Using Riemannian geometry to obtain new results on Dikin and Karmarkar methods

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

Oliveira, P.; Joao, X.; Piaui, T.

1994-12-31

We are motivated by a 1990 Karmarkar paper on Riemannian geometry and Interior Point Methods. In this talk we show 3 results. (1) Karmarkar direction can be derived from the Dikin one. This is obtained by constructing a certain Z(x) representation of the null space of the unitary simplex (e, x) = 1; then the projective direction is the image under Z(x) of the affine-scaling one, when it is restricted to that simplex. (2) Second order information on Dikin and Karmarkar methods. We establish computable Hessians for each of the metrics corresponding to both directions, thus permitting the generation ofmore » {open_quotes}second order{close_quotes} methods. (3) Dikin and Karmarkar geodesic descent methods. For those directions, we make computable the theoretical Luenberger geodesic descent method, since we are able to explicit very accurate expressions of the corresponding geodesics. Convergence results are given.« less

Near-Infrared Scintillation of Liquid Argon: Recent Results Obtained with the NIR Facility at Fermilab

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

Escobar, C. O.; Rubinov, P.; Tilly, E.

After a short review of previous attempts to observe and measure the near-infrared scintillation in liquid argon, we present new results obtained with NIR, a dedicated cryostat at the Fermilab Proton Assembly Building (PAB). The new results give confidence that the near-infrared light can be used as the much needed light signal in large liquid argon time projection chambers.11 pages,

Psychological stress and health in undergraduate dental students: fifth year outcomes compared with first year baseline results from five European dental schools.

PubMed

Gorter, R; Freeman, R; Hammen, S; Murtomaa, H; Blinkhorn, A; Humphris, G

2008-05-01

Psychological stress in undergraduate dental students: fifth year outcomes compared with first year baseline results from five European dental schools. To compare the levels of a series of health-related indicators from a cohort of fifth year dental students from five European schools with their first year scores, and to investigate the relationship between these follow-up measures. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), consisting of three scales: Emotional Exhaustion (EE, alpha = 0.90), Depersonalisation (alpha = 0.80) and Personal Accomplishment (alpha = 0.72). Physical health was measured by the Physical Symptoms Questionnaire (alpha = 0.82), psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ, alpha = 0.89) and student stress was captured using seven subscales of the Dental Environment Stress questionnaire (DES, alpha = 0.92). A total of 132 fifth year students responded from five dental schools (Manchester, Belfast, Cork, Helsinki and Amsterdam), a 51% response. Fifth year students showed relatively high mean MBI scores when compared with first year results, especially on EE; 39% could be labelled 'high scorers'; 44% of the students met the criteria for 'cases' on the GHQ. Highest mean scores on the DES were obtained on the subscales: Study Obligations, Patient-Related Aspects and Study Pressure respectively. Between schools interesting differences were detected on all variables. As hypothesised, a clear direct effect of stress on both burnout and physical symptoms was shown. An indirect effect of stress on mental health via burnout was shown. Dental students showed a negative development through the years from first to fifth year with regard to EE and psychological distress. Both burnout constructs related to physical and mental health. It is recommended that dental faculty focus on the importance of prevention and intervention of stress amongst undergraduates.

Results for the first quarter calendar year 2017 tank 50H salt solution sample

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

Crawford, C. L.

2017-04-12

In this memorandum, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the First Quarter Calendar Year 2017 (CY17) sample of Tank 50H salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The First Quarter CY17 Tank 50H samples [a 200 mL sample obtained 6” below the surface (HTF-50-17-7) and a 1 L sample obtained 66” from the tank bottom (HTF-50-17-8)] were obtained on January 15, 2017 and received at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on January 16, 2017. Prior to obtaining the samples from Tank 50H, a single pump was run at least 4.4 hours and the samples were pulled immediately after pumpmore » shut down. All volatile organic analysis (VOA) and semi-volatile organic analysis (SVOA) were performed on the surface sample and all other analyses were performed on the variable depth sample. The information from this characterization will be used by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50H to the Saltstone Production Facility, where the waste will be treated and disposed of in the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This memorandum compares results, where applicable, to Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) limits and targets. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the First Quarter CY17 sampling of Tank 50H were requested by SRR personnel and details of the testing are presented in the SRNL Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP). This memorandum is part of Deliverable 2 from SRR request. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals will be documented at a later time per the TTQAP for the Tank 50H saltstone task.« less

Results of Investigative Tests of Gas Turbine Engine Compressor Blades Obtained by Electrochemical Machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozhina, T. D.; Kurochkin, A. V.

2016-04-01

The paper highlights results of the investigative tests of GTE compressor Ti-alloy blades obtained by the method of electrochemical machining with oscillating tool-electrodes, carried out in order to define the optimal parameters of the ECM process providing attainment of specified blade quality parameters given in the design documentation, while providing maximal performance. The new technological methods suggested based on the results of the tests; in particular application of vibrating tool-electrodes and employment of locating elements made of high-strength materials, significantly extend the capabilities of this method.

OzDES multifibre spectroscopy for the Dark Energy Survey: Three year results and first data release

DOE PAGES

Childress, M. J.; Lidman, C.; Davis, T. M.; ...

2017-07-26

We present results for the first three years of OzDES, a six-year programme to obtain redshifts for objects in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) supernova fields using the 2dF fibre positioner and AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. OzDES is a multi-object spectroscopic survey targeting multiple types of targets at multiple epochs over a multi-year baseline, and is one of the first multi-object spectroscopic surveys to dynamically include transients into the target list soon after their discovery. At the end of three years, OzDES has spectroscopically confirmed almost 100 supernovae, and has measured redshifts for 17,000 objects, including the redshiftsmore » of 2,566 supernova hosts. We examine how our ability to measure redshifts for targets of various types depends on signal-to-noise, magnitude, and exposure time, finding that our redshift success rate increases significantly at a signal-to-noise of 2 to 3 per 1-Angstrom bin. We also find that the change in signal-to-noise with exposure time closely matches the Poisson limit for stacked exposures as long as 10 hours. We use these results to predict the redshift yield of the full OzDES survey, as well as the potential yields of future surveys on other facilities such as the 4m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST), the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), and the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE). This work marks the first OzDES data release, comprising 14,693 redshifts. OzDES is on target to obtain over a yield of approximately 5,700 supernova host-galaxy redshifts.« less

OzDES multifibre spectroscopy for the Dark Energy Survey: Three year results and first data release

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

Childress, M. J.; Lidman, C.; Davis, T. M.

We present results for the first three years of OzDES, a six-year programme to obtain redshifts for objects in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) supernova fields using the 2dF fibre positioner and AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. OzDES is a multi-object spectroscopic survey targeting multiple types of targets at multiple epochs over a multi-year baseline, and is one of the first multi-object spectroscopic surveys to dynamically include transients into the target list soon after their discovery. At the end of three years, OzDES has spectroscopically confirmed almost 100 supernovae, and has measured redshifts for 17,000 objects, including the redshiftsmore » of 2,566 supernova hosts. We examine how our ability to measure redshifts for targets of various types depends on signal-to-noise, magnitude, and exposure time, finding that our redshift success rate increases significantly at a signal-to-noise of 2 to 3 per 1-Angstrom bin. We also find that the change in signal-to-noise with exposure time closely matches the Poisson limit for stacked exposures as long as 10 hours. We use these results to predict the redshift yield of the full OzDES survey, as well as the potential yields of future surveys on other facilities such as the 4m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST), the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), and the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE). This work marks the first OzDES data release, comprising 14,693 redshifts. OzDES is on target to obtain over a yield of approximately 5,700 supernova host-galaxy redshifts.« less

Legionella in water samples: how can you interpret the results obtained by quantitative PCR?

PubMed

Ditommaso, Savina; Ricciardi, Elisa; Giacomuzzi, Monica; Arauco Rivera, Susan R; Zotti, Carla M

2015-02-01

Evaluation of the potential risk associated with Legionella has traditionally been determined from culture-based methods. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an alternative tool that offers rapid, sensitive and specific detection of Legionella in environmental water samples. In this study we compare the results obtained by conventional qPCR (iQ-Check™ Quanti Legionella spp.; Bio-Rad) and by culture method on artificial samples prepared in Page's saline by addiction of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (ATCC 33152) and we analyse the selective quantification of viable Legionella cells by the qPCR-PMA method. The amount of Legionella DNA (GU) determined by qPCR was 28-fold higher than the load detected by culture (CFU). Applying the qPCR combined with PMA treatment we obtained a reduction of 98.5% of the qPCR signal from dead cells. We observed a dissimilarity in the ability of PMA to suppress the PCR signal in samples with different amounts of bacteria: the effective elimination of detection signals by PMA depended on the concentration of GU and increasing amounts of cells resulted in higher values of reduction. Using the results from this study we created an algorithm to facilitate the interpretation of viable cell level estimation with qPCR-PMA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An assessment of consistence of exhaust gas emission test results obtained under controlled NEDC conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balawender, K.; Jaworski, A.; Kuszewski, H.; Lejda, K.; Ustrzycki, A.

2016-09-01

Measurements concerning emissions of pollutants contained in automobile combustion engine exhaust gases is of primary importance in view of their harmful impact on the natural environment. This paper presents results of tests aimed at determining exhaust gas pollutant emissions from a passenger car engine obtained under repeatable conditions on a chassis dynamometer. The test set-up was installed in a controlled climate chamber allowing to maintain the temperature conditions within the range from -20°C to +30°C. The analysis covered emissions of such components as CO, CO2, NOx, CH4, THC, and NMHC. The purpose of the study was to assess repeatability of results obtained in a number of tests performed as per NEDC test plan. The study is an introductory stage of a wider research project concerning the effect of climate conditions and fuel type on emission of pollutants contained in exhaust gases generated by automotive vehicles.

Glucose Meters: A Review of Technical Challenges to Obtaining Accurate Results

PubMed Central

Tonyushkina, Ksenia; Nichols, James H.

2009-01-01

, anemia, hypotension, and other disease states. This article reviews the challenges involved in obtaining accurate glucose meter results. PMID:20144348

Statistical results from 10 years of Cassini Langmuir probe plasma measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmberg, M.; Shebanits, O.; Wahlund, J. E.; Morooka, M.; Andre, N.

2016-12-01

We use a new analysis method to obtain 10 years of Cassini RPWS Langmuir probe (LP) measurements to study the structure and dynamics of the inner plasma disk of Saturn. The LP plasma density measurements show good agreement with electron densities derived from the RPWS electric field power spectra and confirms and/or improves a number of previous findings about the structure of the plasma disk. E.g., the Enceladus plume is detected as a localised density maximum at the orbit of Enceladus, but the peak density of the inner plasma disk, excluding Enceladus plume passages, is located closer to 4.7 Rs. No density peaks are recorded at the orbits of the moons Mimas, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. We confirm the previously detected plasma density dayside/nightside asymmetry, which is likely due to a particle drift in the dusk to dawn direction. Presented is also the LP result on the seasonal dependence of the plasma disk within Enceladus' orbit.

Modelling analysis and prediction of women javelin throw results in the years 1946 – 2013

PubMed Central

Grycmann, P; Maszczyk, A; Socha, T; Wilk, M; Zając, T; Przednowek, K

2015-01-01

The main goals of our study of the women’s javelin throw were twofold:. first, to analyse the dynamics of female javelin throw results variability as a function of time (time period 1946-2014), second, to create a predictive model of the results during the upcoming 4 years. The study material consisted of databases covering the female track and field events obtained from the International Association of Athletics Federations. Prior to predicting the magnitude of results change dynamics in the time to follow, the adjustment of trend function to empirical data was tested using the coefficients of convergence. Phase II of the investigation consisted of the construction of predictive models. The greatest decreases in result indexes were noted in 2000 (9.4%), 2005-2006 (8.7%) and 2009 (7.4%). The trend increase was only noted in the years 2006-2008. In general, until 1998 the mean result improved by 54.6% (100% - results of 1946) whereas from 1999 through 2011 the result only increased by 1.3%. Based on data and results variability analysis it might be presumed that, in the nearest future (2015-2018), results variability will increase by approximately 9.7%. Percent improvement of javelin throw distance calculated on the basis of the 1999 raw input data is 1.4% (end of 2014). PMID:28479665

Health Outcomes of Obtaining Housing Among Older Homeless Adults

PubMed Central

Miao, Yinghui; Mitchell, Susan L.; Bharel, Monica; Patel, Mitkumar; Ard, Kevin L.; Grande, Laura J.; Blazey-Martin, Deborah; Floru, Daniella; Steinman, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We determined the impact of obtaining housing on geriatric conditions and acute care utilization among older homeless adults. Methods. We conducted a 12-month prospective cohort study of 250 older homeless adults recruited from shelters in Boston, Massachusetts, between January and June 2010. We determined housing status at follow-up, determined number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations over 12 months, and examined 4 measures of geriatric conditions at baseline and 12 months. Using multivariable regression models, we evaluated the association between obtaining housing and our outcomes of interest. Results. At 12-month follow-up, 41% of participants had obtained housing. Compared with participants who remained homeless, those with housing had fewer depressive symptoms. Other measures of health status did not differ by housing status. Participants who obtained housing had a lower rate of acute care use, with an adjusted annualized rate of acute care visits of 2.5 per year among participants who obtained housing and 5.3 per year among participants who remained homeless. Conclusions. Older homeless adults who obtained housing experienced improved depressive symptoms and reduced acute care utilization compared with those who remained homeless. PMID:25973822

Results for the Fourth Quarter Calendar Year 2015 Tank 50H Salt Solution Sample

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

Crawford, C.

In this memorandum, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the Fourth Quarter Calendar Year 2015 (CY15) sample of Tank 50H salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The Fourth Quarter CY15 Tank 50H samples were obtained on October 29, 2015 and received at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on October 30, 2015. The information from this characterization will be used by Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) & Saltstone Facility Engineering for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50H to the Salt Feed Tank in the Saltstone Production Facility, where the waste will be treated and disposed of inmore » the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This memorandum compares results, where applicable, to Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) limits and targets. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals will be documented at a later time per the Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP) for the Tank 50H saltstone task. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the Fourth Quarter Calendar Year 2015 (CY15) sampling of Tank 50H were requested by SRR personnel and details of the testing are presented in the SRNL Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan.« less

Six-year results of a white pine seed-source test in West Virginia

Treesearch

G. W. Wendel; Franklin Cech

1976-01-01

The best white pine growth during a 6-year period in a West Virginia outplanting was obtained with seedlings grown from seed collected in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. These seed sources are recommended for plantings in West Virginia.

Airglow during ionospheric modifications by the sura facility radiation. experimental results obtained in 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grach, S. M.; Klimenko, V. V.; Shindin, A. V.; Nasyrov, I. A.; Sergeev, E. N.; A. Yashnov, V.; A. Pogorelko, N.

2012-06-01

We present the results of studying the structure and dynamics of the HF-heated volume above the Sura facility obtained in 2010 by measurements of ionospheric airglow in the red (λ = 630 nm) and green (λ = 557.7 nm) lines of atomic oxygen. Vertical sounding of the ionosphere (followed by modeling of the pump-wave propagation) and measurements of stimulated electromagnetic emission were used for additional diagnostics of ionospheric parameters and the processes occurring in the heated volume.

Propellant/material compatibility program and results: Ten-year milestones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moran, C.; Bjorkland, R.

1982-01-01

The analyses and results of a test program to establish the effects of long term (10 years or more) contact of materials with earth-storable propellants for the purpose of designing chemical propulsion system components which are used for current as well as future planetary spacecraft are described. The period from the publication of JPL TM 33-779 IN 1976 through the testing accomplished in 1981 is covered. The following propellants are reported herein: hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Materials included the following: aluminum alloys, corrosion resistant steels and a titanium alloy. The results of the testing of more than 80 specimens are included. Material ratings relative to the ten year milepost were assigned. Some evidence of propellant decomposition was found. Titanium is rated as acceptable for ten year applications. Aluminum and stainless steel alloys are also rated as acceptable with few restrictions.

Revision of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with allografts in patients younger than 40 years old: a 2 to 4 year results.

PubMed

Pascual-Garrido, Cecilia; Carbo, L; Makino, A

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study is first to report the outcomes, at 4 years follow-up, in revision ACL surgery using allografts in patients younger than 40 years old, and then compared soft tissue allografts to bone tendon allografts. This retrospective study included 47 patients who underwent ACL revision surgery with fresh-frozen allografts. Patellar tendon allograft or tibialis anterior allograft was used. Twenty-seven patients undergoing ACL revision with patellar tendon allograft were compared retrospectively with twenty-two patients undergoing the same procedure with soft tissue tibialis anterior allograft. Lysholm, IKDC, and KT-1000 values were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. The average patient follow-up was 4.6 years (±2.5). The mean age at time of the revision was 34 years old (±6.3). Overall, patients reported the overall condition of their knee as excellent or good in 85% of the patients (10 excellent, 33 good). Based on their experience, 85% would have the surgery again if they had the same problem in the other knee. Both subgroups experienced significant improvement in Lysholm, IKDC, and KT-1000 values, with no difference found between groups at final follow-up. Revision ACL with allografts has excellent and good results in 85% of patients younger than 40 years old. No statistical difference was seen between soft tissue (tibialis anterior) and patellar tendon allograft. IV.

[Calcifications after intra-disk injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide in lumbar disk hernia. Evaluation of therapeutical results in 3 years].

PubMed

Debiais, F; Bontoux, D; Alcalay, M; Vandermarcq, P; Azais, O; Denis, A; Azais, I; Gasquet, C

1991-10-01

The development of disk or epidural calcifications is a frequent possibility following intra-disk injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide. It was found 10 times in 26 follow-up CT scans obtained 2 to 3 years after the injection. These calcifications are often clinically silent, but they sometimes accompany a recurrence of the initial painful symptomatology. Furthermore, evaluation at 3 years of therapeutic results in a previously published series of patients who had received an intra-disk injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide showed a marked decrease in favourable results (30% vs 67% at 6 months). These two arguments: disappointing long term results and possibility of disk calcifications, are felt by the authors to justify abandoning the technique of triamcinolone hexacetonide by intra-disk injection in the treatment of lumbar disk prolapse.

Reading Recovery Program Implementation Year Six, School Year 1995-96. Report of Results and Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schotanus, Helen; And Others

A study examined the results and effectiveness of the sixth year of the Reading Recovery program in New Hampshire. With the 95 Reading Recovery teachers from previous classes, 38 teachers in the new class, and 4 teacher leaders, a total of 137 teachers taught Reading Recovery during the 1995-96 school year. A total of 693 first-grade children…

Reading Recovery Program Implementation Year Five, School Year 1994-95. Report of Results and Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schotanus, Helen; And Others

A study examined the results and effectiveness of the fifth year of the Reading Recovery program in New Hampshire. With the 78 Reading Recovery teachers from previous classes, 23 teachers in the new class, and 3 teacher leaders, a total of 104 teachers taught Reading Recovery during the 1994-95 school year. A total of 530 first-grade children…

Optimization of the parameters for obtaining zirconia-alumina coatings, made by flame spraying from results of numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrer, M.; Vargas, F.; Peña, G.

2017-12-01

The K-Sommerfeld values (K) and the melting percentage (% F) obtained by numerical simulation using the Jets et Poudres software were used to find the projection parameters of zirconia-alumina coatings by thermal spraying flame, in order to obtain coatings with good morphological and structural properties to be used as thermal insulation. The experimental results show the relationship between the Sommerfeld parameter and the porosity of the zirconia-alumina coatings. It is found that the lowest porosity is obtained when the K-Sommerfeld value is close to 45 with an oxidant flame, on the contrary, when superoxidant flames are used K values are close 52, which improve wear resistance.

Non-Heart-Beating Donor Program: Results After 3 Years of Experience.

PubMed

Martin-Villen, L; Revuelto-Rey, J; Aldabo-Pallas, T; Correa-Chamorro, E; Gallego-Corpa, A; Ruiz Del Portal-Ruiz Granados, P; Roncero-Rodriguez, M A; Egea-Guerrero, J J

2015-11-01

Non-heart-beating donation (NHBD) is a useful way to obtain organs and tissues. Therefore, since 2012 we have had an NHBD protocol in the metropolitan area of Seville. The aim of this work was to present the results obtained after 3 years of program. Prospective observational study carried out from 2012 to 2014. We included all patients with an extrahospitalary sudden death who did not survive despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation, becoming a potential donors (PD). Variables included number of consultations, PD, allowed donor (AD), real donor (RD), and family or legal refusals; minutes of out-hospital care, in-hospital care, cannulation, and perfusion of the RD; and number of organs and tissues removed and viable proportion. Nonallowed donors were grouped according to the discarding cause. We received 97 consultations, of which 40 were performed as PD. Of these, 24 were AD (60%) and 22 RD (55%). There were only 2 family refusals. In 2012, 10 patients were donors, 5 in 2013, and 7 in 2014. The out-hospital median time was 71 (interquartile range [IQR] 60-76) minutes, in-hospital 29 (26-34) minutes, cannulation 28 (24-33) minutes, and perfusion 135 (105-177) minutes. Eighteen tissues and 43 organs were extracted, of which 32 were implanted (75%), with kidneys (96%) being more frequent. Nonallowed donors numbered 12 in 2012, 4 in 2013, and 1 in 2014, and out-hospital causes were the most frequent discard reason. NHBD is a useful program in our city with a low refusal rate (8%), an average of 1.45 organs per donor, and kidney the most frequent organ. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One-year refractive results, contrast sensitivity, high-order aberrations and complications after myopic small-incision lenticule extraction (ReLEx SMILE).

PubMed

Sekundo, Walter; Gertnere, Jana; Bertelmann, Thomas; Solomatin, Igor

2014-05-01

To report one year results of the first cohort of routine refractive lenticule extraction through a small incision (ReLEx SMILE) for correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. Fifty-four eyes of 27 patients with spherical equivalent of -4.68 ± 1.29D who underwent routine ReLEx SMILE by a single surgeon were prospectively followed-up for 1 year. We used the VisuMax femtosecond laser system (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Germany) with a 500 kHz repetition rate. Folow-up intervals were at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. We obtained following parameters: uncorrected (UDVA) and distance-corrected visual acuity (CDVA), contrast sensitivity, and wave front measurements. We also recorded all complications. Because of suction loss in one eye, 12-month results were obtained in 53 eyes as follows. After 1 year, 88% of eyes with plano target had an UDVA of 20/20 or better. Twelve percent of eyes lost 1 line of CDVA, while 31% gained 1 line and 3% gained 2 lines. The mean SE after 1 year was -0.19 ± 0.19. The mean refraction change between month 1 and 12 was 0.08 D. Neither mesopic nor photopic contrast sensitivity showed any significant changes. The high-order aberrations (HOA) increased from 0.17 to 0.27 μm (Malacara notation). No visually threatening complications were observed. In this first cohort, ReLEx SMILE produced satisfactory refractive outcomes with moderate induction of HOA and unaffected contrast sensitivity after 1 year.

Microbiologic Data in Acute Cholecystitis: Ten Years' Experience from Bile Cultures Obtained during Percutaneous Cholecystostomy.

PubMed

Nitzan, Orna; Brodsky, Yuri; Edelstein, Hana; Hershko, Dan; Saliba, Walid; Keness, Yoram; Peretz, Avi; Chazan, Bibiana

2017-04-01

The aim of the study was to describe the microbiology and susceptibility patterns in acute cholecystitis by examining bile culture results from patients who underwent percutaneous cholecystostomy and examine concordance with empiric treatment. A total of 124 patients with acute cholecystitis underwent percutaneous cholecystostomy between 2003 and 2012 at Emek Medical Center, Israel. Data on bile and blood culture results, isolate susceptibility, and clinical outcomes were retrieved from patient files. Bile cultures obtained from 116 patients were positive in 70 (60.3%) patients. Blood cultures obtained from 77 patients were positive in 23 (31.1%). Escherichia coli was the most common isolate in 28.6% of bile cultures and 43.5% of blood cultures. The concordance between empiric treatment coverage and culture isolate susceptibility was 67.6%. In most discordant cases, the isolates were Enterobacter spp. (40.9%) and Enterococcus spp. (31.8%). Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 7%: 2% in patients with concordant treatment compared with 14% in patients with discordant treatment (p = 0.09). Empiric antibiotic regimens were adequate in only two-thirds of patients. There might be a trend for poorer outcome in patients treated with inadequate antibiotic agents, emphasizing the importance of tailoring antibiotic treatment.

Long-Term Results of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity: 5 to 8-Year Results.

PubMed

Gadiot, Ralph P M; Biter, L Ulas; van Mil, Stefanie; Zengerink, Hans F; Apers, J; Mannaerts, Guido H H

2017-01-01

Although long-term results of sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remain scarce in the literature, its popularity as a stand-alone procedure has accounted for a global increase in LSG performance. In this retrospective study, the authors present 5 to 8-year follow-up results in terms of weight loss, failure/revision rate, and comorbidity resolution from a single center. A prospectively maintained database was reviewed for patients who underwent LSG between 2007 and 2010. Data analysis on weight loss, comorbid conditions, revision surgery, and mortality was conducted. Median percentage excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) was 59.0, and 53.9 %, and median percentage total weight loss (%TWL) was 25.1, and 22.9 % at 5 and 8 years, respectively. Revision to gastric bypass due to insufficient weight loss or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was performed in 42 patients (15.2 %). Resolution of comorbid condition was achieved in 91 % of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), 68 % of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), 53 % of patients with hypertension, and 25 % of patients with dyslipedemia. Loss to follow-up rate was 45 % at 5 years, 28 % at 6 years, 23 % at 7 years, and 13 % at 8 years. This study adds to the currently available data confirming the LSG to be a safe and effective procedure at long term. Data from high-volume studies are needed to establish the definite role of the LSG in the spectrum of bariatric procedures.

Driving Performance among Bioptic Telescope Users with Low Vision Two Years after Obtaining Their Driver's License: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Claude; Lachance, Jean-Paul; Deaudelin, Isabelle

2012-01-01

This study sought to compare road safety of new drivers with low vision who have followed a specific pilot bioptic training program with other groups of drivers all matched for age and driving experience. A quasi-experimental design was used two years after drivers obtained their license. Drivers were classified in the experimental group (n = 10,…

Clinical results of laparoscopic fundoplication at ten years after surgery.

PubMed

Dallemagne, B; Weerts, J; Markiewicz, S; Dewandre, J-M; Wahlen, C; Monami, B; Jehaes, C

2006-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LAS) for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to be efficient at short- and midterm follow-up evaluations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results for LAS 10 years after surgery. The 100 consecutive patients who underwent LAS by a single surgeon in 1993 were entered into a prospective database. Nissen fundoplication was performed for 68 patients, and partial posterior fundoplication (modified Toupet procedure) was performed for 32 patients. Evaluations of the outcome were made 5 and 10 years after surgery. A structured symptom questionnaire and upper gastrointestinal barium series were used at 5 years. The same questionnaire and an added quality-of-life questionnaire (the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index [GIQLI]) were used at 10 years. Seven patients died of unrelated causes during the 10-year period. Four patients underwent revision surgery: one patient for persistent dysphagia and three patients for recurrent reflux symptoms. Three patients were lost to any follow-up study. At 5 years, 93% of the patients were free of significant reflux symptoms. At 10 years, 89.5% of the patients still were free of significant reflux (93.3% after Nissen, 81.8% after Toupet). Major side effects (flatulence and abdominal distension) were related to "wind" problems. The GIQLI scores at 10 years were significantly better than the preoperative scores of the patients under medical therapy with proton pump inhibitors. Elimination of GERD symptoms improved quality of life and eliminated the need for daily acid suppression in most patients. These results, apparent 5 years after the operation, still were valid at 10 years.

New high-definition thickness data obtained at tropical glaciers: preliminary results from Antisana volcano (Ecuador) using GPR prospection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata, Camilo; Andrade, Daniel; Córdova, Jorge; Maisincho, Luis; Carvajal, Juan; Calispa, Marlon; Villacís, Marcos

2014-05-01

The study of tropical glaciers has been a significant contribution to the understanding of glacier dynamics and climate change. Much of the data and results have been obtained by analyzing plan-view images obtained by air- and space-borne sensors, as well as depth data obtained by diverse methodologies at selected points on the glacier surface. However, the measurement of glacier thicknesses has remained an elusive task in tropical glaciers, often located in rough terrains where the application of geophysical surveys (i.e. seismic surveys) requires logistics sometimes hardly justified by the amount of obtained data. In the case of Ecuador, however, where most glaciers have developed on active volcanoes and represent sources/reservoirs of fresh water, the precise knowledge of such information is fundamental for scientific research but also in order to better assess key aspects for the society. The relatively recent but fast development of the GPR technology has helped to obtain new highdefinition thickness data at Antisana volcano that will be used to: 1) better understand the dynamics and fate of tropical glaciers; 2) better estimate the amount of fresh water stored in the glaciers; 3) better assess the hazards associated with the sudden widespread melting of glaciers during volcanic eruptions. The measurements have been obtained at glaciers 12 and 15 of Antisana volcano, with the help of a commercial GPR equipped with a 25 MHz antenna. A total of 30 transects have been obtained, covering a distance of more than 3 km, from the glacier ablation zone, located at ~ 4600 masl, up to the level of 5200 masl. The preliminary results show a positive correlation between altitude and glacier thickness, with maximum and minimum calculated values reaching up to 80 m, and down to 15 m, respectively. The experience gained at Antisana volcano will be used to prepare a more widespread GPR survey in the glaciers of Cotopaxi volcano, whose implications in terms of volcanic hazards

[Analysis of the results of the SEIMC External Quality Control Program. Year 2013].

PubMed

de Gopegui Bordes, Enrique Ruiz; Orta Mira, Nieves; Del Remedio Guna Serrano, M; Medina González, Rafael; Rosario Ovies, María; Poveda, Marta; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2015-07-01

The External Quality Control Program of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) include controls for bacteriology, serology, mycology, parasitology, mycobacteria, virology, molecular microbiology and HIV-1, HCV and HBV viral loads. This manuscript presents the analysis of results obtained of the participants from the 2013 SEIMC External Quality Control Programme, except viral loads controls, that they are summarized in a manuscript abroad. As a whole, the results obtained in 2013 confirm the excellent skill and good technical standards found in previous editions. However, erroneous results can be obtained in any laboratory and in clinically relevant determinations. Once again, the results of this program highlighted the need to implement both internal and external controls in order to assure the maximal quality of the microbiological tests. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Interhospital transport with extracorporeal life support: results and perspectives after 5 years experience].

PubMed

Desebbe, O; Rosamel, P; Henaine, R; Vergnat, M; Farhat, F; Dubien, P Y; Bastien, O

2013-04-01

Describing the experience of a referral center for interhospital patients transport treated with extracorporeal circulatory or respiratory support (ECLS), the difficulties encountered and the results obtained. Retrospective and observational study. All patients with respiratory or circulatory failure accepted for extracorporeal assistance for which routine medical transport was life threatening. A descriptive analysis was performed (median and interquartile deviation). Comparison of biological data was performed using a non-parametric Wilcoxon test and 5 years overall survival was determined by a Kaplan-Meier analysis. Over a 55-month period, 29 patients were selected for transportation under ECMO or ECLS. Indication was respiratory failure in 38 % of cases, hemodynamic instability in 52 % of cases and combined symptoms in 10 % of cases. Average duration of transportation was 40 km (9-64 km). No complication related to transport was observed. Incidence of intrahospital death was 57 %. There was no correlation between death and indication of ECLS. Five-year survival was 55 % and 39 % for venovenous and arteriovenous ECLS, respectively. In our experience, interhospital transport of patients under ECMO is feasible in satisfactory conditions of safety with trained team and standard procedures. Copyright © 2013 Société française d’anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Endogenous levels of nitrites and nitrates in wide consumption foodstuffs: Results of five years of official controls and monitoring.

PubMed

Iammarino, Marco; Di Taranto, Aurelia; Cristino, Marianna

2013-10-15

The massive introduction of nitrogen fertilisers, necessary to maximise the global food production, has brought about an increase of the residual amounts of nitrites and nitrates in the products. Notoriously, these compounds may exercise toxic effects. In this work the results obtained from 5years of official controls and monitoring focused on tracing quantifiable amounts of nitrites and nitrates in 1785 samples of meat, dairy, fish products and leafy vegetables are reported. A widespread presence of nitrates at low concentrations in foodstuffs was verified. High concentrations of nitrates were registered in some leafy vegetables and mussels samples, while high nitrites concentrations were registered in some spinach samples. The results confirmed the necessity to develop most controls and suggest the introduction of new legal limits related to some combinations contaminant/matrix. Such new limits may fill legislative gaps that may cause wrong interpretations of the results obtained during official controls. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Results Obtained in Integrated Safety Analysis of NASA Aviation Safety Program Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reveley, Mary S.

2003-01-01

The goal of the NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) is to develop and demonstrate technologies that contribute to a reduction in the aviation fatal accident rate by a factor of 5 by the year 2007 and by a factor of 10 by the year 2022. Integrated safety analysis of day-to-day operations and risks within those operations will provide an understanding of the Aviation Safety Program portfolio. Safety benefits analyses are currently being conducted. Preliminary results for the Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) and Weather Accident Prevention (WxAP) projects of the AvSP have been completed by the Logistics Management Institute under a contract with the NASA Glenn Research Center. These analyses include both a reliability analysis and a computer simulation model. The integrated safety analysis method comprises two principal components: a reliability model and a simulation model. In the reliability model, the results indicate how different technologies and systems will perform in normal, degraded, and failed modes of operation. In the simulation, an operational scenario is modeled. The primary purpose of the SVS project is to improve safety by providing visual-flightlike situation awareness during instrument conditions. The current analyses are an estimate of the benefits of SVS in avoiding controlled flight into terrain. The scenario modeled has an aircraft flying directly toward a terrain feature. When the flight crew determines that the aircraft is headed toward an obstruction, the aircraft executes a level turn at speed. The simulation is ended when the aircraft completes the turn.

Geodetic results from ISAGEX data. [for obtaining center of mass coordinates for geodetic camera sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, J. G.; Douglas, B. C.; Walls, D. M.

1974-01-01

Laser and camera data taken during the International Satellite Geodesy Experiment (ISAGEX) were used in dynamical solutions to obtain center-of-mass coordinates for the Astro-Soviet camera sites at Helwan, Egypt, and Oulan Bator, Mongolia, as well as the East European camera sites at Potsdam, German Democratic Republic, and Ondrejov, Czechoslovakia. The results are accurate to about 20m in each coordinate. The orbit of PEOLE (i=15) was also determined from ISAGEX data. Mean Kepler elements suitable for geodynamic investigations are presented.

Results of endoscopic third ventriculostomy in elderly patients ≥65 years of age.

PubMed

Niknejad, Hamid Reza; Depreitere, Bart; De Vleeschouwer, Steven; Van Calenbergh, Frank; van Loon, Johannes

2015-03-01

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has been accepted as the procedure of choice for the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus in children and adults. The role and outcome of this procedure in the elderly has not been evaluated yet. Over an 11-year interval we retrospectively analyzed data of patients, 65+ years of age, who underwent ETV in our center. Success of the procedure was assessed in terms of symptom relief and/or elimination of the need for shunting. Additionally pre- and postoperative ventricular volumes were estimated using Evan's index (Ei) and fronto-occipital horn ratio (FOR). In our analysis we compared the results of the elderly patients with those of the pediatric and adult age groups treated in our center. We obtained data of 16 elderly cases (11 males, 5 females), mean age 72.8 years (66-83 years) out of the 91 patients treated with ETV in total. The success rate was 75% in this age group; mean follow-up 18.4 months (2-55 months). In 10 patients a mass lesion was the underlying cause of hydrocephalus. Mean ventricular size reduction was 18% and 13.5% (Ei and FOR) in the success group vs. 7.6% and 6.2% in the failure group. Three out of four patients who had shunting pre-EVT, became shunt independent post-operatively. The presence of flow void over the stoma was 100% correlated with success. All 7 patients with a primary or metastatic brain tumor were able to receive radiation therapy. Also in elderly, ETV is a safe and efficient procedure, with success rates similar to the younger population. Further research is required to set up a prognostic scoring system for this age group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges in validating model results for first year ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melsom, Arne; Eastwood, Steinar; Xie, Jiping; Aaboe, Signe; Bertino, Laurent

2017-04-01

In order to assess the quality of model results for the distribution of first year ice, a comparison with a product based on observations from satellite-borne instruments has been performed. Such a comparison is not straightforward due to the contrasting algorithms that are used in the model product and the remote sensing product. The implementation of the validation is discussed in light of the differences between this set of products, and validation results are presented. The model product is the daily updated 10-day forecast from the Arctic Monitoring and Forecasting Centre in CMEMS. The forecasts are produced with the assimilative ocean prediction system TOPAZ. Presently, observations of sea ice concentration and sea ice drift are introduced in the assimilation step, but data for sea ice thickness and ice age (or roughness) are not included. The model computes the age of the ice by recording and updating the time passed after ice formation as sea ice grows and deteriorates as it is advected inside the model domain. Ice that is younger than 365 days is classified as first year ice. The fraction of first-year ice is recorded as a tracer in each grid cell. The Ocean and Sea Ice Thematic Assembly Centre in CMEMS redistributes a daily product from the EUMETSAT OSI SAF of gridded sea ice conditions which include "ice type", a representation of the separation of regions between those infested by first year ice, and those infested by multi-year ice. The ice type is parameterized based on data for the gradient ratio GR(19,37) from SSMIS observations, and from the ASCAT backscatter parameter. This product also includes information on ambiguity in the processing of the remote sensing data, and the product's confidence level, which have a strong seasonal dependency.

Main results and experience obtained on Mir space station and experiment program for Russian segment of ISS.

PubMed

Utkin, V F; Lukjashchenko, V I; Borisov, V V; Suvorov, V V; Tsymbalyuk, M M

2003-07-01

This article presents main scientific and practical results obtained in course of scientific and applied research and experiments on Mir space station. Based on Mir experience, processes of research program formation for the Russian Segment of the ISS are briefly described. The major trends of activities planned in the frames of these programs as well as preliminary results of increment research programs implementation in the ISS' first missions are also presented. c2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fisics-Incor bovine pericardial bioprostheses: 15 year results.

PubMed

Pomerantzeff, P M; Brandao, C M; Cauduro, P; Puig, L B; Grinberg, M; Tarasoutchi, F; Cardoso, L F; Lerner, A; Stolf, N A; Verginelli, G; Jatene, A D

1998-01-01

From March 1982 to December 1995, 2,607 Fisics-Incor bovine pericardial bioprostheses were implanted in 2,259 patients. Mean age was 47.2 +/- 17.5 years, and 55% were male. Rheumatic fever was present in 1,301 (45.7%) patients. One thousand and seventy-three aortic valve replacements, 1,085 mitral replacements, 27 tricuspid replacements, 195 mitral-aortic replacements, and 16 other combined valve replacements were carried out. Combined procedures were performed in 788 (32.9%) patients, the most frequent being tricuspid valve repair (9.2%) and coronary artery bypass grafting (7.7%). Hospital mortality was 8.6% (194 patients), 8.6% for the mitral group, 4.7% for the aortic group, and 12.8% for double-valve replacements. The linear rates for calcification, thromboembolism, rupture, leak and endocarditis were, respectively, 1.1%, 0.2%, 0.9%, 0.1% and 0.5% patient-year. The actuarial survival curve was 56.7 +/- 5.4% in 15 years. Survival free from endocarditis was 91.92%, survival free from thromboembolism was 95 +/- 1.7%, survival free from rupture was 43.7 +/- 9.8%, survival free from leak was 98.9 +/- 4.5%, and survival free from calcification was 48.8 +/- 7.9% in 15 years. In the late postoperative period, 1,614 (80.6%) patients were in New York Heart Association functional Class I. We conclude that the results with the Fisics-Incor bovine pericardial prostheses were satisfactory in our group of patients.

25 CFR 162.539 - Must I obtain a WEEL before obtaining a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.539 Must I obtain a WEEL before obtaining... direct result of energy resource information gathered from a WEEL activity, obtaining a WEEL is not a...

25 CFR 162.539 - Must I obtain a WEEL before obtaining a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.539 Must I obtain a WEEL before obtaining... direct result of energy resource information gathered from a WEEL activity, obtaining a WEEL is not a...

Biochemical criteria at 1 year are not robust indicators of response to ursodeoxycholic acid in early primary biliary cirrhosis: results from a 29-year cohort study

PubMed Central

Papastergiou, V; Tsochatzis, E A; Rodriquez-Peralvarez, M; Thalassinos, E; Pieri, G; Manousou, P; Germani, G; Rigamonti, C; Arvaniti, V; Karatapanis, S; Burroughs, A K

2013-01-01

Background In primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), biochemical criteria at 1 year are considered surrogates of response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). However, due to the slow natural history of PBC, evaluation at 1 year may be suboptimal to assess the therapeutic response, particularly in early disease. Aim To determine whether evaluation of biochemical criteria at 1 year is a reliable surrogate of UDCA response in early PBC. Methods We analysed the prospectively collected data of 215 patients (untreated = 129; UDCA-treated = 86) with early PBC (normal baseline bilirubin/albumin) and a median follow-up of 8 years (range: 1–29.1). The 1-year attainment rates of the Barcelona, Paris-I, Paris-II and Toronto definitions, and their predictive relevance for a poor outcome (death, transplantation, complications of cirrhosis), were assessed either as a result of UDCA or no treatment. Independent associations with attaining each UDCA response definition were identified by multivariate analysis. Results Untreated patients displayed 1-year biochemical features compatible with ‘treatment response’ at rates (Barcelona: 36.4%, Paris-I: 66.7%, Toronto: 59.7%, Paris-II: 40.3%) similar to those obtained under UDCA. Depending on the definition, baseline ALP≤3xULN (OR: 4.80–35.90), AST≤2xULN (OR: 5.63–9.34) and early histological stage (OR: 3.67–3.87) were the stronger predictors for attaining the criteria. UDCA treatment was associated with attaining Barcelona (OR = 2.16) and Paris-II (OR = 2.84), but not Paris-I, and not Toronto definition when excluding late histological cases. Paris-I criteria were significantly predictive of long-term outcomes (HR = 2.83) in untreated patients. Conclusions In early PBC, biochemical criteria at 1 year reflect severity of the disease rather than the therapeutic response to UDCA. PMID:24117847

Personal Access Satellite System (PASS) study. Fiscal year 1989 results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sue, Miles K. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is exploring the potential and feasibility of a personal access satellite system (PASS) that will offer the user greater freedom and mobility than existing or currently planned communications systems. Studies performed in prior years resulted in a strawman design and the identification of technologies that are critical to the successful implementation of PASS. The study efforts in FY-89 were directed towards alternative design options with the objective of either improving the system performance or alleviating the constraints on the user terminal. The various design options and system issues studied this year and the results of the study are presented.

Energy saving by using natural energy from the shallow ground depths - many years operating results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besler, Maciej; Skrzycki, Maciej; Cepiński, Wojciech

2017-11-01

We pay back more and more larger attention on solutions which saving energy produced from conventional fuels. This is possible to obtainment in significant quantities in fields in which use up the large quantities of energy. The formation the microclimate of interiors is an example of such situation. Especially in the case air conditioning, heating and mechanical ventilation. There is, however, a possibility of energy saving as well as considerable reducing the pollution coming from combustion of raw materials by utilising the natural renewable energy from the shallow ground. In the paper the results gained during several year of continuous measurement on the exchanger were presented. In summer periods an air cooling occurs 10-12 K, e. g. from +30 °C to +20 °C. In winter on the other hand, a preparatory preheating of the air is possible, e.g. from-18°C to about ± 0°C. It is then possible to obtain for the air conditioning system the total energy needed for cooling purposes at the summer periods, or up to 50% of the ventilation heat energy in winter picks.

Results from two years of ozone data taken with a new, ground-based microwave instrument: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, A.; Connor, B. J.; Tsou, J. J.; Mcdermid, I. S.; Chu, W. P.; Siskind, D. E.

1994-01-01

An overview of two years of data obtained with a ground-based microwave instrument is given. Intercomparisons with data obtained by the co-located JPL lidar and by SAGE 2 during near overpasses of the site are discussed, as are comparisons with mesospheric data taken earlier by SME and LIMS. Observations of diurnal variations of mesospheric ozone are shown.

Effect of Orthokeratology on myopia progression: twelve-year results of a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Lee, Yueh-Chang; Wang, Jen-Hung; Chiu, Cheng-Jen

2017-12-08

Several studies reported the efficacy of orthokeratology for myopia control. Somehow, there is limited publication with follow-up longer than 3 years. This study aims to research whether overnight orthokeratology influences the progression rate of the manifest refractive error of myopic children in a longer follow-up period (up to 12 years). And if changes in progression rate are found, to investigate the relationship between refractive changes and different baseline factors, including refraction error, wearing age and lens replacement frequency. In addition, this study collects long-term safety profile of overnight orthokeratology. This is a retrospective study of sixty-six school-age children who received overnight orthokeratology correction between January 1998 and December 2013. Thirty-six subjects whose baseline age and refractive error matched with those in the orthokeratology group were selected to form control group. These subjects were followed up at least for 12 months. Manifest refractions, cycloplegic refractions, uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuities, power vector of astigmatism, corneal curvature, and lens replacement frequency were obtained for analysis. Data of 203 eyes were derived from 66 orthokeratology subjects (31 males and 35 females) and 36 control subjects (22 males and 14 females) enrolled in this study. Their wearing ages ranged from 7 years to 16 years (mean ± SE, 11.72 ± 0.18 years). The follow-up time ranged from 1 year to 13 years (mean ± SE, 6.32 ± 0.15 years). At baseline, their myopia ranged from -0.5 D to -8.0 D (mean ± SE, -3.70 ± 0.12 D), and astigmatism ranged from 0 D to -3.0 D (mean ± SE, -0.55 ± 0.05 D). Comparing with control group, orthokeratology group had a significantly (p < 0.001) lower trend of refractive error change during the follow-up periods. According to the analysis results of GEE model, greater power of astigmatism was found to be associated with

Results from Two Years of Web-Based Astronomy Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallin, J.

1996-12-01

During the last two years, course notes, supplemental material, bulletin boards, and an interactive quiz system have been developed for the introductory astronomy course at George Mason University. In this talk, I will present results about the level of Web literacy, Web usage, and educational effectiveness of this system based on in-class surveys and test results. The results presented are based on a 300 person survey course composed primarily of non-science majors. Although this course currently includes a lecture section, we plan to offer this as a web-based distance learning course within six months.

Effect of windowing on lithosphere elastic thickness estimates obtained via the coherence method: Results from northern South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojeda, GermáN. Y.; Whitman, Dean

2002-11-01

The effective elastic thickness (Te) of the lithosphere is a parameter that describes the flexural strength of a plate. A method routinely used to quantify this parameter is to calculate the coherence between the two-dimensional gravity and topography spectra. Prior to spectra calculation, data grids must be "windowed" in order to avoid edge effects. We investigated the sensitivity of Te estimates obtained via the coherence method to mirroring, Hanning and multitaper windowing techniques on synthetic data as well as on data from northern South America. These analyses suggest that the choice of windowing technique plays an important role in Te estimates and may result in discrepancies of several kilometers depending on the selected windowing method. Te results from mirrored grids tend to be greater than those from Hanning smoothed or multitapered grids. Results obtained from mirrored grids are likely to be over-estimates. This effect may be due to artificial long wavelengths introduced into the data at the time of mirroring. Coherence estimates obtained from three subareas in northern South America indicate that the average effective elastic thickness is in the range of 29-30 km, according to Hanning and multitaper windowed data. Lateral variations across the study area could not be unequivocally determined from this study. We suggest that the resolution of the coherence method does not permit evaluation of small (i.e., ˜5 km), local Te variations. However, the efficiency and robustness of the coherence method in rendering continent-scale estimates of elastic thickness has been confirmed.

An Update on Phased Array Results Obtained on the GE Counter-Rotating Open Rotor Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podboy, Gary; Horvath, Csaba; Envia, Edmane

2013-01-01

Beamform maps have been generated from 1) simulated data generated by the LINPROP code and 2) actual experimental phased array data obtained on the GE Counter-rotating open rotor model. The beamform maps show that many of the tones in the experimental data come from their corresponding Mach radius. If the phased array points to the Mach radius associated with a tone then it is likely that the tone is a result of the loading and thickness noise on the blades. In this case, the phased array correctly points to where the noise is coming from and indicates the axial location of the loudest source in the image but not necessarily the correct vertical location. If the phased array does not point to the Mach radius associated with a tone then some mechanism other than loading and thickness noise may control the amplitude of the tone. In this case, the phased array may or may not point to the actual source. If the source is not rotating it is likely that the phased array points to the source. If the source is rotating it is likely that the phased array indicates the axial location of the loudest source but not necessarily the correct vertical location. These results indicate that you have to be careful in how you interpret phased array data obtained on an open rotor since they may show the tones coming from a location other than the source location. With a subsonic tip speed open rotor the tones can come form locations outboard of the blade tips. This has implications regarding noise shielding.

[Nine-Year Experience after ISO 15189 Acquisition, How Successful was It? Focusing on the Results of Interviews and Questionnaires].

PubMed

Fujimoto, Kazumitsu; Asai, Noriaki; Nakajima, Yoshinaga; Inoue, Kaoru

2015-11-01

Our laboratory, for the purpose of Quality Management System (QMS) improvement, acquired ISO 15189:2003 accreditation 9 years ago and completed the renewal to ISO 15189:2012 last year. In this study, we reviewed the efficacy of ISO 15189 based on an analysis of laboratory director's and managers' opinions. We could realize QMS improvement through the proactive implementation of preventive and corrective actions, and also the continuous implementation of education and delivery by means of reviewing the interview records of ISO 15189:2012 renewal with the laboratory director. All answers to the questionnaire obtained from managers with regard to the advantages of ISO 15189 acquisition agreed with the purpose of ISO 15189. From these results, we concluded that ISO 15189 acquisition was successful for QMS improvement. [Review].

[Analysis of the results of the SEIMC External Quality Control Program. Year 2012].

PubMed

de Gopegui Bordes, Enrique Ruiz; Guna Serrano, M del Remedio; Orta Mira, Nieves; Ovies, María Rosario; Poveda, Marta; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2014-02-01

The External Quality Control Program of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) include controls for bacteriology, serology, mycology, parasitology, mycobacteria, virology and molecular microbiology. This article presents the most relevant conclusions and lessons from the 2012 controls. As a whole, the results obtained in 2012 confirm the excellent skill and good technical standards found in previous editions. However, erroneous results can be obtained in any laboratory and in clinically relevant determinations. Once again, the results of this program highlighted the need to implement both internal and external controls in order to assure the maximal quality of the microbiological tests. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of the results of the SEIMC External Quality Control Program. Year 2014].

PubMed

Gopegui Bordes, Enrique Ruiz de; Guna Serrano, M Del Remedio; Orta Mira, Nieves; Medina González, Rafael; Rosario Ovies, María; Poveda, Marta; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2016-07-01

The External Quality Control Program of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) include controls for bacteriology, serology, mycology, parasitology, mycobacteria, virology and molecular microbiology. This article presents the most relevant conclusions and lessons from the 2014 controls. As a whole, the results obtained in 2014 confirm the excellent skill and good technical standards found in previous editions. However, erroneous results can be obtained in any laboratory and in clinically relevant determinations. Once again, the results of the SEIMC program highlighted the need to implement both internal and external controls in order to assure the maximal quality of the microbiological tests. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Results of 1-year Diet and Exercise Interventions for ER+/PR±/HER2- Breast Cancer Patients Correlated with Treatment Type.

PubMed

Artene, Diana V; Bordea, Cristian I; Blidaru, Alexandru

2017-01-01

Many breast cancer patients gain weight during chemotherapy and antiestrogenic treatment increasing recurrence, oncologic specific and all-cause mortality risks. Patients and Methods: 165 ER+/PR±/HER2- breast cancer patients under antiestrogenic treatment were randomly assigned to follow an at-home diet based on food naturally high in proteins, calcium, probiotics and prebiotics (D), or this diet and 4' isometric exercises (D+Ex) for 1 year. We measured weight (W), body (BF) and visceral fat (VF) using a multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance scale on the 6th and 12th month and we correlated results with chemotherapy, surgery and antiestrogenic medication type. Results were analysed using the Friedman Test, then with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests if Friedman Test was significant. Results: Overall, the patients 1-year results show that both D+Ex and D patients obtained statistically significant weight loss and fat loss. D patients lost 3.3 kg, 3.2% BF and 1% visceral fat. D+Ex patients lost 6.5 kg, 3.3% BF and 2% visceral fat. D+Ex patients obtained statistically significance for W, BF and VF regardless of chemotherapy, surgery or antiestrogenic treatment type. D patients with mastectomy or with aromatase inhibitors lost W, BF and VF. D patients with conservatory surgery, adjuvant or both neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy and those on Tamoxifen only lost W. D patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy also lost VF. This diet is effective for ER+/PR±/HER2- breast cancer patients on antiestrogenic medication. Adding at least a minimal exercise protocol improves patients chances of counteracting sarcopenic obesity. Celsius.

Comparison of Theoretical Stresses and Deflections of Multicell Wings with Experimental Results Obtained from Plastic Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zender, George W

1956-01-01

The experimental deflections and stresses of six plastic multicell-wing models of unswept, delta, and swept plan form are presented and compared with previously published theoretical results obtained by the electrical analog method. The comparisons indicate that the theory is reliable except for the evaluation of stresses in the vicinity of the leading edge of delta wings and the leading and trailing edges of swept wings. The stresses in these regions are questionable, apparently because of simplifications employed in idealizing the actual structure for theoretical purposes and because of local effects of concentrated loads.

Description of a Method to Obtain Complete One-Year Follow-Up in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry.

PubMed

Wooley, Jordan; Neatherlin, Holly; Mahoney, Cecile; Squiers, John J; Tabachnick, Deborah; Suresh, Mitta; Huff, Eleanor; Basra, Sukhdeep S; DiMaio, J Michael; Brown, David L; Mack, Michael J; Holper, Elizabeth M

2018-03-15

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Coverage Determination requires centers performing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to report clinical outcomes up to 1 year. Many sites encounter challenges in obtaining complete 1-year follow-up. We report our process to address this challenge. A multidisciplinary process involving clinical personnel, data and quality managers, and research coordinators was initiated to collect TAVI data at baseline, 30 days, and 1 year. This process included (1) planned clinical follow-up of all patients at 30 days and 1 year; (2) query of health-care system-wide integrated data warehouse (IDW) to ascertain last date of clinical contact within the system for all patients; (3) online obituary search, cross-referencing for unique patient identifiers to determine if mortality occurred in remaining unknown patients; and (4) phone calls to remaining unknown patients or patients' families. Between January 2012 and December 2016, 744 patients underwent TAVI. All 744 patients were eligible for 30-day follow-up and 546 were eligible for 1-year follow-up. At routine clinical follow-up of 22 of 744 (3%) patients at 30 days and 180 of 546 (33%) patients at 1 year had unknown survival status. The integrated data warehouse query confirmed status-alive for an additional 1 of 22 patients at 30 days (55%) and 91 of 180 patients at 1 year (51%). Obituaries were identified for 23 of 180 additional patients at 1 year (13%). Phone contact identified the remaining unknown patients at 30 days and 1 year, resulting in 100% known survival status for patients at 30 days (744 of 744) and at 1 year (546 of 546). In conclusion, using a comprehensive approach, we were able to determine survival status in 100% of patients who underwent TAVI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Status of Chemistry in Two-Year Colleges: Results from a Survey of Chemistry Departments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Mary Ann; Wesemann, Jodi L.; Boese, Janet M.; Neuschatz, Michael

In the fall of 2001, the American Chemical Society (ACS) conducted a survey of two-year college chemistry departments to obtain basic data on chemistry faculty and chemistry courses taught at college. A questionnaire sent to appropriate representatives (department chairs, program heads, or deans) from 1195 campuses generated a 77% response rate.…

Evaluation of a statistics-based Ames mutagenicity QSAR model and interpretation of the results obtained.

PubMed

Barber, Chris; Cayley, Alex; Hanser, Thierry; Harding, Alex; Heghes, Crina; Vessey, Jonathan D; Werner, Stephane; Weiner, Sandy K; Wichard, Joerg; Giddings, Amanda; Glowienke, Susanne; Parenty, Alexis; Brigo, Alessandro; Spirkl, Hans-Peter; Amberg, Alexander; Kemper, Ray; Greene, Nigel

2016-04-01

The relative wealth of bacterial mutagenicity data available in the public literature means that in silico quantitative/qualitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) systems can readily be built for this endpoint. A good means of evaluating the performance of such systems is to use private unpublished data sets, which generally represent a more distinct chemical space than publicly available test sets and, as a result, provide a greater challenge to the model. However, raw performance metrics should not be the only factor considered when judging this type of software since expert interpretation of the results obtained may allow for further improvements in predictivity. Enough information should be provided by a QSAR to allow the user to make general, scientifically-based arguments in order to assess and overrule predictions when necessary. With all this in mind, we sought to validate the performance of the statistics-based in vitro bacterial mutagenicity prediction system Sarah Nexus (version 1.1) against private test data sets supplied by nine different pharmaceutical companies. The results of these evaluations were then analysed in order to identify findings presented by the model which would be useful for the user to take into consideration when interpreting the results and making their final decision about the mutagenic potential of a given compound. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Canine hip dysplasia treated by juvenile pubic symphysiodesis. Part I: two year results of computed tomography and distraction index.

PubMed

Dueland, R T; Adams, W M; Patricelli, A J; Linn, K A; Crump, P M

2010-01-01

To measure one and two year effects of juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) in puppies defined as 'at-risk' for canine hip dysplasia (CHD) using the following objective hip conformation criteria: Acetabular angle (AA), dorsal acetabular rim angle (DARA) and hip laxity (PennHIP© distraction index (DI). Controlled clinical case study. Thirty-nine dysplastic puppies (six controls). The dogs were anaesthetised and acetabular angle, DARA, and DI values were obtained by computed tomography and radiography preoperatively. Electro-cautery fusion of the pubic symphysis was performed between 12 - 24 weeks of age. The imaging was repeated at one and two years of age. Significant hip improvements were seen at the two-year follow-up appointments for: AA (JPS dogs 31% increase, control 3%), DARA (JPS 38% decrease, control 15%) and DI (JPS 41% decrease in laxity, controls 20%) for all postoperative versus preoperative values. Pubic fusion occurred with minor morbidity. Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis resulted in significant improvements in hip conformation (AA and DARA), especially in mild to moderately lax hips (DI = 0.40-0.69). Most dogs with DI≥0.70 increased in osteoarthritis grade by two years of age. Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis surgery at 12-24 weeks of age significantly improved hip conformation and decreased laxity in at-risk CHD dogs. Early-age (12 to 16 week) recognition of hip laxity offered greater JPS benefits than surgery performed at 19- to 24-weeks-old. Dogs with severe laxity (DI≥0.70) continued to increase in osteoarthritis. An early (12-16 weeks) positive laxity test (Ortolani) should alert one to obtain objective laxity determinations (PennHIP© DI).

The relative ease of obtaining a dermatologic appointment in Boston: how methods drive results.

PubMed

Weingold, David Howard; Lack, Michael Dweight; Yanowitz, Karen Leslie

2009-06-01

Recent reports have indicated long wait times for dermatologic appointments even for changing moles. Our objective was to determine the wait time for a person willing to make multiple calls and accept an appointment from any dermatologist at any satellite location for a changing mole from a dermatologist who advertised in a Boston, MA, telephone book. We telephoned each practice listed in a Boston, MA, telephone book. Patients making one call to each dermatologic practice on average obtained an appointment in 18 days. Patients calling two practices were offered an appointment on average in 7 days. Patients calling 3 practices were also offered an appointment in 1 week. We only telephoned practices listed in a Boston, MA, telephone book and we only surveyed one urban area. These results suggest that a reasonable concerned patient who was willing to make multiple calls to different providers in Boston, MA, can be seen in a timely fashion.

Quantitative assessment of the impact of biomedical image acquisition on the results obtained from image analysis and processing.

PubMed

Koprowski, Robert

2014-07-04

Dedicated, automatic algorithms for image analysis and processing are becoming more and more common in medical diagnosis. When creating dedicated algorithms, many factors must be taken into consideration. They are associated with selecting the appropriate algorithm parameters and taking into account the impact of data acquisition on the results obtained. An important feature of algorithms is the possibility of their use in other medical units by other operators. This problem, namely operator's (acquisition) impact on the results obtained from image analysis and processing, has been shown on a few examples. The analysed images were obtained from a variety of medical devices such as thermal imaging, tomography devices and those working in visible light. The objects of imaging were cellular elements, the anterior segment and fundus of the eye, postural defects and others. In total, almost 200'000 images coming from 8 different medical units were analysed. All image analysis algorithms were implemented in C and Matlab. For various algorithms and methods of medical imaging, the impact of image acquisition on the results obtained is different. There are different levels of algorithm sensitivity to changes in the parameters, for example: (1) for microscope settings and the brightness assessment of cellular elements there is a difference of 8%; (2) for the thyroid ultrasound images there is a difference in marking the thyroid lobe area which results in a brightness assessment difference of 2%. The method of image acquisition in image analysis and processing also affects: (3) the accuracy of determining the temperature in the characteristic areas on the patient's back for the thermal method - error of 31%; (4) the accuracy of finding characteristic points in photogrammetric images when evaluating postural defects - error of 11%; (5) the accuracy of performing ablative and non-ablative treatments in cosmetology - error of 18% for the nose, 10% for the cheeks, and 7% for the

Saturn gravity results obtained from Pioneer 11 tracking data and earth-based Saturn satellite data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Null, G. W.; Lau, E. L.; Biller, E. D.; Anderson, J. D.

1981-01-01

Improved gravity coefficients for Saturn, its satellites and rings are calculated on the basis of a combination of Pioneer 11 spacecraft Doppler tracking data and earth-based determinations of Saturn natural satellite apse and node rates. Solutions are first obtained separately from the coherent Doppler tracking data obtained for the interval from August 20 to September 4, surrounding the time of closest approach, with the effects of solar plasma on radio signal propagation taken into account, and from secular rates for Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Titan determined from astrometric data by Kozai (1957, 1976) and Garcia (1972). Combination of the data by the use of the Pioneer solution and corresponding unadjusted covariance matrix as a priori information for a secular rate analysis results in values for the total ring mass of essentially zero at a standard error level of 1.7 x 10 to the -6th Saturn masses, a ratio of solar mass to that of the Saturn system of 3498.09 + or - 0.22, masses of Rhea, Titan and Iapetus of 4.0 + or - 0.9, 238.8 + or - 3, and 3.4 + or - 1.3 x 10 to the -6th Saturn masses, respectively, and second and fourth zonal harmonics of 16,479 + or - 18 and -937 + or - 38, respectively. The harmonic coefficients are noted to be important as boundary conditions in the modeling of the Saturn interior.

Recent Advances in Solid Catalysts Obtained by Metalloporphyrins Immobilization on Layered Anionic Exchangers: A Short Review and Some New Catalytic Results.

PubMed

Nakagaki, Shirley; Mantovani, Karen Mary; Machado, Guilherme Sippel; Castro, Kelly Aparecida Dias de Freitas; Wypych, Fernando

2016-02-29

Layered materials are a very interesting class of compounds obtained by stacking of two-dimensional layers along the basal axis. A remarkable property of these materials is their capacity to interact with a variety of chemical species, irrespective of their charge (neutral, cationic or anionic). These species can be grafted onto the surface of the layered materials or intercalated between the layers, to expand or contract the interlayer distance. Metalloporphyrins, which are typically soluble oxidation catalysts, are examples of molecules that can interact with layered materials. This work presents a short review of the studies involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on two different anionic exchangers, Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) and Layered Hydroxide Salts (LHSs), published over the past year. After immobilization of anionic porphyrins, the resulting solids behave as reusable catalysts for heterogeneous oxidation processes. Although a large number of publications involving metalloporphyrin immobilization on LDHs exist, only a few papers have dealt with LHSs as supports, so metalloporphyrins immobilized on LHSs represent a new and promising research field. This work also describes new results on an anionic manganese porphyrin (MnP) immobilized on Mg/Al-LDH solids with different nominal Mg/Al molar ratios (2:1, 3:1 and 4:1) and intercalated with different anions (CO₃(2-) or NO₃(-)). The influence of the support composition on the MnP immobilization rates and the catalytic performance of the resulting solid in cyclooctene oxidation reactions will be reported.

Measurement results obtained from air quality monitoring system

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

Turzanski, P.K.; Beres, R.

1995-12-31

An automatic system of air pollution monitoring operates in Cracow since 1991. The organization, assembling and start-up of the network is a result of joint efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Cracow environmental protection service. At present the automatic monitoring network is operated by the Provincial Inspection of Environmental Protection. There are in total seven stationary stations situated in Cracow to measure air pollution. These stations are supported continuously by one semi-mobile (transportable) station. It allows to modify periodically the area under investigation and therefore the 3-dimensional picture of creation and distribution of air pollutants within Cracowmore » area could be more intelligible.« less

THE TAOS PROJECT: RESULTS FROM SEVEN YEARS OF SURVEY DATA

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

Zhang, Z.-W.; Lehner, M. J.; Wang, J.-H.

2013-07-01

The Taiwanese-American Occultation Survey (TAOS) aims to detect serendipitous occultations of stars by small ({approx}1 km diameter) objects in the Kuiper Belt and beyond. Such events are very rare (<10{sup -3} events per star per year) and short in duration ({approx}200 ms), so many stars must be monitored at a high readout cadence. TAOS monitors typically {approx}500 stars simultaneously at a 5 Hz readout cadence with four telescopes located at Lulin Observatory in central Taiwan. In this paper, we report the results of the search for small Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) in seven years of data. No occultation events weremore » found, resulting in a 95% c.l. upper limit on the slope of the faint end of the KBO size distribution of q = 3.34-3.82, depending on the surface density at the break in the size distribution at a diameter of about 90 km.« less

Still reduced cardiovascular mortality 12 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years: A validation of previous 10-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly.

PubMed

Alehagen, Urban; Aaseth, Jan; Alexander, Jan; Johansson, Peter

2018-01-01

Selenium and coenzyme Q10 are both necessary for optimal cell function in the body. The intake of selenium is low in Europe, and the endogenous production of coenzyme Q10 decreases as age increases. Therefore, an intervention trial using selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years as a dietary supplement was performed. The main publication reported reduced cardiovascular mortality as a result of the intervention. In the present sub-study the objective was to determine whether reduced cardiovascular (CV) mortality persisted after 12 years, in the supplemented population or in subgroups with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or reduced functional capacity due to impaired cardiac function. From a rural municipality in Sweden, four hundred forty-three healthy elderly individuals were included. All cardiovascular mortality was registered, and no participant was lost to the follow-up. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, mortality was registered. After 12 years a significantly reduced CV mortality could be seen in those supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10, with a CV mortality of 28.1% in the active treatment group, and 38.7% in the placebo group. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated a reduced CV mortality risk in the active treatment group (HR: 0.59; 95%CI 0.42-0.81; P = 0.001). In those with ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and impaired functional capacity we demonstrated a significantly reduced CV mortality risk. This is a 12-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants that were supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years. Even after twelve years we observed a significantly reduced risk for CV mortality in this group, as well as in subgroups of patients with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or impaired functional capacity. The results thus validate the results obtained in the 10-year evaluation. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but

Natrelle round silicone breast implants: Core Study results at 10 years.

PubMed

Spear, Scott L; Murphy, Diane K

2014-06-01

Allergan's Natrelle round silicone-filled breast implants were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006 based on interim results from the Core Study; final 10-year study results are now available. Seven hundred fifteen subjects were implanted with smooth and Biocell textured Natrelle round silicone implants and attended clinic visits at 0 to 4 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and annually through 10 years. Approximately one-third of subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging at years 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 to assess rupture. Complication rates showed modest increases over the previously published 6-year rates. The Kaplan-Meier capsular contracture rate was 18.9 percent for augmentation, 28.7 percent for revision-augmentation, and 24.6 percent for reconstruction. Among augmentation subjects, capsular contracture was significantly lower (p = 0.023) for submuscular (15.7 percent) versus subglandular (26.3 percent) placement. The overall rupture rate in the magnetic resonance imaging cohort was 13.0 percent for subjects and 7.7 percent for implants. By the end of the study, 81.8 percent of augmentation subjects still had an original implant in place. Using a five-point scale, 94.2 percent of augmentation, 83.8 percent of revision-augmentation, and 90.7 percent of reconstruction subjects reported being satisfied or definitely satisfied with their implants. Significant improvement over baseline was also seen in overall breast satisfaction and satisfaction with breast size, shape, feel, and how well they matched. The 10-year data from the Natrelle Core Study, which can guide surgeons and patients in decision-making, demonstrate safety and high levels of patient satisfaction. Therapeutic, III.

Four-year to Eight-year Results of Vagotomy and Simple Drainage for Benign Lesser Curve Gastric Ulcer

PubMed Central

Burge, H.; Gill, A. Morton; Maclean, C.; Stedeford, R.

1970-01-01

The results of vagotomy and simple drainage for recurrent benign lesser curve gastric ulcer are recorded. Seventy-two consecutive cases were treated from 1962 to 1965. The follow-up is therefore from five to eight years. In only two cases did the ulcer fail to heal and remain healed. Four years after operation both these had persistent ulceration and persistent gastric retention. Both have apparently been cured by gastrojejunostomy done to improve gastric drainage. ImagesFIG. 1FIG. 2FIG. 3 PMID:5451588

A-Level Results in Comprehensive Schools: The COMBSE Project, Year 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitz-Gibbon, Carol T.

1985-01-01

Results of the first year of the ongoing Confidential, Measurement-Based, Self-Evaluation Project that examines variables related to A-level English and Mathematics achievement in 10 comprehensive schools in the United Kingdom are presented. A-level results were found to be strongly predicted by teacher assessments and by prior O-level achievement…

Trends and outcomes of valve surgery: 16-year results of Netherlands Cardiac Surgery National Database.

PubMed

Siregar, Sabrina; de Heer, Frederiek; Groenwold, Rolf H H; Versteegh, Michel I M; Bekkers, Jos A; Brinkman, Emile S; Bots, Michiel L; van der Graaf, Yolanda; van Herwerden, Lex A

2014-09-01

The aim was to describe procedural volumes, patient risk profile and outcomes of heart valve surgery in the past 16 years in Netherlands. The Dutch National Database for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery includes approximately 200 000 cardiac operations performed between 1995 and 2010. Information on all valve surgeries (56 397 operations) was extracted. We determined trends for changes in procedural volume, demographics, risk profile and in-hospital mortality of valve operations. Because of incomplete data in the first years of registration, the total number of operations in those years was estimated using Poisson regression. For a subset from 2007 to 2010, follow-up data were available. Survival status was obtained through linkage with the national Cause of Death Registry, and survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method. Information on discharge and readmissions was obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Registry. The annual volume of heart valve operations increased by more than 100% from an estimated 2431 in 1995 to 5906 in 2010. Adjusted for population size in Netherlands, the number of operations per 100 000 adults increased from 20 in 1995 to 43 in 2010. In 2010, frequently performed valve surgery included the following: 34.6% isolated aortic valve (AoV) replacement, 21.8% AoV replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 14.6% isolated mitral valve surgery (repair or replacement) and 9.1% mitral valve and CABG. In AoV surgery, an increasing use of bioprostheses in all age categories is observed. In mitral valve surgery, 75.4% was performed by repair rather than replacement in 2010. In-hospital mortality for all valve surgery decreased significantly from 4.6% in 2007 to 3.6% in 2010, whereas the mean logistic EuroSCORE remained stable (median 5.8, P = 1.000). Thirty-day mortality after all valve surgery was 3.9% and 120-day mortality was 6.5%. At 1 year, survival after all valve surgery was 91.6% and a reoperation had been performed in 1

Five Years of Cenosumab Exposure in Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: Results From the First Two Years of the FREEDOM Extension

PubMed Central

Papapoulos, Socrates; Chapurlat, Roland; Libanati, Cesar; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Brown, Jacques P; Czerwiński, Edward; Krieg, Marc-Antoine; Man, Zulema; Mellström, Dan; Radominski, Sebastião C; Reginster, Jean-Yves; Resch, Heinrich; Ivorra, José A Román; Roux, Christian; Vittinghoff, Eric; Austin, Matthew; Daizadeh, Nadia; Bradley, Michelle N; Grauer, Andreas; Cummings, Steven R; Bone, Henry G

2012-01-01

The 3-year FREEDOM trial assessed the efficacy and safety of 60 mg denosumab every 6 months for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Participants who completed the FREEDOM trial were eligible to enter an extension to continue the evaluation of denosumab efficacy and safety for up to 10 years. For the extension results presented here, women from the FREEDOM denosumab group had 2 more years of denosumab treatment (long-term group) and those from the FREEDOM placebo group had 2 years of denosumab exposure (cross-over group). We report results for bone turnover markers (BTMs), bone mineral density (BMD), fracture rates, and safety. A total of 4550 women enrolled in the extension (2343 long-term; 2207 cross-over). Reductions in BTMs were maintained (long-term group) or occurred rapidly (cross-over group) following denosumab administration. In the long-term group, lumbar spine and total hip BMD increased further, resulting in 5-year gains of 13.7% and 7.0%, respectively. In the cross-over group, BMD increased at the lumbar spine (7.7%) and total hip (4.0%) during the 2-year denosumab treatment. Yearly fracture incidences for both groups were below rates observed in the FREEDOM placebo group and below rates projected for a “virtual untreated twin” cohort. Adverse events did not increase with long-term denosumab administration. Two adverse events in the cross-over group were adjudicated as consistent with osteonecrosis of the jaw. Five-year denosumab treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis maintained BTM reduction and increased BMD, and was associated with low fracture rates and a favorable risk/benefit profile. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research PMID:22113951

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Measurement of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation scale in the distribution of galaxies to redshift 1

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

Abbott, T.M.C.; et al.

We present angular diameter distance measurements obtained by locating the BAO scale in the distribution of galaxies selected from the first year of Dark Energy Survey data. We consider a sample of over 1.3 million galaxies distributed over a footprint of 1318 degmore » $^2$ with $$0.6 < z_{\\rm photo} < 1$$ and a typical redshift uncertainty of $0.03(1+z)$. This sample was selected, as fully described in a companion paper, using a color/magnitude selection that optimizes trade-offs between number density and redshift uncertainty. We investigate the BAO signal in the projected clustering using three conventions, the angular separation, the co-moving transverse separation, and spherical harmonics. Further, we compare results obtained from template based and machine learning photometric redshift determinations. We use 1800 simulations that approximate our sample in order to produce covariance matrices and allow us to validate our distance scale measurement methodology. We measure the angular diameter distance, $$D_A$$, at the effective redshift of our sample divided by the true physical scale of the BAO feature, $$r_{\\rm d}$$. We obtain close to a 4 per cent distance measurement of $$D_A(z_{\\rm eff}=0.81)/r_{\\rm d} = 10.75\\pm 0.43 $$. These results are consistent with the flat $$\\Lambda$$CDM concordance cosmological model supported by numerous other recent experimental results.« less

Deterioration of Speech Recognition Ability Over a Period of 5 Years in Adults Ages 18 to 70 Years: Results of the Dutch Online Speech-in-Noise Test.

PubMed

Stam, Mariska; Smits, Cas; Twisk, Jos W R; Lemke, Ulrike; Festen, Joost M; Kramer, Sophia E

2015-01-01

The first aim of the present study was to determine the change in speech recognition in noise over a period of 5 years in participants ages 18 to 70 years at baseline. The second aim was to investigate whether age, gender, educational level, the level of initial speech recognition in noise, and reported chronic conditions were associated with a change in speech recognition in noise. The baseline and 5-year follow-up data of 427 participants with and without hearing impairment participating in the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing (NL-SH) were analyzed. The ability to recognize speech in noise was measured twice with the online National Hearing Test, a digit-triplet speech-in-noise test. Speech-reception-threshold in noise (SRTn) scores were calculated, corresponding to 50% speech intelligibility. Unaided SRTn scores obtained with the same transducer (headphones or loudspeakers) at both test moments were included. Changes in SRTn were calculated as a raw shift (T1 - T0) and an adjusted shift for regression towards the mean. Paired t tests and multivariable linear regression analyses were applied. The mean increase (i.e., deterioration) in SRTn was 0.38-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over 5 years (p < 0.001). Results of the multivariable regression analyses showed that the age group of 50 to 59 years had a significantly larger deterioration in SRTn compared with the age group of 18 to 39 years (raw shift: beta: 0.64-dB SNR; 95% confidence interval: 0.07-1.22; p = 0.028, adjusted for initial speech recognition level - adjusted shift: beta: 0.82-dB SNR; 95% confidence interval: 0.27-1.34; p = 0.004). Gender, educational level, and the number of chronic conditions were not associated with a change in SRTn over time. No significant differences in increase of SRTn were found between the initial levels of speech recognition (i.e., good, insufficient, or poor) when taking into account the phenomenon regression towards the mean. The study results indicate that hearing

[The importance of memory bias in obtaining age of menarche by recall method in Brazilian adolescents].

PubMed

Castilho, Silvia Diez; Nucci, Luciana Bertoldi; Assuino, Samanta Ramos; Hansen, Lucca Ortolan

2014-06-01

To compare the age at menarche obtained by recall method according to the time elapsed since the event, in order to verify the importance of the recall bias. Were evaluated 1,671 girls (7-18 years) at schools in Campinas-SP regarding the occurrence of menarche by the status quo method (menarche: yes or no) and the recall method (date of menarche, for those who mentioned it). The age at menarche obtained by the status quo method was calculated by logit, which considers the whole group, and the age obtained by the recall method was calculated as the average of the mentioned age at menarche. In this group, the age at menarche was obtained by the difference between the date of the event and the date of birth. Girls who reported menarche (883, 52.8%) were divided into four groups according to the time elapsed since the event. To analyze the results, we used ANOVA and logistic regression for the analysis, with a significance level of 0.05. The age at menarche calculated by logit was 12.14 y/o (95% CI 12.08 to 12.20). Mean ages obtained by recall were: for those who experienced menarche within the previous year 12.26 y/o (±1.14), between > 1-2 years before, 12.29 y (±1.22); between > 2-3 years before, 12.23 y/o (±1.27); and more than 3 years before, 11.55y/o (±1.24), p < 0.001. The age at menarche obtained by the recall method was similar for girls who menstruated within the previous 3 years (and approaches the age calculated by logit); when more than 3 years have passed, the recall bias was significant.

Precommercial thinning in a northern conifer stand: 18-year results

Treesearch

John C. Brissette; Robert M., Jr. Frank; Timothy L. Stone; Thomas A. Skratt

1999-01-01

Four levels of precommercial thinning were applied with and without fertilization in a young, even-aged stand of northern conifers in east-central Maine. After 18 years, precommercial thinning resulted in longer and wider crowns and greater survival, growth, and yield of selected crop trees compared to untreated controls. Growth and yield were greater with uniform...

The course of growth response in released white spruce--10-year results

Treesearch

Robert M. Frank; Robert M. Frank

1973-01-01

Weekly bole measurements at 4.5 feet in height were made on individual codominant white spruce trees released on one, two, three, and four sides, and on untreated controls. Results showed that after 10 years annual circumference growth was still significantly related to the degree of release. The growth trend was established the first year but significant differences...

LANNA Tests and the Prediction of Year 10 English and Mathematics Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian; Kay, Russell

2009-01-01

There is a dearth of published information about the Literacy and Numeracy National Assessment (LANNA). This study was designed to explore the relationships among LANNA test scores at Year 7 and, in addition, to examine the predictive capacity of these scores in relation to Year 10 School Certificate English and Mathematics results. As a way of…

Health Outcomes of Obtaining Housing Among Older Homeless Adults.

PubMed

Brown, Rebecca T; Miao, Yinghui; Mitchell, Susan L; Bharel, Monica; Patel, Mitkumar; Ard, Kevin L; Grande, Laura J; Blazey-Martin, Deborah; Floru, Daniella; Steinman, Michael A

2015-07-01

We determined the impact of obtaining housing on geriatric conditions and acute care utilization among older homeless adults. We conducted a 12-month prospective cohort study of 250 older homeless adults recruited from shelters in Boston, Massachusetts, between January and June 2010. We determined housing status at follow-up, determined number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations over 12 months, and examined 4 measures of geriatric conditions at baseline and 12 months. Using multivariable regression models, we evaluated the association between obtaining housing and our outcomes of interest. At 12-month follow-up, 41% of participants had obtained housing. Compared with participants who remained homeless, those with housing had fewer depressive symptoms. Other measures of health status did not differ by housing status. Participants who obtained housing had a lower rate of acute care use, with an adjusted annualized rate of acute care visits of 2.5 per year among participants who obtained housing and 5.3 per year among participants who remained homeless. Older homeless adults who obtained housing experienced improved depressive symptoms and reduced acute care utilization compared with those who remained homeless.

Feasibility and accuracy of molecular testing in specimens obtained with small biopsy forceps: comparison with the results of surgical specimens.

PubMed

Oki, Masahide; Yatabe, Yasushi; Saka, Hideo; Kitagawa, Chiyoe; Kogure, Yoshihito; Ichihara, Shu; Moritani, Suzuko

2015-01-01

During bronchoscopy, small biopsy forceps are increasingly used for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions. However, it is unclear whether the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens sampled with the small biopsy forceps are suitable for the determination of genotypes which become indispensable for the management decision regarding patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of molecular testing in the specimens obtained with 1.5-mm small biopsy forceps. We examined specimens in 91 patients, who were enrolled in our previous 3 studies on the usefulness of thin bronchoscopes and given a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer by bronchoscopy with the 1.5-mm biopsy forceps, and then underwent surgical resection. An experienced pathologist examined paraffin-embedded specimens obtained by bronchoscopic biopsy or surgical resection in a blind fashion on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements and KRAS mutations. Twenty-five (27%), 2 (2%) and 5 (5%) patients had an EGFR mutation, ALK rearrangement and KRAS mutation, respectively, based on the results in surgical specimens. EGFR, ALK and KRAS testing with bronchoscopic specimens was feasible in 82 (90%), 86 (95%) and 83 (91%) patients, respectively. If molecular testing was feasible, the accuracy of EGFR, ALK and KRAS testing with bronchoscopic specimens for the results with surgical specimens was 98, 100 and 98%, respectively. The results of molecular testing in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens obtained with the small forceps, in which the genotype could be evaluated, correlated well with those in surgically resected specimens.

Summer performance results obtained from simultaneously testing ten solar collectors outdoors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, D. R.

1977-01-01

Ten solar collectors were simultaneously tested outdoors. Efficiency data were correlated using a method that separates solar variables (flux, incident angle) from the desired performance parameters (heat loss, absorbtance, transmittance) which are unique to a given collector design. Tests were conducted on both clear and moderately cloudy days. Correlating data in the above manner, a 2-glass, black paint collector exhibited a decrease in efficiency of 5 percentage points relative to the baseline data for an exposure time of 2 years, 4 months. Condensation on the collector glazing was thought to be a contributing factor in this efficiency change.

Childhood self-control and adult outcomes: results from a 30-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Fergusson, David M; Boden, Joseph M; Horwood, L John

2013-07-01

A study by Moffitt et al. reported pervasive associations between childhood self-control and adult outcomes. The current study attempts to replicate the findings reported by Moffitt et al., adjusting these results for the confounding influence of childhood conduct problems. Data were gathered from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal birth cohort studied to age 30 years. Self-control during ages 6 to 12 years was measured analogously to that in Moffitt et al., using parent-, teacher-, and self-report methods. Outcome measures to age 30 included criminal offending, substance use, education/employment, sexual behavior, and mental health. Associations between self-control and outcomes were adjusted for possible confounding by gender, socioeconomic status (SES), IQ, and childhood conduct problems (ages 6-10). In confirmation of the findings of Moffitt et al., all outcomes except major depression were significantly (p < .05) associated with childhood self-control. Adjustment for gender, SES, and IQ reduced to some extent the magnitude of the associations. However, adjustment for childhood conduct disorder further reduced the magnitude of many of these associations, with only 4 of the 14 outcomes remaining statistically significantly (p < .05) associated with self-control. After adjustment for gender, SES, IQ, and conduct problems, those individuals who scored higher in self-control had lower odds of violent offending and welfare dependence, were more likely to have obtained a university degree, and had higher income levels. The findings from this study suggest that observed linkages between a measure of childhood self-control and outcomes in adulthood were largely explained by the correlated effects of childhood conduct problems, SES, IQ, and gender. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consideration on the Long Ecological Half-Life Component of (137)Cs in Demersal Fish Based on Field Observation Results Obtained after the Fukushima Accident.

PubMed

Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo

2016-02-16

Radiocesium concentrations in most marine fish collected off the coast of Fukushima and surrounding prefectures have decreased with time, and four years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident occurred, radiocesium concentrations have generally fallen below the detectable level (ca. < 10 Bq kg(-1)-raw). Only in some demersal fish species have detectable concentration levels still been found, and even these species have showed slow radiocesium decreases. The food web was considered as the major factor causing this phenomenon; however, slow elimination rates of radiocesium from these fish species also could be the cause. The latter effect was examined by considering that the (137)Cs concentration decreasing trend in fish could be fit with a set of three exponentially decreasing components; that is, having short, intermediate, and long biological half-lives. The long ecological half-life component was calculated using a 400-1500 d period of monitoring results for Japanese rockfish (Sebastes cheni) and compared with previous reported laboratory results for biological half-life. The obtained ecological half-lives ranged from 274-365 d, and these values agreed with the biological half-life of this fish species. This result implied that the long biological half-lives of radiocesium in some demersal fish species made their radiocesium contamination periods longer.

Analysis of spirometry results in hospitalized patients aged over 65 years.

PubMed

Wróblewska, Izabela; Oleśniewicz, Piotr; Kurpas, Donata; Sołtysik, Mariusz; Błaszczuk, Jerzy

2015-01-01

The growing population of the elderly, as well as the occurrence of coexisting diseases and polypharmacy, is the reason why diseases of patients aged $65 years belong to the major issues of the contemporary medicine. Among the most frequent diseases of the elderly, there are respiratory system diseases. They are difficult to diagnose because of the patient group specificity, which is the reason for increased mortality among seniors, caused by underdiagnosis. The study objective was to assess the factors influencing spirometry results in hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years with respiratory system disorders. In the research, 217 (100%) patients aged ≥65 years who underwent spirometry at the Regional Medical Center of the Jelenia Góra Valley Hospital in Poland were analyzed. In the statistical analysis, the STATISTICA 9.1 program, the t-test, the Shapiro-Wilk test, the ANOVA test, and the Scheffé's test were applied. The majority of the patients (59.4%) were treated in the hospital. The most frequent diagnosis was malignant neoplasm (18%). The study showed a statistically significant dependence between the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC parameters and the time of hospitalization, as well as between the FVC and FEV1 parameters and the age of patients. The FVC parameter values turned out to be dependent on the main diagnosis. Highest results were noted in patients with the diagnosis of sleep apnea or benign neoplasm. A low FVC index can reflect restrictive ventilation defects, which was supported by the performed analyses. Highest FEV1/FVC values were observed in nonsmokers, which confirms the influence of nicotine addiction on the incidence of respiratory system diseases. The respondents' sex and the established diagnosis statistically significantly influenced the FVC index result, and the diet influenced the FEV1/FVC parameter result.

Obtaining land cover changes information from multitemporal analysis of Landsat-TM images: results from a case study in West African dryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nutini, F.; Boschetti, M.; Brivio, P. A.; Antoninetti, M.

2012-04-01

The Sahelian belt of West Africa is a semiarid region characterized by wide climate variations, which can in turn affect the livelihood of local populations particularly in rangeland areas, as happens during the dramatic food crisis in the 70-80s caused by rainfall scarcity. The monitoring of natural resources and rainfed agricultural activities, with the aim to provide information to support Sahelian food security action, needs the production of detailed thematic maps as emphasized by several scientific papers. In this framework, a study was conducted to develop a method to exploit time series of remote sensed satellite data to 1) provide reliable land cover (LC) map at local scale in a dry region and 2) obtain a LC change (LCC) map that contribute to identify the plausible causes of local environmental instability. Satellite images used for this work consist in a time series of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) (path row 195-50) acquired in the 2000 (6 scenes) and 2007 (9 scenes) from February (Dry season) to September (end of wet season). The study investigates the different contribution provided by spectra information of a single Landsat TM image and by time series of derived NDVI. Different tests have been conducted with different combination of data set (spectral and temporal)in order to identify the best approach to obtain a LC map in five classes of interest: Shrubland, Cultivated Land, Water body, Herbaceous vegetation and Bare soil. The best classification approach is exposed and applied on two years in the last decade. The comparison between this two LC results in land cover change map, that displays the changes of vegetation patterns that have been characterized the area. The discussed results show a largely stable dryland region, but locally characterized by hot-spot of decreasing in natural vegetation inside the rangelands and an increasing of cultivations along fossil valleys where human activities are slightly intense. The discussion shows that this hot

First Year Results from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

After one year of survey observations and more than 70 billion triggers, Fermi is revealing an unprecedented view of the high energy gamma-ray sky. The observatory .carries two instruments, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GB, 8 keV - 40 MeV) and the Large Area Telescope (LAT, 20 MeV greater than or equal to 300 GeV), which in combination cover over 7 orders of magnitude in energy for transient phenomena. The LAT provides substantially more sensitivity than previous instruments in this waveband and has opened up the energy window from 10-100 GeV. The first year has produced many important results, from detections of extremely energetic and distant gamma-ray bursts, to monitoring daily variations in emission caused by massive black holes at the cores of galaxies, to identifying a new population of gamma-ray bright pulsars, to measuring the spectrum of diffuse emission from our own. Galaxy and the spectrum of the local cosmic electrons. I'll review highlights from the first year and discuss how the data are answering questions from the past and raising new ones for the future.

Standardization of a fluconazole bioassay and correlation of results with those obtained by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

PubMed Central

Rex, J H; Hanson, L H; Amantea, M A; Stevens, D A; Bennett, J E

1991-01-01

An improved bioassay for fluconazole was developed. This assay is sensitive in the clinically relevant range (2 to 40 micrograms/ml) and analyzes plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens; bioassay results correlate with results obtained by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Bioassay and HPLC analyses of spiked plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid samples (run as unknowns) gave good agreement with expected values. Analysis of specimens from patients gave equivalent results by both HPLC and bioassay. HPLC had a lower within-run coefficient of variation (less than 2.5% for HPLC versus less than 11% for bioassay) and a lower between-run coefficient of variation (less than 5% versus less than 12% for bioassay) and was more sensitive (lower limit of detection, 0.1 micrograms/ml [versus 2 micrograms/ml for bioassay]). The bioassay is, however, sufficiently accurate and sensitive for clinical specimens, and its relative simplicity, low sample volume requirement, and low equipment cost should make it the technique of choice for analysis of routine clinical specimens. PMID:1854166

Analysis of spirometry results in hospitalized patients aged over 65 years

PubMed Central

Wróblewska, Izabela; Oleśniewicz, Piotr; Kurpas, Donata; Sołtysik, Mariusz; Błaszczuk, Jerzy

2015-01-01

Introduction and objective The growing population of the elderly, as well as the occurrence of coexisting diseases and polypharmacy, is the reason why diseases of patients aged $65 years belong to the major issues of the contemporary medicine. Among the most frequent diseases of the elderly, there are respiratory system diseases. They are difficult to diagnose because of the patient group specificity, which is the reason for increased mortality among seniors, caused by underdiagnosis. The study objective was to assess the factors influencing spirometry results in hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years with respiratory system disorders. Material and methods In the research, 217 (100%) patients aged ≥65 years who underwent spirometry at the Regional Medical Center of the Jelenia Góra Valley Hospital in Poland were analyzed. In the statistical analysis, the STATISTICA 9.1 program, the t-test, the Shapiro–Wilk test, the ANOVA test, and the Scheffé’s test were applied. Results The majority of the patients (59.4%) were treated in the hospital. The most frequent diagnosis was malignant neoplasm (18%). The study showed a statistically significant dependence between the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC parameters and the time of hospitalization, as well as between the FVC and FEV1 parameters and the age of patients. The FVC parameter values turned out to be dependent on the main diagnosis. Highest results were noted in patients with the diagnosis of sleep apnea or benign neoplasm. A low FVC index can reflect restrictive ventilation defects, which was supported by the performed analyses. Highest FEV1/FVC values were observed in nonsmokers, which confirms the influence of nicotine addiction on the incidence of respiratory system diseases. Conclusion The respondents’ sex and the established diagnosis statistically significantly influenced the FVC index result, and the diet influenced the FEV1/FVC parameter result

JIRAM infrared observations of Jupiter Aurorae: results of the first year.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mura, A.; Adriani, A.; Altieri, F.; Dinelli, B. M.; Moriconi, M. L.; Migliorini, A.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Cicchetti, A.; Noschese, R.; Sindoni, G.; Tosi, F.; Filacchione, G.; Fabiano, F.; Piccioni, G.; Turrini, D.; Amoroso, M.; Plainaki, C.; Olivieri, A.; Gerard, J.-C.

2017-09-01

JIRAM (Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper) is an imaging spectrometer on board the Juno spacecraft, specifically designed to observe the aurorae of Jupiter. Here we show results on JIRAM's data after one year of observations. The footprints of Io, Europa and Ganymede have also been observed and characterized.

Hemorrhagic Complications of Percutaneous Cryoablation for Renal Tumors: Results from a 7-year Prospective Study

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

Kakarala, Bharat, E-mail: bkakara1@jhmi.edu, E-mail: bharat.kakarala@gmail.com; Frangakis, Constantine E., E-mail: cfrangak@jhsph.edu; Rodriguez, Ron, E-mail: rodriguezr32@uthscsa.edu

PurposeCryoablation of renal tumors is assumed to have a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications compared to other ablative modalities. Our purpose was to establish the exact risk and to identify hemorrhagic risk factors.Materials and MethodsThis IRB approved, 7-year prospective study included 261 renal cryoablations. Procedures were under conscious sedation and CT guidance. Pre- and postablation CT was obtained, and hemorrhagic complications were CTCAE tabulated. Age, gender, tumor size, histology, and probes number were tested based on averages or proportions using their exact permutation distribution. “High-risk” subgroups (those exceeding the thresholds of all variables) were tested for each variable alone, andmore » for all combinations of variable threshold values. We compared the subgroup with the best PPV using one variable, with the subgroup with the best PPV using all variables (McNemmar test).ResultsThe hemorrhagic complication rate was 3.5 %. Four patients required transfusions, two required emergent angiograms, one required both a transfusion and angiogram, and two required bladder irrigation for outlet obstruction. Perirenal space hemorrhage was more clinically significant than elsewhere. Univariate risks were tumor size >2 cm, number of probes >2, and malignant histology (P = 0.005, 0.002, and 0.033, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that patients >55 years with malignant tumors >2 cm requiring 2 or more probes yielded the highest PPV (7.5 %).ConclusionsAlthough older patients (>55 years old) with larger (>2 cm), malignant tumors have an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications, the low PPV does not support the routine use of embolization. Percutaneous cryoablation has a 3.5 % risk of significant hemorrhage, similar to that reported for other types of renal ablative modalities.« less

Results from the International Heliophysical Year (IHY)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Joseph M.

2010-01-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) involved the effort of thousands of scientists from over 70 countries, ended in February 2009. The major objectives of the IHY included over 60 collaborative studies of universal physical processes in the solar system, the deployment of arrays of small instruments to observe heliophysical processes, a unique program of educational and public outreach, and the preservation of the history of the IGY, during a two year period. A follow on effort, the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) is designed to build on the momentum developed during the IHY to develop the capability to observe, understand, and predict space weather phenomena.

Carbon nanofibers obtained from electrospinning process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bovi de Oliveira, Juliana; Müller Guerrini, Lília; Sizuka Oishi, Silvia; Rogerio de Oliveira Hein, Luis; dos Santos Conejo, Luíza; Cerqueira Rezende, Mirabel; Cocchieri Botelho, Edson

2018-02-01

In recent years, reinforcements consisting of carbon nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphenes, and carbon nanofibers have received significant attention due mainly to their chemical inertness and good mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Since carbon nanofibers comprise a continuous reinforcing with high specific surface area, associated with the fact that they can be obtained at a low cost and in a large amount, they have shown to be advantageous compared to traditional carbon nanotubes. The main objective of this work is the processing of carbon nanofibers, using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as a precursor, obtained by the electrospinning process via polymer solution, with subsequent use for airspace applications as reinforcement in polymer composites. In this work, firstly PAN nanofibers were produced by electrospinning with diameters in the range of (375 ± 85) nm, using a dimethylformamide solution. Using a furnace, the PAN nanofiber was converted into carbon nanofiber. Morphologies and structures of PAN and carbon nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses and differential scanning calorimeter. The resulting residual weight after carbonization was approximately 38% in weight, with a diameters reduction of 50%, and the same showed a carbon yield of 25%. From the analysis of the crystalline structure of the carbonized material, it was found that the material presented a disordered structure.

Total knee replacement-cementless tibial fixation with screws: 10-year results.

PubMed

Ersan, Önder; Öztürk, Alper; Çatma, Mehmet Faruk; Ünlü, Serhan; Akdoğan, Mutlu; Ateş, Yalım

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term clinical and radiological results of cementless total knee replacement. A total of 51 knees of 49 patients (33 female and 16 male; mean age: 61.6 years (range, 29-66 years)) who underwent TKR surgery with a posterior stabilized hydroxyapatite coated knee implant were included in this study. All of the tibial components were fixed with screws. The HSS scores were examined preoperatively and at the final follow-up. Radiological assessment was performed with Knee Society evaluating and scoring system. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to rule out the survival of the tibial component. The mean HSS scores were 45.8 (range 38-60) and 88.1 (range 61-93), preoperatively and at the final follow-up respectively. Complete radiological assessment was performed for 48 knees. Lucent lines at the tibial component were observed in 4 patients; one of these patients underwent a revision surgery due to the loosening of the tibial component. The 10-year survival rate of a tibial component was 98%. Cementless total knee replacement has satisfactory long term clinical results. Primary fixation of the tibial component with screws provides adequate stability even in elderly patients with good bone quality. Level IV, Therapeutic study. Copyright © 2017 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International normalized ratio (INR) testing in Europe: between-laboratory comparability of test results obtained by Quick and Owren reagents.

PubMed

Meijer, Piet; Kynde, Karin; van den Besselaar, Antonius M H P; Van Blerk, Marjan; Woods, Timothy A L

2018-04-12

This study was designed to obtain an overview of the analytical quality of the prothrombin time, reported as international normalized ratio (INR) and to assess the variation of INR results between European laboratories, the difference between Quick-type and Owren-type methods and the effect of using local INR calibration or not. In addition, we assessed the variation in INR results obtained for a single donation in comparison with a pool of several plasmas. A set of four different lyophilized plasma samples were distributed via national EQA organizations to participating laboratories for INR measurement. Between-laboratory variation was lower in the Owren group than in the Quick group (on average: 6.7% vs. 8.1%, respectively). Differences in the mean INR value between the Owren and Quick group were relatively small (<0.20 INR). Between-laboratory variation was lower after local INR calibration (CV: 6.7% vs. 8.6%). For laboratories performing local calibration, the between-laboratory variation was quite similar for the Owren and Quick group (on average: 6.5% and 6.7%, respectively). Clinically significant differences in INR results (difference in INR>0.5) were observed between different reagents. No systematic significant differences in the between-laboratory variation for a single-plasma sample and a pooled plasma sample were observed. The comparability for laboratories using local calibration of their thromboplastin reagent is better than for laboratories not performing local calibration. Implementing local calibration is strongly recommended for the measurement of INR.

Nitrate Leaching From Intensive Forest Management on Abandonded Agricultural Land: Fifth-Year Results

Treesearch

Thomas M. Williams; Charles Gresham

2002-01-01

This report is on the fifth year results of a cooperative research project to examine water quality impacts of maximizing plantation growth on abandoned agricultural land, first reported after two years in the Ninth Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. The study, located on International Paper's Southland Experimental Forest at Bainbridge GA, examines...

Maximal isometric muscle strength values obtained By hand-held dynamometry in children between 6 and 15 years of age.

PubMed

Escobar, Raul G; Munoz, Karin T; Dominguez, Angelica; Banados, Pamela; Bravo, Maria J

2017-01-01

In this study we aimed to determine the maximal isometric muscle strength of a healthy, normal-weight, pediatric population between 6 and 15 years of age using hand-held dynamometry to establish strength reference values. The secondary objective was determining the relationship between strength and anthropometric parameters. Four hundred normal-weight Chilean children, split into 10 age groups, separated by 1-year intervals, were evaluated. Each age group included between 35 and 55 children. The strength values increased with increasing age and weight, with a correlation of 0.83 for age and 0.82 for weight. The results were similar to those reported in previous studies regarding the relationships among strength, age, and anthropometric parameters, but the reported strength differed. These results provide normal strength parameters for healthy and normal-weight Chilean children between 6 and 15 years of age and highlight the relevance of ethnicity in defining reference values for muscle strength in a pediatric population. Muscle Nerve 55: 16-22, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hybrid poplar on two anthracite coal-mine spoils: 10-year results

Treesearch

Miroslaw M. Czapowskyj

1978-01-01

Unrooted dormant cuttings of 28 hybrid poplar clones were planted on two graded anthracite coal-mine spoils derived from sandstone or from glacial till. Ten-year results show that the plantation survived very well (82 percent), but that growth was extremely varied. Spoil Characteristics and performance of individual clones are presented.

Quality of life after TIA and stroke: ten-year results of the Oxford Vascular Study.

PubMed

Luengo-Fernandez, Ramon; Gray, Alastair M; Bull, Linda; Welch, Sarah; Cuthbertson, Fiona; Rothwell, Peter M

2013-10-29

To evaluate the 5-year impact of stroke and TIA on utility and quality-adjusted survival. TIA and stroke patients from a UK population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study) were recruited from 2002 to 2007, and followed up until 2012. Quality of life was assessed over 5 years using the EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimensions), with responses converted into utilities ranging from -0.59 (worse than death) to 1 (perfect health), using UK population valuations. Utilities for stroke and TIA patients were compared with those in matched controls obtained from the 2006 Health Survey for England. Five-year quality-adjusted life years were estimated by combining utility and survival information. Four hundred forty TIA and 748 stroke patients were ascertained and included. Utility remained constant at approximately 0.78 over the 5 years after TIA. Utility improved from 0.64 one month after stroke to 0.70 at 6 months (p = 0.006), remaining at approximately 0.70 thereafter. Matched controls had considerably higher utility levels than stroke/TIA patients (0.85, p < 0.001). Event severity and recurrent stroke were significant predictors of decreased long-term utility. Five-year quality-adjusted life expectancy was 3.32 (95% confidence interval: 3.22-3.48) quality-adjusted life years after TIA and 2.21 (2.15-2.37) after stroke, varying considerably by severity (minor: 2.94; moderate: 1.65; and severe: 0.70). Quality-adjusted survival is low over the 5 years after stroke and TIA, with severity and recurrent stroke being major predictors. There remains considerable scope for improvements in acute treatment and secondary prevention to improve the quality of life after TIA and stroke.

Prevention of traffic accidents: the assessment of perceptual-motor alterations before obtaining a driving license. A longitudinal study of the first years of driving.

PubMed

Martín, Fermina Sánchez; Estévez, M Angeles Quiroga

2005-03-01

A longitudinal study was designed with two objectives: first, to provide a wide cognitive, personality and social description of new drivers before they started to drive cars. Second, to examine the relationship between cognitive and other characteristics drivers had before obtaining their driving license and the number and type of accidents they were involved in during the first years as drivers. The longitudinal study started in 1997 and ended in 2002. The first assessment was made up of 241 individuals at the time they enrolled on the driving course. The follow-up evaluation in the year 2002 was carried out on 144 components of the initial sample after five years driving. Age, gender and education level were matched to represent the population of Spain. Participants were assessed with the Bender Test for visual-motor ability, the B101 Test for practical intelligence, the B19 Test for visual-motor bi-manual coordination, and the TKK-1108 for speed anticipation. Personality was also evaluated with the Rorschach test and the PSY (Psychological Assessment Questionnaire). Five years later, a new examination of all those variables was made as well as a structured interview with each participant in order to collect data relating to significant life events during that time, driving habits, opinions in relation to certain traffic rules and information on accidents, incidents and/or sanctions. Serious and/or minor accidents are concentrated on a few drivers. Accidentality is not related to gender or age, but educational level is related to serious accidents. The number of accidents (severe or minor ones) cannot be predicted if considered as a continuous variable, but it is possible if considered as a discrete variable. In this case two different cognitive profiles account for the number and type of accidents. The number and type of accidents during their first years of driving are related to the cognitive profiles of drivers assessed before they obtained their driving

ENUCLEATION IN MALIGNANT CHOROIDAL MELANOMA - results in 15 years of using a new material in the prosthesis of the orbital cavity

PubMed Central

Tataru, CP; Pop, MD

2012-01-01

Rationale: Enucleation implants are covered with a material that allows the fixation of the extraocular rectus muscles. Usually, the implants are covered in donor sclera, which implies the risk of infection transmission, inflammation and implant rejection, being also an expensive procedure. The new materials used for implant meshing should be tested and a safer and cost effective solution should be researched. Objective: This study presents the results obtained after a 15-year use of an original prosthesis for the reconstruction of the orbital cavity after enucleation surgery. Methods and results: 42 eyes of 42 patients who underwent enucleation surgery for choroidal malignant melanoma were included in the study. The surgical technique was very similar to the classic enucleation, the major difference being the implant of a prosthesis made out of a Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) ball covered by a Polyethylene terephthalate (dacron) shell used in cardiovascular surgery. All the patients had a very good technical result, without the inflammation of the orbital cavity, conjunctiva or eyelids, which demonstrates a very high material tolerability and an excellent cosmetic result. Late implant expulsion appeared in 7.14% of the patients (3 cases). Discussion: The particularly good results obtained by using this technique, the absence of an inflammatory reaction after surgery, and the long lasting stability of the implant, recommend the method as being safe, with no major complications and a good esthetic result. AbbreviationsPolymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Malignant choroidal melanoma (CMM) PMID:22802888

Aircraft and ground vehicle friction correlation test results obtained under winter runway conditions during joint FAA/NASA Runway Friction Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yager, Thomas J.; Vogler, William A.; Baldasare, Paul

1988-01-01

Aircraft and ground vehicle friction data collected during the Joint FAA/NASA Runway Friction Program under winter runway conditions are discussed and test results are summarized. The relationship between the different ground vehicle friction measurements obtained on compacted snow- and ice-covered conditions is defined together with the correlation to aircraft tire friction performance under similar runway conditions.

Research Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-12-01

Research on Global Carbon Emission and Sequestration NSFC Funded Project Made Significant Progress in Quantum Dynamics Functional Human Blood Protein Obtained from Rice How Giant Pandas Thrive on a Bamboo Diet New Evidence of Interpersonal Violence from 129,000 Years Ago Found in China Aptamer-Mediated Efficient Capture and Release of T Lymphocytes on Nanostructured Surfaces BGI Study Results on Resequencing 50 Accessions of Rice Cast New Light on Molecular Breeding BGI Reports Study Results on Frequent Mutation of Genes Encoding UMPP Components in Kidney Cancer Research on Habitat Shift Promoting Species Diversification

Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT): First Year Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helin, E. F.; Rabinowitz, D. L.; Pravdo, S. H.; Lawrence, K. J.

1997-07-01

The successful detection of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) has been demonstrated by the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during its first year of operation. The NEAT CCD camera system is installed on the U. S. Air Force 1-m GEODSS telescope in Maui. Using state-of-the-art software and hardware, the system initiates nightly transmitted observing script from JPL, moves the telescopes for successive exposures of the selected fields, detects moving objects as faint as V=20.5 in 40 s exposures, determines their astrometric positions, and downloads the data for review at JPL in the morning. The NEAT system is detecting NEAs larger than 200m, comets, and other unique objects at a rate competitive with current operating systems, and bright enough for important physical studies on moderate-sized telescopes. NEAT has detected over 10,000 asteroids over a wide range of magnitudes, demonstrating the excellent capability of the NEAT system. Fifty-five percent of the detections are new objects and over 900 of them have been followed on a second night to receive designation from the Minor Planet Center. 14 NEAs (9 Amors, 4 Apollos, and 1 Aten) have been discovered since March 1996. Also, 2 long period comets and 1996 PW, an asteroidal object with an orbit of a long-period comet, with an eccentricity of 0.992 and orbital period of 5900 years. Program discoveries will be reviewed along with analysis of results pertaining to the discovery efficiency, distribution on the sky, range of orbits and magnitudes. Related abstract: Lawrence, K., et al., 1997 DPS

Summary of the Results from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter after Seven Years in Lunar Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Mazarico, Erwan; Lemoine, Frank G.; Head, James W., III; Lucey, Paul G.; Aharonson, Oded; Robinson, Mark S.; Sun, Xiaoli;

The LANDSAT system operated in Brazil by CNPq/INPE - results obtained in the area of mapping and future perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Barbosa, M. N.

1981-01-01

The LANDSAT system, operated in the country by CNPg/INPE since 1973, systematically acquires, produces, and distributes both multispectral and panchromatic images obtained through remote sensing satellites to thousands of researchers and technicians involved in the natural resources survey. To cooperate in the solution of national problems, CNPq/INPE is developing efforts in the area of manipulation of those images with the objective of making them useful as planimetric bases for the simple revision of already published maps or for its utilization as basic material in regions not yet reliability mapped. The results obtained from performed tests are presented and the existing limitations are discussed. The new system purchased to handle data from the next series of LANDSAT as well as from MAPSAT and SPOT which will be in operation within the 80's decade, and are designed not only for natural resources survey but also for the solution of cartographic problems.

Corneal Astigmatism and Aberrations After Combined Femtosecond-Assisted Phacoemulsification and Arcuate Keratotomy: Two-Year Results.

PubMed

Chan, Tommy C Y; Ng, Alex L K; Cheng, George P M; Wang, Zheng; Woo, Victor C P; Jhanji, Vishal

2016-10-01

To investigate the stability of corneal astigmatism and higher-order aberrations after combined femtosecond-assisted phacoemulsification and arcuate keratotomy. Retrospective, interventional case series. Surgery was performed using a VICTUS (Bausch & Lomb Inc, Dornach, Germany) platform. A single, 450-μm deep, arcuate keratotomy was paired at the 8-mm zone with the main phacoemulsification incision in the opposite meridian. The keratotomy incisions were not opened. Corneal astigmatism and higher-order aberration measurements obtained preoperatively and at 2 months and 2 years postoperatively were analyzed. Fifty eyes of 50 patients (mean age 66.2 ± 10.5 years) were included. The mean preoperative corneal astigmatism was 1.35 ± 0.48 diopters (D). This was reduced to 0.67 ± 0.54 D at 2 months and 0.74 ± 0.53 D at 2 years postoperatively (P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between postoperative corneal astigmatism over 2 years (P = .392). Both magnitude of error and absolute angle of error were comparable between the 2 postoperative time points (P > .283). At postoperative 2 months and 2 years, 72% and 70% of eyes were within 15 degrees of preoperative meridian of astigmatism, respectively. All wavefront measurements increased significantly at 2 months and 2 years (P < .007), except spherical aberration (P > .150). There was no significant difference in higher-order aberrations between 2 months and 2 years postoperatively (P > .486). Our study showed the stability of femtosecond-assisted arcuate keratotomy. Further studies using other platforms and nomograms are needed to corroborate the findings of this study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Astronomers celebrate a year of new Hubble results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-02-01

"We are beginning to understand that because of these observations we are going to have to change the way we look at the Universe," said ESA's Dr Duccio Macchetto, Associate Director for Science Programs at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The European Space Agency plays a major role in the Hubble Space Telescope programme. The Agency provided one of the telescope's four major instruments, called the Faint Object Camera, and two sets of electricity-generating solar arrays. In addition, 15 ESA scientific and technical staff work at the STScI. In return for this contribution, European astronomers are entitled to 15 percent of the telescope's observing time, although currently they account for 20 percent of all observations. "This is a testimony to the quality of the European science community", said Dr Roger Bonnet, Director of Science at ESA. "We are only guaranteed 15 percent of the telescope's use, but consistently receive much more than that." Astronomers from universities, observatories and research institutes across Europe lead more than 60 investigations planned for the telescope's fifth observing cycle, which begins this summer. Many more Europeans contribute to teams led by other astronomers. Looking back to the very start of time European astronomer Dr Peter Jakobsen used ESA's Faint Object Camera to confirm that helium was present in the early Universe. Astronomers had long predicted that 90 percent of the newly born Universe consisted of hydrogen, with helium making up the remainder. Before the refurbished Hubble came along, it was easy to detect the hydrogen, but the primordial helium remained elusive. The ultraviolet capabilities of the telescope, combined with the improvement in spatial resolution following the repair, made it possible for Dr Jakobsen to obtain an image of a quasar close to the edge of the known Universe. A spectral analysis of this picture revealed the quasar's light, which took 13 billion years

Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinshaw, G.; Weiland, J. L.; Hill, R. S.; Odegard, N.; Larson, D.; Bennett, C. L.; Dunkley, J.; Gold, B.; Greason, M. R.; Jarosik, N.; Komatsu, E.; Nolta, M. R.; Page, L.; Spergel, D. N.; Wollack, E.; Halpern, M.; Kogut, A.; Limon, M.; Meyer, S. S.; Tucker, G. S.; Wright, E. L.

2009-02-01

We present new full-sky temperature and polarization maps in five frequency bands from 23 to 94 GHz, based on data from the first five years of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) sky survey. The new maps are consistent with previous maps and are more sensitive. The five-year maps incorporate several improvements in data processing made possible by the additional years of data and by a more complete analysis of the instrument calibration and in-flight beam response. We present several new tests for systematic errors in the polarization data and conclude that W-band polarization data is not yet suitable for cosmological studies, but we suggest directions for further study. We do find that Ka-band data is suitable for use; in conjunction with the additional years of data, the addition of Ka band to the previously used Q- and V-band channels significantly reduces the uncertainty in the optical depth parameter, τ. Further scientific results from the five-year data analysis are presented in six companion papers and are summarized in Section 7 of this paper. With the five-year WMAP data, we detect no convincing deviations from the minimal six-parameter ΛCDM model: a flat universe dominated by a cosmological constant, with adiabatic and nearly scale-invariant Gaussian fluctuations. Using WMAP data combined with measurements of Type Ia supernovae and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the galaxy distribution, we find (68% CL uncertainties): Ω b h 2 = 0.02267+0.00058 -0.00059, Ω c h 2 = 0.1131 ± 0.0034, ΩΛ = 0.726 ± 0.015, ns = 0.960 ± 0.013, τ = 0.084 ± 0.016, and Δ_{R}^2 = (2.445± 0.096)× 10^{-9} at k = 0.002 Mpc-1. From these we derive σ8 = 0.812 ± 0.026, H 0 = 70.5 ± 1.3 km s-1 Mpc-1, Ω b = 0.0456 ± 0.0015, Ω c = 0.228 ± 0.013, Ω m h 2 = 0.1358+0.0037 -0.0036, z reion = 10.9 ± 1.4, and t 0 = 13.72 ± 0.12 Gyr. The new limit on the tensor-to-scalar ratio is r < 0.22(95%CL), while the evidence for a running spectral index is insignificant

First-Year Results of an Obesity Prevention Program at The Dow Chemical Company

PubMed Central

Goetzel, Ron Z.; Baker, Kristin M.; Short, Meghan E.; Pei, Xiaofei; Ozminkowski, Ronald J.; Wang, Shaohung; Bowen, Jennie D.; Roemer, Enid C.; Craun, Beth A.; Tully, Karen J.; Baase, Catherine M.

2010-01-01

Objective To examine first-year results from a workplace environmental obesity prevention program at The Dow Chemical Company. Methods A quasi-experimental cohort study was conducted among employees at nine treatment worksites (n=8,013) who received environmental weight management interventions and three control worksites (n=2,269). Changes in employees’ weight, body mass index (BMI), and other health risks were examined using chi-square and t-tests. Results After one year, a modest treatment effect was observed for weight and BMI largely because the control group subjects gained weight; however, no effect was observed for overweight and obesity prevalence. Other risk factors (tobacco use, high blood pressure, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure values) decreased significantly, although blood glucose (high risk prevalence and values) increased. Conclusions Environmental changes to the workplace can achieve modest improvements in employees’ health risks, including weight and BMI measures, in one year. PMID:19209033

Results of in vivo measurements of strontium-90 body-burden in Urals residents: analyses of data obtained 2006-2012

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

Tolstykh, E. I.; Bougrov, N. G.; Krivoshchapov, Victor A.

2012-06-01

A part of the Urals territory was contaminated with 90Sr and 137Cs in the 1950s as a result of accidents at the "Mayak" Production Association. The paper describes the analysis of in vivo 90Sr measurements in Urals residents. The measurements were performed with the use of whole-body-counter SICH-9.1M in 2006-2012. Totally 5840 measurements for 4876 persons were performed from 2006 to 2012; maximal measured value was 24 kBq. Earlier, similar measurements were performed with SICH-9.1 (1974-1997). Comparison of the results obtained with SICH-9.1 and SICH-9.1M has shown a good agreement of the two data sets.

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Cosmological Constraints from Galaxy Clustering and Weak Lensing

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

Abbott, T.M.C.; et al.

We present cosmological results from a combined analysis of galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing, using 1321 degmore » $^2$ of $griz$ imaging data from the first year of the Dark Energy Survey (DES Y1). We combine three two-point functions: (i) the cosmic shear correlation function of 26 million source galaxies in four redshift bins, (ii) the galaxy angular autocorrelation function of 650,000 luminous red galaxies in five redshift bins, and (iii) the galaxy-shear cross-correlation of luminous red galaxy positions and source galaxy shears. To demonstrate the robustness of these results, we use independent pairs of galaxy shape, photometric redshift estimation and validation, and likelihood analysis pipelines. To prevent confirmation bias, the bulk of the analysis was carried out while blind to the true results; we describe an extensive suite of systematics checks performed and passed during this blinded phase. The data are modeled in flat $$\\Lambda$$CDM and $w$CDM cosmologies, marginalizing over 20 nuisance parameters, varying 6 (for $$\\Lambda$$CDM) or 7 (for $w$CDM) cosmological parameters including the neutrino mass density and including the 457 $$\\times$$ 457 element analytic covariance matrix. We find consistent cosmological results from these three two-point functions, and from their combination obtain $$S_8 \\equiv \\sigma_8 (\\Omega_m/0.3)^{0.5} = 0.783^{+0.021}_{-0.025}$$ and $$\\Omega_m = 0.264^{+0.032}_{-0.019}$$ for $$\\Lambda$$CDM for $w$CDM, we find $$S_8 = 0.794^{+0.029}_{-0.027}$$, $$\\Omega_m = 0.279^{+0.043}_{-0.022}$$, and $$w=-0.80^{+0.20}_{-0.22}$$ at 68% CL. The precision of these DES Y1 results rivals that from the Planck cosmic microwave background measurements, allowing a comparison of structure in the very early and late Universe on equal terms. Although the DES Y1 best-fit values for $$S_8$$ and $$\\Omega_m$$ are lower than the central values from Planck ...« less

Deferred rotation harvests in central Appalachia: 20- and 25-year results

Treesearch

Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy; Thomas M. Schuler

2008-01-01

In deferment harvest, two distinct age classes are created and the residual trees remain after establishment of the second cohort. The 20- or 25-year preliminary results from four deferment areas are described. For each area, volume and growth in the residual trees and new cohort, and structure and composition of the new cohort are presented. We also address whether...

[Biotechnological cultivation of edible macrofungi: an alternative for obtaining nutraceutics].

PubMed

Suárez Arango, Carolina; Nieto, Ivonne Jeannette

2013-01-03

Macromycetes have been part of the human culture for thousand years, and have been reported as food in the most important civilizations in history. Many nutraceutical properties of macromycetes have been described, such as anti-cancer, anti-tumour, cholesterol lowering, antiviral, antibacterial, or immunomodulatory, among others. Given that production of mushrooms by traditional cultivation and extraction of bioactive metabolites is very difficult in some cases, biotechnology is essential for the development of profitable and productive techniques for obtaining these metabolites. It is the development of this technology, and the ease in which it enables the use of its variables that has allowed mycelium to be cultivated in liquid medium of macrofungi, with a significant reduction in time and an increased production of metabolites. This increased production has led to the study of compounds that have medicinal, nutriceutical and quasi-farmaceutical potential, in the exhausted media and the mycelium. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the use of liquid-state fermentation as a technological tool for obtaining edible fungi, and the study of these and their metabolites, by describing the different cultivation conditions used in recent years, as well as the results obtained. The relevance of Agaricus, Flammulina, Grifola, Pleurotus and Lentinula genera, will also be discussed, with emphasis on the last one, since Shiitake has been always considered as the ultimate medicinal mushroom. Copyright © 2011 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 1315.34 - Obtaining an import quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... FOR EPHEDRINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, AND PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE Procurement and Import Quotas § 1315.34 Obtaining an import quota. (a) Any person who is registered to import ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or... desires to import during the next calendar year any ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine or...

21 CFR 1315.34 - Obtaining an import quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... FOR EPHEDRINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, AND PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE Procurement and Import Quotas § 1315.34 Obtaining an import quota. (a) Any person who is registered to import ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or... desires to import during the next calendar year any ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine or...

21 CFR 1315.34 - Obtaining an import quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... FOR EPHEDRINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, AND PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE Procurement and Import Quotas § 1315.34 Obtaining an import quota. (a) Any person who is registered to import ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or... desires to import during the next calendar year any ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine or...

21 CFR 1315.34 - Obtaining an import quota.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... FOR EPHEDRINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, AND PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE Procurement and Import Quotas § 1315.34 Obtaining an import quota. (a) Any person who is registered to import ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or... desires to import during the next calendar year any ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine or...

[Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases: long term results of five year long preventive intervention in 12-year old boys (ten year prospective study)].

PubMed

Rozanov, V B; Aleksandov, A A; Shugaeva, E N; Perova, N V; Maslennikova, G Ia; Smirnova, S G; Olfer'ev, A M

2007-01-01

In a longitudinal cohort (prevention group, n=213, comparison group, n=163) of 10-year prospective follow-up we addressed efficacy of 5-year-long multifactor preventive intervention, conducted in a sample of population of 12 year old boys. Preventive intervention was carried out both at populational level and among persons with risk factors of development of cardiovascular diseases with the use of group, individual, and partly family approaches, and was directed at rationalization of nutrition, elevation of physical activity and prevention of harmful habits. During first 3 years of prevention we succeeded to achieve stable statistically significant lowering of mean levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and atherogeneity index, as well as to affect fatty component of body mass (skinfold thickness). Long term effect of 5-year long preventive intervention manifested as significantly lower level of systolic blood pressure, lower prevalence of low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, smaller increment of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and index of atherogeneity in the prevention group. These results evidence that prevention of main factors of risk of development of cardiovascular diseases (obesity, arterial hypertension, disorders of lipid composition of the blood, and low physical activity) in child and adolescent age in the period of active growth and development is feasible, effective, safe and is able to lead to decrease of levels of these factors in adults, but should last uninterruptedly until formation of stable habits of healthy life style.

Obtaining Your License: Careers in Real Estate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyon, Robert

Two steps are required to obtain a real estate salesperson's license in Texas: (1) selecting a broker to serve as an advisor, and (2) meeting personal requirements (at least 18 years old, a Texas resident, completion of a minimum of 12 semester hours of real estate and related courses, application, acceptable score on state exam, and payment of…

Northern Idaho ponderosa racial variation study - 50-year results

Treesearch

R. J. Steinhoff

1970-01-01

Ponderosa pine trees from 19 geographic sources planted on a test area in northern Idaho have been measured 12, 20, 40, and 50 years after outplanting. From the 12th through the 50th years after outplanting, trees from one nonlocal source have been tallest. Trees from the local source now rank second in height, having risen from sixth during the last 10 years. In...

A Five-Year Analysis of MODIS NDVI and NDWI for Rangeland Drought Assessment: Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Y.; Brown, J. F.; Verdin, J. P.; Wardlow, B.

2006-12-01

Drought is one of the most costly natural disasters in the United States. Traditionally, drought monitoring has been based on weather station observations, which lack the continuous spatial coverage needed to adequately characterize and monitor detailed spatial patterns of drought conditions. Satellite remote sensing observations can provide a synoptic view of the land and provide a spatial context for measuring drought. A common satellite-based index, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has a 30-year history of use for vegetation condition monitoring. NDVI is calculated from the visible red and near infrared channels and measures the changes in chlorophyll absorption and reflection in the spongy mesophyll of the vegetation canopy that are reflected in these respective bands. The normalized difference water index (NDWI) is another index, derived from the near-infrared and short wave infrared channels, and reflects changes in both the water content and spongy mesophyll in the vegetation canopy. As a result, the NDWI is influenced by both desiccation and wilting in the vegetation canopy and may be a more sensitive indicator than the NDVI for large- area drought monitoring. The objective of this study was to process and evaluate a 5-year history of 500-meter NDVI and NDWI data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument and to investigate methods for measuring and monitoring drought in rangeland over the southern plains of the United States. This initial study included: (1) the development of a climatological database for MODIS NDVI and NDWI, (2) a study of the relationship between the NDVI, NDWI, and drought condition over rangeland, (3) the development of a method to provide threshold NDVI/NDWI values under drought conditions based on the 5-year NDVI/NDWI/drought condition analysis, and (4) the investigation of additional vegetation drought information provided by the NDWI versus the NDVI in a 5-year comparison of

Seasonal differences in the subjective assessment of outdoor thermal conditions and the impact of analysis techniques on the obtained results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kántor, Noémi; Kovács, Attila; Takács, Ágnes

2016-11-01

Wide research attention has been paid in the last two decades to the thermal comfort conditions of different outdoor and semi-outdoor urban spaces. Field studies were conducted in a wide range of geographical regions in order to investigate the relationship between the thermal sensation of people and thermal comfort indices. Researchers found that the original threshold values of these indices did not describe precisely the actual thermal sensation patterns of subjects, and they reported neutral temperatures that vary among nations and with time of the year. For that reason, thresholds of some objective indices were rescaled and new thermal comfort categories were defined. This research investigates the outdoor thermal perception patterns of Hungarians regarding the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature ( PET) index, based on more than 5800 questionnaires. The surveys were conducted in the city of Szeged on 78 days in spring, summer, and autumn. Various, frequently applied analysis approaches (simple descriptive technique, regression analysis, and probit models) were adopted to reveal seasonal differences in the thermal assessment of people. Thermal sensitivity and neutral temperatures were found to be significantly different, especially between summer and the two transient seasons. Challenges of international comparison are also emphasized, since the results prove that neutral temperatures obtained through different analysis techniques may be considerably different. The outcomes of this study underline the importance of the development of standard measurement and analysis methodologies in order to make future studies comprehensible, hereby facilitating the broadening of the common scientific knowledge about outdoor thermal comfort.

Predictors of severity of acne vulgaris in young adolescent girls: results of a five-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Lucky, A W; Biro, F M; Simbartl, L A; Morrison, J A; Sorg, N W

1997-01-01

The objectives of this study were to determine which factors in early pubertal girls might be predictive of later, severe facial acne. The study was a 5-year longitudinal cohort study, with yearly visits from 1987 through 1991, in a volunteer sample of 439 black and 432 white fourth- and fifth-grade girls with consent from their legal guardians. The subjects were recruited from public and parochial schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. The degree of facial acne was classified annually as mild, moderate, or severe. Blood samples were obtained at the first, third, and fifth years of the study. Using the acne status during the fifth year of the study as the outcome variable, we determined the contributions from the prior acne status and the serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), testosterone, free testosterone (FT), estradiol (E2), progesterone, and testosterone-estrogen binding globulin (TEBG) and compared the results at various ages and at times before and after menarche. No racial differences in acne or hormone levels were found. There was a progressive increase in the number of acne lesions with age and maturation. The girls exhibited many more comedonal than inflammatory acne lesions, regardless of age. The girls in whom severe acne developed by the fifth year of the study had significantly more comedones and inflammatory lesions than girls with mild or moderate acne, as early as age 10 years, approximately 2 h years before menarche, a time when their degree of acne was mild. Girls with mild comedonal acne had significantly later onset of menarche (12.5 compared with 12.2 years) than girls with severe comedonal acne. Girls in whom severe comedonal acne developed had significantly higher levels of serum DHEAS and, in a longitudinal analysis, somewhat higher levels of testosterone and FT in comparison with girls who had mild or moderate comedonal acne. Serum E2, testosterone/E2, progesterone, and TEBG values were no different in girls with severe compared

Results of Medium Seventeen Years' Follow-Up after Laparoscopic Choledochotomy for Ductal Stones.

PubMed

Quaresima, Silvia; Balla, Andrea; Guerrieri, Mario; Lezoche, Giovanni; Campagnacci, Roberto; D'Ambrosio, Giancarlo; Lezoche, Emanuele; Paganini, Alessandro M

2016-01-01

Introduction. In a previously published article the authors reported the long-term follow-up results in 138 consecutive patients with gallstones and common bile duct (CBD) stones who underwent laparoscopic transverse choledochotomy (TC) with T-tube biliary drainage and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Aim of this study is to evaluate the results at up to 23 years of follow-up in the same series. Methods. One hundred twenty-one patients are the object of the present study. Patients were evaluated by clinical visit, blood assay, and abdominal ultrasound. Symptomatic patients underwent cholangio-MRI, followed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as required. Results. Out of 121 patients, 61 elderly patients died from unrelated causes. Fourteen patients were lost to follow-up. In the 46 remaining patients, ductal stone recurrence occurred in one case (2,1%) successfully managed by ERCP with endoscopic sphincterotomy. At a mean follow-up of 17.1 years no other patients showed signs of bile stasis and no patient showed any imaging evidence of CBD stricture at the site of choledochotomy. Conclusions. Laparoscopic transverse choledochotomy with routine T-tube biliary drainage during LC has proven to be safe and effective at up to 23 years of follow-up, with no evidence of CBD stricture when the procedure is performed with a correct technique.

The MACHO Project: Microlensing Results from 5.7 Years of LMC Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, A. C.; Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D.; Axelrod, T. S.; Bennett, D. P.; Cook, K. H.; Drake, A. J.; Freeman, K. C.; Geha, M.; Griest, K.; Lehner, M. J.; Marshall, S. L.; Minniti, D.; Nelson, C. A.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, P. J.; Rodgers, A. W.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Tomaney, A. B.; Vandehei, T.; Welch, D. L.; MACHO Collaboration

1999-12-01

We report on our search for microlensing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Analysis of 5.7 years of photometry on 11.9 million stars in the LMC reveals 17 candidate microlensing events. A careful treatment of our detection efficiency shows that this is significantly more than the 2 to 4 events expected from lensing by known stellar populations. The timescales (t) of the events range from 34 to 230 days. The spatial distribution of events is probably inconsistent with LMC/LMC disk self-lensing, but consistent with an extended lens distribution such as a Milky Way or LMC halo. The optical depth results appear consistent with, but are lower than, our previous 2.1 year results. Besides a factor of 3.4 increase in exposure, this new work also includes an improved efficiency determination, improved likelihood analysis, and more thorough testing of robustness and systematic errors, especially in regards to the treatment of potential backgrounds to microlensing, such as supernovae in galaxies behind the LMC.

[3-D analysis obtained in mandible movements in children 7-15 years old with different types of occlusion].

PubMed

Matveev, V M; Dzaraev, Ch R; Persin, L S

2007-01-01

60 children with different types occlusion--normal, distal, mesial and transverse between the ages 7-15 years were selected. Using unique computer software programme and 3D digitizer MicroScribe-G2 (Company Immersion, USA) on the articulator with mounted casts, persuaded measuring the scores in different movements of mandible habitual occlusion, maximum forward movement and maximum lateral movements. Scores were calculated and results interpreted.

BARIATRIC SURGERY IN THE ELDERLY: RESULTS OF A MEAN FOLLOW-UP OF FIVE YEARS

PubMed Central

PAJECKI, Denis; SANTO, Marco Aurelio; JOAQUIM, Henrique Dametto Giroud; MORITA, Flavio; RICCIOPPO, Daniel; de CLEVA, Roberto; CECCONELLO, Ivan

2015-01-01

Background : Surgical treatment of obesity in the elderly, particularly over 65, remains controversial; it is explained by the increased surgical risk or the lack of data demonstrating its long-term benefit. Few studies have evaluated the clinical effects of bariatric surgery in this population. Aim : To evaluate the results of surgical treatment of obesity in patients over 60 years, followed for an average period of five years. Method : This was a retrospective study evaluating 46 patients, 60 years or older, who underwent surgical treatment of obesity, by conventional gastric bypass technique (laparotomy). The average age was 64 years (60-71), mean BMI of 49.6 kg/m2 (38-66), mean follow-up of 5.9 years; 91% of patients were hypertensive, 56% diabetics and 39% had dyslipidemia. Results : The incidence of complications (major and minor) in patients under 65 years was 26% and over 65 years 37% (p=0.002). There were no deaths in the group with less than 65 years and there were two deaths (12.5%) over 65 years. The average loss of overweight over 65 years or less was 72% vs 68% (p=0.56). There was total control of the diabetes mellitus in 77% and partial in 23%, with no difference between groups. There was improvement in arterial hypertension in 56% of patients, also no difference between groups. The average LDL levels did not differ between the pre and postoperative (106 mg/dl to 102 mg/dl), an increase of HDL (56 mg/dl to 68 mg/dL) and reduced triglyceride levels (136 mg/dl to 109 mg/dl). There was no statistical difference in the variation of the cholesterol fractions and triglycerides between the groups. Two patients in the group with less than 65 years died in late follow-up, of brain tumor and pneumonia, three and five years after bariatric surgery, respectively. Conclusions : Surgical morbidity and mortality were higher in patients over 65 years, and this group had the same benefits observed in patients lower 65 years for weight loss and comorbidities control

Strong Communities for Children: Results of a multi-year community-based initiative to protect children from harm.

PubMed

McDonell, James R; Ben-Arieh, Asher; Melton, Gary B

2015-03-01

This article reports the evaluation results from Strong Communities for Children, a multi-year comprehensive community-based initiative to prevent child maltreatment and improve children's safety. The outcome study consisted of a survey of a random sample of caregivers of children under age 10 in the Strong Communities service area and a set of comparison communities matched at the block group level on demography. Survey data were collected in two waves 4 years apart. Data were collected on (a) perceptions of the neighborhood and neighbors (e.g., neighboring, collective efficacy), (b) perceptions of neighbors' parenting practices, (c) parental attitudes and beliefs (e.g., parental stress; parental efficacy), and (d) self-reported parenting practices. The survey data were supplemented by data on substantiated reported rates of child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children and ICD-9 coded child injuries suggesting child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children. Compared to the non-intervention sample across time, the Strong Communities samples showed significant changes in the expected direction for social support, collective efficacy, child safety in the home, observed parenting practices, parental stress, parental efficacy, self-reported parenting practices, rates of officially substantiated child maltreatment, and rates of ICD-9 coded child injuries suggesting child maltreatment. These promising results, obtained through multiple methods of evaluation, confirm that a community mobilization strategy can shift norms of parents' care for their children and neighbors' support for one another, so that young children are safer at home and in the community. Replications should be undertaken and evaluated in other communities under diverse auspices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Randomized clinical trial of two resin-modified glass ionomer materials: 1-year results.

PubMed

Perdigão, J; Dutra-Corrêa, M; Saraceni, S H C; Ciaramicoli, M T; Kiyan, V H

2012-01-01

With institutional review board approval, 33 patients who needed restoration of noncarious cervical lesions (NCCL) were enrolled in this study. A total of 92 NCCL were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: (1) Ambar (FGM), a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive (control), combined with the nanofilled composite resin Filtek Supreme Plus (FSP; 3M ESPE); (2) Fuji II LC (GC America), a traditional resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGIC) restorative material; (3) Ketac Nano (3M ESPE), a nanofilled RMGIC restorative material. Restorations were evaluated at six months and one year using modified United States Public Health Service parameters. At six months after initial placement, 84 restorations (a 91.3% recall rate) were evaluated. At one year, 78 restorations (a 84.8% recall rate) were available for evaluation. The six month and one year overall retention rates were 93.1% and 92.6%, respectively, for Ambar/FSP; 100% and 100%, respectively, for Fuji II LC; and 100% and 100%, respectively, for Ketac Nano with no statistical difference between any pair of groups at each recall. Sensitivity to air decreased for all three adhesive materials from the preoperative to the postoperative stage, but the difference was not statistically significant. For Ambar/FSP, there were no statistical differences for any of the parameters from baseline to six months and from baseline to one year. For Fuji II LC, surface texture worsened significantly from baseline to six months and from baseline to one year. For Ketac Nano, enamel marginal staining increased significantly from baseline to one year and from six months to one year. Marginal adaptation was statistically worse at one year compared with baseline only for Ketac Nano. When parameters were compared for materials at each recall, Ketac Nano resulted in significantly worse color match than any of the other two materials at any evaluation period. At one year, Ketac Nano resulted in significantly worse marginal adaptation than the

Early versus delayed loading of mandibular implant-supported overdentures: 5-year results.

PubMed

Turkyilmaz, Ilser; Tözüm, Tolga F; Tumer, Celal

2010-05-01

Because of poor retention of complete removable dentures for edentulous patients, implant-supported mandibular overdentures have lately become a popular alternative for them. The aims of this prospective study were to evaluate treatment outcomes of mandibular overdentures supported by two unsplinted early-loaded implants and compare these results with those for delayed-loaded implants. A total of 26 edentulous patients were treated with two unsplinted implants supporting a mandibular overdenture. All implants were placed in the canine regions of each mandible according to the one-stage surgical protocol. There were two groups: test group, in which the overdenture was connected 1 week after surgery, and control group, in which the overdenture was connected 3 months after surgery. Standardized clinical and radiographic parameters were recorded at surgery, and after 3, 6, 12, and 18 months, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. No implants were lost, and 0.93 +/- 0.3 mm marginal bone resorption was noted for all implants after 5 years. Clinical implant stability measurements, clinical peri-implant parameters, and marginal bone resorptions showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups over 5 years. The results of this prospective clinical study suggest that there is no significant difference in the clinical and radiographic state of patients treated with implant supported mandibular overdentures loaded either 1 week or 3 months after surgery.

How to obtain traceability on optical radiation measurements?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matamoros García, Carlos H.

2006-02-01

Traceability to national standards provides confidence in measurements results, granting a guaranty when carrying out governmental rules and when demonstrating conformity with quality requirements such as ISO 9000 or ISO/IEC 17025 (and the Mexican equivalent standards). The appropriate traceability contributes with confidence of the quality of products or services. This paper presents different ways to obtain traceability in Mexico for the optical radiation measurements, mentioning some applications, and highlighting the necessity of having traceability to the appropriate units of the SI. Additionally it present the national standards maintained by Centro Nacional de Metrologia (CENAM), the national metrology institute in Mexico, that give the technical support to Mexican measurements in this field and the international recognition that the personal of the Optics and Radiometry Division had gained in 10 years of development.

Application of the cultured epidermal autograft "JACE(®") for treatment of severe burns: Results of a 6-year multicenter surveillance in Japan.

PubMed

Matsumura, Hajime; Matsushima, Asako; Ueyama, Masashi; Kumagai, Norio

2016-06-01

In the 1970s, Green et al. developed a method that involved culturing keratinocyte sheets and used for treatment of burns. Since then, the take rate of cultured epidermal autograft (CEA) onto fascia, granulation tissue, or allografts has been extensively reported, while that on an artificial dermis in a large case series is not. Moreover, the contribution of CEA to patient survival has not been analyzed in a multicenter study. We conducted a 6-year multicenter surveillance on the application of the CEA "JACE(®") for treatment of burns >30% total body surface area (TBSA) across 118 Japanese hospitals. This surveillance included 216 patients and 718 graft sites for efficacy analysis. The CEA take rate at 4 weeks after grafting was evaluated, and safety was monitored until 52 weeks. In addition, the survival curve obtained in this study and the data obtained from the Tokyo Burn Unit Association (TBUA) were compared. The mean CEA take rates at week 4 were 66% (sites) and 68% (patients), and the rate on the artificial dermis was 65% for 226 sites. CEA application combined with wide split-thickness auto or patch autograft increased the CEA take rate. On comparison with the data obtained from the TBUA, which included data on individuals with burns of the same severity, CEA application was found to contribute to patient survival until 7 weeks after burn. We reported the take rate of CEA based on a 6-year multicenter surveillance. From our results, we found that the application of CEA is a useful treatment for the patients with extensive burns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Early and mid-term results of lung transplantation with donors 60 years and older.

PubMed

López, Iker; Zapata, Ricardo; Solé, Juan; Jaúregui, Alberto; Deu, María; Romero, Laura; Pérez, Javier; Bello, Irene; Wong, Manuel; Ribas, Montse; Masnou, Nuria; Rello, Jordi; Roman, Antonio; Canela, Mercedes

2015-01-01

There are doubts about the age limit for lung donors and the ideal donor has traditionally been considered to be one younger than 55 years. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes in lung transplantation between organs from donors older and younger than 60 years. We performed a retrospective observational study comparing the group of patients receiving organs from donors 60 years or older (Group A) or younger than 60 years (Group B) between January 2007 and December 2011. Postoperative evolution and mortality rates, short-term and mid-term postoperative complications, and global survival rate were evaluated. We analysed a total of 230 lung transplants, of which 53 (23%) involved lungs from donors 60 years of age or older (Group A), and 177 (77%) were from donors younger than 60 years (Group B). Three (5.7%) patients from Group A and 14 patients (7.9%) from Group B died within 30 days (P = 0.58). The percentage of patients free from chronic lung allograft dysfunction at 1-3 years was 95.5, 74.3 and 69.3% for Group A, and 94.5, 84.8 and 73.3% for Group B, respectively (P = 0.47). There were no statistically significant differences between Groups A and B in terms of survival at 3 years, (69.4 vs 68.8%; P = 0.28). Our results support the idea that lungs from donors aged 60-70 years can be used safely for lung transplantation with comparable results to lungs from younger donors in terms of postoperative mortality and mid-term survival. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Initial poor quality of life and new onset of dyspepsia: results from a longitudinal 10‐year follow‐up study

PubMed Central

Ford, Alexander C; Forman, David; Bailey, Alastair G; Axon, Anthony T R; Moayyedi, Paul

2007-01-01

Background Numerous studies examining the prevalence and natural history of dyspepsia in the general population have been conducted. However, few have reported the effect of quality of life on the development of dyspepsia. A 10‐year longitudinal follow‐up study examining the effect of quality of life on subsequent dyspepsia was performed. Methods Individuals originally enrolled in a population‐screening programme for Helicobacter pylori were contacted through a validated postal dyspepsia questionnaire. Baseline demographic data, quality of life at original study entry, and dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptom data were already on file. Consent to examine primary‐care records was sought, and data regarding non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and aspirin use were obtained from these. Results Of 8407 individuals originally involved, 3912 (46.5%) provided symptom data at baseline and 10‐year follow‐up. Of 2550 (65%) individuals asymptomatic at study entry, 717 (28%) developed new‐onset dyspepsia at 10 years, an incidence of 2.8% per year. After multivariate logistic regression, lower quality of life at study entry (OR 2.63; 99% CI 1.86 to 3.71), higher body mass index (OR per unit 1.05; 99% CI 1.02 to 1.08), presence of IBS at study entry (OR 3.1; 99% CI 1.51 to 6.37) and use of NSAIDs and/or aspirin (OR 1.32; 99% CI 0.99 to 1.75) were significant risk factors for new‐onset dyspepsia. Conclusions The incidence of new‐onset dyspepsia was almost 3% per year. Low quality of life at baseline exerted a strong effect on the likelihood of developing dyspepsia at 10 years. PMID:16908511

Does transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent employment protect mental health? Results from a 14-year follow-up of school-leavers

PubMed Central

Reine, Ieva; Novo, Mehmed; Hammarström, Anne

2008-01-01

Background Having secure employment, in contrast to being unemployed, is regarded as an important determinant of health. Research and theories about the negative health consequences of unemployment indicated that transition from unemployment to a paid job could lead to improved health. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that obtaining permanent employment after being in an unstable labour market position protects mental health. Methods A 14-year follow-up of all graduates from compulsory school in an industrial town in northern Sweden was performed at ages 16, 18, 21 and 30 years. Complete data on the cohort were collected for 1044 individuals with the aid of a comprehensive questionnaire. The response rate was 96.4%. The health measurement used in this study was the psychological symptoms analysed by multivariate logistic regression. Those who obtained permanent employment were the focus of the analysis. This group consisted of people who were in an unstable labour market position for a year or more between the ages of 25 and 29, and who had acquired a permanent job one year before and at the time of the investigation. Results After controlling for gender as well as for an indicator of health-related selection, possible confounders and mediators, an association was found between the lower probability of psychological symptoms and obtaining permanent employment (OR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.19–0.63) as well as having permanent employment (OR = 0.22, 95% CI 0.10–0.51). Conclusion Our findings suggest that transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent employment could be health-promoting, even after controlling for possible confounders and mediators, as well as for an indicator of health-related selection. However, as there are few studies in the field, there is a need for more longitudinal studies in order to further analyse the relationship and to examine possible explanations. The policy implication of our study is that the

Tibial condylar valgus osteotomy (TCVO) for osteoarthritis of the knee: 5-year clinical and radiological results.

PubMed

Chiba, Ko; Yonekura, Akihiko; Miyamoto, Takashi; Osaki, Makoto; Chiba, Goji

2017-03-01

Tibial condylar valgus osteotomy (TCVO) is a type of opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy for advanced medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) with subluxated lateral joint. We report the concept, the current surgical technique with a locking plate, and the short-term clinical and radiological results of this procedure. 11 knees with medial OA and a widened lateral joint were treated by TCVO (KL stage III: 6, IV: 5). In this procedure, by the L-shaped osteotomy from the medial side of the proximal tibia to the intercondylar eminence and the valgus correction, lateralization of the mechanical axis and reduction of the subluxated lateral joint are obtained with early postoperative weight-bearing. Before, 6 months, 1, and 5 years after the operation, a visual analog scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), alignment of the lower extremity, and congruency and stability of the femorotibial joint were investigated. The VAS improved from an average of 73 mm to 13 mm, and the total WOMAC score from 52 to 14 before to 5 years after the operation, respectively. The mechanical axis changed from 1 to 60%, and the FTA changed from 186° to 171°. The joint line convergence angle (JLCA) changed from 6° to 1°, and the angle difference of JLCA between varus and valgus stress improved from 8° to 4° after the procedure. Improvements in pain and activities of daily living were observed by TCVO along with valgus correction of the lower extremity and stabilization of the femorotibial joint.

[Atherosclerotic renovascular hypertension: clinical findings and results of treatment over 15 years].

PubMed

Alfonzo, J P; Rosario, M N; Ugarte, C; Banasco, J; Fraxedas, R; Lahera, J

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to present our clinical experience and results of different treatments in 83 atherosclerotic renovascular hypertensive patients treated in the last 15 years in the Instituto de nefrologia in Havana. Regardless of the type of treatment the patients were divided in two groups. Group I: 52 (62.3%) cases with standard oral hypotensive drugs alone and control of other cardiovascular risk factors (mean age 53 years old, sex m/f 50/50%, race white/no-white 75/25%, mean known hypertension follow-up 10.2 +/- 10 years, mean SBP 208 +/- 30 mmHg, mean DBP 123 +/- 17 mmHg, mean serum creatinina 1.62 mg/dl and increase peripheral plasma renin value in 61.6% of patients) and group II: 31 (37.7%) cases treated with revascularización procedures (PTA or surgery) or nephrectomy in selected patients (mean age 50 years old, sex m/f 68/32%, race white/no-white 16/84%, mean known hypertension follow-up 8.5 +/- 8.6 years, mean SBP 214 +/- 32 mmHg, mean DBP 1.31 +/- 16 mmHg, mean serum creatinina 1.85 mg/dl and increase peripheral plasma renin value 78.3% of patients). As end point for treatment results we selected: 1) hypertension cure or control, 2) evolution of the serum creatinine value and 3) kidney and patients survival. In those cases with a follow up for more than one year, in 82.9% the blood pressure was cure (21.4%) or controlled (61.4%). The proportion of failed was superior in group I (20.9%) than in group II (11.1%). All 18 cases treated by PTA with a follow up period longer than a year, blood pressure cure in 10 (55.6%), ameliorate in 5 (27.8%) and in 3 (16.6%) was unchanged (one patient lost of follow up). Nine patients were treated by surgery (3 revascularization and 6 nephrectomy), 5 (55.5%) cases cured and 4 (44.5%) ameliorate his blood pressure. Patients in group II maintain normal renal function in more cases than in group I (48.4% vs 30.8%). Both group had similar percentage of normal-normal + pathology-normal renal function (G I: 65.4% vs G

Incredible Years Program Tailored to Parents of Preschoolers with Autism: Pilot Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dababnah, Sarah; Parish, Susan L.

2016-01-01

Objective: This article reports on the acceptability and results from an evaluation of an empirically supported practice, The Incredible Years, tailored to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Two groups of parents (N = 17) participated in a mixed methods test with no comparison group of the 15-week intervention. Data…

Double half-cone flap umbilicoplasty for proboscoid umbilical hernia in a 2 years old child with satisfactory results 2 years later.

PubMed

Ashu, Eseme Ebai; Leroy, Guifo Marc; Aristide, Bang Guy; Joss, Bitang Mafok Louis; Bonaventure, Jemea; Patrick, Savom Eric; Myriam, Fotso Guegne

2015-01-01

Surgical repair of large umbilical hernias may present a challenging surgical problem; standard surgical techniques have proven to be inadequate for both closing the fascial defect of the umbilicus and providing a satisfactory cosmetic result. We describe here a case of double half-cone flap umbilicoplasty that was performed in a 2 years old boy. The case of a 2 years old child with proboscoid umbilical hernia. The protruding umbilical skin was excised sharply by two V-shaped cuts leaving two half cones, a short cephalic (0.5cm) and a long caudal (1cm). A classic herniotomy was carried out, with repair of the facial defect. The caudal half cone was sutured from its apex till half it's length upon itself with interrupted sutures and it was anchored deeply to the fascia. Then we inverted the cephalic half cone which was sutured to the caudal cone to form the new umbilicus. The early result was excellent with no complications and the result after 2years revealed a cosmetically satisfactory shape of the umbilicus. this technique provides a good solution for reconstruction of the protruding umbilical skin and it is easy to learn, easy to be taught and perform in surgical environments and may be applicable for any kind of umbilical reconstruction.

Double half-cone flap umbilicoplasty for proboscoid umbilical hernia in a 2 years old child with satisfactory results 2 years later

PubMed Central

Ashu, Eseme Ebai; Leroy, Guifo Marc; Aristide, Bang Guy; Joss, Bitang Mafok Louis; Bonaventure, Jemea; Patrick, Savom Eric; Myriam, Fotso Guegne

2015-01-01

Surgical repair of large umbilical hernias may present a challenging surgical problem; standard surgical techniques have proven to be inadequate for both closing the fascial defect of the umbilicus and providing a satisfactory cosmetic result. We describe here a case of double half-cone flap umbilicoplasty that was performed in a 2 years old boy. The case of a 2 years old child with proboscoid umbilical hernia. The protruding umbilical skin was excised sharply by two V-shaped cuts leaving two half cones, a short cephalic (0.5cm) and a long caudal (1cm). A classic herniotomy was carried out, with repair of the facial defect. The caudal half cone was sutured from its apex till half it's length upon itself with interrupted sutures and it was anchored deeply to the fascia. Then we inverted the cephalic half cone which was sutured to the caudal cone to form the new umbilicus. The early result was excellent with no complications and the result after 2years revealed a cosmetically satisfactory shape of the umbilicus. this technique provides a good solution for reconstruction of the protruding umbilical skin and it is easy to learn, easy to be taught and perform in surgical environments and may be applicable for any kind of umbilical reconstruction. PMID:26664545

Primary Prevention of Lead Exposure—Blood Lead Results at Age Two Years

PubMed Central

Campbell, Carla; Gracely, Edward; Tran, Mary; Starkey, Naomi; Kersten, Hans; Palermo, Peter; Rothman, Nancy; Line, Laura; Hansen-Turton, Tine

2012-01-01

Objectives: The Philadelphia Lead Safe Homes (LSH) Study was designed to evaluate whether educational and environmental interventions in the first year of life for families of newborns increased knowledge of lead exposure prevention and were associated with less elevation of blood lead levels (BLLs) for these children, when compared to children receiving standard care. Methods: The current study performed descriptive statistics on the second-year BLL data for both groups and compared these using chi-square tests for proportions and unpaired t-tests for means. Results: A BLL result was found for 159 (50.6%) of the 314 LSH cohort children and 331 (52.7%) of the 628 control children (p = 0.1). Mean and standard deviation for age at draw was 23.8 (3.4) months versus 23.6 (3.1) months (P = 0.6). Geometric mean BLLs were 3.7 versus 3.5 µg/dL (P = 0.4). The percentages of the cohort group with a BLL of ≥20, ≥10 and ≥5 μg/dL, respectively, were 0.6%, 5% and 30%; for the controls 1.2%, 6.6%, and 25%. These percentages were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: A comparison of geometric mean BLLs and percentages above several BLL cut points drawn at age two years in a group of urban newborns benefitting from study interventions versus a group of similar urban children did not yield statistically significant differences. Both groups had relatively lower lead levels when compared to historical cohort groups, which may reflect a continuing downward trend in BLLs in U.S. children. The interventions did result in benefits to the families such as an increase in parental knowledge about lead exposure prevention and in-home wet cleaning activity, and a decrease in lead dust levels in study homes. PMID:22690192

Annual inventory report for Pennsylvania's forests: results from the first two years.

Treesearch

William H. McWilliams; Carol A. Alerich; Daniel A. Devlin; Tonya W. Lister; Stephen L. Sterner; James A. Westfall

2002-01-01

In 2000, the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program implemented a new system for inventory and monitoring Pennsylvania?s forest resources. The most salient benefit of the new inventory process will be a nearly threefold improvement in timeliness. This report summarizes the results of the first 2 years of annual inventory measurements...

Annual inventory report for Pennsylvania's forests: results from the first three years

Treesearch

William H. McWilliams; Carol A. Alerich; Daniel A. Devlin; Andrew J. Lister; Tonya W. Lister; Stephen L. Sterner; James A. Westfall

2004-01-01

In 2000, the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA program implemented a new system for inventory and monitoring Pennsylvania?s forests. The most salient feature of the new inventory process will be a nearly threefold improvement in timeliness. This report summarizes the results for the first 3 years of annual inventory measurements. The area of...

Comparing Ultraviolet Spectra against Calculations: Year 2 Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, Ruth C.

2004-01-01

The five-year goal of this effort is to calculate high fidelity mid-W spectra for individual stars and stellar systems for a wide range of ages, abundances, and abundance ratios. In this second year, the comparison of our calculations against observed high-resolution mid- W spectra was extended to stars as metal-rich as the Sun, and to hotter and cooler stars, further improving the list of atomic line parameters used in the calculations. We also published the application of our calculations based on the earlier list of line parameters to the observed mid-UV and optical spectra of a mildly metal-poor globular cluster in the nearby Andromeda galaxy, Messier 3 1.

Ten-year results of thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy performed in nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis.

PubMed

Tomulescu, Victor; Sgarbura, Olivia; Stanescu, Codrut; Valciu, Crisanda; Campeanu, Ana; Herlea, Vlad; Popescu, Irinel

2011-11-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the 10-year results of thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy (TUET) performed in nontumoral myasthenia gravis according to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America recommendations. Thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy has the benefits of a minimally invasive approach. Previous data have shown promising midterm results but long-term results were lacking. Two hundred forty patients with nontumoral myasthenia gravis who underwent surgery between 1999 and 2009 were eligible for the study. The mean follow-up was of 67 months (range: 12-125), 134 patients completed follow-up assessments more than 60 months after TUET. There were 39 males (16.3%) and 201 females (83.7%), with an age range from 8 to 60 years. The mean preoperative disease duration was 21.5 months. All patients underwent preoperative steroid therapy. Anticholinesterase drugs were required for 123 patients (51.3%), and immunosuppressive drugs were required for 87 (36.3%) patients. The pathologic findings were as follows: normal thymus in 13 patients (5.5%), involuted thymus in 65 patients (27%), and hyperplastic thymus in 162 patients (67.5%). The average weight of the thymus was 110 ± 45 g. Ectopic thymic tissue was found in 147 patients (61.3%). There was no mortality, and morbidity consisted of 12 patients (5%). Complete stable remission was achieved in 61% of the patients, and the cumulative probability of achieving complete stable remission was 0.88 at 10 years. With zero mortality, low morbidity, and comparable long-term results to open surgery, TUET can be regarded as the best treatment option for patients undergoing surgery for myasthenia gravis.

Results from Three Years of Ka-Band Propagation Characterization at Svalbard, Norway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James; Zemba, Michael; Morse, Jacquelynne

2015-01-01

Over the next several years, NASA plans to launch several earth science missions which are expected to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day transmitted from low earth orbiting spacecraft to ground stations. The current S-band and X-band frequency allocations in use by NASA, however, are incapable of supporting the data rates required to meet this demand. As such, NASA is in the planning stages to upgrade its existing Near Earth Network (NEN) polar ground stations to support Ka-band (25.5-27 GHz) operations. Consequently, it installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the Svalbard site. Svalbard was chosen as the appropriate site for two primary reasons: (1) Svalbard will be the first site to be upgraded to Ka-band operations within the NEN Polar Network enhancement plan, and (2) there exists a complete lack of Ka-band propagation data at this site (as opposed to the Fairbanks, AK NEN site, which has 5 years of characterization collected during the Advanced Communications Technology becomes imperative that characterization of propagation effects at these NEN sites is conducted to determine expected system Satellite (ACTS) campaign). processing and provide the Herein, we discuss the data three-year measurement results performance, particularly at low elevation angles ((is) less than 10 deg) from the ongoing Ka-band propagation characterization where spacecraft signal acquisition typically occurs. Since May 2011, NASA Glenn Research Center has installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the NEN site located in Svalbard, Norway. The Ka-band radiometer monitors the water vapor line, as well as 4 frequencies around 26.5 GHz at a fixed 10 deg elevation angle. Three-year data collection results indicate good campaign at Svalbard, Norway. Comparison of these results with the ITU models and existing ERA profile data indicates very good agreement when the 2010 rain maps and cloud statistics are used. Finally, the Svalbard data is used to derive the expected

Results from Three Years of Ka-band Propagation Characterization at Svalbard, Norway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James A.; Zemba, Michael; Morse, Jacquelynne

2015-01-01

Over the next several years, NASA plans to launch several earth science missions which are expected to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day transmitted from low earth orbiting spacecraft to ground stations. The current S-band and X-band frequency allocations in use by NASA, however, are incapable of supporting the data rates required to meet this demand. As such, NASA is in the planning stages to upgrade its existing Near Earth Network (NEN) polar ground stations to support Ka-band (25.5-27 GHz) operations. Consequently, it installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the Svalbard site. Svalbard was chosen as the appropriate site for two primary reasons: (1) Svalbard will be the first site to be upgraded to Ka-band operations within the NEN Polar Network enhancement plan, and (2) there exists a complete lack of Ka-band propagation data at this site (as opposed to the Fairbanks, AK NEN site, which has 5 years of characterization collected during the Advanced Communications Technology becomes imperative that characterization of propagation effects at these NEN sites is conducted to determine expected system Satellite (ACTS) campaign). processing and provide the Herein, we discuss the data three-year measurement results performance, particularly at low elevation angles ((is) less than 10 deg) from the ongoing Ka-band propagation characterization where spacecraft signal acquisition typically occurs. Since May 2011, NASA Glenn Research Center has installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the NEN site located in Svalbard, Norway. The Ka-band radiometer monitors the water vapor line, as well as 4 frequencies around 26.5 GHz at a fixed 10 deg elevation angle. Three-year data collection results indicate good campaign at Svalbard, Norway. Comparison of these results with the ITU models and existing ERA profile data indicates very good agreement when the 2010 rain maps and cloud statistics are used. Finally, the Svalbard data is used to derive the expected

Rationale for a 'Male Lumpectomy,' a Prostate Cancer Targeted Approach Using Cryoablation: Results in 21 Patients with at Least 2 Years of Follow-Up

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

Onik, Gary

2008-01-15

Background. Prostate cancer in men raises many of the same issues that breast cancer does in women. Complications of prostate cancer treatment, including impotence and incontinence, affect the self-image and psyche of a man no less than does the loss of a breast in a woman. We present a pilot study in which 21 patients were treated with a focal cryoablation procedure. Methods. Focal cryoablation was performed using biplane transrectal ultrasound if the tumor was confined to only one prostate lobe. Preoperative PSA values were recorded. Cryoablation was planned to encompass the area of known tumor. PSA values were obtainedmore » every 3 months for 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. Potency and continence status was obtained at the same intervals. Routine biopsy was obtained at 1 year. Results. Twenty-one patients had focal cryoablation. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 105 months with a mean of 50 months. Twenty of 21 (95%) patients have stable PSA values with no evidence for cancer, despite 10 patients being at medium to high risk for recurrence. All patients biopsied (n = 19) were negative for tumor. Potency was maintained in 17 of 21 patients (80%). No other complications, including incontinence or fistula formation, were noted. Conclusion. These preliminary results indicate a 'male lumpectomy,' in which the prostate tumor region itself is destroyed, appears to preserve potency in a majority of patients and limits other complications, without compromising cancer control. If these results are confirmed by further studies and long-term follow-up, this treatment approach could have a profound effect on prostate cancer management.« less

DEMONSTRATION OF WELLMAN-LORD/ALLIED CHEMICAL FGD TECHNOLOGY: DEMONSTRATION TEST SECOND YEAR RESULTS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an evaluation of the performance (over a 2-year period) of a full-scale flue gas desulfurization (FGD) unit to demonstrate the Wellman-Lord/Allied Chemical process. The process is regenerable, employing sodium sulfite wet scrubbing, thermal regeneratio...

Fermi GBM: Results from the First Year +

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.

2009-01-01

Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) has performed well in the first year+. GBM triggers 353 Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs), 168 SGR events, 18 TGFs, and 1 solar flare to date. Short GRBs appear contracted in time and shifted to higher energy than long GRBs. Pulsed persistent emission from SGR 1550-5418 detected. TGFs are shorter, have higher average photon energies, and much higher count rates than GRBs. GBM monitoring of accreting pulsars provides long-term spin-histories. GBM Earth occultation monitoring complements Swift.

The similia principle: results obtained in a cellular model system.

PubMed

Wiegant, Fred; Van Wijk, Roeland

2010-01-01

This paper describes the results of a research program focused on the beneficial effect of low dose stress conditions that were applied according to the similia principle to cells previously disturbed by more severe stress conditions. In first instance, we discuss criteria for research on the similia principle at the cellular level. Then, the homologous ('isopathic') approach is reviewed, in which the initial (high dose) stress used to disturb cellular physiology and the subsequent (low dose) stress are identical. Beneficial effects of low dose stress are described in terms of increased cellular survival capacity and at the molecular level as an increase in the synthesis of heat shock proteins (hsps). Both phenomena reflect a stimulation of the endogenous cellular self-recovery capacity. Low dose stress conditions applied in a homologous approach stimulate the synthesis of hsps and enhance survival in comparison with stressed cells that were incubated in the absence of low dose stress conditions. Thirdly, the specificity of the low dose stress condition is described where the initial (high dose) stress is different in nature from the subsequently applied (low dose) stress; the heterologous or 'heteropathic' approach. The results support the similia principle at the cellular level and add to understanding of how low dose stress conditions influence the regulatory processes underlying self-recovery. In addition, the phenomenon of 'symptom aggravation' which is also observed at the cellular level, is discussed in the context of self-recovery. Finally, the difference in efficiency between the homologous and the heterologous approach is discussed; a perspective is indicated for further research; and the relationship between studies on the similia principle and the recently introduced concept of 'postconditioning hormesis' is emphasized. Copyright 2009 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ten-year results of quality assurance in radiotherapy chart round.

PubMed

Taghavi Bayat, Bardia; Gill, Suki; Siva, Shankar; Tai, Keen Hun; Joon, Michael Lim; Foroudi, Farshad

2013-04-23

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) initiated a unique instrument to audit the quality of patient notes and radiotherapy prescriptions. We present our experience collected over ten years from the use of the RANZCR audit instrument. In this study, the results of data collected prospectively from January 1999 to June 2009 through the audit instrument were assessed. Radiotherapy chart rounds were held weekly in the uro-oncology tumour stream and real time feedback was provided. Electronic medical records were retrospectively assessed in September 2009 to see if any omissions were subsequently corrected. In total 2597 patients were audited. One hundred and thirty seven (5%) patients had one hundred and ninety nine omissions in documentation or radiotherapy prescription. In 79% of chart rounds no omissions were found at all, in 12% of chart rounds one omission was found and in 9% of chart rounds two or more omissions were found. Out of 199 omissions, 95% were of record keeping and 2% were omissions in the treatment prescription. Of omissions, 152 (76%) were unfiled investigation results of which 77 (51%) were subsequently corrected. Real-time audit with feedback is an effective tool in assessing the standards of radiotherapy documentation in our department, and also probably contributed to the high level of attentiveness. A large proportion of omissions were investigation results, which highlights the need for an improved system of retrieval of investigation results in the radiation oncology department.

Second-Year Results of an Obesity Prevention Program at The Dow Chemical Company

PubMed Central

Roemer, Enid C.; Pei, Xiaofei; Short, Meghan E.; Tabrizi, Maryam J.; Wilson, Mark G.; DeJoy, David M.; Craun, Beth A.; Tully, Karen J.; White, John M.; Baase, Catherine M.

2010-01-01

Objective Evaluate innovative, evidence-based approaches to organizational/supportive environmental interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity among Dow employees after two years of implementation. Methods A quasi-experimental study design compared outcomes for two levels of intervention intensity to a control group. Propensity scores were used to weight baseline differences between intervention and control subjects. Difference-in-differences methods and multi-level modeling were used to control for individual and site-level confounders. Results Intervention participants maintained their weight and BMI while control participants gained 1.3 pounds and increased their BMI values by 0.2 over two years. Significant differences in blood pressure and cholesterol values were observed when comparing intervention employees to controls. At higher intensity sites, improvements were more pronounced. Conclusions Environmental interventions at the workplace can support weight management and risk reduction after two years. PMID:20190646

Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinshaw, G.; Weiland, J. L.; Hill, R. S.; Odegard, N.; Larson, D.; Bennett, C. L.; Dunkley, J.; Gold, B.; Greason, M. R.; Jarosik, N.;

Results of coronal hole research: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, R. M.

1976-01-01

An overview of the last 10 years of coronal hole research, in particular since 1970, is presented. The findings of the early investigations and the more recent results obtained with Skylab/Apollo Telescope Mount instrumentation are discussed.

International Heliophysical Year

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Joseph, M.

2005-01-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY), an international program of scientific collaboration to understand the external drivers of planetary environments, will be conducted in 2007. This will be a major international event of great interest to the member States. The M Y will involve the deployment of new instrumentation, new observations from the ground and in space, and an education component. The IHY 2007 will coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957. The IGY was organized to study global phenomena of the Earth and Geospace involving about 60,000 scientists from 66 nations, working at thousands of stations, around the world to obtain simultaneous, global observations from the ground and space. Building on results obtained during IGY 1957, the IHY will expand to the study of universal processes in the solar system that affect the interplanetary and terrestrial environments. The study of energetic events in the solar system will pave the way for safe human space travel to the Moon and planets in the future, and it will serve to inspire the next generation of space physicists.

Partial Breast Radiation Therapy With Proton Beam: 5-Year Results With Cosmetic Outcomes

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

Bush, David A., E-mail: dbush@llu.edu; Do, Sharon; Lum, Sharon

2014-11-01

Purpose: We updated our previous report of a phase 2 trial using proton beam radiation therapy to deliver partial breast irradiation (PBI) in patients with early stage breast cancer. Methods and Materials: Eligible subjects had invasive nonlobular carcinoma with a maximal dimension of 3 cm. Patients underwent partial mastectomy with negative margins; axillary lymph nodes were negative on sampling. Subjects received postoperative proton beam radiation therapy to the surgical bed. The dose delivered was 40 Gy in 10 fractions, once daily over 2 weeks. Multiple fields were treated daily, and skin-sparing techniques were used. Following treatment, patients were evaluated with clinical assessments andmore » annual mammograms to monitor toxicity, tumor recurrence, and cosmesis. Results: One hundred subjects were enrolled and treated. All patients completed the assigned treatment and were available for post-treatment analysis. The median follow-up was 60 months. Patients had a mean age of 63 years; 90% had ductal histology; the average tumor size was 1.3 cm. Actuarial data at 5 years included ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence-free survival of 97% (95% confidence interval: 100%-93%); disease-free survival of 94%; and overall survival of 95%. There were no cases of grade 3 or higher acute skin reactions, and late skin reactions included 7 cases of grade 1 telangiectasia. Patient- and physician-reported cosmesis was good to excellent in 90% of responses, was not changed from baseline measurements, and was well maintained throughout the entire 5-year follow-up period. Conclusions: Proton beam radiation therapy for PBI produced excellent ipsilateral breast recurrence-free survival with minimal toxicity. The treatment proved to be adaptable to all breast sizes and lumpectomy cavity configurations. Cosmetic results appear to be excellent and unchanged from baseline out to 5 years following treatment. Cosmetic results may be improved over those reported with photon

One-Year Results of the BeweegKuur Lifestyle Intervention Implemented in Dutch Primary Healthcare Settings.

PubMed

Schutte, Bianca A M; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Preller, Liesbeth

2015-01-01

Background. Lifestyle interventions focusing on healthy diet and physical activity (PA) are effective in reducing health risks in controlled research settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the one-year results of the BeweegKuur lifestyle intervention implemented nationwide in Netherlands for people with a weight-related health risk. Materials and Methods. Data were requested from all 160 locations participating in the BeweegKuur. In a one group pretest/posttest study, one-year changes in health outcome variables and time spent on physical activity were tested with dependent t-tests. Associations between one-year changes in weight and waist circumference and sociodemographic factors and uptake of the program were analysed with ANOVA. Results. Data for 517 participants from 47 locations were available for analysis. One year after the intervention, weight reduced by 2.9 kg (95% CI -3.3;, -2.5), waist circumference by 4.3 cm (-4.9; -3.7), and blood glucose by 0.5 mmol/L (-0.8; -0.3). Physical activity increased significantly. Higher uptake of the program was associated with a larger decrease in waist circumference. Conclusion. The results of the study suggest that lifestyle interventions implemented in real-life primary healthcare settings with tailor-made supervision can contribute meaningfully to primary prevention.

Scientific results obtained by the Busot observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Lozano, R.; Rodes, J. J.; Torrejón, J. M.; Bernabéu, G.; Berná, J. Á.

2016-12-01

We present the discovery of three new W UMa systems by our group as a part of a photometric follow-up of variable stars carried out with the Busot observatory 36 cm robotic telescope in collaboration with the X-ray astronomy group at University of Alicante (Alicante, Spain). Specifically we show the high limiting magnitude to detect moving objects (V˜ 21 mag), and the high stability and accuracy attained in photometry which allow us to measure very shallow planet transits.

Crop-tree release thinning in 65-year-old commercial cherry-maple stands (5-year results)

Treesearch

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

1994-01-01

Crop-tree release was applied to a 65-year-old cherry-maple stand in north central West Virginia. Criteria were developed for selecting crop trees for high quality sawtimber and veneer products. Five-year stand growth, mortality, and ingrowth using basal areas, volume, relative density, and number of trees were discussed for the treatments.

Men in Social Systems: Results of a Three-Year Multiorganizational Study. A Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sells, S. B.; And Others

This symposium report presents the background, underlying assumptions, philosophy and goals, research design, sample, and results of an intensive three-year organizational study involving military, government and civilian organizations. The first paper, by S. B. Wells, discusses the organizational setting, approach and rationale of this research.…

Radial Artery as a Coronary Artery Bypass Conduit: 20-Year Results.

PubMed

Gaudino, Mario; Tondi, Paolo; Benedetto, Umberto; Milazzo, Valentina; Flore, Roberto; Glieca, Franco; Ponziani, Francesca Romana; Luciani, Nicola; Girardi, Leonard N; Crea, Filippo; Massetti, Massimo

2016-08-09

There is a lack of evidence for the choice of the second conduit in coronary surgery. The radial artery (RA) is a possible option, but few data on very-long-term outcomes exist. This study describes 20-year results of RA grafts used for coronary artery bypass grafting and the effects of RA removal on forearm circulation. We report the results of the prospective 20-year follow-up of the first 100 consecutive patients who received the RA as a coronary bypass conduit at our institution. Follow-up was 100% complete. There were 64 deaths, 23 (35.9%) from cardiovascular causes. Kaplan-Meier 20-year survival was 31%. Of the 36 survivors, 33 (91.6%) underwent RA graft control at a mean of 19.0 ± 2.5 years after surgery. The RA was found to be patent in 24 cases (84.8% patency). In the overall population, probability of graft failure at 20 years was 19.0 ± 0.2% for the left internal thoracic artery (ITA), 25.0 ± 0.2% for the RA, and 55.0 ± 0.2% for the saphenous vein (p = 0.002 for RA vs. saphenous vein, 0.11 for RA vs. ITA, and p < 0.001 for ITA vs. saphenous vein). Target vessel stenosis >90%, but not location of distal anastomosis, significantly influenced long-term RA graft patency. No patients reported hand or forearm symptoms. The ulnar artery diameter was increased in the operated arm (2.44 ± 0.43 mm vs. 2.01 ± 0.47 mm; p < 0.05) and correlated with the peak systolic velocity of the second palmar digital artery (Pearson coefficient: 0.621; p < 0.05). The 20-year patency rate of RA grafts is good, and not inferior to the ITA, especially when the conduit is used to graft a vessel with >90% stenosis. RA harvesting does not lead to hand or forearm symptoms, even at a very-long-term follow-up. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ten-Year Results in a Cottonwood Plantation Spacing Study

Treesearch

R. M. Krinard; Robert L. Johnson

1975-01-01

During the first 10 years, unthinned cottonwood planted at four spacings grew from 2.8 to 3.4 cords per acre per year in trees 5.0 inches in d.b.h. and larger. Two basal area controlled thinning treatments did not increase yields. Initial spacings were 4 by 9, 8 by 9, 12 by 12, and 16 by 18 feet on Commerce-Convent soils. Only trees at the widest spacing averaged an...

Effectiveness of a controlled drinking self-help manual: one-year follow-up results.

PubMed

Heather, N; Robertson, I; MacPherson, B; Allsop, S; Fulton, A

1987-11-01

Following the description of six-month follow-up results by Heather et al. (1986), this article reports one-year follow-up for a cohort of media-recruited problem drinkers sent either a controlled drinking self-help manual or a general advice and information booklet. Among those remaining in the sample, mean reduction in drinking at six months had been retained at the one-year point. This stability of reduced consumption included respondents showing evidence of late dependence or high consumption at initial assessment. When respondents who had received other forms of treatment had been excluded, the results confirmed the superior effectiveness of the self-help manual in enabling problem drinkers to reduce consumption. Evidence for a superior outcome among respondents interviewed by telephone, rather than contacted solely by post, was again observed. Some limited evidence is presented as to the reliability and validity of self-reports of consumption in the main sample.

Is there a link between infant botulism and sudden infant death? Bacteriological results obtained in central Germany.

PubMed

Böhnel, H; Behrens, S; Loch, P; Lube, K; Gessler, F

2001-10-01

Despite the fact that botulism was described in Germany for the first time by Kerner in 1820, the disease is almost forgotten in this country. Only about 10-20 cases of classical botulism (intoxication) are recorded every year, including 1-2 cases of clinical infant botulism. As we assumed a high incidence of botulism to be connected with cases of sudden infant death (SID), we undertook the research work presented here. From every case of unexpected infant death up to 12 months of age, standardised specimens (blood, liver and intestine) were taken at autopsy. They were tested for the presence of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) and/or bacterial forms of Clostridium botulinum with subsequent BoNT neutralisation tests by the international standard mouse bioassay. Age, sex, pathological findings and season were recorded. Over a 5-year period, 75 samples including 57 SID cases were tested. Free toxin was found in nine and bacterial forms were detected in six samples. Toxin neutralisation revealed the definite presence of BoNT/BoNT producing bacteria (mainly type E), whereas another 11 toxin tests were inconclusive. According to international literature, these 15 cases are to be interpreted as infant botulism. the results show a remarkable incidence of infant botulism without any known previous medical history, partly hidden as sudden infant death. We propose to systematically search for botulism in connection with sudden infant death.

Incident CTS in a large pooled cohort study: associations obtained by a Job Exposure Matrix versus associations obtained from observed exposures.

PubMed

Dale, Ann Marie; Ekenga, Christine C; Buckner-Petty, Skye; Merlino, Linda; Thiese, Matthew S; Bao, Stephen; Meyers, Alysha Rose; Harris-Adamson, Carisa; Kapellusch, Jay; Eisen, Ellen A; Gerr, Fred; Hegmann, Kurt T; Silverstein, Barbara; Garg, Arun; Rempel, David; Zeringue, Angelique; Evanoff, Bradley A

2018-03-29

There is growing use of a job exposure matrix (JEM) to provide exposure estimates in studies of work-related musculoskeletal disorders; few studies have examined the validity of such estimates, nor did compare associations obtained with a JEM with those obtained using other exposures. This study estimated upper extremity exposures using a JEM derived from a publicly available data set (Occupational Network, O*NET), and compared exposure-disease associations for incident carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) with those obtained using observed physical exposure measures in a large prospective study. 2393 workers from several industries were followed for up to 2.8 years (5.5 person-years). Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes were assigned to the job at enrolment. SOC codes linked to physical exposures for forceful hand exertion and repetitive activities were extracted from O*NET. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to describe exposure-disease associations for incident CTS for individually observed physical exposures and JEM exposures from O*NET. Both exposure methods found associations between incident CTS and exposures of force and repetition, with evidence of dose-response. Observed associations were similar across the two methods, with somewhat wider CIs for HRs calculated using the JEM method. Exposures estimated using a JEM provided similar exposure-disease associations for CTS when compared with associations obtained using the 'gold standard' method of individual observation. While JEMs have a number of limitations, in some studies they can provide useful exposure estimates in the absence of individual-level observed exposures. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Propensity for obtaining alcohol through shoulder tapping.

PubMed

Toomey, Traci L; Fabian, Lindsey E A; Erickson, Darin J; Lenk, Kathleen M

2007-07-01

Underage youth often obtain alcohol from adults who illegally provide the alcohol. One method for obtaining alcohol from adults is shoulder tapping, where youth approach an adult outside an alcohol establishment and ask the adult to purchase alcohol for them. The goal of this study was to assess what percentage of the general and youth-targeted adult population approached outside of a convenience/liquor store will agree to purchase and then provide alcohol to individuals who appear under age 21. We conducted 2 waves of pseudo-underage shoulder tap request attempts, using requesters who were age 21 or older but appeared 18 to 20 years old. In both waves, requests were conducted at randomly selected liquor and convenience stores, requesters explained that the reason they were asking the adult was because they did not have their identification with them, and requesters asked the adults to purchase a 6-pack of beer. During wave 1, we conducted 102 attempts, with the requester approaching the first adult entering the store alone. During wave 2, we conducted 102 attempts where the requester approached the first casually dressed male entering the store alone who appeared to be 21 to 30 years old. During wave 1, 8% of the general sample of approached adults provided alcohol to the pseudo-underage requesters. The odds of adults providing alcohol in urban areas were 9.4 times greater than in suburban areas. During wave 2, 19% of the approached young men provided alcohol to the requesters. No requester, request attempt, establishment, or community characteristics were associated with request attempt outcomes during wave 2. A small percentage of the general population of adults will agree to provide alcohol to underage youth when approached outside an alcohol establishment. The likelihood of underage youth obtaining alcohol through shoulder tapping increases substantially if the youth approach young men.

A new warfarin dosing algorithm including VKORC1 3730 G > A polymorphism: comparison with results obtained by other published algorithms.

PubMed

Cini, Michela; Legnani, Cristina; Cosmi, Benilde; Guazzaloca, Giuliana; Valdrè, Lelia; Frascaro, Mirella; Palareti, Gualtiero

2012-08-01

Warfarin dosing is affected by clinical and genetic variants, but the contribution of the genotype associated with warfarin resistance in pharmacogenetic algorithms has not been well assessed yet. We developed a new dosing algorithm including polymorphisms associated both with warfarin sensitivity and resistance in the Italian population, and its performance was compared with those of eight previously published algorithms. Clinical and genetic data (CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, VKORC1 -1639 G > A, and VKORC1 3730 G > A) were used to elaborate the new algorithm. Derivation and validation groups comprised 55 (58.2% men, mean age 69 years) and 40 (57.5% men, mean age 70 years) patients, respectively, who were on stable anticoagulation therapy for at least 3 months with different oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) indications. Performance of the new algorithm, evaluated with mean absolute error (MAE) defined as the absolute value of the difference between observed daily maintenance dose and predicted daily dose, correlation with the observed dose and R(2) value, was comparable with or slightly lower than that obtained using the other algorithms. The new algorithm could correctly assign 53.3%, 50.0%, and 57.1% of patients to the low (≤25 mg/week), intermediate (26-44 mg/week) and high (≥ 45 mg/week) dosing range, respectively. Our data showed a significant increase in predictive accuracy among patients requiring high warfarin dose compared with the other algorithms (ranging from 0% to 28.6%). The algorithm including VKORC1 3730 G > A, associated with warfarin resistance, allowed a more accurate identification of resistant patients who require higher warfarin dosage.

Primary prevention of lead exposure--blood lead results at age two years.

PubMed

Campbell, Carla; Gracely, Edward; Tran, Mary; Starkey, Naomi; Kersten, Hans; Palermo, Peter; Rothman, Nancy; Line, Laura; Hansen-Turton, Tine

2012-04-01

The Philadelphia Lead Safe Homes (LSH) Study was designed to evaluate whether educational and environmental interventions in the first year of life for families of newborns increased knowledge of lead exposure prevention and were associated with less elevation of blood lead levels (BLLs) for these children, when compared to children receiving standard care. The current study performed descriptive statistics on the second-year BLL data for both groups and compared these using chi-square tests for proportions and unpaired t-tests for means. A BLL result was found for 159 (50.6%) of the 314 LSH cohort children and 331 (52.7%) of the 628 control children (p = 0.1). Mean and standard deviation for age at draw was 23.8 (3.4) months versus 23.6 (3.1) months (P = 0.6). Geometric mean BLLs were 3.7 versus 3.5 µg/dL (P = 0.4). The percentages of the cohort group with a BLL of ≥ 20, ≥ 10 and ≥ 5 μg/dL, respectively, were 0.6%, 5% and 30%; for the controls 1.2%, 6.6%, and 25%. These percentages were not significantly different between groups. A comparison of geometric mean BLLs and percentages above several BLL cut points drawn at age two years in a group of urban newborns benefitting from study interventions versus a group of similar urban children did not yield statistically significant differences. Both groups had relatively lower lead levels when compared to historical cohort groups, which may reflect a continuing downward trend in BLLs in U.S. children. The interventions did result in benefits to the families such as an increase in parental knowledge about lead exposure prevention and in-home wet cleaning activity, and a decrease in lead dust levels in study homes.

Maintenance after a complex orthoperio treatment in a case of generalized aggressive periodontitis: 7-year result.

PubMed

Zafiropoulos, Gregory-George; di Prisco, Manuela Occipite; Deli, Giorgio; Hoffmann, Oliver; Kasaj, Adrian

2010-10-01

Generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) encompasses a distinct type of periodontal disease exhibiting much more rapid periodontal tissue destruction than chronic periodontitis. The best method for management of GAgP may include the use of both regenerative periodontal techniques and the administration of systemic antibiotics. The treatment of a case of GAgP over a period of 6.7 years is presented in this case report. Initial periodontal therapy (week 1- 32) consisted of supragingival plaque control and three appointments of scaling and root planing. Based on the periodontal pathogens isolated (5 species), the patient also received metronidazole plus amoxicillin for one week, followed 10 weeks later by metronidazole plus amoxicillin/clavulanate for one week. The patient was put on regular supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) thereafter. Orthodontic treatment was performed after completion of the initial therapy for 96 weeks. Measurements of clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing and plaque index were obtained at every examination. Antimicrobial and mechanical treatment resulted in eradication of all periopathogens and significantly improved all clinical parameters. During orthodontic treatment and active maintenance, there was no relapse of GAgP. The patient participated in SPT for 194 weeks and thereafter decided to discontinue SPT. Twenty-four months later a relapse of GAgP was diagnosed and all teeth had to be extracted. These results indicate that a combined mechanical and antimicrobial treatment approach can lead to consistent resolution of GAgP. Further studies including a larger number of cases are warranted to validate these findings.

Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaaf, Michaela M. (Editor); Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery Shelly; Calamaio, Caprice; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farr, Lynne; Farritor, Shane

2003-01-01

This 15-year evaluation serves as a summary document highlighting the numerous and complete successes of the Nebraska Space Grant Program. Innovation has been highlighted through significant new endeavors during this 5-year period, such as placement of students and faculty at NASA Centers and the expansion of NSGC Native American Outreach Programs. While the last national program evaluation resulted in Nebraska s ranking as the top Capability Enhancement Consortium, and 5th best overall, Nebraska felt there was room for significant growth and development. This has been validated through the recent competitive attainment of Designated Grant status and has allowed for the exploration of new initiatives, as well as the expansion of already successful programs. A comprehensive strategic planning effort has involved all Nebraska representative entities and has guided Nebraska Space Grant through the evaluation period, providing a basis for continual advancement. Nebraska rigorously employs evaluation techniques to ensure that stated outcomes and metrics are achieved and that weaknesses are identified and corrected. With this coordinated approach, Nebraska expects that the next 5 years will yield new opportunities for significant achievement. Nebraska Space Grant will embrace new national endeavors, including the integration of Pender Public Schools -Nebraska s NASA Explorer School, geospatial initiatives, and the National Student Satellite Program.

Michigan Oncology Medical Home Demonstration Project: First-Year Results.

PubMed

Kuntz, Gordon; Tozer, Jane; Snegosky, Jeff; Fox, John; Neumann, Kurt

2014-03-01

The Michigan Oncology Medical Home Demonstration Project (MOMHDP) is an innovative multipractice oncology medical home model, supported by payment reform. Sponsored by Priority Health, Physician Resource Management, and ION Solutions, MOMHDP includes four oncology practices and 29 physicians. Oncology practices used existing technologies, with MOMHDP providing evidence-based treatment guideline selection and compliance tracking, automated physician order entry, a patient portal, symptom management/standardized nurse triage, and advance care planning. To support changes in care and administrative models and to focus on quality, MOMHDP modifies provider payments. The program replaces the average sales price payment methodology with a drug acquisition reimbursement plus a care management fee, calculated to increase total drug reimbursement. Additionally, it reimburses for chemotherapy and treatment planning and advance care planning consultation. There is also a shared savings opportunity. MOMHDP will be enhanced in its second year to include a survivorship program, patient distress screening, imaging guidelines, and standardized patient satisfaction surveys. Priority Health patients receiving chemotherapy for a cancer diagnosis were recruited to the program. Results for this group were compared with a control group of patients from a prior period. In addition to the financial results, the project also accomplished the following: (1) adherence to practice-selected guidelines, (2) institution of advance care planning, (3) effective and standardized symptom management; and (4) payment reform. We have identified a number of critical success factors: strong payer/provider collaboration built on trust through transparent use and cost data; timing of clinical standardization must come from the practices, so they can effectively absorb new approaches; having comprehensive, written program documentation and consistently applied training facilitate practice understanding

Results from the Ariel-5 all-sky X-ray monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, S. S.

1975-01-01

A summary of results obtained from the first year of Ariel-5 all-sky monitor operation is presented. Transient source observations, as well as the results of long term studies of Sco X-1, Cyg X-3, and Cyg X-1 are described. By example, the included results are indicative of the temporal effects to which the all-sky monitor remains sensitive as it begins its second year of observation.

Preliminary Results from Duplex Procedure for Obtain of Fe Based Materials for Automotive Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crăciun, R. C.; Stanciu, S.; Geantă, V.; Voiculescu, I.; Manole, V.; Gârneţ, I. A.; Alexandru, A.; Cimpoesu, N.; Săndulache, F.

2017-06-01

Abstract Iron based materials still represent a high percentage from metallic materials used in industry, in general, and in automotive industry, in particular. In this case we used a duplex process in order to obtain the FeMnSiAl experimental alloy for a more efficient use of various units. In the first stage iron, manganese, silicon and aluminum were melted and mixed together using arc melting technology and for the second stage the alloy was re-melt for homogeneity in an induction furnace. Chemical composition, after each melting step, was analyzed using EDS Bruker detector for various areas and microstructural characterization using SEM, VegaTescan LMH II with SE detector, equipment. This alloy is proposed as a metallic approach of mechanical dumpers used in automotive industry for low and medium impact contacts.

Podcast Lectures as a Primary Teaching Technology: Results of a One-Year Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Mark Zachary

2009-01-01

How useful are podcasts in the political science classroom? Some educators argue that podcasts will revolutionize education; others are less convinced. However, to date, the evidence on podcasts has been slim. This article reports the results of a year-long trial using podcasts to aid in teaching political science to undergraduates at a research…

Long-term results using old liver grafts for transplantation: sexagenerian versus liver donors older than 70 years.

PubMed

Jiménez-Romero, Carlos; Clemares-Lama, Marta; Manrique-Municio, Alejandro; García-Sesma, Alvaro; Calvo-Pulido, Jorge; Moreno-González, Enrique

2013-09-01

The most practical measure to augment the available number of liver grafts and thus reduce waiting list mortality is to increase the donor age limit. We hypothesized that with careful selection of old liver donors without age limit it should be possible to obtain good patient and graft survival. The present study comprises 351 adults who underwent liver transplantation. They were divided into three groups according to the age of the liver donors: group 1: 226 recipients of donors <60 years; group 2: 75 recipients of donors between 60 and 70 years; and group 3: 50 recipients of donors >70 years. A comparative study among the groups was performed. Patient survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were, respectively, 81.0, 76.1, and 71.1 % in group 1; 83.8, 74, and 72.2 % in group 2; and 76, 70.0, and 62.9 % in group 3 (P = NS). Graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was, respectively, 74.8, 69.0, and 64.1 % in group 1; 82.7, 71.4, and 69.6 % in group 2; and 71.4, 64.8, and 58.3 % in group 3 (P = NS). We analyzed the use of older grafts in recipients with HCV cirrhosis and did not find significant differences in patient and graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years. In multivariate analysis increased donor body mass index and decreased recipient albumin were associated with lower patient and graft survival. Because patient and graft survival rates are not affected by donor age, well-selected older donor livers can be safely used if they show good function and preharvesting conditions.

Obtaining Employment after Spinal Cord Injury: Relationship with Pre- and Postinjury Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, James S.; Reed, Karla S.

2009-01-01

The authors identify the association of educational milestones obtained before and after spinal cord injury (SCI) with postinjury employment (PIE). Survey data were collected from 1,362 adults younger than 65, with traumatic SCI of at least 1 year duration who were not currently attending school. The sole outcome was obtaining PIE--whether the…

A cluster randomized trial of sun protection at elementary schools. Results from year 2.

PubMed

Roetzheim, Richard G; Love-Jackson, Kymia M; Hunter, Seft G; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Chen, Ren; Abdulla, Rania; Wells, Kristen J

2011-12-01

Elementary schools are one potential venue for sun protection interventions that reduce childhood sun exposure. To assess Year-2 results from a cluster randomized trial promoting hat use at schools. Block randomization was used to assign intervention/control status to participating schools. Data were collected from 2006 to 2008 and analyzed in 2007-2010. Of the 24 schools in the School District of Hillsborough County, Florida enrolled, 4th-graders were targeted in the first year and followed through their 5th-grade year. Classroom sessions were conducted to improve sun protection knowledge, foster more positive attitudes about hat use, and change the subjective norm of wearing hats when at school. Year-2 outcomes assessed included hat use at school (measured by direct observation), hat use outside of school (measured by self-report) and skin pigmentation and nevi counts (measured for a subgroup of 439 students). The percentage of students observed wearing hats at control schools remained unchanged during the 2-year period (range 0%-2%) but increased significantly at intervention schools (2% at baseline, 41% at end of Year 1, 19% at end of Year 2; p<0.001 for intervention effect). Measures of skin pigmentation, nevi counts, and self-reported use of hats outside of school did not change during the study period. This intervention increased use of hats at school through Year 2 but had no measurable effect on skin pigmentation or nevi. Whether school-based interventions can ultimately prevent skin cancer is uncertain. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ground Source Heat Pump Computational Results

DOE Data Explorer

James Menart

2013-07-31

This data submission includes simulation results for ground loop heat pump systems located in 6 different cities across the United States. The cities are Boston, MA, Dayton, OH, Omaha, NE, Orlando, FL, Sacramento, CA, and St. Paul, MN. These results were obtained from the two-dimensional geothermal computer code called GEO2D. GEO2D was written as part of this DOE funded grant. The results included in this submission for each of the 6 cities listed above are: 1) specific information on the building being heated or cooled by the ground loop geothermal system, 2) some extreme values for the building heating and cooling loads during the year, 3) the inputs required to carry out the simulation, 4) a plot of the hourly building heating and cooling loads throughout the year, 5) a plot of the fluid temperature exiting the ground loop for a 20 year period, 6) a plot of the heat exchange between the ground loop and the ground for a 20 year period, and 7) ground and ground loop temperature contour plots at different times of the year for the 20 year period.

Ranibizumab and bevacizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: two-year results.

PubMed

Martin, Daniel F; Maguire, Maureen G; Fine, Stuart L; Ying, Gui-shuang; Jaffe, Glenn J; Grunwald, Juan E; Toth, Cynthia; Redford, Maryann; Ferris, Frederick L

2012-07-01

To describe effects of ranibizumab and bevacizumab when administered monthly or as needed for 2 years and to describe the impact of switching to as-needed treatment after 1 year of monthly treatment. Multicenter, randomized clinical trial. Patients (n = 1107) who were followed up during year 2 among 1185 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who were enrolled in the clinical trial. At enrollment, patients were assigned to 4 treatment groups defined by drug (ranibizumab or bevacizumab) and dosing regimen (monthly or as needed). At 1 year, patients initially assigned to monthly treatment were reassigned randomly to monthly or as-needed treatment, without changing the drug assignment. Mean change in visual acuity. Among patients following the same regimen for 2 years, mean gain in visual acuity was similar for both drugs (bevacizumab-ranibizumab difference, -1.4 letters; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.7 to 0.8; P = 0.21). Mean gain was greater for monthly than for as-needed treatment (difference, -2.4 letters; 95% CI, -4.8 to -0.1; P = 0.046). The proportion without fluid ranged from 13.9% in the bevacizumab-as-needed group to 45.5% in the ranibizumab monthly group (drug, P = 0.0003; regimen, P < 0.0001). Switching from monthly to as-needed treatment resulted in greater mean decrease in vision during year 2 (-2.2 letters; P = 0.03) and a lower proportion without fluid (-19%; P < 0.0001). Rates of death and arteriothrombotic events were similar for both drugs (P > 0.60). The proportion of patients with 1 or more systemic serious adverse events was higher with bevacizumab than ranibizumab (39.9% vs. 31.7%; adjusted risk ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.07-1.57; P = 0.009). Most of the excess events have not been associated previously with systemic therapy targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Ranibizumab and bevacizumab had similar effects on visual acuity over a 2-year period. Treatment as needed resulted in less gain in visual acuity

[Conduct disorders in seven-year-old children--results of ELSPAC study 1. Co-morbidity].

PubMed

Kukla, L; Hrubá, D; Tyrlík, M; Matejová, H

2008-01-01

The interest of experts in conduct disorders (CD) research is growing during the last two decades. The research areas include the diagnostics, ethiopathogenesis and treatment and also the comorbidity, especially with the hyperkinetic syndrome incidence (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder--ADHD). This paper intends to describe the conduct disorder occurrence and its other manifestations of divergence found during the investigation of children followed in the prospective longitudinal study ELSPAC in seven, respectively eight years of their age. Data of 6100 seven-year-old children characterizing their behaviour was collected from mothers and attending physicians. In the school year during which this investigation phase took place 2518 of the children reached eight years of age and their behaviour, temperament and school results were also evaluated by their teachers. The children were divided into three groups according to the presence or absence of the symptoms, which characterize conduct disorders (found by physicians): "stubborn negativistic behaviour", "inability to pay attention", "aggressiveness" and "inadequacy of reactions". The presence of two of these symptoms was found in 3%, presence of all four symptoms in additional 1.4% of children. Parents and teachers more often indicated various symptoms of hyperactivity in children with conduct disorders. In almost 5% of the ELSPAC cohort children in seven years of their age those symptoms were diagnosed, which match the Conduct Disorder criteria and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) criteria. In agreement with similar studies these frequent comorbidities were found: sleep disorders, psychomotor development disorders and laterality changes. The cognitive abilities evaluated by mothers and also teachers based on schoolwork results were more often worsened in children with conduct disorders. Various data indicating their worse social adaptability (which significantly disturbed the class) occurred

Effect of hormone therapy on lean body mass, falls, and fractures: Six-year results from the Women’s Health Initiative Hormone Trials

PubMed Central

Bea, Jennifer W.; Zhao, Qiuhong; Cauley, Jane A.; LaCroix, Andrea Z.; Bassford, Tamsen; Lewis, Cora E.; Jackson, Rebecca D.; Tylavsky, Frances A.; Chen, Zhao

2010-01-01

Objective Loss of lean body mass with aging may contribute to falls and fractures. The objective of this analysis was to determine if taking postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT: estrogen plus progestogen therapy, EPT or estrogen therapy alone, ET) favorably affects age-related changes in lean body mass and if these changes partially account for decreased falls or fractures with HT. Methods Participants randomly assigned to either EPT (n=543) or control (n=471) and ET (n= 453) or control (n= 474) and receiving dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to estimate body composition during the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) were evaluated. Falls and fracture occurrence were obtained by annual self-report. Fractures were confirmed by clinical chart review. Results At 6yrs post-randomization, lean body mass was not different between HT and control groups. Although lean body mass positively influenced BMD, independent of HT status, the preserved lean body mass observed in the HT arms in the first 3 years did not significantly contribute to models evaluating HT influence on falls and fractures between years 3 and 6. Women taking at least 80% of their medication in the HT arms demonstrated fewer falls compared to placebo; this difference was not attributable to change in lean body mass. Conclusions Despite early preservation of lean body mass with HT (3years), HT did not ameliorate long-term (6 years) loss in lean body mass with aging. PMID:20689466

Applying results from Physics Education Research in a large first-year service course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrensmeier, Daria

2012-10-01

First-year service courses are among the most challenging teaching appointments, due to factors such as lack of motivation, lack of academic preparation, and huge class size. I will describe how the Labatorial Project at the University of Calgary strives to apply results from Physics Education research on inquiry-based learning, addressing misconceptions, peer instruction etc. to the small group sections of these courses. After a brief overview of the design and implementation of the labatorials for a first-year course for engineering students, I will focus on the aspects of change management and sustainability: how one initial change led to a sequence of related modifications, from the lectures to the exams and TA training, accompanied by a natural process of faculty professional development.

Obtaining orthotropic elasticity tensor using entries zeroing method.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gierlach, Bartosz; Danek, Tomasz

2017-04-01

A generally anisotropic elasticity tensor obtained from measurements can be represented by a tensor belonging to one of eight material symmetry classes. Knowledge of symmetry class and orientation is helpful for describing physical properties of a medium. For each non-trivial symmetry class except isotropic this problem is nonlinear. A common method of obtaining effective tensor is a choosing its non-trivial symmetry class and minimizing Frobenius norm between measured and effective tensor in the same coordinate system. Global optimization algorithm has to be used to determine the best rotation of a tensor. In this contribution, we propose a new approach to obtain optimal tensor, with the assumption that it is orthotropic (or at least has a similar shape to the orthotropic one). In orthotropic form tensor 24 out of 36 entries are zeros. The idea is to minimize the sum of squared entries which are supposed to be equal to zero through rotation calculated with optimization algorithm - in this case Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Quaternions were used to parametrize rotations in 3D space to improve computational efficiency. In order to avoid a choice of local minima we apply PSO several times and only if we obtain similar results for the third time we consider it as a correct value and finish computations. To analyze obtained results Monte-Carlo method was used. After thousands of single runs of PSO optimization, we obtained values of quaternion parts and plot them. Points concentrate in several points of the graph following the regular pattern. It suggests the existence of more complex symmetry in the analyzed tensor. Then thousands of realizations of generally anisotropic tensor were generated - each tensor entry was replaced with a random value drawn from normal distribution having a mean equal to measured tensor entry and standard deviation of the measurement. Each of these tensors was subject of PSO based optimization delivering quaternion for optimal

Early physics results.

PubMed

Jenni, Peter

2012-02-28

For the past year, experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have started exploring physics at the high-energy frontier. Thanks to the superb turn-on of the LHC, a rich harvest of initial physics results have already been obtained by the two general-purpose experiments A Toroidal LHC Apparatus (ATLAS) and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), which are the subject of this report. The initial data have allowed a test, at the highest collision energies ever reached in a laboratory, of the Standard Model (SM) of elementary particles, and to make early searches Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Significant results have already been obtained in the search for the Higgs boson, which would establish the postulated electro-weak symmetry breaking mechanism in the SM, as well as for BSM physics such as Supersymmetry (SUSY), heavy new particles, quark compositeness and others. The important, and successful, SM physics measurements are giving confidence that the experiments are in good shape for their journey into the uncharted territory of new physics anticipated at the LHC.

10-year results of the uncemented Allofit press-fit cup in young patients.

PubMed

Streit, Marcus R; Weiss, Stefan; Andreas, Franziska; Bruckner, Thomas; Walker, Tilman; Kretzer, J Philippe; Ewerbeck, Volker; Merle, Christian

2014-08-01

Uncemented acetabular components in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) are commonly used today, but few studies have evaluated their survival into the second decade in young and active patients. We report on a minimum 10-year follow-up of an uncemented press-fit acetabular component that is still in clinical use. We examined the clinical and radiographic results of our first 121 consecutive cementless THAs using a cementless, grit-blasted, non-porous, titanium alloy press-fit cup (Allofit; Zimmer Inc., Warsaw, IN) without additional screw fixation in 116 patients. Mean age at surgery was 51 (21-60) years. Mean time of follow-up evaluation was 11 (10-12) years. At final follow-up, 8 patients had died (8 hips), and 1 patient (1 hip) was lost to follow-up. 3 hips in 3 patients had undergone acetabular revision, 2 for deep infection and 1 for aseptic acetabular loosening. There were no impending revisions at the most recent follow-up. We did not detect periacetabular osteolysis or loosening on plain radiographs in those hips that were evaluated radiographically (n = 90; 83% of the hips available at a minimum of 10 years). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using revision of the acetabular component for any reason (including isolated inlay revisions) as endpoint estimated the 11-year survival rate at 98% (95% CI: 92-99). Uncemented acetabular fixation using the Allofit press-fit cup without additional screws was excellent into early in the second decade in this young and active patient cohort. The rate of complications related to the liner and to osteolysis was low.

Secondary nerve lengthening to obtain full knee extension in popliteal pterygium syndrome.

PubMed

Boeckx, Willy; Misani, Marta; Vandermeeren, Liesbeth; Franck, Diane; Zirak, Christophe; Demey, Albert

2014-05-01

Microsurgical nerve lengthening was performed in two siblings presenting a popliteal pterigium syndrome with a knee flexion contracture of 80 degrees. After the first attempt for nerve lengthening and knee extension elsewhere, a repeated lengthening was required due to continuing tip-toe walking and recurrent knee contracture at the age of 3 years. An extensive external and internal interfascicular microsurgical neurolysis resulted in a lengthening of the nerves. A full length of leg procedure had to be performed, inclusive of Achilles tendon lengthening to obtain a complete extension of the knee and a 90-degree ankle flexion. Maintaining the leg in a fully extended position was obtained with a dynamic splinting in the first month after the operation. When timing the operation we have to consider the importance of adequate precision of the microsurgical neurolysis, down to the identification of the Fontana bands, and the adequate postoperative splinting. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

High-Dose-Rate Monotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: 10-Year Results

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

Hauswald, Henrik; Kamrava, Mitchell R.; Fallon, Julia M.

2016-03-15

Purpose: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy was originally used with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to increase the dose to the prostate without injuring the bladder or rectum. Numerous studies have reported HDR brachytherapy is safe and effective. We adapted it for use without EBRT for cases not requiring lymph node treatment. Patients and Methods: We entered the patient demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment parameters into a prospective registry and serially added follow-up data for 448 men with low-risk (n=288) and intermediate-risk (n=160) prostate cancer treated from 1996 to 2009. Their median age was 64 years (range 42-90). The median prostate-specific antigen (PSA)more » level was 6.0 ng/mL (range 0.2-18.2). The Gleason score was ≤6 in 76% and 7 in 24%. The median dose was 43.5 Gy in 6 fractions. The clinical and biochemical disease control and survival rates were calculated. Adverse events were graded according to the Common Toxicity Criteria of Adverse Events. Results: The median follow-up period was 6.5 years (range 0.3-15.3). The actuarial 6- and 10-year PSA progression-free survival was 98.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 96.9%-99.4%) and 97.8% (95% CI 95.5%-98.9%). Overall survival at 10 years was 76.7% (95% CI 69.9%-82.2%). The local control, distant metastasis-free survival, and cause-specific survival were 99.7% (95% CI 97.9%-99.9%), 98.9% (95% CI 96.3%-99.7%), and 99.1% (95% CI 95.8%-99.8%). T stage, initial PSA level, Gleason score, National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group, patient age, and androgen deprivation therapy did not significantly correlate with disease control or survival. No late grade 3 to 4 rectal toxicities developed. Late grade 3 to 4 genitourinary toxicity occurred in 4.9% (grade 3 in 4.7%). Conclusions: HDR monotherapy is a safe and highly effective treatment of low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.« less

Long-term results of 81 prevertebral subclavian artery angioplasties: a 26-year experience.

PubMed

Berger, Ludovic; Bouziane, Zacharie; Felisaz, Aurélien; Coffin, Olivier; Dugue, Audrey; Maiza, Dominique

2011-11-01

Long-term results of transluminal angioplasty (TLA) of the prevertebral subclavian artery (PVSA) are not well known. The aim of this work was to present a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 81 TLAs of the PVSA, with a mean follow-up of approximately 7 years (82 months). From January 1984 to May 2007, 81 TLAs of PVSA were consecutively performed in 72 patients (64% men; median age = 56.7 years) to treat 71 tight stenoses and 10 occlusions. In 58 cases, TLA was carried out under local anesthesia (71.6%), 65 times by femoral approach, and 16 times by humeral approach. A percutaneous approach was used 72 times (89%). A stent was placed in 18 cases (22.2%). Immediate technical success rate was 93%. One transient monoplegia was noticed after TLA and four puncture complications were observed, which occurred significantly more frequently with percutaneous humeral approach (p = 0.024). A recurrent stenosis occurred 28 times (34.6%) and was symptomatic in three cases. With a mean 82-month follow-up (3-299 months), primary patency at 10 years was 85.2% and primary assisted patency was 92.6%. No restenosis occurred after the 25th month of the follow-up. No restenosis factor was statistically predictive. TLA of the PVSA is a mildly invasive and efficient treatment. Early restenoses are frequent but remain accessible to a new TLA with stable long-term results. Copyright © 2011 Annals of Vascular Surgery Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia: preliminary results at one year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Keith P.; Waring, George O., III; Steinert, Roger; Durrie, Daniel S.; Gordon, Michael; Brint, Stephen F.

1992-08-01

Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is presently under investigation for the correction of myopia. Two companies in the United States, Summit Technology (Waltham, Mass.) and VisX, Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) have developed excimer laser delivery systems and are participating in an FDA study to determine the safety and efficacy of PRK. This is a preliminary report on the refractive and visual results of 51 of 100 eyes treated between October 10, 1990 and March 7, 1991 by the Summit Technology UV200LA excimer laser under the FDA Phase IIB FDA protocol one year after surgery. More detailed information on eight patients treated at Emory University Eye Center (Emory Subgroup) is also reported.

Coopers Rock Crop Tree Demonstration Area—20-year results

Treesearch

Arlyn W. Perkey; Gary W. Miller; David L. Feicht

2011-01-01

During the 1988/1989 dormant season, the Coopers Rock Crop Tree Demonstration Area was established in a 55-year-old central Appalachian hardwood forest in north-central West Virginia. After treatment, 89 northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and 147 yellow-poplar (Liriodentron tulipifera L.) crop trees were monitored for 20 years....

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma: comparison of clinical results obtained with BNCT and conventional treatment.

PubMed

Kageji, Teruyoshi; Nagahiro, Shinji; Mizobuchi, Yoshifumi; Matsuzaki, Kazuhito; Nakagawa, Yoshinobu; Kumada, Hiroaki

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and conventional treatment in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Since 1998 we treated 23 newly-diagosed GBM patients with BNCT without any additional chemotherapy. Their median survival time was 19.5 months; the 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 31.8%, 22.7%, and 9.1%, respectively. The clinical results of BNCT in patients with GBM are similar to those of recent conventional treatments based on radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide.

Techniques for obtaining subjective response to vertical vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, M. J.; Oborne, D. J.

1975-01-01

Laboratory experiments were performed to validate the techniques used for obtaining ratings in the field surveys carried out by the University College of Swansea. In addition, attempts were made to evaluate the basic form of the human response to vibration. Some of the results obtained by different methods are described.

[Psychophysiological indicators for children using mobile phones. Communication 2. Results of four-year monitoring].

PubMed

Khorseva, N I; Grigor'ev, Iu G; Gorbunova, N V

2011-01-01

This study submits the results of a four-year monitoring of a complex diagnostics of the psychophysiological indicators for 196 children aged 7 to 12 years old: 147 of them are child users of mobile communication (test group) and 49 are in the control group. We have identified the following major trends of the psychophysiological indicators for child users of mobile communication: an increased number of phonemic perception disorders, abatement of efficiency, reduced indicators for the arbitrary and semantic memory, an increased fatigue. A steady decline of the parameters from high values to bottom standards has been found.

Results and Implications of Seven Years of the University of Arizona Astronomy Club

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker-LaFollette, Amanda; Towner, A. P.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Brissenden, G.

2014-01-01

Participation in an undergraduate astronomy club or organization, be it social, academic, outreach-, or research-oriented, can be extremely beneficial to astronomy students. In this talk, we present the numerical results of the past seven years of University of Arizona Astronomy Club activities, particularly those relating to published papers, poster presentations, attendance at AAS meetings, and retention within the major. We also discuss less-quantifiable results, such as social, academic, and emotional support for club members. Finally, we highlight the efforts being performed by undergraduates at institutions all around the country, as presented in this Session.

Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Final Maps and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, C. L.; Larson, D.; Weiland, J. L.; Jaorsik, N.; Hinshaw, G.; Odegard, N.; Smith, K. M.; Hill, R. S.; Gold, B.; Halpern, M;

[Development of Human Health Discoveries. 10 years results of Young Innovative Company incubation].

PubMed

Marsac, Jean

2014-01-01

Medicine is evolving every day in its operating procedures and the services offered to patients, emphasizing personalized medicine, safety and medical benefits. The individual patient is more than ever the hub of healthcare organization. Medical innovation is thus a public health priority. However it requires an accurate assessment of medical utility and risk-benefit ratios, and in-depth analysis of economic and organizational impacts. Ten years of experience in the Paris Biotech Santé company incubator has identified key actions for effective support of research projects and the success of innovative companies. Strong expertise is needed to prepare development plans, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and obtain research funding. During its first decade, this incubator has created 87 innovative companies employing 1500 people, raised more than 90 million euros of funding, and reached a cumulative company value of 1200 million euros. Key factors of success have been identified, but an analysis of the causes of failure shows that operational adjustments are mandatory, particularly a strong commitment from medical experts, in order to promote access to new and useful products for patients while at the same time assessing their social impact.

Results from Two Years of Ka-Band Propagation Characterization at Svalbard, Norway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nessel, James A.; Morse, Jacquelynne Rose; Zemba, Michael

2014-01-01

Over the several years, NASA plans to launch several earth science missions which are expected to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day transmitted from low earth orbiting spacecraft to ground stations. The current S-band and X-band frequency allocations in use by NASA, however, are incapable of supporting the data rates required to meet this demand. As such, NASA is in the planning stages to upgrade its existing Near Earth Network (NEN) Polar ground stations to support Ka-band (25.5-27 GHz) operations. Consequently, it becomes imperative that characterization of propagation effects at these NEN sites is conducted to determine expected system performance, particularly at low elevation angles ((is) less than 10 deg) where spacecraft signal acquisition typically occurs. Since May 2011, NASA Glenn Research Center has installed and operated a Ka-band radiometer at the NEN site located in Svalbard, Norway. The Ka-band radiometer monitors the water vapor line, as well as 6 frequencies around 26.5 GHz at multiple elevation angles: 45 deg, 20 deg, and 10 deg. Two year data collection results indicate comparable performance to previously characterized northern latitude sites in the United States, i.e., Fairbanks, Alaska. It is observed that cloud cover at the Svalbard site remains the dominant loss mechanism for Ka-band links, resulting in a margin requirement of 4.1 dB to maintain link availability of 99% at 10 deg elevation.

Bone remodelling after femoral short stem implantation in total hip arthroplasty: 1-year results from a randomized DEXA study.

PubMed

Freitag, Tobias; Hein, Marie-Anne; Wernerus, Dirk; Reichel, Heiko; Bieger, Ralf

2016-01-01

Short stem prostheses have been developed to preserve proximal femoral bone stock. This prospective, randomized study compared periprosthetic bone remodelling following short and straight stem implantation 1 year after surgery. One hundred and forty-four consecutive patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were randomized to either a Fitmore short or a cementless straight stem (both Zimmer, Winterthur, Switzerland). Periprosthetic bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry performed the day before surgery and at 7 days, 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. Furthermore, the HHS and the WOMAC were obtained. One hundred and thirty-eight patients completed 1-year follow-up. Periprosthetic BMD changes at 1 year were most pronounced in the proximal medial region of interest (ROI) 7 with -17.2% after short stem and -16.7% after straight implantation (p = 0.67). However, there was significantly less BMD reduction in ROI 6 following short (-4.7%) versus straight stem (-10.8%) implantation (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the HHS and the WOMAC either before or after surgery. One year after surgery, both stems showed an implant-specific periprosthetic bone remodelling. Nevertheless, proximal load transfer was more pronounced after short stem implantation than with a straight stem.

Extraperitoneoscopic transcapsular adenomectomy: complications and functional results after at least 1 year of followup.

PubMed

Porpiglia, Francesco; Fiori, Cristian; Cavallone, Barbara; Morra, Ivano; Bertolo, Riccardo; Scarpa, Roberto Mario

2011-05-01

Laparoscopic simple prostatectomy has been proposed to treat large glands. To date groups have investigated the feasibility and perioperative results of laparoscopic simple prostatectomy but to our knowledge no study has focused on its complications and functional results at longer followup. We investigated complications and functional results in patients with a large prostate who were treated with laparoscopic simple prostatectomy and had at least 1 year of followup. From our prospectively maintained database we extracted data on 78 patients treated with laparoscopic simple prostatectomy at our institution who had at least 1 year of reported followup. Demographics, perioperative results, early and late complications, and functional results were evaluated. Followup was planned at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and every 6 months thereafter. Mean followup was 30 months. Grade III complications were recorded in 2 cases and late complications were reported in 4 (5%). Statistically significant differences were observed in the International Prostate Symptom Score, the International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life index and maximum urine flow when comparing preoperative and postoperative results. No significant differences were recorded in maximum urine flow or the International Prostate Symptom Score quality of life index during followup. Results suggest that laparoscopic simple prostatectomy is safe and effective even after a significant period, as indicated by the low complication rate and positive, stable functional results found during followup. In our opinion laparoscopic simple prostatectomy can be offered to patients as a valid treatment option for a large prostate at advanced laparoscopic centers. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thinning cherry-maple stands in West Virginia: 5-year results

Treesearch

Neil I. Lamson; H. Clay. Smith; H. Clay. Smith

1988-01-01

In northern West Virginia, 60-year-old cherry-maple stands were thinned to 75,60, and 45 percent relative stand density. Analysis of 5-year growth data showed that basal-area growth was not reduced by thinning. Cubic-foot and board-foot volume growth decreased slightly. Individual-tree growth of all trees, dominant/codominant trees, and the 50 largest diameter trees...

The 5-year Results of an Oxidized Zirconium Femoral Component for TKA

PubMed Central

Innocenti, Massimo; Carulli, Christian; Matassi, Fabrizio; Villano, Marco

2009-01-01

Osteolysis secondary to polyethylene wear is one of the major factors limiting long-term performance of TKA. Oxidized zirconium is a new material that combines the strength of a metal with the wear properties of a ceramic. It remains unknown whether implants with a zirconium femoral component can be used safely in TKA. To answer that question, we reviewed, at a minimum of 5 years, the clinical outcome and survivorship of a ceramic-surfaced oxidized zirconium femoral component implanted during 98 primary TKAs between April 2001 and December 2003. Survivorship was 98.7% at 7 years postoperatively. No revision was necessary and only one component failed because of aseptic loosening. Mean Knee Society score improved from 36 to 89. No adverse events were observed clinically or radiologically. These results justify pursuing the use of oxidized zirconium as an alternative bearing surface for a femoral component in TKA. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. PMID:19798541

Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaaf, Michaela M.; Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery, Shelly; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farritor, Shane; Joyce, James; Rebrovich, Barb

2003-01-01

Condensing five years of significant work into a brief narrative fitting PPR requirements gave the affiliates of the Nebraska Space Grant a valuable chance for reflection. Achievements of Space Grant in Nebraska were judiciously chosen for this document that best illustrate the resultant synergism of this consortium, keeping in mind that these examples are only a representation of greater activity throughout the state. Following are highlights of many of the finer and personal achievements for Nebraska Space Grant. The Consortium welcomes inquiries to elaborate on any of these accomplishments.

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among First-Year College Students: Results From the WMH-ICS Project.

PubMed

Mortier, Philippe; Auerbach, Randy P; Alonso, Jordi; Bantjes, Jason; Benjet, Corina; Cuijpers, Pim; Ebert, David D; Green, Jennifer Greif; Hasking, Penelope; Nock, Matthew K; O'Neill, Siobhan; Pinder-Amaker, Stephanie; Sampson, Nancy A; Vilagut, Gemma; Zaslavsky, Alan M; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Kessler, Ronald C

2018-04-01

College entrance may be a strategically well-placed "point of capture" for detecting late adolescents with suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). However, a clear epidemiological picture of STB among incoming college students is lacking. We present the first cross-national data on prevalence as well as socio-demographic and college-related correlates for STB among first-year college students. Web-based self-report surveys were obtained from 13,984 first-year students (response rate 45.5%) across 19 colleges in 8 countries (Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain, and the United States). Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts was 32.7%, 17.5%, and 4.3%, respectively. The 12-month prevalence was 17.2%, 8.8%, and 1.0%, respectively. About three-fourths of STB cases had onset before the age of 16 years (Q3 = 15.8), with persistence figures in the range of 41% to 53%. About one-half (53.4%) of lifetime ideators transitioned to a suicide plan; 22.1% of lifetime planners transitioned to an attempt. Attempts among lifetime ideators without plan were less frequent (3.1%). Significant correlates of lifetime STB were cross-nationally consistent and generally modest in effect size (median adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.7). Nonheterosexual orientation (aOR range 3.3-7.9) and heterosexual orientation with some same-sex attraction (aOR range 1.9-2.3) were the strongest correlates of STB, and of transitioning from ideation to plans and/or attempts (aOR range 1.6-6.1). The distribution of STB in first-year students is widespread, and relatively independent of socio-demographic risk profile. Multivariate risk algorithms based on a high number of risk factors are indicated to efficiently link high-risk status with effective preventive interventions. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of the results of the SEIMC External Quality Control Program for HIV-1 and HCV viral loads. Year 2008].

PubMed

Mira, Nieves Orta; Serrano, María del Remedio Guna; Martínez, José Carlos Latorre; Ovies, María Rosario; Pérez, José L; Cardona, Concepción Gimeno

2010-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load determinations are among the most relevant markers for the follow up of patients infected with these viruses. External quality control tools are crucial to ensure the accuracy of results obtained by microbiology laboratories. This article summarized the results obtained from the 2008 SEIMC External Quality Control Program for HIV-1 and HCV viral loads. In the HIV-1 program, a total of five standards were sent. One standard consisted in seronegative human plasma, while the remaining four contained plasma from 3 different viremic patients, in the range of 2-5 log(10) copies/mL; two of these standards were identical aiming to determine repeatability. The specificity was complete for all commercial methods, and no false positive results were reported by the participants. A significant proportion of the laboratories (24% on average) obtained values out of the accepted range (mean +/- 0.2 log(10) copies/mL), depending on the standard and on the method used for quantification. Repeatability was very good, with up to 95% of laboratories reporting results within the limits (D < 0.5 log(10) copias/mL). The HCV program consisted of two standards with different viral load contents. Most of the participants (88,7%) obtained results within the accepted range (mean +/- 1.96 SD log(10) UI/mL). Post-analytical errors due to mistranscription of the results were detected for HCV, but not for the HIV-1 program. Data from this analysis reinforce the utility of proficiency programmes to ensure the quality of the results obtained by a particular laboratory, as well as the importance of the post-analytical phase on the overall quality. Due to the remarkable interlaboratory variability, it is advisable to use the same method and the same laboratory for patient follow up. 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

Summary results from the NASA Tech House one year live-in

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamlet, I. L.

1979-01-01

The NASA Tech House was designed and constructed at the Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., to demonstrate and evaluate new technology potentially applicable for conservation of energy and resources and for improvements in safety and security in a single-family residence. All technology items, including solar energy systems and a waste water reuse system, were evaluated under actual living conditions for a one-year period with a family of four living in the house in their normal life style. Results are presented which show overall savings in energy and resources compared to requirements for a defined similar conventional house under the same conditions. Also included are general operational experience and performance data for all the various items and systems of technology incorporated into the house design.

New Jersey Statewide Minimum Standards: Results from the Program's Second Year. Occasional Papers in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koffler, Stephen L.

Results of the second year of the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Tests in reading and mathematics, mandated by the New Jersey Public School Education Act of 1975, are summarized. Approximately 397,000 students in grades three, six, nine, and eleven were tested. Results of the tests showed that a smaller percentage of sixth-grade students met…

The Mosaic bioprosthesis in the aortic position: 17 years' results.

PubMed

Gansera, Brigitte; Hapfelmeier, Alexander; Brandl, Kristina; Spiliopoulos, Kyriakos; Gundling, Felix; Eichinger, Walter

2014-02-01

The Mosaic bioprosthesis (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States), a stented porcine aortic valve, combines glutaraldehyde fixation with zero-pressure, root-pressure techniques and antimineralization treatment with amino-oleic acid for improved hemodynamics and tissue durability. The first device has been implanted worldwide at the authors' institution in September 1993. The aim of the present study was to collect mid- to long-term data of the prosthesis. A total of 272 patients (124 males and 148 females) underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with the Mosaic bioprosthesis between September 1993 and August 2007. Median age at implant was 76.8 years (range, 31.3 to 90.7). Median follow-up was 12.0 years (range, 0 to 17.2 years); follow-up was complete for 223 (82%) patients. Early mortality (30 days) was 4% (12 patients). Overall survival at 5, 10, 15, and 17 years was 68.6% ± 3.1%, 36.4% ± 3.3%, 17.1% ± 3.6%, and 10.7% ± 4.3%, respectively. Eleven late deaths (5%) were cardiac related. There were 24 thromboembolic events, 1 hemorrhagic, and 6 reoperations/explants. At a median follow-up of 12 years, freedom from any cause of death was 27.0% ± 3.2% acting as a competing risk for the incidence of thromboembolic events (16.4% ± 3.5%), hemorrhage (0.5% ± 0.5%), and reoperation/explant (4.1% ± 1.8%). Two redos were due to structural valve deterioration (SVD), two for nonstructural dysfunction (paravalvular leakage), one for thrombosed prosthesis, and one for endocarditis. Performance and late outcome of the Mosaic bioprosthesis was satisfactory during 17 years after clinical introduction. The Mosaic bioprosthesis showed low incidence of SVD or need for reoperation in the long term. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

International Map Year: Results and Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rystedt, Bengt; Ormeling, Ferjan; Buckley, Aileen; Coetzee, Serena; Voženilek, Vit; Fairbairn, David; Kagawa, Ayako

2018-05-01

IMY was a worldwide celebration of maps and their unique role in our world. Supported by the United Nations, IMY provides opportunities to demonstrate, follow, and get involved in the art, science, and technology of making and using maps and geographic information. International Map Year (IMY) started in Paris 2011 when the General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) asked the ICA Executive Committee (EC) to follow up on the proposal given in a motion from the Swedish Cartographic Society. An IMY Working Group (WG) was constituted - it defined the IMY goals and the activities required to reach them, and it proposed a suitable time period for the IMY to the ICA EC. IMY commenced in August 2015 and ended in December 2016. The success of IMY was dependent on all member nations of the ICA participating in an effort to broaden the knowledge of cartography and geographic information in society in general, especially among citizens and school children. Member nations of the ICA were responsible for organizing IMY activities, such as a national Map Day, through national IMY committees tasked to engage national organizations and spearheading collaboration. The IMY WG set up an IMY web site with general information on IMY, guidelines for how to organize Map Days, suggestions relating to activities aimed at general map awareness, and more. The web site also provides access to the electronic book The World of Maps, which has been translated from English into five other languages.

15-year Results of Improvement Cutting in Bottomland Hardwoods

Treesearch

W. R. Beaufait; R. L. Johnson

1956-01-01

That severely depleted bottomland stands can be returned to quality hardwood production is being demonstrated on a representative tract in the Delta Experimental Forest which was given an improvement cutting about 15 years ago.

Slant path rain attenuation and path diversity statistics obtained through radar modeling of rain structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldhirsh, J.

1984-01-01

Single and joint terminal slant path attenuation statistics at frequencies of 28.56 and 19.04 GHz have been derived, employing a radar data base obtained over a three-year period at Wallops Island, VA. Statistics were independently obtained for path elevation angles of 20, 45, and 90 deg for purposes of examining how elevation angles influences both single-terminal and joint probability distributions. Both diversity gains and autocorrelation function dependence on site spacing and elevation angles were determined employing the radar modeling results. Comparisons with other investigators are presented. An independent path elevation angle prediction technique was developed and demonstrated to fit well with the radar-derived single and joint terminal radar-derived cumulative fade distributions at various elevation angles.

A Year in Space: Early Results and Lessons Learned from the First Year-Long Expedition Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, J. B.; Bogomolov, V. V.

2016-01-01

the astronaut and cosmonaut to perform rudimentary tasks requiring sensorimotor coordination immediately after landing to define human capabilities soon after landing on Mars after an extended transit. Both investigations were highly successful in large part to the thorough integration of the implementation processes of the two partners. Kelly's assignment as the one-year crewmember also provided a serendipitous opportunity for the "Twins Study" comparing changes in his body at the genetic level with those occurring on Earth in his identical twin brother Mark Kelly. Data analysis from this expedition will commence in earnest after frozen in-flight samples are delivered to Earth in May aboard a commercial cargo spacecraft. Detailed results are expected in early 2017. Preliminary results and implementation improvements will be reviewed in this presentation.

[Evaluation of dysphagia. Results after one year of incorporating videofluoroscopy into its study introduction].

PubMed

García Romero, Ruth; Ros Arnal, Ignacio; Romea Montañés, María José; López Calahorra, José Antonio; Gutiérrez Alonso, Cristina; Izquierdo Hernández, Beatriz; Martín de Vicente, Carlos

2017-11-09

Dysphagia is very common in children with neurological disabilities. These patients usually suffer from respiratory and nutritional problems. The videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) is the most recommended test to evaluate dysphagia, as it shows the real situation during swallowing. To analyse the results obtained in our centre after one year of the implementation of VFSS, the clinical improvement after confirmation, and the prescription of an individualised treatment for the patients affected. VFSS performed in the previous were collected. The following variables were analysed: age, pathology, degree of neurological damage, oral and pharyngeal and/or oesophageal dysphagia and its severity, aspirations, prescribed treatment, and nutritional and respiratory improvement after diagnosis. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v21. A total of 61 VFSS were performed. Dysphagia was detected in more than 70%, being moderate-severe in 58%. Aspirations and/or penetrations were recorded in 59%, of which 50% were silent. Adapted diet was prescribed to 56%, and gastrostomy was performed on 13 (21%) patients. A statistical association was found between neurological disease and severity of dysphagia. The degree of motor impairment is related to the presence of aspirations. After VFSS evaluation and treatment adjustment, nutritional improvement was found in Z-score of weight (+0.3SD) and BMI (+0.4SD). There was respiratory improvement in 71% of patients with dysphagia being controlled in the Chest Diseases Department. After implementation of VFSS, a high percentage of patients were diagnosed and benefited from a correct diagnosis and treatment. VFSS is a fundamental diagnostic test that should be included in paediatric centres as a diagnostic method for children with suspected dysphagia. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

A case of respiratory toxigenic diphtheria: contact tracing results and considerations following a 30-year disease-free interval, Catalonia, Spain, 2015.

PubMed

Jané, Mireia; Vidal, Maria José; Camps, Neus; Campins, Magda; Martínez, Ana; Balcells, Joan; Martin-Gomez, Maria Teresa; Bassets, Gloria; Herrera-León, Silvia; Foguet, Anton; Maresma, Mar; Follia, Nuria; Uriona, Sonia; Pumarola, Tomàs

2018-03-01

In May 2015, following a 30-year diphtheria-free interval in Catalonia, an unvaccinated 6-year-old child was diagnosed with diphtheria caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae . After a difficult search for equine-derived diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), the child received the DAT 4 days later but died at the end of June. Two hundred and seventeen contacts were identified in relation to the index case, and their vaccination statuses were analysed, updated and completed. Of these, 140 contacts underwent physical examination and throat swabs were taken from them for analysis. Results were positive for toxigenic C. diphtheriae in 10 contacts; nine were asymptomatic vaccinated children who had been in contact with the index case and one was a parent of one of the nine children. Active surveillance of the 217 contacts was initiated by healthcare workers from hospitals and primary healthcare centres, together with public health epidemiological support. Lack of availability of DAT was an issue in our case. Such lack could be circumvented by the implementation of an international fast-track procedure to obtain it in a timely manner. Maintaining primary vaccination coverage for children and increasing booster-dose immunisation against diphtheria in the adult population is of key importance.

A case of respiratory toxigenic diphtheria: contact tracing results and considerations following a 30-year disease-free interval, Catalonia, Spain, 2015

PubMed Central

Jané, Mireia; Vidal, Maria José; Camps, Neus; Campins, Magda; Martínez, Ana; Balcells, Joan; Martin-Gomez, Maria Teresa; Bassets, Gloria; Herrera-León, Silvia; Foguet, Anton; Maresma, Mar; Follia, Nuria; Uriona, Sonia; Pumarola, Tomàs

2018-01-01

In May 2015, following a 30-year diphtheria-free interval in Catalonia, an unvaccinated 6-year-old child was diagnosed with diphtheria caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae. After a difficult search for equine-derived diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), the child received the DAT 4 days later but died at the end of June. Two hundred and seventeen contacts were identified in relation to the index case, and their vaccination statuses were analysed, updated and completed. Of these, 140 contacts underwent physical examination and throat swabs were taken from them for analysis. Results were positive for toxigenic C. diphtheriae in 10 contacts; nine were asymptomatic vaccinated children who had been in contact with the index case and one was a parent of one of the nine children. Active surveillance of the 217 contacts was initiated by healthcare workers from hospitals and primary healthcare centres, together with public health epidemiological support. Lack of availability of DAT was an issue in our case. Such lack could be circumvented by the implementation of an international fast-track procedure to obtain it in a timely manner. Maintaining primary vaccination coverage for children and increasing booster-dose immunisation against diphtheria in the adult population is of key importance. PMID:29616610

Development of a Method to Obtain More Accurate General and Oral Health Related Information Retrospectively

PubMed Central

A, Golkari; A, Sabokseir; D, Blane; A, Sheiham; RG, Watt

2017-01-01

Statement of Problem: Early childhood is a crucial period of life as it affects one’s future health. However, precise data on adverse events during this period is usually hard to access or collect, especially in developing countries. Objectives: This paper first reviews the existing methods for retrospective data collection in health and social sciences, and then introduces a new method/tool for obtaining more accurate general and oral health related information from early childhood retrospectively. Materials and Methods: The Early Childhood Events Life-Grid (ECEL) was developed to collect information on the type and time of health-related adverse events during the early years of life, by questioning the parents. The validity of ECEL and the accuracy of information obtained by this method were assessed in a pilot study and in a main study of 30 parents of 8 to 11 year old children from Shiraz (Iran). Responses obtained from parents using the final ECEL were compared with the recorded health insurance documents. Results: There was an almost perfect agreement between the health insurance and ECEL data sets (Kappa value=0.95 and p < 0.001). Interviewees remembered the important events more accurately (100% exact timing match in case of hospitalization). Conclusions: The Early Childhood Events Life-Grid method proved to be highly accurate when compared with recorded medical documents. PMID:28959773

Corneal collagen crosslinking for corneal ectasia of post-LASIK: one-year results

PubMed Central

Li, Gang; Fan, Zheng-Jun; Peng, Xiu-Jun

2012-01-01

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) to prevent the progression of post-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) corneal ectasia. METHODS In a prospective, nonrandomized, single-centre study, CXL was performed in 20 eyes of 11 patients who had LASIK for myopic astigmatism and subsequently developed keratectasia.The procedure included instillation of 0.1% riboflavin-20% dextrane solution 30 minutes before UVA irradiation and every 5 minutes for an additional 30 minutes during irradiation. The eyes were evaluated preoperatively and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals. The complete ophthalmologic examination comprised uncorrected visual acuity, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, endothelial cell count, ultrasound pachymetry, corneal topography, and in vivo confocal microscopy. RESULTS CXL appeared to stabilise or partially reverse the progression of post-LASIK corneal ectasia without apparent complication in our cohort. UCVA and BCVA improvements were statistically significant(P<0.05) beyond 12 months after surgery (improvement of 0.07 and 0.13 logMAR at 1 year, respectively). Mean baseline flattest meridian keratometry and mean steepest meridian keratometry reduction (improvement of 2.00 and 1.50 diopters(D), respectively) were statistically significant (P<0.05) at 12 months postoperatively. At 1 year after CXL, mean endothelial cell count did not deteriorate. Mean thinnest cornea pachymetry increased significantly. CONCLUSION The results of the study showed a long-term stability of post-LASIK corneal ectasia after crosslinking without relevant side effects. It seems to be a safe and promising procedure to stop the progression of post-LASIK keratectasia, thereby avoiding or delaying keratoplasty. PMID:22762048

Novel Antimicrobial Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes Obtained through a Combination of Atomic Layer Deposition and Electrospinning Technologies.

PubMed

López de Dicastillo, Carol; Patiño, Cristian; Galotto, María Jose; Palma, Juan Luis; Alburquenque, Daniela; Escrig, Juan

2018-02-24

The search for new antimicrobial substances has increased in recent years. Antimicrobial nanostructures are one of the most promising alternatives. In this work, titanium dioxide nanotubes were obtained by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process over electrospun polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers (PVN) at different temperatures with the purpose of obtaining antimicrobial nanostructures with a high specific area. Electrospinning and ALD parameters were studied in order to obtain PVN with smallest diameter and highest deposition rate, respectively. Chamber temperature was a key factor during ALD process and an appropriate titanium dioxide deposition performance was achieved at 200 °C. Subsequently, thermal and morphological analysis by SEM and TEM microscopies revealed hollow nanotubes were obtained after calcination process at 600 °C. This temperature allowed complete polymer removal and influenced the resulting anatase crystallographic structure of titanium dioxide that positively affected their antimicrobial activities. X-ray analysis confirmed the change of titanium dioxide crystallographic structure from amorphous phase of deposited PVN to anatase crystalline structure of nanotubes. These new nanostructures with very large surface areas resulted in interesting antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Titanium dioxide nanotubes presented the highest activity against Escherichia coli with 5 log cycles reduction at 200 μg/mL concentration.

Novel Antimicrobial Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes Obtained through a Combination of Atomic Layer Deposition and Electrospinning Technologies

PubMed Central

Patiño, Cristian; Galotto, María Jose; Palma, Juan Luis; Alburquenque, Daniela

2018-01-01

The search for new antimicrobial substances has increased in recent years. Antimicrobial nanostructures are one of the most promising alternatives. In this work, titanium dioxide nanotubes were obtained by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process over electrospun polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers (PVN) at different temperatures with the purpose of obtaining antimicrobial nanostructures with a high specific area. Electrospinning and ALD parameters were studied in order to obtain PVN with smallest diameter and highest deposition rate, respectively. Chamber temperature was a key factor during ALD process and an appropriate titanium dioxide deposition performance was achieved at 200 °C. Subsequently, thermal and morphological analysis by SEM and TEM microscopies revealed hollow nanotubes were obtained after calcination process at 600 °C. This temperature allowed complete polymer removal and influenced the resulting anatase crystallographic structure of titanium dioxide that positively affected their antimicrobial activities. X-ray analysis confirmed the change of titanium dioxide crystallographic structure from amorphous phase of deposited PVN to anatase crystalline structure of nanotubes. These new nanostructures with very large surface areas resulted in interesting antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Titanium dioxide nanotubes presented the highest activity against Escherichia coli with 5 log cycles reduction at 200 μg/mL concentration. PMID:29495318

[2-year results of leg amputation in Hungary based on a nationwide data base].

PubMed

Kullmann, L; Belicza, E; László, G

1997-09-14

Authors review nation-wide hospital data of amputees over two years in order to make comparison with similar data gathered about 20 years ago. Data were provided by the National Medical Records Centre and processed by own developed programmes. The quality level of data validity is slightly criticised. The cause of amputation was most often vascular disease, amputees were elderly and large majority of amputation surgery was carried out on the lower limb. The rate of below-knee amputation has gone up favourably over the 20 years, but there are large regional differences within the country. Mortality parameters remarkably exceed those of foreign countries. Regarding compromised data accuracy, still there are ways of exploiting data in favour of quality improvement of care, e.g. improve below-knee amputation rate, reduce mortality. Publication of data can be of bench-marking importance for hospitals by enabling them to compare own results with those of other hospitals, as well as develop and improve performance.

[Predictors of success among first-year medical students at the University of Parakou].

PubMed

Adoukonou, Thierry; Tognon-Tchegnonsi, Francis; Mensah, Emile; Allodé, Alexandre; Adovoekpe, Jean-Marie; Gandaho, Prosper; Akpona, Simon

2016-01-01

Several factors including grades obtained in the Baccalaureate can influence academic performance of first year medical students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between results achieved by students taking Baccalaureate exam and student academic success during the first year of medical school. We conducted an analytical study that included the whole number of students regularly enrolled in their first year of medical school at the university of Parakou in the academic year 2010-2011. Data for the scores for each academic discipline and distinction obtained in the Baccalaureate were collected. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression and multiple linear regression made it possible to determine the best predictors of success and grade point average obtained by students at the end of the year. SPSS Statistics 17.0 was used to analyse data and a p value p < 0.05 was considered significant. Among the 414 students regularly enrolled, we could exploit the data on 407 students. They were aged 15-31 years; 262 (64.4%) were male. 98 were enrolled with a success rate of 23.7%. Concerning men, the scores obtained in mathematics, in physical sciences, the grade point average obtained in the Baccalaureate and honors obtained in the Baccalaureate were associated with their success at the end of the year, but in multivariate analysis only a score in physical sciences > 15/20 was associated with success (OR: 2,8 [1,32-6,00]). Concerning the general average grade obtained at the end of the year, only an honor obtained in the Baccalaureate was associated (standard error of the correlation coefficient: 0,130 Beta =0,370 and p=0,00001). The best predictors of student academic success during the first year were a good grade point average in physical sciences during the Baccalaureate and an honor obtained in the Baccalaureate The inclusion of these elements in the enrollement of first-year students could improve academic performance.

Nine-year outcome after anatomic stemless shoulder prosthesis: clinical and radiologic results.

PubMed

Hawi, Nael; Magosch, Petra; Tauber, Mark; Lichtenberg, Sven; Habermeyer, Peter

2017-09-01

Several stemless shoulder implants are available on the market, but only a few studies have presented results with sufficient mid- to long-term follow-up. The present study evaluated clinical and radiologic outcomes 9 years after anatomic stemless shoulder replacement. This is a prospective cohort study evaluating the stemless shoulder prosthesis since 2005. Anatomic stemless shoulder replacement using a single prosthesis was performed in 49 shoulders; 17 underwent total shoulder replacement, and 32 underwent hemiarthroplasty. Forty-three patients were clinically and radiologically monitored after a mean of 9 years (range, 90-127 months; follow-up rate, 88%). The indications for shoulder replacement were primary osteoarthritis in 7 shoulders, post-traumatic in 24, instability in 7, cuff tear arthropathy in 2, postinfectious arthritis in 1, and revision arthroplasty in 2. The Constant-Murley Score improved significantly from 52% to 79% (P < .0001). The active range of motion also increased significantly for flexion from 101° to 118° (P = .022), for abduction from 79° to 105° (P = .02), and for external rotation from 21° to 43° (P < .0001). Radiologic evaluation revealed incomplete radiolucency in 1 patient without clinical significance or further intervention. No revision caused by loosening or countersinking of the humeral implant was observed. The 9-year outcome after stemless shoulder replacement is comparable to that of third- and fourth-generation standard shoulder arthroplasty. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Ten years of results of in-vitro fertilisation in the Netherlands 1996-2005].

PubMed

Kremer, J A M; Bots, R S G M; Cohlen, B; Crooij, M; van Dop, P A; Jansen, C A M; Land, J A; Laven, J S E; Kastrop, P M M; Naaktgeboren, N; Schats, R; Simons, A H M; van der Veen, F

2008-01-19

To present the numbers and results of Dutch IVF treatment from 1996-2005 and to describe trends and differences between centres. Retrospective data-collection, description and analysis. The annual statistics from all Dutch IVF centres covering the years 1996-2005 were collected, described and analysed. During this period 138,217 IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were started and 14,881 transfers of frozen-thawed embryos (cryo transfers) were performed. The number of ICSI treatments, in particular, increased to more than 6000 cycles during this period. These treatments resulted in 30,488 ongoing pregnancies (22.1% per cycle started; 19.1% for IVF and 23.4% for ICSI). The ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle increased from 17.6% in 1996 to 24.4% in 2005. The increase after cryo transfers was remarkable (from 9.4% to 17.6%). It is estimated that during this period, about 1 in 52 newborns in the Netherlands was an IVF or ICSI child (1996: 1 in 77, 2005: 1 in 43). There were differences between the individual centres regarding the ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle (range: 15.0-26.4%), the percentage of ICSI (range 20-58%), the percentage of cryo transfers per cycle (range: 4-22%) and the multiple pregnancy rate (range 5-27% in 2005). In the Netherlands the pregnancy rate has increased over the last 10 years as has the number of IVF treatments. Cryo transfers have become increasingly important and the multiple pregnancy rate has decreased. Although thanks to the collaboration of all centres, the current registry produces important data and works well, there are a number of limitations e.g. the retrospective nature with no validation, which must be tackled over the coming years.

How and Where Young Adults Obtain Marijuana. The NSDUH Report. Issue 20

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006

2006-01-01

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks persons aged 12 or older about their use of marijuana or hashish in the past year, including their frequency of use. This report focuses on how and where past year marijuana users aged 18 to 25 obtained their most recently used marijuana. Findings include estimates from the combined 2002,…

Surgical Treatment in Active Infective Endocarditis: Results of a Four-Year Experience

PubMed Central

Rostagno, Carlo; Carone, Enrico; Rossi, Alessandra; Gensini, Gian Franco; Stefano, Pier Luigi

2011-01-01

Background. Aim of present investigation was to analyze survival and recurrence rate in patients with active endocarditis referred to our centre for surgical treatment. Methods. 80 consecutive patients with active infective endocarditis (52 males, 28 females, mean age 59.2 years) were referred to our institution for surgical treatment. 78 patients underwent surgery, and 2 patients died before intervention. Results. Fifty patients had native valve endocarditis, 30 prosthetic valve involvement. Hospital mortality has been 10.2%. Three discharged patients (4.9%) died at an average 18-month followup. Endocarditis recurred in 4 (2 being S. aureus prosthetic tricuspid endocarditis in drug addicts). All patients who underwent valve repair or homograft implant were alive and free of recurrence. Conclusions. Our results suggest that with proper surgical treatment patients with active endocarditis discharged alive from hospital have a survival >90% at 18 months with a low recurrence rate. PMID:22347645

Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for spondylolisthesis and degenerative spondylosis: 5-year results.

PubMed

Park, Yung; Ha, Joong Won; Lee, Yun Tae; Sung, Na Young

2014-06-01

Multiple studies have reported favorable short-term results after treatment of spondylolisthesis and other degenerative lumbar diseases with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. However, to our knowledge, results at a minimum of 5 years have not been reported. We determined (1) changes to the Oswestry Disability Index, (2) frequency of radiographic fusion, (3) complications and reoperations, and (4) the learning curve associated with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at minimum 5-year followup. We reviewed our first 124 patients who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion to treat low-grade spondylolisthesis and degenerative lumbar diseases and did not need a major deformity correction. This represented 63% (124 of 198) of the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion procedures we performed for those indications during the study period (2003-2007). Eighty-three (67%) patients had complete 5-year followup. Plain radiographs and CT scans were evaluated by two reviewers. Trends of surgical time, blood loss, and hospital stay over time were examined by logarithmic curve fit-regression analysis to evaluate the learning curve. At 5 years, mean Oswestry Disability Index improved from 60 points preoperatively to 24 points and 79 of 83 patients (95%) had improvement of greater than 10 points. At 5 years, 67 of 83 (81%) achieved radiographic fusion, including 64 of 72 patients (89%) who had single-level surgery. Perioperative complications occurred in 11 of 124 patients (9%), and another surgical procedure was performed in eight of 124 patients (6.5%) involving the index level and seven of 124 patients (5.6%) at adjacent levels. There were slowly decreasing trends of surgical time and hospital stay only in single-level surgery and almost no change in intraoperative blood loss over time, suggesting a challenging learning curve. Oswestry Disability Index scores improved for patients with spondylolisthesis

Two-year results of femtosecond assisted LASIK versus PRK for different severity of astigmatism.

PubMed

Miraftab, Mohammad; Hashemi, Hassan; Asgari, Soheila

2018-03-01

To compare two-year results of femtosecond laser assisted LASIK (femto-LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in terms of astigmatism correction in patients with less than 2.0 diopters (D) of spherical error and more than 2.0 D of cylinder error. In this retrospective study, data were extracted from 100 patient charts. The two study groups were matched by age, gender, and baseline uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and refractive astigmatism (RA). Preoperative astigmatism was categorized as mild: 2.00 to <3.00 D, moderate: 3.00 to <4.00 D, and severe: ≥4.00 D. Mean RA in the femto-LASIK and PRK groups was respectively -3.15 ± 0.94 D (-7.00 to -2.00 D) and -3.29 ± 0.95 D (-6.25 to -2.00 D) at baseline ( P  = 0.284), and -0.61 ± 0.40 D and -0.62 ± 0.60 D one year after surgery ( P  = 0.674), but significantly lower in the femto-LASIK group (-0.61 ± 0.39 vs. -0.83 ± 0.56 D, P  = 0.021) at 2 years when the rate of residual astigmatism more than 1.0 D was 6.3% in the femto-LASIK and 19.6% in the PRK group ( P  = 0.046). Mean UDVA in the femto-LASIK group (0.02 ± 0.05 logMAR) was better than the PRK group (0.06 ± 0.10 logMAR) ( P  = 0.025). Mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was not significantly different between groups (0.01 ± 0.03 vs. 0.01 ± 0.04 logMAR, P  = 0.714). Both groups had 1-4 Snellen lines CDVA improvement. The three subgroups of baseline astigmatism did not differ significantly in terms of residual astigmatism (all P  > 0.05). However, in subgroups with ≥4.00 D cylinder, there was less astigmatic regression at 1 year in the femto-LASIK group (0.28 ± 0.43 D) than the PRK group (0.54 ± 0.68 D) ( P  = 0.007). Our results pointed to better two-year results with femto-LASIK in the treatment of different degrees of astigmatism. UDVA improvement was superior with femto-LASIK, but the two methods did not significantly differ in terms of CDVA improvement.

Robot-assisted renal transplantation using the retroperitoneal approach (RART) with more than one year follow up: Description of the technique and results.

PubMed

Bruyère, F; Pradère, B; Faivre d'Arcier, B; Boutin, J-M; Buchler, M; Brichart, N

2018-01-01

To describe the technique and report our first experience of robotic-assisted renal transplantation (RART) with more than one year follow up. In our center the first case of RART was realized in October 2013 with a cadaveric graft. We used the combined extra- and intraperitoneal robot assisted laparoscopic route with extraperitoneal positioning of the graft and intraperitoneal transplantation. The patient was placed in the supine position with arms along the body; the robot came from the right inferior part of the patient. Access to the retroperitoneal space was obtained using an Alexis trocar that permitted the insertion of the kidney with ice without losing the pneumoperitoneum. Ports included a 12-mm camera port (placed under the ombilicus), two 8-mm robotic ports (placed 6cms laterally from the previous port) and a 12-mm assistant port (placed between the upper port and the ombilic). All the pre-, per- and postoperative data were prospectively included in a database. We report the results of the initial experience of RART, performed with more than one year follow-up. This technique is the first described using the retroperitoneal approach that is the routine approach for conventional open renal transplantation. This approach permitted to perform excellent arterial, veinous and ureteral anastomosis. Eight cases of RART were conducted between October 2013 and November 2015 (five men and three women). The average age was 58 years (range 39-75years). The average body mass index was 28 (range 22-38). Five patients had history of abdominal surgery and were dialyzed for 30 months on average (range 3-63months). Three left and five right cadavers kidneys were transplanted in the right iliac fossa. The mean graft size was 109mm (range 90-130). The mean length of the incision for insertion of the graft was 60 mms (40-100mms). Mean warm ischemia time was 63minutes (range 46-84). The total operative time was 200minutes (149-245). No patient was transfused during surgery and

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy for achalasia: results after 10 years.

PubMed

Cowgill, Sarah M; Villadolid, Desiree; Boyle, Robert; Al-Saadi, Sam; Ross, Sharona; Rosemurgy, Alexander S

2009-12-01

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy was first undertaken in the early 1990s, and appreciable numbers of patients with 10-year follow-up periods are now available. This study was undertaken to determine long-term outcomes after laparoscopic Heller myotomy used to treat achalasia. Of 337 patients who have undergone laparoscopic Heller myotomy since 1992, 47 who underwent myotomy more than 10 years ago have been followed through a prospectively maintained registry. Among many symptoms, patients scored dysphagia, chest pain, vomiting, regurgitation, choking, and heartburn before and after myotomy using a Likert scale with choices ranging from 0 (never/not bothersome) to 10 (always/very bothersome). Symptom scores before and after myotomy were compared using a Wilcoxon matched-pairs test. Data are reported as median (mean ± standard deviation). The median length of the hospital stay was 2 days (mean, 3 ± 8.6 days; range, 1-60 days). Notable complications were infrequent after myotomy. There were no perioperative deaths. One patient required a redo myotomy after 5 years due to recurrence of symptoms. At this writing, 33 patients (70%) are still alive. The causes of death after discharge were unrelated to myotomy. The frequency and severity scores for dysphagia, chest pain, vomiting, regurgitation, choking, and heartburn all decreased significantly after laparoscopic Heller myotomy (p < 0.0001 for all). Laparoscopic Heller myotomy can be undertaken with few complications. This procedure significantly decreases the frequency and severity of achalasia symptoms without promoting heartburn. The symptoms of achalasia are durably ameliorated by laparoscopic Heller myotomy during long-term follow-up evaluation, thereby promoting application of this procedure.

Results from CrIS-ATMS Obtained Using the AIRS Science Team Retrieval Methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis C.; Iredell, Lena

2013-01-01

AIRS was launched on EOS Aqua in May 2002, together with AMSU-A and HSB (which subsequently failed early in the mission), to form a next generation polar orbiting infrared and microwave atmospheric sounding system. AIRS/AMSU had two primary objectives. The first objective was to provide real-time data products available for use by the operational Numerical Weather Prediction Centers in a data assimilation mode to improve the skill of their subsequent forecasts. The second objective was to provide accurate unbiased sounding products with good spatial coverage that are used to generate stable multi-year climate data sets to study the earth's interannual variability, climate processes, and possibly long-term trends. AIRS/AMSU data for all time periods are now being processed using the state of the art AIRS Science Team Version-6 retrieval methodology. The Suomi-NPP mission was launched in October 2011 as part of a sequence of Low Earth Orbiting satellite missions under the "Joint Polar Satellite System" (JPSS). NPP carries CrIS and ATMS, which are advanced infra-red and microwave atmospheric sounders that were designed as follow-ons to the AIRS and AMSU instruments. The main objective of this work is to assess whether CrIS/ATMS will be an adequate replacement for AIRS/AMSU from the perspective of the generation of accurate and consistent long term climate data records, or if improved instruments should be developed for future flight. It is critical for CrIS/ATMS to be processed using an algorithm similar to, or at least comparable to, AIRS Version-6 before such an assessment can be made. We have been conducting research to optimize products derived from CrIS/ATMS observations using a scientific approach analogous to the AIRS Version-6 retrieval algorithm. Our latest research uses Version-5.70 of the CrIS/ATMS retrieval algorithm, which is otherwise analogous to AIRS Version-6, but does not yet contain the benefit of use of a Neural-Net first guess start-up system

[Bad results obtained from the current public health policies and recommendations of hydration].

PubMed

San Mauro Martín, Ismael; Romo Orozco, Denisse Aracely; Mendive Dubourdieu, Paula; Garicano Vilar, Elena; Valente, Ana; Betancor, Fabiana; Morales Hurtado, Alexis Daniel; Garagarza, Cristina

2016-07-19

Achieving an adequate intake of water is crucial within a balanced diet. For that purpose, dietary guidelines for healthy eating and drinking are an important consideration and need to be updated and disseminated to the population. We aimed to evaluate the liquid intake habits of a Mediterranean and Latin American population (Spain-Portugal and Mexico-Uruguay) and if they support the current recommendations of hydration by the EFSA. A record of fluid intake was obtained from 1168 participants from 4 countries above; and then compared with current consensus about hydration 1600 mL/day (female) and 2000 mL/day (male). The average fluid intake slightly surpassed the recommended: mean of 2049 mL/day (2,223 mL in males, 1,938 mL in females). Portugal stood out due to its lower intake (mean of 1,365 mL/day). Water contributed the largest part to total fluid intake (37%) in all countries (mean of 1365 mL/day). Hot beverages (18%) and milk and derivates (17%) follow water in highest consumption. The 20% of males and only 0.3% of females knew recommendations of hydration, while 63.3% of males and 62% of females followed them. Only 8.4% of people who follow the recommendations know them. The people studied surpassed the recommendation, although majority they didn´t know it. Future research should examine actual beverage consumption patterns and evaluate if the current consensuses are correctly adapted to the population needs. Hydration's policies should be transmitted to the population for their knowledge and adequate compliance.

Predictive aging results in radiation environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillen, Kenneth T.; Clough, Roger L.

1993-06-01

We have previously derived a time-temperature-dose rate superposition methodology, which, when applicable, can be used to predict polymer degradation versus dose rate, temperature and exposure time. This methodology results in predictive capabilities at the low dose rates and long time periods appropriate, for instance, to ambient nuclear power plant environments. The methodology was successfully applied to several polymeric cable materials and then verified for two of the materials by comparisons of the model predictions with 12 year, low-dose-rate aging data on these materials from a nuclear environment. In this paper, we provide a more detailed discussion of the methodology and apply it to data obtained on a number of additional nuclear power plant cable insulation (a hypalon, a silicone rubber and two ethylene-tetrafluoroethylenes) and jacket (a hypalon) materials. We then show that the predicted, low-dose-rate results for our materials are in excellent agreement with long-term (7-9 year) low-dose-rate results recently obtained for the same material types actually aged under bnuclear power plant conditions. Based on a combination of the modelling and long-term results, we find indications of reasonably similar degradation responses among several different commercial formulations for each of the following "generic" materials: hypalon, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, silicone rubber and PVC. If such "generic" behavior can be further substantiated through modelling and long-term results on additional formulations, predictions of cable life for other commercial materials of the same generic types would be greatly facilitated.

Absorption Properties of Mediterranean Aerosols Obtained from Multi-year Ground-based and Satellite Remote Sensing Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mallet, M.; Dubovik, O.; Nabat, P.; Dulac, F.; Kahn, R.; Sciare, J.; Paronis, D.; Leon, J. F.

2013-01-01

Aerosol absorption properties are of high importance to assess aerosol impact on regional climate. This study presents an analysis of aerosol absorption products obtained over the Mediterranean Basin or land stations in the region from multi-year ground-based AERONET and satellite observations with a focus on the Absorbing Aerosol Optical Depth (AAOD), Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) and their spectral dependence. The AAOD and Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) data set is composed of daily averaged AERONET level 2 data from a total of 22 Mediterranean stations having long time series, mainly under the influence of urban-industrial aerosols and/or soil dust. This data set covers the 17 yr period 1996-2012 with most data being from 2003-2011 (approximately 89 percent of level-2 AAOD data). Since AERONET level-2 absorption products require a high aerosol load (AOD at 440 nm greater than 0.4), which is most often related to the presence of desert dust, we also consider level-1.5 SSA data, despite their higher uncertainty, and filter out data with an Angstrom exponent less than 1.0 in order to study absorption by carbonaceous aerosols. The SSA data set includes both AERONET level-2 and satellite level-3 products. Satellite-derived SSA data considered are monthly level 3 products mapped at the regional scale for the spring and summer seasons that exhibit the largest aerosol loads. The satellite SSA dataset includes the following products: (i) Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) over 2000-2011, (ii) Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) near-UV algorithm over 2004-2010, and (iii) MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep-Blue algorithm over 2005-2011, derived only over land in dusty conditions. Sun-photometer observations show that values of AAOD at 440 nm vary between 0.024 +/- 0.01 (resp. 0.040 +/- 0.01) and 0.050 +/- 0.01 (0.055 +/- 0.01) for urban (dusty) sites. Analysis shows that the Mediterranean urban-industrial aerosols appear "moderately

A Self-Assessment of the Propensity to Obtain Future Employment: A Case of Final-Year Engineering Students at the University of Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ssegawa, Joseph K.; Kasule, Daniel

2017-01-01

The article provides a self-assessment by final-year engineering students at the University of Botswana regarding the propensity to get employment. Students rated which employability attributes are important, the level of attainment and the sources that have facilitated the development of the attributes. Results indicated that students identified…

Crustal dynamics project data analysis, 1988: VLBI geodetic results, 1979 - 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ma, C.; Ryan, J. W.; Caprette, D.

1989-01-01

The results obtained by the Goddard VLBI (very long base interferometry) Data Analysis Team from the analysis of 712 Mark 3 VLBI geodetic data sets acquired from fixed and mobile observing sites through the end of 1987 are reported. A large solution, GLB401, was used to obtain earth rotation parameters and site velocities. A second large solution, GLB405, was used to obtain baseline evolutions. Radio source positions were estimated globally while nutation offsets were estimated from each data set. Site positions are tabulated on a yearly basis from 1979 through 1988. The results include 55 sites and 270 baselines.

Biofilm formation and control in a simulated spacecraft water system - Two-year results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, John R.; Taylor, Robert D.; Flanagan, David T.; Carr, Sandra E.; Bruce, Rebekah J.; Svoboda, Judy V.; Huls, M. H.; Sauer, Richard L.; Pierson, Duane L.

1991-01-01

The ability of iodine to maintain microbial water quality in a simulated spacecraft water system is being studied. An iodine level of about 2.0 mg/L is maintained by passing ultrapure influent water through an iodinated ion exchange resin. Six liters are withdrawn daily and the chemical and microbial quality of the water is monitored regularly. Stainless steel coupons used to monitor biofilm formation are being analyzed by culture methods, epifluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Results from the first two years of operation show a single episode of high bacterial colony counts in the iodinated system. This growth was apparently controlled by replacing the iodinated ion exchange resin. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the iodine has limited but not completely eliminated the formation of biofilm during the first two years of operation. Significant microbial contamination has been present continuously in a parallel noniodinated system since the third week of operation.

One year results of anti-VEGF treatment in pigment epithelial detachment secondary to macular degeneration.

PubMed

Yüksel, Harun; Türkcü, Fatih M; Sahin, Alparslan; Sahin, Muhammed; Cinar, Yasin; Cingü, Abdullah K; Ari, Seyhmus; Caça, Ihsan

2013-01-01

Pigment epithelial detachment (PED) may be seen in all stages of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and may lead to poor prognosis. In this study, we retrospectively examined the effect of anti-VEGF treatments in ARMD patients with vascularized PED. Medical records of 15 patients with PED secondary to ARMD were reviewed retrospectively. The diagnosis of PED was made with fundoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography. Patients were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab or/and bevacizumab and followed up for a minimum of one year. PED height and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was obtained before the first intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and again at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after the injection. The mean baseline BCVA was 0.71 ± 0.48 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) unit and the mean baseline PED height was 361 ± 153 µ. The mean injection count per eye was 3.9 ± 2.9. There was a significant reduce in mean PED height (247 ± 177 µ) also in 2 eyes PED completely resolved at the end of the follow up period. The mean BCVA at 12th month (0,69 ± 0,37) were not different from the baseline record. This retrospective case series showed that intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy preserved vision and reduced PED height in PED patients in a one-year follow-up period.

Changes in Weight over the School Year and Summer Vacation: Results of a 5-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno, Jennette P.; Johnston, Craig A.; Woehler, Deborah

2013-01-01

Background: Evidence suggests that children gain more weight during the summer months compared with the school year. To examine the impact of the school and summer environment on children's weight further, we conducted a 5-year longitudinal study examining changes in standardized BMI (zBMI) of students entering kindergarten. Methods: Heights and…

Eight-year results of aortic root replacement with the freestyle stentless porcine aortic root bioprosthesis.

PubMed

Kon, Neal D; Riley, Robert D; Adair, Sandy M; Kitzman, Dalane W; Cordell, A Robert

2002-06-01

Stentless porcine aortic valves offer several advantages over traditional valves. Among these are superior hemodynamics, laminar flow patterns, lack of need for anticoagulation, and perhaps improved durability. One hundred four patients were operated on from September 17, 1992, to October 31, 1997, as part of a multicenter worldwide investigation of the Medtronic Freestyle stentless porcine bioprosthesis. All patients received a total aortic root replacement. The patients were evaluated postoperatively at discharge, at 3 to 6 months, and yearly by clinical examination and color flow Doppler echocardiography. Operative mortality was 3.9%. No patient experienced structural valve deterioration, nonstructural deterioration, perivalvular leak, or unacceptable hemodynamic performance. At 8 years, survival was 59.8%. Freedom from thromboembolic complications was 83.3%. Freedom from postoperative endocarditis was 96.9%. Freedom from reoperation was 100%. Mean systolic gradients did not change over the time period studied. They were 6.4 +/- 3.8 mm Hg at 1 year and 6.7 +/- 2.6 mm Hg at 8 years. Correspondingly, effective orifice area was 1.9 +/- 0.7 cm2 at 1 year and 1.8 +/- 0.8 cm2 at 8 years. The incidence of any aortic insufficiency also did not change over the length of follow-up. At 1 year, 98% of patients had no or trivial aortic insufficiency and 2% had mild aortic insufficiency. At 8 years, 100% of patients evaluated were free of any aortic insufficiency. The Medtronic Freestyle aortic root bioprosthesis can be used safely to replace the aortic root or aortic valve for aortic valve and aortic root pathology. Total root replacement allows optimal hemodynamic performance with no significant aortic regurgitation. Results up to 8 years show excellent survival and no signs of degeneration. Further follow-up is still needed to determine valve durability.

Male-to-female transsexualism: technique, results and 3-year follow-up in 50 patients.

PubMed

Wagner, Sigrid; Greco, F; Hoda, M R; Inferrera, A; Lupo, A; Hamza, A; Fornara, P

2010-01-01

To evaluate the functional and cosmetic results of male-to-female gender-transforming surgery. Between May 2001 and April 2008 we performed 50 male-to-female gender-transforming surgeries. All patients had been cross-dressing, living as women, and receiving estrogen and progesterone for at least 12 months, which was sufficient for breast development and atrophy of the testes and prostate to occur. This hormonal therapy was suspended 1 month before the operation. The mean operative time was 190 min and the mean depth of the vagina was 10 cm. On follow-up, the most common complication (10%) was shrinkage of the neovagina, which could be corrected by a second surgical intervention. Of the 50 patients, 45 (90%) were satisfied with the esthetic results; 42 patients (84%) reported having regular sexual intercourse, 2 of whom had pain during intercourse. Of the 50 patients, 35 (70%) reported achieving clitoral orgasm. Male-to-female gender-transforming surgery can assure satisfactory cosmetic and functional results, with a reduced intra- and postoperative morbidity. Nevertheless the experience of the surgeon and the center remains central to obtaining optimal results. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

ROBIN: a platform for evaluating automatic target recognition algorithms: II. Protocols used for evaluating algorithms and results obtained on the SAGEM DS database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duclos, D.; Lonnoy, J.; Guillerm, Q.; Jurie, F.; Herbin, S.; D'Angelo, E.

2008-04-01

Over the five past years, the computer vision community has explored many different avenues of research for Automatic Target Recognition. Noticeable advances have been made and we are now in the situation where large-scale evaluations of ATR technologies have to be carried out, to determine what the limitations of the recently proposed methods are and to determine the best directions for future works. ROBIN, which is a project funded by the French Ministry of Defence and by the French Ministry of Research, has the ambition of being a new reference for benchmarking ATR algorithms in operational contexts. This project, headed by major companies and research centers involved in Computer Vision R&D in the field of Defense (Bertin Technologies, CNES, ECA, DGA, EADS, INRIA, ONERA, MBDA, SAGEM, THALES) recently released a large dataset of several thousands of hand-annotated infrared and RGB images of different targets in different situations. Setting up an evaluation campaign requires us to define, accurately and carefully, sets of data (both for training ATR algorithms and for their evaluation), tasks to be evaluated, and finally protocols and metrics for the evaluation. ROBIN offers interesting contributions to each one of these three points. This paper first describes, justifies and defines the set of functions used in the ROBIN competitions and relevant for evaluating ATR algorithms (Detection, Localization, Recognition and Identification). It also defines the metrics and the protocol used for evaluating these functions. In the second part of the paper, the results obtained by several state-of-the-art algorithms on the SAGEM DS database (a subpart of ROBIN) are presented and discussed

A Pharmaceutical Bioethics Consultation Service: Six-Year Descriptive Characteristics and Results of a Feedback Survey.

PubMed

Van Campen, Luann E; Allen, Albert J; Watson, Susan B; Therasse, Donald G

2015-04-03

Background : Bioethics consultations are conducted in varied settings, including hospitals, universities, and other research institutions, but there is sparse information about bioethics consultations conducted in corporate settings such as pharmaceutical companies. The purpose of this article is to describe a bioethics consultation service at a pharmaceutical company, to report characteristics of consultations completed by the service over a 6-year period, and to share results of a consultation feedback survey. Methods : Data on the descriptive characteristics of bioethics consultations were collected from 2008 to 2013 and analyzed in Excel 2007. Categorical data were analyzed via the pivot table function, and time-based variables were analyzed via formulas. The feedback survey was administered to consultation requesters from 2009 to 2012 and also analyzed in Excel 2007. Results : Over the 6-year period, 189 bioethics consultations were conducted. The number of consultations increased from five per year in 2008 to approximately one per week in 2013. During this time, the format of the consultation service was changed from a committee-only approach to a tiered approach (tailored to the needs of the case). The five most frequent topics were informed consent, early termination of a clinical trial, benefits and risks, human biological samples, and patient rights. The feedback survey results suggest the consultation service is well regarded overall and viewed as approachable, helpful, and responsive. Conclusions : Pharmaceutical bioethics consultation is a unique category of bioethics consultation that primarily focuses on pharmaceutical research and development but also touches on aspects of clinical ethics, business ethics, and organizational ethics. Results indicate there is a demand for a tiered bioethics consultation service within this pharmaceutical company and that advice was valued. This company's experience indicates that a bioethics consultation service

A Pharmaceutical Bioethics Consultation Service: Six-Year Descriptive Characteristics and Results of a Feedback Survey

PubMed Central

Van Campen, Luann E.; Allen, Albert J.; Watson, Susan B.; Therasse, Donald G.

2015-01-01

Background: Bioethics consultations are conducted in varied settings, including hospitals, universities, and other research institutions, but there is sparse information about bioethics consultations conducted in corporate settings such as pharmaceutical companies. The purpose of this article is to describe a bioethics consultation service at a pharmaceutical company, to report characteristics of consultations completed by the service over a 6-year period, and to share results of a consultation feedback survey. Methods: Data on the descriptive characteristics of bioethics consultations were collected from 2008 to 2013 and analyzed in Excel 2007. Categorical data were analyzed via the pivot table function, and time-based variables were analyzed via formulas. The feedback survey was administered to consultation requesters from 2009 to 2012 and also analyzed in Excel 2007. Results: Over the 6-year period, 189 bioethics consultations were conducted. The number of consultations increased from five per year in 2008 to approximately one per week in 2013. During this time, the format of the consultation service was changed from a committee-only approach to a tiered approach (tailored to the needs of the case). The five most frequent topics were informed consent, early termination of a clinical trial, benefits and risks, human biological samples, and patient rights. The feedback survey results suggest the consultation service is well regarded overall and viewed as approachable, helpful, and responsive. Conclusions: Pharmaceutical bioethics consultation is a unique category of bioethics consultation that primarily focuses on pharmaceutical research and development but also touches on aspects of clinical ethics, business ethics, and organizational ethics. Results indicate there is a demand for a tiered bioethics consultation service within this pharmaceutical company and that advice was valued. This company's experience indicates that a bioethics consultation service raises

Five-Year Safety and Performance Results from the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System Clinical Trial.

PubMed

da Cruz, Lyndon; Dorn, Jessy D; Humayun, Mark S; Dagnelie, Gislin; Handa, James; Barale, Pierre-Olivier; Sahel, José-Alain; Stanga, Paulo E; Hafezi, Farhad; Safran, Avinoam B; Salzmann, Joel; Santos, Arturo; Birch, David; Spencer, Rand; Cideciyan, Artur V; de Juan, Eugene; Duncan, Jacque L; Eliott, Dean; Fawzi, Amani; Olmos de Koo, Lisa C; Ho, Allen C; Brown, Gary; Haller, Julia; Regillo, Carl; Del Priore, Lucian V; Arditi, Aries; Greenberg, Robert J

2016-10-01

The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System (Second Sight Medical Products, Inc, Sylmar, CA) was developed to restore some vision to patients blind as a result of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or outer retinal degeneration. A clinical trial was initiated in 2006 to study the long-term safety and efficacy of the Argus II System in patients with bare or no light perception resulting from end-stage RP. Prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial. Within-patient controls included the nonimplanted fellow eye and patients' native residual vision compared with their vision with the Argus II. Thirty participants in 10 centers in the United States and Europe. The worse-seeing eye of blind patients was implanted with the Argus II. Patients wore glasses mounted with a small camera and a video processor that converted images into stimulation patterns sent to the electrode array on the retina. The primary outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events) and visual function, as measured by 3 computer-based, objective tests. Secondary measures included functional vision performance on objectively scored real-world tasks. Twenty-four of 30 patients remained implanted with functioning Argus II Systems at 5 years after implantation. Only 1 additional serious adverse event was experienced after the 3-year time point. Patients performed significantly better with the Argus II on than off on all visual function tests and functional vision tasks. The 5-year results of the Argus II trial support the long-term safety profile and benefit of the Argus II System for patients blind as a result of RP. The Argus II is the first and only retinal implant to have market approval in the European Economic Area, the United States, and Canada. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Benchmark concentrations for methyl mercury obtained from the 9-year follow-up of the Seychelles Child Development Study.

PubMed

van Wijngaarden, Edwin; Beck, Christopher; Shamlaye, Conrad F; Cernichiari, Elsa; Davidson, Philip W; Myers, Gary J; Clarkson, Thomas W

2006-09-01

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is highly toxic to the developing nervous system. Human exposure is mainly from fish consumption since small amounts are present in all fish. Findings of developmental neurotoxicity following high-level prenatal exposure to MeHg raised the question of whether children whose mothers consumed fish contaminated with background levels during pregnancy are at an increased risk of impaired neurological function. Benchmark doses determined from studies in New Zealand, and the Faroese and Seychelles Islands indicate that a level of 4-25 parts per million (ppm) measured in maternal hair may carry a risk to the infant. However, there are numerous sources of uncertainty that could affect the derivation of benchmark doses, and it is crucial to continue to investigate the most appropriate derivation of safe consumption levels. Earlier, we published the findings from benchmark analyses applied to the data collected on the Seychelles main cohort at the 66-month follow-up period. Here, we expand on the main cohort analyses by determining the benchmark doses (BMD) of MeHg level in maternal hair based on 643 Seychellois children for whom 26 different neurobehavioral endpoints were measured at 9 years of age. Dose-response models applied to these continuous endpoints incorporated a variety of covariates and included the k-power model, the Weibull model, and the logistic model. The average 95% lower confidence limit of the BMD (BMDL) across all 26 endpoints varied from 20.1 ppm (range=17.2-22.5) for the logistic model to 20.4 ppm (range=17.9-23.0) for the k-power model. These estimates are somewhat lower than those obtained after 66 months of follow-up. The Seychelles Child Development Study continues to provide a firm scientific basis for the derivation of safe levels of MeHg consumption.

Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for patients aged over 80 years with pituitary adenomas: Surgical and follow-up results.

PubMed

Fujimoto, Kenji; Yano, Shigetoshi; Shinojima, Naoki; Hide, Takuichiro; Kuratsu, Jun-Ichi

2017-01-01

With the rapid aging of the general population, the number of pituitary adenoma (PA) diagnosed in elderly patients is increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) for PA in patients aged ≥80 years. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients aged ≥80 years who underwent ETSS for PA at our hospital from January 2001 through December 2014. Treatment results were assessed by the extent of surgical removal, symptom improvement, postoperative complications, and Karnofsky performance status (KPS). The results were also compared with the surgical result of PA patients aged <80 years. Twelve patients aged ≥80 years underwent ETSS for PA. Recovery of visual function was observed in 11 patients (91.7%). Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage was observed in 3 patients. New hormonal replacement therapy was required in 2 patients. These complications had not affected patient prognosis. During the follow-up periods, deterioration of KPS was observed in 2 patients due to pneumonia or cerebral infarction. In total, 150 PA patients aged <80 years were compared with the patients aged ≥80 years. The percentage of total removal was significantly higher in the younger patient group than that in the older one (54.0% vs 16.6%, respectively; P = 0.016). Visual improvement was observed in 93.2% of the younger patient group, which was almost equal to that in the older one. ETSS is a safe and effective surgical technique in PA patients aged ≥80 years.

Two years of near real-time observations of the chemical composition of submicron aerosols in Cape Corsica obtained by Q-ACSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciare, Jean; Dulac, François; Crenn, Vincent; Hamonou, Eric; Baisnée, Dominique; Nicolas, José B.; Pont, Véronique; Lambert, Dominique; Gheusi, François; Mallet, Marc; Tison, Emmanuel; Sauvage, Stéphane; Bourrianne, Thierry; Roberts, Gregory; Colomb, Aurélie; Pichon, Jean-Marc; Sellegri, Karine; Savelli, Jean-Luc

2015-04-01

As part of the MISTRALS/ChArMEx (Mediterranean Integrated Studies aT Regional And Local Scales/the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment; http://www.mistrals-home.org; http://charmex.lsce.ipsl.fr) and the CORSiCA (http://www.obs-mip.fr/corsica) programs, 2-year continuous observations of near real-time chemical composition of submicron aerosols were performed between June 2012 & July 2014 at the Cape Corsica atmospheric supersite (http://gaw.empa.ch/gawsis/reports.asp?StationID=2076203042), a remote marine site in the Western Mediterranean. Submicron organic aerosols (OA) and the major inorganic salts (sulfate, ammonium, nitrate) were monitored every 30 min using a Quadripole Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (Q-ACSM; Aerodyne Res. Inc. MA, USA). Quality control of this large dataset (24-month continuous observations) was performed through closure studies (using co-located SMPS and TEOM-FDMS measurements), direct comparisons with other on-line / off-line instruments running in parallel (filter sampling, OPC, nephelometer …), and large intercomparison of 13 Q-ACSM performed within the EU-FP7 ACTRIS program (http://www.actris.net/). Source apportionment of OA was then performed on a monthly basis using the SourceFinder software (SoFi, http://www.psi.ch/acsm-stations/me-2) allowing the distinction between hydrogen- and oxygen-like organic aerosols (HOA and OOA, respectively). This monthly resolved source apportionment was first compared with co-located real-time tracer measurements (NOx, BC, CO, VOC …) available at the Cape Corsica station. Seasonal patterns of the various properties of (secondary) OOA (OSc, O/C ratio …) were then investigated from monthly resolved source apportionment results (monthly OOA mass spectra) obtained over the period June 2012 - July 2014. Acknowledgements: Atmospheric measurements performed at Cape Corsica Station were funded by CNRS-INSU, ADEME, CEA, and METEO-FRANCE. This work was carried out in the framework of the CORSi

Aedes albopictus in Rome: results and perspectives after 10 years of monitoring.

PubMed

Severini, F; Di Luca, M; Toma, L; Romi, R

2008-06-01

In 1997, Aedes albopictus (Skuse 1894) was detected in Rome in two opposite areas of the city. In the following 2 years, the species quickly spread. In 2000, scattered foci of the species were reported in the whole urban area and in the outskirts of the capital city. In Rome, Ae. albopictus seems to have found optimal environmental conditions to proliferate and to overwinter through and without diapausing eggs. In ten years Ae. albopictus has colonized the whole urban area through three phases: first massive spread, following maintenance of infestation, and colonization of alternative winter breeding sites with favorable climatic conditions. Data collected during the 2007 show that rainfall is no longer the most important factor for the development of the species, with respect to the past. In fact Ae. albopictus probably has found new alternative larval breeding sites through the colonization of small water collections refilled periodically by human activities. During 2007-2008 winter season, in order to evaluate the species adaptability, a study of eggs hatching and length of larval cycle at low temperatures, was carried out in laboratory and in simulated field conditions. Data and results are showed and discussed also by the light of existing literature.

[Analysis of the results of the HIV-1, HCV and HBV viral load of SEIMC External Quality Control Program. Year 2013].

PubMed

Orta Mira, Nieves; Del Remedio Guna Serrano, María; Latorre Martínez, José-Carlos; Medina González, Rafael; Rosario Ovies, María; Poveda, Marta; Ruiz de Gopegui, Enrique; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2015-07-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) viral load determinations are among the most relevant markers for the follow up of patients infected with these viruses. External quality control tools are crucial to ensure the accuracy of results obtained by microbiology laboratories. This article summarized the results obtained from the 2013 SEIMC External Quality Control Programme for HIV-1, HCV, and HBV viral loads. In the HIV-1 program, a total of five standards were sent. One standard consisted in seronegative human plasma, while the remaining four contained plasma from three different viremic patients, in the range of 2-5 log10 copies/mL; two of these standards were identical aiming to determine repeatability. A significant proportion of the laboratories (25% on average) obtained values out of the accepted range (mean ± 0.25 log10 copies/mL), depending on the standard and on the method used for quantification. Repeatability was excellent, with up to 98.9% of laboratories reporting results within the limits (D < 0.5 log10 copies/mL). The HBV and HCV program consisted of two standards with different viral load contents. Most of the participants, 82% in the case of HCV and 78% in the HBV, obtained all the results within the accepted range (mean ± 1.96 SD log10 UI/mL). Data from this analysis reinforce the utility of proficiency programmes to ensure the quality of the results obtained by a particular laboratory, as well as the importance of the post-analytical phase on the overall quality. Due to the remarkable interlaboratory variability, it is advisable to use the same method and the same laboratory for patient follow up. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

2 Years of Science, One-of-a-Kind Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashburn, Elyse

2007-01-01

Fourteen years ago, Bruce A. Jackson was doing his postdoctoral work at the Boston University School of Medicine and working nights teaching at nearby Roxbury Community College. But his exhausting shuttle between two colleges was about to come to an end. Mr. Jackson, a biochemist, had recently received word from the National Science Foundation…

Failure and Degradation Modes of PV modules in a Hot Dry Climate: Results after 4 and 12 years of field exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallineni, Jaya krishna

This study evaluates two photovoltaic (PV) power plants based on electrical performance measurements, diode checks, visual inspections and infrared scanning. The purpose of this study is to measure degradation rates of performance parameters (Pmax, Isc, Voc, Vmax, Imax and FF) and to identify the failure modes in a "hot-dry desert" climatic condition along with quantitative determination of safety failure rates and reliability failure rates. The data obtained from this study can be used by module manufacturers in determining the warranty limits of their modules and also by banks, investors, project developers and users in determining appropriate financing or decommissioning models. In addition, the data obtained in this study will be helpful in selecting appropriate accelerated stress tests which would replicate the field failures for the new modules and would predict the lifetime for new PV modules. The study was conducted at two, single axis tracking monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) power plants, Site 3 and Site 4c of Salt River Project (SRP). The Site 3 power plant is located in Glendale, Arizona and the Site 4c power plant is located in Mesa, Arizona both considered a "hot-dry" field condition. The Site 3 power plant has 2,352 modules (named as Model-G) which was rated at 250 kW DC output. The mean and median degradation of these 12 years old modules are 0.95%/year and 0.96%/year, respectively. The major cause of degradation found in Site 3 is due to high series resistance (potentially due to solder-bond thermo-mechanical fatigue) and the failure mode is ribbon-ribbon solder bond failure/breakage. The Site 4c power plant has 1,280 modules (named as Model-H) which provide 243 kW DC output. The mean and median degradation of these 4 years old modules are 0.96%/year and 1%/year, respectively. At Site 4c, practically, none of the module failures are observed. The average soiling loss is 6.9% in Site 3 and 5.5% in Site 4c. The difference in soiling level is attributed

Field Test: Results from the One Year Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, M. F.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.; Kofman, I. S.; Tomilovskaya, E. S.; Cerisano, J. M.; Rosenberg, M. J. F.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Stenger, M. B.; Lee, S. M. C.; Laurie, S. S.;

Recent results obtained on the APEX 12 m antenna with the ArTeMiS prototype camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talvard, M.; André, P.; Rodriguez, L.; Le-Pennec, Y.; De Breuck, C.; Revéret, V.; Agnèse, P.; Boulade, O.; Doumayrou, E.; Dubreuil, D.; Ercolani, E.; Gallais, P.; Horeau, B.; Lagage, PO; Leriche, B.; Lortholary, M.; Martignac, J.; Minier, V.; Pantin, E.; Rabanus, D.; Relland, J.; Willmann, G.

2008-07-01

ArTeMiS is a camera designed to operate on large ground based submillimetric telescopes in the 3 atmospheric windows 200, 350 and 450 µm. The focal plane of this camera will be equipped with 5760 bolometric pixels cooled down at 300 mK with an autonomous cryogenic system. The pixels have been manufactured, based on the same technology processes as used for the Herschel-PACS space photometer. We review in this paper the present status and the future plans of this project. A prototype camera, named P-ArTeMiS, has been developed and successfully tested on the KOSMA telescope in 2006 at Gornergrat 3100m, Switzerland. Preliminary results were presented at the previous SPIE conference in Orlando (Talvard et al, 2006). Since then, the prototype camera has been proposed and successfully installed on APEX, a 12 m antenna operated by the Max Planck Institute für Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory and the Onsala Space Observatory on the Chajnantor site at 5100 m altitude in Chile. Two runs have been achieved in 2007, first in March and the latter in November. We present in the second part of this paper the first processed images obtained on star forming regions and on circumstellar and debris disks. Calculated sensitivities are compared with expectations. These illustrate the improvements achieved on P-ArTeMiS during the 3 experimental campaigns.

RESULTS OF YEAR-LONG RADIOPHOSPHORUS ADMINISTRATION IN POLYCYTHEMIA VERA (in German)

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

Stecher, G.

1961-10-01

The results of treating 140 cases of polycythemia vera with P/sup 32/ over the last 9 yr are described. Oral doses of 4 to 5 mc P/sup 32/ or intravenous doses of 3 to 8 mc were given. Two-thirds of the patients experienced remission of the disease after the 1st P/sup 32/ dose, the remissions lasting 8 months or longer. The remainder of the patients required a 2nd dose. The average duration of remission was 20 months with over haif exceeding 1 yr. The mean dose to obtain remission was 4.4 mc/yr. The required dose was directly related to themore » degree of splenomegaly, leukocytosis, and duration of the disease. The higher the initial circulating erythrocyte count before P/sup 32/ treatment, the greater the drop after treatment. The average drop in erythrocyte count was 1.8, 2.4, and 2.6 x 10/sup 6/ after P/sup 32/ doses of 3-5, 5-7, and 7 mc, respectively. In cases with initial counts of 7.5 x 10/sup 6//cu mm the respective decrements in the counts were resulted in transitory anemia, leukopenia, or thrombopenia. Five patients died of leukemia but the infiuence of the P/sup 32/ dose, if any, on this complication could not be determined. Twenty other patients died from the complications of polycythemia, such as thrombosis and hemorrhage. The recommended single dose is 4-5 mc P/sup 32/, which should be repeated after 3 to 4 months if there is an inadequate response to the 1st dose. (H.H.D.)« less

Year One Results from the Multisite Randomized Evaluation of the i3 Scale-Up of Reading Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Henry; Gray, Abigail; Sirinides, Philip; Goldsworthy, Heather; Armijo, Michael; Sam, Cecile; Gillespie, Jessica N.; Tognatta, Namrata

2015-01-01

Reading Recovery (RR) is a short-term, one-to-one intervention designed to help the lowest achieving readers in first grade. This article presents first-year results from the multisite randomized controlled trial (RCT) and implementation study under the $55 million Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-Up Project. For the 2011-2012 school year, the…

Vibrational properties of gold nanoparticles obtained by green synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Ramón A. B.; Cortez-Valadez, M.; Bueno, L. Oscar Neira; Britto Hurtado, R.; Rocha-Rocha, O.; Delgado-Beleño, Y.; Martinez-Nuñez, C. E.; Serrano-Corrales, Luis Ivan; Arizpe-Chávez, H.; Flores-Acosta, M.

2016-10-01

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles through an ecological method to obtain nanostructures from the extract of the plant Opuntia ficus-indica. Colloidal nanoparticles show sizes that vary between 10-20 nm, and present various geometric morphologies. The samples were characterized through optical absorption, Raman Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Additionally, low energy metallic clusters of Aun (n=2-20 atoms) were modeled by computational quantum chemistry. The theoretical results were obtained with Density Functional Theory (DFT). The predicted results of Au clusters show a tendency and are correlated with the experimental results concerning the optical absorption bands and Raman spectroscopy in gold nanoparticles.

Obtaining Parts

Science.gov Websites

The Cosmic Connection Parts for the Berkeley Detector Suppliers: Scintillator Eljen Technology 1 obtain the components needed to build the Berkeley Detector. These companies have helped previous the last update. He estimates that the cost to build a detector varies from $1500 to $2700 depending

Evora® chromium-cobalt dual mobility socket: results at a minimum 10 years' follow-up.

PubMed

Leclercq, S; Benoit, J Y; de Rosa, J P; Tallier, E; Leteurtre, C; Girardin, P H

2013-12-01

The Evora chromium-cobalt alloy dual mobility socket claims to display a large articulation tribology different from that of stainless steel models, limiting the risk of intraprosthetic dislocation and wear. The present study reports a minimum of 10years' follow-up in a multicenter prospective series of 200 sockets previously reported on at 5years. The use of chromium-cobalt in dual mobility sockets provides a low rate of failure at 10years, especially as regards to osteolysis and intraprosthetic dislocation. Two hundred hydroxyapatite-coated molded chromium-cobalt sockets without titanium interface were implanted without cement in 194 patients with a mean age of 70 years (range, 32-91 years). Clinical results were assessed on Postel Merle d'Aubigné and Harris scores, plain radiographs and survival analysis. At a mean 11 years' follow-up (10-13 years), 56 patients had died and 31 were lost to follow-up. Four underwent surgical revision (3 femoral components, and 1 socket for migration at 9 years with complete disappearance of the hydroxyapatite). A total of 109 implants were analyzable in 107 patients with a mean age of 81 years (55-93 years). At follow-up, the mean Harris score was 90 (75-96) and the PMA score 16.3 (14-18). There were no cases of loosening (except for the case reoperated on at 9 years) and no acetabular radiolucency or cysts. There were 2 cases of non-evolutive femoral radiolucency and 10 of femoral granuloma, involving head size > 22 mm (P<0.0001) and a cemented titanium stem (P=0.004) as risk factors. There were no dislocations in the large or small articulation. Ten-year survival was 99% (95% CI: 97.3%-100%) with socket revision as censorship criterion. The absence of dislocation in both small and large articulations confirmed the efficacy of the dual mobility concept and suggested an advantage for chromium-cobalt sockets in reducing the rate of intraprosthetic dislocation and preventing blockage of the large articulation by a better

Video game addiction and college performance among males: results from a 1 year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Schmitt, Zachary L; Livingston, Michael G

2015-01-01

This study explored the pattern of video game usage and video game addiction among male college students and examined how video game addiction was related to expectations of college engagement, college grade point average (GPA), and on-campus drug and alcohol violations. Participants were 477 male, first year students at a liberal arts college. In the week before the start of classes, participants were given two surveys: one of expected college engagement, and the second of video game usage, including a measure of video game addiction. Results suggested that video game addiction is (a) negatively correlated with expected college engagement, (b) negatively correlated with college GPA, even when controlling for high school GPA, and (c) negatively correlated with drug and alcohol violations that occurred during the first year in college. Results are discussed in terms of implications for male students' engagement and success in college, and in terms of the construct validity of video game addiction.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for adenomyosis: Two-year follow-up results.

PubMed

Shui, Lian; Mao, Shihua; Wu, Qingrong; Huang, Guohua; Wang, Jian; Zhang, Ruitao; Li, Kequan; He, Jia; Zhang, Lian

2015-11-01

To evaluate the long-term improvement of clinical symptoms of adenomyosis after treatment with ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU). From January 2010 to December 2011, 350 patients with adenomyosis were treated with USgHIFU. Among the 350 patients, 224 of them completed the two years follow-up. The patients were followed up at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after HIFU treatment. Adverse effects and complications were recorded. All patients completed HIFU ablation without severe postoperative complications. 203 of the 224 patients who showed varying degrees of dysmenorrhea before treatment had the symptom scores decreased significantly after treatment (P<0.001). The relief rate was 84.7%, 84.7%, and 82.3%, respectively at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment. The menstrual volume in 109 patients with menorrhagia was significantly improved after treatment (P<0.001) with a relief rate of 79.8%, 80.7%, and 78.9%, respectively at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after HIFU treatment. With its ability to sustain long-term clinical improvements, HIFU is a safe and effective treatment for adenomyosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

26 CFR 1.1402(f)-1 - Computation of partner's net earnings from self-employment for taxable year which ends as result...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-employment for taxable year which ends as result of his death. 1.1402(f)-1 Section 1.1402(f)-1 Internal...-employment for taxable year which ends as result of his death. (a) Taxable years ending after August 28, 1958...'s taxable year ends after August 28, 1958, solely because of death, and on a day other than the last...

Glass ionomer ART sealants in Chinese school children-6-year results.

PubMed

Holmgren, Christopher J; Lo, Edward C M; Hu, Deyu

2013-09-01

To evaluate longitudinally ART sealants placed in Chinese school children under field conditions. 191 ART sealants were placed in 140 children, aged 11-14 years, by five assistant dentists in four secondary schools in Deyang, Sichuan Province, China. Teeth selected for sealing were those with pits and fissures that were deep or showing early enamel caries. Teeth were excluded if there was obvious cavitation extending into dentine. Standard instruments and procedures for ART sealants were used. The material used was a high-viscosity glass-ionomer (Ketac-Molar, 3MESPE) that was inserted into the pits and fissures with the "press-finger" technique. The status of the sealants was evaluated annually over 6 years after placement by the same examiner who was not involved in the placement of the sealants using explorers, mouth-mirrors and an intra-oral fibre-optic light. No missing sealants were replaced during the study. 107 sealants (56% of the original) were examined after 6 years. The cumulative survival rates of the sealants (partially or fully retained) after 2, 4 and 6 years were 79%, 68% and 59%, respectively. Caries prevention lagged the fall in sealant survival but remained high throughout the study period, being over 90% in the first 4 years and 85% after 6 years. ART sealants placed under field conditions in Chinese schoolchildren have a high retention rate. Missing sealants should be replaced to maintain their preventive efficacy. The sealing of pits and fissures can be an effective caries preventive approach. Resin-based sealants have the disadvantage in that they require an optimal level of moisture control during placement. In children and in outreach situations glass ionomer ART sealants, which are more moisture tolerant, can offer a viable alternative. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New results from FRECOPA analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durin, Christian

1993-01-01

New results from the ongoing analysis of the FRECOPA's (FREnch COoperative PAssive payload) system hardware are discussed. FRECOPA (AO138) was one of the 57 experiments flown on the LDEF satellite. The experiment was located on the trailing edge (Tray B3) and was exposed to UV radiation (11,100 equivalent sun hours), approximately equal to 34,000 thermal cycles, higher vacuum levels than the leading edge, a low atomic oxygen flux, and minor doses of protons and electrons. Due to LDEF's extended mission (5.8 years), CNES decided to set up a team to analyze the FRECOPA system. Initial results were presented at the First Post-Retrieval Conference, June, 1991. The results obtained since then are summarized.

Biofilm formation and control in a simulated spacecraft water system - Three year results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, John R.; Flanagan, David T.; Bruce, Rebekah J.; Mudgett, Paul D.; Carr, Sandra E.; Rutz, Jeffrey A.; Huls, M. H.; Sauer, Richard L.; Pierson, Duane L.

1992-01-01

Two simulated spacecraft water systems are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of iodine for controlling microbial contamination within such systems. An iodine concentration of about 2.0 mg/L is maintained in one system by passing ultrapure water through an iodinated ion exchange resin. Stainless steel coupons with electropolished and mechanically-polished sides are being used to monitor biofilm formation. Results after three years of operation show a single episode of significant bacterial growth in the iodinated system when the iodine level dropped to 1.9 mg/L. This growth was apparently controlled by replacing the iodinated ion exchange resin, thereby increasing the iodine level. The second batch of resin has remained effective in controlling microbial growth down to an iodine level of 1.0 mg/L. SEM indicates that the iodine has impeded but may have not completely eliminated the formation of biofilm. Metals analyses reveal some corrosion in the iodinated system after 3 years of continuous exposure. Significant microbial contamination has been present continuously in a parallel noniodinated system since the third week of operation.

Air pollution "holiday effect" resulting from the Chinese New Year

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Pei-Hua; Chou, Chia; Liang, Jing-Yi; Chou, Charles C.-K.; Shiu, Chein-Jung

Our study was an attempt to conduct a comprehensive and systematical examination of the holiday effect, defined as the difference in air pollutant concentrations between holiday and non-holiday periods. This holiday effect can be applied to other countries with similar national or cultural holidays. Hourly and daily surface measurements of six major air pollutants from thirteen air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods were used. We documented evidence of a "holiday effect", where air pollutant concentrations were significantly different between holidays (CNY) and non-holidays (NCNY), in the Taipei metropolitan area over the past thirteen years (1994-2006). The concentrations of NO x, CO, NMHC, SO 2 and PM 10 were lower in the CNY than in the NCNY period, while the variation in the concentration of O 3 was reversed, which was mainly due to the NO titration effect. Similar differences in these six air pollutants between the CNY and NCNY periods were also found in the diurnal cycle and in the interannual variation. For the diurnal cycle, a common traffic-related double-peak variation was observed in the NCNY period, but not in the CNY period. Impacts of dust storms were also observed, especially on SO 2 and PM 10 in the CNY period. In the 13-year period of 1994-2006, decreasing trends of NO x and CO in the NCNY period implied a possible reduction of local emissions. Increasing trends of SO 2 and PM 10 in the CNY period, on the other hand, indicated a possible enhancement of long-range transport. These two mechanisms weakened the holiday effect.

Clinical performance of long-span zirconia frameworks for fixed dental prostheses: 5-year results.

PubMed

Schmitter, M; Mussotter, K; Rammelsberg, P; Gabbert, O; Ohlmann, B

2012-07-01

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess the performance of tooth-supported, long-span, zirconia fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). Thirty FDPs with span lengths from 36 to 46 mm (mean 40·33 mm), with 4-7 units and with connector dimensions ∼9 mm(2) were inserted (19 in the posterior region, 11 including anterior teeth) using glass-ionomer cement. The performance of the FDPs was assessed (aesthetic evaluation, failures, hypersensitivity/tooth vitality, secondary caries, pocket depth, decementation, and chipping) at baseline and after 5 years. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. There were 16 failures after 5 years. Framework fracture occurred for two FDPs, four FDPs had to be re-cemented, one abutment tooth had to be treated endodontically, one abutment tooth fractured and cohesive failure of the veneer occurred for eight. Four FDPs had to be replaced, so survival was 82%. The aesthetics were rated as excellent by the patients at baseline and good at the 5-year recall. Cox regression analysis showed that both length [P = 0·05, exp(B) = 1·22] and location [P = 0·019, exp(B) = 4·09] of the FDP were risk factors for failure. Compared with the previously published 2-year results, the incidence of complications increased dramatically. Additionally, it was shown that long-span FDPs in the molar region are at greater risk of failure than FDPs in the anterior region. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Results of a Study Investigating the Plant Uptake of Explosive Residues From Compost of Explosives-Contaminated Soil Obtained from the Umatilla Army Depot Activity

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-11-01

Avoid contact with samples. Be aware of broken containers, corrosives, irritants, biohazards, flammability, pyrophoricity , reactivity, radioactivity...Revision RO 9/23/97 Page 3 NOj-N by Flow Injection Analysis 6.2.2.2 Low results may be obtained for samples that contain high concentrations of iron ...however, for analytes such as iron that may be found at high concentration, a more appropriate test would be to use a concentration near the upper

Financial Literacy of 15-Year-Olds: Results from PISA 2015. Data Point. NCES 2017-086

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Patrick; Sen, Anindita

2017-01-01

On May 24, the National Center for Education Statistics released Financial Literacy of 15-year-olds: Results from PISA 2015. The PISA assessment of financial literacy measured students' knowledge and understanding of fundamental elements of the financial world, including financial concepts, products, and risks, and their ability to apply what they…

Five Years of BEACO2N: First Results and Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shusterman, A.; Cohen, R. C.

2017-12-01

The BErkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observation Network (BEACO2N) is an ongoing greenhouse gas and air quality monitoring campaign based in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. BEACO2N is a distributed network instrument consisting of low- to moderate-cost commercial sensors for CO2 and other pollutants installed on top of schools, museums, and other outreach-minded institutions. The reduced cost of each individual sensor "node" enables the deployment of a larger volume of total nodes, resulting in a web of approximately 50 sites with an average node-to-node distance of 2 km. Operating in some variation of this configuration since 2012, BEACO2N offers greater spatio-temporal coverage than any other fixed CO2 monitoring network to date. This high-resolution information allows us to faithfully represent the true heterogeneity of urban emission processes and distinguish between specific sources that are often regulated independently, but typically treated en masse by sparser, conventional surface monitors. However, maintaining and appropriately interpreting a network of BEACO2N's size presents a number of unique data quality and data coverage challenges. Here we describe the quantitative capabilities of the BEACO2N platform, first results from initial attempts at constraining greenhouse gas emission estimates, as well as other lessons learned over the first five years of operation.

Iatrogenic copper deficiency following information and drugs obtained over the Internet.

PubMed

Lang, T F; Glynne-Jones, R; Blake, S; Taylor, A; Kay, J D S

2004-09-01

We report the case of a 56-year-old woman with a 7-year history of metastatic cancer who presented with severe copper deficiency following self-treatment with the copper-chelating agent tetrathiomolybdate. This compound was used with the aim of inhibiting tumour angiogenesis and was obtained from the USA by placing an order on the internet. The patient exhibited severe neutropenia as her serum copper concentration fell from 19.8 micromol/L to 3.3 micromol/L and her caeruloplasmin concentration from 35 mg/dL to 4 mg/dL.

Comprehensive Survey Results of Childhood Thyroid Ultrasound Examinations in Fukushima in the First Four Years After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

PubMed

Suzuki, Shinichi; Suzuki, Satoru; Fukushima, Toshihiko; Midorikawa, Sanae; Shimura, Hiroki; Matsuzuka, Takashi; Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Takahashi, Hideto; Ohtsuru, Akira; Sakai, Akira; Hosoya, Mitsuaki; Yasumura, Seiji; Nollet, Kenneth E; Ohira, Tetsuya; Ohto, Hitoshi; Abe, Masafumi; Kamiya, Kenji; Yamashita, Shunichi

2016-06-01

Thyroid nodules and cancers are rare in children compared with adults. However, after the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, a rapid increase in childhood thyroid cancer was observed. To avoid any confusion and misunderstanding of data obtained in Fukushima after the 2011 nuclear accident, baseline prevalence of thyroid nodules and cancers should be carefully assessed with standardized criteria systematically, and comprehensively applied to the population perceived to be at risk. Under the official framework of the Fukushima Health Management Survey, the thyroids of children in Fukushima were examined using ultrasound, and the results collected in the first four years after the nuclear accident were analyzed in order to establish a baseline prevalence of childhood thyroid abnormalities, especially cancer. Of 367,685 people aged 18 years or younger as of April 1, 2011, who were living in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the accident, 300,476 underwent thyroid ultrasound screening. Of those, 2108 subjects with thyroid nodules were further examined using an advanced ultrasound instrument, with standardized criteria applied to determine the need for fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). FNAC results determined the need for surgery and histological confirmation of the cytological diagnosis. Of the 2108 rescreened subjects, 543 underwent FNAC, of whom 113 were diagnosed with malignancy or suspected malignancy. Subsequently, 99 patients underwent surgical resection, revealing 95 cases of papillary thyroid cancer, three poorly differentiated cancers, and one benign nodule. The overall prevalence of childhood thyroid cancer in Fukushima was determined to be 37.3 per 100,000 with no significant differences between evacuated and non-evacuated areas. Thyroid cancer patients had external exposure estimates of <2.2 mSv during the first four months. The high prevalence of childhood thyroid cancer detected in this four-year study in Fukushima can be attributed to

The Improvement of Laparoscopic Surgical Skills Obtained by Gynecologists after Ten Years of Clinical Training Can Reduce Peritoneal Adhesion Formation during Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Peiretti, Michele; Minerba, Luigi

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate if improvement of laparoscopic skills can reduce postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation in a clinical setting. Study Design We retrospectively evaluated 25 women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy from January 1993 to June 1994 and 22 women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy from March 2002 to November 2004. Women had one to four subserous/intramural myomas and received surgery without antiadhesive agents or barriers. Women underwent second-look laparoscopy for assessment of peritoneal adhesion formation 12 to 14 weeks after myomectomy. Adhesions were graded according to the Operative Laparoscopy Study Group scoring system. The main variable to be compared between the two cohorts was the proportion that showed no adhesions at second-look laparoscopy. Results Demographic and surgical characteristics were similar between the two cohorts. No complications were observed during surgery. No adverse events were recorded during postoperative course. At second-look laparoscopy, a higher proportion of adhesion-free patients was observed in women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy from March 2002 to November 2004 (9 out of 22) compared with women who underwent the same surgery from January 1993 to June 1994 (3 out of 25). Conclusion The improvement of surgeons' skills obtained after ten years of surgery can reduce postoperative adhesion formation. PMID:29410967

10-year results of a new low-monomer cement: follow-up of a randomized RSA study.

PubMed

Söderlund, Per; Dahl, Jon; Röhrl, Stephan; Nivbrant, Bo; Nilsson, Kjell G

2012-12-01

The properties and performance of a new low-monomer cement were examined in this prospective randomized, controlled RSA study. 5-year data have already been published, showing no statistically significant differences compared to controls. In the present paper we present the 10-year results. 44 patients were originally randomized to receive total hip replacement with a Lubinus SPII titanium-aluminum-vanadium stem cemented either with the new Cemex Rx bone cement or with control bone cement, Palacos R. Patients were examined using RSA, Harris hip score, and conventional radiographs. At 10 years, 33 hips could be evaluated clinically and 30 hips could be evaluated with RSA (16 Cemex and 14 Palacos). 9 patients had died and 4 patients were too old or infirm to be investigated. Except for 1 hip that was revised for infection after less than 5 years, no further hips were revised before the 10-year follow-up. There were no statistically significant clinical differences between the groups. The Cemex cement had magnitudes of migration similar to or sometimes lower than those of Palacos cement. In both groups, most hips showed extensive radiolucent lines, probably due to the use of titanium alloy stems. At 10 years, the Cemex bone cement tested performed just as well as the control (Palacos bone cement).

Dosimetric Consistency of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit- a ten years Study

PubMed Central

Baba, Misba H; Mohib-ul-Haq, M.; Khan, Aijaz A.

2013-01-01

Objective The goal of the Radiation standards and Dosimetry is to ensure that the output of the Teletherapy Unit is within ±2% of the stated one and the output of the treatment dose calculation methods are within ±5%. In the present paper, we studied the dosimetry of Cobalt-60 (Co-60) Teletherapy unit at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for last 10 years. Radioactivity is the phenomenon of disintegration of unstable nuclides called radionuclides. Among these radionuclides, Cobalt-60, incorporated in Telecobalt Unit, is commonly used in therapeutic treatment of cancer. Cobalt-60 being unstable decays continuously into Ni-60 with half life of 5.27 years thereby resulting in the decrease in its activity, hence dose rate (output). It is, therefore, mandatory to measure the dose rate of the Cobalt-60 source regularly so that the patient receives the same dose every time as prescribed by the radiation oncologist. The under dosage may lead to unsatisfactory treatment of cancer and over dosage may cause radiation hazards. Our study emphasizes the consistency between actual output and output obtained using decay method. Methodology The methodology involved in the present study is the calculations of actual dose rate of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit by two techniques i.e. Source to Surface Distance (SSD) and Source to Axis Distance (SAD), used for the External Beam Radiotherapy, of various cancers, using the standard methods. Thereby, a year wise comparison has been made between average actual dosimetric output (dose rate) and the average expected output values (obtained by using decay method for Co-60.) Results The present study shows that there is a consistency in the average output (dose rate) obtained by the actual dosimetry values and the expected output values obtained using decay method. The values obtained by actual dosimetry are within ±2% of the expected values. Conclusion The results thus obtained in a year wise comparison of average output by

[Evaluation of the depth of infiltration of urothelial carcinoma in the vesical wall obtained by transurethral intravesical echotomography].

PubMed

Milosević, Radovan; Milović, Novak; Stijelja, Borislav; Dokić, Milan; Campara, Zoran; Mocović, Dejan

2007-10-01

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most frequent tumor of the bladder and represents 95-98% of blader neoplasams and 2-3% of all carcinomas in the body. In urogenital oncology more frequent is only prostatic cancer. Evaluation of the depth of infiltration of urothelial carcinoma in the vesical wall represents the clinical base in treatment planning and prognosis. Clinical investigation and convential radiological procedures have a low level of accuracy in estimating the local growth of the tumor. The aims of our investigation were to determine the depth of infiltration of urothelial carcinoma in the vesical wall in the investigated group of patients by transurethral intravesical echotomography (TIE) and computerised tomography (CT scan) and to compare results obtained by both methods with pathohistological (PH) results, and, based on the difference of the results determine which method was more accurate in the evaluation of the depth of infiltration of urothelial carcinoma in the vesical wall. Thirty patients with TCC of the bladder both genders, aged 51-81 years were involved in our investigation. In all of these patients, radical cystectomy (RC) was performed. This was neccessary to provide the defintive PH result. Transurethral intravesical echotomography was performed by ultrasound scanner type 1846 Bruel and Kjaer, sond type 1850, and the CT scan was perfomed by Pace plus, General Electric, U.S.A. The specimen for the definitive PH result obtained by RC includes all standards of the TNM classification. Using CT scan, the most frequent was T1 stage (17 patients or 56.68%). Using TIE, the most frequent was T2 stage (22 patients or 73.33%). After RC the most frequent was T2 stage (21 patients or 70%). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, showed a high significant difference between the results obtained using CT and definitive PH results after RC. The same test showed no statistically significant difference between the results obtained using TIE and definitive PH

A 100 000-year record of annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature for northwestern Australia based on a pollen record obtained offshore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Kaars, Sander; de Deckker, Patrick; Gingele, Franz X.

2006-12-01

Pollen recovered from core tops of deep-sea cores from offshore northwestern Western Australia were used to build climatic transfer functions applied to sediment samples from major rivers bordering the ocean in the same region and a deep-sea core offshore Northwest Cape. Results show for the last 100 000 years, with a gap in the record spanning the 64 000 to 46 000 years interval, that from about 100 000 to 82 000 yr BP, climatic conditions represented by rainfall, temperature and number of humid months, were significantly higher than today's values. For the entire record, the coldest period occurred about 43 000 to 39 000 yr BP but it was wetter than today, whereas the Last Glacial Maximum saw a significant reduction in summer rainfall, interpreted as a result of the absence of monsoonal activity in the region. The Holocene can be divided into two distinct phases: one peaking around 6000 cal. yr BP with highest rainfall and summer temperatures; the second one commencing at 5000 cal. yr BP and showing a progressive decrease in summer rainfall in contrast to an increase in winter rainfall, paralleled by a progressive decrease in temperatures. Copyright

[TRT: results after one year treatment].

PubMed

Madeira, G; Montmirail, Ch; Decat, M; Gersdorff, M

2007-01-01

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) (which aims to induce changes in the mechanisms responsible for transferring signals from the auditory system to the limbic and autonomic systems) is a method for treating Tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance. An individualised explanation of Jastreboff's neurophysiological model allows greater insight and motivation on the part of the patient. Previous studies have demonstrated that daytime TRT is effective. As sleep forms a significant component of the distress associated with Tinnitus however, we hypothesised that night-time TRT could represent a useful tool in the treatment of this disabling condition. 46 patients were studied (30 male, 16 female). Patients were selected from an ENT outpatient clinic. Patients with significant psychological disability were excluded. Patients were reviewed twice by their doctor and 5 times by a therapist over 12 months. Treatment consisted of 8 hours nighttime white noise stimulation, at progressively increasing intensity. Although several objective assessments of response were undertaken, patients' subjective testimonies were considered a more accurate signal of success. In total, 80% of patients had a satisfactory response after 1 year of treatment. 20% had no response. Patients were subcategorised according to Jastreboff's categories as follows: 1. Tinnitus (n = 6), 100% improved; 2. Tinnitus with hearing loss (n = 16); 62% improved; 3. Hyperacusis (with or without Tinnitus) (n = 16), 88.5% improved; 4. Hyperacusis (with or without Tinnitus, exacerbated by noise) (n = 8), 75% improved. Tinnitus is a symptom rather than an illness, and TRT gives patients greater control, allowing re-integration of normal perception. Night-time TRT is an effective treatment for Tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance. It has the potential advantage over day-time TRT of rapidly improving sleep and decreasing use of sedative hypnotics, a secondary effect noted in the personal testimonies of our cohort of

[Analysis of the results of the HIV-1, HCV and HBV viral load of SEIMC External Quality Control Program. Year 2014].

PubMed

Medina González, Rafael; Orta Mira, Nieves; Guna Serrano, María Del Remedio; Latorre Martínez, José-Carlos; Gopegui, Enrique Ruiz de; Rosario Ovies, María; Poveda, Marta; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2016-07-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load determinations are among the most relevant markers for the follow up of patients infected with these viruses. External quality control tools are crucial to ensure the accuracy of results obtained by microbiology laboratories. This article summarizes the results obtained from the 2014 SEIMC (Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology) External Quality Control Programme for HIV-1, HCV, and HBV viral loads. In the HIV-1 program, a total of 5 standards were sent. One standard consisted in seronegative human plasma, while the remaining 4 contained plasma from 3 different viremic patients, in the range of 2-5 log10 copies/mL; 2 of these standards were identical aiming to determine repeatability. A significant proportion of the laboratories (30.8% on average) obtained values out of the accepted range (mean ± 0.25 log10 copies/mL), depending on the standard and on the method used for quantification. Repeatability was excellent, with up to 95.8% of laboratories reporting results within the limits (Δ < 0.5 log10 copies/mL). The HBV and HCV program consisted of 2 standards with different viral load contents. Most of the participants, 83.7% in the case of HCV and 87.9% in the HBV, obtained all the results within the accepted range (mean ± 1.96 standard deviations log10 IU/mL). Data from this analysis reinforce the utility of proficiency programmes to ensure the quality of the results obtained by a particular laboratory, as well as the importance of the post-analytical phase on the overall quality. Due to the remarkable interlaboratory variability, it is advisable to use the same method and the same laboratory for patient follow up. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Patch-test results in children and adolescents: systematic review of a 15-year period*

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Dulcilea Ferraz; Goulart, Eugênio Marcos Andrade

2016-01-01

The number of studies on patch-test results in children and adolescents has gradually increased in recent years, thus stimulating reviews. This paper is a systematic review of a 15-year period devoted to studying the issue. Variations pertaining to the number and age groups of tested children and/or adolescents, the number of subjects with atopy/atopic dermatitis history, the quantity, type and concentrations of the tested substances, the test technique and type of data regarding clinical relevance, must all be considered in evaluating these studies, as they make it harder to formulate conclusions. The most common allergens in children were nickel, thimerosal, cobalt, fragrance, lanolin and neomycin. In adolescents, they were nickel, thimerosal, cobalt, fragrance, potassium dichromate, and Myroxylon pereirae. Knowledge of this matter aids health professionals in planning preventive programs aimed at improving children's quality of life and ensuring that their future prospects are not undermined. PMID:26982781

Three-year results after directional atherectomy of calcified stenotic lesions of the superficial femoral artery.

PubMed

Minko, P; Buecker, A; Jaeger, S; Katoh, M

2014-10-01

To investigate the 3-year outcome of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and heavily calcified stenotic lesions of the superficial femoral artery after directional atherectomy. Fifty-three patients (mean age 67 ± 10 years; 18 females, 35 males, TASC B and C, mean lesion length 7.9 ± 3.5 cm) with PAD (Rutherford 2-6) were enrolled into this prospective monocentric study. In total, 59 calcified lesions of the superficial femoral artery were treated with the Silverhawk atherectomy device (Covidien, Plymouth, MN, USA). Patients were followed-up for 36 months with a 6-month interval to perform clinical re-evaluation, including measurement of maximum walking distance and ankle-brachial index (ABI) as well as duplex-sonography. The primary success rate of the procedure was 92 %. In five cases (8 %), additional balloon-PTA and/or stent-PTA was necessary. Procedure-related embolization occurred in seven cases (12 %), which were all successfully treated by aspiration. The primary patency rate after 3 years was 55 %. Median Rutherford score decreased significantly from 5 to 0 after 36 months (p < 0.001). At the same time, the ABI increased from 0.65 to 1.12 (not significant). The limb-salvage rate after 3 years was 87 %. In this subgroup of patients with POD and calcified stenotic lesions, atherectomy was successfully applied to decrease the plaque burden. Results after 3 years showed a significant decrease of Rutherford score with persistent improvement of ABI and reasonable patency rate.

Ten-Year Results From the Natrelle 410 Anatomical Form-Stable Silicone Breast Implant Core Study

PubMed Central

Maxwell, G. Patrick; Van Natta, Bruce W.; Bengtson, Bradley P.; Murphy, Diane K.

2015-01-01

Background Silicone breast implants have long been used for breast augmentation and reconstruction. During this time, these medical devices have gone through a number of modifications to improve their safety, quality, and clinical outcome performance. Objectives The authors conducted a 10-year study to determine the safety and effectiveness of Natrelle 410 silicone breast implants. Methods This prospective, multicenter study enrolled 941 subjects who were undergoing either augmentation, augmentation revision, reconstruction, or reconstruction revision. Data on complications, reoperations, explantations, and subject satisfaction were collected at annual clinic visits, and one-third of subjects underwent biennial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for implant rupture. The authors used the Kaplan-Meier estimator to calculate risk rates for local complications, reoperations, and explantations. Results Capsular contracture rates increased approximately 1% per year from the previously reported 6-year rates. The rates were significantly lower than those from the Natrelle round gel core study. The overall rate of confirmed ruptured implants in subjects who underwent MRI was 5.7%. Eleven late seromas were reported. The most common reason for explantation was a subject requesting a size or style change. Satisfaction rates remained high through 10 years, with most subjects saying they were somewhat or definitely satisfied with their implants. Conclusions This 10-year prospective trial demonstrated the long-term safety and effectiveness of Natrelle 410 anatomical form-stable implants. The complication rates were low and the satisfaction rates were high. Level of Evidence: 1 Therapeutic PMID:25717116

Does life satisfaction change in old age: results from an 8-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Gana, Kamel; Bailly, Nathalie; Saada, Yaël; Joulain, Michèle; Alaphilippe, Daniel

2013-07-01

The unexpected positive relationship between aging and happiness was called "the paradox of well-being," which is still a matter of debate. This study examined longitudinal change in life satisfaction (LS) in older adults. LS was assessed with the satisfaction with life scale, in a sample of individuals (N = 899; aged 62-95 years, at first occasion; M = 72.73, SD = 5.68) for a period of 8 years (5 waves of data). A multiple indicator (e.g., second order) growth modeling was used to assess change in LS. Findings from both unconditional and conditional model (in which time-invariant, i.e., age, gender, and education, and time-varying, i.e., self-perceived health, covariates were incorporated in the model) indicated a linear increase in LS for the 8-year period. As expected, the results showed significant random variation in both intercept and slope, indicating that participants start at different levels and change at different rates. Our findings contribute to the debate concerning the paradox of well-being, which calls for explanation. There are few theories that provide some explanation (e.g., the socioemotional selectivity theory). However, to enhance researchers' understanding of developmental changes that contribute to the paradox of well-being, a more integrative theoretical model is needed.

Satisfactory results at 8 years mean follow-up after ADVANCE® medial-pivot total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Chinzei, Nobuaki; Ishida, Kazunari; Tsumura, Nobuhiro; Matsumoto, Tomoyuki; Kitagawa, Atsushi; Iguchi, Tetsuhiro; Nishida, Kotaro; Akisue, Toshihiro; Kuroda, Ryosuke; Kurosaka, Masahiro

2014-03-01

Although good overall results have been reported with TKA, certain problems and limitations remain, primarily due to postoperative differences in joint kinematics, when compared with the normal knee. ADVANCE® Medial-Pivot TKA involves replicating the medial pivoting behavior observed in normal knees. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical and radiological results and complications of TKA using this implant, at mid-term follow-up. From January 2001 to March 2012, we retrospectively selected 76 patients (85 knees; mean age at operation, 70.2±8.1 years; range, 51-88 years) with a mean follow-up period of 93.1±14.3 months (range, 72-132 months). Indications for TKA included primary degenerative osteoarthritis (60 knees), rheumatoid arthritis (22 knees), osteonecrosis (two knees), and osteoarthritis following high tibial osteotomy (one knee). The clinical and radiographic results were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis indicated a success rate of 98.3% (95% confidence interval, 96.6-99.9%). Comparison of pre- and postoperative knee extension angles and ranges of motion showed significant improvement postoperatively, in both the Knee Society Scores (KSS) and Knee Society Functional Scores (KSFS) (p<0.05). In one case, radiographic assessment indicated implant loosening due to infection; however, despite this complication, significant improvement of postoperative varus or valgus deformity angles were noted in all cases (p<0.05). Patients undergoing ADVANCE® Medial-Pivot TKA achieved excellent clinical and radiographic results without any implant-related failures at mid-term follow-up. Level IV. © 2013.

Comparison of the results of refractometric measurements in the process of diffusion, obtained by means of the backgroundoriented schlieren method and the holographic interferometry method

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

Kraiskii, A V; Mironova, T V

2015-08-31

The results of the study of interdiffusion of two liquids, obtained using the holographic recording scheme with a nonstationary reference wave with the frequency linearly varying in space and time are compared with the results of correlation processing of digital photographs, made with a random background screen. The spatio-temporal behaviour of the signal in four basic representations ('space – temporal frequency', 'space – time', 'spatial frequency – temporal frequency' and 'spatial frequency – time') is found in the holographic experiment and calculated (in the appropriate coordinates) based on the background-oriented schlieren method. Practical coincidence of the results of the correlationmore » analysis and the holographic double-exposure interferometry is demonstrated. (interferometry)« less

Trace elements in unconventional animals: A 40-year experience.

PubMed

Carpenè, Emilio; Andreani, Giulia; Isani, Gloria

2017-09-01

The role of trace elements in animal health has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The essentiality and toxicity of these elements have been extensively investigated in humans, laboratory animal models and partially in domestic animals, whereas little is known about trace element metabolism in most living organisms. Forty years ago our research started on Cd metabolism in molluscs, thereafter expanding to Zn, Cu, and Fe metabolism in many unconventional animal species of veterinary interest. This review summarizes the main results obtained over this long period of time: some of the findings are original and have not been published to date. They are discussed in more detail and compared with data obtained in conventional animals, including man. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Thinning in a 28-year-old Water Oak Plantation in North Louisniana: Seven-Year Results

Treesearch

James S. Meadows; J.C.G. Goelz

1999-01-01

A 2l-acre, 28-year-old water oak (Quercus nigra L.) plantation on in old-field loessial site near Winnsboro, LA was subjected to three thinning treatments during the winter of 1987-88: (1) no thinning, (2) light thinning to 180 dominant and codominant trees per acre, and (3) heavy thinning to 90 dominant and codominant trees per acre. Prior to...

Intermediate clinical and radiological results of cervical TDR (Mobi-C®) with up to 2 years of follow-up

PubMed Central

Beaurain, J.; Bernard, P.; Dufour, T.; Fuentes, J. M.; Hovorka, I.; Huppert, J.; Steib, J. P.; Vital, J. M.; Aubourg, L.

2009-01-01

The interest in cervical total disc replacement (TDR) as an alternative to the so-far gold standard in the surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease (DDD), e.g anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), is growing very rapidly. Many authors have established the fact that ACDF may result in progressive degeneration in adjacent segments. On the contrary, but still theoretically, preservation of motion with TDR at the surgically treated level may potentially reduce the occurrence of adjacent-level degeneration (ALD). The authors report the intermediate results of an undergoing multicentre prospective study of TDR with Mobi-C® prosthesis. The aim of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the device in the treatment of DDD and secondary to evaluate the radiological status of adjacent levels and the occurrence of ossifications, at 2-year follow-up (FU). 76 patients have performed their 2-year FU visit and have been analyzed clinically and radiologically. Clinical outcomes (NDI, VAS, SF-36) and ROM measurements were analyzed pre-operatively and at the different post-operative time-points. Complications and re-operations were also assessed. Occurrences of heterotopic ossifications (HOs) and of adjacent disc degeneration radiographic changes have been analyzed from 2-year FU X-rays. The mean NDI and VAS scores for arm and neck are reduced significantly at each post-operative time-point compared to pre-operative condition. Motion is preserved over the time at index levels (mean ROM = 9° at 2 years) and 85.5% of the segments are mobile at 2 years. HOs are responsible for the fusion of 6/76 levels at 2 years. However, presence of HO does not alter the clinical outcomes. The occurrence rate of radiological signs of ALD is very low at 2 years (9.1%). There has been no subsidence, no expulsion and no sub-luxation of the implant. Finally, after 2 years, 91% of the patients assume that they would undergo the procedure again. These intermediate

Years of disability-adjusted life gained as a result of thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Hong, Keun-Sik; Saver, Jeffrey L

2010-03-01

Disability-adjusted life year (DALY) metric reflects years of healthy life lost because of living with disability and years of life lost because of premature mortality. Widely used in epidemiological analyses, DALY has not been applied to acute stroke trials. From previous studies, we derived, for each modified Rankin Scale level, disability weights, disability-linked mortality hazard ratios, and age-specific life expectancies. We then analyzed patient level data from the 2 publicly available National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator trials. For each subject, we abstracted age, treatment assignment, and 3-month modified Rankin Scale outcome and calculated the DALYs lost resulting from the qualifying stroke. The disability-linked hazard ratios for premature annual mortality for a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 5 were 1.53, 1.52, 2.17, 3.18, 4.55, and 6.55, respectively. In the NINDS recombinant tissue plasminogen activator trials, DALYs (mean+/-SE) lost as a result of the qualifying stroke were substantially less with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator than with placebo (4.64+/-0.17 versus 5.91+/-0.21; P<0.0001), a finding that remained robust after adjustment for baseline prognostic factors. When DALYs gained were apportioned to the 29% of patients experiencing any benefit from lytic therapy, each patient gained an average of 4.4 DALYs. DALY analysis showed greater power than dichotomized modified Rankin Scale analysis in discriminating treatment effects overall and in patients >or=70 years of age. For patients who benefit from treatment, <3-hour thrombolytic therapy adds the equivalent of 4.4 years of healthy life, free of disability. The DALY metric provides a continuous scale that increases statistical power, is intuitively understandable, and is applicable to a wide range of conditions and treatments.

Northwest Forest Plan—the first 10 years (1994-2003): synthesis of monitoring and research results.

Treesearch

Richard W. Haynes; Bernard T. Bormann; Danny C. Lee; Jon R. Martin

2006-01-01

It has been 10 years since the Northwest Forest Plan (the Plan) came into being at the direction of President Clinton. This report synthesizes the status and trends of five major elements of the Plan: older forests, species, aquatic systems, socioeconomics, and adaptive management and monitoring. It synthesizes new science that has resulted from a decade of research....

Does transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent employment protect mental health? Results from a 14-year follow-up of school-leavers.

PubMed

Reine, Ieva; Novo, Mehmed; Hammarström, Anne

2008-05-13

Having secure employment, in contrast to being unemployed, is regarded as an important determinant of health. Research and theories about the negative health consequences of unemployment indicated that transition from unemployment to a paid job could lead to improved health. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that obtaining permanent employment after being in an unstable labour market position protects mental health. A 14-year follow-up of all graduates from compulsory school in an industrial town in northern Sweden was performed at ages 16, 18, 21 and 30 years. Complete data on the cohort were collected for 1044 individuals with the aid of a comprehensive questionnaire. The response rate was 96.4%. The health measurement used in this study was the psychological symptoms analysed by multivariate logistic regression. Those who obtained permanent employment were the focus of the analysis. This group consisted of people who were in an unstable labour market position for a year or more between the ages of 25 and 29, and who had acquired a permanent job one year before and at the time of the investigation. After controlling for gender as well as for an indicator of health-related selection, possible confounders and mediators, an association was found between the lower probability of psychological symptoms and obtaining permanent employment (OR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.63) as well as having permanent employment (OR = 0.22, 95% CI 0.10-0.51). Our findings suggest that transition from an unstable labour market position to permanent employment could be health-promoting, even after controlling for possible confounders and mediators, as well as for an indicator of health-related selection. However, as there are few studies in the field, there is a need for more longitudinal studies in order to further analyse the relationship and to examine possible explanations. The policy implication of our study is that the transformation of unstable labour market

Geology of Libya Montes and the Interbasin Plains of Northern Tyrrhena Terra, Mars: First Year Results and Second Year Work Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Rogers, A. D.; Seelos, K. D.

2010-01-01

The Libya Montes-Tyrrhena Terra highland-lowland transitional zone of Mars is a complex tectonic and erosional region that contains some of the oldest exposed materials on the Martian surface as well as aqueous mineral signatures that may be potential chemical artifacts of early highland formational processes. Our 1:1M scale mapping project includes the geologic materials and landforms contained within MTMs 00282, -05282, -10282, 00277, - 05277, and -10277, which cover the highland portion of the transitional zone. The map region extends from the Libya Montes southward into Tyrrhena Terra and to the northern rim of Hellas basin and includes volcanic rocks of Syrtis Major Planum and a broad lowlying plain (palus) that forms a topographic divide between Isidis and Hellas basins. The objective of this project is to describe the geologic history of regional massif and plains materials by combining geomorphological and compositional mapping observations. This abstract summarizes the technical approaches and interim scientific results of Year 1 efforts and the expected work plan for Year 2 efforts.

First-year results of the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network: 2012–2013 Northern hemisphere influenza season

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) was developed to improve understanding of severe influenza infection, as represented by hospitalized cases. The GIHSN is composed of coordinating sites, mainly affiliated with health authorities, each of which supervises and compiles data from one to seven hospitals. This report describes the distribution of influenza viruses A(H1N1), A(H3N2), B/Victoria, and B/Yamagata resulting in hospitalization during 2012–2013, the network’s first year. Methods In 2012–2013, the GIHSN included 21 hospitals (five in Spain, five in France, four in the Russian Federation, and seven in Turkey). All hospitals used a reference protocol and core questionnaire to collect data, and data were consolidated at five coordinating sites. Influenza infection was confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Hospitalized patients admitted within 7 days of onset of influenza-like illness were included in the analysis. Results Of 5034 patients included with polymerase chain reaction results, 1545 (30.7%) were positive for influenza. Influenza A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and both B lineages co-circulated, although distributions varied greatly between coordinating sites and over time. All age groups were affected. A(H1N1) was the most common influenza strain isolated among hospitalized adults 18–64 years of age at four of five coordinating sites, whereas A(H3N2) and B viruses were isolated more often than A(H1N1) in adults ≥65 years of age at all five coordinating sites. A total of 16 deaths and 20 intensive care unit admissions were recorded among patients with influenza. Conclusions Influenza strains resulting in hospitalization varied greatly between coordinating sites and over time. These first-year results of the GIHSN are relevant, useful, and timely. Due to its broad regional representativeness and sustainable framework, this growing network should contribute substantially to understanding the

Thermal Effusivity of Vegetable Oils Obtained by a Photothermal Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervantes-Espinosa, L. M.; de L. Castillo-Alvarado, F.; Lara-Hernández, G.; Cruz-Orea, A.; Hernández-Aguilar, C.; Domínguez-Pacheco, A.

2014-10-01

Thermal properties of several vegetable oils such as soy, corn, and avocado commercial oils were obtained by using a photopyroelectric technique. The inverse photopyroelectric configuration was used in order to obtain the thermal effusivity of the oil samples. The theoretical equation for the photopyroelectric signal in this configuration, as a function of the incident light modulation frequency, was fitted to the experimental data in order to obtain the thermal effusivity of these samples. The obtained results are in good agreement with the thermal effusivity reported for other vegetable oils. All measurements were done at room temperature.

Quality-assurance results for routine water analysis in US Geological Survey laboratories, water year 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maloney, T.J.; Ludtke, A.S.; Krizman, T.L.

1994-01-01

The US. Geological Survey operates a quality- assurance program based on the analyses of reference samples for the National Water Quality Laboratory in Arvada, Colorado, and the Quality of Water Service Unit in Ocala, Florida. Reference samples containing selected inorganic, nutrient, and low ionic-strength constituents are prepared and disguised as routine samples. The program goal is to determine precision and bias for as many analytical methods offered by the participating laboratories as possible. The samples typically are submitted at a rate of approximately 5 percent of the annual environmental sample load for each constituent. The samples are distributed to the laboratories throughout the year. Analytical data for these reference samples reflect the quality of environmental sample data produced by the laboratories because the samples are processed in the same manner for all steps from sample login through data release. The results are stored permanently in the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System. During water year 1991, 86 analytical procedures were evaluated at the National Water Quality Laboratory and 37 analytical procedures were evaluated at the Quality of Water Service Unit. An overall evaluation of the inorganic (major ion and trace metal) constituent data for water year 1991 indicated analytical imprecision in the National Water Quality Laboratory for 5 of 67 analytical procedures: aluminum (whole-water recoverable, atomic emission spectrometric, direct-current plasma); calcium (atomic emission spectrometric, direct); fluoride (ion-exchange chromatographic); iron (whole-water recoverable, atomic absorption spectrometric, direct); and sulfate (ion-exchange chromatographic). The results for 11 of 67 analytical procedures had positive or negative bias during water year 1991. Analytical imprecision was indicated in the determination of two of the five National Water Quality Laboratory nutrient constituents: orthophosphate as phosphorus and

Survey of Experimental Results From One Year of PASP PLUS Orbital Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guidice, D. A.; Curtis, H. B.; Piszczor, M. F.; Palys, J. R.

1996-01-01

With PASP Plus as its primary payload, the APEX satellite was launched by a standard Pegasus rocket released from a NASA B-52 aircraft on 3 August 1994. A 70 deg inclination, 363 km X 2550 km orbit was achieved, allowing both investigation of space plasma effects on high-voltage operation in the perigee region and investigation of space radiation effects on array power output from passage through the inner radiation belt in the apogee region. Data gathering by PASP Plus was begun on 7 Aug 94 and ended on 11 Aug 95. In one year, PASP Plus collected an order of magnitude more data on environmental interactions on solar arrays than all previous space-borne photovoltaic experiments combined. The test arrays flown and the interactions-measuring and space-environment sensors of PASP Plus are described. The results of measurements of leakage current under test-array positive biasing and arc rates under negative biasing as a function of bias voltage, plasma density, array orientation, and other conditions are presented. The results of measurements of test-array power-output degradation caused by space radiation are also examined.

Reported vocal habits of first-year undergraduate musical theater majors in a preprofessional training program: a 10-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Donahue, Erin N; Leborgne, Wendy D; Brehm, Susan Baker; Weinrich, Barbara D

2014-05-01

Collegiate-level musical theater performance students are a specialized group of vocal performers, who rely on frequent and optimal voice use for their academic advancement and ultimate livelihood. The purpose of this study was to gather information to develop a greater understanding of vocal health and practice patterns of incoming collegiate-level musical theater performers. Data obtained from questionnaires completed by freshman musical theater majors were retrospectively analyzed to gather information about baseline vocal habits of the participants. Results of a questionnaire were obtained from incoming freshman musical theater students at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music over a period of 10 years (2002-2011). One hundred eighty-eight participants (female = 90) (male = 98) with an average age of 18.28 years (standard deviation = 0.726) were included. Results specifying participants' self-reported vocal training and practice habits, vocal health and hygiene practices, and current vocal symptoms or contributing factors to potential voice problems are provided. Data obtained from the participants revealed that the potential for vocal problems exists in this group of performers, as over half of the subjects reported at least one current negative vocal symptom. The findings from this study provide information that may be useful for individuals who are involved in the training of vocal performers. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Life test results for the advanced very high resolution radiometer scanner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenz, James

1996-01-01

The following paper reports the results obtained during a 3.33-year life test on the TIROS Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/3 (AVHRR/3) Scanner. The bearing drag torque and lubricant loss over life will be compared to predicted values developed through modeling. The condition of the lubricant at the end of the test will be described and a theory presented to explain the results obtained. The differences (if any) in the predicted and measured values of drag torque and lubricant loss will be discussed and possible reasons for these examined.

Geology of the Southern Utopia Planitia Highland-Lowland Boundary Plain: Second Year Results and Third Year Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Tanaka, K. L.; Hare, T. M.

2009-01-01

The southern Utopia highland-lowland boundary (HLB) extends >1500 km westward from Hyblaeus Dorsa to the topographic saddle that separates Isidis and Utopia Planitiae. It contains bench-like platforms that contain depressions, pitted cones (some organized into arcuate chains and thumb-print terrain), isolated domes, buried circular depressions, ring fractures, polygonal fractures, and other locally- to regionally-dispersed landforms [1-2]. The objective of this map project is to clarify the geologic evolution of the southern Utopia Planitia HLB by identifying the geologic, structural, and stratigraphic relationships of surface materials in MTMs 10237, 15237, 20237, 10242, 15242, 20242, 10247, 15247, and 20247. The project was originally awarded in April, 2007 and is in its final year of support. Mapping is on-schedule and formal map submission will occur by December, 2009, with finalization anticipated by April, 2010. Herein, we (1) review specifics regarding mapping data and methods, (2) present nomenclature requests that we feel will assist with unit descriptions, (3) describe Year 2 mapping and science accomplishments, and (4) outline Year 3 technical and managerial approaches for finalizing the geologic map.

Long-term heart disease and stroke mortality among former American prisoners of war of World War II and the Korean Conflict: results of a 50-year follow-up.

PubMed

Page, W F; Brass, L M

2001-09-01

For the first 30 years after repatriation, former American prisoners of war (POWs) of World War II and the Korean Conflict had lower death rates for heart disease and stroke than non-POW veteran controls and the U.S. population, but subsequent morbidity data suggested that this survival advantage may have disappeared. We used U.S. federal records to obtain death data through 1996 and used proportional hazards analysis to compare the mortality experience of POWs and controls. POWs aged 75 years and older showed a significantly higher risk of heart disease deaths than controls (hazard ratio = 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.56), and their stroke mortality was also increased, although not significantly (hazard ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.91). These results suggest that circulatory disease sequelae of serious, acute malnutrition and the stresses associated with imprisonment may not appear until after many decades.

Functional performance following selective posterior rhizotomy: long-term results determined using a validated evaluative measure.

PubMed

Mittal, Sandeep; Farmer, Jean-Pierre; Al-Atassi, Borhan; Montpetit, Kathleen; Gervais, Nathalie; Poulin, Chantal; Benaroch, Thierry E; Cantin, Marie-André

2002-09-01

Selective posterior rhizotomy (SPR) may result in considerable benefit for children with spastic cerebral palsy. To date, however, there have been few studies in which validated functional outcome measures have been used to report surgical results beyond 3 years. The authors analyzed data obtained from the McGill Rhizotomy Database to determine long-term functional performance outcomes in patients who underwent lumbosacral dorsal rhizotomy performed using intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring. The study population was composed of children with debilitating spasticity who underwent SPR and were evaluated by a multidisciplinary team preoperatively and at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Quantitative standardized assessments of activities of daily living (ADL) were obtained using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Of 57 patients who met the entry criteria for the study, 41 completed the 3-year assessments and 30 completed the 5-year assessments. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant improvement in the mobility and self-care domains of the functional skills dimension at 1 year after SPR. The preoperative and 1-, 3-, and 5-year postoperative scaled scores for the mobility domain were 56, 64, 77.2, and 77.8, respectively. The scaled score for the self-care domain increased from 59 presurgery to 67.9, 81.6, and 82.4 at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year postoperative assessments, respectively. The results of this study support the presence of significant improvements in functional performance, based on PEDI scores obtained 1 year after SPR. The improvements persisted at the 3- and 5-year follow-up examinations. The authors conclude that SPR performed using intraoperative stimulation is valuable in the augmentation of motor function and self-care skills essential to the performance of ADL.

Understanding AlN Obtaining Through Computational Thermodynamics Combined with Experimental Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florea, R. M.

2017-06-01

Basic material concept, technology and some results of studies on aluminum matrix composite with dispersive aluminum nitride reinforcement was shown. Studied composites were manufactured by „in situ” technique. Aluminum nitride (AlN) has attracted large interest recently, because of its high thermal conductivity, good dielectric properties, high flexural strength, thermal expansion coefficient matches that of Si and its non-toxic nature, as a suitable material for hybrid integrated circuit substrates. AlMg alloys are the best matrix for AlN obtaining. Al2O3-AlMg, AlN-Al2O3, and AlN-AlMg binary diagrams were thermodynamically modelled. The obtained Gibbs free energies of components, solution parameters and stoichiometric phases were used to build a thermodynamic database of AlN- Al2O3-AlMg system. Obtaining of AlN with Liquid-phase of AlMg as matrix has been studied and compared with the thermodynamic results. The secondary phase microstructure has a significant effect on the final thermal conductivity of the obtained AlN. Thermodynamic modelling of AlN-Al2O3-AlMg system provided an important basis for understanding the obtaining behavior and interpreting the experimental results.

What’s Causing Toxicity in Sediments? Results of Twenty Years of Toxicity Identification and Evaluations (TIEs)

EPA Science Inventory

Sediment Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (TIEs) methods have been used for twenty years to identify the causes of toxicity in sediments around the world. We summarized and categorized results of more than 80 peer-reviewed TIE studies into non-ionic organic, cationic, ammo...

Effect of diet on results obtained by use of two commercial test kits for detection of occult blood in feces of dogs.

PubMed

Cook, A K; Gilson, S D; Fischer, W D; Kass, P H

1992-10-01

To evaluate the effect of diet on results obtained by use of 2 commercial test kits for detection of occult blood in feces, 5 dogs were fed 7 diets in randomized sequence. Dry and canned diets with various principal ingredients were evaluated. Each diet was offered twice over a 24-hour period, followed by a 36-hour nonfeeding period. Fecal specimens were collected twice daily, and tests for occult blood were performed within 12 hours. The dietary origin of fecal specimens was confirmed by use of colored markers fed with each diet, and was correlated with estimates of gastrointestinal tract transit time. A modified guaiac paper test and an o-tolidine tablet test were performed on each specimen. Of 59 specimens, 4 were positive for occult blood, using the o-tolidine tablet test. Three positive results were associated with a mutton-based canned diet, and 1 positive result was associated with a canned beef-based diet. Of 59 specimens, 11 were positive for occult blood, using the modified guaiac paper test. Four positive results were associated with the mutton diet, and 3 positive results were associated with the beef diet. Of the remaining 5 diets, 4 caused 1 positive reaction. Results were inconsistent with the null hypothesis that the distribution of positive occult blood test results is not affected by diet (P < 0.025), and indicate that diet can affect the specificity of peroxidase-based tests for detection of occult blood in canine feces. Diet modification prior to testing is recommended.

Single-Center Experience and 1-Year Follow-up Results of 'Sandwich Technique' in the Management of Common Iliac Artery Aneurysms During EVAR

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

Ricci, Carmelo; Ceccherini, Claudio, E-mail: claudiocec@hotmail.it; Cini, Marco

Purpose: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) accompanied by common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysms requires a more demanding procedure owing to the difficulties in obtaining an adequate distal landing zone for the stent-graft limb(s), a potential site of endoleak. The 'sandwich technique' is a procedure to increase EVAR feasibility in the setting of adverse or challenging CIA anatomy. Its main advantages include no restrictions in terms of CIA diameter or length or internal iliac artery (IIA) diameter, no need to wait for a specific stent-graft. Our purpose is to describe our single-center experience and one year follow-up results of this new procedure.more » Materials and Methods: From April 2009 to June 2010, the sandwich technique was performed in our institution in 7 patients treated for AAA and unilateral CIA aneurysms (n. 5) or bilateral CIA aneurysms (n. 2). Inclusion criteria were the presence of unilateral or bilateral CIA aneurysm (independently from its diameter), IIA artery measuring up to 9 mm in its maximum diameter, not dilatation of IIA and EIA. Results: The mean follow-up length was 15 months (range: 14-20 months). All stent-implanted iliac branches remained patent on 1 year follow-up and IIA flow was preserved. None of the patients had symptoms of pelvic ischemia. CT scan follow-up showed aneurysm shrinkage in five patients, without any sign of endoleaks in all cases. Conclusions: In selected cases, the 'sandwich technique' showed good outcomes confirming to be a safe and easy to perform way to overcome anatomical constraints and expanding the limits of EVAR.« less

Three years of results from a mooring over a Posidonia Oceanica seagrass meadow (Corsica, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champenois, Willy; Delille, Bruno; Lepoint, Gilles; Beckers, Jean-Marie; Grégoire, Marilaure; Borges Alberto, V.

2010-05-01

We report the first three years of results from a 10m deep mooring over a Posidonia Oceanica seagrass meadow (Corsica, France) where we deployed from August 2006 to November 2009 an array of 3 optodes. The oxygen data are used to compute by mass balance ecosystem metabolic performance rates (gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), net community production (NCP)), allowing a detailed analysis of seasonal and year-to-year variability of GPP, CR and NCP. The comparison of GPP and CR values derived from the O2 mass balance with rates derived from discrete benthic incubations (every 2 months in 2006-2007, every 4 months in 2008-2009) is very satisfactory. An application of such a mooring is to detect changes in the productivity of the Posidonia meadow that can be used as indicators of overall ecosystem "health" or degradation by human activities. Such a mooring can be used as an affordable and simple tool for management and sustainable development of coastal areas in the Mediterranean.

Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis of the periods around 5.5 year and 11 year in the international sunspot numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, F. R.; Jia, H. Y.

2018-07-01

The New International Sunspot Numbers (NISNs) have been successfully compiled and can be downloaded from the World Data Center-Sunspot index and Long-term Solar Observations, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels. The periods in these NISNs have been studied by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The results show that the international sunspot numbers have a lot of periods. Of the various periods, the most outstanding period around 11 year is 10.108 year after removing the 10.862 year signal from the time series of sunspot numbers, while the periods of 11.988 year, 7.990 year, 9.612 year, 5.445 year, 8.915 year, 5.792 year are also found with the period of 5.445 year being stronger than those of 5.792 year and 8.915 year. However, the period of 5.445 year is still much weaker than the period of 10.862 year. It is evident that the periods around 11 year and 5.5 year in the revised international sunspot numbers obtained by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram method is somewhat different from the ones in previous studies.

UAHuntsville and NASA-MSFC Heliophysics REU: Year One Strategy and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farid, S.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Winebarger, A. R.

2012-12-01

Scientists from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Fight Center (MSFC) received a 3-year National Science Foundation (NSF) award to create a unique Heliophysics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). For 10 weeks, 10 undergraduate students engaged in cutting edge heliophysics research with NASA or UAHuntsville astrophysicists specializing in research from the solar interior to the heliopause. Research projects included theory, modeling, computer simulations, data analysis and instrument design. The primary objectives of this REU are to 1.) increase minority participation in science, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields in general, and heliophysics in particular, and 2.) decrease the STEM attrition rate in first and second year students. This REU is unique because of our focus on recruiting talented students that may not have otherwise participated in an REU. In addition to the usual criteria of most REUs, consideration of need was also given to those students who were sophomores, students with little or no previous research experience, those from small or non-PhD granting institutions, students with less than average GPA, minorities, women, etc. In this poster, we review the effectiveness of the first year strategy. We evaluate the recruitment and application process, mentor placement, living and working arrangements, introductory tutorials, and merit of final research projects. We present modifications for next year's effort, and make suggestions to similar REU programs.

[Results of 2 years of activity].

PubMed

Panigazzi, M

2010-01-01

Work-related injuries and occupational diseases are a scourge of modern, western societies, which, although technologically advanced, have difficulty in preventing, treating and rehabilitating victims with speed and efficiency. The current hospital neuromotor rehabilitation centres, whether public or accredited private structures, have notable difficulty in meeting the demand, which despite annual fluctuations and variable needs, does not, overall, seem to be decreasing. We present the results of an organization model developed at the "Fondazione Maugeri" Scientific Institute (Pavia, Italy), the criteria used for the activity, the technological innovations employed to determine ability, and the prospects for further development. This model is effective from a health care-rehabilitative point of view, also in the light of the new legislative scenarios, and is sustainable from an economic points of view; overall it is, therefore, efficient.

Maternal Concentrations of Persistent Organochlorine Pollutants and the Risk of Asthma in Offspring: Results from a Prospective Cohort with 20 Years of Follow-up

PubMed Central

Strøm, Marin; Olsen, Sjurdur F.; Maslova, Ekaterina; Rantakokko, Panu; Kiviranta, Hannu; Rytter, Dorte; Bech, Bodil H.; Halldorsson, Thorhallur I.

2013-01-01

Background: Previous findings suggest that developmental exposures to persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) may be detrimental for the development of the immune system in the offspring. Whether these suspected immunoregulatory effects persist beyond early childhood remains unclear. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal serum concentrations of POPs and the risk of asthma in offspring after 20 years of follow-up. Methods: A birth cohort with 965 women was formed in 1988–1989 in Aarhus, Denmark. Concentrations of six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (congeners 118, 138, 153, 156, 170, 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) were quantified in maternal serum (n = 872) collected in gestation week 30. Information about offspring use of asthma medications was obtained from the Danish Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics. Results: Maternal serum concentrations of HCB and dioxin-like PCB-118 were positively associated with offspring asthma medication use after 20 years of follow-up (p for trend < 0.05). Compared with subjects in the first tertile of maternal concentration, those in the third tertile of PCB-118 had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.90 (95% CI: 1.12, 3.23). For HCB the HR for the third versus the first tertile of maternal concentration was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.15, 3.21). Weak positive associations were also estimated for PCB-156 and the non-dioxin-like PCBs (PCBs 138, 153, 170, 180). No associations were found for p,p´-DDE. Conclusions: Maternal concentrations of PCB-118 and HCB were associated with increased risk of asthma in offspring followed through 20 years of age. Citation: Hansen S, Strøm M, Olsen SF, Maslova E, Rantakokko P, Kiviranta H, Rytter D, Bech BH, Hansen LV, Halldorsson TI. 2014. Maternal concentrations of persistent organochlorine pollutants and the risk of asthma in offspring: results from a prospective cohort with 20 years of follow

Cooled radiofrequency denervation for treatment of sacroiliac joint pain: two-year results from 20 cases

PubMed Central

Ho, Kok-Yuen; Hadi, Mohamed Abdul; Pasutharnchat, Koravee; Tan, Kian-Hian

2013-01-01

Background Sacroiliac joint pain is a common cause of chronic low back pain. Different techniques for radiofrequency denervation of the sacroiliac joint have been used to treat this condition. However, results have been inconsistent because the variable sensory supply to the sacroiliac joint is difficult to disrupt completely using conventional radiofrequency. Cooled radiofrequency is a novel technique that uses internally cooled radiofrequency probes to enlarge lesion size, thereby increasing the chance of completely denervating the sacroiliac joint. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cooled radiofrequency denervation using the SInergy™ cooled radiofrequency system for sacroiliac joint pain. Methods The charts of 20 patients with chronic sacroiliac joint pain who had undergone denervation using the SInergy™ cooled radiofrequency system were reviewed at two years following the procedure. Outcome measures included the Numeric Rating Scale for pain intensity, Patient Global Impression of Change, and Global Perceived Effect for patient satisfaction. Results Fifteen of 20 patients showed a significant reduction in pain (a decrease of at least three points on the Numeric Rating Scale). Mean Numeric Rating Scale for pain decreased from 7.4 ± 1.4 to 3.1 ± 2.5, mean Patient Global Impression of Change was “improved” (1.4 ± 1.5), and Global Perceived Effect was reported to be positive in 16 patients at two years following the procedure. Conclusion Cooled radiofrequency denervation showed long-term efficacy for up to two years in the treatment of sacroiliac joint pain. PMID:23869175

Randomized Clinical Trial of a Self-Adhering Flowable Composite for Class I Restorations: 2-Year Results.

PubMed

Sabbagh, J; Dagher, S; El Osta, N; Souhaid, P

2017-01-01

Objectives. To compare the clinical performances of a self-adhering resin composite and a conventional flowable composite with a self-etch bonding system on permanent molars. The influence of using rubber dam versus cotton roll isolation was also investigated. Materials and Methods. Patients aged between 6 and 12 years and presenting at least two permanent molars in need of small class I restorations were selected. Thirty-four pairs of restorations were randomly placed by the same operator. Fifteen patients were treated under rubber dam and nineteen using cotton rolls isolation and saliva ejector. They were evaluated according to the modified USPHS criteria at baseline, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years by two independent evaluators. Results. All patients attended the two-year recall. For all measured variables, there was no significant difference between rubber dam and cotton after 2 years of restoration with Premise Flowable or Vertise Flow ( p value > 0.05). The percentage of restorations scored alpha decreased significantly over time with Premise Flowable and Vertise Flow for marginal adaptation and surface texture as well as marginal discoloration while it did not vary significantly for color matching. After 2 years, Vertise Flow showed a similar behaviour to the Premise Flowable used with a self-adhesive resin system.

Remanence anisotropy effect on the palaeointensity results obtained from various archaeological materials, excluding pottery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovacheva, M.; Chauvin, A.; Jordanova, N.; Lanos, P.; Karloukovski, V.

2009-06-01

The effect of magnetic anisotropy on the palaeointensity results has been evaluated in different materials, including samples from archaeological structures of various ages, such as baked clay from prehistoric domestic ovens or pottery kilns, burnt soil from ancient fires, and bricks and bricks or tiles used in the kiln's construction. The remanence anisotropy was estimated by the thermoremanent (TRM) anisotropy tensor and isothermal remanence (IRM) tensor methods. The small anisotropy effect (less than 5%) observed in the palaeointensity results of baked clay from the relatively thin prehistoric oven's floors estimated previously through IRM anisotropy was confirmed by TRM anisotropy of this material. The new results demonstrate the possibility of using IRM anisotropy evaluation to correct baked clay palaeointensity data instead of the more difficult to determine TRM anisotropy ellipsoid. This is not always the case for the palaeointensity results from bricks and tiles. The anisotropy correction to palaeointensity results seems negligible for materials other than pottery. It would therefore appear that the palaeointensity determination is more sensitive to the degree of remanence anisotropy P and the angle between the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) vector and the laboratory field direction, than to the angle between the NRM and the maximum axis of the remanence anisotropy ellipsoid (Kmax).

[Hepatic surgery: 10 year experience at the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Nutrition].

PubMed

Orozco Zepeda, H; Mercado Díaz, M A; Takahashi Monroy, T; Prado Orozco, E; Chan Núñez, C

1992-01-01

Techniques for surgical liver resections have improved in the last years. The results obtained with liver resections in 67 patients with benign and malignant tumors in a referral hospital for liver diseases in Mexico are analyzed retrospectively, with the aim of knowing the results obtained with such problems in our country. For benign diseases we operated on 36 patients with mean age of 45 years (26 were women), we had one operative death. In 31 patients with operations for malignant tumors (16 were primary liver tumors), the mean age was 52 years and 17 were men; there were eight operative deaths. Major hepatic resections are justified, the results are very satisfactory in benign disease; a major proportion of complications have to be accepted in patients with malignant disease; however, the results are good if we realize that those patients will die in few months if the tumor is not removed.

Labral Reattachment in Femoroacetabular Impingement Surgery Results in Increased 10-year Survivorship Compared With Resection.

PubMed

Anwander, Helen; Siebenrock, Klaus A; Tannast, Moritz; Steppacher, Simon D

2017-04-01

Since the importance of an intact labrum for normal hip function has been shown, labral reattachment has become the standard method for open or arthroscopic treatment of hips with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). However, no long-term clinical results exist evaluating the effect of labral reattachment. A 2-year followup comparing open surgical treatment of FAI with labral resection versus reattachment was previously performed at our clinic. The goal of this study was to report a concise followup of these patients at a minimum of 10 years. We asked if patients undergoing surgical hip dislocation for the treatment of mixed-type FAI with labral reattachment compared with labral resection had (1) improved hip pain and function based on the Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score; and (2) improved survival at 10-year followup. Between June 1999 and July 2002, we performed surgical hip dislocation with femoral neck osteoplasty and acetabular rim trimming in 52 patients (60 hips) with mixed-type FAI. In the first 20 patients (25 hips) until June 2001, a torn labrum or a detached labrum in the area of acetabular rim resection was resected. In the next 32 patients (35 hips), reattachment of the labrum was performed. The same indications were used to perform both procedures during the periods in question. Of the 20 patients (25 hips) in the first group, 19 patients (95%) (24 hips [96%]) were available for clinical and/or radiographic followup at a minimum of 10 years (mean, 13 years; range, 12-14 years). Of the 32 patients (35 hips) in the second group, 29 patients (91%) (32 hips [91%]) were available for clinical and/or radiographic followup at a minimum of 10 years (mean, 12 years; range, 10-13 years). We used the anterior impingement test to assess pain. Function was assessed using the Merle d'Aubigné- Postel score and ROM. Survivorship calculation was performed using the method of Kaplan-Meier with failure defined as conversion to THA, progression of osteoarthritis (of one

Obtaining an equivalent beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Thomas G.

1990-01-01

In modeling a complex structure the researcher was faced with a component that would have logical appeal if it were modeled as a beam. The structure was a mast of a robot controlled gantry crane. The structure up to this point already had a large number of degrees of freedom, so the idea of conserving grid points by modeling the mast as a beam was attractive. The researcher decided to make a separate problem of of the mast and model it in three dimensions with plates, then extract the equivalent beam properties by setting up the loading to simulate beam-like deformation and constraints. The results could then be used to represent the mast as a beam in the full model. A comparison was made of properties derived from models of different constraints versus manual calculations. The researcher shows that the three-dimensional model is ineffective in trying to conform to the requirements of an equivalent beam representation. If a full 3-D plate model were used in the complete representation of the crane structure, good results would be obtained. Since the attempt is to economize on the size of the model, a better way to achieve the same results is to use substructuring and condense the mast to equivalent end boundary and intermediate mass points.

Sixteen-year comparisons of parent-reported emotional and behaviour problems and competencies in Norwegian children aged 7-9 years.

PubMed

Nøvik, Torunn Stene; Jozefiak, Thomas

2014-04-01

Studies about changes in the prevalence of emotional and behaviour problems across time are lacking, especially among younger children. To determine if the level of parent-reported emotional and behaviour problems and competencies in young Norwegian school children had changed across a 16-year time interval. We compared parent reports obtained by the Child Behavior Checklist in two samples of children aged 7-9 years from the general population assessed in 1991 and 2007. The results demonstrated overall stability or slight decreases of emotional and behaviour problems and a significant increase in competencies, mainly due to increased activity and social competence scores in the 2007 sample. Boys obtained higher scores than girls in Total Problems, Externalizing and Attention problems at both time points and there was a high stability of the rank order of items. The findings suggest stability in child emotional and behaviour problems, and an increase of competencies across the period.

Vaccinations in the first year of life and risk of atopic disease - Results from the KiGGS study.

PubMed

Schlaud, Martin; Schmitz, Roma; Poethko-Müller, Christina; Kuhnert, Ronny

2017-09-12

The study focused on the question of whether and - if so - to what direction and extent immunisations in the 1st year may be associated with the risk of being diagnosed with atopic diseases after the 1st year of life. Data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS, 2003-2006) were analysed. For analyses of potential associations between vaccination status and risk of hay fever, atopic dermatitis or asthma, sample sizes of 15254, 14297, and 15262, respectively, were available. Children with a sufficient TDPHiHeP vaccination at the end of the 1st year of life had a lower risk of being diagnosed with hay fever after the 1st year of life (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.76-0.96). Analyses for associations between TDPHiHeP vaccination and risk of atopic dermatitis or asthma, or between age at onset of vaccination or of the number of antigens vaccinated in the 1st year of life and risk of atopic disease failed to yield statistical significance. Our results provide no evidence that immunisations in the 1st year of life may increase the risk of atopic disease. If any association exists at all, our results may be interpreted as weakly supportive of the hypothesis that immunisations may slightly decrease the risk of atopy in later life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pyrosequencing analysis of the microbiota of kusaya gravy obtained from Izu Islands.

PubMed

Fujii, Tateo; Kyoui, Daisuke; Takahashi, Hajime; Kuda, Takashi; Kimura, Bon; Washizu, Yukio; Emoto, Eiji; Hiramoto, Tadahiro

2016-12-05

Kusaya is a salted, dried fish product traditionally produced on the Izu Islands in Japan. Fish are added to kusaya gravy repeatedly and intermittently, and used over several hundred years, which makes unique microbiota and unique flavors. In this study, we performed a metagenomic analysis to compare the composition of the microbiota of kusaya gravy between different islands. Twenty samples obtained from a total of 13 manufacturers on three islands (Hachijojima, Niijima, and Oshima Islands) were analyzed. The statistical analysis revealed that the microbiota in kusaya gravy maintain a stable composition regardless of the production steps, and that the microbiota are characteristic to the particular islands. The bacterial taxa common to all of the samples were not necessarily the dominant ones. On the other hand, the genera Halanaerobium and Tissierella were found to be characteristic to the microbiota of one or two islands. Because these genera are known to be present in the natural environment, it is likely that the bacterial strains peculiar to an island had colonized kusaya gravy for many years. The results of this study revealed an influence of geographical conditions on the microbiota in fermented food. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality index of radiological devices: results of one year of use.

PubMed

Tofani, Alessandro; Imbordino, Patrizia; Lecci, Antonio; Bonannini, Claudia; Del Corona, Alberto; Pizzi, Stefano

2003-01-01

The physical quality index (QI) of radiological devices summarises in a single numerical value between 0 and 1 the results of constancy tests. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the results of the use of such an index on all public radiological devices in the Livorno province over one year. The quality index was calculated for 82 radiological devices of a wide range of types by implementing its algorithm in a spreadsheet-based software for the automatic handling of quality control data. The distribution of quality index values was computed together with the associated statistical quantities. This distribution is strongly asymmetrical, with a sharp peak near the highest QI values. The mean quality index values for the different types of device show some inhomogeneity: in particular, mammography and panoramic dental radiography devices show far lower quality than other devices. In addition, our analysis has identified the parameters that most frequently do not pass the quality tests for each type of device. Finally, we sought some correlation between quality and age of the device, but this was poorly significant. The quality index proved to be a useful tool providing an overview of the physical conditions of radiological devices. By selecting adequate QI threshold values for, it also helps to decide whether a given device should be upgraded or replaced. The identification of critical parameters for each type of device may be used to improve the definition of the QI by attributing greater weights to critical parameters, so as to better address the maintenance of radiological devices.

Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey: Key Results Two Years Into The Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchis, Franck; Rameau, Julien; Nielsen, Eric L.; De Rosa, Robert J.; Esposito, Thomas; Draper, Zachary H.; Macintosh, Bruce; Graham, James R.; GPIES

2016-10-01

The Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey (GPIES) is targeting 600 young, nearby stars using the GPI instrument. We report here on recent results obtained with this instrument from our team.Rameau et al. (ApJL, 822 2, L2, 2016) presented astrometric monitoring of the young exoplanet HD 95086 b obtained with GPI between 2013 and 2016. Efficient Monte Carlo techniques place preliminary constraints on the orbital parameters of HD 95086 b. Under the assumption of a coplanar planet-disk system, the periastron of HD 95086 b is beyond 51 AU. Therefore, HD 95086 b cannot carve the entire gap inferred from the measured infrared excess in the SED of HD 95086. Additional photometric and spectroscopic measurements reported by de Rosa et al. (2016, apJ, in press) showed that the spectral energy distribution of HD 95086 b is best fit by low temperature (T~800-1300 K), low surface gravity spectra from models which simulate high photospheric dust content. Its temperature is typical to L/T transition objects, but the spectral type is poorly constrained. HD 95086 b is an important exoplanet to test our models of atmospheric properties of young extrasolar planets.Direct detections of debris disk are keys to infer the collisional past and understand the formation of planetary systems. Two debris disks were recently studied with GPI:- Draper et al. (submitted to ApJ, 2016) show the resolved circumstellar debris disk around HD 111520 at a projected range of ~30-100 AU using both total and polarized H-band intensity. Structures in the disks such as a large brightness asymmetry and symmetric polarization fraction are seen. Additional data would confirm if a large disruption event from a stellar fly-by or planetary perturbations altered the disk density- Esposito et al. (submitted to ApJ, 2016) combined Keck NIRC2 data taken at 1.2-2.3 microns and GPI 1.6 micron total intensity and polarized light detections that probes down to projected separations less than 10 AU to show that the HD

Clozapine, Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiovascular Risk and Mortality: Results of a 21-year Naturalistic Study in Patients with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder.

PubMed

Nemani, Katlyn L; Greene, M Claire; Ulloa, Melissa; Vincenzi, Brenda; Copeland, Paul M; Al-Khadari, Sulaiman; Henderson, David C

2017-11-22

The goal of this 21-year naturalistic study of clozapine treated patients was to examine the cardiovascular risk factors following clozapine initiation and resultant mortality estimates from cardiovascular disease. Data was collected from medical records of clozapine treated patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from January 1992 to February 2012. Demographics, clozapine dosage and laboratory results were extracted at 12-month intervals. At clozapine initiation, the mean age of 96 patients was 36.4 years ±7.6 years; N=27(28%) were women. The mean duration of clozapine use was 13 years. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year cardiovascular events was 29%, while the Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year mortality from cardiovascular disease was 10%. The mean cardiovascular risk increased during the first ten years (p<.01), while a slight decrease occurred beyond ten years (p<.01). Patients involved in cardiometabolic research showed a greater decrease in cardiovascular risk factors over 21 years (p = .05). The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year all-cause mortality was 22%. Forty-one patients were diagnosed with diabetes (42.7%), compared to a nationwide prevalence of 13.7% in a similar age group. These results support the hypothesis that clozapine-treated patients are at risk for cardiovascular events and death secondary to an increased risk of medical disorders. Interventions that target weight loss, smoking cessation, and lipid profile improvement may alleviate the increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Myanmar: results of 7 years of deworming.

PubMed

Tun, Aung; Myat, Su Mon; Gabrielli, Albis Francesco; Montresor, Antonio

2013-08-01

After a baseline survey in 2003 which showed an overall parasitological prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths of 69.7% in school children (prevalence of ascariasis 48.5%, prevalence of trichuriasis 57.5% and prevalence of hookworm infection 6.5), a national deworming programme was established. After 7 years of implementation, it had resulted in a significant reduction of STH prevalence (prevalence of any STH 21%, prevalence of ascariasis 5.8%, prevalence of trichuriasis 18.6% and prevalence of hookworm infection 0.3%) as well as a reduction of the infections of moderate-heavy intensity from 18.5% at baseline to less than 7%. The results are encouraging and a reduction of the frequency of deworming can be envisaged in two of four ecological areas of Myanmar. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigating the Teaching and Learning of Proof: First Year Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Tami S.; McCrone, Sharon Soucy

Although proof and reasoning are seen as fundamental components of learning mathematics, research shows that many students continue to struggle with geometric proofs. In order to relate pedagogical methods to students' understanding of geometric proof, this 3-year project focuses on 2 components of student understanding of proof, namely, students'…

Some Results on Sea Ice Rheology for the Seasonal Ice Zone, Obtained from the Deformation Field of Sea Ice Drift Pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyota, T.; Kimura, N.

2017-12-01

Sea ice rheology which relates sea ice stress to the large-scale deformation of the ice cover has been a big issue to numerical sea ice modelling. At present the treatment of internal stress within sea ice area is based mostly on the rheology formulated by Hibler (1979), where the whole sea ice area behaves like an isotropic and plastic matter under the ordinary stress with the yield curve given by an ellipse with an aspect ratio (e) of 2, irrespective of sea ice area and horizontal resolution of the model. However, this formulation was initially developed to reproduce the seasonal variation of the perennial ice in the Arctic Ocean. As for its applicability to the seasonal ice zones (SIZ), where various types of sea ice are present, it still needs validation from observational data. In this study, the validity of this rheology was examined for the Sea of Okhotsk ice, typical of the SIZ, based on the AMSR-derived ice drift pattern in comparison with the result obtained for the Beaufort Sea. To examine the dependence on a horizontal scale, the coastal radar data operated near the Hokkaido coast, Japan, were also used. Ice drift pattern was obtained by a maximum cross-correlation method with grid spacings of 37.5 km from the 89 GHz brightness temperature of AMSR-E for the entire Sea of Okhotsk and the Beaufort Sea and 1.3 km from the coastal radar for the near-shore Sea of Okhotsk. The validity of this rheology was investigated from a standpoint of work rate done by deformation field, following the theory of Rothrock (1975). In analysis, the relative rates of convergence were compared between theory and observation to check the shape of yield curve, and the strain ellipse at each grid cell was estimated to see the horizontal variation of deformation field. The result shows that the ellipse of e=1.7-2.0 as the yield curve represents the observed relative conversion rates well for all the ice areas. Since this result corresponds with the yield criterion by Tresca and

Framing 100-year overflowing and overtopping marine submersion hazard resulting from the propagation of 100-year joint hydrodynamic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolae Lerma, A.; Bulteau, T.; Elineau, S.; Paris, F.; Pedreros, R.

2016-12-01

Marine submersion is an increasing concern for coastal cities as urban development reinforces their vulnerabilities while climate change is likely to foster the frequency and magnitude of submersions. Characterising the coastal flooding hazard is therefore of paramount importance to ensure the security of people living in such places and for coastal planning. A hazard is commonly defined as an adverse phenomenon, often represented by a magnitude of a variable of interest (e.g. flooded area), hereafter called response variable, associated with a probability of exceedance or, alternatively, a return period. Characterising the coastal flooding hazard consists in finding the correspondence between the magnitude and the return period. The difficulty lies in the fact that the assessment is usually performed using physical numerical models taking as inputs scenarios composed by multiple forcing conditions that are most of the time interdependent. Indeed, a time series of the response variable is usually not available so we have to deal instead with time series of forcing variables (e.g. water level, waves). Thus, the problem is twofold: on the one hand, the definition of scenarios is a multivariate matter; on the other hand, it is tricky and approximate to associate the resulting response, being the output of the physical numerical model, to the return period defined for the scenarios. In this study, we illustrate the problem on the district of Leucate, located in the French Mediterranean coast. A multivariate extreme value analysis of waves and water levels is performed offshore using a conditional extreme model, then two different methods are used to define and select 100-year scenarios of forcing variables: one based on joint exceedance probability contours, a method classically used in coastal risks studies, the other based on environmental contours, which are commonly used in the field of structure design engineering. We show that these two methods enable one to

Spermiogram and sperm head morphometry assessed by multivariate cluster analysis results during adolescence (12-18 years) and the effect of varicocele

PubMed Central

Vásquez, Fernando; Soler, Carles; Camps, Patricia; Valverde, Anthony; García-Molina, Almudena

2016-01-01

This work evaluates sperm head morphometric characteristics in adolescents from 12 to 18 years of age, and the effect of varicocele. Volunteers between 150 and 224 months of age (mean 191, n = 87), who had reached oigarche by 12 years old, were recruited in the area of Barranquilla, Colombia. Morphometric analysis of sperm heads was performed with principal component (PC) and discriminant analysis. Combining seminal fluid and sperm parameters provided five PCs: two related to sperm morphometry, one to sperm motility, and two to seminal fluid components. Discriminant analysis on the morphometric results of varicocele and nonvaricocele groups did not provide a useful classification matrix. Of the semen-related PCs, the most explanatory (40%) was related to sperm motility. Two PCs, including sperm head elongation and size, were sufficient to evaluate sperm morphometric characteristics. Most of the morphometric variables were correlated with age, with an increase in size and decrease in the elongation of the sperm head. For head size, the entire sperm population could be divided into two morphometric subpopulations, SP1 and SP2, which did not change during adolescence. In general, for varicocele individuals, SP1 had larger and more elongated sperm heads than SP2, which had smaller and more elongated heads than in nonvaricocele men. In summary, sperm head morphometry assessed by CASA-Morph and multivariate cluster analysis provides a better comprehension of the ejaculate structure and possibly sperm function. Morphometric analysis provides much more information than data obtained from conventional semen analysis. PMID:27751986

Allegations of Failure to Obtain Informed Consent in Spinal Surgery Medical Malpractice Claims

PubMed Central

Grauberger, Jennifer; Kerezoudis, Panagiotis; Choudhry, Asad J.; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Nassr, Ahmad; Currier, Bradford

2017-01-01

Importance Predictive factors associated with increased risk of medical malpractice litigation have been identified, including severity of injury, physician sex, and error in diagnosis. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating informed consent in spinal surgery malpractice. Objective To investigate the failure to obtain informed consent as an allegation in medical malpractice claims for patients undergoing a spinal procedure. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study, a national medicolegal database was searched for malpractice claim cases related to spinal surgery for all years available (ie, January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2015). Main Outcomes and Measures Failure to obtain informed consent and associated medical malpractice case verdict. Results A total of 233 patients (117 [50.4%] male and 116 [49.8%] female; 80 with no informed consent allegation and 153 who cited lack of informed consent) who underwent spinal surgery and filed a malpractice claim were studied (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [13.1] years in the total group, 45.8 [12.9] years in the control group, and 47.9 [13.3] years in the informed consent group). Median interval between year of surgery and year of verdict was 5.4 years (interquartile range, 4-7 years). The most common informed consent allegations were failure to explain risks and adverse effects of surgery (52 [30.4%]) and failure to explain alternative treatment options (17 [9.9%]). In bivariate analysis, patients in the control group were more likely to require additional surgery (45 [56.3%] vs 53 [34.6%], P = .002) and have more permanent injuries compared with the informed consent group (46 [57.5%] vs 63 [42.0%], P = .03). On multivariable regression analysis, permanent injuries were more often associated with indemnity payment after a plaintiff verdict (odds ratio [OR], 3.12; 95% CI, 1.46-6.65; P = .003) or a settlement (OR, 6.26; 95% CI, 1.06-36.70; P = .04). Informed consent

[Short and long term results of aortic valve replacement in patients 80 years of age and older].

PubMed

Mortasawi, A; Gehle, S; Yaghmaie, M; Schröder, T; Ennker, I C; Rosendahl, U; Albert, A; Ennker, J

2001-03-01

Due to demographic changes in average life expectancy the age of patients undergoing cardiac surgery is increasing as well. We have reviewed the short- and long-term outcome in patients over 80 years of age after aortic valve replacement with or without concomitant coronary grafting. From 1.1.1995 until 31.12.1999, 126 patients (93 women, 33 men between 80 and 89 years, 82.8 +/- 2.4) underwent aortic valve replacement. 64 patients (group A) received isolated valve replacement, 62 (group B) underwent myocardial revascularization as well. The 30-day hospital mortality rate was 6.3% for group A and 14.5% for group B. The follow-up time ranged between 3 and 63 months (32 +/- 16). None of the patients had to be reoperated for prosthetic valve dysfunction or endocarditis. Bleeding complications due to anticoagulation therapy were observed by one patient from group A 3 years after the operation. Of the 15 deaths during the follow-up period seven (47%) were cardiac in nature and two (13%) related to stroke. Acturial survival rates for group A were 89%, 85% and 77% at 1, 2 and 3 years, and for group B 76%, 72% and 70%. Permanent nursing care was not required 1 year after the operation by 100% of patients in group A (2 years: 98%, 3 years 95%) and by 100% of patients in group B (2 years: 93%, 3 years: 90%). At an interval of 1 year after the operation 96% of patients in group A had not been hospitalized as a result of cardiac disorders (2 years: 96%, 3 years: 94%). The rates for group B were 88%, 81% and 75%. Compared with younger age groups, aortic valve replacement in patients 80 years of age and older is associated with a distinctly increased mortality and morbidity. However, our data suggest that considering the poor prognosis of conservative therapy of symptomatic aortic valve disease, functional status as well as life expectancy in this age group seem to be positively influenced by aortic valve replacement.

Idaho's surface-water-quality monitoring program: results from five sites sampled during water years 1990-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1994-01-01

In 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality, implemented a statewide water-quality monitoring program in response to Idaho's antidegradation policy as required by the Clean Water Act. The program objective is to provide water-quality managers with a coordinated statewide network to detect trends in surface-water quality. The monitoring program includes the collection and analysis of samples from 56 sites on the Bear, Clearwater, Kootenai, Pend Oreille, Salmon, Snake, and Spokane Rivers and their tributaries (fig. 1). Samples are collected every year at 5 sites (annual sites) in drainage basins where long-term water-quality management is practiced, every other year at 19 sites (biennial sites) in basins where land and water uses change slowly, and every third year at 32 sites (triennial sites) where future development may affect water quality. Each year, 25 of the 56 sites are sampled. This report discusses results of sampling at five annual sites. During water years 1990-93 (October 1, 1989, through September 30, 1993), samples were collected six times per year at the five annual sites (fig. 1). Onsite analyses were made for discharge, specific conductance, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), and alkalinity. Laboratory analyses were made for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Suspended sediment, nitrate, fecal coliform, trace elements, and specific conductance were used to characterize surface-water quality. Because concentrations of all trace elements except zinc were near detection limits, only zinc is discussed.

Randomized trial of tacrolimus + mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine versus cyclosporine + mycophenolate mofetil after cadaveric kidney transplantation: results at three years.

PubMed

Gonwa, Thomas; Johnson, Christopher; Ahsan, Nasimul; Alfrey, Edward J; Halloran, Philip; Stegall, Mark; Hardy, Mark; Metzger, Robert; Shield, Charles; Rocher, Leslie; Scandling, John; Sorensen, John; Mulloy, Laura; Light, Jimmy; Corwin, Claudia; Danovitch, Gabriel; Wachs, Michael; VanVeldhuisen, Paul; Leonhardt, Maryanne; Fitzsimmons, William E

2003-06-27

Two hundred twenty-three recipients of first cadaveric kidney allografts were randomized to receive tacrolimus (TAC) + mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), TAC + azathioprine (AZA), or cyclosporine (Neoral; CsA) + MMF. All regimens contained corticosteroids, and antibody induction was used only in patients who experienced delayed graft function (DGF). Patients were followed-up for 3 years. The results at 3 years corroborate and extend the findings of the 2-year results. Patients with DGF treated with TAC+MMF experienced an increase in 3-year allograft survival compared with patients receiving CsA+MMF (84.1% vs. 49.9%, P=0.02). Patients randomized to either treatment arm containing TAC exhibited numerically superior kidney function when compared with CsA. During the 3 years, new-onset insulin dependence occurred in 6, 3, and 11 patients in the TAC+MMF, CsA+MMF, and TAC+AZA treatment arms, respectively. Furthermore, patients randomized to TAC+MMF received significantly lower doses of MMF as compared with those who received CsA+MMF. All three immunosuppressive regimens provided excellent safety and efficacy. However, the best results overall were achieved with TAC+MMF. The combination may provide particular benefit to kidney allograft recipients with DGF. In patients who experienced DGF, graft survival was better at 3 years in those patients receiving TAC in combination with either MMF or AZA as compared with the patients receiving CsA with MMF.

Phylogenetic analysis of anaerobic psychrophilic enrichment cultures obtained from a greenland glacier ice core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheridan, Peter P.; Miteva, Vanya I.; Brenchley, Jean E.

2003-01-01

The examination of microorganisms in glacial ice cores allows the phylogenetic relationships of organisms frozen for thousands of years to be compared with those of current isolates. We developed a method for aseptically sampling a sediment-containing portion of a Greenland ice core that had remained at -9 degrees C for over 100,000 years. Epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry results showed that the ice sample contained over 6 x 10(7) cells/ml. Anaerobic enrichment cultures inoculated with melted ice were grown and maintained at -2 degrees C. Genomic DNA extracted from these enrichments was used for the PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with bacterial and archaeal primers and the preparation of clone libraries. Approximately 60 bacterial inserts were screened by restriction endonuclease analysis and grouped into 27 unique restriction fragment length polymorphism types, and 24 representative sequences were compared phylogenetically. Diverse sequences representing major phylogenetic groups including alpha, beta, and gamma Proteobacteria as well as relatives of the Thermus, Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Clostridium groups were found. Sixteen clone sequences were closely related to those from known organisms, with four possibly representing new species. Seven sequences may reflect new genera and were most closely related to sequences obtained only by PCR amplification. One sequence was over 12% distant from its closest relative and may represent a novel order or family. These results show that phylogenetically diverse microorganisms have remained viable within the Greenland ice core for at least 100,000 years.

The International Geophysical Year in Antarctica: Uncommon Collaborations, Unprecedented Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belanger, Dian Olson

2004-01-01

When 1 July 1957 ''dawned'' in the dark of the south polar night, Americans at seven scientific stations scattered across Antarctica officially began systematic, synoptic observations of the air above and ice below. Joining scientists from 11 other countries on the polar continent, they were part of the International Geophysical Year, an 18-month…

Sugar maple provenance study: West Virginia outplanting - 10-year results

Treesearch

G. W. Wendel; W. J. Gabriel

1980-01-01

After 10 years, survival of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) provenances outplanted in West Virginia did not differ significantly. Total height, height growth and dbh measurements were significantly different among provenances. Fifty percent of the trees had major forks below 9.0 feet. Thirty-eight percent of the trees had no forks but 71 percent...

Superion Interspinous Spacer Treatment of Moderate Spinal Stenosis: 4-Year Results.

PubMed

Nunley, Pierce D; Patel, Vikas V; Orndorff, Douglas G; Lavelle, William F; Block, Jon E; Geisler, Fred H

2017-08-01

To determine 4-year clinical outcomes in patients with moderate lumbar spinal stenosis treated with minimally invasive stand-alone interspinous process decompression using the Superion device. The 4-year Superion data were extracted from a randomized, controlled Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemption trial. Patients with intermittent neurogenic claudication relieved with back flexion who failed at least 6 months of nonsurgical management were enrolled. Outcomes included Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) symptom severity (ss), physical function (pf) and patient satisfaction (ps) subdomains, leg and back pain visual analog scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). At 4-year follow-up, 89 of the 122 patients (73%) provided complete clinical outcome evaluations. At 4 years after index procedure, 75 of 89 patients with Superion (84.3%) demonstrated clinical success on at least 2 of 3 ZCQ domains. Individual component responder rates were 83% (74/89), 79% (70/89), and 87% (77/89) for ZCQss, ZCQpf, and ZCQps; 78% (67/86) and 66% (57/86) for leg and back pain VAS; and 62% (55/89) for ODI. Patients with Superion also demonstrated percentage improvements over baseline of 41%, 40%, 73%, 69%, and 61% for ZCQss, ZCQpf, leg pain VAS, back pain VAS, and ODI. Within-group effect sizes all were classified as very large (>1.0): 1.49, 1.65, 1.42, 1.12, and 1.46 for ZCQss, ZCQpf, leg pain VAS, back pain VAS, and ODI. Minimally invasive implantation of the Superion device provides long-term, durable relief of symptoms of intermittent neurogenic claudication for patients with moderate lumbar spinal stenosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uncertainties in obtaining high reliability from stress-strength models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Donald M.; Matthews, William T.; Vangel, Mark G.

1992-01-01

There has been a recent interest in determining high statistical reliability in risk assessment of aircraft components. The potential consequences are identified of incorrectly assuming a particular statistical distribution for stress or strength data used in obtaining the high reliability values. The computation of the reliability is defined as the probability of the strength being greater than the stress over the range of stress values. This method is often referred to as the stress-strength model. A sensitivity analysis was performed involving a comparison of reliability results in order to evaluate the effects of assuming specific statistical distributions. Both known population distributions, and those that differed slightly from the known, were considered. Results showed substantial differences in reliability estimates even for almost nondetectable differences in the assumed distributions. These differences represent a potential problem in using the stress-strength model for high reliability computations, since in practice it is impossible to ever know the exact (population) distribution. An alternative reliability computation procedure is examined involving determination of a lower bound on the reliability values using extreme value distributions. This procedure reduces the possibility of obtaining nonconservative reliability estimates. Results indicated the method can provide conservative bounds when computing high reliability. An alternative reliability computation procedure is examined involving determination of a lower bound on the reliability values using extreme value distributions. This procedure reduces the possibility of obtaining nonconservative reliability estimates. Results indicated the method can provide conservative bounds when computing high reliability.

Stent placement vs. balloon angioplasty for popliteal artery treatment: two-year results of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial.

PubMed

Rastan, Aljoscha; Krankenberg, Hans; Baumgartner, Iris; Blessing, Erwin; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan; Pilger, Ernst; Scheinert, Dierk; Lammer, Johannes; Beschorner, Ulrich; Noory, Elias; Neumann, Franz-Josef; Zeller, Thomas

2015-02-01

To investigate the 2-year technical and clinical results of primary nitinol stent placement in comparison with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of de novo lesions of the popliteal artery. The ETAP study (Endovascular Treatment of Atherosclerotic Popliteal Artery Lesions: balloon angioplasty vs. primary stenting; www.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00712309) is a prospective, randomized trial that enrolled 246 patients (158 men; mean age 72 years) who were randomly assigned to receive a nitinol stent (n=119) or PTA (n=127) for lesions averaging 42.3 mm in length. The results of the primary study endpoint were published. Secondary outcome measures and endpoints included primary patency (freedom from duplex-detected target lesion restenosis), target lesion revascularization (TLR), secondary patency, changes in ankle-brachial index and Rutherford class, and event-free survival (freedom from target limb amputation, TLR, myocardial infarction, and death). In total, 183 patients (89 stent and 94 PTA) were available for the 2-year analysis. The primary patency rate was significantly higher in the stent group (64.2%) than in the PTA group (31.3%, p=0.0001). TLR rates were 22.4% and 59.5%, respectively (p=0.0001). When provisional stent placement in the PTA arm was not considered as TLR and loss in patency, the differences prevailed between the study groups but were not significant (64.2% vs. 56.1% for primary patency, respectively; p=0.44). A significant improvement in ABI and Rutherford category was observed at 2 years in both groups. In treatment of obstructive popliteal artery lesions, provisional stenting reveals equivalent patency in comparison to primary stenting. However, the 2-year results of this trial suggest the possibility of a shift toward higher patency rates in favor of primary stenting. © The Author(s) 2015.

The Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS): 13. Comparison of treatment outcomes within race: 10-year results.

PubMed

Ederer, Fred; Gaasterland, Douglas A; Dally, Leonard G; Kim, Jonghyeon; VanVeldhuisen, Paul C; Blackwell, Beth; Prum, Bruce; Shafranov, George; Allen, Robert C; Beck, Allen

2004-04-01

To present for black and white patients with medically uncontrolled glaucoma 10-year results of treatment with 1 of 2 randomly assigned surgical intervention sequences. Randomized clinical trial. Three hundred thirty-two black patients (451 eyes) and 249 white patients (325 eyes). Eyes had glaucoma that could not be controlled with medications alone. Eyes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 sequences: argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT)-trabeculectomy-trabeculectomy (ATT) or trabeculectomy-ALT-trabeculectomy (TAT). Second and third interventions were offered after failure of the preceding intervention. Minimum required intraocular pressure (IOP) for intervention failure ranged upward from 18 mmHg, the value depending on whether recent optic disc or visual field (VF) deterioration occurred, and on the magnitude of the field defect. Patients were observed every 6 months, with total potential follow-up ranging from 8 years, 4 months to 13 years. The averages over follow-up of (1) the percentage of eyes having moderate loss of VF and (2) the percentage of eyes having moderate loss of visual acuity (VA). Race-treatment interactions in VF and VA loss are significant for the 2 main outcome measures; therefore, results of treatment sequence differences are presented by race. In black patients the average percent of eyes with VF loss was less in the ATT sequence than in the TAT sequence, a difference that is not statistically significant at any visit. In white patients, conversely, after 18 months the average percent of eyes with VF loss was less in the TAT sequence, a difference that increases and is statistically significant in years 8 to 10. In both black and white patients, the average percent of eyes with VA loss was less in the ATT sequence; this difference is statistically significant throughout 10 follow-up years in black patients and is statistically significant only for the first year in white patients. In both black and white patients, average IOP reductions were

Treatment of Visceral Aneurysm Using Multilayer Stent: Two-Year Follow-Up Results in Five Consecutive Patients

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

Balderi, Alberto, E-mail: balders@libero.it; Antonietti, Alberto, E-mail: antonietti.a@ospedale.cuneo.it; Pedrazzini, Fulvio, E-mail: pedrazzini.f@ospedale.cuneo.it

Purpose: The present study was performed to analyze the midterm results (five consecutive patients, 2-year follow-up) of the endovascular management of visceral artery aneurysms using the Cardiatis Multilayer Flow Modulator (CMFM) (Cardiatis, Isnes, Belgium), a self-expandable stent. Materials and Methods: From August 2009 to January 2011, we implanted five CMFMs in five patients (all men; mean age 73 years) to treat two common hepatic artery aneurysms, one celiac trunk aneurysm, one splenic artery aneurysm, and one superior mesenteric artery aneurysm (diameter 25-81 mm). The primary end point was technical success. The secondary end point was stent patency, absence of aneurysmmore » rupture or reperfusion, and shrinking of the sac at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up using computed tomography angiography. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 48 months (mean 31.2). Results: Technical success was achieved in all patients. Complete exclusion of the aneurysm with sac shrinking was achieved in two patients. Two stents became occluded at 6- and 24-month follow-up, respectively; both patients were asymptomatic and were not retreated. One patient developed sac reperfusion due to incomplete aneurysm exclusion. Conclusion: Long-term results in a wider population are needed to validate the effectiveness of the CMFM.« less

[Functional and aesthetic results of orthopaedic treatment of midshaft fractures of the clavicle. A 22 years follow-up study].

PubMed

Sirvent-Díaz, E; Calmet-García, J; Capdevila-Baulenes, J

2014-01-01

To evaluate the functional results of the orthopaedic treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures with a minimum follow-up of 15 years. A retrospective study was conducted on 40 patients, mean age 35 years (18-64) with a non-surgically treated clavicle fracture. The mean follow-up was more than 22 years (15-32). The clinical evaluation was performed with the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (DASH), Constant Shoulder Score test (CSS), EVA score, and a subjective assessment of the final result. Fractures were classified according to Neer's criteria. The radiological evaluation was performed with an anteroposterior and 45° cefalic anteroposterior oblique X-Ray. A mean DASH score 2.17 points (0-20.82), the mean CSS score was 98.2 (79-100), the mean EVA score was 0.42 (0-6), and 100% patients were satisfied, with good or excellent results. The control X-Ray showed 39 healed fractures (97.5%) with a mean shortening of 6.4mm (0-20). The presence of comminution and/or shortening of 15 mm or more had the worst functional and radiographic results. Despite this, non-surgical treatment showed excellent functional and radiographic results, and a high personal satisfaction. Copyright © 2012 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

[Effect of a multidisciplinar protocol on the clinical results obtained after bariatric surgery].

PubMed

Cánovas Gaillemin, B; Sastre Martos, J; Moreno Segura, G; Llamazares Iglesias, O; Familiar Casado, C; Abad de Castro, S; López Pardo, R; Sánchez-Cabezudo Muñoz, M A

2011-01-01

Bariatric surgery has been shown to be an effective therapy for weight loss in patients with severe obesity, and the implementation of a multidisciplinar management protocol is recommended. To assess the usefulness of the implementation of a management protocol in obesity surgery based on the Spanish Consensus Document of the SEEDO. Retrospective comparative study of the outcomes in patients previously operated (51 patients) and after the implementation of the protocol (66 patients). The following data were gathered: anthropometry, pre-and post-surgery comorbidities, post-surgical nutritional and surgical complications, validated Quality of Life questionnaire, and dietary habits. Withdrawals (l7.6%) and alcoholism (5.8%) were higher in patients pre- versus post-implementation of the protocol (4.5% vs. 3%, respectively), the differences being statistically significant. The mortality rate was 2% in the pre-protocol group and 0% in the postprotocol group. The dietary habits were better in the post-protocol group, the pre-protocol group presenting a higher percentage of feeding-behavior disorders (5.1%) although not reaching a statistical significance. The improvement in quality of life was higher in the post-protocol group for all items, but only reaching statistical significance in sexual activity (p = 0.004). In the pre-protocol group, 70.5% of the patients had more than one nutritional complication vs. 32.8% in the post-protocol group (p < 0.05). There were no differences regarding the percentage of weight in excess lost at two years (> 50% in 81.3% in the pre-protocol group vs. 74.8% in the pos-protocol group) or the comorbidities. Bariatric surgery achieves excellent outcomes in weight loss, comorbidities, and quality of life, but presents nutritional, surgical, and psychiatric complications that require a protocol-based and multidisciplinary approach. Our protocol improves the outcomes regarding the withdrawal rates, feeding-behavior disorders, dietary habits

Dosimetric Consistency of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit- a ten years Study.

PubMed

Baba, Misba H; Mohib-Ul-Haq, M; Khan, Aijaz A

2013-01-01

The goal of the Radiation standards and Dosimetry is to ensure that the output of the Teletherapy Unit is within ±2% of the stated one and the output of the treatment dose calculation methods are within ±5%. In the present paper, we studied the dosimetry of Cobalt-60 (Co-60) Teletherapy unit at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for last 10 years. Radioactivity is the phenomenon of disintegration of unstable nuclides called radionuclides. Among these radionuclides, Cobalt-60, incorporated in Telecobalt Unit, is commonly used in therapeutic treatment of cancer. Cobalt-60 being unstable decays continuously into Ni-60 with half life of 5.27 years thereby resulting in the decrease in its activity, hence dose rate (output). It is, therefore, mandatory to measure the dose rate of the Cobalt-60 source regularly so that the patient receives the same dose every time as prescribed by the radiation oncologist. The under dosage may lead to unsatisfactory treatment of cancer and over dosage may cause radiation hazards. Our study emphasizes the consistency between actual output and output obtained using decay method. The methodology involved in the present study is the calculations of actual dose rate of Co-60 Teletherapy Unit by two techniques i.e. Source to Surface Distance (SSD) and Source to Axis Distance (SAD), used for the External Beam Radiotherapy, of various cancers, using the standard methods. Thereby, a year wise comparison has been made between average actual dosimetric output (dose rate) and the average expected output values (obtained by using decay method for Co-60.). The present study shows that there is a consistency in the average output (dose rate) obtained by the actual dosimetry values and the expected output values obtained using decay method. The values obtained by actual dosimetry are within ±2% of the expected values. The results thus obtained in a year wise comparison of average output by actual dosimetry done regularly as a part of

Concussions From Youth Football: Results From NEISS Hospitals Over an 11-Year Time Frame, 2002-2012.

PubMed

Jacobson, Nathan A; Buzas, David; Morawa, Lawrence G

2013-12-01

Youth football programs across the United States represent an at-risk population of approximately 3.5 million athletes for sports-related concussions. The frequency of concussions in this population is not known. Descriptive epidemiology study. Over an 11-year span from January 2002 to December 2012, the authors reviewed the concussions sustained by athletes aged 5 to 13 years while playing football, as evaluated in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States and captured by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. There were 2028 (national estimate, 49,185) young football players evaluated in NEISS EDs with concussion from 2002 to 2012. There were 1987 (97.9%) males and 41 (2.1%) females, with a mean age of 11.2 years. The total number of concussions reported increased with age and by year. The majority of concussions were treated in the outpatient setting, with 1878 (91.7%) being treated and released. The total number of head-to-head injury mechanisms mirrored the total number of concussions by year, which increased throughout the 11-year span. The total number of players experiencing a loss of consciousness increased throughout the study period but did not match the total number of concussions over the 11-year time period. Fractures occurred in 11 (0.5%) patients, with 2 being severe (1 skull fracture and 1 thoracic compression fracture). Within the 5- to 13-year age range, there were a significant number of young athletes who presented to EDs with concussion as a result of playing organized football. Older children may be at greater risk for sustaining concussions, fractures, and catastrophic injuries while playing football when compared with younger children. Younger children are more susceptible to long-term sequelae from head injuries, and thus, improved monitoring systems for these athletes are needed to assist in monitoring patterns of injury, identifying risk factors, and

Comparison of the identification results of Candida species obtained by BD Phoenix™ and Maldi-TOF (Bruker Microflex LT Biotyper 3.1).

PubMed

Marucco, Andrea P; Minervini, Patricia; Snitman, Gabriela V; Sorge, Adriana; Guelfand, Liliana I; Moral, Laura López

2018-02-05

In patients with invasive fungal infections, the accurate and rapid identification of the genus Candida is of utmost importance since antimycotic sensitivity is closely related to the species. The aim of the present study was to compare the identification results of species of the genus Candida obtained by BD Phoenix™ (Becton Dickinson [BD]) and Maldi-TOF MS (Bruker Microflex LT Biotyper 3.1). A total of 192 isolates from the strain collection belonging to the Mycology Network of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, were analyzed. The observed concordance was 95%. Only 10 strains (5%) were not correctly identified by the BD Phoenix™ system. The average identification time with the Yeast ID panels was 8h 22min. The BD Phoenix™ system proved to be a simple, reliable and effective method for identifying the main species of the genus Candida. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effect of 1 year of an intentional weight loss intervention on bone mineral density in type 2 diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD randomized trial.

PubMed

Schwartz, Ann V; Johnson, Karen C; Kahn, Steven E; Shepherd, John A; Nevitt, Michael C; Peters, Anne L; Walkup, Michael P; Hodges, Amelia; Williams, Carrie C; Bray, George A

2012-03-01

Intentional weight loss is an important component of treatment for overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, but the effects on bone density are not known. We used data from the Look AHEAD trial to determine the impact of an intensive lifestyle weight loss intervention (ILI) compared with diabetes support and education (DSE) on changes in bone mineral density (BMD) over 12 months. Overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to ILI or DSE. In a substudy of BMD conducted at 5 of 16 clinical centers, hip, spine, and whole body dual X-ray absorptiometry scans were obtained at baseline and 1-year later on 642 of 739 ILI and 632 of 740 DSE participants. At baseline, mean age was 58.4 years, and average body mass index was 35.2 kg/m(2). Total hip BMD T-score was <-2.5 in 1% and <-1.0 in 8%. At 1 year, weight loss was greater in ILI than DSE (-8.6% versus -0.7%), and glycemic control and fitness were also improved. Bone loss over 1 year was greater in ILI at the total hip (-1.4% versus -0.4%; p < 0.001) and femoral neck (-1.5% versus -0.8%; p = 0.009), but change in BMD for the lumbar spine and whole body did not differ between groups. In ILI, bone loss at the total hip was independently associated with weight loss in men and women and with poorer glycemic control in men, but was not associated with changes in fitness. One year of an intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with type 2 diabetes, resulting in weight loss, was associated with a modest increase in hip bone loss despite improved fitness and glycemic control. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Meniscectomy versus meniscal repair: 10 years radiological and clinical results in vertical lesions in stable knee.

PubMed

Lutz, C; Dalmay, F; Ehkirch, F P; Cucurulo, T; Laporte, C; Le Henaff, G; Potel, J F; Pujol, N; Rochcongar, G; Salledechou, E; Seil, R; Gunepin, F-X; Sonnery-Cottet, B

2015-12-01

Surgical management of meniscal lesion consists of either a meniscectomy or meniscal repair. Although repair offers immediate recovery after surgery, it is also associated with higher rates of revision. A meniscectomy, on the other hand is known to be associated with an early onset of osteoarthritis. The present study compared clinical and radiological results at 10 years between meniscectomy and meniscal repair in isolated vertical lesion in an otherwise stable knee. The hypothesis was that repair shows functional and radiological benefit over meniscectomy. A multi-centric retrospective comparative study of 32 patients (24 male, 8 female). Mean follow-up was 10.6 years (range, 10-13 years). There were 10 meniscal repairs (group R) and 22 meniscectomies (group M), in 17 right and 15 left knees. Mean age at surgery was 33.45±12.3 years (range, 9-47 years). There were 28 medial and 4 lateral meniscal lesions; 26 were in the red-red zone and 6 in red-white zone. Functional score: KOOS score was significantly higher in group R than M on almost all parameters: 98±4.69 versus 77.38±21.97 for symptoms (P=0.0043), 96.89±7.20 versus 78.57±18.9 for pain (P=0.0052), 99.89±0.33 versus 80.88±19.6 for daily life activities (P=0.0002), 96.11±9.83 versus 54.05±32.85 for sport and leisure (P=0.0005), but 91±16.87 versus 68.15±37.7 for quality of life (P=0.1048). Radiology score: in group R, 7 patients had no features of osteoarthritis, and 2 had grade 1 osteoarthritis. In group M, 5 patients had grade 1 osteoarthritis, 10 grade 2, 3 grade 3 and 3 grade 4. Mean quantitative score was 0 (mean, 0.22±0.44) in-group R and 2 (mean, 2.19±0.98) in group M (P<0.0001). At more than 10year's follow-up, functional scores were significantly better with meniscal repair than meniscectomy on all parameters of the KOOS scale except quality of life. Functional and radiological scores correlated closely. These results show that meniscal repair for vertical lesions in stable knees

Undergraduate Planet Hunters: Tools and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzasi, Derek L.; Carboneau, Lindsey; Ferrell, Laura; Green, Gilbert; Kaiser, Maya; Kreke, Kira; Lundy, Samantha; Merritt, William; Passino, Matlin; Paxton, Harrison; Podaril, Alexandria; Stansfield, Alexis

2018-06-01

One student "Honors Experience" option at Florida Gulf Coast University is a research experience, and we have developed a "Planet Hunters" course to provide an astronomical research track that satisfies that requirement. Students spend the first semester learning astronomical background and exoplanet detection techniques, while the second semester is primarily devoted to planet searches in K2 data using student-oriented software tools developed specifically for the task. In this poster, we illustrate those tools and show results obtained by class participants during this years experience.

Long-term results of heart valve replacement with the Edwards Duromedics bileaflet prosthesis: a prospective ten-year clinical follow-up.

PubMed

Podesser, B K; Khuenl-Brady, G; Eigenbauer, E; Roedler, S; Schmiedberger, A; Wolner, E; Moritz, A

1998-05-01

The Edwards Duromedics valve (Baxter Healthcare Corp., Edwards Division, Santa Ana, Calif.) was designed with a self-irrigating hinge mechanism to reduce thromboembolic complications. After good initial clinical results, distribution was suspended in 1988 after reports of valve fracture after 20,000 valves had been implanted. The manufacturer conducted extensive studies to improve the Edwards Duromedics and reintroduced a modified version, which is available as Edwards Tekna. The purpose of the study was the evaluation of long-term results of the original Edwards Duromedics that might be important for the current version, the Edwards Tekna valve. A prospective clinical 10-year follow-up was performed of 508 patients who underwent valve replacement with the Edwards Duromedics valve in the aortic (n = 268), mitral (n = 183), and aortic and mitral (n = 56) position. The perioperative mortality rate was 6.9%; follow-up was 98% complete, comprising 3648 patient-years for a mean follow-up of 86 months (range: 33 to 144 months). The actuarial freedom from complications at the 10-year follow-up and the incidence rate (percent per patient-year) were as follows: late mortality rate, 69.2% +/- 2.4% (3.5% per patient-year); thromboembolism, 90.7% +/- 1.6% (0.96% per patient-year); anticoagulation-related hemorrhage, 87.7% +/- 1.7% (1.34% per patient-year); prosthetic valve endocarditis, 96.7% +/- 0.09% (0.38% per patient-year); valve-related mortality rate, 89.3% +/- 1.6% (1.21% per patient-year); valve failure, 86.2% +/- 1.85% (1.54% per patient-year); and valve-related morbidity and mortality rate, 71.1% +/- 2.3% (3.2% per patient-year). Three leaflet escapes were observed (one lethal, two successful reoperations; 99.1% +/- 0.05% freedom, 0.08% per patient-year). All patients functionally improved (86% in New York Heart Association classes I and II), and incidence of anemia was insignificant. These results confirm that the Edwards Duromedics valve shows excellent performance

International Heliophysical Year

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, J. M.; Harrison, R.; Poland, A.; St.Cyr, O. C.; Thompson, B. J.; Rabin, Douglas (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In 1957 a program of international research, inspired by the International Polar Years of 1882-83 and 1932-33, was organized as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) to study global phenomena of the Earth and geospace. The IGY involved about 60,000 scientists from 66 nations, working at thousands of stations, from pole to pole to obtain simultaneous, global observations on Earth and in space. There had never been anything like it before. The fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year will occur in 2007. We propose to organize an international program of scientific collaboration for this time period called the International Heliophysical Year (IHY). Like it predecessors, the IHY will focus on fundamental global questions of Earth science.

Carotid Stenting with Distal Protection in High-Surgical-Risk Patients: One-Year Results of the ASTI Trial

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

Bosiers, Marc, E-mail: marc.bosiers@telenet.be; Scheinert, Dierk, E-mail: dierk.scheinert@gmx.de; Mathias, Klaus, E-mail: k.mathias@asklepios.com

2015-04-15

PurposeThis prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluated the periprocedural and 1-year outcomes in high-surgical-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis treated with the Adapt Carotid Stent plus FilterWire EZ distal protection catheter (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA).Materials and MethodsThe study enrolled 100 patients (32 symptomatic, 63 asymptomatic, 5 unknown) at high risk for carotid endarterectomy due to prespecified anatomical criteria and/or medical comorbidities. Thirty-day and 1-year follow-up included clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, and independent neurologic and NIH stroke scale assessments. One-year endpoints included the composite rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) and themore » rates of late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days), target lesion revascularization, and in-stent restenosis.ResultsOf the 100 enrolled patients, technical success was achieved in 90.9 % (90/99). The 30-day MAE rate (5.1 %) consisted of major stroke (2.0 %) and minor stroke (3.1 %); no deaths or MIs occurred. The 1-year MAE rate (12.2 %) consisted of death, MI, and stroke rates of 4.4, 3.3, and 8.9 %, respectively. Late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days) rate was 1.1 %. Symptomatic patients had higher rates of death (11.1 vs. 1.7 %) and MI (7.4 vs. 1.7 %), but lower rates of major (7.4 vs. 10.0 %) and minor stroke (0.0 vs. 6.7 %), compared with asymptomatic patients.ConclusionResults through 1 year postprocedure demonstrated that carotid artery stenting with Adapt Carotid Stent and FilterWire EZ is safe and effective in high-risk-surgical patients.« less

Five-year safety and performance results from the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System clinical trial

PubMed Central

da Cruz, Lyndon; Dorn, Jessy D.; Humayun, Mark S.; Dagnelie, Gislin; Handa, James; Barale, Pierre-Olivier; Sahel, José-Alain; Stanga, Paulo E.; Hafezi, Farhad; Safran, Avinoam B.; Salzmann, Joel; Santos, Arturo; Birch, David; Spencer, Rand; Cideciyan, Artur V.; de Juan, Eugene; Duncan, Jacque L.; Eliott, Dean; Fawzi, Amani; Olmos de Koo, Lisa C.; Ho, Allen C.; Brown, Gary; Haller, Julia; Regillo, Carl; Del Priore, Lucian V.; Arditi, Aries; Greenberg, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Purpose The Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System (Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., Sylmar, CA) was developed to restore some vision to patients blind from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or outer retinal degeneration. A clinical trial was initiated in 2006 to study the long-term safety and efficacy of the Argus II System in patients with bare or no light perception due to end-stage RP. Design The study is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, clinical trial. Within-patient controls included the non-implanted fellow eye and patients' native residual vision compared to their vision when using the System. Subjects There were 30 subjects in 10 centers in the U.S. and Europe. Methods The worse-seeing eye of blind patients was implanted with the Argus II System. Patients wore glasses mounted with a small camera and a video processor that converted images into stimulation patterns sent to the electrode array on the retina. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events) and visual function, as measured by three computer-based, objective tests. Secondary measures included functional vision performance on objectively-scored real-world tasks. Results Twenty-four out of 30 patients remained implanted with functioning Argus II Systems at 5 years post-implant. Only one additional serious adverse event was experienced since the 3-year time point. Patients performed significantly better with the System ON than OFF on all visual function tests and functional vision tasks. Conclusions The five-year results of the Argus II trial support the long-term safety profile and benefit of the Argus II System for patients blind from RP. The Argus II is the first and only retinal implant to have market approval in the European Economic Area, the United States, and Canada. PMID:27453256

Using the Viking biology experimental results to obtain chemical information about Martian regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plumb, Robert C.

1992-01-01

Although initially formulated as biology experiments, most of the results produced by the Viking Labeled Release (LR), Gas Exchange (GEX), and Pyrolytic Release (PR) experiments have been reproduced by chemical means. The experiments do not need more study as 'biological' phenomena, but they do deserve much more careful consideration from a chemical viewpoint. They are the only 'wet-chemical' experiments that scientists have performed on another planet, but they have not found very general use as sources of scientific information. There is a large set of potentially useful chemical observations, e.g., the three resolvable and precisely measured kinetic components of the release of C-14-labeled gases, the thermal sensitivity and magnitudes of the oxidation reaction(s) of the LR experiments, the kinetics and magnitude of the O2 and CO2 release of the GEX experiments, the thermal sensitivity of the GEX results, the differences between the thermal sensitivity of the GEX and the thermal sensitivity of the LR responses, and the kinetics and magnitudes of the LR successive injection reabsorption effect. It should be possible to test many chemical aspects of hypothetical martian phenomena in experiments using the biology experimental configurations and derive much valuable information by comparisons with the Viking observations.

Thirty years of seismic network recording in South Australia: Selected results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenhalgh, S. A.; Love, D.; Sinadinovski, C.

1994-11-01

The year 1993 marks 30 years of seismic network recording of earthquakes in South Australia. The network currently comprises 17 short-period instruments, of which six use digital recording and five employ triaxial sensors. Approximately 350 earthquakes are located within the State each year using a computerized seismic analysis system developed by the Phillip Institute of Technology. A duration-based magnitude scale, equivalent to the Richter M(sub L) scale, has been developed for most stations. The pre-network (historical) record of earthquake activity in South Australia dates back to 1837. Epicenters are available for just 45 earthquakes. Of these, ten are of magnitude five or greater. The instrumental data over the last 30 years show a similar trend in epicentral pattern to the historical earthquakes, with the major zones being the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and the Southeast. There have been 40 earthquakes of magnitude four or greater since 1963, the largest earthquake being of magnitude six in the Musgrave Ranges during 1986. Mine and quarry blasts within the State have been useful in calibration of the network, both in terms of hypocentral location and amplitude studies. The explosions have also furnished valuable information on the crustal velocity distribution. Epicentral co-ordinates of mine blasts are generally good to within 3-5 km. The explosions yield Richter magnitudes of one (charge size 1 or 2 tons) to 2.5 (charge size 50 tons). The crustal S waves, used in earthquake magnitude determinations, exhibit an amplitude-distance decay coefficient of 1.2. The P-wave velocity function of the crust increases non-linearly with depth, from about 5.0 km /s near the surface to 6.4 km /s at 20 km depth, where the gradient reduces, with the velocity reaching a value of about 7.4 km /s at a depth of 40 km.

[Reimbursed health expenditures during the last year of life, in France, in the year 2008].

PubMed

Ricci, P; Mezzarobba, M; Blotière, P O; Polton, D

2013-02-01

To measure the reimbursed health expenditures in the last year of life and the proportion it represents in total reimbursement costs in 2008, to analyse the structure of such expenditures and to identify costs by cause of death. Data were obtained from the French national insurance information system (SNIIRAM). Data from the national hospital discharge database were linked to the outpatient reimbursement database for patients covered by the general health insurance scheme (n=49 million persons). The cost of the last year of life was calculated for the exhaustive population (361,328 deaths in 2008). The supposed cause of death was mainly derived from the primary diagnosis of the last hospital stay during which the patient died. The average reimbursed expenses during the last year of life were estimated at 22,000 € per person in 2008, with 12,500 € accounting for public hospital costs. Reimbursed health expenditures varied according to different medical causes of death: 52,300 € for HIV disease and about 40,000 € for tumors. A negative effect of age on the expenditure during the last year of life was observed. Health care spending increased with shorter time before death, the last month of life corresponding to 28% of reimbursed expenditures during the last year of life. Health care use in the last year of life represented 10.5% of the total health expenditures in 2008. This study found results similar to those observed in the past or in other countries. Our results show in particular that the weight of health expenditures during the last year of life on total health expenditures remains stable over the years. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT WITH THE CENTRAL THIRD OF THE QUADRICEPS MUSCLE TENDON: ANALYSIS OF 10-YEAR RESULTS

PubMed Central

Guimarães, Marcus Valladares; Junior, Lúcio Honório de Carvalho; Terra, Dalton Lopes

2015-01-01

Objective: Assess clinical results using two different protocols, 10 years after ACL reconstruction surgery with the central third of quadriceps muscle tendon (QT). Method: Between November /1997 and April/1998, 25 patients were submitted to 25 ACL reconstructions with QT by transtibial technique. The bone portion of the graft was fixated on femoral tunnel with interference screw and the tendinous portion of tibial tunnel with screw with washer. Two patients injured the new when playing soccer. Six patients were not available for follow-up (24%). Seventeen patients were evaluated, 15 men and two women, with mean age at surgery time of 28.53 ± 6.64 years. All patients were examined at six months, one year, and ten years after surgery. Clinical evaluation was made by the Lysholm scale, and the knee evaluation, with the Hospital for Special Surgery scale. Results: The patients had their injuries operated after 9.87 ± 14.42 months of the accident. According to Lysholm scale, the results at the end of the first year were 98.71 ± 2.47 and, after 10 years, 97.35 ± 3.12. Using the Hospital for Special Surgery scale, the mean score was 95.07 ± 5.23 in one year, and 94.87 ± 4.16 in 10 years. All patients returned to their professional activities with the same previous status. Fifteen (88.24%) patients were able to return to their sports activities, one by modifying the practice, while another one switched to another sport. No patient complained of pain on the donor area in the medium and long term. The sports return rate was excellent, and no changes were found on the femoropatellar joint. PMID:27022511

GHM method for obtaining rationalsolutions of nonlinear differential equations.

PubMed

Vazquez-Leal, Hector; Sarmiento-Reyes, Arturo

2015-01-01

In this paper, we propose the application of the general homotopy method (GHM) to obtain rational solutions of nonlinear differential equations. It delivers a high precision representation of the nonlinear differential equation using a few linear algebraic terms. In order to assess the benefits of this proposal, three nonlinear problems are solved and compared against other semi-analytic methods or numerical methods. The obtained results show that GHM is a powerful tool, capable to generate highly accurate rational solutions. AMS subject classification 34L30.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases: a case-matched study comparing treatment results for patients 80 years of age or older versus patients 65-79 years of age.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shinya; Yamamoto, Masaaki; Sato, Yasunori; Kawabe, Takuya; Higuchi, Yoshinori; Kasuya, Hidetoshi; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Matsumura, Akira; Barfod, Bierta E

2014-11-01

Recently, an increasing number of patients with brain metastases, even patients over 80 years of age, have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). However, there is little information on SRS treatment results for patients with brain metastases 80 years of age and older. The authors undertook this study to reappraise whether SRS treatment results for patients 80 years of age or older differ from those of patients who are 65-79 years old. This was an institutional review board-approved, retrospective cohort study. Among 2552 consecutive brain metastasis patients who underwent SRS during the 1998-2011 period, we studied 165 who were 80 years of age or older (Group A) and 1181 who were age 65-79 years old (Group B). Because of the remarkable disproportion in patient numbers between the 2 groups and considerable differences in pre-SRS clinical factors, the authors conducted a case-matched study using the propensity score matching method. Ultimately, 330 patients (165 from each group, A and B) were selected. For time-to-event outcomes, the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival and competing risk analysis was used to estimate other study end points, as appropriate. Although the case-matched study showed that post-SRS median survival time (MST, months) was shorter in Group A patients (5.3 months, 95% CI 3.9-7.0 months) than in Group B patients (6.9 months, 95% CI 5.0-8.1 months), this difference was not statistically significant (HR 1.147, 95% CI 0.921-1.429, p = 0.22). Incidences of neurological death and deterioration were slightly lower in Group A than in Group B patients (6.3% vs 11.8% and 8.5% vs 13.9%), but these differences did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11 and p = 0.16). Furthermore, competing risk analyses showed that the 2 groups did not differ significantly in cumulative incidence of local recurrence (HR 0.830, 95% CI 0.268-2.573, p = 0.75), rates of repeat SRS (HR 0.738, 95% CI 0.438-1.242, p = 0.25), or incidence

Orbital Atherectomy for Treating De Novo Severely Calcified Coronary Narrowing (1-Year Results from the Pivotal ORBIT II Trial).

PubMed

Généreux, Philippe; Lee, Arthur C; Kim, Christopher Y; Lee, Michael; Shlofmitz, Richard; Moses, Jeffrey W; Stone, Gregg W; Chambers, Jeff W

2015-06-15

Percutaneous coronary intervention of severely calcified lesions has historically been associated with major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates as high as 30%. In the ORBIT II (Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of OAS in Treating Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions) trial, treatment of de novo severely calcified lesions with the Diamondback 360° Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) resulted in low rates of procedural and 30-day adverse ischemic events. The long-term results from this trial have not been reported. We sought to determine the 1-year outcomes after orbital atherectomy of severely calcified coronary lesions. ORBIT II was a single-arm trial enrolling 443 subjects at 49 US sites with severely calcified lesions usually excluded from randomized trials. OAS utilizes a centrifugal differential sanding mechanism of action for plaque modification prior to stent implantation. After OAS drug-eluting stents were implanted in 88.2% of the patients. The primary safety end point was 30-day MACE, the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization [TVR]. The present analysis reports the 1-year follow-up results from ORBIT II. One-year data were available in 433 of 443 patients (97.7%), with median follow-up time of 16.7 months. The 1-year MACE rate was 16.4%, including cardiac death (3.0%), myocardial infarction (9.7%), and target vessel revascularization (5.9%). The 1-year target lesion revascularization rate was 4.7%, and stent thrombosis occurred in 1 patient (0.2%). Independent predictors of 1-year MACE and target vessel revascularization were diameter stenosis at baseline and the use of bare-metal stents. In patients with severely calcified lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, the use of OAS was associated with low rates of 1-year adverse ischemic events compared with historical controls. This finding has important clinical implications for the selection of optimum treatment strategies for patients

Third-Year Results from the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Beck, R. A.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

2014-12-01

Since 2012, 60 lakes in northern Alaska have been instrumented under the auspices of CALON, a project designed to document landscape-scale variability in physical and biogeochemical processes of Arctic lakes in permafrost terrain. The network has ten observation nodes along two latitudinal transects extending from the Arctic Ocean inland some 200 km to the Brooks Range foothills. At each node, a meteorological station is deployed, and six representative lakes of differing area and depth are instrumented and sampled at different intensity levels to collect basic field measurements. In April, sensors measuring water temperature and depth are deployed through the ice in each lake, ice and snow thickness recorded, and water samples are collected. Data are downloaded, lakes re-sampled, and bathymetric surveys are conducted in August. In 2014, the snow cover on inland lakes was thinner than in previous years but thicker on lakes located near the coast. Lake ice was generally thinner near the coast, but the difference diminished inland. Winters (Oct-March) have been progressively warmer over the 3-year period, which partially explains the thinner lake ice that formed in 2013-14. Lakes are typically well-mixed and largely isothermal, with minor thermal stratification occurring in deeper lakes during calm, sunny periods. These regional lake and meteorological data sets, used in conjunction with satellite imagery, supports the wind-driven lake circulation model for the origin of thermokarst lakes. Results of biogeochemical analyses of lake waters generally show notably higher concentrations of cations/anions, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, and chlorophyll-a during April as compared with August. Dissolved methane concentrations are also much higher under ice than in open water during summer, although all lakes are a source of atmospheric methane. Interviews with indigenous elders in Anaktuvuk Pass indicate that mountain lakes are drying up. During the 2014 breakup

Fifteen-year results from a Grand fir-Shasta red fir spacing study.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1987-01-01

A 43-year-old, even-aged stand of advance reproduction of grand fir and Shasta red fir in central Oregon responded to release and thinning with diameter and height growth two to three times the prerelease rate. The response began the first growing season after the overstory was killed with 2,4-D. Diameter growth during the second and third 5-year periods after release...

Transcatheter vessel occlusion: angiographic results versus clinical success

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

Feldman, L.; Greenfield, A.J.; Waltman, A.C.

1983-04-01

A review was made of 219 transcatheter vessel occlusion procedures performed over a ten-year period for control of hemorrhage, tumor palliation, or blood supply redistribution prior to intra-arterial chemotherapy. Complete angiographic success was obtained in 85% of the procedures, with partial success in 8%; complete clinical success was achieved in 53% of patients, with partial success in 23%. the most satisfactory clinical results were obtained with hemorrhagic gastritis and pelvic trauma. Embolizations for duodenal ulcer hemorrhage and transhepatic variceal occlusion were the least clinically successful, although isobutyl-cyanoacrylate appeared to be a significant improvement in angiographic therapy for duodenal ulcer. Themore » overall complication rate was 13%, with one third of the complications clinically silent. These results indicate that transcatheter vessel occlusion is a relatively safe and effective method for control of hemorrhage or tumor infarction.« less

Prevention by daily soluble aspirin of colorectal adenoma recurrence: 4-year results of the APACC randomised trial.

PubMed

Benamouzig, Robert; Uzzan, Bernard; Deyra, Jacques; Martin, Antoine; Girard, Bernard; Little, Julian; Chaussade, Stanislas

2012-02-01

Aspirin inhibits colorectal carcinogenesis. In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial, daily soluble aspirin significantly reduced recurrence of colorectal adenomas at 1-year follow-up. In this study the results of daily intake of low-dose aspirin on polyp recurrence at 4-year follow-up are presented. 272 patients (naive for chronic aspirin use) with colorectal adenomas were randomly assigned to treatment with lysine acetylsalicylate 160 mg/day (n=73) or 300 mg/day (n=67) or placebo (n=132) for 4 years. The primary endpoints were adenoma recurrence and adenomatous polyp burden at year 4, comparing aspirin at either dose with placebo. The same endpoints were also assessed at year 1 or 4 (last colonoscopy performed for each patient). At the final year 4 colonoscopy the analysis included 185 patients (55 receiving aspirin 160 mg/day, 47 aspirin 300 mg/day and 83 placebo). There was no difference in the proportion of patients with at least one recurrent adenoma between patients receiving aspirin at either dose and those treated with placebo (42/102 (41%) vs 33/83 (40%); NS) or in the adenomatous polyp burden (3.1 ± 5.8 mm vs 3.4 ± 6.2 mm; NS). Also, the proportion of patients with at least one advanced recurrent adenoma did not differ (10/102 [corrected] (10%) in the aspirin group vs 7/83 (8.4%) [corrected] in the placebo group; NS). Daily low-dose aspirin decreased adenoma recurrence significantly at 1 year but not at year 4. This discrepancy might be explained by a differential effect of aspirin according to the natural history of the polyp. NCT 00224679.

Plans for the International Heliophysical Year (IHY)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Joseph M.; Thompson, Barbara J.; Gopalswamy, Nat

2005-01-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY), an international program of scientific collaboration to understand the external drivers of planetary environments, will be conducted in 2007. This will be a major international event of great interest to the member States. The IHY will involve the deployment of new instrumentation, new observations from the ground and in space, and an education component. The IHY 2007 will coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957. The IGY was organized to study global phenomena of the Earth and Geospace involving about thousands of scientists from many nations, working at thousands of stations, around the world to obtain simultaneous, global observations from the ground and space. Building on results obtained during IGY 1957, the IHY will expand to the study of universal processes in the solar system that affect the interplanetary and terrestrial environments. The study of energetic events in the solar system will pave the way for safe human space travel to the Moon and planets in the future, and it will serve to inspire the next generation of space physicists.

Outcomes one year after a road accident: Results from the ESPARR cohort.

PubMed

Hours, Martine; Chossegros, Laetitia; Charnay, Pierrette; Tardy, Hélène; Nhac-Vu, Hoang-Thy; Boisson, Dominique; Luauté, Jacques; Laumon, Bernard

2013-01-01

Reducing the rates of death, trauma and sequelae associated with road accidents is the prime goal of road safety authorities, and success requires having data on victims' outcomes in the long term. The present study examined the outcome of adult road accident victims one year after their accident. A follow-up study. The cohort comprised 886 injured road-accident victims, aged ≥16 years, and living in the Rhône administrative Département, France (taken from the ESPARR Cohort). Data were collected on victim characteristics at the time of crash, and self-reported outcomes one year later. The population of respondents at the one-year questionnaire follow-up was divided into two categories according to injury severity, as mild-to-moderate (M.AIS<3) or severe (M.AIS 3+). Qualitative variables were compared between these 2 groups using Chi(2) or Fisher exact tests. At one year post-accident, 45% of the mild-to-moderate injury group versus only 20% of severely injured subjects reported full recovery of health (p<0.001). 20% of the cohort, as a whole, reported permanent pain. More than half of the severely injured subjects reported that the accident had had an impact on the everyday life of their family; this was twice as many as in the mild-to-moderate injury group (55% vs. 22%). Most of the severely injured reported impact on leisure, projects and emotional life: 20% reported relational difficulties in the couple, 16% reported impaired sexual life, and the rate of separation was significantly higher than in the mild-to-moderate injury group (5% vs. 1%; p<0.001). Mean time off work was significantly longer in the severe injury group: 245±158 days vs. 75±104 days (p<0.001); and 32% of the severe injury group (p<0.001) who had stopped work had not returned at 1 year, compared to 5% of the mild-to-moderate injury group. One year after a road accident, the consequences for victims remain significant. In terms of physical impact, pain frequently persists, impairing daily

First results of registering ionospheric disturbances obtained with SibNet network of GNSS receivers in active space experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishin, Artem; Perevalova, Natalia; Voeykov, Sergey; Khakhinov, Vitaliy

2017-12-01

Global and regional networks of GNSS receivers have been successfully used for geophysical research for many years; the number of continuous GNSS stations in the world is steadily growing. The article presents the first results of the use of a new regional network of GNSS stations (SibNet) in active space experiments. The Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS) has established this network in the South Baikal region. We describe in detail SibNet, characteristics of receivers in use, parameters of antennas and methods of their installation. We also present the general structure of observation site and the plot of coverage of the receiver operating zone at 50-55° latitudes by radio paths. It is shown that the selected location of receivers allows us to detect ionospheric irregularities of various scales. The purpose of the active space experiments was to reveal and record parameters of the ionospheric irregu larities caused by effects from jet streams of Progress cargo spacecraft. The mapping technique enabled us to identify weak, vertically localized ionospheric irregularities and associate them with the Progress spacecraft engine impact. Thus, it has been shown that SibNet deployed in the Southern Baikal region is an effective instrument for monitoring ionospheric conditions.

48 CFR 53.107 - Obtaining forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Obtaining forms. 53.107 Section 53.107 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS General 53.107 Obtaining forms. (a) Executive agencies shall obtain standard and...

48 CFR 53.107 - Obtaining forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Obtaining forms. 53.107 Section 53.107 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS General 53.107 Obtaining forms. (a) Executive agencies shall obtain standard and...

48 CFR 53.107 - Obtaining forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Obtaining forms. 53.107 Section 53.107 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS General 53.107 Obtaining forms. (a) Executive agencies shall obtain standard and...

48 CFR 53.107 - Obtaining forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Obtaining forms. 53.107 Section 53.107 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS General 53.107 Obtaining forms. (a) Executive agencies shall obtain standard and...

48 CFR 53.107 - Obtaining forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Obtaining forms. 53.107 Section 53.107 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (CONTINUED) CLAUSES AND FORMS FORMS General 53.107 Obtaining forms. (a) Executive agencies shall obtain standard and...

Long-Term Results of Everolimus-Eluting Stents Versus Drug-Eluting Balloons in Patients With Bare-Metal In-Stent Restenosis: 3-Year Follow-Up of the RIBS V Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Alfonso, Fernando; Pérez-Vizcayno, María José; García Del Blanco, Bruno; Otaegui, Imanol; Masotti, Mónica; Zueco, Javier; Veláquez, Maite; Sanchís, Juan; García-Touchard, Arturo; Lázaro-García, Rosa; Moreu, José; Bethencourt, Armando; Cuesta, Javier; Rivero, Fernando; Cárdenas, Alberto; Gonzalo, Nieves; Jiménez-Quevedo, Pilar; Fernández, Cristina

2016-06-27

The aim of this study was to compare the long-term efficacy of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and drug-eluting balloons (DEB) in patients with bare-metal stent in-stent restenosis (ISR). The relative long-term clinical efficacy of current therapeutic modalities in patients with ISR remains unknown. The 3-year clinical follow-up (pre-specified endpoint) of patients included in the RIBS V (Restenosis Intra-Stent of Bare-Metal Stents: Drug-Eluting Balloon vs Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation) randomized clinical trial was analyzed. All patients were followed yearly using a pre-defined structured questionnaire. A total of 189 patients with bare-metal stent ISR were allocated to either EES (n = 94) or DEB (n = 95). Clinical follow-up at 1, 2, and 3 years was obtained in all patients (100%). Compared with patients treated with DEB, those treated with EES obtained better angiographic results, including larger minimal luminal diameter at follow-up (primary study endpoint; 2.36 ± 0.6 mm vs. 2.01 ± 0.6 mm; p < 0.001). At 3 years, the rates of cardiac death (2% vs. 1%), myocardial infarction (4% vs. 5%) and target vessel revascularization (9% vs. 5%) were similar in the DEB and EES arms. Importantly, however, at 3 years, the rate of target lesion revascularization was significantly lower in the EES arm (2% vs. 8%; p = 0.04; hazard ratio: 0.23; 95% confidence interval: 0.06 to 0.93). The need for "late" (>1 year) target vessel (3 [3.2%] vs. 3 [3.2%]; p = 0.95) and target lesion (1 [1%] vs. 2 [2.1%]; p = 0.54) revascularization was low and similar in the 2 arms. Rates of definite or probable stent thrombosis (1% vs. 0%) were also similar in the 2 arms. The 3-year clinical follow-up of the RIBS V clinical trial confirms the sustained safety and efficacy of EES and DEB in patients treated for bare-metal stent ISR. In this setting, EES reduce the need for target lesion revascularization at very long-term follow-up. (RIBS V [Restenosis Intra-Stent of Bare Metal Stents

Results from three years on the prairie - improving management through volunteer-collected data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadley, N.; Force, A.; Holsinger, K.

2017-12-01

Citizen science is a nascent and diversifying field with the ability to support wide-ranging outcomes from volunteer education and empowerment to data-driven decisions. Adventure Scientists is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the latter. We approach citizen science through a solutions-oriented lens, in which quality data can influence decisions leading to improved policy, land management and business practices. All our work is interdisciplinary, as we collaborate with partners in government, academia, industry and nonprofits to help fill their data collection needs. In addressing our partners' data needs, it is critical that we align any newfound knowledge with tangible outcomes. Therefore, our projects and partnerships incorporate concrete theories of change and involve the collaborations and relationships necessary to support decision-making. In this presentation, we will highlight Landmark, a landscape-scale project spanning 30,000 acres of North American prairie in Montana, to illustrate one example of a partnership that resulted in improved management from our volunteer-collected data. This was a multi-year citizen science project, where we assisted the American Prairie Reserve's effort to create the largest grasslands and wildlife protected area in the continental U.S. Our partners identified a need to better understand the extent and diversity of wildlife inhabiting and migrating through the space. To provide this enhanced understanding, we helped design and implement a program to collect key wildlife data on the prairie. We recruited, trained and managed specialized volunteers from the outdoor adventure community. Volunteers were responsible for collecting data year-round on animals moving through the landscape to support their management and protection. After three years of data collection and over 19,000 wildlife observations made while monitoring 29 species, the grasslands preserve is now moving forward with an expansive wildlife dataset to

To Cement or Not? Two-Year Results of a Prospective, Randomized Study Comparing Cemented Vs. Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA).

PubMed

Fricka, Kevin B; Sritulanondha, Supatra; McAsey, Craig J

2015-09-01

The optimal mode of fixation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a subject of debate. We enrolled 100 TKA patients randomized to cemented or cementless fixation. Knee Society Scores (KSS), Oxford scores and pain visual analog scales (VAS) were collected pre-operatively and post-operatively. Two-year follow-up was obtained for 93 patients. The mean VAS trended higher for the cementless group at 4 months (P=0.06). At 2 years, the KSS functional scores, Oxford scores, and self-reported questions for satisfaction, less pain and better function were similar but the cemented group had higher KSS clinical scores (96.4 vs. 92.3, P=0.03). More radiolucencies were seen in cementless knees (P<0.001). The cementless group had one revision for instability and one cemented knee was revised for infection. Cementless TKA showed equivalent survivorship (revision for any reason as the endpoint) compared to cemented TKA at this early follow-up. Close monitoring of radiolucencies is important with continued follow-up. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orbital atherectomy for treating de novo, severely calcified coronary lesions: 3-year results of the pivotal ORBIT II trial.

PubMed

Lee, Michael; Généreux, Philippe; Shlofmitz, Richard; Phillipson, Daniel; Anose, Bynthia M; Martinsen, Brad J; Himmelstein, Stevan I; Chambers, Jeff W

2017-06-01

The presence of heavy coronary artery calcification increases the complexity of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and increases the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE): death, myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis. The ORBIT II (Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of OAS in Treating Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions) trial reported low rates of procedural, 30-day, 1-year, and 2-year ischemic complications after treatment of de novo, severely calcified lesions with the Diamondback 360° Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) (Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.). ORBIT II was a single-arm trial that enrolled 443 patients at 49U.S. sites; in this study, de novo, severely calcified coronary lesions were treated with OAS prior to stenting. The primary safety endpoint was 30-day MACE: the composite of cardiac death, MI, and TVR (inclusive of target lesion revascularization (TLR)). The primary efficacy endpoint was procedural success: stent delivery with a residual stenosis of <50% without the occurrence of in-hospital MACE.The present analysis reports the final, 3-year follow-up results from ORBIT II. The majority of subjects (88.2%) underwent PCI with drug-eluting stents after orbital atherectomy. There were 360 (81.3%) subjects who completed the protocol-mandated 3-year visit.The overall cumulative rate of 3-year MACE was 23.5%, including cardiac death (6.7%), MI (11.2%), and TVR (10.2%). The 3-year target lesion revascularization rate was 7.8%. In the final 3-year analysis of the ORBIT II trial, orbital atherectomy of severely calcified coronary lesions followed by stenting resulted in a low rate of adverse ischemic events compared with historical controls.Orbital atherectomy represents a safe and effective revascularization strategy for patients with severely calcified coronary lesions. The ORBIT II trial enrolled 443 subjects to study orbital atherectomy followed by stenting for de novo severely

[Anatomical and functional results of macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling after 10-year follow-up].

PubMed

Foveau, P; Conart, J-B; Hubert, I; Selton, J; Berrod, J-P

2016-09-01

To evaluate the anatomical and functional results of macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling after 10 years follow-up. Monocentric retrospective study of patients who had undergone macular hole surgery between 2003 and 2005 in the Nancy University Medical Center and still followed in the department in 2014. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy and ILM peeling without staining. Clinical examination at ten years including determination of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), evaluation of quality of life and spectral domain optical coherence tomography was performed. Four men and six women with mean age of 64±8 years were included. The mean diameter of the MH was 395±133μm. The mean best corrected visual acuity improved significantly from 0.90±0.22 logMAR to 0.14±0.14 logMAR after 10 years with a satisfactory quality of life in 90 % of patients. The integrity of the IS/OS layer was preserved in 9 eyes. Inner retinal dimples located in the temporal quadrant related to ILM peeling initiation were observed in 8 eyes. No significant RNFL or ganglion cell complex changes were found compared to the contralateral eye. Macular hole surgery with ILM peeling in this series resulted in a visual acuity gain of 8 ETDRS lines and persistent improvement in quality of life after a 10-year follow-up. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Narrative and faculty development: results of a five years experience with a creative writing workshop].

PubMed

Walker, María Rosa; Zúñiga, Denisse; Triviño, Ximena

2012-05-01

Narrative medicine has showed to be a powerful instrument to reinforce relationships, identity, and self-knowledge among health professionals. Subjective issues have been recently recognized as relevant for faculty development in addition to the technical aspects. Since 2006 a creative writing workshop has been included as part of the Diploma in Medical Education at the medical school of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. To describe the experience and results of the creative writing workshop (2006-2010). Descriptive and retrospective study with a qualitative and quantitative design. Thirty-six teachers of the School of Medicine attended a 12-hour workshop. The Kirkpatrick model for evaluation of educational outcomes was used to report the data obtained in the course evaluation survey and in the stories produced. There were positive results at the four levels of Kirkpatrick evaluation model. The learning objectives of the workshop were achieved and 83 stories were created, compiled and published. The creative writing workshop can provide faculty with protected time for reflective practice about academic experiences and produce educational outcomes at different levels of the Kirkpatrick model.

Survival of two post systems--five-year results of a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Schmitter, Marc; Hamadi, Khaled; Rammelsberg, Peter

2011-01-01

To assess the survival rate of two different post systems after 5 years of service with a prospective randomized controlled trial. One hundred patients in need of a post were studied. Half of the patients received long glass fiber-reinforced posts, while the other half received long metal screw posts. The posts were assigned randomly. After at least 5 years (mean, 61.37 months), follow-ups were established. When a complication occurred prior to this recall, the type and time of the complication was documented. Statistical analysis was performed using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Additionally, a Cox regression was performed to analyze risk factors. The survival rate of fiber-reinforced posts was 71.8%. In the metal screw post group, the survival rate was significantly lower, 50.0% (log-rank test, P = .026). Metal posts resulted more often in more unfavorable complications (eg, root fractures); consequently, more teeth (n = 17) had to be extracted. The Cox regression identified the following risk factors: position of the tooth (anterior vs posterior teeth), degree of coronal tooth destruction, and the post system (fiber-reinforced post vs metal screw post). Fiber-reinforced restorations loosened in several patients; in some of these cases (n = 6), patients did not notice this, leading to the extraction of teeth. Long metal screw posts should be used with great care in endodontically treated teeth. Besides the selection of the post system, other factors influence the survival of the restoration.

The UoSAT-5 solar cell experiment: First year in orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodbody, C.

1993-01-01

The results for the first year in orbit of the DRA solar cell experiment flying on the Surrey University UoSAT-5 satellite are described. Several problems were identified with the measured data, which are discussed along with the techniques used to remove or minimize the effect of the problems. After 1 year in orbit the majority of the cells flying on the experiment have undergone little or no degradation. The exception to this are all the ITO/InP cells, supplied by two different manufacturers, they are showing more degradation than the GaAs cells. This result is unexpected and currently unexplainable. It will be necessary to retrieve data from the experiment for several years to obtain the best results due to the relatively benign radiation environment.

The Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS): 4. Comparison of treatment outcomes within race. Seven-year results.

PubMed

1998-07-01

The purpose of this report is to present separately for black and white patients with advanced glaucoma 7-year results of two alternative surgical intervention sequences. A randomized controlled trial. A total of 332 black patients (451 eyes), 249 white patients (325 eyes), and 10 patients of other races (13 eyes) participated. Potential follow-up ranged from 4 to 7 years. Eyes were randomly assigned to either an argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT)-trabeculectomy-trabeculectomy (ATT) sequence or a trabeculectomy-ALT-trabeculectomy (TAT) sequence. The second and third interventions were offered after failure of the first and second interventions, respectively. Average percent of eyes with decrease of visual field (APDVF), average percent of eyes with decrease of visual acuity (APDVA), and average percent of eyes with decrease of vision (APDV) are the outcome measures. Decrease of visual field (DVF) is an increase from baseline of at least 4 points on a glaucoma visual field defect scale ranging from 0 to 20, decrease of visual acuity (DVA) is a decrease from baseline of at least 15 letters (3 lines), and decrease of vision (DV) is the occurrence of either DVF or DVA. The averages are of percent decreases observed at 6-month intervals from the first 6-month visit to the end of the specified observation period. In both black and white patients throughout 7-year follow-up, the mean decrease in intraocular pressure was greater in eyes assigned to TAT, and the cumulative probability of failure of the first intervention was greater in eyes assigned to ATT. In black patients, APDVF, APDVA, and APDV are less for the ATT sequence than for the TAT sequence throughout the 7 years. In white patients, APDVF also favors the ATT sequence but only for the first year, after which it favors the TAT sequence through the seventh year; APDVA also favors the ATT sequence, but the ATT-TAT difference progressively diminishes over 7 years; and APDV favors ATT over TAT initially, but after 4

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy in Chernobyl disaster clean-up workers (a 20-year study).

PubMed

Podsonnaya, I V; Shumakher, G I; Golovin, V A

2010-05-01

Results obtained over 20-years of following 536 Chernobyl clean-up workers and 436 control subjects are presented. Dyscirculatory encephalopathy developed more frequently in persons exposed to radiation at age 30 years. As compared with the control group, workers were characterized by early onset of disease, faster progression, stable symptomatology for 5-6 years, and further progression of disease in the form of autonomic dysfunction, psycho-organic syndrome, and epilepsy. Major strokes were also more common in clean-up workers.

Comparison between Measurements Obtained with three Different Perineometers

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Patrícia Brentegani; Franco, Maíra Menezes; de Oliveira Souza, Flaviane; Antônio, Flávia Ignácio; Montezuma, Thaís; Ferreira, Cristine Homsi Jorge

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results obtained in the evaluation of intra-vaginal pressure using three different brands of perineometers in nulliparous volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty nulliparous women with no anatomical alterations and/or dysfunction of the pelvic floor were enrolled in our study. All the women had the ability to voluntarily contract their PFM (Pelvic Floor Muscles), as assessed by digital palpation. The intra-vaginal pressure was assessed using three different brands of perineometer (Neurodyn Evolution™, SensuPower™ and Peritron™). Each volunteer was evaluated on three alternate days by a single examiner using a single brand of perineometer on each day. In the assessment, the volunteers were required to pull (contract) their PFM in and up as strongly as possible 3 times and to sustain the contraction for 5 seconds, with an interval of 30 seconds between each pull. For the statistical analysis, a concordance correlation coefficient was used to compare the values that were obtained with each brand of perineometer. RESULTS: A moderate concordance (0.51) was found between the results from the Peritron™ and Neurodyn™ perineometers, a fair concordance (0.21) between the Peritron™ and SensuPower™ brands and a poor concordance (0.19) between the Neurodyn™ and SensuPower™ brands. CONCLUSION: The concordance of the measurements of the intra-vaginal pressure ranged from poor to moderate, suggesting that perineometers of different brands generate different results. PMID:19578656

Integrating Algorithm Visualization Video into a First-Year Algorithm and Data Structure Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crescenzi, Pilu; Malizia, Alessio; Verri, M. Cecilia; Diaz, Paloma; Aedo, Ignacio

2012-01-01

In this paper we describe the results that we have obtained while integrating algorithm visualization (AV) movies (strongly tightened with the other teaching material), within a first-year undergraduate course on algorithms and data structures. Our experimental results seem to support the hypothesis that making these movies available significantly…

Hispanic Student Enrollment and Educational Attainment in Texas 2-Year Colleges: A Multi-Year Statewide Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Jack

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the numbers and percentages of Hispanic college students enrolled in Texas 2-year colleges from the 2000 through the 2011 academic years and to examine the numbers and percentages of Hispanic students obtaining associate degrees from Texas 2-year colleges for the 2000 through the 2011 academic…

Colorectal cancer screening: results of a 5-year program in asymptomatic subjects at increased risk.

PubMed

Pezzoli, A; Matarese, V; Rubini, M; Simoni, M; Caravelli, G C; Stockbrugger, R; Cifalà, V; Boccia, S; Feo, C; Simone, L; Trevisani, L; Liboni, A; Gullini, S

2007-01-01

The province of Ferrara has one of the highest incidences of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Italy. In January 2000, we set up a colonoscopy screening program focussing on first-degree relatives of CRC patients. We now report the results 5 years after the beginning of the project. SCREENEES AND METHODS: In October 1999, we started a campaign stressing the usefulness of colonoscopy for the first-degree relatives of CRC patients. Subjects included in the screening program were aged between 45 and 75 years with at least one first-degree relative affected by CRC. They were invited to an interview where a physician suggested colonoscopy as a screening option. In 5 years, 776 subjects were interviewed and 733 (94.4%) agreed to an endoscopic examination (M/F:375/401; mean age 55 years): 562 colonoscopies were performed. Adenomas and cancers were found in 122 (21.7%) and 12 (2.1%) subjects, respectively. Histological examination in 181 persons with lesions (32.8%) showed (most serious lesion quoted) 47 hyperplastic polyps (26% of all lesions), 2 serrated adenomas (1.1%), 68 tubular adenomas (48%), 24 tubulovillous adenomas (13.3%), 9 adenomas with high grade dysplasia (5%) and 12 adenocarcinomas (6.6%). The majority of the cancers were at an early stage (8 Dukes A and 3 Dukes B). Sedation was used in only 42 colonoscopies (7.5%). A colonoscopy-based screening in this selected high-risk population is feasible. Even without sedation subjects readily agreed to the endoscopic procedure. We identified a significant number of advanced neoplasms and cancers at an early stage suggesting that this could be a useful tool in early identification of CRC.

Mathematical literacy in Plant Physiology undergraduates: results of interventions aimed at improving students' performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vila, Francisca; Sanz, Amparo

2013-09-01

The importance of mathematical literacy in any scientific career is widely recognized. However, various studies report lack of numeracy and mathematical literacy in students from various countries. In the present work, we present a detailed study of the mathematical literacy of Spanish undergraduate students of Biology enrolled in a Plant Physiology course. We have performed individual analyses of results obtained during the period 2000-2011, for questions in the examinations requiring and not requiring mathematical skills. Additionally, we present the outcome of two interventions introduced with the aim of helping students improve their prospects for success in the course. Our results confirm previous research showing students' deficiencies in mathematical skills. However, the scores obtained for mathematical questions in the examinations are good predictors of the final grades attained in Plant Physiology, as there are strong correlations at the individual level between results for questions requiring and not requiring mathematical skills. The introduction of a laboratory session devoted to strengthening the application of students' previously acquired mathematical knowledge did not change significantly the results obtained for mathematical questions. Since mathematical abilities of students entering university have declined in recent years, this intervention may have helped to maintain students' performance to a level comparable to that of previous years. The outcome of self-assessment online tests indicates that although Mathematics anxiety is lower than during examinations, the poor results obtained for questions requiring mathematical skills are, at least in part, due to a lack of self-efficacy.

The Effect of Three or Six Years of Denosumab Exposure in Women With Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: Results From the FREEDOM Extension

PubMed Central

Chapurlat, Roland; Brandi, Maria-Luisa; Brown, Jacques P.; Czerwiński, Edward; Krieg, Marc-Antoine; Mellström, Dan; Radominski, Sebastião C.; Reginster, Jean-Yves; Resch, Heinrich; Ivorra, Jose A. Román; Roux, Christian; Vittinghoff, Eric; Daizadeh, Nadia S.; Wang, Andrea; Bradley, Michelle N.; Franchimont, Nathalie; Geller, Michelle L.; Wagman, Rachel B.; Cummings, Steven R.; Papapoulos, Socrates

2013-01-01

Context: The Fracture Reduction Evaluation of Denosumab in Osteoporosis Every 6 Months (FREEDOM) extension is evaluating the long-term efficacy and safety of denosumab for up to 10 years. Objective: The objective of the study was to report results from the first 3 years of the extension, representing up to 6 years of denosumab exposure. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a multicenter, international, open-label study of 4550 women. Intervention: Women from the FREEDOM denosumab group received 3 more years of denosumab for a total of 6 years (long-term) and women from the FREEDOM placebo group received 3 years of denosumab (crossover). Main Outcome Measures: Bone turnover markers (BTMs), bone mineral density (BMD), fracture, and safety data are reported. Results: Reductions in BTMs were maintained (long-term) or achieved rapidly (crossover) after denosumab administration. In the long-term group, BMD further increased for cumulative 6-year gains of 15.2% (lumbar spine) and 7.5% (total hip). During the first 3 years of denosumab treatment, the crossover group had significant gains in lumbar spine (9.4%) and total hip (4.8%) BMD, similar to the long-term group during the 3-year FREEDOM trial. In the long-term group, fracture incidences remained low and below the rates projected for a virtual placebo cohort. In the crossover group, 3-year incidences of new vertebral and nonvertebral fractures were similar to those of the FREEDOM denosumab group. Incidence rates of adverse events did not increase over time. Six participants had events of osteonecrosis of the jaw confirmed by adjudication. One participant had a fracture adjudicated as consistent with atypical femoral fracture. Conclusion: Denosumab treatment for 6 years remained well tolerated, maintained reduced bone turnover, and continued to increase BMD. Fracture incidence remained low. PMID:23979955

Phylogenetic Analysis of Anaerobic Psychrophilic Enrichment Cultures Obtained from a Greenland Glacier Ice Core

PubMed Central

Sheridan, Peter P.; Miteva, Vanya I.; Brenchley, Jean E.

2003-01-01

The examination of microorganisms in glacial ice cores allows the phylogenetic relationships of organisms frozen for thousands of years to be compared with those of current isolates. We developed a method for aseptically sampling a sediment-containing portion of a Greenland ice core that had remained at −9°C for over 100,000 years. Epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry results showed that the ice sample contained over 6 × 107 cells/ml. Anaerobic enrichment cultures inoculated with melted ice were grown and maintained at −2°C. Genomic DNA extracted from these enrichments was used for the PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with bacterial and archaeal primers and the preparation of clone libraries. Approximately 60 bacterial inserts were screened by restriction endonuclease analysis and grouped into 27 unique restriction fragment length polymorphism types, and 24 representative sequences were compared phylogenetically. Diverse sequences representing major phylogenetic groups including alpha, beta, and gamma Proteobacteria as well as relatives of the Thermus, Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Clostridium groups were found. Sixteen clone sequences were closely related to those from known organisms, with four possibly representing new species. Seven sequences may reflect new genera and were most closely related to sequences obtained only by PCR amplification. One sequence was over 12% distant from its closest relative and may represent a novel order or family. These results show that phylogenetically diverse microorganisms have remained viable within the Greenland ice core for at least 100,000 years. PMID:12676695

Ranibizumab treatment in age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis of one-year results.

PubMed

Gerding, H

2014-04-01

Although ranibizumab is widely used in age-related macular degeneration there is no systematic data available on the relation between treatment frequency and functional efficacy within the first 12 months of follow-up. A meta-analysis was performed on available MEDLINE literature. 47 relevant clinical studies (54 case series) could be identified covering 11706 treated eyes. Non-linear and linear regressions were calculated for the relation between treatment frequency and functional outcome (average gain in visual acuity, % of eyes losing less than 15 letters of visual acuity, % of eyes gaining ≥ 15 letters) within the first year of care. Mean improvement of average visual gain was +4.9 ± 3.6 (mean ± 1 standard deviation) letters (case-weighted: 3.3 letters). The average number of ranibizumab injections until month 12 was 6.3 ± 2.0 (case-weighted: 5.9). 92.4 ± 3.9% of eyes (case-weighted: 91.9%) lost less than three lines of visual acuity and 24.5 ± 8.2% (case-weighted: 23.3) gained more than 3 lines within the first year. Analysis of the relation between the number of injections and functional improvement indicated best fit for non-linear equations. A nearly stepwise improvement of functional gain occurred between 6.8 and 7.2 injections/year. A saturation effect of treatment occurred at higher injection frequency. The results of this meta-analysis clearly indicate a non-linear relation between the number of injections and functional gain of ranibizumab within the first 12 months of treatment. Treatment saturation seems to occur at a treatment frequency >7.2 injections within the first 12 months. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION MONITORING IN THE CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE - HISTORY AND RESULTS 25 YEARS AFTER

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

Farfan, E.; Jannik, T.

2011-10-01

This article describes results of the radiation environmental monitoring performed in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) during the period following the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. This article presents a brief overview of five comprehensive reports generated under Contract No. DE-AC09-96SR18500 (Washington Savannah River Company LLC, Subcontract No. AC55559N, SOW No. ON8778) and summarizes characteristics of the ChEZ and its post-accident status and the history of development of the radiation monitoring research in the ChEZ is described. This article addresses characteristics of the radiation monitoring in the ChEZ, its major goals and objectives, and changes of these goals andmore » objectives in the course of time, depending on the tasks associated with the phase of mitigation of the ChNPP accident consequences. The results of the radiation monitoring in the ChEZ during the last 25 years are also provided.« less

IceCube results from point-like source searches using 6 years of through-going muon data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coenders, Stefan

2016-04-01

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory located at the geographic South Pole was designed to study and discover high energy neutrinos coming from both galactic and extra-galactic astrophysical sources. Track-like events induced by charged-current muon-neutrino interactions close to the IceCube detector give an angular resolution better than 1∘ above TeV energies. We present here the results of searches for point-like astrophysical neutrino sources on the full sky using 6 years of detector livetime, of which three years use the complete IceCube detector. Within 2000 days of detector livetime, IceCube is sensitive to a steady flux substantially below E2∂ϕ/∂E = 10-12 TeV cm-2 s-1 in the northern sky for neutrino energies above 10 TeV.

Technical and technological solution for vegetal bio-stimulants obtaining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anghelache, D. G.; Diaconescu, I.; Pătraşcu, R.

2017-08-01

The paper presents a modern technology for bio fertilizers resulted from waste plant mass after harvesting crops Experimental products were obtained rich in nutrients, but unstable in terms of existing microorganisms. Therefore, they conducted further studies to obtaining bio fungicide herb, so in all investigations undertaken so far in the laboratory, were able to conclude that the introduction of medicinal plant extracts with fungicidal effect into the bio fertilizers obtained by degradation of plant material post-harvest can get various bio-stimulants with nourishing effect upon the plants. Following this technology the paper’s objective is to identify a flux scheme for experimental equipment which can produce as final outcome this type of bio-stimulant. Also, in this work, this equipment will be chosen and will be designed following and obeying to the request of every step of the above technology.

Attractive results obtained in Mexico cementing with turbulent flow and in fracturing marginal wells

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

Not Available

1970-02-01

The cementing with turbulent flow and the fracturing at high rates of injection have borne appreciable fruit in a gas-producing region of Mexico, known as the NE. Front District, with headquarters in Reynosa. By cementing with turbulent flow, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has increased to nearly 90% the success ratio of casing cementing. In the same general area, due to hydraulic fracturing, gas fields which before were considered marginal, have become good producers. The fracturing jobs must be well-planned and well-executed. The results in these Eocene formations show considerable variance, from good to extraordinary. The results show a low productivity ofmore » increase of 66.3% and a high productivity of 326%, following frac treatment. Graphical representations show cementing with turbulent flow; and the effect of fracturing.« less

IPS Empress crown system: three-year clinical trial results.

PubMed

Sorensen, J A; Choi, C; Fanuscu, M I; Mito, W T

1998-02-01

The IPS Empress system is a highly esthetic hot pressed glass ceramic material for fabrication of single crowns. Adhesive cementation of the system not only contributes to the esthetics but is necessary for increased strength of the crown. The purpose of this prospective clinical trials was to evaluate the longevity of 75 adhesively cemented Empress full crowns. An additional aim was to assess the adhesive cementation methodology and potential side effects. At the three-year point, one molar crown fractured for a 1.3 percent failure rate. The resin cementation technique that was employed exhibited a low incidence of microleakage with few clinical side effects. There was a 5.6 percent incidence of post-cementation sensitivity, with all symptoms subsiding by eight weeks. None of the crowns in the study required endodontic therapy.

Three-year follow-up results of a residential community reintegration program for patients with chronic acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Geurtsen, Gert J; van Heugten, Caroline M; Martina, Juan D; Rietveld, Antonius C; Meijer, Ron; Geurts, Alexander C

2012-05-01

To evaluate outcomes of a residential community reintegration program 3 years after treatment on independent living, societal participation, emotional well-being, and quality of life in patients with chronic acquired brain injury and psychosocial problems hampering societal participation. A follow-up assessment 3 years after treatment was compared with the 1-year follow-up assessment in a prospective cohort study. A tertiary rehabilitation center for acquired brain injury. Of the 67 patients assessed at the 1-year follow-up, 63 subjects (94%; 42 men; mean age at admission to treatment 24.7y; mean time postonset 5.1y) were available at the 3-year follow-up and taken into account in the analyses. A structured residential treatment program directed at improving independence in domestic life, work, leisure time, and social interactions. Community Integration Questionnaire, Employability Rating Scale, living situation, school, work situation, work hours, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated (5 scales). There were no significant differences for any of the outcome measures between the 1-year and 3-year follow-up assessment. These results indicate that the established significant and clinically relevant improvements after a residential community reintegration program remain stable in the long term. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One-Year Outcomes Following Directional Atherectomy of Infrapopliteal Artery Lesions: Subgroup Results of the Prospective, Multicenter DEFINITIVE LE Trial.

PubMed

Rastan, Aljoscha; McKinsey, James F; Garcia, Lawrence A; Rocha-Singh, Krishna J; Jaff, Michael R; Noory, Elias; Zeller, Thomas

2015-12-01

To report a subgroup analysis of the prospective, multicenter, single-arm DEFINITIVE LE trial to assess the effectiveness of directional atherectomy for the treatment of infrapopliteal artery lesions at 1 year. In the DEFINITIVE LE trial, follow-up assessments occurred up to 1 year postprocedure. Of the 800 patients enrolled, 145 subjects with 189 infrapopliteal lesions met the criteria for this analysis. Seventy (48.3%) and 75 (51.7%) patients were suffering critical limb ischemia (CLI) and intermittent claudication, respectively; 68.3% (99/145) had diabetes. The mean lesion length was 58±44 mm (all lesions); 20.2% were occluded. The primary endpoint for patients with claudication was duplex ultrasound-derived primary patency, while for subjects with CLI it was freedom from major amputation of the target limb at 1 year. Endpoints and adverse events were independently assessed. Procedure success (≤30% residual stenosis) was achieved in 84% of treated lesions. The 1-year primary patency rate was 84% (claudicants 89.6% and CLI patients 78%, p=0.11), and the freedom from major amputation rate was 97.1% (claudicants 100% and CLI 93.8%, p=0.03). In both claudication and CLI patients, significant improvements in Rutherford category and objective measures of walking distance and quality of life were seen at 1 year in comparison to baseline. This study demonstrates that directional atherectomy in infrapopliteal arteries results in promising technical and clinical results at 1 year for claudicant as well as CLI patients. © The Author(s) 2015.

Characterization of the carbonaceous materials obtained from different agro-industrial wastes.

PubMed

Ensuncho-Muñoz, A E; Carriazo, J G

2015-01-01

This paper reports the preparation and characterization of carbonaceous materials obtained from three types of vegetable wastes provided by agricultural industries. Soft carbonization (280°C) and H3PO4-activation procedures were used to convert the agricultural wastes to carbon powders with high adsorbent capacities. This process is excellent for eliminating and exploiting the huge masses (many tons) of vegetable residues remaining after each harvest every year in several Colombian agro-industries. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2-adsorption isotherms. XRD and IR verified the formation of carbons, and SEM showed small particles (20-500 µm) with characteristic morphology for each type of residue used and abundant cavities of different sizes. The N2-adsorption analyses showed that the carbons had high adsorption capacities with important surface area values and large pore volumes. The use of the activated carbonaceous materials as adsorbent of azo dyes (allura red and sunset yellow) from aqueous solutions was evaluated. The results showed a good adsorption capacity indicating the potentiality of these materials as pollutant adsorbents in food industry wastewaters. These results indicate that these powders can be used as potential adsorbents for different gaseous or liquid pollutants.

Visual performance after conventional LASIK and wavefront-guided LASIK with iris-registration: results at 1 year

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jing; Zhou, Yue-Hua; Li, Rui; Tian, Lei

2013-01-01

AIM To compare visual performance of wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with iris-registration (Wg-LASIK group) and conventional LASIK (LASIK group) one year after surgery and analyze the correlation between wavefront aberrations and visual performance. METHODS Eight hundred and fifty-two myopic eyes of 430 patients were enrolled in this prospective study and divided into two groups: Wg-LASIK group (436 eyes) and LASIK group (416 eyes). A Wavescan Wavefront aberrometer was used to analyze Zernike coefficients and the root-mean-square (RMS) of higher order aberrations, and Optec 6500 visual function instrument was used to measure contrast sensitivity (CS) before and 3, 6, 12 months after surgery. RESULTS The mean spherical equivalent (SE) in Wg-LASIK group was significantly better than those in LASIK group one year after surgery (P=0.024). Wg-LASIK eyes showed better CS values than LASIK eyes at all spatial frequencies with and without glare after surgery (P all<0.01). Moreover, the increase of higher RMS (RMSh), coma, RMS3, RMS4, RMS5 in Wg-LASIK group were significantly lower than those in LASIK group 1 year after surgery (P all<0.05). The increase of coma, spherical aberration (SA), RMS3 and RMS4 in Wg-LASIK and coma and RMS3 in LASIK group were negatively correlated with reduction of contrast sensitivity 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION A significant better visual performance is got in Wg-LASIK group compared with LASIK group 1 year after surgery, and the Wg-LASIK is particularly suitable for eyes with high-magnitude RMSh. PMID:23991386

Mandatory presuit mediation: 5-year results of a medical malpractice resolution program.

PubMed

Jenkins, Randall C; Smillov, Arlene E; Goodwin, Matthew A

2014-01-01

The Florida Patient Safety and Presuit Mediation Program (FLPSMP) is a mandatory mediation program designed to provide deserving patients with fast, fair compensation while limiting the healthcare provider expenses incurred during traditional litigation. Mediation occurs before litigation begins; therefore, patients with meritorious claims receive compensation often years earlier than they would with extended litigation. This early mediation fosters confidential and candid communication between doctors and patients, which promotes early fact-finding and candid discussion. The program went into effect across the University of Florida (UF) Health system on January 1, 2008. In an article previously published in this journal, we discussed the positive trend observed 2 years after the implementation of the FLPSMP. This article incorporates 5 years of data, which includes new benchmarks with state and national data, to demonstrate that the program can be used successfully as a medical malpractice solution. © 2014 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association.

Ten years of SLR production in Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacheco, A.; Podestá, R.; Yin, Z.; Liu, W.; Actis, E.; Adarvez, S.; Quinteros, J.; Podestá, F.

2017-07-01

SLR technique is a proved astro-geodetic art with a significant power to contribute to Earth and Space Sciences. Therefore, scientific applications of SLR System are able to perform multiple tasks in the fields of Astrometry, Geodesy and Geophysics. The results we show here were obtained from satellite observations made at SLR 7406 Station of Observatorio Astronómico Félix Aguilar (OAFA) in San Juan, Argentina. The telescope was installed early on 2006, in concordance with an International Cooperation Agreement between Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina and Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this abstract we show the current research being done with ILRS 7406 station: Length of day (LOD) and Angular velocity of Earth Rotation, calculated weekly; Pole Motion. ILRS7406 is daily surveying Pole coordinates x and y; Tracking SLR to GNSS constellations. SLR System contributes to the adjustment and validation of satellite GALILEO, GPS, GLONASS, and BEIDOU orbits. Our station is nowadays member of the new ITRF 2014 frame, and these past years has been one of the 3 highest producing SLR Stations on the ILRS net, composed of about 40 stations distributed all around the world. The obtained results during this first 10 years of experience are useful to enhance the traditional collaboration between OAFA and international services such as ILRS, IERS and NASA.

How To Obtain Aerial Photographs

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1999-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains an informational data base of aerial photographic coverage of the United States and its territories that dates back to the 1940?s. This information describes photographic projects from the USGS, other Federal, State, and local government agencies, and commercial firms. The pictures on this page show a part of a standard 9- by 9-inch photograph and the results obtained by enlarging the original photograph two and four times. Compare the size of the Qualcomm Stadium, Jack Murphy Field, in San Diego, Calif, and the adjacent parking lot and freeways shown at the different scales. USGS Earth Science Information Center (ESIC) representatives will assist you in locating and ordering photographs. Please submit the completed checklist and a marked map showing your area of interest to any ESIC.

Strategies for Obtaining Probability Samples of Homeless Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golinelli, Daniela; Tucker, Joan S.; Ryan, Gery W.; Wenzel, Suzanne L.

2015-01-01

Studies of homeless individuals typically sample subjects from few types of sites or regions within a metropolitan area. This article focuses on the biases that can result from such a practice. We obtained a probability sample of 419 homeless youth from 41 sites (shelters, drop-in centers, and streets) in four regions of Los Angeles County (LAC).…

[Survival rate of IPS-Empress 2 all-ceramic crowns and bridges: three year's results].

PubMed

Zimmer, Doris; Gerds, Thomas; Strub, Jörg R

2004-01-01

The objective of this prospective clinical study was to calculate the survival rate of IPS-Empress2 crowns and fixed partial dentures (FPD) over a three-year period. In 43 patients 27 IPS-Empress2 crowns and 31 fixed partial dentures were adhesively luted. Crowns were placed on premolars and molars and FPDs were inserted in the anterior and premolar area. Abutments were prepared with a circular 1.2 mm wide shoulder. The clinical follow-up examination took place after 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months. After a mean of 38 months, the survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) of all-ceramic crowns was 100% and of the three unit FDP 72.4%. There were a total of six complete failures which occurred only with the three-unit IPS-Empress2 FPDs. Three FPDs exhibited fractures of the framework for which the manufacturer's instructions of connector-dimension was not satisfied, and one FPD exhibited an irreparable incomplete veneer fracture. Further two FPDs showed biological failures. The accuracy of fit and esthetics were clinically satisfactory. The three-year results showed the IPS-Empress2-ceramic as an adequate all-ceramic material for single crowns. The use for FPD needs further critical consideration.

Two-year results after convective radiofrequency water vapor thermal therapy of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia

PubMed Central

Dixon, Christopher M; Cedano, Edwin Rijo; Pacik, Dalibor; Vit, Vítězslav; Varga, Gabriel; Wagrell, Lennart; Larson, Thayne R; Mynderse, Lance A

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of convective radiofrequency (RF) water vapor thermal therapy in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); a pilot study design with 2-year follow-up evaluations. Patients and methods Men aged ≥45 years with an International Prostate Symptom Score ≥13, a maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) ≤15 mL/s, and prostate volume 20–120 cc were enrolled in a prospective, open-label pilot study using convective RF water vapor energy with the Rezūm System. Patients were followed up for 2 years after transurethral thermal treatment at 3 international centers in the Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, and Sweden. The transurethral thermal therapy utilizes radiofrequency to generate wet thermal energy in the form of water vapor injected through a rigid endoscope into the lateral lobes and median lobe as needed. Urinary symptom relief, urinary flow, quality of life (QOL) impact, sexual function, and adverse events (AEs) were assessed at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Results LUTS, flow rate, and QOL showed significant improvements from baseline; prostate volumes were appreciably reduced. Sexual function was maintained and no de novo erectile dysfunction occurred. The responses evident as early as 1 month after treatment remained consistent and durable over the 24 months of study. Early AEs were typically transient and mild to moderate; most were related to endoscopic instrumentation. No procedure related to late AEs were seen. Conclusion The Rezūm System convective RF thermal therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for BPH/LUTS which can be performed in the office or as an outpatient procedure with minimal associated perioperative AEs. It has no discernable effect on sexual function and provides significant improvement of LUTS that remain durable at 2 years. PMID:27921028

Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Parameter Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinshaw, G.; Larson, D.; Komatsu, E.; Spergel, D. N.; Bennett, C. L.; Dunkley, J.; Nolta, M. R.; Halpern, M.; Hill, R. S.; Odegard, N.;

Year-to-year variations in annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations.

PubMed

Martz, D E; Rood, A S; George, J L; Pearson, M D; Langner, G H

1991-09-01

Annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations in 40 residences in and around Grand Junction, CO, have been measured repeatedly since 1984 using commercial alpha-track monitors (ATM) deployed for successive 12-mo time periods. Data obtained provide a quantitative measure of the year-to-year variations in the annual average Rn concentrations in these structures over this 6-y period. A mean coefficient of variation of 25% was observed for the year-to-year variability of the measurements at 25 sampling stations for which complete data were available. Individual coefficients of variation at the various stations ranged from a low of 7.7% to a high of 51%. The observed mean coefficient of variation includes contributions due to the variability in detector response as well as the true year-to-year variation in the annual average Rn concentrations. Factoring out the contributions from the measured variability in the response of the detectors used, the actual year-to-year variability of the annual average Rn concentrations was approximately 22%.

Human factors in aircraft incidents - Results of a 7-year study (Andre Allard Memorial Lecture)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billings, C. E.; Reynard, W. D.

1984-01-01

It is pointed out that nearly all fatal aircraft accidents are preventable, and that most such accidents are due to human error. The present discussion is concerned with the results of a seven-year study of the data collected by the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The Aviation Safety Reporting System was designed to stimulate as large a flow as possible of information regarding errors and operational problems in the conduct of air operations. It was implemented in April, 1976. In the following 7.5 years, 35,000 reports have been received from pilots, controllers, and the armed forces. Human errors are found in more than 80 percent of these reports. Attention is given to the types of events reported, possible causal factors in incidents, the relationship of incidents and accidents, and sources of error in the data. ASRS reports include sufficient detail to permit authorities to institute changes in the national aviation system designed to minimize the likelihood of human error, and to insulate the system against the effects of errors.

Risk factors of poor functional results at 1-year after pseudocontinent perineal colostomy for ultralow rectal adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Souadka, Amine; Majbar, Mohammed Anass; Bougutab, Abdeslam; El Othmany, Azzedine; Jalil, Abdelouahed; Ahyoud, Fatema Zahra; El Malki, Hadj Omar; Souadka, Abdelilah

2013-10-01

Pseudocontinent perineal colostomy is one of the techniques that helps recover the body image of patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection. This technique is rarely used internationally given its unknown functional results. The study aimed to evaluate 1-year functional outcomes of perineal pseudocontinent colostomy and to determine the risk factors for "poor" functional results. This study is a retrospective interventional case series. This study was conducted at a tertiary care university hospital and oncological center in Morocco. From January 1993 to December 2007, 149 patients underwent pseudocontinent perineal colostomy after abdominoperineal resection for low rectal adenocarcinoma. Pseudocontinent perineal colostomy was performed with the use of the Schmidt technique after abdominoperineal resection. One-year functional results were assessed according to the Kirwan classification system. Functional results were considered "poor" when the Kirwan score was C, D, or E. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to evaluate the impact of age, sex, type of surgery, irrigation frequency, palpable muscular ring, concomitant chemoradiotherapy, stage, and perineal complications on functional results. One hundred forty-six patients were analyzed. According to the Kirwan system, the scores showed that 100 (68.5%) patients had "good" continence results (stage A-B) and 46 (31.5%) patients had altered functional results (stage C-D-E). With the exception of pelvic recurrences, no conversions from a perineal colostomy to an abdominal colostomy were performed for dissatisfactory functional results. In multivariate analysis, the only independent predictive factors of poor functional results were the occurrence of perineal complications (OR, 3.923; 95% CI, 1.461-10.35; p = 0.007) and extended resection (OR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.183-7.750; p = 0.021) LIMITATION OF THE STUDY:: This study is an observational retrospective study on selected patients (mainly a young population

Optical properties of hydroxyapatite obtained by mechanical alloying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, C. C.; Thomazini, D.; Pinheiro, A. G.; Lanciotti, F.; Sasaki, J. M.; Góes, J. C.; Sombra, A. S. B.

2002-09-01

Calcium phosphate based bioceramics, mainly in the form of hydroxyapatite (HA), have been in use in medicine and dentistry for the last 20 years. Applications include coatings of orthopaedic and dental implants, alveolar ridge augmentation, maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, and scaffolds for bone growth and as powders in total hip and knee surgery. These materials exhibit several problems of handling and fabrication, which can be overcome by mixing with a suitable binder. In this paper, mechanical alloying has been used successfully to produce nanocrystalline powders of HA using five different experimental procedures. The milled HA were studied by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared and Raman scattering spectroscopy. For four different procedures, HA was obtained after a couple of hours of milling (on an average, 20 h of milling depending on the reaction procedure). The XRD patterns indicate that the grain size is within the range of 29-103 nm. This milling process, used to produce HA, presents the advantage that melting is not necessary and the powder obtained is nanocrystalline with extraordinary mechanical properties. The material can be compacted and transformed in solid ceramic samples. The high efficiency of the process opens a way to produce commercial amount of nanocrystalline HA. Due to the nanocrystalline character of this powder, their mechanical properties have changed and for this reason a pressure of 1 GPa is enough to shape the sample into any geometry.

The effects of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training in airline maintenance: Results following three year's experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. C.; Robertson, M. M.

1995-01-01

An airline maintenance department undertook a CRM training program to change its safety and operating culture. In 2 1/2 years this airline trained 2200 management staff and salaried professionals. Participants completed attitude surveys immediately before and after the training, as well as two months, six months, and one year afterward. On-site interviews were conducted to test and confirm the survey results. Comparing managers' attitudes immediately after their training with their pretraining attitudes showed significant improvement for three attitudes. A fourth attitude, assertiveness, improved significantly above the pretraining levels two months after training. The expected effect of the training on all four attitude scales did not change significantly thereafter. Participants' self-reported behaviors and interview comments confirmed their shift from passive to more active behaviors over time. Safety, efficiency, and dependability performance were measured before the onset of the training and for some 30 months afterward. Associations with subsequent performance were strongest with positive attitudes about sharing command (participation), assertiveness, and stress management when those attitudes were measured 2 and 12 months after the training. The two month follow-up survey results were especially strong and indicate that active behaviors learned from the CRM training consolidate and strengthen in the months immediately following training.

Results of a longer than 10-year follow-Up of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by occipitocervical fusion.

PubMed

Matsunaga, S; Ijiri, K; Koga, H

2000-07-15

Evaluation of results a longer than 10-year follow-up of patients with upper cervical lesions due to rheumatoid arthritis who underwent occipitocervical fusion. To determine the final outcome of patients with upper cervical lesions due to rheumatoid arthritis treated by occipitocervical fusion. There are few studies reporting the final outcome of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by occipitocervical fusion and observed for longer than 10 years. The subjects were 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with myelopathy who underwent occipitocervical fusion with a rectangular rod more than 10 years ago. All 16 patients had irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation, and 11 also had vertical dislocation of the axis. All patients had preoperative nuchal pain, and were classified into Class II (two patients), Class IIIA (nine patients), and class IIIB (five patients) according to Ranawat's preoperative neurologic classification. The atlas-dens interval remained the same as immediately after surgery. Vertical dislocation returned to the preoperative condition, despite successful surgical correction. Preoperative occipital pain disappeared or was reduced in all cases. Myelopathy improved in 12 of the 16 patients (75%) by more than one class in the Ranawat preoperative neurologic classification. Survival rate at 10 years after surgery was 38%; mean age at death was 70.7 years. The postoperative periods during which patients could walk by themselves ranged from 6 months to 13 years (mean, 7.5 years). Occipitocervical fusion for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is useful for decreasing nuchal pain, reducing myelopathy, and improving prognosis.

Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Randomized Effectiveness Trial: 1-Year Follow-up Results.

PubMed

Kong, Angela; Buscemi, Joanna; Stolley, Melinda R; Schiffer, Linda A; Kim, Yoonsang; Braunschweig, Carol L; Gomez-Perez, Sandra L; Blumstein, Lara B; Van Horn, Linda; Dyer, Alan R; Fitzgibbon, Marian L

2016-02-01

The preschool years provide a unique window of opportunity to intervene on obesity-related lifestyle risk factors during the formative years of a child's life. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preschool-based obesity prevention effectiveness trial at 1-year follow-up. RCT. Primarily African American children (aged 3-5 years, N=618) attending Head Start preschool programs administered by Chicago Public Schools. Eighteen preschools were randomly assigned in 2007-2008 to receive either (1) a 14-week teacher-delivered intervention focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors or (2) a 14-week teacher-delivered general health curriculum (control group). The primary outcome, BMI, was measured at baseline, postintervention, and 1-year follow-up. Diet and screen time behaviors were also assessed at these time points. Multilevel mixed effects models were used to test for between-group differences. Data were analyzed in 2014. Significant between-group differences were observed in diet, but not in BMI z-score or screen time at 1-year follow-up. Diet differences favored the intervention arm over controls in overall diet quality (p=0.02) and in subcomponents of diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005, and in fruit intake (servings/day, excludes juice) (p=0.02). Diet quality worsened more among controls than the intervention group at 1-year follow-up. The adaptation of Hip-Hop to Health Jr. produced modest benefits in diet quality but did not significantly impact weight gain trajectory. Not unlike other effectiveness trials, this real-world version delivered by Head Start teachers produced fewer benefits than the more rigorous efficacy trial. It is important to understand and build upon the lessons learned from these types of trials so that we can design, implement, and disseminate successful evidence-based programs more widely and effectively. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00241878. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of

8-year survivorship analysis and subjective results of 687 primary Balgrist hip sockets.

PubMed

Echtler, B; Jacob, H A; Houweling, M; Hersche, O

1999-09-01

The Balgrist hip socket consists of an outer split ring in the form of a truncated cone, made of titanium, which is expanded by a tapered HDPE insert during implantation, thus ensuring firm primary press-fit and the possibility of retightening in the postoperative remodelling phase. Between November 1987 and October 1996, 687 primary Balgrist hip sockets were implanted in 555 patients. Five hundred and thirty-seven patients were investigated. Of these patients, 71.1% never had pain in the operated hip, 88.1% had no problems putting on their shoes, 76.2% were able to walk one or more hours. Furthermore, 91.7% are very or mostly content with the postoperative result. Nineteen hip sockets had to be revised until April 1997. With a 92.1% Kaplan-Meier survivorship rate after 8 years the Balgrist hip socket ranks among the most successful noncemented acetabular components.

Student's Booklet; To Accompany The Career Data Book: Results from Project TALENT'S Five-Year Follow-Up Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, John C.; And Others

The Student Booklet is a companion document to "The Career Data Book: Results from Project TALENT'S Five-year Followup Study" (CE 000 755). The booklet's purpose is to enable the high school student to compare his abilities, achievements, interests, and background with those of other young people who went into various occupations so he…

results obtained by the application of two different methods for the calculation of optimal coplanar orbital maneuvers with time limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocco, Emr; Prado, Afbap; Souza, Mlos

In this work, the problem of bi-impulsive orbital transfers between coplanar elliptical orbits with minimum fuel consumption but with a time limit for this transfer is studied. As a first method, the equations presented by Lawden (1993) were used. Those equations furnishes the optimal transfer orbit with fixed time for this transfer, between two elliptical coplanar orbits considering fixed terminal points. The method was adapted to cases with free terminal points and those equations was solved to develop a software for orbital maneuvers. As a second method, the equations presented by Eckel and Vinh (1984) were used, those equations provide the transfer orbit between non-coplanar elliptical orbits with minimum fuel and fixed time transfer, or minimum time transfer for a prescribed fuel consumption, considering free terminal points. But in this work only the problem with fixed time transfer was considered, the case of minimum time for a prescribed fuel consumption was already studied in Rocco et al. (2000). Then, the method was modified to consider cases of coplanar orbital transfer, and develop a software for orbital maneuvers. Therefore, two software that solve the same problem using different methods were developed. The first method, presented by Lawden, uses the primer vector theory. The second method, presented by Eckel and Vinh, uses the ordinary theory of maxima and minima. So, to test the methods we choose the same terminal orbits and the same time as input. We could verify that we didn't obtain exactly the same result. In this work, that is an extension of Rocco et al. (2002), these differences in the results are explored with objective of determining the reason of the occurrence of these differences and which modifications should be done to eliminate them.

Hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation catalysts obtained from coal mineral matter

DOEpatents

Liu, Kindtoken H. D.; Hamrin, Jr., Charles E.

1982-01-01

A hydrotreating catalyst is prepared from coal mineral matter obtained by low temperature ashing coals of relatively low bassanite content by the steps of: (a) depositing on the low temperature ash 0.25-3 grams of an iron or nickel salt in water per gram of ash and drying a resulting slurry; (b) crushing and sizing a resulting solid; and (c) heating the thus-sized solid powder in hydrogen.

Trends in Pap Test Practices and Results: An 11-Year Review of the Annual ACHA Pap Test and STI Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastman-Mueller, Heather P.; Oswalt, Sara B.

2017-01-01

Objective: To conduct a trend analysis of Pap test practices, Pap test results and related women's services and guidelines of college health centers. Participants: College health centers who participated in the annual ACHA Pap Test and STI (sexually transmitted infection) Survey years 2004-2014 (n ranged from 127 to 181 depending on year).…

Hardiness and Health Status: Results of a 3-Year Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Robin; Nowack, Kenneth M.

Recent research has suggested that individual differences in the personality measure of hardiness are related to health status. This 3-year longitudinal study with full-time employees (N=229) investigated the association between stress, two separate measures of personality hardiness, and objective (absenteeism due to illness verified from…

Validity of dietary recall over 20 years among California Seventh-day Adventists.

PubMed

Fraser, G E; Lindsted, K D; Knutsen, S F; Beeson, W L; Bennett, H; Shavlik, D J

1998-10-15

Past dietary habits are etiologically important to incident disease. Yet the validity of such measurements from the previous 10-20 years is poorly understood. In this study, the authors correlated food frequency results that were obtained in 1994-1995 but pertained to recalled diet in 1974 with the weighted mean of five random 24-hour dietary recalls obtained by telephone in 1974. The subjects studied were 72 Seventh-day Adventists who lived within 30 miles of Loma Linda, California; had participated in a 1974 validation study; were still alive; and were willing to participate again in 1994. A method was developed to allow correction for random error in the reference data when these data had differentially weighted components. The results showed partially corrected correlation coefficients of greater than 0.30 for coffee, whole milk, eggs, chips, beef, fish, chicken, fruit, and legumes. Higher correlations on average were obtained when the food frequencies were scored simply 1-9, reflecting the nine frequency categories. The 95% confidence intervals for 15 of the 28 correlations excluded zero. Incorporation of portion size information was unhelpful. The authors concluded that in this population, data recalled from 20 years ago should be treated with caution but, for a number of important foods, that the degree of validity achieved approached that obtained when assessing current dietary habits.

Seasonal Changes in Serum Thyrotropin Concentrations Observed from Big Data Obtained During Six Consecutive Years from 2010 to 2015 at a Single Hospital in Japan.

PubMed

Yoshihara, Ai; Noh, Jaeduk Yoshimura; Watanabe, Natsuko; Iwaku, Kenji; Kunii, Yo; Ohye, Hidemi; Suzuki, Miho; Matsumoto, Masako; Suzuki, Nami; Sugino, Kiminori; Thienpont, Linda M; Hishinuma, Akira; Ito, Koichi

2018-04-01

This study analyzed big data for serum thyrotropin (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations in patients who had attended the outpatient clinic of Ito Hospital (Tokyo, Japan) during a recent six-year period (between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015) in order to investigate for seasonal changes. The serum TSH concentrations were reviewed for all 135,417 patients aged >20 years. Patients with any thyroid diseases were included, irrespective of whether they were receiving drug therapy. In total 1,637,721 serum samples were analyzed for TSH, 1,626,269 for fT3, and 1,669,381 for fT4. It was observed that the TSH concentrations showed annual changes during the six-year period. They decreased during the summer, while they increased during the winter. The TSH concentrations were negatively correlated with the daily temperatures (Spearman rank correlation coefficient -0.4486; p < 0.0001). The same applied for the correlation between fT3 concentrations and daily temperatures. The fact that the TSH concentrations show annual changes in areas where the temperature ranges during the year are rather wide should be borne in mind for interpretation of results.

Histology of periapical lesions obtained during apical surgery.

PubMed

Schulz, Malte; von Arx, Thomas; Altermatt, Hans Jörg; Bosshardt, Dieter

2009-05-01

The aim of this was to evaluate the histology of periapical lesions in teeth treated with periapical surgery. After root-end resection, the root tip was removed together with the periapical pathological tissue. Histologic sectioning was performed on calcified specimens embedded in methylmethacrylate (MMA) and on demineralized specimens embedded in LR White (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland). The samples were evaluated with light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The histologic findings were classified into periapical abscesses, granulomas, or cystic lesions (true or pocket cysts). The final material comprised 70% granulomas, 23% cysts and 5% abscesses, 1% scar tissues, and 1% keratocysts. Six of 125 samples could not be used. The cystic lesions could not be subdivided into pocket or true cysts. All cysts had an epithelium-lined cavity, two of them with cilia-lined epithelium. These results show the high incidence of periapical granulomas among periapical lesions obtained during apical surgery. Periapical abscesses were a rare occasion. The histologic findings from samples obtained during apical surgery may differ from findings obtained by teeth extractions. A determination between pocket and true apical cysts is hardly possible when collecting samples by apical surgery.

Five-year ALARA review of dosimetry results :

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

Paulus, Luke R.

2013-08-01

A review of personnel dosimetry (external and internal) and environmental monitoring results from 1 January 2008 through 31 December 2012 performed at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico was conducted to demonstrate that radiation protection methods used are compliant with regulatory limits and conform with the ALARA philosophy. ALARA is the philosophical approach to radiation protection by managing and controlling radiation exposures (individual and collective) to the work force and to the general public to levels that are As Low As is Reasonably Achievable taking social, technical, economic, practical, and public policy considerations into account. ALARA is not a dose limitmore » but a process which has the objective of attaining doses as far below applicable dose limits As Low As is Reasonably Achievable.« less

10 years' experience with regular haemodialysis and renal transplantation.

PubMed Central

Chantler, C; Carter, J E; Bewick, M; Counahan, R; Cameron, J S; Ogg, C S; Williams, D G; Winder, E

1980-01-01

75 children aged under 15 years have entered the regular haemodialysis/renal transplant programme at Guy's Hospital in the 10 years since its inception; 13 children have subsequently died. A combination of hospital and home haemodialysis and renal transplantation was used. 64 children received 80 renal allografts; 37 1st grafts were from live, related donors and 27 were from cadaver donors. The 5-year acturial patient survival for the whole group and for those who had transplants was 76%. Live donor graft survival was 65% at 3 years, and 55% at 5 years; 1st cadaver graft survival was 42% at 3 years. Results obtained during the last 6 years of the 10-year period showed an improvement with a live related donor graft survival rate of 71%, and a 1st cadaver graft survival rate of 47% at 3 years. Particular experience was gained with home haemodialysis and live, related donor transplantation. Despite growth, and psychosocial and rehabilitation problems, the overall results were encouraging, particularly for the 46 children who had successful transplants. These children grew better, had fewer psychosocial difficulties, and were rehabilitated more successfully into normal life than those on long-term dialysis. We conclude that dialysis and transplantation should be offered to all suitable children with terminal renal failure. PMID:7002057

Objective Evidence of Reflux Control After Magnetic Sphincter Augmentation: One Year Results From a Post Approval Study.

PubMed

Louie, Brian E; Smith, C Daniel; Smith, Christopher C; Bell, Reginald C W; Gillian, George Kevin; Mandel, Jeffrey S; Perry, Kyle A; Birkenhagen, Walter Kurt; Taiganides, Paul A; Dunst, Christy M; McCollister, Howard M; Lipham, John C; Khaitan, Leena K; Tsuda, Shawn T; Jobe, Blair A; Kothari, Shanu N; Gould, Jon C

2018-04-24

To report 1-year results from a 5-year mandated study. In 2012, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) with the LINX Reflux Management System (Torax Medical, Shoreview, MN), a novel device for the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Continued assessment of safety and effectiveness has been monitored in a Post Approval Study. Multicenter, prospective study of patients with pathologic acid reflux confirmed by esophageal pH testing undergoing MSA. Predefined clinical outcomes were assessed at the annual visit including a validated, disease-specific questionnaire, esophagogastricduodenoscopy and esophageal pH monitoring, and use of proton pump inhibitors. A total of 200 patients (102 males, 98 females) with a mean age of 48.5 years (range 19.7-71.6) were treated with MSA between March 2013 and August 2015. At 1 year, the mean total acid exposure time decreased from 10.0% at baseline to 3.6%, and 74.4% of patients had normal esophageal acid exposure time (% time pH<4 ≤5.3%). GERD Health-Related Quality of Life scores improved from a median score of 26.0 at baseline to 4.0 at 1 year, with 84% of patients meeting the predefined success criteria of at least a 50% reduction in total GERD Health-Related Quality of Life score compared with baseline. The device removal rate at 1 year was 2.5%. One erosion and no serious adverse events were reported. Safety and effectiveness of magnetic sphincter augmentation has been demonstrated outside of an investigational setting to further confirm MSA as treatment for GERD.

The GLOBE Contrail Protocol: Initial Analysis of Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Lin; Duda, David

2004-01-01

The GLOBE contrail protocol was launched in March 2003 to obtain surface observer reports of contrail occurrence to complement satellite and model studies underway at NASA Langley, among others. During the first year, more than 30,000 ground observations of contrails were submitted to GLOBE. An initial analysis comparing the GLOBE observations to weather prediction model results for relative humidity at flight altitudes is in progress. This paper reports on the findings to date from this effort.