loris; Kesler, Kyle; Zuniga, M Geraldine; Mitchell, Jason E; Webster, Robert J; Labadie, Robert F

2017-09-01

This article presents the development and experimental validation of a methodology to reduce the risk of thermal injury to the facial nerve during minimally invasive cochlear implantation surgery. The first step in this methodology is a pre-operative screening process, in which medical imaging is used to identify those patients that present a significant risk of developing high temperatures at the facial nerve during the drilling phase of the procedure. Such a risk is calculated based on the density of the bone along the drilling path and the thermal conductance between the drilling path and the nerve, and provides a criterion to exclude high-risk patients from receiving the minimally invasive procedure. The second component of the methodology is a drilling strategy for manually-guided drilling near the facial nerve. The strategy utilizes interval drilling and mechanical constraints to enable better control over the procedure and the resulting generation of heat. The approach is tested in fresh cadaver temporal bones using a thermal camera to monitor temperature near the facial nerve. Results indicate that pre-operative screening may successfully exclude high-risk patients and that the proposed drilling strategy enables safe drilling for low-to-moderate risk patients.

Preparation and characterization of silica xerogels as carriers for drugs.

PubMed

Czarnobaj, K

2008-11-01

The aim of the present study was to utilize the sol-gel method to synthesize different forms of xerogel matrices for drugs and to investigate how the synthesis conditions and solubility of drugs influence the change of the profile of drug release and the structure of the matrices. Silica xerogels doped with drugs were prepared by the sol-gel method from a hydrolyzed tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) solution containing two model compounds: diclofenac diethylamine, (DD)--a water-soluble drug or ibuprofen, (IB)--a water insoluble drug. Two procedures were used for the synthesis of sol-gel derived materials: one-step procedure (the sol-gel reaction was carried out under acidic or basic conditions) and the two-step procedure (first, hydrolysis of TEOS was carried out under acidic conditions, and then condensation of silanol groups was carried out under basic conditions) in order to obtain samples with altered microstructures. In vitro release studies of drugs revealed a similar release profile in two steps: an initial diffusion-controlled release followed by a slower release rate. In all the cases studied, the released amount of DD was higher and the released time was shorter compared with IB for the same type of matrices. The released amount of drugs from two-step prepared xerogels was always lower than that from one-step base-catalyzed xerogels. One-step acid-catalyzed xerogels proved unsuitable as the carriers for the examined drugs.

A response surface methodology based damage identification technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, S. E.; Perera, R.

2009-06-01

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

Model-Free Feature Screening for Ultrahigh Dimensional Discriminant Analysis

PubMed Central

Cui, Hengjian; Li, Runze

2014-01-01

This work is concerned with marginal sure independence feature screening for ultra-high dimensional discriminant analysis. The response variable is categorical in discriminant analysis. This enables us to use conditional distribution function to construct a new index for feature screening. In this paper, we propose a marginal feature screening procedure based on empirical conditional distribution function. We establish the sure screening and ranking consistency properties for the proposed procedure without assuming any moment condition on the predictors. The proposed procedure enjoys several appealing merits. First, it is model-free in that its implementation does not require specification of a regression model. Second, it is robust to heavy-tailed distributions of predictors and the presence of potential outliers. Third, it allows the categorical response having a diverging number of classes in the order of O(nκ) with some κ ≥ 0. We assess the finite sample property of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulation studies and numerical comparison. We further illustrate the proposed methodology by empirical analyses of two real-life data sets. PMID:26392643

Evaluation of the localization auditory screening test in children 6-18 months of age.

PubMed

Tillis, C H; Grimm, W A

1978-01-01

The present paper is a report of a project to develop an automated auditory screening test for infants six to 18 months of age. The first year of the project was devoted to developing equipment and test procedures; the second year was concerned with testing the effectiveness of the equipment and procedures on an actual population of six to 18 month old infants. Two-hundred and fifty infants were screened auditorily as part of a county health department child development clinic. The pass/fail results of the screening test were evaluated in terms of physical and developmental examination following the screening and by means of a case review of the child's previous history. The results indicate that the procedure under investigation can be used to differentiate the normal hearing infant from the infant with possible hearing problems. It is shown by the test environment in which this study was conducted that the procedure reported can be successfully incorporated into a public health program, i.e., child development clinics or EPSDT programs.

User's manual: Computer-aided design programs for inductor-energy-storage dc-to-dc electronic power converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huffman, S.

1977-01-01

Detailed instructions on the use of two computer-aided-design programs for designing the energy storage inductor for single winding and two winding dc to dc converters are provided. Step by step procedures are given to illustrate the formatting of user input data. The procedures are illustrated by eight sample design problems which include the user input and the computer program output.

The importance of a two-step impression procedure for complete denture fabrication: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Regis, R R; Alves, C C S; Rocha, S S M; Negreiros, W A; Freitas-Pontes, K M

2016-10-01

The literature has questioned the real need for some clinical and laboratory procedures considered essential for achieving better results for complete denture fabrication. The aim of this study was to review the current literature concerning the relevance of a two-step impression procedure to achieve better clinical results in fabricating conventional complete dentures. Through an electronic search strategy of the PubMed/MEDLINE database, randomised controlled clinical trials which compared complete denture fabrication in adults in which one or two steps of impressions occurred were identified. The selections were made by three independent reviewers. Among the 540 titles initially identified, four studies (seven published papers) reporting on 257 patients evaluating aspects such as oral health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction with dentures in use, masticatory performance and chewing ability, denture quality, direct and indirect costs were considered eligible. The quality of included studies was assessed according to the Cochrane guidelines. The clinical studies considered for this review suggest that a two-step impression procedure may not be mandatory for the success of conventional complete denture fabrication regarding a variety of clinical aspects of denture quality and patients' perceptions of the treatment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Export Controls: License Screening and Compliance Procedures Need Strengthening.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

agreements between Commerce and Customs . While this represents a significant step towards a cooperative relationship , we have not verified that real...license applications, (2) how well these agencies cooperate with each other and the U.S. Customs Service, (3) whether State is monitoring reexports...other than a foreign government). Customs serves as State’s enforcement arm for AECA. In contrast, EAA has no registration or U.S. person

Integrated HPTLC-based Methodology for the Tracing of Bioactive Compounds in Herbal Extracts Employing Multivariate Chemometrics. A Case Study on Morus alba.

PubMed

Chaita, Eliza; Gikas, Evagelos; Aligiannis, Nektarios

2017-03-01

In drug discovery, bioassay-guided isolation is a well-established procedure, and still the basic approach for the discovery of natural products with desired biological properties. However, in these procedures, the most laborious and time-consuming step is the isolation of the bioactive constituents. A prior identification of the compounds that contribute to the demonstrated activity of the fractions would enable the selection of proper chromatographic techniques and lead to targeted isolation. The development of an integrated HPTLC-based methodology for the rapid tracing of the bioactive compounds during bioassay-guided processes, using multivariate statistics. Materials and Methods - The methanol extract of Morus alba was fractionated employing CPC. Subsequently, fractions were assayed for tyrosinase inhibition and analyzed with HPTLC. PLS-R algorithm was performed in order to correlate the analytical data with the biological response of the fractions and identify the compounds with the highest contribution. Two methodologies were developed for the generation of the dataset; one based on manual peak picking and the second based on chromatogram binning. Results and Discussion - Both methodologies afforded comparable results and were able to trace the bioactive constituents (e.g. oxyresveratrol, trans-dihydromorin, 2,4,3'-trihydroxydihydrostilbene). The suggested compounds were compared in terms of R f values and UV spectra with compounds isolated from M. alba using typical bioassay-guided process. Chemometric tools supported the development of a novel HPTLC-based methodology for the tracing of tyrosinase inhibitors in M. alba extract. All steps of the experimental procedure implemented techniques that afford essential key elements for application in high-throughput screening procedures for drug discovery purposes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of first-tier cell-free DNA screening for common aneuploidies with conventional publically funded screening.

PubMed

Langlois, Sylvie; Johnson, JoAnn; Audibert, François; Gekas, Jean; Forest, Jean-Claude; Caron, André; Harrington, Keli; Pastuck, Melanie; Meddour, Hasna; Tétu, Amélie; Little, Julian; Rousseau, François

2017-12-01

This study evaluates the impact of offering cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening as a first-tier test for trisomies 21 and 18. This is a prospective study of pregnant women undergoing conventional prenatal screening who were offered cfDNA screening in the first trimester with clinical outcomes obtained on all pregnancies. A total of 1198 pregnant women were recruited. The detection rate of trisomy 21 with standard screening was 83% with a false positive rate (FPR) of 5.5% compared with 100% detection and 0% FPR for cfDNA screening. The FPR of cfDNA screening for trisomies 18 and 13 was 0.09% for each. Two percent of women underwent an invasive diagnostic procedure based on screening or ultrasound findings; without the cfDNA screening, it could have been as high as 6.8%. Amongst the 640 women with negative cfDNA results and a nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound, only 3 had an NT greater or equal to 3.5 mm: one had a normal outcome and two lost their pregnancy before 20 weeks. cfDNA screening has the potential to be a highly effective first-tier screening approach leading to a significant reduction of invasive diagnostic procedures. For women with a negative cfDNA screening result, NT measurement has limited clinical utility. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Two-dimensional solid-phase extraction strategy for the selective enrichment of aminoglycosides in milk.

PubMed

Shen, Aijin; Wei, Jie; Yan, Jingyu; Jin, Gaowa; Ding, Junjie; Yang, Bingcheng; Guo, Zhimou; Zhang, Feifang; Liang, Xinmiao

2017-03-01

An orthogonal two-dimensional solid-phase extraction strategy was established for the selective enrichment of three aminoglycosides including spectinomycin, streptomycin, and dihydrostreptomycin in milk. A reversed-phase liquid chromatography material (C 18 ) and a weak cation-exchange material (TGA) were integrated in a single solid-phase extraction cartridge. The feasibility of two-dimensional clean-up procedure that experienced two-step adsorption, two-step rinsing, and two-step elution was systematically investigated. Based on the orthogonality of reversed-phase and weak cation-exchange procedures, the two-dimensional solid-phase extraction strategy could minimize the interference from the hydrophobic matrix existing in traditional reversed-phase solid-phase extraction. In addition, high ionic strength in the extracts could be effectively removed before the second dimension of weak cation-exchange solid-phase extraction. Combined with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, the optimized procedure was validated according to the European Union Commission directive 2002/657/EC. A good performance was achieved in terms of linearity, recovery, precision, decision limit, and detection capability in milk. Finally, the optimized two-dimensional clean-up procedure incorporated with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was successfully applied to the rapid monitoring of aminoglycoside residues in milk. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Contamination of dried blood spots - an underestimated risk in newborn screening.

PubMed

Winter, Theresa; Lange, Anja; Hannemann, Anke; Nauck, Matthias; Müller, Cornelia

2018-01-26

Newborn screening (NBS) is an established screening procedure in many countries worldwide, aiming at the early detection of inborn errors of metabolism. For decades, dried blood spots have been the standard specimen for NBS. The procedure of blood collection is well described and standardized and includes many critical pre-analytical steps. We examined the impact of contamination of some anticipated common substances on NBS results obtained from dry spot samples. This possible pre-analytical source of uncertainty has been poorly examined in the past. Capillary blood was obtained from 15 adult volunteers and applied to 10 screening filter papers per volunteer. Nine filter papers were contaminated without visible trace. The contaminants were baby diaper rash cream, baby wet wipes, disinfectant, liquid infant formula, liquid infant formula hypoallergenic (HA), ultrasonic gel, breast milk, feces, and urine. The differences between control and contaminated samples were evaluated for 45 NBS quantities. We estimated if the contaminations might lead to false-positive NBS results. Eight of nine investigated contaminants significantly altered NBS analyte concentrations and potentially caused false-positive screening outcomes. A contamination with feces was most influential, affecting 24 of 45 tested analytes followed by liquid infant formula (HA) and urine, affecting 19 and 13 of 45 analytes, respectively. A contamination of filter paper samples can have a substantial effect on the NBS results. Our results underline the importance of good pre-analytical training to make the staff aware of the threat and ensure reliable screening results.

Development of a forward genetic screen to isolate oil mutants in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

PubMed

Cagnon, Caroline; Mirabella, Boris; Nguyen, Hoa Mai; Beyly-Adriano, Audrey; Bouvet, Séverine; Cuiné, Stéphan; Beisson, Fred; Peltier, Gilles; Li-Beisson, Yonghua

2013-12-02

Oils produced by microalgae are precursors to biodiesel. To achieve a profitable production of biodiesel from microalgae, identification of factors governing oil synthesis and turnover is desirable. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is amenable to genetic analyses and has recently emerged as a model to study oil metabolism. However, a detailed method to isolate various types of oil mutants that is adapted to Chlamydomonas has not been reported. We describe here a forward genetic approach to isolate mutants altered in oil synthesis and turnover from C. reinhardtii. It consists of a three-step screening procedure: a primary screen by flow cytometry of Nile red stained transformants grown in 96-deep-well plates under three sequential conditions (presence of nitrogen, then absence of nitrogen, followed by oil remobilization); a confirmation step using Nile red stained biological triplicates; and a validation step consisting of the quantification by thin layer chromatography of oil content of selected strains. Thirty-one mutants were isolated by screening 1,800 transformants generated by random insertional mutagenesis (1.7%). Five showed increased oil accumulation under the nitrogen-replete condition and 13 had altered oil content under nitrogen-depletion. All mutants were affected in oil remobilization. This study demonstrates that various types of oil mutants can be isolated in Chlamydomonas based on the method set-up here, including mutants accumulating oil under optimal biomass growth. The strategy conceived and the protocol set-up should be applicable to other microalgal species such as Nannochloropsis and Chlorella, thus serving as a useful tool in Chlamydomonas oil research and algal biotechnology.

Risk analysis procedure for post-wildfire natural hazards in British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Peter

2010-05-01

Following a severe wildfire season in 2003, and several subsequent damaging debris flow and flood events, the British Columbia Forest Service developed a procedure for analysing risks to public safety and infrastructure from such events. At the same time, the Forest Service undertook a research program to determine the extent of post-wildfire hazards, and examine the hydrologic and geomorphic processes contributing to the hazards. The risk analysis procedure follows the Canadian Standards Association decision-making framework for risk management (which in turn is based on international standards). This has several steps: identification of risk, risk analysis and estimation, evaluation of risk tolerability, developing control or mitigation strategies, and acting on these strategies. The Forest Service procedure deals only with the first two steps. The results are passed on to authorities such as the Provincial Emergency Program and local government, who are responsible for evaluating risks, warning residents, and applying mitigation strategies if appropriate. The objective of the procedure is to identify and analyse risks to public safety and infrastructure. The procedure is loosely based on the BAER (burned area emergency response) program in the USA, with some important differences. Our procedure focuses on identifying risks and warning affected parties, not on mitigation activities such as broadcast erosion control measures. Partly this is due to limited staff and financial resources. Also, our procedure is not multi-agency, but is limited to wildfires on provincial forest land; in British Columbia about 95% of forest land is in the publicly-owned provincial forest. Each fire season, wildfires are screened by size and proximity to values at risk such as populated areas. For selected fires, when the fire is largely contained, the procedure begins with an aerial reconnaissance of the fire, and photography with a hand-held camera, which can be used to make a preliminary map of vegetation burn severity if desired. The next steps include mapping catchment boundaries, field traverses to collect data on soil burn severity and water repellency, identification of unstable hillslopes and channels, and inspection of values at risk from hazards such as debris flows or flooding. BARC (burned area reflectance classification) maps based on satellite imagery are prepared for some fires, although these are typically not available for several weeks. Our objective is to make a preliminary risk analysis report available about two weeks after the fire is contained. If high risks to public safety or infrastructure are identified, the risk analysis reports may make recommendations for mitigation measures to be considered; however, acting on these recommendations is the responsibility of local land managers, local government, or landowners. Mitigation measures for some fires have included engineering treatments to reduce the hydrologic impact of logging roads, protective structures such as dykes or berms, and straw mulching to reduce runoff and erosion on severely burned areas. The Terrace Mountain Fire, with burned 9000 hectares in the Okanagan Valley in 2009, is used as an example of the application of the procedure.

Next steps in addressing the prevention, screening, and treatment of substance use disorder in active duty and veteran Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom populations.

PubMed

Tollison, Sean J; Henderson, Ryan C; Baer, Johns S; Saxon, Andrew J

2012-08-01

The two articles presented previously in this volume provide state-of-the-art reviews of the etiology, epidemiology, screening and treatment of substance use disorder (SUD). This article identifies next steps in research and development for understanding and treating SUD in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom service members and veterans. Four promising areas are reviewed: advances in psychopharmacological treatment of SUD, innovations in behavioral treatments, the use of technological advances for the screening and treatment of SUD, and integration of treatment services. Future directions are explored and suggestions for research, development and implementation of each of these trends are discussed.

Anti-enrofloxacin antibody production by using enrofloxacin-screened HSA as an immunogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chune; Lin, Hong; Cao, Limin; Jiang, Jie

2005-07-01

A two-step zero-length cross-linking procedure using active esters was successfully adopted for conjugating enrofloxacin (EF) to human serum albumin (HSA). The derived conjugate was characterized by UV spectrum and then used for immunization of BALB/C mice. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and competitive inhibition ELISA experiments, the derived antiserum exhibited high antibody titer (greater than 1:250 000) as well as varied cross-reactivity (from 97.8% to 161.7%) to three analogs of EF belonging to fluoroquinolones family. But over the concentration range studied, no significant cross-reactivity was observed to other group of antibiotics (chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, sulphamethoxazole and nysfungin). It was confirmed that the synthesized immunogen was highly antigenic and elicited specific antibody responses in BALB/C mice against EF.

Procedural key steps in laparoscopic colorectal surgery, consensus through Delphi methodology.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Frederieke A; Bosker, Robbert J I; Veeger, Nicolaas J G M; van Det, Marc J; Pierie, Jean Pierre E N

2015-09-01

While several procedural training curricula in laparoscopic colorectal surgery have been validated and published, none have focused on dividing surgical procedures into well-identified segments, which can be trained and assessed separately. This enables the surgeon and resident to focus on a specific segment, or combination of segments, of a procedure. Furthermore, it will provide a consistent and uniform method of training for residents rotating through different teaching hospitals. The goal of this study was to determine consensus on the key steps of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy among experts in our University Medical Center and affiliated hospitals. This will form the basis for the INVEST video-assisted side-by-side training curriculum. The Delphi method was used for determining consensus on key steps of both procedures. A list of 31 steps for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and 37 steps for laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was compiled from textbooks and national and international guidelines. In an online questionnaire, 22 experts in 12 hospitals within our teaching region were invited to rate all steps on a Likert scale on importance for the procedure. Consensus was reached in two rounds. Sixteen experts agreed to participate. Of these 16 experts, 14 (88%) completed the questionnaire for both procedures. Of the 14 who completed the first round, 13 (93%) completed the second round. Cronbach's alpha was 0.79 for the right hemicolectomy and 0.91 for the sigmoid colectomy, showing high internal consistency between the experts. For the right hemicolectomy, 25 key steps were established; for the sigmoid colectomy, 24 key steps were established. Expert consensus on the key steps for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was reached. These key steps will form the basis for a video-assisted teaching curriculum.

Phase extraction based on iterative algorithm using five-frame crossed fringes in phase measuring deflectometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Chengying; Li, Dahai; Kewei, E.; Li, Mengyang; Chen, Pengyu; Wang, Ruiyang; Xiong, Zhao

2018-06-01

In phase measuring deflectometry, two orthogonal sinusoidal fringe patterns are separately projected on the test surface and the distorted fringes reflected by the surface are recorded, each with a sequential phase shift. Then the two components of the local surface gradients are obtained by triangulation. It usually involves some complicated and time-consuming procedures (fringe projection in the orthogonal directions). In addition, the digital light devices (e.g. LCD screen and CCD camera) are not error free. There are quantization errors for each pixel of both LCD and CCD. Therefore, to avoid the complex process and improve the reliability of the phase distribution, a phase extraction algorithm with five-frame crossed fringes is presented in this paper. It is based on a least-squares iterative process. Using the proposed algorithm, phase distributions and phase shift amounts in two orthogonal directions can be simultaneously and successfully determined through an iterative procedure. Both a numerical simulation and a preliminary experiment are conducted to verify the validity and performance of this algorithm. Experimental results obtained by our method are shown, and comparisons between our experimental results and those obtained by the traditional 16-step phase-shifting algorithm and between our experimental results and those measured by the Fizeau interferometer are made.

Predischarge screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome and smoking history.

PubMed

Campo, Gianluca; Pavasini, Rita; Barbetta, Carlo; Maietti, Elisa; Mascetti, Susanna; Biscaglia, Simone; Zaraket, Fatima; Spitaleri, Giosafat; Gallo, Francesco; Tonet, Elisabetta; Papi, Alberto; Ferrari, Roberto; Contoli, Marco

2016-11-01

Several studies suggested that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is largely underdiagnosed in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) contributing to further affect clinical outcome. Our aim was to validate a screening procedure to identify, in ACS patients, those with negligible risk of undiagnosed COPD. From December 2014 to August 2015, 169 ACS patients with smoking history underwent screening procedure. Screening procedure combined peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR, defined as positive if <80% of predicted) and respiratory health status questionnaire (RHSQ, defined as positive if >19.5 points). The screening was considered negative if both tests provided negative results, positive if both were positive, uncertain in presence of discrepancy. Spirometry was planned after 2months to identify or not the presence of irreversible airflow obstruction (undiagnosed COPD). The primary endpoint was the negative predictive value of screening for undiagnosed COPD. Overall, 137 (81%) patients received spirometry (final study population). Screening was negative, uncertain and positive in 58 (42%), 46 (34%) and 33 (24%) patients, respectively. We found undiagnosed COPD in 39 (29%) patients. Only 3 patients with negative screening showed undiagnosed COPD. Negative screening showed the best ability to discriminate patients without COPD (negative predictive value 95%). Two-month health status in patients with undiagnosed COPD was significantly poor. Undiagnosed COPD is relatively frequent in ACS patients with smoking history and a simple screening procedure including PEFR and RHSQ can be administered before hospital discharge to discriminate those at negligible risk of undiagnosed COPD (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02324660). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 6.102 - Use of competitive procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ACQUISITION PLANNING COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Full and Open Competition 6.102 Use of competitive procedures. The competitive procedures available for use in fulfilling the requirement for full and open... procedures (e.g., two-step sealed bidding). (d) Other competitive procedures. (1) Selection of sources for...

Geriatric screening in first opinion practice – results from 45 dogs

PubMed Central

Davies, M

2012-01-01

Objectives To evaluate and report the results of screening geriatric dogs in a first opinion practice. Methods A prospective health screen of dogs over nine-years-old involving history taking, physical examination and urinalysis. Results At least one previously unrecognised problem was identified in 80% of 45 dogs and 353 findings (mean 7·8 per dog) were recorded. Owners often failed to recognise and report serious signs of age-related disease. However, they most often reported increased sleeping (31%), loss of hearing (29%) or sight (20%), stiffness or lameness (22%) and “slowing down” (20%). Increased lens opacity (64%), increased thirst (58%), pain (24%), increased frequency of urination (24%), signs of osteoarthritis (24%) and dental disease (22%) were most frequently identified at the time of consultation. Potentially, life-threatening findings included respiratory distress, palpable abdominal masses and metastatic lung disease. Screening resulted in 29 further diagnostic procedures, including 10 dental procedures, seven medical treatments, two surgical procedures and euthanasia of two dogs. Clinical Significance Screening elderly dogs identified unrecognised and unreported health risk factors resulting in lifestyle modification and ongoing monitoring, as well as signs of age-related diseases resulting in diagnostic investigations, early diagnoses and surgical and medical interventions to improve quality of life. PMID:22835038

Geriatric screening in first opinion practice - results from 45 dogs.

PubMed

Davies, M

2012-09-01

To evaluate and report the results of screening geriatric dogs in a first opinion practice. A prospective health screen of dogs over nine-years-old involving history taking, physical examination and urinalysis. At least one previously unrecognised problem was identified in 80% of 45 dogs and 353 findings (mean 7·8 per dog) were recorded. Owners often failed to recognise and report serious signs of age-related disease. However, they most often reported increased sleeping (31%), loss of hearing (29%) or sight (20%), stiffness or lameness (22%) and "slowing down" (20%). Increased lens opacity (64%), increased thirst (58%), pain (24%), increased frequency of urination (24%), signs of osteoarthritis (24%) and dental disease (22%) were most frequently identified at the time of consultation. Potentially, life-threatening findings included respiratory distress, palpable abdominal masses and metastatic lung disease. Screening resulted in 29 further diagnostic procedures, including 10 dental procedures, seven medical treatments, two surgical procedures and euthanasia of two dogs. Screening elderly dogs identified unrecognised and unreported health risk factors resulting in lifestyle modification and ongoing monitoring, as well as signs of age-related diseases resulting in diagnostic investigations, early diagnoses and surgical and medical interventions to improve quality of life. © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Local-global classifier fusion for screening chest radiographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Meng; Antani, Sameer; Jaeger, Stefan; Xue, Zhiyun; Candemir, Sema; Kohli, Marc; Thoma, George

2017-03-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe comorbidity of HIV and chest x-ray (CXR) analysis is a necessary step in screening for the infective disease. Automatic analysis of digital CXR images for detecting pulmonary abnormalities is critical for population screening, especially in medical resource constrained developing regions. In this article, we describe steps that improve previously reported performance of NLM's CXR screening algorithms and help advance the state of the art in the field. We propose a local-global classifier fusion method where two complementary classification systems are combined. The local classifier focuses on subtle and partial presentation of the disease leveraging information in radiology reports that roughly indicates locations of the abnormalities. In addition, the global classifier models the dominant spatial structure in the gestalt image using GIST descriptor for the semantic differentiation. Finally, the two complementary classifiers are combined using linear fusion, where the weight of each decision is calculated by the confidence probabilities from the two classifiers. We evaluated our method on three datasets in terms of the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The evaluation demonstrates the superiority of our proposed local-global fusion method over any single classifier.

Fast quantification of bovine milk proteins employing external cavity-quantum cascade laser spectroscopy.

PubMed

Schwaighofer, Andreas; Kuligowski, Julia; Quintás, Guillermo; Mayer, Helmut K; Lendl, Bernhard

2018-06-30

Analysis of proteins in bovine milk is usually tackled by time-consuming analytical approaches involving wet-chemical, multi-step sample clean-up procedures. The use of external cavity-quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) based IR spectroscopy was evaluated as an alternative screening tool for direct and simultaneous quantification of individual proteins (i.e. casein and β-lactoglobulin) and total protein content in commercial bovine milk samples. Mid-IR spectra of protein standard mixtures were used for building partial least squares (PLS) regression models. A sample set comprising different milk types (pasteurized; differently processed extended shelf life, ESL; ultra-high temperature, UHT) was analysed and results were compared to reference methods. Concentration values of the QCL-IR spectroscopy approach obtained within several minutes are in good agreement with reference methods involving multiple sample preparation steps. The potential application as a fast screening method for estimating the heat load applied to liquid milk is demonstrated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving computer-aided detection assistance in breast cancer screening by removal of obviously false-positive findings.

PubMed

Mordang, Jan-Jurre; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; Bria, Alessandro; Tortorella, Francesco; den Heeten, Gerard; Karssemeijer, Nico

2017-04-01

Computer-aided detection (CADe) systems for mammography screening still mark many false positives. This can cause radiologists to lose confidence in CADe, especially when many false positives are obviously not suspicious to them. In this study, we focus on obvious false positives generated by microcalcification detection algorithms. We aim at reducing the number of obvious false-positive findings by adding an additional step in the detection method. In this step, a multiclass machine learning method is implemented in which dedicated classifiers learn to recognize the patterns of obvious false-positive subtypes that occur most frequently. The method is compared to a conventional two-class approach, where all false-positive subtypes are grouped together in one class, and to the baseline CADe system without the new false-positive removal step. The methods are evaluated on an independent dataset containing 1,542 screening examinations of which 80 examinations contain malignant microcalcifications. Analysis showed that the multiclass approach yielded a significantly higher sensitivity compared to the other two methods (P < 0.0002). At one obvious false positive per 100 images, the baseline CADe system detected 61% of the malignant examinations, while the systems with the two-class and multiclass false-positive reduction step detected 73% and 83%, respectively. Our study showed that by adding the proposed method to a CADe system, the number of obvious false positives can decrease significantly (P < 0.0002). © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

One-pot, two-step desymmetrization of symmetrical benzils catalyzed by the methylsulfinyl (dimsyl) anion.

PubMed

Ragno, Daniele; Bortolini, Olga; Giovannini, Pier Paolo; Massi, Alessandro; Pacifico, Salvatore; Zaghi, Anna

2014-08-14

An operationally simple one-pot, two-step procedure for the desymmetrization of benzils is herein described. This consists in the chemoselective cross-benzoin reaction of symmetrical benzils with aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by the methyl sulfinyl (dimsyl) anion, followed by microwave-assisted oxidation of the resulting benzoylated benzoins with nitrate, avoiding the costly isolation procedure. Both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents may be accommodated on the aromatic rings of the final unsymmetrical benzil.

Attention Guiding in Multimedia Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamet, Eric; Gavota, Monica; Quaireau, Christophe

2008-01-01

Comprehension of an illustrated document can involve complex visual scanning in order to locate the relevant information on the screen when this is evoked in spoken explanations. The present study examined the effects of two types of attention-guiding means (color change or step-by-step presentation of diagram elements synchronized with a spoken…

Functional-to-form mapping for assembly design automation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Z. G.; Liu, W. M.; Shen, W. D.; Yang, D. Y.; Liu, T. T.

2017-11-01

Assembly-level function-to-form mapping is the most effective procedure towards design automation. The research work mainly includes: the assembly-level function definitions, product network model and the two-step mapping mechanisms. The function-to-form mapping is divided into two steps, i.e. mapping of function-to-behavior, called the first-step mapping, and the second-step mapping, i.e. mapping of behavior-to-structure. After the first step mapping, the three dimensional transmission chain (or 3D sketch) is studied, and the feasible design computing tools are developed. The mapping procedure is relatively easy to be implemented interactively, but, it is quite difficult to finish it automatically. So manual, semi-automatic, automatic and interactive modification of the mapping model are studied. A mechanical hand F-F mapping process is illustrated to verify the design methodologies.

Comparison of two commercially available rapid detection methods and a conventional culture method to detect naturally occurring salmonellae on broiler carcasses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many different screening devices and sampling methods have been used to detect the presence of naturally occurring Salmonella on commercially processed broiler carcasses. The objective of this study was to compare two commercial screening systems (BAX® and Roka®) to a standard cultural procedure use...

Usability Study of Two Collocated Prototype System Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.

2007-01-01

Currently, most of the displays in control rooms can be categorized as status screens, alerts/procedures screens (or paper), or control screens (where the state of a component is changed by the operator). The primary focus of this line of research is to determine which pieces of information (status, alerts/procedures, and control) should be collocated. Two collocated displays were tested for ease of understanding in an automated desktop survey. This usability study was conducted as a prelude to a larger human-in-the-loop experiment in order to verify that the 2 new collocated displays were easy to learn and usable. The results indicate that while the DC display was preferred and yielded better performance than the MDO display, both collocated displays can be easily learned and used.

Screen and clean: a tool for identifying interactions in genome-wide association studies.

PubMed

Wu, Jing; Devlin, Bernie; Ringquist, Steven; Trucco, Massimo; Roeder, Kathryn

2010-04-01

Epistasis could be an important source of risk for disease. How interacting loci might be discovered is an open question for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Most researchers limit their statistical analyses to testing individual pairwise interactions (i.e., marginal tests for association). A more effective means of identifying important predictors is to fit models that include many predictors simultaneously (i.e., higher-dimensional models). We explore a procedure called screen and clean (SC) for identifying liability loci, including interactions, by using the lasso procedure, which is a model selection tool for high-dimensional regression. We approach the problem by using a varying dictionary consisting of terms to include in the model. In the first step the lasso dictionary includes only main effects. The most promising single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are identified using a screening procedure. Next the lasso dictionary is adjusted to include these main effects and the corresponding interaction terms. Again, promising terms are identified using lasso screening. Then significant terms are identified through the cleaning process. Implementation of SC for GWAS requires algorithms to explore the complex model space induced by the many SNPs genotyped and their interactions. We propose and explore a set of algorithms and find that SC successfully controls Type I error while yielding good power to identify risk loci and their interactions. When the method is applied to data obtained from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium study of Type 1 Diabetes it uncovers evidence supporting interaction within the HLA class II region as well as within Chromosome 12q24.

An improvement of LLNA:DA to assess the skin sensitization potential of chemicals.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongwei; Shi, Ying; Wang, Chao; Zhao, Kangfeng; Zhang, Shaoping; Wei, Lan; Dong, Li; Gu, Wen; Xu, Yongjun; Ruan, Hongjie; Zhi, Hong; Yang, Xiaoyan

2017-01-01

We developed a modified local lymph node assay based on ATP (LLNA:DA), termed the Two-Stage LLNA:DA, to further reduce the animal numbers in the identification of sensitizers. In the Two-Stage LLNA:DA procedure, 13 chemicals ranging from non-sensitizers to extreme sensitizers were selected. The first stage used reduced LLNA:DA (rLLNA:DA) to screen out sensitive chemicals. The second stage used LLNA:DA based on OECD 442 (A) to classify those potential sensitizers screened out in the first stage. In the first stage, the SIs of the methyl methacrylate, salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, ethyl salicylate, isopropanol and propanediol were below 1.8 and need not to be tested in the second step. Others continued to be tested by LLNA:DA. In the second stage, sodium lauryl sulphate and xylene were classified as weak sensitizers. a-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol were moderate sensitizers. Benzalkonium chloride and glyoxal were strong sensitizers, and phthalic anhydride was an extreme sensitizer. The 9/9, 11/12, 10/11, and 8/13 (positive or negative only) categories of the Two-Stage LLNA:DA were consistent with those from the other methods (LLNA, LLNA:DA, GPMT/BT and HMT/HPTA), suggesting that Two-Stage LLNA:DA have a high coincidence rate with reported data. In conclusion, The Two-Stage LLNA:DA is in line with the "3R" rules, and can be a modification of LLNA:DA but needs more study.

Composting. Sludge Treatment and Disposal Course #166. Instructor's Guide [and] Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arasmith, E. E.

Composting is a lesson developed for a sludge treatment and disposal course. The lesson discusses the basic theory of composting and the basic operation, in a step-by-step sequence, of the two typical composting procedures: windrow and forced air static pile. The lesson then covers basic monitoring and operational procedures. The instructor's…

Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in Germany: A qualitative study on pregnant women's attitudes, experiences, and suggestions.

PubMed

Görig, Tatiana; Schneider, Sven; Bock, Christina; Maul, Holger; Kleinwechter, Helmut; Diehl, Katharina

2015-11-01

to explore pregnant women's experiences with the recently implemented screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). qualitative study. Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan region, Germany. 20 pregnant women aged 27-41 years (mean: 32.6 years) who were at least in gestational week 29, i.e., those who should have already been screened for GDM. semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted via telephone between November 2013 and February 2014. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and subsequently analyzed using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. The screening was seen as an important instrument to detect GDM and thus to prevent possible health problems in both mother and child. Some deviations from the recommended screening procedure were reported in the interviews, e.g., collecting capillary blood instead of venous blood during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); offering an OGTT without a prior glucose challenge test (GCT); conducting a GCT after an overnight fast. Two women had to actively ask for the screening to be done. One woman reported that her gynaecologist advised her against the screening. this qualitative study reflects the women's experiences with the new screening for GDM. Our findings show that two years after the introduction of universal GDM screening in Germany the screening procedure does not always seem to meet the standards of the German maternity guidelines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Results from ten years newborn hearing screening in a secondary hospital].

PubMed

Sequi Canet, José Miguel; Sala Langa, Maria José; Collar Del Castillo, José Ignacio

2016-10-01

A critical analysis is performed on the results of a newborn hearing screening program in a regional hospital. Screening results from 14,247 newborns in our maternity ward from 2002 to 2013. Two step recordings of bilateral otoacoustic emissions (initial and repeat, if failed, at about one month of life). Assessment by clinical brainstem responses. The first step was performed on 14,015 newborns (98.3% of the total) reaching the screening objective. The first step pass figures were 93.7%, which implies a good pass rate with a few patients to repeat. The second step is also good because it has a pass rate of 88.9% of newborns examined (only 0.63% of initial group needed brainstem responses assessment), but 10.6% were lost to follow up, and that is a major problem. In newborns, scheduled for brainstem responses, the loss to follow-up is worse, with a figure of 29.5%, despite the high accuracy of this test given that 69.4% of those assessed showed hearing loss. This figure represents a 0.31% of the initial group, and is a similar to that published for congenital hearing loss. Including patients that were lost to follow up this figure could be greater. Newborn hearing screening is useful but needs stronger control to avoid the follow up loss. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to have a good database and a screening coordinator. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Insoluble Coatings for Stirling Engine Heat Pipe Condenser Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dussinger, Peter M.; Lindemuth, James E.

1997-01-01

The principal objective of this Phase 2 SBIR program was to develop and demonstrate a practically insoluble coating for nickel-based superalloys for Stirling engine heat pipe applications. Specific technical objectives of the program were: (1) Determine the solubility corrosion rates for Nickel 200, Inconel 718, and Udimet 72OLI in a simulated Stirling engine heat pipe environment, (2) Develop coating processes and techniques for capillary groove and screen wick structures, (3) Evaluate the durability and solubility corrosion rates for capillary groove and screen wick structures coated with an insoluble coating in cylindrical heat pipes operating under Stirling engine conditions, and (4) Design and fabricate a coated full-scale, partial segment of the current Stirling engine heat pipe for the Stirling Space Power Convertor program. The work effort successfully demonstrated a two-step nickel aluminide coating process for groove wick structures and interior wall surfaces in contact with liquid metals; demonstrated a one-step nickel aluminide coating process for nickel screen wick structures; and developed and demonstrated a two-step aluminum-to-nickel aluminide coating process for nickel screen wick structures. In addition, the full-scale, partial segment was fabricated and the interior surfaces and wick structures were coated. The heat pipe was charged with sodium, processed, and scheduled to be life tested for up to ten years as a Phase 3 effort.

How quantizable matter gravitates: A practitioner's guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuller, Frederic P.; Witte, Christof

2014-05-01

We present the practical step-by-step procedure for constructing canonical gravitational dynamics and kinematics directly from any previously specified quantizable classical matter dynamics, and then illustrate the application of this recipe by way of two completely worked case studies. Following the same procedure, any phenomenological proposal for fundamental matter dynamics must be supplemented with a suitable gravity theory providing the coefficients and kinematical interpretation of the matter theory, before any of the two theories can be meaningfully compared to experimental data.

Novel Two-Step Hierarchical Screening of Mutant Pools Reveals Mutants under Selection in Chicks

PubMed Central

Yang, Hee-Jeong; Bogomolnaya, Lydia M.; Elfenbein, Johanna R.; Endicott-Yazdani, Tiana; Reynolds, M. Megan; Porwollik, Steffen; Cheng, Pui; Xia, Xiao-Qin

2016-01-01

Contaminated chicken/egg products are major sources of human salmonellosis, yet the strategies used by Salmonella to colonize chickens are poorly understood. We applied a novel two-step hierarchical procedure to identify new genes important for colonization and persistence of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in chickens. A library of 182 S. Typhimurium mutants each containing a targeted deletion of a group of contiguous genes (for a total of 2,069 genes deleted) was used to identify regions under selection at 1, 3, and 9 days postinfection in chicks. Mutants in 11 regions were under selection at all assayed times (colonization mutants), and mutants in 15 regions were under selection only at day 9 (persistence mutants). We assembled a pool of 92 mutants, each deleted for a single gene, representing nearly all genes in nine regions under selection. Twelve single gene deletion mutants were under selection in this assay, and we confirmed 6 of 9 of these candidate mutants via competitive infections and complementation analysis in chicks. STM0580, STM1295, STM1297, STM3612, STM3615, and STM3734 are needed for Salmonella to colonize and persist in chicks and were not previously associated with this ability. One of these key genes, STM1297 (selD), is required for anaerobic growth and supports the ability to utilize formate under these conditions, suggesting that metabolism of formate is important during infection. We report a hierarchical screening strategy to interrogate large portions of the genome during infection of animals using pools of mutants of low complexity. Using this strategy, we identified six genes not previously known to be needed during infection in chicks, and one of these (STM1297) suggests an important role for formate metabolism during infection. PMID:26857572

Global Sensitivity Analysis of Environmental Models: Convergence, Robustness and Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarrazin, Fanny; Pianosi, Francesca; Khorashadi Zadeh, Farkhondeh; Van Griensven, Ann; Wagener, Thorsten

2015-04-01

Global Sensitivity Analysis aims to characterize the impact that variations in model input factors (e.g. the parameters) have on the model output (e.g. simulated streamflow). In sampling-based Global Sensitivity Analysis, the sample size has to be chosen carefully in order to obtain reliable sensitivity estimates while spending computational resources efficiently. Furthermore, insensitive parameters are typically identified through the definition of a screening threshold: the theoretical value of their sensitivity index is zero but in a sampling-base framework they regularly take non-zero values. There is little guidance available for these two steps in environmental modelling though. The objective of the present study is to support modellers in making appropriate choices, regarding both sample size and screening threshold, so that a robust sensitivity analysis can be implemented. We performed sensitivity analysis for the parameters of three hydrological models with increasing level of complexity (Hymod, HBV and SWAT), and tested three widely used sensitivity analysis methods (Elementary Effect Test or method of Morris, Regional Sensitivity Analysis, and Variance-Based Sensitivity Analysis). We defined criteria based on a bootstrap approach to assess three different types of convergence: the convergence of the value of the sensitivity indices, of the ranking (the ordering among the parameters) and of the screening (the identification of the insensitive parameters). We investigated the screening threshold through the definition of a validation procedure. The results showed that full convergence of the value of the sensitivity indices is not necessarily needed to rank or to screen the model input factors. Furthermore, typical values of the sample sizes that are reported in the literature can be well below the sample sizes that actually ensure convergence of ranking and screening.

Genetic and clinical features of false-negative infants in a neonatal screening programme for cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Padoan, R; Genoni, S; Moretti, E; Seia, M; Giunta, A; Corbetta, C

2002-01-01

A study was performed on the delayed diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) in infants who had false-negative results in a neonatal screening programme. The genetic and clinical features of false-negative infants in this screening programme were assessed together with the efficiency of the screening procedure in the Lombardia region. In total, 774,687 newborns were screened using a two-step immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) (in the years 1990-1992), IRT/IRT + delF508 (1993-1998) or IRT/IRT + polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and oligonucleotide ligation assay (OLA) protocol (1998-1999). Out of 196 CF children born in the 10 y period 15 were false negative on screening (7.6%) and molecular analysis showed a high variability in the genotypes. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene mutations identified were delF508, D1152H, R1066C, R334W, G542X, N1303K, F1052V, A120T, 3849 + 10kbC --> T, 2789 + 5G --> A, 5T-12TG and the novel mutation D110E. In three patients no mutation was identified after denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the majority of CFTR gene exons. The clinical phenotypes of CF children diagnosed by their symptoms at different ages were very mild. None of them presented with a severe lung disease. The majority of them did not seem to have been damaged by the delayed diagnosis. The combination of IRT assay plus genotype analysis (1998-1999) appears to be a more reliable method of detecting CF than IRT measurement alone or combined with only the delF508 mutation.

Loss to Follow-Up from HIV Screening to ART Initiation in Rural China.

PubMed

Gu, Diane; Mao, Yurong; Tang, Zhenzhu; Montaner, Julio; Shen, Zhiyong; Zhu, Qiuying; Detels, Roger; Jin, Xia; Xiong, Ran; Xu, Juan; Ling, Walter; Erinoff, Lynda; Lindblad, Robert; Liu, David; Van Veldhuisen, Paul; Hasson, Albert; Wu, Zunyou

2016-01-01

Patients who are newly screened HIV positive by EIA are lost to follow-up due to complicated HIV testing procedures. Because this is the first step in care, it affects the entire continuum of care. This is a particular concern in rural China. To assess the routine HIV testing completeness and treatment initiation rates at 18 county-level general hospitals in rural Guangxi. We reviewed original hospital HIV screening records. Investigators also engaged with hospital leaders and key personnel involved in HIV prevention activities to characterize in detail the routine care practices in place at each county. 699 newly screened HIV-positive patients between January 1 and June 30, 2013 across the 18 hospitals were included in the study. The proportion of confirmatory testing across the 18 hospitals ranged from 14% to 87% (mean of 43%), and the proportion of newly diagnosed individuals successfully initiated antiretroviral treatment across the hospitals ranged from 3% to 67% (mean of 23%). The average interval within hospitals for individuals to receive the Western Blot (WB) and CD4 test results from HIV positive screening (i.e. achieving testing completion) ranged from 14-116 days (mean of 41.7 days) across the hospitals. The shortest interval from receiving a positive EIA screening test result to receiving WB and CD4 testing and counseling was 0 day and the longest was 260 days. The proportion of patients newly screened HIV positive that completed the necessary testing procedures for HIV confirmation and received ART was very low. Interventions are urgently needed to remove barriers so that HIV patients can have timely access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in rural China.

Loss to Follow-Up from HIV Screening to ART Initiation in Rural China

PubMed Central

Gu, Diane; Mao, Yurong; Tang, Zhenzhu; Montaner, Julio; Shen, Zhiyong; Zhu, Qiuying; Detels, Roger; Jin, Xia; Xiong, Ran; Xu, Juan; Ling, Walter; Erinoff, Lynda; Lindblad, Robert; Liu, David; Van Veldhuisen, Paul; Hasson, Albert; Wu, Zunyou

2016-01-01

Background Patients who are newly screened HIV positive by EIA are lost to follow-up due to complicated HIV testing procedures. Because this is the first step in care, it affects the entire continuum of care. This is a particular concern in rural China. Objective(s) To assess the routine HIV testing completeness and treatment initiation rates at 18 county-level general hospitals in rural Guangxi. Methods We reviewed original hospital HIV screening records. Investigators also engaged with hospital leaders and key personnel involved in HIV prevention activities to characterize in detail the routine care practices in place at each county. Results 699 newly screened HIV-positive patients between January 1 and June 30, 2013 across the 18 hospitals were included in the study. The proportion of confirmatory testing across the 18 hospitals ranged from 14% to 87% (mean of 43%), and the proportion of newly diagnosed individuals successfully initiated antiretroviral treatment across the hospitals ranged from 3% to 67% (mean of 23%). The average interval within hospitals for individuals to receive the Western Blot (WB) and CD4 test results from HIV positive screening (i.e. achieving testing completion) ranged from 14–116 days (mean of 41.7 days) across the hospitals. The shortest interval from receiving a positive EIA screening test result to receiving WB and CD4 testing and counseling was 0 day and the longest was 260 days. Conclusion The proportion of patients newly screened HIV positive that completed the necessary testing procedures for HIV confirmation and received ART was very low. Interventions are urgently needed to remove barriers so that HIV patients can have timely access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in rural China. PMID:27768710

Practices & Procedures of Mason Tending I & II. Instructor Manual. Trainee Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund, Pomfret Center, CT.

This packet consists of the instructor and trainee manuals for two courses: practices and procedures of mason tending I and II. The instructor manual for mason tending I contains a schedule for a 40-hour, 5-day course and instructor outline. The outline provides a step-by-step description of the instructor's activities and includes answer sheets…

Optimizing Population Screening of Bullying in School-Aged Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaillancourt, Tracy; Trinh, Vi; McDougall, Patricia; Duku, Eric; Cunningham, Lesley; Cunningham, Charles; Hymel, Shelley; Short, Kathy

2010-01-01

A two-part screening procedure was used to assess school-age children's experience with bullying. In the first part 16,799 students (8,195 girls, 8,604 boys) in grades 4 to 12 were provided with a definition of bullying and then asked about their experiences using two general questions from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (1996). In the…

Two approaches to the rapid screening of crystallization conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcpherson, Alexander

1992-01-01

A screening procedure is described for estimating conditions under which crystallization will proceed, thus providing a starting point for more careful experiments. The initial procedure uses the experimental setup of McPherson (1982) which supports 24 individual hanging drop experiments for screening variables such as the precipitant type, the pH, the temperature, and the effects of certain additives and which uses about 1 mg of protein. A second approach is proposed (which is rather hypothetical at this stage and needs a larger sample), based on the isoelectric focusing of protein samples on concentration gradients of common precipitating agents. Using this approach, crystals of concanavalin B and canavalin were obtained.

Rapid Two-Step Procedure for Large-Scale Purification of Pediocin-Like Bacteriocins and Other Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides from Complex Culture Medium

PubMed Central

Uteng, Marianne; Hauge, Håvard Hildeng; Brondz, Ilia; Nissen-Meyer, Jon; Fimland, Gunnar

2002-01-01

A rapid and simple two-step procedure suitable for both small- and large-scale purification of pediocin-like bacteriocins and other cationic peptides has been developed. In the first step, the bacterial culture was applied directly on a cation-exchange column (1-ml cation exchanger per 100-ml cell culture). Bacteria and anionic compounds passed through the column, and cationic bacteriocins were subsequently eluted with 1 M NaCl. In the second step, the bacteriocin fraction was applied on a low-pressure, reverse-phase column and the bacteriocins were detected as major optical density peaks upon elution with propanol. More than 80% of the activity that was initially in the culture supernatant was recovered in both purification steps, and the final bacteriocin preparation was more than 90% pure as judged by analytical reverse-phase chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. PMID:11823243

Validated measurements of microbial loads on environmental surfaces in intensive care units before and after disinfecting cleaning.

PubMed

Frickmann, H; Bachert, S; Warnke, P; Podbielski, A

2018-03-01

Preanalytic aspects can make results of hygiene studies difficult to compare. Efficacy of surface disinfection was assessed with an evaluated swabbing procedure. A validated microbial screening of surfaces was performed in the patients' environment and from hands of healthcare workers on two intensive care units (ICUs) prior to and after a standardized disinfection procedure. From a pure culture, the recovery rate of the swabs for Staphylococcus aureus was 35%-64% and dropped to 0%-22% from a mixed culture with 10-times more Staphylococcus epidermidis than S. aureus. Microbial surface loads 30 min before and after the cleaning procedures were indistinguishable. The quality-ensured screening procedure proved that adequate hygiene procedures are associated with a low overall colonization of surfaces and skin of healthcare workers. Unchanged microbial loads before and after surface disinfection demonstrated the low additional impact of this procedure in the endemic situation when the pathogen load prior to surface disinfection is already low. Based on a validated screening system ensuring the interpretability and reliability of the results, the study confirms the efficiency of combined hand and surface hygiene procedures to guarantee low rates of bacterial colonization. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Customizing G Protein-coupled receptor models for structure-based virtual screening.

PubMed

de Graaf, Chris; Rognan, Didier

2009-01-01

This review will focus on the construction, refinement, and validation of G Protein-coupled receptor models for the purpose of structure-based virtual screening. Practical tips and tricks derived from concrete modeling and virtual screening exercises to overcome the problems and pitfalls associated with the different steps of the receptor modeling workflow will be presented. These examples will not only include rhodopsin-like (class A), but also secretine-like (class B), and glutamate-like (class C) receptors. In addition, the review will present a careful comparative analysis of current crystal structures and their implication on homology modeling. The following themes will be discussed: i) the use of experimental anchors in guiding the modeling procedure; ii) amino acid sequence alignments; iii) ligand binding mode accommodation and binding cavity expansion; iv) proline-induced kinks in transmembrane helices; v) binding mode prediction and virtual screening by receptor-ligand interaction fingerprint scoring; vi) extracellular loop modeling; vii) virtual filtering schemes. Finally, an overview of several successful structure-based screening shows that receptor models, despite structural inaccuracies, can be efficiently used to find novel ligands.

Development and implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance program at a community endoscopy facility.

PubMed

Hilsden, Robert Jay; Rostom, Alaa; Dubé, Catherine; Pontifex, Darlene; McGregor, S Elizabeth; Bridges, Ronald J

2011-10-01

Quality assurance (QA) is a process that includes the systematic evaluation of a service, institution of improvements and ongoing evaluation to ensure that effective changes were made. QA is a fundamental component of any organized colorectal cancer screening program. However, it should play an equally important role in opportunistic screening. Establishing the processes and procedures for a comprehensive QA program can be a daunting proposition for an endoscopy unit. The present article describes the steps taken to establish a QA program at the Forzani & MacPhail Colon Cancer Screening Centre (Calgary, Alberta) - a colorectal cancer screening centre and nonhospital endoscopy unit that is dedicated to providing colorectal cancer screening-related colonoscopies. Lessons drawn from the authors' experience may help others develop their own initiatives. The Global Rating Scale, a quality assessment and improvement tool developed for the gastrointestinal endoscopy services of the United Kingdom's National Health Service, was used as the framework to develop the QA program. QA activities include monitoring the patient experience through surveys, creating endoscopist report cards on colonoscopy performance, tracking and evaluating adverse events and monitoring wait times.

Anti-nuclear antibody screening using HEp-2 cells.

PubMed

Buchner, Carol; Bryant, Cassandra; Eslami, Anna; Lakos, Gabriella

2014-06-23

The American College of Rheumatology position statement on ANA testing stipulates the use of IIF as the gold standard method for ANA screening(1). Although IIF is an excellent screening test in expert hands, the technical difficulties of processing and reading IIF slides--such as the labor intensive slide processing, manual reading, the need for experienced, trained technologists and the use of dark room--make the IIF method difficult to fit in the workflow of modern, automated laboratories. The first and crucial step towards high quality ANA screening is careful slide processing. This procedure is labor intensive, and requires full understanding of the process, as well as attention to details and experience. Slide reading is performed by fluorescent microscopy in dark rooms, and is done by trained technologists who are familiar with the various patterns, in the context of cell cycle and the morphology of interphase and dividing cells. Provided that IIF is the first line screening tool for SARD, understanding the steps to correctly perform this technique is critical. Recently, digital imaging systems have been developed for the automated reading of IIF slides. These systems, such as the NOVA View Automated Fluorescent Microscope, are designed to streamline the routine IIF workflow. NOVA View acquires and stores high resolution digital images of the wells, thereby separating image acquisition from interpretation; images are viewed an interpreted on high resolution computer monitors. It stores images for future reference and supports the operator's interpretation by providing fluorescent light intensity data on the images. It also preliminarily categorizes results as positive or negative, and provides pattern recognition for positive samples. In summary, it eliminates the need for darkroom, and automates and streamlines the IIF reading/interpretation workflow. Most importantly, it increases consistency between readers and readings. Moreover, with the use of barcoded slides, transcription errors are eliminated by providing sample traceability and positive patient identification. This results in increased patient data integrity and safety. The overall goal of this video is to demonstrate the IIF procedure, including slide processing, identification of common IIF patterns, and the introduction of new advancements to simplify and harmonize this technique.

Two-step glutamate dehydrogenase antigen real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile.

PubMed

Goldenberg, S D; Cliff, P R; Smith, S; Milner, M; French, G L

2010-01-01

Current diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) relies upon detection of toxins A/B in stool by enzyme immunoassay [EIA(A/B)]. This strategy is unsatisfactory because it has a low sensitivity resulting in significant false negatives. We investigated the performance of a two-step algorithm for diagnosis of CDI using detection of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). GDH-positive samples were tested for C. difficile toxin B gene (tcdB) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The performance of the two-step protocol was compared with toxin detection by the Meridian Premier EIA kit in 500 consecutive stool samples from patients with suspected CDI. The reference standard among samples that were positive by either EIA(A/B) or GDH testing was culture cytotoxin neutralisation (culture/CTN). Thirty-six (7%) of 500 samples were identified as true positives by culture/CTN. EIA(A/B) identified 14 of the positive specimens with 22 false negatives and two false positives. The two-step protocol identified 34 of the positive samples with two false positives and two false negatives. EIA(A/B) had a sensitivity of 39%, specificity of 99%, positive predictive value of 88% and negative predictive value of 95%. The two-step algorithm performed better, with corresponding values of 94%, 99%, 94% and 99% respectively. Screening for GDH before confirmation of positives by PCR is cheaper than screening all specimens by PCR and is an effective method for routine use. Current EIA(A/B) tests for CDI are of inadequate sensitivity and should be replaced; however, this may result in apparent changes in CDI rates that would need to be explained in national surveillance statistics. Copyright 2009 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid screening of pharmaceutical drugs using thermal desorption - SALDI mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grechnikov, A. A.; Kubasov, A. E.; Georgieva, V. B.; Borodkov, A. S.; Nikiforov, S. M.; Simanovsky, Ya O.; Alimpiev, S. S.

2012-12-01

A novel approach to the rapid screening of pharmaceutical drugs by surface assisted laser desorption-ionization (SALDI) mass spectrometry with the rotating ball interface coupled with temperature programmed thermal desorption has been developed. Analytes were thermally desorbed and deposited onto the surface of amorphous silicon substrate attached to the rotating ball. The ball was rotated and the deposited analytes were analyzed using SALDI. The effectiveness of coupling SALDI mass spectrometry with thermal desorption was evaluated by the direct and rapid analysis of tablets containing lidocaine, diphenhydramine and propranolol without any sample pretreatment. The overall duration of the screening procedure was 30÷40 sec. Real urine samples were studied for drug analysis. It is shown that with simple preparation steps, urine samples can be quantitatively analyzed using the proposed technique with the detection limits in the range of 0.2÷0.5 ng/ml.

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE): a randomized prospective population-based study. Design and baseline characteristics.

PubMed

Rubin, Katrine Hass; Holmberg, Teresa; Rothmann, Mette Juel; Høiberg, Mikkel; Barkmann, Reinhard; Gram, Jeppe; Hermann, Anne Pernille; Bech, Mickael; Rasmussen, Ole; Glüer, Claus C; Brixen, Kim

2015-02-01

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE) is a randomized prospective population-based study investigating the effectiveness of a two-step screening program for osteoporosis in women. This paper reports the study design and baseline characteristics of the study population. 35,000 women aged 65-80 years were selected at random from the population in the Region of Southern Denmark and-before inclusion-randomized to either a screening group or a control group. As first step, a self-administered questionnaire regarding risk factors for osteoporosis based on FRAX(®) was issued to both groups. As second step, subjects in the screening group with a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures ≥15% were offered a DXA scan. Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis from the DXA scan were advised to see their GP and discuss pharmaceutical treatment according to Danish National guidelines. The primary outcome is incident clinical fractures as evaluated through annual follow-up using the Danish National Patient Registry. The secondary outcomes are cost-effectiveness, participation rate, and patient preferences. 20,904 (60%) women participated and included in the baseline analyses (10,411 in screening and 10,949 in control group). The mean age was 71 years. As expected by randomization, the screening and control groups had similar baseline characteristics. Screening for osteoporosis is at present not evidence based according to the WHO screening criteria. The ROSE study is expected to provide knowledge of the effectiveness of a screening strategy that may be implemented in health care systems to prevent fractures.

A proposal for the use of uniform diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes in Europe: an opinion paper by the European Board & College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG).

PubMed

Benhalima, Katrien; Mathieu, Chantal; Damm, Peter; Van Assche, André; Devlieger, Roland; Desoye, Gernot; Corcoy, Rosa; Mahmood, Tahir; Nizard, Jacky; Savona-Ventura, Charles; Dunne, Fidelma

2015-07-01

Screening and diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes (GDM) are inconsistent across Europe, and the development of a uniform GDM screening strategy is necessary. Such a strategy would create opportunities for more women to receive timely treatment for GDM. Developing a consensus on screening for GDM in Europe is challenging, as populations are diverse and healthcare delivery systems also differ. The European Board & College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) has responded to this challenge by appointing a steering committee, including members of the EBCOG and the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group (DPSG) associated with the EASD, to develop a proposal for the use of uniform diagnostic criteria for GDM in Europe. A proposal has been developed and has now been approved by the Council of the EBCOG. The current proposal is to screen for overt diabetes at the first prenatal contact using cut-off values for diabetes outside pregnancy, with particular efforts made to screen high-risk groups. When screening for GDM is performed at 24 weeks' gestation or later, the proposal is now to use the 75 g OGTT with the new WHO diagnostic criteria for GDM. However, more research is necessary to evaluate the best GDM screening strategy for different populations in Europe. Therefore, no clear recommendation has been made on whether a universal one-step, two-step or a risk-factor-based screening approach should be used. The use of the same WHO diagnostic GDM criteria across Europe will be an important step towards uniformity.

An Economic Evaluation of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Primary Care Practice

PubMed Central

Meenan, Richard T.; Anderson, Melissa L.; Chubak, Jessica; Vernon, Sally W.; Fuller, Sharon; Wang, Ching-Yun; Green, Beverly B.

2015-01-01

Introduction Recent colorectal cancer screening studies focus on optimizing adherence. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of interventions using electronic health records (EHRs), automated mailings, and stepped support increases to improve 2-year colorectal cancer screening adherence. Methods Analyses were based on a parallel-design, randomized trial in which three stepped interventions (EHR-linked mailings [“automated”], automated plus telephone assistance [“assisted”], or automated and assisted plus nurse navigation to testing completion or refusal [navigated”]) were compared to usual care. Data were from August 2008–November 2011 with analyses performed during 2012–2013. Implementation resources were micro-costed; research and registry development costs were excluded. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were based on number of participants current for screening per guidelines over 2 years. Bootstrapping examined robustness of results. Results Intervention delivery cost per participant current for screening ranged from $21 (automated) to $27 (navigated). Inclusion of induced testing costs (e.g., screening colonoscopy) lowered expenditures for automated (ICER=−$159) and assisted (ICER=−$36) relative to usual care over 2 years. Savings arose from increased fecal occult blood testing, substituting for more expensive colonoscopies in usual care. Results were broadly consistent across demographic subgroups. More intensive interventions were consistently likely to be cost effective relative to less intensive interventions, with willingness to pay values of $600–$1,200 for an additional person current for screening yielding ≥80% probability of cost effectiveness. Conclusions Two-year cost effectiveness of a stepped approach to colorectal cancer screening promotion based on EHR data is indicated, but longer-term cost effectiveness requires further study. PMID:25998922

Benefits of computer screen-based simulation in learning cardiac arrest procedures.

PubMed

Bonnetain, Elodie; Boucheix, Jean-Michel; Hamet, Maël; Freysz, Marc

2010-07-01

What is the best way to train medical students early so that they acquire basic skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as effectively as possible? Studies have shown the benefits of high-fidelity patient simulators, but have also demonstrated their limits. New computer screen-based multimedia simulators have fewer constraints than high-fidelity patient simulators. In this area, as yet, there has been no research on the effectiveness of transfer of learning from a computer screen-based simulator to more realistic situations such as those encountered with high-fidelity patient simulators. We tested the benefits of learning cardiac arrest procedures using a multimedia computer screen-based simulator in 28 Year 2 medical students. Just before the end of the traditional resuscitation course, we compared two groups. An experiment group (EG) was first asked to learn to perform the appropriate procedures in a cardiac arrest scenario (CA1) in the computer screen-based learning environment and was then tested on a high-fidelity patient simulator in another cardiac arrest simulation (CA2). While the EG was learning to perform CA1 procedures in the computer screen-based learning environment, a control group (CG) actively continued to learn cardiac arrest procedures using practical exercises in a traditional class environment. Both groups were given the same amount of practice, exercises and trials. The CG was then also tested on the high-fidelity patient simulator for CA2, after which it was asked to perform CA1 using the computer screen-based simulator. Performances with both simulators were scored on a precise 23-point scale. On the test on a high-fidelity patient simulator, the EG trained with a multimedia computer screen-based simulator performed significantly better than the CG trained with traditional exercises and practice (16.21 versus 11.13 of 23 possible points, respectively; p<0.001). Computer screen-based simulation appears to be effective in preparing learners to use high-fidelity patient simulators, which present simulations that are closer to real-life situations.

Development of metallization process. FSA project, cell and module formation research area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, A., III

1984-01-01

New pastes were evaluated that contained additives to aid in the silicon-to-metallization contact. None were completely successful. A reevaluation of the molybdenum oxide paste and the two-step screen printing process was done. The oxide paste did not show promise. The two-step process enabled soldering of the cells but the cells still had a high series resistance. Pastes are on order from a different manufacturer.

A Rapid, Presumptive Procedure for the Detection of Salmonella in Foods and Food Ingredients

PubMed Central

Hoben, D. A.; Ashton, D. H.; Peterson, A. C.

1973-01-01

A rapid detection procedure was developed in which a lysine-iron-cystine-neutral red (LICNR) broth medium, originally described by Hargrove et al. in 1971, was modified and used to detect the presence of viable Salmonella organisms in a variety of foods, food ingredients, and feed materials by using a two-step enrichment technique. Tetrathionate broth was used to enrich samples with incubation at 41 C for 20 hr, followed by transfer to LICNR broth and incubation at 37 C for 24 hr for further enrichment and for the detection of Salmonella organisms by color change. One hundred ten samples representing 18 different sample types were evaluated for the presence of viable Salmonella. Ninety-four percent of the samples found to be presumptive positive by this method were confirmed as positive by a culture method. Fluorescent-antibody results also compared closely. A second study was conducted under quality-control laboratory conditions by using procedures currently employed for Salmonella detection. One hundred forty-three samples representing 19 different sample types were evaluated for the presence of viable Salmonella. No false negatives were observed with the rapid-detection method. The usefulness of the LICNR broth procedure as a screening technique to eliminate negative samples rapidly and to identify presumptive positive samples for the presence of viable Salmonella organisms was established in this laboratory. PMID:4568884

Procedures for central auditory processing screening in schoolchildren.

PubMed

Carvalho, Nádia Giulian de; Ubiali, Thalita; Amaral, Maria Isabel Ramos do; Santos, Maria Francisca Colella

2018-03-22

Central auditory processing screening in schoolchildren has led to debates in literature, both regarding the protocol to be used and the importance of actions aimed at prevention and promotion of auditory health. Defining effective screening procedures for central auditory processing is a challenge in Audiology. This study aimed to analyze the scientific research on central auditory processing screening and discuss the effectiveness of the procedures utilized. A search was performed in the SciELO and PUBMed databases by two researchers. The descriptors used in Portuguese and English were: auditory processing, screening, hearing, auditory perception, children, auditory tests and their respective terms in Portuguese. original articles involving schoolchildren, auditory screening of central auditory skills and articles in Portuguese or English. studies with adult and/or neonatal populations, peripheral auditory screening only, and duplicate articles. After applying the described criteria, 11 articles were included. At the international level, central auditory processing screening methods used were: screening test for auditory processing disorder and its revised version, screening test for auditory processing, scale of auditory behaviors, children's auditory performance scale and Feather Squadron. In the Brazilian scenario, the procedures used were the simplified auditory processing assessment and Zaidan's battery of tests. At the international level, the screening test for auditory processing and Feather Squadron batteries stand out as the most comprehensive evaluation of hearing skills. At the national level, there is a paucity of studies that use methods evaluating more than four skills, and are normalized by age group. The use of simplified auditory processing assessment and questionnaires can be complementary in the search for an easy access and low-cost alternative in the auditory screening of Brazilian schoolchildren. Interactive tools should be proposed, that allow the selection of as many hearing skills as possible, validated by comparison with the battery of tests used in the diagnosis. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

One-Step and Two-Step Facility Acquisition for Military Construction: Project Selection and Implementation Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

the guidance in this report. 1-4. Scope This guidance covers selection of projects suitable for a One-Step or Two-Step approach, development of design...conducted, focus on resolving proposal deficiencies; prices are not "negotiated" in the common use of the term. A Request for Proposal (RFP) states project ...carefully examines experience and past performance in the design of similar projects and building types. Quality of

Crafty Corner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naturescope, 1986

1986-01-01

Presents step-by-step procedures for two arts and crafts lessons that focus on mammals. Directions are offered for making mammal-shaped dough magnets and also for creating mammal note cards. Examples of each are illustrated. (ML)

The Effects of Varying Levels of Treatment Integrity on Child Compliance during Treatment with a Three-Step Prompting Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, David A.; Atwell, Julie; Wine, Byron

2006-01-01

The effects of three levels of treatment integrity (100%, 50%, and 0%) on child compliance were evaluated in the context of the implementation of a three-step prompting procedure. Two typically developing preschool children participated in the study. After baseline data on compliance to one of three common demands were collected, a therapist…

Test data analysis for concentrating photovoltaic arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maish, A. B.; Cannon, J. E.

A test data analysis approach for use with steady state efficiency measurements taken on concentrating photovoltaic arrays is presented. The analysis procedures can be used to identify based and erroneous data. The steps involved in analyzing the test data are screening the data, developing coefficients for the performance equation, analyzing statistics to ensure adequacy of the regression fit to the data, and plotting the data. In addition, this paper analyzes the sources and magnitudes of precision and bias errors that affect measurement accuracy are analyzed.

Using MCDA and GIS for hazardous waste landfill siting considering land scarcity for waste disposal

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

Feo, Giovanni De, E-mail: g.defeo@unisa.it; Gisi, Sabino De

Highlights: • Wasting land for the siting of hazardous waste landfills must be avoided. • The siting procedure is based on a land use map of potentially suitable areas. • All the waste facilities of the management system are simultaneously considered. • A case study is developed considering two multi-criteria techniques. • An innovative criteria weighting tool (PSW) is used in combination with the AHP. - Abstract: The main aim of this study was to develop a procedure that minimizes the wasting of space for the siting of hazardous waste landfills as part of a solid waste management system. Wemore » wanted to tackle the shortage of land for waste disposal that is a serious and growing problem in most large urban regions. The procedure combines a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach with a geographical information system (GIS). The GIS was utilised to obtain an initial screening in order to eliminate unsuitable areas, whereas the MCDA was developed to select the most suitable sites. The novelty of the proposed siting procedure is the introduction of a new screening phase before the macro-siting step aimed at producing a “land use map of potentially suitable areas” for the siting of solid waste facilities which simultaneously takes into consideration all plant types. The issue of obtaining sites evaluations of a specific facility was coupled with the issue of not wasting land appropriate to facilitate other types of waste management options. In the developed case study, the use of an innovative criteria weighting tool (the “Priority Scale”) in combination with the Analytic Hierarchy Process was useful to easier define the priorities of the evaluation criteria in comparison with other classic methods such as the Paired Comparison Technique in combination with the Simple Additive Weighting method.« less

Parameter Optimization for Feature and Hit Generation in a General Unknown Screening Method-Proof of Concept Study Using a Design of Experiment Approach for a High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Procedure after Data Independent Acquisition.

PubMed

Elmiger, Marco P; Poetzsch, Michael; Steuer, Andrea E; Kraemer, Thomas

2018-03-06

High resolution mass spectrometry and modern data independent acquisition (DIA) methods enable the creation of general unknown screening (GUS) procedures. However, even when DIA is used, its potential is far from being exploited, because often, the untargeted acquisition is followed by a targeted search. Applying an actual GUS (including untargeted screening) produces an immense amount of data that must be dealt with. An optimization of the parameters regulating the feature detection and hit generation algorithms of the data processing software could significantly reduce the amount of unnecessary data and thereby the workload. Design of experiment (DoE) approaches allow a simultaneous optimization of multiple parameters. In a first step, parameters are evaluated (crucial or noncrucial). Second, crucial parameters are optimized. The aim in this study was to reduce the number of hits, without missing analytes. The obtained parameter settings from the optimization were compared to the standard settings by analyzing a test set of blood samples spiked with 22 relevant analytes as well as 62 authentic forensic cases. The optimization lead to a marked reduction of workload (12.3 to 1.1% and 3.8 to 1.1% hits for the test set and the authentic cases, respectively) while simultaneously increasing the identification rate (68.2 to 86.4% and 68.8 to 88.1%, respectively). This proof of concept study emphasizes the great potential of DoE approaches to master the data overload resulting from modern data independent acquisition methods used for general unknown screening procedures by optimizing software parameters.

A Two-Step Approach to Analyze Satisfaction Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrari, Pier Alda; Pagani, Laura; Fiorio, Carlo V.

2011-01-01

In this paper a two-step procedure based on Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA) and Multilevel models (MLM) for the analysis of satisfaction data is proposed. The basic hypothesis is that observed ordinal variables describe different aspects of a latent continuous variable, which depends on covariates connected with individual and…

Read Two Impress: An Intervention for Disfluent Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Chase; Rasinski, Timothy; Mohr, Kathleen A. J.

2016-01-01

The authors describe a research-based method to increase students' reading fluency. The method is called Read Two Impress, which is derived from the Neurological Impress Method and the method of repeated readings. The authors provide step-by-step procedures to effectively implement the reading fluency intervention. Previous research indicates that…

Two-Step Semi-Microscale Preparation of a Cinnamate Ester Sunscreen Analog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stabile, Ryan G.; Dicks, Andrew P.

2004-01-01

A student procedure focusing on multistep sunscreen synthesis and spectroscopic analysis is reported. A two-step synthetic pathway towards sunscreens, an analog of a commercially available UV light blocker is designed, given the current high profile nature of skin cancer and media attention towards sunscreens.

Invert biopanning: A novel method for efficient and rapid isolation of scFvs by phage display technology.

PubMed

Rahbarnia, Leila; Farajnia, Safar; Babaei, Hossein; Majidi, Jafar; Veisi, Kamal; Tanomand, Asghar; Akbari, Bahman

2016-11-01

Phage display is a prominent screening technique for development of novel high affinity antibodies against almost any antigen. However, removing false positive clones in screening process remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient and rapid method for isolation of high affinity scFvs by removing NSBs without losing rare specific clones. Therefore, a novel two rounds strategy called invert biopanning was developed for isolating high affinity scFvs against EGFRvIII antigen from human scFv library. The efficiency of invert biopanning method (procedure III) was analyzed by comparing with results of conventional biopanning methods (procedures I and II). According to the results of polyclonal ELISA, the second round of procedure III displayed highest binding affinity against EGFRvIII peptide accompanied by lowest NSB comparing to other two procedures. Several positive clones were identified among output phages of procedure III by monoclonal phage ELISA which displayed high affinity to EGFRvIII antigen. In conclusion, results of our study indicate that invert biopanning is an efficient method for avoiding NSBs and conservation of rare specific clones during screening of a scFv phage library. Novel anti EGFRvIII scFv isolated could be a promising candidate for potential use in treatment of EGFRvIII expressing cancers. Copyright © 2016 International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Target-Based High Throughput Screen Yields Trypanosoma brucei Hexokinase Small Molecule Inhibitors with Antiparasitic Activity

PubMed Central

Sharlow, Elizabeth R.; Lyda, Todd A.; Dodson, Heidi C.; Mustata, Gabriela; Morris, Meredith T.; Leimgruber, Stephanie S.; Lee, Kuo-Hsiung; Kashiwada, Yoshiki; Close, David; Lazo, John S.; Morris, James C.

2010-01-01

Background The parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei utilizes glycolysis exclusively for ATP production during infection of the mammalian host. The first step in this metabolic pathway is mediated by hexokinase (TbHK), an enzyme essential to the parasite that transfers the γ-phospho of ATP to a hexose. Here we describe the identification and confirmation of novel small molecule inhibitors of bacterially expressed TbHK1, one of two TbHKs expressed by T. brucei, using a high throughput screening assay. Methodology/Principal Findings Exploiting optimized high throughput screening assay procedures, we interrogated 220,233 unique compounds and identified 239 active compounds from which ten small molecules were further characterized. Computation chemical cluster analyses indicated that six compounds were structurally related while the remaining four compounds were classified as unrelated or singletons. All ten compounds were ∼20-17,000-fold more potent than lonidamine, a previously identified TbHK1 inhibitor. Seven compounds inhibited T. brucei blood stage form parasite growth (0.03≤EC50<3 µM) with parasite specificity of the compounds being demonstrated using insect stage T. brucei parasites, Leishmania promastigotes, and mammalian cell lines. Analysis of two structurally related compounds, ebselen and SID 17387000, revealed that both were mixed inhibitors of TbHK1 with respect to ATP. Additionally, both compounds inhibited parasite lysate-derived HK activity. None of the compounds displayed structural similarity to known hexokinase inhibitors or human African trypanosomiasis therapeutics. Conclusions/Significance The novel chemotypes identified here could represent leads for future therapeutic development against the African trypanosome. PMID:20405000

Pre-implantation genetic screening using fluorescence in situ hybridization in couples of Indian ethnicity: Is there a scope?

PubMed Central

Saxena, Shailaja Gada; Desai, Kundanbala; Shewale, Lata; Ranjan, Prabhat

2014-01-01

CONTEXT: There is a high incidence of numerical chromosomal aberration in couples with repeated in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure, advanced maternal age, repeated unexplained abortions, severe male factor infertility and unexplained infertility. Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), a variant of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, screens numerical chromosomal aberrations in couples with normal karyotype, experiencing poor reproductive outcome. The present study includes the results of the initial pilot study on 9 couples who underwent 10 PGS cycles. AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of PGS in couples with poor reproductive outcome. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Data of initial 9 couples who underwent 10 PGS for various indications was evaluated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Blastomere biopsy was performed on cleavage stage embryos and subjected to two round fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y as a two-step procedure. RESULTS: Six of the 9 couples (10 PGS cycles) conceived, including a twin pregnancy in a couple with male factor infertility, singleton pregnancies in a couple with secondary infertility, in three couples with adverse obstetric outcome in earlier pregnancies and in one couple with repeated IVF failure. CONCLUSION: In the absence of availability of array-comparative genomic hybridization in diagnostic clinical scenario for PGS and promising results with FISH based PGS as evident from the current pilot study, it is imperative to offer the best available services in the present scenario for better pregnancy outcome for patients. PMID:24829527

Assessment of tissue allograft safety monitoring with administrative healthcare databases: a pilot project using Medicare data.

PubMed

Dhakal, Sanjaya; Burwen, Dale R; Polakowski, Laura L; Zinderman, Craig E; Wise, Robert P

2014-03-01

Assess whether Medicare data are useful for monitoring tissue allograft safety and utilization. We used health care claims (billing) data from 2007 for 35 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, a predominantly elderly population. Using search terms for transplant-related procedures, we generated lists of ICD-9-CM and CPT(®) codes and assessed the frequency of selected allograft procedures. Step 1 used inpatient data and ICD-9-CM procedure codes. Step 2 added non-institutional provider (e.g., physician) claims, outpatient institutional claims, and CPT codes. We assembled preliminary lists of diagnosis codes for infections after selected allograft procedures. Many ICD-9-CM codes were ambiguous as to whether the procedure involved an allograft. Among 1.3 million persons with a procedure ascertained using the list of ICD-9-CM codes, only 1,886 claims clearly involved an allograft. CPT codes enabled better ascertainment of some allograft procedures (over 17,000 persons had corneal transplants and over 2,700 had allograft skin transplants). For spinal fusion procedures, CPT codes improved specificity for allografts; of nearly 100,000 patients with ICD-9-CM codes for spinal fusions, more than 34,000 had CPT codes indicating allograft use. Monitoring infrequent events (infections) after infrequent exposures (tissue allografts) requires large study populations. A strength of the large Medicare databases is the substantial number of certain allograft procedures. Limitations include lack of clinical detail and donor information. Medicare data can potentially augment passive reporting systems and may be useful for monitoring tissue allograft safety and utilization where codes clearly identify allograft use and coding algorithms can effectively screen for infections.

Imitation and Emulation by Dogs Using a Bidirectional Control Procedure

PubMed Central

Miller, Holly C.; Rayburn-Reeves, Rebecca; Zentall, Thomas R.

2009-01-01

A successful procedure for studying imitative behavior in non-humans is the bidirectional control procedure in which observers are exposed to a demonstrator that responds by moving a manipulandum in one of two different directions (e.g., left vs. right). Imitative learning is demonstrated when observers make the response in the direction that they observed it being made. This procedure controls for socially mediated effects (the mere presence of a demonstrator), stimulus enhancement (attention drawn to a manipulandum by its movement), and if an appropriate control is included, emulation (learning how the environment works). Recent research with dogs has found that dogs may not demonstrate imitative learning when the demonstrator is human. In the present research, we found that when odors were controlled for, dogs imitated the direction of a screen push demonstrated by another dog more than in a control condition in which they observed the screen move independently while another dog was present. Furthermore, we found that dogs would match the direction of screen push demonstrated by a human and they were equally likely to match the direction in which the screen moved independently while a human was present. PMID:18977419

Prospective Study of Combined Colon and Endometrial Cancer Screening in Women With Lynch Syndrome: A Patient-Centered Approach

PubMed Central

Huang, Marilyn; Sun, Charlotte; Boyd-Rogers, Stephanie; Burzawa, Jennifer; Milbourne, Andrea; Keeler, Elizabeth; Yzquierdo, Rebecca; Lynch, Patrick; Peterson, Susan K.; Lu, Karen

2011-01-01

Background: Endometrial and colorectal cancers are the most common cancers in Lynch syndrome. Consensus guidelines recommend annual endometrial biopsy (EMB) and regular colonoscopies. We assessed the feasibility of concurrently performing EMB and colonoscopy and evaluated women's perception of pain, satisfaction, and acceptability. Methods: From July 2002 to December 2009, women who had a gene mutation for Lynch syndrome, met the Amsterdam II criteria, or had a high-risk situation that required screening were prospectively enrolled. After conscious sedation, the procedures were sequentially performed. Patients completed pre- and postprocedure questionnaires assessing pain, level of satisfaction, and acceptability. The Wilcoxon rank test and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare pain scores. Results: Forty-two women completed the study. Median age was 37 years (range, 25 to 73). Nineteen had previously had an EMB in the office setting. Women reported significantly lower median levels of pain in the combined procedure compared with previous office setting biopsies (P < .001). Regardless of parity, women reported significantly less pain for an EMB as part of the combined screen compared with an office EMB (parous, P = .003; nulliparous, P = .026). Women also reported a high level of satisfaction and more convenience in the combined procedure. All participants preferred combined to separately scheduled procedures and would recommend the combined procedure to their relatives. Conclusion: Combined colon and endometrial cancer screening is a patient-centered approach that is feasible, acceptable, and may improve adherence to Lynch syndrome screening recommendations. PMID:21532810

Individualizing drug dosage with longitudinal data.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaolu; Qu, Annie

2016-10-30

We propose a two-step procedure to personalize drug dosage over time under the framework of a log-linear mixed-effect model. We model patients' heterogeneity using subject-specific random effects, which are treated as the realizations of an unspecified stochastic process. We extend the conditional quadratic inference function to estimate both fixed-effect coefficients and individual random effects on a longitudinal training data sample in the first step and propose an adaptive procedure to estimate new patients' random effects and provide dosage recommendations for new patients in the second step. An advantage of our approach is that we do not impose any distribution assumption on estimating random effects. Moreover, the new approach can accommodate more general time-varying covariates corresponding to random effects. We show in theory and numerical studies that the proposed method is more efficient compared with existing approaches, especially when covariates are time varying. In addition, a real data example of a clozapine study confirms that our two-step procedure leads to more accurate drug dosage recommendations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Elastic-net regularization approaches for genome-wide association studies of rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Cho, Seoae; Kim, Haseong; Oh, Sohee; Kim, Kyunga; Park, Taesung

2009-12-15

The current trend in genome-wide association studies is to identify regions where the true disease-causing genes may lie by evaluating thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the whole genome. However, many challenges exist in detecting disease-causing genes among the thousands of SNPs. Examples include multicollinearity and multiple testing issues, especially when a large number of correlated SNPs are simultaneously tested. Multicollinearity can often occur when predictor variables in a multiple regression model are highly correlated, and can cause imprecise estimation of association. In this study, we propose a simple stepwise procedure that identifies disease-causing SNPs simultaneously by employing elastic-net regularization, a variable selection method that allows one to address multicollinearity. At Step 1, the single-marker association analysis was conducted to screen SNPs. At Step 2, the multiple-marker association was scanned based on the elastic-net regularization. The proposed approach was applied to the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) case-control data set of Genetic Analysis Workshop 16. While the selected SNPs at the screening step are located mostly on chromosome 6, the elastic-net approach identified putative RA-related SNPs on other chromosomes in an increased proportion. For some of those putative RA-related SNPs, we identified the interactions with sex, a well known factor affecting RA susceptibility.

21 CFR 1301.90 - Employee screening procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., assumed that the following questions will become a part of an employer's comprehensive employee screening program: Question. Within the past five years, have you been convicted of a felony, or within the past two.... Question. In the past three years, have you ever knowingly used any narcotics, amphetamines or barbiturates...

Community-based evaluation of immigrant tuberculosis screening using interferon γ release assays and tuberculin skin testing: observational study and economic analysis

PubMed Central

Pareek, Manish; Bond, Marion; Shorey, Jennifer; Seneviratne, Suranjith; Guy, Margaret; White, Peter; Lalvani, Ajit; Kon, Onn Min

2017-01-01

Background UK tuberculosis (TB) notifications are rising due to disease in the immigrant population. National screening guidelines have been revised but cost-effectiveness analyses are hampered by the lack of data on the comparative performance of tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) and interferon γ release assays (IGRAs) in immigrants. Methods Three-way evaluation of TSTs and two IGRAs (QuantiFERON Gold in-tube (QFN-GIT) and T-SPOT.TB) in immigrants aged ≥16 years to quantify test positivity, concordance and factors associated with positivity. Yields were computed at different incidence thresholds and the relative cost-effectiveness of screening was estimated using different latent TB infection (LTBI) screening modalities at varying incidence thresholds with or without port-of-arrival chest x-ray (CXR). Results 231 immigrants were included; median age 29 (IQR 24–37). TSTs were accepted by 80.9%, read in 93.5% and 30.3% were positive – QFN-GIT and T-SPOT.TB positive in 16.6% and 22.5% respectively. Positive TSTs, QFN-GIT and T-SPOT.TB were independently associated with increasing TB incidence in immigrants’ countries of origin (p=0.007, 0.007, 0.037 respectively). Implementing current guidance (threshold 40/100 000 per year) would identify 98–100% of LTBIs (depending on test) but entail testing 97–99% of the cohort; screening at 150/100 000 per year would identify 49–71% of LTBIs but only entail screening half the cohort. The two most cost-effective screening strategies were no port-of-entry chest radiography and screen with single-step QFN-GIT at 250/100 000 per year (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER)) £21 565.3/case averted); and no port-of-entry CXR and screen with single-step QFN-GIT at 150/100 000 per year (averted additional 7.8 TB cases; ICER £31 867.1/case averted). Conclusions UK immigrant screening could cost-effectively and safely eliminate mandatory CXR on arrival by emphasising systematic screening for LTBI with single-step IGRA. Intermediate incidence thresholds balance the need to identify as many imported LTBIs as possible against limited service capacity. PMID:22693179

Optimization of design and production strategies for novel adeno-associated viral display peptide libraries.

PubMed

Körbelin, J; Hunger, A; Alawi, M; Sieber, T; Binder, M; Trepel, M

2017-08-01

Libraries displaying random peptides on the surface of adeno-associated virus (AAV) are powerful tools for the generation of target-specific gene therapy vectors. However, for unknown reasons the success rate of AAV library screenings is variable and the influence of the production procedure has not been thoroughly evaluated. During library screenings, the capsid variants with the most favorable tropism are enriched over several selection rounds on a target of choice and identified by subsequent sequencing of the encapsidated viral genomes encoding the library capsids with targeting peptide insertions. Thus, a high capsid-genome correlation is crucial to obtain the correct information about the selected capsid variants. Producing AAV libraries by a two-step protocol with pseudotyped library transfer shuttles has been proposed as one way to ensure such a correlation. Here we show that AAV2 libraries produced by such a protocol via transfer shuttles display an unexpected additional bias in the amino-acid composition which confers increased heparin affinity and thus similarity to wildtype AAV2 tropism. This bias may fundamentally impair the intended use of AAV libraries, discouraging the use of transfer shuttles for the production of AAV libraries in the future.

16 CFR 1610.6 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Test procedure. 1610.6 Section 1610.6... FLAMMABILITY OF CLOTHING TEXTILES The Standard § 1610.6 Test procedure. The test procedure is divided into two... according to paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (a) Step 1—Testing in the original state. (1) Tests shall be...

16 CFR 1610.6 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Test procedure. 1610.6 Section 1610.6... FLAMMABILITY OF CLOTHING TEXTILES The Standard § 1610.6 Test procedure. The test procedure is divided into two... according to paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (a) Step 1—Testing in the original state. (1) Tests shall be...

16 CFR 1610.6 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Test procedure. 1610.6 Section 1610.6... FLAMMABILITY OF CLOTHING TEXTILES The Standard § 1610.6 Test procedure. The test procedure is divided into two... according to paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (a) Step 1—Testing in the original state. (1) Tests shall be...

Assessing and reporting uncertainties in dietary exposure analysis: Mapping of uncertainties in a tiered approach.

PubMed

Kettler, Susanne; Kennedy, Marc; McNamara, Cronan; Oberdörfer, Regina; O'Mahony, Cian; Schnabel, Jürgen; Smith, Benjamin; Sprong, Corinne; Faludi, Roland; Tennant, David

2015-08-01

Uncertainty analysis is an important component of dietary exposure assessments in order to understand correctly the strength and limits of its results. Often, standard screening procedures are applied in a first step which results in conservative estimates. If through those screening procedures a potential exceedance of health-based guidance values is indicated, within the tiered approach more refined models are applied. However, the sources and types of uncertainties in deterministic and probabilistic models can vary or differ. A key objective of this work has been the mapping of different sources and types of uncertainties to better understand how to best use uncertainty analysis to generate more realistic comprehension of dietary exposure. In dietary exposure assessments, uncertainties can be introduced by knowledge gaps about the exposure scenario, parameter and the model itself. With this mapping, general and model-independent uncertainties have been identified and described, as well as those which can be introduced and influenced by the specific model during the tiered approach. This analysis identifies that there are general uncertainties common to point estimates (screening or deterministic methods) and probabilistic exposure assessment methods. To provide further clarity, general sources of uncertainty affecting many dietary exposure assessments should be separated from model-specific uncertainties. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Evaluating wait times from screening to breast cancer diagnosis among women undergoing organised assessment vs usual care

PubMed Central

Chiarelli, Anna M; Muradali, Derek; Blackmore, Kristina M; Smith, Courtney R; Mirea, Lucia; Majpruz, Vicky; O'Malley, Frances P; Quan, May Lynn; Holloway, Claire MB

2017-01-01

Background: Timely coordinated diagnostic assessment following an abnormal screening mammogram reduces patient anxiety and may optimise breast cancer prognosis. Since 1998, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) has offered organised assessment through Breast Assessment Centres (BACs). For OBSP women seen at a BAC, an abnormal mammogram is followed by coordinated referrals through the use of navigators for further imaging, biopsy, and surgical consultation as indicated. For OBSP women seen through usual care (UC), further diagnostic imaging is arranged directly from the screening centre and/or through their physician; results must be communicated to the physician who is then responsible for arranging any necessary biopsy and/or surgical consultation. This study aims to evaluate factors associated with diagnostic wait times for women undergoing assessment through BAC and UC. Methods: Of the 2 147 257 women aged 50–69 years screened in the OBSP between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2009, 155 866 (7.3%) had an abnormal mammogram. A retrospective design identified two concurrent cohorts of women diagnosed with screen-detected breast cancer at a BAC (n=4217; 47%) and UC (n=4827; 53%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between wait times and assessment and prognostic characteristics by pathway. A two-sided 5% significance level was used. Results: Screened women with breast cancer were two times more likely to be diagnosed within 7 weeks when assessed through a BAC vs UC (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.73–2.10). In addition, compared with UC, women assessed through a BAC were significantly more likely to have their first assessment procedure within 3 weeks of their abnormal mammogram (OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.12–1.39), ⩽3 assessment procedures (OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.41–1.69), ⩽2 assessment visits (OR=1.86, 95% CI=1.70–2.05), and ⩾2 procedures per visit (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.28–1.55). Women diagnosed through a BAC were also more likely than those in UC to have imaging (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.44–2.75) or a biopsy (OR=3.69, 95% CI=2.64–5.15) vs consultation only at their first assessment visit, and two times more likely to have a core or FNA biopsy than a surgical biopsy (OR=2.08, 95% CI=1.81–2.40). Having ⩽2 assessment visits was more likely to reduce time to diagnosis for women assessed through a BAC compared with UC (BAC OR=10.58, 95% CI=8.96–12.50; UC OR=4.47, 95% CI=3.94–5.07), as was having ⩽3 assessment procedures (BAC OR=4.97, 95% CI=4.26–5.79; UC OR=2.95, 95% CI=2.61–3.33). Income quintile affected wait times only in women diagnosed in UC, with those in the two highest quintiles more likely to receive a diagnosis in 7 weeks. Conclusions: Women with screen-detected breast cancer in OBSP were more likely to have shorter wait times if they were diagnosed through organised assessment. This might be as a result of women diagnosed through a BAC having more procedures per visit, procedures scheduled in shorter intervals, and imaging or biopsy on their first visit. Given the significant improvement in timeliness to diagnosis, women with abnormal mammograms should be managed through organised assessment. PMID:28359079

Evaluating wait times from screening to breast cancer diagnosis among women undergoing organised assessment vs usual care.

PubMed

Chiarelli, Anna M; Muradali, Derek; Blackmore, Kristina M; Smith, Courtney R; Mirea, Lucia; Majpruz, Vicky; O'Malley, Frances P; Quan, May Lynn; Holloway, Claire Mb

2017-05-09

Timely coordinated diagnostic assessment following an abnormal screening mammogram reduces patient anxiety and may optimise breast cancer prognosis. Since 1998, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) has offered organised assessment through Breast Assessment Centres (BACs). For OBSP women seen at a BAC, an abnormal mammogram is followed by coordinated referrals through the use of navigators for further imaging, biopsy, and surgical consultation as indicated. For OBSP women seen through usual care (UC), further diagnostic imaging is arranged directly from the screening centre and/or through their physician; results must be communicated to the physician who is then responsible for arranging any necessary biopsy and/or surgical consultation. This study aims to evaluate factors associated with diagnostic wait times for women undergoing assessment through BAC and UC. Of the 2 147 257 women aged 50-69 years screened in the OBSP between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2009, 155 866 (7.3%) had an abnormal mammogram. A retrospective design identified two concurrent cohorts of women diagnosed with screen-detected breast cancer at a BAC (n=4217; 47%) and UC (n=4827; 53%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between wait times and assessment and prognostic characteristics by pathway. A two-sided 5% significance level was used. Screened women with breast cancer were two times more likely to be diagnosed within 7 weeks when assessed through a BAC vs UC (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.73-2.10). In addition, compared with UC, women assessed through a BAC were significantly more likely to have their first assessment procedure within 3 weeks of their abnormal mammogram (OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.12-1.39), ⩽3 assessment procedures (OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.41-1.69), ⩽2 assessment visits (OR=1.86, 95% CI=1.70-2.05), and ⩾2 procedures per visit (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.28-1.55). Women diagnosed through a BAC were also more likely than those in UC to have imaging (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.44-2.75) or a biopsy (OR=3.69, 95% CI=2.64-5.15) vs consultation only at their first assessment visit, and two times more likely to have a core or FNA biopsy than a surgical biopsy (OR=2.08, 95% CI=1.81-2.40). Having ⩽2 assessment visits was more likely to reduce time to diagnosis for women assessed through a BAC compared with UC (BAC OR=10.58, 95% CI=8.96-12.50; UC OR=4.47, 95% CI=3.94-5.07), as was having ⩽3 assessment procedures (BAC OR=4.97, 95% CI=4.26-5.79; UC OR=2.95, 95% CI=2.61-3.33). Income quintile affected wait times only in women diagnosed in UC, with those in the two highest quintiles more likely to receive a diagnosis in 7 weeks. Women with screen-detected breast cancer in OBSP were more likely to have shorter wait times if they were diagnosed through organised assessment. This might be as a result of women diagnosed through a BAC having more procedures per visit, procedures scheduled in shorter intervals, and imaging or biopsy on their first visit. Given the significant improvement in timeliness to diagnosis, women with abnormal mammograms should be managed through organised assessment.

An economic evaluation of colorectal cancer screening in primary care practice.

PubMed

Meenan, Richard T; Anderson, Melissa L; Chubak, Jessica; Vernon, Sally W; Fuller, Sharon; Wang, Ching-Yun; Green, Beverly B

2015-06-01

Recent colorectal cancer screening studies focus on optimizing adherence. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of interventions using electronic health records (EHRs); automated mailings; and stepped support increases to improve 2-year colorectal cancer screening adherence. Analyses were based on a parallel-design, randomized trial in which three stepped interventions (EHR-linked mailings ["automated"]; automated plus telephone assistance ["assisted"]; or automated and assisted plus nurse navigation to testing completion or refusal [navigated"]) were compared to usual care. Data were from August 2008 to November 2011, with analyses performed during 2012-2013. Implementation resources were micro-costed; research and registry development costs were excluded. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were based on number of participants current for screening per guidelines over 2 years. Bootstrapping examined robustness of results. Intervention delivery cost per participant current for screening ranged from $21 (automated) to $27 (navigated). Inclusion of induced testing costs (e.g., screening colonoscopy) lowered expenditures for automated (ICER=-$159) and assisted (ICER=-$36) relative to usual care over 2 years. Savings arose from increased fecal occult blood testing, substituting for more expensive colonoscopies in usual care. Results were broadly consistent across demographic subgroups. More intensive interventions were consistently likely to be cost effective relative to less intensive interventions, with willingness to pay values of $600-$1,200 for an additional person current for screening yielding ≥80% probability of cost effectiveness. Two-year cost effectiveness of a stepped approach to colorectal cancer screening promotion based on EHR data is indicated, but longer-term cost effectiveness requires further study. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two-step purification method of vitellogenin from three teleost fish species: rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and chub (Leuciscus cephalus).

PubMed

Brion, F; Rogerieux, F; Noury, P; Migeon, B; Flammarion, P; Thybaud, E; Porcher, J M

2000-01-14

A two-step purification protocol was developed to purify rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) vitellogenin (Vtg) and was successfully applied to Vtg of chub (Leuciscus cephalus) and gudgeon (Gobio gobio). Capture and intermediate purification were performed by anion-exchange chromatography on a Resource Q column and a polishing step was performed by gel permeation chromatography on Superdex 200 column. This method is a rapid two-step purification procedure that gave a pure solution of Vtg as assessed by silver staining electrophoresis and immunochemical characterisation.

Development and application of a DNA microarray-based yeast two-hybrid system

PubMed Central

Suter, Bernhard; Fontaine, Jean-Fred; Yildirimman, Reha; Raskó, Tamás; Schaefer, Martin H.; Rasche, Axel; Porras, Pablo; Vázquez-Álvarez, Blanca M.; Russ, Jenny; Rau, Kirstin; Foulle, Raphaele; Zenkner, Martina; Saar, Kathrin; Herwig, Ralf; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel A.; Wanker, Erich E.

2013-01-01

The yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system is the most widely applied methodology for systematic protein–protein interaction (PPI) screening and the generation of comprehensive interaction networks. We developed a novel Y2H interaction screening procedure using DNA microarrays for high-throughput quantitative PPI detection. Applying a global pooling and selection scheme to a large collection of human open reading frames, proof-of-principle Y2H interaction screens were performed for the human neurodegenerative disease proteins huntingtin and ataxin-1. Using systematic controls for unspecific Y2H results and quantitative benchmarking, we identified and scored a large number of known and novel partner proteins for both huntingtin and ataxin-1. Moreover, we show that this parallelized screening procedure and the global inspection of Y2H interaction data are uniquely suited to define specific PPI patterns and their alteration by disease-causing mutations in huntingtin and ataxin-1. This approach takes advantage of the specificity and flexibility of DNA microarrays and of the existence of solid-related statistical methods for the analysis of DNA microarray data, and allows a quantitative approach toward interaction screens in human and in model organisms. PMID:23275563

Physician Service Attribution Methods for Examining Provision of Low-Value Care

PubMed Central

Chang, Eva; Buist, Diana SM; Handley, Matthew; Pardee, Roy; Gundersen, Gabrielle; Reid, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Objectives: There has been significant research on provider attribution for quality and cost. Low-value care is an area of heightened focus, with little of the focus being on measurement; a key methodological decision is how to attribute delivered services and procedures. We illustrate the difference in relative and absolute physician- and panel-attributed services and procedures using overuse in cervical cancer screening. Study Design: A retrospective, cross-sectional study in an integrated health care system. Methods: We used 2013 physician-level data from Group Health Cooperative to calculate two utilization attributions: (1) panel attribution with the procedure assigned to the physician’s predetermined panel, regardless of who performed the procedure; and (2) physician attribution with the procedure assigned to the performing physician. We calculated the percentage of low-value cervical cancer screening tests and ranked physicians within the clinic using the two utilization attribution methods. Results: The percentage of low-value cervical cancer screening varied substantially between physician and panel attributions. Across the whole delivery system, median panel- and physician-attributed percentages were 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Among sampled clinics, panel-attributed percentages ranged between 10 percent and 17 percent, and physician-attributed percentages ranged between 9 percent and 13 percent. Within a clinic, median panel-attributed screening percentage was 17 percent (range 0 percent–27 percent) and physician-attributed percentage was 11 percent (range 0 percent–24 percent); physician rank varied by attribution method. Conclusions: The attribution method is an important methodological decision when developing low-value care measures since measures may ultimately have an impact on national benchmarking and quality scores. Cross-organizational dialogue and transparency in low-value care measurement will become increasingly important for all stakeholders. PMID:28203612

Physician Service Attribution Methods for Examining Provision of Low-Value Care.

PubMed

Chang, Eva; Buist, Diana Sm; Handley, Matthew; Pardee, Roy; Gundersen, Gabrielle; Reid, Robert J

2016-01-01

There has been significant research on provider attribution for quality and cost. Low-value care is an area of heightened focus, with little of the focus being on measurement; a key methodological decision is how to attribute delivered services and procedures. We illustrate the difference in relative and absolute physician- and panel-attributed services and procedures using overuse in cervical cancer screening. A retrospective, cross-sectional study in an integrated health care system. We used 2013 physician-level data from Group Health Cooperative to calculate two utilization attributions: (1) panel attribution with the procedure assigned to the physician's predetermined panel, regardless of who performed the procedure; and (2) physician attribution with the procedure assigned to the performing physician. We calculated the percentage of low-value cervical cancer screening tests and ranked physicians within the clinic using the two utilization attribution methods. The percentage of low-value cervical cancer screening varied substantially between physician and panel attributions. Across the whole delivery system, median panel- and physician-attributed percentages were 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Among sampled clinics, panel-attributed percentages ranged between 10 percent and 17 percent, and physician-attributed percentages ranged between 9 percent and 13 percent. Within a clinic, median panel-attributed screening percentage was 17 percent (range 0 percent-27 percent) and physician-attributed percentage was 11 percent (range 0 percent-24 percent); physician rank varied by attribution method. The attribution method is an important methodological decision when developing low-value care measures since measures may ultimately have an impact on national benchmarking and quality scores. Cross-organizational dialogue and transparency in low-value care measurement will become increasingly important for all stakeholders.

Evaluation of a Rapid One-step Real-time PCR Method as a High-throughput Screening for Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA in a Resource-limited Setting.

PubMed

Rashed-Ul Islam, S M; Jahan, Munira; Tabassum, Shahina

2015-01-01

Virological monitoring is the best predictor for the management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Consequently, it is important to use the most efficient, rapid and cost-effective testing systems for HBV DNA quantification. The present study compared the performance characteristics of a one-step HBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) vs the two-step HBV PCR method for quantification of HBV DNA from clinical samples. A total of 100 samples consisting of 85 randomly selected samples from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 15 samples from apparently healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Of the 85 CHB clinical samples tested, HBV DNA was detected from 81% samples by one-step PCR method with median HBV DNA viral load (VL) of 7.50 × 10 3 lU/ml. In contrast, 72% samples were detected by the two-step PCR system with median HBV DNA of 3.71 × 10 3 lU/ml. The one-step method showed strong linear correlation with two-step PCR method (r = 0.89; p < 0.0001). Both methods showed good agreement at Bland-Altman plot, with a mean difference of 0.61 log 10 IU/ml and limits of agreement of -1.82 to 3.03 log 10 IU/ml. The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation (CV%) of plasma samples (4-7 log 10 IU/ml) for the one-step PCR method ranged between 0.33 to 0.59 and 0.28 to 0.48 respectively, thus demonstrating a high level of concordance between the two methods. Moreover, elimination of the DNA extraction step in the one-step PCR kit allowed time-efficient and significant labor and cost savings for the quantification of HBV DNA in a resource limited setting. Rashed-Ul Islam SM, Jahan M, Tabassum S. Evaluation of a Rapid One-step Real-time PCR Method as a High-throughput Screening for Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA in a Resource-limited Setting. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2015;5(1):11-15.

Evaluation of a Rapid One-step Real-time PCR Method as a High-throughput Screening for Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA in a Resource-limited Setting

PubMed Central

Jahan, Munira; Tabassum, Shahina

2015-01-01

Virological monitoring is the best predictor for the management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Consequently, it is important to use the most efficient, rapid and cost-effective testing systems for HBV DNA quantification. The present study compared the performance characteristics of a one-step HBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) vs the two-step HBV PCR method for quantification of HBV DNA from clinical samples. A total of 100 samples consisting of 85 randomly selected samples from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 15 samples from apparently healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Of the 85 CHB clinical samples tested, HBV DNA was detected from 81% samples by one-step PCR method with median HBV DNA viral load (VL) of 7.50 × 103 lU/ml. In contrast, 72% samples were detected by the two-step PCR system with median HBV DNA of 3.71 × 103 lU/ml. The one-step method showed strong linear correlation with two-step PCR method (r = 0.89; p < 0.0001). Both methods showed good agreement at Bland-Altman plot, with a mean difference of 0.61 log10 IU/ml and limits of agreement of -1.82 to 3.03 log10 IU/ml. The intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation (CV%) of plasma samples (4-7 log10 IU/ml) for the one-step PCR method ranged between 0.33 to 0.59 and 0.28 to 0.48 respectively, thus demonstrating a high level of concordance between the two methods. Moreover, elimination of the DNA extraction step in the one-step PCR kit allowed time-efficient and significant labor and cost savings for the quantification of HBV DNA in a resource limited setting. How to cite this article Rashed-Ul Islam SM, Jahan M, Tabassum S. Evaluation of a Rapid One-step Real-time PCR Method as a High-throughput Screening for Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA in a Resource-limited Setting. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2015;5(1):11-15. PMID:29201678

Complete Versus Staged Repair for Neonates With Tetralogy of Fallot: Establishment and Validation of a Cohort of 2235 Patients Using Detailed Surgery Sequence Review of Health Care Administrative Data.

PubMed

Savla, Jill J; Fisher, Brian T; Faerber, Jennifer A; Huang, Yuan-Shung V; Mercer-Rosa, Laura

2017-12-12

The surgical strategy for neonates with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) consists of complete or staged repair. Assessing the comparative effectiveness of these approaches is facilitated by a large multicenter cohort. We propose a novel process for cohort assembly using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), an administrative database that contains clinical and billing data for inpatient and emergency department stays from tertiary children's hospitals. A 4-step process was used to identify neonates with TOF: (1) screen neonates in PHIS with International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) diagnosis or procedure codes for TOF; (2) include patients with TOF procedures before 30 days of age; (3) exclude patients with missing 2-year follow-up data; (4) analyze patients' 2-year surgery sequence patterns, exclude patients inconsistent with a treatment strategy for TOF, and designate patients as complete or staged repair. Manual chart review at 1 PHIS center was performed to validate this process. Between January 2004 and March 2015, 5862 patients were identified in step 1. Step 2 of cohort assembly excluded 3425 patients (58%); step 3 excluded 148 patients (3%); and step 4 excluded 54 patients (1%). The final cohort consisted of 2235 neonates with TOF from 45 hospitals. Manual chart review of 336 patients showed a positive predictive value for accurate PHIS identification of 44% after step 1 and 97% after step 4. This systematic cohort identification algorithm resulted in a high positive predictive value to appropriately categorize patients. This carefully assembled cohort offers a unique opportunity for future studies in neonatal TOF outcomes.

Two-step purification of His-tagged Nef protein in native condition using heparin and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographies.

PubMed

Finzi, Andrés; Cloutier, Jonathan; Cohen, Eric A

2003-07-01

The Nef protein encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been shown to be an important factor of progression of viral growth and pathogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo. The lack of a simple procedure to purify Nef in its native conformation has limited molecular studies on Nef function. A two-step procedure that includes heparin and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographies (IMACs) was developed to purify His-tagged Nef (His(6)-Nef) expressed in bacteria in native condition. During the elaboration of this purification procedure, we identified two closely SDS-PAGE-migrating contaminating bacterial proteins, SlyD and GCHI, that co-eluted with His(6)-Nef in IMAC in denaturing condition and developed purification steps to eliminate these contaminants in native condition. Overall, this study describes a protocol that allows rapid purification of His(6)-Nef protein expressed in bacteria in native condition and that removes metal affinity resin-binding bacterial proteins that can contaminate recombinant His-tagged protein preparation.

Effect of protocol-related variables and women's characteristics on the cumulative false-positive risk in breast cancer screening

PubMed Central

Román, R.; Sala, M.; Salas, D.; Ascunce, N.; Zubizarreta, R.; Castells, X.

2012-01-01

Background: Reducing the false-positive risk in breast cancer screening is important. We examined how the screening-protocol and women's characteristics affect the cumulative false-positive risk. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 1 565 364 women aged 45–69 years who underwent 4 739 498 screening mammograms from 1990 to 2006. Multilevel discrete hazard models were used to estimate the cumulative false-positive risk over 10 sequential mammograms under different risk scenarios. Results: The factors affecting the false-positive risk for any procedure and for invasive procedures were double mammogram reading [odds ratio (OR) = 2.06 and 4.44, respectively], two mammographic views (OR = 0.77 and 1.56, respectively), digital mammography (OR = 0.83 for invasive procedures), premenopausal status (OR = 1.31 and 1.22, respectively), use of hormone replacement therapy (OR = 1.03 and 0.84, respectively), previous invasive procedures (OR = 1.52 and 2.00, respectively), and a familial history of breast cancer (OR = 1.18 and 1.21, respectively). The cumulative false-positive risk for women who started screening at age 50–51 was 20.39% [95% confidence interval (CI) 20.02–20.76], ranging from 51.43% to 7.47% in the highest and lowest risk profiles, respectively. The cumulative risk for invasive procedures was 1.76% (95% CI 1.66–1.87), ranging from 12.02% to 1.58%. Conclusions: The cumulative false-positive risk varied widely depending on the factors studied. These findings are relevant to provide women with accurate information and to improve the effectiveness of screening programs. PMID:21430183

Parameter estimation for terrain modeling from gradient data. [navigation system for Martian rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dangelo, K. R.

1974-01-01

A method is developed for modeling terrain surfaces for use on an unmanned Martian roving vehicle. The modeling procedure employs a two-step process which uses gradient as well as height data in order to improve the accuracy of the model's gradient. Least square approximation is used in order to stochastically determine the parameters which describe the modeled surface. A complete error analysis of the modeling procedure is included which determines the effect of instrumental measurement errors on the model's accuracy. Computer simulation is used as a means of testing the entire modeling process which includes the acquisition of data points, the two-step modeling process and the error analysis. Finally, to illustrate the procedure, a numerical example is included.

Design of self-coded combinatorial libraries to facilitate direct analysis of ligands by mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Hughes, I

1998-09-24

The direct analysis of selected components from combinatorial libraries by sensitive methods such as mass spectrometry is potentially more efficient than deconvolution and tagging strategies since additional steps of resynthesis or introduction of molecular tags are avoided. A substituent selection procedure is described that eliminates the mass degeneracy commonly observed in libraries prepared by "split-and-mix" methods, without recourse to high-resolution mass measurements. A set of simple rules guides the choice of substituents such that all components of the library have unique nominal masses. Additional rules extend the scope by ensuring that characteristic isotopic mass patterns distinguish isobaric components. The method is applicable to libraries having from two to four varying substituent groups and can encode from a few hundred to several thousand components. No restrictions are imposed on the manner in which the "self-coded" library is synthesized or screened.

Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality Screening Strategies: A Step-Wise Approach for IAQ Screening.

PubMed

Wong, Ling-Tim; Mui, Kwok-Wai; Tsang, Tsz-Wun

2016-12-14

Conducting a full indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment in air-conditioned offices requires large-scale material and manpower resources. However, an IAQ index can be adopted as a handy screening tool to identify any premises (with poor IAQ) that need more comprehensive IAQ assessments to prioritize IAQ improvements. This study proposes a step-wise IAQ screening protocol to facilitate its cost-effective management among building owners and managers. The effectiveness of three IAQ indices, namely θ₁ (with one parameter: CO₂), θ₂ (with two parameters: CO₂ and respirable suspended particulates, RSP) and θ₃ (with three parameters: CO₂, RSP, and total volatile organic compounds, TVOC) are evaluated. Compared in a pairwise manner with respect to the minimum satisfaction levels as stated in the IAQ Certification Scheme by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, the results show that a screening test with more surrogate IAQ parameters is good at identifying both lower and higher risk groups for unsatisfactory IAQ, and thus offers higher resolution. Through the sensitivity and specificity for identifying IAQ problems, the effectiveness of alternative IAQ screening methods with different monitoring parameters is also reported.

Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality Screening Strategies: A Step-Wise Approach for IAQ Screening

PubMed Central

Wong, Ling-tim; Mui, Kwok-wai; Tsang, Tsz-wun

2016-01-01

Conducting a full indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment in air-conditioned offices requires large-scale material and manpower resources. However, an IAQ index can be adopted as a handy screening tool to identify any premises (with poor IAQ) that need more comprehensive IAQ assessments to prioritize IAQ improvements. This study proposes a step-wise IAQ screening protocol to facilitate its cost-effective management among building owners and managers. The effectiveness of three IAQ indices, namely θ1 (with one parameter: CO2), θ2 (with two parameters: CO2 and respirable suspended particulates, RSP) and θ3 (with three parameters: CO2, RSP, and total volatile organic compounds, TVOC) are evaluated. Compared in a pairwise manner with respect to the minimum satisfaction levels as stated in the IAQ Certification Scheme by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, the results show that a screening test with more surrogate IAQ parameters is good at identifying both lower and higher risk groups for unsatisfactory IAQ, and thus offers higher resolution. Through the sensitivity and specificity for identifying IAQ problems, the effectiveness of alternative IAQ screening methods with different monitoring parameters is also reported. PMID:27983667

Service innovation: a comparison of two approaches for physical screening of psychiatric inpatients.

PubMed

Harrison, Mark Richard; McMillan, Catherine Frances; Dickinson, Timothy

2012-06-01

Psychiatric medications have clear links to obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, hyperprolactinaemia and movement disorders. These disorders are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in psychiatric patients but physical screening by health services is often haphazard. We report the findings of an audit of physical screening across two hospital wards. Each ward undertook a process of service improvement. One ward modified the admissions proforma and the other developed a discharge screening clinic. The effectiveness of each of these interventions was then compared through a reaudit of practice across both wards. At baseline, screening was performed inconsistently and infrequently. On average, the modified admissions proforma increased screening rates by 4.7% compared to 30.7% for discharge screening clinics. The discharge screening clinic demonstrated statistically significant improvements in screening rates and effectively delivered health promotion advice. Discharge screening clinics are significantly more likely than improved admissions procedures to detect clinically significant abnormalities. If these abnormalities are detected and treated then the long-term physical health of psychiatric patients may be improved.

TEACH-M: A pilot study evaluating an instructional sequence for persons with impaired memory and executive functions.

PubMed

Ehlhardt, L A; Sohlberg, M M; Glang, A; Albin, R

2005-08-10

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate an instructional package that facilitates learning and retention of multi-step procedures for persons with severe memory and executive function impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury. The study used a multiple baseline across participants design. Four participants, two males and two females, ranging in age from 36-58 years, were taught a 7-step e-mail task. The instructional package (TEACH-M) was the experimental intervention and the number of correct e-mail steps learned was the dependent variable. Treatment effects were replicated across the four participants and maintained at 30 days post-treatment. Generalization and social validity data further supported the treatment programme. The results suggest that individuals with severe cognitive impairments are capable of learning new skills. Directions for future research include application of the instructional package to other multi-step procedures.

Emergent Conditional Relations in a Go/No-Go Procedure: Figure-Ground and Stimulus-Position Compound Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debert, Paula; Huziwara, Edson M.; Faggiani, Robson Brino; de Mathis, Maria Eugenia Simoes; McIlvane, William J.

2009-01-01

Past research has demonstrated emergent conditional relations using a go/no-go procedure with pairs of figures displayed side-by-side on a computer screen. The present study sought to extend applications of this procedure. In Experiment 1, we evaluated whether emergent conditional relations could be demonstrated when two-component stimuli were…

Comparison of effects of dry versus wet swallowing on Eustachian tube function via a nine-step inflation/deflation test.

PubMed

Adali, M Kemal; Uzun, Cem

2005-09-01

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of swallowing type (dry versus wet) on the outcome of a nine-step inflation/deflation tympanometric Eustachian tube function (ETF) test in healthy adults. Fourteen normal healthy volunteers, between 19 and 28 years of age, were included in the study. The nine-step test was performed in two different test procedures: (1) test with dry swallows (dry test procedure) and (2) test with liquid swallows (wet test procedure). If the equilibration of middle-ear (ME) pressure was successful in all the steps of the nine-step test, ETF was considered 'Good'. Otherwise, the test was considered 'Poor', and the test was repeated at a second session. In the dry test procedure, ETF was 'Good' in 21 ears at the first session and in 24 ears after the second session (p > 0.05). However, in the wet test procedure, ETF was 'Good' in 13 ears at the first session and in 21 ears after the second session (p < 0.05). At the first session, ETF was 'Good' in 21 and 13 ears in the dry and wet test procedures, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, after the second session, the overall number of ears with 'Good' tubal function was almost the same in both test procedures (24 ears at dry test procedures versus 21 ears at wet test procedures;p > 0.05). Dry swallowing seems to be more effective for the equilibration of ME pressure. Thus, a single-session dependent evaluation of ETF may be efficient for the dry test procedure of the nine-step test. Swallowing with water may be easier for subjects, but a repetition of the test at a second session may be necessary when the test result is 'Poor'.

Survey by the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology on screening for gestational diabetes in Europe.

PubMed

Benhalima, Katrien; Mathieu, Chantal; Van Assche, André; Damm, Peter; Devlieger, Roland; Mahmood, Tahir; Dunne, Fidelma

2016-06-01

More uniformity is necessary in screening and diagnosis for gestational diabetes (GDM) across Europe. The European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) has recently recommended to use the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for the diagnosis of GDM. We evaluated the uptake of these EBCOG recommendations in guidelines for GDM screening across Europe. Between September and November 2015, an online survey on the current national or regional recommendations for GDM screening was directed to the 33 European countries that are members of EBCOG. There was a response rate of 84.8% (28 countries). From Belgium, data were separately obtained from the Dutch-and the French-speaking parts and from the UK data were also obtained from Scotland, leading to data from 30 responders. The response rates were high in Central Europe (100%), Northern Europe (100%) and Southern Europe (85.7%) with lower response rates in Eastern Europe (71.4%). 82.1% of guidelines recommend screening for unknown diabetes at first prenatal visit and 67.9% recommend to screen for GDM before 24 weeks of pregnancy. All guidelines recommend to screen for GDM ≥24 weeks, based on risk factors in 64.3% and by universal screening in 35.7%. The most commonly used diagnostic criteria for GDM are the 2013 WHO criteria in 67.9%, the 1999 WHO criteria in 10.7%, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes criteria in 7.1% and the Carpenter & Coustan criteria in 7.1%. Of all societies advising the use of the 2013 WHO criteria, 52.6% recommends this based on risk factors, 10.5% recommends universal screening in a two-step strategy and 36.8% recommends a universal one-step approach with a 75g OGTT. Our survey shows that the majority of European societies now advise to use the 2013 WHO criteria for GDM. However, only 36.8% recommends a universal one-step approach with a 75g OGTT with the majority of societies recommending screening based on risk factors. The use of common diagnostic criteria for GDM by the majority of societies is an important first step towards achieving uniformity in GDM screening across Europe. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Adolescents at Risk through Voluntary School-Based Mental Health Screening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Husky, Mathilde M.; Kaplan, Adam; McGuire, Leslie; Flynn, Laurie; Chrostowski, Christine; Olfson, Mark

2011-01-01

This study compares referrals for mental health services among high school students randomized to two means of referral to mental health services: referral via systematic identification through a brief mental health screening procedure (n = 365) or referral via the usual process of identification by school personnel, parents, or students…

Introduction of basic obstetrical ultrasound screening in undergraduate medical education.

PubMed

Hamza, A; Solomayer, E-F; Takacs, Z; Juhasz-Boes, I; Joukhadar, R; Radosa, J C; Mavrova, R; Marc, W; Volk, T; Meyberg-Solomayer, G

2016-09-01

Teaching ultrasound procedures to undergraduates has recently been proposed to improve the quality of medical education. We address the impact of applying standardized ultrasound teaching to our undergraduates. Medical students received an additional theoretical and practical course involving hands-on ultrasound screening during their mandatory practical training week in obstetrics and gynecology. The students' theoretical knowledge and fetal image recognition skills were tested before and after the course. After the course, the students were asked to answer a course evaluation questionnaire. To standardize the teaching procedure, we used Peyton's 4-Step Approach to teach the skills needed for a German Society of Ultrasound in Medicine Level 1 ultrasound examiner. The multiple-choice question scores after the course showed statistically significant improvement (50 vs. 80 %; P < 0.001). The questionnaire revealed that students were satisfied with the course, felt that it increased their ultrasound knowledge, and indicated that they wanted more sonographic hands-on training in both obstetrics and gynecology and other medical fields. Using practical, hands-on medical teaching is an emerging method for undergraduate education that should be further evaluated, standardized, and developed.

Developmental Screening in Community Health Care Centers and Pediatric Practices: An Evaluation of the Baby Steps Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shannon, Patrick; Anderson, Patti Rawding

2008-01-01

The Baby Steps Program (Easter Seals of New Hampshire, 2003) is a child-find program that introduces developmental specialists into health care settings to conduct developmental screenings with children during well-child visits. This article presents the Baby Steps Program model, summaries of screening and referral data, and the results of 3 focus…

47 CFR 80.319 - Radiotelegraph distress call and message transmission procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., when time is vital, the first and second steps may be omitted. These two steps of the distress... transmissions under paragraphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, which are to permit direction finding stations...

47 CFR 80.319 - Radiotelegraph distress call and message transmission procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., when time is vital, the first and second steps may be omitted. These two steps of the distress... transmissions under paragraphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, which are to permit direction finding stations...

47 CFR 80.319 - Radiotelegraph distress call and message transmission procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., when time is vital, the first and second steps may be omitted. These two steps of the distress... transmissions under paragraphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, which are to permit direction finding stations...

47 CFR 80.319 - Radiotelegraph distress call and message transmission procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., when time is vital, the first and second steps may be omitted. These two steps of the distress... transmissions under paragraphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, which are to permit direction finding stations...

47 CFR 80.319 - Radiotelegraph distress call and message transmission procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., when time is vital, the first and second steps may be omitted. These two steps of the distress... transmissions under paragraphs (a) (5) and (6) of this section, which are to permit direction finding stations...

Guideline for assessing the performance of electric power systems in natural hazard and human threat events

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, W.U.; Nishenko, S.P.; Honegger, D.G.; Kempner, L.

2006-01-01

Electric power utilities are familiar with and skilled in preparing for and responding to almost-routine natural hazard events such as strong wind and ice storms and seasonal floods, as well as intentional human acts such as vandalism. Recent extreme weather (hurricanes Katrina and Rita), extremely destructive international earthquakes (in Sumatra and Pakistan), and nation-wide concerns regarding future terrorist attacks have increased the pressure on utilities to take appropriate steps to avoid being overwhelmed by such infrequent and exceedingly severe events. Determining what constitutes the appropriate steps to take requires various levels of understanding of the specific hazards and the risks faced by the utility. The American Lifelines Alliance (www. americanlifelinesalliance.org) has prepared a Guideline that provides clear, concise, and nationally-applicable guidance on determining the scope and level of effort necessary to assess power system performance in the wide range of natural hazard or human threat events. Included in this Guideline are specific procedures to follow and information to consider in performing standardized assessments. With the results of such assessments, utility owners can effectively establish and carry out risk management programs that will lead to achieving appropriate levels of performance in future events. The Guideline incorporates an inquiry-driven process with a two-phase performance assessment that can be applied to power systems of any size. The screening phase enables systems or components that are clearly not at risk to be screened out early. The subsequent analysis phase uses results from the screening phase to prioritize and allocate resources for more detailed assessments of hazard, vulnerability, and system performance. This process helps assure that the scope of the assessment meets the specific performance objectives of the inquiry. A case history is presented to illustrate the type of experience with an inquiry-driven process that was considered in developing the Guideline to meet the diverse needs of utility personnel in engineering, operations, and management. Copyright ASCE 2007.

Determination of Total Carbohydrates in Algal Biomass: Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP)

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

Van Wychen, Stefanie; Laurens, Lieve M. L.

This procedure uses two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis to hydrolyze the polymeric forms of carbohydrates in algal biomass into monomeric subunits. The monomers are then quantified by either HPLC or a suitable spectrophotometric method.

Blurry-frame detection and shot segmentation in colonoscopy videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, JungHwan; Hwang, Sae; Tavanapong, Wallapak; de Groen, Piet C.; Wong, Johnny

2003-12-01

Colonoscopy is an important screening procedure for colorectal cancer. During this procedure, the endoscopist visually inspects the colon. Human inspection, however, is not without error. We hypothesize that colonoscopy videos may contain additional valuable information missed by the endoscopist. Video segmentation is the first necessary step for the content-based video analysis and retrieval to provide efficient access to the important images and video segments from a large colonoscopy video database. Based on the unique characteristics of colonoscopy videos, we introduce a new scheme to detect and remove blurry frames, and segment the videos into shots based on the contents. Our experimental results show that the average precision and recall of the proposed scheme are over 90% for the detection of non-blurry images. The proposed method of blurry frame detection and shot segmentation is extensible to the videos captured from other endoscopic procedures such as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, enteroscopy, cystoscopy, and laparoscopy.

Organizational Factors and the Cancer Screening Process

PubMed Central

Zapka, Jane; Edwards, Heather; Taplin, Stephen H.

2010-01-01

Cancer screening is a process of care consisting of several steps and interfaces. This article reviews what is known about the association between organizational factors and cancer screening rates and examines how organizational strategies can address the steps and interfaces of cancer screening in the context of both intraorganizational and interorganizational processes. We reviewed 79 studies assessing the relationship between organizational factors and cancer screening. Screening rates are largely driven by strategies to 1) limit the number of interfaces across organizational boundaries; 2) recruit patients, promote referrals, and facilitate appointment scheduling; and 3) promote continuous patient care. Optimal screening rates can be achieved when health-care organizations tailor strategies to the steps and interfaces in the cancer screening process that are most critical for their organizations, the providers who work within them, and the patients they serve. PMID:20386053

Organizational factors and the cancer screening process.

PubMed

Anhang Price, Rebecca; Zapka, Jane; Edwards, Heather; Taplin, Stephen H

2010-01-01

Cancer screening is a process of care consisting of several steps and interfaces. This article reviews what is known about the association between organizational factors and cancer screening rates and examines how organizational strategies can address the steps and interfaces of cancer screening in the context of both intraorganizational and interorganizational processes. We reviewed 79 studies assessing the relationship between organizational factors and cancer screening. Screening rates are largely driven by strategies to 1) limit the number of interfaces across organizational boundaries; 2) recruit patients, promote referrals, and facilitate appointment scheduling; and 3) promote continuous patient care. Optimal screening rates can be achieved when health-care organizations tailor strategies to the steps and interfaces in the cancer screening process that are most critical for their organizations, the providers who work within them, and the patients they serve.

Transient Evoked and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in a Group of Neonates

PubMed Central

Silva, Giovanna Cesar; Delecrode, Camila Ribas; Kemp, Adriana Tahara; Martins, Fabiana; Cardoso, Ana Claudia Vieira

2015-01-01

Introduction The most commonly used method in neonatal hearing screening programs is transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in the first stage of the process. There are few studies comparing transient evoked otoacoustic emissions with distortion product, but some authors have investigated the issue. Objective To correlate the results of transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions in a Brazilian maternity hospital. Methods This is a cross-sectional, comparative, and prospective study. The study included 579 newborns, ranging from 6 to 54 days of age, born in a low-risk maternity hospital and assessed for hearing loss. All neonates underwent hearing screening by transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. The results were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test to relate the two procedures. Results The pass index on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions was 95% and on distortion product otoacoustic emissions was 91%. The comparison of the two procedures showed that 91% of neonates passed on both procedures, 4.5% passed only on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, 0.5% passed only on distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and 4% failed on both procedures. The inferential analysis showed a significant strong positive relationship between the two procedures. Conclusion The failure rate was higher in distortion product otoacoustic emissions when compared with transient evoked; however, there was correlation between the results of the procedures. PMID:26157501

Mass screening of multiple abdominal solid organs using mobile helical computed tomography scanner--a preliminary report.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Susumu; Aoki, Jun; Ohwada, Susumu; Takahashi, Toru; Morishita, Yasuo; Ueda, Keisuke

2007-04-01

The possibility of a new screening procedure for multiple abdominal solid organs using a mobile helical computed tomography (CT) scanner was evaluated. A total of 4,543 residents, who were 40 years of age or older, received CT scanning without contrast medium. The mean age of participants was 64 years including 2,022 males and 2,521 females. A total of 2,105 abnormal findings were uniquely detected in 1,594 participants. Liver and kidney diseases including ureter occupied around 30% of total abnormal findings, respectively. Besides frequent cystic or calcified lesions, solid tumours were suspected in 56 lesions, which received further examination by specialized physicians. Five (9%) of them were confirmed as being malignant tumours including pancreatic cancer in two patients, and liver, lung and ovary cancers in one patient each, respectively. All five patients with each malignant lesion received curative operations. Small-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms and heart valve diseases were uniquely found in 22 and two patients, respectively. Qualitative diagnoses of solid tumours were difficult using CT findings without contrast medium. CT screening procedures require further investigation in aspect of the selection of examinees, CT scanning procedure, sensitivity and specificity, and cost-effectiveness.

Developing Inventory Records Using the AppleWorks Data Base Subprogram and Apple IIe or GS Computers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.

This manual is a "how to" training device for developing inventory records in the AppleWorks program using an Apple IIe or Apple IIGS Computer with Duodisk or two disk drives and an 80-column card. The manual provides step-by-step directions, and includes 17 figures depicting the computer screen at the various stages of the inventory…

Completing the cervical screening pathway: Factors that facilitate the increase of self-collection uptake among under-screened and never-screened women, an Australian pilot study.

PubMed

McLachlan, E; Anderson, S; Hawkes, D; Saville, M; Arabena, K

2018-02-01

To examine factors that enhance under-screened and never-screened women's completion of the self-collection alternative pathway of the Renewed National Cervical Screening Program (ncsp) in Victoria, Australia. With the Australian ncsp changing, starting on 1 December 2017, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (msac) recommended implementing human papillomavirus (hpv) testing using a self-collected sample for under-screened and never-screened populations. In response, a multi-agency group implemented an hpv self-collection pilot project to trial self-collection screening pathways for eligible women. Quantitative data were collected on participation rates and compliance rates with follow-up procedures across three primary health care settings. Forty women who self-collected were interviewed in a semi-structured format, and seven agency staff completed in-depth interviews. Qualitative data were used to identify and understand clinical and personal enablers that assisted women to complete self-collection cervical screening pathways successfully. Eighty-five per cent (10 women) of participants who tested positive for hpv successfully received their results and completed follow-up procedures as required. Two remaining participants also received hpv-positive results. However, agencies were unable to engage them in follow-up services and procedures. The overall participation rate in screening (self-collection or Pap test) was 85.7% (84 women), with 79 women self-collecting. Qualitative data indicated that clear explanations on self-collection, development of trusting, empathetic relationships with health professionals, and recognition of participants' past experiences were critical to the successful completion of the self-collection pathway. When asked about possible inhibitors to screening and to following up on results and appointments, women cited poor physical and mental health, as well as financial and other structural barriers. A well-implemented process, led by trusted, knowledgeable, and engaged health care professionals who can provide appropriate support and information, can assist under-screened and never-screened women to complete the hpv self-collection pathway successfully.

Cyquant cell proliferation assay as a fluorescence-based method for in vitro screening of antimalarial activity.

PubMed

Sriwilaijaroen, Nongluk; Kelly, Jane Xu; Riscoe, Michael; Wilairat, Prapon

2004-12-01

The appearance of drug resistant parasites and the absence of an effective vaccine have resulted in the need for new effective antimalarial drugs. Consequently, a convenient method for in vitro screening of large numbers of antimalarial drug candidates has become apparent. The CyQUANT cell proliferation assay is a highly sensitive fluorescence-based method for quantitation of cell number by measuring the strong fluorescence produced when green GR dye binds to nucleic acids. We have applied the CyQUANT assay method to evaluate the growth of Plasmodium falciparum D6 strain in culture. The GR-nucleic acid fluorescence linearly correlated with percent parasitemia at both 0.75 or 1 percent hematocrit with the same correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.99. The sensitivity of P. falciparum D6 strain to chloroquine and to 3,6-bis-omega-diethylaminoamyloxyxanthone, a novel antimalarial, determined by the CyQUANT assay were comparable to those obtained by the traditional [3H]-ethanolamine assay: IC50 value of chloroquine was 54 nM and 51 nM by the CyQUANT and [3H]-ethanolamine assay, respectively; IC50 value for 3,6-bis-omega-diethylaminoamyloxyxanthone was 254 nM and 223 nM by the CyQUANT and [3H]-ethanolamine assay, respectively. This procedure requires no radioisotope, uses simple equipment, and is an easy and convenient procedure, with no washing and harvesting steps. Moreover, all procedures can be set up continuously and thus, the CyQUANT assay is suitable in automatic high through-put drug screening of antimalarial drugs.

When instructions fail. The effects of stimulus control training on brain injury survivors' attending and reporting during hearing screenings.

PubMed

Schlund, M W

2000-10-01

Bedside hearing screenings are routinely conducted by speech and language pathologists for brain injury survivors during rehabilitation. Cognitive deficits resulting from brain injury, however, may interfere with obtaining estimates of auditory thresholds. Poor comprehension or attention deficits often compromise patient abilities to follow procedural instructions. This article describes the effects of jointly applying behavioral methods and psychophysical methods to improve two severely brain-injured survivors' attending and reporting on auditory test stimuli presentation. Treatment consisted of stimulus control training that involved differentially reinforcing responding in the presence and absence of an auditory test tone. Subsequent hearing screenings were conducted with novel auditory test tones and a common titration procedure. Results showed that prior stimulus control training improved attending and reporting such that hearing screenings were conducted and estimates of auditory thresholds were obtained.

Ultrahigh-Dimensional Multiclass Linear Discriminant Analysis by Pairwise Sure Independence Screening

PubMed Central

Pan, Rui; Wang, Hansheng; Li, Runze

2016-01-01

This paper is concerned with the problem of feature screening for multi-class linear discriminant analysis under ultrahigh dimensional setting. We allow the number of classes to be relatively large. As a result, the total number of relevant features is larger than usual. This makes the related classification problem much more challenging than the conventional one, where the number of classes is small (very often two). To solve the problem, we propose a novel pairwise sure independence screening method for linear discriminant analysis with an ultrahigh dimensional predictor. The proposed procedure is directly applicable to the situation with many classes. We further prove that the proposed method is screening consistent. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the new procedure. We also demonstrate the proposed methodology via an empirical analysis of a real life example on handwritten Chinese character recognition. PMID:28127109

A head-mounted display-based personal integrated-image monitoring system for transurethral resection of the prostate.

PubMed

Yoshida, Soichiro; Kihara, Kazunori; Takeshita, Hideki; Fujii, Yasuhisa

2014-12-01

The head-mounted display (HMD) is a new image monitoring system. We developed the Personal Integrated-image Monitoring System (PIM System) using the HMD (HMZ-T2, Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) in combination with video splitters and multiplexers as a surgical guide system for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The imaging information obtained from the cystoscope, the transurethral ultrasonography (TRUS), the video camera attached to the HMD, and the patient's vital signs monitor were split and integrated by the PIM System and a composite image was displayed by the HMD using a four-split screen technique. Wearing the HMD, the lead surgeon and the assistant could simultaneously and continuously monitor the same information displayed by the HMD in an ergonomically efficient posture. Each participant could independently rearrange the images comprising the composite image depending on the engaging step. Two benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients underwent TURP performed by surgeons guided with this system. In both cases, the TURP procedure was successfully performed, and their postoperative clinical courses had no remarkable unfavorable events. During the procedure, none of the participants experienced any HMD-wear related adverse effects or reported any discomfort.

16 CFR § 1610.6 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Test procedure. § 1610.6 Section § 1610.6... FLAMMABILITY OF CLOTHING TEXTILES The Standard § 1610.6 Test procedure. The test procedure is divided into two... according to paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (a) Step 1—Testing in the original state. (1) Tests shall be...

Architecture design of a generic centralized adjudication module integrated in a web-based clinical trial management system

PubMed Central

Zhao, Wenle; Pauls, Keith

2015-01-01

Background Centralized outcome adjudication has been used widely in multi-center clinical trials in order to prevent potential biases and to reduce variations in important safety and efficacy outcome assessments. Adjudication procedures could vary significantly among different studies. In practice, the coordination of outcome adjudication procedures in many multicenter clinical trials remains as a manual process with low efficiency and high risk of delay. Motivated by the demands from two large clinical trial networks, a generic outcome adjudication module has been developed by the network’s data management center within a homegrown clinical trial management system. In this paper, the system design strategy and database structure are presented. Methods A generic database model was created to transfer different adjudication procedures into a unified set of sequential adjudication steps. Each adjudication step was defined by one activate condition, one lock condition, one to five categorical data items to capture adjudication results, and one free text field for general comments. Based on this model, a generic outcome adjudication user interface and a generic data processing program were developed within a homegrown clinical trial management system to provide automated coordination of outcome adjudication. Results By the end of 2014, this generic outcome adjudication module had been implemented in 10 multicenter trials. A total of 29 adjudication procedures were defined with the number of adjudication steps varying from 1 to 7. The implementation of a new adjudication procedure in this generic module took an experienced programmer one or two days. A total of 7,336 outcome events had been adjudicated and 16,235 adjudication step activities had been recorded. In a multicenter trial, 1144 safety outcome event submissions went through a three-step adjudication procedure and reported a median of 3.95 days from safety event case report form submission to adjudication completion. In another trial, 277 clinical outcome events were adjudicated by a six-step procedure and took a median of 23.84 days from outcome event case report form submission to adjudication procedure completion. Conclusions A generic outcome adjudication module integrated in the clinical trial management system made the automated coordination of efficacy and safety outcome adjudication a reality. PMID:26464429

METHOD OF PREPARING A CERAMIC FUEL ELEMENT

DOEpatents

Ross, W.T.; Bloomster, C.H.; Bardsley, R.E.

1963-09-01

A method is described for preparing a fuel element from -325 mesh PuO/ sub 2/ and -20 mesh UO/sub 2/, and the steps of screening --325 mesh UO/sub 2/ from the -20 mesh UO/sub 2/, mixing PuO/sub 2/ with the --325 mesh UO/sub 2/, blending this mixture with sufficient --20 mesh UO/sub 2/ to obtain the desired composition, introducing the blend into a metal tube, repeating the procedure until the tube is full, and vibrating the tube to compact the powder are included. (AEC)

Rapid Analysis of Bisphenol A and Its Analogues in Food Packaging Products by Paper Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Chen, Shuo; Chang, Quanying; Yin, Kai; He, Qunying; Deng, Yongxiu; Chen, Bo; Liu, Chengbin; Wang, Ying; Wang, Liping

2017-06-14

In this study, a paper spray ionization mass spectrometric (PS-MS) method was developed for the rapid in situ screening and simultaneous quantitative analysis of bisphenol A and its analogues, i.e., bisphenol S, bisphenol F, and bisphenol AF, in food packaging products. At the optimal PS-MS conditions, the calibration curves of bisphenols in the range of 1-100 μg/mL were linear. The correlation coefficients were higher than 0.998, and the LODs of the target compounds were 0.1-0.3 μg/mL. After a simple treatment by dichloromethane on the surface, the samples were analyzed by PS-MS in situ for rapid screening without a traditional sample pretreatment procedure, such as powdering, extraction, and enrichment steps. The analytical time of the PS-MS method was less than 1 min. In comparison with conventional HPLC-MS/MS, it was demonstrated that PS-MS was a more effective high-throughput screening and quantitative analysis method.

Cross-sectional survey on awareness of colorectal cancer and a screening programme for primary health care professionals in Catalonia, Spain.

PubMed

Benito, L; García, M; Binefa, G; Mila, N; Vidal, C; Lluch, M T; Puig, M

2016-11-01

This study aimed to assess whether primary health care professionals have accurate information regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening procedures, surveillance recommendations and referral strategies. This cross-sectional descriptive study was based on a survey conducted among primary health care professionals in Barcelona, Spain. The questionnaire was used to gather information regarding CRC screening procedures as well as demographic and professional characteristics of the study subjects. A CRC and screening awareness score (ranging from 0 to 12) was created based on the survey questions. The response rate was 58.9% (206/305). The estimated mean score (standard deviation) was 8.43 (SD: 1.30). For four questions, more than 60% of the answers were incorrect: one related to risk factors, two concerning follow-up colonoscopy, and one related to surveillance. Only 30.8% of the participants believed that they were responsible for determining the appropriate surveillance intervals and for scheduling colonoscopies. Although the professionals had sufficient knowledge of CRC screening, professional knowledge of some aspects related to the major non-modifiable risk factors for the disease and surveillance colonoscopy procedures could be improved. Frequent communication with professionals is necessary to maintain updated screening-related information. Possible methods for facilitating communication could include continuous briefings, regular message reminders or educational websites. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

32 CFR 644.409 - Procedures for Interchange of National Forest Lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Procedures for Interchange of National Forest... Interests § 644.409 Procedures for Interchange of National Forest Lands. (a) General. The interchange of national forest lands is accomplished in three steps: first, agreement must be reached between the two...

Screening for Usher Syndrome: A Hands-On Guide for School Nurses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houghton, Joan; Coonts, Teresa; Jordan, Beth; Schafer, Jacqueline, Ed.

This manual was written specifically to help school nurses conduct screenings for Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that involves deafness or hearing loss and the progressive loss of vision. It provides information on the step-by-step process of how to conduct a screening, the actual forms needed for a screening, and resources for referring…

Selecting At-Risk First-Grade Readers for Early Intervention: Eliminating False Positives and Exploring the Promise of a Two-Stage Gated Screening Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Bouton, Bobette; Gilbert, Jennifer K.; Barquero, Laura A.; Cho, Eunsoo; Crouch, Robert C.

2010-01-01

The purposes of this study were (a) to identify measures that when added to a base 1st-grade screening battery help eliminate false positives and (b) to investigate gains in efficiency associated with a 2-stage gated screening procedure. We tested 355 children in the fall of 1st grade and assessed for reading difficulty at the end of 2nd grade.…

Opportunistic detection of atrial fibrillation in subjects aged 65 years or older in primare care: a randomised clinical trial of efficacy. DOFA-AP study protocol.

PubMed

Pérula-de-Torres, Luis Á; Martínez-Adell, Miguel Á; González-Blanco, Virginia; Baena-Díez, José M; Martín-Rioboó, Enrique; Parras-Rejano, Juan M; González-Lama, Jesús; Martín-Alvarez, Remedios; Ruiz-Moral, Roger; Fernández-García, José Á; Pérez-Díaz, Modesto; Ruiz-de-Castroviejo, Joaquin; Pérula-de-Torres, Carlos; Valero-Martín, Antonio; Roldán-Villalobos, Ana; Criado-Larumbe, Margarita; Burdoy-Joaquín, Emili; Coma-Solé, Montserrat; Cervera-León, Mercè; Cuixart-Costa, Lluís

2012-10-30

Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend using peripheral blood pulse measuring as a screening test for Atrial Fibrillation. However, there is no adequate evidence supporting the efficacy of such procedure in primary care clinical practice. This paper describes a study protocol designed to verify whether early opportunistic screening for Atrial Fibrillation by measuring blood pulse is more effective than regular practice in subjects aged 65 years attending primary care centers. An cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in Primary Care Centers of the Spanish National Health Service. A total of 269 physicians and nurses will be allocated to one of the two arms of the trial by stratified randomization with a 3:2 ratio (three practitioners will be assigned to the Control Group for every two practitioners assigned to the Experimental Group). As many as 12 870 patients aged 65 years or older and meeting eligibility criteria will be recruited (8 580 will be allocated to the Experimental Group and 4 290 to the Control Group). Randomization and allocation to trial groups will be carried out by a central computer system. The Experimental Group practitioners will conduct an opportunistic case finding for patients with Atrial Fibrillation, while the Control Group practitioners will follow the regular guidelines. The first step will be finding new Atrial Fibrillation cases. A descriptive inferential analysis will be performed (bivariate and multivariate by multilevel logistic regression analysis). If our hypothesis is confirmed, we expect Primary Care professionals to take a more proactive approach and adopt a new protocol when a patient meeting the established screening criteria is identified. Finally, we expect this measure to be incorporated into Clinical Practice Guidelines. The study is registered as NCT01291953 (ClinicalTrials.gob).

Automatic detection of anomalies in screening mammograms

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Diagnostic performance in breast screening programs may be influenced by the prior probability of disease. Since breast cancer incidence is roughly half a percent in the general population there is a large probability that the screening exam will be normal. That factor may contribute to false negatives. Screening programs typically exhibit about 83% sensitivity and 91% specificity. This investigation was undertaken to determine if a system could be developed to pre-sort screening-images into normal and suspicious bins based on their likelihood to contain disease. Wavelets were investigated as a method to parse the image data, potentially removing confounding information. The development of a classification system based on features extracted from wavelet transformed mammograms is reported. Methods In the multi-step procedure images were processed using 2D discrete wavelet transforms to create a set of maps at different size scales. Next, statistical features were computed from each map, and a subset of these features was the input for a concerted-effort set of naïve Bayesian classifiers. The classifier network was constructed to calculate the probability that the parent mammography image contained an abnormality. The abnormalities were not identified, nor were they regionalized. The algorithm was tested on two publicly available databases: the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM) and the Mammographic Images Analysis Society’s database (MIAS). These databases contain radiologist-verified images and feature common abnormalities including: spiculations, masses, geometric deformations and fibroid tissues. Results The classifier-network designs tested achieved sensitivities and specificities sufficient to be potentially useful in a clinical setting. This first series of tests identified networks with 100% sensitivity and up to 79% specificity for abnormalities. This performance significantly exceeds the mean sensitivity reported in literature for the unaided human expert. Conclusions Classifiers based on wavelet-derived features proved to be highly sensitive to a range of pathologies, as a result Type II errors were nearly eliminated. Pre-sorting the images changed the prior probability in the sorted database from 37% to 74%. PMID:24330643

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE COMPATIBILITY OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

EPA Science Inventory

This report describes a method for determining the compatibility of the binary combinations of hazardous wastes. The method consists of two main parts, namely: (1) the step-by-step compatibility analysis procedures, and (2) the hazardous wastes compatibility chart. The key elemen...

Immunological screening of drugs of abuse and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric confirmation of opiates and cocaine in hair.

PubMed

Segura, J; Stramesi, C; Redón, A; Ventura, M; Sanchez, C J; González, G; San, L; Montagna, M

1999-03-05

The work presents an analytical strategy to detect drugs of abuse in hair. It involves two sequential steps: a screening by a simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methodology to detect opiates, cocaine and its metabolites, and benzodiacepines, followed by confirmation of opiates and cocaine metabolites in positive samples by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the same GC-MS run other drugs for substitution therapy (e.g. methadone and its main metabolite) can also be detected. After a double washing of hair samples with dichloromethane, hair specimens were cut into small pieces and 10 mg samples were incubated in 2 ml of methanol-trifluoroacetic acid (9:1) mixture, overnight at 37 degrees C. Aliquots of the extract were then evaporated, reconstituted in buffer and analysed according to the ELISA procedure. Confirmation involved solid-phase extraction of another fraction of the extract kept at -20 degrees C, derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride and hexafluoroisopropanol and detection of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methylester, cocaethylene, morphine, codeine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, methadone and 2-ethylidene-1.5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpirrolidine (methadone metabolite) by selective ion monitoring after gas chromatographic separation. During the development of the method it was verified that no more than 10% of cocaine, opiates and benzodiacepines were lost when dichloromethane was used to wash real samples. The results also confirmed the increase of extractability power of TFA when it was added to methanol: the recovery for the analytes (cocaine and its metabolites and opiates) added to methanol-TFA alone was of the order of 90% except for benzoylecgonine (75%), and the recovery for the analytes added to methanol-TFA extract of drug-free hair was about 90% for all analytes except for benzoylecgonine and 6-MAM (around 70%). Regarding the stability of labile compounds, only small amounts of ecgonine methylester (2.3%) and morphine (7.2%) were produced, from cocaine and 6-MAM respectively, after the whole extraction procedure and two weeks of storage of methanol-TFA extracts at -20 degrees C. Satisfactory results were obtained when the procedures were applied to the analysis of external proficiency testing hair samples and actual specimens from drug addicts.

Stepwise strategy to improve Cervical Cancer Screening Adherence (SCAN-CC): automated text messages, phone calls and face-to-face interviews: protocol of a population-based randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Firmino-Machado, João; Mendes, Romeu; Moreira, Amélia; Lunet, Nuno

2017-10-05

Screening is highly effective for cervical cancer prevention and control. Population-based screening programmes are widely implemented in high-income countries, although adherence is often low. In Portugal, just over half of the women adhere to cervical cancer screening, contributing for greater mortality rates than in other European countries. The most effective adherence raising strategies are based on patient reminders, small/mass media and face-to-face educational programmes, but sequential interventions targeting the general population have seldom been evaluated. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a stepwise approach, with increasing complexity and cost, to improve adherence to organised cervical cancer screening: step 1a-customised text message invitation; step 1b-customised automated phone call invitation; step 2-secretary phone call; step 3-family health professional phone call and face-to-face appointment. A population-based randomised controlled trial will be implemented in Portuguese urban and rural areas. Women eligible for cervical cancer screening will be randomised (1:1) to intervention and control. In the intervention group, women will be invited for screening through text messages, automated phone calls, manual phone calls and health professional appointments, to be applied sequentially to participants remaining non-adherent after each step. Control will be the standard of care (written letter). The primary outcome is the proportion of women adherent to screening after step 1 or sequences of steps from 1 to 3. The secondary outcomes are: proportion of women screened after each step (1a, 2 and 3); proportion of text messages/phone calls delivered; proportion of women previously screened in a private health institution who change to organised screening. The intervention and control groups will be compared based on intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Northern Health Region Administration and National Data Protection Committee. Results will be disseminated through communications in scientific meetings and peer-reviewed journals. NCT03122275. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Screening for the presence of lipophilic marine biotoxins in shellfish samples using the neuro-2a bioassay.

PubMed

Bodero, Marcia; Bovee, Toine F H; Wang, Si; Hoogenboom, Ron L A P; Klijnstra, Mirjam D; Portier, Liza; Hendriksen, Peter J M; Gerssen, Arjen

2018-02-01

The neuro-2a bioassay is considered as one of the most promising cell-based in vitro bioassays for the broad screening of seafood products for the presence of marine biotoxins. The neuro-2a assay has been shown to detect a wide array of toxins like paralytic shellfish poisons (PSPs), ciguatoxins, and also lipophilic marine biotoxins (LMBs). However, the neuro-2a assay is rarely used for routine testing of samples due to matrix effects that, for example, lead to false positives when testing for LMBs. As a result there are only limited data on validation and evaluation of its performance on real samples. In the present study, the standard extraction procedure for LMBs was adjusted by introducing an additional clean-up step with n-hexane. Recovery losses due to this extra step were less than 10%. This wash step was a crucial addition in order to eliminate false-positive outcomes due to matrix effects. Next, the applicability of this assay was assessed by testing a broad range of shellfish samples contaminated with various LMBs, including diarrhetic shellfish toxins/poisons (DSPs). For comparison, the samples were also analysed by LC-MS/MS. Standards of all regulated LMBs were tested, including analogues of some of these toxins. The neuro-2a cells showed good sensitivity towards all compounds. Extracts of 87 samples, both blank and contaminated with various toxins, were tested. The neuro-2a outcomes were in line with those of LC-MS/MS analysis and support the applicability of this assay for the screening of samples for LMBs. However, for use in a daily routine setting, the test might be further improved and we discuss several recommended modifications which should be considered before a full validation is carried out.

A pragmatic and scalable strategy using mobile technology to promote sustained lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes in India-Outcome of screening.

PubMed

Priscilla, Susairaj; Nanditha, Arun; Simon, Mary; Satheesh, Krishnamoorthy; Kumar, Sathish; Shetty, Ananth Samith; Snehalatha, Chamukuttan; Johnston, Desmond G; Godsland, Ian F; Wareham, Nicholas J; Ramachandran, Ambady

2015-12-01

We describe a two-step screening approach using non-invasive risk assessment and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) to identify participants for a diabetes prevention trial. A total of 6030 non-diabetic persons of 35-55 years were screened using risk assessment for diabetes. Those with three or more risk factors were screened using point of care HbA1c test. For this study, participants in HbA1c categories of 6.0% (42.1 mmol/mol)-6.4% (46.4 mmol/mol) were selected and their characteristics were analyzed. Among 6030 persons, 2835 (47%) had three or more risk factors for diabetes. Among those screened with HbA1c, 43.2% (1225) had HbA1c values of <6.0% (42.1 mmol/mol), 46.8% (1327) had HbA1c values between 6.0% (42.1 mmol/mol) and ≤ 6.4% (46.4 mmol/mol) and 10% (283) had undiagnosed diabetes with ≥6.5% (47.5 mmol/mol). Positive family history was present in 53.2%, 81.7% were obese and 14.8% were overweight. Opportunistic screening using a two-step approach: diabetes risk profile and HbA1c measurement detected a large percentage of individuals with prediabetes. Prediabetic persons recruited to the trial had higher percentage of obesity and presence of positive family history than those who had lower HbA1c values. Outcomes from this trial will enable comparisons with the previous prevention studies that used blood glucose levels as the screening criteria. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

A pre-breeding screening program for transgenic boars based on fluorescence in situ hybridization assay.

PubMed

Bou, Gerelchimeg; Sun, Mingju; Lv, Ming; Zhu, Jiang; Li, Hui; Wang, Juan; Li, Lu; Liu, Zhongfeng; Zheng, Zhong; He, Wenteng; Kong, Qingran; Liu, Zhonghua

2014-08-01

For efficient transgenic herd expansion, only the transgenic animals that possess the ability to transmit transgene into next generation are considered for breeding. However, for transgenic pig, practically lacking a pre-breeding screening program, time, labor and money is always wasted to maintain non-transgenic pigs, low or null transgenic transmission pigs and the related fruitless gestations. Developing a pre-breeding screening program would make the transgenic herd expansion more economical and efficient. In this technical report, we proposed a three-step pre-breeding screening program for transgenic boars simply through combining the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay with the common pre-breeding screening workflow. In the first step of screening, combined with general transgenic phenotype analysis, FISH is used to identify transgenic boars. In the second step of screening, combined with conventional semen test, FISH is used to detect transgenic sperm, thus to identify the individuals producing high quality semen and transgenic sperm. In the third step of screening, FISH is used to assess the in vitro fertilization embryos, thus finally to identify the individuals with the ability to produce transgenic embryos. By this three-step screening, the non-transgenic boars and boars with no ability to produce transgenic sperm or transgenic embryos would be eliminated; therefore only those boars could produce transgenic offspring are maintained and used for breeding and herd expansion. It is the first time a systematic pre-breeding screening program is proposed for transgenic pigs. This program might also be applied in other transgenic large animals, and provide an economical and efficient strategy for herd expansion.

Building Parts Inventory Files Using the AppleWorks Data Base Subprogram and Apple IIe or GS Computers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.

This manual is a "how to" training device for building database files using the AppleWorks program with an Apple IIe or Apple IIGS Computer with Duodisk or two disk drives and an 80-column card. The manual provides step-by-step directions, and includes 25 figures depicting the computer screen at the various stages of the database file…

3D-fabrication of tunable and high-density arrays of crystalline silicon nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilbers, J. G. E.; Berenschot, J. W.; Tiggelaar, R. M.; Dogan, T.; Sugimura, K.; van der Wiel, W. G.; Gardeniers, J. G. E.; Tas, N. R.

2018-04-01

In this report, a procedure for the 3D-nanofabrication of ordered, high-density arrays of crystalline silicon nanostructures is described. Two nanolithography methods were utilized for the fabrication of the nanostructure array, viz. displacement Talbot lithography (DTL) and edge lithography (EL). DTL is employed to perform two (orthogonal) resist-patterning steps to pattern a thin Si3N4 layer. The resulting patterned double layer serves as an etch mask for all further etching steps for the fabrication of ordered arrays of silicon nanostructures. The arrays are made by means of anisotropic wet etching of silicon in combination with an isotropic retraction etch step of the etch mask, i.e. EL. The procedure enables fabrication of nanostructures with dimensions below 15 nm and a potential density of 1010 crystals cm-2.

Screening and identification of steroidal saponins from Anemarrhena asphodeloides employing UPLC tandem triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Xia, Yong-Gang; Guo, Xin-Dong; Liang, Jun; Yang, Bing-You; Kuang, Hai-Xue

2017-09-01

This study presents a practical and valid strategy for the screening and structural characterization of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge steroidal saponins (SSs) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry. The whole analytical protocols integrate four-step procedures in the positive mode: (1) rational deduction of mass fragmentation pathways of A. asphodeloides SSs; (2) untargeted screening of potential A. asphodeloides SSs by multiple-ion monitoring-information-dependent-acquiring-enhanced product ion (MIM-IDA-EPI) scan through reverse phase liquid chromatography; (3) comprehensive construction of an ammoniated precursor ion database by combining untargeted MIM-IDA-EPI scans and data literature; and (4) structural interpretation of targeted A. asphodeloides SSs using MIM-IDA-EPI and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-IDA-EPI with an energy-resolved technique. The protocols were used to analyze SSs in A. asphodeloides; of the 87 detected SSs that were unambiguously characterized or tentatively identified, 19 compounds were the first to be reported from A. asphodeloides and 13 ones were characterized as potential new compounds. Accuracy of the analytical procedure was demonstrated by structural identification of three SSs by NMR spectroscopy. The proposed schemes hold an excellent promise in the structural prediction and interpretation of complex SSs from plant medicines by mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feature Screening in Ultrahigh Dimensional Cox's Model.

PubMed

Yang, Guangren; Yu, Ye; Li, Runze; Buu, Anne

Survival data with ultrahigh dimensional covariates such as genetic markers have been collected in medical studies and other fields. In this work, we propose a feature screening procedure for the Cox model with ultrahigh dimensional covariates. The proposed procedure is distinguished from the existing sure independence screening (SIS) procedures (Fan, Feng and Wu, 2010, Zhao and Li, 2012) in that the proposed procedure is based on joint likelihood of potential active predictors, and therefore is not a marginal screening procedure. The proposed procedure can effectively identify active predictors that are jointly dependent but marginally independent of the response without performing an iterative procedure. We develop a computationally effective algorithm to carry out the proposed procedure and establish the ascent property of the proposed algorithm. We further prove that the proposed procedure possesses the sure screening property. That is, with the probability tending to one, the selected variable set includes the actual active predictors. We conduct Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the finite sample performance of the proposed procedure and further compare the proposed procedure and existing SIS procedures. The proposed methodology is also demonstrated through an empirical analysis of a real data example.

NASA Spinoff Article: Automated Procedures To Improve Safety on Oil Rigs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garud, Sumedha

2013-01-01

On May 11th, 2013, two astronauts emerged from the interior of the International Space Station (ISS) and worked their way toward the far end of spacecraft. Over the next 51/2 hours, the two replaced an ammonia pump that had developed a significant leak a few days before. On the ISS, ammonia serves the vital role of cooling components-in this case, one of the station's eight solar arrays. Throughout the extravehicular activity (EVA), the astronauts stayed in constant contact with mission control: every movement, every action strictly followed a carefully planned set of procedures to maximize crew safety and the chances of success. Though the leak had come as a surprise, NASA was prepared to handle it swiftly thanks in part to the thousands of procedures that have been written to cover every aspect of the ISS's operations. The ISS is not unique in this regard: Every NASA mission requires well-written procedures-or detailed lists of step-by-step instructions-that cover how to operate equipment in any scenario, from normal operations to the challenges created by malfunctioning hardware or software. Astronauts and mission control train and drill extensively in procedures to ensure they know what the proper procedures are and when they should be used. These procedures used to be exclusively written on paper, but over the past decade, NASA has transitioned to digital formats. Electronic-based documentation simplifies storage and use, allowing astronauts and flight controllers to find instructions more quickly and display them through a variety of media. Electronic procedures are also a crucial step toward automation: once instructions are digital, procedure display software can be designed to assist in authoring, reviewing, and even executing them.

Mechanochemical synthesis and intercalation of Ca(II)Fe(III)-layered double hydroxides

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

Ferencz, Zs.; Szabados, M.; Varga, G.

2016-01-15

A mechanochemical method (grinding the components without added water – dry grinding, followed by further grinding in the presence of minute amount of water or NaOH solution – wet grinding) was used in this work for the preparation and intercalation of CaFe-layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Both the pristine LDHs and the amino acid anion (cystinate and tyrosinate) intercalated varieties were prepared by the two-step grinding procedure in a mixer mill. By systematically changing the conditions of the preparation method, a set of parameters could be determined, which led to the formation of close to phase-pure LDH. The optimisation procedure wasmore » also applied for the intercalation processes of the amino acid anions. The resulting materials were structurally characterised by a range of methods (X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis, thermogravimetry, X-ray absorption and infra-red spectroscopies). It was proven that this simple mechanochemical procedure was able to produce complex organic–inorganic nanocomposites: LDHs intercalated with amino acid anions. - Graphical abstract: Amino acid anion-Ca(II)Fe(III)-LDHs were successfully prepared by a two-step milling procedure. - Highlights: • Synthesis of pristine and amino acid intercalated CaFe-LDHs by two-step milling. • Identifying the optimum synthesis and intercalation parameters. • Characterisation of the samples with a range of instrumental methods.« less

Comparison of patency and cost-effectiveness of self-expandable metal and plastic stents used for malignant biliary strictures: a Polish single-center study.

PubMed

Budzyńska, Agnieszka; Nowakowska-Duława, Ewa; Marek, Tomasz; Hartleb, Marek

2016-10-01

Most patients with malignant biliary obstruction are suited only for palliation by endoscopic drainage with plastic stents (PS) or self-expandable metal stents (SEMS). To compare the clinical outcome and costs of biliary stenting with SEMS and PS in patients with malignant biliary strictures. A total of 114 patients with malignant jaundice who underwent 376 endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) were studied. ERBD with the placement of PS was performed in 80 patients, with one-step SEMS in 20 patients and two-step SEMS in 14 patients. Significantly fewer ERBD interventions were performed in patients with one-step SEMS than PS or the two-step SEMS technique (2.0±1.12 vs. 3.1±1.7 or 5.7±2.1, respectively, P<0.0001). The median hospitalization duration per procedure was similar for the three groups of patients. The patients' survival time was the longest in the two-step SEMS group in comparison with the one-step SEMS and PS groups (596±270 vs. 276±141 or 208±219 days, P<0.001). Overall median time to recurrent biliary obstruction was 89.3±159 days for PS and 120.6±101 days for SEMS (P=0.01). The total cost of hospitalization with ERBD was higher for two-step SEMS than for one-step SEMS or PS (1448±312, 1152±135 and 977±156&OV0556;, P<0.0001). However, the estimated annual cost of medical care for one-step SEMS was higher than that for the two-step SEMS or PS groups (4618, 4079, and 3995&OV0556;, respectively). Biliary decompression by SEMS is associated with longer patency and reduced number of auxiliary procedures; however, repeated PS insertions still remain the most cost-effective strategy.

Two-step liquid phase microextraction combined with capillary electrophoresis: a new approach to simultaneous determination of basic and zwitterionic compounds.

PubMed

Nojavan, Saeed; Moharami, Arezoo; Fakhari, Ali Reza

2012-08-01

In this work, two-step hollow fiber-based liquid-phase microextraction procedure was evaluated for extraction of the zwitterionic cetirizine (CTZ) and basic hydroxyzine (HZ) in human plasma. In the first step of extraction, the pH of sample was adjusted at 5.0 in order to promote liquid-phase microextraction of the zwitterionic CTZ. In the second step, the pH of sample was increased up to 11.0 for extraction of basic HZ. In this procedure, the extraction times for the first and the second steps were 30 and 20 min, respectively. Owing to the high ratio between the volumes of donor phase and acceptor phase, CTZ and HZ were enriched by factors of 280 and 355, respectively. The linearity of the analytical method was investigated for both compounds in the range of 10-500 ng mL(-1) (R(2) > 0.999). Limit of quantification (S/N = 10) for CTZ and HZ was 10 ng mL(-1) , while the limit of detection was 3 ng mL(-1) for both compounds at a signal to noise ratio of 3:1. Intraday and interday relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) were in the range of 6.5-16.2%. This procedure enabled CTZ and HZ to be analyzed simultaneously by capillary electrophoresis. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A secondstep in development of a checklist for screening risk for violence in acute psychiatric patients: evaluation of interrater reliability of the Preliminary Scheme 33.

PubMed

Bjørkly, Stål; Moger, Tron A

2007-12-01

The Acute Project is a research project conducted on acute psychiatric admission wards in Norway. The objective is to develop and validate a structured, easy-to-use screening checklist for assessment of risk for violence in patients both during their stay in the ward and after discharge. The Preliminary Scheme 33 is a 33-item screening checklist with content domain inspired by the Historical-Clinical-Risk Management Scheme (HCR-20), the Brøset Violence Checklist, and eight risk factors extracted from the literature on risk assessment. The Preliminary Scheme 33 was designed and tested in two steps by a research group which includes the authors. The common aim of both steps was to develop this into a time economical, reliable, and valid checklist. In the first step in 2006 the predictive validity of the individual items was tested. The present work presents results from the second step, a study conducted to assess the interrater reliability of the 33 items. Eight clinicians working in an acute psychiatric unit volunteered to be raters and were trained to score the 33 items on a three-point scale in relation to 15 clinical vignettes, which contained information from 15 acute psychiatric patients' files. Analysis showed high interrater reliability for the total score with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of .86 (95% CI: 0.74-0.94). However, a substantial proportion of the items had medium to low ICCs. Consequences of this finding for further development of these items into a brief screen are discussed.

Bulk-modified modified screen-printing carbon electrodes with both lactate oxidase (LOD) and horseradish peroxide (HRP) for the determination of L-lactate in flow injection analysis mode.

PubMed

Ghamouss, Fouad; Ledru, Sophie; Ruillé, Nadine; Lantier, Françoise; Boujtita, Mohammed

2006-06-16

A screen-printed carbon electrode modified with both HRP and LOD (SPCE-HRP/LOD) has been developed for the determination of L-lactate concentration in real samples. The resulting SPCE-HRP/LOD was prepared in a one-step procedure, and was then optimised as an amperometric biosensor operating at [0, -100]mV versus Ag/AgCl for L-lactate determination in flow injection mode. A significant improvement in the reproducibility (coefficient variation of about 10%) of the preparation of the biosensors was obtained when graphite powder was modified with LOD in the presence of HRP previously oxidised by periodate ion (IO4-). Optimisation studies were performed by examining the effects of LOD loading, periodation step and rate of the binder on analytical performances of SPCE-HRP/LOD. The sensitivity of the optimised SPCE-HRP/LOD to L-lactate was 0.84 nAL micromol(-1) in a detection range between 10 and 180 microMol. The possibility of using the developed biosensor to determine L-lactate concentrations in various dairy products was also evaluated.

Development and validation of a rapid resolution liquid chromatography method for the screening of dietary plant isoprenoids: carotenoids, tocopherols and chlorophylls.

PubMed

Stinco, Carla M; Benítez-González, Ana M; Hernanz, Dolores; Vicario, Isabel M; Meléndez-Martínez, Antonio J

2014-11-28

A rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of nine carotenoids compounds (violaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene), four tocopherols and four chlorophylls and derivates (chlorophylls and pheophytins). The methodology consisted in a micro-extraction procedure with or without saponification and subsequent analysis by RRLC. The limits of detection were <0.07 μg for carotenoids and tocopherols and <0.08 μg for chlorophylls and derivatives. The overall precision values (intra- and inter-day) were lower than 12% when samples were not saponified and <27.6%, when the saponification step was performed. The recovery of the method without the saponification step ranged from 92% to 107%, whilst that when saponification was carried out ranged from 60% for α-tocopherol to 82% for β-carotene. Finally, the applicability of the method was demonstrated by the identification and quantification of isoprenoids in different samples. The methodology is appropriate for the high-throughput screening of dietary isoprenoids in fruits and vegetables. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification and Correction of Additive and Multiplicative Spatial Biases in Experimental High-Throughput Screening.

PubMed

Mazoure, Bogdan; Caraus, Iurie; Nadon, Robert; Makarenkov, Vladimir

2018-06-01

Data generated by high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies are prone to spatial bias. Traditionally, bias correction methods used in HTS assume either a simple additive or, more recently, a simple multiplicative spatial bias model. These models do not, however, always provide an accurate correction of measurements in wells located at the intersection of rows and columns affected by spatial bias. The measurements in these wells depend on the nature of interaction between the involved biases. Here, we propose two novel additive and two novel multiplicative spatial bias models accounting for different types of bias interactions. We describe a statistical procedure that allows for detecting and removing different types of additive and multiplicative spatial biases from multiwell plates. We show how this procedure can be applied by analyzing data generated by the four HTS technologies (homogeneous, microorganism, cell-based, and gene expression HTS), the three high-content screening (HCS) technologies (area, intensity, and cell-count HCS), and the only small-molecule microarray technology available in the ChemBank small-molecule screening database. The proposed methods are included in the AssayCorrector program, implemented in R, and available on CRAN.

Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus according to the different criterias

PubMed Central

Akgöl, Evren; Abuşoğlu, Sedat; Gün, Faik Deniz; Ünlü, Ali

2017-01-01

Objective: The two-step approach recommended by the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG), Carpenter and Coustan (C&C), and O’Sullivan, and the single-step approach recommended by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) are used to diagnose gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We aimed to determine GDM prevalence and to compare the two-step and single-step approaches used in the southeastern region of Turkey. Materials and Methods: In total, 3048 records of pregnant women screened for GDM between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively extracted from our laboratory information system. GDM was defined according to the criteria of NDDG, C&C, and O’Sullivan between in 2008 and 2011, and according to those of the IADPSG between 2012 and 2014. Demographic variables were compared using student’s t-test. The linear trends in GDM prevalence with age were calculated using logistic regression. Results: GDM prevalence was found as 4.8%, 8%, and 13.4% using the NDDG, C&C, and O’Sullivan two-step approach, respectively, and 22.3% with the IADPSG single-step approach. GDM prevalence increased with increasing age in both approaches. Conclusion: GDM prevalence was higher using the single-step approach than with the two-step approach. There was a significant increase in GDM prevalence using the IADPSG criteria. PMID:28913130

Survey of prenatal counselling practices regarding aneuploidy risk modification, invasive diagnostic procedure risks, and procedure eligibility criteria in Canadian centres.

PubMed

Hull, Danna; Davies, Gregory; Armour, Christine M

2012-07-01

To explore prenatal practices related to aneuploidy screening, risk modification, and invasive diagnostic procedures across Canadian centres. We conducted a survey of members of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors, the Canadian College of Medical Genetics, and the Canadian Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine, who provide direct counselling or management of prenatal patients in Canada. Eighty-two of 157 respondents indicated that their centre's definition of advanced maternal age was ≥ 35 years, with 33/157 respondents reporting an advanced maternal age definition of ≥ 40 years. The majority of respondents reported that prenatal serum screening for aneuploidy is provincially funded in their province or territory (121/147). The majority of respondents who reported that prenatal screening is not provincially funded (17/147) were from Quebec (14/17). Thirty-nine of 123 respondents reported that their centre defines increased nuchal translucency as ≥ 3.0 mm, whereas 49/123 reported a definition of ≥ 3.5 mm. Sixty-four of 150 respondents reported that the aneuploidy risk provided by serum screening is modified by a soft marker likelihood ratio, whereas 46/150 respondents reported that both age-related and serum screening risks are modified. Fifty-nine of 124 respondents reported that their centre will modify aneuploidy risk after a normal ultrasound; the most commonly cited negative likelihood ratio was 0.5. The most commonly reported procedure-related risk for chorionic villus sampling was 1/100 (123/147) and for amniocentesis was 1/200 (73/142). This study demonstrates inconsistencies in prenatal practices and access to screening programs across Canada. The information gained from this study will inform policy advisors developing prenatal practice guidelines at both the provincial and national levels.

A tailored intervention to promote uptake of retinal screening among young adults with type 2 diabetes - an intervention mapping approach.

PubMed

Lake, Amelia J; Browne, Jessica L; Abraham, Charles; Tumino, Dee; Hines, Carolyn; Rees, Gwyneth; Speight, Jane

2018-05-31

Young adults (18-39 years) with type 2 diabetes are at risk of early development and rapid progression of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in working-age adults. Retinal screening is key to the early detection of diabetic retinopathy, with risk of vision loss significantly reduced by timely treatment thereafter. Despite this, retinal screening rates are low among this at-risk group. The objective of this study was to develop a theoretically-grounded, evidence-based retinal screening promotion leaflet, tailored to young adults with type 2 diabetes. Utilising the six steps of Intervention Mapping, our multidisciplinary planning team conducted a mixed-methods needs assessment (Step 1); identified modifiable behavioural determinants of screening behaviour and constructed a matrix of change objectives (Step 2); designed, reviewed and debriefed leaflet content with stakeholders (Steps 3 and 4); and developed program implementation and evaluation plans (Steps 5 and 6). Step 1 included in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 10) and an online survey that recruited a nationally-representative sample (N = 227), both informed by literature review. The needs assessment highlighted the crucial roles of knowledge (about diabetic retinopathy and screening), perception of personal risk, awareness of the approval of significant others and engagement with healthcare team, on retinal screening intentions and uptake. In Step 2, we selected five modifiable behavioural determinants to be targeted: knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, intention, and behavioural skills. In Steps 3 and 4, the "Who is looking after your eyes?" leaflet was developed, containing persuasive messages targeting each determinant and utilising engaging, cohort-appropriate imagery. In Steps 5 and 6, we planned Statewide implementation and designed a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the leaflet. This research provides an example of a systematic, evidence-based approach to the development of a simple health intervention designed to promote uptake of screening in accordance with national guidelines. The methods and findings illustrate how Intervention Mapping can be employed to develop tailored retinal screening promotion materials for specific priority populations. This paper has implications for future program planners and is intended to assist those wishing to use Intervention Mapping to create similar theoretically-driven, tailored resources.

Enrichment of human bone marrow aspirates for low-density mononuclear cells using a haemonetics discontinuous blood cell separator.

PubMed

Raijmakers, R; de Witte, T; Koekman, E; Wessels, J; Haanen, C

1986-01-01

Isopycnic density floatation centrifugation has been proven to be a suitable technique to enrich bone marrow aspirates for clonogenic cells on a small scale. We have tested a Haemonetics semicontinuous blood cell separator in order to process large volumes of bone marrow with minimal bone marrow manipulation. The efficacy of isopycnic density floatation was tested in a one and a two-step procedure. Both procedures showed a recovery of about 20% of the nucleated cells and 1-2% of the erythrocytes. The enrichment of clonogenic cells in the one-step procedure appeared superior to the two-step enrichment, first separating buffy coat cells. The recovery of clonogenic cells was 70 and 50%, respectively. Repopulation capacity of the low-density cell fraction containing the clonogenic cells was excellent after autologous reinfusion (6 cases) and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (3 cases). Fast enrichment of large volumes of bone marrow aspirates with low-density cells containing the clonogenic cells by isopycnic density floatation centrifugation can be done safely using a Haemonetics blood cell separator.

Potential role for microfluctuations as a temporal directional cue to accommodation

PubMed Central

Metlapally, Sangeetha; Tong, Jianliang L.; Tahir, Humza J.; Schor, Clifton M.

2016-01-01

The goal was to revisit an important, yet unproven notion that accommodative microfluctuations facilitate the determination of direction (sign) of abrupt focus changes in the stimulus to accommodation. We contaminated the potential temporal cues from natural accommodative microfluctuations by presenting uncorrelated external (screen) temporal defocus noise that combined with the retinal image effects of natural microfluctuations. A polychromatic Maltese spoke pattern thus either modulated defocus at a combination of two temporal frequencies (on-screen noise condition) or was static (control condition). The on-screen conditions were combined with step changes in optical vergence that were randomized in direction and magnitude. Five subjects monocularly viewed stimuli through a Badal optical system in a Maxwellian view. An artificial 4-mm aperture was imaged at the entrance pupil of the eye. Wavefront aberrations were measured dynamically at 50 Hz using a custom Shack–Hartmann aberrometer. Dynamic changes in the Zernike defocus term with step changes in optical vergence were analyzed. We calculated the percentage of correct directional responses for 1, 2, and 3 D accommodative and disaccommodative step stimuli using preset criteria for latency, velocity, and persistence of the response. The on-screen noise condition reduced the percent-correct responses compared to the static stimulus, suggesting that this manipulation affected the detectability of the sign of the accommodative stimulus. Several possible reasons and implications of this result are discussed. PMID:27120075

Recruitment, screening, and baseline participant characteristics in the WALK 2.0 study: A randomized controlled trial using web 2.0 applications to promote physical activity.

PubMed

Caperchione, Cristina M; Duncan, Mitch J; Rosenkranz, Richard R; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Van Itallie, Anetta K; Savage, Trevor N; Hooker, Cindy; Maeder, Anthony J; Mummery, W Kerry; Kolt, Gregory S

2016-04-15

To describe in detail the recruitment methods and enrollment rates, the screening methods, and the baseline characteristics of a sample of adults participating in the Walk 2.0 Study, an 18 month, 3-arm randomized controlled trial of a Web 2.0 based physical activity intervention. A two-fold recruitment plan was developed and implemented, including a direct mail-out to an extract from the Australian Electoral Commission electoral roll, and other supplementary methods including email and telephone. Physical activity screening involved two steps: a validated single-item self-report instrument and the follow-up Active Australia Questionnaire. Readiness for physical activity participation was also based on a two-step process of administering the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and, where needed, further clearance from a medical practitioner. Across all recruitment methods, a total of 1244 participants expressed interest in participating, of which 656 were deemed eligible. Of these, 504 were later enrolled in the Walk 2.0 trial (77% enrollment rate) and randomized to the Walk 1.0 group (n = 165), the Walk 2.0 group (n = 168), or the Logbook group (n = 171). Mean age of the total sample was 50.8 years, with 65.2% female and 79.1% born in Australia. The results of this recruitment process demonstrate the successful use of multiple strategies to obtain a diverse sample of adults eligible to take part in a web-based physical activity promotion intervention. The use of dual screening processes ensured safe participation in the intervention. This approach to recruitment and physical activity screening can be used as a model for further trials in this area.

Comparison of designed and randomly generated catalysts for simple chemical reactions.

PubMed

Kipnis, Yakov; Baker, David

2012-09-01

There has been recent success in designing enzymes for simple chemical reactions using a two-step protocol. In the first step, a geometric matching algorithm is used to identify naturally occurring protein scaffolds at which predefined idealized active sites can be realized. In the second step, the residues surrounding the transition state model are optimized to increase transition state binding affinity and to bolster the primary catalytic side chains. To improve the design methodology, we investigated how the set of solutions identified by the design calculations relate to the overall set of solutions for two different chemical reactions. Using a TIM barrel scaffold in which catalytically active Kemp eliminase and retroaldolase designs were obtained previously, we carried out activity screens of random libraries made to be compositionally similar to active designs. A small number of active catalysts were found in screens of 10³ variants for each of the two reactions, which differ from the computational designs in that they reuse charged residues already present in the native scaffold. The results suggest that computational design considerably increases the frequency of catalyst generation for active sites involving newly introduced catalytic residues, highlighting the importance of interaction cooperativity in enzyme active sites. Copyright © 2012 The Protein Society.

Detection of potential (anti)progestagenic endocrine disruptors using a recombinant human progesterone receptor binding and transactivation assay.

PubMed

Viswanath, Gunda; Halder, Sujata; Divya, Gunda; Majumder, Chandrajeet B; Roy, Partha

2008-11-25

The present work describes the identification of (anti)progestin endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) using a two step screening system. In the first step a competitive binding assay was developed using recombinant human progesterone receptor (hPR). The tested chemicals were of various classes like insecticides, their metabolites, industrial chemicals and waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. All the tested chemicals demonstrated a high affinity binding for hPR. The average IC50 values of the test chemicals were within the range of 1-25microM. In the second step of screening, a mammalian cell-based hPR transactivation assay was developed where HEK 293 cells were co-transfected with hPR and luciferase reporter gene under the control of progesterone-response element. Stimulation of the cells with progesterone resulted in about 25-fold up regulation of luciferase activity, with EC50 value of 4nM. Potent anti-progesterone, RU486, significantly inhibited progesterone-induced transactivation and non-progestagenic steroids failed to transactivate hPR till 1microM concentrations. The chemicals showing high binding affinities in competitive binding assays were then tested in transactivation assay and all of them were found to be anti-progestative except WWTP effluents. Transactivation assays using extracted water samples from five different WWTP effluents showed that it was rich in progestative compounds. The levels of induction caused by these effluents were in the range of 15-25% of induction by progesterone and they represented about 6ng/l equivalent progesterone activities. In conclusion, we demonstrated that this two step assay provides an efficient screening tool for the detection of (anti)progestative EDC in various samples.

Crystallization of SHARPIN using an automated two-dimensional grid screen for optimization.

PubMed

Stieglitz, Benjamin; Rittinger, Katrin; Haire, Lesley F

2012-07-01

An N-terminal fragment of human SHARPIN was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction were obtained by a one-step optimization of seed dilution and protein concentration using a two-dimensional grid screen. The crystals belonged to the primitive tetragonal space group P4(3)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 61.55, c = 222.81 Å. Complete data sets were collected from native and selenomethionine-substituted protein crystals at 100 K to 2.6 and 2.0 Å resolution, respectively.

Validated semiquantitative/quantitative screening of 51 drugs in whole blood as silylated derivatives by gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring mass spectrometry and gas chromatography electron capture detection.

PubMed

Gunnar, Teemu; Mykkänen, Sirpa; Ariniemi, Kari; Lillsunde, Pirjo

2004-07-05

A comprehensively validated procedure is presented for simultaneous semiquantitative/quantitative screening of 51 drugs of abuse or drugs potentially hazardous for traffic safety in serum, plasma or whole blood. Benzodiazepines (12), cannabinoids (3), opioids (8), cocaine, antidepressants (13), antipsychotics (5) and antiepileptics (2) as well as zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone, meprobamate, carisoprodol, tizanidine and orphenadrine and internal standard flurazepam, were isolated by high-yield liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). The dried extracts were derivatized by two-step silylation and analyzed by the combination of two different gas chromatographic (GC) separations with both electron capture detection (ECD) and mass spectrometry (MS) operating in a selected ion-monitoring (SIM) mode. Quantitative or semiquantitative results were obtained for each substance based on four-point calibration. In the validation tests, accuracy, reproducibility, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ), selectivity, as well as extraction efficiency and stability of standard stock solutions were tested, and derivatization was optimized in detail. Intra- and inter-day precisions were within 2.5-21.8 and 6.0-22.5%, and square of correlation coefficients of linearity ranged from 0.9896 to 0.9999. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) varied from 2 to 2000 ng/ml due to a variety of the relevant concentrations of the analyzed substances in blood. The method is feasible for highly sensitive, reliable and possibly routinely performed clinical and forensic toxicological analyses.

Basic Lessons in *ORA and Automap 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

screen capture showing the visualization of the agent x event graph from the Stargate Summit Meta-Network. The visualization displays the connections...for the Stargate dataset. 25.2 lessons - 201-207 A step by step run through of creating the Meta-Network from working with Excel, exporting data to...For the purpose of creating the Stargate MetaNetwork the two-episode story arc (Summit / Last Stand) was choosen as the basis for all the nodes

Environmental screening tools for assessment of infrastructure plans based on biodiversity preservation and global warming (PEIT, Spain)

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

Garcia-Montero, Luis G., E-mail: luisgonzaga.garcia@upm.e; Lopez, Elena, E-mail: elopez@caminos.upm.e; Monzon, Andres, E-mail: amonzon@caminos.upm.e

Most Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) research has been concerned with SEA as a procedure, and there have been relatively few developments and tests of analytical methodologies. The first stage of the SEA is the 'screening', which is the process whereby a decision is taken on whether or not SEA is required for a particular programme or plan. The effectiveness of screening and SEA procedures will depend on how well the assessment fits into the planning from the early stages of the decision-making process. However, it is difficult to prepare the environmental screening for an infrastructure plan involving a whole country.more » To be useful, such methodologies must be fast and simple. We have developed two screening tools which would make it possible to estimate promptly the overall impact an infrastructure plan might have on biodiversity and global warming for a whole country, in order to generate planning alternatives, and to determine whether or not SEA is required for a particular infrastructure plan.« less

Platelet-rich plasma differs according to preparation method and human variability.

PubMed

Mazzocca, Augustus D; McCarthy, Mary Beth R; Chowaniec, David M; Cote, Mark P; Romeo, Anthony A; Bradley, James P; Arciero, Robert A; Beitzel, Knut

2012-02-15

Varying concentrations of blood components in platelet-rich plasma preparations may contribute to the variable results seen in recently published clinical studies. The purposes of this investigation were (1) to quantify the level of platelets, growth factors, red blood cells, and white blood cells in so-called one-step (clinically used commercial devices) and two-step separation systems and (2) to determine the influence of three separate blood draws on the resulting components of platelet-rich plasma. Three different platelet-rich plasma (PRP) separation methods (on blood samples from eight subjects with a mean age [and standard deviation] of 31.6 ± 10.9 years) were used: two single-spin processes (PRPLP and PRPHP) and a double-spin process (PRPDS) were evaluated for concentrations of platelets, red and white blood cells, and growth factors. Additionally, the effect of three repetitive blood draws on platelet-rich plasma components was evaluated. The content and concentrations of platelets, white blood cells, and growth factors for each method of separation differed significantly. All separation techniques resulted in a significant increase in platelet concentration compared with native blood. Platelet and white blood-cell concentrations of the PRPHP procedure were significantly higher than platelet and white blood-cell concentrations produced by the so-called single-step PRPLP and the so-called two-step PRPDS procedures, although significant differences between PRPLP and PRPDS were not observed. Comparing the results of the three blood draws with regard to the reliability of platelet number and cell counts, wide variations of intra-individual numbers were observed. Single-step procedures are capable of producing sufficient amounts of platelets for clinical usage. Within the evaluated procedures, platelet numbers and numbers of white blood cells differ significantly. The intra-individual results of platelet-rich plasma separations showed wide variations in platelet and cell numbers as well as levels of growth factors regardless of separation method.

Automated and unsupervised detection of malarial parasites in microscopic images.

PubMed

Purwar, Yashasvi; Shah, Sirish L; Clarke, Gwen; Almugairi, Areej; Muehlenbachs, Atis

2011-12-13

Malaria is a serious infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, it is responsible for nearly one million deaths each year. There are various techniques to diagnose malaria of which manual microscopy is considered to be the gold standard. However due to the number of steps required in manual assessment, this diagnostic method is time consuming (leading to late diagnosis) and prone to human error (leading to erroneous diagnosis), even in experienced hands. The focus of this study is to develop a robust, unsupervised and sensitive malaria screening technique with low material cost and one that has an advantage over other techniques in that it minimizes human reliance and is, therefore, more consistent in applying diagnostic criteria. A method based on digital image processing of Giemsa-stained thin smear image is developed to facilitate the diagnostic process. The diagnosis procedure is divided into two parts; enumeration and identification. The image-based method presented here is designed to automate the process of enumeration and identification; with the main advantage being its ability to carry out the diagnosis in an unsupervised manner and yet have high sensitivity and thus reducing cases of false negatives. The image based method is tested over more than 500 images from two independent laboratories. The aim is to distinguish between positive and negative cases of malaria using thin smear blood slide images. Due to the unsupervised nature of method it requires minimal human intervention thus speeding up the whole process of diagnosis. Overall sensitivity to capture cases of malaria is 100% and specificity ranges from 50-88% for all species of malaria parasites. Image based screening method will speed up the whole process of diagnosis and is more advantageous over laboratory procedures that are prone to errors and where pathological expertise is minimal. Further this method provides a consistent and robust way of generating the parasite clearance curves.

Step 6: Does Not Routinely Employ Practices, Procedures Unsupported by Scientific Evidence

PubMed Central

Goer, Henci; Sagady Leslie, Mayri; Romano, Amy

2007-01-01

Step 6 of the Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care addresses two issues: 1) the routine use of interventions (shaving, enemas, intravenous drips, withholding food and fluids, early rupture of membranes, and continuous electronic fetal monitoring; and 2) the optimal rates of induction, episiotomy, cesareans, and vaginal births after cesarean. Rationales for compliance and systematic reviews are presented. PMID:18523680

Directed evolution of stereoselective enzymes based on genetic selection as opposed to screening systems.

PubMed

Acevedo-Rocha, Carlos G; Agudo, Ruben; Reetz, Manfred T

2014-12-10

Directed evolution of stereoselective enzymes provides a means to generate useful biocatalysts for asymmetric transformations in organic chemistry and biotechnology. Almost all of the numerous examples reported in the literature utilize high-throughput screening systems based on suitable analytical techniques. Since the screening step is the bottleneck of the overall procedure, researchers have considered the use of genetic selection systems as an alternative to screening. In principle, selection would be the most elegant and efficient approach because it is based on growth advantage of host cells harboring stereoselective mutants, but devising such selection systems is very challenging. They must be designed so that the host organism profits from the presence of an enantioselective variant. Progress in this intriguing research area is summarized in this review, which also includes some examples of display systems designed for enantioselectivity as assayed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Although the combination of display systems and FACS is a powerful approach, we also envision innovative ideas combining metabolic engineering and genetic selection systems with protein directed evolution for the development of highly selective and efficient biocatalysts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Screening Tool of Feeding Problems Applied to Children (STEP-CHILD): Psychometric Characteristics and Associations with Child and Parent Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seiverling, Laura; Hendy, Helen M.; Williams, Keith

2011-01-01

The present study evaluated the 23-item Screening Tool for Feeding Problems (STEP; Matson & Kuhn, 2001) with a sample of children referred to a hospital-based feeding clinic to examine the scale's psychometric characteristics and then demonstrate how a children's revision of the STEP, the STEP-CHILD is associated with child and parent variables.…

[Ethical aspects of disclosing information on prenatal screening for Down's syndrome].

PubMed

Tóth, Adél; Szabó, János

2005-02-06

Giving detailed information on prenatal screening for Down's syndrome is considered as paramount since this medical procedure intends to enhance the patient's self-governance in reproductive issues. Not only the respect for autonomy, but also the increased maternal anxiety and the reproductive decisions following the positive test result demand from the genetic professional to offer the test through genetic counselling. The counsellor's awareness about the expectations of pregnant women and the clarification of her own attitude concerning the screening can contribute to the effectiveness of counselling. The content of information embraces the technical aspects of screening and its consequences, like the description of Down's syndrome, the method of screening, the way of risk assessment, the detection rate, the false positive and false negative test results, the diagnostic procedures, and the termination of pregnancy. Written information leaflets should be completed by personal communication as the combination of these two forms has proved to be the most useful. The process of consultation is influenced by the communication skill of the genetic professional and the information seeking activity of the patient, so doctors should be trained to communicate better and patients should be encouraged to get more information about the screening.

Band Structure Simulations of the Photoinduced Changes in the MgB₂:Cr Films.

PubMed

Kityk, Iwan V; Fedorchuk, Anatolii O; Ozga, Katarzyna; AlZayed, Nasser S

2015-04-02

An approach for description of the photoinduced nonlinear optical effects in the superconducting MgB₂:Cr₂O₃ nanocrystalline film is proposed. It includes the molecular dynamics step-by-step optimization of the two separate crystalline phases. The principal role for the photoinduced nonlinear optical properties plays nanointerface between the two phases. The first modified layers possess a form of slightly modified perfect crystalline structure. The next layer is added to the perfect crystalline structure and the iteration procedure is repeated for the next layer. The total energy here is considered as a varied parameter. To avoid potential jumps on the borders we have carried out additional derivative procedure.

Building America's Industrial Revolution: The Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stowell, Stephen

1995-01-01

Presents a high school unit about the U.S. Industrial Revolution featuring the Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and discussion questions. Provides two maps, five illustrations, one photograph, and three student readings. (ACM)

Nanoliter microfluidic hybrid method for simultaneous screening and optimization validated with crystallization of membrane proteins

PubMed Central

Li, Liang; Mustafi, Debarshi; Fu, Qiang; Tereshko, Valentina; Chen, Delai L.; Tice, Joshua D.; Ismagilov, Rustem F.

2006-01-01

High-throughput screening and optimization experiments are critical to a number of fields, including chemistry and structural and molecular biology. The separation of these two steps may introduce false negatives and a time delay between initial screening and subsequent optimization. Although a hybrid method combining both steps may address these problems, miniaturization is required to minimize sample consumption. This article reports a “hybrid” droplet-based microfluidic approach that combines the steps of screening and optimization into one simple experiment and uses nanoliter-sized plugs to minimize sample consumption. Many distinct reagents were sequentially introduced as ≈140-nl plugs into a microfluidic device and combined with a substrate and a diluting buffer. Tests were conducted in ≈10-nl plugs containing different concentrations of a reagent. Methods were developed to form plugs of controlled concentrations, index concentrations, and incubate thousands of plugs inexpensively and without evaporation. To validate the hybrid method and demonstrate its applicability to challenging problems, crystallization of model membrane proteins and handling of solutions of detergents and viscous precipitants were demonstrated. By using 10 μl of protein solution, ≈1,300 crystallization trials were set up within 20 min by one researcher. This method was compatible with growth, manipulation, and extraction of high-quality crystals of membrane proteins, demonstrated by obtaining high-resolution diffraction images and solving a crystal structure. This robust method requires inexpensive equipment and supplies, should be especially suitable for use in individual laboratories, and could find applications in a number of areas that require chemical, biochemical, and biological screening and optimization. PMID:17159147

A chemical family-based strategy for uncovering hidden bioactive molecules and multicomponent interactions in herbal medicines.

PubMed

Song, Hui-Peng; Wu, Si-Qi; Hao, Haiping; Chen, Jun; Lu, Jun; Xu, Xiaojun; Li, Ping; Yang, Hua

2016-03-30

Two concepts involving natural products were proposed and demonstrated in this paper. (1) Natural product libraries (e.g. herbal extract) are not perfect for bioactivity screening because of the vast complexity of compound compositions, and thus a library reconstruction procedure is necessary before screening. (2) The traditional mode of "screening single compound" could be improved to "screening single compound, drug combination and multicomponent interaction" due to the fact that herbal medicines work by integrative effects of multi-components rather than single effective constituents. Based on the two concepts, we established a novel strategy aiming to make screening easier and deeper. Using thrombin as the model enzyme, we firstly uncovered the minor lead compounds, potential drug combinations and multicomponent interactions in an herbal medicine of Dan-Qi pair, showing a significant advantage over previous methods. This strategy was expected to be a new and promising mode for investigation of herbal medicines.

Completing the cervical screening pathway: Factors that facilitate the increase of self-collection uptake among under-screened and never-screened women, an Australian pilot study

PubMed Central

McLachlan, E.; Anderson, S.; Hawkes, D.; Saville, M.; Arabena, K.

2018-01-01

Objectives To examine factors that enhance under-screened and never-screened women’s completion of the self-collection alternative pathway of the Renewed National Cervical Screening Program (ncsp) in Victoria, Australia. Background With the Australian ncsp changing, starting on 1 December 2017, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (msac) recommended implementing human papillomavirus (hpv) testing using a self-collected sample for under-screened and never-screened populations. In response, a multi-agency group implemented an hpv self-collection pilot project to trial self-collection screening pathways for eligible women. Methods Quantitative data were collected on participation rates and compliance rates with follow-up procedures across three primary health care settings. Forty women who self-collected were interviewed in a semi-structured format, and seven agency staff completed in-depth interviews. Qualitative data were used to identify and understand clinical and personal enablers that assisted women to complete self-collection cervical screening pathways successfully. Results Eighty-five per cent (10 women) of participants who tested positive for hpv successfully received their results and completed follow-up procedures as required. Two remaining participants also received hpv-positive results. However, agencies were unable to engage them in follow-up services and procedures. The overall participation rate in screening (self-collection or Pap test) was 85.7% (84 women), with 79 women self-collecting. Qualitative data indicated that clear explanations on self-collection, development of trusting, empathetic relationships with health professionals, and recognition of participants’ past experiences were critical to the successful completion of the self-collection pathway. When asked about possible inhibitors to screening and to following up on results and appointments, women cited poor physical and mental health, as well as financial and other structural barriers. Conclusion A well-implemented process, led by trusted, knowledgeable, and engaged health care professionals who can provide appropriate support and information, can assist under-screened and never-screened women to complete the hpv self-collection pathway successfully. PMID:29507491

Stepwise identification of HLA-A*0201-restricted CD8+ T-cell epitope peptides from herpes simplex virus type 1 genome boosted by a StepRank scheme.

PubMed

Bi, Jianjun; Song, Rengang; Yang, Huilan; Li, Bingling; Fan, Jianyong; Liu, Zhongrong; Long, Chaoqin

2011-01-01

Identification of immunodominant epitopes is the first step in the rational design of peptide vaccines aimed at T-cell immunity. To date, however, it is yet a great challenge for accurately predicting the potent epitope peptides from a pool of large-scale candidates with an efficient manner. In this study, a method that we named StepRank has been developed for the reliable and rapid prediction of binding capabilities/affinities between proteins and genome-wide peptides. In this procedure, instead of single strategy used in most traditional epitope identification algorithms, four steps with different purposes and thus different computational demands are employed in turn to screen the large-scale peptide candidates that are normally generated from, for example, pathogenic genome. The steps 1 and 2 aim at qualitative exclusion of typical nonbinders by using empirical rule and linear statistical approach, while the steps 3 and 4 focus on quantitative examination and prediction of the interaction energy profile and binding affinity of peptide to target protein via quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and structure-based free energy analysis. We exemplify this method through its application to binding predictions of the peptide segments derived from the 76 known open-reading frames (ORFs) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome with or without affinity to human major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecule HLA-A*0201, and find that the predictive results are well compatible with the classical anchor residue theory and perfectly match for the extended motif pattern of MHC I-binding peptides. The putative epitopes are further confirmed by comparisons with 11 experimentally measured HLA-A*0201-restrcited peptides from the HSV-1 glycoproteins D and K. We expect that this well-designed scheme can be applied in the computational screening of other viral genomes as well.

Screening of freshwater and seawater microalgae strains in fully controlled photobioreactors for biodiesel production.

PubMed

Taleb, A; Kandilian, R; Touchard, R; Montalescot, V; Rinaldi, T; Taha, S; Takache, H; Marchal, L; Legrand, J; Pruvost, J

2016-10-01

Strain selection is one of the primary hurdles facing cost-effective microalgal biodiesel production. Indeed, the strain used affects both upstream and downstream biodiesel production processes. This study presents a screening procedure that considers the most significant criteria in microalgal biodiesel production including TAG production and wet extraction and recovery of TAGs. Fourteen freshwater and seawater strains were investigated. Large variation was observed between the strains in all the screening criteria. The overall screening procedure ultimately led to the identification of Parachlorella kessleri UTEX2229 and Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP527 as the best freshwater and seawater strains, respectively. They featured the largest areal TAG productivity equal to 2.7×10(-3) and 2.3×10(-3)kgm(-2)d(-1), respectively. These two strains also displayed encouraging cell fragility in a high pressure bead milling process with 69% and 98% cell disruption at 1750bar making them remarkable strains for TAG extraction in wet environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space Shuttle crew compartment debris-contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Jerry R.; Villarreal, Leopoldo J.

1992-01-01

Remedial actions undertaken to reduce debris during manned flights and ground turnaround operations at Kennedy Space Center and Palmdale are addressed. They include redesign of selected ground support equipment and Orbiter hardware to reduce particularization/debris generation; development of new detachable filters for air-cooled avionics boxes; application of tape-on screens to filter debris; and implementation of new Orbiter maintenance and turnaround procedures to clean filters and the crew compartment. Most of these steps were implemented before the return-to-flight of STS-26 in September 1988 which resulted in improved crew compartment habitability and less potential for equipment malfunction.

Semi-permeable surface analytical reversed-phase column for the improved trace analysis of acidic pesticides in water with coupled-column reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection. Determination of bromoxynil and bentazone in surface water.

PubMed

Hogendoorn, E A; Westhuis, K; Dijkman, E; Heusinkveld, H A; den Boer, A C; Evers, E A; Baumann, R A

1999-10-08

The coupled-column (LC-LC) configuration consisting of a 3 microm C18 column (50 x 4.6 mm I.D.) as the first column and a 5 microm C18 semi-permeable-surface (SPS) column (150 x 4.6 mm I.D.) as the second column appeared to be successful for the screening of acidic pesticides in surface water samples. In comparison to LC-LC employing two C18 columns, the combination of C18/SPS-C18 significantly decreased the baseline deviation caused by the hump of the co-extracted humic substances when using UV detection (217 nm). The developed LC-LC procedure allowed the simultaneous determination of the target analytes bentazone and bromoxynil in uncleaned extracts of surface water samples to a level of 0.05 microg/l in less than 15 min. In combination with a simple solid-phase extraction step (200 ml of water on a 500 mg C18-bonded silica) the analytical procedure provides a high sample throughput. During a period of about five months more than 200 ditch-water samples originating from agricultural locations were analyzed with the developed procedure. Validation of the method was performed by randomly analyzing recoveries of water samples spiked at levels of 0.1 microg/l (n=10), 0.5 microg/l (n=7) and 2.5 microg/l (n=4). Weighted regression of the recovery data showed that the method provides overall recoveries of 95 and 100% for bentazone and bromoxynil, respectively, with corresponding intra-laboratory reproducibilities of 10 and 11%, respectively. Confirmation of the analytes in part of the samples extracts was carried out with GC-negative ion chemical ionization MS involving a derivatization step with bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl bromide. No false negatives or positives were observed.

Prevalence of gestational diabetes and risk of complications before and after initiation of a general systematic two-step screening strategy in Germany (2012-2014).

PubMed

Tamayo, T; Tamayo, M; Rathmann, W; Potthoff, P

2016-05-01

Information on the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus is scarce on national and international level. On July 1st, 2013, a general two-step screening was implemented in Germany harmonizing gestational diabetes diagnoses. We aim to provide prevalence estimates for gestational diabetes and pregnancy-related complications for the large region of North Rhine for the 12 months before and after introduction of the general screening. Routine care data covering all outpatient diagnoses of more than 150,000 pregnancies per 12-month period in women aged 15-55 years was used to determine cases of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes diagnosis and pregnancy-related complications were assessed according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Relative Risks for pregnancy-related complications were calculated in pregnancies with and without gestational diabetes. Before the screening, diagnosis of gestational diabetes was made in 6.02% of pregnancies and in 6.81% after this date (other types of diabetes mellitus: 1.67% and 1.76% respectively). The prevalence of GDM increased with age and was highest at age 36-40 years (8.45%). The relative increase in prevalence after introduction of the screening was highest in the age group≤25 years (24.9%). The frequency of pregnancy-related complications such as hypertension, pre-eclampsia, cesarean section was increased in pregnancies with gestational diabetes in comparison to those without independent of observation period. We found a high prevalence of gestational diabetes, which has relatively increased by 13.12% after the introduction of the general screening. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A method for screening active components from Chinese herbs by cell membrane chromatography-offline-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and an online statistical tool for data processing.

PubMed

Cao, Yan; Wang, Shaozhan; Li, Yinghua; Chen, Xiaofei; Chen, Langdong; Wang, Dongyao; Zhu, Zhenyu; Yuan, Yongfang; Lv, Diya

2018-03-09

Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) has been successfully applied to screen bioactive compounds from Chinese herbs for many years, and some offline and online two-dimensional (2D) CMC-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) hyphenated systems have been established to perform screening assays. However, the requirement of sample preparation steps for the second-dimensional analysis in offline systems and the need for an interface device and technical expertise in the online system limit their extensive use. In the present study, an offline 2D CMC-HPLC analysis combined with the XCMS (various forms of chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry) Online statistical tool for data processing was established. First, our previously reported online 2D screening system was used to analyze three Chinese herbs that were reported to have potential anti-inflammatory effects, and two binding components were identified. By contrast, the proposed offline 2D screening method with XCMS Online analysis was applied, and three more ingredients were discovered in addition to the two compounds revealed by the online system. Then, cross-validation of the three compounds was performed, and they were confirmed to be included in the online data as well, but were not identified there because of their low concentrations and lack of credible statistical approaches. Last, pharmacological experiments showed that these five ingredients could inhibit IL-6 release and IL-6 gene expression on LPS-induced RAW cells in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with previous 2D CMC screening systems, this newly developed offline 2D method needs no sample preparation steps for the second-dimensional analysis, and it is sensitive, efficient, and convenient. It will be applicable in identifying active components from Chinese herbs and practical in discovery of lead compounds derived from herbs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cryogenic Quenching Process for Electronic Part Screening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheldon, Douglas J.; Cressler, John

2011-01-01

The use of electronic parts at cryogenic temperatures (less than 100 C) for extreme environments is not well controlled or developed from a product quality and reliability point of view. This is in contrast to the very rigorous and well-documented procedures to qualify electronic parts for mission use in the 55 to 125 C temperature range. A similarly rigorous methodology for screening and evaluating electronic parts needs to be developed so that mission planners can expect the same level of high reliability performance for parts operated at cryogenic temperatures. A formal methodology for screening and qualifying electronic parts at cryogenic temperatures has been proposed. The methodology focuses on the base physics of failure of the devices at cryogenic temperatures. All electronic part reliability is based on the bathtub curve, high amounts of initial failures (infant mortals), a long period of normal use (random failures), and then an increasing number of failures (end of life). Unique to this is the development of custom screening procedures to eliminate early failures at cold temperatures. The ability to screen out defects will specifically impact reliability at cold temperatures. Cryogenic reliability is limited by electron trap creation in the oxide and defect sites at conductor interfaces. Non-uniform conduction processes due to process marginalities will be magnified at cryogenic temperatures. Carrier mobilities change by orders of magnitude at cryogenic temperatures, significantly enhancing the effects of electric field. Marginal contacts, impurities in oxides, and defects in conductor/conductor interfaces can all be magnified at low temperatures. The novelty is the use of an ultra-low temperature, short-duration quenching process for defect screening. The quenching process is designed to identify those defects that will precisely (and negatively) affect long-term, cryogenic part operation. This quenching process occurs at a temperature that is at least 25 C colder than the coldest expected operating temperature. This quenching process is the opposite of the standard burn-in procedure. Normal burn-in raises the temperature (and voltage) to activate quickly any possible manufacturing defects remaining in the device that were not already rejected at a functional test step. The proposed inverse burn-in or quenching process is custom-tailored to the electronic device being used. The doping profiles, materials, minimum dimensions, interfaces, and thermal expansion coefficients are all taken into account in determining the ramp rate, dwell time, and temperature.

Data Processing for Atmospheric Phase Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acosta, Roberto J.; Nessel, James A.; Morabito, David D.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a detailed discussion of calibration procedures used to analyze data recorded from a two-element atmospheric phase interferometer (API) deployed at Goldstone, California. In addition, we describe the data products derived from those measurements that can be used for site intercomparison and atmospheric modeling. Simulated data is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and as a means for validating our procedure. A study of the effect of block size filtering is presented to justify our process for isolating atmospheric fluctuation phenomena from other system-induced effects (e.g., satellite motion, thermal drift). A simulated 24 hr interferometer phase data time series is analyzed to illustrate the step-by-step calibration procedure and desired data products.

DETERMINATION OF PESTICIDES AND PCB'S IN INDUSTRIAL AND MUNICIPAL WASTEWATERS

EPA Science Inventory

Steps in the procedure for the analysis of 25 chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls were studied. Two gas chromatographic columns and two detectors (electron capture and Hall electrolytic conductivity) were evaluated. Extractions were performed with two solvents (d...

Automated assay for screening the enzymatic release of reducing sugars from micronized biomass.

PubMed

Navarro, David; Couturier, Marie; da Silva, Gabriela Ghizzi Damasceno; Berrin, Jean-Guy; Rouau, Xavier; Asther, Marcel; Bignon, Christophe

2010-07-16

To reduce the production cost of bioethanol obtained from fermentation of the sugars provided by degradation of lignocellulosic biomass (i.e., second generation bioethanol), it is necessary to screen for new enzymes endowed with more efficient biomass degrading properties. This demands the set-up of high-throughput screening methods. Several methods have been devised all using microplates in the industrial SBS format. Although this size reduction and standardization has greatly improved the screening process, the published methods comprise one or more manual steps that seriously decrease throughput. Therefore, we worked to devise a screening method devoid of any manual steps. We describe a fully automated assay for measuring the amount of reducing sugars released by biomass-degrading enzymes from wheat-straw and spruce. The method comprises two independent and automated steps. The first step is the making of "substrate plates". It consists of filling 96-well microplates with slurry suspensions of micronized substrate which are then stored frozen until use. The second step is an enzymatic activity assay. After thawing, the substrate plates are supplemented by the robot with cell-wall degrading enzymes where necessary, and the whole process from addition of enzymes to quantification of released sugars is autonomously performed by the robot. We describe how critical parameters (amount of substrate, amount of enzyme, incubation duration and temperature) were selected to fit with our specific use. The ability of this automated small-scale assay to discriminate among different enzymatic activities was validated using a set of commercial enzymes. Using an automatic microplate sealer solved three main problems generally encountered during the set-up of methods for measuring the sugar-releasing activity of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes: throughput, automation, and evaporation losses. In its present set-up, the robot can autonomously process 120 triplicate wheat-straw samples per day. This throughput can be doubled if the incubation time is reduced from 24 h to 4 h (for initial rates measurements, for instance). This method can potentially be used with any insoluble substrate that is micronizable. A video illustrating the method can be seen at the following URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFg6TxjuMWU.

Chromato-panning: an efficient new mode of identifying suitable ligands from phage display libraries

PubMed Central

Noppe, Wim; Plieva, Fatima; Galaev, Igor Yu; Pottel, Hans; Deckmyn, Hans; Mattiasson, Bo

2009-01-01

Background Phage Display technology is a well established technique for high throughput screening of affinity ligands. Here we describe a new compact chromato-panning procedure for selection of suitable binders from a phage peptide display library. Results Both phages and E. coli cells pass non-hindered through the interconnected pores of macroporous gel, so called cryogel. After coupling a ligand to a monolithic cryogel column, the phage library was applied on the column and non-bound phages were washed out. The selection of strong phage-binders was achieved already after the first panning cycle due to the efficient separation of phage-binders from phage-non-binders in chromatographic mode rather than in batch mode as in traditional biopanning procedures. E. coli cells were applied on the column for infection with the specifically bound phages. Conclusion Chromato-panning allows combining several steps of the panning procedure resulting in 4–8 fold decrease of total time needed for phage selection. PMID:19292898

Calibration of a texture-based model of a ground-water flow system, western San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, Steven P.; Belitz, Kenneth

1991-01-01

The occurrence of selenium in agricultural drain water from the western San Joaquin Valley, California, has focused concern on the semiconfined ground-water flow system, which is underlain by the Corcoran Clay Member of the Tulare Formation. A two-step procedure is used to calibrate a preliminary model of the system for the purpose of determining the steady-state hydraulic properties. Horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities are modeled as functions of the percentage of coarse sediment, hydraulic conductivities of coarse-textured (Kcoarse) and fine-textured (Kfine) end members, and averaging methods used to calculate equivalent hydraulic conductivities. The vertical conductivity of the Corcoran (Kcorc) is an additional parameter to be evaluated. In the first step of the calibration procedure, the model is run by systematically varying the following variables: (1) Kcoarse/Kfine, (2) Kcoarse/Kcorc, and (3) choice of averaging methods in the horizontal and vertical directions. Root mean square error and bias values calculated from the model results are functions of these variables. These measures of error provide a means for evaluating model sensitivity and for selecting values of Kcoarse, Kfine, and Kcorc for use in the second step of the calibration procedure. In the second step, recharge rates are evaluated as functions of Kcoarse, Kcorc, and a combination of averaging methods. The associated Kfine values are selected so that the root mean square error is minimized on the basis of the results from the first step. The results of the two-step procedure indicate that the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity that best produces the measured hydraulic head distribution is created through the use of arithmetic averaging in the horizontal direction and either geometric or harmonic averaging in the vertical direction. The equivalent hydraulic conductivities resulting from either combination of averaging methods compare favorably to field- and laboratory-based values.

Estimating Slope and Level Change in N = 1 Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solanas, Antonio; Manolov, Rumen; Onghena, Patrick

2010-01-01

The current study proposes a new procedure for separately estimating slope change and level change between two adjacent phases in single-case designs. The procedure eliminates baseline trend from the whole data series before assessing treatment effectiveness. The steps necessary to obtain the estimates are presented in detail, explained, and…

Perception of School Safety of a Local School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massey-Jones, Darla

2013-01-01

This qualitative case study investigated the perception of school safety, what current policies and procedures were effective, and what policies and procedures should be implemented. Data were collected in two steps, by survey and focus group interview. Analysis determined codes that revealed several themes relevant to the perception of school…

Colonoscopy Screening in the US Astronaut Corps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masterova, K.; Van Baalen, M.; Wear, M. L.; Murray, J.; Schaefer, C.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Historically, colonoscopy screenings for astronauts have been conducted to ensure that astronauts are in good health for space missions. Recently this historical data has been identified as being useful for developing an occupational surveillance requirement. It can be used to assess overall colon health and to have a point of reference for future tests in current and former astronauts, as well as to follow-up and track rates of colorectal cancer and polyps. These rates can be compared to military and other terrestrial populations. In 2003, the active astronaut colonoscopy requirements changed to require less frequent colonoscopies. Since polyp removal during a colonoscopy is an intervention that prevents the polyp from potentially developing into cancer, the procedure decreases the individual's risk for colon cancer. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible effect of increased follow-up times between colonoscopies on the number and severity of polyps identified during the procedures among both current and former NASA astronauts. Initial results and forward work regarding astronaut colonoscopy screenings will be presented. METHODS: A retrospective study of all colonoscopy procedures performed on NASA astronauts between 1962 and 2015 (both during active career and retirement) was conducted by review of the JSC Clinic Electronic Medical Record and Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) database for colonoscopy screening procedures and pathology reports. The timeframe of interest was from the time of selection into the Astronaut Corps through May 2015 or death. For each colonoscopy report, the following data were captured: date of procedure, age at time of procedure, reason for procedure, quality of bowel prep, completion of procedure and/or reason for termination of procedure, findings of procedure, subsequent treatment (if any), recommended follow-up interval, actual follow up interval, family history of polyps or colon cancer, and other significant items or discrepancies. The population consisted of 338 astronauts: 52 females, 286 males. Of these, 56 were deceased, and 11 astronauts had no record of any colonoscopies. Because of a screening requirement change in 2003, analyses were conducted to determine if there were differences between the two time periods. One-sided Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to identify statistically significant differences between the two time periods. RESULTS: There was a combined total of 1,964 colonoscopy screenings identified. The average follow-up intervals between colonoscopies were indeed longer after the screening requirement change than before the change. The mean follow-up interval pre -2003 was 3.59 years, while post-2003 it increased to 4.35 years. The statistical significance of this difference was confirmed using a one sided Wilcoxon rank sum test which yielded p<.001. Colonoscopies performed after the requirement change tended to have a higher incidence and greater severity of polyps. From pre-2003 to post-2003 the percentage of colonoscopy procedures yielding no polyps decreased from 83.77% to 74.70%. Not only did post-2003 procedures yield more polyp findings, but the polyps recorded were more often of severe pathology. Before 2003 3.62% of colonoscopy findings were polyps of the hyperplastic type (the least severe polyp type) and only 3.35% were of greater severity. Post-2003, 4.21% of findings were hyperplastic polyps while 11.44% were of greater severity. Upon the investigation of other possible contributing factors to these results, we also found that mean age post-2003 was 54.55 years which was significantly higher than during the pre-2003 timeframe (47.32 years). This was observed with a one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test, resulting in a p<0.001. The increased average age of astronauts could also be a contributing factor to the greater number of polyps found since the risk of developing polyps increases with age. Further work is needed to better understand the increased incidence and greater severity of polyps found in astronaut colonoscopy outcomes.

Biosynthetic pathway of the phytohormone auxin in insects and screening of its inhibitors.

PubMed

Suzuki, Hiroyoshi; Yokokura, Junpei; Ito, Tsukasa; Arai, Ryoma; Yokoyama, Chiaki; Toshima, Hiroaki; Nagata, Shinji; Asami, Tadao; Suzuki, Yoshihito

2014-10-01

Insect galls are abnormal plant tissues induced by galling insects. The galls are used for food and habitation, and the phytohormone auxin, produced by the insects, may be involved in their formation. We found that the silkworm, a non-galling insect, also produces an active form of auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), by de novo synthesis from tryptophan (Trp). A detailed metabolic analysis of IAA using IAA synthetic enzymes from silkworms indicated an IAA biosynthetic pathway composed of a three-step conversion: Trp → indole-3-acetaldoxime → indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld) → IAA, of which the first step is limiting IAA production. This pathway was shown to also operate in gall-inducing sawfly. Screening of a chemical library identified two compounds that showed strong inhibitory activities on the conversion step IAAld → IAA. The inhibitors can be efficiently used to demonstrate the importance of insect-synthesized auxin in gall formation in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 302.37 - Waiver of procedural steps after hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Waiver of procedural steps after hearing... Applicability Oral Evidentiary Hearing Proceedings § 302.37 Waiver of procedural steps after hearing. The parties to any proceeding may agree to waive any one or more of the procedural steps provided in § 302.29...

Architecture design of a generic centralized adjudication module integrated in a web-based clinical trial management system.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenle; Pauls, Keith

2016-04-01

Centralized outcome adjudication has been used widely in multicenter clinical trials in order to prevent potential biases and to reduce variations in important safety and efficacy outcome assessments. Adjudication procedures could vary significantly among different studies. In practice, the coordination of outcome adjudication procedures in many multicenter clinical trials remains as a manual process with low efficiency and high risk of delay. Motivated by the demands from two large clinical trial networks, a generic outcome adjudication module has been developed by the network's data management center within a homegrown clinical trial management system. In this article, the system design strategy and database structure are presented. A generic database model was created to transfer different adjudication procedures into a unified set of sequential adjudication steps. Each adjudication step was defined by one activate condition, one lock condition, one to five categorical data items to capture adjudication results, and one free text field for general comments. Based on this model, a generic outcome adjudication user interface and a generic data processing program were developed within a homegrown clinical trial management system to provide automated coordination of outcome adjudication. By the end of 2014, this generic outcome adjudication module had been implemented in 10 multicenter trials. A total of 29 adjudication procedures were defined with the number of adjudication steps varying from 1 to 7. The implementation of a new adjudication procedure in this generic module took an experienced programmer 1 or 2 days. A total of 7336 outcome events had been adjudicated and 16,235 adjudication step activities had been recorded. In a multicenter trial, 1144 safety outcome event submissions went through a three-step adjudication procedure and reported a median of 3.95 days from safety event case report form submission to adjudication completion. In another trial, 277 clinical outcome events were adjudicated by a six-step procedure and took a median of 23.84 days from outcome event case report form submission to adjudication procedure completion. A generic outcome adjudication module integrated in the clinical trial management system made the automated coordination of efficacy and safety outcome adjudication a reality. © The Author(s) 2015.

Calibration of numerical models for small debris flows in Yosemite Valley, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bertolo, P.; Wieczorek, G.F.

2005-01-01

This study compares documented debris flow runout distances with numerical simulations in the Yosemite Valley of California, USA, where about 15% of historical events of slope instability can be classified as debris flows and debris slides (Wieczorek and Snyder, 2004). To model debris flows in the Yosemite Valley, we selected six streams with evidence of historical debris flows; three of the debris flow deposits have single channels, and the other three split their pattern in the fan area into two or more channels. From field observations all of the debris flows involved coarse material, with only very small clay content. We applied the one dimensional DAN (Dynamic ANalysis) model (Hungr, 1995) and the two-dimensional FLO2D model (O'Brien et al., 1993) to predict and compare the runout distance and the velocity of the debris flows observed in the study area. As a first step, we calibrated the parameters for the two softwares through the back analysis of three debris- flows channels using a trial-and-error procedure starting with values suggested in the literature. In the second step we applied the selected values to the other channels, in order to evaluate their predictive capabilities. After parameter calibration using three debris flows we obtained results similar to field observations We also obtained a good agreement between the two models for velocities. Both models are strongly influenced by topography: we used the 30 m cell size DTM available for the study area, that is probably not accurate enough for a highly detailed analysis, but it can be sufficient for a first screening. European Geosciences Union ?? 2005 Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

First steps towards the successful surface-based cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in hanging drop systems.

PubMed

Schulz, Julia C; Stumpf, Patrick S; Katsen-Globa, Alisa; Sachinidis, Agapios; Hescheler, Jürgen; Zimmermann, Heiko

2012-11-01

Miniaturization and parallelization of cell culture procedures are in focus of research in order to develop test platforms with low material consumption and increased standardization for toxicity and drug screenings. The cultivation in hanging drops (HDs) is a convenient and versatile tool for biological applications and represents an interesting model system for the screening applications due to its uniform shape, the advantageous gas supply, and the small volume. However, its application has so far been limited to non-adherent and aggregate forming cells. Here, we describe for the first time the proof-of-principle regarding the adherent cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in HD. For this microcarriers were added to the droplet as dynamic cultivation surfaces resulting in a maintained pluripotency and proliferation capacity for 10 days. This enables the HD technique to be extended to the cultivation of adherence-dependent stem cells. Also, the possible automation of this method by implementation of liquid handling systems opens new possibilities for miniaturized screenings, the improvement of cultivation and differentiation conditions, and toxicity and drug development.

First steps towards the successful surface-based cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in hanging drop systems

PubMed Central

Schulz, Julia C; Stumpf, Patrick S; Katsen-Globa, Alisa; Sachinidis, Agapios; Hescheler, Jürgen; Zimmermann, Heiko

2012-01-01

Miniaturization and parallelization of cell culture procedures are in focus of research in order to develop test platforms with low material consumption and increased standardization for toxicity and drug screenings. The cultivation in hanging drops (HDs) is a convenient and versatile tool for biological applications and represents an interesting model system for the screening applications due to its uniform shape, the advantageous gas supply, and the small volume. However, its application has so far been limited to non‐adherent and aggregate forming cells. Here, we describe for the first time the proof-of-principle regarding the adherent cultivation of human embryonic stem cells in HD. For this microcarriers were added to the droplet as dynamic cultivation surfaces resulting in a maintained pluripotency and proliferation capacity for 10 days. This enables the HD technique to be extended to the cultivation of adherence-dependent stem cells. Also, the possible automation of this method by implementation of liquid handling systems opens new possibilities for miniaturized screenings, the improvement of cultivation and differentiation conditions, and toxicity and drug development. PMID:23486530

Essential attributes identified in the design of a Laboratory Information Management System for a high throughput siRNA screening laboratory.

PubMed

Grandjean, Geoffrey; Graham, Ryan; Bartholomeusz, Geoffrey

2011-11-01

In recent years high throughput screening operations have become a critical application in functional and translational research. Although a seemingly unmanageable amount of data is generated by these high-throughput, large-scale techniques, through careful planning, an effective Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) can be developed and implemented in order to streamline all phases of a workflow. Just as important as data mining and analysis procedures at the end of complex processes is the tracking of individual steps of applications that generate such data. Ultimately, the use of a customized LIMS will enable users to extract meaningful results from large datasets while trusting the robustness of their assays. To illustrate the design of a custom LIMS, this practical example is provided to highlight the important aspects of the design of a LIMS to effectively modulate all aspects of an siRNA screening service. This system incorporates inventory management, control of workflow, data handling and interaction with investigators, statisticians and administrators. All these modules are regulated in a synchronous manner within the LIMS. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers

Psychological distress associated with cancer screening: A systematic review.

PubMed

Chad-Friedman, Emma; Coleman, Sarah; Traeger, Lara N; Pirl, William F; Goldman, Roberta; Atlas, Steven J; Park, Elyse R

2017-10-15

Current national cancer screening recommendations include the potential risk of psychological harm related to screening. However, data on the relation of psychological distress to cancer screening is limited. The authors conducted a systematic review to assess psychological distress associated with cancer screening procedures. Studies that administered measures of psychological distress between 2 weeks before and 1 month after the screening procedure were included. In total, 22 eligible studies met criteria for review, including 13 observational trials and 9 randomized controlled trials. Eligible studies used a broad range of validated and unvalidated measures. Anxiety was the most commonly assessed construct and was measured using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Studies included breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, and cervical screening procedures. Distress was low across procedures, with the exception of colorectal screening. Distress did not vary according to the time at which distress was measured. None of the studies were conducted exclusively with the intention of assessing distress at the time of screening. Evidence of low distress during the time of cancer screening suggests that distress might not be a widespread barrier to screening among adults who undergo screening. However, more studies are needed using validated measures of distress to further understand the extent to which screening may elicit psychological distress and impede adherence to national screening recommendations. Cancer 2017;123:3882-94. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Generalizability of Universal Screening Measures for Behavioral and Emotional Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanner, Nicholas; Eklund, Katie; Kilgus, Stephen P.; Johnson, Austin H.

2018-01-01

Data derived from universal screening procedures are increasingly utilized by schools to identify and provide additional support to students at risk for behavioral and emotional concerns. As screening has the potential to be resource intensive, effort has been placed on the development of efficient screening procedures, including brief behavior…

Two enzyme immunoassays to screen for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in water.

PubMed

Fleeker, J

1987-01-01

Two solid-phase enzyme immunoassays were developed to measure 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), using 2 sets of structurally distinct immunogens and enzyme ligands. The 2,4-D analog, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), gave a similar response with both methods, whereas other phenoxy herbicides cross-reacted differently. In method A, the aromatic moiety of 2,4-D was distal from the carrier protein and labeled enzyme, whereas in method B, the acetic acid portion of the herbicide was distal. The use of both methods to screen for this herbicide in ground water and municipal and river water reduced the number of false-positive responses. Water sources having a low background response could be monitored with either method alone. When a concentration step, with disposable C18 extraction columns, was used, the limit of sensitivity was 5 micrograms/L. Method A was the more sensitive of the 2 methods with a limit of detection of 10 micrograms/L without the concentration step.

Speak Out (K-8) [and] Election '80.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.

These two teaching guides contain step-by-step procedures for an election education program in which all Illinois school children vote for and elect a State animal. The program, mandated by the Illinois State Legislature, is intended to provide students with the unique opportunity to learn about the entire election process through actual voting…

RBS Career Education. Evaluation Planning Manual. Education Is Going to Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kershner, Keith M.

Designed for use with the Research for Better Schools career education program, this evaluation planning manual focuses on procedures and issues central to planning the evaluation of an educational program. Following a statement on the need for evaluation, nine sequential steps for evaluation planning are discussed. The first two steps, program…

Bayesian SEM for Specification Search Problems in Testing Factorial Invariance.

PubMed

Shi, Dexin; Song, Hairong; Liao, Xiaolan; Terry, Robert; Snyder, Lori A

2017-01-01

Specification search problems refer to two important but under-addressed issues in testing for factorial invariance: how to select proper reference indicators and how to locate specific non-invariant parameters. In this study, we propose a two-step procedure to solve these issues. Step 1 is to identify a proper reference indicator using the Bayesian structural equation modeling approach. An item is selected if it is associated with the highest likelihood to be invariant across groups. Step 2 is to locate specific non-invariant parameters, given that a proper reference indicator has already been selected in Step 1. A series of simulation analyses show that the proposed method performs well under a variety of data conditions, and optimal performance is observed under conditions of large magnitude of non-invariance, low proportion of non-invariance, and large sample sizes. We also provide an empirical example to demonstrate the specific procedures to implement the proposed method in applied research. The importance and influences are discussed regarding the choices of informative priors with zero mean and small variances. Extensions and limitations are also pointed out.

Optical pattern recognition algorithms on neural-logic equivalent models and demonstration of their prospects and possible implementations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasilenko, Vladimir G.; Nikolsky, Alexander I.; Zaitsev, Alexandr V.; Voloshin, Victor M.

2001-03-01

Historic information regarding the appearance and creation of fundamentals of algebra-logical apparatus-`equivalental algebra' for description of neuro-nets paradigms and algorithms is considered which is unification of theory of neuron nets (NN), linear algebra and the most generalized neuro-biology extended for matrix case. A survey is given of `equivalental models' of neuron nets and associative memory is suggested new, modified matrix-tenzor neurological equivalental models (MTNLEMS) are offered with double adaptive-equivalental weighing (DAEW) for spatial-non- invariant recognition (SNIR) and space-invariant recognition (SIR) of 2D images (patterns). It is shown, that MTNLEMS DAEW are the most generalized, they can describe the processes in NN both within the frames of known paradigms and within new `equivalental' paradigm of non-interaction type, and the computing process in NN under using the offered MTNLEMs DAEW is reduced to two-step and multi-step algorithms and step-by-step matrix-tenzor procedures (for SNIR) and procedures of defining of space-dependent equivalental functions from two images (for SIR).

Development of a breast self-examination program for the Internet: health information for Korean women.

PubMed

Kim, H S; Kim, E; Kim, J W

2001-04-01

Internet-based health information will enable us to interact with many people despite distance and time constraints. Informational media by computer is expected to become an important factor that affects health behavior. This study was done to develop an accessible multimedia program about breast self-examination on the Internet. This study was designed by using the two steps of need assessment and program development. For the need assessment step, a survey was carried out. The sample consisted of the 82 women of Yonsei University selected by convenient random sampling. At the program development step, screen design took into account perspectives of computer engineering. A storyboard for every screen was made via screen design and then ported to computer using the Netscape Navigator program. A breast self-examination program was developed using Netscape 4.0 on the Windows 98 platform. The multimedia program, including text, graphics, animation, and sound, was constructed with HTML language using Memo Sheet in Netscape Navigator. The contents of health information posted on the Internet included general information about breast cancer, the importance of breast self-examination, self-risk appraisal of breast cancer, the diverse methods about breast self-examination, the monthly check list graph, and social network for consultation. It is possible to interact with clients through the Question and Answer function on screen. This Internet-based health information program provides enough information, which can be accessed using search systems on the Internet.

Production of thrombopoietin (TPO) by rat hepatocytes and hepatoma cell lines.

PubMed

Shimada, Y; Kato, T; Ogami, K; Horie, K; Kokubo, A; Kudo, Y; Maeda, E; Sohma, Y; Akahori, H; Kawamura, K

1995-12-01

Recently, we purified rat thrombopoietin (TPO) from plasma of irradiated rats (XRP) by measuring its activity that stimulated the production of megakaryocytes from megakaryocyte progenitor cells (CFU-MK) in vitro. We then cloned the cDNAs for rat and human TPO. In this study, we found the production of TPO by hepatocytes isolated with the collagenase perfusion method from both normal and thrombocytopenic rats, by a two-step fractionation of hepatocyte culture medium (CM). Subsequently, CM of rat hepatoma cell lines was screened for the presence of TPO; three cell lines, H4-II-E, McA-RH8994, and HTC, were found to produce TPO. According to the purification procedure for TPO from XRP, TPO was partially purified from 2 L CM of each of three cell lines with a six-step procedure. In the final reverse-phase column, TPO from each cell line was eluted with the same retention time as that from XRP, and the TPO fraction exhibited megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity (Meg-CSA). TPO-active fraction eluted from the final reverse-phase column was separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), extracted from the gel, and assayed. TPO activity from each cell line was found in the respective molecular weight region, indicating the heterogeneity of the TPO molecule. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we detected the expression of TPO mRNA in hepatocytes, three hepatoma cell lines, normal rat liver, and X-irradiated rat liver. Northern blot analysis showed that TPO mRNA was expressed mainly in liver among the various organs tested. These data demonstrate that TPO is produced by rat hepatocytes and hepatoma cell lines and suggest that liver may be the primary organ that produces TPO.

Two-speed phacoemulsification for soft cataracts using optimized parameters and procedure step toolbar with the CENTURION Vision System and Balanced Tip.

PubMed

Davison, James A

2015-01-01

To present a cause of posterior capsule aspiration and a technique using optimized parameters to prevent it from happening when operating soft cataracts. A prospective list of posterior capsule aspiration cases was kept over 4,062 consecutive cases operated with the Alcon CENTURION machine and Balanced Tip. Video analysis of one case of posterior capsule aspiration was accomplished. A surgical technique was developed using empirically derived machine parameters and customized setting-selection procedure step toolbar to reduce the pace of aspiration of soft nuclear quadrants in order to prevent capsule aspiration. Two cases out of 3,238 experienced posterior capsule aspiration before use of the soft quadrant technique. Video analysis showed an attractive vortex effect with capsule aspiration occurring in 1/5 of a second. A soft quadrant removal setting was empirically derived which had a slower pace and seemed more controlled with no capsule aspiration occurring in the subsequent 824 cases. The setting featured simultaneous linear control from zero to preset maximums for: aspiration flow, 20 mL/min; and vacuum, 400 mmHg, with the addition of torsional tip amplitude up to 20% after the fluidic maximums were achieved. A new setting selection procedure step toolbar was created to increase intraoperative flexibility by providing instantaneous shifting between the soft and normal settings. A technique incorporating a reduced pace for soft quadrant acquisition and aspiration can be accomplished through the use of a dedicated setting of integrated machine parameters. Toolbar placement of the procedure button next to the normal setting procedure button provides the opportunity to instantaneously alternate between the two settings. Simultaneous surgeon control over vacuum, aspiration flow, and torsional tip motion may make removal of soft nuclear quadrants more efficient and safer.

Teaching Science: Eclipse Seasons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael B.

1995-01-01

Demonstrates the need for a three-dimensional model as an aid for teaching students why eclipses do not occur every two weeks, as falsely indicated by two-dimensional models such as books, chalkboards, and computer screens. Describes procedure to construct the model. Indicates question related to seasons likely to arise from such a model and…

STIR: Redox-Switchable Olefin Polymerization Catalysis: Electronically Tunable Ligands for Controlled Polymer Synthesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-28

positions leading us to utilize a two-step procedure in which the amines were treated with methylchloroformate before being fully reduced with lithium ...was carried out using lithium aluminum hydride before undergoing a similar two-step methylation as described above to yield bisferrocenyl ligand 16...of Ni-based complex 30. CV’s were ran in DCM with tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate electrolyte and referenced to a ferrocene standard. In

Microbial screening for quinolones residues in cow milk by bio-optical method.

PubMed

Appicciafuoco, Brunella; Dragone, Roberto; Frazzoli, Chiara; Bolzoni, Giuseppe; Mantovani, Alberto; Ferrini, Anna Maria

2015-03-15

The use of antibiotics on lactating cows should be monitored for the possible risk of milk contamination with residues. Accordingly, Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are established by the European Commission to guarantee consumers safety. As pointed out by Dec 2002/657/EC, screening is the first step in the strategy for antibiotic residue control, thus playing a key role in the whole control procedure. However, current routine screening methods applied in milk chain still fail to detect residues of quinolones at concentrations of interest. This paper reports the findings of a new bio-optical method for the screening of quinolones residues in bovine milk, based on E. coli ATCC 11303 growth inhibition. The effect of blank and spiked cow milk samples (aliquots equivalents to 0.8%, v/v) is evaluated in Mueller Hinton Broth (MHb) and MHb enriched with MgSO4 2% (MHb-Mg) inoculated with the test strain at the concentration of 10(4)CFU/mL. The presence of quinolones inhibits the cellular growth in MHb, while this effect is neutralized in MHb-Mg allowing both detection and presumptive identification of quinolones. Growth of the test strain is monitored at 37 °C in a Bioscreen C automated system, and Optical Density (OD) at 600 nm is recorded every 10 min after shaking for 10s. Growth curves (OD vs. time) of E. coli ATCC 11303 are assessed in milk samples, with and without quinolones, and their differences in terms of ΔOD (ΔOD600nm=ODMHb-Mg-ODMHb) are calculated. The presence of quinolones is detected by the cellular growth inhibition (OD vs time, none increase in the value OD) and presumptively identified through the increase of the slope of ΔOD600nm curve (ΔOD vs. time), after about 3h of incubation. The detection limit for ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin is at the level of MRL, for marbofloxacin is at 2-fold the MRL whereas for danofloxacin is at 4-fold the MRL. Although the sensitivity of the method could be further improved and the procedure automated, it is a promising step forward to integrate screening assays into the control process and, in particular, to fill in the gap for quinolones; moreover, these technological developments contribute to the One Health perspective through the monitoring of safe and correct use of veterinary antibiotics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel two-step procedure to expand Sca-1+ cells clonally

PubMed Central

Tang, Yao Liang; Shen, Leping; Qian, Keping; Phillips, M. Ian

2007-01-01

Resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs) are characterized by their capacity to self-renew in culture, and are multi-potent for forming normal cell types in hearts. CSCs were originally isolated directly from enzymatically digested hearts using stem cell markers. However, long exposure to enzymatic digestion can affect the integrity of stem cell markers on the cell surface, and also compromise stem cell function. Alternatively resident CSCs can migrate from tissue explant and form cardiospheres in culture. However, fibroblast contamination can easily occur during CSC culture. To avoid these problems, we developed a two-step procedure by growing the cells before selecting the Sca1+ cells and culturing in cardiac fibroblast conditioned medium, they avoid fibroblast overgrowth. PMID:17577582

Two-step sensitivity testing of parametrized and regionalized life cycle assessments: methodology and case study.

PubMed

Mutel, Christopher L; de Baan, Laura; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-06-04

Comprehensive sensitivity analysis is a significant tool to interpret and improve life cycle assessment (LCA) models, but is rarely performed. Sensitivity analysis will increase in importance as inventory databases become regionalized, increasing the number of system parameters, and parametrized, adding complexity through variables and nonlinear formulas. We propose and implement a new two-step approach to sensitivity analysis. First, we identify parameters with high global sensitivities for further examination and analysis with a screening step, the method of elementary effects. Second, the more computationally intensive contribution to variance test is used to quantify the relative importance of these parameters. The two-step sensitivity test is illustrated on a regionalized, nonlinear case study of the biodiversity impacts from land use of cocoa production, including a worldwide cocoa products trade model. Our simplified trade model can be used for transformable commodities where one is assessing market shares that vary over time. In the case study, the highly uncertain characterization factors for the Ivory Coast and Ghana contributed more than 50% of variance for almost all countries and years examined. The two-step sensitivity test allows for the interpretation, understanding, and improvement of large, complex, and nonlinear LCA systems.

Tetraethylene glycol promoted two-step, one-pot rapid synthesis of indole-3-[1- 11C]acetic acid

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

Lee, Sojeong; Qu, Wenchao; Alexoff, David L.

2014-12-12

An operationally friendly, two-step, one-pot process has been developed for the rapid synthesis of carbon-11 labeled indole-3-acetic acid ([ 11]IAA or [ 11]auxin). By replacing an aprotic polar solvent with tetraethylene glycol, nucleophilic [ 11]cyanation and alkaline hydrolysis reactions were performed consecutively in a single pot without a time-consuming intermediate purification step. The entire production time for this updated procedure is 55 min, which dramatically simplifies the entire synthesis and reduces the starting radioactivity required for a whole plant imaging study.

Effect of Saliva on the Tensile Bond Strength of Different Generation Adhesive Systems: An In-Vitro Study.

PubMed

Gupta, Nimisha; Tripathi, Abhay Mani; Saha, Sonali; Dhinsa, Kavita; Garg, Aarti

2015-07-01

Newer development of bonding agents have gained a better understanding of factors affecting adhesion of interface between composite and dentin surface to improve longevity of restorations. The present study evaluated the influence of salivary contamination on the tensile bond strength of different generation adhesive systems (two-step etch-and-rinse, two-step self-etch and one-step self-etch) during different bonding stages to dentin where isolation is not maintained. Superficial dentin surfaces of 90 extracted human molars were randomly divided into three study Groups (Group A: Two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system; Group B: Two-step self-etch adhesive system and Group C: One-step self-etch adhesive system) according to the different generation of adhesives used. According to treatment conditions in different bonding steps, each Group was further divided into three Subgroups containing ten teeth in each. After adhesive application, resin composite blocks were built on dentin and light cured subsequently. The teeth were then stored in water for 24 hours before sending for testing of tensile bond strength by Universal Testing Machine. The collected data were then statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD test. One-step self-etch adhesive system revealed maximum mean tensile bond strength followed in descending order by Two-step self-etch adhesive system and Two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system both in uncontaminated and saliva contaminated conditions respectively. Unlike One-step self-etch adhesive system, saliva contamination could reduce tensile bond strength of the two-step self-etch and two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system. Furthermore, the step of bonding procedures and the type of adhesive seems to be effective on the bond strength of adhesives contaminated with saliva.

Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Diagnostic in the NICU

PubMed Central

Colella-Santos, Maria Francisca; Hein, Thaís Antonelli Diniz; de Souza, Gabriele Libano; do Amaral, Maria Isabel Ramos; Casali, Raquel Leme

2014-01-01

The aim was to describe the outcome of neonatal hearing screening (NHS) and audiological diagnosis in neonates in the NICU. The sample was divided into Group I: neonates who underwent NHS in one step and Group II: neonates who underwent a test and retest NHS. NHS procedure was automated auditory brainstem response. NHS was performed in 82.1% of surviving neonates. For GI, referral rate was 18.6% and false-positive was 62.2% (normal hearing in the diagnostic stage). In GII, with retest, referral rate dropped to 4.1% and false-positive to 12.5%. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 13.2% of infants and conductive in 26.4% of cases. There was one case of auditory neuropathy spectrum (1.9%). Dropout rate in whole process was 21.7% for GI and 24.03% for GII. We concluded that it was not possible to perform universal NHS in the studied sample or, in many cases, to apply it within the first month of life. Retest reduced failure and false-positive rate and did not increase evasion, indicating that it is a recommendable step in NHS programs in the NICU. The incidence of hearing loss was 2.9%, considering sensorineural hearing loss (0.91%), conductive (1.83%) and auditory neuropathy spectrum (0.19%). PMID:24999481

A triangular thin shell finite element: Nonlinear analysis. [structural analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, G. R.; Gallagher, R. H.

1975-01-01

Aspects of the formulation of a triangular thin shell finite element which pertain to geometrically nonlinear (small strain, finite displacement) behavior are described. The procedure for solution of the resulting nonlinear algebraic equations combines a one-step incremental (tangent stiffness) approach with one iteration in the Newton-Raphson mode. A method is presented which permits a rational estimation of step size in this procedure. Limit points are calculated by means of a superposition scheme coupled to the incremental side of the solution procedure while bifurcation points are calculated through a process of interpolation of the determinants of the tangent-stiffness matrix. Numerical results are obtained for a flat plate and two curved shell problems and are compared with alternative solutions.

Oranges, Posters, Ribbons, and Lemonade: Concrete Computational Strategies for Dividing Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kribs-Zaleta, Christopher M.

2008-01-01

This article describes how sixth-grade students developed concrete models to solve division of fractions story problems. Students developed separate two-step procedures to solve measurement and partitive problems, drawing on invented procedures for division of whole numbers. Errors also tended to be specific to the type of division problem…

Precise non-steady-state characterization of solid active materials with no preliminary mechanistic assumptions

DOE PAGES

Constales, Denis; Yablonsky, Gregory S.; Wang, Lucun; ...

2017-04-25

This paper presents a straightforward and user-friendly procedure for extracting a reactivity characterization of catalytic reactions on solid materials under non-steady-state conditions, particularly in temporal analysis of products (TAP) experiments. The kinetic parameters derived by this procedure can help with the development of detailed mechanistic understanding. The procedure consists of the following two major steps: 1) Three “Laplace reactivities” are first determined based on the moments of the exit flow pulse response data; 2) Depending on a select kinetic model, kinetic constants of elementary reaction steps can then be expressed as a function of reactivities and determined accordingly. In particular,more » we distinguish two calculation methods based on the availability and reliability of reactant and product data. The theoretical results are illustrated using a reverse example with given parameters as well as an experimental example of CO oxidation over a supported Au/SiO 2 catalyst. The procedure presented here provides an efficient tool for kinetic characterization of many complex chemical reactions.« less

Comparing Universal Lynch Syndrome Tumor Screening Programs to Evaluate Associations Between Implementation Strategies and Patient Follow-through

PubMed Central

Cragun, Deborah; DeBate, Rita D.; Vadaparampil, Susan T.; Baldwin, Julie; Hampel, Heather; Pal, Tuya

2014-01-01

Purpose Universal tumor screening (UTS) for all colorectal cancer (CRC) patients can improve the identification of Lynch syndrome, the most common cause of hereditary CRC. This multiple-case study explored how variability in UTS procedures influence patient follow-through (PF) with germline testing after a screen-positive result. Methods Data were obtained through web-based surveys and telephone interviews with institutional informants. Institutions were categorized as Low-PF (≤10% underwent germline testing), Medium-PF (11–40%), or High-PF (>40%). To identify implementation procedures (i.e., conditions) unique High-PF institutions, qualitative comparative analysis was performed. Results Twenty-one informants from fifteen institutions completed surveys and/or interviews. Conditions present among all five High-PF institutions included: 1) disclosure of screen-positive results to patients by genetic counselors (GCs); and 2) GCs either facilitate physician referrals to genetics or eliminated the need for referrals. Although both of these High-PF conditions were present among two Medium-PF institutions, automatic reflex testing was lacking and difficulty contacting screen-positive patients was a barrier. The three remaining Medium-PF and five Low-PF institutions lacked High-PF conditions. Conclusion Methods for streamlining UTS procedures, incorporating a high level of involvement of GCs in results tracking and communication, and reducing barriers to patient contact are reviewed within a broader discussion on maximizing the effectiveness and public health impact of UTS. PMID:24651603

Developing a clinical pathway for the identification and management of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients: an online Delphi consensus process.

PubMed

Shaw, Joanne M; Price, Melanie A; Clayton, Josephine M; Grimison, Peter; Shaw, Tim; Rankin, Nicole; Butow, Phyllis N

2016-01-01

People with cancer and their families experience high levels of psychological morbidity. However, many cancer services do not routinely screen patients for anxiety and depression, and there are no standardized clinical referral pathways. This study aimed to establish consensus on elements of a draft clinical pathway tailored to the Australian context. A two-round Delphi study was conducted to gain consensus among Australian oncology and psycho-oncology clinicians about the validity of 39 items that form the basis of a clinical pathway that includes screening, assessment, referral and stepped care management of anxiety and depression in the context of cancer. The expert panel comprised 87 multidisciplinary clinician members of the Australian Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG). Respondents rated their level of agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as >80% of respondents scoring within 2 points on the Likert scale. Consensus was reached for 21 of 39 items, and a further 15 items approached consensus except for specific contextual factors, after two Delphi rounds. Formal screening for anxiety and depression, a stepped care model of management and recommendations for inclusion of length of treatment and time to review were endorsed. Consensus was not reached on items related to roles and responsibilities, particularly those not applicable across cancer settings. This study identified a core set of evidence- and consensus-based principles considered essential to a stepped care model of care incorporating identification, referral and management of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients.

Fast analysis of doping agents in urine by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. II: Confirmatory analysis.

PubMed

Badoud, F; Grata, E; Perrenoud, L; Saugy, M; Rudaz, S; Veuthey, J-L

2010-06-18

For doping control, analyses of samples are generally achieved in two steps: a rapid screening and, in the case of a positive result, a confirmatory analysis. A two-step methodology based on ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) was developed to screen and confirm 103 doping agents from various classes (e.g., beta-blockers, stimulants, diuretics, and narcotics). The screening method was presented in a previous article as part I (i.e., Fast analysis of doping agents in urine by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Part I: screening analysis). For the confirmatory method, basic, neutral and acidic compounds were extracted by a dedicated solid-phase extraction (SPE) in a 96-well plate format and detected by MS in the tandem mode to obtain precursor and characteristic product ions. The mass accuracy and the elemental composition of precursor and product ions were used for compound identification. After validation including matrix effect determination, the method was considered reliable to confirm suspect results without ambiguity according to the positivity criteria established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Moreover, an isocratic method was developed to separate ephedrine from its isomer pseudoephedrine and cathine from phenylpropanolamine in a single run, what allowed their direct quantification in urine. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Two-Step Approach for Hands-On Teaching of Gene Technology: Effects on Students' Activities During Experimentation in an Outreach Gene Technology Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2011-08-01

Emphasis on improving higher level biology education continues. A new two-step approach to the experimental phases within an outreach gene technology lab, derived from cognitive load theory, is presented. We compared our approach using a quasi-experimental design with the conventional one-step mode. The difference consisted of additional focused discussions combined with students writing down their ideas (step one) prior to starting any experimental procedure (step two). We monitored students' activities during the experimental phases by continuously videotaping 20 work groups within each approach ( N = 131). Subsequent classification of students' activities yielded 10 categories (with well-fitting intra- and inter-observer scores with respect to reliability). Based on the students' individual time budgets, we evaluated students' roles during experimentation from their prevalent activities (by independently using two cluster analysis methods). Independently of the approach, two common clusters emerged, which we labeled as `all-rounders' and as `passive students', and two clusters specific to each approach: `observers' as well as `high-experimenters' were identified only within the one-step approach whereas under the two-step conditions `managers' and `scribes' were identified. Potential changes in group-leadership style during experimentation are discussed, and conclusions for optimizing science teaching are drawn.

Development, reliability, and validity testing of Toddler NutriSTEP: a nutrition risk screening questionnaire for children 18-35 months of age.

PubMed

Randall Simpson, Janis; Gumbley, Jillian; Whyte, Kylie; Lac, Jane; Morra, Crystal; Rysdale, Lee; Turfryer, Mary; McGibbon, Kim; Beyers, Joanne; Keller, Heather

2015-09-01

Nutrition is vital for optimal growth and development of young children. Nutrition risk screening can facilitate early intervention when followed by nutritional assessment and treatment. NutriSTEP (Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler) is a valid and reliable nutrition risk screening questionnaire for preschoolers (aged 3-5 years). A need was identified for a similar questionnaire for toddlers (aged 18-35 months). The purpose was to develop a reliable and valid Toddler NutriSTEP. Toddler NutriSTEP was developed in 4 phases. Content and face validity were determined with a literature review, parent focus groups (n = 6; 48 participants), and experts (n = 13) (phase A). A draft questionnaire was refined with key intercept interviews of 107 parents/caregivers (phase B). Test-retest reliability (phase C), based on intra-class correlations (ICC), Kappa (κ) statistics, and Wilcoxon tests was assessed with 133 parents/caregivers. Criterion validity (phase D) was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves by comparing scores on the Toddler NutriSTEP to a comprehensive nutritional assessment of 200 toddlers with a registered dietitian (RD). The Toddler NutriSTEP was reliable between 2 administrations (ICC = 0.951, F = 20.53, p < 0.001); most questions had moderate (κ ≥ 0.6) or excellent (κ ≥ 0.8) agreement. Scores on the RD nutrition risk rating and the Toddler NutriSTEP were correlated (r = 0.67, p < 0.000). The area under the ROC curve for moderate and high RD risk ratings were 84.6% and 82.7%, respectively. Cut-points of ≥21 (sensitivity 86%; specificity 61%) (moderate risk) and ≥26 (sensitivity 95%; specificity 63%) (high risk) were determined. The Toddler NutriSTEP questionnaire is both reliable and valid for screening for nutritional risk in toddlers.

Rapid all-in-one three-step immunoassay for non-instrumental detection of ochratoxin A in high-coloured herbs and spices.

PubMed

Goryacheva, Irina Yu; De Saeger, Sarah; Nesterenko, Irina S; Eremin, Sergei A; Van Peteghem, Carlos

2007-05-15

A feasible three-step method for ochratoxin A (OTA) rapid detection was developed and applied for OTA screening in high-coloured matrices such as liquorice, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, white pepper and Capsicum spp. spices at a control level of 10mugkg(-1). The method was based on the clean-up tandem immunoassay column and involved three steps: extract application, washing step and application of chromogenic substrate. A significant simplification of the assay was reached by using an additional frit with conjugate inside the clean-up tandem immunoassay column. The time for analysis was less than 10min, including 5min for colour development. Results were visually evaluated as colour development for negative result or no colour development for positive result. The method was coupled with a simple methanol-based extraction. A total of 27 samples were screened for OTA with the proposed method. It was shown that two samples of red pepper and one sample of liquorice, pili-pili, chilli and cayenne were contaminated with OTA above the control level at 10mugkg(-1), but none of tested ginger, nutmeg, black pepper and white pepper.

Increased Memory Load during Task Completion when Procedures Are Presented on Mobile Screens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Keena S.; Caldwell, Barrett S.

2011-01-01

The primary objective of this research was to compare procedure-based task performance using three common mobile screen sizes: ultra mobile personal computer (7 in./17.8 cm), personal data assistant (3.5 in./8.9 cm), and SmartPhone (2.8 in./7.1 cm). Subjects used these three screen sizes to view and execute a computer maintenance procedure.…

A covalent modification for graphene by adamantane groups through two-step chlorination-Grignard reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xuzhuo; Li, Bo; Lu, Mingxia

2017-07-01

Chemical modification of graphene is a promising approach to manipulate its properties for its end applications. Herein we designed a two-step route through chlorination-Grignard reactions to covalently decorate the surface of graphene with adamantane groups. The chemically modified graphene was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chlorination of graphene occurred rapidly, and the substitution of chlorine atoms on chlorinated graphene by adamantane Grignard reagent afforded adamantane graphene in almost quantitative yield. Adamantane groups were found to be covalently bonded to the graphene carbons. The present two-step procedure may provide an effective and facile route for graphene modification with varieties of organic functional groups.

The Synthesis of 2-acetyl-1,4-naphthoquinone: A Multi-step Synthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Ivan R.

1982-01-01

Outlines 2 procedures for synthesizing 2-acetyl-1,4-naphthoquinone to compare relative merits of the two pathways. The major objective of the exercise is to demonstrate that certain factors should be considered when selecting a pathway for synthesis including availability of starting materials, cost of reagents, number of steps involved,…

Woodrow Wilson and the U.S. Ratification of the Treaty of Versailles. Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyne, John; Sesso, Gloria

1995-01-01

Presents a high school lesson plan on the struggle over ratification of the Treaty of Versailles and U.S. participation in the League of Nations. Includes a timeline of events, four primary source documents, and biographical portraits of two opposing senators. Provides student objectives and step-by-step instructional procedures. (CFR)

Computer-Based Feedback in Linear Algebra: Effects on Transfer Performance and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbalan, Gemma; Paas, Fred; Cuypers, Hans

2010-01-01

Two studies investigated the effects on students' perceptions (Study 1) and learning and motivation (Study 2) of different levels of feedback in mathematical problems. In these problems, an error made in one step of the problem-solving procedure will carry over to the following steps and consequently to the final solution. Providing immediate…

Preliminary identification of potentially disruptive scenarios at the Greater Confinement Disposal Facility, Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site

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

Guzowski, R.V.; Newman, G.

1993-12-01

The Greater Confinement Disposal location is being evaluated to determine whether defense-generated transuranic waste buried at this location complies with the Containment Requirements established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. One step in determining compliance is to identify those combinations of events and processes (scenarios) that define possible future states of the disposal system for which performance assessments must be performed. An established scenario-development procedure was used to identify a comprehensive set of mutually exclusive scenarios. To assure completeness, 761 features, events, processes, and other listings (FEPS) were compiled from 11 references. This number was reduced to 205 primarily throughmore » the elimination of duplications. The 205 FEPs were screened based on site-specific, goal-specific, and regulatory criteria. Four events survived screening and were used in preliminary scenario development: (1) exploratory drilling penetrates a GCD borehole, (2) drilling of a withdrawal/injection well penetrates a GCD borehole, (3) subsidence occurs at the RWMS, and (4) irrigation occurs at the RWMS. A logic diagram was used to develop 16 scenarios from the four events. No screening of these scenarios was attempted at this time. Additional screening of the currently retained events and processes will be based on additional data and information from site-characterization activities. When screening of the events and processes is completed, a final set of scenarios will be developed and screened based on consequence and probability of occurrence.« less

Using MCDA and GIS for hazardous waste landfill siting considering land scarcity for waste disposal.

PubMed

De Feo, Giovanni; De Gisi, Sabino

2014-11-01

The main aim of this study was to develop a procedure that minimizes the wasting of space for the siting of hazardous waste landfills as part of a solid waste management system. We wanted to tackle the shortage of land for waste disposal that is a serious and growing problem in most large urban regions. The procedure combines a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach with a geographical information system (GIS). The GIS was utilised to obtain an initial screening in order to eliminate unsuitable areas, whereas the MCDA was developed to select the most suitable sites. The novelty of the proposed siting procedure is the introduction of a new screening phase before the macro-siting step aimed at producing a "land use map of potentially suitable areas" for the siting of solid waste facilities which simultaneously takes into consideration all plant types. The issue of obtaining sites evaluations of a specific facility was coupled with the issue of not wasting land appropriate to facilitate other types of waste management options. In the developed case study, the use of an innovative criteria weighting tool (the "Priority Scale") in combination with the Analytic Hierarchy Process was useful to easier define the priorities of the evaluation criteria in comparison with other classic methods such as the Paired Comparison Technique in combination with the Simple Additive Weighting method. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endoclip Magnetic Resonance Imaging Screening: A Local Practice Review.

PubMed

Accorsi, Fabio; Lalonde, Alain; Leswick, David A

2018-05-01

Not all endoscopically placed clips (endoclips) are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible. At many institutions, endoclip screening is part of the pre-MRI screening process. Our objective is to determine the contribution of each step of this endoclip screening protocol in determining a patient's endoclip status at our institution. A retrospective review of patients' endoscopic histories on general MRI screening forms for patients scanned during a 40-day period was performed to assess the percentage of patients that require endoclip screening at our institution. Following this, a prospective evaluation of 614 patients' endoclip screening determined the percentage of these patients ultimately exposed to each step in the protocol (exposure), and the percentage of patients whose endoclip status was determined with reasonable certainty by each step (determination). Exposure and determination values for each step were calculated as follows (exposure, determination): verbal interview (100%, 86%), review of past available imaging (14%, 36%), review of endoscopy report (9%, 57%), and new abdominal radiograph (4%, 96%), or CT (0.2%, 100%) for evaluation of potential endoclips. Only 1 patient did not receive MRI because of screening (in situ gastrointestinal endoclip identified). Verbal interview is invaluable to endoclip screening, clearing 86% of patients with minimal monetary and time investment. Conversely, the limited availability of endoscopy reports and relevant past imaging somewhat restricts the determination rates of these. New imaging (radiograph or computed tomography) is required <5% of the time, and although costly and associated with patient irradiation, has excellent determination rates (above 96%) when needed. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deployment and Validation of a Smart System for Screening of Language Disorders in Primary Care

PubMed Central

Martín-Ruiz, María Luisa; Duboy, Miguel Ángel Valero; de la Cruz, Iván Pau

2013-01-01

Neuro-evolutive development from birth until the age of six years is a decisive factor in a child's quality of life. Early detection of development disorders in early childhood can facilitate necessary diagnosis and/or treatment. Primary-care pediatricians play a key role in its detection as they can undertake the preventive and therapeutic actions requested to promote a child's optimal development. However, the lack of time and little specific knowledge at primary-care avoid to applying continuous early-detection anomalies procedures. This research paper focuses on the deployment and evaluation of a smart system that enhances the screening of language disorders in primary care. Pediatricians get support to proceed with early referral of language disorders. The proposed model provides them with a decision-support tool for referral actions to trigger essential diagnostic and/or therapeutic actions for a comprehensive individual development. The research was conducted by starting from a sample of 60 cases of children with language disorders. Validation was carried out through two complementary steps: first, by including a team of seven experts from the fields of neonatology, pediatrics, neurology and language therapy, and, second, through the evaluation of 21 more previously diagnosed cases. The results obtained show that therapist positively accepted the system proposal in 18 cases (86%) and suggested system redesign for single referral to a speech therapist in three remaining cases. PMID:23752564

Deployment and validation of a smart system for screening of language disorders in primary care.

PubMed

Martín-Ruiz, María Luisa; Duboy, Miguel Ángel Valero; de la Cruz, Iván Pau

2013-06-10

Neuro-evolutive development from birth until the age of six years is a decisive factor in a child's quality of life. Early detection of development disorders in early childhood can facilitate necessary diagnosis and/or treatment. Primary-care pediatricians play a key role in its detection as they can undertake the preventive and therapeutic actions requested to promote a child's optimal development. However, the lack of time and little specific knowledge at primary-care avoid to applying continuous early-detection anomalies procedures. This research paper focuses on the deployment and evaluation of a smart system that enhances the screening of language disorders in primary care. Pediatricians get support to proceed with early referral of language disorders. The proposed model provides them with a decision-support tool for referral actions to trigger essential diagnostic and/or therapeutic actions for a comprehensive individual development. The research was conducted by starting from a sample of 60 cases of children with language disorders. Validation was carried out through two complementary steps: first, by including a team of seven experts from the fields of neonatology, pediatrics, neurology and language therapy, and, second, through the evaluation of 21 more previously diagnosed cases. The results obtained show that therapist positively accepted the system proposal in 18 cases (86%) and suggested system redesign for single referral to a speech therapist in three remaining cases.

Stepwise detection of recombination breakpoints in sequence alignments.

PubMed

Graham, Jinko; McNeney, Brad; Seillier-Moiseiwitsch, Françoise

2005-03-01

We propose a stepwise approach to identify recombination breakpoints in a sequence alignment. The approach can be applied to any recombination detection method that uses a permutation test and provides estimates of breakpoints. We illustrate the approach by analyses of a simulated dataset and alignments of real data from HIV-1 and human chromosome 7. The presented simulation results compare the statistical properties of one-step and two-step procedures. More breakpoints are found with a two-step procedure than with a single application of a given method, particularly for higher recombination rates. At higher recombination rates, the additional breakpoints were located at the cost of only a slight increase in the number of falsely declared breakpoints. However, a large proportion of breakpoints still go undetected. A makefile and C source code for phylogenetic profiling and the maximum chi2 method, tested with the gcc compiler on Linux and WindowsXP, are available at http://stat-db.stat.sfu.ca/stepwise/ jgraham@stat.sfu.ca.

Hit-Validation Methodologies for Ligands Isolated from DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Gunther; Li, Yizhou; Rieder, Ulrike; Mattarella, Martin; Neri, Dario; Scheuermann, Jörg

2017-05-04

DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECLs) are large collections of compounds linked to DNA fragments, serving as amplifiable barcodes, which can be screened on target proteins of interest. In typical DECL selections, preferential binders are identified by high-throughput DNA sequencing, by comparing their frequency before and after the affinity capture step. Hits identified in this procedure need to be confirmed, by resynthesis and by performing affinity measurements. In this article we present new methods based on hybridization of oligonucleotide conjugates with fluorescently labeled complementary oligonucleotides; these facilitate the determination of affinity constants and kinetic dissociation constants. The experimental procedures were demonstrated with acetazolamide, a binder to carbonic anhydrase IX with a dissociation constant in the nanomolar range. The detection of binding events was compatible not only with fluorescence polarization methodologies, but also with Alphascreen technology and with microscale thermophoresis. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Identification of fecal input sites in spring water by selection and genotyping of multiresistant Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Wicki, Melanie; Karabulut, Fatma; Auckenthaler, Adrian; Felleisen, Richard; Tanner, Marcel; Baumgartner, Andreas

2011-12-01

The localization of fecal input sites is important for water quality management. For this purpose, we have developed a new approach based on a three-step procedure, including a preparatory phase, the screening of multiresistant bacteria using selective agar plates, and a typing phase where selected Escherichia coli isolates are characterized by antibiotic resistance profiles and molecular fingerprinting techniques (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE]). These two well-known source tracking methods were combined in order to reduce cost and effort. This approach was successfully applied under field conditions in a study area located in the north-western part of Switzerland. E. coli isolates from spring water and surface water samples collected in this area were screened with selective agar plates. In this way, 21 different groups, each consisting of strains with the same pattern of antibiotic resistance, were found. Of these, four groups were further analyzed using PFGE. Strains with identical PFGE profiles were detected repeatedly, demonstrating the suitability of this method for the localization of fecal input sites over an extended period of time. Identical PFGE patterns of strains detected in water from two different springs were also found in the stream flowing through the study area. These results demonstrated the applicability of the new approach for the examination of incidents of fecal contamination in drinking water. The advantages of the described approach over genotyping methods currently being used to identify sources of fecal contaminants are a reduction in time, costs, and the effort required. Identical isolates could be identified without the construction of large libraries.

Two-port robotic hysterectomy: a novel approach.

PubMed

Moawad, Gaby N; Tyan, Paul; Khalil, Elias D Abi

2018-03-24

The objective of the study was to demonstrate a novel technique for two-port robotic hysterectomy with a particular focus on the challenging portions of the procedure. The study is designed as a technical video, showing step-by-step a two-port robotic hysterectomy approach (Canadian Task Force classification level III). IRB approval was not required for this study. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery for gynecological pathology have been clearly documented in multiple studies. Patients had fewer medical and surgical complications postoperatively, better cosmesis and quality of life. Most gynecological surgeons require 3-5 ports for the standard gynecological procedure. Even though the minimally invasive multiport system provides an excellent safety profile, multiple incisions are associated with a greater risk for morbidity including infection, pain, and hernia. In the past decade, various new methods have emerged to minimize the number of ports used in gynecological surgery. The interventions employed were a two-port robotic hysterectomy, using a camera port plus one robotic arm, with a focus on salpingectomy and cuff closure. We describe a transvaginal and a transabdominal approach for salpingectomy and a novel method for cuff closure. The transvaginal and transabdominal techniques for salpingectomy for two-port robotic-assisted hysterectomy provide excellent tension and exposure for a safe procedure without the need for an extra port. We also describe a transvaginal technique to place the vaginal cuff on tension during closure. With the necessary set of skills on a carefully chosen patient, two-port robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy is a feasible procedure.

Student Opinions about the Seven-Step Procedure in Problem-Based Hospitality Management Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwaal, Wichard; Otting, Hans

2014-01-01

This study investigates how hospitality management students appreciate the role and application of the seven-step procedure in problem-based learning. A survey was developed containing sections about personal characteristics, recall of the seven steps, overall report marks, and 30 statements about the seven-step procedure. The survey was…

Constraint factor graph cut-based active contour method for automated cellular image segmentation in RNAi screening.

PubMed

Chen, C; Li, H; Zhou, X; Wong, S T C

2008-05-01

Image-based, high throughput genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) experiments are increasingly carried out to facilitate the understanding of gene functions in intricate biological processes. Automated screening of such experiments generates a large number of images with great variations in image quality, which makes manual analysis unreasonably time-consuming. Therefore, effective techniques for automatic image analysis are urgently needed, in which segmentation is one of the most important steps. This paper proposes a fully automatic method for cells segmentation in genome-wide RNAi screening images. The method consists of two steps: nuclei and cytoplasm segmentation. Nuclei are extracted and labelled to initialize cytoplasm segmentation. Since the quality of RNAi image is rather poor, a novel scale-adaptive steerable filter is designed to enhance the image in order to extract long and thin protrusions on the spiky cells. Then, constraint factor GCBAC method and morphological algorithms are combined to be an integrated method to segment tight clustered cells. Compared with the results obtained by using seeded watershed and the ground truth, that is, manual labelling results by experts in RNAi screening data, our method achieves higher accuracy. Compared with active contour methods, our method consumes much less time. The positive results indicate that the proposed method can be applied in automatic image analysis of multi-channel image screening data.

On the Least-Squares Fitting of Correlated Data: a Priorivs a PosterioriWeighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellinghuisen, Joel

1996-10-01

One of the methods in common use for analyzing large data sets is a two-step procedure, in which subsets of the full data are first least-squares fitted to a preliminary set of parameters, and the latter are subsequently merged to yield the final parameters. The second step of this procedure is properly a correlated least-squares fit and requires the variance-covariance matrices from the first step to construct the weight matrix for the merge. There is, however, an ambiguity concerning the manner in which the first-step variance-covariance matrices are assessed, which leads to different statistical properties for the quantities determined in the merge. The issue is one ofa priorivsa posterioriassessment of weights, which is an application of what was originally calledinternalvsexternal consistencyby Birge [Phys. Rev.40,207-227 (1932)] and Deming ("Statistical Adjustment of Data." Dover, New York, 1964). In the present work the simplest case of a merge fit-that of an average as obtained from a global fit vs a two-step fit of partitioned data-is used to illustrate that only in the case of a priori weighting do the results have the usually expected and desired statistical properties: normal distributions for residuals,tdistributions for parameters assessed a posteriori, and χ2distributions for variances.

Electrical screening procedure for solid ionic conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kautz, H. E.; Singer, J.; Fielder, W. L.; Fordyce, J. S.

1973-01-01

An electrical screening method has been developed for preliminary evaluation of polycrystalline specimens of candidates for use as solid ionic conductive electrolytes in batteries. The procedure measures dielectric loss and capacitance, from which are calculated an ac conductivity attributed provisionally to ions and an activation energy for that conductivity. Electronic conductivity is directly measured. The screening procedure applied to sodium beta-alumina yielded acceptable values for conductivity and activation energy.

COLA with scale-dependent growth: applications to screened modified gravity models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winther, Hans A.; Koyama, Kazuya; Manera, Marc; Wright, Bill S.; Zhao, Gong-Bo

2017-08-01

We present a general parallelized and easy-to-use code to perform numerical simulations of structure formation using the COLA (COmoving Lagrangian Acceleration) method for cosmological models that exhibit scale-dependent growth at the level of first and second order Lagrangian perturbation theory. For modified gravity theories we also include screening using a fast approximate method that covers all the main examples of screening mechanisms in the literature. We test the code by comparing it to full simulations of two popular modified gravity models, namely f(R) gravity and nDGP, and find good agreement in the modified gravity boost-factors relative to ΛCDM even when using a fairly small number of COLA time steps.

Time required to initiate outbreak and pandemic observational research.

PubMed

Rishu, Asgar H; Marinoff, Nicole; Julien, Lisa; Dumitrascu, Mariana; Marten, Nicole; Eggertson, Shauna; Willems, Su; Ruddell, Stacy; Lane, Dan; Light, Bruce; Stelfox, Henry T; Jouvet, Philippe; Hall, Richard; Reynolds, Steven; Daneman, Nick; Fowler, Robert A

2017-08-01

Observational research focused upon emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus has been challenging to quickly initiate. We aimed to determine the duration of start-up procedures and barriers encountered for an observational study focused upon such infectious outbreaks. At 1 pediatric and 5 adult intensive care units, we measured durations from protocol receipt to a variety of outbreak research milestones, including research ethics board (REB) approval, data sharing agreement (DSA) execution, and patient study screening initiation. The median (interquartile range) time from site receipt of the protocol to REB submission was 73 (30-126) days; to REB approval, 158 (42-188) days; to DSA completion, 276 (186-312) days; and to study screening initiation, 293 (269-391) days. The median time from REB submission to REB approval was 43 (13-85) days. The median time for all start-up procedures was 335 (188-335) days. There is a lengthy start-up period required for outbreak-focused research. Completing DSAs was the most time-consuming step. A reactive approach to newly emerging threats such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus will likely not allow sufficient time to initiate research before most outbreaks are advanced. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Newborn screening healthcare information system based on service-oriented architecture.

PubMed

Hsieh, Sung-Huai; Hsieh, Sheau-Ling; Chien, Yin-Hsiu; Weng, Yung-Ching; Hsu, Kai-Ping; Chen, Chi-Huang; Tu, Chien-Ming; Wang, Zhenyu; Lai, Feipei

2010-08-01

In this paper, we established a newborn screening system under the HL7/Web Services frameworks. We rebuilt the NTUH Newborn Screening Laboratory's original standalone architecture, having various heterogeneous systems operating individually, and restructured it into a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), distributed platform for further integrity and enhancements of sample collections, testing, diagnoses, evaluations, treatments or follow-up services, screening database management, as well as collaboration, communication among hospitals; decision supports and improving screening accuracy over the Taiwan neonatal systems are also addressed. In addition, the new system not only integrates the newborn screening procedures among phlebotomy clinics, referral hospitals, as well as the newborn screening center in Taiwan, but also introduces new models of screening procedures for the associated, medical practitioners. Furthermore, it reduces the burden of manual operations, especially the reporting services, those were heavily dependent upon previously. The new system can accelerate the whole procedures effectively and efficiently. It improves the accuracy and the reliability of the screening by ensuring the quality control during the processing as well.

An outcomes analysis of five prenatal screening strategies for trisomy 21 in women younger than 35 years.

PubMed

Biggio, Joseph R; Morris, T Christopher; Owen, John; Stringer, Jeffery S A

2004-03-01

This study was undertaken to examine the cost-effectiveness and procedural-related losses associated with 5 prenatal screening strategies for fetal aneuploidy in women under 35 years old. Five prenatal screening strategies were compared in a decision analysis model: triple screen: maternal age and midtrimester serum alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and unconjugated estriol; quad screen: triple screen plus serum dimeric inhibin A; first-trimester screen: maternal age, serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and free beta-hCG and fetal nuchal translucency at 10 to 14 weeks' gestation; integrated screen: first-trimester screen plus quad screen, but first-trimester results are withheld until the quad screen is completed when a composite result is provided; sequential screen: first-trimester screen plus quad screen, but the first-trimester screen results are provided immediately and prenatal diagnosis offered if positive; later prenatal diagnosis is available if the quad screen is positive. Model estimates were literature derived, and cost estimates also included local sources. The 5 strategies were compared for cost, the numbers of Down syndrome fetuses detected and live births averted, and the number of procedure-related euploid losses. Sensitivity analyses were performed for parameters with imprecise point estimates. In the baseline analysis, sequential screening was the least expensive strategy ($455 million). It detected the most Down syndrome fetuses (n=1213), averted the most Down syndrome live births (n=678), but led to the highest number of procedure-related euploid losses (n=859). The integrated screen had the fewest euploid losses (n=62) and averted the second most Down syndrome live births (n=520). If fewer than 70% of women diagnosed with fetal Down syndrome elect to abort, the quad screen became the least expensive strategy. Although sequential screening was the most cost-effective prenatal screening strategy for fetal trisomy 21, it had the highest procedure-related euploid loss rate. The patient's perspective on detection versus fetal safety may help define the optimal screening strategy.

Novel One-step Immunoassays to Quantify α-Synuclein

PubMed Central

Bidinosti, Michael; Shimshek, Derya R.; Mollenhauer, Brit; Marcellin, David; Schweizer, Tatjana; Lotz, Gregor P.; Schlossmacher, Michael G.; Weiss, Andreas

2012-01-01

Familial Parkinson disease (PD) can result from α-synuclein gene multiplication, implicating the reduction of neuronal α-synuclein as a therapeutic target. Moreover, α-synuclein content in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) represents a PD biomarker candidate. However, capture-based assays for α-synuclein quantification in CSF (such as by ELISA) have shown discrepancies and have limited suitability for high-throughput screening. Here, we describe two sensitive, in-solution, time-resolved Förster's resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET)-based immunoassays for total and oligomeric α-synuclein quantification. CSF analysis showed strong concordance for total α-synuclein content between two TR-FRET assays and, in agreement with a previously characterized 36 h protocol-based ELISA, demonstrated lower α-synuclein levels in PD donors. Critically, the assay suitability for high-throughput screening of siRNA constructs and small molecules aimed at reducing endogenous α-synuclein levels was established and validated. In a small-scale proof of concept compound screen using 384 well plates, signals ranged from <30 to >120% of the mean of vehicle-treated cells for molecules known to lower and increase cellular α-synuclein, respectively. Furthermore, a reverse genetic screen of a kinase-directed siRNA library identified seven genes that modulated α-synuclein protein levels (five whose knockdown increased and two that decreased cellular α-synuclein protein). This provides critical new biological insight into cellular pathways regulating α-synuclein steady-state expression that may help guide further drug discovery efforts. Moreover, we describe an inherent limitation in current α-synuclein oligomer detection methodology, a finding that will direct improvement of future assay design. Our one-step TR-FRET-based platform for α-synuclein quantification provides a novel platform with superior performance parameters for the rapid screening of large biomarker cohorts and of compound and genetic libraries, both of which are essential to the development of PD therapies. PMID:22843695

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis in Wisconsin: comparison of biochemical and molecular methods.

PubMed

Gregg, R G; Simantel, A; Farrell, P M; Koscik, R; Kosorok, M R; Laxova, A; Laessig, R; Hoffman, G; Hassemer, D; Mischler, E H; Splaingard, M

1997-06-01

To evaluate neonatal screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), including study of the screening procedures and characteristics of false-positive infants, over the past 10 years in Wisconsin. An important objective evolving from the original design has been to compare use of a single-tier immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) screening method with that of a two-tier method using IRT and analyses of samples for the most common cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) (DeltaF508) mutation. We also examined the benefit of including up to 10 additional CFTR mutations in the screening protocol. From 1985 to 1994, using either the IRT or IRT/DNA protocol, 220 862 and 104 308 neonates, respectively, were screened for CF. For the IRT protocol, neonates with an IRT >/=180 ng/mL were considered positive, and the standard sweat chloride test was administered to determine CF status. For the IRT/DNA protocol, samples from the original dried-blood specimen on the Guthrie card of neonates with an IRT >/=110 ng/mL were tested for the presence of the DeltaF508 CFTR allele, and if the DNA test revealed one or two DeltaF508 alleles, a sweat test was obtained. Both screening procedures had very high specificity. The sensitivity tended to be higher with the IRT/DNA protocol, but the differences were not statistically significant. The positive predictive value of the IRT/DNA screening protocol was 15.2% compared with 6.4% if the same samples had been screened by the IRT method. Assessment of the false-positive IRT/DNA population revealed that the two-tier method eliminates the disproportionate number of infants with low Apgar scores and also the high prevalence of African-Americans identified previously in our study of newborns with high IRT levels. We found that 55% of DNA-positive CF infants were homozygous for DeltaF508 and 40% had one DeltaF508 allele. Adding analyses for 10 more CFTR mutations has only a small effect on the sensitivity but is likely to add significantly to the cost of screening. Advantages of the IRT/DNA protocol over IRT analysis include improved positive predictive value, reduction of false-positive infants, and more rapid diagnosis with elimination of recall specimens.

Endoscopy in screening for digestive cancer

PubMed Central

Lambert, René

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to describe the role of endoscopy in detection and treatment of neoplastic lesions of the digestive mucosa in asymptomatic persons. Esophageal squamous cell cancer occurs in relation to nutritional deficiency and alcohol or tobacco consumption. Esophageal adenocarcinoma develops in Barrett’s esophagus, and stomach cancer in chronic gastric atrophy with Helicobacter pylori infection. Colorectal cancer is favoured by a high intake in calories, excess weight, low physical activity. In opportunistic or individual screening endoscopy is the primary detection procedure offered to an asymptomatic individual. In organized or mass screening proposed by National Health Authorities to a population, endoscopy is performed only in persons found positive to a filter selection test. The indications of primary upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy in opportunistic screening are increasingly developing over the world. Organized screening trials are proposed in some regions of China at high risk for esophageal cancer; the selection test is cytology of a balloon or sponge scrapping; they are proposed in Japan for stomach cancer with photofluorography as a selection test; and in Europe, America and Japan; for colorectal cancer with the fecal occult blood test as a selection test. Organized screening trials in a country require an evaluation: the benefit of the intervention assessed by its impact on incidence and on the 5 year survival for the concerned tumor site; in addition a number of bias interfering with the evaluation have to be controlled. Drawbacks of screening are in the morbidity of the diagnostic and treatment procedures and in overdetection of none clinically relevant lesions. The strategy of endoscopic screening applies to early cancer and to benign adenomatous precursors of adenocarcinoma. Diagnostic endoscopy is conducted in 2 steps: at first detection of an abnormal area through changes in relief, in color or in the course of superficial capillaries; then characterization of the morphology of the lesion according to the Paris classification and prediction of the risk of malignancy and depth of invasion, with the help of chromoscopy, magnification and image processing with neutrophil bactericidal index or FICE. Then treatment decision offers 3 options according to histologic prediction: abstention, endoscopic resection, surgery. The rigorous quality control of endoscopy will reduce the miss rate of lesions and the occurrence of interval cancer. PMID:23293721

Conventional and two step sintering of PZT-PCN ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshavarzi, Mostafa; Rahmani, Hooman; Nemati, Ali; Hashemi, Mahdieh

2018-02-01

In this study, PZT-PCN ceramic was made via sol-gel seeding method and effects of conventional sintering (CS) as well as two-step sintering (TSS) were investigated on microstructure, phase formation, density, dielectric and piezoelectric properties. First, high quality powder was achieved by seeding method in which the mixture of Co3O4 and Nb2O5 powder was added to the prepared PZT sol to form PZT-PCN gel. After drying and calcination, pyrochlore free PZT-PCN powder was synthesized. Second, CS and TSS were applied to achieve dense ceramic. The optimum temperature used for 2 h of conventional sintering was obtained at 1150 °C; finally, undesired ZrO2 phase formed in CS procedure was removed successfully with TSS procedure and dielectric and piezoelectric properties were improved compared to the CS procedure. The best electrical properties obtained for the sample sintered by TSS in the initial temperature of T 1 = 1200 °C and secondary temperature of T 2 = 1000 °C for 12 h.

Screening Mammography and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: Utilization Updates.

PubMed

Boroumand, Gilda; Teberian, Ida; Parker, Laurence; Rao, Vijay M; Levin, David C

2018-05-01

There have been many recent developments in breast imaging, including the 2009 revision of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's breast cancer screening guidelines and the approval of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for clinical use in 2011. The objective of this study is to evaluate screening mammography utilization trends among the Medicare population from 2005 to 2015 and examine the volume of DBT studies performed in 2015, the first year for which procedural billing codes for DBT are available. We reviewed national Medicare Part B Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary master files from 2005 to 2015, to determine the annual utilization rate of screening mammography on the basis of procedure codes used for film-screen and digital screening mammography. We also used the Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary master files to determine the volume of screening and diagnostic DBT studies performed in 2015. The utilization rate of screening mammography per 1000 women in the Medicare fee-for-service population increased gradually every year, from 311.5 examinations in 2005 to a peak of 322.9 examinations in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%. In 2010, the utilization rate abruptly decreased by 4.3% to 309.2 examinations, and it has not since recovered to pre-2010 levels. In 2015, 18.9% of screening and 16.2% of diagnostic digital mammography examinations included DBT as an add-on procedure. In contrast to the annual increase in screening mammography utilization from 2005 to 2009, an abrupt sustained decline in screening occurred beginning in 2010, coinciding with the release of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. DBT utilization was somewhat limited in 2015, occurring in conjunction with less than 20% of digital mammography examinations.

Critical evaluation of the ability of sequential extraction procedures to quantify discrete forms of selenium in sediments and soils.

PubMed

Wright, Michael T; Parker, David R; Amrhein, Christopher

2003-10-15

Sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) have been widely used to characterize the mobility, bioavailibility, and potential toxicity of trace elements in soils and sediments. Although oft-criticized, these methods may perform best with redox-labile elements (As, Hg, Se) for which more discrete biogeochemical phases may arise from variations in oxidation number. We critically evaluated two published SEPs for Se for their specificity and precision by applying them to four discrete components in an inert silica matrix: soluble Se(VI) (selenate), Se(IV) (selenite) adsorbed onto goethite, elemental Se, and a metal selenide (FeSe; achavalite). These were extracted both individually and in a mixed model sediment. The more selective of the two procedures was modified to further improve its selectivity (SEP 2M). Both SEP 1 and SEP 2M quantitatively recovered soluble selenate but yielded incomplete recoveries of adsorbed selenite (64% and 81%, respectively). SEP 1 utilizes 0.1 M K2S2O8 to target "organically associated" Se, but this extractant also solubilized most of the elemental (64%) and iron selenide (91%) components of the model sediment. In SEP 2M, the Na2SO3 used in step III is effective in extracting elemental Se but also extracted 17% of the Se from the iron selenide, such that the elemental fraction would be overestimated should both forms coexist. Application of SEP 2M to eight wetland sediments further suggested that the Na2SO3 in step III extracts some organically associated Se, so a NaOH extraction was inserted beforehand to yield a further modification, SEP 2OH. Results using this five-step procedure suggested that the four-step SEP 2M could overestimate elemental Se by as much as 43% due to solubilization of organic Se. Although still imperfect in its selectivity, SEP 20H may be the most suitable procedure for routine, accurate fractionation of Se in soils and sediments. However, the strong oxidant (NaOCl) used in the final step cannot distinguish between refractory organic forms of Se and pyritic Se that might form under sulfur-reducing conditions.

Reverse-Time Imaging Based on Full-Waveform Inverted Velocity Model for Nondestructive Testing of Heterogeneous Engineered Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, L. T.; Modrak, R. T.; Saenger, E. H.; Tromp, J.

2017-12-01

Reverse-time migration (RTM) can reconstruct reflectors and scatterers by cross-correlating the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield given a known velocity model of the background. In nondestructive testing, however, the engineered structure under inspection is often composed of layers of various materials and the background material has been degraded non-uniformly because of environmental or operational effects. On the other hand, ultrasonic waveform tomography based on the principles of full-waveform inversion (FWI) has succeeded in detecting anomalous features in engineered structures. But the building of the wave velocity model of the comprehensive small-size and high-contrast defect(s) is difficult because it requires computationally expensive high-frequency numerical wave simulations and an accurate understanding of large-scale background variations of the engineered structure.To reduce computational cost and improve detection of small defects, a useful approach is to divide the waveform tomography procedure into two steps: first, a low-frequency model-building step aimed at recovering background structure using FWI, and second, a high-frequency imaging step targeting defects using RTM. Through synthetic test cases, we show that the two-step procedure appears more promising in most cases than a single-step inversion. In particular, we find that the new workflow succeeds in the challenging scenario where the defect lies along preexisting layer interface in a composite bridge deck and in related experiments involving noisy data or inaccurate source parameters. The results reveal the potential of the new wavefield imaging method and encourage further developments in data processing, enhancing computation power, and optimizing the imaging workflow itself so that the procedure can efficiently be applied to geometrically complex 3D solids and waveguides. Lastly, owing to the scale invariance of the elastic wave equation, this imaging procedure can be transferred to applications in regional scales as well.

A Cross-sectional Analysis of Minimum USMLE Step 1 and 2 Criteria Used by Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs in Screening Residency Applications.

PubMed

Schrock, John B; Kraeutler, Matthew J; Dayton, Michael R; McCarty, Eric C

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze how program directors (PDs) of orthopaedic surgery residency programs use United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores in screening residency applicants. A survey was sent to each allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency PD. PDs were asked if they currently use minimum Step 1 and/or 2 scores in screening residency applicants and if these criteria have changed in recent years. Responses were received from 113 of 151 PDs (75%). One program did not have the requested information and five declined participation, leaving 107 responses analyzed. Eighty-nine programs used a minimum USMLE Step 1 score (83%). Eighty-three programs (78%) required a Step 1 score ≥210, 80 (75%) required a score ≥220, 57 (53%) required a score ≥230, and 22 (21%) required a score ≥240. Multiple PDs mentioned the high volume of applications as a reason for using a minimum score and for increasing the minimum score in recent years. A large proportion of orthopaedic surgery residency PDs use a USMLE Step 1 minimum score when screening applications in an effort to reduce the number of applications to be reviewed.

Opportunistic detection of atrial fibrillation in subjects aged 65 years or older in primare care: a randomised clinical trial of efficacy. DOFA-AP study protocol

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend using peripheral blood pulse measuring as a screening test for Atrial Fibrillation. However, there is no adequate evidence supporting the efficacy of such procedure in primary care clinical practice. This paper describes a study protocol designed to verify whether early opportunistic screening for Atrial Fibrillation by measuring blood pulse is more effective than regular practice in subjects aged 65 years attending primary care centers. Methods/design An cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in Primary Care Centers of the Spanish National Health Service. A total of 269 physicians and nurses will be allocated to one of the two arms of the trial by stratified randomization with a 3:2 ratio (three practitioners will be assigned to the Control Group for every two practitioners assigned to the Experimental Group). As many as 12 870 patients aged 65 years or older and meeting eligibility criteria will be recruited (8 580 will be allocated to the Experimental Group and 4 290 to the Control Group). Randomization and allocation to trial groups will be carried out by a central computer system. The Experimental Group practitioners will conduct an opportunistic case finding for patients with Atrial Fibrillation, while the Control Group practitioners will follow the regular guidelines. The first step will be finding new Atrial Fibrillation cases. A descriptive inferential analysis will be performed (bivariate and multivariate by multilevel logistic regression analysis). Discussion If our hypothesis is confirmed, we expect Primary Care professionals to take a more proactive approach and adopt a new protocol when a patient meeting the established screening criteria is identified. Finally, we expect this measure to be incorporated into Clinical Practice Guidelines. Trial registration The study is registered as NCT01291953 (ClinicalTrials.gob) PMID:23130754

Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-827 Test Procedures for Video Target Scoring Using Calibration Lights

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 03-2-827 Test Procedures for Video Target Scoring Using...ABSTRACT This Test Operations Procedure (TOP) describes typical equipment and procedures to setup and operate a Video Target Scoring System (VTSS) to...lights. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Video Target Scoring System, VTSS, witness screens, camera, target screen, light pole 16. SECURITY

Challenges faced by cervical cancer prevention programs in developing countries: a situational analysis of program organization in Argentina.

PubMed

Arrossi, Silvina; Paolino, Melisa; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy

2010-10-01

to carry out a situational analysis of cervical cancer prevention activities in Argentina, specifically regarding (a) the organizational framework of cervical cancer prevention activities; (b) Pap-smear coverage; (c) cytology laboratory organization; and (d) follow-up/treatment of women with abnormal lesions. a situational analysis of provincial cervical cancer programs using data from an ad-hoc questionnaire sent to the leaders of cervical cancer prevention programs in Argentina's 24 provinces. In addition, the provinces' program guidelines, statistical reports, laws, and program regulations were reviewed and certain key leaders were personally interviewed. data were obtained for 19 of Argentina's 24 provinces. Four of the 19 provinces had no formal program framework. Conventional cytology was the most commonly used screening test. Screening was mainly opportunistic. The recommended interval between normal tests was 3 years in most provinces. The eligible age for screening ranged from 10-70 years of age; however, annual or biannual screening was the usual practice after becoming sexually active. None of the provincial programs had data available regarding Pap-smear coverage. Most of the cytology laboratories did not have a quality control policy. The number of smears read varied greatly by laboratory (650-24 000 per year). A log of events related to screening and treatment did not exist in most provinces. screening in Argentina is mainly opportunistic, characterized by an estimated low coverage, coexisting with over-screening of women with access to health services, and an absence of quality control procedures. Policies for cervical cancer screening in the provinces vary and, most often, deviate from the national recommendation of one Pap smear every 3 years for women 35-64 years of age. Ensuring compliance with national program guidelines is an essential step toward significantly reducing the burden of cervical cancer.

Integrating shape into an interactive segmentation framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamalakannan, S.; Bryant, B.; Sari-Sarraf, H.; Long, R.; Antani, S.; Thoma, G.

2013-02-01

This paper presents a novel interactive annotation toolbox which extends a well-known user-steered segmentation framework, namely Intelligent Scissors (IS). IS, posed as a shortest path problem, is essentially driven by lower level image based features. All the higher level knowledge about the problem domain is obtained from the user through mouse clicks. The proposed work integrates one higher level feature, namely shape up to a rigid transform, into the IS framework, thus reducing the burden on the user and the subjectivity involved in the annotation procedure, especially during instances of occlusions, broken edges, noise and spurious boundaries. The above mentioned scenarios are commonplace in medical image annotation applications and, hence, such a tool will be of immense help to the medical community. As a first step, an offline training procedure is performed in which a mean shape and the corresponding shape variance is computed by registering training shapes up to a rigid transform in a level-set framework. The user starts the interactive segmentation procedure by providing a training segment, which is a part of the target boundary. A partial shape matching scheme based on a scale-invariant curvature signature is employed in order to extract shape correspondences and subsequently predict the shape of the unsegmented target boundary. A `zone of confidence' is generated for the predicted boundary to accommodate shape variations. The method is evaluated on segmentation of digital chest x-ray images for lung annotation which is a crucial step in developing algorithms for screening Tuberculosis.

National screening guidelines and developments in prenatal diagnoses and live births of Down syndrome in 1973-2016 in Denmark.

PubMed

Lou, Stina; Petersen, Olav B; Jørgensen, Finn S; Lund, Ida C B; Kjaergaard, Susanne; Vogel, Ida

2018-02-01

Denmark was the first country in the world to implement a national, free-for-all offer of prenatal screening for Down syndrome to all pregnant women. It has a high uptake (>90%) compared to other countries. Thus, Denmark offers an interesting case for investigating the consequences of implementing comprehensive, national prenatal screening guidelines. The aim of this study was to describe the historical developments in invasive procedures, pre-/postnatal diagnoses of Down syndrome and Down syndrome live births in the period 1973-2016 in Denmark. Data on invasive procedures, pre- and postnatal Down syndrome diagnoses were retrieved from the Danish Cytogenetic Central Registry. From 1973 to 1993, screening based on maternal age and high-risk indications resulted in a constant increase in invasive procedures. After the introduction of the triple test in 1994, invasive procedures decreased for the first time in 20 years. Following the introduction of an offer of combined screening to all pregnant women in 2004, the number of invasive procedures decreased markedly, while there was a concurrent increase in prenatal diagnoses of Down syndrome. Additionally, the number of Down syndrome live births decreased suddenly and significantly, but subsequently stabilized at 23-35 annual live births. Of these, the majority were diagnosed postnatally. Though prenatal screening technologies constantly improve, it was the introduction of and adherence to national guidelines that resulted in marked shifts in screening procedures and outcome in Denmark. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Automated assay for screening the enzymatic release of reducing sugars from micronized biomass

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background To reduce the production cost of bioethanol obtained from fermentation of the sugars provided by degradation of lignocellulosic biomass (i.e., second generation bioethanol), it is necessary to screen for new enzymes endowed with more efficient biomass degrading properties. This demands the set-up of high-throughput screening methods. Several methods have been devised all using microplates in the industrial SBS format. Although this size reduction and standardization has greatly improved the screening process, the published methods comprise one or more manual steps that seriously decrease throughput. Therefore, we worked to devise a screening method devoid of any manual steps. Results We describe a fully automated assay for measuring the amount of reducing sugars released by biomass-degrading enzymes from wheat-straw and spruce. The method comprises two independent and automated steps. The first step is the making of "substrate plates". It consists of filling 96-well microplates with slurry suspensions of micronized substrate which are then stored frozen until use. The second step is an enzymatic activity assay. After thawing, the substrate plates are supplemented by the robot with cell-wall degrading enzymes where necessary, and the whole process from addition of enzymes to quantification of released sugars is autonomously performed by the robot. We describe how critical parameters (amount of substrate, amount of enzyme, incubation duration and temperature) were selected to fit with our specific use. The ability of this automated small-scale assay to discriminate among different enzymatic activities was validated using a set of commercial enzymes. Conclusions Using an automatic microplate sealer solved three main problems generally encountered during the set-up of methods for measuring the sugar-releasing activity of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes: throughput, automation, and evaporation losses. In its present set-up, the robot can autonomously process 120 triplicate wheat-straw samples per day. This throughput can be doubled if the incubation time is reduced from 24 h to 4 h (for initial rates measurements, for instance). This method can potentially be used with any insoluble substrate that is micronizable. A video illustrating the method can be seen at the following URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFg6TxjuMWU PMID:20637080

Study of Core Competency Elements and Factors Affecting Performance Efficiency of Government Teachers in Northeastern Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chansirisira, Pacharawit

2012-01-01

The research aimed to investigate the core competency elements and the factors affecting the performance efficiency of the civil service teachers in the northeastern region, Thailand. The research procedure consisted of two steps. In the first step, the data were collected using a questionnaire with the reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) of 0.90. The…

Markov Chains For Testing Redundant Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Allan L.; Sjogren, Jon A.

1990-01-01

Preliminary design developed for validation experiment that addresses problems unique to assuring extremely high quality of multiple-version programs in process-control software. Approach takes into account inertia of controlled system in sense it takes more than one failure of control program to cause controlled system to fail. Verification procedure consists of two steps: experimentation (numerical simulation) and computation, with Markov model for each step.

Regularized two-step brain activity reconstruction from spatiotemporal EEG data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alecu, Teodor I.; Voloshynovskiy, Sviatoslav; Pun, Thierry

2004-10-01

We are aiming at using EEG source localization in the framework of a Brain Computer Interface project. We propose here a new reconstruction procedure, targeting source (or equivalently mental task) differentiation. EEG data can be thought of as a collection of time continuous streams from sparse locations. The measured electric potential on one electrode is the result of the superposition of synchronized synaptic activity from sources in all the brain volume. Consequently, the EEG inverse problem is a highly underdetermined (and ill-posed) problem. Moreover, each source contribution is linear with respect to its amplitude but non-linear with respect to its localization and orientation. In order to overcome these drawbacks we propose a novel two-step inversion procedure. The solution is based on a double scale division of the solution space. The first step uses a coarse discretization and has the sole purpose of globally identifying the active regions, via a sparse approximation algorithm. The second step is applied only on the retained regions and makes use of a fine discretization of the space, aiming at detailing the brain activity. The local configuration of sources is recovered using an iterative stochastic estimator with adaptive joint minimum energy and directional consistency constraints.

The numerical evaluation of maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions from partially identified samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, H. F.

1976-01-01

Likelihood equations determined by the two types of samples which are necessary conditions for a maximum-likelihood estimate are considered. These equations, suggest certain successive-approximations iterative procedures for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates. These are generalized steepest ascent (deflected gradient) procedures. It is shown that, with probability 1 as N sub 0 approaches infinity (regardless of the relative sizes of N sub 0 and N sub 1, i=1,...,m), these procedures converge locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimates whenever the step size is between 0 and 2. Furthermore, the value of the step size which yields optimal local convergence rates is bounded from below by a number which always lies between 1 and 2.

Pylorus preserving loop duodeno-enterostomy with sleeve gastrectomy - preliminary results

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Bariatric operations mostly combine a restrictive gastric component with a rerouting of the intestinal passage. The pylorus can thereby be alternatively preserved or excluded. With the aim of performing a “pylorus-preserving gastric bypass”, we present early results of a proximal postpyloric loop duodeno-jejunostomy associated with a sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) compared to results of a parallel, but distal LSG with a loop duodeno-ileostomy as a two-step procedure. Methods 16 patients underwent either a two-step LSG with a distal loop duodeno-ileostomy (DIOS) as revisional bariatric surgery or a combined single step operation with a proximal duodeno-jejunostomy (DJOS). Total small intestinal length was determined to account for inter-individual differences. Results Mean operative time for the second-step of the DIOS operation was 121 min and 147 min for the combined DJOS operation. The overall intestinal length was 750.8 cm (range 600-900 cm) with a bypassed limb length of 235.7 cm in DJOS patients. The mean length of the common channel in DIOS patients measured 245.6 cm. Overall excess weight loss (%EWL) of the two-step DIOS procedure came to 38.31% and 49.60%, DJOS patients experienced an %EWL of 19.75% and 46.53% at 1 and 6 months, resp. No complication related to the duodeno-enterostomy occurred. Conclusions Loop duodeno-enterosomies with sleeve gastrectomy can be safely performed and may open new alternatives in bariatric surgery with the possibility for inter-individual adaptation. PMID:24725654

Characterisation of a proposed internet synthesis of N,N-dimethyltryptamine using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Martins, Cláudia P B; Freeman, Sally; Alder, John F; Brandt, Simon D

2009-08-14

The psychoactive properties of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are known to induce altered states of consciousness in humans. These properties attract great interest from clinical, neuroscientific, clandestine and forensic communities. The Breath of Hope Synthesis was reported on an internet website as a convenient two-step methodology for the preparation of DMT. The analytical characterisation of the first stage was the subject of previous publications by the authors and involved the thermal decarboxylation of tryptophan and the formation of tryptamine. The present study reports on the characterisation of the second step of this procedure which was based on the methylation of tryptamine. This employed methyl iodide and benzyltriethylammonium chloride/sodium hydroxide as a phase transfer catalyst. The reaction product was characterised by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry and orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Quantitative evaluation was carried out in positive multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM), which included synthesis of the identified reaction products. MRM screening of the product did not lead to the detection of DMT. Instead, 11.1% tryptamine starting material, 21.0% N,N,N-trimethyltryptammonium iodide (TMT) and 47.4% 1-N-methyl-TMT were detected. A 0.5% trace of the monomethylated N-methyltryptamine was also detected. This study demonstrated the impact on product purity of doubtful synthetic methodologies discussed on the internet.

Screening for cardiovascular risk factors in adults with serious mental illness: a review of the evidence.

PubMed

Baller, Julia B; McGinty, Emma E; Azrin, Susan T; Juliano-Bult, Denise; Daumit, Gail L

2015-03-21

Adults with serious mental illness have a mortality rate two to three times higher than the overall US population, much of which is due to somatic conditions, especially cardiovascular disease. Given the disproportionately high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the population with SMI, screening for these conditions is an important first step for timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This comprehensive literature review summarizes screening rates for cardiovascular risk factors in the population with serious mental illness. Relevant articles published between 2000 and 2013 were identified using the EMBASE, PsychInfo, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. We reviewed 10 studies measuring screening rates for obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension in the population with serious mental illness. Two reviewers independently extracted information on screening rates, study population, and study setting. Rates of screening varied considerably by time period, study population, and data source for all medical conditions. For example, rates of lipid testing for antipsychotic users ranged from 6% to 85%. For some conditions, rates of screening were consistently high. For example, screening rates for hypertension ranged from 79% - 88%. There is considerable variation in screening of cardiovascular risk factors in the population with serious mental illness, with significant need for improvement in some study populations and settings. Implementation of standard screening protocols triggered by diagnosis of serious mental illness or antipsychotic use may be promising avenues for ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in this population.

Changes in Receipt of Cancer Screening in Medicare Beneficiaries Following the Affordable Care Act

PubMed Central

Kou, Tzuyung D.; Schluchter, Mark D.; Dor, Avi; Koroukian, Siran M.

2016-01-01

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) removed copayments for screening mammography and colonoscopy in Medicare beneficiaries, but its clinical impact is unknown. Methods: Using a 5% random sample of Medicare claims from 2009 through 2012 in individuals age 70 years or older who were due for screening, we examined claims for screening mammography and screening or surveillance colonoscopy for two years prior to ACA (2009–2010) and two years post-ACA (2011–2012). Receipt of the procedures at the patient level was compared across years using generalized estimating equations. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Compared with 2009, we found an increase in mammography uptake during the ACA coverage period, with multivariable odds ratios (MOR) of 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20 to 1.25, P < .001) for 2011 and 1.17 (95% CI = 1.15 to 1.20, P < .001) for 2012 and less change in 2010 (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.05, P = .01). In contrast to mammography, uptake of screening or surveillance colonoscopy decreased in 2012 (MOR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.92 to 0.98, P = .002) compared with 2009, with no change in 2010 (MOR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.04, P = .47) or 2011 (MOR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.04, P = .34). Other factors associated with procedure receipt included younger age and prior preventive health visits. In an analysis restricted to patients age 70 to 74 years, colonoscopy use increased slightly in 2011 but was unchanged in 2012, and the findings by year for mammography were consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions: Following ACA implementation with concomitant reduction in out-of-pocket expenditures, there was a statistically significant increment in mammography uptake but not colonoscopy. This suggests that affordability is a necessary but not sufficient facilitator of preventive services. PMID:26640244

Changes in Receipt of Cancer Screening in Medicare Beneficiaries Following the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Cooper, Gregory S; Kou, Tzuyung D; Schluchter, Mark D; Dor, Avi; Koroukian, Siran M

2016-05-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) removed copayments for screening mammography and colonoscopy in Medicare beneficiaries, but its clinical impact is unknown. Using a 5% random sample of Medicare claims from 2009 through 2012 in individuals age 70 years or older who were due for screening, we examined claims for screening mammography and screening or surveillance colonoscopy for two years prior to ACA (2009-2010) and two years post-ACA (2011-2012). Receipt of the procedures at the patient level was compared across years using generalized estimating equations. Statistical tests were two-sided. Compared with 2009, we found an increase in mammography uptake during the ACA coverage period, with multivariable odds ratios (MOR) of 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20 to 1.25, P < .001) for 2011 and 1.17 (95% CI = 1.15 to 1.20, P < .001) for 2012 and less change in 2010 (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.05, P = .01). In contrast to mammography, uptake of screening or surveillance colonoscopy decreased in 2012 (MOR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.92 to 0.98, P = .002) compared with 2009, with no change in 2010 (MOR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.04, P = .47) or 2011 (MOR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.04, P = .34). Other factors associated with procedure receipt included younger age and prior preventive health visits. In an analysis restricted to patients age 70 to 74 years, colonoscopy use increased slightly in 2011 but was unchanged in 2012, and the findings by year for mammography were consistent with the main analysis. Following ACA implementation with concomitant reduction in out-of-pocket expenditures, there was a statistically significant increment in mammography uptake but not colonoscopy. This suggests that affordability is a necessary but not sufficient facilitator of preventive services. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A three-dimensional dual potential procedure with applications to wind tunnel inlets and interacting boundary layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, K. V.; Pletcher, R. H.; Steger, J. L.; Vandalsem, W. R.

1987-01-01

A dual potential decomposition of the velocity field into a scalar and a vector potential function is extended to three dimensions and used in the finite-difference simulation of steady three-dimensional inviscid rotational flows and viscous flow. The finite-difference procedure was used to simulate the flow through the 80 by 120 ft wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. Rotational flow produced by the stagnation pressure drop across vanes and screens which are located at the entrance of the inlet is modeled using actuator disk theory. Results are presented for two different inlet vane and screen configurations. The numerical predictions are in good agreement with experimental data. The dual potential procedure was also applied to calculate the viscous flow along two and three dimensional troughs. Viscous effects are simulated by injecting vorticity which is computed from a boundary layer algorithm. For attached flow over a three dimensional trough, the present calculations are in good agreement with other numerical predictions. For separated flow, it is shown from a two dimensional analysis that the boundary layer approximation provides an accurate measure of the vorticity in regions close to the wall; whereas further away from the wall, caution has to be exercised in using the boundary-layer equations to supply vorticity to the dual potential formulation.

Identification of small molecule inhibitors of cytokinesis and single cell wound repair

PubMed Central

Clark, Andrew G.; Sider, Jenny R.; Verbrugghe, Koen; Fenteany, Gabriel; von Dassow, George; Bement, William M.

2013-01-01

Screening of small molecule libraries offers the potential to identify compounds that inhibit specific biological processes and, ultimately, to identify macromolecules that are important players in such processes. To date, however, most screens of small molecule libraries have focused on identification of compounds that inhibit known proteins or particular steps in a given process, and have emphasized automated primary screens. Here we have used “low tech” in vivo primary screens to identify small molecules that inhibit both cytokinesis and single cell wound repair, two complex cellular processes that possess many common features. The “diversity set”, an ordered array of 1990 compounds available from the National Cancer Institute, was screened in parallel to identify compounds that inhibit cytokinesis in D. excentricus (sand dollar) embryos and single cell wound repair in X. laevis (frog) oocytes. Two small molecules were thus identified: Sph1 and Sph2. Sph1 reduces Rho activation in wound repair and suppresses formation of the spindle midzone during cytokinesis. Sph2 also reduces Rho activation in wound repair and may inhibit cytokinesis by blocking membrane fusion. The results identify two small molecules of interest for analysis of wound repair and cytokinesis, reveal that these processes are more similar than often realized and reveal the potential power of low tech screens of small molecule libraries for analysis of complex cellular processes. PMID:23125193

Two-question depression-screeners - the solution to all problems?

PubMed

Albani, Cornelia; Bailer, Harald; Blaser, Gerd; Brähler, Elmar; Geyer, Michael; Grulke, Norbert

2006-04-01

Depression constitutes a considerable issue in medicine and it is anticipated that the amount of people suffering from affective disorders will increase significantly. It would be useful to have a simple, fast screening procedure which would help detect depression. In four recently published articles a two-question depression-screener is recommended. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, negative and positive predictive values were compared. For four different clinical samples and one sample that was representative of the German population the prevalence for depression ranged from 6.9 % to 18.1 %. Sensitivity and specificity reached values from 72.6 % to 96.6 % and from 56.9 % to 90.0 % respectively. All negative predictive values were high (< 97 %) opposed to positive predictive values (17.8 % to 38.5 %). Overall, it seems that the two-question screenings are well suited for the exclusion of a major depression. It is possible that regular screening could further lower the percentage of undiagnosed cases.

Reconstructing Genetic Regulatory Networks Using Two-Step Algorithms with the Differential Equation Models of Neural Networks.

PubMed

Chen, Chi-Kan

2017-07-26

The identification of genetic regulatory networks (GRNs) provides insights into complex cellular processes. A class of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) captures the dynamics of GRN. Algorithms combining the RNN and machine learning schemes were proposed to reconstruct small-scale GRNs using gene expression time series. We present new GRN reconstruction methods with neural networks. The RNN is extended to a class of recurrent multilayer perceptrons (RMLPs) with latent nodes. Our methods contain two steps: the edge rank assignment step and the network construction step. The former assigns ranks to all possible edges by a recursive procedure based on the estimated weights of wires of RNN/RMLP (RE RNN /RE RMLP ), and the latter constructs a network consisting of top-ranked edges under which the optimized RNN simulates the gene expression time series. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to optimize the parameters of RNNs and RMLPs in a two-step algorithm. The proposed RE RNN -RNN and RE RMLP -RNN algorithms are tested on synthetic and experimental gene expression time series of small GRNs of about 10 genes. The experimental time series are from the studies of yeast cell cycle regulated genes and E. coli DNA repair genes. The unstable estimation of RNN using experimental time series having limited data points can lead to fairly arbitrary predicted GRNs. Our methods incorporate RNN and RMLP into a two-step structure learning procedure. Results show that the RE RMLP using the RMLP with a suitable number of latent nodes to reduce the parameter dimension often result in more accurate edge ranks than the RE RNN using the regularized RNN on short simulated time series. Combining by a weighted majority voting rule the networks derived by the RE RMLP -RNN using different numbers of latent nodes in step one to infer the GRN, the method performs consistently and outperforms published algorithms for GRN reconstruction on most benchmark time series. The framework of two-step algorithms can potentially incorporate with different nonlinear differential equation models to reconstruct the GRN.

Reconnaissance On Chi-Square Test Procedure For Determining Two Species Association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marisa, Hanifa

2008-01-01

Determining the assosiation of two species by using chi-square test has been published. Utility of this procedure to plants species at certain location, shows that the procedure could not find "ecologically" association. Tens sampling units have been made to record some weeds species in Indralaya, South Sumatera. Chi square test; Xt2 = N[|(ad)-(bc)|-(N/2)]2/mnrs (Eq:1) on two species (Cleome sp and Eleusine indica) of the weeds shows positive assosiation; while ecologically in nature, there is no relationship between them. Some alternatives are proposed to this problem; simplified chi-square test steps, make further study to find out ecologically association, or at last, ignore it.

Deconvolution of complex differential scanning calorimetry profiles for protein transitions under kinetic control.

PubMed

Toledo-Núñez, Citlali; Vera-Robles, L Iraís; Arroyo-Maya, Izlia J; Hernández-Arana, Andrés

2016-09-15

A frequent outcome in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments carried out with large proteins is the irreversibility of the observed endothermic effects. In these cases, DSC profiles are analyzed according to methods developed for temperature-induced denaturation transitions occurring under kinetic control. In the one-step irreversible model (native → denatured) the characteristics of the observed single-peaked endotherm depend on the denaturation enthalpy and the temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant, k. Several procedures have been devised to obtain the parameters that determine the variation of k with temperature. Here, we have elaborated on one of these procedures in order to analyze more complex DSC profiles. Synthetic data for a heat capacity curve were generated according to a model with two sequential reactions; the temperature dependence of each of the two rate constants involved was determined, according to the Eyring's equation, by two fixed parameters. It was then shown that our deconvolution procedure, by making use of heat capacity data alone, permits to extract the parameter values that were initially used. Finally, experimental DSC traces showing two and three maxima were analyzed and reproduced with relative success according to two- and four-step sequential models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accelerated Sensitivity Analysis in High-Dimensional Stochastic Reaction Networks

PubMed Central

Arampatzis, Georgios; Katsoulakis, Markos A.; Pantazis, Yannis

2015-01-01

Existing sensitivity analysis approaches are not able to handle efficiently stochastic reaction networks with a large number of parameters and species, which are typical in the modeling and simulation of complex biochemical phenomena. In this paper, a two-step strategy for parametric sensitivity analysis for such systems is proposed, exploiting advantages and synergies between two recently proposed sensitivity analysis methodologies for stochastic dynamics. The first method performs sensitivity analysis of the stochastic dynamics by means of the Fisher Information Matrix on the underlying distribution of the trajectories; the second method is a reduced-variance, finite-difference, gradient-type sensitivity approach relying on stochastic coupling techniques for variance reduction. Here we demonstrate that these two methods can be combined and deployed together by means of a new sensitivity bound which incorporates the variance of the quantity of interest as well as the Fisher Information Matrix estimated from the first method. The first step of the proposed strategy labels sensitivities using the bound and screens out the insensitive parameters in a controlled manner. In the second step of the proposed strategy, a finite-difference method is applied only for the sensitivity estimation of the (potentially) sensitive parameters that have not been screened out in the first step. Results on an epidermal growth factor network with fifty parameters and on a protein homeostasis with eighty parameters demonstrate that the proposed strategy is able to quickly discover and discard the insensitive parameters and in the remaining potentially sensitive parameters it accurately estimates the sensitivities. The new sensitivity strategy can be several times faster than current state-of-the-art approaches that test all parameters, especially in “sloppy” systems. In particular, the computational acceleration is quantified by the ratio between the total number of parameters over the number of the sensitive parameters. PMID:26161544

Environmental factor(tm) system: RCRA hazardous waste handler information (on CD-ROM). Data file

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

NONE

1995-11-01

Environmental Factor(trademark) RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler Information on CD-ROM unleashes the invaluable information found in two key EPA data sources on hazardous waste handlers and offers cradle-to-grave waste tracking. It`s easy to search and display: (1) Permit status, design capacity, and compliance history for facilities found in the EPA Research Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) program tracking database; (2) Detailed information on hazardous wastes generation, management, and minimization by companies who are large quantity generators; and (3) Data on the waste management practices of treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities from the EPA Biennial Reporting System which is collectedmore » every other year. Environmental Factor`s powerful database retrieval system lets you: (1) Search for RCRA facilities by permit type, SIC code, waste codes, corrective action, or violation information, TSD status, generator and transporter status, and more. (2) View compliance information - dates of evaluation, violation, enforcement, and corrective action. (3) Lookup facilities by waste processing categories of marketing, transporting, processing, and energy recovery. (4) Use owner/operator information and names, titles, and telephone numbers of project managers for prospecting. (5) Browse detailed data on TSD facility and large quantity generators` activities such as onsite waste treatment, disposal, or recycling, offsite waste received, and waste generation and management. The product contains databases, search and retrieval software on two CD-ROMs, an installation diskette and User`s Guide. Environmental Factor has online context-sensitive help from any screen and a printed User`s Guide describing installation and step-by-step procedures for searching, retrieving, and exporting.« less

Economic analysis of prenatal screening strategies for Down syndrome in singleton pregnancies in Turkey.

PubMed

Ökem, Zeynep Güldem; Örgül, Gökçen; Kasnakoglu, Berna Tari; Çakar, Mehmet; Beksaç, M Sinan

2017-12-01

To examine the costs and outcomes of different screening strategies for Down Syndrome (DS) in singleton pregnancies. A decision-analytic model was developed to compare the costs and the outcomes of different prenatal screening strategies. Five strategies were compared for women under 35-year of age: 1A) triple test (TT), 2A); combined test (CT), 3A) Non-invasive Prenatal Screening Test by using cell free fetal DNA (NIPT), 4A) and 5A) NIPT as a second-step screening for high-risk patients detected by either TT, or CT respectively. For women ≥35-year of age, 1B) implementing invasive test (amniocentesis -AC) and 2B) NIPT for all women were compared. Data was analyzed to obtain the outcomes, total costs, the cost per women and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for screening strategies. Among the current strategies for women under 35 years old, CT is clearly dominated to TT, as it is more effective and less costly. Although, the current routine practice (2A) is the least-costly strategy, implementing NIPT as a second step screening to high-risk women identified by CT (5A) would be more effective than 2A; leading to a 10.2% increase in the number of detected DS cases and a 96.3% reduction in procedural related losses (PRL). However, its cost to the Social Security Institution that is a public entity would be 17 times higher and increase screening costs by 1.5 times. Strategy 5A would result in an incremental cost effectiveness of 6,873,082 (PPP) US$ when compared to the current one (2A). Strategy 1B-for offering AC to all women ≥35-year of age is dominated over NIPT (2B), as it would detect more DS cases and would be less costly. On the other hand, there would be 206 PRL associated with AC, but NIPT provides clear clinical benefits as there would be no PRL with NIPT. NIPT leads to very high costs despite its high effectiveness in terms of detecting DS cases and avoiding PRL. The cost of NIPT should be decreased, otherwise, only individuals who can afford to pay from out-of-pocket could benefit. We believe that reliable cost-effective prenatal screening policies are essential in countries with low and smiddle income and high birth rates as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening Procedures Used to Identify Children with Hearing Loss.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barringer, Donald G.; And Others

1993-01-01

Analysis of data on 1,404 young children with hearing losses indicated that 80% of the children were identified via informal hearing-screening procedures, such as parental suspicion and referral. Auditory brainstem response technology provided the lowest mean identification age. The study concludes that formal screening programs are not locating…

Comparative Effectiveness of Two Walking Interventions on Participation, Step Counts, and Health.

PubMed

Smith-McLallen, Aaron; Heller, Debbie; Vernisi, Kristin; Gulick, Diana; Cruz, Samantha; Snyder, Richard L

2017-03-01

To (1) compare the effects of two worksite-based walking interventions on employee participation rates; (2) compare average daily step counts between conditions, and; (3) examine the effects of increases in average daily step counts on biometric and psychologic outcomes. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in which six employer groups were randomly selected and randomly assigned to condition. Four manufacturing worksites and two office-based worksite served as the setting. A total of 474 employees from six employer groups were included. A standard walking program was compared to an enhanced program that included incentives, feedback, competitive challenges, and monthly wellness workshops. Walking was measured by self-reported daily step counts. Survey measures and biometric screenings were administered at baseline and 3, 6, and 9 months after baseline. Analysis used linear mixed models with repeated measures. During 9 months, participants in the enhanced condition averaged 726 more steps per day compared with those in the standard condition (p < .001). A 1000-step increase in average daily steps was associated with significant weight loss for both men (-3.8 lbs.) and women (-2.1 lbs.), and reductions in body mass index (-0.41 men, -0.31 women). Higher step counts were also associated with improvements in mood, having more energy, and higher ratings of overall health. An enhanced walking program significantly increases participation rates and daily step counts, which were associated with weight loss and reductions in body mass index.

An integrated one-step system to extract, analyze and annotate all relevant information from image-based cell screening of chemical libraries.

PubMed

Rabal, Obdulia; Link, Wolfgang; Serelde, Beatriz G; Bischoff, James R; Oyarzabal, Julen

2010-04-01

Here we report the development and validation of a complete solution to manage and analyze the data produced by image-based phenotypic screening campaigns of small-molecule libraries. In one step initial crude images are analyzed for multiple cytological features, statistical analysis is performed and molecules that produce the desired phenotypic profile are identified. A naïve Bayes classifier, integrating chemical and phenotypic spaces, is built and utilized during the process to assess those images initially classified as "fuzzy"-an automated iterative feedback tuning. Simultaneously, all this information is directly annotated in a relational database containing the chemical data. This novel fully automated method was validated by conducting a re-analysis of results from a high-content screening campaign involving 33 992 molecules used to identify inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Ninety-two percent of confirmed hits identified by the conventional multistep analysis method were identified using this integrated one-step system as well as 40 new hits, 14.9% of the total, originally false negatives. Ninety-six percent of true negatives were properly recognized too. A web-based access to the database, with customizable data retrieval and visualization tools, facilitates the posterior analysis of annotated cytological features which allows identification of additional phenotypic profiles; thus, further analysis of original crude images is not required.

Performance of the Seven-Step Procedure in Problem-Based Hospitality Management Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwaal, Wichard; Otting, Hans

2016-01-01

The study focuses on the seven-step procedure (SSP) in problem-based learning (PBL). The way students apply the seven-step procedure will help us understand how students work in a problem-based learning curriculum. So far, little is known about how students rate the performance and importance of the different steps, the amount of time they spend…

Linezolid in late-chronic prosthetic joint infection caused by gram-positive bacteria.

PubMed

Cobo, Javier; Lora-Tamayo, Jaime; Euba, Gorane; Jover-Sáenz, Alfredo; Palomino, Julián; del Toro, Ma Dolores; Rodríguez-Pardo, Dolors; Riera, Melchor; Ariza, Javier

2013-05-01

Linezolid may be an interesting alternative for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) due to its bioavailability and its antimicrobial spectrum. However, experience in this setting is scarce. The aim of the study was to assess linezolid's clinical and microbiological efficacy, and also its tolerance. This was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, non-comparative study of 25 patients with late-chronic PJI caused by Gram-positive bacteria managed with a two-step exchange procedure plus 6 weeks of linezolid. Twenty-two (88%) patients tolerated linezolid without major adverse effects, although a global decrease in the platelet count was observed. Three patients were withdrawn because of major toxicity, which reversed after linezolid stoppage. Among patients who completed treatment, 19 (86%) demonstrated clinical and microbiological cure. Two patients presented with clinical and microbiological failure, and one showed clinical cure and microbiological failure. In conclusion, linezolid showed good results in chronic PJI managed with a two-step exchange procedure. Tolerance seems acceptable, though close surveillance is required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reducing age of autism diagnosis: developmental social neuroscience meets public health challenge

PubMed Central

Klin, Ami; Klaiman, Cheryl; Jones, Warren

2015-01-01

Summary Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous family of neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic origins with potentially devastating implications for child, family, health and educational systems. Despite advances in paper-and-pencil screening and in standardization of diagnostic procedures, diagnosis of autism in the US still hovers around the ages of four or five years, later still in disadvantaged communities, and several years after the age of two to three years when the condition can be reliably diagnosed by expert clinicians. As early detection and treatment are two of the most important factors optimizing outcome, and given that diagnosis is typically a necessary condition for families to have access to early treatment, reducing age of diagnosis has become one of the greatest priorities of the field. Recent advances in developmental social neuroscience promise the advent of cost-effective and community-viable, performance-based procedures, and suggest a complementary method for promoting universal screening and much greater access to the diagnosis process. Small but critical studies have already reported on experiments that differentiate groups of children at risk for autism from controls, and at least one study so far could predict diagnostic classification and level of disability on the basis of a brief experiment. Although the road to translating such procedures into effective devices for screening diagnosis is still a long one, and premature claims should be avoided, this effort could be critical in addressing this worldwide public health challenge. PMID:25726820

Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates’ Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment

PubMed Central

Prevost, Luanna B.; Lemons, Paula P.

2016-01-01

This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. PMID:27909021

Population screening for colorectal cancer by flexible sigmoidoscopy or CT colonography: study protocol for a multicenter randomized trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most prevalent type of cancer in Europe. A single flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening at around the age of 60 years prevents about one-third of CRC cases. However, FS screens only the distal colon, and thus mortality from proximal CRC is unaffected. Computed tomography colonography (CTC) is a highly accurate examination that allows assessment of the entire colon. However, the benefit of CTC testing as a CRC screening test is uncertain. We designed a randomized trial to compare participation rate, detection rates, and costs between CTC (with computer-aided detection) and FS as primary tests for population-based screening. Methods/Design An invitation letter to participate in a randomized screening trial comparing CTC versus FS will be mailed to a sample of 20,000 people aged 58 or 60 years, living in the Piedmont region and the Verona district of Italy. Individuals with a history of CRC, adenomas, inflammatory bowel disease, or recent colonoscopy, or with two first-degree relatives with CRC will be excluded from the study by their general practitioners. Individuals responding positively to the invitation letter will be then randomized to the intervention group (CTC) or control group (FS), and scheduled for the screening procedure. The primary outcome parameter of this part of the trial is the difference in advanced neoplasia detection between the two screening tests. Secondary outcomes are cost-effectiveness analysis, referral rates for colonoscopy induced by CTC versus FS, and the expected and perceived burden of the procedures. To compare participation rates for CTC versus FS, 2,000 additional eligible subjects will be randomly assigned to receive an invitation for screening with CTC or FS. In the CTC arm, non-responders will be offered fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as alternative screening test, while in the FS arm, non-responders will receive an invitation letter to undergo screening with either FOBT or CTC. Data on reasons for participation and non-participation will also be collected. Discussion This study will provide reliable information concerning benefits and risks of the adoption of CTC as a mass screening intervention in comparison with FS. The trial will also evaluate the role of computer-aided detection in a screening setting. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01739608 PMID:24678896

Identification of Social Anxiety in Schools: The Utility of a Two-Step Screening Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Corinne; Masia Warner, Carrie; Brice, Chad; Stewart, Catherine; Ryan, Julie; Loeb, Katharine L.; McGrath, Robert E.

2015-01-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent yet largely undetected and untreated in adolescents despite the availability of effective treatments. Implementing interventions in schools enhances recognition and access to treatment for SAD. However, without reliable means to accurately identify youth in need of services, school-based…

A Novel Two-Step Hierarchial Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling Workflow for Predicting Acute Toxicity of Chemicals in Rodents

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Accurate prediction of in vivo toxicity from in vitro testing is a challenging problem. Large public–private consortia have been formed with the goal of improving chemical safety assessment by the means of high-throughput screening. Methods and results: A database co...

Brick tunnel randomization and the momentum of the probability mass.

PubMed

Kuznetsova, Olga M

2015-12-30

The allocation space of an unequal-allocation permuted block randomization can be quite wide. The development of unequal-allocation procedures with a narrower allocation space, however, is complicated by the need to preserve the unconditional allocation ratio at every step (the allocation ratio preserving (ARP) property). When the allocation paths are depicted on the K-dimensional unitary grid, where allocation to the l-th treatment is represented by a step along the l-th axis, l = 1 to K, the ARP property can be expressed in terms of the center of the probability mass after i allocations. Specifically, for an ARP allocation procedure that randomizes subjects to K treatment groups in w1 :⋯:wK ratio, w1 +⋯+wK =1, the coordinates of the center of the mass are (w1 i,…,wK i). In this paper, the momentum with respect to the center of the probability mass (expected imbalance in treatment assignments) is used to compare ARP procedures in how closely they approximate the target allocation ratio. It is shown that the two-arm and three-arm brick tunnel randomizations (BTR) are the ARP allocation procedures with the tightest allocation space among all allocation procedures with the same allocation ratio; the two-arm BTR is the minimum-momentum two-arm ARP allocation procedure. Resident probabilities of two-arm and three-arm BTR are analytically derived from the coordinates of the center of the probability mass; the existence of the respective transition probabilities is proven. Probability of deterministic assignments with BTR is found generally acceptable. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improved quality-by-design compliant methodology for method development in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Debrus, Benjamin; Guillarme, Davy; Rudaz, Serge

2013-10-01

A complete strategy dedicated to quality-by-design (QbD) compliant method development using design of experiments (DOE), multiple linear regressions responses modelling and Monte Carlo simulations for error propagation was evaluated for liquid chromatography (LC). The proposed approach includes four main steps: (i) the initial screening of column chemistry, mobile phase pH and organic modifier, (ii) the selectivity optimization through changes in gradient time and mobile phase temperature, (iii) the adaptation of column geometry to reach sufficient resolution, and (iv) the robust resolution optimization and identification of the method design space. This procedure was employed to obtain a complex chromatographic separation of 15 antipsychotic basic drugs, widely prescribed. To fully automate and expedite the QbD method development procedure, short columns packed with sub-2 μm particles were employed, together with a UHPLC system possessing columns and solvents selection valves. Through this example, the possibilities of the proposed QbD method development workflow were exposed and the different steps of the automated strategy were critically discussed. A baseline separation of the mixture of antipsychotic drugs was achieved with an analysis time of less than 15 min and the robustness of the method was demonstrated simultaneously with the method development phase. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling the pressure inactivation of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium in sapote mamey ( Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Moore & Stearn) pulp.

PubMed

Saucedo-Reyes, Daniela; Carrillo-Salazar, José A; Román-Padilla, Lizbeth; Saucedo-Veloz, Crescenciano; Reyes-Santamaría, María I; Ramírez-Gilly, Mariana; Tecante, Alberto

2018-03-01

High hydrostatic pressure inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 ( S. typhimurium) in a low acid mamey pulp at four pressure levels (300, 350, 400, and 450 MPa), different exposure times (0-8 min), and temperature of 25 ± 2℃ were obtained. Survival curves showed deviations from linearity in the form of a tail (upward concavity). The primary models tested were the Weibull model, the modified Gompertz equation, and the biphasic model. The Weibull model gave the best goodness of fit ( R 2 adj  > 0.956, root mean square error < 0.290) in the modeling and the lowest Akaike information criterion value. Exponential-logistic and exponential decay models, and Bigelow-type and an empirical models for b'( P) and n( P) parameters, respectively, were tested as alternative secondary models. The process validation considered the two- and one-step nonlinear regressions for making predictions of the survival fraction; both regression types provided an adequate goodness of fit and the one-step nonlinear regression clearly reduced fitting errors. The best candidate model according to the Akaike theory information, with better accuracy and more reliable predictions was the Weibull model integrated by the exponential-logistic and exponential decay secondary models as a function of time and pressure (two-step procedure) or incorporated as one equation (one-step procedure). Both mathematical expressions were used to determine the t d parameter, where the desired reductions ( 5D) (considering d = 5 ( t 5 ) as the criterion of 5 Log 10 reduction (5 D)) in both microorganisms are attainable at 400 MPa for 5.487 ± 0.488 or 5.950 ± 0.329 min, respectively, for the one- or two-step nonlinear procedure.

MO-DE-207A-10: One-Step CT Reconstruction for Metal Artifact Reduction by a Modification of Penalized Weighted Least-Squares (PWLS)

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

Kim, H; Chen, J

Purpose: Metal objects create severe artifacts in kilo-voltage (kV) CT image reconstructions due to the high attenuation coefficients of high atomic number objects. Most of the techniques devised to reduce this artifact utilize a two-step approach, which do not reliably yield the qualified reconstructed images. Thus, for accuracy and simplicity, this work presents a one-step reconstruction method based on a modified penalized weighted least-squares (PWLS) technique. Methods: Existing techniques for metal artifact reduction mostly adopt a two-step approach, which conduct additional reconstruction with the modified projection data from the initial reconstruction. This procedure does not consistently perform well due tomore » the uncertainties in manipulating the metal-contaminated projection data by thresholding and linear interpolation. This study proposes a one-step reconstruction process using a new PWLS operation with total-variation (TV) minimization, while not manipulating the projection. The PWLS for CT reconstruction has been investigated using a pre-defined weight, based on the variance of the projection datum at each detector bin. It works well when reconstructing CT images from metal-free projection data, which does not appropriately penalize metal-contaminated projection data. The proposed work defines the weight at each projection element under the assumption of a Poisson random variable. This small modification using element-wise penalization has a large impact in reducing metal artifacts. For evaluation, the proposed technique was assessed with two noisy, metal-contaminated digital phantoms, against the existing PWLS with TV minimization and the two-step approach. Result: The proposed PWLS with TV minimization greatly improved the metal artifact reduction, relative to the other techniques, by watching the results. Numerically, the new approach lowered the normalized root-mean-square error about 30 and 60% for the two cases, respectively, compared to the two-step method. Conclusion: A new PWLS operation shows promise for improving metal artifact reduction in CT imaging, as well as simplifying the reconstructing procedure.« less

Development of extraction procedure for determination of mercury species using SPME-assisted dispersive derivative agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Md Pauzi; Khalik, Wan Mohd Afiq Wan Mohd; Othman, Mohamed Rozali

2016-11-01

The extraction procedure for determination of low level mercury using solid phase microextraction was successfully carried out. Design of experimental works using factorial design and central composite design were applied to screen and predict the optimum condition for extraction step. In this study, variables namely concentration level (5 % m/v) and volume of derivatization solution (150 µL) has depicted as main effect for controlling the suitability of derivative reagent condition. Maximum of signal response (account as total peak areas for mercury species) was obtained when extraction procedure was set up at pH of water sample (5.8), extraction time (14 min), extraction temperature (43 °C) and stirring rate (450 rpm). Reducing time required to reach equilibrium is new improvement achieved in this study. Detection limit for each species (MeHg 26.17 ngL-1; EtHg 48.84 ngL-1 and IHg 14.11 ngL-1) was calculated lower than our previous work. Recovery, repeatability and reproducibility trial were recorded varied at acceptable range and relative standard deviation was calculated below than 10 %.

The effect of adopting the IADPSG screening guidelines on the risk profile and outcomes of the gestational diabetes population.

PubMed

March, Melissa I; Modest, Anna M; Ralston, Steven J; Hacker, Michele R; Gupta, Munish; Brown, Florence M

2016-01-01

To compare characteristics and outcomes of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) by the newer one-step glucose tolerance test and those diagnosed with the traditional two-step method. This was a retrospective cohort study of women with GDM who delivered in 2010-2011. Data are reported as proportion or median (interquartile range) and were compared using a Chi-square, Fisher's exact or Wilcoxon rank sum test based on data type. Of 235 women with GDM, 55.7% were diagnosed using the two-step method and 44.3% with the one-step method. The groups had similar demographics and GDM risk factors. The two-step method group was diagnosed with GDM one week later [27.0 (24.0-29.0) weeks versus 26.0 (24.0-28.0 weeks); p = 0.13]. The groups had similar median weight gain per week before diagnosis. After diagnosis, women in the one-step method group had significantly higher median weight gain per week [0.67 pounds/week (0.31-1.0) versus 0.56 pounds/week (0.15-0.89); p = 0.047]. In the one-step method group more women had suspected macrosomia (11.7% versus 5.3%, p = 0.07) and more neonates had a birth weight >4000 g (13.6% versus 7.5%, p = 0.13); however, these differences were not statistically significant. Other pregnancy and neonatal complications were similar. Women diagnosed with the one-step method gained more weight per week after GDM diagnosis and had a non-statistically significant increased risk for suspected macrosomia. Our data suggest the one-step method identifies women with at least equally high risk as the two-step method.

Modality dependence and intermodal transfer in the Corsi Spatial Sequence Task: Screen vs. Floor.

PubMed

Röser, Andrea; Hardiess, Gregor; Mallot, Hanspeter A

2016-07-01

Four versions of the Corsi Spatial Sequence Task (CSST) were tested in a complete within-subject design, investigating whether participants' performance depends on the modality of task presentation and reproduction that put different demands on spatial processing. Presentation of the sequence (encoding phase) and the reproduction (recall phase) were each carried out either on a computer screen or on the floor of a room, involving actual walking in the recall phase. Combinations of the two different encoding and recall procedures result in the modality conditions Screen-Screen, Screen-Floor, Floor-Screen, and Floor-Floor. Results show the expected decrease in performance with increasing sequence length, which is likely due to processing limitations of working memory. We also found differences in performance between the modality conditions indicating different involvements of spatial working memory processes. Participants performed best in the Screen-Screen modality condition. Floor-Screen and Floor-Floor modality conditions require additional working memory resources for reference frame transformation and spatial updating, respectively; the resulting impairment of the performance was about the same in these two conditions. Finally, the Screen-Floor modality condition requires both types of additional spatial demands and led to the poorest performance. Therefore, we suggest that besides the well-known spatial requirements of CSST, additional working memory resources are demanded in walking CSST supporting processes such as spatial updating, mental rotation, reference frame transformation, and the control of walking itself.

The Aristotle score: a complexity-adjusted method to evaluate surgical results.

PubMed

Lacour-Gayet, F; Clarke, D; Jacobs, J; Comas, J; Daebritz, S; Daenen, W; Gaynor, W; Hamilton, L; Jacobs, M; Maruszsewski, B; Pozzi, M; Spray, T; Stellin, G; Tchervenkov, C; Mavroudis And, C

2004-06-01

Quality control is difficult to achieve in Congenital Heart Surgery (CHS) because of the diversity of the procedures. It is particularly needed, considering the potential adverse outcomes associated with complex cases. The aim of this project was to develop a new method based on the complexity of the procedures. The Aristotle project, involving a panel of expert surgeons, started in 1999 and included 50 pediatric surgeons from 23 countries, representing the EACTS, STS, ECHSA and CHSS. The complexity was based on the procedures as defined by the STS/EACTS International Nomenclature and was undertaken in two steps: the first step was establishing the Basic Score, which adjusts only the complexity of the procedures. It is based on three factors: the potential for mortality, the potential for morbidity and the anticipated technical difficulty. A questionnaire was completed by the 50 centers. The second step was the development of the Comprehensive Aristotle Score, which further adjusts the complexity according to the specific patient characteristics. It includes two categories of complexity factors, the procedure dependent and independent factors. After considering the relationship between complexity and performance, the Aristotle Committee is proposing that: Performance = Complexity x Outcome. The Aristotle score, allows precise scoring of the complexity for 145 CHS procedures. One interesting notion coming out of this study is that complexity is a constant value for a given patient regardless of the center where he is operated. The Aristotle complexity score was further applied to 26 centers reporting to the EACTS congenital database. A new display of centers is presented based on the comparison of hospital survival to complexity and to our proposed definition of performance. A complexity-adjusted method named the Aristotle Score, based on the complexity of the surgical procedures has been developed by an international group of experts. The Aristotle score, electronically available, was introduced in the EACTS and STS databases. A validation process evaluating its predictive value is being developed.

Independence screening for high dimensional nonlinear additive ODE models with applications to dynamic gene regulatory networks.

PubMed

Xue, Hongqi; Wu, Shuang; Wu, Yichao; Ramirez Idarraga, Juan C; Wu, Hulin

2018-05-02

Mechanism-driven low-dimensional ordinary differential equation (ODE) models are often used to model viral dynamics at cellular levels and epidemics of infectious diseases. However, low-dimensional mechanism-based ODE models are limited for modeling infectious diseases at molecular levels such as transcriptomic or proteomic levels, which is critical to understand pathogenesis of diseases. Although linear ODE models have been proposed for gene regulatory networks (GRNs), nonlinear regulations are common in GRNs. The reconstruction of large-scale nonlinear networks from time-course gene expression data remains an unresolved issue. Here, we use high-dimensional nonlinear additive ODEs to model GRNs and propose a 4-step procedure to efficiently perform variable selection for nonlinear ODEs. To tackle the challenge of high dimensionality, we couple the 2-stage smoothing-based estimation method for ODEs and a nonlinear independence screening method to perform variable selection for the nonlinear ODE models. We have shown that our method possesses the sure screening property and it can handle problems with non-polynomial dimensionality. Numerical performance of the proposed method is illustrated with simulated data and a real data example for identifying the dynamic GRN of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Screening and Intervention for Comorbid Substance Disorders, PTSD, Depression, and Suicide: A Trauma Center Survey.

PubMed

Love, Jeff; Zatzick, Douglas

2014-07-01

Few investigations have examined screening and intervention procedures for comorbid substance use and mental disorders at trauma centers in the United States, although these disorders are endemic among survivors of traumatic injury. In 2006, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) mandated that level I and level II trauma centers screen for alcohol use problems and that level I centers provide brief intervention for those who screen positive. The ACS is expected to recommend best practice policy guidelines for screening for drug use problems and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined screening and intervention procedures for the full spectrum of comorbid mental and substance use disorders at U.S. trauma centers. Respondents at all level I and level II trauma centers (N=518) in the United States were asked to complete a survey describing screening and intervention procedures for alcohol and drug use problems, suicidality, depression, and PTSD. There were 391 (75%) respondents. Over 80% of trauma centers routinely screened for alcohol and drug use problems. Routine screening and intervention for suicidality, depression, and PTSD were markedly less common; in fact, only 7% of centers reported routine screening for PTSD. Consistent with ACS policy, level I centers were significantly more likely than level II centers to provide alcohol intervention. Alcohol screening and intervention occurred frequently at U.S. trauma centers and appeared to be responsive to ACS mandates. In the future, efforts to orchestrate clinical investigation and policy could enhance screening and intervention procedures for highly prevalent, comorbid mental disorders.

Prevalence of rosacea in the general population of Germany and Russia - The RISE study.

PubMed

Tan, J; Schöfer, H; Araviiskaia, E; Audibert, F; Kerrouche, N; Berg, M

2016-03-01

There is an unmet need for general population-based epidemiological data on rosacea based on contemporary diagnostic criteria and validated population survey methodology. To evaluate the prevalence of rosacea in the general population of Germany and Russia. General population screening was conducted in 9-10 cities per country to ensure adequate geographic representation. In Part I of this two-phase study, screening of a representative sample of the general population (every fifth person or every fifth door using a fixed-step procedure on a random route sample) was expedited with use of a questionnaire and algorithm based on current diagnostic criteria for rosacea. Of the subjects that screened positive in the initial phase, a randomly selected sample (every third subject) t`hen underwent diagnostic confirmation by a dermatologist in Part II. A total of 3052 and 3013 subjects (aged 18-65 years) were screened in Germany and Russia respectively. Rosacea prevalence was 12.3% [95%CI, 10.2-14.4] in Germany and 5.0% [95%CI, 2.8-7.2] in Russia. The profile of subjects with rosacea (75% women; mean age of 40 years; mainly skin phototype II or III, majority of subjects with sensitive facial skin) and subtype distribution were similar. Overall, 18% of subjects diagnosed with rosacea were aged 18-30 years. Over 80% were not previously diagnosed. Within the previous year, 47.5% of subjects had received no rosacea care and 23.7% had received topical and/or systemic drugs. Over one-third (35% Germany, 43% Russia) of rosacea subjects reported a moderate to severe adverse impact on quality of life. Rosacea is highly prevalent in Germany (12.3%) and Russia (5.0%). The demographic profile of rosacea subjects was similar between countries and the majority were previously undiagnosed. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Alternator insulation evaluation tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penn, W. B.; Schaefer, R. F.; Balke, R. L.

1972-01-01

Tests were conducted to predict the remaining electrical insulation life of a 60 KW homopolar inductor alternator following completion of NASA turbo-alternator endurance tests for SNAP-8 space electrical power systems application. The insulation quality was established for two alternators following completion of these tests. A step-temperature aging test procedure was developed for insulation life prediction and applied to one of the two alternators. Armature winding insulation life of over 80,000 hours for an average winding temperature of 248 degrees C was predicted using the developed procedure.

AKAPS Act in a Two-Step Mechanism of Memory Acquisition

PubMed Central

Scheunemann, Lisa; Skroblin, Philipp; Hundsrucker, Christian; Klussmann, Enno; Efetova, Marina

2013-01-01

Defining the molecular and neuronal basis of associative memories is based upon behavioral preparations that yield high performance due to selection of salient stimuli, strong reinforcement, and repeated conditioning trials. One of those preparations is the Drosophila aversive olfactory conditioning procedure where animals initiate multiple memory components after experience of a single cycle training procedure. Here, we explored the analysis of acquisition dynamics as a means to define memory components and revealed strong correlations between particular chronologies of shock impact and number experienced during the associative training situation and subsequent performance of conditioned avoidance. Analyzing acquisition dynamics in Drosophila memory mutants revealed that rutabaga (rut)-dependent cAMP signals couple in a divergent fashion for support of different memory components. In case of anesthesia-sensitive memory (ASM) we identified a characteristic two-step mechanism that links rut-AC1 to A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAP)-sequestered protein kinase A at the level of Kenyon cells, a recognized center of olfactory learning within the fly brain. We propose that integration of rut-derived cAMP signals at level of AKAPs might serve as counting register that accounts for the two-step mechanism of ASM acquisition. PMID:24174675

Lipid extraction methods from microalgal biomass harvested by two different paths: screening studies toward biodiesel production.

PubMed

Ríos, Sergio D; Castañeda, Joandiet; Torras, Carles; Farriol, Xavier; Salvadó, Joan

2013-04-01

Microalgae can grow rapidly and capture CO2 from the atmosphere to convert it into complex organic molecules such as lipids (biodiesel feedstock). High scale economically feasible microalgae based oil depends on optimizing the entire process production. This process can be divided in three very different but directly related steps (production, concentration, lipid extraction and transesterification). The aim of this study is to identify the best method of lipid extraction to undergo the potentiality of some microalgal biomass obtained from two different harvesting paths. The first path used all physicals concentration steps, and the second path was a combination of chemical and physical concentration steps. Three microalgae species were tested: Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Nannochloropsis gaditana, and Chaetoceros calcitrans One step lipid extraction-transesterification reached the same fatty acid methyl ester yield as the Bligh and Dyer and soxhlet extraction with n-hexane methods with the corresponding time, cost and solvent saving. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-throughput screening of chromatographic separations: IV. Ion-exchange.

PubMed

Kelley, Brian D; Switzer, Mary; Bastek, Patrick; Kramarczyk, Jack F; Molnar, Kathleen; Yu, Tianning; Coffman, Jon

2008-08-01

Ion-exchange (IEX) chromatography steps are widely applied in protein purification processes because of their high capacity, selectivity, robust operation, and well-understood principles. Optimization of IEX steps typically involves resin screening and selection of the pH and counterion concentrations of the load, wash, and elution steps. Time and material constraints associated with operating laboratory columns often preclude evaluating more than 20-50 conditions during early stages of process development. To overcome this limitation, a high-throughput screening (HTS) system employing a robotic liquid handling system and 96-well filterplates was used to evaluate various operating conditions for IEX steps for monoclonal antibody (mAb) purification. A screening study for an adsorptive cation-exchange step evaluated eight different resins. Sodium chloride concentrations defining the operating boundaries of product binding and elution were established at four different pH levels for each resin. Adsorption isotherms were measured for 24 different pH and salt combinations for a single resin. An anion-exchange flowthrough step was then examined, generating data on mAb adsorption for 48 different combinations of pH and counterion concentration for three different resins. The mAb partition coefficients were calculated and used to estimate the characteristic charge of the resin-protein interaction. Host cell protein and residual Protein A impurity levels were also measured, providing information on selectivity within this operating window. The HTS system shows promise for accelerating process development of IEX steps, enabling rapid acquisition of large datasets addressing the performance of the chromatography step under many different operating conditions. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical properties of m-plane GaN grown on patterned Si(112) substrates by MOCVD using a two-step approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izyumskaya, N.; Okur, S.; Zhang, F.; Monavarian, M.; Avrutin, V.; Özgür, Ü.; Metzner, S.; Karbaum, C.; Bertram, F.; Christen, J.; Morkoç, H.

2014-03-01

Nonpolar m-plane GaN layers were grown on patterned Si (112) substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A two-step growth procedure involving a low-pressure (30 Torr) first step to ensure formation of the m-plane facet and a high-pressure step (200 Torr) for improvement of optical quality was employed. The layers grown in two steps show improvement of the optical quality: the near-bandedge photoluminescence (PL) intensity is about 3 times higher than that for the layers grown at low pressure, and deep emission is considerably weaker. However, emission intensity from m-GaN is still lower than that of polar and semipolar (1 100 ) reference samples grown under the same conditions. To shed light on this problem, spatial distribution of optical emission over the c+ and c- wings of the nonpolar GaN/Si was studied by spatially resolved cathodoluminescence and near-field scanning optical microscopy.

[Comparison of film-screen combination in a contrast detail diagram and with interactive image analysis. 1: Contrast detail diagram].

PubMed

Hagemann, G; Eichbaum, G

1997-07-01

The following three film-screen combinations were compared: a) a combination of anticrossover film and UV-light emitting screens, b) a combination of blue-light emitting screens and film, and c) a conventional green fluorescing screen film combination. Radiographs of a specially designed plexiglass phantom (0.2 x 0.2 x 0.12 m3) were obtained that contained bar patterns of lead and plaster (calcium sulfate) to test high and intermediate contrast resolution and bar patterns of air to test low contrast resolution, respectively. An aluminum step wedge was integrated to evaluate dose-density curves of the radiographs. The dose values for the various step thicknesses were measured as percentage of the dose value in air for 60, 81, and 117 kV. Exposure conditions were the following: 12 pulse generator, 0.6 mm focus size, 4.7 mm aluminum prefilter, a grid with 40 lines/cm (12:1), and a focus-detector distance of 1.15 m. The thresholds of visible bars of the various pattern materials were assessed by seven radiologists, one technician, and the authors. The resulting contrast detail diagram could not prove any significant differences between the three tested screen film combinations. The pairwise comparison, however, found 8 of the 18 paired differences to be statistically significant between the conventional and the two new screen-film combinations. The authors concluded that subjective visual assessment of the threshold in a contrast detail study alone is of only limited value to grade image quality if no well-defined criteria are used (BIR report 20 [1989] 137-139). The statistical approach of paired differences of the estimated means appeared to be more appropriate.

Unsupervised color image segmentation using a lattice algebra clustering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urcid, Gonzalo; Ritter, Gerhard X.

2011-08-01

In this paper we introduce a lattice algebra clustering technique for segmenting digital images in the Red-Green- Blue (RGB) color space. The proposed technique is a two step procedure. Given an input color image, the first step determines the finite set of its extreme pixel vectors within the color cube by means of the scaled min-W and max-M lattice auto-associative memory matrices, including the minimum and maximum vector bounds. In the second step, maximal rectangular boxes enclosing each extreme color pixel are found using the Chebychev distance between color pixels; afterwards, clustering is performed by assigning each image pixel to its corresponding maximal box. The two steps in our proposed method are completely unsupervised or autonomous. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the color segmentation results including a brief numerical comparison with two other non-maximal variations of the same clustering technique.

Oxime-based linker libraries as a general approach for the rapid generation and screening of multidentate inhibitors

PubMed Central

Bahta, Medhanit; Liu, Fa; Kim, Sung-Eun; Stephen, Andrew G.; Fisher, Robert J.; Burke, Terrence R.

2013-01-01

The described oxime-based library protocol provides detailed procedures for the linkage of aminooxy functionality with aldehyde building blocks that result in the generation of libraries of multidentate inhibitors. Synthesis of inhibitors for protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and antagonists directed against the human tumor susceptibility gene 101 (Tsg101) are shown as examples. Three steps are involved: a) the design and synthesis of aminooxy platforms; b) tethering with aldehydes to form oxime-based linkages with sufficient purity; and c) direct in vitro biological evaluation of oxime products without purification. Each coupling reaction is a) performed in capped microtubes at room temperature; b) diluted for inhibitory evaluation and c) screened with targets in microplates to provide IC50 or Kd values. The synthesis of the aminooxy platforms takes 3–5 days; tethering with the aldehydes takes 24 h; and inhibition assay of enzymes and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) takes 30 min and 2 h respectively. PMID:22422315

cnvScan: a CNV screening and annotation tool to improve the clinical utility of computational CNV prediction from exome sequencing data.

PubMed

Samarakoon, Pubudu Saneth; Sorte, Hanne Sørmo; Stray-Pedersen, Asbjørg; Rødningen, Olaug Kristin; Rognes, Torbjørn; Lyle, Robert

2016-01-14

With advances in next generation sequencing technology and analysis methods, single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels can be detected with high sensitivity and specificity in exome sequencing data. Recent studies have demonstrated the ability to detect disease-causing copy number variants (CNVs) in exome sequencing data. However, exonic CNV prediction programs have shown high false positive CNV counts, which is the major limiting factor for the applicability of these programs in clinical studies. We have developed a tool (cnvScan) to improve the clinical utility of computational CNV prediction in exome data. cnvScan can accept input from any CNV prediction program. cnvScan consists of two steps: CNV screening and CNV annotation. CNV screening evaluates CNV prediction using quality scores and refines this using an in-house CNV database, which greatly reduces the false positive rate. The annotation step provides functionally and clinically relevant information using multiple source datasets. We assessed the performance of cnvScan on CNV predictions from five different prediction programs using 64 exomes from Primary Immunodeficiency (PIDD) patients, and identified PIDD-causing CNVs in three individuals from two different families. In summary, cnvScan reduces the time and effort required to detect disease-causing CNVs by reducing the false positive count and providing annotation. This improves the clinical utility of CNV detection in exome data.

14 CFR 382.55 - May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers with disabilities that go beyond...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Accessibility of Airport Facilities § 382.55 May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers..., including those with disabilities, are subject to TSA security screening requirements at U.S. airports. In addition, passengers at foreign airports, including those with disabilities, may be subject to security...

14 CFR 382.55 - May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers with disabilities that go beyond...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Accessibility of Airport Facilities § 382.55 May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers..., including those with disabilities, are subject to TSA security screening requirements at U.S. airports. In addition, passengers at foreign airports, including those with disabilities, may be subject to security...

14 CFR 382.55 - May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers with disabilities that go beyond...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Accessibility of Airport Facilities § 382.55 May carriers impose security screening procedures for passengers..., including those with disabilities, are subject to TSA security screening requirements at U.S. airports. In addition, passengers at foreign airports, including those with disabilities, may be subject to security...

The Move to Field Based Teacher Education: A Practical Guide for Field Hands. Teacher Education Forum; Volume 4, Number 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockwood, Stacy F.

This paper outlines the procedures used at the University of Cincinnati for establishing a field based elementary teacher education program in the form of a field guide. The first step involves a meeting with university faculty to discuss the implications of such a program. Step two involves meeting with the elementary school principal and selling…

Individual health services.

PubMed

Schnell-Inderst, Petra; Hunger, Theresa; Hintringer, Katharina; Schwarzer, Ruth; Seifert-Klauss, Vanadin Regina; Gothe, Holger; Wasem, Jürgen; Siebert, Uwe

2011-01-01

The German statutory health insurance (GKV) reimburses all health care services that are deemed sufficient, appropriate, and efficient. According to the German Medical Association (BÄK), individual health services (IGeL) are services that are not under liability of the GKV, medically necessary or recommendable or at least justifiable. They have to be explicitly requested by the patient and have to be paid out of pocket. The following questions regarding IGeL in the outpatient health care of GKV insurants are addressed in the present report: What is the empirical evidence regarding offers, utilization, practice, acceptance, and the relation between physician and patient, as well as the economic relevance of IGeL?What ethical, social, and legal aspects are related to IGeL? FOR TWO OF THE MOST COMMON IGEL, THE SCREENING FOR GLAUCOMA AND THE SCREENING FOR OVARIAN AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER BY VAGINAL ULTRASOUND (VUS), THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE ADDRESSED: What is the evidence for the clinical effectiveness?Are there sub-populations for whom screening might be beneficial? The evaluation is divided into two parts. For the first part a systematic literature review of primary studies and publications concerning ethical, social and legal aspects is performed. In the second part, rapid assessments of the clinical effectiveness for the two examples, glaucoma and VUS screening, are prepared. Therefore, in a first step, HTA-reports and systematic reviews are searched, followed by a search for original studies published after the end of the research period of the most recent HTA-report included. 29 studies were included for the first question. Between 19 and 53% of GKV members receive IGeL offers, of which three-quarters are realised. 16 to 19% of the insurants ask actively for IGeL. Intraocular tension measurement is the most common single IGeL service, accounting for up to 40% of the offers. It is followed by ultrasound assessments with up to 25% of the offers. Cancer screening and blood or laboratory services are also frequent and represent a major proportion of the demand. The ethical, social, and legal aspects discussed in the context of IGeL concern eight subject areas: autonomous patient decisions versus obtrusion,commercialization of medicine, duty of patient information, benefit, evidence, and (quality) control, role and relation of physicians and patients,relation to the GKV, social inequality,formally correct performance. For glaucoma screening, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) is identified that shows a patient relevant benefit. For VUS three RCT are included. However, they do not yet present mortality data concerning screened and non-screened persons. VUS screening shows a high degree of over-diagnosis in turn leading to invasive interventions. To diagnose one invasive carcinoma, 30 to 35 surgical procedures are necessary. IGeL are a relevant factor in the German statutory health care system. To provide more transparency, the requests for evidence-based and independent patient information should be considered. Whether official positive and negative-lists could be an appropriate instrument to give guidance to patients and physicians, should be examined. Generally, IGeL must be seen in the broader context of the discussions about the future design and development of the German health care system.

Standard Printing Screen System.

DTIC Science & Technology

area pattern screens. It also describes the creation of a 100-step continuous growth halftone scale for the purpose of specifying quality control tolerances of screen tints for the printed product. (Author)

Two-speed phacoemulsification for soft cataracts using optimized parameters and procedure step toolbar with the CENTURION Vision System and Balanced Tip

PubMed Central

Davison, James A

2015-01-01

Purpose To present a cause of posterior capsule aspiration and a technique using optimized parameters to prevent it from happening when operating soft cataracts. Patients and methods A prospective list of posterior capsule aspiration cases was kept over 4,062 consecutive cases operated with the Alcon CENTURION machine and Balanced Tip. Video analysis of one case of posterior capsule aspiration was accomplished. A surgical technique was developed using empirically derived machine parameters and customized setting-selection procedure step toolbar to reduce the pace of aspiration of soft nuclear quadrants in order to prevent capsule aspiration. Results Two cases out of 3,238 experienced posterior capsule aspiration before use of the soft quadrant technique. Video analysis showed an attractive vortex effect with capsule aspiration occurring in 1/5 of a second. A soft quadrant removal setting was empirically derived which had a slower pace and seemed more controlled with no capsule aspiration occurring in the subsequent 824 cases. The setting featured simultaneous linear control from zero to preset maximums for: aspiration flow, 20 mL/min; and vacuum, 400 mmHg, with the addition of torsional tip amplitude up to 20% after the fluidic maximums were achieved. A new setting selection procedure step toolbar was created to increase intraoperative flexibility by providing instantaneous shifting between the soft and normal settings. Conclusion A technique incorporating a reduced pace for soft quadrant acquisition and aspiration can be accomplished through the use of a dedicated setting of integrated machine parameters. Toolbar placement of the procedure button next to the normal setting procedure button provides the opportunity to instantaneously alternate between the two settings. Simultaneous surgeon control over vacuum, aspiration flow, and torsional tip motion may make removal of soft nuclear quadrants more efficient and safer. PMID:26355695

Experimental design methodologies in the optimization of chiral CE or CEC separations: an overview.

PubMed

Dejaegher, Bieke; Mangelings, Debby; Vander Heyden, Yvan

2013-01-01

In this chapter, an overview of experimental designs to develop chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE) and capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) methods is presented. Method development is generally divided into technique selection, method optimization, and method validation. In the method optimization part, often two phases can be distinguished, i.e., a screening and an optimization phase. In method validation, the method is evaluated on its fit for purpose. A validation item, also applying experimental designs, is robustness testing. In the screening phase and in robustness testing, screening designs are applied. During the optimization phase, response surface designs are used. The different design types and their application steps are discussed in this chapter and illustrated by examples of chiral CE and CEC methods.

Screen-printed calcium-birnessite electrodes for water oxidation at neutral pH and an "electrochemical harriman series".

PubMed

Lee, Seung Y; González-Flores, Diego; Ohms, Jonas; Trost, Tim; Dau, Holger; Zaharieva, Ivelina; Kurz, Philipp

2014-12-01

A mild screen-printing method was developed to coat conductive oxide surfaces (here: fluorine-doped tin oxide) with micrometer-thick layers of presynthesized calcium manganese oxide (Ca-birnessite) particles. After optimization steps concerning the printing process and layer thickness, electrodes were obtained that could be used as corrosion-stable water-oxidizing anodes at pH 7 to yield current densities of 1 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of less than 500 mV. Analyses of the electrode coatings of optimal thickness (≈10 μm) indicated that composition, oxide phase, and morphology of the synthetic Ca-birnessite particles were hardly affected by the screen-printing procedure. However, a more detailed analysis by X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed small modifications of both the Mn redox state and the structure at the atomic level, which could affect functional properties such as proton conductivity. Furthermore, the versatile new screen-printing method was used for a comparative study of various transition-metal oxides concerning electrochemical water oxidation under "artificial leaf conditions" (neutral pH, fairly low overpotential and current density), for which a general activity ranking of RuO2 >Co3 O4 ≈(Ca)MnOx ≈NiO was observed. Within the group of screened manganese oxides, Ca-birnessite performed better than "Mn-only materials" such as Mn2 O3 and MnO2 . © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Language screening in preschool Chinese children.

PubMed

Wong, V; Lee, P W; Lieh-Mak, F; Yeung, C Y; Leung, P W; Luk, S L; Yiu, E

1992-01-01

The incidence of language delay in Chinese preschool children was studied by a stratified proportional sampling of all 3 year olds in Hong Kong. The Developmental Language Screening Scale (DLSS) devised for use with Cantonese speaking children was used to identify children with language delay. Of 855 children sampled in the stage I screening procedure, 4%, 2.8% and 3.3% were identified as having delay in verbal comprehension, expression or both respectively. The stage II clinical diagnostic study included a randomly selected group of children screened in stage I with or without any associated behavioural problem. Among these, 3.4% were identified as having a language delay using the Reynell Language Developmental Scale (RDLS) with a criterion of language age of less than or equal to two-thirds of the chronological age; 3% had specific language delay using the criteria of language age less than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age and developmental age more than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age. More boys were found to have language delay, although this was not statistically significant.

Object Segmentation and Ground Truth in 3D Embryonic Imaging.

PubMed

Rajasekaran, Bhavna; Uriu, Koichiro; Valentin, Guillaume; Tinevez, Jean-Yves; Oates, Andrew C

2016-01-01

Many questions in developmental biology depend on measuring the position and movement of individual cells within developing embryos. Yet, tools that provide this data are often challenged by high cell density and their accuracy is difficult to measure. Here, we present a three-step procedure to address this problem. Step one is a novel segmentation algorithm based on image derivatives that, in combination with selective post-processing, reliably and automatically segments cell nuclei from images of densely packed tissue. Step two is a quantitative validation using synthetic images to ascertain the efficiency of the algorithm with respect to signal-to-noise ratio and object density. Finally, we propose an original method to generate reliable and experimentally faithful ground truth datasets: Sparse-dense dual-labeled embryo chimeras are used to unambiguously measure segmentation errors within experimental data. Together, the three steps outlined here establish a robust, iterative procedure to fine-tune image analysis algorithms and microscopy settings associated with embryonic 3D image data sets.

Object Segmentation and Ground Truth in 3D Embryonic Imaging

PubMed Central

Rajasekaran, Bhavna; Uriu, Koichiro; Valentin, Guillaume; Tinevez, Jean-Yves; Oates, Andrew C.

2016-01-01

Many questions in developmental biology depend on measuring the position and movement of individual cells within developing embryos. Yet, tools that provide this data are often challenged by high cell density and their accuracy is difficult to measure. Here, we present a three-step procedure to address this problem. Step one is a novel segmentation algorithm based on image derivatives that, in combination with selective post-processing, reliably and automatically segments cell nuclei from images of densely packed tissue. Step two is a quantitative validation using synthetic images to ascertain the efficiency of the algorithm with respect to signal-to-noise ratio and object density. Finally, we propose an original method to generate reliable and experimentally faithful ground truth datasets: Sparse-dense dual-labeled embryo chimeras are used to unambiguously measure segmentation errors within experimental data. Together, the three steps outlined here establish a robust, iterative procedure to fine-tune image analysis algorithms and microscopy settings associated with embryonic 3D image data sets. PMID:27332860

Dynamic analysis method for prevention of failure in the first-stage low-pressure turbine blade with two-finger root

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jung-Yong; Jung, Yong-Keun; Park, Jong-Jin; Kang, Yong-Ho

2002-05-01

Failures of turbine blades are identified as the leading causes of unplanned outages for steam turbine. Accidents of low-pressure turbine blade occupied more than 70 percent in turbine components. Therefore, the prevention of failures for low pressure turbine blades is certainly needed. The procedure is illustrated by the case study. This procedure is used to guide, and support the plant manager's decisions to avoid a costly, unplanned outage. In this study, we are trying to find factors of failures in LP turbine blade and to make three steps to approach the solution of blade failure. First step is to measure natural frequency in mockup test and to compare it with nozzle passing frequency. Second step is to use FEM and to calculate the natural frequencies of 7 blades and 10 blades per group in BLADE code. Third step is to find natural frequencies of grouped blade off the nozzle passing frequency.

Preliminary experience with 4K ultra-high definition endoscope: analysis of pros and cons in skull base surgery.

PubMed

Rigante, M; La Rocca, G; Lauretti, L; D'Alessandris, G Q; Mangiola, A; Anile, C; Olivi, A; Paludetti, G

2017-06-01

During the last two decades endoscopic skull base surgery observed a continuous technical and technological development 3D endoscopy and ultra High Definition (HD) endoscopy have provided great advances in terms of visualisation and spatial resolution. Ultra-high definition (UHD) 4K systems, recently introduced in the clinical practice, will shape next steps forward especially in skull base surgery field. Patients were operated on through transnasal transsphenoidal endoscopic approaches performed using Olympus NBI 4K UHD endoscope with a 4 mm 0° Ultra Telescope, 300 W xenon lamp (CLV-S400) predisposed for narrow band imaging (NBI) technology connected through a camera head to a high-quality control unit (OTV-S400 - VISERA 4K UHD) (Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Two screens are used, one 31" Monitor - (LMD-X310S) and one main ultra-HD 55" screen optimised for UHD image reproduction (LMD-X550S). In selected cases, we used a navigation system (Stealthstation S7, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, US). We evaluated 22 pituitary adenomas (86.3% macroadenomas; 13.7% microadenomas). 50% were not functional (NF), 22.8% GH, 18.2% ACTH, 9% PRL-secreting. Three of 22 were recurrences. In 91% of cases we achieved total removal, while in 9% near total resection. A mean follow-up of 187 days and average length of hospitalisation was 3.09 ± 0.61 days. Surgical duration was 128.18± 30.74 minutes. We experienced only 1 case of intraoperative low flow fistula with no further complications. None of the cases required any post- or intraoperative blood transfusion. The visualisation and high resolution of the operative field provided a very detailed view of all anatomical structures and pathologies allowing an improvement in safety and efficacy of the surgical procedure. The operative time was similar to the standard 2D HD and 3D procedures and the physical strain was also comparable to others in terms of ergonomics and weight. © Copyright by Società Italiana di Otorinolaringologia e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, Rome, Italy.

Glucose screening tests during pregnancy

MedlinePlus

Oral glucose tolerance test - pregnancy; OGTT - pregnancy; Glucose challenge test - pregnancy; Gestational diabetes - glucose screening ... first step, you will have a glucose screening test: You DO NOT need to prepare or change ...

Using Pediatric Visits to Support Children and Families: Ten Positive Outcomes From HealthySteps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacLaughlin, Sarah; Gillespie, Linda; Parlakian, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Pediatric health care practices are ideal settings within which to provide vital screenings, support, and parent education to families of infants and toddlers. HealthySteps (HS) uses an integrated, relationship-based approach to deliver a range of services and supports such as anticipatory guidance, developmental and behavioral screenings,…

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems-Parent Report (STEP-P): Studies of Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erford, Bradley T.; Alsamadi, Silvana C.

2012-01-01

Score reliability and validity of parent responses concerning their 10- to 17-year-old students were analyzed using the Screening Test for Emotional Problems-Parent Report (STEP-P), which assesses a variety of emotional problems classified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Score reliability, convergent, and…

TB Is Back.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natale, Jo Anna

1992-01-01

The reemergence of tuberculosis, particularly of new drug-resistant strains, points up the need for well-coordinated school health programs. Immigration effects, growing populations of HIV-infected persons, and relaxed screening procedures are partly responsible for TB's reemergence. Two sidebars offer advice on coping with TB at school and…

Normative evaluation of blood banks in the Brazilian Amazon region in respect to the prevention of transfusion-transmitted malaria

PubMed Central

Freitas, Daniel Roberto Coradi; Duarte, Elisabeth Carmen

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate blood banks in the Brazilian Amazon region with regard to structure and procedures directed toward the prevention of transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM). Methods This was a normative evaluation based on the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) Resolution RDC No. 153/2004. Ten blood banks were included in the study and classified as ‘adequate’ (≥80 points), ‘partially adequate’ (from 50 to 80 points), or ‘inadequate’ (<50 points). The following components were evaluated: ‘donor education’ (5 points), ‘clinical screening’ (40 points), ‘laboratory screening’ (40 points) and ‘hemovigilance’ (15 points). Results The overall median score was 49.8 (minimum = 16; maximum = 78). Five blood banks were classified as ‘inadequate’ and five as ‘partially adequate’. The median clinical screening score was 26 (minimum = 16; maximum = 32). The median laboratory screening score was 20 (minimum = 0; maximum = 32). Eight blood banks performed laboratory tests for malaria; six tested all donations. Seven used thick smears, but only one performed this procedure in accordance with Ministry of Health requirements. One service had a Program of External Quality Evaluation for malaria testing. With regard to hemovigilance, two institutions reported having procedures to detect cases of transfusion-transmitted malaria. Conclusion Malaria is neglected as a blood–borne disease in the blood banks of the Brazilian Amazon region. None of the institutions were classified as ‘adequate’ in the overall classification or with regard to clinical screening and laboratory screening. Blood bank professionals, the Ministry of Health and Health Surveillance service managers need to pay more attention to this matter so that the safety procedures required by law are complied with. PMID:25453648

A combination of 2D similarity search, pharmacophore, and molecular docking techniques for the identification of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 inhibitors.

PubMed

Ai, Guanhua; Tian, Caiping; Deng, Dawei; Fida, Guissi; Chen, Haiyan; Ma, Yuxiang; Ding, Li; Gu, Yueqing

2015-04-01

The human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) has been an attractive target for the inhibition of angiogenesis. In the current study, we used a hybrid protocol of virtual screening methods to retrieve new VEGFR-2 inhibitors from the Zinc-Specs Database (441 574 compounds). The hybrid protocol included the initial screening of candidates by comparing the 2D similarity to five reported top active inhibitors of 13 VEGFR-2 X-ray crystallography structures, followed by the pharmacophore modeling of virtual screening on the basis of receptor-ligand interactions and further narrowing by LibDOCK to obtain the final hits. Two compounds (AN-919/41439526 and AK-968/40939851) with a high libscore were selected as the final hits for a subsequent cell cytotoxicity study. The two compounds screened exerted significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of cancer cells (U87 and MCF-7). The results indicated that the hybrid procedure is an effective approach for screening specific receptor inhibitors.

How robotic-assisted surgery can decrease the risk of mucosal tear during Heller myotomy procedure?

PubMed

Ballouhey, Quentin; Dib, Nabil; Binet, Aurélien; Carcauzon-Couvrat, Véronique; Clermidi, Pauline; Longis, Bernard; Lardy, Hubert; Languepin, Jane; Cros, Jérôme; Fourcade, Laurent

2017-06-01

We report the first description of robotic-assisted Heller myotomy in children. The purpose of this study was to improve the safety of Heller myotomy by demonstrating, in two adolescent patients, the contribution of the robot to the different steps of this procedure. Due to the robot's freedom of movement and three-dimensional vision, there was an improvement in the accuracy, a gain in the safety regarding different key-points, decreasing the risk of mucosal perforation associated with this procedure.

Women veterans' preferences for intimate partner violence screening and response procedures within the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

Iverson, Katherine M; Huang, Kristin; Wells, Stephanie Y; Wright, Jason D; Gerber, Megan R; Wiltsey-Stirman, Shannon

2014-08-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant health issue faced by women veterans, but little is known about their preferences for IPV-related care. Five focus groups were conducted with 24 women Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with and without a lifetime history of IPV to understand their attitudes and preferences regarding IPV screening and responses within VHA. Women veterans wanted disclosure options, follow-up support, transparency in documentation, and VHA and community resources. They supported routine screening for IPV and articulated preferences for procedural aspects of screening. Women suggested that these procedures could be provided most effectively when delivered with sensitivity and connectedness. Findings can inform the development of IPV screening and response programs within VHA and other healthcare settings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reagent-based DOS: developing a diastereoselective methodology to access spirocyclic- and fused heterocyclic ring systems.

PubMed

Damerla, V Surendra Babu; Tulluri, Chiranjeevi; Gundla, Rambabu; Naviri, Lava; Adepally, Uma; Iyer, Pravin S; Murthy, Y L N; Prabhakar, Nampally; Sen, Subhabrata

2012-10-01

Herein, we report a diversity-oriented-synthesis (DOS) approach for the synthesis of biologically relevant molecular scaffolds. Our methodology enables the facile synthesis of fused N-heterocycles, spirooxoindolones, tetrahydroquinolines, and fused N-heterocycles. The two-step sequence starts with a chiral-bicyclic-lactam-directed enolate-addition/substitution step. This step is followed by a ring-closure onto the built-in scaffold electrophile, thereby leading to stereoselective carbocycle- and spirocycle-formation. We used in silico tools to calibrate our compounds with respect to chemical diversity and selected drug-like properties. We evaluated the biological significance of our scaffolds by screening them in two cancer cell-lines. In summary, our DOS methodology affords new, diverse scaffolds, thereby resulting in compounds that may have significance in medicinal chemistry. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

There is no benefit to universal carotid artery duplex screening before a major cardiac surgical procedure.

PubMed

Adams, Brian C; Clark, Ross M; Paap, Christina; Goff, James M

2014-01-01

Perioperative stroke is a devastating complication after cardiac surgery. In an attempt to minimize this complication, many cardiac surgeons routinely preoperatively order carotid artery duplex scans to assess for significant carotid stenosis. We hypothesize that the routine screening of preoperative cardiac surgery patients with carotid artery duplex scans detects few patients who would benefit from carotid intervention or that a significant carotid stenosis reliably predicts stroke risk after cardiac surgery. A retrospective review identified 1,499 patients who underwent cardiac surgical procedures between July 1999 and September 2010. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, history of previous stroke, preoperative carotid artery duplex scan results, location of postoperative stroke, and details of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) procedures before, in conjunction with, or after cardiac surgery. Statistical methods included univariate analysis and Fisher's exact test. Twenty-six perioperative strokes were identified (1.7%). In the 21 postoperative stroke patients for whom there is complete carotid artery duplex scan data, 3 patients had a hemodynamically significant lesion (>70%) and 1 patient underwent unilateral carotid CEA for bilateral disease. Postoperative strokes occurred in the anterior cerebral circulation (69.2%), posterior cerebral circulation (15.4%), or both (15.4%). Patient comorbidities, preoperative carotid artery duplex scan screening velocities, or types of cardiac surgical procedure were not predictive for stroke. Thirteen patients (0.86%) underwent CEA before, in conjunction with, or after cardiac surgery. Two of these patients had symptomatic disease, 1 of whom underwent CEA before and the other after his cardiac surgery. Of the 11 asymptomatic patients, 2 underwent CEA before, 3 concurrently, and 6 after cardiac surgery. Left main disease (≥50% stenosis), previous stroke, and peripheral vascular disease were found to be statistically significant predictors of carotid revascularization. A cost analysis of universal screening resulted in an estimated net cost of $378,918 during the study period. The majority of postoperative strokes after cardiac surgery are not related to extracranial carotid artery disease and they are not predicted by preoperative carotid artery duplex scan screening. Consequently, universal carotid artery duplex scan screening cannot be recommended and a selective approach should be adopted. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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

Sebok, A.; Nystad, E.

This paper describes a study investigating questions of learning effectiveness in different VR technology types. Four VR display technology types were compared in terms of their ability to support procedural learning. The VR systems included two desktop displays (mono-scopic and stereoscopic view), a large screen stereoscopic display, and a mono-scopic head-mounted display. Twenty-four participants completed procedural training scenarios on these different display types. Training effectiveness was assessed in terms of objective task performance. Following the training session, participants performed the procedure they had just learned using the same VR display type they used for training. Time to complete the proceduremore » and errors were recorded. Retention and transfer of training were evaluated in a talk-through session 24 hours after the training. In addition, subjective questionnaire data were gathered to investigate perceived workload, Sense of Presence, simulator sickness, perceived usability, and ease of navigation. While no difference was found for the short-term learning, the study results indicate that retention and transfer of training were better supported by the large screen stereoscopic condition. (authors)« less

Comparison and validation of screening tools for substance use in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study conducted in Maryland prenatal clinics.

PubMed

Coleman-Cowger, Victoria H; Oga, Emmanuel A; Peters, Erica N; Trocin, Kathleen; Koszowski, Bartosz; Mark, Katrina

2018-02-17

Prescription-drug use in the USA has increased by more than 60% in the last three decades. Prevalence of prescription-drug use among pregnant women is currently estimated around 50%. Prevalence of illicit drug use in the USA is 14.6% among pregnant adolescents, 8.6% among pregnant young adults and 3.2% among pregnant adults. The first step in identifying problematic drug use during pregnancy is screening; however, no specific substance-use screener has been universally recommended for use with pregnant women to identify illicit or prescription-drug use. This study compares and validates three existing substance-use screeners for pregnancy-4 P's Plus, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Quick Screen/Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the Substance Use Risk Profile-Pregnancy (SURP-P) scale. This is a cross-sectional study designed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and usability of existing substance-use screeners. Recruitment occurs at two obstetrics clinics in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. We are recruiting 500 participants to complete a demographic questionnaire, NIDA Quick Screen/ASSIST, 4 P's Plus and SURP-P (ordered randomly) during their regularly scheduled prenatal appointment, then again 1 week later by telephone. Participants consent to multidrug urine testing, hair drug testing and allowing access to prescription drug and birth outcome data from electronic medical records. For each screener, reliability and validity will be assessed. Test-retest reliability analysis will be conducted by examining the results of repeated screener administrations within 1 week of original screener administrations for consistency via correlation analysis. Furthermore, we will assess if there are differences in the validity of each screener by age, race and trimester. This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Maryland (HP-00072042), Baltimore, and Battelle Memorial Institute (0619-100106433). All participants are required to give their informed consent prior to any study procedure. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Comparison and validation of screening tools for substance use in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study conducted in Maryland prenatal clinics

PubMed Central

Coleman-Cowger, Victoria H; Peters, Erica N; Trocin, Kathleen; Koszowski, Bartosz; Mark, Katrina

2018-01-01

Introduction Prescription-drug use in the USA has increased by more than 60% in the last three decades. Prevalence of prescription-drug use among pregnant women is currently estimated around 50%. Prevalence of illicit drug use in the USA is 14.6% among pregnant adolescents, 8.6% among pregnant young adults and 3.2% among pregnant adults. The first step in identifying problematic drug use during pregnancy is screening; however, no specific substance-use screener has been universally recommended for use with pregnant women to identify illicit or prescription-drug use. This study compares and validates three existing substance-use screeners for pregnancy—4 P’s Plus, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Quick Screen/Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the Substance Use Risk Profile-Pregnancy (SURP-P) scale. Methods and analysis This is a cross-sectional study designed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and usability of existing substance-use screeners. Recruitment occurs at two obstetrics clinics in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. We are recruiting 500 participants to complete a demographic questionnaire, NIDA Quick Screen/ASSIST, 4 P’s Plus and SURP-P (ordered randomly) during their regularly scheduled prenatal appointment, then again 1 week later by telephone. Participants consent to multidrug urine testing, hair drug testing and allowing access to prescription drug and birth outcome data from electronic medical records. For each screener, reliability and validity will be assessed. Test–retest reliability analysis will be conducted by examining the results of repeated screener administrations within 1 week of original screener administrations for consistency via correlation analysis. Furthermore, we will assess if there are differences in the validity of each screener by age, race and trimester. Ethics and dissemination This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Maryland (HP-00072042), Baltimore, and Battelle Memorial Institute (0619–100106433). All participants are required to give their informed consent prior to any study procedure. PMID:29455170

Consideration of Base Rates within Universal Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Risk: A Novel Procedural Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgus, Stephen P.; Eklund, Katie R.

2016-01-01

Universal screening for behavioral and emotional risk represents an important component of multitiered systems of support, being a means by which schools identify at-risk students and evaluate the effectiveness of Tier 1 programming. Despite its importance, many schools have not adopted universal screening procedures, instead relying upon more…

Evaluating cost and resource use associated with pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease: Empiric estimates and sources of variation.

PubMed

Reeder, Matthew R; Kim, Jaewhan; Nance, Amy; Krikov, Sergey; Feldkamp, Marcia L; Randall, Harper; Botto, Lorenzo D

2015-11-01

Newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) using pulse oximetry is being implemented in the United States and internationally; however, few data are available on the associated in-hospital costs and use of resources. Time and motion study in well-baby nurseries at two large urban hospitals in Utah using different approaches to pulse oximetry screening. Two observers recorded the time for each screening step together with provider and equipment characteristics. Structured questionnaire provided additional information on labor and equipment costs. Fifty-three CCHD screens were observed. At site A (n = 22), screening was mostly done by medical assistants (95%) using disposable probes (100%); at site B (n = 31), screening was mostly performed by certified nursing assistants (90%) using reusable probes (90%). Considering only first screens (n = 53), the median screen time was 8.6 min (range: 3.2-23.2), with no significant difference between sites. The overall cost ($ in 2014) of screening per baby was $24.52 at site A and $2.60 at site B. Nearly all the variation in cost (90%) was due to the cost of disposable probes; labor costs were similar between sites. CCHD screening by means of pulse oximetry is reasonably fast for most babies, leading to relative small labor costs with little variation by provider type. The main driver of costs is equipment: in a high throughput setting, reusable probes are currently associated with considerable cost saving compared with disposable probes. As programs expand to universal screening, improved and cheaper technologies could lead to considerable economies of scale. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genome-wide RNAi Screening to Identify Host Factors That Modulate Oncolytic Virus Therapy.

PubMed

Allan, Kristina J; Mahoney, Douglas J; Baird, Stephen D; Lefebvre, Charles A; Stojdl, David F

2018-04-03

High-throughput genome-wide RNAi (RNA interference) screening technology has been widely used for discovering host factors that impact virus replication. Here we present the application of this technology to uncovering host targets that specifically modulate the replication of Maraba virus, an oncolytic rhabdovirus, and vaccinia virus with the goal of enhancing therapy. While the protocol has been tested for use with oncolytic Maraba virus and oncolytic vaccinia virus, this approach is applicable to other oncolytic viruses and can also be utilized for identifying host targets that modulate virus replication in mammalian cells in general. This protocol describes the development and validation of an assay for high-throughput RNAi screening in mammalian cells, the key considerations and preparation steps important for conducting a primary high-throughput RNAi screen, and a step-by-step guide for conducting a primary high-throughput RNAi screen; in addition, it broadly outlines the methods for conducting secondary screen validation and tertiary validation studies. The benefit of high-throughput RNAi screening is that it allows one to catalogue, in an extensive and unbiased fashion, host factors that modulate any aspect of virus replication for which one can develop an in vitro assay such as infectivity, burst size, and cytotoxicity. It has the power to uncover biotherapeutic targets unforeseen based on current knowledge.

New, Improved Version of the mCOP-PCR Screening System for Detection of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Gene (SMN1) Deletion.

PubMed

Shinohara, Masakazu; Ar Rochmah, Mawaddah; Nakanishi, Kenta; Harahap, Nur Imma Fatimah; Niba, Emma Tabe Eko; Saito, Toshio; Saito, Kayoko; Takeuchi, Atsuko; Bouike, Yoshihiro; Nishio, Hisahide

2017-09-07

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a frequent autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by lower motor neuron loss in the spinal cord. More than 95% of SMA patients show homozygous survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) deletion. We previously developed a screening system for SMN1 deletion based on a modified competitive oligonucleotide priming-PCR (mCOP-PCR) technique. However, non-specific amplification products were observed with mCOP-PCR, which might lead to erroneous interpretation of the screening results. To establish an improved version of the mCOP-PCR screening system without non-specific amplification. DNA samples were assayed using a new version of the mCOP-PCR screening system. DNA samples had already been genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), showing the presence or absence of SMN1 exon 7. The new mCOP-PCR method contained a targeted pre-amplification step of the region, including an SMN1-specific nucleotide, prior to the mCOP-PCR step. mCOP-PCR products were electrophoresed on agarose gels. No non-specific amplification products were detected in electrophoresis gels with the new mCOP-PCR screening system. An additional targeted pre-amplification step eliminated non-specific amplification from mCOP-PCR screening.

Enhancing HIV Testing and Treatment among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: A Pilot Model with Two-Rapid Tests, Single Blood Draw Session, and Intensified Case Management in Six Cities in 2013.

PubMed

Zhang, Dapeng; Lu, Hongyan; Zhuang, Minghua; Wu, Guohui; Yan, Hongjing; Xu, Jun; Wei, Xiaoli; Li, Chengmei; Meng, Sining; Fu, Xiaojing; Qi, Jinlei; Wang, Peng; Luo, Mei; Dai, Min; Yip, Ray; Sun, Jiangping; Wu, Zunyou

2016-01-01

To explore models to improve HIV testing, linkage to care and treatment among men who have sex with men (MSM) in cooperation with community-based organizations (CBOs) in China. We introduced a new model for HIV testing services targeting MSM in six cities in 2013.These models introduced provision of rapid HIV testing by CBO staff and streamlined processes for HIV screening, confirmation of initial reactive screening results, and linkage to care among diagnosed people. We monitored attrition along each step of the continuum of care from screening to treatment and compared program performance between 2012 and 2013. According to the providers of two rapid tests (HIV screening), four different services delivery models were examined in 2013: Model A = first screen at CDC, second at CDC (Model A = CDC+CDC), Model B = first and second screens at CBOs (Model B = CBO+CBO), Model C = first screen at CBO, second at Hospital (Model C = CBO+Hosp), and Model D = first screen at CBO, second at CDC (Model D = CBO+CDC). Logistic regressions were performed to assess advantages of different screening models of case finding and case management. Compared to 2012, the number of HIV screening tests performed for MSM increased 35.8% in 2013 (72,577 in 2013 vs. 53,455 in 2012). We observed a 5.6% increase in proportion of cases screened reactive receiving HIV confirmatory tests (93.9% in 2013 vs. 89.2% in 2012, χ2 = 48.52, p<0.001) and 65% reduction in loss to CD4 cell count tests (15% in 2013 vs. 43% in 2012, χ2 = 628.85, p<0.001). Regarding linkage to care and treatment, the 2013 pilot showed that the Model D had the highest rate of loss between screening reactive and confirmatory test among the four models, with 18.1% fewer receiving a second screening test and a further 5.9% loss among those receiving HIV confirmatory tests. The Model B and the Model C showed lower losses (0.8% and 1.3%) for newly diagnosed HIV positives receiving CD4 cell count tests, and higher rates of HIV positives referred to designated ART hospitals (88.0% and 93.3%) than the Model A and Model D (4.6% and 5.7% for CD4 cell count test, and 68.9% and 64.4% for referring to designated ART hospitals). The proportion of cases where the screening test was reactive that were commenced on ART was highest in Model C; 52.8% of cases commenced on ART compared to 38.9%, 34.2% and 21.1% in Models A, B and D respectively. Using Model A as a reference group, the multivariate logistic regression results also showed the advantages of Models B, C and D, which increased CD4 cell count test, referral to designated ART hospitals and initiation of ART, when controlling for program city and other factors. This study has demonstrated that involvement of CBOs in HIV rapid testing provision, streamlining testing and care procedures and early hospital case management can improve testing, linkage to, and retention in care and treatment among MSM in China.

[Staged oncological screening with TG test].

PubMed

Bakhlaev, I E; Ageenko, A I; Rolik, I S

2006-01-01

The authors present their analysis of screening methods used for early diagnostics of cancer of various localization and for detection of high-risk individuals. They offer a program of step-by-step screening that makes it possible to cover more population with prophylactic examination and to reduce the need for special examination methods. TG-test is a universal and the most informative blastomatous process indicator at any stage, including the preclinical one. The practical screening results double the revealing rate of oncopathology and allow for three-fold reduction in the diagnostic costs compared with standard methods of cancer diagnostics. The medical efficiency of the oncological screening is high; in one third of the examined patients a tumor is diagnosed at the preclinical stage.

Protein composition of wheat gluten polymer fractions determined by quantitative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Flour proteins from the US bread wheat Butte 86 were extracted in 0.5% SDS using a two-step procedure with and without sonication and further separated by size exclusion chromatography into monomeric and polymeric fractions. Proteins in each fraction were analyzed by quantitative two-dimensional gel...

Reiki as a pain management adjunct in screening colonoscopy.

PubMed

Bourque, Alda L; Sullivan, Mary E; Winter, Michael R

2012-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of Reiki decreases the amount of meperidine administered to patients undergoing screening colonoscopy. The literature review reveals limited studies to show whether Reiki has been able to decrease the amount of opioid the patient receives during screening colonoscopy. A chart review of 300 patients was conducted to obtain baseline average doses of meperidine patients received as the control. Following the chart review, 30 patients were recruited to the Reiki study. Twenty-five of the study arm patients received Reiki in conjunction with meperidine. Five randomly chosen study arm patients received placebo Reiki in conjunction with meperidine in an attempt to blind the clinicians to the treatment received by the patients. Results showed that there were no significant differences in meperidine administration between the patients in the chart review group (control) and the Reiki group. The study revealed that 16% who received Reiki, together with intravenous administration of conscious sedation, received less than 50 mg of meperidine. All the patients in the chart review group received more than 50 mg of meperidine. Results from this pilot study suggest that there may be a decrease in meperidine needed during screening colonoscopy when patients receive Reiki treatments before the procedure. A larger study powered to detect smaller medication differences is the next step in more accurately determining the effect of Reiki on pain management.

Wide brick tunnel randomization - an unequal allocation procedure that limits the imbalance in treatment totals.

PubMed

Kuznetsova, Olga M; Tymofyeyev, Yevgen

2014-04-30

In open-label studies, partial predictability of permuted block randomization provides potential for selection bias. To lessen the selection bias in two-arm studies with equal allocation, a number of allocation procedures that limit the imbalance in treatment totals at a pre-specified level but do not require the exact balance at the ends of the blocks were developed. In studies with unequal allocation, however, the task of designing a randomization procedure that sets a pre-specified limit on imbalance in group totals is not resolved. Existing allocation procedures either do not preserve the allocation ratio at every allocation or do not include all allocation sequences that comply with the pre-specified imbalance threshold. Kuznetsova and Tymofyeyev described the brick tunnel randomization for studies with unequal allocation that preserves the allocation ratio at every step and, in the two-arm case, includes all sequences that satisfy the smallest possible imbalance threshold. This article introduces wide brick tunnel randomization for studies with unequal allocation that allows all allocation sequences with imbalance not exceeding any pre-specified threshold while preserving the allocation ratio at every step. In open-label studies, allowing a larger imbalance in treatment totals lowers selection bias because of the predictability of treatment assignments. The applications of the technique in two-arm and multi-arm open-label studies with unequal allocation are described. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bonding effectiveness of self-etch adhesives to dentin after 24 h water storage.

PubMed

Sarr, Mouhamed; Benoist, Fatou Leye; Bane, Khaly; Aidara, Adjaratou Wakha; Seck, Anta; Toure, Babacar

2018-01-01

This study evaluated the immediate bonding effectiveness of five self-etch adhesive systems bonded to dentin. The microtensile bond strength of five self-etch adhesives systems, including one two-step and four one-step self-etch adhesives to dentin, was measured. Human third molars had their superficial dentin surface exposed, after which a standardized smear layer was produced using a medium-grit diamond bur. The selected adhesives were applied according to their respective manufacturer's instructions for μTBS measurement after storage in water at 37°C for 24 h. The μTBS varied from 11.1 to 44.3 MPa; the highest bond strength was obtained with the two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond and the lowest with the one-step self-etch adhesive Adper Prompt L-Pop. Pretesting failures mainly occurring during sectioning with the slow-speed diamond saw were observed only with the one-step self-etch adhesive Adper Prompt L-Pop (4 out of 18). When bonded to dentin, the self-etch adhesives with simplified application procedures (one-step self-etch adhesives) still underperform as compared to the two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond.

Bonding effectiveness of self-etch adhesives to dentin after 24 h water storage

PubMed Central

Sarr, Mouhamed; Benoist, Fatou Leye; Bane, Khaly; Aidara, Adjaratou Wakha; Seck, Anta; Toure, Babacar

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study evaluated the immediate bonding effectiveness of five self-etch adhesive systems bonded to dentin. Materials and Methods: The microtensile bond strength of five self-etch adhesives systems, including one two-step and four one-step self-etch adhesives to dentin, was measured. Human third molars had their superficial dentin surface exposed, after which a standardized smear layer was produced using a medium-grit diamond bur. The selected adhesives were applied according to their respective manufacturer's instructions for μTBS measurement after storage in water at 37°C for 24 h. Results: The μTBS varied from 11.1 to 44.3 MPa; the highest bond strength was obtained with the two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond and the lowest with the one-step self-etch adhesive Adper Prompt L-Pop. Pretesting failures mainly occurring during sectioning with the slow-speed diamond saw were observed only with the one-step self-etch adhesive Adper Prompt L-Pop (4 out of 18). Conclusions: When bonded to dentin, the self-etch adhesives with simplified application procedures (one-step self-etch adhesives) still underperform as compared to the two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond. PMID:29674814

Withdrawing low risk women from cervical screening programmes: mathematical modelling study

PubMed Central

Sherlaw-Johnson, C; Gallivan, S; Jenkins, D

1999-01-01

Objective To evaluate the impact of policies for removing women before the recommended age of 64 from screening programmes for cervical cancer in the United Kingdom. Design A mathematical model of the clinical course of precancerous lesions which accounts for the influence of infection with the human papillomavirus, the effects of screening on the progression of disease, and the accuracy of the testing procedures. Two policies are compared: one in which women are withdrawn from the programme if their current smear is negative and they have a recent history of regular, negative results and one in which women are withdrawn if their current smear test is negative and a simultaneous test is negative for exposure to high risk types of human papillomavirus. Setting United Kingdom cervical screening programme. Main outcome measures The incidence of invasive cervical cancer and the use of resources. Results Early withdrawal of selected women from the programme is predicted to give rise to resource savings of up to 25% for smear tests and 18% for colposcopies when withdrawal occurs from age 50, the youngest age considered in the study. An increase in the incidence of invasive cervical cancer, by up to 2 cases/100 000 women each year is predicted. Testing for human papillomavirus infection to determine which women should be withdrawn from the programme makes little difference to outcome. Conclusions This model systematically analyses the consequences of screening options using available data and the clinical course of precancerous lesions. If further audit studies confirm the model’s forecasts, a policy of early withdrawal might be considered. This would be likely to release substantial resources which could be channelled into other aspects of health care or may be more effectively used within the cervical screening programme to counteract the possible increase in cancer incidence that early withdrawal might bring. Key messagesIn the United Kingdom there is concern that the cervical screening programme uses a large amount of resources to screen postmenopausal women who are at low risk of cervical cancerThere may be advantages to withdrawing these women from the screening programme before they reach the recommended age of 64A mathematical modelling approach can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of different policies for early withdrawal from screening with or without an additional test for human papillomavirus DNAEarly withdrawal could lead to a substantial reduction in the resources devoted to screening which could be channelled more effectively into other aspects of health careEarly withdrawal is likely to increase the overall incidence of cervical cancer unless other steps are taken to compensate PMID:9933195

Synthesis of Some New Quinazolinone Derivatives and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Activities

PubMed Central

Khodarahmi, Ghadamali; Jafari, Elham; Hakimelahi, Gholamhossein; Abedi, Daryoush; Rahmani Khajouei, Marzieh; Hassanzadeh, Farshid

2012-01-01

Wide range of quinazolinone biological properties including: antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities encouraged us to synthesis some fused quinazolinone derivatives. Anthranilic acid was condensed with chloro acylchloride followed by dehydration to form the benzoxazinone intermediate; subsequent addition of an amine provided the fused quinazolinones. Deoxyvasicinone which was previously synthesized by a multi step complex reactions was prepared in three steps using the following procedure: Log P values of the compounds were measured using the shake flask method in octanol/water solvent system. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against six strains of bacteria (three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative) and three strains of fungi. Overall results of antimicrobial tests showed that the compounds had better bacteriostatic activity against Gram-negative bacteria. The obtained results of MBC revealed that these compounds had more significant bacteriostatic than bactericidal activities. Almost all of the screened compounds showed good activity against C. albicans and A. niger. The obtained results of MFC indicated that these compounds had more significant fungistatic than fungicidal activities. PMID:24250506

The Image Gently pediatric digital radiography safety checklist: tools for improving pediatric radiography.

PubMed

John, Susan D; Moore, Quentin T; Herrmann, Tracy; Don, Steven; Powers, Kevin; Smith, Susan N; Morrison, Greg; Charkot, Ellen; Mills, Thalia T; Rutz, Lois; Goske, Marilyn J

2013-10-01

Transition from film-screen to digital radiography requires changes in radiographic technique and workflow processes to ensure that the minimum radiation exposure is used while maintaining diagnostic image quality. Checklists have been demonstrated to be useful tools for decreasing errors and improving safety in several areas, including commercial aviation and surgical procedures. The Image Gently campaign, through a competitive grant from the FDA, developed a checklist for technologists to use during the performance of digital radiography in pediatric patients. The checklist outlines the critical steps in digital radiography workflow, with an emphasis on steps that affect radiation exposure and image quality. The checklist and its accompanying implementation manual and practice quality improvement project are open source and downloadable at www.imagegently.org. The authors describe the process of developing and testing the checklist and offer suggestions for using the checklist to minimize radiation exposure to children during radiography. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. All rights reserved.

Risk analysis by FMEA as an element of analytical validation.

PubMed

van Leeuwen, J F; Nauta, M J; de Kaste, D; Odekerken-Rombouts, Y M C F; Oldenhof, M T; Vredenbregt, M J; Barends, D M

2009-12-05

We subjected a Near-Infrared (NIR) analytical procedure used for screening drugs on authenticity to a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), including technical risks as well as risks related to human failure. An FMEA team broke down the NIR analytical method into process steps and identified possible failure modes for each step. Each failure mode was ranked on estimated frequency of occurrence (O), probability that the failure would remain undetected later in the process (D) and severity (S), each on a scale of 1-10. Human errors turned out to be the most common cause of failure modes. Failure risks were calculated by Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs)=O x D x S. Failure modes with the highest RPN scores were subjected to corrective actions and the FMEA was repeated, showing reductions in RPN scores and resulting in improvement indices up to 5.0. We recommend risk analysis as an addition to the usual analytical validation, as the FMEA enabled us to detect previously unidentified risks.

Direct Reconstruction of Two-Dimensional Currents in Thin Films from Magnetic-Field Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzer, Alexander Y.; Levin, Eitan; Zeldov, Eli

2017-12-01

An accurate determination of microscopic transport and magnetization currents is of central importance for the study of the electric properties of low-dimensional materials and interfaces, of superconducting thin films, and of electronic devices. Current distribution is usually derived from the measurement of the perpendicular component of the magnetic field above the surface of the sample, followed by numerical inversion of the Biot-Savart law. The inversion is commonly obtained by deriving the current stream function g , which is then differentiated in order to obtain the current distribution. However, this two-step procedure requires filtering at each step and, as a result, oversmooths the solution. To avoid this oversmoothing, we develop a direct procedure for inversion of the magnetic field that avoids use of the stream function. This approach provides enhanced accuracy of current reconstruction over a wide range of noise levels. We further introduce a reflection procedure that allows for the reconstruction of currents that cross the boundaries of the measurement window. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated by several numerical examples.

Direct Sensor Orientation of a Land-Based Mobile Mapping System

PubMed Central

Rau, Jiann-Yeou; Habib, Ayman F.; Kersting, Ana P.; Chiang, Kai-Wei; Bang, Ki-In; Tseng, Yi-Hsing; Li, Yu-Hua

2011-01-01

A land-based mobile mapping system (MMS) is flexible and useful for the acquisition of road environment geospatial information. It integrates a set of imaging sensors and a position and orientation system (POS). The positioning quality of such systems is highly dependent on the accuracy of the utilized POS. This limitation is the major drawback due to the elevated cost associated with high-end GPS/INS units, particularly the inertial system. The potential accuracy of the direct sensor orientation depends on the architecture and quality of the GPS/INS integration process as well as the validity of the system calibration (i.e., calibration of the individual sensors as well as the system mounting parameters). In this paper, a novel single-step procedure using integrated sensor orientation with relative orientation constraint for the estimation of the mounting parameters is introduced. A comparative analysis between the proposed single-step and the traditional two-step procedure is carried out. Moreover, the estimated mounting parameters using the different methods are used in a direct geo-referencing procedure to evaluate their performance and the feasibility of the implemented system. Experimental results show that the proposed system using single-step system calibration method can achieve high 3D positioning accuracy. PMID:22164015

Laser-induced thermal ablation of cancerous cell organelles.

PubMed

Letfullin, Renat R; Szatkowski, Scott A

2017-07-01

By exploiting the physical changes experienced by cancerous organelles, we investigate the feasibility of destroying cancerous cells by single and multipulse modes of laser heating. Our procedure consists of two primary steps: determining the normal and cancerous organelles optical properties and simulating the heating of all of the major organelles in the cell to find the treatment modes for the laser ablation of cancerous organelles without harming healthy cells. Our simulations show that the cancerous nucleus can be selectively heated to damaging temperatures, making this nucleus a feasible therapeutic particle and removing the need for nanoparticle injection. Because of the removal of this extra step, the procedure we propose is simpler and safer for the patient.

Hypertension study in anaesthetized rabbits: protocol proposal for AT1 antagonists screening.

PubMed

Politi, Aggeliki P; Zervou, Maria V; Triantafyllidi, Helen; Zoumpoulakis, Panagiotis G; Mavromoustakos, Thomas M; Zoga, Anastasia A; Moutevelis-Minakakis, Panagiota; Kokotos, George; Iliodromitis, Efstathios K; Kremastinos, Dimitris Th

2010-06-01

The aim of this study was to establish an optimized fast and safe protocol for the pharmacological screening of AT(1) antagonists. The pharmaceutical prototype AT(1) antagonist losartan, its active metabolite EXP3174 and the synthetic compound MMK1 were analysed in order to validate the protocol. Ang II was continuously infused while the animals received the drugs in two procedures. In the post-treatment procedure drugs were administered either in a single bolus dose or in a sequential manner. When losartan was administered in a single bolus dose, efficacy was evident until the 7th min (p=0.012) whilst EXP3174 infusion extended the efficiency up to the end of the study (p=0.006). In addition, the sequential injections of losartan prolonged the inhibitory time interval until the end of the study (p=0.045). In the pre-treatment procedure, results suggested a dose-dependent inhibitory effect for both antagonists. The pressor response to Ang II was unchanged after MMK1 administration either in the post- or in the pre-treatment mode. The proposed protocol appears to be safe, simple and fast for the pharmacological screening of AT(1) antagonists and enables the evaluation of new antagonists using lower doses than any other reported in the literature.

General unknown screening procedure for the characterization of human drug metabolites in forensic toxicology: applications and constraints.

PubMed

Sauvage, François-Ludovic; Picard, Nicolas; Saint-Marcoux, Franck; Gaulier, Jean-Michel; Lachâtre, Gérard; Marquet, Pierre

2009-09-01

LC coupled to single (LC-MS) and tandem (LC-MS/MS) mass spectrometry is recognized as the most powerful analytical tools for metabolic studies in drug discovery. In this article, we describe five cases illustrating the utility of screening xenobiotic metabolites in routine analysis of forensic samples using LC-MS/MS. Analyses were performed using a previously published LC-MS/MS general unknown screening (GUS) procedure developed using a hybrid linear IT-tandem mass spectrometer. In each of the cases presented, the presence of metabolites of xenobiotics was suspected after analyzing urine samples. In two cases, the parent drug was also detected and the metabolites were merely useful to confirm drug intake, but in three other cases, metabolite detection was of actual forensic interest. The presented results indicate that: (i) the GUS procedure developed is useful to detect a large variety of drug metabolites, which would have been hardly detected using targeted methods in the context of clinical or forensic toxicology; (ii) metabolite structure can generally be inferred from their "enhanced" product ion scan spectra; and (iii) structure confirmation can be achieved through in vitro metabolic experiments or through the analysis of urine samples from individuals taking the parent drug.

Improving Preschool Teachers Attitude towards the Persona Doll Approach and Determining the Effectiveness of Persona Doll Training Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acar, Ebru Aktan; Çetin, Hilal

2017-01-01

The study features two basic steps. The first step of the research aims to develop a scale to measure the attitude of preschool teachers towards the Persona Dolls Approach and to verify its validity/reliability through a general survey. The cohort employed in the research was drawn from a pool of preschool teachers working in and around the cities…

A pancreas-preserving technique for the management of symptomatic pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency refractory to conservative treatment after pancreas head resection.

PubMed

Königsrainer, Ingmar; Zieker, Derek; Beckert, Stefan; Glatzle, Jörg; Schroeder, Torsten H; Heininger, Alexandra; Nadalin, Silvio; Königsrainer, Alfred

2010-08-01

Management of symptomatic pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency after pancreas head resection remains controversial. Completion pancreatectomy as one frequently performed option is associated with poor prognosis. During a 4-year period, a two-step strategy was applied in four consecutive patients suffering from pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency refractory to conservative management after a pancreas head resection. In the first step, sepsis was overbridged by meticulous debridement and resection of the pancreaticojejunostomy, leaving the biliary anastomosis untouched, and selective drainage of the pancreatic duct as well as the peripancreatic area. In the second step, after recovery, the procedure was completed with a novel pancreaticojejunostomy. The surgical procedure was completed in three patients after a mean of 164 (range: 112-213) days. One patient died from cardiac arrest 54 days after the reoperation with resolved abdominal sepsis. No pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency occurred after the new pancreaticojejunostomy had been performed. Three patients are alive and tumor-free with normal exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function after a mean follow-up of 20.3 (3-38) months following the definitive reconstruction. The two-step pancreas-preserving strategy can be used as an alternative to completion pancreatectomy for patients suffering from severe pancreatic anastomotic insufficiency.

Flu Diagnosis System Using Jaccard Index and Rough Set Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efendi, Riswan; Azah Samsudin, Noor; Mat Deris, Mustafa; Guan Ting, Yip

2018-04-01

Jaccard index and rough set approaches have been frequently implemented in decision support systems with various domain applications. Both approaches are appropriate to be considered for categorical data analysis. This paper presents the applications of sets operations for flu diagnosis systems based on two different approaches, such as, Jaccard index and rough set. These two different approaches are established using set operations concept, namely intersection and subset. The step-by-step procedure is demonstrated from each approach in diagnosing flu system. The similarity and dissimilarity indexes between conditional symptoms and decision are measured using Jaccard approach. Additionally, the rough set is used to build decision support rules. Moreover, the decision support rules are established using redundant data analysis and elimination of unclassified elements. A number data sets is considered to attempt the step-by-step procedure from each approach. The result has shown that rough set can be used to support Jaccard approaches in establishing decision support rules. Additionally, Jaccard index is better approach for investigating the worst condition of patients. While, the definitely and possibly patients with or without flu can be determined using rough set approach. The rules may improve the performance of medical diagnosis systems. Therefore, inexperienced doctors and patients are easier in preliminary flu diagnosis.

[The populations attitudes to colorectal cancer screening in the Czech Republic].

PubMed

Král, N; Seifert, B; Suchánek, Š; Zavoral, M; Májek, O

2015-03-01

The mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) is significant worldwide. There is good evidence for benefits of the CRC screening in mortality reduction. Since 2009, the population of the Czech Republic have had two CRC screening options from which to choose: a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) at the age of 50 to be repeated every two years or primary screening colonoscopy (PSC) at the age of 55. General practitioners play a crucial role in the CRC screening programme. The CRC screening adherence of the Czech population is poor and does not exceed 25%. The aims of the study were to analyse the reasons behind the low CRC screening adherence of the Czech population, to classify the populations attitudes, and to identify the barriers. A questionnaire survey was conducted in a Czech energy company with 13,000 employees in 2011-2012. The questionnaire was administered electronically by e-mail or directly at the workplace. The questionnaire response rate was 31.3% (4070). The pool of respondents consisted of 2804 (68.9%) females and 1266 (31.1%) males. Of the respondents, 1345 (33.1%) were aged over 50 years (73.5% women and 26.5% men). Of the cohort aged over 50, 68.65% of women and 63.2% of men took a FOBT. Ten percent of respondents aged over 50 years have never heard of CRC screening and 32.8% of this age category have never participated in CRC screening. The main reasons for not taking a FOBT were feeling well and having no health problems (38.8%) or FOBT not offered the by the general practitioner (27.8%). Other reasons were no time to do so, fear of the result, unsure of the procedure, unawareness of what FOBT is, or uncomfortable about the test procedure. On the other hand, 8.37% of the participants aged between 15 and 39 years and 20.7% of those aged between 40 and 49 years have already taken a FOBT. Overall, 15.4% of respondents prefer the new alternative, PSC, as the CRC screening option. Significant differences in CRC screening adherence are seen between administrative regions of the Czech Republic and between education levels. From the results, it follows that a considerable proportion of the population of the Czech Republic do not understand the principle of CRC screening and its methods. Enough room has been left to promote education on CRC screening for both the public and general practitioners. On the other hand, a large part of proactive individuals participate in CRC screening before the age of 50.

Isolation of plasmodesmata from Arabidopsis suspension culture cells.

PubMed

Grison, Magali S; Fernandez-Calvino, Lourdes; Mongrand, Sébastien; Bayer, Emmanuelle M F

2015-01-01

Due to their position firmly anchored within the plant cell wall, plasmodesmata (PD) are notoriously difficult to isolate from plant tissue. Yet, getting access to isolated PD represents the most straightforward strategy for the identification of their molecular components. Proteomic and lipidomic analyses of such PD fractions have provided and will continue to provide critical information on the functional and structural elements that define these membranous nano-pores. Here, we describe a two-step simple purification procedure that allows isolation of pure PD-derived membranes from Arabidopsis suspension cells. The first step of this procedure consists in isolating cell wall fragments containing intact PD while free of contamination from other cellular compartments. The second step relies on an enzymatic degradation of the wall matrix and the subsequent release of "free" PD. Isolated PD membranes provide a suitable starting material for the analysis of PD-associated proteins and lipids.

FDI based on Artificial Neural Network for Low-Voltage-Ride-Through in DFIG-based Wind Turbine.

PubMed

Adouni, Amel; Chariag, Dhia; Diallo, Demba; Ben Hamed, Mouna; Sbita, Lassaâd

2016-09-01

As per modern electrical grid rules, Wind Turbine needs to operate continually even in presence severe grid faults as Low Voltage Ride Through (LVRT). Hence, a new LVRT Fault Detection and Identification (FDI) procedure has been developed to take the appropriate decision in order to develop the convenient control strategy. To obtain much better decision and enhanced FDI during grid fault, the proposed procedure is based on voltage indicators analysis using a new Artificial Neural Network architecture (ANN). In fact, two features are extracted (the amplitude and the angle phase). It is divided into two steps. The first is fault indicators generation and the second is indicators analysis for fault diagnosis. The first step is composed of six ANNs which are dedicated to describe the three phases of the grid (three amplitudes and three angle phases). Regarding to the second step, it is composed of a single ANN which analysis the indicators and generates a decision signal that describes the function mode (healthy or faulty). On other hand, the decision signal identifies the fault type. It allows distinguishing between the four faulty types. The diagnosis procedure is tested in simulation and experimental prototype. The obtained results confirm and approve its efficiency, rapidity, robustness and immunity to the noise and unknown inputs. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel glucuronosyltransferase has an unprecedented ability to catalyse continuous two-step glucuronosylation of glycyrrhetinic acid to yield glycyrrhizin.

PubMed

Xu, Guojie; Cai, Wei; Gao, Wei; Liu, Chunsheng

2016-10-01

Glycyrrhizin is an important bioactive compound that is used clinically to treat chronic hepatitis and is also used as a sweetener world-wide. However, the key UDP-dependent glucuronosyltransferases (UGATs) involved in the biosynthesis of glycyrrhizin remain unknown. To discover unknown UGATs, we fully annotated potential UGATs from Glycyrrhiza uralensis using deep transcriptome sequencing. The catalytic functions of candidate UGATs were determined by an in vitro enzyme assay. Systematically screening 434 potential UGATs, we unexpectedly found one unique GuUGAT that was able to catalyse the glucuronosylation of glycyrrhetinic acid to directly yield glycyrrhizin via continuous two-step glucuronosylation. Expression analysis further confirmed the key role of GuUGAT in the biosynthesis of glycyrrhizin. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Gln-352 may be important for the initial step of glucuronosylation, and His-22, Trp-370, Glu-375 and Gln-392 may be important residues for the second step of glucuronosylation. Notably, the ability of GuUGAT to catalyse a continuous two-step glucuronosylation reaction was determined to be unprecedented among known glycosyltransferases of bioactive plant natural products. Our findings increase the understanding of traditional glycosyltransferases and pave the way for the complete biosynthesis of glycyrrhizin. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Microtensile bond strength of eleven contemporary adhesives to enamel.

PubMed

Inoue, Satoshi; Vargas, Marcos A; Abe, Yasuhiko; Yoshida, Yasuhiro; Lambrechts, Paul; Vanherle, Guido; Sano, Hidehiko; Van Meerbeek, Bart

2003-10-01

To compare the microtensile bond strength (microTBS) to enamel of 10 contemporary adhesives, including three one-step self-etch systems, four two-step self-etch systems and three two-step total-etch systems, with that of a conventional three-step total-etch adhesive. Resin composite (Z100, 3M) was bonded to flat, #600-grit wet-sanded enamel surfaces of 18 extracted human third molars using the adhesives strictly according to the respective manufacturer's instructions. After storage overnight in 37 degrees C water, the bonded specimens were sectioned into 2-4 thin slabs of approximately 1 mm thickness and 2.5 mm width. They were then trimmed into an hourglass shape with an interface area of approximately 1 mm2, and subsequently subjected to microTBS-testing with a cross-head speed of 1 mm/minute. The microTBS to enamel varied from 3.2 MPa for the experimental one-step self-etch adhesive PQ/Universal (self-etch) to 43.9 MPa for the two-step total-etch adhesive Scotchbond 1. When compared with the conventional three-step total-etch adhesive OptiBond FL, the bond strengths of most adhesives with simplified application procedures were not significantly different, except for two one-step self-etch adhesives, experimental PQ/Universal (self-etch) and One-up Bond F, that showed lower bond strengths. Specimen failures during sample preparation were recorded for the latter adhesives as well.

Optimization of Time-Resolved Fluorescence Assay for Detection of Eu-DOTA-labeled Ligand-Receptor Interactions

PubMed Central

De Silva, Channa R.; Vagner, Josef; Lynch, Ronald; Gillies, Robert J.; Hruby, Victor J.

2010-01-01

Lanthanide-based luminescent ligand binding assays are superior to traditional radiolabel assays due to improved sensitivity and affordability in high throughput screening while eliminating the use of radioactivity. Despite significant progress using lanthanide(III)-coordinated chelators such as DTPA derivatives, dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassays (DELFIA) have not yet been successfully used with more stable chelators, e.g. DOTA derivatives, due to the incomplete release of lanthanide(III) ions from the complex. Here, a modified and an optimized DELFIA procedure incorporating an acid treatment protocol is introduced for use with Eu(III)-DOTA labeled peptides. Complete release of Eu(III) ions from DOTA labeled ligands was observed using hydrochloric acid (2.0 M) prior to the luminescent enhancement step. NDP-α-MSH labeled with Eu(III)-DOTA was synthesized and the binding affinity to cells overexpressing the human melanocortin-4 receptors (hMC4R) was evaluated using the modified protocol. Binding data indicate that the Eu(III)-DOTA linked peptide bound to these cells with an affinity similar to its DTPA analogue. The modified DELFIA procedure was further used to monitor the binding of an Eu(III)-DOTA labeled heterobivalent peptide to the cells expressing both hMC4R and CCK-2 (Cholecystokinin) receptors. The modified assay provides superior results and is appropriate for high-throughput screening of ligand libraries. PMID:19852924

Selection, application, and validation of a set of molecular descriptors for nuclear receptor ligands.

PubMed

Stewart, Eugene L; Brown, Peter J; Bentley, James A; Willson, Timothy M

2004-08-01

A methodology for the selection and validation of nuclear receptor ligand chemical descriptors is described. After descriptors for a targeted chemical space were selected, a virtual screening methodology utilizing this space was formulated for the identification of potential NR ligands from our corporate collection. Using simple descriptors and our virtual screening method, we are able to quickly identify potential NR ligands from a large collection of compounds. As validation of the virtual screening procedure, an 8, 000-membered NR targeted set and a 24, 000-membered diverse control set of compounds were selected from our in-house general screening collection and screened in parallel across a number of orphan NR FRET assays. For the two assays that provided at least one hit per set by the established minimum pEC(50) for activity, the results showed a 2-fold increase in the hit-rate of the targeted compound set over the diverse set.

Screening of extremotolerant fungi for the bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poyntner, Caroline; Blasi, Barbara; Prenafeta, Francesc; Sterflinger, Katja

2015-04-01

Bioremediation can be used to treat contaminated sites, by taking advantage of microorganisms which have the potential to degrade a wide range of contaminants. While research has been focused mainly on bacteria, the knowledge on other microorganisms, especially fungal communities, is still limited. However, the use of fungi may have advantages compared to bacteria. Extremophile fungi like the black yeasts can withstand high levels of environmental stress (e.g. range of pH, water availability and temperature, presence of toxic chemicals). Therefore they might be applicable in situations, where bacterial communities show limited performance. In order to identify fungi which are good candidates for bioremediation application, a selection of 163 fungal strains, mostly from the group of the black yeasts, was tested for their capability to degrade three different pollutants: hexadecane, toluene, and polychlorinated biphenyl 126, which were used as model compounds for aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls. These chemicals are frequently found in sites contaminated by oil, gas and coal. The screening was based on a two-step selection approach. As a first step, a high throughput method was developed to screen the relatively large amount of fungal strains regarding their tolerance to the contaminants. A microtiter plate based method was developed for monitoring fungal growth in the presence of the selected contaminants photometrically with a Tecan reader. Twenty five strains out of 163, being species of the genera Cladophilaophora, Scedosporium and Exophiala, showed the ability to grow on at least 2 hydrocarbons, and are therefore the most promising candidates for further tests. In a second step, degradation of the contaminants was investigated in more detail for a subset of the screened fungi. This was done by closing the carbon balance in sealed liquid cultures in which the selected pollutant was introduce as the sole source of carbon and energy. Substrate depletion and CO2 accumulation in the headspace were monitored chromatographically. In the course of these experiments, two strains showed a good capacity to grow on toluene. In summary, the presented screening method can be used to identify potential candidates for the fungal degradation of contaminants. Further research is necessary to investigate the potential use of the identified fungal strains for remediation purposes.

Improvement of screening methods for silicon planar semiconductor devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, W. M.

1972-01-01

The results of the program for the development of a more sensitive method for selecting silicon planar semiconductor devices for long life applications are reported. The manufacturing technologies (MOS and Bipolar) are discussed along with the screening procedures developed as a result of the tests and evaluations, and the effectiveness of the MOS and Bilayer screening procedures are evaluated.

Novel synthesis of [11C]GVG (Vigabatgrin) for pharmacokinetic studies of addiction treatment

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

Ding, Y.S.; Studenov, A.R.; Zhang, Z.

2001-06-10

We report here a novel synthetic route to prepare the precursor and to efficiently label GVG with C-11. 5-Bromo-3-(carbobenzyloxy)amino-1-pentene was synthesized in five steps from homoserine lactone. This was used in a two step radiosynthesis, displacement with [{sup 11}C]cyanide followed by acid hydrolysis to afford [{sup 11}C]GVG with high radiochemical yields (> 35%, not optimized) and high specific activity (2-5 Ci/{micro}mol). The [{sup 11}C]cyanide trapping was achieved at {minus}5 C with a mixture of Kryptofix and K{sub 2}CO{sub 3} without using conventional aqueous trapping procedure [7]. At this temperature, the excess NH{sub 3} from the target that may interfere withmore » the synthesis would not be trapped [8]. This procedure would be advantageous to any moisture sensitive radiosynthetic steps, as it was the case for our displacement reaction. When conventional aqueous trapping procedure was used, any trace amount of water left, even after prolonged heating, resulted in either no reaction or extremely low yields for the displacement reaction. The entire synthetic procedure should be extendible to the labeling of the pharmacologically active S- form of GVG when using S-homoserine lactone.« less

Time-Accurate Solutions of Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations for Potential Turbopump Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin; Kwak, Dochan

2001-01-01

Two numerical procedures, one based on artificial compressibility method and the other pressure projection method, are outlined for obtaining time-accurate solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The performance of the two method are compared by obtaining unsteady solutions for the evolution of twin vortices behind a at plate. Calculated results are compared with experimental and other numerical results. For an un- steady ow which requires small physical time step, pressure projection method was found to be computationally efficient since it does not require any subiterations procedure. It was observed that the artificial compressibility method requires a fast convergence scheme at each physical time step in order to satisfy incompressibility condition. This was obtained by using a GMRES-ILU(0) solver in our computations. When a line-relaxation scheme was used, the time accuracy was degraded and time-accurate computations became very expensive.

Screening adolescent athletes for exercise-induced asthma.

PubMed

Feinstein, R A; LaRussa, J; Wang-Dohlman, A; Bartolucci, A A

1996-04-01

To pilot test an exercise-induced asthma (EIA) screening program using a submaximal step-test and pulmonary function test (PFT) to identify athletes with EIA and to determine if a physical examination or self-reported history could be used to predict the existence of EIA. Screening and diagnostic testing using a convenience sample. Birmingham, Alabama, during athletic preparticipation examination (PPE). Fifty-two African-American, male football players aged 14-18 years being evaluated for participation in scholastic athletics. No athlete refused participation. Four were excluded because of need for further evaluation unrelated to any pulmonary condition. Each athlete completed a medical history, allergy history, physical examination, preexercise pulmonary function test (PFT), submaximal step-test, and a series of postexercise PFTs. Major outcome measurements were changes in forced expiration volume in 1s (FEV1) or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) after completing an exercise challenge. Seventeen of 48 athletes had a > or = 15% decrease in PEFR after exercise. Nine of 48 athletes had a > or = 15% decrease in FEV1 after exercise. The only self-reported item that differentiated subjects with normal and abnormal PFTs was a personal history of asthma (p < 0.05). Many athletes can be identified as having abnormal PFTs by use of a submaximal step-test as an exercise challenge. Self-reporting questionnaires and PPEs do not appear to be sensitive enough to identify athletes with this condition. If validated by future studies, this protocol could be used for the diagnosis of EIA.

40 CFR 80.62 - Vehicle test procedures to place vehicles in emitter group sub-fleets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... following test procedures must be used to screen candidate vehicles for their exhaust THC emissions to place... vehicles may be tested for their exhaust THC emissions using the Federal test procedure as detailed in 40... emitter groups. (b) Alternatively, candidate vehicles may be screened for their exhaust THC emissions with...

40 CFR 80.62 - Vehicle test procedures to place vehicles in emitter group sub-fleets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... following test procedures must be used to screen candidate vehicles for their exhaust THC emissions to place... vehicles may be tested for their exhaust THC emissions using the Federal test procedure as detailed in 40... emitter groups. (b) Alternatively, candidate vehicles may be screened for their exhaust THC emissions with...

40 CFR 80.62 - Vehicle test procedures to place vehicles in emitter group sub-fleets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... following test procedures must be used to screen candidate vehicles for their exhaust THC emissions to place... vehicles may be tested for their exhaust THC emissions using the Federal test procedure as detailed in 40... emitter groups. (b) Alternatively, candidate vehicles may be screened for their exhaust THC emissions with...

40 CFR 80.62 - Vehicle test procedures to place vehicles in emitter group sub-fleets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... following test procedures must be used to screen candidate vehicles for their exhaust THC emissions to place... vehicles may be tested for their exhaust THC emissions using the Federal test procedure as detailed in 40... emitter groups. (b) Alternatively, candidate vehicles may be screened for their exhaust THC emissions with...

40 CFR 80.62 - Vehicle test procedures to place vehicles in emitter group sub-fleets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... following test procedures must be used to screen candidate vehicles for their exhaust THC emissions to place... vehicles may be tested for their exhaust THC emissions using the Federal test procedure as detailed in 40... emitter groups. (b) Alternatively, candidate vehicles may be screened for their exhaust THC emissions with...

Confirming the validity of the CONUT system for early detection and monitoring of clinical undernutrition: comparison with two logistic regression models developed using SGA as the gold standard.

PubMed

González-Madroño, A; Mancha, A; Rodríguez, F J; Culebras, J; de Ulibarri, J I

2012-01-01

To ratify previous validations of the CONUT nutritional screening tool by the development of two probabilistic models using the parameters included in the CONUT, to see if the CONUT´s effectiveness could be improved. It is a two step prospective study. In Step 1, 101 patients were randomly selected, and SGA and CONUT was made. With data obtained an unconditional logistic regression model was developed, and two variants of CONUT were constructed: Model 1 was made by a method of logistic regression. Model 2 was made by dividing the probabilities of undernutrition obtained in model 1 in seven regular intervals. In step 2, 60 patients were selected and underwent the SGA, the original CONUT and the new models developed. The diagnostic efficacy of the original CONUT and the new models was tested by means of ROC curves. Both samples 1 and 2 were put together to measure the agreement degree between the original CONUT and SGA, and diagnostic efficacy parameters were calculated. No statistically significant differences were found between sample 1 and 2, regarding age, sex and medical/surgical distribution and undernutrition rates were similar (over 40%). The AUC for the ROC curves were 0.862 for the original CONUT, and 0.839 and 0.874, for model 1 and 2 respectively. The kappa index for the CONUT and SGA was 0.680. The CONUT, with the original scores assigned by the authors is equally good than mathematical models and thus is a valuable tool, highly useful and efficient for the purpose of Clinical Undernutrition screening.

Negative pressure irrigation and endoscopic necrosectomy through man-made sinus tract in infected necrotizing pancreatitis: a technical report.

PubMed

Tong, Zhihui; Ke, Lu; Li, Baiqiang; Li, Gang; Zhou, Jing; Shen, Xiao; Li, Weiqin; Li, Ning; Li, Jieshou

2016-11-10

In recent years, a step-up approach based on minimally invasive techniques was recommended by latest guidelines as initial invasive treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN). In this study, we aimed to describe a novel step-up approach for treating IPN consisting of four steps including negative pressure irrigation (NPI) and endoscopic necrosectomy (ED) as a bridge between percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and open necrosectomy METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively collected internal database of patients with a diagnosis of IPN between Jan, 2012 to Dec, 2012 at a single institution was performed. All patients underwent the same drainage strategy including four steps: PCD, NPI, ED and open necrosectomy. The demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of study patients were analyzed. A total of 71 consecutive patients (48 males and 23 females) were included in the analysis. No significant procedure-related complication was observed and the overall mortality was +21.1 % (15 of 71 patients). Seven different strategies like PCD+ NPI, PCD+NPI+ED, PCD+open necrosectomy, etcetera, were applied in study patients and a half of them received PCD alone. In general, each patient underwent a median of 2 drainage procedures and the median total drainage duration was 11 days (interquartile range, 6-21days). This four-step approach is effective in treating IPN and adds no extra risk to patients when compared with other latest step-up strategies. The two novel techniques (NPI and ED) could offer distinct clinical benefits without posing unanticipated risks inherent to the procedures.

A generic HTS assay for kinase screening: Validation for the isolation of an engineered malate kinase

PubMed Central

Irague, Romain; Topham, Christopher M.; Martineau, Nelly; Baylac, Audrey; Auriol, Clément; Walther, Thomas; François, Jean-Marie; Remaud-Siméon, Magali

2018-01-01

An end-point ADP/NAD+ acid/alkali assay procedure, directly applicable to library screening of any type of ATP-utilising/ADP producing enzyme activity, was implemented. Typically, ADP production is coupled to NAD+ co-enzyme formation by the conventional addition of pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Transformation of enzymatically generated NAD+ into a photometrically active alkali derivative product is then achieved through the successive application of acidic/alkali treatment steps. The assay was successfully miniaturized to search for malate kinase activity in a structurally-guided library of LysC aspartate kinase variants comprising 6,700 clones. The screening procedure enabled the isolation of nine positive variants showing novel kinase activity on (L)-malate, the best mutant, LysC V115A:E119S:E434V exhibited strong substrate selectivity for (L)-malate compared to (L)-aspartate with a (kcat/Km)malate/(kcat/Km)aspartate ratio of 86. Double mutants V115A:E119S, V115A:E119C and E119S:E434V were constructed to further probe the origins of stabilising substrate binding energy gains for (L)-malate due to mutation. The introduction of less sterically hindering side-chains in engineered enzymes carrying E119S and V115A mutations increases the effective volume available for substrate binding in the catalytic pocket. Improved binding of the (L)-malate substrate may be assisted by less hindered movement of the Phe184 aromatic side-chain. Additional favourable long-range electostatic effects on binding arising from the E434V surface mutation are conditionally dependent upon the presence of the V115A mutation close to Phe184 in the active-site. PMID:29462203

Fast auto-focus scheme based on optical defocus fitting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yeru; Feng, Huajun; Xu, Zhihai; Li, Qi; Chen, Yueting; Cen, Min

2018-04-01

An optical defocus fitting model-based (ODFM) auto-focus scheme is proposed. Considering the basic optical defocus principle, the optical defocus fitting model is derived to approximate the potential-focus position. By this accurate modelling, the proposed auto-focus scheme can make the stepping motor approach the focal plane more accurately and rapidly. Two fitting positions are first determined for an arbitrary initial stepping motor position. Three images (initial image and two fitting images) at these positions are then collected to estimate the potential-focus position based on the proposed ODFM method. Around the estimated potential-focus position, two reference images are recorded. The auto-focus procedure is then completed by processing these two reference images and the potential-focus image to confirm the in-focus position using a contrast based method. Experimental results prove that the proposed scheme can complete auto-focus within only 5 to 7 steps with good performance even under low-light condition.

Analytic methods for design of wave cycles for wave rotor core engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resler, Edwin L., Jr.; Mocsari, Jeffrey C.; Nalim, M. R.

1993-01-01

A procedure to design a preliminary wave rotor cycle for any application is presented. To complete a cycle with heat addition there are two separate but related design steps that must be followed. The 'wave' boundary conditions determine the allowable amount of heat added in any case and the ensuing wave pattern requires certain pressure discharge conditions to allow the process to be made cyclic. This procedure, when applied, gives a first estimate of the cycle performance and the necessary information for the next step in the design process, namely the application of a characteristic based or other appropriate detailed one dimensional wave calculation that locates the proper porting around the periphery of the wave rotor. Four examples of the design procedure are given to demonstrate its utility and generality. These examples also illustrate the large gains in performance that could be realized with the use of wave rotor enhanced propulsion cycles.

Green procedure with a green solvent for fats and oils' determination. Microwave-integrated Soxhlet using limonene followed by microwave Clevenger distillation.

PubMed

Virot, Matthieu; Tomao, Valérie; Ginies, Christian; Visinoni, Franco; Chemat, Farid

2008-07-04

Here is described a green and original alternative procedure for fats and oils' determination in oleaginous seeds. Extractions were carried out using a by-product of the citrus industry as extraction solvent, namely d-limonene, instead of hazardous petroleum solvents such as n-hexane. The described method is achieved in two steps using microwave energy: at first, extractions are attained using microwave-integrated Soxhlet, followed by the elimination of the solvent from the medium using a microwave Clevenger distillation in the second step. Oils extracted from olive seeds were compared with both conventional Soxhlet and microwave-integrated Soxhlet extraction procedures performed with n-hexane in terms of qualitative and quantitative determination. No significant difference was obtained between each extract allowing us to conclude that the proposed method is effective and valuable.