Projecting state-level air pollutant emissions using an integrated assessment model: GCAM-USA.

EPA Science Inventory

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) characterize the interactions among human and earth systems. IAMs typically have been applied to investigate future energy, land use, and emission pathways at global to continental scales. Recent directions in IAM development include enhanced t...

14 CFR 1216.305 - Actions requiring environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... prepare an EA. (b) Typical NASA actions normally requiring an EA include: (1) Specific spacecraft... altering the ongoing operations at a NASA Center which could lead directly, indirectly, or cumulatively to... solar system bodies (such as asteroids, comets, planets, dwarf planets, and planetary moons), which...

Enable: Developing Instructional Language Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Beth

The program presented in this manual provides a structure and activities for systematic development of effective listening comprehension in typical and atypical children. The complete ENABLE kit comes with pictures, cut-outs, and puppets to illustrate the directives, questions, and narrative activities. The manual includes an organizational and…

Healthcare costs, buyer alert.

PubMed

Brown, Melissa M; Brown, Gary C; Leiske, Heidi B; Lieske, P Alexander

2011-05-01

To assess the direct medical cost perspective versus the societal cost perspective associated with a vitreoretinal intervention. Most insurers, physicians, hospital administrators, legislators and the general public refer to direct medical costs when assessing the costs associated with healthcare interventions. The direct medical cost perspective, which is the same as the third-party insurer cost perspective, includes the costs an insurer might be expected to pay, including those for physicians, hospitals, drugs, durable goods, skilled nursing facilities and others. The societal cost perspective includes direct medical costs; direct nonmedical costs (caregiver, transportation, residence); and indirect medical costs (employment and salary). When assessing the costs associated with a healthcare intervention, the societal cost perspective generally yields a greater financial return-on-investment (ROI) to society and to the gross domestic product than does the utilization of direct medical costs alone. Consequently, the use of societal costs in cost-utility analysis typically results in more cost-effective interventions than when direct medical costs alone are employed. A societal cost perspective is more likely than the third-party insurer cost perspective to demonstrate a greater financial ROI to society.

Treatment Response to an Intensive Summer Treatment Program for Adolescents with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibley, Margaret H.; Smith, Bradley H.; Evans, Steven W.; Pelham, William E.; Gnagy, Elizabeth M.

2012-01-01

Objective: There are presently almost no empirically validated treatments for adolescents with ADHD. However, in childhood, behavioral treatments for ADHD typically include behavioral parent training, classroom interventions, and intensive child-directed interventions. Method: The present investigation examines treatment gains following an 8-week…

14 CFR § 1216.305 - Actions requiring environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... prepare an EA. (b) Typical NASA actions normally requiring an EA include: (1) Specific spacecraft... altering the ongoing operations at a NASA Center which could lead directly, indirectly, or cumulatively to... solar system bodies (such as asteroids, comets, planets, dwarf planets, and planetary moons), which...

Solving Differential Equations Using Modified Picard Iteration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robin, W. A.

2010-01-01

Many classes of differential equations are shown to be open to solution through a method involving a combination of a direct integration approach with suitably modified Picard iterative procedures. The classes of differential equations considered include typical initial value, boundary value and eigenvalue problems arising in physics and…

Young children with autism spectrum disorder use predictive eye movements in action observation.

PubMed

Falck-Ytter, Terje

2010-06-23

Does a dysfunction in the mirror neuron system (MNS) underlie the social symptoms defining autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Research suggests that the MNS matches observed actions to motor plans for similar actions, and that these motor plans include directions for predictive eye movements when observing goal-directed actions. Thus, one important question is whether children with ASD use predictive eye movements in action observation. Young children with ASD as well as typically developing children and adults were shown videos in which an actor performed object-directed actions (human agent condition). Children with ASD were also shown control videos showing objects moving by themselves (self-propelled condition). Gaze was measured using a corneal reflection technique. Children with ASD and typically developing individuals used strikingly similar goal-directed eye movements when observing others' actions in the human agent condition. Gaze was reactive in the self-propelled condition, suggesting that prediction is linked to seeing a hand-object interaction. This study does not support the view that ASD is characterized by a global dysfunction in the MNS.

15 CFR 923.31 - Inland boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... subject to regular inundation of tidal salt (or Great Lakes) waters which contain marsh flora typical of the region; (5) Beaches—The area affected by wave action directly from the sea. Examples are sandy... appropriate to define the coastal zone as including these watersheds. (2) Areas of tidal influence that extend...

15 CFR 923.31 - Inland boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... subject to regular inundation of tidal salt (or Great Lakes) waters which contain marsh flora typical of the region; (5) Beaches—The area affected by wave action directly from the sea. Examples are sandy... appropriate to define the coastal zone as including these watersheds. (2) Areas of tidal influence that extend...

15 CFR 923.31 - Inland boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... subject to regular inundation of tidal salt (or Great Lakes) waters which contain marsh flora typical of the region; (5) Beaches—The area affected by wave action directly from the sea. Examples are sandy... appropriate to define the coastal zone as including these watersheds. (2) Areas of tidal influence that extend...

15 CFR 923.31 - Inland boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... subject to regular inundation of tidal salt (or Great Lakes) waters which contain marsh flora typical of the region; (5) Beaches—The area affected by wave action directly from the sea. Examples are sandy... appropriate to define the coastal zone as including these watersheds. (2) Areas of tidal influence that extend...

15 CFR 923.31 - Inland boundary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... subject to regular inundation of tidal salt (or Great Lakes) waters which contain marsh flora typical of the region; (5) Beaches—The area affected by wave action directly from the sea. Examples are sandy... appropriate to define the coastal zone as including these watersheds. (2) Areas of tidal influence that extend...

Non-Lateralised Deficits of Drawing Production in Hemispatial Neglect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Alastair D.; Gilchrist, Iain D.; Butler, Stephen H.; Muir, Keith; Bone, Ian; Reeves, Ian; Harvey, Monika

2007-01-01

Spatially lateralised deficits that typically define the hemispatial neglect syndrome have been shown to co-occur with other non-lateralised deficits of attention, memory, and drawing. However even a simple graphic task involves multiple planning components, including the specification of drawing start position and drawing direction. In order to…

Distribution and evolution of genes responsible for biosynthesis of mycotoxins in Fusarium

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium secondary metabolites (SMs) include some of the mycotoxins of greatest concern to food and feed safety. In fungi, genes directly involved in synthesis of the same SM are typically located adjacent to one another in gene clusters. To better understand the distribution and evolution of mycoto...

Direct support workforce supporting individuals with IDD: current wages, benefits, and stability.

PubMed

Bogenschutz, Matthew D; Hewitt, Amy; Nord, Derek; Hepperlen, Renee

2014-10-01

Abstract Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) play an integral role in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and are often the individuals directly responsible for assisting people with IDD to live and fully participate in their communities. These two groups of workers have typically been employed at lower wages with limited access to fringe benefits, contributing to high rates of turnover compared to a similarly skilled worker in the United States. This article summarizes findings and is the first investigation in several years to systematically examine the wages, fringe benefits, and stability of the DSP and FLS workforces supporting individuals with IDD. Findings suggest that a typical DSP may expect to earn about $11.25 per hour, while FLSs may expect wages of about $15.45 hourly. Of concern, however, is that fringe benefit provision was quite limited in this sample. Implications, including relation to past reports of DSP workforce development, are discussed.

Publicizing Your Web Resources for Maximum Exposure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kerry J.

2001-01-01

Offers advice to librarians for marketing their Web sites on Internet search engines. Advises against relying solely on spiders and recommends adding metadata to the source code and delivering that information directly to the search engines. Gives an overview of metadata and typical coding for meta tags. Includes Web addresses for a number of…

Parental Management of Peers and Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity in Predicting Adolescent Peer Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Kelly M.; Erath, Stephen A.; El-Sheikh, Mona

2017-01-01

The present study examined sympathetic and parasympathetic indices of autonomic nervous system reactivity as moderators of the prospective association between parental management of peers via directing of youths' friendships and peer adjustment in a sample of typically developing adolescents. Participants included 246 adolescents at Time 1 (T1)…

From Distal to Proximal: Routine Educational Data Monitoring in School-Based Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyon, Aaron R.; Borntrager, Cameo; Nakamura, Brad; Higa-McMillan, Charmaine

2013-01-01

Research and practice in school-based mental health (SBMH) typically include educational variables only as distal outcomes, resulting from improvements in mental health symptoms rather than directly from mental health intervention. Although sometimes appropriate, this approach also has the potential to inhibit the integration of mental health and…

Sub-micro-Newton resolution thrust balance.

PubMed

Hathaway, G

2015-10-01

Herein is described a sensitive vacuum balance for measuring the thrust produced by small (∼0.5 kg) thrusters typically employed in microsat station-keeping. The balance is based on a torsion design but incorporates jewel-pivot bearings instead of the more typical torsion spring bearings. Novel tilt control allows maintenance of true verticality of the bearing axis even while under vacuum. The low moment of inertia design allows it to measure small thrusts from high-voltage devices without direct wire conductor connections. Calibration by several means is described including use of a previously calibrated dielectric barrier discharge thruster.

Sources of Self-Efficacy in School: Critical Review of the Literature and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usher, Ellen L.; Pajares, Frank

2008-01-01

The purpose of this review was threefold. First, the theorized sources of self-efficacy beliefs proposed by A. Bandura (1986) are described and explained, including how they are typically assessed and analyzed. Second, findings from investigations of these sources in academic contexts are reviewed and critiqued, and problems and oversights in…

Polymer-directed synthesis of metal oxide-containing nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mai, Yiyong; Zhang, Fan; Feng, Xinliang

2013-12-01

Metal oxide-containing nanomaterials (MOCNMs) of controllable structures at the nano-scale have attracted considerable interest because of their great potential applications in electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. Among many structure-directing agents, polymers and macromolecules, including block copolymers (BCPs) and graphene, exhibit distinct advantages in the template-assisted synthesis of MOCNMs. In this feature article, we introduce the controlled preparation of MOCNMs employing BCPs and graphene as structure-directing agents. Typical synthetic strategies are presented for the control of structures and sizes as well as the improvement of physical properties and electrochemical performance of MOCNMs in LIBs and supercapacitors.

Polymer-directed synthesis of metal oxide-containing nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage.

PubMed

Mai, Yiyong; Zhang, Fan; Feng, Xinliang

2014-01-07

Metal oxide-containing nanomaterials (MOCNMs) of controllable structures at the nano-scale have attracted considerable interest because of their great potential applications in electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. Among many structure-directing agents, polymers and macromolecules, including block copolymers (BCPs) and graphene, exhibit distinct advantages in the template-assisted synthesis of MOCNMs. In this feature article, we introduce the controlled preparation of MOCNMs employing BCPs and graphene as structure-directing agents. Typical synthetic strategies are presented for the control of structures and sizes as well as the improvement of physical properties and electrochemical performance of MOCNMs in LIBs and supercapacitors.

Handheld directional reflectometer: an angular imaging device to measure BRDF and HDR in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattison, Phillip R.; Dombrowski, Mark S.; Lorenz, James M.; Davis, Keith J.; Mann, Harley C.; Johnson, Philip; Foos, Bryan

1998-10-01

Many applications require quantitative measurements of surface light scattering, including quality control on production lines, inspection of painted surfaces, inspection of field repairs, etc. Instruments for measuring surface scattering typically fall into two main categories, namely bidirectional reflectometers, which measure the angular distribution of scattering, and hemispherical directional reflectometers, which measure the total scattering into the hemisphere above the surface. Measurement of the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) gives the greatest insight into how light is scattered from a surface. Measurements of BRDF, however, are typically very lengthy measurements taken by moving a source and detector to map the scattering. Since BRDF has four angular degrees of freedom, such measurements can require hours to days to complete. Instruments for measuring BRDF are also typically laboratory devices, although a field- portable bi-directional reflectometer does exist. Hemispherical directional reflectance (HDR) is a much easier measurement to make, although care must be taken to use the proper methodology when measuring at wavelengths beyond 10 micrometer, since integrating spheres (typically used to make such measurements) are very energy inefficient and lose their integrating properties at very long wavelengths. A few field- portable hemispherical directional reflectometers do exist, but typically measure HDR only at near-normal angles. Boeing Defense and Space Group and Surface Optics Corporation, under a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, have developed a new hand-held instrument capable of measuring both BRDF and HDR using a unique, patented angular imaging technique. A combination of an hemi-ellipsoidal mirror and an additional lens translate the angular scatter from a surface into a two-dimensional spatial distribution, which is recorded by an imaging array. This configuration fully maps the scattering from a half-hemisphere above the surface with more than 30,000 angularly-resolved points and update rates to 60 measurements per second. The instrument then computes HDR from the measured BDR. For ease of use, the instrument can also compare both the BRDF and HDR to preset limits, generating a Pass/Fail indicator for HDR and a high-acceptable-low image display of BRDF. Beam incidence elevation is variable from normal incidence ((theta) equals 0 degrees) to 5 degrees off grazing ((theta) equals 85 degrees), while scattering is measured to nearly 90 degrees off normal. Such capability is extremely important for any application requiring knowledge of surface appearance at oblique viewing angles. The current instrument operates over the range of 3 micrometer to 12 micrometer, with extension into the visible band possible.

Improving energy efficiency in handheld biometric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyle, David C.; Gale, John W.; Schultz, Robert C.; Rakvic, Ryan N.; Ives, Robert W.

2012-06-01

With improved smartphone and tablet technology, it is becoming increasingly feasible to implement powerful biometric recognition algorithms on portable devices. Typical iris recognition algorithms, such as Ridge Energy Direction (RED), utilize two-dimensional convolution in their implementation. This paper explores the energy consumption implications of 12 different methods of implementing two-dimensional convolution on a portable device. Typically, convolution is implemented using floating point operations. If a given algorithm implemented integer convolution vice floating point convolution, it could drastically reduce the energy consumed by the processor. The 12 methods compared include 4 major categories: Integer C, Integer Java, Floating Point C, and Floating Point Java. Each major category is further divided into 3 implementations: variable size looped convolution, static size looped convolution, and unrolled looped convolution. All testing was performed using the HTC Thunderbolt with energy measured directly using a Tektronix TDS5104B Digital Phosphor oscilloscope. Results indicate that energy savings as high as 75% are possible by using Integer C versus Floating Point C. Considering the relative proportion of processing time that convolution is responsible for in a typical algorithm, the savings in energy would likely result in significantly greater time between battery charges.

Demonstration Report, Munitions Management Projects, ESTCP Project MR-200809, ALLTEM Multi-Axis Electromagnetic Induction System Demonstration and Validation, Aberdeen Proving Ground Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site, Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-17

to emulate typical impact area conditions. The Open Field area is now divided into four subareas: Legacy, Indirect fire, Direct fire, and Challenge...that could be typically found at an impact area of an indirect fire weapons range. These are 81 mm and 60 mm mortars and 105 ALLTEM APG...munitions. • Open field (direct fire) The direct fire subarea contains only three munition types that could be typically found at an impact area of

A community support program for children with autism and their typically developing siblings: Initial investigation.

PubMed

Kryzak, Lauren A; Cengher, Mirela; Feeley, Kathleen M; Fienup, Daniel M; Jones, Emily A

2015-06-01

Siblings are a critical part of lifelong support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But siblings face their own social-emotional adjustment needs. These needs may be addressed through programs that include support groups specifically for the siblings. This study examined the effects of a community program on typical siblings' depression, anxiety, ASD knowledge, and peer network as well as reciprocal interactions between the typical sibling and sibling with ASD. The program provided a sibling support group, a skills intervention for children with ASD, and an inclusive recreation time. Siblings reported significant decreases in depression and physiological anxiety and improvements in their peer network. Autism knowledge increased but only approached significance. Direct observations revealed improvement in reciprocal interactions by most children that did not reach statistical significance. Parents, typical siblings, and interventionists indicated positive reactions to the program and its goals and outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of the need to continue to explore interventions for siblings of children with ASD. © The Author(s) 2014.

ALLTEM Multi-Axis Electromagnetic Induction System Demonstration and Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-17

fencing that test the capabilities of the platform systems Recently the Open Field area was reconfigured to emulate typical impact area conditions. The...surveyed. • Open field (indirect fire) The indirect fire subarea contains only three munition types that could be typically found at an impact area...direct fire subarea contains only three munition types that could be typically found at an impact area of a direct fire weapons range. These are 25 mm

Potential for Particulate Emission Reduction in Flue Gas Condensing Heat Exchangers in Biomass-Fired Boiler

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

Butcher, Thomas A.

Direct biomass combustion for the production of heat is a broad field of technology which ranges from residential wood stoves to commercial and industrial boilers and furnaces. Fuels typically include pellets, chips and cord wood. Over the past decade, as a result of fuel price advantages and other benefits, wood burning has seen a significant growth.

Prechamber Compression-Ignition Engine Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Charles S; Collins, John H , Jr

1938-01-01

Single-cylinder compression-ignition engine tests were made to investigate the performance characteristics of prechamber type of cylinder head. Certain fundamental variables influencing engine performance -- clearance distribution, size, shape, and direction of the passage connecting the cylinder and prechamber, shape of prechamber, cylinder clearance, compression ratio, and boosting -- were independently tested. Results of motoring and of power tests, including several typical indicator cards, are presented.

A Brief, Self-Directed Written Cognitive Exercise to Reduce Public Speaking Anxiety in College Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dibartolo, Patricia Marten; Molina, Kristine

2010-01-01

Fear of public speaking is the most common social fear experienced by the general population and can have far-reaching academic effects, including lower course grades and even an increased likelihood to drop out of college. The typical curricular approach to remediating public speaking fears in college students is to provide training in basic…

Maternal and paternal pragmatic speech directed to young children with Down syndrome and typical development

PubMed Central

de Falco, Simona; Venuti, Paola; Esposito, Gianluca; Bornstein, Marc H.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare functional features of maternal and paternal speech directed to children with Down syndrome and developmental age-matched typically developing children. Altogether 88 parents (44 mothers and 44 fathers) and their 44 young children (22 children with Down syndrome and 22 typically developing children) participated. Parents’ speech directed to children was obtained through observation of naturalistic parent–child dyadic interactions. Verbatim transcripts of maternal and paternal language were categorized in terms of the primary function of each speech unit. Parents (both mothers and fathers) of children with Down syndrome used more affect-salient speech compared to parents of typically developing children. Although parents used the same amounts of information-salient speech, parents of children with Down syndrome used more direct statements and asked fewer questions than did parents of typically developing children. Concerning parent gender, in both groups mothers used more language than fathers and specifically more descriptions. These findings held controlling for child age and MLU and family SES. This study highlights strengths and weaknesses of parental communication to children with Down syndrome and helps to identify areas of potential improvement through intervention. PMID:21215458

Maternal and paternal pragmatic speech directed to young children with Down syndrome and typical development.

PubMed

de Falco, Simona; Venuti, Paola; Esposito, Gianluca; Bornstein, Marc H

2011-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare functional features of maternal and paternal speech directed to children with Down syndrome and developmental age-matched typically developing children. Altogether 88 parents (44 mothers and 44 fathers) and their 44 young children (22 children with Down syndrome and 22 typically developing children) participated. Parents' speech directed to children was obtained through observation of naturalistic parent-child dyadic interactions. Verbatim transcripts of maternal and paternal language were categorized in terms of the primary function of each speech unit. Parents (both mothers and fathers) of children with Down syndrome used more affect-salient speech compared to parents of typically developing children. Although parents used the same amounts of information-salient speech, parents of children with Down syndrome used more direct statements and asked fewer questions than did parents of typically developing children. Concerning parent gender, in both groups mothers used more language than fathers and specifically more descriptions. These findings held controlling for child age and MLU and family SES. This study highlights strengths and weaknesses of parental communication to children with Down syndrome and helps to identify areas of potential improvement through intervention. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability of Gradient Field Corrections for Quantitative Diffusion MRI.

PubMed

Rogers, Baxter P; Blaber, Justin; Welch, E Brian; Ding, Zhaohua; Anderson, Adam W; Landman, Bennett A

2017-02-11

In magnetic resonance diffusion imaging, gradient nonlinearity causes significant bias in the estimation of quantitative diffusion parameters such as diffusivity, anisotropy, and diffusion direction in areas away from the magnet isocenter. This bias can be substantially reduced if the scanner- and coil-specific gradient field nonlinearities are known. Using a set of field map calibration scans on a large (29 cm diameter) phantom combined with a solid harmonic approximation of the gradient fields, we predicted the obtained b-values and applied gradient directions throughout a typical field of view for brain imaging for a typical 32-direction diffusion imaging sequence. We measured the stability of these predictions over time. At 80 mm from scanner isocenter, predicted b-value was 1-6% different than intended due to gradient nonlinearity, and predicted gradient directions were in error by up to 1 degree. Over the course of one month the change in these quantities due to calibration-related factors such as scanner drift and variation in phantom placement was <0.5% for b-values, and <0.5 degrees for angular deviation. The proposed calibration procedure allows the estimation of gradient nonlinearity to correct b-values and gradient directions ahead of advanced diffusion image processing for high angular resolution data, and requires only a five-minute phantom scan that can be included in a weekly or monthly quality assurance protocol.

On-line sulfur isotope analysis of organic material by direct combustion: Preliminary results and potential applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kester, C.L.; Rye, R.O.; Johnson, C.A.; Schwartz, C.H.; Holmes, C.H.

2001-01-01

Sulfur isotopes have received little attention in ecology studies because plant and animal materials typically have low sulfur concentrations (< 1 wt.%) necessitating labor-intensive chemical extraction prior to analysis. To address the potential of direct combustion of organic material in an elemental analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer, we compared results obtained by direct combustion to results obtained by sulfur extraction with Eschka's mixture. Direct combustion of peat and animal tissue gave reproducibility of better than 0.5??? and on average, values are 0.8??? higher than values obtained by Eschka extraction. Successful direct combustion of organic material appears to be a function of sample matrix and sulfur concentration. Initial results indicate that direct combustion provides fast, reliable results with minimal preparation. Pilot studies underway include defining bear diets and examining fluctuations between freshwater and brackish water in coastal environments.

Evaluating the accuracy of SHAPE-directed RNA secondary structure predictions

PubMed Central

Sükösd, Zsuzsanna; Swenson, M. Shel; Kjems, Jørgen; Heitsch, Christine E.

2013-01-01

Recent advances in RNA structure determination include using data from high-throughput probing experiments to improve thermodynamic prediction accuracy. We evaluate the extent and nature of improvements in data-directed predictions for a diverse set of 16S/18S ribosomal sequences using a stochastic model of experimental SHAPE data. The average accuracy for 1000 data-directed predictions always improves over the original minimum free energy (MFE) structure. However, the amount of improvement varies with the sequence, exhibiting a correlation with MFE accuracy. Further analysis of this correlation shows that accurate MFE base pairs are typically preserved in a data-directed prediction, whereas inaccurate ones are not. Thus, the positive predictive value of common base pairs is consistently higher than the directed prediction accuracy. Finally, we confirm sequence dependencies in the directability of thermodynamic predictions and investigate the potential for greater accuracy improvements in the worst performing test sequence. PMID:23325843

Mitigation of stress: new treatment alternatives.

PubMed

Subhani, Ahmad Rauf; Kamel, Nidal; Mohamad Saad, Mohamad Naufal; Nandagopal, Nanda; Kang, Kenneth; Malik, Aamir Saeed

2018-02-01

Complaints of stress are common in modern life. Psychological stress is a major cause of lifestyle-related issues, contributing to poor quality of life. Chronic stress impedes brain function, causing impairment of many executive functions, including working memory, decision making and attentional control. The current study sought to describe newly developed stress mitigation techniques, and their influence on autonomic and endocrine functions. The literature search revealed that the most frequently studied technique for stress mitigation was biofeedback (BFB). However, evidence suggests that neurofeedback (NFB) and noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) could potentially provide appropriate approaches. We found that recent studies of BFB methods have typically used measures of heart rate variability, respiration and skin conductance. In contrast, studies of NFB methods have typically utilized neurocomputation techniques employing electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and near infrared spectroscopy. NIBS studies have typically utilized transcranial direct current stimulation methods. Mitigation of stress is a challenging but important research target for improving quality of life.

The solar spectrum at typical clear weather days

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boer, K. W.

1976-01-01

The solar spectrum in the range of 300 is less than lambda is less than 1500nm is given for five typical clear weather days. These days are selected to represent typical seasonal conditions in respect to airmass water vapor, ozone, and turbidity. Present data are reviewed, and specific conditions are selected. The spectral distribution of the irradiance is given for the direct component, the scattered skylight, the total flux on a horizontal surface, and the flux on an inclined surface normal to the direct beam.

Atomic Oxygen Textured Polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.; Rutledge, Sharon K.; Hunt, Jason D.; Drobotij, Erin; Cales, Michael R.; Cantrell, Gidget

1995-01-01

Atomic oxygen can be used to microscopically alter the surface morphology of polymeric materials in space or in ground laboratory facilities. For polymeric materials whose sole oxidation products are volatile species, directed atomic oxygen reactions produce surfaces of microscopic cones. However, isotropic atomic oxygen exposure results in polymer surfaces covered with lower aspect ratio sharp-edged craters. Isotropic atomic oxygen plasma exposure of polymers typically causes a significant decrease in water contact angle as well as altered coefficient of static friction. Such surface alterations may be of benefit for industrial and biomedical applications. The results of atomic oxygen plasma exposure of thirty-three (33) different polymers are presented, including typical morphology changes, effects on water contact angle, and coefficient of static friction.

The Challenges of Analyzing Behavioral Response Study Data: An Overview of the MOCHA (Multi-study OCean Acoustics Human Effects Analysis) Project.

PubMed

Harris, Catriona M; Thomas, Len; Sadykova, Dina; DeRuiter, Stacy L; Tyack, Peter L; Southall, Brandon L; Read, Andrew J; Miller, Patrick J O

2016-01-01

This paper describes the MOCHA project which aims to develop novel approaches for the analysis of data collected during Behavioral Response Studies (BRSs). BRSs are experiments aimed at directly quantifying the effects of controlled dosages of natural or anthropogenic stimuli (typically sound) on marine mammal behavior. These experiments typically result in low sample size, relative to variability, and so we are looking at a number of studies in combination to maximize the gain from each one. We describe a suite of analytical tools applied to BRS data on beaked whales, including a simulation study aimed at informing future experimental design.

White Matter Glial Pathology in Autism

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Autism 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0302 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Gregory A. Ordway...Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Methods used to directly study the autism brain include brain imaging in living patients and...pathology studies using postmortem brain tissues from deceased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) donors. These methods typically focus on brain regions

Use of optimization to predict the effect of selected parameters on commuter aircraft performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, V. L.; Shevell, R. S.

1982-01-01

An optimizing computer program determined the turboprop aircraft with lowest direct operating cost for various sets of cruise speed and field length constraints. External variables included wing area, wing aspect ratio and engine sea level static horsepower; tail sizes, climb speed and cruise altitude were varied within the function evaluation program. Direct operating cost was minimized for a 150 n.mi typical mission. Generally, DOC increased with increasing speed and decreasing field length but not by a large amount. Ride roughness, however, increased considerably as speed became higher and field length became shorter.

Patient safety: honoring advanced directives.

PubMed

Tice, Martha A

2007-02-01

Healthcare providers typically think of patient safety in the context of preventing iatrogenic injury. Prevention of falls and medication or treatment errors is the typical focus of adverse event analyses. If healthcare providers are committed to honoring the wishes of patients, then perhaps failures to honor advanced directives should be viewed as reportable medical errors.

Maternal responsivity in mothers of young children with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Sterling, Audra; Warren, Steven F

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine maternal responsivity and directive behaviors in mothers of children with Down syndrome (DS). Participants included 22 mothers with a young child with DS compared to 22 mothers of chronologically age-matched typically developing (TD) children using a cross-sectional design. The dyads participated in videotaped structured activities that were coded for responsive and directive behaviors. RESULTS indicated that the mothers of children with DS used a more facilitative style with the older children while these behaviors decreased with older children with TD; one directive behavior, request for behavioral comply, increased with the older children with DS. The mothers of children with DS adapted their parenting style to be facilitative of their children's linguistic development.

The Role of Airborne Proteins in Atopic Dermatitis

PubMed Central

Hostetler, Sarah Grim; Kaffenberger, Benjamin; Hostetler, Todd

2010-01-01

Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic skin condition. A subpopulation of patients may have cutaneous exposure to common airborne proteins exacerbating their disease through direct proteolytic activity, direct activation of proteinase-activated receptor-2 itch receptors, and immunoglobulin E binding. The most common airborne proteins significant in atopic dermatitis include house dust mites, cockroach, pet dander, and multiple pollens. The literature on atopy patch testing, skin-prick testing, and specific IgE is mixed, with greater support for the use of atopy patch test. Patients with airborne proteins contributing to their disease typically have lesions predominately on air-exposed skin surfaces including the face, neck, and arms; a history of exacerbations after exposure to airborne proteins; severe disease resistant to conventional therapies; and concurrent asthma. Treatment strategies include airborne protein avoidance, removal of airborne proteins from the skin, and barrier repair. Further research is needed to establish the benefit of allergen-specific immunotherapy. PMID:20725535

Behavioral and Physiological Responses to Child-Directed Speech of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Typical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Linda R.; Roberts, Jane E.; Baranek, Grace T.; Mandulak, Kerry C.; Dalton, Jennifer C.

2012-01-01

Young boys with autism were compared to typically developing boys on responses to nonsocial and child-directed speech (CDS) stimuli. Behavioral (looking) and physiological (heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia) measures were collected. Boys with autism looked equally as much as chronological age-matched peers at nonsocial stimuli, but less…

Screening-Engineered Field-Effect Solar Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

virtually any semiconductor, including the promising but hard-to- dope metal oxides, sulfides, and phosphides.3 Prototype SFPV devices have been...MIS interface. Unfortu- nately, MIS cells, though sporting impressive efficiencies,4−6 typically have short operating lifetimes due to surface state...instability at the MIS interface.7 Methods aimed at direct field- effect “ doping ” of semiconductors, in which the voltage is externally applied to a gate

Atmospheric circulation of brown dwarfs and directly imaged extrasolar giant planets with active clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Xianyu; Showman, Adam

2016-10-01

Observational evidence have suggested active meteorology in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs (BDs) and directly imaged extrasolar giant planets (EGPs). In particular, a number of surveys for brown dwarfs showed that near-IR brightness variability is common for L and T dwarfs. Directly imaged EGPs share similar observations, and can be viewed as low-gravity versions of BDs. Clouds are believed to play the major role in shaping the thermal structure, dynamics and near-IR flux of these atmospheres. So far, only a few studies have been devoted to atmospheric circulation and the implications for observations of BDs and directly EGPs, and yet no global model includes a self-consistent active cloud formation. Here we present preliminary results from the first global circulation model applied to BDs and directly imaged EGPs that can properly treat absorption and scattering of radiation by cloud particles. Our results suggest that horizontal temperature differences on isobars can reach up to a few hundred Kelvins, with typical horizontal length scale of the temperature and cloud patterns much smaller than the radius of the object. The combination of temperature anomaly and cloud pattern can result in moderate disk-integrated near-IR flux variability. Wind speeds can reach several hundred meters per second in cloud forming layers. Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, we do not observe stable zonal jet/banded patterns in our simulations. Instead, our simulated atmospheres are typically turbulent and dominated by transient vortices. The circulation is sensitive to the parameterized cloud microphysics. Under some parameter combinations, global-scale atmospheric waves can be triggered and maintained. These waves induce global-scale temperature anomalies and cloud patterns, causing large (up to several percent) disk-integrated near-IR flux variability. Our results demonstrate that the commonly observed near-IR brightness variability for BDs and directly imaged EGPs can be explained by the typical cloud-induced turbulent circulation, and in particular, the large flux variability for some objects can be attributed to the global-scale patterns of temperature anomaly and cloud formation caused by atmospheric waves.

Active polar two-fluid macroscopic dynamics.

PubMed

Pleiner, H; Svenšek, D; Brand, H R

2013-11-01

We study the dynamics of systems with a polar dynamic preferred direction. Examples include the pattern-forming growth of bacteria as well as shoals of fish, flocks of birds and migrating insects. Due to the fact that the preferred direction only exists dynamically, but not statically, the macroscopic variable of choice is the macroscopic velocity associated with the motion of the active units, which are typically biological in nature. We derive the macroscopic equations for such a system and discuss novel static, reversible and irreversible cross-couplings connected to a second velocity as a variable. We analyze in detail how the macroscopic behavior of an active system with a polar dynamic preferred direction compares to other systems with two velocities including immiscible liquids and electrically neutral quantum liquids such as superfluid (4)He and (3)He . We critically discuss changes in the normal mode spectrum when comparing uncharged superfluids, immiscible liquids and active system with a polar dynamic preferred direction. We investigate the influence of a macroscopic hand (collective effects of chirality) on the macroscopic behavior of such active media.

Everyday social and conversation applications of theory-of-mind understanding by children with autism-spectrum disorders or typical development.

PubMed

Peterson, Candida C; Garnett, Michelle; Kelly, Adrian; Attwood, Tony

2009-02-01

Children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) often fail laboratory false-belief tests of theory of mind (ToM). Yet how this impacts on their everyday social behavior is less clear, partly owing to uncertainty over which specific everyday conversational and social skills require ToM understanding. A new caregiver-report scale of these everyday applications of ToM was developed and validated in two studies. Study 1 obtained parent ratings of 339 children (85 with autism; 230 with Asperger's; 24 typically-developing) on the new scale and results revealed (a) that the scale had good psychometric properties and (b) that children with ASD had significantly more everyday mindreading difficulties than typical developers. In Study 2, we directly tested links between laboratory ToM and everyday mindreading using teacher ratings on the new scale. The sample of 25 children included 15 with autism and 10 typical developers aged 5-12 years. Children in both groups who passed laboratory ToM tests had fewer everyday mindreading difficulties than those of the same diagnosis who failed. Yet, intriguingly, autistic ToM-passers still had more problems with everyday mindreading than younger typically-developing ToM-failers. The possible roles of family conversation and peer interaction, along with ToM, in everyday social functioning were considered.

Halide peroxidase in tissues that interact with bacteria in the host squid Euprymna scolopes.

PubMed

Small, A L; McFall-Ngai, M J

1999-03-15

An enzyme with similarities to myeloperoxidase, the antimicrobial halide peroxidase in mammalian neutrophils, occurs abundantly in the light organ tissue of Euprymna scolopes, a squid that maintains a beneficial association with the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Using three independent assays typically applied to the analysis of halide peroxidase enzymes, we directly compared the activity of the squid enzyme with that of human myeloperoxidase. One of these methods, the diethanolamine assay, confirmed that the squid peroxidase requires halide ions for its activity. The identification of a halide peroxidase in a cooperative bacterial association suggested that this type of enzyme can function not only to control pathogens, but also to modulate the interactions of host animals with their beneficial partners. To determine whether the squid peroxidase functions under both circumstances, we examined its distribution in a variety of host tissues, including those that typically interact with bacteria and those that do not. Tissues interacting with bacteria included those that have specific cooperative associations with bacteria (i.e., the light organ and accessory nidamental gland) and those that have transient nonspecific interactions with bacteria (i.e., the gills, which clear the cephalopod circulatory system of invading microorganisms). These bacteria-associated tissues were compared with the eye, digestive gland, white body, and ink-producing tissues, which do not typically interact directly with bacteria. Peroxidase enzyme assays, immunocytochemical localization, and DNA-RNA hybridizations showed that the halide-dependent peroxidase is consistently expressed in high concentration in tissues that interact bacteria. Elevated levels of the peroxidase were also found in the ink-producing tissues, which are known to have enzymatic pathways associated with antimicrobial activity. Taken together, these data suggest that the host uses a common biochemical response to the variety of types of associations that it forms with microorganisms.

Patient's autonomy of will in Polish law.

PubMed

Swiderska, Małgorzata

2012-09-01

A principle of Polish legislation is that the evidence of legality for any medical intervention is the patient's consent. The issue is directly referred to by both the Patient's Rights Act from 2008 and the Medical Profession Act from 1996. The patient's consent may be given after obtaining reliable, accessible and thorough information about all stages of medical intervention: diagnosis, therapy prospects or rehabilitation. The extent of information about the potential risk of medical treatment should include the typically foreseeable results, which usually brings the matter down to typical risk. However, there are interventions, which bear greater risk, and even though it can't be considered typical, it should also be mentioned, despite the fact that the postulate of tactfulness should be respected here. The burden of proof that appropriate information has been given lies upon the doctor. Thus default consent, especially one given on being admitted to hospital, to all medical actions isn't valid in legal terms. The role of forms including standard information for giving consent is limited. Polish law doesn't regulate this issue, and other forms of indirect communication are used as auxiliary and cannot replace direct contact between a patient and a doctor. According to the Patient's Rights Act, in case of deliberate breach of those rights, the court can grant the aggrieved party with an appropriate sum as financial compensation for the harm sustained or an appropriate sum of money for the charity chosen by the aggrieved party. It is a legal basis for claiming compensation for non-material harm in case of a breach of the patient's right to give consent. It is possible both in case of liability in tort, as well as contractual claims.

DoD Computer Network Operations: Time to Hit the Send Button

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-10

Civil Authorities ( MACA ) Employment of military forces within the borders of the United States under the heading of civil support typically falls...under the broad mission of MACA which includes three main areas—military support to civil authorities (MSCA), military support to civilian law...providing military assistance to civil authorities.90 The Directive defines MACA as “[t]hose DoD activities and measures covered under MSCA plus DoD

Changing the Air Force Disqualification Policy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Trauma-Related Disorders

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-21

injury, or sexual violence directly or indirectly occurred. It is characterized by intrusive symptoms, typically flashbacks, intrusive memories/dreams...of functioning. Symptoms must last at least 1 month to meet criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. Traumatic events can include sexual abuse, violence...psychology, neuropsychology , and psychiatry believe that misdiagnosis can have a potentially negative outcome for aviators as well as their perception of

Solar Avoided Cost Solution SunShot 6 Final Report

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

Tucker, John; Danziger, Eric

2014-01-29

The core objectives of this project were two separate but integrated products, collectively providing game-changing Avoided Cost capabilities. The first was a kit of avoided cost tools and data that any solar provider can use a-lacarte or as a whole. It’s open and easily accessible nature allows the rapid and accurate calculation of avoided cost in whatever context and software that make sense (“Typical and Avoided Cost Tools”). This kit includes a dataset of typical energy rates, costs and usage that can be used for solar prospecting, lead generation and any situation where data about an opportunity is missing ormore » imperfect. The second is a web application and related APIs specifically built for solar providers to radically streamline their lead-to-sale process (“Solar Provider Module”). The typical and Avoided Cost tools are built directly into this, and allow for solar providers to track their opportunities, collaborate with their installers and financiers, and close more sales faster.« less

Aligned carbon nanotube, graphene and graphite oxide thin films via substrate-directed rapid interfacial deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Arcy, Julio M.; Tran, Henry D.; Stieg, Adam Z.; Gimzewski, James K.; Kaner, Richard B.

2012-05-01

A procedure for depositing thin films of carbon nanostructures is described that overcomes the limitations typically associated with solution based methods. Transparent and conductively continuous carbon coatings can be grown on virtually any type of substrate within seconds. Interfacial surface tension gradients result in directional fluid flow and film spreading at the water/oil interface. Transparent films of carbon nanostructures are produced including aligned ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes and assemblies of single sheets of chemically converted graphene and graphite oxide. Process scale-up, layer-by-layer deposition, and a simple method for coating non-activated hydrophobic surfaces are demonstrated.A procedure for depositing thin films of carbon nanostructures is described that overcomes the limitations typically associated with solution based methods. Transparent and conductively continuous carbon coatings can be grown on virtually any type of substrate within seconds. Interfacial surface tension gradients result in directional fluid flow and film spreading at the water/oil interface. Transparent films of carbon nanostructures are produced including aligned ropes of single-walled carbon nanotubes and assemblies of single sheets of chemically converted graphene and graphite oxide. Process scale-up, layer-by-layer deposition, and a simple method for coating non-activated hydrophobic surfaces are demonstrated. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Droplet coalescence, catenoid formation, mechanism of film growth, scanning electron micrographs showing carbon nanotube alignment, flexible transparent films of SWCNTs, AFM images of a chemically converted graphene film, and SEM images of SWCNT free-standing thin films. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr00010e

Longitudinal Relationships Among Perceived Injunctive and Descriptive Norms and Marijuana Use

PubMed Central

Napper, Lucy E.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Hummer, Justin F.; Fiorot, Sara; LaBrie, Joseph W.

2016-01-01

Objective: The current study uses longitudinal data to examine the relative influence of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms for proximal and distal referents on marijuana use. Method: Participants were 740 undergraduate students (67% female) who completed web-based surveys at two time points 12 months apart. Time 1 measures included reports of marijuana use, approval, perceived descriptive norms, and perceived injunctive norms for the typical student, close friends, and parents. At Time 2, students reported on their marijuana use. Results: Results of a path analysis suggest that, after we controlled for Time 1 marijuana use, greater perceived friend approval indirectly predicted Time 2 marijuana use as mediated by personal approval. Greater perceived parental approval was both indirectly and directly associated with greater marijuana use at follow-up. Perceived typical-student descriptive norms were neither directly nor indirectly related to Time 2 marijuana use. Conclusions: The findings support the role of proximal injunctive norms in predicting college student marijuana use up to 12 months later. The results indicate the potential importance of developing normative interventions that incorporate the social influences of proximal referents. PMID:27172578

Sex differences in sensorimotor mu rhythms during selective attentional processing.

PubMed

Popovich, C; Dockstader, C; Cheyne, D; Tannock, R

2010-12-01

We used magnetoencephalography to investigate the effect of directed attention on sensorimotor mu (8-12 Hz) response (mu reactivity) to non-painful electrical stimulation of the median nerve in healthy adults. Mu desynchronization in the 10-12 Hz bandwidth is typically observed during higher-order cognitive functions including selective attentional processing of sensorimotor information (Pfurtscheller, Neuper, & Krauz, 2000). We found attention-related sex differences in mu reactivity, with females showing (i) prolonged mu desynchrony when attending to somatosensory stimuli, (ii) attentional modulation of the mu response based on whether attention was directed towards or away from somatosensory stimuli, which was absent in males, and (iii) a trend for greater neuronal excitability of the primary somatosensory region suggesting greater physiological responsiveness to sensory stimulation overall. Our findings suggest sex differences in attentional control strategies when processing somatosensory stimuli, whose salience may be greater for females. These sex differences in attention to somatosensory stimuli may help elucidate the well-documented sex biases in pain processing wherein females typically report greater sensitivity to experimental and clinical pain. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processes for microemulsion polymerization employing novel microemulsion systems

DOEpatents

Beckman, Eric J.; Smith, Richard D.; Fulton, John L.

1990-06-12

This invention is directed to a microemulsion system comprising a first phase including a low-polarity fluid material which is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, and which has a cloud-point density. It also includes a second phase including a polar fluid, typically water, a monomer, preferably a monomer soluble in the polar fluid, and a microemulsion promoter for facilitating the formation of micelles including the monomer in the system. In the subject process, micelles including the monomer are formed in the first phase. A polymerization initiator is introduced into the micelles in the microemulsion system. The monomer is then polymerized in the micelles, preferably in the core of the micelle, to produce a polymeric material having a relatively high molecular weight.

Essential features of residual stress determination in thin-walled plane structures in a base of whole field interferometric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisarev, Vladimir S.; Odintsev, I.; Balalov, V.; Apalkov, A.

2003-05-01

Sophisticated technique for reliable quantitative deriving residual stress values from initial experimental data, which are inherent in combined implementing the hole drilling method with both holographic and speckle interferometry, is described in detail. The approach developed includes both possible ways of obtaining initial experimental information. The first of them consists of recording a set of required interference fringe patterns, which are resulted from residual stress energy release after through hole drilling, in two orthogonal directions that coincide with principal strain directions. The second way is obtaining a series of interrelated fringe patterns when a direction of either observation in reflection hologram interferometry or dual-beam illumination in speckle interferometry lies arbitrary with respect to definite principal strain direction. A set of the most typical both actual and analogous reference fringe patterns, which are related to both reflection hologram and dual-beam speckle interferometry, are presented.

Preschoolers' Performance on the Brazilian Adaptation of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument - Second Edition.

PubMed

Lindau, Tâmara Andrade; Rossi, Natalia Freitas; Giacheti, Celia Maria

2016-01-01

The objective was to test whether the Brazilian version of the Preschool Language Assessment Instrument - Second Edition (PLAI-2) has the potential to assess and identify differences in typical language development of Portuguese-speaking preschoolers. The study included 354 children of both genders with typical language development who were between the ages of 3 years and 5 years 11 months. The version of the PLAI-2 previously translated into Brazilian Portuguese was used to assess the communication skills of these preschool-age children. Statistically significant differences were found between the age groups, and the raw score tended to increase as a function of age. With nonstandardized assessments, the performances of the younger groups revealed behavioral profiles (e.g., nonresponsive, impulsive behavior) that directly influenced the evaluation. The findings of this study show that the PLAI-2 is effective in identifying differences in language development among Brazilian children of preschool age. Future research should include studies validating and standardizing these findings. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Split Venturi, Axially-Rotated Valve

DOEpatents

Walrath, David E.; Lindberg, William R.; Burgess, Robert K.

2000-08-29

The present invention provides an axially-rotated valve which permits increased flow rates and lower pressure drop (characterized by a lower loss coefficient) by using an axial eccentric split venturi with two portions where at least one portion is rotatable with respect to the other portion. The axially-rotated valve typically may be designed to avoid flow separation and/or cavitation at full flow under a variety of conditions. Similarly, the valve is designed, in some embodiments, to produce streamlined flow within the valve. A typical cross section of the eccentric split venturi may be non-axisymmetric such as a semicircular cross section which may assist in both throttling capabilities and in maximum flow capacity using the design of the present invention. Such a design can include applications for freeze resistant axially-rotated valves and may be fully-opened and fully-closed in one-half of a complete rotation. An internal wide radius elbow typically connected to a rotatable portion of the eccentric venturi may assist in directing flow with lower friction losses. A valve actuator may actuate in an axial manner yet be uniquely located outside of the axial flow path to further reduce friction losses. A seal may be used between the two portions that may include a peripheral and diametrical seal in the same plane.

Coal-oil coprocessing at HTI - development and improvement of the technology

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

Stalzer, R.H.; Lee, L.K.; Hu, J.

1995-12-31

Co-Processing refers to the combined processing of coal and petroleum-derived heavy oil feedstocks. The coal feedstocks used are those typically utilized in direct coal liquefaction: bituminous, subbituminous, and lignites. Petroleum-derived oil, is typically a petroleum residuum, containing at least 70 W% material boiling above 525{degrees}C. The combined coal and oil feedstocks are processed simultaneously with the dual objective of liquefying the coal and upgrading the petroleum-derived residuum to lower boiling (<525{degrees}C) premium products. HTI`s investigation of the Co-Processing technology has included work performed in laboratory, bench and PDU scale operations. The concept of co-processing technology is quite simple and amore » natural outgrowth of the work done with direct coal liquefaction. A 36 month program to evaluate new process concepts in coal-oil coprocessing at the bench-scale was begun in September 1994 and runs until September 1997. Included in this continuous bench-scale program are provisions to examine new improvements in areas such as: interstage product separation, feedstock concentrations (coal/oil), improved supported/dispersed catalysts, optimization of reactor temperature sequencing, and in-line hydrotreating. This does not preclude other ideas from DOE contracts and other sources that can lead to improved product quality and economics. This research work has led to important findings which significantly increased liquid yields, improved product quality, and improved process economics.« less

Influence of season and type of restaurants on sashimi microbiota.

PubMed

Miguéis, S; Moura, A T; Saraiva, C; Esteves, A

2016-10-01

In recent years, an increase in the consumption of Japanese food in European countries has been verified, including in Portugal. These specialities made with raw fish, typical Japanese meals, have been prepared in typical and on non-typical restaurants, and represent a challenge to risk analysis on HACCP plans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the type of restaurant, season and type of fish used on sashimi microbiota. Sashimi samples (n = 114) were directly collected from 23 sushi restaurants and were classified as Winter and Summer Samples. They were also categorized according to the type of restaurant where they were obtained: as typical or non-typical. The samples were processed using international standards procedures. A middling seasonality influence was observed in microbiota using mesophilic aerobic bacteria, psychrotrophic microorganisms, Lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., H 2 S positive bacteria, mould and Bacillus cereus counts parameters. During the Summer Season, samples classified as unacceptable or potentially Hazardous were observed. Non-typical restaurants had the most cases of Unacceptable/potentially hazardous samples 83.33%. These unacceptable results were obtained as a result of high values of pathogenic bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus No significant differences were observed on microbiota counts from different fish species. The need to implement more accurate food safety systems was quite evident, especially in the warmer season, as well as in restaurants where other kinds of food, apart from Japanese meals, was prepared. © Crown copyright 2016.

Analysis and comparison of wrist splint designs using the finite element method: Multi-material three-dimensional printing compared to typical existing practice with thermoplastics.

PubMed

Cazon, Aitor; Kelly, Sarah; Paterson, Abby M; Bibb, Richard J; Campbell, R Ian

2017-09-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease affecting the joints. Treatment can include immobilisation of the affected joint with a custom-fitting splint, which is typically fabricated by hand from low temperature thermoplastic, but the approach poses several limitations. This study focused on the evaluation, by finite element analysis, of additive manufacturing techniques for wrist splints in order to improve upon the typical splinting approach. An additive manufactured/3D printed splint, specifically designed to be built using Objet Connex multi-material technology and a virtual model of a typical splint, digitised from a real patient-specific splint using three-dimensional scanning, were modelled in computer-aided design software. Forty finite element analysis simulations were performed in flexion-extension and radial-ulnar wrist movements to compare the displacements and the stresses. Simulations have shown that for low severity loads, the additive manufacturing splint has 25%, 76% and 27% less displacement in the main loading direction than the typical splint in flexion, extension and radial, respectively, while ulnar values were 75% lower in the traditional splint. For higher severity loads, the flexion and extension movements resulted in deflections that were 24% and 60%, respectively, lower in the additive manufacturing splint. However, for higher severity loading, the radial defection values were very similar in both splints and ulnar movement deflection was higher in the additive manufacturing splint. A physical prototype of the additive manufacturing splint was also manufactured and was tested under normal conditions to validate the finite element analysis data. Results from static tests showed maximum displacements of 3.46, 0.97, 3.53 and 2.51 mm flexion, extension, radial and ulnar directions, respectively. According to these results, the present research argues that from a technical point of view, the additive manufacturing splint design stands at the same or even better level of performance in displacements and stress values in comparison to the typical low temperature thermoplastic approach and is therefore a feasible approach to splint design and manufacture.

Chemical reactions in reverse micelle systems

DOEpatents

Matson, Dean W.; Fulton, John L.; Smith, Richard D.; Consani, Keith A.

1993-08-24

This invention is directed to conducting chemical reactions in reverse micelle or microemulsion systems comprising a substantially discontinuous phase including a polar fluid, typically an aqueous fluid, and a microemulsion promoter, typically a surfactant, for facilitating the formation of reverse micelles in the system. The system further includes a substantially continuous phase including a non-polar or low-polarity fluid material which is a gas under standard temperature and pressure and has a critical density, and which is generally a water-insoluble fluid in a near critical or supercritical state. Thus, the microemulsion system is maintained at a pressure and temperature such that the density of the non-polar or low-polarity fluid exceeds the critical density thereof. The method of carrying out chemical reactions generally comprises forming a first reverse micelle system including an aqueous fluid including reverse micelles in a water-insoluble fluid in the supercritical state. Then, a first reactant is introduced into the first reverse micelle system, and a chemical reaction is carried out with the first reactant to form a reaction product. In general, the first reactant can be incorporated into, and the product formed in, the reverse micelles. A second reactant can also be incorporated in the first reverse micelle system which is capable of reacting with the first reactant to form a product.

"Soft"or "hard" ionisation? Investigation of metastable gas temperature effect on direct analysis in real-time analysis of Voriconazole.

PubMed

Lapthorn, Cris; Pullen, Frank

2009-01-01

The performance of the direct analysis in real-time (DART) technique was evaluated across a range of metastable gas temperatures for a pharmaceutical compound, Voriconazole, in order to investigate the effect of metastable gas temperature on molecular ion intensity and fragmentation. The DART source has been used to analyse a range of analytes and from a range of matrices including drugs in solid tablet form and preparations, active ingredients in ointment, naturally occurring plant alkaloids, flavours and fragrances, from thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates, melting point tubes and biological matrices including hair, urine and blood. The advantages of this technique include rapid analysis time (as little as 5 s), a reduction in sample preparation requirements, elimination of mobile phase requirement and analysis of samples not typically amenable to atmospheric pressure ionisation (API) techniques. This technology has therefore been proposed as an everyday tool for identification of components in crude organic reaction mixtures.

Solar breeder: Energy payback time for silicon photovoltaic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindmayer, J.

1977-01-01

The energy expenditures of the prevailing manufacturing technology of terrestrial photovoltaic cells and panels were evaluated, including silicon reduction, silicon refinement, crystal growth, cell processing and panel building. Energy expenditures include direct energy, indirect energy, and energy in the form of equipment and overhead expenses. Payback times were development using a conventional solar cell as a test vehicle which allows for the comparison of its energy generating capability with the energies expended during the production process. It was found that the energy payback time for a typical solar panel produced by the prevailing technology is 6.4 years. Furthermore, this value drops to 3.8 years under more favorable conditions. Moreover, since the major energy use reductions in terrestrial manufacturing have occurred in cell processing, this payback time directly illustrates the areas where major future energy reductions can be made -- silicon refinement, crystal growth, and panel building.

Direct characterization of commercial lecithins by easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fernandes, Gabriel D; Alberici, Rosana M; Pereira, Gustavo G; Cabral, Elaine C; Eberlin, Marcos N; Barrera-Arellano, Daniel

2012-12-01

Commercial lecithins are composed mainly of phospholipids and triacylglycerols. The analysis of the commercial lecithins, including their fraction of phospholipids, normally involves laborious and expensive protocols. Easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS) is shown to be an efficient technique for the analysis of lipids. Samples of commercial lecithins including standards, refined, deoiled and modified soy lecithin were tested. Characteristic profiles of phosphatidylcholines and triacylglycerols are detected by EASI(+)-MS, whereas EASI(-)-MS provided phosphatidylethanolamines, glycophospholipids and free fatty acids profiles. Acetylated lecithins also displayed characteristic acetylated derivatives. EASI-MS data was also compared to MALDI-MS, and found to display richer compositional information. The industrial process applied to lecithin fabrication was also characterised via typical EASI-MS profiles. EASI-MS both in its positive and negative ion modes offers a direct, fast and efficient technique able to characterise commercial lecithin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directional Limits on Persistent Gravitational Waves Using LIGO S5 Science Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G. S.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amin, R. S.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Antonucci, F.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aronsson, M.; Arun, K. G.; Aso, Y.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barriga, P.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Behnke, B.; Beker, M. G.; Belletoile, A.; Benacquista, M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bigotta, S.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Birindelli, S.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Boccara, C.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Boyle, M.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Budzyński, R.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet-Castell, J.; Burmeister, O.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cain, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campagna, E.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C.; Carbognani, F.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chalkley, E.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Clark, D.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coulon, J.-P.; Coward, D. M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Culter, R. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Das, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Davier, M.; Davies, G.; Davis, A.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; de Rosa, R.; Debra, D.; Degallaix, J.; Del Prete, M.; Dergachev, V.; Derosa, R.; Desalvo, R.; Devanka, P.; Dhurandhar, S.; di Fiore, L.; di Lieto, A.; di Palma, I.; di Paolo Emilio, M.; di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doomes, E. E.; Dorsher, S.; Douglas, E. S. D.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Dueck, J.; Dumas, J.-C.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Flasch, K.; Foley, S.; Forrest, C.; Forsi, E.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garofoli, J. A.; Garufi, F.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gholami, I.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hage, B.; Hall, P.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Hayler, T.; Heefner, J.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hirose, E.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hoyland, D.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh–Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Jaranowski, P.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kanner, J. B.; Katsavounidis, E.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, H.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kopparapu, R.; Koranda, S.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Krause, T.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kullman, J.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lang, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Leong, J.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lin, H.; Lindquist, P. E.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lu, P.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M.; Lucianetti, A.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. D.; Machenschalk, B.; Macinnis, M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Mak, C.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIvor, G.; McKechan, D. J. A.; Meadors, G.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Menéndez, D. F.; Mercer, R. A.; Merill, L.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mino, Y.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreau, J.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Morioka, T.; Mors, K.; Mosca, S.; Moscatelli, V.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow–Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murray, P. G.; Nash, T.; Nawrodt, R.; Nelson, J.; Neri, I.; Newton, G.; Nishizawa, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Ogin, G. H.; Oldenburg, R. G.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Pardi, S.; Pareja, M.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pathak, D.; Pedraza, M.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Peralta, C.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radke, T.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Roberts, P.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Röver, C.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sakata, S.; Sakosky, M.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sancho de La Jordana, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santostasi, G.; Saraf, S.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Satterthwaite, M.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Searle, A. C.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, N. D.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stein, A. J.; Stein, L. C.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szokoly, G. P.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Titsler, C.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trias, M.; Trummer, J.; Tseng, K.; Turner, L.; Ugolini, D.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vaishnav, B.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; van den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Wei, P.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wen, S.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, L.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zanolin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2011-12-01

The gravitational-wave (GW) sky may include nearby pointlike sources as well as stochastic backgrounds. We perform two directional searches for persistent GWs using data from the LIGO S5 science run: one optimized for pointlike sources and one for arbitrary extended sources. Finding no evidence to support the detection of GWs, we present 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper-limit maps of GW strain power with typical values between 2-20×10-50strain2Hz-1 and 5-35×10-49strain2Hz-1sr-1 for pointlike and extended sources, respectively. The latter result is the first of its kind. We also set 90% C.L. limits on the narrow-band root-mean-square GW strain from interesting targets including Sco X-1, SN 1987A and the Galactic center as low as ≈7×10-25 in the most sensitive frequency range near 160 Hz.

Experimental determination of entanglement with a single measurement.

PubMed

Walborn, S P; Souto Ribeiro, P H; Davidovich, L; Mintert, F; Buchleitner, A

2006-04-20

Nearly all protocols requiring shared quantum information--such as quantum teleportation or key distribution--rely on entanglement between distant parties. However, entanglement is difficult to characterize experimentally. All existing techniques for doing so, including entanglement witnesses or Bell inequalities, disclose the entanglement of some quantum states but fail for other states; therefore, they cannot provide satisfactory results in general. Such methods are fundamentally different from entanglement measures that, by definition, quantify the amount of entanglement in any state. However, these measures suffer from the severe disadvantage that they typically are not directly accessible in laboratory experiments. Here we report a linear optics experiment in which we directly observe a pure-state entanglement measure, namely concurrence. Our measurement set-up includes two copies of a quantum state: these 'twin' states are prepared in the polarization and momentum degrees of freedom of two photons, and concurrence is measured with a single, local measurement on just one of the photons.

Electrical-assisted double side incremental forming and processes thereof

DOEpatents

Roth, John; Cao, Jian

2014-06-03

A process for forming a sheet metal component using an electric current passing through the component is provided. The process can include providing a double side incremental forming machine, the machine operable to perform a plurality of double side incremental deformations on the sheet metal component and also apply an electric direct current to the sheet metal component during at least part of the forming. The direct current can be applied before or after the forming has started and/or be terminated before or after the forming has stopped. The direct current can be applied to any portion of the sheet metal. The electrical assistance can reduce the magnitude of force required to produce a given amount of deformation, increase the amount of deformation exhibited before failure and/or reduce any springback typically exhibited by the sheet metal component.

Modulation of Brain Activity with Noninvasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Clinical Applications and Safety Concerns

PubMed Central

Zhao, Haichao; Qiao, Lei; Fan, Dongqiong; Zhang, Shuyue; Turel, Ofir; Li, Yonghui; Li, Jun; Xue, Gui; Chen, Antao; He, Qinghua

2017-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely-used tool to induce neuroplasticity and modulate cortical function by applying weak direct current over the scalp. In this review, we first introduce the underlying mechanism of action, the brief history from discovery to clinical scientific research, electrode positioning and montages, and parameter setup of tDCS. Then, we review tDCS application in clinical samples including people with drug addiction, major depression disorder, Alzheimer's disease, as well as in children. This review covers the typical characteristics and the underlying neural mechanisms of tDCS treatment in such studies. This is followed by a discussion of safety, especially when the current intensity is increased or the stimulation duration is prolonged. Given such concerns, we provide detailed suggestions regarding safety procedures for tDCS operation. Lastly, future research directions are discussed. They include foci on the development of multi-tech combination with tDCS such as with TMS and fMRI; long-term behavioral and morphological changes; possible applications in other research domains, and more animal research to deepen the understanding of the biological and physiological mechanisms of tDCS stimulation. PMID:28539894

Moral Controversy, Directive Counsel, and the Doctor’s Role: Findings From a National Survey of Obstetrician–Gynecologists

PubMed Central

Yoon, John D.; Rasinski, Kenneth A.; Curlin, Farr A.

2013-01-01

Purpose To explore physicians’ attitudes toward providing directive counsel when dealing with morally controversial medical decisions, and to examine associations between physicians’ opinions and their demographic and religious characteristics. Method In 2008–2009, the authors mailed a survey to a stratified, random sample of 1,800 U.S. obstetrician–gynecologists. They asked participants whether, when dealing with either typical or morally controversial medical decisions, “a physician should encourage patients to make the decision that the physician believes is best.” Results Among eligible physicians, the response rate was 66%. Fifty-four percent of respondents rejected the use of directive counsel for typical medical decisions; 78% did so for morally controversial medical decisions. Physicians were less likely to refrain from directive counsel for typical medical decisions if they were older and foreign-born but more likely to refrain from directive counsel if they were more theologically pluralistic. Theological pluralism was the only characteristic significantly associated with refraining from directive counsel for morally controversial medical decisions. Conclusions Providing nondirective counsel to their patients appears to have become the norm among certain obstetrician–gynecologists in the United States, particularly when dealing with morally controversial medical decisions. These physicians tend to be female, younger, U.S.-born, and more theologically pluralistic. Shifts toward refraining from directive counsel seem to relate to shifts in physicians’ demographic, cultural, and religious characteristics. PMID:20736675

Direct PCR amplification of forensic touch and other challenging DNA samples: A review.

PubMed

Cavanaugh, Sarah E; Bathrick, Abigail S

2018-01-01

DNA evidence sample processing typically involves DNA extraction, quantification, and STR amplification; however, DNA loss can occur at both the DNA extraction and quantification steps, which is not ideal for forensic evidence containing low levels of DNA. Direct PCR amplification of forensic unknown samples has been suggested as a means to circumvent extraction and quantification, thereby retaining the DNA typically lost during those procedures. Direct PCR amplification is a method in which a sample is added directly to an amplification reaction without being subjected to prior DNA extraction, purification, or quantification. It allows for maximum quantities of DNA to be targeted, minimizes opportunities for error and contamination, and reduces the time and monetary resources required to process samples, although data analysis may take longer as the increased DNA detection sensitivity of direct PCR may lead to more instances of complex mixtures. ISO 17025 accredited laboratories have successfully implemented direct PCR for limited purposes (e.g., high-throughput databanking analysis), and recent studies indicate that direct PCR can be an effective method for processing low-yield evidence samples. Despite its benefits, direct PCR has yet to be widely implemented across laboratories for the processing of evidentiary items. While forensic DNA laboratories are always interested in new methods that will maximize the quantity and quality of genetic information obtained from evidentiary items, there is often a lag between the advent of useful methodologies and their integration into laboratories. Delayed implementation of direct PCR of evidentiary items can be attributed to a variety of factors, including regulatory guidelines that prevent laboratories from omitting the quantification step when processing forensic unknown samples, as is the case in the United States, and, more broadly, a reluctance to validate a technique that is not widely used for evidence samples. The advantages of direct PCR of forensic evidentiary samples justify a re-examination of the factors that have delayed widespread implementation of this method and of the evidence supporting its use. In this review, the current and potential future uses of direct PCR in forensic DNA laboratories are summarized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Karst is a repository for old sediments

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

Hobbs, H.C.

1994-04-01

The Paleozoic plateau of southeastern Minnesota has been repeatedly glaciated, and has accumulated several sheets of loess. In the eastern part of this area, most of the older sediments have been eroded away and the late Wisconsinan Peoria loess directly overlies limestone. A lag of erratics from one or more older tills occurs sporadically on the bedrock surface. A more complete record is preserved in some sinkholes and solution cavities. Sinkholes (surface depressions) contain material that washed or collapsed into the hole, as well as material that was deposited directly (such as loess). Solution cavities contain only material sorted bymore » water. Sinkhole fills exposed in roadcuts and quarry walls commonly lack the surface expression and black-dirt funnel'' of active sinkholes. Several of these contain erratic-bearing sediment interpreted as slopewash and mudflow. One appears to contain actual till--unsorted, unbedded pebble-loam that is not mixed with other materials commonly found on the limestone surface, such as red clay or loess. It cannot be determined whether this material was deposited directly or collapsed in later. Solution cavities are typically packed with sediment right up to the top. The bulk of such deposits is typically clay and silt; however, erratic pebbles are present in some. The fine sediment is sorted and bedded, at least in places. In one large cavity fill, a layer of rip-up clay clasts occurs near the top. Study of the stratigraphy of karst sediments in southeastern Minnesota is still preliminary. Techniques which are used to correlate them include: physical characteristics, texture analysis (on material that has not been sorted), sand and pebble lithology, and magnetic polarity. Techniques that could be used include clay mineralogy, geochemical analysis, and thermoluminescence.« less

Flexible Architecture for FPGAs in Embedded Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Duane I.; Lim, Chester N.

2012-01-01

Commonly, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) being developed in cPCI embedded systems include the bus interface in the FPGA. This complicates the development because the interface is complicated and requires a lot of development time and FPGA resources. In addition, flight qualification requires a substantial amount of time be devoted to just this interface. Another complication of putting the cPCI interface into the FPGA being developed is that configuration information loaded into the device by the cPCI microprocessor is lost when a new bit file is loaded, requiring cumbersome operations to return the system to an operational state. Finally, SRAM-based FPGAs are typically programmed via specialized cables and software, with programming files being loaded either directly into the FPGA, or into PROM devices. This can be cumbersome when doing FPGA development in an embedded environment, and does not have an easy path to flight. Currently, FPGAs used in space applications are usually programmed via multiple space-qualified PROM devices that are physically large and require extra circuitry (typically including a separate one-time programmable FPGA) to enable them to be used for this application. This technology adds a cPCI interface device with a simple, flexible, high-performance backend interface supporting multiple backend FPGAs. It includes a mechanism for programming the FPGAs directly via the microprocessor in the embedded system, eliminating specialized hardware, software, and PROM devices and their associated circuitry. It has a direct path to flight, and no extra hardware and minimal software are required to support reprogramming in flight. The device added is currently a small FPGA, but an advantage of this technology is that the design of the device does not change, regardless of the application in which it is being used. This means that it needs to be qualified for flight only once, and is suitable for one-time programmable devices or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). An application programming interface (API) further reduces the development time needed to use the interface device in a system.

SU-F-T-345: Quasi-Dead Beams: Clinical Relevance and Implications for Automatic Planning

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

Price, R; Veltchev, I; Lin, T

Purpose: Beam direction selection for fixed-beam IMRT planning is typically a manual process. Severe dose-volume limits on critical structures in the thorax often result in atypical selection of beam directions as compared to other body sites. This work demonstrates the potential consequences as well as clinical relevance. Methods: 21 thoracic cases treated with 5–7 beam directions, 6 cases including non-coplanar arrangements, with fractional doses of 150–411cGy were analyzed. Endpoints included per-beam modulation scaling factor (MSF), variation from equal weighting, and delivery QA passing rate. Results: During analysis of patient-specific delivery QA a sub-standard passing rate was found for a singlemore » 5-field plan (90.48% of pixels evaluated passing 3% dose, 3mm DTA). During investigation it was found that a single beam demonstrated a MSF of 34.7 and contributed only 2.7% to the mean dose of the target. In addition, the variation from equal weighting for this beam was 17.3% absolute resulting in another beam with a MSF of 4.6 contributing 41.9% to the mean dose to the target; a variation of 21.9% from equal weighting. The average MSF for the remaining 20 cases was 4.0 (SD 1.8) with an average absolute deviation of 2.8% from equal weighting (SD 3.1%). Conclusion: Optimization in commercial treatment planning systems typically results in relatively equally weighted beams. Extreme variation from this can result in excessively high MSFs (very small segments) and potential decreases in agreement between planned and delivered dose distributions. In addition, the resultant beam may contribute minimal dose to the target (quasi-dead beam); a byproduct being increased treatment time and associated localization uncertainties. Potential ramifications exist for automatic planning algorithms should they allow for user-defined beam directions. Additionally, these quasi-dead beams may be embedded in the libraries for model-based systems potentially resulting in inefficient and less accurate deliveries.« less

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

Eltoweissy, Mohamed Y.; Du, David H.C.; Gerla, Mario

Mission-Critical Networking (MCN) refers to networking for application domains where life or livelihood may be at risk. Typical application domains for MCN include critical infrastructure protection and operation, emergency and crisis intervention, healthcare services, and military operations. Such networking is essential for safety, security and economic vitality in our complex world characterized by uncertainty, heterogeneity, emergent behaviors, and the need for reliable and timely response. MCN comprise networking technology, infrastructures and services that may alleviate the risk and directly enable and enhance connectivity for mission-critical information exchange among diverse, widely dispersed, mobile users.

New Directions in U.S. National Security Strategy, Defense Plans, and Diplomacy -- A Review of Official Strategic Documents

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

demand capabilities, a force-generation model that provides sufficient strategic depth, and a comprehensive study on the future balance between Active...career, and use of bonuses and credits to reward critical specialties and outstanding perfor- mance. They also include a continuum-of-service model that...development projects (for instance, the F–22) typically try to produce major leaps in technology and performance in a single step. A better model , it

Acoustic Modeling of Lightweight Structures: A Literature Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shasha; Shen, Cheng

2017-10-01

This paper gives an overview of acoustic modeling for three kinds of typical lightweight structures including double-leaf plate system, stiffened single (or double) plate and porous material. Classical models are citied to provide frame work of theoretical modeling for acoustic property of lightweight structures; important research advances derived by our research group and other authors are introduced to describe the current state of art for acoustic research. Finally, remaining problems and future research directions are concluded and prospected briefly

Continuous Particulate Filter State of Health Monitoring Using Radio Frequency Sensing

DOE PAGES

Sappok, Alexander; Ragaller, Paul; Herman, Andrew; ...

2018-04-03

Reliable means for on-board detection of particulate filter failures or malfunctions are needed to meet diagnostics (OBD) requirements. Detecting these failures, which result in tailpipe particulate matter (PM) emissions exceeding the OBD limit, over all operating conditions is challenging. Current approaches employ differential pressure sensors and downstream PM sensors, in combination with particulate filter and engine-out soot models. These conventional monitors typically operate over narrowly-defined time windows and do not provide a direct measure of the filter’s state of health. In contrast, radio frequency (RF) sensors, which transmit a wireless signal through the filter substrate provide a direct means formore » interrogating the condition of the filter itself. Here, this study investigated the use of RF sensors for the continuous measurement of filter trapping efficiency, which was compared to downstream measurements with an AVL Microsoot Sensor, and a PM sampling probe simulating the geometry and installation configuration of a conventional PM sensor. The study included several particulate filter failure modes, both above and below the OBD threshold. Finally, the results confirmed the use of RF sensors to provide a direct and continuous measure of the particulate filter’s state of health over a range of typical in-use operating conditions, thereby significantly increasing the time window over which filter failures may be detected.« less

Continuous Particulate Filter State of Health Monitoring Using Radio Frequency Sensing

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

Sappok, Alexander; Ragaller, Paul; Herman, Andrew

Reliable means for on-board detection of particulate filter failures or malfunctions are needed to meet diagnostics (OBD) requirements. Detecting these failures, which result in tailpipe particulate matter (PM) emissions exceeding the OBD limit, over all operating conditions is challenging. Current approaches employ differential pressure sensors and downstream PM sensors, in combination with particulate filter and engine-out soot models. These conventional monitors typically operate over narrowly-defined time windows and do not provide a direct measure of the filter’s state of health. In contrast, radio frequency (RF) sensors, which transmit a wireless signal through the filter substrate provide a direct means formore » interrogating the condition of the filter itself. Here, this study investigated the use of RF sensors for the continuous measurement of filter trapping efficiency, which was compared to downstream measurements with an AVL Microsoot Sensor, and a PM sampling probe simulating the geometry and installation configuration of a conventional PM sensor. The study included several particulate filter failure modes, both above and below the OBD threshold. Finally, the results confirmed the use of RF sensors to provide a direct and continuous measure of the particulate filter’s state of health over a range of typical in-use operating conditions, thereby significantly increasing the time window over which filter failures may be detected.« less

Piriformis syndrome: a cause of nondiscogenic sciatica.

PubMed

Cass, Shane P

2015-01-01

Piriformis syndrome is a nondiscogenic cause of sciatica from compression of the sciatic nerve through or around the piriformis muscle. Patients typically have sciatica, buttocks pain, and worse pain with sitting. They usually have normal neurological examination results and negative straight leg raising test results. Flexion, adduction, and internal rotation of the hip, Freiberg sign, Pace sign, and direct palpation of the piriformis cause pain and may reproduce symptoms. Imaging and neurodiagnostic studies are typically normal and are used to rule out other etiologies for sciatica. Conservative treatment, including medication and physiotherapy, is usually helpful for the majority of patients. For recalcitrant cases, corticosteroid and botulinum toxin injections may be attempted. Ultrasound and other imaging modalities likely improve accuracy of injections. Piriformis tenotomy and decompression of the sciatic nerve can be done for those who do not respond.

Delivery of local therapeutics to the brain: working toward advancing treatment for malignant gliomas

PubMed Central

Chaichana, Kaisorn L; Pinheiro, Leon; Brem, Henry

2015-01-01

Malignant gliomas, including glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytomas, are characterized by their propensity to invade surrounding brain parenchyma, making curative resection difficult. These tumors typically recur within two centimeters of the resection cavity even after gross total removal. As a result, there has been an emphasis on developing therapeutics aimed at achieving local disease control. In this review, we will summarize the current developments in the delivery of local therapeutics, namely direct injection, convection-enhanced delivery and implantation of drug-loaded polymers, as well as the application of these therapeutics in future methods including microchip drug delivery and local gene therapy. PMID:25853310

Delivery of local therapeutics to the brain: working toward advancing treatment for malignant gliomas.

PubMed

Chaichana, Kaisorn L; Pinheiro, Leon; Brem, Henry

2015-03-01

Malignant gliomas, including glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytomas, are characterized by their propensity to invade surrounding brain parenchyma, making curative resection difficult. These tumors typically recur within two centimeters of the resection cavity even after gross total removal. As a result, there has been an emphasis on developing therapeutics aimed at achieving local disease control. In this review, we will summarize the current developments in the delivery of local therapeutics, namely direct injection, convection-enhanced delivery and implantation of drug-loaded polymers, as well as the application of these therapeutics in future methods including microchip drug delivery and local gene therapy.

Global constraints on vector-like WIMP effective interactions

DOE PAGES

Blennow, Mattias; Coloma, Pilar; Fernandez-Martinez, Enrique; ...

2016-04-07

In this work we combine information from relic abundance, direct detection, cosmic microwave background, positron fraction, gamma rays, and colliders to explore the existing constraints on couplings between Dark Matter and Standard Model constituents when no underlying model or correlation is assumed. For definiteness, we include independent vector-like effective interactions for each Standard Model fermion. Our results show that low Dark Matter masses below 20 GeV are disfavoured at the 3 σ  level with respect to higher masses, due to the tension between the relic abundance requirement and upper constraints on the Dark Matter couplings. Lastly, large couplings are typically onlymore » allowed in combinations which avoid effective couplings to the nuclei used in direct detection experiments.« less

Social Communication Effects of Peer-Mediated Recess Intervention for Children with Autism

PubMed Central

McFadden, Brandon; Kamps, Debra; Heitzman-Powell, Linda

2015-01-01

Children with ASD face enormous challenges in the area of social functioning. Research has shown that impairments in social functioning distinguish this population from both typically developing children and children with disabilities. This study incorporated several evidence-based social skills-teaching procedures (i.e., direct instruction, priming, prompting, peer-mediation, contingent reinforcement, and token economies) directly in the recess setting to increase appropriate social behaviors for four children with ASD (ages 6–8). Elements of Peer Networks and Pivotal Response Training (two types of social skills intervention packages in the literature) were included. Results showed significant increases in social communication between focus children and their peers, as well as generalization of skills to non-intervention recesses. PMID:26312064

Occupational ergonomics in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stramler, J.

1992-01-01

Ergonomics is often defined simply as the study of work. Related or synonymous terms include human factors, human engineering, engineering psychology, and others. Occupational ergonomics is a term that has been proposed to describe the study of the working environment, including the physical consequences resulting from having an improperly designed workplace. The routine space working environment presents some problems not found in the typical Earthbound workplace. These include radiation, intravehicular contamination/pollution, temperature extremes, impact with other objects, limited psychosocial relationships, sensory deprivation, and reduced gravity. These are important workplace considerations, and may affect astronauts either directly at work or at some point during their life as a result of their work under these conditions. Some of the major issues associated with each of these hazards are presented.

Stability analysis of direct contact heat exchangers subject to system perturbations. Final report, Task 2

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

Jacobs, H.R.

1985-01-01

This report includes a project summary, copies of two papers resulting from the work and the Ph.D. Dissertation of Dr. Mehdi Golafshani entitled, ''Stability of a Direct Contact Heat Exchanger''. Specifically, the work deals with the operational stability of a spray column type heat exchanger subject to disturbances typical of those which can occur for geothermal applications. A computer program was developed to solve the one-dimensional transient two-phase flow problem and it was applied to the design of a spray column. The operation and design of the East Mesa 500kW/sub e/ direct contactor was assessed. It is shown that themore » heat transfer is governed by the internal resistance of the dispersed phase. In fact, the performance is well-represented by diffusion of heat within the drops. 5 refs.« less

A Chebyshev Collocation Method for Moving Boundaries, Heat Transfer, and Convection During Directional Solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Yiqiang; Alexander, J. I. D.; Ouazzani, J.

1994-01-01

Free and moving boundary problems require the simultaneous solution of unknown field variables and the boundaries of the domains on which these variables are defined. There are many technologically important processes that lead to moving boundary problems associated with fluid surfaces and solid-fluid boundaries. These include crystal growth, metal alloy and glass solidification, melting and name propagation. The directional solidification of semi-conductor crystals by the Bridgman-Stockbarger method is a typical example of such a complex process. A numerical model of this growth method must solve the appropriate heat, mass and momentum transfer equations and determine the location of the melt-solid interface. In this work, a Chebyshev pseudospectra collocation method is adapted to the problem of directional solidification. Implementation involves a solution algorithm that combines domain decomposition, finite-difference preconditioned conjugate minimum residual method and a Picard type iterative scheme.

Simulation of anisotropic fracture behaviour of polycrystalline round blank tungsten using cohesive zone model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahler, Michael; Gaganidze, Ermile; Aktaa, Jarir

2018-04-01

The experimental observation of anisotropic fracture behaviour of round blank polycrystalline tungsten was simulated using finite element (FE) method in combination with cohesive zone model. Experiments in the past had shown that due to the anisotropic microstructure the fracture toughness varies by factor of about two for different orientations. The reason is the crack propagation direction, which is - in some orientations - not the typical crack propagation direction for mode I fracture. In some directions the crack is not growing perpendicular to the crack opening tensile load. Nevertheless, in the present paper, the microstructure is modelled by FE mesh including cohesive zone elements which mimic grain boundaries (GB). This is based on the assumption that GB's are the weakest links in the structure. The use of the correct parameters to describe the fracture process allows the description of the observed experimental orientation dependent fracture toughness.

Expanding the Nucleotide and Sugar 1-Phosphate Promiscuity of Nucleotidyltransferase RmlA via Directed Evolution

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

Moretti, Rocco; Chang, Aram; Peltier-Pain, Pauline

2012-03-15

Directed evolution is a valuable technique to improve enzyme activity in the absence of a priori structural knowledge, which can be typically enhanced via structure-guided strategies. In this study, a combination of both whole-gene error-prone polymerase chain reaction and site-saturation mutagenesis enabled the rapid identification of mutations that improved RmlA activity toward non-native substrates. These mutations have been shown to improve activities over 10-fold for several targeted substrates, including non-native pyrimidine- and purine-based NTPs as well as non-native d- and l-sugars (both a- and b-isomers). This study highlights the first broadly applicable high throughput sugar-1-phosphate nucleotidyltransferase screen and the firstmore » proof of concept for the directed evolution of this enzyme class toward the identification of uniquely permissive RmlA variants.« less

Recent Developments in Ground-Borne Noise and Vibration Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, J. T.

1996-05-01

Vibration control provisions available to the transit designer include (among others) precision straightened rail, ballast mats, floating slabs and very soft direct fixation fasteners, in addition to rail grinding, wheel truing, and continuous welded rail. Recently, the Los Angeles Metro has developed specifications for a soft resilient direct fixation fastener to fit the same base dimensions as the standard direct fixation fastener. In San Francisco, low resonance frequency (8 Hz) floating slabs have been constructed to mitigate predicted ground vibration impacts at nearby residential structures. In Atlanta, low resonance frequency loading slabs have been constructed to maintain a low vibration environment in a medical building planned to be built over the subway structure. In Portland and Pasadena, ballast mats have been recommended to control light rail transit ground vibration impacts on housing located at typically 35 feet from the alignment. Each of these provisions are briefly described in view of recent applications at U.S. transit systems.

A note on the correlation between circular and linear variables with an application to wind direction and air temperature data in a Mediterranean climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lototzis, M.; Papadopoulos, G. K.; Droulia, F.; Tseliou, A.; Tsiros, I. X.

2018-04-01

There are several cases where a circular variable is associated with a linear one. A typical example is wind direction that is often associated with linear quantities such as air temperature and air humidity. The analysis of a statistical relationship of this kind can be tested by the use of parametric and non-parametric methods, each of which has its own advantages and drawbacks. This work deals with correlation analysis using both the parametric and the non-parametric procedure on a small set of meteorological data of air temperature and wind direction during a summer period in a Mediterranean climate. Correlations were examined between hourly, daily and maximum-prevailing values, under typical and non-typical meteorological conditions. Both tests indicated a strong correlation between mean hourly wind directions and mean hourly air temperature, whereas mean daily wind direction and mean daily air temperature do not seem to be correlated. In some cases, however, the two procedures were found to give quite dissimilar levels of significance on the rejection or not of the null hypothesis of no correlation. The simple statistical analysis presented in this study, appropriately extended in large sets of meteorological data, may be a useful tool for estimating effects of wind on local climate studies.

Direct gaze elicits atypical activation of the theory-of-mind network in autism spectrum conditions.

PubMed

von dem Hagen, Elisabeth A H; Stoyanova, Raliza S; Rowe, James B; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Calder, Andrew J

2014-06-01

Eye contact plays a key role in social interaction and is frequently reported to be atypical in individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs). Despite the importance of direct gaze, previous functional magnetic resonance imaging in ASC has generally focused on paradigms using averted gaze. The current study sought to determine the neural processing of faces displaying direct and averted gaze in 18 males with ASC and 23 matched controls. Controls showed an increased response to direct gaze in brain areas implicated in theory-of-mind and gaze perception, including medial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, posterior superior temporal sulcus region, and amygdala. In contrast, the same regions showed an increased response to averted gaze in individuals with an ASC. This difference was confirmed by a significant gaze direction × group interaction. Relative to controls, participants with ASC also showed reduced functional connectivity between these regions. We suggest that, in the typical brain, perceiving another person gazing directly at you triggers spontaneous attributions of mental states (e.g. he is "interested" in me), and that such mental state attributions to direct gaze may be reduced or absent in the autistic brain.

A Modified Direct-Reading Azimuth Protractor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, William C.; Pugliese, Joseph M.

1977-01-01

Describes the construction of a direct-reading azimuth protractor (DRAP) used for mapping fracture and joint-surface orientations in underground mines where magnetic disturbances affect typical geologic pocket transit. (SL)

Mapping the navigational knowledge of individually foraging ants, Myrmecia croslandi

PubMed Central

Narendra, Ajay; Gourmaud, Sarah; Zeil, Jochen

2013-01-01

Ants are efficient navigators, guided by path integration and visual landmarks. Path integration is the primary strategy in landmark-poor habitats, but landmarks are readily used when available. The landmark panorama provides reliable information about heading direction, routes and specific location. Visual memories for guidance are often acquired along routes or near to significant places. Over what area can such locally acquired memories provide information for reaching a place? This question is unusually approachable in the solitary foraging Australian jack jumper ant, since individual foragers typically travel to one or two nest-specific foraging trees. We find that within 10 m from the nest, ants both with and without home vector information available from path integration return directly to the nest from all compass directions, after briefly scanning the panorama. By reconstructing panoramic views within the successful homing range, we show that in the open woodland habitat of these ants, snapshot memories acquired close to the nest provide sufficient navigational information to determine nest-directed heading direction over a surprisingly large area, including areas that animals may have not visited previously. PMID:23804615

Radar - 449MHz - Forks, WA (FKS) - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Radar - 449MHz - North Bend, OR (OTH) - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Radar - 449MHz - North Bend, OR (OTH) - Reviewed Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Radar - 449MHz - Forks, WA (FKS) - Reviewed Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Radar - 449MHz - Astoria, OR (AST) - Reviewed Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Radar - 449MHz - Astoria, OR (AST) - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2018-06-25

**Winds.** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and are combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature.** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60 m up to 3.5 km for the 449 MHz. **Moments and Spectra.** The raw spectra and moments data are available for all dwells along each beam and are stored in daily files. For each day, there are files labeled "header" and "data." These files are generated by the radar data acquisition system (LAP-XM) and are encoded in a proprietary binary format. Values of spectral density at each Doppler velocity (FFT point), as well as the radial velocity, signal-to-noise ratio, and spectra width for the selected signal peak are included in these files. Attached zip files, *449mhz-spectra-data-extraction.zip* and *449mhz-moment-data-extraction.zip*, include executables to unpack the spectra, (GetSpectra32.exe) and moments (GetMomSp32.exe), respectively. Documentation on usage and output file formats also are included in the zip files.

Determining potential 30/20 GHz domestic satellite system concepts and establishment of a suitable experimental configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, G. H.; Anzic, G.

1979-01-01

Issues and results in a NASA study of the potential concepts and markets for a multibeam 30/20 GHz domestic satellite system in the 1990s are presented. Issues considered include the reduction of signal attenuation due to rain, beam-beam interference isolation in the multibeam system, the method of access/modulation (FDMA, TDMA or hybrid) and the market for reduced reliability and wideband services. A hypothetical demonstration payload configuration which would attempt to resolve these issues is illustrated. The communications payload would employ a system of seven contiguous coverage spots in order to demonstrate a typical cell in a contiguous beam system having extensive frequency re-use, as in a direct-to-user system, and a single spot, typical of a trunking system, to determine signal isolation. The payload could be carried on several existing buses and is illustrated on an MMS bus.

Virtual and augmented medical imaging environments: enabling technology for minimally invasive cardiac interventional guidance.

PubMed

Linte, Cristian A; White, James; Eagleson, Roy; Guiraudon, Gérard M; Peters, Terry M

2010-01-01

Virtual and augmented reality environments have been adopted in medicine as a means to enhance the clinician's view of the anatomy and facilitate the performance of minimally invasive procedures. Their value is truly appreciated during interventions where the surgeon cannot directly visualize the targets to be treated, such as during cardiac procedures performed on the beating heart. These environments must accurately represent the real surgical field and require seamless integration of pre- and intra-operative imaging, surgical tracking, and visualization technology in a common framework centered around the patient. This review begins with an overview of minimally invasive cardiac interventions, describes the architecture of a typical surgical guidance platform including imaging, tracking, registration and visualization, highlights both clinical and engineering accuracy limitations in cardiac image guidance, and discusses the translation of the work from the laboratory into the operating room together with typically encountered challenges.

Atmospheric effects on active illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Scot E. J.; Kansky, Jan E.

2005-08-01

For some beam-control applications, we can rely on the cooperation of the target when gathering information about the target location and the state of the atmosphere between the target and the beam-control system. The typical example is a cooperative point-source beacon on the target. Light from such a beacon allows the beam-control system to track the target accurately, and, if higher-order adaptive optics is to be employed, to make wave-front measurements and apply appropriate corrections with a deformable mirror. In many applications, including directed-energy weapons, the target is not cooperative. In the absence of a cooperative beacon, we must find other ways to collect the relevant information. This can be accomplished with an active-illumination system. Typically, this means shining one or more lasers at the target and observing the reflected light. In this paper, we qualitatively explore a number of difficulties inherent to active illumination, and suggest some possible mitigation techniques.

Neural activity in the posterior superior temporal region during eye contact perception correlates with autistic traits.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Naoya; Kitamura, Hideaki; Murakami, Hiroatsu; Kameyama, Shigeki; Sasagawa, Mutsuo; Egawa, Jun; Endo, Taro; Someya, Toshiyuki

2013-08-09

The present study investigated the relationship between neural activity associated with gaze processing and autistic traits in typically developed subjects using magnetoencephalography. Autistic traits in 24 typically developed college students with normal intelligence were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). The Minimum Current Estimates method was applied to estimate the cortical sources of magnetic responses to gaze stimuli. These stimuli consisted of apparent motion of the eyes, displaying direct or averted gaze motion. Results revealed gaze-related brain activations in the 150-250 ms time window in the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), and in the 150-450 ms time window in medial prefrontal regions. In addition, the mean amplitude in the 150-250 ms time window in the right pSTS region was modulated by gaze direction, and its activity in response to direct gaze stimuli correlated with AQ score. pSTS activation in response to direct gaze is thought to be related to higher-order social processes. Thus, these results suggest that brain activity linking eye contact and social signals is associated with autistic traits in a typical population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

In the Beginning-There Is the Introduction-and Your Study Hypothesis.

PubMed

Vetter, Thomas R; Mascha, Edward J

2017-05-01

Writing a manuscript for a medical journal is very akin to writing a newspaper article-albeit a scholarly one. Like any journalist, you have a story to tell. You need to tell your story in a way that is easy to follow and makes a compelling case to the reader. Although recommended since the beginning of the 20th century, the conventional Introduction-Methods-Results-And-Discussion (IMRAD) scientific reporting structure has only been the standard since the 1980s. The Introduction should be focused and succinct in communicating the significance, background, rationale, study aims or objectives, and the primary (and secondary, if appropriate) study hypotheses. Hypothesis testing involves posing both a null and an alternative hypothesis. The null hypothesis proposes that no difference or association exists on the outcome variable of interest between the interventions or groups being compared. The alternative hypothesis is the opposite of the null hypothesis and thus typically proposes that a difference in the population does exist between the groups being compared on the parameter of interest. Most investigators seek to reject the null hypothesis because of their expectation that the studied intervention does result in a difference between the study groups or that the association of interest does exist. Therefore, in most clinical and basic science studies and manuscripts, the alternative hypothesis is stated, not the null hypothesis. Also, in the Introduction, the alternative hypothesis is typically stated in the direction of interest, or the expected direction. However, when assessing the association of interest, researchers typically look in both directions (ie, favoring 1 group or the other) by conducting a 2-tailed statistical test because the true direction of the effect is typically not known, and either direction would be important to report.

Nanoparticle accumulation and transcytosis in brain endothelial cell layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Dong; Raghnaill, Michelle Nic; Bramini, Mattia; Mahon, Eugene; Åberg, Christoffer; Salvati, Anna; Dawson, Kenneth A.

2013-10-01

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a selective barrier, which controls and limits access to the central nervous system (CNS). The selectivity of the BBB relies on specialized characteristics of the endothelial cells that line the microvasculature, including the expression of intercellular tight junctions, which limit paracellular permeability. Several reports suggest that nanoparticles have a unique capacity to cross the BBB. However, direct evidence of nanoparticle transcytosis is difficult to obtain, and we found that typical transport studies present several limitations when applied to nanoparticles. In order to investigate the capacity of nanoparticles to access and transport across the BBB, several different nanomaterials, including silica, titania and albumin- or transferrin-conjugated gold nanoparticles of different sizes, were exposed to a human in vitro BBB model of endothelial hCMEC/D3 cells. Extensive transmission electron microscopy imaging was applied in order to describe nanoparticle endocytosis and typical intracellular localisation, as well as to look for evidence of eventual transcytosis. Our results show that all of the nanoparticles were internalised, to different extents, by the BBB model and accumulated along the endo-lysosomal pathway. Rare events suggestive of nanoparticle transcytosis were also observed for several of the tested materials.The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a selective barrier, which controls and limits access to the central nervous system (CNS). The selectivity of the BBB relies on specialized characteristics of the endothelial cells that line the microvasculature, including the expression of intercellular tight junctions, which limit paracellular permeability. Several reports suggest that nanoparticles have a unique capacity to cross the BBB. However, direct evidence of nanoparticle transcytosis is difficult to obtain, and we found that typical transport studies present several limitations when applied to nanoparticles. In order to investigate the capacity of nanoparticles to access and transport across the BBB, several different nanomaterials, including silica, titania and albumin- or transferrin-conjugated gold nanoparticles of different sizes, were exposed to a human in vitro BBB model of endothelial hCMEC/D3 cells. Extensive transmission electron microscopy imaging was applied in order to describe nanoparticle endocytosis and typical intracellular localisation, as well as to look for evidence of eventual transcytosis. Our results show that all of the nanoparticles were internalised, to different extents, by the BBB model and accumulated along the endo-lysosomal pathway. Rare events suggestive of nanoparticle transcytosis were also observed for several of the tested materials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Nanoparticle characterization in relevant media by Dynamic Light Scattering and SDS-PAGE. Transport study for silica nanoparticles across the BBB layer. Additional Electron Microscopy images of cells treated with the different nanoparticles investigated and details of the filters of the transwell systems. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02905k

Developing a Strong Direct Care Workforce.

PubMed

Stear, Lynda A

The aging population of the United States has led to a need for more direct care workers to provide personal care to older adults and disabled people in their homes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment of paraprofessionals in home care will grow 49% between 2012 and 2022 as the baby boomer generation ages and requires more assistance in activities of daily living. The typical direct care worker is a female aged 25 to 54 years old, a demographic that is projected to remain flat in the coming years. Direct care workers typically are poorly paid for work that is labor-intensive and often work in less than optimal working conditions. It is important that agencies hiring direct care workers understand the challenges these workers face and institute sound hiring practices and provide proper training and ongoing supervision. It is possible to have a quality direct care team. Proper training, role modeling, and supervision will improve employee satisfaction, decrease turnover, and improve care outcomes for patients.

Direct process estimation from tomographic data using artificial neural systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad-Saleh, Junita; Hoyle, Brian S.; Podd, Frank J.; Spink, D. M.

2001-07-01

The paper deals with the goal of component fraction estimation in multicomponent flows, a critical measurement in many processes. Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a well-researched sensing technique for this task, due to its low-cost, non-intrusion, and fast response. However, typical systems, which include practicable real-time reconstruction algorithms, give inaccurate results, and existing approaches to direct component fraction measurement are flow-regime dependent. In the investigation described, an artificial neural network approach is used to directly estimate the component fractions in gas-oil, gas-water, and gas-oil-water flows from ECT measurements. A 2D finite- element electric field model of a 12-electrode ECT sensor is used to simulate ECT measurements of various flow conditions. The raw measurements are reduced to a mutually independent set using principal components analysis and used with their corresponding component fractions to train multilayer feed-forward neural networks (MLFFNNs). The trained MLFFNNs are tested with patterns consisting of unlearned ECT simulated and plant measurements. Results included in the paper have a mean absolute error of less than 1% for the estimation of various multicomponent fractions of the permittivity distribution. They are also shown to give improved component fraction estimation compared to a well known direct ECT method.

Advances in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Uppal, Dushant S; Wang, Andrew Y

2015-01-01

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of the bile ducts that carries high morbidity and mortality. Patients with CCA typically present with obstructive jaundice, and associated complications of CCA include cholangitis and biliary sepsis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a valuable treatment modality for patients with CCA, as it enables internal drainage of blocked bile ducts and hepatic segments by using plastic or metal stents. While there remains debate as to if bilateral (or multi-segmental) hepatic drainage is required and/or superior to unilateral drainage, the underlying tenant of draining any persistently opacified bile ducts is paramount to good ERCP practice and good clinical outcomes. Endoscopic therapy for malignant biliary strictures from CCA has advanced to include ablative therapies via ERCP-directed photodynamic therapy (PDT) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). While ERCP techniques cannot cure CCA, advancements in the field of ERCP have enabled us to improve upon the quality of life of patients with inoperable and incurable disease. ERCP-directed PDT has been used in lieu of brachytherapy to provide neoadjuvant local tumor control in patients with CCA who are awaiting liver transplantation. Lastly, mounting evidence suggests that palliative ERCP-directed PDT, and probably ERCP-directed RFA as well, offer a survival advantage to patients with this difficult-to-treat malignancy. PMID:26140095

Advances in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.

PubMed

Uppal, Dushant S; Wang, Andrew Y

2015-06-25

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of the bile ducts that carries high morbidity and mortality. Patients with CCA typically present with obstructive jaundice, and associated complications of CCA include cholangitis and biliary sepsis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a valuable treatment modality for patients with CCA, as it enables internal drainage of blocked bile ducts and hepatic segments by using plastic or metal stents. While there remains debate as to if bilateral (or multi-segmental) hepatic drainage is required and/or superior to unilateral drainage, the underlying tenant of draining any persistently opacified bile ducts is paramount to good ERCP practice and good clinical outcomes. Endoscopic therapy for malignant biliary strictures from CCA has advanced to include ablative therapies via ERCP-directed photodynamic therapy (PDT) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). While ERCP techniques cannot cure CCA, advancements in the field of ERCP have enabled us to improve upon the quality of life of patients with inoperable and incurable disease. ERCP-directed PDT has been used in lieu of brachytherapy to provide neoadjuvant local tumor control in patients with CCA who are awaiting liver transplantation. Lastly, mounting evidence suggests that palliative ERCP-directed PDT, and probably ERCP-directed RFA as well, offer a survival advantage to patients with this difficult-to-treat malignancy.

High-resolution monitoring of nutrients in groundwater and surface waters: process understanding, quantification of loads and concentrations, and management applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Geer, Frans C.; Kronvang, Brian; Broers, Hans Peter

2016-09-01

Four sessions on "Monitoring Strategies: temporal trends in groundwater and surface water quality and quantity" at the EGU conferences in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 and a special issue of HESS form the background for this overview of the current state of high-resolution monitoring of nutrients. The overview includes a summary of technologies applied in high-frequency monitoring of nutrients in the special issue. Moreover, we present a new assessment of the objectives behind high-frequency monitoring as classified into three main groups: (i) improved understanding of the underlying hydrological, chemical, and biological processes (PU); (ii) quantification of true nutrient concentrations and loads (Q); and (iii) operational management, including evaluation of the effects of mitigation measures (M). The contributions in the special issue focus on the implementation of high-frequency monitoring within the broader context of policy making and management of water in Europe for support of EU directives such as the Water Framework Directive, the Groundwater Directive, and the Nitrates Directive. The overview presented enabled us to highlight the typical objectives encountered in the application of high-frequency monitoring and to reflect on future developments and research needs in this growing field of expertise.

Typical and darkened Portland cement concrete pavement: temperature, moisture, and roughness analyses : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

The objectives of this research were to 1) investigate the effects of lower concrete albedo on the thermal behavior of concrete pavement by directly comparing temperatures and moisture contents of typical and darkened concrete pavements and 2) invest...

Effects of early augmentation of labour with amniotomy and oxytocin in nulliparous women: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Fraser, W; Vendittelli, F; Krauss, I; Bréart, G

1998-02-01

To estimate the effects among nulliparae of early augmentation with amniotomy and oxytocin on caesarean delivery, and on other indicators of maternal and neonatal morbidity including transfusion. Apgar score < 7 at 5 minutes, and admission to the special care nursery. Meta-analysis. Published studies were identified through manual and computerised searches. Two unpublished studies were identified through direct communication with the investigators. Twelve trials were identified which compared a policy of early labour augmentation including amniotomy followed by oxytocin with a less active form of management. Two methodologically unacceptable studies were excluded. Studies were grouped according to whether they admitted only women with abnormal progress (therapy trials: n = 3) or accepted women with normal labour (prevention trials: n = 7). Unstratified analysis did not provide support for the hypothesis that early augmentation reduces the risk of caesarean section (typical odds ratio [OR] 0.9; 95% CI 0.7-1.1). The typical odds ratio for prevention trials was similar to that obtained in the unstratified analysis (typical OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7-1.2). Although only a small number of women have been randomised in therapy trials, a trend toward a reduction in the rate of caesarean section with early intervention was seen in this group (typical OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.2-1.4). Early augmentation does not appear to provide benefit over a more conservative form of management in the context of care of nulliparous women with mild delays in the progress of labour. In the context of established delay in labour, an active policy of augmentation may reduce the risk of caesarean section. However, only three small trials have been performed in this context, and they do not have adequate power to allow firm conclusions to be drawn.

Designing with figer-reinforced plastics (planar random composites)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.

1982-01-01

The use of composite mechanics to predict the hygrothermomechanical behavior of planar random composites (PRC) is reviewed and described. These composites are usually made from chopped fiber reinforced resins (thermoplastics or thermosets). The hygrothermomechanical behavior includes mechanical properties, physical properties, thermal properties, fracture toughness, creep and creep rupture. Properties are presented in graphical form with sample calculations to illustrate their use. Concepts such as directional reinforcement and strip hybrids are described. Typical data that can be used for preliminary design for various PRCs are included. Several resins and molding compounds used to make PRCs are described briefly. Pertinent references are cited that cover analysis and design methods, materials, data, fabrication procedures and applications.

Sensor deployment on unmanned ground vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhart, Grant R.; Witus, Gary

2007-10-01

TARDEC has been developing payloads for small robots as part of its unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) development programs. These platforms typically weigh less than 100 lbs and are used for various physical security and force protection applications. This paper will address a number of technical issues including platform mobility, payload positioning, sensor configuration and operational tradeoffs. TARDEC has developed a number of robots with different mobility mechanisms including track, wheel and hybrid track/wheel running gear configurations. An extensive discussion will focus upon omni-directional vehicle (ODV) platforms with enhanced intrinsic mobility for positioning sensor payloads. This paper also discusses tradeoffs between intrinsic platform mobility and articulated arm complexity for end point positioning of modular sensor packages.

Numerical method and FORTRAN program for the solution of an axisymmetric electrostatic collector design problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reese, O. W.

1972-01-01

The numerical calculation is described of the steady-state flow of electrons in an axisymmetric, spherical, electrostatic collector for a range of boundary conditions. The trajectory equations of motion are solved alternately with Poisson's equation for the potential field until convergence is achieved. A direct (noniterative) numerical technique is used to obtain the solution to Poisson's equation. Space charge effects are included for initial current densities as large as 100 A/sq cm. Ways of dealing successfully with the difficulties associated with these high densities are discussed. A description of the mathematical model, a discussion of numerical techniques, results from two typical runs, and the FORTRAN computer program are included.

GaAs circuits for monolithic optical controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gustafson, G.; Bendett, M.; Carney, J.; Mactaggart, R.; Palmquist, S.

1988-01-01

GaAs circuits for use in a fully monolithic 1 Gb/s optical controller have been developed and tested. The circuits include photodetectors, transimpedance amplifiers and 1:16 demultiplexers that can directly control the phase of MMIC phase shifters. The entire chip contains approximately 300 self-aligned gate E/D-mode MESFETs. The MESFETs have one micron-wide gate and the E-mode FETs typically have transconductance of 200 ms/mm. Results of simulations and tests are reported. Also, the design and layout of the fully monolithic chip is discussed.

Research on key technology of planning and design for AC/DC hybrid distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yu; Wu, Guilian; Zheng, Huan; Deng, Junpeng; Shi, Pengjia

2018-04-01

With the increasing demand of DC generation and DC load, the development of DC technology, AC and DC distribution network integrating will become an important form of future distribution network. In this paper, the key technology of planning and design for AC/DC hybrid distribution network is proposed, including the selection of AC and DC voltage series, the design of typical grid structure and the comprehensive evaluation method of planning scheme. The research results provide some ideas and directions for the future development of AC/DC hybrid distribution network.

Demand Controlled Economizer Cycles: A Direct Digital Control Scheme for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

Control Ignored any error of 1/10th degree or less. This was done by setting the error term E and the integral sum PREINT to zero If then absolute value of...signs of two errors jeq tdiff if equal, jump clr @preint else zero integal sum tdiff mov @diff,rl fetch absolute value of OAT-RAT ci rl,25 is...includes a heating coil and thermostatic control to maintain the air in this path at an elevated temperature, typically around 80 degrees Farenheit (80 F

Review of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Periodic Paralysis

PubMed Central

Fontaine, Bertrand; Hanna, Michael G.; Johnson, Nicholas E.; Kissel, John T.; Sansone, Valeria A.; Shieh, Perry B.; Tawil, Rabi N.; Trivedi, Jaya; Cannon, Stephen C.; Griggs, Robert C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Periodic paralyses (PPs) are rare neuromuscular disorders caused by mutations in skeletal muscle sodium, calcium, and potassium channel genes. PPs include hypokalemic paralysis, hyperkalemic paralysis, and Andersen‐Tawil syndrome. Common features of PP include autosomal dominant inheritance, onset typically in the first or second decades, episodic attacks of flaccid weakness, which are often triggered by diet or rest after exercise. Diagnosis is based on the characteristic clinic presentation then confirmed by genetic testing. In the absence of an identified genetic mutation, documented low or high potassium levels during attacks or a decrement on long exercise testing support diagnosis. The treatment approach should include both management of acute attacks and prevention of attacks. Treatments include behavioral interventions directed at avoidance of triggers, modification of potassium levels, diuretics, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Muscle Nerve 57: 522–530, 2018 PMID:29125635

Recommendations for teaching upon sensitive topics in forensic and legal medicine in the context of medical education pedagogy.

PubMed

Kennedy, Kieran M; Scriver, Stacey

2016-11-01

Undergraduate medical curricula typically include forensic and legal medicine topics that are of a highly sensitive nature. Examples include suicide, child abuse, domestic and sexual violence. It is likely that some students will have direct or indirect experience of these issues which are prevalent in society. Those students are vulnerable to vicarious harm from partaking in their medical education. Even students with no direct or indirect experience of these issues may be vulnerable to vicarious trauma, particularly students who are especially empathetic to cases presented. Despite these risks, instruction relating to these topics is necessary to ensure the competencies of graduating doctors to respond appropriately to cases they encounter during their professional careers. However, risk can be minimised by a well-designed and thoughtfully delivered educational programme. We provide recommendations for the successful inclusion of sensitive forensic and legal medicine topics in undergraduate medical curricula. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Preparing for in situ processing on upcoming leading-edge supercomputers

DOE PAGES

Kress, James; Churchill, Randy Michael; Klasky, Scott; ...

2016-10-01

High performance computing applications are producing increasingly large amounts of data and placing enormous stress on current capabilities for traditional post-hoc visualization techniques. Because of the growing compute and I/O imbalance, data reductions, including in situ visualization, are required. These reduced data are used for analysis and visualization in a variety of different ways. Many of he visualization and analysis requirements are known a priori, but when they are not, scientists are dependent on the reduced data to accurately represent the simulation in post hoc analysis. The contributions of this paper is a description of the directions we are pursuingmore » to assist a large scale fusion simulation code succeed on the next generation of supercomputers. Finally, these directions include the role of in situ processing for performing data reductions, as well as the tradeoffs between data size and data integrity within the context of complex operations in a typical scientific workflow.« less

Prenatal drug exposure effects on subsequent vulnerability to drug abuse.

PubMed

Glantz, Meyer D; Chambers, Jessica Campbell

2006-01-01

Research has shown that both prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure are associated with increased risk of significant adverse medical, developmental, and behavioral outcomes including substance abuse. Research on the outcomes of prenatal exposure to illicit drugs (PNDE) has also found increased physical and behavioral problems for gestationally drug-exposed children. However, a clear picture has not emerged on whether the consequences of PNDE are independent from those associated with having a substance abusing parent and whether PNDE increases vulnerability to drug abuse. Because of its typical co-occurrence with factors inherent in having a drug-abusing parent, PNDE is at least a marker of significant increased risk for a range of negative outcomes including greater vulnerability to substance abuse. Although a review of the relevant research literatures indicates that the direct consequences of PNDE appear to be generally both subtle and nonglobal, PNDE does appear to have negative developmental and behavioral outcomes, and there is evidence that it is a modest direct contributor to increased substance abuse vulnerability.

Recent advances and future directions in mantle cell lymphoma research: report of the 2016 mantle cell lymphoma consortium workshop.

PubMed

Kahl, Brad S; Dreyling, Martin; Gordon, Leo I; Quintanilla-Martinez, Leticia; Sotomayor, Eduardo M

2017-07-01

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma typically associated with the t(11;14) chromosomal translocation, resulting in overexpression of cyclin D1. Although MCL is associated with clinical heterogeneity, outcomes are generally poor and no standard treatment has been established. However, the recent approval of ibrutinib provides a new therapeutic option. Moreover, recent clinical trials have provided new perspectives on the relative efficacy and safety of various approaches for both transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients. Multiple novel strategies are being evaluated in the treatment of MCL, including both targeted agents and cellular immunotherapies. At the Lymphoma Research Foundation's 12th MCL Workshop, researchers gathered to discuss research findings, clinical trial results, and future directions related to MCL, its biology, and its treatment. This manuscript, which includes a summary of each presentation, aims to review recent findings in MCL research and highlight potential areas for future study.

Array magnetics modal analysis for the DIII-D tokamak based on localized time-series modelling

DOE PAGES

Olofsson, K. Erik J.; Hanson, Jeremy M.; Shiraki, Daisuke; ...

2014-07-14

Here, time-series analysis of magnetics data in tokamaks is typically done using block-based fast Fourier transform methods. This work presents the development and deployment of a new set of algorithms for magnetic probe array analysis. The method is based on an estimation technique known as stochastic subspace identification (SSI). Compared with the standard coherence approach or the direct singular value decomposition approach, the new technique exhibits several beneficial properties. For example, the SSI method does not require that frequencies are orthogonal with respect to the timeframe used in the analysis. Frequencies are obtained directly as parameters of localized time-series models.more » The parameters are extracted by solving small-scale eigenvalue problems. Applications include maximum-likelihood regularized eigenmode pattern estimation, detection of neoclassical tearing modes, including locked mode precursors, and automatic clustering of modes, and magnetics-pattern characterization of sawtooth pre- and postcursors, edge harmonic oscillations and fishbones.« less

A Review of Optical NDT Technologies

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yong-Kai; Tian, Gui-Yun; Lu, Rong-Sheng; Zhang, Hong

2011-01-01

Optical non-destructive testing (NDT) has gained more and more attention in recent years, mainly because of its non-destructive imaging characteristics with high precision and sensitivity. This paper provides a review of the main optical NDT technologies, including fibre optics, electronic speckle, infrared thermography, endoscopic and terahertz technology. Among them, fibre optics features easy integration and embedding, electronic speckle focuses on whole-field high precision detection, infrared thermography has unique advantages for tests of combined materials, endoscopic technology provides images of the internal surface of the object directly, and terahertz technology opens a new direction of internal NDT because of its excellent penetration capability to most of non-metallic materials. Typical engineering applications of these technologies are illustrated, with a brief introduction of the history and discussion of recent progress. PMID:22164045

Lost time: Bindings do not represent temporal order information.

PubMed

Moeller, Birte; Frings, Christian

2018-06-04

Many accounts of human action control assume bindings between features of stimuli and responses of individual events. One widely accepted assumption about these bindings is that they do not contain temporal-order representations regarding the integrated elements. Even though several theories either explicitly or implicitly include it, this assumption has never been tested directly. One reason for this lack of evidence is likely that typical stimulus-response binding paradigms are inapt for such a test. Adapting a new paradigm of response-response binding to include order switches between response integration and retrieval, we were able to analyze possible representation of order information in bindings for the first time. Binding effects were identical for intact and switched response orders, indicating that bindings indeed include no temporal-order information.

Measure Guideline. Steam System Balancing and Tuning for Multifamily Residential Buildings

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

Choi, Jayne; Ludwig, Peter; Brand, Larry

2013-04-01

This guideline provides building owners, professionals involved in multifamily audits, and contractors insights for improving the balance and tuning of steam systems. It provides readers an overview of one-pipe steam heating systems, guidelines for evaluating steam systems, typical costs and savings, and guidelines for ensuring quality installations. It also directs readers to additional resources for details not included here. Measures for balancing a distribution system that are covered include replacing main line vents and upgrading radiator vents. Also included is a discussion on upgrading boiler controls and the importance of tuning the settings on new or existing boiler controls. Themore » guideline focuses on one-pipe steam systems, though many of the assessment methods can be generalized to two-pipe steam systems.« less

Developmental memory capacity resources of typical children retrieving picture communication symbols using direct selection and visual linear scanning with fixed communication displays.

PubMed

Wagner, Barry T; Jackson, Heather M

2006-02-01

This study examined the cognitive demands of 2 selection techniques in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), direct selection, and visual linear scanning, by determining the memory retrieval abilities of typically developing children when presented with fixed communication displays. One hundred twenty typical children from kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades were randomly assigned to either a direct selection or visual linear scanning group. Memory retrieval was assessed through word span using Picture Communication Symbols (PCSs). Participants were presented various numbers and arrays of PCSs and asked to retrieve them by placing identical graphic symbols on fixed communication displays with grid layouts. The results revealed that participants were able to retrieve more PCSs during direct selection than scanning. Additionally, 3rd-grade children retrieved more PCSs than kindergarten and 1st-grade children. An analysis on the type of errors during retrieval indicated that children were more successful at retrieving the correct PCSs than the designated location of those symbols on fixed communication displays. AAC practitioners should consider using direct selection over scanning whenever possible and account for anticipatory monitoring and pulses when scanning is used in the service delivery of children with little or no functional speech. Also, researchers should continue to investigate AAC selection techniques in relationship to working memory resources.

Fulgurites: a rock magnetic study of mineralogical changes caused by lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Begnini, G. S.; Tohver, E.; Schmieder, M.

2013-05-01

Fulgurites are natural glass samples produced by lightning strikes on rock or soil substrates. Instantaneous electrical discharges of 10-200 kA are typical, and the temperatures produced by lightning strikes exceed 1700C, the melting temperature of quartz. Paleomagnetic observations of lightning strikes typically include high intensity remanent magnetizations with highly-variable to random magnetic directions. Alternating field demagnetization is commonly used to remove the overprinting effects of Lightning Induced Remanent Magnetization (LIRM), indicating low coercivities of the magnetic carriers. We conducted a rock magnetic analysis of 15 specimens of natural fulgurite from South Africa including hysteresis and thermoremanent heating and cooling experiments using a Variable Field Translational Balance. The analysed specimens demonstrate two distinct ranges of Curie temperature: 440-600C and 770-778C, suggesting the presence of both iron oxides (likely Fe-rich magnetite) and a reduced iron alloy, likely kamacite. High temperature, highly reduced assemblages have been reported from petrological observations of fulgurites. Our rock magnetic observations of a metallic iron phase in the fulgurite samples from a terrestrial, surficial environment demonstrates a mineralogical resemblance to differentiated, iron-rich meteorites. We suggest that LIRMs in lightning-struck localities may include a chemical remagnetization associated with lightning-induced electrolysis or reduction of iron oxides.

Minimizing the Delay at Traffic Lights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hecke, Tanja

2009-01-01

Vehicles holding at traffic lights is a typical queuing problem. At crossings the vehicles experience delay in both directions. Longer periods with green lights in one direction are disadvantageous for the vehicles coming from the other direction. The total delay for getting through the traffic point is what counts. This article presents an…

Gaze Direction Detection in Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forgeot d'Arc, Baudouin; Delorme, Richard; Zalla, Tiziana; Lefebvre, Aline; Amsellem, Frédérique; Moukawane, Sanaa; Letellier, Laurence; Leboyer, Marion; Mouren, Marie-Christine; Ramus, Franck

2017-01-01

Detecting where our partners direct their gaze is an important aspect of social interaction. An atypical gaze processing has been reported in autism. However, it remains controversial whether children and adults with autism spectrum disorder interpret indirect gaze direction with typical accuracy. This study investigated whether the detection of…

Modelling indirect interactions during failure spreading in a project activity network.

PubMed

Ellinas, Christos

2018-03-12

Spreading broadly refers to the notion of an entity propagating throughout a networked system via its interacting components. Evidence of its ubiquity and severity can be seen in a range of phenomena, from disease epidemics to financial systemic risk. In order to understand the dynamics of these critical phenomena, computational models map the probability of propagation as a function of direct exposure, typically in the form of pairwise interactions between components. By doing so, the important role of indirect interactions remains unexplored. In response, we develop a simple model that accounts for the effect of both direct and subsequent exposure, which we deploy in the novel context of failure propagation within a real-world engineering project. We show that subsequent exposure has a significant effect in key aspects, including the: (a) final spreading event size, (b) propagation rate, and (c) spreading event structure. In addition, we demonstrate the existence of 'hidden influentials' in large-scale spreading events, and evaluate the role of direct and subsequent exposure in their emergence. Given the evidence of the importance of subsequent exposure, our findings offer new insight on particular aspects that need to be included when modelling network dynamics in general, and spreading processes specifically.

A Comparison of the Gestural Communication of Apes and Human Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomasello, Michael; Camaioni, Luigia

1997-01-01

Compared the gestures of typical human infants, children with autism, chimpanzees, and human-raised chimpanzees. Typical infants differed from the other groups in their use of: triadic gestures directing another's attention to an outside entity; declarative gestures; and imitation in acquiring some gestures. These differences derive from an…

Interventions for tic disorders: An overview of systematic reviews and meta analyses.

PubMed

Yang, Chunsong; Hao, Zilong; Zhu, Cairong; Guo, Qin; Mu, Dezhi; Zhang, Lingli

2016-04-01

We conducted a comprehensive search and the overview included 22 systematic reviews (SRs) for treating tic disorders (TDs). Three SRs indicated typical antipsychotics (i.e., haloperidol, pimozide) were efficacious in the reduction of tic severity compared with placebo but with poor tolerability. Six SRs assessed the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics and indicated that atypical antipsychotics (i.e., risperidone, aripiprazole) could significantly improved tic symptoms compared with placebo or typical antipsychotics with less AEs. Four SRs indicated alpha adrenergic agonists (i.e., clonidine, guanfacine) could improve tic symptoms. Two SRs assessed the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs and indicated topiramate was a promising therapy. Six SRs evaluated the efficacy of behavior therapy and showed habit reversal therapy (HRT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) were effective. One SR evaluated the efficacy deep brain stimulation (DBS) and indicated DBS is a promising treatment option for severe cases of TS. In conclusion, RCTs directly comparing different pharmacological treatment options are scarce. In practice, typical and atypical antipsychotics are often considered firstly while other pharmacological medications are suggested as alternatives in the case of treatment failure or contradictory outcomes. Behavioral therapies can be used either alone or in combination with medication. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

PubMed Central

Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

2017-01-01

Background This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Method A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Results Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. Conclusion While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much effort is needed to understand the benefits and limitations of such devices on people with hearing loss. PMID:28553093

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review.

PubMed

Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

2017-01-01

This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%-19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much effort is needed to understand the benefits and limitations of such devices on people with hearing loss.

Poisoning, envenomation, and trauma from marine creatures.

PubMed

Perkins, R Allen; Morgan, Shannon S

2004-02-15

In the course of their clinical work or during leisure activity, family physicians occasionally may encounter patients with injuries from marine creatures. Poisoning, envenomation, and direct trauma are all possible in the marine environment. Ciguatera poisoning can result from ingestion of predatory fish that have accumulated biotoxins. Symptoms can be gastrointestinal or neurologic, or mixed. Management is mostly symptomatic. Scombroid poisoning results from ingestion of fish in which histamine-like substances have developed because of improper refrigeration. Gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms occur. Treatment is based on antihistamines. Envenomations from jellyfish in U.S. waters and the Caribbean are painful but rarely deadly. Household vinegar deactivates the nematocysts, and manual removal of tentacles is important. Treatment is symptomatic. Heat immersion may help with the pain. Stingrays cause localized damage and a typically severe envenomation. The venom is deactivated by heat. The stingray spine, including the venom gland, typically is difficult to remove from the victim, and radiographs may be necessary to localize the spine or fragment. Surgical débridement occasionally is needed. Direct trauma can result from contact with marine creatures. Hemorrhage and tissue damage occasionally are severe. Infections with organisms unique to the marine environment are possible; antibiotic choices are based on location and type of injury. Shark attacks, although rare, require immediate attention.

Children with PIMD in interaction with peers with PIMD or siblings.

PubMed

Nijs, S; Vlaskamp, C; Maes, B

2016-01-01

The complex disabilities of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) impede their presentation of peer directed behaviours. Interactions with typically developing peers have been observed to be more frequent than those with peers with PIMD. The typically developing peers with whom people with PIMD have frequent contact are their siblings. In this study, the amount of peer directed behaviours was compared between an interaction with a sibling and an interaction with a peer with PIMD. In addition, the attention directing strategies of the siblings, and how these affect the presentation of peer directed behaviours, were examined. Thirteen children and young people with PIMD, who had a typically developing sibling, were identified. For each of these thirteen children, a peer with PIMD and a sibling were selected. The child with PIMD was observed together with a peer with PIMD and together with a sibling. In both conditions, video observations were conducted. A coding scheme for the peer directed behaviours of the children and young people with PIMD and a coding scheme for the attention directing behaviours of the siblings were used. Descriptive, comparative and sequential analyses were conducted. Significantly, more peer directed behaviours of the children with PIMD were observed in the condition with the sibling (30.76%) compared with that of the condition with the peer with PIMD (13.73%). The siblings presented attention directing behaviours in 30% of the time; the most frequently used was nonverbal behaviour. When the siblings presented a combination of verbal and nonverbal attention directing behaviours, they elicited multiple peer directed behaviours in the children and young people with PIMD. Persons with PIMD interact more with their siblings compared with their peers with PIMD. Interacting with siblings may probably be more motivating and encouraging. Presenting a combination of verbal and nonverbal behaviours attracts more attention of the persons with PIMD. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flow Split Venturi, Axially-Rotated Valve

DOEpatents

Walrath, David E.; Lindberg, William R.; Burgess, Robert K.; LaBelle, James

2000-02-22

The present invention provides an axially-rotated valve which permits increased flow rates and lower pressure drop (characterized by a lower loss coefficient) by using an axial eccentric split venturi with two portions where at least one portion is rotatable with respect to the other portion. The axially-rotated valve typically may be designed to avoid flow separation and/or cavitation at full flow under a variety of conditions. Similarly, the valve is designed, in some embodiments, to produce streamlined flow within the valve. An axially aligned outlet may also increase the flow efficiency. A typical cross section of the eccentric split venturi may be non-axisymmetric such as a semicircular cross section which may assist in both throttling capabilities and in maximum flow capacity using the design of the present invention. Such a design can include applications for freeze resistant axially-rotated valves and may be fully-opened and fully-closed in one-half of a complete rotation. An internal wide radius elbow typically connected to a rotatable portion of the eccentric venturi may assist in directing flow with lower friction losses. A valve actuator may actuate in an axial manner yet be uniquely located outside of the axial flow path to further reduce friction losses. A seal may be used between the two portions that may include a peripheral and diametrical seal in the same plane. A seal separator may increase the useful life of the seal between the fixed and rotatable portions.

A comparison of two methods to assess the usage of mobile hand-held communication devices.

PubMed

Berolo, Sophia; Steenstra, Ivan; Amick, Benjamin C; Wells, Richard P

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to: 1) examine agreement between self-reported measures of mobile device use and direct measures of use, and 2) understand how respondents thought about their device use when they provided self-reports. Self-reports of six categories of device use were obtained using a previously developed questionnaire, and direct measures of use were collected using a custom logging application (n = 47). Bland-Altman analyses were used to examine agreement between the two measurement approaches. Interviews targeted participants' experiences completing the device use section of the questionnaire. Self-reports of use on a typical day last week overestimated logged use. Overestimates tended to be low at low average usage times, and became more variable as usage time increased. Self-reports of use yesterday also exceeded logged use, however the degree of overestimation was less than for a typical day last week. Six themes were identified from interviews, including the thought process used by participants to arrive at usage and the ease of reporting usage. It is challenging for respondents of this questionnaire to provide accurate self-reports of use. The source of this challenge may be attributed to the intrinsic difficulty of estimating use, partly due to the multiple functions of the devices as well as the variability of use both within a day and a week. Research investigating the relationship between device use and health outcomes should include a logging application to examine exposure simultaneously with self-reports to better understand the sources of hazardous exposures.

Some tests of flat plate photovoltaic module cell temperatures in simulated field conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffith, J. S.; Rathod, M. S.; Paslaski, J.

1981-01-01

The nominal operating cell temperature (NOCT) of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is an important characteristic. Typically, the power output of a PV module decreases 0.5% per deg C rise in cell temperature. Several tests were run with artificial sun and wind to study the parametric dependencies of cell temperature on wind speed and direction and ambient temperature. It was found that the cell temperature is extremely sensitive to wind speed, moderately so to wind direction and rather insensitive to ambient temperature. Several suggestions are made to obtain data more typical of field conditions.

Developing Mobile Clinical Decision Support for Nursing Home Staff Assessment of Urinary Tract Infection using Goal-Directed Design.

PubMed

Jones, Wallace; Drake, Cynthia; Mack, David; Reeder, Blaine; Trautner, Barbara; Wald, Heidi

2017-06-20

Unique characteristics of nursing homes (NHs) contribute to high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), a benign condition. A mobile clinical decision support system (CDSS) may support NH staff in differentiating urinary tract infections (UTI) from ASB and reducing antibiotic days. We used Goal-Directed Design to: 1) Characterize information needs for UTI identification and management in NHs; 2) Develop UTI Decide, a mobile CDSS prototype informed by personas and scenarios of use constructed from Aim 1 findings; 3) Evaluate the UTI Decide prototype with NH staff. Focus groups were conducted with providers and nurses in NHs in Denver, Colorado (n= 24). Qualitative descriptive analysis was applied to focus group transcripts to identify information needs and themes related to mobile clinical decision support for UTI identification and management. Personas representing typical end users were developed; typical clinical context scenarios were constructed using information needs as goals. Usability testing was performed using cognitive walk-throughs and a think-aloud protocol. Four information needs were identified including guidance regarding resident assessment; communication with providers; care planning; and urine culture interpretation. Design of a web-based application incorporating a published decision support algorithm for evidence-based UTI diagnoses proceeded with a focus on nursing information needs during resident assessment and communication with providers. Certified nursing assistant (CNA) and registered nurse (RN) personas were constructed in 4 context scenarios with associated key path scenarios. After field testing, a high fidelity prototype of UTI Decide was completed and evaluated by potential end users. Design recommendations and content recommendations were elicited. Goal-Directed Design informed the development of a mobile CDSS supporting participant-identified information needs for UTI assessment and communication in NHs. Future work will include iterative deployment and evaluation of UTI Decide in NHs to decrease inappropriate use of antibiotics for suspected UTI.

Does Gaze Direction Modulate Facial Expression Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akechi, Hironori; Senju, Atsushi; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Tojo, Yoshikuni; Osanai, Hiroo; Hasegawa, Toshikazu

2009-01-01

Two experiments investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) integrate relevant communicative signals, such as gaze direction, when decoding a facial expression. In Experiment 1, typically developing children (9-14 years old; n = 14) were faster at detecting a facial expression accompanying a gaze direction with a congruent…

Increasing Reliability of Direct Observation Measurement Approaches in Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders Research Using Generalizability Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gage, Nicholas A.; Prykanowski, Debra; Hirn, Regina

2014-01-01

Reliability of direct observation outcomes ensures the results are consistent, dependable, and trustworthy. Typically, reliability of direct observation measurement approaches is assessed using interobserver agreement (IOA) and the calculation of observer agreement (e.g., percentage of agreement). However, IOA does not address intraobserver…

High Performance Input/Output for Parallel Computer Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ligon, W. B.

1996-01-01

The goal of our project is to study the I/O characteristics of parallel applications used in Earth Science data processing systems such as Regional Data Centers (RDCs) or EOSDIS. Our approach is to study the runtime behavior of typical programs and the effect of key parameters of the I/O subsystem both under simulation and with direct experimentation on parallel systems. Our three year activity has focused on two items: developing a test bed that facilitates experimentation with parallel I/O, and studying representative programs from the Earth science data processing application domain. The Parallel Virtual File System (PVFS) has been developed for use on a number of platforms including the Tiger Parallel Architecture Workbench (TPAW) simulator, The Intel Paragon, a cluster of DEC Alpha workstations, and the Beowulf system (at CESDIS). PVFS provides considerable flexibility in configuring I/O in a UNIX- like environment. Access to key performance parameters facilitates experimentation. We have studied several key applications fiom levels 1,2 and 3 of the typical RDC processing scenario including instrument calibration and navigation, image classification, and numerical modeling codes. We have also considered large-scale scientific database codes used to organize image data.

New developments in the treatment of optic neuritis

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Thomas M; Toosy, Ahmed T

2010-01-01

Acute optic neuritis (ON) has various etiologies. The most common presentation is inflammatory, demyelinating, idiopathic, or “typical” ON, which may be associated with multiple sclerosis. This must be differentiated from “atypical” causes of ON, which differ in their clinical presentation, natural history, management, and prognosis. Clinical “red flags” for an atypical cause of ON include absent or persistent pain, exudates and hemorrhages on fundoscopy, very severe, bilateral, or progressive visual loss, and failure to recover. In typical ON, steroids shorten the duration of the attack, but do not influence visual outcome. This is in contrast to atypical ON associated with conditions such as sarcoidosis and neuromyelitis optica, which require aggressive immunosuppression and sometimes plasma exchange. The visual prognosis of typical ON is generally good. The prognosis in atypical ON is more variable. New developments aimed at designing better treatments for patients who fail to recover are discussed, focusing on recent research elucidating mechanisms of damage and recovery in ON. Future therapeutic directions may include enhancing repair processes, such as remyelination or adaptive neuroplasticity, or alternative methods of immunomodulation. Pilot studies investigating the safety and proof-of-principle of stem cell treatment are currently underway. PMID:28539768

Three Approaches to Green Computing on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, John T.

2009-01-01

A "carbon footprint" is the "total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an (individual, event, organization, and product) expressed as CO2" emissions. Since CO2 emissions are indicative of energy use, the higher the associated CO2 emissions, typically the greater the associated costs. A typical desktop PC system…

Affection Activities: Procedures for Encouraging Young Children with Handicaps to Interact with Their Peers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEvoy, Mary A.; And Others

1990-01-01

Affection activities (such as hugging, smiling, and saying positive things) can be added to typical preschool games and songs to encourage interaction between handicapped children and nonhandicapped peers. The intervention can be adapted for use with children with diverse handicapping conditions. Typical activities, modified directions for…

A formulation of directivity for earthquake sources using isochrone theory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spudich, Paul; Chiou, Brian S.J.; Graves, Robert; Collins, Nancy; Somerville, Paul

2004-01-01

A functional form for directivity effects can be derived from isochrone theory, in which the measure of the directivity-induced amplification of an S body wave is c, the isochrone velocity. Ground displacement of the near-, intermediate-, and far-field terms of P and S waves is linear in isochrone velocity for a finite source in a whole space. We have developed an approximation c-tilde-prime of isochrone velocity that can easily be implemented as a predictor of directivity effects in empirical ground motion prediction relations. Typically, for a given fault surface, hypocenter, and site geometry, c-tilde-prime is a simple function of the hypocentral distance, the rupture distance, the crustal shear wave speed in the seismogenic zone, and the rupture velocity. c-tilde-prime typically ranges in the interval 0.44, for rupture away from the station, to about 4, for rupture toward the station. In this version of the theory directivity is independent of period. Additionally, we have created another functional form which is c-tilde-prime modified to include the approximate radiation pattern of a finite fault having a given rake. This functional form can be used to model the spatial variations of fault-parallel and fault-normal horizontal ground motions. The strengths of this formulation are 1) the proposed functional form is based on theory, 2) the predictor is unambiguously defined for all possible site locations and source rakes, and 3) it can easily be implemented for well-studied important previous earthquakes. We compare predictions of our functional form with synthetic ground motions calculated for finite strike-slip and dip-slip faults in the magnitude range 6.5 - 7.5. In general our functional form correlates best with computed fault-normal and fault-parallel motions in the synthetic motions calculated for events with M6.5. Correlation degrades but is still useful for larger events and for the geometric average horizontal motions. We have had limited success applying it to geometrically complicated faults.

A new method for solving reachable domain of spacecraft with a single impulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qi; Qiao, Dong; Shang, Haibin; Liu, Xinfu

2018-04-01

This paper develops a new approach to solve the reachable domain of a spacecraft with a single maximum available impulse. First, the distance in a chosen direction, started from a given position on the initial orbit, is formulated. Then, its extreme value is solved to obtain the maximum reachable distance in this direction. The envelop of the reachable domain in three-dimensional space is determined by solving the maximum reachable distance in all directions. Four scenarios are analyzed, including three typical scenarios (either the maneuver position or impulse direction is fixed, or both are arbitrary) and a new extended scenario (the maneuver position is restricted to an interval and the impulse direction is arbitrary). Moreover, the symmetry and the boundedness of the reachable domain are discussed in detail. The former is helpful to reduce the numerical computation, while the latter decides the maximum eccentricity of the initial orbit for a maximum available impulse. The numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed method for solving the reachable domain in all four scenarios. Especially, the reachable domain with a highly elliptical initial orbit can be determined successfully, which remains unsolved in the existing papers.

Development of upper body coordination during sitting in typically developing infants

PubMed Central

KYVELIDOU, ANASTASIA; STUBERG, WAYNE A.; HARBOURNE, REGINA T.; DEFFEYES, JOAN E.; BLANKE, DANIEL; STERGIOU, NICHOLAS

2009-01-01

Pediatric Research Articles Ahead of Print contains articles in unedited manuscript form that have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication. As a service to our readers, we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final definitive form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered, which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Our goal was to determine how the actions of the thorax and the pelvis are organized and coordinated to achieve independent sitting posture in typically developing infants. The participants were ten typically developing infants that were evaluated longitudinally from first onset of sitting until sitting independence. Each infant underwent nine testing sessions. The first session included motor evaluation with the Peabody test. The other eight sessions occurred over a period of four months where sitting behavior was evaluated by angular kinematics of the thorax and the pelvis. A physical therapist evaluated sitting behavior in each session and categorized it according to five stages. The phasing relationship of the thorax and the pelvis was calculated and evaluated longitudinally using a one-way ANOVA. With development, the infants progressed from an in-phase (moving in the same direction) to an out-of-phase (moving in an opposite direction) coordinative relationship between the thorax and the pelvis segments. This change was significant for both the sagittal and frontal planes of motion. Clinically, this relationship is important because it provides a method to quantify infant sitting postural development, and can be used to assess efficacy of early interventions for pediatric populations with developmental motor delays. PMID:19190546

The Role of Familiarity for Representations in Norm-Based Face Space

PubMed Central

Faerber, Stella J.; Kaufmann, Jürgen M.; Leder, Helmut; Martin, Eva Maria; Schweinberger, Stefan R.

2016-01-01

According to the norm-based version of the multidimensional face space model (nMDFS, Valentine, 1991), any given face and its corresponding anti-face (which deviates from the norm in exactly opposite direction as the original face) should be equidistant to a hypothetical prototype face (norm), such that by definition face and anti-face should bear the same level of perceived typicality. However, it has been argued that familiarity affects perceived typicality and that representations of familiar faces are qualitatively different (e.g., more robust and image-independent) from those for unfamiliar faces. Here we investigated the role of face familiarity for rated typicality, using two frequently used operationalisations of typicality (deviation-based: DEV), and distinctiveness (face in the crowd: FITC) for faces of celebrities and their corresponding anti-faces. We further assessed attractiveness, likeability and trustworthiness ratings of the stimuli, which are potentially related to typicality. For unfamiliar faces and their corresponding anti-faces, in line with the predictions of the nMDFS, our results demonstrate comparable levels of perceived typicality (DEV). In contrast, familiar faces were perceived much less typical than their anti-faces. Furthermore, familiar faces were rated higher than their anti-faces in distinctiveness, attractiveness, likability and trustworthiness. These findings suggest that familiarity strongly affects the distribution of facial representations in norm-based face space. Overall, our study suggests (1) that familiarity needs to be considered in studies of mental representations of faces, and (2) that familiarity, general distance-to-norm and more specific vector directions in face space make different and interactive contributions to different types of facial evaluations. PMID:27168323

The Role of Familiarity for Representations in Norm-Based Face Space.

PubMed

Faerber, Stella J; Kaufmann, Jürgen M; Leder, Helmut; Martin, Eva Maria; Schweinberger, Stefan R

2016-01-01

According to the norm-based version of the multidimensional face space model (nMDFS, Valentine, 1991), any given face and its corresponding anti-face (which deviates from the norm in exactly opposite direction as the original face) should be equidistant to a hypothetical prototype face (norm), such that by definition face and anti-face should bear the same level of perceived typicality. However, it has been argued that familiarity affects perceived typicality and that representations of familiar faces are qualitatively different (e.g., more robust and image-independent) from those for unfamiliar faces. Here we investigated the role of face familiarity for rated typicality, using two frequently used operationalisations of typicality (deviation-based: DEV), and distinctiveness (face in the crowd: FITC) for faces of celebrities and their corresponding anti-faces. We further assessed attractiveness, likeability and trustworthiness ratings of the stimuli, which are potentially related to typicality. For unfamiliar faces and their corresponding anti-faces, in line with the predictions of the nMDFS, our results demonstrate comparable levels of perceived typicality (DEV). In contrast, familiar faces were perceived much less typical than their anti-faces. Furthermore, familiar faces were rated higher than their anti-faces in distinctiveness, attractiveness, likability and trustworthiness. These findings suggest that familiarity strongly affects the distribution of facial representations in norm-based face space. Overall, our study suggests (1) that familiarity needs to be considered in studies of mental representations of faces, and (2) that familiarity, general distance-to-norm and more specific vector directions in face space make different and interactive contributions to different types of facial evaluations.

Economic impact of fuel properties on turbine powered business aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, F. D.

1984-01-01

The principal objective was to estimate the economic impact on the turbine-powered business aviation fleet of potential changes in the composition and properties of aviation fuel. Secondary objectives include estimation of the sensitivity of costs to specific fuel properties, and an assessment of the directions in which further research should be directed. The study was based on the published characteristics of typical and specific modern aircraft in three classes; heavy jet, light jet, and turboprop. Missions of these aircraft were simulated by computer methods for each aircraft for several range and payload combinations, and assumed atmospheric temperatures ranging from nominal to extremely cold. Five fuels were selected for comparison with the reference fuel, nominal Jet A. An overview of the data, the mathematic models, the data reduction and analysis procedure, and the results of the study are given. The direct operating costs of the study fuels are compared with that of the reference fuel in the 1990 time-frame, and the anticipated fleet costs and fuel break-even costs are estimated.

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

Trevisanutto, Paolo E.; Vignale, Giovanni, E-mail: vignaleg@missouri.edu

Ab initio electronic structure calculations of two-dimensional layered structures are typically performed using codes that were developed for three-dimensional structures, which are periodic in all three directions. The introduction of a periodicity in the third direction (perpendicular to the layer) is completely artificial and may lead in some cases to spurious results and to difficulties in treating the action of external fields. In this paper we develop a new approach, which is “native” to quasi-2D materials, making use of basis function that are periodic in the plane, but atomic-like in the perpendicular direction. We show how some of the basicmore » tools of ab initio electronic structure theory — density functional theory, GW approximation and Bethe-Salpeter equation — are implemented in the new basis. We argue that the new approach will be preferable to the conventional one in treating the peculiarities of layered materials, including the long range of the unscreened Coulomb interaction in insulators, and the effects of strain, corrugations, and external fields.« less

Pelvic fracture and associated urologic injuries.

PubMed

Brandes, S; Borrelli, J

2001-12-01

Successful management of patients with major pelvic injuries requires a team approach including orthopedic, urologic, and trauma surgeons. Each unstable pelvic disruption must be treated aggressively to minimize complications and maximize long-term functional outcome. Commonly associated urologic injuries include injuries of the urethra, corpora cavernosa (penis), bladder, and bladder neck. Bladder injuries are usually extraperitoneal and result from shearing forces or direct laceration by a bone spicule. Posterior urethral injuries occur more commonly with vertically applied forces, which typically create Malgaigne-type fractures. Common complications of urethral disruption are urethral stricture, incontinence, and impotence. Acute urethral injury management is controversial, although it appears that early primary realignment has promise for minimizing the complications. Impotence after pelvic fracture is predominantly vascular in origin, not neurologic as once thought.

Tool Forces Developed During Friction Stir Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melendez, M.; Tang, W.; Schmidt, C.; McClure, J. C.; Nunes, A. C.; Murr, L. E.

2003-01-01

This paper will describe a technique for measuring the various forces and the torque that exist on the Friction Stir Welding pin tool. Results for various plunge depths, weld speeds, rotational speed, and tool configurations will be presented. Welds made on 6061 aluminum with typical welding conditions require a downward force of 2800 lbs. (12.5 kN) a longitudinal force in the direction of motion of 300 lbs (1.33 kN), a transverse force in the omega x v direction of 30 lbs (135 N). Aluminum 2195 under typical weld conditions requires a downward force of 3100 lbs. (1.38 kN), a longitudinal force of 920 lbs. (4.1 kN), and a transverse force of 45 lbs. (200 N) in the omega x v direction.

A Cost Analysis of Colonoscopy using Microcosting and Time-and-motion Techniques

PubMed Central

Ness, Reid M.; Stiles, Renée A.; Shintani, Ayumi K.; Dittus, Robert S.

2007-01-01

Background The cost of an individual colonoscopy is an important determinant of the overall cost and cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening. Published cost estimates vary widely and typically report institutional costs derived from gross-costing methods. Objective Perform a cost analysis of colonoscopy using micro-costing and time-and-motion techniques to determine the total societal cost of colonoscopy, which includes direct health care costs as well as direct non-health care costs and costs related to patients’ time. The design is prospective cohort. The participants were 276 contacted, eligible patients who underwent colonoscopy between July 2001 and June 2002, at either a Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center or a University Hospital in the Southeastern United States. Major results The median direct health care cost for colonoscopy was $379 (25%, 75%; $343, $433). The median direct non-health care and patient time costs were $226 (25%, 75%; $187, $323) and $274 (25%, 75%; $186, $368), respectively. The median total societal cost of colonoscopy was $923 (25%, 75%; $805, $1047). The median direct health care, direct non-health care, patient time costs, and total costs at the VA were $391, $288, $274, and $958, respectively; analogous costs at the University Hospital were $376, $189, $368, and $905, respectively. Conclusion Microcosting techniques and time-and-motion studies can produce accurate, detailed cost estimates for complex medical interventions. Cost estimates that inform health policy decisions or cost-effectiveness analyses should use total costs from the societal perspective. Societal cost estimates, which include patient and caregiver time costs, may affect colonoscopy screening rates. PMID:17665271

Directed forgetting: differential effects on typical and distinctive faces.

PubMed

Metzger, Mitchell M

2011-01-01

Directed forgetting (DF) occurs when stimuli presented during the study phase are followed by "forget" and "remember" cues. On a subsequent memory test, poor memory is observed for stimuli followed by the forget cues, compared to stimuli followed by the remember cues. Although DF is most commonly observed with verbal tasks, the present study extended intentional forgetting research for nonverbal stimuli and examined whether faces were susceptible to DF. Results confirmed that the presentation of a forget cue significantly reduced recognition for faces, as compared to faces followed by a remember cue. Additionally, a well-established finding in face recognition is that distinctive faces are better remembered than typical faces, and Experiment 2 assessed whether face appearance influenced the degree of DF. Results indicate that the DF effect observed in Experiment 1 was replicated in Experiment 2 and that the effect was more pronounced for those faces that were typical in appearance.

Maternal support for autonomy: relationships with persistence for children with Down syndrome and typically developing children.

PubMed

Gilmore, Linda; Cuskelly, Monica; Jobling, Anne; Hayes, Alan

2009-01-01

Maternal behaviors and child mastery behaviors were examined in 25 children with Down syndrome and 43 typically developing children matched for mental age (24-36 months). During a shared problem-solving task, there were no group differences in maternal directiveness or support for autonomy, and mothers in the two groups used similar verbal strategies when helping their child. There were also no group differences in child mastery behaviors, measured as persistence with two optimally challenging tasks. However, the two groups differed in the relationships of maternal style with child persistence. Children with Down syndrome whose mothers were more supportive of their autonomy in the shared task displayed greater persistence when working independently on a challenging puzzle, while children of highly directive mothers displayed lower levels of persistence. For typically developing children, persistence was unrelated to maternal style, suggesting that mother behaviors may have different causes or consequences in the two groups.

[Operative applications of occupational therapy].

PubMed

Saade, A

2010-01-01

Occupational therapy is the branch of rehabilitation whose main aim is to achieve maximum possible autonomy of the disabled person and the most complete integration into society, family and work. In subjects with motor disabilities following an occupational injury, the re-education programme includes a series of interventions aimed at progressive recovery of the ability to carry out work tasks compatible with the residual motor capacity of the worker. This article presents some examples related to the different stages making up the specific re-education programme: from the initial stages (with more purely kinesiotherapeutic techniques) directed at recovering movements and muscle strength, to the intermediate and final stages (more typically ergotherapeutic) directed first at the recovery of basic functions (clasping, pulling, pushing, lifting, lowering, carrying, etc.) and then, finally, retraining of work movements, with the introduction of compensatory methods and/or use of auxiliaries, when necessary.

A 3-component laser-Doppler velocimeter data acquisition and reduction system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodman, L. C.; Bell, J. H.; Mehta, R. D.

1985-01-01

A laser doppler velocimeter capable of measuring all three components of velocity simultaneously in low-speed flows is described. All the mean velocities, Reynolds stresses, and higher-order products can be evaluated. The approach followed is to split one of the two colors used in a 2-D system, thus creating a third set of beams which is then focused in the flow from an off-axis direction. The third velocity component is computed from the known geometry of the system. The laser optical hardware and the data acquisition electronics are described in detail. In addition, full operating procedures and listings of the software (written in BASIC and ASSEMBLY languages) are also included. Some typical measurements obtained with this system in a vortex/mixing layer interaction are presented and compared directly to those obtained with a cross-wire system.

Double-ended metal halide arc discharge lamp with electrically isolated containment shroud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muzeroll, Martin M. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A double-ended arc discharge lamp includes a sealed, light-transmissive outer jacket, a light-transmissive shroud mounted within the outer jacket and directly supported by the outer jacket, and an arc discharge tube mounted within the shroud. The arc tube is typically a metal halide arc discharge tube. In a preferred embodiment, the shroud includes an outwardly flared portion at each end. The outwardly flared portions space the shroud from the outer jacket and support the shroud within the outer jacket. The outwardly flared portions of the shroud can be affixed to the outer jacket by fusing. The outer jacket can be provided with inwardly extending dimples for locating the shroud with respect to the outer jacket. In another embodiment, the outer jacket includes reduced diameter portions near each end which are attached to the shroud.

Theory of Mind Experience Sampling in Typical Adults

PubMed Central

Coffey, Anna; Povinelli, Daniel J.; Pruett, John R.

2013-01-01

We explored the frequency with which typical adults make Theory of Mind (ToM) attributions, and under what circumstances these attributions occur. We used an experience sampling method to query 30 typical adults about their everyday thoughts. Participants carried a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) that prompted them to categorize their thoughts as Action, Mental State, or Miscellaneous at approximately 30 pseudo-random times during a continuous 10-hr period. Additionally, participants noted the direction of their thought (self vs. other) and degree of socializing (with people vs. alone) at the time of inquiry. We were interested in the relative frequency of ToM (mental state attributions) and how prominent they were in immediate social exchanges. Analyses of multiple choice answers suggest that typical adults: 1) spend more time thinking about actions than mental states and miscellaneous things, 2) exhibit a higher degree of own- versus other-directed thought when alone, and 3) make mental state attributions more frequently when not interacting (offline) than while interacting with others (online). A significant 3-way interaction between thought type, direction of thought, and socializing emerged because action but not mental state thoughts about others occurred more frequently when participants were interacting with people versus when alone; whereas there was an increase in the frequency of both action and mental state attributions about the self when participants were alone as opposed to socializing. A secondary analysis of coded free text responses supports findings 1–3. The results of this study help to create a more naturalistic picture of ToM use in everyday life and the method shows promise for future study of typical and atypical thought processes. PMID:23685620

Theory of Mind experience sampling in typical adults.

PubMed

Bryant, Lauren; Coffey, Anna; Povinelli, Daniel J; Pruett, John R

2013-09-01

We explored the frequency with which typical adults make Theory of Mind (ToM) attributions, and under what circumstances these attributions occur. We used an experience sampling method to query 30 typical adults about their everyday thoughts. Participants carried a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) that prompted them to categorize their thoughts as Action, Mental State, or Miscellaneous at approximately 30 pseudo-random times during a continuous 10-h period. Additionally, participants noted the direction of their thought (self versus other) and degree of socializing (with people versus alone) at the time of inquiry. We were interested in the relative frequency of ToM (mental state attributions) and how prominent they were in immediate social exchanges. Analyses of multiple choice answers suggest that typical adults: (1) spend more time thinking about actions than mental states and miscellaneous things, (2) exhibit a higher degree of own- versus other-directed thought when alone, and (3) make mental state attributions more frequently when not interacting (offline) than while interacting with others (online). A significant 3-way interaction between thought type, direction of thought, and socializing emerged because action but not mental state thoughts about others occurred more frequently when participants were interacting with people versus when alone; whereas there was an increase in the frequency of both action and mental state attributions about the self when participants were alone as opposed to socializing. A secondary analysis of coded free text responses supports findings 1-3. The results of this study help to create a more naturalistic picture of ToM use in everyday life and the method shows promise for future study of typical and atypical thought processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Helping to combat chronic wasting disease

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2003-01-01

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a disease of the nervous system that results in distinctive brain lesions. CWD affects elk, white-tailed deer, and mule deer, but has not been documented in livestock or humans. The origins of the disease, as well as the modes of transmission, remain unknown. Infected deer and elk appear robust and healthy in the early stages of CWD; clinical signs might not show for years. Mortality typically occurs within months after the appearance of clinical signs. The route of transmission is unknown; likely routes include direct transmission between infected and noninfected animals and infected animals contaminating local environments.

Doctors, Lawyers and Advance Care Planning: Time for Innovation to Work Together to Meet Client Needs

PubMed Central

Douglas, Maureen; Simon, Jessica; Fassbender, Konrad

2016-01-01

Health organizations in Canada have invested considerable resources in strategies to improve knowledge and uptake of advance care planning (ACP). Yet barriers persist and many Canadians do not engage in the full range of ACP behaviours, including writing an advance directive and appointing a legally authorized decision-maker. Not engaging effectively in ACP disadvantages patients, their loved ones and their healthcare providers. This article advocates for greater collaboration between health and legal professionals to better support clients in ACP and presents a framework for action to build connections between these typically siloed professions. PMID:28032821

Physics of Self-Field-Dominated Plasmas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-03-31

plasma focus machines (APF) for different optimal levels of discharge feeding energy W, in particular for APF-20O (W <or = 200 kJ) and APF-50 (W <or= 50 kJ). The function of these APF systems was to determine, along with the data of smaller machines, the scaling laws of the emission (fluence) of ion and ion cluster beams as a function of W, ejected from the self field dominated plasma of the APF pinch. Typical ion spectra from a Thomson (parabola) spectrometer in the 80 deg direction from the electrode/pinch axis are also included

Grout Isolation and Stabilization of Structures and Materials within Nuclear Facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Site, Summary - 12309

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

Phillips, S.J.; Phillips, M.; Etheridge, D.

2012-07-01

Per regulatory agreement and facility closure design, U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site nuclear fuel cycle structures and materials require in situ isolation in perpetuity and/or interim physicochemical stabilization as a part of final disposal or interim waste removal, respectively. To this end, grout materials are being used to encase facilities structures or are being incorporated within structures containing hazardous and radioactive contaminants. Facilities where grout materials have been recently used for isolation and stabilization include: (1) spent fuel separations, (2) uranium trioxide calcining, (3) reactor fuel storage basin, (4) reactor fuel cooling basin transport rail tanker cars and casks,more » (5) cold vacuum drying and reactor fuel load-out, and (6) plutonium fuel metal finishing. Grout components primarily include: (1) portland cement, (2) fly ash, (3) aggregate, and (4) chemical admixtures. Mix designs for these typically include aggregate and non aggregate slurries and bulk powders. Placement equipment includes: (1) concrete piston line pump or boom pump truck for grout slurry, (2) progressive cavity and shearing vortex pump systems, and (3) extendable boom fork lift for bulk powder dry grout mix. Grout slurries placed within the interior of facilities were typically conveyed utilizing large diameter slick line and the equivalent diameter flexible high pressure concrete conveyance hose. Other facilities requirements dictated use of much smaller diameter flexible grout conveyance hose. Placement required direct operator location within facilities structures in most cases, whereas due to radiological dose concerns, placement has also been completed remotely with significant standoff distances. Grout performance during placement and subsequent to placement often required unique design. For example, grout placed in fuel basin structures to serve as interim stabilization materials required sufficient bearing i.e., unconfined compressive strength, to sustain heavy equipment yet, low breakout force to permit efficient removal by track hoe bucket or equivalent construction equipment. Further, flow of slurries through small orifice geometries of moderate head pressures was another typical design requirement. Phase separation of less than 1 percent was a typical design requirement for slurries. On the order of 30,000 cubic meters of cementitious grout have recently been placed in the above noted U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site facilities or structures. Each has presented a unique challenge in mix design, equipment, grout injection or placement, and ultimate facility or structure performance. Unconfined compressive and shear strength, flow, density, mass attenuation coefficient, phase separation, air content, wash-out, parameters and others, unique to each facility or structure, dictate the grout mix design for each. Each mix design was tested under laboratory and scaled field conditions as a precursor to field deployment. Further, after injection or placement of each grout formulation, the material was field inspected either by standard laboratory testing protocols, direct physical evaluation, or both. (authors)« less

A physical and economic model of the nuclear fuel cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Erich Alfred

A model of the nuclear fuel cycle that is suitable for use in strategic planning and economic forecasting is presented. The model, to be made available as a stand-alone software package, requires only a small set of fuel cycle and reactor specific input parameters. Critical design criteria include ease of use by nonspecialists, suppression of errors to within a range dictated by unit cost uncertainties, and limitation of runtime to under one minute on a typical desktop computer. Collision probability approximations to the neutron transport equation that lead to a computationally efficient decoupling of the spatial and energy variables are presented and implemented. The energy dependent flux, governed by coupled integral equations, is treated by multigroup or continuous thermalization methods. The model's output includes a comprehensive nuclear materials flowchart that begins with ore requirements, calculates the buildup of 24 actinides as well as fission products, and concludes with spent fuel or reprocessed material composition. The costs, direct and hidden, of the fuel cycle under study are also computed. In addition to direct disposal and plutonium recycling strategies in current use, the model addresses hypothetical cycles. These include cycles chosen for minor actinide burning and for their low weapons-usable content.

Study on the three-station typical network deployments of workspace Measurement and Positioning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhi; Zhu, J. G.; Xue, B.; Ye, Sh. H.; Xiong, Y.

2013-10-01

As a novel network coordinate measurement system based on multi-directional positioning, workspace Measurement and Positioning System (wMPS) has outstanding advantages of good parallelism, wide measurement range and high measurement accuracy, which makes it to be the research hotspots and important development direction in the field of large-scale measurement. Since station deployment has a significant impact on the measurement range and accuracy, and also restricts the use-cost, the optimization method of station deployment was researched in this paper. Firstly, positioning error model was established. Then focusing on the small network consisted of three stations, the typical deployments and error distribution characteristics were studied. Finally, through measuring the simulated fuselage using typical deployments at the industrial spot and comparing the results with Laser Tracker, some conclusions are obtained. The comparison results show that under existing prototype conditions, I_3 typical deployment of which three stations are distributed in a straight line has an average error of 0.30 mm and the maximum error is 0.50 mm in the range of 12 m. Meanwhile, C_3 typical deployment of which three stations are uniformly distributed in the half-circumference of an circle has an average error of 0.17 mm and the maximum error is 0.28 mm. Obviously, C_3 typical deployment has a higher control effect on precision than I_3 type. The research work provides effective theoretical support for global measurement network optimization in the future work.

Analysis and development of adjoint-based h-adaptive direct discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jian; Yue, Huiqiang; Yu, Shengjiao; Liu, Tiegang

2018-06-01

In this paper, an adjoint-based high-order h-adaptive direct discontinuous Galerkin method is developed and analyzed for the two dimensional steady state compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Particular emphasis is devoted to the analysis of the adjoint consistency for three different direct discontinuous Galerkin discretizations: including the original direct discontinuous Galerkin method (DDG), the direct discontinuous Galerkin method with interface correction (DDG(IC)) and the symmetric direct discontinuous Galerkin method (SDDG). Theoretical analysis shows the extra interface correction term adopted in the DDG(IC) method and the SDDG method plays a key role in preserving the adjoint consistency. To be specific, for the model problem considered in this work, we prove that the original DDG method is not adjoint consistent, while the DDG(IC) method and the SDDG method can be adjoint consistent with appropriate treatment of boundary conditions and correct modifications towards the underlying output functionals. The performance of those three DDG methods is carefully investigated and evaluated through typical test cases. Based on the theoretical analysis, an adjoint-based h-adaptive DDG(IC) method is further developed and evaluated, numerical experiment shows its potential in the applications of adjoint-based adaptation for simulating compressible flows.

The Structure of Mother-Child Play: Young Children with Down Syndrome and Typically Developing Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roach, Mary A.; Barratt, Marguerite Stevenson; Miller, Jon F.; Leavitt, Lewis A.

1998-01-01

Compared mothers' play with infants with Down syndrome (DSC) and typically developing children (TDC) matched for mental or chronological age. Found that TDC mothers exhibited more object demonstrations with their developmentally younger children, who showed less object play. DSC mothers were more directive and supportive than mothers of younger…

Rowing Together: Aligning State and Federal Investments in Talent to Common Outcomes. State-Federal Partnerships in Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conklin, Kristin D.

2016-01-01

There are two modalities for delivering public financial support to colleges and other postsecondary education providers. First, typical of state governments, grants are made directly to postsecondary institutions to finance general operations, thus providing a broad subsidy to all students. Second, typical of the federal government, substantial…

Facilitating complex shape drawing in Williams syndrome and typical development.

PubMed

Hudson, Kerry D; Farran, Emily K

2013-07-01

Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) produce drawings that are disorganised, likely due to an inability to replicate numerous spatial relations between parts. This study attempted to circumvent these drawing deficits in WS when copying complex combinations of one, two and three shapes. Drawing decisions were reduced by introducing a number of facilitators, for example, by using distinct colours and including facilitatory cues on the response sheet. Overall, facilitation improved drawing in the WS group to a comparable level of accuracy as typically developing participants (matched for non-verbal ability). Drawing accuracy was greatest in both groups when planning demands (e.g. starting location, line lengths and changes in direction) were reduced by use of coloured figures and providing easily distinguished and clearly grouped facilitatory cues to form each shape. This study provides the first encouraging evidence to suggest that drawing of complex shapes in WS can be facilitated; individuals with WS might be receptive to remediation programmes for drawing and handwriting. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-time black carbon emission factor measurements from light duty vehicles.

PubMed

Forestieri, Sara D; Collier, Sonya; Kuwayama, Toshihiro; Zhang, Qi; Kleeman, Michael J; Cappa, Christopher D

2013-11-19

Eight light-duty gasoline low emission vehicles (LEV I) were tested on a Chassis dynamometer using the California Unified Cycle (UC) at the Haagen-Smit vehicle test facility at the California Air Resources Board in El Monte, CA during September 2011. The UC includes a cold start phase followed by a hot stabilized running phase. In addition, a light-duty gasoline LEV vehicle and ultralow emission vehicle (ULEV), and a light-duty diesel passenger vehicle and gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicle were tested on a constant velocity driving cycle. A variety of instruments with response times ≥0.1 Hz were used to characterize how the emissions of the major particulate matter components varied for the LEVs during a typical driving cycle. This study focuses primarily on emissions of black carbon (BC). These measurements allowed for the determination of BC emission factors throughout the driving cycle, providing insights into the temporal variability of BC emission factors during different phases of a typical driving cycle.

Promoter Methylation in the Genesis of Gastrointestinal Cancer

PubMed Central

Shin, Sung Kwan; Goel, Ajay

2009-01-01

Colorectal cancers (CRC)-and probably all cancers-are caused by alterations in genes. This includes activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). There are many ways to achieve these alterations. Oncogenes are frequently activated by point mutation, gene amplification, or changes in the promoter (typically caused by chromosomal rearrangements). TSGs are typically inactivated by mutation, deletion, or promoter methylation, which silences gene expression. About 15% of CRC is associated with loss of the DNA mismatch repair system, and the resulting CRCs have a unique phenotype that is called microsatellite instability, or MSI. This paper reviews the types of genetic alterations that can be found in CRCs and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and focuses upon the epigenetic alterations that result in promoter methylation and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). The challenge facing CRC research and clinical care at this time is to deal with the heterogeneity and complexity of these genetic and epigenetic alterations, and to use this information to direct rational prevention and treatment strategies. PMID:19568590

Sex differences in impulsive action and impulsive choice.

PubMed

Weafer, Jessica; de Wit, Harriet

2014-11-01

Here, we review the evidence for sex differences in behavioral measures of impulsivity for both humans and laboratory animals. We focus on two specific components of impulsivity: impulsive action (i.e., difficulty inhibiting a prepotent response) and impulsive choice (i.e., difficulty delaying gratification). Sex differences appear to exist on these measures, but the direction and magnitude of the differences vary. In laboratory animals, impulsive action is typically greater in males than females, whereas impulsive choice is typically greater in females. In humans, women discount more steeply than men, but sex differences on measures of impulsive action depend on tasks and subject samples. We discuss implications of these findings as they relate to drug addiction. We also point out the major gaps in this research to date, including the lack of studies designed specifically to examine sex differences in behavioral impulsivity, and the lack of consideration of menstrual or estrous phase or sex hormone levels in the studies. © 2013.

Sex differences in impulsive action and impulsive choice

PubMed Central

Weafer, Jessica; de Wit, Harriet

2013-01-01

Here, we review the evidence for sex differences in behavioral measures of impulsivity for both humans and laboratory animals. We focus on two specific components of impulsivity: impulsive action (i.e., difficulty inhibiting a prepotent response) and impulsive choice (i.e., difficulty delaying gratification). Sex differences appear to exist on these measures, but the direction and magnitude of the differences vary. In laboratory animals, impulsive action is typically greater in males than females, whereas impulsive choice is typically greater in females. In humans, women discount more steeply than men, but sex differences on measures of impulsive action depend on tasks and subject samples. We discuss implications of these findings as they relate to drug addiction. We also point out the major gaps in this research to date, including the lack of studies designed specifically to examine sex differences in behavioral impulsivity, and the lack of consideration of menstrual or estrous phase or sex hormone levels in the studies. PMID:24286704

An Energy Efficient Power Control Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks Using Directional Antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiroz-Perez, Carlos; Gulliver, T. Aaron

A wireless ad hoc network is a collection of mobile nodes that can communicate with each other. Typically, nodes employ omnidirectional antennas. The use of directional antennas can increase spatial reuse, reduce the number of hops to a destination, reduce interference, and increase the transmission range in a specific direction. This is because omnidirectional antennas radiate equally in all directions, limiting the transmission range.

78 FR 17359 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Marine Geophysical Survey in the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-21

... BRG-6 diesel engines which drive two propellers directly. Each propeller has four blades and the shaft... 930 kW and drives one propeller directly. The propeller has five blades, and the shaft typically...

Digital High-Current Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cash, B.

1985-01-01

Simple technique developed for monitoring direct currents up to several hundred amperes and digitally displaying values directly in current units. Used to monitor current magnitudes beyond range of standard laboratory ammeters, which typically measure 10 to 20 amperes maximum. Technique applicable to any current-monitoring situation.

Deficiencies of product labeling directions for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Hung, Joseph C; Ponto, James A; Gadient, Katie R; Frie, Julia A; Aksamit, Carolyn M; Enquist, Cassandra L; Carrels, Katie E

2004-01-01

To identify potential deficiencies in product labeling (package insert) instructions for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. Preparation instructions, which include both reconstitution and quality control (QC) directions, as stated in the package inserts were evaluated for all commercially available reconstituted radiopharmaceuticals. Reviews of the package inserts were initially performed by each author, and then all identified deficiencies were compiled and evaluated by all authors. The preparation scenario for each package insert evaluated was based on a centralized nuclear pharmacy operation assuming typical support personnel, standard operating equipment, and workload. The instructions as stated in each package insert for the preparation (including QC) were rated as inadequate if a satisfactory preparation could not be prepared by a nuclear pharmacist or physician when instructions were followed exactly. Identified deficiencies in package insert instructions for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals fell into the following five categories: (1) absent or incomplete directions (especially with regard to QC procedures); (2) restrictive directions (e.g., specific requirement to use designated needles, chromatography solvents, counting devices), (3) inconsistent directions (e.g., different reconstituted volumes for the same final drug product, unworkable expiration times); (4) impractical directions (e.g., unrealistically low reconstituted activity limits, dangerously high number of radiolabeled particles); and (5) vague directions (e.g., use of the words "should," "may," "recommend"). Manufacturers' directions for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals often contain deficiencies and should be viewed as standard guidance rather than as requirements. Just as physicians are permitted to use U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for off-label indications, nuclear pharmacists should be allowed to use alternative methods for preparing radiopharmaceuticals, provided those methods have been validated to be as good as the stated directions and that the nuclear pharmacists do not engage in activities that fall outside the normal practice of pharmacy. Manufacturers, FDA, nuclear pharmacists, and nuclear physicians should work together to address identified deficiencies in package insert directions.

Increased Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Cingulo-Opercular Cognitive-Control Network after Intervention in Children with Reading Difficulties

PubMed Central

Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi; Toro-Serey, Claudio; DiFrancesco, Mark

2015-01-01

Dyslexia, or reading difficulty, is characterized by slow, inaccurate reading accompanied by executive dysfunction. Reading training using the Reading Acceleration Program improves reading and executive functions in both children with dyslexia and typical readers. This improvement is associated with increased activation in and functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex, part of the cingulo-opercular cognitive-control network, and the fusiform gyrus during a reading task after training. The objective of the current study was to determine whether the training also has an effect on functional connectivity of the cingulo-opercular and fronto-parietal cognitive-control networks during rest in children with dyslexia and typical readers. Fifteen children with reading difficulty and 17 typical readers (8-12 years old) were included in the study. Reading and executive functions behavioral measures and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected before and after reading training. Imaging data were analyzed using a graphical network-modeling tool. Both reading groups had increased reading and executive-functions scores after training, with greater gains among the dyslexia group. Training may have less effect on cognitive control in typical readers and a more direct effect on the visual area, as previously reported. Statistical analysis revealed that compared to typical readers, children with reading difficulty had significantly greater functional connectivity in the cingulo-opercular network after training, which may demonstrate the importance of cognitive control during reading in this population. These results support previous findings of increased error-monitoring activation after reading training in children with dyslexia and confirm greater gains with training in this group. PMID:26197049

Appendicitis following blunt abdominal trauma.

PubMed

Cobb, Travis

2017-09-01

Appendicitis is a frequently encountered surgical problem in the Emergency Department (ED). Appendicitis typically results from obstruction of the appendiceal lumen, although trauma has been reported as an infrequent cause of acute appendicitis. Intestinal injury and hollow viscus injury following blunt abdominal trauma are well reported in the literature but traumatic appendicitis is much less common. The pathophysiology is uncertain but likely results from several mechanisms, either in isolation or combination. These include direct compression/crush injury, shearing injury, or from indirect obstruction of the appendiceal lumen by an ileocecal hematoma or traumatic impaction of stool into the appendix. Presentation typically mirrors that of non-traumatic appendicitis with nausea, anorexia, fever, and right lower quadrant abdominal tenderness and/or peritonitis. Evaluation for traumatic appendicitis requires a careful history and physical exam. Imaging with ultrasound or computed tomography is recommended if the history and physical do not reveal an acute surgical indication. Treatment includes intravenous antibiotics and surgical consultation for appendectomy. This case highlights a patient who developed acute appendicitis following blunt trauma to the abdomen sustained during a motor vehicle accident. Appendicitis must be considered as part of the differential diagnosis in any patient who presents to the ED with abdominal pain, including those whose pain begins after sustaining blunt trauma to the abdomen. Because appendicitis following trauma is uncommon, timely diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brief wakeful resting can eliminate directed forgetting.

PubMed

Schlichting, Andreas; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

2017-02-01

When cued to intentionally forget previously encoded memories, participants typically show reduced recall of the memories on a later recall test. We examined how such directed forgetting is affected by a brief period of wakeful resting between encoding and test. Encoding was followed by a "passive" wakeful resting period in which subjects heard emotionally neutral music or perceived neutral pictures, or it was followed by an "active" distraction period in which subjects were engaged in counting or calculation tasks. Whereas typical directed forgetting was present after active distraction, the forgetting was absent after wakeful resting. The findings indicate that the degree to which people can intentionally forget memories is influenced by the cognitive activity that people engage in shortly after learning takes place. The results provide first evidence on the interplay between wakeful resting and intentional forgetting.

Human exposures to monomers resulting from consumer contact with polymers.

PubMed

Leber, A P

2001-06-01

Many consumer products are composed completely, or in part, of polymeric materials. Direct or indirect human contact results in potential exposures to monomers as a result of migrations of trace amounts from the polymeric matrix into foods, into the skin or other bodily surfaces. Typically, residual monomer levels in these polymers are <100 p.p.m., and represent exposures well below those observable in traditional toxicity testing. These product applications thus require alternative methods for evaluating health risks relating to monomer exposures. A typical approach includes: (a) assessment of potential human contacts for specific polymer uses; (b) utilization of data from toxicity testing of pure monomers, e.g. cancer bioassay results; and (c) mathematical risk assessment methods. Exposure potentials are measured in one of two analytical procedures: (1) migration of monomer from polymer into a simulant solvent (e.g. alcohol, acidic water, vegetable oil) appropriate for the intended use of the product (e.g. beer cans, food jars, packaging adhesive, dairy hose); or (2) total monomer content of the polymer, providing worse-case values for migratable monomer. Application of toxicity data typically involves NOEL or benchmark values for non-cancer endpoints, or tumorigenicity potencies for monomers demonstrated to be carcinogens. Risk assessments provide exposure 'safety margin' ratios between levels that: (1) are projected to be safe according to toxicity information, and (2) are potential monomer exposures posed by the intended use of the consumer product. This paper includes an example of a health risk assessment for a chewing gum polymer for which exposures to trace levels of butadiene monomer occur.

Bring It to the Pitch: Combining Video and Movement Data to Enhance Team Sport Analysis.

PubMed

Stein, Manuel; Janetzko, Halldor; Lamprecht, Andreas; Breitkreutz, Thorsten; Zimmermann, Philipp; Goldlucke, Bastian; Schreck, Tobias; Andrienko, Gennady; Grossniklaus, Michael; Keim, Daniel A

2018-01-01

Analysts in professional team sport regularly perform analysis to gain strategic and tactical insights into player and team behavior. Goals of team sport analysis regularly include identification of weaknesses of opposing teams, or assessing performance and improvement potential of a coached team. Current analysis workflows are typically based on the analysis of team videos. Also, analysts can rely on techniques from Information Visualization, to depict e.g., player or ball trajectories. However, video analysis is typically a time-consuming process, where the analyst needs to memorize and annotate scenes. In contrast, visualization typically relies on an abstract data model, often using abstract visual mappings, and is not directly linked to the observed movement context anymore. We propose a visual analytics system that tightly integrates team sport video recordings with abstract visualization of underlying trajectory data. We apply appropriate computer vision techniques to extract trajectory data from video input. Furthermore, we apply advanced trajectory and movement analysis techniques to derive relevant team sport analytic measures for region, event and player analysis in the case of soccer analysis. Our system seamlessly integrates video and visualization modalities, enabling analysts to draw on the advantages of both analysis forms. Several expert studies conducted with team sport analysts indicate the effectiveness of our integrated approach.

The capacity to adapt to changing balance threats: a comparison of children with cerebral palsy and typically developing children.

PubMed

Burtner, P A; Woollacott, M H; Craft, G L; Roncesvalles, M N

2007-01-01

This study investigated differences in reactive balance abilities of typically developing children and those with spastic diplegia. Recovery from balance threats was compared by: (i) Platform velocity and amplitude thresholds: Speed and size of platform movement at which children required assistance to remain upright, (ii) percentage of trials with feet-in-place vs. loss of balance, and (iii) center of pressure measures. Participants included 8 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, 15 developmentally matched children (similar walking stages) and 21 age-matched control children. Backward platform movements graded as easy, moderate and difficult were unexpectedly imposed on children standing on a moveable platform. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) had lower platform velocity thresholds, greater percentages of loss of balance trials, increased distances and increased frequency of directional changes in center-of-pressure (COP) trajectories than control children. Older children with CP fell more often than those under 5 years. Greatest differences between children with and without CP were found in comparisons based on age rather than developmental levels. Using balance perturbations that challenged children with CP to the limits of their balance abilities effectively identified age performance differences and differences compared to typically developing children. Implications for rehabilitation programs are presented.

Effects of slope smoothing in river channel modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyungmin; Liu, Frank; Hodges, Ben R.

2017-04-01

In extending dynamic river modeling with the 1D Saint-Venant equations from a single reach to a large watershed there are critical questions as to how much bathymetric knowledge is necessary and how it should be represented parsimoniously. The ideal model will include the detail necessary to provide realism, but not include extraneous detail that should not exert a control on a 1D (cross-section averaged) solution. In a Saint-Venant model, the overall complexity of the river channel morphometry is typically abstracted into metrics for the channel slope, cross-sectional area, hydraulic radius, and roughness. In stream segments where cross-section surveys are closely spaced, it is not uncommon to have sharp changes in slope or even negative values (where a positive slope is the downstream direction). However, solving river flow with the Saint-Venant equations requires a degree of smoothness in the equation parameters or the equation set with the directly measured channel slopes may not be Lipschitz continuous. The results of non-smoothness are typically extended computational time to converge solutions (or complete failure to converge) and/or numerical instabilities under transient conditions. We have investigated using cubic splines to smooth the bottom slope and ensure always positive reference slopes within a 1D model. This method has been implemented in the Simulation Program for River Networks (SPRNT) and is compared to the standard HEC-RAS river solver. It is shown that the reformulation of the reference slope is both in keeping with the underlying derivation of the Saint-Venant equations and provides practical numerical stability without altering the realism of the simulation. This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant number CCF-1331610.

SAR/QSAR MODELS FOR TOXICITY PREDICTION: APPROACHES AND NEW DIRECTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

SAR/QSAR MODELS FOR TOXICITY PREDICTION: APPROACHES AND NEW DIRECTIONS

Risk assessment typically incorporates some relevant toxicity information upon which to base a sound estimation for a chemical of concern. However, there are many circumstances in whic...

The Effects of a Direct Instruction Program on the Fraction Performance of Middle School Students At-Risk for Failure in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Margaret M.; Kaylor, Maria

2007-01-01

The current exploratory study investigated the effects of a Direct Instruction program implemented with middle school students identified as at-risk for failure in mathematics. Direct Instruction has typically been implemented with students with disabilities in separate special education settings. However, this study examined the extent to which…

Typical and atypical metastatic sites of recurrent endometrial carcinoma

PubMed Central

Krajewski, Katherine M.; Jagannathan, Jyothi; Giardino, Angela; Berlin, Suzanne; Ramaiya, Nikhil

2013-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this article is to illustrate the imaging findings of typical and atypical metastatic sites of recurrent endometrial carcinoma. Typical sites include local pelvic recurrence, pelvic and para-aortic nodes, peritoneum, and lungs. Atypical sites include extra-abdominal lymph nodes, liver, adrenals, brain, bones and soft tissue. It is important for radiologists to recognize the typical and atypical sites of metastases in patients with recurrent endometrial carcinoma to facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment. PMID:23545091

Asymmetric life-history decision-making in butterfly larvae

PubMed Central

Aalberg Haugen, Inger M.; Dahlerus, Josefin; Gotthard, Karl; Wiklund, Christer

2010-01-01

In temperate environments, insects appearing in several generations in the growth season typically have to decide during the larval period whether to develop into adulthood, or to postpone adult emergence until next season by entering a species-specific diapause stage. This decision is typically guided by environmental cues experienced during development. An early decision makes it possible to adjust growth rate, which would allow the growing larva to respond to time stress involved in direct development, whereas a last-minute decision would instead allow the larva to use up-to-date information about which developmental pathway is the most favourable under the current circumstances. We study the timing of the larval pathway decision-making between entering pupal winter diapause and direct development in three distantly related butterflies (Pieris napi, Araschnia levana and Pararge aegeria). We pinpoint the timing of the larval diapause decision by transferring larvae from first to last instars from long daylength (inducing direct development) to short daylength conditions (inducing diapause), and vice versa. Results show that the pathway decision is typically made in the late instars in all three species, and that the ability to switch developmental pathway late in juvenile life is conditional; larvae more freely switched from diapause to direct development than in the opposite direction. We contend that this asymmetry is influenced by the additional physiological preparations needed to survive the long and cold winter period, and that the reluctance to make a late decision to enter diapause has the potential to be a general trait among temperate insects. PMID:20953962

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options study. Volume 3: Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A typical system specification format is presented and requirements are compiled. A Program Specification Tree is shown showing a high inclination space station and a low inclination space station with their typical element breakdown, also represented along the top blocks are the interfaces with other systems. The specification format is directed at the Low Inclination space station.

Direct dosing of preweaning rodents in toxicity testing and research: deliberations of an ILSI RSI Expert Working Group.

PubMed

Moser, Virginia C; Walls, Isabel; Zoetis, Tracey

2005-01-01

Laboratory animal studies designed to assess the effects of exposure of a test substance during postnatal development are commonly utilized in basic research and to evaluate potential hazard to children for chemical and pharmaceutical regulation. Direct dosing, defined here as the administration of a test substance directly to a preweaning mammal, has been identified as a useful tool that can be used in the conduct of such studies for regulatory purposes. The International Life Sciences Institute Risk Science Institute (ILSI RSI) convened an Expert Working Group to develop guidance on the design and implementation of direct dosing regulatory studies on preweaning mammals, which was published as an ILSI monograph in 2003 (Zoetis and Walls, Principles and Practices for Direct Dosing of Pre-Weaning Mammals in Toxicity Testing and Research, Washington, DC: ILSI Press, 2003). A summary of the Working Group conclusions regarding direct dosing studies with laboratory rodents are presented here, although the ILSI monograph also includes rabbits, canines, swine and nonhuman primates. Issues to be considered when designing the protocol include selection of the test species, the route of administration, dose levels, and the timing of dosing. Knowledge of the maturational status of the test species and information on critical windows of development are important in creating a valid study design. Most common routes of administration (e.g., oral, inhalation, injection) are possible with typical laboratory species; however, adjustments may be necessary due to practical considerations. Information on the pharmacokinetic profile in young animals versus adults and in the test species versus humans is very useful for determining dosing parameters. The conduct of the study and the interpretation of the data will be improved by an understanding of confounding factors as well as statistical and biological issues specific for postnatal studies. Ultimately, the success of the study will depend upon careful preparation, including thorough training of the technical staff.

Solid-state energy storage module employing integrated interconnect board

DOEpatents

Rouillard, Jean; Comte, Christophe; Daigle, Dominik; Hagen, Ronald A.; Knudson, Orlin B.; Morin, Andre; Ranger, Michel; Ross, Guy; Rouillard, Roger; St-Germain, Philippe; Sudano, Anthony; Turgeon, Thomas A.

2003-11-04

The present invention is directed to an improved electrochemical energy storage device. The electrochemical energy storage device includes a number of solid-state, thin-film electrochemical cells which are selectively interconnected in series or parallel through use of an integrated interconnect board. The interconnect board is typically disposed within a sealed housing which also houses the electrochemical cells, and includes a first contact and a second contact respectively coupled to first and second power terminals of the energy storage device. The interconnect board advantageously provides for selective series or parallel connectivity with the electrochemical cells, irrespective of electrochemical cell position within the housing. Fuses and various electrical and electromechanical devices, such as bypass, equalization, and communication devices for example, may also be mounted to the interconnect board and selectively connected to the electrochemical cells.

Anisotropic Shear Dispersion Parameterization for Mesoscale Eddy Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reckinger, S. J.; Fox-Kemper, B.

2016-02-01

The effects of mesoscale eddies are universally treated isotropically in general circulation models. However, the processes that the parameterization approximates, such as shear dispersion, typically have strongly anisotropic characteristics. The Gent-McWilliams/Redi mesoscale eddy parameterization is extended for anisotropy and tested using 1-degree Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulations. The sensitivity of the model to anisotropy includes a reduction of temperature and salinity biases, a deepening of the southern ocean mixed-layer depth, and improved ventilation of biogeochemical tracers, particularly in oxygen minimum zones. The parameterization is further extended to include the effects of unresolved shear dispersion, which sets the strength and direction of anisotropy. The shear dispersion parameterization is similar to drifter observations in spatial distribution of diffusivity and high-resolution model diagnosis in the distribution of eddy flux orientation.

An empirical investigation of methods for nonsymmetric linear systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherman, A. H.

1981-01-01

The present investigation is concerned with a comparison of methods for solving linear algebraic systems which arise from finite difference discretizations of the elliptic convection-diffusion equation in a planar region Omega with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Such linear systems are typically of the form Ax = b where A is an N x N sparse nonsymmetric matrix. In a discussion of discretizations, it is assumed that a regular rectilinear mesh of width h has been imposed on Omega. The discretizations considered include central differences, upstream differences, and modified upstream differences. Six methods for solving Ax = b are considered. Three variants of Gaussian elimination have been chosen as representatives of state-of-the-art software for direct methods under different assumptions about pivoting. Three iterative methods are also included.

Adult-onset stereotypical motor behaviors.

PubMed

Maltête, D

Stereotypies have been defined as non-goal-directed movement patterns repeated continuously for a period of time in the same form and on multiple occasions, and which are typically distractible. Stereotypical motor behaviors are a common clinical feature of a variety of neurological conditions that affect cortical and subcortical functions, including autism, tardive dyskinesia, excessive dopaminergic treatment of Parkinson's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The main differential diagnosis of stereotypies includes tic disorders, motor mannerisms, compulsion and habit. The pathophysiology of stereotypies may involve the corticostriatal pathways, especially the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulated cortices. Because antipsychotics have long been used to manage stereotypical behaviours in mental retardation, stereotypies that present in isolation tend not to warrant pharmacological intervention, as the benefit-to-risk ratio is not great enough. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Root symbionts: Powerful drivers of plant above- and belowground indirect defenses.

PubMed

Rasmann, Sergio; Bennett, Alison; Biere, Arjen; Karley, Alison; Guerrieri, Emilio

2017-12-01

Soil microbial mutualists of plants, including mycorrhizal fungi, non-mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, have been typically characterized for increasing nutrient acquisition and plant growth. More recently, soil microbes have also been shown to increase direct plant defense against above- and belowground herbivores. Plants, however, do not only rely on direct defenses when attacked, but they can also recruit pest antagonists such as predators and parasitoids, both above and belowground, mainly via the release of volatile organic compounds (i.e., indirect defenses). In this review, we illustrate the main features and effects of soil microbial mutualists of plants on plant indirect defenses and discuss possible applications within the framework of sustainable crop protection against root- and shoot-feeding arthropod pests. We indicate the main knowledge gaps and the future challenges to be addressed in the study and application of these multifaceted interactions. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Lunar Dust Pendulum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuntz, Kip; Collier, Michael R.; Stubbs, Timothy J.; Farrell, William M.

2011-01-01

Shadowed regions on the lunar surface acquire a negative potential. In particular, shadowed craters can have a negative potential with respect to the surrounding lunar regolith in sunlight, especially near the terminator regions. Here we analyze the motion of a positively charged lnnar dust grain in the presence of a shadowed crater at a negative potential in vacuum. Previous models describing the transport of charged lunar dust close to the surface have typically been limited to one-dimensional motion in the vertical direction, e.g. electrostatic levitation; however. the electric fields in the vicinity of shadowed craters will also have significant components in the horizontal directions. We propose a model that includes both the horizontal and vertical motion of charged dust grains near shadowed craters. We show that the dust grains execute oscillatory trajectories and present an expression for the period of oscillation drawing an analogy to the motion of a pendulum.

The Lunar Dust Pendulum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collier, Michael R.; Stubbs, Timothy J.; Farrell, William M.

2011-01-01

Shadowed regions on the lunar surface acquire a negative potential. In particular, shadowed craters can have a negative potential with respect to the surrounding lunar regolith in sunlight, especially near the terminator regions. Here we analyze the motion of a positively charged lunar dust grain in the presence of a shadowed crater at a negative potential in vacuum. Previous models describing the transport of charged lunar dust close to the surface have typically been limited to one-dimensional motion in the vertical direction, e.g. electrostatic levitation; however, the electric fields in the vicinity of shadowed craters will also have significant components in the horizontal directions. We propose a model that includes both the horizontal and vertical motion of charged dust grains near shadowed craters. We show that the dust grains execute oscillatory trajectories and present an expression for the period of oscillation drawing an analogy to the motion of a pendulum.

A 3-component laser-Doppler velocimeter data acquisition and reduction system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodman, L. C.; Bell, J. H.; Mehta, R. D.

1986-01-01

This report describes a laser Doppler velocimeter capable of measuring all three components of velocity simultaneously in low-speed flows. All the mean velocities, Reynolds stresses, and higher-order products can then be evaluated. The approach followed is to split one of the colors used in a 2-D system, thus creating a third set of beams which is then focused in the flow from an off-axis direction. The third velocity component is computed from the known geometry of the system. In this report, the laser optical hardware and the data acquisition electronics are described in detail. In addition, full operating procedures and listings of the software (written in BASIC and assembly languages) are also included. Some typical measurements obtained with this system in a vortex/mixing layer interaction are presented and compared directly to those obtained with a cross-wire system.

ICT Is Not Participation Is Not Democracy - eParticipation Development Models Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grönlund, Åke

There exist several models to describe “progress” in eParticipation. Models are typically ladder type and share two assumptions; progress is equalled with more sophisticated use of technology, and direct democracy is seen as the most advanced democracy model. None of the assumptions are true, considering democratic theory, and neither is fruitful as the simplification disturbs analysis and hence obscures actual progress made. The models convey a false impression of progress, but neither the goal, nor the path or the stakeholders driving the development are clearly understood, presented or evidenced. This paper analyses commonly used models based on democratic theory and eParticipation practice, and concludes that all are biased and fail to distinguish between the three dimensions an eParticipation progress model must include; relevance to democracy by any definition, applicability to different processes, (capacity building as well as decision making), and measuring different levels of participation without direct democracy bias.

Chemical alternatives assessment: the case of flame retardants.

PubMed

Howard, Gregory J

2014-12-01

Decisions on chemical substitution are made rapidly and by many stakeholders; these decisions may have a direct impact on consumer exposures, and, when a hazard exists, to consumer risks. Flame retardants (FRs) represent particular challenges, including very high production volumes, designed-in persistence, and often direct consumer exposure. Newer FR products, as with other industrial chemicals, typically lack data on hazard and exposure, and in many cases even basic information on structure and use in products is unknown. Chemical alternatives assessment (CAA) provides a hazard-focused approach to distinguishing between possible substitutions; variations on this process are used by several government and numerous corporate entities. By grouping chemicals according to functional use, some information on exposure potential can be inferred, allowing for decisions based on those hazard properties that are most distinguishing. This approach can help prevent the "regrettable substitution" of one chemical with another of equal, or even higher, risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thin-phase screen estimates of TID effects on midlatitude transionospheric radio paths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reilly, Michael H.

1993-11-01

The thin-phase screen model for ionospheric irregularity perturbations to transionospheric radio propagation is redefined. It is argued that the phase screen normal should be along the line of sight (LOS) between a receiver on the ground and a space transmitter, rather than in the zenith direction at the point of intersection with the LOS, which is traditional. The model is applied to a calculation of TID strength thresholds for the occurrence of multipath and scintillation. The results are in sharp disagreement with the traditional model, which predicts thresholds lower by an order of magnitude in typical cases. Midlatitude observations of TID strengths are reviewed, and it is found that multipath thresholds can be exceeded under one or more favorable circumstances, which include frequencies below about 100 MHz, low elevation angles, winter, night, atmospheric gravity wave velocity near the magnetic field direction and away from parallel with the LOS, and low solar activity.

Parallel computation in a three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite-element analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivakumar, K. N.; Bigelow, C. A.; Newman, J. C., Jr.

1992-01-01

A CRAY parallel processing technique called autotasking was implemented in a three-dimensional elasto-plastic finite-element code. The technique was evaluated on two CRAY supercomputers, a CRAY 2 and a CRAY Y-MP. Autotasking was implemented in all major portions of the code, except the matrix equations solver. Compiler directives alone were not able to properly multitask the code; user-inserted directives were required to achieve better performance. It was noted that the connect time, rather than wall-clock time, was more appropriate to determine speedup in multiuser environments. For a typical example problem, a speedup of 2.1 (1.8 when the solution time was included) was achieved in a dedicated environment and 1.7 (1.6 with solution time) in a multiuser environment on a four-processor CRAY 2 supercomputer. The speedup on a three-processor CRAY Y-MP was about 2.4 (2.0 with solution time) in a multiuser environment.

Stressful work environment and wellbeing: What comes first?

PubMed

Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Jokela, Markus; Hakulinen, Christian; Presseau, Justin; Aalto, Anna-Mari; Kivimäki, Mika

2015-07-01

The association between the psychosocial work environment, including job demands, job control, and organizational justice, and employee wellbeing has been well established. However, the exposure to adverse work environments is typically measured only using self-reported measures that are vulnerable to reporting bias, and thus any associations found may be explained by reverse causality. Using linear regression models and cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM), we tested the direction of the association between established job stress models (job demand control and organizational justice models) and 3 wellbeing indicators (psychological distress, sleeping problems, and job satisfaction) among 1524 physicians in a 4-year follow-up. Results from the longitudinal cross-lagged analyses showed that the direction of the association was from low justice to decreasing wellbeing rather than the reverse. Although the pattern was similar in job demands and job control, a reciprocal association was found between job control and psychological distress. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Exterior direct view of (nonoriginal), solar heating panels, and top ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Exterior direct view of (non-original), solar heating panels, and top of typical rectangular trash-dump tower at roof of Building 6, looking north - North Beach Place, 401 Bay Street, 500 Francisco Street, 401 Bay Street, 500 Francisco Street, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

A Study of Self-Directed Professionals of High Attainment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouchard, Paul

The determinants of self-directed learning (SDL) among professionals of high attainment were examined through open-ended, semidirected interviews with a purposeful sample of eight professional men and women who have acquired identifiable, high-level professional knowledge/skills typically taught in postsecondary learning institutions without ever…

Effects of rooting via out-groups on in-group topology in phylogeny.

PubMed

Ackerman, Margareta; Brown, Daniel G; Loker, David

2014-01-01

Users of phylogenetic methods require rooted trees, because the direction of time depends on the placement of the root. While phylogenetic trees are typically rooted by using an out-group, this mechanism is inappropriate when the addition of an out-group changes the in-group topology. We perform a formal analysis of phylogenetic algorithms under the inclusion of distant out-groups. It turns out that linkage-based algorithms (including UPGMA) and a class of bisecting methods do not modify the topology of the in-group when an out-group is included. By contrast, the popular neighbour joining algorithm fails this property in a strong sense: every data set can have its structure destroyed by some arbitrarily distant outlier. Furthermore, including multiple outliers can lead to an arbitrary topology on the in-group. The standard rooting approach that uses out-groups may be fundamentally unsuited for neighbour joining.

Imaging in conjunction with physical therapy in management of a patient with history of thoracic tumour

PubMed Central

Rendeiro, Daniel G.; Deyle, Gail D.; Boissonnault, William G.

2015-01-01

Background: Physical therapy care for musculoskeletal conditions includes an ongoing process that systematically considers and prioritises diagnostic hypotheses. These diagnostic hypotheses include those that are typical for common musculoskeletal conditions, and must also include more rare conditions that would require care outside the scope of practice of the physical therapist. When additional screening is required, physical therapists collaborate with other providers or directly order the appropriate tests to rule out suspected pathology. Case Description: This article illustrates the use of musculoskeletal imaging ordered by a physical therapist to guide ongoing management of a patient with back pain and a history of cancer. Outcomes: The patient successfully returned to moderate-intensity sport activities after a course of physical therapy. Discussion: This case provides an example of how clinical diagnostic reasoning combined with clinical privileges to order musculoskeletal imaging can facilitate diagnostic accuracy in a timely and cost-efficient manner. PMID:26309382

How to double the number of undergraduate physics majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopp, Sacha

2015-03-01

Many colleges and universities around the country have a solid physics program that prepares students bound for graduate physics study. For a variety of reasons, the number of students choosing to major in physics may be small, typically <1% of the student body. When compared to other majors, this population is experiencing negligible growth. I will describe a campaign launched while at the University of Texas at Austin aimed at recruiting and retention of majors. This campaign includes actual programmatic changes in the curriculum and instruction of majors. Additionally, it includes a direct marketing campaign that attempted to change student attitudes about physics and its relation to their current major. Finally, it includes a program to reach out to local high schools and engage students in a discussion about their career choices before they apply for college. I will share some numerical and attitudinal data that suggests positive changes in the student population.

Direct contact with perivascular tumor cells enhances integrin αvβ3 signaling and migration of endothelial cells

PubMed Central

Burgett, Monica E.; Lathia, Justin D.; Roth, Patrick; Nowacki, Amy S.; Galileo, Deni S.; Pugacheva, Elena; Huang, Ping; Vasanji, Amit; Li, Meizhang; Byzova, Tatiana; Mikkelsen, Tom; Bao, Shideng; Rich, Jeremy N.; Weller, Michael; Gladson, Candece L.

2016-01-01

The secretion of soluble pro-angiogenic factors by tumor cells and stromal cells in the perivascular niche promotes the aggressive angiogenesis that is typical of glioblastoma (GBM). Here, we show that angiogenesis also can be promoted by a direct interaction between brain tumor cells, including tumor cells with cancer stem-like properties (CSCs), and endothelial cells (ECs). As shown in vitro, this direct interaction is mediated by binding of integrin αvβ3 expressed on ECs to the RGD-peptide in L1CAM expressed on CSCs. It promotes both EC network formation and enhances directed migration toward basic fibroblast growth factor. Activation of αvβ3 and bone marrow tyrosine kinase on chromosome X (BMX) is required for migration stimulated by direct binding but not for migration stimulated by soluble factors. RGD-peptide treatment of mice with established intracerebral GBM xenografts significantly reduced the percentage of Sox2-positive tumor cells and CSCs in close proximity to ECs, decreased integrin αvβ3 and BMX activation and p130CAS phosphorylation in the ECs, and reduced the vessel surface area. These results reveal a previously unrecognized aspect of the regulation of angiogenesis in GBM that can impact therapeutic anti-angiogenic targeting. PMID:27270311

When does female multiple mating evolve to adjust inbreeding? Effects of inbreeding depression, direct costs, mating constraints, and polyandry as a threshold trait

PubMed Central

Duthie, A. Bradley; Bocedi, Greta; Reid, Jane M.

2016-01-01

Polyandry is often hypothesized to evolve to allow females to adjust the degree to which they inbreed. Multiple factors might affect such evolution, including inbreeding depression, direct costs, constraints on male availability, and the nature of polyandry as a threshold trait. Complex models are required to evaluate when evolution of polyandry to adjust inbreeding is predicted to arise. We used a genetically explicit individual‐based model to track the joint evolution of inbreeding strategy and polyandry defined as a polygenic threshold trait. Evolution of polyandry to avoid inbreeding only occurred given strong inbreeding depression, low direct costs, and severe restrictions on initial versus additional male availability. Evolution of polyandry to prefer inbreeding only occurred given zero inbreeding depression and direct costs, and given similarly severe restrictions on male availability. However, due to its threshold nature, phenotypic polyandry was frequently expressed even when strongly selected against and hence maladaptive. Further, the degree to which females adjusted inbreeding through polyandry was typically very small, and often reflected constraints on male availability rather than adaptive reproductive strategy. Evolution of polyandry solely to adjust inbreeding might consequently be highly restricted in nature, and such evolution cannot necessarily be directly inferred from observed magnitudes of inbreeding adjustment. PMID:27464756

Intact and impaired mechanisms of action understanding in autism.

PubMed

Vivanti, Giacomo; McCormick, Carolyn; Young, Gregory S; Abucayan, Floridette; Hatt, Naomi; Nadig, Aparna; Ozonoff, Sally; Rogers, Sally J

2011-05-01

Typically developing children understand and predict others' behavior by extracting and processing relevant information such as the logic of their actions within the situational constraints and the intentions conveyed by their gaze direction and emotional expressions. Children with autism have difficulties understanding and predicting others' actions. With the use of eye tracking and behavioral measures, we investigated action understanding mechanisms used by 18 children with autism and a well-matched group of 18 typically developing children. Results showed that children with autism (a) consider situational constraints in order to understand the logic of an agent's action and (b) show typical usage of the agent's emotional expressions to infer his or her intentions. We found (c) subtle atypicalities in the way children with autism respond to an agent's direct gaze and (d) marked impairments in their ability to attend to and interpret referential cues such as a head turn for understanding an agent's intentions. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Intact and Impaired Mechanisms of Action Understanding in Autism

PubMed Central

Vivanti, Giacomo; McCormick, Carolyn; Young, Gregory S.; Abucayan, Floridette; Hatt, Naomi; Nadig, Aparna; Ozonoff, Sally; Rogers, Sally J.

2016-01-01

Typically developing children understand and predict others’ behavior by extracting and processing relevant information such as the logic of their actions within the situational constraints and the intentions conveyed by their gaze direction and emotional expressions. Children with autism have difficulties understanding and predicting others’ actions. With the use of eye tracking and behavioral measures, we investigated action understanding mechanisms used by 18 children with autism and a well-matched group of 18 typically developing children. Results showed that children with autism (a) consider situational constraints in order to understand the logic of an agent’s action and (b) show typical usage of the agent’s emotional expressions to infer his or her intentions. We found (c) subtle atypicalities in the way children with autism respond to an agent’s direct gaze and (d) marked impairments in their ability to attend to and interpret referential cues such as a head turn for understanding an agent’s intentions. PMID:21401220

Behavioural and cognitive sex/gender differences in autism spectrum condition and typically developing males and females.

PubMed

Hull, Laura; Mandy, William; Petrides, K V

2017-08-01

Studies assessing sex/gender differences in autism spectrum conditions often fail to include typically developing control groups. It is, therefore, unclear whether observed sex/gender differences reflect those found in the general population or are particular to autism spectrum conditions. A systematic search identified articles comparing behavioural and cognitive characteristics in males and females with and without an autism spectrum condition diagnosis. A total of 13 studies were included in meta-analyses of sex/gender differences in core autism spectrum condition symptoms (social/communication impairments and restricted/repetitive behaviours and interests) and intelligence quotient. A total of 20 studies were included in a qualitative review of sex/gender differences in additional autism spectrum condition symptoms. For core traits and intelligence quotient, sex/gender differences were comparable in autism spectrum conditions and typical samples. Some additional autism spectrum condition symptoms displayed different patterns of sex/gender differences in autism spectrum conditions and typically developing groups, including measures of executive function, empathising and systemising traits, internalising and externalising problems and play behaviours. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions display typical sex/gender differences in core autism spectrum condition traits, suggesting that diagnostic criteria based on these symptoms should take into account typical sex/gender differences. However, awareness of associated autism spectrum condition symptoms should include the possibility of different male and female phenotypes, to ensure those who do not fit the 'typical' autism spectrum condition presentation are not missed.

Proposal for conversion of end use equipment and service from AC to DC for enhanced benefits from photovoltaics and fuel cells

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

Wicks, F.

1998-07-01

The need to produce electricity either more fuel efficiently or without need for consuming fuel is well recognized. Fuel cells are typically suggested for higher efficiency and photovoltaics can produce electricity directly from the sun. However, both of these devices produce direct current which is not compatible with the existing ac power system. The typical options of installing AC to DC inverters and the dedication of this DC generation to DC loads and storage are costly and inefficient. Thus, the author suggests it would be better in terms of energy conservation and public policy to convert end use service tomore » DC for direct compatibility with this DC generation, as a first step toward conversion to a new and better type of electric power system that can be described as a solid state power electronics based multiple voltage DC power system.« less

Parallel and convergent processing in grid cell, head-direction cell, boundary cell, and place cell networks

PubMed Central

Brandon, Mark P; Koenig, Julie; Leutgeb, Stefan

2014-01-01

The brain is able to construct internal representations that correspond to external spatial coordinates. Such brain maps of the external spatial topography may support a number of cognitive functions, including navigation and memory. The neuronal building block of brain maps are place cells, which are found throughout the hippocampus of rodents and, in a lower proportion, primates. Place cells typically fire in one or few restricted areas of space, and each area where a cell fires can range, along the dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus, from 30 cm to at least several meters. The sensory processing streams that give rise to hippocampal place cells are not fully understood, but substantial progress has been made in characterizing the entorhinal cortex, which is the gateway between neocortical areas and the hippocampus. Entorhinal neurons have diverse spatial firing characteristics, and the different entorhinal cell types converge in the hippocampus to give rise to a single, spatially modulated cell type—the place cell. We therefore suggest that parallel information processing in different classes of cells—as is typically observed at lower levels of sensory processing—continues up into higher level association cortices, including those that provide the inputs to hippocampus. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:207–219. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1272 PMID:24587849

Direct Exoplanet Detection with Binary Differential Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodigas, Timothy J.; Weinberger, Alycia; Mamajek, Eric E.; Males, Jared R.; Close, Laird M.; Morzinski, Katie; Hinz, Philip M.; Kaib, Nathan

2015-10-01

Binaries are typically excluded from direct imaging exoplanet surveys. However, the recent findings of Kepler and radial velocity programs show that planets can and do form in binary systems. Here, we suggest that visual binaries offer unique advantages for direct imaging. We show that Binary Differential Imaging (BDI), whereby two stars are imaged simultaneously at the same wavelength within the isoplanatic patch at a high Strehl ratio, offers improved point spread function (PSF) subtraction that can result in increased sensitivity to planets close to each star. We demonstrate this by observing a young visual binary separated by 4″ with MagAO/Clio-2 at 3.9 μm, where the Strehl ratio is high, the isoplanatic patch is large, and giant planets are bright. Comparing BDI to angular differential imaging (ADI), we find that BDI’s 5σ contrast is ˜0.5 mag better than ADI’s within ˜1″ for the particular binary we observed. Because planets typically reside close to their host stars, BDI is a promising technique for discovering exoplanets in stellar systems that are often ignored. BDI is also 2-4× more efficient than ADI and classical reference PSF subtraction, since planets can be detected around both the target and PSF reference simultaneously. We are currently exploiting this technique in a new MagAO survey for giant planets in 140 young nearby visual binaries. BDI on a space-based telescope would not be limited by isoplanatism effects and would therefore be an even more powerful tool for imaging and discovering planets. This paper includes data obtained at the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Direct-field acoustic testing of a flight system : logistics, challenges, and results.

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

Stasiunas, Eric Carl; Gurule, David Joseph; Babuska, Vit

2010-10-01

Before a spacecraft can be considered for launch, it must first survive environmental testing that simulates the launch environment. Typically, these simulations include vibration testing performed using an electro-dynamic shaker. For some spacecraft however, acoustic excitation may provide a more severe loading environment than base shaker excitation. Because this was the case for a Sandia Flight System, it was necessary to perform an acoustic test prior to launch in order to verify survival due to an acoustic environment. Typically, acoustic tests are performed in acoustic chambers, but because of scheduling, transportation, and cleanliness concerns, this was not possible. Instead, themore » test was performed as a direct field acoustic test (DFAT). This type of test consists of surrounding a test article with a wall of speakers and controlling the acoustic input using control microphones placed around the test item, with a closed-loop control system. Obtaining the desired acoustic input environment - proto-flight random noise input with an overall sound pressure level (OASPL) of 146.7 dB-with this technique presented a challenge due to several factors. An acoustic profile with this high OASPL had not knowingly been obtained using the DFAT technique prior to this test. In addition, the test was performed in a high-bay, where floor space and existing equipment constrained the speaker circle diameter. And finally, the Flight System had to be tested without contamination of the unit, which required a contamination bag enclosure of the test unit. This paper describes in detail the logistics, challenges, and results encountered while performing a high-OASPL, direct-field acoustic test on a contamination-sensitive Flight System in a high-bay environment.« less

Assessment of the content, structure, and source of soil dissolved organic matter in the coastal wetlands of Jiaozhou Bay, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, Min; Zi, Yuanyuan; Wang, Qinggai; Wang, Sen; Cui, Guolu; Kong, Fanlong

2018-02-01

The contents and the spectral analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in four typical wetlands, such as naked tidal, suaeda salsa, reed and spartina, were conducted to investigate the content, structure, and source of DOM in coastal wetland soil. The soil samples were obtained from Jiaozhou Bay in January, April, July, and October of 2014. Results showed that the DOM contents in soil of four typical wetland were in order of spartina wetland > naked tidal > suaeda salsa wetland > reed wetland in horizontal direction, and decreased with the increase of soil depth on vertical section. In addition, the DOM contents changed with the seasons, in order of spring > summer > autumn > winter. The structural characteristics of DOM in Jiaozhou Bay wetland, such as aromaticity, hydrophobicity, molecular weight, polymerization degree of benzene ring carbon frame structure and so on were in order of spartina wetland > naked tidal > suaeda salsa wetland > reed wetland in the horizontal direction. On the vertical direction, they showed a decreasing trend with the increase of soil depth. The results of three dimensional fluorescence spectra and fluorescence spectrum parameters (FI, HIX, and BIX) indicated that the DOM in Jiaozhou Bay was mainly derived from the biological activities. The contents and structure of DOM had certain relevance, but the contents and source as well as the structure and source of DOM had no significant correlation. The external pollution including domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, and aquaculture sewage affected the correlation among the content, structure and source of DOM by influencing the percentage of non-fluorescent substance in DOM and disturbing the determination of protein-like fluorescence.

Preliminary Design of Low-Thrust Interplanetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sims, Jon A.; Flanagan, Steve N.

1997-01-01

For interplanetary missions, highly efficient electric propulsion systems can be used to increase the mass delivered to the destination and/or reduce the trip time over typical chemical propulsion systems. This technology is being demonstrated on the Deep Space 1 mission - part of NASA's New Millennium Program validating technologies which can lower the cost and risk and enhance the performance of future missions. With the successful demonstration on Deep Space 1, future missions can consider electric propulsion as a viable propulsion option. Electric propulsion systems, while highly efficient, produce only a small amount of thrust. As a result, the engines operate during a significant fraction of the trajectory. This characteristic makes it much more difficult to find optimal trajectories. The methods for optimizing low-thrust trajectories are typically categorized as either indirect, or direct. Indirect methods are based on calculus of variations, resulting in a two-point boundary value problem that is solved by satisfying terminal constraints and targeting conditions. These methods are subject to extreme sensitivity to the initial guess of the variables - some of which are not physically intuitive. Adding a gravity assist to the trajectory compounds the sensitivity. Direct methods parameterize the problem and use nonlinear programming techniques to optimize an objective function by adjusting a set of variables. A variety of methods of this type have been examined with varying results. These methods are subject to the limitations of the nonlinear programming techniques. In this paper we present a direct method intended to be used primarily for preliminary design of low-thrust interplanetary trajectories, including those with multiple gravity assists. Preliminary design implies a willingness to accept limited accuracy to achieve an efficient algorithm that executes quickly.

Non-parametric directionality analysis - Extension for removal of a single common predictor and application to time series.

PubMed

Halliday, David M; Senik, Mohd Harizal; Stevenson, Carl W; Mason, Rob

2016-08-01

The ability to infer network structure from multivariate neuronal signals is central to computational neuroscience. Directed network analyses typically use parametric approaches based on auto-regressive (AR) models, where networks are constructed from estimates of AR model parameters. However, the validity of using low order AR models for neurophysiological signals has been questioned. A recent article introduced a non-parametric approach to estimate directionality in bivariate data, non-parametric approaches are free from concerns over model validity. We extend the non-parametric framework to include measures of directed conditional independence, using scalar measures that decompose the overall partial correlation coefficient summatively by direction, and a set of functions that decompose the partial coherence summatively by direction. A time domain partial correlation function allows both time and frequency views of the data to be constructed. The conditional independence estimates are conditioned on a single predictor. The framework is applied to simulated cortical neuron networks and mixtures of Gaussian time series data with known interactions. It is applied to experimental data consisting of local field potential recordings from bilateral hippocampus in anaesthetised rats. The framework offers a non-parametric approach to estimation of directed interactions in multivariate neuronal recordings, and increased flexibility in dealing with both spike train and time series data. The framework offers a novel alternative non-parametric approach to estimate directed interactions in multivariate neuronal recordings, and is applicable to spike train and time series data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In-Situ Wave Observations in the High Resolution Air-Sea Interaction DRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

directional spectra extracted from the Coastal Data Information Program ( CDIP ) Harvest buoy located in 204 m depth off Point Conception. The initial sea...frequency-directional wave spectra (source: CDIP ). Upper panels: Typical summer-time South swell in the presence of a light North-West wind sea

Droplet-turbulence interactions in sprays exposed to supercritical environmental conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santavicca, Domenic A.

1993-01-01

The goal of this research was to experimentally characterize the behavior of droplets in vaporizing sprays under conditions typical of those encountered in high pressure combustion systems such as liquid fueled rocket engines. Of particular interest are measurements of droplet drag and lift, droplet dispersion, droplet heating, and droplet vaporization under both subcritical and supercritical conditions. A summary of the major accomplishments achieved during the period from June 1990 through June 1993, a brief description and status report on five research areas, which were directly or indirectly supported by this grant, and a list of publications and personnel associated with this research is included.

Static strain and vibration characteristics of a metal semimonocoque helicopter tail cone of moderate size

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bielawa, Richard L.; Hefner, Rachel E.; Castagna, Andre

1991-01-01

The results are presented of an analytic and experimental research program involving a Sikorsky S-55 helicopter tail cone directed ultimately to the improved structural analysis of airframe substructures typical of moderate sized helicopters of metal semimonocoque construction. Experimental static strain and dynamic shake-testing measurements are presented. Correlation studies of each of these tests with a PC-based finite element analysis (COSMOS/M) are described. The tests included static loadings at the end of the tail cone supported in the cantilever configuration as well as vibrational shake-testing in both the cantilever and free-free configurations.

NOAA's Van-Based Mobile Atmospheric Emissions Measurement Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dube, W. P.; Peischl, J.; Neuman, J. A.; Eilerman, S. J.; Holloway, M.; Roberts, O.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.

2015-12-01

The Chemical Science Division (CSD) mobile atmospheric emissions measurement laboratory is the second and latest of two mobile measurement vans outfitted for atmospheric sampling by the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. In this presentation we will describe the modifications made to this vehicle to provide a versatile and relatively inexpensive instrument platform including: the 2 kW 120 volt instrument power system; battery back-up system; data acquisition system; real-time display; meteorological, directional, and position sensor package; and the typical atmospheric emissions instrument package. The van conversion uses commercially available, off-the-shelf components from the marine and RV industries, thus keeping the costs quite modest.

Schizophrenia: management and family burden.

PubMed

Sebit, M B

2007-01-01

To explore schizophrenia with respect to its management, causes, risk factors as well as the impact it has in families regarding the burden and social networks support. Desk literature reviews. The findings are that patients with schizophrenia typically have great difficulty following a medication regimen, but they also have the greatest potential for benefiting from adherence. As with other chronic diseases that lack a definitive cure, the individual's service/recovery plan must include treatment interventions directed towards decreasing manifestations of the illness, rehabilitative services, enhancing adaptive skills, and social support mobilization aimed at optimizing function and quality of life. Finally, this paper is not exhaustive, but a pointer for further readings.

Singly charged energetic helium emitted in solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hovestadt, D.; Hoefner, H.; Klecker, B.; Scholer, M.; Gloeckler, G.; Ipavich, F. M.; Fan, C. Y.; Fisk, L. A.; Ogallagher, J. J.

1981-01-01

First direct charge state measurements of 0.41-1.05 MeV per nucleon helium accelerated at the sun reveal surprisingly large abundances of singly ionized helium, with typical He(+)/He(++) ratios between 0.04 and 0.21. This unexpected overabundance of He(+) was observed in each of the three large solar-flare particle events which occurred between 1978 August and 1979 October. The data were obtained with the Max-Planck-Institut/University of Maryland Experiment on board the ISEE-3 spacecraft. The observations suggest either strong coronal temperature inhomogeneities including cool regions of approximately 100,000 K or injection of 'cold' chromospheric/photospheric material into the flare acceleration region.

Non-flammable polyphosphonate electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, Brian G.; Morris, R. Scott; Dallek, Steven

This research is directed towards the development of safe, and thermally stable polymeric electrolytes. Advanced electrolytes are described, including thermal test data, which are ionically highly conductive, and non-flammable. These novel multi-heteropolymer electrolytes represent a significant advance in the design of high-performance rechargeable lithium systems that possess superior safety and handling characteristics. Representative results are shown by the figures contained in this text. These DSC/TGA results compare a typical liquid carbonate-based electrolyte system, ethylene carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate, with novel polyphosphonates as synthesized in this program. These tests were performed with the electrolytes in combination with lithium metal, and the impressive relative thermal stability of the phosphonates is apparent.

Porcine cadaver iris model for iris heating during corneal surgery with a femtosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hui; Fan, Zhongwei; Wang, Jiang; Yan, Ying; Juhasz, Tibor; Kurtz, Ron

2015-03-01

Multiple femtosecond lasers have now been cleared for use for ophthalmic surgery, including for creation of corneal flaps in LASIK surgery. Preliminary study indicated that during typical surgical use, laser energy may pass beyond the cornea with potential effects on the iris. As a model for laser exposure of the iris during femtosecond corneal surgery, we simulated the temperature rise in porcine cadaver iris during direct illumination by the femtosecond laser. Additionally, ex-vivo iris heating due to femtosecond laser irradiation was measured with an infrared thermal camera (Fluke corp. Everett, WA) as a validation of the simulation.

Double ionization of helium by ion impact: second Born order treatment at the fully differential level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, S. D.; Otranto, S.; Garibotti, C. R.

2015-01-01

In this work, a theoretical study of the double ionization of He by ion impact at the fully differential level is presented. Emphasis is made in the role played by the projectile in the double emission process depending on its charge and the amount of momentum transferred to the target. A Born-CDW model including a second-order term in the projectile charge is introduced and evaluated within an on-shell treatment. We find that emission geometries for which the second-order term dominates lead to asymmetric structures around the momentum transfer direction, a typical characteristic of higher order transitions.

Effortful Control in Typically Developing Boys and in Boys with ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samyn, Vicky; Roeyers, Herbert; Bijttebier, Patricia

2011-01-01

Despite increased interest in the role of effortful control (EC) in developmental disorders, few studies have focused on EC in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and no study so far has directly compared children with ASD and children with ADHD. A first aim of this study was to investigate whether typically developing (TD) boys, boys with ADHD and…

Bronchoscopic cryotherapy treatment of isolated endoluminal typical carcinoid tumor.

PubMed

Bertoletti, Laurent; Elleuch, Rami; Kaczmarek, David; Jean-François, Rita; Vergnon, Jean Michel

2006-11-01

Bronchial typical carcinoid tumors are rare. The "gold standard" treatment is surgery, but there is literature to support bronchoscopic therapy with curative intent. Based on the efficacy of cryotherapy for in situ lung cancer, we studied the safety and efficacy of rigid bronchoscopic treatment with cryotherapy on isolated endoluminal typical carcinoid tumors. All the patients from the Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Thoracic Oncology of St. Etienne University Hospital (France), and of Hôpital Notre Dame, University Hospital of Montreal referred with typical carcinoid were screened. Inclusion criteria included the following: proven typical carcinoid, strictly endoluminal disease amenable to bronchoscopic therapy, and no evidence of lymph node invasion. All patients had a complete removal of the tumor, and all patients received cryotherapy to the implantation base. Twenty-nine patients were screened, and 18 were included. Mean age was 47 years, and study population included 11 women. Median follow-up was 55 months. There was a single recurrence 7 years after the initial bronchoscopic treatment. Cryotherapy is a safe and effective adjunct to endobronchial mechanical resection of typical carcinoids. Unlike other adjuncts that have been proposed, cryotherapy is not associated with long-term complications including bronchial stenosis.

Role of Prism Decussation on Fatigue Crack Growth and Fracture of Human Enamel

PubMed Central

Bajaj, Devendra; Arola, Dwayne

2009-01-01

The role of prism decussation on the crack growth resistance of human enamel is evaluated. Miniature inset Compact Tension (CT) specimens embodying a section of cuspal enamel were subjected to Mode I cyclic or monotonic loads. Cracks were grown in either the forward (from outer enamel inwards) or reverse (from inner enamel outwards) direction and the responses were compared quantitatively. Results showed that the outer enamel exhibits lower resistance to the inception and growth of cracks. Regardless of the growth direction, the near threshold region of cyclic extension was typical of ‘short crack’ behavior (i.e. deceleration of growth with an increase in crack length). Cyclic crack growth was more stable in the forward direction and occurred over twice the spatial distance achieved in the reverse direction. In response to the monotonic loads, a rising R-curve response was exhibited by growth in the forward direction only. The total energy absorbed in fracture for the forward direction was more than three times that in the reverse. The rise in crack growth resistance was largely attributed to a combination of mechanisms that included crack bridging, crack bifurcation and crack curving, which were induced by decussation in the inner enamel. An analysis of the responses distinguished that the microstructure of enamel appears optimized for resisting crack growth initiating from damage at the tooth’s surface. PMID:19433137

Role of prism decussation on fatigue crack growth and fracture of human enamel.

PubMed

Bajaj, Devendra; Arola, Dwayne

2009-10-01

The role of prism decussation on the crack growth resistance of human enamel is evaluated. Miniature inset compact tension (CT) specimens embodying a section of cuspal enamel were subjected to Mode I cyclic or monotonic loads. Cracks were grown in either the forward (from outer enamel inwards) or reverse (from inner enamel outwards) direction and the responses were compared quantitatively. Results showed that the outer enamel exhibits lower resistance to the inception and growth of cracks. Regardless of the growth direction, the near-threshold region of cyclic extension was typical of "short crack" behavior (i.e. deceleration of growth with an increase in crack length). Cyclic crack growth was more stable in the forward direction and occurred over twice the spatial distance achieved in the reverse direction. In response to the monotonic loads, a rising R-curve response was exhibited by growth in the forward direction only. The total energy absorbed in fracture for the forward direction was more than three times that in the reverse. The rise in crack growth resistance was largely attributed to a combination of mechanisms that included crack bridging, crack bifurcation and crack curving, which were induced by decussation in the inner enamel. An analysis of the responses distinguished that the microstructure of enamel appears optimized for resisting crack growth initiating from damage at the tooth's surface.

Band Alignment and Controllable Electron Migration between Rutile and Anatase TiO2

PubMed Central

Mi, Yang; Weng, Yuxiang

2015-01-01

TiO2 is the most promising semiconductor for photocatalytic splitting of water for hydrogen and degradation of pollutants. The highly photocatalytic active form is its mixed phase of two polymorphs anatase and rutile rather than their pristine compositions. Such a synergetic effect is understood by the staggered band alignment favorable to spatial charge separation. However, electron migration in either direction between the two phases has been reported, the reason of which is still unknown. We determined the band alignment by a novel method, i.e., transient infrared absorption-excitation energy scanning spectra, showing their conduction bands being aligned, thus the electron migration direction is controlled by dynamical factors, such as varying the particle size of anatase, putting electron or hole scavengers on either the surface of anatase or rutile phases, or both. A quantitative criterion capable of predicting the migration direction under various conditions including particle size and surface chemical reactions is proposed, the predictions have been verified experimentally in several typical cases. This would give rise to a great potential in designing more effective titania photocatalysts. PMID:26169699

Excitation model of pacemaker cardiomyocytes of cardiac conduction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, M.; Babich, L.

2015-11-01

Myocardium includes typical and atypical cardiomyocytes - pacemakers, which form the cardiac conduction system. Excitation from the atrioventricular node in normal conditions is possible only in one direction. Retrograde direction of pulses is impossible. The most important prerequisite for the work of cardiomyocytes is the anatomical integrity of the conduction system. Changes in contractile force of the cardiomyocytes, which appear periodically, are due to two mechanisms of self-regulation - heterometric and homeometric. Graphic course of the excitation pulse propagation along the heart muscle more accurately reveals the understanding of the arrhythmia mechanism. These models have the ability to visualize the essence of excitation dynamics. However, they do not have the proper forecasting function for result estimation. Integrative mathematical model enables further investigation of general laws of the myocardium active behavior, allows for determination of the violation mechanism of electrical and contractile function of cardiomyocytes. Currently, there is no full understanding of the topography of pacemakers and ionic mechanisms. There is a need for the development of direction of mathematical modeling and comparative studies of the electrophysiological arrangement of cells of atrioventricular connection and ventricular conduction system.

Using Perseverative Interests to Improve Interactions Between Adolescents with Autism and their Typical Peers in School Settings

PubMed Central

Koegel, Robert; Fredeen, Rosy; Kim, Sunny; Danial, John; Rubinstein, Derek; Koegel, Lynn

2013-01-01

The literature suggests that adolescents with ASD typically are not socially engaged during unstructured school activities and do not initiate social activities with typically developing peers. This study assessed whether implementing socialization opportunities in the form of lunch clubs based around aspects of the adolescents with ASD’s perseverative interests would promote positive direct and generalized social interaction between the target adolescent and their typically developing peers. A repeated measures multiple baseline experimental design (with two reversals) was implemented across participants. During baseline measures, the participants did not show social engagement or initiations. During intervention, results showed large increases in both social engagement and initiations. Generalization measures also showed that the target adolescents improved their social engagements and initiations with typically developing peers throughout unstructured lunchtime activities. These results have implications for understanding variables related to social development in autism. PMID:24163577

Computer-program documentation of an interactive-accounting model to simulate streamflow, water quality, and water-supply operations in a river basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burns, A.W.

1988-01-01

This report describes an interactive-accounting model used to simulate streamflow, chemical-constituent concentrations and loads, and water-supply operations in a river basin. The model uses regression equations to compute flow from incremental (internode) drainage areas. Conservative chemical constituents (typically dissolved solids) also are computed from regression equations. Both flow and water quality loads are accumulated downstream. Optionally, the model simulates the water use and the simplified groundwater systems of a basin. Water users include agricultural, municipal, industrial, and in-stream users , and reservoir operators. Water users list their potential water sources, including direct diversions, groundwater pumpage, interbasin imports, or reservoir releases, in the order in which they will be used. Direct diversions conform to basinwide water law priorities. The model is interactive, and although the input data exist in files, the user can modify them interactively. A major feature of the model is its color-graphic-output options. This report includes a description of the model, organizational charts of subroutines, and examples of the graphics. Detailed format instructions for the input data, example files of input data, definitions of program variables, and listing of the FORTRAN source code are Attachments to the report. (USGS)

Direct Data Distribution From Low-Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budinger, James M.; Fujikawa, Gene; Kunath, Richard R.; Nguyen, Nam T.; Romanofsky, Robert R.; Spence, Rodney L.

1997-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) is developing the space and ground segment technologies necessary to demonstrate a direct data distribution (1)3) system for use in space-to-ground communication links from spacecraft in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to strategically located tracking ground terminals. The key space segment technologies include a K-band (19 GHz) MMIC-based transmit phased array antenna, and a multichannel bandwidth- and power-efficient digital encoder/modulate with an aggregate data rate of 622 Mb/s. Along with small (1.8 meter), low-cost tracking terminals on the ground, the D3 system enables affordable distribution of data to the end user or archive facility through interoperability with commercial terrestrial telecommunications networks. The D3 system is applicable to both government and commercial science and communications spacecraft in LEO. The features and benefits of the D3 system concept are described. Starting with typical orbital characteristics, a set of baseline requirements for representative applications is developed, including requirements for onboard storage and tracking terminals, and sample link budgets are presented. Characteristics of the transmit array antenna and digital encoder/modulator are described. The architecture and components of the tracking terminal are described, including technologies for the next generation terminal. Candidate flights of opportunity for risk mitigation and space demonstration of the D3 features are identified.

Line-of-Sight Data Link Test Set

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

spheric layer model for layer refraction or a surface reflectivity model for ground reflection paths. Measurement of the channel impulse response...the model is exercised over a path consisting of only a constant direct component. The test would consist of measuring the modem demodulator bit...direct and a fading direct component. The test typically would consist of measuring the bit error-rate over a range of average signal-to-noise

Selective high-affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

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

Denardo, Sally J.; Denardo, Gerald L.; Balhorn, Rodney L.

This invention provides novel polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each bind different region son the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

Selective high-affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

DOEpatents

DeNardo, Sally; DeNardo, Gerald; Balhorn, Rodney

2013-09-17

This invention provides polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each binds different regions on the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

Selective high affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

DOEpatents

DeNardo, Sally; DeNardo, Gerald; Balhorn, Rodney

2010-02-16

This invention provides novel polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each bind different region son the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

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

Tsai, H; Hu, Y; Hwang, Y

Purpose: This study was to investigate size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) for routine adult abdominal CT examinations in Taiwan. Methods: A national survey was conducted in Taiwan in 2014 to investigate SSDEs for routine adult abdominal CT examinations. The hospitals involved in this study provided CT images of their typical patients. The CT image in the level of the middle liver was selected to record the corresponding tube current, slice mAs or effective mAs. The image was also used to estimate the dimensions of patient as measuring the lengths in the anterior to posterior (AP) and lateral (LAT) directions. The effectivemore » diameter was then calculated from AP and LAT, and used to look up conversion factors in the AAPM 204 report. The volume CTDI (CTDIvol) for each CT unit was measured on sites using a 32-cm cylindrical standard dose phantom and a calibrated pencil-type ionization chamber. Individual patient’s SSDEs were then calculated from the corresponding SSDE conversion factor and the CTDIvol. Results: The study cohort included 111 CT units. The ratio of turning on automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) or not is 88:23. Effective diameters are 258.7±25.1 mm (167–366 mm). 99.3% of typical patients selected by each hospital have smaller effective diameter than the 32-cm dosimetry phantom. Adult abdomenal SSDE is 17.5 ± 8.8 mGy (1.9-58 mGy). The SSDE seems to decrease as the effective diameter increases as the ATCM turns off, and independent with the effective diameter as the ATCM turns on. Conclusion: The SSDE for typical patients in Taiwan was investigated. We continue to complete this investigation in 2015 to include more valid data to establish SSDE reference level in Taiwan. This study was financially supported by the Atomic Energy Council in Taiwan.« less

Convection Weather Detection by General Aviation Pilots with Convectional and Data-Linked Graphical Weather Information Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlain, James P.; Latorella, Kara A.

2001-01-01

This study compares how well general aviation (GA) pilots detect convective weather in flight with different weather information sources. A flight test was conducted in which GA pilot test subjects were given different in-flight weather information cues and flown toward convective weather of moderate or greater intensity. The test subjects were not actually flying the aircraft, but were given pilot tasks representative of the workload and position awareness requirements of the en route portion of a cross country GA flight. On each flight, one test subject received weather cues typical of a flight in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), another received cues typical of flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and a third received cues typical of flight in IMC but augmented with a graphical weather information system (GWIS). The GWIS provided the subject with near real time data-linked weather products, including a weather radar mosaic superimposed on a moving map with a symbol depicting the aircraft's present position and direction of track. At several points during each flight, the test subjects completed short questionnaires which included items addressing their weather situation awareness and flight decisions. In particular, test subjects were asked to identify the location of the nearest convective cells. After the point of nearest approach to convective weather, the test subjects were asked to draw the location of convective weather on an aeronautical chart, along with the aircraft's present position. This paper reports preliminary results on how accurately test subjects provided with these different weather sources could identify the nearest cell of moderate or greater intensity along their route of flight. Additional flight tests are currently being conducted to complete the data set.

Amount of Postcue Encoding Predicts Amount of Directed Forgetting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pastotter, Bernhard; Bauml, Karl-Heinz

2010-01-01

In list-method directed forgetting, participants are cued to intentionally forget a previously studied list (List 1) before encoding a subsequently presented list (List 2). Compared with remember-cued participants, forget-cued participants typically show impaired recall of List 1 and improved recall of List 2, referred to as List 1 forgetting and…

Brief Report: Imitation of Object-Directed Acts in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonsiorowski, Anna; Williamson, Rebecca A.; Robins, Diana L.

2016-01-01

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) imitate less than typically developing (TD) children; however, the specific features and causes of this deficit are still unclear. The current study investigates the role of joint engagement, specifically children's visual attention to demonstrations, in an object-directed imitation task. This sample…

77 FR 74559 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Residential Water Heaters...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-17

... fossil fuel as applicable to a given water heater. Specifically, the standby loss testing in the existing... important to note that fossil-fueled direct heating equipment and pool heaters typically consume both fossil... procedures for direct heating equipment, fossil-fuel energy consumption is accounted for comprehensively over...

Brain Mechanisms for Processing Direct and Averted Gaze in Individuals with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitskel, Naomi B.; Bolling, Danielle Z.; Hudac, Caitlin M.; Lantz, Stephen D.; Minshew, Nancy J.; Vander Wyk, Brent C.; Pelphrey, Kevin A.

2011-01-01

Prior studies have indicated brain abnormalities underlying social processing in autism, but no fMRI study has specifically addressed the differential processing of direct and averted gaze, a critical social cue. Fifteen adolescents and adults with autism and 14 typically developing comparison participants viewed dynamic virtual-reality videos…

Electrochemical detection for microscale analytical systems: a review.

PubMed

Wang, Joseph

2002-02-11

As the field of chip-based microscale systems continues its rapid growth, there are urgent needs for developing compatible detection modes. Electrochemistry detection offers considerable promise for such microfluidic systems, with features that include remarkable sensitivity, inherent miniaturization and portability, independence of optical path length or sample turbidity, low cost, low-power requirements and high compatibility with advanced micromachining and microfabrication technologies. This paper highlights recent advances, directions and key strategies in controlled-potential electrochemical detectors for miniaturized analytical systems. Subjects covered include the design and integration of the electrochemical detection system, its requirements and operational principles, common electrode materials, derivatization reactions, electrical-field decouplers, typical applications and future prospects. It is expected that electrochemical detection will become a powerful tool for microscale analytical systems and will facilitate the creation of truly portable (and possibly disposable) devices.

Photogrammetry Applied to Wind Tunnel Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Tian-Shu; Cattafesta, L. N., III; Radeztsky, R. H.; Burner, A. W.

2000-01-01

In image-based measurements, quantitative image data must be mapped to three-dimensional object space. Analytical photogrammetric methods, which may be used to accomplish this task, are discussed from the viewpoint of experimental fluid dynamicists. The Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) for camera calibration, used in pressure sensitive paint, is summarized. An optimization method for camera calibration is developed that can be used to determine the camera calibration parameters, including those describing lens distortion, from a single image. Combined with the DLT method, this method allows a rapid and comprehensive in-situ camera calibration and therefore is particularly useful for quantitative flow visualization and other measurements such as model attitude and deformation in production wind tunnels. The paper also includes a brief description of typical photogrammetric applications to temperature- and pressure-sensitive paint measurements and model deformation measurements in wind tunnels.

Conjunctive programming: An interactive approach to software system synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tausworthe, Robert C.

1992-01-01

This report introduces a technique of software documentation called conjunctive programming and discusses its role in the development and maintenance of software systems. The report also describes the conjoin tool, an adjunct to assist practitioners. Aimed at supporting software reuse while conforming with conventional development practices, conjunctive programming is defined as the extraction, integration, and embellishment of pertinent information obtained directly from an existing database of software artifacts, such as specifications, source code, configuration data, link-edit scripts, utility files, and other relevant information, into a product that achieves desired levels of detail, content, and production quality. Conjunctive programs typically include automatically generated tables of contents, indexes, cross references, bibliographic citations, tables, and figures (including graphics and illustrations). This report presents an example of conjunctive programming by documenting the use and implementation of the conjoin program.

Applications of DART-MS for food quality and safety assurance in food supply chain.

PubMed

Guo, Tianyang; Yong, Wei; Jin, Yong; Zhang, Liya; Liu, Jiahui; Wang, Sai; Chen, Qilong; Dong, Yiyang; Su, Haijia; Tan, Tianwei

2017-03-01

Direct analysis in real time (DART) represents a new generation of ion source which is used for rapid ionization of small molecules under ambient conditions. The combination of DART and various mass spectrometers allows analyzing multiple food samples with simple or no sample treatment, or in conjunction with prevailing protocolized sample preparation methods. Abundant applications by DART-MS have been reviewed in this paper. The DART-MS strategy applied to food supply chain (FSC), including production, processing, and storage and transportation, provides a comprehensive solution to various food components, contaminants, authenticity, and traceability. Additionally, typical applications available in food analysis by other ambient ionization mass spectrometers were summarized, and fundamentals mainly including mechanisms, devices, and parameters were discussed as well. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev. 36:161-187, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anti-arrhythmic strategies for atrial fibrillation

PubMed Central

Grandi, Eleonora; Maleckar, Mary M.

2016-01-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with increased risk of cerebrovascular stroke, and with several other pathologies, including heart failure. Current therapies for AF are targeted at reducing risk of stroke (anticoagulation) and tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (rate or rhythm control). Rate control, typically achieved by atrioventricular nodal blocking drugs, is often insufficient to alleviate symptoms. Rhythm control approaches include antiarrhythmic drugs, electrical cardioversion, and ablation strategies. Here, we offer several examples of how computational modeling can provide a quantitative framework for integrating multi scale data to: (a) gain insight into multi-scale mechanisms of AF; (b) identify and test pharmacological and electrical therapy and interventions; and (c) support clinical decisions. We review how modeling approaches have evolved and contributed to the research pipeline and preclinical development and discuss future directions and challenges in the field. PMID:27612549

Recent Changes in Pgopher: a General Purpose Program for Simulating Rotational Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Western, Colin

2010-06-01

Key features of the PGOPHER program include the simulation and fitting of the rotational structure of linear molecules and symmetric and asymmetric tops, including effects due to unpaired electrons and nuclear spin. The program is written to be as general as possible, and can handle many effects such as multiple interacting states, predissociation and multiphoton transitions. It is designed to be easy to use, with a flexible graphical user interface. PGOPHER has been released as an open source program, and can be freely downloaded from the website at http://pgopher.chm.bris.ac.uk. Recent additions include a mode which allows the calculation of vibrational energy levels starting from a harmonic model and the multidimensional Franck-Condon factors required to calculate intensities of vibronic transitions. PGOPHER takes account of both the displacement along normal co-ordinates and mixing between modes (the Duschinsky effect). l matrices produced from ab initio programs can be directly read by PGOPHER or the mode displacements and mixing can be fit to observed spectra. In addition the effects of external electric and/or magnetic fields can now be calculated, including plots of energy level against electric field suitable for predicting Stark deceleration, focussing and trapping of molecules. The figure shows a typical plot, showing the electric field tuning of the M = 0 levels of 202, 111 and 110 levels of (NO)_2. Other new features include fits to combination differences, simulation of the Doppler split peak typical of Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy, specifying a nuclear spin temperature independent of rotational temperature and interactive adjustment of parameter values with the mouse in addition to typing values.

A specific sexual orientation-related difference in navigation strategy.

PubMed

Rahman, Qazi; Andersson, Davinia; Govier, Ernest

2005-02-01

During spatial navigation, women typically navigate an environment using a landmark strategy, whereas men typically use an orientation strategy. To examine the as yet unknown effects of sexual orientation on these normative sex differences, this study required 80 healthy heterosexual and homosexual adult men and women to provide directions from experimental maps for 4 routes. The frequency and type of strategy used by each participant were computed. Expected sex differences were demonstrated, and a robust cross-sex shift was shown by homosexual men in using landmarks. This remained after controlling for differences in mental rotation, directional sense, and general intelligence. The findings may limit the number of putative neurodevelopmental pathways responsible for sex differences in navigation strategy utility. Copyright 2005 APA.

Insights to primitive replication derived from structures of small oligonucleotides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, G. K.; Fox, G. E.

1995-01-01

Available information on the structure of small oligonucleotides is surveyed. It is observed that even small oligomers typically exhibit defined structures over a wide range of pH and temperature. These structures rely on a plethora of non-standard base-base interactions in addition to the traditional Watson-Crick pairings. Stable duplexes, though typically antiparallel, can be parallel or staggered and perfect complementarity is not essential. These results imply that primitive template directed reactions do not require high fidelity. Hence, the extensive use of Watson-Crick complementarity in genes rather than being a direct consequence of the primitive condensation process, may instead reflect subsequent selection based on the advantage of accuracy in maintaining the primitive genetic machinery once it arose.

Parents' strategies to elicit autobiographical memories in autism spectrum disorders, developmental language disorders and typically developing children.

PubMed

Goldman, Sylvie; DeNigris, Danielle

2015-05-01

Conversations about the past support the development of autobiographical memory. Parents' strategies to elicit child's participation and recall during past event conversations were compared across three school-age diagnostic groups: autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 11), developmental language disorders (n = 11) and typically developing (TD, n = 11). We focused on the prevalence of directives versus enrichment of events. Groups did not differ in number of events, length, and total turns. However, parents of children with ASD produced more direct questions, corrections, and unrelated turns than parents of TD children. Results highlight how parents adjusted their conversational style to their child's communication difficulties to maximize interactions and how these strategies may affect the development of personal conversations.

Patterns of Adult-Child Linguistic Interaction in Integrated Day Care Groups.

PubMed

Girolametto, Luigi; Hoaken, Lisa; Weitzman, Elaine; Lieshout, Riet van

2000-04-01

This study investigated the language input of eight childcare providers to children with developmental disabilities, including language delay, who were integrated into community day care centers. Structural and discourse features of the adults' language input was compared across two groups (integrated, typical) and two naturalistic day care contexts (book reading, play dough activity). The eight children with developmental disabilities and language delay were between 33-50 months of age; 32 normally developing peers ranged in age from 32-53 months of age. Adult-child interactions were transcribed and coded to yield estimates of structural indices (number of utterances, rate, mean length of utterances, ratio of different words to total words used (TTR) and discourse features (directive, interactive, language-modelling) of their language input. The language input addressed to the children with developmental disabilities was directive and not finely tuned to their expressive language levels. In turn, these children interacted infrequently with the adult or with the other children. Contextual comparisons indicated that the play dough activity promoted adult-child interaction that was less directive and more interaction-promoting than book reading, and that children interacted more frequently in the play-dough activity. Implications for speech-language pathologists include the need for collaborative consultation in integrated settings, modification of adult-child play contexts to promote interaction, and training childcare providers to use language input that promotes communication development.

Ovarian Epithelial Inclusions With Mucinous Differentiation: A Clinicopathologic Study of 42 Cases.

PubMed

Seidman, Jeffrey D; Krishnan, Jayashree

2017-07-01

Ovarian epithelial inclusions lined by mucinous epithelium are rare and of uncertain origin. Ovaries containing such inclusions were studied in 42 women. The inclusions were divided into 3 groups: serous epithelial lined with typical ciliated morphology but with distinct basophilic cytoplasmic mucin in some or all of the lining cells, those lined by typical mucinous epithelium, and those lined by a combination of typical mucinous epithelium and serous epithelium. The mean patient age was 61.5 years. Pure mucinous inclusions were found in 27 patients, serous-type inclusions with cytoplasmic mucin in 20, and mixed type in 10. All 3 types of inclusions were found in 1 patient. Two types of inclusions were found in 13. Four patients had associated mucinous neoplasms (1 mucinous cystadenoma, 1 atypical proliferative seromucinous tumor, and 2 seromucinous cystadenomas), and 11 patients (26%) had endometriosis. The fallopian tubes in 4 patients (9.5%) also displayed mucinous metaplasia; this was not significantly different from the 3.1% we found in our previously reported series of unselected tubes from the same population. These findings suggest that mucinous inclusions may arise as a direct metaplastic change in serous-type inclusions. Other possible origins of mucinous inclusions in the ovarian cortex include endometriosis and Brenner (transitional cell) nests. Whether such inclusions can be a source of mucinous ovarian neoplasms as are Brenner tumors and mature cystic teratomas is unknown and may warrant further investigation.

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

Warren, B.K.; Campbell, K.D.

Methane oxidative coupling studies were carried out in an atmospheric quartz reactor at temperatures between 700 and 800/degree/C. New catalysts prepared and studied included doped alkaline earth catalysts, lanthanide oxides, and proprietary catalysts. Neodymium oxide, Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/, was found to be as active and selective as samarium oxide, Sm/sub 2/O/sub 3/, in contrast to literature reports. Proprietary Union Carbide catalysts (UCC-S:1) showed initial methane conversions and C/sub 2/ selectivities comparable to literature catalysts. Atypically low carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide ratios (typically ten times lower than those seen in the literature or other catalysts tested) and high ethylene tomore » ethane ratios (3 to 6 compared to typical literature ratios below 1) were obtained. These results are interesting because ethylene is more valuable than ethane and carbon monoxide is more valuable than carbon dioxide. With these UCC-S:1 catalysts, rapid deactivation was coupled with an observed shift in product ratios toward those more typical in the literature. Initial cases for process conceptualization studies were selected. The Comparison Case will consist of the conversion sequence from methane to synthesis gas to methanol to olefins to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Case 1 will consist of the conversion of methane to ethylene and ethane. Case 2 will be the direct conversion of methane to C/sub 2/'s followed by conversion to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. 7 figs., 18 tabs.« less

Use of information entropy measures of sitting postural sway to quantify developmental delay in infants

PubMed Central

Deffeyes, Joan E; Harbourne, Regina T; DeJong, Stacey L; Kyvelidou, Anastasia; Stuberg, Wayne A; Stergiou, Nicholas

2009-01-01

Background By quantifying the information entropy of postural sway data, the complexity of the postural movement of different populations can be assessed, giving insight into pathologic motor control functioning. Methods In this study, developmental delay of motor control function in infants was assessed by analysis of sitting postural sway data acquired from force plate center of pressure measurements. Two types of entropy measures were used: symbolic entropy, including a new asymmetric symbolic entropy measure, and approximate entropy, a more widely used entropy measure. For each method of analysis, parameters were adjusted to optimize the separation of the results from the infants with delayed development from infants with typical development. Results The method that gave the widest separation between the populations was the asymmetric symbolic entropy method, which we developed by modification of the symbolic entropy algorithm. The approximate entropy algorithm also performed well, using parameters optimized for the infant sitting data. The infants with delayed development were found to have less complex patterns of postural sway in the medial-lateral direction, and were found to have different left-right symmetry in their postural sway, as compared to typically developing infants. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that optimization of the entropy algorithm for infant sitting postural sway data can greatly improve the ability to separate the infants with developmental delay from typically developing infants. PMID:19671183

Measuring implicit gender-role orientation: the gender initial preference task.

PubMed

Stieger, Stefan; Burger, Christoph; Schiller, Franziska R; Schulze, Esther K; Voracek, Martin

2014-01-01

Individuals prefer their name letters over nonname letters, which is known as the name-letter effect (NLE). This research aimed to examine a possible NLE for gender-role orientation (GRO) by rating letters for their gender-typicality in an initial preference task (Gender-IPT). Indeed, a clear NLE appeared: Men rated their initials as more male-typical, whereas women rated them as more female-typical. The Gender-IPT showed good convergent validity with other direct and indirect (Gender Implicit Association Test) measures of GRO as well as predictive validity with sensation seeking and gender-typical everyday life behaviors. The Gender-IPT seems to be a useful and practical indirect measure to assess GRO in a short, convenient, and computer-independent way, complementing other indirect measures of GRO.

Mixed-Penetrant Sorption in Ultrathin Films of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity PIM-1.

PubMed

Ogieglo, Wojciech; Furchner, Andreas; Ghanem, Bader; Ma, Xiaohua; Pinnau, Ingo; Wessling, Matthias

2017-11-02

Mixed-penetrant sorption into ultrathin films of a superglassy polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) was studied for the first time by using interference-enhanced in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. PIM-1 swelling and the concurrent changes in its refractive index were determined in ultrathin (12-14 nm) films exposed to pure and mixed penetrants. The penetrants included water, n-hexane, and ethanol and were chosen on the basis of their significantly different penetrant-penetrant and penetrant-polymer affinities. This allowed studying microporous polymer responses at diverse ternary compositions and revealed effects such as competition for the sorption sites (for water/n-hexane or ethanol/n-hexane) or enhancement in sorption of typically weakly sorbing water in the presence of more highly sorbing ethanol. The results reveal details of the mutual sorption effects which often complicate comprehension of glassy polymers' behavior in applications such as high-performance membranes, adsorbents, or catalysts. Mixed-penetrant effects are typically very challenging to study directly, and their understanding is necessary owing to a broadly recognized inadequacy of simple extrapolations from measurements in a pure component environment.

A Review of the Effect of Dietary Composition on Fasting Substrate Oxidation in Healthy and Overweight Subjects.

PubMed

Whelan, Megan E; Wright, Olivia R L; Hickman, Ingrid J

2016-01-01

The purpose of this review was to assess existing evidence on the effects of chronic dietary macronutrient composition on substrate oxidation during a fasted state in healthy and overweight subjects. A systematic review of studies was conducted across five databases. Studies were included if they were English language studies of human adults, ≥19 years, used indirect calorimetry (ventilated hood technique), specified dietary macronutrient composition, and measured substrate oxidation. There was no evidence that variations of a typical, non-experimental diet influenced rate or ratio of substrate utilization, however there may be an upper and lower threshold for when macronutrient composition may directly alter preferences for fuel oxidation rates during a fasted state. This review indicates that macronutrient composition of a wide range of typical, non-experimental dietary fat and carbohydrate intakes has no effect on fasting substrate oxidation. This suggests that strict control of dietary intake prior to fasting indirect calorimetry measurements may be an unnecessary burden for study participants. Further research into the effects of long-term changes in isocaloric macronutrient shift is required.

Nitrous oxide production and consumption: regulation of gene expression by gas-sensitive transcription factors

PubMed Central

Spiro, Stephen

2012-01-01

Several biochemical mechanisms contribute to the biological generation of nitrous oxide (N2O). N2O generating enzymes include the respiratory nitric oxide (NO) reductase, an enzyme from the flavo-diiron family, and flavohaemoglobin. On the other hand, there is only one enzyme that is known to use N2O as a substrate, which is the respiratory N2O reductase typically found in bacteria capable of denitrification (the respiratory reduction of nitrate and nitrite to dinitrogen). This article will briefly review the properties of the enzymes that make and consume N2O, together with the accessory proteins that have roles in the assembly and maturation of those enzymes. The expression of the genes encoding the enzymes that produce and consume N2O is regulated by environmental signals (typically oxygen and NO) acting through regulatory proteins, which, either directly or indirectly, control the frequency of transcription initiation. The roles and mechanisms of these proteins, and the structures of the regulatory networks in which they participate will also be reviewed. PMID:22451107

Moments applied in the manual assembly of space structures - Ease biomechanics results from STS-61B. [Experimental Assembly of Structures in EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cousins, D.; Akin, D. L.

1989-01-01

Measurements of the level and pattern of moments applied in the manual assembly of a space structure were made in extravehicular activity (EVA) and neutral buoyancy simulation (NBS). The Experimental Assembly of Structures in EVA program included the repeated assembly of a 3.6 m tetrahedral truss structure in EVA on STS-61B after extensive neutral buoyancy crew training. The flight and training structures were of equivalent mass and geometry to allow a direct correlation between EVA and NBS performance. A stereo photographic motion camera system was used to reconstruct in three dimensions rotational movements of structural beams during assembly. Moments applied in these manual handling tasks were calculated on the basis of the reconstructed movements taking into account effects of inertia, drag and virtual mass. Applied moments of 2.0 Nm were typical for beam rotations in EVA. Corresponding applied moments in NBS were typically up to five times greater. Moments were applied as impulses separated by several seconds of coasting in both EVA and NBS. Decelerating impulses were only infrequently observed in NBS.

Long Term Effects of First Grade Multi-Tier Intervention

PubMed Central

Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Kim, Young-Suk; Wanzek, Jeanne; Petscher, Yaacov; Wagner, Richard K.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the long term effects of two first grade RTI models (Dynamic and Typical RTI) on the reading performance of students in second and third grade. Participants included 419 first grade students (352 in second grade and 278 in third grade after attrition). Students were classified based on first grade screeners as at-risk or not at-risk and then based on their response to intervention (no risk [NR], relative easy to remediate [ER] and requiring sustained remediation [SR]). Students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading comprehension scores at the end of third grade. At the end of second grade, ER and SR students had lower reading scores than NR students. At the end of third grade, there were no differences in reading skills between ER and NR students, but SR students had lower scores than NR students. ER students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading scores at the end of second grade than those in the Typical RTI condition. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:25346781

Do Social Attribution Skills Improve with Age in Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders?

PubMed

Bal, Elgiz; Yerys, Benjamin E; Sokoloff, Jennifer L; Celano, Mark J; Kenworthy, Lauren; Giedd, Jay N; Wallace, Gregory L

2013-01-01

Age-related changes in social attribution skills were assessed using the "Triangles Playing Tricks" task in 7-17 year old high functioning children with ASDs (n=41) and in typically developing (TD) children (n=58) matched on age, IQ, and sex ratio. Children with ASDs gave responses that received lower intentionality and appropriateness ratings than did TD children in both the goal-directed and theory of mind (ToM) conditions. Results remained unchanged when the effects of verbal output (i.e., number of clause produced) and verbal IQ were included as covariates in the analyses. Whereas age was highly associated with ToM performance in the TD children, this relationship was not as strong among children with ASDs. These results indicate not only a diminished tendency among high functioning children with ASDs to attribute social meaning and intentionality to ambiguous visual displays of interactive forms but also an aberrant developmental trajectory. That is, children with ASDs may fall further behind their typically developing peers in social attribution abilities as they get older.

Clinical forms of actinic keratosis and levels of dysplasia of the epidermis.

PubMed

Oshyvalova, Olena O; Kaliuzhna, Lydia D; Kropelnytskyi, Vladislav O

Introduction: Actinic keratosis (AK) is precancerous skin lesion that occurs in the sun-exposedskin areas characterized by local intraepidermal dysplasia of different severity (KIN I, KIN II and KIN III). The aim of this research was to study distribution patterns and morphological features of AK histological types. Materials and Methods: The study included skin biopsy material from 68 patients with different clinical forms of AK. The diagnosis of AK was histologically confirmed in 100% of cases. Results: There were 63.21% of men and 36.8% of women among all patients with AK. The average age of patients was 73.3 ± 8.3.The most common clinico-histological forms of actinic keratosis were typical (41.2%), hypertrophic (16.2%), atrophic (14.7%) and pigmentary (11.7%), bowenoid (8.8%), acantholytic (7.4%). Among the rate of epidermal dysplasia there diagnosed cases of KIN І (50%), KIN ІІ (36.8%) and KIN III (13.2%). Conclusions: It was found a direct correlation between KIN I and typical and pigment forms of AK, KIN II and hypertrophic and bowenoid forms of AK.

Nitrous oxide production and consumption: regulation of gene expression by gas-sensitive transcription factors.

PubMed

Spiro, Stephen

2012-05-05

Several biochemical mechanisms contribute to the biological generation of nitrous oxide (N(2)O). N(2)O generating enzymes include the respiratory nitric oxide (NO) reductase, an enzyme from the flavo-diiron family, and flavohaemoglobin. On the other hand, there is only one enzyme that is known to use N(2)O as a substrate, which is the respiratory N(2)O reductase typically found in bacteria capable of denitrification (the respiratory reduction of nitrate and nitrite to dinitrogen). This article will briefly review the properties of the enzymes that make and consume N(2)O, together with the accessory proteins that have roles in the assembly and maturation of those enzymes. The expression of the genes encoding the enzymes that produce and consume N(2)O is regulated by environmental signals (typically oxygen and NO) acting through regulatory proteins, which, either directly or indirectly, control the frequency of transcription initiation. The roles and mechanisms of these proteins, and the structures of the regulatory networks in which they participate will also be reviewed.

Prefraction displacement and intrafraction drift of the prostate due to perineal ultrasound probe pressure.

PubMed

Li, Minglun; Hegemann, Nina-Sophie; Manapov, Farkhad; Kolberg, Anne; Thum, Patrick Dominik; Ganswindt, Ute; Belka, Claus; Ballhausen, Hendrik

2017-06-01

In image-guided EBRT of the prostate, transperineal ultrasound (US) probes exert pressure on the perineum both during planning and treatment. Through tissue deformation and relaxation, this causes target and risk organ displacement and drift. In this study, prefraction shift and intrafraction drift of the prostate are quantified during robotic transperineal 4DUS. The position of the prostate was recorded for different positions of the probe before treatment in 10 patients (16 series of measurements). During treatment (15 patients, 273 fractions), intrafraction motion of the prostate was tracked (total of 27 h and 24 min) with the transperineal probe in place. Per 1 mm shift of the US probe in the cranial direction, a displacement of the prostate by 0.42 ± 0.09 mm in the cranial direction was detected. The relationship was found to be linear (R² = 0.97) and highly significant (p < 0.0001). After initial contact of the probe and the perineum (no pressure), a shift of the probe of about 5-10 mm was typically necessary to achieve good image quality, corresponding to a shift of the prostate of about 2-4 mm in the cranial direction. Tissue compression and prostate displacement were well visible. During treatment, the prostate drifted at an average rate of 0.075 mm/min in the cranial direction (p = 0.0014). The pressure applied by a perineal US probe has a quantitatively similar impact on prostate displacement as transabdominal pressure. Shifts are predominantly in the cranial direction (typically 2-4 mm) with some component in the anterior direction (typically <1 mm). Slight probe pressure can improve image quality, but excessive probe pressure can distort the surrounding anatomy and potentially move risk organs closer to the high-dose area.

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

Storey, John Morse; Lewis Sr, Samuel Arthur; Szybist, James P

Gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines can offer improved fuel economy and higher performance over their port fuel-injected (PFI) counterparts, and are now appearing in increasingly more U.S. and European vehicles. Small displacement, turbocharged GDI engines are replacing large displacement engines, particularly in light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles, in order for manufacturers to meet more stringent fuel economy standards. GDI engines typically emit the most particulate matter (PM) during periods of rich operation such as start-up and acceleration, and emissions of air toxics are also more likely during this condition. A 2.0 L GDI engine was operated at lambda ofmore » 0.91 at typical loads for acceleration (2600 rpm, 8 bar BMEP) on three different fuels; an 87 anti-knock index (AKI) gasoline (E0), 30% ethanol blended with the 87 AKI fuel (E30), and 48% isobutanol blended with the 87 AKI fuel. E30 was chosen to maximize octane enhancement while minimizing ethanol-blend level and iBu48 was chosen to match the same fuel oxygen level as E30. Particle size and number, organic carbon and elemental carbon (OC/EC), soot HC speciation, and aldehydes and ketones were all analyzed during the experiment. A new method for soot HC speciation is introduced using a direct, thermal desorption/pyrolysis inlet for the gas chromatograph (GC). Results showed high levels of aromatic compounds were present in the PM, including downstream of the catalyst, and the aldehydes were dominated by the alcohol blending.« less

GingisKHAN™ protease cleavage allows a high-throughput antibody to Fab conversion enabling direct functional assessment during lead identification of human monoclonal and bispecific IgG1 antibodies

PubMed Central

Moelleken, Jörg; Gassner, Christian; Lingke, Sabine; Tomaschek, Simone; Tyshchuk, Oksana; Lorenz, Stefan; Mølhøj, Michael

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The determination of the binding strength of immunoglobulins (IgGs) to targets can be influenced by avidity when the targets are soluble di- or multimeric proteins, or associated to cell surfaces, including surfaces introduced from heterogeneous assays. However, for the understanding of the contribution of a second drug-to-target binding site in molecular design, or for ranking of monovalent binders during lead identification, affinity-based assessment of the binding strength is required. Typically, monovalent binders like antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) are generated by proteolytic cleavage with papain, which often results in a combination of under- and over-digestion, and requires specific optimization and chromatographic purification of the desired Fabs. Alternatively, the Fabs are produced by recombinant approaches. Here, we report a lean approach for the functional assessment of human IgG1s during lead identification based on an in-solution digestion with the GingisKHAN™ protease, generating a homogenous pool of intact Fabs and Fcs and enabling direct assaying of the Fab in the digestion mixture. The digest with GingisKHAN™ is highly specific and quantitative, does not require much optimization, and the protease does not interfere with methods typically applied for lead identification, such as surface plasmon resonance or cell-based assays. GingisKHAN™ is highly suited to differentiate between affinity and avidity driven binding of human IgG1 monoclonal and bispecific antibodies during lead identification. PMID:28805498

BC404 scintillators as gamma locators studied via Geant4 simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortés, M. L.; Hoischen, R.; Eisenhauer, K.; Gerl, J.; Pietralla, N.

2014-05-01

In many applications in industry and academia, an accurate determination of the direction from where gamma rays are emitted is either needed or desirable. Ion-beam therapy treatments, the search for orphan sources, and homeland security applications are examples of fields that can benefit from directional sensitivity to gamma-radiation. Scintillation detectors are a good option for these types of applications as they have relatively low cost, are easy to handle and can be produced in a large range of different sizes. In this work a Geant4 simulation was developed to study the directional sensitivity of different BC404 scintillator geometries and arrangements. The simulation includes all the physical processes relevant for gamma detection in a scintillator. In particular, the creation and propagation of optical photons inside the scintillator was included. A simplified photomultiplier tube model was also simulated. The physical principle exploited is the angular dependence of the shape of the energy spectrum obtained from thin scintillator layers when irradiated from different angles. After an experimental confirmation of the working principle of the device and a check of the simulation, the possibilities and limitations of directional sensitivity to gamma radiation using scintillator layers was tested. For this purpose, point-like sources of typical energies expected in ion-beam therapy were used. Optimal scintillator thicknesses for different energies were determined and the setup efficiencies calculated. The use of arrays of scintillators to reconstruct the direction of incoming gamma rays was also studied. For this case, a spherical source emitting Bremsstrahlung radiation was used together with a setup consisting of scintillator layers. The capability of this setup to identify the center of the extended source was studied together with its angular resolution.

Fracture characteristics of gas hydrate-bearing sediments in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gil Young; Narantsetseg, Buyanbat; Yoo, Dong Geun; Ryu, Byong Jae

2015-04-01

The LWD (Logging-While-Drilling) logging (including wireline logging) and coring (including pressure coring) were conducted during UBGH2 (Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate) expedition. The LWD data from 13 logged sites were obtained and most of the sites showed typical log data indicating the presence of gas hydrate. In particular, prominent fractures were clearly identified on the resistivity borehole images from the seismic chimney structures. The strike and dip of each fracture in all sites was calculated and displayed on the stereographic plot and rosette diagram. Fracture orientations on the stereographic plot are more broadly distributed, indicating that the fracture pattern is not well-ordered on the rosette diagram, although the maximum horizontal stress dominates NW-SE direction at most sites. This indicates that accurate horizontal stress directions cannot be completely resolved from the fractures. Moreover, the fractures may be developed from overburden (e.g., gravitational effect) compaction associated with sediment dewatering after deposition. Thus we should consider various factors affecting formation of fractures in order to interpret the origin of fractures. Nevertheless, the results of fracture analysis can be used to interpret distribution pattern and type of gas hydrate in the Ulleung Basin. .

Fractional-N phase-locked loop for split and direct automatic frequency control in A-GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Chester Sungchung; Park, Sungkyung

2018-07-01

A low-power mixed-signal phase-locked loop (PLL) is modelled and designed for the DigRF interface between the RF chip and the modem chip. An assisted-GPS or A-GPS multi-standard system includes the DigRF interface and uses the split automatic frequency control (AFC) technique. The PLL circuitry uses the direct AFC technique and is based on the fractional-N architecture using a digital delta-sigma modulator along with a digital counter, fulfilling simple ultra-high-resolution AFC with robust digital circuitry and its timing. Relative to the output frequency, the measured AFC resolution or accuracy is <5 parts per billion (ppb) or on the order of a Hertz. The cycle-to-cycle rms jitter is <6 ps and the typical settling time is <30 μs. A spur reduction technique is adopted and implemented as well, demonstrating spur reduction without employing dithering. The proposed PLL includes a low-leakage phase-frequency detector, a low-drop-out regulator, power-on-reset circuitry and precharge circuitry. The PLL is implemented in a 90-nm CMOS process technology with 1.2 V single supply. The overall PLL draws about 1.1 mA from the supply.

The health and economic impact of vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) during an annual influenza epidemic and influenza pandemic in China.

PubMed

Caldwell, Ronald; Roberts, Craig S; An, Zhijie; Chen, Chieh-I; Wang, Bruce

2015-07-24

China has experienced several severe outbreaks of influenza over the past century: 1918, 1957, 1968, and 2009. Influenza itself can be deadly; however, the increase in mortality during an influenza outbreak is also attributable to secondary bacterial infections, specifically pneumococcal disease. Given the history of pandemic outbreaks and the associated morbidity and mortality, we investigated the cost-effectiveness of a PCV7 vaccination program in China from the context of typical and pandemic influenza seasons. A decision-analytic model was employed to evaluate the impact of a 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) infant vaccination program on the incidence, mortality, and cost associated with pneumococcal disease during a typical influenza season (15% flu incidence) and influenza pandemic (30% flu incidence) in China. The model incorporated Chinese data where available and included both direct and indirect (herd) effects on the unvaccinated population, assuming a point in time following the initial introduction of the vaccine where the impact of the indirect effects has reached a steady state, approximately seven years following the implementation of the vaccine program. Pneumococcal disease incidence, mortality, and costs were evaluated over a one year time horizon. Healthcare costs were calculated using a payer perspective and included vaccination program costs and direct medical expenditures from pneumococcal disease. The model predicted that routine PCV7 vaccination of infants in China would prevent 5,053,453 cases of pneumococcal disease and 76,714 deaths in a single year during a normal influenza season.The estimated incremental-cost-effectiveness ratios were ¥12,281 (US$1,900) per life-year saved and ¥13,737 (US$2,125) per quality-adjusted-life-year gained. During an influenza pandemic, the model estimated that routine vaccination with PCV7 would prevent 8,469,506 cases of pneumococcal disease and 707,526 deaths, and would be cost-saving. Routine vaccination with PCV7 in China would be a cost-effective strategy at limiting the negative impact of influenza during a typical influenza season. During an influenza pandemic, the benefit of PCV7 in preventing excess pneumococcal morbidity and mortality renders a PCV7 vaccination program cost-saving.

Power Systems and Energy Storage Modeling for Directed Energy Weapons

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

neodymium or ytterbium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal.6 The Maritime Laser Demonstration (MLD) features several 15 kW slab lasers combined...The laser substrate is similar to a fiber optic cable that is doped with a rare earth element (typically neodymium or ytterbium); many fibers can be...but with different elements. A typical construction consists of a sheet of Lithium- cobalt -oxide and a sheet of carbon separated by an insulator

Direct Imaging of Frenkel Exciton Transport by Ultrafast Microscopy.

PubMed

Zhu, Tong; Wan, Yan; Huang, Libai

2017-07-18

Long-range transport of Frenkel excitons is crucial for achieving efficient molecular-based solar energy harvesting. Understanding of exciton transport mechanisms is important for designing materials for solar energy applications. One major bottleneck in unraveling of exciton transport mechanisms is the lack of direct measurements to provide information in both spatial and temporal domains, imposed by the combination of fast energy transfer (typically ≤1 ps) and short exciton diffusion lengths (typically ≤100 nm). This challenge requires developing experimental tools to directly characterize excitation energy transport, and thus facilitate the elucidation of mechanisms. To address this challenge, we have employed ultrafast transient absorption microscopy (TAM) as a means to directly image exciton transport with ∼200 fs time resolution and ∼50 nm spatial precision. By mapping population in spatial and temporal domains, such approach has unraveled otherwise obscured information and provided important parameters for testing exciton transport models. In this Account, we discuss the recent progress in imaging Frenkel exciton migration in molecular crystals and aggregates by ultrafast microscopy. First, we establish the validity of the TAM methods by imaging singlet and triplet exciton transport in a series of polyacene single crystals that undergo singlet fission. A new singlet-mediated triplet transport pathway has been revealed by TAM, resulting from the equilibrium between triplet and singlet exciton populations. Such enhancement of triplet exciton transport enables triplet excitons to migrate as singlet excitons and leads to orders of magnitude faster apparent triplet exciton diffusion rate in the picosecond and nanosecond time scales, favorable for solar cell applications. Next we discuss how information obtained by ultrafast microscopy can evaluate coherent effects in exciton transport. We use tubular molecular aggregates that could support large exciton delocalization sizes as a model system. The initial experiments measure exciton diffusion constants of 3-6 cm 2 s -1 , 3-5 times higher than the incoherent limit predicted by theory, suggesting that coherent effects play a role. In summary, combining ultrafast spectroscopic methods with microscopic techniques provides a direct approach for obtaining important parameters to unravel the underlying exciton transport mechanisms in molecular solids. We discuss future directions to bridge the gap in understanding of fundamental energy transfer theories to include coherent and incoherent effects. We are still in the infancy of ultrafast microscopy, and the vast potential is not limited to the systems discussed in this Account.

Atypical Visual Orienting to Gaze- and Arrow-Cues in Adults with High Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlamings, Petra H. J. M.; Stauder, Johannes E. A.; van Son, Ilona A. M.; Mottron, Laurent

2005-01-01

The present study investigates visual orienting to directional cues (arrow or eyes) in adults with high functioning autism (n = 19) and age matched controls (n = 19). A choice reaction time paradigm is used in which eye-or arrow direction correctly (congruent) or incorrectly (incongruent) cues target location. In typically developing participants,…

Are Horses Like Zebras, or Vice Versa? Children's Sensitivity to the Asymmetries of Directional Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chestnut, Eleanor K.; Markman, Ellen M.

2016-01-01

Adults exhibit strong preferences when framing symmetrical relations. Adults prefer, for example, "A zebra is like a horse" to "A horse is like a zebra," and "The bicycle is near the building" to "The building is near the bicycle." This is because directional syntax requires more typical or prominent items…

The Economics of Direct versus Indirect Cost Recovery in Sponsored Research. AIR Annual 1984 Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutina, Kenneth L.; And Others

The effect of reduced reimbursements by the federal government for indirect research costs was analyzed for the typical academic medical center. The effects of simply cutting indirect cost reimbursement were contrasted with the impact of securing compensating levels of increased direct project support. To determine if the consequences differed as…

Stimulating thought: a functional MRI study of transcranial direct current stimulation in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Orlov, Natasza D; O'Daly, Owen; Tracy, Derek K; Daniju, Yusuf; Hodsoll, John; Valdearenas, Lorena; Rothwell, John; Shergill, Sukhi S

2017-09-01

Individuals with schizophrenia typically suffer a range of cognitive deficits, including prominent deficits in working memory and executive function. These difficulties are strongly predictive of functional outcomes, but there is a paucity of effective therapeutic interventions targeting these deficits. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a novel neuromodulatory technique with emerging evidence of potential pro-cognitive effects; however, there is limited understanding of its mechanism. This was a double-blind randomized sham controlled pilot study of transcranial direct current stimulation on a working memory (n-back) and executive function (Stroop) task in 28 individuals with schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Study participants received 30 min of real or sham transcranial direct current stimulation applied to the left frontal cortex. The 'real' and 'sham' groups did not differ in online working memory task performance, but the transcranial direct current stimulation group demonstrated significant improvement in performance at 24 h post-transcranial direct current stimulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation was associated with increased activation in the medial frontal cortex beneath the anode; showing a positive correlation with consolidated working memory performance 24 h post-stimulation. There was reduced activation in the left cerebellum in the transcranial direct current stimulation group, with no change in the middle frontal gyrus or parietal cortices. Improved performance on the executive function task was associated with reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. Transcranial direct current stimulation modulated functional activation in local task-related regions, and in more distal nodes in the network. Transcranial direct current stimulation offers a potential novel approach to altering frontal cortical activity and exerting pro-cognitive effects in schizophrenia. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inter-device differences in monitoring for goal-directed fluid therapy.

PubMed

Thiele, Robert H; Bartels, Karsten; Gan, Tong-Joo

2015-02-01

Goal-directed fluid therapy is an integral component of many Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols currently in use. The perioperative clinician is faced with a myriad of devices promising to deliver relevant physiologic data to better guide fluid therapy. The goal of this review is to provide concise information to enable the clinician to make an informed decision when choosing a device to guide goal-directed fluid therapy. The focus of many devices used for advanced hemodynamic monitoring is on providing measurements of cardiac output, while other, more recent, devices include estimates of fluid responsiveness based on dynamic indices that better predict an individual's response to a fluid bolus. Currently available technologies include the pulmonary artery catheter, esophageal Doppler, arterial waveform analysis, photoplethysmography, venous oxygen saturation, as well as bioimpedance and bioreactance. The underlying mechanistic principles for each device are presented as well as their performance in clinical trials relevant for goal-directed therapy in ERAS. The ERAS protocols typically involve a multipronged regimen to facilitate early recovery after surgery. Optimizing perioperative fluid therapy is a key component of these efforts. While no technology is without limitations, the majority of the currently available literature suggests esophageal Doppler and arterial waveform analysis to be the most desirable choices to guide fluid administration. Their performance is dependent, in part, on the interpretation of dynamic changes resulting from intrathoracic pressure fluctuations encountered during mechanical ventilation. Evolving practice patterns, such as low tidal volume ventilation as well as the necessity to guide fluid therapy in spontaneously breathing patients, will require further investigation.

Reversible conduction block in peripheral nerve using electrical waveforms.

PubMed

Bhadra, Niloy; Vrabec, Tina L; Bhadra, Narendra; Kilgore, Kevin L

2018-01-01

Electrical nerve block uses electrical waveforms to block action potential propagation. Two key features that distinguish electrical nerve block from other nonelectrical means of nerve block: block occurs instantly, typically within 1 s; and block is fully and rapidly reversible (within seconds). Approaches for achieving electrical nerve block are reviewed, including kilohertz frequency alternating current and charge-balanced polarizing current. We conclude with a discussion of the future directions of electrical nerve block. Electrical nerve block is an emerging technique that has many significant advantages over other methods of nerve block. This field is still in its infancy, but a significant expansion in the clinical application of this technique is expected in the coming years.

Structure of scintillations in Neptune's occultation shadow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, W. B.; Lellouch, Emmanuel; Sicardy, Bruno; Brahic, Andre; Vilas, Faith

1988-01-01

An exceptionally high-quality data set from a Neptune occultation is used here to derive a number of new results about the statistical properties of the fluctuations of the intensity distribution in various parts of Neptune's occultation shadow. An approximate numerical ray-tracing model which successfully accounts for many of the qualitative aspects of the observed intensity fluctuation distribution is introduced. Strong refractive scintillation is simulated by including the effects of 'turbulence' with projected atmospheric properties allowed to vary in both the direction perpendicular and parallel to the limb, and an explicit two-dimensional picture of a typical intensity distribution throughout an occulting planet's shadow is presented. The results confirm the existence of highly anisotropic turbulence.

A new method of real-time detection of changes in periodic data stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Chen; Lu, Guoliang; Cheng, Bin; Zheng, Xiangwei

2017-07-01

The change point detection in periodic time series is much desirable in many practical usages. We present a novel algorithm for this task, which includes two phases: 1) anomaly measure- on the basis of a typical regression model, we propose a new computation method to measure anomalies in time series which does not require any reference data from other measurement(s); 2) change detection- we introduce a new martingale test for detection which can be operated in an unsupervised and nonparametric way. We have conducted extensive experiments to systematically test our algorithm. The results make us believe that our algorithm can be directly applicable in many real-world change-point-detection applications.

Vectors into the Future of Mass and Interpersonal Communication Research: Big Data, Social Media, and Computational Social Science.

PubMed

Cappella, Joseph N

2017-10-01

Simultaneous developments in big data, social media, and computational social science have set the stage for how we think about and understand interpersonal and mass communication. This article explores some of the ways that these developments generate 4 hypothetical "vectors" - directions - into the next generation of communication research. These vectors include developments in network analysis, modeling interpersonal and social influence, recommendation systems, and the blurring of distinctions between interpersonal and mass audiences through narrowcasting and broadcasting. The methods and research in these arenas are occurring in areas outside the typical boundaries of the communication discipline but engage classic, substantive questions in mass and interpersonal communication.

Lingual Abscess in the Setting of Recent Periodontal Antibiotic Injections.

PubMed

Lefler, Joshua E; Masullo, Lawrence N

2016-10-01

Lingual abscess is a rare clinical entity, with posterior involvement being much less common than anterior involvement. Typical inciting events include trauma or direct inoculation to the area. The clinical diagnosis can be difficult, and early imaging and specialist consultation should be pursued to make a definitive diagnosis and to prevent patient deterioration. We present a case of posterior lingual abscess in a 62-year-old man after he received antibiotic injections to the lower molars for periodontal disease. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Lingual abscess is a rare condition that is difficult to diagnose clinically. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can lead to acute airway compromise and increased morbidity. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Regenerative nanomedicines: an emerging investment prospective?

PubMed Central

Prescott, Catherine

2010-01-01

Cells respond to their structural surrounding and within nanostructures exhibit unique proliferative and differentiation properties. The application of nanotechnologies to the field of regenerative medicine offers the potential to direct cell fate, target the delivery of cells and reduce immune rejection (via encapsulation), thereby supporting the development of regenerative medicines. The overall objective of any therapy is the delivery of the product not just into the clinic but also to patients on a routine basis. Such a goal typically requires a commercial vehicle and substantial levels of investment in scientific, clinical, regulatory and business expertise, resources, time and funding. Therefore, this paper focuses on some of the challenges facing this emerging industry, including investment by the venture capital community. PMID:20826478

Surgical monitoring with auditory evoked potentials.

PubMed

Lüders, H

1988-07-01

This comprehensive review of surgical monitoring with auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) includes a detailed discussion of techniques used for recording brainstem auditory evoked potentials, direct eight-nerve potentials, and electrocochleograms. The normal waveform of these different potentials is discussed, and the typical patterns of abnormalities seen with different insults to the peripheral or central auditory pathways are presented. The mechanisms most probably responsible for changes in AEPs during surgical procedures are analyzed. A critical analysis is made of what represents a significant change in AEPs. Also considered is the predictive value of intrasurgical changes of AEPs. Finally, attempts are made to determine whether AEPs monitoring can assist the surgeon in the prevention of postsurgical complications.

A research to reduce interior noise in general aviation airplanes. General aviation interior noise study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roskam, J.; Muirhead, V. U.; Smith, H. W.; Peschier, T. D.

1977-01-01

The construction, calibration, and properties of a facility for measuring sound transmission through aircraft type panels are described along with the theoretical and empirical methods used. Topics discussed include typical noise source, sound transmission path, and acoustic cabin properties and their effect on interior noise. Experimental results show an average sound transmission loss in the mass controlled frequency region comparable to theoretical predictions. The results also verify that transmission losses in the stiffness controlled region directly depend on the fundamental frequency of the panel. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that increases in this frequency, and consequently in transmission loss, can be achieved by applying pressure differentials across the specimen.

Effect of horizontal heat and fluid flow on the vertical temperature distribution in a semiconfining layer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, Ning; Ge, Shemin

1996-01-01

By including the constant flow of heat and fluid in the horizontal direction, we develop an analytical solution for the vertical temperature distribution within the semiconfining layer of a typical aquifer system. The solution is an extension of the previous one-dimensional theory by Bredehoeft and Papadopulos [1965]. It provides a quantitative tool for analyzing the uncertainty of the horizontal heat and fluid flow. The analytical results demonstrate that horizontal flow of heat and fluid, if at values much smaller than those of the vertical, has a negligible effect on the vertical temperature distribution but becomes significant when it is comparable to the vertical.

Rehabilitation exoskeletal robotics. The promise of an emerging field.

PubMed

Pons, José L

2010-01-01

Exoskeletons are wearable robots exhibiting a close cognitive and physical interaction with the human user. These are rigid robotic exoskeletal structures that typically operate alongside human limbs. Scientific and technological work on exoskeletons began in the early 1960s but have only recently been applied to rehabilitation and functional substitution in patients suffering from motor disorders. Key topics for further development of exoskeletons in rehabilitation scenarios include the need for robust human-robot multimodal cognitive interaction, safe and dependable physical interaction, true wearability and portability, and user aspects such as acceptance and usability. This discussion provides an overview of these aspects and draws conclusions regarding potential future research directions in robotic exoskeletons.

Reading "sun" and looking up: the influence of language on saccadic eye movements in the vertical dimension.

PubMed

Dudschig, Carolin; Souman, Jan; Lachmair, Martin; de la Vega, Irmgard; Kaup, Barbara

2013-01-01

Traditionally, language processing has been attributed to a separate system in the brain, which supposedly works in an abstract propositional manner. However, there is increasing evidence suggesting that language processing is strongly interrelated with sensorimotor processing. Evidence for such an interrelation is typically drawn from interactions between language and perception or action. In the current study, the effect of words that refer to entities in the world with a typical location (e.g., sun, worm) on the planning of saccadic eye movements was investigated. Participants had to perform a lexical decision task on visually presented words and non-words. They responded by moving their eyes to a target in an upper (lower) screen position for a word (non-word) or vice versa. Eye movements were faster to locations compatible with the word's referent in the real world. These results provide evidence for the importance of linguistic stimuli in directing eye movements, even if the words do not directly transfer directional information.

FDM and DMT performance comparison in high capacity point-to-point fibre links for intra/inter-datacentre connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatto, A.; Parolari, P.; Boffi, P.

2018-05-01

Frequency division multiplexing (FDM) is attractive to achieve high capacities in multiple access networks characterized by direct modulation and direct detection. In this paper we take into account point-to-point intra- and inter-datacenter connections to understand the performance of FDM operation compared with the ones achievable with standard multiple carrier modulation approach based on discrete multitone (DMT). DMT and FDM allow to match the non-uniform and bandwidth-limited response of the system under test, associated with the employment of low-cost directly-modulated sources, such as VCSELs with high-frequency chirp, and with fibre-propagation in presence of chromatic dispersion. While for very short distances typical of intra-datacentre communications, the huge number of DMT subcarriers permits to increase the transported capacity with respect to the FDM employment, in case of few tens-km reaches typical of inter-datacentre connections, the capabilities of FDM are more evident, providing system performance similar to the case of DMT application.

When does female multiple mating evolve to adjust inbreeding? Effects of inbreeding depression, direct costs, mating constraints, and polyandry as a threshold trait.

PubMed

Duthie, A Bradley; Bocedi, Greta; Reid, Jane M

2016-09-01

Polyandry is often hypothesized to evolve to allow females to adjust the degree to which they inbreed. Multiple factors might affect such evolution, including inbreeding depression, direct costs, constraints on male availability, and the nature of polyandry as a threshold trait. Complex models are required to evaluate when evolution of polyandry to adjust inbreeding is predicted to arise. We used a genetically explicit individual-based model to track the joint evolution of inbreeding strategy and polyandry defined as a polygenic threshold trait. Evolution of polyandry to avoid inbreeding only occurred given strong inbreeding depression, low direct costs, and severe restrictions on initial versus additional male availability. Evolution of polyandry to prefer inbreeding only occurred given zero inbreeding depression and direct costs, and given similarly severe restrictions on male availability. However, due to its threshold nature, phenotypic polyandry was frequently expressed even when strongly selected against and hence maladaptive. Further, the degree to which females adjusted inbreeding through polyandry was typically very small, and often reflected constraints on male availability rather than adaptive reproductive strategy. Evolution of polyandry solely to adjust inbreeding might consequently be highly restricted in nature, and such evolution cannot necessarily be directly inferred from observed magnitudes of inbreeding adjustment. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Direct Writing of Three-Dimensional Macroporous Photonic Crystals on Pressure-Responsive Shape Memory Polymers.

PubMed

Fang, Yin; Ni, Yongliang; Leo, Sin-Yen; Wang, Bingchen; Basile, Vito; Taylor, Curtis; Jiang, Peng

2015-10-28

Here we report a single-step direct writing technology for making three-dimensional (3D) macroporous photonic crystal patterns on a new type of pressure-responsive shape memory polymer (SMP). This approach integrates two disparate fields that do not typically intersect: the well-established templating nanofabrication and shape memory materials. Periodic arrays of polymer macropores templated from self-assembled colloidal crystals are squeezed into disordered arrays in an unusual shape memory "cold" programming process. The recovery of the original macroporous photonic crystal lattices can be triggered by direct writing at ambient conditions using both macroscopic and nanoscopic tools, like a pencil or a nanoindenter. Interestingly, this shape memory disorder-order transition is reversible and the photonic crystal patterns can be erased and regenerated hundreds of times, promising the making of reconfigurable/rewritable nanooptical devices. Quantitative insights into the shape memory recovery of collapsed macropores induced by the lateral shear stresses in direct writing are gained through fundamental investigations on important process parameters, including the tip material, the critical pressure and writing speed for triggering the recovery of the deformed macropores, and the minimal feature size that can be directly written on the SMP membranes. Besides straightforward applications in photonic crystal devices, these smart mechanochromic SMPs that are sensitive to various mechanical stresses could render important technological applications ranging from chromogenic stress and impact sensors to rewritable high-density optical data storage media.

Pinworms

MedlinePlus

... School-age children are most often affected. Pinworm eggs are spread directly from person to person. They ... or other items that are contaminated with the eggs. Typically, children are infected by touching pinworm eggs ...

Optical electric field sensor sensitivity direction rerouting and enhancement using a passive integrated dipole antenna.

PubMed

Seng, Frederick; Yang, Zhenchao; King, Rex; Shumway, LeGrand; Stan, Nikola; Hammond, Alec; Warnick, Karl F; Schultz, Stephen

2017-06-10

This work introduces a passive dipole antenna integrated into the packaging of a slab-coupled optical sensor to enhance the directional sensitivity of electro-optic electric field measurements parallel to the fiber axis. Using the passive integrated dipole antenna described in this work, a sensor that can typically only sense fields transverse to the fiber direction is able to sense a 1.25 kV/m field along the fiber direction with a gain of 17.5. This is verified through simulation and experiment.

Incidental Memory of Younger and Older Adults for Objects Encountered in a Real World Context

PubMed Central

Qin, Xiaoyan; Bochsler, Tiana M.; Aizpurua, Alaitz; Cheong, Allen M. Y.; Koutstaal, Wilma; Legge, Gordon E.

2014-01-01

Effects of context on the perception of, and incidental memory for, real-world objects have predominantly been investigated in younger individuals, under conditions involving a single static viewpoint. We examined the effects of prior object context and object familiarity on both older and younger adults’ incidental memory for real objects encountered while they traversed a conference room. Recognition memory for context-typical and context-atypical objects was compared with a third group of unfamiliar objects that were not readily named and that had no strongly associated context. Both older and younger adults demonstrated a typicality effect, showing significantly lower 2-alternative-forced-choice recognition of context-typical than context-atypical objects; for these objects, the recognition of older adults either significantly exceeded, or numerically surpassed, that of younger adults. Testing-awareness elevated recognition but did not interact with age or with object type. Older adults showed significantly higher recognition for context-atypical objects than for unfamiliar objects that had no prior strongly associated context. The observation of a typicality effect in both age groups is consistent with preserved semantic schemata processing in aging. The incidental recognition advantage of older over younger adults for the context-typical and context-atypical objects may reflect aging-related differences in goal-related processing, with older adults under comparatively more novel circumstances being more likely to direct their attention to the external environment, or age-related differences in top-down effortful distraction regulation, with older individuals’ attention more readily captured by salient objects in the environment. Older adults’ reduced recognition of unfamiliar objects compared to context-atypical objects may reflect possible age differences in contextually driven expectancy violations. The latter finding underscores the theoretical and methodological value of including a third type of objects–that are comparatively neutral with respect to their contextual associations–to help differentiate between contextual integration effects (for schema-consistent objects) and expectancy violations (for schema-inconsistent objects). PMID:24941065

Direct simulation of heat transfer in a turbulent swept flow over a wire in a channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, Reetesh; Pantano, Carlos; Fischer, Paul; Siegel, Andrew

2009-11-01

We present results from direct numerical simulations of heat transfer (considered as a passive scalar) in a turbulent swept flow across a thin, cylindrical wire in a channel. This model mimics the flow through the wire-wrapped fuel pins typical of fast neutron reactor designs. Mean flow develops both along the wire and across the wire, leading to the formation of a turbulent cross-flow regime in the channel. This leads to improvement in heat transfer properties of the channel surface due to enhancement in mixing. The friction Reynolds number in the axial direction is approximately 305. Cross-flow friction Reynolds numbers ranging from 0 to 115 are examined. Two passive scalars at Prandtl number of 1.0 and 0.01 respectively, are simulated in this study. Constant flux boundary conditions are used along the walls of the channel and adiabatic conditions are used along the surface of the wire. The numerical method uses spectral elements in the plane perpendicular to the wire axis and Fourier decomposition in the direction of the axis of the wire. The simulations use up to 107 million collocation points and were performed at the Argonne Leadership BG/P supercomputer. The passive scalar field statistics are investigated, including mean scalar field, turbulence statistics and instantaneous surface scalar distribution.

A New Fast Algorithm to Completely Account for Non-Lambertian Surface Reflection of The Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qin, Wen-Han; Herman, Jay R.; Ahmad, Ziauddin; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) influences not only radiance just about the surface, but that emerging from the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In this study we propose a new, fast and accurate, algorithm CASBIR (correction for anisotropic surface bidirectional reflection) to account for such influences on radiance measured above TOA. This new algorithm is based on a 4-stream theory that separates the radiation field into direct and diffuse components in both upwelling and downwelling directions. This is important because the direct component accounts for a substantial portion of incident radiation under a clear sky, and the BRDF effect is strongest in the reflection of the direct radiation reaching the surface. The model is validated by comparison with a full-scale, vector radiation transfer model for the atmosphere-surface system. The result demonstrates that CASBIR performs very well (with overall relative difference of less than one percent) for all solar and viewing zenith and azimuth angles considered in wavelengths from ultraviolet to near-infrared over three typical, but very different surface types. Application of this algorithm includes both accounting for non-Lambertian surface scattering on the emergent radiation above TOA and a potential approach for surface BRDF retrieval from satellite measured radiance.

Recirculation of Laser Power in an Atomic Fountain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Enzer, Daphna G.; Klipstein, WIlliam M.; Moore, James D.

2007-01-01

A new technique for laser-cooling atoms in a cesium atomic fountain frequency standard relies on recirculation of laser light through the atom-collection region of the fountain. The recirculation, accomplished by means of reflections from multiple fixed beam-splitter cubes, is such that each of two laser beams makes three passes. As described below, this recirculation scheme offers several advantages over prior designs, including simplification of the laser system, greater optical power throughput, fewer optical and electrical connections, and simplification of beam power balancing. A typical laser-cooled cesium fountain requires the use of six laser beams arranged as three orthogonal pairs of counter-propagating beams to decelerate the atoms and hold them in a three-dimensional optical trap in vacuum. Typically, these trapping/cooling beams are linearly polarized and are positioned and oriented so that (1) counter-propagating beams in each pair have opposite linear polarizations and (2) three of the six orthogonal beams have the sum of their propagation directions pointing up, while the other three have the sum of their propagation directions pointing down. In a typical prior design, two lasers are used - one to generate the three "up" beams, the other to generate the three "down" beams. For this purpose, the output of each laser is split three ways, then the resulting six beams are delivered to the vacuum system, independently of each other, via optical fibers. The present recirculating design also requires two lasers, but the beams are not split before delivery. Instead, only one "up" beam and one oppositely polarized "down" beam are delivered to the vacuum system, and each of these beams is sent through the collection region three times. The polarization of each beam on each pass through the collection region is set up to yield the same combination of polarization and propagation directions as described above. In comparison with the prior design, the present recirculating design utilizes the available laser light more efficiently, making it possible to trap more atoms at a given laser power or the same number of atoms at a lower laser power. The present design is also simpler in that it requires fewer optical fibers, fiber couplings, and collimators, and fewer photodiodes for monitoring beam powers. Additionally, the present design alleviates the difficulty of maintaining constant ratios among power levels of the beams within each "up" or "down" triplet.

Polarimetric ISAR: Simulation and image reconstruction

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

Chambers, David H.

In polarimetric ISAR the illumination platform, typically airborne, carries a pair of antennas that are directed toward a fixed point on the surface as the platform moves. During platform motion, the antennas maintain their gaze on the point, creating an effective aperture for imaging any targets near that point. The interaction between the transmitted fields and targets (e.g. ships) is complicated since the targets are typically many wavelengths in size. Calculation of the field scattered from the target typically requires solving Maxwell’s equations on a large three-dimensional numerical grid. This is prohibitive to use in any real-world imaging algorithm, somore » the scattering process is typically simplified by assuming the target consists of a cloud of independent, non-interacting, scattering points (centers). Imaging algorithms based on this scattering model perform well in many applications. Since polarimetric radar is not very common, the scattering model is often derived for a scalar field (single polarization) where the individual scatterers are assumed to be small spheres. However, when polarization is important, we must generalize the model to explicitly account for the vector nature of the electromagnetic fields and its interaction with objects. In this note, we present a scattering model that explicitly includes the vector nature of the fields but retains the assumption that the individual scatterers are small. The response of the scatterers is described by electric and magnetic dipole moments induced by the incident fields. We show that the received voltages in the antennas are linearly related to the transmitting currents through a scattering impedance matrix that depends on the overall geometry of the problem and the nature of the scatterers.« less

Direct Drive Hall Thruster System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoskins, W. Andrew; Homiak, Daniel; Cassady, R. Joseph; Kerslake, Tom; Peterson, Todd; Ferguson, Dale; Snyder, Dave; Mikellides, Ioannis; Jongeward, Gary; Schneider, Todd

2003-01-01

The sta:us of development of a Direct Drive Ha!! Thruster System is presented. 13 the first part. a s:udy of the impacts to spacecraft systems and mass benefits of a direct-drive architecture is reviewed. The study initially examines four cases of SPT-100 and BPT-4000 Hall thrusters used for north-south station keeping on an EXPRESS-like geosynchronous spacecraft and for primary propulsion for a Deep Space- 1 based science spacecraft. The study is also extended the impact of direct drive on orbit raising for higher power geosynchronous spacecraft and on other deep space missions as a function of power and delta velocity. The major system considerations for accommodating a direct drive Hall thruster are discussed, including array regulation, system grounding, distribution of power to the spacecraft bus, and interactions between current-voltage characteristics for the arrays and thrusters. The mass benefit analysis shows that, for the initial cases, up to 42 kg of dry mass savings is attributable directly to changes in the propulsion hardware. When projected mass impacts of operating the arrays and the electric power system at 300V are included, up to 63 kg is saved for the four initial cases. Adoption of high voltage lithium ion battery technology is projected to further improve these savings. Orbit raising of higher powered geosynchronous spacecraft, is the mission for which direct drive provides the most benefit, allowing higher efficiency electric orbit raising to be accomplished in a limited period of time, as well as nearly eliminating significant power processing heat rejection mass. The total increase in useful payload to orbit ranges up to 278 kg for a 25 kW spacecraft, launched from an Atlas IIA. For deep space missions, direct drive is found to be most applicable to higher power missions with delta velocities up to several km/s , typical of several Discovery-class missions. In the second part, the status of development of direct drive propulsion power electronics is presented. The core of this hardware is the heater-keeper-magnet supply being qualified for the BPT-4000 by Aerojet. A breadboard propulsion power unit is in fabrication and is scheduled for delivery late in 2003.

Instruments for Reading Direct-Marked Data-Matrix Symbols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, Harry F.; Corder, Eric L.

2006-01-01

Improved optoelectronic instruments (specially configured digital cameras) for reading direct-marked data-matrix symbols on the surfaces of optically reflective objects (including specularly reflective ones) are undergoing development. Data-matrix symbols are two-dimensional binary patterns that are used, like common bar codes, for automated identification of objects. The first data-matrix symbols were checkerboard-like patterns of black-and-white rectangles, typically existing in the forms of paint, ink, or detachable labels. The major advantage of direct marking (the marks are more durable than are painted or printed symbols or detachable labels) is offset by a major disadvantage (the marks generated by some marking methods do not provide sufficient contrast to be readable by optoelectronic instruments designed to read black-and-white data-matrix symbols). Heretofore, elaborate lighting, lensing, and software schemes have been tried in efforts to solve the contrast problem in direct-mark matrix- symbol readers. In comparison with prior readers based on those schemes, the readers now undergoing development are expected to be more effective while costing less. All of the prior direct-mark matrix-symbol readers are designed to be aimed perpendicularly to marked target surfaces, and they tolerate very little angular offset. However, the reader now undergoing development not only tolerates angular offset but depends on angular offset as a means of obtaining the needed contrast, as described below. The prototype reader (see Figure 1) includes an electronic camera in the form of a charge-coupled-device (CCD) image detector equipped with a telecentric lens. It also includes a source of collimated visible light and a source of collimated infrared light for illuminating a target. The visible and infrared illumination complement each other: the visible illumination is more useful for aiming the reader toward a target, while the infrared illumination is more useful for reading symbols on highly reflective surfaces. By use of beam splitters, the visible and infrared collimated lights are introduced along the optical path of the telecentric lens, so that the target is illuminated and viewed from the same direction.

Products and mechanisms of the reaction of gas phase ozone with organic colorants

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

Grosjean, D.; Druzik, J.R.; Sensharma, D.K.

1988-09-01

Studies carried out in this laboratory have shown that many artists organic colorants fade substantially when exposed to ozone in the dark. These studies typically involved pigment exposure for 12 weeks to purified air containing 0.3-0.4 ppm of ozone at ambient temperature and humidity. These laboratory conditions are equivalent to about six years of exposure inside a typical air-conditioned building in Los Angeles, and the observed fading is therefore directly relevant to possible damage to works of arts in museum settings. Organic colorants that were most ozone-fugitive included natural colorants, such as curcumin and indigo, as well as modern syntheticmore » colorants such as alizarin lakes and triphenylmethane dyes. Thus, these colorants were selected for further study with emphasis on the nature of the reaction products. Exposures were carried out on different substrates including watercolor paper, cellulose, silica gel, and Teflon. The experiments involved long-term exposure to low levels of ozone (e.g. {approximately} 0.3 ppm for 90 days) or shorter-term exposure to higher ozone concentrations (e.g. 10 ppm for 24 hours). Exposed and control samples, along with solvent and substrate blanks, were analyzed by mass spectrometry using a Kratos Scientific Instruments MS25 hexapole mass spectrometer operated in either methane chemical ionization (CI) or electron impact (EI) modes.« less

Density-Dependent Formulation of Dispersion-Repulsion Interactions in Hybrid Multiscale Quantum/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) Models.

PubMed

Curutchet, Carles; Cupellini, Lorenzo; Kongsted, Jacob; Corni, Stefano; Frediani, Luca; Steindal, Arnfinn Hykkerud; Guido, Ciro A; Scalmani, Giovanni; Mennucci, Benedetta

2018-03-13

Mixed multiscale quantum/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) models are widely used to explore the structure, reactivity, and electronic properties of complex chemical systems. Whereas such models typically include electrostatics and potentially polarization in so-called electrostatic and polarizable embedding approaches, respectively, nonelectrostatic dispersion and repulsion interactions are instead commonly described through classical potentials despite their quantum mechanical origin. Here we present an extension of the Tkatchenko-Scheffler semiempirical van der Waals (vdW TS ) scheme aimed at describing dispersion and repulsion interactions between quantum and classical regions within a QM/MM polarizable embedding framework. Starting from the vdW TS expression, we define a dispersion and a repulsion term, both of them density-dependent and consistently based on a Lennard-Jones-like potential. We explore transferable atom type-based parametrization strategies for the MM parameters, based on either vdW TS calculations performed on isolated fragments or on a direct estimation of the parameters from atomic polarizabilities taken from a polarizable force field. We investigate the performance of the implementation by computing self-consistent interaction energies for the S22 benchmark set, designed to represent typical noncovalent interactions in biological systems, in both equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium geometries. Overall, our results suggest that the present implementation is a promising strategy to include dispersion and repulsion in multiscale QM/MM models incorporating their explicit dependence on the electronic density.

Moving beyond assumptions of deviance: The reconceptualization and measurement of workplace gossip.

PubMed

Brady, Daniel L; Brown, Douglas J; Liang, Lindie Hanyu

2017-01-01

Despite decades of research from other academic fields arguing that gossip is an important and potentially functional behavior, organizational research has largely assumed that gossip is malicious talk. This has resulted in the proliferation of gossip items in deviance scales, effectively subsuming workplace gossip research into deviance research. In this paper, the authors argue that organizational research has traditionally considered only a very narrow subset of workplace gossip, focusing almost exclusively on extreme negative cases which are not reflective of typical workplace gossip behavior. Instead of being primarily malicious, typical workplace gossip can be either positive or negative in nature and may serve important functions. It is therefore recommended that workplace gossip be studied on its own, independent of deviance. To facilitate this, the authors reconceptualize the workplace gossip construct and then develop a series of general-purpose English- and Chinese-language workplace gossip scales. Using 8 samples (including qualitative, multisource, multiwave, and multicultural data), the authors demonstrate the construct validity, reliability, cross-cultural measurement invariance, and acceptable psychometric properties of the workplace gossip scales. Relationships are demonstrated between workplace gossip and a variety of other organizational variables and processes, including uncertainty, emotion validation, self-esteem, norm enforcement, networking, influence, organizational justice, performance, deviance, and turnover. Future directions in workplace gossip research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Trace analysis of energetic materials via direct analyte-probed nanoextraction coupled to direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Clemons, Kristina; Dake, Jeffrey; Sisco, Edward; Verbeck, Guido F

2013-09-10

Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) has proven to be a useful forensic tool for the trace analysis of energetic materials. While other techniques for detecting trace amounts of explosives involve extraction, derivatization, solvent exchange, or sample clean-up, DART-MS requires none of these. Typical DART-MS analyses directly from a solid sample or from a swab have been quite successful; however, these methods may not always be an optimal sampling technique in a forensic setting. For example, if the sample were only located in an area which included a latent fingerprint of interest, direct DART-MS analysis or the use of a swab would almost certainly destroy the print. To avoid ruining such potentially invaluable evidence, another method has been developed which will leave the fingerprint virtually untouched. Direct analyte-probed nanoextraction coupled to nanospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DAPNe-NSI-MS) has demonstrated excellent sensitivity and repeatability in forensic analyses of trace amounts of illicit drugs from various types of surfaces. This technique employs a nanomanipulator in conjunction with bright-field microscopy to extract single particles from a surface of interest and has provided a limit of detection of 300 attograms for caffeine. Combining DAPNe with DART-MS provides another level of flexibility in forensic analysis, and has proven to be a sufficient detection method for trinitrotoluene (TNT), RDX, and 1-methylaminoanthraquinone (MAAQ). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condensed Phase Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry with Direct Electron Ionization: On-line Measurement of PAHs in Complex Aqueous Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Termopoli, Veronica; Famiglini, Giorgio; Palma, Pierangela; Cappiello, Achille; Vandergrift, Gregory W.; Krogh, Erik T.; Gill, Chris G.

2016-02-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are USEPA regulated priority pollutants. Their low aqueous solubility requires very sensitive analytical methods for their detection, typically involving preconcentration steps. Presented is the first demonstrated `proof of concept' use of condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry (CP-MIMS) coupled with direct liquid electron ionization (DEI) for the direct, on-line measurement of PAHs in aqueous samples. DEI is very well suited for the ionization of PAHs and other nonpolar compounds, and is not significantly influenced by the co-elution of matrix components. Linear calibration data for low ppb levels of aqueous naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene is demonstrated, with measured detection limits of 4 ppb. Analytical response times (t10%-90% signal rise) ranged from 2.8 min for naphthalene to 4.7 min for pyrene. Both intra- and interday reproducibility has been assessed (<3% and 5% RSD, respectively). Direct measurements of ppb level PAHs spiked in a variety of real, complex environmental sample matrices is examined, including natural waters, sea waters, and a hydrocarbon extraction production waste water sample. For these spiked, complex samples, direct PAH measurement by CP-MIMS-DEI yielded minimal signal suppression from sample matrix effects (81%-104%). We demonstrate the use of this analytical approach to directly monitor real-time changes in aqueous PAH concentrations with potential applications for continuous on-line monitoring strategies and binding/adsorption studies in heterogeneous samples.

Graphene Double-Layer Capacitor with ac Line-Filtering Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, John R.; Outlaw, R. A.; Holloway, B. C.

2010-09-01

Electric double-layer capacitors (DLCs) can have high storage capacity, but their porous electrodes cause them to perform like resistors in filter circuits that remove ripple from rectified direct current. We have demonstrated efficient filtering of 120-hertz current with DLCs with electrodes made from vertically oriented graphene nanosheets grown directly on metal current collectors. This design minimized electronic and ionic resistances and produced capacitors with RC time constants of less than 200 microseconds, in contrast with ~1 second for typical DLCs. Graphene nanosheets have a preponderance of exposed edge planes that greatly increases charge storage as compared with that of designs that rely on basal plane surfaces. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes could be smaller than the low-voltage aluminum electrolyte capacitors that are typically used in electronic devices.

Graphene double-layer capacitor with ac line-filtering performance.

PubMed

Miller, John R; Outlaw, R A; Holloway, B C

2010-09-24

Electric double-layer capacitors (DLCs) can have high storage capacity, but their porous electrodes cause them to perform like resistors in filter circuits that remove ripple from rectified direct current. We have demonstrated efficient filtering of 120-hertz current with DLCs with electrodes made from vertically oriented graphene nanosheets grown directly on metal current collectors. This design minimized electronic and ionic resistances and produced capacitors with RC time constants of less than 200 microseconds, in contrast with ~1 second for typical DLCs. Graphene nanosheets have a preponderance of exposed edge planes that greatly increases charge storage as compared with that of designs that rely on basal plane surfaces. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes could be smaller than the low-voltage aluminum electrolyte capacitors that are typically used in electronic devices.

Directional Cluster Analysis on a Sphere: Retrieval of Archean Magnetic Directions from Data with High Dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bono, R. K.; Dare, M. S.; Tarduno, J. A.; Cottrell, R. D.

2016-12-01

Magnetic directions from coarse clastic rocks are typically highly scattered, to the point that the null hypothesis that they are drawn from a random distribution, using the iconic test of Watson (1956), cannot be rejected at a high confidence level (e.g. 95%). Here, we use an alternative approach of searching for directional clusters on a sphere. When applied to a new data set of directions from quartzites from the Jack Hills of Western Australia, we find evidence for distinct and meaningful magnetic directions at low (200 to 300 degrees C) and intermediate ( 350 to 450 degrees C) unblocking temperatures, whereas the test of Watson (1956) fails to draw a distinction from random distributions for the ensemble of directions at these unblocking temperature ranges. The robustness of the directional groups identified by the cluster analysis is confirmed by non-parametric resampling tests. The lowest unblocking temperature directional mode appears related to the present day field, perhaps contaminated by viscous magnetizations. The intermediate temperature magnetization matches an overprint recorded by the secondary mineral fuchsite (Cottrell et al., 2016) acquired at ca. 2.65 Ga. These data thus indicate that the Jack Hills carry an overprint at intermediate unblocking temperatures of Archean age. We find no evidence for a 1 Ga remagnetization. In general, the application of cluster analysis on a sphere, with directions confirmed by nonparametric tests, represents a new approach that should be applied when evaluating data with high dispersion, such as those that typically come from weak coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rocks, and/or rocks that have seen several tectonic events that could have imparted multiple magnetic overprints.

Exposure fluctuations of astronauts due to orientation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Nealy, John E.; Wood, James S.; Qualls, Gary; Atwell, William; Shinn, Judy L.; Simonsen, Lisa C.

1993-01-01

The dose incurred in an anisotropic environment depends on the orientation of the astronaut's body relative to the direction of the radiation field. The fluctuations in exposure of specific organs due to astronaut orientation are found to be a factor of 2 or more in a typical space habitation module and typical space radiations. An approximation function is found that overestimates astronaut exposure in most cases studied and is recommended as a shield design guide for future space missions.

Fingolimod promotes blood-nerve barrier properties in vitro.

PubMed

Nishihara, Hideaki; Maeda, Toshihiko; Sano, Yasuteru; Ueno, Maho; Okamoto, Nana; Takeshita, Yukio; Shimizu, Fumitaka; Koga, Michiaki; Kanda, Takashi

2018-04-01

The main effect of fingolimod is thought to be functional antagonism of lymphocytic S1P1 receptors and the prevention of lymphocyte egress from lymphoid tissues, thereby reducing lymphocyte infiltration into the nervous system. However, a growing number of reports suggest that fingolimod also has a direct effect on several cell types in the nervous system. Although we previously reported that fingolimod enhances blood-brain barrier (BBB) functions, there have been no investigations regarding the blood-nerve barrier (BNB). In this study, we examine how fingolimod affects the BNB. An immortalized human peripheral nerve microvascular endothelial cell line (HPnMEC) was used to evaluate BNB barrier properties. We examined tight junction proteins and barrier functions of HPnMECs in conditioned medium with or without fingolimod-phosphate and blood sera from patients with typical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Incubation with fingolimod-phosphate increased levels of claudin-5 mRNA and protein as well as TEER values in HPnMECs. Conversely, typical CIDP sera decreased claudin-5 mRNA/protein levels and TEER values in HPnMECs; however, pretreatment with fingolimod-phosphate inhibited the effects of the typical CIDP sera. Fingolimod-phosphate directly modifies the BNB and enhances barrier properties. This mechanism may be a viable therapeutic target for CIDP, and fingolimod may be useful in patients with typical CIDP who have severe barrier disruption.

Urban women's preferences for learning of their mammogram result: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Marcus, Erin N; Drummond, Darlene; Dietz, Noella

2012-03-01

Research suggests that communication of mammogram results is flawed for many low-income ethnic minority women. This study conducted four focus groups with low-income inner-city minority women (n = 34). The goals of our project were: (1) to elucidate women's experiences learning of their result; (2) to elicit their preferences as to how this communication could be improved; and (3) to gather information to help inform the development of a new tool for communicating mammogram results. Salient themes included dissatisfaction with result communication; difficulty elucidating the meaning of a typical results notification letter; a preference for direct verbal communication of results and for print materials that included pictures, testimonials, and an action plan including a hotline to call with questions; and a strong interest in advance education about the likelihood of having to return for additional follow up. Video and other programs to inform patients before the test about what happens after may improve patient satisfaction and enhance women's understanding of their personal result and follow up plan.

Proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue by MALDI imaging mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Casadonte, Rita; Caprioli, Richard M

2012-01-01

Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue collections represent a valuable informational resource for proteomic studies. Multiple FFPE core biopsies can be assembled in a single block to form tissue microarrays (TMAs). We describe a protocol for analyzing protein in FFPE -TMAs using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MAL DI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). The workflow incorporates an antigen retrieval step following deparaffinization, in situ trypsin digestion, matrix application and then mass spectrometry signal acquisition. The direct analysis of FFPE -TMA tissue using IMS allows direct analysis of multiple tissue samples in a single experiment without extraction and purification of proteins. The advantages of high speed and throughput, easy sample handling and excellent reproducibility make this technology a favorable approach for the proteomic analysis of clinical research cohorts with large sample numbers. For example, TMA analysis of 300 FFPE cores would typically require 6 h of total time through data acquisition, not including data analysis. PMID:22011652

To excite a heart: a bird's view.

PubMed

Sommer, J R; Bossen, E; Dalen, H; Dolber, P; High, T; Jewett, P; Johnson, E A; Junker, J; Leonard, S; Nassar, R

1991-01-01

Ultrastructural investigations of avian cardiac muscle, including ratite hearts, have provided great insights into the mechanisms as to how excitation leads to contraction in the heart. The geometry of the conduction fibers of ratite hearts confirms earlier observations on birds showing that the geometry of the conduction system and its component cells is adapted to hearts of different sizes and rates of contraction so as to maintain a differential in conduction velocities between the conduction system and the working fibers. The study of the ratite conduction fibers bears out the idea of an inverse relationship between the size of the gap junctions and the input resistance of cardiac cells. The anomalous extended junctional SR typical of all avian hearts, proscribes the notion of direct contact transduction into calcium release for contraction of an excitatory signal propagating at the cell surface. Couplings appear well suited to maintain direct, if transitory, connections to the extracellular space in addition to harboring channels for intracellular calcium release.

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

Park, Jaehong; Reid, Obadiah G.; Blackburn, Jeffrey L.

The strong quantum confinement and low dielectric screening impart single-walled carbon nanotubes with exciton-binding energies substantially exceeding kBT at room temperature. Despite these large binding energies, reported photoluminescence quantum yields are typically low and some studies suggest that photoexcitation of carbon nanotube excitonic transitions can produce free charge carriers. Here we report the direct measurement of long-lived free-carrier generation in chirality-pure, single-walled carbon nanotubes in a low dielectric solvent. Time-resolved microwave conductivity enables contactless and quantitative measurement of the real and imaginary photoconductance of individually suspended nanotubes. We found that the conditions of the microwave conductivity measurement allow us tomore » avoid the complications of most previous measurements of nanotube free-carrier generation, including tube–tube/tube–electrode contact, dielectric screening by nearby excitons and many-body interactions. At low photon fluence (approximately 0.05 excitons per μm length of tubes), we directly observe free carriers on excitation of the first and second carbon nanotube exciton transitions.« less

Improved Limits for Higgs-Portal Dark Matter from LHC Searches.

PubMed

Hoferichter, Martin; Klos, Philipp; Menéndez, Javier; Schwenk, Achim

2017-11-03

Searches for invisible Higgs decays at the Large Hadron Collider constrain dark matter Higgs-portal models, where dark matter interacts with the standard model fields via the Higgs boson. While these searches complement dark matter direct-detection experiments, a comparison of the two limits depends on the coupling of the Higgs boson to the nucleons forming the direct-detection nuclear target, typically parametrized in a single quantity f_{N}. We evaluate f_{N} using recent phenomenological and lattice-QCD calculations, and include for the first time the coupling of the Higgs boson to two nucleons via pion-exchange currents. We observe a partial cancellation for Higgs-portal models that makes the two-nucleon contribution anomalously small. Our results, summarized as f_{N}=0.308(18), show that the uncertainty of the Higgs-nucleon coupling has been vastly overestimated in the past. The improved limits highlight that state-of-the-art nuclear physics input is key to fully exploiting experimental searches.

Evaluation of global horizontal irradiance to plane-of-array irradiance models at locations across the United States

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

Lave, Matthew; Hayes, William; Pohl, Andrew

2015-02-02

We report an evaluation of the accuracy of combinations of models that estimate plane-of-array (POA) irradiance from measured global horizontal irradiance (GHI). This estimation involves two steps: 1) decomposition of GHI into direct and diffuse horizontal components and 2) transposition of direct and diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) to POA irradiance. Measured GHI and coincident measured POA irradiance from a variety of climates within the United States were used to evaluate combinations of decomposition and transposition models. A few locations also had DHI measurements, allowing for decoupled analysis of either the decomposition or the transposition models alone. Results suggest that decompositionmore » models had mean bias differences (modeled versus measured) that vary with climate. Transposition model mean bias differences depended more on the model than the location. Lastly, when only GHI measurements were available and combinations of decomposition and transposition models were considered, the smallest mean bias differences were typically found for combinations which included the Hay/Davies transposition model.« less

Consumer-directed health plans: mixed employer signals, complex market dynamics.

PubMed

Tynan, Ann; Christianson, Jon B

2008-03-01

Health plans have expanded consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) product offerings--typically high-deductible health plans coupled with a spending account--and more employers are offering these products to workers, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. In developing CDHPs, health plans are responding to a broader employer strategy to confer more responsibility on workers for their health care costs, lifestyle choices and treatment decisions. CDHP adoption by employers and consumers depends on a range of factors, including product features and employer characteristics, and varies across the 12 communities. While more large employers are introducing CDHPs into health benefit programs, adoption of CDHPs remains modest. Health plans and employers expect CDHP enrollment to grow as employers and employees become more knowledgeable about CDHP features, health plans develop more sophisticated support tools for plan enrollees, and there are more opportunities to learn from early adopters' experiences.early

DMDs for multi-object near-infrared spectrographs in astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smee, Stephen A.; Barkhouser, Robert; Hope, Stephen; Conley, Devin; Gray, Aidan; Hope, Gavin; Robberto, Massimo

2018-02-01

The Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), typically used in projection screen technology, has utility in instrumentation for astronomy as a digitally programmable slit in a spectrograph. When placed at an imaging focal plane the device can be used to selectively direct light from astronomical targets into the optical path of a spectrograph, while at the same time directing the remaining light into an imaging camera, which can be used for slit alignment, science imaging, or both. To date the use of DMDs in astronomy has been limited, especially for instruments that operate in the near infrared (1 - 2.5 μm). This limitation is due in part to a host of technical challenges with respect to DMDs that, to date, have not been thoroughly explored. Those challenges include operation at cryogenic temperature, control electronics that facilitate DMD use at these temperatures, window coatings properly coated for the near infrared bandpass, and scattered light. This paper discusses these technical challenges and presents progress towards understanding and mitigating them.

Total costs of IBS: employer and managed care perspective.

PubMed

Cash, Brooks; Sullivan, Sean; Barghout, Victoria

2005-04-01

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal motility disorder that typically affects persons of working age and is costly to employers. The financial burden attributable to the direct (use of healthcare resources) and indirect (missed days from work [absenteeism] and loss of productivity while at work [presenteeism]) costs of IBS is similar to that of other common long-term medical disorders, such as asthma, migraine, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. The symptoms of IBS are significantly bothersome and place a substantial burden on the personal and working lives of patients. As with other long-term medical conditions that have a significant impact on productivity, directed efforts by employers can address IBS in the workplace and thereby potentially decrease its impact. In this article, the symptoms of IBS and its impact on patients and on society as a whole are discussed; options are outlined by which employers can help reduce the total costs of IBS, including lost productivity (both absenteeism and presenteeism), in the workplace.

Direct analysis of organic priority pollutants by IMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giam, C. S.; Reed, G. E.; Holliday, T. L.; Chang, L.; Rhodes, B. J.

1995-01-01

Many routine methods for monitoring of trace amounts of atmospheric organic pollutants consist of several steps. Typical steps are: (1) collection of the air sample; (2) trapping of organics from the sample; (3) extraction of the trapped organics; and (4) identification of the organics in the extract by GC (gas chromatography), HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), or MS (Mass Spectrometry). These methods are often cumbersome and time consuming. A simple and fast method for monitoring atmospheric organics using an IMS (Ion Mobility Spectrometer) is proposed. This method has a short sampling time and does not require extraction of the organics since the sample is placed directly in the IMS. The purpose of this study was to determine the responses in the IMS to organic 'priority pollutants'. Priority pollutants including representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, phenols, chlorinated pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) were analyzed in both the positive and negative detection mode at ambient atmospheric pressure. Detection mode and amount detected are presented.

Photoinduced Spontaneous Free-Carrier Generation in Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

DOE PAGES

Park, Jaehong; Reid, Obadiah G.; Blackburn, Jeffrey L.; ...

2015-11-04

The strong quantum confinement and low dielectric screening impart single-walled carbon nanotubes with exciton-binding energies substantially exceeding kBT at room temperature. Despite these large binding energies, reported photoluminescence quantum yields are typically low and some studies suggest that photoexcitation of carbon nanotube excitonic transitions can produce free charge carriers. Here we report the direct measurement of long-lived free-carrier generation in chirality-pure, single-walled carbon nanotubes in a low dielectric solvent. Time-resolved microwave conductivity enables contactless and quantitative measurement of the real and imaginary photoconductance of individually suspended nanotubes. We found that the conditions of the microwave conductivity measurement allow us tomore » avoid the complications of most previous measurements of nanotube free-carrier generation, including tube–tube/tube–electrode contact, dielectric screening by nearby excitons and many-body interactions. At low photon fluence (approximately 0.05 excitons per μm length of tubes), we directly observe free carriers on excitation of the first and second carbon nanotube exciton transitions.« less

Proficiency of individuals with autism spectrum disorder at disembedding figures: A systematic review.

PubMed

Horlin, Chiara; Black, Melissa; Falkmer, Marita; Falkmer, Torbjorn

2016-01-01

This systematic review examines the proficiency and visual search strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) while disembedding figures and whether they differ from typical controls and other comparative samples. Five databases, including Proquest, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct were used to identify published studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty articles were included in the review, the majority of which matched participants by mental age. Outcomes discussed were time taken to identify targets, the number correctly identified, and fixation frequency and duration. Individuals with ASD perform at the same speed or faster than controls and other clinical samples. However, there appear to be no differences between individuals with ASD and controls for number of correctly identified targets. Only one study examined visual search strategies and suggests that individuals with ASD exhibit shorter first and final fixations to targets compared with controls.

Quantum and Multidimensional Explanations in a Neurobiological Context of Mind.

PubMed

Korf, Jakob

2015-08-01

This article examines the possible relevance of physical-mathematical multidimensional or quantum concepts aiming at understanding the (human) mind in a neurobiological context. Some typical features of the quantum and multidimensional concepts are briefly introduced, including entanglement, superposition, holonomic, and quantum field theories. Next, we consider neurobiological principles, such as the brain and its emerging (physical) mind, evolutionary and ontological origins, entropy, syntropy/neg-entropy, causation, and brain energy metabolism. In many biological processes, including biochemical conversions, protein folding, and sensory perception, the ubiquitous involvement of quantum mechanisms is well recognized. Quantum and multidimensional approaches might be expected to help describe and model both brain and mental processes, but an understanding of their direct involvement in mental activity, that is, without mediation by molecular processes, remains elusive. More work has to be done to bridge the gap between current neurobiological and physical-mathematical concepts with their associated quantum-mind theories. © The Author(s) 2014.

REMS Wind Sensor Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De La Torre Juarez, M.; Gomez-Elvira, J.; Navarro, S.; Marin, M.; Torres, J.; Rafkin, S. C.; Newman, C. E.; Pla-García, J.

2015-12-01

The REMS instrument is part of the Mars Science Laboratory payload. It is a sensor suite distributed over several parts of the rover. The wind sensor, which is composed of two booms equipped with a set of hot plate anemometers, is installed on the Rover Sensing Mast (RSM). During landing most of the hot plates of one boom were damaged, most likely by the pebbles lifted by the Sky Crane thruster. The loss of one wind boom necessitated a full review of the data processing strategy. Different algorithms have been tested on the readings of the first Mars year, and these results are now archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS), The presentation will include a description of the data processing methods and of the resulting products, including the typical evolution of wind speed and direction session-by-session, hour-by-hour and other kinds of statistics . A review of the wind readings over the first Mars year will also be presented.

Transportation Electrification Beyond Light Duty: Technology and Market Assessment

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

Tartaglia, Katie; Birky, Alicia; Laughlin, Michael

Commercial fleets form the backbone of the nation’s economy, getting people and the things they need to the places they need to go and performing services necessary to keep public and private physical infrastructure in working order. Commercial fleets include a wide range of vehicle and equipment types, typical uses, and sizes, and involve millions of on-road and offroad vehicles. This diversity means there is no single solution to the challenges these vehicles pose for reducing petroleum dependence, impact on air quality, and emission of greenhouse gases. This document focuses on electrification of government, commercial, and industrial fleets. These fleetsmore » have been divided into three market segments based on equipment use: service fleets, goods movement, and people movement. In particular, it addresses highway vehicles not used for personal transport; non-highway modes, including air, rail, and water; and non-road equipment used directly or in support of these uses.« less

NONBACTERIAL MYOSITIS

PubMed Central

Crum-Cianflone, Nancy F.

2010-01-01

Infectious myositis is defined as an infection of a skeletal muscle. Infectious myositis is most commonly caused by bacteria; however, a variety of viral, parasitic, and fungal agents may also cause myositis. The pathogenesis of nonbacterial infectious myositis is via direct infection of the musculature or immune mechanisms. Symptoms typically include muscular pain, tenderness, swelling, and/or weakness. The diagnosis of the specific microbe is often suggested by the presence of concordant clinical signs and symptoms, a detailed medical/travel history, and laboratory data. For example, immunocompromised hosts have a heightened risk of fungal myositis, whereas the presence of a travel history to an endemic location and/or eosinophilia may suggest a parasitic cause. Definitive diagnosis requires detecting the organism by specific laboratory testing including serologies, histopathology, and/or cultures. Treatment entails antimicrobial agents against the pathogen, with consideration for surgical drainage for focal purulent collections within the musculature. PMID:21308520

Plasma Chamber Design and Fabrication Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parodi, B.; Bianchi, A.; Cucchiaro, A.; Coletti, A.; Frosi, P.; Mazzone, G.; Pizzuto, A.; Ramogida, G.; Coppi, B.

2006-10-01

A fabrication procedure for a typical Plasma Chamber (PC) sector has been developed to cover all the manufacturing phases, from the raw materials specification (including metallurgical processes) to the machining operations, acceptance procedures and vacuum tests. Basically, the sector is made of shaped elements (forged or rolled) welded together using special fixtures and then machined to achieve the final dimensional accuracy. An upgraded design of the plasma chamber's vertical support that can withstand the estimated electromagnetic loads (Eddy and Halo current plus horizontal net force resulting from the worst plasma disruption scenario VDE, Vertical Displacement Event) has been completed. The maintenance of the radial support can take place hands-on with a direct access from outside the cryostat. With the present design, vacuum tightness is achieved by welding conducted with automatic welding heads. On the outer surface of the PC a dedicated duct system, filled by helium gas, is included to cool down the PC to room temperature when needed.

[Emerging diseases. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever].

PubMed

Kuljić-Kapulica, Nada

2004-01-01

Recognized for many years in central Asia and Eastern Europe, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe zoonotic disease which affects people coming into contact with livestock or ticks. The range of the CCHF virus is now known to extend form central Asia to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and to most of Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa. CCHF virus is a member of the Bunyavirus family, and is classified as a Nairovirus. After an incubation period of approximately 3 to 6 days the abrupt onset of acute febrile illness occurs. The first symptoms are similar to severe influenza and include fever, headache, severe back and abdominal pain. The hemorrhagic fever manifestations occur after several days of illnesses and include petechial rash, ecchymoses, hematemmesis, and melenna. Cases typically present with some form of hepatitis. The mortality rate is 10-50% in different outbreaks with deaths typically occurring during the second week of illness. The genus Hyalomma of ixodid ticks is the most important vector of the CCHF virus. Vertebrates including birds and small animals provide excellent amplifier hosts of both the virus and the tick. The virus can be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals and from person to person. Early diagnosis is possible in special laboratories using antigen detection by imunofluorescence or ELISA tests or molecular methods as PCR and antibody detection. Tick control measures need to be emphasized and utilized to prevent CCHF. This includes spraying camp sites, clothing and danger areas with acaricides or repellent. Strict isolation of patients with CCHF and a focus on barrier nursing would help to prevent nosocomial spread. Presently the vaccine is a dangerous mouse brain-derived version. Future development of a vaccine would help to prevent human infection.

Noise Gating Solar Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeForest, Craig; Seaton, Daniel B.; Darnell, John A.

2017-08-01

I present and demonstrate a new, general purpose post-processing technique, "3D noise gating", that can reduce image noise by an order of magnitude or more without effective loss of spatial or temporal resolution in typical solar applications.Nearly all scientific images are, ultimately, limited by noise. Noise can be direct Poisson "shot noise" from photon counting effects, or introduced by other means such as detector read noise. Noise is typically represented as a random variable (perhaps with location- or image-dependent characteristics) that is sampled once per pixel or once per resolution element of an image sequence. Noise limits many aspects of image analysis, including photometry, spatiotemporal resolution, feature identification, morphology extraction, and background modeling and separation.Identifying and separating noise from image signal is difficult. The common practice of blurring in space and/or time works because most image "signal" is concentrated in the low Fourier components of an image, while noise is evenly distributed. Blurring in space and/or time attenuates the high spatial and temporal frequencies, reducing noise at the expense of also attenuating image detail. Noise-gating exploits the same property -- "coherence" -- that we use to identify features in images, to separate image features from noise.Processing image sequences through 3-D noise gating results in spectacular (more than 10x) improvements in signal-to-noise ratio, while not blurring bright, resolved features in either space or time. This improves most types of image analysis, including feature identification, time sequence extraction, absolute and relative photometry (including differential emission measure analysis), feature tracking, computer vision, correlation tracking, background modeling, cross-scale analysis, visual display/presentation, and image compression.I will introduce noise gating, describe the method, and show examples from several instruments (including SDO/AIA , SDO/HMI, STEREO/SECCHI, and GOES-R/SUVI) that explore the benefits and limits of the technique.

Miniature High-Force, Long-Stroke SMA Linear Actuators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cummin, Mark A.; Donakowski, William; Cohen, Howard

2008-01-01

Improved long-stroke shape-memory-alloy (SMA) linear actuators are being developed to exert significantly higher forces and operate at higher activation temperatures than do prior SMA actuators. In these actuators, long linear strokes are achieved through the principle of displacement multiplication, according to which there are multiple stages, each intermediate stage being connected by straight SMA wire segments to the next stage so that relative motions of stages are additive toward the final stage, which is the output stage. Prior SMA actuators typically include polymer housings or shells, steel or aluminum stages, and polymer pads between successive stages of displacement-multiplication assemblies. Typical output forces of prior SMA actuators range from 10 to 20 N, and typical strokes range from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. An important disadvantage of prior SMA wire actuators is relatively low cycle speed, which is related to actuation temperature as follows: The SMA wires in prior SMA actuators are typically made of a durable nickel/titanium alloy that has a shape-memory activation temperature of 80 C. An SMA wire can be heated quickly from below to above its activation temperature to obtain a stroke in one direction, but must then be allowed to cool to somewhat below its activation temperature (typically, less than or equal to 60 C in the case of an activation temperature of 80 C) to obtain a stroke in the opposite direction (return stroke). At typical ambient temperatures, cooling times are of the order of several seconds. Cooling times thus limit cycle speeds. Wires made of SMA alloys having significantly higher activation temperatures [denoted ultra-high-temperature (UHT) SMA alloys] cool to the required lower return-stroke temperatures more rapidly, making it possible to increase cycle speeds. The present development is motivated by a need, in some applications (especially aeronautical and space-flight applications) for SMA actuators that exert higher forces, operate at greater cycle speeds, and have stronger housings that can withstand greater externally applied forces and impacts. The main novel features of the improved SMA actuators are the following: 1) The ends of the wires are anchored in compact crimps made from short steel tubes. Each wire end is inserted in a tube, the tube is flattened between planar jaws to make the tube grip the wire, the tube is compressed to a slight U-cross-section deformation to strengthen the grip, then the crimp is welded onto one of the actuator stages. The pull strength of a typical crimp is about 125 N -- comparable to the strength of the SMA wire and greater than the typical pull strengths of wire-end anchors in prior SMA actuators. Greater pull strength is one of the keys to achievement of higher actuation force; 2) For greater strength and resistance to impacts, housings are milled from aluminum instead of being made from polymers. Each housing is made from two pieces in a clamshell configuration. The pieces are anodized to reduce sliding friction; 3) Stages are made stronger (to bear greater compression loads without excessive flexing) by making them from steel sheets thicker than those used in prior SMA actuators. The stages contain recessed pockets to accommodate the crimps. Recessing the pockets helps to keep overall dimensions as small as possible; and, 4) UHT SMA wires are used to satisfy the higher-speed/higher-temperature requirement.

Vertical-Deformation, Water-Level, Microgravity, Geodetic, Water-Chemistry, and Flow-Rate Data Collected During Injection, Storage, and Recovery Tests at Lancaster, Antelope Valley, California, September 1995 Through September 1998

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

63 Tiltmeter Network...71 34. Map showing locations of tiltmeters used to monitor the magnitude and direction of ground tilting associated with direct well injection...during cycle 2 at Lancaster, Antelope Valley, California .............................. 72 35. Photograph showing typical tiltmeter installation for

Direct emission of nitrous acid (HONO) from gasoline cars in China determined by vehicle chassis dynamometer experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuhan; Lu, Keding; Ma, Yufang; Yang, Xinping; Zhang, Wenbin; Wu, Yusheng; Peng, Jianfei; Shuai, Shijin; Hu, Min; Zhang, Yuanhang

2017-11-01

HONO plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry, and while its importance is well-known, the sources of HONO are still not completely understood. As a component of ambient HONO sources, direct emission from vehicles is an area that should be extensively studied. In this study, we determined the HONO emission index for typical gasoline vehicles in the car population of China through a chassis dynamometer with different types of engines (PFI/GDI), starting conditions (cold/warm) and running styles (Beijing cycle). Emission ratios of HONO to nitrogen oxide (NOX) for the Chinese gasoline cars are determined to be in the range of (0.03-0.42) % and an averaged value is about 0.18%, which are comparable to those reported in the few studies available in Europe, the United States and Japan for gasoline cars while smaller for those of the diesel cars. The atmospheric impact of the direct HONO emission from gasoline cars was analyzed for a typical urban site in Beijing, significant contributions of the direct emission toward the HONO budget were found during morning rush hours or twilight conditions to be 8-12%.

piscope - A Python based software package for the analysis of volcanic SO2 emissions using UV SO2 cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gliss, Jonas; Stebel, Kerstin; Kylling, Arve; Solvejg Dinger, Anna; Sihler, Holger; Sudbø, Aasmund

2017-04-01

UV SO2 cameras have become a common method for monitoring SO2 emission rates from volcanoes. Scattered solar UV radiation is measured in two wavelength windows, typically around 310 nm and 330 nm (distinct / weak SO2 absorption) using interference filters. The data analysis comprises the retrieval of plume background intensities (to calculate plume optical densities), the camera calibration (to convert optical densities into SO2 column densities) and the retrieval of gas velocities within the plume as well as the retrieval of plume distances. SO2 emission rates are then typically retrieved along a projected plume cross section, for instance a straight line perpendicular to the plume propagation direction. Today, for most of the required analysis steps, several alternatives exist due to ongoing developments and improvements related to the measurement technique. We present piscope, a cross platform, open source software toolbox for the analysis of UV SO2 camera data. The code is written in the Python programming language and emerged from the idea of a common analysis platform incorporating a selection of the most prevalent methods found in literature. piscope includes several routines for plume background retrievals, routines for cell and DOAS based camera calibration including two individual methods to identify the DOAS field of view (shape and position) within the camera images. Gas velocities can be retrieved either based on an optical flow analysis or using signal cross correlation. A correction for signal dilution (due to atmospheric scattering) can be performed based on topographic features in the images. The latter requires distance retrievals to the topographic features used for the correction. These distances can be retrieved automatically on a pixel base using intersections of individual pixel viewing directions with the local topography. The main features of piscope are presented based on dataset recorded at Mt. Etna, Italy in September 2015.

Variability in form and growth of sediment waves on turbidite channel levees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Normark, W.R.; Piper, D.J.W.; Posamentier, H.; Pirmez, C.; Migeon, S.

2002-01-01

Fine-grained sediment waves have been observed in many modern turbidite systems, generally restricted to the overbank depositional element. Sediment waves developed on six submarine fan systems are compared using high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, sediment core samples (including ODP drilling), multibeam bathymetry, 3D seismic-reflection imaging (including examples of burried features), and direct measurements of turbidity currents that overflow their channels. These submarine fan examples extend over more than three orders of magnitude in physical scale. The presence or absence of sediment waves is not simply a matter of either the size of the turbidite channel-levee systems or the dominant initiation process for the turbidity currents that overflow the channels to form the wave fields. Both sediment-core data and seismic-reflection profiles document the upslope migration of the wave forms, with thicker and coarser beds deposited on the up-current flank of the waves. Some wave fields are orthogonal to channel trend and were initiated by large flows whose direction was controlled by upflow morphology, whereas fields subparallel to channel levees resulted from local spillover. In highly meandering systems, sediment waves may mimic meander planform. Larger sediment waves form on channel-levee systems with thicker overflow of turbidity currents, but available data indicate that sediment waves can be maintaned during conditions of relatively thin overflow. Coarser-grained units in sediment waves are typically laminated and thin-bedded sand as much as several centimetres thick, but sand beds as thick as several tens of centimetres have been documented from both modern and buried systems. Current production of hydrocarbons from sediment-wave deposits suggests that it is important to develop criteria for recognising this overbank element in outcrop exposures and borehole data, where the wavelength of typical waves (several kilometres) generally exceeds outcrop scales and wave heights, which are reduced as a result of consolidation during burial, may be too subtle to recognise. Crown Copyright ?? 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Artificial Disc Replacement

MedlinePlus

... Cervical Foraminotomy Spinal Fusion Nonsurgical Treatments Activity Modification Chiropractic – A Conversation with Dr. Jordan Gliedt, DC Directional ... with non-operative care such as medication, injections, chiropractic care and/or physical therapy. Typically, you will ...

Assessing the direct effects of deep brain stimulation using embedded axon models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N.; Steinmetz, Peter N.

2007-06-01

To better understand the spatial extent of the direct effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on neurons, we implemented a geometrically realistic finite element electrical model incorporating anisotropic and inhomogenous conductivities. The model included the subthalamic nucleus (STN), substantia nigra (SN), zona incerta (ZI), fields of Forel H2 (FF), internal capsule (IC) and Medtronic 3387/3389 electrode. To quantify the effects of stimulation, we extended previous studies by using multi-compartment axon models with geometry and orientation consistent with anatomical features of the brain regions of interest. Simulation of axonal firing produced a map of relative changes in axonal activation. Voltage-controlled stimulation, with clinically typical parameters at the dorso-lateral STN, caused axon activation up to 4 mm from the target. This activation occurred within the FF, IC, SN and ZI with current intensities close to the average injected during DBS (3 mA). A sensitivity analysis of model parameters (fiber size, fiber orientation, degree of inhomogeneity, degree of anisotropy, electrode configuration) revealed that the FF and IC were consistently activated. Direct activation of axons outside the STN suggests that other brain regions may be involved in the beneficial effects of DBS when treating Parkinsonian symptoms.

Direct measurements of local bed shear stress in the presence of pressure gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pujara, Nimish; Liu, Philip L.-F.

2014-07-01

This paper describes the development of a shear plate sensor capable of directly measuring the local mean bed shear stress in small-scale and large-scale laboratory flumes. The sensor is capable of measuring bed shear stress in the range 200 Pa with an accuracy up to 1 %. Its size, 43 mm in the flow direction, is designed to be small enough to give spatially local measurements, and its bandwidth, 75 Hz, is high enough to resolve time-varying forcing. Typically, shear plate sensors are restricted to use in zero pressure gradient flows because secondary forces on the edge of the shear plate caused by pressure gradients can introduce large errors. However, by analysis of the pressure distribution at the edges of the shear plate in mild pressure gradients, we introduce a new methodology for correcting for the pressure gradient force. The developed sensor includes pressure tappings to measure the pressure gradient in the flow, and the methodology for correction is applied to obtain accurate measurements of bed shear stress under solitary waves in a small-scale wave flume. The sensor is also validated by measurements in a turbulent flat plate boundary layer in open channel flow.

Subfemtosecond directional control of chemical processes in molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alnaser, Ali S.; Litvinyuk, Igor V.

2017-02-01

Laser pulses with a waveform-controlled electric field and broken inversion symmetry establish the opportunity to achieve directional control of molecular processes on a subfemtosecond timescale. Several techniques could be used to break the inversion symmetry of an electric field. The most common ones include combining a fundamental laser frequency with its second harmonic or with higher -frequency pulses (or pulse trains) as well as using few-cycle pulses with known carrier-envelope phase (CEP). In the case of CEP, control over chemical transformations, typically occurring on a timescale of many femtoseconds, is driven by much faster sub-cycle processes of subfemtosecond to few-femtosecond duration. This is possible because electrons are much lighter than nuclei and fast electron motion is coupled to the much slower nuclear motion. The control originates from populating coherent superpositions of different electronic or vibrational states with relative phases that are dependent on the CEP or phase offset between components of a two-color pulse. In this paper, we review the recent progress made in the directional control over chemical processes, driven by intense few-cycle laser pulses a of waveform-tailored electric field, in different molecules.

Use of a night vision intensifier for direct visualization by eye of far-red and near-infrared fluorescence through an optical microscope.

PubMed

Siddiqi, M A; Kilduff, G M; Gearhart, J D

2003-11-01

We describe the design, construction and testing of a prototype device that allows the direct visualization by eye of far-red and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence through an optical microscope. The device incorporates a gallium arsenide (GaAs) image intensifier, typically utilized in low-light or 'night vision' applications. The intensifier converts far-red and NIR light into electrons and then into green light, which is visible to the human eye. The prototype makes possible the direct, real-time viewing by eye of normally invisible far-red and NIR fluorescence from a wide variety of fluorophores, using the full field of view of the microscope to which it is applied. The high sensitivity of the image intensifier facilitates the viewing of a wide variety of photosensitive specimens, including live cells and embryos, at vastly reduced illumination levels in both fluorescence and bright-field microscopy. Modifications to the microscope are not required in order to use the prototype, which is fully compatible with all current fluorescence techniques. Refined versions of the prototype device will have broad research and clinical applications.

Directed-Backbone Dissociation Following Bond-Specific Carbon-Sulfur UVPD at 213 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talbert, Lance E.; Julian, Ryan R.

2018-04-01

Ultraviolet photodissociation or UVPD is an increasingly popular option for tandem-mass spectrometry experiments. UVPD can be carried out at many wavelengths, and it is important to understand how the results will be impacted by this choice. Here, we explore the utility of 213 nm photons for initiating bond-selective fragmentation. It is found that bonds previously determined to be labile at 266 nm, including carbon-iodine and sulfur-sulfur bonds, can also be cleaved with high selectivity at 213 nm. In addition, many carbon-sulfur bonds that are not subject to direct dissociation at 266 nm can be selectively fragmented at 213 nm. This capability can be used to site-specifically create alaninyl radicals that direct backbone dissociation at the radical site, creating diagnostic d-ions. Furthermore, the additional carbon-sulfur bond fragmentation capability leads to signature triplets for fragmentation of disulfide bonds. Absorption of amide bonds can enhance dissociation of nearby labile carbon-sulfur bonds and can be used for stochastic backbone fragmentation typical of UVPD experiments at shorter wavelengths. Several potential applications of the bond-selective fragmentation chemistry observed at 213 nm are discussed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Subtle changes in the landmark panorama disrupt visual navigation in a nocturnal bull ant

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The ability of ants to navigate when the visual landmark information is altered has often been tested by creating large and artificial discrepancies in their visual environment. Here, we had an opportunity to slightly modify the natural visual environment around the nest of the nocturnal bull ant Myrmecia pyriformis. We achieved this by felling three dead trees, two located along the typical route followed by the foragers of that particular nest and one in a direction perpendicular to their foraging direction. An image difference analysis showed that the change in the overall panorama following the removal of these trees was relatively little. We filmed the behaviour of ants close to the nest and tracked their entire paths, both before and after the trees were removed. We found that immediately after the trees were removed, ants walked slower and were less directed. Their foraging success decreased and they looked around more, including turning back to look towards the nest. We document how their behaviour changed over subsequent nights and discuss how the ants may detect and respond to a modified visual environment in the evening twilight period. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in dim light’. PMID:28193813

Application of a Saddle-Type Eddy Current Sensor in Steel Ball Surface-Defect Inspection.

PubMed

Zhang, Huayu; Zhong, Mingming; Xie, Fengqin; Cao, Maoyong

2017-12-05

Steel ball surface-defect inspection was performed by using a new saddle-type eddy current sensor (SECS), which included a saddle coil and a signal conditioning circuit. The saddle coil was directly wound on the steel ball's outer bracket in a semi-circumferential direction. Driven by a friction wheel, the test steel ball rotated in a one-dimensional direction, such that the steel ball surface was fully scanned by the SECS. There were two purposes for using the SECS in the steel ball inspection system: one was to reduce the complexity of the unfolding wheel of the surface deployment mechanism, and the other was to reduce the difficulty of sensor processing and installation. Experiments were carried out on bearing steel balls in diameter of 8 mm with three types of representative and typical defects by using the SECS, and the results showed that the inspection system can detect surface defects as small as 0.05 mm in width and 0.1 mm in depth with high-repetition detection accuracy, and the detection efficiency of 5 pcs/s, which meet the requirement for inspecting ISO grade 10 bearing steel balls. The feasibility of detecting steel ball surface defects by SECS was verified.

Directly writing resistor, inductor and capacitor to composite functional circuits: a super-simple way for alternative electronics.

PubMed

Gao, Yunxia; Li, Haiyan; Liu, Jing

2013-01-01

The current strategies for making electronic devices are generally time, water, material and energy consuming. Here, the direct writing of composite functional circuits through comprehensive use of GaIn10-based liquid metal inks and matching material is proposed and investigated, which is a rather easy going and cost effective electronics fabrication way compared with the conventional approaches. Owing to its excellent adhesion and electrical properties, the liquid metal ink was demonstrated as a generalist in directly making various basic electronic components such as planar resistor, inductor and capacitor or their combination and thus composing circuits with expected electrical functions. For a precise control of the geometric sizes of the writing, a mask with a designed pattern was employed and demonstrated. Mechanisms for justifying the chemical components of the inks and the magnitudes of the target electronic elements so as to compose various practical circuits were disclosed. Fundamental tests on the electrical components including capacitor and inductor directly written on paper with working time up to 48 h and elevated temperature demonstrated their good stability and potential widespread adaptability especially when used in some high frequency circuits. As the first proof-of-concept experiment, a typical functional oscillating circuit including an integrated chip of 74HC04 with a supply voltage of 5 V, a capacitor of 10 nF and two resistors of 5 kΩ and 1 kΩ respectively was directly composed on paper through integrating specific electrical elements together, which presented an oscillation frequency of 8.8 kHz. The present method significantly extends the roles of the metal ink in recent works serving as only a single electrical conductor or interconnecting wires. It opens the way for directly writing out complex functional circuits or devices on different substrates. Such circuit composition strategy has generalized purpose and can be extended to more areas, even daily pervasive electronics.

Directional infrared temperature and emissivity of vegetation: Measurements and models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, J. M.; Castello, S.; Balick, L. K.

1994-01-01

Directional thermal radiance from vegetation depends on many factors, including the architecture of the plant canopy, thermal irradiance, emissivity of the foliage and soil, view angle, slope, and the kinetic temperature distribution within the vegetation-soil system. A one dimensional model, which includes the influence of topography, indicates that thermal emissivity of vegetation canopies may remain constant with view angle, or emissivity may increase or decrease as view angle from nadir increases. Typically, variations of emissivity with view angle are less than 0.01. As view angle increases away from nadir, directional infrared canopy temperature usually decreases but may remain nearly constant or even increase. Variations in directional temperature with view angle may be 5C or more. Model predictions of directional emissivity are compared with field measurements in corn canopies and over a bare soil using a method that requires two infrared thermometers, one sensitive to the 8 to 14 micrometer wavelength band and a second to the 14 to 22 micrometer band. After correction for CO2 absorption by the atmosphere, a directional canopy emissivity can be obtained as a function of view angle in the 8 to 14 micrometer band to an accuracy of about 0.005. Modeled and measured canopy emissivities for corn varied slightly with view angle (0.990 at nadir and 0.982 at 75 deg view zenith angle) and did not appear to vary significantly with view angle for the bare soil. Canopy emissivity is generally nearer to unity than leaf emissivity may vary by 0.02 with wavelength even though leaf emissivity. High spectral resolution, canopy thermal emissivity may vary by 0.02 with wavelength even though leaf emissivity may vary by 0.07. The one dimensional model provides reasonably accurate predictions of infrared temperature and can be used to study the dependence of infrared temperature on various plant, soil, and environmental factors.

Directly Writing Resistor, Inductor and Capacitor to Composite Functional Circuits: A Super-Simple Way for Alternative Electronics

PubMed Central

Gao, Yunxia; Li, Haiyan; Liu, Jing

2013-01-01

Background The current strategies for making electronic devices are generally time, water, material and energy consuming. Here, the direct writing of composite functional circuits through comprehensive use of GaIn10-based liquid metal inks and matching material is proposed and investigated, which is a rather easy going and cost effective electronics fabrication way compared with the conventional approaches. Methods Owing to its excellent adhesion and electrical properties, the liquid metal ink was demonstrated as a generalist in directly making various basic electronic components such as planar resistor, inductor and capacitor or their combination and thus composing circuits with expected electrical functions. For a precise control of the geometric sizes of the writing, a mask with a designed pattern was employed and demonstrated. Mechanisms for justifying the chemical components of the inks and the magnitudes of the target electronic elements so as to compose various practical circuits were disclosed. Results Fundamental tests on the electrical components including capacitor and inductor directly written on paper with working time up to 48 h and elevated temperature demonstrated their good stability and potential widespread adaptability especially when used in some high frequency circuits. As the first proof-of-concept experiment, a typical functional oscillating circuit including an integrated chip of 74HC04 with a supply voltage of 5 V, a capacitor of 10 nF and two resistors of 5 kΩ and 1 kΩ respectively was directly composed on paper through integrating specific electrical elements together, which presented an oscillation frequency of 8.8 kHz. Conclusions The present method significantly extends the roles of the metal ink in recent works serving as only a single electrical conductor or interconnecting wires. It opens the way for directly writing out complex functional circuits or devices on different substrates. Such circuit composition strategy has generalized purpose and can be extended to more areas, even daily pervasive electronics. PMID:23936349

Infant viewing of social scenes is under genetic control and atypical in autism

PubMed Central

Constantino, John N.; Kennon-McGill, Stefanie; Weichselbaum, Claire; Marrus, Natasha; Haider, Alyzeh; Glowinski, Anne L.; Gillespie, Scott; Klaiman, Cheryl; Klin, Ami; Jones, Warren

2017-01-01

Long before infants reach, crawl, or walk, they explore the world by looking: they look to learn and to engage1, giving preferential attention to social stimuli including faces2, face-like stimuli3, and biological motion4. This capacity—social visual engagement—shapes typical infant development from birth5 and is pathognomonically impaired in children affected by autism6. Here we show that variation in viewing of social scenes—including levels of preferential attention and the timing, direction, and targeting of individual eye movements—is strongly influenced by genetic factors, with effects directly traceable to the active seeking of social information7. In a series of eye-tracking experiments conducted with 338 toddlers—including 166 epidemiologically-ascertained twins, 88 non-twins with autism, and 84 singleton controls—we find high monozygotic twin-twin concordance (0.91) and relatively low dizygotic concordance (0.35). Moreover, the measures that are most highly heritable, preferential attention to eye and mouth regions of the face, are also those that are differentially diminished in children with autism (Χ2=64.03, P<0.0001). These results—which implicate social visual engagement as a neurodevelopmental endophenotype—not only for autism, but for population-wide variation in social-information-seeking8—reveal a means of human biological niche construction, with phenotypic differences emerging from the interaction of individual genotypes with early life experience7. PMID:28700580

An Update to the Warm-Season Convective Wind Climatology of KSC/CCAFS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lupo, Kevin

2012-01-01

Total of 1100 convective events in the 17-year warm-season climatology at KSC/CCAFS. July and August typically are the peak of convective events, May being the minimum. Warning and non-warning level convective winds are more likely to occur in the late afternoon (1900-2000Z). Southwesterly flow regimes and wind directions produce the strongest winds. Storms moving from southwesterly direction tend to produce more warning level winds than those moving from the northerly and easterly directions.

Direct cooled power electronics substrate

DOEpatents

Wiles, Randy H [Powell, TN; Wereszczak, Andrew A [Oak Ridge, TN; Ayers, Curtis W [Kingston, TN; Lowe, Kirk T [Knoxville, TN

2010-09-14

The disclosure describes directly cooling a three-dimensional, direct metallization (DM) layer in a power electronics device. To enable sufficient cooling, coolant flow channels are formed within the ceramic substrate. The direct metallization layer (typically copper) may be bonded to the ceramic substrate, and semiconductor chips (such as IGBT and diodes) may be soldered or sintered onto the direct metallization layer to form a power electronics module. Multiple modules may be attached to cooling headers that provide in-flow and out-flow of coolant through the channels in the ceramic substrate. The modules and cooling header assembly are preferably sized to fit inside the core of a toroidal shaped capacitor.

Clustering in complex directed networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fagiolo, Giorgio

2007-08-01

Many empirical networks display an inherent tendency to cluster, i.e., to form circles of connected nodes. This feature is typically measured by the clustering coefficient (CC). The CC, originally introduced for binary, undirected graphs, has been recently generalized to weighted, undirected networks. Here we extend the CC to the case of (binary and weighted) directed networks and we compute its expected value for random graphs. We distinguish between CCs that count all directed triangles in the graph (independently of the direction of their edges) and CCs that only consider particular types of directed triangles (e.g., cycles). The main concepts are illustrated by employing empirical data on world-trade flows.

Distilled Water Distribution Systems. Laboratory Design Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sell, J.C.

Factors concerning water distribution systems, including an evaluation of materials and a recommendation of materials best suited for service in typical facilities are discussed. Several installations are discussed in an effort to bring out typical features in selected applications. The following system types are included--(1) industrial…

Toughened and corrosion- and wear-resistant composite structures and fabrication methods thereof

DOEpatents

Seals, Roland D; Ripley, Edward B; Hallman, Russell L

2014-04-08

Composite structures having a reinforced material interjoined with a substrate and methods of creating a composite material interjoined with a substrate. In some embodiments the composite structure may be a line or a spot or formed by reinforced material interjoined with the substrate. The methods typically include disposing a precursor material comprising titanium diboride and/or titanium monoboride on at least a portion of the substrate and heating the precursor material and the at least a portion of the substrate in the presence of an oxidation preventative until at least a portion of the precursor material forms reinforced material interjoined with the substrate. The precursor material may be disposed on the substrate as a sheet or a tape or a slurry or a paste. Localized surface heating may be used to heat the precursor material. The reinforced material typically comprises a titanium boron compound, such as titanium monoboride, and preferably comprises .beta.-titanium. The substrate is typically titanium-bearing, iron-bearing, or aluminum-bearing. A welding rod is provided as an embodiment. The welding rod includes a metal electrode and a precursor material is disposed adjacent at least a portion of the metal electrode. A material for use in forming a composite structure is provided. The material typically includes a precursor material that includes one or more materials selected from the following group: titanium diboride and titanium monoboride. The material also typically includes a flux.

A four-diode full-wave ionic current rectifier based on bipolar membranes: overcoming the limit of electrode capacity.

PubMed

Gabrielsson, Erik O; Janson, Per; Tybrandt, Klas; Simon, Daniel T; Berggren, Magnus

2014-08-13

Full-wave rectification of ionic currents is obtained by constructing the typical four-diode bridge out of ion conducting bipolar membranes. Together with conjugated polymer electrodes addressed with alternating current, the bridge allows for generation of a controlled ionic direct current for extended periods of time without the production of toxic species or gas typically arising from electrode side-reactions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Monte Carlo Evaluation of Tritium Beta Spectrum Energy Deposition in Gallium Nitride (GaN) Direct Energy Conversion Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD...MM-YYYY) September 2014 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) January–July 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Monte Carlo Evaluation of...generated is typical of energy harvesting levels of power.11 Radioisotope power sources differ from typical renewable energy/power levels in that they

Effects of sex chromosome aneuploidies on brain development: evidence from neuroimaging studies.

PubMed

Lenroot, Rhoshel K; Lee, Nancy Raitano; Giedd, Jay N

2009-01-01

Variation in the number of sex chromosomes is a relatively common genetic condition, affecting as many as 1/400 individuals. The sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are associated with characteristic behavioral and cognitive phenotypes, although the degree to which specific individuals are affected can fall within a wide range. Understanding the effects of different dosages of sex chromosome genes on brain development may help to understand the basis for functional differences in affected individuals. It may also be informative regarding how sex chromosomes contribute to typical sexual differentiation. Studies of 47,XXY males make up the bulk of the current literature of neuroimaging studies in individuals with supernumerary sex chromosomes, with a few small studies or case reports of the other SCAs. Findings in 47,XXY males typically include decreased gray and white matter volumes, with most pronounced effects in the frontal and temporal lobes. Functional studies have shown evidence of decreased lateralization. Although the hypogonadism typically found in 47,XXY males may contribute to the decreased brain volume, the observation that 47,XXX females also show decreased brain volume in the presence of normal pubertal maturation suggests a possible direct dosage effect of X chromosome genes. Additional X chromosomes, such as in 49,XXXXY males, are associated with more markedly decreased brain volume and increased incidence of white matter hyperintensities. The limited data regarding effects of having two Y chromosomes (47,XYY) do not find significant differences in brain volume, although there are some reports of increased head size.

Peripheral Vision of Youths with Low Vision: Motion Perception, Crowding, and Visual Search

PubMed Central

Tadin, Duje; Nyquist, Jeffrey B.; Lusk, Kelly E.; Corn, Anne L.; Lappin, Joseph S.

2012-01-01

Purpose. Effects of low vision on peripheral visual function are poorly understood, especially in children whose visual skills are still developing. The aim of this study was to measure both central and peripheral visual functions in youths with typical and low vision. Of specific interest was the extent to which measures of foveal function predict performance of peripheral tasks. Methods. We assessed central and peripheral visual functions in youths with typical vision (n = 7, ages 10–17) and low vision (n = 24, ages 9–18). Experimental measures used both static and moving stimuli and included visual crowding, visual search, motion acuity, motion direction discrimination, and multitarget motion comparison. Results. In most tasks, visual function was impaired in youths with low vision. Substantial differences, however, were found both between participant groups and, importantly, across different tasks within participant groups. Foveal visual acuity was a modest predictor of peripheral form vision and motion sensitivity in either the central or peripheral field. Despite exhibiting normal motion discriminations in fovea, motion sensitivity of youths with low vision deteriorated in the periphery. This contrasted with typically sighted participants, who showed improved motion sensitivity with increasing eccentricity. Visual search was greatly impaired in youths with low vision. Conclusions. Our results reveal a complex pattern of visual deficits in peripheral vision and indicate a significant role of attentional mechanisms in observed impairments. These deficits were not adequately captured by measures of foveal function, arguing for the importance of independently assessing peripheral visual function. PMID:22836766

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of 3D Needle Movement on Cavitation and Spray Formation in a Diesel Injector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandumpala Devassy, B.; Edelbauer, W.; Greif, D.

2015-12-01

Cavitation and its effect on spray formation and its dispersion play a crucial role in proper engine combustion and controlled emission. This study focuses on these effects in a typical common rail 6-hole diesel injector accounting for 3D needle movement and flow compressibility effects. Coupled numerical simulations using 1D and 3D CFD codes are used for this investigation. Previous studies in this direction have already presented a detailed structure of the adopted methodology. Compared to the previous analysis, the present study investigates the effect of 3D needle movement and cavitation on the spray formation for pilot and main injection events for a typical diesel engine operating point. The present setup performs a 3D compressible multiphase simulation coupled with a standalone 1D high pressure flow simulation. The simulation proceeds by the mutual communication between 1D and 3D solvers. In this work a typical common rail injector with a mini-sac nozzle is studied. The lateral and radial movement of the needle and its effect on the cavitation generation and the subsequent spray penetration are analyzed. The result indicates the effect of compressibility of the liquid on damping the needle forces, and also the difference in the spray penetration levels due to the asymmetrical flow field. Therefore, this work intends to provide an efficient and user-friendly engineering tool for simulating a complete fuel injector including spray propagation.

Effects of Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies on Brain Development: Evidence From Neuroimaging Studies

PubMed Central

Lenroot, Rhoshel K.; Lee, Nancy Raitano; Giedd, Jay N.

2010-01-01

Variation in the number of sex chromosomes is a relatively common genetic condition, affecting as many as 1/400 individuals. The sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are associated with characteristic behavioral and cognitive phenotypes, although the degree to which specific individuals are affected can fall within a wide range. Understanding the effects of different dosages of sex chromosome genes on brain development may help to understand the basis for functional differences in affected individuals. It may also be informative regarding how sex chromosomes contribute to typical sexual differentiation. Studies of 47,XXY males make up the bulk of the current literature of neuroimaging studies in individuals with supernumerary sex chromosomes, with a few small studies or case reports of the other SCAs. Findings in 47,XXY males typically include decreased gray and white matter volumes, with most pronounced effects in the frontal and temporal lobes. Functional studies have shown evidence of decreased lateralization. Although the hypogonadism typically found in 47,XXY males may contribute to the decreased brain volume, the observation that 47,XXX females also show decreased brain volume in the presence of normal pubertal maturation suggests a possible direct dosage effect of X chromosome genes. Additional X chromosomes, such as in 49,XXXXY males, are associated with more markedly decreased brain volume and increased incidence of white matter hyperintensities. The limited data regarding effects of having two Y chromosomes (47,XYY) do not find significant differences in brain volume, although there are some reports of increased head size. PMID:20014372

Peripheral vision of youths with low vision: motion perception, crowding, and visual search.

PubMed

Tadin, Duje; Nyquist, Jeffrey B; Lusk, Kelly E; Corn, Anne L; Lappin, Joseph S

2012-08-24

Effects of low vision on peripheral visual function are poorly understood, especially in children whose visual skills are still developing. The aim of this study was to measure both central and peripheral visual functions in youths with typical and low vision. Of specific interest was the extent to which measures of foveal function predict performance of peripheral tasks. We assessed central and peripheral visual functions in youths with typical vision (n = 7, ages 10-17) and low vision (n = 24, ages 9-18). Experimental measures used both static and moving stimuli and included visual crowding, visual search, motion acuity, motion direction discrimination, and multitarget motion comparison. In most tasks, visual function was impaired in youths with low vision. Substantial differences, however, were found both between participant groups and, importantly, across different tasks within participant groups. Foveal visual acuity was a modest predictor of peripheral form vision and motion sensitivity in either the central or peripheral field. Despite exhibiting normal motion discriminations in fovea, motion sensitivity of youths with low vision deteriorated in the periphery. This contrasted with typically sighted participants, who showed improved motion sensitivity with increasing eccentricity. Visual search was greatly impaired in youths with low vision. Our results reveal a complex pattern of visual deficits in peripheral vision and indicate a significant role of attentional mechanisms in observed impairments. These deficits were not adequately captured by measures of foveal function, arguing for the importance of independently assessing peripheral visual function.

Extensions to decision curve analysis, a novel method for evaluating diagnostic tests, prediction models and molecular markers

PubMed Central

Vickers, Andrew J; Cronin, Angel M; Elkin, Elena B; Gonen, Mithat

2008-01-01

Background Decision curve analysis is a novel method for evaluating diagnostic tests, prediction models and molecular markers. It combines the mathematical simplicity of accuracy measures, such as sensitivity and specificity, with the clinical applicability of decision analytic approaches. Most critically, decision curve analysis can be applied directly to a data set, and does not require the sort of external data on costs, benefits and preferences typically required by traditional decision analytic techniques. Methods In this paper we present several extensions to decision curve analysis including correction for overfit, confidence intervals, application to censored data (including competing risk) and calculation of decision curves directly from predicted probabilities. All of these extensions are based on straightforward methods that have previously been described in the literature for application to analogous statistical techniques. Results Simulation studies showed that repeated 10-fold crossvalidation provided the best method for correcting a decision curve for overfit. The method for applying decision curves to censored data had little bias and coverage was excellent; for competing risk, decision curves were appropriately affected by the incidence of the competing risk and the association between the competing risk and the predictor of interest. Calculation of decision curves directly from predicted probabilities led to a smoothing of the decision curve. Conclusion Decision curve analysis can be easily extended to many of the applications common to performance measures for prediction models. Software to implement decision curve analysis is provided. PMID:19036144

Extensions to decision curve analysis, a novel method for evaluating diagnostic tests, prediction models and molecular markers.

PubMed

Vickers, Andrew J; Cronin, Angel M; Elkin, Elena B; Gonen, Mithat

2008-11-26

Decision curve analysis is a novel method for evaluating diagnostic tests, prediction models and molecular markers. It combines the mathematical simplicity of accuracy measures, such as sensitivity and specificity, with the clinical applicability of decision analytic approaches. Most critically, decision curve analysis can be applied directly to a data set, and does not require the sort of external data on costs, benefits and preferences typically required by traditional decision analytic techniques. In this paper we present several extensions to decision curve analysis including correction for overfit, confidence intervals, application to censored data (including competing risk) and calculation of decision curves directly from predicted probabilities. All of these extensions are based on straightforward methods that have previously been described in the literature for application to analogous statistical techniques. Simulation studies showed that repeated 10-fold crossvalidation provided the best method for correcting a decision curve for overfit. The method for applying decision curves to censored data had little bias and coverage was excellent; for competing risk, decision curves were appropriately affected by the incidence of the competing risk and the association between the competing risk and the predictor of interest. Calculation of decision curves directly from predicted probabilities led to a smoothing of the decision curve. Decision curve analysis can be easily extended to many of the applications common to performance measures for prediction models. Software to implement decision curve analysis is provided.

Exploring Typical and Atypical Safety Climate Perceptions of Practitioners in the Repair, Maintenance, Minor Alteration and Addition (RMAA) Sector in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Hon, Carol K H; Liu, Yulin

2016-09-22

The safety of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) work is an under-explored area. This study explored the typical and atypical safety climate perceptions of practitioners in the RMAA sector in Hong Kong, based on a self-administered questionnaire survey of 662 local practitioners in the industry. Profile analysis, via multidimensional scaling of the respondents' scores of three safety climate scales, identified one typical perception: high in management commitment to occupational health and safety (OHS) and employee involvement, low in applicability for safety rules and regulations, and low in responsibility for OHS. The respondents were clustered into typical and atypical perception groups according to their safety climate scores' match to the typical perception. A comparison of demographics between the two groups with logistic regression found that work level and direct employer significantly affect their classification. A multivariate analysis of variance of safety performance measures between the two groups indicated that the typical group had a significantly higher level of safety compliance than the atypical group, with no significant difference in safety participation or injury. The significance of this study lies in revealing the typical safety climate perception profile pattern of RMAA works and offering a new perspective of safety climate research.

Exploring Typical and Atypical Safety Climate Perceptions of Practitioners in the Repair, Maintenance, Minor Alteration and Addition (RMAA) Sector in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Hon, Carol K.H.; Liu, Yulin

2016-01-01

The safety of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) work is an under-explored area. This study explored the typical and atypical safety climate perceptions of practitioners in the RMAA sector in Hong Kong, based on a self-administered questionnaire survey of 662 local practitioners in the industry. Profile analysis, via multidimensional scaling of the respondents’ scores of three safety climate scales, identified one typical perception: high in management commitment to occupational health and safety (OHS) and employee involvement, low in applicability for safety rules and regulations, and low in responsibility for OHS. The respondents were clustered into typical and atypical perception groups according to their safety climate scores’ match to the typical perception. A comparison of demographics between the two groups with logistic regression found that work level and direct employer significantly affect their classification. A multivariate analysis of variance of safety performance measures between the two groups indicated that the typical group had a significantly higher level of safety compliance than the atypical group, with no significant difference in safety participation or injury. The significance of this study lies in revealing the typical safety climate perception profile pattern of RMAA works and offering a new perspective of safety climate research. PMID:27669269

Dielectric fluid directional spreading under the action of corona discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Shangru; Liu, Jie; Hu, Qun; Jiang, Teng; Yang, Jinchu; Liu, Sheng; Zheng, Huai

2018-01-01

Liquid spreading is a very common nature phenomenon and of significant importance for a broad range of applications. In this study, a dielectric fluid directional spreading phenomenon is presented. Under the action of corona discharge, a dielectric fluid, here a typical silicone directionally spreads along conductive patterns on conductive/nonconductive substrates. Directional spreading behaviors of silicone were experimentally observed on different conductive patterns in detail. Spreading speeds were analyzed at different driving voltages, which induced the corona discharge. The presented phenomenon may be useful to inspire several techniques of manipulating liquid transportation and fabricating micropatterns.

Human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) via house dust in Korea: Implication to exposure pathway.

PubMed

Tian, Zhexi; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Shoeib, Mahiba; Oh, Jeong-Eun; Park, Jong-Eun

2016-05-15

A wide range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), including fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanols (FOSEs), perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), and perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs), were measured in fifteen house dust and two nonresidential indoor dust of Korea. Total concentrations of PFASs in house dust ranged from 29.9 to 97.6 ng g(-1), with a dominance of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), followed by 8:2 FTOH, N-Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (EtFOSE), perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA). In a typical exposure scenario, the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of total PFASs via house dust ingestion were 2.83 ng d(-1) for toddlers and 1.13 ng d(-1) for adults, which were within the range of the mean EDIs reported from several countries. For PFOA and PFOS exposure via house dust ingestion, indirect exposure (via precursors) was a minor contributor, accounting for 5% and 12%, respectively. An aggregated exposure (hereafter, overall-EDIs) of PFOA and PFOS occurring via all pathways, estimated using data compiled from the literature, were 53.6 and 14.8 ng d(-1) for toddlers, and 20.5 and 40.6 ng d(-1) for adults, respectively, in a typical scenario. These overall-EDIs corresponded to 82% (PFOA) and 92% (PFOS) of a pharmacokinetic model-based EDIs estimated from adults' serum data. Direct dietary exposure was a major contributor (>89% of overall-EDI) to PFOS in both toddlers and adults, and PFOA in toddlers. As for PFOA exposure of adults, however direct exposure via tap water drinking (37%) and indirect exposure via inhalation (22%) were as important as direct dietary exposure (41%). House dust-ingested exposure (direct+indirect) was responsible for 5% (PFOS in toddlers) and <1% (PFOS in adults, and PFOA in both toddlers and adults) of the overall-EDIs. In conclusion, house-dust ingestion was a minor contributor in this study, but should not be ignored for toddlers' PFOS exposure due to its significance in the worst-case scenario. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mid-ocean ridge serpentinite in the Puerto Rico Trench: Accretion, alteration, and subduction of Cretaceous seafloor in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, F.; Marschall, H.; Bowring, S. A.; Horning, G.

2016-12-01

Serpentinite is believed to be one of the main carriers of water and fluid mobile elements into subduction zones, but direct evidence for serpentinite subduction has been elusive. The Antilles island arc is one of only two subduction zones worldwide that recycles slow-spreading oceanic lithosphere where descending serpentinite is both exposed by faulting and directly accessible on the seafloor. Here we examined serpentinized peridotites dredged from the North Wall of the Puerto Rico Trench (NWPRT) to assess their formation and alteration history and discuss geological ramifications resulting from their emplacement and subduction. Lithospheric accretion and serpentinization occurred, as indicated by U-Pb geochronology of hydrothermally altered zircon, at the Cretaceous Mid-Atlantic Ridge (CMAR). In addition to lizardite-rich serpentinites with pseudomorphic textures after olivine and pyroxene typical for static serpentinization at slow spreading mid-ocean ridges, recovered samples include non-pseudomorphic antigorite-rich serpentinites that are otherwise typically associated with peridotite at convergent plate boundaries. Antigorite-serpentinites have considerably lower Fe(III)/Fetot and lower magnetic susceptibilities than lizardite-serpentinites with comparable Fetot contents. Rare earth element (REE) contents of lizardite-serpentinites decrease linearly with increasing Fe(III)/Fetot of whole rock samples, suggesting that oxidation during seafloor weathering of serpentinite releases REEs to seawater. Serpentinized peridotites recorded multifaceted igneous and high- to low-temperature hydrothermal processes that involved extensive chemical, physical, and mineralogical modifications of their peridotite precursors with strong implications for our understanding of the accretion, alteration, and subduction of slow-spreading oceanic lithosphere.

Snow in Earth System Models: Recent Progress and Future Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, M. P.; Slater, A. G.

2016-12-01

Snow is the most variable of terrestrial boundary conditions. Some 50 million km^2 of the Northern Hemisphere typically sees periods of accumulation and ablation in the annual cycle. The wonderous properties of snow, such as high albedo, thermal insulation and its ability to act as a water store make it an integral part of the global climate system. Earliest inclusions of snow within climate models were simple adjustments to albedo and a moisture store. Modern Earth Syetem Models now represent snow through a myriad of model architectures and parameterizations that span a broad range of complexity. Understanding the impacts of modeling decisions upon simulation of snow and other Earth System components (either directly or via feedbacks) is an ongoing area of research. Snow models are progressing with multi-layer representations and capabilities such as complex albedo schemes that include contaminants. While considerable advances have been made, numerous challenges also remain. Simply getting a grasp on the mass of snow (seasonal or permanent) has proved more difficult than expected over the past 30 years. Snow interactions with vegetation has improved but the details of vegetation masking and emergence are still limited. Inclusion of blowing snow processes, in terms of transport and sublimation, is typically rare and sublimation remains a difficult quantity to measure. Contemplation of snow crystal form within models and integration with radiative transfer schemes for better understanding of full spectrum interations (from UV to long microwave) may simultaneously advance simulation and remote sensing. A series of international modeling experiments and directed field campaigns are planned in the near future with the aim of pushing our knowledge forward.

Nature does not rely on long-lived electronic quantum coherence for photosynthetic energy transfer.

PubMed

Duan, Hong-Guang; Prokhorenko, Valentyn I; Cogdell, Richard J; Ashraf, Khuram; Stevens, Amy L; Thorwart, Michael; Miller, R J Dwayne

2017-08-08

During the first steps of photosynthesis, the energy of impinging solar photons is transformed into electronic excitation energy of the light-harvesting biomolecular complexes. The subsequent energy transfer to the reaction center is commonly rationalized in terms of excitons moving on a grid of biomolecular chromophores on typical timescales [Formula: see text]100 fs. Today's understanding of the energy transfer includes the fact that the excitons are delocalized over a few neighboring sites, but the role of quantum coherence is considered as irrelevant for the transfer dynamics because it typically decays within a few tens of femtoseconds. This orthodox picture of incoherent energy transfer between clusters of a few pigments sharing delocalized excitons has been challenged by ultrafast optical spectroscopy experiments with the Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein, in which interference oscillatory signals up to 1.5 ps were reported and interpreted as direct evidence of exceptionally long-lived electronic quantum coherence. Here, we show that the optical 2D photon echo spectra of this complex at ambient temperature in aqueous solution do not provide evidence of any long-lived electronic quantum coherence, but confirm the orthodox view of rapidly decaying electronic quantum coherence on a timescale of 60 fs. Our results can be considered as generic and give no hint that electronic quantum coherence plays any biofunctional role in real photoactive biomolecular complexes. Because in this structurally well-defined protein the distances between bacteriochlorophylls are comparable to those of other light-harvesting complexes, we anticipate that this finding is general and directly applies to even larger photoactive biomolecular complexes.

Biphasic rapamycin effects in lymphoma and carcinoma treatment

PubMed Central

Liu, Yang; Pandeswara, Srilakshmi; Dao, Vinh; Padrón, Álvaro; Drerup, Justin M.; Lao, Shunhua; Liu, Aijie; Hurez, Vincent; Curiel, Tyler J.

2017-01-01

mTOR drives tumor growth but also supports T cell function, rendering the applications of mTOR inhibitors complex especially in T cell malignancies. Here we studied the effects of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin in mouse EL4 T cell lymphoma. Typical pharmacologic rapamycin (1–8 mg/kg) significantly reduced tumor burden via direct suppression of tumor cell proliferation and improved survival in EL4 challenge independent of anti-tumor immunity. Denileukin diftitox (DD)-mediated depletion of regulatory T cells significantly slowed EL4 growth in vivo in a T cell-dependent fashion. However, typical rapamycin inhibited T cell activation and tumor infiltration in vivo and failed to boost DD treatment effects. Low dose rapamycin (LD, 75 μg/kg) increased potentially beneficial CD44hiCD62L+ CD8+ central memory T cells in EL4 challenge, but without clinical benefit. LD rapamycin significantly enhanced DD treatment efficacy, but DD plus LD rapamycin treatment effects were independent of anti-tumor immunity. Instead, rapamycin up-regulated EL4 IL-2 receptor in vitro and in vivo, facilitating direct DD tumor cell killing. LD rapamycin augmented DD efficacy against B16 melanoma and a human B cell lymphoma, but not against human Jurkat T cell lymphoma or ID8agg ovarian cancer cells. Treatment effects correlated with IL-2R expression, but mechanisms in some tumors were not fully defined. Overall, our data define a distinct, biphasic mechanisms of action of mTOR inhibition at doses that are clinically exploitable, including in T cell lymphomas. PMID:27737881

Biphasic Rapamycin Effects in Lymphoma and Carcinoma Treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Pandeswara, Srilakshmi; Dao, Vinh; Padrón, Álvaro; Drerup, Justin M; Lao, Shunhua; Liu, Aijie; Hurez, Vincent; Curiel, Tyler J

2017-01-15

mTOR drives tumor growth but also supports T-cell function, rendering the applications of mTOR inhibitors complex especially in T-cell malignancies. Here, we studied the effects of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin in mouse EL4 T-cell lymphoma. Typical pharmacologic rapamycin (1-8 mg/kg) significantly reduced tumor burden via direct suppression of tumor cell proliferation and improved survival in EL4 challenge independent of antitumor immunity. Denileukin diftitox (DD)-mediated depletion of regulatory T cells significantly slowed EL4 growth in vivo in a T-cell-dependent fashion. However, typical rapamycin inhibited T-cell activation and tumor infiltration in vivo and failed to boost DD treatment effects. Low-dose (LD) rapamycin (75 μg/kg) increased potentially beneficial CD44hiCD62L + CD8 + central memory T cells in EL4 challenge, but without clinical benefit. LD rapamycin significantly enhanced DD treatment efficacy, but DD plus LD rapamycin treatment effects were independent of antitumor immunity. Instead, rapamycin upregulated EL4 IL2 receptor in vitro and in vivo, facilitating direct DD tumor cell killing. LD rapamycin augmented DD efficacy against B16 melanoma and a human B-cell lymphoma, but not against human Jurkat T-cell lymphoma or ID8agg ovarian cancer cells. Treatment effects correlated with IL2R expression, but mechanisms in some tumors were not fully defined. Overall, our data define a distinct, biphasic mechanisms of action of mTOR inhibition at doses that are clinically exploitable, including in T-cell lymphomas. Cancer Res; 77(2); 520-31. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Nature does not rely on long-lived electronic quantum coherence for photosynthetic energy transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Hong-Guang; Prokhorenko, Valentyn I.; Cogdell, Richard J.; Ashraf, Khuram; Stevens, Amy L.; Thorwart, Michael; Miller, R. J. Dwayne

2017-08-01

During the first steps of photosynthesis, the energy of impinging solar photons is transformed into electronic excitation energy of the light-harvesting biomolecular complexes. The subsequent energy transfer to the reaction center is commonly rationalized in terms of excitons moving on a grid of biomolecular chromophores on typical timescales <<100 fs. Today’s understanding of the energy transfer includes the fact that the excitons are delocalized over a few neighboring sites, but the role of quantum coherence is considered as irrelevant for the transfer dynamics because it typically decays within a few tens of femtoseconds. This orthodox picture of incoherent energy transfer between clusters of a few pigments sharing delocalized excitons has been challenged by ultrafast optical spectroscopy experiments with the Fenna-Matthews-Olson protein, in which interference oscillatory signals up to 1.5 ps were reported and interpreted as direct evidence of exceptionally long-lived electronic quantum coherence. Here, we show that the optical 2D photon echo spectra of this complex at ambient temperature in aqueous solution do not provide evidence of any long-lived electronic quantum coherence, but confirm the orthodox view of rapidly decaying electronic quantum coherence on a timescale of 60 fs. Our results can be considered as generic and give no hint that electronic quantum coherence plays any biofunctional role in real photoactive biomolecular complexes. Because in this structurally well-defined protein the distances between bacteriochlorophylls are comparable to those of other light-harvesting complexes, we anticipate that this finding is general and directly applies to even larger photoactive biomolecular complexes.

Less-structured time in children's daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning.

PubMed

Barker, Jane E; Semenov, Andrei D; Michaelson, Laura; Provan, Lindsay S; Snyder, Hannah R; Munakata, Yuko

2014-01-01

Executive functions (EFs) in childhood predict important life outcomes. Thus, there is great interest in attempts to improve EFs early in life. Many interventions are led by trained adults, including structured training activities in the lab, and less-structured activities implemented in schools. Such programs have yielded gains in children's externally-driven executive functioning, where they are instructed on what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. However, it is less clear how children's experiences relate to their development of self-directed executive functioning, where they must determine on their own what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. We hypothesized that time spent in less-structured activities would give children opportunities to practice self-directed executive functioning, and lead to benefits. To investigate this possibility, we collected information from parents about their 6-7 year-old children's daily, annual, and typical schedules. We categorized children's activities as "structured" or "less-structured" based on categorization schemes from prior studies on child leisure time use. We assessed children's self-directed executive functioning using a well-established verbal fluency task, in which children generate members of a category and can decide on their own when to switch from one subcategory to another. The more time that children spent in less-structured activities, the better their self-directed executive functioning. The opposite was true of structured activities, which predicted poorer self-directed executive functioning. These relationships were robust (holding across increasingly strict classifications of structured and less-structured time) and specific (time use did not predict externally-driven executive functioning). We discuss implications, caveats, and ways in which potential interpretations can be distinguished in future work, to advance an understanding of this fundamental aspect of growing up.

Less-structured time in children's daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning

PubMed Central

Barker, Jane E.; Semenov, Andrei D.; Michaelson, Laura; Provan, Lindsay S.; Snyder, Hannah R.; Munakata, Yuko

2014-01-01

Executive functions (EFs) in childhood predict important life outcomes. Thus, there is great interest in attempts to improve EFs early in life. Many interventions are led by trained adults, including structured training activities in the lab, and less-structured activities implemented in schools. Such programs have yielded gains in children's externally-driven executive functioning, where they are instructed on what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. However, it is less clear how children's experiences relate to their development of self-directed executive functioning, where they must determine on their own what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. We hypothesized that time spent in less-structured activities would give children opportunities to practice self-directed executive functioning, and lead to benefits. To investigate this possibility, we collected information from parents about their 6–7 year-old children's daily, annual, and typical schedules. We categorized children's activities as “structured” or “less-structured” based on categorization schemes from prior studies on child leisure time use. We assessed children's self-directed executive functioning using a well-established verbal fluency task, in which children generate members of a category and can decide on their own when to switch from one subcategory to another. The more time that children spent in less-structured activities, the better their self-directed executive functioning. The opposite was true of structured activities, which predicted poorer self-directed executive functioning. These relationships were robust (holding across increasingly strict classifications of structured and less-structured time) and specific (time use did not predict externally-driven executive functioning). We discuss implications, caveats, and ways in which potential interpretations can be distinguished in future work, to advance an understanding of this fundamental aspect of growing up. PMID:25071617

Medical Microbiology: Deficits and Remedies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabridge, Michael G.

1974-01-01

Microbiology is a typical medical science in which basic information can have direct application. Yet, surveys and questionnaires of recent medical school graduates indicate a serious lack of retentiion in regard to basic biological science. (Author)

Genetics Home Reference: Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome

MedlinePlus

... low amounts of hormones that direct sexual development (hypogonadism), which typically becomes apparent during adolescence. Without hormone ... Resources Genetic Testing (1 link) Genetic Testing Registry: Hypogonadism, diabetes mellitus, alopecia, mental retardation and electrocardiographic abnormalities ...

Design and evaluation of an imaging spectrophotometer incorporating a uniform light source.

PubMed

Noble, S D; Brown, R B; Crowe, T G

2012-03-01

Accounting for light that is diffusely scattered from a surface is one of the practical challenges in reflectance measurement. Integrating spheres are commonly used for this purpose in point measurements of reflectance and transmittance. This solution is not directly applicable to a spectral imaging application for which diffuse reflectance measurements are desired. In this paper, an imaging spectrophotometer design is presented that employs a uniform light source to provide diffuse illumination. This creates the inverse measurement geometry to the directional illumination/diffuse reflectance mode typically used for point measurements. The final system had a spectral range between 400 and 1000 nm with a 5.2 nm resolution, a field of view of approximately 0.5 m by 0.5 m, and millimeter spatial resolution. Testing results indicate illumination uniformity typically exceeding 95% and reflectance precision better than 1.7%.

Kinds of access: different methods for report reveal different kinds of metacognitive access

PubMed Central

Overgaard, Morten; Sandberg, Kristian

2012-01-01

In experimental investigations of consciousness, participants are asked to reflect upon their own experiences by issuing reports about them in different ways. For this reason, a participant needs some access to the content of her own conscious experience in order to report. In such experiments, the reports typically consist of some variety of ratings of confidence or direct descriptions of one's own experiences. Whereas different methods of reporting are typically used interchangeably, recent experiments indicate that different results are obtained with different kinds of reporting. We argue that there is not only a theoretical, but also an empirical difference between different methods of reporting. We hypothesize that differences in the sensitivity of different scales may reveal that different types of access are used to issue direct reports about experiences and metacognitive reports about the classification process. PMID:22492747

The Eye Gaze Direction of an Observed Person Can Bias Perception, Memory, and Attention in Adolescents with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeth, M.; Ropar, D.; Chapman, P.; Mitchell, P.

2010-01-01

The reported experiments aimed to investigate whether a person and his or her gaze direction presented in the context of a naturalistic scene cause perception, memory, and attention to be biased in typically developing adolescents and high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A novel computerized image manipulation program…

Station-Keeping Requirements for Astronomical Imaging with Constellations of Free-Flying Collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Ronald J.

2004-01-01

The requirements on station-keeping for constellations of free-flying collectors coupled as (future) imaging arrays in space for astrophysics applications are discussed. The typical knowledge precision required in the plane of the array depends on the angular size of the targets of interest; it is generally at a level of tens of centimeters for typical stellar targets, becoming of order centimeters only for the widest attainable fields of view. In the "piston" direction, perpendicular to the array, the typical knowledge precision required depends on the bandwidth of the signal, and is at a level of tens of wavelengths for narrow approx. 1% signal bands, becoming of order one wavelength only for the broadest bandwidths expected to be useful. The significance of this result is that, at this level of precision, it may be possible to provide the necessary knowledge of array geometry without the use of signal photons, thereby allowing observations of faint targets. "Closure-phase" imaging is a technique which has been very successfully applied to surmount instabilities owing to equipment and to the atmosphere, and which appears to be directly applicable to space imaging arrays where station-keeping drifts play the same role as (slow) atmospheric and equipment instabilities.

A model of face selection in viewing video stories.

PubMed

Suda, Yuki; Kitazawa, Shigeru

2015-01-19

When typical adults watch TV programs, they show surprisingly stereo-typed gaze behaviours, as indicated by the almost simultaneous shifts of their gazes from one face to another. However, a standard saliency model based on low-level physical features alone failed to explain such typical gaze behaviours. To find rules that explain the typical gaze behaviours, we examined temporo-spatial gaze patterns in adults while they viewed video clips with human characters that were played with or without sound, and in the forward or reverse direction. We here show the following: 1) the "peak" face scanpath, which followed the face that attracted the largest number of views but ignored other objects in the scene, still retained the key features of actual scanpaths, 2) gaze behaviours remained unchanged whether the sound was provided or not, 3) the gaze behaviours were sensitive to time reversal, and 4) nearly 60% of the variance of gaze behaviours was explained by the face saliency that was defined as a function of its size, novelty, head movements, and mouth movements. These results suggest that humans share a face-oriented network that integrates several visual features of multiple faces, and directs our eyes to the most salient face at each moment.

Optical Fiber Sensors Based on Fiber Ring Laser Demodulation Technology

PubMed Central

Xie, Wen-Ge; Wang, Peng-Zhao; Wang, Jian-Zhang

2018-01-01

A review for optical fiber sensors based on fiber ring laser (FRL) demodulation technology is presented. The review focuses on the principles, main structures, and the sensing performances of different kinds of optical fiber sensors based on FRLs. First of all, the theory background of the sensors has been discussed. Secondly, four different types of sensors are described and compared, which includes Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) typed sensors, Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) typed sensors, Sagnac typed sensors, and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) typed sensors. Typical studies and main properties of each type of sensors are presented. Thirdly, a comparison of different types of sensors are made. Finally, the existing problems and future research directions are pointed out and analyzed. PMID:29419745

Can injured adult CNS axons regenerate by recapitulating development?

PubMed

Hilton, Brett J; Bradke, Frank

2017-10-01

In the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS), neurons typically fail to regenerate their axons after injury. During development, by contrast, neurons extend axons effectively. A variety of intracellular mechanisms mediate this difference, including changes in gene expression, the ability to form a growth cone, differences in mitochondrial function/axonal transport and the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In turn, these intracellular processes are linked to extracellular differences between the developing and adult CNS. During development, the extracellular environment directs axon growth and circuit formation. In adulthood, by contrast, extracellular factors, such as myelin and the extracellular matrix, restrict axon growth. Here, we discuss whether the reactivation of developmental processes can elicit axon regeneration in the injured CNS. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Earth observations taken from shuttle orbiter Columbia

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-10-27

STS073-702-051 (27 October 1995) --- Photographed by the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, this detailed scene of East Caicos Island highlights the shallow tropical waters typical of the Bahamas region. The contrast between the light blue shallow water and dark blue deep water marks a sharp difference (hundreds of meters) in water depth. The shallow marine regions include sandbars and tidal channels (just right of center). The coastline of the island is low and swampy, and is also greatly influenced by the tides. Further offshore, the darker regions in the slightly deeper watermark sea grass and algae beds. This sensitive submarine environment can be mapped from space because the waters are so clear. Chains of clouds forming off islands and headlands, mark the downwind direction.

Optical Fiber Sensors Based on Fiber Ring Laser Demodulation Technology.

PubMed

Xie, Wen-Ge; Zhang, Ya-Nan; Wang, Peng-Zhao; Wang, Jian-Zhang

2018-02-08

A review for optical fiber sensors based on fiber ring laser (FRL) demodulation technology is presented. The review focuses on the principles, main structures, and the sensing performances of different kinds of optical fiber sensors based on FRLs. First of all, the theory background of the sensors has been discussed. Secondly, four different types of sensors are described and compared, which includes Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) typed sensors, Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) typed sensors, Sagnac typed sensors, and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) typed sensors. Typical studies and main properties of each type of sensors are presented. Thirdly, a comparison of different types of sensors are made. Finally, the existing problems and future research directions are pointed out and analyzed.

Biological Remediation of Petroleum Contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhad, Ramesh Chander; Gupta, Rishi

Large volumes of hazardous wastes are generated in the form of oily sludges and contaminated soils during crude oil transportation and processing. Although many physical, chemical and biological treatment technologies are available for petroleum contaminants petroleum contaminants in soil, biological methods have been considered the most cost-effective. Practical biological remediation methods typically involve direct use of the microbes naturally occurring in the contaminated environment and/or cultured indigenous or modified microorganisms. Environmental and nutritional factors, including the properties of the soil, the chemical structure of the hydrocarbon(s), oxygen, water, nutrient availability, pH, temperature, and contaminant bioavailability, can significantly affect the rate and the extent of hydrocarbon biodegradation hydrocarbon biodegradation by microorganisms in contaminated soils. This chapter concisely discusses the major aspects of bioremediation of petroleum contaminants.

Nanoscale phase change memory materials.

PubMed

Caldwell, Marissa A; Jeyasingh, Rakesh Gnana David; Wong, H-S Philip; Milliron, Delia J

2012-08-07

Phase change memory materials store information through their reversible transitions between crystalline and amorphous states. For typical metal chalcogenide compounds, their phase transition properties directly impact critical memory characteristics and the manipulation of these is a major focus in the field. Here, we discuss recent work that explores the tuning of such properties by scaling the materials to nanoscale dimensions, including fabrication and synthetic strategies used to produce nanoscale phase change memory materials. The trends that emerge are relevant to understanding how such memory technologies will function as they scale to ever smaller dimensions and also suggest new approaches to designing materials for phase change applications. Finally, the challenges and opportunities raised by integrating nanoscale phase change materials into switching devices are discussed.

Bridging the clinician/researcher gap with systemic research: the case for process research, dyadic, and sequential analysis.

PubMed

Oka, Megan; Whiting, Jason

2013-01-01

In Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), as in many clinical disciplines, concern surfaces about the clinician/researcher gap. This gap includes a lack of accessible, practical research for clinicians. MFT clinical research often borrows from the medical tradition of randomized control trials, which typically use linear methods, or follow procedures distanced from "real-world" therapy. We review traditional research methods and their use in MFT and propose increased use of methods that are more systemic in nature and more applicable to MFTs: process research, dyadic data analysis, and sequential analysis. We will review current research employing these methods, as well as suggestions and directions for further research. © 2013 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Rotary balance data for a typical single-engine general aviation design for an angle-of-attack range of 8 degrees to 35 degrees, 3. Effect of wing leading-edge modifications, model A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bihrle, W., Jr.; Mulcay, W.

1979-01-01

Aerodynamic characteristics obtained in a rotational flow environment utilizing a rotary balance located in the Langley spin tunnel are presented in plotted form for a 1/5 scale, single-engine, low-wing, general aviation airplane model. The configurations tested included the basic airplane, sixteen wing leading-edge modifications and lateral-directional control settings. Data are presented for all configurations without analysis for an angle of attack range of 8 deg to 35 deg and clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations covering an Omega b/2v range from 0 to 0.85. Also, data are presented above 35 deg of attack for some configurations.

Indoor Photogrammetry Aided with Uwb Navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiero, A.; Fissore, F.; Guarnieri, A.; Vettore, A.

2018-05-01

The subject of photogrammetric surveying with mobile devices, in particular smartphones, is becoming of significant interest in the research community. Nowadays, the process of providing 3D point clouds with photogrammetric procedures is well known. However, external information is still typically needed in order to move from the point cloud obtained from images to a 3D metric reconstruction. This paper investigates the integration of information provided by an UWB positioning system with visual based reconstruction to produce a metric reconstruction. Furthermore, the orientation (with respect to North-East directions) of the obtained model is assessed thanks to the use of inertial sensors included in the considered UWB devices. Results of this integration are shown on two case studies in indoor environments.

Extreme risk assessment based on normalized historic loss data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichner, Jan

2017-04-01

Natural hazard risk assessment and risk management focuses on the expected loss magnitudes of rare and extreme events. Such large-scale loss events typically comprise all aspects of compound events and accumulate losses from multiple sectors (including knock-on effects). Utilizing Munich Re's NatCatSERVICE direct economic loss data, we beriefly recap a novel methodology of peril-specific loss data normalization which improves the stationarity properties of highly non-stationary historic loss data (due to socio-economic growth of assets prone to destructive forces), and perform extreme value analysis (peaks-over-threshold method) to come up with return level estimates of e.g. 100-yr loss event scenarios for various types of perils, globally or per continent, and discuss uncertainty in the results.

32nd International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors

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

Chelikowsky, James

The International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (ICPS) continues a series of biennial conferences that began in the 1950's. ICPS is the premier meeting for reporting all aspects of semiconductor physics including electronic, structural, optical, magnetic and transport properties with an emphasis on new materials and their applications. The meeting will reflect the state of art in the semiconductor physics field and will serve as a forum where scholars, researchers, and specialists can interact to discuss future research directions and technological advancements. The conference typically draws 1,000 international physicists, scientists, and students. This is one of the largest sciencemore » meetings on semiconductors and related materials to be held in the United States.« less

Mitochondrial genome of the tomato clownfish Amphiprion frenatus (Pomacentridae, Amphiprioninae).

PubMed

Ye, Le; Hu, Jing; Wu, Kaichang; Wang, Yu; Li, Jianlong

2016-01-01

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of the tomato clownfish Amphiprion frenatus was obtained in this study. The circular mtDNA molecule was 16,774 bp in size and the overall nucleotide composition of the H-strand was 29.72% A, 25.81% T, 15.38% G and 29.09% C, with an A + T bias. The complete mitogenome encoded 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and a control region (D-loop), with the gene arrangement and translation direction basically identical to other typical vertebrate mitogenomes. The D-loop included termination associated sequence (TAS), central conserved domain (CCD) and conserved sequence block (CSB), and was composed of 6 complete continuity tandem repeat units and an imperfect tandem repeat unit.

Hidden in plain sight marketing prescription drugs to consumers in the twentieth century.

PubMed

Greene, Jeremy A; Herzberg, David

2010-05-01

Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices.

Progress in the utilization of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy for small engine turbine blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beatty, T. G.; Millan, P. P.

1984-01-01

The conventional means of improving gas turbine engine performance typically involves increasing the turbine inlet temperature; however, at these higher operational temperatures the high pressure turbine blades require air-cooling to maintain durability. Air-cooling imposes design, material, and economic constraints not only on the turbine blades but also on engine performance. The use of uncooled turbine blades at increased operating temperatures can offer significantly improved performance in small gas turbine engines. A program to demonstrate uncooled MA6000 high pressure turbine blades in a GTEC TFE731 turbofan engine is being conducted. The project goals include demonstration of the advantages of using uncooled MA6000 turbine blades as compared with cast directionally solidified MAR-M 247 blades.

HIDDEN in PLAIN SIGHT Marketing Prescription Drugs to Consumers in the Twentieth Century

PubMed Central

Herzberg, David

2010-01-01

Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices. PMID:20299640

Experience with novel technologies for direct measurement of atmospheric NO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hueglin, Christoph; Hundt, Morten; Mueller, Michael; Schwarzenbach, Beat; Tuzson, Bela; Emmenegger, Lukas

2017-04-01

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an air pollutant that has a large impact on human health and ecosystems, and it plays a key role in the formation of ozone and secondary particulate matter. Consequently, legal limit values for NO2 are set in the EU and elsewhere, and atmospheric observation networks typically include NO2 in their measurement programmes. Atmospheric NO2 is principally measured by chemiluminescence detection, an indirect measurement technique that requires conversion of NO2 into nitrogen monoxide (NO) and finally calculation of NO2 from the difference between total nitrogen oxides (NOx) and NO. Consequently, NO2 measurements with the chemiluminescence method have a relatively high measurement uncertainty and can be biased depending on the selectivity of the applied NO2 conversion method. In the past years, technologies for direct and selective measurement of NO2 have become available, e.g. cavity attenuated phase shift spectroscopy (CAPS), cavity enhanced laser absorption spectroscopy and quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometry (QCLAS). These technologies offer clear advantages over the indirect chemiluminescence method. We tested the above mentioned direct measurement techniques for NO2 over extended time periods at atmospheric measurement stations and report on our experience including comparisons with co-located chemiluminescence instruments equipped with molybdenum as well as photolytic NO2 converters. A still open issue related to the direct measurement of NO2 is instrument calibration. Accurate and traceable reference standards and NO2 calibration gases are needed. We present results from the application of different calibration strategies based on the use of static NO2 calibration gases as well as dynamic NO2 calibration gases produced by permeation and by gas-phase titration (GPT).

Prenatal endocrine influences on sexual orientation and on sexually differentiated childhood behavior

PubMed Central

Hines, Melissa

2012-01-01

Both sexual orientation and sex-typical childhood behaviors, such as toy, playmate and activity preferences, show substantial sex differences, as well as substantial variability within each sex. In other species, behaviors that show sex differences are typically influenced by exposure to gonadal steroids, particularly testosterone and its metabolites, during early development (prenatally or neonatally). This article reviews the evidence regarding prenatal influences of gonadal steroids on human sexual orientation, as well as sex-typed childhood behaviors that predict subsequent sexual orientation. The evidence supports a role for prenatal testosterone exposure in the development of sex-typed interests in childhood, as well as in sexual orientation in later life, at least for some individuals. It appears, however, that other factors, in addition to hormones, play an important role in determining sexual orientation. These factors have not been well-characterized, but possibilities include direct genetic effects, and effects of maternal factors during pregnancy. Although a role for hormones during early development has been established, it also appears that there may be multiple pathways to a given sexual orientation outcome and some of these pathways may not involve hormones. PMID:21333673

Damage detection and quantification in a structural model under seismic excitation using time-frequency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chun-Kai; Loh, Chin-Hsiung; Wu, Tzu-Hsiu

2015-04-01

In civil engineering, health monitoring and damage detection are typically carry out by using a large amount of sensors. Typically, most methods require global measurements to extract the properties of the structure. However, some sensors, like LVDT, cannot be used due to in situ limitation so that the global deformation remains unknown. An experiment is used to demonstrate the proposed algorithms: a one-story 2-bay reinforce concrete frame under weak and strong seismic excitation. In this paper signal processing techniques and nonlinear identification are used and applied to the response measurements of seismic response of reinforced concrete structures subject to different level of earthquake excitations. Both modal-based and signal-based system identification and feature extraction techniques are used to study the nonlinear inelastic response of RC frame using both input and output response data or output only measurement. From the signal-based damage identification method, which include the enhancement of time-frequency analysis of acceleration responses and the estimation of permanent deformation using directly from acceleration response data. Finally, local deformation measurement from dense optical tractor is also use to quantify the damage of the RC frame structure.

INFANT HEALTH PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS: WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE DATA MAKE

PubMed Central

Reichman, Nancy E.; Corman, Hope; Noonan, Kelly; Dave, Dhaval

2008-01-01

SUMMARY We examine the extent to which infant health production functions are sensitive to model specification and measurement error. We focus on the importance of typically unobserved but theoretically important variables (typically unobserved variables, TUVs), other non-standard covariates (NSCs), input reporting, and characterization of infant health. The TUVs represent wantedness, taste for risky behavior, and maternal health endowment. The NSCs include father characteristics. We estimate the effects of prenatal drug use, prenatal cigarette smoking, and First trimester prenatal care on birth weight, low birth weight, and a measure of abnormal infant health conditions. We compare estimates using self-reported inputs versus input measures that combine information from medical records and self-reports. We find that TUVs and NSCs are significantly associated with both inputs and outcomes, but that excluding them from infant health production functions does not appreciably affect the input estimates. However, using self-reported inputs leads to overestimated effects of inputs, particularly prenatal care, on outcomes, and using a direct measure of infant health does not always yield input estimates similar to those when using birth weight outcomes. The findings have implications for research, data collection, and public health policy. PMID:18792077

Neuroimaging correlates of parent ratings of working memory in typically developing children

PubMed Central

Mahone, E. Mark; Martin, Rebecca; Kates, Wendy R.; Hay, Trisha; Horská, Alena

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate construct validity of parent ratings of working memory in children, using a multi-trait/multi-method design including neuroimaging, rating scales, and performance-based measures. Thirty-five typically developing children completed performance-based tests of working memory and nonexecutive function (EF) skills, received volumetric MRI, and were rated by parents on both EF-specific and broad behavior rating scales. After controlling for total cerebral volume and age, parent ratings of working memory were significantly correlated with frontal gray, but not temporal, parietal, or occipital gray, or any lobar white matter volumes. Performance-based measures of working memory were also moderately correlated with frontal lobe gray matter volume; however, non-EF parent ratings and non-EF performance-based measures were not correlated with frontal lobe volumes. Results provide preliminary support for the convergent and discriminant validity of parent ratings of working memory, and emphasize their utility in exploring brain–behavior relationships in children. Rating scales that directly examine EF skills may potentially have ecological validity, not only for “everyday” function, but also as correlates of brain volume. PMID:19128526

Laser Sintering Technology and Balling Phenomenon.

PubMed

Oyar, Perihan

2018-02-01

The aim of this review was to evaluate the balling phenomenon which occurs typically in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The balling phenomenon is a typical SLS defect, and observed in laser sintered powder, significantly reduces the quality of SLS, and hinders the further development of SLS Technology. Electronic database searches were performed using Google Scholar. The keywords "laser sintering, selective laser sintering, direct metal laser melting, and balling phenomenon" were searched in title/abstract of publications, limited to December 31, 2016. The inclusion criteria were SLS, balling phenomenon, some alloys (such as Cr-Co, iron, stainless steel, and Cu-based alloys) mechanical properties, microstructure and bond strength between metal-ceramic crown, laboratory studies, full text, and in English language. A total of 100 articles were found the initial search and yielded a total of 50 studies, 30 of which did not fulfill the inclusion criteria and were therefore excluded. In addition, 20 studies were found by screening the reference list of all included publications. Finally, 40 studies were selected for this review. The method in question is regulated by powder material characteristics and the conditions of laser processing. The procedure of formation, affecting factors, and the mechanism of the balling effect are very complex.

Prenatal endocrine influences on sexual orientation and on sexually differentiated childhood behavior.

PubMed

Hines, Melissa

2011-04-01

Both sexual orientation and sex-typical childhood behaviors, such as toy, playmate and activity preferences, show substantial sex differences, as well as substantial variability within each sex. In other species, behaviors that show sex differences are typically influenced by exposure to gonadal steroids, particularly testosterone and its metabolites, during early development (prenatally or neonatally). This article reviews the evidence regarding prenatal influences of gonadal steroids on human sexual orientation, as well as sex-typed childhood behaviors that predict subsequent sexual orientation. The evidence supports a role for prenatal testosterone exposure in the development of sex-typed interests in childhood, as well as in sexual orientation in later life, at least for some individuals. It appears, however, that other factors, in addition to hormones, play an important role in determining sexual orientation. These factors have not been well-characterized, but possibilities include direct genetic effects, and effects of maternal factors during pregnancy. Although a role for hormones during early development has been established, it also appears that there may be multiple pathways to a given sexual orientation outcome and some of these pathways may not involve hormones. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling Longitudinal Data Containing Non-Normal Within Subject Errors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feiveson, Alan; Glenn, Nancy L.

2013-01-01

The mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) human research program is to advance safe human spaceflight. This involves conducting experiments, collecting data, and analyzing data. The data are longitudinal and result from a relatively few number of subjects; typically 10 – 20. A longitudinal study refers to an investigation where participant outcomes and possibly treatments are collected at multiple follow-up times. Standard statistical designs such as mean regression with random effects and mixed–effects regression are inadequate for such data because the population is typically not approximately normally distributed. Hence, more advanced data analysis methods are necessary. This research focuses on four such methods for longitudinal data analysis: the recently proposed linear quantile mixed models (lqmm) by Geraci and Bottai (2013), quantile regression, multilevel mixed–effects linear regression, and robust regression. This research also provides computational algorithms for longitudinal data that scientists can directly use for human spaceflight and other longitudinal data applications, then presents statistical evidence that verifies which method is best for specific situations. This advances the study of longitudinal data in a broad range of applications including applications in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

Well test mathematical model for fractures network in tight oil reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diwu, Pengxiang; Liu, Tongjing; Jiang, Baoyi; Wang, Rui; Yang, Peidie; Yang, Jiping; Wang, Zhaoming

2018-02-01

Well test, especially build-up test, has been applied widely in the development of tight oil reservoirs, since it is the only available low cost way to directly quantify flow ability and formation heterogeneity parameters. However, because of the fractures network near wellbore, generated from artificial fracturing linking up natural factures, traditional infinite and finite conductivity fracture models usually result in significantly deviation in field application. In this work, considering the random distribution of natural fractures, physical model of fractures network is proposed, and it shows a composite model feature in the large scale. Consequently, a nonhomogeneous composite mathematical model is established with threshold pressure gradient. To solve this model semi-analytically, we proposed a solution approach including Laplace transform and virtual argument Bessel function, and this method is verified by comparing with existing analytical solution. The matching data of typical type curves generated from semi-analytical solution indicates that the proposed physical and mathematical model can describe the type curves characteristic in typical tight oil reservoirs, which have up warping in late-term rather than parallel lines with slope 1/2 or 1/4. It means the composite model could be used into pressure interpretation of artificial fracturing wells in tight oil reservoir.

Object-directed imitation in autism spectrum disorder is differentially influenced by motoric task complexity, but not social contextual cues.

PubMed

Chetcuti, Lacey; Hudry, Kristelle; Grant, Megan; Vivanti, Giacomo

2017-11-01

We examined the role of social motivation and motor execution factors in object-directed imitation difficulties in autism spectrum disorder. A series of to-be-imitated actions was presented to 35 children with autism spectrum disorder and 20 typically developing children on an Apple ® iPad ® by a socially responsive or aloof model, under conditions of low and high motor demand. There were no differences in imitation performance (i.e. the number of actions reproduced within a fixed sequence), for either group, in response to a model who acted socially responsive or aloof. Children with autism spectrum disorder imitated the high motor demand task more poorly than the low motor demand task, while imitation performance for typically developing children was equivalent across the low and high motor demand conditions. Furthermore, imitative performance in the autism spectrum disorder group was unrelated to social reciprocity, though positively associated with fine motor coordination. These results suggest that difficulties in object-directed imitation in autism spectrum disorder are the result of motor execution difficulties, not reduced social motivation.

Directional guidance from audible pedestrian signals for street crossing.

PubMed

Wall, Robert S; Ashmead, Daniel H; Bentzen, Billie Louise; Barlow, Janet

2004-10-10

Typical audible pedestrian signals indicate when the pedestrian walk interval is in effect but provide little, or even misleading information for directional alignment. In three experiments, blind and blindfolded sighted adults crossed a simulated crossing with recorded traffic noise to approximate street sounds. This was done to investigate how characteristics of signal presentation affected usefulness of the auditory signal for guiding crossing behaviour. Crossing was more accurate when signals came only from the far end of the crossing rather than the typical practice of presenting signals simultaneously from both ends. Alternating the signal between ends of the crossing was not helpful. Also, the customary practice of signalling two parallel crossings at the same time drew participants somewhat toward the opposite crossing. Providing a locator tone at the end of the crossing during the pedestrian clearance interval improved crossing accuracy. These findings provide a basis for designing audible pedestrian signals to enhance directional guidance. The principal findings were the same for blind and sighted participants and applied across a range of specific signals (e.g. chirps, clicks, voices).

Abnormal social reward processing in autism as indexed by pupillary responses to happy faces

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) typically show impaired eye contact during social interactions. From a young age, they look less at faces than typically developing (TD) children and tend to avoid direct gaze. However, the reason for this behavior remains controversial; ASD children might avoid eye contact because they perceive the eyes as aversive or because they do not find social engagement through mutual gaze rewarding. Methods We monitored pupillary diameter as a measure of autonomic response in children with ASD (n = 20, mean age = 12.4) and TD controls (n = 18, mean age = 13.7) while they looked at faces displaying different emotions. Each face displayed happy, fearful, angry or neutral emotions with the gaze either directed to or averted from the subjects. Results Overall, children with ASD and TD controls showed similar pupillary responses; however, they differed significantly in their sensitivity to gaze direction for happy faces. Specifically, pupillary diameter increased among TD children when viewing happy faces with direct gaze as compared to those with averted gaze, whereas children with ASD did not show such sensitivity to gaze direction. We found no group differences in fixation that could explain the differential pupillary responses. There was no effect of gaze direction on pupil diameter for negative affect or neutral faces among either the TD or ASD group. Conclusions We interpret the increased pupillary diameter to happy faces with direct gaze in TD children to reflect the intrinsic reward value of a smiling face looking directly at an individual. The lack of this effect in children with ASD is consistent with the hypothesis that individuals with ASD may have reduced sensitivity to the reward value of social stimuli. PMID:22958650

Coherence, Charging, and Spin Effects in Quantum Dots and Point Contacts

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-01

requires changing the direction of the external field. Considering the typical fields involved (several tesla) and the high- inductance superconducting ...84 6-5 QPC nonlinear conductance...86 6-6 Nonlinear transconductance colorscales

dsmcFoam+: An OpenFOAM based direct simulation Monte Carlo solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, C.; Borg, M. K.; Scanlon, T. J.; Longshaw, S. M.; John, B.; Emerson, D. R.; Reese, J. M.

2018-03-01

dsmcFoam+ is a direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) solver for rarefied gas dynamics, implemented within the OpenFOAM software framework, and parallelised with MPI. It is open-source and released under the GNU General Public License in a publicly available software repository that includes detailed documentation and tutorial DSMC gas flow cases. This release of the code includes many features not found in standard dsmcFoam, such as molecular vibrational and electronic energy modes, chemical reactions, and subsonic pressure boundary conditions. Since dsmcFoam+ is designed entirely within OpenFOAM's C++ object-oriented framework, it benefits from a number of key features: the code emphasises extensibility and flexibility so it is aimed first and foremost as a research tool for DSMC, allowing new models and test cases to be developed and tested rapidly. All DSMC cases are as straightforward as setting up any standard OpenFOAM case, as dsmcFoam+ relies upon the standard OpenFOAM dictionary based directory structure. This ensures that useful pre- and post-processing capabilities provided by OpenFOAM remain available even though the fully Lagrangian nature of a DSMC simulation is not typical of most OpenFOAM applications. We show that dsmcFoam+ compares well to other well-known DSMC codes and to analytical solutions in terms of benchmark results.

Genome-wide mapping of the RNA targets of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa riboregulatory protein RsmN.

PubMed

Romero, Manuel; Silistre, Hazel; Lovelock, Laura; Wright, Victoria J; Chan, Kok-Gan; Hong, Kar-Wai; Williams, Paul; Cámara, Miguel; Heeb, Stephan

2018-04-30

Pseudomonads typically carry multiple non-identical alleles of the post-transcriptional regulator rsmA. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, RsmN is notable in that its structural rearrangement confers distinct and overlapping functions with RsmA. However, little is known about the specificities of RsmN for its target RNAs and overall impact on the biology of this pathogen. We purified and mapped 503 transcripts directly bound by RsmN in P. aeruginosa. About 200 of the mRNAs identified encode proteins of demonstrated function including some determining acute and chronic virulence traits. For example, RsmN reduces biofilm development both directly and indirectly via multiple pathways, involving control of Pel exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and c-di-GMP levels. The RsmN targets identified are also shared with RsmA, although deletion of rsmN generally results in less pronounced phenotypes than those observed for ΔrsmA or ΔrsmArsmNind mutants, probably as a consequence of different binding affinities. Targets newly identified for the Rsm system include the small non-coding RNA CrcZ involved in carbon catabolite repression, for which differential binding of RsmN and RsmA to specific CrcZ regions is demonstrated. The results presented here provide new insights into the intricacy of riboregulatory networks involving multiple but distinct RsmA homologues.

Common and distinct neural correlates of personal and vicarious reward: A quantitative meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Morelli, Sylvia A.; Sacchet, Matthew D.; Zaki, Jamil

2015-01-01

Individuals experience reward not only when directly receiving positive outcomes (e.g., food or money), but also when observing others receive such outcomes. This latter phenomenon, known as vicarious reward, is a perennial topic of interest among psychologists and economists. More recently, neuroscientists have begun exploring the neuroanatomy underlying vicarious reward. Here we present a quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis of this emerging literature. We identified 25 functional neuroimaging studies that included contrasts between vicarious reward and a neutral control, and subjected these contrasts to an activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis. This analysis revealed a consistent pattern of activation across studies, spanning structures typically associated with the computation of value (especially ventromedial prefrontal cortex) and mentalizing (including dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus). We further quantitatively compared this activation pattern to activation foci from a previous meta-analysis of personal reward. Conjunction analyses yielded overlapping VMPFC activity in response to personal and vicarious reward. Contrast analyses identified preferential engagement of the nucleus accumbens in response to personal as compared to vicarious reward, and in mentalizing-related structures in response to vicarious as compared to personal reward. These data shed light on the common and unique components of the reward that individuals experience directly and through their social connections. PMID:25554428

Outcomes of direct pulp capping: interrogating an insurance database.

PubMed

Raedel, M; Hartmann, A; Bohm, S; Konstantinidis, I; Priess, H W; Walter, M H

2016-11-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of direct pulp capping under general practice conditions. It was hypothesized that direct pulp capping is an effective procedure in the majority of cases and prevents the need for root canal treatment or extraction. Claims data were collected from the digital database of a major German national health insurance company. Only patients who had been insurance members for the entire 3 year period 2010 to 2012 were eligible. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted for all teeth with direct pulp capping. Success was defined as not undergoing root canal treatment. Survival was defined as not undergoing extraction. Differences between survival functions were tested with the log rank test. A total of 148 312 teeth were included. The overall success rate was 71.6% at 3 years. The overall survival rate was 95.9% at 3 years. The success rates for single-rooted teeth (71.8%) and multirooted teeth (71.5%) were similar although significantly different (P < 0.001). Best 3-year success rates were found at low (79.7%; <18 years.) and very high age (81.8%; >85 years.). After direct pulp capping, more than two-thirds of the affected teeth did not undergo root canal treatment within 3 years. Although this study has the typical limits of a claims data analysis, it can be concluded that direct pulp capping is an effective intervention to avoid root canal treatment and extraction in a general practice setting. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From molecular engineering to process engineering: development of high-throughput screening methods in enzyme directed evolution.

PubMed

Ye, Lidan; Yang, Chengcheng; Yu, Hongwei

2018-01-01

With increasing concerns in sustainable development, biocatalysis has been recognized as a competitive alternative to traditional chemical routes in the past decades. As nature's biocatalysts, enzymes are able to catalyze a broad range of chemical transformations, not only with mild reaction conditions but also with high activity and selectivity. However, the insufficient activity or enantioselectivity of natural enzymes toward non-natural substrates limits their industrial application, while directed evolution provides a potent solution to this problem, thanks to its independence on detailed knowledge about the relationship between sequence, structure, and mechanism/function of the enzymes. A proper high-throughput screening (HTS) method is the key to successful and efficient directed evolution. In recent years, huge varieties of HTS methods have been developed for rapid evaluation of mutant libraries, ranging from in vitro screening to in vivo selection, from indicator addition to multi-enzyme system construction, and from plate screening to computation- or machine-assisted screening. Recently, there is a tendency to integrate directed evolution with metabolic engineering in biosynthesis, using metabolites as HTS indicators, which implies that directed evolution has transformed from molecular engineering to process engineering. This paper aims to provide an overview of HTS methods categorized based on the reaction principles or types by summarizing related studies published in recent years including the work from our group, to discuss assay design strategies and typical examples of HTS methods, and to share our understanding on HTS method development for directed evolution of enzymes involved in specific catalytic reactions or metabolic pathways.

Economic analysis of threatened species conservation: The case of woodland caribou and oilsands development in Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Hauer, Grant; Vic Adamowicz, W L; Boutin, Stan

2018-07-15

Tradeoffs between cost and recovery targets for boreal caribou herds, threatened species in Alberta, Canada, are examined using a dynamic cost minimization model. Unlike most approaches used for minimizing costs of achieving threatened species targets, we incorporate opportunity costs of surface (forests) and subsurface resources (energy) as well as direct costs of conservation (habitat restoration and direct predator control), into a forward looking model of species protection. Opportunity costs of conservation over time are minimized with an explicit target date for meeting species recovery targets; defined as the number of self-sustaining caribou herds, which requires that both habitat and population targets are met by a set date. The model was run under various scenarios including three species recovery criteria, two oil and gas price regimes, and targets for the number of herds to recover from 1 to 12. The derived cost curve follows a typical pattern as costs of recovery per herd increase as the number of herds targeted for recovery increases. The results also show that the opportunity costs for direct predator control are small compared to habitat restoration and protection costs. However, direct predator control is essential for meeting caribou population targets and reducing the risk of extirpation while habitat is recovered over time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strong interference effects in the resonant Auger decay of atoms induced by intense x-ray fields

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

Demekhin, Philipp V.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.

2011-02-15

The theory of resonant Auger decay of atoms in a high-intensity coherent x-ray pulse is presented. The theory includes the coupling between the ground state and the resonance due to an intense x-ray pulse, taking into account the decay of the resonance and the direct photoionization of the ground state, both populating the final ionic states coherently. The theory also considers the impact of the direct photoionization of the resonance state itself which typically populates highly excited ionic states. The combined action of the resonant decay and of the direct ionization of the ground state in the field induces amore » non-Hermitian time-dependent coupling between the ground and the ''dressed'' resonance stats. The impact of these competing processes on the total electron yield and on the 2s{sup 2}2p{sup 4}({sup 1}D)3p {sup 2}P spectator and 2s{sup 1}2p{sup 6} {sup 2}S participator Auger decay spectra of the Ne 1s{yields}3p resonance is investigated. The role of the direct photoionization of the ground state and of the resonance increases dramatically with the field intensity. This results in strong interference effects with distinct patterns in the electron spectra, which differ for the participator and spectator final states.« less

Coastal strategies to predict Escherichia coli concentrations for beaches along a 35 km stretch of southern Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, M.B.; Whitman, R.L.

2008-01-01

To understand the fate and movement of Escherichia coli in beach water, numerous modeling studies have been undertaken including mechanistic predictions of currents and plumes and empirical modeling based on hydrometeorological variables. Most approaches are limited in scope by nearshore currents or physical obstacles and data limitations; few examine the issue from a larger spatial scale. Given the similarities between variables typically included in these models, we attempted to take a broader view of E. coli fluctuations by simultaneously examining twelve beaches along 35 km of Indiana's Lake Michigan coastline that includes five point-source outfalls. The beaches had similar E. coli fluctuations, and a best-fit empirical model included two variables: wave height and an interactive term comprised of wind direction and creek turbidity. Individual beach R2 was 0.32-0.50. Data training-set results were comparable to validation results (R2 = 0.48). Amount of variation explained by the model was similar to previous reports for individual beaches. By extending the modeling approach to include more coastline distance, broader-scale spatial and temporal changes in bacteria concentrations and the influencing factors can be characterized. ?? 2008 American Chemical Society.

Early release improves long-term growth and development of direct-seeded nuttall oak saplings

Treesearch

James S. Meadows; Robert L. Johnson; Roger M. Krinard

2015-01-01

Early growth of bottomland oaks is typically slow, and many oaks eventually become overtopped by trees of other species. Removal of these larger competitors in a young stand might improve growth of the oaks and lead to more free-to-grow oaks as the stand matures. Release treatments were applied in 1980 to an 11-year-old, direct-seeded Nuttall oak (Quercus texana Buckl...

The Effects of Direct Instruction Flashcard and Math Racetrack Procedures on Mastery of Basic Multiplication Facts by Three Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skarr, Adam; Zielinski, Katie; Ruwe, Kellen; Sharp, Hannah; Williams, Randy L.; McLaughlin, T. F.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if a typical third-grade boy and fifth-grade girl and a boy with learning disabilities could benefit from the combined use of Direct Instruction (DI) flashcard and math racetrack procedures in an after-school program. The dependent variable was accuracy and fluency of saying basic multiplication facts. A…

The Influences of Face Inversion and Facial Expression on Sensitivity to Eye Contact in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vida, Mark D.; Maurer, Daphne; Calder, Andrew J.; Rhodes, Gillian; Walsh, Jennifer A.; Pachai, Matthew V.; Rutherford, M. D.

2013-01-01

We examined the influences of face inversion and facial expression on sensitivity to eye contact in high-functioning adults with and without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants judged the direction of gaze of angry, fearful, and neutral faces. In the typical group only, the range of directions of gaze leading to the perception of eye…

Update on slip and wear in multi-layer azimuth track systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneja, Gunjeet; Kan, Frank W.; Antebi, Joseph

2006-06-01

Many antennas, such as the 100-m Green Bank Telescope, use a wheel-on-track systems in which the track segments consist of wear plates mounted on base plates. The wear plates are typically 2 to 3 inches thick and are case hardened or through hardened. The base plates are usually 3 to 4 times thicker than the wear plates and are not hardened. The wear plates are typically connected to the base plates using bolts. The base plates are supported on grout and anchored to the underlying concrete foundation. For some antennas, slip has been observed between the wear plate and base plate, and between the base plate and the grout, with the migration in the wheel rolling direction. In addition, there has been wear at the wear plate/base plate interface. This paper is an update on the evaluation of GBT track retrofit. The paper describes the use of three-dimensional non-linear finite element analyses to understand and evaluate the behavior of (1) the existing GBT wheel-on-track system with mitered joints, and (2) the various proposed modifications. The modifications include welding of the base plate joints, staggering of the wear plate joints from the base plate joints, changing thickness of the wear plate, and increasing bolt diameter and length. Parameters included in the evaluation were contact pressure, relative slip, wear at the wear plate/base plate interface, and bolt shears and moments.

The Magellan Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shectman, Stephen A.; Johns, Matthew

2003-02-01

Commissioning of the two 6.5-meter Magellan telescopes is nearing completion at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The Magellan 1 primary mirror was successfully aluminized at Las Campanas in August 2000. Science operations at Magellan 1 began in February 2001. The second Nasmyth focus on Magellan 1 went into operation in September 2001. Science operations on Magellan 2 are scheduled to begin shortly. The ability to deliver high-quality images is maintained at all times by the simultaneous operation of the primary mirror support system, the primary mirror thermal control system, and a real-time active optics system, based on a Shack-Hartmann image analyzer. Residual aberrations in the delivered image (including focus) are typically 0.10-0.15" fwhm, and real images as good as 0.25" fwhm have been obtained at optical wavelengths. The mount points reliably to 2" rms over the entire sky, using a pointing model which is stable from year to year. The tracking error under typical wind conditions is better than 0.03" rms, although some degradation is observed under high wind conditions when the dome is pointed in an unfavorable direction. Instruments used at Magellan 1 during the first year of operation include two spectrographs previously used at other telescopes (B&C, LDSS-2), a mid-infrared imager (MIRAC) and an optical imager (MAGIC, the first Magellan-specific facility instrument). Two facility spectrographs are scheduled to be installed shortly: IMACS, a wide-field spectrograph, and MIKE, a double echelle spectrograph.

Parallel and convergent processing in grid cell, head-direction cell, boundary cell, and place cell networks.

PubMed

Brandon, Mark P; Koenig, Julie; Leutgeb, Stefan

2014-03-01

The brain is able to construct internal representations that correspond to external spatial coordinates. Such brain maps of the external spatial topography may support a number of cognitive functions, including navigation and memory. The neuronal building block of brain maps are place cells, which are found throughout the hippocampus of rodents and, in a lower proportion, primates. Place cells typically fire in one or few restricted areas of space, and each area where a cell fires can range, along the dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus, from 30 cm to at least several meters. The sensory processing streams that give rise to hippocampal place cells are not fully understood, but substantial progress has been made in characterizing the entorhinal cortex, which is the gateway between neocortical areas and the hippocampus. Entorhinal neurons have diverse spatial firing characteristics, and the different entorhinal cell types converge in the hippocampus to give rise to a single, spatially modulated cell type-the place cell. We therefore suggest that parallel information processing in different classes of cells-as is typically observed at lower levels of sensory processing-continues up into higher level association cortices, including those that provide the inputs to hippocampus. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:207-219. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1272 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quantifying the roles of random motility and directed motility using advection-diffusion theory for a 3T3 fibroblast cell migration assay stimulated with an electric field.

PubMed

Simpson, Matthew J; Lo, Kai-Yin; Sun, Yung-Shin

2017-03-17

Directed cell migration can be driven by a range of external stimuli, such as spatial gradients of: chemical signals (chemotaxis); adhesion sites (haptotaxis); or temperature (thermotaxis). Continuum models of cell migration typically include a diffusion term to capture the undirected component of cell motility and an advection term to capture the directed component of cell motility. However, there is no consensus in the literature about the form that the advection term takes. Some theoretical studies suggest that the advection term ought to include receptor saturation effects. However, others adopt a much simpler constant coefficient. One of the limitations of including receptor saturation effects is that it introduces several additional unknown parameters into the model. Therefore, a relevant research question is to investigate whether directed cell migration is best described by a simple constant tactic coefficient or a more complicated model incorporating saturation effects. We study directed cell migration using an experimental device in which the directed component of the cell motility is driven by a spatial gradient of electric potential, which is known as electrotaxis. The electric field (EF) is proportional to the spatial gradient of the electric potential. The spatial variation of electric potential across the experimental device varies in such a way that there are several subregions on the device in which the EF takes on different values that are approximately constant within those subregions. We use cell trajectory data to quantify the motion of 3T3 fibroblast cells at different locations on the device to examine how different values of the EF influences cell motility. The undirected (random) motility of the cells is quantified in terms of the cell diffusivity, D, and the directed motility is quantified in terms of a cell drift velocity, v. Estimates D and v are obtained under a range of four different EF conditions, which correspond to normal physiological conditions. Our results suggest that there is no anisotropy in D, and that D appears to be approximately independent of the EF and the electric potential. The drift velocity increases approximately linearly with the EF, suggesting that the simplest linear advection term, with no additional saturation parameters, provides a good explanation of these physiologically relevant data. We find that the simplest linear advection term in a continuum model of directed cell motility is sufficient to describe a range of different electrotaxis experiments for 3T3 fibroblast cells subject to normal physiological values of the electric field. This is useful information because alternative models that include saturation effects involve additional parameters that need to be estimated before a partial differential equation model can be applied to interpret or predict a cell migration experiment.

Wave Turning and Flow Angle in the E-Region Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M.; Oppenheim, M. M.; Dimant, Y. S.

2016-12-01

This work presents results of particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of Farley-Buneman (FB) turbulence at various altitudes in the high-latitude E-region ionosphere. In that region, the FB instability regularly produces meter-scale plasma irregularities. VHF radars observe coherent echoes via Bragg scatter from wave fronts parallel or anti-parallel to the radar line of sight (LoS) but do not necessarily measure the mean direction of wave propagation. Haldoupis (1984) conducted a study of diffuse radar aurora and found that the spectral width of back-scattered power depends critically on the angle between the radar LoS and the true flow direction, called the flow angle. Knowledge of the flow angle will allow researchers to better interpret observations of coherent back-scatter. Experiments designed to observe meter-scale irregularities in the E-region ionosphere created by the FB instability typically assume that the predominant flow direction is the E×B direction. However, linear theory of Dimant and Oppenheim (2004) showed that FB waves should turn away from E×B and particle-in-cell simulations by Oppenheim and Dimant (2013) support the theory. The present study comprises a quantitative analysis of the dependence of back-scattered power, flow velocity, and spectral width as functions of the flow angle. It also demonstrates that the mean direction of meter-scale wave propagation may differ from the E×B direction by tens of degrees. The analysis includes 2-D and 3-D simulations at a range of altitudes in the auroral ionosphere. Comparison between 2-D and 3-D simulations illustrates the relative importance to the irregularity spectrum of a small but finite component in the direction parallel to B. Previous work has shown this small parallel component to be important to turbulent electron heating and nonlinear transport.

One Health and the Environment: Toxic Cyanobacteria, a Case Study

EPA Science Inventory

The study of environmental health typically focuses on human populations. However, companion animals, livestock and wildlife also experience adverse health effects from environmental pollutants. Animals may experience direct exposure to pollutants in ambient exposure situations. ...

Polycatenar Ligand Control of the Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Colloidal Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Diroll, Benjamin T; Jishkariani, Davit; Cargnello, Matteo; Murray, Christopher B; Donnio, Bertrand

2016-08-24

Hydrophobic colloidal nanocrystals are typically synthesized and manipulated with commercially available ligands, and surface functionalization is therefore typically limited to a small number of molecules. Here, we report the use of polycatenar ligands derived from polyalkylbenzoates for the direct synthesis of metallic, chalcogenide, pnictide, and oxide nanocrystals. Polycatenar molecules, branched structures bearing diverging chains in which the terminal substitution pattern, functionality, and binding group can be independently modified, offer a modular platform for the development of ligands with targeted properties. Not only are these ligands used for the direct synthesis of monodisperse nanocrystals, but nanocrystals coated with polycatenar ligands self-assemble into softer bcc superlattices that deviate from conventional harder close-packed structures (fcc or hcp) formed by the same nanocrystals coated with commercial ligands. Self-assembly experiments demonstrate that the molecular structure of polycatenar ligands encodes interparticle spacings and attractions, engineering self-assembly, which is tunable from hard sphere to soft sphere behavior.

Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals

DOEpatents

Holland, Justin M.; Cecala, David M.

2015-05-26

Disclosed are electrochemical cells and methods for producing a halide of a non-alkali metal and for electrorefining the halide. The systems typically involve an electrochemical cell having a cathode structure configured for dissolving a hydrogen halide that forms the halide into a molten salt of the halogen and an alkali metal. Typically a direct current voltage is applied across the cathode and an anode that is fabricated with the non-alkali metal such that the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed adjacent the anode. Electrorefining cells and methods involve applying a direct current voltage across the anode where the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed and the cathode where the non-alkali metal is electro-deposited. In a representative embodiment the halogen is chlorine, the alkali metal is lithium and the non-alkali metal is uranium.

Emotion Unchained: Facial Expression Modulates Gaze Cueing under Cognitive Load.

PubMed

Pecchinenda, Anna; Petrucci, Manuel

2016-01-01

Direction of eye gaze cues spatial attention, and typically this cueing effect is not modulated by the expression of a face unless top-down processes are explicitly or implicitly involved. To investigate the role of cognitive control on gaze cueing by emotional faces, participants performed a gaze cueing task with happy, angry, or neutral faces under high (i.e., counting backward by 7) or low cognitive load (i.e., counting forward by 2). Results show that high cognitive load enhances gaze cueing effects for angry facial expressions. In addition, cognitive load reduces gaze cueing for neutral faces, whereas happy facial expressions and gaze affected object preferences regardless of load. This evidence clearly indicates a differential role of cognitive control in processing gaze direction and facial expression, suggesting that under typical conditions, when we shift attention based on social cues from another person, cognitive control processes are used to reduce interference from emotional information.

Emotion Unchained: Facial Expression Modulates Gaze Cueing under Cognitive Load

PubMed Central

Petrucci, Manuel

2016-01-01

Direction of eye gaze cues spatial attention, and typically this cueing effect is not modulated by the expression of a face unless top-down processes are explicitly or implicitly involved. To investigate the role of cognitive control on gaze cueing by emotional faces, participants performed a gaze cueing task with happy, angry, or neutral faces under high (i.e., counting backward by 7) or low cognitive load (i.e., counting forward by 2). Results show that high cognitive load enhances gaze cueing effects for angry facial expressions. In addition, cognitive load reduces gaze cueing for neutral faces, whereas happy facial expressions and gaze affected object preferences regardless of load. This evidence clearly indicates a differential role of cognitive control in processing gaze direction and facial expression, suggesting that under typical conditions, when we shift attention based on social cues from another person, cognitive control processes are used to reduce interference from emotional information. PMID:27959925

Radar - ARL Wind Profilerwith RASS, Boardman - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ANL Wind Profiler with RASS, Yakima - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ESRL Wind Profiler with RASS, Condon - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ANL Wind Profiler with RASS, Walla Walla - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ESRL Wind Profiler with RASS, Prineville - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ESRL Wind Profiler with RASS, Troutdale - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ANL Wind Profiler with RASS, Goldendale - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Radar - ESRL Wind Profiler with RASS, Wasco Airport - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Gottas, Daniel

2017-10-23

**Winds** A radar wind profiler measures the Doppler shift of electromagnetic energy scattered back from atmospheric turbulence and hydrometeors along 3-5 vertical and off-vertical point beam directions. Back-scattered signal strength and radial-component velocities are remotely sensed along all beam directions and combined to derive the horizontal wind field over the radar. These data typically are sampled and averaged hourly and usually have 6-m and/or 100-m vertical resolutions up to 4 km for the 915 MHz and 8 km for the 449 MHz systems. **Temperature** To measure atmospheric temperature, a radio acoustic sound system (RASS) is used in conjunction with the wind profile. These data typically are sampled and averaged for five minutes each hour and have a 60-m vertical resolution up to 1.5 km for the 915 MHz and 60-m up to 3.5k m for the 449 MHz.

Geologic maps of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Atwater, Brian F.

1982-01-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the arm of the San Francisco Bay estuary that reaches into the Central Valley of California, differs from typical coastal-plain deltas in three important respects.  First, rather than meeting the ocean individually and directly, all major waterways of this delta discharge via a single constricted outlet into a chain of estuarine bays and straits.  Second, in the most common vertical sequence of deposits, peat and mud deposited in tidal marshes and swamps (tidal wetlands) directly overlie alluvium or eolian sand, a sequence recording a landward spread of tidal environments rather than the seaward migration of fluvial environments that is typical of coastal-plain deltas (Cosby, 1941, p. 43; Thompson, 1957, p. 12; Shlemon and Begg, 1975, p. 259; Atwater and Belknap, 1980).  Finally, intensive human use has led to a peculiar set of conflicts involving rights to water and responsibilities for flood-control levees (Kockelman and other, 1982).

Magnetic and dielectric properties of lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strangway, D. W.; Pearce, G. W.; Olhoeft, G. R.

1977-01-01

Dielectric properties of lunar soil and rock samples showed a systematic character when careful precautions were taken to ensure there was no moisture present during measurement. The dielectric constant (K) above 100,000 Hz was directly dependent on density according to the formula K = (1.93 + or - 0.17) to the rho power where rho is the density in g/cc. The dielectric loss tangent was only slightly dependent on density and had values less than 0.005 for typical soils and 0.005 to 0.03 for typical rocks. The loss tangent appeared to be directly related to the metallic ilmenite content. It was shown that magnetic properties of lunar samples can be used to study the distribution of metallic and ferrous iron which shows systematic variations from soil type to soil type. Other magnetic characteristics can be used to determine the distribution of grain sizes.

Apples are not the only fruit: the effects of concept typicality on semantic representation in the anterior temporal lobe

PubMed Central

Woollams, Anna M.

2012-01-01

Intuitively, an apple seems a fairly good example of a fruit, whereas an avocado seems less so. The extent to which an exemplar is representative of its category, referred to here as concept typicality, has long been thought to be a key dimension determining semantic representation. Concept typicality is, however, correlated with a number of other variables, in particular age of acquisition (AoA) and name frequency. Consideration of picture naming accuracy from a large case-series of semantic dementia (SD) patients demonstrated strong effects of concept typicality that were maximal in the moderately impaired patients, over and above the impact of AoA and name frequency. Induction of a temporary virtual lesion to the left anterior temporal lobe, the region most commonly affected in SD, via repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation produced an enhanced effect of concept typicality in the picture naming of normal participants, but did not affect the magnitude of the AoA or name frequency effects. These results indicate that concept typicality exerts its influence on semantic representations themselves, as opposed to the strength of connections outside the semantic system. To date, there has been little direct exploration of the dimension of concept typicality within connectionist models of intact and impaired conceptual representation, and these findings provide a target for future computational simulation. PMID:22529789

The Process of Including Elementary Students with Autism and Intellectual Impairments in Their Typical Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downing, June E.; And Others

A qualitative case study methodology was used to examine the process of including three students with autism, intellectual impairments, and behavioral challenges in age-appropriate typical classrooms and home schools. Data were obtained over a 9-month period from field notes of a participant researcher and three paraeducators, structured…

[Energy and mass exchange and the productivity of the main ecosystems of Siberia (from eddy covariance measurements). 1. Heat balance structure in the vegetation season].

PubMed

Chebakova, N M; Vygodskaia, N N; Arnet, A; Belelli Markezini, L; Kolle, O; Kurbatova, Iu A; Parfenova, E I; Valentini, R; Vaganov, E A; Shul'tse, E D

2013-01-01

Direct measurements of heat balance (turbulent heat transfer and evaporation heat consumption) by the method of turbulent pulsations in 1998-2000 and 2002-2004 were used to obtain information on the daily, seasonal, and annual dynamics of energy fluxes and mass transfer between the atmosphere and the typical ecosystems of Siberia (middle-taiga pine forest and raised bog, true four-grass steppe, with the use of data for typical tundra) along the Yenisei meridian (90 degrees E).

Dark matter directional detection: comparison of the track direction determination

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

Couturier, C.; Zopounidis, J.P.; Sauzet, N.

Several directional techniques have been proposed for a directional detection of Dark matter, among others anisotropic crystal detectors, nuclear emulsion plates, and low-pressure gaseous TPCs. The key point is to get access to the initial direction of the nucleus recoiling due to the elastic scattering by a WIMP. In this article, we aim at estimating, for each method, how the information of the recoil track initial direction is preserved in different detector materials. We use the SRIM simulation code to emulate the motion of the first recoiling nucleus in each material. We propose the use of a new observable, Dmore » , to quantify the preservation of the initial direction of the recoiling nucleus in the detector. We show that in an emulsion mix and an anisotropic crystal, the initial direction is lost very early, while in a typical TPC gas mix, the direction is well preserved.« less

Mechanisms for Rapid Adaptive Control of Motion Processing in Macaque Visual Cortex.

PubMed

McLelland, Douglas; Baker, Pamela M; Ahmed, Bashir; Kohn, Adam; Bair, Wyeth

2015-07-15

A key feature of neural networks is their ability to rapidly adjust their function, including signal gain and temporal dynamics, in response to changes in sensory inputs. These adjustments are thought to be important for optimizing the sensitivity of the system, yet their mechanisms remain poorly understood. We studied adaptive changes in temporal integration in direction-selective cells in macaque primary visual cortex, where specific hypotheses have been proposed to account for rapid adaptation. By independently stimulating direction-specific channels, we found that the control of temporal integration of motion at one direction was independent of motion signals driven at the orthogonal direction. We also found that individual neurons can simultaneously support two different profiles of temporal integration for motion in orthogonal directions. These findings rule out a broad range of adaptive mechanisms as being key to the control of temporal integration, including untuned normalization and nonlinearities of spike generation and somatic adaptation in the recorded direction-selective cells. Such mechanisms are too broadly tuned, or occur too far downstream, to explain the channel-specific and multiplexed temporal integration that we observe in single neurons. Instead, we are compelled to conclude that parallel processing pathways are involved, and we demonstrate one such circuit using a computer model. This solution allows processing in different direction/orientation channels to be separately optimized and is sensible given that, under typical motion conditions (e.g., translation or looming), speed on the retina is a function of the orientation of image components. Many neurons in visual cortex are understood in terms of their spatial and temporal receptive fields. It is now known that the spatiotemporal integration underlying visual responses is not fixed but depends on the visual input. For example, neurons that respond selectively to motion direction integrate signals over a shorter time window when visual motion is fast and a longer window when motion is slow. We investigated the mechanisms underlying this useful adaptation by recording from neurons as they responded to stimuli moving in two different directions at different speeds. Computer simulations of our results enabled us to rule out several candidate theories in favor of a model that integrates across multiple parallel channels that operate at different time scales. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3510268-13$15.00/0.

Collaborative Problem Solving in Young Typical Development and HFASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimhi, Yael; Bauminger-Zviely, Nirit

2012-01-01

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) requires sharing goals/attention and coordinating actions--all deficient in HFASD. Group differences were examined in CPS (HFASD/typical), with a friend versus with a non-friend. Participants included 28 HFASD and 30 typical children aged 3-6 years and their 58 friends and 58 non-friends. Groups were matched on…

Longitudinal mediators of social problem solving in spina bifida and typical development.

PubMed

Landry, Susan H; Taylor, Heather B; Swank, Paul R; Barnes, Marcia; Juranek, Jenifer

2013-05-01

The current study examined the role of early executive functions (EF) and social language (SL) as well as responsive parenting as mediators of the effect of group on social problem-solving skills at 7 years of age for children with spina bifida and typically developing children. A mediation analysis was used to determine if the effect of having spina bifida on school age social problem-solving skills was mediated through the effect of group on EF/SL at 3 years of age and responsive parenting at 12 and 18 months. As part of a larger longitudinal study, 103 infants (n = 49 with spina bifida; n = 54 typically developing) received measures of EF/SL at 3 years of age and mother-infant play interactions at 12 and 18 months of age were coded for a range of responsive parenting behaviors. Social problem-solving skills were measured with a game-like observational task at 7 years of age. Group had a direct relation with later social problem-solving as well as an indirect relation through early EF/SL skills that, in turn, had a direct relation with later social problem solving. An indirect effect of responsive parenting on later social skills also was found through a direct effect on EF/SL skills. Early precursors of school age difficulties with social problem solving observed for children with spina bifida can be explained, in part, by difficulties in the first 3 years of life with EF/SL. Early responsive parenting appears to positively affect the development of these EF/SL skills. Implications for early intervention are an outcome of this study.

Buccal drug delivery technologies for patient-centred treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia (dry mouth).

PubMed

Malallah, Osamah S; Garcia, Cristina M Aller; Proctor, Gordon B; Forbes, Ben; Royall, Paul G

2018-04-25

Radiotherapy is a life-saving treatment for head and neck cancers, but almost 100% of patients develop dry mouth (xerostomia) because of radiation-induced damage to their salivary glands. Patients with xerostomia suffer symptoms that severely affect their health as well as physical, social and emotional aspects of their life. The current management of xerostomia is the application of saliva substitutes or systemic delivery of saliva-stimulating cholinergic agents, including pilocarpine, cevimeline or bethanechol tablets. It is almost impossible for substitutes to replicate all the functional and sensory facets of natural saliva. Salivary stimulants are a better treatment option than saliva substitutes as the former induce the secretion of natural saliva from undamaged glands; typically, these are the minor salivary glands. However, patients taking cholinergic agents systemically experience pharmacology-related side effects including sweating, excessive lacrimation and gastrointestinal tract distresses. Local delivery direct to the buccal mucosa has the potential to provide rapid onset of drug action, i.e. activation of minor salivary glands within the buccal mucosa, while sparing systemic drug exposure and off-target effects. This critical review of the technologies for the local delivery of saliva-stimulating agents includes oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs), oral disintegrating films, medicated chewing gums and implantable drug delivery devices. Our analysis makes a strong case for the development of ODTs for the buccal delivery of cholinergic agents: these must be patient-friendly delivery platforms with variable loading capacities that release the drug rapidly in fluid volumes typical of residual saliva in xerostomia (0.05-0.1 mL). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Habte, A.; Lopez, A.; Sengupta, M.

Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data sets provide industry standard resource information for building designers and are commonly used by the solar industry to estimate photovoltaic and concentrating solar power system performance. Historically, TMY data sets were only available for certain station locations, but current TMY data sets are available on the same grid as the National Solar Radiation Database data and are referred to as the gridded TMY. In this report, a comparison of TMY, typical direct (normal irradiance) year (TDY), and typical global (horizontal irradiance) year (TGY) data sets were performed to better understand the impact of ancillary weathermore » variables upon them. These analyses identified geographical areas of high and low temporal and spatial variability, thereby providing insight into the representativeness of a particular TMY data set for use in renewable energy as well as other applications.« less

An Eye-Tracking Study of Multiple Feature Value Category Structure Learning: The Role of Unique Features

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhiya; Song, Xiaohong; Seger, Carol A.

2015-01-01

We examined whether the degree to which a feature is uniquely characteristic of a category can affect categorization above and beyond the typicality of the feature. We developed a multiple feature value category structure with different dimensions within which feature uniqueness and typicality could be manipulated independently. Using eye tracking, we found that the highest attentional weighting (operationalized as number of fixations, mean fixation time, and the first fixation of the trial) was given to a dimension that included a feature that was both unique and highly typical of the category. Dimensions that included features that were highly typical but not unique, or were unique but not highly typical, received less attention. A dimension with neither a unique nor a highly typical feature received least attention. On the basis of these results we hypothesized that subjects categorized via a rule learning procedure in which they performed an ordered evaluation of dimensions, beginning with unique and strongly typical dimensions, and in which earlier dimensions received higher weighting in the decision. This hypothesis accounted for performance on transfer stimuli better than simple implementations of two other common theories of category learning, exemplar models and prototype models, in which all dimensions were evaluated in parallel and received equal weighting. PMID:26274332

An Eye-Tracking Study of Multiple Feature Value Category Structure Learning: The Role of Unique Features.

PubMed

Liu, Zhiya; Song, Xiaohong; Seger, Carol A

2015-01-01

We examined whether the degree to which a feature is uniquely characteristic of a category can affect categorization above and beyond the typicality of the feature. We developed a multiple feature value category structure with different dimensions within which feature uniqueness and typicality could be manipulated independently. Using eye tracking, we found that the highest attentional weighting (operationalized as number of fixations, mean fixation time, and the first fixation of the trial) was given to a dimension that included a feature that was both unique and highly typical of the category. Dimensions that included features that were highly typical but not unique, or were unique but not highly typical, received less attention. A dimension with neither a unique nor a highly typical feature received least attention. On the basis of these results we hypothesized that subjects categorized via a rule learning procedure in which they performed an ordered evaluation of dimensions, beginning with unique and strongly typical dimensions, and in which earlier dimensions received higher weighting in the decision. This hypothesis accounted for performance on transfer stimuli better than simple implementations of two other common theories of category learning, exemplar models and prototype models, in which all dimensions were evaluated in parallel and received equal weighting.

The influence of gender and gender typicality on autobiographical memory across event types and age groups.

PubMed

Grysman, Azriel; Fivush, Robyn; Merrill, Natalie A; Graci, Matthew

2016-08-01

Gender differences in autobiographical memory emerge in some data collection paradigms and not others. The present study included an extensive analysis of gender differences in autobiographical narratives. Data were collected from 196 participants, evenly split by gender and by age group (emerging adults, ages 18-29, and young adults, ages 30-40). Each participant reported four narratives, including an event that had occurred in the last 2 years, a high point, a low point, and a self-defining memory. Additionally, all participants completed self-report measures of masculine and feminine gender typicality. The narratives were coded along six dimensions-namely coherence, connectedness, agency, affect, factual elaboration, and interpretive elaboration. The results indicated that females expressed more affect, connection, and factual elaboration than males across all narratives, and that feminine typicality predicted increased connectedness in narratives. Masculine typicality predicted higher agency, lower connectedness, and lower affect, but only for some narratives and not others. These findings support an approach that views autobiographical reminiscing as a feminine-typed activity and that identifies gender differences as being linked to categorical gender, but also to one's feminine gender typicality, whereas the influences of masculine gender typicality were more context-dependent. We suggest that implicit gendered socialization and more explicit gender typicality each contribute to gendered autobiographies.

IOC Consensus Statement: Dietary Supplements and the High-Performance Athlete.

PubMed

Maughan, Ronald J; Burke, Louise M; Dvorak, Jiri; Larson-Meyer, D Enette; Peeling, Peter; Phillips, Stuart M; Rawson, Eric S; Walsh, Neil P; Garthe, Ina; Geyer, Hans; Meeusen, Romain; van Loon, Luc; Shirreffs, Susan M; Spriet, Lawrence L; Stuart, Mark; Vernec, Alan; Currell, Kevin; Ali, Vidya M; Budgett, Richard G M; Ljungqvist, Arne; Mountjoy, Margo; Pitsiladis, Yannis; Soligard, Torbjørn; Erdener, Uğur; Engebretsen, Lars

2018-03-01

Nutrition usually makes a small but potentially valuable contribution to successful performance in elite athletes, and dietary supplements can make a minor contribution to this nutrition program. Nonetheless, supplement use is widespread at all levels of sport. Products described as supplements target different issues, including the management of micronutrient deficiencies, supply of convenient forms of energy and macronutrients, and provision of direct benefits to performance or indirect benefits such as supporting intense training regimens. The appropriate use of some supplements can offer benefits to the athlete, but others may be harmful to the athlete's health, performance, and/or livelihood and reputation if an anti-doping rule violation results. A complete nutritional assessment should be undertaken before decisions regarding supplement use are made. Supplements claiming to directly or indirectly enhance performance are typically the largest group of products marketed to athletes, but only a few (including caffeine, creatine, specific buffering agents and nitrate) have good evidence of benefits. However, responses are affected by the scenario of use and may vary widely between individuals because of factors that include genetics, the microbiome, and habitual diet. Supplements intended to enhance performance should be thoroughly trialed in training or simulated competition before implementation in competition. Inadvertent ingestion of substances prohibited under the anti-doping codes that govern elite sport is a known risk of taking some supplements. Protection of the athlete's health and awareness of the potential for harm must be paramount, and expert professional opinion and assistance is strongly advised before embarking on supplement use.

Dynamic assessment of bridge deck performance considering realistic bridge-traffic interaction

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-09-01

Concrete bridge decks are directly exposed to daily traffic loads and may experience some surface cracking caused by excessive stress or fatigue accumulation, which requires repair or replacement. Among typical bridges in North America, bridge decks ...

One Health and the Environment: Toxic Cyanobacteria A Case Study

EPA Science Inventory

The study of environmental health typically focuses on human populations. However, companion animals, livestock and wildlife also experience adverse health effects from environmental pollutants. Animals may experience direct exposure to pollutants unlike people in most ambient ex...

The Effect of Toxic Cyanobacteria on Human and Animal Health

EPA Science Inventory

The study of environmental health typically focuses on human populations. However, companion animals, livestock and wildlife also experience adverse health effects from environmental pollutants. Animals may experience direct exposure to pollutants unlike people in most ambient ex...

Perspectives on object manipulation and action grammar for percussive actions in primates

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Misato

2015-01-01

The skill of object manipulation is a common feature of primates including humans, although there are species-typical patterns of manipulation. Object manipulation can be used as a comparative scale of cognitive development, focusing on its complexity. Nut cracking in chimpanzees has the highest hierarchical complexity of tool use reported in non-human primates. An analysis of the patterns of object manipulation in naive chimpanzees after nut-cracking demonstrations revealed the cause of difficulties in learning nut-cracking behaviour. Various types of behaviours exhibited within a nut-cracking context can be examined in terms of the application of problem-solving strategies, focusing on their basis in causal understanding or insightful intentionality. Captive chimpanzees also exhibit complex forms of combinatory manipulation, which is the precursor of tool use. A new notation system of object manipulation was invented to assess grammatical rules in manipulative actions. The notation system of action grammar enabled direct comparisons to be made between primates including humans in a variety of object-manipulation tasks, including percussive-tool use. PMID:26483528

Solid-state energy storage module employing integrated interconnect board

DOEpatents

Rouillard, Jean; Comte, Christophe; Daigle, Dominik; Hagen, Ronald A.; Knudson, Orlin B.; Morin, Andre; Ranger, Michel; Ross, Guy; Rouillard, Roger; St-Germain, Philippe; Sudano, Anthony; Turgeon, Thomas A.

2000-01-01

The present invention is directed to an improved electrochemical energy storage device. The electrochemical energy storage device includes a number of solid-state, thin-film electrochemical cells which are selectively interconnected in series or parallel through use of an integrated interconnect board. The interconnect board is typically disposed within a sealed housing which also houses the electrochemical cells, and includes a first contact and a second contact respectively coupled to first and second power terminals of the energy storage device. The interconnect board advantageously provides for selective series or parallel connectivity with the electrochemical cells, irrespective of electrochemical cell position within the housing. In one embodiment, a sheet of conductive material is processed by employing a known milling, stamping, or chemical etching technique to include a connection pattern which provides for flexible and selective interconnecting of individual electrochemical cells within the housing, which may be a hermetically sealed housing. Fuses and various electrical and electro-mechanical devices, such as bypass, equalization, and communication devices for example, may also be mounted to the interconnect board and selectively connected to the electrochemical cells.

Spectrum Modal Analysis for the Detection of Low-Altitude Windshear with Airborne Doppler Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunkel, Matthew W.

1992-01-01

A major obstacle in the estimation of windspeed patterns associated with low-altitude windshear with an airborne pulsed Doppler radar system is the presence of strong levels of ground clutter which can strongly bias a windspeed estimate. Typical solutions attempt to remove the clutter energy from the return through clutter rejection filtering. Proposed is a method whereby both the weather and clutter modes present in a return spectrum can be identified to yield an unbiased estimate of the weather mode without the need for clutter rejection filtering. An attempt will be made to show that modeling through a second order extended Prony approach is sufficient for the identification of the weather mode. A pattern recognition approach to windspeed estimation from the identified modes is derived and applied to both simulated and actual flight data. Comparisons between windspeed estimates derived from modal analysis and the pulse-pair estimator are included as well as associated hazard factors. Also included is a computationally attractive method for estimating windspeeds directly from the coefficients of a second-order autoregressive model. Extensions and recommendations for further study are included.

Perspectives on object manipulation and action grammar for percussive actions in primates.

PubMed

Hayashi, Misato

2015-11-19

The skill of object manipulation is a common feature of primates including humans, although there are species-typical patterns of manipulation. Object manipulation can be used as a comparative scale of cognitive development, focusing on its complexity. Nut cracking in chimpanzees has the highest hierarchical complexity of tool use reported in non-human primates. An analysis of the patterns of object manipulation in naive chimpanzees after nut-cracking demonstrations revealed the cause of difficulties in learning nut-cracking behaviour. Various types of behaviours exhibited within a nut-cracking context can be examined in terms of the application of problem-solving strategies, focusing on their basis in causal understanding or insightful intentionality. Captive chimpanzees also exhibit complex forms of combinatory manipulation, which is the precursor of tool use. A new notation system of object manipulation was invented to assess grammatical rules in manipulative actions. The notation system of action grammar enabled direct comparisons to be made between primates including humans in a variety of object-manipulation tasks, including percussive-tool use. © 2015 The Author(s).

Predicting Transmembrane Helix Packing Arrangements using Residue Contacts and a Force-Directed Algorithm

PubMed Central

Nugent, Timothy; Jones, David T.

2010-01-01

Alpha-helical transmembrane proteins constitute roughly 30% of a typical genome and are involved in a wide variety of important biological processes including cell signalling, transport of membrane-impermeable molecules and cell recognition. Despite significant efforts to predict transmembrane protein topology, comparatively little attention has been directed toward developing a method to pack the helices together. Here, we present a novel approach to predict lipid exposure, residue contacts, helix-helix interactions and finally the optimal helical packing arrangement of transmembrane proteins. Using molecular dynamics data, we have trained and cross-validated a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to predict per residue lipid exposure with 69% accuracy. This information is combined with additional features to train a second SVM to predict residue contacts which are then used to determine helix-helix interaction with up to 65% accuracy under stringent cross-validation on a non-redundant test set. Our method is also able to discriminate native from decoy helical packing arrangements with up to 70% accuracy. Finally, we employ a force-directed algorithm to construct the optimal helical packing arrangement which demonstrates success for proteins containing up to 13 transmembrane helices. This software is freely available as source code from http://bioinf.cs.ucl.ac.uk/memsat/mempack/. PMID:20333233

Shape Optimization of the Assisted Bi-directional Glenn surgery for stage-1 single ventricle palliation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Aekaansh; Shang, Jessica; Esmaily-Moghadam, Mahdi; Wong, Kwai; Marsden, Alison

2016-11-01

Babies born with a single functional ventricle typically undergo three open-heart surgeries starting as neonates. The first of these stages (BT shunt or Norwood) has the highest mortality rates of the three, approaching 30%. Proceeding directly to a stage-2 Glenn surgery has historically demonstrated inadequate pulmonary flow (PF) & high mortality. Recently, the Assisted Bi-directional Glenn (ABG) was proposed as a promising means to achieve a stable physiology by assisting the PF via an 'ejector pump' from the systemic circulation. We present preliminary parametrization and optimization results for the ABG geometry, with the goal of increasing PF. To limit excessive pressure increases in the Superior Vena Cava (SVC), the SVC pressure is included as a constraint. We use 3-D finite element flow simulations coupled with a single ventricle lumped parameter network to evaluate PF & the pressure constraint. We employ a derivative free optimization method- the Surrogate Management Framework, in conjunction with the OpenDIEL framework to simulate multiple simultaneous evaluations. Results show that nozzle diameter is the most important design parameter affecting ABG performance. The application of these results to patient specific situations will be discussed. This work was supported by an NSF CAREER award (OCI1150184) and by the XSEDE National Computing Resource.

Application of a Saddle-Type Eddy Current Sensor in Steel Ball Surface-Defect Inspection

PubMed Central

Zhong, Mingming; Xie, Fengqin; Cao, Maoyong

2017-01-01

Steel ball surface-defect inspection was performed by using a new saddle-type eddy current sensor (SECS), which included a saddle coil and a signal conditioning circuit. The saddle coil was directly wound on the steel ball’s outer bracket in a semi-circumferential direction. Driven by a friction wheel, the test steel ball rotated in a one-dimensional direction, such that the steel ball surface was fully scanned by the SECS. There were two purposes for using the SECS in the steel ball inspection system: one was to reduce the complexity of the unfolding wheel of the surface deployment mechanism, and the other was to reduce the difficulty of sensor processing and installation. Experiments were carried out on bearing steel balls in diameter of 8 mm with three types of representative and typical defects by using the SECS, and the results showed that the inspection system can detect surface defects as small as 0.05 mm in width and 0.1 mm in depth with high-repetition detection accuracy, and the detection efficiency of 5 pcs/s, which meet the requirement for inspecting ISO grade 10 bearing steel balls. The feasibility of detecting steel ball surface defects by SECS was verified. PMID:29206154

Simultaneous full-field 3-D vibrometry of the human eardrum using spatial-bandwidth multiplexed holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaleghi, Morteza; Guignard, Jérémie; Furlong, Cosme; Rosowski, John J.

2015-11-01

Holographic interferometric methods typically require the use of three sensitivity vectors in order to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) information. Methods based on multiple directions of illumination have limited applications when studying biological tissues that have temporally varying responses such as the tympanic membrane (TM). Therefore, to measure 3-D displacements in such applications, the measurements along all the sensitivity vectors have to be done simultaneously. We propose a multiple-illumination directions approach to measure 3-D displacements from a single-shot hologram that contains displacement information from three sensitivity vectors. The hologram of an object of interest is simultaneously recorded with three incoherently superimposed pairs of reference and object beams. The incident off-axis angles of the reference beams are adjusted such that the frequency components of the multiplexed hologram are completely separate. Because of the differences in the directions and wavelengths of the reference beams, the positions of each reconstructed image corresponding to each sensitivity vector are different. We implemented a registration algorithm to accurately translate individual components of the hologram into a single global coordinate system to calculate 3-D displacements. The results include magnitudes and phases of 3-D sound-induced motions of a human cadaveric TM at several excitation frequencies showing modal and traveling wave motions on its surface.