MIT-Skywalker: A Novel Gait Neurorehabilitation Robot for Stroke and Cerebral Palsy

PubMed Central

Susko, Tyler; Swaminathan, Krithika; Krebs, Hermano Igo

2017-01-01

The MIT-Skywalker is a novel robotic device developed for the rehabilitation or habilitation of gait and balance after a neurological injury. It represents an embodiment of the concept exhibited by passive walkers for rehabilitation training. Its novelty extends beyond the passive walker quintessence to the unparalleled versatility among lower extremity devices. For example, it affords the potential to implement a novel training approach built upon our working model of movement primitives based on submovements, oscillations, and mechanical impedances. This translates into three distinct training modes: discrete, rhythmic, and balance. The system offers freedom of motion that forces self-directed movement for each of the three modes. This paper will present the technical details of the robotic system as well as a feasibility study done with one adult with stroke and two adults with cerebral palsy. Results of the one-month feasibility study demonstrated that the device is safe and suggested the potential advantages of the three modular training modes that can be added or subtracted to tailor therapy to a particular patient's need. Each participant demonstrated improvement in common clinical and kinematic measurements that must be confirmed in larger randomized control clinical trials. PMID:26929056

Development of a novel translation micromirror for adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Siyuan; Ben Mrad, Ridha

2003-10-01

Conventional translation micromirrors for adaptive optics use attractive electrostatic force and therefore have two limitations: 1) the stroke is limited to less than one third of the initial gap distance between the mirror plate and the substrate. Normally the stroke is in the range of submicrometers; 2) stiction happens during operation. A novel translation micromirror, which uses a repulsive electrostatic force, is presented in this paper. This novel translation micromirror completely overcomes the limitations associated with conventional translation micromirrors and its stroke is not limited by the initial gap distance between the mirror plate and the substrate and therefore is able to achieve a much larger vertical stroke to modulate lights over a wider spectrum than that achieved by conventional translation micromirrors. The novel translation micromirror has no stiction problem and is highly compatible with mature surface micromachining technology. An analytical model is derived for the novel translation micromirror and prototypes are fabricated. The prototype of the novel translation micromirror, which is deliberately not optimized so it could be fabricated using MUMPS, achieved a vertical stroke of 1.75μm using a driving voltage of 50 volts, which is three times the stroke of conventional MUMPS translation micromirrors. It is expected that if standard surface micromachining is used instead of MUMPs, the design of the novel translation micromirror can be optimized and a much larger vertical stroke can be achieved.

How Informative are the Vertical Buoyancy and the Prone Gliding Tests to Assess Young Swimmers’ Hydrostatic and Hydrodynamic Profiles?

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Tiago M.; Costa, Mário J.; Morais, Jorge E; Moreira, Marc; Silva, António J.; Marinho, Daniel A.

2012-01-01

The aim of this research was to develop a path-flow analysis model to highlight the relationships between buoyancy and prone gliding tests and some selected anthropometrical and biomechanical variables. Thirty-eight young male swimmers (12.97 ± 1.05 years old) with several competitive levels were evaluated. It were assessed the body mass, height, fat mass, body surface area, vertical buoyancy, prone gliding after wall push-off, stroke length, stroke frequency and velocity after a maximal 25 [m] swim. The confirmatory model included the body mass, height, fat mass, prone gliding test, stroke length, stroke frequency and velocity. All theoretical paths were verified except for the vertical buoyancy test that did not present any relationship with anthropometrical and biomechanical variables nor with the prone gliding test. The good-of-fit from the confirmatory path-flow model, assessed with the standardized root mean square residuals (SRMR), is considered as being close to the cut-off value, but even so not suitable of the theory (SRMR = 0.11). As a conclusion, vertical buoyancy and prone gliding tests are not the best techniques to assess the swimmer’s hydrostatic and hydrodynamic profile, respectively. PMID:23486528

Multicenter Randomized Trial of Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation for Chronic Stroke: Methods and Entry Characteristics for VA ROBOTICS

PubMed Central

Lo, Albert C.; Guarino, Peter; Krebs, Hermano I.; Volpe, Bruce T.; Bever, Christopher T.; Duncan, Pamela W.; Ringer, Robert J.; Wagner, Todd H.; Richards, Lorie G.; Bravata, Dawn M.; Haselkorn, Jodie K.; Wittenberg, George F.; Federman, Daniel G.; Corn, Barbara H.; Maffucci, Alysia D.; Peduzzi, Peter

2017-01-01

Background Chronic upper extremity impairment due to stroke has significant medical, psychosocial, and financial consequences, but few studies have examined the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy during the chronic stroke period. Objective To test the safety and efficacy of the MIT-Manus robotic device for chronic upper extremity impairment following stroke. Methods The VA Cooperative Studies Program initiated a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial in November 2006 (VA ROBOTICS). Participants with upper extremity impairment ≥6 months poststroke were randomized to robot-assisted therapy (RT), intensive comparison therapy (ICT), or usual care (UC). RT and ICT consisted of three 1-hour treatment sessions per week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment upper extremity motor function score at 12 weeks relative to baseline. Secondary outcomes included the Wolf Motor Function Test and the Stroke Impact Scale. Results A total of 127 participants were randomized: 49 to RT, 50 to ICT, and 28 to UC. The majority of participants were male (96%), with a mean age of 65 years. The primary stroke type was ischemic (85%), and 58% of strokes occurred in the anterior circulation. Twenty percent of the participants reported a stroke in addition to their index stroke. The average time from the index stroke to enrollment was 56 months (range, 6 months to 24 years). The mean Fugl-Meyer score at entry was 18.9. Conclusions VA ROBOTICS demonstrates the feasibility of conducting multicenter clinical trials to rigorously test new rehabilitative devices before their introduction to clinical practice. The results are expected in early 2010. PMID:19541917

Retractor-Based Stroking Seat System and Energy-Absorbing Floor to Mitigate High Shock and Vertical Acceleration

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-15

Seat stroke, Lumbar loads, Accelerative load, M&S analysis, Blast , UBB, LS- DYNA , ATD 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT...typical blast input load to the seat . Resulting crew injuries are monitored for various vertical accelerative loading scenarios. The retractor load...an enforced blast pulse, this hull structural thickness does not have any effect on the results. 2.2 Seatbelt model Automotive seat belts with

Lift vs. drag based mechanisms for vertical force production in the smallest flying insects.

PubMed

Jones, S K; Laurenza, R; Hedrick, T L; Griffith, B E; Miller, L A

2015-11-07

We used computational fluid dynamics to determine whether lift- or drag-based mechanisms generate the most vertical force in the flight of the smallest insects. These insects fly at Re on the order of 4-60 where viscous effects are significant. Detailed quantitative data on the wing kinematics of the smallest insects is not available, and as a result both drag- and lift-based strategies have been suggested as the mechanisms by which these insects stay aloft. We used the immersed boundary method to solve the fully-coupled fluid-structure interaction problem of a flexible wing immersed in a two-dimensional viscous fluid to compare three idealized hovering kinematics: a drag-based stroke in the vertical plane, a lift-based stroke in the horizontal plane, and a hybrid stroke on a tilted plane. Our results suggest that at higher Re, a lift-based strategy produces more vertical force than a drag-based strategy. At the Re pertinent to small insect hovering, however, there is little difference in performance between the two strategies. A drag-based mechanism of flight could produce more vertical force than a lift-based mechanism for insects at Re<5; however, we are unaware of active fliers at this scale. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Verticality Perceptions Associate with Postural Control and Functionality in Stroke Patients

PubMed Central

Baggio, Jussara A. O.; Mazin, Suleimy S. C.; Alessio-Alves, Frederico F.; Barros, Camila G. C.; Carneiro, Antonio A. O.; Leite, João P.; Pontes-Neto, Octavio M.; Santos-Pontelli, Taiza E. G.

2016-01-01

Deficits of postural control and perceptions of verticality are disabling problems observed in stroke patients that have been recently correlated to each other. However, there is no evidence in the literature confirming this relationship with quantitative posturography analysis. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to analyze the relationship between Subjective Postural Vertical (SPV) and Haptic Vertical (HV) with posturography and functionality in stroke patients. We included 45 stroke patients. The study protocol was composed by clinical interview, evaluation of SPV and HV in roll and pitch planes and posturography. Posturography was measured in the sitting and standing positions under the conditions: eyes open, stable surface (EOSS); eyes closed, stable surface (ECSS); eyes open, unstable surface (EOUS); and eyes closed, unstable surface (ECUS). The median PV in roll plane was 0.34° (-1.44° to 2.54°) and in pitch plane 0.36° (-2.72° to 2.45°). The median of HV in roll and pitch planes were -0.94° (-5.86° to 3.84°) and 3.56° (-0.68° to 8.36°), respectively. SPV in the roll plane was correlated with all posturagraphy parameters in sitting position in all conditions (r = 0.35 to 0.47; p < 0.006). There were moderate correlations with the verticality perceptions and all the functional scales. Linear regression model showed association between speed and SPV in the roll plane in the condition EOSS (R2 of 0.37; p = 0.005), in the condition ECSS (R2 of 0.13; p = 0.04) and in the condition EOUS (R2 of 0.22; p = 0.03). These results suggest that verticality perception is a relevant component of postural control and should be systematically evaluated, particularly in patients with abnormal postural control. PMID:26954679

Kinematical and mechanical aspects of wafer slicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werner, P. G.

1982-01-01

Some recently achieved results concerning the technological fundamentals of slurry sawing are presented. The specific material removal process and the related kinematic and geometric contact conditions between workpiece and saw blade are described. The result of a functional description of the slurry sawing process is presented, expressing the main process criteria, such as infeed per stroke, specific removal rate, specific tool wear, and vertical stroke intensity, in terms of the dominating process parameters, such as stroke length, width of workpiece, stroke frequency, specific cutting force and slurry specification.

Embodied neurofeedback with an anthropomorphic robotic hand

PubMed Central

Braun, Niclas; Emkes, Reiner; Thorne, Jeremy D.; Debener, Stefan

2016-01-01

Neurofeedback-guided motor imagery training (NF-MIT) has been suggested as a promising therapy for stroke-induced motor impairment. Whereas much NF-MIT research has aimed at signal processing optimization, the type of sensory feedback given to the participant has received less attention. Often the feedback signal is highly abstract and not inherently coupled to the mental act performed. In this study, we asked whether an embodied feedback signal is more efficient for neurofeedback operation than a non-embodiable feedback signal. Inspired by the rubber hand illusion, demonstrating that an artificial hand can be incorporated into one’s own body scheme, we used an anthropomorphic robotic hand to visually guide the participants’ motor imagery act and to deliver neurofeedback. Using two experimental manipulations, we investigated how a participant’s neurofeedback performance and subjective experience were influenced by the embodiability of the robotic hand, and by the neurofeedback signal’s validity. As pertains to embodiment, we found a promoting effect of robotic-hand embodiment in subjective, behavioral, electrophysiological and electrodermal measures. Regarding neurofeedback signal validity, we found some differences between real and sham neurofeedback in terms of subjective and electrodermal measures, but not in terms of behavioral and electrophysiological measures. This study motivates the further development of embodied feedback signals for NF-MIT. PMID:27869190

Foot force production and asymmetries in elite rowers.

PubMed

Buckeridge, Erica M; Bull, Anthony M J; McGregor, Alison H

2014-03-01

The rowing stroke is a leg-driven action, in which forces developed by the lower limbs provide a large proportion of power delivered to the oars. In terms of both performance and injury, it is important to initiate each stroke with powerful and symmetrical loading of the foot stretchers. The aims of this study were to assess the reliability of foot force measured by footplates developed for the Concept2 indoor ergometer and to examine the magnitude and symmetry of bilateral foot forces in different groups of rowers. Five heavyweight female scullers, six heavyweight female sweep rowers, and six lightweight male (LWM) rowers performed an incremental step test on the Concept2 ergometer. Vertical, horizontal, and resultant forces were recorded bilaterally, and asymmetries were quantified using the absolute symmetry index. Foot force was measured with high consistency (coefficient of multiple determination > 0.976 +/- 0.010). Relative resultant, vertical, and horizontal forces were largest in LWM rowers, whilst average foot forces significantly increased across stroke rates for all three groups of rowers. Asymmetries ranged from 5.3% for average resultant force to 28.9% for timing of peak vertical force. Asymmetries were not sensitive to stroke rate or rowing group, however, large inter-subject variability in asymmetries was evident.

The effect of electrical stimulation in combination with Bobath techniques in the prevention of shoulder subluxation in acute stroke patients.

PubMed

Fil, Ayla; Armutlu, Kadriye; Atay, Ahmet Ozgur; Kerimoglu, Ulku; Elibol, Bulent

2011-01-01

To examine the efficiency of electrical stimulation in combination with Bobath techniques in the prevention of inferior and anterior shoulder subluxation in acute stroke patients. A prospective randomized controlled trial. Intensive care unit and inpatient clinics of neurology in a university hospital. Forty-eight patients with acute stroke, divided equally into control and study groups. Subjects in both groups were treated in accordance with the Bobath concept during the early hospitalization period. In addition to Bobath techniques, electrical stimulation was also applied to the supraspinatus muscle, mid and posterior portions of the deltoid muscle of patients in the study group. Two radiological methods were used to measure the horizontal, vertical and total asymmetry and vertical distance values of the shoulder joint. Motor functions of the arm were evaluated with the Motor Assessment Scale. The hospitalization period was 12.62 ± 2.24 days for the control group and 11.66 ± 1.88 days for the study group. Shoulder subluxation occurred in 9 (37.5%) subjects in the control group, whereas it was not observed in the study group. All shoulder joint displacement values were higher in the control group than in the study group (horizontal asymmetry P = 0.0001, vertical asymmetry P = 0.0001, total asymmetry P = 0.0001, vertical range P = 0.002). Application of electrical stimulation combined with the Bobath approach proved to be efficient in preventing inferior and anterior shoulder subluxation in the acute stages of stroke.

On the electromagnetic fields, Poynting vector, and peak power radiated by lightning return strokes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krider, E. P.

1992-01-01

The initial radiation fields, Poynting vector, and total electromagnetic power that a vertical return stroke radiates into the upper half space have been computed when the speed of the stroke, nu, is a significant fraction of the speed of light, c, assuming that at large distances and early times the source is an infinitesimal dipole. The initial current is also assumed to satisfy the transmission-line model with a constant nu and to be perpendicular to an infinite, perfectly conducting ground. The effect of a large nu is to increase the radiation fields by a factor of (1-beta-sq cos-sq theta) exp -1, where beta = nu/c and theta is measured from the vertical, and the Poynting vector by a factor of (1-beta-sq cos-sq theta) exp -2.

Quadrupedal galloping control for a wide range of speed via vertical impulse scaling.

PubMed

Park, Hae-Won; Kim, Sangbae

2015-03-25

This paper presents a bio-inspired quadruped controller that allows variable-speed galloping. The controller design is inspired by observations from biological runners. Quadrupedal animals increase the vertical impulse that is generated by ground reaction forces at each stride as running speed increases and the duration of each stance phase reduces, whereas the swing phase stays relatively constant. Inspired by this observation, the presented controller estimates the required vertical impulse at each stride by applying the linear momentum conservation principle in the vertical direction and prescribes the ground reaction forces at each stride. The design process begins with deriving a planar model from the MIT Cheetah 2 robot. A baseline periodic limit cycle is obtained by optimizing ground reaction force profiles and the temporal gait pattern (timing and duration of gait phases). To stabilize the optimized limit cycle, the obtained limit cycle is converted to a state feedback controller by representing the obtained ground reaction force profiles as functions of the state variable, which is monotonically increasing throughout the gait, adding impedance control around the height and pitch trajectories of the obtained limit cycle and introducing a finite state machine and a pattern stabilizer to enforce the optimized gait pattern. The controller that achieves a stable 3 m s(-1) gallop successfully adapts the speed change by scaling the vertical ground reaction force to match the momentum lost by gravity and adding a simple speed controller that controls horizontal speed. Without requiring additional gait optimization processes, the controller achieves galloping at speeds ranging from 3 m s(-1) to 14.9 m s(-1) while respecting the torque limit of the motor used in the MIT Cheetah 2 robot. The robustness of the controller is verified by demonstrating stable running during various disturbances, including 1.49 m step down and 0.18 m step up, as well as random ground height and model parameter variations.

Validation of simplified centre of mass models during gait in individuals with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Huntley, Andrew H; Schinkel-Ivy, Alison; Aqui, Anthony; Mansfield, Avril

2017-10-01

The feasibility of using a multiple segment (full-body) kinematic model in clinical gait assessment is difficult when considering obstacles such as time and cost constraints. While simplified gait models have been explored in healthy individuals, no such work to date has been conducted in a stroke population. The aim of this study was to quantify the errors of simplified kinematic models for chronic stroke gait assessment. Sixteen individuals with chronic stroke (>6months), outfitted with full body kinematic markers, performed a series of gait trials. Three centre of mass models were computed: (i) 13-segment whole-body model, (ii) 3 segment head-trunk-pelvis model, and (iii) 1 segment pelvis model. Root mean squared error differences were compared between models, along with correlations to measures of stroke severity. Error differences revealed that, while both models were similar in the mediolateral direction, the head-trunk-pelvis model had less error in the anteroposterior direction and the pelvis model had less error in the vertical direction. There was some evidence that the head-trunk-pelvis model error is influenced in the mediolateral direction for individuals with more severe strokes, as a few significant correlations were observed between the head-trunk-pelvis model and measures of stroke severity. These findings demonstrate the utility and robustness of the pelvis model for clinical gait assessment in individuals with chronic stroke. Low error in the mediolateral and vertical directions is especially important when considering potential stability analyses during gait for this population, as lateral stability has been previously linked to fall risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Activities Based on the Multiple Intelligence Theory of Students' Conceptual Learning and Their Retention: A Case of Circle and Cylinder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurbuz, Ramazan; Birgin, Osman; Catlioglu, Hakan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of activities based on the Multiple Intelligence Theory (MIT) of seventh grade students' conceptual learning and their retention in two consecutive subjects, namely "The Circumference and the Area of a Circle" and "The Surface Area of the Vertical Cylinder". The…

A Multi-Week Behavioral Sampling Tag for Sound Effects Studies: Design Trade-Offs and Prototype Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

to establish the performance of algorithms detecting dives, strokes , clicks, respiration and gait changes. We have also found that a combination of...whale click count, total click count, vocal duration, SOC2 depth, EOC3 depth) Descent 40 bits (duration, vertical speed, stroke count 0...100 m, stroke count 100-400 m, OBDA4, sum sr35) Bottom 26 bits (movement index6, OBDA, jerk events7, median jerk depth) Ascent

Lumbar load attenuation for rotorcraft occupants using a design methodology for the seat impact energy-absorbing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moradi, Rasoul; Beheshti, Hamid K.; Lankarani, Hamid M.

2012-12-01

Aircraft occupant crash-safety considerations require a minimum cushion thickness to limit the relative vertical motion of the seat-pelvis during high vertical impact loadings in crash landings or accidents. In military aircraft and helicopter seat design, due to the potential for high vertical accelerations in crash scenarios, the seat system must be provided with an energy absorber to attenuate the acceleration level sustained by the occupants. Because of the limited stroke available for the seat structure, the design of the energy absorber becomes a trade-off problem between minimizing the stroke and maximizing the energy absorption. The available stroke must be used to prevent bottoming out of the seat as well as to absorb maximum impact energy to protect the occupant. In this study, the energy-absorbing system in a rotorcraft seat design is investigated using a mathematical model of the occupant/seat system. Impact theories between interconnected bodies in multibody mechanical systems are utilized to study the impact between the seat pan and the occupant. Experimental responses of the seat system and the occupant are utilized to validate the results from this study for civil and military helicopters according to FAR 23 and 25 and MIL-S-58095 requirements. A model for the load limiter is proposed to minimize the lumbar load for the occupant by minimizing the relative velocity between the seat pan and the occupant's pelvis. The modified energy absorber/load limiter is then implemented for the seat structure so that it absorbs the energy of impact in an effective manner and below the tolerable limit for the occupant in a minimum stroke. Results show that for a designed stroke, the level of occupant lumbar spine injury would be significantly attenuated using this modified energy-absorber system.

Aerodynamic forces and flow structures of the leading edge vortex on a flapping wing considering ground effect.

PubMed

Van Truong, Tien; Byun, Doyoung; Kim, Min Jun; Yoon, Kwang Joon; Park, Hoon Cheol

2013-09-01

The aim of this work is to provide an insight into the aerodynamic performance of the beetle during takeoff, which has been estimated in previous investigations. We employed a scaled-up electromechanical model flapping wing to measure the aerodynamic forces and the three-dimensional flow structures on the flapping wing. The ground effect on the unsteady forces and flow structures were also characterized. The dynamically scaled wing model could replicate the general stroke pattern of the beetle's hind wing kinematics during takeoff flight. Two wing kinematic models have been studied to examine the influences of wing kinematics on unsteady aerodynamic forces. In the first model, the angle of attack is asymmetric and varies during the translational motion, which is the flapping motion of the beetle's hind wing. In the second model, the angle of attack is constant during the translational motion. The instantaneous aerodynamic forces were measured for four strokes during the beetle's takeoff by the force sensor attached at the wing base. Flow visualization provided a general picture of the evolution of the three-dimensional leading edge vortex (LEV) on the beetle hind wing model. The LEV is stable during each stroke, and increases radically from the root to the tip, forming a leading-edge spiral vortex. The force measurement results show that the vertical force generated by the hind wing is large enough to lift the beetle. For the beetle hind wing kinematics, the total vertical force production increases 18.4% and 8.6% for the first and second strokes, respectively, due to the ground effect. However, for the model with a constant angle of attack during translation, the vertical force is reduced during the first stroke. During the third and fourth strokes, the ground effect is negligible for both wing kinematic patterns. This finding suggests that the beetle's flapping mechanism induces a ground effect that can efficiently lift its body from the ground during takeoff.

[Vertical integration--an important component of rehabilitation of patients with stroke].

PubMed

Sereda, V G; Drygant, L P; Ingula, N I; Kravchuk, N A; Tkachenko, V V; Babirad, A M; Sizina, A V; Titenko, Iu I; Nedashkovskaia, V A; Andrusenko, A S; Sheremet, A E; Kushpiĭ, O V; Mogorita, O L; Matsikevich, V V; Sukhoruchkin, Iu A; Sachko, Iu Iu

2012-01-01

Today it is proved that the reduction of mortality from cardiovascular disease is achieved through the implementation of a coordinated set of measures, the most important of which is to increase public awareness of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and their prevention, implementation of effective prevention programs and improve the system of care for stroke.

Muscle activity adapts to anti-gravity posture during pedalling in persons with post-stroke hemiplegia.

PubMed

Brown, D A; Kautz, S A; Dairaghi, C A

1997-05-01

With hemiplegia following stroke, a person's movement response to anti-gravity posture often appears rigid and inflexible, exacerbating the motor dysfunction. A major determinant of pathological movement in anti-gravity postures is the failure to adapt muscle-activity patterns automatically to changes in posture. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the impaired motor performance observed when persons with hemiplegia pedal in a horizontal position is exacerbated at more vertical anti-gravity body orientations. Twelve healthy elderly subjects and 17 subjects with chronic (> 6 months) post-stroke hemiplegia participated in the study. Subjects pedalled a modified ergometer at different body orientations (from horizontal to vertical), maintaining the same workload, cadence, and hip and knee kinematics. Pedal reaction forces, and crank and pedal kinematics, were measured and then used to calculate the work done by each leg and their net positive and negative components. The EMG was recorded from four leg muscles (tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, rectus femoris and biceps femoris). The main result from this study was that impaired plegic leg performance, as measured by net negative work done by the plegic leg and abnormal early rectus femoris activity, was exacerbated at the most vertical body orientations. However, contrary to the belief that muscle activity cannot adapt to anti-gravity postures, net positive work increased appropriately and EMG activity in all muscles showed modulated levels of activity similar to those in elderly control subjects. These results support the hypothesis that increased verticality exacerbates the already impaired movement performance. Yet, much of the motor response to verticality was flexible and appropriate, given the mechanics of the task.

JPRS Report, West Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-28

34Principe de Asturias" will carry aboard six vertical takeoff Harrier AV -8B airplanes, at a cost of 12 million pesetas for each unit, totaling 72...extremely) good," neither are there many (even fewer, in fact) who are turning thumbs down in the direction of the Campo de Ourique and muttering the...president. LIDERES POLITICOS VALORACION ( DE 0 A 10 PUNTOSI Ratings of Political Leaders (on 1 to 10 scale) MM. MIT. jui

Observing relationships between lightning and cloud profiles by means of a satellite-borne cloud radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buiat, Martina; Porcù, Federico; Dietrich, Stefano

2017-01-01

Cloud electrification and related lightning activity in thunderstorms have their origin in the charge separation and resulting distribution of charged iced particles within the cloud. So far, the ice distribution within convective clouds has been investigated mainly by means of ground-based meteorological radars. In this paper we show how the products from Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on board CloudSat, a polar satellite of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP), can be used to obtain information from space on the vertical distribution of ice particles and ice content and relate them to the lightning activity. The analysis has been carried out, focusing on 12 convective events over Italy that crossed CloudSat overpasses during significant lightning activity. The CPR products considered here are the vertical profiles of cloud ice water content (IWC) and the effective radius (ER) of ice particles, which are compared with the number of strokes as measured by a ground lightning network (LINET). Results show a strong correlation between the number of strokes and the vertical distribution of ice particles as depicted by the 94 GHz CPR products: in particular, cloud upper and middle levels, high IWC content and relatively high ER seem to be favourable contributory causes for CG (cloud to ground) stroke occurrence.

Unsteady aerodynamic force mechanisms of a hoverfly hovering with a short stroke-amplitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hao Jie; Sun, Mao

2017-08-01

Hovering insects require a rather large lift coefficient. Many insects hover with a large stroke amplitude (120°-170°), and it has been found that the high lift is mainly produced by the delayed-stall mechanism. However, some insects hover with a small stroke amplitude (e.g., 65°). The delayed-stall mechanism might not work for these insects because the wings travel only a very short distance in a stroke, and other aerodynamic mechanisms must be operating. Here we explore the aerodynamic mechanisms of a hoverfly hovering with an inclined stroke plane and a small stroke amplitude (65.6°). The Navier-Stokes equations are numerically solved to give the flows and forces and the theory of vorticity dynamics used to reveal the aerodynamic mechanisms. The majority of the weight-supporting vertical force is produced in the mid portion of the downstroke, a short period (about 26% of the stroke cycle) in which the vertical force coefficient is larger than 4. The force is produced using a new mechanism, the "paddling mechanism." During the short period, the wing moves rapidly downward and forward at a large angle of attack (about 48°), and strong counter clockwise vorticity is produced continuously at the trailing edge and clockwise vorticity at the leading edge, resulting in a large time rate of change in the first moment of vorticity, hence the large aerodynamic force. It is interesting to note that with the well known delayed stall mechanism, the force is produced by the relative motion of two vortices of opposite sign, while in the "paddling mechanism," it is produced by generating new vortices of opposite sign at different locations.

Language-specific dysgraphia in Korean patients with right brain stroke: influence of unilateral spatial neglect.

PubMed

Jang, Dae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Wook; Park, Kyoung Ha; Lee, Jae Woo

2015-03-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Korean language-specific dysgraphia and unilateral spatial neglect in 31 right brain stroke patients. All patients were tested for writing errors in spontaneous writing, dictation, and copying tests. The dysgraphia was classified into visuospatial omission, visuospatial destruction, syllabic tilting, stroke omission, stroke addition, and stroke tilting. Twenty-three (77.4%) of the 31 patients made dysgraphia and 18 (58.1%) demonstrated unilateral spatial neglect. The visuospatial omission was the most common dysgraphia followed by stroke addition and omission errors. The highest number of errors was made in the copying and the least was in the spontaneous writing test. Patients with unilateral spatial neglect made a significantly higher number of dysgraphia in the copying test than those without. We identified specific dysgraphia features such as a right side space omission and a vertical stroke addition in Korean right brain stroke patients. In conclusion, unilateral spatial neglect influences copy writing system of Korean language in patients with right brain stroke.

MIT-Skywalker: considerations on the Design of a Body Weight Support System.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Rogério Sales; Krebs, Hermano Igo

2017-09-06

To provide body weight support during walking and balance training, one can employ two distinct embodiments: support through a harness hanging from an overhead system or support through a saddle/seat type. This paper presents a comparison of these two approaches. Ultimately, this comparison determined our selection of the body weight support system employed in the MIT-Skywalker, a robotic device developed for the rehabilitation/habilitation of gait and balance after a neurological injury. Here we will summarize our results with eight healthy subjects walking on the treadmill without any support, with 30% unloading supported by a harness hanging from an overhead system, and with a saddle/seat-like support system. We compared the center of mass as well as vertical and mediolateral trunk displacements across different walking speeds and support. The bicycle/saddle system had the highest values for the mediolateral inclination, while the overhead harness body weight support showed the lowest values at all speeds. The differences were statistically significant. We selected the bicycle/saddle system for the MIT-Skywalker. It allows faster don-and-doff, better centers the patient to the split treadmill, and allows all forms of training. The overhead harness body weight support might be adequate for rhythmic walking training but limits any potential for balance training.

Postural disorders and spatial neglect in stroke patients: a strong association.

PubMed

Pérennou, Dominic

2006-01-01

In this paper we analyse the arguments for a strong association between spatial neglect and postural disorders and attempt to better understand the mechanisms which underlie that. We first provide a general overview of the available tools for a rational assessment of postural control in a clinical context. We then analyse the arguments in favour of a close relationship, although not necessarily causal, between spatial neglect and: 1) body orientation with respect to gravity (including verticality perception i.e. the visual vertical, the haptic vertical, and the postural vertical); 2) body stabilisation with respect to the base of support; 3) posturographic features of stroke patients; 4) and finally their postural disability in daily life. This second part of the paper is based both on the literature review and on results of our current research. Neglect patients show a dramatic postural disability, due both to problems in body orientation with respect to gravity and to problems in body stabilisation. It might be that these problems are partly caused by a neglect phenomenon bearing on graviceptive (somaesthetic > vestibular) and visual information serving postural control. This could correspond to a kind of postural neglect involving both the bodily and nonbodily domains of spatial neglect. The existence of distorsion(s) in the body scheme are also probably involved, especially to explain the weight-bearing asymmetry in standing, and probably an impaired multisegmental postural coordination leading to an impaired body stabilisation. The present paper explains why neglect patients show longer/worse recovery of postural-walking autonomy than other stroke patients.

Numerical analysis and modeling of atmospheric phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Peter H.

1994-01-01

For the past 22 years Grant NGR 22-009-727 has been supporting research in the Center for Meteorology and Physical Oceanography (and its predecessors) in a wide variety of diagnostic and modeling studies of atmospheric and ocean phenomena. Professor Jule Charney was the initial Principal Investigator. Professor Peter Stone joined him as co-Principal Investigator in 1975 and became the sole Principal Investigator in 1981. During its lifetime the Grant has supported in whole or in part 11 Master's theses, 14 Ph.D. theses, and 45 papers published in refereed scientific journals. All of these theses and papers (with bibliographic references) are listed below. All but one of the theses were used to fulfill the requirements for MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) degrees and are available from the MIT libraries. The one exception is F. Chen's Ph.D. thesis which was for a Harvard degree and is available from the Harvard libraries. In addition to the work described in the citations listed below, the Grant has supported Research Assistant Amy Solomon during the past two years to carry out a study of how baroclinic adjustment is affected by vertical resolution, vertical temperature structure, and dissipation. Ms. Solomon plans to use this project for her Ph.D. thesis. Support for this project will continue under NASA Grant NAG 5-2490, 'The Factors Controlling Poleward Heat Transport in Climate Models.'

Gravity receptors in a microcrustacean water flea - Sensitivity of antennal-socket setae in Daphnia magna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyers, D. G.; Farmer, J. M.

1982-01-01

Gravity receptors of Dephnia magna were discovered on the basal segment of the swimming antennae and were shown to respond to upward water currents that pass the animal as it sinks between swimming strokes. Sensitivity of the gravity perceiving mechanism was tested by subjecting daphnids to a series of five decreasingly dense aqueous solutions (neutral density to water) in darkness (to avoid visual cues). Three-dimensional, video analysis of body position (pitch, yaw and roll) and swimming path (hop and sink, vertical and horizontal patterns) revealed a gradual threshold that occurred near a density difference between the animal and its environment of less than 0.25%. Because daphnids do not sink but continue to slide after stroking in the increased density solutions, gravity perception appears to occur during a vertical swing of the longitudinal body axis to the vertical plane, about their center of gravity, and, thereby, implies a multidirectional sensitivity for the antennal-socket setae.

Effects of unilateral robotic limb loading on gait characteristics in subjects with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Khanna, Ira; Roy, Anindo; Rodgers, Mary M; Krebs, Hermano I; Macko, Richard M; Forrester, Larry W

2010-05-21

Hemiparesis after stroke often leads to impaired ankle motor control that impacts gait function. In recent studies, robotic devices have been developed to address this impairment. While capable of imparting forces to assist during training and gait, these devices add mass to the paretic leg which might encumber patients' gait pattern. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the added mass of one of these robots, the MIT's Anklebot, while unpowered, on gait of chronic stroke survivors during overground and treadmill walking. Nine chronic stroke survivors walked overground and on a treadmill with and without the anklebot mounted on the paretic leg. Gait parameters, interlimb symmetry, and joint kinematics were collected for the four conditions. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to examine for possible differences across four conditions for the paretic and nonparetic leg. The added inertia and friction of the unpowered anklebot had no statistically significant effect on spatio-temporal parameters of gait, including paretic and nonparetic step time and stance percentage, in both overground and treadmill conditions. Noteworthy, interlimb symmetry as characterized by relative stance duration was greater on the treadmill than overground regardless of loading conditions. The presence of the unpowered robot loading reduced the nonparetic knee peak flexion on the treadmill and paretic peak dorsiflexion overground (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that for these subjects the added inertia and friction of this backdriveable robot did not significantly alter their gait pattern.

Kinematics of Signature Writing in Healthy Aging*

PubMed Central

Caligiuri, Michael P.; Kim, Chi; Landy, Kelly M.

2014-01-01

Forensic document examiners (FDE) called upon to distinguish a genuine from a forged signature of an elderly person are often required to consider the question of age-related deterioration and whether the available exemplars reliably capture the natural effects of aging of the original writer. An understanding of the statistical relationship between advanced age and handwriting movements can reduce the uncertainty that may exist in an examiner’s approach to questioned signatures formed by elderly writers. The primary purpose of this study was to systematically examine age-related changes in signature kinematics in healthy writers. Forty-two healthy subjects between the ages of 60–91 years participated in this study. Signatures were recorded using a digitizing tablet and commercial software was used to examine the temporal and spatial stroke kinematics and pen pressure. Results indicated that vertical stroke duration and dysfluency increased with age, whereas vertical stroke amplitude and velocity decreased with age. Pen pressure decreased with age. We found that a linear model characterized the best-fit relationship between advanced age and handwriting movement parameters for signature formation. Male writers exhibited stronger age effects than female writers, especially for pen pressure and stroke dysfluency. The present study contributes to an understanding of how advanced age alters signature formation in otherwise healthy adults. PMID:24673648

Rules to fly by: pigeons navigating horizontal obstacles limit steering by selecting gaps most aligned to their flight direction.

PubMed

Ros, Ivo G; Bhagavatula, Partha S; Lin, Huai-Ti; Biewener, Andrew A

2017-02-06

Flying animals must successfully contend with obstacles in their natural environments. Inspired by the robust manoeuvring abilities of flying animals, unmanned aerial systems are being developed and tested to improve flight control through cluttered environments. We previously examined steering strategies that pigeons adopt to fly through an array of vertical obstacles (VOs). Modelling VO flight guidance revealed that pigeons steer towards larger visual gaps when making fast steering decisions. In the present experiments, we recorded three-dimensional flight kinematics of pigeons as they flew through randomized arrays of horizontal obstacles (HOs). We found that pigeons still decelerated upon approach but flew faster through a denser array of HOs compared with the VO array previously tested. Pigeons exhibited limited steering and chose gaps between obstacles most aligned to their immediate flight direction, in contrast to VO navigation that favoured widest gap steering. In addition, pigeons navigated past the HOs with more variable and decreased wing stroke span and adjusted their wing stroke plane to reduce contact with the obstacles. Variability in wing extension, stroke plane and wing stroke path was greater during HO flight. Pigeons also exhibited pronounced head movements when negotiating HOs, which potentially serve a visual function. These head-bobbing-like movements were most pronounced in the horizontal (flight direction) and vertical directions, consistent with engaging motion vision mechanisms for obstacle detection. These results show that pigeons exhibit a keen kinesthetic sense of their body and wings in relation to obstacles. Together with aerodynamic flapping flight mechanics that favours vertical manoeuvring, pigeons are able to navigate HOs using simple rules, with remarkable success.

Rules to fly by: pigeons navigating horizontal obstacles limit steering by selecting gaps most aligned to their flight direction

PubMed Central

Ros, Ivo G.; Bhagavatula, Partha S.; Lin, Huai-Ti

2017-01-01

Flying animals must successfully contend with obstacles in their natural environments. Inspired by the robust manoeuvring abilities of flying animals, unmanned aerial systems are being developed and tested to improve flight control through cluttered environments. We previously examined steering strategies that pigeons adopt to fly through an array of vertical obstacles (VOs). Modelling VO flight guidance revealed that pigeons steer towards larger visual gaps when making fast steering decisions. In the present experiments, we recorded three-dimensional flight kinematics of pigeons as they flew through randomized arrays of horizontal obstacles (HOs). We found that pigeons still decelerated upon approach but flew faster through a denser array of HOs compared with the VO array previously tested. Pigeons exhibited limited steering and chose gaps between obstacles most aligned to their immediate flight direction, in contrast to VO navigation that favoured widest gap steering. In addition, pigeons navigated past the HOs with more variable and decreased wing stroke span and adjusted their wing stroke plane to reduce contact with the obstacles. Variability in wing extension, stroke plane and wing stroke path was greater during HO flight. Pigeons also exhibited pronounced head movements when negotiating HOs, which potentially serve a visual function. These head-bobbing-like movements were most pronounced in the horizontal (flight direction) and vertical directions, consistent with engaging motion vision mechanisms for obstacle detection. These results show that pigeons exhibit a keen kinesthetic sense of their body and wings in relation to obstacles. Together with aerodynamic flapping flight mechanics that favours vertical manoeuvring, pigeons are able to navigate HOs using simple rules, with remarkable success. PMID:28163883

Aquatic wing flapping at low Reynolds numbers: swimming kinematics of the Antarctic pteropod, Clione antarctica.

PubMed

Borrell, Brendan J; Goldbogen, Jeremy A; Dudley, Robert

2005-08-01

We studied swimming kinematics of the Antarctic pteropod, Clione antarctica, to investigate how propulsive forces are generated by flexible oscillating appendages operating at low Reynolds numbers (1025) exhibited gliding during the recovery phase of each half-stroke. Maximum translational and rotational accelerations of the body occurred at the initiation of each power phase, suggesting that rotational circulation, the acceleration reaction, and wake recapture may all potentially contribute to vertical force production. Individual contributions of these mechanisms cannot, however, be assessed from these kinematic data alone. During recovery phases of each half-stroke, C. antarctica minimized adverse drag forces by orienting the wings parallel to flow and by moving them along the body surface, possibly taking advantage of boundary layer effects. Vertical force production was altered through changes in the hydrodynamic angle of attack of the wing that augmented drag during the power phase of each half-stroke. At higher translational velocities of the body, the inclination of the power phase also became more nearly vertical. These results indicate that, in addition to serotonin-mediated modulation of wingbeat frequency reported previously in Clione, geometric alteration of wingbeat kinematics offers a precise means of controlling swimming forces.

All-Metallic Vertical Transistors Based on Stacked Dirac Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yangyang; Ni, Zeyuan; Liu, Qihang; Quhe, Ruge; Zheng, Jiaxin; Ye, Meng; Yu, Dapeng; Shi, Junjie; Yang, Jinbo; Li, Ju; Lu, Jing; Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing Collaboration

2015-03-01

All metallic transistor can be fabricated from pristine semimetallic Dirac materials (such as graphene, silicene, and germanene), but the on/off current ratio is very low. In a vertical heterostructure composed by two Dirac materials, the Dirac cones of the two materials survive the weak interlayer van der Waals interaction based on density functional theory method, and electron transport from the Dirac cone of one material to the one of the other material is therefore forbidden without assistance of phonon because of momentum mismatch. First-principles quantum transport simulations of the all-metallic vertical Dirac material heterostructure devices confirm the existence of a transport gap of over 0.4 eV, accompanied by a switching ratio of over 104. Such a striking behavior is robust against the relative rotation between the two Dirac materials and can be extended to twisted bilayer graphene. Therefore, all-metallic junction can be a semiconductor and novel avenue is opened up for Dirac material vertical structures in high-performance devices without opening their band gaps. A visiting student in MIT now.

Do post-stroke patients benefit from robotic verticalization? A pilot-study focusing on a novel neurophysiological approach.

PubMed

Calabrò, Rocco Salvatore; Naro, Antonino; Russo, Margherita; Leo, Antonino; Balletta, Tina; Saccá, Ileana; De Luca, Rosaria; Bramanti, Placido

2015-01-01

Tilt-table equipped with the dynamic foot-support (ERIGO) and the functional electric stimulation could be a safe and suitable device for stabilization of vital signs, increasing patient's motivation for further recovery, decreasing the duration of hospitalization, and accelerating the adaptation to vertical posture in bedridden patients with brain-injury. Moreover, it is conceivable that verticalization may improve cognitive functions, and induce plastic changes at sensory motor and vestibular system level that may in turn facilitate motor functional recovery. To test the safety and effectiveness of ERIGO treatment on motor and cognitive functions, cortical plasticity within vestibular and sensory-motor systems in a bedridden post-stroke sample. 20 patients were randomly divided in two groups that performed ERIGO training (30 sessions) (G1) or physiotherapist-assisted verticalization training (same duration) (G2), beyond conventional neurorehabilitation treatment. Motor and cognitive functions as well as sensory-motor and vestibular system plasticity were investigated either before (T0) or after (T1) the rehabilitative protocols. Both the verticalization treatments were well-tolerated. Notably, the G1 patients had a significant improvement in cognitive function (p = 0.03), global motor function (p = 0.006), sensory-motor (p < 0.001) and vestibular system plasticity (p = 0.02) as compared to G2. ERIGO training could be a valuable tool for the adaptation to the vertical position with a better global function improvement, as also suggested by the sensory-motor and vestibular system plasticity induction.

Archeological Testing at Fort St. Leon (16PL35), Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

repaired. During the year 1812, President James Madison ordered - Brigadier General James Wilkinson to proceed to New Orleans and take command of the...HUMAN Category and Description # of Pieces Provenience Cranial fragment 1 BHT 5 Vertebral fragment 1 BHT 5 Lumbar vertebra 1 BHT 7 TOTAL 3 Human bone was...Clay 0 1 motor /,Unoxcavated Vertical Scales aft Meters Above MGL. Test Unit 8 W N S . .- 2.00 ____-- 1.50 W MIt0 --- - UW - -- NORTH EAST Z Figure 50

Rocking behavior of an instrumented unique building on the MIT campus identified from ambient shaking data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Çelebi, Mehmet; Toksöz, Nafi; Büyüköztürk, Oral

2014-01-01

A state-of-the-art seismic monitoring system comprising 36 accelerometers and a data-logger with real-time capability was recently installed at Building 54 on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Cambridge, MA, campus. The system is designed to record translational, torsional, and rocking motions, and to facilitate the computation of drift between select pairs of floors. The cast-in-place, reinforced concrete building is rectangular in plan but has vertical irregularities. Heavy equipment is installed asymmetrically on the roof. Spectral analyses and system identification performed on five sets of low-amplitude ambient data reveal distinct and repeatable fundamental translational frequencies in the structural NS and EW directions (0.75 Hz and 0.68 Hz, respectively), a torsional frequency of 1.49 Hz, a rocking frequency of 0.75 Hz, and very low damping. Such results from low-amplitude data serve as a baseline against which to compare the behavior and performance of the building during stronger shaking caused by future earthquakes in the region.

The Utility of the Faces Pain Scale in the Assessment of Shoulder Pain in Turkish Stroke Patients: Its Relation with Quality of Life and Psychologic Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Sebnem Koldas; Ay, Saime; Oztuna, Derya; Aytur, Yesim Kurtais; Evcik, Deniz

2010-01-01

This study was planned to investigate the utility of the vertical Faces Pain Scale (FPS) in the assessment of pain in stroke patients using the shoulder pain model and to assess its utility in the Turkish patient population. The secondary aim was to analyze the association of FPS with the quality of life and depression in the study population.…

Do post-stroke patients benefit from robotic verticalization? A pilot-study focusing on a novel neurophysiological approach

PubMed Central

Calabrò, Rocco Salvatore; Naro, Antonino; Russo, Margherita; Leo, Antonino; Balletta, Tina; Saccá, Ileana; De Luca, Rosaria; Bramanti, Placido

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: Tilt-table equipped with the dynamic foot-support (ERIGO) and the functional electric stimulation could be a safe and suitable device for stabilization of vital signs, increasing patient’s motivation for further recovery, decreasing the duration of hospitalization, and accelerating the adaptation to vertical posture in bedridden patients with brain-injury. Moreover, it is conceivable that verticalization may improve cognitive functions, and induce plastic changes at sensory motor and vestibular system level that may in turn facilitate motor functional recovery. Objective: To test the safety and effectiveness of ERIGO treatment on motor and cognitive functions, cortical plasticity within vestibular and sensory-motor systems in a bedridden post-stroke sample. Methods: 20 patients were randomly divided in two groups that performed ERIGO training (30 sessions) (G1) or physiotherapist-assisted verticalization training (same duration) (G2), beyond conventional neurorehabilitation treatment. Motor and cognitive functions as well as sensory-motor and vestibular system plasticity were investigated either before (T0) or after (T1) the rehabilitative protocols. Results: Both the verticalization treatments were well-tolerated. Notably, the G1 patients had a significant improvement in cognitive function (p = 0.03), global motor function (p = 0.006), sensory-motor (p <  0.001) and vestibular system plasticity (p = 0.02) as compared to G2. Conclusions: ERIGO training could be a valuable tool for the adaptation to the vertical position with a better global function improvement, as also suggested by the sensory-motor and vestibular system plasticity induction. PMID:26410207

Vertically reciprocating auger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Etheridge, Mark; Morgan, Scott; Fain, Robert; Pearson, Jonathan; Weldi, Kevin; Woodrough, Stephen B., Jr.

1988-01-01

The mathematical model and test results developed for the Vertically Reciprocating Auger (VRA) are summarized. The VRA is a device capable of transporting cuttings that result from below surface drilling. It was developed chiefly for the lunar surface, where conventional fluid flushing while drilling would not be practical. The VRA uses only reciprocating motion and transports material through reflections with the surface above. Particles are reflected forward and land ahead of radially placed fences, which prevent the particles from rolling back down the auger. Three input wave forms are considered to drive the auger. A modified sawtooth wave form was chosen for testing, over a modified square wave or sine wave, due to its simplicity and effectiveness. The three-dimensional mathematical model predicted a sand throughput rate of 0.2667 pounds/stroke, while the actual test setup transported 0.075 pounds/stroke. Based on this result, a correction factor of 0.281 is suggested for a modified sawtooth input.

Reactive Balance in Individuals With Chronic Stroke: Biomechanical Factors Related to Perturbation-Induced Backward Falling.

PubMed

Salot, Pooja; Patel, Prakruti; Bhatt, Tanvi

2016-03-01

An effective compensatory stepping response is the first line of defense for preventing a fall during sudden large external perturbations. The biomechanical factors that contribute to heightened fall risk in survivors of stroke, however, are not clearly understood. It is known that impending sensorimotor and balance deficits poststroke predispose these individuals to a risk of fall during sudden external perturbations. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanism of fall risk in survivors of chronic stroke when exposed to sudden, slip-like forward perturbations in stance. This was a cross-sectional study. Fourteen individuals with stroke, 14 age-matched controls (AC group), and 14 young controls (YC group) were exposed to large-magnitude forward stance perturbations. Postural stability was computed as center of mass (COM) position (XCOM/BOS) and velocity (ẊCOM/BOS) relative to the base of support (BOS) at first step lift-off (LO) and touch-down (TD) and at second step TD. Limb support was quantified as vertical hip descent (Zhip) from baseline after perturbation onset. All participants showed a backward balance loss, with 71% of the stroke group experiencing a fall compared with no falls in the control groups (AC and YC groups). At first step LO, no between-group differences in XCOM/BOS and ẊCOM/BOS were noted. At first step TD, however, the stroke group had a significantly posterior XCOM/BOS and backward ẊCOM/BOS compared with the control groups. At second step TD, individuals with stroke were still more unstable (more posterior XCOM/BOS and backward ẊCOM/BOS) compared with the AC group. Individuals with stroke also showed greater peak Zhip compared with the control groups. Furthermore, the stroke group took a larger number of steps with shorter step length and delayed step initiation compared with the control groups. Although the study highlights the reactive balance deficits increasing fall risk in survivors of stroke compared with healthy adults, the study was restricted to individuals with chronic stroke only. It is likely that comparing compensatory stepping responses across different stages of recovery would enable clinicians to identify reactive balance deficits related to a specific stage of recovery. These findings suggest the inability of the survivors of stroke to regain postural stability with one or more compensatory steps, unlike their healthy counterparts. Such a response may expose them to a greater fall risk resulting from inefficient compensatory stepping and reduced vertical limb support. Therapeutic interventions for fall prevention, therefore, should focus on improving both reactive stepping and limb support. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Clap-and-fling mechanism in a hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle.

PubMed

Phan, Hoang Vu; Au, Thi Kim Loan; Park, Hoon Cheol

2016-12-01

This study used numerical and experimental approaches to investigate the role played by the clap-and-fling mechanism in enhancing force generation in hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FW-MAV). The flapping mechanism was designed to symmetrically flap wings at a high flapping amplitude of approximately 192°. The clap-and-fling mechanisms were thereby implemented at both dorsal and ventral stroke reversals. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was constructed based on three-dimensional wing kinematics to estimate the force generation, which was validated by the measured forces using a 6-axis load cell. The computed forces proved that the CFD model provided reasonable estimation with differences less than 8%, when compared with the measured forces. The measurement indicated that the clap and flings at both the stroke reversals augmented the average vertical force by 16.2% when compared with the force without the clap-and-fling effect. In the CFD simulation, the clap and flings enhanced the vertical force by 11.5% and horizontal drag force by 18.4%. The observations indicated that both the fling and the clap contributed to the augmented vertical force by 62.6% and 37.4%, respectively, and to the augmented horizontal drag force by 71.7% and 28.3%, respectively. The flow structures suggested that a strong downwash was expelled from the opening gap between the trailing edges during the fling as well as the clap at each stroke reversal. In addition to the fling phases, the influx of air into the low-pressure region between the wings from the leading edges also significantly contributed to augmentation of the vertical force. The study conducted for high Reynolds numbers also confirmed that the effect of the clap and fling was insignificant when the minimum distance between the two wings exceeded 1.2c (c = wing chord). Thus, the clap and flings were successfully implemented in the FW-MAV, and there was a significant improvement in the vertical force.

Clap-and-fling mechanism in a hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle

PubMed Central

Phan, Hoang Vu; Au, Thi Kim Loan

2016-01-01

This study used numerical and experimental approaches to investigate the role played by the clap-and-fling mechanism in enhancing force generation in hovering insect-like two-winged flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FW-MAV). The flapping mechanism was designed to symmetrically flap wings at a high flapping amplitude of approximately 192°. The clap-and-fling mechanisms were thereby implemented at both dorsal and ventral stroke reversals. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was constructed based on three-dimensional wing kinematics to estimate the force generation, which was validated by the measured forces using a 6-axis load cell. The computed forces proved that the CFD model provided reasonable estimation with differences less than 8%, when compared with the measured forces. The measurement indicated that the clap and flings at both the stroke reversals augmented the average vertical force by 16.2% when compared with the force without the clap-and-fling effect. In the CFD simulation, the clap and flings enhanced the vertical force by 11.5% and horizontal drag force by 18.4%. The observations indicated that both the fling and the clap contributed to the augmented vertical force by 62.6% and 37.4%, respectively, and to the augmented horizontal drag force by 71.7% and 28.3%, respectively. The flow structures suggested that a strong downwash was expelled from the opening gap between the trailing edges during the fling as well as the clap at each stroke reversal. In addition to the fling phases, the influx of air into the low-pressure region between the wings from the leading edges also significantly contributed to augmentation of the vertical force. The study conducted for high Reynolds numbers also confirmed that the effect of the clap and fling was insignificant when the minimum distance between the two wings exceeded 1.2c (c = wing chord). Thus, the clap and flings were successfully implemented in the FW-MAV, and there was a significant improvement in the vertical force. PMID:28083112

[Organization and methodology of early rehabilitation of the patients with cardioembolic stroke complicated by cardiac insufficiency].

PubMed

Isaeva, T V

2013-01-01

The present work was focused on the safety and effectiveness of the combined rehabilitative treatment in the case of pre-acute and acute cardioembolic stroke in 45 patients with varying degree of cardiac decompensation. The study showed that the use of "passive" remediation, such as the postural treatment, breathing exercises, selective massage, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, is safe and can be recommended to the patients with stroke and cardiac decompensation of different severity (II and III FC of chronic cardiac insufficiency). The introduction of such active measures as verticalization into the program of comprehensive rehabilitation may cause decompensation of cardiac insufficiency. The rehabilitation strategy used in the present study improved performance and exercise tolerance in the majority of the patients. Moreover, it resulted in the significant reduction of the severity of stroke, improved the motor function, and increased functional independence of the patients.

Investigating the tool marks on oracle bones inscriptions from the Yinxu site (ca., 1319-1046 BC), Henan province, China.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaolong; Tang, Jigen; Gu, Zhou; Shi, Jilong; Yang, Yimin; Wang, Changsui

2016-09-01

Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC) are the earliest well-developed writing forms of the Chinese character system, and their carving techniques have not been studied by tool marks analysis with microscopy. In this study, a digital microscope with three-dimensional surface reconstruction based on extended depth of focus technology was used to investigate tool marks on the surface of four pieces of oracle bones excavated at the eastern area of Huayuanzhuang, Yinxu site(ca., 1319-1046 BC), the last capital of the Shang dynasty, Henan province, China. The results show that there were two procedures to carve the characters on the analyzed tortoise shells. The first procedure was direct carving. The second was "outlining design," which means to engrave a formal character after engraving a draft with a pointed tool. Most of the strokes developed by an engraver do not overlap the smaller draft, which implies that the outlining design would be a sound way to avoid errors such as wrong and missing characters. The strokes of these characters have different shape at two ends and variations on width and depth of the grooves. Moreover, the bottom of the grooves is always rugged. Thus, the use of rotary wheel-cutting tools could be ruled out. In most cases, the starting points of the strokes are round or flat while the finishing points are always pointed. Moreover, the strokes should be engraved from top to bottom. When vertical or horizontal strokes had been engraved, the shell would be turned about 90 degrees to engrave the crossed strokes from top to bottom. There was no preferred order to engrave vertical or horizontal strokes. Since both sides of the grooves of the characters are neat and there exists no unorganized tool marks, then it is suggested that some sharp tools had been used for engraving characters on the shells. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:827-832, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Robot-Aided Neurorehabilitation

PubMed Central

Krebs, Hermano Igo; Hogan, Neville; Aisen, Mindy L.; Volpe, Bruce T.

2009-01-01

Our goal is to apply robotics and automation technology to assist, enhance, quantify, and document neurorehabilitation. This paper reviews a clinical trial involving 20 stroke patients with a prototype robot-aided rehabilitation facility developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, (MIT) and tested at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, White Plains, NY. It also presents our approach to analyze kinematic data collected in the robot-aided assessment procedure. In particular, we present evidence 1) that robot-aided therapy does not have adverse effects, 2) that patients tolerate the procedure, and 3) that peripheral manipulation of the impaired limb may influence brain recovery. These results are based on standard clinical assessment procedures. We also present one approach using kinematic data in a robot-aided assessment procedure. PMID:9535526

Horizontal electric fields from lightning return strokes

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

Thomson, E.M.; Uman, M.A.; Johnson, J.

1985-01-01

Measurements are presented of simultaneous horizontal and vertical electric fields from both close and distant lightning return strokes. The data were obtained during summer 1984 at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, using an electrically isolated spherical antenna having a system bandwidth of 3 Hz to 5 MHz. Lightning signals were obtained from flashes at distances from a few to 100 kilometers. Since the horizontal electric field is in part determined by the local ground conductivity, that parameter was measured as a function of depth. The horizontal fields from lightning return strokes had typically 1/50 the peak amplitude of the verticalmore » fields and waveshapes which were consistant with available theory, as expressed by the ''wavetilt'' formula.« less

The Subjective Postural Vertical Determined in Patients with Pusher Behavior During Standing.

PubMed

Bergmann, Jeannine; Krewer, Carmen; Selge, Charlotte; Müller, Friedemann; Jahn, Klaus

2016-06-01

The subjective postural vertical (SPV), i.e., the perceived upright orientation of the body in relation to gravity, is disturbed in patients with pusher behavior. So far, the SPV has been measured only when these patients were sitting, and the results were contradictory as regards the side of the SPV deviation. The objective was to investigate the SPV in patients with different degrees of severity of pusher behavior while standing. Eight stroke patients with pusher behavior, ten age-matched stroke patients without pusher behavior, and ten age-matched healthy control subjects were included. The SPV (SPV error, SPV range) was assessed in the pitch and the roll planes. Pusher behavior was classified with the Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS). In the pitch plane, the SPV range was significantly larger in pusher patients than in patients without pusher behavior or healthy controls. The SPV error was similar for groups. In the roll plane, the SPV error and the SPV range were significantly larger and more ipsilesionally tilted in the pusher group than in the other two groups. There was a significant correlation between the SPV error in the roll plane and the BLS score. The study revealed that patients with pusher behavior had an ipsilesional SPV tilt that decreased with decreasing severity of the behavior. The large uncertainty in verticality estimation in both planes indicates that their sensitivity for the perception of verticality in space is generally disturbed. These findings emphasize the importance of specific rehabilitation approaches to recalibrate the impaired inner model of verticality.

Hovering and targeting flight simulations of a dragonfly-like flapping wing-body model by the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirohashi, Kensuke; Inamuro, Takaji

2017-08-01

Hovering and targeting flights of the dragonfly-like flapping wing-body model are numerically investigated by using the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. The governing parameters of the problem are the Reynolds number Re, the Froude number Fr, and the non-dimensional mass m. We set the parameters at Re = 200, Fr = 15 and m = 51. First, we simulate free flights of the model for various values of the phase difference angle ϕ between the forewing and the hindwing motions and for various values of the stroke angle β between the stroke plane and the horizontal plane. We find that the vertical motion of the model depends on the phase difference angle ϕ, and the horizontal motion of the model depends on the stroke angle β. Secondly, using the above results we try to simulate the hovering flight by dynamically changing the phase difference angle ϕ and the stroke angle β. The hovering flight can be successfully simulated by a simple proportional controller of the phase difference angle and the stroke angle. Finally, we simulate a targeting flight by dynamically changing the stroke angle β.

Can stroke patients use visual analogue scales?

PubMed

Price, C I; Curless, R H; Rodgers, H

1999-07-01

Visual analogue scales (VAS) have been used for the subjective measurement of mood, pain, and health status after stroke. In this study we investigated how stroke-related impairments could alter the ability of subjects to answer accurately. Consent was obtained from 96 subjects with a clinical stroke (mean age, 72.5 years; 50 men) and 48 control subjects without cerebrovascular disease (mean age, 71.5 years; 29 men). Patients with reduced conscious level or severe dysphasia were excluded. Subjects were asked to rate the tightness that they could feel on the (unaffected) upper arm after 3 low-pressure inflations with a standard sphygmomanometer cuff, which followed a predetermined sequence (20 mm Hg, 40 mm Hg, 0 mm Hg). Immediately after each change, they rated the perceived tightness on 5 scales presented in a random order: 4-point rating scale (none, mild, moderate, severe), 0 to 10 numerical rating scale, mechanical VAS, horizontal VAS, and vertical VAS. Standard tests recorded deficits in language, cognition, and visuospatial awareness. Inability to complete scales with the correct pattern was associated with any stroke (P<0.001). There was a significant association between success using scales and milder clinical stroke subtype (P<0.01). Within the stroke group, logistic regression analysis identified significant associations (P<0.05) between impairments (cognitive and visuospatial) and inability to complete individual scales correctly. Many patients after a stroke are unable to successfully complete self-report measurement scales, including VAS.

Toilet Grab-Bar Preference and Center of Pressure Deviation During Toilet Transfers in Healthy Seniors, Seniors With Hip Replacements, and Seniors Having Suffered a Stroke.

PubMed

Kennedy, Matthew Joel; Arcelus, Amaya; Guitard, Paulette; Goubran, R A; Sveistrup, Heidi

2015-01-01

Multiple toilet grab-bar configurations are required by people with a diverse spectrum of disability. The study purpose was to determine toilet grab-bar preference of healthy seniors, seniors with a hip replacement, and seniors post-stroke, and to determine the effect of each configuration on centre of pressure (COP) displacement during toilet transfers. 14 healthy seniors, 7 ambulatory seniors with a hip replacement, and 8 ambulatory seniors post-stroke participated in the study. Toilet transfers were performed with no bars (NB), commode (C), two vertical bars (2VB), one vertical bar (1VB), a horizontal bar (H), two swing-away bars (S) and a diagonal bar (D). COP was measured using pressure sensitive floor mats. Participants rated the safety, ease of use, helpfulness, comfort and preference for instalment. 2VB was most preferred and had the smallest COP deviation. Least preferred was H and NB. C caused largest COP displacement but had favourable ratings. The preference and safety of the 2VB should be considered in the design of accessible toilets and in accessibility construction guidelines. However these results need to be verified in non-ambulatory populations. C is frequently prescribed, but generates large COP deviation, suggesting it may present an increased risk of falls.

Dexamethasone-Loaded, PEGylated, Vertically Aligned, Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Potential Ischemic Stroke Intervention.

PubMed

Komane, Patrick P; Kumar, Pradeep; Marimuthu, Thashree; Toit, Lisa C du; Kondiah, Pierre P D; Choonara, Yahya E; Pillay, Viness

2018-06-10

The complete synthesis, optimization, purification, functionalization and evaluation of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWCNTs) was reported for potential application in dexamethasone delivery to the ischemic brain tissue. The conditions for high yield were optimized and carbon nanotubes functionalized and PEGylated prior to dexamethasone loading. Morphological changes were confirmed by SEM and TEM. Addition of functional groups to MWCNTs was demonstrated by FTIR. Thermal stability reduced following MWCNTs functionalization as demonstrated in TGA. The presence of carbon at 2θ of 25° and iron at 2θ of 45° in MWCNTs was illustrated by XRD. Polydispersive index and zeta potential were found to be 0.261 and −15.0 mV, respectively. Dexamethasone release increased by 55%, 65% and 95% in pH of 7.4, 6.5 and 5.5 respectively as evaluated by UV-VIS. The functionalized VA-MWCNTs were demonstrated to be less toxic in PC-12 cells in the concentration range from 20 to 20,000 µg/mL. These findings have demonstrated the potential of VA-MWCNTs in the enhancement of fast and prolonged release of dexamethasone which could lead to the effective treatment of ischemic stroke. More work is under way for targeting ischemic sites using atrial natriuretic peptide antibody in stroke rats.

The cloud-ionosphere discharge: a newly observed thunderstorm phenomenon.

PubMed

Winckler, J R

1997-09-30

This paper deals with a luminous electric discharge that forms in the mesospheric region between thundercloud tops and the ionosphere at 90-km altitude. These cloud-ionosphere discharges (CIs), following visual reports dating back to the 19th century, were finally imaged by a low-light TV camera as part of the "SKYFLASH" program at the University of Minnesota in 1989. Many observations were made by various groups in the period 1993-1996. The characteristics of CIs are that they have a wide range of sizes from a few kilometers up to 50 km horizontally; they extend from 40 km to nearly 90 km vertically, with an intense region near 60-70 km and streamers extending down toward cloud tops; the CIs are partly or entirely composed of vertical luminous filaments of kilometer size. The predominate color is red. The TV images show that the CIs usually have a duration less than one TV field (16.7 ms), but higher-speed photometric measurements show that they last about 3 ms, and are delayed 3 ms after an initiating cloud-ground lightning stroke; 95% of these initiating strokes are found to be "positive"-i.e., carry positive charges from clouds to ground. The preference for positive initiating strokes is not understood. Theories of the formation of CIs are briefly reviewed.

The Standardization of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) for People with Stroke Using Rasch Analysis

PubMed Central

Yoo, Doo Han; Hong, Deok Gi; Lee, Jae Shin

2014-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to standardize the clock drawing test (CDT) for people with stroke using Rasch analysis. [Subjects and Methods] Seventeen items of the CDT identified through a literature review were performed by 159 stroke patients. The data was analyzed with Winstep version 3.57 using the Rasch model to examine the unidimensionality of the items’ fit, the distribution of the items’ difficulty, and the reliability and appropriateness of the rating scale. [Result] Ten out of the 159 participations (6.2%) were considered misfit subjects, and one item of the CDT was determined to be a misfit item based on Rasch analysis. The rating scales were judged as suitable because the observed average showed an array of vertical orders and MNSQ values < 2. The separate index and reliability of the subject (1.98, 0.80) and item (6.45, 0.97) showed relatively high values. [Conclusion] This study is the first to examine the CDT scale in stroke patients by Rasch analysis. The CDT is expected to be useful for screening stroke patients with cognitive problems. PMID:24409026

Portable tomographic PIV measurements of swimming shelled Antarctic pteropods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, Deepak; Webster, Donald R.; Yen, Jeannette

2016-12-01

A portable tomographic particle image velocimetry (tomographic PIV) system is described. The system was successfully deployed in Antarctica to study shelled Antarctic pteropods ( Limacina helicina antarctica)—a delicate organism with an unusual propulsion mechanism. The experimental setup consists of a free-standing frame assembled with optical rails, thus avoiding the need for heavy and bulky equipment (e.g. an optical table). The cameras, lasers, optics, and tanks are all rigidly supported within the frame assembly. The results indicate that the pteropods flap their parapodia (or "wings") downward during both power and recovery strokes, which is facilitated by the pitching of their shell. Shell pitching significantly alters the flapping trajectory, allowing the pteropod to move vertically and/or horizontally. The pronation and supination of the parapodia, together with the figure-eight motion during flapping, suggest similarities with insect flight. The volumetric velocity field surrounding the freely swimming pteropod reveals the generation of an attached vortex ring connecting the leading-edge vortex to the trailing-edge vortex during power stroke and a presence of a leading-edge vortex during recovery stroke. These vortex structures play a major role in accelerating the organism vertically and indicate that forces generated on the parapodia during flapping constitute both lift and drag. After completing each stroke, two vortex rings are shed into the wake of the pteropod. The complex combination of body kinematics (parapodia flapping, shell pitch, sawtooth trajectory), flow structures, and resulting force balance may be significantly altered by thinning of the pteropod shell, thus making pteropods an indicator of the detrimental effects of ocean acidification.

Study of Stroke Incidence in the Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alhazzani, Adel A; Mahfouz, Ahmed A; Abolyazid, Ahmed Y; Awadalla, Nabil J; Aftab, Razia; Faraheen, Aesha; Khalil, Shamsun Nahar

2018-01-26

Recent data regarding first-stroke incidence in Saudi Arabia in general and in the Aseer region in particular are scarce and even lacking. The aim of this work was to study the first-time stroke incidence in the Aseer region, southwestern Saudi Arabia. All first-stroke patients admitted to all hospitals in the Aseer region over a one-year period (January through December 2016) were included. Stroke patients outside the Aseer region were excluded from the study. The incidence per 100,000 patients and the concomitant 95% CI (Confidence Intervals) were computed. The present study included 1249 first-time stroke patients and calculated an overall minimal incidence rate of hospitalized first-time stroke of 57.64 per 100,000 persons per year (95% CI: 57.57-57.70). A steady increase was noticed depending on the patients' age, reaching a figure of 851.81 (95% CI: 849.2-854.5) for those patients aged 70 years and more. Overall, the incidence rate for females (48.14; 95% CI: 48.04-48.24) was lower compared to males (65.52; 95% CI: 65.1-66.0). Taking into consideration the expected rise of the elderly because of the prominent medical services provided by the Saudi government, leading to a subsequent change in the horizontal and vertical age distribution structure of the population, an increase in the number of stroke patients is expected. It is suggested to establish a nationwide stroke surveillance system in the Kingdom, with the objective to report, analyze, and maintain an updated overview of the stroke status in Saudi Arabia.

Spontaneous Emergence of Legibility in Writing Systems: The Case of Orientation Anisotropy.

PubMed

Morin, Olivier

2018-03-01

Cultural forms are constrained by cognitive biases, and writing is thought to have evolved to fit basic visual preferences, but little is known about the history and mechanisms of that evolution. Cognitive constraints have been documented for the topology of script features, but not for their orientation. Orientation anisotropy in human vision, as revealed by the oblique effect, suggests that cardinal (vertical and horizontal) orientations, being easier to process, should be overrepresented in letters. As this study of 116 scripts shows, the orientation of strokes inside written characters massively favors cardinal directions, and it is organized in such a way as to make letter recognition easier: Cardinal and oblique strokes tend not to mix, and mirror symmetry is anisotropic, favoring vertical over horizontal symmetry. Phylogenetic analyses and recently invented scripts show that cultural evolution over the last three millennia cannot be the sole cause of these effects. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Cognitive Science Society.

A variant of WEBINO syndrome after top of the basilar artery stroke.

PubMed

Sierra-Hidalgo, Fernando; Moreno-Ramos, Teresa; Villarejo, Alberto; Martín-Gil, Leticia; de Pablo-Fernández, Eduardo; Correas-Callero, Elisa; Ramos, Ana; Benito-León, Julián

2010-11-01

Wall-eyed bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (WEBINO) is an uncommon neuro-ophthalmologic syndrome consisting of both eyes primary position exotropia and bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia. It is thought to be caused by medial midbrain lesions involving both bilateral medial longitudinal fasciculi and medial rectus subnuclei. We report the clinical and neuroimaging findings of a WEBINO syndrome associated to bilateral ptosis, non-reactive mydriasis and complete vertical gaze palsy in a 55-year-old man who suffered a top of the basilar artery stroke causing tegmental midbrain infarction. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-photon vertical cross-sectional imaging with a dynamically-balanced thin-film PZT z-axis microactuator.

PubMed

Choi, Jongsoo; Duan, Xiyu; Li, Haijun; Wang, Thomas D; Oldham, Kenn R

2017-10-01

Use of a thin-film piezoelectric microactuator for axial scanning during multi-photon vertical cross-sectional imaging is described. The actuator uses thin-film lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) to generate upward displacement of a central mirror platform, micro-machined from a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer to dimensions compatible with endoscopic imaging instruments. Device modeling in this paper focuses on existence of frequencies near device resonance producing vertical motion with minimal off-axis tilt even in the presence of multiple vibration modes and non-uniformity in fabrication outcomes. Operation near rear resonance permits large stroke lengths at low voltages relative to other vertical microactuators. Highly uniform vertical motion of the mirror platform is a key requirement for vertical cross-sectional imaging in the remote scan architecture being used for multi-photon instrument prototyping. The stage is installed in a benchtop testbed in combination with an electrostatic mirror that performs in-plane scanning. Vertical sectional images are acquired from 15 μm diameter beads and excised mouse colon tissue.

HINTS to diagnose stroke in the acute vestibular syndrome: three-step bedside oculomotor examination more sensitive than early MRI diffusion-weighted imaging.

PubMed

Kattah, Jorge C; Talkad, Arun V; Wang, David Z; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang; Newman-Toker, David E

2009-11-01

Acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) is often due to vestibular neuritis but can result from vertebrobasilar strokes. Misdiagnosis of posterior fossa infarcts in emergency care settings is frequent. Bedside oculomotor findings may reliably identify stroke in AVS, but prospective studies have been lacking. The authors conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study at an academic hospital. Consecutive patients with AVS (vertigo, nystagmus, nausea/vomiting, head-motion intolerance, unsteady gait) with >or=1 stroke risk factor underwent structured examination, including horizontal head impulse test of vestibulo-ocular reflex function, observation of nystagmus in different gaze positions, and prism cross-cover test of ocular alignment. All underwent neuroimaging and admission (generally <72 hours after symptom onset). Strokes were diagnosed by MRI or CT. Peripheral lesions were diagnosed by normal MRI and clinical follow-up. One hundred one high-risk patients with AVS included 25 peripheral and 76 central lesions (69 ischemic strokes, 4 hemorrhages, 3 other). The presence of normal horizontal head impulse test, direction-changing nystagmus in eccentric gaze, or skew deviation (vertical ocular misalignment) was 100% sensitive and 96% specific for stroke. Skew was present in 17% and associated with brainstem lesions (4% peripheral, 4% pure cerebellar, 30% brainstem involvement; chi(2), P=0.003). Skew correctly predicted lateral pontine stroke in 2 of 3 cases in which an abnormal horizontal head impulse test erroneously suggested peripheral localization. Initial MRI diffusion-weighted imaging was falsely negative in 12% (all <48 hours after symptom onset). Skew predicts brainstem involvement in AVS and can identify stroke when an abnormal horizontal head impulse test falsely suggests a peripheral lesion. A 3-step bedside oculomotor examination (HINTS: Head-Impulse-Nystagmus-Test-of-Skew) appears more sensitive for stroke than early MRI in AVS.

The cloud–ionosphere discharge: A newly observed thunderstorm phenomenon

PubMed Central

Winckler, John R.

1997-01-01

This paper deals with a luminous electric discharge that forms in the mesospheric region between thundercloud tops and the ionosphere at 90-km altitude. These cloud–ionosphere discharges (CIs), following visual reports dating back to the 19th century, were finally imaged by a low-light TV camera as part of the “SKYFLASH” program at the University of Minnesota in 1989. Many observations were made by various groups in the period 1993–1996. The characteristics of CIs are that they have a wide range of sizes from a few kilometers up to 50 km horizontally; they extend from 40 km to nearly 90 km vertically, with an intense region near 60–70 km and streamers extending down toward cloud tops; the CIs are partly or entirely composed of vertical luminous filaments of kilometer size. The predominate color is red. The TV images show that the CIs usually have a duration less than one TV field (16.7 ms), but higher-speed photometric measurements show that they last about 3 ms, and are delayed 3 ms after an initiating cloud–ground lightning stroke; 95% of these initiating strokes are found to be “positive”—i.e., carry positive charges from clouds to ground. The preference for positive initiating strokes is not understood. Theories of the formation of CIs are briefly reviewed. PMID:11038577

Effect of Gravity on Robot-Assisted Motor Training After Chronic Stroke: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Conroy, Susan S.; Whitall, Jill; Dipietro, Laura; Jones-Lush, Lauren M.; Zhan, Min; Finley, Margaret A.; Wittenberg, George F.; Krebs, Hermano I.; Bever, Christopher T.

2015-01-01

Objectives To determine the efficacy of 2 distinct 6-week robot-assisted reaching programs compared with an intensive conventional arm exercise program (ICAE) for chronic, stroke-related upper-extremity (UE) impairment. To examine whether the addition of robot-assisted training out of the horizontal plane leads to improved outcomes. Design Randomized controlled trial, single-blinded, with 12-week follow-up. Setting Research setting in a large medical center. Participants Adults (N=62) with chronic, stroke-related arm weakness stratified by impairment severity using baseline UE motor assessments. Interventions Sixty minutes, 3 times a week for 6 weeks of robot-assisted planar reaching (gravity compensated), combined planar with vertical robot-assisted reaching, or intensive conventional arm exercise program. Main Outcome Measure UE Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) mean change from baseline to final training. Results All groups showed modest gains in the FMA from baseline to final with no significant between group differences. Most change occurred in the planar robot group (mean change ± SD, 2.94± 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40 – 4.47). Participants with greater motor impairment (n=41) demonstrated a larger difference in response (mean change ± SD, 2.29±0.72; 95% CI, 0.85–3.72) for planar robot-assisted exercise compared with the intensive conventional arm exercise program (mean change ± SD, 0.43±0.72; 95% CI, −1.00 to 1.86). Conclusions Chronic UE deficits because of stroke are responsive to intensive motor task training. However, training outside the horizontal plane in a gravity present environment using a combination of vertical with planar robots was not superior to training with the planar robot alone. PMID:21849168

The effects of upper and lower limb position on symmetry of vertical ground reaction force during sit-to-stand in chronic stroke subjects

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae Hong; Min, Dong Ki; Choe, Han Seong; Lee, Jin Hwan; Shin, So Hong

2018-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of arm and leg posture elements on symmetrical weight bearing during Sit to Stand tasks in chronic stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were diagnosed with stroke and 22 patients (15 males and 7 females) participated in this study. All participants performed Sit to Stand tasks on three foot postures and two arm postures. Two force plates were used to measure peak of vertical ground reaction force and symmetrical ratio to peak Fz. The data were analyzed using independent t-test and two-way repeated ANOVA. [Results] The results of this study are as follows: 1) Peak Fz placed more weight in non-paretic leg during Sit to Stand. 2) A symmetrical ratio to Peak Fz indicated significant difference between foot and arm posture, and had non-paretic limb supported on a step and paretic at ground level (STP) and grasped arm posture that lock fingers together with shoulder flexion by 90°(GA) (0.79 ± 0.09). [Conclusion] These results suggest that STP posture of the legs and GA posture of the arms should be able to increase the use of the paretic side during Sit to Stand behavior and induce normal Sit to Stand mechanism through the anterior tilt of the hip in clinical practices, by which loads onto the knee joint and the ankle joint can be reduced, and the trunk righting response can be promoted by making the back fully stretched. The outcome of this study is expected to be a reference for exercise or prognosis of Sit to Stand in stroke patients. PMID:29545686

Detection of Lightning-produced NOx by Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yair, Y.; Shalev, S.; Saaroni, H.; Ziv, B.

2011-12-01

Lightning is the largest natural source for the production of nitrogen oxides (LtNOx) in the troposphere. Since NOx are greenhouse gases, it is important to know the global production rate of LtNOx for climate studies (present estimates range from 2 to 8 Tg per year) and to model its vertical distribution (Ott et al., 2010). One of the key factors for such an estimate is the yield of a single lightning flash, namely the number of molecules produced for each Joule of energy deposited along the lightning channel. We used lightning stroke data from the Israel Lightning Location System (ILLS) together with NOx data obtained from the national network of air quality monitoring stations operated by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection. Looking for the fingerprints of LtNOx in the general ambient concentrations, usually most affected by pollution from urban sources, we looked only for CG strokes occurring within a radius of 3 km from the location of an air-quality monitoring station. This lowered the number of relevant cases from 605,413 strokes detected in the 2004/5 through 2009/10 seasons to 1,897 strokes. We applied a threshold of > 60kA reducing the number of events to 35. The results showed that there was no consistent rising trend in the NOx concentrations in the hour following the lightning (the lifetime near the ground is expected to be a few hours; Zhang et al., 2003). However, when considering only those events when the prevailing wind was in the direction from the stroke location toward the sensor (7 cases), a clear increase of few ppb following the stroke was observed in 5 cases [see Fig.]. This increase is well correlated with the wind speed, suggesting an effective transport from the stroke location to the sensor. Weaker winds allow dilution and result in smaller observed increases of LtNOx. Separate analysis of additional 17 cases in which the strokes were located < 500 m from the monitoring station (with any peak current above 7 kA) showed no consistent trend. When excluding the 7 events that occurred during rush hour traffic, we found 6 (of 10) cases with an average increase in NOx concentrations of 16 ppb in the hour following the lightning. These results suggest a contribution of CG lightning strokes to the ground level concentrations of NOx. L. E. Ott, K. E. Pickering, G. L. Stenchikov, D. J. Allen, A. J. DeCaria, B. Ridley, R.F. Lin, S. Lang, and W.K. Tao (2010), Production of lightning NOx and its vertical distribution calculated from three dimensional cloud scale chemical transport model simulations, J. Geophys. Res., 115, D04301, doi:10.1029/2009JD011880

Nanomedical strategy to prolong survival period, heighten cure rate, and lower systemic toxicity of S180 mice treated with MTX/MIT.

PubMed

Song, Ning; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Yuji; Hu, Xi; Wu, Jianhui; Jiang, Xueyun; Li, Shan; Cui, Chunying; Peng, Shiqi

2016-01-01

In spite of the usual combination form of methotrexate (MTX)/mitoxantrone (MIT) and various complex combination regimens of MTX/MIT with other anticancer drugs, the survival period, cure rate, and systemic toxicity still need to be improved. For this purpose, a nanostructured amino group-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNN)-MTX/MIT was designed. In the preparation, the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) was modified with amino groups to form MSNN. The covalent modification of the amino groups on the surface of MSNN with MTX resulted in MSNN-MTX. The loading of MIT into the surface pores of MSNN-MTX produced nanostructured MSNN-MTX/MIT. Compared with the usual combination form (MTX/MIT), nanostructured MSNN-MTX/MIT increased the survival period greatly, heightened the cure rate to a great extent, and lowered the systemic toxicity of the treated S180 mice, significantly. These superior in vivo properties of nanostructured MSNN-MTX/MIT over the usual combination form (MTX/MIT) were correlated with the former selectively releasing MTX and MIT in tumor tissue and inside cancer cells in vitro. The chemical structure and the nanostructure of MSNN-MTX/MIT were characterized using infrared and differential scanning calorimeter spectra as well as transmission electron microscope images, respectively.

Nanomedical strategy to prolong survival period, heighten cure rate, and lower systemic toxicity of S180 mice treated with MTX/MIT

PubMed Central

Song, Ning; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Yuji; Hu, Xi; Wu, Jianhui; Jiang, Xueyun; Li, Shan; Cui, Chunying; Peng, Shiqi

2016-01-01

In spite of the usual combination form of methotrexate (MTX)/mitoxantrone (MIT) and various complex combination regimens of MTX/MIT with other anticancer drugs, the survival period, cure rate, and systemic toxicity still need to be improved. For this purpose, a nanostructured amino group-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNN)−MTX/MIT was designed. In the preparation, the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) was modified with amino groups to form MSNN. The covalent modification of the amino groups on the surface of MSNN with MTX resulted in MSNN−MTX. The loading of MIT into the surface pores of MSNN−MTX produced nanostructured MSNN−MTX/MIT. Compared with the usual combination form (MTX/MIT), nanostructured MSNN−MTX/MIT increased the survival period greatly, heightened the cure rate to a great extent, and lowered the systemic toxicity of the treated S180 mice, significantly. These superior in vivo properties of nanostructured MSNN−MTX/MIT over the usual combination form (MTX/MIT) were correlated with the former selectively releasing MTX and MIT in tumor tissue and inside cancer cells in vitro. The chemical structure and the nanostructure of MSNN−MTX/MIT were characterized using infrared and differential scanning calorimeter spectra as well as transmission electron microscope images, respectively. PMID:27621591

Design of multifunctional magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles/mitoxantrone-loaded liposomes for both magnetic resonance imaging and targeted cancer therapy.

PubMed

He, Yingna; Zhang, Linhua; Zhu, Dunwan; Song, Cunxian

2014-01-01

Tumor-targeting multifunctional liposomes simultaneously loaded with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent and anticancer drug, mitoxantrone (Mit), were developed for targeted cancer therapy and ultrasensitive MRI. The gonadorelin-functionalized MION/Mit-loaded liposome (Mit-GML) showed significantly increased uptake in luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) receptor overexpressing MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) breast cancer cells over a gonadorelin-free MION/Mit-loaded liposome (Mit-ML) control, as well as in an LHRH receptor low-expressing Sloan-Kettering HER2 3+ Ovarian Cancer (SK-OV-3) cell control, thereby leading to high cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 human breast tumor cell line. The Mit-GML formulation was more effective and less toxic than equimolar doses of free Mit or Mit-ML in the treatment of LHRH receptors overexpressing MCF-7 breast cancer xenografts in mice. Furthermore, the Mit-GML demonstrated much higher T2 enhancement than did Mit-ML controls in vivo. Collectively, the study indicates that the integrated diagnostic and therapeutic design of Mit-GML nanomedicine potentially allows for the image-guided, target-specific treatment of cancer.

Design of multifunctional magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles/mitoxantrone-loaded liposomes for both magnetic resonance imaging and targeted cancer therapy

PubMed Central

He, Yingna; Zhang, Linhua; Zhu, Dunwan; Song, Cunxian

2014-01-01

Tumor-targeting multifunctional liposomes simultaneously loaded with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent and anticancer drug, mitoxantrone (Mit), were developed for targeted cancer therapy and ultrasensitive MRI. The gonadorelin-functionalized MION/Mit-loaded liposome (Mit-GML) showed significantly increased uptake in luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone (LHRH) receptor overexpressing MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) breast cancer cells over a gonadorelin-free MION/Mit-loaded liposome (Mit-ML) control, as well as in an LHRH receptor low-expressing Sloan-Kettering HER2 3+ Ovarian Cancer (SK-OV-3) cell control, thereby leading to high cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 human breast tumor cell line. The Mit-GML formulation was more effective and less toxic than equimolar doses of free Mit or Mit-ML in the treatment of LHRH receptors overexpressing MCF-7 breast cancer xenografts in mice. Furthermore, the Mit-GML demonstrated much higher T2 enhancement than did Mit-ML controls in vivo. Collectively, the study indicates that the integrated diagnostic and therapeutic design of Mit-GML nanomedicine potentially allows for the image-guided, target-specific treatment of cancer. PMID:25187709

Thermo-Rotational Instability in Plasma Disks Around Compact Objects*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppi, Bruno

2008-04-01

Differentially rotating plasma disks, around compact objects, that are imbedded in a ``seed'' magnetic field are shown to develop vertically localized ballooning modes that are driven by the combined radial gradient of the rotation frequency and the vertical gradients of the plasma density and temperature [1]. When the electron mean free path is shorter than the disk height and the (vertical) thermal conductivity can be neglected, the vertical particle flows produced by of these modes have the effect to drive the density and temperature profiles toward the ``adiabatic condition'' where ηT≡(dlnT/dz/(dlnn/dz)=2/3. Here T is the plasma temperature and n the particle density. The faster growth rates correspond to steeper temperature profiles (ηT>2/3) such as those produced by an internal (e.g. viscous) heating process. In the end, ballooning modes excited for various values of ηT can lead to the evolution of the disk into a different current carrying configuration such as a sequence of plasma rings[2].*Sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy[1]B. Coppi, M.I.T. (LNS) Report HEP, 07/02, Cambridge, MA (2007), Invited Paper at the International Symposium on ``Momentum Transport in Jets, Disks and Laboratory Plasmas'', Alba, Piedmont, September 2007, to be published in Europhysical Letters (EPL, IOP)[2]B. Coppi andF. Rousseau, Ap. J., 641, 458, (2006)

Observation of incomplete drainage of a branched negative stepped leader system during the initial return stroke, and its implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, D.; Beasley, W. H.

2012-12-01

We present high-speed video, taken at 75,000 frames per second, of an anomalous lightning flash that involved two distinct return strokes from different branches of the same branched negative stepped leader system. During the initial return stroke the leader system was incompletely drained, resulting in the continued development of a large side branch. The upper portions of this side branch exhibited a pulse of luminosity during the initial return stroke, but the luminosity did not extend down the branch. The lower portion of the branch continued to develop downward as a negative stepped leader, but at a much slower velocity. Continued stepping activity was observed in this branch as it continued downward at a significantly reduced velocity, finally attaching to the earth 1.8 milliseconds after the main return stroke. The ensuing return stroke was characterized by a slower vertical velocity and weaker luminous pulse. Based on this observation, we coin the term "orphaned branch" to describe a branch of a leader system that is not drained during a return stroke. While our case involves a branch that eventually connected to the ground and produced a return stroke, we also consider the possibility that such branches may also simply cease to progress and effectively deposit large amounts of space charge near their extremities. Such space charge would have a strong influence on subsequent breakdown activity in their vicinity, such as shielding subsequent descending negative stepped leaders or triggering upward positive leaders from earth's surface.

Validity of the growth model of the 'computerized visual perception assessment tool for Chinese characters structures'.

PubMed

Wu, Huey-Min; Li, Cheng-Hsaun; Kuo, Bor-Chen; Yang, Yu-Mao; Lin, Chin-Kai; Wan, Wei-Hsiang

2017-08-01

Morphological awareness is the foundation for the important developmental skills involved with vocabulary, as well as understanding the meaning of words, orthographic knowledge, reading, and writing. Visual perception of space and radicals in two-dimensional positions of Chinese characters' morphology is very important in identifying Chinese characters. The important predictive variables of special and visual perception in Chinese characters identification were investigated in the growth model in this research. The assessment tool is the "Computerized Visual Perception Assessment Tool for Chinese Characters Structures" developed by this study. There are two constructs, basic stroke and character structure. In the basic stroke, there are three subtests of one, two, and more than three strokes. In the character structure, there are three subtests of single-component character, horizontal-compound character, and vertical-compound character. This study used purposive sampling. In the first year, 551 children 4-6 years old participated in the study and were monitored for one year. In the second year, 388 children remained in the study and the successful follow-up rate was 70.4%. This study used a two-wave cross-lagged panel design to validate the growth model of the basic stroke and the character structure. There was significant correlation of the basic stroke and the character structure at different time points. The abilities in the basic stroke and in the character structure steadily developed over time for preschool children. Children's knowledge of the basic stroke effectively predicted their knowledge of the basic stroke and the character structure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multifunctional nanosheets based on hyaluronic acid modified graphene oxide for tumor-targeting chemo-photothermal therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Lin; Feng, Qianhua; Wang, Yating; Zhang, Huijuan; Jiang, Guixiang; Yang, Xiaomin; Ren, Junxiao; Zhu, Xiali; Shi, Yuyang; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2015-03-01

Graphene oxide (GO) with strong optical absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region has shown great potential both in photothermal therapy and drug delivery. In this work, hyaluronic acid (HA)-functionalized GO (HA-GO) was successfully synthesized and controlled loading of mitoxantrone (MIT) onto HA-GO via π- π stacking interaction was investigated. The results revealed that drug-loaded nanosheets with high loading efficiency of 45 wt% exhibited pH-sensitive responses to tumor environment. Owing to the receptor-mediated endocytosis, cellular uptake analysis of HA-GO showed enhanced internalization. In vivo optical imaging test demonstrated that HA-GO nanosheets could enhance the targeting ability and residence time in tumor site. Moreover, the anti-tumor activity of free MIT, MIT/GO, and MIT/HA-GO in combination with NIR laser was investigated using human MCF-7 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity study revealed that HA-GO could stand as a biocompatible nanocarrier and MIT/HA-GO demonstrated remarkably higher toxicity than free MIT and MIT/GO, with IC50 of 0.79 µg ml-1. Tumor cell-killing potency was enhanced when MIT/HA-GO were combined with NIR irradiation, and the IC50 of MIT/HA-GO plus laser irradiation was 0.38 µg ml-1. In vivo, MIT/HA-GO plus NIR laser irradiation with the tumor growth inhibition of 93.52 % displayed greater anti-tumor effect compared with free MIT and MIT/GO with or without laser irradiation. Therefore, the MIT/HA-GO nanosheets may potentially be useful for further development of synergistic cancer therapy.

Multifunctional hyaluronic acid modified graphene oxide loaded with mitoxantrone for overcoming drug resistance in cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Lin; Feng, Qianhua; Wang, Yating; Yang, Xiaomin; Ren, Junxiao; Shi, Yuyang; Shan, Xiaoning; Yuan, Yujie; Wang, Yongchao; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2016-01-01

Multifunctional nanosheets (HA-GO/Pluronic) with targeted chemo-photothermal properties were successfully developed for controlled delivery of mitoxantrone (MIT) to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR). In vitro release profiles displayed that both an acidic environment and a NIR laser could trigger and accelerate the release of a drug, which ensured nanosheets were stable in blood circulation and released MIT within tumor cells under laser irradiation. HA-GO/Pluronic nanosheets were taken up into MCF-7/ADR cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, which further facilitated escapement of P-gp efflux. Compared with MIT solution, MIT/HA-GO/Pluronic showed greater cytotoxicity and increase in cellular MIT accumulation in MCF-7/ADR cells. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest studies also revealed that MIT/HA-GO/Pluronic was more potent than MIT/GO/Pluronic and MIT solution. The anticancer efficacy in vivo was evaluated in MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR-bearing mice, and inhibition of tumors by MIT/HA-GO/Pluronic with NIR laser irradiation was the most effective among all MIT formulations. In summary, the MIT/HA-GO/Pluronic system had striking functions such as P-gp reversible inhibitor and anticancer efficacy, and could present a promising platform for drug-resistant cancer treatment.

Stroke: Working toward a Prioritized World Agenda

PubMed Central

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A.; Gorelick, Philip B.; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C.; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M.; Lo, Eng H.; Skolnick, Brett E.; Furie, Karen L.; Hankey, Graeme J.; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M.; Sacco, Ralph L.; Smith, Sidney C.; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A.; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C.O.; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M.; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A.; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P.; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H.; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K.; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M.; Davis, Stephen M.; Goldstein, Larry B.; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Methods Preliminary work was performed by 7 working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Results Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent ‘silo’ mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (e.g., social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a ‘Brain Health’ concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. Conclusions To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress PMID:20636706

Stroke: Working toward a Prioritized World Agenda

PubMed Central

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A.; Gorelick, Philip B.; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C.; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M.; Lo, Eng H.; Skolnick, Brett E.; Furie, Karen L.; Hankey, Graeme J.; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M.; Sacco, Ralph L.; Smith, Jr., Sidney C.; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A.; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C.O.; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M.; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A.; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P.; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H.; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K.; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M.; Davis, Stephen M.; Goldstein, Larry B.; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2010-01-01

Background and Purpose The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Methods Preliminary work was performed by 7 working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Results Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent ‘silo’ mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (e.g., social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a ‘Brain Health’ concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. Conclusions To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress. PMID:20516682

Stroke: Working Toward a Prioritized World Agenda

PubMed Central

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A.; Gorelick, Philip B.; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C.; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M.; Lo, Eng H.; Skolnick, Brett E.; Furie, Karen L.; Hankey, Graeme J.; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M.; Sacco, Ralph L.; Smith, Sidney C.; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A.; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C.O.; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M.; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A.; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P.; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H.; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K.; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M.; Davis, Stephen M.; Edin, FRCP; Goldstein, Larry B.; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Methods Preliminary work was performed by 7 working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Results Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent “silo” mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (eg, social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a “Brain Health” concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. Conclusions To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress. PMID:20498453

Stroke: working toward a prioritized world agenda.

PubMed

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Gorelick, Philip B; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M; Lo, Eng H; Skolnick, Brett E; Furie, Karen L; Hankey, Graeme J; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M; Sacco, Ralph L; Smith, Sidney C; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C O; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M; Davis, Stephen M; Goldstein, Larry B; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2010-01-01

The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Preliminary work was performed by 7 working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent 'silo' mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (e.g., social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a 'Brain Health' concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress. Copyright (c) 2010 American Heart Association. Inc., S. Karger AG, Basel, and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stroke: working toward a prioritized world agenda.

PubMed

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Gorelick, Philip B; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M; Lo, Eng H; Skolnick, Brett E; Furie, Karen L; Hankey, Graeme J; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M; Sacco, Ralph L; Smith, Sidney C; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C O; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M; Davis, Stephen M; Goldstein, Larry B; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2010-06-01

The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Preliminary work was performed by 7 working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent "silo" mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (eg, social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a "Brain Health" concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress.

Stroke: working toward a prioritized world agenda.

PubMed

Hachinski, Vladimir; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Gorelick, Philip B; Hacke, Werner; Cramer, Steven C; Kaste, Markku; Fisher, Marc; Brainin, Michael; Buchan, Alastair M; Lo, Eng H; Skolnick, Brett E; Furie, Karen L; Hankey, Graeme J; Kivipelto, Miia; Morris, John; Rothwell, Peter M; Sacco, Ralph L; Smith, Sidney C; Wang, Yulun; Bryer, Alan; Ford, Gary A; Iadecola, Costantino; Martins, Sheila C O; Saver, Jeff; Skvortsova, Veronika; Bayley, Mark; Bednar, Martin M; Duncan, Pamela; Enney, Lori; Finklestein, Seth; Jones, Theresa A; Kalra, Lalit; Kleim, Jeff; Nitkin, Ralph; Teasell, Robert; Weiller, Cornelius; Desai, Bhupat; Goldberg, Mark P; Heiss, Wolf-Dieter; Saarelma, Osmo; Schwamm, Lee H; Shinohara, Yukito; Trivedi, Bhargava; Wahlgren, Nils; Wong, Lawrence K; Hakim, Antoine; Norrving, Bo; Prudhomme, Stephen; Bornstein, Natan M; Davis, Stephen M; Goldstein, Larry B; Leys, Didier; Tuomilehto, Jaakko

2010-08-01

The aim of the Synergium was to devise and prioritize new ways of accelerating progress in reducing the risks, effects, and consequences of stroke. Preliminary work was performed by seven working groups of stroke leaders followed by a synergium (a forum for working synergistically together) with approximately 100 additional participants. The resulting draft document had further input from contributors outside the synergium. Recommendations of the Synergium are: Basic Science, Drug Development and Technology: There is a need to develop: (1) New systems of working together to break down the prevalent 'silo' mentality; (2) New models of vertically integrated basic, clinical, and epidemiological disciplines; and (3) Efficient methods of identifying other relevant areas of science. Stroke Prevention: (1) Establish a global chronic disease prevention initiative with stroke as a major focus. (2) Recognize not only abrupt clinical stroke, but subtle subclinical stroke, the commonest type of cerebrovascular disease, leading to impairments of executive function. (3) Develop, implement and evaluate a population approach for stroke prevention. (4) Develop public health communication strategies using traditional and novel (eg, social media/marketing) techniques. Acute Stroke Management: Continue the establishment of stroke centers, stroke units, regional systems of emergency stroke care and telestroke networks. Brain Recovery and Rehabilitation: (1) Translate best neuroscience, including animal and human studies, into poststroke recovery research and clinical care. (2) Standardize poststroke rehabilitation based on best evidence. (3) Develop consensus on, then implementation of, standardized clinical and surrogate assessments. (4) Carry out rigorous clinical research to advance stroke recovery. Into the 21st Century: Web, Technology and Communications: (1) Work toward global unrestricted access to stroke-related information. (2) Build centralized electronic archives and registries. Foster Cooperation Among Stakeholders (large stroke organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, patient organizations and industry) to enhance stroke care. Educate and energize professionals, patients, the public and policy makers by using a 'Brain Health' concept that enables promotion of preventive measures. To accelerate progress in stroke, we must reach beyond the current status scientifically, conceptually, and pragmatically. Advances can be made not only by doing, but ceasing to do. Significant savings in time, money, and effort could result from discontinuing practices driven by unsubstantiated opinion, unproven approaches, and financial gain. Systematic integration of knowledge into programs coupled with careful evaluation can speed the pace of progress.

Hawkmoth flight performance in tornado-like whirlwind vortices.

PubMed

Ortega-Jimenez, Victor Manuel; Mittal, Rajat; Hedrick, Tyson L

2014-06-01

Vertical vortex systems such as tornadoes dramatically affect the flight control and stability of aircraft. However, the control implications of smaller scale vertically oriented vortex systems for small fliers such as animals or micro-air vehicles are unknown. Here we examined the flapping kinematics and body dynamics of hawkmoths performing hovering flights (controls) and maintaining position in three different whirlwind intensities with transverse horizontal velocities of 0.7, 0.9 and 1.2 m s(-1), respectively, generated in a vortex chamber. The average and standard deviation of yaw and pitch were respectively increased and reduced in comparison with hovering flights. Average roll orientation was unchanged in whirlwind flights but was more variable from wingbeat to wingbeat than in hovering. Flapping frequency remained unchanged. Wingbeat amplitude was lower and the average stroke plane angle was higher. Asymmetry was found in the angle of attack between right and left wings during both downstroke and upstroke at medium and high vortex intensities. Thus, hawkmoth flight control in tornado-like vortices is achieved by a suite of asymmetric and symmetric changes to wingbeat amplitude, stroke plane angle and principally angle of attack.

MIT domain of Vps4 is a Ca2+-dependent phosphoinositide-binding domain.

PubMed

Iwaya, Naoko; Takasu, Hirotoshi; Goda, Natsuko; Shirakawa, Masahiro; Tanaka, Toshiki; Hamada, Daizo; Hiroaki, Hidekazu

2013-05-01

The microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain is a small protein module that is conserved in proteins of diverged function, such as Vps4, spastin and sorting nexin 15 (SNX15). The molecular function of the MIT domain is protein-protein interaction, in which the domain recognizes peptides containing MIT-interacting motifs. Recently, we identified an evolutionarily related domain, 'variant' MIT domain at the N-terminal region of the microtubule severing enzyme katanin p60. We found that the domain was responsible for binding to microtubules and Ca(2+). Here, we have examined whether the authentic MIT domains also bind Ca(2+). We found that the loop between the first and second α-helices of the MIT domain binds a Ca(2+) ion. Furthermore, the MIT domains derived from Vps4b and SNX15a showed phosphoinositide-binding activities in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. We propose that the MIT domain is a novel membrane-associating domain involved in endosomal trafficking.

Complex neurological symptoms in bilateral thalamic stroke due to Percheron artery occlusion.

PubMed

Caruso, Paola; Manganotti, Paolo; Moretti, Rita

2017-01-01

The artery of Percheron is a rare anatomical variant where a single thalamic perforating artery arises from the proximal posterior cerebral artery (P1 segment) between the basilar artery and the posterior communicating artery and supplies the rostral mesencephalon and both paramedian territories of the thalami. Almost one-third of human brains present this variant. Occlusion of the artery of Percheron mostly results in a bilateral medial thalamic infarction, which usually manifests with altered consciousness (including coma), vertical gaze paresis, and cognitive disturbance. The presentation is similar to the "top of the basilar syndrome", and early recognition should be prompted. We describe the case of a young female with this vessel variant who experienced a bilateral thalamic stroke. Magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated bilateral thalamic infarcts and a truncated artery of Percheron. Occlusion of the vessel was presumably due to embolism from a patent foramen ovale. Thrombolysis was performed, with incomplete symptom remission, cognitive impairment, and persistence of speech disorders. Early recognition and treatment of posterior circulation strokes is mandatory, and further investigation for underlying stroke etiologies is needed.

Vitamin E succinate-conjugated F68 micelles for mitoxantrone delivery in enhancing anticancer activity

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuling; Xu, Yingqi; Wu, Minghui; Fan, Lijiao; He, Chengwei; Wan, Jian-Bo; Li, Peng; Chen, Meiwan; Li, Hui

2016-01-01

Mitoxantrone (MIT) is a chemotherapeutic agent with promising anticancer efficacy. In this study, Pluronic F68-vitamine E succinate (F68-VES) amphiphilic polymer micelles were developed for delivering MIT and enhancing its anticancer activity. MIT-loaded F68–VES (F68–VES/MIT) micelles were prepared via the solvent evaporation method with self-assembly under aqueous conditions. F68–VES/MIT micelles were found to be of optimal particle size with the narrow size distribution. Transmission electron microscopy images of F68–VES/MIT micelles showed homogeneous spherical shapes and smooth surfaces. F68–VES micelles had a low critical micelle concentration value of 3.311 mg/L, as well as high encapsulation efficiency and drug loading. Moreover, F68–VES/MIT micelles were stable in the presence of fetal bovine serum for 24 hours and maintained sustained drug release in vitro. Remarkably, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of F68–VES/MIT micelles was lower than that of free MIT in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells (two human breast cancer cell lines). In addition, compared with free MIT, there was an increased trend of apoptosis and cellular uptake of F68–VES/MIT micelles in MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, these results indicated that F68–VES polymer micelles were able to effectively deliver MIT and largely improve its potency in cancer therapy. PMID:27471384

Representation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

two weeks to arrive. Source: http://beergame.mit.edu/ Permission Granted – MIT Supply Chain Forum 2005 Professor Sterman –Sloan School of...Management - MITSource: http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/ SDG /beergame.html Rules of Engagement The MIT Beer Game Simulation 04-04 Slide Number 10 Professor...Sterman –Sloan School of Management - MITSource: http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/ SDG /beergame.html What is the Significance of Representation

Factors determining growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2.7)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bissinger, Vera

2003-04-01

In this thesis, I investigated the factors influencing the growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2-3). In the focal study site, Lake 111 (pH 2.7; Lusatia, Germany), the chrysophyte, Ochromonas sp., dominates in the upper water strata and the chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas sp., in the deeper strata, forming a pronounced deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). Inorganic carbon (IC) limitation influenced the phototrophic growth of Chlamydomonas sp. in the upper water strata. Conversely, in deeper strata, light limited its phototrophic growth. When compared with published data for algae from neutral lakes, Chlamydomonas sp. from Lake 111 exhibited a lower maximum growth rate, an enhanced compensation point and higher dark respiration rates, suggesting higher metabolic costs due to the extreme physico-chemical conditions. The photosynthetic performance of Chlamydomonas sp. decreased in high-light-adapted cells when IC limited. In addition, the minimal phosphorus (P) cell quota was suggestive of a higher P requirement under IC limitation. Subsequently, it was shown that Chlamydomonas sp. was a mixotroph, able to enhance its growth rate by taking up dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via osmotrophy. Therefore, it could survive in deeper water strata where DOC concentrations were higher and light limited. However, neither IC limitation, P availability nor in situ DOC concentrations (bottom-up control) could fully explain the vertical distribution of Chlamydomonas sp. in Lake 111. Conversely, when a novel approach was adopted, the grazing influence of the phagotrophic phototroph, Ochromonas sp., was found to exert top-down control on its prey (Chlamydomonas sp.) reducing prey abundance in the upper water strata. This, coupled with the fact that Chlamydomonas sp. uses DOC for growth, leads to a pronounced accumulation of Chlamydomonas sp. cells at depth; an apparent DCM. Therefore, grazing appears to be the main factor influencing the vertical distribution of algae observed in Lake 111. The knowledge gained from this thesis provides information essential for predicting the effect of strategies to neutralize the acidic mining lakes on the food-web. Die vorliegende Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit den Faktoren, die das Wachstum und die Vertikalverteilung von Planktonalgen in extrem sauren Tagebaurestseen (TBS; pH 2-3) beeinflussen. Im exemplarisch untersuchten TBS 111 (pH 2.7; Lausitzer Revier) dominiert die Goldalge Ochromonas sp. in oberen und die Grünalge Chlamydomonas sp. in tieferen Wasserschichten, wobei letztere ein ausgeprägtes Tiefenchlorophyll-Maximum (DCM) ausbildet. Es wurde ein deutlicher Einfluss von Limitation durch anorganischen Kohlenstoff (IC) auf das phototrophe Wachstum von Chlamydomonas sp. in oberen Wasserschichten nachgewiesen, die mit zunehmender Tiefe von Lichtlimitation abgelöst wird. Im Vergleich mit Arbeiten aus neutralen Seen zeigte Chlamydomonas sp. erniedrigte maximale Wachstumsraten, einen gesteigerten Kompensationspunkt und erhöhte Dunkelrespirationsraten, was auf gesteigerte metabolische Kosten unter den extremen physikalisch-chemischen Bedingungen hinweist. Die Photosyntheseleistungen von Chlamydomonas sp. waren in Starklicht-adaptierten Zellen durch IC-Limitation deutlich verringert. Außerdem ergaben die ermittelten minimalen Zellquoten für Phosphor (P) einen erhöhten P-Bedarf unter IC-Limitation. Anschließend konnte gezeigt werden, dass Chlamydomonas sp. ein mixotropher Organismus ist, der seine Wachstumsraten über die osmotrophe Aufnahme gelösten organischen Kohlenstoffs (DOC) erhöhen kann. Dadurch ist dieser Organismus fähig, in tieferen, Licht-limitierten Wasserschichten zu überleben, die einen höheren DOC-Gehalt aufweisen. Da die Vertikalverteilung der Algen im TBS 111 jedoch weder durch IC-Limitation, P-Verfügbarkeit noch die in situ DOC-Konzentrationen abschließend erklärt werden konnte (bottom-up Kontrolle), wurde eine neue Theorie zur Entstehung der Vertikalverteilung geprüft. Grazing der phagotrophen und phototrophen Alge Ochromonas sp. auf der phototrophen Alge Chlamydomonas sp. erwies sich als herausragender Faktor, der über top-down Kontrolle die Abundanz der Beute in höheren Wasserschichten beeinflussen kann. Gemeinsam mit der Tatsache, dass Chlamydomonas sp. DOC zur Wachstumssteigerung verwendet, führt dies zu einer Akkumulation von Chlamydomonas sp. in der Tiefe, ausgeprägt als DCM. Daher erscheint grazing als der Hauptfaktor, der die beobachtete Vertikalschichtung der Algen im TBS 111 hervorruft. Die erzielten Ergebnisse liefern grundlegende Informationen, um die Auswirkungen von Strategien zur Neutralisierung der TBS auf das Nahrungsnetz abschätzen zu können.

Mithramycin-loaded mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles exert potent antitumor efficacy against pancreatic carcinoma

PubMed Central

Liu, Xu-Jie; Li, Liang; Liu, Xiu-Jun; Li, Yi; Zhao, Chun-Yan; Wang, Rui-Qi; Zhen, Yong-Su

2017-01-01

Previous studies have shown that mithramycin A (MIT) is a promising candidate for the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma through inhibiting transcription factor Sp1. However, systemic toxicities may limit its clinical application. Here, we report a rationally designed formulation of MIT-loaded nanoparticles (MIT-NPs) with a small size and sustained release for improved passive targeting and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Nearly spherical MIT-NPs with a mean particle size of 25.0±4.6 nm were prepared by encapsulating MIT into methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (mPEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) with drug loading of 2.11%±0.51%. The in vitro release of the MIT-NPs lasted for >48 h with a sustained-release pattern. The cytotoxicity of MIT-NPs to human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and MIA Paca-2 cells was comparable to that of free MIT. Determined by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, the NPs internalized into the cells quickly and efficiently, reaching the peak level at 1–2 h. In vivo fluorescence imaging showed that the prepared NPs were gradually accumulated in BxPC-3 and MIA Paca-2 xenografts and retained for 168 h. The fluorescence intensity in both BxPC-3 and MIA Paca-2 tumors was much stronger than that of various tested organs. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with the poorly permeable BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma xenograft model. At a well-tolerated dose of 2 mg/kg, MIT-NPs suppressed BxPC-3 tumor growth by 96%. Compared at an equivalent dose, MIT-NPs exerted significantly higher therapeutic effect than free MIT (86% versus 51%, P<0.01). Moreover, the treatment of MIT and MIT-NPs reduced the expression level of oncogene c-Myc regulated by Sp1, and notably, both of them decreased the protein level of CD47. In summary, the novel formulation of MIT-NPs shows highly therapeutic efficacy against pancreatic carcinoma xenograft. In addition, MIT-NPs can downregulate CD47 expression, implying that it might play a positive role in cancer immunotherapy. PMID:28769562

Pilot study of a robotic protocol to treat shoulder subluxation in patients with chronic stroke

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Shoulder subluxation is a frequent complication of motor impairment after stroke, leading to soft tissue damage, stretching of the joint capsule, rotator cuff injury, and in some cases pain, thus limiting use of the affected extremity beyond weakness. In this pilot study, we determined whether robotic treatment of chronic shoulder subluxation can lead to functional improvement and whether any improvement was robust. Methods 18 patients with chronic stroke (3.9 ± 2.9 years from acute stroke), completed 6 weeks of robotic training using the linear shoulder robot. Training was performed 3 times per week on alternate days. Each session consisted of 3 sets of 320 repetitions of the affected arm, and the robotic protocol alternated between training vertical arm movements, shoulder flexion and extension, in an anti-gravity plane, and training horizontal arm movements, scapular protraction and retraction, in a gravity eliminated plane. Results Training with the linear robot improved shoulder stability, motor power, and resulted in improved functional outcomes that were robust 3 months after training. Conclusion In this uncontrolled pilot study, the robotic protocol effectively treated shoulder subluxation in chronic stroke patients. Treatment of subluxation can lead to improved functional use of the affected arm, likely by increasing motor power in the trained muscles. PMID:23914834

Pilot study of a robotic protocol to treat shoulder subluxation in patients with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Dohle, Carolin I; Rykman, Avrielle; Chang, Johanna; Volpe, Bruce T

2013-08-05

Shoulder subluxation is a frequent complication of motor impairment after stroke, leading to soft tissue damage, stretching of the joint capsule, rotator cuff injury, and in some cases pain, thus limiting use of the affected extremity beyond weakness. In this pilot study, we determined whether robotic treatment of chronic shoulder subluxation can lead to functional improvement and whether any improvement was robust. 18 patients with chronic stroke (3.9 ± 2.9 years from acute stroke), completed 6 weeks of robotic training using the linear shoulder robot. Training was performed 3 times per week on alternate days. Each session consisted of 3 sets of 320 repetitions of the affected arm, and the robotic protocol alternated between training vertical arm movements, shoulder flexion and extension, in an anti-gravity plane, and training horizontal arm movements, scapular protraction and retraction, in a gravity eliminated plane. Training with the linear robot improved shoulder stability, motor power, and resulted in improved functional outcomes that were robust 3 months after training. In this uncontrolled pilot study, the robotic protocol effectively treated shoulder subluxation in chronic stroke patients. Treatment of subluxation can lead to improved functional use of the affected arm, likely by increasing motor power in the trained muscles.

Ground reaction force analysed with correlation coefficient matrix in group of stroke patients.

PubMed

Szczerbik, Ewa; Krawczyk, Maciej; Syczewska, Małgorzata

2014-01-01

Stroke is the third cause of death in contemporary society and causes many disorders. Clinical scales, ground reaction force (GRF) and objective gait analysis are used for assessment of patient's rehabilitation progress during treatment. The goal of this paper is to assess whether signal correlation coefficient matrix applied to GRF can be used for evaluation of the status of post-stroke patients. A group of patients underwent clinical assessment and instrumented gait analysis simultaneously three times. The difference between components of patient's GRF (vertical, fore/aft, med/lat) and normal ones (reference GRF of healthy subjects) was calculated as correlation coefficient. Patients were divided into two groups ("worse" and "better") based on the clinical functional scale tests done at the beginning of rehabilitation process. The results obtained by these two groups were compared using statistical analysis. An increase of median value of correlation coefficient is observed in all components of GRF, but only in non-paretic leg. Analysis of GRF signal can be helpful in assessment of post-stroke patients during rehabilitation. Improvement in stroke patients was observed in non-paretic leg of the "worse" group. GRF analysis should not be the only tool for objective validation of patient's improvement, but could be used as additional source of information.

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis

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

Godfrey, Devon J.; Page McAdams, H.; Dobbins, James T. III

2013-02-15

Purpose: Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Methods: Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes,more » three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. Results: For scan angles of 20 Degree-Sign and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS planes must be averaged to sufficiently remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency 'edge' information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles/mm. Conclusions: The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors' institution.« less

The effect of averaging adjacent planes for artifact reduction in matrix inversion tomosynthesis.

PubMed

Godfrey, Devon J; McAdams, H Page; Dobbins, James T

2013-02-01

Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses linear systems theory and knowledge of the imaging geometry to remove tomographic blur that is present in conventional backprojection tomosynthesis reconstructions, leaving in-plane detail rendered clearly. The use of partial-pixel interpolation during the backprojection process introduces imprecision in the MITS modeling of tomographic blur, and creates low-contrast artifacts in some MITS planes. This paper examines the use of MITS slabs, created by averaging several adjacent MITS planes, as a method for suppressing partial-pixel artifacts. Human chest tomosynthesis projection data, acquired as part of an IRB-approved pilot study, were used to generate MITS planes, three-plane MITS slabs (MITSa3), five-plane MITS slabs (MITSa5), and seven-plane MITS slabs (MITSa7). These were qualitatively examined for partial-pixel artifacts and the visibility of normal and abnormal anatomy. Additionally, small (5 mm) subtle pulmonary nodules were simulated and digitally superimposed upon human chest tomosynthesis projection images, and their visibility was qualitatively assessed in the different reconstruction techniques. Simulated images of a thin wire were used to generate modulation transfer function (MTF) and slice-sensitivity profile curves for the different MITS and MITS slab techniques, and these were examined for indications of partial-pixel artifacts and frequency response uniformity. Finally, mean-subtracted, exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) estimates were computed and compared for MITS and MITS slab reconstructions, generated from 10 sets of tomosynthesis projection data of an acrylic slab. The simulated in-plane MTF response of each technique was also combined with the square root of the ENNPS estimate to yield stochastic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information about the different reconstruction techniques. For scan angles of 20° and 5 mm plane separation, seven MITS planes must be averaged to sufficiently remove partial-pixel artifacts. MITSa7 does appear to subtly reduce the contrast of high-frequency "edge" information, but the removal of partial-pixel artifacts makes the appearance of low-contrast, fine-detail anatomy even more conspicuous in MITSa7 slices. MITSa7 also appears to render simulated subtle 5 mm pulmonary nodules with greater visibility than MITS alone, in both the open lung and regions overlying the mediastinum. Finally, the MITSa7 technique reduces stochastic image variance, though the in-plane stochastic SNR (for very thin objects which do not span multiple MITS planes) is only improved at spatial frequencies between 0.05 and 0.20 cycles∕mm. The MITSa7 method is an improvement over traditional single-plane MITS for thoracic imaging and the pulmonary nodule detection task, and thus the authors plan to use the MITSa7 approach for all future MITS research at the authors' institution.

Dynamics of thin-film piezoelectric microactuators with large vertical stroke subject to multi-axis coupling and fabrication asymmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jongsoo; Wang, Thomas; Oldham, Kenn

2018-01-01

The high performance and small size of MEMS based scanners has allowed various optical imaging techniques to be realized in a small form factor. Many such devices are resonant scanners, and thus their linear and nonlinear dynamic behaviors have been studied in the past. Thin-film piezoelectric materials, in contrast, provide sufficient energy density to achieve both large static displacements and high-frequency resonance, but large deformation can in turn influence dynamic scanner behavior. This paper reports on the influence of very large stroke translation of a piezoelectric vertical actuator on its resonant behavior, which may not be otherwise explained fully by common causes of resonance shift such as beam stiffening or nonlinear forcing. To examine the change of structural compliance over the course of scanner motion, a model has been developed that includes internal forces from residual stress and the resultant additional multi-axis coupling among actuator leg structures. Like some preceding vertical scanning micro-actuators, the scanner of this work has four legs, with each leg featuring four serially connected thin-film PZT unimorphs that allow the scanner to generate larger than 400 µm of vertical displacement at 14 V DC. Using an excitation near one or more resonances, the input voltage can be lowered, and complementary multi-axis rotations can be also generated, but change of the resonant frequencies with scanner height needs to be understood to maximize scanner performance. The presented model well predicts the experimental observation of the decrease of the resonant frequencies of the scanner with the increase of a dc bias voltage. Also, the effects of the magnitude and uniformity of residual stress across the scanner structure on the natural frequencies have been studied.

Characterization of vertical electric fields 500 m and 30 m from triggered lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubenstein, M.; Rachidi, F.; Uman, M. A.; Thottappillil, R.; Rakov, V. A.; Nucci, C. A.

1995-05-01

Vertical electric field waveforms of leader-return stroke sequences measured 500 m and 30 m from rocket-triggered lightning are presented. The 500-m data were recorded during the summer of 1986, the 30-m data during the summer of 1991, both at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The 40 leader-return stroke field waveforms at 500 m and the 8 waveforms at 30 m all appear as asymmetrical V-shaped pulses, the bottom of the V being associated with the transition from the leader to the return stroke. Only two waveforms at 30 m were suitable for quantitative analysis. The widths of the V at half of peak value for these are 1.8 and 5.0 μs, while for the 500-m data they are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater, with a median value of 100 μs. Applying a widely used and simple leader model to the measured leader electric fields at 500 m, we infer, for the bottom kilometer or so of the leader channel, leader speeds between 2×106 and 2×107 m/s and leader charges per unit length of 0.02×10-3 to 0.08×10-3 C/m. From the two measured leader electric field changes at 30 m we infer, using the same leader model, for the bottom 100 meters or so of the leader channel, speeds of 3×107 and 1×107 m/s (the corresponding measured waveform half widths are 1.8 μs and 5.0 μs) and charges per unit length of 0.14×10-3 and 0.02×10-3 C/m (the corresponding measured leader field changes are 81 kV/m and 12 kV/m). The corresponding measured return stroke peak currents for the above two cases are 40 kA and 7 kA, respectively. A positive correlation is observed between the magnitude of the leader field change at 500 m and the ensuing return stroke current peak.

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

Hill, K W; Delgado-Aprico, L; Johnson, D

Imaging XCS arrays are being developed as a US-ITER activity for Doppler measurement of Ti and v profiles of impurities (W, Kr, Fe) with ~7 cm (a/30) and 10-100 ms resolution in ITER. The imaging XCS, modeled after a PPPL-MIT instrument on Alcator C-Mod, uses a spherically bent crystal and 2d x-ray detectors to achieve high spectral resolving power (E/dE>6000) horizontally and spatial imaging vertically. Two arrays will measure Ti and both poloidal and toroidal rotation velocity profiles. Measurement of many spatial chords permits tomographic inversion for inference of local parameters. The instrument design, predictions of performance, and results frommore » C-Mod will be presented.« less

Experimental Characterization of Thermo-electric Driven Liquid Lithium Flow in Narrow Trenches for Magnetic Confinement Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wenyu; Christenson, Michael; Fiflis, Peter; Curreli, Davide; Andruczyk, Daniel; Ruzic, David

2013-10-01

The application of liquid metal, especially liquid lithium has become an important topic for plasma facing component (PFC) design. A liquid PFC can effectively eliminate the erosion and thermal stress problems compared to the solid PFC while transferring heat and prolong the lifetime limit of the PFCs. A liquid lithium surface can also suppress the hydrogen isotopes recycling and getter the impurities in fusion reactors. The Lithium/metal infused trench (LiMIT) concept successfully proved that the thermoelectric effect can be utilized to drive liquid lithium flow within horizontally placed metallic open trenches in transverse magnetic field. A limiter based on this concept was tested in HT-7 and gave out positive results. However a broader application of this concept may require the trench be tilted or even placed vertically, for which strong capillary force caused by narrow trenches may be the solution. A new LiMIT design with very narrow trenches have been manufactured and tested in University of Illinois and related results will be presented. Based on this idea new limiters are designed for EAST and LTX and scheduled experiments on both devices will be discussed. This project is supported by DOE/ALPS contract: DEFG02- 99ER54515.

Tolerance and resistance characteristics of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. LX1 to methylisothiazolinone.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Tian-Yuan; Dao, Guo-Hua; Hu, Hong-Ying

2018-05-25

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) has been widely used to control bacterial growth in reverse osmosis (RO) systems. However, MIT's toxicity on microalgae should be determined because residual MIT is concentrated into RO concentrate (ROC) and might have a severe impact on microalgae-based ROC treatment. This study investigated the tolerance of Scenedesmus sp. LX1 to MIT and revealed the mechanism of algal growth inhibition and toxicity resistance. Scenedesmus sp. LX1 was inhibited by MIT with a half-maximal effective concentration at 72 h (72 h-EC 50 ) of 1.00 mg/L, but the strain recovered from the inhibition when its growth was not completely inhibited. It was observed that this inhibition's effect on subsequent growth was weak, and the removal of MIT was the primary reason for the recovery. Properly increasing the initial algal density significantly shortened the adaptation time for accelerated recovery in a MIT-containing culture. Photosynthesis damage by MIT was one of the primary reasons for growth inhibition, but microalgal cell respiration and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis were not completely inhibited, and the algae were still alive even when growth was completely inhibited, which was notably different from observations made with bacteria and fungi. The algae synthesized more chlorophyll, antioxidant enzymes of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and small molecules, such as reduced glutathione (GSH), to resist MIT poisoning. The microalgae-based process could treat the MIT-containing ROC, since MIT was added for only several hours a week in municipal wastewater reclamation RO processes, and the MIT average concentration was considerably lower than the maximum concentration that algae could tolerate. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The development of form two mathematics i-Think module (Mi-T2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Foo Jing; Abdullah, Mohd Faizal Nizam Lee; Tien, Lee Tien

2017-05-01

This study aims to develop a training module i-THINK Mathematics Form Two (Mi-T2) to increase the higher-order thinking skills of students. The Mi-T2 training module was built based on the Sidek Module Development Model (2001). Constructivist learning theory, cognitive learning theory, i-THINK map and higher order thinking skills were the building blocks of the module development. In this study, researcher determined the validity and reliability of Mi-T2 module. The design being used in this study was descriptive study. To determine the needs of Mi-T2 module, questionnaires and literature review were used to collect data. When the need of the module was determined, the module was built and a pilot study was conducted to test the reliability of the Mi-T2 module. The pilot study was conducted at a secondary school in North Kinta, Perak. A Form Two class was selected to be the sample study through clustered random sampling. The pilot study was conducted for two months and one topic had been studied. The Mi-T2 module was evaluated by five expert panels to determine the content validity of the module. The instruments being used in the study were questionnaires about the necessity of the Mi-T2 module for guidance, questionnaires about the validity of the module and questionnaires concerning the reliability of the module. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the validity and reliability coefficients of the Mi-T2 module. The content validity of Mi-T2 module was determined by Cohen's Kappa's (1968) agreement coefficient and the reliability of Mi-T2 module was determined by Cronbach Alpha's value scale. The content validity of Mi-T2 module was 0.89 and the Cronbach Alpha's value of Mi-T2 module was 0.911.

Methylisothiazolinone toxicity and inhibition of wound healing and regeneration in planaria.

PubMed

Van Huizen, Alanna V; Tseng, Ai-Sun; Beane, Wendy S

2017-10-01

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is a common biocide used in cosmetic and industrial settings. Studies have demonstrated that MIT is a human sensitizer, to the extent that in 2013 MIT was named allergen of the year. Recently, we showed that MIT exposure in Xenopus laevis (the African clawed frog) inhibits wound healing and tail regeneration. However, it is unknown whether MIT affects these processes in other animals. Here, we investigated the effects of MIT exposure in planaria-non-parasitic freshwater flatworms able to regenerate all tissues after injury. Using a common research strain of Dugesia japonica, we determined that intact planarians exposed to 15μM MIT displayed both neuromuscular and epithelial-integrity defects. Furthermore, regenerating (head and tail) fragments exposed to 15μM MIT failed to close wounds or had significantly delayed wound healing. Planarian wounds normally close within 1h after injury. However, most MIT-exposed animals retained open wounds at 24h and subsequently died, and those few animals that were able to undergo delayed wound healing without dying exhibited abnormal regeneration. For instance, head regeneration was severely delayed or inhibited, with anterior structures such as eyes failing to form in newly produced tissues. These data suggest that MIT directly affects both wound healing and regeneration in planarians. Next, we investigated the ability of thiol-containing antioxidants to rescue planarian wound closure during MIT exposure. The data reveal both n-acetyl cysteine and glutathione were each able to fully rescue MIT inhibition of wound healing. Lastly, we established MIT toxicity levels by determining the LC 50 of 5 different planarian species: D. japonica, Schmidtea mediterranea, Girardia tigrina, Girardia dorotocephala, and Phagocata gracilis. Our LC 50 data revealed that concentrations as low as 39μM (4.5ppm) are lethal to planarians, with concentrations of just 5μM inhibiting wound healing, and suggest that phylogeny is predictive of species toxicity levels. Together these results indicate MIT may have broad wound healing effects on aquatic species in general and are not limited to X. laevis alone. Future studies should investigate the impact of MIT on wound healing in other organisms, including non-aquatic organisms and mammals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mit1 Transcription Factor Mediates Methanol Signaling and Regulates the Alcohol Oxidase 1 (AOX1) Promoter in Pichia pastoris.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaolong; Wang, Qi; Wang, Jinjia; Bai, Peng; Shi, Lei; Shen, Wei; Zhou, Mian; Zhou, Xiangshan; Zhang, Yuanxing; Cai, Menghao

2016-03-18

The alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promoter (P AOX1) of Pichia pastoris is the most powerful and commonly used promoter for driving protein expression. However, mechanisms regulating its transcriptional activity are unclear. Here, we identified a Zn(II)2Cys6-type methanol-induced transcription factor 1 (Mit1) and elucidated its roles in regulating PAOX1 activity in response to glycerol and methanol. Mit1 regulated the expression of many genes involved in methanol utilization pathway, including AOX1, but did not participate in peroxisome proliferation and transportation of peroxisomal proteins during methanol metabolism. Structural analysis of Mit1 by performing domain deletions confirmed its specific and critical role in the strict repression of P AOX1 in glycerol medium. Importantly, Mit1, Mxr1, and Prm1, which positively regulated P AOX1 in response to methanol, were bound to P AOX1 at different sites and did not interact with each other. However, these factors cooperatively activated P AOX1 through a cascade. Mxr1 mainly functioned during carbon derepression, whereas Mit1 and Prm1 functioned during methanol induction, with Prm1 transmitting methanol signal to Mit1 by binding to the MIT1 promoter (P MIT1), thus increasingly expressing Mit1 and subsequently activating P AOX1. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Sea level rise within the west of Arabian Gulf using tide gauge and continuous GPS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayhan, M. E.; Alothman, A.

2009-04-01

Arabian Gulf is connected to Indian Ocean and located in the south-west of the Zagros Trust Belt. To investigate sea level variations within the west of Arabian Gulf, monthly means of sea level at 13 tide gauges along the coast of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, available in the database of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), are studied. We analyzed individually the monthly means at each station, and estimated secular sea level rate by a robust linear trend fitting. We computed the average relative sea level rise rate of 1.96 ± 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf based on 4 stations spanning longer than 19 years. Vertical land motions are included into the relative sea level measurements at the tide gauges. Therefore sea level rates at the stations are corrected for vertical land motions using the ICE-5G v1.2 VM4 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) model then we found the average sea level rise rate of 2.27 mm/yr. Bahrain International GPS Service (IGS) GPS station, which is close to the Mina Sulman tide gauge station in Bahrain, is the only continuous GPS station accessible in the region. The weekly GPS time series of vertical component at Bahrain IGS-GPS station referring to the ITRF97 from 1999.2 to 2008.6 are downloaded from http://www-gps.mit.edu/~tah/. We fitted a linear trend with an annual signal and one break to the GPS vertical time series and found a vertical land motion rate of 0.48 ± 0.11 mm/yr. Assuming the vertical rate at Bahrain IGS-GPS station represents the vertical rate at each of the other tide gauge stations studied here in the region, we computed average sea level rise rate of 2.44 ± 0.21 mm/yr within the west of Arabian Gulf.

Insight into the adsorption profiles of the Saprolegnia monoica chitin synthase MIT domain on POPA and POPC membranes by molecular dynamics simulation studies.

PubMed

Kuang, Guanglin; Liang, Lijun; Brown, Christian; Wang, Qi; Bulone, Vincent; Tu, Yaoquan

2016-02-21

The critical role of chitin synthases in oomycete hyphal tip growth has been established. A microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain was discovered in the chitin synthases of the oomycete model organism, Saprolegnia monoica. MIT domains have been identified in diverse proteins and may play a role in intracellular trafficking. The structure of the Saprolegnia monoica chitin synthase 1 (SmChs1) MIT domain has been recently determined by our group. However, although our in vitro assay identified increased strength in interactions between the MIT domain and phosphatidic acid (PA) relative to other phospholipids including phosphatidylcholine (PC), the mechanism used by the MIT domain remains unknown. In this work, the adsorption behavior of the SmChs1 MIT domain on POPA and POPC membranes was systematically investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results indicate that the MIT domain can adsorb onto the tested membranes in varying orientations. Interestingly, due to the specific interactions between MIT residues and lipid molecules, the binding affinity to the POPA membrane is much higher than that to the POPC membrane. A binding hotspot, which is critical for the adsorption of the MIT domain onto the POPA membrane, was also identified. The lower binding affinity to the POPC membrane can be attributed to the self-saturated membrane surface, which is unfavorable for hydrogen-bond and electrostatic interactions. The present study provides insight into the adsorption profile of SmChs1 and additionally has the potential to improve our understanding of other proteins containing MIT domains.

Deletion of PdMit1, a homolog of yeast Csg1, affects growth and Ca(2+) sensitivity of the fungus Penicillium digitatum, but does not alter virulence.

PubMed

Zhu, Congyi; Wang, Weili; Wang, Mingshuang; Ruan, Ruoxin; Sun, Xuepeng; He, Meixian; Mao, Cungui; Li, Hongye

2015-04-01

GDP-mannose:inositol-phosphorylceramide (MIPC) and its derivatives are important for Ca(2+) sensitization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and for the virulence of Candida albicans, but its role in the virulence of plant fungal pathogens remains unclear. In this study, we report the identification and functional characterization of PdMit1, the gene encoding MIPC synthase in Penicillium digitatum, one of the most important pathogens of postharvest citrus fruits. To understand the function of PdMit1, a PdMit1 deletion mutant was generated. Compared to its wild-type control, the PdMit1 deletion mutant exhibited slow radial growth, decreased conidia production and delayed conidial germination, suggesting that PdMit1 is important for the growth of mycelium, sporulation and conidial germination. The PdMit1 deletion mutant also showed hypersensitivity to Ca(2+). Treatment with 250 mmol/l Ca(2+) induced vacuole fusion in the wild-type strain, but not in the PdMit1 deletion mutant. Treatment with 250mmol/lCaCl2 upregulated three Ca(2+)-ATPase genes in the wild-type strain, and this was significantly inhibited in the PdMit1 deletion mutant. These results suggest that PdMit1 may have a role in regulating vacuole fusion and expression of Ca(2+)-ATPase genes by controlling biosynthesis of MIPC, and thereby imparts P. digitatum Ca(2+) tolerance. However, we found that PdMit1 is dispensable for virulence of P. digitatum. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

DDN (Defense Data Network) Protocol Handbook. Volume 3. Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

the physical configuration which results from this arrangement, Michael Padlipsky has described this as the " milking machine" approach to computer...NEIRJS-3 74 NETRJS-4 75 77 79 FINGER 81 HOSTS2-NS 83 MIT-ML-DEV 85 MIT-ML-DEV 87 89 SU-MIT-TG 91 MIT-DOV 93 DCP 95 SUPDUP 97 SWIFT- RVF ...PUP QUOTE RDP RJE RLP RTELNET RVD SAT-EXPAK SAT-MON SFTT? SMTP ST SU-MIT-TG SUNRPC SUPDUP SUR-MEAS SWIFT- RVF TACACS-DS TACNEWS

NASA Chief Technologist on Panel at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-15

During MIT's "Better MIT Innovation Week 2018," a group of experts discussed innovation as a critical component to and professional accomplishment. From left: Rebecca Chui, founder, RootsStudio; Reinaldo Normand, entrepreneur in residence, MIT; Douglas Terrier, NASA chief technologist; Linda Foster, chief technologist, Lockheed Martin. (Photo: Damian Barabonkov/MIT Technique)

MIT: Shaping the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Kenneth R., Ed.

This book provides 16 essays by faculty and staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) concerning what MIT is like today and offering a guide to its possible future. Emphasis is placed on local, national, and global issues, providing a current sampling of the state of concerns and opinions around MIT. Topics include the question of…

Description of the Main Ionospheric Trough by the SM-MIT Model. European Longitudinal Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leshchinskaya, T. Yu.; Pustovalova, L. V.

2018-05-01

Due to the selection of exsisting ionospheric models for incorporation into the created System of Ionospheric Monotoring and Prediction of the Russian Federation, the model of the main ionospheric trough (SM-MIT) is tested with the data from ground-based ionospheric observations in the European longitudinal sector. It is shown that the SM-MIT model does not give an increase in accuracy in comparison to the foF2 monthly median upon a description of the equatorial wall of the MIT. The model describes the foF2 values in the MIT minimum with higher accuracy than the foF2 monthly median or the median IRI model; however, at the same time, the deviations of the model foF2 values from the observed values are high enough: 20-30%. In the MIT minimum, the decrease in the model foF2 values relative to the median values is on average only 10%, which is substantially less than the observed depth of MIT in the evening sector. The verification results have shown that the available SM-MIT model must be completed for practical use.

Evaluation of the MIT RMID 1000 system for the identification of Listeria species.

PubMed

Ricardi, John; Haavig, David; Cruz, Lasaunta; Paoli, George; Gehring, Andrew

2010-01-01

The Micro Imaging Technology (MIT) 1000 Rapid Microbial Identification (RMID) System is a device that uses the principles of light scattering coupled with proprietary algorithms to identify bacteria after being cultured and placed in a vial of filtered water. This specific method is for pure culture identification of Listeria spp. A total of 81 microorganisms (55 isolates) were tested by the MIT 1000 System, of which 25 were Listeria spp. and 30 a variety of other bacterial species. In addition, a total of 406 tests over seven different ruggedness parameters were tested by the MIT 1000 System to determine its flexibility to the specifications stated in the MIT 1000 System User Guide in areas where they might be deviated by a user to shorten the test cycle. Overall, MIT concluded that the MIT 1000 System had an accuracy performance that should certify this Performance Test Method for the identification of Listeria spp. This report discusses the tests performed, results achieved, and conclusions, along with several reference documents to enable a higher understanding of the technology used by the MIT 1000 System.

First-order metal-insulator transition not accompanied by the structural phase transition observed in VO2-based devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Tak; Chae, Byung-Gyu; Kim, Bong-Jun; Lee, Yong-Wook; Yun, Sun-Jin; Kang, Kwang-Yong

2006-03-01

An abrupt first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) is observed during the application of a switching pulse voltage to VO2-based two-terminal devices. When the abrupt MIT occurs, the structural phase transition (SPT) is investigated by a micro- Raman spectroscopy and a micro-XRD. The result shows that the MIT is not accompanied with the structural phase transition (SPT); the abrupt MIT is prior to the SPT. Moreover, any switching pulse over a threshold voltage of 7.1 V for the MIT enabled the device material to transform efficiently from an insulator to a metal. The measured delay time from the source switching pulse to an induced MIT pulse is an order of 20 nsec which is much less than a delay time of about one msec deduced by thermal model. This indicates that the first-order MIT does not occur due to thermal. We think this MIT is the Mott transition. (Reference: New J. Phys. 6 (1994) 52 (www.njp.org), Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (2005) 242101, Physica B 369 (2005. December) xxxx)

Creating Catalytic Collaborations between Theater Artists, Scientists, and Research Institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wise, Debra

2012-02-01

Catalyst Collaborative@MIT (CC@MIT) is a collaboration between MIT and Underground Railway Theater (URT), a company with 30 years experience creating theater through interdisciplinary inquiry and engaging community. CC@MIT is dedicated to creating and presenting plays that deepen public understanding about science, while simultaneously providing artistic and emotional experiences not available in other forms of dialogue about science. CC@MIT engages audiences in thinking about themes in science of social and ethical concern; provides insight into the culture of science and the impact of that culture on society; and examines the human condition through the lens of science that intersects our lives and the lives of scientists. Original productions range from Einstein's Dreams to From Orchids to Octopi -- an evolutionary love story; classics re-framed include The Life of Galileo and Breaking the Code (about Alan Turing). CC@MIT commissions playwrights and scientists to create plays; engages audiences with scientists; performs at MIT and a professional venue near the campus; collaborates with the Cambridge Science Festival and MIT Museum; engages MIT students, as well as youth and children. Artistic Director Debra Wise will address how the collaboration developed, what opportunities are provided by collaborations between theaters and scientific research institutions, and lessons learned of value to the field.

Mit1 Transcription Factor Mediates Methanol Signaling and Regulates the Alcohol Oxidase 1 (AOX1) Promoter in Pichia pastoris*

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaolong; Wang, Qi; Wang, Jinjia; Bai, Peng; Shi, Lei; Shen, Wei; Zhou, Mian; Zhou, Xiangshan; Zhang, Yuanxing; Cai, Menghao

2016-01-01

The alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promoter (PAOX1) of Pichia pastoris is the most powerful and commonly used promoter for driving protein expression. However, mechanisms regulating its transcriptional activity are unclear. Here, we identified a Zn(II)2Cys6-type methanol-induced transcription factor 1 (Mit1) and elucidated its roles in regulating PAOX1 activity in response to glycerol and methanol. Mit1 regulated the expression of many genes involved in methanol utilization pathway, including AOX1, but did not participate in peroxisome proliferation and transportation of peroxisomal proteins during methanol metabolism. Structural analysis of Mit1 by performing domain deletions confirmed its specific and critical role in the strict repression of PAOX1 in glycerol medium. Importantly, Mit1, Mxr1, and Prm1, which positively regulated PAOX1 in response to methanol, were bound to PAOX1 at different sites and did not interact with each other. However, these factors cooperatively activated PAOX1 through a cascade. Mxr1 mainly functioned during carbon derepression, whereas Mit1 and Prm1 functioned during methanol induction, with Prm1 transmitting methanol signal to Mit1 by binding to the MIT1 promoter (PMIT1), thus increasingly expressing Mit1 and subsequently activating PAOX1. PMID:26828066

The Efficacy and Timing of Melodic Intonation Therapy in Subacute Aphasia.

PubMed

van der Meulen, Ineke; van de Sandt-Koenderman, W Mieke E; Heijenbrok-Kal, Majanka H; Visch-Brink, Evy G; Ribbers, Gerard M

2014-07-01

Background Little is known about the efficacy of language production treatment in subacute severe nonfluent aphasia. Although Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) is a language production treatment for this disorder, until now MIT effect studies have focused on chronic aphasia. Purpose This study examines whether language production treatment with MIT is effective in subacute severe nonfluent aphasia. Methods A multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted in a waiting-list control design: patients were randomly allocated to the experimental group (MIT) or the control group (control intervention followed by delayed MIT). In both groups, therapy started at 2 to 3 months poststroke and was given intensively (5 h/wk) during 6 weeks. In a second therapy period, the control group received 6 weeks of intensive MIT. The experimental group resumed their regular treatment. Assessment was done at baseline (T1), after the first intervention period (T2), and after the second intervention period (T3). Efficacy was evaluated at T2. The impact of delaying MIT on therapy outcome was also examined. Results A total of 27 participants were included: n = 16 in the experimental group and n = 11 in the control group. A significant effect in favor of MIT on language repetition was observed for trained items, with mixed results for untrained items. After MIT there was a significant improvement in verbal communication but not after the control intervention. Finally, delaying MIT was related to less improvement in the repetition of trained material. Conclusions In these patients with subacute severe nonfluent aphasia, language production treatment with MIT was effective. Earlier treatment may lead to greater improvement. © The Author(s) 2014.

Corrugated paraffin nanocomposite films as large stroke thermal actuators and self-activating thermal interfaces.

PubMed

Copic, Davor; Hart, A John

2015-04-22

High performance active materials are of rapidly growing interest for applications including soft robotics, microfluidic systems, and morphing composites. In particular, paraffin wax has been used to actuate miniature pumps, solenoid valves, and composite fibers, yet its deployment is typically limited by the need for external volume constraint. We demonstrate that compact, high-performance paraffin actuators can be made by confining paraffin within vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) films. This large-stroke vertical actuation is enabled by strong capillary interaction between paraffin and CNTs and by engineering the CNT morphology by mechanical compression before capillary-driven infiltration of the molten paraffin. The maximum actuation strain of the corrugated CNT-paraffin films (∼0.02-0.2) is comparable to natural muscle, yet the maximum stress is limited to ∼10 kPa by collapse of the CNT network. We also show how a CNT-paraffin film can serve as a self-activating thermal interface that closes a gap when it is heated. These new CNT-paraffin film actuators could be produced by large-area CNT growth, infiltration, and lamination methods, and are attractive for use in miniature systems due to their self-contained design.

FDTD Modeling of LEMP Propagation in the Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide With Emphasis on Realistic Representation of Lightning Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Thang H.; Baba, Yoshihiro; Somu, Vijaya B.; Rakov, Vladimir A.

2017-12-01

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method in the 2-D cylindrical coordinate system was used to compute the nearly full-frequency-bandwidth vertical electric field and azimuthal magnetic field waveforms produced on the ground surface by lightning return strokes. The lightning source was represented by the modified transmission-line model with linear current decay with height, which was implemented in the FDTD computations as an appropriate vertical phased-current-source array. The conductivity of atmosphere was assumed to increase exponentially with height, with different conductivity profiles being used for daytime and nighttime conditions. The fields were computed at distances ranging from 50 to 500 km. Sky waves (reflections from the ionosphere) were identified in computed waveforms and used for estimation of apparent ionospheric reflection heights. It was found that our model reproduces reasonably well the daytime electric field waveforms measured at different distances and simulated (using a more sophisticated propagation model) by Qin et al. (2017). Sensitivity of model predictions to changes in the parameters of atmospheric conductivity profile, as well as influences of the lightning source characteristics (current waveshape parameters, return-stroke speed, and channel length) and ground conductivity were examined.

Effect of air-entry angle on performance of a 2-stroke-cycle compression-ignition engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Earle, Sherod L; Dutee, Francis J

1937-01-01

An investigation was made to determine the effect of variations in the horizontal and vertical air-entry angles on the performance characteristics of a single-cylinder 2-stroke-cycle compression-ignition test engine. Performance data were obtained over a wide range of engine speed, scavenging pressure, fuel quantity, and injection advance angle with the optimum guide vanes. Friction and blower-power curves are included for calculating the indicated and net performances. The optimum horizontal air-entry angle was found to be 60 degrees from the radial and the optimum vertical angle to be zero, under which conditions a maximum power output of 77 gross brake horsepower for a specific fuel consumption of 0.52 pound per brake horsepower-hour was obtained at 1,800 r.p.m. and 16-1/2 inches of Hg scavenging pressure. The corresponding specific output was 0.65 gross brake horsepower per cubic inch of piston displacement. Tests revealed that the optimum scavenging pressure increased linearly with engine speed. The brake mean effective pressure increased uniformly with air quantity per cycle for any given vane angle and was independent of engine speed and scavenging pressure.

High-resolution linkage map in the proximity of the host resistance locus Cmv1

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

Depatie, C.; Muise, E.; Gros, P.

1997-01-15

The mouse chromosome 6 locus Cmv1 controls replication of mouse Cytomegalovirus (MCMV) in the spleen of the infected host. In our effort to clone Cmv1, we have constructed a high-resolution genetic linkage map in the proximity of the gene. For this, a total of 45 DNA markers corresponding to either cloned genes or microsatellites were mapped within a 7.9-cM interval overlapping the Cmv1 region. We have followed the cosegregation of these markers with respect to Cmv1 in a total of 2248 backcross mice from a preexisting interspecific backcross panel of 281 (Mus spretus X C57BL/6J)F1 X C57BL/6J and 2 novelmore » panels of 989 (A/J X C57BL6)F1 X A/J and 978 (BALB/c X C57BL/6J)F1 X BALB/c segregating Cmv1. Combined pedigree analysis allowed us to determine the following gene order and intergene distances (in cM) on the distal region of mouse chromosome 6: D6Mit216-(1.9)-D6Mit336-(2.2)-D6Mit218-(1.0)-D6Mit52-(0.5)-D6Mit194-(0.2)-Nkrp1/D6Mit61/135/257/289/338-(0.4)-Cmv1/Ly49A/D6Mit370-(0.3)-Prp/Kap/D6Mit13/111/219-(0.3)-Tel/D6Mit374/290/220/196/195/110-(1.1)-D6Mit25. Therefore, the minimal genetic interval for Cmv1 of 0.7 cM is defined by 13 tightly linked markers including 2 markers, Ly49A and D6Mit370, that did not show recombination with Cmv1 in 1967 meioses analyzed; the proximal limit of the Cmv1 domain was defined by 8 crossovers between Nkrp1/D6Mit61/135/257/289/338 and Cmv1/Ly49A/D6Mit370, and the distal limit was defined by 5 crossovers between Cmv1/Ly49A/D6Mit370 and Prp/Kap/D6Mit13/111/219. This work demonstrates tight linkage between Cmv1 and genes from the natural killer complex (NKC), such as Nkrp1 and Ly49A suggesting that Cmv1 may represent an NK cell recognition structure encoded in the NKC region. 54 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.« less

First images of thunder: Acoustic imaging of triggered lightning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dayeh, M. A.; Evans, N. D.; Fuselier, S. A.; Trevino, J.; Ramaekers, J.; Dwyer, J. R.; Lucia, R.; Rassoul, H. K.; Kotovsky, D. A.; Jordan, D. M.; Uman, M. A.

2015-07-01

An acoustic camera comprising a linear microphone array is used to image the thunder signature of triggered lightning. Measurements were taken at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing in Camp Blanding, FL, during the summer of 2014. The array was positioned in an end-fire orientation thus enabling the peak acoustic reception pattern to be steered vertically with a frequency-dependent spatial resolution. On 14 July 2014, a lightning event with nine return strokes was successfully triggered. We present the first acoustic images of individual return strokes at high frequencies (>1 kHz) and compare the acoustically inferred profile with optical images. We find (i) a strong correlation between the return stroke peak current and the radiated acoustic pressure and (ii) an acoustic signature from an M component current pulse with an unusual fast rise time. These results show that acoustic imaging enables clear identification and quantification of thunder sources as a function of lightning channel altitude.

Posterior insular cortex - a site of vestibular-somatosensory interaction?

PubMed

Baier, Bernhard; Zu Eulenburg, Peter; Best, Christoph; Geber, Christian; Müller-Forell, Wibke; Birklein, Frank; Dieterich, Marianne

2013-09-01

Background In previous imaging studies the insular cortex (IC) has been identified as an essential part of the processing of a wide spectrum of perception and sensorimotor integration. Yet, there are no systematic lesion studies in a sufficient number of patients examining whether processing of vestibular and the interaction of somatosensory and vestibular signals take place in the IC. Methods We investigated acute stroke patients with lesions affecting the IC in order to fill this gap. In detail, we explored signs of a vestibular tone imbalance such as the deviation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV). We applied voxel-lesion behaviour mapping analysis in 27 patients with acute unilateral stroke. Results Our data demonstrate that patients with lesions of the posterior IC have an abnormal tilt of SVV. Furthermore, re-analysing data of 20 patients from a previous study, we found a positive correlation between thermal perception contralateral to the stroke and the severity of the SVV tilt. Conclusions We conclude that the IC is a sensory brain region where different modalities might interact.

GaN Initiative for Grid Applications (GIGA)

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

Turner, George

2015-07-03

For nearly 4 ½ years, MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) led a very successful, DoE-funded team effort to develop GaN-on-Si materials and devices, targeting high-voltage (>1 kV), high-power, cost-effective electronics for grid applications. This effort, called the GaN Initiative for Grid Applications (GIGA) program, was initially made up of MIT/LL, the MIT campus group of Prof. Tomas Palacios (MIT), and the industrial partner M/A Com Technology Solutions (MTS). Later in the program a 4th team member was added (IQE MA) to provide commercial-scale GaN-on-Si epitaxial materials. A basic premise of the GIGA program was that power electronics, for ubiquitous utilization -evenmore » for grid applications - should be closer in cost structure to more conventional Si-based power electronics. For a number of reasons, more established GaN-on-SiC or even SiC-based power electronics are not likely to reach theses cost structures, even in higher manufacturing volumes. An additional premise of the GIGA program was that the technical focus would be on materials and devices suitable for operating at voltages > 1 kV, even though there is also significant commercial interest in developing lower voltage (< 1 kV), cost effective GaN-on-Si devices for higher volume applications, like consumer products. Remarkable technical progress was made during the course of this program. Advances in materials included the growth of high-quality, crack-free epitaxial GaN layers on large-diameter Si substrates with thicknesses up to ~5 μm, overcoming significant challenges in lattice mismatch and thermal expansion differences between Si and GaN in the actual epitaxial growth process. Such thick epilayers are crucial for high voltage operation of lateral geometry devices such as Schottky barrier (SB) diodes and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). New “Normally-Off” device architectures were demonstrated – for safe operation of power electronics circuits. The trade-offs between lateral and vertical devices were explored, with the conclusion that lateral devices are superior for fundamental thermal reasons, as well as for the demonstration of future generations of monolithic power circuits. As part of the materials and device investigations breakdown mechanisms in GaN-on-Si structures were fully characterized and effective electric field engineering was recognized as critical for achieving even higher voltage operation. Improved device contact technology was demonstrated, including the first gold-free metallizations (to enable processing in CMOS foundries) while maintaining low specific contact resistance needed for high-power operation and 5-order-of magnitude improvement in device leakage currents (essential for high power operation). In addition, initial GaN-on-Si epitaxial growth was performed on 8”/200 mm Si starting substrates.« less

OpenCourseWare Resources for Advanced High School Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carson, Steve

2008-01-01

In 2000, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faculty first proposed putting the course materials from all 1,800 MIT classes online, free of charge. The idea behind MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) was to use the Internet for more than just distance learning. When MIT began placing the course materials online in 2002 and 2003, the audience…

Wrestling with Pedagogical Change: The TEAL Initiative at MIT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breslow, Lori

2010-01-01

In the late 1990s, the physics department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had a problem. The department was responsible for teaching the two required physics courses that are part of the General Institute Requirements (GIRs), MIT's core curriculum--Physics I (mechanics, or in MIT parlance, 8.01) and Physics II (electricity and…

Flipper stroke rate and venous oxygen levels in free-ranging California sea lions.

PubMed

Tift, Michael S; Hückstädt, Luis A; McDonald, Birgitte I; Thorson, Philip H; Ponganis, Paul J

2017-04-15

The depletion rate of the blood oxygen store, development of hypoxemia and dive capacity are dependent on the distribution and rate of blood oxygen delivery to tissues while diving. Although blood oxygen extraction by working muscle would increase the blood oxygen depletion rate in a swimming animal, there is little information on the relationship between muscle workload and blood oxygen depletion during dives. Therefore, we examined flipper stroke rate, a proxy of muscle workload, and posterior vena cava oxygen profiles in four adult female California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ) during foraging trips at sea. Flipper stroke rate analysis revealed that sea lions minimized muscle metabolism with a stroke-glide strategy when diving, and exhibited prolonged glides during the descent of deeper dives (>100 m). During the descent phase of these deep dives, 55±21% of descent was spent gliding, with the longest glides lasting over 160 s and covering a vertical distance of 340 m. Animals also consistently glided to the surface from 15 to 25 m depth during these deeper dives. Venous hemoglobin saturation ( S O 2 ) profiles were highly variable throughout dives, with values occasionally increasing during shallow dives. The relationship between S O 2 and flipper stroke rate was weak during deeper dives, while this relationship was stronger during shallow dives. We conclude that (1) the depletion of oxygen in the posterior vena cava in deep-diving sea lions is not dependent on stroke effort, and (2) stroke-glide patterns during dives contribute to a reduction of muscle metabolic rate. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Scavenging flow velocity in small two-strokes at high engine speed

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

Ekenberg, M.; Johansson, B.

1995-12-31

2D-LDV-measurements were made on the flow from one transfer channel into the cylinder in a small two-stroke SI engine. The LDV measuring volume was located just outside the transfer port. The engine was a carburetted piston-ported crankcase compression chainsaw engine and it was run with wide open throttle at 9000 RPM. The muffler was removed to enable access into the cylinder. No additional seeding was used; the fuel and/or oil was not entirely vaporized as it entered the cylinder. Very high velocities ({approximately}275 m/s) were detected in the beginning of the scavenging phase. The horizontal velocity was, during the wholemore » scavenging phase, higher than the vertical.« less

Determinants of complete resection of thymoma by minimally invasive and open thymectomy: analysis of an international registry

PubMed Central

Burt, Bryan M.; Yao, Xiaopan; Shrager, Joseph; Antonicelli, Alberto; Padda, Sukhmani; Reiss, Jonathan; Wakelee, Heather; Su, Stacey; Huang, James; Scott, Walter

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION Minimally invasive thymectomy (MIT) is a surgical approach to thymectomy that has more favorable short-term outcomes than open thymectomy (OT) for myasthenia gravis. When performed for thymoma, the oncologic outcomes of MIT have not been rigorously evaluated. We analyzed determinants of complete (R0) resection among patients undergoing MIT and open thymectomy in a large international database. METHODS The retrospective database of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) was queried. Chi-Square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, multivariate logistic regression models, and propensity matching were performed. RESULTS A total of 2514 patients underwent thymectomy for thymoma between 1997 and 2012. 2053 (82%) patients underwent OT, 461 (18%) patients underwent MIT, and the use of MIT increased significantly in recent years. The rate of R0 resection among patients undergoing OT was 86%, and among those undergoing MIT was 94%, respectively (p<0.0001). In propensity matched MIT and OT groups (n=266 each group), however, the rate of R0 resection did not differ significantly (MIT 96%, OT 96%, p=0.7). Multivariate analyses were performed to identify determinants of complete resection. Factors independently associated with R0 resection were geographical region, later time period, less advanced Masaoka stage, total thymectomy, and the absence of radiotherapy. Surgical approach, whether minimally invasive or open, was not associated with completeness of resection. CONCLUSIONS The use of MIT for resection of thymoma is increasing substantially over time, and MIT can achieve similar rates of R0 resection for thymoma as OT. PMID:27566187

Mitochondrial N-formyl peptides induce cardiovascular collapse and sepsis-like syndrome

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Cameron G.; Szasz, Theodora; Goulopoulou, Styliani; Webb, R. Clinton

2015-01-01

Fifty percent of trauma patients who present sepsis-like syndrome do not have bacterial infections. This condition is known as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). A unifying factor of SIRS and sepsis is cardiovascular collapse. Trauma and severe blood loss cause the release of endogenous molecules known as damage-associated molecular patterns. Mitochondrial N-formyl peptides (F-MIT) are damage-associated molecular patterns that share similarities with bacterial N-formylated peptides and are potent immune system activators. The goal of this study was to investigate whether F-MIT trigger SIRS, including hypotension and vascular collapse via formyl peptide receptor (FPR) activation. We evaluated cardiovascular parameters in Wistar rats treated with FPR or histamine receptor antagonists and inhibitors of the nitric oxide pathway before and after F-MIT infusion. F-MIT, but not nonformylated peptides or mitochondrial DNA, induced severe hypotension via FPR activation and nitric oxide and histamine release. Moreover, F-MIT infusion induced hyperthermia, blood clotting, and increased vascular permeability. To evaluate the role of leukocytes in F-MIT-induced hypotension, neutrophil, basophil, or mast cells were depleted. Depletion of basophils, but not neutrophils or mast cells, abolished F-MIT-induced hypotension. Rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock increased plasma levels of mitochondrial formylated proteins associated with lung damage and antagonism of FPR ameliorated hemorrhagic shock-induced lung injury. Finally, F-MIT induced vasodilatation in isolated resistance arteries via FPR activation; however, F-MIT impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the presence of blood. These data suggest that F-MIT may be the link among trauma, SIRS, and cardiovascular collapse. PMID:25637548

Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von Fumarsäureestern in Kombination mit Phototherapie bei Patienten mit moderater bis schwerer Plaque-Psoriasis (FAST).

PubMed

Weisenseel, Peter; Reich, Kristian; Griemberg, Wiebke; Merten, Katharina; Gröschel, Christine; Gomez, Natalie Nunez; Taipale, Kirsi; Bräu, Beate; Zschocke, Ina

2017-02-01

Die Behandlung von Psoriasis-Patienten mit einer Kombination aus Fumarsäureestern (FSE, Fumaderm ® ) und Phototherapie (UV) ist verbreitet, wurde aber im Rahmen von Studien wenig untersucht. Bisher liegen lediglich Daten aus einer kleinen Pilotstudie vor. Intention dieser Studie war, eine FSE/UV-Kombinationsbehandlung an einem größeren Patientenkollektiv mit mittelschwerer bis schwerer Psoriasis zu untersuchen. In dieser prospektiven, multizentrischen, nichtinterventionellen Studie wurden Daten von Patienten mit FSE/UV-Kombinationstherapie hinsichtlich der Wirksamkeit (PGA' PASI, DLQI, EQ-5D), Sicherheit und Dosierung über einen Zeitraum von zwölf Monaten erfasst und mit Daten einer retrospektiven Studie mit FSE-Monotherapie verglichen. Es wurden Daten von 363 Patienten ausgewertet. Unter der Kombinationstherapie verbesserten sich alle Wirksamkeitsparameter deutlich. Im Vergleich zur Monotherapie mit FSE konnte durch die Kombination mit UV ein schnellerer Wirkeintritt erzielt werden, wobei nach zwölf Monaten kein Unterschied in der Wirksamkeit bestand. Die Dauer und Art der Phototherapie zeigte keinen Einfluss auf die Wirksamkeitsparameter. Allgemein wurde die Kombinationstherapie gut vertragen. Unerwünschte Ereignisse wurden bei 7 % der Patienten berichtet. Die FSE/UV Kombinationstherapie zeigt eine gute Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit und kann zu einem schnelleren Wirkeintritt führen. Eine Kombinationstherapie erscheint vor allem in den ersten drei Monaten der FSE Behandlung sinnvoll. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distinct Mechanisms of Recognizing Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport III (ESCRT-III) Protein IST1 by Different Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking (MIT) Domains*

PubMed Central

Guo, Emily Z.; Xu, Zhaohui

2015-01-01

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is responsible for membrane remodeling in a number of biological processes including multivesicular body biogenesis, cytokinesis, and enveloped virus budding. In mammalian cells, efficient abscission during cytokinesis requires proper function of the ESCRT-III protein IST1, which binds to the microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin via its C-terminal MIT-interacting motif (MIM). Here, we studied the molecular interactions between IST1 and the three MIT domain-containing proteins to understand the structural basis that governs pairwise MIT-MIM interaction. Crystal structures of the three molecular complexes revealed that IST1 binds to the MIT domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin using two different mechanisms (MIM1 mode versus MIM3 mode). Structural comparison revealed that structural features in both MIT and MIM contribute to determine the specific binding mechanism. Within the IST1 MIM sequence, two phenylalanine residues were shown to be important in discriminating MIM1 versus MIM3 binding. These observations enabled us to deduce a preliminary binding code, which we applied to provide CHMP2A, a protein that normally only binds the MIT domain in the MIM1 mode, the additional ability to bind the MIT domain of Spartin in the MIM3 mode. PMID:25657007

[R]MIT Research Centre at Delft University of Technology: A Bridge between Research, Education, Society and Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zijlstra, Hielkje

2009-01-01

In 2006, we launched the [R]MIT Research Centre (Modification, Intervention Transformation) at the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology. [R]MIT was founded to respond to the need for an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to the transformation of the built environment. [R]MIT aims to bring momentum to the renewal of…

NASA Medical Response to Human Spacecraft Accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patlach, Robert

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews NASA's role in the response to spacecraft accidents that involve human fatalities or injuries. Particular attention is given to the work of the Mishap Investigation Team (MIT), the first response to the accidents and the interface to the accident investigation board. The MIT does not investigate the accident, but the objective of the MIT is to gather, guard, preserve and document the evidence. The primary medical objectives of the MIT is to receive, analyze, identify, and transport human remains, provide assistance in the recovery effort, and to provide family Casualty Coordinators with latest recovery information. The MIT while it does not determine the cause of the accident, it acts as the fact gathering arm of the Mishap Investigation Board (MIB), which when it is activated may chose to continue to use the MIT as its field investigation resource. The MIT membership and the specific responsibilities and tasks of the flight surgeon is reviewed. The current law establishing the process is also reviewed.

The rice mitochondrial iron transporter is essential for plant growth

PubMed Central

Bashir, Khurram; Ishimaru, Yasuhiro; Shimo, Hugo; Nagasaka, Seiji; Fujimoto, Masaru; Takanashi, Hideki; Tsutsumi, Nobuhiro; An, Gynheung; Nakanishi, Hiromi; Nishizawa, Naoko K.

2011-01-01

In plants, iron (Fe) is essential for mitochondrial electron transport, heme, and Fe-Sulphur (Fe-S) cluster synthesis; however, plant mitochondrial Fe transporters have not been identified. Here we show, identify and characterize the rice mitochondrial Fe transporter (MIT). Based on a transfer DNA library screen, we identified a rice line showing symptoms of Fe deficiency while accumulating high shoot levels of Fe. Homozygous knockout of MIT in this line resulted in a lethal phenotype. MIT localized to the mitochondria and complemented the growth of Δmrs3Δmrs4 yeast defective in mitochondrial Fe transport. The growth of MIT-knockdown (mit-2) plants was also significantly impaired despite abundant Fe accumulation. Further, the decrease in the activity of the mitochondrial and cytosolic Fe-S enzyme, aconitase, indicated that Fe-S cluster synthesis is affected in mit-2 plants. These results indicate that MIT is a mitochondrial Fe transporter essential for rice growth and development. PMID:21610725

Phylogenetic relationships of the Gomphales based on nuc-25S-rDNA, mit-12S-rDNA, and mit-atp6-DNA combined sequences

Treesearch

Admir J. Giachini; Kentaro Hosaka; Eduardo Nouhra; Joseph Spatafora; James M. Trappe

2010-01-01

Phylogenetic relationships among Geastrales, Gomphales, Hysterangiales, and Phallales were estimated via combined sequences: nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (nuc-25S-rDNA), mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mit-12S-rDNA), and mitochondrial atp6 DNA (mit-atp6-DNA). Eighty-one taxa comprising 19 genera and 58 species...

Determinants of Complete Resection of Thymoma by Minimally Invasive and Open Thymectomy: Analysis of an International Registry.

PubMed

Burt, Bryan M; Yao, Xiaopan; Shrager, Joseph; Antonicelli, Alberto; Padda, Sukhmani; Reiss, Jonathan; Wakelee, Heather; Su, Stacey; Huang, James; Scott, Walter

2017-01-01

Minimally invasive thymectomy (MIT) is a surgical approach to thymectomy that has more favorable short-term outcomes for myasthenia gravis than open thymectomy (OT). The oncologic outcomes of MIT performed for thymoma have not been rigorously evaluated. We analyzed determinants of complete (R0) resection among patients undergoing MIT and OT in a large international database. The retrospective database of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group was queried. Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, multivariate logistic regression models, and propensity matching were performed. A total of 2514 patients underwent thymectomy for thymoma between 1997 and 2012; 2053 of them (82%) underwent OT and 461 (18%) underwent MIT, with the use of MIT increasing significantly in recent years. The rate of R0 resection among patients undergoing OT was 86%, and among those undergoing MIT it was 94% (p < 0.0001). In propensity-matched MIT and OT groups (n = 266 in each group); however, the rate of R0 resection did not differ significantly (96% in both the MIT and OT groups, p = 0.7). Multivariate analyses were performed to identify determinants of R0 resection. Factors independently associated with R0 resection were geographical region, later time period, less advanced Masaoka stage, total thymectomy, and the absence of radiotherapy. Surgical approach, whether minimally invasive or open, was not associated with completeness of resection. The use of MIT for resection of thymoma has been increasing substantially over time, and MIT can achieve rates of R0 resection for thymoma similar to those achieved with OT. Copyright © 2016 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular mapping of the tubby (tub) mutation on mouse chromosome 7

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

Chung, W.K.; Goldberg-Berman, J.; Power-Kehoe, L.

1996-03-01

Using 180 F2 progeny of a C57BL6/J x CAST/Ei tub/+F1 intersubspecific intercross, a map of 28 molecular markers (including eight genes) on chromosome 7 surrounding the tub locus was generated. Using 33 obese F2 progeny, tub was localized approximately 50-52 cM distal to the centromere on mouse chromosome 7 in the interval defined proximally by hemoglobin beta (Hbb), D7Mit38, D7Mit217, D7Mit37, D7Mit96, and D7Mit33 and distally by D7Mit 98. Using 39 obese F2 progeny from a similar intersubspecific intercross, a telomeric boundary of the interval defining tub was defined by D7Mit53; the order centromere-Hbb/tub-D7Mit53/D7Mit328/D7Mit220-parathyroid hormone (Pth)-calcitonin (Calc)-zona pellucida 2 (2p2)more » was established. By combining the data from the two crosses, the most likely gene order on mouse chromosome 7 is centromere-Hbb-tub-Pth-Calc, thus making it likely that the human homolog of tub resides on 11p15, where the gene order HBB-PTH-CALC is conserved. Assignment of the human tubby homolog to 11p15 allows selection and development of polymorphic molecular markers that can be used to examine segregation of a human homolog of tubby in pedigrees segregating for obesity. The gene sulfonylurea receptor was eliminated as a candidate gene for tubby on the basis of its map position, approximately 3.1 {plus_minus} 3.1 cM centromeric of tyrosinase and approximately 14.9 {plus_minus} 4.8 cM centromeric of Hbb. 47 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Ankle muscle strength discriminates fallers from non-fallers

PubMed Central

Cattagni, Thomas; Scaglioni, Gil; Laroche, Davy; Van Hoecke, Jacques; Gremeaux, Vincent; Martin, Alain

2014-01-01

It is well known that center of pressure (CoP) displacement correlates negatively with the maximal isometric torque (MIT) of ankle muscles. This relationship has never been investigated in elderly fallers (EF). The purpose of this study was thus to analyze the relationship between the MIT of ankle muscles and CoP displacement in upright stance in a sample aged between 18 and 90 years old that included EF. The aim was to identify a threshold of torque below which balance is compromised. The MIT of Plantar flexors (PFs) and dorsal flexors (DFs) and CoP were measured in 90 volunteers: 21 healthy young adults (YA) (age: 24.1 ± 5.0), 12 healthy middle-aged adults (MAA) (age: 50.2 ± 4.5), 27 healthy elderly non-fallers (ENF) (age: 75.5 ± 7.0) and 30 EF (age: 78.8 ± 6.7). The MIT of PF and DF were summed to obtain the overall maximal ankle muscle strength. Body weight and height were used to normalize MIT (nMIT) and CoP (nCoP), respectively. nCoP correlated negatively with nMIT. 90% of EF generated an nMIT <3.1 N·m·kg−1, whereas 85% of non-fallers generated an nMIT >3.1 N·m·kg−1. The relationship between nMIT and nCoP implies that ankle muscle weakness contributes to increased postural instability and the risk of falling. We observed that below the threshold of 3.1 N·m·kg−1, postural stability was dramatically diminished and balance was compromised. Our results suggest that measuring ankle torque could be used in routine clinical practice to identify potential fallers. PMID:25566068

Distinct mechanisms of recognizing endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT-III) protein IST1 by different microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains.

PubMed

Guo, Emily Z; Xu, Zhaohui

2015-03-27

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is responsible for membrane remodeling in a number of biological processes including multivesicular body biogenesis, cytokinesis, and enveloped virus budding. In mammalian cells, efficient abscission during cytokinesis requires proper function of the ESCRT-III protein IST1, which binds to the microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin via its C-terminal MIT-interacting motif (MIM). Here, we studied the molecular interactions between IST1 and the three MIT domain-containing proteins to understand the structural basis that governs pairwise MIT-MIM interaction. Crystal structures of the three molecular complexes revealed that IST1 binds to the MIT domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin using two different mechanisms (MIM1 mode versus MIM3 mode). Structural comparison revealed that structural features in both MIT and MIM contribute to determine the specific binding mechanism. Within the IST1 MIM sequence, two phenylalanine residues were shown to be important in discriminating MIM1 versus MIM3 binding. These observations enabled us to deduce a preliminary binding code, which we applied to provide CHMP2A, a protein that normally only binds the MIT domain in the MIM1 mode, the additional ability to bind the MIT domain of Spartin in the MIM3 mode. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Distinct Mechanisms of Recognizing Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport III (ESCRT-III) Protein IST1 by Different Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking (MIT) Domains

DOE PAGES

Guo, Emily Z.; Xu, Zhaohui

2015-02-05

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery is responsible for membrane remodeling in a number of biological processes including multivesicular body biogenesis, cytokinesis, and enveloped virus budding. In mammalian cells, efficient abscission during cytokinesis requires proper function of the ESCRT-III protein IST1, which binds to the microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin via its C-terminal MIT-interacting motif (MIM). In this paper, we studied the molecular interactions between IST1 and the three MIT domain-containing proteins to understand the structural basis that governs pairwise MIT-MIM interaction. Crystal structures of the three molecular complexes revealed thatmore » IST1 binds to the MIT domains of VPS4, LIP5, and Spartin using two different mechanisms (MIM1 mode versus MIM3 mode). Structural comparison revealed that structural features in both MIT and MIM contribute to determine the specific binding mechanism. Within the IST1 MIM sequence, two phenylalanine residues were shown to be important in discriminating MIM1 versus MIM3 binding. Finally, these observations enabled us to deduce a preliminary binding code, which we applied to provide CHMP2A, a protein that normally only binds the MIT domain in the MIM1 mode, the additional ability to bind the MIT domain of Spartin in the MIM3 mode.« less

Disruption Neutral Point Experiment on Alcator C-Mod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granetz, R. S.; Nakamura, Y.

2000-10-01

Disruptions of single-null elongated plasmas generally result in loss of vertical position control, leading to a current quench occurring at the top or bottom of the machine, with all the attendant problems of halo and eddy currents flowing in divertor structures. On JT-60U, it has been found that if the plasma is operated with its magnetic axis at a particular height, called the neutral point, the initial vertical drift after a thermal quench is significantly slower than usual, and sometimes can even be arrested, thereby avoiding a current quench in the divertor region entirely. In an ongoing collaboration between MIT and JAERI, the neutral point concept is being tested in Alcator C-Mod, which has a significantly higher plasma elongation than JT-60U (1.65 vs 1.3). Calculations using TSC predict a neutral point at z~=+1 cm above the midplane (a=22 cm). The existence of a neutral point has now been experimentally confirmed, albeit at a height of z=+2.7 cm. The plasma has remained vertically stable for up to 9 ms after the disruption thermal quench, which in principle, is long enough for the PF control system to respond, if programmed appropriately. In addition, the physics of the neutral point stability on C-Mod appears to be somewhat different than that on JT-60U.

Kommunikation mit Mitarbeitern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spychala, Anne; Fleischmann, Jürgen

Kommunikation ist der Austausch von Nachrichten und Informationen zwischen Mitarbeitern eines Unternehmens (O'Hair et al. 1997). Dieser Austausch kann persönlich, aber z.B. auch per Telefon, E-Mail oder durch Computersysteme erfolgen. In diesem Kapitel betrachten wir die persönliche Kommunikation zwischen Vorgesetzten und Mitarbeitern. Zur persönlichen Kommunikation mit Mitarbeitern zählen sowohl formelle Gespräche mit Mitarbeitern als auch eher informelle Gespräche zwischen Tür und Angel. Die Gespräche können dabei mit einzelnen Mitarbeitern (z.B. jährliches Mitarbeitergespräch) oder mit Gruppen von Mitarbeitern (z.B. regelmäßige Projekt- oder Teambesprechungen) stattfinden.

Unfallaufnahme und Datenerhebung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brösdorf, Klaus-Dieter; Moser, Andreas; Burg, Jürgen

Unfälle ereignen sich in unterschiedlichen Schweregraden. Man unterscheidet zwischen Unfälle mit nur Sachschaden und in Unfälle mit Personenschaden. Gemäß Statistik [1] machten in Deutschland im Jahr 2005 Unfälle mit Personenschaden (336.619) etwa 15 % der Gesamtanzahl der polizeilich erfassten Unfälle (2.253.992) aus. In den amtlichen Statistiken sind nur polizeilich erfasste Unfälle enthalten. Eine größere Zahl von Unfällen, insbesondere leichtere Unfälle, wird offensichtlich polizeilich nicht gemeldet. Mit den Daten der Versicherungswirtschaft wird die Anzahl der Kfz-Schäden pro Jahr in Deutschland mit 8.673.000 angegeben [2].

Mott transition between a spin-liquid insulator and a metal in three dimensions.

PubMed

Podolsky, Daniel; Paramekanti, Arun; Kim, Yong Baek; Senthil, T

2009-05-08

We study a bandwidth controlled Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) from a Fermi-liquid metal to a quantum spin-liquid insulator in three dimensions. Using a slave rotor approach including gauge fluctuations, we obtain a continuous MIT and discuss finite temperature crossovers in its vicinity. We show that the specific heat C approximately Tlnln(1/T) at the MIT and that the metallic state near the MIT should exhibit a "conductivity minimum" as a function of temperature. We suggest Na4Ir3O8 as a candidate to test our predictions and compute its electron spectral function at the MIT.

Stochastic noise characteristics in matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS).

PubMed

Godfrey, Devon J; McAdams, H P; Dobbins, James T Third

2009-05-01

Matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS) uses known imaging geometry and linear systems theory to deterministically separate in-plane detail from residual tomographic blur in a set of conventional tomosynthesis ("shift-and-add") planes. A previous investigation explored the effect of scan angle (ANG), number of projections (N), and number of reconstructed planes (NP) on the MITS impulse response and modulation transfer function characteristics, and concluded that ANG = 20 degrees, N = 71, and NP = 69 is the optimal MITS imaging technique for chest imaging on our prototype tomosynthesis system. This article examines the effect of ANG, N, and NP on the MITS exposure-normalized noise power spectra (ENNPS) and seeks to confirm that the imaging parameters selected previously by an analysis of the MITS impulse response also yield reasonable stochastic properties in MITS reconstructed planes. ENNPS curves were generated for experimentally acquired mean-subtracted projection images, conventional tomosynthesis planes, and MITS planes with varying combinations of the parameters ANG, N, and NP. Image data were collected using a prototype tomosynthesis system, with 11.4 cm acrylic placed near the image receptor to produce lung-equivalent beam hardening and scattered radiation. Ten identically acquired tomosynthesis data sets (realizations) were collected for each selected technique and used to generate ensemble mean images that were subtracted from individual image realizations prior to noise power spectra (NPS) estimation. NPS curves were normalized to account for differences in entrance exposure (as measured with an ion chamber), yielding estimates of the ENNPS for each technique. Results suggest that mid- and high-frequency noise in MITS planes is fairly equivalent in magnitude to noise in conventional tomosynthesis planes, but low-frequency noise is amplified in the most anterior and posterior reconstruction planes. Selecting the largest available number of projections (N = 71) does not incur any appreciable additive electronic noise penalty compared to using fewer projections for roughly equivalent cumulative exposure. Stochastic noise is minimized by maximizing N and NP but increases with increasing ANG. The noise trend results for NP and ANG are contrary to what would be predicted by simply considering the MITS matrix conditioning and likely result from the interplay between noise correlation and the polarity of the MITS filters. From this study, the authors conclude that the previously determined optimal MITS imaging strategy based on impulse response considerations produces somewhat suboptimal stochastic noise characteristics, but is probably still the best technique for MITS imaging of the chest.

The NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM): Recent Updates and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William; Peterson, Harold; Biazar, Arastoo; Khan, Maudood; Wang, Lihua; Park, Yee-Hun

2011-01-01

Improvements to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) and its application to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system are presented. The LNOM analyzes Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and National Lightning Detection Network(tm) (NLDN) data to estimate the raw (i.e., unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical profile of lightning NOx (= NO + NO2). Lightning channel length distributions and lightning 10-m segment altitude distributions are also provided. In addition to NOx production from lightning return strokes, the LNOM now includes non-return stroke lightning NOx production due to: hot core stepped and dart leaders, stepped leader corona sheath, K-changes, continuing currents, and M-components. The impact of including LNOM-estimates of lightning NOx for an August 2006 run of CMAQ is discussed.

A study on the influence of corona on currents and electromagnetic fields predicted by a nonlinear lightning return-stroke model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Conti, Alberto; Silveira, Fernando H.; Visacro, Silvério

2014-05-01

This paper investigates the influence of corona on currents and electromagnetic fields predicted by a return-stroke model that represents the lightning channel as a nonuniform transmission line with time-varying (nonlinear) resistance. The corona model used in this paper allows the calculation of corona currents as a function of the radial electric field in the vicinity of the channel. A parametric study is presented to investigate the influence of corona parameters, such as the breakdown electric field and the critical electric field for the stable propagation of streamers, on predicted currents and electromagnetic fields. The results show that, regardless of the assumed corona parameters, the incorporation of corona into the nonuniform and nonlinear transmission line model under investigation modifies the model predictions so that they consistently reproduce most of the typical features of experimentally observed lightning electromagnetic fields and return-stroke speed profiles. In particular, it is shown that the proposed model leads to close vertical electric fields presenting waveforms, amplitudes, and decay with distance in good agreement with dart leader electric field changes measured in triggered lightning experiments. A comparison with popular engineering return-stroke models further confirms the model's ability to predict consistent electric field waveforms in the close vicinity of the channel. Some differences observed in the field amplitudes calculated with the different models can be related to the fact that current distortion, while present in the proposed model, is ultimately neglected in the considered engineering return-stroke models.

Tortuosity of lightning return stroke channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, D. M.; Gilson, B.

1984-01-01

Data obtained from photographs of lightning are presented on the tortuosity of return stroke channels. The data were obtained by making piecewise linear fits to the channels, and recording the cartesian coordinates of the ends of each linear segment. The mean change between ends of the segments was nearly zero in the horizontal direction and was about eight meters in the vertical direction. Histograms of these changes are presented. These data were used to create model lightning channels and to predict the electric fields radiated during return strokes. This was done using a computer generated random walk in which linear segments were placed end-to-end to form a piecewise linear representation of the channel. The computer selected random numbers for the ends of the segments assuming a normal distribution with the measured statistics. Once the channels were simulated, the electric fields radiated during a return stroke were predicted using a transmission line model on each segment. It was found that realistic channels are obtained with this procedure, but only if the model includes two scales of tortuosity: fine scale irregularities corresponding to the local channel tortuosity which are superimposed on large scale horizontal drifts. The two scales of tortuosity are also necessary to obtain agreement between the electric fields computed mathematically from the simulated channels and the electric fields radiated from real return strokes. Without large scale drifts, the computed electric fields do not have the undulations characteristics of the data.

Spirituelles Wohlbefinden und Coping bei Sklerodermie, Lupus erythematodes und malignem Melanom.

PubMed

Pilch, Michaela; Scharf, Sabina Nadine; Lukanz, Martin; Wutte, Nora Johanna; Fink-Puches, Regina; Glawischnig-Goschnik, Monika; Unterrainer, Human-Friedrich; Aberer, Elisabeth

2016-07-01

Religiös-spirituelles Wohlbefinden ist verbunden mit höherer Vitalität und verminderter Depressionsneigung. In unserer Studie untersuchten wir die Strategien zur Krankheitsbewältigung und die Rolle von Religiosität-Spiritualität (R-S) zur Verbesserung des subjektiven Wohlbefindens. 149 Patienten (107 Frauen), 44 mit systemischer Sklerodermie (SKL), 48 mit Lupus erythematodes (LE) und 57 mit malignem Melanom (MM), Stadium I-II, wurden mittels eines selbstentwickelten Fragebogens zum subjektiven Wohlbefinden, zu den mit der Erkrankung einhergehenden Umständen sowie mit dem Multidimensionalen Inventar (MI-RSB) zu R-S befragt. LE-Patienten sind zum Zeitpunkt der Diagnosestellung stärker belastet als SKL- und MM-Patienten. SKL- und LE-Patienten können erst nach Jahren die Erkrankung akzeptieren. Der Gesamtscore des religiös-spirituellen Befindens liegt bei LE-Patienten signifikant unter dem Wert der Normalbevölkerung. Fotosensitivität und Gelenksschmerzen sind bei LE-Patienten negativ assoziiert mit der Fähigkeit Vergeben zu können. SKL-Patienten mit Gesichtsveränderungen und Lungenbeteiligung zeigen höhere allgemeine Religiosität. MM-Patienten haben höhere Werte für transzendente Hoffnung. Vorträge über die Krankheit und psychologische Betreuung sind die wichtigsten Bedürfnisse von Patienten mit SKL, LE und MM an ihre Betreuer. Religiös-spirituelle Angebote zur Krankheitsverarbeitung scheinen derzeit eine untergeordnete Rolle zu spielen, könnten aber eine wichtige Ressource sein, der man in Zukunft mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenken sollte. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Suppression of Structural Phase Transition in VO2 by Epitaxial Strain in Vicinity of Metal-insulator Transition

PubMed Central

Yang, Mengmeng; Yang, Yuanjun; Bin Hong; Wang, Liangxin; Hu, Kai; Dong, Yongqi; Xu, Han; Huang, Haoliang; Zhao, Jiangtao; Chen, Haiping; Song, Li; Ju, Huanxin; Zhu, Junfa; Bao, Jun; Li, Xiaoguang; Gu, Yueliang; Yang, Tieying; Gao, Xingyu; Luo, Zhenlin; Gao, Chen

2016-01-01

Mechanism of metal-insulator transition (MIT) in strained VO2 thin films is very complicated and incompletely understood despite three scenarios with potential explanations including electronic correlation (Mott mechanism), structural transformation (Peierls theory) and collaborative Mott-Peierls transition. Herein, we have decoupled coactions of structural and electronic phase transitions across the MIT by implementing epitaxial strain on 13-nm-thick (001)-VO2 films in comparison to thicker films. The structural evolution during MIT characterized by temperature-dependent synchrotron radiation high-resolution X-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping and Raman spectroscopy suggested that the structural phase transition in the temperature range of vicinity of the MIT is suppressed by epitaxial strain. Furthermore, temperature-dependent Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS) revealed the changes in electron occupancy near the Fermi energy EF of V 3d orbital, implying that the electronic transition triggers the MIT in the strained films. Thus the MIT in the bi-axially strained VO2 thin films should be only driven by electronic transition without assistance of structural phase transition. Density functional theoretical calculations further confirmed that the tetragonal phase across the MIT can be both in insulating and metallic states in the strained (001)-VO2/TiO2 thin films. This work offers a better understanding of the mechanism of MIT in the strained VO2 films. PMID:26975328

A novel voice coil motor-driven compliant micropositioning stage based on flexure mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Jiangkun; Tian, Yanling; Li, Zheng; Wang, Fujun; Cai, Kunhai

2015-09-01

This paper presents a 2-degrees of freedom flexure-based micropositioning stage with a flexible decoupling mechanism. The stage is composed of an upper planar stage and four vertical support links to improve the out-of-plane stiffness. The moving platform is driven by two voice coil motors, and thus it has the capability of large working stroke. The upper stage is connected with the base through six double parallel four-bar linkages mechanisms, which are orthogonally arranged to implement the motion decoupling in the x and y directions. The vertical support links with serially connected hook joints are utilized to guarantee good planar motion with heavy-loads. The static stiffness and the dynamic resonant frequencies are obtained based on the theoretical analyses. Finite element analysis is used to investigate the characteristics of the developed stage. Experiments are carried out to validate the established models and the performance of the developed stage. It is noted that the developed stage has the capability of translational motion stroke of 1.8 mm and 1.78 mm in working axes. The maximum coupling errors in the x and y directions are 0.65% and 0.82%, respectively, and the motion resolution is less than 200 nm. The experimental results show that the developed stage has good capability for trajectory tracking.

Arm to leg coordination in elite butterfly swimmers.

PubMed

Chollet, D; Seifert, L; Boulesteix, L; Carter, M

2006-04-01

This study proposed the use of four time gaps to assess arm-to-leg coordination in the butterfly stroke at increasing race paces. Fourteen elite male swimmers swam at four velocities corresponding to the appropriate paces for, respectively, the 400-m, 200-m, 100-m, and 50-m events. The different stroke phases of the arm and leg were identified by video analysis and then used to calculate four time gaps (T1: time gap between entry of the hands in the water and the high break-even point of the first undulation; T2: time gap between the beginning of the hands' backward movement and the low break-even point of the first undulation; T3: time gap between the hands' arrival in a vertical plane to the shoulders and the high break-even point of the second undulation; T4: time gap between the hands' release from the water and the low break-even point of the second undulation), the values of which described the changing relationship of arm to leg movements over an entire stroke cycle. With increases in pace, elite swimmers increased the stroke rate, the relative duration of the arm pull, the recovery and the first downward movement of the legs, and decreased the stroke length, the relative duration of the arm catch phase and the body glide with arms forward (measured by T2), until continuity in the propulsive actions was achieved. Whatever the paces, the T1, T3, and T4 values were close to zero and revealed a high degree of synchronisation at key motor points of the arm and leg actions. This new method to assess butterfly coordination could facilitate learning and coaching by situating the place of the leg undulation in relation with the arm stroke.

Affective Responses to Repeated Sessions of High-Intensity Interval Training.

PubMed

Saanijoki, Tiina; Nummenmaa, Lauri; Eskelinen, Jari-Joonas; Savolainen, Anna M; Vahlberg, Tero; Kalliokoski, Kari K; Hannukainen, Jarna C

2015-12-01

Vigorous exercise feels unpleasant, and negative emotions may discourage adherence to regular exercise. We quantified the subjective affective responses to short-term high-intensity interval training (HIT) in comparison with moderate-intensity continuous training (MIT). Twenty-six healthy middle-age (mean age, 47 ± 5 yr; mean VO2peak, 34.2 ± 4.1 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) sedentary men were randomized into HIT (n = 13, 4-6 × 30 s of all-out cycling efforts at approximately 180% of peak workload with 4-min recovery) or MIT (n = 13, 40- to 60-min continuous cycling at 60% of peak workload) groups, performing six sessions within two weeks. Perceived exertion, stress, and affective state were recorded before, during, and after each session. Perceived exertion and arousal were higher, and affective state, more negative during the HIT than that during MIT sessions (P < 0.001). HIT versus MIT exercise acutely increased the experience of stress, tension, and irritation and decreased positive affect (P < 0.05). In addition, satisfaction was lower and pain and negative affect were higher in the HIT than those in the MIT group (P < 0.05). However, perceived exertion and displeasure experienced during exercise alleviated similarly in response to HIT and MIT over the 6 d of training. Peak oxygen consumption increased (P < 0.001) after intervention (HIT, 34.7 ± 3.9 vs 36.7 ± 4.5; MIT, 33.9 ± 4.6 vs 35.0 ± 4.6) and was not different between HIT and MIT (P = 0.28 for group × training). Short-term HIT and MIT are equally effective in improving aerobic fitness, but HIT increases experience of negative emotions and exertion in sedentary middle-age men. This may limit the adherence to this time-effective training mode, even though displeasure lessens over time and suggests similar mental adaptations to both MIT and HIT.

Posterior insular cortex – a site of vestibular–somatosensory interaction?

PubMed Central

Baier, Bernhard; zu Eulenburg, Peter; Best, Christoph; Geber, Christian; Müller-Forell, Wibke; Birklein, Frank; Dieterich, Marianne

2013-01-01

Background In previous imaging studies the insular cortex (IC) has been identified as an essential part of the processing of a wide spectrum of perception and sensorimotor integration. Yet, there are no systematic lesion studies in a sufficient number of patients examining whether processing of vestibular and the interaction of somatosensory and vestibular signals take place in the IC. Methods We investigated acute stroke patients with lesions affecting the IC in order to fill this gap. In detail, we explored signs of a vestibular tone imbalance such as the deviation of the subjective visual vertical (SVV). We applied voxel-lesion behaviour mapping analysis in 27 patients with acute unilateral stroke. Results Our data demonstrate that patients with lesions of the posterior IC have an abnormal tilt of SVV. Furthermore, re-analysing data of 20 patients from a previous study, we found a positive correlation between thermal perception contralateral to the stroke and the severity of the SVV tilt. Conclusions We conclude that the IC is a sensory brain region where different modalities might interact. PMID:24392273

Photochemistry and dynamics of the ozone layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinn, R. G.; Alyea, F. N.; Cunnold, D. M.

1978-01-01

The paper presents a broad review of the photochemical and dynamic theories of the ozone layer. The two theories are combined into the MIT three-dimensional dynamic-chemical quasi-geostrophic model with 26 levels in the vertical spaced in logarithmic pressure coordinates between the ground and 72-km altitude. The chemical scheme incorporates the important odd nitrogen, odd hydrogen, and odd oxygen chemistry, but is simplified in the sense that it requires specification of the distributions of NO2, OH and HO2. The prognostic equations are the vorticity equation, the perturbation thermodynamic equation, and the global mean and perturbation continuity equations for ozone; diagnostic equations include the hydrostatic equation, the balance condition, and the mass continuity equation. The model is applied to the investigation of the impact of supersonic aircraft on the ozone layer.

Detecting Man-in-the-Middle Attacks against Transport Layer Security Connections with Timing Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-15

Networks (VPNs), TLS protects massive amounts of private information, and protecting this data from Man-in-the-Middle ( MitM ) attacks is imperative to...keeping the information secure. This thesis illustrates how an attacker can successfully perform a MitM attack against a TLS connection without alerting...mechanism a user has against a MitM . The goal for this research is to determine if a time threshold exists that can indicate the presence of a MitM in this

The My Meal Intake Tool (M-MIT): Validity of a Patient Self- Assessment for Food and Fluid Intake at a Single Meal.

PubMed

McCullough, J; Keller, H

2018-01-01

Hospital malnutrition is an under-recognized issue that leads to a variety of adverse outcomes, especially for older adults. Food/fluid intake (FFI) monitoring in hospital can be used to identify those who are improving and those who need further treatment. Current monitoring practices such as calorie counts are impractical for all patients and a patient-completed tool, if valid, could support routine FFI monitoring. The aim of this research was to determine whether the patient-completed My Meal Intake Tool (M-MIT) can accurately represent FFI at a single meal. Cross-sectional, multi-site. Four acute care hospitals in Canada. 120 patients (65+ yrs, adequate cognition). Participants completed M-MIT for a single meal. Food and fluid waste was visually estimated by a research dietitian at each hospital. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and overall agreement were calculated for both food and fluid intake by comparing M-MIT and dietitian estimations to determine criterion validity of M-MIT. Patient and research dietitian comments were used to make revisions to the M-MIT. Using a cut-point of ≤50% intake, Se was 76.2% and 61.9% and Sp was 74.0% and 80.5% for solid and fluids respectively (p<0.001). M-MIT identified a greater proportion of participants (37.2%) as having low FFI (≤50%) than dietitians (25.0%), as well as a greater proportion identified with low fluid intake (28.3% vs. 24.6%). Modest revisions were made to improve the tool. This study has demonstrated initial validity of M-MIT for use in older patients with adequate cognition. Use of M-MIT could promote FFI monitoring as a routine practice to make clinical decisions about care.

Effective degradation of methylisothiazolone biocide using ozone: Kinetics, mechanisms, and decreases in toxicity.

PubMed

Li, Ang; Wu, Qian-Yuan; Tian, Gui-Peng; Hu, Hong-Ying

2016-12-01

Methylisothiazolone (MIT) is a common biocide that is widely used in water-desalination reverse-osmosis processes. The transformation of MIT during water treatment processes is poorly understood. The kinetics and mechanisms involved in the degradation of MIT during ozonation were investigated in this study. Ozonation was found to be a useful way of degrading MIT in water, and the degradation rate constant was 0.11 (±0.1) × 10 3  L/(mol·s). The degradation rate constant did not change when the pH was increased from 3 to 9. The pre-exponential factor A and the activation energy E a for the ozonation process were 7.564 × 10 13  L/(mol·s) and 66.74 kJ/mol, respectively. The decrease in the MIT concentration and the amount of ozone consumed were measured, and the stoichiometric factor α for the ozone consumption to MIT removal ratio was found to be 1.8. Several ozonation products were detected using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Almost 32% of the organic sulfur in the MIT was oxidized to release sulfate ions, which caused a decrease in pH. Sulfur atoms were oxidized to sulfone species and then hydrolyzed to give sulfate during ozonation. Addition reactions involving carbon-carbon double bonds and the oxidation of α-carbon atoms also occurred. MIT was found to be lethal to Daphnia magna Straus (D. magna) with a median lethal concentration of 18.2 μmol/L. Even though the primary ozonation products of MIT still showed some toxicity to D. magna, ozone could minimize the toxic effect after a long reaction time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved Neural Processing Efficiency in a Chronic Aphasia Patient Following Melodic Intonation Therapy: A Neuropsychological and Functional MRI Study

PubMed Central

Tabei, Ken-ichi; Satoh, Masayuki; Nakano, Chizuru; Ito, Ai; Shimoji, Yasuo; Kida, Hirotaka; Sakuma, Hajime; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2016-01-01

Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) is a treatment program for the rehabilitation of aphasic patients with speech production disorders. We report a case of severe chronic non-fluent aphasia unresponsive to several years of conventional therapy that showed a marked improvement following intensive 9-day training on the Japanese version of MIT (MIT-J). The purpose of this study was to verify the efficacy of MIT-J by functional assessment and examine associated changes in neural processing by functional magnetic resonance imaging. MIT improved language output and auditory comprehension, and decreased the response time for picture naming. Following MIT-J, an area of the right hemisphere was less activated on correct naming trials than compared with before training but similarly activated on incorrect trials. These results suggest that the aphasic symptoms of our patient were improved by increased neural processing efficiency and a concomitant decrease in cognitive load. PMID:27698650

Modulation of mitochondrial activity in HaCaT keratinocytes by the cell penetrating peptide Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitoparan.

PubMed

Richardson, Adam; Muir, Lewis; Mousdell, Sasha; Sexton, Darren; Jones, Sarah; Howl, John; Ross, Kehinde

2018-01-30

Biologically active cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are an emerging class of therapeutic agent. The wasp venom peptide mastoparan is an established CPP that modulates mitochondrial activity and triggers caspase-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells, as does the mastoparan analogue mitoparan (mitP). Mitochondrial depolarisation and activation of the caspase cascade also underpins the action of dithranol, a topical agent for treatment of psoriasis. The effects of a potent mitP analogue on mitochondrial activity were therefore examined to assess its potential as a novel approach for targeting mitochondria for the treatment of psoriasis. In HaCaT keratinocytes treated with the mitP analogue Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitP for 24 h, a dose-dependent loss of mitochondrial activity was observed using the methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. At 10 μmol L -1 , MTT activity was less than 30% that observed in untreated cells. Staining with the cationic dye JC-1 suggested that Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitP also dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential, with a threefold increase in mitochondrial depolarisation levels. However, caspase activity appeared to be reduced by 24 h exposure to Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitP treatment. Furthermore, Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitP treatment had little effect on overall cell viability. Our findings suggest Z-Gly-RGD(DPhe)-mitP promotes the loss of mitochondrial activity but does not appear to evoke apoptosis in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Tracking moving identities: after attending the right location, the identity does not come for free.

PubMed

Pinto, Yaïr; Scholte, H Steven; Lamme, V A F

2012-01-01

Although tracking identical moving objects has been studied since the 1980's, only recently the study into tracking moving objects with distinct identities has started (referred to as Multiple Identity Tracking, MIT). So far, only behavioral studies into MIT have been undertaken. These studies have left a fundamental question regarding MIT unanswered, is MIT a one-stage or a two-stage process? According to the one-stage model, after a location has been attended, the identity is released without effort. However, according to the two-stage model, there are two effortful stages in MIT, attending to a location, and attending to the identity of the object at that location. In the current study we investigated this question by measuring brain activity in response to tracking familiar and unfamiliar targets. Familiarity is known to automate effortful processes, so if attention to identify the object is needed, this should become easier. However, if no such attention is needed, familiarity can only affect other processes (such as memory for the target set). Our results revealed that on unfamiliar trials neural activity was higher in both attentional networks, and visual identification networks. These results suggest that familiarity in MIT automates attentional identification processes, thus suggesting that attentional identification is needed in MIT. This then would imply that MIT is essentially a two-stage process, since after attending the location, the identity does not seem to come for free.

Protocol for a prospective interventional trial to develop a diagnostic index test for stroke as a cause of vertigo, dizziness and imbalance in the emergency room (EMVERT study).

PubMed

Möhwald, Ken; Bardins, Stanislavs; Müller, Hans-Helge; Jahn, Klaus; Zwergal, Andreas

2017-10-10

Identifying stroke as a cause of acute vertigo, dizziness and imbalance in the emergency room is still a clinical challenge. Many patients are admitted to stroke units, but only a minority will have strokes. This imposes a heavy financial burden on the healthcare system. The aim of this study is to develop a diagnostic index test to identify patients with a high risk of having a stroke as the cause of acute vertigo and imbalance. Patients with acute onset of vertigo, dizziness, postural imbalance or double vision within the last 24 hours lasting for at least 10 min are eligible to be included in the study. Patients with clinically proven peripheral or central aetiology will be excluded. In the emergency room, all enrolled patients will undergo standardised neuro-ophthalmological/physiological testing (including video-oculography, mobile posturography, measurement of subjective visual vertical) (EMVERT block 1). Within 10 days, standardised MRI will be performed as a reference test to identify stroke (EMVERT block 2). Data from EMVERT block 2 will be compared with results from block 1 in order to devise a diagnostic index test with a high specificity and sensitivity to predict the risk of stroke in the emergency room. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Munich and will be conducted according to the Guideline for Good Clinical Practice, the Federal Data Protecting Act and the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association in its recent version. Study results are expected to be published in international peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at international conferences. German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00008992; Universal trial number: U1111-1172-8719); pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Protocol for a prospective interventional trial to develop a diagnostic index test for stroke as a cause of vertigo, dizziness and imbalance in the emergency room (EMVERT study)

PubMed Central

Bardins, Stanislavs; Müller, Hans-Helge; Jahn, Klaus; Zwergal, Andreas

2017-01-01

Introduction Identifying stroke as a cause of acute vertigo, dizziness and imbalance in the emergency room is still a clinical challenge. Many patients are admitted to stroke units, but only a minority will have strokes. This imposes a heavy financial burden on the healthcare system. The aim of this study is to develop a diagnostic index test to identify patients with a high risk of having a stroke as the cause of acute vertigo and imbalance. Methods and analysis Patients with acute onset of vertigo, dizziness, postural imbalance or double vision within the last 24 hours lasting for at least 10 min are eligible to be included in the study. Patients with clinically proven peripheral or central aetiology will be excluded. In the emergency room, all enrolled patients will undergo standardised neuro-ophthalmological/physiological testing (including video-oculography, mobile posturography, measurement of subjective visual vertical) (EMVERT block 1). Within 10 days, standardised MRI will be performed as a reference test to identify stroke (EMVERT block 2). Data from EMVERT block 2 will be compared with results from block 1 in order to devise a diagnostic index test with a high specificity and sensitivity to predict the risk of stroke in the emergency room. Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Munich and will be conducted according to the Guideline for Good Clinical Practice, the Federal Data Protecting Act and the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association in its recent version. Study results are expected to be published in international peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at international conferences. Trial registration number German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00008992; Universal trial number: U1111-1172-8719); pre-results. PMID:29018076

Quantification of image contrast of infarcts on computed tomography scans.

PubMed

Gomolka, R S; Chrzan, R M; Urbanik, A; Kazmierski, R; Grzanka, A D; Nowinski, W L

2017-02-01

Introduction Accurate identification of infarcts in non-contrast computed tomography (NC-CT) scans of the brain is fundamental in the diagnosis and management of patients with stroke. Quantification of image contrast properties at the boundaries of ischemic infarct regions in NC-CT can contribute to a more precise manual or automatic delineation of these regions. Here we explore these properties quantitatively. Methods We retrospectively investigated 519 NC-CT studies of 425 patients with clinically confirmed ischemic strokes. The average and standard deviation (SD) of patients' age was 67.5 ± 12.4 years and the average(median)±SD time from symptoms onset to NC-CT examination was 27.4(12)±35.7 h. For every scan with an ischemic lesion identified by experts, the image contrast of the lesion vs. normal surrounding parenchyma was calculated as a difference of mean Hounsfield Unit (HU) of 1-5 consecutive voxels (the contrast window width) belonging to the lesion and to the parenchyma. This contrast was calculated at each single voxel of ischemic lesion boundaries (previously delineated by the experts) in horizontal and vertical directions in each image. The distributions of obtained horizontal, vertical and both contrasts combined were calculated among all 519 NC-CTs. Results The highest applicative contrast window width was identified as 5 voxels. The ischemic infarcts were found to be characterized by 6.60 HU, 8.28 HU and 7.55 HU mean values for distributions of horizontal, vertical and combined contrasts. Approximately 40-50% of the infarct boundary voxels were found to refer to the image contrast below 5 HU. Conclusion Low image contrast of ischemic lesions prevents accurate delineation of the infarcts in NC-CT.

An anatomical and psychophysical comparison of subjective verticals in patients with right brain damage.

PubMed

Rousseaux, Marc; Braem, Bérenger; Honoré, Jacques; Saj, Arnaud

2015-08-01

Brain hemisphere lesions often cause a contralesional tilt of the subjective vertical (SV) a phenomenon related to spatial neglect and postural disorders. Depending on the method employed, different perceptual systems come into play when this gravitational vertical is assessed. Here, we compared the anatomical and psychophysical characteristics of modality-dependent SV biases in patients with right hemisphere stroke. The SV was measured with visual, haptic and visual-haptic modalities (SV, SVV, SVHV) in 46 patients with a relatively recent stroke. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (performed with NPM(®)) was used to highlight brain areas in which lesions best explained the severity of task biases (p < .05). Lesions explaining the SVV tilt (TSVV) were centered on the posterior part of the middle temporal gyrus, those explaining the TSHV were more limited and anterior, without convergence with the former. Lesions explaining the TSVHV were centered on the superior temporal gyrus and more anterior those explaining the TSVV, with convergence with lesions explaining both the TSVV and the TSHV. Patients showed counterclockwise deviations in the SVs. Constant and variable errors were greater for the SHV than for the SVV and for the SVHV. The TSVV and TVHV were closely related to the presence of left spatial neglect and hemianopia. Errors in the SVV and (at a lesser degree) SVHV were preferentially related to lesions in visual associative cortex. The SVV and especially the SVHV provide valuable estimates of patient difficulties, in view of the lower associated variable errors (i.e., greater precision) and closer relationships with clinical disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vertical eddy diffusivity as a control parameter in the tropical Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Avellaneda, N.; Cornuelle, B.

2011-12-01

Ocean models suffer from errors in the treatment of turbulent sub-grid-scale motions responsible for mixing and energy dissipation. Unrealistic small-scale physics in models can have large-scale consequences, such as biases in the upper ocean temperature, a symptom of poorly-simulated upwelling, currents and air-sea interactions. This is of special importance in the tropical Pacific Ocean (TP), which is home to energetic air-sea interactions that affect global climate. It has been shown in a number of studies that the simulated ENSO variability is highly dependent on the state of the ocean (e.g.: background mixing). Moreover, the magnitude of the vertical numerical diffusion is of primary importance in properly reproducing the Pacific equatorial thermocline. This work is part of a NASA-funded project to estimate the space- and time-varying ocean mixing coefficients in an eddy-permitting (1/3dgr) model of the TP to obtain an improved estimate of its time-varying circulation and its underlying dynamics. While an estimation procedure for the TP (26dgr S - 30dgr N) in underway using the MIT general circulation model, complementary adjoint-based sensitivity studies have been carried out for the starting ocean state from Forget (2010). This analysis aids the interpretation of the estimated mixing coefficients and possible error compensation. The focus of the sensitivity tests is the Equatorial Undercurrent and sub-thermocline jets (i.e., Tsuchiya Jets), which have been thought to have strong dependence on vertical diffusivity and should provide checks on the estimated mixing parameters. In order to build intuition for the vertical diffusivity adjoint results in the TP, adjoint and forward perturbed simulations were carried out for an idealized sharp thermocline in a rectangular domain.

The Quiescent-Chamber Type Compression-Ignition Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, H H

1937-01-01

Report presents the results of performance tests of a single-cylinder 4-stroke-cycle compression-ignition engine having a vertical disk form of combustion chamber without air flow. The number, size, and direction of the orifices of the fuel-injection nozzles used were independently varied. A table and graphs are presented showing the performance of the engine with different nozzles; results of tests at different compression ratios, boost pressures, and coolant temperatures are also included.

Physik gestern und heute: Visualisierung mit der Schlierenmethode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heering, Peter

2006-07-01

Der Name des österreichischen Forschers Ernst Mach ist heute noch mit der Schallgeschwindigkeit verbunden. Diese Auszeichnung resultiert aus Machs Untersuchungen, wie sich Projektile mit Überschallgeschwindigkeit durch die Luft bewegen. Gerade in jüngster Zeit hat die Anwendung derartiger Methoden durch technische Modifikationen wieder einen Aufschwung erfahren.

Exploring Surfaces of Nanomaterials - MIT Spectrum

Science.gov Websites

Topics About Search for: Search Massachusetts Institute of Technology Yang Shao-Horn is tackling the inspired by them to work here." Learn More Yang Shao-Horn Topics battery Energy Materials Science Latest Stories Spectrum Issues Topics About Popular Latest MIT Campaign for a Better World MIT Campaign

Historisches Rätsel Physik mit Gewehr und Eiern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loos, Andreas

2003-11-01

Es fing schon gut an: Mit zehn Jahren saß der begabte Junge bereits in der Universität, wo ihn kein Geringerer als sein Vater persönlich unterrichtete. Damit schlug dieser zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe: Sein Sohn lernte etwas Gescheites, und er war zugleich in sicherer Obhut.

Announcing the Availability of the MIT SMASS and SMASSIR Data Sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binzel, R. P.; Bus, S. J.; Burbine, T. H.; Rivkin, A. S.

2001-01-01

We announce the release of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy measurements for nearly 2000 asteroids obtained by the MIT Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey (SMASS) program. Data are being released via http://smass.mit.edu. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Minimum ignition temperature of nano and micro Ti powder clouds in the presence of inert nano TiO2 powder.

PubMed

Yuan, Chunmiao; Amyotte, Paul R; Hossain, Md Nur; Li, Chang

2014-06-30

Minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of micro Ti powder increased gradually with increases in nano-sized TiO2 employed as an inertant. Solid TiO2 inertant significantly reduced ignition hazard of micro Ti powder in contact with hot surfaces. The MIT of nano Ti powder remained low (583 K), however, even with 90% TiO2. The MIT of micro Ti powder, when mixed with nano Ti powder at concentrations as low as 10%, decreased so dramatically that its application as a solid fuel may be possible. A simple MIT model was proposed for aggregate particle size estimation and better understanding of the inerting effect of nano TiO2 on MIT. Estimated particle size was 1.46-1.51 μm larger than that in the 20-L sphere due to poor dispersion in the BAM oven. Calculated MITs were lower than corresponding empirically determined values for micro Ti powder because nano-sized TiO2 coated the micro Ti powder, thereby decreasing its reaction kinetics. In the case of nano Ti powder, nano-sized TiO2 facilitated dispersion of nano Ti powder which resulted in a calculated MIT that was greater than the experimentally determined value. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Best practice for motor imagery: a systematic literature review on motor imagery training elements in five different disciplines

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The literature suggests a beneficial effect of motor imagery (MI) if combined with physical practice, but detailed descriptions of MI training session (MITS) elements and temporal parameters are lacking. The aim of this review was to identify the characteristics of a successful MITS and compare these for different disciplines, MI session types, task focus, age, gender and MI modification during intervention. Methods An extended systematic literature search using 24 databases was performed for five disciplines: Education, Medicine, Music, Psychology and Sports. References that described an MI intervention that focused on motor skills, performance or strength improvement were included. Information describing 17 MITS elements was extracted based on the PETTLEP (physical, environment, timing, task, learning, emotion, perspective) approach. Seven elements describing the MITS temporal parameters were calculated: study duration, intervention duration, MITS duration, total MITS count, MITS per week, MI trials per MITS and total MI training time. Results Both independent reviewers found 96% congruity, which was tested on a random sample of 20% of all references. After selection, 133 studies reporting 141 MI interventions were included. The locations of the MITS and position of the participants during MI were task-specific. Participants received acoustic detailed MI instructions, which were mostly standardised and live. During MI practice, participants kept their eyes closed. MI training was performed from an internal perspective with a kinaesthetic mode. Changes in MI content, duration and dosage were reported in 31 MI interventions. Familiarisation sessions before the start of the MI intervention were mentioned in 17 reports. MI interventions focused with decreasing relevance on motor-, cognitive- and strength-focused tasks. Average study intervention lasted 34 days, with participants practicing MI on average three times per week for 17 minutes, with 34 MI trials. Average total MI time was 178 minutes including 13 MITS. Reporting rate varied between 25.5% and 95.5%. Conclusions MITS elements of successful interventions were individual, supervised and non-directed sessions, added after physical practice. Successful design characteristics were dominant in the Psychology literature, in interventions focusing on motor and strength-related tasks, in interventions with participants aged 20 to 29 years old, and in MI interventions including participants of both genders. Systematic searching of the MI literature was constrained by the lack of a defined MeSH term. PMID:21682867

Spatial displacement of numbers on a vertical number line in spatial neglect.

PubMed

Mihulowicz, Urszula; Klein, Elise; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph; Willmes, Klaus; Karnath, Hans-Otto

2015-01-01

Previous studies that investigated the association of numbers and space in humans came to contradictory conclusions about the spatial character of the mental number magnitude representation and about how it may be influenced by unilateral spatial neglect. The present study aimed to disentangle the debated influence of perceptual vs. representational aspects via explicit mapping of numbers onto space by applying the number line estimation paradigm with vertical orientation of stimulus lines. Thirty-five acute right-brain damaged stroke patients (6 with neglect) were asked to place two-digit numbers on vertically oriented lines with 0 marked at the bottom and 100 at the top. In contrast to the expected, nearly linear mapping in the control patient group, patients with spatial neglect overestimated the position of numbers in the lower middle range. The results corroborate spatial characteristics of the number magnitude representation. In neglect patients, this representation seems to be biased towards the ipsilesional side, independent of the physical orientation of the task stimuli.

Knocking down mitochondrial iron transporter (MIT) reprograms primary and secondary metabolism in rice plants

PubMed Central

Vigani, Gianpiero; Bashir, Khurram; Ishimaru, Yasuhiro; Lehmann, Martin; Casiraghi, Fabio Marco; Nakanishi, Hiromi; Seki, Motoaki; Geigenberger, Peter; Zocchi, Graziano; Nishizawa, Naoko K.

2016-01-01

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and its reduced bioavailability strongly impairs mitochondrial functionality. In this work, the metabolic adjustment in the rice (Oryza sativa) mitochondrial Fe transporter knockdown mutant (mit-2) was analysed. Biochemical characterization of purified mitochondria from rice roots showed alteration in the respiratory chain of mit-2 compared with wild-type (WT) plants. In particular, proteins belonging to the type II alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases accumulated strongly in mit-2 plants, indicating that alternative pathways were activated to keep the respiratory chain working. Additionally, large-scale changes in the transcriptome and metabolome were observed in mit-2 rice plants. In particular, a strong alteration (up-/down-regulation) in the expression of genes encoding enzymes of both primary and secondary metabolism was found in mutant plants. This was reflected by changes in the metabolic profiles in both roots and shoots of mit-2 plants. Significant alterations in the levels of amino acids belonging to the aspartic acid-related pathways (aspartic acid, lysine, and threonine in roots, and aspartic acid and ornithine in shoots) were found that are strictly connected to the Krebs cycle. Furthermore, some metabolites (e.g. pyruvic acid, fumaric acid, ornithine, and oligosaccharides of the raffinose family) accumulated only in the shoot of mit-2 plants, indicating possible hypoxic responses. These findings suggest that the induction of local Fe deficiency in the mitochondrial compartment of mit-2 plants differentially affects the transcript as well as the metabolic profiles in root and shoot tissues. PMID:26685186

Design and test of a Microsoft Kinect-based system for delivering adaptive visual feedback to stroke patients during training of upper limb movement.

PubMed

Simonsen, Daniel; Popovic, Mirjana B; Spaich, Erika G; Andersen, Ole Kæseler

2017-11-01

The present paper describes the design and test of a low-cost Microsoft Kinect-based system for delivering adaptive visual feedback to stroke patients during the execution of an upper limb exercise. Eleven sub-acute stroke patients with varying degrees of upper limb function were recruited. Each subject participated in a control session (repeated twice) and a feedback session (repeated twice). In each session, the subjects were presented with a rectangular pattern displayed on a vertical mounted monitor embedded in the table in front of the patient. The subjects were asked to move a marker inside the rectangular pattern by using their most affected hand. During the feedback session, the thickness of the rectangular pattern was changed according to the performance of the subject, and the color of the marker changed according to its position, thereby guiding the subject's movements. In the control session, the thickness of the rectangular pattern and the color of the marker did not change. The results showed that the movement similarity and smoothness was higher in the feedback session than in the control session while the duration of the movement was longer. The present study showed that adaptive visual feedback delivered by use of the Kinect sensor can increase the similarity and smoothness of upper limb movement in stroke patients.

NASA Chief Technologist Speaks at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-15

NASA Chief Technologist Douglas Terrier joined students, faculty and experts in Boston as part of MIT's "Better MIT Innovation Week 2018," a week-long program promoting leadership, entrepreneurship and action for a better future. During the February event, Terrier spoke about a culture of innovation at America's Space Program. (Photo: Damian Barabonkov/MIT Technique)

Scratch that: MIT's Mitchel Resnick Says Kids Should Do It for Themselves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traylor, Scott

2008-01-01

Mitchel Resnick is a researcher, inventor, and professor at MIT's Media Laboratory in Cambridge, MA, and the founder of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT. He is the lead innovator behind many cutting-edge learning technologies and projects for children, including the Computer Clubhouse, PicoCrickets, and the wildly successful consumer…

Mobile-IT Education (MIT.EDU): M-Learning Applications for Classroom Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, M.; Gips, J.; Eagle, N.; Madan, A.; Caneel, R.; DeVaul, R.; Bonsen, J.; Pentland, A.

2005-01-01

In this paper, we describe the Mobile-IT Education (MIT.EDU) system, which demonstrates the potential of using a distributed mobile device architecture for rapid prototyping of wireless mobile multi-user applications for use in classroom settings. MIT.EDU is a stable, accessible system that combines inexpensive, commodity hardware, a flexible…

Coming to Terms with MOOCs: A Community College Angle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fifield, Mary L.

2013-01-01

When MIT approached Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) to participate in edX, the new Harvard/MIT massive open online course (MOOC) initiative, the administrators reacted with both interest and skepticism. What did MIT have in mind for Bunker Hill Community College? Today at BHCC, the establishment of "Learning Communities" transforms…

MND2: A new mouse model of inherited motor neuron disease

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

Jones, J.M.; Albin, R.L.; Feldman, E.L.

1993-06-01

The autosomal recessive mutation mnd2 results in early onset motor neuron disease with rapidly progressive paralysis, severe muscle wasting, regression of thymus and spleen, and death before 40 days of age. mnd2 has been mapped to mouse chromosome 6 with the gene order: centromere-Tcrb-Ly-2-Sftp-3-D6Mit4-mnd2-D6Mit6, D6Mit9-D6Rck132-Raf-1, D6Mit11-D6Mit12-D6Mit14. mnd2 is located within a conserved linkage group with homologs on human chromosome 2p12-p13. Spinal motor neurons of homozygous affected animals are swollen and stain weakly, and electromyography revealed spontaneous activity characteristic of muscle denervation. Myelin staining was normal throughout the neuraxis. The clinical observations are consistent with a primary abnormality of lower motormore » neuron function. This new animal model will be of value for identification of a genetic defect responsible for motor neuron disease and for evaluation of new therapies. 36 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Landing Characteristics of a Reentry Capsule with a Torus-Shaped Air Bag for Load Alleviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGehee, John R.; Hathaway, Melvin E.

1960-01-01

An experimental investigation has been made to determine the landing characteristics of a conical-shaped reentry capsule by using torus-shaped air bags for impact-load alleviation. An impact bag was attached below the large end of the capsule to absorb initial impact loads and a second bag was attached around the canister to absorb loads resulting from impact on the canister when the capsule overturned. A 1/6-scale dynamic model of the configuration was tested for nominal flight paths of 60 deg. and 90 deg. (vertical), a range of contact attitudes from -25 deg. to 30 deg., and a vertical contact velocity of 12.25 feet per second. Accelerations were measured along the X-axis (roll) and Z-axis (yaw) by accelerometers rigidly installed at the center of gravity of the model. Actual flight path, contact attitudes, and motions were determined from high-speed motion pictures. Landings were made on concrete and on water. The peak accelerations along the X-axis for landings on concrete were in the order of 3Og for a 0 deg. contact attitude. A horizontal velocity of 7 feet per second, corresponding to a flight path of 60 deg., had very little effect upon the peak accelerations obtained for landings on concrete. For contact attitudes of -25 deg. and 30 deg. the peak accelerations along the Z-axis were about +/- l5g, respectively. The peak accelerations measured for the water landings were about one-third lower than the peak accelerations measured for the landings on concrete. Assuming a rigid body, computations were made by using Newton's second law of motion and the force-stroke characteristics of the air bag to determine accelerations for a flight path of 90 deg. (vertical) and a contact attitude of 0 deg. The computed and experimental peak accelerations and strokes at peak acceleration were in good agreement for the model. The special scaling appears to be applicable for predicting full-scale time and stroke at peak acceleration for a landing on concrete from a 90 deg. flight path at a 0 deg. It appears that the full-scale approximately the same as those obtained from the model for the range of attitudes and flight paths investigated.

Digital Transformation Canvas - Übersicht behalten und Handlungsfelder gestalten

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köster, Michael; Mache, Tobias

Im Beitrag "Digital Transformation Canvas - Übersicht behalten und Handlungsfelder gestalten" wird zunächst grob auf die wesentlichen Herausforderungen, die mit der zunehmenden Digitalisierung einhergehen, eingegangen. Anschließend werden ausgewählte Konzepte des Business Transformation Management vorgestellt, die sich mit der grundlegenden Weiterentwicklung von Organisationen - wie es die Digitalisierung erfordert - auseinandersetzen. Eine detaillierte Einführung in die Methodik des Business Transformation Canvas, der sich mit den unterschiedlichsten Gestaltungsfeldern der Transformation auseinandersetzt und ein Framework für Transformationsprojekte darstellt, rundet den Beitrag ab. Er schließt mit einem Fazit und Ausblick.

Necessity of early-stage verticalization in patients with brain and spinal cord injuries: Preliminary study.

PubMed

Daunoraviciene, Kristina; Adomaviciene, Ausra; Svirskis, Donatas; Griškevičius, Julius; Juocevicius, Alvydas

2018-05-18

Integration of the verticalization robot, Erigo, with functional electric stimulation and passive leg movements in the postacute rehabilitation of neurological patients could reduce the risk of secondary complications and improve functional outcomes (i.e. orthostatic hypotension, postural control and walking ability). The aim of this study was to estimate and quantify changes in the postacute stage, mainly related to heart rate and blood pressure in functional recovery, postural parameters, walking ability and psychoemotional reactions, during training using the verticalization robot Erigo. Six patients [three suffering from a stroke (ST) and three with spinal cord injuries (SCI)] participated in 10 sessions of physical therapy with the verticalization robot during primary inpatient rehabilitation. Functional state changes were assessed using clinical tests before and after the treatment, and the loading tolerance during Erigo training was noted. In early rehabilitation, Erigo training was safe and effective at improving orthostatic tolerance, posture and positive emotional reactions in both the ST and SCI patients (P< 0.05). In addition, advanced technologies were more effective at boosting the orthostatic tolerance in SCI patients, while they were more effective at increasing the dynamic balance and walking ability in ST patients (P< 0.05).

A pathway in the brainstem for roll-tilt of the subjective visual vertical: evidence from a lesion-behavior mapping study.

PubMed

Baier, Bernhard; Thömke, Frank; Wilting, Janine; Heinze, Caroline; Geber, Christian; Dieterich, Marianne

2012-10-24

The perceived subjective visual vertical (SVV) is an important sign of a vestibular otolith tone imbalance in the roll plane. Previous studies suggested that unilateral pontomedullary brainstem lesions cause ipsiversive roll-tilt of SVV, whereas pontomesencephalic lesions cause contraversive roll-tilts of SVV. However, previous data were of limited quality and lacked a statistical approach. We therefore tested roll-tilt of the SVV in 79 human patients with acute unilateral brainstem lesions due to stroke by applying modern statistical lesion-behavior mapping analysis. Roll-tilt of the SVV was verified to be a brainstem sign, and for the first time it was confirmed statistically that lesions of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) and the medial vestibular nucleus are associated with ipsiversive tilt of the SVV, whereas contraversive tilts are associated with lesions affecting the rostral interstitial nucleus of the MLF, the superior cerebellar peduncle, the oculomotor nucleus, and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal. Thus, these structures constitute the anatomical pathway in the brainstem for verticality perception. Present data indicate that graviceptive otolith signals present a predominant role in the multisensory system of verticality perception.

Fine structure of metal-insulator transition in EuO resolved by doping engineering.

PubMed

Averyanov, Dmitry V; Parfenov, Oleg E; Tokmachev, Andrey M; Karateev, Igor A; Kondratev, Oleg A; Taldenkov, Alexander N; Platunov, Mikhail S; Wilhelm, Fabrice; Rogalev, Andrei; Storchak, Vyacheslav G

2018-05-11

Metal-insulator transitions (MITs) offer new functionalities for nanoelectronics. However, ongoing attempts to control the resistivity by external stimuli are hindered by strong coupling of spin, charge, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. This difficulty presents a quest for materials which exhibit MIT caused by a single degree of freedom. In the archetypal ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO, magnetic orders dominate the MIT. Here we report a new approach to take doping under control in this material on the nanoscale: formation of oxygen vacancies is strongly suppressed to exhibit the highest MIT resistivity jump and magnetoresistance among thin films. The nature of the MIT is revealed in Gd doped films. The critical doping is determined to be more than an order of magnitude lower than in all previous studies. In lightly doped films, a remarkable thermal hysteresis in resistivity is discovered. It extends over 100 K in the paramagnetic phase reaching 3 orders of magnitude. In the warming mode, the MIT is shown to be a two-step process. The resistivity patterns are consistent with an active role of magnetic polarons-formation of a narrow band and its thermal destruction. High-temperature magnetic polaron effects include large negative magnetoresistance and ferromagnetic droplets revealed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Our findings have wide-range implications for the understanding of strongly correlated oxides and establish fundamental benchmarks to guide theoretical models of the MIT.

Fine structure of metal–insulator transition in EuO resolved by doping engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Averyanov, Dmitry V.; Parfenov, Oleg E.; Tokmachev, Andrey M.; Karateev, Igor A.; Kondratev, Oleg A.; Taldenkov, Alexander N.; Platunov, Mikhail S.; Wilhelm, Fabrice; Rogalev, Andrei; Storchak, Vyacheslav G.

2018-05-01

Metal–insulator transitions (MITs) offer new functionalities for nanoelectronics. However, ongoing attempts to control the resistivity by external stimuli are hindered by strong coupling of spin, charge, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. This difficulty presents a quest for materials which exhibit MIT caused by a single degree of freedom. In the archetypal ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO, magnetic orders dominate the MIT. Here we report a new approach to take doping under control in this material on the nanoscale: formation of oxygen vacancies is strongly suppressed to exhibit the highest MIT resistivity jump and magnetoresistance among thin films. The nature of the MIT is revealed in Gd doped films. The critical doping is determined to be more than an order of magnitude lower than in all previous studies. In lightly doped films, a remarkable thermal hysteresis in resistivity is discovered. It extends over 100 K in the paramagnetic phase reaching 3 orders of magnitude. In the warming mode, the MIT is shown to be a two-step process. The resistivity patterns are consistent with an active role of magnetic polarons—formation of a narrow band and its thermal destruction. High-temperature magnetic polaron effects include large negative magnetoresistance and ferromagnetic droplets revealed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Our findings have wide-range implications for the understanding of strongly correlated oxides and establish fundamental benchmarks to guide theoretical models of the MIT.

Polymeric mixed micelles loaded mitoxantrone for overcoming multidrug resistance in breast cancer via photodynamic therapy

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yiqiao; Yu, Hua; Zhou, Haiyu; Chen, Meiwan

2017-01-01

Mitoxantrone (MIT) is an anticancer agent with photosensitive properties that is commonly used in various cancers. Multidrug resistance (MDR) effect has been an obstacle to using MIT for cancer therapy. Photochemical internalization, on account of photodynamic therapy, has been applied to improve the therapeutic effect of cancers with MDR effect. In this study, an MIT-poly(ε-caprolactone)-pluronic F68-poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (MIT-PFP/PPP) mixed micelles system was applied to reverse the effect of MDR in MCF-7/ADR cells via photochemical reaction when exposed to near-infrared light. MIT-PFP/PPP mixed micelles showed effective interaction with near-infrared light at the wavelength of 660 nm and exerted great cytotoxicity in MCF-7/ADR cells with irradiation. Furthermore, MIT-PFP/PPP mixed micelles could improve reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, decrease P-glycoprotein activity, and increase the cellular uptake of drugs with improved intracellular drug concentrations, which induced cell apoptosis in MCF-7/ADR cells under irradiation, despite MDR effect, as indicated by the increased level of cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase. These findings suggested that MIT-PFP/PPP mixed micelles may become a promising strategy to effectively reverse the MDR effect via photodynamic therapy in breast cancer. PMID:28919756

Assessing International Product Design and Development Graduate Courses: The MIT-Portugal Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dori, Yehudit Judy; Silva, Arlindo

2010-01-01

The Product Design and Development (PDD) course is part of the graduate curriculum in the Engineering Design and Advanced Manufacturing (EDAM) study in the MIT-Portugal Program. The research participants included about 110 students from MIT, EDAM, and two universities in Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST) and…

The Fourteenth International Meeting on Time-Resolved Vibrational Spectroscopy (TRVS XIV)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-03

Technology United States ahorning@mit.edu Anne Hudson MIT Dept. of Chemistry United States amh@mit.edu Adriana Huerta Viga University of Amsterdam...Hoffmann, Janos Hebling, Harold Y. Hwang, THz-pump/THz-probe nonlinear spectroscopy Ka -Lo Yeh, Keith A. Nelson, MIT 11:30 AM C Tomonori Nomoto and

The OpenCourseWare Story: New England Roots, Global Reach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carson, Stephen

2008-01-01

The OpenCourseWare movement has its roots in New England. The concept emerged in 2000 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where then-President Charles Vest charged a faculty committee with answering two questions: "How is the Internet going to change education?" and "What should MIT do about it?" MIT moved quickly to…

Prospective pilot trial of PerMIT versus standard anticoagulation service management of patients initiating oral anticoagulation.

PubMed

Borgman, Mark P; Pendleton, Robert C; McMillin, Gwendolyn A; Reynolds, Kristen K; Vazquez, Sara; Freeman, Andrew; Wilson, Andrew; Valdes, Roland; Linder, Mark W

2012-09-01

We performed a randomised pilot trial of PerMIT, a novel decision support tool for genotype-based warfarin initiation and maintenance dosing, to assess its efficacy for improving warfarin management. We prospectively studied 26 subjects to compare PerMIT-guided management with routine anticoagulation service management. CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype results for 13 subjects randomly assigned to the PerMIT arm were recorded within 24 hours of enrolment. To aid in INR interpretation, PerMIT calculates estimated loading and maintenance doses based on a patient's genetic and clinical characteristics and displays calculated S-warfarin plasma concentrations based on planned or administered dosages. In comparison to control subjects, patients in the PerMIT study arm demonstrated a 3.6-day decrease in the time to reach a stabilised INR within the target therapeutic range (4.7 vs. 8.3 days, p = 0.015); a 12.8% increase in time spent within the therapeutic interval over the first 25 days of therapy (64.3% vs. 55.3%, p = 0.180); and a 32.9% decrease in the frequency of warfarin dose adjustments per INR measurement (38.3% vs. 57.1%, p = 0.007). Serial measurements of plasma S-warfarin concentrations were also obtained to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of the pharmacokinetic model during induction therapy. The PerMIT S-warfarin plasma concentration model estimated 62.8% of concentrations within 0.15 mg/l. These pilot data suggest that the PerMIT method and its incorporation of genotype/phenotype information may help practitioners increase the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of warfarin therapeutic management.

Knocking down mitochondrial iron transporter (MIT) reprograms primary and secondary metabolism in rice plants.

PubMed

Vigani, Gianpiero; Bashir, Khurram; Ishimaru, Yasuhiro; Lehmann, Martin; Casiraghi, Fabio Marco; Nakanishi, Hiromi; Seki, Motoaki; Geigenberger, Peter; Zocchi, Graziano; Nishizawa, Naoko K

2016-03-01

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and its reduced bioavailability strongly impairs mitochondrial functionality. In this work, the metabolic adjustment in the rice (Oryza sativa) mitochondrial Fe transporter knockdown mutant (mit-2) was analysed. Biochemical characterization of purified mitochondria from rice roots showed alteration in the respiratory chain of mit-2 compared with wild-type (WT) plants. In particular, proteins belonging to the type II alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases accumulated strongly in mit-2 plants, indicating that alternative pathways were activated to keep the respiratory chain working. Additionally, large-scale changes in the transcriptome and metabolome were observed in mit-2 rice plants. In particular, a strong alteration (up-/down-regulation) in the expression of genes encoding enzymes of both primary and secondary metabolism was found in mutant plants. This was reflected by changes in the metabolic profiles in both roots and shoots of mit-2 plants. Significant alterations in the levels of amino acids belonging to the aspartic acid-related pathways (aspartic acid, lysine, and threonine in roots, and aspartic acid and ornithine in shoots) were found that are strictly connected to the Krebs cycle. Furthermore, some metabolites (e.g. pyruvic acid, fumaric acid, ornithine, and oligosaccharides of the raffinose family) accumulated only in the shoot of mit-2 plants, indicating possible hypoxic responses. These findings suggest that the induction of local Fe deficiency in the mitochondrial compartment of mit-2 plants differentially affects the transcript as well as the metabolic profiles in root and shoot tissues. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Mechanisms of spin-flipping and metal-insulator transition in nano-Fe3O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dito Fauzi, Angga; Aziz Majidi, Muhammad; Rusydi, Andrivo

2017-04-01

Fe3O4 is a half-metallic ferrimagnet with {{T}\\text{C}}˜ 860 K exhibiting metal-insulator transition (MIT) at  ˜120 K. In bulk form, the saturation magnetization is 0.6 Tesla (˜471 emu cm-3). A recent experimental study has shown that the saturation magnetization of nano-Fe3O4 thin films can achieve up to  ˜760 emu cm-3, attributed to spin-flipping of Fe ions at tetrahedral sites assisted by oxygen vacancies (V O). Such a system has shown to have higher MIT temperature (˜150 K). The spin-flipping is a new phenomenon in Fe3O4, while the MIT is a long-standing one. Here, we propose a model and calculations to investigate the mechanisms of both phenomena. Our results show that, for the system without V O, the ferrimagnetic configuration is energetically favorable. Remakably, upon inclusion of V O, the ground-state configuration switches into ferromagnetic. As for the MIT, by proposing temperature dependences of some hopping integrals in the model, we demonstrate that the system without and with V O undergo the MIT in slightly different ways, leading to higher MIT temperature for the system with V O, in agreement with the experimental data. Our results also show that the MIT in both systems occur concomitantly with the redistribution of electrons among the three Fe ions in each Fe3O4 formula unit. As such temperature dependences of hopping integrals may arise due to dynamic Jahn-Teller effects, our phenomenological theory may provide a way to reconcile existing theories relating the MIT to the structural transition and the charge ordering.

Finite mass enhancement across bandwidth controlled Mott transition in NiS2-xSex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Garam; Kyung, W. S.; Kim, Y. K.; Cheng, C. M.; Tsuei, K. D.; Lee, K. D.; Hur, N.; Kim, H.-D.; Kim, C.

One of the most important and still debated issues in the strongly correlated electron systems is on the metal insulator transition (MIT) mechanism. In the bandwidth controlled Mott transition (BCMT) scenario, which Mott originally proposed, MIT occurs through a mass divergence in which the effective mass of the quasi-particle (QP) diverges approaching the MIT. The interpretation is supported by dynamic mean field theory (DMFT) model calculations. However, few direct observations have been made yet due to various experimental restrictions. In this talk, I present systematic angle resolved photoemission studies on the MIT in NiS2-xSex, which is a well-known BCMT material. We observed not only the bandwidth shrinkage but also the coherent quasi-particle peak (QP) which is not of the surface origin. In addition, we experimentally showed the mass of the QP remains finite approaching the MIT. This work was supported by IBS-R009-D1.

Design and evaluation of NEUROBike: a neurorehabilitative platform for bedridden post-stroke patients.

PubMed

Monaco, Vito; Galardi, Giuseppe; Coscia, Martina; Martelli, Dario; Micera, Silvestro

2012-11-01

Over the past decades, a large number of robotic platforms have been developed which provide rehabilitative treatments aimed at recovering walking abilities in post-stroke patients. Unfortunately, they do not significantly influence patients' performance after three months from the accident. One of the main reasons underlying this result seems to be related to the time of intervention. Specifically, although experimental evidences suggest that early (i.e., first days after the injury) and intense neuro-rehabilitative treatments can significantly favor the functional recovery of post-stroke patients, robots require patients to be verticalized. Consequently, this does not allow them to be treated immediately after the trauma. This paper introduces a new robotic platform, named NEUROBike, designed to provide neuro-rehabilitative treatments to bedridden patients. It was designed to provide an early and well-addressed rehabilitation therapy, in terms of kinesiology, efforts, and fatigue, accounting for exercises functionally related to daily motor tasks. For this purpose, kinematic models of leg-joint angular excursions during both walking and sit-to-stand were developed and implemented in control algorithms leading both passive and active exercises. Finally, a set of pilot tests was carried out to evaluate the performance of the robotic platform on healthy subjects.

Engineering the Business of Defense Acquisition: An Analysis of Program Office Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Information Technology and Business Process Redesign | MIT Sloan Management Review . MIT Sloan Management Review . Retrieved from http://sloanreview.mit.edu...links systems management to process execution Three Phases/ Multi-Year Effort (This Phase) Literature review Model development— Formal and...estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining

Hide and Seek: Exploiting and Hardening Leakage-Resilient Code Randomization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-30

Hide and Seek: Exploiting and Hardening Leakage -Resilient Code Randomization Robert Rudd MIT Lincoln Laboratory Thomas Hobson MIT Lincoln Laboratory...Irvine Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi TU Darmstadt Hamed Okhravi MIT Lincoln Laboratory Abstract Information leakage vulnerabilities can allow adversaries to...bypass mitigations based on code randomization. This discovery motivates numerous techniques that diminish direct and indirect information leakage : (i

Hide and Seek: Exploiting and Hardening Leakage-Resilient Code Randomization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-30

Hide and Seek: Exploiting and Hardening Leakage -Resilient Code Randomization Robert Rudd MIT Lincoln Laboratory Thomas Hobson MIT Lincoln Laboratory...Irvine Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi TU Darmstadt Hamed Okhravi MIT Lincoln Laboratory Abstract Information leakage vulnerabilities can allow adversaries to...bypass mitigations based on code randomization. This discovery motivates numerous techniques that diminish direct and indirect information leakage : (i

Data Driven Change Is Easy; Assessing and Maintaining It Is the Hard Part

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perelman, Les

2009-01-01

At MIT in the 1990's, data from two sources, a study of the writing ability of a small group of randomly selected MIT juniors correlated to their overall academic performance and a survey of alumni from various years provided the major motivation for the development by MIT faculty and administration of a very ambitious…

ARPES studies on metal-insulator-transition in NiS2-xSex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Garam; Kim, Y. K.; Kyung, W. S.; Kim, Chul; Koh, Y. Y.; Lee, K. D.; Kim, C.

2012-02-01

Understanding Metal insulator transition (MIT) is one of the most challenging issues in condensed matter physics. NiS2-xSex (NSS) is a well known system for band width controlled MIT studies while most of High-Tc superconductors (HTSCs) are described within band filling MIT picture. Cubic pyrite NiS2 is known as a charge-transfer (CT) insulator and easily forms a solid solution with NiSe2, which is a good metal even though it is isostrucural and isoelectronic to NiS2. MIT is induced by Se alloying and is observed at a low temperature for x=0.5. The important merit is that there is no structure transition which often accompanies MIT. In spite of the importance of the system, even the experimental band dispersion is not known so far along with many controversies. For this reason, we performed angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy on high quality single crystals and successfully obtained Fermi surface maps of x=0.5, x=0.7 and x=0.8 systems (the metallic side). By doping dependent systematic studies on NSS and comparison with LDA calculation, we try to explain the relationship between band width and the MIT.

Magnetically driven metal-insulator transition in NaOsO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calder, Stuart

2013-03-01

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) is one of the most dramatic manifestations of electron correlations in materials, enjoying interest both for its fundamental nature and technological application. Various mechanisms producing MITs have been extensively considered over the years, including the Mott (electron localization via Coulomb repulsion), Anderson (localization via disorder) and Peierls (localization via distortion of a periodic one-dimensional lattice). One additional route to a MIT proposed by Slater in 1951, in which long-range magnetic order in a three dimensional system drives the MIT, has received relatively little attention, particularly from an experimental viewpoint. Using neutron and x-ray scattering we have shown that the MIT in NaOsO3 is coincident with the onset of long-range commensurate magnetic order at 410 K. Whilst candidate materials have been suggested, our experimental methodology allows the first definitive demonstration of the long predicted Slater MIT. We discuss our results in light of recent work on other 5d systems that contrastingly have been predicted to host a Mott spin-orbit insulating state. Work was supported by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Long-lived mitochondrial (Mit) mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans utilize a novel metabolism.

PubMed

Butler, Jeffrey A; Ventura, Natascia; Johnson, Thomas E; Rea, Shane L

2010-12-01

The Caenorhabditis elegans mitochondrial (Mit) mutants have disrupted mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) functionality, yet, surprisingly, they are long lived. We have previously proposed that Mit mutants supplement their energy needs by exploiting alternate energy production pathways normally used by wild-type animals only when exposed to hypoxic conditions. We have also proposed that longevity in the Mit mutants arises as a property of their new metabolic state. If longevity does arise as a function of metabolic state, we would expect to find a common metabolic signature among these animals. To test these predictions, we established a novel approach monitoring the C. elegans exometabolism as a surrogate marker for internal metabolic events. Using HPLC-ultraviolet-based metabolomics and multivariate analyses, we show that long-lived clk-1(qm30) and isp-1(qm150) Mit mutants have a common metabolic profile that is distinct from that of aerobically cultured wild-type animals and, unexpectedly, wild-type animals cultured under severe oxygen deprivation. Moreover, we show that 2 short-lived mitochondrial ETC mutants, mev-1(kn1) and ucr-2.3(pk732), also share a common metabolic signature that is unique. We show that removal of soluble fumarate reductase unexpectedly increases health span in several genetically defined Mit mutants, identifying at least 1 alternate energy production pathway, malate dismutation, that is operative in these animals. Our study suggests long-lived, genetically specified Mit mutants employ a novel metabolism and that life span may well arise as a function of metabolic state.

Structural Fine-Tuning of MIT-Interacting Motif 2 (MIM2) and Allosteric Regulation of ESCRT-III by Vps4 in Yeast.

PubMed

Kojima, Rieko; Obita, Takayuki; Onoue, Kousuke; Mizuguchi, Mineyuki

2016-06-05

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) facilitates roles in membrane remodeling, such as multivesicular body biogenesis, enveloped virus budding and cell division. In yeast, Vps4 plays a crucial role in intraluminal vesicle formation by disassembling ESCRT proteins. Vps4 is recruited by ESCRT-III proteins to the endosomal membrane through the interaction between the microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain of Vps4 and the C-terminal MIT-interacting motif (MIM) of ESCRT-III proteins. Here, we have determined the crystal structure of Vps4-MIT in a complex with Vps20, a member of ESCRT-III, and revealed that Vps20 adopts a unique MIM2 conformation. Based on structural comparisons with other known MIM2s, we have refined the consensus sequence of MIM2. We have shown that another ESCRT-III protein, Ist1, binds to Vps4-MIT via its C-terminal MIM1 with higher affinity than Vps2, but lacks MIM2 by surface plasmon resonance. Surprisingly, the Ist1 MIM1 competed with the MIM2 of Vfa1, a regulator of Vps4, for binding to Vps4-MIT, even though these MIMs bind in non-overlapping sites on the MIT. These findings provide insight into the allosteric recognition of MIMs of ESCRT-III by Vps4 and also the regulation of ESCRT machinery at the last step of membrane remodeling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Melodic Intonation Therapy: Back to Basics for Future Research

PubMed Central

Zumbansen, Anna; Peretz, Isabelle; Hébert, Sylvie

2014-01-01

We present a critical review of the literature on melodic intonation therapy (MIT), one of the most formalized treatments used by speech-language therapist in Broca’s aphasia. We suggest basic clarifications to enhance the scientific support of this promising treatment. First, therapeutic protocols using singing as a speech facilitation technique are not necessarily MIT. The goal of MIT is to restore propositional speech. The rationale is that patients can learn a new way to speak through singing by using language-capable regions of the right cerebral hemisphere. Eventually, patients are supposed to use this way of speaking permanently but not to sing overtly. We argue that many treatment programs covered in systematic reviews on MIT’s efficacy do not match MIT’s therapeutic goal and rationale. Critically, we identified two main variations of MIT: the French thérapie mélodique et rythmée (TMR) that trains patients to use singing overtly as a facilitation technique in case of speech struggle and palliative versions of MIT that help patients with the most severe expressive deficits produce a limited set of useful, readymade phrases. Second, we distinguish between the immediate effect of singing on speech production and the long-term effect of the entire program on language recovery. Many results in the MIT literature can be explained by this temporal perspective. Finally, we propose that MIT can be viewed as a treatment of apraxia of speech more than aphasia. This issue should be explored in future experimental studies. PMID:24478754

Motor imagery training promotes motor learning in adolescents with cerebral palsy: comparison between left and right hemiparesis.

PubMed

Cabral-Sequeira, Audrey Sartori; Coelho, Daniel Boari; Teixeira, Luis Augusto

2016-06-01

This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of pure motor imagery training (MIT) and its combination with physical practice on learning an aiming task with the more affected arm in adolescents suffering from cerebral palsy. Effect of MIT was evaluated as a function of side of hemiparesis. The experiment was accomplished by 11- to 16-year-old participants (M = 13.58 years), who suffered left (n = 16) or right (n = 15) mild hemiparesis. They were exposed to pure MIT (day 1) followed by physical practice (day 2) on an aiming task demanding movement accuracy and speed. Posttraining movement kinematics of the group receiving MIT were compared with movement kinematics of the control group after receiving recreational activities (day 1) and physical practice (day 2). Kinematic analysis showed that MIT led to decreased movement time and straighter hand displacements to the target. Performance achievements from MIT were increased with further physical practice, leading to enhanced effects on motor learning. Retention evaluation indicated that performance improvement from pure MIT and its combination with physical practice were stable over time. Performance achievements were equivalent between adolescents with either right or left hemiparesis, suggesting similar capacity between these groups to achieve performance improvement from pure imagery training and from its association with physical practice. Our results suggest that motor imagery training is a procedure potentially useful to increase motor learning achievements in individuals suffering from cerebral palsy.

The Vertical Transport in the Ocean: a Pump Driven by Meso and Submesoscale Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosso, I.; Hogg, A. M.; Strutton, P. G.; Kiss, A. E.

2012-04-01

The upper ocean can be considered as a vehicle for the exchange of gases between air and the deep ocean. Furthermore, the transport of nutrients through the mixed layer occurs via a combination of biogeochemical and physical pumps; both of these mechanisms play a fundamental role in the carbon cycle. In the surface layer phytoplankton convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds using nutrients and light. Nutrients, which are depleted at the surface, can be transported into the mixed layer by vertical motion; recently, it has been discovered that this vertical transport is more often associated with submesoscale fronts of O(10) km (rather than inside mesoscale structures, of O(100) km, like eddies). At the submesoscale fronts, rates of O(100) m day-1 can emerge, particularly high compared to values of 10 m/day found at the mesoscales [M. Lèvy, et al. J. Mar. Res., 2001]. At this fine scale, the vertical transport of nutrients is highly effective, upwelling waters from the depth rich of nutrients and downwelling depleted waters from the surface. The fine-scale vertical transport mechanism has recently become of great interest, though is not completely understood. We investigate the dynamics and the transport of tracers at the meso and sub-mesoscales by running numerical simulations with a domain of 1024 km x 512 km x 1600 m, at 3 different resolutions: 8 km, 4km and 1km. We use the MIT general circulation model with free surface, linear bottom drag and free slip condition at the north and south walls. Non-linear 3rd order advection scheme and biharmonic viscosity are applied. Furthermore, the fluid is forced by a constant zonal wind stress. The flow is zonally periodic and presents an idealized topography. We started from an initial vertical stratification and run the model to reach an equilibrium flow state. A passive tracer is released after the equilibrium is reached. We investigate how the fine scales are affecting the rate of vertical transport and the distribution of the tracer. We show that also the presence of the topography has an impact in driving this transport. Furthermore, the model can run in a non-hydrostatic configuration, allowing us to investigate the effect of this parameterization on the transport.

50th Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science (SES)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-15

McDowell (Gerogia Tech), Min Zhou () Virtual Characterization of composites with Lamination Defects for wind turbine spar cap MUKUNDAN SRINIVASAN...Zhang (IHCP Singapore) Damage Mechanisms in Irradiated Metallic Glasses Richard Baumer (MIT), Michael Demkowicz (MIT) Slip Avalanches in Amorphous...Michigan, 48090) Atomistic Simulations of c+a Pyramidal Slip in Magnesium Single Crystal under Compression Xiaozhi Tang (MIT & BJTU), Yafang Guo

One for All and All for One: Using Multiple Identification Theory Simulations to Build Cooperative Attitudes and Behaviors in a Middle Eastern Conflict Scenario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Robert Howard; Williams, Alexander Jonathan

2010-01-01

The authors previously developed multiple identification theory (MIT) as a system of simulation game design intended to promote attitude change. The present study further tests MIT's effectiveness. The authors created a game (CULTURE & CREED) via MIT as a complex simulation of Middle Eastern conflict resolution, designed to change attitudes…

Modeling Weather Impact on Airport Arrival Miles-in-Trail Restrictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yao; Grabbe, Shon

2013-01-01

When the demand for either a region of airspace or an airport approaches or exceeds the available capacity, miles-in-trail (MIT) restrictions are the most frequently issued traffic management initiatives (TMIs) that are used to mitigate these imbalances. Miles-intrail operations require aircraft in a traffic stream to meet a specific inter-aircraft separation in exchange for maintaining a safe and orderly flow within the stream. This stream of aircraft can be departing an airport, over a common fix, through a sector, on a specific route or arriving at an airport. This study begins by providing a high-level overview of the distribution and causes of arrival MIT restrictions for the top ten airports in the United States. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the frequency, duration and cause of MIT restrictions impacting the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) from 2009 through 2011. Then, machine-learning methods for predicting (1) situations in which MIT restrictions for ATL arrivals are implemented under low demand scenarios, and (2) days in which a large number of MIT restrictions are required to properly manage and control ATL arrivals are presented. More specifically, these predictions were accomplished by using an ensemble of decision trees with Bootstrap aggregation (BDT) and supervised machine learning was used to train the BDT binary classification models. The models were subsequently validated using data cross validation methods. When predicting the occurrence of arrival MIT restrictions under low demand situations, the model was able to achieve over all accuracy rates ranging from 84% to 90%, with false alarm ratios ranging from 10% to 15%. In the second set of studies designed to predict days on which a high number of MIT restrictions were required, overall accuracy rates of 80% were achieved with false alarm ratios of 20%. Overall, the predictions proposed by the model give better MIT usage information than what has been currently provided under current day operations. Traffic flow managers can use these predictions to identify potential MIT restrictions to eliminate (e.g., those occurring during low arrival demand periods), and to determine the days in which a significant number of restrictions may be required

Experimental Observations of Vortex Ring Interaction with the Fluid Adjacent to a Surface.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

minute. The water enters the inlet tank from a distribution manifold pipe and rises vertically through a 15 cm. thick plastic sponge. The flow then passes...parts exposed to water are made from PVC plastic to resist corrosion. The generator was designed to have interchangeable parts which allow the generation...of vortex rings over a range of caracteristics . The motor speed is continuously variable up to a speed of 7400 rpm. Cams with stroke lengths of 0.64

Education Outreach at M.I.T. Plasma Science and Fusion Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivenberg, P.; Censabella, V.

2000-10-01

At the MIT PSFC student and staff volunteers work together to increase the public's knowledge of fusion and plasma-related experiments. Seeking to generate excitement about science, engineering and mathematics, the PSFC holds a number of outreach activities throughout the year, including Middle and High School Outreach Days and the Mr. Magnet program. During the past year, in collaboration with the MIT Museum, the PSFC reprogrammed their C-Mod, Jr Video Game to be operated via the keyboard instead of joysticks. The game will eventually be available on the web and on disc. The PSFC maintains a Home Page on the World Wide Web, which can be reached at http://www.psfc.mit.edu.

Somnolence and Stuttering as the Primary Manifestations of a Midbrain Stroke

PubMed Central

Karakis, Ioannis; Ellenstein, Aviva; Roselló, Gemma R; Romero, José R

2008-01-01

Background: Stroke can occasionally manifest with non-lateralizing findings such as somnolence and stuttering. We describe a case and discuss the anatomical and physiological implications of this rare combination of symptoms. Case report: A 51-year-old woman presented with 3 days of “feeling drunk”. She could further specify her symptoms as blurry vision, slurred speech, and gait instability. She had a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Her examination at presentation was remarkable only for marked somnolence. Over the next several hours she developed mild upgaze limitation and vertical nystagmus. Non-enhanced computed tomography of the brain was normal. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a 5 mm acute infarct in the caudal midbrain. The first week the patient remained somnolent and manifested marked stuttering. The patient improved gradually with speech therapy. Conclusion: Strokes affecting the diencephalic-mesencephalic junction can manifest with stuttering. Defective projections of the reticular formation to the supplementary motor area, damaged extrapyramidal circuits, and/or aberrant propioceptive feedback due to involvement of the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve are the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms. Somnolence can also be part of the presentation and is likely due to disruptions of sleep pathways subserved by the reticular activating system. The accurate diagnosis of these cases depends on careful clinical assessment and high index of suspicion for stroke, especially in lieu of preexisting vascular risk factors and lack of an alternative explanation such as toxic-metabolic encephalopathy. PMID:22518226

Validation of the Omron MIT Elite blood pressure device in a pregnant population with large arm circumference.

PubMed

James, Lauren; Nzelu, Diane; Hay, Anna; Shennan, Andrew; Kametas, Nikos A

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Omron MIT Elite automated device in pregnant women with an arm circumference of or above 32 cm, using the British Hypertension Society validation protocol. Blood pressure was measured sequentially in 46 women of any gestation requiring the use of a large cuff (arm circumference ≥32 cm) alternating between the mercury sphygmomanometer and the Omron MIT Elite device. The Omron MIT Elite achieved an overall D/D grade with a mean of the device-observer difference being 7.17±6.67 and 9.31±6.59 for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. Interobserver accuracy was 94.6% for systolic and 95% for diastolic readings within 5 mmHg. The Omron MIT Elite overestimates blood pressure and has failed the British Hypertension Society protocol requirements. Therefore, it cannot be recommended for use in pregnant women with an arm circumference of or above 32 cm.

Advancements in Transmitters and Sensors for Biological Tissue Imaging in Magnetic Induction Tomography

PubMed Central

Zakaria, Zulkarnay; Rahim, Ruzairi Abdul; Mansor, Muhammad Saiful Badri; Yaacob, Sazali; Ayub, Nor Muzakkir Nor; Muji, Siti Zarina Mohd.; Rahiman, Mohd Hafiz Fazalul; Aman, Syed Mustafa Kamal Syed

2012-01-01

Magnetic Induction Tomography (MIT), which is also known as Electromagnetic Tomography (EMT) or Mutual Inductance Tomography, is among the imaging modalities of interest to many researchers around the world. This noninvasive modality applies an electromagnetic field and is sensitive to all three passive electromagnetic properties of a material that are conductivity, permittivity and permeability. MIT is categorized under the passive imaging family with an electrodeless technique through the use of excitation coils to induce an electromagnetic field in the material, which is then measured at the receiving side by sensors. The aim of this review is to discuss the challenges of the MIT technique and summarize the recent advancements in the transmitters and sensors, with a focus on applications in biological tissue imaging. It is hoped that this review will provide some valuable information on the MIT for those who have interest in this modality. The need of this knowledge may speed up the process of adopted of MIT as a medical imaging technology. PMID:22969341

Key role of lattice symmetry in the metal-insulator transition of NdNiO 3 films

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Jack Y.; Kim, Honggyu; Mikheev, Evgeny; ...

2016-04-01

Here, bulk NdNiO 3 exhibits a metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) as the temperature is lowered that is also seen in tensile strained films. In contrast, films that are under a large compressive strain typically remain metallic at all temperatures. To clarify the microscopic origins of this behavior, we use position averaged convergent beam electron diffraction in scanning transmission electron microscopy to characterize strained NdNiO 3 films both above and below the MIT temperature. We show that a symmetry lowering structural change takes place in case of the tensile strained film, which undergoes an MIT, but is absent in the compressively strainedmore » film. Using space group symmetry arguments, we show that these results support the bond length disproportionation model of the MIT in the rare-earth nickelates. Furthermore, the results provide insights into the non-Fermi liquid phase that is observed in films for which the MIT is absent.« less

Investigation on onset voltage and conduction channel temperature in voltage-induced metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide

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

Yoon, Joonseok; Kim, Howon; Ju, Honglyoul, E-mail: tesl@yonsei.ac.kr

2016-03-28

The characteristics of onset voltages and conduction channel temperatures in the metal-insulator transition (MIT) of vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) devices are investigated as a function of dimensions and ambient temperature. The MIT onset voltage varies from 18 V to 199 V as the device length increases from 5 to 80 μm at a fixed width of 100 μm. The estimated temperature at local conduction channel increases from 110 to 370 °C, which is higher than the MIT temperature (67 °C) of VO{sub 2}. A simple Joule-heating model is employed to explain voltage-induced MIT as well as to estimate temperatures of conduction channel appearing after MIT inmore » various-sized devices. Our findings on VO{sub 2} can be applied to micro- to nano-size tunable heating devices, e.g., microscale scanning thermal cantilevers and gas sensors.« less

77 FR 2096 - Proposal Review Panel for Materials Research; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-13

... Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by the Division of Materials... 16, 2012 7:15 a.m.-8:15 a.m. Closed--Executive Session 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. Open--Review of the MIT MRSEC... session 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Open--Review of the MIT MRSEC 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed--Executive Session, Report...

Minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT): indications and results.

PubMed

Docimo, Giovanni; Salvatore Tolone, Salvatore; Gili, Simona; d'Alessandro, A; Casalino, G; Brusciano, L; Ruggiero, Roberto; Docimo, Ludovico

2013-01-01

To establish if the indication for different approaches for thyroidectomy and the incision length provided by means of pre-operative assessment of gland volume and size of nodules resulted in safe and effective outcomes and in any notable aesthetic or quality-of-life impact on patients. Ninehundred eightytwo consecutive patients, undergoing total thyroidectomy, were enrolled. The thyroid volume and maximal nodule diameter were measured by means of ultrasounds. Based on ultrasounds findings, patients were divided into three groups: minimally invasive video assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT), minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT) and conventional thyroidectomy (CT) groups. The data concerning the following parameters were collected: operative time, postoperative complications, postoperative pain and cosmetic results. The MIVAT group included 179 patients, MIT group included 592 patients and CT group included 211 patients. Incidence of complications did not differ significantly in each group. In MIVAT and MIT group, the perception of postoperative pain was less intense than CT group. The patients in the MIVAT (7±1.5) and MIT (8±2) groups were more satisfied with the cosmetic results than those in CT group (5±1.3) (p= <0.05). The MIT is a technique totally reproducible, and easily convertible to perform surgical procedures in respect of the patient, without additional complications, increased costs, and with better aesthetic results.

The Golden Age of Radio: Solid State's Debt to the Rad Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Joseph D.

2011-03-01

While MIT's Radiation Laboratory is rightly celebrated for its contributions to World War II radar research, its legacy extended beyond the war. The Rad Lab provided a model for interdisciplinary collaboration that continued to influence research at MIT in the post-war decades. The Rad Lab's institutional legacy--MIT's interdepartmental laboratories--drove the Institute's postwar research agenda. This talk examines how solid state physics research at MIT was shaped by a laboratory structure that encouraged cross-disciplinary collaboration. As the sub-discipline of solid state physics emerged through the late-1940s and 1950s, MIT was unique among universities in its laboratory structure, made possible by a large degree of government and military funding. Nonetheless, the manner in which MIT research groups from physics, chemistry, engineering, and metallurgy interfaced through the medium of solid state physics exemplified how the discipline of solid state physics came to be structured in the rest of the country. Through examining the Rad Lab's institutional legacy, I argue that World War II radar research, by establishing precedent for a particular mode of interdisciplinary collaboration, shaped the future structure of solid state research in the United States. Research supported by a grant-in-aid from the Friends of the Center for the History of Physics, American Institute of Physics.

Kompressionstherapie bei Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum.

PubMed

Dissemond, Joachim; Assenheimer, Bernd; Bültemann, Anke; Gerber, Veronika; Gretener, Silvia; Kohler-von Siebenthal, Elisabeth; Koller, Sonja; Kröger, Knut; Kurz, Peter; Läuchli, Severin; Münter, Christian; Panfil, Eva-Maria; Probst, Sebastian; Protz, Kerstin; Riepe, Gunnar; Strohal, Robert; Traber, Jürg; Partsch, Hugo

2016-11-01

Wund-D.A.CH. ist der Dachverband deutschsprachiger Fachgesellschaften, die sich mit den Thematiken der Wundbehandlung beschäftigen. Experten verschiedener Fachgesellschaften aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz haben nun einen aktuellen Konsens der Kompressionstherapie für Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum erstellt. In Europa ist das Ulcus cruris venosum eine der häufigsten Ursachen für chronische Wunden. Neben der konservativen und interventionellen Wund- und Venentherapie, ist die Kompressionstherapie die Basis der Behandlungsstrategien. Die Kompressionstherapie kann heute mit sehr unterschiedlichen Materialien und Systemen durchgeführt werden. Während in der Entstauungsphase insbesondere Verbände mit Kurzzugbinden oder Mehrkomponentensysteme zur Anwendung kommen, sind es anschließend überwiegend Ulkus-Strumpfsysteme. Eine weitere, bislang wenig verbreitete Alternative sind adaptive Kompressionsbandagen. Insbesondere für die Rezidivprophylaxe werden medizinische Kompressionsstrümpfe empfohlen. Durch die Vielzahl der heute zur Verfügung stehenden Behandlungsoptionen, kann für nahezu alle Patienten ein Konzept entwickelt werden, dass sich an den individuellen Bedürfnissen und Fähigkeiten orientiert und daher auch akzeptiert und durchgeführt wird. Die Kompressionstherapie ist für die Behandlung von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum essentiell. In den letzten Jahren sind viele verschiedene Therapieoptionen verfügbar, die in den deutschsprachigen Ländern unterschiedlich angewendet oder durchgeführt werden. Daher soll dieser Expertenkonsens dazu beitragen, konkrete Empfehlungen für die praktische Durchführung der Kompressionstherapie von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum darzustellen. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Binding of Substrates to the Central Pore of the Vps4 ATPase Is Autoinhibited by the Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking (MIT) Domain and Activated by MIT Interacting Motifs (MIMs).

PubMed

Han, Han; Monroe, Nicole; Votteler, Jörg; Shakya, Binita; Sundquist, Wesley I; Hill, Christopher P

2015-05-22

The endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway drives reverse topology membrane fission events within multiple cellular pathways, including cytokinesis, multivesicular body biogenesis, repair of the plasma membrane, nuclear membrane vesicle formation, and HIV budding. The AAA ATPase Vps4 is recruited to membrane necks shortly before fission, where it catalyzes disassembly of the ESCRT-III lattice. The N-terminal Vps4 microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains initially bind the C-terminal MIT-interacting motifs (MIMs) of ESCRT-III subunits, but it is unclear how the enzyme then remodels these substrates in response to ATP hydrolysis. Here, we report quantitative binding studies that demonstrate that residues from helix 5 of the Vps2p subunit of ESCRT-III bind to the central pore of an asymmetric Vps4p hexamer in a manner that is dependent upon the presence of flexible nucleotide analogs that can mimic multiple states in the ATP hydrolysis cycle. We also find that substrate engagement is autoinhibited by the Vps4p MIT domain and that this inhibition is relieved by binding of either Type 1 or Type 2 MIM elements, which bind the Vps4p MIT domain through different interfaces. These observations support the model that Vps4 substrates are initially recruited by an MIM-MIT interaction that activates the Vps4 central pore to engage substrates and generate force, thereby triggering ESCRT-III disassembly. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Monitoring of allograft vasculopathy by intravascular ultrasound one month and one year after heart transplantation: A single center study.

PubMed

Bedanova, Helena; Orban, Marek; Tretina, Martin; Fila, Petr; Horvath, Vladimir; Krejci, Jan; Nemec, Petr

2016-03-01

The aim of this trial was to use intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to determine whether cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) starts progressing during the first year after heart transplantation (HTx). We retrospectively analyzed 51 patients (11 women) who received heart transplants in our center between January 2010 and September 2013 and underwent coronary angiography as well as IVUS examination one month and one year after HTx. Patients with proven calcification and fibrotic plates in the IVUS examination one month after HTx constituted a group with defined donor-transmitted atherosclerosis (DTA). In patients without DTA, measurements of maximal intimal thickening (MIT) were made in two predetermined locations. Eight of the 51 patients had DTA, while 43 did not. These were divided based on maximal intimal thickness (MIT) into a group with MIT < 0.5 mm (27) and MIT ≥ 0.5 mm (16). No patient with MIT < 0.5 mm developed allograft vasculopathy within one year after HTx. CAV developed in three patients (P = 0.045) out of the 16 patients with MIT ≥ 0.5. In patients with DTA, a statistically significant deterioration in percent area stenosis (PAS) occurred in both artery sections (P = 0.01). Our trial showed that CAV progresses during the first year after HTx significantly more frequently in patients with DTA and MIT ≥ 0.5 mm. It is essential in these patients to implement an IVUS control examination one year after transplantation. The results can lead to a change in treatment strategy to prevent further progress of the disease.

Private-sector Support of Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuber, M. T.; Christy, M. D.

2016-12-01

In fiscal year 2016, 66% of MIT's external research support came from federal sources. This percentage is the lowest since federal funding of university research initiated circa World War II. The percentage has dropped precipitously since the financial crisis of 2008 and the advent of sequestration, and the most optimistic scenario in the near future is flat to mildly increasing federal investments in research. Of the one-third of MIT's research supported by non-federal sources, 18% comes from industry, and the remainder comes from foundations, non-profits, and state and foreign governments. The overwhelming majority of non-federal support is for applied rather than basic research. Non-federal support of research in the geosciences comes from all these sources. In accepting research support from industry MIT must balance the desires of faculty and research staff to work in collaboration with companies of their choosing, with the essential need to set conditions that ensure independent scholarship. Participation in research projects is at the discretion of the Principal Investigator, and must be fully consistent with MIT's non-discrimination and open access policies. In all research agreements, MIT requires that faculty, students and research staff are able to freely present and publish results. While MIT's research partners help to identify research areas of mutual interest and may consult on research as it moves forward, MIT faculty members, researchers, post-doctoral scholars and students retain control over the design and management of their research projects at all times. The Institute also requires the identification and management of any conflicts of interest.

Tunable metal-insulator transition in Nd{sub 1−x}Y{sub x}NiO{sub 3} (x = 0.3, 0.4) perovskites thin film at near room temperature

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

Shao, Tao; Qi, Zeming, E-mail: zmqi@ustc.edu.cn; Wang, Yuyin

2015-07-13

Metal-insulator transition (MIT) occurs due to the charge disproportionation and lattice distortions in rare-earth nickelates. Existing studies revealed that the MIT behavior of rare-earth nickelates is fairly sensitive to external stress/pressure, suggesting a viable route for MIT strain engineering. Unlike applying extrinsic strain, the MIT can also be modulated by through rare-earth cation mixing, which can be viewed as intrinsic quantum stress. We choose Nd{sub 1−X}Y{sub X}NiO{sub 3} (x = 0.3, 0.4) perovskites thin films as a prototype system to exhibit the tunable sharp MIT at near room temperature. By adjusting Y concentration, the transition temperature of the thin films can bemore » changed within the range of 340–360 K. X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and in situ infrared spectroscopy are employed to probe the structural and optical property variation affected by composition and temperature. The infrared transmission intensity decreases with temperature across the MIT, indicating a pronounced thermochromic effect. Meanwhile, the XAFS result exhibits that the crystal atomistic structure changes accompanying with the Y atoms incorporation and MIT phase transition. The heavily doped Y atoms result in the pre-edge peak descent and Ni-O bond elongation, suggesting an enhanced charge disproportionation effect and the weakening of hybridization between Ni-3d and O-2p orbits.« less

Binding of Substrates to the Central Pore of the Vps4 ATPase Is Autoinhibited by the Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking (MIT) Domain and Activated by MIT Interacting Motifs (MIMs)*

PubMed Central

Han, Han; Monroe, Nicole; Votteler, Jörg; Shakya, Binita; Sundquist, Wesley I.; Hill, Christopher P.

2015-01-01

The endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway drives reverse topology membrane fission events within multiple cellular pathways, including cytokinesis, multivesicular body biogenesis, repair of the plasma membrane, nuclear membrane vesicle formation, and HIV budding. The AAA ATPase Vps4 is recruited to membrane necks shortly before fission, where it catalyzes disassembly of the ESCRT-III lattice. The N-terminal Vps4 microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains initially bind the C-terminal MIT-interacting motifs (MIMs) of ESCRT-III subunits, but it is unclear how the enzyme then remodels these substrates in response to ATP hydrolysis. Here, we report quantitative binding studies that demonstrate that residues from helix 5 of the Vps2p subunit of ESCRT-III bind to the central pore of an asymmetric Vps4p hexamer in a manner that is dependent upon the presence of flexible nucleotide analogs that can mimic multiple states in the ATP hydrolysis cycle. We also find that substrate engagement is autoinhibited by the Vps4p MIT domain and that this inhibition is relieved by binding of either Type 1 or Type 2 MIM elements, which bind the Vps4p MIT domain through different interfaces. These observations support the model that Vps4 substrates are initially recruited by an MIM-MIT interaction that activates the Vps4 central pore to engage substrates and generate force, thereby triggering ESCRT-III disassembly. PMID:25833946

Autolytic activity of human calpain 7 is enhanced by ESCRT-III-related protein IST1 through MIT-MIM interaction.

PubMed

Osako, Yohei; Maemoto, Yuki; Tanaka, Ryohei; Suzuki, Hironori; Shibata, Hideki; Maki, Masatoshi

2010-11-01

Calpain 7, a mammalian ortholog of yeast Cpl1/Rim13 and fungal PalB, is an atypical calpain that lacks a penta-EF-hand domain. Previously, we reported that a region containing a tandem repeat of microtubule-interacting and transport (MIT) domains in calpain 7 interacts with a subset of endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-III-related proteins, suggesting involvement of calpain 7 in the ESCRT system. Although yeast and fungal calpains are thought to be involved in alkaline adaptation via limited proteolysis of specific transcription factors, proteolytic activity of calpain 7 has not been demonstrated yet. In this study, we investigated the interaction between calpain 7 and a newly reported ESCRT-III family member, increased sodium tolerance-1 (IST1), which possesses two different types of MIT-interacting motifs (MIM1 and MIM2). We found that glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-fused tandem MIT domains of calpain 7 (calpain 7MIT) pulled down FLAG-tagged IST1 expressed in HEK293T cells. Coimmunoprecipitation assays with various deletion or point mutants of epitope-tagged calpain 7 and IST1 revealed that both repetitive MIT domains and MIMs are required for efficient interaction. Direct MIT-MIM binding was confirmed by a pulldown experiment with GST-fused IST1 MIM and purified recombinant calpain 7MIT. Furthermore, we found that the GST-MIM protein enhances the autolysis of purified Strep-tagged monomeric green fluorescent protein (mGFP)-fused calpain 7 (mGFP-calpain 7-Strep). The autolysis was almost completely abolished by 10 mmN-ethylmaleimide but only partially inhibited by 1 mm leupeptin or E-64. The putative catalytic Cys290-substituted mutant (mGFP-calpain 7(C290S)-Strep) showed no autolytic activity. These results demonstrate for the first time that human calpain 7 is proteolytically active, and imply that calpain 7 is activated in the ESCRT system. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 FEBS.

Intraläsionale Therapie niedrig maligner primär kutaner B-Zell-Lymphome mit Anti-CD20-Antikörper: Nebenwirkungen korrelieren mit gutem klinischen Ansprechen.

PubMed

Eberle, Franziska C; Holstein, Julia; Scheu, Alexander; Fend, Falko; Yazdi, Amir S

2017-03-01

Die intraläsionale Gabe von Anti-CD20-Antikörpern (Rituximab) wurde als effektive Therapieoption für Patienten mit niedrig malignen primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphomen beschrieben. Bis heute wurden allerdings keine Parameter identifiziert, welche reproduzierbar ein gutes klinisches Ansprechen dieser Therapie vorhersagen. Ziel dieser Studie ist, sowohl das klinische Ansprechen und die unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen als auch die Patientenwahrnehmung hinsichtlich intraläsionaler Injektionen von anti-CD20-Antikörpern zur Behandlung indolenter primär kutaner B-Zell-Lymphome im Vergleich mit anderen Therapien zu evaluieren. Elf Patienten mit einem primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphom, namentlich primär kutanes Keimzentrumslymphom (n = 9) und primär kutanes Marginalzonenlymphom (n = 2), welche mittels intraläsionalem Anti-CD20-Antikörper behandelt wurden, wurden retrospektiv evaluiert hinsichtlich der Ansprechrate und unerwünschter Nebenwirkungen sowie in Bezug auf deren Selbsteinschätzung dieser und anderer Therapien des primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphoms. Patienten, deren primär kutanes B-Zell-Lymphom mittels intraläsionaler Gabe von Anti-CD20-Antikörper behandelt wurde, zeigten ein komplettes oder partielles Ansprechen in 45 % beziehungsweise 27 % aller Patienten. Speziell Patienten mit grippeähnlichen Symptomen nach erfolgter Injektion zeigten ein gutes Ansprechen. Die Mehrheit der Patienten empfand die Therapie mit Rituximab als die beste Therapie im Vergleich zu anderen Therapien wie beispielsweise chirurgische Exzision oder Radiotherapie. Intraläsionales Rituximab ist eine effektive Therapie mit hoher Patientenzufriedenheit. Starke therapiebedingte Nebenwirkungen wie Fieber, Schüttelfrost und Kopfschmerzen nach Gabe von Rituximab könnten als Indikator für gute Wirksamkeit dienen. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MitProNet: A Knowledgebase and Analysis Platform of Proteome, Interactome and Diseases for Mammalian Mitochondria

PubMed Central

Mao, Song; Chai, Xiaoqiang; Hu, Yuling; Hou, Xugang; Tang, Yiheng; Bi, Cheng; Li, Xiao

2014-01-01

Mitochondrion plays a central role in diverse biological processes in most eukaryotes, and its dysfunctions are critically involved in a large number of diseases and the aging process. A systematic identification of mitochondrial proteomes and characterization of functional linkages among mitochondrial proteins are fundamental in understanding the mechanisms underlying biological functions and human diseases associated with mitochondria. Here we present a database MitProNet which provides a comprehensive knowledgebase for mitochondrial proteome, interactome and human diseases. First an inventory of mammalian mitochondrial proteins was compiled by widely collecting proteomic datasets, and the proteins were classified by machine learning to achieve a high-confidence list of mitochondrial proteins. The current version of MitProNet covers 1124 high-confidence proteins, and the remainders were further classified as middle- or low-confidence. An organelle-specific network of functional linkages among mitochondrial proteins was then generated by integrating genomic features encoded by a wide range of datasets including genomic context, gene expression profiles, protein-protein interactions, functional similarity and metabolic pathways. The functional-linkage network should be a valuable resource for the study of biological functions of mitochondrial proteins and human mitochondrial diseases. Furthermore, we utilized the network to predict candidate genes for mitochondrial diseases using prioritization algorithms. All proteins, functional linkages and disease candidate genes in MitProNet were annotated according to the information collected from their original sources including GO, GEO, OMIM, KEGG, MIPS, HPRD and so on. MitProNet features a user-friendly graphic visualization interface to present functional analysis of linkage networks. As an up-to-date database and analysis platform, MitProNet should be particularly helpful in comprehensive studies of complicated biological mechanisms underlying mitochondrial functions and human mitochondrial diseases. MitProNet is freely accessible at http://bio.scu.edu.cn:8085/MitProNet. PMID:25347823

Analytische Geometrie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemnitz, Arnfried

Der Grundgedanke der Analytischen Geometrie besteht darin, dass geometrische Untersuchungen mit rechnerischen Mitteln geführt werden. Geometrische Objekte werden dabei durch Gleichungen beschrieben und mit algebraischen Methoden untersucht.

Geodetic and Astrometric Measurements with Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry. Ph.D. Thesis - MIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, D. S.

1975-01-01

The use of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations for the estimation of geodetic and astrometric parameters is discussed. Analytic models for the dependence of delay and delay rate on these parameters are developed and used for parameter estimation by the method of weighted least squares. Results are presented from approximately 15,000 delay and delay-rate observations, obtained in a series of nineteen VLBI experiments involving a total of five stations on two continents. The closure of baseline triangles is investigated and found to be consistent with the scatter of the various baseline-component results. Estimates are made of the wobble of the earth's pole and of the irregularities in the earth's rotation rate. Estimates are also made of the precession constant and of the vertical Love number, for which a value of 0.55 + or - 0.05 was obtained.

Improving the Effectiveness of Speaker Verification Domain Adaptation With Inadequate In-Domain Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-20

Improving the Effectiveness of Speaker Verification Domain Adaptation With Inadequate In-Domain Data Bengt J. Borgström1, Elliot Singer1, Douglas...ll.mit.edu.edu, dar@ll.mit.edu, es@ll.mit.edu, omid.sadjadi@nist.gov Abstract This paper addresses speaker verification domain adaptation with...contain speakers with low channel diversity. Existing domain adaptation methods are reviewed, and their shortcomings are discussed. We derive an

Mitochondrial-type hsp70 genes of the amitochondriate protists, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and two microsporidians☆

PubMed Central

Arisue, Nobuko; Sánchez, Lidya B.; Weiss, Louis M.; Müller, Miklós; Hashimoto, Tetsuo

2011-01-01

Genes encoding putative mitochondrial-type heat shock protein 70 (mit-hsp70) were isolated and sequenced from amitochondriate protists, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, and two microsporidians, Encephalitozoon hellem and Glugea plecoglossi. The deduced mit-hsp70 sequences were analyzed by sequence alignments and phylogenetic reconstructions. The mit-hsp70 sequence of these four amitochondriate protists were divergent from other mit-hsp70 sequences of mitochondriate eukaryotes. However, all of these sequences were clearly located within a eukaryotic mitochondrial clade in the tree including various type hsp70 sequences, supporting the emerging notion that none of these amitochondriate lineages are primitively amitochodrial, but lost their mitochondria secondarily in their evolutionary past. PMID:11880223

Development and evaluation of form three mathematics i-Think module (Mi-T3) on algebraic formulae topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sam, Sazilah; Abdullah, Mohd Faizal Nizam Lee

2017-05-01

This article introduces the Form Three Mathematics i-Think Module (Mi-T3). The main objective of this Mi-T3 is to assist form three students develop their higher order thinking skills (HOTS). The Sidek Module Development Model (SMDM) and eight innovative thinking maps (i-Think) were applied as a guideline in developing Mi-T3. A validation stage was carried out by eight experts, and content validation achievement more than 90% obtained. A group of form three students and teachers was piloted to check the module's reliability through one to one and small group evaluation and Cronbach Alpha more than 0.90 was obtained. Implications of the study are discussed in this article.

Identification of atrial fibrillation using electrocardiographic RR-interval difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliana, M.; Nuryani, N.

2017-11-01

Automated detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) is an interesting topic. It is an account of very dangerous, not only as a trigger of embolic stroke, but it’s also related to some else chronical disease. In this study, we analyse the presence of AF by determining irregularities of RR-interval. We utilize the interval comparison to measure the degree of irregularities of RR-interval in a defined segment. The series of RR-interval is segmented with the length of 10 of them. In this study, we use interval comparison for the method. We were comparing all of the intervals there each other. Then we put the threshold to define the low difference and high difference (δ). A segment is defined as AF or Normal Sinus by the number of high δ, so we put the tolerance (β) of high δ there. We have used this method to test the 23 patients data from MIT-BIH. Using the approach and the clinical data we find accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 84.98%, 91.99%, and 77.85% respectively.

A comparison of screw insertion torque and pullout strength.

PubMed

Ricci, William M; Tornetta, Paul; Petteys, Timothy; Gerlach, Darin; Cartner, Jacob; Walker, Zakiyyah; Russell, Thomas A

2010-06-01

Pullout strength of screws is a parameter used to evaluate plate screw fixation strength. However, screw fixation strength may be more closely related to its ability to generate sufficient insertion because stable nonlocked plate-screw fracture fixation requires sufficient compression between plate and bone such that no motion occurs between the plate and bone under physiological loads. Compression is generated by tightening of screws. In osteoporotic cancellous bone, sufficient screw insertion torque may not be generated before screw stripping. The effect of screw thread pitch on generation of maximum insertion torque (MIT) and pullout strength (POS) was investigated in an osteoporotic cancellous bone model and the relationship between MIT and POS was analyzed. Stainless steel screws with constant major (5.0 mm) and minor (2.7 mm) diameters but with varying thread pitches (1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.6, and 1.75 mm) were tested for MIT and POS in a validated osteoporotic surrogate for cancellous bone (density of 160 kg/m(3) [10 lbs/ft(3)]). MIT was measured with a torque-measuring hex driver for screws inserted through a one-third tubular plate. POS was measured after insertion of screws to a depth of 20 mm based on the Standard Specification and Test Methods for Metallic Medical Bone Screws (ASTM F 543-07). Five screws were tested for each failure mode and screw design. The relationship between MIT and compressive force between the plate and bone surrogate was evaluated using pressure-sensitive film. There was a significant difference in mean MIT based on screw pitch (P < 0.0001), whereas POS did not show statistically significant differences among the different screw pitches (P = 0.052). Small screw pitches (1.0 mm and 1.2 mm) had lower MIT and were distinguished from large pitches (1.5 mm, 1.6 mm, and the 1.75 mm) with higher MIT. For POS, only the 1-mm and 1.6-mm pitch screws were found to be different from each other. Linear regression analysis of MIT revealed a moderate correlation to the screw pitch (R(2) = 0.67, P < 0.0001), whereas the analysis of POS suggested no correlation to the screw pitch (R(2) = 0.28, P = 0.006). Pearson correlation analysis indicated no correlation between MIT and POS (P = 0.069, r = -0.37). A linear relationship of increased compression between the plate and bone surrogate was found for increasing screw torque (R(2) = 0.97). These results indicate that the ability of different screw designs to generate high screw insertion torque in a model of osteoporotic cancellous bone is unrelated to their pullout strength. Therefore, extrapolation of results for POS to identify optimal screw design for osteoporotic bone may not be valid. Screw designs that optimize MIT should be sought for fixation in osteoporotic bone.

Novel gene fusion of PRCC-MITF defines a new member of MiT family translocation renal cell carcinoma: clinicopathological analysis and detection of the gene fusion by RNA sequencing and FISH.

PubMed

Xia, Qiu-Yuan; Wang, Xiao-Tong; Ye, Sheng-Bing; Wang, Xuan; Li, Rui; Shi, Shan-Shan; Fang, Ru; Zhang, Ru-Song; Ma, Heng-Hui; Lu, Zhen-Feng; Shen, Qin; Bao, Wei; Zhou, Xiao-Jun; Rao, Qiu

2018-04-01

MITF, TFE3, TFEB and TFEC belong to the same microphthalmia-associated transcription factor family (MiT). Two transcription factors in this family have been identified in two unusual types of renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Xp11 translocation RCC harbouring TFE3 gene fusions and t(6;11) RCC harbouring a MALAT1-TFEB gene fusion. The 2016 World Health Organisation classification of renal neoplasia grouped these two neoplasms together under the category of MiT family translocation RCC. RCCs associated with the other two MiT family members, MITF and TFEC, have rarely been reported. Herein, we identify a case of MITF translocation RCC with the novel PRCC-MITF gene fusion by RNA sequencing. Histological examination of the present tumour showed typical features of MiT family translocation RCCs, overlapping with Xp11 translocation RCC and t(6;11) RCC. However, this tumour showed negative results in TFE3 and TFEB immunochemistry and split fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) assays. The other MiT family members, MITF and TFEC, were tested further immunochemically and also showed negative results. RNA sequencing and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of a PRCC-MITF gene fusion: a fusion of PRCC exon 5 to MITF exon 4. We then developed FISH assays covering MITF break-apart probes and PRCC-MITF fusion probes to detect the MITF gene rearrangement. This study both proves the recurring existence of MITF translocation RCC and expands the genotype spectrum of MiT family translocation RCCs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Umgang mit Antithrombotika bei Operationen an der Haut vor und nach Publikation der entsprechenden S3-Leitlinie.

PubMed

Gaskins, Matthew; Dittmann, Martin; Eisert, Lisa; Werner, Ricardo Niklas; Dressler, Corinna; Löser, Christoph; Nast, Alexander

2018-03-01

Laut einer Befragung im Jahre 2012 war der Umgang mit Antithrombotika bei dermatochirurgischen Eingriffen in Deutschland sehr heterogen. 2014 wurde erstmals eine evidenzbasierte Leitlinie zu diesem Thema veröffentlicht. Es wurde eine anonyme Befragung derselben Stichprobe zum Umgang mit Antithrombotika sowie zu Kenntnissen der Leitlinie durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden als relative Häufigkeiten berichtet und denen aus 2012 gegenübergestellt. 208 Antwortbögen wurden ausgewertet (Rücklaufquote: 36,6 %). Die große Mehrheit der Dermatologen erklärte, kleinere Eingriffe unter Fortführung der Therapie mit Phenprocoumon, niedrig dosierter Acetylsalicylsäure (≤ 100 mg) und Clopidogrel sowie mit direkten oralen Antikoagulanzien durchzuführen. Bei größeren Eingriffen war der Umgang hingegen weiterhin heterogen, insbesondere unter niedergelassenen Dermatologen. Der Anteil der Dermatologen, die Phenprocoumon, Acetylsalicylsäure und Clopidogrel leitlinienkonform verwendeten, hat sich insgesamt vergrößert. Führten 2012 beispielsweise 53,8 % der Klinikärzte bzw. 36,3 % der niedergelassenen Dermatologen eine große Exzision unter Fortführung der Therapie mit niedrig dosierter Acetylsalicylsäure durch, taten dies 2017 90,2 % bzw. 57,8 % (Phenprocoumon: 33,8 % bzw. 11,9 % auf 63,9 % bzw. 29,9 %; Clopidogrel: 36,9 % bzw. 23,2 % auf 63,9 % bzw. 30,6 %). Unter den Klinikärzten war ein hoher Anteil mit der Leitlinie vertraut und fand diese hilfreich. Eine Zunahme des leitlinienkonformen Verhaltens war bei allen Eingriffen zu verzeichnen. Bei größeren Eingriffen zeigte sich trotz deutlicher Verbesserung die Notwendigkeit verstärkter Anstrengungen zur Leitlinienumsetzung bzw. zur Identifizierung von Implementierungsbarrieren. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Alteration of the brain morphology and the response to the acute stress in the recombinant mouse lines with different predisposition to catalepsy.

PubMed

Kulikova, E A; Bazovkina, D V; Antonov, Y V; Akulov, A E; Kulikov, A V; Kondaurova, E M

2017-04-01

Catalepsy is an inability to correct an externally imposed awkward posture; it is associated with schizophrenia and depression in human. We created new recombinant B6.CBA-D13Mit76C and B6.CBA-D13Mit76B mouse lines on the C57Bl/6 genome, carrying the 102.73-110.56Mbp fragment of chromosome 13 derived from the catalepsy-prone CBA strain and catalepsy-resistant C57BL/6 strain, respectively. We compared the behavior and brain morphology (11.7T BioSpec 117/16 USR tomograph, Germany) in these lines. The effects of acute emotional stress on corticosterone's level in the blood and mRNA expression of Bdnf and Arc genes in the brain were investigated. The B6.CBA-D13Mit76B mice were non-cataleptic, while about 17% of B6.CBA-D13Mit76C mice demonstrated catalepsy-like immobility. No difference between these lines was revealed in the open field and social interaction tests. In the Morris water maze test, both lines effectively found the platform on the fourth day; however B6.CBA-D13Mit76B mice achieved significantly better results than cataleptic-prone animals. B6.CBA-D13Mit76C mice were characterized by decreased volume of the total brain and reduced sizes of striatum, cerebellum and pituitary gland. The both lines showed the similar basal and stress-induced levels of corticosterone, while the brain expression of Bdnf and Arc genes was more vulnerable to stress in the catalepsy-prone B6.CBA-D13Mit76C line. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Minimally invasive, nonendoscopic thyroidectomy: a cosmetic alternative to robotic-assisted thyroidectomy.

PubMed

Govednik, Cara M; Snyder, Samuel K; Quinn, Courtney E; Saxena, Saurabh; Jupiter, Daniel C

2014-10-01

The desire to improve cosmesis has driven the introduction of robotic-assisted and video-assisted thyroidectomy techniques. We report on minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT) through a 2-cm incision without the added need for video assistance and hypothesize similar clinical results to standard open thyroidectomy. Between May 2012 and December 2013, 62 nonendoscopic MIT were evaluated for demographics, clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction on a 1-10 scale. The results were compared with a case-matched control group who underwent conventional open thyroidectomy by the same surgeon. The 124 study patients demonstrated no differences between groups for demographics or clinical outcomes except a smaller thyroid lobe in the MIT group (9.2 vs 11.7 g; P = .05). There were longer operative times in the MIT group (135.4 vs 119.6 minutes; P = .07) that were not equivalent by equivalence testing (P = .534). In MIT patients, transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred per nerves at risk (1.1% vs 3.4%; P = .62) with no permanent injuries in either group. There was no difference in symptomatic hypocalcemia (9.7% vs 11.3%; P = .77) and postoperative hematoma (0% vs 3.2%; P = .50). On follow-up, the measured MIT scar was significantly shorter (2.22 vs 3.98 cm; P < .00001), which resulted in significantly improved cosmetic satisfaction ratings (9.56 vs 8.66; P = .03). In selected patients, MIT through a 2-cm incision without endoscopic assistance is a safe alternative to standard open thyroidectomy in the hands of an experienced endocrine surgeon. The operating time is slightly increased, but clinical results are equivalent and patient satisfaction is significantly improved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactions of the Human LIP5 Regulatory Protein with Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport*♦

PubMed Central

Skalicky, Jack J.; Arii, Jun; Wenzel, Dawn M.; Stubblefield, William-May B.; Katsuyama, Angela; Uter, Nathan T.; Bajorek, Monika; Myszka, David G.; Sundquist, Wesley I.

2012-01-01

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway remodels membranes during multivesicular body biogenesis, the abscission stage of cytokinesis, and enveloped virus budding. The ESCRT-III and VPS4 ATPase complexes catalyze the membrane fission events associated with these processes, and the LIP5 protein helps regulate their interactions by binding directly to a subset of ESCRT-III proteins and to VPS4. We have investigated the biochemical and structural basis for different LIP5-ligand interactions and show that the first microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) module of the tandem LIP5 MIT domain binds CHMP1B (and other ESCRT-III proteins) through canonical type 1 MIT-interacting motif (MIM1) interactions. In contrast, the second LIP5 MIT module binds with unusually high affinity to a novel MIM element within the ESCRT-III protein CHMP5. A solution structure of the relevant LIP5-CHMP5 complex reveals that CHMP5 helices 5 and 6 and adjacent linkers form an amphipathic “leucine collar” that wraps almost completely around the second LIP5 MIT module but makes only limited contacts with the first MIT module. LIP5 binds MIM1-containing ESCRT-III proteins and CHMP5 and VPS4 ligands independently in vitro, but these interactions are coupled within cells because formation of stable VPS4 complexes with both LIP5 and CHMP5 requires LIP5 to bind both a MIM1-containing ESCRT-III protein and CHMP5. Our studies thus reveal how the tandem MIT domain of LIP5 binds different types of ESCRT-III proteins, promoting assembly of active VPS4 enzymes on the polymeric ESCRT-III substrate. PMID:23105106

The knockdown of OsVIT2 and MIT affects iron localization in rice seed.

PubMed

Bashir, Khurram; Takahashi, Ryuichi; Akhtar, Shamim; Ishimaru, Yasuhiro; Nakanishi, Hiromi; Nishizawa, Naoko K

2013-11-20

The mechanism of iron (Fe) uptake in plants has been extensively characterized, but little is known about how Fe transport to different subcellular compartments affects Fe localization in rice seed. Here, we discuss the characterization of a rice vacuolar Fe transporter 2 (OsVIT2) T-DNA insertion line (osvit2) and report that the knockdown of OsVIT2 and mitochondrial Fe transporter (MIT) expression affects seed Fe localization. osvit2 plants accumulated less Fe in their shoots when grown under normal or excess Fe conditions, while the accumulation of Fe was comparable to that in wild-type (WT) plants under Fe-deficient conditions. The accumulation of zinc, copper, and manganese also changed significantly in the shoots of osvit2 plants. The growth of osvit2 plants was also slow compared to that of WT plants. The concentration of Fe increased in osvit2 polished seeds. Previously, we reported that the expression of OsVIT2 was higher in MIT knockdown (mit-2) plants, and in this study, the accumulation of Fe in mit-2 seeds decreased significantly. These results suggest that vacuolar Fe trafficking is important for plant Fe homeostasis and distribution, especially in plants grown in the presence of excess Fe. Moreover, changes in the expression of OsVIT2 and MIT affect the concentration and localization of metals in brown rice as well as in polished rice seeds.

Composition dependence of charge and magnetic length scales in mixed valence manganite thin films

PubMed Central

Singh, Surendra; Freeland, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, M. R.; Jeen, H.; Biswas, A.

2016-01-01

Mixed-valence manganese oxides present striking properties like the colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition (MIT) that may result from coexistence of ferromagnetic, metallic and insulating phases. Percolation of such phase coexistence in the vicinity of MIT leads to first-order transition in these manganites. However the length scales over which the electronic and magnetic phases are separated across MIT which appears compelling for bulk systems has been elusive in (La1−yPry)1−xCaxMnO3 films. Here we show the in-plane length scale over which charge and magnetism are correlated in (La0.4Pr0.6)1−xCaxMnO3 films with x = 0.33 and 0.375, across the MIT temperature. We combine electrical transport (resistance) measurements, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and specular/off-specular x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) measurements as a function of temperature to elucidate relationships between electronic, magnetic and morphological structure of the thin films. Using off-specular XRMS we obtained the charge-charge and charge-magnetic correlation length of these LPCMO films across the MIT. We observed different charge-magnetic correlation length for two films which increases below the MIT. The different correlation length shown by two films may be responsible for different macroscopic (transport and magnetic) properties. PMID:27461993

Composition dependence of electronic, magnetic, transport and morphological properties of mixed valence manganite thin films

DOE PAGES

Singh, Surendra; Freeland, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, Michael R.; ...

2016-07-27

Mixed-valence manganese oxides present striking properties like the colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition (MIT) that may result from coexistence of ferromagnetic, metallic and insulating phases. Percolation of such phase coexistence in the vicinity of MIT leads to first-order transition in these manganites. However the length scales over which the electronic and magnetic phases are separated across MIT which appears compelling for bulk systems has been elusive in (La 1-yPr y) 1-xCaxMnO 3 films. Here we show the in-plane length scale over which charge and magnetism are correlated in (La 0.4Pr 0.6) 1-xCaxMnO3 films with x = 0.33 and 0.375, across themore » MIT temperature. We combine electrical transport (resistance) measurements, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and specular/off-specular x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) measurements as a function of temperature to elucidate relationships between electronic, magnetic and morphological structure of the thin films. Using off-specular XRMS we obtained the charge-charge and charge-magnetic correlation length of these LPCMO films across the MIT. We observed different charge-magnetic correlation length for two films which increases below the MIT. The different correlation length shown by two films may be responsible for different macroscopic (transport and magnetic) properties.« less

[The use of a robot-assisted Gait Trainer GT1 in patients in the acute period of cerebral stroke: a pilot study].

PubMed

Skvortsova, V I; Ivanova, G E; Kovrazhkina, E A; Rumiantseva, N A; Staritsyn, A N; Suvorov, A Iu; Sogomonian, E K

2008-01-01

An aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy of using Gait Trainer GT1, a robot-assisted gait trainer with a system of body-weight support, for the rehabilitation of gait in patients in the acute period of cerebral stroke. A main group included 30 patients in the acute period of ischemic and hemorrhage stroke and a control group--20 age- and sex matched patients. Patients of both groups had daily kinesitherapy sessions with a rehabilitator. Patients of the main group had additional sessions on the Gait Trainer GT1 from the moment of functional readiness to adequate orthostatic probe. Efficacy of rehabilitation was assessed in the four following phases: the first verticalization of patient in the standing position, adaptation of patient to the standing position, walking with assistance, independent walking. Muscular power (scores) in all muscles of low extremities, muscle tonus (the Ashfort scale), amplitude of tendinous reflexes on the reflexes scale, sensory disturbances and discoordination syndromes (specially elaborated scales), pathological positions in the axial muscular system and extremities, functional status (a steadiness scale, the Berg balance scale, the Barthel scale, 5 m test) were assessed in each phase. Stabilometry was conducted for objective evaluation of vertical balance function. The duration of sessions on GT1 and a number of exercises were depended on the patient's tolerability to physical activity. Percentage of relief was determined by the ability of a patient to balance in the standing position. Each patient had 8-10 sessions. A significant improvement of the functional status: ability to balance in standing position, walking, increase of self-care skills were observed in both groups. No significant differences in the level of functional improvements were found compared to the control group. However some peculiarities of the rehabilitation of primary neurologic deficit were observed during CT1-trainings: the normalization of muscle tonus both in spastic and hypotonic muscles, predominate rehabilitation of flexor muscular system (p = 0.005), significant improvement of deep and surface sensitivity (p < 0.005). The stabilometric data revealed the normalization of strategy of vertical posture support--from hip to ankle (p = 0.001), proprioceptive control of balance by the Romberg coefficient (p = 0.005). Robot-assisted gait trainers are commonly used in trainings of step patterns in highly disabled patients who are not able to walk without assistance. These peculiarities of the rehabilitation of primary neurologic deficit during the GT-trainings allowed to use a differential approach to a candidate selection for the sessions.

Wing and body kinematics of forward flight in drone-flies.

PubMed

Meng, Xue Guang; Sun, Mao

2016-08-15

Here, we present a detailed analysis of the wing and body kinematics in drone-flies in free flight over a range of speeds from hovering to about 8.5 m s(-1). The kinematics was measured by high-speed video techniques. As the speed increased, the body angle decreased and the stroke plane angle increased; the wingbeat frequency changed little; the stroke amplitude first decreased and then increased; the ratio of the downstroke duration to the upstroke duration increased; the mean positional angle increased at lower speeds but changed little at speeds above 3 m s(-1). At a speed above about 1.5 m s(-1), wing rotation at supination was delayed and that at pronation was advanced, and consequently the wing rotations were mostly performed in the upstroke. In the downstroke, the relative velocity of the wing increased and the effective angle of attack decreased with speed; in the upstroke, they both decreased with speed at lower speeds, and at higher speeds, the relative velocity became larger but the effective angle of attack became very small. As speed increased, the increasing inclination of the stroke plane ensured that the effective angle of attack in the upstroke would not become negative, and that the wing was in suitable orientations for vertical-force and thrust production.

Reisen im freien Fall - Teil 2: Das Zwillingsparadoxon aus dem Blickwinkel der ART

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonne, Bernd; Weiß, Reinhard

2013-07-01

Nachdem wir uns mit den Prinzipien der ART und einigen Beispielen vertraut gemacht haben, kommen wir nun zur Berechnung des Zwillingsparadoxons aus Sicht des reisenden Zwillings. Dabei spielt das Äquivalenzprinzip eine große Rolle. Deshalb wird die Bewegungssituation noch einmal erläutert, diesmal aus Sicht von Katrin. Sie befindet sich in ihrem System S'in Ruhe. In ihrem System läuft die Zeit t'ab. Nach dem Start fühlt Katrin jedoch eine Kraft, die sie als Gravitationskraft interpretieren kann. Sie merkt es daran, dass sie in den Sitz gedrückt wird. Nach einiger Zeit werden die Triebwerke abgeschaltet, und das Raumschiff fliegt mit konstanter Geschwindigkeit weiter, Phase 2. Anschließend wird der Schub der Triebwerke solange umgekehrt, bis das Raumschiff irgendwo mit der Geschwindigkeit null am Umkehrpunkt U landet, Phase 3 (Abb. 15.1). Die Erde, auf der sich Michael befindet, bewegt sich mit x'(t') aus Sicht von Katrin im freien Fall von ihr weg, s. das Experiment mit dem steigenden Fahrstuhl in Abschn. 13.2.1.

The Development and Validation of the Mood-based Indoor Tanning Scale.

PubMed

Carcioppolo, Nick; Chen, Yixin; John, Kevin K; Gonzalez, Andrea Martinez; King, Andy J; Morgan, Susan E; Hu, Shasa

2017-01-01

Research indicates that mood-based motivations may be an important predictor of indoor tanning bed use and may be related to indoor tanning dependence. Problematically, little research has been conducted to develop a psychometric measure of mood-based tanning motivations. The current study seeks to develop and validate the moodbased indoor tanning scale (MITS). Two studies were conducted to identify and verify the MITS factor structure as well as assess construct validity. Study 1 was conducted at 5 geographically diverse universities in the United States. Study 2 was conducted by using a national online sample in the United States. Results from study 1 specified the factor structure of the MITS. Results from study 2 suggest that a one-point increase in the MITS measure corresponds with using indoor tanning beds 11 more times in the past year. These findings demonstrate that moodbased tanning motivations are a strong predictor of indoor tanning intentions and behavior. Further, they suggest that health behavior researchers and healthcare practitioners can use the MITS to assess the extent to which mood-based motivations impact indoor tanning bed use.

Magnetosphere - Ionosphere - Thermosphere (MIT) Coupling at Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, J. N.; Ray, L. C.; Achilleos, N.

2017-12-01

Jupiter's upper atmospheric temperature is considerably higher than that predicted by Solar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) heating alone. Simulations incorporating magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling effects into general circulation models have, to date, struggled to reproduce the observed atmospheric temperatures under simplifying assumptions such as azimuthal symmetry and a spin-aligned dipole magnetic field. Here we present the development of a full three-dimensional thermosphere model coupled in both hemispheres to an axisymmetric magnetosphere model. This new coupled model is based on the two-dimensional MIT model presented in Yates et al., 2014. This coupled model is a critical step towards to the development of a fully coupled 3D MIT model. We discuss and compare the resulting thermospheric flows, energy balance and MI coupling currents to those presented in previous 2D MIT models.

The NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM): Application to Air Quality Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William; Peterson, Harold; Khan, Maudood; Biazar, Arastoo; Wang, Lihua

2011-01-01

Recent improvements to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) and its application to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system are discussed. The LNOM analyzes Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and National Lightning Detection Network(TradeMark)(NLDN) data to estimate the raw (i.e., unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical profile of lightning NO(x) (= NO + NO2). The latest LNOM estimates of lightning channel length distributions, lightning 1-m segment altitude distributions, and the vertical profile of lightning NO(x) are presented. The primary improvement to the LNOM is the inclusion of non-return stroke lightning NOx production due to: (1) hot core stepped and dart leaders, (2) stepped leader corona sheath, K-changes, continuing currents, and M-components. The impact of including LNOM-estimates of lightning NO(x) for an August 2006 run of CMAQ is discussed.

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT Home

Science.gov Websites

BPEC Definition 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building 16 Room 429, Cambridge, MA 02139 Telephone (617 Leadership Council Facilities | Umbrella Programs | Events | News | Links | MIT | National Science Foundation

MIT ASTROMAG 1.7 meter disk magnet design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marston, P. G.; Hale, J. R.; Vieira, R.; Zhukovsky, A.; Titus, P. H.; Sullivan, J. D.; Dawson, A. M.

1990-01-01

MIT has proposed a magnet design for ASTROMAG, which has demonstrated substantial improvement in performance as compared with the present HEAO baseline design. Several advantages of the MIT disk design are listed along with design characteristics. Details of field contours and active field regions are shown along with comparisons with other designs. Three alternative design configurations for the ASTROMAG disk coils are summarized. The parameters of the conductors are listed and basic parameters for each of the complete systems are shown.

Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departures (WTMD) Prototype System - Software Design Document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturdy, James L.

2008-01-01

This document describes the software design of a prototype Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departures (WTMD) system that was evaluated in shadow mode operation at the Saint Louis (KSTL) and Houston (KIAH) airports. This document describes the software that provides the system framework, communications, user displays, and hosts the Wind Forecasting Algorithm (WFA) software developed by the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL). The WFA algorithms and software are described in a separate document produced by MIT-LL.

Intelligence in the Now: Robust Intelligence in Complex Domains

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-26

We have applied our model and the resulting search strategy for a mobile manipulator modeled on a Willow Garage PR2 robot. As shown in Figure 12...with them – the robot tries to move a handle to various target locations and observes the reached location. Figure 13 shows Willow Garage PR2 robot...Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA barragan@mit.edu, tlp@mit.edu, lpk@mit.edu Fig. 1. Willow Garage PR2 robot manipulating

The role of the University Licensing Office in transferring intellectual property to industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Preston, John T.

1992-01-01

Universities in the US have a significant impact on business through the transfer of technology. This transfer of technology takes various forms, including faculty communications, faculty consulting activities, and the direct transfer of technology through the licensing of patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property to industry. The topics discussed include the following: background of the MIT Technology Licensing Office (TLO), goals of the MIT TLO, MIT's technology transfer philosophy, and important factors for success in new company formation.

Aerodynamic performance and particle image velocimetery of piezo actuated biomimetic manduca sexta engineered wings towards the design and application of a flapping wing flight vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLuca, Anthony M.

Considerable research and investigation has been conducted on the aerodynamic performance, and the predominate flow physics of the Manduca Sexta size of biomimetically designed and fabricated wings as part of the AFIT FWMAV design project. Despite a burgeoning interest and research into the diverse field of flapping wing flight and biomimicry, the aerodynamics of flapping wing flight remains a nebulous field of science with considerable variance into the theoretical abstractions surrounding aerodynamic mechanisms responsible for aerial performance. Traditional FWMAV flight models assume a form of a quasi-steady approximation of wing aerodynamics based on an infinite wing blade element model (BEM). An accurate estimation of the lift, drag, and side force coefficients is a critical component of autonomous stability and control models. This research focused on two separate experimental avenues into the aerodynamics of AFIT's engineered hawkmoth wings|forces and flow visualization. 1. Six degree of freedom force balance testing, and high speed video analysis was conducted on 30°, 45°, and 60° angle stop wings. A novel, non-intrusive optical tracking algorithm was developed utilizing a combination of a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and ComputerVision (OpenCV) tools to track the wing in motion from multiple cameras. A complete mapping of the wing's kinematic angles as a function of driving amplitude was performed. The stroke angle, elevation angle, and angle of attack were tabulated for all three wings at driving amplitudes ranging from A=0.3 to A=0.6. The wing kinematics together with the force balance data was used to develop several aerodynamic force coefficient models. A combined translational and rotational aerodynamic model predicted lift forces within 10%, and vertical forces within 6%. The total power consumption was calculated for each of the three wings, and a Figure of Merit was calculated for each wing as a general expression of the overall efficiency of the wing. Th 60° angle stop wing achieved the largest total stroke angle and generated the most lift for the lowest power consumption of the wings tested. 2. Phase averaged stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data was collected at eight phases through the flap cycle on the 30°, 45°, and 60° angle stop wings. Wings were mounted transverse and parallel to the interrogating laser sheet, and planar velocity intersections at the wing mid-span, one chord below the wing, were compared to one another to verify data fidelity. A Rankine-Froude actuator disk model was adapted to calculate the approximate vertical thrust generated from the total momentum flux through the flapping semi-disk using the velocity field measurements. Three component stereo u, v, and w-velocity contour measurements confirmed the presence of extensive vortical structures in the vicinity of the wing. The leading edge vortex was successfully tracked through the stroke cycle appearing at approximately 25% span, increasing in circulatory strength and translational velocity down the span toward the tip, and dissipating just after 75% span. Thrust calculations showed the vertically mounted wing more accurately represented the vertical forces when compared to its corresponding force balance measurement than the horizontally mounted wing. The mid-span showed the highest vertical velocity profile below the wing; and hence, was the location responsible for the majority of lift production along the span.

The effect of aquatic therapy on postural balance and muscle strength in stroke survivors--a randomized controlled pilot trial.

PubMed

Noh, Dong Koog; Lim, Jae-Young; Shin, Hyung-Ik; Paik, Nam-Jong

2008-01-01

To evaluate the effect of an aquatic therapy programme designed to increase balance in stroke survivors. A randomized, controlled pilot trial. Rehabilitation department of a university hospital. Ambulatory chronic stroke patients (n = 25):13 in an aquatic therapy group and 12 in a conventional therapy group. The aquatic therapy group participated in a programme consisting of Ai Chi and Halliwick methods, which focused on balance and weight-bearing exercises. The conventional therapy group performed gym exercises. In both groups, the interventions occurred for 1 hour, three times per week, for eight weeks. The primary outcome measures were Berg Balance Scale score and weight-bearing ability, as measured by vertical ground reaction force during four standing tasks (rising from a chair and weight-shifting forward, backward and laterally). Secondary measures were muscle strength and gait. Compared with the conventional therapy group, the aquatic therapy group attained significant improvements in Berg Balance Scale scores, forward and backward weight-bearing abilities of the affected limbs, and knee flexor strength (P < 0.05), with effect sizes of 1.03, 1.14, 0.72 and 1.13 standard deviation units and powers of 75, 81, 70 and 26%, respectively. There were no significant changes in the other measures between the two groups. Postural balance and knee flexor strength were improved after aquatic therapy based on the Halliwick and Ai Chi methods in stroke survivors. Because of limited power and a small population base, further studies with larger sample sizes are required.

Control for small-speed lateral flight in a model insect.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan Lai; Sun, Mao

2011-09-01

Controls required for small-speed lateral flight of a model insect were studied using techniques based on the linear theories of stability and control (the stability and control derivatives were computed by the method of computational fluid dynamics). The main results are as follows. (1) Two steady-state lateral motions can exist: one is a horizontal side translation with the body rolling to the same side of the translation by a small angle, and the other is a constant-rate yaw rotation (rotation about the vertical axis). (2) The side translation requires an anti-symmetrical change in the stroke amplitudes of the contralateral wings, and/or an anti-symmetrical change in the angles of attack of the contralateral wings, with the down- and upstroke angles of attack of a wing having equal change. The constant-rate yaw rotation requires an anti-symmetrical change in the angles of attack of the contralateral wings, with the down- and upstroke angles of attack of a wing having differential change. (3) For the control of the horizontal side translation, control input required for the steady-state motion has an opposite sign to that needed for initiating the motion. For example, to have a steady-state left side-translation, the insect needs to increase the stroke amplitude of the left wing and decrease that of the right wing to maintain the steady-state flight, but it needs an opposite change in stroke amplitude (decreasing the stroke amplitude of the left wing and increasing that of the right wing) to enter the flight.

Effect of Withania somnifera on forced swimming test induced immobility in mice and its interaction with various drugs.

PubMed

Shah, P C; Trivedi, N A; Bhatt, J D; Hemavathi, K G

2006-01-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antidepressant action of Withania somnifera (WS) as well as its interaction with the conventional antidepressant drugs and to delineate the possible mechanism of its antidepressant action using forced swimming model in mice. Effect of different doses of WS, fluoxetine and imipramine were studied on forced swimming test induced mean immobility time (MIT). Moreover effect of WS 100 mg/kg, i.p. was observed at different time intervals. Effect produced by combination of sub therapeutic doses of WS with imipramine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) were also observed. Effect of WS (100 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as combination of WS (37.5 mg/kg, i.p.) with either imipramine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) were observed in mice pretreated with reserpine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) and clonidine (0.15 mg/kg, i.p.). Effects of prazosin (3 mg/kg, i.p.) or haloperidol (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) pre-treatment were also observed on WS induced decrease in MIT. WS produced dose dependent decrease in MIT. Maximum effect in MIT was observed after 30 min of treatment with WS 100 mg/kg, i.p. Combination of WS (37.5 mg/kg, i.p.) with imipramine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) also produced significant decrease in the MIT. Clonidine and reserpine induced increase in MIT, was significantly reversed by treatment with WS (100 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as combination of WS (37.5 mg/kg, i.p.) with either imipramine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Pre-treatment with prazosin but not haloperidol, significantly antagonized the WS (100 mg/kg, i.p.) induced decrease in MIT. It is concluded that, WS produced significant decrease in MIT in mice which could be mediated partly through a adrenoceptor as well as alteration in the level of central biogenic amines.

High Intensity Interval- vs Moderate Intensity- Training for Improving Cardiometabolic Health in Overweight or Obese Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Fisher, Gordon; Brown, Andrew W; Bohan Brown, Michelle M; Alcorn, Amy; Noles, Corey; Winwood, Leah; Resuehr, Holly; George, Brandon; Jeansonne, Madeline M; Allison, David B

2015-01-01

To compare the effects of six weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) vs continuous moderate intensity training (MIT) for improving body composition, insulin sensitivity (SI), blood pressure, blood lipids, and cardiovascular fitness in a cohort of sedentary overweight or obese young men. We hypothesized that HIIT would result in similar improvements in body composition, cardiovascular fitness, blood lipids, and SI as compared to the MIT group, despite requiring only one hour of activity per week compared to five hours per week for the MIT group. 28 sedentary overweight or obese men (age, 20 ± 1.5 years, body mass index 29.5 ± 3.3 kg/m2) participated in a six week exercise treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to HIIT or MIT and evaluated at baseline and post-training. DXA was used to assess body composition, graded treadmill exercise test to measure cardiovascular fitness, oral glucose tolerance to measure SI, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess lipoprotein particles, and automatic auscultation to measure blood pressure. A greater improvement in VO2peak was observed in MIT compared to HIIT (11.1% vs 2.83%, P = 0.0185) in the complete-case analysis. No differences were seen in the intention to treat analysis, and no other group differences were observed. Both exercise conditions were associated with temporal improvements in % body fat, total cholesterol, medium VLDL, medium HDL, triglycerides, SI, and VO2peak (P < 0.05). Participation in HIIT or MIT exercise training displayed: 1) improved SI, 2) reduced blood lipids, 3) decreased % body fat, and 4) improved cardiovascular fitness. While both exercise groups led to similar improvements for most cardiometabolic risk factors assessed, MIT led to a greater improvement in overall cardiovascular fitness. Overall, these observations suggest that a relatively short duration of either HIIT or MIT training may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in previously sedentary overweight or obese young men, with no clear advantage between these two specific regimes (Clinical Trial Registry number NCT01935323). ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01935323.

High Intensity Interval- vs Moderate Intensity- Training for Improving Cardiometabolic Health in Overweight or Obese Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Fisher, Gordon; Brown, Andrew W.; Bohan Brown, Michelle M.; Alcorn, Amy; Noles, Corey; Winwood, Leah; Resuehr, Holly; George, Brandon; Jeansonne, Madeline M.; Allison, David B.

2015-01-01

Purpose To compare the effects of six weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) vs continuous moderate intensity training (MIT) for improving body composition, insulin sensitivity (SI), blood pressure, blood lipids, and cardiovascular fitness in a cohort of sedentary overweight or obese young men. We hypothesized that HIIT would result in similar improvements in body composition, cardiovascular fitness, blood lipids, and SI as compared to the MIT group, despite requiring only one hour of activity per week compared to five hours per week for the MIT group. Methods 28 sedentary overweight or obese men (age, 20 ± 1.5 years, body mass index 29.5 ± 3.3 kg/m2) participated in a six week exercise treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to HIIT or MIT and evaluated at baseline and post-training. DXA was used to assess body composition, graded treadmill exercise test to measure cardiovascular fitness, oral glucose tolerance to measure SI, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess lipoprotein particles, and automatic auscultation to measure blood pressure. Results A greater improvement in VO2peak was observed in MIT compared to HIIT (11.1% vs 2.83%, P = 0.0185) in the complete-case analysis. No differences were seen in the intention to treat analysis, and no other group differences were observed. Both exercise conditions were associated with temporal improvements in % body fat, total cholesterol, medium VLDL, medium HDL, triglycerides, SI, and VO2peak (P < 0.05). Conclusion Participation in HIIT or MIT exercise training displayed: 1) improved SI, 2) reduced blood lipids, 3) decreased % body fat, and 4) improved cardiovascular fitness. While both exercise groups led to similar improvements for most cardiometabolic risk factors assessed, MIT led to a greater improvement in overall cardiovascular fitness. Overall, these observations suggest that a relatively short duration of either HIIT or MIT training may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in previously sedentary overweight or obese young men, with no clear advantage between these two specific regimes (Clinical Trial Registry number NCT01935323). Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01935323 PMID:26489022

MIT gets good marks for fighting gender discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2011-05-01

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has made "significant progress" in increasing the number of female faculty members, with their numbers in science and engineering almost doubling over the last decade.

MIT-CSR XIS Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This report outlines the proposers' progress toward MIT's contribution to the X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) experiment on the Japanese ASTRO-E mission. The report discusses electrical system design, mechanical system design, and ground support equipment.

Qualität auf dem Prüfstand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelis, Michael

An einem Wochenende im Dezember 2009 beendete der chinesische Eisenbahn-Vizeminister Hu Yadong in Begleitung einer hochrangigen Delegation aus Experten des Department of Safety seines Ministeriums eine mehrtägige Europareise mit einem Besuch in der Konzernzentrale des weltweit führenden Herstellers von Bremssystemen für Schienen- und Nutzfahrzeuge in München. Schon in wenigen Jahren wird China über die weltweit größte Flotte an Hochgeschwindigkeitszügen verfügen und dabei sind Sicherheit und Qualität vorrangige Anforderungen. Knorr-Bremse liefert 100% der Bremsanlagen dieser Züge und hat vor kurzem mit rund 500 Millionen Euro den größten Auftrag in der Firmengeschichte erhalten. Das Unternehmen wird zusammen mit seinen chinesischen Partnern insgesamt 2.720 neue Wagen des chinesischen Hochgeschwindigkeitszuges CRH3 mit Brems- und Türsystemen ausrüsten.

Infrared Active Sm1-xndxnio3 Based Nano-Switchings For High Powers Laser Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngom, B. D.; Kana, J. B. Kana; Nemraoui, O.; Manyala, N.; Maaza, M.; Mdjoe, R.; Beye, A. C.

2008-09-01

This contribution was targeted to engineer novel thermochromic infrared nano-structured photonics. These smart optically tuneable materials are based on rare earth nickelates in the form of ReNiO3 where Re is bi-solution of rare earth metals of Samarium "Sm" and Neodynium "Nd." In addition to their Metal-Insulator tuneable transition temperature (MIT), these MIT oxide family exhibit a specific thermal stability and thus could be ideal to an ultimate optical limiting and other Non-Linear Optical properties for high power laser sources. This MIT thermochomic ReNiO3 system is novel in its nano-structured form and has not been investigated from nonlinear optical viewpoint. This contribution reports on the optimization of the synthesis of Sm1-xNdxNiO3 Nano-structures and investigation of their corresponding MIT electron dynamics.

The metal-insulator transition in a phase-separated manganite studied by in situ STS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snijders, P. C.; Gao, M.; Guo, H.; Ward, T. Z.; Gao, H.-J.; Shen, J.; Gai, Z.

2012-02-01

Electronic phase separation (EPS) is a key feature at the heart of the wide variety of electronic and magnetic properties in complex oxides. One consequence of EPS is that electronic transport experiments in bulk materials or 2D films mostly probe the low resistivity electronic phases due to the percolative path of the current. We study oxygen deficient La5/8-xPrxCa3/8M nO3 (LPCMO) thin films using both in situ scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and ex situ transport experiments. The oxygen deficiency is known to decrease the metal-insulator transition (MIT) temperature or even completely suppress the MIT in conventional transport experiments. We show that in situ STS is able to detect the MIT even in systems where conventional transport experiments do not show an MIT at zero magnetic field.

Hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine and dexamethasone plus high-dose Mitomycin C for patients with unresectable hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Kemeny, Nancy; Eid, Ahmed; Stockman, Jennifer; Gonen, Mithat; Schwartz, Lawrence; Tetzlaff, Eric; Paty, Philip

2005-08-01

In vitro data suggest increased cytotoxicity with Mitomycin C (Mit-C) and Floxuridine (FUDR). Based on these data, we performed a phase II trial of hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of FUDR and Dexamethasone (Dex) plus high-dose Mit-C for patients with unresectable hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma. High-dose Mit-C (15 mg/m2) was added via the pump sideport to HAI FUDR and Dex for 14 days of a 28-day cycle. Mit-C was given on days 1 and 29, and FUDR was given indefinitely until disease progression or discontinuation of therapy due to toxicity. Sixty-three patients with unresectable liver metastases were entered. The chemotherapy-naïve group (n = 26) and those previously treated (n = 37) had similar response and median survival: 73% and 70%, and 23 and 20 months, respectively. The major toxicities were liver bilomas (7.9%), elevation in bilirubin level >3 (22%), and biliary sclerosis (9.5%). Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity was less than 2%. The addition of high-dose Mit-C to HAI FUDR and Dex produced a high response rate even in previously treated patients. The median survival was 21 months even though half the patients were previously treated with chemotherapy. Biliary toxicity was higher than expected; therefore, alternatives to high dose Mit-C should be investigated when exploring additions to HAI therapy with FUDR and Dex. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy in group (MIT-G) for young adults with personality disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Popolo, Raffaele; MacBeth, Angus; Canfora, Flaviano; Rebecchi, Daniela; Toselli, Cecilia; Salvatore, Giampaolo; Dimaggio, Giancarlo

2018-04-06

Young adults with personality disorders (PD) other than borderline are in urgent need of validated treatments to help them in managing important life transitions. Therapeutic interventions focused upon social and interpersonal difficulties may facilitate these individuals in maximizing opportunities for employment, forming stable romantic relationships, and belong to social groups. It is also important that they are offered evidence-based, first-line time-limited treatments in order to maximize effectiveness and reduce costs. We developed a 16-session programme of group-based Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy (MIT-G) including psychoeducation on the main interpersonal motives, an experiential component enabling practice of awareness of mental states; and use of mentalistic knowledge for purposeful problem-solving. We report a feasibility, acceptability, and clinical significance randomized clinical trial. Participants meeting inclusion criteria were randomized to receive MIT-G (n = 10) or waiting list+TAU (n = 10). Dropout rate was low and session attendance high (92.19%). Participants in the MIT-G arm had symptomatic and functional improvements consistent with large effect sizes. In the MIT-G arm similarly large effects were noted for increased capacity to understand mental states and regulate social interactions using mentalistic knowledge. Results were sustained at follow-up. Our findings suggest potential for applying MIT-G in larger samples to further test its effectiveness in reducing PD-related symptoms and problematic social functioning. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Evolution of Structural and Electrical Properties of Oxygen-Deficient VO2 under Low Temperature Heating Process.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiasong; Zhao, Zhengjing; Li, Jingbo; Jin, Haibo; Rehman, Fida; Chen, Pengwan; Jiang, Yijie; Chen, Chunxu; Cao, Maosheng; Zhao, Yongjie

2017-08-16

Structural stability and functional performances of vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) are strongly influenced by oxygen vacancies. However, the mechanism of metal-insulator transition (MIT) influenced by defects is still under debate. Here, we study the evolution of structure and electrical property of oxygen-deficient VO 2 by a low temperature annealing process (LTP) based on a truss-structured VO 2 nanonet. The oxygenation process of the oxygen-deficient VO 2 is greatly prolonged, which enables us to probe the gradual change of properties of the oxygen-deficient VO 2 . A continuous lattice reduction is observed during LTP. No recrystallization and structural collapse of the VO 2 nanonet can be found after LTP. The valence-band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements indicate that the oxygen deficiency strongly affects the energy level of the valence band edge. Correspondingly, the resistance changes of the VO 2 films from 1 to 4.5 orders of magnitude are achieved by LTP. The effect of oxygen vacancy on the electric field driven MIT is investigated. The threshold value of voltage triggering the MIT decreases with increasing the oxygen vacancy concentration. This work demonstrates a novel and effective way to control the content of oxygen vacancies in VO 2 and the obvious impact of oxygen vacancy on MIT, facilitating further research on the role of oxygen vacancy in structure and MIT of VO 2 , which is important for the deep understanding of MIT and exploiting innovative functional application of VO 2 .

Activation of mitochondrial calpain and increased cardiac injury: beyond AIF release

PubMed Central

Thompson, Jeremy; Hu, Ying; Lesnefsky, Edward J.

2015-01-01

Calpain 1 (CPN1) is a ubiquitous cysteine protease that exists in both cytosol and cardiac mitochondria. Mitochondrial CPN1 (mit-CPN1) is located in the intermembrane space and matrix. Activation of mit-CPN1 within the intermembrane space increases cardiac injury by releasing apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria during ischemia-reperfusion (IR). We asked if activation of mit-CPN1 is involved in mitochondrial injury during IR. MDL-28170 (MDL) was used to inhibit CPN1 in buffer-perfused hearts following 25-min ischemia and 30-min reperfusion. MDL treatment decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase into coronary effluent compared with untreated hearts, indicating that inhibition of CPN1 decreases cardiac injury. MDL also prevented the cleavage of spectrin (a substrate of CPN1) in cytosol during IR, supporting that MDL treatment decreased cytosolic calpain activation. In addition, MDL markedly improved calcium retention capacity compared with untreated heart, suggesting that MDL treatment decreases mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. In addition, we found that IR led to decreased complex I activity, whereas inhibition of mit-CPN1 using MDL protected complex I. Pyruvate dehydrogenase content was decreased following IR. However, pyruvate dehydrogenase content was preserved in MDL-treated mitochondria. Taken together, MDL treatment decreased cardiac injury during IR by inhibiting both cytosolic and mit-CPN1. Activation of mit-CPN1 increases cardiac injury during IR by sensitizing mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and impairing mitochondrial metabolism through damage of complex I. PMID:26637561

Designs of LiMIT as a Limiter in the EAST Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szott, Matthew; Christenson, Michael; Kalathiparambil, Kishor; Ruzic, David

2016-10-01

Liquid metal plasma facing components (PFCs) provide a constantly refreshing, self-healing surface that can reduce erosion and thermal stress damage to prolong device lifetime, and additionally decrease edge recycling, reduce impurities, and enhance plasma performance. The Liquid Metal Infused Trench (LiMIT) system, developed at UIUC, has demonstrated thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic (TEMHD) driven flow of liquid lithium through series of solid trenches. This TEMHD effect drives liquid lithium in fusion systems using the plasma heat flux and the toroidal magnetic field, and the surface tension of the liquid lithium maintains a fresh surface on top of the solid trenches. LiMIT has been successfully tested at UIUC as well as HT-7 and Magnum PSI at heat fluxes up to 3 MW/m2. The next step is demonstrating system viability in full-scale fusion-relevant conditions. In collaboration with a team in Hefei, design and testing has begun for a large scale LiMIT system that will act as a limiter in EAST. The designs improve upon previous versions of LiMIT tested at Illinois and incorporate lessons learned from earlier tests of liquid metal PFCs at EAST. Existing infrastructure is used to load and supply lithium to the system, and the LiMIT trenches will help maintain a smooth, fresh surface as well as aid in propelling the lithium out of direct plasma flux to improve heat transfer. Supported by DOE/ALPS DE-FG02-99ER54515.

Multiple Impulse Therapy in the Assessment of Paraspinal Muscle Tone in Patients with Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Haładaj, Robert; Topol, Mirosław

2016-11-30

Back pain is quite common in contemporary society, whose expectations of an effective analgesic therapy in conservative treatment lead to a necessity of searching for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods in physiotherapy. Out of the numerous physical therapy methods, Multiple Impulse Therapy (MIT) deserves special consideration. This paper aims to present and analyse the outcomes of MIT concerning paraspinal muscle tone and pain intensity in patients with low back pain. The study enrolled 117 patients (50 women and 67 men; average age of 45.3 yrs) with lumbar conditions confirmed by imaging studies. The participants received five MIT sessions within 14 days. Moreover, both before and after the therapy all the patients underwent bilateral assessment of the paraspinal muscle tone by surface electromyography (sEMG) with the NoraxonMyoTrace 400 system and an interactive head of the PulStarFRAS device. A VAS was used for evaluation of pain severity. The analysis of significance of differences between scores before and after treatment showed that all the parameters changed significantly (MIT: 11.11 Ibf before and 8.89 Ibf after the therapy; VAS: 6.04 before and 3.38 afterwards; sEMG: 9.29uV before and 7.51uV afterwards). 1. Multiple Impulse Therapy (MIT) is an effective and non-invasive method of back pain treatment. 2. MIT significantly reduces paraspinal muscle tone, as confirmed by sEMG results, and shows a strong analgesic effect.

Comparative analysis of Mouse Inoculation Test and Virus Isolation in Cell Culture for rabies diagnosis in animals of Parana, Brazil.

PubMed

Corona, Thaila Francini; Böger, Beatriz; Rocha, Tatiana Carneiro da; Svoboda, Walfrido Külh; Gomes, Eliane Carneiro

2018-01-01

Rabies is an acute zoonotic disease, caused by a rhabdovirus that can affect all mammals, and is commonly transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal. The definitive diagnosis is laboratorial, by the Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT) as a quick test and Mouse Inoculation Test (MIT) as a confirmatory test (gold standard). Studies conducted over the past three decades indicate that MIT and Virus Isolation in Cell Culture (VICC) can provide the same effectiveness, the latter being considered superior in bioethics and animal welfare. The aim of this study was to compare VICC with MIT, in terms of accuracy, biosafety and occupational health, supply and equipment costs, bioethics and animal welfare, in a Brazilian public health lab. We utilized 400 samples of animal neurological tissue to compare the performance of VICC against MIT. The variables analyzed were accuracy, biosafety and occupational health, time spent in performing the tests, supply and equipment costs, bioethics and animal welfare evaluation. Both VICC and MIT had almost the same accuracy (99.8%), although VICC presented fewer risks regarding biosafety and mental health of the technicians, and reduced time between inoculation and obtaining the results (approximately 22 days less). In addition, VICC presented lower supply costs (86.5% less), equipment costs (32.6% less), and the advantage of not using animals. These results confirm that VICC can replace MIT, offering the same accuracy and better features regarding cost, results, biosafety and occupational health, and bioethics and animal welfare.

[Kombinierte Anwendung von Strahlentherapie und adjuvanter Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album L.) zur Behandlung des oralen malignen Melanoms beim Hund: Eine retrospektive Studie].

PubMed

von Bodungen, Uta; Ruess, Katja; Reif, Marcus; Biegel, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Hintergrund: Orale maligne Melanome (OMM) des Hundes zeichnen sich durch schnelles Wachstum, lokale Invasion und hohe Metastasierungsraten aus. Extrakte auf Basis von Viscum album L. (VAE) werden zunehmend in der Krebstherapie sowohl in der Human- als auch in der Veterinärmedizin eingesetzt. Ziel unserer Studie war es zu untersuchen, inwieweit die adjuvante Therapie mit VAE eine therapeutische Option zur Behandlung von OMM ist. Besonderes Augenmerk galt dabei der Überlebenszeit und möglichen Nebenwirkungen. Tiere und Methoden: 26 Hunde mit OMM, die in einem der größten veterinäronkologischen Zentren der Schweiz allesamt eine Strahlentherapie erhielten (teilweise nach operativer Tumorresektion) wurden in die retrospektive Studie eingeschlossen: 18 Hunde wurden mit VAE behandelt (1 ml VAE (Iscador®) in ansteigenden Konzentrationen von 0,1 bis 20 mg/ml subkutan 3-mal pro Woche (VAE-Gruppe), 8 erhielten keine adjuvante Behandlung (Vergleichsgruppe). Wir verglichen die Größenentwicklung der OMM sowie die Überlebenszeit. Ergebnisse: Patienten mit Bestrahlung und adjuvanter VAE-Therapie zeigten mit 236 Tagen eine signifikant längere mediane Überlebenszeit im Vergleich zu Patienten mit Bestrahlung, aber ohne adjuvante VAE-Therapie (49 Tage; Log-Rank-Test: p = 0,0047). Die VAE-Therapie verlängerte die Überlebenszeit um mehr als zwei Drittel (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0,30, 95%-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 0,11-0,86; p = 0,024), während ein höheres Tumorstadium gemäß UICC (Union internationale contre le cancer) einen statistischen Trend zur Verdopplung des Sterberisikos zeigte (UICC-Stadium III/IV vs. I/II: HR = 2,12, 95%-KI 0,88-5,12; p = 0,095). Zwei Patienten zeigten milde Nebenwirkungen während der VAE-Behandlung. Einer der beiden zeigte 1 Tag lang ein selbstlimitiertes Fieber, bei dem anderen Patienten reduzierten wir die Dosis von einem konzentrierteren zu einem weniger konzentrierten VAE (Serie 0) aufgrund von Müdigkeit, die daraufhin verschwand. Schlussfolgerungen: VAE ist eine sichere, nebenwirkungsarme Behandlung und scheint sich positiv auf die Überlebenszeit von Hunden mit OMM auszuwirken. Somit ist dieser therapeutische Ansatz es wert, vermehrt bei der adjuvant zur Strahlentherapie eingesetzten Behandlung des OMM in Betracht gezogen zu werden. Die verglichenen Gruppen waren jedoch klein, divers und nicht konsistent hinsichtlich aller prognostischen Parameter. Eine prospektive Studie mit einer größeren Studienpopulation wäre daher von Interesse. © 2017 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Southern Ocean vertical iron fluxes; the ocean model effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schourup-Kristensen, V.; Haucke, J.; Losch, M. J.; Wolf-Gladrow, D.; Voelker, C. D.

2016-02-01

The Southern Ocean plays a key role in the climate system, but commonly used large-scale ocean general circulation biogeochemical models give different estimates of current and future Southern Ocean net primary and export production. The representation of the Southern Ocean iron sources plays an important role for the modeled biogeochemistry. Studies of the iron supply to the surface mixed layer have traditionally focused on the aeolian and sediment contributions, but recent work has highlighted the importance of the vertical supply from below. We have performed a model study in which the biogeochemical model REcoM2 was coupled to two different ocean models, the Finite Element Sea-ice Ocean Model (FESOM) and the MIT general circulation model (MITgcm) and analyzed the magnitude of the iron sources to the surface mixed layer from below in the two models. Our results revealed a remarkable difference in terms of mechanism and magnitude of transport. The mean iron supply from below in the Southern Ocean was on average four times higher in MITgcm than in FESOM and the dominant pathway was entrainment in MITgcm, whereas diffusion dominated in FESOM. Differences in the depth and seasonal amplitude of the mixed layer between the models affect on the vertical iron profile, the relative position of the base of the mixed layer and ferricline and thereby also on the iron fluxes. These differences contribute to differences in the phytoplankton composition in the two models, as well as in the timing of the onset of the spring bloom. The study shows that the choice of ocean model has a significant impact on the iron supply to the Southern Ocean mixed layer and thus on the modeled carbon cycle, with possible implications for model runs predicting the future carbon uptake in the region.

Simulation of the West African Monsoon using the MIT Regional Climate Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Eun-Soon; Gianotti, Rebecca L.; Eltahir, Elfatih A. B.

2013-04-01

We test the performance of the MIT Regional Climate Model (MRCM) in simulating the West African Monsoon. MRCM introduces several improvements over Regional Climate Model version 3 (RegCM3) including coupling of Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) land surface scheme, a new albedo assignment method, a new convective cloud and rainfall auto-conversion scheme, and a modified boundary layer height and cloud scheme. Using MRCM, we carried out a series of experiments implementing two different land surface schemes (IBIS and BATS) and three convection schemes (Grell with the Fritsch-Chappell closure, standard Emanuel, and modified Emanuel that includes the new convective cloud scheme). Our analysis primarily focused on comparing the precipitation characteristics, surface energy balance and large scale circulations against various observations. We document a significant sensitivity of the West African monsoon simulation to the choices of the land surface and convection schemes. In spite of several deficiencies, the simulation with the combination of IBIS and modified Emanuel schemes shows the best performance reflected in a marked improvement of precipitation in terms of spatial distribution and monsoon features. In particular, the coupling of IBIS leads to representations of the surface energy balance and partitioning that are consistent with observations. Therefore, the major components of the surface energy budget (including radiation fluxes) in the IBIS simulations are in better agreement with observation than those from our BATS simulation, or from previous similar studies (e.g Steiner et al., 2009), both qualitatively and quantitatively. The IBIS simulations also reasonably reproduce the dynamical structure of vertically stratified behavior of the atmospheric circulation with three major components: westerly monsoon flow, African Easterly Jet (AEJ), and Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ). In addition, since the modified Emanuel scheme tends to reduce the precipitation amount, it improves the precipitation over regions suffering from systematic wet bias.

Dynamics of ionospheric disturbances during the 17-19 March 2015 geomagnetic storm over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polekh, N.; Zolotukhina, N.; Kurkin, V.; Zherebtsov, G.; Shi, J.; Wang, G.; Wang, Z.

2017-12-01

Based on vertical sounding data from nine ionosondes located at 19-66°N, 100-130°E we investigated the latitude-temporal dynamics of ionospheric disturbances during the 17-19 March 2015 severe two-step geomagnetic storm, and compared it with temporal dynamics of total electron content (TEC) profiles along 120°E. The phenomena that accompanied the main and early recovery storm phases were in particular focused on in this study. The distinct storm-related ionospheric disturbances began 2.5, 4 and 5 h after onset of the storm main phase at subauroral, middle and low latitudes, respectively. To clarify the main mechanisms causing the disturbances at different latitudes we compared the changes in ionospheric parameters and TEC profiles with changes in the northern polar cap index and geomagnetic field in the vicinity of 120°E. The equatorward shift of the main ionospheric trough (MIT) and diffuse precipitations zone accompanied by an increase in precipitating particle flux was found to have a substantial influence on the subauroral ionosphere during the main and early recovery phases. The thermosphere Joule heating due to westward and polarized jets led to an increase in neutral wind velocity and generation of disturbed dynamo electric field. The strengthened wind was the main reason of the positive ionospheric disturbance observed at middle latitudes in the evening on 17 March. The further enhancement of magnetospheric convection caused the displacement of MIT and its associated negative ionospheric disturbance to middle latitudes. At low latitudes superposition of prompt penetration and disturbed dynamo electric fields play the decisive role in the ionosphere behavior till the end of the early recovery phase.

Fog water collection effectiveness: Mesh intercomparisons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fernandez, Daniel; Torregrosa, Alicia; Weiss-Penzias, Peter; Zhang, Bong June; Sorensen, Deckard; Cohen, Robert; McKinley, Gareth; Kleingartner, Justin; Oliphant, Andrew; Bowman, Matthew

2018-01-01

To explore fog water harvesting potential in California, we conducted long-term measurements involving three types of mesh using standard fog collectors (SFC). Volumetric fog water measurements from SFCs and wind data were collected and recorded in 15-minute intervals over three summertime fog seasons (2014–2016) at four California sites. SFCs were deployed with: standard 1.00 m2 double-layer 35% shade coefficient Raschel; stainless steel mesh coated with the MIT-14 hydrophobic formulation; and FogHa-Tin, a German manufactured, 3-dimensional spacer fabric deployed in two orientations. Analysis of 3419 volumetric samples from all sites showed strong relationships between mesh efficiency and wind speed. Raschel mesh collected 160% more fog water than FogHa-Tin at wind speeds less than 1 m s–1 and 45% less for wind speeds greater than 5 m s–1. MIT-14 coated stainless-steel mesh collected more fog water than Raschel mesh at all wind speeds. At low wind speeds of < 1 m s–1 the coated stainless steel mesh collected 3% more and at wind speeds of 4–5 m s–1, it collected 41% more. FogHa-Tin collected 5% more fog water when the warp of the weave was oriented vertically, per manufacturer specification, than when the warp of the weave was oriented horizontally. Time series measurements of three distinct mesh across similar wind regimes revealed inconsistent lags in fog water collection and inconsistent performance. Since such differences occurred under similar wind-speed regimes, we conclude that other factors play important roles in mesh performance, including in-situ fog event and aerosol dynamics that affect droplet-size spectra and droplet-to-mesh surface interactions.

Verbesserte Visualisierung der Koronararterien in MSCT-Daten mit direkter Vergleichbarkeit zur Angiographie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacalli, Christina; Jähne, Marion; Wesarg, Stefan

In diesem Beitrag stellen wir neue, automatisierte Verfahren zur Visualisierung der Koronararterien einerseits und für eine direkte Vergleichbarkeit mit konventionellen Angiogrammen andererseits vor. Unser Ansatz umfasst Methoden für die automatische Extraktion des Herzens aus kontrastverstärkten CT-Daten, sowie für die Maskierung grosser kontrastmittelgefüllter Kavitäten des Herzens, um die Sichtbarkeit der Koronararterien bei der Darstellung mittels Volumenrendering zu verbessern. Zum direkten Vergleich mit konventionellen Angiographien wurde ein Verfahren zur automatischen Generierung von Projektionsansichten aus den CT-Daten entwickelt.

Hinderniserkennung und -verfolgung mit einer PMD-kamera im automobil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schamm, Thomas; Vacek, Stefan; Natroshvilli, Koba; Marius Zöllner, J.; Dillmann, Rüdiger

Die Detektion von Hindernissen vor dem Automobil ist eine Hauptanforderung an moderne Fahrerassistenzsysteme (FAS). In dieser Arbeit wird ein System vorgestellt, das mit Hilfe einer PMDKamera (Photomischdetektor) Hindernisse auf der Fahrspur erkennt und deren relevante Parameter bestimmt. Durch die PMD-Kamera werden zunächst 3D-Tiefenbilder der Fahrzeugumwelt generiert. Nach einem initialen Filterprozess werden im Tiefenbild mit Hilfe eines Bereichswachstumsverfahrens Hindernisse gesucht. Zur Stabilisierung des Verfahrens und zur Parameterberechnung wird ein Kaiman Filter eingesetzt. Das Ergebnis ist eine Liste aller Hindernisse im Fahrbereich des Automobils.

Seasonal overturning circulation in the Red Sea: 2. Winter circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Fengchao; Hoteit, Ibrahim; Pratt, Larry J.; Bower, Amy S.; Köhl, Armin; Gopalakrishnan, Ganesh; Rivas, David

2014-04-01

The shallow winter overturning circulation in the Red Sea is studied using a 50 year high-resolution MITgcm (MIT general circulation model) simulation with realistic atmospheric forcing. The overturning circulation for a typical year, represented by 1980, and the climatological mean are analyzed using model output to delineate the three-dimensional structure and to investigate the underlying dynamical mechanisms. The horizontal model circulation in the winter of 1980 is dominated by energetic eddies. The climatological model mean results suggest that the surface inflow intensifies in a western boundary current in the southern Red Sea that switches to an eastern boundary current north of 24°N. The overturning is accomplished through a cyclonic recirculation and a cross-basin overturning circulation in the northern Red Sea, with major sinking occurring along a narrow band of width about 20 km along the eastern boundary and weaker upwelling along the western boundary. The northward pressure gradient force, strong vertical mixing, and horizontal mixing near the boundary are the essential dynamical components in the model's winter overturning circulation. The simulated water exchange is not hydraulically controlled in the Strait of Bab el Mandeb; instead, the exchange is limited by bottom and lateral boundary friction and, to a lesser extent, by interfacial friction due to the vertical viscosity at the interface between the inflow and the outflow.

Pharmacological validation of individual animal locomotion, temperature and behavioural analysis in group-housed rats using a novel automated home cage analysis system: A comparison with the modified Irwin test.

PubMed

Tse, Karen; Sillito, Rowland; Keerie, Amy; Collier, Rachel; Grant, Claire; Karp, Natasha A; Vickers, Cathy; Chapman, Kathryn; Armstrong, J Douglas; Redfern, William S

2018-04-01

The ActualHCA™ system continuously monitors the activity, temperature and behavior of group-housed rats without invasive surgery. The system was validated to detect the contrasting effects of sedative and stimulant test agents (chlorpromazine, clonidine and amphetamine), and compared with the modified Irwin test (mIT) with rectal temperature measurements. Six male Han Wistar rats per group were used to assess each test agent and vehicle controls in separate ActualHCA™ recordings and mIT. The mIT was undertaken at 15, 30 mins, 1, 2, 4 and 24 h post-dose. ActualHCA™ recorded continuously for 24 h post-dose under 3 experimental conditions: dosed during light phase, dark phase, and light phase with a scheduled cage change at the time of peak effects determined by mIT. ActualHCA™ detected an increase stimulated activity from the cage change at 1-2 h post-dose which was obliterated by chlorpromazine and clonidine. Amphetamine increased activity up to 4 h post-dose in all conditions. Temperature from ActualHCA™ was affected by all test agents in all conditions. The mIT showed effects on all 3 test agents up to 4 h post-dose, with maximal effects at 1-2 h post-dose. The maximal effects on temperature from ActualHCA™ differed from mIT. Delayed effects on activity were detected by ActualHCA™, but not on mIT. Continuous monitoring has the advantage of capturing effects over time that may be missed with manual tests using pre-determined time points. This automated behavioural system does not replace the need for conventional methods but could be implemented simultaneously to improve our understanding of behavioural pharmacology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Prototype Tactile Sensor Array.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-15

Active Touch Sensing. Technical Report, MIT Artificial Inteligence Laboratory, 1981. (9] Larcombe, M. Carbon Fibre Tactile Sensors. Technical Report...thesis, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1981. [13] Purbrick, John A. A Force Transducer Employing Conductive Silicone Rubber. Technical Report, MIT Artificial

Substrate-mediated strain effect on the role of thermal heating and electric field on metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide nanobeams.

PubMed

Kim, Min-Woo; Jung, Wan-Gil; Hyun-Cho; Bae, Tae-Sung; Chang, Sung-Jin; Jang, Ja-Soon; Hong, Woong-Ki; Kim, Bong-Joong

2015-06-04

Single-crystalline vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanostructures have recently attracted great attention because of their single domain metal-insulator transition (MIT) nature that differs from a bulk sample. The VO2 nanostructures can also provide new opportunities to explore, understand, and ultimately engineer MIT properties for applications of novel functional devices. Importantly, the MIT properties of the VO2 nanostructures are significantly affected by stoichiometry, doping, size effect, defects, and in particular, strain. Here, we report the effect of substrate-mediated strain on the correlative role of thermal heating and electric field on the MIT in the VO2 nanobeams by altering the strength of the substrate attachment. Our study may provide helpful information on controlling the properties of VO2 nanobeam for the device applications by changing temperature and voltage with a properly engineered strain.

Substrate-mediated strain effect on the role of thermal heating and electric field on metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide nanobeams

PubMed Central

Kim, Min-Woo; Jung, Wan-Gil; Hyun-Cho; Bae, Tae-Sung; Chang, Sung-Jin; Jang, Ja-Soon; Hong, Woong-Ki; Kim, Bong-Joong

2015-01-01

Single-crystalline vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanostructures have recently attracted great attention because of their single domain metal-insulator transition (MIT) nature that differs from a bulk sample. The VO2 nanostructures can also provide new opportunities to explore, understand, and ultimately engineer MIT properties for applications of novel functional devices. Importantly, the MIT properties of the VO2 nanostructures are significantly affected by stoichiometry, doping, size effect, defects, and in particular, strain. Here, we report the effect of substrate-mediated strain on the correlative role of thermal heating and electric field on the MIT in the VO2 nanobeams by altering the strength of the substrate attachment. Our study may provide helpful information on controlling the properties of VO2 nanobeam for the device applications by changing temperature and voltage with a properly engineered strain. PMID:26040637

MIT Clean Energy Prize: Final Technical Report May 12, 2010 - May 11, 2011

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

Snyder, Chris; Campbell, Georgina; Salony, Jason

2011-08-09

The MIT Clean Energy Prize (MIT CEP) is a venture creation and innovation competition to encourage innovation in the energy space, specifically with regard to clean energy. The Competition invited student teams from any US university to submit student-led ventures that demonstrate a high potential of successfully making clean energy more affordable, with a positive impact on the environment. By focusing on student ventures, the MIT CEP aims to educate the next generation of clean energy entrepreneurs. Teams receive valuable mentoring and hard deadlines that complement the cash prize to accelerate development of ventures. The competition is a year-long educationalmore » process that culminates in the selection of five category finalists and a Grand Prize winner and the distribution of cash prizes to each of those teams. Each entry was submitted in one of five clean energy categories: Renewables, Clean Non-Renewables, Energy Efficiency, Transportation, and Deployment.« less

Generator and Setup for Emulating Exposures of Biological Samples to Lightning Strokes.

PubMed

Rebersek, Matej; Marjanovic, Igor; Begus, Samo; Pillet, Flavien; Rols, Marie-Pierre; Miklavcic, Damijan; Kotnik, Tadej

2015-10-01

We aimed to develop a system for controlled exposure of biological samples to conditions they experience when lightning strikes their habitats. We based the generator on a capacitor charged via a bridge rectifier and a dc-dc converter, and discharged via a relay, delivering arcs similar to natural lightning strokes in electric current waveform and similarly accompanied by acoustic shock waves. We coupled the generator to our exposure chamber described previously, measured electrical and acoustic properties of arc discharges delivered, and assessed their ability to inactivate bacterial spores. Submicrosecond discharges descended vertically from the conical emitting electrode across the air gap, entering the sample centrally and dissipating radially toward the ring-shaped receiving electrode. In contrast, longer discharges tended to short-circuit the electrodes. Recording at 341 000 FPS with Vision Research Phantom v2010 camera revealed that initial arc descent was still vertical, but became accompanied by arcs leaning increasingly sideways; after 8-12 μs, as the first of these arcs formed direct contact with the receiving electrode, it evolved into a channel of plasmified air and short-circuited the electrodes. We eliminated this artefact by incorporating an insulating cylinder concentrically between the electrodes, precluding short-circuiting between them. While bacterial spores are highly resistant to electric pulses delivered through direct contact, we showed that with arc discharges accompanied by an acoustic shock wave, spore inactivation is readily obtained. The presented system allows scientific investigation of effects of arc discharges on biological samples. This system will allow realistic experimental studies of lightning-triggered horizontal gene transfer and assessment of its role in evolution.

Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile: the leatherback turtle.

PubMed

Fossette, Sabrina; Gleiss, Adrian C; Myers, Andy E; Garner, Steve; Liebsch, Nikolai; Whitney, Nicholas M; Hays, Graeme C; Wilson, Rory P; Lutcavage, Molly E

2010-12-01

In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile - the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on St Croix, US Virgin Islands, to explore their diving strategy. Our results show a consistent behavioural pattern within dives among individuals, with an initial period of active swimming at relatively steep descent angles (∼-40 deg), with a stroke frequency of 0.32 Hz, followed by a gliding phase. The depth at which the gliding phase began increased with the maximum depth of the dives. In addition, descent body angles and vertical velocities were higher during deeper dives. Leatherbacks might thus regulate their inspired air-volume according to the intended dive depth, similar to hard-shelled turtles and penguins. During the ascent, turtles actively swam with a stroke frequency of 0.30 Hz but with a low vertical velocity (∼0.40 ms(-1)) and a low pitch angle (∼+26 deg). Turtles might avoid succumbing to decompression sickness ('the bends') by ascending slowly to the surface. In addition, we suggest that the low body temperature of this marine ectotherm compared with that of endotherms might help reduce the risk of bubble formation by increasing the solubility of nitrogen in the blood. This physiological advantage, coupled with several behavioural and physical adaptations, might explain the particular ecological niche the leatherback turtle occupies among marine reptiles.

Circuit board routing attachment for Fermilab Gerber plotter

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

Lindenmeyer, C.

1984-05-10

A new and potentially important method of producing large circuit boards has been developed at Fermilab. A Gerber Flat Bed Plotter with an active area of 5' x 16' has been fitted with a machining head to produce a circuit board without the use of photography or chemicals. The modifications of the Gerber Plotter do not impair its use as a photoplotter or pen plotter, the machining head is merely exchanged with the standard attachments. The modifications to the program are minimal; this will be described in another report. The machining head is fitted with an air bearing motorized spindlemore » driven at a speed of 40,000 rpm to 90,000 rpm. The spindle also is provided with air bearings on its outside diameter, offering frictionless vertical travel guidance. Vertical travel of the spindle is driven by a spring return single acting air cylinder. An adjustable hydraulic damper slows the spindle travel near the end of its downward stroke. Two programmable stops control spindle down stroke position, and limit switches are provided for position feedback to the control system. A vacuum system collects chips at the cutter head. No lubrication or regular maintenance is required. The circuit board to be fabricated is supported on a porous plastic mat which allows table vacuum to hold the board in place while allowing the cutters or drills to cut through the board without damaging the rubber platen of the plotter. The perimeter of the board must be covered to the limits of the table vacuum area used to prevent excessive leakage.« less

Kinematic control of aerodynamic forces on an inclined flapping wing with asymmetric strokes.

PubMed

Park, Hyungmin; Choi, Haecheon

2012-03-01

In the present study, we conduct an experiment using a one-paired dynamically scaled model of an insect wing, to investigate how asymmetric strokes with different wing kinematic parameters are used to control the aerodynamics of a dragonfly-like inclined flapping wing in still fluid. The kinematic parameters considered are the angles of attack during the mid-downstroke (α(md)) and mid-upstroke (α(mu)), and the duration (Δτ) and time of initiation (τ(p)) of the pitching rotation. The present dragonfly-like inclined flapping wing has the aerodynamic mechanism of unsteady force generation similar to those of other insect wings in a horizontal stroke plane, but the detailed effect of the wing kinematics on the force control is different due to the asymmetric use of the angle of attack during the up- and downstrokes. For example, high α(md) and low α(mu) produces larger vertical force with less aerodynamic power, and low α(md) and high α(mu) is recommended for horizontal force (thrust) production. The pitching rotation also affects the aerodynamics of a flapping wing, but its dynamic rotational effect is much weaker than the effect from the kinematic change in the angle of attack caused by the pitching rotation. Thus, the influences of the duration and timing of pitching rotation for the present inclined flapping wing are found to be very different from those for a horizontal flapping wing. That is, for the inclined flapping motion, the advanced and delayed rotations produce smaller vertical forces than the symmetric one and the effect of pitching duration is very small. On the other hand, for a specific range of pitching rotation timing, delayed rotation requires less aerodynamic power than the symmetric rotation. As for the horizontal force, delayed rotation with low α(md) and high α(mu) is recommended for long-duration flight owing to its high efficiency, and advanced rotation should be employed for hovering flight for nearly zero horizontal force. The present study suggests that manipulating the angle of attack during a flapping cycle is the most effective way to control the aerodynamic forces and corresponding power expenditure for a dragonfly-like inclined flapping wing.

Comparative costs of the Mouse Inoculation Test (MIT) and Virus Isolation in Cell Culture (VICC) for use in rabies diagnosis in Brazil.

PubMed

Bones, Vanessa C; Gameiro, Augusto H; Castilho, Juliana G; Molento, Carla F M

2015-05-01

The decision to use laboratory animals rather than in vitro methods is frequently based on the financial costs involved, so the objective of our study was to compare the costs of performing the Mouse Inoculation Test (MIT) and Virus Isolation in Cell Culture (VICC) for use in rabies diagnosis in Brazil. Based on observations of laboratory routines at the Pasteur Institute, São Paulo, we listed the fixed cost (FC) and variable cost (VC) items necessary to perform both tests. Considering that 200 MITs are equivalent to 350 VICC assays, in terms of facilities and staff-hours needed per month, we calculated, for both tests, the average total cost per sample, the costs of the implementation of the laboratory structure, and the costs of routine use. With regard to absolute values, the total cost was mainly influenced by FC items, as they represented 60% of the cost for the MIT and 86% of the cost for VICC. A sample analysed by the MIT costs around 205% more than one analysed by using VICC. The MIT costs 74% and 406% more than VICC, when implementation costs and routine use per month, respectively, are taken into account. Our results can assist in the resolution of costing disputes that could hinder the replacement of animals for rabies diagnosis in Brazil. The method demonstrated here might also be useful for cost comparisons in other situations where animal use still continues when validated alternatives exist. 2015 FRAME.

78 FR 57850 - Product Cancellation Order for Certain Pesticide Registrations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

... Microbiocide. hydrochloride. 062190-00032 Arch CMIT/MIT........ 5-Chloro-2-methyl- 3(2H)-isothiazolone, 2-Methyl-3(2H)- isothiazolone. 062190-00035 Arch CMIT/MIT 14 MUP. 2-Methyl-3(2H)- isothiazolone, 5- Chloro...

Loading differences in single-leg landing in the forehand- and backhand-side courts after an overhead stroke in badminton: A novel tri-axial accelerometer research.

PubMed

Sasaki, Shogo; Nagano, Yasuharu; Ichikawa, Hiroshi

2018-05-10

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in badminton commonly occur during single-leg landing after an overhead stroke in the backhand-side court. This study compared differences in trunk acceleration and kinematic variables during single-leg landing in the forehand- and backhand-side courts after an overhead stroke. Eighteen female junior badminton players performed two singles games while wearing a tri-axial accelerometer. The moment that over 4g of resultant acceleration was generated was determined using synchronised video cameras. Trunk lateral inclination and hip abduction angles at the point of landing with over 4g of resultant acceleration were analysed. Mediolateral acceleration in the backhand-side court was greater than that in the opposite-side court (p < 0.001, ES = 0.840). Both trunk lateral angles were larger than those previously reported in injured participants and the hip abduction angle in the backhand-side court was larger than that in the forehand-side court (p < 0.001, ES = 2.357). The lateral and vertical acceleration in the backhand-side court showed moderate-to-strong correlations with the trunk and hip angles. The mediolateral physical demand and high-risk posture in the backhand-side court may be associated with a higher incidence of knee injuries during badminton games.

Relationship between severity of shoulder subluxation and soft-tissue injury in hemiplegic stroke patients.

PubMed

Huang, Shih-Wei; Liu, Sen-Yung; Tang, Hao-Wei; Wei, Ta-Sen; Wang, Wei-Te; Yang, Chao-Pin

2012-09-01

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine whether the severity of post-hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in stroke patients correlates with soft-tissue injury; and (ii) to determine the shoulder subluxation measurement cut-off points that are indications for further ultrasound examination for soft-tissue injuries in these patients. Cross-sectional study. A total of 39 stroke patients with shoulder subluxation. Shoulder subluxation was evaluated by physical examination, radiography and ultrasound. Soft-tissue injuries were assessed by ultrasound. Subluxation parameters were entered into stepwise logistic regression analyses to predict biceps and supraspinatus tendonitis. With the assumption that shoulder subluxation can be a predisposing factor for tendonitis, receiver operating characteristic curves for shoulder subluxation parameters of the affected side were used to determine cut-off points for optimal sensitivity and specificity of biceps and supraspinatus tendonitis. Shoulder subluxation lateral distance, measured by physical examination, is a predictor for supraspinatus tendonitis (odds ratio = 34.9, p = 0.036). Further ultrasound investigation for soft-tissue injury is indicated when subluxation lateral distance, measured by physical examination is ≥ 2.25 cm or, measured by radiographic examination, ≥ 3.18 cm for lateral distance, ≥ 3.08 cm for vertical distance, or ≥ 2.65 cm for horizontal distance. When post-hemiplegic shoulder subluxation measurements exceed the above-mentioned cut-off points in physical or radiographic examinations, further ultrasound evaluation for soft-tissue injury is recommended.

Abdominally implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas affect the dive performance of Common Eiders

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Abby N.; Latty, Christopher J.; Hollmén, Tuula E.; Petersen, Margaret R.; Andrews, Russel D.

2010-01-01

Implanted transmitters have become an important tool for studying the ecology of sea ducks, but their effects remain largely undocumented. To address this, we assessed how abdominally implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas affect the vertical dive speeds, stroke frequencies, bottom time, and dive duration of captive Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). To establish baselines, we recorded video of six birds diving 4.9 m prior to surgery, implanted them with 38- to 47-g platform transmitter terminals, and then recorded their diving for 3.5 months after surgery to determine effects. Descent speeds were 16–25% slower and ascent speeds were 17–44% slower after surgery, and both remained below baseline at the end of the study. Dive durations were longer than baseline until day 22. On most days between 15 and 107 days after surgery, foot-stroke frequencies of birds foraging on the bottom were slower. Foot- and wing-stroke frequencies during descent and bottom time did not differ across the time series. If birds that rely on benthic invertebrates for sustenance dive slower and stay submerged longer after being implanted with a satellite transmitter, their foraging energetics may be affected. Researchers considering use of implanted transmitters with percutaneous antennas should be mindful of these effects and the possibility of concomitant alterations in diving behavior, foraging success, and migratory behavior compared to those of unmarked conspecifics.

PIV measurements of in-cylinder, large-scale structures in a water-analogue Diesel engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalpakli Vester, A.; Nishio, Y.; Alfredsson, P. H.

2016-11-01

Swirl and tumble are large-scale structures that develop in an engine cylinder during the intake stroke. Their structure and strength depend on the design of the inlet ports and valves, but also on the valve lift history. Engine manufacturers make their design to obtain a specific flow structure that is assumed to give the best engine performance. Despite many efforts, there are still open questions, such as how swirl and tumble depend on the dynamics of the valves/piston as well as how cycle-to-cycle variations should be minimized. In collaboration with Swedish vehicle industry we perform PIV measurements of the flow dynamics during the intake stroke inside a cylinder of a water-analogue engine model having the same geometrical characteristics as a typical truck Diesel engine. Water can be used since during the intake stroke the flow is nearly incompressible. The flow from the valves moves radially outwards, hits the vertical walls of the cylinder, entrains surrounding fluid, moves along the cylinder walls and creates a central backflow, i.e. a tumble motion. Depending on the port and valve design and orientation none, low, or high swirl can be established. For the first time, the effect of the dynamic motion of the piston/valves on the large-scale structures is captured. Supported by the Swedish Energy Agency, Scania CV AB and Volvo GTT, through the FFI program.

Effects of Brain-Computer Interface-controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation Training on Shoulder Subluxation for Patients with Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Jang, Yun Young; Kim, Tae Hoon; Lee, Byoung Hee

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of brain-computer interface (BCI)-controlled functional electrical stimulation (FES) training on shoulder subluxation of patients with stroke. Twenty subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the BCI-FES group (n = 10) and the FES group (n = 10). Patients in the BCI-FES group were administered conventional therapy with the BCI-FES on the shoulder subluxation area of the paretic upper extremity, five times per week during 6 weeks, while the FES group received conventional therapy with FES only. All patients were assessed for shoulder subluxation (vertical distance, VD; horizontal distance, HD), pain (visual analogue scale, VAS) and the Manual Function Test (MFT) at the time of recruitment to the study and after 6 weeks of the intervention. The BCI-FES group demonstrated significant improvements in VD, HD, VAS and MFT after the intervention period, while the FES group demonstrated significant improvements in HD, VAS and MFT. There were also significant differences in the VD and two items (shoulder flexion and abduction) of the MFT between the two groups. The results of this study suggest that BCI-FES training may be effective in improving shoulder subluxation of patients with stroke by facilitating motor recovery. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Feasibility and effects of newly developed balance control trainer for mobility and balance in chronic stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lee, So Hyun; Byun, Seung Deuk; Kim, Chul Hyun; Go, Jin Young; Nam, Hyeon Uk; Huh, Jin Seok; Jung, Tae Du

2012-08-01

To investigate the feasibility and effects of balance training with a newly developed Balance Control Trainer (BCT) that applied the concept of vertical movement for the improvements of mobility and balance in chronic stroke patients. Forty chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group (n=20) underwent training with a BCT for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks, in addition to concurrent conventional physical therapy. The control group (n=20) underwent only conventional therapy for 4 weeks. All participants were assessed by: the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC), 10-meter Walking Test (10mWT), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Korean Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Manual Muscle Test (MMT) before training, and at 2 and 4 weeks of training. There were statistically significant improvements in all parameters except knee extensor power at 2 weeks of treatment, and in all parameters except MBI which showed further statistically significant progress in the experimental group over the next two weeks (p<0.05). Statistically significant improvements on all measurements were observed in the experimental group after 4 weeks total. Comparing the two groups at 2 and 4 weeks of training respectively, 10mWT, TUG, and BBS showed statistically more significant improvements in the experimental group (p<0.05). Balance training with a newly developed BCT is feasible and may be an effective tool to improve balance and gait in ambulatory chronic stroke patients. Furthermore, it may provide additional benefits when used in conjunction with conventional therapies.

Northern elephant seals adjust gliding and stroking patterns with changes in buoyancy: validation of at-sea metrics of body density.

PubMed

Aoki, Kagari; Watanabe, Yuuki Y; Crocker, Daniel E; Robinson, Patrick W; Biuw, Martin; Costa, Daniel P; Miyazaki, Nobuyuki; Fedak, Mike A; Miller, Patrick J O

2011-09-01

Many diving animals undergo substantial changes in their body density that are the result of changes in lipid content over their annual fasting cycle. Because the size of the lipid stores reflects an integration of foraging effort (energy expenditure) and foraging success (energy assimilation), measuring body density is a good way to track net resource acquisition of free-ranging animals while at sea. Here, we experimentally altered the body density and mass of three free-ranging elephant seals by remotely detaching weights and floats while monitoring their swimming speed, depth and three-axis acceleration with a high-resolution data logger. Cross-validation of three methods for estimating body density from hydrodynamic gliding performance of freely diving animals showed strong positive correlation with body density estimates obtained from isotope dilution body composition analysis over density ranges of 1015 to 1060 kg m(-3). All three hydrodynamic models were within 1% of, but slightly greater than, body density measurements determined by isotope dilution, and therefore have the potential to track changes in body condition of a wide range of freely diving animals. Gliding during ascent and descent clearly increased and stroke rate decreased when buoyancy manipulations aided the direction of vertical transit, but ascent and descent speed were largely unchanged. The seals adjusted stroking intensity to maintain swim speed within a narrow range, despite changes in buoyancy. During active swimming, all three seals increased the amplitude of lateral body accelerations and two of the seals altered stroke frequency in response to the need to produce thrust required to overcome combined drag and buoyancy forces.

Lightning Magnetic Field Measurements around Langmuir Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, M.; Krehbiel, P. R.; Rison, W.; Aulich, G. D.; Edens, H. E.; Sonnenfeld, R. G.

2010-12-01

In the absence of artificial conductors, underground lightning transients are produced by diffusion of the horizontal surface magnetic field of a return stroke vertically downward into the conducting earth. The changing magnetic flux produces an orthogonal horizontal electric field, generating a dispersive, lossy transverse electromagnetic wave that penetrates a hundred meters or more into the ground according to the skin depth of the medium. In turn, the electric field produces currents that flow toward or away from the channel to ground depending on the stroke polarity. The underground transients can produce large radial horizontal potential gradients depending on the distance from the discharge and depth below the surface. In this study we focus on the surface excitation field. The goal of the work is to compare measurements of surface magnetic field waveforms B(t) at different distances from natural lightning discharges with simple and detailed models of the return stroke fields. In addition to providing input to the diffusion mechanism, the results should aid in further understanding return stroke field generation processes. The observational data are to be obtained using orthogonal sets of straightened Rogowski coils to measure magnetic field waveforms in N-S and E-W directions. The waveforms are sampled at 500 kS/s over 1.024 second time intervals and recorded directly onto secure digital cards. The instrument operates off of battery power for several days or weeks at a time in remote, unattended locations and measures magnetic field strengths of up to several tens of amperes/meter. The observations are being made in conjunction with collocated slow electric field change measurements and under good 3-D lightning mapping array (LMA) and fast electric field change coverage.

Effect of denture cleaning on abrasion resistance and surface topography of polymerized CAD CAM acrylic resin denture base

PubMed Central

Shinawi, Lana Ahmed

2017-01-01

Background The application of computer-aided design computer-aided manufacturing (CAD CAM) technology in the fabrication of complete dentures, offers numerous advantages as it provides optimum fit and eliminates polymerization shrinkage of the acrylic base. Additionally, the porosity and surface roughness of CAD CAM resins is less compared to conventionally processed resins which leads to a decrease in the adhesion of bacteria on the denture base, which is associated with many conditions including halitosis and aspiration pneumonia in elderly denture wearers. Aim To evaluate the influence of tooth brushing with dentifrices on CAD CAM resin blocks in terms of abrasion resistance, surface roughness and scanning electron photomicrography. Methods This experimental study was carried out at the Faculty of Dentistry of King Abdulaziz University during 2016. A total of 40 rectangular shaped polymerized CAD CAM resin samples were subjected to 40.000 and 60.000 brushing strokes under a 200-gram vertical load simulating three years of tooth brushing strokes using commercially available denture cleaning dentifrice. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20, using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Results ANOVA test revealed a statistical significant weight loss of CAD CAM acrylic resin denture base specimens following 40.000 and 60.000 brushing strokes as well as a statistical significant change (p=0.0.5) in the surface roughness following brushing. The CAD CAM resin samples SEM baseline imaging revealed a relatively smooth homogenous surface, but following 40,000 and 60,000 brushing strokes, imaging displayed the presence of small scratches on the surface. Conclusion CAD CAM resin displayed a homogenous surface initially with low surface roughness that was significantly affected following simulating three years of manual brushing, but despite the significant weight loss, the findings are within the clinically acceptable limits. PMID:28713496

Effect of denture cleaning on abrasion resistance and surface topography of polymerized CAD CAM acrylic resin denture base.

PubMed

Shinawi, Lana Ahmed

2017-05-01

The application of computer-aided design computer-aided manufacturing (CAD CAM) technology in the fabrication of complete dentures, offers numerous advantages as it provides optimum fit and eliminates polymerization shrinkage of the acrylic base. Additionally, the porosity and surface roughness of CAD CAM resins is less compared to conventionally processed resins which leads to a decrease in the adhesion of bacteria on the denture base, which is associated with many conditions including halitosis and aspiration pneumonia in elderly denture wearers. To evaluate the influence of tooth brushing with dentifrices on CAD CAM resin blocks in terms of abrasion resistance, surface roughness and scanning electron photomicrography. This experimental study was carried out at the Faculty of Dentistry of King Abdulaziz University during 2016. A total of 40 rectangular shaped polymerized CAD CAM resin samples were subjected to 40.000 and 60.000 brushing strokes under a 200-gram vertical load simulating three years of tooth brushing strokes using commercially available denture cleaning dentifrice. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20, using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. ANOVA test revealed a statistical significant weight loss of CAD CAM acrylic resin denture base specimens following 40.000 and 60.000 brushing strokes as well as a statistical significant change (p=0.0.5) in the surface roughness following brushing. The CAD CAM resin samples SEM baseline imaging revealed a relatively smooth homogenous surface, but following 40,000 and 60,000 brushing strokes, imaging displayed the presence of small scratches on the surface. CAD CAM resin displayed a homogenous surface initially with low surface roughness that was significantly affected following simulating three years of manual brushing, but despite the significant weight loss, the findings are within the clinically acceptable limits.

Neural control of arm movements reveals a tendency to use gravity to simplify joint coordination rather than to decrease muscle effort.

PubMed

Wang, Wanyue; Dounskaia, Natalia

2016-12-17

How gravity influences neural control of arm movements remains under debate. We tested three alternative interpretations suggested by previous research: (1) that muscular control includes two components, tonic which compensates for gravity and phasic which produces the movement; (2) that there is a tendency to exploit gravity to reduce muscle effort; and (3) that there is a tendency to use a trailing pattern of joint control during which either the shoulder or elbow is rotated actively and the other joint rotates predominantly passively, and to exploit gravity for control of the passively rotated joint. A free-stroke drawing task was performed that required production of center-out strokes within a circle while selecting stroke directions randomly. The circle was positioned in the horizontal, sagittal, and frontal plane. The arm joints freely rotated in space. In each plane, the distribution of the strokes across directions was non-uniform. Directional histograms were built and their peaks were used to identify preferred movement directions. The directional preferences were especially pronounced in the two vertical planes. The upward directions were most preferred. To test the three interpretations, we used a kinetic analysis that determined the role of gravitational torque in the production of movement in the preferred directions. The results supported the third interpretation and provided evidence against the first and second interpretation. The trailing pattern has been associated with reduced neural effort for joint coordination, and therefore, we conclude that the major tendency with respect to gravity is to exploit it for simplification of joint coordination. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internationalizing Practical ChE Education: The M.I.T. Practice School in Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Andrea J.; Kandas, Angelo W.; Natori, Yukikazu; Hatton, T. Alan

1999-01-01

Describes the establishment, benefits, and difficulties of an overseas branch of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) chemical engineering Practice School for student internship study at the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation's Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Japan. (WRM)

Turning Europe"s innovation dream into a working reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindemans, Peter

2008-08-01

Opened in 1865 after the American Civil War, the world renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) aimed to provide a flow of ideas from academic research to industry in response to increasing industrialization in the US. Since then, more than 71 Nobel laureates have passed through MIT's doors and it now has a budget of 2.2bn per year that is spent on teaching, knowledge creation and technological innovation. Given its success, it is no wonder then that Europe has plans to replicate the MIT model and create a similar European institute of its own.

New insight into enhanced superconductivity in metals near the metal-insulator transition.

PubMed

Osofsky, M S; Soulen, R J; Claassen, J H; Trotter, G; Kim, H; Horwitz, J S

2001-11-05

We have studied the transport properties of disordered WSi films near the metal/insulator transition (MIT) and we have also reviewed the data for several other disordered materials near their MIT. In all cases, we found the presence of enhanced superconductivity. We constructed a superconductivity "phase diagram" (i.e., T(c) versus sigma) for each system, which reveals a striking correlation: In all cases, T(c) values are significantly enhanced only for samples whose conductivities lie within a narrow range on the metallic side of, and moderately near, the MIT. We present a heuristic model to explain this phenomenon.

MIT Space Engineering Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawley, Edward F.; Miller, David W.

1990-01-01

The Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) at MIT, started in Jul. 1988, has completed two years of research. The Center is approaching the operational phase of its first testbed, is midway through the construction of a second testbed, and is in the design phase of a third. We presently have seven participating faculty, four participating staff members, ten graduate students, and numerous undergraduates. This report reviews the testbed programs, individual graduate research, other SERC activities not funded by the Center, interaction with non-MIT organizations, and SERC milestones. Published papers made possible by SERC funding are included at the end of the report.

Prediction of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux for the Double Chooz Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Chirstopher LaDon

This thesis benchmarks the deterministic lattice code, DRAGON, against data, and then applies this code to make a prediction for the antineutrino flux from the Chooz Bl and B2 reactors. Data from the destructive assay of rods from the Takahama-3 reactor and from the SONGS antineutrino detector are used for comparisons. The resulting prediction from the tuned DRAGON code is then compared to the first antineutrino event spectra from Double Chooz. Use of this simulation in nuclear nonproliferation studies is discussed. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs@mit.edu)

Training the next generation of research mentors: the University of California, San Francisco, Clinical & Translational Science Institute Mentor Development Program.

PubMed

Feldman, Mitchell D; Huang, Laurence; Guglielmo, B Joseph; Jordan, Richard; Kahn, James; Creasman, Jennifer M; Wiener-Kronish, Jeanine P; Lee, Kathryn A; Tehrani, Ariane; Yaffe, Kristine; Brown, Jeanette S

2009-06-01

Mentoring is a critical component of career development and success for clinical translational science research faculty. Yet few programs train faculty in mentoring skills. We describe outcomes from the first two faculty cohorts who completed a Mentor Development Program (MDP) at UCSF. Eligibility includes having dedicated research time, expertise in a scientific area and a desire to be a lead research mentor. A post-MDP survey measured the program's impact on enhancement of five key mentoring skills, change in the Mentors-in-Training (MIT) self-rated importance of being a mentor to their career satisfaction, and overall confidence in their mentoring skills. Since 2007, 29 MITs participated in and 26 completed the MDP. Only 15% of the MITs reported any previous mentor training. Overall, 96% of MITs felt that participation in the MDP helped them to become better mentors. A majority reported a significant increase in confidence in mentoring skills and most reported an increased understanding of important mentoring issues at UCSF. MITs reported increased confidence in overall and specific mentoring skills after completion of the MDP. The MDP can serve as a model for other institutions to develop the next generation of clinical-translational research mentors.

TAF-4 is required for the life extension of isp-1, clk-1 and tpk-1 Mit mutants.

PubMed

Khan, Maruf H; Ligon, Melissa; Hussey, Lauren R; Hufnal, Bryce; Farber, Robert; Munkácsy, Erin; Rodriguez, Amanda; Dillow, Andy; Kahlig, Erynn; Rea, Shane L

2013-10-01

While numerous life-extending manipulations have been discovered in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, one that remains most enigmatic is disruption of oxidative phosphorylation. In order to unravel how such an ostensibly deleterious manipulation can extend lifespan, we sought to identify the ensemble of nuclear transcription factors that are activated in response to defective mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function. Using a feeding RNAi approach, we targeted over 400 transcription factors and identified 15 that, when reduced in function, reproducibly and differentially altered the development, stress response, and/or fecundity of isp-1(qm150) Mit mutants relative to wild-type animals. Seven of these transcription factors--AHA-1, CEH-18, HIF-1, JUN-1, NHR-27, NHR-49 and the CREB homolog-1 (CRH-1)-interacting protein TAF-4--were also essential for isp-1 life extension. When we tested the involvement of these seven transcription factors in the life extension of two other Mit mutants, namely clk-1(qm30) and tpk-1(qm162), TAF-4 and HIF-1 were consistently required. Our findings suggest that the Mit phenotype is under the control of multiple transcriptional responses, and that TAF-4 and HIF-1 may be part of a general signaling axis that specifies Mit mutant life extension.

Ignition behavior of magnesium powder layers on a plate heated at constant temperature.

PubMed

Chunmiao, Yuan; Dezheng, Huang; Chang, Li; Gang, Li

2013-02-15

The minimum temperature at which dust layers or deposits ignite is considered to be very important in industries where smoldering fires could occur. Experiments were conducted on the self-ignition behavior of magnesium powder layers. The estimated effective thermal conductivity k for modeling is 0.17 W m(-1)K(-1). The minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of magnesium powder layers for four different particle sizes: 6, 47, 104 and 173 μm, are also determined in these experiments. A model was developed describing temperature distribution and its change over time while considering the melting and boiling of magnesium powder. Parameter analysis shown that increasing particle size from 6 to 173 μm increased MIT from 710 to 760 K, and increased thickness of the dust layer led to a decreased MIT. The calculation termination time more than 5000 s didn't significantly impact MIT. Comparing predicted and experimental data showed satisfactory agreement for MIT of magnesium powder layers at various particle sizes. According to the ignition process of magnesium powder layer, a meaningful definition for the most sensitive ignition position (MSIP) was proposed and should be taken into consideration when preventing smoldering fires induced by hot plates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metal-insulator transition characteristics of VO2 thin films grown on Ge(100) single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Z.; Ko, C.; Ramanathan, S.

2010-10-01

Phase transitions exhibited by correlated oxides could be of potential relevance to the emerging field of oxide electronics. We report on the synthesis of high-quality VO2 thin films grown on single crystal Ge(100) substrates by physical vapor deposition and their metal-insulator transition (MIT) properties. Thermally triggered MIT is demonstrated with nearly three orders of magnitude resistance change across the MIT with transition temperatures of 67 °C (heating) and 61 °C (cooling). Voltage-triggered hysteretic MIT is observed at room temperature at threshold voltage of ˜2.1 V for ˜100 nm thickness VO2 films. Activation energies for electron transport in the insulating and conducting states are obtained from variable temperature resistance measurements. We further compare the properties of VO2 thin films grown under identical conditions on Si(100) single crystals. The VO2 thin films grown on Ge substrate show higher degree of crystallinity, slightly reduced compressive strain, larger resistance change across MIT compared to those grown on Si. Depth-dependent x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed to provide information on compositional variation trends in the two cases. These results suggest Ge could be a suitable substrate for further explorations of switching phenomena and devices for thin film functional oxides.

Metallization of vanadium dioxide driven by large phonon entropy

DOE PAGES

Budai, John D.; Hong, Jiawang; Manley, Michael E.; ...

2014-11-10

Phase competition underlies many remarkable and technologically important phenomena in transition-metal oxides. Vanadium dioxide exhibits a first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature, where conductivity is suppressed and the lattice changes from tetragonal to monoclinic on cooling. Ongoing attempts to explain this coupled structural and electronic transition begin with two classic starting points: a Peierls MIT driven by instabilities in electron-lattice dynamics versus a Mott MIT where strong electron-electron correlations drive charge localization1-10. A key-missing piece of the VO2 puzzle is the role of lattice vibrations. Moreover, a comprehensive thermodynamic treatment must integrate both entropic and energetic aspects of themore » transition. Our measurements establish that the entropy driving the MIT is dominated by strongly anharmonic phonons rather than electronic contributions, and provide a direct determination of phonon dispersions. Our calculations identify softer bonding as the origin of the large vibrational entropy stabilizing the metallic rutile phase. They further reveal how a balance between higher entropy in the metal and orbital-driven lower energy in the insulator fully describes the thermodynamic forces controlling the MIT. This study illustrates the critical role of anharmonic lattice dynamics in metal-oxide phase competition, and provides guidance for the predictive design of new materials.« less

An investigation of improved airbag performance by vent control and gas injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Calvin; Rosato, Nick; Lai, Francis

Airbags are currently being investigated as an impact energy absorber for U.S. Army airdrop. Simple airbags with constant vent areas have been found to be unsatisfactory in yielding high G forces. In this paper, a method of controlling the vent area and a method of injecting gas into the airbag during its compression stroke to improve airbag performance are presented. Theoretical analysis of complex airbags using these two methods show that they provide lower G forces than simple airbags. Vertical drop tests of a vent-control airbag confirm this result. Gas-injection airbags are currently being tested.

A model-based analysis of a display for helicopter landing approach. [control theoretical model of human pilot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, R. A.; Wheat, L. W.

1975-01-01

A control theoretic model of the human pilot was used to analyze a baseline electronic cockpit display in a helicopter landing approach task. The head down display was created on a stroke written cathode ray tube and the vehicle was a UH-1H helicopter. The landing approach task consisted of maintaining prescribed groundspeed and glideslope in the presence of random vertical and horizontal turbulence. The pilot model was also used to generate and evaluate display quickening laws designed to improve pilot vehicle performance. A simple fixed base simulation provided comparative tracking data.

Fundamental Physics

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-09

This image depicts the formation of multiple whirlpools in a sodium gas cloud. Scientists who cooled the cloud and made it spin created the whirlpools in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory, as part of NASA-funded research. This process is similar to a phenomenon called starquakes that appear as glitches in the rotation of pulsars in space. MIT's Wolgang Ketterle and his colleagues, who conducted the research under a grant from the Biological and Physical Research Program through NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., cooled the sodium gas to less than one millionth of a degree above absolute zero (-273 Celsius or -460 Fahrenheit). At such extreme cold, the gas cloud converts to a peculiar form of matter called Bose-Einstein condensate, as predicted by Albert Einstein and Satyendra Bose of India in 1927. No physical container can hold such ultra-cold matter, so Ketterle's team used magnets to keep the cloud in place. They then used a laser beam to make the gas cloud spin, a process Ketterle compares to stroking a ping-pong ball with a feather until it starts spirning. The spinning sodium gas cloud, whose volume was one- millionth of a cubic centimeter, much smaller than a raindrop, developed a regular pattern of more than 100 whirlpools.

TESS SpaceX Fairing Halves Lift to Vertical; Payload Encapsulation

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-04-08

Technicians prepare NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) for encapsulation in the SpaceX payload fairing inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 16. The satellite is the next step in NASA's search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Dr. George Ricker of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission. Additional partners include Orbital ATK, NASA’s Ames Research Center, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Space Telescope Science Institute. More than a dozen universities, research institutes and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission. NASA’s Launch Services Program is responsible for launch management.

Zeitlicher Verlauf der avaskulären Nekrose des Hüftkopfes bei Patienten mit Pemphigus vulgaris.

PubMed

Balighi, Kamran; Daneshpazhooh, Maryam; Aghazadeh, Nessa; Saeidi, Vahide; Shahpouri, Farzam; Hejazi, Pardis; Chams-Davatchi, Cheyda

2016-10-01

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) wird in der Regel mit systemischen Corticosteroiden und Immunsuppressiva behandelt. Avaskuläre Nekrose (AVN) des Hüftkopfes ist eine gut bekannte schwerere Komplikation einer Corticosteroid-Therapie. Die Charakteristika dieser schweren Komplikation bei PV sind nach wie vor unbekannt. Nicht kontrollierte, retrospektive Untersuchung aller PV-bedingten AVN-Fälle, die in einer iranischen Klinik für bullöse Autoimmunerkrankungen zwischen 1985 und 2013 diagnostiziert wurden. Anhand der Krankenakten von 2321 untersuchten PV-Patienten wurden 45 Fälle (1,93 %) von femoraler AVN identifiziert. Dreißig davon waren Männer. Das mittlere Alter bei der Diagnose der AVN betrug 47,4 ± 14,2 Jahre. Der mittlere Zeitraum zwischen der Diagnose des PV und dem Einsetzen der AVN lag bei 25,3 ± 18,3 Monaten. Mit Ausnahme von acht Fällen (17,8 %) setzte die AVN bei der Mehrheit der Patienten innerhalb von drei Jahren nach Diagnose des PV ein. Die mittlere kumulative Dosis von Prednisolon bei Patienten mit AVN betrug 13.115,8 ± 7041,1 mg. Zwischen der Prednisolon-Gesamtdosis und dem Zeitraum bis zum Einsetzen der AVN bestand eine starke Korrelation (p = 0,001). Bei Patienten mit Alendronateinnahme in der Vorgeschichte war dieser Zeitraum signifikant kürzer (p = 0,01). Die AVN ist eine schwere Komplikation einer Corticosteroid-Behandlung bei Patienten mit PV. Sie wird bei 2 % der Patienten beobachtet und tritt vor allem in den ersten drei Behandlungsjahren auf. Bei Patienten, die höhere Dosen von Prednisolon erhalten, setzt die AVN tendenziell früher ein. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) or lycopene supplementation attenuates ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction through different mechanistic pathways.

PubMed

Pereira, Bruna L B; Reis, Patrícia P; Severino, Fábio E; Felix, Tainara F; Braz, Mariana G; Nogueira, Flávia R; Silva, Renata A C; Cardoso, Ana C; Lourenço, Maria A M; Figueiredo, Amanda M; Chiuso-Minicucci, Fernanda; Azevedo, Paula S; Polegato, Bertha F; Okoshi, Katashi; Fernandes, Ana A H; Paiva, Sergio A R; Zornoff, Leonardo A M; Minicucci, Marcos F

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of tomato or lycopene supplementation on cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). Male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups: the sham group (animals that underwent simulated surgery) that received a standard chow (S; n=18), the infarcted group that received a standard chow (MI; n=13), the infarcted group supplemented with lycopene (1 mg of lycopene/kg body weight/day) (MIL; n=16) and the infarcted group supplemented with tomato (MIT; n=16). After 3 months, morphological, functional and biochemical analyses were performed. The groups MIL and MIT showed decreased interstitial fibrosis induced by infarction. Tomato supplementation attenuated the hypertrophy induced by MI. In addition, tomato and lycopene improved diastolic dysfunction evaluated by echocardiographic and isolated heart studies, respectively. The MI group showed higher levels of cardiac TNF-α compared to the MIL and MIT groups. Decreased nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 was measured in the MIL group. Lipid hydroperoxide levels were higher in the infarcted groups; however, the MIT group had a lower concentration than did the MI group [S=223±20.8, MI=298±19.5, MIL=277±26.6, MIT=261±28.8 (nmol/g); n=8; P<.001]. We also examined left ventricle miRNA expression; when compared to the S group, the MIL group uniquely down-regulated the expression of eight miRNAs. No miRNA was found to be up-regulated uniquely in the MIT and MIL groups. In conclusion, tomato or lycopene supplementation attenuated the cardiac remodeling process and improved diastolic function after MI. However, the effect of lycopene and tomato supplementation occurred through different mechanistic pathways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sharpness and intensity modulation of the metal-insulator transition in ultrathin VO2 films by interfacial structure manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGee, Ryan; Goswami, Ankur; Pal, Soupitak; Schofield, Kalvin; Bukhari, Syed Asad Manzoor; Thundat, Thomas

2018-03-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) undergoes a structural transformation from monoclinic (insulator) to tetragonal (metallic) upon heating above 340 K, accompanied by abrupt changes to its electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. Not only is this transition scientifically intriguing, but there are also numerous applications in sensing, memory, and optoelectronics. Here we investigate the effect different substrates and the processing conditions have on the characteristics metal-insulator transition (MIT), and how the properties can be tuned for specific applications. VO2 thin films were grown on c -plane sapphire (0001) and p-type silicon <100 > by pulsed laser deposition. High-resolution x-ray diffraction along with transmission electron microscopy reveals textured epitaxial growth on sapphire by domain-matching epitaxy, while the presence of a native oxide layer on silicon prevented any preferential growth resulting in a polycrystalline film. An orientation relationship of <001 > (010)VO2||<11 ¯00 > (0001)Al 2O3 was established for VO2 grown on sapphire, while no such relationship was found for VO2 grown on silicon. Surface-energy minimization is the driving force behind grain growth, as the lowest energy VO2 plane grew on silicon, while on sapphire the desire for epitaxial growth was dominant. Polycrystallinity of films grown on silicon caused a weaker and less prominent MIT than observed on sapphire, whose MIT was higher in magnitude and steeper in slope. The position of the MIT was shown to depend on the competing effects of misfit strain and grain growth. Higher deposition temperatures caused an increase in the MIT, while compressive strain resulted in a decreased MIT.

Footstep Planning on Uneven Terrain with Mixed-Integer Convex Optimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Computer Science and Artificial Intellegence Laboratory,Cambridge,MA,02139...the MIT Energy Initiative, MIT CSAIL, and the DARPA Robotics Challenge. 1Robin Deits is with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

Evaluation of the MIT-Scan-T2 for non-destructive PCC pavement thickness determination.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-07-01

The MIT-Scan-T2 device is marketed as a non-destructive way to determine pavement thickness on both : HMA and PCC pavements. PCC pavement thickness determination is an important incentivedisincentive : measurement for the Iowa DOT and contractors. Th...

Embryonic expression of zebrafish MiT family genes tfe3b, tfeb, and tfec.

PubMed

Lister, James A; Lane, Brandon M; Nguyen, Anhthu; Lunney, Katherine

2011-11-01

The MiT family comprises four genes in mammals: Mitf, Tfe3, Tfeb, and Tfec, which encode transcription factors of the basic-helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper class. Mitf is well-known for its essential role in the development of melanocytes, however the functions of the other members of this family, and of interactions between them, are less well understood. We have now characterized the complete set of MiT genes from zebrafish, which totals six instead of four. The zebrafish genome contain two mitf (mitfa and mitfb), two tfe3 (tfe3a and tfe3b), and single tfeb and tfec genes; this distribution is shared with other teleosts. We present here the sequence and embryonic expression patterns for the zebrafish tfe3b, tfeb, and tfec genes, and identify a new isoform of tfe3a. These findings will assist in elucidating the roles of the MiT gene family over the course of vertebrate evolution. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Magnetisches Tracking für die Navigation mit dem da Vinci® Surgical System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickel, Felix; Wegner, Ingmar; Kenngott, Hannes; Neuhaus, Jochen; Müller-Stich, Beat P.; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Gutt, Carsten N.

In dieser Studie wurde untersucht ob in einem typischen OP-Aufbau mit dem da Vinci® Telemanipulator elektromagnetisches Tracking für die Realisation eines Navigationssystems eingesetzt werden kann. Hierfür wurde in einem realen OP-Aufbau untersucht, wie stark metallische und ferromagnetisch wirksame Objekte wie Operationstisch und Telemanipulator das elektromagnetische Feld des Trackingsystems beeinflussen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Telemanipulator nur unwesentlich die Störung des Magnetfeldes durch den OP-Tisch verstärkt. Insbesondere die Bewegung der Instrumente im Trackingvolumen verursachte keine zusätzliche relevante Störung des Magnetfeldes. Bei Begrenzung des Trackingvolumens auf eine Länge von 190 mm, Höhe von 200mm und Breite von 400 mm war der maximale Fehler in diesem Bereich an allen Messpunkten kleiner 10 mm. Der Einsatz von elektromagnetischem Tracking für die Navigation mit dem da Vinci® Surgical System ist somit in einem begrenzten Arbeitsvolumen mit hinreichender Genauigkeit möglich.

DC current induced metal-insulator transition in epitaxial Sm{sub 0.6}Nd{sub 0.4}NiO{sub 3}/LaAlO{sub 3} thin film

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

Huang, Haoliang; CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026; Luo, Zhenlin, E-mail: zlluo@ustc.edu.cn

2014-05-15

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in strong correlated electron materials can be induced by external perturbation in forms of thermal, electrical, optical, or magnetic fields. We report on the DC current induced MIT in epitaxial Sm{sub 0.6}Nd{sub 0.4}NiO{sub 3} (SNNO) thin film deposited by pulsed laser deposition on (001)-LaAlO{sub 3} substrate. It was found that the MIT in SNNO film not only can be triggered by thermal, but also can be induced by DC current. The T{sub MI} of SNNO film decreases from 282 K to 200 K with the DC current density increasing from 0.003 × 10{sup 9} A•m{sup −2}more » to 4.9 × 10{sup 9} A•m{sup −2}. Based on the resistivity curves measured at different temperatures, the MIT phase diagram has been successfully constructed.« less

A METABOLIC SIGNATURE FOR LONG-LIFE IN THE C. ELEGANS MIT MUTANTS

PubMed Central

Butler, Jeffrey A.; Mishur, Robert J.; Bhaskaran, Shylesh; Rea, Shane L.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Mit mutations that disrupt function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain can, inexplicably, prolong Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan. In this study we use a metabolomics approach to identify an ensemble of mitochondrial-derived α-ketoacids and α-hydroxyacids that are produced by long-lived Mit mutants but not by other long-lived mutants or by short-lived mitochondrial mutants. We show that accumulation of these compounds is dependent upon concerted inhibition of three α-ketoacid dehydrogenases that share dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) as a common subunit, a protein previously linked in humans with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. When the expression of DLD in wild type animals was reduced using RNA interference we observed an unprecedented effect on lifespan - as RNAi dosage was increased lifespan was significantly shortened but, at higher doses, it was significantly lengthened, suggesting DLD plays a unique role in modulating length of life. Our findings provide novel insight into the origin of the Mit phenotype. PMID:23173729

Nanoscale Engineering in VO2 Nanowires via Direct Electron Writing Process.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhenhua; Guo, Hua; Ding, Wenqiang; Zhang, Bin; Lu, Yue; Ke, Xiaoxing; Liu, Weiwei; Chen, Furong; Sui, Manling

2017-02-08

Controlling phase transition in functional materials at nanoscale is not only of broad scientific interest but also important for practical applications in the fields of renewable energy, information storage, transducer, sensor, and so forth. As a model functional material, vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) has its metal-insulator transition (MIT) usually at a sharp temperature around 68 °C. Here, we report a focused electron beam can directly lower down the transition temperature of a nanoarea to room temperature without prepatterning the VO 2 . This novel process is called radiolysis-assisted MIT (R-MIT). The electron beam irradiation fabricates a unique gradual MIT zone to several times of the beam size in which the temperature-dependent phase transition is achieved in an extended temperature range. The gradual transformation zone offers to precisely control the ratio of metal/insulator phases. This direct electron writing technique can open up an opportunity to precisely engineer nanodomains of diversified electronic properties in functional material-based devices.

A molded surface-micromachining and bulk etching release (MOSBE) fabrication platform on (1 1 1) Si for MOEMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Mingching; Fang, Weileun

2006-02-01

This work attempts to integrate poly-Si thin film and single-crystal-silicon (SCS) structures in a monolithic process. The process integrated multi-depth DRIE (deep reactive ion etching), trench-refilled molding, a two poly-Si MUMPs process and (1 1 1) Si bulk micromachining to accomplish multi-thickness and multi-depth structures for superior micro-optical devices. In application, a SCS scanning mirror driven by self-aligned vertical comb-drive actuators was demonstrated. The stiffness of the mirror was significantly increased by thick SCS structures. The thin poly-Si film served as flexible torsional springs and electrical routings. The depth difference of the vertical comb electrodes was tuned by DRIE to increase the devices' stroke. Finally, a large moving space was available after the bulk Si etching. In summary, the present fabrication process, named (1 1 1) MOSBE (molded surface-micromachining and bulk etching release on (1 1 1) Si substrate), can further integrate with the MUMPs devices to establish a more powerful platform.

MPD work at MIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez-Sanchez, Manuel

1991-01-01

MPD work at MIT is presented in the form of the view-graphs. The following subject areas are covered: the MIT program, its goals, achievements, and roadblocks; quasi one-dimensional modeling; two-dimensional modeling - transport effects and Hall effect; microscopic instabilities in MPD flows and modified two stream instability; electrothermal stability theory; separation of onset and anode depletion; exit plane spectroscopic measurements; phenomena of onset as performance limiter; explanations of onset; geometry effects on onset; onset at full ionization and its consequences; relationship to anode depletion; summary on self-field MPD; applied field MPD - the logical growth path; the case for AF; the challenges of AF MPD; and recommendations.

Der Einfluss der Digitalisierung auf die Organisation eines Unternehmens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Wolfram M.

Die Digitalisierung schreitet mit großen Schritten voran. Dies wirkt sich nicht nur auf die Gesellschaft im Grundsatz, sondern auch auf das Verhalten der Kunden aus. Neue Kommunikationswege beschleunigen die Interaktion zwischen Unternehmen und Verbraucher. Im Vergleich mit großen Internetfirmen werden etablierte Dienstleistungsunternehmen - vom Energieversorger bis zu Versicherungen - stark unter Druck gesetzt, sich noch intensiver mit dem Kundenservice auseinanderzusetzen. Dies wird nur möglich sein, wenn sich die Organisationen entsprechend positionieren und sich frühzeitig auf die Veränderungen einstellen. Hieraus ergeben sich mehr Chancen als Risiken, zumal es nicht nur neue Prozesse, sondern auch neue Berufsbilder geben wird.

In-Plane Impedance Spectroscopy measurements in Vanadium Dioxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, Juan; Patino, Edgar; Schmidt, Rainer; Sharoni, Amos; Gomez, Maria; Schuller, Ivan

2012-02-01

In plane Impedance Spectroscopy measurements have been done in Vanadium Dioxide thin films in the range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Our measurements allows distinguishing between the resistive and capacitive response of the Vanadium Dioxide films across the metal-insulator transition. A non ideal RC behavior was found in our thin films from room temperature up to 334 K. Around the MIT, an increase of the total capacitance is observed. A capacitor-network model is able to reproduce the capacitance changes across the MIT. Above the MIT, the system behaves like a metal as expected, and a modified equivalent circuit is necessary to describe the impedance data adequately.

Microfabricated X-Ray Optics Technology Development for the Constellation-X Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schattenburg, Mark L.

2003-01-01

During the period of this Cooperative Agreement, MIT developed advanced methods for applying silicon micro-stuctures for the precision assembly of foil x-ray optics in support of the Constellution-X Spectroscopy X-ray Telescope (SXT) development effort at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). MIT developed improved methods for fabricating and characterizing the precision silicon micro-combs. MIT also developed and characterized assembly tools and several types of metrology tools in order to characterize and reduce the errors associated with precision assembly of foil optics. Results of this effort were published and presented to the scientific community and the GSFC SXT team.

Studies on Three-Dimensional Slamming on Slender Ships

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-10

Objectives This study is a joint effort among MIT, Seoul National University (SNU), and Korean Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering ( KRISO ...model and laboratory experiments were carried out by SNU/ KRISO . The key responsibility of MIT is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Annual Report 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

A small-scale demonstration FPGA is currently being fabricated in the Microelectronics Laboratory, and a larger array is being designed for fabri ...year, the first Friday of February is a day to call attention to heart disease . Efforts of the six-member team, MIT Lincoln Laboratory for the Heart

Neural Networks Applied to Signal Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

Distributed Processing, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1988. 3. Marvin Minsky and Seymour Papert, Perceptrons, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1969. 4...signum function, the linear function, and the sigmoid function. Initial research conducted in the 1950’s and 1960’s by Rosenblat, Minsky and others used

Unusual terahertz spectral weight and conductivity dynamics of the insulator-metal transition in Pr0.5Nd0.5NiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhosh Kumar, K.; Das, Sarmistha; Eswara Phanindra, V.; Rana, D. S.

2017-12-01

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in correlated systems is a central phenomenon that possesses potential for several emerging technologies. We investigate the kinetics of such MIT in perovskite nickelates by studying the terahertz (THz) low-energy charge dynamics in orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetries of Pr0.5Nd0.5NiO3 thin films. The THz conductivity of the orthorhombic thin film is dominated by Drude behavior in the entire temperature range, albeit a dominant anomaly at and around the MIT region. The tetragonal thin film exhibits different overall THz conductivity dynamics though, i.e. of a Drude-Smith (DS) type in the entire temperature range, the DS coefficient signifying dominant backscattering peaks in the MIT region. While the overall THz dynamics profile is different for the two films, a unique yet similar sensitivity of the I-M transition regions of both films to THz frequencies underlines the fundamental origin of the bi-critical phase around MIT of the nickelates. The peculiar behavior around the I-M transition, as evaluated in the framework of a percolative path approximation based Dyre expression, emphasizes the importance of critical metallic volume fraction (f c) for the percolation conduction, as an f c of ~0.645 obtained for the present case, along with evidence for the absence of super-heating.

Comparison of a modified shell vial culture procedure with conventional mouse inoculation for rabies virus isolation.

PubMed

Ribas Antúnez, María de los Angeles; Girón, Blanca; Monsalvez, Iraima; Morier, Luis; Acosta, Gretel; Tejero, Yahisel; Cordero, Yanislet; Piedra, Dainelyd

2013-04-01

Rabies is a neurotropic disease that is often lethal. The early diagnosis of rabies infection is important and requires methods that allow for the isolation of the virus from animals and humans. The present study compared a modified shell vial (MSV) procedure using 24-well tissue culture plates with the mouse inoculation test (MIT), which is considered the gold standard for rabies virus isolation. Thirty brain samples (25 positive and 5 negative by the fluorescent antibody test) obtained from different animal species at the National Institute of Hygiene Rafael Rangel in Caracas, Venezuela, were studied by the MIT and MSV assays. Nine samples (36%) were positive at 24 h, 10 (40%) were positive at 48 h and six (24%) were positive at 72 h by the MSV assay. With the MIT assay, 76% were positive at six days post inoculation and 12% were positive at 12 and 18 days post inoculation. One sample that was negative according to the MSV assay was positive with MIT on the 12th day. The MSV procedure exhibited a sensitivity of 96.2%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value 80%. This procedure allowed for rapid rabies virus detection. MIT can be employed as an alternative method in laboratories without tissue culture facilities.

Erhöhtes Lungenkrebs-Risiko bei Ekzempatienten: eine landesweite Kohortenstudie in Taiwan.

PubMed

Juan, Chao-Kuei; Shen, Jui-Lung; Lin, Cheng-Li; Kim, Karen Wang; Chen, Wen-Chi

2016-09-01

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Lungenkrebs und Ekzemen bleibt umstritten. Frühere Studien haben zu widersprüchlichen Ergebnissen geführt. Diese retrospektive populationsbasierte Kohortenstudie zielt darauf ab, das Risiko von Lungenkrebs im Zusammenhang mit Ekzemen abzuklären. In der Forschungsdatenbank der taiwanesischen nationalen Krankenversicherung identifizierten wir 43719 Patienten, bei denen in den Jahren 2000 bis 2010 ein Ekzem neu diagnostiziert wurde. Die Vergleichskohorte bildeten 87438 zufällig ausgewählte, altersangepasste Patienten ohne Ekzem. Die Fälle aus diesen beiden Kohorten wurden bis 2011 verfolgt. Zur Kalkulation des Lungenkrebsrisikos bei Ekzempatienten wurde die Cox-Regression verwendet. Die Datenbank enthielt keine Informationen über Raucherstatus, Alkoholkonsum, sozioökonomischen Status oder Familienanamnese. Nach der Bereinigung um Alter und Komorbidität hatte die Population mit Ekzemen ein um 2,80 erhöhtes Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs gegenüber der Vergleichskohorte (bereinigte Hazard-Ratio 2,80, 95 % Konfidenzinterval 2,59-3,03). Ekzempatienten mit Begleiterkrankungen, darunter Asthma, chronisch obstruktive Lungenerkrankungen, alkoholbedingten Leberschäden oder Diabetes, hatten ein höheres Lungenkrebsrisiko als Patienten ohne Ekzeme oder Komorbidität. Ekzeme gehen mit einem höheren Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs einher. Weitere Studien mit umfassenderen Informationen über weitere potentielle Einflussfaktoren sind sinnvoll. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of high intensity interval versus moderate continuous training on markers of ventilatory and cardiac efficiency in coronary heart disease patients.

PubMed

Cardozo, Gustavo G; Oliveira, Ricardo B; Farinatti, Paulo T V

2015-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that high intensity interval training (HIIT) would be more effective than moderate intensity continuous training (MIT) to improve newly emerged markers of cardiorespiratory fitness in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, as the relationship between ventilation and carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2 slope), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), and oxygen pulse (O2P). Seventy-one patients with optimized treatment were randomly assigned into HIIT (n = 23, age = 56 ± 12 years), MIT (n = 24, age = 62 ± 12 years), or nonexercise control group (CG) (n = 24, age = 64 ± 12 years). MIT performed 30 min of continuous aerobic exercise at 70-75% of maximal heart rate (HRmax), and HIIT performed 30 min sessions split in 2 min alternate bouts at 60%/90% HRmax (3 times/week for 16 weeks). No differences among groups (before versus after) were found for VE/VCO2 slope or OUES (P > 0.05). After training the O2P slope increased in HIIT (22%, P < 0.05) but not in MIT (2%, P > 0.05), while decreased in CG (-20%, P < 0.05) becoming lower versus HIIT (P = 0.03). HIIT was more effective than MIT for improving O2P slope in CHD patients, while VE/VCO2 slope and OUES were similarly improved by aerobic training regimens versus controls.

Metal-Insulator Transition in Nanoparticle Solids: Insights from Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations

DOE PAGES

Qu, Luman; Vörös, Márton; Zimanyi, Gergely T.

2017-08-01

Progress has been rapid in increasing the efficiency of energy conversion in nanoparticles. However, extraction of the photo-generated charge carriers remains challenging. Encouragingly, the charge mobility has been improved recently by driving nanoparticle (NP) films across the metal-insulator transition (MIT). To simulate MIT in NP films, we developed a hierarchical Kinetic Monte Carlo transport model. Electrons transfer between neighboring NPs via activated hopping when the NP energies differ by more than an overlap energy, but transfer by a non-activated quantum delocalization, if the NP energies are closer than the overlap energy. As the overlap energy increases, emerging percolating clusters supportmore » a metallic transport across the entire film. We simulated the evolution of the temperature-dependent electron mobility. We analyzed our data in terms of two candidate models of the MIT: (a) as a Quantum Critical Transition, signaled by an effective gap going to zero; and (b) as a Quantum Percolation Transition, where a sample-spanning metallic percolation path is formed as the fraction of the hopping bonds in the transport paths is going to zero. We found that the Quantum Percolation Transition theory provides a better description of the MIT. We also observed an anomalously low gap region next to the MIT. We discuss the relevance of our results in the light of recent experimental measurements.« less

Growth temperature-dependent metal–insulator transition of vanadium dioxide epitaxial films on perovskite strontium titanate (111) single crystals

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

Wang, Liangxin; Zhao, Jiangtao; Hong, Bin

2016-04-14

Vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) epitaxial films were grown on perovskite single-crystal strontium titanate (SrTiO{sub 3}) substrates by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The growth temperature-dependent metal–insulator transition (MIT) behavior of the VO{sub 2} epitaxial films was then investigated. We found that the order of magnitude of resistance change across the MIT increased from 10{sup 2} to 10{sup 4} with increasing growth temperature. In contrast, the temperature of the MIT does not strongly depend on the growth temperature and is fairly stable at about 345 K. On one hand, the increasing magnitude of the MIT is attributed to the better crystallinity and thusmore » larger grain size in the (010)-VO{sub 2}/(111)-SrTiO{sub 3} epitaxial films at elevated temperature. On the other hand, the strain states do not change in the VO{sub 2} films deposited at various temperatures, resulting in stable V-V chains and V-O bonds in the VO{sub 2} epitaxial films. The accompanied orbital occupancy near the Fermi level is also constant and thus the MIT temperatures of VO{sub 2} films deposited at various temperatures are nearly the same. This work demonstrates that high-quality VO{sub 2} can be grown on perovskite substrates, showing potential for integration into oxide heterostructures and superlattices.« less

Metal-Insulator Transition in Nanoparticle Solids: Insights from Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations

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

Qu, Luman; Vörös, Márton; Zimanyi, Gergely T.

Progress has been rapid in increasing the efficiency of energy conversion in nanoparticles. However, extraction of the photo-generated charge carriers remains challenging. Encouragingly, the charge mobility has been improved recently by driving nanoparticle (NP) films across the metal-insulator transition (MIT). To simulate MIT in NP films, we developed a hierarchical Kinetic Monte Carlo transport model. Electrons transfer between neighboring NPs via activated hopping when the NP energies differ by more than an overlap energy, but transfer by a non-activated quantum delocalization, if the NP energies are closer than the overlap energy. As the overlap energy increases, emerging percolating clusters supportmore » a metallic transport across the entire film. We simulated the evolution of the temperature-dependent electron mobility. We analyzed our data in terms of two candidate models of the MIT: (a) as a Quantum Critical Transition, signaled by an effective gap going to zero; and (b) as a Quantum Percolation Transition, where a sample-spanning metallic percolation path is formed as the fraction of the hopping bonds in the transport paths is going to zero. We found that the Quantum Percolation Transition theory provides a better description of the MIT. We also observed an anomalously low gap region next to the MIT. We discuss the relevance of our results in the light of recent experimental measurements.« less

TAF-4 is required for the life extension of isp-1, clk-1 and tpk-1 Mit mutants

PubMed Central

Hufnal, Bryce; Farber, Robert; Munkácsy, Erin; Rodriguez, Amanda; Dillow, Andy; Kahlig, Erynn; Rea, Shane L.

2013-01-01

While numerous life-extending manipulations have been discovered in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, one that remains most enigmatic is disruption of oxidative phosphorylation. In order to unravel how such an ostensibly deleterious manipulation can extend lifespan, we sought to identify the ensemble of nuclear transcription factors that are activated in response to defective mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function. Using a feeding RNAi approach, we targeted over 400 transcription factors and identified 15 that, when reduced in function, reproducibly and differentially altered the development, stress response, and/or fecundity of isp-1(qm150) Mit mutants relative to wild-type animals. Seven of these transcription factors – AHA-1, CEH-18, HIF-1, JUN-1, NHR-27, NHR-49 and the CREB homolog-1 (CRH-1)-interacting protein TAF-4 – were also essential for isp-1 life extension. When we tested the involvement of these seven transcription factors in the life extension of two other Mit mutants, namely clk-1(qm30) and tpk-1(qm162), TAF-4 and HIF-1 were consistently required. Our findings suggest that the Mit phenotype is under the control of multiple transcriptional responses, and that TAF-4 and HIF-1 may be part of a general signaling axis that specifies Mit mutant life extension. PMID:24107417

An ischemic stroke patient with free floating thrombus in carotid artery, successfully treated by open carotid thrombectomy: a first case report in Nepal.

PubMed

Shrestha, Prabin; Adhikari, Rupendra; Tamrakar, Samantha; Pant, Basanta; Koirala, Bhagwan; Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Kurisu, Kaoru

2012-12-01

Free floating thrombus in the carotid artery is a well-known phenomenon, though relatively rare. We present a case in which we performed open surgery and achieved successful retrieval of the thrombus. A 40 year-old male patient presented with ischemic stroke and mild left hemiparesis. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed infarction in the right parieto-occipital area. Carotid Doppler study showed carotid stenosis on the right side. Further investigation with CT angiography of the neck vessels confirmed significant carotid artery occlusion with a free-floating thrombus in the internal carotid artery. Carotid endarterectomy was planned under EEG monitoring. The right carotid artery was exposed with a vertical incision along the medial margin of the sternocleido-mastoid muscle. The carotid artery was opened and, as expected, showed a soft, mobile thrombus. Thus thrombectomy was planned. A 2 Fr fogarty catheter was introduced distal to the thrombus, the balloon was inflated and pulled back gently, which removed the thrombus completely. There was no postoperative complication and the patient is fine at 1 year follow-up.

Coordination of multiple appendages in drag-based swimming.

PubMed

Alben, Silas; Spears, Kevin; Garth, Stephen; Murphy, David; Yen, Jeannette

2010-11-06

Krill are aquatic crustaceans that engage in long distance migrations, either vertically in the water column or horizontally for 10 km (over 200,000 body lengths) per day. Hence efficient locomotory performance is crucial for their survival. We study the swimming kinematics of krill using a combination of experiment and analysis. We quantify the propulsor kinematics for tethered and freely swimming krill in experiments, and find kinematics that are very nearly metachronal. We then formulate a drag coefficient model which compares metachronal, synchronous and intermediate motions for a freely swimming body with two legs. With fixed leg velocity amplitude, metachronal kinematics give the highest average body speed for both linear and quadratic drag laws. The same result holds for five legs with the quadratic drag law. When metachronal kinematics is perturbed towards synchronous kinematics, an analysis shows that the velocity increase on the power stroke is outweighed by the velocity decrease on the recovery stroke. With fixed time-averaged work done by the legs, metachronal kinematics again gives the highest average body speed, although the advantage over synchronous kinematics is reduced.

Dynamic analysis of an SDOF helicopter model featuring skid landing gear and an MR damper by considering the rotor lift factor and a Bingham number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Muftah; Sedaghati, Ramin; Bhat, Rama

2018-06-01

The present study addresses the performance of a skid landing gear (SLG) system of a rotorcraft impacting the ground at a vertical sink rate of up to 4.5 ms‑1. The impact attitude is assumed to be level as per chapter 527 of the Airworthiness Manual of Transport Canada Civil Aviation and part 27 of the Federal Aviation Regulations of the US Federal Aviation Administration. A single degree of freedom helicopter model is investigated under different values of rotor lift factor, L. In this study, three SLG versions are evaluated: (a) standalone conventional SLG; (b) SLG equipped with a passive viscous damper; and (c) SLG incorporated a magnetorheological energy absorber (MREA). The non-dimensional solutions of the helicopter models show that the two former SLG systems suffer adaptability issues with variations in the impact velocity and the rotor lift factor. Therefore, the alternative successful choice is to employ the MREA. Two different optimum Bingham numbers for compression and rebound strokes are defined. A new chart, called the optimum Bingham number versus rotor lift factor ‘B{i}o-L’, is introduced in this study to correlate the optimum Bingham numbers to the variation in the rotor lift factor and to provide more accessibility from the perspective of control design. The chart shows that the optimum Bingham number for the compression stroke is inversely linearly proportional to the increase in the rotor lift factor. This alleviates the impact force on the system and reduces the amount of magnetorheological yield force that would be generated. On the contrary, the optimum Bingham number for the rebound stroke is found to be directly linearly proportional to the rotor lift factor. This ensures controllable attenuation of the restoring force of the linear spring element. This idea can be exploited to generate charts for different landing attitudes and sink rates. In this article, the response of the helicopter equipped with the conventional undamped, damped, and MREA based SLG are numerically simulated using three sets of Bingham numbers. Namely, an underestimated, optimum, and overestimated Bingham number for every stroke. The simulation results depict that the only feasible solution is when the MREA generates the optimum damping force corresponding to the optimum Bingham numbers. Under this circumstance, the MREA utilizes the available energy absorption stroke to attain a soft landing. Furthermore, in the rebound stroke, the optimum damping force resettles the helicopter to its equilibrium position and prevents oscillations after the end of the rebound stroke.

Does a foot-drop implant improve kinetic and kinematic parameters in the foot and ankle?

PubMed

Daniilidis, Kiriakos; Jakubowitz, Eike; Thomann, Anna; Ettinger, Sarah; Stukenborg-Colsman, Christina; Yao, Daiwei

2017-04-01

Unlike the drop foot therapy with ortheses, the therapeutic effect of an implantable peroneus nerve stimulator (iPNS) is not well described. IPNS is a dynamic therapy option which is placed directly to the motoric part of the peroneal nerve and evokes a dorsiflexion of the paralysed foot. This retrospective study evaluates the kinematics and kinetics in drop foot patients who were treated with an iPNS. 18 subjects (mean age 51.3 years) with a chronic stroke-related drop foot were treated with an implantable peroneal nerve stimulator. After a mean follow-up from 12.5 months, kinematics and kinetics as well as spatiotemporal parameters were evaluated and compared in activated and deactivated iPNS. Therefore, a gait analysis with motion capture system (Vicon Motion System Ltd®, Oxford, UK) and Plug-in-Gait model was performed. The study showed significantly improved results in ankle dorsiflexion from 6.8° to 1.8° at the initial contact and from -7.3° to 0.9° during swing phase (p ≤ 0.004 and p ≤ 0.005, respectively). Likewise, we could measure improved kinetics, i.a. with a statistically significant improvement in vertical ground reaction force at loading response from 99.76 to 106.71 N/kg (p = 0.043). Enhanced spatiotemporal results in cadence, douple support, stride length, and walking speed could also be achieved, but without statistical significance (p > 0.05). The results show statistically significant improvement in ankle dorsiflexion and vertical ground reaction forces. These facts indicate a more gait stability and gait efficacy. Therefore, the use of an iPNS appears an encouraging therapeutic option for patients with a stroke-related drop foot.

Differences in kinematics and energy cost between front crawl and backstroke below the anaerobic threshold.

PubMed

Gonjo, Tomohiro; McCabe, Carla; Sousa, Ana; Ribeiro, João; Fernandes, Ricardo J; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Sanders, Ross

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine kinematic and energetic differences between front crawl and backstroke performed at the same aerobic speeds. Ten male competitive swimmers performed front crawl and backstroke at a pre-determined sub-anaerobic threshold speed to assess energy cost (through oxygen uptake measurement) and kinematics (using three-dimensional videography to determine stroke frequency and length, intra-cycle velocity fluctuation, three-dimensional wrist and ankle speeds, and vertical and lateral ankle range of motion). For detailed kinematic analysis, resultant displacement, the duration, and three-dimensional speed of the wrist during the entry, pull, push, and release phases were also investigated. There were no differences in stroke frequency/length and intra-cycle velocity fluctuation between the swimming techniques, however, swimmers had lower energy cost in front crawl than in backstroke (0.77 ± 0.08 vs 0.91 ± 0.12 kJ m -1 , p < 0.01). Slower three-dimensional wrist and ankle speeds under the water (1.29 ± 0.10 vs 1.55 ± 0.10 and 0.80 ± 0.16 vs 0.97 ± 0.13 m s -1 , both p < 0.01) and smaller ankle vertical range of motion (0.36 ± 0.06 vs 0.47 ± 0.07 m, p < 0.01) in front crawl than in backstroke were also observed, which indirectly suggested higher propulsive efficiency in front crawl. Front crawl is less costly than backstroke, and limbs motion in front crawl is more effective than in backstroke.

CurrMIT: A Tool for Managing Medical School Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salas, Albert A.; Anderson, M. Brownell; LaCourse, Lisa; Allen, Robert; Candler, Chris S.; Cameron, Terri; Lafferty, Debra

2003-01-01

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Curriculum Management & Information Tool (CurrMIT) is a relational database containing curriculum information from medical schools throughout the United States and Canada. This article gives an overview of the technology upon which the system is built and the training materials and workshops…

MIT January Operational Internship Experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosanac, Natasha; DeVivero, Charlie; James, Jillian; Perez-Martinez, Carla; Pino, Wendy; Wang, Andrew; Willett, Ezekiel; Williams, Kwami

2010-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the MIT January Operational Internship Experience (JOIE) program. The topics include: 1) Landing and Recovery; 2) Transportation; 3) Shuttle Processing; 4) Constellation Processing; 5) External Tank; 6) Launch Pad; 7) Ground Operations; 8) Hypergolic Propellants; 9) Environmental; 10) Logistics; 11) Six Sigma; 12) Systems Engineering; and 13) Human Factors.

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT - Overview

Science.gov Websites

laboratories. Biotechnology-related research in the labs of over 15 faculty members in the Biological 60,000 square feet for biotechnology-related engineering research. This centralization and consolidation wider array of equipment and facilities available in other MIT labs and Centers. Some examples include

Shortfall of US Citizen Science and Engineering Specialists in Defense Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-23

lower until equilibrium is restored. *e.g.,see Ch 1 & 4, Labor Economics , Cahuc & Zylberberg, MIT Press, 2004 Neoclassical Indicators: Increased...and balls concept Cobb-Douglas – hires as a function of job seekers and vacancies. *e.g.,see Ch 9, Labor Economics , Cahuc & Zylberberg, MIT Press

Web Access to Japanese Science and Technology Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takase, Emi

1997-01-01

Describes a project conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries in collaboration with the MIT Japan Program; its objectives are to increase information exchange and enhance cooperation between Japan and the United States through a World Wide Web page and an interactive listserv. Examines usage statistics and issues in…

Self-Taught Visually-Guided Pointing for a Humanoid Robot

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Brooks, R., Bryson, J., Marjanovic , M., Stein, L. A., & Wessler, M. (1996), Humanoid Soft- ware, Technical report, MIT Arti cial Intelli- gence Lab...8217, Journal of Biomechanics 19, 231{238. Marjanovic , M. (1995), Learning Functional Maps Between Sensorimotor Systems on a Humanoid Robot, Master’s thesis, MIT

MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Science.gov Websites

energy cancer diversity global industry public service Solve The MIT Campaign for a Better World give to produce electricity Drug-carrying nanoparticles could help fight brain cancer Drug-carrying nanoparticles could help fight brain cancer New dispatching approach optimizes a city's taxi fleet New dispatching

A Museum Learning Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandiver, Kathleen M.; Bijur, Jon Markowitz; Epstein, Ari W.; Rosenthal, Beryl; Stidsen, Don

2008-01-01

The "Learning Lab: The Cell" exhibit was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum and the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS). Specially designed for middle and high school students, the Learning Lab provides museum visitors of all ages with fascinating insights into how our living cells work. The…

MIT Orients Course Materials Online to K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2008-01-01

Many science and mathematics educators across the country are taking advantage of a Web site created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the famed research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which offers free video, audio, and print lectures and course material taken straight from the school's classes. Those resources…

Math Intervention Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, Lisa Ivey

2012-01-01

This research investigated the relationship of math intervention teachers' (MITs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and students' math achievement gains in primary math interventions. The Kentucky Center for Mathematics gathered data on the MITs and primary math intervention students included in this study. Longitudinal data were analyzed for a…

Knowledge at No Cost

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feintuch, Howard

2009-01-01

OpenCourseWare (OCW) program, offered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), provides open access to course materials for a large number of MIT classes. From this resource, American Megan Brewster, a recent graduate working in Guatemala, was able to formulate and implement a complete protocol to tackle Guatemala's need for a plastics…

Field demonstration of magnetic tomography technology for determination of dowel bar position in concrete pavement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate and evaluate the use of magnetic tomography technology through the use of Magnetic Imaging Tools' (MIT) MIT Scan-2. The main objective was to measure the alignment of dowel bars in a few jointed plain conc...

Counterfeit Parts Prevention Strategies Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-24

Boeing Byron Knight knightby@nro.mil NRO Hans Koenigsmann hans.koenigsmann@spacex.c om SpaceX James Koory james.koory@rocket.com Rocket Brian Kosinski...Deborah Valley deborah.valley@ll.mit.edu MIT Fred Van Milligen fvanmilligen@jdsu.com JDSU Marvin VanderWeg marvin.vanderwag@spacex.c om SpaceX Gerrit

Technical Risk Identification at Program Inception

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-20

boeing.com Byron Knight NRO knightby@nro.mil Hans Koenigsmann SpaceX hans.koenigsmann@spacex.c om James Koory Rocket james.koory@rocket.com Brian Kosinski...Deborah Valley MIT deborah.valley@ll.mit.edu Fred Van Milligen JDSU fvanmilligen@jdsu.com Marvin VanderWeg SpaceX marvin.vanderwag@spacex.c om Gerrit

Viewing medium affects arm motor performance in 3D virtual environments.

PubMed

Subramanian, Sandeep K; Levin, Mindy F

2011-06-30

2D and 3D virtual reality platforms are used for designing individualized training environments for post-stroke rehabilitation. Virtual environments (VEs) are viewed using media like head mounted displays (HMDs) and large screen projection systems (SPS) which can influence the quality of perception of the environment. We estimated if there were differences in arm pointing kinematics when subjects with and without stroke viewed a 3D VE through two different media: HMD and SPS. Two groups of subjects participated (healthy control, n=10, aged 53.6 ± 17.2 yrs; stroke, n=20, 66.2 ± 11.3 yrs). Arm motor impairment and spasticity were assessed in the stroke group which was divided into mild (n=10) and moderate-to-severe (n=10) sub-groups based on Fugl-Meyer Scores. Subjects pointed (8 times each) to 6 randomly presented targets located at two heights in the ipsilateral, middle and contralateral arm workspaces. Movements were repeated in the same VE viewed using HMD (Kaiser XL50) and SPS. Movement kinematics were recorded using an Optotrak system (Certus, 6 markers, 100 Hz). Upper limb motor performance (precision, velocity, trajectory straightness) and movement pattern (elbow, shoulder ranges and trunk displacement) outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. For all groups, there were no differences in endpoint trajectory straightness, shoulder flexion and shoulder horizontal adduction ranges and sagittal trunk displacement between the two media. All subjects, however, made larger errors in the vertical direction using HMD compared to SPS. Healthy subjects also made larger errors in the sagittal direction, slower movements overall and used less range of elbow extension for the lower central target using HMD compared to SPS. The mild and moderate-to-severe sub-groups made larger RMS errors with HMD. The only advantage of using the HMD was that movements were 22% faster in the moderate-to-severe stroke sub-group compared to the SPS. Despite the similarity in majority of the movement kinematics, differences in movement speed and larger errors were observed for movements using the HMD. Use of the SPS may be a more comfortable and effective option to view VEs for upper limb rehabilitation post-stroke. This has implications for the use of VR applications to enhance upper limb recovery. © 2011 Subramanian and Levin; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Viewing medium affects arm motor performance in 3D virtual environments

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background 2D and 3D virtual reality platforms are used for designing individualized training environments for post-stroke rehabilitation. Virtual environments (VEs) are viewed using media like head mounted displays (HMDs) and large screen projection systems (SPS) which can influence the quality of perception of the environment. We estimated if there were differences in arm pointing kinematics when subjects with and without stroke viewed a 3D VE through two different media: HMD and SPS. Methods Two groups of subjects participated (healthy control, n = 10, aged 53.6 ± 17.2 yrs; stroke, n = 20, 66.2 ± 11.3 yrs). Arm motor impairment and spasticity were assessed in the stroke group which was divided into mild (n = 10) and moderate-to-severe (n = 10) sub-groups based on Fugl-Meyer Scores. Subjects pointed (8 times each) to 6 randomly presented targets located at two heights in the ipsilateral, middle and contralateral arm workspaces. Movements were repeated in the same VE viewed using HMD (Kaiser XL50) and SPS. Movement kinematics were recorded using an Optotrak system (Certus, 6 markers, 100 Hz). Upper limb motor performance (precision, velocity, trajectory straightness) and movement pattern (elbow, shoulder ranges and trunk displacement) outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. Results For all groups, there were no differences in endpoint trajectory straightness, shoulder flexion and shoulder horizontal adduction ranges and sagittal trunk displacement between the two media. All subjects, however, made larger errors in the vertical direction using HMD compared to SPS. Healthy subjects also made larger errors in the sagittal direction, slower movements overall and used less range of elbow extension for the lower central target using HMD compared to SPS. The mild and moderate-to-severe sub-groups made larger RMS errors with HMD. The only advantage of using the HMD was that movements were 22% faster in the moderate-to-severe stroke sub-group compared to the SPS. Conclusions Despite the similarity in majority of the movement kinematics, differences in movement speed and larger errors were observed for movements using the HMD. Use of the SPS may be a more comfortable and effective option to view VEs for upper limb rehabilitation post-stroke. This has implications for the use of VR applications to enhance upper limb recovery. PMID:21718542

Vertical Eddy Diffusivity as a Control Parameter in the Tropical Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Avellaneda, N.; Cornuelle, B.; Mazloff, M. R.; Stammer, D.

2012-12-01

Ocean models suffer from errors in the treatment of turbulent sub-grid scale motions causing mixing and energy dissipation. Unrealistic small-scale features in models can have large-scale consequences, such as biases in the upper ocean temperature, a symptom of poorly-simulated upwelling, currents and air-sea interactions. This is of special importance in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which is home to energetic air-sea interactions that affect global climate. It has been shown in a number of studies that the simulated ENSO variability is highly dependent on the state of the ocean (e.g.: background mixing). Moreover, the magnitude of the vertical numerical diffusion is of primary importance in properly reproducing the Pacific equatorial thermocline. Yet, it is a common practice to use spatially uniform mixing parameters in ocean simulations. This work is part of a NASA-funded project to estimate the space-varying ocean mixing coefficients in an eddy-permitting model of the tropical Pacific. The usefulness of assimilation techniques in estimating mixing parameters has been previously explored (e.g.: Stammer, 2005, Ferreira et al., 2005). The authors also demonstrated that the spatial structure of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) could be improved by adjusting wind-stress and surface buoyancy flux within their error bounds. In our work, we address the important question of whether adjusting mixing parameterizations can bring about similar improvements. To that end, an eddy-permitting state estimate for the tropical Pacific is developed using the MIT general circulation model and its adjoint where the vertical diffusivity is set as a control parameter. Complementary adjoint-based sensitivity results show strong sensitivities of the Tropical Pacific thermocline (thickness and location) and the EUC transport to the vertical diffusivity in the tropics. Argo, CTD, XBT and mooring in-situ data, as well as TMI SST and altimetry observations are assimilated in order to reduce the misfit between the model simulations and the ocean observations. Model domain topography of 1/3dgr of spatial resolution interpolated from ETOPO 2. The first and the last color levels represent regions shallower than 100m and deeper than 5000m, respectively

Structural and electrical characterization of NbO2 vertical devices grown on TiN coated SiO2/Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Toyanath; Borisov, Pavel; Lederman, David

Due to its relatively high MIT temperature (1081 K) and current-controlled negative differential resistance, NbO2 is a robust candidate for memory devices and electrical switching applications. In this work, we present in-depth analysis of NbO2 thin film vertical devices grown on TiN coated SiO2/Si substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Two of the films grown in 1 mTorr and 10 mTorr O2/Ar (~7% O2) mixed growth pressures were studied. The formation of NbO2 phase was confirmed by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffractometry (GIXRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and current vs. voltage measurements. A probe station tip (tip size ~2 μm) or conductive AFM tip was used as a top and TiN bottom layer was used as a bottom contact. Device conductivity showed film thickness and contact size dependence. Current pulse measurements, performed in response to applied triangular voltage pulses, showed a non-linear threshold switching behavior for voltage pulse durations of ~100 ns and above. Self-sustained current oscillations were analyzed in terms of defect density presented in the film. Supported by FAME (sponsored by MARCO and DARPA, Contract 2013-MA-2382), WV Higher Education Policy Commission Grant (HEPC.dsr.12.29), and WVU SRF. We also thank S. Kramer from Micron for providing the TiN-coated Si substrates.

Aerodynamic analysis of the Darrieus wind turbines including dynamic-stall effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paraschivoiu, Ion; Allet, Azeddine

Experimental data for a 17-m wind turbine are compared with aerodynamic performance predictions obtained with two dynamic stall methods which are based on numerical correlations of the dynamic stall delay with the pitch rate parameter. Unlike the Gormont (1973) model, the MIT model predicts that dynamic stall does not occur in the downwind part of the turbine, although it does exist in the upwind zone. The Gormont model is shown to overestimate the aerodynamic coefficients relative to the MIT model. The MIT model is found to accurately predict the dynamic-stall regime, which is characterized by a plateau oscillating near values of the experimental data for the rotor power vs wind speed at the equator.

Center for Multiscale Plasma Dynamics: Report on Activities (UCLA/MIT), 2009-2010

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

Troy Carter

2011-04-18

The final 'phaseout' year of the CMPD ended July 2010; a no cost extension was requested until May 2011 in order to enable the MIT subcontract funds to be fully utilized. Research progress over this time included verification and validation activities for the BOUT and BOUT++ code, studies of spontaneous reconnection in the VTF facility at MIT, and studies of the interaction between Alfven waves and drift waves in LAPD. The CMPD also hosted the 6th plasma physics winter school in 2010 (jointly with the NSF frontier center the Center for Magnetic Self-Organization, significant funding came from NSF for thismore » most recent iteration of the Winter School).« less

Fabrication and Metrology of High-Precision Foil Mirror Mounting Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schattenburg, Mark L.

2002-01-01

During the period of this Cooperative Agreement, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) developed advanced methods for applying silicon microstructures for the precision assembly of foil x-ray optics in support of the Constellation-X Spectroscopy X-ray Telescope (SXT) development effort at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). MIT developed improved methods for fabricating and characterizing the precision silicon micro-combs. MIT also developed and characterized assembly tools and several types of metrology tools in order to characterize and reduce the errors associated with precision assembly of foil optics. Results of this effort were published and presented to the scientific community and the GSFC SXT team. A bibliography of papers and presentations is offered.

IMP3 can predict aggressive behaviour of lung adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Lung cancer most often presents as an inoperable tumour and the diagnosis is usually performed on a small biopsy/cytology specimen. In the group of non small cell lung cancer - not otherwise specified, adenocarcinoma phenotype can be determined immunohistochemically using TTF-1 and Napsin A. Expression of oncofetal protein IMP3 in human cancer is associated with poor differentiation and aggressive behaviour. In the present study expression of IMP3 was correlated with expression of TTF-1 and Napsin A, histological subtype and clinical stage of lung adenocarcinoma. We were interested whether distant metastases are associated with IMP3 overexpression, regardless of the histologic subtype of adenocarcinoma. Methods In retrospective study, consecutive series of 105 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed from 2006 to 2009 in Clinical Hospital Center Split, Croatia, were analysed. Clinical data were collected from the Pulmology Department and time of death from the Mortality Registry. Paraffin blocks of bronchoscopic biopsies were collected from the Institute of Pathology and 15 cases excluded from the analysis due to insufficient material. Expression of IMP3, Napsin A and TTF-1 were analysed by indirect enzyme immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was performed and P values less than 0.05 considered significant. Results Of 90 patients, 71 (78%) were males and 19 (22%) females. Median age for males was 61.5 years (min-max 43–83) and for females 61 years (min-max 44–86). Pleural effusion was found in 15 (16.6%) and distant metastases in 45 (50%) cases. According to histological subtypes, there were 34 acinar, 2 lepidic, 2 papillary and 52 solid subtypes. IMP3 overexpression was found in 63 cases (70%) and was correlated with solid subtype (P = 0.002) and negative/weak Napsin A expression (P = 0.004). Strong Napsin A expression correlated with TTF-1 expression (P = 0.003) and lower histological grades (P = 0.031). Patients with IMP3 overexpression more often had distant metastases than patients with negative IMP3, 55.5% versus 33.3% (P = 0.033). Non solid subtypes with IMP3 overexpression developed distant metastasis more common than non solid subtypes with negative IMP3, 72% versus 35% (P = 0.028). Conclusions Expression of IMP3 correlates with solid subtype and with distant metastases regardless of histological subtype of lung adenocarcinoma. Virtual slides http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1966211581795258 Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Das Lungenkarzinom kommt meistens als nicht resektabler Tumor vor und die Diagnose kann nur in kleinen Biopsaten oder zytologisch gestellt werden. In der Gruppe der nicht kleinzelligen Lungenkarzinome kann der nicht anders spezifizierte Adenokarzinom Phänotyp mit Hilfe der Antikörper TTF-1 und Napsin A diagnostiziert werden. Die Expression des onkoföetalen Proteins IMP3 ist bei humanen Karzinomen mit agressivem Verhalten und metastatischem Potential verbunden. In dieser Studie korreliert die Expression von IMP3 mit TTF-1, Napsin A, histologischem Typ und klinischem Staging des Lungenkarzinoms. Wir waren daran interessiert, ob Fernmetastasen mit IMP3 Überexpression assoziiert sind, unabhängig von der histologischen Subtyp von Adenokarzinom. Methode In der retrospektiven Studie wurden die von 2006 bis 2009 im Klinischem Krankenhaus Split, Kroatien diagnostizerte Adenokarzinome der Lunge von 105 Patienten analysiert. Die klinischen Daten stammten aus der Abteilung für Pulmologie und im Falle des Todes vom Todesregister. Die Paraffinblöcke der primären Lungenbiopsate dieser Patienten wurden im Institut für Pathologie mit der indirekter Enzym - Immunohistochemie mittels Kombination der Antikörper gegen IMP3, Napsin A und TTF1 untersucht. 15 Fälle aus der Analyse aufgrund unzureichender Material ausgeschlossen. Es wurde eine statistische Untersuchung durchgeführt und Werte weniger als 0.05 P wurden als statistisch signifikant bezeichnet. Ergebnisse Von 90 Patienten mit Lungencarcinom waren 71 (78%) mänlich, durchschnittliches Alter war für Männer 61.5 Jahre (min-max 43–83) und 61 Jahre für Frauen (min-max 44–86). Pleurale Effusionen fand man in 15 Fällen (16.6%) und Fernmetastasen in 45 (50%) Fällen. Histologische Sybtypen waren: 2 lepidic Karzinome, 34 azinäre Karzinome, 2 papilläre und 52 solide Karzinome. IMP3 war exprimiert in 63 Fälle (70%). Positive IMP3 Expression war mit solidem Typ (P = 0.002) und negativer Napsin A Expression (P = 0.004) assoziert. Napsin A Expression war mit niedrigem Gradus (P = 0.031) und positiver TTF-1 Expression (P = 0.003) assoziert. Patienten mit IMP3 Überexpression öfter hatten Fernmetastasen als Patienten mit negativen IMP3, 55.5% versus 33.3% (P = 0.033). Non solide Subtyp mit IMP3 Überexpression entwickelten Fernmetastasen Meer häufiger als nicht festem Subtyp mit negativen IMP3, 72% versus 35% (P = 0.028). Schlussworte Die Expression von IMP3 ist mit negaativer Expression von Napsin A, solidem Subtyp und Metastasen verbunden und hat praktische predictive Werte in der pathologischen Diagnose des Adenokarzinoms der Lunge. Die Expression von IMP3 korreliert mit soliden Subtyp und mit Fernmetastasen unabhängig von histologische Subtyp Lungenadenokarzinom. PMID:23190601

Why Pteropods Flap Their Wings, Periodically Pitch Their Shell, and Swim in a Sawtooth-like Trajectory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, D.; Webster, D. R.; Yen, J.

2016-02-01

Antarctic pteropods (Limacina helicina antarctica), which are currently threatened by ocean acidification, swim in seawater with a pair of gelatinous parapodia (or "wings") via a distinctive propulsion mechanism. By flapping their parapodia in a way that resembles insect flight, they exhibit a unique shell wobble (or periodic shell pitching) motion and sawtooth-like trajectory. We present three-dimensional kinematics and volumetric fluid velocity fields for upward-swimming pteropods. Time-resolved data were collected with a unique infrared tomographic particle image velocimetry (tomo-PIV) system that was transported to Palmer Station, Antarctica. Both power and recovery strokes of the parapodia propel the pteropod (1.5 - 5 mm in size) upward in a sawtooth-like trajectory with average speed of 14 - 30 mm/s and periodically pitch the shell at 1.9 - 3 Hz with up to 110° difference in pitching angle. The pitch motion effectively positions the parapodia such that they stroke downward during both the power and recovery strokes. We use the kinematics measurement to illustrate the relationship between flapping, swimming and pitching, where the corresponding Reynolds numbers (i.e. Ref, ReU, and ReΩ) characterize the motion of the pteropod. For example, when Ref < 50, the shell does not pitch and the pteropod swims abnormally with little or no vertical translation. We show that the flow field and vortices generated during pteropod propulsion resemble some aspects of insect-flight aerodynamics reported in classic literature, albeit with distinct aquatic variations.

Improved Continuous-Time Higher Harmonic Control Using Hinfinity Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Frank H.

The helicopter is a versatile aircraft that can take-off and land vertically, hover efficiently, and maneuver in confined space. This versatility is enabled by the main rotor, which also causes undesired harmonic vibration during operation. This unwanted vibration has a negative impact on the practicality of the helicopter and also increases its operational cost. Passive control techniques have been applied to helicopter vibration suppression, but these methods are generally heavy and are not robust to changes in operating conditions. Feedback control offers the advantages of robustness and potentially higher performance over passive control techniques, and amongst the various feedback schemes, Shaw's higher harmonic control algorithm has been shown to be an effective method for attenuating harmonic disturbance in helicopters. In this thesis, the higher harmonic disturbance algorithm is further developed to achieve improved performance. One goal in this thesis is to determine the importance of periodicity in the helicopter rotor dynamics for control synthesis. Based on the analysis of wind tunnel data and simulation results, we conclude the helicopter rotor can be modeled reasonably well as linear and time-invariant for control design purposes. Modeling the helicopter rotor as linear time-invariant allows us to apply linear control theory concepts to the higher harmonic control problem. Another goal in this thesis is to find the limits of performance in harmonic disturbance rejection. To achieve this goal, we first define the metrics to measure the performance of the controller in terms of response speed and robustness to changes in the plant dynamics. The performance metrics are incorporated into an Hinfinity control problem. For a given plant, the resulting Hinfinity controller achieves the maximum performance, thus allowing us to identify the performance limitation in harmonic disturbance rejection. However, the Hinfinity controllers are of high order, and may have unstable poles, leading us to develop a design method to generate stable, fixed-order, and high performance controllers. Both the Hinfinity and the fixed-order controllers are designed for constant flight conditions. A gain-scheduled control law is used to reduce the vibration throughout the flight envelope. The gain-scheduling is accomplished by blending the outputs from fixed-order controllers designed for different flight conditions. The structure of the fixed-order controller allows the usage of a previously developed anti-windup scheme, and the blending function results in a bumpless full flight envelope control law. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs mit.edu)

Excellence in Research: Creative Organizational Responses at Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. ASHE 1985 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardiner, John J.

Research environments of four leading universities were studied: University of California at Berkeley (UC-Berkeley), Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Stanford University. Attention was directed to organizational responses for encouraging collaboration in research at these leading universities, as well as to…

Spatial Hearing in Echoic Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-29

Erick Gallun Graduate Students: Scott Bressler (Boston University, BME ), Antje Ihlefeld (Boston University, CNS), Kosuke Kawakyu, (MIT, SHBT), Ross...Maddox (Boston University, BME ), Yusuke Naka (Boston University, AME), Erol Ozmeral (Boston University, BME ), Satyavarta (Boston University, CNS...Madhu Shashanka (Boston University, CNS), and Dali Wang (Boston University, BME ) Undergraduates: Sarah Chu (MIT), Eric Larson (Michigan State

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT Home

Science.gov Websites

Research Summary Research Details of Project A (Stem Cell Vehicle Subthrust) and Project B (Targeted ) 253-0805 | Facsimile (617) 253-2400 | e-mail: bpec-www@mit.edu Current NSF ERC-Supported Research Vehicle Subthrust) Other Projects Related to NSF-Funded Research (coming soon) Home | People | Education

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT Home

Science.gov Websites

has provided a focal point for biotechnology research and education at MIT. Prominent examples include to be one of the most crucial interdisciplinary research centers connected to BE; a significant and providing support for research and education at the nexus of biology, engineering, and materials

Towards Distributed Intelligence: A High Level Definition

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

Some of the first research in multi-robot systems came in the foraging /sorting area by Parker [77] and Beckers [9] and was likely fueled by the bio...chapter 24, pages 28–39. Artificial Intelligence at MIT. The MIT Press, 1989. 15. R.A. Brooks. Robotic Science, chapter 11, The Whole Iguana , pages 432

Appeals Court Gives MIT Another Chance to Prove Benefits of Overlap Group.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaschik, Scott

1993-01-01

A federal appeals court has given the Massachusetts Institute of Technology another chance to prove in court that the Overlap Group, of which MIT was a member, did not violate antitrust laws. The group of 23 colleges set common financial-aid awards for students admitted to more than one institution. (MSE)

TÜV - Zertifizierungen in der Life Science Branche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaff, Peter; Gerbl-Rieger, Susanne; Kloth, Sabine; Schübel, Christian; Daxenberger, Andreas; Engler, Claus

Life Sciences [1] (Lebenswissenschaften) sind ein globales Innovationsfeld mit Anwendungen der Bio- und Medizinwissenschaften, der Pharma-, Chemie-, Kosmetik- und Lebensmittelindustrie. Diese Branche zeichnet sich durch eine stark interdisziplinäre Ausrichtung aus, mit Anwendung wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse und Einsatz von Ausgangsstoffen aus der modernen Biologie, Chemie und Humanmedizin sowie gezielter marktwirtschaftlich orientierter Arbeit.

Should Colleges Withdraw Students Who Threaten or Attempt Suicide?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavela, Gary

2005-01-01

This article discusses the pros and cons of "involuntary withdrawals" in cases of students who are at risk of suicide. A June, 2005, Massachusetts Superior Court summary judgment ruling in the case of "Shin v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)" concluded that MIT administrators owed a duty of care to suicide victim,…

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center at MIT - Overview

Science.gov Websites

ADVISORY BOARD Under an academic paradigm set forth by the National Science Foundation for National Engineering Research Centers, BPEC exists as a partnership with industry. Regular two-way information flow sabbaticals at MIT and student internships at our industrial partners. We have selected an elite group of

MIT Mints a Valuable New Form of Academic Currency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Kevin

2012-01-01

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has invented or improved many world-changing things--radar, information theory, and synthetic self-replicating molecules, to name a few. Last month the university announced, to mild fanfare, an invention that could be similarly transformative, this time for higher education itself. It is called MITx.…

Shocking Admission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Eric; Millman, Sierra

2007-01-01

Marilee Jones's career had been a remarkable success. She joined Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) admissions office in 1979, landing a job in Cambridge at a time when boys ruled the sandbox of the admissions profession. Her job was to help MIT recruit more women, who then made up less than one-fifth of the institute's students. She…

Root Cause Investigation (RCI) Best Practices Guide Product Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-08

micropac.com Andrew King Boeing andrew.m.king@boeing.com Byron Knight NRO knightby@nro.mil Hans Koenigsmann SpaceX hans.koenigsmann@spacex.com James Koory...ghislain.turgeon@sslmda.com Deborah Valley MIT deborah.valley@ll.mit.edu Fred Van Milligen JDSU fvanmilligen@jdsu.com Marvin VanderWeg SpaceX marvin.vanderwag

A metabolic signature for long life in the Caenorhabditis elegans Mit mutants.

PubMed

Butler, Jeffrey A; Mishur, Robert J; Bhaskaran, Shylesh; Rea, Shane L

2013-02-01

Mit mutations that disrupt function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain can, inexplicably, prolong Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan. In this study we use a metabolomics approach to identify an ensemble of mitochondrial-derived α-ketoacids and α-hydroxyacids that are produced by long-lived Mit mutants but not by other long-lived mutants or by short-lived mitochondrial mutants. We show that accumulation of these compounds is dependent on concerted inhibition of three α-ketoacid dehydrogenases that share dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) as a common subunit, a protein previously linked in humans with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. When the expression of DLD in wild-type animals was reduced using RNA interference we observed an unprecedented effect on lifespan - as RNAi dosage was increased lifespan was significantly shortened, but, at higher doses, it was significantly lengthened, suggesting that DLD plays a unique role in modulating length of life. Our findings provide novel insight into the origin of the Mit phenotype. © 2012 The Authors Aging Cell © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Aktuelle Entwicklungen - Orthopädische Implantate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riner, Marc A.

Die guten Resultate und langen Standzeiten von bis zu 15 und 20 Jahren von implantierten Hüftendoprothesen führen dazu, immer jüngere Patienten mit einem Hüftgelenkersatz zu behandeln. Die Versorgung von jungen aktiven Patienten mit einer Hüftendoprothese stellt jedoch eine besondere Herausforderung dar [1]. Trotz umfangreicher Materialentwicklungen, Designoptimierungen und Verbesserungen der Operationstechnik, haben sich die Standzeiten der Prothesen zwar wesentlich verbessert, ist jedoch bei jungen Patienten verglichen mit denen von älteren Patienten deutlich verkürzt [2, 3]. Zudem kann die Hüftprothesenverankerung durch Knochenresektion im Rahmen der Erstimplantation, Adaptionsvorgängen im Knochen (stress shielding) aufgrund unphysiologischer Krafteinleitung, abriebbedingte Osteolyse und während der Implantat- bzw. Knochenzemententfernung auftretende knöcherne Defekte zu unbefriedigende Reimplantationsbedingungen im Fall einer Revision führen [4]. Dies hat in jüngerer Zeit zur Entwicklung von verschiedenen Endoprothesensystemen mit einem möglichst geringen Knochenverlust und damit einhergehenden verbesserten Rückzugsmöglichkeit im Revisionsfall geführt. Bei den knochensparend verankerten Hüftprothesen werden allgemein zwei Typen, die Schenkelhalsprothese und der Oberflächenersatz, unterschieden.

Influence of Discharge Current on Phase Transition Properties of High Quality Polycrystalline VO2 Thin Film Fabricated by HiPIMS

PubMed Central

Lin, Tiegui; Wang, Jian; Liu, Gang; Wang, Langping; Wang, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Yufen

2017-01-01

To fabricate high-quality polycrystalline VO2 thin film with a metal–insulator transition (MIT) temperature less than 50 °C, high-power impulse magnetron sputtering with different discharge currents was employed in this study. The as-deposited VO2 films were characterized by a four-point probe resistivity measurement system, visible-near infrared (IR) transmittance spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy. The resistivity results revealed that all the as-deposited films had a high resistance change in the phase transition process, and the MIT temperature decreased with the increased discharge current, where little deterioration in the phase transition properties, such as the resistance and transmittance changes, could be found. Additionally, XRD patterns at various temperatures exhibited that some reverse deformations that existed in the MIT process of the VO2 film, with a large amount of preferred crystalline orientations. The decrease of the MIT temperature with little deterioration on phase transition properties could be attributed to the reduction of the preferred grain orientations. PMID:28772990

Magnetic states, correlation effects and metal-insulator transition in FCC lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timirgazin, M. A.; Igoshev, P. A.; Arzhnikov, A. K.; Irkhin, V. Yu

2016-12-01

The ground-state magnetic phase diagram (including collinear and spiral states) of the single-band Hubbard model for the face-centered cubic lattice and related metal-insulator transition (MIT) are investigated within the slave-boson approach by Kotliar and Ruckenstein. The correlation-induced electron spectrum narrowing and a comparison with a generalized Hartree-Fock approximation allow one to estimate the strength of correlation effects. This, as well as the MIT scenario, depends dramatically on the ratio of the next-nearest and nearest electron hopping integrals {{t}\\prime}/t . In contrast with metallic state, possessing substantial band narrowing, insulator one is only weakly correlated. The magnetic (Slater) scenario of MIT is found to be superior over the Mott one. Unlike simple and body-centered cubic lattices, MIT is the first order transition (discontinuous) for most {{t}\\prime}/t . The insulator state is type-II or type-III antiferromagnet, and the metallic state is spin-spiral, collinear antiferromagnet or paramagnet depending on {{t}\\prime}/t . The picture of magnetic ordering is compared with that in the standard localized-electron (Heisenberg) model.

Structural basis for midbody targeting of spastin by the ESCRT-III protein CHMP1B

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

Yang, Dong; Rimanchi, Neggy; Renvoise, Benoit

2009-01-15

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery, including ESCRT-III, localizes to the midbody and participates in the membrane-abscission step of cytokinesis. The ESCRT-III protein charged multivesicular body protein 1B (CHMP1B) is required for recruitment of the MIT domain-containing protein spastin, a microtubule-severing enzyme, to the midbody. The 2.5-{angstrom} structure of the C-terminal tail of CHMP1B with the MIT domain of spastin reveals a specific, high-affinity complex involving a noncanonical binding site between the first and third helices of the MIT domain. The structural interface is twice as large as that of the MIT domain of the VPS4-CHMP complex,more » consistent with the high affinity of the interaction. A series of unique hydrogen-bonding interactions and close packing of small side chains discriminate against the other ten human ESCRT-III subunits. Point mutants in the CHMP1B binding site of spastin block recruitment of spastin to the midbody and impair cytokinesis.« less

Mishap Investigation Team (MIT) - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepaniak, Philip

2005-01-01

The Shuttle Program is organized to support a Shuttle mishap using the resources of the MIT. The afternoon of Feb. 1, 2003, the MIT deployed to Barksdale AFB. This location became the investigative center and interim storage location for crewmembers received from the Lufkin Disaster Field Office (DFO). Working under the leadership of the MIT Lead, the medical team executed a short-term plan that included search, recovery, and identification including coordination with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Temporary operations was set up at Barksdale Air Force Base for two weeks. During this time, coordination with the DFO field recovery teams, AFIP personnel, and the crew surgeons was on going. In addition, the crewmember families and NASA management were updated daily. The medical team also dealt with public reports and questions concerning biological and chemical hazards, which were coordinated with SPACEHAB, Inc., Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Medical Operations and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Space Medicine office. After operations at Barksdale were concluded the medical team transitioned back to Houston and a long-term search, recovery and identification plan was developed.

Spin-orbit-driven magnetic structure and excitation in the 5d pyrochlore Cd 2Os 2O 7

DOE PAGES

Calder, Stuart A; Vale, James G.; Bogdanov, Nikolay; ...

2016-06-07

Here, much consideration has been given to the role of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in 5d oxides, particularly on the formation of novel electronic states and manifested metal-insulator transitions (MITs). SOC plays a dominant role in 5d 5 iridates (Ir 4+), undergoing MITs both concurrent (pyrochlores) and separated (perovskites) from the onset of magnetic order. However, the role of SOC for other 5d configurations is less clear. For example, 5d 3 (Os 5+) systems are expected to have an orbital singlet with reduced effective SOC. The pyrochlore Cd 2Os 2O 7 nonetheless exhibits a MIT entwined with magnetic order phenomenologically similarmore » to pyrochlore iridates. Here, we resolve the magnetic structure in Cd 2Os 2O 7 with neutron diffraction and then via resonant inelastic X-ray scattering determine the salient electronic and magnetic energy scales controlling the MIT. In particular, SOC plays a subtle role in creating the electronic ground state but drives the magnetic order and emergence of a multiple spin-flip magnetic excitation.« less

A mitochondrial-focused genetic interaction map reveals a scaffold-like complex required for inner membrane organization in mitochondria

PubMed Central

Hoppins, Suzanne; Collins, Sean R.; Cassidy-Stone, Ann; Hummel, Eric; DeVay, Rachel M.; Lackner, Laura L.; Westermann, Benedikt; Schuldiner, Maya

2011-01-01

To broadly explore mitochondrial structure and function as well as the communication of mitochondria with other cellular pathways, we constructed a quantitative, high-density genetic interaction map (the MITO-MAP) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The MITO-MAP provides a comprehensive view of mitochondrial function including insights into the activity of uncharacterized mitochondrial proteins and the functional connection between mitochondria and the ER. The MITO-MAP also reveals a large inner membrane–associated complex, which we term MitOS for mitochondrial organizing structure, comprised of Fcj1/Mitofilin, a conserved inner membrane protein, and five additional components. MitOS physically and functionally interacts with both outer and inner membrane components and localizes to extended structures that wrap around the inner membrane. We show that MitOS acts in concert with ATP synthase dimers to organize the inner membrane and promote normal mitochondrial morphology. We propose that MitOS acts as a conserved mitochondrial skeletal structure that differentiates regions of the inner membrane to establish the normal internal architecture of mitochondria. PMID:21987634

Nocturnal hypoglycaemia in Type 1 diabetic patients, assessed with continuous glucose monitoring: frequency, duration and associations.

PubMed

Wentholt, I M E; Maran, A; Masurel, N; Heine, R J; Hoekstra, J B L; DeVries, J H

2007-05-01

We quantified the occurrence and duration of nocturnal hypoglycaemia in individuals with Type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) or multiple-injection therapy (MIT) using a continuous subcutaneous glucose sensor. A microdialysis sensor was worn at home by 24 patients on CSII (mean HbA(1c) 7.8 +/- 0.9%) and 33 patients on MIT (HbA(1c) 8.7 +/- 1.3%) for 48 h. Occurrence and duration of nocturnal hypoglycaemia were assessed and using multivariate regression analysis, the association between HbA(1c), diabetes duration, treatment type (CSII vs. MIT), fasting and bedtime blood glucose values, total daily insulin dose and mean nocturnal glucose concentrations, and hypoglycaemia occurrence and duration was investigated. Nocturnal hypoglycaemia < or = 3.9 mmol/l occurred in 33.3% of both the CSII- (8/24) and MIT-treated patients (11/33). Mean (+/- sd; median, interquartile range) duration of hypoglycaemia < or = 3.9 mmol/l was 78 (+/- 76; 57, 23-120) min per night for the CSII- and 98 (+/- 80; 81, 32-158) min per night for the MIT-treated group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that bedtime glucose value had the strongest association with the occurrence (P = 0.026) and duration (P = 0.032) of nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Microdialysis continuous glucose monitoring has enabled more precise quantification of nocturnal hypoglycaemia occurrence and duration in Type 1 diabetic patients. Occurrence and duration of nocturnal hypoglycaemia were mainly associated with bedtime glucose value.

Kombinierte Hoch-/Niedrig-Dosis-Therapie mit systemischen Glukokor-tikoiden bei schweren Verlaufsformen der Alopecia areata im Kindesalter.

PubMed

Jahn-Bassler, Karin; Bauer, Wolfgang Michael; Karlhofer, Franz; Vossen, Matthias G; Stingl, Georg

2017-01-01

Schwere Verlaufsformen der Alopecia areata (AA) im Kindesalter sind aufgrund limitierter Optionen therapeutisch herausfordernd. Systemische, hochdosierte Glukokortikoide weisen die schnellste Ansprechrate auf, nach dem Absetzen kommt es allerdings zu Rezidiven. Eine längerfristige Hochdosis-Anwendung ist aufgrund der zu erwartenden Nebenwirkungen nicht empfehlenswert. Eine dauerhafte Steroiderhaltungstherapie unterhalb der Cushing-Schwellen-Dosis nach Bolustherapie könnte die Krankheitsaktivität ohne Nebenwirkungen längerfristig unterdrücken. Im Rahmen einer offenen Anwendungsbeobachtung wurden 13 Kinder mit schweren Formen der AA in diese Studie eingeschlossen. Bei sieben Kindern lag eine AA totalis/universalis vor, bei sechs eine multifokale AA mit Befall von mehr als 50 % der Kopfhaut. Das Therapieregime sah eine initiale Prednisolon-Dosierung von 2 mg/kg Körpergeweicht (KG) vor und wurde innerhalb von neun Wochen auf eine Erhaltungsdosierung unter der individuellen Cushing-Schwelle reduziert. Der Nachbeobachtungszeitraum betrug ein bis drei Jahre. Wir beobachteten in 62 % aller Fälle ein komplettes Nachwachsen der Haare. Die mittlere Dauer bis zum Ansprechen lag bei 6,6 Wochen und konnte mit der Erhaltungstherapie über den gesamten Beobachtungszeitraum aufrechterhalten werden. An Nebenwirkungen wurden ausschließlich eine Gewichtszunahme (1-3 kg) bei allen Behandelten sowie eine milde Steroidakne in 23 % der Fälle beobachtet. Die kombinierte Hoch-/Niedrig-Dosis-Therapie mit systemischen Glukokortikoiden mittels Prednisolon zeigte eine hohe, dauerhafte Ansprechrate ohne signifikante Nebenwirkungen. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Management of hyperfunctioning single thyroid nodules in the era of minimally invasive thyroid surgery.

PubMed

Tan, Charles; Sidhu, Stan; Sywak, Mark; Delbridge, Leigh

2009-05-01

Both surgical excision and radioiodine ablation are effective modalities in the management of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. Minimally invasive thyroid surgery (MITS) using the lateral mini-incision approach has previously been demonstrated to be a safe and effective technique for thyroid lobectomy. As such MITS may offer advantages as a surgical approach to hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules without the need for a long cervical incision or extensive dissection associated with formal open hemithyroidectomy. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of MITS for the treatment of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. This is a retrospective case study. Data were obtained from the University of Sydney Endocrine Surgical Unit Database from 2002 to 2007. There were 86 cases of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules surgically removed during the study period, of which 10 (12%) were managed using the MITS approach. The ipsilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve was identified and preserved in all cases with no incidence of temporary or permanent nerve palsy. The external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was visualized and preserved in eight cases (80%). There were no cases of postoperative bleeding. There was one clinically significant follicular thyroid carcinoma in the series (10%). In nine of 10 cases (90%) normalization of thyroid function followed surgery. MITS is a safe and effective procedure, achieving the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure with minimal morbidity. As such it now presents an attractive alternative to radioiodine ablation for the management of small hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

High Gradient Accelerator Research

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

Temkin, Richard

The goal of the MIT program of research on high gradient acceleration is the development of advanced acceleration concepts that lead to a practical and affordable next generation linear collider at the TeV energy level. Other applications, which are more near-term, include accelerators for materials processing; medicine; defense; mining; security; and inspection. The specific goals of the MIT program are: • Pioneering theoretical research on advanced structures for high gradient acceleration, including photonic structures and metamaterial structures; evaluation of the wakefields in these advanced structures • Experimental research to demonstrate the properties of advanced structures both in low-power microwave coldmore » test and high-power, high-gradient test at megawatt power levels • Experimental research on microwave breakdown at high gradient including studies of breakdown phenomena induced by RF electric fields and RF magnetic fields; development of new diagnostics of the breakdown process • Theoretical research on the physics and engineering features of RF vacuum breakdown • Maintaining and improving the Haimson / MIT 17 GHz accelerator, the highest frequency operational accelerator in the world, a unique facility for accelerator research • Providing the Haimson / MIT 17 GHz accelerator facility as a facility for outside users • Active participation in the US DOE program of High Gradient Collaboration, including joint work with SLAC and with Los Alamos National Laboratory; participation of MIT students in research at the national laboratories • Training the next generation of Ph. D. students in the field of accelerator physics.« less

Assembly of the mitochondrial membrane system. XVIII. Genetic loci on mitochondrial DNA involved in cytochrome b biosynthesis.

PubMed

Tzagoloff, A; Foury, F; Akai, A

1976-11-24

1. Fourteen cytoplasmic mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a specific deficiency of cytochrome b have been studied. The mutations have been shown to occur in two separate genetic loci, COB 1 and COB 2. These loci can be distinguished by mit- X mit- crosses. Pairwise crosses of cytochrome b mutants belonging to different loci yield 4-6% wild type recombinants corresponding to recombinational frequencies of 8-12%. In intra-locus crosses, the recombinational frequencies range from 1% to less than 0.01%. The two loci can also be distinguished by mit- X rho- crosses. Twenty rho- testers have been isolated of which ten preferentially restore mutations in COB 1 and ten others in COB 2. 2. The COB 1 and COB 2 loci have been localized on mitochondrial DNA between the two antibiotic resistance loci OLI 1 and OLI 2 in the order OLI 2-COB 2-COB 1-OLI 1. The results of mit- X mit- and mit- X rho- crosses have also been used to map the cytochrome b mutations relative to each other. The maps obtained by the two independent methods are in good agreement. 3. Mutations in COB 1 have been found to be linked to the OLI1 locus in some but not in other strains of S. cervisiae. This evidence suggests that there may be a spacer region between the two loci whose length varies from strain to strain. 4. Two mutations in COB 2 have been found to cause a loss of a mitochondrial translation product corresponding to the cytochrome b apoprotein. Instead of the wild type protein the mutants have a new low-molecular weight product which is probably a fragment of cytochrome b. The fact that the mutations revert suggests that they are nonsense mutations in the structural gene of cytochrome b.

Using Web Technology to Teach Students about Their Digital World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braender, Lynn M.; Kapp, Craig M.; Yeras, Jeddel

2009-01-01

In the School of Business at The College of New Jersey, students are required to take two courses in Management Information Technology (MIT). All students enroll in the same first course. This course focuses on Emerging Technologies and intermediate level data analysis skills. Students are then free to choose their second course. Each MIT course…

Trouble and Triumph: German Life-Turkish Tradition in Renan Demirkan's "Schwarzer Tee mit drei Stuck Zucker"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebert, Reika

2004-01-01

This paper explores Demirkan's narrative strategies in "Schwarzer Tee mit drei Stuck Zucker" to negotiate issues of a life between two cultures and traditions. Based on Bhabha's insights that mainstream culture needs intellectual and artistic infusion from the margins of a society in order to remain vital; and that cultural production…

The Unwalled Garden: Growth of the OpenCourseWare Consortium, 2001-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carson, Steve

2009-01-01

This article traces the development of the OpenCourseWare movement, including the origin of the concept at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the implementation of the MIT OpenCourseWare project, and the idea's spread into the global educational community, ultimately resulting in the formation of the OpenCourseWare Consortium. The…

Exploring the Relationship between Reading Strategy Use and Multiple Intelligences among Successful L2 Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirzaei, Azizullah; Rahimi Domakani, Masoud; Heidari, Najmeh

2014-01-01

Over the years, the multiple intelligences theory (MIT) proposed by Howard Gardner has renewed interest in learners' use of effective learning strategies and produced interesting results. This MIT-oriented study investigated the role of successful L2 readers' multiple intelligences in their effective use of reading strategies. To this end, a TOEFL…

Panel Discussion on Libraries and Best Practices in Fair Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathemacher, Andree J.

2012-01-01

This report covers a panel discussion on the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries, published in January 2012 by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The panel was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 23, 2012, and was hosted by the MIT Libraries. Panelists were Patricia…

Interactive Web-Based and Hands-On Engineering Education: A Freshman Aerospace Design Course at MIT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Dava J.

"Introduction to Aerospace and Design" is a 3-hour per week freshman elective course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that culminates in a Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) vehicle design competition, exposing freshmen to the excitement of aerospace engineering design typically taught in the junior or senior years. In addition to the…

How Much Have They Retained? Making Unseen Concepts Seen in a Freshman Electromagnetism Course at MIT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dori, Yehudit Judy; Hult, Erin; Breslow, Lori; Belcher, John W.

2007-01-01

The introductory freshmen electromagnetism course at MIT has been taught since 2000 using a studio physics format entitled TEAL--Technology Enabled Active Learning. TEAL has created a collaborative, hands-on environment where students carry out desktop experiments, submit web-based assignments, and have access to a host of visualizations and…

Stereoskopische Visualisierung einer Infektion mammalischer Zellen durch pathogene Bakterien

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granseier, Michael; Grassmé, Heike; Gulbins, Erich; Lipinski, Hans-Gerd

Die Infektion mammalischer Zellen durch pathogene Bakterien ist biologisch immer noch nicht sicher geklärt. Mit Hilfe der Laserscanmikroskopie ist es mittlerweile aber möglich, räumliche Bilddaten von Zellproben zu erstellen, auf denen der Eindringvorgang der Bakterien in das Zellinnere durch verschieden leuchtende Fluoreszenzfarbstoffe visualisiert werden kann. Unter Verwendung bekannter und adaptierter 3D-Rekonstruktionsalgorithmen werden dreidimensionale Visualisierungen von Mikroskopiebildern vorgestellt, mit deren Hilfe die Analyse des Infektionsprozesses erleichtert wird. Dabei hat sich gezeigt, dass mit Oberflächenrekonstruktionsverfahren die Topografie der Zelloberfiäche korrekt dargestellt werden kann, während die Darstellung der Farbstoffverteilungen besser durch ein Texture-Mapping-Verfahren gelingt. Die Rekonstruktionen konnten insbesondere durch den Einsatz von stereoskopischen Visualisierungstechniken detailgenau analysiert werden.

Joule Heating-Induced Metal-Insulator Transition in Epitaxial VO2/TiO2 Devices.

PubMed

Li, Dasheng; Sharma, Abhishek A; Gala, Darshil K; Shukla, Nikhil; Paik, Hanjong; Datta, Suman; Schlom, Darrell G; Bain, James A; Skowronski, Marek

2016-05-25

DC and pulse voltage-induced metal-insulator transition (MIT) in epitaxial VO2 two terminal devices were measured at various stage temperatures. The power needed to switch the device to the ON-state decrease linearly with increasing stage temperature, which can be explained by the Joule heating effect. During transient voltage induced MIT measurement, the incubation time varied across 6 orders of magnitude. Both DC I-V characteristic and incubation times calculated from the electrothermal simulations show good agreement with measured values, indicating Joule heating effect is the cause of MIT with no evidence of electronic effects. The width of the metallic filament in the ON-state of the device was extracted and simulated within the thermal model.

Lab architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crease, Robert P.

2008-04-01

There are few more dramatic illustrations of the vicissitudes of laboratory architecturethan the contrast between Building 20 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and its replacement, the Ray and Maria Stata Center. Building 20 was built hurriedly in 1943 as temporary housing for MIT's famous Rad Lab, the site of wartime radar research, and it remained a productive laboratory space for over half a century. A decade ago it was demolished to make way for the Stata Center, an architecturally striking building designed by Frank Gehry to house MIT's computer science and artificial intelligence labs (above). But in 2004 - just two years after the Stata Center officially opened - the building was criticized for being unsuitable for research and became the subject of still ongoing lawsuits alleging design and construction failures.

Musikalische Akustik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Jürgen

Im weitesten Sinne umfasst die musikalische Akustik alle Themenbereiche, in denen Akustik und Musik in irgendeiner Form miteinander verbunden sind oder zumindest gleichzeitig eine Rolle spielen (Meyer 2004a). Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei die Akustik der Musikinstrumente und Gesangsstimmen, die sich mit der physikalischen Funktionsweise einschließlich der Einflussmöglichkeiten des Spielers auf die Tongestaltung und mit der Schallabstrahlung einschließlich der Klangeigenarten und der Richtungsabhängigkeit befasst (Meyer 2004b, Fletcher u. Rossing 1991). Sobald dabei klangästhetische Gesichtspunkte mit ins Spiel kommen, ist eine Einbeziehung psychoakustischer Aspekte unumgänglich. Erst auf dieser Grundlage ist eine qualitative Bewertung von Instrumenten möglich, die es den Instrumentenbauern erlaubt, anhand objektiver Kriterien bautechnische Veränderungen zur Verbesserung ihrer Instrumente vorzunehmen.

PVD-Beschichtungstechnologie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lake, Markus K.

Die PVD-Technologie umfasst eine Reihe von Beschichtungsverfahren zur Abscheidung von Metallen, Legierungen oder chemischen Verbindungen durch Zufuhr von thermischer Energie oder durch Teilchenbeschuss im Hochvakuum. PVDVerfahren gestatten u. a. die Beschichtung bei niedrigen Prozesstemperaturen, so dass thermisch sensible Substrate, z. B. wärmebehandelte Stähle oder ausgewählte Kunststoffe, beschichtet werden können. Insbesondere mit dem Magnetron Sputter Ion Plating-Verfahren (MSIP-Verfahren) und mit dem Arc Ion Plating-Verfahren (AIP-Verfahren) ist es möglich, thermisch vorbehandelte Werkstoffe zu beschichten, ohne den eingestellten Wärmebehandlungszustand (Härte, Spannungszustand) zu verändern. Ferner können endbearbeitete Bauteile mit der PVD-Technologie beschichtet werden, da die eingesetzten PVD-Verfahren die Ausgangsoberfläche konturgetreu abbilden, ohne dass eine Nachbearbeitung erforderlich wird.

Center for Multiscale Plasma Dynamics: Report on Activities (UCLA/MIT), 2009-2010

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

Carter, Troy Alan

2014-10-03

The final “phaseout” year of the CMPD ended July 2010; a no cost extension was requested until May 2011 in order to enable the MIT subcontract funds to be fully utilized. Research progress over this time included verification and validation activities for the BOUT and BOUT++ code, studies of spontaneous reconnection in the VTF facility at MIT, and studies of the interaction between Alfv´en waves and drift waves in LAPD. The CMPD also hosted the 6th plasma physics winter school in 2010 (jointly with the NSF frontier center the Center for Magnetic Self-Organization, significant funding came from NSF for thismore » most recent iteration of theWinter School).« less

Getting coal to go with the flow

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

Dumbaugh, G.D.

1984-01-01

There are three accepted methods of recovering storage piles. They are surface reclaiming, sub-grade hopper sections or bins, and flat surface storage with ground level ports. In general, the decision to use either approach is a matter of economics, reliability, labor intensity, and other related practical factors. The concept of induced vertical flow of bulk solids was initiated in 1962 with the birth of the bin activator. Its performance was at times questionable until the elusive cycle type operation was finally discovered. This solved the problems of coupling induced vertical flow units with feeders. Surprisingly, an operator in a cementmore » plant was the first to demonstrate this principle of operation in 1965, but it needed at least five more years for it to be fully understood. The storage pile discharger with its drawdown skirt and unique stroke action was developed out of sheer necessity in 1964. However, it was not until 1979 that the railcar discharger was introduced. Frankly, it took that long to recognize a railcar could be temporarily converted to a huge rectangular shaped activated binexclamation Significantly, all induced vertical flow units are designed and operated for the sole purpose of bulk solid storage withdrawal. They have no other function. For many reasons, the successful evolution of the concept of induced vertical flow of bulk solids has been one of more perspiration than of meditation. Armed with time proven application guidelines and cycle type operation to minimize the effects of feeder flow streams, bin activators, activated bins, storage pile dischargers, and railcar dischargers can be applied confidently and predictably.« less

A System for the Measurement of the Subjective Visual Vertical using a Virtual Reality Device.

PubMed

Negrillo-Cárdenas, José; Rueda-Ruiz, Antonio J; Ogayar-Anguita, Carlos J; Lomas-Vega, Rafael; Segura-Sánchez, Rafael J

2018-05-31

The Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV) is a common test for evaluating the perception of verticality. Altered verticality has been connected with disorders in the otolithic, visual or proprioceptive systems, caused by stroke, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, among others. Currently, this test is carried out using a variety of specific, mostly homemade apparatuses that include moving planes, buckets, hemispheric domes or a line projected in a screen. Our aim is to develop a flexible, inexpensive, user-friendly and easily extensible system based on virtual reality for the measurement of the SVV and several related visual diagnostic tests, and validate it through an experimental evaluation. Two different hardware configurations were tested with 50 healthy volunteers in a controlled environment; 28 of them were males and 22 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 49 years, being 23 the average age. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was computed in each device. In addition, a usability survey was conducted. ICC = 0.85 in the first configuration (CI = 0.75-0.92), ICC = 0.76 in the second configuration (CI = 0.61-0.87), both with 95% of confidence, which means a substantial reliability. Moreover, 92.2% of subjects rated the usability of the system as "very good". Our evaluation showed that the proposed system is suitable for the measurement of SVV in healthy subjects. The next step is to perform a more elaborated experimentation on patients and compare the results with the measurements obtained from traditional methods.

Opportunities to Enhance Multimode Fiber Links by Application of Overfilled Launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onlagic, Denis

2005-11-01

This paper investigates possibilities for the practical design of high-performance multimode fibers (MMFs) that can provide bandwidths in excess of 10 GHz ...km in an overfilled regime of operation. Analysis of standard MMF in an overfilled launch demonstrates that the theoretical bandwidth limitations arise from the influence of cladding on the propagation of the highest order modes. Practical MMF profile designs that overcome this problem are investigated. The standard 50-and 62.5- μm fiber profiles are redesigned first to allow for the performance in an overfilled launch with the differential mode delays (DMDs) below 0.055 and 0.250 ns/km, respectively. It is shown that such fibers can exhibit the same or better theoretical bandwidth in an overfilled launch when compared to standard fiber under restricted launch. Elimination of the need for the restricted mode launch in high-performance multimode transmission systems can improve reliability issues and can relax the range of tolerance requirements imposed on terminal equipment, optical components, and link installation. Furthermore, MMFs that can be operated in an overfilled launched are compatible with emerging vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) array technologies. A successfully controlled higher order mode DMD also allows for the reduction of MMF core size and mit Delta that can be beneficial for low-cost high-performance single-channel links. It is demonstrated that properly designed reduced core fibers can achieve theoretical DMDs in the range of 0.005-0.02 ns/km. The bend loss properties of redesigned fibers are investigated in detail, showing that the proposed modifications do not lead to significant degradation of bend loss performance. Moreover, they can be manufactured at considerably lower cost while utilizing commercially readily available low-cost VCSELs. Even where the theoretical limit is not achieved by practical fiber making, the reduced core size and mit Delta MMF can provide higher production yield, lower cost, and higher average bandwidth.

Solar Eclipse-Induced Changes in the Ionosphere over the Continental US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, P. J.; Zhang, S.; Goncharenko, L. P.; Coster, A. J.; Hysell, D. L.; Sulzer, M. P.; Vierinen, J.

2017-12-01

For the first time in 26 years, a total solar eclipse occurred over the continental United States on 21 August 2017, between 16:00-20:00 UT. We report on American solar eclipse observations of the upper atmosphere, conducted by a team led by MIT Haystack Observatory. Efforts measured ionospheric and thermospheric eclipse perturbations. Although eclipse effects have been studied for more than 50 years, recent major sensitivity and resolution advances using radio-based techniques are providing new information on the eclipse ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere (ITM) system response. Our study was focused on quantifying eclipse effects on (1) traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs); (2) spatial ionospheric variations associated with the eclipse; and (3) altitudinal and temporal ionospheric profile variations. We present selected early findings on ITM eclipse response including a dense global network of 6000 GNSS total electron content (TEC) receivers (100 million measurements per day; 1x1 degree spatial grid) and the Millstone Hill and Arecibo incoherent scatter radars. TEC depletions of up to 60% in magnitude were associated with the eclipse umbra and penumbra and consistently trailed the eclipse totality center. TEC enhancements associated with prominent orographic features were observed in the western US due to complex interactions as the lower atmosphere cooled in response to decreasing EUV energy inputs. Strong TIDs in the form of bow waves, stern waves, and a stern wake were observed in TEC data. Altitude-resolved plasma parameter profiles from Millstone Hill saw a nearly 50% decrease in F region electron density in vertical profiles, accompanied by a corresponding 200-250 K decrease in electron temperature. Wide field Millstone Hill radar scans showed similar decreases in electron density to the southwest, maximizing along the line of closest approach to totality. Data is available to the research community through the MIT Haystack Madrigal system. Alongside a summary of observations, we will also present preliminary quantitative comparisons with several ongoing modeling efforts.

First Observations of a Stellar Occultation by KBO (50000) Quaoar from MIT's George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallum, Stephanie; Brothers, T.; Elliot, J. L.; Person, M. J.; Bosh, A. S.; Zangari, A.; Zuluaga, C.; Levine, S.; Bright, L.; Sheppard, S.; Tilleman, T.

2011-05-01

Here we report the first recorded observations of a stellar occultation by Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) (50000) Quaoar. We detected a single-chord stellar occultation by Quaoar of a magnitude 16.2 star designated 26029635 UCAC2 (2MASS ID 1275509401), which occurred on 11 February 2011 UT. The prediction of the occultation was made using long baseline astrometric observations of Quaoar from several sites as part of the MIT Planetary Astronomy Laboratory's continuing effort to improve KBO positions for occultation prediction. The successful observations were made with a Celestron C14 0.36 m telescope and an SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera on a Paramount ME robotic mount. These observations show that a relatively accessible level of astronomical equipment, of the class often used by amateur astronomers, can be used to record KBO occultations. The data were taken at MIT's George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory in Westford, MA. A light curve was generated from the data using aperture photometry on the individual images and is presented here. This light curve is being analyzed by Person et al. (this meeting) to provide constraints on Quaoar's size. We also discuss various observing strategies that could be used in the future to optimize the data from this type of event. This work was supported in part by grant NNX10AB27G to MIT from NASA's Planetary Astronomy Division. Student participation was supported in part by NSF's REU program, MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, NASA's Massachusetts Space Grant, and the George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory.

The MCK mouse heart model of Friedreich's ataxia: Alterations in iron-regulated proteins and cardiac hypertrophy are limited by iron chelation

PubMed Central

Whitnall, Megan; Rahmanto, Yohan Suryo; Sutak, Robert; Xu, Xiangcong; Becker, Erika M.; Mikhael, Marc R.; Ponka, Prem; Richardson, Des R.

2008-01-01

There is no effective treatment for the cardiomyopathy of the most common autosomal recessive ataxia, Friedreich's ataxia (FA). The identification of potentially toxic mitochondrial (MIT) iron (Fe) deposits in FA suggests that Fe plays a role in its pathogenesis. This study used the muscle creatine kinase conditional frataxin (Fxn) knockout (mutant) mouse model that reproduces the classical traits associated with cardiomyopathy in FA. We examined the mechanisms responsible for the increased cardiac MIT Fe loading in mutants. Moreover, we explored the effect of Fe chelation on the pathogenesis of the cardiomyopathy. Our investigation showed that increased MIT Fe in the myocardium of mutants was due to marked transferrin Fe uptake, which was the result of enhanced transferrin receptor 1 expression. In contrast to the mitochondrion, cytosolic ferritin expression and the proportion of cytosolic Fe were decreased in mutant mice, indicating cytosolic Fe deprivation and markedly increased MIT Fe targeting. These studies demonstrated that loss of Fxn alters cardiac Fe metabolism due to pronounced changes in Fe trafficking away from the cytosol to the mitochondrion. Further work showed that combining the MIT-permeable ligand pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazone with the hydrophilic chelator desferrioxamine prevented cardiac Fe loading and limited cardiac hypertrophy in mutants but did not lead to overt cardiac Fe depletion or toxicity. Fe chelation did not prevent decreased succinate dehydrogenase expression in the mutants or loss of cardiac function. In summary, we show that loss of Fxn markedly alters cellular Fe trafficking and that Fe chelation limits myocardial hypertrophy in the mutant. PMID:18621680

Analyse der pharmazeutischen Versorgungssituation von Patienten mit Psoriasis-Arthritis auf Basis von Routinedaten der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung.

PubMed

Sondermann, Wiebke; Ventzke, Julia; Matusiewicz, David; Körber, Andreas

2018-03-01

Die Psoriasis-Arthritis (PsA) gehört zu den chronisch entzündlichen Gelenkerkrankungen. Trotz zahlreicher versorgungswissenschaftlicher Studien in Deutschland liegen zur pharmazeutischen Versorgungssituation von PsA-Patienten bisher kaum aktuelle Ergebnisse vor. Mit Hilfe einer systematischen Literaturrecherche sowie anhand von Routinedaten der Allgemeinen Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) Rheinland/Hamburg wird ein aktueller Überblick über die pharmazeutische Versorgung von PsA-Patienten in Deutschland gegeben. Selektiert wurden Versicherte aus dem ambulanten und stationären Bereich, die im 1. und 2. Quartal des Jahres 2014 die gesicherte Abrechnungsdiagnose Psoriasis-Arthritis L40.5+ aufwiesen. Anschließend wurden auf Basis dieser "vorab definierten" Kohorte die Arzneimitteldaten für 5 Jahre (01.01.2010-31.12.2014) abgerufen. Es konnten insgesamt n  =  3205 Versicherte (45 % männlich, 55 % weiblich) der AOK Rheinland/Hamburg mit einer gesicherten PsA-Diagnose selektiert werden. Das Durchschnittsalter betrug 58,9 Jahre. 53,7 % der PsA-Patienten wurden mit systemischen PsA-relevanten Arzneimitteln versorgt. Nichtsteroidale Antirheumatika (NSAR) wurden am häufigsten verordnet, gefolgt von systemischen Glucocorticoiden. Von den selektierten PsA-Patienten, die eine Systemtherapie erhielten, wurden 72,1 % mittels einer Disease-modifying-antirheumatic-Drug (DMARD)-Monotherapie behandelt, gefolgt von der Kombinationstherapie aus DMARDs und Biologika (20,9 %). Die pharmakologische Therapie der PsA muss eine Gewährleistung zwischen adäquater Versorgung der PsA mit Verhinderung der Krankheitsprogression und ökonomischer Verantwortung darstellen. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sentinel-Lymphknoten-Biopsie des Melanoms mittels Indocyaningrün und "FOVIS"-System.

PubMed

Göppner, Daniela; Nekwasil, Stephan; Jellestad, Anne; Sachse, Alexander; Schönborn, Karl-Heinz; Gollnick, Harald

2017-02-01

Der Nachweis metastatischer Infiltrate im Sentinel-Lymphkoten (SLN) gilt als wesentlicher prognostischer Faktor des Melanoms. Alternativ zur Farbstoffmethode mit Patentblau zum Goldstandard der SLN-Biopsie (SLNB) mittels Radiokolloid wird die fluoreszenzoptische Darstellung mit Hilfe von Indocyaningrün (ICG) und Nahinfrarot (NIR)-Kamerasystem kommuniziert. Im Vergleich zur konventionellen Methode wurde die Wertigkeit des ICG-/NIR-Verfahrens in Abhängigkeit vom Body-Mass-Index (BMI) des Patienten und der Konzentration von ICG bezüglich der Visualisierung des Lymphabstroms und des SLNs untersucht. An zehn Patienten wurde die SLNB mittels Technetium-99m, Patentblau und ICG durchgeführt. Die Fluoreszenz-Darstellung von Lymphbahnen und SLN erfolgte in Echtzeit mittels der NIR-Kameratechnik "FOVIS". Je nach erzielter Bildqualität wurde ICG in einer Dosis von 0,25 mg bis 2,5 mg intrakutan appliziert. Neun der zehn SLN wurden fluoreszenzoptisch identifiziert (90 %), alle zehn radioaktiv (100 %), nur acht (80 %) mittels ICG-Grünfärbung bzw. Patenblau-Markierung. Transdermal wurde ein SLN dargestellt (10 %). In Korrelation zum BMI waren höhere ICG-Mengen, bis zu 2,5 mg intrakutan absolut, in der Darstellung der Lymphbahnen von Vorteil. Die SLN-Fluoreszenzmarkierung mit dem ICG/NIR-Kamera-System "FOVIS" stellt eine sichere Alternative zur Farbstoffmethode mit Patentblau ergänzend zur Radiokolloidmethode mit Technetium-99m dar. Weitere Studien zur optimalen Dosierung von ICG und transdermalen Bildgebung in Relation zum BMI sind notwendig. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phenotypic changes contributing to Enterobacter gergoviae biocide resistance.

PubMed

Périamé, M; Philippe, N; Condell, O; Fanning, S; Pagès, J-M; Davin-Regli, A

2015-08-01

Enterobacter gergoviae is a recurrent contaminant of cosmetic and hygiene products. To understand how this bacterium adapts to biocides, we studied Ent. gergoviae CIP 76.01 and its triclosan and Methylisothiazolinone-chloromethylisothiazolinone (MIT-CMIT) tolerant isogenic mutants. They were compared with others also isolated from contaminated cosmetics. Phenotypic differences were noted and these included changes in the bacterial envelope and flagella along with differences in motility, and biofilm growth rates. Triclosan and MIT-CMIT derivatives expressed flagella and other MIT-CMIT derivatives exhibited some external appendages. Those bacteria expressing a high-level minimal inhibitory concentration to MIT-CMIT, expressed a strong biofilm formation. No differential phenotypes were noted for carbon source utilisation. Enterobacter gergoviae demonstrated a diverse response to both of these preservatives contained in cosmetic preparations, depending on their concentrations. Interestingly, this adaptive response is associated with modifications of filament structure-related proteins contributing to increase the organism motility and the production of biofilm. Recurrent contaminations of cosmetics products by Ent. gergoviae, needed a better understanding concerning the bacterial adaptation to preservative agents, with particular concern to triclosan and MIT-CMIT. We demonstrated that bacteria response is associated to various mechanisms represented by expression of external appendages (pili or fimbriae) that control cell motility and biofilm formation and evolving as the concentration of biocides adaptation increased. Such mechanisms which are not chemical specific can also promote a cross-resistance to other biocidal agents. The characterization of Ent. gergoviae adaptability to biocides allows industry to adjust the ranges of concentrations and composition of preservatives in formula. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Analyse von Oszillatoren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Harry; Mathis, Wolfgang

2017-09-01

Die Analyse nichtlinearer dynamischer Schaltungen ist bis heute eine herausfordernde Aufgabe, da nur selten analytische Lösungen angegeben werden können. Daher wurden eine Vielzahl von Methoden entwickelt, um eine qualitative oder quantitative Näherung für die Lösungen der Netzwerkgleichung zu erhalten. Oftmals wird beispielsweise eine Kleinsignalanalyse mit Hilfe einer Taylorreihe in einem Arbeitspunkt durchgeführt, die nach den Gliedern erster Ordnung abgebrochen wird. Allerdings ist diese Linearisierung nur in der Nähe des stabilen Arbeitspunktes für hyperbolische Systeme gültig. Besonders für die Analyse des dynamischen Verhaltens von Oszillatoren treten jedoch nicht-hyperbolische Systeme auf, sodass diese Methode nicht angewendet werden kann Mathis (2000). Carleman hat gezeigt, dass nichtlineare Differentialgleichungen mit polynomiellen Nichtlinearitäten in ein unendliches System von linearen Differentialgleichungen transformiert werden können Carleman (1932). Wird das unendlichdimensionale Gleichungssystem für numerische Zwecke abgebrochen, kann bei Oszillatoren der Übergang in eine stationäre Schwingung (Grenzzyklus) nicht wiedergegeben werden. In diesem Beitrag wird eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Untersuchung von Oszillatoren vorgestellt, die auch dann anwendbar ist, wenn die Nichtlinearitäten keinen Polynomen entsprechen. Anstelle einer linearen Näherung um einen Arbeitspunkt, erfolgt mit Hilfe der Carleman Linearisierung eine Approximation auf einem vorgegebenen Gebiet. Da es jedoch mit der selbstkonsistenten Technik nicht möglich ist, das stationäre Verhalten von Oszillatoren zu beschreiben, wird die Berechnung einer Poincaré-Abbildung durchgeführt. Mit dieser ist eine anschließende Analyse des Oszillators möglich.

Grundlegende Steuerungsverfahren im heterogenen Logistiknetz mit Kanban

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickmann, Eva; Dickmann, Philipp; Lödding, Hermann; Möller, Niklas; Rücker, Thomas; Schneider, Herfried M.; Zäh, Michael F.

In vielen Unternehmen werden heterogene (verschiedene) Steuerungen in einem abgestimmten Konzept kombiniert. Je nach Anwendungsfall und Rahmenbedingungen werden Kombinationen allgemein bekannter Steuerungen oder Steuerungsvarianten gemischt eingesetzt, um eine optimale Steuerung für unterschiedliche Fälle zu erreichen. Hierbei stehen neben den bekannten und weit verbreiteten Methoden, wie Material Requirements Planning (MRP) oder Kanban, auch weniger bekannte oder neue Methoden zur Auswahl, wie die Produktionssteuerung mit dezentraler, bestandsorientierter Fertigungsregelung (DBF). Kanban ist ein simples und effizientes Steuerungskonzept, das in der klassischen Form für spezifische einfache Anwendungsfälle umsetzbar ist. Hochentwickelte Steuerungsalgorithmen können helfen, komplexe Abläufe optimal abzubilden. Mit einer grundlegenden Vereinfachung der Abläufe kann allerdings in vielen Fällen ein wesentlich stärkerer und umfassender Verbesserungseffekt erzielt werden. Die wesentliche Fragestellung sollte folglich lauten: Warum ist der Ablauf nicht mit einer einfachen Steuerung wie Kanban abzubilden? Um die Vorteile des Konzepts auch in untypischen Bereichen anwenden zu können, sind jedoch verschiedene Varianten oder Kanban-ähnliche Steuerungsmethoden entstanden. Darüber hinaus sind in der Praxis hybride Steuerungen im Einsatz, welche so kombiniert werden, dass die Zusammensetzung anspruchsvolle Eigenschaftsbilder noch exakt abbildet. In der Praxis basieren die Steuerungsentscheidungen nur zu einem kleinen Teil auf den eigentlichen Steuerungsalgorithmen, wie sie uns das MRP-System zur Verfügung stellt. Moderne Steuerungswelten" schließen alle relevanten Informationsquellen in eine heterogene Entscheidungsmatrix mit ein. Letztlich zählt nicht, ob die Entscheidung auf den Informationen aus dem MRP-System oder auf Softfacts basierend getroffen wurde, sondern nur, ob die Entscheidung erfolgreich war.

Application of a Statistical Linear Time-Varying System Model of High Grazing Angle Sea Clutter for Computing Interference Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-08

1088793. 3. R. Price and P. E. Green, Jr., “Signal processing in radar astronomy – communication via fluctuating multipath media,” rept. 234, MIT...Lincoln Laboratory (October 1960). 4. P. E. Green, Jr., “Radar astronomy measurement techniques,” rept. 282, MIT Lincoln Laboratory (December 1962). 5. A

MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2011 Facts

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 2011 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE MIT Lincoln...primary mission areas—space control ; air and missile defense; communication systems; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; advanced...electronics; tactical systems; homeland protection and chemical and biological defense; cyber security; and air traffic control . Two of the

MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2010 Facts

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 2010 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE MIT Lincoln...space control ; air and missile defense; communications and information technology; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems...advanced electronics; tactical systems; homeland protection and biological/chemical defense; and air traffic control . Two of the Laboratory’s principal

Revisiting the Reusability and Openness of Resources in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Courseware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nkuyubwatsi, Bernard

2018-01-01

The marketing of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open Courseware gives the impression that it has the potential to contribute to quality open learning and opening up higher education globally. It is from this perspective that the potential contribution of Open Educational Resources (OER) units in the MIT Open Courseware to opening…

Tabellenanhang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krieger, Hanno

Wichtiger Hinweis: Die Korrektur- und Umrechnungsfaktoren für die verschiedenen Dosimetrieaufgaben in diesem Tabellenanhang sind vom Autor mit Sorgfalt recherchiert und zusammengestellt. Der Anwender wird darauf hingewiesen, dass er für die Beschaffung und Überprüfung der Richtigkeit der Dosimetriefaktoren selbst die Verantwortung trägt, zumal je nach Normung und internationaler Festlegung von Zeit zu Zeit mit Änderungen zu rechnen ist.

Graduate Training and Potential Employment for Political Scientists: The MIT Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altshuler, Alan

This paper presents ideas on ways to help graduate students in political science to become more marketable for nonacademic positions. It also includes background information on the changing employment market for Ph.D.'s. These ideas were discussed at a 1980 meeting of teachers, graduate students, and recent Ph.D.'s at MIT. The purpose of the…

Elektroakustische Wandler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Um Sprache und Musik über größere Entfernungen zu übertragen, wird der Hörschall mit einem Mikrofon in ein proportionales elektrisches Signal umgewandelt und auf drahtlosem Wege (Beispiel Rundfunkübertragung) oder drahtgebunden (Beispiel Telefon, Kabelrundfunk, oft in Kombination mit dem drahtlosen Weg) zum Empfänger übermittelt. Am Empfangsort setzt z. B. ein Lautsprecher das elektrische Signal wieder in ein akustisches Signal um.

Analysis and Implementation of Robust Grasping Behaviors

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

34 Technical Report 992, MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, May, 1987. 2. Brooks, R. A. "Achieving Artifci &l Intelligence Through...DTIu FILE COPY Technical Report 1237 ’Analysis and Implementation of NRobust Grasping Behaviors Camille Z. Chammas MIT Artificial Intelligence ...describes research conducted at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Support for the laboratory’s

OOPS, Turning MIT Opencourseware into Chinese: An Analysis of a Community of Practice of Global Translators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mimi Miyoung; Lin, Meng-Fen Grace; Bonk, Curtis J.

2007-01-01

An all-volunteer organization called the Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System (OOPS), headquartered in Taiwan, was initially designed to translate open source materials from MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) site into Chinese. Given the recent plethora of open educational resources (OER), such as the OCW, the growing use of such resources by the…

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Annual Report 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Research and Development Center (FFRDC) and a DoD Research and Development Laboratory. The Laboratory conducts research and development pertinent to...year, the Laboratory restruc- tured three divisions to focus research and development in areas that are increasingly important to the nation...the Director 3 Collaborations with MIT campus continue to grow, leveraging the strengths of researchers at both the Laboratory and campus. The

Topology Design for Directional Range Extension Networks with Antenna Blockage

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-19

introduced by pod-based antenna blockages. Using certain modeling approximations, the paper presents a quantitative analysis showing design trade-offs...parameters. Sec- tion IV develops quantitative relationships among key design elements and performance metrics. Section V considers some implications of the...Topology Design for Directional Range Extension Networks with Antenna Blockage Thomas Shake MIT Lincoln Laboratory shake@ll.mit.edu Abstract

Aus Wirtschaft und Betrieb. Biomasse: Gewinnung und Verarbeitung mit Profilschal-maschinen

Treesearch

P. Koch

1977-01-01

1963 wurden in den Südstaaten der USA nur 30% der oberund unterirdischen Biomasse der geernteten sog. Southern pines für Schnittholz und Zellstoff verwertet bzw. als getrockneies, gehobletes und abgelängtes Schnittholz oder als Kraftpapier verkauft. Keine der zusammen mit den Kiefern vorkommenden Laubholzarten wurde bisher in nennenswertem Umfan verwertet. Auch heute...

Understanding the Self-Directed Online Learning Preferences, Goals, Achievements, and Challenges of MIT OpenCourseWare Subscribers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonk, Curtis J.; Lee, Mimi Miyoung; Kou, Xiaojing; Xu, Shuya; Sheu, Feng-Ru

2015-01-01

This research targeted the learning preferences, goals and motivations, achievements, challenges, and possibilities for life change of self-directed online learners who subscribed to the monthly OpenCourseWare (OCW) e-newsletter from MIT. Data collection included a 25-item survey of 1,429 newsletter subscribers; 613 of whom also completed an…

Clinical accuracy of inflationary oscillometry in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia: Omron-MIT Elite.

PubMed

Chung, Y; Brochut, M C; de Greeff, A; Shennan, A H

2012-10-01

To evaluate the accuracy of the Omron MIT Elite in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia according to the British Hypertension Society protocol (BHS). Prospective observational study. Antenatal clinics and wards at St. Thomas' Hospital (London, UK). Forty-five pregnant women including 15 with pre-eclampsia. Nine sequential same arm blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken from each woman by trained observers, alternating between mercury sphygmomanometry and the test device. Grading criteria of the BHS protocol (A/B grade=pass; C/D=fail). The Omron MIT Elite achieved a grade A/A in both pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. The mean difference (SD) between the mercury standard and the device in pregnancy was -1.1 (5.2)mmHg and 1.5 (4.8)mmHg for systolic and diastolic BP respectively compared to 0.2 (5.3)mmHg and 2.2 (5.5)mmHg in pre-eclampsia. The Omron MIT Elite can be recommended for use in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia according to the BHS protocol. To date, this is the most accurate automated BP device validated in pre-eclampsia. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Osteopathie bei gastroösophagealem Reflux mit Hiatushernie: Ein Fallbericht gemäß der CARE-Leitlinie].

PubMed

Rotter, Gabriele; Brinkhaus, Benno

2017-01-01

Hintergrund: Das Vorhandensein einer Hiatushernie kann das Auftreten einer gastroösophagealen Refluxerkrankung (GERD) als Komplikation bedingen. Konventionelle medizinische Therapiemaßnahmen können zu unerwünschten Ereignissen und Rezidiven führen. Bisher sind die Effekte von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei Hiatushernie und GERD nicht bekannt. Fallbericht: Eine 59-jährige Patientin mit endoskopisch diagnostizierter chronischer Gastritis, GERD und Hiatushernie beklagte einen persistierenden gastroösophagealen Reflux trotz konventionell-medizinischer konservativer Therapie. Die osteopathische Diagnostik ergab eine funktionelle Störung im Bereich des Magens und der Kardia mit einer Beteiligung zugehöriger Reflexzonen. Nach einer osteopathischen Behandlung als individuelle, befundorientierte Therapie ließen die Beschwerden erheblich nach. Die Hiatushernie war nach einer dieser Behandlung endoskopisch nicht mehr nachweisbar. Schlussfolgerungen: Dieser Fallbericht schildert die Symptomreduktion einer GERD nach osteopathischer Behandlung. In der endoskopischen Folgeuntersuchung fand sich die initial diagnostizierte Hiatushernie nicht mehr, diese Befund änderung könnte jedoch auf die unterschiedlichen Untersucher zurückgeführt werden. Prospektive kontrollierte klinische Studien sind notwendig, um den Stellenwert von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei GERD mit Hiatushernie zu untersuchen. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

X-ray structure of acid-sensing ion channel 1-snake toxin complex reveals open state of a Na(+)-selective channel.

PubMed

Baconguis, Isabelle; Bohlen, Christopher J; Goehring, April; Julius, David; Gouaux, Eric

2014-02-13

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) detect extracellular protons produced during inflammation or ischemic injury and belong to the superfamily of degenerin/epithelial sodium channels. Here, we determine the cocrystal structure of chicken ASIC1a with MitTx, a pain-inducing toxin from the Texas coral snake, to define the structure of the open state of ASIC1a. In the MitTx-bound open state and in the previously determined low-pH desensitized state, TM2 is a discontinuous α helix in which the Gly-Ala-Ser selectivity filter adopts an extended, belt-like conformation, swapping the cytoplasmic one-third of TM2 with an adjacent subunit. Gly 443 residues of the selectivity filter provide a ring of three carbonyl oxygen atoms with a radius of ∼3.6 Å, presenting an energetic barrier for hydrated ions. The ASIC1a-MitTx complex illuminates the mechanism of MitTx action, defines the structure of the selectivity filter of voltage-independent, sodium-selective ion channels, and captures the open state of an ASIC. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Artist's Rendering of Multiple Whirlpools in a Sodium Gas Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This image depicts the formation of multiple whirlpools in a sodium gas cloud. Scientists who cooled the cloud and made it spin created the whirlpools in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory, as part of NASA-funded research. This process is similar to a phenomenon called starquakes that appear as glitches in the rotation of pulsars in space. MIT's Wolgang Ketterle and his colleagues, who conducted the research under a grant from the Biological and Physical Research Program through NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., cooled the sodium gas to less than one millionth of a degree above absolute zero (-273 Celsius or -460 Fahrenheit). At such extreme cold, the gas cloud converts to a peculiar form of matter called Bose-Einstein condensate, as predicted by Albert Einstein and Satyendra Bose of India in 1927. No physical container can hold such ultra-cold matter, so Ketterle's team used magnets to keep the cloud in place. They then used a laser beam to make the gas cloud spin, a process Ketterle compares to stroking a ping-pong ball with a feather until it starts spirning. The spinning sodium gas cloud, whose volume was one- millionth of a cubic centimeter, much smaller than a raindrop, developed a regular pattern of more than 100 whirlpools.

Irreversible metal-insulator transition in thin film VO2 induced by soft X-ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, V. R.; Jovic, V.; Valmianski, I.; Ramirez, J. G.; Lamoureux, B.; Schuller, Ivan K.; Smith, K. E.

2017-12-01

In this study, we show the ability of soft x-ray irradiation to induce room temperature metal-insulator transitions (MITs) in VO2 thin films grown on R-plane sapphire. The ability of soft x-rays to induce MIT in VO2 thin films is confirmed by photoemission spectroscopy and soft x-ray spectroscopy measurements. When irradiation was discontinued, the systems do not return to the insulating phase. Analysis of valence band photoemission spectra revealed that the density of states (DOSs) of the V 3d band increased with irradiation time, while the DOS of the O 2p band decreased. We use these results to propose a model in which the MIT is driven by oxygen desorption from thin films during irradiation.

Using an atom interferometer to take the Gedanken out of Feynman's Gedankenexperiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, David E.; Hammond, Troy D.; Lenef, Alan; Rubenstein, Richard A.; Smith, Edward T.; Chapman, Michael S.; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

1997-01-01

We give a description of two experiments performed in an atom interferometer at MIT. By scattering a single photon off of the atom as it passes through the interferometer, we perform a version of a classic gedankenexperiment, a demonstration of a Feynman light microscope. As path information about the atom is gained, contrast in the atom fringes (coherence) is lost. The lost coherence is then recovered by observing only atoms which scatter photons into a particular final direction. This paper reflects the main emphasis of D. E. Pritchard's talk at the RIS meeting. Information about other topics covered in that talk, as well as a review of all of the published work performed with the MIT atom/molecule interferometer, is available on the world wide web at http://coffee.mit.edu/.

Verbesserung der Symmetrie von Hirnaufnahmen entlang der Sagittalebene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ens, Konstantin; Wenzel, Fabian; Fischer, Bernd

Die lokale Symmetrie von Hirnscans entlang der Sagittalebene zu ermitteln und zu modizifieren, ist für eine Reihe neurologischer Anwendungen interessant. Beispielsweise kann der voxelweise Vergleich von rechter und linker Hirnhälfte nur dann Aufschluss über die Lokalisierung von Läsionen geben, wenn durch Transformation ein Hirnscan eine möglichst hohe Symmetrie aufweist. Ein weiteres Anwendungsgebiet ist die Visualisierung von medialen Hirnschnitten, für die die Trennfläche beider Hirnhälfte möglichst eben sein sollte. Diese Arbeit stellt die Entwicklung eines Verfahrens vor, mit dessen Hilfe die Symmetrie von Hirnaufnahmen entlang der Sagittalebene verbessert werden kann. Dies geschieht unter Verwendung von aktiven Konturen, die mit Hilfe einer neuartigen Kostenfunktion gesteuert werden. Experimente am Ende der Arbeit mit strukturellen Kernspinaufnahmen demonstrieren die Leistungsfähigkeit des Verfahrens.

Effects of postdeposition annealing on the metal-insulator transition of VO2-x thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shiu-Jen; Su, Yu-Tai; Hsieh, Juang-Hsin

2014-03-01

We report the fabrication of textured VO2-x films on c-cut sapphire substrates by postdeposition annealing of V2O3 films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using V2O3 as the target. Although the prepared VO2-x films are expected to be oxygen-deficient, overoxidation on the film surface was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The metal-insulator transition (MIT) characteristics of the VO2-x films were investigated. MIT parameters including the transition temperature, transition sharpness, and hysteresis width of the VO2-x films were manipulated by varying the oxygen pressure during postdeposition annealing. The suppression of optical transmittance in the near-infrared region was observed by increasing the temperature through the MIT.

AMANDA and D0 as a Test Environment for the LHC Computing Grid (in German)

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

Harenberg, Torsten

2005-08-01

Die Suche nach den Grundbausteinen der Materie und nach den Kräften, die zwischen ihnen wirken, ist das Forschungsgebiet der Hochenergiephysik. Mit immer größer werdenden Teilchenbeschleunigern erreicht man immer tiefer gehende Erkenntnisse und dringt dabei in Energiebereiche vor, wie sie kurz nach dem Urknall herrschten. Im Moment ist das Tevatron am Fermilab der energ piereichste Teilchenbeschleuniger der Welt mit einer Schwerpunktsenergie von √s = 1, 96 TeV. Um die bei diesen hohen Energien entstehende Anzahl von Teilchen zu messen, sind auch immer höher auflösende Detektoren nötig. Dem wurde dadurch Rechnung getragen, dass mit der Steigerung der Schwerpunktsenergie am Tevatron auch diemore » Detektoren DØ und CDF1) teilweise erneuert wurden.« less

Gas Sensors Based on Molecular Imprinting Technology.

PubMed

Zhang, Yumin; Zhang, Jin; Liu, Qingju

2017-07-04

Molecular imprinting technology (MIT); often described as a method of designing a material to remember a target molecular structure (template); is a technique for the creation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with custom-made binding sites complementary to the target molecules in shape; size and functional groups. MIT has been successfully applied to analyze; separate and detect macromolecular organic compounds. Furthermore; it has been increasingly applied in assays of biological macromolecules. Owing to its unique features of structure specificity; predictability; recognition and universal application; there has been exploration of the possible application of MIPs in the field of highly selective gas sensors. In this present study; we outline the recent advances in gas sensors based on MIT; classify and introduce the existing molecularly imprinted gas sensors; summarize their advantages and disadvantages; and analyze further research directions.

Cortical Circuit for Binding Object Identity and Location During Multiple-Object Tracking

PubMed Central

Nummenmaa, Lauri; Oksama, Lauri; Glerean, Erico; Hyönä, Jukka

2017-01-01

Abstract Sustained multifocal attention for moving targets requires binding object identities with their locations. The brain mechanisms of identity-location binding during attentive tracking have remained unresolved. In 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments, we measured participants’ hemodynamic activity during attentive tracking of multiple objects with equivalent (multiple-object tracking) versus distinct (multiple identity tracking, MIT) identities. Task load was manipulated parametrically. Both tasks activated large frontoparietal circuits. MIT led to significantly increased activity in frontoparietal and temporal systems subserving object recognition and working memory. These effects were replicated when eye movements were prohibited. MIT was associated with significantly increased functional connectivity between lateral temporal and frontal and parietal regions. We propose that coordinated activity of this network subserves identity-location binding during attentive tracking. PMID:27913430

Linear positioning laser calibration setup of CNC machine tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Xiulin; Yang, Congjing

2002-10-01

The linear positioning laser calibration setup of CNC machine tools is capable of executing machine tool laser calibraiotn and backlash compensation. Using this setup, hole locations on CNC machien tools will be correct and machien tool geometry will be evaluated and adjusted. Machien tool laser calibration and backlash compensation is a simple and straightforward process. First the setup is to 'find' the stroke limits of the axis. Then the laser head is then brought into correct alignment. Second is to move the machine axis to the other extreme, the laser head is now aligned, using rotation and elevation adjustments. Finally the machine is moved to the start position and final alignment is verified. The stroke of the machine, and the machine compensation interval dictate the amount of data required for each axis. These factors determine the amount of time required for a through compensation of the linear positioning accuracy. The Laser Calibrator System monitors the material temperature and the air density; this takes into consideration machine thermal growth and laser beam frequency. This linear positioning laser calibration setup can be used on CNC machine tools, CNC lathes, horizontal centers and vertical machining centers.

Investigation of the effects of mirror therapy on the upper extremity functions of stroke patients using the manual function test.

PubMed

Kim, Hwanhee; Shim, Jemyung

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mirror therapy on the upper extremity functions of stroke patients. [Subjects] The subjects of this study were 14 hemiplegia patients (8 males, 6 females; 9 infarction, 5 hemorrhage; 8 right hemiplegia, 6 left hemiplegia) who voluntarily consented to participate in the study. [Methods] The Korean version of the manual function test (MFT) was used in this study. The test was performed in the following order: arm movement (4 items), grasp and pinch (2 items), and manipulation (2 items). The experiment was conducted with the subjects sitting in a chair. The mirror was vertically placed in the sagittal plane on the desk. The paretic hand was placed behind the mirror, and the non-paretic hand was placed in front of the mirror so that it was reflected in the mirror. In this position, the subjects completed activities repetitively according to the mirror therapy program over the course of four weeks. [Results] There were significant increases in the grasp-and-pinch score and manipulation score. [Conclusion] In conclusion, the grasp-and-pinch and manipulation functions were improved through mirror therapy.

Collision detection for spacecraft proximity operations. Ph.D. Thesis - MIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, Robin M.

1987-01-01

The development of a new collision detection algorithm to be used when two spacecraft are operating in the same vicinity is described. The two spacecraft are modeled as unions of convex polyhedra, where the polyhedron resulting from the union may be either convex or nonconvex. The relative motion of the two spacecraft is assumed to be such that one vehicle is moving with constant linear and angular velocity with respect to the other. The algorithm determines if a collision is possible and, if so, predicts the time when the collision will take place. The theoretical basis for the new collision detection algorithm is the C-function formulation of the configuration space approach recently introduced by researchers in robotics. Three different types of C-functions are defined that model the contacts between the vertices, edges, and faces of the polyhedra representing the two spacecraft. The C-functions are shown to be transcendental functions of time for the assumed trajectory of the moving spacecraft. The capabilities of the new algorithm are demonstrated for several example cases.

Sensorimotor aspects of high-speed artificial gravity: II. The effect of head position on illusory self motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mast, F. W.; Newby, N. J.; Young, L. R.

2002-01-01

The effects of cross-coupled stimuli on the semicircular canals are shown to be influenced by the position of the subject's head with respect to gravity and the axis of rotation, but not by the subject's head position relative to the trunk. Seventeen healthy subjects made head yaw movements out of the horizontal plane while lying on a horizontal platform (MIT short radius centrifuge) rotating at 23 rpm about an earth-vertical axis. The subjects reported the magnitude and duration of the illusory pitch or roll sensations elicited by the cross-coupled rotational stimuli acting on the semicircular canals. The results suggest an influence of head position relative to gravity. The magnitude estimation is higher and the sensation decays more slowly when the head's final position is toward nose-up (gravity in the subject's head x-z-plane) compared to when the head is turned toward the side (gravity in the subject's head y-z-plane). The results are discussed with respect to artificial gravity in space and the possible role of pre-adaptation to cross-coupled angular accelerations on earth.

Physiological Effects of Early Incremental Mobilization of a Patient with Acute Intracerebral and Intraventricular Hemorrhage Requiring Dual External Ventricular Drainage.

PubMed

Kumble, Sowmya; Zink, Elizabeth K; Burch, Mackenzie; Deluzio, Sandra; Stevens, Robert D; Bahouth, Mona N

2017-08-01

Recent trials have challenged the notion that very early mobility benefits patients with acute stroke. It is unclear how cerebral autoregulatory impairments, prevalent in this population, could be affected by mobilization. The safety of mobilizing patients who have external ventricular drainage (EVD) devices for cerebrospinal fluid diversion and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is another concern due to risk of device dislodgment and potential elevation in ICP. We report hemodynamic and ICP responses during progressive, device-assisted mobility interventions performed in a critically ill patient with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requiring two EVDs. A 55-year-old man was admitted to the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit with an acute thalamic ICH and complex intraventricular hemorrhage requiring placement of two EVDs. Progressive mobilization was achieved using mobility technology devices. Range of motion exercises were performed initially, progressing to supine cycle ergometry followed by incremental verticalization using a tilt table. Physiological parameters were recorded before and after the interventions. All mobility interventions were completed without any adverse event or clinically detectable change in the patient's neurological state. Physiological parameters including hemodynamic variables and ICP remained within prescribed goals throughout. Progressive, device-assisted early mobilization was feasible and safe in this critically ill patient with hemorrhagic stroke when titrated by an interdisciplinary team of skilled healthcare professionals. Studies are needed to gain insight into the hemodynamic and neurophysiological responses associated with early mobility in acute stroke to identify subsets of patients who are most likely to benefit from this intervention.

[A complex study of the movement biomechanics in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis].

PubMed

Skvortsov, D V; Bulatova, M A; Kovrazhkina, E A; Suvorov, A Iu; Ivanova, G E; Skvortsova, V I

2012-01-01

The authors present results of a pilot study on biomechanics of non-cyclic movements of the human consequent verticalization in the ontogenesis of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis (10 patients in the acute stage of cerebral stroke) and 10 healthy volunteers without neurologic and orthopedic pathology. Some movements of therapeutic exercises Balance (a model of ontogenetic kinesitherapy) have been selected for the study. Cinematic parameters have been recorded using a system of motion 3D video analysis, a kinematic model was build in accordance to standard protocols. The skin (native and straightened) electromyogram (EMG) was recorded synchronously with kinematic data using 16-channel electromyography from the following pairs of muscles: mm. sternocleido-mastoideus, trapezius (горизонтальная порция), biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus femoris, adductor magnus. Major differences in the EMG picture between patients and controls were: 1) the EMG "monotony" with the involvement of multiple additional muscles in locomotions with the prevalence of the peculiar "tonic" muscle activity (low amplitudes without distinct peaks), stretching along the whole cycle of movement. In controls, EMG demonstrated variability and had mostly "phasic" character with distinct 1 or 2 peaks; 2) the asymmetry of EMG profile in symmetric movements. i.e. when performed simultaneously from the right and from the left sides. The latter feature may be considered as predictive because it was never found in healthy people. It allows to identify objectively weak muscles even in the absence of visible parethis during the routine neurological examination.

Talent identification and early development of elite water-polo players: a 2-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Falk, Bareket; Lidor, Ronnie; Lander, Yael; Lang, Benny

2004-04-01

The processes of talent detection and early development are critical in any sport programme. However, not much is known about the appropriate strategies to be implemented during these processes, and little scientific inquiry has been conducted in this area. The aim of this study was to identify variables of swimming, ball handling and physical ability, as well as game intelligence, which could assist in the selection process of young water-polo players. Twenty-four players aged 14-15 years underwent a battery of tests three times during a 2-year period, before selection to the junior national team. The tests included: freestyle swim for 50, 100, 200 and 400 m, 100-m breast-stroke, 100-m 'butterfly' (with breast-stroke leg motion), 50-m dribbling, throwing at the goal, throw for distance in the water, vertical 'jump' from the water, and evaluation of game intelligence by two coaches. A comparison of those players eventually selected to the team and those not selected demonstrated that, 2 years before selection, selected players were already superior on most of the swim tasks (with the exception of breast-stroke and 50-m freestyle), as well as dribbling and game intelligence. This superiority was maintained throughout the 2 years. Two-way tabulation revealed that, based on baseline scores, the prediction for 67% of the players was in agreement with the final selection to the junior national team. We recommend that fewer swim events be used in the process of selecting young water-polo players, and that greater emphasis should be placed on evaluation of game intelligence.

Topics in Covariant Closed String Field Theory and Two-Dimensional Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadi, Maha

1991-01-01

The closed string field theory based on the Witten vertex is found to be nonpolynomial in order to reproduce all tree amplitudes correctly. The interactions have a geometrical pattern of overlaps, which can be thought as the edges of a spherical polyhedron with face-perimeters equal to 2pi. At each vertex of the polyhedron there are three faces, thus all elementary interactions are cubic in the sense that at most three strings can coincide at a point. The quantum action is constructed by substracting counterterms which cancel the overcounting of moduli space, and by adding loop vertices in such a way no possible surfaces are missed. A counterterm that gives the correct one-string one-loop amplitude is formulated. The lowest order loop vertices are analyzed in the cases of genus one and two. Also, a one-loop two -string counterterm that restores BRST invariance to the respective scattering amplitude is constructed. An attempt to understand the formulation of two -dimensional pure gravity from the discrete representation of a two-dimensional surface is made. This is considered as a toy model of string theory. A well-defined mathematical model is used. Its continuum limit cannot be naively interpreted as pure gravity because each term of the sum over surfaces is not positive definite. The model, however, could be considered as an analytic continuation of the standard matrix model formulation of gravity. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.).

Holding the Center: Memoirs of a Life in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Howard Wesley

This memoir by Howard Wesley Johnson, who was president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the 1960s and 1970s, is an autobiography as well as a history of how MIT coped with and responded to the hyperturbulance of the Vietnam era. The book reflects three themes: it is a history; it is a personal memoir that analyzes the…

Use of graphics in decision aids for telerobotic control: (Parts 5-8 of an 8-part MIT progress report)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheridan, Thomas B.; Roseborough, James B.; Das, Hari; Chin, Kan-Ping; Inoue, Seiichi

1989-01-01

Four separate projects recently completed or in progress at the MIT Man-Machine Systems Laboratory are summarized. They are: a decision aid for retrieving a tumbling satellite in space; kinematic control and graphic display of redundant teleoperators; real time terrain/object generation: a quad-tree approach; and two dimensional control for three dimensional obstacle avoidance.

Analysis of German Patent Literature

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

the entities that are pictured in the gures, as they are likely to be important parts of the patent. Chunking is not a big source of errors - most...document groups, where the documents need not be exact translations. 21 Bibliography [1] Sabine Brants, Stefanie Dipper , Silvia Hansen, Wolfgang Lezius...mit ] A big sh [ übersetzt] ITJ Interjektion interjection mhm, ach, tja KOUI unterordnende Konjunktion mit zu und Innitiv subordinating conjunction

LISP on a Reduced-Instruction-Set-Processor,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

Digital * Press, 1984. 19. Steele, G. L. Jr., and Sussman, G.J. LAMBDA : The Ultimate Imperative. Al Memo 353, MIT, Artificial ,, Inteligence Laboratory...procedure B is No 444, MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, August, recursive, if procedure A can be reexecuted before the call 1977. returns. This...the programs Artificial Intelligence Programming. Lawrence Erlbaum use apply and eval, and of these three only frl uses eval Associates, Hillsdale, New

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Takes the Mystery Out of Supercomupting

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-18

analysis, designing sensors, and developing algorithms. In 2008, the Lincoln demonstrated the largest single problem ever run on a computer using ... computation . As we design and prototype these devices, the use of leading–edge engineering practices have become the de facto standard. This includes...MIT Lincoln Laboratory Takes the Mystery Out of Supercomputing By Dr. Jeremy Kepner 1 The introduction of multicore and manycore processors

Natural Tasking of Robots Based on Human Interaction Cues

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

MIT. • Matthew Marjanovic , researcher, ITA Software. • Brian Scasselatti, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Yale. • Matthew Williamson...2004. 25 [74] Charlie C. Kemp. Shoes as a platform for vision. 7th IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers, 2004. [75] Matthew Marjanovic ...meso: Simulated muscles for a humanoid robot. Presentation for Humanoid Robotics Group, MIT AI Lab, August 2001. [76] Matthew J. Marjanovic . Teaching

Maniac Talk - Dr. Eugenia Kalnay

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-03-31

Eugenia Kalnay Maniac Lecture, March 31, 2015 Dr. Eugenia Kalnay, Distinguished University Professor and the first woman to get a doctorate in Meteorology from MIT, presented a Maniac Talk entitled, "Sheer luck: How I stumbled my way through a fantastic scientific career." Eugenia shared her life and times at the University of Buenos Aires, MIT, NASA, NOAA and University of Maryland, infused with dreams from her mother.

Progress in neuro-otology research in the last year.

PubMed

Tarnutzer, Alexander A; Straumann, Dominik

2012-11-01

Herein, we summarize articles in the field of neuro-otology published in the Journal of Neurology over the last year. Topics included acute and chronic vertigo as well as auditory and ocular motor disorders. Characteristic lesion locations in Pusher syndrome are reported and the usefulness of bedside ocular motor tests in vertebrobasilar stroke is revisited. Probing the vestibular system and its value in predicting the outcome in vegetative state is discussed. Several articles address new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in different disorders associated with chronic vestibular, auditory or gait deficits. In a series of case reports, we focus on different eye movement disorders in the vertical plane, which are often difficult to assess.

Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

DOE PAGES

Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Park, Sungkyun; ...

2014-12-05

Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research, but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metalinsulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase puremore » epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V₂⁺²O₃, V⁺⁴O₂, and V₂⁺⁵O₅. A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO₂ films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O₂). The films grown either in lower (< 10 mTorr) or higher P(O₂) (> 25 mTorr) result in V₂O₃ and V₂O₅ phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO₂ thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an 3 improved MIT behavior.« less

Characteristics of the LacTek test as applied to tissue samples: assessment of performance using incurred field samples.

PubMed

Mitchell, J M; McNab, W B; Yee, A J; Griffiths, M W; McEwen, S A; Spilsbury, L; Boison, J O

1998-08-01

The Lactek test, marketed for antimicrobial residue detection in milk, was validated for the detection of antimicrobial residues in tissues. A previous study found that the LacTek test could confidently identify tissue samples spiked with antimicrobial residues. However, the test could not reliably distinguish violative from nonviolative spiked samples relative to Canadian maximum residue limits (MRLs). The objectives of this study were to assess and compare the performance of the LacTek tests for beta-lactams, tetracyclines, gentamicin, and sulfamethazine on samples containing naturally incurred residues by running the test in parallel with the standard microbial inhibition test (MIT) presently used for the routine testing of tissues at our facility and to assess the agreement with high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determinative methods. Parallel testing with the official MIT found that the Lactek tests could be confidently used for testing tissue samples containing incurred residues. Among 1,008 MIT-positive samples, the LacTek test found that 90% contained beta-lactams and/or tetracyclines. A further 7.3% of violative residues could not be identified to an antimicrobial class. In addition, 9% of samples testing negative on the MIT were found to contain an antimicrobial residue by the LacTek tests. Comparative testing with HPLC methods found that there was very good agreement between the two tests and that most violations were due to penicillin G and oxytetracycline. Although the LacTek test cannot be used to distinguish violative from nonviolative residue levels, it does offer several advantages over the present MIT. These include speed, ease of use, the ability to identify residues to a specific class, and an improved sensitivity at the MRL level for the most commonly found antimicrobials in tissue.

Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Park, Sungkyun; Egami, Takeshi; Lee, Ho Nyung

2014-12-01

Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase pure epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V2 + 3 O 3 , V + 4 O 2 , and V2 + 5 O 5 . A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO2 films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O2). The films grown either in lower (<10 mTorr) or higher P(O2) (>25 mTorr) result in V2O3 and V2O5 phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO2 thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an improved MIT behavior.

Microfabricated Liquid Rocket Motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epstein, Alan H.; Joppin, C.; Kerrebrock, J. L.; Schneider, Steven J. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Under NASA Glenn Research Center sponsorship, MIT has developed the concept of micromachined, bipropellant, liquid rocket engines. This is potentially a breakthrough technology changing the cost-performance tradeoffs for small propulsion systems, enabling new applications, and redefining the meaning of the term low-cost-access-to-space. With this NASA support, a liquid-cooled, gaseous propellant version of the thrust chamber and nozzle was designed, built, and tested as a first step. DARPA is currently funding MIT to demonstrate turbopumps and controls. The work performed herein was the second year of a proposed three-year effort to develop the technology and demonstrate very high power density, regeneratively cooled, liquid bipropellant rocket engine thrust chamber and nozzles. When combined with the DARPA turbopumps and controls, this work would enable the design and demonstration of a complete rocket propulsion system. The original MIT-NASA concept used liquid oxygen-ethanol propellants. The military applications important to DARPA imply that storable liquid propellants are needed. Thus, MIT examined various storable propellant combinations including N2O4 and hydrazine, and H2O2 and various hydrocarbons. The latter are preferred since they do not have the toxicity of N2O4 and hydrazine. In reflection of the newfound interest in H2O2, it is once again in production and available commercially. A critical issue for the microrocket engine concept is cooling of the walls in a regenerative design. This is even more important at microscale than for large engines due to cube-square scaling considerations. Furthermore, the coolant behavior of rocket propellants has not been characterized at microscale. Therefore, MIT designed and constructed an apparatus expressly for this purpose. The report details measurements of two candidate microrocket fuels, JP-7 and JP-10.

Final Report: Quantification of Uncertainty in Extreme Scale Computations (QUEST)

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

Marzouk, Youssef; Conrad, Patrick; Bigoni, Daniele

QUEST (\\url{www.quest-scidac.org}) is a SciDAC Institute that is focused on uncertainty quantification (UQ) in large-scale scientific computations. Our goals are to (1) advance the state of the art in UQ mathematics, algorithms, and software; and (2) provide modeling, algorithmic, and general UQ expertise, together with software tools, to other SciDAC projects, thereby enabling and guiding a broad range of UQ activities in their respective contexts. QUEST is a collaboration among six institutions (Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, and Duke University) with a historymore » of joint UQ research. Our vision encompasses all aspects of UQ in leadership-class computing. This includes the well-founded setup of UQ problems; characterization of the input space given available data/information; local and global sensitivity analysis; adaptive dimensionality and order reduction; forward and inverse propagation of uncertainty; handling of application code failures, missing data, and hardware/software fault tolerance; and model inadequacy, comparison, validation, selection, and averaging. The nature of the UQ problem requires the seamless combination of data, models, and information across this landscape in a manner that provides a self-consistent quantification of requisite uncertainties in predictions from computational models. Accordingly, our UQ methods and tools span an interdisciplinary space across applied math, information theory, and statistics. The MIT QUEST effort centers on statistical inference and methods for surrogate or reduced-order modeling. MIT personnel have been responsible for the development of adaptive sampling methods, methods for approximating computationally intensive models, and software for both forward uncertainty propagation and statistical inverse problems. A key software product of the MIT QUEST effort is the MIT Uncertainty Quantification library, called MUQ (\\url{muq.mit.edu}).« less

Effects of a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone on peripheral airway dysfunction in children

PubMed Central

Cho, Hyun-Ju; Park, Dong-Uk; Yoon, Jisun; Lee, Eun; Yang, Song-I; Kim, Young-Ho; Lee, So-Yeon

2017-01-01

Background Children who were only exposed to a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) as humidifier disinfectant (HD) components were evaluated for humidifier disinfectant-associated lung injury (HDLI) from 2012. This study was to evaluate the pulmonary function using, impulse oscillometry (IOS) for children exposed to a mixture of CMIT/MIT from HD. Methods Twenty-four children who were only exposed to a mixture of CMIT/MIT, with no previous underlying disease, were assessed by IOS. Diagnostic criteria for HDLI were categorized as definite, probable, possible, or unlikely. Home visits and administration of a standardized questionnaire were arranged to assess exposure characteristics. Results Definite and probable cases showed higher airborne disinfectant exposure intensity during sleep (32.4 ± 8.7 μg/m3) and younger age at initial exposure (3.5 ± 3.3 months) compared with unlikely cases (17.3 ± 11.0 μg/m3, p = 0.026; 22.5 ± 26.2 months, p = 0.039, respectively). Reactance at 5 Hz was significantly more negative in those with high-density exposure during sleep (mean, -0.463 kPa/L/s vs. low density, -0.296, p = 0.001). The reactance area was also higher with high-density exposure during sleep (mean, 3.240 kPa/L vs. low density, 1.922, p = 0.039). The mean bronchodilator response with high-density exposure was within the normal range for reactance. Conclusions Significant peripheral airway dysfunction were found in children with high levels of inhalation exposure to a mixture of CMIT/MIT during sleep. Strict regulation of a mixture of CMIT/MIT exposure were associated with positive effects on lung function of children. PMID:28453578

Hydronephrosis with ureteritis developed in C57BL/6N mice carrying the congenic region derived from MRL/MpJ-type chromosome 11.

PubMed

Ichii, Osamu; Chihara, Masataka; Lee, Shin-Hyo; Nakamura, Teppei; Otsuka-Kanazawa, Saori; Horino, Taro; Elewa, Yaser Hosny Ali; Kon, Yasuhiro

2017-03-01

Inbred MRL/MpJ mice show several unique phenotypes in tissue regeneration processes and the urogenital and immune systems. Clarifying the genetic and molecular bases of these phenotypes requires the analysis of their genetic susceptibility locus. Herein, hydronephrosis development was incidentally observed in MRL/MpJ-derived chromosome 11 (D11Mit21-212)-carrying C57BL/6N-based congenic mice, which developed bilateral or unilateral hydronephrosis in both males and females with 23.5% and 12.5% prevalence, respectively. Histopathologically, papillary malformations of the transitional epithelium in the pelvic-ureteric junction seemed to constrict the ureter luminal entrance. Characteristically, eosinophilic crystals were observed in the lumen of diseased ureters. These ureters were surrounded by infiltrating cells mainly composed of numerous CD3 +  T-cells and B220 +  B-cells. Furthermore, several Iba-1 +  macrophages, Gr-1 +  granulocytes, mast cells and chitinase 3-like 3/Ym1 (an important inflammatory lectin)-positive cells were detected. Eosinophils also accumulated to these lesions in diseased ureters. Some B6.MRL-(D11Mit21-D11Mit212) mice had duplicated ureters. We determined >100 single nucleotide variants between C57BL/6N- and MRL/MpJ-type chromosome 11 congenic regions, which were associated with nonsynonymous substitution, frameshift or stopgain of coding proteins. In conclusion, B6.MRL-(D11Mit21-D11Mit212) mice spontaneously developed hydronephrosis due to obstructive uropathy with inflammation. Thus, this mouse line would be useful for molecular pathological analysis of obstructive uropathy in experimental medicine.

Mean GOSLON Yardstick Scores After 3 Different Treatment Protocols-A Long-term Study of Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

PubMed

Peterson, Petra; Mars, Michael; Gowans, Alan; Larson, Ola; Neovius, Erik; Henningsson, Gunilla; Andlin-Sobocki, Anna; Pegelow, Marie; Lemberger, Mathias; Raud-Westberg, Liisi M; Karsten, Agneta L-A

2018-01-01

(1) To evaluate dental arch relationships, with the Great Ormond Street, London and Oslo (GOSLON) Yardstick, of participants with Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and treated with 1-stage palatal closure with 3 different surgical protocols (2) to compare the mean GOSLON ratings with other CLP centers. Retrospective study of medical charts and dental models. Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Eighty-seven patients with UCLP operated with 1-stage palatal repair. Thirty-five were operated with Veau-Wardill-Kilner (VWK) technique 1975 to 1986, 31 with minimal incision technique (MIT) from 1987 to 1997, and 21 according to MIT with muscle reconstruction (MITmr) 1998 to 2004. Dental casts at ages 5 (n = 87), 7 to 8 (n = 27), 10 (n = 81), 16 (n = 61), and 19 (n = 35) years were rated by 10 assessors with the GOSLON Yardstick. Information of other interventions was retrieved from patients' charts. Mean GOSLON ratings. A total of 82% of the participants were rated as having excellent to satisfactory outcome. Weighted κ statistics for the 10 assessors was good for inter-rater agreement and good/very good for intra-rater agreement. The mean GOSLON score in the Stockholm overall material at age 10 was 2.67. The VWK technique resulted in a greater need of orthognathic surgery than the MIT ( P < .01). The MITmr did not produce better dental arch relationships than MIT at age 5 ( P < .05). The best dental arch relationships were found in the MIT group at 10 years, mean 2.58, which is not significantly different from other centers with excellent outcome except Gothenburg and Vienna.

Growth control of the oxidation state in vanadium oxide thin films

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

Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Lee, Ho Nyung, E-mail: hnlee@ornl.gov

2014-12-01

Precise control of the chemical valence or oxidation state of vanadium in vanadium oxide thin films is highly desirable for not only fundamental research but also technological applications that utilize the subtle change in the physical properties originating from the metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature. However, due to the multivalent nature of vanadium and the lack of a good understanding on growth control of the oxidation state, stabilization of phase pure vanadium oxides with a single oxidation state is extremely challenging. Here, we systematically varied the growth conditions to clearly map out the growth window for preparing phase puremore » epitaxial vanadium oxides by pulsed laser deposition for providing a guideline to grow high quality thin films with well-defined oxidation states of V{sub 2}{sup +3}O{sub 3}, V{sup +4}O{sub 2}, and V{sub 2}{sup +5}O{sub 5}. A well pronounced MIT was only observed in VO{sub 2} films grown in a very narrow range of oxygen partial pressure P(O{sub 2}). The films grown either in lower (<10 mTorr) or higher P(O{sub 2}) (>25 mTorr) result in V{sub 2}O{sub 3} and V{sub 2}O{sub 5} phases, respectively, thereby suppressing the MIT for both cases. We have also found that the resistivity ratio before and after the MIT of VO{sub 2} thin films can be further enhanced by one order of magnitude when the films are further oxidized by post-annealing at a well-controlled oxidizing ambient. This result indicates that stabilizing vanadium into a single valence state has to compromise with insufficient oxidation of an as grown thin film and, thereby, a subsequent oxidation is required for an improved MIT behavior.« less

[Hepatitis E - More than a Rare Travel-Associated Infectious Disease!

PubMed

Wedemeyer, Heiner

2017-06-01

Übertragungswege  In Deutschland infizieren sich jedes Jahr wahrscheinlich mehr als 300 000 Menschen mit dem Hepatitis-E-Virus (HEV). Die Hepatitis E ist in Mitteleuropa in der Regel eine durch den zoonotischen HEV-Genotyp-3-verursachte autochthone, d. h. lokal erworbene Infektionskrankheit. Der Verzehr von nicht ausreichend erhitztem Schweine- oder Wildfleisch ist ein Hauptrisikofaktor für HEV-Infektionen, Übertragungen des Virus durch Bluttransfusionen sind aber auch möglich. Diagnostik  Bei Immunkompetenten kann die Diagnose einer akuten Hepatitis E mit dem Nachweis von anti-HEV-IgM gestellt werden. Serologische Tests können bei Immunsupprimierten aber falsch-negativ sein, weshalb in diesen Fällen eine HEV-Infektion nur durch den direkten Nachweis des Erregers mittels PCR im Blut oder Stuhl erfolgen sollte. Natürlicher Verlauf  Eine akute Hepatitis E kann bei Patienten mit anderen chronischen Lebererkrankungen zu einem Leberversagen führen. Chronische Verläufe, definiert durch eine Virämie von mind. 3 Monaten, sind bei Organtransplantierten mit immunsuppressiver Medikation beschrieben, können aber auch bei anderen Immundefizienzen auftreten. Eine chronische Hepatitis E kann innerhalb von Monaten zu einer fortgeschrittenen Leberfibrose oder zur Zirrhose führen. Extrahepatische Manifestationen  Extrahepatische Manifestationen können während und nach einer HEV-Infektion auftreten. Insbesondere Guillain-Barré-Syndrome und die neuralgische Schulteramyotrophie sind mit einer Hepatitis E assoziiert worden. Therapie  Ribavirin hat eine antivirale Wirksamkeit gegen HEV. Bei chronischer Hepatitis E sollte die Behandlung für 3 – 6 Monate durchgeführt werden. Therapieversagen und Rückfälle nach Beendigung einer Behandlung sind möglich. Ein Impfstoff gegen HEV ist bisher nur in China zugelassen.

Dimensional accuracy of pickup implant impression: an in vitro comparison of novel modular versus standard custom trays.

PubMed

Simeone, Piero; Valentini, Pier Paolo; Pizzoferrato, Roberto; Scudieri, Folco

2011-01-01

The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the dimensional accuracy of the pickup impression technique using a modular individual tray (MIT) and using a standard individual tray (ST) for multiple internal-connection implants. The roles of both materials and geometric misfits were considered. First, because the MIT relies on the stiffness and elasticity of acrylic resin material, a preliminary investigation of the resin volume contraction during curing and polymerization was done. Then, two sets of specimens were tested to compare the accuracy of the MIT (test group) to that of the ST (control group). The linear and angular displacements of the transfer copings were measured and compared during three different stages of the impression procedure. Experimental measurements were performed with a computerized coordinate measuring machine. The curing dynamic of the acrylic resin was strongly dependent on the physical properties of the acrylic material and the powder/liquid ratio. Specifically, an increase in the powder/liquid ratio accelerated resin polymerization (curing time decreases by 70%) and reduced the final volume contraction by 45%. However, the total shrinkage never exceeded the elastic limits of the material; hence, it did not affect the coping's stability. In the test group, linear errors were reduced by 55% and angular errors were reduced by 65%. Linear and angular displacements of the transfer copings were significantly reduced with the MIT technique, which led to higher dimensional accuracy versus the ST group. The MIT approach, in combination with a thin and uniform amount of acrylic resin in the pickup impression technique, showed no significant permanent distortions in multiple misalignment internal-connection implants compared to the ST technique.

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis for iodinated amino acid extraction from edible seaweed before reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Romarís-Hortas, Vanessa; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar; Moreda-Piñeiro, Antonio

2013-09-27

The combination of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the determination of monoiodotyrosine (MIT) and diiodotyrosine (DIT) in edible seaweed. A sample pre-treatment based on ultrasound assisted enzymatic hydrolysis was optimized for the extraction of these iodinated amino acids. Pancreatin was selected as the most adequate type of enzyme, and parameters affecting the extraction efficiency (pH, temperature, mass of enzyme and extraction time) were evaluated by univariate approaches. In addition, extractable inorganic iodine (iodide) was also quantified by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography (AE-HPLC) coupled with ICP-MS. The proposed procedure offered limits of detection of 1.1 and 4.3ngg(-1) for MIT and DIT, respectively. Total iodine contents in seaweed, as well as total iodine in enzymatic digests were measured by ICP-MS after microwave assisted alkaline digestion with tetramethylamonium hydroxide (TMAH) for total iodine assessment, and also by treating the pancreatin extracts (extractable total iodine assessment). The optimized procedure was successfully applied to five different types of edible seaweed. The highest total iodine content, and also the highest iodide levels, was found in the brown seaweed Kombu (6646±45μgg(-1)). Regarding iodinated amino acids, Nori (a red seaweed) was by far the one with the highest amount of both species (42±3 and 0.41±0.024μgg(-1) for MIT and DIT, respectively). In general, MIT concentrations were much higher than the amounts of DIT, which suggests that iodine from iodinated proteins in seaweed is most likely bound in the form of MIT residues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coupling of the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere/Thermosphere and Oxygen Outflow-- MIT Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, S.

2017-12-01

The goal of the MIT mission is to understand the coupling of the magnetosphere and ionosphere from the prospective of particles. It will focus on the outflow of the ionosphere particles (mainly oxygen ions) from the Earth, including the acceleration mechanisms of oxygen ions and their relative importance in different regions, the importance of these ions while transferred into the magnetosphere and the roles they played in magnetosphere activities. A constellation of four satellites orbiting at three elliptical orbits will provide the unique opportunities to observed there ions at three different altitude with temporal changes of the flux of these particles and the magnetic field environments. The conceptual design of the spacecraft and a summary of the payload will be presented. The MIT mission was selected as one of the five candidates for the upcoming mission plan in China.

Transport properties of ultra-thin VO2 films on (001) TiO2 grown by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Hanjong; Moyer, Jarrett A.; Spila, Timothy; Tashman, Joshua W.; Mundy, Julia A.; Freeman, Eugene; Shukla, Nikhil; Lapano, Jason M.; Engel-Herbert, Roman; Zander, Willi; Schubert, Jürgen; Muller, David A.; Datta, Suman; Schiffer, Peter; Schlom, Darrell G.

2015-10-01

We report the growth of (001)-oriented VO2 films as thin as 1.5 nm with abrupt and reproducible metal-insulator transitions (MIT) without a capping layer. Limitations to the growth of thinner films with sharp MITs are discussed, including the Volmer-Weber type growth mode due to the high energy of the (001) VO2 surface. Another key limitation is interdiffusion with the (001) TiO2 substrate, which we quantify using low angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with electron energy loss spectroscopy. We find that controlling island coalescence on the (001) surface and minimization of cation interdiffusion by using a low growth temperature followed by a brief anneal at higher temperature are crucial for realizing ultrathin VO2 films with abrupt MIT behavior.

Doe Research and Development Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gell-Mann, Murray

Forty years ago, I arrived at M.I.T. as a graduate student. I was discouraged at having been rejected by Princeton and granted insufficient financial aid by Harvard. The only really friendly letter that I received from a graduate school in physics was one from M.I.T. welcoming me as a potential student and as a research assistant in theoretical physics to a certain Professor Weisskopf, of whom I had never heard, but who added a personal letter of invitation of his own. I have described elsewhere how that letter arrived as I was contemplating suicide, as befits someone rejected by the Ivy League. It occurred to me however, (and it is an interesting example of non-commutation of operators) that I could try M.I.T. first and kill myself later, while the reverse order of events was impossible…

A Systems Approach to Healthcare Innovation Using the MIT Hacking Medicine Model.

PubMed

Gubin, Tatyana A; Iyer, Hari P; Liew, Shirlene N; Sarma, Aartik; Revelos, Alex; Ribas, João; Movassaghi, Babak; Chu, Zen M; Khalid, Ayesha N; Majmudar, Maulik D; Lee, Christopher Xiang

2017-07-26

MIT Hacking Medicine is a student, academic, and community-led organization that uses systems-oriented "healthcare hacking" to address challenges around innovation in healthcare. The group has organized more than 80 events around the world that attract participants with diverse backgrounds. These participants are trained to address clinical needs from the perspective of multiple stakeholders and emphasize utility and implementation viability of proposed solutions. We describe the MIT Hacking Medicine model as a potential method to integrate collaboration and training in rapid innovation techniques into academic medical centers. Built upon a systems approach to healthcare innovation, the time-compressed but expertly guided nature of the events could enable more widely accessible preliminary training in systems-level innovation methodology, as well as creating a structured opportunity for interdisciplinary congregation and collaboration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-28

NASA Astrophysics Division director Paul Hertz, left, Sara Seager, TESS deputy director of science, MIT, George Ricker, TESS principal investigator, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, and Jeff Volosin, TESS project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, right, discuss the upcoming launch of NASA’s next planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Site Characterization for Radar Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

accomplished waz "New Mine Detection Technologies," Mr. Jack Stoll, Principal Investigator. The Environmental Systems Division (EST) of the Environmental...Mr. Steve Bong of Hilton Systems visiting the proposed study site in M’rch to select specific locations for the test plots. The field data coll in...Technology/Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) described an airborne 35-Ghz radar imaging system . The MIT/LL would employ various kinds of processing on the

Cake: Enabling High-level SLOs on Shared Storage Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-07

Cake: Enabling High-level SLOs on Shared Storage Systems Andrew Wang Shivaram Venkataraman Sara Alspaugh Randy H. Katz Ion Stoica Electrical...Date) * * * * * * * Professor R. Katz Second Reader (Date) Cake: Enabling High-level SLOs on Shared Storage Systems Andrew Wang, Shivaram Venkataraman ...Report MIT-LCS-TR-667, MIT, Laboratory for Computer Science, 1995. [39] A. Wang, S. Venkataraman , S. Alspaugh, I. Stoica, and R. Katz. Sweet storage SLOs

Scalable Planning and Learning for Multiagent POMDPs

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Scalable Planning and Learning for Multiagent POMDPs Christopher Amato CSAIL, MIT Cambridge, MA 02139 camato@csail.mit.edu Frans A. Oliehoek...state of a special POMDP, called a BA- POMDP. The BA-POMDP can be extended to the multiagent setting ( Amato and Oliehoek 2013), yielding the Bayes...2012; Amato et al. 2013) in the form of factored Dec-POMDPs (Oliehoek, Whiteson, and Spaan 2013; Pajarinen and Pel- tonen 2011) and networked

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Annual Report 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 MIt lincoln laboratory Massachusetts Institute...Climate-change monitoring that will be conducted by assessing the utility of using very-long-wave infrared radiation for space-based sensing and by... radiation to detect trace explosives on a person’s hair were investigated. An ultrasensitive THz receiver leverages mature technology at the near-infrared

Transforming the Gray Factory: The Presidential Leadership of Charles M. Vest and the Architecture of Change at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daas, Mahesh

2013-01-01

The single-site exemplar study presents an in-depth account of the presidential leadership of Charles M. Vest of MIT--the second longest presidency in the Institute's history--and his leadership team's journey between 1990 and 2004 into campus architectural changes that involved over a billion dollars, added a quarter of floor space to MIT's…

The Effect of Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT)-based Instruction on Attitudes towards the Course, Academic Success, and Permanence of Teaching on the Topic of "Respiratory Systems"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koksal, Mustafa Serdar; Yel, Mustafa

2007-01-01

Studies on the effective teaching of biology have been continuously increasing since the 1800s. New teaching approaches have been purposed and tried out along the way. The multiple intelligences theory (MIT)-based approaches which give more importance to individual in educational settings can provide alternatives for meeting this requirement. An…

The Kubo-Greenwood expression and 2d MIT transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castner, Theodore

2010-03-01

The 2d MIT in GaAs heterostructures (p- and n-type)features a mobility that drops continuously as the reduced density x= n/nc-1 is decreased. The Kubo-Greenwood result [1] predicts μ = (eɛh/hnc)α^2(x) where α is a normalized DOS. α(x)is obtained from the data [p-type, Gao et al. [2]; n-type Lilly et al. [3