Sample records for unmarkable delicate parts

  1. UID...Leaving Its Mark on the Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Harry F., Jr.

    2008-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture, recently trademarked as Nanocodes, that can be converted to Data Matrix information through software. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by ten patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts dramatically decreases data entry errors and the number of parts that go through their life cycle unmarked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection.

  2. UID...Now That's Gonna Leave a Mark

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Harry F.

    2008-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture, recently trademarked as Nanocodes, that can be converted to Data Matrix information through software. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by ten patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts dramatically decreases data entry errors and the number of parts that go through their life cycle unmarked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection.

  3. UID....Now That's Gonna Leave A Mark

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Harry F., Jr.

    2008-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21 st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture, recently trademarked as Nanocodes, that can be converted to Data Matrix information through software. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by ten patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts dramatically decreases data entry errors and the number of parts that go through their life cycle unmarked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection.

  4. NASA Technologies for Product Identification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Fred, Jr.

    2006-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture called NanocodesTM that can be converted to a Data Matrix. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by 10 patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts virtually eliminates data entry errors and the number of parts that go through their life cycle unmarked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection. This presentation highlights the accomplishments of NASA in its efforts to develop technologies for automatic identification, its efforts to implement them and its vision on their role in space.

  5. UID...Now That's Gonna Leave A Mark

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Harry F., Jr.

    2007-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture, recently trademarked as Nanocodes, that can be converted to Data Matrix information through software. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by ten patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts dramatically decreases data entry errors and the number ofparts that go through their life cycle unmarked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection.

  6. Abundance, stock origin, and length of marked and unmarked juvenile Chinook salmon in the surface waters of greater Puget Sound

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rice, C.A.; Greene, C.M.; Moran, P.; Teel, D.J.; Kuligowski, D.R.; Reisenbichler, R.R.; Beamer, E.M.; Karr, J.R.; Fresh, K.L.

    2011-01-01

    This study focuses on the use by juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha of the rarely studied neritic environment (surface waters overlaying the sublittoral zone) in greater Puget Sound. Juvenile Chinook salmon inhabit the sound from their late estuarine residence and early marine transition to their first year at sea. We measured the density, origin, and size of marked (known hatchery) and unmarked (majority naturally spawned) juveniles by means of monthly surface trawls at six river mouth estuaries in Puget Sound and the areas in between. Juvenile Chinook salmon were present in all months sampled (April-November). Unmarked fish in the northern portion of the study area showed broader seasonal distributions of density than did either marked fish in all areas or unmarked fish in the central and southern portions of the sound. Despite these temporal differences, the densities of marked fish appeared to drive most of the total density estimates across space and time. Genetic analysis and coded wire tag data provided us with documented individuals from at least 16 source populations and indicated that movement patterns and apparent residence time were, in part, a function of natal location and time passed since the release of these fish from hatcheries. Unmarked fish tended to be smaller than marked fish and had broader length frequency distributions. The lengths of unmarked fish were negatively related to the density of both marked and unmarked Chinook salmon, but those of marked fish were not. These results indicate more extensive use of estuarine environments by wild than by hatchery juvenile Chinook salmon as well as differential use (e.g., rearing and migration) of various geographic regions of greater Puget Sound by juvenile Chinook salmon in general. In addition, the results for hatchery-generated timing, density, and length differences have implications for the biological interactions between hatchery and wild fish throughout Puget Sound. ?? American Fisheries Society 2011.

  7. UID.. .Now That's Gonna Leave A Mark

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schramm, Fred

    2006-01-01

    Since 1975 bar codes on products at the retail counter have been accepted as the standard for entering product identity for price determination. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Data Matrix symbol has become accepted as the bar code format that is marked directly on a part, assembly or product that is durable enough to identify that item for its lifetime. NASA began the studies for direct part marking Data Matrix symbols on parts during the Return to Flight activities after the Challenger Accident. Over the 20 year period that has elapsed since Challenger, a mountain of studies, analyses and focused problem solutions developed by and for NASA have brought about world changing results. NASA Technical Standard 6002 and NASA Handbook 6003 for Direct Part Marking Data Matrix Symbols on Aerospace Parts have formed the basis for most other standards on part marking internationally. NASA and its commercial partners have developed numerous products and methods that addressed the difficulties of collecting part identification in aerospace operations. These products enabled the marking of Data Matrix symbols in virtually every situation and the reading of symbols at great distances, severe angles, under paint and in the dark without a light. Even unmarkable delicate parts now have a process to apply a chemical mixture, recently trademarked as Nanocodes, that can be converted to Data Matrix information through software. The accompanying intellectual property is protected by ten patents, several of which are licensed. Direct marking Data Matrix on NASA parts dramatically decreases data entry errors and the number of parts that go through their life cycle marked, two major threats to sound configuration management and flight safety. NASA is said to only have people and stuff with information connecting them. Data Matrix is one of the most significant improvements since Challenger to the safety and reliability of that connection.

  8. A novel method to generate unmarked gene deletions in the intracellular pathogen Rhodococcus equi using 5-fluorocytosine conditional lethality

    PubMed Central

    van der Geize, R.; de Jong, W.; Hessels, G. I.; Grommen, A. W. F.; Jacobs, A. A. C.; Dijkhuizen, L.

    2008-01-01

    A novel method to efficiently generate unmarked in-frame gene deletions in Rhodococcus equi was developed, exploiting the cytotoxic effect of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) by the action of cytosine deaminase (CD) and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) enzymes. The opportunistic, intracellular pathogen R. equi is resistant to high concentrations of 5-FC. Introduction of Escherichia coli genes encoding CD and UPRT conferred conditional lethality to R. equi cells incubated with 5-FC. To exemplify the use of the codA::upp cassette as counter-selectable marker, an unmarked in-frame gene deletion mutant of R. equi was constructed. The supA and supB genes, part of a putative cholesterol catabolic gene cluster, were efficiently deleted from the R. equi wild-type genome. Phenotypic analysis of the generated ΔsupAB mutant confirmed that supAB are essential for growth of R. equi on cholesterol. Macrophage survival assays revealed that the ΔsupAB mutant is able to survive and proliferate in macrophages comparable to wild type. Thus, cholesterol metabolism does not appear to be essential for macrophage survival of R. equi. The CD-UPRT based 5-FC counter-selection may become a useful asset in the generation of unmarked in-frame gene deletions in other actinobacteria as well, as actinobacteria generally appear to be 5-FC resistant and 5-FU sensitive. PMID:18984616

  9. Risks of hazardous substance spills from unmarked packages or containers

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1982-09-01

    This study has examined the risk of spills of hazardous : substances from transport containers which are unmarked. Three : circumstances could lead to incidents where a reportable quantity : of a hazardous substance spills from unmarked containers. F...

  10. Safety and Guidelines for Marked and Unmarked Pedestrian Crosswalks at Unsignalized Intersections in Nevada

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-09-01

    This report examines two aspects of marked and unmarked crosswalks at unsignalized intersections. Firstly, the report assesses the safety performance of marked/unmarked crosswalks in Nevada through comparing pedestrian-related crash rates. In which, ...

  11. 27 CFR 555.180 - Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... unmarked plastic explosives. 555.180 Section 555.180 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF... Marking of Plastic Explosives § 555.180 Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives. (a) No person shall manufacture any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. (b) No person...

  12. Analysis of Crossing Speed of the Pedestrians in Marked and Unmarked Crosswalks in the Signalized and Un-Signalized Intersections (Case Study: Rasht city)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behbahani, Hamid; Najafi Moghaddam Gilani, Vahid; Jahangir Samet, Mehdi; Salehfard, Reza

    2017-10-01

    Pedestrians affect the traffic in the signalized and un-signalized intersections. Therefore, identifying the behavioural features of the pedestrians is of great importance and may result in better designing facilities for them. In this study, by shooting the four intersections in Rasht for 15 hours and inventory from 4568 pedestrians, crossing speed of the pedestrians in the marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks was evaluated and analysed. Results showed that pedestrians‧ crossing speed in the marked crosswalks is higher than their crossing speed in the unmarked crosswalks in both signalized and un-signalized intersections. Moreover, in the unmarked crosswalks in the signalized intersections, 15th percentile speed of male pedestrians, female pedestrians and group of pedestrians’ decrease 6.4%, 5.4% and 12.2%, respectively, compared with the 15th percentile speed in the marked crosswalks. Above-mentioned values in the unmarked crosswalks in the un-signalized intersections for male pedestrians, female pedestrians, and group of pedestrians decrease 1.2%, 3.8%, and 1.4%, respectively.

  13. That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights. Instructor's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaplan, Howard, Ed.

    This instructor's guide assists secondary social studies educators in making effective use of the five-part video series, "That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights." In the tradition of "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance," the series introduces students to the Bill of Rights and the controversies that have arisen over…

  14. Effects of radiotransmitters on the reproductive performance of Cassin's auklets

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ackerman, Joshua T.; Adams, Josh; Takekawa, John Y.; Carter, Harry R.; Whitworth, Darrell L.; Newman, Scott H.; Golightly, Richard T.; Orthmeyer, Dennis L.

    2004-01-01

    We examined whether radiotransmitters adversely affected the reproductive performance of Cassin's auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) breeding on the California Channel Islands during 1999-2001. We attached external radiotransmitters to 1 partner in 108 Cassin's auklet pairs after nest initiation and used 131 unmarked, but handled, pairs as controls. Compared to alpha chicks raised by radiomarked pairs, alpha chicks raised by unmarked pairs had faster mass growth rates (1.95 ± 0.30 g d−1 vs. 3.37 ± 0.53 g d−1, respectively), faster wing growth rates (2.46 ± 0.10 mm d−1 vs. 2.85 ± 0.05 mm d−1), greater peak fledging masses (118.9 ± 3.5 g vs. 148.3 ± 2.4 g), and higher fledging success (61% vs. 90%). Fledging success was reduced more when we radiomarked the male (50% fledged) rather than the female partner (77% fledged). After fledging an alpha chick, unmarked pairs were more likely to initiate a second clutch (radiomarked: 7%; unmarked: 39%) but did not hatch a second egg (radiomarked: 4%; unmarked: 25%) or fledge a second (beta) chick (radiomarked: 4%; unmarked: 18%) significantly more often than radiomarked pairs. We resighted 12 radiomarked individuals nesting during a subsequent breeding season; each bird had shed its transmitter and healed the site of attachment. We suggest caution in using telemetry to evaluate the reproductive performance of alcids, but marking only females may minimize adverse effects.

  15. 17 CFR 230.472 - Filing of amendments; number of copies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... exhibits and all other papers and documents filed as part of the amendment, and eight additional copies of... include the consent of the certifying accountant to the use of his certificate in connection with the... Commission three complete, unmarked copies of every amendment, including exhibits and all other papers and...

  16. 17 CFR 230.472 - Filing of amendments; number of copies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... exhibits and all other papers and documents filed as part of the amendment, and eight additional copies of... include the consent of the certifying accountant to the use of his certificate in connection with the... Commission three complete, unmarked copies of every amendment, including exhibits and all other papers and...

  17. 17 CFR 230.472 - Filing of amendments; number of copies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... exhibits and all other papers and documents filed as part of the amendment, and eight additional copies of... include the consent of the certifying accountant to the use of his certificate in connection with the... Commission three complete, unmarked copies of every amendment, including exhibits and all other papers and...

  18. 17 CFR 230.472 - Filing of amendments; number of copies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... exhibits and all other papers and documents filed as part of the amendment, and eight additional copies of... include the consent of the certifying accountant to the use of his certificate in connection with the... Commission three complete, unmarked copies of every amendment, including exhibits and all other papers and...

  19. 17 CFR 230.472 - Filing of amendments; number of copies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... exhibits and all other papers and documents filed as part of the amendment, and eight additional copies of... include the consent of the certifying accountant to the use of his certificate in connection with the... Commission three complete, unmarked copies of every amendment, including exhibits and all other papers and...

  20. Otolith analysis of pre-restoration habitat use by Chinook salmon in the delta-flats and nearshore regions of the Nisqually River Estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lind-Null, Angie; Larsen, Kim

    2010-01-01

    The Nisqually Fall Chinook population is one of 27 salmon stocks in the Puget Sound (Washington) evolutionarily significant unit listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Extensive restoration of the Nisqually River delta ecosystem is currently taking place to assist in recovery of the stock as juvenile Fall Chinook salmon are dependent on the estuary. A pre-restoration baseline that includes the characterization of life history strategies, estuary residence times, growth rates, and habitat use is needed to evaluate the potential response of hatchery and natural origin Chinook salmon to restoration efforts and to determine restoration success. Otolith analysis was selected as a tool to examine Chinook salmon life history, growth, and residence in the Nisqually River estuary. Previously funded work on samples collected in 2004 (marked and unmarked) and 2005 (unmarked only) partially established a juvenile baseline on growth rates and length of residence associated with various habitats (freshwater, forested riverine tidal, emergent forested transition, estuarine emergent marsh, delta-flats and nearshore). However, residence times and growth rates for the delta-flats (DF) and nearshore (NS) habitats have been minimally documented due to small sample sizes. The purpose of the current study is to incorporate otolith microstructural analysis using otoliths from fish collected within the DF and NS habitats during sampling years 2004-08 to increase sample size and further evaluate between-year variation in otolith microstructure. Our results from this analysis indicated the delta-flats check (DFCK) on unmarked and marked Chinook samples in 2005-08 varied slightly in appearance from that seen on samples previously analyzed only from 2004. A fry migrant life history was observed on otoliths of unmarked Chinook collected in 2005, 2007, and 2008. Generally, freshwater mean increment width of unmarked fish, on average, was smaller compared to marked Chinook followed by tidal delta and DF/NS portions respectively. On average, the complete tidal delta growth rate was higher for marked Chinook compared to unmarked Chinook. The DF/NS growth rate was highest for unmarked and marked Chinook during 2008 compared to all other sampling years. The average DF/NS growth rate on unmarked Chinook was consistently lower than marked Chinook during all years; however, sample sizes were small during some years. Unmarked Chinook, on average, spent longer in the tidal delta compared to marked Chinook. Our results from this report suggest that otolith microstructural analysis can be a valuable tool in establishing baseline information on the utilization of Nisqually River estuary habitats by juvenile Chinook salmon prior to the newly funded restoration efforts.

  1. 9 CFR 316.8 - Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... between official establishments; moved in commerce. 316.8 Section 316.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... commerce. (a) Unmarked products which have been inspected and passed but do not bear the official... from such closed container the product may not be further transported in commerce unless such removal...

  2. 9 CFR 316.8 - Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... between official establishments; moved in commerce. 316.8 Section 316.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... commerce. (a) Unmarked products which have been inspected and passed but do not bear the official... from such closed container the product may not be further transported in commerce unless such removal...

  3. 9 CFR 316.8 - Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... between official establishments; moved in commerce. 316.8 Section 316.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... commerce. (a) Unmarked products which have been inspected and passed but do not bear the official... from such closed container the product may not be further transported in commerce unless such removal...

  4. 9 CFR 325.5 - Unmarked inspected product transported under official seal between official establishments for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... under official seal between official establishments for further processing; certificate. 325.5 Section... CERTIFICATION TRANSPORTATION § 325.5 Unmarked inspected product transported under official seal between official... other means of conveyance which is sealed by a Program employee with an official seal of the Department...

  5. 9 CFR 325.5 - Unmarked inspected product transported under official seal between official establishments for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Unmarked inspected product transported under official seal between official establishments for further processing; certificate. 325.5 Section 325.5 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY...

  6. 10 CFR 1045.45 - Review of unmarked documents with potential restricted data or formerly restricted data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... under the automatic or systematic review provisions of E.O. 12958 may come upon documents that they... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review of unmarked documents with potential restricted... PROVISIONS) NUCLEAR CLASSIFICATION AND DECLASSIFICATION Generation and Review of Documents Containing...

  7. 10 CFR 1045.45 - Review of unmarked documents with potential restricted data or formerly restricted data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... under the automatic or systematic review provisions of E.O. 12958 may come upon documents that they... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Review of unmarked documents with potential restricted... PROVISIONS) NUCLEAR CLASSIFICATION AND DECLASSIFICATION Generation and Review of Documents Containing...

  8. 9 CFR 316.8 - Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce. 316.8 Section 316.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... closed container, if the railroad car, truck, or container is sealed with an official seal of the...

  9. 9 CFR 316.8 - Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Unmarked inspected products; moved between official establishments; moved in commerce. 316.8 Section 316.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... closed container, if the railroad car, truck, or container is sealed with an official seal of the...

  10. Transporter for Treated Sheet Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pollack, M., H.

    1983-01-01

    Plastic spacers keep parts separated during transport or storage. Cart with rods and spacers holds sheets with delicate finishes for storage or transport. Sheets supported vertically by rods, or horizontally. Spacers keep sheets separated. Designed to eliminate time and expense of tapping, wrapping, and sometimes refinishing aluminum sheets with delicate anodized finished.

  11. Customizing elastic pressure bandages for reuse to a predetermined, sub-bandage pressure: A randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Sermsathanasawadi, Nuttawut; Tarapongpun, Tanakorn; Pianchareonsin, Rattana; Puangpunngam, Nattawut; Wongwanit, Chumpol; Chinsakchai, Khamin; Mutirangura, Pramook; Ruangsetakit, Chanean

    2017-01-01

    Objective A randomized clinical trial was performed to compare the effectiveness of unmarked bandages and customized bandages with visual markers in reproducing the desired sub-bandage pressure during self-bandaging by patients. Method Ninety patients were randomly allocated to two groups ("customized bandages" and "unmarked bandages") and asked to perform self-bandaging three times. The achievement of a pressure between 35 and 45 mmHg in at least two of the three attempts was defined as adequate quality. Results Adequate quality was achieved by 33.0% when applying the unmarked bandages, and 60.0% when applying the customized bandages ( p = 0.02). Use of the customized bandage and previous experience of bandaging were independent predictors for the achievement of the predetermined sub-bandage pressure ( p = 0.005 and p = 0.021, respectively). Conclusion Customized bandages may achieve predetermined sub-bandage pressures more closely than standard, unmarked, compression bandages. Clinical trials registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02729688). Effectiveness of a Pressure Indicator Guided and a Conventional Bandaging in Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcer. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02729688.

  12. Mass marking of juvenile Schizothorax wangchiachii (Fang) with alizarin red S and evaluation of stock enhancement in the Jinping area of the Yalong River

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Kun; Li, Shu; Liu, Xiaoshuai; Gan, Weixiong; Deng, Longjun; Tang, Yezhong

    2017-01-01

    Schizothorax wangchiachii is a key fish species in the stock enhancement program of the Yalong River hydropower project, China. Alizarin red S (ARS) was used to mark large numbers of juvenile S. wangchiachii in the Jinping Hatchery and later used to evaluate stock enhancement in the Jinping area of the Yalong River. In a small-scale pilot study, 7,000 juveniles of the 2014 cohort were successfully marked by immersion in ARS solution, and no mortality was recorded during the marking process. The ARS mark in the fish otoliths remained visible 20 months later. In the large-scale marking study, approximately 600,000 juveniles of the 2015 cohort were successfully marked. Mortalities of both marked and unmarked juveniles were very low and did not differ significantly. Total length, wet mass and condition factor did not differ significantly between unmarked and marked individuals after three months. On 24 July 2015, about 840,000 Jinping Hatchery-produced young S. wangchiachii, including 400,000 marked individuals, were released at two sites in the Jinping area. Recapture surveys showed that (1) marked and unmarked S. wangchiachii did not differ significantly in total length, wet mass and condition factor; (2) stocked individuals became an important part of recruitment of the 2015 cohort; (3) instantaneous growth rate of marked individuals tended to slightly increase; and (4) most stocked individuals were distributed along a 10–15 km stretch near the release sites. These results suggest that the ARS method is a cost-efficient way to mass mark juvenile S. wangchiachii and that releasing juveniles is an effective means of stock recruitment. PMID:29230371

  13. unmarked: An R package for fitting hierarchical models of wildlife occurrence and abundance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fiske, Ian J.; Chandler, Richard B.

    2011-01-01

    Ecological research uses data collection techniques that are prone to substantial and unique types of measurement error to address scientific questions about species abundance and distribution. These data collection schemes include a number of survey methods in which unmarked individuals are counted, or determined to be present, at spatially- referenced sites. Examples include site occupancy sampling, repeated counts, distance sampling, removal sampling, and double observer sampling. To appropriately analyze these data, hierarchical models have been developed to separately model explanatory variables of both a latent abundance or occurrence process and a conditional detection process. Because these models have a straightforward interpretation paralleling mechanisms under which the data arose, they have recently gained immense popularity. The common hierarchical structure of these models is well-suited for a unified modeling interface. The R package unmarked provides such a unified modeling framework, including tools for data exploration, model fitting, model criticism, post-hoc analysis, and model comparison.

  14. Age-structured mark-recapture analysis: A virtual-population-analysis-based model for analyzing age-structured capture-recapture data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coggins, L.G.; Pine, William E.; Walters, C.J.; Martell, S.J.D.

    2006-01-01

    We present a new model to estimate capture probabilities, survival, abundance, and recruitment using traditional Jolly-Seber capture-recapture methods within a standard fisheries virtual population analysis framework. This approach compares the numbers of marked and unmarked fish at age captured in each year of sampling with predictions based on estimated vulnerabilities and abundance in a likelihood function. Recruitment to the earliest age at which fish can be tagged is estimated by using a virtual population analysis method to back-calculate the expected numbers of unmarked fish at risk of capture. By using information from both marked and unmarked animals in a standard fisheries age structure framework, this approach is well suited to the sparse data situations common in long-term capture-recapture programs with variable sampling effort. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

  15. Avian behavior and mortality at power lines in coastal South Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Savereno, A.J.; Savereno, L.A.; Boettcher, R.; Haig, S.M.

    1996-01-01

    We compared avian behavior and mortality associated with two 115-kV transmission lines on the central South Carolina coast during 3,392 hours of observation from May 1991 through May 1994. One line was marked with 30-cm-diameter yellow aviation markers. The second line was unmarked, but was similar in most other aspects. We conducted ground searches (n = 445) beneath each line year-round to document avian mortality due to power-line collisions. At marked lines, birds that approached at line height changed behavior more at unmarked lines (P< 0.001), and fewer crossed between static and conductor wires. Collision rate was 53% lower at marked than unmarked lines. Among collisions at both sites, 82% of birds collided with static wires. Based on observed collisions and carcass recoveries, wading birds particularly appeared to be at risk. We concluded that aviation markers were effective at increasing line visibility and reducing collisions and recommend marking static wires of power lines in potentially sensitive areas.

  16. Effects of focus and definiteness on children's word order: evidence from German five-year-olds' reproductions of double object constructions.

    PubMed

    Höhle, Barbara; Hörnig, Robin; Weskott, Thomas; Knauf, Selene; Krüger, Agnes

    2014-07-01

    Two experiments tested how faithfully German children aged 4 ;5 to 5 ;6 reproduce ditransitive sentences that are unmarked or marked with respect to word order and focus (Exp1) or definiteness (Exp2). Adopting an optimality theory (OT) approach, it is assumed that in the German adult grammar word order is ranked lower than focus and definiteness. Faithfulness of children's reproductions decreased as markedness of inputs increased; unmarked structures were reproduced most faithfully and unfaithful outputs had most often an unmarked form. Consistent with the OT proposal, children were more tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for focus; in conflict with the proposal, children were less tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for definiteness. Our results suggest that the linearization of objects in German double object constructions is affected by focus and definiteness, but that prosodic principles may have an impact on the position of a focused constituent.

  17. Unmarked: An R package for fitting hierarchical models of wildlife occurrence and abundance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fiske, I.J.; Chandler, R.B.

    2011-01-01

    Ecological research uses data collection techniques that are prone to substantial and unique types of measurement error to address scientic questions about species abundance and distribution. These data collection schemes include a number of survey methods in which unmarked individuals are counted, or determined to be present, at spatially- referenced sites. Examples include site occupancy sampling, repeated counts, distance sampling, removal sampling, and double observer sampling. To appropriately analyze these data, hierarchical models have been developed to separately model explanatory variables of both a latent abundance or occurrence process and a conditional detection process. Because these models have a straightforward interpretation paralleling mecha- nisms under which the data arose, they have recently gained immense popularity. The common hierarchical structure of these models is well-suited for a unied modeling in- terface. The R package unmarked provides such a unied modeling framework, including tools for data exploration, model tting, model criticism, post-hoc analysis, and model comparison.

  18. The Role of the Regulator Fur in Gene Regulation and Virulence of Riemerella anatipestifer Assessed Using an Unmarked Gene Deletion System

    PubMed Central

    Guo, Yunqing; Hu, Di; Guo, Jie; Li, Xiaowen; Guo, Jinyue; Wang, Xiliang; Xiao, Yuncai; Jin, Hui; Liu, Mei; Li, Zili; Bi, Dingren; Zhou, Zutao

    2017-01-01

    Riemerella anatipestifer, an avian pathogen, has resulted in enormous economic losses to the duck industry globally. Notwithstanding, little is known regarding the physiological, pathogenic and virulence mechanisms of Riemerella anatipestifer (RA) infection. However, the role of Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) in the virulence of R. anatipestifer has not, to date, been demonstrated. Using a genetic approach, unmarked gene deletion system, we evaluated the function of fur gene in the virulence of R. anatipestifer. For this purpose, we constructed a suicide vector containing pheS as a counter selectable marker for unmarked deletion of fur gene to investigate its role in the virulence. After successful transformation of the newly constructed vector, a mutant strain was characterized for genes regulated by iron and Fur using RNA-sequencing and a comparison was made between wild type and mutant strains in both iron restricted and enriched conditions. RNA-seq analysis of the mutant strain in a restricted iron environment showed the downregulation and upregulation of genes which were involved in either important metabolic pathways, transport processes, growth or cell membrane synthesis. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was performed to identify the putative sequences recognized by Fur. The putative Fur-box sequence was 5′-GATAATGATAATCATTATC-3′. Lastly, the median lethal dose and histopathological investigations of animal tissues also illustrated mild pathological lesions produced by the mutant strain as compared to the wild type RA strain, hence showing declined virulence. Conclusively, an unmarked gene deletion system was successfully developed for RA and the role of the fur gene in virulence was explored comprehensively. PMID:28971067

  19. Effect of limbal marking prior to laser ablation on the magnitude of cyclotorsional error.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xiangjun; Stojanovic, Aleksandar; Stojanovic, Filip; Eidet, Jon Roger; Raeder, Sten; Øritsland, Haakon; Utheim, Tor Paaske

    2012-05-01

    To evaluate the residual registration error after limbal-marking-based manual adjustment in cyclotorsional tracker-controlled laser refractive surgery. Two hundred eyes undergoing custom surface ablation with the iVIS Suite (iVIS Technologies) were divided into limbal marked (marked) and non-limbal marked (unmarked) groups. Iris registration information was acquired preoperatively from all eyes. Preoperatively, the horizontal axis was recorded in the marked group for use in manual cyclotorsional alignment prior to surgical iris registration. During iris registration, the preoperative iris information was compared to the eye-tracker captured image. The magnitudes of the registration error angle and cyclotorsional movement during the subsequent laser ablation were recorded and analyzed. Mean magnitude of registration error angle (absolute value) was 1.82°±1.31° (range: 0.00° to 5.50°) and 2.90°±2.40° (range: 0.00° to 13.50°) for the marked and unmarked groups, respectively (P<.001). Mean magnitude of cyclotorsional movement during the laser ablation (absolute value) was 1.15°±1.34° (range: 0.00° to 7.00°) and 0.68°±0.97° (range: 0.00° to 6.00°) for the marked and unmarked groups, respectively (P=.005). Forty-six percent and 60% of eyes had registration error >2°, whereas 22% and 20% of eyes had cyclotorsional movement during ablation >2° in the marked and unmarked groups, respectively. Limbal-marking-based manual alignment prior to laser ablation significantly reduced cyclotorsional registration error. However, residual registration misalignment and cyclotorsional movements remained during ablation. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  20. Inference about density and temporary emigration in unmarked populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chandler, Richard B.; Royle, J. Andrew; King, David I.

    2011-01-01

    Few species are distributed uniformly in space, and populations of mobile organisms are rarely closed with respect to movement, yet many models of density rely upon these assumptions. We present a hierarchical model allowing inference about the density of unmarked populations subject to temporary emigration and imperfect detection. The model can be fit to data collected using a variety of standard survey methods such as repeated point counts in which removal sampling, double-observer sampling, or distance sampling is used during each count. Simulation studies demonstrated that parameter estimators are unbiased when temporary emigration is either "completely random" or is determined by the size and location of home ranges relative to survey points. We also applied the model to repeated removal sampling data collected on Chestnut-sided Warblers (Dendroica pensylvancia) in the White Mountain National Forest, USA. The density estimate from our model, 1.09 birds/ha, was similar to an estimate of 1.11 birds/ha produced by an intensive spot-mapping effort. Our model is also applicable when processes other than temporary emigration affect the probability of being available for detection, such as in studies using cue counts. Functions to implement the model have been added to the R package unmarked.

  1. Retrieval and Encoding Interference: Cross-Linguistic Evidence from Anaphor Processing

    PubMed Central

    Laurinavichyute, Anna; Jäger, Lena A.; Akinina, Yulia; Roß, Jennifer; Dragoy, Olga

    2017-01-01

    The main goal of this paper was to disentangle encoding and retrieval interference effects in anaphor processing and thus to evaluate the hypothesis predicting that structurally inaccessible nouns (distractors) are not considered to be potential anaphor antecedents during language processing (Nicol and Swinney, 1989). Three self-paced reading experiments were conducted: one in German, comparing gender-unmarked reflexives and gender-marked pronouns, and two in Russian, comparing gender-marked and -unmarked reflexives. In the German experiment, no interference effects were found. In the first experiment in Russian, an unexpected reading times pattern emerged: in the condition where the distractor matched the gender of the reflexive's antecedent, reading of the gender-unmarked, but not the gender-marked reflexives was slowed down. The same reading times pattern was replicated in a second experiment in Russian where the order of the reflexive and the main verb was inverted. We conclude that the results of the two experiments in Russian are inconsistent with the retrieval interference account, but can be explained by encoding interference and additional semantic processing efforts associated with the processing of gender-marked reflexives. In sum, we found no evidence that would allow us to reject the syntax as an early filer account (Nicol and Swinney, 1989). PMID:28649216

  2. Sublexical and lexico-syntactic factors in gender access in Spanish.

    PubMed

    Afonso, Olivia; Domínguez, Alberto; Alvarez, Carlos J; Morales, David

    2014-02-01

    The influence of sublexical and lexico-syntactic factors during the grammatical gender assignment process in Spanish was studied in two experiments using the gender decision task. In Experiment 1, the regularity of the ending of gender-marked nouns (masculine nouns ended in -o and feminine nouns ended in -a) and of nouns with gender-correlated but unmarked word-endings (e.g., -ad) was manipulated. The results showed that regularity affected reaction times and error rates only in the case of gender-marked nouns, suggesting that the mere statistical distribution of a word-ending across genders is not responsible for the regularity effect. In Experiment 2, gender-marked nouns and gender-unmarked nouns were preceded by a masked prime which could be a definite article (which provides information about the gender of the noun) or a possessive pronoun (which does not contain gender information). The presentation of the definite article led to shorter reaction times and less errors only when the word-ending was different from -o or -a. Taken together, these results indicate that gender assignment in Spanish is carried out through different processes depending on the noun ending: gender decisions for gender-marked nouns are based on the gender-to-ending distribution. Meanwhile, gender decisions for unmarked nouns seem to require the retrieval of the corresponding definite grammatical article, regardless of the statistical distribution of the noun ending across genders.

  3. 29 CFR 452.106 - Preservation of records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... unmarked, must be preserved. Independent certification as to the number and kind of ballots destroyed may... they were received late or because they were cast for an ineligible candidate, must also be preserved...

  4. Population size and stopover duration estimation using mark–resight data and Bayesian analysis of a superpopulation model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lyons, James E.; Kendall, William L.; Royle, J. Andrew; Converse, Sarah J.; Andres, Brad A.; Buchanan, Joseph B.

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel formulation of a mark–recapture–resight model that allows estimation of population size, stopover duration, and arrival and departure schedules at migration areas. Estimation is based on encounter histories of uniquely marked individuals and relative counts of marked and unmarked animals. We use a Bayesian analysis of a state–space formulation of the Jolly–Seber mark–recapture model, integrated with a binomial model for counts of unmarked animals, to derive estimates of population size and arrival and departure probabilities. We also provide a novel estimator for stopover duration that is derived from the latent state variable representing the interim between arrival and departure in the state–space model. We conduct a simulation study of field sampling protocols to understand the impact of superpopulation size, proportion marked, and number of animals sampled on bias and precision of estimates. Simulation results indicate that relative bias of estimates of the proportion of the population with marks was low for all sampling scenarios and never exceeded 2%. Our approach does not require enumeration of all unmarked animals detected or direct knowledge of the number of marked animals in the population at the time of the study. This provides flexibility and potential application in a variety of sampling situations (e.g., migratory birds, breeding seabirds, sea turtles, fish, pinnipeds, etc.). Application of the methods is demonstrated with data from a study of migratory sandpipers.

  5. Pedestrians' crossing behaviors and safety at unmarked roadway in China.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Xiangling; Wu, Changxu

    2011-11-01

    Pedestrians' crossing out of crosswalks (unmarked roadway) contributed to many traffic accidents, but existing pedestrian studies mainly focus on crosswalk crossing in developed countries specifically. Field observation of 254 pedestrians at unmarked roadway in China showed that 65.7% of them did not look for vehicles after arriving at the curb. Those who did look and pay attention to the traffic did so for duration of time that followed an exponential distribution. Pedestrians preferred crossing actively in tentative ways rather than waiting passively. The waiting time at the curb, at the median, and at the roadway all followed exponential distributions. During crossing, all pedestrians looked at the oncoming vehicles. When interacting with these vehicles, 31.9% of them ran and 11.4% stepped backwards. Running pedestrians usually began running at the borderline rather than within the lanes. Pedestrians preferred safe to short paths and they crossed second half of the road with significantly higher speed. These behavioral patterns were rechecked at an additional site with 105 pedestrians and the results showed much accordance. In terms of safety, pedestrians who were middle aged, involved in bigger groups, looked at vehicles more often before crossing or interacted with buses rather than cars were safer while those running were more dangerous. Potential applications of these findings, including building accurate simulation models of pedestrians and education of drivers and pedestrians in developing countries were also discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. 21 CFR 1301.77 - Security controls for freight forwarding facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... subject to continuous monitoring by security personnel will be deemed to meet the requirements of Section... forwarding facility must be packed in sealed, unmarked shipping containers. [65 FR 44678, July 19, 2000; 65...

  7. 21 CFR 1301.77 - Security controls for freight forwarding facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... subject to continuous monitoring by security personnel will be deemed to meet the requirements of Section... forwarding facility must be packed in sealed, unmarked shipping containers. [65 FR 44678, July 19, 2000; 65...

  8. 21 CFR 1301.77 - Security controls for freight forwarding facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... subject to continuous monitoring by security personnel will be deemed to meet the requirements of Section... forwarding facility must be packed in sealed, unmarked shipping containers. [65 FR 44678, July 19, 2000; 65...

  9. 21 CFR 1301.77 - Security controls for freight forwarding facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... subject to continuous monitoring by security personnel will be deemed to meet the requirements of Section... forwarding facility must be packed in sealed, unmarked shipping containers. [65 FR 44678, July 19, 2000; 65...

  10. 21 CFR 1301.77 - Security controls for freight forwarding facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... subject to continuous monitoring by security personnel will be deemed to meet the requirements of Section... forwarding facility must be packed in sealed, unmarked shipping containers. [65 FR 44678, July 19, 2000; 65...

  11. The effectiveness of ground-penetrating radar surveys in the location of unmarked burial sites in modern cemeteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiedler, Sabine; Illich, Bernhard; Berger, Jochen; Graw, Matthias

    2009-07-01

    Ground-penetration radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that is commonly used in archaeological and forensic investigations, including the determination of the exact location of graves. Whilst the method is rapid and does not involve disturbance of the graves, the interpretation of GPR profiles is nevertheless difficult and often leads to incorrect results. Incorrect identifications could hinder criminal investigations and complicate burials in cemeteries that have no information on the location of previously existing graves. In order to increase the number of unmarked graves that are identified, the GPR results need to be verified by comparing them with the soil and vegetation properties of the sites examined. We used a modern cemetery to assess the results obtained with GPR which we then compared with previously obtained tachymetric data and with an excavation of the graves where doubt existed. Certain soil conditions tended to make the application of GPR difficult on occasions, but a rough estimation of the location of the graves was always possible. The two different methods, GPR survey and tachymetry, both proved suitable for correctly determining the exact location of the majority of graves. The present study thus shows that GPR is a reliable method for determining the exact location of unmarked graves in modern cemeteries. However, the method did not allow statements to be made on the stage of decay of the bodies. Such information would assist in deciding what should be done with graves where ineffective degradation creates a problem for reusing graves following the standard resting time of 25 years.

  12. Aging road user studies of intersection safety.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-10-01

    Task 1.1 assessed younger (21-35 years), middle-aged (50-64 years), and older (65+) drivers ability to : quickly perceive the presence of marked/unmarked crosswalks and pedestrians within them in computer-based : laboratory tasks that recorded res...

  13. Ring Beholds a Delicate Flower

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-02-11

    NASA Spitzer Space Telescope finds a delicate flower in the Ring Nebula, as shown in this image. The outer shell of this planetary nebula looks surprisingly similar to the delicate petals of a camellia blossom.

  14. Safety effects of marked vs. unmarked crosswalks at uncontrolled locations : executive summary and recommended guidelines.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-02-01

    Pedestrians are legitimate users of the transportation system, and they should, therefore, be able to use this system : safely. Pedestrian needs in crossing streets should be identified, and appropriate solutions should be selected to improve : pedes...

  15. Bonding with the Natural World: The Roots of Environmental Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chawla, Louise

    2013-01-01

    With delicate literary style and allusions, Louise Chawla combines her ecological research and Montessori background to portray the unfolding of childhood in natural places. Starting with "enchantment with the world" as the basis for nature education for the child under six, the article suggests that the "loose parts" in the…

  16. Validation of stereophotogrammetry of the human torso.

    PubMed

    Lee, Juhun; Kawale, Manas; Merchant, Fatima A; Weston, June; Fingeret, Michelle C; Ladewig, Dianne; Reece, Gregory P; Crosby, Melissa A; Beahm, Elisabeth K; Markey, Mia K

    2011-02-15

    The objective of this study was to determine if measurements of breast morphology computed from three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry are equivalent to traditional anthropometric measurements obtained directly on a subject using a tape measure. 3D torso images of 23 women ranged in age from 36 to 63 who underwent or were scheduled for breast reconstruction surgery were obtained using a 3dMD torso system (3Q Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA). Two different types (contoured and line-of-sight distances) of a total of nine distances were computed from 3D images of each participant. Each participant was photographed twice, first without fiducial points marked (referred to as unmarked image) and second with fiducial points marked prior to imaging (referred to as marked image). Stereophotogrammetry was compared to traditional direct anthropometry, in which measurements were taken with a tape measure on participants. Three statistical analyses were used to evaluate the agreement between stereophotogrammetry and direct anthropometry. Seven out of nine distances showed excellent agreement between stereophotogrammetry and direct anthropometry (both marked and unmarked images). In addition, stereophotogrammetry from the unmarked image was equivalent to that of the marked image (both line-of-sight and contoured distances). A lower level of agreement was observed for some measures because of difficulty in localizing more vaguely defined fiducial points, such as lowest visible point of breast mound, and inability of the imaging system in capturing areas obscured by the breast, such as the inframammary fold. Stereophotogrammetry from 3D images obtained from the 3dMD torso system is effective for quantifying breast morphology. Tools for surgical planning and evaluation based on stereophotogrammetry have the potential to improve breast surgery outcomes.

  17. Marking Student Programs Using Graph Similarity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naude, Kevin A.; Greyling, Jean H.; Vogts, Dieter

    2010-01-01

    We present a novel approach to the automated marking of student programming assignments. Our technique quantifies the structural similarity between unmarked student submissions and marked solutions, and is the basis by which we assign marks. This is accomplished through an efficient novel graph similarity measure ("AssignSim"). Our experiments…

  18. Determining the Effectiveness of Visual Input Enhancement across Multiple Linguistic Cues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comeaux, Ian; McDonald, Janet L.

    2018-01-01

    Visual input enhancement (VIE) increases the salience of grammatical forms, potentially facilitating acquisition through attention mechanisms. Native English speakers were exposed to an artificial language containing four linguistic cues (verb agreement, case marking, animacy, word order), with morphological cues either unmarked, marked in the…

  19. Traineeship as Vocational Training in Catalonia: Between the Law, the Actors and the Market

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maria i Serrano, Josep F.

    2006-01-01

    In-company training undertaken by vocational students can be a very good opportunity to acquire skills; but it is also a very delicate process. The author, who examined the traineeships of students in formal vocational training in Catalonia as part of his doctoral thesis in economics, understands skills acquisition as an interactive process…

  20. 78 FR 55282 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Healthcare Facility Documents: Notice of Information...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-10

    ... HUD has determined must be submitted with original signatures, in hard copy format. These documents... facility documents, in addition to being presented in an unmarked format, were presented in redline/strikeout format so that reviewers could see the changes proposed to the existing healthcare facility...

  1. Staging Legitimacy: Theorising Identity Claims in Anti-Homophobia Theatre-in-Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greer, Stephen

    2011-01-01

    This paper offers a queer-theory inflected reading of identity practices in British Theatre-in-Education (TIE) work seeking to address sexual identity and, more specifically, homophobic bullying. Noting the potentially unmarked or socially invisible quality of queer identities, this discussion seeks to reconsider the status of "coming…

  2. 76 FR 33703 - Endangered Species; Permit No. 16439

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-09

    ... unmarked individuals with passive integrated transponder tags, and dart tags; and genetic tissue sampling. A first subset of fish would be anesthetized and tagged with acoustic transmitters; a second subset would have fin rays sampled for ageing; and a third subset of fish would be gastrically lavaged for diet...

  3. 27 CFR 555.180 - Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... person shall manufacture any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. (b) No person..., receive, or possess any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. This paragraph does not... Plastic Explosives means the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purposes of Detection...

  4. 27 CFR 555.180 - Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... person shall manufacture any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. (b) No person..., receive, or possess any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. This paragraph does not... Plastic Explosives means the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purposes of Detection...

  5. 27 CFR 555.180 - Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... person shall manufacture any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. (b) No person..., receive, or possess any plastic explosive that does not contain a detection agent. This paragraph does not... Plastic Explosives means the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purposes of Detection...

  6. Two Medical Literatures That Are Logically But Not Bibliographically Connected.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swanson, Don R.

    1987-01-01

    Describes a study which demonstrates that unintended logical connections within scientific literature, which potentially reveal new knowledge, are unmarked by reference citations or other bibliographic clues. Citation analysis of two separate literatures in biomedicine that have a logical link is used to support this hypothesis. (Author/CLB)

  7. 16 CFR 255.1 - General considerations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... service matches up advertisers with bloggers who will promote the advertiser's products on their personal... keyboards. An announcer says, “We asked X, an administrative assistant for over ten years, to try these five unmarked keyboards and tell us which one she liked best.”The advertisement portrays X typing on each...

  8. 16 CFR 255.1 - General considerations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... service matches up advertisers with bloggers who will promote the advertiser's products on their personal... keyboards. An announcer says, “We asked X, an administrative assistant for over ten years, to try these five unmarked keyboards and tell us which one she liked best.”The advertisement portrays X typing on each...

  9. 16 CFR 255.1 - General considerations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... service matches up advertisers with bloggers who will promote the advertiser's products on their personal... keyboards. An announcer says, “We asked X, an administrative assistant for over ten years, to try these five unmarked keyboards and tell us which one she liked best.”The advertisement portrays X typing on each...

  10. 78 FR 41991 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-12

    ... not have window glazing meeting the requirements of 49 CFR 223.15. This car is interchanged with... environment of the cars. Operation of this private passenger car has been injury-free as related to window... Adams & Westlake 64 sash, double-glazed, 30'' x 42'' side windows with a mixture of unmarked...

  11. Using Silence to "Pass": Embodiment and Interactional Categorization in a Diasporic Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, Lauren

    2015-01-01

    This article posits that "passing" is a manipulation of ambiguously embodied characteristics, linguistic practice, and ratification by other speakers. I explore discourses and practices of "passing" by post-migrant generation, diasporically-resident Moroccans who seek to be unmarked by migration when bargaining in Moroccan…

  12. Evidence in Support of a Scalar Implicature Account of Plurality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patson, Nikole D.

    2016-01-01

    There is increasing evidence that the plural is semantically unmarked for number such that a plural can be interpreted as meaning "at least one." The 2 experiments reported here used a picture matching paradigm to investigate the conceptual representations built during the comprehension of sentences with plural definite descriptions…

  13. Looking White People in the Eye: Gender, Race, and Culture in Courtrooms and Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Razack, Sherene H.

    This book challenges the widely held view that relations between dominant and subordinate groups can be unmarked by histories of oppression, as many cultural diversity theorists, educators, and legal practitioners presume. In this view, problems of communication are mere technical glitches caused by cultural and other differences, and educators…

  14. Work Papers of the 1990 Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session. Volume 34.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dooley, Robert A.; Clifton, John

    Five working papers in linguistics are presented. "Case Marking Strategies in Kope" (John Clifton) shows that there are different strategies followed by Kope for marking core as opposed to peripheral arguments, and discusses typological implications. In "Unmarked and Marked Instances of Topicalization in Hebrew" (Stephen H.…

  15. A Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. U.S. Army DCSINT Handbook No. 1 (Version 3.0)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-08-15

    or varnished brown Length: 102mm Width: 61mm Weight: 773g Filler: Amatol Characteristics Color: Black and unmarked Length: 131mm Width: 55mm...isocyanate Diborane Boron tribromide Nitrogen dioxide Ethylene oxide Carbon monoxide Phosphine Fluorine Carbonyl sulfide Phosphorus oxychloride

  16. 1987 Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session. Volume 31.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derbyshire, Desmond C., Ed.

    Four working papers in linguistics are presented. "Basic Configurations of Pragmatic Structuring" (Robert A. Dooley) presents evidence for basic or unmarked pragmatic configurations in three Brazilian languages: Topic-Comment in Mbya Guarani, Comment-Topic in Hixkaryana, and Focus-Presupposition in Xavante. "The Syllable Structure…

  17. In-Frame and Unmarked Gene Deletions in Burkholderia cenocepacia via an Allelic Exchange System Compatible with Gateway Technology.

    PubMed

    Fazli, Mustafa; Harrison, Joe J; Gambino, Michela; Givskov, Michael; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim

    2015-06-01

    Burkholderia cenocepacia is an emerging opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals and in patients with cystic fibrosis, which are often difficult, if not impossible, to treat. Understanding the genetic basis of virulence in this emerging pathogen is important for the development of novel treatment regimes. Generation of deletion mutations in genes predicted to encode virulence determinants is fundamental to investigating the mechanisms of pathogenesis. However, there is a lack of appropriate selectable and counterselectable markers for use in B. cenocepacia, making its genetic manipulation problematic. Here we describe a Gateway-compatible allelic exchange system based on the counterselectable pheS gene and the I-SceI homing endonuclease. This system provides efficiency in cloning homology regions of target genes and allows the generation of precise and unmarked gene deletions in B. cenocepacia. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate its utility by deleting the Bcam1349 gene, encoding a cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP)-responsive regulator protein important for biofilm formation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  18. In-Frame and Unmarked Gene Deletions in Burkholderia cenocepacia via an Allelic Exchange System Compatible with Gateway Technology

    PubMed Central

    Fazli, Mustafa; Harrison, Joe J.; Gambino, Michela; Givskov, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Burkholderia cenocepacia is an emerging opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals and in patients with cystic fibrosis, which are often difficult, if not impossible, to treat. Understanding the genetic basis of virulence in this emerging pathogen is important for the development of novel treatment regimes. Generation of deletion mutations in genes predicted to encode virulence determinants is fundamental to investigating the mechanisms of pathogenesis. However, there is a lack of appropriate selectable and counterselectable markers for use in B. cenocepacia, making its genetic manipulation problematic. Here we describe a Gateway-compatible allelic exchange system based on the counterselectable pheS gene and the I-SceI homing endonuclease. This system provides efficiency in cloning homology regions of target genes and allows the generation of precise and unmarked gene deletions in B. cenocepacia. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate its utility by deleting the Bcam1349 gene, encoding a cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP)-responsive regulator protein important for biofilm formation. PMID:25795676

  19. Insights into the latent multinomial model through mark-resight data on female grizzly bears with cubs-of-the-year

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Higgs, Megan D.; Link, William; White, Gary C.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Bjornlie, Daniel D.

    2013-01-01

    Mark-resight designs for estimation of population abundance are common and attractive to researchers. However, inference from such designs is very limited when faced with sparse data, either from a low number of marked animals, a low probability of detection, or both. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, yearly mark-resight data are collected for female grizzly bears with cubs-of-the-year (FCOY), and inference suffers from both limitations. To overcome difficulties due to sparseness, we assume homogeneity in sighting probabilities over 16 years of bi-annual aerial surveys. We model counts of marked and unmarked animals as multinomial random variables, using the capture frequencies of marked animals for inference about the latent multinomial frequencies for unmarked animals. We discuss undesirable behavior of the commonly used discrete uniform prior distribution on the population size parameter and provide OpenBUGS code for fitting such models. The application provides valuable insights into subtleties of implementing Bayesian inference for latent multinomial models. We tie the discussion to our application, though the insights are broadly useful for applications of the latent multinomial model.

  20. Mark-Release-Recapture Reveals Extensive Movement of Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) within and between Apartments

    PubMed Central

    Cooper, Richard; Wang, Changlu; Singh, Narinderpal

    2015-01-01

    Understanding movement and dispersal of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) under field conditions is important in the control of infestations and for managing the spread of bed bugs to new locations. We investigated bed bug movement within and between apartments using mark-release-recapture (m-r-r) technique combined with apartment-wide monitoring using pitfall-style interceptors. Bed bugs were collected, marked, and released in six apartments. The distribution of marked and unmarked bed bugs in these apartments and their 24 neighboring units were monitored over 32 days. Extensive movement of marked bed bugs within and between apartments occurred regardless of the number of bed bugs released or presence/absence of a host. Comparison of marked and unmarked bed bug distributions confirms that the extensive bed bug activity observed was not an artifact of the m-r-r technique used. Marked bed bugs were recovered in apartments neighboring five of six m-r-r apartments. Their dispersal rates at 14 or 15 d were 0.0–5.0%. The estimated number of bed bugs per apartment in the six m-r-r apartments was 2,433–14,291 at 4–7 d after release. Longevity of bed bugs in the absence of a host was recorded in a vacant apartment. Marked large nymphs (3rd– 5th instar), adult females, and adult males continued to be recovered up to 57, 113, and 134 d after host absence, respectively. Among the naturally existing unmarked bed bugs, unfed small nymphs (1st– 2nd instar) were recovered up to 134 d; large nymphs and adults were still found at 155 d when the study ended. Our findings provide important insight into the behavioral ecology of bed bugs in infested apartments and have significant implications in regards to eradication programs and managing the spread of bed bugs within multi-occupancy dwellings. PMID:26352145

  1. Spatially explicit models for inference about density in unmarked or partially marked populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chandler, Richard B.; Royle, J. Andrew

    2013-01-01

    Recently developed spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models represent a major advance over traditional capture–recapture (CR) models because they yield explicit estimates of animal density instead of population size within an unknown area. Furthermore, unlike nonspatial CR methods, SCR models account for heterogeneity in capture probability arising from the juxtaposition of animal activity centers and sample locations. Although the utility of SCR methods is gaining recognition, the requirement that all individuals can be uniquely identified excludes their use in many contexts. In this paper, we develop models for situations in which individual recognition is not possible, thereby allowing SCR concepts to be applied in studies of unmarked or partially marked populations. The data required for our model are spatially referenced counts made on one or more sample occasions at a collection of closely spaced sample units such that individuals can be encountered at multiple locations. Our approach includes a spatial point process for the animal activity centers and uses the spatial correlation in counts as information about the number and location of the activity centers. Camera-traps, hair snares, track plates, sound recordings, and even point counts can yield spatially correlated count data, and thus our model is widely applicable. A simulation study demonstrated that while the posterior mean exhibits frequentist bias on the order of 5–10% in small samples, the posterior mode is an accurate point estimator as long as adequate spatial correlation is present. Marking a subset of the population substantially increases posterior precision and is recommended whenever possible. We applied our model to avian point count data collected on an unmarked population of the northern parula (Parula americana) and obtained a density estimate (posterior mode) of 0.38 (95% CI: 0.19–1.64) birds/ha. Our paper challenges sampling and analytical conventions in ecology by demonstrating that neither spatial independence nor individual recognition is needed to estimate population density—rather, spatial dependence can be informative about individual distribution and density.

  2. Laser Cutting of Thin Nickel Bellows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Butler, C. L.

    1986-01-01

    Laser cutting technique produces narrow, precise, fast, and repeatable cuts in thin nickel-allow bellows material. Laser cutting operation uses intense focused beam to melt material and assisting gas to force melted material through part thickness, creating void. When part rotated or moved longitudinally, melting and material removal continuous and creates narrow, fast, precise, and repeatable cut. Technique used to produce cuts of specified depths less than material thickness. Avoids distortion, dents, and nicks produced in delicate materials during lathe trimming operations, which require high cutting-tool pressure and holding-fixture forces.

  3. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Penn Linguistics Colloquium. University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics, Volume 6, Number 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Jim, Ed.; Han, Na-Rae, Ed.; Fox, Michelle Minnick, Ed.

    This issue includes the following articles: "Assimilation to the Unmarked" (Eric Bakovic); "On the Non-Universality of Functional Projections and the Effects on Parametrized Variation: Evidence from Creoles" (Marlyse Baptista); "What Turkish Acquisition Tells Us about Underlying Word Order and Scrambling" (Natalie Batman-Ratyosyan, Karin…

  4. Aspects of Theme in the Method and Discussion Sections of Biology Journal Articles in English.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez, Iliana A.

    2003-01-01

    Analyzes the thematic structure of the method and Discussion section of biology research articles. A corpus of 30 journal articles was analyzed using the categories of systematic functional linguistics and a semantic categorization for unmarked themes realized by subject. Revealed differences in the semantic construction of the sections. (VWL)

  5. Application of Effective Techniques in Teaching/Learning English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arora, Shweta; Joshi, Kavita A.; Koshy, Sonymol; Tewari, Deeksha

    2017-01-01

    English being a global language has become a vital element in all walks of life. The feelers of this language have left no sphere unmarked with its significance. Despite such a colossal tide for gaining command over the language it was found that the conventional pattern of teaching English language could not reap desired results. A comprehensive…

  6. Beyond Competence and Performance: Children's Class Inclusion Strategies, Superordinate Class Cues, and Verbal Justifications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, Michael; McBride, Michelle L.

    1992-01-01

    Children of 4 to 10 years of age were given 2 class inclusion tasks. Younger children's performance was inflated by guessing. Scores were higher in the marked task than in the unmarked task as a result of differing rates of inclusion logic. Children's verbal justifications closely approximated estimates of their true competence. (GLR)

  7. Jewish Education in the Age of the Rediscovery of the Soul

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yares, Laura

    2016-01-01

    The literature on Reform Jewish education in America rightly recognizes Emanuel Gamoran's work in establishing the direction of Hebrew schools in the Reform movement toward a cultural pluralism influenced by Samson Benderley et al. Yet the terrain onto which Gamoran stepped was not unmarked. Prior to his tenure, three Reform rabbis thought hard…

  8. A switchable positive and negative air pressure device for efficient and gentle handling of nanofiber scaffolds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hotaling, Nathan A.; Khristov, Vladimir; Maminishkis, Arvydas; Bharti, Kapil; Simon, Carl G.

    2017-10-01

    A scaffold handling device (SHD) has been designed that can switch from gentle suction to positive pressure to lift and place nanofiber scaffolds. In tissue engineering laboratories, delicate fibrous scaffolds, such as electrospun nanofiber scaffolds, are often used as substrates for cell culture. Typical scaffold handling procedures include lifting the scaffolds, moving them from one container to another, sterilization, and loading scaffolds into cell culture plates. Using tweezers to handle the scaffolds can be slow, can damage the scaffolds, and can cause them to wrinkle or fold. Scaffolds may also acquire a static charge which makes them difficult to put down as they cling to tweezers. An SHD has been designed that enables more efficient, gentle lifting, and placement of delicate scaffolds. Most of the parts to make the SHD can be purchased, except for the tip which can be 3D-printed. The SHD enables more reliable handling of nanofiber scaffolds that may improve the consistency of biomanufacturing processes.

  9. Delicate Ag/V2O5/TiO2 ternary nanostructures as a high-performance photocatalyst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Xiao-Dong; Zheng, Ya-Lun; Feng, Yu-Jie; Sun, Ke-Ning

    2018-02-01

    Here we report, for the first time, delicate ternary nanostructures consisting of TiO2 nanoplatelets co-doped with Ag and V2O5 nanoparticles. The relationship between the composition and the morphology is systematically studied. We find a remarkable synergistic effect among the three components, and the resulting delicate Ag/V2O5/TiO2 ternary nanostructures exhibit a superior photocatalytic performance over neat TiO2 nanoplatelets as well as Ag/TiO2 and V2O5/TiO2 binary nanostructures for the degradation of methyl orange. We believe our delicate Ag/V2O5/TiO2 ternary nanostructures may lay a basis for developing next-generating, high-performance composite photocatalysts.

  10. Reading Leveled Books in Assessment-Saturated Classrooms: A Close Examination of Unmarked Processes of Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kontovourki, Stavroula

    2012-01-01

    This article examines the reading of leveled books and the assessment of students' reading levels in a public school classroom. The purpose of the research study was to examine how these processes of assessment, which often go unnoticed, shaped the ways reading and readers were defined. The research was located in a third grade, public school…

  11. Targeted discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in an unmarked wheat chromosomal region containing the Hessian fly resistance gene H33

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The highly effective Hessian fly-resistance gene, H33, was introgressed from durum wheat into common wheat and genetically mapped to chromosome 3AS, in previous research. However, H33 located to a region that is well-known to be devoid of molecular markers, with the closest flanking simple sequence ...

  12. Language Revitalization and the Normalization of Basque: A Study of Teacher Perceptions and Expectations in the Basque Country

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valadez, Concepción; Etxeberria, Feli; Intxausti, Nahia

    2015-01-01

    In the Basque Country, Northern Spain, Basque (Euskera) and Spanish are official languages. In recent decades, Basque language revitalization and the efforts to make this an unmarked language (normalization) have co-existed with the rapid increase in immigration from outside the Basque region, and most recently from outside Spain. Given the…

  13. 27 CFR 555.180 - Prohibitions relating to unmarked plastic explosives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... the date of entry into force of the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives with respect to... National Guard of any State, not later than 15 years after the date of entry into force of the Convention..., Done at Montreal on 1 March 1991. (2) “Date of entry into force” of the Convention on the Marking of...

  14. Children's Comprehension and Use of Indirect Speech Acts: The Case of Soliciting Praise.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovac, Ceil

    Children in school cooperate in the evaluation of their products and activities by teachers and other students by calling attention to these products and activities with various language strategies. The requests that someone notice something and/or praise it are the data base for this study. The unmarked speech act for this request type is in the…

  15. Pronominal Address in German: Rules, Anarchy and Embarrassment Potential

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kretzenbacher, Heinz L.; Clyne, Michael; Schupbach, Doris

    2006-01-01

    Choice of address forms, a socially crucial feature in German communication, is context-dependent on situations (a) where the unmarked form of address is "du" (T), (b) where it is "Sie" (V), and (c) where the two systems (a and b) coexist. The first two situations are, apart from their fuzzy edges, rather clearcut. The third situation, however,…

  16. Racializing white drag.

    PubMed

    Rhyne, Ragan

    2004-01-01

    While drag is primarily understood as a performance of gender, other performative categories such as race, class, and sexuality create drag meaning as well. Though other categories of identification are increasingly understood as essential elements of drag by performers of color, whiteness remains an unmarked category in the scholarship on drag performances by white queens. In this paper, I argue that drag by white queens must be understood as a performance of race as well as gender and that codes of gender excess are specifically constructed through the framework of these other axes of identity. This essay asks whether white performance by white queens necessarily reinscribes white supremacy through the performance of an unmarked white femininity, or might drag performance complicate (though not necessarily subvert) categories of race as well as gender? In this essay, I will suggest that camp drag performances, through the deployment of class as a crucial category of performative femininity, might indeed be a key site through which whiteness is denaturalized and its power challenged. Specifically, I will read on camp as a politicized mode of race, class and gender performance, focusing on the intersections of these categories of identity in the drag performance of Divine.

  17. Influence of interspecific competition on the recruitment behavior and liquid food transport in the tramp ant species Pheidole megacephala

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dejean, Alain; Breton, Julien; Suzzoni, Jean Pierre; Orivel, Jérôme; Saux-Moreau, Corrie

    2005-07-01

    This study was conducted on the reactions of Pheidole megacephala scouts when finding liquid food sources situated on territories marked by competing dominant ant species or on unmarked, control areas to see if the number of recruited nestmates is affected and if soldiers behave in ways adapted to the situation. We show that scouts recruit more nestmates, particularly soldiers, on marked rather than on unmarked areas. This recruitment allows P. megacephala to organize the defence and rapid depletion of these food sources prior to any contact with competitors. Soldiers can carry liquid foods both (1) in their crops like other Myrmicinae and (2), in a new finding concerning myrmicine ants, under their heads and thoraxes like certain poneromorph genera because the droplets adhere through surface tension strengths. Later, the liquids stored in the crop are distributed to nestmates through regurgitations during trophallaxis and the external droplets are distributed through “social buckets”, or the mode of liquid food transfer common in poneromorphs. Their flexibility to use or not use the latter technique, based on the situation, corroborates other reports that Pheidole soldiers have a relatively large behavioral repertoire.

  18. A Bayesian approach to assess heart disease mortality among persons with diabetes in the presence of missing data.

    PubMed

    Cadwell, Betsy L; Boyle, James P; Tierney, Edward F; Thompson, Theodore J

    2007-09-01

    Some states' death certificate form includes a diabetes yes/no check box that enables policy makers to investigate the change in heart disease mortality rates by diabetes status. Because the check boxes are sometimes unmarked, a method accounting for missing data is needed when estimating heart disease mortality rates by diabetes status. Using North Dakota's data (1992-2003), we generate the posterior distribution of diabetes status to estimate diabetes status among those with heart disease and an unmarked check box using Monte Carlo methods. Combining this estimate with the number of death certificates with known diabetes status provides a numerator for heart disease mortality rates. Denominators for rates were estimated from the North Dakota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Accounting for missing data, age-adjusted heart disease mortality rates (per 1,000) among women with diabetes were 8.6 during 1992-1998 and 6.7 during 1999-2003. Among men with diabetes, rates were 13.0 during 1992-1998 and 10.0 during 1999-2003. The Bayesian approach accounted for the uncertainty due to missing diabetes status as well as the uncertainty in estimating the populations with diabetes.

  19. Impacts of Visual Sonority and Handshape Markedness on Second Language Learning of American Sign Language

    PubMed Central

    Newman, Sharlene D.

    2016-01-01

    The roles of visual sonority and handshape markedness in sign language acquisition and production were investigated. In Experiment 1, learners were taught sign-nonobject correspondences that varied in sign movement sonority and handshape markedness. Results from a sign-picture matching task revealed that high sonority signs were more accurately matched, especially when the sign contained a marked handshape. In Experiment 2, learners produced these familiar signs in addition to novel signs, which differed based on sonority and markedness. Results from a key-release reaction time reproduction task showed that learners tended to produce high sonority signs much more quickly than low sonority signs, especially when the sign contained an unmarked handshape. This effect was only present in familiar signs. Sign production accuracy rates revealed that high sonority signs were more accurate than low sonority signs. Similarly, signs with unmarked handshapes were produced more accurately than those with marked handshapes. Together, results from Experiments 1 and 2 suggested that signs that contain high sonority movements are more easily processed, both perceptually and productively, and handshape markedness plays a differential role in perception and production. PMID:26644551

  20. Modeling structured population dynamics using data from unmarked individuals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Grant, Evan H. Campbell; Zipkin, Elise; Thorson, James T.; See, Kevin; Lynch, Heather J.; Kanno, Yoichiro; Chandler, Richard; Letcher, Benjamin H.; Royle, J. Andrew

    2014-01-01

    The study of population dynamics requires unbiased, precise estimates of abundance and vital rates that account for the demographic structure inherent in all wildlife and plant populations. Traditionally, these estimates have only been available through approaches that rely on intensive mark–recapture data. We extended recently developed N-mixture models to demonstrate how demographic parameters and abundance can be estimated for structured populations using only stage-structured count data. Our modeling framework can be used to make reliable inferences on abundance as well as recruitment, immigration, stage-specific survival, and detection rates during sampling. We present a range of simulations to illustrate the data requirements, including the number of years and locations necessary for accurate and precise parameter estimates. We apply our modeling framework to a population of northern dusky salamanders (Desmognathus fuscus) in the mid-Atlantic region (USA) and find that the population is unexpectedly declining. Our approach represents a valuable advance in the estimation of population dynamics using multistate data from unmarked individuals and should additionally be useful in the development of integrated models that combine data from intensive (e.g., mark–recapture) and extensive (e.g., counts) data sources.

  1. Distinguishing wild vs. stocked lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Ontario: Evidence from carbon and oxygen stable isotope values of otoliths

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schaner, T.; Patterson, W.P.; Lantry, B.F.; O'Gorman, R.

    2007-01-01

    We investigated the potential for using carbon and oxygen isotope values of otolith carbonate as a method to distinguish naturally produced (wild) lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from hatchery-reared lake trout in Lake Ontario. We determined δ 13C(CaCO3) and δ 18O(CaCO3) values of otoliths from juvenile fish taken from two hatcheries, and of otoliths from wild yearlings. Clear differences in isotope values were observed between the three groups. Subsequently we examined otoliths from large marked and unmarked fish captured in the lake, determining isotope values for regions of the otolith corresponding to the first year of life. Marked (i.e., stocked) fish showed isotope ratios similar to one of the hatchery groups, whereas unmarked fish, (wild fish or stocked fish that lost the mark) showed isotope ratios similar either to one of the hatchery groups or to the wild group. We interpret these data to suggest that carbon and oxygen isotope values can be used to determine the origin of lake trout in Lake Ontario, if a catalogue of characteristic isotope values from all candidate years and hatcheries is compiled.

  2. Surgical correction of cryptotia combined with an ultra-delicate split-thickness skin graft in continuity with a full-thickness skin rotation flap.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xiaobo; Yang, Qinghua; Jiang, Haiyue; Pan, Bo; Zhao, Yanyong; Lin, Lin

    2017-11-01

    Cryptotia is a common congenital ear deformity in Asian populations. In cryptotia, a portion of the upper ear is hidden and fixed in a pocket of the skin of the mastoid. Here we describe our method for cryptotia correction by using an ultra-delicate split-thickness skin graft in continuity with a full-thickness skin rotation flap. We developed a new method for correcting cryptotia by using an ultra-delicate split-thickness skin graft in continuity with a full-thickness skin rotation flap. Following ear release, the full-thickness skin rotation flap is rotated into the defect, and the donor site is covered with an ultra-delicate split-thickness skin graft raised in continuity with the flap. All patients exhibited satisfactory release of cryptotia. No cases involved partial or total flap necrosis, and post-operative outcomes using this new technique for cryptotia correction have been more than satisfactory. Our method of using an ultra-delicate split-thickness skin graft in continuity with a full-thickness skin rotation flap to correct cryptotia is simple and reliable. Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Chuck for delicate drills

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Copeland, C. S.

    1972-01-01

    Development of oil film technique to couple power between drive spindle and drill chuck for delicate drilling operations is discussed. Oil film permits application of sufficient pressure, but stops rotating when drill jams. Illustration of equipment is provided.

  4. Cubic Equations and the Ideal Trisection of the Arbitrary Angle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farnsworth, Marion B.

    2006-01-01

    In the year 1837 mathematical proof was set forth authoritatively stating that it is impossible to trisect an arbitrary angle with a compass and an unmarked straightedge in the classical sense. The famous proof depends on an incompatible cubic equation having the cosine of an angle of 60 and the cube of the cosine of one-third of an angle of 60 as…

  5. Arbitrary Budget Cuts and the U.S. National Security Posture

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-01

    consensus between both branches of government on exactly what the future U.S. defense stategy should be, a dilemma made more difficult due to their...international trade issues and the status of their balance of payments. They will monitor the value of foreign currencies and markets around the world...8217 economy will certainly play a large part in the delicate balance of the current world market , and its economic well-being will further determine the

  6. 2D approaches to 3D watermarking: state-of-the-art and perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitrea, M.; Duţă, S.; Prêteux, F.

    2006-02-01

    With the advent of the Information Society, video, audio, speech, and 3D media represent the source of huge economic benefits. Consequently, there is a continuously increasing demand for protecting their related intellectual property rights. The solution can be provided by robust watermarking, a research field which exploded in the last 7 years. However, the largest part of the scientific effort was devoted to video and audio protection, the 3D objects being quite neglected. In the absence of any standardisation attempt, the paper starts by summarising the approaches developed in this respect and by further identifying the main challenges to be addressed in the next years. Then, it describes an original oblivious watermarking method devoted to the protection of the 3D objects represented by NURBS (Non uniform Rational B Spline) surfaces. Applied to both free form objects and CAD models, the method exhibited very good transparency (no visible differences between the marked and the unmarked model) and robustness (with respect to both traditional attacks and to NURBS processing).

  7. Logging damage associated with thinning central Appalachian hardwood stands with a wheeled skidder

    Treesearch

    Gary W. Miller; Neil I. Lamson; Samuel M. Brock

    1984-01-01

    In north central West Virginia, unmanaged 53-year-old, mixed oak-cove hardwood stands were thinned to 75, 60, and 45 percent residual stocking. Cut trees were skidded tree-length with a rubber-tired skidder. Logging destroyed or severely bent 26, 29, and 34 percent of the unmarked stems in the 75, 60, and 45 percent stocking plots, respectively. Because 94 percent of...

  8. Relationship of stump diameter to d.b.h. for white pine in the northeast

    Treesearch

    Jesse D. Diller

    1954-01-01

    A need to estimate the volume cut from a timber tract when only the stumps are left is often felt by foresters, timber operators, and landowners. This need arises in areas where timber sales are based on stump diameters, in timber trespass cases, in check cruises on marked timber sales (to determine volume cut from unmarked trees), and as an aid in piecing together the...

  9. Immunization by intrabronchial administration to 1-week-old foals of an unmarked double gene disruption strain of Rhodococcus equi strain 103+.

    PubMed

    Pei, Yanlong; Nicholson, Vivian; Woods, Katharine; Prescott, John F

    2007-11-15

    Rhodococcus equi causes fatal granulomatous pneumonia in foals and immunocompromised animals and humans. However, there is no effective vaccine against this infection. In this study, the chromosomal genes isocitrate lyase (icl) and cholesterol oxidase (choE) were chosen as targets for mutation and assessment of the double mutant as an intrabronchial vaccine in 1-week-old foals. Using a modification of a suicide plasmid previously developed in this laboratory, we developed a choE-icl unmarked deletion mutant of R. equi strain 103+. Five 1-week-old foals were infected intrabronchially with the mutant and challenged intrabronchially with the parent, virulent, strain 2 weeks later. Three of the foals were protected against pneumonia caused by the virulent strain, but the other two foals developed pneumonia caused by the mutant strain during the post-challenge period. Since infection of 3-week-old foals by an icl mutant in an earlier study had shown complete attenuation of the strain, we conclude that a proportion of foals in the 1st week or so of life are predisposed to developing R. equi pneumonia because of an inability to mount an effective immune response. This has been suspected previously but this is the first time that this has been demonstrated experimentally.

  10. Impacts of Visual Sonority and Handshape Markedness on Second Language Learning of American Sign Language.

    PubMed

    Williams, Joshua T; Newman, Sharlene D

    2016-04-01

    The roles of visual sonority and handshape markedness in sign language acquisition and production were investigated. In Experiment 1, learners were taught sign-nonobject correspondences that varied in sign movement sonority and handshape markedness. Results from a sign-picture matching task revealed that high sonority signs were more accurately matched, especially when the sign contained a marked handshape. In Experiment 2, learners produced these familiar signs in addition to novel signs, which differed based on sonority and markedness. Results from a key-release reaction time reproduction task showed that learners tended to produce high sonority signs much more quickly than low sonority signs, especially when the sign contained an unmarked handshape. This effect was only present in familiar signs. Sign production accuracy rates revealed that high sonority signs were more accurate than low sonority signs. Similarly, signs with unmarked handshapes were produced more accurately than those with marked handshapes. Together, results from Experiments 1 and 2 suggested that signs that contain high sonority movements are more easily processed, both perceptually and productively, and handshape markedness plays a differential role in perception and production. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Estimating demographic parameters using a combination of known-fate and open N-mixture models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schmidt, Joshua H.; Johnson, Devin S.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Adams, Layne G.

    2015-01-01

    Accurate estimates of demographic parameters are required to infer appropriate ecological relationships and inform management actions. Known-fate data from marked individuals are commonly used to estimate survival rates, whereas N-mixture models use count data from unmarked individuals to estimate multiple demographic parameters. However, a joint approach combining the strengths of both analytical tools has not been developed. Here we develop an integrated model combining known-fate and open N-mixture models, allowing the estimation of detection probability, recruitment, and the joint estimation of survival. We demonstrate our approach through both simulations and an applied example using four years of known-fate and pack count data for wolves (Canis lupus). Simulation results indicated that the integrated model reliably recovered parameters with no evidence of bias, and survival estimates were more precise under the joint model. Results from the applied example indicated that the marked sample of wolves was biased toward individuals with higher apparent survival rates than the unmarked pack mates, suggesting that joint estimates may be more representative of the overall population. Our integrated model is a practical approach for reducing bias while increasing precision and the amount of information gained from mark–resight data sets. We provide implementations in both the BUGS language and an R package.

  12. Bumblebees can discriminate between scent-marks deposited by conspecifics

    PubMed Central

    Pearce, Richard F.; Giuggioli, Luca; Rands, Sean A.

    2017-01-01

    Bumblebees secrete a substance from their tarsi wherever they land, which can be detected by conspecifics. These secretions are referred to as scent-marks, which bumblebees are able to use as social cues. Although it has been found that bumblebees can detect and associate scent-marks with rewarding or unrewarding flowers, their ability at discriminating between scent-marks from bumblebees of differing relatedness is unknown. We performed three separate experiments with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), where they were repeatedly exposed to rewarding and unrewarding artificial flowers simultaneously. Each flower type carried scent-marks from conspecifics of differing relatedness or were unmarked. We found that bumblebees are able to distinguish between 1. Unmarked flowers and flowers that they themselves had scent-marked, 2. Flowers scent-marked by themselves and flowers scent-marked by others in their nest (nestmates), and 3. Flowers scent-marked by their nestmates and flowers scent-marked by non-nestmates. The bumblebees found it more difficult to discriminate between each of the flower types when both flower types were scent-marked. Our findings show that bumblebees have the ability to discriminate between scent-marks of conspecifics, which are potentially very similar in their chemical composition, and they can use this ability to improve their foraging success. PMID:28266572

  13. Estimating demographic parameters using a combination of known-fate and open N-mixture models.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Joshua H; Johnson, Devin S; Lindberg, Mark S; Adams, Layne G

    2015-10-01

    Accurate estimates of demographic parameters are required to infer appropriate ecological relationships and inform management actions. Known-fate data from marked individuals are commonly used to estimate survival rates, whereas N-mixture models use count data from unmarked individuals to estimate multiple demographic parameters. However, a joint approach combining the strengths of both analytical tools has not been developed. Here we develop an integrated model combining known-fate and open N-mixture models, allowing the estimation of detection probability, recruitment, and the joint estimation of survival. We demonstrate our approach through both simulations and an applied example using four years of known-fate and pack count data for wolves (Canis lupus). Simulation results indicated that the integrated model reliably recovered parameters with no evidence of bias, and survival estimates were more precise under the joint model. Results from the applied example indicated that the marked sample of wolves was biased toward individuals with higher apparent survival rates than the unmarked pack mates, suggesting that joint estimates may be more representative of the overall population. Our integrated model is a practical approach for reducing bias while increasing precision and the amount of information gained from mark-resight data sets. We provide implementations in both the BUGS language and an R package.

  14. Fungi and bacteria. [fungicide and bactericide measures for spacecraft in tropical regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Daniels, G. E.

    1973-01-01

    Spacecraft equipment is usually protected from fungi and bacteria by incorporating a fungicide-bactericide in the material, by a fungicide-bactericide spray, or by reducing the relative humidity to a degree where growth will not take place. A unique method to protect delicate, expensive bearings in equipment was to maintain a pressure (with dry air or nitrogen) slightly above the outside atmosphere (few millibars) within the working parts of the equipment, thus preventing fungi from entering equipment.

  15. Zero-torque spanner wrench

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Friedell, M. V.

    1980-01-01

    Wrench converts gripping action of hand to rotary motion without imparting reactive moments or forces on part being turned or on operator. Wrench should be useful in undersea operations and other delicate work where reactive forces and torques have to be controlled. In design for valve tightening, tool resembles cross between conventional spanner wrench and pilers. One handle engages valve body; second handle has ratchet pawl that engages toothed coupling ring on perimeter of valve handle. When operator squeezes wrench handles, valve handle rotates with respect to valve body.

  16. NASA TEERM Project: Corn Based Blast Media

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griffin, Chuck

    2009-01-01

    Coatings removal is a necessary part of the maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities at many NASA centers and contractor support sites. Sensitive substrates, such as composites and thin aluminum alloys require special handling such as the use of chemical stripping, pneumatic hand sanding, or softer blast media. Type V, acrylic based PMB is commonly used to de-coat, strip, or de-paint the delicate substrates of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) currently used in support of the Shuttle and slated to be used in support of CxP.

  17. Goethe's "Delicate Empiricism": Assessing Its Value for Australian Ecologists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Melanie

    2011-01-01

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, recognised as a seminal German polymath, developed a unique approach for investigating nature, termed "delicate empiricism". Goethe's approach uses empathy, imagination and intuition to promote a participatory engagement with the world. It goes beyond the dualistic-rationalism that defines…

  18. Development and Characterization of an Unmarked hemO Cluster Knockout in Hypervirulent Acinetobacter Baumannii LAC-4

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    decade since the First World War when Alexander Fleming discovered the inhibitory, antibacterial properties of a substance excreted by the mold...was treated with penicillin, what appeared to be resistance was noted by researchers and later discovered to be penicillinase activity (Abraham et...In particular, innovations in the treatment of Gram-negative species have shown little progress with a near absence of any drug candidate active

  19. Guidance on the Use of Historic Human Remains Detection Dogs for Locating Unmarked Cemeteries

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    ERDC/CERL TR-15-36 x Abbreviations Term Spell-out 3D three-dimensional CRM Cultural Resource Management DOAD Decompositional Odor Analysis...cultural resource man- agement ( CRM ) settings now focus on enhanced applications (often in the area of improved data processing and display) and...with activities such as military training, timbering, and vehicle traffic. Fort Gordon CRM staff indicated that the 19th and early 20th century popu

  20. Multi-Scale Action Effectiveness Research in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2011

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-01

    MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14...the diets of juvenile Chinook salmon and abundant resident fish species. 1.b. Describe the compositions of prey pools in tidal freshwater habitats of...captured at the SRD sites during the May 2010–September 2011 time period. Unmarked Chinook salmon were the most abundant . The patterns associated with

  1. Residual stocking not seriously reduced by logging damage from thinning of West Virginia cherry-maple stands

    Treesearch

    Neil I. Lamson; H. Clay Smith; Gary W. Miller

    1984-01-01

    In north-central West Virginia, unmanaged 60-year-old cherry-maple stands were thinned to 75, 60, and 45 percent residual stocking. Cut trees were skidded tree length by a rubber-tired skidder. Logging destroyed or severely bent over 22, 23, and 45 percent of the unmarked stems in the 75, 60, and 45 percent stocked plots. Because 99 percent of the destroyed and bent...

  2. Freedom and purpose in biology.

    PubMed

    McShea, Daniel W

    2016-08-01

    All seemingly teleological systems share a common hierarchical structure. They consist of a small entity moving or changing within a larger field that directs it from above (what I call "upper direction"). This is true for organisms seeking some external resource, for the organized behavior of cells and other parts in organismal development, and for lineages evolving by natural selection. In all cases, the lower-level entity is partly "free," tending to wander under the influence of purely local forces, and partly directed by a larger enveloping field. The persistent and plastic behavior that characterizes goal-directedness arises, I argue, at intermediate levels of freedom and upper direction, when the two are in a delicate balance. I tentatively extend the argument to human teleology (wants, purposes). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Managing Awkward, Sensitive, or Delicate Topics in (Chinese) Radio Medical Consultations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yu, Guodong; Wu, Yaxin

    2015-01-01

    This study, using conversation analysis as the research methodology, probes into the use of "nage" (literally "that") as a practice of managing awkward, sensitive, or delicate issues in radio phone-in medical consultations about sex-related problems. Through sequential manipulation and turn manipulation, the caller uses…

  4. A method for estimating abundance of mobile populations using telemetry and counts of unmarked animals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clement, Matthew; O'Keefe, Joy M; Walters, Brianne

    2015-01-01

    While numerous methods exist for estimating abundance when detection is imperfect, these methods may not be appropriate due to logistical difficulties or unrealistic assumptions. In particular, if highly mobile taxa are frequently absent from survey locations, methods that estimate a probability of detection conditional on presence will generate biased abundance estimates. Here, we propose a new estimator for estimating abundance of mobile populations using telemetry and counts of unmarked animals. The estimator assumes that the target population conforms to a fission-fusion grouping pattern, in which the population is divided into groups that frequently change in size and composition. If assumptions are met, it is not necessary to locate all groups in the population to estimate abundance. We derive an estimator, perform a simulation study, conduct a power analysis, and apply the method to field data. The simulation study confirmed that our estimator is asymptotically unbiased with low bias, narrow confidence intervals, and good coverage, given a modest survey effort. The power analysis provided initial guidance on survey effort. When applied to small data sets obtained by radio-tracking Indiana bats, abundance estimates were reasonable, although imprecise. The proposed method has the potential to improve abundance estimates for mobile species that have a fission-fusion social structure, such as Indiana bats, because it does not condition detection on presence at survey locations and because it avoids certain restrictive assumptions.

  5. H-NOX Regulation of c-di-GMP Metabolism and Biofilm Formation in Legionella pneumophila

    PubMed Central

    Carlson, Hans K.; Vance, Russell E.; Marletta, Michael A.

    2010-01-01

    Summary Heme Nitric oxide/OXygen (H-NOX) domains are a family of hemoprotein sensors that are widespread in bacterial genomes, but limited information is available on their function. Legionella pneumophila is the only prokaryote found thus far to encode two H-NOX proteins. This paper presents data supporting a role for one of the Legionella pneumophila H-NOXs in the regulation of biofilm formation. In summary: (i) unmarked deletions in the hnox1 gene do not affect growth rate in liquid culture or replication in permissive macrophages; (ii) theΔhnox1 strain displays a hyper-biofilm phenotype; (iii) the gene adjacent to hnox1 is a GGDEF-EAL protein, lpg1057, and overexpression in Legionella pneumophila of this protein, or the well-studied diguanylate cyclase, vca0956, results in a hyper-biofilm phenotype; (iv) the Lpg1057 protein displays diguanylate cyclase activity in vitro and this activity is inhibited by the Hnox1 protein in the Fe(II)-NO ligation state, but not the Fe(II) unligated state; (v) consistent with the Hnox1 regulation of Lpg1057, unmarked deletions of lpg1057 in theΔhnox1 background results in reversion of the hyper-biofilm phenotype back to wild-type biofilm levels. Taken together, these results suggest a role for hnox1 in regulating c-di-GMP production by lpg1057 and biofilm formation in response to NO. PMID:20572940

  6. Initial poststocking mortality, oxytetracycline marking, and year-class contribution of black-nosed crappies stocked into Tennessee reservoirs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Isermann, D.A.; Bettoli, P.W.; Sammons, S.M.; Churchill, T.N.

    2002-01-01

    Initial poststocking mortality, oxytetracycline mark persistence, and year-class contribution were evaluated for black-nosed crappies, a morphological variant of the black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, stocked into Tennessee reservoirs during 1997-1999. Average initial poststocking mortality was low (x?? = 13%, N = 44). Lake temperature and the difference between lake and hauling tank water temperatures were significant in explaining variability in arcsine-transformed mortality estimates; however, the variability explained by these factors was low (R2 = 0.15). Oxytetracycline immersion was a highly effective marking tool; 97-100% of all crappies treated were marked, and 99% of the marks were visible 36-110 weeks after marking. All control otoliths were correctly scored as unmarked during the evaluation, and mortality rates did not differ between marked and unmarked crappies. Year-class contribution was variable across reservoirs and was highest in Normandy Reservoir (34-93% at ages 1-3). Contribution at ages 1 and 2 was 11-24% in Woods Reservoir. Stocking did not supplement the crappie population in Lake Graham. Black-nosed crappies made up a significant portion (>50%) of the crappies harvested by anglers in Center Hill Reservoir 3 years after stocking was initiated. Conversely, black-nosed crappies made up a relatively small percentage (???12%) of the crappies harvested in Cherokee Reservoir in the 4 years after initial stocking.

  7. Surgical innovation-enhanced quality and the processes that assure patient/provider safety: A surgical conundrum.

    PubMed

    Bruny, Jennifer; Ziegler, Moritz

    2015-12-01

    Innovation is a crucial part of surgical history that has led to enhancements in the quality of surgical care. This comprises both changes which are incremental and those which are frankly disruptive in nature. There are situations where innovation is absolutely required in order to achieve quality improvement or process improvement. Alternatively, there are innovations that do not necessarily arise from some need, but simply are a new idea that might be better. All change must assure a significant commitment to patient safety and beneficence. Innovation would ideally enhance patient care quality and disease outcomes, as well stimulate and facilitate further innovation. The tensions between innovative advancement and patient safety, risk and reward, and demonstrated effectiveness versus speculative added value have created a contemporary "surgical conundrum" that must be resolved by a delicate balance assuring optimal patient/provider outcomes. This article will explore this delicate balance and the rules that govern it. Recommendations are made to facilitate surgical innovation through clinical research. In addition, we propose options that investigators and institutions may use to address competing priorities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. SEM vouchers and genomic data from an individual specimen: maximizing the utility of delicate and rare specimens

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Specimen vouchering is a critical aspect of systematics, especially in genetic studies where the identity of a DNA sample needs to be assured. It can be difficult to obtain a high quality voucher after DNA extraction when dealing with tiny and delicate invertebrates that often do not survive the ext...

  9. Career and Technical Education with a Delicate Touch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Predmore, Sarah R.

    2005-01-01

    There are some professions in which tradition holds strong, in which one generation schools the next in the techniques of the trade. These services help us maintain some of our dearest possessions--such as an antique watch or a prized violin--with their specialized skill and delicate touch. But not all of these technicians enter the field through…

  10. Dimensional and material characteristics of direct deposited tool steel by CO II laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, J.

    2006-01-01

    Laser aided direct metalimaterial deposition (DMD) process builds metallic parts layer-by-layer directly from the CAD representation. In general, the process uses powdered metaUmaterials fed into a melt pool, creating fully dense parts. Success of this technology in the die and tool industry depends on the parts quality to be achieved. To obtain designed geometric dimensions and material properties, delicate control of the parameters such as laser power, spot diameter, traverse speed and powder mass flow rate is critical. In this paper, the dimensional and material characteristics of directed deposited H13 tool steel by CO II laser are investigated for the DMD process with a feedback height control system. The relationships between DMD process variables and the product characteristics are analyzed using statistical techniques. The performance of the DMD process is examined with the material characteristics of hardness, porosity, microstructure, and composition.

  11. Trans-venous embolization of a basal ganglia ruptured arteriovenous malformation with open surgical arterial control: A hybrid technique.

    PubMed

    Kulcsár, Zsolt; Machi, Paolo; Schaller, Karl; Lovblad, Karl Olof; Bijlenga, Philippe

    2018-05-01

    Treatment of ruptured deep-seated arteriovenous malformations is challenging and associated with elevated risks. This is due to the proximity or involvement of critical brain structures and the specifically fine and delicate angioarchitecture of these lesions, making both endovascular and surgical access technically complicated. We present the advantages of a true combined, open surgical and endovascular transvenous approach in a hybrid operating room. The technique may overcome in part the difficulties and may improve safety and risk related concerns. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  12. Statistical inference from capture data on closed animal populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Otis, David L.; Burnham, Kenneth P.; White, Gary C.; Anderson, David R.

    1978-01-01

    The estimation of animal abundance is an important problem in both the theoretical and applied biological sciences. Serious work to develop estimation methods began during the 1950s, with a few attempts before that time. The literature on estimation methods has increased tremendously during the past 25 years (Cormack 1968, Seber 1973). However, in large part, the problem remains unsolved. Past efforts toward comprehensive and systematic estimation of density (D) or population size (N) have been inadequate, in general. While more than 200 papers have been published on the subject, one is generally left without a unified approach to the estimation of abundance of an animal population This situation is unfortunate because a number of pressing research problems require such information. In addition, a wide array of environmental assessment studies and biological inventory programs require the estimation of animal abundance. These needs have been further emphasized by the requirement for the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements imposed by the National Environmental Protection Act in 1970. This publication treats inference procedures for certain types of capture data on closed animal populations. This includes multiple capture-recapture studies (variously called capture-mark-recapture, mark-recapture, or tag-recapture studies) involving livetrapping techniques and removal studies involving kill traps or at least temporary removal of captured individuals during the study. Animals do not necessarily need to be physically trapped; visual sightings of marked animals and electrofishing studies also produce data suitable for the methods described in this monograph. To provide a frame of reference for what follows, we give an exampled of a capture-recapture experiment to estimate population size of small animals using live traps. The general field experiment is similar for all capture-recapture studies (a removal study is, of course, slightly different). A typical field experiment is the following: a number of traps are positioned in the area to be studied, say 144 traps in a 12 X 12 grid, 7 m apart. At the beginning of the study (j=1) a sample size of n1 is taken from the population, the animals are tagged and marked for future identification, and then returned to the population, usually at the same point where they were trapped. After allowing time of the marked and unmarked animals to mix, a second sample (j=2, often the following day) or n2 animals is then taken.the second sample normally contains both marked and unmarked animals. The unmarked animals are marked and all captured animals are released back into the population. This procedure continues for t periods where t ≥ 2. The animals should be marked in such a way that the capture-recapture history of each animal caught during the study is known. In practice, toes are often clipped to uniquely identify individual animals (Taber and Cowan 1969) or serially numbered tags are sometimes used on larger animals. Such capture studies are classified by 2 schemes that are directly related to what class of models are appropriate and what parameters can be estimated. The first classification addresses the subject of closure. Closure usually means the size of the population is constant over the priod of investigation, i.e., no recruitment (birth or immigration) or losses (death or emigration). This is a strong assumption and, of course, never completely true in a natural biological population. For greater generality, we define closure to mean there are no unknown changes to the initial population. In practice, this means known losses (trap death), or deliberate removals) do not violate our definition of closure. If the study is properly designed, closure can be met at least approximately. Open or nonclosed populations explicitly allow for one or more types of recruitment or losses to operate during the course of the experiment (Jolly 1965, Seber 1965, Robson 1969, Pollock 1975). Only closed populations will be considered in this monograph. The second classification depends on the type of data collected with 2 possibilities occurring (Pollock 1974, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York): (1) only information on the recovery of marked animals is available for each sampling occasion, j, j=1, 2, ... t. (2) information on both marked and unmarked animals is available for each sampling occasion, j, j=1, 2, ... t. In case (1), population size (N) is not identifiable, however, other parameters can be estimated (Brownie et al. 1978). In case (2), N can be estimated using a wide variety of approaches depending upon what we wish to assume. Only case (2) will be dealt with here.

  13. Example of human individual identification from World War II gravesite.

    PubMed

    Ossowski, Andrzej; Kuś, Marta; Brzeziński, Piotr; Prüffer, Jakub; Piątek, Jarosław; Zielińska, Grażyna; Bykowska, Milena; Jałowińska, Katarzyna; Torgaszev, Anton; Skoryukov, Antoliy; Parafiniuk, Mirosław

    2013-12-10

    This paper presents the procedure elaborated by our team which was applied to the mode of identification of Red Army soldiers who were taken as prisoners by the German Army during World War II and deceased in captivity. In the course of our search the unmarked burial of ten Soviet prisoners of war was found. Historical, anthropological and genetic research conducted by us led to the personal identification of nine of them, including two by means of DNA analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Efficacy of identifying stocked crappies in a Tennessee reservoir through oxytetracycline marking

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Isermann, D.A.; Bettoli, P.W.; Sammons, S.M.

    1999-01-01

    Oxytetracycline (OTC) immersion was used to identify black-nosed crappies, a morphological variation of black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, stocked into Normandy Reservoir, Tennessee, during fall 1997. The technique effectively marked 97% of the treated fish. Analysis of one otolith per fish by one reader successfully identified 98% of marked and unmarked fish in a blind test. Marks were formed before annulus formation and were not obscured by annulus-related autofluorescence, suggesting that OTC can be effectively used late in the year (October and November) in Tennessee.

  15. Improved ceramic slip casting technique. [application to aircraft model fabrication

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buck, Gregory M. (Inventor); Vasquez, Peter (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    A primary concern in modern fluid dynamics research is the experimental verification of computational aerothermodynamic codes. This research requires high precision and detail in the test model employed. Ceramic materials are used for these models because of their low heat conductivity and their survivability at high temperatures. To fabricate such models, slip casting techniques were developed to provide net-form, precision casting capability for high-purity ceramic materials in aqueous solutions. In previous slip casting techniques, block, or flask molds made of plaster-of-paris were used to draw liquid from the slip material. Upon setting, parts were removed from the flask mold and cured in a kiln at high temperatures. Casting detail was usually limited with this technique -- detailed parts were frequently damaged upon separation from the flask mold, as the molded parts are extremely delicate in the uncured state, and the flask mold is inflexible. Ceramic surfaces were also marred by 'parting lines' caused by mold separation. This adversely affected the aerodynamic surface quality of the model as well. (Parting lines are invariably necessary on or near the leading edges of wings, nosetips, and fins for mold separation. These areas are also critical for flow boundary layer control.) Parting agents used in the casting process also affected surface quality. These agents eventually soaked into the mold, the model, or flaked off when releasing the case model. Different materials were tried, such as oils, paraffin, and even an algae. The algae released best, but some of it remained on the model and imparted an uneven texture and discoloration on the model surface when cured. According to the present invention, a wax pattern for a shell mold is provided, and an aqueous mixture of a calcium sulfate-bonded investment material is applied as a coating to the wax pattern. The coated wax pattern is then dried, followed by curing to vaporize the wax pattern and leave a shell mold of the calcium sulfate-bonded investment material. The shell mold is cooled to room temperature, and a ceramic slip is poured therein. After a ceramic shell of desired thickness has set up in the shell mold, excess ceramic slip is poured out. While still wet, the shell mold is peeled from the ceramic shell to expose any delicate or detailed parts, after which the ceramic shell is cured to provide a complete, detailed, precision ceramic article without parting lines.

  16. Validation of a freshwater Otolith microstructure pattern for Nisqually Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lind-Null, Angie; Larsen, Kim

    2011-01-01

    The Nisqually Fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) population is one of 27 stocks in the Puget Sound (Washington) evolutionarily significant unit listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Extensive restoration of the Nisqually River delta ecosystem has taken place to assist in recovery of the stock since estuary habitat is a critical transition zone for juvenile fall Chinook salmon. A pre-restoration baseline that includes the characterization of life history strategies, estuary residence times, growth rates and habitat use is needed to evaluate the potential response of hatchery and natural origin Chinook salmon to restoration efforts and to determine restoration success. Otolith microstructure analysis was selected as a tool to examine Chinook salmon life history, growth and residence in the Nisqually River estuary. The purpose of the current study is to incorporate microstructural analysis from the otoliths of juvenile Nisqually Chinook salmon collected at the downstream migrant trap within true freshwater (FW) habitat of the Nisqually River. The results from this analysis confirmed the previously documented Nisqually-specific FW microstructure pattern and revealed a Nisqually-specific microstructure pattern early in development (“developmental pattern”). No inter-annual variation in the microstructure pattern was visually observed when compared to samples from previous years. Furthermore, the Nisqually-specific “developmental pattern” and the FW microstructure pattern used in combination during analysis will allow us to recognize and separate with further confidence future unmarked Chinook salmon otolith collections into Nisqually-origin (natural or unmarked hatchery) and non-Nisqually origin categories. Freshwater mean increment width, growth rate and residence time were also calculated.

  17. Sequence Elements Upstream of the Core Promoter Are Necessary for Full Transcription of the Capsule Gene Operon in Streptococcus pneumoniae Strain D39

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Zhensong; Sertil, Odeniel; Cheng, Yongxin; Zhang, Shanshan; Liu, Xue; Wang, Wen-Ching

    2015-01-01

    Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major bacterial pathogen in humans. Its polysaccharide capsule is a key virulence factor that promotes bacterial evasion of human phagocytic killing. While S. pneumoniae produces at least 94 antigenically different types of capsule, the genes for biosynthesis of almost all capsular types are arranged in the same locus. The transcription of the capsular polysaccharide (cps) locus is not well understood. This study determined the transcriptional features of the cps locus in the type 2 virulent strain D39. The initial analysis revealed that the cps genes are cotranscribed from a major transcription start site at the −25 nucleotide (G) upstream of cps2A, the first gene in the locus. Using unmarked chromosomal truncations and a luciferase-based transcriptional reporter, we showed that the full transcription of the cps genes not only depends on the core promoter immediately upstream of cps2A, but also requires additional elements upstream of the core promoter, particularly a 59-bp sequence immediately upstream of the core promoter. Unmarked deletions of these promoter elements in the D39 genome also led to significant reduction in CPS production and virulence in mice. Lastly, common cps gene (cps2ABCD) mutants did not show significant abnormality in cps transcription, although they produced significantly less CPS, indicating that the CpsABCD proteins are involved in the encapsulation of S. pneumoniae in a posttranscriptional manner. This study has yielded important information on the transcriptional characteristics of the cps locus in S. pneumoniae. PMID:25733517

  18. A comparison of 2 techniques for estimating deer density

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Storm, G.L.; Cottam, D.F.; Yahner, R.H.; Nichols, J.D.

    1977-01-01

    We applied mark-resight and area-conversion methods to estimate deer abundance at a 2,862-ha area in and surrounding the Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site during 1987-1991. One observer in each of 11 compartments counted marked and unmarked deer during 65-75 minutes at dusk during 3 counts in each of April and November. Use of radio-collars and vinyl collars provided a complete inventory of marked deer in the population prior to the counts. We sighted 54% of the marked deer during April 1987 and 1988, and 43% of the marked deer during November 1987 and 1988. Mean number of deer counted increased from 427 in April 1987 to 582 in April 1991, and increased from 467 in November 1987 to 662 in November 1990. Herd size during April, based on the mark-resight method, increased from approximately 700-1,400 from 1987-1991, whereas the estimates for November indicated an increase from 983 for 1987 to 1,592 for 1990. Given the large proportion of open area and the extensive road system throughout the study area, we concluded that the sighting probability for marked and unmarked deer was fairly similar. We believe that the mark-resight method was better suited to our study than the area-conversion method because deer were not evenly distributed between areas suitable and unsuitable for sighting within open and forested areas. The assumption of equal distribution is required by the area-conversion method. Deer marked for the mark-resight method also helped reduce double counting during the dusk surveys.

  19. Optomotor-blind negatively regulates Drosophila eye development by blocking Jak/STAT signaling.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Yu-Chen; Grimm, Stefan; Chao, Ju-Lan; Wang, Shih-Chin; Hofmeyer, Kerstin; Shen, Jie; Eichinger, Fred; Michalopoulou, Theoni; Yao, Chi-Kuang; Chang, Chih-Hsuan; Lin, Shih-Han; Sun, Y Henry; Pflugfelder, Gert O

    2015-01-01

    Organ formation requires a delicate balance of positive and negative regulators. In Drosophila eye development, wingless (wg) is expressed at the lateral margins of the eye disc and serves to block retinal development. The T-box gene optomotor-blind (omb) is expressed in a similar pattern and is regulated by Wg. Omb mediates part of Wg activity in blocking eye development. Omb exerts its function primarily by blocking cell proliferation. These effects occur predominantly in the ventral margin. Our results suggest that the primary effect of Omb is the blocking of Jak/STAT signaling by repressing transcription of upd which encodes the Jak receptor ligand Unpaired.

  20. Gendered power in cultural contexts: Part I. Immigrant couples.

    PubMed

    Maciel, Jose A; Van Putten, Zanetta; Knudson-Martin, Carmen

    2009-03-01

    Immigration is a world-wide phenomenon and practitioners are increasingly called on to work with issues related to it. The authors examine the experience of couples who are immigrants to the United States in regard to gender and power issues. Although the study limited participation to one religious group in order to hold that aspect of culture and gender attitudes constant, the experiences of these couples help to make visible the link between microlevel couple interaction and larger social processes. The results show how the couples manage a delicate balance between the push for gender change and avoiding too much conflict as male power is challenged.

  1. The Role of Benevolence in Trust of Autonomous Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-19

    hospital’s new "robo-surgeon" — a robot designed to perform the delicate surgery you need without human intervention. Which surgeon do you choose to...later adoptions of innovation: Social positioning and skill reproduction in the diffusion of robotic surgery . Acad Manage J 58(1):242–278 10. Cramer H...use the hospital’s new "robo- surgeon" — a robot designed to perform the delicate surgery you need without human intervention. SCENARIO: 
 ROBO

  2. Delicate Ballet

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-02-28

    A solar prominence gathered itself into a twisting cone, then rose up and broke apart in a delicate dance of plasma above the sun (Feb. 20, 2017). The event, observed in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, lasted just about four hours. Prominences are unstable clouds of plasma suspended above the sun's surface by magnetic forces. This kind of event is not uncommon. The brighter area near the bottom of the images is an active region. Movies are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21552

  3. Integrating count and detection–nondetection data to model population dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zipkin, Elise F.; Rossman, Sam; Yackulic, Charles B.; Wiens, David; Thorson, James T.; Davis, Raymond J.; Grant, Evan H. Campbell

    2017-01-01

    There is increasing need for methods that integrate multiple data types into a single analytical framework as the spatial and temporal scale of ecological research expands. Current work on this topic primarily focuses on combining capture–recapture data from marked individuals with other data types into integrated population models. Yet, studies of species distributions and trends often rely on data from unmarked individuals across broad scales where local abundance and environmental variables may vary. We present a modeling framework for integrating detection–nondetection and count data into a single analysis to estimate population dynamics, abundance, and individual detection probabilities during sampling. Our dynamic population model assumes that site-specific abundance can change over time according to survival of individuals and gains through reproduction and immigration. The observation process for each data type is modeled by assuming that every individual present at a site has an equal probability of being detected during sampling processes. We examine our modeling approach through a series of simulations illustrating the relative value of count vs. detection–nondetection data under a variety of parameter values and survey configurations. We also provide an empirical example of the model by combining long-term detection–nondetection data (1995–2014) with newly collected count data (2015–2016) from a growing population of Barred Owl (Strix varia) in the Pacific Northwest to examine the factors influencing population abundance over time. Our model provides a foundation for incorporating unmarked data within a single framework, even in cases where sampling processes yield different detection probabilities. This approach will be useful for survey design and to researchers interested in incorporating historical or citizen science data into analyses focused on understanding how demographic rates drive population abundance.

  4. When and why might a Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system interfere with visual search? An eye-tracking study

    PubMed Central

    Drew, Trafton; Cunningham, Corbin; Wolfe, Jeremy

    2012-01-01

    Rational and Objectives Computer Aided Detection (CAD) systems are intended to improve performance. This study investigates how CAD might actually interfere with a visual search task. This is a laboratory study with implications for clinical use of CAD. Methods 47 naïve observers in two studies were asked to search for a target, embedded in 1/f2.4 noise while we monitored their eye-movements. For some observers, a CAD system marked 75% of targets and 10% of distractors while other observers completed the study without CAD. In Experiment 1, the CAD system’s primary function was to tell observers where the target might be. In Experiment 2, CAD provided information about target identity. Results In Experiment 1, there was a significant enhancement of observer sensitivity in the presence of CAD (t(22)=4.74, p<.001), but there was also a substantial cost. Targets that were not marked by the CAD system were missed more frequently than equivalent targets in No CAD blocks of the experiment (t(22)=7.02, p<.001). Experiment 2 showed no behavioral benefit from CAD, but also no significant cost on sensitivity to unmarked targets (t(22)=0.6, p=n.s.). Finally, in both experiments, CAD produced reliable changes in eye-movements: CAD observers examined a lower total percentage of the search area than the No CAD observers (Ex 1: t(48)=3.05, p<.005; Ex 2: t(50)=7.31, p<.001). Conclusions CAD signals do not combine with observers’ unaided performance in a straight-forward manner. CAD can engender a sense of certainty that can lead to incomplete search and elevated chances of missing unmarked stimuli. PMID:22958720

  5. Integrating count and detection-nondetection data to model population dynamics.

    PubMed

    Zipkin, Elise F; Rossman, Sam; Yackulic, Charles B; Wiens, J David; Thorson, James T; Davis, Raymond J; Grant, Evan H Campbell

    2017-06-01

    There is increasing need for methods that integrate multiple data types into a single analytical framework as the spatial and temporal scale of ecological research expands. Current work on this topic primarily focuses on combining capture-recapture data from marked individuals with other data types into integrated population models. Yet, studies of species distributions and trends often rely on data from unmarked individuals across broad scales where local abundance and environmental variables may vary. We present a modeling framework for integrating detection-nondetection and count data into a single analysis to estimate population dynamics, abundance, and individual detection probabilities during sampling. Our dynamic population model assumes that site-specific abundance can change over time according to survival of individuals and gains through reproduction and immigration. The observation process for each data type is modeled by assuming that every individual present at a site has an equal probability of being detected during sampling processes. We examine our modeling approach through a series of simulations illustrating the relative value of count vs. detection-nondetection data under a variety of parameter values and survey configurations. We also provide an empirical example of the model by combining long-term detection-nondetection data (1995-2014) with newly collected count data (2015-2016) from a growing population of Barred Owl (Strix varia) in the Pacific Northwest to examine the factors influencing population abundance over time. Our model provides a foundation for incorporating unmarked data within a single framework, even in cases where sampling processes yield different detection probabilities. This approach will be useful for survey design and to researchers interested in incorporating historical or citizen science data into analyses focused on understanding how demographic rates drive population abundance. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

  6. Effects of CT resolution and radiodensity threshold on the CFD evaluation of nasal airflow.

    PubMed

    Quadrio, Maurizio; Pipolo, Carlotta; Corti, Stefano; Messina, Francesco; Pesci, Chiara; Saibene, Alberto M; Zampini, Samuele; Felisati, Giovanni

    2016-03-01

    The article focuses on the robustness of a CFD-based procedure for the quantitative evaluation of the nasal airflow. CFD ability to yield robust results with respect to the unavoidable procedural and modeling inaccuracies must be demonstrated to allow this tool to become part of the clinical practice in this field. The present article specifically addresses the sensitivity of the CFD procedure to the spatial resolution of the available CT scans, as well as to the choice of the segmentation level of the CT images. We found no critical problems concerning these issues; nevertheless, the choice of the segmentation level is potentially delicate if carried out by an untrained operator.

  7. Optomotor-Blind Negatively Regulates Drosophila Eye Development by Blocking Jak/STAT Signaling

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, Yu-Chen; Grimm, Stefan; Chao, Ju-Lan; Wang, Shih-Chin; Hofmeyer, Kerstin; Shen, Jie; Eichinger, Fred; Michalopoulou, Theoni; Yao, Chi-Kuang; Chang, Chih-Hsuan; Lin, Shih-Han; Sun, Y. Henry; Pflugfelder, Gert O.

    2015-01-01

    Organ formation requires a delicate balance of positive and negative regulators. In Drosophila eye development, wingless (wg) is expressed at the lateral margins of the eye disc and serves to block retinal development. The T-box gene optomotor-blind (omb) is expressed in a similar pattern and is regulated by Wg. Omb mediates part of Wg activity in blocking eye development. Omb exerts its function primarily by blocking cell proliferation. These effects occur predominantly in the ventral margin. Our results suggest that the primary effect of Omb is the blocking of Jak/STAT signaling by repressing transcription of upd which encodes the Jak receptor ligand Unpaired. PMID:25781970

  8. Design and control of a macro-micro robot for precise force applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Yulun; Mangaser, Amante; Laby, Keith; Jordan, Steve; Wilson, Jeff

    1993-01-01

    Creating a robot which can delicately interact with its environment has been the goal of much research. Primarily two difficulties have made this goal hard to attain. The execution of control strategies which enable precise force manipulations are difficult to implement in real time because such algorithms have been too computationally complex for available controllers. Also, a robot mechanism which can quickly and precisely execute a force command is difficult to design. Actuation joints must be sufficiently stiff, frictionless, and lightweight so that desired torques can be accurately applied. This paper describes a robotic system which is capable of delicate manipulations. A modular high-performance multiprocessor control system was designed to provide sufficient compute power for executing advanced control methods. An 8 degree of freedom macro-micro mechanism was constructed to enable accurate tip forces. Control algorithms based on the impedance control method were derived, coded, and load balanced for maximum execution speed on the multiprocessor system. Delicate force tasks such as polishing, finishing, cleaning, and deburring, are the target applications of the robot.

  9. Marsh nesting by mallards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Krapu, G.L.; Talent, L.G.; Dwyer, T.J.

    1979-01-01

    Nest-site selection by mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) hens was studied on a 52-km2, privately owned area in the Missouri Coteau of south-central North Dakota during 1974-77. Sixty-six percent of 53 nests initiated by radio-marked and unmarked hens were in wetlands in dense stands of emergent vegetation and usually within 50 m of the wetland edge. These findings and other sources of information suggest that significant numbers of mallards breeding in the Prairie Pothole Region nest in marsh habitat. Potential factors contributing to mallard use of marsh habitat for nesting purposes are discussed. Management considerations associated with marsh nesting by mallards are described and research needs are identified.

  10. PIV measurements in a compact return diffuser under multi-conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, L.; Lu, W. G.; Shi, W. D.

    2013-12-01

    Due to the complex three-dimensional geometries of impellers and diffusers, their design is a delicate and difficult task. Slight change could lead to significant changes in hydraulic performance and internal flow structure. Conversely, the grasp of the pump's internal flow pattern could benefit from pump design improvement. The internal flow fields in a compact return diffuser have been investigated experimentally under multi-conditions. A special Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) test rig is designed, and the two-dimensional PIV measurements are successfully conducted in the diffuser mid-plane to capture the complex flow patterns. The analysis of the obtained results has been focused on the flow structure in diffuser, especially under part-load conditions. The vortex and recirculation flow patterns in diffuser are captured and analysed accordingly. Strong flow separation and back flow appeared at the part-load flow rates. Under the design and over-load conditions, the flow fields in diffuser are uniform, and the flow separation and back flow appear at the part-load flow rates, strong back flow is captured at one diffuser passage under 0.2Qdes.

  11. A traditional and a less-invasive robust design: choices in optimizing effort allocation for seabird population studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Converse, S.J.; Kendall, W.L.; Doherty, P.F.; Naughton, M.B.; Hines, J.E.; Thomson, David L.; Cooch, Evan G.; Conroy, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    For many animal populations, one or more life stages are not accessible to sampling, and therefore an unobservable state is created. For colonially-breeding populations, this unobservable state could represent the subset of adult breeders that have foregone breeding in a given year. This situation applies to many seabird populations, notably albatrosses, where skipped breeders are either absent from the colony, or are present but difficult to capture or correctly assign to breeding state. Kendall et al. have proposed design strategies for investigations of seabird demography where such temporary emigration occurs, suggesting the use of the robust design to permit the estimation of time-dependent parameters and to increase the precision of estimates from multi-state models. A traditional robust design, where animals are subject to capture multiple times in a sampling season, is feasible in many cases. However, due to concerns that multiple captures per season could cause undue disturbance to animals, Kendall et al. developed a less-invasive robust design (LIRD), where initial captures are followed by an assessment of the ratio of marked-to-unmarked birds in the population or sampled plot. This approach has recently been applied in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to populations of Laysan (Phoebastria immutabilis) and black-footed (P. nigripes) albatrosses. In this paper, we outline the LIRD and its application to seabird population studies. We then describe an approach to determining optimal allocation of sampling effort in which we consider a non-robust design option (nRD), and variations of both the traditional robust design (RD), and the LIRD. Variations we considered included the number of secondary sampling occasions for the RD and the amount of total effort allocated to the marked-to-unmarked ratio assessment for the LIRD. We used simulations, informed by early data from the Hawaiian study, to address optimal study design for our example cases. We found that the LIRD performed as well or nearly as well as certain variations of the RD in terms of root mean square error, especially when relatively little of the total effort was allocated to the assessment of the marked-to-unmarked ratio versus to initial captures. For the RD, we found no clear benefit of using 2, 4, or 6 secondary sampling occasions per year, though this result will depend on the relative effort costs of captures versus recaptures and on the length of the study. We also found that field-readable bands, which may be affixed to birds in addition to standard metal bands, will be beneficial in longer-term studies of albatrosses in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Field-readable bands reduce the effort cost of recapturing individuals, and in the long-term this cost reduction can offset the additional effort expended in affixing the bands. Finally, our approach to determining optimal study design can be generally applied by researchers, with little seed data, to design their studies at the outset.

  12. Governing therapy choices: power/knowledge in the treatment of progressive renal failure.

    PubMed

    Holmes, Dave; Perron, Amélie M; Savoie, Marc

    2006-12-04

    This article outlines the struggle between the power of the health care professional and the rights of the individual to choose freely a modality of treatment. Nurses are instrumental in assisting patients in making the best decision for a therapy they will have to assume for the rest of their lives. In guiding patients' decision, nurses must take into account these unavoidable contingencies: changes in lifestyle, nutritional restrictions, level of acceptance, compliance issues, ease of training and availability of support/facilities. Ensuring that the patient makes an informed decision is therefore an ongoing challenge for nurses as they are taking part in a delicate balancing act between not directly influencing the patient's decision while making sure the patient is accurately informed.

  13. Governing therapy choices: Power/Knowledge in the treatment of progressive renal failure

    PubMed Central

    Holmes, Dave; Perron, Amélie M; Savoie, Marc

    2006-01-01

    This article outlines the struggle between the power of the health care professional and the rights of the individual to choose freely a modality of treatment. Nurses are instrumental in assisting patients in making the best decision for a therapy they will have to assume for the rest of their lives. In guiding patients' decision, nurses must take into account these unavoidable contingencies: changes in lifestyle, nutritional restrictions, level of acceptance, compliance issues, ease of training and availability of support/facilities. Ensuring that the patient makes an informed decision is therefore an ongoing challenge for nurses as they are taking part in a delicate balancing act between not directly influencing the patient's decision while making sure the patient is accurately informed. PMID:17144913

  14. Spring-summer movements of bonytail in a Colorado River reservoir, Lake Mohave, Arizona and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marsh, Paul C.; Mueller, Gordon

    1999-01-01

    Bonytail can move substantial distances in a short time (10s of km in a few days). Fish in both years apparently favored the same areas, where they may remain for weeks. Unmarked bonytail were observed or captured by setting nets in places favored by tagged fish, a significant result since future use of the technique may enhance our ability to monitor reintroductions, locate and document spawning, examine habitat use, and acquire desperately needed brood stock for this critically imperiled species. External tagging techniques developed for juvenile razorback sucker may provide a method of minimizing telemetry induced stress while allowing us to focus sampling on congregation sites.

  15. Mapping of bovine prolactin and rhodopsin genes in hybrid somatic cells.

    PubMed

    Hallerman, E M; Theilmann, J L; Beckmann, J S; Soller, M; Womack, J E

    1988-01-01

    The genes encoding bovine prolactin and rhodopsin were assigned to syntenic groups on the basis of hybridization of DNA from a panel of bovine-hamster hybrid somatic cell lines with cloned prolactin and rhodopsin gene probes. Prolactin was found to be syntenic with previously mapped glyoxalase, BoLA and 21-hydroxylase genes, establishing a syntenic conservation with human chromosome 6. The presence of bovine rhodopsin sequences among the various hybrid cell lines was not concordant with any gene previously assigned to one of the 23 defined autosomal syntenic groups. Thus, rhodopsin marks a new bovine syntenic group, U24, leaving only five cattle autosomes unmarked by at least one biochemical or molecular marker.

  16. Grande Ronde Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program; Satellite Facilities Operation and Maintenance, 2005 Annual Report.

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

    McLean, Michael L.; Seeger, Ryan; Hewitt, Laurie

    2006-01-01

    There were 2 acclimation periods at the Catherine Creek Acclimation Facility (CCAF) in 2005. During the early acclimation period, 130,748 smolts were delivered from Lookingglass Hatchery (LGH) on 7 March. This group contained progeny of both the captive (53%) and conventional broodstock programs. The size of the fish at delivery was 23.9 fish/lb. Volitional releases began 14 March 2005 and ended 27 March with an estimated total (based on PIT tag detections of 3,187) of 29,402 fish leaving the raceways. This was 22.5% of the total fish delivered. Fish remaining in the raceways after volitional release were forced out. Hourlymore » detections of PIT-tagged fish showed that most of the fish left around 1900 hours. The size of the fish just before the volitional release was 23.9 and the size of the fish remaining just before the forced release was 23.2 fish/lb. The total mortality for the acclimation period was 204 (0.16%). The total number of fish released from the acclimation facility during the early period was 130,544. During the second acclimation period 59,100 smolts were delivered from LGH on 28 March. This group was comprised entirely of progeny from the conventional broodstock program. The size of the fish at delivery was 21.8 fish/lb. Volitional releases began 3 April 2005 and ended with a force out emergency release on 7 April. The size of the fish just before the volitional release was 21.8. The total mortality for the acclimation period was 64 (0.11 %). The total number of fish released from the acclimation facility during the late period was 59,036. There was only 1 planned acclimation period at the Upper Grande Ronde Acclimation Facility (UGRAF) in 2005. During the early acclimation period 105,418 smolts were delivered from LGH on 8 March. This group was comprised entirely of progeny from the conventional broodstock program. The size of the fish at delivery was 21.0 fish/lb. There was no volitional release in 2005 due to freezing air and water conditions prompting an early release. The total mortality for the acclimation period was 49 (0.05 %). The total number of fish released from the acclimation facility during the late period was 105,369. Maintenance and repair activities were conducted at the acclimation facilities in 2005. Facility maintenance work consisted of snow removal, installation of drainage lines, removal of gravel from intake area, installation of new gate at the CCAF, and complete overhaul of 2 travel trailers. The Catherine Creek Adult Capture Facility (CCACF) was put into operation on 11 February 2005. The first adult summer steelhead was captured on 4 March. A total of 190 adult summer steelhead were trapped and released from 4 March to 16 May 2005. Peak arrival at the trap was the week of 8 April. The first adult spring Chinook salmon was captured at CCACF on 6 May 2005. A total of 226 spring Chinook salmon were trapped from 6 May to 8 July 2005. There were 56 adults and 4 jacks unmarked and 136 adult and 30 jack marked spring Chinook salmon trapped. Peak arrival at the trap was the week of 10 June for the unmarked and marked fish. None of the captive broodstock returns were collected for broodstock. Broodstock was collected systematically over the entire return from 31 May to 6 July 2005. Ten of the 34 broodstock collected and transported from CCACF to LGH were unmarked fish trapped. About 18% of the naturally produced adult males and females trapped were taken to LGH for broodstock. One jack was collected for every 5 adult males that were taken to LGH. A total of 30 age 4 and 5 and 4 age 3 fish were transported to LGH for broodstock. The hatchery component of the broodstock was 66.7%. Five weekly spawning surveys were conducted below the weir on Catherine Creek beginning 30 June 2005. During these surveys no live or dead fish were observed. The trap was removed from Catherine Creek on 3 August 2005. Temperatures at the CCACF ranged from -0.1 C on 14 February to 23.7 C on 21 July. The hourly temperatures at the adult trap during the period of operation showed that the lowest water temperatures usually occurred around 0700 hours and the highest water temperatures usually occurred around 1600 hours. Facility maintenance work at CCACF consisted of construction of a debris barrier in front of the intake, maintenance of weir, and weed abatement. The Upper Grande Ronde Adult Collection Facility (UGRACF) was put into operation on 10 March 2005. The first adult summer steelhead was captured on 8 April. A total of 41 adult summer steelhead were trapped and released from 8 April to 11 May 2005. Peak arrival at the trap was the week of 22 April. The first adult spring Chinook salmon was captured at UGRACF on 31 May 2005. A total of 277 spring Chinook salmon were trapped from 31 May to 3 August 2005. There were 14 adults and no jacks unmarked and 257 adult and 6 jack marked spring Chinook salmon trapped. Peak arrival at the trap for both unmarked and marked fish was 10 June.« less

  17. Giant magnetoresistive biosensors for molecular diagnosis: surface chemistry and assay development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Heng; Osterfeld, Sebastian J.; Xu, Liang; White, Robert L.; Pourmand, Nader; Wang, Shan X.

    2008-08-01

    Giant magnetoresistive (GMR) biochips using magnetic nanoparticle as labels were developed for molecular diagnosis. The sensor arrays consist of GMR sensing strips of 1.5 μm or 0.75 μm in width. GMR sensors are exquisitely sensitive yet very delicate, requiring ultrathin corrosion-resistive passivation and efficient surface chemistry for oligonucleotide probe immobilization. A mild and stable surface chemistry was first developed that is especially suitable for modifying delicate electronic device surfaces, and a practical application of our GMR biosensors was then demonstrated for detecting four most common human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes in plasmids. We also showed that the DNA hybridization time could potentially be reduced from overnight to about ten minutes using microfluidics.

  18. Probabilistic and statistical relationships between number of vehicles and number of visitors at a geologic site in a National Park

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crovelli, R.A.

    1997-01-01

    The National Park Service needs to establish in all of the national parks how large the parking lots should be in order to enjoy and presence our natural resources, for example, in the Delicate Arch in the Arches National Park. Probabilistic and statistical relationships were developed between the number of vehicles (N) at one time in the Wolfe Ranch parking lot and the number of visitors (X) at Delicate Arch 1.5 miles away in the Arches National Park, southeastern Utah. The value of N is determined such that 30 or more visitors are at the arch only 10% of the time.

  19. Modeling Systematic Change in Stopover Duration Does Not Improve Bias in Trends Estimated from Migration Counts.

    PubMed

    Crewe, Tara L; Taylor, Philip D; Lepage, Denis

    2015-01-01

    The use of counts of unmarked migrating animals to monitor long term population trends assumes independence of daily counts and a constant rate of detection. However, migratory stopovers often last days or weeks, violating the assumption of count independence. Further, a systematic change in stopover duration will result in a change in the probability of detecting individuals once, but also in the probability of detecting individuals on more than one sampling occasion. We tested how variation in stopover duration influenced accuracy and precision of population trends by simulating migration count data with known constant rate of population change and by allowing daily probability of survival (an index of stopover duration) to remain constant, or to vary randomly, cyclically, or increase linearly over time by various levels. Using simulated datasets with a systematic increase in stopover duration, we also tested whether any resulting bias in population trend could be reduced by modeling the underlying source of variation in detection, or by subsampling data to every three or five days to reduce the incidence of recounting. Mean bias in population trend did not differ significantly from zero when stopover duration remained constant or varied randomly over time, but bias and the detection of false trends increased significantly with a systematic increase in stopover duration. Importantly, an increase in stopover duration over time resulted in a compounding effect on counts due to the increased probability of detection and of recounting on subsequent sampling occasions. Under this scenario, bias in population trend could not be modeled using a covariate for stopover duration alone. Rather, to improve inference drawn about long term population change using counts of unmarked migrants, analyses must include a covariate for stopover duration, as well as incorporate sampling modifications (e.g., subsampling) to reduce the probability that individuals will be detected on more than one occasion.

  20. Mortality, Transmitter Retention, Growth, and Wound Healing in Juvenile Salmon Injected with Micro Acoustic Transmitters

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

    Liss, Stephanie A.; Brown, Richard S.; Deters, Katherine A.

    A cylindrical acoustic transmitter (AT; 0.2 g) has been developed for injection into the peritoneum of fish. Laboratory studies can provide tagging guidelines to minimize the effect of implantation techniques and transmitter burden (relative weight of the transmitter to the weight of the fish) in fish before a transmitter is used in field studies. The goal of this study was to examine response variables (mortality, transmitter expulsion, growth, wound area) of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha; 65–104 mm fork length [FL]) injected with an AT along a wide range of sizes that could lead to a guideline for minimizing taggingmore » effects. The overarching goal was to determine a minimum size threshold for fish that can be injected, while minimizing adverse transmitter effects. Juveniles (n = 700) were separated into four treatments: (1) acoustic transmitter injection (AT), (2) AT and a passive integrated transponder tag injection (AT+PIT), (3) visual implant elastomer injection (Marked control), and (4) unmarked (Unmarked control). Fish were evaluated weekly for four weeks, and again at the end of the study (60 d post-tagging). Fish injected with an AT or an AT+PIT experienced greater mortality than Marked controls. By 60 d post-tagging, transmitter expulsion was 44% for AT fish and 20% for AT+PIT fish. Fish injected with an AT or an AT+PIT grew (FL and weight gain) significantly less than Marked controls, and no minimum size thresholds were detected. Finally, initial size (FL) significantly affected wound area in AT and AT+PIT fish. A size threshold was only identified on Day 7 (85.1 mm) for AT+PIT fish, indicating that wound areas in fish < 85.1 mm were larger than wound areas of fish > 85.1 mm. This research suggests that injecting juveniles with an AT or an AT+PIT had a greater effect on smaller fish than larger fish.« less

  1. Traffic collisions between electric mobility devices (wheelchairs) and motor vehicles: Accidents, hubris, or self-destructive behavior?

    PubMed

    LaBan, Myron M; Nabity, Thomas S

    2010-07-01

    This study had its genesis in a personally observed collision between a motor vehicle and a motorized wheelchair (electric mobility device) on a busy street in the middle of the block at an unmarked crossing. To the observer, at the time, this appeared to be a suicidal act. This investigation was initiated to both delineate the number of these crashes nationally and understand this phenomena as a potentially planned act of self-destruction. An initial survey of police reports was immediately frustrated by an inability to separate motor vehicle and electric mobility device collisions from the much larger group that involved ambulatory citizens because both types were classified together as "pedestrian" accidents. Instead, the search engine NexisLexis was used to identify 107 newspaper articles each of which described a motor vehicle and electric mobility device accident. In the motor vehicle and electric mobility device collisions, men predominated women (3:1 ratio) with an average age of 56 yrs. Sixty of these accidents were fatal. Ninety-four percent involved an electric mobility device and 6% a manual wheelchair. In 50% of the cases, the motor vehicle was a truck, van, or sport utility vehicle. Fifty percent occurred at dusk or dawn or at night. The electric mobility device occupant was cited as the guilty party in 39% of the cases and the driver of the motor vehicle in 27%. Twenty percent were unwitnessed hit-and-run accidents, whereas "no fault" was found in 8% of the cases. Although many accidents do happen by chance, when an electric mobility device operator openly challenges busy traffic by attempting to traverse it in the middle of the block at an unmarked crossing, predisposing psychosocial factors must also be considered. Hubris or premeditated self-destructive behavior or both need to be explored as preeminent issues with reference to the prodromal of the "accident process."

  2. Mob/oriT, a mobilizable site-specific recombination system for unmarked genetic manipulation in Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus.

    PubMed

    Wang, Pengxia; Zhu, Yiguang; Zhang, Yuyang; Zhang, Chunyi; Xu, Jianyi; Deng, Yun; Peng, Donghai; Ruan, Lifang; Sun, Ming

    2016-06-10

    Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus are two important species in B. cereus group. The intensive study of these strains at the molecular level and construction of genetically modified bacteria requires the development of efficient genetic tools. To insert genes into or delete genes from bacterial chromosomes, marker-less manipulation methods were employed. We present a novel genetic manipulation method for B. thuringiensis and B. cereus strains that does not leave selection markers. Our approach takes advantage of the relaxase Mob02281 encoded by plasmid pBMB0228 from Bacillus thuringiensis. In addition to its mobilization function, this Mob protein can mediate recombination between oriT sites. The Mob02281 mobilization module was associated with a spectinomycin-resistance gene to form a Mob-Spc cassette, which was flanked by the core 24-bp oriT sequences from pBMB0228. A strain in which the wild-type chromosome was replaced with the modified copy containing the Mob-Spc cassette at the target locus was obtained via homologous recombination. Thus, the spectinomycin-resistance gene can be used to screen for Mob-Spc cassette integration mutants. Recombination between the two oriT sequences mediated by Mob02281, encoded by the Mob-Spc cassette, resulted in the excision of the Mob-Spc cassette, producing the desired chromosomal alteration without introducing unwanted selection markers. We used this system to generate an in-frame deletion of a target gene in B. thuringiensis as well as a gene located in an operon of B. cereus. Moreover, we demonstrated that this system can be used to introduce a single gene or an expression cassette of interest in B. thuringiensis. The Mob/oriT recombination system provides an efficient method for unmarked genetic manipulation and for constructing genetically modified bacteria of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus. Our method extends the available genetic tools for B. thuringiensis and B. cereus strains.

  3. Solving satisfiability problems using a novel microarray-based DNA computer.

    PubMed

    Lin, Che-Hsin; Cheng, Hsiao-Ping; Yang, Chang-Biau; Yang, Chia-Ning

    2007-01-01

    An algorithm based on a modified sticker model accompanied with an advanced MEMS-based microarray technology is demonstrated to solve SAT problem, which has long served as a benchmark in DNA computing. Unlike conventional DNA computing algorithms needing an initial data pool to cover correct and incorrect answers and further executing a series of separation procedures to destroy the unwanted ones, we built solutions in parts to satisfy one clause in one step, and eventually solve the entire Boolean formula through steps. No time-consuming sample preparation procedures and delicate sample applying equipment were required for the computing process. Moreover, experimental results show the bound DNA sequences can sustain the chemical solutions during computing processes such that the proposed method shall be useful in dealing with large-scale problems.

  4. Battling Against Interfaith Relations in Israel: Religion, Therapy, and Social Services.

    PubMed

    Hakak, Yohai

    2016-01-01

    One of the less studied aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is its demography. On the Jewish side, active steps are taken by the state to encourage Jewish immigration and Jewish births and discourage Jewish assimilation. As part of these efforts, the "problematic relationships" between Arab men and Jewish women from low socioeconomic background have become a high agenda item in public discussions in Israel during the last decade. I will examine here how the diagnostic category "girls at risk" and a therapeutic intervention employed by social services dealing with these couples helps maintaining the delicate balance between Jewish and democratic values. I will analyze these practices as a solution to a structural problem of the Jewish enclave in Israel. © 2015 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  5. Ring Beholds a Delicate Flower

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope finds a delicate flower in the Ring Nebula, as shown in this image. The outer shell of this planetary nebula looks surprisingly similar to the delicate petals of a camellia blossom. A planetary nebula is a shell of material ejected from a dying star. Located about 2,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra, the Ring Nebula is also known as Messier Object 57 and NGC 6720. It is one of the best examples of a planetary nebula and a favorite target of amateur astronomers.

    The 'ring' is a thick cylinder of glowing gas and dust around the doomed star. As the star begins to run out of fuel, its core becomes smaller and hotter, boiling off its outer layers. The telescope's infrared array camera detected this material expelled from the withering star. Previous images of the Ring Nebula taken by visible-light telescopes usually showed just the inner glowing loop of gas around the star. The outer regions are especially prominent in this new image because Spitzer sees the infrared light from hydrogen molecules. The molecules emit infrared light because they have absorbed ultraviolet radiation from the star or have been heated by the wind from the star.

    Download the QuickTime movie for the animated version of this Ring Nebula image.

  6. Know when to run, know when to hide: can behavioral differences explain the divergent invasion success of two sympatric lizards?

    PubMed Central

    Chapple, David G; Simmonds, Sarah M; Wong, Bob BM

    2011-01-01

    Invasive species represent a select subset of organisms that have successfully transitioned through each stage of the introduction process (transportation, establishment, and spread). Although there is a growing realization that behavior plays a critical role in invasion success, few studies have focused on the initial stages of introduction. We examined whether differences in the grouping tendencies and exploratory behavior of two sympatric lizard species could contribute to their divergent invasion success. While the nondirected activity of the two species did not differ, the invasive delicate skink (Lampropholis delicata) was found to be more exploratory than the congeneric noninvasive garden skink (L. guichenoti), which enabled it to more effectively locate novel environments and basking site resources. The delicate skink also exhibited a greater tendency to hide, which may act to enhance its probability of ensnarement in freight and cargo and decrease its likelihood of detection during transit. The grouping tendencies of the two species did not differ. Together, our results suggest that while the two species have an equivalent “opportunity” for unintentional human-assisted transportation, several pre-existing behavioral traits may enhance the success of the delicate skink in negotiating the initial stages of the introduction process, and subsequent post-establishment spread. PMID:22393500

  7. Out of the SHADOW: watch parts in the spotlight -- laser beam microwelding of delicate watch components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, Thorsten; Olowinsky, Alexander M.

    2003-07-01

    Conventional joining techniques like press fitting or crimping require the application of mechanical forces to the parts which, in combination with the tolerances of both parts to be joined, lead to imprecision and poor tensile strength. In contrast, laser beam micro welding provides consistent joining and high flexibility and it acts as an alternative as long as press fitting, crimping, screwing or gluing are not capable of batch production. Different parts and even different metals can be joined in a non-contact process at feed rates of up to 60 m/min and with weld seam lengths from 0.6 mm to 15.7 mm. Due to the low energy input, typically 1 J to 6 J, a weld width as small as 50 μm and a weld depth as small as 20 μm have been attained. This results in low distortion of the joined watch components. Since the first applications of laser beam micro welding of watch components showed promising results, the process has further been enhanced using the SHADOW technique. Aspects of the technique such as tensile strength, geometry and precision of the weld seam as well as the acceptance amongst the -mostly conservative- watch manufacturers have been improved.

  8. Estimating adult sex ratios in nature.

    PubMed

    Ancona, Sergio; Dénes, Francisco V; Krüger, Oliver; Székely, Tamás; Beissinger, Steven R

    2017-09-19

    Adult sex ratio (ASR, the proportion of males in the adult population) is a central concept in population and evolutionary biology, and is also emerging as a major factor influencing mate choice, pair bonding and parental cooperation in both human and non-human societies. However, estimating ASR is fraught with difficulties stemming from the effects of spatial and temporal variation in the numbers of males and females, and detection/capture probabilities that differ between the sexes. Here, we critically evaluate methods for estimating ASR in wild animal populations, reviewing how recent statistical advances can be applied to handle some of these challenges. We review methods that directly account for detection differences between the sexes using counts of unmarked individuals (observed, trapped or killed) and counts of marked individuals using mark-recapture models. We review a third class of methods that do not directly sample the number of males and females, but instead estimate the sex ratio indirectly using relationships that emerge from demographic measures, such as survival, age structure, reproduction and assumed dynamics. We recommend that detection-based methods be used for estimating ASR in most situations, and point out that studies are needed that compare different ASR estimation methods and control for sex differences in dispersal.This article is part of the themed issue 'Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  9. The actin cytoskeleton in whole mount preparations and sections.

    PubMed

    Resch, Guenter P; Urban, Edit; Jacob, Sonja

    2010-01-01

    In non-muscle cells, the actin cytoskeleton plays a key role by providing a scaffold contributing to the definition of cell shape, force for driving cell motility, cytokinesis, endocytosis, and propulsion of pathogens, as well as tracks for intracellular transport. A thorough understanding of these processes requires insight into the spatial and temporal organisation of actin filaments into diverse higher-order structures, such as networks, parallel bundles, and contractile arrays. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy can be used to visualise the actin cytoskeleton, but due to the delicate nature of actin filaments, they are easily affected by standard preparation protocols, yielding variable degrees of ultrastructural preservation. In this chapter, we describe different conventional and cryo-approaches to visualise the actin cytoskeleton using transmission electron microscopy and discuss their specific advantages and drawbacks. In the first part, we present three different whole mount techniques, which allow visualisation of actin in the peripheral, thinly spread parts of cells grown in monolayers. In the second part, we describe specific issues concerning the visualisation of actin in thin sections. Techniques for three-dimensional visualisation of actin, protein localisation, and correlative light and electron microscopy are also included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Can Gender-Fair Language Reduce Gender Stereotyping and Discrimination?

    PubMed

    Sczesny, Sabine; Formanowicz, Magda; Moser, Franziska

    2016-01-01

    Gender-fair language (GFL) aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination. Two principle strategies have been employed to make languages gender-fair and to treat women and men symmetrically: neutralization and feminization. Neutralization is achieved, for example, by replacing male-masculine forms (policeman) with gender-unmarked forms (police officer), whereas feminization relies on the use of feminine forms to make female referents visible (i.e., the applicant… he or she instead of the applicant… he). By integrating research on (1) language structures, (2) language policies, and (3) individual language behavior, we provide a critical review of how GFL contributes to the reduction of gender stereotyping and discrimination. Our review provides a basis for future research and for scientifically based policy-making.

  11. Can Gender-Fair Language Reduce Gender Stereotyping and Discrimination?

    PubMed Central

    Sczesny, Sabine; Formanowicz, Magda; Moser, Franziska

    2016-01-01

    Gender-fair language (GFL) aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination. Two principle strategies have been employed to make languages gender-fair and to treat women and men symmetrically: neutralization and feminization. Neutralization is achieved, for example, by replacing male-masculine forms (policeman) with gender-unmarked forms (police officer), whereas feminization relies on the use of feminine forms to make female referents visible (i.e., the applicant… he or she instead of the applicant… he). By integrating research on (1) language structures, (2) language policies, and (3) individual language behavior, we provide a critical review of how GFL contributes to the reduction of gender stereotyping and discrimination. Our review provides a basis for future research and for scientifically based policy-making. PMID:26869947

  12. Creating a safe space: A qualitative inquiry into the way doctors discuss spirituality.

    PubMed

    Best, Megan; Butow, Phyllis; Olver, Ian

    2016-10-01

    Spiritual history taking by physicians is recommended as part of palliative care. Nevertheless, very few studies have explored the way that experienced physicians undertake this task. Using grounded theory, semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 physicians who had experience in caring for advanced cancer patients. They were asked to describe the way they discuss spirituality with their patients. We have described a delicate, skilled, tailored process whereby physicians create a space in which patients feel safe enough to discuss intimate topics. Six themes were identified: (1) developing the self: physicians describe the need to understand and be secure in one's own spirituality and be comfortable with one's own mortality before being able to discuss spirituality; (2) developing one's attitude: awareness of the importance of spirituality in the life of a patient, and the need to respect each patient's beliefs is a prerequisite; (3) experienced physicians wait for the patient to give them an indication that they are ready to discuss spiritual issues and follow their lead; (4) what makes it easier: spiritual discussion is easier when doctor and patient share spiritual and cultural backgrounds, and the patient needs to be physically comfortable and willing to talk; (5) what makes it harder: experienced physicians know that they will find it difficult to discuss spirituality when they are rushed and when they identify too closely with a patient's struggles; and (6) an important and effective intervention: exploration of patient spirituality improves care and enhances coping. A delicate, skilled, tailored process has been described whereby doctors endeavor to create a space in which patients feel sufficiently safe to discuss intimate topics.

  13. Tissue architecture and breast cancer: the role of extracellular matrix and steroid hormones

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, R K; Bissell, M J

    2010-01-01

    The changes in tissue architecture that accompany the development of breast cancer have been the focus of investigations aimed at developing new cancer therapeutics. As we learn more about the normal mammary gland, we have begun to understand the complex signaling pathways underlying the dramatic shifts in the structure and function of breast tissue. Integrin-, growth factor-, and steroid hormone-signaling pathways all play an important part in maintaining tissue architecture; disruption of the delicate balance of signaling results in dramatic changes in the way cells interact with each other and with the extracellular matrix, leading to breast cancer. The extracellular matrix itself plays a central role in coordinating these signaling processes. In this review, we consider the interrelationships between the extracellular matrix, integrins, growth factors, and steroid hormones in mammary gland development and function. PMID:10903527

  14. Design of the computerized 3D endoscopic imaging system for delicate endoscopic surgery.

    PubMed

    Song, Chul-Gyu; Kang, Jin U

    2011-02-01

    This paper describes a 3D endoscopic video system designed to improve visualization and enhance the ability of the surgeon to perform delicate endoscopic surgery. In a comparison of the polarized and conventional electric shutter-type stereo imaging systems, the former was found to be superior in terms of both accuracy and speed for suturing and for the loop pass test. Among the groups performing loop passing and suturing, there was no significant difference in the task performance between the 2D and 3D modes, however, suturing was performed 15% (p < 0.05) faster in 3D mode by both groups. The results of our experiments show that the proposed 3D endoscopic system has a sufficiently wide viewing angle and zone for multi-viewing.

  15. Quantum metrology: Beauty and the noisy beast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maccone, Lorenzo; Giovannetti, Vittorio

    2011-05-01

    Elegant but extremely delicate quantum procedures can increase the precision of measurements. Characterizing how they cope with the detrimental effects of noise is essential for deployment to the real world.

  16. Seeing High in the Sky

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-01-06

    In this magnificent view, delicate haze layers high in the atmosphere encircle the oblate figure of Saturn. A special combination of spectral filters used for this image makes the high haze become visible

  17. Examination for the Certificate in Advanced Practice in Cervical Cytology--the first year's experience.

    PubMed

    Smith, P A; Hewer, E M

    2003-06-01

    Following the decision to establish an Advanced Biomedical Scientist Practitioner grade for senior biomedical scientists in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, a conjoint examination board has been appointed by the Royal College of Pathologists and Institute of Biomedical Science to oversee the Certificate in Advanced Practice in Cervical Cytology examination. The examination consists of a multiple-choice paper, short-answer written questions and practical microscopy sections covering screening of unmarked slides, and more complex discussion cases. In the first year there were 58 entries with 29 successful candidates, a pass rate of 50%. The standard of performance in the examination showed a wide range, and some candidates appear to have underestimated the degree of preparation, knowledge or level of microscopy skill required.

  18. Feeding flights of breeding double-crested cormorants at two Wisconsin colonies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Custer, T.W.; Bunck, C.

    1992-01-01

    Unmarked Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) (n = 523) were followed by airplane from Cat Island and Spider Island, two nesting colonies in Wisconsin, to their first landing site. Cormorants flew an average of 2.0 km from Cat Island (maximum 40 km) and 2.4 km from Spider Island (maximum12 km). The mean direction of landing sites differed seasonally for fights from Spider Island, but not from Cat Island. Cormorants generally landed in Green Bay or Lake Michigan (>99%) and rarely landed in inland lakes or ponds. The most frequent (> 80%) water depth at landing sites for each colony was 9.l m were used less frequently than available within the maximum observed flight distance for each colony. The average flight speed for cormorants was 61 km/h.

  19. Autonomous navigation of structured city roads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aubert, Didier; Kluge, Karl C.; Thorpe, Chuck E.

    1991-03-01

    Autonomous road following is a domain which spans a range of complexity from poorly defined unmarked dirt roads to well defined well marked highly struc-. tured highways. The YARF system (for Yet Another Road Follower) is designed to operate in the middle of this range of complexity driving on urban streets. Our research program has focused on the use of feature- and situation-specific segmentation techniques driven by an explicit model of the appearance and geometry of the road features in the environment. We report results in robust detection of white and yellow painted stripes fitting a road model to detected feature locations to determine vehicle position and local road geometry and automatic location of road features in an initial image. We also describe our planned extensions to include intersection navigation.

  20. An AK-LDMeans algorithm based on image clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Huimin; Li, Xingwei; Zhang, Yongbin; Chen, Nan

    2018-03-01

    Clustering is an effective analytical technique for handling unmarked data for value mining. Its ultimate goal is to mark unclassified data quickly and correctly. We use the roadmap for the current image processing as the experimental background. In this paper, we propose an AK-LDMeans algorithm to automatically lock the K value by designing the Kcost fold line, and then use the long-distance high-density method to select the clustering centers to further replace the traditional initial clustering center selection method, which further improves the efficiency and accuracy of the traditional K-Means Algorithm. And the experimental results are compared with the current clustering algorithm and the results are obtained. The algorithm can provide effective reference value in the fields of image processing, machine vision and data mining.

  1. Celestial Fireworks

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-07-03

    Resembling sparks from a fireworks display, this image taken by a JPL camera onboard NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows delicate filaments that are sheets of debris from a stellar explosion in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.

  2. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2007 Small Business Award

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2007 award winner, NovaSterilis, invented a way to sterilize delicate biological materials such as graft tissue without harming them, using supercritical carbon dioxide and a peroxide.

  3. Preening behavior of adult gyrfalcons tagged with backpack transmitters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Booms, T.L.; Schempf, P.F.; Fuller, M.R.

    2011-01-01

    Radio transmitters provide data that enhance understanding of raptor biology (Walls and Kenward 2007) and are now used to answer a multitude of research questions (Meyburg and Fuller 2007). However, transmitters affect the birds that carry them (Barron et al. 2010), and it is important to document and evaluate such effects (Casper 2009). For example, decreased survival has been documented in Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus; Steenhof et al. 2006), Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis; Reynolds et al. 2004), and Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis; Paton et al. 1991) tagged with radio transmitters. However, no such effects were reported for Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus; Fuller et al. 1998, McGrady et al. 2002) and a number of other species (Kenward 2001). White and Garrott (1990) noted that in general, animals tagged with radio transmitters often altered their behaviors for 1–14 d after release during an adjustment period that included increased preening and grooming frequencies. Although more than 90 Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) have been tagged with radio transmitters (e.g., Burnham 2007, McIntyre et al. 2009, T. Booms unpubl. data), the effects of transmitters on this species are not well documented. Anecdotal information suggests some Gyrfalcons might be negatively affected by radio-tagging (Booms et al. 2008). As part of a study investigating Gyrfalcon breeding biology, we conducted opportunistic, focused observations on two radio-tagged adult female Gyrfalcons and their unmarked mates. We here describe and quantify preening behavior of Gyrfalcons shortly after radio-tagging.

  4. Celestial Fireworks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    Resembling sparks from a fireworks display, this image taken by a JPL camera onboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows delicate filaments that are sheets of debris from a stellar explosion in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.

  5. Boidinella gen. nov. (Cantharellales, Basidiomycota)

    Treesearch

    Karen K. Nakasone

    2011-01-01

    The genus Boidinella is erected to accommodate Sistotremella cystidiolophora and Dendrothele globulispora. The genus is characterized by effuse, soft, farinaceous to membranous basidiomata, delicate dendrohyphidia, obclavate leptocystidia, urniform basidia with 4 sterigmata, and subglobose to ellipsoid...

  6. Supraintercondylar fractures of the humerus--treatment by the Vigliani osteosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Fama, G

    1987-03-01

    Nineteen cases of supraintercondylar fractures of the humerus treated by the Vigliani osteosynthesis technique are described. This consists of wide transolecranon exposure of the fracture, stabilisation of the epiphyseal fragments with a transcondylar screw, and of the metaphyseo-epiphyseal junction with two condylo-diaphyseal "Eiffel Tower" Kirschner wires. The ulnar nerve is transposed anteriorly and the operation is carried out early in order to prevent neural disturbances and intra and/or periarticular ossification. The results confirm the validity of this method, which respects the delicate structure of this part of the humerus. Postoperative plaster is necessary as an indispensable complement to "minimum" osteosynthesis but this is quite free from risk. The importance of careful and gradual mobilisation of the elbow is also confirmed. Finally, this method combines the advantages of stable osteosynthesis in compression (screw and nut) at the epiphyseal site, with those of elastic osteosynthesis (Kirschner wires) at the metaphyseo-epiphyseal junction.

  7. [The "athlete's heart": structure, function and differential diagnosis].

    PubMed

    Carro, Amelia; Carro, Fernando; del Valle, Miguel Enrique

    2011-10-22

    Long-term, intense sport activity induces morphologic and functional adaptations on cardiovascular system. The magnitude of these changes is determined by various factors, creating a specific condition: the "Athlete's Heart" (AH). It is important to distinguish this entity from other cardiomyopathies, taking into account that the differential diagnosis can be challenging. There has been an increase in the number of people practicing sports, which goes in parallel with the increase in the prevalence of AH. However, the proportion of asymptomatic subjects affected by cardiovascular diseases taking part on competitive sports, is also growing. We revise the main characteristics of AH, as well as the key points to distinguish AH from pathologic conditions. A delicate characterization as AH or cardiomyopathy would help to settle appropriate measures to lower the risk of sports-related sudden cardiac death. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  8. Tissue architecture and breast cancer: the role of extracellular matrix and steroid hormones

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

    Hansen, R K; Bissell, M J

    The changes in tissue architecture that accompany the development of breast cancer have been the focus of investigations aimed at developing new cancer therapeutics. As we learn more about the normal mammary gland, we have begun to understand the complex signaling pathways underlying the dramatic shifts in the structure and function of breast tissue. Integrin-, growth factor-, and steroid hormone-signaling pathways all play an important part in maintaining tissue architecture; disruption of the delicate balance of signaling results in dramatic changes in the way cells interact with each other and with the extracellular matrix, leading to breast cancer. The extracellularmore » matrix itself plays a central role in coordinating these signaling processes. In this review, we consider the interrelationships between the extracellular matrix, integrins, growth factors, and steroid hormones in mammary gland development and function.« less

  9. Bacterial Genome Instability

    PubMed Central

    Darmon, Elise

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY Bacterial genomes are remarkably stable from one generation to the next but are plastic on an evolutionary time scale, substantially shaped by horizontal gene transfer, genome rearrangement, and the activities of mobile DNA elements. This implies the existence of a delicate balance between the maintenance of genome stability and the tolerance of genome instability. In this review, we describe the specialized genetic elements and the endogenous processes that contribute to genome instability. We then discuss the consequences of genome instability at the physiological level, where cells have harnessed instability to mediate phase and antigenic variation, and at the evolutionary level, where horizontal gene transfer has played an important role. Indeed, this ability to share DNA sequences has played a major part in the evolution of life on Earth. The evolutionary plasticity of bacterial genomes, coupled with the vast numbers of bacteria on the planet, substantially limits our ability to control disease. PMID:24600039

  10. Nature or Artifice? Grafting in Early Modern Surgery and Agronomy.

    PubMed

    Savoia, Paolo

    2017-01-01

    In 1597, Gaspare Tagliacozzi published a famous two-volume book on “plastic surgery.” The reconstructive technique he described was based on grafting skin taken from the arm onto the mutilated parts of the patient's damaged face – especially noses. This paper focuses on techniques of grafting, the “culture of grafting,” and the relationships between surgery and plant sciences in the sixteenth century. By describing the fascination with grafting in surgery, natural history, gardening, and agronomy the paper argues that grafting techniques were subject to delicate issues: to what extent it was morally acceptable to deceive the eye with artificial entities? and what was the status of the product of a surgical procedure that challenged the traditional natural/artificial distinction? Finally, this paper shows how in the seventeenth century grafting survived the crisis of Galenism by discussing the role it played in teratology and in controversies on the uses the new mechanistic anatomy.

  11. A Test Apparatus for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR Front-end Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Harjit; Loach, James; Poon, Alan

    2012-10-01

    One of the most important experimental programs in neutrino physics is the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. The MAJORANA collaboration is searching for this rare nuclear process in the Ge-76 isotope using HPGe detectors. Each detector is instrumented with high-performance electronics to read out and amplify the signals. The part of the electronics close to the detectors, consisting of a novel front-end circuit, cables and connectors, is made of radio-pure materials and is exceedingly delicate. In this work a dedicated test apparatus was created to benchmark the performance of the electronics before installation in the experiment. The apparatus was designed for cleanroom use, with fixtures to hold the components without contaminating them, and included the electronics necessary for power and readout. In addition to testing, the station will find longer term use in development of future versions of the electronics.

  12. Leukemia inhibitory factor: part of a large ingathering family.

    PubMed

    Taupin, J L; Pitard, V; Dechanet, J; Miossec, V; Gualde, N; Moreau, J F

    1998-01-01

    Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) has a wide variety of biological activities. It regulates the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, neural cells, osteoblasts, adipocytes, hepatocytes and kidney epithelial cells. It also triggers the proliferation of myoblasts, primordial germ cells and some endothelial cells. Many of these biological functions parallel those of interleukin-6, Oncostatin M, ciliary neurotrophic factor, interleukin-11 and cardiotrophin-1. These structurally related cytokines also share subunits of their receptors which could partially explain the redundancy in this system of soluble mediators. In vivo LIF proves important in regulating the inflammatory response by fine tuning of the delicate balance of at least four systems in the body, namely the immune, the hematopoietic, the nervous and the endocrine systems. Although we are far from its therapeutic applications, the fast increasing knowledge in this field may bring new insights for the understanding of the cytokine biology in general.

  13. Geophysical Survey of an Abandoned Cemetery in Prairie View, Texas: Unmarked Burials from Slave Era Discovered on College Campus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henning, A. T.; Sawyer, D. S.; Wallace, D.; Kahera, A.

    2009-12-01

    Wyatt Chapel Cemetery is an abandoned cemetery located in Prairie View, Texas. Oral histories from local residents suggest that the cemetery originated as a slave burial ground in the mid-nineteenth century. The local community is interested in examining the cemetery in order to document the history of the area. Over the past three years, we have acquired total station, global positioning system (GPS) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data at the cemetery. We utilized a GSSI cart-mounted 400 MHz radar system to image the subsurface. The soil at the field site is ideally suited for radar work and the subsurface image quality is excellent. The dielectric constant was determined to be 17 based upon the depth to a known target. Records were 80 ns in length, which corresponds to a depth of about 105 inches (8.75 feet). Data were processed to time zero and stacked. The stratigraphy consists of 3-6 feet of sand overlying a hard clay, and the boundary produces a very bright reflector. This stratigraphy is interpreted as fluvial Pleistocene sands overlying Tertiary clay. Samples were taken at multiple depths down to this boundary and radiocarbon dates are pending. Numerous anomalies were identified that are consistent with unmarked burials. Two of these anomalies were excavated and confirmed as burials. In the main clearing of the cemetery site, the sand-clay boundary deepens abruptly from 3 feet to approximately 5 feet. This anomaly was initially considered a possible man-made excavation, perhaps a mass burial site. While the stratigraphy does contain abrupt terminations, most depth changes occur gradually, suggesting formation by natural processes. Aerial photographs from 1930 indicate three adjacent creek paths west of the site, originally thought to be abandoned meanders. However, GPS data indicate the outer meander is the active creek bed, suggesting that the other paths were created during isolated flood events. Severe flood events could have caused significant erosion of the sand layer in this area.

  14. A Heavy-Duty Jack for a Giant Task

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-11-03

    A major refurbishment of the giant Mars antenna at NASA Deep Space Network Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California Mojave Desert required workers to jack up millions of pounds of delicate scientific equipment.

  15. Skincare for the newborn: exploring the potential harm of manufactured products.

    PubMed

    Trotter, Sharon

    2002-11-01

    Many midwives routinely bath newborns using baby bath products believing these products are mild and suitable for delicate skins. This paper asks midwives to reconsider their role in the promotion of manufactured skincare products.

  16. Air-Bearing-Piston Suspension System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mullen, Donald; Bishop, Stephen J.

    1992-01-01

    Suspension system based on air-bearing piston holds up steel ball against gravitation while allowing ball to translate vertically and rotate freely. System designed to simulate effect of microgravity on ball. Applicable to suppression of vibrations and delicate machining processes.

  17. Thinking globally and acting locally in Mindanao: Supporting the delicate balance of future sustainability in South-East Asian wilderness as well as rural areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richards, C.

    2014-02-01

    Although models of future sustainability often talk about effectively balancing economic, social and environmental imperatives or factors, in practice this typically remains an elusive ideal. This paper explores the exemplary possibilities but also dilemmas of a proposed initiative in the resource-rich but under-developed Filippino island province of Mindanao to achieve such a delicate balance in practice. This initiative by Raintrust Sustainable Ventures' proposes to link foreign investment in agricultural development to both the social advancement of local tribal peoples and the protection of large amounts of remaining wilderness areas. Such a case study provides an exemplary basis for discussing the challenge of achieving social and environmental as well as economic domains of 'future sustainability'. The crucial supporting role of information and geospatial technologies in the Raintrust plan will also be discussed.

  18. Atmospheric Pressure Method and Apparatus for Removal of Organic Matter with Atomic and Ionic Oxygen

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor); Rutledge, Sharon K. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    A gas stream containing ionic and atomic oxygen in inert gas is used to remove organic matter from a substrate. The gas stream is formed by flowing a mixture of gaseous oxygen in an inert gas such as helium at atmospheric pressure past a high voltage, current limited, direct current arc which contacts the gas mixture and forms the ionic and atomic oxygen. The arc is curved at the cathode end and the ionic oxygen formed by the arc nearer to the anode end of the arc is accelerated in a direction towards the cathode by virtue of its charge. The relatively high mass to charge ratio of the ionic oxygen enables at least some of it to escape the arc before contacting the cathode and it is directed onto the substrate. This is useful for cleaning delicate substrates such as fine and historically important paintings and delicate equipment and the like.

  19. Atmospheric Pressure Method and Apparatus for Removal of Organic Matter with Atomic and Ionic Oxygen

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor); Rutledge, Sharon K. (Inventor)

    1997-01-01

    A gas stream containing ionic and atomic oxygen in inert gas is used to remove organic matter from a substrate. The gas stream is formed by flowing a mixture of gaseous oxygen in an inert gas such as helium at atmospheric pressure past a high voltage, current limited, direct current arc which contacts the gas mixture and forms the ionic and atomic oxygen. The arc is curved at the cathode end and the ionic oxygen formed by the arc nearer to the anode end of the arc is accelerated in a direction towards the cathode by virtue of its charge. The relatively high mass to charge ratio of the ionic oxygen enables at least some of it to escape the arc before contacting the cathode and it is directed onto the substrate. This is useful for cleaning delicate substrates such as fine and historically important paintings and delicate equipment and the like.

  20. Galileo's Lens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manos, Harry

    2003-05-01

    Most visitors to Florence, Italy, know about the Galleria dell'Accademia, housing Michelangelo's famous statue of David, or the Galleria degli Uffizi with the famous Medici collection. Few visitors know that only two blocks from the Uffizi on the Arno River is one of the world's finest museums featuring historic scientific instruments, the Museo di Storia della Scienza. In the February issue of TPT, Nickell states that the Museo di Storia della Scienza ``is perhaps the best museum on the history of science in the world.''1 This fact is likely true, and the museum is a must for physics teachers visiting Florence. It features a vast collection of authentic ``cutting-edge'' scientific instruments, including one of Galileo's lenses in a magnificent ebony and ivory frame. One of the tragedies is that this museum goes unmarked on many tourist maps and unmentioned in many guidebooks.

  1. Feeding flights of breeding double-crested cormorants at two Wisconsin colonies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Custer, T.W.; Bunck, C.

    1992-01-01

    Unmarked Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus ) were followed by airplane from Cat Island and Spider Island, two nesting colonies in Wisconsin, to their first landing site. Cormorants flew an average of 2.0 km from Cat Island (maximum 40 km) and 2.4 km from Spider Island (maximum 12 km). The mean direction of landing sites differed seasonally for flights from Spider Island, but not from Cat Island, Cormorants generally landed in Green Bay or Lake Michigan and rarely landed in inland lakes or ponds. The most frequent water depth at landing sites for each colony was < 9.1 m. Water depths greater than or equal to 9.1 m were used less frequently than available within the maximum observed flight distance for each colony. The average flight speed for cormorants was 61 km/h.

  2. Chemical Clearing and Dehydration of GFP Expressing Mouse Brains

    PubMed Central

    Saghafi, Saiedeh; Weiler, Reto; Dodt, Hans-Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    Generally, chemical tissue clearing is performed by a solution consisting of two parts benzyl benzoate and one part benzyl alcohol. However, prolonged exposure to this mixture markedly reduces the fluorescence of GFP expressing specimens, so that one has to compromise between clearing quality and fluorescence preservation. This can be a severe drawback when working with specimens exhibiting low GFP expression rates. Thus, we screened for a substitute and found that dibenzyl ether (phenylmethoxymethylbenzene, CAS 103-50-4) can be applied as a more GFP-friendly clearing medium. Clearing with dibenzyl ether provides improved tissue transparency and strikingly improved fluorescence intensity in GFP expressing mouse brains and other samples as mouse spinal cords, or embryos. Chemical clearing, staining, and embedding of biological samples mostly requires careful foregoing tissue dehydration. The commonly applied tissue dehydration medium is ethanol, which also can markedly impair GFP fluorescence. Screening for a substitute also for ethanol we found that tetrahydrofuran (CAS 109-99-9) is a more GFP-friendly dehydration medium than ethanol, providing better tissue transparency obtained by successive clearing. Combined, tetrahydrofuran and dibenzyl ether allow dehydration and chemical clearing of even delicate samples for UM, confocal microscopy, and other microscopy techniques. PMID:22479475

  3. Chemical clearing and dehydration of GFP expressing mouse brains.

    PubMed

    Becker, Klaus; Jährling, Nina; Saghafi, Saiedeh; Weiler, Reto; Dodt, Hans-Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    Generally, chemical tissue clearing is performed by a solution consisting of two parts benzyl benzoate and one part benzyl alcohol. However, prolonged exposure to this mixture markedly reduces the fluorescence of GFP expressing specimens, so that one has to compromise between clearing quality and fluorescence preservation. This can be a severe drawback when working with specimens exhibiting low GFP expression rates. Thus, we screened for a substitute and found that dibenzyl ether (phenylmethoxymethylbenzene, CAS 103-50-4) can be applied as a more GFP-friendly clearing medium. Clearing with dibenzyl ether provides improved tissue transparency and strikingly improved fluorescence intensity in GFP expressing mouse brains and other samples as mouse spinal cords, or embryos. Chemical clearing, staining, and embedding of biological samples mostly requires careful foregoing tissue dehydration. The commonly applied tissue dehydration medium is ethanol, which also can markedly impair GFP fluorescence. Screening for a substitute also for ethanol we found that tetrahydrofuran (CAS 109-99-9) is a more GFP-friendly dehydration medium than ethanol, providing better tissue transparency obtained by successive clearing. Combined, tetrahydrofuran and dibenzyl ether allow dehydration and chemical clearing of even delicate samples for UM, confocal microscopy, and other microscopy techniques.

  4. A Modular Soft Robotic Wrist for Underwater Manipulation.

    PubMed

    Kurumaya, Shunichi; Phillips, Brennan T; Becker, Kaitlyn P; Rosen, Michelle H; Gruber, David F; Galloway, Kevin C; Suzumori, Koichi; Wood, Robert J

    2018-04-19

    This article presents the development of modular soft robotic wrist joint mechanisms for delicate and precise manipulation in the harsh deep-sea environment. The wrist consists of a rotary module and bending module, which can be combined with other actuators as part of a complete manipulator system. These mechanisms are part of a suite of soft robotic actuators being developed for deep-sea manipulation via submersibles and remotely operated vehicles, and are designed to be powered hydraulically with seawater. The wrist joint mechanisms can also be activated with pneumatic pressure for terrestrial-based applications, such as automated assembly and robotic locomotion. Here we report the development and characterization of a suite of rotary and bending modules by varying fiber number and silicone hardness. Performance of the complete soft robotic wrist is demonstrated in normal atmospheric conditions using both pneumatic and hydraulic pressures for actuation and under high ambient hydrostatic pressures equivalent to those found at least 2300 m deep in the ocean. This rugged modular wrist holds the potential to be utilized at full ocean depths (>10,000 m) and is a step forward in the development of jointed underwater soft robotic arms.

  5. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Wireless Sensor Network for Marine-Coastal Environment Monitoring.

    PubMed

    Trasviña-Moreno, Carlos A; Blasco, Rubén; Marco, Álvaro; Casas, Roberto; Trasviña-Castro, Armando

    2017-02-24

    Marine environments are delicate ecosystems which directly influence local climates, flora, fauna, and human activities. Their monitorization plays a key role in their preservation, which is most commonly done through the use of environmental sensing buoy networks. These devices transmit data by means of satellite communications or close-range base stations, which present several limitations and elevated infrastructure costs. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are another alternative for remote environmental monitoring which provide new types of data and ease of use. These aircraft are mainly used in video capture related applications, in its various light spectrums, and do not provide the same data as sensing buoys, nor can they be used for such extended periods of time. The aim of this research is to provide a flexible, easy to deploy and cost-effective Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for monitoring marine environments. This proposal uses a UAV as a mobile data collector, low-power long-range communications and sensing buoys as part of a single WSN. A complete description of the design, development, and implementation of the various parts of this system is presented, as well as its validation in a real-world scenario.

  6. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Wireless Sensor Network for Marine-Coastal Environment Monitoring

    PubMed Central

    Trasviña-Moreno, Carlos A.; Blasco, Rubén; Marco, Álvaro; Casas, Roberto; Trasviña-Castro, Armando

    2017-01-01

    Marine environments are delicate ecosystems which directly influence local climates, flora, fauna, and human activities. Their monitorization plays a key role in their preservation, which is most commonly done through the use of environmental sensing buoy networks. These devices transmit data by means of satellite communications or close-range base stations, which present several limitations and elevated infrastructure costs. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are another alternative for remote environmental monitoring which provide new types of data and ease of use. These aircraft are mainly used in video capture related applications, in its various light spectrums, and do not provide the same data as sensing buoys, nor can they be used for such extended periods of time. The aim of this research is to provide a flexible, easy to deploy and cost-effective Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for monitoring marine environments. This proposal uses a UAV as a mobile data collector, low-power long-range communications and sensing buoys as part of a single WSN. A complete description of the design, development, and implementation of the various parts of this system is presented, as well as its validation in a real-world scenario. PMID:28245587

  7. A transmission and scanning electron microscopic study of the saccule in five species of catfishes.

    PubMed

    Jenkins, D B

    1979-01-01

    The sacculi of five species of catfishes were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. In four species, the sagitta exhibited a multifluted anterior part and a tapered posterior part; in Corydoras aeneus, however, the fluted part was absent, and a vertical component extended dorsally to terminate near the opening of the transverse canal. In all species, the otoliths had a laminar structure. An otolithic membrane was present, and hair cell bundles projected into cavities on the macular surface of the membrane. Attachments of the otolithic membrane to the neuroepithelium included short extensions of the membrane to the tallest components of the hair cell bundles of the peripheral cells and more delicate connections to the kinocilium and taller stereocilia of central cells; in addition, attachments to the microvilli of supporting cells were present. In both hair cells and supporting cells single microtubules and bundles of microtubules were present; the bundles had an orderly arrangement and were associated with cytoplasmic densities surrounding the desmosomes. The hair cells were innervated by both afferent and efferent nerve endings. Studies of the polarization of the hair cells in all species (except C. aeneus) showed that there was a single longitudinal axis that divided dorsally polarized cells from those oriented ventrally. In Doras spinosissimus and Bunocephalus bicolor, an additional line of polarization was evident in a small area in the anterior part of the macula; therefore, in these forms there was a double bipolar orientation.

  8. A Twisted Star-Forming Web in the Galaxy IC 342

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-07-20

    Looking like a spider web swirled into a spiral, galaxy IC 342 presents its delicate pattern of dust in this infrared light image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope. The very center glows especially brightly in the infrared.

  9. Galactic Hearts of Glass Artist Concept

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-02-15

    This artist concept based on data fromNASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows delicate greenish crystals sprinkled throughout the violent core of a pair of colliding galaxies. The white spots represent a thriving population of stars of all sizes and ages.

  10. When Sinuses Attack! (For Kids)

    MedlinePlus

    ... and makes even more mucus. When Good Sinuses Go Bad What about that cold that won't go away? A cold virus can: damage the delicate ... So if you feel well enough, you can go to school or go outside and play. In ...

  11. Organizational Conflict: Causes and Manifestations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sacks, Eugene

    1979-01-01

    No group (within an organization) can be entirely harmonious, but conflict is not an altogether disruptive factor. A delicate balance is required to obtain the advantages and restrict the disadvantages of organizational conflict. The causes and forms of organizational conflict are examined. (JMD)

  12. Hubble Sees Stars and a Stripe in Celestial Fireworks

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-07-01

    A delicate ribbon of gas floats eerily in our galaxy. This image, taken by NASA Hubble Space Telescope, is a very thin section of a supernova remnant caused by a stellar explosion that occurred more than 1,000 years ago.

  13. Archaeological Geophysics in Field Courses and Flipped-Classrooms: Lessons Learned from the Marine and Geological Science Programs at North Carolina State University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; Wall, J.; Sprinkle, D. P., II

    2016-12-01

    The Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University routinely uses archaeological geophysics as an inquiry based teaching tool in our capstone Coastal Processes and Geologic Field Camps. Examples of past projects include a search for civil war artifacts within the moat surrounding historic Fort Macon, near Beaufort North Carolina, and investigations of ancient adobe pueblos in northern New Mexico. These types of studies, being of modest spatial scale, provide students with an opportunity to image the subsurface using multiple techniques and integrate the results into a geographic information system for analysis and interpretation. In the spring of 2016, our semester-long Applied Geophysics course was built around a project to identify unmarked graves at the Oberlin African-American cemetery Raleigh, North Carolina. The classroom experience was flipped with required readings, video lectures and weekly graded quizzes accessible online. Class meeting time was entirely spent collecting or processing data. To facilitate hands on learning, the class was taught with two sections having only ten students each. The methods used included GPR, EMI, Magnetics, and DC Resistivity. Students responded positively to the opportunity to tackle a real-world problem as part of the class; however, many where frustrated by the expectation that they master theoretical aspects of the course using the online content. Compared to a class taught with a traditional lecture format, students clearly gained more knowledge regarding field procedures; however, their performance on a comprehensive final suggests a poorer understand of many fundamental concepts.

  14. The American Civil-Military Relationship: A Delicate Balance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    important Constitutional safeguards consistent with the separation of powers . The power to control appropriations to the national military...existence of a functional Constitution system prevented the emerging standing army from wresting control of the United States through the separation of powers . A

  15. Designing Pension Plans to Incorporate Recent Legislation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggs, John H.

    1983-01-01

    Two proposals before Congress threaten to offset the delicate balance in pension plan design. The significance of the normal retirement feature in plan design, some possible program design changes, and how the pension arrangements of higher education institutions would be affected are discussed. (MLW)

  16. Estimating the hatchery fraction of a natural population: a Bayesian approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barber, Jarrett J.; Gerow, Kenneth G.; Connolly, Patrick J.; Singh, Sarabdeep

    2011-01-01

    There is strong and growing interest in estimating the proportion of hatchery fish that are in a natural population (the hatchery fraction). In a sample of fish from the relevant population, some are observed to be marked, indicating their origin as hatchery fish. The observed proportion of marked fish is usually less than the actual hatchery fraction, since the observed proportion is determined by the proportion originally marked, differential survival (usually lower) of marked fish relative to unmarked hatchery fish, and rates of mark retention and detection. Bayesian methods can work well in a setting such as this, in which empirical data are limited but for which there may be considerable expert judgment regarding these values. We explored a Bayesian estimation of the hatchery fraction using Monte Carlo–Markov chain methods. Based on our findings, we created an interactive Excel tool to implement the algorithm, which we have made available for free.

  17. Voice and persuasion in a banking telemarketing context.

    PubMed

    Chebat, Jean-Charles; El Hedhli, Kamel; Gélinas-Chebat, Claire; Boivin, Robert

    2007-04-01

    Voice has been neglected in research on advertising and persuasion. The present study examined the influence of voice and sex on the credibility of the voice source in a banking telemarketing context as well as with regards to the attitude toward the advertisement, and subjects' behavioral intention. An experiment using voices of a man and a woman was conducted. A recorded mock-telemarketing message consisted of an advertisement for an ATM card offered by a Canadian bank. Subjects were undergraduate students (N=399; 71.6% women, 28.4% men; M age=26.5 yr., SD = 7.4). They completed a questionnaire after hearing the message in telemarketing conditions. Analysis indicated a moderate intensity, an unmarked intonation, and a fast speech rate are associated with a more credible source than the other combinations. Sex was not a significant moderator in the relationship between voice characteristics and source credibility. Voice characteristics significantly affected attitudes toward the advertisement and behavioral intention.

  18. Corneal limbal marking in the treatment of myopic astigmatism with the excimer laser.

    PubMed

    Bucher, Celine; Zuberbuhler, Bruno; Goggin, Michael; Esterman, Adrian; Schipper, Isaak

    2010-07-01

    To determine whether preoperative marking of the limbal cornea improves treatment of myopic astigmatism with the excimer laser. Retrospective study on 108 eyes with myopic astigmatism that underwent LASIK or laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) with the Technolas 217 (Bausch & Lomb) excimer laser. Preoperative limbal marking was performed in 47 eyes (marked group). The 12-month results were used for refractive and visual analysis. The achieved cylinder reduction, spherical reduction, and refractive predictability were similar for the marked and unmarked groups in the overall study collective, in the LASIK and LASEK subgroup analysis, and in a higher astigmatism (> 1.25 diopters) subgroup analysis. Limbal marking showed no influence on the refractive results, and vector analysis showed no significant difference in angle of error among groups. Corneal limbal marking failed to improve the refractive outcome in LASIK and LASEK for myopic astigmatism.

  19. Self-recognition in retarded children.

    PubMed

    Hill, S D; Tomlin, C

    1981-03-01

    This study was designed to investigate the relationship between cognitive and affective development. Young preverbal retarded children watched TV images of themselves with faces marked or unmarked and of a peer whose face was marked. We used the objective technique of increased mark-directed responses as evidence of self-recognition and rated the children's reactions as they watched these images. The emergence of self-recognition was closely tied to the maturity of the children's general responsiveness to their reflections. The Down's syndrome children made a broad range of responses, including the curiosity and self-conscious behaviors characteristic of normal children during the second year of life, and all except one of these children showed evidence that they recognized their images. In contrast, the range of behaviors displayed by multihandicapped children was greatly restricted and similar to children in the first year of life. Less than half of these children showed an emergence of self-recognition.

  20. Geophysical Investigations at the Hanna's Town Cemetery, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, Ashley D.

    Hanna's Town (36WM203), an 18th century site located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, was a major frontier settlement that was attacked and destroyed by a force of British and Native Americans in 1782. The town never fully recovered, and by the early 1800s, no buildings remained from the settlement. The land was repurposed for agricultural use until it was purchased by the Westmoreland County Historical Society, who reconstructed the town for tourism and educational purposes. In addition to the town, the site also contains a cemetery that currently has five headstones. There are several stone fragments in storage that are no longer associated with burials, providing evidence that the cemetery may contain unmarked graves. Geophysical investigations using ground penetrating radar, magnetometry, and electrical resistance were performed to examine the presence of additional grave shafts in and adjacent to the present-day cemetery.

  1. Discovery of a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War using Ground Penetrating Radar and forensic archaeology.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Álvarez, José-Paulino; Rubio-Melendi, David; Martínez-Velasco, Antxoka; Pringle, Jamie K; Aguilera, Hector-David

    2016-10-01

    An estimated 500,000 people died from all causes during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939, with a further 135,000 killed after the war ended. There are currently over 2000 known mass burial locations throughout Spain but many more are unknown. This study details the successful search for an unmarked mass grave in mountainous terrain in the Asturias region of Northern Spain. Two approximate locations were known due to eyewitness accounts. A phased site investigation approach was undertaken, which included Ground Penetrating Radar. Results showed a clear geophysical anomaly on 2D GPR profiles. The identified area was subsequently intrusively investigated by forensic archaeologists and human remains were successfully discovered. Careful and sensitive investigations are essential in these approaches where living relatives are involved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Utilization of Prosodic Information in Syntactic Ambiguity Resolution

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Two self paced listening experiments examined the role of prosodic phrasing in syntactic ambiguity resolution. In Experiment 1, the stimuli consisted of early closure sentences (e.g., “While the parents watched, the child sang a song.”) containing transitive-biased subordinate verbs paired with plausible direct objects or intransitive-biased subordinate verbs paired with implausible direct objects. Experiment 2 also contained early closure sentences with transitively and intransitive-biased subordinate verbs, but the subordinate verbs were always followed by plausible direct objects. In both experiments, there were two prosodic conditions. In the subject-biased prosodic condition, an intonational phrase boundary marked the clausal boundary following the subordinate verb. In the object-biased prosodic condition, the clause boundary was unmarked. The results indicate that lexical and prosodic cues interact at the subordinate verb and plausibility further affects processing at the ambiguous noun. Results are discussed with respect to models of the role of prosody in sentence comprehension. PMID:20033849

  3. Deletion of zmp1 improves Mycobacterium bovis BCG-mediated protection in a guinea pig model of tuberculosis.

    PubMed

    Sander, Peter; Clark, Simon; Petrera, Agnese; Vilaplana, Cristina; Meuli, Michael; Selchow, Petra; Zelmer, Andrea; Mohanan, Deepa; Andreu, Nuria; Rayner, Emma; Dal Molin, Michael; Bancroft, Gregory J; Johansen, Pål; Cardona, Pere-Joan; Williams, Ann; Böttger, Erik C

    2015-03-10

    Having demonstrated previously that deletion of zinc metalloprotease zmp1 in Mycobacterium bovis BCG increased immunogenicity of BCG vaccines, we here investigated the protective efficacy of BCG zmp1 deletion mutants in a guinea pig model of tuberculosis infection. zmp1 deletion mutants of BCG provided enhanced protection by reducing the bacterial load of tubercle bacilli in the lungs of infected guinea pigs. The increased efficacy of BCG due to zmp1 deletion was demonstrated in both BCG Pasteur and BCG Denmark indicating that the improved protection by zmp1 deletion is independent from the BCG sub-strain. In addition, unmarked BCG Δzmp1 mutant strains showed a better safety profile in a CB-17 SCID mouse survival model than the parental BCG strains. Together, these results support the further development of BCG Δzmp1 for use in clinical trials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 2-Dimensional micro-network of boron-doped diamond film: fabrication and electrochemical sensing application.

    PubMed

    Luo, Daibing; Wu, Liangzhuan; Zhi, Jinfang

    2010-09-21

    By means of delicate and conventional methods based on photolithography and hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technology, a novel boron-doped diamond micro-network (BDDMN) film was fabricated, and this micro-structure showed excellent electrochemical sensing properties.

  5. Orientation through Presentation: Getting MBA Students Interested in Communication Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connor, Michael

    2005-01-01

    The recent "Business Communication Quarterly" special issue on management communication instruction in internationally oriented MBA programs draws attention to a delicate and pervasive problem. Debby Andrews pointed out that whereas acknowledgment of the importance of communication skills for management is commonplace, curricula…

  6. Activities Handbook for Energy Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeVito, Alfred; Krockover, Gerald H.

    The purpose of this handbook is to present information about energy and to translate this information into learning activities for children. Chapter 1, "Energy: A Delicate Dilemma," presents activities intended to provide an introduction to energy and energy usage. Chapter 2, "What are the Sources of Energy?" provides…

  7. Refining Pragmatically-Appropriate Oral Communication via Computer-Simulated Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sydorenko, Tetyana; Daurio, Phoebe; Thorne, Steven L.

    2018-01-01

    To address the problem of limited opportunities for practicing second language speaking in interaction, especially delicate interactions requiring pragmatic competence, we describe computer simulations designed for the oral practice of extended pragmatic routines and report on the affordances of such simulations for learning pragmatically…

  8. Delicate Balances: Collaborative Research in Language Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudelson, Sarah J., Ed.; Lindfors, Judith Wells, Ed.

    This book addresses the special demands, problems, challenges, and tensions of collaborative research. Following an introduction by the editors, the articles and their authors are: "Collaborative Research: More Questions Than Answers" (Carole Edelsky and Chris Boyd); "Interactive Writing on a Computer Network: A Teacher/Researcher…

  9. Smart hydrogels from laterally-grafted peptide assembly.

    PubMed

    Li, Wen; Park, Il-soo; Kang, Seong-Kyun; Lee, Myongsoo

    2012-09-11

    Small peptides carrying laterally-grafted azobenzene units self-assemble into photo-responsive hydrogels which are applied as a smart matrix for controlling the dye molecules release. We demonstrate that a delicate balance among peptides interactions plays a pivotal role in the photo-responsive gel-sol transition.

  10. Oncology meets immunology: the cancer-immunity cycle.

    PubMed

    Chen, Daniel S; Mellman, Ira

    2013-07-25

    The genetic and cellular alterations that define cancer provide the immune system with the means to generate T cell responses that recognize and eradicate cancer cells. However, elimination of cancer by T cells is only one step in the Cancer-Immunity Cycle, which manages the delicate balance between the recognition of nonself and the prevention of autoimmunity. Identification of cancer cell T cell inhibitory signals, including PD-L1, has prompted the development of a new class of cancer immunotherapy that specifically hinders immune effector inhibition, reinvigorating and potentially expanding preexisting anticancer immune responses. The presence of suppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment may explain the limited activity observed with previous immune-based therapies and why these therapies may be more effective in combination with agents that target other steps of the cycle. Emerging clinical data suggest that cancer immunotherapy is likely to become a key part of the clinical management of cancer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Crevasse Splays Versus Avulsions: A Recipe for Land Building With Levee Breaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nienhuis, Jaap H.; Törnqvist, Torbjörn E.; Esposito, Christopher R.

    2018-05-01

    Natural-levee breaches can not only initiate an avulsion but also, under the right circumstances, lead to crevasse splay formation and overbank sedimentation. The formative conditions for crevasse splays are not well understood, yet such river sediment diversions form an integral part of billion-dollar coastal restoration projects. Here we use Delft3D to investigate the influence of vegetation and soil consolidation on the evolution of a natural-levee breach. Model simulations show that crevasse splays heal because floodplain aggradation reduces the water surface slope, decreasing water discharge into the flood basin. Easily erodible and unvegetated floodplains increase the likelihood for channel avulsions. Denser vegetation and less potential for soil consolidation result in small crevasse splays that are not only efficient sediment traps but also short-lived. Successful crevasse splays that generate the largest land area gain for the imported sediment require a delicate balance between water and sediment discharge, vegetation root strength, and soil consolidation.

  12. Structure and innervation of the tusk pulp in the African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

    PubMed Central

    Weissengruber, GE; Egerbacher, M; Forstenpointner, G

    2005-01-01

    African elephants (Loxodonta africana) use their tusks for digging, carrying and behavioural display. Their healing ability following traumatic injury is enormous. Pain experience caused by dentin or pulp damage of tusks seems to be negligible in elephants. In this study we examined the pulp tissue and the nerve distribution using histology, electron microscopy and immunhistochemistry. The results demonstrate that the pulp comprises two differently structured regions. Randomly orientated collagen fibres characterize a cone-like part lying rostral to the foramen apicis dentis. Numerous nerve fibres and Ruffini endings are found within this cone. Rostral to the cone, delicate collagen fibres and large vessels are orientated longitudinally. The rostral two-thirds of the pulp are highly vascularized, whereas nerve fibres are sparse. Vessel and nerve fibre distribution and the structure of connective tissue possibly play important roles in healing and in the obviously limited pain experience after tusk injuries and pulp alteration. The presence of Ruffini endings is most likely related to the use of tusks as tools. PMID:15817106

  13. On-Demand Production of Flow-Reactor Cartridges by 3D Printing of Thermostable Enzymes.

    PubMed

    Maier, Manfred; Radtke, Carsten P; Hubbuch, Jürgen; Niemeyer, Christof M; Rabe, Kersten S

    2018-05-04

    The compartmentalization of chemical reactions is an essential principle of life that provides a major source of innovation for the development of novel approaches in biocatalysis. To implement spatially controlled biotransformations, rapid manufacturing methods are needed for the production of biocatalysts that can be applied in flow systems. Whereas three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques offer high-throughput manufacturing capability, they are usually not compatible with the delicate nature of enzymes, which call for physiological processing parameters. We herein demonstrate the utility of thermostable enzymes in the generation of biocatalytic agarose-based inks for a simple temperature-controlled 3D printing process. As examples we utilized an esterase and an alcohol dehydrogenase from thermophilic organisms as well as a decarboxylase that was thermostabilized by directed protein evolution. We used the resulting 3D-printed parts for a continuous, two-step sequential biotransformation in a fluidic setup. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Unusual Differentiation to Pheochromocytoma-Like Cells in an Adrenal Neuroblastoma After Chemotherapy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Tatekawa, Yukihiro

    2015-01-01

    The authors present a case of 3-year-old female with Stage 4 neuroblastoma originating from the left adrenal gland. Biopsy of the left adrenal tumor showed neuroblastoma. After three courses of chemotherapy, the left adrenal gland including the left adrenal tumor was surgically removed. Pathological findings of the resected tumor revealed that most of the neuroblastoma tissues changed to pheochromocytoma-like cells. The tumor cells were arranged in well-defined nests surrounded by a delicate fibrovascular stroma and had granular eosinophilic cytoplasm, and round to oval nuclei. Immunohistological analysis of the biopsy samples showed strongly positive Ganglioside GD2-staining cells, whereas almost all of the tumor cells in the resected specimen were Ganglioside GD2-negative; cells were very weakly stained. The authors suggest that a part of the neuroblastoma in the left adrenal gland exhibited unusual differentiation toward pheochromocytic lineage Ganglioside GD2-negative neuroblastoma in a patient who had been treated with intensive chemotherapy.

  15. Psychological aspects of albinism: an exploratory study with Nigerian (Igbo) albino subjects.

    PubMed

    Ezeilo, B N

    1989-01-01

    This paper reviews some studies done on the psychological aspects of albinism. Studies on the intellectual ability of albinos produce equivocal results. Results from personality studies seem more consistent and show albinos to be more emotionally unstable than non-albinos. This paper also reports a study by the author which examines the phenomenon of albinism from the albino's viewpoint. It examined the responses of three undergraduate albino subjects--one female and two males--to the author's request for each to write an essay on the merits and demerits of being an albino based on personal experiences. All consider being an albino to be more of a demerit than a merit. The demerits include conspicuous colour, delicate skin which blisters under the sun, defective sight, interpersonal, especially heterosexual, problems and society's unkind attitude. The paper ends with a discussion of possible future research in the area and a recommendation of the need for psychological rehabilitation as part of the management programme for albinos.

  16. Confirmation of the topology of the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic field to better than 1:100,000

    DOE PAGES

    Pedersen, T. Sunn; Otte, M.; Lazerson, S.; ...

    2016-11-30

    Fusion energy research has in the past 40 years focused primarily on the tokamak concept, but recent advances in plasma theory and computational power have led to renewed interest in stellarators. The largest and most sophisticated stellarator in the world, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), has just started operation, with the aim to show that the earlier weaknesses of this concept have been addressed successfully, and that the intrinsic advantages of the concept persist, also at plasma parameters approaching those of a future fusion power plant. Here we show the first physics results, obtained before plasma operation: that the carefully tailored topologymore » of nested magnetic surfaces needed for good confinement is realized, and that the measured deviations are smaller than one part in 100,000. Lastly, this is a significant step forward in stellarator research, since it shows that the complicated and delicate magnetic topology can be created and verified with the required accuracy.« less

  17. Confirmation of the topology of the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic field to better than 1:100,000.

    PubMed

    Pedersen, T Sunn; Otte, M; Lazerson, S; Helander, P; Bozhenkov, S; Biedermann, C; Klinger, T; Wolf, R C; Bosch, H-S

    2016-11-30

    Fusion energy research has in the past 40 years focused primarily on the tokamak concept, but recent advances in plasma theory and computational power have led to renewed interest in stellarators. The largest and most sophisticated stellarator in the world, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), has just started operation, with the aim to show that the earlier weaknesses of this concept have been addressed successfully, and that the intrinsic advantages of the concept persist, also at plasma parameters approaching those of a future fusion power plant. Here we show the first physics results, obtained before plasma operation: that the carefully tailored topology of nested magnetic surfaces needed for good confinement is realized, and that the measured deviations are smaller than one part in 100,000. This is a significant step forward in stellarator research, since it shows that the complicated and delicate magnetic topology can be created and verified with the required accuracy.

  18. Confirmation of the topology of the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic field to better than 1:100,000

    PubMed Central

    Pedersen, T. Sunn; Otte, M.; Lazerson, S.; Helander, P.; Bozhenkov, S.; Biedermann, C.; Klinger, T.; Wolf, R. C.; Bosch, H. -S.; Abramovic, Ivana; Äkäslompolo, Simppa; Aleynikov, Pavel; Aleynikova, Ksenia; Ali, Adnan; Alonso, Arturo; Anda, Gabor; Andreeva, Tamara; Ascasibar, Enrique; Baldzuhn, Jürgen; Banduch, Martin; Barbui, Tullio; Beidler, Craig; Benndorf, Andree; Beurskens, Marc; Biel, Wolfgang; Birus, Dietrich; Blackwell, Boyd; Blanco, Emilio; Blatzheim, Marko; Bluhm, Torsten; Böckenhoff, Daniel; Bolgert, Peter; Borchardt, Matthias; Böttger, Lukas-Georg; Brakel, Rudolf; Brandt, Christian; Bräuer, Torsten; Braune, Harald; Burhenn, Rainer; Buttenschön, Birger; Bykov, Victor; Calvo, Ivan; Cappa, Alvaro; Carls, Andre; de Carvalho, Bernardo Brotas; Castejon, Francisco; Cianciosa, Mark; Cole, Michael; Costea, Stefan; Cseh, Gabor; Czarnecka, Agata; Da Molin, Andrea; de la Cal, Eduardo; de la Pena, Angel; Degenkolbe, Sven; Prakash Dhard, Chandra; Dinklage, Andreas; Dostal, Marion; Drevlak, Michael; Drewelow, Peter; Drews, Philipp; Dudek, Andrzej; Durodie, Frederic; Dzikowicka, Anna; van Eeten, Paul; Effenberg, Florian; Endler, Michael; Erckmann, Volker; Estrada, Teresa; Fahrenkamp, Nils; Fellinger, Joris; Feng, Yühe; Figacz, Waldemar; Ford, Oliver; Fornal, Tomasz; Frerichs, Heinke; Fuchert, Golo; Garcia-Munoz, Manuel; Geiger, Benedikt; Geiger, Joachim; Gierse, Niels; Gogoleva, Alena; Goncalves, Bruno; Gradic, Dorothea; Grahl, Michael; Groß, Silvia; Grote, Heinz; Grulke, Olaf; Guerard, Carlos; Haas, Matthias; Harris, Jeffrey; Hartfuß, Hans- Jürgen; Hartmann, Dirk; Hathiramani, Dag; Hein, Bernd; Heinrich, Stefan; Henneberg, Sophia; Hennig, Christine; Hernandez, Julio; Hidalgo, Carlos; Hidalgo, Ulises; Hirsch, Matthias; Höfel, Udo; Hölbe, Hauke; Hölting, Alf; Houry, Michael; Huber, Valentina; Ionita, Codrina; Israeli, Ben; Jablonski, Slowomir; Jakubowski, Marcin; van Vuuren, Anton Jansen; Jenzsch, Hartmut; Kaczmarczyk, Jacek; Kallmeyer, Johann-Peter; Kamionka, Ute; Kasahara, Hiroshi; Kenmochi, Naoki; Kernbichler, Winfried; Killer, Carsten; Kinna, David; Kleiber, Ralf; Knauer, Jens; Köchl, Florian; Kocsis, Gabor; Kolesnichenko, Yaroslav; Könies, Axel; König, Ralf; Kornejew, Petra; Köster, Felix; Krämer-Flecken, Andreas; Krampitz, Rüdiger; Krawzyk, Natalia; Kremeyer, Thierry; Krychowiak, Maciej; Ksiazek, Ireneusz; Kubkowska, Monika; Kühner, Georg; Kurki-Suonio, Taina; Kurz, Peter; Küttler, Katja; Kwak, Sehyun; Landreman, Matt; Langenberg, Andreas; Lapayese, Fernando; Laqua, Heike; Laqua, Heinrich-Peter; Laube, Ralph; Laux, Michael; Lentz, Holger; Lewerentz, Marc; Liang, Yunfeng; Liu, Shaocheng; Lobsien, Jim-Felix; Cisquella, Joaquim Loizu; Lopez-Bruna, Daniel; Lore, Jeremy; Lorenz, Axel; Lutsenko, Vadym; Maaßerg, Henning; Maisano-Brown, Jeanette; Marchuk, Oleksandr; Marrelli, Lionello; Marsen, Stefan; Marushchenko, Nikolai; Masuzaki, Suguru; McCarthy, Kieran; McNeely, Paul; Medina, Francisco; Milojevic, Dusan; Mishchenko, Alexey; Missal, Bernd; Mittelstaedt, Joseph; Mollen, Albert; Moncada, Victor; Mönnich, Thomas; Moseev, Dmitry; Nagel, Michael; Naujoks, Dirk; Neilson, George Hutch; Neubauer, Olaf; Neuner, Ulrich; Ngo, Tran-Thanh; Niemann, Holger; Nührenberg, Carolin; Nührenberg, Jürgen; Ochando, Marian; Ogawa, Kunihiro; Ongena, Jef; Oosterbeek, Hans; Pablant, Novimir; Pacella, Danilo; Pacios, Luis; Panadero, Nerea; Pasch, Ekkehard; Pastor, Ignacio; Pavone, Andrea; Pawelec, Ewa; Pedrosa, Angeles; Perseo, Valeria; Peterson, Byron; Pilopp, Dirk; Pisano, Fabio; Puiatti, Maria Ester; Plunk, Gabriel; Preynas, Melanie; Proll, Josefine; Sitjes, Aleix Puig; Purps, Frank; Rack, Michael; Rahbarnia, Kian; Riemann, Jörg; Riße, Konrad; Rong, Peter; Rosenberger, Joachim; Rudischhauser, Lukas; Rummel, Kerstin; Rummel, Thomas; Runov, Alexey; Rust, Norbert; Ryc, Leszek; Saitoh, Haruhiko; Satake, Shinsuke; Schacht, Jörg; Schmitz, Oliver; Schmuck, Stefan; Schneider, Bernd; Schneider, Matthias; Schneider, Wolfgang; Schrittwieser, Roman; Schröder, Michael; Schröder, Timo; Schröder, Ralf; Schumacher, Hans Werner; Schweer, Bernd; Seki, Ryosuke; Sinha, Priyanjana; Sipilae, Seppo; Slaby, Christoph; Smith, Håkan; Sousa, Jorge; Spring, Anett; Standley, Brian; Stange, Torsten; von Stechow, Adrian; Stephey, Laurie; Stoneking, Matthew; Stridde, Uwe; Suzuki, Yasuhiro; Svensson, Jakob; Szabolics, Tamas; Szepesi, Tamas; Thomsen, Henning; Travere, Jean-Marcel; Traverso, Peter; Mora, Humberto Trimino; Tsuchiya, Hayato; Tsuijmura, Tohru; Turkin, Yuriy; Valet, Swetlana; van Milligen, Boudewijn; Vela, Luis; Velasco, Jose-Luis; Vergote, Maarten; Vervier, Michel; Viebke, Holger; Vilbrandt, Reinhard; von Thun, Christian Perez; Wagner, Friedrich; Wang, Erhui; Wang, Nengchao; Warmer, Felix; Wauters, Tom; Wegener, Lutz; Wegner, Thomas; Weir, Gavin; Wendorf, Jörg; Wenzel, Uwe; Werner, Andreas; Wie, Yanling; Wiegel, Burkhard; Wilde, Fabian; Windisch, Thomas; Winkler, Mario; Winters, Victoria; Wright, Adelle; Wurden, Glen; Xanthopoulos, Pavlos; Yamada, Ichihiro; Yasuhara, Ryo; Yokoyama, Masayuki; Zhang, Daihong; Zilker, Manfred; Zimbal, Andreas; Zocco, Alessandro; Zoletnik, Sandor

    2016-01-01

    Fusion energy research has in the past 40 years focused primarily on the tokamak concept, but recent advances in plasma theory and computational power have led to renewed interest in stellarators. The largest and most sophisticated stellarator in the world, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), has just started operation, with the aim to show that the earlier weaknesses of this concept have been addressed successfully, and that the intrinsic advantages of the concept persist, also at plasma parameters approaching those of a future fusion power plant. Here we show the first physics results, obtained before plasma operation: that the carefully tailored topology of nested magnetic surfaces needed for good confinement is realized, and that the measured deviations are smaller than one part in 100,000. This is a significant step forward in stellarator research, since it shows that the complicated and delicate magnetic topology can be created and verified with the required accuracy. PMID:27901043

  19. Evaluation of hormone-free protocols based on the "male effect" for artificial insemination in lactating goats during seasonal anestrus.

    PubMed

    Pellicer-Rubio, Maria-Teresa; Boissard, Karine; Forgerit, Yvonnick; Pougnard, Jean Louis; Bonné, Jean Luc; Leboeuf, Bernard

    2016-03-15

    Goat estrous and ovulatory responses to the "male effect" were characterized to determine the time range over which fertile ovulations occur after buck exposure. The results were used to explore the efficacy of different hormone-free artificial insemination (AI) protocols aimed at diminishing the number of inseminations needed to optimize fertility. Adult bucks and does were exposed to artificially long days during winter and then exposed to a natural photoperiod before buck exposure (Day 0). Most goats (>70%) ovulated twice, developing a short cycle followed by a normal cycle over 13 days after buck exposure. Among them, 21% were in estrus at the short cycle and 94% at the normal cycle. This second ovulation occurred within 48 hours of Day 6 and was the target for AI protocols. In protocol A (n = 79), goats were inseminated 12 hours after estrus detection from Day 5 to Day 9. Up to six AI times over 4 days were needed to inseminate goats in estrus. Forty-nine percent of the inseminated goats kidded. In protocol B (n = 145), estrus detection started on Day 5. The earlier (group 1) and later (group 2) buck-marked goats received one single insemination at fixed times on Days 6.5 or 7 and 8, respectively; unmarked goats (group 3) were inseminated along with group 2. In protocol C (n = 153), goats were inseminated twice on Days 6.5 or 7 and 8 without needing to detect estrus. Goats induced to ovulate by hormonal treatment were used as the control (n = 319). Fertility was lower in protocol B than in protocol C and controls (47% vs. 58% and 65% kidding; P ≤ 0.05), whereas this was higher in buck-marked goats than in unmarked ones (64% vs. 33%; P ≤ 0.05). In protocol B, fertility can increase (>60%) when only goats coming into estrus are inseminated. The best kidding rate (∼70%) was achieved when does were inseminated within 24 hours of the LH surge. Protocols involving insemination on Day 7 instead of Day 6.5 led to more goats being inseminated during this favorable time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Steerable K/Ka-Band Antenna For Land-Mobile Satellite Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Densmore, Arthur; Jamnejad, Vahraz; Woo, Kenneth

    1994-01-01

    Prototype steerable microwave antenna tracks and communicates with geostationary satellite. Designed to mount on roof of vehicle and only 10 cm tall. K/Ka-band antenna rugged and compact to suit rooftop mobile operating environment. More-delicate signal-processing and control equipment located inside vehicle.

  1. The Desert Tortoise: A Delicate Balance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    This award winning program looks at the efforts to preserve the desert tortoise in and around the Edwards Air Force Base, CA area. It also explains what people should do if they come in contact with a tortoise. This video was produced in cooperation with Edwards Air Force Base.

  2. Induced systemic resistance: a delicate balance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pseudomonas sp. strain CMR12a produces phenazine-1-carboxamide and two cyclic lipopeptides, sessilin and viscosinamide. In this highlight of the recent work with this strain by Monica Höfte of Ghent University, Belgium, I review recent studies showing that the metabolites produced by CMR12a interact...

  3. Optical-Fiber-Welding Machine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goss, W. C.; Mann, W. A.; Goldstein, R.

    1985-01-01

    Technique yields joints with average transmissivity of 91.6 percent. Electric arc passed over butted fiber ends to melt them together. Maximum optical transmissivity of joint achieved with optimum choice of discharge current, translation speed, and axial compression of fibers. Practical welding machine enables delicate and tedious joining operation performed routinely.

  4. Tanks in the Street: Lessons Learned Through Bytes not Blood

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-02-02

    under armor protection. The crews relied on the vehicle’s vision blocks and sights to acquire targets. The simulation replicated these actions that...maintain mutually supporting fires. There is a delicate balance between remaining mobile and remaining under armor protection. A small force, squad

  5. Manual versus mechanical endodontic glidepath.

    PubMed

    West, John

    2011-01-01

    This article, the second in a series of 3 articles on the endodontic Glidepath beginning with the September 2010 issue of Dentistry Today (archived articles can be found at dentistrytoday.com), represents an inquiry into the critical distinctions of the endodontic Glidepath. First, we reviewed the need for a confirmed and reproducible Glidepath as prerequisite to rotary or reciprocal shaping. In order to be safe, before rotary shaping, the dentist must always discover that a Glidepath already exists or that one needs to be created. Second, an emphasis was placed on a "finishing checklist" for Glidepath preparation for safe and successful rotary. The checklist is 2 parts: (1) minimum super loose No. 10 file sized k tunnel is verified; (2) the super loose No. 10 file sized tunnel must run from canal orifice through the canal PT to the RT. In this way, patency is preserved and yet the delicate and often fragile cemental anatomy remains undamaged and unchanged, therefore meeting Schilder's fourth mechanical objective of "keeping the foramen as small as practical." Third, we discussed that the question should not be "manual versus mechanical" but rather "manual, then mechanical." Always measure the existence of a Glidepath with manual before mechanical. The key elements for improving your performance of Glidepath mastery include a clear intention of what needs to be accomplished and yet at the same time, restraint; gentleness; copious irrigation with sodium hypochlorite; curved files; randomness; discovery; expecting the unexpected and surrendering to, honoring, and respecting the delicate anatomical structure called the root canal system. After all, nature has been demonstrating how to make a Glidepath for a long time, but we have not been paying attention. We have been too heavy-handed, we have pushed, we have forced, and we have not always been good stewards of nature's fragile framework. She has been giving us and teaching us the Glidepath answer all along. Listen to Mother Nature as she sends her legacy to us: "You have never seen a canal like me before. I am full of curves and booby traps. Treat me gracefully--I know that may sound corny--and respect my delicate tissues and structures. I am waiting for you. All you have to do is follow me to my end. Make me smooth and big enough for safe rotary and you can have your way with me. Once cleaned, shaped, and packed, I will reward you with the gift of healing." In an upcoming issue of Dentistry Today, I will present useful guidelines for implementation of the endodontic Glifepath. Remember, knowing what to do is only half the answer to mastering elegant, artistic, and successful Glidepaths. The other half is to be able to bring these skills into the everyday clinical practice; implementation is often the missing link In order to do this, you will need a plan to design a culture, environment, and ergonomics in your office that will allow the time and energy to do it right.

  6. [Otosclerosis- or the loss of the natural variant of inertness ( of the labyrinth capsule)].

    PubMed

    Kiselev, A S

    2012-01-01

    The author suggests an original hypothesis of otosclerosis based on the analyses of the literature publications for many years and his personal clinical observations. The normal labyrinth capsule is considered to be bradytrophic, i.e. inert and showing an extremely low level of metabolic processes. The disturbance of bradytrophicity under the action of individual factors and/or especially their combination make it involved in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis in the body. The validity of this conjecture is confirmed by the results of histological investigations, viz. the appearance of diquide or xplasma-like, bone in the labyrinth of the patients suffering otosclerosis. Such bone resorption is known to occur in other parts of the bony skeletontoo and should be regarded as a normal physiological process contributing to the replenishment of blood calcium deficiency.The subsequent reorganization (remodeling) of any part of the bony skeleton is physiologically neutral. In the labyrinth capsule,with its small size and delicate structure, such reorganization induces the otosclerotic process responsible for dysfunction of the membranaceous labyrinth. The surgical treatment of the patients presenting with otosclerosis should be supplemented by conservative treatment intended to slow down the otosclerotic reorganization and to restore bradytrophicity of the labyrinth capsule.

  7. Micro-drive and headgear for chronic implant and recovery of optoelectronic probes.

    PubMed

    Chung, Jinho; Sharif, Farnaz; Jung, Dajung; Kim, Soyoun; Royer, Sebastien

    2017-06-05

    Silicon probes are multisite electrodes used for the electrophysiological recording of large neuronal ensembles. Optoelectronic probes (OEPs) are recent upgrades that allow, in parallel, the delivery of local optical stimuli. The procedures to use these delicate electrodes for chronic experiments in mice are still underdeveloped and typically assume one-time uses. Here, we developed a micro-drive, a support for OEPs optical fibers, and a hat enclosure, which fabrications consist in fitting and fastening together plastic parts made with 3D printers. Excluding two parts, all components and electrodes are relatively simple to recover after the experiments, via the loosening of screws. To prevent the plugging of OEPs laser sources from altering the stability of recordings, the OEPs fibers can be transiently anchored to the hat via the tightening of screws. We test the stability of recordings in the mouse hippocampus under three different conditions: acute head-fixed, chronic head-fixed, and chronic freely moving. Drift in spike waveforms is significantly smaller in chronic compared to acute conditions, with the plugging/unplugging of head-stage and fiber connectors not affecting much the recording stability. Overall, these tools generate stable recordings of place cell in chronic conditions, and make the recovery and reuse of electrode packages relatively simple.

  8. Abernathy's Lap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    A lap in this instance is not a midriff but a tool for presision.polishing and grinding. During the Saturn V moonbooster program, Marshall Space Flight Center found a need for a better lap. The need arose from the exquisitely precise tolerances required for parts of the launch vehicle's guidance,and control system. So William J. Abernathy, a former Marshall employee, built a better lap; he invented a method for charging aluminum lap plates with diamond powder, then hard-anodizing them. The resulting lap produces a high polish on materials ranging from the softest aluminum to the hardest ceramics. It operates faster, wears longer and requires less reworking. Abernathy got NASA's permission to obtain a personal patent and he formed the one-man Abernathy Laps Co. in Huntsville, which produces a variety of laps. One of Abernathy's customers is Bell Aerospace Textron, Buffalo, which uses the laps to finish polish delicate instrument parts produced for NASA's Viking and other space programs. Says a Bell official: "Time needed (with the Abernathy lap) is a fraction of that required by conventional methods. The result is extremely accurate flatness and surface finish." Abernathy is providing laps for other manufacturing applications and for preparation of metallurgical specimens. The business is small but steady, and Abernathy plans expansion into other markets.

  9. Measurement of the human esophageal cancer in an early stage with Raman spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maeda, Yasuhiro; Ishigaki, Mika; Taketani, Akinori; Andriana, Bibin B.; Ishihara, Ryu; Sato, Hidetoshi

    2014-02-01

    The esophageal cancer has a tendency to transfer to another part of the body and the surgical operation itself sometimes gives high risk in vital function because many delicate organs exist near the esophagus. So the esophageal cancer is a disease with a high mortality. So, in order to lead a higher survival rate five years after the cancer's treatment, the investigation of the diagnosis methods or techniques of the cancer in an early stage and support the therapy are required. In this study, we performed the ex vivo experiments to obtain the Raman spectra from normal and early-stage tumor (stage-0) human esophageal sample by using Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra are collected by the homemade Raman spectrometer with the wavelength of 785 nm and Raman probe with 600-um-diameter. The principal component analysis (PCA) is performed after collection of spectra to recognize which materials changed in normal part and cancerous pert. After that, the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is performed to predict the tissue type. The result of PCA indicates that the tumor tissue is associated with a decrease in tryptophan concentration. Furthermore, we can predict the tissue type with 80% accuracy by LDA which model is made by tryptophan bands.

  10. Joint capsule attachment to the extensor carpi radialis brevis origin: an anatomical study with possible implications regarding the etiology of lateral epicondylitis.

    PubMed

    Nimura, Akimoto; Fujishiro, Hitomi; Wakabayashi, Yoshiaki; Imatani, Junya; Sugaya, Hiroyuki; Akita, Keiichi

    2014-02-01

    To identify the unique anatomical characteristic of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) origin and points of differentiation from other extensors and to clarify the specific relationship of the ECRB to the underlying structures. We studied the origin of each extensor macroscopically for its muscular and tendinous parts; to identify the relationship between the ECRB origin and the deeper structures, we also examined the attachment of the joint capsule under the ECRB origin. The ECRB simply originated as a tendon without any muscle, whereas other extensors originated as a mixture of tendon and muscle. At the anterior part of the ECRB origin, the thin attachment of the joint capsule (average width, 3.3 mm) lay deep to the ECRB and was distinct. However, at the posterodistal portion, the joint capsule, annular ligament, and supinator were intermingled and originated as a single wide sheet from the humerus (average width, 10.7 mm). The anterior part of the ECRB origin was delicate, because the ECRB origin was purely tendinous, and the attachment of the articular capsule was thin compared with that of the posterodistal attachment. This thin attachment could be an initial factor leading to the development of lateral epicondylitis. The results of the current study may enhance magnetic resonance imaging understanding and may help clarify the etiology of the lateral epicondylitis. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Impassioned Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caughie, Pamela L.

    2007-01-01

    The ongoing debate over academic freedom in venues such as "Academe," the "Chronicle of Higher Education," and the "New York Times" frames the issue in terms of a clash between values and politics on the one hand, and scholarship on the other. The idea that pedagogical responsibility requires toeing a line misrepresents the delicate dynamics of…

  12. Education Governance in Action: Lessons from Case Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Tracey; Köster, Florian; Fuster, Marc

    2016-01-01

    Governing multi-level education systems requires governance models that balance responsiveness to local diversity with the ability to ensure national objectives. This delicate equilibrium is difficult to achieve given the complexity of many education systems. Countries are therefore increasingly looking for examples of good practice and models of…

  13. Enantioselective synthesis of anti-β-hydroxy-α-amido esters via transfer hydrogenation.

    PubMed

    Seashore-Ludlow, Brinton; Villo, Piret; Häcker, Christine; Somfai, Peter

    2010-11-19

    The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of α-amido-β-keto esters to provide the corresponding anti-β-hydroxy-α-amido esters in good to excellent yields, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity is reported. The procedure is operationally simple, and delicate handling of the catalyst is not necessary.

  14. Rethinking the International Financial System: Views from the South.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhou, Yiping, Ed.

    1999-01-01

    Considerable resources have been spent to rescue a few countries from crises caused by dramatic shifts in financial inflows and outflows. Measures should be sought to render the institutions and mechanisms of international financial transactions more transparent, accountable, and supportive of the delicate balance between short-term stability and…

  15. Balancing the Assessment "of" Learning and "for" Learning in Support of Student Literacy Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Patricia A.; Turner, Jennifer D.; Mokhtari, Kouider

    2008-01-01

    There is a delicate balance between the assessment of learning and assessment for learning. The recommendations included in this Assessment department may be useful for teachers working to achieve this balance and find a more accurate and complete understandings of students' literacy strengths and needs.

  16. Structure and Improvisation in Creative Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawyer, R. Keith, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    With an increasing emphasis on creativity and innovation in the twenty-first century, teachers need to be creative professionals just as students must learn to be creative. And yet, schools are institutions with many important structures and guidelines that teachers must follow. Effective creative teaching strikes a delicate balance between…

  17. The Economic Relationships between Institutions of Higher Education and Municipalities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Dale H.

    2012-01-01

    The relationship between municipal government and a local, private, nonprofit institution of higher education (IHE) can be characterized as a delicate balance between conflict and cooperation. In recent years as municipal expenses have significantly increased, revenue generated from tax collection and state aid has lagged, creating an increasing…

  18. The Evolution of a Japanese Theory of Conflict Management and Implications for Japanese Foreign Policy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-12-01

    This thesis explores whether there is a uniquely Japanese method of conflict management Given the delicate balance of stability in Northeast Asia...Japanese leadership needs to use conflict management tools to resolve territorial claims with the governments of China, Russia, and South Korea, Given

  19. Imagined Worlds in Theatre and Drama.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neill, Cecily

    1985-01-01

    The essential nature of drama is a liberating act of imagination, of self-transcendence. A session is described in which the class maintained the delicate balance of dual consciousness and focused its attention and empathy on an illusory but possible world, creating and being responsible for the meaning of its construction. (MT)

  20. Classroom Management Challenges in the Dance Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Dawn

    2007-01-01

    Teaching dance can be a challenge because of the unique classroom-management situations that arise from the dynamic nature of the class content. Management is a delicate navigation of advance planning; rule setting; the establishment and implementation of daily protocols, routines, and interventions; and the teacher's own presentation. This…

  1. Brazilian peppertree seed-borne pathogen Neofusicoccum batangarum a potential biocontrol agent

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The invasive exotic Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) has become a serious threat to the delicate ecosystem of Everglades National Park. More than 4,000 acres land in the Hole-in-the-Donut (HID) area within the Park has been infested with Brazilian pep...

  2. Ecosystem Jenga!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umphlett, Natalie; Brosius, Tierney; Laungani, Ramesh; Rousseau, Joe; Leslie-Pelecky, Diandra L.

    2009-01-01

    To give students a tangible model of an ecosystem and have them experience what could happen if a component of that ecosystem were removed; the authors developed a hands-on, inquiry-based activity that visually demonstrates the concept of a delicately balanced ecosystem through a modification of the popular game Jenga. This activity can be…

  3. A Delicate Balance: The Catholic College in America

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trainor, Stephen L.

    2006-01-01

    George Bernard Shaw famously quipped that "a Catholic university is a contradiction in terms." While the party-line response to Shaw is that the term "Catholic university" is instead a tautology, those who work, study, and teach at such institutions often find themselves pondering Shaw's oxymoron, asking themselves: how are…

  4. The isentropic quantum drift-diffusion model in two or three space dimensions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Xiuqing

    2009-05-01

    We investigate the isentropic quantum drift-diffusion model, a fourth order parabolic system, in space dimensions d = 2, 3. First, we establish the global weak solutions with large initial value and periodic boundary conditions. Then we show the semiclassical limit by delicate interpolation estimates and compactness argument.

  5. Self-Destructive Behavior in Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kessel, Greer; Chrisler, Joan C.

    Trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and delicate self-cutting are self-destructive behaviors which utilize the body as a vehicle for self-expression. Like anorexia and bulimia, these behaviors occur primarily in young women. This study compared groups of women college students who engage in these self-destructive behaviors with those who do not. It…

  6. A Delicate Dance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlinson-Keasey, Carol

    2007-01-01

    This chapter chronicles the emergence of a research university, beginning when the university was just a twinkle in some eyes and noting the obstacles that had to be surmounted to arrive at opening day. After outlining the complexities that faced administrators in building a new research university, the author focuses on the political and…

  7. Caves: A Course of Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Jan

    Middle school students from The College School, a private school in Webster Groves (Missouri) have completed a class called "Caves and Crystallography." A thematic approach was used in the course in which students and teachers read books telling how caves were formed, saw movies which explained the delicate balance of life underground,…

  8. The Man in the Middle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pluviose, David

    2012-01-01

    This article presents an interview with NCAA President Mark Emmert. President of the NCAA since October 2010, Dr. Mark Emmert is constantly engaged in a delicate balancing act, as he deals with the competing priorities and agendas of college presidents, coaches, athletic directors, boosters, sports agents, and the media, while trying to look out…

  9. Duplex Wrench

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Canada, C. N.

    1987-01-01

    Special tool enables one worker to do two-worker job. Wrench holds two nuts in place while third nut, coaxial with others, turned. Developed for tightening delicate couplings on gas-supply panel. Single operator restrains coupling pressure cap and connector body nut with one hand. Other hand free to tighten coupling nut with torque wrench.

  10. Common diseases of black bass: implications for conservation and management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Disease issues relevant to black bass populations arise from infectious as well as noninfectious etiologies. While disease outbreaks can occur via direct means, as is the case with primary pathogens, mortality events can also be linked to factors that disrupt the delicate balance between the enviro...

  11. [Spontaneous perforation of the hepatic duct during biliary lithiasis complicated by acute pancreatitis].

    PubMed

    Assadourian, R; Chometowski, S; Bourde, J; Poitout, D; Lamy, J

    1975-10-01

    The association of perforation of the common bile duct, cholecystitis and acute pancreatitis, should be emphasized. Physiopathology of perforation of the bile duct may be compared with that of pancreatitis. Repair of the bile duct may be delicate requiring hepatico-jejunostomy on an isolated loop.

  12. Faculty Perceptions of Academic Freedom at a GCC University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romanowski, Michael H.; Nasser, Ramzi

    2010-01-01

    Massive oil revenues are currently fueling a surge in the number of educational institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, presenting leadership at all levels with many unprecedented questions. In particular, the growth and reform of higher education challenges the delicate balance between academic freedom and Arab cultural…

  13. Right-to-Work and Fair-Share Agreements: A Delicate Balance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russo, Charles J.

    2002-01-01

    Provides a brief background on the development of the concept of right-to-work statutes in the private sector under the National Labor Relations Act; reviews right-to-work statutes in public education and examines the status of fair-share agreements. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/PKP)

  14. Personal-Academic Studies Engage Urban, Seventh-Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Jane

    2014-01-01

    A successful middle school team of teachers employed effective middle level philosophy to structure a curriculum around themes that were relevant, challenging, integrative, and engaging for their particular students and community. Realizing that their young adolescents were involved in tough, delicate issues in their out-of-school lives, the…

  15. Mind your crossings: Mining GIS imagery for crosswalk localization.

    PubMed

    Ahmetovic, Dragan; Manduchi, Roberto; Coughlan, James M; Mascetti, Sergio

    2017-04-01

    For blind travelers, finding crosswalks and remaining within their borders while traversing them is a crucial part of any trip involving street crossings. While standard Orientation & Mobility (O&M) techniques allow blind travelers to safely negotiate street crossings, additional information about crosswalks and other important features at intersections would be helpful in many situations, resulting in greater safety and/or comfort during independent travel. For instance, in planning a trip a blind pedestrian may wish to be informed of the presence of all marked crossings near a desired route. We have conducted a survey of several O&M experts from the United States and Italy to determine the role that crosswalks play in travel by blind pedestrians. The results show stark differences between survey respondents from the U.S. compared with Italy: the former group emphasized the importance of following standard O&M techniques at all legal crossings (marked or unmarked), while the latter group strongly recommended crossing at marked crossings whenever possible. These contrasting opinions reflect differences in the traffic regulations of the two countries and highlight the diversity of needs that travelers in different regions may have. To address the challenges faced by blind pedestrians in negotiating street crossings, we devised a computer vision-based technique that mines existing spatial image databases for discovery of zebra crosswalks in urban settings. Our algorithm first searches for zebra crosswalks in satellite images; all candidates thus found are validated against spatially registered Google Street View images. This cascaded approach enables fast and reliable discovery and localization of zebra crosswalks in large image datasets. While fully automatic, our algorithm can be improved by a final crowdsourcing validation. To this end, we developed a Pedestrian Crossing Human Validation (PCHV) web service, which supports crowdsourcing to rule out false positives and identify false negatives.

  16. The use of failure mode and effects analysis to construct an effective disposal and prevention mechanism for infectious hospital waste

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

    Ho, Chao Chung, E-mail: ho919@pchome.com.tw; Liao, Ching-Jong

    Highlights: > This study is based on a real case in a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. > We use Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) as the evaluation method. > We successfully identify the risk factors of infectious waste disposal. > We propose plans for the detection of exceptional cases of infectious waste. - Abstract: In recent times, the quality of medical care has been continuously improving in medical institutions wherein patient-centred care has been emphasized. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) has also been promoted as a method of basic risk management and as part of total qualitymore » management (TQM) for improving the quality of medical care and preventing mistakes. Therefore, a study was conducted using FMEA to evaluate the potential risk causes in the process of infectious medical waste disposal, devise standard procedures concerning the waste, and propose feasible plans for facilitating the detection of exceptional cases of infectious waste. The analysis revealed the following results regarding medical institutions: (a) FMEA can be used to identify the risk factors of infectious waste disposal. (b) During the infectious waste disposal process, six items were scored over 100 in the assessment of uncontrolled risks: erroneous discarding of infectious waste by patients and their families, erroneous discarding by nursing staff, erroneous discarding by medical staff, cleaning drivers pierced by sharp articles, cleaning staff pierced by sharp articles, and unmarked output units. Therefore, the study concluded that it was necessary to (1) provide education and training about waste classification to the medical staff, patients and their families, nursing staff, and cleaning staff; (2) clarify the signs of caution; and (3) evaluate the failure mode and strengthen the effects.« less

  17. Mind your crossings: Mining GIS imagery for crosswalk localization

    PubMed Central

    Ahmetovic, Dragan; Manduchi, Roberto; Coughlan, James M.; Mascetti, Sergio

    2017-01-01

    For blind travelers, finding crosswalks and remaining within their borders while traversing them is a crucial part of any trip involving street crossings. While standard Orientation & Mobility (O&M) techniques allow blind travelers to safely negotiate street crossings, additional information about crosswalks and other important features at intersections would be helpful in many situations, resulting in greater safety and/or comfort during independent travel. For instance, in planning a trip a blind pedestrian may wish to be informed of the presence of all marked crossings near a desired route. We have conducted a survey of several O&M experts from the United States and Italy to determine the role that crosswalks play in travel by blind pedestrians. The results show stark differences between survey respondents from the U.S. compared with Italy: the former group emphasized the importance of following standard O&M techniques at all legal crossings (marked or unmarked), while the latter group strongly recommended crossing at marked crossings whenever possible. These contrasting opinions reflect differences in the traffic regulations of the two countries and highlight the diversity of needs that travelers in different regions may have. To address the challenges faced by blind pedestrians in negotiating street crossings, we devised a computer vision-based technique that mines existing spatial image databases for discovery of zebra crosswalks in urban settings. Our algorithm first searches for zebra crosswalks in satellite images; all candidates thus found are validated against spatially registered Google Street View images. This cascaded approach enables fast and reliable discovery and localization of zebra crosswalks in large image datasets. While fully automatic, our algorithm can be improved by a final crowdsourcing validation. To this end, we developed a Pedestrian Crossing Human Validation (PCHV) web service, which supports crowdsourcing to rule out false positives and identify false negatives. PMID:28757907

  18. Curriculum Management: "Driving the School Management Team Frantic"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lumadi, M. W.

    2012-01-01

    This study explores factors which have a negative impact, on the role of the School Management Team (SMT) that serves as the fulcrum of the curriculum management process. The SMT is compelled to execute its responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner thus keeping a delicate balance between the often-conflicting pressures from parents,…

  19. Fading Skies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sio, Betsy Menson

    2009-01-01

    A sky fading from blue to white to red at the horizon, and water darkening from light to midnight blue. Strong diagonals slashing through the image, drawing a viewer's eyes deeper into the picture, and delicate trees poised to convey a sense of beauty. These are the fascinating strengths of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of Japanese artist Ando…

  20. Transferral of Business Management Concepts to Universities as Ambidextrous Organisations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tahar, Sadri; Niemeyer, Cornelius; Boutellier, Roman

    2011-01-01

    In the context of new public management reforms, many business management concepts were transferred to universities. Most studies on the transfer of business management concepts to universities show that transfers were not as successful as expected. These studies also provide nuances as to why it is such a delicate matter. However, a basic…

  1. How to Grow and Maintain a Healthy Birch Tree

    Treesearch

    Steven Katovich; Robert Wawrzynski; Dennis Haugen; Barbara Spears

    1997-01-01

    This publication is targeted for the upper Midwestern states. However, much of the material discussed is relevant anywhere birch is grown as a landscape tree. Birch trees are prized for their outstanding bark characteristics and their graceful, delicate foliage. Numerous species and cultivars are used in landscapes, and almost all are distinctive in bark...

  2. Sustainability and Higher Education: From Arborescent to Rhizomatic Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Le Grange, Lesley Lionel Leonard

    2011-01-01

    Currently, global society is delicately poised on a civilisational threshold similar to that of the feudal era. This is a time when outmoded institutions, values, and systems of thought and their associated dogmas are ripe for transcendence by more relevant systems of organization and knowledge (Davidson, 2000). The foundations of the modern era…

  3. A Delicate Balance: National Security vs. Public Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Bonnie; Schwalb, Sandy

    2005-01-01

    Sometimes people want to see data that the government thinks should be kept under wraps. How does the Department of Defense balance the scales of justice while still ensuring information security? In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) found itself in the spotlight as journalists, academics, and…

  4. Religion in the Constitution: A Delicate Balance. Clearinghouse Publication No. 80.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, DC.

    This report addresses civil rights issues that derive from the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion and prohibition against the establishment of religion. The commission is acting under its legal mandate to study and collect information and to appraise the laws and policies of the federal government with respect to…

  5. Split and flow: reconfigurable capillary connection for digital microfluidic devices.

    PubMed

    Lapierre, Florian; Harnois, Maxime; Coffinier, Yannick; Boukherroub, Rabah; Thomy, Vincent

    2014-09-21

    Supplying liquid to droplet-based microfluidic microsystems remains a delicate task facing the problems of coupling continuous to digital or macro- to microfluidic systems. Here, we take advantage of superhydrophobic microgrids to address this problem. Insertion of a capillary tube inside a microgrid aperture leads to a simple and reconfigurable droplet generation setup.

  6. Automatic Grading of 3D Computer Animation Laboratory Assignments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamberti, Fabrizio; Sanna, Andrea; Paravati, Gianluca; Carlevaris, Gilles

    2014-01-01

    Assessment is a delicate task in the overall teaching process because it may require significant time and may be prone to subjectivity. Subjectivity is especially true for disciplines in which perceptual factors play a key role in the evaluation. In previous decades, computer-based assessment techniques were developed to address the…

  7. What Vendors Wished You Knew

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weinstein, Margery

    2010-01-01

    The vendor-learning professional relationship is a delicate one. In the rush to scour the marketplace for the best products and services for learners, and secure a deal favorable to one's company, the learning vendor can be one of the greatest allies. Among the first steps to making a satisfying learning technology purchase is ensuring one's…

  8. Climate Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frascone, Anthony C.

    2011-01-01

    As an assistant principal of a middle school, cultivating and promoting a positive school culture is what the author believes to be one of his most important roles. Creating a positive culture is like taking care of a delicate flower. It takes constant care and maintenance to keep it looking healthy. One cannot just throw water at a garden and…

  9. Off-the-Air Educational Videorecording and Fair Use: Achieving a Delicate Balance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramey, Ancil G.

    1984-01-01

    At each stage in the history of copyright law, technological innovation has been a central problem to policy makers. Because videorecording in an instructional context is for noncommerical, educational purposes, issues involving the doctrine of fair use and the public's interest in the free dissemination of information are raised. (MLW)

  10. Tough Choices for Teachers: Ethical Challenges in Today's Schools and Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Infantino, Robert; Wilke, Rebecca

    2009-01-01

    From lesson-planning to instructional practice to classroom management, teachers must make choices constantly and consistently. Sometimes these decisions are easy, but there are some decisions that are very difficult. Such delicate decisions often arise in the world of education and may be detrimental to one's career. Thoughtful decision-making…

  11. Decay resistance to Botrytis cinerea and quality characteristics during storage of raspberry genotypes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Raspberries are a delicate, high value crop with an extremely short shelf life exacerbated by postharvest decay caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. European red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is the most widely grown. Yellow (R. idaeus L.), black (R. occidentalis L.) and purple raspberries (R. ×neglectus ...

  12. Sharing the Earth, Kit II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1971

    Introducing the pupil to the science of ecology is the purpose of Scholastic's Earth Corps Ecology/Conservation Study Kits for grades 3-6. Simple terms are used to show how all living things are inter-related to their environment, to demonstrate the intricate and delicate balance of nature, and to point out how man's interference with nature's…

  13. Nasmyth Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    An altazimuth reflecting telescope with relatively stable platforms for mounting heavy, large, delicate or developmental equipment which cannot be, or has not been, engineered to cope with attitude changes during the tracking of a star. The optical configuration is the Cassegrain type, with a primary and secondary mirror, and an additional third flat mirror mounted at the intersection of the alti...

  14. The Delicate Cycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galloway, Melinda

    2006-01-01

    There are two types of parenting styles when it comes to parent involvement in their children's education: the "hovering" type and the "dry cleaner" type. Hovering parents are always on hand for every landmark moment of their children while dry cleaner parents show up only when an emergency is imminent. In this article, the author relates her own…

  15. "Just Like the Other Boys": Meeting the Needs of Gender Diverse Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Croteau, Susan M.; Lewis, Katherine

    2016-01-01

    Gary Armstrong, assistant principal, is faced with a delicate situation. The elementary school recently enrolled a transgender student, and the principal, Amy Lamar, is resistant to considering the student's unique needs. This case was developed for use in a leadership course. Instructors can use the case to encourage dialogue around legal…

  16. Language Program as Ecology: A Perspective for Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennington, Martha C.; Hoekje, Barbara J.

    2010-01-01

    A language program is a delicate and intricate system of interacting resources or components, which, like a biological ecology, is in a constant state of evolution and change. The interactive system making up the program's internal culture is connected ecologically to the external environment. The ecological model is introduced as a useful…

  17. Vocational Training and Professional Development: A Capability Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lambert, Marion; Vero, Josiane; Zimmermann, Benedicte

    2012-01-01

    Lifelong learning has become one of the keys to making workers' career paths more secure at both the French and the European policy level. However, the implementation of these policy lines raises delicate questions as to how the responsibility for vocational training should be shared among employees, employers and public institutions. The…

  18. The Delicate Balancing Act: Challenges and Successes Facing College Student Women in Formal Leadership Roles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haber-Curran, Paige

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study focused on the successes and challenges experienced by four undergraduate college women while holding top leadership roles in student organizations. Interpretive and descriptive qualitative research methods were employed with aspects of case study and phenomenological approaches of inquiry. Data were collected through…

  19. Home-Career Conflict: An Exploration of the Delicate Balance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Veronica J.; Scott, Norman A.

    Conflict between home and work roles has been well documented. Although a variety of correlates of home-career conflict have been studied, the research literature presents a set of interrelationships which need further clarification. A study was conducted to test hypothesized relationships between home-career conflict and the variables of career…

  20. The Techy Teacher/Five Tips for Avoiding Technology Overload

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tucker, Catlin

    2016-01-01

    Most teachers find it difficult to achieve a balance between their work lives and their personal lives. Today, technology and increasing connectivity make maintaining this delicate balance more challenging than ever. Because learning is no longer limited to a certain time or place, connected educators face an interesting dilemma: When, and how…

  1. Spider Web Pattern

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    A delicate pattern, like that of a spider web, appears on top of the Mars residual polar cap, after the seasonal carbon-dioxide ice slab has disappeared. Next spring, these will likely mark the sites of vents when the carbon-dioxide ice cap returns. This Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Orbiter Camera image is about 3-kilometers wide (2-miles).

  2. Building Theories: The Three Worlds of Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tall, David

    2004-01-01

    In this commentary on Matthew Inglis' "Three Worlds and the Imaginary Sphere" (see EJ1106688), David Tall develops the theme that the building of theories is not an easy process. A theory in progress is a particularly delicate creation. Theories do not appear fully formed. There is a period of exploration and incubation that precedes the…

  3. Ozone, Climate, and Global Atmospheric Change

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levine, Joel S.

    1992-01-01

    The delicate balance of the gases that make up our atmosphere allows life to exist on Earth. Ozone depletion and global warming are related to changes in the concentrations of these gases. To solve global atmospheric problems, we need to understand the composition and chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and the impact of human activities on them.

  4. Key Works on Teacher Response: An Anthology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Straub, Richard, Ed.; Lunsford, Ronald, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    There is a special three-way balance in responding to student writing: one must be compassionate, have a vision for improvement, and be capable of confronting and cajoling students to help them maximize the possibilities of revision. This book presents some of the best examples of how writing teachers approach the delicate equilibrium of student…

  5. Retrospective Cognitive Feedback for Progress Monitoring in Serious Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nadolski, Rob J.; Hummel, Hans G. K.

    2017-01-01

    Although the importance of cognitive feedback in digital serious games (DSG) is undisputed, we are facing some major design challenges. First of all, we do not know to which extend existing research guidelines apply when we stand the risk of cognitive feedback distorting the delicate balance between learning and playing. Unobtrusive cognitive…

  6. Balancing Security and Openness in Research and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vest, Charles M.

    2003-01-01

    The ability of the American nation to remain secure in the face of both traditional military threats and international terrorism while maintaining the excellence and pace of American science and technology requires a delicate balance. It depends first and foremost on effective dialogue and joint problem solving by those responsible for maintaining…

  7. What Johnny Can't Read: "First Amendment Rights" in the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orleans, Jeffrey H.

    1981-01-01

    Representative, delegated school governance by elected officials intrinsically vests curricular control in those officials. Because their offices are created so that the schools may be governed, they have authority to govern the schools--even especially--in the delicate and critical areas of deciding how and what the schools shall teach.…

  8. How Do We Present the Concept of Energy in Physics?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pujol, O.; Perez, J. P.

    2007-01-01

    Scientific and pedagogical comments about the fundamental physical concept of energy are made. In particular, we argue for an historical presentation of this concept because its essential justification is the research, conscious or not, of a characteristic quantity of a system whose fundamental property is to be conservative. Some delicate issues…

  9. Information Technology (IT) and the Learning Society: Growth and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oguzor, Nkasiobi S.; Nosike, Austin N.; Opara, Jacinta A.

    2011-01-01

    There is no human culture which has never learned anything from another. Learning from other cultures is a natural phenomenon. There is nothing wrong with it. However, when foreign influence is overwhelming, beyond the control of the receiving country, psychological delicate problems emerge. This paper holds the view that the extremely rapid…

  10. The Big Crush: An Introduction to Materials Testing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roman, Harry T.

    2011-01-01

    Lots of engineering thinking can be involved in crushing things. As an example, engineers spend a great deal of time designing crush-proof packaging for delicate equipment and packing materials for items that must be stored or shipped. This article presents an activity wherein students can begin to appreciate the technology behind the engineering.…

  11. Soviet Computers and Cybernetics: Shortcomings and Military Applications.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-06-01

    FOOTNOTES.......................................24 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................28 INTRODUCTION Military scientific technological...exploration which have alarmed some Western analysts. America’s scientific and technological advantages are integral elements in the delicate world balance...inferior quantity only up to a point, where superior numbers take over. A major element in the military scientific technological competition between

  12. Application of Onyx for Renal Arteriovenous Malformation With First Case Report of a Renal Hyperdense Striation Sign

    PubMed Central

    Juan, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Yu-Ching; Sheng, Ting-Wen; Cheung, Yun-Chung; Ng, Shu-Hang; Yu, Chin-Wei; Wong, Ho-Fai

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Onyx is an emerging treatment modality for visceral vascular malformations, especially in cases in which delicate nidal penetration of the arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is desired. A computed tomography (CT) image presentation of hyperdense striations along the renal medulla secondary to the tantalum powder has not been previously reported. A 65-year-old woman presented to our institution with intermittent gross hematuria and left flank pain for 10 days. Both CT and conventional angiographies confirmed cirsoid-type renal AVM, which was successfully treated with Onyx. Follow-up CT after treatment revealed presence of hyperdense striations along the renal medulla, which resolved during later image follow-up. Despite its frequent usage in neural intervention, the application of Onyx in visceral AVM is gradually gaining interest, especially in cases in which delicate nidal penetration of the AVM is desired. Renal hyperdense striation sign should be recognized to avoid confusion with embolizer migration, and further studies in patients with renal function impairment may be helpful in understanding its influence of renal function. PMID:26426661

  13. The Delicate Balance of Preorganisation and Adaptability in Multiply Bonded Host-Guest Complexes.

    PubMed

    von Krbek, Larissa K S; Achazi, Andreas J; Schoder, Stefan; Gaedke, Marius; Biberger, Tobias; Paulus, Beate; Schalley, Christoph A

    2017-02-24

    Rigidity and preorganisation are believed to be required for high affinity in multiply bonded supramolecular complexes as they help reduce the entropic penalty of the binding event. This comes at the price that such rigid complexes are sensitive to small geometric mismatches. In marked contrast, nature uses more flexible building blocks. Thus, one might consider putting the rigidity/high-affinity notion to the test. Multivalent crown/ammonium complexes are ideal for this purpose as the monovalent interaction is well understood. A series of divalent complexes with different spacer lengths and rigidities has thus been analysed to correlate chelate cooperativities and spacer properties. Too long spacers reduce chelate cooperativity compared to exactly matching ones. However, in contrast to expectation, flexible guests bind with chelate cooperativities clearly exceeding those of rigid structures. Flexible spacers adapt to small geometric host-guest mismatches. Spacer-spacer interactions help overcome the entropic penalty of conformational fixation during binding and a delicate balance of preorganisation and adaptability is at play in multivalent complexes. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Bifocal liquid lens zoom objective for mobile phone applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wippermann, F. C.; Schreiber, P.; Bräuer, A.; Craen, P.

    2007-02-01

    Miniaturized camera systems are an integral part of today's mobile phones which recently possess auto focus functionality. Commercially available solutions without moving parts have been developed using the electrowetting technology. Here, the contact angle of a drop of a conductive or polar liquid placed on an insulating substrate can be influenced by an electric field. Besides the compensation of the axial image shift due to different object distances, mobile phones with zoom functionality are desired as a next evolutionary step. In classical mechanically compensated zoom lenses two independently driven actuators combined with precision guides are needed leading to a delicate, space consuming and expansive opto-mechanical setup. Liquid lens technology based on the electrowetting effect gives the opportunity to built adaptive lenses without moving parts thus simplifying the mechanical setup. However, with the recent commercially available liquid lens products a completely motionless and continuously adaptive zoom system with market relevant optical performance is not feasible. This is due to the limited change in optical power the liquid lenses can provide and the dispersion of the used materials. As an intermediate step towards a continuously adjustable and motionless zoom lens we propose a bifocal system sufficient for toggling between two effective focal lengths without any moving parts. The system has its mechanical counterpart in a bifocal zoom lens where only one lens group has to be moved. In a liquid lens bifocal zoom two groups of adaptable liquid lenses are required for adjusting the effective focal length and keeping the image location constant. In order to overcome the difficulties in achromatizing the lens we propose a sequential image acquisition algorithm. Here, the full color image is obtained from a sequence of monochrome images (red, green, blue) leading to a simplified optical setup.

  15. The implementation of unit-based perinatal mortality audit in perinatal cooperation units in the northern region of the Netherlands

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Perinatal (mortality) audit can be considered to be a way to improve the careprocess for all pregnant women and their newborns by creating an opportunity to learn from unwanted events in the care process. In unit-based perinatal audit, the caregivers involved in cases that result in mortality are usually part of the audit group. This makes such an audit a delicate matter. Methods The purpose of this study was to implement unit-based perinatal mortality audit in all 15 perinatal cooperation units in the northern region of the Netherlands between September 2007 and March 2010. These units consist of hospital-based and independent community-based perinatal caregivers. The implementation strategy encompassed an information plan, an organization plan, and a training plan. The main outcomes are the number of participating perinatal cooperation units at the end of the project, the identified substandard factors (SSF), the actions to improve care, and the opinions of the participants. Results The perinatal mortality audit was implemented in all 15 perinatal cooperation units. 677 different caregivers analyzed 112 cases of perinatal mortality and identified 163 substandard factors. In 31% of cases the guidelines were not followed and in 23% care was not according to normal practice. In 28% of cases, the documentation was not in order, while in 13% of cases the communication between caregivers was insufficient. 442 actions to improve care were reported for ‘external cooperation’ (15%), ‘internal cooperation’ (17%), ‘practice organization’ (26%), ‘training and education’ (10%), and ‘medical performance’ (27%). Valued aspects of the audit meetings were: the multidisciplinary character (13%), the collective and non-judgmental search for substandard factors (21%), the perception of safety (13%), the motivation to reflect on one’s own professional performance (5%), and the inherent postgraduate education (10%). Conclusion Following our implementation strategy, the perinatal mortality audit has been successfully implemented in all 15 perinatal cooperation units. An important feature was our emphasis on the delicate character of the caregivers evaluating the care they provided. However, the actual implementation of the proposed actions for improving care is still a point of concern. PMID:22776712

  16. The implementation of unit-based perinatal mortality audit in perinatal cooperation units in the northern region of the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    van Diem, Mariet Th; Timmer, Albertus; Bergman, Klasien A; Bouman, Katelijne; van Egmond, Nico; Stant, Dennis A; Ulkeman, Lida H M; Veen, Wenda B; Erwich, Jan Jaap H M

    2012-07-09

    Perinatal (mortality) audit can be considered to be a way to improve the careprocess for all pregnant women and their newborns by creating an opportunity to learn from unwanted events in the care process. In unit-based perinatal audit, the caregivers involved in cases that result in mortality are usually part of the audit group. This makes such an audit a delicate matter. The purpose of this study was to implement unit-based perinatal mortality audit in all 15 perinatal cooperation units in the northern region of the Netherlands between September 2007 and March 2010. These units consist of hospital-based and independent community-based perinatal caregivers. The implementation strategy encompassed an information plan, an organization plan, and a training plan. The main outcomes are the number of participating perinatal cooperation units at the end of the project, the identified substandard factors (SSF), the actions to improve care, and the opinions of the participants. The perinatal mortality audit was implemented in all 15 perinatal cooperation units. 677 different caregivers analyzed 112 cases of perinatal mortality and identified 163 substandard factors. In 31% of cases the guidelines were not followed and in 23% care was not according to normal practice. In 28% of cases, the documentation was not in order, while in 13% of cases the communication between caregivers was insufficient. 442 actions to improve care were reported for 'external cooperation' (15%), 'internal cooperation' (17%), 'practice organization' (26%), 'training and education' (10%), and 'medical performance' (27%). Valued aspects of the audit meetings were: the multidisciplinary character (13%), the collective and non-judgmental search for substandard factors (21%), the perception of safety (13%), the motivation to reflect on one's own professional performance (5%), and the inherent postgraduate education (10%). Following our implementation strategy, the perinatal mortality audit has been successfully implemented in all 15 perinatal cooperation units. An important feature was our emphasis on the delicate character of the caregivers evaluating the care they provided. However, the actual implementation of the proposed actions for improving care is still a point of concern.

  17. Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation.

    PubMed

    Low, Jin-Huat; Yeow, Chen-Hua

    2016-08-02

    Soft compliant gripping is essential in delicate surgical manipulation for minimizing the risk of tissue grip damage caused by high stress concentrations at the point of contact. It can be achieved by complementing traditional rigid grippers with soft robotic pneumatic gripper devices. This manuscript describes a rod-based approach that combined both 3D-printing and a modified soft lithography technique to fabricate the soft pneumatic gripper. In brief, the pneumatic featureless mold with chamber component is 3D-printed and the rods were used to create the pneumatic channels that connect to the chamber. This protocol eliminates the risk of channels occluding during the sealing process and the need for external air source or related control circuit. The soft gripper consists of a chamber filled with air, and one or more gripper arms with a pneumatic channel in each arm connected to the chamber. The pneumatic channel is positioned close to the outer wall to create different stiffness in the gripper arm. Upon compression of the chamber which generates pressure on the pneumatic channel, the gripper arm will bend inward to form a close grip posture because the outer wall area is more compliant. The soft gripper can be inserted into a 3D-printed handling tool with two different control modes for chamber compression: manual gripper mode with a movable piston, and robotic gripper mode with a linear actuator. The double-arm gripper with two actuatable arms was able to pick up objects of sizes up to 2 mm and yet generate lower compressive forces as compared to elastomer-coated and non-coated rigid grippers. The feasibility of having other designs, such as single-arm or hook gripper, was also demonstrated, which further highlighted the customizability of the soft gripper device, and it's potential to be used in delicate surgical manipulation to reduce the risk of tissue grip damage.

  18. Juvenile Radio-Tag Study: Lower Granite Dam, 1985 Annual Report.

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

    Stuehrenberg, Lowell C.

    The concept of using mass releases of juvenile radio tags represents a new and potentially powerful research tool that could be effectively applied to juvenile salmonid passage problems at dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. A system of detector antennas, strategically located, would automatically detect and record individually tagged juvenile salmonids as they pass through the spillway, powerhouse, bypass system, or tailrace areas below the dam. Accurate measurements of spill effectiveness, fish guiding efficiency (FGE), collection efficiency (CE), spillway survival, powerhouse survival, and bypass survival would be possible without handling large numbers of unmarked fish. A prototype juvenile radio-tagmore » system was developed and tested by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) at John Day Dam and at Lower Granite Dam. This report summarizes research to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype juvenile radio-tag system in a field situation and (2) to test the basic assumptions inherent in using the juvenile radio tag as a research tool.« less

  19. Estimating disperser abundance using open population models that incorporate data from continuous detection PIT arrays

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dzul, Maria C.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Korman, Josh

    2017-01-01

    Autonomous passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antenna systems continuously detect individually marked organisms at one or more fixed points over long time periods. Estimating abundance using data from autonomous antennae can be challenging, because these systems do not detect unmarked individuals. Here we pair PIT antennae data from a tributary with mark-recapture sampling data in a mainstem river to estimate the number of fish moving from the mainstem to the tributary. We then use our model to estimate abundance of non-native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that move from the Colorado River to the Little Colorado River (LCR), the latter of which is important spawning and rearing habitat for federally-endangered humpback chub Gila cypha. We estimate 226 rainbow trout (95% CI: 127-370) entered the LCR from October 2013-April 2014. We discuss the challenges of incorporating detections from autonomous PIT antenna systems into mark-recapture population models, particularly in regards to using information about spatial location to estimate movement and detection probabilities.

  20. Modeling abundance using multinomial N-mixture models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Royle, Andy

    2016-01-01

    Multinomial N-mixture models are a generalization of the binomial N-mixture models described in Chapter 6 to allow for more complex and informative sampling protocols beyond simple counts. Many commonly used protocols such as multiple observer sampling, removal sampling, and capture-recapture produce a multivariate count frequency that has a multinomial distribution and for which multinomial N-mixture models can be developed. Such protocols typically result in more precise estimates than binomial mixture models because they provide direct information about parameters of the observation process. We demonstrate the analysis of these models in BUGS using several distinct formulations that afford great flexibility in the types of models that can be developed, and we demonstrate likelihood analysis using the unmarked package. Spatially stratified capture-recapture models are one class of models that fall into the multinomial N-mixture framework, and we discuss analysis of stratified versions of classical models such as model Mb, Mh and other classes of models that are only possible to describe within the multinomial N-mixture framework.

  1. Genetic Tools for the Industrially Promising Methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense

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

    Puri, AW; Owen, S; Chu, F

    2015-02-10

    Aerobic methanotrophs oxidize methane at ambient temperatures and pressures and are therefore attractive systems for methane-based bioconversions. In this work, we developed and validated genetic tools for Methylomicrobium buryatense, a haloalkaliphilic gammaproteobacterial (type I) methanotroph. M. buryatense was isolated directly on natural gas and grows robustly in pure culture with a 3-h doubling time, enabling rapid genetic manipulation compared to many other methanotrophic species. As a proof of concept, we used a sucrose counterselection system to eliminate glycogen production in M. buryatense by constructing unmarked deletions in two redundant glycogen synthase genes. We also selected for a more genetically tractablemore » variant strain that can be conjugated with small incompatibility group P (IncP)-based broad-host-range vectors and determined that this capability is due to loss of the native plasmid. These tools make M. buryatense a promising model system for studying aerobic methanotroph physiology and enable metabolic engineering in this bacterium for industrial biocatalysis of methane.« less

  2. The SPR detection of Salmonella enteritidis in food using aptamers as recongnition elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di, W. T.; Du, X. W.; Pan, M. F.; Wang, J. P.

    2017-09-01

    In this experiment, a fast, accurate, non-destructive, unmarked and simple-operation detection method for Salmonella enteritidis in food was established by the BI-3000 plasma resonance biosensor (SPR). This article establishes a method of using nucleic acid aptamer as immune recognition element in SPR which can be employed to detect Salmonella enteritidis in food for the first time. The experimental conditions were screened and the experimental scheme was validated and applied. The best flow rate was 5μL/min, the best concentration of the aptamers was 180mM, and the best regenerating solution was the 20mM NaOH. This method had almost no cross-reactivity. Besides, we established a standard curve of Salmonella enteritidis and SPR signal, with the detection limit of 2 cfu/mL. Finally, we tested the samples of chicken, pork, shrimp and fish purchased from supermarkets. The method has the advantages of short time, low detection limit and easy operation, which can be used for a large number of food samples.

  3. A Close Textual Analysis of Corporate Layoff Memos

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warnick, Quinn

    2010-01-01

    All employers occasionally must deliver bad news to their employees, but few bad news situations can compete with the delicate task of announcing layoffs. In an electronic age, when layoff notices delivered via email are quickly leaked to outsiders, CEOs must take into account not only the employees who will be affected by the layoffs but also the…

  4. Formal Classroom Observations: Factors That Affect Their Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaidi, Zeba

    2017-01-01

    Formal class room observation is a very delicate topic in any educational institution. It involves a series of emotions and sentiments that come with the package. In this paper, the researcher will attempt to analyze the factors that affect the process in a relatively significant manner and thereby contribute greatly to the success or failure of…

  5. What Women Want: (Among Other Things) Quality Art

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perricone, Christopher

    2011-01-01

    Toward the end of "Of the Standard of Taste," Hume summarizes what it means to be "a true judge in the finer arts." He says: "Strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of all prejudice, can alone entitle critics to this valuable character." Hume is essentially right about what it means…

  6. Racism, Group Defamation, and Freedom of Speech on Campus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laramee, William A.

    1991-01-01

    Examines racism on college campuses. Discusses group defamation and freedom of speech within that context. Concludes in this period of racial unrest and conflict, a reappraisal is in order of delicate balance between protection from group and class defamation on the one hand and free speech on other, using law as an important base from which to…

  7. Types of Sexual Transference and Countertransference in Psychotherapeutic Work with Children and Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alvarez, Anne

    2010-01-01

    The question of normal sexuality begins to arise in the treatment of severely sexually abused or sexually offending patients. The author suggests that it is an interesting and delicate moment during the process of recovery when less perverse, more normal sexuality appears mixed with, or even disguised by, the more habitual perverse fantasies.…

  8. A Summary of the February 2010 Forum on the Future of Nursing: Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academies Press, 2010

    2010-01-01

    As the U.S. health care system continues to evolve, the role of nurses also needs to evolve. Nurses must strike a delicate balance among advancing science, translating and applying research, and caring for individuals and families across all settings. Preparing nurses to achieve this balance is a significant challenge. The education system should…

  9. Rethinking Healthcare Transitions and Policies: Changing and Expanding Roles in Transitional Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreño, Patricienn K.

    2014-01-01

    The breakdown of care transitions between various healthcare facilities, providers, and services is a major issue in healthcare, and accounts for over US$15 billion in healthcare expenditures annually. The transition between inpatient care and home care is a very delicate period where, too often, chronically ill patients get worse and wind up back…

  10. Enhancing the Student Experience through Service Design: The University of Derby Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baranova, Polina; Morrison, Sue; Mutton, Jean

    2011-01-01

    The student experience in higher education is firmly placed at the top of the strategic agenda for the majority of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK at present. In the current climate of public cuts, universities increasingly have to strike a delicate balance between cost efficiencies and delivery of the high-quality university…

  11. How to Combine Collaboration Scripts and Heuristic Worked Examples to Foster Mathematical Argumentation--When Working Memory Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwaighofer, Matthias; Vogel, Freydis; Kollar, Ingo; Ufer, Stefan; Strohmaier, Anselm; Terwedow, Ilka; Ottinger, Sarah; Reiss, Kristina; Fischer, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Mathematical argumentation skills (MAS) are considered an important outcome of mathematics learning, particularly in secondary and tertiary education. As MAS are complex, an effective way of supporting their acquisition may require combining different scaffolds. However, how to combine different scaffolds is a delicate issue, as providing learners…

  12. Southeast Asia Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-03-22

    ankle boots and a fashJ™£^BMrt Tod^Ŝ f^f ^ht Jean*» M*h- draped in a white purdah, a robe which 1^ fl *** delicate fig"re is posed. She is...voters. It is a crack in Sir Robert’s armour which the New Zealand Party continues to exploit. Backbench Third, there is the un- answered question

  13. Earth Is My Home, Kit I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1971

    Introducing the pupil to the science of ecology is the purpose of Scholastic's Earth Corps Ecology/Conservation Study Kits for grades 3-6. Simple terms are used to show how all living things are inter-related to their environment, to demonstrate the intricate and delicate balance of nature, and to point out how man's interference with nature's…

  14. Student-on-Student Harassment and Zero Tolerance: Achieving a Delicate Balance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Essex, Nathan L.

    2009-01-01

    Zero tolerance policy. Most school districts have a zero tolerance policy in place for drug use, weapons on campus, sexual harassment, or all of the above. At their very core, zero tolerance policies make schools safer. However, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work well in all situations involving student misconduct. This article outlines…

  15. Delicate Moments: Kids Talk about Socially Complicated Issues. Occasional Paper Series 19

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauman, Amy

    2007-01-01

    The author offers an analysis of the failures and insights she experienced working with adolescents at a progressive school while discussing how the students understood and experienced race and identity -- their own and that of others. While she encountered students who were willing to take her into their worlds, her efforts fell flat when her…

  16. How Motivation is Learned: A Neurological Explanation. Preconvention Institute 7; Brain Functions in Reading and Reading Disability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, John A. R.

    If motivation to read fails to develop, reading failure is the outcome. All of us have very delicately balanced neural systems for integrating incoming sensory inputs, evaluating their significance in the light of past experience, and storing the learning for future use. Autistic and hyperkinetic children apparently have unbalanced neurological…

  17. Parents' Gender-Stereotyped Perceptions of Newborns: The Eye of the Beholder Revisited.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karraker, Katherine Hildebrandt; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Assessed parental gender-stereotyped perceptions of their newborn infant within a group of 40, mostly Caucasian, pairs of parents. Findings show stereotyped descriptions (that is, finer features, less strong, more delicate, and so on) were used when comparing newborn girls with boys. These perceptions persisted across a one-week time interval.…

  18. Transformative Inquiry While Learning-Teaching: Entry Points Through Mentor-Mentee Vulnerability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanaka, Michele T. D.; Farish, Maureen; Nicholson, Diana; Tse, Vanessa; Doll, Jenn; Archer, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    In Transformative Inquiry (TI), pre-service teachers explore issues about which they are personally passionate in order to enter into the delicate work of transformation. We examine how shared vulnerability within three mentor-mentee pairs leads to new pedagogical possibilities. Michele and Vanessa discuss poetry as a way of entering into TI and…

  19. Many Hats and a Delicate Balance: The Lives and Times of Today's Special Education Directors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, James R.; O'Brian, Mary

    2007-01-01

    A statewide survey of special education directors revealed that director of special education preparation programs should be time limited and offered in convenient locations to recruit the best possible pool of students and future directors. Current directors have come to their positions through numerous and diverse career paths. The lack of…

  20. HOW to Grow and Maintain a Healthy Birch Tree

    Treesearch

    Steven Katovich; Robert Wawrzynski; Dennis Haugen; Barbara Spears

    1997-01-01

    Birch trees are prized for their outstanding bark characteristics and their graceful delicate foliage. Numerous species and cultivars are used in landscapes, and almost all are distinctive in bark coloration, growth form, and susceptibility to certain insect pests. Though homeowners often desire birch as an ornamental tree, they soon discover that birch can be very...

  1. Understanding brains: details, intuition, and big data.

    PubMed

    Marder, Eve

    2015-05-01

    Understanding how the brain works requires a delicate balance between the appreciation of the importance of a multitude of biological details and the ability to see beyond those details to general principles. As technological innovations vastly increase the amount of data we collect, the importance of intuition into how to analyze and treat these data may, paradoxically, become more important.

  2. Designing Empathy: The Role of a "Control Room" in an E-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentes, Annie; Cambone, Marie

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on the challenge of designing an interface for a virtual class, where being represented together contributes to the learning process. It explores the possibility of virtual empathy. Design/methodology/approach: The challenges are: How can this feeling of empathy be recreated through a delicate staging…

  3. Copyright and Instructional Technologies. A Guide to Fair Use and Permissions Procedures. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Talab, R. S.

    This document examines some of the questions concerning copyright law and the educational use of equipment that can easily duplicate, store, and transmit instructional materials. It is argued that a delicate balance must be achieved between protection for copyright holders and access for educational purposes to audiovisual works, music, computer…

  4. A Delicate Balance: An Examination of Lehigh University's Athletic Culture and Athletic Extra-Curriculum, 1866-1998

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Courtney Michelle

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation examines the history of Lehigh University's athletic culture and extra-curriculum from 1866 to 1998 and argues that both of those institutions served as the basis for identity within the undergraduate student body. Additionally, this dissertation argues that the athletic culture and extra-curriculum established Lehigh's identity…

  5. Subjective Well-Being of School Teachers after Yoga--An Experimental Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tamilselvi, B.; Thangarajathi, S.

    2016-01-01

    The state of psychological equilibrium in school teachers is of great concern. As a truth, equilibrium is the most delicate, unstable state and gets disturbed even by a slight disturbance in its components. The causal factors of imbalance or disequilibria, in the psychological configuration of school teachers are plenty in number; the environment…

  6. Robotics 101

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sultan, Alan

    2011-01-01

    Robots are used in all kinds of industrial settings. They are used to rivet bolts to cars, to move items from one conveyor belt to another, to gather information from other planets, and even to perform some very delicate types of surgery. Anyone who has watched a robot perform its tasks cannot help but be impressed by how it works. This article…

  7. Serve, Teach, and Lead: It's All about Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crippen, Carolyn

    2010-01-01

    Once a person assumes the mantle of teacher, one becomes a leader, first, in the classroom and then in the school (Crippen, 2005). With this position comes a delicate power and responsibility to the moral imperative. As such, this issue is critical as a component of teacher preparation programs. Goodlad (2004) sounds the alarm that our teacher…

  8. A Delicate Balance: Hovering Balloons in an Air Stream

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gluck, Paul

    2006-01-01

    Science museums and popular physics shows often exhibit a blower in whose air stream a ball is held hovering in equilibrium some distance above the jet's orifice. The weight of the ball, "mg," is balanced by the drag force of the turbulent air stream, often written as ?Cv[superscript 2]A, where "?" and "v" are the…

  9. Dictionary Use of Undergraduate Students in Foreign Language Departments in Turkey at Present

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tulgar, Aysegül Takkaç

    2017-01-01

    Foreign language learning has always been a process carried out with the help of dictionaries which are both in target language and from native language to target language/from target language to native language. Dictionary use is an especially delicate issue for students in foreign language departments because students in those departments are…

  10. Systematic Self-Regulation of the Neural System Essential for Peak Performance and Wellbeing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cassel, Russell N.

    1985-01-01

    Balance and harmony within one's neural system is dynamic and changing, and restoring that balance is essential for peak performance. With a minimum amount of training individuals are able to restore this delicate balance and thereby enhance their own wellbeing. Autogenic feedback training has been demonstrated to be an effective means for…

  11. Atmospheric detectives: Atlas 2 teacher's guide with activities. For use with middle-school students

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    Can you imagine doing a science project in space? This is the challenging and exciting situation that researchers experience in Spacelab, the laboratory carried inside the Shuttle. Here, hundreds of kilometers above Earth's surface, the crews of the ATLAS missions scan, probe, and measure concentrations of chemicals and water vapor in Earth's protective bubble. So far, one ATLAS crew has rocketed into the atmosphere, watching many sunrises and sunsets come and go while activating delicate instruments and conducting experiments that monitor the complicated interactions between the Sun, the atmosphere, and Earth. We, the crew of ATLAS 2, will continue this important work aboard the Space Shuttle. Together, we will gather data that will be compared with information from satellites, balloons, and instruments on the ground. As part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) contribution to Mission to Planet Earth, ATLAS 2 will help develop a thorough picture of the Sun's output, its interaction with the atmosphere, and the well-being of Earth's middle atmosphere. Because the health of the atmosphere is of vital importance to all Earth's inhabitants, everyone should be part of this investigation. You can be active participants in exciting and vital activities: recycling and practicing other conservation methods and gathering information to learn more about how you can keep our atmosphere healthy now, as students, and in the future as informed citizens, scientists, technicians, and mathematicians.

  12. Frequency of Faith and Spirituality Discussion in Health Care.

    PubMed

    Bergamo, David; White, Dawn

    2016-04-01

    Faith and spirituality are important in the lives of many individuals, and therefore, many patients. This study was performed to determine whether faith and spirituality are active part of the healthcare field and patients' receipt of these sometimes delicate topics. The nuances of the concepts of faith, spirituality, and religion and their implications in the healthcare setting are discussed. Benefits and detriments of faith and spirituality are reviewed in terms of how they relate to the health of the patient and to the healthcare field. With the focus of healthcare shifting to holistic care, this conversation may be more necessary than ever in practice, yet it seems many providers are not discussing these matters with patients. The study analyzes whether healthcare providers are discussing these topics with patients and how the discussion is received or would be received by patients. Findings demonstrate the infrequency of the discussion regardless of the fact that the majority of patients consider themselves faithful or spiritual. This study was approved by the Clarkson University Institutional Review Board on June 18, 2104.

  13. The dynamics of plant plasma membrane proteins: PINs and beyond.

    PubMed

    Luschnig, Christian; Vert, Grégory

    2014-08-01

    Plants are permanently situated in a fixed location and thus are well adapted to sense and respond to environmental stimuli and developmental cues. At the cellular level, several of these responses require delicate adjustments that affect the activity and steady-state levels of plasma membrane proteins. These adjustments involve both vesicular transport to the plasma membrane and protein internalization via endocytic sorting. A substantial part of our current knowledge of plant plasma membrane protein sorting is based on studies of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin transport proteins, which are found at distinct plasma membrane domains and have been implicated in directional efflux of the plant hormone auxin. Here, we discuss the mechanisms involved in establishing such polar protein distributions, focusing on PINs and other key plant plasma membrane proteins, and we highlight the pathways that allow for dynamic adjustments in protein distribution and turnover, which together constitute a versatile framework that underlies the remarkable capabilities of plants to adjust growth and development in their ever-changing environment. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  14. Isolation of a 250 million-year-old halotolerant bacterium from a primary salt crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vreeland, Russell H.; Rosenzweig, William D.; Powers, Dennis W.

    2000-10-01

    Bacteria have been found associated with a variety of ancient samples, however few studies are generally accepted due to questions about sample quality and contamination. When Cano and Borucki isolated a strain of Bacillus sphaericus from an extinct bee trapped in 25-30 million-year-old amber, careful sample selection and stringent sterilization techniques were the keys to acceptance. Here we report the isolation and growth of a previously unrecognized spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus species, designated 2-9-3) from a brine inclusion within a 250million-year-old salt crystal from the Permian Salado Formation. Complete gene sequences of the 16S ribosomal DNA show that the organism is part of the lineage of Bacillus marismortui and Virgibacillus pantothenticus. Delicate crystal structures and sedimentary features indicate the salt has not recrystallized since formation. Samples were rejected if brine inclusions showed physical signs of possible contamination. Surfaces of salt crystal samples were sterilized with strong alkali and acid before extracting brines from inclusions. Sterilization procedures reduce the probability of contamination to less than 1 in 10 9.

  15. Isolation of a 250 million-year-old halotolerant bacterium from a primary salt crystal.

    PubMed

    Vreeland, R H; Rosenzweig, W D; Powers, D W

    2000-10-19

    Bacteria have been found associated with a variety of ancient samples, however few studies are generally accepted due to questions about sample quality and contamination. When Cano and Borucki isolated a strain of Bacillus sphaericus from an extinct bee trapped in 25-30 million-year-old amber, careful sample selection and stringent sterilization techniques were the keys to acceptance. Here we report the isolation and growth of a previously unrecognized spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus species, designated 2-9-3) from a brine inclusion within a 250 million-year-old salt crystal from the Permian Salado Formation. Complete gene sequences of the 16S ribosomal DNA show that the organism is part of the lineage of Bacillus marismortui and Virgibacillus pantothenticus. Delicate crystal structures and sedimentary features indicate the salt has not recrystallized since formation. Samples were rejected if brine inclusions showed physical signs of possible contamination. Surfaces of salt crystal samples were sterilized with strong alkali and acid before extracting brines from inclusions. Sterilization procedures reduce the probability of contamination to less than 1 in 10(9).

  16. Diaspora, faith, and science: building a Mouride hospital in Senegal.

    PubMed

    Foley, Ellen E; Babou, Cheikh Anta

    2011-01-01

    This article examines a development initiative spearheaded by the members of a transnational diaspora – the creation of a medical hospital in the holy city of Touba in central Senegal. Although the construction of the hospital is decidedly a philanthropic project, Hôpital Matlaboul Fawzaini is better understood as part of the larger place-making project of the Muridiyya and the pursuit of symbolic capital by a particular Mouride "dahira". The "dahira's" project illuminates important processes of forging global connections and transnational localities, and underscores the importance of understanding the complex motivations behind diaspora development. The hospital's history reveals the delicate negotiations between state actors and diaspora organizations, and the complexities of public–private partnerships for development. In a reversal of state withdrawal in the neo-liberal era, a diaspora association was able to wrest new financial commitments from the state by completing a large infrastructure project. Despite this success, we argue that these kinds of projects, which are by nature uneven and sporadic, reflect particular historical conjunctures and do not offer a panacea for the failure of state-led development.

  17. Soft pneumatic grippers embedded with stretchable electroadhesion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, J.; Elgeneidy, K.; Xiang, C.; Lohse, N.; Justham, L.; Rossiter, J.

    2018-05-01

    Current soft pneumatic grippers cannot robustly grasp flat materials and flexible objects on curved surfaces without distorting them. Current electroadhesive grippers, on the other hand, are difficult to actively deform to complex shapes to pick up free-form surfaces or objects. An easy-to-implement PneuEA gripper is proposed by the integration of an electroadhesive gripper and a two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper. The electroadhesive gripper was fabricated by segmenting a soft conductive silicon sheet into a two-part electrode design and embedding it in a soft dielectric elastomer. The two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper was manufactured using a standard soft lithography approach. This novel integration has combined the benefits of both the electroadhesive and soft pneumatic grippers. As a result, the proposed PneuEA gripper was not only able to pick-and-place flat and flexible materials such as a porous cloth but also delicate objects such as a light bulb. By combining two soft touch sensors with the electroadhesive, an intelligent and shape-adaptive PneuEA material handling system has been developed. This work is expected to widen the applications of both soft gripper and electroadhesion technologies.

  18. Sexual functioning of adult patients born with meningomyelocele. A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Vroege, J A; Zeijlemaker, B Y; Scheers, M M

    1998-01-01

    This pilot study was started to get an impression of the sexual activity and sexual difficulties of adult patients born with meningomyelocele in control at Utrecht University Hospital, and to find out whether these problems deserve more attention from the Spina Bifida Team. Seventeen patients (9 men, 8 women; aged 19-44) were asked to participate; 11 (8 men, 3 women) decided to take part in this study. All these patients were interviewed by their physician about their present sexual life; 6 of them also completed the 'Questionnaire for screening Sexual Dysfunctions' (QSD). With 1 exception, all patients expressed a desire for sexual contact. Five of them masturbated and 6 patients sometimes had sexual contact. Eight patients had problems in the field of sexuality, but only 3 were dissatisfied with their present sexual life. It is advantageous to invite adult patients born with meningomyelocele for an interview about their sexual life. When raising this subject, however, one has to act with caution: for quite a few patients (in this study mostly women) sexuality still is a delicate subject.

  19. Methods for processing and imaging marsh foraminifera

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dreher, Chandra A.; Flocks, James G.

    2011-01-01

    This study is part of a larger U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) project to characterize the physical conditions of wetlands in southwestern Louisiana. Within these wetlands, groups of benthic foraminifera-shelled amoeboid protists living near or on the sea floor-can be used as agents to measure land subsidence, relative sea-level rise, and storm impact. In the Mississippi River Delta region, intertidal-marsh foraminiferal assemblages and biofacies were established in studies that pre-date the 1970s, with a very limited number of more recent studies. This fact sheet outlines this project's improved methods, handling, and modified preparations for the use of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging of these foraminifera. The objective is to identify marsh foraminifera to the taxonomic species level by using improved processing methods and SEM imaging for morphological characterization in order to evaluate changes in distribution and frequency relative to other environmental variables. The majority of benthic marsh foraminifera consists of agglutinated forms, which can be more delicate than porcelaneous forms. Agglutinated tests (shells) are made of particles such as sand grains or silt and clay material, whereas porcelaneous tests consist of calcite.

  20. .

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Qing

    2017-07-01

    In order to achieve the simulation of elaborate stroke trajectories in Chinese calligraphy, this paper puts forward the innovative researching on writing momentum in the field of non-photorealistic rendering in the first time. Through the analysis of using pen in Chinese calligraphy, the writing momentum is divided into three parts: the center, the side and the back of writing brush by the judgment of the angle of brush holder. We design an algorithm for dynamic outputting writing rendering based on brush model. According to monitoring parameters such as the direction, position and normalized pressure of using pen, we calculate parameters like the footprint direction, the shape, size and nib bending after writing. The algorithm can also judge the dynamic writing trend of stroke trajectories, even automatic generate stroke trajectories by the algorithm forecasted. We achieve a more delicate rendering of Chinese calligraphy to enhance the user's operating results. And we finish the unique writing effect separated the Chinese calligraphy form other general writing results, which greatly enhances the Chinese calligraphy simulation. So that people who lack of writing skills can easily draw a beautiful charm font.

  1. Organization and function of the actin cytoskeleton in developing root cells.

    PubMed

    Blancaflor, Elison B; Wang, Yuh-Shuh; Motes, Christy M

    2006-01-01

    The actin cytoskeleton is a highly dynamic structure, which mediates various cellular functions in large part through accessory proteins that tilt the balance between monomeric G-actin and filamentous actin (F-actin) or by facilitating interactions between actin and the plasma membrane, microtubules, and other organelles. Roots have become an attractive model to study actin in plant development because of their simple anatomy and accessibility of some root cell types such as root hairs for microscopic analyses. Roots also exhibit a remarkable developmental plasticity and possess a delicate sensory system that is easily manipulated, so that one can design experiments addressing a range of important biological questions. Many facets of root development can be regulated by the diverse actin network found in the various root developmental regions. Various molecules impinge on this actin scaffold to define how a particular root cell type grows or responds to a specific environmental signal. Although advances in genomics are leading the way toward elucidating actin function in roots, more significant strides will be realized when such tools are combined with improved methodologies for accurately depicting how actin is organized in plant cells.

  2. [Vulvovaginitis in young girls].

    PubMed

    Olejek, Anita; Kellas-Sleczka, Sylwia; Kozak-Darmas, Iwona; Bilska, Anna; Zamłyński, Jacek; Horak, Stanisław; Nowak, Leszek

    2009-12-01

    Vulvovaginitis is the most common cause of gynecological complaints in young girls. Factors which cause vulvovaginitis include, among other things, low level of sexual hormones (hypoestrogenism), the anatomical proximity of the rectum and delicate vulvar skin and vaginal mucosa. Usually vulvovaginitis in young girls is caused by non-specific factors. The aim of the study was to present the most frequent causes of vulvovaginitis in young girls.

  3. With Passion and Hope: The Delicate Bond between Research and Researcher. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClafferty, Karen A.

    This paper describes a study of the factors that motivate researchers toward particular topics as well as the obstacles that may keep them from pursuing these topics with passion and empathy. Interviews were conducted with 47 faulty members at 2 California research universities, 1 public and 1 private. In keeping with the grounded theory approach,…

  4. In situ measurement of Larval Salamander growth using individuals marked with acrylic polymers

    Treesearch

    Brent R. Johnson; J. Bruce Wallace

    2002-01-01

    Mark-recapture studies are often used to provide valuable life history information for animal populations. However, long-term marking of larval amphibians has been problematic because of their small size, delicate skin, and ability to regenerate tissues (Cecil and Just 1978; Donnelly et al. 1994; Seale and Boraas 1974). Procedures that have been used to mark larvae...

  5. Teaching Health Sciences Students about Culturally Sensitive Communication between Health Professionals and Patients from Diverse Cultures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olivares, Mónica; Pena, Carmen

    2015-01-01

    As members of a nationally accredited research project (I?+?D+i) InterMED (ref.: FF2011-25500) being carried out in the field of Intercultural Mediation, we are aware of the mediator's delicate role in communicative interactions between health professionals and foreign population. Sales has pointed out the dangers of stereotyping minorities and…

  6. Implications of a Comparative Study for Mathematics Education in the English Education System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delice, Ali; Roper, Tom

    2006-01-01

    This paper reports upon particular aspects of a study carried out by Delice in 2003, the main aim of which was to compare the performance of students in the 16-19 age group from Turkey and England on trigonometry of "A-level standard" and then to compare the curriculum and assessment provision in each country to seek possible…

  7. Sexual Communication in the Family: Handling a Delicate Topic in the Family Communication Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pawlowski, Donna R.

    2006-01-01

    Many times, families, and in particular parents, do not discuss important issues of sex with their children. Children learn about sex-related topics from their friends, other family members, or media sources. In such instances, while children at least may be learning about sex, the accuracy of the sources from which they are obtaining information…

  8. Shalom. Salaam. Peace Child Uses Theatre To Bring Israeli Arab and Jewish Teenagers Together.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldstein, Ezra

    2003-01-01

    Describes a drama written by students that helps them achieve an understanding and an empathy that eludes most of the inhabitants of Israel. Discusses how Arab and Jewish students collaborate to compose their drama. Concludes that at its best, the teenage participants in Peace Child Israel find that delicate balance point between using theatre to…

  9. "He Was a Bit of a Delicate Thing": White Middle-Class Boys, Gender, School Choice and Parental Anxiety

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Katya; Jamieson, Fiona; Hollingworth, Sumi

    2008-01-01

    This paper examines the impact of gender on white middle-class parents' anxiety about choosing inner-city comprehensives and their children's subsequent experiences within school, particularly in relation to social mixing. Drawing on interview data from an ESRC funded study of white middle-class parents whose children attend inner-city…

  10. Rise and shine: How do northwest trees know when winter is over?

    Treesearch

    Andrea Watts; Connie Harrington; Peter Gould

    2016-01-01

    Trees bursting forth with new leaves signal the arrival of spring. Budburst for most temperate tree species occurs after a tree has been exposed to a sufficient number of chilling and forcing hours over the winter. Waiting until these chilling and forcing hours have accumulated is a survival mechanism. If a tree bursts bud prematurely, delicate tissue may...

  11. Out by More than One Degree: Politics and Organizational Change within an Australian University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Brennan, Sebastian

    2006-01-01

    The pressures facing universities today are manifold, and universities throughout the world have come to realise that they can no longer proceed as they have done in the past. In many nations universities are being forced to perform a delicate balancing act between promoting increased access to tertiary education, while at the same time dealing…

  12. A Parent-Child Interactional Model of Social Anxiety Disorder in Youth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ollendick, Thomas H.; Benoit, Kristy E.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, one of the most common disorders of childhood and adolescence, social anxiety disorder (SAD), is examined to illustrate the complex and delicate interplay between parent and child factors that can result in normal development gone awry. Our parent-child model of SAD posits a host of variables that converge to occasion the onset and…

  13. Cometary particles - Thin sectioning and electron beam analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bradley, J. P.; Brownlee, D. E.

    1986-01-01

    Thin sections (500 to 1000 angstroms thick) of individual micrometeorites (5 to 15 micrometers) have been prepared with an ultramicrotome equipped with a diamond knife. Electron microscope examination of these sections has revealed the internal structures of chondritic micrometeorites, and a subset of highly porous, fragile particles has been identified. Delicate meteoritic materials such as these are characteristic of debris from cometary meteors.

  14. Boosting Completion at Community Colleges: Time, Choice, Structure and the Significant Role of States. Policy Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Complete College America, 2010

    2010-01-01

    A new American majority of students is emerging on campuses, especially at community colleges. These students must delicately balance long hours at jobs they must have with the higher education they desire. Even though this emerging majority has fundamentally different needs, American higher education in general has been slow to change, continuing…

  15. Understanding Brains: Details, Intuition, and Big Data

    PubMed Central

    Marder, Eve

    2015-01-01

    Understanding how the brain works requires a delicate balance between the appreciation of the importance of a multitude of biological details and the ability to see beyond those details to general principles. As technological innovations vastly increase the amount of data we collect, the importance of intuition into how to analyze and treat these data may, paradoxically, become more important. PMID:25965068

  16. All Aboard: Leading Change by Canoe, Sailboat, or Cruise Ship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dereef, Marvin

    2011-01-01

    Anyone who wants to make a difference may face a wall of opposition that must be removed with little or no damage. The situation could be delicate, a balance of one's desire and others' resistance. In this article, the author discusses three approaches to leading change; (1) the canoe approach--a one-on-one method that is best used when change…

  17. Determine the Factors of Influence for Young Adults (21+ Years) to Study Aviation in Puerto Rico: A Quantitative Descriptive Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanco, Mario

    2017-01-01

    The field of aviation has been in continuous development since the airplane was invented, however this development, mainly technological, has delicate implications in the area of human resources in aviation. Aviation industry professionals estimated that by 2025 there will be a significant shortage of professionals in this industry at the global…

  18. Delicate Engagement: The Lived Experience of Community College Students Enrolled in High-Risk Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bambara, Cynthia S.; Harbour, Clifford P.; Davies, Timothy Gray; Athey, Susan

    2009-01-01

    This article reports the findings of a phenomenological study that examined the lived experience of community college students enrolled in high-risk online courses (HRCs) at a community college in the American Southeast. HRCs were defined as college courses with withdrawal or failure rates of 30% or more. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13…

  19. Magnet Schools in Chicago: Achievement at Risk if Policymakers Retreat. Research Notes on Education. No. 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Institute for Independent Education, Inc., Washington, DC.

    In many urban areas, educators rely on magnet schools to strike a delicate balance between the need to create opportunities for equity in education and the need for parents to have greater choice among schools. But, are magnet schools successful? This document considers whether they fulfill the promises of high achievement and desegregation in…

  20. Policy on the Primary Curriculum since 2010: The Demise of the Expert View

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brundrett, Mark

    2015-01-01

    This paper focuses on the review and subsequent revision of the primary curriculum that took place between 2010 and 2014. Three central contentions are made about the review process: (1) it ignored the need for dialogue and consensus among the various parties that make up the delicate and interlocking set of relationships in the English education…

  1. Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem

    PubMed Central

    RAZZAQUE, M. Shawkat

    2011-01-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23–klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review. PMID:20958267

  2. Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem.

    PubMed

    Razzaque, M Shawkat

    2011-02-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23-klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review.

  3. Laughter, Humor, and Cancer: Delicate Moments and Poignant Interactional Circumstances.

    PubMed

    Beach, Wayne A; Prickett, Erin

    2017-07-01

    Conversation analysis is employed to examine transcribed excerpts drawn from a subsample of 75 naturally occurring and video recorded interviews between cancer patients and 30 doctors. Close examination is provided of how cancer patients initiate, and doctors respond, to laughter and humor during oncology interviews. Interactions demonstrate that communication about the disease "cancer" shares qualities similar to other medical areas (e.g., primary care): the tendency for patients to initiate laughter or humor to address troubling and challenging circumstances; and that during moments when patients address personal matters, doctors are not invited and do not reciprocate with shared laughter and humor. Prominent in talk about cancer are various precarious circumstances, awkward and delicate moments mirroring the lived experiences of cancer patients (e.g., when patients attempt to minimize fears, justify that they are well when threatened with sickness, claim normality in the midst of chronic conditions, and take stances that weight loss and gain are not problematic). These examples provide a compelling case that routine cancer care involves many poignant situations managed through laughter and humor. Implications are raised for how quality care might be improved through grounded understandings of laughter, humor, and cancer.

  4. [Robot-assisted Pylorus-Preserving Partial Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Kausch-Whipple Procedure)].

    PubMed

    Aselmann, H; Egberts, J-H; Hinz, S; Jünemann, K-P; Becker, T

    2016-04-01

    The surgical treatment of pancreatic head tumours is one of the most complex procedures in general surgery. In contrast to colorectal surgery, minimally-invasive techniques are not very commonly applied in pancreatic surgery. Both the delicate dissection along peri- and retropancreatic vessels and the extrahepatic bile ducts and subsequent reconstruction are very demanding with rigid standard laparoscopic instruments. The 4-arm robotic surgery system with angled instruments, unidirectional movement of instruments with adjustable transmission, tremor elimination and a stable, surgeon-controlled 3D-HD view is a promising platform to overcome the limitations of standard laparoscopic surgery regarding precise dissection and reconstruction in pancreatic surgery. Pancreatic head resection for mixed-type IPMN of the pancreatic head. Robot-assisted, minimally-invasive pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (Kausch-Whipple procedure). The robotic approach is particularly suited for complex procedures such as pylorus-preserving pancreatic head resections. The fully robotic Kausch-Whipple procedure is technically feasible and safe. The advantages of the robotic system are apparent in the delicate dissection near vascular structures, in lymph node dissection, the precise dissection of the uncinate process and, especially, bile duct and pancreatic anastomosis. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. Selective automation and skill transfer in medical robotics: a demonstration on surgical knot-tying.

    PubMed

    Knoll, Alois; Mayer, Hermann; Staub, Christoph; Bauernschmitt, Robert

    2012-12-01

    Transferring non-trivial human manipulation skills to robot systems is a challenging task. There have been a number of attempts to design research systems for skill transfer, but the level of the complexity of the actual skills transferable to the robot was rather limited, and delicate operations requiring a high dexterity and long action sequences with many sub-operations were impossible to transfer. A novel approach to human-machine skill transfer for multi-arm robot systems is presented. The methodology capitalizes on the metaphor of 'scaffolded learning', which has gained widespread acceptance in psychology. The main idea is to formalize the superior knowledge of a teacher in a certain way to generate support for a trainee. In our case, the scaffolding is constituted by abstract patterns, which facilitate the structuring and segmentation of information during 'learning by demonstration'. The actual skill generalization is then based on simulating fluid dynamics. The approach has been successfully evaluated in the medical domain for the delicate task of automated knot-tying for suturing with standard surgical instruments and a realistic minimally invasive robotic surgery system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. [Human resources management in a mother and child department: a research study on new nursing and obstetric staff].

    PubMed

    Sferrazza, Silvia; Papalia, Monica; Rossi, Sergio

    2011-01-01

    To put "human resources" in the first place in a working context is an ambitious target. The basic idea is the give more value to the human and professional contribution of each individual in order to create an alliance between an organization and the people who work in it. In this context, the nursing coordinator plays a key role in inserting new staff. In this delicate phase, the expectations of new staff may or may not be fulfilled. The aim of the present study is to examine the possible difficulties that may occur during this phase. The study included 175 new staff and 175 nurses, obstetricians and pediatric nurses already at work for a total of 350. Research instruments consisted of two anonymous ad hoc questionnaires, the first issued to new staff at the Mother and Child Department, the second to staff already working in the same department. Results showed a lack of sensitivity towards new staff and a lack of dedicated procedures to help them during this delicate phase which is fundamental for their future career. Key words: newly assumed staff, work insertion, nurses.

  7. Phosphatic precipitates associated with actinomycetes in speleothems from Grand Cayman, British West Indies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Brian

    2009-07-01

    Calcitic speleothems from a cave located on the north central coast of Grand Cayman commonly include corrosion surfaces that developed when calcite precipitation ceased and corrosion mediated by condensates became the operative process. Dissolution features associated with these surfaces, including etched crystal surfaces, microcavities, and solution-widened boundaries between crystals, are commonly occupied by microbes and microbial mats that have been replaced by calcium phosphate and/or coated with calcium phosphate. No mineralized microbes were found in the calcite crystals that form the speleothems. The morphology of the mineralized hyphae (eight morphotypes) and spores (nine morphotypes) are indicative of actinomycetes, a group of microbes that are ideally adapted to life in oligotrophic cave environs. Superb preservation of the delicate hyphae, aerial hyphae, and delicate ornamentation on the hyphae and spores indicate that the microbes underwent rapid mineralized while close to their original life positions. Although these actinomycetes were extremely susceptible to replacement by calcium phosphate, there is no evidence that they directly or indirectly controlled precipitation. Nevertheless, the association between the P-rich precipitates and microbes shows that the use of phosphorus as a proxy for seasonal climate changes in paleoclimate analyses must be treated with caution.

  8. CLIC4 Moves Into Nucleus to Stabilize Anti-Growth Signal | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    In cancer, the delicate balance of signaling pathways that control cell growth and function is disrupted. One signaling pathway commonly altered in cancer is the TGF-beta pathway. TGF-beta significantly inhibits growth of normal cells, particularly epithelial cells. Many cancer cells have developed ways to bypass one or more steps of this pathway in order to achieve uncontrolled growth.

  9. Berk's Law: Start Spreading the News--Use Multiple Sources of Evidence to Evaluate Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berk, Ronald A.

    2018-01-01

    Student ratings are not leaving today or anytime soon. However, as the title of this article indicates, student ratings are not the only option to provide evidence in the evaluation of teaching. There is a broad range of alternatives to consider beyond student ratings in the delicate decision-making processes to improve teaching and determine the…

  10. Human Factors and Information Operation for a Nuclear Power Space Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trujillo, Anna C.; Brown-VanHoozer, S. Alenka

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes human-interactive systems needed for a crewed nuclear-enabled space mission. A synthesis of aircraft engine and nuclear power plant displays, biofeedback of sensory input, virtual control, brain mapping for control process and manipulation, and so forth are becoming viable solutions. These aspects must maintain the crew's situation awareness and performance, which entails a delicate function allocation between crew and automation.

  11. CLIC4 Moves Into Nucleus to Stabilize Anti-Growth Signal | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    In cancer, the delicate balance of signaling pathways that control cell growth and function is disrupted. One signaling pathway commonly altered in cancer is the TGF-beta pathway. TGF-beta significantly inhibits growth of normal cells, particularly epithelial cells. Many cancer cells have developed ways to bypass one or more steps of this pathway in order to achieve

  12. [The immune system and the eye].

    PubMed

    Faber, Carsten; Nissen, Mogens Holst

    2008-09-15

    The special relationship between the eye and the immune system rests on a number of anatomical, physiological and immunological mechanisms. These mechanisms prevent the delicate structures of the eye from potentially damaging immunogenic inflammation while protecting against pathogens. Rather than inflammation, antigen induces a form of systemic and antigen-specific immunological tolerance. Owing to its systemic nature, this tolerance may be utilised to achieve successful treatment of immunological disorders.

  13. Sustaining and Strengthening DC Schools: Challenges and Choices for the New Mayor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Megan; Bogle, Mary

    2014-01-01

    Mayor-elect Bowser assumed control at a delicate juncture in the turbulent history of DC schools. In the 2008-09 school year, public school enrollment--in both traditional and charter schools--increased for the first time since the 1960s. In 2013-14, the District had the largest student body in over 25 years, and over the past 15 years, public…

  14. Bach2 Promotes Regulatory T-cell Development by Limiting Effector Differentiation | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    A number of allergic and autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, asthma, type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, are associated with polymorphisms in a gene encoding the transcription factor, BACH2. Despite this, the mechanism Bach2 uses to prevent immune-mediated diseases was not known. To function appropriately, the immune system relies on a delicate balance between

  15. [Somatic disorders, factitious disorders and simulation: the subtle art of differential diagnosis].

    PubMed

    Lleshi, V; Le Goff-Cubilier, V; Budry, P; Bryois, C

    2007-04-04

    In every day practice, it is difficult, sometimes impossible, and always ethically delicate to determine the differential diagnosis between: disorders of a somatic nature, simulation and factitious disorders, as much for the psychiatrist as for the general practitioner in the front line. Our aim is to lead a reflection on this controversial theme on the basis of a clinical illustration.

  16. Accelerated Tumor Cell Death by Angiogenic Modifiers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-08-01

    complex process Two huge molecules called plasminogen-related growth is regulated by a delicate balance of angiogenesis in- factors ( PRGFs ...Increased activator(s) and/or decreased inhibi- cancer progression. PRGF -1 is also called hepatocyte tor(s) alter the balance and lead to the growth of...new growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). PRGF -2 is also blood vessels (Hanahan, 1997). Several growth factors, known as macrophage-stimulating

  17. Surrogacy: ethical and legal issues.

    PubMed

    Saxena, Pikee; Mishra, Archana; Malik, Sonia

    2012-10-01

    Surrogacy refers to a contract in which a woman carries a pregnancy "for" another couple. Number of infertile couples from all over the World approach India where commercial surrogacy is legal. Although this arrangement appears to be beneficial for all parties concerned,there are certain delicate issues which need to be addressed through carefully framed laws in order to protect the rights of the surrogate mother and the intended parents.

  18. Proteomic analysis of proteins related to rice grain chalkiness using iTRAQ and a novel comparison system based on a notched-belly mutant with white-belly

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Grain chalkiness is a complex trait adversely affecting appearance and milling quality, and therefore has been one of principal targets for rice improvement. Eliminating chalkiness from rice has been a daunting task due to the complex interaction between genotype and environment and the lack of molecular markers. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying grain chalkiness formation are still imperfectly understood. Results We identified a notched-belly mutant (DY1102) with high percentage of white-belly, which only occurs in the bottom part proximal to the embryo. Using this mutant, a novel comparison system that can minimize the effect of genetic background and growing environment was developed. An iTRAQ-based comparative display of the proteins between the bottom chalky part and the upper translucent part of grains of DY1102 was performed. A total of 113 proteins responsible for chalkiness formation was identified. Among them, 70 proteins are up-regulated and 43 down-regulated. Approximately half of these differentially expressed proteins involved in central metabolic or regulatory pathways including carbohydrate metabolism (especially cell wall synthesis) and protein synthesis, folding and degradation, providing proteomic confirmation of the notion that chalkiness formation involves diverse but delicately regulated pathways. Protein metabolism was the most abundant category, accounting for 27.4% of the total differentially expressed proteins. In addition, down regulation of PDIL 2–3 and BiP was detected in the chalky tissue, indicating the important role of protein metabolism in grain chalkiness formation. Conclusions Using this novel comparison system, our comprehensive survey of endosperm proteomics in the notched-belly mutant provides a valuable proteomic resource for the characterization of pathways contributing to chalkiness formation at molecular and biochemical levels. PMID:24924297

  19. [Consumers, users and liability lawsuits. Theory].

    PubMed

    Quenu, L

    1990-01-01

    Over recent months, various medical societies have held sessions about this delicate subject which have focussed more on information than discussion, reflecting a certain degree of concern. Professionals, i.e. legal or private experts have always met in specialized societies, occasionally inviting jurists, magistrates or insurance company legal advisers to participate in their discussions. However, the debates between specialists largely escape the non-specialist doctor. In general medical societies, any discussion which follows a basic presentation is too often diverted towards particular details and personal cases. Some meetings present "informal chats" which give the listener the erroneous impression of having being informed. It is very difficult to practically and usefully inform colleagues, but the author nevertheless attempts this task. The first part of the article presents the classical internship questions in the form of "management of a case of ...". The second, legal part concisely defines the situations of various types of doctors in relation to medical responsibility and briefly deals with the general problem involved. The author has a limited experience. Despite certain encouragement to apply for inscription on the list of expert surgeons as well as that of expert urologists, the author only applied to be an expert urologist, a role he has filled for the last 28 years. He has seen slightly more than 40 cases of urological medical responsibility. The doctors concerned were essentially urologists, gynaecologists, "gastrointestinal" surgeons and even orthopaedic surgeons. However, general practitioners have also been implicated for failing to take urgent and necessary measures required by the patient's condition.

  20. The surgical treatment of instability of the upper part of the cervical spine in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Koop, S E; Winter, R B; Lonstein, J E

    1984-03-01

    In a retrospective review of the cases of thirteen skeletally immature children and adolescents (four to eighteen years old) with instability of the upper part of the cervical spine (occiput to fifth cervical vertebra), we determined the efficacy of posterior arthrodesis and halo-cast immobilization in the management of this condition. The patients were divided into two groups: those with congenital vertebral anomalies alone (fusion or structural defects, or both) and those with cervical anomalies and systemic disorders (dwarfism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy). Two patterns of instability were found: instabilities at intervertebral joints adjacent to vertebral fusions, and instabilities located in vertebral defects. For all patients treatment included a posterior arthrodesis with external immobilization by a halo cast, and in two patients internal fixation with wire was also used. Solid arthrodesis was obtained in the twelve patients who were treated with autogenous grafts (iliac cancellous bone in eleven and rib bone in one), and a non-union developed in a child who was treated with bank-bone rib segments. Posterior cervical arthrodesis with wire fixation carries some risk of neural injury and often is not applicable in children with anomalous vertebrae. Spine fusion using delicate exposure, decortication using an air-drill, and placement of autogenous cancellous iliac grafts with external immobilization by a halo cast minimizes the risk of neural damage and is a reliable way to obtain a solid arthrodesis.

  1. The emerging role of Hippo signaling pathway in regulating osteoclast formation.

    PubMed

    Yang, Wanlei; Han, Weiqi; Qin, An; Wang, Ziyi; Xu, Jiake; Qian, Yu

    2018-06-01

    A delicate balance between osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption is crucial for bone homeostasis. This process is regulated by the Hippo signaling pathway including key regulatory molecules RASSF2, NF2, MST1/2, SAV1, LATS1/2, MOB1, YAP, and TAZ. It is well established that the Hippo signaling pathway plays an important part in regulating osteoblast differentiation, but its role in osteoclast formation and activation remains poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of Hippo-signaling pathway in osteoclast formation and bone homeostasis. It is revealed that specific molecules of the Hippo-signaling pathway take part in a stage specific regulation in pre-osteoclast proliferation, osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast apoptosis and survival. Upon activation, MST and LAST, transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ bind to the members of the TEA domain (TEAD) family transcription factors, and influence osteoclast differentiation via regulating the expression of downstream target genes such as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) and cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61/CCN1). In addition, through interacting or cross talking with RANKL-mediated signaling cascades including NF-κB, MAPKs, AP1, and NFATc1, Hippo-signaling molecules such as YAP/TAZ/TEAD complex, RASSF2, MST2, and Ajuba could also potentially modulate osteoclast differentiation and function. Elucidating the roles of the Hippo-signaling pathway in osteoclast development and specific molecules involved is important for understanding the mechanism of bone homeostasis and diseases. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. White on whiteness: becoming radicalized about race.

    PubMed

    Gustafson, Diana L

    2007-06-01

    Race difference and whiteness--key elements in the construction of my cultural identity - became a focus of my reflective practice that began over 5 years ago. This article reflects critically on the production of white identity from my social location as a white nurse. My attention focused on two aspects of whiteness: the social location from which I live and learn, and the hegemonic but unmarked discourse that informs the knowledge I read and create as a researcher. My white identity is characterized by four features: the absent presence of whiteness; the need for an oppositional identity; the entitlement of choice and subjectivity; and the denial of a dominant position and relation to the racialized Other. Exploring these features is critically important at this juncture in global and professional history because of the persistence of neoliberalism and the popularity of culturalist approaches to diversity. Examining the process of my radicalization about race simultaneously calls attention to the historiography of ideas about whiteness and race difference and the institutionalization of beliefs and practices about race difference that continuously reproduce racialized identities and inform collective nursing practice and research.

  3. Processing Elided Verb Phrases with Flawed Antecedents: the Recycling Hypothesis

    PubMed Central

    Arregui, Ana; Clifton, Charles; Frazier, Lyn; Moulton, Keir

    2006-01-01

    Traditional syntactic accounts of verb phrase ellipsis (e.g. “Jason laughed. Sam did [ ] too.”) categorize as ungrammatical many sentences that language users find acceptable (they “undergenerate”); semantic accounts overgenerate. We propose that a processing theory, together with a syntactic account, does a better job of describing and explaining the data on verb phrase-ellipsis. Five acceptability judgment experiments supported a “VP recycling hypothesis,” which claims that when a syntactically-matching antecedent is not available, the listener/reader creates one using the materials at hand. Experiments 1 and 2 used verb phrase ellipsis sentences with antecedents ranging from perfect (a verb phrase in matrix verb phrase position) to impossible (a verb phrase containing only a deverbal word). Experiments 3 and 4 contrasted antecedents in verbal versus nominal gerund subjects. Experiment 5 explored the possibility that speakers are particularly likely to go beyond the grammar and produce elided constituents without perfect matching antecedents when the antecedent needed is less marked than the antecedent actually produced. This experiment contrasted active (unmarked) and passive antecedents to show that readers seem to honor such a tendency. PMID:17710192

  4. Constituent order and semantic parallelism in online comprehension: eye-tracking evidence from German.

    PubMed

    Knoeferle, Pia; Crocker, Matthew W

    2009-12-01

    Reading times for the second conjunct of and-coordinated clauses are faster when the second conjunct parallels the first conjunct in its syntactic or semantic (animacy) structure than when its structure differs (Frazier, Munn, & Clifton, 2000; Frazier, Taft, Roeper, & Clifton, 1984). What remains unclear, however, is the time course of parallelism effects, their scope, and the kinds of linguistic information to which they are sensitive. Findings from the first two eye-tracking experiments revealed incremental constituent order parallelism across the board-both during structural disambiguation (Experiment 1) and in sentences with unambiguously case-marked constituent order (Experiment 2), as well as for both marked and unmarked constituent orders (Experiments 1 and 2). Findings from Experiment 3 revealed effects of both constituent order and subtle semantic (noun phrase similarity) parallelism. Together our findings provide evidence for an across-the-board account of parallelism for processing and-coordinated clauses, in which both constituent order and semantic aspects of representations contribute towards incremental parallelism effects. We discuss our findings in the context of existing findings on parallelism and priming, as well as mechanisms of sentence processing.

  5. Agreement With Conjoined NPs Reflects Language Experience.

    PubMed

    Lorimor, Heidi; Adams, Nora C; Middleton, Erica L

    2018-01-01

    An important question within psycholinguistic research is whether grammatical features, such as number values on nouns, are probabilistic or discrete. Similarly, researchers have debated whether grammatical specifications are only set for individual lexical items, or whether certain types of noun phrases (NPs) also obtain number valuations at the phrasal level. Through a corpus analysis and an oral production task, we show that conjoined NPs can take both singular and plural verb agreement and that notional number (i.e., the numerosity of the referent of the subject noun phrase) plays an important role in agreement with conjoined NPs. In two written production tasks, we show that participants who are exposed to plural (versus singular or unmarked) agreement with conjoined NPs in a biasing story are more likely to produce plural agreement with conjoined NPs on a subsequent production task. This suggests that, in addition to their sensitivity to notional information, conjoined NPs have probabilistic grammatical specifications that reflect their distributional properties in language. These results provide important evidence that grammatical number reflects language experience, and that this language experience impacts agreement at the phrasal level, and not just the lexical level.

  6. Agreement With Conjoined NPs Reflects Language Experience

    PubMed Central

    Lorimor, Heidi; Adams, Nora C.; Middleton, Erica L.

    2018-01-01

    An important question within psycholinguistic research is whether grammatical features, such as number values on nouns, are probabilistic or discrete. Similarly, researchers have debated whether grammatical specifications are only set for individual lexical items, or whether certain types of noun phrases (NPs) also obtain number valuations at the phrasal level. Through a corpus analysis and an oral production task, we show that conjoined NPs can take both singular and plural verb agreement and that notional number (i.e., the numerosity of the referent of the subject noun phrase) plays an important role in agreement with conjoined NPs. In two written production tasks, we show that participants who are exposed to plural (versus singular or unmarked) agreement with conjoined NPs in a biasing story are more likely to produce plural agreement with conjoined NPs on a subsequent production task. This suggests that, in addition to their sensitivity to notional information, conjoined NPs have probabilistic grammatical specifications that reflect their distributional properties in language. These results provide important evidence that grammatical number reflects language experience, and that this language experience impacts agreement at the phrasal level, and not just the lexical level. PMID:29725311

  7. Augmenting the Genetic Toolbox for Sulfolobus islandicus with a Stringent Positive Selectable Marker for Agmatine Prototrophy

    PubMed Central

    Cooper, Tara E.; Krause, David J.

    2013-01-01

    Sulfolobus species have become the model organisms for studying the unique biology of the crenarchaeal division of the archaeal domain. In particular, Sulfolobus islandicus provides a powerful opportunity to explore natural variation via experimental functional genomics. To support these efforts, we further expanded genetic tools for S. islandicus by developing a stringent positive selection for agmatine prototrophs in strains in which the argD gene, encoding arginine decarboxylase, has been deleted. Strains with deletions in argD were shown to be auxotrophic for agmatine even in nutrient-rich medium, but growth could be restored by either supplementation of exogenous agmatine or reintroduction of a functional copy of the argD gene from S. solfataricus P2 into the ΔargD host. Using this stringent selection, a robust targeted gene knockout system was established via an improved next generation of the MID (marker insertion and unmarked target gene deletion) method. Application of this novel system was validated by targeted knockout of the upsEF genes involved in UV-inducible cell aggregation formation. PMID:23835176

  8. What's in a (role) name? Formal and conceptual aspects of comprehending personal nouns.

    PubMed

    Irmen, Lisa

    2007-11-01

    Two eye-tracking studies assessed effects of grammatical and conceptual gender cues in generic role name processing in German. Participants read passages about a social or occupational group introduced by way of a generic role name (e.g., Soldaten/soldiers, Künstler/artists). Later in the passage the gender of this group was specified by the anaphoric expression diese Männer/these men or diese Frauen/these women. Testing masculine generic role names of male, female or neutral conceptual gender (Exp. 1) showed that a gender mismatch between the role name's conceptual gender and the anaphor significantly slowed reading immediately before and after the anaphoric noun. A mismatch between the antecedent's grammatical gender and the anaphor slowed down the reading of the anaphoric noun itself. Testing grammatically gender-unmarked role names (Exp. 2) revealed a general male bias in participants' understanding, irrespective of grammatical or conceptual gender. The experiments extend previous findings on gender effects to non-referential role names and generic contexts. Theoretical aspects of gender and plural reference as well as gender information in mental models are discussed.

  9. Precision-engineering the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome with two-step allelic exchange

    PubMed Central

    Hmelo, Laura R.; Borlee, Bradley R.; Almblad, Henrik; Love, Michelle E.; Randall, Trevor E.; Tseng, Boo Shan; Lin, Chuyang; Irie, Yasuhiko; Storek, Kelly M.; Yang, Jaeun Jane; Siehnel, Richard J.; Howell, P. Lynne; Singh, Pradeep K.; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim; Parsek, Matthew R.; Schweizer, Herbert P.; Harrison, Joe J.

    2016-01-01

    Allelic exchange is an efficient method of bacterial genome engineering. This protocol describes the use of this technique to make gene knockouts and knockins, as well as single nucleotide insertions, deletions and substitutions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Unlike other approaches to allelic exchange, this protocol does not require heterologous recombinases to insert or excise selective markers from the target chromosome. Rather, positive and negative selection are enabled solely by suicide vector-encoded functions and host cell proteins. Here, mutant alleles, which are flanked by regions of homology to the recipient chromosome, are synthesized in vitro and then cloned into allelic exchange vectors using standard procedures. These suicide vectors are then introduced into recipient cells by conjugation. Homologous recombination then results in antibiotic resistant single-crossover mutants in which the plasmid has integrated site-specifically into the chromosome. Subsequently, unmarked double-crossover mutants are isolated directly using sucrose-mediated counter-selection. This two-step process yields seamless mutations that are precise to a single base pair of DNA. The entire procedure requires ~2 weeks. PMID:26492139

  10. The influence of perceptual load on age differences in selective attention.

    PubMed

    Maylor, E A; Lavie, N

    1998-12-01

    The effect of perceptual load on age differences in visual selective attention was examined in 2 studies. In Experiment 1, younger and older adults made speeded choice responses indicating which of 2 target letters was present in a relevant set of letters in the center of the display while they attempted to ignore an irrelevant distractor in the periphery. The perceptual load of relevant processing was manipulated by varying the central set size. When the relevant set size was small, the adverse effect of an incompatible distractor was much greater for the older participants than for the younger ones. However, with larger relevant set sizes, this was no longer the case, with the distractor effect decreasing for older participants at lower levels of perceptual load than for younger ones. In Experiment 2, older adults were tested with the empty locations in the central set either unmarked (as in Experiment 1) or marked by small circles to form a group of 6 items irrespective of set size; the 2 conditions did not differ markedly, ruling out an explanation based entirely on perceptual grouping.

  11. Modeling abundance using hierarchical distance sampling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Royle, Andy; Kery, Marc

    2016-01-01

    In this chapter, we provide an introduction to classical distance sampling ideas for point and line transect data, and for continuous and binned distance data. We introduce the conditional and the full likelihood, and we discuss Bayesian analysis of these models in BUGS using the idea of data augmentation, which we discussed in Chapter 7. We then extend the basic ideas to the problem of hierarchical distance sampling (HDS), where we have multiple point or transect sample units in space (or possibly in time). The benefit of HDS in practice is that it allows us to directly model spatial variation in population size among these sample units. This is a preeminent concern of most field studies that use distance sampling methods, but it is not a problem that has received much attention in the literature. We show how to analyze HDS models in both the unmarked package and in the BUGS language for point and line transects, and for continuous and binned distance data. We provide a case study of HDS applied to a survey of the island scrub-jay on Santa Cruz Island, California.

  12. Unsupervised markerless 3-DOF motion tracking in real time using a single low-budget camera.

    PubMed

    Quesada, Luis; León, Alejandro J

    2012-10-01

    Motion tracking is a critical task in many computer vision applications. Existing motion tracking techniques require either a great amount of knowledge on the target object or specific hardware. These requirements discourage the wide spread of commercial applications based on motion tracking. In this paper, we present a novel three degrees of freedom motion tracking system that needs no knowledge on the target object and that only requires a single low-budget camera that can be found installed in most computers and smartphones. Our system estimates, in real time, the three-dimensional position of a nonmodeled unmarked object that may be nonrigid, nonconvex, partially occluded, self-occluded, or motion blurred, given that it is opaque, evenly colored, enough contrasting with the background in each frame, and that it does not rotate. Our system is also able to determine the most relevant object to track in the screen. Our proposal does not impose additional constraints, therefore it allows a market-wide implementation of applications that require the estimation of the three position degrees of freedom of an object.

  13. "We Should Assess the Students in More Authentic Situations": Swedish PE Teacher Educators' Views of the Meaning of Movement Skills for Future PE Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Backman, Erik; Pearson, Phil

    2016-01-01

    The question of what knowledge a student of Physical Education (PE) needs to develop during PE teacher education (PETE) was recently discussed. One form of knowledge is the movement practices that students must meet during their education. Given the limited time, a delicate matter is whether to prioritize movement knowledge and consider it as…

  14. Surrogacy: Ethical and Legal Issues

    PubMed Central

    Saxena, Pikee; Mishra, Archana; Malik, Sonia

    2012-01-01

    Surrogacy refers to a contract in which a woman carries a pregnancy “for” another couple. Number of infertile couples from all over the World approach India where commercial surrogacy is legal. Although this arrangement appears to be beneficial for all parties concerned,there are certain delicate issues which need to be addressed through carefully framed laws in order to protect the rights of the surrogate mother and the intended parents. PMID:23293432

  15. The Delicate Balance between Parental Protection, Unsupervised Wandering, and Adolescents' Autonomy and Its Relation with Antisocial Behavior: The TRAILS Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sentse, Miranda; Dijkstra, Jan Kornelis; Lindenberg, Siegwart; Ormel, Johan; Veenstra, Rene

    2010-01-01

    In a large sample of early adolescents (T2: N = 1023; M age = 13.51; 55.5% girls), the impact of parental protection and unsupervised wandering on adolescents' antisocial behavior 2.5 years later was tested in this TRAILS study; gender and parental knowledge were controlled for. In addition, the level of biological maturation and having antisocial…

  16. Joint Services Electronics Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-07-01

    Associates HgCdTe infrared detector for our earlier Ge:Cu detector . The samples studied were obtained from Professor J. Schetzina at North Carolina State...such delicate structures. Since such effects may well limit their utility in actual devices we have begun an investigation of noise processes in...superlattices 3 was initially motivated by practical interest in infrared detectors like HgTe/CdTe. The III-V superlattices (SLs) are being considered

  17. Fall risk and anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation in the elderly: A delicate balance.

    PubMed

    Hagerty, Tracy; Rich, Michael W

    2017-01-01

    Guidelines for managing atrial fibrillation recommend systemic anticoagulation for almost all patients age 65 and older, but in practice up to 50% of older patients do not receive maintenance anticoagulation therapy. The most common reason physicians cite for withholding anticoagulation in older patients with atrial fibrillation is a perception of a high risk of falling and associated bleeding, especially intracranial hemorrhage. Copyright © 2017 Cleveland Clinic.

  18. Schools and Classes for Delicate Children. Bulletin, 1930, No. 22

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, James Frederick

    1930-01-01

    Many a teacher, even in remote pedagogic times, held his classes in the open air or, in suitable weather led his pupils out of doors for a session or for a day. Such classes in the open air were for all pupils and the chief change was of air and scene. The open-air school is a product of the present century. This new school is intended for a…

  19. Sediment Trapping Pathways and Mechanisms through the Mekong Tidal River and Subaqueous Delta

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-30

    strive to understand how the delicate balance of ebb and flood sediment fluxes is maintained to create tidal flat and mangrove complexes, and...subaqueous delta on the inner continental shelf, and sediment sinks within vegetated/ mangrove shoreline complexes. Our overall hypothesis is that sediment... Mangrove /Vegetated Intertidal Areas. Along the main stem tidal river and coastal banks may be shorelines lined with vegetation ( mangroves at the

  20. Politics of North Korean Refugees and Regional Security Implications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-01

    in material adjustment and success in mental adjustment is also partial adjustment, identified as “ acculturation .” Failure in both components is...hours on mental and physical health ; 2) 130 hours of vocational training and counseling in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor; 3) 90 hours of...delicate political balance among the Six-Party nations. How each country addresses this issue can affect its future influence within the region

  1. Nanotechnology in reproductive medicine: emerging applications of nanomaterials.

    PubMed

    Barkalina, Natalia; Charalambous, Charis; Jones, Celine; Coward, Kevin

    2014-07-01

    In the last decade, nanotechnology has been extensively introduced for biomedical applications, including bio-detection, drug delivery and diagnostic imaging, particularly in the field of cancer diagnostics and treatment. However, there is a growing trend towards the expansion of nanobiotechnological tools in a number of non-cancer applications. In this review, we discuss the emerging uses of nanotechnology in reproductive medicine and reproductive biology. For the first time, we summarise the available evidence regarding the use of nanomaterials as experimental tools for the detection and treatment of malignant and benign reproductive conditions. We also present an overview of potential applications for nanomaterials in reproductive biology, discuss the benefits and concerns associated with their use in a highly delicate system of reproductive tissues and gametes, and address the feasibility of this innovative and potentially controversial approach in the clinical setting and for investigative research into the mechanisms underlying reproductive diseases. This unique review paper focuses on the emerging use of nanotechnology in reproductive medicine and reproductive biology, highlighting the role of nanomaterials in the detection and treatment of various reproductive conditions, keeping in mind the benefits and potential concerns associated with nanomaterial use in the delicate system of reproductive tissue and gametes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Applied 3D printing for microscopy in health science research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brideau, Craig; Zareinia, Kourosh; Stys, Peter

    2015-03-01

    The rapid prototyping capability offered by 3D printing is considered advantageous for commercial applications. However, the ability to quickly produce precision custom devices is highly beneficial in the research laboratory setting as well. Biological laboratories require the manipulation and analysis of delicate living samples, thus the ability to create custom holders, support equipment, and adapters allow the extension of existing laboratory machines. Applications include camera adapters and stage sample holders for microscopes, surgical guides for tissue preparation, and small precision tools customized to unique specifications. Where high precision is needed, especially the reproduction of fine features, a printer with a high resolution is needed. However, the introduction of cheaper, lower resolution commercial printers have been shown to be more than adequate for less demanding projects. For direct manipulation of delicate samples, biocompatible raw materials are often required, complicating the printing process. This paper will examine some examples of 3D-printed objects for laboratory use, and provide an overview of the requirements for 3D printing for this application. Materials, printing resolution, production, and ease of use will all be reviewed with an eye to producing better printers and techniques for laboratory applications. Specific case studies will highlight applications for 3D-printed devices in live animal imaging for both microscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

  3. Controlled microaspiration for high-pressure freezing: a new method for ultrastructural preservation of fragile and sparse tissues for TEM and electron tomography

    PubMed Central

    Triffo, W. J.; Palsdottir, H.; McDonald, K. L.; Lee, J. K.; Inman, J. L.; Bissell, M. J.; Raphael, R. M.; Auer, M.

    2009-01-01

    Summary High-pressure freezing is the preferred method to prepare thick biological specimens for ultrastructural studies. However, the advantages obtained by this method often prove unattainable for samples that are difficult to handle during the freezing and substitution protocols. Delicate and sparse samples are difficult to manipulate and maintain intact throughout the sequence of freezing, infiltration, embedding and final orientation for sectioning and subsequent transmission electron microscopy. An established approach to surmount these difficulties is the use of cellulose microdialysis tubing to transport the sample. With an inner diameter of 200 µm, the tubing protects small and fragile samples within the thickness constraints of high-pressure freezing, and the tube ends can be sealed to avoid loss of sample. Importantly, the transparency of the tubing allows optical study of the specimen at different steps in the process. Here, we describe the use of a micromanipulator and microinjection apparatus to handle and position delicate specimens within the tubing. We report two biologically significant examples that benefit from this approach, 3D cultures of mammary epithelial cells and cochlear outer hair cells. We illustrate the potential for correlative light and electron microscopy as well as electron tomography. PMID:18445158

  4. Elastic Inflatable Actuators for Soft Robotic Applications.

    PubMed

    Gorissen, Benjamin; Reynaerts, Dominiek; Konishi, Satoshi; Yoshida, Kazuhiro; Kim, Joon-Wan; De Volder, Michael

    2017-11-01

    The 20th century's robotic systems have been made from stiff materials, and much of the developments have pursued ever more accurate and dynamic robots, which thrive in industrial automation, and will probably continue to do so for decades to come. However, the 21st century's robotic legacy may very well become that of soft robots. This emerging domain is characterized by continuous soft structures that simultaneously fulfill the role of robotic link and actuator, where prime focus is on design and fabrication of robotic hardware instead of software control. These robots are anticipated to take a prominent role in delicate tasks where classic robots fail, such as in minimally invasive surgery, active prosthetics, and automation tasks involving delicate irregular objects. Central to the development of these robots is the fabrication of soft actuators. This article reviews a particularly attractive type of soft actuators that are driven by pressurized fluids. These actuators have recently gained traction on the one hand due to the technology push from better simulation tools and new manufacturing technologies, and on the other hand by a market pull from applications. This paper provides an overview of the different advanced soft actuator configurations, their design, fabrication, and applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Selective Transfer Machine for Personalized Facial Expression Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Chu, Wen-Sheng; De la Torre, Fernando; Cohn, Jeffrey F.

    2017-01-01

    Automatic facial action unit (AU) and expression detection from videos is a long-standing problem. The problem is challenging in part because classifiers must generalize to previously unknown subjects that differ markedly in behavior and facial morphology (e.g., heavy versus delicate brows, smooth versus deeply etched wrinkles) from those on which the classifiers are trained. While some progress has been achieved through improvements in choices of features and classifiers, the challenge occasioned by individual differences among people remains. Person-specific classifiers would be a possible solution but for a paucity of training data. Sufficient training data for person-specific classifiers typically is unavailable. This paper addresses the problem of how to personalize a generic classifier without additional labels from the test subject. We propose a transductive learning method, which we refer as a Selective Transfer Machine (STM), to personalize a generic classifier by attenuating person-specific mismatches. STM achieves this effect by simultaneously learning a classifier and re-weighting the training samples that are most relevant to the test subject. We compared STM to both generic classifiers and cross-domain learning methods on four benchmarks: CK+ [44], GEMEP-FERA [67], RU-FACS [4] and GFT [57]. STM outperformed generic classifiers in all. PMID:28113267

  6. Heuristic approach to image registration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gertner, Izidor; Maslov, Igor V.

    2000-08-01

    Image registration, i.e. correct mapping of images obtained from different sensor readings onto common reference frame, is a critical part of multi-sensor ATR/AOR systems based on readings from different types of sensors. In order to fuse two different sensor readings of the same object, the readings have to be put into a common coordinate system. This task can be formulated as optimization problem in a space of all possible affine transformations of an image. In this paper, a combination of heuristic methods is explored to register gray- scale images. The modification of Genetic Algorithm is used as the first step in global search for optimal transformation. It covers the entire search space with (randomly or heuristically) scattered probe points and helps significantly reduce the search space to a subspace of potentially most successful transformations. Due to its discrete character, however, Genetic Algorithm in general can not converge while coming close to the optimum. Its termination point can be specified either as some predefined number of generations or as achievement of a certain acceptable convergence level. To refine the search, potential optimal subspaces are searched using more delicate and efficient for local search Taboo and Simulated Annealing methods.

  7. Covalently crosslinked diels-alder polymer networks.

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

    Bowman, Christopher; Adzima, Brian J.; Anderson, Benjamin John

    2011-09-01

    This project examines the utility of cycloaddition reactions for the synthesis of polymer networks. Cycloaddition reactions are desirable because they produce no unwanted side reactions or small molecules, allowing for the formation of high molecular weight species and glassy crosslinked networks. Both the Diels-Alder reaction and the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) were studied. Accomplishments include externally triggered healing of a thermoreversible covalent network via self-limited hysteresis heating, the creation of Diels-Alder based photoresists, and the successful photochemical catalysis of CuAAC as an alternative to the use of ascorbic acid for the generation of Cu(I) in click reactions. An analysis ofmore » the results reveals that these new methods offer the promise of efficiently creating robust, high molecular weight species and delicate three dimensional structures that incorporate chemical functionality in the patterned material. This work was performed under a Strategic Partnerships LDRD during FY10 and FY11 as part of a Sandia National Laboratories/University of Colorado-Boulder Excellence in Science and Engineering Fellowship awarded to Brian J. Adzima, a graduate student at UC-Boulder. Benjamin J. Anderson (Org. 1833) was the Sandia National Laboratories point-of-contact for this fellowship.« less

  8. Controlled evacuation using the biocompatible and energy efficient microfluidic ejector.

    PubMed

    Lad, V N; Ralekar, Swati

    2016-10-01

    Development of controlled vacuum is having many applications in the realm of biotechnology, cell transfer, gene therapy, biomedical engineering and other engineering activities involving separation or chemical reactions. Here we show the controlled vacuum generation through a biocompatible, energy efficient, low-cost and flexible miniature device. We have designed and fabricated microfluidic devices from polydimethylsiloxane which are capable of producing vacuum at a highly controlled rate by using water as a motive fluid. Scrupulous removal of infected fluid/body fluid from the internal hemorrhage affected parts during surgical operations, gene manipulation, cell sorting, and other biomedical activities require complete isolation of the delicate cells or tissues adjacent to the targeted location. We demonstrate the potential of the miniature device to obtain controlled evacuation without the use of highly pressurized motive fluids. Water has been used as a motive liquid to eject vapor and liquid at ambient conditions through the microfluidic devices prepared using a low-cost fabrication method. The proposed miniature device may find applications in vacuum generation especially where the controlled rate of evacuation, and limited vacuum generation are of utmost importance in order to precisely protect the cells in the nearby region of the targeted evacuated area.

  9. Looking Homeward Toward Earth: The Power of Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdalati, W.

    2012-08-01

    With the 1968 "Earthrise" image of planet Earth emerging from beyond the lunar horizon, society's view of our celestial home was changed forever. Beautiful and vulnerable, and suspended in dark stillness, this image inspired an appreciation that we are one human race, whose fate hinges delicately on our collective actions. Since that time, space-based observations of the Earth have continued to provide essential insights and information across the full spectrum of human activities and natural processes, and have even become a mainstream part of our daily lives. From documenting disappearing Arctic ice cover, to providing key insights to hurricane evolution, to tracking the amount of movement and cycles of Earth's biomass, these observations allow us to understand how and why our world is changing, and what these changes mean for life on Earth. But beyond their tremendous scientific value, they can be a powerful and inspiring tool for generating a true appreciation of the complexities and beauty of the world in which we live. From that iconic Earthrise photograph to the viral popularity of event-based satellite imagery, the power of the space-based perspective satisfies our need for constant and current information, and fuels our emotional connection to the planet we call home.

  10. Microfluidic T-form mixer utilizing switching electroosmotic flow.

    PubMed

    Lin, Che-Hsin; Fu, Lung-Ming; Chien, Yu-Sheng

    2004-09-15

    This paper presents a microfluidic T-form mixer utilizing alternatively switching electroosmotic flow. The microfluidic device is fabricated on low-cost glass slides using a simple and reliable fabrication process. A switching DC field is used to generate an electroosmotic force which simultaneously drives and mixes the fluid samples. The proposed design eliminates the requirements for moving parts within the microfluidic device and delicate external control systems. Two operation modes, namely, a conventional switching mode and a novel pinched switching mode, are presented. Computer simulation is employed to predict the mixing performance attainable in both operation modes. The simulation results are then compared to those obtained experimentally. It is shown that a mixing performance as high as 97% can be achieved within a mixing distance of 1 mm downstream from the T-junction when a 60 V/cm driving voltage and a 2-Hz switching frequency are applied in the pinched switching operation mode. This study demonstrates how the driving voltage and switching frequency can be optimized to yield an enhanced mixing performance. The novel methods presented in this study provide a simple solution to mixing problems in the micro-total-analysis-systems field.

  11. The Hypoxic Testicle: Physiology and Pathophysiology

    PubMed Central

    Reyes, Juan G.; Farias, Jorge G.; Henríquez-Olavarrieta, Sebastián; Madrid, Eva; Parraga, Mario; Zepeda, Andrea B.; Moreno, Ricardo D.

    2012-01-01

    Mammalian spermatogenesis is a complex biological process occurring in the seminiferous tubules in the testis. This process represents a delicate balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In most mammals, the testicles are kept in the scrotum 2 to 7°C below body core temperature, and the spermatogenic process proceeds with a blood and oxygen supply that is fairly independent of changes in other vascular beds in the body. Despite this apparently well-controlled local environment, pathologies such as varicocele or testicular torsion and environmental exposure to low oxygen (hypoxia) can result in changes in blood flow, nutrients, and oxygen supply along with an increased local temperature that may induce adverse effects on Leydig cell function and spermatogenesis. These conditions may lead to male subfertility or infertility. Our literature analyses and our own results suggest that conditions such as germ cell apoptosis and DNA damage are common features in hypoxia and varicocele and testicular torsion. Furthermore, oxidative damage seems to be present in these conditions during the initiation stages of germ cell damage and apoptosis. Other mechanisms like membrane-bound metalloproteinases and phospholipase A2 activation could also be part of the pathophysiological consequences of testicular hypoxia. PMID:23056665

  12. Tunneling spectroscopy of a spiral Luttinger liquid in contact with superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Dong E.; Levchenko, Alex

    2014-03-01

    One-dimensional wires with Rashba spin-orbit coupling, magnetic field, and strong electron-electron interactions are described by a spiral Luttinger liquid model. We develop a theory to investigate the tunneling density of states into a spiral Luttinger liquid in contact with superconductors at its two ends. This approach provides a way to disentangle the delicate interplay between superconducting correlations and strong electron interactions. If the wire-superconductor boundary is dominated by Andreev reflection, we find that in the vicinity of the interface the zero-bias tunneling anomaly reveals a power law enhancement with the unusual exponent. This zero-bias due to Andreev reflections may coexist and thus mask possible peak due to Majorana bound states. Far away from the interface strong correlations inherent to the Luttinger liquid prevail and restore conventional suppression of the tunneling density of states at the Fermi level, which acquires a Friedel-like oscillatory envelope with the period renormalized by the strength of the interaction. D.E.L. was supported by Michigan State University and in part by ARO through Contract No. W911NF-12-1-0235. A.L. acknowledges support from NSF under Grant No. PHYS-1066293, and the hospitality of the Aspen Center for Physics.

  13. Stirling Engine Heat Pump

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kagawa, Noboru

    Recent advances in the feasibility studies related to the Stirling engines and Stirling engine heat pumps which have been considered attractive due to their promising role in helping to solve the global environmental and energy problems,are reviewed. This article begins to describe the brief history of the Stirling engines and theoretical thermodynamic analysis of the Stirling cycle in order to understand several advantages on the Stirling engine. Furthermore,they could throw light on our question why the dream engines had not been promoted to practical applications during two hundred years. The present review shows that the Stirling engines with several unique advantages including 30 to 40% thermal efficiency and preferable exhaust characteristics,had been designed and constructed by recent tackling for the development of the advanced automobile and other applications using them. Based on the current state of art,it is being provided to push the Stirling engines combined with heat pumps based on the reversed Rankine cycle to the market. At present,however, many problems, especially for the durability, cost, and delicate engine parts must be enforced to solve. In addition,there are some possibilities which can increase the attractiveness of the Stirling engines and heat pumps. The review closes with suggestions for further research.

  14. Translating ocular biomechanics into clinical practice: current state and future prospects.

    PubMed

    Girard, Michaël J A; Dupps, William J; Baskaran, Mani; Scarcelli, Giuliano; Yun, Seok H; Quigley, Harry A; Sigal, Ian A; Strouthidis, Nicholas G

    2015-01-01

    Biomechanics is the study of the relationship between forces and function in living organisms and is thought to play a critical role in a significant number of ophthalmic disorders. This is not surprising, as the eye is a pressure vessel that requires a delicate balance of forces to maintain its homeostasis. Over the past few decades, basic science research in ophthalmology mostly confirmed that ocular biomechanics could explain in part the mechanisms involved in almost all major ophthalmic disorders such as optic nerve head neuropathies, angle closure, ametropia, presbyopia, cataract, corneal pathologies, retinal detachment and macular degeneration. Translational biomechanics in ophthalmology, however, is still in its infancy. It is believed that its use could make significant advances in diagnosis and treatment. Several translational biomechanics strategies are already emerging, such as corneal stiffening for the treatment of keratoconus, and more are likely to follow. This review aims to cultivate the idea that biomechanics plays a major role in ophthalmology and that the clinical translation, lead by collaborative teams of clinicians and biomedical engineers, will benefit our patients. Specifically, recent advances and future prospects in corneal, iris, trabecular meshwork, crystalline lens, scleral and lamina cribrosa biomechanics are discussed.

  15. Translating Ocular Biomechanics into Clinical Practice: Current State and Future Prospects

    PubMed Central

    Girard, Michaël J.A.; Dupps, William J.; Baskaran, Mani; Scarcelli, Giuliano; Yun, Seok H.; Quigley, Harry A.; Sigal, Ian A.; Strouthidis, Nicholas G.

    2014-01-01

    Biomechanics – the study of the relationship between forces and function in living organisms – is thought to play a critical role in a significant number of ophthalmic disorders. This is not surprising, as the eye is a pressure vessel that requires a delicate balance of forces to maintain its homeostasis. Over the past few decades, basic science research in ophthalmology mostly confirmed that ocular biomechanics could explain in part the mechanisms involved in almost all major ophthalmic disorders such as optic nerve head neuropathies, angle closure, ametropia, presbyopia, cataract, corneal pathologies, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration. Translational biomechanics in ophthalmology, however, is still in its infancy. It is believed that its use could make significant advances in diagnosis and treatment. Several translational biomechanics strategies are already emerging, such as corneal stiffening for the treatment of keratoconus, and more are likely to follow. This review aims to cultivate the idea that biomechanics plays a major role in ophthalmology and that its clinical translation, lead by collaborative teams of clinicians and biomedical engineers, will benefit our patients. Specifically, recent advances and future prospects in corneal, iris, trabecular meshwork, crystalline lens, scleral and lamina cribrosa biomechanics are discussed. PMID:24832392

  16. Modulation of host immunity by beneficial microbes.

    PubMed

    Zamioudis, Christos; Pieterse, Corné M J

    2012-02-01

    In nature, plants abundantly form beneficial associations with soilborne microbes that are important for plant survival and, as such, affect plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Classical examples of symbiotic microbes are mycorrhizal fungi that aid in the uptake of water and minerals, and Rhizobium bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plant. Several other types of beneficial soilborne microbes, such as plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria and fungi with biological control activity, can stimulate plant growth by directly suppressing deleterious soilborne pathogens or by priming aboveground plant parts for enhanced defense against foliar pathogens or insect herbivores. The establishment of beneficial associations requires mutual recognition and substantial coordination of plant and microbial responses. A growing body of evidence suggests that beneficial microbes are initially recognized as potential invaders, after which an immune response is triggered, whereas, at later stages of the interaction, mutualists are able to short-circuit plant defense responses to enable successful colonization of host roots. Here, we review our current understanding of how symbiotic and nonsymbiotic beneficial soil microbes modulate the plant immune system and discuss the role of local and systemic defense responses in establishing the delicate balance between the two partners.

  17. Guineaworm infection in the Wa district of north-western Ghana.

    PubMed

    Lyons, G R

    1972-01-01

    The Ghana-5 schistosomiasis project is situated in an exclusively rural area of north-western Ghana. Since the inhabitants rely for the most part on natural sources of drinking water the transmission of both urinary schistosomiasis and guineaworm infection must often occur at the same sites, and the epidemiology and the problems of control of these diseases might be expected to have features in common. An epidemiological survey of 8 300 people in 1967-68 showed that guineaworm had a scattered distribution, 35 of 43 villages having an annual incidence of less than 10%. Intensive study of 5 of the most seriously affected villages over a period of 3 years has shown that there is a delicate balance between the parasite and its human host in this area, largely as a result of the impermanent nature of the principal transmission sites, i.e., ponds and the smaller riverine pools. The timing, duration, and intensity of transmission have been shown to vary widely from one locality to another, as well as from year to year. These characteristics are determined by the type and extent of the local source of drinking water, the availability of alternative sources, and the monthly pattern of rainfall.

  18. Cybersonics: Tapping into Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    With the assistance of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cybersonics, Inc., developed an ultrasonic drill with applications ranging from the medical industry to space exploration. The drill, which has the ability to take a core sample of the hardest granite or perform the most delicate diagnostic medical procedure, is a lightweight, ultrasonic device made to fit in the palm of the hand. Piezoelectric actuators, which have only two moving parts and no gears or motors, drive the components of the device, enabling it to operate in a wide range of temperatures. The most remarkable aspect of the drill is its ability to penetrate even the hardest rock with minimal force application. The ultrasonic device requires 20 to 30 times less force than standard rotating drills, allowing it to be safely guided by hand during operation. Also, the drill is operable at a level as low as three watts of power, where conventional drills require more than three times this level. Potential future applications for the ultrasonic drill include rock and soil sampling, medical procedures that involve core sampling or probing, landmine detection, building and construction, and space exploration. Cybersonics, Inc. developed an ultrasonic drill with applications ranging from the medical industry to space exploration.

  19. Asp133 Residue in NhaA Na+/H+ Antiporter Is Required for Stability Cation Binding and Transport.

    PubMed

    Rimon, Abraham; Dwivedi, Manish; Friedler, Assaf; Padan, Etana

    2018-03-16

    Na + /H + antiporters have a crucial role in pH and Na + homeostasis in cells. The crystal structure of NhaA, the main antiporter of Escherichia coli, has provided general insights into antiporter mechanisms and revealed a previously unknown structural fold, which has since been identified in several secondary active transporters. This unique structural fold is very delicately electrostatically balanced. Asp133 and Lys 300 have been ascribed essential roles in this balance and, more generally, in the structure and function of the antiporter. In this work, we show the multiple roles of Asp133 in NhaA: (i) The residue's negative charge is critical for the stability of the NhaA structure. (ii) Its main chain is part of the active site. (iii) Its side chain functions as an alkaline-pH-dependent gate, changing the protein's conformation from an inward-facing conformation at acidic pH to an outward-open conformation at alkaline pH, opening the periplasm funnel. On the basis of the experimental data, we propose a tentative mechanism integrating the structural and functional roles of Asp133. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Staff expectations and views of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for adults with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Stenfert Kroese, Biza; Jahoda, Andrew; Pert, Carol; Trower, Peter; Dagnan, Dave; Selkirk, Mhairi

    2014-03-01

    The role of support workers and other professionals in the psychotherapeutic process has been commented upon but not as yet been systematically investigated. To explore their views and expectations of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for adults with intellectual disabilities, eleven paid support workers and professionals were recruited and interviewed before the CBT sessions commenced for their service users and nine took part in the second interview that took place after nine sessions. Thematic Analysis of the interview transcripts indicates that staff members do not perceive CBT as a long-term solution for psychological problems have little knowledge of CBT and do not feel included in the process. Nevertheless, after nine sessions, most participants reported improved psychological well-being for their service users and expressed a wish for longer-term involvement of the therapist. The results suggest that for CBT to be effective in the longer term, the therapist is required to consider a wider systemic approach including staff training and supervision, staff and management consultancy and creating a delicate balance between confidentiality and sharing the psychological formulation with 'significant others' to ensure maintenance and generalisation of improved psychological well-being. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Sterilization of beehive material with a double inductively coupled low pressure plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priehn, M.; Denis, B.; Aumeier, P.; Kirchner, W. H.; Awakowicz, P.; Leichert, L. I.

    2016-09-01

    American Foulbrood is a severe, notifiable disease of the honey bee. It is caused by infection of bee larvae with spores of the gram-positive bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. Spores of this organism are found in high numbers in an infected hive and are highly resistant to physical and chemical inactivation methods. The procedures to rehabilitate affected apiaries often result in the destruction of beehive material. In this study we assess the suitability of a double inductively coupled low pressure plasma as a non-destructive, yet effective alternative inactivation method for bacterial spores of the model organism Bacillus subtilis on beehive material. Plasma treatment was able to effectively remove spores from wax, which, under protocols currently established in veterinary practice, normally is destroyed by ignition or autoclaved for sterilization. Spores were removed from wooden surfaces with efficacies significantly higher than methods currently used in veterinary practice, such as scorching by flame treatment. In addition, we were able to non-destructively remove spores from the highly delicate honeycomb wax structures, potentially making treatment of beehive material with double inductively coupled low pressure plasma part of a fast and reliable method to rehabilitate infected bee colonies with the potential to re-use honeycombs.

  2. Meiotic Nondisjunction: Insights into the Origin and Significance of Aneuploidy in Human Spermatozoa.

    PubMed

    Ioannou, Dimitrios; Tempest, Helen G

    2015-01-01

    Chromosome aneuploidy refers to changes in the chromosome complement of a genome and can include gain or loss of genetic material. The human genome is delicately balanced, and for the most part perturbations in the chromosome complement are often incompatible with embryonic development. The importance and clinical relevance of paternally derived aneuploidy is often overshadowed by the large maternal contribution; as a result, the paternal contribution to pregnancy loss due to chromosome aneuploidy is rarely considered within the clinic. However, there is increasing evidence to suggest that certain men have significantly higher levels of sperm aneuploidy, which is mirrored by an increase in aneuploidy within their embryos and offspring. Therefore, the paternal contribution to aneuploidy at least for some individuals may have greater clinical significance than is currently perceived. Thus, the main focus of this chapter is to provide insights into the origin and clinical relevance of paternally derived aneuploidy. Furthermore, this section will review the general mechanisms through which aneuploidy arises during spermatogenesis and how numerical (whole chromosome) and structural chromosome aberrations (cytogenetically visible or submicroscopic) may lead to clinically relevant aneuploidy potentially resulting in pregnancy loss, congenital malformations, and cognitive impairment.

  3. A Porous Perchlorate-Doped Polypyrrole Nanocoating on Nickel Nanotube Arrays for Stable Wide-Potential-Window Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Chen, Gao-Feng; Li, Xian-Xia; Zhang, Li-Yi; Li, Nan; Ma, Tian Yi; Liu, Zhao-Qing

    2016-09-01

    A bottom-up synthetic strategy is developed to fabricate a highly porous wave-superposed perchlorate-doped polypyrrole nanocoating on nickel nanotube arrays. The delicate nanostructure and the unique surface chemistry synergistically endow the obtained electrode with revealable pseudocapacitance, large operating potential window, and excellent cycling stability, which are highly promising for both asymmetric and symmetric supercapacitors. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. [Child labour].

    PubMed

    Marsella, L T; Savastano, L; Saracino, V; Del Vecchio, R

    2005-01-01

    The authors emphasize the violation of children's and adolescents' rights as a result of the exploitation of child labour. Besides the legal aspect, they pointed out the medical features related to the delicate growing process of the child in the phases of development and adaptation of the main organs to hard work. Currently the problem is being supervised by those states that recognize the right for minors to be protected against any kind of physical, mental, spiritual and moral risk.

  5. Emulsions Containing Perfluorocarbon Support Cell Cultures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ju, Lu-Kwang; Lee, Jaw Fang; Armiger, William B.

    1990-01-01

    Addition of emulsion containing perfluorocarbon liquid to aqueous cell-culture medium increases capacity of medium to support mammalian cells. FC-40 Fluorinert (or equivalent) - increases average density of medium so approximately equal to that of cells. Cells stay suspended in medium without mechanical stirring, which damages them. Increases density enough to prevent cells from setting, and increases viscosity of medium so oxygen bubbled through it and nutrients stirred in with less damage to delicate cells.

  6. Existence, regularity, and concentration phenomenon of nontrivial solitary waves for a class of generalized variable coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alves, Claudianor O.; Miyagaki, Olímpio H.

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, we establish some results concerning the existence, regularity, and concentration phenomenon of nontrivial solitary waves for a class of generalized variable coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation. Variational methods are used to get an existence result, as well as, to study the concentration phenomenon, while the regularity is more delicate because we are leading with functions in an anisotropic Sobolev space.

  7. USSR Report, International Affairs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-01-09

    sience fiction nightmare about a future occupation of the United States by Soviet communists. Such movie tricks arouse anti-Soviet sentiments and a...New York. We spoke face to face, on narrow and broad topics. Every such meeting left a deep impression. In this delicate woman , with a light step, an...Indian woman . It was as if she personified all of the best qualities that were characteristic of the women of her country. Nehru laid the basis for

  8. Vehicle Mobility or Firing Stability. A Delicate Balance,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-06-01

    parameters with respect to a vehicle’s cross country ride performance and to the firing stability of an initially stationary ve- hicle. It is...model described in the previous sec- tion, with the addition of the necessary roll related parameters , trunnion position data, and the firing reaction...mode of operation to a vehicle weapon sys- tem. Obviously the horizontal acceleration at the gunner’s eyepiece 268 * HOOG (TERP &BECK also has an

  9. External beam pixe programs at the University of California, Davis

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

    Eldred, R.A.

    A PIXE system in which large or delicate samples are excited by a low-current external proton beam is described. This system has been used to analyze historical printed books and manuscripts, as well as a large variety of archeological artifacts. The steps used to protect the sample from unnecessary beam current are examined. A recent thorough study of the first volume of the Gutenberg 42-line Bible is described in some detail.

  10. Processes Controlling Transfer of Fine-Grained Sediment in Tidal Systems Spanning a Range of Fluvial Influence

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-30

    understand how the delicate balance of ebb and flood sediment fluxes is maintained to create tidal flat and mangrove complexes, and distributary shoals and...and the subaqueous delta on the inner continental shelf, and sediment sinks within vegetated/ mangrove shoreline complexes. Our overall hypothesis...on Mangrove /Vegetated Intertidal Areas. Along the main stem tidal river and in the offshore banks may be shorelines lined with vegetation ( mangroves

  11. Direct observation of the flux-line vortex glass phase in a type II superconductor.

    PubMed

    Divakar, U; Drew, A J; Lee, S L; Gilardi, R; Mesot, J; Ogrin, F Y; Charalambous, D; Forgan, E M; Menon, G I; Momono, N; Oda, M; Dewhurst, C D; Baines, C

    2004-06-11

    The order of the vortex state in La1.9Sr0.1CuO4 is probed using muon-spin rotation and small-angle neutron scattering. A transition from a Bragg glass to a vortex glass is observed, where the latter is composed of disordered vortex lines. In the vicinity of the transition the microscopic behavior reflects a delicate interplay of thermally induced and pinning-induced disorder.

  12. Space Radar Image of County Kerry, Ireland

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    The Iveragh Peninsula, one of the four peninsulas in southwestern Ireland, is shown in this spaceborne radar image. The lakes of Killarney National Park are the green patches on the left side of the image. The mountains to the right of the lakes include the highest peaks (1,036 meters or 3,400 feet) in Ireland. The patchwork patterns between the mountains are areas of farming and grazing. The delicate patterns in the water are caused by refraction of ocean waves around the peninsula edges and islands, including Skellig Rocks at the right edge of the image. The Skelligs are home to a 15th century monastery and flocks of puffins. The region is part of County Kerry and includes a road called the 'Ring of Kerry' that is one of the most famous tourist routes in Ireland. This image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on April 12, 1994. The image is 82 kilometers by 42 kilometers (51 miles by 26 miles) and is centered at 52.0 degrees north latitude, 9.9 degrees west longitude. North is toward the lower left. The colors are assigned to different radar frequencies and polarizations of the radar as follows: red is L-band, horizontally transmitted and received; green is L-band, vertically transmitted and received; and blue is C-band, vertically transmitted and received. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program.

  13. Deep Impurity States in Gallium Arsenide.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-10-01

    that the wave functions of the so-called slal- is a result of a delicate cancellation process in low impurities can be thought of as a product of an...approximation we can still form- along these lines has been performed for a transi- ally write the impurity wave function as a product tion from the two...be formally written as a known Lucovsky formula. 20 Had we assumed, as product of two terms, one representing the nodal did Lucovsky, that the

  14. Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-06-25

    ISS040-E-019318 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

  15. Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-06-25

    ISS040-E-019300 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

  16. Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-06-25

    ISS040-E-019312 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

  17. Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-06-25

    ISS040-E-019307 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

  18. Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-06-25

    ISS040-E-019299 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

  19. Determination of Momentum Flux Using a Bivane and Cup Anemometer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-12-01

    race. In many situations, these transfers have a direct impact on the statc of the atmosphere as well as on plant and animal life . One specific...explanatory. The middle region is the buoyancy subrange, where the slope approaches -2.0. A gap is usually detected after the buoyancy subrange...However, a delicate balance must be reached, as over- filtering distorts the slope in this region. 138 6.2.1. Horizontal Wind Component The power

  20. The Just-in-Time Operating Philosophy: Implications for Workers and Work Teams

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-01

    anyone at all conversant with business who has not heard or read about the startling improvements in productivity and quality of worklife to be gained by...need to yield to the new philosophy. The transition to JIT can also impact the balance of power and control between management and labor. Without buffer...internal substitutability weaken the power of the worker [31]. These factors intervene to create a delicate balance of power between management and the

  1. Rational Arithmetic in Floating-Point.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-09-01

    RD-RI75 190 RATIONAL ARITHMETIC IN FLOTING-POINT(U) CALIFORNIA~UNIY BERKELEY CENTER FOR PURE AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS USI FE N KAHAN SEP 86 PRM-343...8217 ," .’,.-.’ .- " .- . ,,,.". ".. .. ". CENTER FOR PURE AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PAf4343 0l RATIONAL ARITHMIETIC IN FLOATING-POINT W. KAHAN SETMER18 SEPTEMBE...delicate balance between, on the one hand, the simplicity and aesthetic appeal of the specifications and, on the other hand, the complexity and

  2. KSC-07pd0871

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-04-11

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A delicate butterfly perches on a wild flower among the grasses on Kennedy Space Center. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the Refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

  3. The Army Civil Affairs Officer Educational Pipeline: A Supply and Demand Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-12-01

    trust by working with the local government or community to provide these services. This will placate the population and enhance the legitimacy of the...security and control, the U.S. and its allies could prevent or locate hostile threats before they cause harm. Improving the quality of life ...leery of contact with foreigners and CA officers will need a delicate touch. CA officers can integrate extremist groups by working with leaders to focus

  4. Thermal and rheological controls on magma migration in dikes: Examples from the east rift zone of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parfitt, E. A.; Wilson, L.; Pinkerton, H.

    1993-01-01

    Long-lived eruptions from basaltic volcanoes involving episodic or steady activity indicate that a delicate balance has been struck between the rate of magma cooling in the dike system feeding the vent and the rate of magma supply to the dike system from a reservoir. We describe some key factors, involving the relationships between magma temperature, magma rheology, and dike geometry that control the nature of such eruptions.

  5. Improvement of oxygen reduction reaction and methanol tolerance characteristics for PdCo electrocatalysts by Au alloying and CO treatment.

    PubMed

    Wei, Yu-Chen; Liu, Chen-Wei; Wang, Kuan-Wen

    2011-11-21

    The mass ORR activity of CO heat-treated PdCoAu/C catalysts, compared to Pd/C, is enhanced approximately 6-fold, and even 25-fold in a methanol containing environment due to the formation of delicate PdCo and PdAu alloys enriched in the core and PdAu alloy species enriched on the shell structure. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

  6. Simplified Bioreactor For Growing Mammalian Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spaulding, Glenn F.

    1995-01-01

    Improved bioreactor for growing mammalian cell cultures developed. Designed to support growth of dense volumes of mammalian cells by providing ample, well-distributed flows of nutrient solution with minimal turbulence. Cells relatively delicate and, unlike bacteria, cannot withstand shear forces present in turbulent flows. Bioreactor vessel readily made in larger sizes to accommodate greater cell production quantities. Molding equipment presently used makes cylinders up to 30 centimeters long. Alternative sintered plastic techniques used to vary pore size and quantity, as necessary.

  7. Hubble Captures Celestial Fireworks Within the Large Magellanic Cloud

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    This is a color Hubble Space Telescope (HST) heritage image of supernova remnant N49, a neighboring galaxy, that was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. Color filters were used to sample light emitted by sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. The color image was superimposed on a black and white image of stars in the same field also taken with Hubble. Resembling a fireworks display, these delicate filaments are actually sheets of debris from a stellar explosion.

  8. Time Is Money...and the Enemy of College Completion: Transform American Higher Education to Boost Completion and Reduce Costs. Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Stan

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents Stan Jones' testimony before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. In his testimony, he talks about a new American majority of students that is emerging on campuses, especially at community colleges. These students must delicately balance long hours at jobs they must…

  9. History of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2000-07-01

    This is a color Hubble Space Telescope (HST) heritage image of supernova remnant N49, a neighboring galaxy, that was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. Color filters were used to sample light emitted by sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. The color image was superimposed on a black and white image of stars in the same field also taken with Hubble. Resembling a fireworks display, these delicate filaments are actually sheets of debris from a stellar explosion.

  10. International Space Station (ISS)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-06-15

    Construction resumed on the International Space Station (ISS), as STS-117 astronauts and mission specialists Jim Reilly (on robotic arm), and John “Danny” Olivas joined forces with their colleagues inside the Shuttle and station, and controllers in Houston, to complete the delicate process of folding an older solar array, Port 6 (P6), so that it can be moved from its temporary location to its permanent home during an upcoming Fall scheduled Shuttle mission. The EVA lasted nearly 8 hours.

  11. The influence of processing on the microbial risk associated with Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea.

    PubMed

    Gouws, Pieter; Hartel, Toni; van Wyk, Rudean

    2014-12-01

    This review discusses the influence of processing on the microbial risk associated with Salmonella in Rooibos tea, the identification of Salmonella and preventative and control measures to control microbial contamination. Rooibos tea, like other plant products, naturally contains a high microbial load. Downstream processing steps of these products usually help in reducing any contaminants present. Due to the delicate flavour properties and nature of Rooibos, gentle processing techniques are necessary for the production of good quality tea. However, this has a major influence on the microbiological status of the product. The presence of Salmonella in Rooibos is poorly understood. The ubiquitous distribution of Salmonella in the natural environment and its prevalence in the global food chain, the physiological adaptability, virulence of the bacterial pathogen and its serious economic impact on the food industry, emphasises the need for continued awareness and stringent controls at all levels of food production. With the advances of technology and information at hand, the processing of Rooibos needs to be re-evaluated. Since the delicate nature of Rooibos prohibits the use of harsh methods to control Salmonella, alternative methods for the steam pasteurisation of Rooibos show great potential to control Salmonella in a fast, efficient and cost-effective manner. These alternative methods will significantly improve the microbiological quality of Rooibos and provide a product that is safe to consumers. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  12. Fine finger motor skill training with exoskeleton robotic hand in chronic stroke: stroke rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Ockenfeld, Corinna; Tong, Raymond K Y; Susanto, Evan A; Ho, Sze-Kit; Hu, Xiao-ling

    2013-06-01

    Background and Purpose. Stroke survivors often show a limited recovery in the hand function to perform delicate motions, such as full hand grasping, finger pinching and individual finger movement. The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of an exoskeleton robotic hand together with fine finger motor skill training on 2 chronic stroke patients. Case Descriptions. Two post-stroke patients participated in a 20-session training program by integrating 10 minutes physical therapy, 20 minutes robotic hand training and 15 minutes functional training tasks with delicate objects(card, pen and coin). These two patients (A and B) had cerebrovascular accident at 6 months and 11 months respectively when enrolled in this study. Outcomes. The results showed that both patients had improvements in Fugl-Meyer assessment (FM), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). Patients had better isolation of the individual finger flexion and extension based on the reduced muscle co-contraction from the electromyographic(EMG) signals and finger extension force after 20 sessions of training. Discussion. This preliminary study showed that by focusing on the fine finger motor skills together with the exoskeleton robotic hand, it could improve the motor recovery of the upper extremity in the fingers and hand function, which were showed in the ARAT. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness.

  13. Involving patients in treatment decisions - a delicate balancing act for Swedish dentists.

    PubMed

    Röing, Marta; Holmström, Inger Knutsson

    2014-08-01

    This study focuses on patients' participation in treatment decisions related to the delivery of oral health care in the social welfare state of Sweden. In 1985, the National Dental Service Act gave dental patients the right to take an active role in decisions regarding their treatment and, in doing so, strengthened them as consumers. Little is known how dentists in Sweden have adapted to this change. This study explores how dentists in Sweden perceive and experience involving patients in dental treatment decisions. Data were collected from open-ended interviews with nineteen dentists, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse the transcribed interviews. Involving patients in treatment decisions appeared to be delicate balancing acts between the ideals of patient involvement and the reality of how it is practised in Sweden. These balancing acts in turn revealed obstacles to patient involvement and the role that economy can play on the decisions of some patients regarding their treatment. This study has given insight into a relationship in which some dentists in Sweden find it hard to adapt to and change their professional role with patients who appear to act more as consumers. For these dentists, better practice of patient involvement may require adoption of a more consumerist approach. However, in situations where economy influences patients' treatment choices, the ideals of patient involvement may remain unattainable. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Design and manufacture of imaging time-of-propagation optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albrecht, Mike; Fast, James; Schwartz, Alan

    2016-09-01

    There are several challenges associated with the design and manufacture of the optics required for the imaging time-of- propagation detector constructed for the Belle II particle physics experiment. This detector uses Cherenkov light radiated in quartz bars to identify subatomic particles: pions, kaons, and protons. The optics are physically large (125 cm x 45 cm x 2 cm bars and 45 cm x 10 cm x 5 cm prisms), all surfaces are optically polished, and there is very little allowance for chamfers or surface defects. In addition to the optical challenges, there are several logistical and handling challenges associated with measuring, assembling, cleaning, packaging, and shipping these delicate precision optics. This paper describes a collaborative effort between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Cincinnati, and ZYGO Corporation for the design and manufacture of 48 fused silica optics (30 bars and 18 prisms) for the iTOP Detector. Details of the iTOP detector design that drove the challenging optical requirements are provided, along with material selection considerations. Since the optics are so large, precise, and delicate, special care had to be given to the selection of a manufacturing process capable of achieving the challenging optical and surface defect requirements on such large and high-aspect-ratio (66:1) components. A brief update on the current status and performance of these optics is also provided.

  15. Involving patients in treatment decisions – a delicate balancing act for Swedish dentists

    PubMed Central

    Röing, Marta; Holmström, Inger Knutsson

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background  This study focuses on patients’ participation in treatment decisions related to the delivery of oral health care in the social welfare state of Sweden. In 1985, the National Dental Service Act gave dental patients the right to take an active role in decisions regarding their treatment and, in doing so, strengthened them as consumers. Little is known how dentists in Sweden have adapted to this change. Objective  This study explores how dentists in Sweden perceive and experience involving patients in dental treatment decisions. Design  Data were collected from open‐ended interviews with nineteen dentists, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse the transcribed interviews. Findings  Involving patients in treatment decisions appeared to be delicate balancing acts between the ideals of patient involvement and the reality of how it is practised in Sweden. These balancing acts in turn revealed obstacles to patient involvement and the role that economy can play on the decisions of some patients regarding their treatment. Conclusions  This study has given insight into a relationship in which some dentists in Sweden find it hard to adapt to and change their professional role with patients who appear to act more as consumers. For these dentists, better practice of patient involvement may require adoption of a more consumerist approach. However, in situations where economy influences patients’ treatment choices, the ideals of patient involvement may remain unattainable. PMID:22512804

  16. Homing pigeons ( Columba livia f. domestica) can use magnetic cues for locating food

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thalau, Peter; Holtkamp-Rötzler, Elke; Fleissner, Gerta; Wiltschko, Wolfgang

    2007-10-01

    An experimental group of homing pigeons ( Columba livia f. domestica) learned to associate food with a magnetic anomaly produced by bar magnets that were fixed to the bowl in which they received their daily food ration in their home loft; the control group lacked this experience. Both groups were trained to search for two hidden food depots in a rectangular sand-filled arena without obvious visual cues; for the experimental birds, these depots were also marked with three 1.15 × 106 μT bar magnets. During the tests, there were two food depots, one marked with the magnets, the other unmarked; their position within the arena was changed from test to test. The experimental birds searched within 10 cm of the magnetically marked depot in 49% of the test sessions, whereas the control birds searched there in only 11% of the sessions. Both groups searched near the control depot in 11 and 13% of the sessions, respectively. The significant preference of the magnetically marked food depot by the experimental birds shows that homing pigeons cannot only detect a magnetic anomaly but can also use it as a cue for locating hidden food in an open arena.

  17. Marking cabbage looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with cesium

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

    Moss, J.I.; Van Steenwyk, R.A.

    1984-04-01

    Cabbage loopers (CL), Trichoplusia ni (Huebner), adults reared on artificial diet containing 1 x 10/sup -2/ M and 1 x 10/sup -3/ M CsCl were marked with cesium (Cs) which could be detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The cesium marks from the 10/sup -2/ M CsCl diet were sufficient to last the expected lifetime of the insects. CL reared on diet containing 1 x 10/sup -1/ M CsCl did not survive. Unmarked females mated to males reared on artificial diet containing 1 x 10/sup -2/ M and 1 x 10/sup -3/ M CsCl were marked. CL reared on cotton plantsmore » sprayed with Cs solutions of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 ..mu..g/ml were marked sufficiently to last the expected lifetime of the insect. CL adults exposed for 72 h to cotton plants sprayed with Cs solutions of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 ..mu..g/ml were marked sufficiently to last the expected lifetime of the insect. CL adults reared from field cotton plants sprayed with CsCl solutions at rates of 1.24, 2.47, and 4.94 kg of CsCl per ha were marked. 12 references, 1 figure, 5 tables.« less

  18. From state terrorism to state errorism: post-Pinochet Chile's long search for truth and justice.

    PubMed

    Wyndham, Marivic; Read, Peter

    2010-02-01

    Patio 29 lies in the northern sector of Santiago's General Cemetery. To the naked eye, it is a grim unweeded field of some twelve hundred rusted tin crosses. But to the families of the 1,197 detained-disappeared during Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship, Patio 29 is both a site of horror and a site of hope. Its story begins in September-December 1973 when 320 early victims of the repression were brought there in makeshift wooden crates that held as many as three bodies each, and buried in unmarked graves. A few years later, two hundred of those graves were exhumed by the military, and the remains presumably cremated. For another decade, the mass grave remained silent, yielding few of its secrets to the families' demands to know: Where are they? Today, nineteen years into the so-called transition to democracy, Patio 29--the most important single finding in relation to Chile's detained-disappeared-still refuses to reveal the identities of those victims, pressing upon the government of Michelle Bachelet a new question: Who are they? First state terror, now state error have conspired to make Patio 29 one of Chile's principal horror-cum-hopescapes.

  19. ROCView: prototype software for data collection in jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, J; Hogg, P; Thompson, S; Manning, D; Szczepura, K

    2012-01-01

    ROCView has been developed as an image display and response capture (IDRC) solution to image display and consistent recording of reader responses in relation to the free-response receiver operating characteristic paradigm. A web-based solution to IDRC for observer response studies allows observations to be completed from any location, assuming that display performance and viewing conditions are consistent with the study being completed. The simplistic functionality of the software allows observations to be completed without supervision. ROCView can display images from multiple modalities, in a randomised order if required. Following registration, observers are prompted to begin their image evaluation. All data are recorded via mouse clicks, one to localise (mark) and one to score confidence (rate) using either an ordinal or continuous rating scale. Up to nine “mark-rating” pairs can be made per image. Unmarked images are given a default score of zero. Upon completion of the study, both true-positive and false-positive reports can be downloaded and adapted for analysis. ROCView has the potential to be a useful tool in the assessment of modality performance difference for a range of imaging methods. PMID:22573294

  20. Seasonal variation in American black bear Ursus americanus activity patterns: Quantification via remote photography

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bridges, A.S.; Vaughan, M.R.; Klenzendorf, S.

    2004-01-01

    Activity pattern plasticity may serve as an evolutionary adaptation to optimize fitness in an inconstant environment, however, quantifying patterns and demonstrating variation can be problematic. For American black bears Ursus americanus, wariness and habitat inaccessibility further complicate quantification. Radio telemetry has been the primary technique used to examine activity, however, interpretation error and limitation on numbers of animals available to monitor prevent extrapolation to unmarked or untransmittered members of the population. We used remote cameras to quantify black bear activity patterns and examined differences by season, sex and reproductive class in the Alleghany Mountains of western Virginia, USA. We used 1,533 pictures of black bears taken during 1998-2002 for our analyses. Black bears generally were diurnal in summer and nocturnal in autumn with a vespertine activity peak during both seasons. Bear-hound training seasons occurred during September and may offer explanation for the observed shift towards nocturnal behaviour. We found no substantial differences in activity patterns between sex and reproductive classes. Use of remote cameras allowed us to efficiently sample larger numbers of individual animals and likely offered a better approximation of population-level activity patterns than individual-level, telemetry-based methodologies.

  1. Evaluation of satiety sensations and food intake after different preloads.

    PubMed

    Porrini, M; Crovetti, R; Testolin, G; Silva, S

    1995-08-01

    The reproducibility of three questions, related to fullness, satiety and desire to eat, rated on an unmarked triangle was verified. In four sessions 12 volunteers ate pasta with tomato sauce (520 kcal) and were asked to rate the sensations felt. There was no difference in rating scores of the replications so the proposed questionnaire provides a stable measure of sensations related to satiety. Subsequently three satiety conditions were studied. Two foods, one rich in carbohydrate, pasta (baked macaroni) and the other in protein, polpette (meatballs), were used as loads at two calorie levels and as preload before an "ad libitum" meal. All the three questions proved useful in discriminating between the different satiety conditions. The food intake underlines the specificity of satiety: subjects, after eating a preload which previously had satiated them, ate other foods in different amounts depending on the kind of preload eaten. Food intake was significantly higher after the pasta preload, furthermore "fullness" and "satiety" ratings were significantly highest after the meatball preload, suggesting that in our experimental conditions, meatballs were more satiating than pasta. In conclusion, this study highlights the validity of using several quite different questions to study hunger and satiety, together with the actual food intake.

  2. A Robotic Platform to Study the Foreflipper of the California Sea Lion.

    PubMed

    Kulkarni, Aditya A; Patel, Rahi K; Friedman, Chen; Leftwich, Megan C

    2017-01-10

    The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), is an agile and powerful swimmer. Unlike many successful swimmers (dolphins, tuna), they generate most of their thrust with their large foreflippers. This protocol describes a robotic platform designed to study the hydrodynamic performance of the swimming California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). The robot is a model of the animal's foreflipper that is actuated by motors to replicate the motion of its propulsive stroke (the 'clap'). The kinematics of the sea lion's propulsive stroke are extracted from video data of unmarked, non-research sea lions at the Smithsonian Zoological Park (SNZ). Those data form the basis of the actuation motion of the robotic flipper presented here. The geometry of the robotic flipper is based a on high-resolution laser scan of a foreflipper of an adult female sea lion, scaled to about 60% of the full-scale flipper. The articulated model has three joints, mimicking the elbow, wrist and knuckle joint of the sea lion foreflipper. The robotic platform matches dynamics properties-Reynolds number and tip speed-of the animal when accelerating from rest. The robotic flipper can be used to determine the performance (forces and torques) and resulting flowfields.

  3. Effects of backpack radiotags on female northern pintails wintering in California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fleskes, Joseph P.

    2003-01-01

    To test whether backpack radiotags impacted the wintering biology of northern pintails (Anas acuta), I attached spear-suture (SSU, n=82 in 1993) or harness (HAR, n=337 in 1991-1993) backpack radiotags to female Hatch-Year (HY) and After-Hatch-Year (AHY) pintails after their autumn arrival in California. I evaluated impacts of radiotags on 1) wintering population distribution; 2) flock status, flock size, and body mass at harvest; and 3) August-March survival. I also compared retention of SSU and HAR following attachment. Distribution, flock status, and flock size at harvest of HAR, SSU, and unmarked (UMK) pintails were similar. However, harvest mass of HAR pintails averaged 1 33 g (SE=25 g) less than UMK pintails; loss tended to be greatest for heavier HY females in 1 993. Daily survival rates during 1 993-1 994 of HAR vs. SSU pintails were similar for both HY (0.9979 vs. 0.9974) and AHY (0.9988 vs. 0.9986) female pintails. Retention ranged from 30-1 58 days (x=81 d, SE=5 d) for the 37 SSU that I confirmed as being shed; all other SSU failed 1-month studies due to poor retention past a month.

  4. Monitoring black-footed ferrets during reestablishment of free-ranging populations: Discussion of alternative methods and recommended minimum standards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Biggins, Dean E.; Godbey, Jerry L.; Matchett, Marc R.; Hanebury, Louis R.; Livieri, Travis M.; Marinari, Paul E.

    2006-01-01

    Although the monitoring of black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) populations following reintroductions has not been haphazard, several ferret recovery groups since 1994 have recommended development of uniform standards prescribing minimum methods, intensities, and frequencies of monitoring that would provide data on population size, mortality rates, and recruitment. Such standards would promote comparability of data among sites, document expectations for those who will attempt to establish new populations, and allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other responsible groups to better assess progress made toward achieving recovery objectives. Our recommendations are based on methods that have been successfully used to monitor natural and reintroduced populations of ferrets and are an attempt to balance needs and costs. We suggest a combination of marking ferrets with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and annual spotlight searches coupled with automated transponder readers to individually identify survivors. Unmarked ferrets should be captured and implanted with PIT tags whenever possible. These and other methods are detailed. Circumstances that may dictate other methods or more intensive monitoring (e.g., high rates of loss or low recruitment) also are discussed.

  5. Bioactive gyroid scaffolds formed by sacrificial templating of nanocellulose and nanochitin hydrogels as instructive platforms for biomimetic tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Torres-Rendon, Jose Guillermo; Femmer, Tim; De Laporte, Laura; Tigges, Thomas; Rahimi, Khosrow; Gremse, Felix; Zafarnia, Sara; Lederle, Wiltrud; Ifuku, Shinsuke; Wessling, Matthias; Hardy, John G; Walther, Andreas

    2015-05-20

    A sacrificial templating process using lithographically printed minimal surface structures allows complex de novo geo-metries of delicate hydrogel materials. The hydrogel scaffolds based on cellulose and chitin nanofibrils show differences in terms of attachment of human mesenchymal stem cells, and allow their differentiation into osteogenic outcomes. The approach here serves as a first example toward designer hydrogel scaffolds viable for biomimetic tissue engineering. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Microsurgical enbloc resection of myxopapillary cauda equina ependymoma.

    PubMed

    McCormick, Paul C

    2014-09-01

    Benign myxopapillary filum terminale ependymomas are often poorly encapsulated and in apposition the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). These characteristics present the potential surgical risk of CSF dissemination or injury to the delicate cauda equina nerve roots. This video details the techniques of en bloc surgical resection of a filum terminale ependymoma. Treatment strategies and techniques are illustrated to reduce the risk of CSF dissemination and cauda equina injury. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/LK8AYg-5T7o.

  7. Military Ethics in Counterinsurgency: a New Look at an Old Problem

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-12-14

    exhibits a preference to judge based on what is known instead of waiting to try to perceive all aspects and different viewpoints of a probl Thus regardless...Koreans to manage contracts and dea nflicts develop and orean Government Employees are routinely under investigation. aps lie nd situations or...have to be “ managed ” in such a way that benefits the overall good of the mission. The US must perform a delicate balancing act, knowing it will be

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

    Shin, Swanee J.; Kozioziemski, Bernard J.

    In this work, we performed a series of experiments to elucidate the characteristics of a good template for solid hydrogen nucleation. Zinc stands out among several materials with comparable size and shape. Nucleation could be observed to occur on top of sharp features, such as grain boundaries and cracks, but our attempts proved unsuccessful to fabricate or replicate such features. The variations of the supercooling (ΔT) values measured for comparable samples and the dependence of ΔT on the cell temperature cycling revealed that templated nucleation of solid hydrogen is a very delicate process.

  9. Compact Apparatus Grows Protein Crystals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bugg, Charles E.; Delucas, Lawrence J.; Suddath, Fred L.; Snyder, Robert S.; Herren, Blair J.; Carter, Daniel C.; Yost, Vaughn H.

    1989-01-01

    Laboratory apparatus provides delicately balanced combination of materials and chemical conditions for growth of protein crystals. Apparatus and technique for growth based on hanging-drop method for crystallization of macromolecules. Includes pair of syringes with ganged plungers. One syringe contains protein solution; other contains precipitating-agent solution. Syringes intrude into cavity lined with porous reservoir material saturated with 1 mL or more of similar precipitating-agent solution. Prior to activation, ends of syringes plugged to prevent transport of water vapor among three solutions.

  10. Myxoid stroma and delicate vasculature of a superficial angiomyxoma give rise to the red planet sign.

    PubMed

    Green, Margaret; Logemann, Nichola; Sulit, Daryl J

    2014-09-16

    Superficial angiomyxomas are uncommon benign mesenchymal tumors. They often recur locally if partially removed. This case report demonstrates not only the characteristic pathological findings of a superficial angiomyxoma in a 33- year-old man, but also shows a unique dermatoscopic image, which in our estimation resembles a celestial red planet such as the blood moon seen during a lunar eclipse. We propose to call this the "red planet" sign for a superficial angiomyxoma on dermoscopic examination.

  11. The art of negotiation. A delicate balance.

    PubMed

    Rehberg, C; Sullivan, G

    1997-01-01

    Successful negotiation is the art of gentle persuasion, not a "winner-take-all" showdown. Accordingly, it is essential to begin the process with a positive outlook and with the goal of reaching an agreement that is acceptable to all parties involved. Although the term "opponent" is used in this article to describe the person or group with whom you are negotiating, it is not used in the adversarial context. It is important to maintain a non-adversarial relationship, to the extent possible.

  12. Reflective Packaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    The aluminized polymer film used in spacecraft as a radiation barrier to protect both astronauts and delicate instruments has led to a number of spinoff applications. Among them are aluminized shipping bags, food cart covers and medical bags. Radiant Technologies purchases component materials and assembles a barrier made of layers of aluminized foil. The packaging reflects outside heat away from the product inside the container. The company is developing new aluminized lines, express mailers, large shipping bags, gel packs and insulated panels for the building industry.

  13. Protection, Profit, or Privacy: Exploring Strategic Solutions for Integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and the Delicate Balance Between Commercial Opportunity and Public Safety

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    United States v. Knotts.9 Analysis of previous cases provides a starting point for discussion between government officials and the public they...authorized under this ordinance to deploy this technology. At the start of the legislative session in the fall of 2015, Senator John Kavanagh, a...2015, through April 30, 2016 (a span of approximately 15 months). The start date of this query is intended to correspond with the operational

  14. Strategic Forum. Number 282, September 2013. Transitional Justice for Syria

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    www.ndu.edu/ inss SF No. 282 1 Transitional justice is the provision of justice in the transition from one form of government, often perceived as...ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 2 SF No. 282 www.ndu.edu/ inss Africa...fragile seldom lead to lasting democratic governance.”6 www.ndu.edu/ inss SF No. 282 3 Annan acknowledged that the task is politically delicate as

  15. The record of Martian climatic history in cores and its preservation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zent, A. P.

    1988-01-01

    Among the questions to be addressed by a Mars Sample Return Mission are the history of the Martian climate and the mechanisms that control the volatile cycles. Unfortunately, the evidence that bears most strongly on those issues lies in the volatile distribution in, and physical configuration of, a very delicate and volatile system: the uppermost Martian regolith. Some useful measurements to be made on returned samples of the regolith are identified, along with the many critical considerations in ensuring the usefulness of returned samples.

  16. Vacuum lamination approach to fabrication of high-performance single-crystal organic field-effect transistors.

    PubMed

    Yi, H T; Chen, Y; Czelen, K; Podzorov, V

    2011-12-22

    A novel vacuum lamination approach to fabrication of high-performance single-crystal organic field-effect transistors has been developed. The non-destructive nature of this method allows a direct comparison of field-effect mobilities achieved with various gate dielectrics using the same single-crystal sample. The method also allows gating delicate systems, such as n -type crystals and SAM-coated surfaces, without perturbation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. MARS PATHFINDER AIR BAG INSTALLATION IN SAEF-2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    In the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team installs air bags on the Mars Pathfinder lander. The four airbags will cushion the lander as it touches down on the Martian surface, protecting the delicate instruments and Surveyor small rover inside the tetrahedral-shaped lander. The Mars Pathfinder is one of two Mars-bound spacecraft being prepared for launch this fall. Liftoff is set for Dec. 2 at the beginning of a 24-day launch period.

  18. Multiconfigurational short-range density-functional theory for open-shell systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hedegârd, Erik Donovan; Toulouse, Julien; Jensen, Hans Jørgen Aagaard

    2018-06-01

    Many chemical systems cannot be described by quantum chemistry methods based on a single-reference wave function. Accurate predictions of energetic and spectroscopic properties require a delicate balance between describing the most important configurations (static correlation) and obtaining dynamical correlation efficiently. The former is most naturally done through a multiconfigurational (MC) wave function, whereas the latter can be done by, e.g., perturbation theory. We have employed a different strategy, namely, a hybrid between multiconfigurational wave functions and density-functional theory (DFT) based on range separation. The method is denoted by MC short-range DFT (MC-srDFT) and is more efficient than perturbative approaches as it capitalizes on the efficient treatment of the (short-range) dynamical correlation by DFT approximations. In turn, the method also improves DFT with standard approximations through the ability of multiconfigurational wave functions to recover large parts of the static correlation. Until now, our implementation was restricted to closed-shell systems, and to lift this restriction, we present here the generalization of MC-srDFT to open-shell cases. The additional terms required to treat open-shell systems are derived and implemented in the DALTON program. This new method for open-shell systems is illustrated on dioxygen and [Fe(H2O)6]3+.

  19. Smothering in UK free-range flocks. Part 2: investigating correlations between disease, housing and management practices.

    PubMed

    Rayner, A C; Gill, R; Brass, D; Willings, T H; Bright, A

    2016-09-10

    Smothering, when birds group together in a way that results in death from suffocation, is a welfare and economic concern for the egg industry. This questionnaire-based study explored correlations between disease, housing, management practices and smothering on free-range farms. A binomial logistic regression approach was used to test whether question responses predicted occurrence of nest box smothers (NBS) and panic and recurring smothers (PSRS) on farms. Breed (P=0.008) and nest box manufacturer (P=0.014) predicted NBS. Breed and nest box design have been previously reported to affect nesting behaviour. The affect of nest box manufacturer found in this study may illustrate the effect of nest box design features or house layouts. Nest box manufacturer (P=0.009), feeding oyster grit or grain on the litter (P<0.001) and range use on a sunny day (P<0.001) also predicted PSRS. Implementing some management practices to encourage desirable behaviours (eg ranging) may contribute to smothering, whereas some management practices such as those aimed at occupying birds may be beneficial, illustrating the delicate balance of factors involved in free-range egg production. It is hoped that these results will stimulate further work exploring the suitability of housing design and management of laying hens in light of smothering. British Veterinary Association.

  20. Laser light: its nature and its action on the eye.

    PubMed Central

    Bessette, F M; Nguyen, L C

    1989-01-01

    Lasers produce a coherent, focused, monochromatic, high-energy form of light. Because laser surgery is more versatile and precise and is freer of complications than conventional surgery it has become widely accepted in ophthalmology over the past 10 years. Applications range from routine procedures in the fundus to recent, more delicate interventions in the cornea. The argon laser is the most widely used to treat extrafoveal chorioretinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy; it has also been used successfully to treat glaucoma by iridectomy or trabeculoplasty. The krypton red laser is the argon laser's counterpart in the treatment of subfoveal and pigment-epithelium-related diseases. Posterior capsulotomy is the most widespread and successful intervention with the neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet crystal laser; this laser is also used to cut vitreous traction bands and is increasingly used in iridectomy. Although the use of the excimer laser in corneal surgery is still largely investigational it has been shown to produce precise cuts in corneal layers for the correction of myopia or astigmatism. The variable-wavelength dye laser, capable of reaching a specific level in the retina or choroid, has offered exciting new developments, and it promises to soon be part of the ophthalmologist's armamentarium in the treatment of eye disease. PMID:2684379

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
Top