On similarity solutions of a boundary layer problem with an upstream moving wall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hussaini, M. Y.; Lakin, W. D.; Nachman, A.

1986-01-01

The problem of a boundary layer on a flat plate which has a constant velocity opposite in direction to that of the uniform mainstream is examined. It was previously shown that the solution of this boundary value problem is crucially dependent on the parameter which is the ratio of the velocity of the plate to the velocity of the free stream. In particular, it was proved that a solution exists only if this parameter does not exceed a certain critical value, and numerical evidence was adduced to show that this solution is nonunique. Using Crocco formulation the present work proves this nonuniqueness. Also considered are the analyticity of solutions and the derivation of upper bounds on the critical value of wall velocity parameter.

Superconducting characteristics in purified tantalum-foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qinghua; Wang, Zhihe

2018-07-01

We have conducted extensive investigations on the electrical transport and magnetization on a purified tantalum foil with extremely sharp resistive transition (transition width ΔTc < 0.02 K) at 0 T and residual resistivity ratio ρ290K/ρ5K= 16.75. Many effects, such as anisotropic field-induced resistive broadening and second peak of the magnetization-hysteresis loop, are observed in the sample. The maximum upper critical field determined by criteria of R/Rn = 0.9 is about 1.08 T rather weak compared to that in cuprate and/or iron-based superconductors. Although the value of upper critical field Hc2(0) and the field dependence of effective pinning energy U show that the flux pinning potential is weaker, the critical current density Jc(2 K, 0 T) = 1.145 × 105 A/cm2 and the effect of second peak indicate that there should be higher collective vortex pinning potential in the tantalum foil. The carriers are dominated by holes with the density n = 6.6 × 1022/cm3.

Spin susceptibility of charge-ordered YBa2Cu3Oy across the upper critical field

PubMed Central

Zhou, Rui; Hirata, Michihiro; Wu, Tao; Vinograd, Igor; Mayaffre, Hadrien; Krämer, Steffen; Reyes, Arneil P.; Kuhns, Philip L.; Liang, Ruixing; Hardy, W. N.; Bonn, D. A.; Julien, Marc-Henri

2017-01-01

The value of the upper critical field Hc2, a fundamental characteristic of the superconducting state, has been subject to strong controversy in high-Tc copper oxides. Since the issue has been tackled almost exclusively by macroscopic techniques so far, there is a clear need for local-probe measurements. Here, we use 17O NMR to measure the spin susceptibility χspin of the CuO2 planes at low temperature in charge-ordered YBa2Cu3Oy. We find that χspin increases (most likely linearly) with magnetic field H and saturates above field values ranging from 20 T to 40 T. This result is consistent with the lowest Hc2 values claimed previously and with the interpretation that the charge density wave (CDW) reduces Hc2 in underdoped YBa2Cu3Oy. Furthermore, the absence of marked deviation in χspin(H) at the onset of long-range CDW order indicates that this Hc2 reduction and the Fermi-surface reconstruction are primarily rooted in the short-range CDW order already present in zero field, not in the field-induced long-range CDW order. Above Hc2, the relatively low values of χspin at T= 2 K show that the pseudogap is a ground-state property, independent of the superconducting gap. PMID:29183974

Superconducting properties of molybdenum ruthenium alloy Mo0.63Ru0.37

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Wensen; Ge, Min; Wang, Shasha; Zhang, Lei; Han, Yuyan; Du, Haifeng; Tian, Mingliang; Zhang, Yuheng

2018-03-01

Resistance, magnetization and specific heat measurements were performed on Mo0.63Ru0.37 alloy. All of them confirm that Mo0.63Ru0.37 becomes superconducting at about 7.0 K with bulk nature. Its upper critical field behavior fits to Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg (WHH) model quite well, with an upper critical field of μ0Hc2(0) = 8.64 T, less than its Pauli limit. Its electronic specific heat is reproduced by Bardeen-Cooper-Schriffer (BCS)-based α-model with a gap ratio Δ0 = 1.88kBTc, which is a little larger than the standard BCS value of 1.76. We concluded that Mo0.63Ru0.37 is a fully gapped isotropic s-wave superconductor, with its features are mostly consistent with the conventional theory.

Upper critical field of high temperature Y(1.2)Ba(0.8)CuO(4-delta) superconductor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hor, P. H.; Meng, R. L.; Huang, J. Z.; Chu, C. W.; Huang, C. Y.

1987-01-01

A 20-T high-field magnet is used to measure electrical resistance as a function of temperature in the Y(1.2)Ba(0.8)CuO(4-delta) superconductor. The temperature dependence of the critical field, Hc2(T), is obtained from the superconduction transition. A Hc2(O) value of 166T is determined which is the highest critical field yet reported. Results show Y(1.2)Ba(0.8)CuO(4-delta) to be a 90K Type-II superconductor, with a lower critical field Hc1(O) of about 0.2T and a penetration depth of about 290 A.

Upper critical and irreversibility fields in Ni- and Co-doped pnictide bulk superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolo, Martin; Singleton, John; Solenov, Dmitry; Jiang, Jianyi; Weiss, Jeremy; Hellstrom, Eric

2018-05-01

A comprehensive study of upper critical and irreversibility magnetic fields in Ba(Fe0.95Ni0.05)2As2 (large grain and small grain samples), Ba(Fe0.94Ni0.06)2As2, Ba(Fe0.92Co0.08)2As2, and Ba(Fe0.92Co0.09)2As2 polycrystalline bulk pnictide superconductors was made in pulsed fields of up to 65 T. The full magnetic field-temperature (H-T) phase diagrams, starting at 1.5 K, were measured. The higher temperature, upper critical field Hc2 data are well described by the one-band Werthamer, Helfand, and Hohenberg (WHH) model. At low temperatures, the experimental data depart from the fitted WHH curves, suggesting an emergence of a new phase that could be attributed to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The large values of the Maki fitting parameter α indicate that the Zeeman pair breaking dominates over the orbital pair breaking and spin-paramagnetic pair-breaking effect is significant in these materials. Possible multi-band structure of these materials is lumped into effective parameters of the single-band model. Table of measured physical parameters allows us to compare these pnictide superconductors for different Co- and Ni- doping levels and granularity.

Mean-field behavior as a result of noisy local dynamics in self-organized criticality: Neuroscience implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moosavi, S. Amin; Montakhab, Afshin

2014-05-01

Motivated by recent experiments in neuroscience which indicate that neuronal avalanches exhibit scale invariant behavior similar to self-organized critical systems, we study the role of noisy (nonconservative) local dynamics on the critical behavior of a sandpile model which can be taken to mimic the dynamics of neuronal avalanches. We find that despite the fact that noise breaks the strict local conservation required to attain criticality, our system exhibits true criticality for a wide range of noise in various dimensions, given that conservation is respected on the average. Although the system remains critical, exhibiting finite-size scaling, the value of critical exponents change depending on the intensity of local noise. Interestingly, for a sufficiently strong noise level, the critical exponents approach and saturate at their mean-field values, consistent with empirical measurements of neuronal avalanches. This is confirmed for both two and three dimensional models. However, the addition of noise does not affect the exponents at the upper critical dimension (D =4). In addition to an extensive finite-size scaling analysis of our systems, we also employ a useful time-series analysis method to establish true criticality of noisy systems. Finally, we discuss the implications of our work in neuroscience as well as some implications for the general phenomena of criticality in nonequilibrium systems.

Upper critical fields in Ba2Ti2Fe2As4O single crystals: Evidence for dominant Pauli paramagnetic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Hafiez, M.; Brisbois, J.; Zhu, Z.; Adamski, A.; Hassen, A.; Vasiliev, A. N.; Silhanek, A. V.; Krellner, C.

2018-03-01

We report on magneto-optical imaging and the temperature dependency of the upper critical fields Hc2 c(T ) parallel to the c axis and Hc2 a b(T ) parallel to the a b plane in Ba2Ti2Fe2As4O single crystals. These data were inferred from the measurements of the temperature-dependent resistance in static magnetic fields up to 14 T and magnetoresistance in pulsed fields up to 60 T. Hc 2 values are found to be 52 and 50 T for H ∥a b and H ∥c , respectively. These values are 1.2-1.35 times larger than the weak-coupling Pauli paramagnetic limit (Hp˜1.84 Tc ), indicating that enhanced paramagnetic limiting is essential and this superconductor is unconventional. Our observations of strong bending in the Hc2 a b(T ) curves and a nearly isotropic maximum upper critical field Hc2 a b(0 ) ≈Hc2 c(0 ) support the presence of a strong Pauli paramagnetic effect. We show that the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg (WHH) formula that includes the spin-orbit scattering can effectively describe the Hc2 a b(T ) curve, whereas Hc 2 deviates from the conventional WHH theoretical model without considering the spin paramagnetic effect for the H ∥c and H ∥a b directions. For H ∥c , a two-band model is required to fully reproduce the behavior of Hc 2, while for H ∥a b the spin paramagnetic effect is responsible for the behavior of Hc 2. The anisotropy of Hc 2 is close to 3 near Tc and decreases rapidly at lower temperatures.

Nonlinear dead water resistance at subcritical speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grue, John

2015-08-01

The dead water resistance F 1 = /1 2 C d w ρ S U 2 (ρ fluid density, U ship speed, S wetted body surface, Cdw resistance coefficient) on a ship moving at subcritical speed along the upper layer of a two-layer fluid is calculated by a strongly nonlinear method assuming potential flow in each layer. The ship dimensions correspond to those of the Polar ship Fram. The ship draught, b0, is varied in the range 0.25h0-0.9h0 (h0 the upper layer depth). The calculations show that Cdw/(b0/h0)2 depends on the Froude number only, in the range close to critical speed, Fr = U/c0 ˜ 0.875-1.125 (c0 the linear internal long wave speed), irrespective of the ship draught. The function Cdw/(b0/h0)2 attains a maximum at subcritical Froude number depending on the draught. Maximum Cdw/(b0/h0)2 becomes 0.15 for Fr = 0.76, b0/h0 = 0.9, and 0.16 for Fr = 0.74, b0/h0 = 1, where the latter extrapolated value of the dead water resistance coefficient is about 60 times higher than the frictional drag coefficient and relevant for the historical dead water observations. The nonlinear Cdw significantly exceeds linear theory (Fr < 0.85). The ship generated waves have a wave height comparable to the upper layer depth. Calculations of three-dimensional wave patterns at critical speed compare well to available laboratory experiments. Upstream solitary waves are generated in a wave tank of finite width, when the layer depths differ, causing an oscillation of the force. In a wide ocean, a very wide wave system develops at critical speed. The force approaches a constant value for increasing time.

Vertical and horizontal facial proportions of Indian American men

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The importance of understanding all gender facial differences is critical in providing a successful cosmetic outcome. Men are a growing segment of the cosmetic industry. Understanding of the male face and its appropriate treatment with minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are essential. The aim was to investigate various facial ratios in Indian American men and to compare them with the Indian and Caucasian norms. Additionally, we wanted to evaluate whether these values satisfy golden and silver ratios. Direct facial anthropometric measurements were made using a digital caliper in 100 Indian American men students (18–30 years) at the American University of Antigua (AUA), Antigua. A set of facial ratios were calculated and compared with coefficients of variation (CV). Most of the facial ratios had small CV thus making them highly reliable due to reduced intra-sample variability. The upper face to face height and mandibulo upper face height indices were close to golden ratios whereas mandibulo lower face height, upper face height biocular width, and nasal indices were close to silver ratios. There was significant difference in most of the values when compared with previous studies. The present facial ratios data can be used as a reference value for Indian American men. PMID:27382514

Vertical and horizontal facial proportions of Indian American men.

PubMed

Sadacharan, Chakravarthy Marx

2016-06-01

The importance of understanding all gender facial differences is critical in providing a successful cosmetic outcome. Men are a growing segment of the cosmetic industry. Understanding of the male face and its appropriate treatment with minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are essential. The aim was to investigate various facial ratios in Indian American men and to compare them with the Indian and Caucasian norms. Additionally, we wanted to evaluate whether these values satisfy golden and silver ratios. Direct facial anthropometric measurements were made using a digital caliper in 100 Indian American men students (18-30 years) at the American University of Antigua (AUA), Antigua. A set of facial ratios were calculated and compared with coefficients of variation (CV). Most of the facial ratios had small CV thus making them highly reliable due to reduced intra-sample variability. The upper face to face height and mandibulo upper face height indices were close to golden ratios whereas mandibulo lower face height, upper face height biocular width, and nasal indices were close to silver ratios. There was significant difference in most of the values when compared with previous studies. The present facial ratios data can be used as a reference value for Indian American men.

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Z.-H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.; Larbalestier, D. C.; Cooley, L. D.

2015-07-01

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition Tc at ˜ 9.3-9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted Tc of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field Hc3 to the bulk upper critical field Hc2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg-Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.

Locality of Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kliesch, M.; Gogolin, C.; Kastoryano, M. J.; Riera, A.; Eisert, J.

2014-07-01

This work is concerned with thermal quantum states of Hamiltonians on spin- and fermionic-lattice systems with short-range interactions. We provide results leading to a local definition of temperature, thereby extending the notion of "intensivity of temperature" to interacting quantum models. More precisely, we derive a perturbation formula for thermal states. The influence of the perturbation is exactly given in terms of a generalized covariance. For this covariance, we prove exponential clustering of correlations above a universal critical temperature that upper bounds physical critical temperatures such as the Curie temperature. As a corollary, we obtain that above the critical temperature, thermal states are stable against distant Hamiltonian perturbations. Moreover, our results imply that above the critical temperature, local expectation values can be approximated efficiently in the error and the system size.

Critical Nuclear Charge of the Quantum Mechanical Three-Body Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busuttil, Michael; Moini, Amirreza; Drake, Gordon W. F.

2014-05-01

The critical nuclear charge (Zc) for a three-body quantum mechanical system consisting of positive and negative charges is the minimum nuclear charge that can keep the system in a bound state. Here we present a study of the critical nuclear charge for two-electron (heliumlike) systems with infinite nuclear mass, and also a range of reduced mass ratio (μ / m) up to 0.5. The results help to resolve a discrepancy in the literature for the infinite mass case, and they are the first to study the dependence on reduced mass ratio. It was found that Zc has a local maximum with μ / m = 0 . 352 5 . The critical charge for the infinite mass case is found to be Zc = 0 . 911 028 224 076 8 (1 0) . This value is more accurate than any previous value in the literature, and agrees with the upper bound Zc = 0 . 911 03 reported by Baker et al.. The critical nuclear charge outside this range [0.5 - 1.0] still needs to be investigated in future works. Research Supported by NSERC and SHARCNET.

Effects of magnetic impurities on upper critical fields in the high-T c superconductor La-doped CaFe2As2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Soon-Gil; Shin, Soohyeon; Jang, Harim; Mikheenko, Pavlo; Johansen, Tom H.; Park, Tuson

2017-08-01

We investigate the effects of magnetic impurities on the upper critical field (μ 0 H c2) in La-doped CaFe2As2 (LaCa122) single crystals. The magnetic field dependency of the superconducting transition temperature (T c) for LaCa122 is rapidly suppressed at low fields up to ˜1 kOe despite its large μ 0 H c2(0) value on the order of tens of Tesla, resulting in a large positive curvature of μ 0 H c2(T) near T c. The magnetization hysteresis (M-H) loop at temperatures above T c shows a ferromagnetic-like signal and the M(H) value rapidly increases with increasing magnetic field up to ˜1 kOe. Taken together with the linear suppression of T c with the magnetization in the normal state, these results suggest that the large upward curvature of μ 0 H c2(T) near T c in La-doped CaFe2As2 mainly originates from the suppression of superconductivity due to the presence of magnetic impurities.

A feasibility study on bedside upper airway ultrasonography compared to waveform capnography for verifying endotracheal tube location after intubation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In emergency settings, verification of endotracheal tube (ETT) location is important for critically ill patients. Ignorance of oesophageal intubation can be disastrous. Many methods are used for verification of the endotracheal tube location; none are ideal. Quantitative waveform capnography is considered the standard of care for this purpose but is not always available and is expensive. Therefore, this feasibility study is conducted to compare a cheaper alternative, bedside upper airway ultrasonography to waveform capnography, for verification of endotracheal tube location after intubation. Methods This was a prospective, single-centre, observational study, conducted at the HRPB, Ipoh. It included patients who were intubated in the emergency department from 28 March 2012 to 17 August 2012. A waiver of consent had been obtained from the Medical Research Ethics Committee. Bedside upper airway ultrasonography was performed after intubation and compared to waveform capnography. Specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive value and likelihood ratio are calculated. Results A sample of 107 patients were analysed, and 6 (5.6%) had oesophageal intubations. The overall accuracy of bedside upper airway ultrasonography was 98.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 93.0% to 100.0%). The kappa value (Κ) was 0.85, indicating a very good agreement between the bedside upper airway ultrasonography and waveform capnography. Thus, bedside upper airway ultrasonography is in concordance with waveform capnography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of bedside upper airway ultrasonography were 98.0% (95% CI 93.0% to 99.8%), 100% (95% CI 54.1% to 100.0%), 100% (95% CI 96.3% to 100.0%) and 75.0% (95% CI 34.9% to 96.8%). The likelihood ratio of a positive test is infinite and the likelihood ratio of a negative test is 0.0198 (95% CI 0.005 to 0.0781). The mean confirmation time by ultrasound is 16.4 s. No adverse effects were recorded. Conclusions Our study shows that ultrasonography can replace waveform capnography in confirming ETT placement in centres without capnography. This can reduce incidence of unrecognised oesophageal intubation and prevent morbidity and mortality. Trial registration National Medical Research Register NMRR11100810230. PMID:23826756

A fast algorithm for determining bounds and accurate approximate p-values of the rank product statistic for replicate experiments.

PubMed

Heskes, Tom; Eisinga, Rob; Breitling, Rainer

2014-11-21

The rank product method is a powerful statistical technique for identifying differentially expressed molecules in replicated experiments. A critical issue in molecule selection is accurate calculation of the p-value of the rank product statistic to adequately address multiple testing. Both exact calculation and permutation and gamma approximations have been proposed to determine molecule-level significance. These current approaches have serious drawbacks as they are either computationally burdensome or provide inaccurate estimates in the tail of the p-value distribution. We derive strict lower and upper bounds to the exact p-value along with an accurate approximation that can be used to assess the significance of the rank product statistic in a computationally fast manner. The bounds and the proposed approximation are shown to provide far better accuracy over existing approximate methods in determining tail probabilities, with the slightly conservative upper bound protecting against false positives. We illustrate the proposed method in the context of a recently published analysis on transcriptomic profiling performed in blood. We provide a method to determine upper bounds and accurate approximate p-values of the rank product statistic. The proposed algorithm provides an order of magnitude increase in throughput as compared with current approaches and offers the opportunity to explore new application domains with even larger multiple testing issue. The R code is published in one of the Additional files and is available at http://www.ru.nl/publish/pages/726696/rankprodbounds.zip .

Strongly enhanced current densities in Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn superconducting tapes.

PubMed

Lin, He; Yao, Chao; Zhang, Xianping; Zhang, Haitao; Wang, Dongliang; Zhang, Qianjun; Ma, Yanwei; Awaji, Satoshi; Watanabe, Kazuo

2014-03-25

Improving transport current has been the primary topic for practical application of superconducting wires and tapes. However, the porous nature of powder-in-tube (PIT) processed iron-based tapes is one of the important reasons for low critical current density (Jc) values. In this work, the superconducting core density of ex-situ Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn tapes, prepared from optimized precursors, was significantly improved by employing a simple hot pressing as an alternative route for final sintering. The resulting samples exhibited optimal critical temperature (Tc), sharp resistive transition, small resistivity and high Vickers hardness (Hv) value. Consequently, the transport Jc reached excellent values of 5.1 × 10(4) A/cm(2) in 10 T and 4.3 × 10(4) A/cm(2) in 14 T at 4.2 K, respectively. Our tapes also exhibited high upper critical field Hc2 and almost field-independent Jc. These results clearly demonstrate that PIT pnictide wire conductors are very promising for high-field magnet applications.

Strongly enhanced current densities in Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn superconducting tapes

PubMed Central

Lin, He; Yao, Chao; Zhang, Xianping; Zhang, Haitao; Wang, Dongliang; Zhang, Qianjun; Ma, Yanwei; Awaji, Satoshi; Watanabe, Kazuo

2014-01-01

Improving transport current has been the primary topic for practical application of superconducting wires and tapes. However, the porous nature of powder-in-tube (PIT) processed iron-based tapes is one of the important reasons for low critical current density (Jc) values. In this work, the superconducting core density of ex-situ Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn tapes, prepared from optimized precursors, was significantly improved by employing a simple hot pressing as an alternative route for final sintering. The resulting samples exhibited optimal critical temperature (Tc), sharp resistive transition, small resistivity and high Vickers hardness (Hv) value. Consequently, the transport Jc reached excellent values of 5.1 × 104 A/cm2 in 10 T and 4.3 × 104 A/cm2 in 14 T at 4.2 K, respectively. Our tapes also exhibited high upper critical field Hc2 and almost field-independent Jc. These results clearly demonstrate that PIT pnictide wire conductors are very promising for high-field magnet applications. PMID:24663054

Strongly enhanced current densities in Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn superconducting tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, He; Yao, Chao; Zhang, Xianping; Zhang, Haitao; Wang, Dongliang; Zhang, Qianjun; Ma, Yanwei; Awaji, Satoshi; Watanabe, Kazuo

2014-03-01

Improving transport current has been the primary topic for practical application of superconducting wires and tapes. However, the porous nature of powder-in-tube (PIT) processed iron-based tapes is one of the important reasons for low critical current density (Jc) values. In this work, the superconducting core density of ex-situ Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 + Sn tapes, prepared from optimized precursors, was significantly improved by employing a simple hot pressing as an alternative route for final sintering. The resulting samples exhibited optimal critical temperature (Tc), sharp resistive transition, small resistivity and high Vickers hardness (Hv) value. Consequently, the transport Jc reached excellent values of 5.1 × 104 A/cm2 in 10 T and 4.3 × 104 A/cm2 in 14 T at 4.2 K, respectively. Our tapes also exhibited high upper critical field Hc2 and almost field-independent Jc. These results clearly demonstrate that PIT pnictide wire conductors are very promising for high-field magnet applications.

Standardization of haematology critical results management in adults: an International Council for Standardization in Haematology, ICSH, survey and recommendations.

PubMed

Keng, T B; De La Salle, B; Bourner, G; Merino, A; Han, J-Y; Kawai, Y; Peng, M T; McCafferty, R

2016-10-01

These recommendations are intended to develop a consensus in the previously published papers as to which parameters and what values should be considered critical. A practical guide on the standardization of critical results management in haematology laboratories would be beneficial as part of good laboratory and clinical practice and for use by laboratory-accrediting agencies. A working group with members from Europe, America, Australasia and Asia was formed by International Council for Standardization in Haematology. A pattern of practice survey of 21 questions was distributed in 2014, and the data were collected electronically by Survey Monkey. The mode, or most commonly occurring value, was selected as the threshold for the upper and lower alert limits for critical results reporting. A total of 666 laboratories submitted data to this study and, of these, 499 submitted complete responses. Full blood count critical results alert thresholds, morphology findings that trigger critical result notification, critical results alert list, notification process and maintenance of critical results management protocol are described. This international survey provided a snapshot of the current practice worldwide and has identified the existence of considerable heterogeneity of critical results management. The recommendations in this study represent a consensus of good laboratory practice. They are intended to encourage the implementation of a standardized critical results management protocol in the laboratory. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dispersal of sticky particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Ramana; Kumar, Sanjeev

2007-12-01

In this paper, we show through simulations that when sticky particles are broken continually, particles are dispersed into fine dust only if they are present in a narrow range of volume fractions. The upper limit of this range is 0.20 in the 2D and 0.10 in the 3D space. An increase in the dimensionality of space reduces the upper limit nearly by a factor of two. This scaling holds for dispersal of particles in hyperdimensional space of dimensions up to ten, the maximum dimension studied in this work. The maximum values of volume fractions obtained are significantly lower than those required for close packing and random packing of discs in 2D and spheres in 3D space. These values are also smaller than those required for critical phenomena of cluster percolation. The results obtained are attributed to merger cascades of sticky particles, triggered by breakup events. A simple theory that incorporates this cascade is developed to quantitatively explain the observed scaling of the upper limit with the dimensionality of space. The theory also captures the dynamics of the dispersal process in the corresponding range of particle volume fractions. The theory suggests that cascades of order one and two predominantly decide the upper limit for complete dispersal of particles.

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

DOE PAGES

Sung, Z. -H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.; ...

2015-07-01

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition T c at ~ 9.3–9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted T c of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field H c3 tomore » the bulk upper critical field H c2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg–Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.« less

Evidence of incomplete annealing at 800 °C and the effects of 120 °C baking on the crystal orientation and the surface superconducting properties of cold-worked and chemically polished Nb

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

Sung, Z. -H.; Dzyuba, A.; Lee, P. J.

High-purity niobium rods were cold-worked by wire-drawing, followed by various combinations of chemical polishing and high-vacuum baking at 120 °C or annealing at 800 °C in order to better understand changes to the surface superconducting properties resulting from typical superconducting radio-frequency cavity processing. AC susceptibility measurements revealed an enhanced upper transition T c at ~ 9.3–9.4 K in all samples that was stable through all annealing steps, a value significantly above the accepted T c of 9.23 K for pure annealed niobium. Corresponding elevations were seen in the critical fields, the ratio of the surface critical field H c3 tomore » the bulk upper critical field H c2 rising to 2.3, well above the Ginzburg–Landau value of 1.695. Orientation imaging revealed an extensive dislocation rich sub-grain structure in the as-drawn rods, a small reduction of the surface strain after baking at 120 °C, and a substantial but incomplete recrystallization near the surface after annealing at 800 °C. We interpret these changes in surface superconducting and structural properties to extensive changes in the near-surface interstitial contamination produced by baking and annealing and to synergistic interactions between H and surface O introduced during electropolishing and buffered chemical polishing.« less

Gigantism, temperature and metabolic rate in terrestrial poikilotherms

PubMed Central

Makarieva, Anastassia M; Gorshkov, Victor G; Li, Bai-Lian

2005-01-01

The mechanisms dictating upper limits to animal body size are not well understood. We have analysed body length data for the largest representatives of 24 taxa of terrestrial poikilotherms from tropical, temperate and polar environments. We find that poikilothermic giants on land become two–three times shorter per each 10 degrees of decrease in ambient temperature. We quantify that this diminution of maximum body size accurately compensates the drop of metabolic rate dictated by lower temperature. This supports the idea that the upper limit to body size within each taxon can be set by a temperature-independent critical minimum value of mass-specific metabolic rate, a fall below which is not compatible with successful biological performance. PMID:16191647

Upper critical field reaches 90 tesla near the Mott transition in fulleride superconductors

DOE PAGES

Kasahara, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Zadik, R. H.; ...

2017-02-17

Controlled access to the border of the Mott insulating state by variation of control parameters offers exotic electronic states such as anomalous and possibly high-transition-temperature (T c) superconductivity. The alkali-doped fullerides show a transition from a Mott insulator to a superconductor for the first time in three-dimensional materials, but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation on superconducting properties has remained unclear. Here we show that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field H c2 of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ~90 T—the highest among cubic crystals. This is accompanied by a crossover from weak-more » to strong-coupling superconductivity and appears upon entering the metallic state with the dynamical Jahn–Teller effect as the Mott transition is approached. Lastly, these results suggest that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-T c and high-H c2.« less

Upper critical field reaches 90 tesla near the Mott transition in fulleride superconductors

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

Kasahara, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Zadik, R. H.

Controlled access to the border of the Mott insulating state by variation of control parameters offers exotic electronic states such as anomalous and possibly high-transition-temperature (T c) superconductivity. The alkali-doped fullerides show a transition from a Mott insulator to a superconductor for the first time in three-dimensional materials, but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation on superconducting properties has remained unclear. Here we show that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field H c2 of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ~90 T—the highest among cubic crystals. This is accompanied by a crossover from weak-more » to strong-coupling superconductivity and appears upon entering the metallic state with the dynamical Jahn–Teller effect as the Mott transition is approached. Lastly, these results suggest that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-T c and high-H c2.« less

Upper critical field and Kondo effects in Fe(Te 0.9Se 0.1) thin films by pulsed field measurements

DOE PAGES

Salamon, Myron B.; Cornell, Nicholas; Jaime, Marcelo; ...

2016-02-10

The transition temperatures of epitaxial films of Fe(Te 0:9Se 0:1) are remarkably insensitive to applied magnetic field, leading to predictions of upper critical fields B c2(T = 0) in excess of 100 T. Using pulsed magnetic fields, we find B c2(0) to be on the order of 45 T, similar to values in bulk material and still in excess of the paramagnetic limit. The same films show strong magnetoresistance in fields above B c2(T), consistent with the observed Kondo minimum seen above T c. Fits to the temperature dependence in the context of the WHH model, using the experimental valuemore » of the Maki parameter, require an effective spin-orbit relaxation parameter of order unity. Lastly, we suggest that Kondo localization plays a similar role to spin-orbit pair breaking in making WHH fits to the data.« less

Superconductor to weak-insulator transitions in disordered tantalum nitride films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breznay, Nicholas P.; Tendulkar, Mihir; Zhang, Li; Lee, Sang-Chul; Kapitulnik, Aharon

2017-10-01

We study the two-dimensional superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in thin films of tantalum nitride. At zero magnetic field, films can be disorder-tuned across the SIT by adjusting thickness and film stoichiometry; insulating films exhibit classical hopping transport. Superconducting films exhibit a magnetic-field-tuned SIT, whose insulating ground state at high field appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Scaling behavior at the field-tuned SIT shows classical percolation critical exponents z ν ≈1.3 , with a corresponding critical field Hc≪Hc 2 , the upper critical field. The Hall effect exhibits a crossing point near Hc, but with a nonuniversal critical value ρxy c comparable to the normal-state Hall resistivity. We propose that high-carrier-density metals will always exhibit this pattern of behavior at the boundary between superconducting and (trivially) insulating ground states.

Hc2(0) and the Kondo Effect in FeSe0.1Te0.9 Epitaxial Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornell, Nicholas; Zakhidov, Anvar; Jaime, Marcelo; Huang, Jijie; Wang, Hayan; Salamon, Myron

2015-03-01

High-quality, [001]-oriented epitaxial films of FeSe0.1Te0.9 have been grown on SrTiO3. They are found to have increased critical temperatures and critical fields relative to both bulk samples and thin films of the sister compound, FeSe0.5Te0.5. Critical field values in excess of 114 T have been reported based on WHH theory. In addition to these improved properties, most samples show resistance minima above Tc, reminiscent of the Kondo effect, presumably from excess Fe. We report results of a high field investigation of these thin films that reveals an empirical zero-temperature value of Hc2(0) ~ 46 T along [001], significantly less than the WHH estimate, but still exceeding the maximum strong coupling correction to the Pauli limit. Large negative magnetoresistance above the critical field confirms the presence of Kondo behavior in the normal state and persists without saturation up to 60 T. Why the measured critical field exceeds the paramagnetic limit remains a question. However, a Kondo temperature that exceeds the superconducting Tc can lead to overestimated WHH upper critical fields and could explain the wide variation in Tc and Hc2 among the ``11'' iron chalcogenides.

Temperature, concentration, and frequency dependence of the dielectric constant near the critical point of the binary liquid mixture nitrobenzene-tetradecane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leys, Jan; Losada-Pérez, Patricia; Cordoyiannis, George; Cerdeiriña, Claudio A.; Glorieux, Christ; Thoen, Jan

2010-03-01

Detailed results are reported for the dielectric constant ɛ as a function of temperature, concentration, and frequency near the upper critical point of the binary liquid mixture nitrobenzene-tetradecane. The data have been analyzed in the context of the recently developed concept of complete scaling. It is shown that the amplitude of the low frequency critical Maxwell-Wagner relaxation (with a relaxation frequency around 10 kHz) along the critical isopleth is consistent with the predictions of a droplet model for the critical fluctuations. The temperature dependence of ɛ in the homogeneous phase can be well described with a combination of a (1-α) power law term (with α the heat capacity critical exponent) and a linear term in reduced temperature with the Ising value for α. For the proper description of the temperature dependence of the difference Δɛ between the two coexisting phases below the critical temperature, it turned out that good fits with the Ising value for the order parameter exponent β required the addition of a corrections-to-scaling contribution or a linear term in reduced temperature. Good fits to the dielectric diameter ɛd require a (1-α) power law term, a 2β power law term (in the past considered as spurious), and a linear term in reduced temperature, consistent with complete scaling.

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

Bazavov, A.; Ding, H. -T.; Hegde, P.

In this paper, we investigate the phase structure of QCD with three degenerate quark flavors as a function of the degenerate quark masses at vanishing baryon number density. We use the highly improved staggered quarks on lattices with temporal extent N τ = 6 and perform calculations for six values of quark masses, which in the continuum limit correspond to pion masses in the range 80 MeV ≲ m π ≲ 230 MeV. By analyzing the volume and temperature dependence of the chiral condensate and chiral susceptibility, we find no direct evidence for a first-order phase transition in this rangemore » of pion mass values. Finally, relying on the universal scaling behaviors of the chiral observables near an anticipated chiral critical point, we estimate an upper bound for the critical pion mass m c π ≲ 50 MeV, below which a region of first-order chiral phase transition is favored.« less

Finite-size scaling above the upper critical dimension in Ising models with long-range interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Sola, Emilio J.; Berche, Bertrand; Kenna, Ralph; Weigel, Martin

2015-01-01

The correlation length plays a pivotal role in finite-size scaling and hyperscaling at continuous phase transitions. Below the upper critical dimension, where the correlation length is proportional to the system length, both finite-size scaling and hyperscaling take conventional forms. Above the upper critical dimension these forms break down and a new scaling scenario appears. Here we investigate this scaling behaviour by simulating one-dimensional Ising ferromagnets with long-range interactions. We show that the correlation length scales as a non-trivial power of the linear system size and investigate the scaling forms. For interactions of sufficiently long range, the disparity between the correlation length and the system length can be made arbitrarily large, while maintaining the new scaling scenarios. We also investigate the behavior of the correlation function above the upper critical dimension and the modifications imposed by the new scaling scenario onto the associated Fisher relation.

Preference-based comparative effectiveness and cost–effectiveness: a review and relevance of value-based medicine for vitreoretinal interventions.

PubMed

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

2012-05-01

This analysis discusses the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of vitreoretinal interventions, measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and percentage patient value (PPV gain, or improvement in quality of life and/or length of life). The material is relevant since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted by Congress with the support of the President has emphasized the critical importance of patient-based preferences. The majority of preference-based, comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness vitreoretinal interventions assessed in the US healthcare literature are Value-Based Medicine analyses, thus comparable. These interventions confer a mean patient (human) value gain (improvement in quality of life) of 8.3% [SD 6.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) + 2.6%]. The average cost-utility of these vitreoretinal interventions is US$23 026/QALY (SD US$24 508, 95% CI + US$8770). Most vitreoretinal interventions are very cost effective using a conventional US standard of US$50 000/QALY as the upper anchor for a very cost-effective intervention, and the World Health Organization of approximately US$142 200/QALY as the upper anchor for a cost-effective intervention. Most vitreoretinal interventions confer considerable patient value and are very cost effective. Further standardization across healthcare is needed in the preference-based, comparative and cost-utility (cost-effectiveness) arena. The metrics of PPV (percentage patient value) gain and US$/PPV (dollars expended per percentage patient value gain) or financial value gain may be more user-friendly than the QALY.

Responsiveness, Sensitivity, and Minimally Detectable Difference of the Graded and Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension, Version 1.0.

PubMed

Kalsi-Ryan, Sukhvinder; Beaton, Dorcas; Ahn, Henry; Askes, Heather; Drew, Brian; Curt, Armin; Popovic, Milos R; Wang, Justin; Verrier, Mary C; Fehlings, Michael G

2016-02-01

As spinal cord injury (SCI) trials begin to involve subjects with acute cervical SCI, establishing the property of an upper limb outcome measure to detect change over time is critical for its usefulness in clinical trials. The objectives of this study were to define responsiveness, sensitivity, and minimally detectable difference (MDD) of the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension (GRASSP). An observational, longitudinal study was conducted. International Standards of Neurological Classification of SCI (ISNCSCI), GRASSP, Capabilities of Upper Extremity Questionnaire (CUE-Q), and Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) were administered 0-10 days, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Standardized Response Means (SRM) for GRASSP and ISNCSCI measures were calculated. Longitudinal construct validity was calculated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Smallest real difference for all subtests was calculated to define the MDD values for all GRASSP subtests. Longitudinal construct validity demonstrated GRASSP and all external measures to be responsive to neurological change for 1 year post-injury. SRM values for the GRASSP subtests ranged from 0.25 to 0.85 units greater than that for ISNCSCI strength and sensation, SCIM-SS, and CUE-Q. MDD values for GRASSP subtests ranged from 2-5 points. GRASSP demonstrates good responsiveness and excellent sensitivity that is superior to ISNCSCI and SCIM III. MDD values are useful in the evaluation of interventions in both clinical and research settings. The responsiveness and sensitivity of GRASSP make it a valuable condition-specific measure in tetraplegia, where changes in upper limb neurological and functional outcomes are essential for evaluating the efficacy of interventions.

Pseudo-critical point in anomalous phase diagrams of simple plasma models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chigvintsev, A. Yu; Iosilevskiy, I. L.; Noginova, L. Yu

2016-11-01

Anomalous phase diagrams in subclass of simplified (“non-associative”) Coulomb models is under discussion. The common feature of this subclass is absence on definition of individual correlations for charges of opposite sign. It is e.g. modified OCP of ions on uniformly compressible background of ideal Fermi-gas of electrons OCP(∼), or a superposition of two non-ideal OCP(∼) models of ions and electrons etc. In contrast to the ordinary OCP model on non-compressible (“rigid”) background OCP(#) two new phase transitions with upper critical point, boiling and sublimation, appear in OCP(∼) phase diagram in addition to the well-known Wigner crystallization. The point is that the topology of phase diagram in OCP(∼) becomes anomalous at high enough value of ionic charge number Z. Namely, the only one unified crystal- fluid phase transition without critical point exists as continuous superposition of melting and sublimation in OCP(∼) at the interval (Z 1 < Z < Z 2). The most remarkable is appearance of pseudo-critical points at both boundary values Z = Z 1 ≈ 35.5 and Z = Z 2 ≈ 40.0. It should be stressed that critical isotherm is exactly cubic in both these pseudo-critical points. In this study we have improved our previous calculations and utilized more complicated model components equation of state provided by Chabrier and Potekhin (1998 Phys. Rev. E 58 4941).

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the transverse-field quantum Ising model on infinite-dimensional structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Seung Ki; Um, Jaegon; Yi, Su Do; Kim, Beom Jun

2011-11-01

In a number of classical statistical-physical models, there exists a characteristic dimensionality called the upper critical dimension above which one observes the mean-field critical behavior. Instead of constructing high-dimensional lattices, however, one can also consider infinite-dimensional structures, and the question is whether this mean-field character extends to quantum-mechanical cases as well. We therefore investigate the transverse-field quantum Ising model on the globally coupled network and on the Watts-Strogatz small-world network by means of quantum Monte Carlo simulations and the finite-size scaling analysis. We confirm that both of the structures exhibit critical behavior consistent with the mean-field description. In particular, we show that the existing cumulant method has difficulty in estimating the correct dynamic critical exponent and suggest that an order parameter based on the quantum-mechanical expectation value can be a practically useful numerical observable to determine critical behavior when there is no well-defined dimensionality.

Redeposition of a straight-sided buckle under pressure.

PubMed

Colin, Jérôme; Coupeau, Christophe; Durinck, Julien; Cimetière, Alain; Grilhé, Jean

2014-03-01

The unilateral buckling of a stressed thin film on a substrate has been investigated theoretically in the framework of the Föppl-von Kármán theory of thin plates when an increasing overpressure is considered onto the upper free surface of the film. It is found that, depending on the initial stress in the film and overpressure, two scenarios of evolution may occur. The snap-through of the one-dimensional buckle leading to the full redeposition should take place for low values of the initial stress. When the initial stress exceeds a critical value, a partial redeposition of the buckle should proceed as the overpressure increases. A snap-through while the redeposition mechanism has taken place should also occur for higher values of the overpressure.

The upper critical field of filamentary Nb3Sn conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godeke, A.; Jewell, M. C.; Fischer, C. M.; Squitieri, A. A.; Lee, P. J.; Larbalestier, D. C.

2005-05-01

We have examined the upper critical field of a large and representative set of present multifilamentary Nb3Sn wires and one bulk sample over a temperature range from 1.4 K up to the zero-field critical temperature. Since all present wires use a solid-state diffusion reaction to form the A15 layers, inhomogeneities with respect to Sn content are inevitable, in contrast to some previously studied homogeneous samples. Our study emphasizes the effects that these inevitable inhomogeneities have on the field-temperature phase boundary. The property inhomogeneities are extracted from field-dependent resistive transitions which we find broaden with increasing inhomogeneity. The upper 90%-99% of the transitions clearly separates alloyed and binary wires but a pure, Cu-free binary bulk sample also exhibits a zero-temperature critical field that is comparable to the ternary wires. The highest μ0Hc2 detected in the ternary wires are remarkably constant: The highest zero-temperature upper critical fields and zero-field critical temperatures fall within 29.5±0.3 and 17.8±0.3K, respectively, independent of the wire layout. The complete field-temperature phase boundary can be described very well with the relatively simple Maki-DeGennes model using a two-parameter fit, independent of composition, strain state, sample layout, or applied critical state criterion.

Fluid elasticity and the transition to chaos in thermal convection

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

Khayat, R.E.

1995-01-01

The influence of fluid elasticity on the onset of aperiodic or chaotic motion of an upper-convected Maxwellian fluid is examined in the context of the Rayleigh-Benard thermal convection problem. A truncated Fourier representation of the flow and temperature fields leads to a four-dimensional dynamical system that constitutes a generalization of the classical Lorenz system for Newtonian fluids. It is found that, to the order of the present truncation and above a critical value of the Deborah number De[sup [ital c

Thermodynamic consistency test procedure using orthogonal collocation and the Peng-Robinson equation of state

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

Hamm, L.L.; Van Brunt, V.

The Christiansen and Fredenslund programs for calculating vapor-liquid equilibria have been modified by replacing the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state with the newly developed Peng-Robinson equation of state. This modification was shown to be a decided improvement for high pressure systems, especially in the critical and upper retrograde regions. Thermodynamic consistency tests were developed and used to evaluate and compare calculated values from both the modified and unmodified programs with reported experimental data for several vapor-liquid systems.

Recovery of Ground-Water Levels from 1988 to 2003 and Analysis of Effects of 2003 and Full-Allocation Withdrawals in Critical Area 2, Southern New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spitz, Frederick J.; dePaul, Vincent T.

2008-01-01

Water levels in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system within Water Supply Critical Area 2 in the southern New Jersey Coastal Plain have recovered as a result of reductions in ground-water withdrawals initiated in the early 1990s. The Critical Area consists of the depleted zone and the threatened margin. The Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system consists of the Upper, Middle, and Lower aquifers. Generally, ground-water withdrawals from these aquifers declined 5 to 10 Mgal/d (million gallons per day) and water levels recovered 0 to 40 ft (foot) from 1988 to 2003. In order to reevaluate water-allocation restrictions in Critical Area 2 in response to changes in the ground-water-flow system and demands for additional water supply due to increased development, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) needs information about the effects of changes in those allocations. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the NJDEP, used an existing ground-water-flow model of the New Jersey Coastal Plain to evaluate the effects of withdrawal alternatives on hydraulic heads in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in Critical Area 2. The U.S. Geological Survey Regional Aquifer System Analysis model was used to simulate steady-state ground-water flow. Two withdrawal conditions were tested by using the model to evaluate hydraulic heads and differences in heads in these aquifers: 2003 withdrawals and full-allocation withdrawals (17.4 Mgal/d greater than 2003 withdrawals). Model results are presented using head maps and head-difference maps that compare 2003 to full-allocation withdrawals. Mandated hydrologic conditions for Critical Area protection are that the simulated -30-ft head contour not extend beyond the boundary of the depleted zone and (or) be at least 5 mi (miles) updip from the 250-mg/L (milligram per liter) isochlor in all three aquifers. Simulation results indicate that, for 2003 withdrawals, the simulated -30-ft head contour in all three aquifers is generally within the boundary of the depleted zone, except in the Lower aquifer in northern Camden and northwestern Burlington Counties, and is generally 1 to 10 mi downdip from the 250-mg/L isochlor. (Corresponding observed data indicate that the -30-ft water-level contour extends beyond the southwest boundary of the depleted zone in the Upper and Middle aquifers, and is generally 5 to 20 mi downdip from the 250-mg/L isochlor in all three aquifers.) The area in which heads are below -30 ft ranges from 389 mi2 (square miles) in the Middle aquifer to 427 mi2 in the Lower aquifer. For full-allocation withdrawals, the simulated -30-ft head contour extends beyond the boundary of the depleted zone in all three aquifers in northern Camden and northwestern Burlington Counties and in the Upper aquifer in Gloucester and Salem Counties, and is generally 5 to 15 mi downdip from the 250-mg/L isochlor. The area in which heads are below -30 ft ranges from 616 mi2 in the Upper aquifer to 813 mi2 in the Lower aquifer. These results and observed data indicate that any increase in withdrawals from 2003 values would likely cause heads in the three aquifers to decline below the minimum values mandated by the NJDEP for the Critical Area.

Exponential nonlinear electrodynamics and backreaction effects on holographic superconductor in the Lifshitz black hole background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherkatghanad, Z.; Mirza, B.; Lalehgani Dezaki, F.

We analytically describe the properties of the s-wave holographic superconductor with the exponential nonlinear electrodynamics in the Lifshitz black hole background in four-dimensions. Employing an assumption the scalar and gauge fields backreact on the background geometry, we calculate the critical temperature as well as the condensation operator. Based on Sturm-Liouville method, we show that the critical temperature decreases with increasing exponential nonlinear electrodynamics and Lifshitz dynamical exponent, z, indicating that condensation becomes difficult. Also we find that the effects of backreaction has a more important role on the critical temperature and condensation operator in small values of Lifshitz dynamical exponent, while z is around one. In addition, the properties of the upper critical magnetic field in Lifshitz black hole background using Sturm-Liouville approach is investigated to describe the phase diagram of the corresponding holographic superconductor in the probe limit. We observe that the critical magnetic field decreases with increasing Lifshitz dynamical exponent, z, and it goes to zero at critical temperature, independent of the Lifshitz dynamical exponent, z.

Tri-critical behavior of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on a Kagomé lattice: Effective-field theory and Rigorous bounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Jander P.; Sá Barreto, F. C.

2016-01-01

Spin correlation identities for the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on Kagomé lattice are derived and combined with rigorous correlation inequalities lead to upper bounds on the critical temperature. From the spin correlation identities the mean field approximation and the effective field approximation results for the magnetization, the critical frontiers and the tricritical points are obtained. The rigorous upper bounds on the critical temperature improve over those effective-field type theories results.

[Proposal and preliminary validation of a check-list for the assessment of occupational exposure to repetitive movements of the upper lims].

PubMed

Colombini, D; Occhipinti, E; Cairoli, S; Baracco, A

2000-01-01

Over the last few years the Authors developed and implemented, a specific check-list for a "rapid" assessment of occupational exposure to repetitive movements and exertion of the upper limbs, after verifying the lack of such a tool which also had to be coherent with the latest data in the specialized literature. The check-list model and the relevant application procedures are presented and discussed. The check-list was applied by trained factory technicians in 46 different working tasks where the OCRA method previously proposed by the Authors was also applied by independent observers. Since 46 pairs of observation data were available (OCRA index and check-list score) it was possible to verify, via parametric and nonparametric statistical tests, the level of association between the two variables and to find the best simple regression function (exponential in this case) of the OCRA index from the check-list score. By means of this function, which was highly significant (R2 = 0.98, p < 0.0000), the values of the check-list score which better corresponded to the critical values (for exposure assessment) of the OCRA index looked for. The following correspondance values between OCRA Index and check-list were then established with a view to classifying exposure levels. The check-list "critical" scores were established considering the need for obtaining, in borderline cases, a potential effect of overestimation of the exposure level. On the basis of practical application experience and the preliminary validation results, recommendations are made and the caution needed in the use of the check-list is suggested.

Chiral phase structure of three flavor QCD at vanishing baryon number density

DOE PAGES

Bazavov, A.; Ding, H. -T.; Hegde, P.; ...

2017-04-12

In this paper, we investigate the phase structure of QCD with three degenerate quark flavors as a function of the degenerate quark masses at vanishing baryon number density. We use the highly improved staggered quarks on lattices with temporal extent N τ = 6 and perform calculations for six values of quark masses, which in the continuum limit correspond to pion masses in the range 80 MeV ≲ m π ≲ 230 MeV. By analyzing the volume and temperature dependence of the chiral condensate and chiral susceptibility, we find no direct evidence for a first-order phase transition in this rangemore » of pion mass values. Finally, relying on the universal scaling behaviors of the chiral observables near an anticipated chiral critical point, we estimate an upper bound for the critical pion mass m c π ≲ 50 MeV, below which a region of first-order chiral phase transition is favored.« less

Reaction kinetics and critical phenomena: iodination of acetone in isobutyric acid + water near the consolute point.

PubMed

Hu, Baichuan; Baird, James K

2010-01-14

The rate of iodination of acetone has been measured as a function of temperature in the binary solvent isobutyric acid (IBA) + water near the upper consolute point. The reaction mixture was prepared by the addition of acetone, iodine, and potassium iodide to IBA + water at its critical composition of 38.8 mass % IBA. The value of the critical temperature determined immediately after mixing was 25.43 degrees C. Aliquots were extracted from the mixture at regular intervals in order to follow the time course of the reaction. After dilution of the aliquot with water to quench the reaction, the concentration of triiodide ion was determined by the measurement of the optical density at a wavelength of 565 nm. These measurements showed that the kinetics were zeroth order. When at the end of 24 h the reaction had come to equilibrium, the critical temperature was determined again and found to be 24.83 degrees C. An Arrhenius plot of the temperature dependence of the observed rate constant, k(obs), was linear over the temperature range 27.00-38.00 degrees C, but between 25.43 and 27.00 degrees C, the values of k(obs) fell below the extrapolation of the Arrhenius line. This behavior is evidence in support of critical slowing down. Our experimental method and results are significant in three ways: (1) In contrast to in situ measurements of optical density, the determination of the optical density of diluted aliquots avoided any interference from critical opalescence. (2) The measured reaction rate exhibited critical slowing down. (3) The rate law was pseudo zeroth order both inside and outside the critical region, indicating that the reaction mechanism was unaffected by the presence of the critical point.

Upper critical fields and two-band superconductivity in Sr 1-xEu x(Fe 0.89Co 0.11)₂As₂ (x=0.20 and 0.46)

DOE PAGES

Hu, Rongwei; Mun, Eun Deok; Altarawneh, M. M.; ...

2012-02-13

The upper critical fields H c2(T) of single crystals of Sr 1-xEu x(Fe₀.₈₉Co₀.₁₁)₂As₂ (x=0.20 and 0.46) were determined by radio-frequency penetration depth measurements in pulsed magnetic fields. H c2(T) approaches the Pauli limiting field but shows an upward curvature with an enhancement from the orbital limited field, as inferred from the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg theory. We discuss the temperature dependence of the upper critical fields and the decreasing anisotropy using a two-band BCS model.

Intrinsic pinning and the critical current scaling of clean epitaxial Fe(Se,Te) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iida, Kazumasa; Hänisch, Jens; Reich, Elke; Kurth, Fritz; Hühne, Ruben; Schultz, Ludwig; Holzapfel, Bernhard; Ichinose, Ataru; Hanawa, Masafumi; Tsukada, Ichiro; Schulze, Michael; Aswartham, Saicharan; Wurmehl, Sabine; Büchner, Bernd

2013-03-01

We report on the transport properties of clean, epitaxial Fe(Se,Te) thin films prepared on Fe-buffered MgO (001) single crystalline substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Near Tc a steep slope of the upper critical field for H||ab was observed (74.1 T/K), leading to a very short out-of-plane coherence length, ξc(0), of 0.2 nm, yielding 2ξc(0)≈0.4nm. This value is shorter than the interlayer distance (0.605 nm) between the Fe-Se(Te) planes, indicative of modulation of the superconducting order parameter along the c axis. An inverse correlation between the power law exponent N of the electric field-current density(E-J) curve and the critical current density Jc has been observed at 4 K, when the orientation of H was close to the ab plane. These results prove the presence of intrinsic pinning in Fe(Se,Te). A successful scaling of the angular dependent Jc and the corresponding exponent N can be realized by the anisotropic Ginzburg Landau approach with appropriate Γ values 2˜3.5. The temperature dependence of Γ behaves almost identically to that of the penetration depth anisotropy.

Study on vibration characteristics of the shaft system for a dredging pump based on FEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, L. M.; Qin, L.; Liu, C. Y.; Liu, X.; He, L. Y.; He, Y.; Wang, Z. W.

2012-11-01

The dynamic characteristics of the shaft system for a dredging pump were studied with the Finite Element Method (FEM) by SAMCEF ROTOR. At first, the influence of the fluid-solid coupling interaction of mud water and impeller, water sealing and pump shaft on the lateral critical speeds were analyzed. The results indicated that the mud water must be taken into consideration, while the water sealing need not to. Then the effects of radial and thrust rolling bearings on the lateral critical speeds were discussed, which shows that the radial bearing close to the impeller has greatest impact on the 1st order critical speed. At last, the upper and lower limits of the critical speeds of lateral, axial and torsional vibration were calculated. The rated speed of the dredging pump was far less than the predicted critical speed, which can ensure the safe operation of the unit. Each vibration mode is also shown in this paper. This dynamic analysis method offers some reference value on the research of vibration and stability of the shaft system in dredging pump.

Gas centrifuge purge method

DOEpatents

Theurich, Gordon R.

1976-01-01

1. In a method of separating isotopes in a high speed gas centrifuge wherein a vertically oriented cylindrical rotor bowl is adapted to rotate about its axis within an evacuated chamber, and wherein an annular molecular pump having an intake end and a discharge end encircles the uppermost portion of said rotor bowl, said molecular pump being attached along its periphery in a leak-tight manner to said evacuated chamber, and wherein end cap closure means are affixed to the upper end of said rotor bowl, and a process gas withdrawal and insertion system enters said bowl through said end cap closure means, said evacuated chamber, molecular pump and end cap defining an upper zone at the discharge end of said molecular pump, said evacuated chamber, molecular pump and rotor bowl defining a lower annular zone at the intake end of said molecular pump, a method for removing gases from said upper and lower zones during centrifuge operation with a minimum loss of process gas from said rotor bowl, comprising, in combination: continuously measuring the pressure in said upper zone, pumping gas from said lower zone from the time the pressure in said upper zone equals a first preselected value until the pressure in said upper zone is equal to a second preselected value, said first preselected value being greater than said second preselected value, and continuously pumping gas from said upper zone from the time the pressure in said upper zone equals a third preselected value until the pressure in said upper zone is equal to a fourth preselected value, said third preselected value being greater than said first, second and fourth preselected values.

Lubrication theory for a random fibrous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirbod, Parisa; Andreopoulos, Yiannis; Weinbaum, Sheldon

2007-11-01

In the classical theory for a slipper bearing one examines the relative motion of an inclined planar surface and a horizontal planar surface. The solution for the pressure distribution and lift force are independent of which boundary is moving and there is an optimum tilt k=h1/h2=2.2 for maximum lift. This symmetry is lost if the intervening space is filled with a soft porous fibrous material. In this paper the generalized Reynolds equation derived in Feng and Weinbaum (2000) J. Fluid Mech. 422:281 is extended to treat a random fiber matrix satisfying the widely used Carman-Kozeny equation. We show that the solutions are strikingly different depending on whether a) the inclined upper boundary moves or b) the upper boundary is stationary and the horizontal lower boundary moves beneath it. The behavior depends critically on the value of the dimensionless fiber interaction layer thickness α=H/√Kp . In a) the pressure and lift force increase as 2̂ and asymptotically approach a limiting behavior for large values of α since the fluid is pushed forward by the tilt of the upper boundary. In b) the pressure and lift force decay as &-2circ; since the fiber interaction layer thickness decreases and the amount of fluid dragged though the fluid gap decreases as α increases and vanishes for α>> 1.

Considerations for Assessing Maximum Critical Temperatures in Small Ectothermic Animals: Insights from Leaf-Cutting Ants

PubMed Central

Ribeiro, Pedro Leite; Camacho, Agustín; Navas, Carlos Arturo

2012-01-01

The thermal limits of individual animals were originally proposed as a link between animal physiology and thermal ecology. Although this link is valid in theory, the evaluation of physiological tolerances involves some problems that are the focus of this study. One rationale was that heating rates shall influence upper critical limits, so that ecological thermal limits need to consider experimental heating rates. In addition, if thermal limits are not surpassed in experiments, subsequent tests of the same individual should yield similar results or produce evidence of hardening. Finally, several non-controlled variables such as time under experimental conditions and procedures may affect results. To analyze these issues we conducted an integrative study of upper critical temperatures in a single species, the ant Atta sexdens rubropiosa, an animal model providing large numbers of individuals of diverse sizes but similar genetic makeup. Our specific aims were to test the 1) influence of heating rates in the experimental evaluation of upper critical temperature, 2) assumptions of absence of physical damage and reproducibility, and 3) sources of variance often overlooked in the thermal-limits literature; and 4) to introduce some experimental approaches that may help researchers to separate physiological and methodological issues. The upper thermal limits were influenced by both heating rates and body mass. In the latter case, the effect was physiological rather than methodological. The critical temperature decreased during subsequent tests performed on the same individual ants, even one week after the initial test. Accordingly, upper thermal limits may have been overestimated by our (and typical) protocols. Heating rates, body mass, procedures independent of temperature and other variables may affect the estimation of upper critical temperatures. Therefore, based on our data, we offer suggestions to enhance the quality of measurements, and offer recommendations to authors aiming to compile and analyze databases from the literature. PMID:22384147

Evaluation of pediatric upper extremity peripheral nerve injuries.

PubMed

Ho, Emily S

2015-01-01

The evaluation of motor and sensory function of the upper extremity after a peripheral nerve injury is critical to diagnose the location and extent of nerve injury as well as document functional recovery in children. The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to the evaluation of the pediatric upper extremity peripheral nerve injuries through a critical review of currently used tests of sensory and motor function. Outcome studies on pediatric upper extremity peripheral nerve injuries in the Medline database were reviewed. The evaluation of the outcome in children less than 10 years of age with an upper extremity peripheral nerve injury includes careful observation of preferred prehension patterns, examination of muscle atrophy and sudomotor function, provocative tests, manual muscle testing and tests of sensory threshold and tactile gnosis. The evaluation of outcome in children with upper extremity peripheral nerve injuries warrants a unique approach. Copyright © 2015 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 49944 - Notice of Public Meeting, Idaho Falls District Resource Advisory Council Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-16

... 21-22, 2010 for a two day meeting at the Upper Snake Field Office located at 1405 Hollipark Drive... throughout the Upper Snake Field Office area to discuss policy issues affecting the region such as the... Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the critical role it plays in restoring and retaining critical...

[Aging at work and musculoskeletal disorders].

PubMed

Occhipinti, E; Colombini, D

2000-01-01

By means of a critical review of the international literature and of their own published experiences, the Authors discuss the influence of the "age" factor on work related musculoskeletal disorders of the spine and upper limbs. Regarding the spine, the lumbosacral spine in particular, there is evidence (both in relation to pathways and from epidemiological data) of the influence of age in determining a progressive increase in the occurrence of spondyloarthropathy with clear radiological signs. For upper limb disorders the influence of the "age" factor is still under debate and in any case does not seem of great importance. As far prevention is concerned for elderly workers subject to fixed postures and repetitive movements of the upper limbs it seems sufficient, to adopt the general measures used for the whole working population. However, specific measures should be adopted for elderly workers exposed to manual material handling (MMH). These consist in using reference values for the recommended weight that are lower than those adopted for younger workers (aged 18-45 years) and in implementing specific programs of active health surveillance.

Pricing a raindrop in a process-based model: general methodology and a case study of the Upper-Zambezi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albersen, Peter J.; Houba, Harold E. D.; Keyzer, Michiel A.

A general approach is presented to value the stocks and flows of water as well as the physical structure of the basin on the basis of an arbitrary process-based hydrological model. This approach adapts concepts from the economic theory of capital accumulation, which are based on Lagrange multipliers that reflect market prices in the absence of markets. This permits to derive a financial account complementing the water balance in which the value of deliveries by the hydrological system fully balances with the value of resources, including physical characteristics reflected in the shape of the functions in the model. The approach naturally suggests the use of numerical optimization software to compute the multipliers, without the need to impose an immensely large number of small perturbations on the simulation model, or to calculate all derivatives analytically. A novel procedure is proposed to circumvent numerical problems in computation and it is implemented in a numerical application using AQUA, an existing model of the Upper-Zambezi River. It appears, not unexpectedly, that most end value accrues to agriculture. Irrigated agriculture receives a remarkably large share, and is by far the most rewarding activity. Furthermore, according to the model, the economic value would be higher if temperature was lower, pointing to the detrimental effect of climate change. We also find that a significant economic value is stored in the groundwater stock because of its critical role in the dry season. As groundwater comes out as the main capital of the basin, its mining could be harmful.

Connection between in-plane upper critical field Hc 2 and gap symmetry in layered d -wave superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing-Rong; Liu, Guo-Zhu; Zhang, Chang-Jin

2016-07-01

Angle-resolved upper critical field Hc 2 provides an efficient tool to probe the gap symmetry of unconventional superconductors. We revisit the behavior of in-plane Hc 2 in d -wave superconductors by considering both the orbital effect and Pauli paramagnetic effect. After carrying out systematic analysis, we show that the maxima of Hc 2 could be along either nodal or antinodal directions of a d -wave superconducting gap, depending on the specific values of a number of tuning parameters. This behavior is in contrast to the common belief that the maxima of in-plane Hc 2 are along the direction where the superconducting gap takes its maximal value. Therefore, identifying the precise d -wave gap symmetry through fitting experiments results of angle-resolved Hc 2 with model calculations at a fixed temperature, as widely used in previous studies, is difficult and practically unreliable. However, our extensive analysis of angle-resolved Hc 2 show that there is a critical temperature T*: in-plane Hc 2 exhibits its maxima along nodal directions at T

Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Cancer | Division of Cancer Prevention

Cancer.gov

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Normative Values for Near and Distance Clinical Tests of Stereoacuity.

PubMed

Piano, Marianne E F; Tidbury, Laurence P; O'Connor, Anna R

2016-12-01

Extensive literature exists on normative stereoacuity values for younger children, but there is less information about normative stereoacuity in older children/adults. Individual stereotests cannot be used interchangeably-knowing the upper limit of normality for each test is important. This report details normative stereoacuity values for 5 near/distance stereotests drawn from a large sample of participants aged 16-40 years, across 3 studies. Participants (n=206, mean age 22.18±5.31 years) were administered the following stereotests: TNO, Preschool Randot, Frisby, Distance Randot, and Frisby-Davis 2. Medians and upper limits were calculated for each test. Upper limits for each stereotest were as follows: TNO (n=127, upper limit=120" arc), Preschool Randot (PSR, n=206, upper limit=70" arc), Frisby (n=206, upper limit=40" arc), Distance Randot (n=127, upper limit=160" arc), and Frisby-Davis 2 (n=109, upper limit=25" arc). Normative values for each stereotest are identified and discussed with respect to other studies. Potential sources of variation between tests, within testing distances, are also discussed.

Planetary-scale circulations in the presence of climatological and wave-induced heating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salby, Murry L; Garcia, Rolando R.; Hendon, Harry H.

1994-01-01

Interaction between the large-scale circulation and the convective pattern is investigated in a coupled system governed by the linearized primitive equations. Convection is represented in terms of two components of heating: A 'climatological component' is prescribed stochastically to represent convection that is maintained by fixed distributions of land and sea and sea surface temperature (SST). An 'induced component' is defined in terms of the column-integrated moisture flux convergence to represent convection that is produced through feedback with the circulation. Each component describes the envelope organizing mesoscale convective activity. As SST on the equator is increased, induced heating amplifies in the gravest zonal wavenumbers at eastward frequencies, where positive feedback offsets dissipation. Under barotropic stratification, a critical SST of 29.5 C results in positive feedback exactly cancelling dissipation in wavenumber 1 for an eastward phase speed of 6 m/s. Sympathetic interaction between the circulation and the induced heating is the basis for 'frictional wave-Conditional Instability of the Second Kind (CISK)', which is distinguished from classical wave-CISK by rendering the gravest zonal dimensions most unstable. Under baroclinic stratification, the coupled system exhibits similar behavior. The critical SST is only 26.5 C for conditions representative of equinox, but in excess of 30 C for conditions representative of solstice. Having the form of an unsteady Walker circulation, the disturbance produced by frictional wave-CISK compares favorably with the observed life cycle of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO). SST above the critical value produces an amplifying disturbance in which enhanced convection coincides with upper-tropospheric westerlies and is positively correlated with temperature and surface convergence. Conversely, SST below the critical value produces a decaying disturbance in which enhanced convection coincides with upper-tropospheric easterlies and is nearly in quadrature with temperature and surface convergence. While sharing essential features with the MJO in the Eastern Hemisphere, frictional wave-CISK does not explain observed behavior in the Western Hemisphere, where the convective signal is largely absent. Comprised of Kelvin structure with the same frequency, observed behavior in the Western Hemisphere can be understood as a propagating response that is excited in and radiates away from the fluctuation of convection in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Evaluation of clinical measures and different criteria for diagnosis of adult-onset Still's disease in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Jiang, Lindi; Wang, Zhen; Dai, Xiaomin; Jin, Xuejuan

2011-04-01

To determine the value of clinical measures in diagnosis of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), and to identify the optimal set of proposed classification criteria, in a Chinese population. A total of 70 patients with AOSD and 140 non-AOSD inpatients with fever were retrospectively identified at Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, from January 2003 to December 2009. Clinical measures and 4 sets of diagnostic criteria (Yamaguchi, Calabro, Cush, and Reginato) were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value (PPV, NPV), and positive/negative likelihood ratio (PLR, NLR) for diagnosis of AOSD. In our series, higher sensitivity included hyperpyrexia (temperature ≥ 39°C, 94.29%), arthralgia (80.0%), polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) ≥ 75% (84.29%), serum ferritin ≥ 2-fold the upper normal value (90.0%), negative antinuclear antibodies (85.29%), and rheumatoid factor (84.38%); while higher specificity included transient erythema (98.57%), sore throat (85.0%), leukocytes ≥ 15,000/mm(3) (87.86%), and PMN ≥ 85% (85.0%). Rash, arthralgia, and sore throat were found to have better sensitivity and specificity (PLR 3.29-4.86). Leukocytes ≥ 10,000/mm(3), PMN ≥ 80%, and serum ferritin ≥ 5-fold the upper normal limit were set as critical points. The Reginato criteria set had the highest specificity, 99.29%. The Yamaguchi set had the highest sensitivity, 78.57%, with a better accuracy of 87.14%. The Yamaguchi diagnostic criteria had better accuracy in Chinese patients. Indicators such as rash, arthralgia, sore throat, leukocytes ≥ 10,000/mm(3), PMN ≥ 80%, and serum ferritin ≥ 5-fold the upper normal limit were helpful for diagnosis of AOSD. We recommend using these indicators in combination instead of alone.

A study on flammability limits of fuel mixtures.

PubMed

Kondo, Shigeo; Takizawa, Kenji; Takahashi, Akifumi; Tokuhashi, Kazuaki; Sekiya, Akira

2008-07-15

Flammability limit measurements were made for various binary and ternary mixtures prepared from nine different compounds. The compounds treated are methane, propane, ethylene, propylene, methyl ether, methyl formate, 1,1-difluoroethane, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. The observed values of lower flammability limits of mixtures were found to be in good agreement to the calculated values by Le Chatelier's formula. As for the upper limits, however, some are close to the calculated values but some are not. It has been found that the deviations of the observed values of upper flammability limits from the calculated ones are mostly to lower concentrations. Modification of Le Chatelier's formula was made to better fit to the observed values of upper flammability limits. This procedure reduced the average difference between the observed and calculated values of upper flammability limits to one-third of the initial value.

High field superconducting properties of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hänisch, Jens; Iida, Kazumasa; Kurth, Fritz; Reich, Elke; Tarantini, Chiara; Jaroszynski, Jan; Förster, Tobias; Fuchs, Günther; Hühne, Ruben; Grinenko, Vadim; Schultz, Ludwig; Holzapfel, Bernhard

2015-11-01

In general, the critical current density, Jc, of type II superconductors and its anisotropy with respect to magnetic field orientation is determined by intrinsic and extrinsic properties. The Fe-based superconductors of the ‘122’ family with their moderate electronic anisotropies and high yet accessible critical fields (Hc2 and Hirr) are a good model system to study this interplay. In this paper, we explore the vortex matter of optimally Co-doped BaFe2As2 thin films with extended planar and c-axis correlated defects. The temperature and angular dependence of the upper critical field is well explained by a two-band model in the clean limit. The dirty band scenario, however, cannot be ruled out completely. Above the irreversibility field, the flux motion is thermally activated, where the activation energy U0 is going to zero at the extrapolated zero-kelvin Hirr value. The anisotropy of the critical current density Jc is both influenced by the Hc2 anisotropy (and therefore by multi-band effects) as well as the extended planar and columnar defects present in the sample.

Students' qualification in environmental and sustainability education—epistemic gaps or composites of critical thinking?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasslöf, Helen; Lundegård, Iann; Malmberg, Claes

2016-01-01

In an 'age of measurement' where students' qualification is a hot topic on the political agenda, it is of interest to ask what the function of qualification might implicate in relation to a complex issue as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and what function environmental and sustainability issues serve in science education. This paper deals with how secondary and upper secondary teachers in discussions with colleagues articulate qualification in relation to educational aims of ESD. With inspiration from discourse theory, the teachers' articulations of qualification are analysed and put in relation to other functions of education (qualification, socialisation and subjectification). The results of this study show three discourses of qualification: scientific reasoning, awareness of complexity and to be critical. The discourse of 'qualification as to be critical' is articulated as a composite of differing epistemological views. In this discourse, the teachers undulate between rationalistic epistemological views and postmodern views, in a pragmatic way, to articulate a discourse of critical thinking which serves as a reflecting tool to bring about different ways of valuing issues of sustainability, which reformulates 'matter of facts' towards 'matter of concerns'

Investigation of possible phase transition of the frustrated spin-1/2 J 1-J 2-J 3 model on the square lattice.

PubMed

Hu, Ai-Yuan; Wang, Huai-Yu

2017-09-05

The frustrated spin-1/2 J 1 -J 2 -J 3 antiferromagnet with exchange anisotropy on the two-dimensional square lattice is investigated. The exchange anisotropy is presented by η with 0 ≤ η < 1. The effects of the J 1 , J 2 , J 3 and anisotropy on the possible phase transition of the Néel state and collinear state are studied comprehensively. Our results indicate that for J 3  > 0 there are upper limits [Formula: see text] and η c values. When 0 < J 3  ≤ [Formula: see text] and 0 ≤ η ≤ η c , the Néel and collinear states have the same order-disorder transition point at J 2  = J 1 /2. Nevertheless, when the J 3 and η values beyond the upper limits, it is a paramagnetic phase at J 2  = J 1 /2. For J 3  < 0, in the case of 0 ≤ η < 1, the two states always have the same critical temperature as long as J 2  = J 1 /2. Therefore, for J 2  = J 1 /2, under such parameters, a first-order phase transition between the two states for these two cases below the critical temperatures may occur. When J 2  ≠ J 1 /2, the Néel and collinear states may also exist, while they have different critical temperatures. When J 2  > J 1 /2, a first-order phase transition between the two states may also occur. However, for J 2  < J 1 /2, the Néel state is always more stable than the collinear state.

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

Madaric, Juraj, E-mail: jurmad@hotmail.com; Klepanec, Andrej; Mistrik, Martin

Induction of therapeutic angiogenesis by autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation has been identified as a potential new option in patients with advanced lower-limb ischemia. There is little evidence of the benefit of intra-arterial cell application in upper-limb critical ischemia. We describe a patient with upper-extremity critical limb ischemia with digital gangrene resulting from hypothenar hammer syndrome successfully treated by intra-arterial autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation.

A generalized public goods game with coupling of individual ability and project benefit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Li-Xin; Xu, Wen-Juan; He, Yun-Xin; Zhong, Chen-Yang; Chen, Rong-Da; Qiu, Tian; Shi, Yong-Dong; Ren, Fei

2017-08-01

Facing a heavy task, any single person can only make a limited contribution and team cooperation is needed. As one enjoys the benefit of the public goods, the potential benefits of the project are not always maximized and may be partly wasted. By incorporating individual ability and project benefit into the original public goods game, we study the coupling effect of the four parameters, the upper limit of individual contribution, the upper limit of individual benefit, the needed project cost and the upper limit of project benefit on the evolution of cooperation. Coevolving with the individual-level group size preferences, an increase in the upper limit of individual benefit promotes cooperation while an increase in the upper limit of individual contribution inhibits cooperation. The coupling of the upper limit of individual contribution and the needed project cost determines the critical point of the upper limit of project benefit, where the equilibrium frequency of cooperators reaches its highest level. Above the critical point, an increase in the upper limit of project benefit inhibits cooperation. The evolution of cooperation is closely related to the preferred group-size distribution. A functional relation between the frequency of cooperators and the dominant group size is found.

A mathematical model for mixed convective flow of chemically reactive Oldroyd-B fluid between isothermal stretching disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashmi, M. S.; Khan, N.; Ullah Khan, Sami; Rashidi, M. M.

In this study, we have constructed a mathematical model to investigate the heat source/sink effects in mixed convection axisymmetric flow of an incompressible, electrically conducting Oldroyd-B fluid between two infinite isothermal stretching disks. The effects of viscous dissipation and Joule heating are also considered in the heat equation. The governing partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations by using appropriate similarity variables. The series solution of these dimensionless equations is constructed by using homotopy analysis method. The convergence of the obtained solution is carefully examined. The effects of various involved parameters on pressure, velocity and temperature profiles are comprehensively studied. A graphical analysis has been presented for various values of problem parameters. The numerical values of wall shear stress and Nusselt number are computed at both upper and lower disks. Moreover, a graphical and tabular explanation for critical values of Frank-Kamenetskii regarding other flow parameters.

Evidence from EXAFS for Different Ta/Ti Site Occupancy in High Critical Current Density Nb3Sn Superconductor Wires.

PubMed

Heald, Steve M; Tarantini, Chiara; Lee, Peter J; Brown, Michael D; Sung, ZuHawn; Ghosh, Arup K; Larbalestier, David C

2018-03-19

To meet critical current density, J c , targets for the Future Circular Collider (FCC), the planned replacement for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the high field performance of Nb 3 Sn must be improved, but champion J c values have remained static for the last 10 years. Making the A15 phase stoichiometric and enhancing the upper critical field H c2 by Ti or Ta dopants are the standard strategies for enhancing high field performance but detailed recent studies show that even the best modern wires have broad composition ranges. To assess whether further improvement might be possible, we employed Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) to determine the lattice site location of dopants in modern high-performance Nb 3 Sn strands with J c values amongst the best so far achieved. Although Ti and Ta primarily occupy the Nb sites in the A15 structure, we also find significant Ta occupancy on the Sn site. These findings indicate that the best performing Ti-doped stand is strongly sub-stoichiometric in Sn and that antisite disorder likely explains its high average H c2 behavior. These new results suggest an important role for dopant and antisite disorder in minimizing superconducting property distributions and maximizing high field J c properties.

Evidence from EXAFS for Different Ta/Ti Site Occupancy in High Critical Current Density Nb 3Sn Superconductor Wires

DOE PAGES

Heald, Steve M.; Tarantini, Chiara; Lee, Peter J.; ...

2018-03-19

To meet critical current density, Jc, targets for the Future Circular Collider (FCC), the planned replacement for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the high field performance of Nb 3Sn must be improved, but champion J c values have remained static for the last 10 years. Making the A15 phase stoichiometric and enhancing the upper critical field H c2 by Ti or Ta dopants are the standard strategies for enhancing high field performance but detailed recent studies show that even the best modern wires have broad composition ranges. To assess whether further improvement might be possible, we employed EXAFS to determinemore » the lattice site location of dopants in modern high-performance Nb 3Sn strands with J c values amongst the best so far achieved. Although Ti and Ta primarily occupy the Nb sites in the A15 structure, we also find significant Ta occupancy on the Sn site. These findings indicate that the best performing Ti-doped stand is strongly sub-stoichiometric in Sn and that antisite disorder likely explains its high average H c2 behavior. These new results suggest an important role for dopant and antisite disorder in minimizing superconducting property distributions and maximizing high field J c properties.« less

Leading-edge flow criticality as a governing factor in leading-edge vortex initiation in unsteady airfoil flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Kiran; Granlund, Kenneth; Ol, Michael V.; Gopalarathnam, Ashok; Edwards, Jack R.

2018-04-01

A leading-edge suction parameter (LESP) that is derived from potential flow theory as a measure of suction at the airfoil leading edge is used to study initiation of leading-edge vortex (LEV) formation in this article. The LESP hypothesis is presented, which states that LEV formation in unsteady flows for specified airfoil shape and Reynolds number occurs at a critical constant value of LESP, regardless of motion kinematics. This hypothesis is tested and validated against a large set of data from CFD and experimental studies of flows with LEV formation. The hypothesis is seen to hold except in cases with slow-rate kinematics which evince significant trailing-edge separation (which refers here to separation leading to reversed flow on the aft portion of the upper surface), thereby establishing the envelope of validity. The implication is that the critical LESP value for an airfoil-Reynolds number combination may be calibrated using CFD or experiment for just one motion and then employed to predict LEV initiation for any other (fast-rate) motion. It is also shown that the LESP concept may be used in an inverse mode to generate motion kinematics that would either prevent LEV formation or trigger the same as per aerodynamic requirements.

Evidence from EXAFS for Different Ta/Ti Site Occupancy in High Critical Current Density Nb 3Sn Superconductor Wires

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

Heald, Steve M.; Tarantini, Chiara; Lee, Peter J.

To meet critical current density, Jc, targets for the Future Circular Collider (FCC), the planned replacement for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the high field performance of Nb 3Sn must be improved, but champion J c values have remained static for the last 10 years. Making the A15 phase stoichiometric and enhancing the upper critical field H c2 by Ti or Ta dopants are the standard strategies for enhancing high field performance but detailed recent studies show that even the best modern wires have broad composition ranges. To assess whether further improvement might be possible, we employed EXAFS to determinemore » the lattice site location of dopants in modern high-performance Nb 3Sn strands with J c values amongst the best so far achieved. Although Ti and Ta primarily occupy the Nb sites in the A15 structure, we also find significant Ta occupancy on the Sn site. These findings indicate that the best performing Ti-doped stand is strongly sub-stoichiometric in Sn and that antisite disorder likely explains its high average H c2 behavior. These new results suggest an important role for dopant and antisite disorder in minimizing superconducting property distributions and maximizing high field J c properties.« less

The embodiment of authentic leadership.

PubMed

Waite, Roberta; McKinney, Nicole; Smith-Glasgow, Mary Ellen; Meloy, Faye A

2014-01-01

Development of student leadership capacity and efficacy is critical to the nursing profession, and vital to this process is a strong foundation in critical thinking that includes a depth of understanding of self (i.e., authentic leadership development). This article will (a) present a theoretical overview of authentic leadership as compared with other popular leadership theories, (b) provide an overview of development/implementation of an authentic leadership course, the first in a series of six one-credit courses as an integral component of the Macy Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program for upper-level nursing students, and (c) discuss related implications for nursing education. Findings from an investigator-developed quantitative pre-post survey and qualitative evaluation questions are provided. Student feedback regarding the comprehensive nature of the course was extremely positive and affirmed the value of introspection associated with authentic leadership in ongoing personal and professional development. Critical pedagogy and action-oriented learning strategies also proved beneficial to student engagement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Hives Collapse: Allee Effects, Ecological Resilience, and the Honey Bee

PubMed Central

Dennis, Brian; Kemp, William P.

2016-01-01

We construct a mathematical model to quantify the loss of resilience in collapsing honey bee colonies due to the presence of a strong Allee effect. In the model, recruitment and mortality of adult bees have substantial social components, with recruitment enhanced and mortality reduced by additional adult bee numbers. The result is an Allee effect, a net per-individual rate of hive increase that increases as a function of adult bee numbers. The Allee effect creates a critical minimum size in adult bee numbers, below which mortality is greater than recruitment, with ensuing loss of viability of the hive. Under ordinary and favorable environmental circumstances, the critical size is low, and hives remain large, sending off viably-sized swarms (naturally or through beekeeping management) when hive numbers approach an upper stable equilibrium size (carrying capacity). However, both the lower critical size and the upper stable size depend on many parameters related to demographic rates and their enhancement by bee sociality. Any environmental factors that increase mortality, decrease recruitment, or interfere with the social moderation of these rates has the effect of exacerbating the Allee effect by increasing the lower critical size and substantially decreasing the upper stable size. As well, the basin of attraction to the upper stable size, defined by the model potential function, becomes narrower and shallower, indicating the loss of resilience as the hive becomes subjected to increased risk of falling below the critical size. Environmental effects of greater severity can cause the two equilibria to merge and the basin of attraction to the upper stable size to disappear, resulting in collapse of the hive from any initial size. The model suggests that multiple proximate causes, among them pesticides, mites, pathogens, and climate change, working singly or in combinations, could trigger hive collapse. PMID:26910061

Prevention of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill Chinese patients: a randomized, double-blind study evaluating esomeprazole and cimetidine.

PubMed

Lou, Wenhui; Xia, Ying; Xiang, Peng; Zhang, Liangqing; Yu, Xiangyou; Lim, Sam; Xu, Mo; Zhao, Lina; Rydholm, Hans; Traxler, Barry; Qin, Xinyu

2018-04-20

To assess the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole in preventing upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in critically ill Chinese patients, using cimetidine as an active comparator. A pre-specified non-inferiority limit (5%) was used to compare rates of significant upper GI bleeding in this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, phase 3 study across 27 intensive care units in China. Secondary endpoints included safety and tolerability measures. Patients required mechanical ventilation and had at least one additional risk factor for stress ulcer bleeding. Patients were randomized to receive either active esomeprazole 40 mg, as a 30-min intravenous (IV) infusion twice daily, and an IV placebo cimetidine infusion or active cimetidine 50 mg/h, as a continuous infusion following an initial bolus of 300 mg, and placebo esomeprazole injections, given up to 14 days. Patients were blinded using this double-dummy technique. Of 274 patients, 2.7% with esomeprazole and 4.6% with cimetidine had significant upper GI bleeding (bright red blood in the gastric tube not clearing after lavage or persistent Gastroccult-positive "coffee grounds" material). Non-inferiority of esomeprazole to cimetidine was demonstrated. The safety profiles of both drugs were similar and as expected in critically ill patients. Esomeprazole is effective in preventing upper GI bleeding in critically ill Chinese patients, as demonstrated by the non-inferiority analysis using cimetidine as an active control. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02157376.

Information scrambling at an impurity quantum critical point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dóra, Balázs; Werner, Miklós Antal; Moca, Cǎtǎlin Paşcu

2017-10-01

The two-channel Kondo impurity model realizes a local non-Fermi-liquid state with finite residual entropy. The competition between the two channels drives the system to an impurity quantum critical point. We show that the out-of-time-ordered (OTO) commutator for the impurity spin reveals markedly distinct behavior depending on the low-energy impurity state. For the one-channel Kondo model with Fermi-liquid ground state, the OTO commutator vanishes for late times, indicating the absence of the butterfly effect. For the two channel case, the impurity OTO commutator is completely temperature independent and saturates quickly to its upper bound 1/4, and the butterfly effect is maximally enhanced. These compare favorably to numerics on spin chain representation of the Kondo model. Our results imply that a large late time value of the OTO commutator does not necessarily diagnose quantum chaos.

Laboratory test variables useful for distinguishing upper from lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Tomizawa, Minoru; Shinozaki, Fuminobu; Hasegawa, Rumiko; Shirai, Yoshinori; Motoyoshi, Yasufumi; Sugiyama, Takao; Yamamoto, Shigenori; Ishige, Naoki

2015-05-28

To distinguish upper from lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Patient records between April 2011 and March 2014 were analyzed retrospectively (3296 upper endoscopy, and 1520 colonoscopy). Seventy-six patients had upper GI bleeding (Upper group) and 65 had lower GI bleeding (Lower group). Variables were compared between the groups using one-way analysis of variance. Logistic regression was performed to identify variables significantly associated with the diagnosis of upper vs lower GI bleeding. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the threshold value that could distinguish upper from lower GI bleeding. Hemoglobin (P = 0.023), total protein (P = 0.0002), and lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.009) were significantly lower in the Upper group than in the Lower group. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was higher in the Upper group than in the Lower group (P = 0.0065). Logistic regression analysis revealed that BUN was most strongly associated with the diagnosis of upper vs lower GI bleeding. ROC analysis revealed a threshold BUN value of 21.0 mg/dL, with a specificity of 93.0%. The threshold BUN value for distinguishing upper from lower GI bleeding was 21.0 mg/dL.

Laboratory test variables useful for distinguishing upper from lower gastrointestinal bleeding

PubMed Central

Tomizawa, Minoru; Shinozaki, Fuminobu; Hasegawa, Rumiko; Shirai, Yoshinori; Motoyoshi, Yasufumi; Sugiyama, Takao; Yamamoto, Shigenori; Ishige, Naoki

2015-01-01

AIM: To distinguish upper from lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. METHODS: Patient records between April 2011 and March 2014 were analyzed retrospectively (3296 upper endoscopy, and 1520 colonoscopy). Seventy-six patients had upper GI bleeding (Upper group) and 65 had lower GI bleeding (Lower group). Variables were compared between the groups using one-way analysis of variance. Logistic regression was performed to identify variables significantly associated with the diagnosis of upper vs lower GI bleeding. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the threshold value that could distinguish upper from lower GI bleeding. RESULTS: Hemoglobin (P = 0.023), total protein (P = 0.0002), and lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.009) were significantly lower in the Upper group than in the Lower group. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was higher in the Upper group than in the Lower group (P = 0.0065). Logistic regression analysis revealed that BUN was most strongly associated with the diagnosis of upper vs lower GI bleeding. ROC analysis revealed a threshold BUN value of 21.0 mg/dL, with a specificity of 93.0%. CONCLUSION: The threshold BUN value for distinguishing upper from lower GI bleeding was 21.0 mg/dL. PMID:26034359

Ground zero: not asthma at all.

PubMed

de Benedictis, Fernando Maria; de Benedictis, Diletta; Mirabile, Lorenzo; Pozzi, Marco; Guerrieri, Arcangela; Di Pillo, Sabrina

2015-09-01

Upper airway obstruction is commonly misdiagnosed as asthma. We report on four children with recurrent respiratory symptoms who had been erroneously diagnosed as having asthma and who received anti-asthma medication for several years. The evaluation of spirometry tracing was neglected in all cases. Subglottic stenosis, tracheomalacia secondary to tracheo-esophageal fistula, double aortic arch, and vocal cord dysfunction were suspected by direct inspection of the flow-volume curves and eventually diagnosed. The value of clinical history and careful evaluation of spirometry tracing in children with persistent respiratory symptoms is critically discussed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Theory of High-T{sub c} Superconducting Cuprates Based on Experimental Evidence

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Abrikosov, A. A.

1999-12-10

A model of superconductivity in layered high-temperature superconducting cuprates is proposed, based on the extended saddle point singularities in the electron spectrum, weak screening of the Coulomb interaction and phonon-mediated interaction between electrons plus a small short-range repulsion of Hund's, or spin-fluctuation, origin. This permits to explain the large values of T{sub c}, features of the isotope effect on oxygen and copper, the existence of two types of the order parameter, the peak in the inelastic neutron scattering, the positive curvature of the upper critical field, as function of temperature etc.

Implications from the Upper Limit of Radio Afterglow Emission of FRB 131104/Swift J0644.5-5111

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, He; Zhang, Bing

2017-02-01

A γ-ray transient, Swift J0644.5-5111, has been claimed to be associated with FRB 131104. However, a long-term radio imaging follow-up observation only placed an upper limit on the radio afterglow flux of Swift J0644.5-5111. Applying the external shock model, we perform a detailed constraint on the afterglow parameters for the FRB 131104/Swift J0644.5-5111 system. We find that for the commonly used microphysics shock parameters (e.g., {ɛ }e=0.1, {ɛ }B=0.01, and p = 2.3), if the fast radio burst (FRB) is indeed cosmological as inferred from its measured dispersion measure (DM), the ambient medium number density should be ≤slant {10}-3 {{cm}}-3, which is the typical value for a compact binary merger environment but disfavors a massive star origin. Assuming a typical ISM density, one would require that the redshift of the FRB be much smaller than the value inferred from DM (z\\ll 0.1), implying a non-cosmological origin of DM. The constraints are much looser if one adopts smaller {ɛ }B and {ɛ }e values, as observed in some gamma-ray burst afterglows. The FRB 131104/Swift J0644.5-5111 association remains plausible. We critically discuss possible progenitor models for the system.

Extrinsic regime shifts drive abrupt changes in regeneration dynamics at upper treeline in the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.

PubMed

Elliott, Grant P

2012-07-01

Given the widespread and often dramatic influence of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, it is increasingly common for abrupt threshold changes to occur, yet explicitly testing for climate and ecological regime shifts is lacking in climatically sensitive upper treeline ecotones. In this study, quantitative evidence based on empirical data is provided to support the key role of extrinsic, climate-induced thresholds in governing the spatial and temporal patterns of tree establishment in these high-elevation environments. Dendroecological techniques were used to reconstruct a 420-year history of regeneration dynamics within upper treeline ecotones along a latitudinal gradient (approximately 44-35 degrees N) in the Rocky Mountains. Correlation analysis was used to assess the possible influence of minimum and maximum temperature indices and cool-season (November-April) precipitation on regional age-structure data. Regime-shift analysis was used to detect thresholds in tree establishment during the entire period of record (1580-2000), temperature variables significantly Correlated with establishment during the 20th century, and cool-season precipitation. Tree establishment was significantly correlated with minimum temperature during the spring (March-May) and cool season. Regime-shift analysis identified an abrupt increase in regional tree establishment in 1950 (1950-1954 age class). Coincident with this period was a shift toward reduced cool-season precipitation. The alignment of these climate conditions apparently triggered an abrupt increase in establishment that was unprecedented during the period of record. Two main findings emerge from this research that underscore the critical role of climate in governing regeneration dynamics within upper treeline ecotones. (1) Regional climate variability is capable of exceeding bioclimatic thresholds, thereby initiating synchronous and abrupt changes in the spatial and temporal patterns of tree establishment at broad regional scales. (2) The importance of climate parameters exceeding critical threshold values and triggering a regime shift in tree establishment appears to be contingent on the alignment of favorable temperature and moisture regimes. This research suggests that threshold changes in the climate system can fundamentally alter regeneration dynamics within upper treeline ecotones and, through the use of regime-shift analysis, reveals important climate-vegetation linkages.

Frequency bandwidth limitation of external pulse electric fields in cylindrical micro-channel electrophoresis with analyte velocity modulation.

PubMed

Wang, Shau-Chun; Chen, Hsiao-Ping; Lee, Chia-Yu; Yeo, Leslie Y

2005-04-15

In capillary electrophoresis, effective optical signal quality improvement is obtained when high frequency (>100 Hz) external pulse fields modulate analyte velocities with synchronous lock-in detection. However, the pulse frequency is constrained under a critical value corresponding to the time required for the bulk viscous flow, which arises due to viscous momentum diffusion from the electro-osmotic slip in the Debye layer, to reach steady-state. By solving the momentum diffusion equation for transient bulk flow in the micro-channel, we show that this set-in time to steady-state and hence, the upper limit for the pulse frequency is dependent on the characteristic diffusion length scale and therefore the channel geometry; for cylindrical capillaries, the set-in time is approximately one half of that for rectangular slot channels. From our estimation of the set-in time and hence the upper frequency modulation limit, we propose that the half width of planar channels does not exceed 100 microm and that the radii of cylindrical channels be limited to 140 microm such that there is a finite working bandwidth range above 100 Hz and below the upper limit in order for flicker noise to be effectively suppressed.

An analysis of the vertical structure equation for arbitrary thermal profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohn, Stephen E.; Dee, Dick P.

1989-01-01

The vertical structure equation is a singular Sturm-Liouville problem whose eigenfunctions describe the vertical dependence of the normal modes of the primitive equations linearized about a given thermal profile. The eigenvalues give the equivalent depths of the modes. The spectrum of the vertical structure equation and the appropriateness of various upper boundary conditions, both for arbitrary thermal profiles were studied. The results depend critically upon whether or not the thermal profile is such that the basic state atmosphere is bounded. In the case of a bounded atmosphere it is shown that the spectrum is always totally discrete, regardless of details of the thermal profile. For the barotropic equivalent depth, which corresponds to the lowest eigen value, upper and lower bounds which depend only on the surface temperature and the atmosphere height were obtained. All eigenfunctions are bounded, but always have unbounded first derivatives. It was proved that the commonly invoked upper boundary condition that vertical velocity must vanish as pressure tends to zero, as well as a number of alternative conditions, is well posed. It was concluded that the vertical structure equation always has a totally discrete spectrum under the assumptions implicit in the primitive equations.

An analysis of the vertical structure equation for arbitrary thermal profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohn, Stephen E.; Dee, Dick P.

1987-01-01

The vertical structure equation is a singular Sturm-Liouville problem whose eigenfunctions describe the vertical dependence of the normal modes of the primitive equations linearized about a given thermal profile. The eigenvalues give the equivalent depths of the modes. The spectrum of the vertical structure equation and the appropriateness of various upper boundary conditions, both for arbitrary thermal profiles were studied. The results depend critically upon whether or not the thermal profile is such that the basic state atmosphere is bounded. In the case of a bounded atmosphere it is shown that the spectrum is always totally discrete, regardless of details of the thermal profile. For the barotropic equivalent depth, which corresponds to the lowest eigen value, upper and lower bounds which depend only on the surface temperature and the atmosphere height were obtained. All eigenfunctions are bounded, but always have unbounded first derivatives. It was proved that the commonly invoked upper boundary condition that vertical velocity must vanish as pressure tends to zero, as well as a number of alternative conditions, is well posed. It was concluded that the vertical structure equation always has a totally discrete spectrum under the assumptions implicit in the primitive equations.

Research on the critical parameters initialization of optical PMD compensator in high bit-rate systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wenyu; Zhang, Haiyi; Ji, Yuefeng; Xu, Daxiong

2004-05-01

Based on the proposed polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensation simulation model and statistical analysis method (Monte-Carlo), the critical parameters initialization of two typical optical domain PMD compensators, which include optical PMD method with fixed compensation differential group delay (DGD) and that with variable compensation DGD, are detailedly investigated by numerical method. In the simulation, the line PMD values are chosen as 3ps, 4ps and 5ps and run samples are set to 1000 in order to achieve statistical evaluation for PMD compensated systems, respectively. The simulation results show that for the PMD value pre-known systems, the value of the fixed DGD compensator should be set to 1.5~1.6 times of line PMD value in order to reach the optimum performance, but for the second kind of PMD compensator, the DGD range of lower limit should be 1.5~1.6 times of line PMD provided that of upper limit is set to 3 times of line PMD, if no effective ways are chosen to resolve the problem of local minimum in optimum process. Another conclusion can be drawn from the simulation is that, although the second PMD compensator holds higher PMD compensation performance, it will spend more feedback loops to look up the optimum DGD value in the real PMD compensation realization, and this will bring more requirements on adjustable DGD device, not only wider adjustable range, but rapid adjusting speed for real time PMD equalization.

Modeling subharmonic response from contrast microbubbles as a function of ambient static pressure

PubMed Central

Katiyar, Amit; Sarkar, Kausik; Forsberg, Flemming

2011-01-01

Variation of subharmonic response from contrast microbubbles with ambient pressure is numerically investigated for non-invasive monitoring of organ-level blood pressure. Previously, several contrast microbubbles both in vitro and in vivo registered approximately linear (5–15 dB) subharmonic response reduction with 188 mm Hg change in ambient pressure. In contrast, simulated subharmonic response from a single microbubble is seen here to either increase or decrease with ambient pressure. This is shown using the code BUBBLESIM for encapsulated microbubbles, and then the underlying dynamics is investigated using a free bubble model. The ratio of the excitation frequency to the natural frequency of the bubble is the determining parameter—increasing ambient pressure increases natural frequency thereby changing this ratio. For frequency ratio below a lower critical value, increasing ambient pressure monotonically decreases subharmonic response. Above an upper critical value of the same ratio, increasing ambient pressure increases subharmonic response; in between, the subharmonic variation is non-monotonic. The precise values of frequency ratio for these three different trends depend on bubble radius and excitation amplitude. The modeled increase or decrease of subharmonic with ambient pressure, when one happens, is approximately linear only for certain range of excitation levels. Possible reasons for discrepancies between model and previous experiments are discussed. PMID:21476688

Hidden reentrant and Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell superconducting phases in a magnetic field in a (TMTSF)2ClO4.

PubMed

Lebed, A G

2011-08-19

We solve a long-standing problem about a theoretical description of the upper critical magnetic field, parallel to conducting layers and perpendicular to conducting chains, in a (TMTSF)(2)ClO(4) superconductor. In particular, we explain why the experimental upper critical field, H(c2)(b')≃6 T, is higher than both the quasiclassical upper critical field and the Clogston paramagnetic limit. We show that this property is due to the coexistence of the hidden reentrant and Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell phases in a magnetic field in the form of three plane waves with nonzero momenta of the Cooper pairs. Our results are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the recent experimental measurements of H(c2)(b') and support a singlet d-wave-like scenario of superconductivity in (TMTSF)(2)ClO(4). © 2011 American Physical Society

Outcome following nonoperative treatment of brachial plexus birth injuries.

PubMed

DiTaranto, Patricia; Campagna, Liliana; Price, Andrew E; Grossman, John A I

2004-02-01

Ninety-one infants who sustained a brachial plexus birth injury were treated with only physical and occupational therapy. The children were evaluated at 3-month intervals and followed for a minimum of 2 years. Sixty-three children with an upper or upper-middle plexus injury recovered good to excellent shoulder and hand function. In all of these children, critical marker muscles recovered M4 by 6 months of age. Twelve infants sustained a global palsy, with critical marker muscles remaining at M0-M1 at 6 months, resulting in a useless extremity. Sixteen infants with upper and upper-middle plexus injuries failed to recover greater than M1-M2 deltoid and biceps by 6 months, resulting in a very poor final outcome. These data provide useful guidelines for selection of infants for surgical reconstruction to improve ultimate outcome.

Normal values of urine total protein- and albumin-to-creatinine ratios in term newborns.

PubMed

El Hamel, Chahrazed; Chianea, Thierry; Thon, Séverine; Lepichoux, Anne; Yardin, Catherine; Guigonis, Vincent

2017-01-01

It is important to have an accurate assessment of urinary protein when glomerulopathy or kidney injury is suspected. Currently available normal values for the neonate population have limited value, in part because they are based on small populations and obsolete creatinine assays. We have performed a prospective study with the aim to update the normal upper values of the urinary total protein-to-creatinine and albumin-to-creatinine ratios in term newborns. Urine samples were collected from 277 healthy, full-term newborns within the first 48 hours (D0-1) and between 72 and 120 h of life (D3-4). Total protein, albumin, creatinine and osmolality were measured and the upper limit of normal (upper-limit) values determined. At D0-1 and D3-4, the upper-limit values for the total protein-to-creatinine ratio were 1431 and 1205 mg/g (162 and 136 g/mol) and those for the albumin-to-creatinine ratio were 746 and 301 mg/g (84 and 34 g/mol), respectively. The upper-limit values were significantly higher at D0-1 than at D3-4 only for the albumin-to-creatinine ratio. This study determined the upper limit of normal values for urinary total protein-to-creatinine and albumin-to-creatinine ratios in the largest population of newborns studied to date. These values can therefore be considered as the most clinically relevant data currently available for the detection and diagnosis of glomerular injury in daily clinical practice in this population.

Effect of warming rate on the critical thermal maxima of crabs, shrimp and fish.

PubMed

Vinagre, Catarina; Leal, Inês; Mendonça, Vanessa; Flores, Augusto A V

2015-01-01

The threat of global warming has prompted numerous recent studies on the thermal tolerance of marine species. A widely used method to determine the upper thermal limit has been the Critical Thermal Maximum (CTMax), a dynamic method, meaning that temperature is increased gradually until a critical point is reached. This method presents several advantages over static methods, however, there is one main issue that hinders interpretation and comparison of CTMax results: the rate at which the temperature is increased. This rate varies widely among published protocols. The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of warming rate on CTMax values, using different animal groups. The influence of the thermal niche occupied by each species (intertidal vs subtidal) and habitat (intertidal vs subtidal) was also investigated. CTMax were estimated at three different rates: 1°Cmin(-1), 1°C30min(-1) and 1°Ch(-1), in two species of crab, Eurypanopeus abbreviatus and Menippe nodifrons, shrimp Palaemon northropi and Hippolyte obliquimanus and fish Bathygobius soporator and Parablennius marmoreus. While there were significant differences in the effect of warming rates for some species, for other species warming rate produced no significant differences (H. obliquimanus and B. soporator). While in some species slower warming rates lead to lower CTMax values (P. northropi and P. marmoreus) in other species the opposite occurred (E. abbreviatus and M. nodifrons). Biological group has a significant effect with crabs' CTMax increasing at slower warming rates, which did not happen for shrimp and fish. Subtidal species presented lower CTMax, at all warming rates tested. This study highlights the importance of estimating CTMax values at realistic rates that species encounter in their environment and thus have an ecological value. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal ecological physiology of native and invasive frog species: do invaders perform better?

PubMed

Cortes, Pablo A; Puschel, Hans; Acuña, Paz; Bartheld, José L; Bozinovic, Francisco

2016-01-01

Biological invasions are recognized as an important biotic component of global change that threatens the composition, structure and functioning of ecosystems, resulting in loss of biodiversity and displacement of native species. Although ecological characteristics facilitating the establishment and spread of non-native species are widely recognized, little is known about organismal attributes underlying invasion success. In this study, we tested the effect of thermal acclimation on thermal tolerance and locomotor performance in the invasive Xenopus laevis and the Chilean native Calyptocephalella gayi . In particular, the maximal righting performance (μ MAX ), optimal temperature ( T O ), lower (CT min ) and upper critical thermal limits (CT max ), thermal breadth ( T br ) and the area under the performance curve (AUC) were studied after 6 weeks acclimation to 10 and 20°C. We observed higher values of μ max and AUC in X. laevis in comparison to C. gayi . On the contrary, the invasive species showed lower values of CT min in comparison to the native one. In contrast, CT max , T O and T br showed no inter-specific differences. Moreover, we found that both species have the ability to acclimate their locomotor performance and lower thermal tolerance limit at low temperatures. Our results demonstrate that X. laevis is a better performer than C. gayi . Although there were differences in CT min , the invasive and native frogs did not differ in their thermal tolerance. Interestingly, in both species the lower and upper critical thermal limits are beyond the minimal and maximal temperatures encountered in nature during the coldest and hottest month, respectively. Overall, our findings suggest that both X. laevis and C. gayi would be resilient to climate warming expectations in Chile.

Transport of dissolved carbon and CO2 degassing from a river system in a mixed silicate and carbonate catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khadka, Mitra B.; Martin, Jonathan B.; Jin, Jin

2014-05-01

Assessing the origin, transformation and transport of terrestrially derived carbon in river systems is critical to regional and global carbon cycles, particularly in carbonate terrains, which represent the largest carbon reservoir on the earth’s surface. For this reason, we evaluated sources, cycling, and fluxes of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC) and riverine CO2 degassing to the atmosphere in the Santa Fe River in north-central Florida, a sub-tropical river that flows across two distinct hydrogeological settings of a region dominated by carbonate karst. One setting occurs in the upper river catchment, where the carbonate Floridan aquifer is confined by the siliciclastic Hawthorn Group, while the other setting occurs in the lower catchment where the river flows across the unconfined Floridan aquifer. The upper catchment is characterized by DOC-rich and DIC-poor water and the DIC has more variable and lower δ13C values compared to the lower catchment. The river in the upper catchment degasses more CO2 to the atmosphere (1156 g C m-2 yr-1) than in the lower catchment (402 g C m-2 yr-1) because soil respired carbon and organic matter decomposition increase dissolved CO2 concentration, much of which is consumed during carbonate dissolution reactions in the lower catchment. The CO2 flux from the water surface to the atmosphere during a flood event is three times greater than during base flow, suggesting that excess precipitation flushes soil organic carbon to the river through interflow and enhances the loss of terrestrial carbon via river water to the atmosphere. Our values of CO2 fluxes to the atmosphere lie within the range of fluxes from the world’s rivers, but fluxes from the carbonate dominated region are at the low end, while fluxes from the siliciclastic region are at the high end. These results indicate that catchment lithologies, particularly whether carbonate or siliciclastic, as well as flow, are critical to carbon budgets in rivers and thus are linked to the global carbon cycle.

Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator Residual Stress Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, Ivatury S.; Brust, Frederick W.; Phillips, Dawn R.; Cheston, Derrick

2008-01-01

The structural analyses described in the present report were performed in support of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Critical Initial Flaw Size (CIFS) assessment for the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS) common shell segment. An independent assessment was conducted to determine the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) for the flange-to-skin weld in the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS). The Ares system of space launch vehicles is the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration s plan for replacement of the aging space shuttle. The new Ares space launch system is somewhat of a combination of the space shuttle system and the Saturn launch vehicles used prior to the shuttle. Here, a series of weld analyses are performed to determine the residual stresses in a critical region of the USS. Weld residual stresses both increase constraint and mean stress thereby having an important effect on fatigue and fracture life. The results of this effort served as one of the critical load inputs required to perform a CIFS assessment of the same segment.

Statistics of Statisticians: Critical Mass of Statistics and Operational Research Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenna, Ralph; Berche, Bertrand

Using a recently developed model, inspired by mean field theory in statistical physics, and data from the UK's Research Assessment Exercise, we analyse the relationship between the qualities of statistics and operational research groups and the quantities of researchers in them. Similar to other academic disciplines, we provide evidence for a linear dependency of quality on quantity up to an upper critical mass, which is interpreted as the average maximum number of colleagues with whom a researcher can communicate meaningfully within a research group. The model also predicts a lower critical mass, which research groups should strive to achieve to avoid extinction. For statistics and operational research, the lower critical mass is estimated to be 9 ± 3. The upper critical mass, beyond which research quality does not significantly depend on group size, is 17 ± 6.

HOMOGENEOUS NUCLEAR REACTOR

DOEpatents

Hammond, R.P.; Busey, H.M.

1959-02-17

Nuclear reactors of the homogeneous liquid fuel type are discussed. The reactor is comprised of an elongated closed vessel, vertically oriented, having a critical region at the bottom, a lower chimney structure extending from the critical region vertically upwardly and surrounded by heat exchanger coils, to a baffle region above which is located an upper chimney structure containing a catalyst functioning to recombine radiolyticallydissociated moderator gages. In operation the liquid fuel circulates solely by convection from the critical region upwardly through the lower chimney and then downwardly through the heat exchanger to return to the critical region. The gases formed by radiolytic- dissociation of the moderator are carried upwardly with the circulating liquid fuel and past the baffle into the region of the upper chimney where they are recombined by the catalyst and condensed, thence returning through the heat exchanger to the critical region.

Safe Upper-Bounds Inference of Energy Consumption for Java Bytecode Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navas, Jorge; Mendez-Lojo, Mario; Hermenegildo, Manuel V.

2008-01-01

Many space applications such as sensor networks, on-board satellite-based platforms, on-board vehicle monitoring systems, etc. handle large amounts of data and analysis of such data is often critical for the scientific mission. Transmitting such large amounts of data to the remote control station for analysis is usually too expensive for time-critical applications. Instead, modern space applications are increasingly relying on autonomous on-board data analysis. All these applications face many resource constraints. A key requirement is to minimize energy consumption. Several approaches have been developed for estimating the energy consumption of such applications (e.g. [3, 1]) based on measuring actual consumption at run-time for large sets of random inputs. However, this approach has the limitation that it is in general not possible to cover all possible inputs. Using formal techniques offers the potential for inferring safe energy consumption bounds, thus being specially interesting for space exploration and safety-critical systems. We have proposed and implemented a general frame- work for resource usage analysis of Java bytecode [2]. The user defines a set of resource(s) of interest to be tracked and some annotations that describe the cost of some elementary elements of the program for those resources. These values can be constants or, more generally, functions of the input data sizes. The analysis then statically derives an upper bound on the amount of those resources that the program as a whole will consume or provide, also as functions of the input data sizes. This article develops a novel application of the analysis of [2] to inferring safe upper bounds on the energy consumption of Java bytecode applications. We first use a resource model that describes the cost of each bytecode instruction in terms of the joules it consumes. With this resource model, we then generate energy consumption cost relations, which are then used to infer safe upper bounds. How energy consumption for each bytecode instruction is measured is beyond the scope of this paper. Instead, this paper is about how to infer safe energy consumption estimations assuming that those energy consumption costs are provided. For concreteness, we use a simplified version of an existing resource model [1] in which an energy consumption cost for individual Java opcodes is defined.

AN EMPIRICISM FOR ESTABLISHING THE TRANSITION TEMPERATURES OF SUPERCONDUCTING ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS

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

Gold, L.

1964-01-01

The preparation of superconductive alloys may be guided by a form of empiricism based upon the isotope law. For a series of alloys having a common structure, the critical temperatures of its members are presumed so interrelated. The reduced mass of a compound becomes somewhat obscure for stoichiometry other than 50 to 50 at.%. Several possible definitions of reduced mass permit setting of upper and lower bounds on the transition point in general. Theoretical calculations are presented for Nb/sub 3/In with evidence that the experimental values for this substance and Nb/sub 3/Ga may require slight revision. In line with themore » quest for alloys with higher critical temperatures than N/b/sub 3/Sn, a prediction is made that Nb/sub 3/Si (were it to exist and be of the BETA - tungsten structure) would be a promising prospect. (auth)« less

Effect of Electropolishing and Low-Temperature Baking on the Superconducting Properties of Large-Grain Niobium

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

A. S. Dhavale, G. Ciovati, G. R. Myneni

Measurements of superconducting properties such as bulk and surface critical fields and thermal conductivity have been carried out in the temperature range from 2 K to 8 K on large-grain samples of different purity and on a high-purity fine-grain sample, for comparison. The samples were treated by electropolishing and low temperature baking (120° C, 48 h). While the residual resistivity ratio changed by a factor of ~3 among the samples, no significant variation was found in their superconducting properties. The onset field for flux penetration at 2 K, Hffp, measured within a ~30 µm depth from the surface, was ~160more » mT, close to the bulk value. The baking effect was mainly to increase the field range up to which a coherent superconducting phase persists on the surface, above the upper critical field.« less

[Comparison of invasive blood pressure measurement in the aorta with indirect oscillometric blood pressure measurement at the wrist and forearm].

PubMed

Saul, F; Aristidou, Y; Klaus, D; Wiemeyer, A; Lösse, B

1995-09-01

Indirectly measured blood pressure at the wrist or upper arm was compared with directly measured values in the aortic arch during routinely performed diagnostic cardiac catheterization in 100 patients (31-80 years, mean 59.3 years, 60% males). The noninvasive measurements were carried out by oscillometric devices, NAiS Blood Pressure Watch for measurements at the wrist, and Hestia OZ80 at the upper arm. Systolic blood pressure measured at the wrist was 4.3 +/- 14.1 mm Hg, and the diastolic value 6.0 +/- 8.9 mm Hg higher than when measured at the aortic arch; the difference was significant in both cases. Correlation coefficients were 0.85 for systolic and 0.71 for diastolic blood pressure. In 16% of the patients the systolic blood pressure at the wrist differed more than +/- 20 mm Hg. The diastolic blood pressure at the wrist measured more than +/- 20 mm Hg higher than in the aorta in 5% of the patients. At the upper arm mean systolic values were not different to the aorta. The diastolic pressure was 9.3 +/- 9.8 mm Hg higher in the aorta than at the upper arm. To verify the accuracy of values measured with the NAiS Blood Pressure Watch compared with the standard technique at the upper arm, sequential measurements were made at wrist and ipsilateral upper arm in the same group of 100 patients. The systolic blood pressure at the left wrist was 3.4 +/- 13.3 mm Hg higher and the diastolic pressure 3.8 +/- 9.5 mm Hg lower than at the upper arm. Only 53% of systolic values lay within a range of +/- 10 mm Hg. The correspondence between wrist and upper arm values was better for diastolic blood pressure, the values differing by less than +/- 10 mm Hg in two-thirds of patients. Self-measurement of arterial blood pressure with an oscillometric device at the wrist can be recommended only in individual cases with a difference of simultaneously measured values at the upper arm of less than +/- 10 mm Hg for systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The standard method for indirectly measuring arterial blood pressure remains the measurement at the upper arm site, which nevertheless showed a systolic pseudohypertension (deviation of more than 10 mm Hg) in comparison to the invasively measured values in 15% of our selected patients and a diastolic pseudohypertension (deviation of more than 15 mm Hg) in 23% of the patients.

Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Critical Flaw Size in ARES I-X Flange-to-Skin Welds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chell, G. Graham; Hudak, Stephen J., Jr.

2008-01-01

NASA's Ares 1 Upper Stage Simulator (USS) is being fabricated from welded A516 steel. In order to insure the structural integrity of these welds it is of interest to calculate the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) to establish rational inspection requirements. The CIFS is in turn dependent on the critical final flaw size (CFS), as well as fatigue flaw growth resulting from transportation, handling and service-induced loading. These calculations were made using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), which are thought to be conservative because they are based on a lower bound, so called elastic, fracture toughness determined from tests that displayed significant plasticity. Nevertheless, there was still concern that the yield magnitude stresses generated in the flange-to-skin weld by the combination of axial stresses due to axial forces, fit-up stresses, and weld residual stresses, could give rise to significant flaw-tip plasticity, which might render the LEFM results to be non-conservative. The objective of the present study was to employ Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics (EPFM) to determine CFS values, and then compare these values to CFS values evaluated using LEFM. CFS values were calculated for twelve cases involving surface and embedded flaws, EPFM analyses with and without plastic shakedown of the stresses, LEFM analyses, and various welding residual stress distributions. For the cases examined, the computed CFS values based on elastic analyses were the smallest in all instances where the failures were predicted to be controlled by the fracture toughness. However, in certain cases, the CFS values predicted by the elastic-plastic analyses were smaller than those predicted by the elastic analyses; in these cases the failure criteria were determined by a breakdown in stress intensity factor validity limits for deep flaws (a greater than 0.90t), rather than by the fracture toughness. Plastic relaxation of stresses accompanying shakedown always increases the calculated CFS values compared to the CFS values determined without shakedown. Thus, it is conservative to ignore shakedown effects.

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

Grinenko, V.; Iida, K.; Kurth, F.

A quantum critical point (QCP) is currently being conjectured for the BaFe 2(As 1-xP x) 2 system at the critical value x c ≈ 0.3. In the proximity of a QCP, all thermodynamic and transport properties are expected to scale with a single characteristic energy, given by the quantum fluctuations. Such a universal behavior has not, however, been found in the superconducting upper critical field H c2. Here we report H c2 data for epitaxial thin films extracted from the electrical resistance measured in very high magnetic fields up to 67 Tesla. Using a multi-band analysis we find that Hmore » c2 is sensitive to the QCP, implying a significant charge carrier effective mass enhancement at the doping-induced QCP that is essentially band-dependent. Our results point to two qualitatively different groups of electrons in BaFe 2(As 1-xP x) 2. The first one (possibly associated to hot spots or whole Fermi sheets) has a strong mass enhancement at the QCP, and the second one is insensitive to the QCP. The observed duality could also be present in many other quantum critical systems.« less

High field superconducting properties of Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2 thin films

PubMed Central

Hänisch, Jens; Iida, Kazumasa; Kurth, Fritz; Reich, Elke; Tarantini, Chiara; Jaroszynski, Jan; Förster, Tobias; Fuchs, Günther; Hühne, Ruben; Grinenko, Vadim; Schultz, Ludwig; Holzapfel, Bernhard

2015-01-01

In general, the critical current density, Jc, of type II superconductors and its anisotropy with respect to magnetic field orientation is determined by intrinsic and extrinsic properties. The Fe-based superconductors of the ‘122’ family with their moderate electronic anisotropies and high yet accessible critical fields (Hc2 and Hirr) are a good model system to study this interplay. In this paper, we explore the vortex matter of optimally Co-doped BaFe2As2 thin films with extended planar and c-axis correlated defects. The temperature and angular dependence of the upper critical field is well explained by a two-band model in the clean limit. The dirty band scenario, however, cannot be ruled out completely. Above the irreversibility field, the flux motion is thermally activated, where the activation energy U0 is going to zero at the extrapolated zero-kelvin Hirr value. The anisotropy of the critical current density Jc is both influenced by the Hc2 anisotropy (and therefore by multi-band effects) as well as the extended planar and columnar defects present in the sample. PMID:26612567

Low Cost, Upper Stage-Class Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickers, John

2015-01-01

The low cost, upper stage-class propulsion (LCUSP) element will develop a high strength copper alloy additive manufacturing (AM) process as well as critical components for an upper stage-class propulsion system that will be demonstrated with testing. As manufacturing technologies have matured, it now appears possible to build all the major components and subsystems of an upper stage-class rocket engine for substantially less money and much faster than traditionally done. However, several enabling technologies must be developed before that can happen. This activity will address these technologies and demonstrate the concept by designing, manufacturing, and testing the critical components of a rocket engine. The processes developed and materials' property data will be transitioned to industry upon completion of the activity. Technologies to enable the concept are AM copper alloy process development, AM post-processing finishing to minimize surface roughness, AM material deposition on existing copper alloy substrate, and materials characterization.

Selective mass enhancement close to the quantum critical point in BaFe 2(As 1-xP x) 2

DOE PAGES

Grinenko, V.; Iida, K.; Kurth, F.; ...

2017-07-04

A quantum critical point (QCP) is currently being conjectured for the BaFe 2(As 1-xP x) 2 system at the critical value x c ≈ 0.3. In the proximity of a QCP, all thermodynamic and transport properties are expected to scale with a single characteristic energy, given by the quantum fluctuations. Such a universal behavior has not, however, been found in the superconducting upper critical field H c2. Here we report H c2 data for epitaxial thin films extracted from the electrical resistance measured in very high magnetic fields up to 67 Tesla. Using a multi-band analysis we find that Hmore » c2 is sensitive to the QCP, implying a significant charge carrier effective mass enhancement at the doping-induced QCP that is essentially band-dependent. Our results point to two qualitatively different groups of electrons in BaFe 2(As 1-xP x) 2. The first one (possibly associated to hot spots or whole Fermi sheets) has a strong mass enhancement at the QCP, and the second one is insensitive to the QCP. The observed duality could also be present in many other quantum critical systems.« less

Revision and proposed modification for a total maximum daily load model for Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wherry, Susan A.; Wood, Tamara M.; Anderson, Chauncey W.

2015-01-01

Using the extended 1991–2010 external phosphorus loading dataset, the lake TMDL model was recalibrated following the same procedures outlined in the Phase 1 review. The version of the model selected for further development incorporated an updated sediment initial condition, a numerical solution method for the chlorophyll a model, changes to light and phosphorus factors limiting algal growth, and a new pH-model regression, which removed Julian day dependence in order to avoid discontinuities in pH at year boundaries. This updated lake TMDL model was recalibrated using the extended dataset in order to compare calibration parameters to those obtained from a calibration with the original 7.5-year dataset. The resulting algal settling velocity calibrated from the extended dataset was more than twice the value calibrated with the original dataset, and, because the calibrated values of algal settling velocity and recycle rate are related (more rapid settling required more rapid recycling), the recycling rate also was larger than that determined with the original dataset. These changes in calibration parameters highlight the uncertainty in critical rates in the Upper Klamath Lake TMDL model and argue for their direct measurement in future data collection to increase confidence in the model predictions.

Upper South Platte Watershed Protection and Restoration Project

Treesearch

Steve Culver; Cindy Dean; Fred Patten; Jim Thinnes

2001-01-01

The Upper South Platte Basin is a critical watershed in Colorado. Nearly 80 percent of the water used by the 1.5 million Denver metropolitan residents comes from or is transmitted through this river drainage. The Colorado Unified Watershed Assessment identified the Upper South Platte River as a Category 1 watershed in need of restoration. Most of the river basin is...

Leading Critically: A Grounded Theory of Applied Critical Thinking in Leadership Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jekins, Daniel M.; Cutchens, Amanda B.

2011-01-01

This study describes the development of a grounded theory of applied critical thinking in leadership studies and examines how student-centered experiential learning in leadership education bridged critical thinking with action. Over three semester undergraduate students in an upper level leadership studies course at a large four-year public…

Microstructural and crystallographic imperfections of MgB2 superconducting wire and their correlation with the critical current density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahabuddin, Mohammed; Alzayed, Nasser S.; Oh, Sangjun; Choi, Seyong; Maeda, Minoru; Hata, Satoshi; Shimada, Yusuke; Hossain, Md Shahriar Al; Kim, Jung Ho

2014-01-01

A comprehensive study of the effects of structural imperfections in MgB2 superconducting wire has been conducted. As the sintering temperature becomes lower, the structural imperfections of the MgB2 material are increased, as reflected by detailed X-ray refinement and the normal state resistivity. The crystalline imperfections, caused by lattice disorder, directly affect the impurity scattering between the π and σ bands of MgB2, resulting in a larger upper critical field. In addition, low sintering temperature keeps the grain size small, which leads to a strong enhancement of pinning, and thereby, enhanced critical current density. Owing to both the impurity scattering and the grain boundary pinning, the critical current density, irreversibility field, and upper critical field are enhanced. Residual voids or porosities obviously remain in the MgB2, however, even at low sintering temperature, and thus block current transport paths.

Upper critical field measurements in high-Tc superconducting oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ousset, J. C.; Bobo, J. F.; Ulmet, J. P.; Rakoto, H.; Cheggour, N.

We present upper critical field measurements on the superconducting oxides RE Ba2Cu3O7-δ (RE = Y, Gd) performed in a pulsed magnetic field up to 43 T. Values for Hc2 as high as 52 T and 77 T for Y and Gd respectively, are expected at 77 K. However, in order to observe no resistive behaviour up to 43 T the temperature must be decreased down to 50 K. In the case of oxygen deficient systems the magnetoresistance reveals two superconducting phases wich could be related to two different orders of oxygen vacancies. Nous présentons des mesures de champ critique Hc2 sur les supraconducteurs TR Ba 2Cu3O7-δ (TR = Y, Gd) réalisées en champ magnétique pulsé jusqu'à 43 T. Elles permettent de prévoir des valeurs de H c2 de 52 T et 77 T respectivement pour Y et Gd à 77 K. Cependant, pour ne pas observer de comportement résistif jusqu'au champ maximum, il est nécessaire de refroidir l'échantillon jusqu'à 50 K. Dans le cas des systèmes déficients en oxygène (δ important) nous mettons en évidence l'existence de deux phases supraconductrices qui pourraient être dues à deux ordres différents des lacunes d'oxygène.

Estimating the value of a Country's built assets: investment-based exposure modelling for global risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, James; Pomonis, Antonios; Gunasekera, Rashmin; Ishizawa, Oscar; Gaspari, Maria; Lu, Xijie; Aubrecht, Christoph; Ungar, Joachim

2017-04-01

In order to quantify disaster risk, there is a demand and need for determining consistent and reliable economic value of built assets at national or sub national level exposed to natural hazards. The value of the built stock in the context of a city or a country is critical for risk modelling applications as it allows for the upper bound in potential losses to be established. Under the World Bank probabilistic disaster risk assessment - Country Disaster Risk Profiles (CDRP) Program and rapid post-disaster loss analyses in CATDAT, key methodologies have been developed that quantify the asset exposure of a country. In this study, we assess the complementary methods determining value of building stock through capital investment data vs aggregated ground up values based on built area and unit cost of construction analyses. Different approaches to modelling exposure around the world, have resulted in estimated values of built assets of some countries differing by order(s) of magnitude. Using the aforementioned methodology of comparing investment data based capital stock and bottom-up unit cost of construction values per square meter of assets; a suitable range of capital stock estimates for built assets have been created. A blind test format was undertaken to compare the two types of approaches from top-down (investment) and bottom-up (construction cost per unit), In many cases, census data, demographic, engineering and construction cost data are key for bottom-up calculations from previous years. Similarly for the top-down investment approach, distributed GFCF (Gross Fixed Capital Formation) data is also required. Over the past few years, numerous studies have been undertaken through the World Bank Caribbean and Central America disaster risk assessment program adopting this methodology initially developed by Gunasekera et al. (2015). The range of values of the building stock is tested for around 15 countries. In addition, three types of costs - Reconstruction cost (building back to the standard required by building codes); Replacement cost (gross capital stock) and Book value (net capital stock - depreciated value of assets) are discussed and the differences in methodologies assessed. We then examine historical costs (reconstruction and replacement) and losses (book value) of natural disasters versus this upper bound of capital stock in various locations to examine the impact of a reasonable capital stock estimate. It is found that some historic loss estimates in publications are not reasonable given the value of assets at the time of the event. This has applications for quantitative disaster risk assessment and development of country disaster risk profiles, economic analyses and benchmarking upper loss limits of built assets damaged due to natural hazards.

Determining the Probability of Violating Upper-Level Wind Constraints for the Launch of Minuteman III Ballistic Missiles at Vandenberg Air Force Base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafer, Jaclyn A.; Brock, Tyler M.

2012-01-01

The 30th Operational Support Squadron Weather Flight (30 OSSWF) provides comprehensive weather services to the space program at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. One of their responsibilities is to monitor upper-level winds to ensure safe launch operations of the Minuteman Ill ballistic missile. The 30 OSSWF tasked the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) to analyze VAFB sounding data with the goal of determining the probability of violating (PoV) their upper-level thresholds for wind speed and shear constraints specific to this launch vehicle, and to develop a tool that will calculate the PoV of each constraint on the day of launch. In order to calculate the probability of exceeding each constraint, the AMU collected and analyzed historical data from VAFB. The historical sounding data were retrieved from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory archive for the years 1994-2011 and then stratified into four sub-seasons: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. The AMU determined the theoretical distributions that best fit the maximum wind speed and maximum wind shear datasets and applied this information when calculating the averages and standard deviations needed for the historical and real-time PoV calculations. In addition, the AMU included forecast sounding data from the Rapid Refresh model. This information provides further insight for the launch weather officers (LWOs) when determining if a wind constraint violation will occur over the next few hours on the day of launch. The AMU developed an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) in Microsoft Excel using Visual Basic for Applications. The GUI displays the critical sounding data easily and quickly for LWOs on day of launch. This tool will replace the existing one used by the 30 OSSWF, assist the LWOs in determining the probability of exceeding specific wind threshold values, and help to improve the overall upper winds forecast for the launch customer. This presentation will describe how the AMU calculated the historical and real-time PoV values for the specific upper-level wind launch constraints and outline the development of the interactive GUI display.

Environmental profile and critical temperature effects on milk production of Holstein cows in desert climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igono, M. O.; Bjotvedt, G.; Sanford-Crane, H. T.

1992-06-01

The environmental profile of central Arizona is quantitatively described using meteorological data between 1971 and 1986. Utilizing ambient temperature criteria of hours per day less than 21° C, between 21 and 27° C, and more than 27° C, the environmental profile of central Arizona consists of varying levels of thermoneutral and heat stress periods. Milk production data from two commercial dairy farms from March 1990 to February 1991 were used to evaluate the seasonal effects identified in the environmental profile. Overall, milk production is lower during heat stress compared to thermoneutral periods. During heat stress, the cool period of hours per day with temperature less than 21° C provides a margin of safety to reduce the effects of heat stress on decreased milk production. Using minimum, mean and maximum ambient temperatures, the upper critical temperatures for milk production are 21, 27 and 32° C, respectively. Using the temperature-humidity index as the thermal environment indicator, the critical values for minimum, mean and maximum THI are 64, 72 and 76, respectively.

Stabilization of composition fluctuations in mixed membranes by hybrid lipids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safran, Samuel; Palmieri, Benoit

2013-03-01

A ternary mixture model is proposed to describe composition fluctuations in mixed membranes composed of saturated, unsaturated and hybrid lipids. The asymmetric hybrid lipid has one saturated and one unsaturated hydrocarbon chain and it can reduce the packing incompatibility between saturated and unsaturated lipids. A methodology to recast the free-energy of the lattice in terms of a continuous isotropic field theory is proposed and used to analyze composition fluctuations above the critical temperature. The effect of hybrid lipids on fluctuations domains rich in saturated/unsaturated lipids is predicted. The correlation length of such fluctuations decreases significantly with increasing amounts of hybrids even if the temperature is maintained close to the critical temperature. This provides an upper bound for the domain sizes expected in rafts stabilized by hybrids, above the critical temperature. When the hybrid composition of the membrane is increased further, a crossover value is found above which ``stripe-like'' fluctuations are observed. The wavelength of these fluctuations decreases with increasing hybrid fraction and tends toward a molecular size in a membrane that contains only hybrids.

Superconductivity with extremely large upper critical fields in Nb2Pd0.81S5

PubMed Central

Zhang, Q.; Li, G.; Rhodes, D.; Kiswandhi, A.; Besara, T.; Zeng, B.; Sun, J.; Siegrist, T.; Johannes, M. D.; Balicas, L.

2013-01-01

Here, we report the discovery of superconductivity in a new transition metal-chalcogenide compound, i.e. Nb2Pd0.81S5, with a transition temperature Tc ≅ 6.6 K. Despite its relatively low Tc, it displays remarkably high and anisotropic superconducting upper critical fields, e.g. μ0Hc2 (T → 0 K) > 37 T for fields applied along the crystallographic b-axis. For a field applied perpendicularly to the b-axis, μ0Hc2 shows a linear dependence in temperature which coupled to a temperature-dependent anisotropy of the upper critical fields, suggests that Nb2Pd0.81S5 is a multi-band superconductor. This is consistent with band structure calculations which reveal nearly cylindrical and quasi-one-dimensional Fermi surface sheets having hole and electron character, respectively. The static spin susceptibility as calculated through the random phase approximation, reveals strong peaks suggesting proximity to a magnetic state and therefore the possibility of unconventional superconductivity. PMID:23486091

Summary and evaluation of hydraulic property data available for the Hanford Site upper basalt confined aquifer system

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

Spane, F.A. Jr.; Vermeul, V.R.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory, as part of the Hanford Site Ground-Water Surveillance Project, examines the potential for offsite migration of contamination within the upper basalt confined aquifer system. For the past 40 years, hydrologic testing of the upper basalt confined aquifer has been conducted by a number of Hanford Site programs. Hydraulic property estimates are important for evaluating aquifer flow characteristics (i.e., ground-water flow patterns, flow velocity, transport travel time). Presented are the first comprehensive Hanford Site-wide summary of hydraulic properties for the upper basalt confined aquifer system (i.e., the upper Saddle Mountains Basalt). Available hydrologic test data were reevaluated usingmore » recently developed diagnostic test analysis methods. A comparison of calculated transmissivity estimates indicates that, for most test results, a general correspondence within a factor of two between reanalysis and previously reported test values was obtained. For a majority of the tests, previously reported values are greater than reanalysis estimates. This overestimation is attributed to a number of factors, including, in many cases, a misapplication of nonleaky confined aquifer analysis methods in previous analysis reports to tests that exhibit leaky confined aquifer response behavior. Results of the test analyses indicate a similar range for transmissivity values for the various hydro-geologic units making up the upper basalt confined aquifer. Approximately 90% of the calculated transmissivity values for upper basalt confined aquifer hydrogeologic units occur within the range of 10{sup 0} to 10{sup 2} m{sup 2}/d, with 65% of the calculated estimate values occurring between 10{sup 1} to 10{sup 2} m{sup 2}d. These summary findings are consistent with the general range of values previously reported for basalt interflow contact zones and sedimentary interbeds within the Saddle Mountains Basalt.« less

SPM response to tide and river flow in the hyper-turbid Ems River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterwerp, Johan C.; Vroom, Julia; Wang, Zheng-B.; Krebs, Martin; Hendriks, Erik C. M.; van Maren, Dirk S.; Schrottke, Kerstin; Borgsmüller, Christine; Schöl, Andreas

2017-05-01

In this paper, we analyse the behaviour of fine sediments in the hyper-turbid Lower Ems River, with focus on the river's upper reaches, a stretch of about 25 km up-estuary of Terborg. Our analysis is based on long records of suspended particulate matter (SPM) from optical backscatter (OBS) measurements close to the bed at seven stations along the river, records of salinity and water level measurements at these stations, acoustic measurements on the vertical mud structure just up-estuary of Terborg and oxygen profiles in the lower 3 m of the water column close to Leerort and Terborg. Further, we use cross-sectionally averaged velocities computed with a calibrated numerical model. Distinction is made between four timescales, i.e. the semi-diurnal tidal timescale, the spring-neap tidal timescale, a timescale around an isolated peak in river flow (i.e. about 3 weeks) and a seasonal timescale. The data suggest that a pool of fluid/soft mud is present in these upper reaches, from up-estuary of Papenburg to a bit down-estuary of Terborg. Between Terborg and Gandersum, SPM values drop rapidly but remain high at a few gram per litre. The pool of fluid/soft mud is entrained/mobilized at the onset of flood, yielding SPM values of many tens gram per litre. This suspension is transported up-estuary with the flood. Around high water slack, part of the suspension settles, being remixed during ebb, while migrating down-estuary, but likely not much further than Terborg. Around low water slack, a large fraction of the sediment settles, reforming the pool of fluid mud. The rapid entrainment from the fluid mud layer after low water slack is only possible when the peak flood velocity exceeds a critical value of around 1 m/s, i.e. when the stratified water column seems to become internally supercritical. If the peak flood velocity does not reach this critical value, f.i. during neap tide, fluid mud is not entrained up to the OBS sensors. Thus, it is not classical tidal asymmetry, but the peak flood velocity itself which governs the hyper-turbid state in the Lower Ems River. The crucial role of river flow and river floods is in reducing these peak flood velocities. During elongated periods of high river flow, in e.g. wintertime, SPM concentrations reduce, and the soft mud deposits consolidate and possibly become locally armoured as well by sand washed in from the river. We have no observations that sediments are washed out of the hyper-turbid zone. Down-estuary of Terborg, where SPM values do not reach hyper-turbid conditions, the SPM dynamics are governed by classical tidal asymmetry and estuarine circulation. Hence, nowhere in the river, sediments are flushed from the upper reaches of the river into the Ems-Dollard estuary during high river flow events. However, exchange of sediment between river and estuary should occur because of tide-induced dispersion.

Critical current scaling and the pivot-point in Nb3Sn strands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, Y.; Hampshire, D. P.

2012-05-01

Detailed measurements are provided of the engineering critical current density (Jc) and the index of transition (n-value) of two different types of advanced ITER Nb3Sn superconducting strand for fusion applications. The samples consist of one internal-tin strand (OST) and two bronze-route strands (BEAS I and BEAS II—reacted using different heat treatments). Tests on different sections of these wires show that prior to applying strain, Jc is homogeneous to better than 2% along the length of each strand. Jc data have been characterized as a function of magnetic field (B ≤ 14.5 T), temperature (4.2 K ≤ T ≤ 12 K) and applied axial strain ( - 1% ≤ ɛA ≤ 0.8%). Strain-cycling tests demonstrate that the variable strain Jc data are reversible to better than 2% when the applied axial strain is in the range of - 1% ≤ ɛA ≤ 0.5%. The wires are damaged when the intrinsic strain (ɛI) is ɛI ≥ 0.55% and ɛI ≥ 0.23% for the OST and BEAS strands, respectively. The strain dependences of the normalized Jc for each type of strand are similar to those of prototype strands of similar design measured in 2005 and 2008 to about 2% which makes them candidate strands for a round-robin interlaboratory comparison. The Jc data are described by Durham, ITER and Josephson-junction parameterizations to an accuracy of about 4%. For all of these scaling laws, the percentage difference between the data and the parameterization is larger when Jc is small, caused by high B, T or |ɛI|. The n-values can be described by a modified power law of the form n=1+r{I}_{{c}}^{s}, where r and s are approximately constant and Ic is the critical current. It has long been known that pivot-points (or cross-overs) in Jc occur at high magnetic field and temperature. Changing the magnetic field or temperature from one side of the pivot-point to the other changes the highest Jc sample to the lowest Jc sample and vice versa. The pivot-point follows the B-T phase boundary associated with the upper critical field and is usually attributed to the different tin content profiles and pinning properties of internal-tin and bronze-route strands. We report that the strain dependence of the pivot-point in these strands is quite different from that of the upper critical field and suggest that its origin in optimized high tin content strands is the proximity of the tetragonal Nb3Sn phase, which has low superconducting critical parameters.

"It Wouldn't Be the Same without Nature"--The Value of Nature According to Finnish Upper Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöblom, Pia; Wolff, Lili-Ann

2017-01-01

This article describes an interview study on Finnish upper secondary school students' values of nature. Even if the Finnish adolescents' interest in nature has decreased, most of the interviewees in this study regarded nature as worthy of maintenance. They valued nature for its material, aesthetic, and recreational values, as well as its diversity…

The Darzi-Vali bauxite deposit, West-Azarbaidjan Province, Iran: Critical metals distribution and parental affinities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosravi, Maryam; Abedini, Ali; Alipour, Samad; Mongelli, Giovanni

2017-05-01

The Darzi-Vali bauxite deposit, located 20 km east of Bukan, in northwestern Iran, occurs as discontinuous layers and lenses within the Upper Permian carbonate rocks of the Ruteh Formation. These layers extend laterally for over ∼1 km and vary in thickness ranging from 2 to 17 m. We studied the chemical variations in a selected stratigraphic section throughout the deposit, focusing in particular on numbers of selected special metals that make the deposit of potential economic importance. The critical elements Co, Ga, Nb, Ta, LREEs, and HREEs, along with transition metal Ni, are variously depleted throughout the deposit with respect to Ti, which is assumed to be a less mobile element. Among the critical elements, Cr has only demonstrated conservative behavior. Factor analysis suggests that the factors controlling the distribution of LREEs and HREEs in the ore, which most likely depend on the local composition of groundwater during weathering, are different from those controlling the distribution of other critical elements. Further, the Darzi-Vali ore has ΣREE contents (773 ppm) much higher with respect to other deposits located in NW of Iran, making this deposit worthy of further investigations. As for parental affinity, the Eu anomalies show negligible fluctuations (0.82-0.94) all along the deposit confirming that bauxitization does not affect the effectiveness of this provenance proxy. The average Eu/Eu* value (0.89) of the ore is relatively far afield from that of the average carbonate bedrock (1.3) and close to that of the average mafic protolith (0.94), and similar results are also obtained using the Sm/Nd and Tb/Tb* proxies. Bivariate plots of Eu anomaly versus Sm/Nd and Tb anomalies further support the idea that mafic rocks are probably related to the volcanic activities. These volcanic activities affected the Iranian platform during the Upper Permian as proposed for other bauxite deposits in northwestern Iran. These mafic rocks were the probable precursor of the Darzi-Vali bauxite ore.

Using the Climbing Drum Peel (CDP) Test to Obtain a G(sub IC) value for Core/Facesheet Bonds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nettles, A. T.; Gregory, Elizabeth D.; Jackson, Justin R.

2006-01-01

A method of measuring the Mode I fracture toughness of core/facesheet bonds in sandwich Structures is desired, particularly with the widespread use of models that need this data as input. This study examined if a critical strain energy release rate, G(sub IC), can be obtained from the climbing drum peel (CDP) test. The CDP test is relatively simple to perform and does not rely on measuring small crack lengths such as required by the double cantilever beam (DCB) test. Simple energy methods were used to calculate G(sub IC) from CDP test data on composite facesheets bonded to a honeycomb core. Facesheet thicknesses from 2 to 5 plies were tested to examine the upper and lower bounds on facesheet thickness requirements. Results from the study suggest that the CDP test, with certain provisions, can be used to find the GIG value of a core/facesheet bond.

Domains of pulsational instability of low-frequency modes in rotating upper main sequence stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szewczuk, Wojciech; Daszyńska-Daszkiewicz, Jadwiga

2017-07-01

We determine instability domains on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for rotating main sequence stars with masses of 2-20 M⊙. The effects of the Coriolis force are treated wihin the traditional approximation. High-order g modes with harmonic degrees ℓ up to 4 and mixed gravity-Rossby modes with |m| up to 4 are considered. We include the effects of rotation in wider instability strips for a given ℓ compared to the non-rotating case and in an extension of the pulsational instability to hotter and more massive models. We present results for a fixed value of the initial rotation velocity as well as for a fixed ratio of the angular rotation frequency to its critical value. Moreover, we check how the initial hydrogen abundance, metallicity, overshooting from the convective core and opacity affect the pulsational instability domains. The effect of rotation on the period spacing is also discussed.

Quantifying the relationship between vehicle interior geometry and child restraint systems.

PubMed

Sherwood, C P; Abdelilah, Y; Crandall, J R

2006-01-01

The prevention of interactions of children or child restraints with other vehicle structures is critical to child passenger safety. Fifteen current vehicles and seven rear and forward facing child restraint systems were measured in an attempt to quantify the available distance between child restraints and these vehicle structures. Rear facing child restraints exhibited such small amounts of clearance that contact would be expected in the majority of frontal crashes. Upper tethers are critical in the prevention of head contact, while head contact is likely when the upper tether is not used.

Pressure induced change in the electronic state of Ta 4 Pd 3 Te 16

DOE PAGES

Jo, Na Hyun; Xiang, Li; Kaluarachchi, Udhara S.; ...

2017-04-24

Here, we present measurements of superconducting transition temperature, resistivity, magnetoresistivity, and temperature dependence of the upper critical field of Ta 4 Pd 3 Te 16 under pressures up to 16.4 kbar. All measured properties have an anomaly at ~ 2 $-$ 4 kbar pressure range; in particular there is a maximum in T c and upper critical field, H c2 ( 0 ), and minimum in low temperature, normal state resistivity. Qualitatively, the data can be explained considering the density of state at the Fermi level as a dominant parameter.

Movement and habitat use by radio-tagged paddlefish in the upper Mississippi River and tributaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zigler, S.J.; Dewey, M.R.; Knights, B.C.; Runstrom, A.L.; Steingraeber, M.T.

2003-01-01

We used radio telemetry to evaluate the movement and habitat use of paddlefish Polyodon spathula in the upper Mississippi River and two tributary rivers. Radio transmitters were surgically implanted into 71 paddlefish in Navigation Pools 5A and 8 of the upper Mississippi River, the Chippewa River, and the Wisconsin River during fall 1994 through fall 1996. Radiotagged paddlefish were located through summer 1997. The range of paddlefish movement was typically low during all seasons except spring, but some paddlefish moved throughout the 420-km extent of the study area. Paddlefish tagged in the Chippewa River were closely linked with the upper Mississippi River, as substantial portions of the population inhabited the adjacent Navigation Pool 4 each spring; paddlefish in the Wisconsin River, however, rarely ventured out of that tributary. The use of aquatic area types by paddlefish varied among the study reaches. A cartographic model of paddlefish habitat suitability was developed for Navigation Pool 8 based on geographic information systems (GIS) coverages of bathymetry and current velocity. The value of paddlefish habitat in the cartographic model increased with depth and decreased with current velocity. For example, areas modeled as excellent corresponded to regions classified as having both deep water (greater than or equal to6.0 m) and negligible (<5 cm/s) current velocities. Our study suggests that aquatic area types are an inadequate basis for making sound management decisions regarding the critical habitats of paddlefish in complex riverine systems because such strata rely on gross geomorpological features rather than on the physicochemical variables that fish use to choose habitats. The development of systemic GIS coverages of such variables could improve the understanding of fish habitat selection and management in the upper Mississippi River.

Conference in Rhetorical Criticism: Address of the Conference and Commended Papers (2nd, Hayward, Calif., May 1967).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Harold, Ed.; And Others

At the second annual Cal-State Hayward Conference in Rhetorical Criticism, upper division and graduate students from 17 colleges and universities presented papers on the theory, history, and criticism of rhetoric. Panels of faculty members from the same colleges and universities, serving as editor-critics, judged the six papers in this volume as…

Fluctuation-induced conductivity analyses of Be-doped (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ superconductors in the critical regime and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Nawazish A.; Qurat-ul-Ain; Firdous, Umber; Shaheryar

2012-02-01

We have successfully synthesized (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ and (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2(Ca1.5Be0.5)Cu3O10-δ samples and studied their excess conductivity analyses (fluctuation-induced conductivity) of resistivity data. The main objective of such analyses is to investigate the influence of Be-substitution on the superconductivity parameters at the microscopic level. The width of the 3D-2D Lawrence-Doniach regime is increased with the doping of Be at the Ca sites. The energy required to break apart the Cooper pairs is increased from 0.03 eV to 0.08 eV in Be-doped samples. Using the Ginzburg-Landau number (NG) and GL equations, the thermodynamic critical magnetic field Bc(0), the lower critical field Bc1(0), the upper critical field Bc2(0), the critical current density Jc(0), and penetration depth λp.d are also calculated from these analyses. The values of critical fields [Bc(0) Bc1(0)], Jc(0), and phase relaxation time τϕ are increased whereas the penetration depth λp.d and κ values are suppressed with Be-doping. It is most likely that as a result of the enhancement in the density of the carriers in the (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2(Ca1.5Be0.5)Cu3O10-δ sample, this charge density gap is suppressed, which in turn suppresses the pseudo-gap resulting into enhancement of Bc (0), Bc1(0), and Jc(0).

Bingham fluid behavior of plagioclase-bearing basaltic magma: Approach from laboratory viscosity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, H.; Sato, H.

2010-12-01

Datasets of one atmosphere high temperature rotational viscometry of the Fuji 1707 basalt (Ishibashi, 2009) were analyzed based on the Bingham fluid model, and both yield stress and Bingham viscosity were determined. Reproducibility of the dataset by the Bingham fluid model was slightly better than that by the power law fluid modes adopted in our previous study although both the fluid models well represent the dataset in practical perspective. The relation between Bingham viscosity and crystallinity was compared with the Krieger-Dougherty equation, and both the maximum packing fraction of crystals and intrinsic viscosity for Bingham viscosity were determined ca. 0.45 and ca. 5.25, respectively, revealing that the maximum packing fraction decreased and intrinsic viscosity increased concomitantly with the increase in shape-anisotropy of crystals. However, the obtained value of the product of the maximum packing fraction and intrinsic viscosity (= ca. 2.36) was similar to that of uniform, isotropic-shaped particles (= 2.5), indicating that the effect of crystal shape-anisotropy on Bingham viscosity might be predicted only by change of the maximum packing fraction. Finite yield stress was detected for crystallinity larger than 0.133; it increased with crystallinity which suggests that critical crystallinity for onset of yield stress is at least lower than 0.133. The upper limit value of the critical crystallinity resembles the value calculated numerically for randomly oriented uniform particles by Saar et al. (2001) (0.10-0.15 for width/length ratio of 0.1-0.2, which is similar to the ratios in the basalt) whereas crystals in the basalt were moderately parallel arranged and their sizes vary significantly. That fact might be explained as follows; effects of parallel arrangement and size variation of crystals on the critical crystallinity are offset by the effect of variation in crystal shape-anisotropy, which suggests that shape-anisotropy distribution of crystals must be a critical factor for the onset of yield stress. Keywords: magma, viscosity, Bingham fluid, yield stress, plagioclase

The Effects of a 6-Week Strength Training on Critical Velocity, Anaerobic Running Distance, 30-M Sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Running Test Performances in Male Soccer Players.

PubMed

Karsten, Bettina; Larumbe-Zabala, Eneko; Kandemir, Gokhan; Hazir, Tahir; Klose, Andreas; Naclerio, Fernando

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of a moderate intensity strength training on changes in critical velocity (CV), anaerobic running distance (D'), sprint performance and Yo-Yo intermittent running test (Yo-Yo IR1) performances. two recreational soccer teams were divided in a soccer training only group (SO; n = 13) and a strength and soccer training group (ST; n = 13). Both groups were tested for values of CV, D', Yo-Yo IR1 distance and 30-m sprint time on two separate occasions (pre and post intervention). The ST group performed a concurrent 6-week upper and lower body strength and soccer training, whilst the SO group performed a soccer only training. after the re-test of all variables, the ST demonstrated significant improvements for both, YoYo IR1 distance (p = 0.002) and CV values (p<0.001) with no significant changes in the SO group. 30-m sprint performance were slightly improved in the ST group with significantly decreased performance times identified in the SO group (p<0.001). Values for D' were slightly reduced in both groups (ST -44.5 m, 95% CI = -90.6 to 1.6; SO -42.6 m, 95% CI = -88.7 to 3.5). combining a 6-week moderate strength training with soccer training significantly improves CV, Yo-Yo IR1 whilst moderately improving 30-m sprint performances in non-previously resistance trained male soccer players. Critical Velocity can be recommended to coaches as an additional valid testing tool in soccer.

The Effects of a 6-Week Strength Training on Critical Velocity, Anaerobic Running Distance, 30-M Sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Running Test Performances in Male Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Karsten, Bettina; Larumbe-Zabala, Eneko; Kandemir, Gokhan; Hazir, Tahir; Klose, Andreas; Naclerio, Fernando

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of a moderate intensity strength training on changes in critical velocity (CV), anaerobic running distance (D'), sprint performance and Yo-Yo intermittent running test (Yo-Yo IR1) performances. Methods: two recreational soccer teams were divided in a soccer training only group (SO; n = 13) and a strength and soccer training group (ST; n = 13). Both groups were tested for values of CV, D', Yo-Yo IR1 distance and 30-m sprint time on two separate occasions (pre and post intervention). The ST group performed a concurrent 6-week upper and lower body strength and soccer training, whilst the SO group performed a soccer only training. Results: after the re-test of all variables, the ST demonstrated significant improvements for both, YoYo IR1 distance (p = 0.002) and CV values (p<0.001) with no significant changes in the SO group. 30-m sprint performance were slightly improved in the ST group with significantly decreased performance times identified in the SO group (p<0.001). Values for D' were slightly reduced in both groups (ST -44.5 m, 95% CI = -90.6 to 1.6; SO -42.6 m, 95% CI = -88.7 to 3.5). Conclusions: combining a 6-week moderate strength training with soccer training significantly improves CV, Yo-Yo IR1 whilst moderately improving 30-m sprint performances in non-previously resistance trained male soccer players. Critical Velocity can be recommended to coaches as an additional valid testing tool in soccer. PMID:27015418

The upper values of plasma creatine kinase of professional soccer players during the Brazilian National Championship.

PubMed

Lazarim, Fernanda L; Antunes-Neto, Joaquim M F; da Silva, Fernando O C; Nunes, Lázaro A S; Bassini-Cameron, Adriana; Cameron, Luiz-Cláudio; Alves, Armindo A; Brenzikofer, René; de Macedo, Denise Vaz

2009-01-01

The current schedule of the Brazilian Soccer Championship may not give players enough recovery time between games. This could increase the chances of muscle damage and impaired performance. We hypothesized that plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity could be a reliable indirect marker of muscle overload in soccer players, so we sought to identify the reference values for upper limits of CK activity during a real-life elite competition. This study analyzed changes in plasma CK activity in 128 professional soccer players at different times during the Brazilian Championship. The upper limits of the 97.5th and 90th percentiles determined for CK activity were 1.338U/L and 975U/L, respectively, markedly higher than values previously reported in the literature. We also evaluated a team monthly throughout the Championship. The upper limit of the 90th percentile, 975U/L, was taken as the decision limit. Six players showing plasma CK values higher than this were asked to decrease their training for 1 week. These players presented lower CK values afterwards. Only one player with a CK value higher than the decision limit (1800U/L 1 day before a game) played on the field and was unfortunately injured during the game. The CK activity in all the other players showed a significant decrease over the course of the Championship, and the values became more homogeneous at the end. The results presented here suggest that plasma CK upper limit values can be used as a practical alternative for early detection of muscle overload in competing soccer players.

Critical loads of nitrogen deposition and critical levels of atmospheric ammonia for semi-natural Mediterranean evergreen woodlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinho, P.; Theobald, M. R.; Dias, T.; Tang, Y. S.; Cruz, C.; Martins-Loução, M. A.; Máguas, C.; Sutton, M.; Branquinho, C.

2012-03-01

Nitrogen (N) has emerged in recent years as a key factor associated with global changes, with impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems functioning and human health. In order to ameliorate the effects of excessive N, safety thresholds such as critical loads (deposition fluxes) and levels (concentrations) can be established. Few studies have assessed these thresholds for semi-natural Mediterranean ecosystems. Our objective was therefore to determine the critical loads of N deposition and long-term critical levels of atmospheric ammonia for semi-natural Mediterranean evergreen woodlands. We have considered changes in epiphytic lichen communities, one of the most sensitive comunity indicators of excessive N in the atmosphere. Based on a classification of lichen species according to their tolerance to N we grouped species into response functional groups, which we used as a tool to determine the critical loads and levels. This was done for a Mediterranean climate in evergreen cork-oak woodlands, based on the relation between lichen functional diversity and modelled N deposition for critical loads and measured annual atmospheric ammonia concentrations for critical levels, evaluated downwind from a reduced N source (a cattle barn). Modelling the highly significant relationship between lichen functional groups and annual atmospheric ammonia concentration showed the critical level to be below 1.9 μg m-3, in agreement with recent studies for other ecosystems. Modelling the highly significant relationship between lichen functional groups and N deposition showed that the critical load was lower than 26 kg (N) ha-1 yr-1, which is within the upper range established for other semi-natural ecosystems. Taking into account the high sensitivity of lichen communities to excessive N, these values should aid development of policies to protect Mediterranean woodlands from the initial effects of excessive N.

Assessing the paradigm of mutually exclusive erosion and deposition of mud, with examples from upper Chesapeake Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, L.P.; Halka, J.P.

1993-01-01

A paradigm of cohesive sediment transport research is that erosion and deposition are mutually exclusive. Many laboratory studies have shown that there is a velocity/stress threshold below which erosion does not occur and a lower threshold above which deposition does not occur. In contrast, a deposition threshold is not included in standard noncohesive sediment transport models, allowing erosion and deposition to occur simultaneously. Several researchers have also modeled erosion and deposition of mud without a deposition threshold. This distinction can have important implications for suspended sediment transport predictions and for data interpretation. Model-data comparisons based on observations of in situ erosion and deposition of upper Chesapeake Bay mud indicate poor agreement when the sediments are modeled as a single resuspended particle class and mutually exclusive erosion and deposition is assumed. The total resuspended sediment load increases in conjunction with increasing bottom shear stress as anticipated, but deposition is initiated soon after the shear stress begins to decrease and long before the stress falls below the value at which erosion had previously begun. Models assuming no critical stress for deposition, with continuous deposition proportional to the near bottom resuspended sediment concentration, describe the data better. Empirical parameter values estimated from these model fits are similar to other published values for estuarine cohesive sediments, indicating significantly greater erodability for higher water content surface sediments and settling velocities appropriate for large estuarine flocs. The apparent failure of the cohesive paradigm when applied to in situ data does not mean that the concept of a critical stress for deposition is wrong. Two possibilities for explaining the observed discrepancies are that certain aspects of in situ conditions have not been replicated in the laboratory experiments underlying the cohesive paradigm, and that in situ sediment behavior is better described as a sequence of particle classes than as the single particle class modeled here. However, the in situ measurements needed to resolve these questions are very difficult and data generally are not available. For practical modeling purposes, allowing continuous deposition of a single resuspended particle class may often give quite satisfactory results. ?? 1993.

Building energy analysis of Electrical Engineering Building from DesignBuilder tool: calibration and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cárdenas, J.; Osma, G.; Caicedo, C.; Torres, A.; Sánchez, S.; Ordóñez, G.

2016-07-01

This research shows the energy analysis of the Electrical Engineering Building, located on campus of the Industrial University of Santander in Bucaramanga - Colombia. This building is a green pilot for analysing energy saving strategies such as solar pipes, green roof, daylighting, and automation, among others. Energy analysis was performed by means of DesignBuilder software from virtual model of the building. Several variables were analysed such as air temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, daylighting, and energy consumption. According to two criteria, thermal load and energy consumption, critical areas were defined. The calibration and validation process of the virtual model was done obtaining error below 5% in comparison with measured values. The simulations show that the average indoor temperature in the critical areas of the building was 27°C, whilst relative humidity reached values near to 70% per year. The most critical discomfort conditions were found in the area of the greatest concentration of people, which has an average annual temperature of 30°C. Solar pipes can increase 33% daylight levels into the areas located on the upper floors of the building. In the case of the green roofs, the simulated results show that these reduces of nearly 31% of the internal heat gains through the roof, as well as a decrease in energy consumption related to air conditioning of 5% for some areas on the fourth and fifth floor. The estimated energy consumption of the building was 69 283 kWh per year.

The reduction of optimal heat treatment temperature and critical current density enhancement of ex situ processed MgB2 tapes using ball milled filling powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Hiroki; Iwanade, Akio; Kawada, Satoshi; Kitaguchi, Hitoshi

2018-01-01

The optimal heat treatment temperature (Topt) at which best performance in the critical current density (Jc) property at 4.2 K is obtained is influenced by the quality or reactivity of the filling powder in ex situ processed MgB2 tapes. Using a controlled fabrication process, the Topt decreases to 705-735 °C, which is lower than previously reported by more than 50 °C. The Topt decrease is effective to suppress both the decomposition of MgB2 and hence the formation of impurities such as MgB4, and the growth of crystallite size which decreases upper critical filed (Hc2). These bring about the Jc improvement and the Jc value at 4.2 K and 10 T reaches 250 A/mm2. The milling process also decreases the critical temperature (Tc) below 30 K. The milled powder is easily contaminated in air and thus, the Jc property of the contaminated tapes degrades severely. The contamination can raise the Topt by more than 50 °C, which is probably due to the increased sintering temperature required against contaminated surface layer around the grains acting as a barrier.

Compatible orders and fermion-induced emergent symmetry in Dirac systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssen, Lukas; Herbut, Igor F.; Scherer, Michael M.

2018-01-01

We study the quantum multicritical point in a (2+1)-dimensional Dirac system between the semimetallic phase and two ordered phases that are characterized by anticommuting mass terms with O (N1) and O (N2) symmetries, respectively. Using ɛ expansion around the upper critical space-time dimension of four, we demonstrate the existence of a stable renormalization-group fixed point, enabling a direct and continuous transition between the two ordered phases directly at the multicritical point. This point is found to be characterized by an emergent O (N1+N2) symmetry for arbitrary values of N1 and N2 and fermion flavor numbers Nf as long as the corresponding representation of the Clifford algebra exists. Small O (N ) -breaking perturbations near the chiral O (N ) fixed point are therefore irrelevant. This result can be traced back to the presence of gapless Dirac degrees of freedom at criticality, and it is in clear contrast to the purely bosonic O (N ) fixed point, which is stable only when N <3 . As a by-product, we obtain predictions for the critical behavior of the chiral O (N ) universality classes for arbitrary N and fermion flavor number Nf. Implications for critical Weyl and Dirac systems in 3+1 dimensions are also briefly discussed.

Pre-Service Teachers Teaching Critical Literacy through Microteaching: Possibilities and Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Chiew Hong

2017-01-01

In this paper I explore four groups of pre-service teachers' teaching of critical literacy in microteaching to examine how they translated critical literacy into teaching practice for secondary/upper middle grade students (the role played by peers undergoing microteaching). Firstly I discuss some key concepts and outline the pedagogical framework…

Conference in Rhetorical Criticism: Commended Papers (6th, Hayward, California, May 1, 1971).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peat, Stephen D., Ed.; And Others

At the sixth annual Cal-State Hayward Conference in Rhetorical Criticism, upper division and graduate students from 11 western colleges and universities presented papers on the theory, history, and criticism of rhetoric. Panels of faculty members from the same colleges and universities selected the three best papers for commendation and…

Evaluating the Sonic Layer Depth Relative to the Mixed Layer Depth

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-24

upper ocean to trap acoustic energy in a surface duct while MLD characterizes upper ocean mixing. The SLD is computed from temperature and salinity...and compared over the annual cycle. The SLD characterizes the potential of the upper ocean to trap acoustic energy in a surface duct while MLD...exists a tropical cyclone formation [e.g., Mao et al., 2000], to Minimum acoustic Cutoff Frequency (MCF) above which phytoplankton bloom critical depth

Consumptive Water Use Analysis of Upper Rio Grande Basin in Southern Colorado.

PubMed

Dubinsky, Jonathan; Karunanithi, Arunprakash T

2017-04-18

Water resource management and governance at the river basin scale is critical for the sustainable development of rural agrarian regions in the West. This research applies a consumptive water use analysis, inspired by the Water Footprint methodology, to the Upper Rio Grande Basin (RGB) in south central Colorado. The region is characterized by water stress, high dessert conditions, declining land health, and a depleting water table. We utilize region specific data and models to analyze the consumptive water use of RGB. The study reveals that, on an average, RGB experiences three months of water shortage per year due to the unsustainable extraction of groundwater (GW). Our results show that agriculture accounts for 77% of overall water consumption and it relies heavily on an aquifer (about 50% of agricultural consumption) that is being depleted over time. We find that, even though potato cultivation provides the most efficient conversion of groundwater resources into economic value (m 3 GW/$) in this region, it relies predominantly (81%) on the aquifer for its water supply. However, cattle, another important agricultural commodity produced in the region, provides good economic value but also relies significantly less on the aquifer (30%) for water needs. The results from this paper are timely to the RGB community, which is currently in the process of developing strategies for sustainable water management.

Climate Variability and Sugarcane Yield in Louisiana.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenland, David

2005-11-01

This paper seeks to understand the role that climate variability has on annual yield of sugarcane in Louisiana. Unique features of sugarcane growth in Louisiana and nonclimatic, yield-influencing factors make this goal an interesting and challenging one. Several methods of seeking and establishing the relations between yield and climate variables are employed. First, yield climate relations were investigated at a single research station where crop variety and growing conditions could be held constant and yield relations could be established between a predominant older crop variety and a newer one. Interviews with crop experts and a literature survey were used to identify potential climatic factors that control yield. A statistical analysis was performed using statewide yield data from the American Sugar Cane League from 1963 to 2002 and a climate database. Yield values for later years were adjusted downward to form an adjusted yield dataset. The climate database was principally constructed from daily and monthly values of maximum and minimum temperature and daily and monthly total precipitation for six cooperative weather-reporting stations representative of the area of sugarcane production. The influence of 74 different, though not independent, climate-related variables on sugarcane yield was investigated. The fact that a climate signal exists is demonstrated by comparing mean values of the climate variables corresponding to the upper and lower third of adjusted yield values. Most of these mean-value differences show an intuitively plausible difference between the high- and low-yield years. The difference between means of the climate variables for years corresponding to the upper and lower third of annual yield values for 13 of the variables is statistically significant at or above the 90% level. A correlation matrix was used to identify the variables that had the largest influence on annual yield. Four variables [called here critical climatic variables (CCV)], mean maximum August temperature, mean minimum February temperature, soil water surplus between April and September, and occurrence of autumn (fall) hurricanes, were built into a model to simulate adjusted yield values. The CCV model simulates the yield value with an rmse of 5.1 t ha-1. The mean of the adjusted yield data over the study period was 60.4 t ha-1, with values for the highest and lowest years being 73.1 and 50.6 t ha-1, respectively, and a standard deviation of 5.9 t ha-1. Presumably because of the almost constant high water table and soil water availability, higher precipitation totals, which are inversely related to radiation and temperature, tend to have a negative effect on the yields. Past trends in the values of critical climatic variables and general projections of future climate suggest that, with respect to the climatic environment and as long as land drainage is continued and maintained, future levels of sugarcane yield will rise in Louisiana.

Anisotropy reversal of the upper critical field at low temperatures and spin-locked superconductivity in K 2 Cr 3 As 3

DOE PAGES

Balakirev, F. F.; Kong, T.; Jaime, M.; ...

2015-06-23

We report measurements of the anisotropic upper critical field H c2(T) for K 2Cr 3As 3 single crystals up to 60 T and T>0.6K. Our results show that the upper critical field parallel to the Cr chains, H ∥ c2(T), exhibits a paramagnetically limited behavior, whereas the shape of the H ⊥ c2(T) curve (perpendicular to the Cr chains) has no evidence of paramagnetic effects. As a result, the curves H ⊥ c2(T) and H ∥ c2(T) cross at T≈4K, so that the anisotropy parameter γ H(T)=H ⊥ c2/H ∥ c2(T) increases from γ H(T c)≈0.35 near T c tomore » γ H(0)≈1.7 at 0.6 K. The paramagnetically limited behavior of H ∥ c2(T) is inconsistent with triplet superconductivity but suggests a form of singlet superconductivity with the electron spins locked onto the direction of Cr chains.« less

Vandenberg Air Force Base Upper Level Wind Launch Weather Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafer, Jaclyn A.; Wheeler, Mark M.

2012-01-01

The 30th Operational Support Squadron Weather Flight (30 OSSWF) provides comprehensive weather services to the space program at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. One of their responsibilities is to monitor upper-level winds to ensure safe launch operations of the Minuteman III ballistic missile. The 30 OSSWF tasked the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) to analyze VAFB sounding data with the goal of determining the probability of violating (PoV) their upper-level thresholds for wind speed and shear constraints specific to this launch vehicle, and to develop a tool that will calculate the PoV of each constraint on the day of launch. In order to calculate the probability of exceeding each constraint, the AMU collected and analyzed historical data from VAFB. The historical sounding data were retrieved from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory archive for the years 1994-2011 and then stratified into four sub-seasons: January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. The maximum wind speed and 1000-ft shear values for each sounding in each subseason were determined. To accurately calculate the PoV, the AMU determined the theoretical distributions that best fit the maximum wind speed and maximum shear datasets. Ultimately it was discovered that the maximum wind speeds follow a Gaussian distribution while the maximum shear values follow a lognormal distribution. These results were applied when calculating the averages and standard deviations needed for the historical and real-time PoV calculations. In addition to the requirements outlined in the original task plan, the AMU also included forecast sounding data from the Rapid Refresh model. This information provides further insight for the launch weather officers (LWOs) when determining if a wind constraint violation will occur over the next few hours on day of launch. The interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for this project was developed in Microsoft Excel using Visual Basic for Applications. The GUI displays the critical sounding data easily and quickly for the LWOs on day of launch. This tool will replace the existing one used by the 30 OSSWF, assist the LWOs in determining the probability of exceeding specific wind threshold values, and help to improve the overall upper winds forecast for the launch customer.

Airfoil shape for flight at subsonic speeds

DOEpatents

Whitcomb, Richard T.

1976-01-01

An airfoil having an upper surface shaped to control flow accelerations and pressure distribution over the upper surface and to prevent separation of the boundary layer due to shock wave formulation at high subsonic speeds well above the critical Mach number. A highly cambered trailing edge section improves overall airfoil lifting efficiency.

Critical values in hematology of 862 institutions in China.

PubMed

Ye, Y Y; Zhao, H J; Fei, Y; Wang, W; He, F L; Zhong, K; Yuan, S; Wang, Z G

2017-10-01

A national survey on critical values in hematology of China laboratories was conducted to determine the current practice and assess the quality indicators so as to obtain a quality improvement. Laboratories participating were asked to submit the general information, the practice of critical value reporting, and the status of timeliness of critical value reporting. A total of 862 laboratories submitted the results. The majority of participants have included white blood cell count, blood platelet count, hemoglobin, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time in their critical value lists. Many sources are used for establishing a critical value policy, and some of the laboratories consult with clinicians. The unreported critical value rate, late critical value reporting rate, and clinically unacknowledged rate in China are relatively low, and the median of critical value reporting time is 8-9 minutes. There exists a wide variety for critical value reporting in hematology in China. Laboratories should establish a policy of critical value reporting suited for their own situations and consult with clinicians to set critical value lists. Critical values are generally reported in a timely manner in China, but some measures should be taken to further improve the timeliness of critical value reporting. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consistent analytic approach to the efficiency of collisional Penrose process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, Tomohiro; Ogasawara, Kota; Miyamoto, Umpei

2016-07-01

We propose a consistent analytic approach to the efficiency of collisional Penrose process in the vicinity of a maximally rotating Kerr black hole. We focus on a collision with arbitrarily high center-of-mass energy, which occurs if either of the colliding particles has its angular momentum fine-tuned to the critical value to enter the horizon. We show that if the fine-tuned particle is ingoing on the collision, the upper limit of the efficiency is (2 +√{3 })(2 -√{2 })≃2.186 , while if the fine-tuned particle is bounced back before the collision, the upper limit is (2 +√{3 })2≃13.93 . Despite earlier claims, the former can be attained for inverse Compton scattering if the fine-tuned particle is massive and starts at rest at infinity, while the latter can be attained for various particle reactions, such as inverse Compton scattering and pair annihilation, if the fine-tuned particle is either massless or highly relativistic at infinity. We discuss the difference between the present and earlier analyses.

Comparison of the Effects of Walking with and without Nordic Pole on Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Muscle Activation.

PubMed

Shim, Je-Myung; Kwon, Hae-Yeon; Kim, Ha-Roo; Kim, Bo-In; Jung, Ju-Hyeon

2013-12-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nordic pole walking on the electromyographic activities of upper extremity and lower extremity muscles. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into two groups as follows: without Nordic pole walking group (n=13) and with Nordic pole walking group (n=13). The EMG data were collected by measurement while the subjects walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes by measuring from one heel strike to the next. [Results] Both the average values and maximum values of the muscle activity of the upper extremity increased in both the group that used Nordic poles and the group that did not use Nordic poles, and the values showed statistically significant differences. There was an increase in the average value for muscle activity of the latissimus dorsi, but the difference was not statistically significant, although there was a statistically significant increase in its maximum value. The average and maximum values for muscle activity of the lower extremity did not show large differences in either group, and the values did not show any statistically significant differences. [Conclusion] The use of Nordic poles by increased muscle activity of the upper extremity compared with regular walking but did not affect the lower extremity.

Comparison of the Effects of Walking with and without Nordic Pole on Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Muscle Activation

PubMed Central

Shim, Je-myung; Kwon, Hae-yeon; Kim, Ha-roo; Kim, Bo-in; Jung, Ju-hyeon

2014-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nordic pole walking on the electromyographic activities of upper extremity and lower extremity muscles. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into two groups as follows: without Nordic pole walking group (n=13) and with Nordic pole walking group (n=13). The EMG data were collected by measurement while the subjects walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes by measuring from one heel strike to the next. [Results] Both the average values and maximum values of the muscle activity of the upper extremity increased in both the group that used Nordic poles and the group that did not use Nordic poles, and the values showed statistically significant differences. There was an increase in the average value for muscle activity of the latissimus dorsi, but the difference was not statistically significant, although there was a statistically significant increase in its maximum value. The average and maximum values for muscle activity of the lower extremity did not show large differences in either group, and the values did not show any statistically significant differences. [Conclusion] The use of Nordic poles by increased muscle activity of the upper extremity compared with regular walking but did not affect the lower extremity. PMID:24409018

Effects of high-energy proton irradiation on the superconducting properties of Fe(Se,Te) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylva, G.; Bellingeri, E.; Ferdeghini, C.; Martinelli, A.; Pallecchi, I.; Pellegrino, L.; Putti, M.; Ghigo, G.; Gozzelino, L.; Torsello, D.; Grimaldi, G.; Leo, A.; Nigro, A.; Braccini, V.

2018-05-01

In this paper we explore the effects of 3.5 MeV proton irradiation on Fe(Se,Te) thin films grown on CaF2. In particular, we carry out an experimental investigation with different irradiation fluences up to 7.30 · 1016 cm‑2 and different proton implantation depths, in order to clarify whether and to what extent the critical current is enhanced or suppressed, what are the effects of irradiation on the critical temperature, resistivity, and critical magnetic fields, and finally what is the role played by the substrate in this context. We find that the effect of irradiation on superconducting properties is generally small compared to the case of other iron-based superconductors. The irradiation effect is more evident on the critical current density Jc, while it is minor on the transition temperature Tc, normal state resistivity ρ, and on the upper critical field Hc2 up to the highest fluences explored in this work. In more detail, our analysis shows that when protons implant in the substrate far from the superconducting film, the critical current can be enhanced up to 50% of the pristine value at 7 T and 12 K; meanwhile, there is no appreciable effect on critical temperature and critical fields together with a slight decrease in resistivity. On the contrary, when the implantation layer is closer to the film–substrate interface, both critical current and temperature show a decrease accompanied by an enhancement of the resistivity and lattice strain. This result evidences that possible modifications induced by irradiation in the substrate may affect the superconducting properties of the film via lattice strain. The robustness of the Fe(Se,Te) system to irradiation-induced damage makes it a promising compound for the fabrication of magnets in high-energy accelerators.

Regional rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrence using a centenary database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaz, Teresa; Luís Zêzere, José; Pereira, Susana; Cruz Oliveira, Sérgio; Quaresma, Ivânia

2017-04-01

Rainfall is one of the most important triggering factors for landslides occurrence worldwide. The relation between rainfall and landslide occurrence is complex and some approaches have been focus on the rainfall thresholds identification, i.e., rainfall critical values that when exceeded can initiate landslide activity. In line with these approaches, this work proposes and validates rainfall thresholds for the Lisbon region (Portugal), using a centenary landslide database associated with a centenary daily rainfall database. The main objectives of the work are the following: i) to compute antecedent rainfall thresholds using linear and potential regression; ii) to define lower limit and upper limit rainfall thresholds; iii) to estimate the probability of critical rainfall conditions associated with landslide events; and iv) to assess the thresholds performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) metrics. In this study we consider the DISASTER database, which lists landslides that caused fatalities, injuries, missing people, evacuated and homeless people occurred in Portugal from 1865 to 2010. The DISASTER database was carried out exploring several Portuguese daily and weekly newspapers. Using the same newspaper sources, the DISASTER database was recently updated to include also the landslides that did not caused any human damage, which were also considered for this study. The daily rainfall data were collected at the Lisboa-Geofísico meteorological station. This station was selected considering the quality and completeness of the rainfall data, with records that started in 1864. The methodology adopted included the computation, for each landslide event, of the cumulative antecedent rainfall for different durations (1 to 90 consecutive days). In a second step, for each combination of rainfall quantity-duration, the return period was estimated using the Gumbel probability distribution. The pair (quantity-duration) with the highest return period was considered as the critical rainfall combination responsible for triggering the landslide event. Only events whose critical rainfall combinations have a return period above 3 years were included. This criterion reduces the likelihood of been included events whose triggering factor was other than rainfall. The rainfall quantity-duration threshold for the Lisbon region was firstly defined using the linear and potential regression. Considering that this threshold allow the existence of false negatives (i.e. events below the threshold) it was also identified the lower limit and upper limit rainfall thresholds. These limits were defined empirically by establishing the quantity-durations combinations bellow which no landslides were recorded (lower limit) and the quantity-durations combinations above which only landslides were recorded without any false positive occurrence (upper limit). The zone between the lower limit and upper limit rainfall thresholds was analysed using a probabilistic approach, defining the uncertainties of each rainfall critical conditions in the triggering of landslides. Finally, the performances of the thresholds obtained in this study were assessed using ROC metrics. This work was supported by the project FORLAND - Hydrogeomorphologic risk in Portugal: driving forces and application for land use planning [grant number PTDC/ATPGEO/1660/2014] funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal. Sérgio Cruz Oliveira is a post-doc fellow of the FCT [grant number SFRH/BPD/85827/2012].

Identifying the values and preferences of prosthetic users: a case study series using the repertory grid technique.

PubMed

Schaffalitzky, Elisabeth; NiMhurchadha, Sinead; Gallagher, Pamela; Hofkamp, Susan; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Wegener, Stephen T

2009-06-01

The matching of prosthetic devices to the needs of the individual is a challenge for providers and patients. The aims of this study are to explore the values and preferences that prosthetic users have of their prosthetic devices; to investigate users' perceptions of alternative prosthetic options and to demonstrate a novel method for exploring the values and preferences of prosthetic users. This study describes four case studies of upper limb and lower limb high tech and conventional prosthetic users. Participants were interviewed using the repertory grid technique (RGT), a qualitative technique to explore individual values and preferences regarding specific choices and events. The participants generated distinctive patterns of personal constructs and ratings regarding prosthetic use and different prosthetic options available. The RGT produced a unique profile of preferences regarding prosthetic technologies for each participant. User choice is an important factor when matching prosthetic technology to the user. The consumer's values regarding different prosthetic options are likely to be a critical factor in prosthetic acceptance and ultimate quality of life. The RGT offers a structured method of exploring these attitudes and values without imposing researcher or practitioner bias and identifies personalized dimensions for providers and users to evaluate the individuals' preferences in prosthetic technology.

Annual Conference in Rhetorical Criticism: Commended Papers (6th, California State Univ., Hayward, May, 1972).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalip, Alice Grace, Ed.

At this 1972 conference, upper division and graduate students from nine western colleges submitted papers on the theory, history, and criticism of rhetoric. Three of them are published in this conference report, along with the principal address. In "Rhetorical Criticism as Argument," the principal address, Wayne Brockriede suggests that useful…

Conference in Rhetorical Criticism: Commended Papers, 1970 (5th, Hayward, California, May 9, 1970).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Doreen K. F., Ed.; And Others

At the fifth annual Cal-State Hayward Conference in Rhetorical Criticism, upper division and graduate students from 14 western colleges and universities presented papers on the theory, history, and criticism of rhetoric. Panels of faculty members from the same colleges and universities selected the three best papers for commendation and…

An antithetic variate to facilitate upper-stem height measurements for critical height sampling with importance sampling

Treesearch

Thomas B. Lynch; Jeffrey H. Gove

2013-01-01

Critical height sampling (CHS) estimates cubic volume per unit area by multiplying the sum of critical heights measured on trees tallied in a horizontal point sample (HPS) by the HPS basal area factor. One of the barriers to practical application of CHS is the fact that trees near the field location of the point-sampling sample point have critical heights that occur...

Frontal facial proportions of 12-year-old southern Chinese: a photogrammetric study.

PubMed

Yeung, Charles Yat Cheong; McGrath, Colman Patrick; Wong, Ricky Wing Kit; Hägg, Erik Urban Oskar; Lo, John; Yang, Yanqi

2015-08-14

This study aimed to establish norm values for facial proportion indices among 12-year-old southern Chinese children, to determine lower facial proportion, and to identify gender differences in facial proportions.A random population sample of 514 children was recruited. Fifteen facial landmarks were plotted with ImageJ (V1.45) on standardized photos and 22 Facial proportion index values were obtained. Gender differences were analyzed by 2-sample t-test with 95% confidence interval. Repeated measurements were conducted on approximately 10% of the cases.The rate of adopted subjects was 52.5% (270/514). Intraclass correlation coefficient values (ICC) for intra- examiner reliability were >0.87. Population facial proportion index values were derived. Gender differences in 11 of the facial proportion indices were evident (P < 0.05).Upper face-face height (N- Sto/ N- Gn), vermilion height (Ls-Sto/Sto-Li), upper face height-biocular width (N-Sto/ExR-ExL) and nose -face height (N-Sn/N-Gn) indices were found to be larger among girls (P < 0.01). Males had larger lower face-face height (Sn -Gn/ N-Gn), mandibulo-face height (Sto-Gn/N-Gn), mandibulo-upper face height (Sto-Gn/N-Sto), nasal (AlR-AlL/N-Sn), upper lip height-mouth width (Sn-Sto/ChR-ChL), upper lip-upper face height (Sn-Sto/N-Sto) and upper lip-nose height (Sn-Sto/N-Sn) indices (P < 0.05).Population norm of facial proportion indices for 12-year-old Southern Chinese were derived and mean lower facial proportion were obtained. Sexual dimorphism is apparent.

Assessing the dynamics of the upper soil layer relative to soil management practices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The upper layer of the soil is the critical interface between the soil and the atmosphere and is the most dynamic in response to management practices. One of the soil properties is the stability of the aggregates because this property controls infiltration of water and exchange of gases. An aggregat...

Substorm-associated large-scale magnetic field changes in the magnetotail: a prerequisite for magnetotail deflation events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, H.; Kamide, Y.

2003-04-01

An attempt is made to search for a critical condition in the lobe magnetic field to initiate large-scale magnetic field changes associated with substorm expansions. Using data from ISEE-1 for 1978, sudden decreases in the lobe magnetic field accompanied by magnetic field dipolarizations are identified. In this study, such events are designated as the magnetotail deflation. The magnetic field component parallel to the equatorial plane, BE , is normalized to a fixed geocentric distance, BEN , and is corrected for the compression effect of the solar wind dynamic pres-sure, BENC . It is shown that the BENC value just prior to a magnetotail deflation correlates well with the Dst index; BENC = 37.5 - 0.217 Dst0, where Dst0 denotes the Dst value corrected for the solar wind dynamic pressure. This regression function appears to delineate the upper limit of BENC values, when they are sorted by the Dst0 index. On the basis of this finding it is suggested that a prerequisite condition for magnetotail deflations must exist in the magnetosphere.

Buckling delamination of the circular sandwich plate with piezoelectric face and elastic core layers under rotationally symmetric external pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbarov, Surkay D.; Cafarova, Fazile I.; Yahnioglu, Nazmiye

2017-02-01

The axisymmetric buckling delamination of the piezoelectric circular sandwich plate with piezoelectric face and elastic (metal) core layers around the interface penny-shaped cracks is investigated. The case is considered where short-circuit conditions with respect to the electrical potential on the upper and lower and also lateral surfaces of face layers are satisfied. It is assumed that the edge surfaces of the cracks have an infinitesimal rotationally symmetric initial imperfection and the development of this imperfection with rotationally symmetric compressive forces acting on the lateral surface of the plate is studied by employing the exact geometrically non-linear field equations and relations of electro-elasticity for piezoelectric materials. Solution to the considered nonlinear problem is reduced to solution of the series boundary value problems derived by applying the linearization procedure with respect to small imperfection of the sought values. Numerical results reveal the effect of piezoelectricity as well as geometrical and material parameters on the critical values are determined numerically by employing finite element method (FEM).

Temperature Dependence of the Upper Critical Field in Disordered Hubbard Model with Attraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchinskii, E. Z.; Kuleeva, N. A.; Sadovskii, M. V.

2017-12-01

We study disorder effects upon the temperature behavior of the upper critical magnetic field in an attractive Hubbard model within the generalized DMFT+Σ approach. We consider the wide range of attraction potentials U—from the weak coupling limit, where superconductivity is described by BCS model, up to the strong coupling limit, where superconducting transition is related to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of compact Cooper pairs, formed at temperatures significantly higher than superconducting transition temperature, as well as the wide range of disorder—from weak to strong, when the system is in the vicinity of Anderson transition. The growth of coupling strength leads to the rapid growth of H c2( T), especially at low temperatures. In BEC limit and in the region of BCS-BEC crossover H c2( T), dependence becomes practically linear. Disordering also leads to the general growth of H c2( T). In BCS limit of weak coupling increasing disorder lead both to the growth of the slope of the upper critical field in the vicinity of the transition point and to the increase of H c2( T) in the low temperature region. In the limit of strong disorder in the vicinity of the Anderson transition localization corrections lead to the additional growth of H c2( T) at low temperatures, so that the H c2( T) dependence becomes concave. In BCS-BEC crossover region and in BEC limit disorder only slightly influences the slope of the upper critical field close to T c . However, in the low temperature region H c2 ( T may significantly grow with disorder in the vicinity of the Anderson transition, where localization corrections notably increase H c2 ( T = 0) also making H c2( T) dependence concave.

National survey on current situation of critical value reporting in 973 laboratories in China.

PubMed

Fei, Yang; Zhao, Haijian; Wang, Wei; He, Falin; Zhong, Kun; Yuan, Shuai; Wang, Zhiguo

2017-10-15

The aim of the study was to investigate the state-of-the-art of the performance of critical value reporting and provide recommendations for laboratories setting critical value reporting time frames. The National Centre for Clinical Laboratories in China initiated a critical value reporting investigation in 2015. A questionnaire related to critical value reporting policy was sent to 1589 clinical laboratories in China online. The questionnaire consisted of a set of questions related to critical value reporting policy and a set of questions related to timeliness of critical value reporting. The survey data were collected between March and April 2015. A total survey response rate was 61.2%. The critical value unreported rate, unreported timely rate, and clinical unacknowledged rate of more than half of participants were all 0.0%. More than 75.0% of participants could report half of critical values to clinicians within 20 minutes and could report 90.0% of critical values to clinicians within 25 minutes (from result validation to result communication to the clinician). The median of target critical value reporting time was 15 minutes. "Reporting omission caused by laboratory staff", "communications equipment failure to connect", and "uncompleted application form without contact information of clinician" were the three major reasons for unreported critical value. The majority of laboratories can report critical values to responsible clinical staff within 25 minutes. Thus, this value could be recommended as suitable critical value reporting time frame for biochemistry laboratories in China. However, careful monitoring of the complete reporting process and improvement of information systems should ensure further improvement of critical value reporting timeliness.

Critical loads of nitrogen deposition and critical levels of atmospheric ammonia for mediterranean evergreen woodlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinho, P.; Theobald, M. R.; Dias, T.; Tang, Y. S.; Cruz, C.; Martins-Loução, M. A.; Máguas, C.; Sutton, M.; Branquinho, C.

2011-11-01

Nitrogen (N) has emerged in recent years as a key factor associated with global changes, with impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems functioning and human health. In order to ameliorate the effects of excessive N, safety thresholds have been established, such as critical loads (deposition fluxes) and levels (concentrations). For Mediterranean ecosystems, few studies have been carried out to assess these parameters. Our objective was therefore to determine the critical loads of N deposition and long-term critical levels of atmospheric ammonia for Mediterranean evergreen woodlands. For that we have considered changes in epiphytic lichen communities, which have been shown to be one of the most sensitive to excessive N. Based on a classification of lichen species according to their tolerance to N we grouped species into response functional groups, which we used as a tool to determine the critical loads and levels. This was done under Mediterranean climate, in evergreen cork-oak woodlands, by sampling lichen functional diversity and annual atmospheric ammonia concentrations and modelling N deposition downwind from a reduced N source (a cattle barn). By modelling the highly significant relationship between lichen functional groups and N deposition, the critical load was estimated to be below 26 kg (N) ha-1 yr-1, which is within the upper range established for other semi-natural ecosystems. By modelling the highly significant relationship of lichen functional groups with annual atmospheric ammonia concentration, the critical level was estimated to be below 1.9 μg m-3, in agreement with recent studies for other ecosystems. Taking into account the high sensitivity of lichen communities to excessive N, these values should be taken into account in policies that aim at protecting Mediterranean woodlands from the initial effects of excessive N.

The Status of National Values in the Books of Social Studies for the Grades of the Upper Primary Stage in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subheyyin, Eid H.; Mawajdeh, Baker S.; Talhouni, Mansour H.; Rfou', Mohammad O.

2017-01-01

This study aimed at determining the most important national values that should be included in the textbooks of social studies for the upper-primary stage grades in Jordan; and then identifying the degree of their inclusion in those books. The study used a descriptive-analytical approach. A study tool which includes twelve national values was…

The Combined Effect of Mere Exposure, Counterattitudinal Advocacy, and Art Criticism Methodology on Upper Elementary and Junior High Students' Affect Toward Art Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Patricia

1983-01-01

Results indicated that, for elementary students, art criticism was more effective than a combination of methodologies for developing positive affect toward art works. For junior high students, the combination methodology was more effective than art criticism, the exposure method, or the counterattitudinal advocacy method. (Author/SR)

Microseismicity Induced by Fluid Pressure Drop (Laboratory Study)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turuntaev, Sergey; Zenchenko, Evgeny; Melchaeva, Olga

2013-04-01

Pore pressure change in saturated porous rocks may result in its fracturing (Maury et Fourmaintraux, 1993) and corresponding microseismic event occurrences. Microseismicity due to fluid injection is considered in numerous papers (Maxwell, 2010, Shapiro et al., 2005). Another type of the porous medium fracturing is related with rapid pore pressure drop at some boundary. The mechanism of such fracturing was considered by (Khristianovich, 1985) as a model of sudden coal blowing and by (Alidibirov, Panov, 1998) as a model of volcano eruptions. If the porous saturated medium has a boundary where it directly contacted with fluid under the high pressure (in a hydraulic fracture or in a borehole), and the pressure at that boundary is dropped, the conditions for tensile cracks can be achieved at some distance from the boundary. In the paper, the results of experimental study of saturated porous sample fracturing due to pore pressure rapid drop are discussed. The samples (82 mm high, ∅60 mm) were made of quartz sand, which was cemented by "liquid glass" glue with mass fraction 1%. The sample (porosity 35%, uniaxial unconfined compression strength 2.5 MPa) was placed in a mould and saturated by oil. The upper end of the sample contacted with the mould upper lid, the lower end contacted with fluid. The fluid pressure was increased to 10 MPa and then discharged through the bottom nipple. The pressure increases/drops were repeated 30-50 times. Pore pressure and acoustic emission (AE) were registered by transducers mounted into upper and bottom lids of the mould. It was found, that AE sources (corresponded to microfracturing) were spreading from the open end to the closed end of the sample, and that maximal number of AE events was registered at some distance from the opened end. The number of AE pulses increased with every next pressure drop, meanwhile the number of pulses with high amplitudes diminished. It was found that AE maximal rate corresponded to the fluid pressure gradient maximal values. The model of AE relation with the pore pressure gradient was considered based on the following assumptions: AE event occurred when the pore pressure gradient reaches some critical value; the critical value varies and can be described by Weibull distribution. Permeability variation during the fluid pressure drop was estimated by means of fluid pressure data and pore-elastic equation solution for small time intervals (0.01 sec). The study showed possibility to solve both a direct problem of microseismicity variation relation with fluid pressure changes and an inverse problem of defining permeability by registering microseismic activity variation in particular volume of porous medium alongside with pore pressure measurements at some point.

Proton pump inhibitors versus histamine 2 receptor antagonists for stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Alhazzani, Waleed; Alenezi, Farhan; Jaeschke, Roman Z; Moayyedi, Paul; Cook, Deborah J

2013-03-01

Critically ill patients may develop bleeding caused by stress ulceration. Acid suppression is commonly prescribed for patients at risk of stress ulcer bleeding. Whether proton pump inhibitors are more effective than histamine 2 receptor antagonists is unclear. To determine the efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitors vs. histamine 2 receptor antagonists for the prevention of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the ICU. We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ACPJC, CINHAL, online trials registries (clinicaltrials.gov, ISRCTN Register, WHO ICTRP), conference proceedings databases, and reference lists of relevant articles. Randomized controlled parallel group trials comparing proton pump inhibitors to histamine 2 receptor antagonists for the prevention of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill patients, published before March 2012. Two reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed quality, and extracted data. The primary outcomes were clinically important upper gastrointestinal bleeding and overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding; secondary outcomes were nosocomial pneumonia, ICU mortality, ICU length of stay, and Clostridium difficile infection. Trial authors were contacted for additional or clarifying information. Fourteen trials enrolling a total of 1,720 patients were included. Proton pump inhibitors were more effective than histamine 2 receptor antagonists at reducing clinically important upper gastrointestinal bleeding (relative risk 0.36; 95% confidence interval 0.19-0.68; p = 0.002; I = 0%) and overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding (relative risk 0.35; 95% confidence interval 0.21-0.59; p < 0.0001; I = 15%). There were no differences between proton pump inhibitors and histamine 2 receptor antagonists in the risk of nosocomial pneumonia (relative risk 1.06; 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.52; p = 0.76; I = 0%), ICU mortality (relative risk 1.01; 95% confidence interval 0.83-1.24; p = 0.91; I = 0%), or ICU length of stay (mean difference -0.54 days; 95% confidence interval -2.20 to 1.13; p = 0.53; I = 39%). No trials reported on C. difficile infection. In critically ill patients, proton pump inhibitors seem to be more effective than histamine 2 receptor antagonists in preventing clinically important and overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The robustness of this conclusion is limited by the trial methodology, differences between lower and higher quality trials, sparse data, and possible publication bias. We observed no differences between drugs in the risk of pneumonia, death, or ICU length of stay.

Accuracy of upper gastrointestinal swallow study in identifying strictures after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery.

PubMed

Daylami, Rouzbeh; Rogers, Ann M; King, Tonya S; Haluck, Randy S; Shope, Timothy R

2008-01-01

Stricture at the gastrojejunal anastomosis after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a significant sequela that often requires intervention. The diagnosis of stricture is usually established by a recognized constellation of symptoms, followed by contrast radiography or endoscopy. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the accuracy of contrast swallow studies in excluding the diagnosis of gastrojejunal stricture. A retrospective analysis of the charts of 119 patients who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, representing 41 upper gastrointestinal (GI) swallow studies, was conducted. Of those patients who underwent GI swallow studies, 30 then underwent definitive upper endoscopy to confirm or rule out stricture. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of the swallow studies were calculated. Of the 30 patients who underwent upper endoscopic examination for symptoms of stricture after laparoscopic gastric bypass, 20 were confirmed to have a stricture. The sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of the upper GI swallow study in this group was 55%, 100%, and 53%, respectively. The demographics of the patients with strictures were similar to those of the study group as a whole. The results of our study have shown that a positive upper GI swallow study is 100% specific for the presence of stricture. However, the sensitivity and negative predictive value of upper GI swallow studies were poor, making this modality unsatisfactory in definitively excluding the diagnosis of gastrojejunal stricture.

[Amyotrophy and neuronal depopulation of cerebral origin].

PubMed

Serratrice, G; Gastaut, J L; Pellissier, J F; Baret, J; Roux, H; Cartouzou, G

1975-03-01

Amyotrophy of cerebral origin was analyzed in 12 hemiplegics by means of comparative histological, histoenzymological, histographic and biochemical analysis of biopsies carried out in symmetrical zones. In the 6 cases in which atrophy predominated on the paralyzed side, it occurred early, the deficiency affecting the upper limb in particular and the sensory disturbance being irregular. Attempted numeration of the motor units remaining, according to the "incremential" method of stimulation, suggests a numerical reduction on the hemipelgic side. Despite reservations and general criticisms of this method, its comparative value, although approximate, must be acknowledged. However, although amyotrophy presumes a transsynaptic change in trophic function to have taken place in the peripheral neurone, neuronal depopulation--if one accepts it--cannot be other than functional.

Nonmonotonic pressure evolution of the upper critical field in superconducting FeSe

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

Kaluarachchi, Udhara S.; Taufour, Valentin; Böhmer, Anna E.

2016-02-01

The pressure dependence of the upper critical field, H c2,c, of single crystalline FeSe was studied using measurements of the interplane resistivity, ρ c, in magnetic fields parallel to tetragonal c axis. H c2,c(T) curves obtained under hydrostatic pressures up to 1.56 GPa, the range over which the superconducting transition temperature, T c, of FeSe exhibits a nonmonotonic dependence with local maximum at p 1 ≈ 0.8 GPa and local minimum at p 2 ≈ 1.2 GPa. The slope of the upper critical field at T c,(dH c2,c/dT)T c, also exhibits a nonmonotonic pressure dependence with distinct changes at pmore » 1 and p 2. For p < p 1 the slope can be described within a multiband orbital model. For both p 1 < p < p 2 and p > p 2 the slope is in good semiquantitative agreement with a single band, orbital Helfand-Werthamer theory with Fermi velocities determined from Shubnikov–de Haas measurements. Lastly, this finding indicates that Fermi surface changes are responsible for the local minimum of T c(p) at p 2 ≈ 1.2 GPa.« less

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Nitrification Rates in Forested Floodplain Wetland Soils of Upper Mississippi River Pool 8, Journal Article

EPA Science Inventory

Overbank flooding is thought to be a critical process controlling nitrogen retention and cycling. In this study we investigated the effects of season and flood frequency on soil nitrification rates at ten sites in forested floodplains of Upper Mississippi River, Pool 8...A rough ...

Large-cell renormalisation and systems of dimensionality larger than the upper marginal dimension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakanishi, H.

1984-01-01

A recent argument dismissing the applicability of large-cell renormalization schemes to systems whose dimensionality is larger than the upper marginal dimension is critically discussed. In this connection, new large-cell renormalization results for the random walk for a dimensionality of 3 and 4 are presented which indicate convergence to the correct results.

NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Science.gov Websites

Thunderstorm/Tornado Watches Mesoscale Discussions Convective Outlooks Thunderstorm Outlook Fire Weather Analysis Sounding Climatology Upper-Air Maps HREF HRRR Browser SREF SREF Plumes Fire Weather Composite Maps Convective Outlook. Critical fire weather conditions are forecast today. See details... Critical fire weather

Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Discrete-Time Zero-Sum Games.

PubMed

Wei, Qinglai; Liu, Derong; Lin, Qiao; Song, Ruizhuo

2018-04-01

In this paper, a novel adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm, called "iterative zero-sum ADP algorithm," is developed to solve infinite-horizon discrete-time two-player zero-sum games of nonlinear systems. The present iterative zero-sum ADP algorithm permits arbitrary positive semidefinite functions to initialize the upper and lower iterations. A novel convergence analysis is developed to guarantee the upper and lower iterative value functions to converge to the upper and lower optimums, respectively. When the saddle-point equilibrium exists, it is emphasized that both the upper and lower iterative value functions are proved to converge to the optimal solution of the zero-sum game, where the existence criteria of the saddle-point equilibrium are not required. If the saddle-point equilibrium does not exist, the upper and lower optimal performance index functions are obtained, respectively, where the upper and lower performance index functions are proved to be not equivalent. Finally, simulation results and comparisons are shown to illustrate the performance of the present method.

Inner core boundary topography explored with reflected and diffracted P waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

deSilva, Susini; Cormier, Vernon F.; Zheng, Yingcai

2018-03-01

The existence of topography of the inner core boundary (ICB) can affect the amplitude, phase, and coda of body waves incident on the inner core. By applying pseudospectral and boundary element methods to synthesize compressional waves interacting with the ICB, these effects are predicted and compared with waveform observations in pre-critical, critical, post-critical, and diffraction ranges of the PKiKP wave reflected from the ICB. These data sample overlapping regions of the inner core beneath the circum-Pacific belt and the Eurasian, North American, and Australian continents, but exclude large areas beneath the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the poles. In the pre-critical range, PKiKP waveforms require an upper bound of 2 km at 1-20 km wavelength for any ICB topography. Higher topography sharply reduces PKiKP amplitude and produces time-extended coda not observed in PKiKP waveforms. The existence of topography of this scale smooths over minima and zeros in the pre-critical ICB reflection coefficient predicted from standard earth models. In the range surrounding critical incidence (108-130 °), this upper bound of topography does not strongly affect the amplitude and waveform behavior of PKIKP + PKiKP at 1.5 Hz, which is relatively insensitive to 10-20 km wavelength topography height approaching 5 km. These data, however, have a strong overlap in the regions of the ICB sampled by pre-critical PKiKP that require a 2 km upper bound to topography height. In the diffracted range (>152°), topography as high as 5 km attenuates the peak amplitudes of PKIKP and PKPCdiff by similar amounts, leaving the PKPCdiff/PKIKP amplitude ratio unchanged from that predicted by a smooth ICB. The observed decay of PKPCdiff into the inner core shadow and the PKIKP-PKPCdiff differential travel time are consistent with a flattening of the outer core P velocity gradient near the ICB and iron enrichment at the bottom of the outer core.

The linear stability of vertical mixture seepage into the close porous filter with clogging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryshev, Boris S.

2017-02-01

In the present paper, filtration of a mixture through a close porous filter is considered. A heavy solute penetrates from the upper side of the filter into the filter body due to seepage flow and diffusion. In the presence of heavy solute a domain with a heavy fluid is formed near the upper boundary of the filter. The stratification, at which the heavy fluid is located above the light, is unstable. When the mass of the heavy solute exceeds the critical value, one can observe the onset of instability. As a result, two regimes of vertical filtration can occur: (1) homogeneous seepage and (2) convective filtration. Filtration of a mixture in porous media is a complex process. It is necessary to take into account the solute immobilization (or sorption) and clogging of porous medium. We consider the case of low solute concentrations, in which the immobilization is described by the linear MIM (mobile/immobile media) model. The clogging is described by the dependence of permeability on porosity in terms of the Carman-Kozeny formula. The presence of immobile (or adsorbed) particles of the solute decreases the porosity of media and porous media becomes less permeable. The purpose of the paper is to find the stability conditions for the homogeneous vertical seepage of the mixture into the close porous filter. The linear stability problem is solved using the quasi-static approach. The critical times of instability are estimated. The stability maps have been plotted in the space of system parameters. The applicability of quasi-static approach is substantiated by direct numerical simulation.

Feasibility of estimate sediment yield in the non-sediment monitoring station area - A case study of Alishan River watershed,Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, ChiaChi; Chan, HsunChuan; Jia, YaFei; Zhang, YaoXin

2017-04-01

Due to the steep topography, frail geology and concentrated rainfall in wet season, slope disaster occurred frequently in Taiwan. In addition, heavy rainfall induced landslides in upper watersheds. The sediment yield on the slopeland affects the sediment transport in the river. Sediment deposits on the river bed reduce the river cross section and change the flow direction. Furthermore, it generates risks to residents' lives and property in the downstream. The Taiwanese government has been devoting increasing efforts on the sedimentary management issues and on reduction in disaster occurrence. However, due to the limited information on the environmental conditions in the upper stream, it is difficult to set up the sedimentary monitoring equipment. This study used the upper stream of the Qingshuei River, the Alishan River, as a study area. In August 2009, Typhoon Morakot caused the sedimentation of midstream and downstream river courses in the Alishan River. Because there is no any sediment monitoring stations within the Alishan River watershed, the sediment yield values are hard to determine. The objective of this study is to establish a method to analyze the event-landslide sediment transport in the river on the upper watershed. This study numerically investigated the sediment transport in the Alishan River by using the KINEROS 2 model developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the CCHE1D model developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering. The simulated results represent the morphology changes in the Alishan River during the typhoon events. The results consist of a critical strategy reference for the sedimentary management for the Alishan River watershed.

Phytase in non-ruminant animal nutrition: a critical review on phytase activities in the gastrointestinal tract and influencing factors

PubMed Central

Dersjant-Li, Yueming; Awati, Ajay; Schulze, Hagen; Partridge, Gary

2015-01-01

This review focuses on phytase functionality in the digestive tract of farmed non-ruminant animals and the factors influencing in vivo phytase enzyme activity. In pigs, feed phytase is mainly active in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine, and added phytase activity is not recovered in the ileum. In poultry, feed phytase activities are mainly found in the upper part of the digestive tract, including the crop, proventriculus and gizzard. For fish with a stomach, phytase activities are mainly in the stomach. Many factors can influence the efficiency of feed phytase in the gastrointestinal tract, and they can be divided into three main groups: (i) phytase related; (ii) dietary related and (iii) animal related. Phytase-related factors include type of phytase (e.g. 3- or 6-phytase; bacterial or fungal phytase origin), the pH optimum and the resistance of phytase to endogenous protease. Dietary-related factors are mainly associated with dietary phytate content, feed ingredient composition and feed processing, and total P, Ca and Na content. Animal-related factors include species, gender and age of animals. To eliminate the antinutritional effects of phytate (IP6), it needs to be hydrolyzed as quickly as possible by phytase in the upper part of the digestive tract. A phytase that works over a wide range of pH values and is active in the stomach and upper intestine (along with several other characteristics and in addition to being refractory to endogenous enzymes) would be ideal. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. PMID:25382707

Phytase in non-ruminant animal nutrition: a critical review on phytase activities in the gastrointestinal tract and influencing factors.

PubMed

Dersjant-Li, Yueming; Awati, Ajay; Schulze, Hagen; Partridge, Gary

2015-03-30

This review focuses on phytase functionality in the digestive tract of farmed non-ruminant animals and the factors influencing in vivo phytase enzyme activity. In pigs, feed phytase is mainly active in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine, and added phytase activity is not recovered in the ileum. In poultry, feed phytase activities are mainly found in the upper part of the digestive tract, including the crop, proventriculus and gizzard. For fish with a stomach, phytase activities are mainly in the stomach. Many factors can influence the efficiency of feed phytase in the gastrointestinal tract, and they can be divided into three main groups: (i) phytase related; (ii) dietary related and (iii) animal related. Phytase-related factors include type of phytase (e.g. 3- or 6-phytase; bacterial or fungal phytase origin), the pH optimum and the resistance of phytase to endogenous protease. Dietary-related factors are mainly associated with dietary phytate content, feed ingredient composition and feed processing, and total P, Ca and Na content. Animal-related factors include species, gender and age of animals. To eliminate the antinutritional effects of phytate (IP6), it needs to be hydrolyzed as quickly as possible by phytase in the upper part of the digestive tract. A phytase that works over a wide range of pH values and is active in the stomach and upper intestine (along with several other characteristics and in addition to being refractory to endogenous enzymes) would be ideal. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Analysis of the characteristics and management of critical values in a newborn tertiary center in China.

PubMed

Wang, Zheng-Li; Du, Li-Zhong; Chen, Yi-Yu; Li, Lu-Quan; Lu, Qi; Liu, Ying; Cao, Lu-Ying; He, Yu; Yu, Jia-Lin

2017-02-01

Critical value reporting has been widely adopted by hospitals throughout the world, but there were few reports about neonatal critical values. This study aimed to analyze characteristics of the neonatal critical values considered at our center and to provide information on improving neonatal intensive care. A retrospective study of critical values at a newborn tertiary center in China was conducted to assess neonatal critical values according to test, distribution, reporting time, patient outcome and the impact to the therapy. In total, 926 critical values were recorded. Overall, 66.52% (616/926) of the items were reported within 24 hours of admission, 50.28% (465/926) during duty times and 54.75% (507/926) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The routine coagulation test was the most frequent source of critical values. Electrocardiography, blood gas analysis and therapeutic drug monitoring of drug levels were associated with the highest rates of treatment intervention (100%); routine coagulation tests were the lowest (23.14%). Sample quality was the main cause of false-positive critical values. The incidence of neonatal critical values peaked during the first 24 hours post-admission and during duty periods. Each newborn center needs to enact rapid treatment guidelines to address common critical values in order to facilitate clinical interventions. Periodically reviewing critical values could help to optimize clinical practices.

Using Hashimoto thyroiditis as gold standard to determine the upper limit value of thyroid stimulating hormone in a Chinese cohort.

PubMed

Li, Yu; Chen, Dong-Ning; Cui, Jing; Xin, Zhong; Yang, Guang-Ran; Niu, Ming-Jia; Yang, Jin-Kui

2016-11-06

Subclinical hypothyroidism, commonly caused by Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This disorder is defined as merely having elevated serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. However, the upper limit of reference range for TSH is debated recently. This study was to determine the cutoff value for the upper normal limit of TSH in a cohort using the prevalence of Hashimoto thyroiditis as "gold" calibration standard. The research population was medical staff of 2856 individuals who took part in health examination annually. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), TSH, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) and other biochemistry parameters were tested. Meanwhile, thyroid ultrasound examination was performed. The diagnosis of HT was based on presence of thyroid antibodies (TPAb and TGAb) and abnormalities of thyroid ultrasound examination. We used two different methods to estimate the cutoff point of TSH based on the prevalence of HT. Joinpoint regression showed the prevalence of HT increased significantly at the ninth decile of TSH value corresponding to 2.9 mU/L. ROC curve showed a TSH cutoff value of 2.6 mU/L with the maximized sensitivity and specificity in identifying HT. Using the newly defined cutoff value of TSH can detect patients with hyperlipidemia more efficiently, which may indicate our approach to define the upper limit of TSH can make more sense from the clinical point of view. A significant increase in the prevalence of HT occurred among individuals with a TSH of 2.6-2.9 mU/L made it possible to determine the cutoff value of normal upper limit of TSH.

In/Visible Dimensions: Framing the Intercultural Communication Course through a Critical Intercultural Communication Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halualani, Rona Tamiko

2011-01-01

This article highlights how course material on "culture" and "intercultural communication" faces a distinctive challenge in crafting an engaged power-focused positionality for students. I discuss the importance of incorporating a "critical intercultural communication perspective and practice" into an upper-division diversity/intercultural…

Cases on Critical and Qualitative Perspectives in Online Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orleans, Myron, Ed.

2014-01-01

Online education continues to permeate mainstream teaching techniques in higher education settings. Teaching upper-level classes in an online setting is having a major impact on education as a whole and is fundamentally altering global learning. "Cases on Critical and Qualitative Perspectives in Online Higher Education" offers a…

Responses to Comments

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-01

34, New Phytology ., Vol. 79, pp 95-106. Davis, R. D., and P. H. T. Beckett. 1978. "Upper Critical Levels of Toxic Elements in Plants. II. Critical...Levels of Copper in Young Barley, Wheat, Rape, Lettuce, and Ryegrass, and of Nickel and Zinc in Young Barley and Ryegrass", New Phytology , Vol. 80, pp 23

Global soil-climate-biome diagram: linking soil properties to climate and biota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, X.; Yang, Y.; Fang, J.

2017-12-01

As a critical component of the Earth system, soils interact strongly with both climate and biota and provide fundamental ecosystem services that maintain food, climate, and human security. Despite significant progress in digital soil mapping techniques and the rapidly growing quantity of observed soil information, quantitative linkages between soil properties, climate and biota at the global scale remain unclear. By compiling a large global soil database, we mapped seven major soil properties (bulk density [BD]; sand, silt and clay fractions; soil pH; soil organic carbon [SOC] density [SOCD]; and soil total nitrogen [STN] density [STND]) based on machine learning algorithms (regional random forest [RF] model) and quantitatively assessed the linkage between soil properties, climate and biota at the global scale. Our results demonstrated a global soil-climate-biome diagram, which improves our understanding of the strong correspondence between soils, climate and biomes. Soil pH decreased with greater mean annual precipitation (MAP) and lower mean annual temperature (MAT), and the critical MAP for the transition from alkaline to acidic soil pH decreased with decreasing MAT. Specifically, the critical MAP ranged from 400-500 mm when the MAT exceeded 10 °C but could decrease to 50-100 mm when the MAT was approximately 0 °C. SOCD and STND were tightly linked; both increased in accordance with lower MAT and higher MAP across terrestrial biomes. Global stocks of SOC and STN were estimated to be 788 ± 39.4 Pg (1015 g, or billion tons) and 63 ± 3.3 Pg in the upper 30-cm soil layer, respectively, but these values increased to 1654 ± 94.5 Pg and 133 ± 7.8 Pg in the upper 100-cm soil layer, respectively. These results reveal quantitative linkages between soil properties, climate and biota at the global scale, suggesting co-evolution of the soil, climate and biota under conditions of global environmental change.

Exact coherent structures in an asymptotically reduced description of parallel shear flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaume, Cédric; Knobloch, Edgar; Chini, Gregory P.; Julien, Keith

2015-02-01

A reduced description of shear flows motivated by the Reynolds number scaling of lower-branch exact coherent states in plane Couette flow (Wang J, Gibson J and Waleffe F 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 204501) is constructed. Exact time-independent nonlinear solutions of the reduced equations corresponding to both lower and upper branch states are found for a sinusoidal, body-forced shear flow. The lower branch solution is characterized by fluctuations that vary slowly along the critical layer while the upper branch solutions display a bimodal structure and are more strongly focused on the critical layer. The reduced equations provide a rational framework for investigations of subcritical spatiotemporal patterns in parallel shear flows.

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

Zhuang, J. C.; Li, Z.; Xu, X.

We present a detailed investigation on the doping dependence of the upper critical field H{sub c2}(T) of FeSe{sub x}Te{sub 1−x} thin films (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.90) by measuring the electrical resistivity as a function of magnetic field. The H{sub c2}(T) curves exhibit a downturn behavior with decreasing temperature in all the samples, owing to the Pauli-limited effect (spin paramagnetic effect). The Pauli-limited effect on the upper critical field can be monotonically modulated by variation of the Se/Te composition. Our results show that Te-doping induced disorder and excess Fe atoms give rise to enhancement of the Pauli-limited effect.

Upper Elementary Students' Motivation to Read Fiction and Nonfiction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Allison Ward; Parsons, Seth A.; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.; Gambrell, Linda B.; Marinak, Barbara A.; Reutzel, D. Ray; Applegate, Mary D.; Applegate, Anthony J.; Fawson, Parker C.

2018-01-01

This research explores upper elementary students' motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Using expectancy-value theory, the researchers developed separate surveys to measure motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Researchers administered surveys to 1,104 upper elementary students (grades 3-6) in multiple locations across the United States…

Superconducting properties of NbN film, bridge and meanders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Lalit M.; Verma, Apoorva; Gupta, Anurag; Rout, P. K.; Husale, Sudhir; Budhani, R. C.

2018-05-01

The transport properties of superconducting NbN nanostructures in the form of thin film, bridge of width (w) = 50 μm and three meanders of w = 500, 250 and 100 nm have been investigated by resistance (R) measurements in temperature (T) range = 2 -300 K and magnetic field (B) range = 0 - 7 Tesla. The nanostructuring was carried out using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) milling. Reduction of sample width results in significant changes in the normal and superconducting state properties. For instance, the observed metallic behavior in the thin film sample is lost and the normal state resistance increases drastically from 2.4 Ω to 418 kΩ for the 100 nm meander. In the superconducting state, the value of critical temperature Tc (upper critical field Bc2 at T = 0 K) reduces gradually with width reduction, it changes from 13.15 K (42.8 Tesla) in the case of thin film sample to 5.7 K (12.7 Tesla) for the 100 nm meander sample. The superconducting transitions are found to get broader for the bridge sample and the meanders additionally show low-temperature resistive tails. In case of all the samples with reduced width, the transition onsets are found to be rounded at surprisingly high values of T ˜ 25 K >> Tc. These results are discussed in terms of the possible effects of FIB processing and weak localization in our samples.

Assessment of upper airway mechanics during sleep.

PubMed

Farré, Ramon; Montserrat, Josep M; Navajas, Daniel

2008-11-30

Obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most prevalent sleep breathing disorder, is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse and reopening. However, the mechanical properties of the upper airway are not directly measured in routine polysomnography because only qualitative sensors (thermistors for flow and thoraco-abdominal bands for pressure) are used. This review focuses on two techniques that quantify upper airway obstruction during sleep. A Starling model of collapsible conduit allows us to interpret the mechanics of the upper airway by means of two parameters: the critical pressure (Pcrit) and the upstream resistance (Rup). A simple technique to measure Pcrit and Rup involves the application of different levels of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during sleep. The forced oscillation technique is another non-invasive procedure for quantifying upper airway impedance during the breathing cycle in sleep studies. The latest developments in these two methods allow them to be easily applied on a routine basis in order to more fully characterize upper airway mechanics in patients with sleep breathing disorders.

Choices and Changes: Eccles' Expectancy-Value Model and Upper-Secondary School Students' Longitudinal Reflections about Their Choice of a STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lykkegaard, Eva; Ulriksen, Lars

2016-01-01

During the past 30 years, Eccles' comprehensive social-psychological Expectancy-Value Model of Motivated Behavioural Choices (EV-MBC model) has been proven suitable for studying educational choices related to Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics (STEM). The reflections of 15 students in their last year in upper-secondary school…

Forage yield and nutritive value of turf bermudagrasses managed to simulate a horse pasture management scheme in the U.S. Upper Transition Zone

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Turf-type bermudagrasses [Cynodon dactylon (Pers.) L.] with improved cold tolerance could have potential use in horse pastures of the U.S. upper south for minimizing the damage to grass stands in these pastures from heavy trampling; however, the nutritive values of these bermudagrasses are not known...

Geologic Controls on Geophysics for Tunnel Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, J. R.; Wakeley, L. D.; McKenna, J. R.; Ketcham, S. A.; Weiss, C. A.; Curtis, J. O.

2006-05-01

Properties of soils are critical to using near-surface geophysical techniques to search for clandestine tunnels. We have constructed a database of soils sampled at sites on the northern (N) and southern (S) US borders and at sites in Iraq in conjunction with tunnel searches. Geologic materials at these sites consist of glacial gravels (N), volcanic tuff (S), and alluvial sands interbedded with marine clays (Iraq). The depth of interest for detecting clandestine tunneling is < 30m, and as shallow as 2m at some locations. Mineral composition, grain size, moisture content, conductivity, permittivity, and magnetic susceptibility are critical for assessing the effectiveness of near-surface geophysical techniques. Values for these properties are consistent with soil stratigraphy and with vertical and lateral geologic variability. In some environments, in situ moisture content and the arrangement of conductive and resistive materials in the upper few meters limit significantly the depth of investigation using traditional near-surface techniques (electromagnetic induction, ground-penetrating radar). Geologic factors plus the small physical size of the targets limit the usefulness of commercial off-the-shelf techniques, and warrant an investment in new approaches.

Superconductivity in the system Mo{sub x}C{sub y}Ga{sub z}O{sub δ} prepared by focused ion beam induced deposition

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

Weirich, P. M., E-mail: p.weirich@Physik.uni-frankfurt.de; Schwalb, C. H.; Winhold, M.

2014-05-07

We have prepared the new amorphous superconductor Mo{sub x}C{sub y}Ga{sub z}O{sub δ} with a maximum critical temperature T{sub c} of 3.8 K by the direct-write nano-patterning technique of focused (gallium) ion beam induced deposition (FIBID) using Mo(CO){sub 6} as precursor gas. From a detailed analysis of the temperature-dependent resistivity and the upper critical field, we found clear evidence for proximity of the samples to a disorder-induced metal-insulator transition. We observed a strong dependence of T{sub c} on the deposition parameters and identified clear correlations between T{sub c}, the localization tendency visible in the resistance data and the sample composition. By anmore » in-situ feedback-controlled optimization process in the FIB-induced growth, we were able to identify the beam parameters which lead to samples with the largest T{sub c}-value and sharpest transition into the superconducting state.« less

Meniscus Stability in Rotating Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichel, Yvonne; Dreyer, Michael

2013-11-01

In this study, the stability of free surfaces of fluid between two rotating coaxial, circular disks is examined. Radially mounted baffles are used to form menisci of equal size. To the center of the upper disk, a tube is connected in which a separate meniscus is formed. Assuming solid-body rotation and ignoring dynamic effects, it is observed that the free surfaces between the disks fail to remain stable once the rotation speed exceeds a critical value. In other words, Rayleigh-Taylor instability ensues when the capillary forces fail to balance centrifugal forces. Dimensionless critical rotation speeds are studied by means of the Surface Evolver via SE-FIT for varied number of baffles, the normalized distance between the disks, and the normalized central tube radius. Drop tower tests are performed to confirm some of the numerical results. The computation also reveals that there are different modes of instability as a function of the relevant parameters. This study was funded by the space agency of the German Aerospace Center with resources of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag under grant number 50 RL 1320.

Instability of a cantilevered flexible plate in viscous channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balint, T. S.; Lucey, A. D.

2005-10-01

The stability of a flexible cantilevered plate in viscous channel flow is studied as a representation of the dynamics of the human upper airway. The focus is on instability mechanisms of the soft palate (flexible plate) that cause airway blockage during sleep. We solve the Navier Stokes equations for flow with Reynolds numbers up to 1500 fully coupled with the dynamics of the plate motion solved using finite-differences. The study is 2-D and based upon linearized plate mechanics. When both upper and lower airways are open, the plate is found to lose its stability through a flutter mechanism and a critical Reynolds number exists. When one airway is closed, the plate principally loses its stability through a divergence mechanism and a critical flow speed exists. However, below the divergence-onset flow speed, flutter can exist for low levels of structural damping in the flexible plate. Our results serve to extend understanding of flow-induced instability of cantilevered flexible plates and will ultimately improve the diagnosis and treatment of upper-airway disorders.

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Y.; Nikitin, A. M.; Araizi, G. K.; Huang, Y. K.; Matsushita, Y.; Naka, T.; de Visser, A.

2016-06-01

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms.

Dome of magnetic order inside the nematic phase of sulfur-substituted FeSe under pressure

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

Xiang, Li; Kaluarachchi, Udhara; Bohmer, Anna

2017-07-18

The pressure dependence of the structural, magnetic, and superconducting transitions and of the superconducting upper critical field were studied in sulfur-substituted Fe ( Se 1 - x S x ) . We performed resistance measurements on single crystals with three substitution levels ( x = 0.043 , 0.096, 0.12) under hydrostatic pressures up to 1.8 GPa and in magnetic fields up to 9 T and were compared to data on pure FeSe. Our results illustrate the effects of chemical and physical pressure on Fe ( Se 1 - x S x ). Furthermore, on increasing sulfur content, magnetic order inmore » the low-pressure range is strongly suppressed to a small domelike region in the phase diagrams. But, T s is much less suppressed by sulfur substitution, and T c of Fe ( Se 1 - x S x ) exhibits similar nonmonotonic pressure dependence with a local maximum and a local minimum present in the low-pressure range for all x . The local maximum in T c coincides with the emergence of the magnetic order above T c . At this pressure the slope of the upper critical field decreases abruptly, which may indicate a Fermi-surface reconstruction. The minimum of T c correlates with a broad maximum of the upper critical field slope normalized by T c .« less

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments.

PubMed

Pan, Y; Nikitin, A M; Araizi, G K; Huang, Y K; Matsushita, Y; Naka, T; de Visser, A

2016-06-28

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms.

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments

PubMed Central

Pan, Y.; Nikitin, A. M.; Araizi, G. K.; Huang, Y. K.; Matsushita, Y.; Naka, T.; de Visser, A.

2016-01-01

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms. PMID:27350295

A critical examination of the validity of simplified models for radiant heat transfer analysis.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toor, J. S.; Viskanta, R.

1972-01-01

Examination of the directional effects of the simplified models by comparing the experimental data with the predictions based on simple and more detailed models for the radiation characteristics of surfaces. Analytical results indicate that the constant property diffuse and specular models do not yield the upper and lower bounds on local radiant heat flux. In general, the constant property specular analysis yields higher values of irradiation than the constant property diffuse analysis. A diffuse surface in the enclosure appears to destroy the effect of specularity of the other surfaces. Semigray and gray analyses predict the irradiation reasonably well provided that the directional properties and the specularity of the surfaces are taken into account. The uniform and nonuniform radiosity diffuse models are in satisfactory agreement with each other.

Zero-temperature directed polymer in random potential in 4+1 dimensions.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Min

2016-12-01

Zero-temperature directed polymer in random potential in 4+1 dimensions is described. The fluctuation ΔE(t) of the lowest energy of the polymer varies as t^{β} with β=0.159±0.007 for polymer length t and ΔE follows ΔE(L)∼L^{α} at saturation with α=0.275±0.009, where L is the system size. The dynamic exponent z≈1.73 is obtained from z=α/β. The estimated values of the exponents satisfy the scaling relation α+z=2 very well. We also monitor the end to end distance of the polymer and obtain z independently. Our results show that the upper critical dimension of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation is higher than d=4+1 dimensions.

Installation of the Canadian Muon Cargo Inspection System at CRL

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

2-3 2.4 Critical Infrastructure Protection ...................................................................... 2-4 2.5 Other Applications...of muon tomography .......................................................... 2-4 2.5.1 Imaging Critical Facilities...cosmic radiation with the upper layer of the atmosphere. They are charged like the electron, which makes them easy to detect, but have a large mass

Aligning Best Practices to Develop Targeted Critical Thinking Skills and Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heft, Ilea E.; Scharff, Lauren F. V.

2017-01-01

This project evaluated the effectiveness of a course design within an upper-level biology course that incorporated what prior scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) research has suggested to be best practices for developing critical thinking skills while also managing the grading load on the instructor. These efforts centered on the…

Two Configurations for Accessing Classroom Computers: Differential Impact on Students' Critical Reflections and Their Empowerment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solhaug, T.

2009-01-01

The context of this article is the new technological environment and the struggle to use meaningful teaching practices in Norwegian schools. Students' critical reflections in two different technological learning environments in six upper secondary schools are compared. Three of these schools offer Internet-connected computers in special computer…

Boeing CST-100 Starliner Processing

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-04-26

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test vehicle will fly the first test flight to space on an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station. Here you see the spacecraft’s upper dome undergoing the final preparations before the upper and lower dome are mated for a pressure test, and then the two domes will move on to be populated with avionics, life support and other critical hardware.

Discussion Starter: The Case for Duplexing without Channel Flow During the Development and Emplacement of the Himalayan Middle Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, A. G.; He, D.; Yu, H.

2015-12-01

This presentation and another presentation led by Dawn Kellett will preface a ten-minute open discussion on how the Himalayan middle crust was developed and emplaced. Current hypotheses are transitioning from a set including wedge extrusion, channel flow with focused denudation, and tectonic wedging to a revised dichotomy: models with intense upper plate out-of-sequence activity (i.e., tunneling of channel flow, and critical taper wedge behavior) versus models in which the upper plate mainly records basal accretion of horses (i.e., duplexing). Critical taper and duplexing offer a simple contrast that can be illustrated via food analogies. If a wedge is critical, it churns internally like a pile of CheeriosTM cereal pushed up an inclined plane. Stacking of a duplex acts like a deli meat-slicing machine: slice after slice is cut from the intact block to a stack of slices, but neither the block (~down-going plate) nor the stack (~upper plate) features much internal deformation. Thus critical taper and channel tunneling models predict much processing via out-of-sequence deformation, whereas duplexing predicts in-sequence thrusting. The two concepts may be considered end-members. Recent work shows that the Himalayan middle crust has been assembled along a series of mainly southwards-younging thrust faults. The thrust faults separate 1-5 km thick panels that experienced similar metamorphic cycles during different time periods. Out-of-sequence deformation is rare, with its apparent significance enhanced because of the high throw-to-heave ratio of out-of-sequence thrusting. Flattening fabrics developed prior to thrusting have been interpreted to record either (1) southwards channel tunneling across the upper plate, or (2) fabric development during metamorphism of the down-going plate. We will argue that the thrust faults dominantly represent in-sequence duplexing, and therefore conclude that the Himalaya and analogous hot orogens behave like other accretionary orogens.

Upper Body Muscular Endurance Among Children 2-5 Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabbard, Carl P.; And Others

The upper body muscular endurance of males and females 2-5 years of age was assessed, and relationships relative to sex, age, endurance and selected anthropometric measures were investigated. None of the relationships were found to be of practical predicative value; while upper body muscular strength increased with age, no significant differences…

Drying and wetting transitions of a Lennard-Jones fluid: Simulations and density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Robert; Stewart, Maria C.; Wilding, Nigel B.

2017-07-01

We report a theoretical and simulation study of the drying and wetting phase transitions of a truncated Lennard-Jones fluid at a flat structureless wall. Binding potential calculations predict that the nature of these transitions depends on whether the wall-fluid attraction has a long ranged (LR) power law decay or is instead truncated, rendering it short ranged (SR). Using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation and classical density functional theory, we examine both cases in detail. We find that for the LR case wetting is first order, while drying is continuous (critical) and occurs exactly at zero attractive wall strength, i.e., in the limit of a hard wall. In the SR case, drying is also critical but the order of the wetting transition depends on the truncation range of the wall-fluid potential. We characterize the approach to critical drying and wetting in terms of the density and local compressibility profiles and via the finite-size scaling properties of the probability distribution of the overall density. For the LR case, where the drying point is known exactly, this analysis allows us to estimate the exponent ν∥, which controls the parallel correlation length, i.e., the extent of vapor bubbles at the wall. Surprisingly, the value we obtain is over twice that predicted by mean field and renormalization group calculations, despite the fact that our three dimensional system is at the upper critical dimension where mean field theory for critical exponents is expected to hold. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed in the light of fresh insights into the nature of near critical finite-size effects.

Drying and wetting transitions of a Lennard-Jones fluid: Simulations and density functional theory.

PubMed

Evans, Robert; Stewart, Maria C; Wilding, Nigel B

2017-07-28

We report a theoretical and simulation study of the drying and wetting phase transitions of a truncated Lennard-Jones fluid at a flat structureless wall. Binding potential calculations predict that the nature of these transitions depends on whether the wall-fluid attraction has a long ranged (LR) power law decay or is instead truncated, rendering it short ranged (SR). Using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation and classical density functional theory, we examine both cases in detail. We find that for the LR case wetting is first order, while drying is continuous (critical) and occurs exactly at zero attractive wall strength, i.e., in the limit of a hard wall. In the SR case, drying is also critical but the order of the wetting transition depends on the truncation range of the wall-fluid potential. We characterize the approach to critical drying and wetting in terms of the density and local compressibility profiles and via the finite-size scaling properties of the probability distribution of the overall density. For the LR case, where the drying point is known exactly, this analysis allows us to estimate the exponent ν ∥ , which controls the parallel correlation length, i.e., the extent of vapor bubbles at the wall. Surprisingly, the value we obtain is over twice that predicted by mean field and renormalization group calculations, despite the fact that our three dimensional system is at the upper critical dimension where mean field theory for critical exponents is expected to hold. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed in the light of fresh insights into the nature of near critical finite-size effects.

Multicritical scalar theories with higher-derivative kinetic terms: A perturbative RG approach with the ɛ -expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safari, M.; Vacca, G. P.

2018-02-01

We employ perturbative renormalization group and ɛ -expansion to study multicritical single-scalar field theories with higher derivative kinetic terms of the form ϕ (-□)kϕ . We focus on those with a Z2-symmetric critical point which are characterized by an upper critical dimension dc=2 n k /(n -1 ) accumulating at even integers. We distinguish two types of theories depending on whether or not the numbers k and n -1 are relatively prime. When they are, the critical theory involves a marginal powerlike interaction ϕ2 n and the deformations admit a derivative expansion that at leading order involves only the potential. In this case we present the beta functional of the potential and use this to calculate some anomalous dimensions and operator product expansion coefficients. These confirm some conformal field theory data obtained using conformal-block techniques, while giving new results. In the second case where k and n -1 have a common divisor, the theories show a much richer structure induced by the presence of marginal derivative operators at criticality. We study the case k =2 with odd values of n , which fall in the second class, and calculate the functional flows and spectrum. These theories have a phase diagram characterized at leading order in ɛ by four fixed points which apart from the Gaussian UV fixed point include an IR fixed point with a purely derivative interaction.

Upper bound on the Abelian gauge coupling from asymptotic safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichhorn, Astrid; Versteegen, Fleur

2018-01-01

We explore the impact of asymptotically safe quantum gravity on the Abelian gauge coupling in a model including a charged scalar, confirming indications that asymptotically safe quantum fluctuations of gravity could trigger a power-law running towards a free fixed point for the gauge coupling above the Planck scale. Simultaneously, quantum gravity fluctuations balance against matter fluctuations to generate an interacting fixed point, which acts as a boundary of the basin of attraction of the free fixed point. This enforces an upper bound on the infrared value of the Abelian gauge coupling. In the regime of gravity couplings which in our approximation also allows for a prediction of the top quark and Higgs mass close to the experimental value [1], we obtain an upper bound approximately 35% above the infrared value of the hypercharge coupling in the Standard Model.

Preliminary research of a novel center-driven robot for upper extremity rehabilitation.

PubMed

Cao, Wujing; Zhang, Fei; Yu, Hongliu; Hu, Bingshan; Meng, Qiaoling

2018-01-19

Loss of upper limb function often appears after stroke. Robot-assisted systems are becoming increasingly common in upper extremity rehabilitation. Rehabilitation robot provides intensive motor therapy, which can be performed in a repetitive, accurate and controllable manner. This study aims to propose a novel center-driven robot for upper extremity rehabilitation. A new power transmission mechanism is designed to transfer the power to elbow and shoulder joints from three motors located on the base. The forward and inverse kinematics equations of the center-driven robot (CENTROBOT) are deduced separately. The theoretical values of the scope of joint movements are obtained with the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters method. A prototype of the CENTROBOT is developed and tested. The elbow flexion/extension, shoulder flexion/extension and shoulder adduction/abduction can be realized of the center-driven robot. The angles value of joints are in conformity with the theoretical value. The CENTROBOT reduces the overall size of the robot arm, the influence of motor noise, radiation and other adverse factors by setting all motors on the base. It can satisfy the requirements of power and movement transmission of the robot arm.

Critical Features of Visualizations of Transport through the Cell Membrane--an Empirical Study of Upper Secondary and Tertiary Students' Meaning-Making of a Still Image and an Animation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rundgren, Carl-Johan; Tibell, Lena A. E.

2010-01-01

Images, diagrams, and other forms of visualization are playing increasingly important roles in molecular life science teaching and research, both for conveying information and as conceptual tools, transforming the way we think about the events and processes the subject covers. This study examines how upper secondary and tertiary students interpret…

Validity of Alternative Fitnessgram Upper Body Tests of Muscular Strength and Endurance among Seventh and Eighth Grade Males and Females

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobayan, Kalani; Patterson, Debra; Sherman, Clay; Wiersma, Lenny

2014-01-01

In a society in which obesity levels have tripled in the past 30 years, the importance of increased fitness levels within the academic setting has become even more critical. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of alternative Fitnessgram upper body tests of muscular strength and endurance among seventh and eighth grade males…

Determination of design and operation parameters for upper atmospheric research instrumentation to yield optimum resolution with deconvolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ioup, George E.; Ioup, Juliette W.

1991-01-01

The final report for work on the determination of design and operation parameters for upper atmospheric research instrumentation to yield optimum resolution with deconvolution is presented. Papers and theses prepared during the research report period are included. Among all the research results reported, note should be made of the specific investigation of the determination of design and operation parameters for upper atmospheric research instrumentation to yield optimum resolution with deconvolution. A methodology was developed to determine design and operation parameters for error minimization when deconvolution is included in data analysis. An error surface is plotted versus the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and all parameters of interest. Instrumental characteristics will determine a curve in this space. The SNR and parameter values which give the projection from the curve to the surface, corresponding to the smallest value for the error, are the optimum values. These values are constrained by the curve and so will not necessarily correspond to an absolute minimum in the error surface.

Fat accumulation in the tongue is associated with male gender, abnormal upper airway measures and whole-body adiposity

PubMed Central

Godoy, Ivan R. B.; Martinez-Salazar, Edgar Leonardo; Eajazi, Alireza; Genta, Pedro R.; Bredella, Miriam A.; Torriani, Martin

2017-01-01

Objective To examine associations between tongue adiposity with upper airway measures, whole-body adiposity and gender. We hypothesized that increased tongue adiposity is higher in males and positively associated with abnormal upper airway measures and whole-body adiposity. Methods We studied subjects who underwent whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography to obtain tongue attenuation (TA) values and cross-sectional area, pharyngeal length (PL) and mandibular-hyoid distance (MPH), as well as abdominal circumference, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue areas, neck circumference (NC) and neck adipose tissue area. Metabolic syndrome was determined from available clinical and laboratory data. Results We identified 206 patients (104 females, 102 males) with mean age 56±17y and mean body mass index (BMI) 28±6kg/m2 (range 16–47kg/m2). Males had lower TA values (P=0.0002) and higher upper airway measures (P< 0.0001) independent of age and BMI (P<0.001). In all subjects, TA was negatively associated with upper airway measures (P<0.001). TA was negatively associated with body composition parameters (all P<0.0001), most notably with VAT (r=−0.53) and NC (r=−0.47). TA values were lower in subjects with metabolic syndrome (P<0.0001). Conclusion Increased tongue adiposity is influenced by gender and is associated with abnormal upper airway patency and body composition parameters. PMID:27733254

Fat accumulation in the tongue is associated with male gender, abnormal upper airway patency and whole-body adiposity.

PubMed

Godoy, Ivan R B; Martinez-Salazar, Edgar Leonardo; Eajazi, Alireza; Genta, Pedro R; Bredella, Miriam A; Torriani, Martin

2016-11-01

To examine associations between tongue adiposity with upper airway measures, whole-body adiposity and gender. We hypothesized that increased tongue adiposity is higher in males and positively associated with abnormal upper airway measures and whole-body adiposity. We studied subjects who underwent whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography to obtain tongue attenuation (TA) values and cross-sectional area, pharyngeal length (PL) and mandibular plane to hyoid distance (MPH), as well as abdominal circumference, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue areas, neck circumference (NC) and neck adipose tissue area. Metabolic syndrome was determined from available clinical and laboratory data. We identified 206 patients (104 females, 102 males) with mean age 56±17years and mean body mass index (BMI) 28±6kg/m 2 (range 16-47kg/m 2 ). Males had lower TA values (P=0.0002) and higher upper airway measures (P<0.0001) independent of age and BMI (P<0.001). In all subjects, TA was negatively associated with upper airway measures (P<0.001). TA was negatively associated with body composition parameters (all P<0.0001), most notably with VAT (r=-0.53) and NC (r=-0.47). TA values were lower in subjects with metabolic syndrome (P<0.0001). Increased tongue adiposity is influenced by gender and is associated with abnormal upper airway patency and body composition parameters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Concept Mapping on EFL Learners' Critical Thinking Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khodadady, Ebrahim; Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh

2011-01-01

The present study investigated the influence of concept mapping as a post-reading strategy on EFL learners' critical thinking ability. The study utilized a pretest-posttest control and experimental group design. To do so, thirty six EFL learners at upper intermediate and advanced levels were randomly assigned to experimental (n=18) and control…

Assessment of a Novel Group-Centered Testing Schema in an Upper-Level Undergraduate Molecular Biotechnology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srougi, Melissa C.; Miller, Heather B.; Witherow, D. Scott; Carson, Susan

2013-01-01

Providing students with assignments that focus on critical thinking is an important part of their scientific and intellectual development. However, as class sizes increase, so does the grading burden, prohibiting many faculty from incorporating critical thinking assignments in the classroom. In an effort to continue to provide our students with…

An Analysis of the Teaching of Critical Thinking Skills in History in Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arrington, Walter T. Ted

2017-01-01

This study is an investigation and analysis of the teaching of critical thinking skills in eight public universities in Texas, in particular the History, Education, and Business departments. The study is, in part, a document analysis of the universities' mission statements, the departments' stated learning objectives, and two upper level…

Achievement as Resistance: The Development of a Critical Race Achievement Ideology among Black Achievers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Dorinda J.

2008-01-01

In this article, Dorinda Carter examines the embodiment of a critical race achievement ideology in high-achieving black students. She conducted a yearlong qualitative investigation of the adaptive behaviors that nine high-achieving black students developed and employed to navigate the process of schooling at an upper-class, predominantly white,…

'One physical system': Tansley's ecosystem as Earth's critical zone.

PubMed

Richter, Daniel deB; Billings, Sharon A

2015-05-01

Integrative concepts of the biosphere, ecosystem, biogeocenosis and, recently, Earth's critical zone embrace scientific disciplines that link matter, energy and organisms in a systems-level understanding of our remarkable planet. Here, we assert the congruence of Tansley's (1935) venerable ecosystem concept of 'one physical system' with Earth science's critical zone. Ecosystems and critical zones are congruent across spatial-temporal scales from vegetation-clad weathering profiles and hillslopes, small catchments, landscapes, river basins, continents, to Earth's whole terrestrial surface. What may be less obvious is congruence in the vertical dimension. We use ecosystem metabolism to argue that full accounting of photosynthetically fixed carbon includes respiratory CO₂ and carbonic acid that propagate to the base of the critical zone itself. Although a small fraction of respiration, the downward diffusion of CO₂ helps determine rates of soil formation and, ultimately, ecosystem evolution and resilience. Because life in the upper portions of terrestrial ecosystems significantly affects biogeochemistry throughout weathering profiles, the lower boundaries of most terrestrial ecosystems have been demarcated at depths too shallow to permit a complete understanding of ecosystem structure and function. Opportunities abound to explore connections between upper and lower components of critical-zone ecosystems, between soils and streams in watersheds, and between plant-derived CO₂ and deep microbial communities and mineral weathering. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Modelling the isotopic evolution of the Earth.

PubMed

Paul, Debajyoti; White, William M; Turcotte, Donald L

2002-11-15

We present a flexible multi-reservoir (primitive lower mantle, depleted upper mantle, upper continental crust, lower continental crust and atmosphere) forward-transport model of the Earth, incorporating the Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, U-Th-Pb-He and K-Ar isotope-decay systematics. Mathematically, the model consists of a series of differential equations, describing the changing abundance of each nuclide in each reservoir, which are solved repeatedly over the history of the Earth. Fluxes between reservoirs are keyed to heat production and further constrained by estimates of present-day fluxes (e.g. subduction, plume flux) and current sizes of reservoirs. Elemental transport is tied to these fluxes through 'enrichment factors', which allow for fractionation between species. A principal goal of the model is to reproduce the Pb-isotope systematics of the depleted upper mantle, which has not been done in earlier models. At present, the depleted upper mantle has low (238)U/(204)Pb (mu) and (232)Th/(238)U (kappa) ratios, but Pb-isotope ratios reflect high time-integrated values of these ratios. These features are reproduced in the model and are a consequence of preferential subduction of U and of radiogenic Pb from the upper continental crust into the depleted upper mantle. At the same time, the model reproduces the observed Sr-, Nd-, Ar- and He-isotope ratios of the atmosphere, continental crust and mantle. We show that both steady-state and time-variant concentrations of incompatible-element concentrations and ratios in the continental crust and upper mantle are possible. Indeed, in some cases, incompatible-element concentrations and ratios increase with time in the depleted mantle. Hence, assumptions of a progressively depleting or steady-state upper mantle are not justified. A ubiquitous feature of this model, as well as other evolutionary models, is early rapid depletion of the upper mantle in highly incompatible elements; hence, a near-chondritic Th/U ratio in the upper mantle throughout the Archean is unlikely. The model also suggests that the optimal value of the bulk silicate Earth's K/U ratio is close to 10000; lower values suggested recently seem unlikely.

Developmental Strategy For Effective Sampling To Detect Possible Nutrient Fluxes In Oligotrophic Coastal Reef Waters In The Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, W. G.; Corredor, J. E.; Ko, D.; Zika, R. G.; Mooers, C. N.

2008-05-01

The increasing effort to develop the coastal ocean observing system (COOS) in various institutions has gained momentum due to its high value to climate, environmental, economic, and health issues. The stress contributed by nutrients to the coral reef ecosystem is among many problems that are targeted to be resolved using this system. Traditional nutrient sampling has been inadequate to resolve issues on episodic nutrient fluxes in reef regions due to temporal and spatial variability. This paper illustrates sampling strategy using the COOS information to identify areas that need critical investigation. The area investigated is within the Puerto Rico subdomain (60-70oW, 15-20oN), and Caribbean Time Series (CaTS), World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), Intra-America Sea (IAS) ocean nowcast/forecast system (IASNFS), and other COOS-related online datasets are utilized. Nutrient profile results indicate nitrate is undetectable in the upper 50 m apparently due to high biological consumption. Nutrients are delivered in Puerto Rico particularly in the CaTS station either via a meridional jet formed from opposing cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies or wind-driven upwelling. The strong vertical fluctuation in the upper 50 m demonstrates a high anomaly in temperature and salinity and a strong cross correlation signal. High chlorophyll a concentration corresponding to seasonal high nutrient influx coincides with higher precipitation accumulation rates and apparent riverine input from the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers during summer (August) than during winter (February) seasons. Non-detectability of nutrients in the upper 50 m is a reflection of poor sampling frequency or the absence of a highly sensitive nutrient analysis method to capture episodic events. Thus, this paper was able to determine the range of depths and concentrations that need to be critically investigated to determine nutrient fluxes, nutrient sources, and climatological factors that can affect nutrient delivery. It also provides some insight into needed sampling rates and temporal and spatial domain choices. Finally, it demonstrates a scientific reconnaissance for a field study that is now possible with online in-situ and remote sensing observations and numerical simulations, as a consequence of IOOS in general and COOS in particular.

Vertical distribution and composition of phytoplankton under the influence of an upper mixed layer.

PubMed

Ryabov, Alexei B; Rudolf, Lars; Blasius, Bernd

2010-03-07

The vertical distribution of phytoplankton is of fundamental importance for the dynamics and structure of aquatic communities. Here, using an advection-reaction-diffusion model, we investigate the distribution and competition of phytoplankton species in a water column, in which inverse resource gradients of light and a nutrient can limit growth of the biomass. This problem poses a challenge for ecologists, as the location of a production layer is not fixed, but rather depends on many internal parameters and environmental factors. In particular, we study the influence of an upper mixed layer (UML) in this system and show that it leads to a variety of dynamic effects: (i) Our model predicts alternative density profiles with a maximum of biomass either within or below the UML, thereby the system may be bistable or the relaxation from an unstable state may require a long-lasting transition. (ii) Reduced mixing in the deep layer can induce oscillations of the biomass; we show that a UML can sustain these oscillations even if the diffusivity is less than the critical mixing for a sinking phytoplankton population. (iii) A UML can strongly modify the outcome of competition between different phytoplankton species, yielding bistability both in the spatial distribution and in the species composition. (iv) A light limited species can obtain a competitive advantage if the diffusivity in the deep layers is reduced below a critical value. This yields a subtle competitive exclusion effect, where the oscillatory states in the deep layers are displaced by steady solutions in the UML. Finally, we present a novel graphical approach for deducing the competition outcome and for the analysis of the role of a UML in aquatic systems. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns in Soil Electrical Resistivity Across Land Uses in the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory Landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markewitz, D.; Sutter, L.; Richter, D. D., Jr.

2017-12-01

Soil Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was measured across the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory in relation to land use cover. ERT can help identify patterns in soil and saprolite physical attributes and moisture content through multiple meters. ERT data were generated with an AGI Supersting R8 with a 28 probe dipole-dipole array on a 1.5 meter spacing providing information through the upper 9 m. In Nov/Dec 2016 ten soil pits were dug to 3m depth in agricultural fields, pine forests, and hardwood forests across the CCZO and ERT measures were taken centered on these pits. ERT values ranged from 200 to 2500 Ohm-m. ERT patterns in the agricultural field demonstrated a limited resistivity gradient (200-700 Ohm-m) appearing moist throughout. In contrast, research areas under pine and hardwood forest had stronger resistivity gradients reflecting both moisture and physical attributes (i.e., texture or rock content). For example, research area 2 under pine had an area of higher resistivity that correlated with a band of saprolite that was readily visible in the exposed profile. In research area 7 and 8 that included both pine and hardwood forest resistivity gradients had contradictory patterns of high to low resistivity from top to bottom. In research area 7 resistivity was highest at the surface and decreased with depth, a common pattern when water table is at depth. In research area 8 the inverse was observed with low resistivity above and resistivity increasing with depth, a pattern observed in upper landscape positions on ridges with moist clay above dry saprolite. ERT patterns did reflect a large difference in the measured agricultural fields compared to forest while other difference appeared to reflect landscape position.

Predictive Value of Upper Limb Muscles and Grasp Patterns on Functional Outcome in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

PubMed

Velstra, Inge-Marie; Bolliger, Marc; Krebs, Jörg; Rietman, Johan S; Curt, Armin

2016-05-01

To determine which single or combined upper limb muscles as defined by the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI); upper extremity motor score (UEMS) and the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension (GRASSP), best predict upper limb function and independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) and to assess the predictive value of qualitative grasp movements (QlG) on upper limb function in individuals with acute tetraplegia. As part of a Europe-wide, prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study ISNCSCI, GRASSP, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) scores were recorded at 1 and 6 months after SCI. For prediction of upper limb function and ADLs, a logistic regression model and unbiased recursive partitioning conditional inference tree (URP-CTREE) were used. Results: Logistic regression and URP-CTREE revealed that a combination of ISNCSCI and GRASSP muscles (to a maximum of 4) demonstrated the best prediction (specificity and sensitivity ranged from 81.8% to 96.0%) of upper limb function and identified homogenous outcome cohorts at 6 months. The URP-CTREE model with the QlG predictors for upper limb function showed similar results. Prediction of upper limb function can be achieved through a combination of defined, specific upper limb muscles assessed in the ISNCSCI and GRASSP. A combination of a limited number of proximal and distal muscles along with an assessment of grasping movements can be applied for clinical decision making for rehabilitation interventions and clinical trials. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Tests of hand functionality in upper limb amputation with prosthesis].

PubMed

Bazzini, G; Orlandini, D; Moscato, T A; Nicita, D; Panigazzi, M

2007-01-01

The need for standardized instruments for clinical measurements has become pressing in the fields of occupational rehabilitation and ergonomics. This is particularly the case for instruments that allow a quantitative evaluation of upper limb function, and especially hand function in patients who have undergone an amputation and then application of an upper limb prosthesis. This study presents a review of the main tests used to evaluate hand function, with a critical analysis of their use in subjects with an upper limb prosthesis. The tests are divided into: tests to evaluate strength, tests to evaluate co-ordination and dexterity, tests of global or overall function, and tests proposed specifically for subjects with an upper limb prosthesis. Of the various tests presented, the authors give their preference to the Bimanual Functional Assessment, Abilhand and/or the ADL Questionnaire, because of the practical usefulness, clinimetric features, simplicity and ease of administration of these tests.

Linear dimensions of normal upper airway structure by magnetic resonance imaging in Chinese Han infants and preschool children.

PubMed

Yi, Xiaoli; Yao, Linyin; Yuan, Xinyu; Wei, Yongxiang; Wang, Zhenchang

2017-09-01

To establish normative data of upper airway structure in Chinese Han infants and preschool children. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 521 Chinese Han infants and preschool children (225 girls, 296 boys) aged from 1 day to 72 months were selected from the children who underwent head MRI at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics Affiliated Children Hospital, Beijing, China. No subjects had sleep-disordered breathing or associated conditions that may have affected the upper airway anatomy. The upper airway dimensions and surrounding soft tissue sizes were measured along the mid-sagittal and axial images. On images from the mid-sagittal image, the normative values of the following were obtained for all age group: thickness of the adenoid and nasopharyngeal area, length and thickness of the soft palate, length and height of the tongue, length of upper airway, distance between the mental spine and clivus, and the adenoid oblique width, soft palate oblique width, and tongue oblique width along the mental spine-clivus line. Normative values of the mean tonsillar width and intertonsillar space on the axial images were also obtained. There were no differences in any measurements between boys and girls in either infants or preschool children. Older children had larger airway dimensions, as expected. Normative values for upper airway structure in Chinese Han infants and preschool children assessed by MRI were established. The upper airway dimension and surrounding soft tissues size, including soft palate, adenoid, tongue, and tonsils, were increased with age. There were no gender differences during the first six years of life. These data may prove useful when studying airway disease in Chinese Han children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Health Inequality Measurements

PubMed Central

Gerdtham, Ulf-G; Petrie, Dennis

2015-01-01

Measuring and monitoring socioeconomic health inequalities are critical for understanding the impact of policy decisions. However, the measurement of health inequality is far from value neutral, and one can easily present the measure that best supports one’s chosen conclusion or selectively exclude measures. Improving people’s understanding of the often implicit value judgments is therefore important to reduce the risk that researchers mislead or policymakers are misled. While the choice between relative and absolute inequality is already value laden, further complexities arise when, as is often the case, health variables have both a lower and upper bound, and thus can be expressed in terms of either attainments or shortfalls, such as for mortality/survival. We bring together the recent parallel discussions from epidemiology and health economics regarding health inequality measurement and provide a deeper understanding of the different value judgments within absolute and relative measures expressed both in attainments and shortfalls, by graphically illustrating both hypothetical and real examples. We show that relative measures in terms of attainments and shortfalls have distinct value judgments, highlighting that for health variables with two bounds the choice is no longer only between an absolute and a relative measure but between an absolute, an attainment- relative and a shortfall-relative one. We illustrate how these three value judgments can be combined onto a single graph which shows the rankings according to all three measures, and illustrates how the three measures provide ethical benchmarks against which to judge the difference in inequality between populations. PMID:26133019

Relations of principal components analysis site scores to algal-biomass, habitat, basin-characteristics, nutrient, and biological-community data in the Upper Wabash River Basin, Indiana, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leer, Donald R.; Caskey, Brian J.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Lowe, B. Scott

2007-01-01

The values for nutrients (nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) were compared to published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) values for Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions VI and VII and USEPA Level III Ecoregions 55 and 56. Several nutrient values were greater than the 25th percentile of the published USEPA values. Chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) values either were greater than the 25th percentile of published USEPA values or extended data ranges in the Aggregate Nutrient and Level III Ecoregions. If the proposed values for the 25th percentile were adopted as nutrient water-quality criteria, many samples in the Upper Wabash River Basin would have exceeded the criteria.

Evaluation of Flammability of Footwear Upper Materials. Patent and Regular Shoe Upper Leather vs. Porvair and Clarino Poromerics

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

leather is thus designated ŗ-ounce leather." -ll specimens, except the UL, had high-gloss polyurethane finishes. The UL ’eLi wr contained a...ITT Research Institute, October 1965, p. 18. 4.4 %d :i.bie 2. Comparativ ~e heat transfer values of shoe uppe materials vs. shoe upper materials with

[Investigation of reference intervals of blood gas and acid-base analysis assays in China].

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Wei; Wang, Zhiguo

2015-10-01

To investigate and analyze the upper and lower limits and their sources of reference intervals in blood gas and acid-base analysis assays. The data of reference intervals were collected, which come from the first run of 2014 External Quality Assessment (EQA) program in blood gas and acid-base analysis assays performed by National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL). All the abnormal values and errors were eliminated. Data statistics was performed by SPSS 13.0 and Excel 2007 referring to upper and lower limits of reference intervals and sources of 7 blood gas and acid-base analysis assays, i.e. pH value, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl-. Values were further grouped based on instrument system and the difference between each group were analyzed. There were 225 laboratories submitting the information on the reference intervals they had been using. The three main sources of reference intervals were National Guide to Clinical Laboratory Procedures [37.07% (400/1 079)], instructions of instrument manufactures [31.23% (337/1 079)] and instructions of reagent manufactures [23.26% (251/1 079)]. Approximately 35.1% (79/225) of the laboratories had validated the reference intervals they used. The difference of upper and lower limits in most assays among 7 laboratories was moderate, both minimum and maximum (i.e. the upper limits of pH value was 7.00-7.45, the lower limits of Na+ was 130.00-156.00 mmol/L), and mean and median (i.e. the upper limits of K+ was 5.04 mmol/L and 5.10 mmol/L, the upper limits of PCO2 was 45.65 mmHg and 45.00 mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), as well as the difference in P2.5 and P97.5 between each instrument system group. It was shown by Kruskal-Wallis method that the P values of upper and lower limits of all the parameters were lower than 0.001, expecting the lower limits of Na+ with P value 0.029. It was shown by Mann-Whitney that the statistic differences were found among instrument system groups and between most of two instrument system groups in all assays. The difference of reference intervals of blood gas and acid-base analysis assays used in China laboratories is moderate, which is better than other specialties in clinical laboratories.

Developing Normal Turns-Amplitude Clouds for Upper and Lower Limbs.

PubMed

Jabre, Joe F; Nikolayev, Sergey G; Babayev, Michael B; Chindilov, Denis V; Muravyov, Anatoly Y

2016-10-01

Turns and amplitude analysis (T&A) is a frequently used method for automatic EMG interference pattern analysis. The T&A normal values have only been developed for a limited number of muscles. Our objective was to obtain normal T&A clouds for upper and lower extremity muscles for which no normal values exist in the literature. The T&A normative data using concentric needle electrodes were obtained from 68 men and 56 women aged 20 to 60 years. Normal upper and lower extremity T&A clouds were obtained and presented in this article. The T&A normal values collected in this study maybe used to detect neurogenic and myopathic abnormalities in men and women at low-to-moderate muscle contractions. The effect of turns-amplitude data obtained at high force level of muscle contraction and its potential to falsely show neurogenic abnormalities are discussed.

Safety and Mission Assurance for In-House Design Lessons Learned from Ares I Upper Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Joel M.

2011-01-01

This viewgraph presentation identifies lessons learned in the course of the Ares I Upper Stage design and in-house development effort. The contents include: 1) Constellation Organization; 2) Upper Stage Organization; 3) Presentation Structure; 4) Lesson-Importance of Systems Engineering/Integration; 5) Lesson-Importance of Early S&MA Involvement; 6) Lesson-Importance of Appropriate Staffing Levels; 7) Lesson-Importance S&MA Team Deployment; 8) Lesson-Understanding of S&MA In-Line Engineering versus Assurance; 9) Lesson-Importance of Close Coordination between Supportability and Reliability/Maintainability; 10) Lesson-Importance of Engineering Data Systems; 11) Lesson-Importance of Early Development of Supporting Databases; 12) Lesson-Importance of Coordination with Safety Assessment/Review Panels; 13) Lesson-Implementation of Software Reliability; 14) Lesson-Implementation of S&MA Technical Authority/Chief S&MA Officer; 15) Lesson-Importance of S&MA Evaluation of Project Risks; 16) Lesson-Implementation of Critical Items List and Government Mandatory Inspections; 17) Lesson-Implementation of Critical Items List Mandatory Inspections; 18) Lesson-Implementation of Test Article Safety Analysis; and 19) Lesson-Importance of Procurement Quality.

Mahan polaritons and their lifetime due to hole recoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baeten, Maarten; Wouters, Michiel

2015-11-01

We present a theoretical study on polaritons in doped semiconductor microcavities, focussing on a cavity mode that is resonant with the Fermi edge. In agreement with experimental results, the strong light-matter coupling is maintained under very high doping within our ladder diagram approximation. In particular, we find that the polaritons result from the strong admixing of the cavity mode with the Mahan exciton. The upper Mahan polariton, lying in the electron-hole continuum, always remains visible and has a linewidth due to free interband electron-hole creation. The lower Mahan polariton acquires a finite lifetime due to relaxation of the valence band hole if the electron density exceeds a certain critical value. However, if the Rabi splitting exceeds the inverse hole recoil time, the lower polariton lifetime is only limited by the cavity properties.

Improved upper winds models for several astronomical observatories.

PubMed

Roberts, Lewis C; Bradford, L William

2011-01-17

An understanding of wind speed and direction as a function of height are critical to the proper modeling of atmospheric turbulence. We have used radiosonde data from launch sites near significant astronomical observatories and created averaged profiles of wind speed and direction and have also computed Richardson number profiles. Using data from the last 30 years, we confirm a 1977 Greenwood wind profile, and extend it to include parameters that show seasonal variations and differences in location. The added information from our models is useful for the design of adaptive optics systems and other imaging systems. Our analysis of the Richardson number suggests that persistent turbulent layers may be inferred when low values are present in our long term averaged data. Knowledge of the presence of these layers may help with planning for adaptive optics and laser communications.

On the interaction of Tollmien-Schlichting waves in axisymmetric supersonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duck, P. W.; Hall, P.

1988-01-01

Two-dimensional lower branch Tollmien-Schlichting waves described by triple-deck theory are always stable for planar supersonic flows. The possible occurrence of axisymmetric unstable modes in the supersonic flow around an axisymmetric body is investigated. In particular flows around bodies with typical radii comparable with the thickness of the upper deck are considered. It is shown that such unstable modes exist below a critical nondimensional radius of the body a sub 0. At values of the radius above a sub 0 all the modes are stable while if unstable modes exist they are found to occur in pairs. The interaction of these modes in the nonlinear regime is investigated using a weakly nonlinear approach and it is found that, dependent on the frequencies of the imposed Tollmien-Schlichting waves, either of the modes can be set up.

On the interaction of Tollmien-Schlichting waves in axisymmetric supersonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duck, P. W.; Hall, P.

1989-01-01

Two-dimensional lower branch Tollmien-Schlichting waves described by triple-deck theory are always stable for planar supersonic flows. The possible occurrence of axisymmetric unstable modes in the supersonic flow around an axisymmetric body is investigated. In particular flows around bodies with typical radii comparable with the thickness of the upper deck are considered. It is shown that such unstable modes exist below a critical nondimensional radius of the body a sub O. At values of the radius above a sub O all the modes are stable while if unstable modes exist they are found to occur in pairs. The interaction of these modes in the nonlinear regime is investigated using a weakly nonlinear approach and it is found that, dependent on the frequencies of the imposed Tollmien-Schlichting waves, either of the modes can be set up.

A computer-based matrix for rapid calculation of pulmonary hemodynamic parameters in congenital heart disease

PubMed Central

Lopes, Antonio Augusto; dos Anjos Miranda, Rogério; Gonçalves, Rilvani Cavalcante; Thomaz, Ana Maria

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: In patients with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization for hemodynamic purposes, parameter estimation by the indirect Fick method using a single predicted value of oxygen consumption has been a matter of criticism. OBJECTIVE: We developed a computer-based routine for rapid estimation of replicate hemodynamic parameters using multiple predicted values of oxygen consumption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Microsoft® Excel facilities, we constructed a matrix containing 5 models (equations) for prediction of oxygen consumption, and all additional formulas needed to obtain replicate estimates of hemodynamic parameters. RESULTS: By entering data from 65 patients with ventricular septal defects, aged 1 month to 8 years, it was possible to obtain multiple predictions for oxygen consumption, with clear between-age groups (P <.001) and between-methods (P <.001) differences. Using these predictions in the individual patient, it was possible to obtain the upper and lower limits of a likely range for any given parameter, which made estimation more realistic. CONCLUSION: The organized matrix allows for rapid obtainment of replicate parameter estimates, without error due to exhaustive calculations. PMID:19641642

Thermo-sensitive and swelling properties of cellouronic acid sodium/poly (acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) semi-IPN.

PubMed

Zhang, Heng; Gao, Xin; Chen, Keli; Li, Hui; Peng, Lincai

2018-02-01

In current study, cellouronic acid sodium (CAS), obtained from bagasse pith, has been introduced into poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (poly(AM-co-DAC)) network to form novel thermo-sensitive semi-IPNs. The structure and morphology of the hydrogels were proved by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of CAS content, initiator charge, cross-linker dosage and swelling-medium property on the thermo-responsive water absorptivity were investigated in detail. The results elucidated that the prepared gels exhibited a thermo-sensibility with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) and a high water-absorbency. And the values of UCST and equilibrium swelling ratio largely depended on the inner structure of the semi-IPNs and the external solvent property. It was also revealed that the swelling process conformed to the Schott's pseudo second order model and diffusion type was non-Fickian diffusion. The value of activation energy for this polyelectrolyte was found to be 8.74kJ/mol. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic outcome of contrast videofluoroscopic swallowing studies in 216 dysphagic dogs.

PubMed

Pollard, Rachel E; Marks, Stanley L; Cheney, Diane M; Bonadio, Cecily M

2017-07-01

Determining the anatomic and functional origin for dysphagia is critical for development of an appropriate therapeutic plan and determination of the prognosis. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report the quantitative and qualitative outcome of contrast videofluoroscopic swallowing studies in a large cohort of dysphagic dogs presenting to a tertiary veterinary care hospital. The videofluoroscopic swallowing studies were reviewed to generate values for pharyngeal constriction ratio, timing of swallowing events (maximum pharyngeal contraction, opening of upper esophageal sphincter, closing of upper esophageal sphincter, and reopening of epiglottis), type of esophageal peristalsis generated, and esophageal transit time. One or more anatomic locations for origin of dysphagia were assigned (pharyngeal, cricopharyngeal, esophageal (primary motility disorder), other esophageal (stricture, vascular ring anomaly, mass), lower esophageal sphincter/hiatus. Sixty-one of 216 studies (28%) were deemed unremarkable. Twenty-seven of 216 dogs (13%) had pharyngeal dysphagia, 17/216 dogs (8%) had cricopharyngeal dysphagia, 98/216 dogs (45%) had dysphagia secondary to esophageal dysmotility, 19/216 dogs (9%) had dysphagia secondary to focal esophageal disorders, and 97/216 dogs (45%) had dysphagia of lower esophageal sphincter/hiatus origin. Multiple abnormalities were present in 82/216 (38%) dogs. Elevated pharyngeal constriction ratio was associated with pharyngeal, cricopharyngeal, and esophageal motility disorders, delayed upper esophageal sphincter opening was associated with cricopharyngeal disorders, a lower percentage of primary esophageal peristaltic waves was associated with cricopharyngeal, pharyngeal, or primary esophageal motility disorders. In conclusion, videofluoroscopic swallowing studies was pivotal in the diagnosis of dysphagia with 155/216 (72%) dogs receiving a final diagnosis. © 2017 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

DOWNWARD CATASTROPHE OF SOLAR MAGNETIC FLUX ROPES

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

Zhang, Quanhao; Wang, Yuming; Hu, Youqiu

2016-07-10

2.5-dimensional time-dependent ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models in Cartesian coordinates were used in previous studies to seek MHD equilibria involving a magnetic flux rope embedded in a bipolar, partially open background field. As demonstrated by these studies, the equilibrium solutions of the system are separated into two branches: the flux rope sticks to the photosphere for solutions at the lower branch but is suspended in the corona for those at the upper branch. Moreover, a solution originally at the lower branch jumps to the upper, as the related control parameter increases and reaches a critical value, and the associated jump ismore » here referred to as an upward catastrophe. The present paper advances these studies in three aspects. First, the magnetic field is changed to be force-free; the system still experiences an upward catastrophe with an increase in each control parameter. Second, under the force-free approximation, there also exists a downward catastrophe, characterized by the jump of a solution from the upper branch to the lower. Both catastrophes are irreversible processes connecting the two branches of equilibrium solutions so as to form a cycle. Finally, the magnetic energy in the numerical domain is calculated. It is found that there exists a magnetic energy release for both catastrophes. The Ampère's force, which vanishes everywhere for force-free fields, appears only during the catastrophes and does positive work, which serves as a major mechanism for the energy release. The implications of the downward catastrophe and its relevance to solar activities are briefly discussed.« less

Sedimentation from flocculated suspensions in the presence of settling-driven gravitational interface instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhnia, Mohamad; Strom, Kyle

2015-09-01

We experimentally examine sedimentation from a freshwater suspension of clay flocs overlying saltwater in the presence of gravitational instabilities. The study seeks to determine: (1) if flocculation hampers or alters interface instability formation; (2) how the removal rates of sediment from the buoyant layer compare to those predicted by individual floc settling; and (3) whether or not it is possible to develop a model for effective settling velocity. The experiments were conducted in a tank at isothermal conditions. All experiments were initially stably stratified but later developed instabilities near the interface that grew into downward convecting plumes of fluid and sediment. Throughout, we measured sediment concentration in the upper and lower layers, floc size, and plume descent rates. The data showed that flocculation modifies the mixture settling velocity, and therefore shifts the mode of interface instability from double-diffusive (what one would expect from unflocculated clay) to settling-driven leaking and Rayleigh-Taylor instability formation. Removal rates of sediment from the upper layer in the presence of these instabilities were on the same order of magnitude as those predicted by individual floc settling. However, removal rates were found to better correlate with the speed of the interface plumes. A simple force-balance model was found to be capable of reasonably describing plume velocity based on concentration in the buoyant layer. This relation, coupled with a critical Grashof number and geometry relations, allowed us to develop a model for the effective settling velocity of the mixture based solely on integral values of the upper layer.

The critical velocity of a body towed by a cable from an airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koning, C; De Haas, T P

1937-01-01

It is sufficient to consider only the equations of motion of the towed body whereas those of the cable may be left out of consideration. The result obtained makes it possible to determine which factors affect the critical velocity and what modifications of the instrument are necessary for extending the upper limit of that velocity.

Critical Literacy and Transgender Topics in an Upper Elementary Classroom: A Portrait of Possibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann-Wilmarth, Jill M.; Lannen, Rosemary; Ryan, Caitlin L.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we explore the intersection of critical literacy pedagogy, queer pedagogy, and transgender topics by turning our attention to the learning that supported the writing of an acrostic poem about Title IX and transgender students. We examine how this writing, in turn, created additional content and context that spurred others' learning.…

First-order chiral to non-chiral transition in the angular dependence of the upper critical induction of the Scharnberg-Klemm p-wave pair state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klemm, Richard; Zhang, Jingchuan; Lorscher, Christopher; Gu, Qiang

2014-03-01

We calculate the temperature T and angular (θ , ϕ) dependence of the upper critical induction Bc 2(θ , ϕ , T) for parallel-spin superconductors with an axially symmetric p-wave pairing interaction pinned to the lattice and a dominant ellipsoidal Fermi surface (FS). When both parallel-spin states are allowed, the chiral Scharnberg-Klemm state Bc 2(θ , ϕ , T) exceeds that of the chiral Anderson-Brinkman-Morel state for all FS anisotropies, and exhibits a kink at θ =θ*(T , ϕ) , indicative of a first-order transition from its chiral, nodal-direction behavior to its non-chiral, antinodal-direction behavior. Potential applicability to Sr2RuO4, UCoGe, and topological superconductors is discussed.

High-field pauli-limiting behavior and strongly enhanced upper critical magnetic fields near the transition temperature of an arsenic-deficient LaO0.9F0.1FeAs1-delta superconductor.

PubMed

Fuchs, G; Drechsler, S-L; Kozlova, N; Behr, G; Köhler, A; Werner, J; Nenkov, K; Klingeler, R; Hamann-Borrero, J; Hess, C; Kondrat, A; Grobosch, M; Narduzzo, A; Knupfer, M; Freudenberger, J; Büchner, B; Schultz, L

2008-12-05

We report upper critical field Bc2(T) data for disordered (arsenic-deficient) LaO0.9F0.1FeAs1-delta in a wide temperature and magnetic field range up to 47 T. Because of the large linear slope of Bc2 approximately -5.4 to -6.6 T/K near Tc approximately 28.5 K, the T dependence of the in-plane Bc2(T) shows a flattening near 23 K above 30 T which points to Pauli-limited behavior with Bc2(0) approximately 63-68 T. Our results are discussed in terms of disorder effects within [corrected] unconventional superconducting pairings.

Distribution and assessment of sediment toxicity in Tamaki Estuary, Auckland, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahim, G. M. S.; Parker, R. J.; Nichol, S. L.

2007-07-01

Heavy metal levels in surface sediments from Tamaki Estuary demonstrate significant up estuary increases in Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and mud concentrations. Increased metal levels towards the head of the estuary are linked to local catchment sources reflecting the historical development, industrialisation and urbanisation of catchment areas surrounding the upper estuary. The relatively narrow constriction in the middle estuary (Panmure area), makes it susceptible to accumulation of upper estuary pollutants, since the constriction reduces circulation and extends the time required for fine waterborne sediments in the upper estuary to exchange with fresh coastal water. As a result fine fraction sediments trapped in the upper estuary facilitate capture and retention of pollutants at the head of the estuary. The increase in sandy mud poor sediments towards the mouth of the estuary is associated with generally low metal concentrations. The estuary’s geomorphic shape with a mid estuary constriction, sediment texture and mineralogy and catchment history are significant factors in understanding the overall spatial distribution of contaminants in the estuary. Bulk concentration values for Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in all the studied surface samples occur below ANZECC ISQG-H toxicity values. Cd and Cu concentrations are also below the ISQG-L toxicity levels for these elements. However, Pb and Zn concentrations do exceed the ISQG-L values in some of the surface bulk samples in the upper estuary proximal to long established sources of catchment pollution.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of upper abdominal organs at different time points: Apparent diffusion coefficient normalization using a reference organ.

PubMed

Song, Ji Soo; Kwak, Hyo Sung; Byon, Jung Hee; Jin, Gong Yong

2017-05-01

To compare the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of upper abdominal organs acquired at different time points, and to investigate the usefulness of normalization. We retrospectively evaluated 58 patients who underwent three rounds of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging including diffusion-weighted imaging of the upper abdomen. MR examinations were performed using three different 3.0 Tesla (T) and one 1.5T systems, with variable b value combinations and respiratory motion compensation techniques. The ADC values of the upper abdominal organs from three different time points were analyzed, using the ADC values of the paraspinal muscle (ADC psm ) and spleen (ADC spleen ) for normalization. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and comparison of dependent ICCs were used for statistical analysis. The ICCs of the original ADC and ADC psm showed fair to substantial agreement, while ADC spleen showed substantial to almost perfect agreement. The ICC of ADC spleen of all anatomical regions showed less variability compared with that of the original ADC (P < 0.005). Normalized ADC using the spleen as a reference organ significantly decreased variability in measurement of the upper abdominal organs in different MR systems at different time points and could be regarded as an imaging biomarker for future multicenter, longitudinal studies. 5 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1494-1501. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Classification of Tidal Disruption Events Based on Stellar Orbital Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayasaki, Kimitake; Zhong, Shiyan; Li, Shuo; Berczik, Peter; Spurzem, Rainer

2018-03-01

We study the rates of tidal disruption of stars on bound to unbound orbits by intermediate-mass to supermassive black holes using high-accuracy direct N-body experiments. Stars from the star cluster approaching the black hole can have three types of orbit: eccentric, parabolic, and hyperbolic. Since the mass fallback rate shows different variabilities depending on the orbital type, we can classify tidal disruption events (TDEs) into three main categories: eccentric, parabolic, and hyperbolic. The respective TDEs are characterized by two critical values of the orbital eccentricity: the lower critical eccentricity is the one below which stars on eccentric orbits cause finite, intense accretion, and the upper critical eccentricity is the one above which stars on hyperbolic orbits cause no accretion. Moreover, we find that parabolic TDEs can be divided into three subclasses: precisely parabolic, marginally eccentric, and marginally hyperbolic. We analytically derive that the mass fallback rate of marginally eccentric TDEs can be flatter and slightly higher than the standard fallback rate proportional to t ‑5/3, whereas it can be flatter and lower for marginally hyperbolic TDEs. We confirm using N-body experiments that only a few eccentric, precisely parabolic, and hyperbolic TDEs can occur in a spherical stellar system with a single intermediate-mass to supermassive black hole. A substantial fraction of the stars approaching the black hole would cause marginally eccentric or marginally hyperbolic TDEs.

Effects of a semi-infinite stratification on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in an interface with surface tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Andrea González, Ángel; González-Gutiérrez, Leo M.

2017-09-01

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) in an infinite slab where a constant density lower fluid is initially separated from an upper stratified fluid is discussed in linear regime. The upper fluid is of increasing exponential density and surface tension is considered between both of them. It was found useful to study stability by using the initial value problem approach (IVP), so that we ensure the inclusion of certain continuum modes, otherwise neglected. This methodology includes the branch cut in the complex plane, consequently, in addition to discrete modes (surface RTI modes), a set of continuum modes (internal RTI modes) also appears. As a result, the usual information given by the normal mode method is now complete. Furthermore, a new role is found for surface tension: to transform surface RTI modes (discrete spectrum) into internal RTI modes belonging to a continuous spectrum at a critical wavenumber. As a consequence, the cut-off wavenumber disappears: i.e. the growth rate of the RTI surface mode does not decay to zero at the cut-off wavenumber, as previous researchers used to believe. Finally, we found that, due to the continuum, the asymptotic behavior of the perturbation with respect to time is slower than the exponential when only the continuous spectrum exists.

Electronic structure, irreversibility line and magnetoresistance of Cu 0.3Bi 2Se 3 superconductor

DOE PAGES

Hemian, Yi; Gu, Genda; Chen, Chao -Yu; ...

2015-06-01

Cu xBi 2Se 3 is a superconductor that is a potential candidate for topological superconductors. We report our laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurement on the electronic structure of the Cu xBi 2Se 3 superconductor, and a detailed magneto-resistance measurement in both normal and superconducting states. We find that the topological surface state of the pristine Bi 2Se 3 topological insulator remains robust after the Cu-intercalation, while the Dirac cone location moves downward due to electron doping. Detailed measurements on the magnetic field-dependence of the resistance in the superconducting state establishes an irreversibility line and gives a value of the upper criticalmore » field at zero temperature of ~4000 Oe for the Cu 0.3Bi 2Se 3 superconductor with a middle point T c of 1.9K. The relation between the upper critical field Hc2 and temperature T is different from the usual scaling relation found in cuprates and in other kinds of superconductors. Small positive magneto-resistance is observed in Cu 0.3Bi 2Se 3 superconductors up to room temperature. As a result, these observations provide useful information for further study of this possible candidate for topological superconductors.« less

Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bouska, Kristen; Houser, Jeff N.; De Jager, Nathan R.; Hendrickson, Jon S.

2018-01-01

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in the context of an ecological resilience assessment. Our description articulates the temporal and spatial extent of our assessment of the UMRS, the relevant historical context, the valued services provided by the system, and the fundamental controlling variables that determine its structure and function. An important objective of developing the system description was to determine the simplest, adequate conceptual understanding of the UMRS. We conceptualize a simplified UMRS as three interconnected subsystems: lotic channels, lentic off-channel areas, and floodplains. By identifying controlling variables within each subsystem, we have developed a shared understanding of the basic structure and function of the UMRS, which will serve as the basis for ongoing quantitative evaluations of factors that likely contribute to the resilience of the UMRS. As we undertake the subsequent elements of a resilience assessment, we anticipate our improved understanding of interactions, feedbacks, and critical thresholds will assist natural resource managers to better recognize the system’s ability to adapt to existing and new stresses.

How do somatosensory deficits in the arm and hand relate to upper limb impairment, activity, and participation problems after stroke? A systematic review.

PubMed

Meyer, Sarah; Karttunen, Auli H; Thijs, Vincent; Feys, Hilde; Verheyden, Geert

2014-09-01

The association between somatosensory impairments and outcome after stroke remains unclear. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature on the relationship between somatosensory impairments in the upper limb and outcome after stroke. The electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception until July 2013. Studies were included if adult patients with stroke (minimum n=10) were examined with reliable and valid measures of somatosensation in the upper limb to investigate the relationship with upper limb impairment, activity, and participation measures. Exclusion criteria included measures of somatosensation involving an overall score for upper and lower limb outcome and articles including only lower limb outcomes. Eligibility assessment, data extraction, and quality evaluation were completed by 2 independent reviewers. A cutoff score of ≥65% of the maximal quality score was used for further inclusion in this review. Six articles met all inclusion criteria. Two-point discrimination was shown to be predictive for upper limb dexterity, and somatosensory evoked potentials were shown to have predictive value in upper limb motor recovery. Proprioception was significantly correlated with perceived level of physical activity and social isolation and had some predictive value in functional movements of the upper limb. Finally, the combination of light touch and proprioception impairment was shown to be significantly related to upper limb motor recovery as well as handicap situations during activities of daily living. Heterogeneity of the included studies warrants caution when interpreting results. Large variation in results was found due to heterogeneity of the studies. However, somatosensory deficits were shown to have an important role in upper limb motor and functional performance after stroke. © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association.

Critical Value Reporting at Egyptian Laboratories.

PubMed

Mosallam, Rasha; Ibrahim, Samaa Zenhom

2015-06-12

To examine critical value reporting policies and practices and to identify critical value ranges for selected common laboratory assays at inpatient division of laboratories of Alexandria hospitals. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Subjects were from inpatient division of all laboratories of Alexandria hospitals (40 laboratories). Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of 4 sections. The first section explored hospital and laboratory characteristics. The second section assessed policies and procedures of critical value reporting. The third section explored the reporting process. The fourth section explored critical value ranges for selected common laboratory assays. Written procedure for reporting of critical values was present in 77.5% of laboratories and a comprehensive list of critical values in 72.55%. For laboratories having a critical value list, the number of tests in the list ranged from 7 to 40. Three-fifths of laboratories had a policy for assessing the timeliness of reporting and 3 quarters stated that the laboratory policy requires feedback (60.0% and 75.0%, respectively). The hospital laboratory physician was responsible for critical value reporting followed by the laboratory technician (75.0% and 50.0%, respectively). The call is received mainly by nurses and physicians ordering the test (67.5% and 55.0%, respectively) and the channel of reporting is mainly the telephone or through sending test report to the ward (67.5% and 50.0%, respectively). Wireless technologies are used in reporting in only 10.0% of hospitals. The cutoff limits for reporting different assays showed considerable interlaboratory variation. Critical value policies and practices showed interinstitutional variation with deficiencies in some reporting practices. Selection of critical assays for notification and setting the limits of notification exhibited wide variation as well.

Study of variables affecting critical value notification in a laboratory catering to tertiary care hospital.

PubMed

Agarwal, Rachna; Chhillar, Neelam; Tripathi, Chandra B

2015-01-01

During post-analytical phase, critical value notification to responsible caregiver in a timely manner has potential to improve patient safety which requires cooperative efforts between laboratory personnel and caregivers. It is widely accepted by hospital accreditors that ineffective notification can lead to diagnostic errors that potentially harm patients and are preventable. The objective of the study was to assess the variables affecting critical value notification, their role in affecting it's quality and approaches to improve it. In the present study 1,187 critical values were analysed in the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory catering to tertiary care hospital for neuropsychiatric diseases. During 25 months of study period, we evaluated critical value notification with respect to clinical care area, caregiver to whom it was notified and timeliness of notification. During the study period (25 months), the laboratory obtained 1,279 critical values in clinical chemistry. The analytes most commonly notified were sodium and potassium (20.97 & 20.8 % of total critical results). Analysis of critical value notification versus area of care showed that critical value notification was high in ICU and emergency area followed by inpatients and 64.61 % critical values were notified between 30 and 120 min after receiving the samples. It was found that failure to notify the responsible caregiver in timely manner represent an important patient safety issue and may lead to diagnostic errors. The major area of concern are notification of critical value for outpatient samples, incompleteness of test requisition forms regarding illegible writing, lack of information of treating physician and location of test ordering and difficulty in contacting the responsible caregiver.

An objective isobaric/isentropic technique for upper air analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mancuso, R. L.; Endlich, R. M.; Ehernberger, L. J.

1981-01-01

An objective meteorological analysis technique is presented whereby both horizontal and vertical upper air analyses are performed. The process used to interpolate grid-point values from the upper-air station data is the same as for grid points on both an isobaric surface and a vertical cross-sectional plane. The nearby data surrounding each grid point are used in the interpolation by means of an anisotropic weighting scheme, which is described. The interpolation for a grid-point potential temperature is performed isobarically; whereas wind, mixing-ratio, and pressure height values are interpolated from data that lie on the isentropic surface that passes through the grid point. Two versions (A and B) of the technique are evaluated by qualitatively comparing computer analyses with subjective handdrawn analyses. The objective products of version A generally have fair correspondence with the subjective analyses and with the station data, and depicted the structure of the upper fronts, tropopauses, and jet streams fairly well. The version B objective products correspond more closely to the subjective analyses, and show the same strong gradients across the upper front with only minor smoothing.

A Study on Water Surface Profiles of Rivers with Constriction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Chaochao; Yamada, Tadashi

2013-04-01

Water surface profile of rivers with constrictions is precious in both classic hydraulics and river management practice. This study was conducted to clarify the essences of the water surface profiles. 3 cases of experiments and 1D numerical calculations with different discharges were made in the study and analysis solutions of the non-linear basic equation of surface profile in varied flow without considering friction were derived. The manning's number was kept in the same in each case by using crosspiece roughness. We found a new type of water surface profile of varied flow from the results of 1D numerical calculation and that of experiments and named it as Mc curve because of its mild condition with constriction segment. This kind of curves appears as a nature phenomenon ubiquitously. The process of water surface forming is dynamic and bore occurs at the upper side of constriction during increasing discharge before the surface profile formed. As a theoretical work, 3 analysis solutions were derived included 2 physical-meaning solutions in the study by using Man-Machine system. One of the derived physical-meaning solutions was confirmed that it is validity by comparing to the results of 1D numerical calculation and that of experiments. The solution represents a flow profile from under critical condition at the upper side to super critical condition at the down side of constriction segment. The other derived physical-meaning solution represents a flow profile from super critical condition at the upper side to under critical condition at the down side of constriction segment. These two kinds of flow profiles exist in the nature but no theoretical solution can express the phenomenon. We find the depth distribution only concerned with unit width discharge distribution and critical depth under a constant discharge from the derived solutions. Therefor, the profile can be gained simply and precisely by using the theoretical solutions instead of numerical calculation even in practice.

Time of day affects the frequency and duration of breathing events and the critical closing pressure during NREM sleep in participants with sleep apnea.

PubMed

El-Chami, Mohamad; Shaheen, David; Ivers, Blake; Syed, Ziauddin; Badr, M Safwan; Lin, Ho-Sheng; Mateika, Jason H

2015-09-15

We investigated if the number and duration of breathing events coupled to upper airway collapsibility were affected by the time of day. Male participants with obstructive sleep apnea completed a constant routine protocol that consisted of sleep sessions in the evening (10 PM to 1 AM), morning (6 AM to 9 AM), and afternoon (2 PM to 5 PM). On one occasion the number and duration of breathing events was ascertained for each sleep session. On a second occasion the critical closing pressure that demarcated upper airway collapsibility was determined. The duration of breathing events was consistently greater in the morning compared with the evening and afternoon during N1 and N2, while an increase in event frequency was evident during N1. The critical closing pressure was increased in the morning (2.68 ± 0.98 cmH2O) compared with the evening (1.29 ± 0.91 cmH2O; P ≤ 0.02) and afternoon (1.25 ± 0.79; P ≤ 0.01). The increase in the critical closing pressure was correlated to the decrease in the baseline partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the morning compared with the afternoon and evening (r = -0.73, P ≤ 0.005). Our findings indicate that time of day affects the duration and frequency of events, coupled with alterations in upper airway collapsibility. We propose that increases in airway collapsibility in the morning may be linked to an endogenous modulation of baseline carbon dioxide levels and chemoreflex sensitivity (12), which are independent of the consequences of sleep apnea.

Bayesian model for fate and transport of polychlorinated biphenyl in upper Hudson River

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

Steinberg, L.J.; Reckhow, K.H.; Wolpert, R.L.

1996-05-01

Modelers of contaminant fate and transport in surface waters typically rely on literature values when selecting parameter values for mechanistic models. While the expert judgment with which these selections are made is valuable, the information contained in contaminant concentration measurements should not be ignored. In this full-scale Bayesian analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the upper Hudson River, these two sources of information are combined using Bayes` theorem. A simulation model for the fate and transport of the PCBs in the upper Hudson River forms the basis of the likelihood function while the prior density is developed from literaturemore » values. The method provides estimates for the anaerobic biodegradation half-life, aerobic biodegradation plus volatilization half-life, contaminated sediment depth, and resuspension velocity of 4,400 d, 3.2 d, 0.32 m, and 0.02 m/yr, respectively. These are significantly different than values obtained with more traditional methods, and are shown to produce better predictions than those methods when used in a cross-validation study.« less

Water Quality Conditions in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoilman, Gene R.; Lindenberg, Mary K.; Wood, Tamara M.

2008-01-01

During June-October 2005, water quality data were collected from Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes in Oregon, and meteorological data were collected around and within Upper Klamath Lake. Data recorded at two continuous water quality monitors in Agency Lake showed similar temperature patterns throughout the field season, but data recorded at the northern site showed more day-to-day variability for dissolved oxygen concentration and saturation after late June and more day-to-day variability for pH and specific conductance values after mid-July. Data recorded from the northern and southern parts of Agency Lake showed more comparable day-to-day variability in dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH from September through the end of the monitoring period. For Upper Klamath Lake, seasonal (late July through early August) lows of dissolved oxygen concentrations and saturation were coincident with a seasonal low of pH values and seasonal highs of ammonia and orthophosphate concentrations, specific conductance values, and water temperatures. Patterns in these parameters, excluding water temperature, were associated with bloom dynamics of the cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in Upper Klamath Lake. In Upper Klamath Lake, water temperature in excess of 28 degrees Celsius (a high stress threshold for Upper Klamath Lake suckers) was recorded only once at one site during the field season. Large areas of Upper Klamath Lake had periods of dissolved oxygen concentration of less than 4 milligrams per liter and pH value greater than 9.7, but these conditions were not persistent throughout days at most sites. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in Upper Klamath Lake on time scales of days and months appeared to be influenced, in part, by bathymetry and prevailing current flow patterns. Diel patterns of water column stratification were evident, even at the deepest sites. This diel pattern of stratification was attributable to diel wind speed patterns and the shallow nature of most of Upper Klamath Lake. Timing of the daily extreme values of dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and water temperature was less distinct with increased water column depth. Chlorophyll a concentrations varied spatially and temporally throughout Upper Klamath Lake. Location greatly affected algal concentrations, in turn affecting nutrient and dissolved oxygen concentrations - some of the highest chlorophyll a concentrations were associated with the lowest dissolved oxygen concentrations and the highest un-ionized ammonia concentrations. The occurrence of the low dissolved oxygen and high un-ionized ammonia concentrations coincided with a decline in algae resulting from cell death, as measured by concentrations of chlorophyll a. Dissolved oxygen production rates in experiments were as high as 1.47 milligrams of oxygen per liter per hour, and consumption rates were as much as -0.73 milligrams of oxygen per liter per hour. Dissolved oxygen consumption rates measured in this study were comparable to those measured in a 2002 Upper Klamath Lake study, and a higher rate of dissolved oxygen consumption was recorded in dark bottles positioned higher in the water column. Data, though inconclusive, indicated that a decreasing trend of dissolved oxygen productivity through July could have contributed to the decreasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and percent saturation recorded in Upper Klamath Lake during this time. Phytoplankton self-shading was evident from a general inverse relation between depth of photic zone and chlorophyll a concentrations. This shading caused net dissolved oxygen consumption during daylight hours in lower parts of the water column that would otherwise have been in the photic zone. Meteorological data collected in and around Upper Klamath Lake showed that winds were likely to come from a broad range of westerly directions in the northern one-third of the lake, but tended to come from a narrow range of northwesterly directions

Low-Stress Upper Plate Near Subduction Zones and Implications for Temporal Changes in Loading Forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Hu, Y.; Yoshida, K.

2016-12-01

Subduction megathrusts are weak, often with effective friction coefficients as low as 0.03. Consequently, differential stress (S1 - S3) in the nearby upper plate is low. Compression due to plate coupling and tension due to gravity are in a subtle balance that can be tipped by small perturbations. For example, the 2011 M=9 Tohoku-oki earthquake, which has a rupture-zone-average stress drop of only a few MPa, switched offshore margin-normal stress from compression to tension and affected seismicity pattern and stress directions of various parts of the land area. The low differential stress is also reflected in spatial variations of stresses, such as with changes in topography. In the Andes, crustal earthquake focal mechanisms change from thrust-faulting in low-elevation areas to normal-faulting in high-elevation areas. Given the lack of evidence for a pervasively weak crust, the low differential stress may indicate that in general the crust near subduction zones is not critically stressed. If so, crustal earthquakes do not represent pervasive failure but only local failure due to stress, material, and fluid pressure heterogeneity. If distributed permanent deformation that creates topography is not the norm, it either happens in brief episodes or took place in the past. The outer wedge may enter a compressively or extensionally critical state due to coseismic strengthening or weakening, respectively, of the shallow megathrust in largest interplate earthquakes. Temporal changes in loading forces must occur also at much larger temporal and spatial scales in response to changes in the nature of the subducting plate and other tectonic conditions. We propose that submarine wedges and high topography in the upper plate attain their geometry in geologically brief episodes of high differential stress. They normally stay in a low-stress stable state, but their geometry often reflects high-stress episodes of critical states in the past. In other words, rocks have a sustained memory for the most traumatic moments. Except for the weaker outer wedge, the upper plate does not switch from one critical state to another in megathrust earthquake cycles, such as from compressional failure to gravitational collapse.

Airfoil shape for flight at subsonic speeds. [design analysis and aerodynamic characteristics of the GAW-1 airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitcomb, R. T. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

An airfoil is examined that has an upper surface shaped to control flow accelerations and pressure distribution over the upper surface and to prevent separation of the boundary layer due to shock wave formulation at high subsonic speeds well above the critical Mach number. A highly cambered trailing edge section improves overall airfoil lifting efficiency. Diagrams illustrating supersonic flow and shock waves over the airfoil are shown.

Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators: SEPAC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burch, J. L.; Roberts, W. T.; Taylor, W. W. L.; Kawashima, N.; Marshall, J. A.; Moses, S. L.; Neubert, T.; Mende, S. B.; Choueiri, E. Y.

1994-01-01

The Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators (SEPAC), which flew on the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) 1 mission, used new techniques to study natural phenomena in the Earth's upper atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere by introducing energetic perturbations into the system from a high power electron beam with known characteristics. Properties of auroras were studied by directing the electron beam into the upper atmosphere while making measurements of optical emissions. Studies were also performed of the critical ionization velocity phenomenon.

Multilevel eEmpirical Bayes modeling for improved estimation of toxicant formulations tosuppress parasitic sea lamprey in the Upper Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, Laura A.; Gutreuter, Steve; Boogaard, Michael A.; Carlin, Bradley P.

2011-01-01

Estimation of extreme quantal-response statistics, such as the concentration required to kill 99.9% of test subjects (LC99.9), remains a challenge in the presence of multiple covariates and complex study designs. Accurate and precise estimates of the LC99.9 for mixtures of toxicants are critical to ongoing control of a parasitic invasive species, the sea lamprey, in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. The toxicity of those chemicals is affected by local and temporal variations in water chemistry, which must be incorporated into the modeling. We develop multilevel empirical Bayes models for data from multiple laboratory studies. Our approach yields more accurate and precise estimation of the LC99.9 compared to alternative models considered. This study demonstrates that properly incorporating hierarchical structure in laboratory data yields better estimates of LC99.9 stream treatment values that are critical to larvae control in the field. In addition, out-of-sample prediction of the results of in situ tests reveals the presence of a latent seasonal effect not manifest in the laboratory studies, suggesting avenues for future study and illustrating the importance of dual consideration of both experimental and observational data.

Flow resistance under conditions of intense gravel transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitlick, John

1992-01-01

A study of flow resistance was undertaken in a channelized reach of the North Fork Toutle River, downstream of Mount St. Helens, Washington. Hydraulic and sediment transport data were collected in flows with velocities up to 3 m/s and shear stresses up to 7 times the critical value needed for bed load transport. Details of the flow structure as revealed in vertical velocity profiles indicate that weak bed load transport over a plane gravel bed has little effect on flow resistance. The plane gravel bed persists up to stresses ∼3 times critical, at which point, irregular bed forms appear. Bed forms greatly increase flow resistance and cause velocity profiles to become distorted. The latter arises as an effect of flows becoming depth-limited as bed form amplitude increases. At very high rates of bed load transport, an upper stage plane bed appeared. Velocity profiles measured in these flows match the law of the wall closely, with the equivalent roughness being well represented by ks = 3D84 of the bed load. The effects noted here will be important in very large floods or in rivers that are not free to widen, such as those cut into bedrock.

Biodegradation kinetics for pesticide exposure assessment.

PubMed

Wolt, J D; Nelson, H P; Cleveland, C B; van Wesenbeeck, I J

2001-01-01

Understanding pesticide risks requires characterizing pesticide exposure within the environment in a manner that can be broadly generalized across widely varied conditions of use. The coupled processes of sorption and soil degradation are especially important for understanding the potential environmental exposure of pesticides. The data obtained from degradation studies are inherently variable and, when limited in extent, lend uncertainty to exposure characterization and risk assessment. Pesticide decline in soils reflects dynamically coupled processes of sorption and degradation that add complexity to the treatment of soil biodegradation data from a kinetic perspective. Additional complexity arises from study design limitations that may not fully account for the decline in microbial activity of test systems, or that may be inadequate for considerations of all potential dissipation routes for a given pesticide. Accordingly, kinetic treatment of data must accommodate a variety of differing approaches starting with very simple assumptions as to reaction dynamics and extending to more involved treatments if warranted by the available experimental data. Selection of the appropriate kinetic model to describe pesticide degradation should rely on statistical evaluation of the data fit to ensure that the models used are not overparameterized. Recognizing the effects of experimental conditions and methods for kinetic treatment of degradation data is critical for making appropriate comparisons among pesticide biodegradation data sets. Assessment of variability in soil half-life among soils is uncertain because for many pesticides the data on soil degradation rate are limited to one or two soils. Reasonable upper-bound estimates of soil half-life are necessary in risk assessment so that estimated environmental concentrations can be developed from exposure models. Thus, an understanding of the variable and uncertain distribution of soil half-lives in the environment is necessary to estimate bounding values. Statistical evaluation of measures of central tendency for multisoil kinetic studies shows that geometric means better represent the distribution in soil half-lives than do the arithmetic or harmonic means. Estimates of upper-bound soil half-life values based on the upper 90% confidence bound on the geometric mean tend to accurately represent the upper bound when pesticide degradation rate is biologically driven but appear to overestimate the upper bound when there is extensive coupling of biodegradation with sorptive processes. The limited data available comparing distribution in pesticide soil half-lives between multisoil laboratory studies and multilocation field studies suggest that the probability density functions are similar. Thus, upper-bound estimates of pesticide half-life determined from laboratory studies conservatively represent pesticide biodegradation in the field environment for the purposes of exposure and risk assessment. International guidelines and approaches used for interpretations of soil biodegradation reflect many common elements, but differ in how the source and nature of variability in soil kinetic data are considered. Harmonization of approaches for the use of soil biodegradation data will improve the interpretative power of these data for the purposes of exposure and risk assessment.

Determination of the diagnostic value of the Modified Mallampati Score, Upper Lip Bite Test and Facial Angle in predicting difficult intubation: A prospective descriptive study.

PubMed

Mahmoodpoor, Ata; Soleimanpour, Hassan; Golzari, Samad Ej; Nejabatian, Arezoo; Pourlak, Tannaz; Amani, Masoumeh; Hajmohammadi, Saeed; Hosseinzadeh, Hamzeh; Esfanjani, Robab Mehdizadeh

2017-02-01

Difficult intubation is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity related to anesthesia. We decided to evaluate the value of Modified Mallampati Score, Upper Lip Bite Test and Facial Angle in the prediction of difficult intubation. In a prospective descriptive study, data from 132 patients who were candidates for elective maxillofacial surgeries under general anesthesia were gathered. Facial Angles were measured by a maxillofacial surgeon according to cephalometry. The Modified Mallampati Score and Upper Lip Bite Test were first measured by an anesthesiologist and then another anesthesiologist was assigned to record the Cormack and Lehane score during the intubation. Grades 3 and 4 were considered as difficult intubation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Youden index were calculated for all tests. Difficult intubation was reported in 12% of the patients. Facial Angle≤82.5° can predict difficult intubation with 87.5% sensitivity and 88.8% specificity. Among the three tests, a high Modified Mallampati Score had the highest specificity (94.5%) and a high Modified Mallampati Score and Facial Angle (FA≤82.5°) had the highest sensitivity (87.5%). The highest NPV, sensitivity and Youden index were observed when using Facial Angle with the Modified Mallampati Score or with Upper Lip Bite Test. Facial Angle has a high sensitivity, NPV and Youden index for the prediction of difficult intubation, but the best result is achieved when Facial Angle is used in combination with either the Modified Mallampati Score or Upper Lip Bit Test. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovations in prosthetic interfaces for the upper extremity.

PubMed

Kung, Theodore A; Bueno, Reuben A; Alkhalefah, Ghadah K; Langhals, Nicholas B; Urbanchek, Melanie G; Cederna, Paul S

2013-12-01

Advancements in modern robotic technology have led to the development of highly sophisticated upper extremity prosthetic limbs. High-fidelity volitional control of these devices is dependent on the critical interface between the patient and the mechanical prosthesis. Recent innovations in prosthetic interfaces have focused on several control strategies. Targeted muscle reinnervation is currently the most immediately applicable prosthetic control strategy and is particularly indicated in proximal upper extremity amputations. Investigation into various brain interfaces has allowed acquisition of neuroelectric signals directly or indirectly from the central nervous system for prosthetic control. Peripheral nerve interfaces permit signal transduction from both motor and sensory nerves with a higher degree of selectivity. This article reviews the current developments in each of these interface systems and discusses the potential of these approaches to facilitate motor control and sensory feedback in upper extremity neuroprosthetic devices.

The biomechanics of upper extremity kinematic and kinetic modeling: applications to rehabilitation engineering.

PubMed

Slavens, Brooke A; Harris, Gerald F

2008-01-01

Human motion analysis has evolved from the lower extremity to the upper extremity. Rehabilitation engineering is reliant upon three-dimensional biome-chanical models for a thorough understanding of upper body motions and forces in order to improve treatment methods, rehabilitation strategies and to prevent injury. Due to the complex nature of upper body movements, a standard biomechanical model does not exist. This paper reviews several kinematic and kinetic rehabilitation engineering models from the literature. These models may capture a single joint; multijoints such as the shoulder, elbow and wrist; or a combination of joints and an ambulatory aid, which serves as the extension of the upper arm. With advances in software and hardware, new models continuously arise due to the clinical questions at hand. When designing a biomechanical upper extremity model, several key components must be determined. These include deciding on the anatomic segments of the model, the number of markers and placement on bony landmarks, the definition of joint coordinate systems, and the description of the joint motions. It is critical to apply the proper model to further our understanding of pathologic populations.

Stable isotope evidence for increasing dietary breadth in the European mid-Upper Paleolithic

PubMed Central

Richards, Michael P.; Pettitt, Paul B.; Stiner, Mary C.; Trinkaus, Erik

2001-01-01

New carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values for human remains dating to the mid-Upper Paleolithic in Europe indicate significant amounts of aquatic (fish, mollusks, and/or birds) foods in some of their diets. Most of this evidence points to exploitation of inland freshwater aquatic resources in particular. By contrast, European Neandertal collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values do not indicate significant use of inland aquatic foods but instead show that they obtained the majority of their protein from terrestrial herbivores. In agreement with recent zooarcheological analyses, the isotope results indicate shifts toward a more broad-spectrum subsistence economy in inland Europe by the mid-Upper Paleolithic period, probably associated with significant population increases. PMID:11371652

Stable isotope evidence for increasing dietary breadth in the European mid-Upper Paleolithic.

PubMed

Richards, M P; Pettitt, P B; Stiner, M C; Trinkaus, E

2001-05-22

New carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values for human remains dating to the mid-Upper Paleolithic in Europe indicate significant amounts of aquatic (fish, mollusks, and/or birds) foods in some of their diets. Most of this evidence points to exploitation of inland freshwater aquatic resources in particular. By contrast, European Neandertal collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values do not indicate significant use of inland aquatic foods but instead show that they obtained the majority of their protein from terrestrial herbivores. In agreement with recent zooarcheological analyses, the isotope results indicate shifts toward a more broad-spectrum subsistence economy in inland Europe by the mid-Upper Paleolithic period, probably associated with significant population increases.

Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld model in the upper critical dimension: Induced criticality in lower-dimensional subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashti-Naserabadi, H.; Najafi, M. N.

2017-10-01

We present extensive numerical simulations of Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld (BTW) sandpile model on the hypercubic lattice in the upper critical dimension Du=4 . After re-extracting the critical exponents of avalanches, we concentrate on the three- and two-dimensional (2D) cross sections seeking for the induced criticality which are reflected in the geometrical and local exponents. Various features of finite-size scaling (FSS) theory have been tested and confirmed for all dimensions. The hyperscaling relations between the exponents of the distribution functions and the fractal dimensions are shown to be valid for all dimensions. We found that the exponent of the distribution function of avalanche mass is the same for the d -dimensional cross sections and the d -dimensional BTW model for d =2 and 3. The geometrical quantities, however, have completely different behaviors with respect to the same-dimensional BTW model. By analyzing the FSS theory for the geometrical exponents of the two-dimensional cross sections, we propose that the 2D induced models have degrees of similarity with the Gaussian free field (GFF). Although some local exponents are slightly different, this similarity is excellent for the fractal dimensions. The most important one showing this feature is the fractal dimension of loops df, which is found to be 1.50 ±0.02 ≈3/2 =dfGFF .

Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld model in the upper critical dimension: Induced criticality in lower-dimensional subsystems.

PubMed

Dashti-Naserabadi, H; Najafi, M N

2017-10-01

We present extensive numerical simulations of Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld (BTW) sandpile model on the hypercubic lattice in the upper critical dimension D_{u}=4. After re-extracting the critical exponents of avalanches, we concentrate on the three- and two-dimensional (2D) cross sections seeking for the induced criticality which are reflected in the geometrical and local exponents. Various features of finite-size scaling (FSS) theory have been tested and confirmed for all dimensions. The hyperscaling relations between the exponents of the distribution functions and the fractal dimensions are shown to be valid for all dimensions. We found that the exponent of the distribution function of avalanche mass is the same for the d-dimensional cross sections and the d-dimensional BTW model for d=2 and 3. The geometrical quantities, however, have completely different behaviors with respect to the same-dimensional BTW model. By analyzing the FSS theory for the geometrical exponents of the two-dimensional cross sections, we propose that the 2D induced models have degrees of similarity with the Gaussian free field (GFF). Although some local exponents are slightly different, this similarity is excellent for the fractal dimensions. The most important one showing this feature is the fractal dimension of loops d_{f}, which is found to be 1.50±0.02≈3/2=d_{f}^{GFF}.

Accuracy of pulse oximeter perfusion index in thoracic epidural anesthesia under basal general anesthesia.

PubMed

Xu, Zifeng; Zhang, Jianhai; Xia, Yunfei; Deng, Xiaoming

2014-01-01

To observe the change of PVI after thoracic epidural block on the basis of general anesthesia. In 26 patients undergoing elective upper abdominal operations, changes of SVI, PVI, SVV, PPV and CVP were monitored immediately before and 10 minutes after T8-9 thoracic epidural anesthesia on the basis of general anesthesia. The definition was that patients with ΔSVI greater than 10% belonged to response group to epidural block. Before epidural block, the PVI, SVV and PPV baseline values in patients of response group were significantly higher than those in patients of non-response group. PVI, SVV and PPV after epidural block were significantly higher than immediately before epidural block (P < 0.001). PVI, SVV and PPV baseline values immediately before epidural block were positively correlated with ΔSVI; the correlation coefficients were 0.70, 0.71 and 0.63, respectively, P ≤ 0.001. The optimal critical values for PVI, SVV and PPV to predict response to T8-9 gap epidural block under general anesthesia were 16% (sensitivity 80%, specificity 92%), 13% (sensitivity 90%, specificity 62%) and 12% (sensitivity 90%, specificity 77%), respectively. PVI can be used as a noninvasive indictor to monitor volume change after thoracic epidural block on the basis of general anesthesia.

A model study of sediment transport across the shelf break

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchal, Olivier

2017-04-01

A variety of dynamical processes can contribute to the transport of material (e.g., particulate matter) across the shelf break - the region separating the continental shelf from the continental slope. Among these processes are (i) the reflection of internal waves on the outer shelf and upper slope, and (ii) the instability of hydrographic fronts, roughly aligned with isobaths, that are often present at the shelf break. On the one hand, internal waves reflecting on a sloping boundary can produce bottom shear stresses that are large enough to resuspend non-cohesive sediments into the water column. On the other hand, eddies shed from unstable shelf break fronts can incorporate into their core particle-rich waters from the outer shelf and upper slope, and transport these waters offshore. Here we present numerical experiments with a three-dimensional numerical model of ocean circulation and sediment transport, which illustrate the joint effect of internal waves and eddies on sediment transport across the shelf break. The model is based on the primitive equations and terrain-following coordinates. The model domain is square and idealized, comprising a flat continental shelf, a constant continental slope, and a flat abyssal basin. The model grid has O(1 km) horizontal resolution, so that (sub)mesoscale eddies observed in the vicinity of shelf breaks, such as south of New England, can be represented in detail. Internal waves are excited through the specification of a periodic variation in the across-slope component of velocity at the offshore boundary of the domain, and eddies are generated from the baroclinic instability of a shelf break jet that is initially in strict thermal wind balance. Numerical experiments are conducted that are characterized by (i) different slopes of internal wave characteristics relative to the continental slope, representing sub-critical, critical, and super-critical regimes, and (ii) different values for the dimensionless ratios that emerge from the linear stability analysis of shelf break fronts. Emphasis is placed on the physical conditions that are conducive to the formation and maintenance of bottom and intermediate nepheloid layers - the particle-rich layers that are often observed near oceanic margins in the traces of optical instruments.

Canonical Probability Distributions for Model Building, Learning, and Inference

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-14

hand , are for Ranked nodes set at Unobservable and Auxiliary nodes. The value of alpha is set in the diagnostic window by moving the slider in the upper...right hand side of the window. The upper bound of alpha can be modified by typing the new value in the small edit box to the right of the slider. f...TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER University of Pittsburgh

Initial Assessment and Resuscitation in Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

PubMed

Simon, Tracey G; Travis, Anne C; Saltzman, John R

2015-07-01

Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains an important cause of hospital admission with an associated mortality of 2-14%. Initial patient evaluation includes rapid hemodynamic assessment, large-bore intravenous catheter insertion and volume resuscitation. A hemoglobin transfusion threshold of 7 g/dL is recommended, and packed red blood cell transfusion may be necessary to restore intravascular volume and improve tissue perfusion. Patients should be risk stratified into low- and high-risk categories, using validated prognostic scoring systems such as the Glasgow-Blatchford, AIMS65 or Rockall scores. Effective early management of acute, nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is critical for improving patient outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress Analysis for the Critical Metal Structure of Bridge Crane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Zhangwei; Wang, Min; Xia, Junfang; Wang, Songhua; Guo, Xiaolian

2018-01-01

Based on the type of connection between the main girder and end beam of electrical single beam crane, the finite element analysis model of a full portal crane was established. The stress distribution of the critical structure under different loading conditions was analyzed. The results shown that the maximum Mises stress and deflection of the main girder were within the allowable range. And the connecting location between end beam web and main girder had higher stress than other region, especially at the lower edge and upper edge of the end beam web and the area near the bolt hole of upper wing panel. Therefore it is important to inspect the connection status, the stress condition and the crack situation nearing connection location during the regular inspection process to ensure the safety of the connection between the main girder and end beam.

Anisotropic upper critical fields up to 63 T in CaKFe 4As 4 single crystals

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

Kong, T.; Balakirev, Fedor Fedorovich; Meier, W. R.

2017-02-13

The discovery of Fe-based superconductors (FBS) has intensified research on mechanisms of hightemperature superconductivity as well as searches for materials with higher superconducting transition temperatures, Tc. Among many different classes of FBS, the so called “122” family is one of the most well studied systems. However, superconductivity in “122” systems is often stabilized via chemical substitution, which inevitably invites chemical disorder. Recently, a new compound, CaKFe 4As 4, with a well ordered structure that is essentially composed of alternating “122” layers, was discovered with a T c of 35 K. We were able to perform the first single crystal studymore » and measured the anisotropic upper critical fields, H c2, up to 63 T.« less

Magnetic Field Enhanced Superconductivity in Epitaxial Thin Film WTe2.

PubMed

Asaba, Tomoya; Wang, Yongjie; Li, Gang; Xiang, Ziji; Tinsman, Colin; Chen, Lu; Zhou, Shangnan; Zhao, Songrui; Laleyan, David; Li, Yi; Mi, Zetian; Li, Lu

2018-04-25

In conventional superconductors an external magnetic field generally suppresses superconductivity. This results from a simple thermodynamic competition of the superconducting and magnetic free energies. In this study, we report the unconventional features in the superconducting epitaxial thin film tungsten telluride (WTe 2 ). Measuring the electrical transport properties of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) grown WTe 2 thin films with a high precision rotation stage, we map the upper critical field H c2 at different temperatures T. We observe the superconducting transition temperature T c is enhanced by in-plane magnetic fields. The upper critical field H c2 is observed to establish an unconventional non-monotonic dependence on temperature. We suggest that this unconventional feature is due to the lifting of inversion symmetry, which leads to the enhancement of H c2 in Ising superconductors.

Dimensional Crossover and Its Interplay with In-Plane Anisotropy of Upper Critical Field in β-(BDA-TTP)2SbF6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasuzuka, Syuma; Koga, Hiroaki; Yamamura, Yasuhisa; Saito, Kazuya; Uji, Shinya; Terashima, Taichi; Akutsu, Hiroki; Yamada, Jun-ichi

2017-08-01

Resistance measurements have been performed to investigate the dimensionality and the in-plane anisotropy of the upper critical field (Hc2) for β-(BDA-TTP)2SbF6 in fields H up to 15 T and at temperatures T from 1.5 to 7.5 K, where BDA-TTP stands for 2,5-bis(1,3-dithian-2-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene. The upper critical fields parallel and perpendicular to the conduction layer are determined and dimensional crossover from anisotropic three-dimensional behavior to two-dimensional behavior is found at around 6 K. When the direction of H is varied within the conducting layer at 6.0 K, Hc2 shows twofold symmetry: Hc2 along the minimum Fermi wave vector (maximum Fermi velocity) is larger than that along the maximum Fermi wave vector (minimum Fermi velocity). The normal-state magnetoresistance has twofold symmetry similar to Hc2 and shows a maximum when the magnetic field is nearly parallel to the maximum Fermi wave vector. This tendency is consistent with the Fermi surface anisotropy. At 3.5 K, we found clear fourfold symmetry of Hc2 despite the fact that the normal-state magnetoresistance shows twofold symmetry arising from the Fermi surface anisotropy. The origin of the fourfold symmetry of Hc2 is discussed in terms of the superconducting gap structure in β-(BDA-TTP)2SbF6.

Improving Hurricane Heat Content Estimates From Satellite Altimeter Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Matthaeis, P.; Jacob, S.; Roubert, L. M.; Shay, N.; Black, P.

2007-12-01

Hurricanes are amongst the most destructive natural disasters known to mankind. The primary energy source driving these storms is the latent heat release due to the condensation of water vapor, which ultimately comes from the ocean. While the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) has a direct correlation with wind speeds, the oceanic heat content is dependent on the upper ocean vertical structure. Understanding the impact of these factors in the mutual interaction of hurricane-ocean is critical to more accurately forecasting intensity change in land-falling hurricanes. Use of hurricane heat content derived from the satellite radar altimeter measurements of sea surface height has been shown to improve intensity prediction. The general approach of estimating ocean heat content uses a two-layer model representing the ocean with its anomalies derived from altimeter data. Although these estimates compare reasonably well with in-situ measurements, they are generally about 10% under-biased. Additionally, recent studies show that the comparisons are less than satisfactory in the Western North Pacific. Therefore, our objective is to develop a methodology to more accurately represent the upper ocean structure using in-situ data. As part of a NOAA/ USWRP sponsored research, upper ocean observations were acquired in the Gulf of Mexico during the summers of 1999 and 2000. Overall, 260 expendable profilers (XCTD, XBT and XCP) acquired vertical temperature structure in the high heat content regions corresponding to the Loop Current and Warm Core Eddies. Using the temperature and salinity data from the XCTDs, first the Temperature-Salinity relationships in the Loop Current Water and Gulf Common water are derived based on the depth of the 26° C isotherm. These derived T-S relationships compare well with those inferred from climatology. By means of these relationships, estimated salinity values corresponding to the XBT and XCP temperature measurements are calculated, and used to derive continuous profiles of density. Ocean heat content is then estimated from these profiles, and compared to that derived from altimeter data, showing - as mentioned earlier - a consistent bias. Using a procedure that conserves density in the vertical, these density profiles are discretized into five isopycnic layers representative of the upper ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. Statistical correlations are then derived between the altimetric sea surface height anomalies and the thickness of these layers in the region. Using these correlations, a higher resolution upper ocean structure is derived from the altimeter data. Withholding observations from one snapshot of data in the correlations, and comparing the estimated ocean heat content with in-situ values, will allow us to quantify errors in this approach. This methodology will then be extended to the Western Pacific using Argo data, and results will be presented.

Assimilation of ground and satellite snow observations in a distributed hydrologic model to improve water supply forecasts in the Upper Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micheletty, P. D.; Day, G. N.; Quebbeman, J.; Carney, S.; Park, G. H.

2016-12-01

The Upper Colorado River Basin above Lake Powell is a major source of water supply for 25 million people and provides irrigation water for 3.5 million acres. Approximately 85% of the annual runoff is produced from snowmelt. Water supply forecasts of the April-July runoff produced by the National Weather Service (NWS) Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC), are critical to basin water management. This project leverages advanced distributed models, datasets, and snow data assimilation techniques to improve operational water supply forecasts made by CBRFC in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The current work will specifically focus on improving water supply forecasts through the implementation of a snow data assimilation process coupled with the Hydrology Laboratory-Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM). Three types of observations will be used in the snow data assimilation system: satellite Snow Covered Area (MODSCAG), satellite Dust Radiative Forcing in Snow (MODDRFS), and SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent (SWE). SNOTEL SWE provides the main source of high elevation snowpack information during the snow season, however, these point measurement sites are carefully selected to provide consistent indices of snowpack, and may not be representative of the surrounding watershed. We address this problem by transforming the SWE observations to standardized deviates and interpolating the standardized deviates using a spatial regression model. The interpolation process will also take advantage of the MODIS Snow Covered Area and Grainsize (MODSCAG) product to inform the model on the spatial distribution of snow. The interpolated standardized deviates are back-transformed and used in an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) to update the model simulated SWE. The MODIS Dust Radiative Forcing in Snow (MODDRFS) product will be used more directly through temporary adjustments to model snowmelt parameters, which should improve melt estimates in areas affected by dust on snow. In order to assess the value of different data sources, reforecasts will be produced for a historical period and performance measures will be computed to assess forecast skill. The existing CBRFC Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) reforecasts will provide a baseline for comparison to determine the added-value of the data assimilation process.

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in upper and lower extremity long bone fractures of emergency department trauma patients.

PubMed

Frouzan, Arash; Masoumi, Kambiz; Delirroyfard, Ali; Mazdaie, Behnaz; Bagherzadegan, Elnaz

2017-08-01

Long bone fractures are common injuries caused by trauma. Some studies have demonstrated that ultrasound has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures in traumatic patients. This cross-sectional study assessed 100 patients admitted to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran with trauma to the upper and lower extremities, from September 2014 through October 2015. In all patients, first ultrasound and then standard plain radiography for the upper and lower limb was performed. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 to determine the specificity and sensitivity. The mean age of patients with upper and lower limb trauma were 31.43±12.32 years and 29.63±5.89 years, respectively. Radius fracture was the most frequent compared to other fractures (27%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value, and negative predicted value of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bones were 95.3%, 87.7%, 87.2% and 96.2%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in left arm fractures (100%). Tibia and fibula fractures were the most frequent types compared to other fractures (89.2%). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bone fractures were 98.6%, 83%, 65.4% and 87.1%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in men, lower ages and femoral fractures. The results of this study showed that ultrasound compared with plain radiography has a high accuracy in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures.

Predicting the Occurrence of Hypotension in Stable Patients With Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Point-of-Care Lactate Testing.

PubMed

Ko, Byuk Sung; Kim, Won Young; Ryoo, Seung Mok; Ahn, Shin; Sohn, Chang Hwan; Seo, Dong Woo; Lee, Yoon-Seon; Lim, Kyoung Soo; Jung, Hwoon-Yong

2015-11-01

It is difficult to assess risk in normotensive patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the initial lactate value can predict the in-hospital occurrence of hypotension in stable patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Retrospective, observational, single-center study. Emergency department of a tertiary-care, university-affiliated hospital during a 5-year period. Medical records of 3,489 patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding who were normotensive at presentation to the emergency department. We analyzed the ability of point-of-care testing of lactate at emergency department admission to predict hypotension development (defined as systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg) within 24 hours after emergency department admission. None. Of the 1,003 patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 157 patients experienced hypotension within 24 hours. Lactate was independently associated with hypotension development (odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.7), and the risk of hypotension significantly increased as the lactate increased from 2.5-4.9 mmol/L (odds ratio, 2.2) to 5.0-7.4 mmol/L (odds ratio, 4.0) and to greater than or equal to 7.5 mmol/L (odds ratio, 39.2) (p<0.001). Lactate elevation (≥2.5 mmol/L) was associated with 90% specificity and an 84% negative predictive value for hypotension development. When the lactate levels were greater than 5.0 mmol/L, the specificity and negative predictive value increased to 98% and 87%, respectively. Point-of-care testing of lactate can predict in-hospital occurrence of hypotension in stable patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. However, subsequently, prospective validate research will be required to clarify this.

Elastic - Plastic Fracture Mechanics. A Critical Review. Part 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

Rolfe and Novak (86) developed the following correlations for upper shelf toughness in steels: (KIC) 2 (CVN S) (3.301 where KiC is in ksi , CVN is in ft...lb, and ys isin ksi. The good correlation with Rolfe and Novak’s experimental data was attributed to upper shelf fracture not being as sensitive to...Pisarski (84) pointed out that much of Rolfe and Novak’s data did not meet the KIC size requirements and were therefore not valid. Rolfe and Barsom (87

Critical laboratory values in hemostasis: toward consensus.

PubMed

Lippi, Giuseppe; Adcock, Dorothy; Simundic, Ana-Maria; Tripodi, Armando; Favaloro, Emmanuel J

2017-09-01

The term "critical values" can be defined to entail laboratory test results that significantly lie outside the normal (reference) range and necessitate immediate reporting to safeguard patient health, as well as those displaying a highly and clinically significant variation compared to previous data. The identification and effective communication of "highly pathological" values has engaged the minds of many clinicians, health care and laboratory professionals for decades, since these activities are vital to good laboratory practice. This is especially true in hemostasis, where a timely and efficient communication of critical values strongly impacts patient management. Due to the heterogeneity of available data, this paper is hence aimed to analyze the state of the art and provide an expert opinion about the parameters, measurement units and alert limits pertaining to critical values in hemostasis, thus providing a basic document for future consultation that assists laboratory professionals and clinicians alike. KEY MESSAGES Critical values are laboratory test results significantly lying outside the normal (reference) range and necessitating immediate reporting to safeguard patient health. A broad heterogeneity exists about critical values in hemostasis worldwide. We provide here an expert opinion about the parameters, measurement units and alert limits pertaining to critical values in hemostasis.

Wall extensibility and gravitropic curvature of sunflower hypocotyls: correlation between timing of curvature and changes in extensibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagshaw, S. L.; Cleland, R. E.

1990-01-01

Gravitropic curvature results from unequal growth rates on the upper and lower sides of horizontal stems. These unequal growth rates could be due to differences in wall extensibility between the two sides. To test this, the time course of curvature of horizontal sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hypocotyls was determined and compared with the time courses of changes in Instron-measured wall extensibility (PEx) of the upper and lower epidermal layers. As gravicurvature developed, so did the difference in PEx between the upper and lower epidermis. The enhanced growth rate on the lower side during the period of maximum increase in curvature was matched by PEx values greater than those of the vertical control, while the inhibited growth rate on the upper side was accompanied by PEx values below that of the control. The close correlation between changes in growth rates and alterations in PEx demonstrates that changes in wall extensibility play a major role in controlling gravicurvature.

Stabilization of a finite slice in miscible displacement in homogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramanik, Satyajit; Mishra, Manoranjan

2016-11-01

We numerically studied the miscible displacement of a finite slice of variable viscosity and density. The stability of the finite slice depends on different flow parameters, such as displacement velocity U, mobility ratio R , and the density contrast. Series of numerical simulations corresponding to different ordered pair (R, U) in the parameter space, and a given density contrast reveal six different instability regions. We have shown that independent of the width of the slice, there always exists a region of stable displacement, and below a critical value of the slice width, this stable region increases with decreasing slice width. Further we observe that the viscous fingering (buoyancy-induced instability) at the upper interface induces buoyancy-induced instability (viscous fingering) at the lower interface. Besides the fundamental fluid dynamics understanding, our results can be helpful to model CO2 sequestration and chromatographic separation.

Integer aperture ambiguity resolution based on difference test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingyu; Wu, Meiping; Li, Tao; Zhang, Kaidong

2015-07-01

Carrier-phase integer ambiguity resolution (IAR) is the key to highly precise, fast positioning and attitude determination with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It can be seen as the process of estimating the unknown cycle ambiguities of the carrier-phase observations as integers. Once the ambiguities are fixed, carrier phase data will act as the very precise range data. Integer aperture (IA) ambiguity resolution is the combination of acceptance testing and integer ambiguity resolution, which can realize better quality control of IAR. Difference test (DT) is one of the most popular acceptance tests. This contribution will give a detailed analysis about the following properties of IA ambiguity resolution based on DT: 1. The sharpest and loose upper bounds of DT are derived from the perspective of geometry. These bounds are very simple and easy to be computed, which give the range for the critical values of DT.

Physical property characterization of Fe-tube encapsulated and vacuum annealed bulk MgB 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awana, V. P. S.; Rawat, Rajeev; Gupta, Anurag; Isobe, M.; Singh, K. P.; Vajpayee, Arpita; Kishan, H.; Takayama-Muromachi, E.; Narlikar, A. V.

2006-08-01

We report the phase formation, and present a detailed study of magnetization and resistivity under magnetic field of MgB 2 polycrystalline bulk samples prepared by the Fe-tube encapsulated and vacuum (10 -5 Torr) annealed (750 ∘C) route. Zero-field-cooled magnetic susceptibility (χ) measurements exhibited a sharp transition to the superconducting state with a sizeable diamagnetic signal at 39 K (Tc). The measured magnetization loops of the samples, despite the presence of flux jumps, exhibited a stable current density (Jc) of around 2.4×10 5 A/cm 2 in up to 2 T (Tesla) field and at temperatures (T) up to 10 K. The upper critical field is estimated from resistivity measurements in various fields and shows a typical value of 8 T at 21 K. Further, χ measurements at an applied field of 0.1 T reveal a paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME) that is briefly discussed.

Broadband high sound absorption from labyrinthine metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Huiting; Liu, Liu; Zhang, Chi; Hu, Xinhua

2018-04-01

Metamaterials are artificial structures which exhibit fascinating properties unreachable by traditional materials. Here, we report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of acoustic metasurfaces consisting of dead-end channels coiled in a 2D plane. It is found that when the area of the channel's cross section is about 1/10 of the area (4.3 cm × 4.3 cm) of the upper surface of the building block, the sound loss in channels approaches to a critical value, resulting in near-perfect absorption (A > 99%) at resonant frequency. When the building block contains ten channels with specially designed lengths, sound waves can be highly absorbed above a cutoff frequency fc (A > 90% for fc < f < 3fc). The wavelength at the cutoff frequency can be 7.1 times of the thickness of the metasurface. Our results could find applications in noise reduction and sound detection.

Fe substitution and pressure effects on superconductor Re6Hf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jinhu; Guo, Yang; Wang, Hangdong; Chen, Bin

2018-04-01

Polycrystalline samples of (Re1-xFex) 6Hf were synthesized by arc-melting method and the phase purity of the samples was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction method. In this paper, we report the Fe substitution and pressure effect on non-centrosymmetric superconductor Re6Hf. The superconducting transition temperature, TC, is confirmed by the measurements of magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity for x ≤ 0.22 samples with the temperature down to 2 K. We find that the TC is suppressed with the increase of Fe content. The upper critical field Hc2 is larger than the value predicted by the WHH theory and shows a linear temperature dependence down to 2 K. When upon the application of external pressure up to 2.5 GPa, the TC decreases monotonically at a rate dlnTC/dP of 0.01 GPa-1.

A feasibility study for the detection of upper atmospheric winds using a ground based laser Doppler velocimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, J. A. L.; Meng, J. C. S.

1975-01-01

A possible measurement program designed to obtain the information requisite to determining the feasibility of airborne and/or satellite-borne LDV (Laser Doppler Velocimeter) systems is discussed. Measurements made from the ground are favored over an airborne measurement as far as for the purpose of determining feasibility is concerned. The expected signal strengths for scattering at various altitude and elevation angles are examined; it appears that both molecular absorption and ambient turbulence degrade the signal at low elevation angles and effectively constrain the ground based measurement of elevation angles exceeding a critical value. The nature of the wind shear and turbulence to be expected are treated from a linear hydrodynamic model - a mountain lee wave model. The spatial and temporal correlation distances establish requirements on the range resolution, the maximum detectable range and the allowable integration time.

Sensitivity-Uncertainty Techniques for Nuclear Criticality Safety

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

Brown, Forrest B.; Rising, Michael Evan; Alwin, Jennifer Louise

2017-08-07

The sensitivity and uncertainty analysis course will introduce students to k eff sensitivity data, cross-section uncertainty data, how k eff sensitivity data and k eff uncertainty data are generated and how they can be used. Discussion will include how sensitivity/uncertainty data can be used to select applicable critical experiments, to quantify a defensible margin to cover validation gaps and weaknesses, and in development of upper subcritical limits.

Microwave Power Transmission Workshop summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, J. W.

1980-01-01

The assumptions, methodologies, and conclusions of the NASA SPS studies were assessed and criticized to identify critical issues and to make recommendations for follow-on works. An assessment of the following items was made: beam forming and control, microwave amplifiers, radiating elements, and the rectenna. It was concluded that top priority should be given to determining an upper limit for permissible microwave power density which can be sent through the ionosphere.

Somatosensory temporal discrimination in essential tremor and isolated head and voice tremors.

PubMed

Conte, Antonella; Ferrazzano, Gina; Manzo, Nicoletta; Leodori, Giorgio; Fabbrini, Giovanni; Fasano, Alfonso; Tinazzi, Michele; Berardelli, Alfredo

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold in patients with essential tremor (sporadic and familial) and to evaluate whether somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold values differ depending on the body parts involved by tremor. We also investigated the somatosensory temporal discrimination in patients with isolated voice tremor. We enrolled 61 patients with tremor: 48 patients with essential tremor (31 patients with upper limb tremor alone, nine patients with head tremor alone, and eight patients with upper limb plus head tremor; 22 patients with familial vs. 26 sporadic essential tremor), 13 patients with isolated voice tremor, and 45 healthy subjects. Somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold values were normal in patients with familial essential tremor, whereas they were higher in patients with sporadic essential tremor. When we classified patients according to tremor distribution, somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold values were normal in patients with upper limb tremor and abnormal only in patients with isolated head tremor. Temporal discrimination threshold values were also abnormal in patients with isolated voice tremor. Somatosensory temporal discrimination processing is normal in patients with familial as well as in patients with sporadic essential tremor involving the upper limbs. By contrast, somatosensory temporal discrimination is altered in patients with isolated head tremor and voice tremor. This study with somatosensory temporal discrimination suggests that isolated head and voice tremors might possibly be considered as separate clinical entities from essential tremor. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Age Effects on Upper Limb Kinematics Assessed by the REAplan Robot in Healthy Subjects Aged 3 to 93 Years.

PubMed

Gilliaux, Maxime; Lejeune, Thierry M; Sapin, Julien; Dehez, Bruno; Stoquart, Gaëtan; Detrembleur, Christine

2016-04-01

Kinematics is recommended for the quantitative assessment of upper limb movements. The aims of this study were to determine the age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in healthy subjects. Three hundred and seventy healthy subjects, aged 3-93 years, participated in the study. They performed two unidirectional and two geometrical tasks ten consecutive times with the REAplan, a distal effector robotic device that allows upper limb displacements in the horizontal plane. Twenty-six kinematic indices were computed for the four tasks. For the four tasks, nineteen of the computed kinematic indices showed an age effect. Seventeen indices (the accuracy, speed and smoothness indices and the reproducibility of the accuracy, speed and smoothness) improved in young subjects aged 3-30 years, showed stabilization in adults aged 30-60 years and declined in elderly subjects aged 60-93 years. Additionally, for both geometrical tasks, the speed index exhibited a decrease throughout life. Finally, a principal component analysis provided the relations between the kinematic indices, tasks and subjects' age. This study is the first to assess age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in subjects aged 3-93 years.

A tight upper bound for quadratic knapsack problems in grid-based wind farm layout optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quan, Ning; Kim, Harrison M.

2018-03-01

The 0-1 quadratic knapsack problem (QKP) in wind farm layout optimization models possible turbine locations as nodes, and power loss due to wake effects between pairs of turbines as edges in a complete graph. The goal is to select up to a certain number of turbine locations such that the sum of selected node and edge coefficients is maximized. Finding the optimal solution to the QKP is difficult in general, but it is possible to obtain a tight upper bound on the QKP's optimal value which facilitates the use of heuristics to solve QKPs by giving a good estimate of the optimality gap of any feasible solution. This article applies an upper bound method that is especially well-suited to QKPs in wind farm layout optimization due to certain features of the formulation that reduce the computational complexity of calculating the upper bound. The usefulness of the upper bound was demonstrated by assessing the performance of the greedy algorithm for solving QKPs in wind farm layout optimization. The results show that the greedy algorithm produces good solutions within 4% of the optimal value for small to medium sized problems considered in this article.

Analytical thermal resistance model for high power double-clad fiber on rectangular plate with convective cooling at upper and lower surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yi; Zheng, Huai; Liu, Sheng

2018-07-01

Whether convective heat transfer on the upper surface of the substrate is used or not, the thermal resistance network models of optical fiber embedded in the substrate are established in this research. These models are applied to calculate the heat dissipation in a high power ytterbium doped double-clad fiber (YDCF) power amplifier. Firstly, the temperature values of two points on the fiber are tested when there is no convective heat transfer on the upper surface. Then, the numerical simulation is used to verify the temperature change of the fiber with the effective convective heat transfer coefficient of the lower surface heff increasing when the upper surface is subjected to three loading conditions with hu as 1, 5 and 15 W/(m2 K), respectively. The axial temperature distribution of the optical fiber is also presented at four different values for hu when heff is 30 W/(m2 K). Absolute values of the relative errors are less than 7.08%. The results show that the analytical models can accurately calculate the temperature distribution of the optical fiber when the fiber is encapsulated into the substrate. The corresponding relationship is helpful to further optimize packaging design of the fiber cooling system.

Performance analysis for the cryogenic etalon spectrometer on the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roche, A. E.; Forney, P. B.; Kumer, J. B.; Naes, L. G.; Nast, T. C.

1983-01-01

The Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) program has the objective of providing an 18-month to 2-year platform for observations of the upper atmosphere, giving particular attention to the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere. The primary aims of the mission are related to the measurement of the solar energy input between 120 and 500 km, the acquisition of global maps of the vertical and horizontal distribution of a series of critical trace and minor species, and the investigation of the dynamics of the upper atmosphere. One of several instruments designed to perform neutral species measurements on board the satellite is the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES). The CLAES experiment is concerned with measurements of concentrations of species of interest to the ozone layer balance. Attention is given to the performance requirements of the instrument and the effects of these requirements on the cryogenic design.

Effects of Nose Radius and Aerodynamic Loading on Leading Edge Receptivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammerton, P. W.; Kerschen, E. J.

1998-01-01

An analysis is presented of the effects of airfoil thickness and mean aerodynamic loading on boundary-layer receptivity in the leading-edge region. The case of acoustic free-stream disturbances, incident on a thin cambered airfoil with a parabolic leading edge in a low Mach number flow, is considered. An asymptotic analysis based on large Reynolds number is developed, supplemented by numerical results. The airfoil thickness distribution enters the theory through a Strouhal number based on the nose radius of the airfoil, S = (omega)tau(sub n)/U, where omega is the frequency of the acoustic wave and U is the mean flow speed. The influence of mean aerodynamic loading enters through an effective angle-of-attack parameter ti, related to flow around the leading edge from the lower surface to the upper. The variation of the receptivity level is analyzed as a function of S, mu, and characteristics of the free-stream acoustic wave. For an unloaded leading edge, a finite nose radius dramatically reduces the receptivity level compared to that for a flat plate, the amplitude of the instability waves in the boundary layer being decreased by an order of magnitude when S = 0.3. Modest levels of aerodynamic loading are found to further decrease the receptivity level for the upper surface of the airfoil, while an increase in receptivity level occurs for the lower surface. For larger angles of attack close to the critical angle for boundary layer separation, a local rise in the receptivity level occurs for the upper surface, while for the lower surface the receptivity decreases. The effects of aerodynamic loading are more pronounced at larger values of S. Oblique acoustic waves produce much higher receptivity levels than acoustic waves propagating downstream parallel to the airfoil chord.

19 CFR 143.23 - Form of entry.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) SPECIAL ENTRY PROCEDURES Informal Entry § 143.23 Form of entry. Except for the types of... upper right hand corner. (g) Merchandise, regardless of value, which is imported for noncommercial... credit, Customs Form 7501, annotated “informal entry” in the upper right hand corner, and Customs Form...

Electric Field Induced Interfacial Instabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kusner, Robert E.; Min, Kyung Yang; Wu, Xiao-lun; Onuki, Akira

1999-01-01

The study of the interface in a charge-free, critical and near-critical binary fluid in the presence of an externally applied electric field is presented. At sufficiently large fields, the interface between the two phases of the binary fluid should become unstable and exhibit an undulation with a predefined wavelength on the order of the capillary length. As the critical point is approached, this wavelength is reduced, potentially approaching length-scales such as the correlation length or critical nucleation radius. At this point the critical properties of the system may be affected. In this paper, the flat interface of a marginally polar binary fluid mixture is stressed by a perpendicular alternating electric field and the resulting instability is characterized by the critical electric field E(sub c) and the pattern observed. The character of the surface dynamics at the onset of instability is found to be strongly dependent on the frequency f of the field applied. The plot of E(sub c) vs. f for a fixed temperature shows a sigmoidal shape, whose low and high frequency limits are well described by a power-law relationship, E(sub c) = epsilon(exp zeta) with zeta = 0.35 and zeta = 0.08, respectively. The low-limit exponent compares well with the value zeta = 4 for a system of conducting and non-conducting fluids. On the other hand, the high-limit exponent coincides with what was first predicted by Onuki. The instability manifests itself as the conducting phase penetrates the non-conducting phase. As the frequency increases, the shape of the pattern changes from an array of bifurcating strings to an array of column-like (or rod-like) protrusions, each of which spans the space between the plane interface and one of the electrodes. For an extremely high frequency, the disturbance quickly grows into a parabolic cone pointing toward the upper plate. As a result, the interface itself changes its shape from that of a plane to that of a high sloping pyramid.

Quantum critical dynamics of the boson system in the Ginzburg-Landau model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasin, M. G.

2014-12-01

The quantum critical dynamics of the quantum phase transitions is considered. In the framework of the unified theory, based on the Keldysh technique, we consider the crossover from the classical to the quantum description of the boson many-body system dynamics close to the second order quantum phase transition. It is shown that in this case the upper critical space dimension of this model is dc+=2, therefore the quantum critical dynamics approach is useful in case of d<2. In the one-dimension system the phase coherence time does diverge at the quantum critical point, gc, and has the form of τ∝-ln∣g-gc∣/∣g-gc∣, the correlation radius diverges as rc∝∣g-gc∣(ν=0.6).

Multiple extraction patterns in severe discrepancy cases.

PubMed

Anderson, B D

1975-10-01

Thirty-five cases have been collected from colleagues which illustrate that removal of additional maxillary teeth, following first bicuspid extractions, can allow the successful resolution of difficult discrepancy and anchorage cases. Charts 1 and 2 describe the amounts of space that might be expected by removal of additional upper bicuspids, upper first molars, and upper second molars. The findings on upper second molars are admittedly limited. Anchorage values as expressed by an efficiency percentage were approximately what would be expected from a study of anchorage values of the roots of teeth. The removal of upper second bicuspids has a better anchorage efficiency potential than the upper first molar, but this may be overcome somewhat by the greater size of the molar. Clear guidance cannot be given as to which teeth to remove in a specific case, but it is the observation of the author that for cases that are still in full Class II following four bicuspid space closure, upper second bicuspid removal would be more helpful from an anchorage perspective, whereas for cases that are in end-to-end molar relationship or require only a few millimeters to move into Class I, the upper first molar might be the tooth of choice. Also, the supper first molar removal allows for a more "normal" appearing arch assuming normal alignment and size of the upper second and third molars. The comparison with the nonextraction control group showed an enormous difference in the amount of incisor retraction that extractions provide when related to the maxilla. The nonextraction control group, though experiencing dramatic correction of Class II relationships, showed no incisor movement within the maxilla. Some problems which appeared in the sample were described. Removal of upper teeth in addition to the four first bicuspids can be a solution to an occasional anchorage, skeletal, growth or cooperation problem.

History and evolution of Subduction in the Precambrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, R.; Gerya, T.

2013-12-01

Plate tectonics is a global self-organising process driven by negative buoyancy at thermal boundary layers. Phanerozoic plate tectonics with its typical subduction and orogeny is relatively well understood and can be traced back in the geological records of the continents. Interpretations of geological, petrological and geochemical observations from Proterozoic and Archean orogenic belts however (e.g. Brown, 2006), suggest a different tectonic regime in the Precambrian. Due to higher radioactive heat production the Precambrian lithosphere shows lower internal strength and is strongly weakened by percolating melts. The fundamental difference between Precambrian and Phanerozoic subduction is therefore the upper-mantle temperature, which determines the strength of the upper mantle (Brun, 2002) and the further subduction history. 3D petrological-thermomechanical numerical modelling experiments of oceanic subduction at an active plate at different upper-mantle temperatures show these different subduction regimes. For upper-mantle temperatures < 175 K above the present day value a subduction style appears which is close to present day subduction but with more frequent slab break-off. At upper-mantle temperatures 175 - 250 K above present day values steep subduction changes to shallow underplating and buckling. For upper-mantle temperatures > 250 K above the present day value no subduction occurs any more. The whole lithosphere starts to delaminate and drip-off. But the subduction style is not only a function of upper-mantle temperature but also strongly depends on the thickness of the subducting plate. If thinner present day oceanic plates are used in the Precambrian models, no shallow underplating is observed but steep subduction can be found up to an upper-mantle temperature of 200 K above present day values. Increasing oceanic plate thickness introduces a transition from steep to flat subduction at lower temperatures of around 150 K. Thicker oceanic plates in the Precambrium also agree with results from earlier studies, e.g. Abbott (1994). References: Abbott, D., Drury, R., Smith, W.H.F., 1994. Flat to steep transition in subduction style. Geology 22, 937-940. Brown, M., 2006. Duality of thermal regimes is the distinctive characteristic of plate tectonics since the neoarchean. Geology 34, 961-964. Brun, J.P., 2002. Deformation of the continental lithosphere: Insights from brittle-ductile models. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 200, 355-370. Subduction depends strongly on upper-mantle temperature. (a) Modern subduction with present day temperature gradients in upper-mantle and lithosphere. (b) Increase of temperature by 100 K at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) leads to melting and drip-off of the of the slab-tip. (c) A temperature increase of 200 K leads to buckling of the subducting slab and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities not only at the slab-tip but the whole LAB. At this stage subduction is no longer possible as the slab melts or breaks before it can be subducted into the mantle.

Critical Value Reporting in Transfusion Medicine

PubMed Central

Reese, Erika M.; Nelson, Randin C.; Flegel, Willy A.; Byrne, Karen M.; Booth, Garrett S.

2017-01-01

Abstract Objectives: While critical value procedures have been adopted in most areas of the clinical laboratory, their use in transfusion medicine has not been reviewed in detail. The results of this study present a comprehensive overview of critical value reporting and communication practices in transfusion medicine in the United States. Methods: A web-based survey was developed to collect data on the prevalence of critical value procedures and practices of communicating results. The survey was distributed via email to US hospital-based blood banks. Results: Of 123 facilities surveyed, 84 (68.3%) blood banks had a critical value procedure. From a panel of 23 common blood bank results, nine results were selected by more than 70% of facilities as either a critical value or requiring rapid communication as defined by an alternate procedure. Conclusions: There was overlap among results communicated by facilities with and without a critical value procedure. The most frequently communicated results, such as incompatible crossmatch for RBC units issued uncrossmatched, delay in finding compatible blood due to a clinically significant antibody, and transfusion reaction evaluation suggestive of a serious adverse event, addressed scenarios associated with the leading reported causes of transfusion-related fatalities. PMID:28371931

Global trends in critical values practices and their harmonization.

PubMed

Kost, Gerald J; Hale, Kristin N

2011-02-01

The objectives of this article were 1) to identify current trends in critical values practices in North America, Europe, and other regions; 2) to describe progress toward harmonization of critical limits; and 3) to synthesize strategies that will encourage global consensus. Critical limits are described in national surveys. Critical value practices are guided by federal statutes, The Joint Commission regulations, and accreditation requirements in the US; by provincial healthcare agencies in Canada; by thought leaders and ISO EN 15189:2007 in Europe; and in SE Asia, mostly by ad hoc policies lacking statutory grip. Review of databases, literature, websites, federal statutes, litigation, official policies, current affairs, and accreditation agency requirements. Practical strategies will accelerate harmonization of critical values practices, as follows: a) continue national and international survey comparisons; b) clarify age, ethnic, and subject dependencies; c) standardize qualitative and quantitative decision levels for urgent clinician notification; d) monitor compliance and timeliness for safety; and e) alert high frequencies of critical values related to adverse events. New expectations and communication technologies present opportunities for enhanced performance using wireless closed-loop reporting with recipient acknowledgment to reduce phone calls and improve efficiency. Hospitals worldwide can benefit from developing consensus for critical values practices.

High-performance gas sensors with temperature measurement

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Li, Shengtao; Zhang, Jingyuan; Pan, Zhigang; Min, Daomin; Li, Xin; Song, Xiaoping; Liu, Junhua

2013-01-01

There are a number of gas ionization sensors using carbon nanotubes as cathode or anode. Unfortunately, their applications are greatly limited by their multi-valued sensitivity, one output value corresponding to several measured concentration values. Here we describe a triple-electrode structure featuring two electric fields with opposite directions, which enable us to overcome the multi-valued sensitivity problem at 1 atm in a wide range of gas concentrations. We used a carbon nanotube array as the first electrode, and the two electric fields between the upper and the lower interelectrode gaps were designed to extract positive ions generated in the upper gap, hence significantly reduced positive ion bombardment on the nanotube electrode, which allowed us to maintain a high electric field near the nanotube tips, leading to a single-valued sensitivity and a long nanotube life. We have demonstrated detection of various gases and simultaneously monitoring temperature, and a potential for applications. PMID:23405281

Importance of upper-limb inertia in calculating concentric bench press force.

PubMed

Rambaud, Olivier; Rahmani, Abderrahmane; Moyen, Bernard; Bourdin, Muriel

2008-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of upper-limb inertia on the force-velocity relationship and maximal power during concentric bench press exercise. Reference peak force values (Fpeakp) measured with a force plate positioned below the bench were compared to those measured simultaneously with a kinematic device fixed on the barbell by taking (Fpeakt) or not taking (Fpeakb) upper-limb inertia into account. Thirteen men (27.8 +/- 4.1 years, 184.6 +/- 5.5 cm, 99.5 +/- 18.6 kg) performed all-out concentric bench press exercise against 8 loads ranging between 7 and 74 kg. The results showed that for each load, Fpeakb was significantly less than Fpeakp (P < 0.0001), whereas no significant difference was found between Fpeakp and Fpeakt. The values of maximal force (F0), maximal velocity (V0), optimal velocity (Vopt), and maximal power (Pmax), extrapolated from the force- and power-velocity relationships determined with the kinematic device, were significantly underestimated when upper-limb inertia was ignored. The results underline the importance of taking account of the total inertia of the moving system to ensure precise evaluation of upper-limb muscular characteristics in all-out concentric bench press exercise with a kinematic device. A major application of this study would be to develop precise upper-limb muscular characteristic evaluation in laboratory and field conditions by using a simple and cheap kinematic device.

Unusual two-dimensional behavior of iron-based superconductors with low anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalenyuk, A. A.; Pagliero, A.; Borodianskyi, E. A.; Aswartham, S.; Wurmehl, S.; Büchner, B.; Chareev, D. A.; Kordyuk, A. A.; Krasnov, V. M.

2017-10-01

We study angular-dependent magnetoresistance in iron-based superconductors Ba1 -xNaxFe2As2 and FeTe1 -xSex . Both superconductors have relatively small anisotropies γ ˜2 and exhibit a three-dimensional (3D) behavior at low temperatures. However, we observe that they start to exhibit a profound two-dimensional behavior at elevated temperatures and in applied magnetic field parallel to the surface. We conclude that the unexpected two-dimensional (2D) behavior of the studied low-anisotropic superconductors is not related to layeredness of the materials, but is caused by appearance of surface superconductivity when magnetic field exceeds the upper critical field Hc 2(T ) for destruction of bulk superconductivity. We argue that the corresponding 3D-2D bulk-to-surface dimensional transition can be used for accurate determination of the upper critical field.

Weld Residual Stress and Distortion Analysis of the ARES I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, Ivatury; Dawicke, David; Cheston, Derrick; Phillips, Dawn

2008-01-01

An independent assessment was conducted to determine the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) for the flange-to-skin weld in the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS). The Ares system of space launch vehicles is the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration s plan for replacement of the aging space shuttle. The new Ares space launch system is somewhat of a combination of the space shuttle system and the Saturn launch vehicles used prior to the shuttle. Here, a series of weld analyses are performed to determine the residual stresses in a critical region of the USS. Weld residual stresses both increase constraint and mean stress thereby having an important effect on fatigue and fracture life. While the main focus of this paper is a discussion of the weld modeling procedures and results for the USS, a short summary of the CIFS assessment is provided.

Trends in Upper-Level Cloud Cover and Surface Divergence Over the Tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean Between 1952 And 1997

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norris, Joel R.

2005-01-01

This study investigated the spatial pattern of linear trends in surface-observed upper-level (combined mid-level and High-level) cloud cover, precipitation, and surface divergence over the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean during 1952-1957. Cloud values were obtained from the Extended Edited Cloud Report Archive (EECRA), precipitation values were obtained from the Hulme/Climate Research Unit Data Set, and surface divergence was alternatively calculated from wind reported Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set and from Smith and Reynolds Extended Reconstructed sea level pressure data.

MARSnet: Mission-aware Autonomous Radar Sensor Network for Future Combat Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-31

Deviation Consider the case of a Gaussian primary MF having a fixed mean, ml, and an uncertain standard deviation that takes on values in [ai, 2]’ i.e...fuzzy set, so thatR k --* AXk (k = 1,... ,p), the upper and lower MFs of Pkk merge into one MF, AXk (Xk), in which case Theorem 1 simplifies to: Corollary...the upper and lower MFs of A k(Xk) merge into one crisp value, namely 1, in which case Theorem 1 simplifies further to: Corollary 2 In a favor weak

Is there a genuine advantage to the upper part of words during lexical access? Evidence from the Stroop task.

PubMed

Tejero, Pilar; Perea, Manuel; Jiménez, María

2014-07-01

A number of recent visual-word recognition and reading experiments have concluded that the upper part of words is more important for lexical access than is the lower part, which conforms with Huey's (1908) observation. Here, we examined whether this phenomenon may simply be due to the fact that words in Indo-European languages tend to have a higher number of confusable letters in the lower than in the upper part. We manipulated the letter ambiguity of the upper and lower parts of words in two experiments in which we asked participants to report the presentation color of the upper and lower parts of color words and noncolor words, and in a baseline condition, of strings of &s (Stroop task). In Experiment 1, the lower part of noncolor words was more ambiguous than the upper part (upward-unbalanced words), whereas in Experiment 2, the ambiguities of the two parts of the noncolor words were similar (balanced words). For the upward-unbalanced noncolor words, the magnitude of lexical interference (relative to the baseline condition) was greater for the upper than for the lower part. Critically, the differences vanished when this factor was controlled (i.e., balanced words; Exp. 2). Thus, the apparent bias in favor of the upper part of words can be parsimoniously described as an idiosyncratic feature of the words' component letters.

The Arm is Not the Leg: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis.

PubMed

Noyes, Adam M; Dickey, John

2017-05-01

Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) involves thrombosis of the deep veins of the arm as they enter the thorax. They are increasing in frequency, largely due to the rising use of central venous catheters and implantable cardiac devices, and represent more than 10% of all DVT cases, Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis has been historically misunderstood when compared to lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LEDVT). Their associated disease states may carry devastating complications, with mortality rates often higher than that of LEDVT. Thus, education on recognition, classification and management is critical to avoid long-term sequelae and mortality from UEDVT. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-05.asp].

The large-scale microwave background anisotropy in decaying particle cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panek, Miroslaw

1988-01-01

The quadrupole anisotropy of the microwave background radiation in cosmological models with decaying particles is investigated. A conservative upper limit on value of the quadrupole moment combined with other constraints gives an upper limit on the redshift of the decay z(d) of less than 3-6.

Internal gravity waves in the upper atmosphere, generated by tropospheric jet streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chunchuzov, Y. P.; Torgashin, Y. M.

1979-01-01

A mechanism of internal gravity wave generation by jet streams in the troposphere is considered. Evaluations of the energy and pulse of internal gravity waves emitted into the upper atmosphere are given. The obtained values of flows can influence the thermal and dynamic regime of these layers.

Lower-upper-threshold correlation for underwater range-gated imaging self-adaptive enhancement.

PubMed

Sun, Liang; Wang, Xinwei; Liu, Xiaoquan; Ren, Pengdao; Lei, Pingshun; He, Jun; Fan, Songtao; Zhou, Yan; Liu, Yuliang

2016-10-10

In underwater range-gated imaging (URGI), enhancement of low-brightness and low-contrast images is critical for human observation. Traditional histogram equalizations over-enhance images, with the result of details being lost. To compress over-enhancement, a lower-upper-threshold correlation method is proposed for underwater range-gated imaging self-adaptive enhancement based on double-plateau histogram equalization. The lower threshold determines image details and compresses over-enhancement. It is correlated with the upper threshold. First, the upper threshold is updated by searching for the local maximum in real time, and then the lower threshold is calculated by the upper threshold and the number of nonzero units selected from a filtered histogram. With this method, the backgrounds of underwater images are constrained with enhanced details. Finally, the proof experiments are performed. Peak signal-to-noise-ratio, variance, contrast, and human visual properties are used to evaluate the objective quality of the global and regions of interest images. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed method adaptively selects the proper upper and lower thresholds under different conditions. The proposed method contributes to URGI with effective image enhancement for human eyes.

SU-G-206-08: How Should Focal Spot Be Chosen for Optimized CT Imaging with Dose Modulation?

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

Bache, S; Liu, X; Rong, J

Purpose: To choose the preferred focal spot for achieving optimized CT image quality with balanced tube heating considerations. Methods: An anthropomorphic pelvic phantom was scanned using a GE Discovery CT750 HD at 120 and 140kVp, 0.8s rotation time, and pitch of 0.984. “Smart mA” was enabled to simulate a routine abdomen–pelvis CT scan. Permissible mA values at 120 and 140 kVp were obtained from the Serial Load Rating table (for mimicking a busy CT clinical operation) in the scanner Technical Reference Manual. At each kVp station and two Noise Index levels, the mA Upper Limit was set above/below the permissiblemore » mA values. Scanned mA values and focal spot (FS) used were obtained from the DICOM header of each image, and the FS-mA relationship was analyzed. For visual confirmation beyond recorded FS information, a CatPhan with a fat-ring attached for mimicking patient size/shape was scanned at 120kVp. A group of radiologists/physicists compared a pair of CatPhan images qualitatively. Lastly, a number of patient cases were evaluated to confirm the FS-mA relationship. Results: When preset Upper Limit values were above the permissible mA values, the Large FS (labeled 1.2) was used in scans, even if the maximum scanned mA values were much lower than the permissible values at both 120 and 140 kVp. Otherwise the Small FS (labeled 0.7) was used. Visual evaluation of the high contrast module of CatPhan and additional analysis of patient cases further confirmed that the preset Upper Limit determines which focal spot is to be used, not the actual maximum mA value to be scanned. Conclusion: Specific FS can be selected by setting up appropriate mA Upper Limit in a protocol. CT protocols could be optimized by selecting appropriate FS for improving patient image quality, especially benefiting the small size and pediatric patients.« less

Patients with Urinary Incontinence Appear More Likely to Develop Upper Urinary Tract Stones: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study with 8-Year Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Chung, Hsiao-Jen; Lin, Alex Tong-Long; Lin, Chih-Chieh; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Kuang-Kuo

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate associations between primary urinary incontinence and development of upper urinary tract stones in a nationwide population in Taiwan. Data of 1,777 adults with primary urinary incontinence and 26,655 controls (groups A, B, and C) without urinary incontinence at study inception were retrieved from the National Health Insurance System database in Taiwan and were analyzed retrospectively. No enrolled subjects had previous diagnosis of upper urinary tract stones or spinal cord injury. All subjects were followed through end of 2009, with a minimum follow-up of 8 years. A greater percentage of study subjects (334/1777, 18.8%) developed upper urinary tract stones than that of control groups A (865/8885, 9.7%) and B (888/8885, 10%), and C (930/8885, 10.5%) (all p-values < 0.0001). Urinary incontinence was associated with significantly increased risk of developing urinary tract stones (HR 1.99, 95% CI, 1.70–2.34, p < 0.001). Age and metabolic syndrome status were both associated with developing upper urinary tract stones (both p-values < 0.0001). After adjusting for metabolic syndrome, regression analysis showed that urinary incontinence was still associated with a significantly increased risk of developing upper urinary tract stones (HR 1.99, 95% CI = 1.76–2.26, p < 0.0001). Long-term follow-up of Taiwanese patients with primary urinary incontinence suggests that urinary incontinence is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing upper urinary tract stones. Study findings suggest that physicians treating patients with urinary incontinence should give attention to early detection of upper urinary tract stones. PMID:27536881

A Study of Physicochemical Properties of Subcutaneous Fat of the Abdomen and its Implication in Abdominal Obesity.

PubMed

Pandey, Arvind Kumar; Kumar, Pramod; Kodavoor, Srinivas Aithal; Kotian, Sushma Rama; Yathdaka, Sudhakar Narahari; Nayak, Dayanand; Souza, Anne D; Souza, Antony Sylvan D

2016-05-01

The lower abdominal obesity is more resistant to absorption as compared to that of upper abdomen. Differences in the physicochemical properties of the subcutaneous fat of the upper and lower abdomen may be responsible for this variation. There is paucity of the scientific literature on the physicochemical properties of the subcutaneous fat of abdomen. The present study was undertaken to create a database of physicochemical properties of abdominal subcutaneous fat. The samples of subcutaneous fat from upper and lower abdomen were collected from 40 fresh autopsied bodies (males 33, females 7). The samples were prepared for physicochemical analysis using organic and inorganic solvents. Various physicochemical properties of the fat samples analysed were surface tension, viscosity, specific gravity, specific conductivity, iodine value and thermal properties. Data was analysed by paired and independent sample t-tests. There was a statistically significant difference in all the physicochemical parameters between males and females except surface tension (organic) and surface tension (inorganic) of upper abdominal fat, and surface tension (organic) of lower abdominal fat. In males, viscosity of upper abdominal fat was more compared to that of lower abdomen (both organic and inorganic) unlike the specific conductivity that was higher for the lower abdominal fat as compared to that of the upper abdomen. In females there were statistically significant higher values of surface tension (inorganic) and specific gravity (organic) of the upper abdomen fat as compared to that of lower abdomen. The initial and final weight loss of the lower abdominal fat as indicated by Thermo Gravimetric Analysis was significantly more in males than in female. The difference in the physicochemical properties of subcutaneous fat between upper and lower abdomen and between males and females could be responsible for the variant behaviour of subcutaneous abdominal fat towards resorption.

Patients with Urinary Incontinence Appear More Likely to Develop Upper Urinary Tract Stones: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study with 8-Year Follow-Up.

PubMed

Chung, Hsiao-Jen; Lin, Alex Tong-Long; Lin, Chih-Chieh; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Kuang-Kuo

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate associations between primary urinary incontinence and development of upper urinary tract stones in a nationwide population in Taiwan. Data of 1,777 adults with primary urinary incontinence and 26,655 controls (groups A, B, and C) without urinary incontinence at study inception were retrieved from the National Health Insurance System database in Taiwan and were analyzed retrospectively. No enrolled subjects had previous diagnosis of upper urinary tract stones or spinal cord injury. All subjects were followed through end of 2009, with a minimum follow-up of 8 years. A greater percentage of study subjects (334/1777, 18.8%) developed upper urinary tract stones than that of control groups A (865/8885, 9.7%) and B (888/8885, 10%), and C (930/8885, 10.5%) (all p-values < 0.0001). Urinary incontinence was associated with significantly increased risk of developing urinary tract stones (HR 1.99, 95% CI, 1.70-2.34, p < 0.001). Age and metabolic syndrome status were both associated with developing upper urinary tract stones (both p-values < 0.0001). After adjusting for metabolic syndrome, regression analysis showed that urinary incontinence was still associated with a significantly increased risk of developing upper urinary tract stones (HR 1.99, 95% CI = 1.76-2.26, p < 0.0001). Long-term follow-up of Taiwanese patients with primary urinary incontinence suggests that urinary incontinence is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing upper urinary tract stones. Study findings suggest that physicians treating patients with urinary incontinence should give attention to early detection of upper urinary tract stones.

Long-Term Effects of Dredging Operations Program. Long-Term Evaluation of Plants and Animals Colonizing Contaminated Estuarine Dredged Material Placed in Both Upland and Wetland Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

MP D-91-5, September 1991 References Beckett, P. H. T., and Davis, R. D. 1977. Upper critical levels of toxic elements in plants. New Phytology 79:95...and ryegrass. New Phytology 80:23-42. Davis, R. D., Beckett, P. H. T., and Wollan, E. 1978. Critical levels of twenty potentially toxic elements in

Calculative techniques for transonic flows about certain classes of wing body combinations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahara, S. S.; Spreiter, J. R.

1972-01-01

Procedures based on the method of local linearization and transonic equivalence rule were developed for predicting properties of transonic flows about certain classes of wing-body combinations. The procedures are applicable to transonic flows with free stream Mach number in the ranges near one, below the lower critical and above the upper critical. Theoretical results are presented for surface and flow field pressure distributions for both lifting and nonlifting situations.

Where should the upper boundary of the earth's critical zone be?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Zhang, X. J.

2017-12-01

Recently increasing attention has been paid to the study of the critical zone (CZ) of the earth. The upper boundary of the CZ is generally defined as the top of plant canopy, and the lower boundary at the bottom of deep groundwater. The question is whether the ecological, biogeochemical and hydrological processes that are the focuses of CZ research occur within the scope of such boundaries. The role of water is central in these processes as is shown by the current studies as follows. First, there exist water vapor transport strips or pathways with higher flux strength than the surrounding areas in the troposphere, known as "tropospheric rivers" or "atmospheric rivers" (Newell, et al, 1992; Zhu, et al, 1998), specially dubbed as "sky rivers" (Wang, et al, 2016). The sky rivers are connected with the surface and underground rivers by precipitation and evapotranspiration processes, forming a complete water cycle system of the earth. Second, changes in atmospheric composition, such as aerosol increases, the formation of smog, CO2 concentration rising, directly or indirectly affected solar radiation and plant growth, which to a large extent determine potential evapotranspiration and vegetation cover change. Based on the Budyko model, annual water balance at a catchment is closely related to these changes (Zhang, et al., 2001; Ning, et al., 2017). Third, the theory of evaporation complementarity holds that surface evapotranspiration can be completely determined and calculated by meteorological data. Based on the eddy covariance observation for water and heat flux in the Loess Plateau (Brutsaert, et al., 2017), the relationship between calculated and observed ET values becomes stronger from 2m to 32m, which may be related to the existence of a blending height at higher elevations above the ground. Therefore, we deem that the CZ upper boundary should be selected at the tropopause of the atmosphere. The troposphere, directly affected by the earth surface, contains 3/4 of total mass of the whole atmosphere and almost all water vapor. Such a specification of the vertical CZ will afford comprehensive, systematic and in-depth studies on the near surface layer with focus on water role and cycle. This would also help define and attack the world problems regarding resources, environment and ecological services.

Y-12 PLANT NUCLEAR SAFETY HANDBOOK

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

Wachter, J.W. ed.; Bailey, M.L.; Cagle, T.J.

1963-03-27

Information needed to solve nuclear safety problems is condensed into a reference book for use by persons familiar with the field. Included are a glossary of terms; useful tables; nuclear constants; criticality calculations; basic nuclear safety limits; solution geometries and critical values; metal critical values; criticality values for intermediate, heterogeneous, and interacting systems; miscellaneous and related information; and report number, author, and subject indexes. (C.H.)

Effects of epidemic threshold definition on disease spread statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagorio, C.; Migueles, M. V.; Braunstein, L. A.; López, E.; Macri, P. A.

2009-03-01

We study the statistical properties of SIR epidemics in random networks, when an epidemic is defined as only those SIR propagations that reach or exceed a minimum size sc. Using percolation theory to calculate the average fractional size of an epidemic, we find that the strength of the spanning link percolation cluster P∞ is an upper bound to . For small values of sc, P∞ is no longer a good approximation, and the average fractional size has to be computed directly. We find that the choice of sc is generally (but not always) guided by the network structure and the value of T of the disease in question. If the goal is to always obtain P∞ as the average epidemic size, one should choose sc to be the typical size of the largest percolation cluster at the critical percolation threshold for the transmissibility. We also study Q, the probability that an SIR propagation reaches the epidemic mass sc, and find that it is well characterized by percolation theory. We apply our results to real networks (DIMES and Tracerouter) to measure the consequences of the choice sc on predictions of average outcome sizes of computer failure epidemics.

Superconductivity in two-dimensional NbSe2 field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Bana, Mohammed S.; Wolverson, Daniel; Russo, Saverio; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Mck Paul, Don; Bending, Simon J.

2013-12-01

We describe investigations of superconductivity in few molecular layer NbSe2 field effect transistors. While devices fabricated from NbSe2 flakes less than eight molecular layers thick did not conduct, thicker flakes were superconducting with an onset Tc that was only slightly depressed from the bulk value for 2H-NbSe2 (7.2 K). The resistance typically showed a small, sharp high temperature transition followed by one or more broader transitions which usually ended in a wide tail to zero resistance at low temperatures. We speculate that these multiple resistive transitions are related to disorder in the layer stacking. The behavior of several flakes has been characterized as a function of temperature, applied field and back-gate voltage. We find that the conductance in the normal state and transition temperature depend weakly on the gate voltage, with both conductivity and Tc decreasing as the electron concentration is increased. The application of a perpendicular magnetic field allows the evolution of different resistive transitions to be tracked and values of the zero temperature upper critical field, Hc2(0), and coherence length, ξ(0), to be independently estimated. Our results are analyzed in terms of available theories for these phenomena.

Assessment of body parameters' symmetry in child violinists.

PubMed

Cygańska, Anna; Truszczyńska-Baszak, Aleksandra; Drzał-Grabiec, Justyna; Tarnowski, Adam

2017-09-22

Playing violin may lead to overload of the locomotor system. The aim of this study was to assess body parameters for trunk symmetry in child violinists and compare with the control group. We analyzed body posture of 101 children aged 7-12 years, mean age 11.09 ± 9.46, 49 child violinists and control group of 52 children. We found statistically significant differences for the difference in depth of the lower corners of scapulae and upper posterior spina iliaca, though greater asymmetries were found in the clinical control group. The remaining parameter values are close to significance, which may suggest that the process of postural change among the children had just started and that the existing asymmetries were easy to correct. We found positive correlation between body height and the difference in distance of the lower corners of scapulae from the spine: OL (p= 0.029, correlation coefficient value was 0.167) and the Thales triangle height: (p= 0.018, correlation coefficient was 0.214). Position maintained while playing the violin changed some parameters characterizing the curvature of the spine in frontal plane. We found the importance of detailed analysis of children body posture and its critical assessment.

A critical prognostic analysis of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio for patients undergoing nephroureterectomy due to upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

PubMed

Altan, Mesut; Haberal, Hakan Bahadır; Akdoğan, Bülent; Özen, Haluk

2017-10-01

To determine preoperative serum complete blood count parameters that affects survival of patients who underwent surgery for upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UUT-UC). Since 1990, 150 patients underwent nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision for UUT-UC at Hacettepe University. Patients with a history of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy or metastasis at the time of diagnosis were excluded. One hundred and thirteen patients without infective symptoms and with a full set of serum data were evaluated retrospectively. Effects of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and leukocyte count on disease-free survival (DFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were investigated. Threshold values for each parameter to predict PFS were calculated. The mean age and median follow-up were 63.7 ± 11.1 years and 34 (3-186) months, respectively. Male to female ratio was 86/27. The 5-years PFS (bladder recurrence was excluded) and DFS were 59.6 and 38.4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, NLR was independent prognostic factor for PFS and DFS (p = 0.006 and p = 0.021, respectively) while LMR was prognostic only for PFS (p = 0.037). For UUT-UC, NLR is a prognostic factor for PFS and DFS, while LMR is a prognostic indicator for PFS in present series.

Hard and Soft Constraints in Reliability-Based Design Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crespo, L.uis G.; Giesy, Daniel P.; Kenny, Sean P.

2006-01-01

This paper proposes a framework for the analysis and design optimization of models subject to parametric uncertainty where design requirements in the form of inequality constraints are present. Emphasis is given to uncertainty models prescribed by norm bounded perturbations from a nominal parameter value and by sets of componentwise bounded uncertain variables. These models, which often arise in engineering problems, allow for a sharp mathematical manipulation. Constraints can be implemented in the hard sense, i.e., constraints must be satisfied for all parameter realizations in the uncertainty model, and in the soft sense, i.e., constraints can be violated by some realizations of the uncertain parameter. In regard to hard constraints, this methodology allows (i) to determine if a hard constraint can be satisfied for a given uncertainty model and constraint structure, (ii) to generate conclusive, formally verifiable reliability assessments that allow for unprejudiced comparisons of competing design alternatives and (iii) to identify the critical combination of uncertain parameters leading to constraint violations. In regard to soft constraints, the methodology allows the designer (i) to use probabilistic uncertainty models, (ii) to calculate upper bounds to the probability of constraint violation, and (iii) to efficiently estimate failure probabilities via a hybrid method. This method integrates the upper bounds, for which closed form expressions are derived, along with conditional sampling. In addition, an l(sub infinity) formulation for the efficient manipulation of hyper-rectangular sets is also proposed.

Anisotropic upper critical magnetic fields in Rb 2 Cr 3 As 3 superconductor

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

Tang, Zhang-Tu; Liu, Yi; Bao, Jin-Ke

Rb2Cr3As3 is a structurally one-dimensional superconductor containing Cr3As3 chains with a superconducting transition temperature of T-c = 4.8 K. Here we report the electrical resistance measurements for Rb2Cr3As3 single crystals, under magnetic fields up to 29.5 T and at temperatures down to 0.36 K, from which the upper critical fields, H-c2(T), can be obtained in a broad temperature range. For field parallel to the Cr3As3 chains, H-c2(parallel to)(T) is paramagnetically limited with an initial slope of mu(0)dH(c2)(parallel to)/dT|T-c = - 16 T K-1 and a zero-temperature upper critical field of mu H-0(c2)parallel to(0) = 17.5 T. For field perpendicular tomore » the Cr3As3 chains, however, H-c2(perpendicular to)(T) is only limited by orbital pair-breaking effect with mu(0)dH(c2)(perpendicular to)/dT|(Tc) = - 3 T K-1. As a consequence, the anisotropy gamma H = H-c2(parallel to)/H-c2(perpendicular to) decreases sharply near T-c and reverses below 2 K. Remarkably, the low- temperature H-c2(perpendicular to)(T) down to 0.075 T-c remains to increase linearly up to over three times the Pauli paramagnetic limit, which strongly suggests dominant spin-triplet superconductivity in Rb2Cr3As3.« less

Unified Scaling Law for flux pinning in practical superconductors: II. Parameter testing, scaling constants, and the Extrapolative Scaling Expression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekin, Jack W.; Cheggour, Najib; Goodrich, Loren; Splett, Jolene; Bordini, Bernardo; Richter, David

2016-12-01

A scaling study of several thousand Nb3Sn critical-current (I c) measurements is used to derive the Extrapolative Scaling Expression (ESE), a relation that can quickly and accurately extrapolate limited datasets to obtain full three-dimensional dependences of I c on magnetic field (B), temperature (T), and mechanical strain (ɛ). The relation has the advantage of being easy to implement, and offers significant savings in sample characterization time and a useful tool for magnet design. Thorough data-based analysis of the general parameterization of the Unified Scaling Law (USL) shows the existence of three universal scaling constants for practical Nb3Sn conductors. The study also identifies the scaling parameters that are conductor specific and need to be fitted to each conductor. This investigation includes two new, rare, and very large I c(B,T,ɛ) datasets (each with nearly a thousand I c measurements spanning magnetic fields from 1 to 16 T, temperatures from ˜2.26 to 14 K, and intrinsic strains from -1.1% to +0.3%). The results are summarized in terms of the general USL parameters given in table 3 of Part 1 (Ekin J W 2010 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 23 083001) of this series of articles. The scaling constants determined for practical Nb3Sn conductors are: the upper-critical-field temperature parameter v = 1.50 ± 0.04 the cross-link parameter w = 3.0 ± 0.3 and the strain curvature parameter u = 1.7 ± 0.1 (from equation (29) for b c2(ɛ) in Part 1). These constants and required fitting parameters result in the ESE relation, given by I c ( B , T , ɛ ) B = C [ b c 2 ( ɛ ) ] s ( 1 - t 1.5 ) η - μ ( 1 - t 2 ) μ b p ( 1 - b ) q with reduced magnetic field b ≡ B/B c2*(T,ɛ) and reduced temperature t ≡ T/T c*(ɛ), where: B c 2 * ( T , ɛ ) = B c 2 * ( 0 , 0 ) ( 1 - t 1.5 ) b c 2 ( ɛ ) T c * ( ɛ ) = T c * ( 0 ) [ b c 2 ( ɛ ) ] 1/3 and fitting parameters: C, B c2*(0,0), T c*(0), s, either η or μ (but not both), plus the parameters in the strain function b c2(ɛ). The pinning-force shape parameters p and q are also preferably fitted (simultaneously with the other parameters), but default values p = 0.5 and q = 2.0 also give high fitting accuracy when the range of relative magnetic fields is not extensive. Default values are also essential when the magnetic field data range is insufficient to determine p and q. The scaling constants are remarkably stable (changes less than ˜1%) with respect to different values of p and q, Nb3Sn conductor configurations, magnetic self-field corrections, and pinning-force trim values. The results demonstrate that the scaling of transport critical current holds down to the lowest temperatures measured ˜2.2 K, for both magnetic self-field corrected and uncorrected data. An initial comparison is also made between transport and magnetization scaling data in matched Nb3Sn samples and significant differences are found, especially for the upper critical field B c2*(T,ɛ), which may be a result of inhomogeneous shielding currents. In Part 3 of this topical review series (Ekin J W 2017 Supercond. Sci. Technol. at press), the smallest practical minimum dataset for extrapolating full I c(B,T,ɛ) datasets is derived. Application of the ESE relation is illustrated in several new areas, including full characterization of Nb3Sn conductors from as little as a single I c(B) curve when a few core parameters have been determined for similar conductors.

Nitric oxide in the upper stratosphere - Measurements and geophysical interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvath, J. J.; Frederick, J. E.; Orsini, N.; Douglass, A. R.

1983-01-01

A rocket-borne parachute-deployed chemiluminescence instrument has obtained seven new measurements of atmospheric nitric oxide for altitudes between 30 and 50 km at mid-latitudes. These results, when combined with profiles measured by an earlier version of the instrument, cover all four seasons and provide a more comprehensive picture of upper stratospheric nitric oxide than has been available previously. At the highest altitudes studied, the vertical gradient in mixing ratio displays positive and negative values during different observations, with the largest values tending to appear at the greatest heights in summer. Examination of the differences among the profiles, which exceed a factor of 3 near the stratopause, suggests that they arise from the action of transport processes which carry air into the mid-latitude upper stratosphere from regions of the atmosphere that contain widely different odd-nitrogen abundances.

A Transpiration Experiment Requiring Critical Thinking Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Rosemary H.

1998-01-01

Details laboratory procedures that enable students to understand the concept of how differences in water potential drive the movement of water within a plant in response to transpiration. Students compare transpiration rates for upper and lower surfaces of leaves. (DDR)

The Influence of Altering Push Force Effectiveness on Upper Extremity Demand during Wheelchair Propulsion

PubMed Central

Rankin, Jeffery W.; Kwarciak, Andrew M.; Richter, W. Mark; Neptune, Richard R.

2010-01-01

Manual wheelchair propulsion has been linked to a high incidence of overuse injury and pain in the upper extremity, which may be caused by the high load requirements and low mechanical efficiency of the task. Previous studies have suggested that poor mechanical efficiency may be due to a low effective handrim force (i.e. applied force that is not directed tangential to the handrim). As a result, studies attempting to reduce upper extremity demand have used various measures of force effectiveness (e.g. fraction effective force, FEF) as a guide for modifying propulsion technique, developing rehabilitation programs and configuring wheelchairs. However, the relationship between FEF and upper extremity demand is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to use forward dynamics simulations of wheelchair propulsion to determine the influence of FEF on upper extremity demand by quantifying individual muscle stress, work and handrim force contributions at different values of FEF. Simulations maximizing and minimizing FEF resulted in higher average muscle stresses (23% and 112%) and total muscle work (28% and 71%) compared to a nominal FEF simulation. The maximal FEF simulation also shifted muscle use from muscles crossing the elbow to those at the shoulder (e.g. rotator cuff muscles), placing greater demand on shoulder muscles during propulsion. The optimal FEF value appears to represent a balance between increasing push force effectiveness to increase mechanical efficiency and minimizing upper extremity demand. Thus, care should be taken in using force effectiveness as a metric to reduce upper extremity demand. PMID:20674921

Absolute paleobathymetry of Upper Cretaceous chalks based on ostracodes - Evidence from the Demopolis Chalk (Campanian and Maastrichtian) of the northern Gulf Coastal Plain

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

Puckett, T.M.

1991-05-01

The presence of abundant and diverse sighted ostracodes in chalk and marl of the Demopolis Chalk (Campanian and Maastrichtian) in Alabama and Mississippi strongly suggests that the Late Cretaceous sea floor was within the photic zone. The maximum depth of deposition is calculated from an equation based on eye morphology and efficiency and estimates of the vertical light attenuation. In this equation, K, the vertical light attenuation coefficient, is the most critical variable because it is the divisor for the rest of the equation. Rates of accumulation of coccoliths during the Cretaceous are estimated and are on the same ordermore » as those in modern areas of high phytoplankton production, suggesting similar pigment and coccolith concentrations in the water column. Values of K are known for a wide range of water masses and pigment concentrations, including areas of high phytoplankton production; thus light attenuation through the Cretaceous seas can be estimated reliably. Waters in which attenuation is due only to biogenic matter-conditions that result in deposition of relatively pure chalk-have values of K ranging between 0.2 and 0.3. Waters rich in phytoplankton and mud-conditions that result in deposition of marl-have K values as great as 0.5. Substituting these values for K results in depth range of 65 to 90 m for deposition of chalk and depth of 35 m for deposition of marl. These depth values suggest that deposition of many Cretaceous chalks and marls around the world were deposited under relatively shallow conditions.« less

Water Demand Management Strategies and Challenges in the Upper Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, R. E.

2016-12-01

Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) has flow obligations at Lee Ferry to downstream states and Mexico. The Colorado River Storage Project Act (CRSPA) of 1956 led to the construction of four large storage reservoirs. These provide river regulation to allow the Upper Basin to meet its obligations. Lake Powell, the largest and most important, and Lake Mead are now operated in a coordinated manner under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. Studies show that at current demand levels and if the hydrologic conditions the Basin has experienced since the mid-1980s continue or get drier, reservoir operations, alone, may not provide the necessary water to meet the Upper Basin's obligations. Therefore, the Upper Basin states are now studying demand management strategies that will reduce consumptive uses when total system reservoir storage reaches critically low levels. Demand management has its own economic, political and technical challenges and limitations and will provide new opportunities for applied research. This presentation will discuss some of those strategies, their challenges, and the kinds of information that research could provide to inform demand management.

75 FR 54707 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 12-Month Finding to List the Upper...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-08

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service/USFWS), announce a revised 12-month finding on a petition to list the upper Missouri River Distinct Population Segment (Missouri River DPS) of Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the upper Missouri River DPS of Arctic grayling as endangered or threatened is warranted. However, listing the upper Missouri River DPS of Arctic grayling is currently precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Upon publication of this 12-month finding, we will add the upper Missouri River DPS of Arctic grayling to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list this DPS as our priorities allow. We will make any determination on critical habitat during development of the proposed listing rule. In the interim, we will address the status of this DPS through our annual Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR).

Upper arm circumference development in Chinese children and adolescents: a pooled analysis.

PubMed

Tong, Fang; Fu, Tong

2015-05-30

Upper arm development in children is different in different ethnic groups. There have been few reports on upper arm circumference (UAC) at different stages of development in children and adolescents in China. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for growth with weighted assessment of the overall level of development. Using a pooled analysis, an authoritative journal database search and reports of UAC, we created a new database on developmental measures in children. In conducting a weighted analysis, we compared reference values for 0~60 months of development according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics considering gender and nationality and used Z values as interval values for the second sampling to obtain an exponential smooth curve to analyze the mean, standard deviation, and sites of attachment. Ten articles were included in the pooled analysis, and these articles included participants from different areas of China. The point of intersection with the WHO curve was 3.5 years with higher values at earlier ages and lower values at older ages. Boys curve was steeper after puberty. The curves in the studies had a merged line compatible. The Z values of exponential smoothing showed the curves were similar for body weight and had a right normal distribution. The integrated index of UAC in Chinese children and adolescents indicated slightly variations with regions. Exponential curve smoothing was suitable for assessment at different developmental stages.

Critical Values for Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio: Revisiting the Original Methods of Calculation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayre, Colin; Scally, Andrew John

2014-01-01

The content validity ratio originally proposed by Lawshe is widely used to quantify content validity and yet methods used to calculate the original critical values were never reported. Methods for original calculation of critical values are suggested along with tables of exact binomial probabilities.

Diagnostic Value of Isolated Mentalis Versus Mentalis Plus Upper Limb Electromyography in Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Patients Eventually Developing a Neurodegenerative Syndrome.

PubMed

Fernández-Arcos, Ana; Iranzo, Alex; Serradell, Mónica; Gaig, Carles; Guaita, Marc; Salamero, Manel; Santamaria, Joan

2017-04-01

To compare two electromyographic (EMG) montages, isolated mentalis muscle versus mentalis in combination with upper limb muscles in the baseline diagnostic video-polysomnography (V-PSG) of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviors disorder (IRBD) who eventually were diagnosed with a clinically defined neurodegenerative syndrome. Forty-nine patients were included. At baseline, diagnosis of RBD was based on a typical history of dream enactment behaviors plus V-PSG showing REM sleep with qualitative increased EMG activity and/or abnormal behaviors. Quantification of EMG activity (tonic, phasic and "any") in the mentalis and upper limb muscles (biceps brachii-BB, n = 36 or flexor digitorum superficialis-FDS, n = 13) was performed manually and compared with published cut-offs. Nine (18.4%) patients had either tonic or phasic EMG below the cut-offs for the isolated mentalis and four of them (11.1 %) also had values below the cut-off for the mentalis combined with BB. All 13 patients recorded with the FDS were above the mentalis combined with FDS cut-off. For the diagnosis of IRBD, sensitivity of isolated mentalis was 81.6% and of the combination of mentalis plus upper limb muscles was 91.8% (p = .03). Audiovisual analysis showed abnormal REM sleep behaviors in all nine patients with values below the cut-offs. Quantification of EMG activity in the upper limbs combined with the mentalis increases the ability to diagnose IRBD when compared with the isolated measurement of the mentalis. Detection of typical abnormal behaviors during REM sleep with audiovisual analysis is essential for the diagnosis of IRBD in patients with EMG values below the published cut-offs. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Efficacy of mid-upper arm circumference in identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children during nutrition rehabilitation.

PubMed

Mogendi, Joseph Birundu; De Steur, Hans; Gellynck, Xavier; Saeed, Hibbah Araba; Makokha, Anselimo

2015-06-01

Although it is crucial to identify those children likely to be treated in an appropriate nutrition rehabilitation programme and discharge them at the appropriate time, there is no golden standard for such identification. The current study examined the appropriateness of using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference for the identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children. We also assessed its discrepancy with the Weight-for-Height based diagnosis, the rate of recovery, and the discharge criteria of the children during nutrition rehabilitation. The study present findings from 156 children (aged 6-59 months) attending a supplementary feeding programme at Makadara and Jericho Health Centres, Eastern District of Nairobi, Kenya. Records of age, weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference were selected at three stages of nutrition rehabilitation: admission, follow-up and discharge. The values obtained were then used to calculate z-scores as defined by WHO Anthro while estimating different diagnostic indices. Mid-upper arm circumference single cut-off (< 12.5 cm) was found to exhibit high values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio at both admission and discharge. Besides, children recorded higher rate of recovery at 86 days, an average increment of 0.98 cm at the rate of 0.14mm/day, and a weight gain of 13.49gm/day, albeit higher in female than their male counterparts. Nevertheless, children admitted on basis of low MUAC had a significantly higher MUAC gain than WH at 0.19mm/day and 0.13mm/day respectively. Mid-upper arm circumference can be an appropriate tool for identifying malnourished children for admission to nutrition rehabilitation programs. Our results confirm the appropriateness of this tool for monitoring recovery trends and discharging the children thereafter. In principle the tool has potential to minimize nutrition rehabilitation costs, particularly in community therapeutic centres in developing countries.

Separation of solids by varying the bulk density of a fluid separating medium

DOEpatents

Peterson, Palmer L.; Duffy, James B.; Tokarz, Richard D.

1978-01-01

A method and apparatus for separating objects having a density greater than a selected density value from objects having a density less than said selected density value. The method typically comprises: (a) providing a separation vessel having an upper and lower portion, said vessel containing a liquid having a density exceeding said selected density value; (b) reducing the apparent density of the liquid to said selected density value by introducing solid, bubble-like bodies having a density less than that of the liquid into the lower portion of the vessel and permitting them to rise therethrough; (c) introducing the objects to be separated into the separation vessel and permitting the objects having a density greater than the apparent density of the liquid to sink to the lower portion of the vessel, while the objects having a density less than said selected density value float in the upper portion of the vessel; and (d) separately removing the higher density objects in the lower portion and the lower density objects in the upper portion from the separation vessel. The apparatus typically comprises: (a) a vessel containing a liquid having a density such that at least part of said objects having a density exceeding said selected density value will float therein; (b) means to place said objects into said vessel; (c) means to reduce the effective density of at least a portion of said liquid to said selected density value, whereby said objects having a density exceeding said selected density value sink into said liquid and said objects having a density less than said selected density value remain afloat, said means to adjust the effective density comprising solid, bubble-like bodies having a density less than said selected density value and means for introducing said bodies into said liquid; and (d) means for separately removing said objects having a density exceeding said selected density value and said objects having a density less than said selected density value from said vessel.

Critical Value Reporting in Transfusion Medicine: A Survey of Communication Practices in US Facilities.

PubMed

Reese, Erika M; Nelson, Randin C; Flegel, Willy A; Byrne, Karen M; Booth, Garrett S

2017-05-01

While critical value procedures have been adopted in most areas of the clinical laboratory, their use in transfusion medicine has not been reviewed in detail. The results of this study present a comprehensive overview of critical value reporting and communication practices in transfusion medicine in the United States. A web-based survey was developed to collect data on the prevalence of critical value procedures and practices of communicating results. The survey was distributed via email to US hospital-based blood banks. Of 123 facilities surveyed, 84 (68.3%) blood banks had a critical value procedure. From a panel of 23 common blood bank results, nine results were selected by more than 70% of facilities as either a critical value or requiring rapid communication as defined by an alternate procedure. There was overlap among results communicated by facilities with and without a critical value procedure. The most frequently communicated results, such as incompatible crossmatch for RBC units issued uncrossmatched, delay in finding compatible blood due to a clinically significant antibody, and transfusion reaction evaluation suggestive of a serious adverse event, addressed scenarios associated with the leading reported causes of transfusion-related fatalities. American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Apparatus for adjusting and maintaining the humidity of gas at a constant value within a closed system

DOEpatents

Abernathy, Bethel R.; Walters, Ronald R.

1986-01-01

The humidity of a gas within a closed system is maintained at constant level by providing a saturated salt solution within a lower chamber in communication with an upper chamber conjointly defined by upper and lower container sections in sealing contact with each other to establish a closed container. A partition wall separates the salt solution from the test region in the upper chamber. A tube extending through the partition plate allows humidified gas to pass from the lower to the upper chamber. A glass wool plug or membranous material within the tube prevents migration of salt into the test region.

Apparatus for adjusting and maintaining the humidity of gas at a constant value within a closed system

DOEpatents

Abernathy, B.R.; Walters, R.R.

1985-08-05

The humidity of a gas within a closed system is maintained at constant level by providing a saturated salt solution within a lower chamber in communication with an upper chamber conjointly defined by upper and lower container sections in sealing contact with each other to establish a closed container. A partition wall separates the salt solution from the test region in the upper chamber. A tube extending through the partition plate allows humidified gas to pass from the lower to the upper chamber. A glass wool plug or membranous material within the tube prevents migration of salt into the test region.

Outcome measures for adult critical care: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hayes, J A; Black, N A; Jenkinson, C; Young, J D; Rowan, K M; Daly, K; Ridley, S

2000-01-01

1. To identify generic and disease specific measures of impairment, functional status and health-related quality of life that have been used in adult critical care (intensive and high-dependency care) survivors. 2. To review the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the measures in adult critical care survivors. 3. To consider the implications for future policy and to make recommendations for further methodological research. 4. To review what is currently known of the outcome of adult critical care. Searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycLIT, The Cochrane Library and SIGLE) from 1970 to August 1998. Manual searches of five journals (1985-98) not indexed in electronic databases and relevant conference proceedings (1993-98). Reference lists of six existing reviews, plus snowballing from reference lists of all relevant articles identified. Randomised trials, non-randomised trials (cohort studies) and case series that included data on outcomes after discharge from adult (16 years and over) critical care. If reported, the following data were extracted from each paper: patient characteristics (age, gender, severity of illness, diagnostic category) number of patients eligible for study, follow-up period, number of deaths before follow-up, number and proportion of survivors included in follow-up method of presentation of outcome data - proportion normal as defined by reference values, or aggregate value (e.g. mean or median), or aggregate values plus an indication of variance (e.g. standard deviation or inter-quartile range). Evidence for three measurement properties was sought for each outcome measure that had been used in at least two studies - their validity, reliability and responsiveness in adult critical care. If the authors did not report these aspects explicitly, an attempt was made to use the data provided to provide these measurement properties. For measures that were used in at least ten studies, information on actual reported outcomes were also extracted. MEASURES USED IN CRITICAL CARE: Measures of impairment were largely confined to the respiratory system so are almost certainly not appropriate for many critical care survivors. They can be categorised as respiratory volumes (e.g. vital capacity), gas flow within the respiratory system (e.g. forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)), pulmonary diffusing capacity (e.g. carbon monoxide diffusing capacity) and visualisation of the upper airway (e.g. bronchoscopy). Multiple tests are often performed. Eight measures of physical functional status were used, five generic and three disease-specific. The most frequently used generic measures were multi-item scales. Two single-item global measures attempted to capture a person's overall activity level or functional status. Five multi-item measures of mental functional status were used, four generic and one specific to trauma patients. The generic measures were either confined to assessing depressive symptoms or also encompassed a measure of anxiety. Measures of neuropsychological functioning relate to a person's cognition, attention, ability to process information and memory. Apart from one single-item measure, which focused on communication level, six multi-item measures were used with critical care survivors. Such measures are particularly appropriate for use with survivors of head injury or other neurological insult and, in that sense, they are disease-specific rather than generic measures. Single item measures of recovery were frequently used but researchers often invented their own, so there was little consistency in the wording. These measures had five principal foci - return to work, return to own home, degree of recovery, productivity and chronic health status. One multi-item scale was also used. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in urinary tract infection diagnosis.

PubMed

Xu, Rui-Ying; Liu, Hua-Wei; Liu, Ji-Ling; Dong, Jun-Hua

2014-05-30

Urinary infections are a common type of pediatric disease, and their treatment and prognosis are closely correlated with infection location. Common clinical manifestations and laboratory tests are insufficient to differentiate between acute pyelonephritis and lower urinary tract infection. This study was conducted to explore a diagnostic method for upper and lower urinary tract infection differentiation. The diagnostic values of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve method for upper and lower urinary tract infection differentiation. PCT was determined using chemiluminescent immunoassay. The PCT and CRP values in children with acute pyelonephritis were significantly higher than those in children with lower urinary tract infection (3.90 ± 3.51 ng/ml and 68.17 ± 39.42 mg/l vs. 0.48 ± 0.39 ng/ml and 21.39 ± 14.92 mg/l). The PCT values were correlated with the degree of renal involvement, whereas the CRP values failed to show such a significant correlation. PCT had a sensitivity of 90.47% and a specificity of 88% in predicting nephropathia, whereas CRP had sensitivity of 85.71% and a specificity of 48%. Both PCT and CRP can be used for upper and lower urinary tract infection differentiation, but PCT has higher sensitivity and specificity in predicting pyelonephritis than CRP. PCT showed better results than CRP. PCT values were also correlated with the degree of renal involvement.

An efficient indexing scheme for binary feature based biometric database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, P.; Sana, A.; Mehrotra, H.; Hwang, C. Jinshong

2007-04-01

The paper proposes an efficient indexing scheme for binary feature template using B+ tree. In this scheme the input image is decomposed into approximation, vertical, horizontal and diagonal coefficients using the discrete wavelet transform. The binarized approximation coefficient at second level is divided into four quadrants of equal size and Hamming distance (HD) for each quadrant with respect to sample template of all ones is measured. This HD value of each quadrant is used to generate upper and lower range values which are inserted into B+ tree. The nodes of tree at first level contain the lower and upper range values generated from HD of first quadrant. Similarly, lower and upper range values for the three quadrants are stored in the second, third and fourth level respectively. Finally leaf node contains the set of identifiers. At the time of identification, the test image is used to generate HD for four quadrants. Then the B+ tree is traversed based on the value of HD at every node and terminates to leaf nodes with set of identifiers. The feature vector for each identifier is retrieved from the particular bin of secondary memory and matched with test feature template to get top matches. The proposed scheme is implemented on ear biometric database collected at IIT Kanpur. The system is giving an overall accuracy of 95.8% at penetration rate of 34%.

Enhanced superconducting transition temperature in electroplated rhenium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappas, D. P.; David, D. E.; Lake, R. E.; Bal, M.; Goldfarb, R. B.; Hite, D. A.; Kim, E.; Ku, H.-S.; Long, J. L.; McRae, C. R. H.; Pappas, L. D.; Roshko, A.; Wen, J. G.; Plourde, B. L. T.; Arslan, I.; Wu, X.

2018-04-01

We show that electroplated Re films in multilayers with noble metals such as Cu, Au, and Pd have an enhanced superconducting critical temperature relative to previous methods of preparing Re. The dc resistance and magnetic susceptibility indicate a critical temperature of approximately 6 K. The magnetic response as a function of field at 1.8 K demonstrates type-II superconductivity, with an upper critical field on the order of 2.5 T. Critical current densities greater than 107 A/m2 were measured above liquid-helium temperature. Low-loss at radio frequency was obtained below the critical temperature for multilayers deposited onto resonators made with Cu traces on commercial circuit boards. These electroplated superconducting films can be integrated into a wide range of standard components for low-temperature electronics.

Surface measurements of upper tropospheric water vapor isotopic composition on the Chajnantor Plateau, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galewsky, Joseph; Rella, Christopher; Sharp, Zachary; Samuels, Kimberly; Ward, Dylan

2011-09-01

Simultaneous, real-time measurements of atmospheric water vapor mixing ratio and isotopic composition (δD and δ18O) were obtained using cavity ringdown spectroscopy on the arid Chajnantor Plateau in the subtropical Chilean Andes (elevation 5080 m or 550 hPa; latitude 23°S) during July and August 2010. The measurements show surface water vapor mixing ratio as low as 215 ppmv, δD values as low as -540‰, and δ18O values as low as -68‰, which are the lowest atmospheric water vapor δ values reported from Earth's surface. The results are consistent with previous measurements from the base of the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and suggest large-scale subsidence of air masses from the upper troposphere to the Earth's surface. The range of measurements is consistent with condensation under conditions of ice supersaturation and mixing with moister air from the lower troposphere that has been processed through shallow convection. Diagnostics using reanalysis data show that the extreme aridity of the Chajnantor Plateau is controlled by condensation in the upper tropical troposphere.

Composition and quality of coals in the Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zheng, Lingyun; Liu, Gaisheng; Wang, L.; Chou, C.-L.

2008-01-01

The Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui Province, China, is one of the largest coalfields in China. The coals of Permian age are used mainly for power generation. Coal compositions and 47 trace elements of the No. 10 Coal of the Shanxi Formation, the No. 7, 5, and 4 Coals of the Lower Shihezi Formation, and the No. 3 Coal of the Upper Shihezi Formation from the Huaibei Coalfield were studied. The results indicate that the Huaibei coals have low ash, moisture, and sulfur contents, but high volatile matter and calorific value. The ash yield increases stratigraphically upwards, but the volatile matter and total sulfur contents show a slight decrease from the lower to upper seams. Magmatic intrusion into the No. 5 Coal resulted in high ash, volatile matter, and calorific value, but low moisture value in the coal. Among the studied 47 trace elements, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Th, U, V, and Zn are of environmental concerns. Four elements Hg, Mo, Zn, and Sb are clearly enriched in the coals as compared with the upper continental crust. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the upper trapezius muscle temperature in women with and without neck pain.

PubMed

Dibai Filho, Almir Vieira; Packer, Amanda Carine; Costa, Ana Cláudia de Souza; Berni-Schwarzenbeck, Kelly Cristina dos Santos; Rodrigues-Bigaton, Delaine

2012-06-01

The purpose of the study was to analyze the upper trapezius muscle temperature using thermography in women with and without neck pain. Thirty-six female university students were classified through the Neck Disability Index (NDI) into 2 groups: the neck pain group comprised 18 volunteers diagnosed with mild disability, and the control group, 18 healthy volunteers. All subjects were submitted to evaluation by thermography, which registered the skin surface temperature of the upper bilateral trapezius muscle. Student t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for the comparison between the groups, and the Spearman correlation coefficient was used for the appropriate correlations between the NDI score and the temperature values. A significance level of 5% was set. No significant difference was found between the groups regarding the temperature values of the upper left (P = .565) and right (P = .917) trapezius muscles, as well as in comparisons of temperature asymmetry (P = .542). In addition, no significant association was found between the study variables (P > .05). Women with neck pain, diagnosed with mild disability by NDI, did not present with reduction or asymmetry of upper trapezius muscle temperature when compared with a group without neck pain. Copyright © 2012 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Family Relational Values in the Parent-Adolescent Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgar-Smith, Susan E.; Wozniak, Robert H.

2010-01-01

This study measured the relational family values system of upper-middle-class mothers, fathers, and adolescents in the United States. Results revealed that participants shared common family values that mainly reflected the importance of individualism, equality in family relationships, family member interdependence, and parental guidance. Parent…

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in upper and lower extremity long bone fractures of emergency department trauma patients

PubMed Central

Frouzan, Arash; Masoumi, Kambiz; Delirroyfard, Ali; Mazdaie, Behnaz; Bagherzadegan, Elnaz

2017-01-01

Background Long bone fractures are common injuries caused by trauma. Some studies have demonstrated that ultrasound has a high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures in traumatic patients. Methods This cross-sectional study assessed 100 patients admitted to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran with trauma to the upper and lower extremities, from September 2014 through October 2015. In all patients, first ultrasound and then standard plain radiography for the upper and lower limb was performed. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 to determine the specificity and sensitivity. Results The mean age of patients with upper and lower limb trauma were 31.43±12.32 years and 29.63±5.89 years, respectively. Radius fracture was the most frequent compared to other fractures (27%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value, and negative predicted value of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bones were 95.3%, 87.7%, 87.2% and 96.2%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in left arm fractures (100%). Tibia and fibula fractures were the most frequent types compared to other fractures (89.2%). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of ultrasound compared with plain radiography in the diagnosis of upper extremity long bone fractures were 98.6%, 83%, 65.4% and 87.1%, respectively, and the highest accuracy was observed in men, lower ages and femoral fractures. Conclusion The results of this study showed that ultrasound compared with plain radiography has a high accuracy in the diagnosis of upper and lower extremity long bone fractures. PMID:28979747

Upper-limit charge exchange cross sections for mercury (plus) on molybdenum and cesium (plus) on aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugan, J. V., Jr.

1972-01-01

Upper-limit charge exchange cross sections are calculated for Hg(+) on Mo and Cs(+) on Al. The cross sections are calculated from the polarization interaction at low ion energies (1 to 500 eV) and by assuming favorable curve crossings with a hard-core reaction radius at higher energies (500 eV to 10 keV). The cross sections for Hg(+) on Mo becomes greater than corresponding Hg Hg(+) resonance values at ion energies below 2 eV, whereas the Cs(+) Al values remain considerably lower than the Cs(+)Cs resonance value at all ion energies. It is also shown that charge exchange of slow Hg(+) with Mo may be important for spacecraft with electron bombardment thrusters.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among “Privileged” Youths: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Approaches to Developmental Process

PubMed Central

Yates, Tuppett M.; Luthar, Suniya S.; Tracy, Allison J.

2015-01-01

This investigation examined process-level pathways to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI; e.g., self-cutting, -burning, -hitting) in 2 cohorts of suburban, upper-middle-class youths: a cross-sectional sample of 9th–12th graders (n = 1,036, 51.9% girls) on the West Coast and a longitudinal sample followed annually from the 6th through 12th grades (n = 245, 53.1% girls) on the East Coast. High rates of NSSI were found in both the cross-sectional (37.2%) and the longitudinal (26.1%) samples. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models estimated process-level pathways from perceived parental criticism to NSSI via youth-reported alienation toward parents. Pathways toward the initiation of NSSI were distinct from those accounting for its frequency. Parental criticism was associated with increased NSSI, and youth alienation toward parents emerged as a relevant process underlying this pathway, particularly for boys. The specificity of these pathways was explored by examining separate trajectories toward delinquent outcomes. The findings illustrate the prominence of NSSI among “privileged” youths, the salience of the caregiving environment in NSSI, the importance of parental alienation in explaining these relations, and the value of incorporating multiple systems in treatment approaches for adolescents who self-injure. PMID:18229983

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids

DOE PAGES

Di Giorgio, C.; Bobba, F.; Cucolo, A. M.; ...

2016-12-09

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopymore » is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field H c2. This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Here, our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed.« less

Fundamental study on the magnetic field control method using multiple HTS coils for Magnetic Drug Delivery System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, R.; Kim, S. B.; Nakagawa, T.; Tomisaka, Y.; Ueda, H.

2017-07-01

The magnetic drug delivery system (MDDS) is a key technology to reduce the side effects in the medical applications, and the magnetic force control is very important issue in MDDS. In this application, the strength of magnetic field and gradient required to MDDS devices are 54 mT and 5.5 T/m, respectively. We proposed the new magnetic force control system that consists of the multiple racetrack HTS magnets. We can control the magnetic field gradient along the longitudinal direction by the arrangement of the multiple racetrack HTS magnets and operating current of each magnet. When the racetrack HTS magnets were used, the critical current was reduced by the self-magnetic field. Therefore, the shape design of HTS magnet to reduce the magnet field into the surface of HTS tapes was required. Therefore, the electromagnetic analysis based on finite element method (FEM) was carried out to design and optimize the shape of multiple racetrack HTS magnet. We were able to suppress the reduction of critical current by placing the magnetic substance at upper and lower side of the HTS magnets. It was confirmed that obtained maximum values of magnetic field strength and field gradient were 33 mT and 0.18 T/m, respectively.

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids.

PubMed

Di Giorgio, C; Bobba, F; Cucolo, A M; Scarfato, A; Moore, S A; Karapetrov, G; D'Agostino, D; Novosad, V; Yefremenko, V; Iavarone, M

2016-12-09

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field H c2 . This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed.

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids

PubMed Central

Di Giorgio, C.; Bobba, F.; Cucolo, A. M.; Scarfato, A.; Moore, S. A.; Karapetrov, G.; D’Agostino, D.; Novosad, V.; Yefremenko, V.; Iavarone, M.

2016-01-01

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field Hc2. This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed. PMID:27934898

Nonsuicidal self-injury among "privileged" youths: longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches to developmental process.

PubMed

Yates, Tuppett M; Tracy, Allison J; Luthar, Suniya S

2008-02-01

This investigation examined process-level pathways to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI; e.g., self-cutting, -burning, -hitting) in 2 cohorts of suburban, upper-middle-class youths: a cross-sectional sample of 9th-12th graders (n = 1,036, 51.9% girls) on the West Coast and a longitudinal sample followed annually from the 6th through 12th grades (n = 245, 53.1% girls) on the East Coast. High rates of NSSI were found in both the cross-sectional (37.2%) and the longitudinal (26.1%) samples. Zero-inflated Poisson regression models estimated process-level pathways from perceived parental criticism to NSSI via youth-reported alienation toward parents. Pathways toward the initiation of NSSI were distinct from those accounting for its frequency. Parental criticism was associated with increased NSSI, and youth alienation toward parents emerged as a relevant process underlying this pathway, particularly for boys. The specificity of these pathways was explored by examining separate trajectories toward delinquent outcomes. The findings illustrate the prominence of NSSI among "privileged" youths, the salience of the caregiving environment in NSSI, the importance of parental alienation in explaining these relations, and the value of incorporating multiple systems in treatment approaches for adolescents who self-injure.

Multilevel Empirical Bayes Modeling for Improved Estimation of Toxicant Formulations to Suppress Parasitic Sea Lamprey in the Upper Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, L.A.; Gutreuter, S.; Boogaard, M.A.; Carlin, B.P.

2011-01-01

Estimation of extreme quantal-response statistics, such as the concentration required to kill 99.9% of test subjects (LC99.9), remains a challenge in the presence of multiple covariates and complex study designs. Accurate and precise estimates of the LC99.9 for mixtures of toxicants are critical to ongoing control of a parasitic invasive species, the sea lamprey, in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. The toxicity of those chemicals is affected by local and temporal variations in water chemistry, which must be incorporated into the modeling. We develop multilevel empirical Bayes models for data from multiple laboratory studies. Our approach yields more accurate and precise estimation of the LC99.9 compared to alternative models considered. This study demonstrates that properly incorporating hierarchical structure in laboratory data yields better estimates of LC99.9 stream treatment values that are critical to larvae control in the field. In addition, out-of-sample prediction of the results of in situ tests reveals the presence of a latent seasonal effect not manifest in the laboratory studies, suggesting avenues for future study and illustrating the importance of dual consideration of both experimental and observational data. ?? 2011, The International Biometric Society.

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

Agosta, C. C.; Jin, J.; Coniglio, W. A.

We present upper critical field data for {kappa}-(BEDT-TTF){sub 2}Cu(NCS){sub 2} with the magnetic field close to parallel and parallel to the conducting layers. We show that we can eliminate the effect of vortex dynamics in these layered materials if the layers are oriented within 0.3-inch of parallel to the applied magnetic field. Eliminating vortex effects leaves one remaining feature in the data that corresponds to the Pauli paramagnetic limit (H{sub p}). We propose a semiempirical method to calculate the H{sub p} in quasi-2D superconductors. This method takes into account the energy gap of each of the quasi-2D superconductors, which ismore » calculated from specific-heat data, and the influence of many-body effects. The calculated Pauli paramagnetic limits are then compared to critical field data for the title compound and other organic conductors. Many of the examined quasi-2D superconductors, including the above organic superconductors and CeCoIn{sub 5}, exhibit upper critical fields that exceed their calculated H{sub p} suggesting unconventional superconductivity. We show that the high-field low-temperature state in {kappa}-(BEDT-TTF){sub 2}Cu(NCS){sub 2} is consistent with the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state.« less

Avian thermoregulation in the heat: resting metabolism, evaporative cooling and heat tolerance in Sonoran Desert songbirds.

PubMed

Smith, Eric Krabbe; O'Neill, Jacqueline J; Gerson, Alexander R; McKechnie, Andrew E; Wolf, Blair O

2017-09-15

We examined thermoregulatory performance in seven Sonoran Desert passerine bird species varying in body mass from 10 to 70 g - lesser goldfinch, house finch, pyrrhuloxia, cactus wren, northern cardinal, Abert's towhee and curve-billed thrasher. Using flow-through respirometry, we measured daytime resting metabolism, evaporative water loss and body temperature at air temperatures ( T air ) between 30 and 52°C. We found marked increases in resting metabolism above the upper critical temperature ( T uc ), which for six of the seven species fell within a relatively narrow range (36.2-39.7°C), but which was considerably higher in the largest species, the curve-billed thrasher (42.6°C). Resting metabolism and evaporative water loss were minimal below the T uc and increased with T air and body mass to maximum values among species of 0.38-1.62 W and 0.87-4.02 g H 2 O h -1 , respectively. Body temperature reached maximum values ranging from 43.5 to 45.3°C. Evaporative cooling capacity, the ratio of evaporative heat loss to metabolic heat production, reached maximum values ranging from 1.39 to 2.06, consistent with known values for passeriforms and much lower than values in taxa such as columbiforms and caprimulgiforms. These maximum values occurred at heat tolerance limits that did not scale with body mass among species, but were ∼50°C for all species except the pyrrhuloxia and Abert's towhee (48°C). High metabolic costs associated with respiratory evaporation appeared to drive the limited heat tolerance in these desert passeriforms, compared with larger desert columbiforms and galliforms that use metabolically more efficient mechanisms of evaporative heat loss. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Moderate summer heat stress does not modify immunological parameters of Holstein dairy cows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacetera, Nicola; Bernabucci, Umberto; Ronchi, Bruno; Scalia, Daniela; Nardone, Alessandro

2002-02-01

The study was undertaken during spring and summer months in a territory representative of the Mediterranean climate to assess the effects of season on some immunological parameters of dairy cows. Twenty Holstein cows were used. Eleven of those cows gave birth during spring; the remaining nine cows gave birth in summer. The two groups of cows were homogeneous for parity. Values of air temperatures and relative humidity were recorded both during spring and summer, and were utilized to calculate the temperature humidity index (THI). One week before the expected calving, rectal temperatures and respiratory rates of the cows were recorded (1500 hours), and cell-mediated immunity was assessed by measuring the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Within 3 h of calving, one colostrum sample was taken from each cow and analysed to determine content of immunoglobulin (Ig) G1, IgG2, IgM and IgA. At 48 h after birth, passive immunization of the calves was assessed by measuring total serum IgG. During summer, daytime (0900-2000 hours) THI values were above the upper critical value of 72 [75.2, (SD 2.6)] indicating conditions that could represent moderate heat stress. That THI values were able to predict heat stress was confirmed by the values of rectal temperatures and respiratory rates, which were higher ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 respectively) during summer. Proliferation of PBMC, the colostral concentration of Ig fractions and serum levels of IgG in their respective offspring did not differ between spring and summer cows. Results indicated that moderate heat stress due to the hot Mediterranean summer does not modify cell-mediated immunity, the protective value of colostrum and passive immunization of the offspring in dairy cows.

Thermoresponsive Polymers with Lower Critical Solution Temperature- or Upper Critical Solution Temperature-Type Phase Behaviour Do Not Induce Toxicity to Human Endothelial Cells.

PubMed

Ji, Yuejia; Zhu, Mengxiang; Gong, Yu; Tang, Haoyu; Li, Juan; Cao, Yi

2017-01-01

Thermoresponsive polymers have gained extensive attention as biomedical materials especially for targeted drug delivery systems. We have recently developed water-soluble polypeptide-based thermoresponsive polymers that exhibit lower critical solution temperature (LCST)- or upper critical solution temperature (UCST)-type phase behaviours. In this study, the toxicity of these polymers to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was investigated to assess the safety and biocompatibility. Up to 100 μg/ml, thermoresponsive polymers did not induce cytotoxicity to HUVECs, showing as unaltered mitochondrial viability assessed as cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and membrane integrity assessed as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Inflammatory response, assessed as the release of chemokine-soluble monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (sMCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) as well as cytokine IL-6, was not significantly affected by the polymers. In addition, 1 μM thapsigargin (TG), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducer, significantly decreased mitochondrial viability, but did not affect membrane integrity or inflammatory response. The presence of thermoresponsive polymers with LCST-type phase behaviour did not further affect the effects of TG. In conclusion, the thermoresponsive polymers used in this study are not toxic to endothelial cells and therefore could be further considered as safe materials for biomedical applications. © 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Depositional environment and organic matter accumulation of Upper Ordovician–Lower Silurian marine shale in the Upper Yangtze Platform, South China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Yangfang; Zhang, Tongwei; Ellis, Geoffrey S.; Shao, Deyong

2017-01-01

The main controlling factors of organic matter accumulation in the Upper Ordovician Wufeng–Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formations are complex and remain highly controversial. This study investigates the vertical variation of total organic carbon (TOC) content as well as major and trace element concentrations of four Ordovician–Silurian transition sections from the Upper Yangtze Platform of South China to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of these deposits and to improve our understanding of those factors that have influenced organic matter accumulation in these deposits.The residual TOC content of the Wufeng Formation averages 3.2% and ranges from 0.12 to 6.0%. The overlying lower Longmaxi Formation displays higher TOC content (avg. 4.4%), followed upsection by consistent and lower values that average 1.6% in the upper Longmaxi Formation. The concentration and covariation of redox-sensitive trace elements (Mo, U and V) suggest that organic-rich intervals of the Wufeng Formation accumulated under predominantly anoxic conditions. Organic-rich horizons of the lower Longmaxi Formation were deposited under strongly anoxic to euxinic conditions, whereas organic-poor intervals of the upper Longmaxi Formation accumulated under suboxic conditions. Positive correlations between redox proxies and TOC contents suggest that organic matter accumulation was predominantly controlled by preservation. Barium excess (Baxs) values indicate high paleoproductivity throughout the entire depositional sequence, with an increase in the lower Longmaxi Formation. Increased productivity may have been induced by enhanced P recycling, as evidenced by elevated Corg/Ptot ratios. Mo–U covariation and Mo/TOC values reveal that the Wufeng Formation was deposited under extremely restricted conditions, whereas the Longmaxi Formation accumulated under moderately restricted conditions. During the Late Ordovician, the extremely restricted nature of ocean circulation on the Upper Yangtze Platform in tandem with enhanced stratification of the water column promoted anoxic conditions favorable for the preservation of organic matter. During Early Silurian time, organic matter accumulation was principally controlled by changes in sea level, which affected terrigenous flux, redox conditions, and the degree of nutrition recycling.

Median and ulnar neuropathies in university guitarists.

PubMed

Kennedy, Rachel H; Hutcherson, Kimberly J; Kain, Jennifer B; Phillips, Alicia L; Halle, John S; Greathouse, David G

2006-02-01

Descriptive study. To determine the presence of median and ulnar neuropathies in both upper extremities of university guitarists. Peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes of the upper extremities are well documented in musicians. Guitarists and plucked-string musicians are at risk for entrapment neuropathies in the upper extremities and are prone to mild neurologic deficits. Twenty-four volunteer male and female guitarists (age range, 18-26 years) were recruited from the Belmont University School of Music and the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music. Individuals were excluded if they were pregnant or had a history of recent upper extremity or neck injury. Subjects completed a history form, were interviewed, and underwent a physical examination. Nerve conduction status of the median and ulnar nerves of both upper extremities was obtained by performing motor, sensory, and F-wave (central) nerve conduction studies. Descriptive statistics of the nerve conduction study variables were computed using Microsoft Excel. Six subjects had positive findings on provocative testing of the median and ulnar nerves. Otherwise, these guitarists had normal upper extremity neural and musculoskeletal function based on the history and physical examinations. When comparing the subjects' nerve conduction study values with a chart of normal nerve conduction studies values, 2 subjects had prolonged distal motor latencies (DMLs) of the left median nerve of 4.3 and 4.7 milliseconds (normal, < 4.2 milliseconds). Prolonged DMLs are compatible with median neuropathy at or distal to the wrist. Otherwise, all electrophysiological variables were within normal limits for motor, sensory, and F-wave (central) values. However, comparison studies of median and ulnar motor latencies in the same hand demonstrated prolonged differences of greater than 1.0 milliseconds that affected the median nerve in 2 additional subjects, and identified contralateral limb involvement in a subject with a prolonged distal latency. The other 20 subjects demonstrated normal comparison studies of the median and ulnar nerves in both upper extremities. In this descriptive study of a population of 24 university guitarists, 4 musicians (17%) were found to have electrophysiologic evidence of median neuropathy at or distal to the wrist or carpal tunnel syndrome. Ulnar nerve electrophysiological function was within normal limits for all subjects examined.

Canopy position affects the relationships between leaf respiration and associated traits in a tropical rainforest in Far North Queensland.

PubMed

Weerasinghe, Lasantha K; Creek, Danielle; Crous, Kristine Y; Xiang, Shuang; Liddell, Michael J; Turnbull, Matthew H; Atkin, Owen K

2014-06-01

We explored the impact of canopy position on leaf respiration (R) and associated traits in tree and shrub species growing in a lowland tropical rainforest in Far North Queensland, Australia. The range of traits quantified included: leaf R in darkness (RD) and in the light (RL; estimated using the Kok method); the temperature (T)-sensitivity of RD; light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat); leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA); and concentrations of leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), soluble sugars and starch. We found that LMA, and area-based N, P, sugars and starch concentrations were all higher in sun-exposed/upper canopy leaves, compared with their shaded/lower canopy and deep-shade/understory counterparts; similarly, area-based rates of RD, RL and Asat (at 28 °C) were all higher in the upper canopy leaves, indicating higher metabolic capacity in the upper canopy. The extent to which light inhibited R did not differ significantly between upper and lower canopy leaves, with the overall average inhibition being 32% across both canopy levels. Log-log RD-Asat relationships differed between upper and lower canopy leaves, with upper canopy leaves exhibiting higher rates of RD for a given Asat (both on an area and mass basis), as well as higher mass-based rates of RD for a given [N] and [P]. Over the 25-45 °C range, the T-sensitivity of RD was similar in upper and lower canopy leaves, with both canopy positions exhibiting Q10 values near 2.0 (i.e., doubling for every 10 °C rise in T) and Tmax values near 60 °C (i.e., T where RD reached maximal values). Thus, while rates of RD at 28 °C decreased with increasing depth in the canopy, the T-dependence of RD remained constant; these findings have important implications for vegetation-climate models that seek to predict carbon fluxes between tropical lowland rainforests and the atmosphere. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Case Against Romantic Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myrdal, Gunnar

1974-01-01

Characterizes the new ethnic movement as an upper-class intellectual romanticism, which has focused on an abstract craving for historical identity. Criticizes it for avoiding the principal problems of poverty and possivity of the poor, among whom the ethnics are so prominent. (EH)

Implementation and thickness optimization of perpetual pavements in Ohio : [executive summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Perpetual asphalt pavements are designed to confine distresses to the upper layer of the structure, by eliminating : or reducing the potential for fatigue cracking by maintaining the horizontal strains at the bottom of the pavement : below a critical...

Upper limb load as a function of repetitive task parameters: part 1--a model of upper limb load.

PubMed

Roman-Liu, Danuta

2005-01-01

The aim of the study was to develop a theoretical indicator of upper limb musculoskeletal load based on repetitive task parameters. As such the dimensionless parameter, Integrated Cycle Load (ICL) was accepted. It expresses upper limb load which occurs during 1 cycle. The indicator is based on a model of a repetitive task, which consists of a model of the upper limb, a model of basic types of upper limb forces and a model of parameters of a repetitive task such as length of the cycle, length of periods of the cycle and external force exerted during each of the periods of the cycle. Calculations of the ICL parameter were performed for 12 different variants of external load characterised by different values of repetitive task parameters. A comparison of ICL, which expresses external load with a physiological indicator of upper limb load, is presented in Part 2 of the paper.

Composites for Exploration Upper Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fikes, J. C.; Jackson, J. R.; Richardson, S. W.; Thomas, A. D.; Mann, T. O.; Miller, S. G.

2016-01-01

The Composites for Exploration Upper Stage (CEUS) was a 3-year, level III project within the Technology Demonstration Missions program of the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate. Studies have shown that composites provide important programmatic enhancements, including reduced weight to increase capability and accelerated expansion of exploration and science mission objectives. The CEUS project was focused on technologies that best advanced innovation, infusion, and broad applications for the inclusion of composites on future large human-rated launch vehicles and spacecraft. The benefits included near- and far-term opportunities for infusion (NASA, industry/commercial, Department of Defense), demonstrated critical technologies and technically implementable evolvable innovations, and sustained Agency experience. The initial scope of the project was to advance technologies for large composite structures applicable to the Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) by focusing on the affordability and technical performance of the EUS forward and aft skirts. The project was tasked to develop and demonstrate critical composite technologies with a focus on full-scale materials, design, manufacturing, and test using NASA in-house capabilities. This would have demonstrated a major advancement in confidence and matured the large-scale composite technology to a Technology Readiness Level 6. This project would, therefore, have bridged the gap for providing composite application to SLS upgrades, enabling future exploration missions.

Early lactate clearance for predicting active bleeding in critically ill patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Wada, Tomoki; Hagiwara, Akiyoshi; Uemura, Tatsuki; Yahagi, Naoki; Kimura, Akio

2016-08-01

Not all patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) require emergency endoscopy. Lactate clearance has been suggested as a parameter for predicting patient outcomes in various critical care settings. This study investigates whether lactate clearance can predict active bleeding in critically ill patients with UGIB. This single-center, retrospective, observational study included critically ill patients with UGIB who met all of the following criteria: admission to the emergency department (ED) from April 2011 to August 2014; had blood samples for lactate evaluation at least twice during the ED stay; and had emergency endoscopy within 6 h of ED presentation. The main outcome was active bleeding detected with emergency endoscopy. Classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were performed using variables associated with active bleeding to derive a prediction rule for active bleeding in critically ill UGIB patients. A total of 154 patients with UGIB were analyzed, and 31.2 % (48/154) had active bleeding. In the univariate analysis, lactate clearance was significantly lower in patients with active bleeding than in those without active bleeding (13 vs. 29 %, P < 0.001). Using the CART analysis, a prediction rule for active bleeding is derived, and includes three variables: lactate clearance; platelet count; and systolic blood pressure at ED presentation. The rule has 97.9 % (95 % CI 90.2-99.6 %) sensitivity with 32.1 % (28.6-32.9 %) specificity. Lactate clearance may be associated with active bleeding in critically ill patients with UGIB, and may be clinically useful as a component of a prediction rule for active bleeding.

[Anatomo-functional aspects and diagnostic algorithm (of the upper limb pathologies secondary to repeated trauma)].

PubMed

Bazzini, G

2001-01-01

The epidemiology of work-related musculo-skeletal pathologies of the upper limbs has become significantly relevant in the last years, and a sharp increasing trend can be observed. This paper mainly focuses on the chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions, which are more complex and difficult to accurately diagnose and treat. A synthesis of the diagnostic picture of the different types, involving the joints, muscles and tendons, and peripheral nerves is provided, with mention of the sensitivity and specificity of the main diagnostic tests. The possible entrapments of the radial, median and ulnar nerves are described in detail. Finally, a brief critical review on the principal movements of the upper limbs which are responsible of the onset of such conditions is presented.

Clean to dirty limit and T c suppression in NdFeAsO0.7F0.3 studied by H c2 analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallecchi, I.; Tarantini, C.; Shen, Y.; Singh, R. K.; Newman, N.; Cheng, P.; Jia, Y.; Wen, H.-H.; Putti, M.

2018-07-01

In this work, we investigate the temperature dependence of the upper critical field, dH c2/dT, in an increasingly disordered NdFeAsO0.7F0.3 (NdFeAs(O,F)) single crystal that has been progressively irradiated up to a 5.25 × 1016 cm- 2 total α-particle dose. For the H∣∣ab-plane, dH c2/dT does not vary remarkably with irradiation, while for the H∣∣c-axis it increases sharply after the first irradiation of 3.60 × 1015 cm-2 and then more gradually with further irradiation doses. Focusing on the H∣∣c-axis, we develop a phenomenological analysis of the H c2 slope which allows us to inspect the crossover from the clean to the dirty regime. From the H c2 slope normalized to the critical temperature and to its clean limit value, we extract the ratio of the coherence length ξ BCS to the mean free path {\\ell } and we find that when T c is reduced by a factor of four from its pristine value, ξ BCS/{\\ell } becomes as large as ˜7 and {\\ell } reaches values of ˜1.8 nm, indicating that NdFeAs(O,F) is well into the dirty regime. Our analysis of the H c2 slope also allows us to compare the pair-breaking effectiveness of scattering in different superconductors, showing similarity between unconventional NdFeAs(O,F) and moderate-T c phonon-mediated devices, such as MgB2 and A15 compounds, but much a stronger difference with YBa2Cu3O7-δ . This work thus shows that dH c2/dT is a reliable parameter, providing an alternative to residual resistivity, for investigating the pair-breaking mechanism induced by impurity scattering in superconductors.

Segmental Dynamics of Forward Fall Arrests: System Identification Approach

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyu-Jung; Ashton-Miller, James A.

2009-01-01

Background Fall-related injuries are multifaceted problems, necessitating thorough biodynamic simulation to identify critical biomechanical factors. Methods A 2-degree-of-freedom discrete impact model was constructed through system identification and validation processes using the experimental data to understand dynamic interactions of various biomechanical parameters in bimanual forward fall arrests. Findings The bimodal reaction force response from the identified models had small identification errors for the first and second force peaks less than 3.5% and high coherence between the measured and identified model responses (R2=0.95). Model validation with separate experimental data also demonstrated excellent validation accuracy and coherence, less than 7% errors and R2=0.87, respectively. The first force peak was usually greater than the second force peak and strongly correlated with the impact velocity of the upper extremity, while the second force peak was associated with the impact velocity of the body. The impact velocity of the upper extremity relative to the body could be a major risk factor to fall-related injuries as observed from model simulations that a 75% faster arm movement relative to the falling speed of the body alone could double the first force peak from soft landing, thereby readily exceeding the fracture strength of the distal radius. Interpretation Considering that the time-critical nature of falling often calls for a fast arm movement, the use of the upper extremity in forward fall arrests is not biomechanically justified unless sufficient reaction time and coordinated protective motion of the upper extremity are available. PMID:19250726

Treatment of Postoperative Leaks of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract with Colonic Self-Expandable Metal Stents.

PubMed

Sousa, Paula; Castanheira, António; Martins, Diana; Pinho, Juliana; Araújo, Ricardo; Cancela, Eugénia; Ministro, Paula; Silva, Américo

2017-07-01

The use of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) for the treatment of postoperative leaks of the upper gastrointestinal tract is already established. However, there are discrepancies between the relatively small caliber of the esophageal stents available and the postsurgical luminal size, which may determine an inadequate juxtaposition. As colonic stents have a bigger diameter, they might be more adequate. Additionally, stents with a larger diameter might have a lower risk of migration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and complications associated with the use of colonic fully covered SEMS (FSEMS) in the treatment of postoperative leaks in critical patients. All patients with postoperative leaks of the upper gastrointestinal tract treated with colonic stents (Hanarostent® CCI) between 2010 and 2013 were retrospectively included. Four patients with postoperative leaks were treated with colonic SEMS. The underlying surgeries were a gastric bypass, an esophagogastrectomy for Boerhaave syndrome, a primary repair of esophagopleural fistula due to Boerhaave syndrome, and an esophagectomy due to esophageal cancer. The leaks were detected on average 17 days after the initial surgery. All patients needed admission to a critical care unit after index surgery. Stent placement was technically feasible in all patients. The median residence time of the stents was 7 weeks, and no complications were verified when they were removed. There were no cases of stent migration. The treatment was successful in all patients, with complete healing of the leaks. The placement of colonic FSEMS seems to be successful and safe in the treatment of postoperative leaks of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Validity of administrative coding in identifying patients with upper urinary tract calculi.

PubMed

Semins, Michelle J; Trock, Bruce J; Matlaga, Brian R

2010-07-01

Administrative databases are increasingly used for epidemiological investigations. We performed a study to assess the validity of ICD-9 codes for upper urinary tract stone disease in an administrative database. We retrieved the records of all inpatients and outpatients at Johns Hopkins Hospital between November 2007 and October 2008 with an ICD-9 code of 592, 592.0, 592.1 or 592.9 as one of the first 3 diagnosis codes. A random number generator selected 100 encounters for further review. We considered a patient to have a true diagnosis of an upper tract stone if the medical records specifically referenced a kidney stone event, or included current or past treatment for a kidney stone. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. A total of 8,245 encounters coded as upper tract calculus were identified and 100 were randomly selected for review. Two patients could not be identified within the electronic medical record and were excluded from the study. The positive predictive value of using all ICD-9 codes for an upper tract calculus (592, 592.0, 592.1) to identify subjects with renal or ureteral stones was 95.9%. For 592.0 only the positive predictive value was 85%. However, although the positive predictive value for 592.1 only was 100%, 26 subjects (76%) with a ureteral stone were not appropriately billed with this code. ICD-9 coding for urinary calculi is likely to be sufficiently valid to be useful in studies using administrative data to analyze stone disease. However, ICD-9 coding is not a reliable means to distinguish between subjects with renal and ureteral calculi. Copyright (c) 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coexistence Curve of Perfluoromethylcyclohexane-Isopropyl Alcohol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, D. T.; Kuhl, D. E.; Selby, C. E.

1996-01-01

The coexistence curve of the binary fluid mixture perfluoromethylcyclohexane-isopropyl alcohol was determined by precisely measuring the refractive index both above and below its upper critical consolute point. Sixty-seven two-phase data points were obtained over a wide range of reduced temperatures, 10(exp -5) less than t less than 2.5 x 10(exp -1), to determine the location of the critical point: critical temperature=89.901 C, and critical composition = 62.2% by volume perfluoromethylcyclohexane. These data were analyzed to determine the critical exponent 8 close to the critical point, the amplitude B, and the anomaly in the diameter. The volume-fraction coexistence curve is found to be as symmetric as any composition like variable. Correction to scaling is investigated as well as the need for a crossover theory. A model is proposed that describes the asymptotic approach to zero of the effective exponent Beta, which allows an estimation of the temperature regime free of crossover effects.

New options for vascularized bone reconstruction in the upper extremity.

PubMed

Houdek, Matthew T; Wagner, Eric R; Wyles, Cody C; Nanos, George P; Moran, Steven L

2015-02-01

Originally described in the 1970s, vascularized bone grafting has become a critical component in the treatment of bony defects and non-unions. Although well established in the lower extremity, recent years have seen many novel techniques described to treat a variety of challenging upper extremity pathologies. Here the authors review the use of different techniques of vascularized bone grafts for the upper extremity bone pathologies. The vascularized fibula remains the gold standard for the treatment of large bone defects of the humerus and forearm, while also playing a role in carpal reconstruction; however, two other important options for larger defects include the vascularized scapula graft and the Capanna technique. Smaller upper extremity bone defects and non-unions can be treated with the medial femoral condyle (MFC) free flap or a vascularized rib transfer. In carpal non-unions, both pedicled distal radius flaps and free MFC flaps are viable options. Finally, in skeletally immature patients, vascularized fibular head epiphyseal transfer can provide growth potential in addition to skeletal reconstruction.

Phytoplankton Abundance and Contributions to Suspended Particulate Matter in the Ohio, Upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

EPA Science Inventory

A survey of the Ohio, Missouri and Upper Mississippi Rivers revealed large (five-fold) differences in summer average chlorophyll a (CHLa). Average concentrations were highest in the Mississippi (32.3 + 1.8 µg L-1) with lower values in the Missouri (19.7 + 1.1 µg L-1) and Ohio (6...

No Particular Way to Go: Careers of Young Adults Lacking Upper Secondary Qualifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundahl, Lisbeth; Lindblad, Michael; Lovén, Anders; Mårald, Gunilla; Svedberg, Gudrun

2017-01-01

This article aims to deepen understanding of the trajectories through school and into adulthood of people who did not attain valued qualifications from upper secondary school ("non-completers"), and explore the fruitfulness of careership theory for such analysis. It is based on interviews with 100 young Swedes: 81 non-completers and 19…

Finnish Upper Secondary Students' Collaborative Processes in Learning Statistics in a CSCL Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oikarinen, Juho Kaleva; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

2014-01-01

This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in…

Seasonal and pandemic human influenza viruses attach better to human upper respiratory tract epithelium than avian influenza viruses.

PubMed

van Riel, Debby; den Bakker, Michael A; Leijten, Lonneke M E; Chutinimitkul, Salin; Munster, Vincent J; de Wit, Emmie; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F; Fouchier, Ron A M; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Kuiken, Thijs

2010-04-01

Influenza viruses vary markedly in their efficiency of human-to-human transmission. This variation has been speculated to be determined in part by the tropism of influenza virus for the human upper respiratory tract. To study this tropism, we determined the pattern of virus attachment by virus histochemistry of three human and three avian influenza viruses in human nasal septum, conchae, nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, and larynx. We found that the human influenza viruses-two seasonal influenza viruses and pandemic H1N1 virus-attached abundantly to ciliated epithelial cells and goblet cells throughout the upper respiratory tract. In contrast, the avian influenza viruses, including the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, attached only rarely to epithelial cells or goblet cells. Both human and avian viruses attached occasionally to cells of the submucosal glands. The pattern of virus attachment was similar among the different sites of the human upper respiratory tract for each virus tested. We conclude that influenza viruses that are transmitted efficiently among humans attach abundantly to human upper respiratory tract, whereas inefficiently transmitted influenza viruses attach rarely. These results suggest that the ability of an influenza virus to attach to human upper respiratory tract is a critical factor for efficient transmission in the human population.

DIAS Project: The establishment of a European digital upper atmosphere server

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belehaki, A.; Cander, Lj.; Zolesi, B.; Bremer, J.; Juren, C.; Stanislawska, I.; Dialetis, D.; Hatzopoulos, M.

2005-08-01

The main objective of DIAS (European Digital Upper Atmosphere Server) project is to develop a pan-European digital data collection on the state of the upper atmosphere, based on real-time information and historical data collections provided by most operating ionospheric stations in Europe. A DIAS system will distribute information required by various groups of users for the specification of upper atmospheric conditions over Europe suitable for nowcasting and forecasting purposes. The successful operation of the DIAS system will lead to the development of new European added-value products and services, to the effective use of observational data in operational applications and consequently to the expansion of the relevant European market.

Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior.

PubMed

Piff, Paul K; Stancato, Daniel M; Côté, Stéphane; Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo; Keltner, Dacher

2012-03-13

Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals' unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed.

Utility of repeat testing of critical values: a Q-probes analysis of 86 clinical laboratories.

PubMed

Lehman, Christopher M; Howanitz, Peter J; Souers, Rhona; Karcher, Donald S

2014-06-01

A common laboratory practice is to repeat critical values before reporting the test results to the clinical care provider. This may be an unnecessary step that delays the reporting of critical test results without adding value to the accuracy of the test result. To determine the proportions of repeated chemistry and hematology critical values that differ significantly from the original value as defined by the participating laboratory, to determine the threshold differences defined by the laboratory as clinically significant, and to determine the additional time required to analyze the repeat test. Participants prospectively reviewed critical test results for 4 laboratory tests: glucose, potassium, white blood cell count, and platelet count. Participants reported the following information: initial and repeated test result; time initial and repeat results were first known to laboratory staff; critical result notification time; if the repeat result was still a critical result; if the repeat result was significantly different from the initial result, as judged by the laboratory professional or policy; significant difference threshold, as defined by the laboratory; the make and model of the instrument used for primary and repeat testing. Routine, repeat analysis of critical values is a common practice. Most laboratories did not formally define a significant difference between repeat results. Repeated results were rarely considered significantly different. Median repeated times were at least 17 to 21 minutes for 10% of laboratories. Twenty percent of laboratories reported at least 1 incident in the last calendar year of delayed result reporting that clinicians indicated had adversely affected patient care. Routine repeat analysis of automated chemistry and hematology critical values is unlikely to be clinically useful and may adversely affect patient care.

National survey on critical values reporting in a cohort of Italian laboratories.

PubMed

Lippi, Giuseppe; Giavarina, Davide; Montagnana, Martina; Luca Salvagno, Gian; Cappelletti, Piero; Plebani, Mario; Guidi, Gian Cesare

2007-01-01

Critical values' reporting is an essential requisite for clinical laboratories. Local policies were investigated within an indicative cohort of Italian laboratories to monitor the situation and establish a performance benchmark. A five-point questionnaire was administered to 150 laboratory specialists attending the SIMEL (Italian Society of Laboratory Medicine) National Meeting in June 2006. A total of 107 questionnaires (71.3%) were returned with a 100% individual question response rate. Only 55% of the participants acknowledge critical values reporting as an essential practice, 80% admit that a comprehensive list of critical values is unavailable in the laboratory and 4% do not promptly communicate critical values. The list of critical values is variable among laboratories, ranging from none to 20 analytes included. The requesting physician or his/her office staff receives the great majority (97%) of notifications by telephone for outpatients. Critical values for inpatients are notified directly by telephone (81%) and in a minority of cases by either fax or computer (19%). In the inpatient setting, the information is notified to physicians (77%), nurses (15%) or other healthcare staff in the clinic (8%). It was found that 49% of the participants adopt a standard (digital or written) policy for routine recording of notifications; in 32% of the cases the registration is left to individual attitudes, whereas in 20% of the cases the notification is not recorded. No laboratory has yet adopted a read-back verification of the complete test result by the person receiving the information. The importance of critical value reporting is still poorly recognized in Italy and uniform or internationally accredited practices for communication and recording are not currently implemented.

Statistical self-similarity of hotspot seamount volumes modeled as self-similar criticality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tebbens, S.F.; Burroughs, S.M.; Barton, C.C.; Naar, D.F.

2001-01-01

The processes responsible for hotspot seamount formation are complex, yet the cumulative frequency-volume distribution of hotspot seamounts in the Easter Island/Salas y Gomez Chain (ESC) is found to be well-described by an upper-truncated power law. We develop a model for hotspot seamount formation where uniform energy input produces events initiated on a self-similar distribution of critical cells. We call this model Self-Similar Criticality (SSC). By allowing the spatial distribution of magma migration to be self-similar, the SSC model recreates the observed ESC seamount volume distribution. The SSC model may have broad applicability to other natural systems.

Iron chalcogenide superconductors at high magnetic fields

PubMed Central

Lei, Hechang; Wang, Kefeng; Hu, Rongwei; Ryu, Hyejin; Abeykoon, Milinda; Bozin, Emil S; Petrovic, Cedomir

2012-01-01

Iron chalcogenide superconductors have become one of the most investigated superconducting materials in recent years due to high upper critical fields, competing interactions and complex electronic and magnetic phase diagrams. The structural complexity, defects and atomic site occupancies significantly affect the normal and superconducting states in these compounds. In this work we review the vortex behavior, critical current density and high magnetic field pair-breaking mechanism in iron chalcogenide superconductors. We also point to relevant structural features and normal-state properties. PMID:27877518

Retrogressive Failures in Sand Deposits of the Mississippi River. Report 1. Field Investigations, Laboratory Studies and Analysis of the Hypothesized Failure Mechanism

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

densities of Mississippi River point bar sands . 73. It is particularly conclusive to compare the available critical void ratio data for point bar sands on... River encounters the difficulty that the density of large parts of Zone A sands is between the upper and lower critical densities . All laboratory... sands of the Lower Mississippi River point bar deposits generally contain some strata of subcritical density , and the initial tendenc% of such sands

Block coals from Indiana: Inferences on changing depositional environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Padgett, P.L.; Eble, C.F.

2000-01-01

Significant differences in coal petrography, palynology and coal quality were found between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members (Brazil Formation, Pennsylvanian) in Daviess County, Indiana. The Lower Block Coal Member ranges in thickness from 51 to 74 cm and the Upper Block Coal Member ranges from 20 to 65 cm. Average sulfur content and ash yield of the Lower Block coal (0.98%, 7.65%) are lower than in the Upper Block coal. Megascopically, the coals show distinct differences. The Lower Block is a banded coal with numerous thin fusain horizons and a thin clay parting in the lower third of the seam. The Upper Block coal has a dulling-upward trend, with a bright clarain found at the base that grades into a clarain and then into a durain in the upper portion of the seam. Vitrinite content of the Lower Block coal ranges from 63% to 78%, with the highest vitrinite content found in the middle portion of the seam. In the Upper Block coal, vitrinite content ranges from 40% to 83%, with the highest values found in the lower part of the seam. Ash yield is higher in the upper part of the Upper Block coal, reaching up to 40%. The Lower Block coal is dominated by lycopod trees and tree ferns. The Upper Block coal shows marked differences in spore assemblages between lower and upper parts of the seam. The lower half is dominated by large lycopod trees and tree ferns, similar to the Lower Block coal. The upper half is dominated by small lycopods, mainly Densosporites and Radiizonates. These differences between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members are significant correlation tools applicable to mining exploration and chronostratigraphy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Significant differences in coal petrography, palynology and coal quality were found between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal Members (Brazil Formation, Pennsylvanian) in Daviess County, Indiana. The Lower Block Coal Member ranges in thickness from 51 to 74 cm and the Upper Block Coal Member ranges from 20 to 65 cm. Average sulfur content and ash yield of the Lower Block coal (0.98%, 7.65%) are lower than in the Upper Block coal. Megascopically, the coals show distinct differences. The Lower Block is a banded coal with numerous thin fusain horizons and a thin clay parting in the lower third of the seam. The Upper Block coal has a dulling-upward trend, with a bright clarain found at the base that grades into a clarain and then into a durain in the upper portion of the seam. Vitrinite content of the Lower Block coal ranges from 63% to 78%, with the highest vitrinite content found in the middle portion of the seam. In the Upper Block coal, vitrinite content ranges from 40% to 83%, with the highest values found in the lower part of the seam. Ash yield is higher in the upper part of the Upper Block coal, reaching up to 40%. The Lower Block coal is dominated by lycopod trees and tree ferns. The Upper Block coal shows marked differences in spore assemblages between lower and upper parts of the seam. The lower half is dominated by large lycopod trees and tree ferns, similar to the Lower Block coal. The upper half is dominated by small lycopods, mainly Densosporites and Radiizonates. These differences between the Lower Block and Upper Block Coal members are significant correlation tools applicable to mining exploration and chronostratigraphy.

Calculation of the number of Monte Carlo histories for a planetary protection probability of impact estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barengoltz, Jack

2016-07-01

Monte Carlo (MC) is a common method to estimate probability, effectively by a simulation. For planetary protection, it may be used to estimate the probability of impact P{}_{I} by a launch vehicle (upper stage) of a protected planet. The object of the analysis is to provide a value for P{}_{I} with a given level of confidence (LOC) that the true value does not exceed the maximum allowed value of P{}_{I}. In order to determine the number of MC histories required, one must also guess the maximum number of hits that will occur in the analysis. This extra parameter is needed because a LOC is desired. If more hits occur, the MC analysis would indicate that the true value may exceed the specification value with a higher probability than the LOC. (In the worst case, even the mean value of the estimated P{}_{I} might exceed the specification value.) After the analysis is conducted, the actual number of hits is, of course, the mean. The number of hits arises from a small probability per history and a large number of histories; these are the classic requirements for a Poisson distribution. For a known Poisson distribution (the mean is the only parameter), the probability for some interval in the number of hits is calculable. Before the analysis, this is not possible. Fortunately, there are methods that can bound the unknown mean for a Poisson distribution. F. Garwoodfootnote{ F. Garwood (1936), ``Fiduciary limits for the Poisson distribution.'' Biometrika 28, 437-442.} published an appropriate method that uses the Chi-squared function, actually its inversefootnote{ The integral chi-squared function would yield probability α as a function of the mean µ and an actual value n.} (despite the notation used): This formula for the upper and lower limits of the mean μ with the two-tailed probability 1-α depends on the LOC α and an estimated value of the number of "successes" n. In a MC analysis for planetary protection, only the upper limit is of interest, i.e., the single-tailed distribution. (Smaller actual P{}_{I }is no problem.) {}_{ } One advantage of this method is that this function is available in EXCEL. Note that care must be taken with the definition of the CHIINV function (the inverse of the integral chi-squared distribution). The equivalent inequality in EXCEL is μ < CHIINV[1-α, 2(n+1)] In practice, one calculates this upper limit for a specified LOC, α , and a guess of how many hits n will be found after the MC analysis. Then the estimate of the number of histories required is this upper limit divided by the specification for the allowed P{}_{I} (rounded up). However, if the number of hits actually exceeds the guess, the P{}_{I} requirement will be met only with a smaller LOC. A disadvantage is that the intervals about the mean are "in general too wide, yielding coverage probabilities much greater than 1- α ." footnote{ G. Casella and C. Robert (1988), Purdue University-Technical Report #88-7 or Cornell University-Technical Report BU-903-M.} For planetary protection, this technical issue means that the upper limit of the interval and the probability associated with the interval (i.e., the LOC) are conservative.

Critical Care Organizations: Business of Critical Care and Value/Performance Building.

PubMed

Leung, Sharon; Gregg, Sara R; Coopersmith, Craig M; Layon, A Joseph; Oropello, John; Brown, Daniel R; Pastores, Stephen M; Kvetan, Vladimir

2018-01-01

New, value-based regulations and reimbursement structures are creating historic care management challenges, thinning the margins and threatening the viability of hospitals and health systems. The Society of Critical Care Medicine convened a taskforce of Academic Leaders in Critical Care Medicine on February 22, 2016, during the 45th Critical Care Congress to develop a toolkit drawing on the experience of successful leaders of critical care organizations in North America for advancing critical care organizations (Appendix 1). The goal of this article was to provide a roadmap and call attention to key factors that adult critical care medicine leadership in both academic and nonacademic setting should consider when planning for value-based care. Relevant medical literature was accessed through a literature search. Material published by federal health agencies and other specialty organizations was also reviewed. Collaboratively and iteratively, taskforce members corresponded by electronic mail and held monthly conference calls to finalize this report. The business and value/performance critical care organization building section comprised of leaders of critical care organizations with expertise in critical care administration, healthcare management, and clinical practice. Two phases of critical care organizations care integration are described: "horizontal," within the system and regionalization of care as an initial phase, and "vertical," with a post-ICU and postacute care continuum as a succeeding phase. The tools required for the clinical and financial transformation are provided, including the essential prerequisites of forming a critical care organization; the manner in which a critical care organization can help manage transformational domains is considered. Lastly, how to achieve organizational health system support for critical care organization implementation is discussed. A critical care organization that incorporates functional clinical horizontal and vertical integration for ICU patients and survivors, aligns strategy and operations with those of the parent health system, and encompasses knowledge on finance and risk will be better positioned to succeed in the value-based world.

Complicating the "soccer mom:"the cultural politics of forming class-based identity, distinction, and necessity.

PubMed

Swanson, Lisa

2009-06-01

Using Pierre Bourdieu's theories of social class differentiation and class reproduction, this paper provides an analysis of class-based identity politics in contemporary suburban America. Through a critical ethnography of the emergent, American, upper-middle-class "soccer mom" phenomenon, this study contributes to a growing body of research that interrogates class-based, cultural practices of status differentiation. As part of a larger; longitudinal ethnographic study, this paper specifically focuses on the ways in which women, who are driven by upper-middle-class habitus, contest and construct their identity as mothers of young, soccer-playing children.

Global Ocean Phytoplankton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franz, B. A.; Behrenfeld, M. J.; Siegel, D. A.; Werdell, P. J.

2013-01-01

Phytoplankton are free-floating algae that grow in the euphotic zone of the upper ocean, converting carbon dioxide, sunlight, and available nutrients into organic carbon through photosynthesis. Despite their microscopic size, these photoautotrophs are responsible for roughly half the net primary production on Earth (NPP; gross primary production minus respiration), fixing atmospheric CO2 into food that fuels our global ocean ecosystems. Phytoplankton thus play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, and their growth patterns are highly sensitive to environmental changes such as increased ocean temperatures that stratify the water column and prohibit the transfer of cold, nutrient richwaters to the upper ocean euphotic zone.

How Massive Can Stars Be?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinochet, Jorge; Van Sint Jan, Michael

2017-01-01

Theoretical assessment of the upper limit of a star's mass is a difficult problem which lies at the frontier of astrophysical research. In this article we develop a simple and plausible argument to estimate this value. The value at which we arrive is ~228 solar masses; well within the range of predicted accepted theoretical values. Towards the end…

Singapore Math: Place Value, Computation & Number Sense. [CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Sandra

2008-01-01

"Singapore Math: Place Value, Computation & Number Sense" is a six-part presentation on CD-ROM that can be used by individual teachers or an entire school. The author takes primary to upper elementary grade teachers through place value skills with each of the computational operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. She gives…

Experimental Demonstration of Higher Precision Weak-Value-Based Metrology Using Power Recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi-Tao; Tang, Jian-Shun; Hu, Gang; Wang, Jian; Yu, Shang; Zhou, Zong-Quan; Cheng, Ze-Di; Xu, Jin-Shi; Fang, Sen-Zhi; Wu, Qing-Lin; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

2016-12-01

The weak-value-based metrology is very promising and has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of its remarkable ability in signal amplification. However, it is suggested that the upper limit of the precision of this metrology cannot exceed that of classical metrology because of the low sample size caused by the probe loss during postselection. Nevertheless, a recent proposal shows that this probe loss can be reduced by the power-recycling technique, and thus enhance the precision of weak-value-based metrology. Here we experimentally realize the power-recycled interferometric weak-value-based beam-deflection measurement and obtain the amplitude of the detected signal and white noise by discrete Fourier transform. Our results show that the detected signal can be strengthened by power recycling, and the power-recycled weak-value-based signal-to-noise ratio can surpass the upper limit of the classical scheme, corresponding to the shot-noise limit. This work sheds light on higher precision metrology and explores the real advantage of the weak-value-based metrology over classical metrology.

Tabulated Transmissivity and Storage Properties of the Floridan Aquifer System in Florida and Parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuniansky, Eve L.; Bellino, Jason C.

2012-04-19

A goal of the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program is to assess the availability of fresh water within each of the principal aquifers in the United States with the greatest groundwater withdrawals. The Floridan aquifer system (FAS), which covers an area of approximately 100,000 square miles in Florida and parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, is one such principal aquifer, having the fifth largest groundwater withdrawals in the Nation, totaling 3.64 billion gallons per day in 2000. Compilation of FAS hydraulic properties is critical to the development and calibration of groundwater flow models that can be used to develop water budgets spatially and temporally, as well as to evaluate resource changes over time. Wells with aquifer test data were identified as Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA), Lower Floridan aquifer (LFA), Floridan aquifer system (FAS, Upper Floridan with some middle and/or Lower Floridan), or middle Floridan confining unit (MCU), based on the identification from the original database or report description, or comparison of the open interval of the well with previously published maps.This report consolidates aquifer hydraulic property data obtained from multiple databases and reports of the U.S. Geological Survey, various State agencies, and the Water Management Districts of Florida, that are compiled into tables to provide a single information source for transmissivity and storage properties of the FAS as of October 2011. Transmissivity calculated from aquifer pumping tests and specific-capacity data are included. Values for transmissivity and storage coefficients are intended for use in regional or sub regional groundwater flow models; thus, any tests (aquifer pumping tests and specific capacity data) that were conducted with packers or for open intervals less than 30 feet in length are excluded from the summary statistics and tables of this report, but are included in the database.The transmissivity distribution from the aquifer pumping tests is highly variable. The transmissivity based on aquifer pumping tests (from 1,045 values for the UFA and FAS) ranges from 8 to about 9,300,000 square feet per day (ft2/d) and values of storage coefficient (646 reported) range from 3x10-9 to 0.41. The 64 transmissivity values for the LFA range from about 130 to 4,500,000 ft2/d, and the 17 storage coefficient values range from 7x10-8 to 0.03. The 14 transmissivity values for the MCU range from 1 to about 600,000 ft2/d and the 10 storage coefficient values range from 8x10-8 to 0.03. Transmissivity estimates for the UFA and FAS for 442 specific capacity tests range from approximately 200 to 1,000,000 ft2/d.

The Rhetoric of Campus Architecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Cynthia Duquette

2016-01-01

The group activity described in this article was originally designed for an upper-division undergraduate course on Rhetoric and Architecture, but would also be well suited for courses in Persuasion, Rhetorical Criticism, or Visual Rhetoric. Any undergraduate course related to communication and design (including Advertising) could make excellent…

A Study of Physicochemical Properties of Subcutaneous Fat of the Abdomen and its Implication in Abdominal Obesity

PubMed Central

Kumar, Pramod; Kodavoor, Srinivas Aithal; Kotian, Sushma Rama; Yathdaka, Sudhakar Narahari; Nayak, Dayanand; Souza, Anne D; Souza, Antony Sylvan D

2016-01-01

Introduction The lower abdominal obesity is more resistant to absorption as compared to that of upper abdomen. Differences in the physicochemical properties of the subcutaneous fat of the upper and lower abdomen may be responsible for this variation. There is paucity of the scientific literature on the physicochemical properties of the subcutaneous fat of abdomen. Aim The present study was undertaken to create a database of physicochemical properties of abdominal subcutaneous fat. Materials and Methods The samples of subcutaneous fat from upper and lower abdomen were collected from 40 fresh autopsied bodies (males 33, females 7). The samples were prepared for physicochemical analysis using organic and inorganic solvents. Various physicochemical properties of the fat samples analysed were surface tension, viscosity, specific gravity, specific conductivity, iodine value and thermal properties. Data was analysed by paired and independent sample t-tests. Results There was a statistically significant difference in all the physicochemical parameters between males and females except surface tension (organic) and surface tension (inorganic) of upper abdominal fat, and surface tension (organic) of lower abdominal fat. In males, viscosity of upper abdominal fat was more compared to that of lower abdomen (both organic and inorganic) unlike the specific conductivity that was higher for the lower abdominal fat as compared to that of the upper abdomen. In females there were statistically significant higher values of surface tension (inorganic) and specific gravity (organic) of the upper abdomen fat as compared to that of lower abdomen. The initial and final weight loss of the lower abdominal fat as indicated by Thermo Gravimetric Analysis was significantly more in males than in female Conclusion The difference in the physicochemical properties of subcutaneous fat between upper and lower abdomen and between males and females could be responsible for the variant behaviour of subcutaneous abdominal fat towards resorption. PMID:27437272

Constraint on dark matter central density in the Eddington inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity with input from Weyl gravity

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

Potapov, Alexander A.; Mikolaychuk, Olga; Mikolaychuk, Nikolay

Recently, Harko et al. (2014) derived an approximate metric of the galactic halo in the Eddington inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. In this metric, we show that there is an upper limit ρ {sub 0}{sup upper} on the central density ρ {sub 0} of dark matter such that stable circular orbits are possible only when the constraint ρ {sub 0}≤ ρ {sub 0}{sup upper} is satisfied in each galactic sample. To quantify different ρ {sub 0}{sup upper} for different samples, we follow the novel approach of Edery and Paranjape (1998), where we use as input the geometric halo radius R{sub WR} from Weyl gravity and equate itmore » with the dark matter radius R{sub DM} from EiBI gravity for the same halo boundary. This input then shows that the known fitted values of ρ {sub 0} obey the constraint ρ {sub 0}≤ ρ {sub 0}{sup upper}∝  (R{sub WR}){sup −2}. Using the mass-to-light ratios giving α , we shall also evaluate ρ {sub 0}{sup lower} ∝  (α −1)M{sub lum}R{sub WR}{sup −3} and the average dark matter density  ( ρ ) {sup lower}. Quantitatively, it turns out that the interval ρ {sub 0}{sup lower} ≤ ρ {sub 0}≤  ρ {sub 0}{sup upper} verifies reasonably well against many dark matter dominated low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies for which values of ρ {sub 0} are independently known. The interval holds also in the case of Milky Way galaxy. Qualitatively, the existence of a stability induced upper limit  ρ {sub 0}{sup upper} is a remarkable prediction of the EiBI theory.« less

Level of Agreement Between Forearm and Upper Arm Blood Pressure Measurements in Patients With Large Arm Circumference.

PubMed

Watson, Sheri; Aguas, Marita; Colegrove, Pat; Foisy, Nancy; Jondahl, Bonnie; Anastas, Zoe

2017-02-01

The purpose of the study was to determine if forearm blood pressures (BPs) measured in three different locations agree with the recommended upper arm location for noninvasive BP measurement. A method-comparison design was used. In a convenience sample of postanesthesia care unit patients with large upper arm circumference, BP's were obtained in three different forearm locations (lower forearm, middle forearm, and upper forearm) and compared to upper arm BP using an automated BP measuring device. The level of agreement (bias ± precision) between each forearm location and the upper arm BP was calculated using standard formulas. Acceptable levels of agreement based on expert opinion were set a priori at bias and precision values of less than ±5 mm Hg (bias) and ±8 mm Hg (precision). Forty-eight postanesthesia patients participated in the study. Bias and precision values were found to exceed the acceptable level of agreement for all but one of the systolic and diastolic BP comparisons in the three forearm BP locations. Fifty-six percent of all patients studied had one or more BP difference of at least 10 mm Hg in each of the three forearm locations, with 10% having one or more differences of at least 20 mm Hg. The differences in forearm BP measurements observed in this study indicate that the clinical practice of using a forearm BP with a regular-sized BP cuff in place of a larger sized BP cuff placed on the upper arm in postanesthesia care unit patients with large arm circumferences is inappropriate. The BPs obtained at the forearm location are not equivalent to the BPs obtained at the upper arm location. Copyright © 2015 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on 3-D velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in Sichuan-yunnan region, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, C.; Mooney, W.D.; Wang, X.; Wu, J.; Lou, H.; Wang, F.

2002-01-01

Based on the first arrival P and S data of 4 625 regional earthquakes recorded at 174 stations dispersed in the Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, the 3-D velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in the region is determined, incorporating with previous deep geophysical data. In the upper crust, a positive anomaly velocity zone exists in the Sichuan basin, whereas a negative anomaly velocity zone exists in the western Sichuan plateau. The boundary between the positive and negative anomaly zones is the Longmenshan fault zone. The images of lower crust and upper mantle in the Longmenshan fault, Xianshuihe fault, Honghe fault and others appear the characteristic of tectonic boundary, indicating that the faults litely penetrate the Moho discontinuity. The negative velocity anomalies at the depth of 50 km in the Tengchong volcanic area and the Panxi tectonic zone appear to be associated with the temperature and composition variations in the upper mantle. The overall features of the crustal and the upper mantle structures in the Sichuan-Yunnan region are the lower average velocity in both crust and uppermost mantle, the large crustal thickness variations, and the existence of high conductivity layer in the crust or/and upper mantle, and higher geothermal value. All these features are closely related to the collision between the Indian and the Asian plates. The crustal velocity in the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block generally shows normal.value or positive anomaly, while the negative anomaly exists in the area along the large strike-slip faults as the block boundary. It is conducive to the crustal block side-pressing out along the faults. In the major seismic zones, the seismicity is relative to the negative anomaly velocity. Most strong earthquakes occurred in the upper-mid crust with positive anomaly or normal velocity, where the negative anomaly zone generally exists below.

Soil water stable isotopes reveal evaporation dynamics at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface of the critical zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprenger, Matthias; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; Soulsby, Chris

2017-07-01

Understanding the influence of vegetation on water storage and flux in the upper soil is crucial in assessing the consequences of climate and land use change. We sampled the upper 20 cm of podzolic soils at 5 cm intervals in four sites differing in their vegetation (Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and heather (Calluna sp. and Erica Sp)) and aspect. The sites were located within the Bruntland Burn long-term experimental catchment in the Scottish Highlands, a low energy, wet environment. Sampling took place on 11 occasions between September 2015 and September 2016 to capture seasonal variability in isotope dynamics. The pore waters of soil samples were analyzed for their isotopic composition (δ2H and δ18O) with the direct-equilibration method. Our results show that the soil waters in the top soil are, despite the low potential evaporation rates in such northern latitudes, kinetically fractionated compared to the precipitation input throughout the year. This fractionation signal decreases within the upper 15 cm resulting in the top 5 cm being isotopically differentiated to the soil at 15-20 cm soil depth. There are significant differences in the fractionation signal between soils beneath heather and soils beneath Scots pine, with the latter being more pronounced. But again, this difference diminishes within the upper 15 cm of soil. The enrichment in heavy isotopes in the topsoil follows a seasonal hysteresis pattern, indicating a lag time between the fractionation signal in the soil and the increase/decrease of soil evaporation in spring/autumn. Based on the kinetic enrichment of the soil water isotopes, we estimated the soil evaporation losses to be about 5 and 10 % of the infiltrating water for soils beneath heather and Scots pine, respectively. The high sampling frequency in time (monthly) and depth (5 cm intervals) revealed high temporal and spatial variability of the isotopic composition of soil waters, which can be critical, when using stable isotopes as tracers to assess plant water uptake patterns within the critical zone or applying them to calibrate tracer-aided hydrological models either at the plot to the catchment scale.

Reversal of the Upper Critical Field Anisotropy and Spin-Locked Superconductivity in K 2Cr 3As 3

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

Balakirev, Fedor Fedorovich; Kong, T.; Jaime, Marcelo

2016-02-08

Recently, superconductivity in K 2Cr 3As 3 (T c =6.1 K) was discovered. The crystalline lattice contains an array of weakly coupled, double well [(Cr 3As 3) 2-] ∞ linkages stretched along the c axis, suggesting the possibility of quasi-one-dimensional superconductivity. Moderately anisotropic upper critical field was revealed in single crystals, with very large initial slopes, dH ∥ c2 /dT=12 T/K along the Cr chains and dH perpendicular c2 /dT =7 T/K perpendicular to the chains. Given the ambiguity of conclusions based on the extrapolations of H c2(T) measured near T c to low temperatures, we performed high-field measurements ofmore » H c2(T) on K 2Cr 3As 3 single crystals in pulsed magnetic fields which enabled us to reveal the full anisotropic H c2(T) curves from T c down to 600 mK.« less

Retrogressive hydration of calc-silicate xenoliths in the eastern Bushveld complex: evidence for late magmatic fluid movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallmach, T.; Hatton, C. J.; De Waal, S. A.; Gibson, R. L.

1995-11-01

Two calc-silicate xenoliths in the Upper Zone of the Bushveld complex contain mineral assemblages which permit delineation of the metamorphic path followed after incorporation of the xenoliths into the magma. Peak metamorphism in these xenoliths occurred at T=1100-1200°C and P <1.5 kbar. Retrograde metamorphism, probably coinciding with the late magmatic stage, is characterized by the breakdown of akermanite to monticellite and wollastonite at 700°C and the growth of vesuvianite from melilite. The latter implies that water-rich fluids (X CO 2 <0.2) were present and probably circulating through the cooling magmatic pile. In contrast, calc-silicate xenoliths within the lower zones of the Bushveld complex, namely in the Marginal and Critical Zones, also contain melilite, monticellite and additional periclase with only rare development of vesuvianite. This suggests that the Upper Zone cumulate pile was much 'wetter' in the late-magmatic stage than the earlier-formed Critical and Marginal Zone cumulate piles.

Effect of equatorial line nodes on the upper critical field and London penetration depth

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

Kogan, V G; Prozorov, R

2014-09-01

The upper critical field Hc2 and its anisotropy are calculated for order parameters with line nodes at the equators, kz=0, of the Fermi surface of uniaxial superconductors. It is shown that characteristic features found in Fe-based materials (a nearly linear Hc2(T) in a broad T domain, a low and increasing on warming anisotropy γH=Hc2,ab/Hc2,c) can be caused by competing effects of the equatorial nodes and of the Fermi surface anisotropy. For certain material parameters, γH(T)-1 may change sign upon warming, in agreement with the recorded behavior of FeTeS systems. It is also shown that the anisotropy of the penetration depthmore » γλ=λc/λab decreases upon warming to reach γH at Tc, in agreement with data available. For some materials γλ(T) may change upon warming, from γλ>1 at low Ts to γλ<1 at high Ts.« less

Tuning Ising superconductivity with layer and spin-orbit coupling in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides.

PubMed

de la Barrera, Sergio C; Sinko, Michael R; Gopalan, Devashish P; Sivadas, Nikhil; Seyler, Kyle L; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Tsen, Adam W; Xu, Xiaodong; Xiao, Di; Hunt, Benjamin M

2018-04-12

Systems simultaneously exhibiting superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling are predicted to provide a route toward topological superconductivity and unconventional electron pairing, driving significant contemporary interest in these materials. Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductors in particular lack inversion symmetry, yielding an antisymmetric form of spin-orbit coupling that admits both spin-singlet and spin-triplet components of the superconducting wavefunction. Here, we present an experimental and theoretical study of two intrinsic TMD superconductors with large spin-orbit coupling in the atomic layer limit, metallic 2H-TaS 2 and 2H-NbSe 2 . We investigate the superconducting properties as the material is reduced to monolayer thickness and show that high-field measurements point to the largest upper critical field thus reported for an intrinsic TMD superconductor. In few-layer samples, we find the enhancement of the upper critical field is sustained by the dominance of spin-orbit coupling over weak interlayer coupling, providing additional candidate systems for supporting unconventional superconducting states in two dimensions.

Flutter suppression and stability analysis for a variable-span wing via morphing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wencheng; Jin, Dongping

2018-01-01

A morphing wing can enhance aerodynamic characteristics and control authority as an alternative to using ailerons. To use morphing technology for flutter suppression, the dynamical behavior and stability of a variable-span wing subjected to the supersonic aerodynamic loads are investigated numerically in this paper. An axially moving cantilever plate is employed to model the variable-span wing, in which the governing equations of motion are established via the Kane method and piston theory. A morphing strategy based on axially moving rates is proposed to suppress the flutter that occurs beyond the critical span length, and the flutter stability is verified by Floquet theory. Furthermore, the transient stability during the morphing motion is analyzed and the upper bound of the morphing rate is obtained. The simulation results indicate that the proposed morphing law, which is varying periodically with a proper amplitude, could accomplish the flutter suppression. Further, the upper bound of the morphing speed decreases rapidly once the span length is close to its critical span length.

Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator Structural Analyses Supporting the NESC Critical Initial Flaw Size Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Phillips, Dawn R.; Raju, Ivatury S.

2008-01-01

The structural analyses described in the present report were performed in support of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Critical Initial Flaw Size (CIFS) assessment for the ARES I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS) common shell segment. The structural analysis effort for the NESC assessment had three thrusts: shell buckling analyses, detailed stress analyses of the single-bolt joint test; and stress analyses of two-segment 10 degree-wedge models for the peak axial tensile running load. Elasto-plastic, large-deformation simulations were performed. Stress analysis results indicated that the stress levels were well below the material yield stress for the bounding axial tensile design load. This report also summarizes the analyses and results from parametric studies on modeling the shell-to-gusset weld, flange-surface mismatch, bolt preload, and washer-bearing-surface modeling. These analyses models were used to generate the stress levels specified for the fatigue crack growth assessment using the design load with a factor of safety.

Hip strength assessment using handheld dynamometry is subject to intertester bias when testers are of different sex and strength.

PubMed

Thorborg, K; Bandholm, T; Schick, M; Jensen, J; Hölmich, P

2013-08-01

Handheld dynamometry (HHD) is a promising tool for obtaining reliable hip strength measurements in the clinical setting, but intertester reliability has been questioned, especially in situations where testers exhibit differences in upper-extremity muscle strength (male vs female). The purpose of this study was to examine the intertester reliability concerning strength assessments of hip abduction, adduction, external and internal rotation, flexion and extension using HHD, and to test whether systematic differences in test values exist between testers of different upper-extremity strength. Fifty healthy individuals (29 women), aged 25 ± 5 years were included. Two physiotherapist students (one female, one male) of different upper-extremity strength performed the measurements. The tester order and strength test order were randomized. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to quantify reliability, and ranged from 0.82 to 0.91 for the six strength test. The female tester systematically measured lower strength values for all isometric strength tests (P < 0.05). In hip strength assessments using HHD, systematic bias exists between testers of different sex, which is likely explained by differences in upper-extremity strength. Hence, to improve intertester reliability, the dynamometer likely needs external fixation, as this will eliminate the influence of differences in upper-extremity strength between testers. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relationship between vertical facial patterns and dental arch form in class II malocclusion.

PubMed

Grippaudo, Cristina; Oliva, Bruno; Greco, Anna Lucia; Sferra, Simone; Deli, Roberto

2013-11-07

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between dental arch form and the vertical facial pattern determined by the angle between the mandibular plane and the anterior cranial base (Sella-nasion/mandibular plane angle (SN-MP)) in skeletal class II untreated patients. A sample of 73 Caucasians patients with untreated skeletal class II in permanent dentition was divided into three groups according to the values of the angle SN-MP. An evaluation of the arch form was performed by angular and linear relation values on each patient. Regression analysis was used to determine the statistical significance of the relationships between SN-MP angle and dental arch form. The differences among the three groups were analyzed for significance using a variance analysis. A decrease of the upper arch transversal diameters in high SN-MP angle patients and an increase in low angle SN-MP ones (P<0.05) were shown. Result analysis showed a change in upper arch shape, with a smaller intercanine width in patients with high SN-MP angle and a greater one in low angle patients. As SN-MP angle increased, the upper arch form tended to be narrower. No statistically significant difference in mandibular arch form among the three groups was found, except the angle value related to incisors position. The results showed the association between the upper dental arch form and the vertical facial pattern. On the contrary, the lower arch form was not related to the mandibular divergence.

Upper Ocean Mixing Processes and Circulation in the Arabian Sea during Monsoons using Remote Sensing, Hydrographic Observations and HYCOM Simulations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

effecting the salinity of the upper layer and the formation of the barrier layer (BL) within the isothermal layer. The BL in turn controls vertical mixing...daily values over a month with a 1° horizontal resolution [Reynolds et al., 2002]. Daily data (from Coriolis project) and Monthly gridded Argo

76 FR 9513 - Airworthiness Directives; BURKHART GROB LUFT-UND Model G 103 C Twin III SL Gliders

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-18

... plate) and tighten it, applying the torque following page 6.12 of the G 103 C TWIN III SL Maintenance...: The torque values and tolerances of the upper pulley wheel grooved nut have been standardized in the..., before further flight, readjust the torque of the upper pulley wheel grooved nut using the updated...

Oak wilt and oak decline in the upper midwest USA

Treesearch

Jennifer Juzwik; Thomas L. Schmidt

2000-01-01

Oaks are a significant component of the hardwood forests of the Upper Midwest USA. Numerous species occur over vast areas in the region and are highly valued for a variety of reasons. Oak wilt caused by C. fagacearum, and oak decline associated with several factors are the major causes of the species, deterioration and death in the region....

Applicability of Berry's index in bite mark analysis

PubMed Central

Antony, Palathottungal Joseph; Pillai, Karthigakannan Subramanian; George, Giju Baby; Varghese, Thomas; Puthalath, Mohammed Shibin; Arakkal, Leena Johnson

2015-01-01

Objectives: This study attempts to highlight the usefulness of applying Berry's Index as an adjuvant to support and aid in bite analysis. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted among 100 students between the ages of 18–30 from Mar Baselios Dental Collage, Kothamangalam. Out of the 100 subjects, there were 50 males and 50 females. The data obtained was tabulated and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, Version 16 (SPSS). Results: The mean value of the width of the upper central incisor for male and female was 0.7602 cm and 0.7765 cm respectively. The mean value of the bizygomatic width for male and female was 12.54 cm and 12.42 cm respectively. The correlation between the upper central incisor width and the bizygomatic width was inferred to have a good positive correlation with a value 0f 0.613. Pearson correlation coefficient with greater correlation between the upper central incisor width and the bizygomatic width in female patient (r = 0.678) compared with male patient (r = 0. 525). Conclusion: Berry's Index can be a useful adjuvant to bite analysis by providing a means of determining the facial proportions of an individual from the width of the central incisors. PMID:25709316

Body composition and morphological assessment of nutritional status in adults: a review of anthropometric variables.

PubMed

Madden, A M; Smith, S

2016-02-01

Evaluation of body composition is an important part of assessing nutritional status and provides prognostically useful data and an opportunity to monitor the effects of nutrition-related disease progression and nutritional intervention. The aim of this narrative review is to critically evaluate body composition methodology in adults, focusing on anthropometric variables. The variables considered include height, weight, body mass index and alternative indices, trunk measurements (waist and hip circumferences and sagittal abdominal diameter) and limb measurements (mid-upper arm and calf circumferences) and skinfold thickness. The importance of adhering to a defined measurement protocol, checking measurement error and the need to interpret measurements using appropriate population-specific cut-off values to identify health risks were highlighted. Selecting the optimum method for assessing body composition using anthropometry depends on the purpose (i.e. evaluating obesity or undernutrition) and requires practitioners to have a good understanding of both practical and theoretical limitations and to be able to interpret the results wisely. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Manufacturing and testing of a prototypical divertor vertical target for ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merola, M.; Plöchl, L.; Chappuis, Ph; Escourbiac, F.; Grattarola, M.; Smid, I.; Tivey, R.; Vieider, G.

2000-12-01

After an extensive R&D activity, a medium-scale divertor vertical target prototype has been manufactured by the EU Home Team. This component contains all the main features of the corresponding ITER divertor design and consists of two units with one cooling channel each, assembled together and having an overall length and width of about 600 and 50 mm, respectively. The upper part of the prototype has a tungsten macro-brush armour, whereas the lower part is covered by CFC monoblocks. A number of joining techniques were required to manufacture this component as well as an appreciable effort in the development of suitable non-destructive testing methods. The component was high heat flux tested in FE200 electron beam facility at Le Creusot, France. It endured 100 cycles at 5 MW/m 2, 1000 cycles at 10 MW/m 2 and more then 1000 cycles at 15-20 MW/m 2. The final critical heat flux test reached a value in excess of 30 MW/m 2.

Cryptographic robustness of practical quantum cryptography: BB84 key distribution protocol

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

Molotkov, S. N.

2008-07-15

In real fiber-optic quantum cryptography systems, the avalanche photodiodes are not perfect, the source of quantum states is not a single-photon one, and the communication channel is lossy. For these reasons, key distribution is impossible under certain conditions for the system parameters. A simple analysis is performed to find relations between the parameters of real cryptography systems and the length of the quantum channel that guarantee secure quantum key distribution when the eavesdropper's capabilities are limited only by fundamental laws of quantum mechanics while the devices employed by the legitimate users are based on current technologies. Critical values are determinedmore » for the rate of secure real-time key generation that can be reached under the current technology level. Calculations show that the upper bound on channel length can be as high as 300 km for imperfect photodetectors (avalanche photodiodes) with present-day quantum efficiency ({eta} {approx} 20%) and dark count probability (p{sub dark} {approx} 10{sup -7})« less

Lessons from tele-emergency: improving care quality and health outcomes by expanding support for rural care systems.

PubMed

Mueller, Keith J; Potter, Andrew J; MacKinney, A Clinton; Ward, Marcia M

2014-02-01

Tele-emergency services provide immediate and synchronous audio/video connections, most commonly between rural low-volume hospitals and an urban "hub" emergency department. We performed a systematic literature review to identify tele-emergency models and outcomes. We then studied a large tele-emergency service in the upper Midwest. We sent a user survey to all seventy-one hospitals that used the service and received 292 replies. We also conducted telephone interviews and site visits with ninety clinicians and administrators at twenty-nine of these hospitals. Participants reported that tele-emergency improves clinical quality, expands the care team, increases resources during critical events, shortens time to care, improves care coordination, promotes patient-centered care, improves the recruitment of family physicians, and stabilizes the rural hospital patient base. However, inconsistent reimbursement policy, cross-state licensing barriers, and other regulations hinder tele-emergency implementation. New value-based payment systems have the potential to reduce these barriers and accelerate tele-emergency expansion.

Contribution of Surface Thermal Forcing to Mixing in the Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fei; Huang, Shi-Di; Xia, Ke-Qing

2018-02-01

A critical ingredient of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is vertical mixing, which causes dense waters in the deep sea to rise throughout the stratified interior to the upper ocean. Here, we report a laboratory study aimed at understanding the contributions from surface thermal forcing (STF) to this mixing process. Our study reveals that the ratio of the thermocline thickness to the fluid depth largely determines the mixing rate and the mixing efficiency in an overturning flow driven by STF. By applying this finding to a hypothetical MOC driven purely by STF, we obtain a mixing rate of O(10-6 m2/s) and a corresponding meridional heat flux of O(10-2 petawatt, PW), which are far smaller than the values found for real oceans. These results provide quantitative support for the notion that STF alone is not sufficient to drive the MOC, which essentially acts as a heat conveyor belt powered by other energy sources.

Cascades on a stochastic pulse-coupled network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wray, C. M.; Bishop, S. R.

2014-09-01

While much recent research has focused on understanding isolated cascades of networks, less attention has been given to dynamical processes on networks exhibiting repeated cascades of opposing influence. An example of this is the dynamic behaviour of financial markets where cascades of buying and selling can occur, even over short timescales. To model these phenomena, a stochastic pulse-coupled oscillator network with upper and lower thresholds is described and analysed. Numerical confirmation of asynchronous and synchronous regimes of the system is presented, along with analytical identification of the fixed point state vector of the asynchronous mean field system. A lower bound for the finite system mean field critical value of network coupling probability is found that separates the asynchronous and synchronous regimes. For the low-dimensional mean field system, a closed-form equation is found for cascade size, in terms of the network coupling probability. Finally, a description of how this model can be applied to interacting agents in a financial market is provided.

Cascades on a stochastic pulse-coupled network

PubMed Central

Wray, C. M.; Bishop, S. R.

2014-01-01

While much recent research has focused on understanding isolated cascades of networks, less attention has been given to dynamical processes on networks exhibiting repeated cascades of opposing influence. An example of this is the dynamic behaviour of financial markets where cascades of buying and selling can occur, even over short timescales. To model these phenomena, a stochastic pulse-coupled oscillator network with upper and lower thresholds is described and analysed. Numerical confirmation of asynchronous and synchronous regimes of the system is presented, along with analytical identification of the fixed point state vector of the asynchronous mean field system. A lower bound for the finite system mean field critical value of network coupling probability is found that separates the asynchronous and synchronous regimes. For the low-dimensional mean field system, a closed-form equation is found for cascade size, in terms of the network coupling probability. Finally, a description of how this model can be applied to interacting agents in a financial market is provided. PMID:25213626

Cryptographic robustness of practical quantum cryptography: BB84 key distribution protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molotkov, S. N.

2008-07-01

In real fiber-optic quantum cryptography systems, the avalanche photodiodes are not perfect, the source of quantum states is not a single-photon one, and the communication channel is lossy. For these reasons, key distribution is impossible under certain conditions for the system parameters. A simple analysis is performed to find relations between the parameters of real cryptography systems and the length of the quantum channel that guarantee secure quantum key distribution when the eavesdropper’s capabilities are limited only by fundamental laws of quantum mechanics while the devices employed by the legitimate users are based on current technologies. Critical values are determined for the rate of secure real-time key generation that can be reached under the current technology level. Calculations show that the upper bound on channel length can be as high as 300 km for imperfect photodetectors (avalanche photodiodes) with present-day quantum efficiency (η ≈ 20%) and dark count probability ( p dark ˜ 10-7).

[Usefulness of upper gastrointestinal series to detect leaks in the early postoperative period of bariatric surgery].

PubMed

Medina, Francisco J; Miranda-Merchak, Andrés; Martínez, Alonso; Sánchez, Felipe; Bravo, Sebastián; Contreras, Juan Eduardo; Alliende, Isabel; Canals, Andrea

2016-04-01

Postoperative leaks are the most undesirable complication of bariatric surgery and upper gastrointestinal (GI) series are routinely ordered to rule them out. Despite the published literature recommending against its routine use, it is still being customarily used in Chile. To examine the usefulness of routine upper GI series using water-soluble iodinated contrast media for the detection of early postoperative leaks in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. A cohort of 328 patients subjected to bariatric surgery was followed from October 2012 to October 2013. Most of them underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Upper GI series on the first postoperative day were ordered to 308 (94%) patients. Postoperative leaks were observed in two patients, with an incidence of 0.6%. The sensitivity for upper GI series detection of leak was 0% and the negative predictive value was 99%. Routine upper GI series after bariatric surgery is not useful for the diagnosis of postoperative leak, given the low incidence of this complication and the low sensitivity of the technique.

Watershed prioritization in the upper Han River basin for soil and water conservation in the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (middle route) of China.

PubMed

Wu, Haibing

2018-01-01

Watershed prioritization with the objective of identifying critical areas to undertake soil and water conservation measures was conducted in the upper Han River basin, the water source area of approximately 95,000 km 2 for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Based on the estimated soil erosion intensity in uplands and clustering analysis of measured nutrient concentrations in rivers, the basin was grouped into very-high-, high-, moderate-, and low-priority regions for water and soil conservation, respectively. The results indicated that soil erosion was primarily controlled by topography, and nutrients in rivers were associated with land use and land cover in uplands. Also, there was large spatial disparity between soil erosion intensity in the uplands and nutrient concentrations in the rivers across the basin. Analysis was then performed to prioritize the basin by the integration of the soil erosion intensity and water quality on a GIS platform in order to identify critical areas for water and soil conservation in the basin. The identified high-priority regions which occupy 5.74% of the drainage areas need immediate attention for soil and water conservation treatments, of which 5.28% is critical for soil erosion prevention and 0.46% for water conservation. Understandings of the basin environment and pollutant loading with spatial explicit are critical to the soil and water resource conservation for the interbasin water transfer project.

Comparison of athletic training professional preparation to the prevalence of injury occurrence in the collegiate setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westerman, Beverly Jean

1999-10-01

This study investigated the relationship between the frequency of injuries that occur to certain body areas in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes and the percentage of time teaching about the same subject areas in Athletic Training Education Programs (ATEP). Directors of Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited and National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) approved programs were surveyed. Randomly selected ATEP directors were interviewed by telephone to collect information on estimated teaching time, the strengths and weaknesses of their programs, and preferred teaching methods. Data were collected from the NCAA Injury Surveillance System to calculate the frequency of injury. Chi-square 'goodness-of-fit' tests were used to determine if a 'good fit' existed between injury frequency and teaching time in two categories: general body areas (head and face, upper extremity, lower extremity, spine, and abdomen and thorax) and specific body areas (head, face, upper arm and shoulder, elbow and forearm, wrist and hand, hip and pelvis, thigh, knee, lower leg, ankle and foot, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, abdomen, and thorax). Standardized residuals were used to assist in determining the location of statistical significance within the same two categories. The chi-square values calculated for both the general and specific body areas were greater than the critical value set at a significance level of .05 with 4 and 14 degrees of freedom respectively. Therefore, it was found that a 'good fit' does not exist between injury frequency and teaching time. The standardized residuals were calculated for each variable within the categories. One out of five general body areas and 10 out of 15 specific body areas were less than 2.00 in absolute value and were found not to contribute to the high chi-square value. Although the chi-square values showed a lack of fit between injury frequency and teaching time in the general and specific body areas, the standardized residuals indicated a relationship exists between some variables (body areas) within each category. In other words, the percentage of teaching time may correspond with injury frequency in some general and specific body areas. The responses from the program directors indicated they thought their academic programs were spending the appropriate amount of time teaching about the general and specific body areas. However, the percentages of teaching time reported for each of the body areas varied greatly among the responders. Further study is indicated to examine the relationship between teaching time/content and injury frequency.

Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior

PubMed Central

Piff, Paul K.; Stancato, Daniel M.; Côté, Stéphane; Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo; Keltner, Dacher

2012-01-01

Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’ unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed. PMID:22371585

ARES I-X USS Fracture Analysis Loads Spectra Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, Curtis; Mackey, Alden

2008-01-01

This report describes the development of a set of bounding load spectra for the ARES I-X launch vehicle. These load spectra are used in the determination of the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) of the welds in the ARES I-X upper stage simulator (USS).

Technology: Educational Media and Materials for the Handicapped Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD. Applied Physics Lab.

Results are presented of a project that developed 12 social studies (specifically, directionality and geography) and critical thinking computerized instructional modules using multimedia instruction for students with learning disabilities at the upper elementary and lower intermediate school levels. Seven overarching principles were identified as…

Benchmark for Strategic Performance Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gohlke, Annette

1997-01-01

Explains benchmarking, a total quality management tool used to measure and compare the work processes in a library with those in other libraries to increase library performance. Topics include the main groups of upper management, clients, and staff; critical success factors for each group; and benefits of benchmarking. (Author/LRW)

A Suggested Modification to Maslow's Need Hierarchy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, David L.; And Others

1975-01-01

Since its development, Maslow's need hierarchy has been criticized and applauded. This investigation was undertaken to explore a modification of the upper levels of the need hierarchy based upon the application of power, competition, and achievement to self, as well as the concept of "other directed." (Author)

Can "Vocationalisation" of Education Go Too Far? The Case of Switzerland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Thomas

2009-01-01

While countries with predominantly academic school-based upper secondary education have been "discovering" vocational education and training (VET) for some time, countries with "vocationalised" education systems such as Austria, Germany or Switzerland are critically reviewing their own situations. This paper takes up the case…

Sauropod dinosaurs evolved moderately sized genomes unrelated to body size.

PubMed

Organ, Chris L; Brusatte, Stephen L; Stein, Koen

2009-12-22

Sauropodomorph dinosaurs include the largest land animals to have ever lived, some reaching up to 10 times the mass of an African elephant. Despite their status defining the upper range for body size in land animals, it remains unknown whether sauropodomorphs evolved larger-sized genomes than non-avian theropods, their sister taxon, or whether a relationship exists between genome size and body size in dinosaurs, two questions critical for understanding broad patterns of genome evolution in dinosaurs. Here we report inferences of genome size for 10 sauropodomorph taxa. The estimates are derived from a Bayesian phylogenetic generalized least squares approach that generates posterior distributions of regression models relating genome size to osteocyte lacunae volume in extant tetrapods. We estimate that the average genome size of sauropodomorphs was 2.02 pg (range of species means: 1.77-2.21 pg), a value in the upper range of extant birds (mean = 1.42 pg, range: 0.97-2.16 pg) and near the average for extant non-avian reptiles (mean = 2.24 pg, range: 1.05-5.44 pg). The results suggest that the variation in size and architecture of genomes in extinct dinosaurs was lower than the variation found in mammals. A substantial difference in genome size separates the two major clades within dinosaurs, Ornithischia (large genomes) and Saurischia (moderate to small genomes). We find no relationship between body size and estimated genome size in extinct dinosaurs, which suggests that neutral forces did not dominate the evolution of genome size in this group.

The relationship between movement speed and duration during soccer matches.

PubMed

Roecker, Kai; Mahler, Hubert; Heyde, Christian; Röll, Mareike; Gollhofer, Albert

2017-01-01

The relationship between the time duration of movement (t(dur)) and related maximum possible power output has been studied and modeled under many conditions. Inspired by the so-called power profiles known for discontinuous endurance sports like cycling, and the critical power concept of Monod and Scherrer, the aim of this study was to evaluate the numerical characteristics of the function between maximum horizontal movement velocity (HSpeed) and t(dur) in soccer. To evaluate this relationship, GPS data from 38 healthy soccer players and 82 game participations (≥30 min active playtime) were used to select maximum HSpeed for 21 distinct t(dur) values (between 0.3 s and 2,700 s) based on moving medians with an incremental t(dur) window-size. As a result, the relationship between HSpeed and Log(t(dur)) appeared reproducibly as a sigmoidal decay function, and could be fitted to a five-parameter equation with upper and lower asymptotes, and an inflection point, power and decrease rate. Thus, the first three parameters described individual characteristics if evaluated using mixed-model analysis. This study shows for the first time the general numerical relationship between t(dur) and HSpeed in soccer games. In contrast to former descriptions that have evaluated speed against power, HSpeed against t(dur) always yields a sigmoidal shape with a new upper asymptote. The evaluated curve fit potentially describes the maximum moving speed of individual players during the game, and allows for concise interpretations of the functional state of team sports athletes.

The relationship between movement speed and duration during soccer matches

PubMed Central

Mahler, Hubert; Heyde, Christian; Röll, Mareike; Gollhofer, Albert

2017-01-01

The relationship between the time duration of movement (t(dur)) and related maximum possible power output has been studied and modeled under many conditions. Inspired by the so-called power profiles known for discontinuous endurance sports like cycling, and the critical power concept of Monod and Scherrer, the aim of this study was to evaluate the numerical characteristics of the function between maximum horizontal movement velocity (HSpeed) and t(dur) in soccer. To evaluate this relationship, GPS data from 38 healthy soccer players and 82 game participations (≥30 min active playtime) were used to select maximum HSpeed for 21 distinct t(dur) values (between 0.3 s and 2,700 s) based on moving medians with an incremental t(dur) window-size. As a result, the relationship between HSpeed and Log(t(dur)) appeared reproducibly as a sigmoidal decay function, and could be fitted to a five-parameter equation with upper and lower asymptotes, and an inflection point, power and decrease rate. Thus, the first three parameters described individual characteristics if evaluated using mixed-model analysis. This study shows for the first time the general numerical relationship between t(dur) and HSpeed in soccer games. In contrast to former descriptions that have evaluated speed against power, HSpeed against t(dur) always yields a sigmoidal shape with a new upper asymptote. The evaluated curve fit potentially describes the maximum moving speed of individual players during the game, and allows for concise interpretations of the functional state of team sports athletes. PMID:28742832

Evaluating the impact of water supply strategies on p-xylene biodegradation performance in an organic media-based biofilter.

PubMed

Gallastegui, G; Muñoz, R; Barona, A; Ibarra-Berastegi, G; Rojo, N; Elías, A

2011-01-30

The influence of water irrigation on both the long-term and short-term performance of p-xylene biodegradation under several organic loading scenarios was investigated using an organic packing material composed of pelletised sawdust and pig manure. Process operation in a modular biofilter, using no external water supply other than the moisture from the saturated inlet air stream, showed poor p-xylene abatement efficiencies (≈33 ± 7%), while sustained irrigation every 25 days rendered a high removal efficiency (RE) for a critical loading rate of 120 g m(-3)h(-1). Periodic profiles of removal efficiency, temperature and moisture content were recorded throughout the biofilter column subsequent to each biofilter irrigation. Hence, higher p-xylene biodegradation rates were always initially recorded in the upper module, which resulted in a subsequent increase in temperature and a decrease in moisture content. This decrease in the moisture content in the upper module resulted in a higher removal rate in the middle module, while the moisture level in the lower module steadily increased as a result of water condensation. Based on these results, mass balance calculations performed using measured bed temperatures and relatively humidity values were successfully used to account for water balances in the biofilter over time. Finally, the absence of bed compaction after 550 days of continuous operation confirmed the suitability of this organic material for biofiltration processes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Relationship between crown form of upper central incisors and papilla filling in Chinese Han-nationality youth].

PubMed

Yang, X; Le, D; Zhang, Y L; Liang, L Z; Yang, G; Hu, W J

2016-10-18

To explore a crown form classification method for upper central incisor which is more objective and scientific than traditional classification method based on the standardized photography technique. To analyze the relationship between crown form of upper central incisors and papilla filling in periodontally healthy Chinese Han-nationality youth. In the study, 180 periodontally healthy Chinese youth ( 75 males, and 105 females ) aged 20-30 (24.3±4.5) years were included. With the standardized upper central incisor photography technique, pictures of 360 upper central incisors were obtained. Each tooth was classified as triangular, ovoid or square by 13 experienced specialist majors in prothodontics independently and the final classification result was decided by most evaluators in order to ensure objectivity. The standardized digital photo was also used to evaluate the gingival papilla filling situation. The papilla filling result was recorded as present or absent according to naked eye observation. The papilla filling rates of different crown forms were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 19.0. The proportions of triangle, ovoid and square forms of upper central incisor in Chinese Han-nationality youth were 31.4% (113/360), 37.2% (134/360) and 31.4% (113/360 ), respectively, and no statistical difference was found between the males and females. Average κ value between each two evaluators was 0.381. Average κ value was raised up to 0.563 when compared with the final classification result. In the study, 24 upper central incisors without contact were excluded, and the papilla filling rates of triangle, ovoid and square crown were 56.4% (62/110), 69.6% (87/125), 76.2% (77/101) separately. The papilla filling rate of square form was higher (P=0.007). The proportion of clinical crown form of upper central incisor in Chinese Han-nationality youth is obtained. Compared with triangle form, square form is found to favor a gingival papilla that fills the interproximal embrasure space. The consistency of the present classification method for upper central incisor is not satisfying, which indicates that a new classification method, more scientific and objective than the present one, is to be found.

Restoring tactile and proprioceptive sensation through a brain interface

PubMed Central

Tabot, Gregg A.; Kim, Sung Shin; Winberry, Jeremy E.; Bensmaia, Sliman J.

2014-01-01

Somatosensation plays a critical role in the dexterous manipulation of objects, in emotional communication, and in the embodiment of our limbs. For upper-limb neuroprostheses to be adopted by prospective users, prosthetic limbs will thus need to provide sensory information about the position of the limb in space and about objects grasped in the hand. One approach to restoring touch and proprioception consists of electrically stimulating neurons in somatosensory cortex in the hopes of eliciting meaningful sensations to support the dexterous use of the hands, promote their embodiment, and perhaps even restore the affective dimension of touch. In this review, we discuss the importance of touch and proprioception in everyday life, then describe approaches to providing artificial somatosensory feedback through intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). We explore the importance of biomimicry – the elicitation of naturalistic patterns of neuronal activation – and that of adaptation – the brain’s ability to adapt to novel sensory input, and argue that both biomimicry and adaptation will play a critical role in the artificial restoration of somatosensation. We also propose that the documented re-organization that occurs after injury does not pose a significant obstacle to brain interfaces. While still at an early stage of development, sensory restoration is a critical step in transitioning upper-limb neuroprostheses from the laboratory to the clinic. PMID:25201560

Restoring tactile and proprioceptive sensation through a brain interface.

PubMed

Tabot, Gregg A; Kim, Sung Shin; Winberry, Jeremy E; Bensmaia, Sliman J

2015-11-01

Somatosensation plays a critical role in the dexterous manipulation of objects, in emotional communication, and in the embodiment of our limbs. For upper-limb neuroprostheses to be adopted by prospective users, prosthetic limbs will thus need to provide sensory information about the position of the limb in space and about objects grasped in the hand. One approach to restoring touch and proprioception consists of electrically stimulating neurons in somatosensory cortex in the hopes of eliciting meaningful sensations to support the dexterous use of the hands, promote their embodiment, and perhaps even restore the affective dimension of touch. In this review, we discuss the importance of touch and proprioception in everyday life, then describe approaches to providing artificial somatosensory feedback through intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). We explore the importance of biomimicry--the elicitation of naturalistic patterns of neuronal activation--and that of adaptation--the brain's ability to adapt to novel sensory input, and argue that both biomimicry and adaptation will play a critical role in the artificial restoration of somatosensation. We also propose that the documented re-organization that occurs after injury does not pose a significant obstacle to brain interfaces. While still at an early stage of development, sensory restoration is a critical step in transitioning upper-limb neuroprostheses from the laboratory to the clinic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a prognostic nomogram for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Zhou, Yu-Jie; Zheng, Ji-Na; Zhou, Yi-Fan; Han, Yi-Jing; Zou, Tian-Tian; Liu, Wen-Yue; Braddock, Martin; Shi, Ke-Qing; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Zheng, Ming-Hua

2017-10-01

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a complication with a high mortality rate in critically ill patients presenting with cirrhosis. Today, there exist few accurate scoring models specifically designed for mortality risk assessment in critically ill cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (CICGIB). Our aim was to develop and evaluate a novel nomogram-based model specific for CICGIB. Overall, 540 consecutive CICGIB patients were enrolled. On the basis of Cox regression analyses, the nomogram was constructed to estimate the probability of 30-day, 90-day, 270-day, and 1-year survival. An upper gastrointestinal bleeding-chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (UGIB-CLIF-SOFA) score was derived from the nomogram. Performance assessment and internal validation of the model were performed using Harrell's concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, and bootstrap sample procedures. UGIB-CLIF-SOFA was also compared with other prognostic models, such as CLIF-SOFA and model for end-stage liver disease, using C-indices. Eight independent factors derived from Cox analysis (including bilirubin, creatinine, international normalized ratio, sodium, albumin, mean artery pressure, vasopressin used, and hematocrit decrease>10%) were assembled into the nomogram and the UGIB-CLIF-SOFA score. The calibration plots showed optimal agreement between nomogram prediction and actual observation. The C-index of the nomogram using bootstrap (0.729; 95% confidence interval: 0.689-0.766) was higher than that of the other models for predicting survival of CICGIB. We have developed and internally validated a novel nomogram and an easy-to-use scoring system that accurately predicts the mortality probability of CICGIB on the basis of eight easy-to-obtain parameters. External validation is now warranted in future clinical studies.

The enabling technology for recovery of valued components from minerals in the upper and Mid Amur region

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

Sorokin, A.P.; Rimkevich, V.S.; Dem'yanova, L.P.

2009-05-15

Based on the physico-technical operations involved in the mineral processing technologies, the optimal production conditions are found for refractory fiber materials, aluminium, silicium, their compounds and other valued components. Ecologically safe and efficient aggregate technologies are developed for recovery of valued components from nonmetallic minerals and anthracides (brown coals).

Exploring Value-Added Options - Opportunities in Mouldings and Millwork

Treesearch

Bob Smith; Philip A. Araman

1997-01-01

The millwork industry, which includes manufacture of doors, windows, stair parts, blinds, mouldings, picture frame material, and assorted trim, can be a lucrative value-added opportunity for sawmills. Those entering the value-added millwork market often find that it is a great opportunity to generate greater profits from upper grades and utility species, such as yellow...

Detecting long-duration cloud contamination in hyper-temporal NDVI imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Amjad; de Bie, C. A. J. M.; Skidmore, A. K.

2013-10-01

Cloud contamination impacts on the quality of hyper-temporal NDVI imagery and its subsequent interpretation. Short-duration cloud impacts are easily removed by using quality flags and an upper envelope filter, but long-duration cloud contamination of NDVI imagery remains. In this paper, an approach that goes beyond the use of quality flags and upper envelope filtering is tested to detect when and where long-duration clouds are responsible for unreliable NDVI readings, so that a user can flag those data as missing. The study is based on MODIS Terra and the combined Terra-Aqua 16-day NDVI product for the south of Ghana, where persistent cloud cover occurs throughout the year. The combined product could be assumed to have less cloud contamination, since it is based on two images per day. Short-duration cloud effects were removed from the two products through using the adaptive Savitzky-Golay filter. Then for each 'cleaned' product an unsupervised classified map was prepared using the ISODATA algorithm, and, by class, plots were prepared to depict changes over time of the means and the standard deviations in NDVI values. By comparing plots of similar classes, long-duration cloud contamination appeared to display a decline in mean NDVI below the lower limit 95% confidence interval with a coinciding increase in standard deviation above the upper limit 95% confidence interval. Regression analysis was carried out per NDVI class in two randomly selected groups in order to statistically test standard deviation values related to long-duration cloud contamination. A decline in seasonal NDVI values (growing season) were below the lower limit of 95% confidence interval as well as a concurrent increase in standard deviation values above the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval were noted in 34 NDVI classes. The regression analysis results showed that differences in NDVI class values between the Terra and the Terra-Aqua imagery were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the corresponding standard deviation values of the Terra imagery in case of all NDVI classes of two selected NDVI groups. The method successfully detects long-duration cloud contamination that results in unreliable NDVI values. The approach offers scientists interested in time series analysis a method of masking by area (class) the periods when pre-cleaned NDVI values remain affected by clouds. The approach requires no additional data for execution purposes but involves unsupervised classification of the imagery to carry out the evaluation of class-specific mean NDVI and standard deviation values over time.

History and Evolution of Precambrian plate tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Ria; Gerya, Taras

2014-05-01

Plate tectonics is a global self-organising process driven by negative buoyancy at thermal boundary layers. Phanerozoic plate tectonics with its typical subduction and orogeny is relatively well understood and can be traced back in the geological records of the continents. Interpretations of geological, petrological and geochemical observations from Proterozoic and Archean orogenic belts however (e.g., Brown, 2006), suggest a different tectonic regime in the Precambrian. Due to higher radioactive heat production the Precambrian lithosphere shows lower internal strength and is strongly weakened by percolating melts. The fundamental difference between Precambrian and Phanerozoic tectonics is therefore the upper-mantle temperature, which determines the strength of the upper mantle (Brun, 2002) and the further tectonic history. 3D petrological-thermomechanical numerical modelling experiments of oceanic subduction at an active plate at different upper-mantle temperatures show these different subduction regimes. For upper-mantle temperatures < 175 K above the present day value a subduction style appears which is close to present day subduction but with more frequent slab break-off. At upper-mantle temperatures 175 - 250 K above present day values steep subduction continues but the plates are weakened enough to allow buckling and also lithospheric delamination and drip-offs. For upper-mantle temperatures > 250 K above the present day value no subduction occurs any more. The whole lithosphere is delaminating and due to strong volcanism and formation of a thicker crust subduction is inhibited. This stage of 200-250 K higher upper mantle temperature which corresponds roughly to the early Archean (Abbott, 1994) is marked by strong volcanism due to sublithospheric decompression melting which leads to an equal thickness for both oceanic and continental plates. As a consequence subduction is inhibited, but a compressional setup instead will lead to orogeny between a continental or felsic terrain and an oceanic or mafic terrain as well as internal crustal convection. Small-scale convection with plume shaped cold downwellings also in the upper mantle is of increased importance compared to the large-scale subduction cycle observed for present temperature conditions. It is also observed that lithospheric downwellings may initiate subduction by pulling at and breaking the plate. References: Abbott, D., Drury, R., Smith, W.H.F., 1994. Flat to steep transition in subduction style. Geology 22, 937-940. Brown, M., 2006. Duality of thermal regimes is the distinctive characteristic of plate tectonics since the neoarchean. Geology 34, 961-964. Brun, J.P., 2002. Deformation of the continental lithosphere: Insights from brittle-ductile models. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 200, 355-370.

Correlation Functions of σ Fields with Values in a Hyperbolic Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haba, Z.

It is shown that the functional integral for a σ field with values in the Poincare upper half-plane (and some other hyperbolic spaces) can be performed explicitly resulting in a conformal invariant noncanonical field theory in two dimensions.

Reliability of the mangled extremity severity score in combat-related upper and lower extremity injuries.

PubMed

Ege, Tolga; Unlu, Aytekin; Tas, Huseyin; Bek, Dogan; Turkan, Selim; Cetinkaya, Aytac

2015-01-01

Decision of limb salvage or amputation is generally aided with several trauma scoring systems such as the mangled extremity severity score (MESS). However, the reliability of the injury scores in the settling of open fractures due to explosives and missiles is challenging. Mortality and morbidity of the extremity trauma due to firearms are generally associated with time delay in revascularization, injury mechanism, anatomy of the injured site, associated injuries, age and the environmental circumstance. The purpose of the retrospective study was to evaluate the extent of extremity injuries due to ballistic missiles and to detect the reliability of mangled extremity severity score (MESS) in both upper and lower extremities. Between 2004 and 2014, 139 Gustillo Anderson Type III open fractures of both the upper and lower extremities were enrolled in the study. Data for patient age, fire arm type, transporting time from the field to the hospital (and the method), injury severity scores, MESS scores, fracture types, amputation levels, bone fixation methods and postoperative infections and complications retrieved from the two level-2 trauma center's data base. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the MESS were calculated to detect the ability in deciding amputation in the mangled limb. Amputation was performed in 39 extremities and limb salvage attempted in 100 extremities. The mean followup time was 14.6 months (range 6-32 months). In the amputated group, the mean MESS scores for upper and lower extremity were 8.8 (range 6-11) and 9.24 (range 6-11), respectively. In the limb salvage group, the mean MESS scores for upper and lower extremities were 5.29 (range 4-7) and 5.19 (range 3-8), respectively. Sensitivity of MESS in upper and lower extremities were calculated as 80% and 79.4% and positive predictive values detected as 55.55% and 83.3%, respectively. Specificity of MESS score for upper and lower extremities was 84% and 86.6%; negative predictive values were calculated as 95.45% and 90.2%, respectively. MESS is not predictive in combat related extremity injuries especially if between a score of 6-8. Limb ischemia and presence or absence of shock can be used in initial decision-making for amputation.

Reliability of the mangled extremity severity score in combat-related upper and lower extremity injuries

PubMed Central

Ege, Tolga; Unlu, Aytekin; Tas, Huseyin; Bek, Dogan; Turkan, Selim; Cetinkaya, Aytac

2015-01-01

Background: Decision of limb salvage or amputation is generally aided with several trauma scoring systems such as the mangled extremity severity score (MESS). However, the reliability of the injury scores in the settling of open fractures due to explosives and missiles is challenging. Mortality and morbidity of the extremity trauma due to firearms are generally associated with time delay in revascularization, injury mechanism, anatomy of the injured site, associated injuries, age and the environmental circumstance. The purpose of the retrospective study was to evaluate the extent of extremity injuries due to ballistic missiles and to detect the reliability of mangled extremity severity score (MESS) in both upper and lower extremities. Materials and Methods: Between 2004 and 2014, 139 Gustillo Anderson Type III open fractures of both the upper and lower extremities were enrolled in the study. Data for patient age, fire arm type, transporting time from the field to the hospital (and the method), injury severity scores, MESS scores, fracture types, amputation levels, bone fixation methods and postoperative infections and complications retrieved from the two level-2 trauma center's data base. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the MESS were calculated to detect the ability in deciding amputation in the mangled limb. Results: Amputation was performed in 39 extremities and limb salvage attempted in 100 extremities. The mean followup time was 14.6 months (range 6–32 months). In the amputated group, the mean MESS scores for upper and lower extremity were 8.8 (range 6–11) and 9.24 (range 6–11), respectively. In the limb salvage group, the mean MESS scores for upper and lower extremities were 5.29 (range 4–7) and 5.19 (range 3–8), respectively. Sensitivity of MESS in upper and lower extremities were calculated as 80% and 79.4% and positive predictive values detected as 55.55% and 83.3%, respectively. Specificity of MESS score for upper and lower extremities was 84% and 86.6%; negative predictive values were calculated as 95.45% and 90.2%, respectively. Conclusion: MESS is not predictive in combat related extremity injuries especially if between a score of 6–8. Limb ischemia and presence or absence of shock can be used in initial decision-making for amputation. PMID:26806974

Tight upper bound for the maximal quantum value of the Svetlichny operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Shen, Shuqian; Jing, Naihuan; Fei, Shao-Ming; Li-Jost, Xianqing

2017-10-01

It is a challenging task to detect genuine multipartite nonlocality (GMNL). In this paper, the problem is considered via computing the maximal quantum value of Svetlichny operators for three-qubit systems and a tight upper bound is obtained. The constraints on the quantum states for the tightness of the bound are also presented. The approach enables us to give the necessary and sufficient conditions of violating the Svetlichny inequality (SI) for several quantum states, including the white and color noised Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states. The relation between the genuine multipartite entanglement concurrence and the maximal quantum value of the Svetlichny operators for mixed GHZ class states is also discussed. As the SI is useful for the investigation of GMNL, our results give an effective and operational method to detect the GMNL for three-qubit mixed states.

Origin of the Sudbury Complex by meteoritic impact: Neodymium isotopic evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faggart, B.E.; Basu, A.R.; Tatsumoto, M.

1985-01-01

Samarium-neodymium isotopic data on whole rocks and minerals of the Sudbury Complex in Canada gave an igneous crystallization age of 1840 ?? 21 ?? 106 years. The initial epsilon neodymium values for 15 whole rocks are similar to those for average upper continental crust, falling on the crustal trend of neodymium isotopic evolution as defined by shales. The rare earth element concentration patterns of Sudbury rocks are also similar to upper crustal averages. These data suggest that the Sudbury Complex formed from melts generated in the upper crust and are consistent with a meteoritic impact.

Upper limits for X-ray emission from Jupiter as measured from the Copernicus satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vesecky, J. F.; Culhane, J. L.; Hawkins, F. J.

1975-01-01

X-ray telescopic observations are made by the Copernicus satellite for detecting X-ray emission from Jupiter analogous to X-rays from terrestrial aurorae. Values of X-ray fluxes recorded by three Copernicus detectors covering the 0.6 to 7.5 keV energy range are reported. The detectors employed are described and the times at which the observations were made are given. Resulting upper-limit spectra are compared with previous X-ray observations of Jupiter. The upper-limit X-ray fluxes are discussed in terms of magnetospheric activity on Jupiter.

Direct and Absolute Quantification of over 1800 Yeast Proteins via Selected Reaction Monitoring*

PubMed Central

Lawless, Craig; Holman, Stephen W.; Brownridge, Philip; Lanthaler, Karin; Harman, Victoria M.; Watkins, Rachel; Hammond, Dean E.; Miller, Rebecca L.; Sims, Paul F. G.; Grant, Christopher M.; Eyers, Claire E.; Beynon, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Defining intracellular protein concentration is critical in molecular systems biology. Although strategies for determining relative protein changes are available, defining robust absolute values in copies per cell has proven significantly more challenging. Here we present a reference data set quantifying over 1800 Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins by direct means using protein-specific stable-isotope labeled internal standards and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry, far exceeding any previous study. This was achieved by careful design of over 100 QconCAT recombinant proteins as standards, defining 1167 proteins in terms of copies per cell and upper limits on a further 668, with robust CVs routinely less than 20%. The selected reaction monitoring-derived proteome is compared with existing quantitative data sets, highlighting the disparities between methodologies. Coupled with a quantification of the transcriptome by RNA-seq taken from the same cells, these data support revised estimates of several fundamental molecular parameters: a total protein count of ∼100 million molecules-per-cell, a median of ∼1000 proteins-per-transcript, and a linear model of protein translation explaining 70% of the variance in translation rate. This work contributes a “gold-standard” reference yeast proteome (including 532 values based on high quality, dual peptide quantification) that can be widely used in systems models and for other comparative studies. PMID:26750110

Adsorption of dysprosium on the graphite (0001) surface: Nucleation and growth at 300 K

DOE PAGES

Kwolek, Emma J.; Lei, Huaping; Lii-Rosales, Ann; ...

2016-06-13

We have studied nucleation and growth of Dy islands on the basal plane of graphite at 300 K using scanning tunneling microscopy, density functional theory (DFT) in a form that includes van der Waals interactions, and analytic theory. The interaction of atomic Dy with graphite is strong, while the diffusion barrier is small. Experiment shows that at 300 K, the density of nucleated islands is close to the value predicted for homogeneous nucleation, using critical nucleus size of 1 and the DFT-derived diffusion barrier. Homogeneous nucleation is also supported by the monomodal shape of the island size distributions. Comparison withmore » the published island density of Dy on graphene shows that the value is about two orders of magnitude smaller on graphite, which can be attributed to more effective charge screening in graphite. The base of each island is 3 atomic layers high and atomically ordered, forming a coincidence lattice with the graphite. Islands resist coalescence, probably due to multiple rotational orientations associated with the coincidence lattice. Upper levels grow as discernible single-atom layers. Analysis of the level populations reveals significant downward interlayer transport, which facilitates growth of the base. As a result, this island shape is metastable, since more compact three-dimensional islands form at elevated growth temperature.« less

Adsorption of dysprosium on the graphite (0001) surface: Nucleation and growth at 300 K

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

Kwolek, Emma J.; Lii-Rosales, Ann; Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011

2016-12-07

We have studied nucleation and growth of Dy islands on the basal plane of graphite at 300 K using scanning tunneling microscopy, density functional theory (DFT) in a form that includes van der Waals interactions, and analytic theory. The interaction of atomic Dy with graphite is strong, while the diffusion barrier is small. Experiment shows that at 300 K, the density of nucleated islands is close to the value predicted for homogeneous nucleation, using critical nucleus size of 1 and the DFT-derived diffusion barrier. Homogeneous nucleation is also supported by the monomodal shape of the island size distributions. Comparison withmore » the published island density of Dy on graphene shows that the value is about two orders of magnitude smaller on graphite, which can be attributed to more effective charge screening in graphite. The base of each island is 3 atomic layers high and atomically ordered, forming a coincidence lattice with the graphite. Islands resist coalescence, probably due to multiple rotational orientations associated with the coincidence lattice. Upper levels grow as discernible single-atom layers. Analysis of the level populations reveals significant downward interlayer transport, which facilitates growth of the base. This island shape is metastable, since more compact three-dimensional islands form at elevated growth temperature.« less

Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of ground-water volumes in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinaman, Kurt

2005-01-01

The Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana is an important source of energy resources for the United States. Coalbed methane gas is contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. This gas is released when water pressure in coalbeds is lowered, usually by pumping ground water. Issues related to disposal and uses of by-product water from coalbed methane production have developed, in part, due to uncertainties in hydrologic properties. One hydrologic property of primary interest is the amount of water contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, conducted a study to describe the hydrogeologic framework and to estimate ground-water volumes in different facies of Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. A geographic information system was used to compile and utilize hydrogeologic maps, to describe the hydrogeologic framework, and to estimate the volume of ground water in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming. Maps of the altitudes of potentiometric surfaces, altitudes of the tops and bottoms of hydrogeologic units, thicknesses of hydrogeologic units, percent sand of hydrogeologic units, and outcrop boundaries for the following hydrogeologic units were used: Tongue River-Wasatch aquifer, Lebo confining unit, Tullock aquifer, Upper Hell Creek confining unit, and the Fox Hills-Lower Hell Creek aquifer. Literature porosity values of 30 percent for sand and 35 percent for non-sand facies were used to calculate the volume of total ground water in each hydrogeologic unit. Literature specific yield values of 26 percent for sand and 10 percent for non-sand facies, and literature specific storage values of 0.0001 ft-1 (1/foot) for sand facies and 0.00001 ft-1 for non-sand facies, were used to calculate a second volume of ground water for each hydrogeologic unit. Significant figure considerations limited estimates of ground-water volumes to two significant digits. A total ground-water volume of 2.0x1014 ft3 (cubic feet) was calculated using porosity values, and a total ground-water volume of 3.6x1013 ft3 was calculated using specific yield and specific storage values. These results are consistent with retention properties, which would have some of the total water being retained in the sediments. Sensitivity analysis shows that the estimates of ground-water volume are most sensitive to porosity. The estimates also are sensitive to confined thickness and saturated thickness. Better spatial information for hydrogeologic units could help refine the ground-water volume estimates.

Inertia critical layers and their impacts on nongeostrophic baroclinic instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Bo-Wen

We investigate the effects of critical levels (CLs) on a baroclinic flow over mountains, nongeostrophic (NG) inertia critical layer instability, and NG baroclinic instability (BI) in a three-layer atmosphere with a small Richardson number (Ri) in the middle layer. We develop a numerical wave decomposition method in Chapter 2, which is found to be useful in determining the reflection coefficient (Ref) numerically when the flow system is too complicated to obtain Ref analytically. Effects of CLs on flow over mountains are studied both analytically and numerically in Chapter 3. We define the effective inertia critical level (ICL) as the height above which inertia-gravity waves attenuate significantly. Based on numerical simulations with a broad range of Rossby number (Ro) and Ri, four wave regimes are found: (a) Regime I: inertia- gravity waves. The flow behaves like unsheared inertia- gravity waves and the effective lower ICL plays a similar role as the classical critical level (CCL) does in a nonrotating flow. (b) Regime II: combined inertia-gravity waves and baroclinic lee waves. These waves behave like those in Regime I below the lower effective ICL, and like baroclinic lee waves near the CCL. (c) Regime III: combined evanescent and baroclinic lee waves. These waves still behave like baroclinic lee waves near the CCL, but are trapped near the surface. (d) Regime IV: transient waves. NG baroclinic instability exists, as evidenced by the positive domain-averaged north-south heat flux. Wave regime IV is further investigated in Chapter 5. We identify the NG baroclinic instability in Chapter 3 as an inertia critical layer (ICLY) instability. The role of the upper inertia critical level in this instability has been studied by choosing a periodic mountain. When only the CCL and upper ICL are present in the domain, the mesoscale ICLY instability tends to occur. For a periodic mountain ridge, the ICLY instability selects the mountain's tvavelength as its wavelength of maximum growth. For an isolated mountain ridge, the NG baroclinic lee wave is established in the beginning for flows with small Ri, which then develops its own upper ICL. The stability of Lindzen and Tung's (1976, hereafter LT76) type of three-layer nonrotating/rotating atmosphere is discussed in Chapter 6. We first investigate the transient dynamics of wave ducting by a numerical model. The adjustment time for waves to be ducted depends on the atmospheric structure and horizontal wavelength. Second, we study the effects of Coriolis force on LT76's wave ducting mechanism, and show that a wave with wavelength on the order of 100 km is hardly ducted. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Risk management in a large-scale CO2 geosequestration pilot project, Illinois, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hnottavange-Telleen, K.; Chabora, E.; Finley, R.J.; Greenberg, S.E.; Marsteller, S.

2011-01-01

Like most large-scale infrastructure projects, carbon dioxide (CO 2) geological sequestration (GS) projects have multiple success criteria and multiple stakeholders. In this context "risk evaluation" encompasses multiple scales. Yet a risk management program aims to maximize the chance of project success by assessing, monitoring, minimizing all risks in a consistent framework. The 150,000-km2 Illinois Basin underlies much of the state of Illinois, USA, and parts of adjacent Kentucky and Indiana. Its potential for CO2 storage is first-rate among basins in North America, an impression that has been strengthened by early testing of the injection well of the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium's (MGSC's) Phase III large scale demonstration project, the Illinois Basin - Decatur Project (IBDP). The IBDP, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), represents a key trial of GS technologies and project-management techniques. Though risks are specific to each site and project, IBDP risk management methodologies provide valuable experience for future GS projects. IBDP views risk as the potential for negative impact to any of these five values: health and safety, environment, financial, advancing the viability and public acceptability of a GS industry, and research. Research goals include monitoring one million metric tonnes of injected CO2 in the subsurface. Risk management responds to the ways in which any values are at risk: for example, monitoring is designed to reduce uncertainties in parameter values that are important for research and system control, and is also designed to provide public assurance. Identified risks are the primary basis for risk-reduction measures: risks linked to uncertainty in geologic parameters guide further characterization work and guide simulations applied to performance evaluation. Formally, industry defines risk (more precisely risk criticality) as the product L*S, the Likelihood multiplied by the Severity of negative impact. L and S are each evaluated on five-point scales, yielding a theoretical spread in risk values of 1 through 25. So defined, these judgment-based values are categorical and ordinal - they do not represent physically measurable quantities, but are nonetheless useful for comparison and therefore decision support. The "risk entities" first evaluated are FEPs - conceptual Features, Events, and Processes based on the list published by Quintessa Ltd. After concrete scenarios are generated based on selected FEPs, scenarios become the critical entities whose associated risks are evaluated and tracked. In IBDP workshops, L and S values for 123 FEPs were generated through expert elicitation. About 30 experts in the project or in GS in general were assigned among six facilitated working groups, and each group was charged to envision risks within a sphere of project operations. Working groups covered FEPs with strong spatial characteristics - such as those related to the injection wellbore and simulated plume footprint - and "nonspatial" FEPs related to finance, regulations, legal, and stakeholder issues. Within these working groups, experts shared information, examined assumptions, refined and extended the FEP list, calibrated responses, and provided initial L and S values by consensus. Individual rankings were collected in a follow-up process via emailed spreadsheets. For each of L and S, three values were collected: Lower Bound, Best Guess, and Upper Bound. The Lower-Upper Bound ranges and the spreads among experts can be interpreted to yield rough confidence measures. Based on experts' responses, FEPs were ranked in terms of their L*S risk levels. FEP rankings were determined from individual (not consensus or averaged) results, thus no high-risk responses were damped out. The higher-risk FEPs were used to generate one or more concrete, well defined risk-bearing scenarios for each FEP. Any FEP scored by any expert as having associated risk of

Assessment of trace metal contamination in stream sediments of the Tuul River, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalai, B.

2011-12-01

Thirty four sediment samples were collected in Ulaanbaatar basin, along the Tuul River which is the main source of water for the capital city Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The catchment can be divided three parts (upper, middle, and lower) according to the extent of urbanization. The upper part of the river basin is comparatively less affected by human activity and it can be represent the natural background condition. The middle part is the urban area of Ulaanbaatar and lower part extends SW of the end of the urban area mostly used for agriculture and farming activity. The present study focused on the levels of potentially toxic metals such as As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr in order to assess the extent of environmental pollution and to discuss the origin of these contaminants in sediments of the Tuul River using X-ray fluorescence analyses. Metal concentrations in the sediments are discussed by comparison with average Upper Continental Crust values (UCC) and ecological risk assessment by reference to sediment quality guidelines (SQG). The results showed thet average abundances of metals are measurable contrast between upper, middle and lower parts of the river. The Upper part and its surrounding area's sediment signature indicated that more depletion comparatively other parts (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr), whereas enrichment sign did not detect. However, among the Upper part sediments, two samples (NA1 and NA2) enriched with trace metals which sampled from Nalaikh area were significantly affected by coal mining activity. Most metals are (As, Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni) higher in the middle part (within the city) than the upper and lower part due to the urban activities. The small tributaries such as Selbe, Uliastai, Gachuurt and Tolgoit were significantly affected by urban activities and highest values are detected from them. Lower part significantly enriched with Cr (av 98 ppm). Highest concentration of Cr (183 ppm) was at Shuvuu which is receiving point of domestic and industrial wastewater discharge. However all three parts show depletion in some chalcophile and HFSE elements (Cu, Ni, Cr, Sr, Nb, Zr, Th, Sc). This depletion of elements relative to UCC suggest that the river sediments were derived from a highly felsic crustal source. The assessment of ecological risk assessment result showed that adverse aquatic biological effects caused by As and Cr. While, concentration of Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni are generally below their respective Threshold effect level (TEL), in middle part reaches to reach values bordering on the Probable effect level (PEL). This indicated that anthropogenic contribution in the urban areas, increasing values above a naturally low regional background.

The "Heisenberg's Microscope" as an Example of Using Thought Experiments in Teaching Physics Theories to Students of the Upper Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velentzas, Athanasios; Halkia, Krystallia

2011-01-01

In this work an attempt is made to explore the possible value of using Thought Experiments (TEs) in teaching physics to upper secondary education students. Specifically, a qualitative research project is designed to investigate the extent to which the Thought Experiment (TE) called "Heisenberg's Microscope", as it has been transformed by…

Comparison the Serum STREM1 Levels Between Children with Upper and Lower UTI.

PubMed

Ehsanipour, Fahime; Noorbakhsh, Samileh; Zarabi, Vida; Movahedi, Zahra; Rahimzadeh, Nahid

2017-01-01

Pyelonephritis is the most common and important infection among Iranian pediatric population. Differentiation between upper and lower Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is often difficult based on clinical data. Therefore, definite diagnosis is helpful for choosing appropriate antibiotic and decision for hospital admission. The main purpose of this study was todetermine the diagnostic value of serum STREM-1 level in children suspicious to UTI and differentiation of upper UTI and lower UTI. This prospective cross sectional study (2010-2011) was performed to evaluate and compare the serum level of STREM- 1 (pg. /ml) in 36 diagnosed UTI patients (24 upper and 12 lower UTI) with 25 normal children (without UTI) in Rasoul Akram hospital, Tehran, Iran. The mean age of studied children was 3.64 years; 24 male and 37 female. Urinary analysis and urine culture were performed for all UTI cases and only the positive cultured cases with the same microorganism were enrolled in the study. Distinguishing the upper from lower UTI was done on the basis of clinical manifestation and laboratory tests and confirmed by Imaging studies (ultra sonography /or DMSA scan). Blood sampling was taken from all children and centrifuged .The level of STREM-1 (pg /ml) in all sera was determined by Enzyme immunoassay technique (Human TREM-1 immunoassay Sandwich test, Quantikine, R&D systems, Minneapolis; USA). Cut-off levels for STREM-1 were illustrated by ROC curve. The p<0.05 was considered as significant for differences between groups. The mean of STREM -1level had significant difference between overall cases of UTI (427.72pg/ml) and controls (124.24 pg. /ml; P =0.000) ; with cutoff point 111.5 pg./ml ; it had 83.3% sensitivity; and 60 % specificity to distinguish UTI from control. Serum STREM -1 level had no significantly difference between the upper and lower UTI (500pg/ml vs. 283 pg. /ml, P value=0.1) with cutoff point 132 pg./ml it had 83.3% sensitivity ; and 60 % specificity to distinguish upper UTI from lower UTI. Our study demonstrates that even low amount of serum STREM-1 (111.5 pg./ml) has 83.3% sensitivity ; and 60 % specificity to distinguish the UTI from normal cases (P value =0.000) but higher level (132 pg./ml) was needed for definite diagnosis (83.3% sensitivity; 60 % specificity) of upper and lower UTI. It is concluded that serum STREM-1 level test is a valuable tool for early diagnosis of the normal cases with false positive urine culture, or in highly suspicious upper UTI cases with false negative urine culture. Indeed higher titer of this biomarker could be helpful for discriminating the upper from lower UTI. Therefore adding this new biologic marker (STREM-1) to previous ones (CRP, PCT) is suggested to prevent the unnecessary hospital admission and empiric antibiotic therapy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Improving Recreational Reading Habits of Elementary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krug, Marline; Fordonski, Patricia

A study investigated the effectiveness of a program for improving the recreational reading habits of elementary students through the use of cross-age tutoring in critical reading strategies. The targeted population consisted of a kindergarten and a fourth-grade class in the growing upper-middle-class community of Geneva, Illinois, located…

Corn response to nitrogen management under fully-irrigated vs. water-stressed conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Characterizing corn grain yield response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is critical for maximizing profits, optimizing N use efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts. Although a large data base of yield response to N has been compiled for highly productive soils in the upper Midwest U.S., f...

Educating Voters: Political Education in Norwegian Upper-Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borhaug, Kjetil

2008-01-01

Research on political education in schools suggests that an emphasis on formal structure, constitutional principles, formal citizen rights, and debates on current issues is common. The Norwegian national curriculum on political education envisions a different political education emphasizing that students should be critical of political life and…

Critical Thinking as Room for Subjectification in Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasslöf, Helen; Malmberg, Claes

2015-01-01

Issues of sustainability are complex and often steeped with ethical and political questions without predefined or general answers. This paper deals with how secondary and upper secondary teachers discuss these complex issues, by analysing their aims for Education for Sustainable Development. With inspiration from discourse theory, their…

Nitrogen fate and transport through palustrine depressional wetlands along an alteration gradient in an agricultural landscape, upper Choptank Watersheds, Maryland, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding local groundwater hydrology and geochemistry is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of wetlands at mitigating agricultural impacts on surface waters. The effectiveness of forested, prior-converted cropland (historic wetlands), and restored palustrine depressional wetlands at miti...

Rigidity of lattice domes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savelyev, V. A.

1979-01-01

The means of ensuring total rigidity of lattice domes, using comparison with solid shells of 1-3 layers are discussed. Irregularities of manufacture, processing, and other factors are considered, as they relate to diminution of rigidity. The discussion uses the concepts of upper and lower critical loads on the structure in question.

Watching with New Eyes: Broadening the English Curriculum through Cinema Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chipman, Bruce

One educator's interdisciplinary interests in literature, film, and culture studies led him to the establishment of "Film Study," an upper school English course in which students develop a sense of "film literacy" through detailed "reading" of visual images; in addition, students evolve a working critical vocabulary…

Postanesthesia patients with large upper arm circumference: is use of an "extra-long" adult cuff or forearm cuff placement accurate?

PubMed

Watson, Sheri; Aguas, Marita; Bienapfl, Tracy; Colegrove, Pat; Foisy, Nancy; Jondahl, Bonnie; Yosses, Mary Beth; Yu, Larissa; Anastas, Zoe

2011-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if blood pressure (BP) measured in the forearm or with an extra-long BP cuff in the upper arm accurately reflects BP measured in the upper arm with an appropriately sized BP cuff in patients with large upper arm circumference. A method-comparison design was used with a convenience sample of 49 PACU patients. Noninvasive blood pressures were obtained in two different locations (forearm; upper arm) and in the upper arm with an extra-long adult and recommended large adult cuff sizes. Data were analyzed by calculating bias and precision for the BP cuff size and location and Student's t-tests, with P < .0125 considered significant. Significantly higher forearm systolic (P < .0001) and diastolic (P < .0002) BP measurements were found compared to BP obtained in the upper arm with the reference standard BP cuff. Significantly higher systolic (t(48df) = 5.38, P < .0001), but not diastolic (t(48df) = 4.11, P < .019), BP differences were found for BP measured with the extra-long cuff at the upper arm site compared to the upper arm, reference standard BP. Findings suggest that the clinical practice of using the forearm or an extra-long cuff in the upper arm for BP measurement in post anesthesia patients with large upper arm circumferences may result in inaccurate BP values. Copyright © 2011 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum Rate of Growth of Enstrophy in Solutions of the Fractional Burgers Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Dongfang; Protas, Bartosz

2018-02-01

This investigation is a part of a research program aiming to characterize the extreme behavior possible in hydrodynamic models by analyzing the maximum growth of certain fundamental quantities. We consider here the rate of growth of the classical and fractional enstrophy in the fractional Burgers equation in the subcritical and supercritical regimes. Since solutions to this equation exhibit, respectively, globally well-posed behavior and finite-time blowup in these two regimes, this makes it a useful model to study the maximum instantaneous growth of enstrophy possible in these two distinct situations. First, we obtain estimates on the rates of growth and then show that these estimates are sharp up to numerical prefactors. This is done by numerically solving suitably defined constrained maximization problems and then demonstrating that for different values of the fractional dissipation exponent the obtained maximizers saturate the upper bounds in the estimates as the enstrophy increases. We conclude that the power-law dependence of the enstrophy rate of growth on the fractional dissipation exponent has the same global form in the subcritical, critical and parts of the supercritical regime. This indicates that the maximum enstrophy rate of growth changes smoothly as global well-posedness is lost when the fractional dissipation exponent attains supercritical values. In addition, nontrivial behavior is revealed for the maximum rate of growth of the fractional enstrophy obtained for small values of the fractional dissipation exponents. We also characterize the structure of the maximizers in different cases.

Lion roars and nonoscillatory drift mirror waves in the magnetosheath

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

Tsurutani, B.T.; Smith, E.J.; Anderson, R.R.

1982-08-01

A complete set of ISEE plasma wave, plasma, and field data are used to identify the plasma instability responsible for the generation of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic lion roars. Lion roars detected close to the magnetopause are generated by the cyclotron instability of anisotropic (T/sup -//sub perpendicular//T/sup -//sub parallel/approx. =1.2) thermal electrons when the local plasma critical energy, E/sub M/ = B/sup 2//8..pi..N, falls to values (E/sub M/ approx.10--30 eV) close to or below the electron thermal energy, 25 eV, as a result of decreases in B. The lion roars are terminated by increases in the ambient magnetic fieldmore » magnitude and consequential increases in E/sub M/ to values greater than 100 eV. Because there are few resonant particles at these high energies, the growth rate decreases by 3 orders of magnitude and measurable growth ceases. The value of the absolute upper limit of the frequency of unstable waves predicted by theory, ..omega../sub max/ = A/sup -/..cap omega../sup -//(A/sup -/+1), is compared with observations. The predictions and observations are found to be in general, but not exact, agreement. Several possible explanations are explored. The quasi-periodic, approx.20-s magnetic and plasma oscillations which cause the variations in E/sub M/ and hence alternately drive the cyclotron waves unstable and then stable are also investigated.« less

Geostatistical analysis of centimeter-scale hydraulic conductivity variations at the MADE site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohling, Geoffrey C.; Liu, Gaisheng; Knobbe, Steven J.; Reboulet, Edward C.; Hyndman, David W.; Dietrich, Peter; Butler, James J., Jr.

2012-02-01

Spatial variations in hydraulic conductivity (K) provide critical controls on solute transport in the subsurface. Recently, new direct-push tools were developed for high-resolution characterization of K variations in unconsolidated settings. These tools were applied to obtain 58 profiles (vertical resolution of 1.5 cm) from the heavily studied macrodispersion experiment (MADE) site. We compare the data from these 58 profiles with those from the 67 flowmeter profiles that have served as the primary basis for characterizing the heterogeneous aquifer at the site. Overall, the patterns of variation displayed by the two data sets are quite similar, in terms of both large-scale structure and autocorrelation characteristics. The direct-push K values are, on average, roughly a factor of 5 lower than the flowmeter values. This discrepancy appears to be attributable, at least in part, to opposite biases between the two methods, with the current versions of the direct-push tools underestimating K in the highly permeable upper portions of the aquifer and the flowmeter overestimating K in the less permeable lower portions. The vertically averaged K values from a series of direct-push profiles in the vicinity of two pumping tests at the site are consistent with the K estimates from those tests, providing evidence that the direct-push estimates are of a reasonable magnitude. The results of this field demonstration show that direct-push profiling has the potential to characterize highly heterogeneous aquifers with a speed and resolution that has not previously been possible.