The Impacts of Remedial Interventions on Learning Chinese for Low-Achieving First Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shu-Li; Tzeng, Shih-Jay; Chu, Szu-Yin; Chen, Hsin-Ying

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a Chinese phonetic script, Zhu-Yin-Fu-Hao (ZYFH), influences low achievers in learning Chinese. In this quasi experimental design, 21 students were assigned to the experimental group, while the other 31 students were distributed to the control group. Two interventions were implemented throughout…

Yin and Yang of ginseng pharmacology: ginsenosides vs gintonin

PubMed Central

Im, Dong-soon; Nah, Seung-yeol

2013-01-01

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic herb that provides many beneficial effects. Pharmacologic studies in the last decades have shown that ginsenosides (ginseng saponins) are primarily responsible for the actions of ginseng. However, the effects of ginseng are not fully explained by ginsenosides. Recently, another class of active ingredients called gintonin was identified. Gintonin is a complex of glycosylated ginseng proteins containing lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) that are the intracellular lipid mitogenic mediator. Gintonin specifically and potently activates the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for LPA. Thus, the actions of ginseng are now also linked to LPA and its GPCRs. This linkage opens new dimensions for ginseng pharmacology and LPA therapeutics. In the present review, we evaluate the pharmacology of ginseng with the traditional viewpoint of Yin and Yang components. Furthermore, we will compare ginsenoside and gintonin based on the modern view of molecular pharmacology in terms of ion channels and GPCRs. PMID:24122014

Influence of I-ching (Yijing, or The Book Of Changes) on Chinese medicine, philosophy and science.

PubMed

Lu, Dominic P

2013-01-01

I-Ching or Yi-Jing ([see text] also known as The Book of Changes) is the earliest classic in China. It simply explained the formation of the universe and the relationship of man to the universe. Most, if not all, branches of various knowledge, including traditional Chinese medicine, can be traced back its origin to this Book in which Fu Shi ([see text] 2852 B.C.) theorized how the universe was formed, through his keen observation of environment and orbits of sun, moon and stars. He used symbols to represent his views. The essence of I-Ching is basically the expression and function of Yang symbolized as "--" (from <---->) and Yin symbolized "- -" (from --><--), and [see text] Yin and Yang as interaction and circulation of Yang and Yin. Both Yin and Yang were derived from the same origin, Tai-Chi. Fu Shi believed Yin and Yang were the two opposite background force and energy that make the universe as what it is. Yang and Yin manifest in great variety of phenomena such as mind and body, masculine and feminine, sun and moon, hot and cold, heaven and earth, positive and negative electricity etc. The entire theory of Chinese medicine is based on the theories of Yin and Yang as well as that of 5 Element Cycles which are also related to the orderly arrangement of 8 trigrams ([see text]) by King Wen ([see text]1099-1050 B.C.). The 5 Elements Theory explains the "check and balance" mechanism created by the background force of Yin and Yang Qi and illustrated the relationships that are either strengthened or weakened by "acting and controlling" among the 5 elements. I-Ching has exerted profound influences on some well- known European philosophers and scientists, notably Leibnitz and Hegel. Between I-Ching and modern cosmology and the physics of sub-atomic particles, there are some basic theories in common.

Condition of live fire-scarred ponderosa pine eleven years after removing partial cross-sections

Treesearch

Emily K. Heyerdahl; Steven J. McKay

2008-01-01

Our objective is to report mortality rates for ponderosa pine trees in Oregon ten to eleven years after removing a fire-scarred partial cross-section from them, and five years after an initial survey of post-sampling mortality. We surveyed 138 live trees from which we removed fire-scarred partial crosssections in 1994/95 and 387 similarly sized, unsampled neighbor...

Rapid Naming Speed and Chinese Character Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Chen-Huei; Georgiou, George K.; Parrila, Rauno

2008-01-01

We examined the relationship between rapid naming speed (RAN) and Chinese character recognition accuracy and fluency. Sixty-three grade 2 and 54 grade 4 Taiwanese children were administered four RAN tasks (colors, digits, Zhu-Yin-Fu-Hao, characters), and two character recognition tasks. RAN tasks accounted for more reading variance in grade 4 than…

Traditional Chinese medicine on the effects of low-intensity laser irradiation on cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Timon C.; Duan, Rui; Li, Yan; Cai, Xiongwei

2002-04-01

In previous paper, process-specific times (PSTs) are defined by use of molecular reaction dynamics and time quantum theory established by TCY Liu et al., and the change of PSTs representing two weakly nonlinearly coupled bio-processes are shown to be parallel, which is called time parallel principle (TPP). The PST of a physiological process (PP) is called physiological time (PT). After the PTs of two PPs are compared with their Yin-Yang property of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the PST model of Yin and Yang (YPTM) was put forward: for two related processes, the process of small PST is Yin, and the other process is Yang. The Yin-Yang parallel principle (YPP) was put forward in terms of YPTM and TPP, which is the fundamental principle of TCM. In this paper, we apply it to study TCM on the effects of low intensity laser on cells, and successfully explained observed phenomena.

Places and Bases: The Chinese Navy’s Emerging Support Network in the Indian Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

year, public statements by Chinese academics and government of- ficials have indicated that there is a debate going on in China over the need to...establish some sort of overseas infrastructure to support deployed naval forces. Rear Admiral Yin Zhou (Retired), chairman of the Chinese Navy...excitement, although in reality he did not say anything that has not already been said by other Chinese government offi- cials and academics. Despite an

Chlorpromazine-induced perturbations of bile acids and free fatty acids in cholestatic liver injury prevented by the Chinese herbal compound Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang.

PubMed

Yang, Qiaoling; Yang, Fan; Tang, Xiaowen; Ding, Lili; Xu, Ying; Xiong, Yinhua; Wang, Zhengtao; Yang, Li

2015-04-16

Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang (YCHT), a commonly used as a traditional chinese medicine for liver disease. Several studies indicated that YCHT may improving hepatic triglyceride metabolism and anti-apoptotic response as well as decreasing oxidative stress .However, little is known about the role of YCHT in chlorpromazine (CPZ) -induced chlolestatic liver injury. Therefore, we aimed to facilitate the understanding of the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver injury and evaluate the effect of Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang (YCHT) on chlorpromazine (CPZ)-induced cholestatic liver injury in rats based on the change of bile acids (BAs) and free fatty acids (FFAs) alone with the biochemical indicators and histological examination. We conducted an experiment on CPZ-induced cholestatic liver injury in Wistar rats with and without YCHT for nine consecutive days. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured to evaluate the protective effect of YCHT against chlorpromazine (CPZ)-induced cholestatic liver injury. Histopathology of the liver tissue showed that pathological injuries were relieved after YCHT pretreatment. In addition, ultra-performance lipid chromatography coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to determine the content of bile acids, free fatty acids, respectively. Obtained data showed that YCHT attenuated the effect of CPZ-induced cholestatic liver injury, which was manifested by the serum biochemical parameters and histopathology of the liver tissue. YCHT regulated the lipid levels as indicated by the reversed serum levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C. YCHT also regulated the disorder of BA and FFA metabolism by CPZ induction. Results indicated that YCHT exerted a protective effect on CPZ-induced cholestasis liver injury. The variance of

Hierarchical and Complex System Entropy Clustering Analysis Based Validation for Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Patterns of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yin; Liu, Yue; Li, Yannan; Zhao, Xia; Zhuo, Lin; Zhou, Ajian; Zhang, Li; Su, Zeqi; Chen, Cen; Du, Shiyu; Liu, Daming; Ding, Xia

2018-03-22

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is the precancerous stage of gastric carcinoma. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been widely used in treating CAG. This study aimed to reveal core pathogenesis of CAG by validating the TCM syndrome patterns and provide evidence for optimization of treatment strategies. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 4 hospitals in China. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and complex system entropy clustering analysis (CSECA) were performed, respectively, to achieve syndrome pattern validation. Based on HCA, 15 common factors were assigned to 6 syndrome patterns: liver depression and spleen deficiency and blood stasis in the stomach collateral, internal harassment of phlegm-heat and blood stasis in the stomach collateral, phlegm-turbidity internal obstruction, spleen yang deficiency, internal harassment of phlegm-heat and spleen deficiency, and spleen qi deficiency. By CSECA, 22 common factors were assigned to 7 syndrome patterns: qi deficiency, qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm turbidity, heat, yang deficiency, and yin deficiency. Combination of qi deficiency, qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm turbidity, heat, yang deficiency, and yin deficiency may play a crucial role in CAG pathogenesis. In accord with this, treatment strategies by TCM herbal prescriptions should be targeted to regulating qi, activating blood, resolving turbidity, clearing heat, removing toxin, nourishing yin, and warming yang. Further explorations are needed to verify and expand the current conclusions.

Grassland restoration with and without fire: evidence from a tree-removal experiment.

PubMed

Halpern, Charles B; Haugo, Ryan D; Antos, Joseph A; Kaas, Sheena S; Kilanowski, Allyssa L

2012-03-01

Forest encroachment threatens the biological diversity of grasslands globally. Positive feedbacks can reinforce the process, affecting soils and ground vegetation, ultimately leading to replacement of grassland by forest species. We tested whether restoration treatments (tree removal, with or without fire) reversed effects of nearly two centuries of encroachment by Abies grandis and Pinus contorta into dry, montane meadows in the Cascade Range, Oregon, USA. In nine, 1-ha plots containing a patchy mosaic of meadow openings and forests of varying age (20 to > 140 yr), we compared three treatments affecting the ground vegetation: control (no trees removed), unburned (trees removed, slash burned in piles leaving 90% of the area unburned), and burned (trees removed, slash broadcast burned). We quantified changes over 3-4 years in soils, abundance and richness of species with differing habitat associations (meadow, forest, and ruderal), and recruitment of conifers. Except for a transient increase in available N (especially in burn scars), effects of burning on soils were minimal due, in part, to mixing by gophers. Tree removal greatly benefited meadow species at the expense of forest herbs. Cover and richness of meadow species increased by 47% and 38% of initial values in unburned plots, but changed minimally in burned plots. In contrast, cover and richness of forest herbs declined by 44% and 26% in unburned plots and by 79% and 58% in burned plots. Ruderal species and conifer seedlings were uncommon in both treatments. Although vegetation was consumed beneath burn piles, meadow species recovered significantly after three years. Long-term tree presence did not preclude recovery of meadow species; in fact, colonization was greater in older than in younger forests. In sum, temporal trends were positive for most indicators, suggesting strong potential for restoration. Contrary to conventional wisdom, tree removal without fire may be sufficient to shift the balance from

Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs and the relationship with their TCM characteristics

PubMed Central

Banbury, Linda K.; Leach, David N.

2008-01-01

Here, 45 Chinese herbs that regulate blood circulation were analyzed for antioxidant activity using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. A recent publication by Ou et al. identified a close relationship between in vitro antioxidant activity and classification of Chinese herbs as yin or yang. The 45 Chinese herbs in this study could be assigned the traditional characteristics of natures (cold, cool, hot and warm), flavors (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty) and functions (arresting bleeding, promoting blood flow to relieve stasis, nourishing blood and clearing away heat from blood). These characteristics are generalized according to the theory of yin and yang. We identified a broad range, 40–1990 µmol Trolox Equivalent/g herbs, of antioxidant activity in water extracts. There was no significant correlation between ORAC values and natures or functions of the herbs. There was a significant relationship between flavors and ORAC values. Bitter and/or sour herbs had the highest ORAC values, pungent and/or sweet herbs the lowest. Other flavors had intermediate values. Flavors also correspond with the yin/yang relationship and our results are supportive of the earlier publication. We reported for the first time antioxidant properties of many Chinese herbs. High antioxidant herbs were identified as Spatholobus suberectus vine (1990 µmol TE/g), Sanguisorba officinalis root (1940 µmol TE/g), Agrimonia pilosa herb (1440 µmol TE/g), Artemisia anomala herb (1400 µmol TE/g), Salvia miltiorrhiza root (1320 µmol TE/g) and Nelembo nucifera leaf (1300 µmol TE/g). Antioxidant capacity appears to correlate with the flavors of herbs identified within the formal TCM classification system and may be a useful guide in describing their utility and biochemical mechanism of action. PMID:18955214

[Application of Bayes Probability Model in Differentiation of Yin and Yang Jaundice Syndromes in Neonates].

PubMed

Mu, Chun-sun; Zhang, Ping; Kong, Chun-yan; Li, Yang-ning

2015-09-01

To study the application of Bayes probability model in differentiating yin and yang jaundice syndromes in neonates. Totally 107 jaundice neonates who admitted to hospital within 10 days after birth were assigned to two groups according to syndrome differentiation, 68 in the yang jaundice syndrome group and 39 in the yin jaundice syndrome group. Data collected for neonates were factors related to jaundice before, during and after birth. Blood routines, liver and renal functions, and myocardial enzymes were tested on the admission day or the next day. Logistic regression model and Bayes discriminating analysis were used to screen factors important for yin and yang jaundice syndrome differentiation. Finally, Bayes probability model for yin and yang jaundice syndromes was established and assessed. Factors important for yin and yang jaundice syndrome differentiation screened by Logistic regression model and Bayes discriminating analysis included mothers' age, mother with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational age, asphyxia, or ABO hemolytic diseases, red blood cell distribution width (RDW-SD), platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR), serum direct bilirubin (DBIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholinesterase (CHE). Bayes discriminating analysis was performed by SPSS to obtain Bayes discriminant function coefficient. Bayes discriminant function was established according to discriminant function coefficients. Yang jaundice syndrome: y1= -21. 701 +2. 589 x mother's age + 1. 037 x GDM-17. 175 x asphyxia + 13. 876 x gestational age + 6. 303 x ABO hemolytic disease + 2.116 x RDW-SD + 0. 831 x DBIL + 0. 012 x ALP + 1. 697 x LCR + 0. 001 x CHE; Yin jaundice syndrome: y2= -33. 511 + 2.991 x mother's age + 3.960 x GDM-12. 877 x asphyxia + 11. 848 x gestational age + 1. 820 x ABO hemolytic disease +2. 231 x RDW-SD +0. 999 x DBIL +0. 023 x ALP +1. 916 x LCR +0. 002 x CHE. Bayes discriminant function was hypothesis tested and got Wilks' λ =0. 393 (P =0. 000). So Bayes

Origin of the mysterious Yin-Shang bronzes in China indicated by lead isotopes.

PubMed

Sun, Wei-dong; Zhang, Li-peng; Guo, Jia; Li, Cong-ying; Jiang, Yu-hang; Zartman, Robert E; Zhang, Zhao-feng

2016-03-18

Fine Yin-Shang bronzes containing lead with puzzlingly highly radiogenic isotopic compositions appeared suddenly in the alluvial plain of the Yellow River around 1400 BC. The Tongkuangyu copper deposit in central China is known to have lead isotopic compositions even more radiogenic and scattered than those of the Yin-Shang bronzes. Most of the Yin-Shang bronzes are tin-copper alloys with high lead contents. The low lead and tin concentrations, together with the less radiogenic lead isotopes of bronzes in an ancient smelting site nearby, however, exclude Tongkuangyu as the sole supplier of the Yin-Shang bronzes. Interestingly, tin ingots/prills and bronzes found in Africa also have highly radiogenic lead isotopes, but it remains mysterious as to how such African bronzes may have been transported to China. Nevertheless, these African bronzes are the only bronzes outside China so far reported that have lead isotopes similar to those of the Yin-Shang bronzes. All these radiogenic lead isotopes plot along ~2.0-2.5 Ga isochron lines, implying that deposits around Archean cratons are the most likely candidates for the sources. African cratons along the Nile and even micro-cratons in the Sahara desert may have similar lead signatures. These places were probably accessible by ancient civilizations, and thus are the most favorable suppliers of the bronzes.

Origin of the mysterious Yin-Shang bronzes in China indicated by lead isotopes

PubMed Central

Sun, Wei-dong; Zhang, Li-peng; Guo, Jia; Li, Cong-ying; Jiang, Yu-hang; Zartman, Robert E.; Zhang, Zhao-feng

2016-01-01

Fine Yin-Shang bronzes containing lead with puzzlingly highly radiogenic isotopic compositions appeared suddenly in the alluvial plain of the Yellow River around 1400 BC. The Tongkuangyu copper deposit in central China is known to have lead isotopic compositions even more radiogenic and scattered than those of the Yin-Shang bronzes. Most of the Yin-Shang bronzes are tin-copper alloys with high lead contents. The low lead and tin concentrations, together with the less radiogenic lead isotopes of bronzes in an ancient smelting site nearby, however, exclude Tongkuangyu as the sole supplier of the Yin-Shang bronzes. Interestingly, tin ingots/prills and bronzes found in Africa also have highly radiogenic lead isotopes, but it remains mysterious as to how such African bronzes may have been transported to China. Nevertheless, these African bronzes are the only bronzes outside China so far reported that have lead isotopes similar to those of the Yin-Shang bronzes. All these radiogenic lead isotopes plot along ~2.0–2.5 Ga isochron lines, implying that deposits around Archean cratons are the most likely candidates for the sources. African cratons along the Nile and even micro-cratons in the Sahara desert may have similar lead signatures. These places were probably accessible by ancient civilizations, and thus are the most favorable suppliers of the bronzes. PMID:26988425

The influence of residue removal and prescribed fire on distributions of forest nutrients.

Treesearch

Little; S.N.; G.O. Klock

1985-01-01

The effects of two levels of residue removal (removal of all woody material larger than 15 x 180 cm and 10 x 120 cm) on the distribution of nitrogen and sulfur on the forest site and the added effects of post-harvest prescribed fire on those distributions were studied at two sites in the Cascade Range in Oregon. Nutrients lost from increased removal of residue were...

Using Stroke Removal to Investigate Chinese Character Identification during Reading: Evidence from Eye Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Guoli; Bai, Xuejun; Zang, Chuanli; Bian, Qian; Cui, Lei; Qi, Wei; Rayner, Keith; Liversedge, Simon P.

2012-01-01

We explored the effect of stroke removal from Chinese characters on eye movements during reading to examine the role of stroke encoding in character identification. Experimental sentences were comprised of characters with different proportions of strokes removed (15, 30, and 50%), and different types of strokes removed (beginning, ending, and…

The use of liquid latex for soot removal from fire scenes and attempted fingerprint development with Ninhydrin.

PubMed

Clutter, Susan Wright; Bailey, Robert; Everly, Jeff C; Mercer, Karl

2009-11-01

Throughout the United States, clearance rates for arson cases remain low due to fire's destructive nature, subsequent suppression, and a misconception by investigators that no forensic evidence remains. Recent research shows that fire scenes can yield fingerprints if soot layers are removed prior to using available fingerprinting processes. An experiment applying liquid latex to sooted surfaces was conducted to assess its potential to remove soot and yield fingerprints after the dried latex was peeled. Latent fingerprints were applied to glass and drywall surfaces, sooted in a controlled burn, and cooled. Liquid latex was sprayed on, dried, and peeled. Results yielded usable prints within the soot prior to removal techniques, but no further fingerprint enhancement was noted with Ninhydrin. Field studies using liquid latex will be continued by the (US) Virginia Fire Marshal Academy but it appears that liquid latex application is a suitable soot removal method for forensic applications.

Biochar from Chinese herb residues as adsorbent for toxic metals removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guocheng; Huang, Yu; Xu, Lina

2017-04-01

Two biochars were prepared form Chinese herb residues by slow pyrolysis at 300 °C and 600 °C (CHR300 and CHR600) for removing two toxic metal ions (Pb2+ and Cd2+) from aqueous phase. In this study, both Pb2+ and Cd2+ were effectively immobilized by CHR300 and CHR600 from water. For an initial concentration of Pb2+ and Cd2+ (C 0 = 10 mg/L), the removal rate by CHR300 and CHR600 were all greater than 90.0% at a solid:liquid ratio of 50 mg biochar in 10 mL solution. For C 0 of the two toxic metals was 100 mg/L, the Pb2+ removal by CHR600 was significantly stronger than that by CHR300, but there was no significant difference of the removal rate of Cd2+ between CHR300 and CHR600. Moreover, the removal rate of Pb2+ by CHR300 and CHR600 was both markedly greater than that of Cd2+, indicating that the biochars had stronger adsorption favorite for Pb2+ than Cd2+. The SEM-EDX data of the biochars after the toxic metals sorption drew strong evidences on the Pb2+ and Cd2+ immobilization by CHR300 and CHR600. The existing of phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) in CHR300 and CHR600 implied that the heavy metals might be removed by forming Pb/Cd-P and Pb/Cd-S precipitates. These results suggested that the biochars from Chinese herb residues would be likely to be good adsorbents for Pb2+ and Cd2+ removal in water.

Menopause in German and Chinese women--an analysis of symptoms, TCM-diagnosis and hormone status.

PubMed

Rampp, Thomas; Tan, Linda; Zhang, Lin; Sun, Zhuo-Jun; Klose, Petra; Musial, Frauke; Dobos, Gustav Jürgen

2008-09-01

To investigate menopause-related symptoms, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-diagnosis and hormone status of two comparable urban samples of menopausal women, one in Essen (Germany) and the other in Shanghai (China). Patients suffering from menopause-syndrome were recruited from the TCM-outpatient clinic of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany (35 subjects) and from the Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China (35 subjects). The Kupperman-Index for tracing menopausal symptoms was applied. The complete TCM-diagnosis was carried out by the same investigator in China as well as in Germany. Testosterone and estrogen blood samples were collected once from every woman. There were significant differences in specific symptoms of the Kupperman-Index, such as a higher prevalence of formication and depression in German menopausal women; whereas Chinese menopausal women suffered significantly more from vertigo, headache and paraesthesia symptoms. Concerning TCM-diagnosis, Shen ()-yang deficiency was diagnosed in 51.43% of the German women in contrast to 5.71% of the Chinese women; 17.14% of the German women were diagnosed as having Shen-yin deficiency compared to 74.29% of the Chinese women. The German women showed significantly lower mean hormone levels for testosterone compared to the Chinese women (PChinese menopausal women do not show different prevalence but have different patterns of menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, from a TCM point of view, German women suffer more from Shen-yang deficiency whereas Chinese women suffer more from Shen-yin deficiency syndrome. These results are supported by significantly lower levels of testosterone in German women compared to Chinese women, which, in TCM, is a characteristic of yang deficiency.

[Effect of extracts from Dendrobii ifficinalis flos on hyperthyroidism Yin deficiency mice].

PubMed

Lei, Shan-shan; Lv, Gui-yuan; Jin, Ze-wu; Li, Bo; Yang, Zheng-biao; Chen, Su-hong

2015-05-01

Some unhealthy life habits, such as long-term smoking, heavy drinking, sexual overstrain and frequent stay-up could induce the Yin deficiency symptoms of zygomatic red and dysphoria. Stems of Dendrobii officinalis flos (DOF) showed the efficacy of nourishing Yin. In this study, the hyperthyroidism Yin deficiency model was set up to study the yin nourishing effect and action mechanism of DOF, in order to provide the pharmacological basis for developing DOF resources and decreasing resource wastes. ICR mice were divided into five groups: the normal control group, the model control group, the positive control group and DOF extract groups (6.4 g · kg(-1)). Except for the normal group, the other groups were administrated with thyroxine for 30 d to set up the hyperthyroidism yin deficiency model. At the same time, the other groups were administrated with the corresponding drugs for 30 d. After administration for 4 weeks, the signs (facial temperature, pain domain, heart rate and autonomic activity) in mice were measured, and the facial and ear micro-circulation blood flow were detected by laser Doppler technology. After the last administration, all mice were fasted for 12 hours, blood were collected from their orbits, and serum were separated to detect AST, ALT, TG and TP by the automatic biochemistry analyzer and test T3, T4 and TSH levels by ELISA. (1) Compared with the normal control group, the model control group showed significant increases in facial and ear micro-circulation blood flow, facial temperature and heart rate (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), serum AST, ALT (P < 0.01), T3 level (P < 0.05), TSH level (P < 0.05) and notable deceases in pain domain (P < 0.01), TG level (P < 0.01). (2) Compared with the model control group, extracts from DOF (6 g · kg(-1)) could notably reduce facial and ear micro-circulation blood flow, facial temperature and heart rate (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and AST (P < 0.05) and enhance pain domain (P < 0.01) and TG (P < 0.01). Extracts from DOF (4

[Analysis on composition principles of prescriptions for stranguria in dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine prescription].

PubMed

Sun, Jing-Chang; Wang, Miao-Miao

2014-03-01

By using traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system to analyze the dominant experience and recessive principles of the prescriptions for stranguria in the dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine prescription (DCMP), we aim to define the medication pattern and rule and to acquire new prescriptions. In dominant experience analysis, we were able to find 22 drugs used over 50 times, including drugs of clearing heat, diuresis and relieving stranguria which are the most used and drugs of clearing heat, cooling blood, benefiting Qi and nourishing Yin. In addition, drugs of activating Qi and Xue, eliminating phlegm and removing toxic are often used, including 34 herb pairs and 5 combinations of three-taste drugs are used more than 35 times. These results fully reflect the composition principles and compatibility characteristic of prescriptions for treating stranguria in DCMP. Thirteen new prescriptions by way of recessive principle excavating were acquired. These new prescriptions might be suitable to clinical treatments of variable syndromes. This article provides an useful clue to research and produce new drugs.

Identification of Chinese medicine syndromes in persistent insomnia associated with major depressive disorder: a latent tree analysis.

PubMed

Yeung, Wing-Fai; Chung, Ka-Fai; Zhang, Nevin Lian-Wen; Zhang, Shi Ping; Yung, Kam-Ping; Chen, Pei-Xian; Ho, Yan-Yee

2016-01-01

Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome (zheng) differentiation is based on the co-occurrence of CM manifestation profiles, such as signs and symptoms, and pulse and tongue features. Insomnia is a symptom that frequently occurs in major depressive disorder despite adequate antidepressant treatment. This study aims to identify co-occurrence patterns in participants with persistent insomnia and major depressive disorder from clinical feature data using latent tree analysis, and to compare the latent variables with relevant CM syndromes. One hundred and forty-two participants with persistent insomnia and a history of major depressive disorder completed a standardized checklist (the Chinese Medicine Insomnia Symptom Checklist) specially developed for CM syndrome classification of insomnia. The checklist covers symptoms and signs, including tongue and pulse features. The clinical features assessed by the checklist were analyzed using Lantern software. CM practitioners with relevant experience compared the clinical feature variables under each latent variable with reference to relevant CM syndromes, based on a previous review of CM syndromes. The symptom data were analyzed to build the latent tree model and the model with the highest Bayes information criterion score was regarded as the best model. This model contained 18 latent variables, each of which divided participants into two clusters. Six clusters represented more than 50 % of the sample. The clinical feature co-occurrence patterns of these six clusters were interpreted as the CM syndromes Liver qi stagnation transforming into fire, Liver fire flaming upward, Stomach disharmony, Hyperactivity of fire due to yin deficiency, Heart-kidney noninteraction, and Qi deficiency of the heart and gallbladder. The clinical feature variables that contributed significant cumulative information coverage (at least 95 %) were identified. Latent tree model analysis on a sample of depressed participants with insomnia revealed 13 clinical

Fire-Heat and Qi Deficiency Syndromes as Predictors of Short-term Prognosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke

PubMed Central

Cheng, Shu-Chen; Lin, Chien-Hsiung; Chang, Yeu-Jhy; Lee, Tsong-Hai; Ryu, Shan-Jin; Chen, Chun-Hsien; Chang, Her-Kun; Chang, Chee-Jen

2013-01-01

Abstract Objectives To explore the relationships between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and disease severity and prognoses after ischemic stroke, such as neurologic deficits and decline in activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods The study included 211 patients who met the inclusion criteria of acute ischemic stroke based on clinical manifestations, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings, and onset of ischemic stroke within 72 hours with clear consciousness. To assess neurologic function and ADLs in patients with different TCM syndromes, the TCM Syndrome Differentiation Diagnostic Criteria for Apoplexy scale (containing assessments of wind, phlegm, blood stasis, fire-heat, qi deficiency, and yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity syndromes) was used within 72 hours of stroke onset, and Western medicine–based National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Barthel Index (BI) assessments were performed at both admission and discharge. Results The most frequent TCM syndromes associated with acute ischemic stroke were wind syndrome, phlegm syndrome, and blood stasis syndrome. Improvement according to the BI at discharge and days of admission were significantly different between patients with and those without fire-heat syndrome. Patients with qi deficiency syndrome had longer hospital stays and worse NIHSS and BI assessments at discharge than patients without qi deficiency syndrome. All the reported differences reached statistical significance. Conclusions These results provide evidence that fire-heat syndrome and qi deficiency syndrome are essential elements that can predict short-term prognosis of acute ischemic stroke. PMID:23600945

Chinese values, health and nursing.

PubMed

Chen, Y C

2001-10-01

To describe the roots of Chinese values, beliefs and the concept of health, and to illustrate how these ways have influenced the development of health care and nursing among Chinese in the Republic of China (ROC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Scope. Based on the literature and direct observation in the PRC and ROC, this is an introduction to Chinese philosophies, religion, basic beliefs, and values with a special meaning for health and nursing. Chinese philosophies and religion include Confucian principles, Taoism, theory of "Yin" and "Yang", and Buddhism. Beliefs and values include the way of education, practice of acupuncture, herbal treatments and diet therapy. How people value traditional Chinese medicine in combination with western science, and the future direction of nursing and nursing inquiry are also briefly addressed. Chinese philosophies and religions strongly influence the Chinese way of living and thinking about health and health care. Nurses must combine information about culture with clinical assessment of the patient to provide cultural sensitive care. A better way may be to combine both western and Chinese values into the Chinese health care system by negotiating between the traditional values while at the same time, respecting an individual's choice. The foundation of China's philosophical and aesthetic tradition, in combination with western science is important to the future advancement of nursing research that will be beneficial to the Republics, Asia, and the world.

Condition of live fire-scarred ponderosa pine trees six years after removing partial cross sections

Treesearch

Emily K. Heyerdahl; Steven J. McKay

2001-01-01

Our objective was to document the effect of fire-history sampling on the mortality of mature ponderosa pine trees in Oregon. We examined 138 trees from which fire-scarred partial cross sections had been removed five to six years earlier, and 386 similarly sized, unsampled neighbor trees, from 78 plots distributed over about 5,000 ha. Mortality was low for both groups....

Grassland restoration with and without fire: evidence from a tree-removal experiment

Treesearch

C.B. Halpern; R.D. Haugo; J.A. Antos; S.S. Kaas; A.L. Kilanowski

2012-01-01

Forest encroachment threatens the biological diversity of grasslands globally. Positive feedbacks can reinforce the process, affecting soils and ground vegetation, ultimately leading to replacement of grassland by forest species. We tested whether restoration treatments (tree removal, with or without fire) reversed effects of nearly two centuries of encroachment by...

[Study on the correlation between chronic asymptomatic HBV carriers of yin asthenia constitution and genotypes of HLA-DRB1 and HLA DQA1 alleles].

PubMed

Guo, Jian-chun; Xiao, Li-na; Xun, Yun-hao

2012-08-01

To study on the correlation between chronic asymptomatic HBV carriers (ASC) of yin asthenia constitution and genotypes of HLA-DRB1 and HLA DQA1 alleles. Totally 105 ASC were assigned to two groups according to their constitutions, i.e., the yin asthenia group (47 cases) and the non-yin asthenia group (58 cases). The genotypes of HLA-DRB1 and HLA DQA1 alleles were determined using PCR-SSP. The gene frequency of HLA-DRB1 * 09 allele and HLA-DQA1 * 0301 allele (being 12.1% and 19.1%) were obviously lower in the yin asthenia group than in the non-yin asthenia group (being 27.8% and 39.7%, P < 0.05). The gene frequency of HLA-DRB1 * 11 allele and HLA-DQA1 * 0501 allele were obviously higher in the yin asthenia group (being 12.1% and 28.7%) than in the non-yin asthenia group (4.3% and 9.5%), showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). HLA-DRB1 * 09 allele and HLA-DQA1 * 0301 allele might be the molecular bases for non-yin asthenia patients with ASC. HLA-DRB1 * 11 allele and HLA-DQA1 * 0501 allele might be the molecular bases for yin asthenia patients with ASC.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Use among Patients with Psoriasis in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Weng, Shu-Wen; Chen, Bor-Chyuan; Wang, Yu-Chiao; Liu, Chun-Kai; Chang, Ching-Mao

2016-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been used for patients with psoriasis. This study aimed to investigate TCM usage in patients with psoriasis. We analyzed a cohort of one million individuals representing the 23 million enrollees randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We identified 28,510 patients newly diagnosed with psoriasis between 2000 and 2010. Among them, 20,084 (70.4%) patients were TCM users. Patients who were female, younger, white-collar workers and lived in urbanized area tended to be TCM users. The median interval between the initial diagnosis of psoriasis to the first TCM consultation was 12 months. More than half (N = 11,609; 57.8%) of the TCM users received only Chinese herbal medicine. Win-qing-yin and Bai-xian-pi were the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula and single herb, respectively. The core prescription pattern comprised Mu-dan-pi, Wen-qing-yin, Zi-cao, Bai-xian-pi, and Di-fu-zi. Patients preferred TCM than Western medicine consultations when they had metabolic syndrome, hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, alopecia areata, Crohn's disease, cancer, depression, fatty liver, chronic airway obstruction, sleep disorder, and allergic rhinitis. In conclusion, TCM use is popular among patients with psoriasis in Taiwan. Future clinical trials to investigate its efficacy are warranted. PMID:27822287

Electron-phonon superconductivity in YIn3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billington, D.; Llewellyn-Jones, T. M.; Maroso, G.; Dugdale, S. B.

2013-08-01

First-principles calculations of the electron-phonon coupling were performed on the cubic intermetallic compound YIn3. The electron-phonon coupling constant was found to be λep = 0.42. Using the Allen-Dynes formula with a Coulomb pseudopotential of μ* = 0.10, a Tc of approximately 0.77 K is obtained which is reasonably consistent with the experimentally observed temperature (between 0.8 and 1.1 K). The results indicate that conventional electron-phonon coupling is capable of producing the superconductivity in this compound.

Removing Chinese privet from riparian forests still benefits pollinators five years later

Treesearch

Jacob R. Hudson; James Hanula; Scott Horn

2014-01-01

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is an invasive shrub of the Southeastern U.S. that forms dense stands and limits biodiversity. It was removed from heavily infested riparian forests of the Georgia Piedmont in 2005 by mulching machine or chainsaw felling and subsequent herbicide application. Abundance and species richness of bees and butterflies...

Cognitive behavioral intervention in the Chinese cultural context: a case report.

PubMed

Ng, Petrus; Tsun, Angela; Su, Susan; Young, Daniel

2013-09-01

Depression is predicted to become the world's second leading cause of disability by 2020 according to the World Health Organization. Cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI), recognized as a viable and effective treatment for depression, is becoming more widely used among Chinese clients. However, information about the application of this Western approach in the Chinese population is very limited. This paper discusses adaptations of CBI protocols for Chinese patients, considering the major Chinese cultural characteristics of predestination, losing face, avoiding conflict, and Yin-Yang balance (PLAY) for persons with depression. Illustrated is the application of the PLAY protocol in the actual case of a 35-year-old woman with depression. Implications for integrating Chinese cultural characteristics with CBI are discussed. There is evidence for adaptations of CBI for enhancing its effectiveness among Chinese people within their cultural context. Since there are limited studies on cultural-sensitive CBI for Chinese people, the conclusions drawn from this study are only preliminary. Further studies that verify the findings reported in this paper are necessary. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Simulation of the Intercontinental Transport, Aging, and Removal of a Boreal Fire Smoke Plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghan, S. J.; Chapman, E. G.; Easter, R. C.; Reid, J. S.; Justice, C.

2003-12-01

Back trajectories suggest that an elevated absorbing aerosol plume observed over Oklahoma in May 2003 can be traced to intense forest fires in Siberia two weeks earlier. The Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) product is used to estimate smoke emissions from those fires. The Model for Integrated Research on Atmospheric Model Exchanges (MIRAGE) is used to simulate the transport, aging, radiative properties, and removal of the aerosol. The simulated aerosol optical depth is compared with satellite retrievals, and the vertical structure of the plume is compared with in situ measurements. Sensitivity experiments are performed to determine the sensitivity of the simulated plume to uncertainty in the emissions vertical profile, mass flux, size distribution, and composition.

Enhancing mercury removal across air pollution control devices for coal-fired power plants by desulfurization wastewater evaporation.

PubMed

Bin, Hu; Yang, Yi; Cai, Liang; Yang, Linjun; Roszak, Szczepan

2017-10-09

Desulfurization wastewater evaporation technology is used to enhance the removal of gaseous mercury (Hg) in conventional air pollution control devices (APCDs) for coal-fired power plants. Studies have affirmed that gaseous Hg is oxidized and removed by selective catalytic reduction (SCR), an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) in a coal-fired thermal experiment platform with WFGD wastewater evaporation. Effects of desulfurization wastewater evaporation position, evaporation temperature and chlorine ion concentration on Hg oxidation were studied as well. The Hg 0 oxidation efficiency was increased ranging from 30% to 60%, and the gaseous Hg removal efficiency was 62.16% in APCDs when wastewater evaporated before SCR. However, the Hg 0 oxidation efficiency was 18.99% and the gaseous Hg removal efficiency was 40.19% in APCDs when wastewater evaporated before ESP. The results show that WFGD wastewater evaporation before SCR is beneficial to improve the efficiency of Hg oxidized and removed in APCDs. Because Hg 2+ can be easily removed in ACPDs and WFGD wastewater in power plants is enriched with chlorine ions, this method realizes WFGD wastewater zero discharge and simultaneously enhances Hg removal in APCDs.

Impacts of removing Chinese privet from riparian forests on plant communities and tree growth five years later

Treesearch

Jacob R. Hudson; James L. Hanula; Scott Horn

2014-01-01

An invasive shrub, Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.), was removed from heavily infested riparian forests in the Georgia Piedmont in 2005 by mulching machine or chainsaw felling. Subsequent herbicide treatment eliminated almost all privet by 2007. Recovery of plant communities, return of Chinese privet, and canopy tree growth were measured on...

Influence of Chinese cultural health beliefs among Malaysian Chinese in a suburban population: a survey.

PubMed

Chew, K S; Tan, T W; Ooi, Y T

2011-04-01

In a multiethnic nation, it is not uncommon for doctors to encounter patients of different cultural backgrounds. Often, patients' cultural beliefs influence their perception of health and illnesses, and their treatment option. Many Chinese cultural beliefs are influenced by the Taoist concept of yin-yang balance. We interviewed 50 Malaysian Chinese from the general public of a suburban population in order to unravel the impact of Chinese cultural health beliefs on their decision-making, and this was compared with the opinions of 50 Chinese medical students from second to final year. Convenience sampling was then applied. From the survey, 78 percent of the general public believed that 'too much heat' or 'too much coldness' in the body could cause diseases. Compared to the medical students, a significantly higher number of the respondents held such beliefs, including the beliefs that abdominal colic is due to excessive 'wind' in the abdomen, consuming certain food can dispel wind from the body, and the importance of observing taboos during the confinement period after delivery. The majority of respondents from both groups believed that it is acceptable to combine both traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine. There is a discrepancy in the extent to which these beliefs influence the perception of health and illnesses among the general public and among medical students. Healthcare providers need to be aware of such beliefs and practices regarding traditional Chinese medicine among their Chinese patients.

The Chinese medicine Kuan-Sin-Yin improves liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A randomised and placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Liu, Chia-Yu; Ko, Pin-Hao; Yen, Hung-Rong; Cheng, Chen-Hung; Li, Yu-Hsien; Liao, Zih-Han; Hsu, Chung-Hua

2016-08-01

This study examined the effects of a traditional Chinese medicine decoction, Kuan-Sin-Yin (KSY), on patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in a randomised and placebo-controlled clinical trial. This trial enrolled 70 subjects with CHC who were randomised into 2 groups each with 35 participants. In total, 29 participants in the therapeutic group took 100mL of the herbal decoction daily, whereas 28 in the control group took an herbal placebo with the same dose and frequency for the 6-week study. The primary outcomes were liver function and viral load. Secondary measurements included haematopoietic and biochemical profiles, safety parameters, and a quality of life survey. All measurements were collected at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks. In within-group analysis, significant decreases of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) 31.7±75.2IU/L and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) 20.3±45.7IU/L were found in the KSY group (p=0.031 and 0.024, respectively). In the between-group analysis, KSY reduced serum GOT and GPT levels by more than 20IU/L (p=0.027 and 0.047, respectively). KSY also significantly decreased viral load by 0.3 log units (p=0.047). In addition, KSY significantly decreased serum triglyceride 16.9±27.5mg/dL (p=0.024). This study demonstrates that taking the KSY herbal decoction for 6 weeks improves liver function and serum triglyceride levels and is safe for patients with CHC. The potential long-term effects of KSY on lipid metabolism related hepatoprotection and viral clearance warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The influence of eastern philosophy on elder care by Chinese Americans: attitudes toward long-term care.

PubMed

Smith, Cary Stacy; Hung, Li-Ching

2012-01-01

Chinese philosophy has been a major cornerstone of Chinese culture for millennia and has bestowed on the world traditions such as Taoism, Yin and Yang, and filial piety. Although these beliefs have remained steadfast over thousands of years, their ability to survive unchanged in the future is uncertain. As the world forges ahead into the 21st century, several pertinent questions arise: Will age-old axioms, primarily those concerning elderly Chinese and their relationship with their children, survive? When ancient, traditional beliefs conflict with newer, Western ideas, which system of thought is likely to be the victor? Moreover, will elderly Chinese Americans and their perceptions concerning long-term care facilities cause problems with the traditional familial unit? This article will discuss these issues in detail.

Mechanical removal of Chinese privet

Treesearch

John Klepac; Robert B. Rummer; James L. Hanula; Scott Horn

2007-01-01

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.), a highly invasive nonnative plant, is prevalent in the Southern United States. Chinese privet infestations can hinder regeneration of desirable species, reduce stand productivity, and have other undesirable consequences. A combined mechanical (mulching) and chemical (triclopyr) treatment was applied to...

[Study of biological performance of Chinese materia medica with either a cold or hot property based on the three-element mathematical analysis model].

PubMed

Jin, Rui; Zhang, Bing; Liu, Xiao-Qing; Liu, Sen-Mao; Liu, Xin; Li, Lian-Zhen; Zhang, Qian; Xue, Chun-Miao

2011-07-01

The properties of Chinese materia medica are believed to be the summarization of the effects of biological performance on the various body states. Systemic discussion of chemical-factor elements, body-condition elements, biological-performance elements and their interrelationships is needed for research into the properties of Chinese materia medica. Following the practical characteristics of Chinese medicine, the three-element mathematical model was formed by introducing some mathematical concepts and methods and was used to study the cold or hot property of Chinese medicine, and to investigate the difference in biological performances of the two properties. By using the concept of different functionality of Chinese medicine on abnormal states and the idea of interaction in mathematics, the effects of chemical-factor elements and body-condition elements were normalized to the amount of biological performance which was represented by some important indicators. The three-element mathematical model was formed with scatter plots through four steps, including effect separation, intensity calculation, frequency statistics and relevance analysis. A comparison pharmacology experiment of administration of hot property medicines, Fuzi (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata) and Rougui (Cortex Cinnamomi), and cold property medicines, Huangbai (Cortex Phellodendri) and Zhizi (Fructus Gardeniae) on normal and glucocorticoid-induced yang-deficiency and yin-deficiency states was designed. The results were analyzed by the mathematical model. The scatter plots were the main output of model analysis. The expression of cold property and hot property was able to be quantified by frequency distribution of biological indexes of administrations on yang-deficiency and yin-deficiency states in the "efficacy zone" and "toxicity zone" of the plots and by the relevance analysis. The ratios of biological indicator frequency in the "efficacy zone" of administrations on yang-deficiency state and yin

[The historical materials of stomatology in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin-Shang Dynasties].

PubMed

Li, Xiaojun; Zhu, Lang

2015-07-01

Some oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin-Shang Dynasties were related to the stomatology, including special terms of diseases of the mouth, tongue and teeth which were classified, and proper nouns of some special diseases. Moreover, witch doctors' exploration for the causes of oral diseases, the observation on different stages of oral diseases, and the records of oral disease treatment were also involved. All of these reflected the sprouting stage of stomatology in the Yin-Shang Dynasties in ancient China.

[Advances in researches on mechanism of anti-Toxoplasma Chinese herbal medicine].

PubMed

Yu, Zhao-Yun; Zhang, Bao-de; Ning, Jun-ya; Wang, Yuan-yuan; Yuan, Wen-ying

2015-10-01

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunity cellular parasite, related to the infection of various animals and human beings and severely impairing agriculture and human health. Because of the complexity of T. gondii life cycle, its different biological characteristics, and multifarious pathogenesis, there are no specific treatment and preventive medicines at present. Chinese herbal medicine can balance "yin-yang" and regulate the immunity and its side-effect is slight. Now, it has been a hot topic of the research on effective and secure medicines in anti-toxoplasmosis. This paper summarizes and analyzes the curative effect and mechanism of anti-Toxoplasma Chinese herbal medicine, such as Scutellaria baicalensis, Inontus obliquus polysaccharide, Radix glycyrrhizae, pumpkin seeds, and Semen arecae.

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for post-surgery colon cancer patients in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chao, Te-Hsin; Fu, Pin-Kuei; Chang, Chiung-Hung; Chang, Shih-Ni; Chiahung Mao, Frank; Lin, Ching-Heng

2014-08-08

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly provided to cancer patients, however, the patterns of prescriptions for this type of medicine in Taiwan are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the use of traditional Chinese medicine products in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan and to research patterns of TCM. This was a cross-sectional study of newly diagnosed colon cancer patients who received surgery between 2004 and 2008 identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The prescription patterns and reasons for the use of TCM for colon cancer were analyzed. The results showed that "symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions" (23.3%) and diseases of the digestive system (16.9%) were the most common reasons for using Chinese herbal medicine. Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (7.1%), Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (4.3%), Jia-wei-xiao-yao-san (4.1%), Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San (3.7%), Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (3.4%), Gui-pi-tang (2.4%), Ping-Wei-San (2.4%), Gan-Lu-Yin (2.0%), Bao-He-Wan (1.9%), and Zhen-Ren-Huo-Ming-Yin (1.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbal formulae (CHF) for colon cancer patients post-surgery. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (Bai Hua She She Cao) (5.1%) and Scutellaria barbata (Ban Zhi Lian )(4.8%) were the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herbs. This study identified patterns of TCM use in colon cancer patients post-surgery in Taiwan. The herbal ingredients were most commonly used for stimulate ghrelin secretion to increase food intake and had potential anti-tumor effect. However, further research is required to evaluate any beneficial effects which could identify leads for the development of new treatment strategies using TCM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis on the Application and Characteristics of Chinese Patent Medicines Containing Dried Rehmanniae Radix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Hui; Miao, Yanyan; Miao, mingsan

2018-01-01

Dried Rehmanniae Radix has sweet taste, and its drug property is cold.It acts on heart, liver and kidney.It has the effect of clearing heat and cooling blood, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production.The active constituents of dried Rehmanniae Radix are mainly iridoid glycosides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and so on.This article sorted and analyzed the application forms, efficacy, applicable symptomsh and the frequency of the use of single traditional Chinese medicine in the Chinese patent medicines containing dried Rehmanniae Radix in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia of 2015. This method provides a train of thought for the further study of the pharmacological constituents of dried Rehmanniae Radix, and supplements the pharmacodynamics of Chinese herbal medicine of dried Rehmanniae Radix. It also provides ideas for the improvement of dried Rehmanniae Radix prescription and the new usage of its old prescription.

Selenium Partitioning and Removal Across a Wet FGD Scrubber at a Coal-Fired Power Plant.

PubMed

Senior, Constance L; Tyree, Corey A; Meeks, Noah D; Acharya, Chethan; McCain, Joseph D; Cushing, Kenneth M

2015-12-15

Selenium has unique fate and transport through a coal-fired power plant because of high vapor pressures of oxide (SeO2) in flue gas. This study was done at full-scale on a 900 MW coal-fired power plant with electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubber. The first objective was to quantify the partitioning of selenium between gas and condensed phases at the scrubber inlet and outlet. The second objective was to determine the effect of scrubber operation conditions (pH, mass transfer, SO2 removal) on Se removal in both particulate and vapor phases. During part of the testing, hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) was injected upstream of the scrubber. Gas-phase selenium and particulate-bound selenium were measured as a function of particle size at the inlet and outlet of the scrubber. The total (both phases) removal of Se across the scrubber averaged 61%, and was enhanced when hydrated lime sorbent was injected. There was evidence of gas-to-particle conversion of selenium across the scrubber, based on the dependence of selenium concentration on particle diameter downstream of the scrubber and on thermodynamic calculations.

[Yin Care--a natural product for prophylactics and treatment of vaginal infections].

PubMed

Mikhova, M; Batashki, I; Ivanov, St

2007-01-01

A prospective study, including 60 patients with vaginal discharge has been made at Maternity hospital "Majchin dom"--Sofia for the period November 2006- February 2007. In 32 patients no causative agent has been revealed. They have been counseled to use Yin Care--vaginal lotion for 3 months in prophylactic concentration. 88.4% reported for diminished discharge. No adverse effects have been observed. In 11 patients suffering from bacterial vaginitis, caused by S. Epidermidis, S. Aureus, Enterococcus and E. Coli cure was achieved in 72.7% of cases. 17 women with Candida vaginitis have been included in the study. After standard antifungal treatment, 8 of them continued therapy with Yin Care. Recurrence of disease has been observed in only one case, while in the group treated with antifungal medication only recurrence has been observed in 2 cases.

Quantifying traditional Chinese medicine patterns using modern test theory: an example of functional constipation.

PubMed

Shen, Minxue; Cui, Yuanwu; Hu, Ming; Xu, Linyong

2017-01-13

The study aimed to validate a scale to assess the severity of "Yin deficiency, intestine heat" pattern of functional constipation based on the modern test theory. Pooled longitudinal data of 237 patients with "Yin deficiency, intestine heat" pattern of constipation from a prospective cohort study were used to validate the scale. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the common factors of items. A multidimensional item response model was used to assess the scale with the presence of multidimensionality. The Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.89, and the split-half reliability ranged from 0.67 to 0.79 at different measurements. Exploratory factor analysis identified two common factors, and all items had cross factor loadings. Bidimensional model had better goodness of fit than the unidimensional model. Multidimensional item response model showed that the all items had moderate to high discrimination parameters. Parameters indicated that the first latent trait signified intestine heat, while the second trait characterized Yin deficiency. Information function showed that items demonstrated highest discrimination power among patients with moderate to high level of disease severity. Multidimensional item response theory provides a useful and rational approach in validating scales for assessing the severity of patterns in traditional Chinese medicine.

Health and safety plan for the removal action at the former YS-860 Firing Ranges, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1998-04-28

This health and safety plan sets forth the requirements and procedures to protect the personnel involved in the Lead Source Removal Project at the Former YS-86O Firing Ranges. This project will be conducted in a manner that ensures the protection of the safety and health of workers, the public, and the environment. The purpose of this removal action is to address lead contaminated soil and reduce a potential risk to human health and the environment. This site is an operable unit within the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek watershed. The removal action will contribute to early source actions within themore » watershed. The project will accomplish this through the removal of lead-contaminated soil in the target areas of the two small arms firing ranges. This plan covers the removal actions at the Former YS-86O Firing Ranges. These actions involve the excavation of lead-contaminated soils, the removal of the concrete trench and macadam (asphalt) paths, verification/confirmation sampling, grading and revegetation. The primary hazards include temperature extremes, equipment operation, noise, potential lead exposure, uneven and slippery working surfaces, and insects.« less

[Systematic review on methodology of randomized controlled trials of post-marketing Chinese patent drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes].

PubMed

Ma, Li-xin; Wang, Yu-yi; Li, Xin-xue; Liu, Jian-ping

2012-03-01

Randomized controlled trial (RCT) is considered as the gold standard for the efficacy assessment of medicines. With the increasing number of Chinese patent drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes, the methodology of post-marketing RCTs evaluating the efficacy and specific effect has become more important. To investigate post-marketing Chinese patent drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes, as well as the methodological quality of post-marketing RCTs. Literature was searched from the books of Newly Compiled Traditional Chinese Patent Medicine and Chinese Pharmacopeia, the websites of the State Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Chinese Biomedical Database (SinoMed) and Wanfang Data. The time period for searching ran from the commencement of each database to August 2011. RCTs of post-marketing Chinese patent drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes with intervention course no less than 3 months. Two authors independently evaluated the research quality of the RCTs by the checklist of risk bias assessment and the data collection forms based on the CONSORT Statement. Independent double data-extraction was performed. The authors identified a total of 149 Chinese patent drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes. According to different indicative syndromes, the Chinese patent drugs can be divided into the following types, namely, yin deficiency and interior heat (n=48, 32%), dual deficiency of qi and yin (n=58, 39%) and dual deficiency of qi and yin combined with blood stasis (n=22, 15%). A total of 41 RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Neither multicenter RCTs nor endpoint outcome reports were found. Risk bias analysis showed that 81% of the included studies reported randomization for grouping without sequence generation, 98% of these studies did not report

The Fire and Fire Surrogates Study: Providing guidelines for fire in future forest watershed management decisions

Treesearch

Carleton B. Edminster; C. Phillip Weatherspoon; Daniel G. Neary

2000-01-01

As part of the 1998 Joint USDA/USDI Fire Science Program, the Fire and Fire Surrogates Study was proposed to establish and evaluate cross-comparisons of fuels treatment practices and techniques to reduce wildfire risk. This study evaluates prescribed fire, thinning, and various mechanical treatment methods for treating, removing, or using woody biomass. Site-specific...

Responses to advanced cancer: Chinese-Australians.

PubMed

Chui, Ying-Yu; Donoghue, Judith; Chenoweth, Lynn

2005-12-01

This paper describes a study identifying the impact of key aspects of Chinese culture on the responses of mid-aged Chinese-Australians to their advanced cancer in order to make recommendations about their care within the health system. Studies conducted in the 1960s and 1970s focused on understanding people's psychological responses to their experiences of terminal illness, but the issue of culture was not addressed. In recent years, a few studies have been conducted with Chinese-Australians, but were limited to issues related to their information needs and the disclosure of a cancer diagnosis. There is a lack of understanding of the impact of Chinese culture on the experiences of these patients. A grounded theory approach was used to generate a substantive theory to explain how mid-aged Chinese-Australians respond to advancing cancer. Eleven participants were recruited and data were collected from face-to-face interviews, telephone contacts, observation and researcher field notes. Data generation occurred between 1997 and 1999. Four modes of response to advanced cancer were identified: acute crisis, combat, despondency and waiting for death. This paper deals particularly with the combat mode which incorporated five culturally specific strategies used by participants in their struggle against advanced cancer. These were traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese beliefs on the use of food for health maintenance, qi gong (a form of exercise), feng shui (which involves paying attention to spatial organization) and the worship of ancestors and gods. Deeply entrenched within these responses is the influence of Chinese culture, rooted in the beliefs and practices of traditional Chinese medicine and the philosophy of harmony and balance of yin and yang and qi. Health care professionals need to be aware of the cultural practices and beliefs of the different ethnic groups for whom they care, and of the importance of accommodation to and negotiation about these

A YinYang bipolar fuzzy cognitive TOPSIS method to bipolar disorder diagnosis.

PubMed

Han, Ying; Lu, Zhenyu; Du, Zhenguang; Luo, Qi; Chen, Sheng

2018-05-01

Bipolar disorder is often mis-diagnosed as unipolar depression in the clinical diagnosis. The main reason is that, different from other diseases, bipolarity is the norm rather than exception in bipolar disorder diagnosis. YinYang bipolar fuzzy set captures bipolarity and has been successfully used to construct a unified inference mathematical modeling method to bipolar disorder clinical diagnosis. Nevertheless, symptoms and their interrelationships are not considered in the existing method, circumventing its ability to describe complexity of bipolar disorder. Thus, in this paper, a YinYang bipolar fuzzy multi-criteria group decision making method to bipolar disorder clinical diagnosis is developed. Comparing with the existing method, the new one is more comprehensive. The merits of the new method are listed as follows: First of all, multi-criteria group decision making method is introduced into bipolar disorder diagnosis for considering different symptoms and multiple doctors' opinions. Secondly, the discreet diagnosis principle is adopted by the revised TOPSIS method. Last but not the least, YinYang bipolar fuzzy cognitive map is provided for the understanding of interrelations among symptoms. The illustrated case demonstrates the feasibility, validity, and necessity of the theoretical results obtained. Moreover, the comparison analysis demonstrates that the diagnosis result is more accurate, when interrelations about symptoms are considered in the proposed method. In a conclusion, the main contribution of this paper is to provide a comprehensive mathematical approach to improve the accuracy of bipolar disorder clinical diagnosis, in which both bipolarity and complexity are considered. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The five elements and Chinese-American mortality.

PubMed

Smith, Gary

2006-01-01

D. P. Phillips, T. E. Ruth, and L. M. Wagner (1993) reported that 1969-1990 California mortality data show that Chinese Americans are particularly vulnerable to diseases that Chinese astrology and traditional Chinese medicine associate with their birth years. For example, because fire is associated with the heart, a Chinese person born in a fire year (such as 1937) is more likely to die of heart disease than is a Chinese person born in a nonfire year. However, many diseases were excluded from this study, some diseases that were included have ambiguous links to birth years, and the statistical tests were indirect. A more complete statistical analysis and independent California mortality data for the years 1960-1968 and 1991-2002 did not replicate the original results. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Medication regularity of pulmonary fibrosis treatment by contemporary traditional Chinese medicine experts based on data mining.

PubMed

Zhang, Suxian; Wu, Hao; Liu, Jie; Gu, Huihui; Li, Xiujuan; Zhang, Tiansong

2018-03-01

Treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has accumulated important experience. Our interest is in exploring the medication regularity of contemporary Chinese medical specialists treating pulmonary fibrosis. Through literature search, medical records from TCM experts who treat pulmonary fibrosis, which were published in Chinese and English medical journals, were selected for this study. As the object of study, a database was established after analysing the records. After data cleaning, the rules of medicine in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis in medical records of TCM were explored by using data mining technologies such as frequency analysis, association rule analysis, and link analysis. A total of 124 medical records from 60 doctors were selected in this study; 263 types of medicinals were used a total of 5,455 times; the herbs that were used more than 30 times can be grouped into 53 species and were used a total of 3,681 times. Using main medicinals cluster analysis, medicinals were divided into qi-tonifying, yin-tonifying, blood-activating, phlegm-resolving, cough-suppressing, panting-calming, and ten other major medicinal categories. According to the set conditions, a total of 62 drug compatibility rules have been obtained, involving mainly qi-tonifying, yin-tonifying, blood-activating, phlegm-resolving, qi-descending, and panting-calming medicinals, as well as other medicinals used in combination. The results of data mining are consistent with clinical practice and it is feasible to explore the medical rules applicable to the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis in medical records of TCM by data mining.

Quasi-thermodynamic analysis of MOVPE growth of Ga xAl yIn 1- x- yN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Da-Cheng; Duan, Shukun

2002-01-01

A quasi-thermodynamic model of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth of Ga xAl yIn 1- x- yN alloys has been proposed. In view of the complex growth behavior of Ga xAl yIn 1- x- yN, we focus our attention on the gallium-rich quaternary alloys that are lattice matched to GaN, In 0.15Ga 0.85N or Al 0.15Ga 0.85N, which are widely used in the GaN-based optoelectronic devices. The relationship between GaAlInN alloy composition and input molar ratio of group III metalorganic compounds at various growth conditions has been calculated. The influence of growth temperature, nitrogen fraction in the carrier gas, input partial pressure of group III metalorganics, reactor pressure, V/III ratio and the decomposition rate of ammonia on the composition of deposited alloys are studied systematically. Based on these calculated results, we can find out the appropriate growth conditions for the MOVPE growth of Ga xAl yIn 1- x- yN alloy lattice matched to GaN, In 0.15Ga 0.85N or Al 0.15Ga 0.85N.

An innovative method to accommodate Chinese medicine pattern diagnosis within the framework of evidence-based medical research.

PubMed

Berle, Christine; Cobbin, Deirdre; Smith, Narelle; Zaslawski, Christopher

2011-11-01

Pattern diagnosis is an integral aspect of Chinese medicine (CM). CM differentiates biomedical diseases into patterns, based upon the patient's symptoms and signs. Pattern identification (PI) is used to diagnose, direct the treatment principle and determine the treatment protocol. Most CM research has used fixed formula treatments for Western-defined diseases with outcomes measured using objective biomedical markers. This article presents an innovative method used in a randomised controlled pilot study using acupuncture for participants with hepatitis C virus. Each participant's CM patterns were identified and quantified at baseline which directed the treatment protocol for the treatment group. Data identified that while each participant expressed different patterns at baseline all participants displayed multiple patterns. Six patterns showed some expression by all 16 participants; Liver (Gan) yin vacuity expressing a group aggregate mean percentage of 47.2, binding depression of Liver qi 46.9, and Liver Kidney (Shen) yin vacuity 45.1. Further sub category gender grouping revealed that pattern ranking changed with gender; Liver yin vacuity (male 53.4%, female 51.93%), binding depression of Liver qi (male 50.0%, female 42.86%) and Liver Kidney yin vacuity (male 42.9%, female 47.96%). The quantification of CM patterns described in this article permitted statistical evaluation of presenting CM patterns. Although this methodology is in its infancy it may have potential use in the integration of PI with rigorous evidence based clinical research. Biomedical markers often do not relate to symptom/signs and therefore this innovative measure may offer an additional CM evaluation methodology and further CM PI understanding.

Traditional Chinese medicine valuably augments therapeutic options in the treatment of climacteric syndrome.

PubMed

Eisenhardt, Sarah; Fleckenstein, Johannes

2016-07-01

Climacteric syndrome refers to recurring symptoms such as hot flashes, chills, headache, irritability and depression. This is usually experienced by menopausal women and can be related to a hormonal reorganization in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, originating 1000s of years ago, above-mentioned symptoms can be interpreted on the basis of the philosophic diagnostic concepts, such as the imbalance of Yin and Yang, the Zang-Fu and Basic substances (e.g. Qi, Blood and Essence). These concepts postulate balance and harmonization as the principle aim of a treatment. In this context, it is not astounding that one of the most prominent ancient textbooks dating back to 500-200 BC, Huang di Neijing: The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine gives already first instructions for diagnosis and therapy of climacteric symptoms. For therapy, traditional Chinese medicine comprises five treatment principles: Chinese herbal medicine, TuiNa (a Chinese form of manual therapy), nutrition, activity (e.g. QiGong) and acupuncture (being the most widespread form of treatment used in Europe). This review provides an easy access to the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine particularly regarding to climacteric syndrome and also focuses on current scientific evidence.

The Yin and Yang of Calcium Effects on Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

PubMed Central

Wu, Xin-Sheng

2014-01-01

A large number of studies suggest that calcium triggers and accelerates vesicle endocytosis at many synapses and non-neuronal secretory cells. However, many studies show that prolonging the duration of the stimulation train, which induces more calcium influx, slows down endocytosis; and several studies suggest that instead of triggering endocytosis, calcium actually inhibits endocytosis. Here we addressed this apparent conflict at a large nerve terminal, the calyx of Held in rat brainstem, in which recent studies suggest that transient calcium increase up to tens of micromolar concentration at the micro/nano domain triggers endocytosis. By dialyzing 0–1 μm calcium into the calyx via a whole-cell pipette, we found that slow endocytosis was inhibited by calcium dialysis in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, prolonged, small, and global calcium increase inhibits endocytosis, whereas transient and large calcium increase at the micro/nano domain triggers endocytosis and facilitates endocytosis. This yin and yang effect of calcium may reconcile apparent conflicts regarding whether calcium accelerates or inhibits endocytosis. Whether endocytosis is fast or slow depends on the net outcome between the yin and yang effect of calcium. PMID:24523554

Balancing Between Aging and Cancer: Molecular Genetics Meets Traditional Chinese Medicine.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Peng, Lei; Huang, Wenhui; Li, Zhiming; Pan, Jun; Sang, Lei; Lu, Siqian; Zhang, Jihong; Li, Wanyi; Luo, Ying

2017-09-01

The biological consequences of cellular senescence and immortalization in aging and cancer are in conflict. Organisms have developed common cellular signaling pathways and surveillance mechanisms to control the processing of aging against tumorigenesis. The imbalance of any signals involved in this process may result in either premature aging or tumorigenesis and reduce the life span of the organism. In contrast, the balance between aging and tumorigenesis at a higher level (homeostatic-balance) may benefit the organism with tumor-free longevity. The focus of this perspective is to review the literature on the balance between "Yin" and "Yang" in traditional Chinese medicine. Modern cellular and molecular techniques now permit a more robust system to screen herbs in traditional Chinese medicine for their activity in balancing aging and tumorigenesis. The understanding of the crosstalk between aging and tumorigenesis and new perspectives on the application of Chinese medicine might shed light on anti-aging and tumor-free strategies. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2581-2586, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Correlation Analysis between Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Gastrointestinal Bleeding after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

PubMed Central

Huang, Chaolian; Wang, Mingming; Kong, Xiaolin; Liu, Guannan

2018-01-01

Objective To explore the characters of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to provide syndrome study theoretical evidence for TCM differentiation treatment after PCI through retrospective study. Methods Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who underwent PCI in Cardiovascular Intervention Center of Wangjing Hospital during Dec. 2012 to Dec. 2014 and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Retrospective study was then conducted based on patients' clinical document and angiography data to explore the distribution pattern of TCM syndromes. Results 801 patients were recruited in the study. TCM syndromes in descending order of their incidence were Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, heart blood stasis syndrome, Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome, phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, Yang asthenia syndrome, heart and kidney yin deficiency syndrome to cold congeal, and blood stasis syndrome in a more to less order. Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was in the most (occurring in 298 patients, 37.20%); Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome occurred in 163 patients (20.35%); heart blood stasis syndrome was shown in 126 patients (15.73%); phlegm and blood stasis syndrome was shown in 95 patients (11.86%). Conclusion Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was closely associated with post-PCI bleeding, implying that this syndrome might serve as a powerful predictor of GI bleeding as well as a potential supplement to the current predicting and scoring system of bleeding such as CRUSADE.

Health and safety plan for the removal action at the former YS-860 Firing Ranges, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

1998-03-24

This health and safety plan sets forth the requirements and procedures to protect the personnel involved in the removal action project at the former YS-860 Firing Ranges. This project will be conducted in a manner that ensures the protection of the safety and health of workers, the public, and the environment. The purpose of this removal action is to address lead-contaminated soil and reduce a potential risk to human health and the environment. This site is an operable unit within the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek watershed. The removal action will contribute to early source actions within the watershed. Themore » project will accomplish this through the removal of lead-contaminated soil in the target areas of the two small arms firing ranges. The primary hazards include temperature extremes, equipment operation, noise, potential lead exposure, uneven and slippery working surfaces, and insects.« less

Ammonium removal from aqueous solutions by using natural Chinese (Chende) zeolite as adsorbent.

PubMed

Huang, Haiming; Xiao, Xianming; Yan, Bo; Yang, Liping

2010-03-15

This paper presents a study of the removal of ammonium ion from aqueous solutions using natural Chinese (Chende) zeolite. A series of experiments was conducted to examine the effects of solution pH, particle size, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and the presence of other cation- and anion species on ammonium removal. The findings indicated that these parameters named had a significant effect on the removal of ammonium by the zeolite. The effect of other cations on the removal of ammonium followed the order of preference Na(+)>K(+)>Ca(2+)>Mg(2+) at identical mass concentrations, and the effect of the presence of individual anions followed the order of preference carbonate>chloride>sulfate>phosphate at identical mass concentrations of ammonium ions. Kinetic analysis showed that the adsorption of ammonium on zeolite at different ranges of particle size well followed the pseudo-second-order model and followed the intra-particle diffusion model only during the initial 60 min of the adsorption process. Equilibrium isotherm data was fitted to the linear Langmuir- and Freundlich models with the latter model providing the better description of the process (R(2)=0.991-0.997) compared to the former (R(2)=0.902-0.989). (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fire and fire surrogate treatments in mixed-oak forests: Effects on herbaceous layer vegetation

Treesearch

Ross Phillips; Todd Hutchinson; Lucy Brudnak; Thomas Waldrop

2007-01-01

Herbaceous layer vegetation responses to prescribed fire and fire surrogate treatments (thinning and understory removal) were examined. Results from 3 to 4 years following treatment are presented for the Ohio Hills Country and the Southern Appalachian Mountain sites of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study. At the Ohio Hills site, changes in forest structure were...

Chinese-English Rocketry Dictionary. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-03-01

xiezhen diania 14] Q i. plate tank 1’? yangil yanghuara $, anodic oxidation process 18 yangji yinji dianya I3 A.j - I t anode -cathode voltage...talo Gu Yin yin aao ou Ylng Yin ta’u Ou YU You taluan cuan Yuing Yawg talui cul 341 tau tm yuan ruan toa ’Wg Cown Yft ye. tfu tu Yfln t’tian tuant...tanhuang Jiahe mopian 94f X laE f(4 ’m’. #j spring-loaded membrane 14 tanhuang Jiaju A1 A -)t spring clawp 15 tanhuang Jianshendian A1 &c A V -’P spring

The effect of herbaceous species removal, fire and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) on soil water availability in sagebrush steppe

Treesearch

Alison Whittaker; Bruce Roundy; Jeanne Chambers; Susan Meyer; Robert Blank; Stanley Kitchen; John Korfmacher

2008-01-01

Over the past several decades, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) has been continually expanding in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. There has been very little research that examines why cheatgrass is able to invade these communities. To determine the effects of herbaceous vegetation removal and fire on available water for cheatgrass invasion, as well as...

Individualized prevention against hypertension based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Theory: A large community-based retrospective, STROBE-compliant study among Chinese population.

PubMed

Li, Ying; Li, Xiao-Hui; Huang, Xin; Yin, Lu; Guo, Cheng-Xian; Liu, Chang; He, Yong-Mei; Liu, Xing; Yuan, Hong

2017-11-01

Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution (TCMC) theory states that individuals with a biased TCMC are more likely to suffer from specific diseases. However, little is known regarding the influence of TCMC on susceptibility to hypertension. The aim of this study is to examine the possible relationship between TCMC and hypertension. Retrospective evaluation and observation were performed using the STROBE guidelines checklist. A large community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 2009 and 2013 in Changsha, China. TCMC was assessed using a questionnaire that included 68 items. TCMC distributions and the associations of different TCMCs with hypertension risk were analyzed. In total, 144,439 subjects underwent evaluations of TCMC and blood pressure (BP). There were significant differences in the hypertension prevalence among the various TCMC groups (P < .01). An adjusted logistic regression model indicated that those with phlegm wetness, yin deficiency, blood stasis, or qi deficiency were more likely to have hypertension. Analysis of the clinical characteristics related to TCMC indicated that different TCMCs corresponded to different hypertension classifications using Western medicine criteria; for example, phlegm wetness with hypertension was similar to obesity-related hypertension. Our results suggest that phlegm wetness, yin deficiency, blood stasis, and qi deficiency have different effects on the prevalence of hypertension. More attention should be paid to TCMCs associated with susceptibility to hypertension, and corresponding preventive and therapeutic treatments should be developed according to different TCMCs.

The golden ratio and Loshu-Fibonacci Diagram: novel research view on relationship of Chinese medicine and modern biology.

PubMed

Chen, Zhao-xue; Huang, Yun-kun; Sun, Ying

2014-02-01

Associating geometric arrangements of 9 Loshu numbers modulo 5, investigating property of golden rectangles and characteristics of Fibonacci sequence modulo 10 as well as the two subsequences of its modular sequence by modulo 5, the Loshu-Fibonacci Diagram is created based on strict logical deduction in this paper, which can disclose inherent relationship among Taiji sign, Loshu and Fibonacci sequence modulo 10 perfectly and unite such key ideas of holism, symmetry, holographic thought and yin-yang balance pursuit from Chinese medicine as a whole. Based on further analysis and reasoning, the authors discover that taking the golden ratio and Loshu-Fibonacci Diagram as a link, there is profound and universal association existing between researches of Chinese medicine and modern biology.

Seerley Road Fire Site

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A barn caught fire at on Seerley Road, Indianapolis. Five storage drums believed to contain metallic potassium were involved in the fire. EPA will perform additional sampling as part of removal operations and safe offsite transportation.

Differences in the origin of philosophy between Chinese medicine and Western medicine: Exploration of the holistic advantages of Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Sun, Da-zhi; Li, Shao-dan; Liu, Yi; Zhang, Yin; Mei, Rong; Yang, Ming-hui

2013-09-01

To explore advantages of Chinese medicine (CM) by analyzing differences in the origin of philosophy for human health between CM and Western medicine (WM). Methodologically, a distinctive feature of CM is its systems theory, which is also the difference between CM and WM. Since the birth of CM, it has taken the human body as a whole from the key concepts of "qi, blood, yin-yang, viscera (Zang-Fu), and meridian and channel", rather than a single cell or a particular organ. WM evolves from the Western philosophic way of thinking and merely uses natural sciences as the foundation. The development of WM is based on human structures, or anatomy, and therefore, research of WM is also based on the way of thinking of decomposing the whole human body into several independent parts, which is the impetus of promoting the development of WM. The core of CM includes the holistic view and the dialectical view. Chinese herbal medicines contain various components and treat a disease from multiple targets and links. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines treat a diseased state by regulating and mobilizing the whole body rather than just regulating a single factor, since the diseased state is not only a problem in a local part of the body but a local reflection of imbalance of the whole body.

The Core Pattern Analysis on Chinese Herbal Medicine for Sjögren's syndrome: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

PubMed Central

Chang, Ching-Mao; Chu, Hsueh-Ting; Wei, Yau-Huei; Chen, Fang-Pey; Wang, Shengwen; Wu, Po-Chang; Yen, Hung-Rong; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chang, Hen-Hong

2015-01-01

This large-scale survey aimed to evaluate frequencies and patterns of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) used for Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in Taiwan by analyzing the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) for cases in which CHM was used as an alternative therapy to Western medicine for improving patients' discomforts. We analyzed cases of SS principal diagnosis (ICD-9:710.2) with a catastrophic illness certificate (CIC) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient clinics from three cohorts of the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) in the NHIRD between 2002 and 2011. CHM prescription patterns for SS were evaluated from claimed visitation files and corresponding prescription files. There were 15,914 SS patients with CIC (SS/CIC), and we found only 130 SS/CIC cases visiting TCM clinics in LHID2000, 133 in LHID2005, and 126 in LHID2010. After removing duplicate data, 366 SS/CIC and 4,867 visits were analyzed. The 50–59 year age group showed the highest ratio (29.51%) in both women and men. “Qi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan” and “Xuan-Shen” (Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl.) was the most commonly used formula and single herb, respectively. “Qi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan, Gan-Lu-Yin, Xuan-Shen, Mai-Men-Dong (Ophiopogon japonicus (L. f.) Ker-Gawl.), and Sheng-Di-Huang (raw Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch)” were the core pattern prescriptions in treating SS/CIC. PMID:25923413

Contributions to Pliocene Arctic warmth from removal of anthropogenic aerosol and enhanced forest fire emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, R.; Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Fletcher, T.; Ballantyne, A.; Brady, E. C.

2016-12-01

Changing atmosphere chemistry in the past has been hypothesized to have altered the earth's radiation budget, and hence the climate. Here, we use an advanced climate model to test whether this hypothesis can help explain the amplified warming in the northern high latitudes during the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP, 3.0 - 3.3 Ma). The amplified warming, suggested by terrestrial proxy records of northern high latitudes, is underestimated in previous climate simulations. This mismatch between observations and models may be partially due to proxy uncertainties, but also to insufficient model sensitivity, or incomplete knowledge of mPWP climate forcings. To explore the latter aspect, we conducted three coupled simulations using the same mPWP geography and topography, vegetation and CO2 level according to the PRISM3 reconstructions, but alternating emission scenarios among clean, polluted, and clean plus forest fire case. In the clean and polluted case, year-1850 emission and year-1850 natural plus year-2000 industrial emission are prescribed respectively. For the clean-plus-forest fire simulation, emissions from mPWP forest fire are constrained with a process-based prognostic fire model using fixed proxy SSTs. Preliminary results suggest that mPWP Arctic warmth is largely attributable to the removal of anthropogenic aerosols and enhanced deposition of the black carbon on snow and ice emitted from northern high latitude forest fires. Cloud radiative responses are shown to accelerate the summer sea ice melting from the continental margins, triggering the positive surface albedo and water vapor feedback that maintain a low perennial sea ice state in the Arctic Ocean. These results identify the important role that changes in aerosol chemistry may play in amplifying arctic surface temperatures of mPWP and insights on the role that aerosols may play in amplifying future Arctic temperatures.

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model.

PubMed

Deng, Longsheng; Zhang, Xikui; Zhu, Weikun; Lu, Taikun; Chen, Jinchun; Zou, Qiang; Zheng, Qizhong; Chen, Junying; Jiang, Changming; Jin, Guanyu

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups ( n = 12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α ) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats' prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF- α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats' prostate tissues ( P < 0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats' prostates were improved compared with those in the model group ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF- α , and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP.

An Integrative Platform of TCM Network Pharmacology and Its Application on a Herbal Formula, Qing-Luo-Yin

PubMed Central

Zhang, Bo; Wang, Xu; Li, Shao

2013-01-01

The scientific understanding of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been hindered by the lack of methods that can explore the complex nature and combinatorial rules of herbal formulae. On the assumption that herbal ingredients mainly target a molecular network to adjust the imbalance of human body, here we present a-self-developed TCM network pharmacology platform for discovering herbal formulae in a systematic manner. This platform integrates a set of network-based methods that we established previously to catch the network regulation mechanism and to identify active ingredients as well as synergistic combinations for a given herbal formula. We then provided a case study on an antirheumatoid arthritis (RA) formula, Qing-Luo-Yin (QLY), to demonstrate the usability of the platform. We revealed the target network of QLY against RA-related key processes including angiogenesis, inflammatory response, and immune response, based on which we not only predicted active and synergistic ingredients from QLY but also interpreted the combinatorial rule of this formula. These findings are either verified by the literature evidence or have the potential to guide further experiments. Therefore, such a network pharmacology strategy and platform is expected to make the systematical study of herbal formulae achievable and to make the TCM drug discovery predictable. PMID:23653662

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xikui; Zhu, Weikun; Lu, Taikun; Chen, Jinchun; Zou, Qiang; Zheng, Qizhong; Chen, Junying; Jiang, Changming; Jin, Guanyu

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups (n = 12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats' prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF-α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats' prostate tissues (P < 0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats' prostates were improved compared with those in the model group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP. PMID:29430255

Frequency and pattern of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions for chronic hepatitis in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Fang-Pey; Kung, Yen-Ying; Chen, Yu-Chun; Jong, Maw-Shiou; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chen, Fun-Jou; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

2008-04-17

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used in treating liver diseases in Asian countries. To conduct a large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study and evaluate the frequency and pattern of CHM prescriptions in treating chronic hepatitis. We obtained the database of traditional Chinese medicine outpatient claims from the national health insurance in Taiwan for the whole 2002. Patients with chronic hepatitis were identified by the corresponding diagnosis of International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files. Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and association rule were applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM in treating chronic hepatitis. Among the 91,080 subjects treated by CHM for chronic hepatitis, the peak age was in the 40 s, followed by 30 s and 50 s. Male/female ratio was 2.07:1. Long-dan-xie-gan-tang and Saliva miltiorrhiza (Dan-shen) were the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula and single herbal drug, respectively. The most common two-drug prescription was Jia-wei-xia-yao-san plus Saliva miltiorrhiza, and the most common three-drug prescription was Jia-wei-xia-yao-san plus Saliva miltiorrhiza and Artemisia capillaries (Yin-chen-hao). This study showed the utilization pattern of Chinese herbal drugs or formulae in treating chronic hepatitis. Further researches and clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these Chinese herbs or its ingredients in treating chronic hepatitis.

Understanding fire drivers and relative impacts in different Chinese forest ecosystems.

PubMed

Guo, Futao; Su, Zhangwen; Wang, Guangyu; Sun, Long; Tigabu, Mulualem; Yang, Xiajie; Hu, Haiqing

2017-12-15

In this study, spatial patterns and driving factors of fires were identified from 2000 to 2010 using Ripley's K (d) function and logistic regression (LR) model in two different forest ecosystems of China: the boreal forest (Daxing'an Mountains) and sub-tropical forest (Fujian province). Relative effects of each driving factor on fire occurrence were identified based on standardized coefficients in the LR model. Results revealed that fires were spatially clustered and that fire drivers vary amongst differing forest ecosystems in China. Fires in the Daxing'an Mountains respond primarily to human factors, of which infrastructure is recognized as the most influential. In contrast, climate factors played a critical role in fire occurrence in Fujian, of which the temperature of fire season was found to be of greater importance than other climate factors. Selected factors can predict nearly 80% of the total fire occurrence in the Daxing'an Mountains and 66% in Fujian, wherein human and climate factors contributed the greatest impact in the two study areas, respectively. This study suggests that different fire prevention and management strategies are required in the areas of study, as significant variations of the main fire-driving exist. Rapid socio-economic development has produced similar effects in different forest ecosystems within China, implying a strong correlation between socio-economic development and fire regimes. It can be concluded that the influence of human factors will increase in the future as China's economy continues to grow - an issue of concern that should be further addressed in future national fire management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Construction and analysis of questionnaires on AIDS cough in traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment procedures].

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Xue, Liu-Hua; Chen, Yu-Xia; Huang, Shi-Jing; Pan, Ju-Hua; Wang, Jie

2013-08-01

To norm the behavior of AIDS cough in traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment and improve the clinical level of cough treatment for HIV/AIDS, and build AIDS cough diagnosis and treatment procedures in traditional Chinese medicine. Combined with clinical practice,to formulate questionnaire on AIDS cough in traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment by both English and Chinese literature research to expertise consultation and verify the results of the questionnaires on the statistics using the Delphi method. Questionnaire contents consist of overview, pathogeny, diagnosis standard, dialectical medication (phlegm heat resistance pulmonary lung and kidney Yin deficiency lung spleen-deficiency), treating spleen-deficiency (lung), moxibustion treatment and aftercare care and diet and mental, average (2.93-3.00), full mark rate (93.10%-100%) ranks average (9.91-10.67) and (287.50-309.50) of which are the most high value, and the variation coefficient is 0.00, the Kendall coefficient (Kendalls W) is 0.049 which is statistical significance, the questionnaire reliability value of alpha was 0.788. Preliminary standarded concept, etiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis and syndrome differentiation treatment of AIDS cough, basically recognised by the experts in this field, and laid the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment on develop the AIDS cough specifications.

[Emission characteristics of fine particles from grate firing boilers].

PubMed

Wang, Shu-Xiao; Zhao, Xiu-Juan; Li, Xing-Hua; Wei, Wei; Hao, Ji-Ming

2009-04-15

Grate firing boilers are the main type of Chinese industrial boilers, which accounts for 85% of the industrial boilers and is one of the most important emission sources of primary air pollutants in China. In this study, five boilers in three cities were selected and tested to measure the emission characteristics of PM2.5, and gaseous pollutants were applied by a compact dilution sampling system, which was developed for this field study. Results showed that particles mass size distributions for the five industrial boilers presented single peak or double peak, former peaks near 0.14 microm and the later peaks after 1.0 microm; the cyclone dust remover and wet scrubber dust remover had effective removal efficiencies not only to PM2.5, but also to PM1.0; and under the condition of same control techniques, grate firing boiler with high capacity has less PM2.5 emission than the boiler with low capacity. In the PM2.5 collected from flue gases, SO4(2-) was the most abundant ion, accounted for 20%-40% of the PM2.5; and C was the most abundant element (7.5%-31.8%), followed by S (8.4%-18.7%). Carbon balance method was applied to calculate the emission factors of these pollutants. The emission factors of PM2.5, NO, and SO2 were in the range of 0.046-0.486 g x kg(-1), 1.63-2.47 g x kg(-1), 1.35-9.95 g x kg(-1) respectively. The results are useful for the emission inventory development of industrial boilers and the source analysis of PM2.5 in atmospheric environment.

FireScape: A program for whole-mountain fire management in the Sky Island Region

Treesearch

Brooke Gebow; Christopher Stetson; Donald A. Falk; Corrine Dolan

2013-01-01

The Coronado National Forest’s (CNF) FireScape program works to remove barriers to fire playing its natural role on the landscape. A long-term goal is creating landscapes that are able to survive wildfire with biodiversity and key ecological processes intact, especially important in the face of a drier, hotter Southwest. The FireScape team is nurturing multiple efforts...

76 FR 52952 - Student Services Contract EP-11-D-000403 Yin Gu; Transfer of Data

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-24

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0038; FRL-8884-1] Student Services Contract EP-11... Business Information (CBI) by the submitter, will be transferred to Student Services Contract EP- 11-D-000403 Yin Gu in accordance with 40 CFR 2.307(h)(3) and 2.308(i)(2). Student Services Contract EP-11-D...

Fuel buildup and potential fire behavior after stand-replacing fires, logging fire-killed trees and herbicide shrub removal in Sierra Nevada forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGinnis, Thomas W.; Keeley, Jon E.; Stephens, Scott L.; Roller, Gary B.

2010-01-01

Typically, after large stand-replacing fires in mid-elevation Sierra Nevada forests, dense shrub fields occupy sites formerly occupied by mature conifers, until eventually conifers overtop and shade out shrubs. Attempting to reduce fuel loads and expedite forest regeneration in these areas, the USDA Forest Service often disrupts this cycle by the logging of fire-killed trees, replanting of conifers and killing of shrubs. We measured the effects of these treatments on live and dead fuel loads and alien species and modeled potential fire behavior and fire effects on regenerating forests. Sampling occurred in untreated, logged and herbicide-treated stands throughout the Sierra Nevada in four large fire areas 4–21 years after stand-replacing fires. Logging fire-killed trees significantly increased total available dead fuel loads in the short term but did not affect shrub cover, grass and forb cover, alien species cover or alien species richness. Despite the greater available dead fuel loads, fire behavior was not modeled to be different between logged and untreated stands, due to abundant shrub fuels in both logged and untreated stands. In contrast, the herbicide treatment directed at shrubs resulted in extremely low shrub cover, significantly greater alien species richness and significantly greater alien grass and forb cover. Grass and forb cover was strongly correlated with solar radiation on the ground, which may be the primary reason that grass and forb cover was higher in herbicide treated stands with low shrub and tree cover. Repeat burning exacerbated the alien grass problem in some stands. Although modeled surface fire flame lengths and rates of spread were found to be greater in stands dominated by shrubs, compared to low shrub cover conifer plantations, surface fire would still be intense enough to kill most trees, given their small size and low crown heights in the first two decades after planting.

Traditional Chinese medicine for prevention and treatment of hepatocarcinoma: From bench to bedside

PubMed Central

Hu, Bing; Wang, Shuang-Shuang; Du, Qin

2015-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played a positive role in the management of hepatocarcinoma. Hepatocarcinoma patients may present Qi-stagnation, damp-heat, blood stasis, Qi-deficiency, Yin-deficiency and other TCM syndromes (Zheng). Modern treatments such as surgery, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and high intensity focus ultrasound treatment would influence the manifestation of TCM syndromes. Herbs with traditional efficacy of tonifying Qi, blood and Yin, soothing liver-Qi stagnation, clearing heat and detoxifying and dissolving stasis, have been demonstrated to be potent to prevent hepatocarcinogenesis. TCM has been widely used in all aspects of integrative therapy in hepatocarcinoma, including surgical resection, liver transplantation, TACE, local ablative therapies and even as monotherapy for middle-advanced stage hepatocarcinoma. Clinical practices have confirmed that TCM is effective to alleviate clinical symptoms, improve quality of life and immune function, prevent recurrence and metastasis, delay tumor progression, and prolong survival time in hepatocarcinoma patients. The effective mechanism of TCM against hepatocarcinoma is related to inducing apoptosis, autophagy, anoikis and cell senescence, arresting cell cycle, regulating immune function, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, reversing drug resistance and enhancing effects of chemotherapy. Along with the progress of research in this field, TCM will contribute more to the prevention and treatment of hepatocarcinoma. PMID:26019736

Fire in the mind: changing understandings of fire in Western civilization

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

For most of human history, fire has been a pervasive presence in human life, and so also in human thought. This essay examines the ways in which fire has functioned intellectually in Western civilization as mythology, as religion, as natural philosophy and as modern science. The great phase change occurred with the development of industrial combustion; fire faded from quotidian life, which also removed it from the world of informing ideas. Beginning with the discovery of oxygen, fire as an organizing concept fragmented into various subdisciplines of natural science and forestry. The Anthropocene, however, may revive the intellectual role of fire as an informing idea or at least a narrative conceit. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216523

Fire in the mind: changing understandings of fire in Western civilization.

PubMed

Pyne, Stephen J

2016-06-05

For most of human history, fire has been a pervasive presence in human life, and so also in human thought. This essay examines the ways in which fire has functioned intellectually in Western civilization as mythology, as religion, as natural philosophy and as modern science. The great phase change occurred with the development of industrial combustion; fire faded from quotidian life, which also removed it from the world of informing ideas. Beginning with the discovery of oxygen, fire as an organizing concept fragmented into various subdisciplines of natural science and forestry. The Anthropocene, however, may revive the intellectual role of fire as an informing idea or at least a narrative conceit.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

The great Chinese fire of 1987 - A view from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahoon, Donald R., Jr.; Levine, Joel S.; Cofer, Wesley R., III; Miller, James E.; Minnis, Patrick; Tennille, Geoffrey M.; Yip, Tommy W.; Stocks, Brian J.; Heck, Patrick W.

1991-01-01

One of the largest forest fires ever recorded burned in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Soviet Union in May 1987. The fire covered over 1.0 million hectares in the PRC and almost 4 million hectares in the Soviet Union. The progress and areal extent of the fire were measured using satellite images analyzed in the imaging facilities at NASA-Langley and Forestry Canada. The analyses show the utility and value of satellite measurements to assess the areal extent and geographical distribution of fires, and have important implications for future measurements to be obtained from space platforms, such as the Earth Observing System.

Fire extinguishment in oxygen enriched atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, A. F.; Rappaport, M. W.

1973-01-01

Current state-of-the-art of fire suppression and extinguishment techniques in oxygen enriched atmosphere is reviewed. Four classes of extinguishment action are considered: cooling, separation of reactants, dilution or removal of fuel, and use of chemically reactive agents. Current practice seems to show preference for very fast acting water spray applications to all interior surfaces of earth-based chambers. In space, reliance has been placed on fire prevention methods through the removal of ignition sources and use of nonflammable materials. Recommendations are made for further work related to fire suppression and extinguishment in oxygen enriched atmospheres, and an extensive bibliography is appended.

Two new species of Nomuraius Hlaváč (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from southern China.

PubMed

Huang, Meng-Chi; Yin, Zi-Wei

2018-03-22

Two new Chinese species of the tyrine genus Nomuraius Hlaváč, N. excavatus Huang Yin, sp. n. (Guangxi), and N. nanlingensis Huang Yin, sp. n. (Guangdong), are described and illustrated. The identification key and distributional map of the genus are updated to include the new data.

Fire as a Removal Mechanism of Pyrogenic Carbon in Soils: Effects of Fire Characteristics and Pyrogenic Carbon Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santin, C.; Doerr, S.; Merino, A.

2016-12-01

Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) produced during vegetation fires represents one of the most degradation resistant organic carbon pools and has important implications for the global carbon cycle. Its long-term fate in the environment and the processes leading to its degradation are the subject of much debate. Its consumption in subsequent fires is usually highlighted in the literature as a possible major abiotic loss mechanism of PyC in soils. However, the only two studies that have empirically tested this hypothesis found only minor losses of existing PyC, suggesting that subsequent fire is not a major cause of PyC loss (Santin et al. 2013 median mass losses <15% in an experimental boreal forest fire and Saiz et al. 2014 average mass losses <8% in a prescribed fire in an open savannah woodland). Here we present new empirical data obtained in i) a high-intensity crown fire; ii) a surface low-intensity fire, and iii) a smouldering wildfire in boreal forests and show that the actual PyC combustion during subsequent fires is very variable and depends on both the characteristics of the fire and on the properties of the PyC. References- Saiz G, Goodrick I, Wurster C, Zimmermann MPN, Bird MI (2014) Charcoal recombustion efficiency in tropical savannas. Geoderma, 219, 40-45. - Santin C, Doerr SH, Preston C, Bryant R (2013) Consumption of residual pyrogenic carbon by wildfire. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 22, 1072-1077.

46 CFR 181.320 - Fire hoses and nozzles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Fire hoses and nozzles. 181.320 Section 181.320 Shipping...) FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Fire Main System § 181.320 Fire hoses and nozzles. (a) A fire hose with a... cargo decks, where no protection is provided, hoses may be temporarily removed during heavy weather or...

46 CFR 181.320 - Fire hoses and nozzles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Fire hoses and nozzles. 181.320 Section 181.320 Shipping...) FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Fire Main System § 181.320 Fire hoses and nozzles. (a) A fire hose with a... cargo decks, where no protection is provided, hoses may be temporarily removed during heavy weather or...

46 CFR 181.320 - Fire hoses and nozzles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Fire hoses and nozzles. 181.320 Section 181.320 Shipping...) FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Fire Main System § 181.320 Fire hoses and nozzles. (a) A fire hose with a... cargo decks, where no protection is provided, hoses may be temporarily removed during heavy weather or...

46 CFR 181.320 - Fire hoses and nozzles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Fire hoses and nozzles. 181.320 Section 181.320 Shipping...) FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Fire Main System § 181.320 Fire hoses and nozzles. (a) A fire hose with a... cargo decks, where no protection is provided, hoses may be temporarily removed during heavy weather or...

The Yin and Yang of YY1 in the nervous system

PubMed Central

He, Ye; Casaccia-Bonnefil, Patrizia

2008-01-01

The transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a multifunctional protein that can activate or repress gene expression depending on the cellular context. YY1 is ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved between species. However its role varies in diverse cell types and includes proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. This review will focus on the function of YY1 in the nervous system including its role in neural development, neuronal function, developmental myelination and neurological disease. The multiple functions of YY1 in distinct cell types are reviewed and the possible mechanisms underlying the cell specificity for these functions are discussed. PMID:18485096

A Preliminary Study of the Effectiveness of Chinese Therapeutic Food on Regulating Female Reproductive Hormones

PubMed Central

Fu, Lulu; Xu, Hong

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of Chinese therapeutic food on female reproductive hormones in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Chinese kiwi fruit extract (Hong En No. 1) was provided for Australian peri-menopausal women for one month. Chinese medical assessment and urinary 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE) and 16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE) tests were conducted. Twenty-six urinary samples (pre and post-trial) which met the requirement of testing were analysed, the ratio 2-OHE:16alpha-OHE of pre-trial (1.18 ± 0.34) and post-trial (0.97 ± 0.29) in the control group (n = 6) decreased but showed no significant change, this ratio of pre-trial (1.44 ± 0.16) and post-trial (1.65 ± 0.21) in the treatment group (n = 7) indicated an improvement (P = 0.066), which results in beneficial hormone regulation. The Chinese medicine assessment indicated that the patterns of disharmony mainly include Liver Qi stagnation and Liver-Kidney Yin deficiency patterns. No significant change observed in the control group, significant score reduction of the patterns of disharmony was achieved at post-trial in the treatment group, which indicates an improvement of general health condition. PMID:21614163

Exploration of the immunoreactivity of the Traditional Chinese medicine Shenrouyangzhentang to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

PubMed Central

Gu, Yu-Chun; Chen, De-Zhen

1997-01-01

AIM: To study the immunoreactivity of the Chinese medicine Shenrouyangzhentang to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS: The immunoreactivity of the Chinese medicine Shenrouyangzhentang to VIP was detected in the plasma of 20 normal people and 20 patients with Piyinxu (Spleen Yin deficiency) using the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method. RESULTS: The maximum binding rate B0/T was 53.29%, the non-specific binding rate N0/T was 1.170%, and the VIP standard curve was Y = 0.81983 + 0.44319X - 0.28927X2, R2 = 0.990. The VIP content in Shenrouyangzhentang was 106.6 ng/L ± 20 ng/L), while it was 90.16 ng/L ± 15 ng/L in normal human plasma and 63.25 ng/L ± 11 ng/L in the plasma of Pixinxu patients. The difference between normal plasma and Pixinxu patient plasma was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Chinese medicine Shenrouyangzhentang demonstrated VIP immunoreactivity similar to that of normal plasma. The (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) VIP content in Pixinxu patient plasma was lower than that in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). PMID:27041949

[A complexity analysis of Chinese herbal property theory: the multiple formations of herbal property].

PubMed

Jin, Rui; Zhang, Bing

2012-11-01

Chinese herbal property theory (CHPT) is the fundamental characteristic of Chinese materia medica different from modern medicines. It reflects the herbal properties associated with efficacy and formed the early framework of four properties and five flavors in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica. After the supplement and improvement of CHPT in the past thousands of years, it has developed a theory system including four properties, five flavors, meridian entry, direction of medicinal actions (ascending, descending, floating and sinking) and toxicity. However, because of the influence of philosophy about yin-yang theory and five-phase theory and the difference of cognitive approach and historical background at different times, CHPT became complex. One of the complexity features was the multiple methods for determining herbal property, which might include the inference from herbal efficacy, the thought of Chinese Taoist School and witchcraft, the classification thinking according to manifestations, etc. Another complexity feature was the multiselection associations between herbal property and efficacy, which indicated that the same property could be inferred from different kinds of efficacy. This paper analyzed these complexity features and provided the importance of cognitive approaches and efficacy attributes corresponding to certain herbal property in the study of CHPT.

The clinical study of the optimalization of surgical treatment and the traditional Chinese medicine intervention on palmar hyperhidrosis.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Yan, Zhikun; Fu, Xiaoqing; Dong, Liwen; Xu, Linhai; Wang, Jun; Cheng, Genmiao

2014-11-01

To analyze the efficacy of different surgical methods in treating palmar hyperhidrosis and the compensatory hyperhidrosis after surgery and to observe the efficacy of "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula" on postsurgical hyperhidrosis patients. Two-hundred patients were randomly assigned to groups A (Chinese and Western medicine, T4 transection plus "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula") and B (Western medicine, T4 transection). The surgical efficiency, recurrence rate, compensatory hyperhidrosis, and the long-term life quality were compared. Another 100 cases (group C, T2 transection) were analyzed as a control group. After surgery, the palmar hyperhidrosis and armpit sweating were relieved in all the three group patients and in 34 % of patients combined with plantar hyperhidrosis, the symptoms were relieved. Transient palmar hyperhidrosis was found in three cases at day 2 to day 5 postoperatively. One case of Horner's syndrome and one case recurrence were found in group C patients. The compensatory sweating of various degrees occurred in all the three groups. There were 25, 24, and 43 cases in groups A, B, and C, respectively. There is a significant difference between groups C, A, and B. The compensatory sweating in 13 cases of group A and four cases of group B had different degrees of improvement in the follow-up 6 months after surgery. There is a significant difference. Thoracoscopic bilateral T4 sympathetic chain and the Kuntz resection are the optimized surgical treatments for the palmar hyperhidrosis. "Energy-boosting and Yin-nourishing anti-perspirant formula" is effective in treating the postoperative compensatory sweating.

Serum Protein KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 as Potential Biomarkers for Yin-Deficiency-Heat Syndrome.

PubMed

Liu, Changming; Mao, Liangen; Ping, Zepeng; Jiang, Tingting; Wang, Chong; Chen, Zhongliang; Li, Zhongjie; Li, Jicheng

2016-01-01

Yin-deficiency-heat (YDH) syndrome is a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for describing subhealth status. However, there are few efficient diagnostic methods available for confirming YDH syndrome. To explore the novel method for diagnosing YDH syndrome, we applied iTRAQ to observe the serum protein profiles in YDH syndrome rats and confirmed protein levels by ELISA. A total of 92 differentially expressed proteins (63 upregulated proteins and 29 downregulated proteins), which were mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascades and glucose metabolism pathway, were identified by the proteomic experiments. Kininogen 1 (KNG1) was significantly increased ( p < 0.0001), while apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3, p < 0.005) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1, p < 0.001) were significantly decreased in the serum of YDH syndrome rats. The combination of KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 constituted a diagnostic model with 100.0% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity. The results indicated that KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 may act as potential biomarkers for diagnosing YDH syndrome. KNG1 may regulate cytokines and chemokines release in YDH syndrome, and the low levels of PON1 and APOC3 may increase oxidative stress and lipolysis in YDH syndrome, respectively. Our work provides a novel method for YDH syndrome diagnosis and also provides valuable experimental basis to understand the molecular mechanism of YDH syndrome.

An integrated metabonomic and proteomic study on Kidney-Yin Deficiency Syndrome patients with diabetes mellitus in China.

PubMed

Jiang, Ning; Liu, Hong-fang; Li, Si-di; Zhou, Wen-xia; Zhang, Yong-xiang; Zhang, Qi; Yan, Xian-zhong

2015-06-01

To investigate specific changes in metabolites and proteins of Kidney-Yin Deficiency Syndrome (KYDS) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in China. KYDS (n=29) and non-KYDS (n=23) patients with DM were recruited for this study. The KYDS was diagnosed by two senior TCM clinicians separately. The metabonomic and proteomic profiles of the patients were assessed using a metabonomic strategy based on NMR with multivariate analysis and a proteomic strategy based on MALDI-TOF-MS, respectively. Eighteen upregulated peptides and thirty downregulated peptides were observed in the plasma of the KYDS patients. Comparing the proteomic profiles of the KYDS and non-KYDS groups, however, no significantly differentially expressed peptides were found. At the same time, major metabolic alterations were found to distinguish the two groups, including eight significantly changed metabolites (creatinine, citrate, TMAO, phenylalanine, tyrosine, alanine, glycine and taurine). The levels of creatinine, citrate, TMAO, phenylalanine and tyrosine were decreased, whereas the levels of alanine, glycine and taurine were increased in the KYDS patients. These biochemical changes were found to be associated with alterations in amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and gut microflora. The identification of distinct expression profiles of metabolites and signaling pathways in KYDS patients with DM suggests that there are indeed molecular signatures underlying the principles of 'Syndrome Differentiation' in traditional Chinese medicine.

The Effects of Yin, Yang and Qi in the Skin on Pain.

PubMed

Adams, James David

2016-01-29

The most effective and safe treatment site for pain is in the skin. This chapter discusses the reasons to treat pain in the skin. Pain is sensed in the skin through transient receptor potential cation channels and other receptors. These receptors have endogenous agonists (yang) and antagonists (yin) that help the body control pain. Acupuncture works through modulation of these receptor activities (qi) in the skin; as do moxibustion and liniments. The treatment of pain in the skin has the potential to save many lives and improve pain therapy in most patients.

The Effects of Yin, Yang and Qi in the Skin on Pain

PubMed Central

Adams, James David

2016-01-01

The most effective and safe treatment site for pain is in the skin. This chapter discusses the reasons to treat pain in the skin. Pain is sensed in the skin through transient receptor potential cation channels and other receptors. These receptors have endogenous agonists (yang) and antagonists (yin) that help the body control pain. Acupuncture works through modulation of these receptor activities (qi) in the skin; as do moxibustion and liniments. The treatment of pain in the skin has the potential to save many lives and improve pain therapy in most patients. PMID:28930115

Removing an invasive shrub (Chinese privet) increases native bee diversity and abundance in riparian forests of the southeastern United States

Treesearch

James L. Hanula; Scott Horn

2011-01-01

1. Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) was removed from riparian forests in the Piedmont of Georgia in November 2005 by mulching with a track-mounted mulching machine or by chainsaw felling. The remaining privet in the herbaceous layer was killed with herbicide in December 2006. 2. Bee (Hymentoptera: Apoidea) abundance, diversity and community similarity in the...

Fire effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling in forests of the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

D.W. Johnson; M.E. Fenn; W.W. Miller; C.T. Hunsaker

2009-01-01

Fire removes substantial quantities of nitrogen (N) by volatilization, and prescribed fire, over time, can remove as much as or more N than wildfire. This lost N can be quickly made up if fire is followed by N2-fixing vegetation. Wildfire often has short-term deleterious effects on water quality because of N mobilization, but long-term fire...

Prescribed fire experiences on crop residue removal for biomass exploitations. Application to the maritime pine forests in the Mediterranean Basin.

PubMed

Molina, Juan Ramón; García, Juan Pedro; Fernández, Juan José; Rodríguez Y Silva, Francisco

2018-01-15

Socioeconomic changes, climate change, rural migration and fire exclusion have led to a high woody biomass accumulation increasing potential wildfire severity. Mechanical thinning and prescribed burning practices are commonly used to prevent large fires. The purpose of this study was to assess burning treatment effectiveness following mechanical thinning from biomass harvesting. Prescribed burning to reduce residue removal could help mitigate fire behavior, mainly in strategic management or critical focal points. Field samplings were conducted before and immediately after burnings on different environmental scenarios where fuel load was classified by categories. Prescribed fires reduced available fuel in all fuel categories, mainly in surface litter layer. Total fuel load reduction ranged from 59.07% to 86.18%. In this sense, fuel reduction effects were more pronounced when burns were conducted fewer than 10% on surface litter moisture. The difference in fuel consumption among scenarios was higher for most all woody fuel components and decomposition litter layer than for surface litter layer. Managers can use this information to design technical prescription to achieve the targets while decomposed litter retention maintaining the soil properties and biodiversity. Understanding the most effective "burn window" should help better plan prescribed burning, both in term of fire behavior and fuel consumption, without altering ecosystem properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of BART Fire-Hardening Programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-09-01

This report presents the results of an assessment of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) vehicle fire hardening. The report assesses the overall effort to improve the fire safety of the current BART vehicles through the removal of prospective ...

Removal of an invasive shrub (Chinese privet: Ligustrum sinense Lour) reduces exotic earthworm abundance and promotes recovery of native North American earthworms

Treesearch

Joshua W. Lobe; Mac A. Callaham Jr.; Paul F. Hendrix; James L Hanula

2014-01-01

This study investigated the possibility of a facilitative relationship between Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) and exotic earthworms, in the southeastern region of the USA. Earthworms and selected soil properties were sampled five years after experimental removal of privet from flood plain forests of the Georgia Piedmont region. The earthworm...

[Research on syndrome distribution features, etiologies, and pathogeneses of Japanese encephalitis].

PubMed

Tu, Jin-Wen; Dong, Meng-Jiu; Liu, Zhi-Yong; Zhu, Qing-Jing; Zhu, Chao-Min; Li, Li; Wan, Hu; Lan, Ying; Li, Yun; Chen, Jun

2014-03-01

To explore Chinese medical syndrome distribution features of Japanese encephalitis (JE), and to analyze its correlation between syndromes and features of etiologies and pathogeneses. Recruited were 277 patients with confirmative diagnosis of JE from Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Fifth People's Hospital of Guiyang City, Hangzhou Sixth People's Hospital, and Chengdu Hospital of Infectious Diseases between July to September 2012. Chinese medical syndrome distribution features were summarized from their general materials and detailed records of clinical data, including medical history, symptoms and signs, tongue fur, and pulse figures.The frequency of symptoms and signs was calculated according to mild, ordinary, severe, extreme severe degrees. The distribution of Chinese medical syndromes was summarized. And its correlation between syndromes and features of etiologies and pathogeneses were analyzed. After clustering analysis, Chinese medical syndromes of JE could be categorized as four groups: toxicity accumulation in Fei and Wei syndrome (TAFWS), brain collateral impaired by poison syndrome (BCIPS), depression of toxicity in the pericardium syndrome (DTPS), exhaustion of yin and yang syndrome (EYYS). BCIPS and DTPS were dominated, accounting for 74.0% (205 cases). The main causes covered evil of summer heat [accounting for 92.42% (256/277 cases)], heat [accounting for 87.73% (243/277 cases)], and toxin [accounting for 99.64% (276/277 cases)]. The four Chinese medical syndrome types of JE met Chinese medical clinical features of encephalitis. It is induced by infestation of dampness-heat, resulting in toxicity accumulation in Fei and Wei, brain collateral impaired by poison, depression of toxicity in the pericardium. Yin fluid and blood is exhausted as time goes by. Qi and yin are impaired to form intermingled deficiency and excess, and finally causing exhaustion of yin and yang.

Curiosity ChemCam Removes Dust

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-04-08

This pair of images taken a few minutes apart show how laser firing by NASA Mars rover Curiosity removes dust from the surface of a rock. The images were taken by the remote micro-imager camera in the laser-firing Chemistry and Camera ChemCam.

Individualized prevention against hypertension based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Theory

PubMed Central

Li, Ying; Li, Xiao-Hui; Huang, Xin; Yin, Lu; Guo, Cheng-Xian; Liu, Chang; He, Yong-Mei; Liu, Xing; Yuan, Hong

2017-01-01

Abstract Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution (TCMC) theory states that individuals with a biased TCMC are more likely to suffer from specific diseases. However, little is known regarding the influence of TCMC on susceptibility to hypertension. The aim of this study is to examine the possible relationship between TCMC and hypertension. Retrospective evaluation and observation were performed using the STROBE guidelines checklist. A large community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 2009 and 2013 in Changsha, China. TCMC was assessed using a questionnaire that included 68 items. TCMC distributions and the associations of different TCMCs with hypertension risk were analyzed. In total, 144,439 subjects underwent evaluations of TCMC and blood pressure (BP). There were significant differences in the hypertension prevalence among the various TCMC groups (P < .01). An adjusted logistic regression model indicated that those with phlegm wetness, yin deficiency, blood stasis, or qi deficiency were more likely to have hypertension. Analysis of the clinical characteristics related to TCMC indicated that different TCMCs corresponded to different hypertension classifications using Western medicine criteria; for example, phlegm wetness with hypertension was similar to obesity-related hypertension. Our results suggest that phlegm wetness, yin deficiency, blood stasis, and qi deficiency have different effects on the prevalence of hypertension. More attention should be paid to TCMCs associated with susceptibility to hypertension, and corresponding preventive and therapeutic treatments should be developed according to different TCMCs. PMID:29145254

Economic analysis of atmospheric mercury emission control for coal-fired power plants in China.

PubMed

Ancora, Maria Pia; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Shuxiao; Schreifels, Jeremy; Hao, Jiming

2015-07-01

Coal combustion and mercury pollution are closely linked, and this relationship is particularly relevant in China, the world's largest coal consumer. This paper begins with a summary of recent China-specific studies on mercury removal by air pollution control technologies and then provides an economic analysis of mercury abatement from these emission control technologies at coal-fired power plants in China. This includes a cost-effectiveness analysis at the enterprise and sector level in China using 2010 as a baseline and projecting out to 2020 and 2030. Of the control technologies evaluated, the most cost-effective is a fabric filter installed upstream of the wet flue gas desulfurization system (FF+WFGD). Halogen injection (HI) is also a cost-effective mercury-specific control strategy, although it has not yet reached commercial maturity. The sector-level analysis shows that 193 tons of mercury was removed in 2010 in China's coal-fired power sector, with annualized mercury emission control costs of 2.7 billion Chinese Yuan. Under a projected 2030 Emission Control (EC) scenario with stringent mercury limits compared to Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, the increase of selective catalytic reduction systems (SCR) and the use of HI could contribute to 39 tons of mercury removal at a cost of 3.8 billion CNY. The economic analysis presented in this paper offers insights on air pollution control technologies and practices for enhancing atmospheric mercury control that can aid decision-making in policy design and private-sector investments. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fire impact and assessment of post-fire actions of a typical Mediterranean forest from SW Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-González, Marco A.; María De la Rosa, José; Jiménez-Morillo, Nicasio T.; Zavala, Lorena M.; Knicker, Heike

2015-04-01

Wildfires may cause significant changes in soil physical and chemical properties. In addition, soil organic matter (SOM) content and chemical properties are usually affected by fire. Fire impacts may negatively affect soil health and quality, and induce or enhance runoff generation and, thereby, soil erosion risk and cause damages to the habitat of species. This fact is especially dramatic in Mediterranean ecosystems, where forest fires are a frequent phenomenon and restoration strategies are a key issue. The goals of this study are to determine: i) the immediate effects of fire on soil properties, including changes occurred in the quantity and quality of SOM and ii) the effect of post-fire actions on soil properties. In August 2012, a wildfire affected a forest area of approx. 90 ha in Montellano (Seville, SW Spain; longitude 37.00 °, latitude -5.56 °). This area is dominated by pines (Pinus pinaster and Pinus halepensis), and eucalypts (Eucaliptus globulus) with a Mediterranean climate. Dominant soil types are Rendzic Leptosols and Calcaric Haplic Regosols. It is a poorly limestone-developed soil (usually swallower than 25 cm). Four soil subsamples were collected 1 month and 25 months after fire within an area of approximately 200 m2. Subsamples were mixed together, homogenized, air-dried, crushed and sieved (2 mm). One control sample was collected in an adjacent area. The litter layer was removed by hand and studied separately. Branches, stems, bushes and plant residues on the fire-affected area were removed 16 months after the fire using heavy machinery as part of the post-fire management. The present research focuses on the study of the elemental composition (C, H and N) and physical properties (pH, water holding capacity, electrical conductivity) of bulk soil samples, and on the spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR, 13C NMR) and analytical pyrolysis data obtained from bulk the oils and from the humic acid fraction. immediate effects of fire, including the charring

Caught between Fantasy and Reality: Confucian Values and Dilemmas of Education Reform Confronting Hong Kong's Secondary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Frank Wai-Ming; Lai, Manhong; Lam, Ka-Ka

2007-01-01

In Chinese society, there are two Confucian teachings that have become guiding values for many teachers and have had profound influence on their educational practices for nearly 2,500 years. These values are "yin cai shi jiao" and "you jiao wu lei." The direct translation of yin cai shi jiao is "to carry out teaching based…

Using natural Chinese zeolite to remove ammonium from rainfall runoff following urea fertilization of a paddy rice field.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-Ling; Qiao, Bin; Li, Song-Min; Li, Jian-Sheng

2016-03-01

The potential of natural Chinese zeolite to remove ammonium from rainfall runoff following urea applications to a paddy rice field is assessed in this study. Laboratory batch kinetic and isotherm experiments were carried out first to investigate the ammonium adsorption capacity of the natural zeolite. Field experiments using zeolite adsorption barriers installed at drain outlets in a paddy rice field were also carried out during natural rainfall events to evaluate the barrier's dynamic removal capacity of ammonium. The results demonstrate that the adsorption kinetics are accurately described by the Elovich model, with a coefficient of determination (R (2)) ranging from 0.9705 to 0.9709, whereas the adsorption isotherm results indicate that the Langmuir-Freundlich model provides the best fit (R (2) = 0.992) for the equilibrium data. The field experiments show that both the flow rate and the barrier volume are important controls on ammonium removal from rainfall runoff. A low flow rate leads to a higher ammonium removal efficiency at the beginning of the tests, while a high flow rate leads to a higher quantity of ammonium adsorbed over the entire runoff process.

Bird assemblage response to restoration of fire-suppressed longleaf pine sandhills.

PubMed

Steen, David A; Conner, L M; Smith, Lora L; Provencher, Louis; Hiers, J Kevin; Pokswinski, Scott; Helms, Brian S; Guyer, Craig

2013-01-01

The ecological restoration of fire-suppressed habitats may require a multifaceted approach. Removal of hardwood trees together with reintroduction of fire has been suggested as a method of restoring fire-suppressed longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests; however, this strategy, although widespread, has not been evaluated on large spatial and temporal scales. We used a landscape-scale experimental design to examine how bird assemblages in fire-suppressed longleaf pine sandhills responded to fire alone or fire following mechanical removal or herbicide application to reduce hardwood levels. Individual treatments were compared to fire-suppressed controls and reference sites. After initial treatment, all sites were managed with prescribed fire, on an approximately two- to three-year interval, for over a decade. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations suggested that avian assemblages on sites that experienced any form of hardwood removal differed from assemblages on both fire-suppressed sites and reference sites 3-4 years after treatment (i.e., early posttreatment). After >10 years of prescribed burning on all sites (i.e., late posttreatment), only assemblages at sites treated with herbicide were indistinguishable from assemblages at reference sites. By the end of the study, individual species that were once indicators of reference sites no longer contributed to making reference sites unique. Occupancy modeling of these indicator species also demonstrated increasing similarity across treatments over time. Overall, although we documented long-term and variable assemblage-level change, our results indicate occupancy for birds considered longleaf pine specialists was similar at treatment and reference sites after over a decade of prescribed burning, regardless of initial method of hardwood removal. In other words, based on the response of species highly associated with the habitat, we found no justification for the added cost and effort of fire surrogates; fire

The Oncogenic Role of Yin Yang 1

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qiang; Stovall, Daniel B.; Inoue, Kazushi; Sui, Guangchao

2012-01-01

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a transcription factor with diverse and complex biological functions. YY1 either activates or represses gene transcription, depending on the stimuli received by the cells and its association with other cellular factors. Since its discovery, a biological role for YY1 in tumor development and progression has been suggested because of its regulatory activities toward multiple cancer-related proteins and signaling pathways and its overexpression in most cancers. In this review, we primarily focus on YY1 studies in cancer research, including the regulation of YY1 as a transcription factor, its activities independent of its DNA binding ability, the functions of its associated proteins, and mechanisms regulating YY1 expression and activities. We also discuss the correlation of YY1 expression with clinical outcomes of cancer patients and its target potential in cancer therapy. Although there is not a complete consensus about the role of YY1 in cancers based on its activities of regulating oncogene and tumor suppressor expression, most of the currently available evidence supports a proliferative or oncogenic role of YY1 in tumorigenesis. PMID:22248053

Factors associated with willingness to participate in biospecimen research among Chinese Americans.

PubMed

Gao, Wanzhen; Ma, Grace X; Tan, Yin; Fang, Carolyn; Weaver, JoEllen; Jin, Ming; Lai, Philip

2014-04-01

A paucity of information exists on the recruitment of Asian Americans for biospecimen research. Although studies show that Chinese Americans are at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, little is known about their willingness to participate in HBV-related biospecimen research and how knowledge, attitudes, and cultural factors impact their willingness to participate. The study was guided by Community-Based Participatory Research principles. Data were derived from an assessment study on HBV-related biospecimen research participation among Chinese Americans in the Philadelphia region. The assessment was conducted with 415 Chinese Americans recruited from eight Chinese community-based organizations. Cultural beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes toward biospecimen research were examined for associations with their willingness to participate in biospecimen banking research. Overall, 192 (46.3%) of 415 participants who completed the assessment indicated they were willing to participate if they were invited to donate blood to be frozen and stored for future HBV biospecimen studies. Cultural variables significant in bivariate analysis included collectivism, knowledge about biospecimen research, and Yin-Yang beliefs. Fatalism and individualism were not associated with participation willingness. In multivariate analysis, age, health care attitudes, and trust were significantly associated with willingness to participate in biospecimen banking research. Asian American communities have little knowledge of biospecimen banking and will benefit from educational campaigns that emphasize collective benefits and attitudes towards and trust in the health care system. Understanding cultural factors is important for improving Chinese Americans' knowledge, awareness, and intentions of participation in biospecimen research. Similar efforts need to be undertaken to develop culturally appropriate educational intervention programs to increase participation in biospecimen research

Factors Associated with Willingness to Participate in Biospecimen Research Among Chinese Americans

PubMed Central

Gao, Wanzhen; Tan, Yin; Fang, Carolyn; Weaver, JoEllen; Jin, Ming; Lai, Philip

2014-01-01

A paucity of information exists on the recruitment of Asian Americans for biospecimen research. Although studies show that Chinese Americans are at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, little is known about their willingness to participate in HBV-related biospecimen research and how knowledge, attitudes, and cultural factors impact their willingness to participate. The study was guided by Community-Based Participatory Research principles. Data were derived from an assessment study on HBV-related biospecimen research participation among Chinese Americans in the Philadelphia region. The assessment was conducted with 415 Chinese Americans recruited from eight Chinese community-based organizations. Cultural beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes toward biospecimen research were examined for associations with their willingness to participate in biospecimen banking research. Overall, 192 (46.3%) of 415 participants who completed the assessment indicated they were willing to participate if they were invited to donate blood to be frozen and stored for future HBV biospecimen studies. Cultural variables significant in bivariate analysis included collectivism, knowledge about biospecimen research, and Yin-Yang beliefs. Fatalism and individualism were not associated with participation willingness. In multivariate analysis, age, health care attitudes, and trust were significantly associated with willingness to participate in biospecimen banking research. Asian American communities have little knowledge of biospecimen banking and will benefit from educational campaigns that emphasize collective benefits and attitudes towards and trust in the health care system. Understanding cultural factors is important for improving Chinese Americans' knowledge, awareness, and intentions of participation in biospecimen research. Similar efforts need to be undertaken to develop culturally appropriate educational intervention programs to increase participation in biospecimen research

A basic approach to fire injury of tree stems

Treesearch

R. E. Martin

1963-01-01

Fire has come to be widely used as a tool in wildland management, particularly in the South. Its usefulness in fire hazard reduction, removal of undesirable trees, and changing of cover types has been demonstrated. We are continually trying to improve fire use, however, by learning more of the specific effects of fire on different species of plants.

Safety and efficacy of low fluence, high repetition rate versus high fluence, low repetition rate 810-nm diode laser for axillary hair removal in Chinese women.

PubMed

Li, Wenhai; Liu, Chengyi; Chen, Zhou; Cai, Lin; Zhou, Cheng; Xu, Qianxi; Li, Houmin; Zhang, Jianzhong

2016-11-01

High-fluence diode lasers with contact cooling have emerged as the gold standard to remove unwanted hair. Lowering the energy should result in less pain and could theoretically affect the efficacy of the therapy. To compare the safety and efficacy of a low fluence high repetition rate 810-nm diode laser to those of a high fluence, low repetition rate diode laser for permanent axillary hair removal in Chinese women. Ninety-two Chinese women received four axillae laser hair removal treatments at 4-week intervals using the low fluence, high repetition rate 810-nm diode laser in super hair removal (SHR) mode on one side and the high fluence, low repetition rate diode laser in hair removal (HR) mode on the other side. Hair counts were done at each follow-up visit and 6-month follow-up after the final laser treatment using a "Hi Quality Hair Analysis Program System"; the immediate pain score after each treatment session was recorded by a visual analog scale. The overall median reduction of hair was 90.2% with the 810-nm diode laser in SHR mode and 87% with the same laser in HR mode at 6-month follow-up. The median pain scores in SHR mode and in HR mode were 2.75 and 6.75, respectively. Low fluence, high repetition rate diode laser can efficiently remove unwanted hair but also significantly improve tolerability and reduce adverse events during the course of treatment.

A comparison of traditional food and health strategies among Taiwanese and Chinese immigrants in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Ethnobotanical studies on the use of plants amongst migrant populations are of great relevance to public health. Traditional health strategies, which incorporate plants as medicines, foods, or both – can play an important role in individual well-being. However, at the same time, migrant populations’ traditional knowledge of such practices may be under a state of greater threat of decline due to factors such as limited access to the plant materials and physical isolation from the homeland, which serves as the primary living reservoir for this knowledge. Methods In this study, we conducted a medical ethnobotanical survey focusing on a comparison of local medicinal food and health strategies with members of two Asian immigrant populations in metro-Atlanta: Chinese and Taiwanese. Snowball sampling techniques were employed to recruit 83 study participants, 57 of which were included in the final analysis. Semi-structured interview techniques were used to question participants about their beliefs and usage of the yin yang system, usage of Chinese herbs and medicinal foods, preference and usage of Eastern and Western medicines, and gardening for medicinal foods. Results and conclusion Comparison of the two groups demonstrated a remarkable difference in health strategies concerning medicinal plant use, including statistically significant differences in beliefs concerning yin and yang, uses of Eastern versus Western medicine, and gardening for medicinal foods. Domestic health strategies in the form of medicinal foods play an important role in local health practices, especially among the Taiwanese participants. The collective desire for the use of both Eastern and Western medicine by both groups highlights the important role that cultural competency training will play in preparing allopathic health practitioners to serve increasingly diverse patient populations in the US. PMID:23981857

[Study on the distribution of Chinese medical constitutions of hypertension complicated diabetes patients].

PubMed

Han, Shu-Hui; Li, Kang-Zeng; Zheng, Jian-Ming; Zheng, Zhi-Xiong; Lin, Miao-Chun; Xu, Ming-Yuan; Yue, Zeng-Chang

2013-02-01

To investigate the distribution features of Chinese medical constitutions in hypertension complicated diabetes patients. Recruited were 251 primary hypertension inpatients at the Department of Neurology and the Department of Cardiology, Mindong Hospital of Ningde City from October 2010 to March 2011. They were assigned to two groups according to whether they were complicated with diabetes, i.e., the primary hypertension complicated diabetes (as the case group, 78 cases) and the primary hypertension without complicated diabetes (as the control group, 173 cases). The constitution types were investigated by questionnaire. The constitution type distribution was compared between the two groups. The data including gender, age, and the distribution of the constitution type were compared between the two groups. The levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, Hb, FPG, and ALB were detected on the 2nd day after admission. The levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, Hb, and ALB were compared be- tween the two groups in patients of yin deficiency constitution, phlegm dampness constitution, and qi deficiency constitution. There was no statistical difference in the hypertension grading, the disease course, and chronic disease complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). The main constitution types were yin deficiency (accounting for 26.0%), phlegm dampness (accounting for 19.1%), and qi deficiency (accounting for 19.1%) in the control group. The main constitution types were yin deficiency (accounting for 32.1%), phlegm dampness (accounting for 30.8%), and qi deficiency (accounting for 17.9%) in the case group. The ratio of phlegm dampness type in the case group was higher than that in the control group with statistical difference (P = 0.041). There was no statistical difference in the constitution distribution in the same gender between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the constitution distribution in those younger than 80 years between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared

29 CFR 1926.352 - Fire prevention.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... penetration of sparks or heat transfer may introduce a fire hazard to an adjacent area, the same precautions... confine the heat, sparks, and slag, and to protect the immovable fire hazards from them. (c) No welding...-consuming device. (h) Except when the contents are being removed or transferred, drums, pails, and other...

Fire and fish dynamics in a changing climate

Treesearch

Lisa Holsinger; Robert Keane

2011-01-01

Wildland fire is a natural disturbance that affects the distribution and abundance of native fishes in the Rocky Mountain West (Rieman and others 2003). Fire can remove riparian vegetation, increasing direct solar radiation to the stream surface and leading to warmer summer water temperatures (fig. 1). Fire can also consume vegetation and organic biomass on the forest...

Development of cost-effective noncarbon sorbents for Hg(0) removal from coal-fired power plants.

PubMed

Lee, Joo-Youp; Ju, Yuhong; Keener, Tim C; Varma, Rajender S

2006-04-15

Noncarbonaceous materials or mineral oxides (silica gel, alumina, molecular sieves, zeolites, and montmorillonite) were modified with various functional groups such as amine, amide, thiol, urea, and active additives such as elemental sulfur, sodium sulfide, and sodium polysulfide to examine their potential as sorbents for the removal of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) vapor at coal-fired utility power plants. A number of sorbent candidates such as amine- silica gel, urea- silica gel, thiol- silica gel, amide-silica gel, sulfur-alumina, sulfur-molecular sieve, sulfur-montmorillonite, sodium sulfide-montmorillonite, and sodium polysulfide-montmorillonite, were synthesized and tested in a lab-scale fixed-bed system under an argon flow for screening purposes at 70 degrees C and/or 140 degrees C. Several functionalized silica materials reported in previous studies to effectively control heavy metals in the aqueous phase showed insignificant adsorption capacities for Hg(0) control in the gas phase, suggesting that mercury removal mechanisms in both phases are different. Among elemental sulfur-, sodium sulfide-, and sodium polysulfide-impregnated inorganic samples, sodium polysulfide-impregnated montmorillonite K 10 showed a moderate adsorption capacity at 70 degrees C, which can be used for sorbent injection prior to the wet FGD system.

Herbal Compound Songyou Yin and Moderate Swimming Suppress Growth and Metastasis of Liver Cancer by Enhancing Immune Function.

PubMed

Zhang, Quan-Bao; Meng, Xiang-Ting; Jia, Qing-An; Bu, Yang; Ren, Zheng-Gang; Zhang, Bo-Heng; Tang, Zhao-You

2016-09-01

Objective Both the Chinese herbal compound Songyou Yin (SYY) and swimming exercise have been shown to have protective effects against liver cancer in animal models. In this study, we investigated whether SYY and moderate swimming (MS) have enhanced effect on suppressing progression of liver cancer by immunomodulation. Methods C57BL/6 mice were transplanted with Hepa1-6 murine liver cancer cell lines and received treatment with SYY alone or SYY combined with MS. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive metastatic foci in lungs were imaged with a stereoscopic fluorescence microscope. Flow cytometry was used to test the proportion of CD4 +, CD8 + T cells in peripheral blood and the proportions of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg cells in peripheral blood, spleen, and tumor tissues. Cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 level in serum was detected by ELISA. Results SYY plus MS significantly suppressed the growth and lung metastasis of liver cancer and prolonged survival in tumor-burdened mice. SYY plus MS markedly raised the CD4 to CD8 ratio in peripheral blood and lowered the serum TGF-β1 level and the proportions of Treg cells in peripheral blood, spleen, and tumor tissue. The effects of the combined intervention were significantly superior to SYY or MS alone. Conclusion The combined application of SYY and MS exerted an enhanced effect on suppressing growth and metastasis of liver cancer by strengthening immunity. © The Author(s) 2015.

Response of beetles (Coleoptera) at three heights to the experimental removal of an invasive shrub, Chinese privet (Lingustrum sinense), from floodplain forests

Treesearch

Michael D. Ulyshen; Scott Horn; James L. Hanula

2010-01-01

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.), an invasive shrub from Asia, is well established in the southeastern United States where it dominates many floodplain forests. We used flight intercept traps to sample beetles at three heights (0.5, 5 and 15 m) in *2 ha plots in which L. sinense had (by chainsaws or mulching machine) or had not been removed...

Fire history of the local wildland-urban interface

Treesearch

Neil R. Honeycutt

1995-01-01

Fire activity in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties has been recorded in historical documents. In pre-European times the Native Americans in the hills above the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay used fire to remove unwanted underbrush to improve the wildlife habitat. This type of "prescribed" burning may have been the earliest fire management in this region—...

Fire management ramifications of Hurricane Hugo

Treesearch

J. M. Saveland; D. D. Wade

1991-01-01

Hurricane Hugo passed over the Francis Marion National Forest on September 22, 1989, removing almost 75 percent of the overstory. The radically altered fuel bed presented new and formidable challenges to fire managers. Tractor-plows, the mainstay of fire suppression, were rendered ineffective. The specter of wind-driven escaped burns with no effective means of ground...

[Clinical trial on treatment of Parkinson's disease of Gan-Shen yin deficiency type by recipe for nourishing Gan-Shen].

PubMed

Zhao, Hong; Li, Wen-Wei; Gao, Jun-Peng

2007-09-01

To observe the curative effect of the recipe for nourishing Gan-Shen on Parkinson's disease (PD) of Gan-Shen yin deficiency type. One hundred and twenty-one PD patients were ran-domly assigned by blocking design to the control group and the treated group in the ratio of 1:1. All were treated according to the international medication guiding principle for PD treatment, but the treated group was ad-ministered with the recipe for nourishing Gan-Shen additionally. The treatment course lasted for 12 consecutive months, and the end point was the end of the 12th month. The unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UP-DRS) score, TCM primary and secondary symptom scores were evaluated before treatment, every 3 months of treatment and at the end point. The average daily levodopa dose and the Hoehn & Yahr grading were assessed before treatment and at the end point. After treatment, UPDRS score in both groups showed an ascending trend at a slower rate in the treated groups than in the control group. At the 9th and 12th month of medication, a significant difference was found in UPDRS score between the two groups (P < 0.05), and the TCM symptom score was obviously lower in the treated group than in the control group (P < 0.05). At the end point of the trial, the average daily levodopa dose used was lower in the treated group than in the control group (P < 0.05) and there was no significant difference in the Hoehn & Yahr score between the two groups (P > 0.05). The recipe for norishing Gan-Shen can slow the ascending trend of UPDRS score in the PD patients, improve the symptoms of Gan-Shen yin deficiency, and decrease the daily levodopa dose used, showing a curative effect on PD of Gan-Shen yin deficiency type.

Quantifying the consequences of fire suppression in two California national parks

Treesearch

Carol Miller; Brett Davis

2009-01-01

Excluding fire can have untold ecological effects. Decades of fire suppression in national parks and other protected areas have altered natural fire regimes, vegetation, and wildlife habitat (Chang 1996; Keane et al. 2002). Management actions to suppress lightning-ignited wildfires removes one of the most important natural processes from fire-dependent ecosystems, and...

Convenient, sensitive and high-throughput method for screening botanic origin.

PubMed

Yuan, Yuan; Jiang, Chao; Liu, Libing; Yu, Shulin; Cui, Zhanhu; Chen, Min; Lin, Shufang; Wang, Shu; Huang, Luqi

2014-06-23

In this work, a rapid (within 4-5 h), sensitive and visible new method for assessing botanic origin is developed by combining loop-mediated isothermal amplification with cationic conjugated polymers. The two Chinese medicinal materials (Jin-Yin-Hua and Shan-Yin-Hua) with similar morphology and chemical composition were clearly distinguished by gene SNP genotyping assays. The identification of plant species in Patented Chinese drugs containing Lonicera buds is successfully performed using this detection system. The method is also robust enough to be used in high-throughput screening. This new method is very helpful to identify herbal materials, and is beneficial for detecting safety and quality of botanic products.

Convenient, Sensitive and High-Throughput Method for Screening Botanic Origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Yuan; Jiang, Chao; Liu, Libing; Yu, Shulin; Cui, Zhanhu; Chen, Min; Lin, Shufang; Wang, Shu; Huang, Luqi

2014-06-01

In this work, a rapid (within 4-5 h), sensitive and visible new method for assessing botanic origin is developed by combining loop-mediated isothermal amplification with cationic conjugated polymers. The two Chinese medicinal materials (Jin-Yin-Hua and Shan-Yin-Hua) with similar morphology and chemical composition were clearly distinguished by gene SNP genotyping assays. The identification of plant species in Patented Chinese drugs containing Lonicera buds is successfully performed using this detection system. The method is also robust enough to be used in high-throughput screening. This new method is very helpful to identify herbal materials, and is beneficial for detecting safety and quality of botanic products.

Evaluation of symptom, clinical chemistry and metabolomics profiles during Rehmannia six formula (R6) treatment: an integrated and personalized data analysis approach.

PubMed

van Wietmarschen, Herman A; van der Greef, Jan; Schroën, Yan; Wang, Mei

2013-12-12

Rehmannia Six Formula (R6, Chinese name is Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) is one of the most important classic Chinese medicine formula used to treat metabolic disorders related to aging. It was first reported in the Chinese medicine book titled 'Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue by Qian Yi' (Chinese Song dynasty: 1035-1117). In modern times it is therefore often used to treat diabetes, pre-diabetes, fatigue and people with metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study is to measure changes in symptoms, clinical parameters and serum metabolite profiles during R6 treatment of human subjects with features of metabolic syndrome. Symptoms, clinical parameters and serum metabolites were measured before and after 4 and 8 weeks of R6 treatment. Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis was applied for the first time to conduct an integrated analysis of the three data sets. Correlation structures were compared before treatment and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Additionally, a State Space Grid approach was used to study personalized changes in symptom profiles. The symptoms 'hectic fever' and 'spontaneous sweating' were found to be most relieved during R6 treatment. Most of the symptoms were less correlated with other variables after 8 weeks of R6 treatment. LDL-C, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and waist size were found to decrease during R6 treatment. Additionally, 10 of the 15 measured phosphatidylcholines were found to decrease. Personalized symptom profiles as described by Chinese medical terms show that most Yin deficiencies are addressed first by R6 treatment. However, in subjects with reduced or less Yin deficiency but which do have a substantial Qi deficiency a reduction of Qi deficiency is subsequently observed. R6 treatment was shown to improve the lipid profile indicating a reduction of cardiovascular risk. Additionally, the changes observed in correlation structure indicate a different angle of looking at treatment effects. Less strong correlations between symptoms and

Traditional Chinese medicine therapy improves the survival of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Ma, Yi-Chun; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Li, Chia-Ing; Chiang, Jen-Huai; Li, Tsai-Chung; Lin, Jaung-Geng

2016-04-01

No previous studies have evaluated the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment on the survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Hence, in this study, we determined whether TCM treatment affects the survival of SLE patients. This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study assessed 23,084 patients newly diagnosed with SLE between 1999 and 2009, using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program. Among these patients, 9267 (40.15%) used TCM for SLE treatment and exhibited a significantly decreased risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.73; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-0.78], with multivariate adjustment, compared with those without TCM use. A similar significant protective effect of TCM use was found across various subgroups of comorbidities. TCM use 1 year before diagnosis also reduced the risk of death. Our study findings indicated that Zhi Bo Di Huang Wan (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32-0.91), Jia Wei Xiao Yao San (HR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16-0.73), Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (HR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.28-0.93), Gan Lu Yin (HR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17-0.96), and Yin Qiao San (HR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05-0.86) were the most effective TCM agents that improved survival. This nationwide retrospective cohort study provided information that combined therapy with TCM may improve the survival in SLE patients. This study also suggests that TCM may be used as an integral element of effective therapy for SLE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Past agricultural land use and present-day fire regimes can interact to determine the nature of seed predation.

PubMed

Stuhler, John D; Orrock, John L

2016-06-01

Historical agriculture and present-day fire regimes can have significant effects on contemporary ecosystems. Although past agricultural land use can lead to long-term changes in plant communities, it remains unclear whether these persistent land-use legacies alter plant-consumer interactions, such as seed predation, and whether contemporary disturbance (e.g., fire) alters the effects of historical agriculture on these interactions. We conducted a study at 27 sites distributed across 80,300 ha in post-agricultural and non-agricultural longleaf pine woodlands with different degrees of fire frequency to test the hypothesis that past and present-day disturbances that alter plant communities can subsequently alter seed predation. We quantified seed removal by arthropods and rodents for Tephrosia virginiana and Vernonia angustifolia, species of conservation interest. We found that the effects of land-use history and fire frequency on seed removal were contingent on granivore guild and microhabitat characteristics. Tephrosia virginiana removal was greater in low fire frequency sites, due to greater seed removal by rodents. Although overall removal of V. angustifolia did not differ among habitats, rodents removed more seeds than arthropods at post-agricultural sites and non-agricultural sites with low fire frequencies, but not at non-agricultural sites with high fire frequencies. Land-use history and fire frequency also affected the relationship between microhabitat characteristics and removal of V. angustifolia. Our results suggest that historical agriculture and present-day fire regimes may alter seed predation by shifting the impact of rodent and arthropod seed predators among habitats, with potential consequences for the establishment of rare plant species consumed by one or both predators.

Chinese herbal medicine use in Taiwan during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Chuang, Chao-Hua; Chang, Pei-Jen; Hsieh, Wu-Shiun; Tsai, Yih-Jian; Lin, Shio-Jean; Chen, Pau-Chung

2009-06-01

Using Chinese herbal medicines during pregnancy and postpartum is common in the Chinese community. The purpose of this current study is to explore the use of Chinese herbal medicines by women during pregnancy and postpartum in Taiwan. It is an on-going prospective longitudinal study design. We used multistage stratified systematic sampling to recruit 24,200 pairs, postpartum women and newborns, from the Taiwan national birth register in 2005. Subjects underwent a home interview 6 months after their deliveries between June 2005 and July 2006. A structured questionnaire was successfully administered to 87.8% of the sampled population. At least one Chinese herbal medicine was used by 33.6% and 87.7% of the interviewed subjects during pregnancy and the postpartum period, respectively. An-Tai-Yin, Pearl powder, and Huanglian were the most commonly used during pregnancy, while Shen-Hua-Tang and Suz-Wu-Tang were the most commonly used by postpartum women. Pregnant women aged 20-34, with high education, threatened abortion, chronic disease, and primipara appeared to use more Chinese herbal medicines than others in the sample. Postpartum women with high education, primipara, normal spontaneous delivery, and breastfeeding were found to use more Chinese herbal medicines; but women with pregnancy-related illness used less. Chinese herbal medicines are frequently used by women during pregnancy and the postpartum period in Taiwan and those with high education and primipara used more such herbs. Due to limited safety information on these herbs, we would advise caution regarding their use either during pregnancy or postpartum breastfeeding period. Moreover, it is important for nurses/midwifes enquiring about such habits, and providing the adequate education to women during prenatal and postpartum care to prevent potential side effects.

A soil burn severity index for understanding soil-fire relations in tropical forests [Chinese version

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; William A. Gould; Russell T. Graham; David S. Pilliod; Leigh B. Lentile; Grizelle Gonzalez

2008-01-01

Methods for evaluating the impact of fires within tropical forests are needed as fires become more frequent and human populations and demands on forests increase. Short- and long-term fire effects on soils are determined by the prefire, fire, and postfire environments. We placed these components within a fire-disturbance continuum to guide our literature synthesis and...

Ant-seed mutualisms: Can red imported fire ants sour the relationship?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zettler, J.A.; Spira, T.P.; Allen, Craig R.

2001-01-01

Invasion by the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has had negative impacts on individual animal and plant species, but little is known about how S. invicta affects complex mutualistic relationships. In some eastern forests of North America, 30% of herbaceous species have ant-dispersed seeds. We conducted experiments to determine if fire ants are attracted to seeds of these plant species and assessed the amount of scarification or damage that results from handling by fire ants. Fire ants removed nearly 100% of seeds of the ant-dispersed plants Trillium undulatum, T. discolor, T. catesbaei, Viola rotundifolia, and Sanguinaria canadensis. In recovered seeds fed to ant colonies, fire ants scarified 80% of S. canadensis seeds and destroyed 86% of V. rotundifolia seeds. Our study is the first to document that red imported fire ants are attracted to and remove seeds of species adapted for ant dispersal. Moreover, fire ants might damage these seeds and discard them in sites unfavorable for germination and seedling establishment. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fault tree analysis of fire and explosion accidents for dual fuel (diesel/natural gas) ship engine rooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Yifeng; Zhao, Jie; Shi, Tengfei; Zhu, Peipei

2016-09-01

In recent years, China's increased interest in environmental protection has led to a promotion of energy-efficient dual fuel (diesel/natural gas) ships in Chinese inland rivers. A natural gas as ship fuel may pose dangers of fire and explosion if a gas leak occurs. If explosions or fires occur in the engine rooms of a ship, heavy damage and losses will be incurred. In this paper, a fault tree model is presented that considers both fires and explosions in a dual fuel ship; in this model, dual fuel engine rooms are the top events. All the basic events along with the minimum cut sets are obtained through the analysis. The primary factors that affect accidents involving fires and explosions are determined by calculating the degree of structure importance of the basic events. According to these results, corresponding measures are proposed to ensure and improve the safety and reliability of Chinese inland dual fuel ships.

Cyanide removal by Chinese vegetation--quantification of the Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

PubMed

Yu, Xiaozhang; Zhou, Puhua; Zhou, Xishi; Liu, Yunda

2005-07-01

distributed with a mean of 13 mg CN/kg/h. Significant removal of cyanide from aqueous solution was observed in the presence of plant materials without phytotoxicity, even at high doses of cyanide. This gives rise to the conclusion that the Chinese plant species used in this study are all able to efficiently metabolize cyanide, although with different maximum metabolic capacities. A second conclusion is that the variation of metabolism rates between species is small. All these plants had a similar K(M), indicating the same enzyme is active in all plants. Detoxification of cyanide with trees seems to be a feasible option for cleaning soils and water contaminated with cyanide. For phytoremediation projects, screening appropriate plant species adapted to local conditions should be seriously considered. More chemicals should be investigated to find common principles of the metabolism of environmental chemicals by plants.

Frequent fire protects shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) from introgression by loblolly pine (P. taeda).

Treesearch

John F Stewart; Rodney E Will; Kevin M Robertson; Dana Nelson

2014-01-01

Across much of the globe, fire is a major disturbance agent of forest and grassland communities. The removal of fire from previously fire-maintained ecosystems, which has occurred in many areas, changes species composition, favoring later less fire tolerant species over fire-adapted ones. A recent measured increase in the rate of hybridization between the fire-adapted...

Where there's smoking, there's fire: the effects of smoking policies on the incidence of fires in the USA.

PubMed

Markowitz, Sara

2014-11-01

Fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional death in the USA. Most of these deaths occur in residences, and cigarettes are a primary cause. In this paper, I explore the relationship between smoking, cigarette policies, and fires. As smoking rates decline, there are fewer opportunities for fires; however, the magnitude of any reduction is in question. Using a state-level panel, I find that increases in cigarette prices are associated with fewer residential fires and deaths. However, laws regulating indoor smoking are associated with more fires; in particular, restaurant and bar smoking bans are associated with an increase in fires at eating and drinking establishments. This increase is important given the growing popularity of smoking bans in the USA and around the world. As workplaces, schools, and businesses ban smoking and remove ashtrays, smokers who continue to smoke are left without safe options for disposal of cigarettes, leading to more opportunities for fires to start. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Shrub removal in reforested post-fire areas increases native plant species richness

Treesearch

Gabrielle N. Bohlman; Malcolm North; Hugh D. Safford

2016-01-01

Large, high severity fires are becoming more prevalent in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests, largely due to heavy fuel loading and forest densification caused by past and current management practices. In post-fire areas distant from seed trees, conifers are often planted to re-establish a forest and to prevent a potential type-conversion to shrub fields. Typical...

A hybrid body technique: does the pulse diagnostic cun guan chi method have Chinese-Tibetan origins?

PubMed

Hsu, Elisabeth

2008-01-01

This article investigates the medieval origins of the main pulse diagnostic method in contemporary Chinese medicine, sometimes known as san bu (three sectors) method, which requires physicians to examine the mai (vessels, vessel movements or pulse) on the wrist at the three locations cun guan chi (inch, gate, foot). The article provides evidence to suggest that this body technique grew out of an earlier Chinese one, the cun chi (inch-foot) method, which appears to have aimed at investigating the qualities of yin and yang in order to determine the condition of a patient by means of exploring fairly large areas of the patient's body surface with the palms. The article furthermore posits that the cun chi method was decisively transformed in medieval times, presumably due to the impact of early Tibetan pulse diagnostic practices: it became framed in a numerology of three and started advocating the use of the fingertips for sensing the pulse beats. The article, which draws on detailed textual analyses of medieval manuscripts, on visual evidence and also on psychophysical research, furthermore highlights how misunderstandings can constructively contribute to cultural communication.

Mirror rubbing: a critical genealogy of pre-modern Chinese female same-sex eroticism.

PubMed

Shi, Liang

2013-01-01

This article offers a critical genealogy of pre-modern Chinese female same-sex relationships. Through the analysis of the primary source materials in history, fiction, and drama, the author shows that female homosexuality is silenced and suppressed. To Confucianism, female same-sex relationships threaten to exclude men from accessing female sex and keep women away from participating in extending the family line. Even the Daoist theory of sex can be used to discriminate against female homosexuality by denying women the ability to initiate and maintain the cycle of yin-yang interaction in sexual intercourse. There are 2 recurring themes in the male writers' imaginings of female same-sex eroticism. First, heterosexuality is the preferred sexual order, and female same-sex desire arises due to the lack of sexual access to men. Second, heterosexual relationships and intercourse are the norm that female homosexuality aspires to imitate.

Predicting fire impact from plant traits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoof, Cathelijne; Ottink, Roos; Zylstra, Philip; Cornelissen, Hans; Fernandes, Paulo

2017-04-01

Fire can considerably increase the landscape's vulnerability to flooding and erosion, which is in part caused by fire-induced soil heating, vegetation removal and resulting hydrological changes. While the magnitude of these fire effects and ecosystem responses is frequently studied, there is still little attention for the fundamental mechanisms that drive these changes. One example is on the effect of plants: while it is known that plants can alter the fire environment, there is a major knowledge gap regarding the fundamental mechanisms by which vegetation mediates fire impact on soil and hydrology. Essential to identifying these mechanisms is consideration of the effects of vegetation on flammability and fire behaviour, which are studied both in ecology and traditional fire science. Here we discuss the challenges of integrating these very distinct fields and the potential benefits of this integration for improved understanding of fire effects on soil and hydrology. We furthermore present results of a study in which we assessed the spatial drivers controlling the proportion of live and dead fuel in a natural park in northern Portugal, and evaluated the impacts on the spatial variability of fire behaviour and potential soil heating using BehavePlus modeling. Better understanding of the role of (spatial variability in) plant traits on fire impact can facilitate the development of risk maps to ultimately help predict and mitigate fire risk and impact across landscapes.

Small Fire Detection Algorithm Development using VIIRS 375m Imagery: Application to Agricultural Fires in Eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tianran; Wooster, Martin

2016-04-01

Until recently, crop residues have been the second largest industrial waste product produced in China and field-based burning of crop residues is considered to remain extremely widespread, with impacts on air quality and potential negative effects on health, public transportation. However, due to the small size and perhaps short-lived nature of the individual burns, the extent of the activity and its spatial variability remains somewhat unclear. Satellite EO data has been used to gauge the timing and magnitude of Chinese crop burning, but current approaches very likely miss significant amounts of the activity because the individual burned areas are either too small to detect with frequently acquired moderate spatial resolution data such as MODIS. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on-board Suomi-NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite launched on October, 2011 has one set of multi-spectral channels providing full global coverage at 375 m nadir spatial resolutions. It is expected that the 375 m spatial resolution "I-band" imagery provided by VIIRS will allow active fires to be detected that are ~ 10× smaller than those that can be detected by MODIS. In this study the new small fire detection algorithm is built based on VIIRS-I band global fire detection algorithm and hot spot detection algorithm for the BIRD satellite mission. VIIRS-I band imagery data will be used to identify agricultural fire activity across Eastern China. A 30 m spatial resolution global land cover data map is used for false alarm masking. The ground-based validation is performed using images taken from UAV. The fire detection result is been compared with active fire product from the long-standing MODIS sensor onboard the TERRA and AQUA satellites, which shows small fires missed from traditional MODIS fire product may count for over 1/3 of total fire energy in Eastern China.

Durettenema guangdongense gen. et sp. nov. (Nematoda: Molineoidea) from Hipposideros larvatus (Horsfield) (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) with discussion of the taxonomic status of Macielia rhinolophi Yin, 1980.

PubMed

Ju, Hui-Dong; Li, Liang; Zhang, Lu-Ping

2017-09-26

Durettenema guangdongense gen. et sp. nov. is described from Hipposideros larvatus (Horsfield) (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in Guangdong Province, China. The new genus differs from the other genera of subfamily Molineinae in the structure of the synlophe, the absence of lateral alae, the arrangement of the bursa rays, the shape of the spicules, the female tail and the presence of gubernaculum. Meanwhile, considering the morphological characters of Macielia rhinolophi Yin, 1980, including the pattern of the bursa ray, the shape of the spicules, and the female tail, this species should be transferred to the genus Durettenema, as D. rhinolophi (Yin, 1980) comb. nov., which can be distinguished from D. guangdongense in the shape of the ovejector. In addition, the ITS-1 sequences of D. guangdongense were also analysed, these sequence added new data for the molecular diagnosis of trichostrongylid nematodes.

Non-conserved magnetization operator and 'fire-and-ice' ground states in the Ising-Heisenberg diamond chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrico, Jordana; Ohanyan, Vadim; Rojas, Onofre

2018-05-01

We consider the diamond chain with S = 1/2 XYZ vertical dimers which interact with the intermediate sites via the interaction of the Ising type. We also suppose all four spins form the diamond-shaped plaquette to have different g-factors. The non-uniform g-factors within the quantum spin dimer as well as the XY-anisotropy of the exchange interaction lead to the non-conserving magnetization for the chain. We analyze the effects of non-conserving magnetization as well as the effects of the appearance of negative g-factors among the spins from the unit cell. A number of unusual frustrated states for ferromagnetic couplings and g-factors with non-uniform signs are found out. These frustrated states generalize the "half-fire-half-ice" state introduced in reference Yin et al. (2015). The corresponding zero-temperature ground state phase diagrams are presented.

Modeling post-fire hydro-geomorphic recovery in the Waldo Canyon Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Alicia; Nourbakhshbeidokhti, Samira; Chin, Anne

2016-04-01

Wildfire can have significant impacts on watershed hydrology and geomorphology by changing soil properties and removing vegetation, often increasing runoff and soil erosion and deposition, debris flows, and flooding. Watershed systems may take several years or longer to recover. During this time, post-fire channel changes have the potential to alter hydraulics that influence characteristics such as time of concentration and increase time to peak flow, flow capacity, and velocity. Using the case of the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado (USA), this research will leverage field-based surveys and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to parameterize KINEROS2 (KINematic runoff and EROSion), an event oriented, physically-based watershed runoff and erosion model. We will use the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool, which is a GIS-based hydrologic modeling tool that uses commonly available GIS data layers to parameterize, execute, and spatially visualize runoff and sediment yield for watersheds impacted by the Waldo Canyon Fire. Specifically, two models are developed, an unburned (Bear Creek) and burned (Williams) watershed. The models will simulate burn severity and treatment conditions. Field data will be used to validate the burned watersheds for pre- and post-fire changes in infiltration, runoff, peak flow, sediment yield, and sediment discharge. Spatial modeling will provide insight into post-fire patterns for varying treatment, burn severity, and climate scenarios. Results will also provide post-fire managers with improved hydro-geomorphic modeling and prediction tools for water resources management and mitigation efforts.

Formative assessment as a vehicle for changing classroom practice in a specific cultural context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jingping

2015-09-01

In this commentary, I interpret Xinying Yin and Gayle Ann Buck's collaborative action research from a social-cultural perspective. Classroom implementation of formative assessment is viewed as interaction between this assessment method and the local learning culture. I first identify Yin and Buck's definition of the formative assessment, and then analyze the role of formative assessment in the change of local learning culture. Based on the practice of Yin and Buck I emphasize the significance of their "bottom up" strategy to the teachers' epistemological change. I believe that this strategy may provide practicable solutions to current Chinese educational problems as well as a means for science educators to shift toward systematic professional development.

Article removal device for glovebox

DOEpatents

Guyer, R.H.; Leebl, R.G.

1973-12-01

An article removal device for a glovebox is described comprising a conduit extending through a glovebox wall which may be closed by a plug within the glovebox, and a fire-resistant container closing the outer end of the conduit and housing a removable container for receiving pyrophoric or otherwise hazardous material without disturbing the interior environment of the glovebox or adversely affecting the environment outside of the glovebox. (Official Gazette)

Targeted Disruption of Mouse Yin Yang 1 Transcription Factor Results in Peri-Implantation Lethality

PubMed Central

Donohoe, Mary E.; Zhang, Xiaolin; McGinnis, Lynda; Biggers, John; Li, En; Shi, Yang

1999-01-01

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a zinc finger-containing transcription factor and a target of viral oncoproteins. To determine the biological role of YY1 in mammalian development, we generated mice deficient for YY1 by gene targeting. Homozygosity for the mutated YY1 allele results in embryonic lethality in the mouse. YY1 mutants undergo implantation and induce uterine decidualization but rapidly degenerate around the time of implantation. A subset of YY1 heterozygote embryos are developmentally retarded and exhibit neurulation defects, suggesting that YY1 may have additional roles during later stages of mouse embryogenesis. Our studies demonstrate an essential function for YY1 in the development of the mouse embryo. PMID:10490658

CHARACTERIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESIDUES FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined on December 15, 2000, that regulations are needed to control the risks of mercury air emissions from coal-fired power plants. The thrust of these new regulations is to remove mercury from the air stream of fossil-fuel-fire...

The traditional Chinese medicine prescription patterns for migraine patients in Taiwan: a population-based study.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Yun; Tsai, Yueh-Ting; Lai, Jung-Nien; Yeh, Chia-Hao; Lin, Shun-Ku

2014-02-12

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), when given for symptom relief, has gained widespread popularity among migraine patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the utilization of TCM among migraine patients in Taiwan. The usage, frequency of service, and the Chinese herbal products prescribed for migraine were evaluated using a representative sample of one million subjects selected at random from the 22 million beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance scheme of Taiwan. Overall, 89.3% (N=12,827) migraine patients utilized TCM and 24.2% of them sought TCM with the intention of treating their migraine-related symptoms. Migraine patients who are living in urban area and those with an episodic migraine pattern (<15 days/month) (aOR=3.18, 95% CI: 2.75-3.67) were more likely to be TCM users than those living in a rural area and those who suffered from chronic migraine (≥15 days/month) (aOR=1.00). Overall, 81.2% of TCM visits involved the prescription of a Chinese herbal remedy or remedies and Chuan-Xiong-Cha-Tiao-San, Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Ge-Gen-Tang, Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang, Ban-Xia-Bai-Zhu-Tian-Ma-Tang, Qing-Shang-Juan-Tong-Tang, Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang, Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang, and Tian-Wang-Bu-Xin-Dan were the ten most frequently prescribed formula for treating migraine based on syndrome differentiation. Chuan-Xiong-Cha-Tiao-San, which contains sedative and anti-inflammatory agents, is the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of migraine-related phenomena. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Exploration of academic thoughts on treating myelodysplastic syndrome with combination of disease and syndrome by Prof. Ma Rou].

PubMed

Gao, Fei; Xu, Shu; Sun, Shu-zhen; Hu, Xiao-mei; Ma, Rou

2013-03-01

The diagnosis and treatment pattern using combination of disease and syndrome, fully developing the advantages of both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) and being widely used clinically, has been constructed in the long history of TCM. Prof. MA Rou, as a hematology specialist of integrative medicine (IM), uses modern medical equipment to diagnose diseases and takes traditional Chinese medical methods to treat diseases. He is loyal to TCM sciences and refers to the advantages of WM. He holds the essence of MDS lies in toxic stasis according to its pathogenic features. He detoxifies and removes stasis using Qinghuang Powder. Meanwhile, according to patients' clinical manifestations, he summarized two common syndrome types, Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome. Better efficacy could be achieved by combining Chinese herbs for tonifying Pi-Shen. In recent years the application of Qinghuang Powder won some achievements in clinical study and experimental study, thus providing scientific reliance for Prof. MA Rou's academic thought on treating MDS.

Hydrologic response and recovery to prescribed fire and vegetation removal in a small rangeland catchment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prescribed fire can be used to return wild lands to their natural fire cycle, control invasive weeds, and reduce fuel loads, but there are gaps in the understanding of post-disturbance responses of vegetation and hydrology. The impact of a prescribed fire and subsequent aspen cutting on evapotransp...

Innovative Strategy in Treating Angina Pectoris with Chinese Patent Medicines by Promoting Blood Circulation and Removing Blood Stasis: Experience from Combination Therapy in Chinese Medicine.

PubMed

Xiong, Xing-Jiang; Wang, Zhong; Wang, Jie

2015-01-01

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Moreover, angina pectoris is one of the most important types of CHD. Therefore, prevention and effective treatment of angina pectoris is of utmost importance in both China and western countries. However, undesirable effects of antianginal therapy do influence treatment adherence to a certain extent. Therefore, it's not surprising that, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including Chinese medicine (CM), are widely welcomed among patients with CHD, hoping that it might complement western medicine. In our previous studies, blood stasis syndrome (BSS) (Xueyu Zheng) was the main syndrome (Zheng-hou) of angina pectoris. Currently, China Food and Drug Administration authoritatively recommended more than 200 Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) as complementary or adjunctive therapies for symptom management and enhancing quality of life along with mainstream care on angina pectoris management in mainland China. This paper reviewed 4 kinds of most frequently-used CPMs by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis in the treatment of angina pectoris. It aims to evaluate the current evidence of CPMs in combination therapy for angina pectoris. This review indicated that CPMs as adjunctive treatment to routine antianginal therapy play an active role in reducing the incidence of primary endpoint events, decreasing anginal attack rate, and improving electrocardiogram. Additionally, CPMs have been proven relatively safe. Further rigorously designed clinical trials should be conducted to confirm the results.

[Establish proposal of diagnosis and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine in AIDS patients with recurrent oral ulcerations].

PubMed

Pan, Ju-Hua; Huang, Shi-Jing; Zheng, Jun; Wu, Wei; Xue, Liu-Hua

2013-08-01

The pathogenesis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated recurrent oral ulcerations (AIDS-ROU) remained obscure and these was no specific treatment for it. Syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) focus on integral regulation and has an advantage of the disease that etiology and pathogenesis remain obscure. A draft of Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment standard procedure for AIDS-ROU was established by literature retrieval and peer review. Two questionnaires were carried out to investigate the confirmation and advice of in-group specialist to key points of the draft including diagnosis, treatment and nursing. Then the procedures were revised accordingly. The preliminary results showed the recovery rate of complete questionnaires in the 1st survey was 96%. Specialists confirmed more on outline, case history and physical examinations, syndrome differentiation of hyperactivity of fire due to Yin deficiency syndrome (HFYDS), treatment of heat accumulated in heart and spleen syndrome (HAHSS) and HFYDS, treatment of western medicine and nursing. They held different opinions on incidence, treatment of deficiency of spleen-QI and stomach-QI syndrome (DSSS) and criterion of therapeutical evaluation. Cronbach coefficient alpha (CCA) was 0.998 and split-half reliability R was 0.91. Recovery rate of complete questionnaires in 2nd survey was 100%. Specialists confirmed more on outline, etiology and pathogenesis, case history and physical examination, auxiliary examination, diagnostic criteria, syndrome differentiation and treatment of HAHSS and HFYDS. They held different opinions on syndrome differentiation and treatment of intermingled cold and heat syndrome and DSSS, nursing and the other therapies. CCA was 0.428 and split-half reliability R was 0.96. Coefficient of variations of the 2nd survey were less than those of the 1st survey, which mean coordination was improved. Each single item in two surveys contributed less difference in

The role of fire in management of watershed responses

Treesearch

Malcolm J. Zwolinski

2000-01-01

Hydrologic responses of watersheds are strongly related to vegetation and soil disturbances. Many of the storage and transfer components of the global hydrologic cycle are altered by the occurrence of fire. The major effect of fire on the hydrologic functioning of watersheds is the removal of vegetation and litter materials that protect the soil surface. Reductions in...

[Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome factors of patients with HIV infection or AIDS in China].

PubMed

Jiang, Feng; Fu, Lin-chun; Ma, Jian-ping; Zhou, Qing; Peng, Bo; Xie, Shi-ping; Guo, Hui-jun; Dong, Yong-xin; Ma, Xiu-lan; Guo, Xuan-xian; Xie, Zhong-li; Hu, Yan-ping; Li, Qing-ya; Li, Hua-wei; Jin, Yan-tao

2011-09-01

To study the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome factors of patients from different areas of China with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A cross-sectional investigation study was conducted in Henan, Guangdong and Yunnan Provinces and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China from October 2008 to August 2010. Based on literature review and expert opinion, a clinical questionnaire of TCM syndromes was drawn up. This survey was carried out after the investigators were professionally trained. Wenfeng III Auxiliary Diagnosis and Treat System of TCM was used to analyze the frequencies of AIDS patients' signs and symptoms with scores above 70 of syndrome factors respectively. Based on this work, syndrome factors of AIDS were analyzed in different areas. There were 608 HIV/AIDS cases investigated from October 2008 to August 2010 in total; among them, 276 cases were from Henan, 126 cases from Guangdong, 120 cases from Xinjiang and 86 cases from Yunnan. The results of syndrome factor analysis indicated that the syndromes of four provinces were similar. HIV/AIDS patients in the four areas exhibited qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, dampness, phlegm, qi stagnation and essence deficiency syndromes. Patients in each area also had their own characteristics, such as that the scores of dampness of Guangdong and yin deficiency of Xinjiang were higher than the other syndromes, whereas the scores of Henan Province were higher than the other areas. AIDS patients had higher scores of syndromes than HIV-infected patients. HIV/AIDS patients from different areas had similar syndrome elements. The theory of "AIDS toxin injuring primordial qi" can sum up the TCM etiology and pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS.

Doctor-family-patient relationship: the Chinese paradigm of informed consent.

PubMed

Cong, Yali

2004-04-01

Bioethics is a subject far removed from the Chinese, even from many Chinese medical students and medical professionals. In-depth interviews with eighteen physicians, patients, and family members provided a deeper understanding of bioethical practices in contemporary China, especially with regard to the doctor-patient relationship (DPR) and informed consent. The Chinese model of doctor-family-patient relationship (DFPR), instead of DPR, is taken to reflect Chinese Confucian cultural commitments. An examination of the history of Chinese culture and the profession of medicine in China is used to disclose the deep roots of these commitments. The author predicts that the DFPR model will further develop in China but that it will maintain its Chinese character.

The Impact of Fire on Active Layer Thicknes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, K. M.; Parsekian, A.; Natali, S.; Ludwig, S.; Michaelides, R. J.; Zebker, H. A.; Chen, J.

2016-12-01

Fire influences permafrost thermodynamics by darkening the surface to increase solar absorption and removing insulating moss and organic soil, resulting in an increase in Active Layer Thickness (ALT). The summer of 2015 was one of the worst fire years on record in Alaska with multiple fires in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta. To understand the impacts of fire on permafrost, we need large-scale, extensive measurements of ALT both within and outside the fire zones. In August 2016, we surveyed ALT across multiple fire zones in the YK Delta using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and mechanical probing. GPR uses pulsed, radio-frequency electromagnetic waves to noninvasively image the subsurface and is an effective tool to quickly map ALT over large areas. We supplemented this ALT data with measurements of Volumetric Water Content (VWC), Organic Layer Thickness (OLT), and burn severity. We quantified the impacts of fire by statistically comparing the measurements inside and outside the fire zones and statistically regressing ALT against VWC, change in OLT, and burn severity.

Prescription frequency and patterns of Chinese herbal medicine for liver cancer patients in Taiwan: a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Insurance Research Database.

PubMed

Ting, Chin-Tsung; Kuo, Chian-Jue; Hu, Hsiao-Yun; Lee, Ya-Ling; Tsai, Tung-Hu

2017-02-20

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is frequently provided to HCC patients. The aim of this study was to understand the prescription frequency and patterns of CHM for HCC patients by analyzing the claims data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan. We identified 73918 newly diagnosed HCC subjects from the database of Registry for Catastrophic Illness during 2002 to 2009 and to analyze the frequency and pattern of corresponding CHM prescriptions for HCC patients. There were a total of 685,079 single Chinese herbal prescriptions and 553,952 Chinese herbal formula prescriptions used for 17,373 HCC subjects before 2 years of HCC diagnosis. Among the 13,093 HCC subjects who used CHMs after HCC diagnosis, there were 462,786 single Chinese herbal prescriptions and 300,153 Chinese herbal formula prescriptions were counted. By adjusting with person-year and ratio of standardized incidence rate, the top ten prescribed single herbal drugs and Chinese herbal formulas for HCC patients were described in our study. Among them, we concluded that, Oldenlandia diffusa (Chinese herbal name: Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao), Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Da Huang) and the herbal preparation of Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang and Gan-Lu-Yin, were the most obviously increased and important CHMs been used for HCC patients. We established an accurate and validated method for the actual frequency and patterns of CHM use in treating HCC in Taiwan. We propose that these breakthrough findings may have important implications for HCC therapy, clinical trials and modernization of CHM.

Characteristic proteins in the plasma of postoperative colorectal and liver cancer patients with Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome

PubMed Central

Ji, Qing; Wang, Wenhai; Luo, Yunquan; Cai, Feifei; Lu, Yiyu; Deng, Wanli; Li, Qi; Su, Shibing

2017-01-01

Systems biology and bioinformatics provide the feasibility for the basic research associated with “same traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome in different diseases”. In this study, the plasma proteins in postoperative colorectal (PCC) and postoperative liver cancer (PLC) patients with YDLKS (Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome) were screened out using iTRAQ combined with LC-MS/MS technology. The results demonstrated that, KNG1, AMBP, SERPING1, etc, were all differentially expressed in both PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS, and associated closely with complement and coagulation cascades pathway. C7 and C2 were another two representative factors involving in former pathway. Further validation showed that, the C7 levels were increased significantly in PLC (P < 0.05) and PCC (P < 0.05) with YDLKS group compared to those of NS (no obvious TCM syndromes) group. The AMBP levels were down-regulated significantly in PLC with YDLKS group compared to those of PCC with YDLKS group (P < 0.05). The significant differences of SERPING1 levels (and C2 levels) were shown between YDLKS and NS in PCC (P < 0.01). There were also significant differences of C2 levels between PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences of C2 levels were also found between PLC and PCC patients with YDLKS (P < 0.01). ROC curves indicated that, C7 and SERPING1 independently had a potential diagnostic value in distinguishing YDLKS from NS in PLC and PCC, providing the evidences for the material basis of “same TCM syndrome in different diseases” in PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS. PMID:29262557

Characteristic proteins in the plasma of postoperative colorectal and liver cancer patients with Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome.

PubMed

Ji, Qing; Wang, Wenhai; Luo, Yunquan; Cai, Feifei; Lu, Yiyu; Deng, Wanli; Li, Qi; Su, Shibing

2017-11-28

Systems biology and bioinformatics provide the feasibility for the basic research associated with "same traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome in different diseases". In this study, the plasma proteins in postoperative colorectal (PCC) and postoperative liver cancer (PLC) patients with YDLKS (Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome) were screened out using iTRAQ combined with LC-MS/MS technology. The results demonstrated that, KNG1, AMBP, SERPING1, etc, were all differentially expressed in both PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS, and associated closely with complement and coagulation cascades pathway. C7 and C2 were another two representative factors involving in former pathway. Further validation showed that, the C7 levels were increased significantly in PLC ( P < 0.05) and PCC ( P < 0.05) with YDLKS group compared to those of NS (no obvious TCM syndromes) group. The AMBP levels were down-regulated significantly in PLC with YDLKS group compared to those of PCC with YDLKS group ( P < 0.05). The significant differences of SERPING1 levels (and C2 levels) were shown between YDLKS and NS in PCC ( P < 0.01). There were also significant differences of C2 levels between PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS ( P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences of C2 levels were also found between PLC and PCC patients with YDLKS ( P < 0.01). ROC curves indicated that, C7 and SERPING1 independently had a potential diagnostic value in distinguishing YDLKS from NS in PLC and PCC, providing the evidences for the material basis of "same TCM syndrome in different diseases" in PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS.

File Compression and Expansion of the Genetic Code by the use of the Yin/Yang Directions to find its Sphered Cube

PubMed Central

Castro-Chavez, Fernando

2014-01-01

Objective The objective of this article is to demonstrate that the genetic code can be studied and represented in a 3-D Sphered Cube for bioinformatics and for education by using the graphical help of the ancient “Book of Changes” or I Ching for the comparison, pair by pair, of the three basic characteristics of nucleotides: H-bonds, molecular structure, and their tautomerism. Methods The source of natural biodiversity is the high plasticity of the genetic code, analyzable with a reverse engineering of its 2-D and 3-D representations (here illustrated), but also through the classical 64-hexagrams of the ancient I Ching, as if they were the 64-codons or words of the genetic code. Results In this article, the four elements of the Yin/Yang were found by correlating the 3×2=6 sets of Cartesian comparisons of the mentioned properties of nucleic acids, to the directionality of their resulting blocks of codons grouped according to their resulting amino acids and/or functions, integrating a 384-codon Sphered Cube whose function is illustrated by comparing six brain peptides and a promoter of osteoblasts from Humans versus Neanderthal, as well as to Negadi’s work on the importance of the number 384 within the genetic code. Conclusions Starting with the codon/anticodon correlation of Nirenberg, published in full here for the first time, and by studying the genetic code and its 3-D display, the buffers of reiteration within codons codifying for the same amino acid, displayed the two long (binary number one) and older Yin/Yang arrows that travel in opposite directions, mimicking the parental DNA strands, while annealing to the two younger and broken (binary number zero) Yin/Yang arrows, mimicking the new DNA strands; the graphic analysis of the of the genetic code and its plasticity was helpful to compare compatible sequences (human compatible to human versus neanderthal compatible to neanderthal), while further exploring the wondrous biodiversity of nature for

Sweat Farm Road Fire in Georgia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Dense plumes of blue-white smoke billowed from the Sweat Farm Road Fire in southern Georgia on April 19, 2007, when the Landsat 5 satellite captured this detailed image. The fire started on April 16, when a tree fell on a power line and, fanned by strong winds, quickly exploded into a major fire. By April 19, the fire had forced officials to close several roads, including U.S. Highway 1, and to evacuate hundreds of people from the perimeter of the city of Waycross, the silver cluster along the top edge of the image. The nearness of the fire is evident in the dark brown, charred land just south of the city. The active fire front is along the south edge of the burned area, where the flames are eating into the dark green hardwood forests, pine plantations, and shrubs in Okefenokee Swamp. Because of the difficult terrain, the fire and the adjoining Big Turnaround Complex fire are expected to burn until significant rain falls, said the morning report issued by the Southern Area Coordination Center on May 4. 'In the long term, the burning of the swamp will ultimately benefit the swamp wilderness habitat, which is a fire-dependent ecosystem,' said a press release issued from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on May 4. Such ecosystems require fire to remain healthy. In the case of southern pine forests, many pine species need fire to remove litter from the ground and release soil nutrients so that new seedlings can grow.

Written formative assessment and silence in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee Hang, Desmond Mene; Bell, Beverley

2015-09-01

In this commentary, we build on Xinying Yin and Gayle Buck's discussion by exploring the cultural practices which are integral to formative assessment, when it is viewed as a sociocultural practice. First we discuss the role of assessment and in particular oral and written formative assessments in both western and Samoan cultures, building on the account of assessment practices in the Chinese culture given by Yin and Buck. Secondly, we document the cultural practice of silence in Samoan classroom's which has lead to the use of written formative assessment as in the Yin and Buck article. We also discuss the use of written formative assessment as a scaffold for teacher development for formative assessment. Finally, we briefly discuss both studies on formative assessment as a sociocultural practice.

[Analysis on composition principles of prescriptions for nausea by using traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system].

PubMed

Han, Qi; Li, Hong-Hai; Fan, Cui-Ping; Liu, Chun; Liang, Yong-Lin

2016-07-01

eliminating phlegm, and regulating Qi-flowing for harmonizing stomach. In addition, it shall be treated according to the different accompanying syndromes such as phlegm, blood stasis, and yin deficiency. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Fire tolerance of a resprouting Artemisia (Asteraceae) shrub

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winter, S.L.; Fuhlendorf, S.D.; Goad, C.L.; Davis, C.A.; Hickman, K.R.; Leslie, David M.

2011-01-01

In North America, most Artemisia (Asteraceae) shrub species lack the ability to resprout after disturbances that remove aboveground biomass. We studied the response of one of the few resprouting Artemisia shrubs, Artemisia filifolia (sand sagebrush), to the effects of prescribed fires. We collected data on A. filifolia density and structural characteristics (height, canopy area, and canopy volume) in an A. filifolia shrubland in the southern Great Plains of North America. Our study sites included areas that had not been treated with prescribed fire, areas that had been treated with only one prescribed fire within the previous 5 years, and areas that had been treated with two prescribed fires within the previous 10 years. Our data were collected at time periods ranging from 1/2 to 5 years after the prescribed fires. Density of A. filifolia was not affected by one or two fires. Structural characteristics, although initially altered by prescribed fire, recovered to levels characteristic of unburned areas in 3-4 years after those fires. In contrast to most non-sprouting North American Artemisia shrub species, our research suggested that the resprouting A. filifolia is highly tolerant to the effects of fire. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

[Advance in studies on TRPV1 and analgesic effect of traditional Chinese medicines].

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-Li; Lv, Cui; Zhang, Wen-Sheng

2014-05-01

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective positive ion channel that is mainly expressed in sensory neurons and a member of transient receptor potential (TRP) family. The receptor could be activated by mechanical irritation, chemical irritation or endogenous ligand to mediate pains and cause injury to body functions. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the mechanism of pain is that "stagnation leads to pain". Specifically, both of the contracture and tautness caused by cold and the blood stasis could result in blood impassability and pain. Most of traditional Chinese medicines for clearing heat and removing toxicity have the anti-inflammatory effect, while those for warming interior, and promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis have the effect in smoothening blood vessels. Therefore, either with the anti-inflammatory effect or the effect in smoothening blood vessels, traditional Chinese medicines for clearing heat and removing toxicity, warming interior, and promoting blood circulation have the analgesic effect In this paper, the authors summarize the analgesic effect of the above three traditional Chinese medicines, with TRPV1 as the target.

Earth Observation Satellites and Chinese Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, D.

In this talk existing and future Earth observation satellites are briefly described These satellites include meteorological satellites ocean satellites land resources satellites cartographic satellites and gravimetric satellites The Chinese government has paid and will pay more attention to and put more effort into enhancing Chinese earth observation satellite programs in the next fifteen years The utilization of these satellites will effectively help human beings to solve problems it faces in areas such as population natural resources and environment and natural hazards The author will emphasize the originality of the scientific and application aspects of the Chinese program in the field of Earth observations The main applications include early warning and prevention of forest fires flooding and drought disaster water and ocean ice disasters monitoring of landslides and urban subsidence investigation of land cover change and urban expansion as well as urban and rural planning The author introduces the most up-to-date technology used by Chinese scientists including fusion and integration of multi-sensor multi-platform optical and SAR data of remote sensing Most applications in China have obtained much support from related international organizations and universities around the world These applications in China are helpful for economic construction and the efficient improvement of living quality

Network pharmacology-based identification of key pharmacological pathways of Yin-Huang-Qing-Fei capsule acting on chronic bronchitis.

PubMed

Yu, Guohua; Zhang, Yanqiong; Ren, Weiqiong; Dong, Ling; Li, Junfang; Geng, Ya; Zhang, Yi; Li, Defeng; Xu, Haiyu; Yang, Hongjun

2017-01-01

For decades in China, the Yin-Huang-Qing-Fei capsule (YHQFC) has been widely used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, with good curative effects. Owing to the complexity of traditional Chinese herbal formulas, the pharmacological mechanism of YHQFC remains unclear. To address this problem, a network pharmacology-based strategy was proposed in this study. At first, the putative target profile of YHQFC was predicted using MedChem Studio, based on structural and functional similarities of all available YHQFC components to the known drugs obtained from the DrugBank database. Then, an interaction network was constructed using links between putative YHQFC targets and known therapeutic targets of chronic bronchitis. Following the calculation of four topological features (degree, betweenness, closeness, and coreness) of each node in the network, 475 major putative targets of YHQFC and their topological importance were identified. In addition, a pathway enrichment analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database indicated that the major putative targets of YHQFC are significantly associated with various pathways involved in anti-inflammation processes, immune responses, and pathological changes caused by asthma. More interestingly, eight major putative targets of YHQFC (interleukin [IL]-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, FCER1G, CCL11, and EPX) were demonstrated to be associated with the inflammatory process that occurs during the progression of asthma. Finally, a molecular docking simulation was performed and the results exhibited that 17 pairs of chemical components and candidate YHQFC targets involved in asthma pathway had strong binding efficiencies. In conclusion, this network pharmacology-based investigation revealed that YHQFC may attenuate the inflammatory reaction of chronic bronchitis by regulating its candidate targets, which may be implicated in the major pathological processes of the asthma pathway.

Frequency and co-prescription pattern of Chinese herbal products for hypertension in Taiwan: a Cohort study.

PubMed

Yang, Pei-Rung; Shih, Wei-Tai; Chu, Yen-Hua; Chen, Pau-Chung; Wu, Ching-Yuan

2015-06-06

Chinese herbal products (CHPs) have been frequently used among patients with chronic diseases including hypertension; however, the co-prescription pattern of herbal formulae and single herbs remain uncharacterized. Thus, this large-scale pharmacoepidemiological study evaluated the frequency and co-prescription pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension in Taiwan from 2003 to 2009. The database of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims was obtained from the National Health Insurance in Taiwan. Patients with hypertension during study period were defined according to diagnostic codes in the International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. The frequencies and percentages of herbal formula and single herb prescriptions for hypertension were analyzed. We also applied association rules to evaluate the CHPs co-prescription patterns. The hypertension cohort included 154,083 patients, 123,240 patients of which (approximately 80 %) had used TCM at least once. In total, 81,582 visits involving CHP prescriptions were hypertension related; Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin and Dan Shen (Radix Salvia Miltiorrhizae) were the most frequently prescribed herbal formula and single herb, respectively, for treating hypertension. This study elucidated the utilization pattern of CHPs for treating hypertension. Future studies on the efficacy and safety of these CHPs and on drug-herb interactions are warranted.

[Pharmacological study on Tianxiong (tuber of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx.), a Chinese drug for reinforcing the kidney yang retail in Hong Kong market].

PubMed

Cao, H; Wang, S T; Wu, L Y; Wang, X T; Jiang, A P

2001-06-01

To explore the pharmacodynamic mechanism of Tianxiong (Aconitum carmichaeli) in tonifying the kidney and supporting Yang, so as to provide evidences for further development of new drugs treating Yang-eficiency of the kidney. Observing parameters such as visceral index, survival time of low-temperature swimming for hydrocortisone-induced Yang-deficiency model mouse and testis-removed kidney-deficiency model rat. The decoction of processed Tianxiong could strengthen the antifatigual ability and prolong the survival time of low-temperature swimming for mice, and promote immunization in rats. Tianxiong is able to reinforce the kidney Yang, which reconforms the conclusion of "replenishing the fire of vital gate and the Qi of kidney" recorded in Chinese historical literature and proved by overseas clinical practice.

Fire resistant PV shingle assembly

DOEpatents

Lenox, Carl J.

2012-10-02

A fire resistant PV shingle assembly includes a PV assembly, including PV body, a fire shield and a connection member connecting the fire shield below the PV body, and a support and inter-engagement assembly. The support and inter-engagement assembly is mounted to the PV assembly and comprises a vertical support element, supporting the PV assembly above a support surface, an upper interlock element, positioned towards the upper PV edge, and a lower interlock element, positioned towards the lower PV edge. The upper interlock element of one PV shingle assembly is inter-engageable with the lower interlock element of an adjacent PV shingle assembly. In some embodiments the PV shingle assembly may comprise a ventilation path below the PV body. The PV body may be slidably mounted to the connection member to facilitate removal of the PV body.

46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses. (a) Each vessel must be equipped with a self-priming, power driven fire...

Constitution of traditional chinese medicine and related factors in women of childbearing age.

PubMed

Jiang, Qiao-Yu; Li, Jue; Zheng, Liang; Wang, Guang-Hua; Wang, Jing

2018-04-01

This study investigates the constitution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) among women who want to be pregnant in one year and explores factors related to TCM constitution. This study was conducted on women who participated in free preconception check-ups provided by the Zhabei District Maternity and Child Care Center in Shanghai, China. The information regarding the female demographic characteristics, physical condition, history of pregnancy and childbearing, diet and behavior, and social psychological factors was collected, and TCM constitution assessment was performed. The Chi-square test, t-test, logistic regression analysis, and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to explore the related factors of TCM constitution. The participants in this study were aged 28.3 ± 3.0 years. Approximately fifty-five women in this study had Unbalanced Constitution. Logistic regression analysis showed that Shanghai residence, dysmenorrhea, gum bleeding, aversion to vegetables, preference for raw meat, job stress, and economic stress were significantly and negatively associated with Balanced Constitution. Multinomial logistic analysis showed that Shanghai residence was significantly associated with Yang-deficiency, Yin-deficiency, and Stagnant Qi Constitutions; gum bleeding was significantly associated with Yin-deficiency, Stagnant Blood, Stagnant Qi, and Inherited Special Constitutions; aversion to vegetables was significantly associated with Damp-heat Constitution; job stress was significantly associated with Yang-deficiency, Phlegm-dampness, Damp-heat, Stagnant Blood, and Stagnant Qi Constitutions; and economic stress was significantly associated with Yang-deficiency, and Stagnant Qi Constitutions. The application of TCM constitution to preconception care would be beneficial for early identification of potential TCM constitution risks and be beneficial for early intervention (e.g., health education, and dietary education), especially during the women who do

Yin Yang 1 Promotes Hepatic Gluconeogenesis Through Upregulation of Glucocorticoid Receptor

PubMed Central

Lu, Yan; Xiong, Xuelian; Wang, Xiaolin; Zhang, Zhijian; Li, Jin; Shi, Guojun; Yang, Jian; Zhang, Huijie; Ning, Guang; Li, Xiaoying

2013-01-01

Gluconeogenesis is critical in maintaining blood glucose levels in a normal range during fasting. In this study, we investigated the role of Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a key transcription factor involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, in the regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Our data showed that hepatic YY1 expression levels were induced in mice during fasting conditions and in a state of insulin resistance. Overexpression of YY1 in livers augmented gluconeogenesis, raising fasting blood glucose levels in C57BL/6 mice, whereas liver-specific ablation of YY1 using adenoviral shRNA ameliorated hyperglycemia in wild-type and diabetic db/db mice. At the molecular level, we further demonstrated that the major mechanism of YY1 in the regulation of hepatic glucose production is to modulate the expression of glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, our study uncovered for the first time that YY1 participates in the regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis, which implies that YY1 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for hyperglycemia in diabetes. PMID:23193188

10 CFR 50.48 - Fire protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) of this section such as— (i) Administrative controls and personnel requirements for fire prevention... reactor coolant inventory, pressure control, and decay heat removal capability (i.e., feed-and-bleed) for... performed in accordance with Section 2.7.3.5 is not required to support deterministic approach calculations...

10 CFR 50.48 - Fire protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) of this section such as— (i) Administrative controls and personnel requirements for fire prevention... reactor coolant inventory, pressure control, and decay heat removal capability (i.e., feed-and-bleed) for... performed in accordance with Section 2.7.3.5 is not required to support deterministic approach calculations...

Chinese Medicine: A Cognitive and Epistemological Review*

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

In spite of the common belief that Chinese natural philosophy and medicine have a unique frame of reference completely foreign to the West, this article argues that they in fact have significant cognitive and epistemic similarities with certain esoteric health beliefs of pre-Christian Europe. From the standpoint of Cognitive Science, Chinese Medicine appears as a proto-scientific system of health observances and practices based on a symptomological classification of disease using two elementary dynamical-processes pattern categorization schemas: a hierarchical and combinatorial inhibiting–activating model (Yin-Yang), and a non-hierarchical and associative five-parameter semantic network (5-Elements/Agents). The concept-map of the five-parameter model amounts to a pentagram, a commonly found geomantic and spell casting sigil in a number of pre-Christian health and safety beliefs in Europe, to include the Pythagorean cult of Hygieia, and the Old Religion of Northern Europe. This non-hierarchical pattern-recognition archetype/prototype was hypothetically added to the pre-existing hierarchical one to form a hybrid nosology that can accommodate for a change in disease perceptions. The selection of five parameters rather than another number might be due to a numerological association between the integer five, the golden ratio, the geometry of the pentagram and the belief in health and wholeness arising from cosmic or divine harmony. In any case, this body of purely empirical knowledge is nowadays widely flourishing in the US and in Europe as an alternative to Western Medicine and with the claim of being a unique, independent and comprehensive medical system, when in reality it is structurally—and perhaps historically—related to the health and safety beliefs of pre-Christian Europe; and without the prospect for an epistemological rupture, it will remain built upon rudimentary cognitive modalities, ancient metaphysics, and a symptomological view of disease. PMID

Fire extinguishment and inhibition in spacecraft environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deris, John

1987-01-01

It was concluded that it is essential that NASA develop a comprehensive approach to fire extinguishment and inerting in spacecraft environments. Electronic equipment might be easily protected through use of an onboard inert gas generating system. The use of Halon 1301 presents serious technological challenges for agent cleanup and removal of the toxic and corrosive products of combustion. Nitrogen pressurization, while effective, probably presents a serious weight penality. The use of liquid water sprays appears to be the most effective approach to general purpose spacecraft fire protection.

Can seed removal through soil erosion explain the scarcity of vegetation in the Chinese Loess Plateau?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Juying; Han, Luyan; Jia, Yanfeng; Wang, Ning; Lei, Dong; Li, Linyu

2011-09-01

Seed removal by water erosion may explain the sparse vegetation cover in systems like the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is characterized by severe soil erosion. The seeds from 16 species found on the plateau were examined in relation to the likelihood of their removal by erosion, as tested by rainfall simulation experiments. The experiments were performed over 1-m 2 plots with slopes of 10°, 15°, 20° and 25° for 60 min at intensities of 50 mm h -1, 100 mm h -1 and 150 mm h -1, respectively. Seed loss occurred at simulated rainfall intensities of 100 mm h -1 and 150 mm h -1, with total seed loss rates of 26-33% and 59-67%, respectively. Most seeds were displaced, even at 50 mm h -1. The degrees of seed loss and displacement varied among species. These data, in combination with data from our former research on propagule, seedling and population development in these species, indicate that the species with high seed loss rates either compensate by having a soil seed bank that produces seedlings during the growing season or reproduce by vegetative propagation; the species with no seed loss are still sparsely distributed. Seed germination and seedling survival seem to be more important than seed loss in determining establishment in these regions of the Loess Plateau. Seed translocation by water erosion, however, contributes to the observed distribution of vegetation in this geographic region.

The protective and toxic effects of rhubarb tannins and anthraquinones in treating hexavalent chromium-injured rats: the Yin/Yang actions of rhubarb.

PubMed

Zeng, Ling-na; Ma, Zhi-jie; Zhao, Yan-ling; Zhang, Lin-dong; Li, Rui-sheng; Wang, Jia-bo; Zhang, Ping; Yan, Dan; Li, Qi; Jiang, Bing-qian; Pu, Shi-biao; Lü, Yang; Xiao, Xiao-he

2013-02-15

Chromium nephrotoxicity (CrNT) is thought to occur through the oxidant lesion mechanism. There is still a lack of specific remedies against CrNT. We primarily screened Chinese herbal medicines with a potential protective effect against CrNT, e.g., rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L.). However, the active constituents in rhubarb and its mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the total rhubarb extract (TR) was successively separated into three parts: total anthraquinone extract (TA), total tannin extract (TT) and remaining component extract (RC). The effects of each extract on the potassium dichromate (K(2)Cr(2)O(7))-induced nephrotoxicity in rats were comparatively assessed. The results showed that only the administration of TT protected the kidney function in K(2)Cr(2)O(7)-injured rats. Besides, TT showed significant activity to scavenge hydroxyl radicals, which is considered to be the dominant lesion product generated by hexavalent chromium. TT also showed a reduced ability to transform toxic high valence chromium ions into non-toxic low valence ions. And TT was able to further precipitate chromium ions. These results suggested that rhubarb tannins treat CrNT as a free radical scavenger, reductant, and metal precipitant. The multiple protective routes of the plant tannins reveal a superior option for development into a promising natural remedy against CrNT. In addition, the opposite effects of rhubarb anthraquinones in treating CrNT were observed compared to rhubarb tannins, which suggested the duo-directional effects (Yin and Yang) of herbal medicines should be addressed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scalable Production of the Silicon-Tin Yin-Yang Hybrid Structure with Graphene Coating for High Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

PubMed

Jin, Yan; Tan, Yingling; Hu, Xiaozhen; Zhu, Bin; Zheng, Qinghui; Zhang, Zijiao; Zhu, Guoying; Yu, Qian; Jin, Zhong; Zhu, Jia

2017-05-10

Alloy anodes possessed of high theoretical capacity show great potential for next-generation advanced lithium-ion battery. Even though huge volume change during lithium insertion and extraction leads to severe problems, such as pulverization and an unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), various nanostructures including nanoparticles, nanowires, and porous networks can address related challenges to improve electrochemical performance. However, the complex and expensive fabrication process hinders the widespread application of nanostructured alloy anodes, which generate an urgent demand of low-cost and scalable processes to fabricate building blocks with fine controls of size, morphology, and porosity. Here, we demonstrate a scalable and low-cost process to produce a porous yin-yang hybrid composite anode with graphene coating through high energy ball-milling and selective chemical etching. With void space to buffer the expansion, the produced functional electrodes demonstrate stable cycling performance of 910 mAh g -1 over 600 cycles at a rate of 0.5C for Si-graphene "yin" particles and 750 mAh g -1 over 300 cycles at 0.2C for Sn-graphene "yang" particles. Therefore, we open up a new approach to fabricate alloy anode materials at low-cost, low-energy consumption, and large scale. This type of porous silicon or tin composite with graphene coating can also potentially play a significant role in thermoelectrics and optoelectronics applications.

Traditional Chinese medicine and the positive correlation with homeostatic evolution of human being: based on medical perspective.

PubMed

Wang, Jie-Hua

2012-08-01

Adaptation is an eternal theme of biological evolution. The paper aims at exploring the conception of positive correlation between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and human homeostatic evolution based on medical perspective. Discussions mainly involve TCM conforming to natural laws and natural evolution of life, spontaneous harmonization of yin and yang and operating system of human self-healing, modern human immunology and human endogenous immune function in TCM, self-homeostasis of human micro-ecological state and balance mechanism on regulating base in TCM, as well as adaptation-eternal theme of biological evolution and safeguarding adaptability-value of TCM. In perspective of medicine, theory and practice of TCM are in positive correlation with human homeostatic evolution, and what TCM tries to maintain is human intrinsic adaptive capability to disease and nature. Therefore, it is the core value of TCM, which is to be further studied, explored, realized and known to the world.

A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire: Teaching toward Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayers, William

2006-01-01

The old saying, that a single spark can start a prairie fire, appears in many forms and in different cultures carrying a range of shifting implications and meanings. In this article, William Ayers writes that in some instances, prairie fires are not always catastrophic. They are naturally occurring events necessary and renewing; removing the thick…

Modeling Fire Emissions across Central and Southern Italy: Implications for Land and Fire Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacciu, V. M.; Salis, M.; Spano, D.

2015-12-01

Fires play a relevant role in the global and regional carbon cycle, representing a remarkable source of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) that influence atmosphere budgets and climate. In addition, the wildfire increase projected in Southern Europe due to climate change (CC) and concurrent exacerbation of extreme weather conditions could also lead to a significant rise in GHG. Recently, in the context of the Italian National Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change (SNAC), several approaches were identified as valuable tools to adapt and mitigate the impacts of CC on wildfires, in order to reduce landscape susceptibility and to contribute to the efforts of carbon emission mitigation proposed within the Kyoto protocol. Active forest and fuel management (such as prescribed burning, fuel reduction and removal, weed and flammable shrub control, creation of fuel discontinuity) is recognised to be a key element to adapt and mitigate the impacts of CC on wildfires. Despite this, overall there is a lack of studies about the effectiveness of fire emission mitigation strategies. The current work aims to analyse the potential of a combination of fuel management practices in mitigating emissions from forest fires and evaluate valuable and viable options across Central and Southern Italy. These objectives were achieved throughout a retrospective application of an integrated approach combining a fire emission model (FOFEM - First Order Fire Effect Model) with spatially explicit, comprehensive, and accurate fire, vegetation and weather data for the period 2004-2012. Furthermore, a number of silvicultural techniques were combined to develop several fuel management scenarios and then tested to evaluate their potential in mitigating fire emissions.The preliminary results showed the crucial role of appropriate fuel, fire behavior, and weather data to reduce bias in quantifying the source and the composition of fire emissions and to attain reasonable estimations. Also, the current

Need of integrated dietary therapy for persons with diabetes mellitus and "unhealthy" body constitution presentations.

PubMed

Wong, Yee Chi Peggy

2016-07-01

From a perspective of Chinese medicine (CM), persons with unregulated "unhealthy" body constitution (BC) will further develop chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). Conventional dietary therapy with nutrition component has its limitations in the regulation of "unhealthy" BC. However, empirical evidence supports that "unhealthy" BC can be regulated with food natures and flavors from a perspective of CM. Presentations of "unhealthy" BC types, such as Yin-deficiency, Yang-deficiency and Yin-Yang-deficiency were found in persons with DM. It would be necessary to regulate the "unhealthy" BC presentations with integration of conventional dietary therapy and Chinese food therapy. The ultimate goal is to either stabilize glycaemic control or prevent the development of other chronic diseases leading to reduction of disease burden, such as disease-related poor quality of life, stress of healthcare professionals and the rising of healthcare cost.

Modeling fuel treatment impacts on fire suppression cost savings: A review

Treesearch

Matthew P. Thompson; Nathaniel M. Anderson

2015-01-01

High up-front costs and uncertain return on investment make it difficult for land managers to economically justify large-scale fuel treatments, which remove trees and other vegetation to improve conditions for fire control, reduce the likelihood of ignition, or reduce potential damage from wildland fire if it occurs. In the short-term, revenue from harvested forest...

Drought, tree mortality, and wildfire in forests adapted to frequent fire

Treesearch

Scott L Stephens; Brandon M Collins; Christopher J Fettig; Mark A Finney; Chad M Hoffman; Eric E Knapp; Malcolm P North; Hugh Safford; Rebecca B Wayman

2018-01-01

Massive tree mortality has occurred rapidly in frequent-fire-adapted forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. This mortality is a product of acute drought compounded by the long-established removal of a key ecosystem process: frequent, low- to moderate-intensity fire. The recent tree mortality has many implications for the future of these forests and the ecological...

Health-Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 84-180-1776, Jacksonville Fire Department, Jacksonville, Florida

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

Kominsky, J.R.

1987-02-01

The efficiency of a trichlorotrifluoroethane based system to remove polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from Nomex fabric garments used by the Jacksonville Fire Department, Jacksonville, Florida was evaluated. The system used a sealed dry cleaning machine with a revolving chamber and trichlorotrifluoroethane solvent. From 66 to 99% of fireborne PCB contamination and more than 99% of experimental contamination was removed from fire fighters protective clothing using the system. Because of uncertainty concerning the adequacy of decontamination, the garments were replaced. The author concludes that this system can remove a high percentage of PCB contamination; without established permissible limits for fabric levels ofmore » PCBs, it is not known if the level of decontamination is adequate.« less

46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

46 CFR 28.820 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses... REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS Aleutian Trade Act Vessels § 28.820 Fire pumps, fire mains... pump connected to a fixed piping system. This pump must be capable of delivering an effective stream of...

Effect of Yin-Zhi-Huang on up-regulation of Oatp2, Ntcp, and Mrp2 proteins in estrogen-induced rat cholestasis.

PubMed

Zhang, Guoqiang; Zhou, Yan; Rao, Zhi; Qin, Hongyan; Wei, Yuhui; Ren, Jiangxia; Zhou, Liting; Wu, Xin'an

2015-03-01

Yin-Zhi-Huang (YZH), a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to treat neonatal jaundice or cholestasis. This study investigates the regulatory effect of YZH on the localization and expression of organic anion transporting polypeptides 2 (Oatp2), Na(+)-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (Ntcp), multidrug-resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2), and bile salt export pump (Bsep) in estrogen-induced cholestasis rats. Cholestasis model rats were induced via subcutaneous injection of estradiol benzoate (EB, 5 mg/kg/d) for 5 d. Other EB-induced rats were treated with saline (2 ml) or YZH (1.5 g/kg, two times a day) for 7, 14, and 21 d. The biochemical and pathologic examinations were performed. Moreover, the localization and expression of Oatp2, Ntcp, Mrp2, and Bsep were determined by immunohistochemisty and Western blotting, respectively. YZH treatment could significantly decrease the serum total bile acids (TBA) (4.9 ± 0.6-2.8 ± 0.8) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) (2.6 ± 0.7-1.0 ± 0.1) levels, improve the histological disorganization, and, respectively, increase the expression of Oatp2 and Ntcp by 46% and 28% compared with saline-treated (p < 0.05) rats at 14 d. The expression of Mrp2 increased by 45% was observed in YZH treated compared with saline-treated (p < 0.05) rats at 7 d. However, there was a little change in the expression of Bsep (p > 0.05) after YZH treatment for 7, 14, and 21 d. In conclusion, the therapeutic effect of YZH to cholestasis could be attributed to the regulation of Oatp2, Ntcp, Mrp2, and Bsep.

Effects of post-fire logging on forest surface air temperatures in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon, USA

Treesearch

Joseph B. Fontaine; Daniel C. Donato; John L. Campbell; Jonathan G. Martin; Beverley E. Law

2010-01-01

Following stand-replacing wildfire, post-fire (salvage) logging of fire-killed trees is a widely implemented management practice in many forest types. A common hypothesis is that removal of fire-killed trees increases surface temperatures due to loss of shade and increased solar radiation, thereby influencing vegetation establishment and possibly stand development. Six...

Investigation of the therapy targets of Yi-Qi-Yang-Yin-Hua-Tan-Qu-Yu recipe on type 2 diabetes by serum proteome labeled with iTRAQ.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Xie, Ming; Liu, Jin-Na; Wang, Bang-Zhong

2018-04-11

Ethnopharmacology relevance Based on basic theories of Chinese medicine, Yi-Qi-Yang-Yin-Hua-Tan-Qu-Yu (YQYYHTQY) recipe was constituted by eleven kinds of Chinese herbs and effective in treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). But the therapy target was unclear. In this study, we used the serum proteome labeled by iTRAQ to find therapy target of YQYYHTQY recipe on T2DM. The rat model was induced by high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ, 30mg/kg). Drugs were administered to rats once daily for 14 days. Related laboratory parameters were observed. Serum proteome were compared between T2DM and YQYYHTQY group using the iTRAQ labeling quantitative proteomics technique. Functional differential proteins were analysis by STRING software. Target proteins were confirmed by ELISA kits. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, decrease of glucose transporter, depilation, less activity, flock together, depression, ecchymosis of tongue and tail appearance, the typical diabetic patients "a little more than three" symptoms, as well as the decrease of grip strength, serum cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) ratio, serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and the increase of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), thromboxane B 2 (TXB 2 )/ 6-keto prostaglandin F1α (6-keto PGF1α) ratio, endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels were found in T2DM group. After drugs treatment, all the above indexes almost were improved in different degrees and effect of YQYYHTQY recipe was superior to pioglitazone hydrochloride. In addition, there were 23 differential proteins, 5 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated proteins. Of them, there were 4 proteins related with diabetes, blood and behavior. Cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42) and Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) were the therapy targets of YQYYHTQY recipe on T2DM. YQYYHTQY recipe showed therapy effect on T2DM. CDC42 and

Fire Alarm Wallpaper Based on Fire-Resistant Hydroxyapatite Nanowire Inorganic Paper and Graphene Oxide Thermosensitive Sensor.

PubMed

Chen, Fei-Fei; Zhu, Ying-Jie; Chen, Feng; Dong, Li-Ying; Yang, Ri-Long; Xiong, Zhi-Chao

2018-04-24

Wallpaper with multiple functions, such as fire resistance and an automatic alarm in fire disasters, will be attractive for the interior decoration of houses. Herein, we report a smart fire alarm wallpaper prepared using fire-resistant inorganic paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires (HNs) and graphene oxide (GO) thermosensitive sensors. At room temperature, the GO thermosensitive sensor is in a state of electrical insulation; however, it becomes electrically conductive at high temperatures. In a fire disaster, high temperature will rapidly remove the oxygen-containing groups of GO, leading to the transformation process of GO from an electrically insulated state into an electrically conductive one. In this way, the alarm lamp and alarm buzzer connected with the GO thermosensitive sensor will send out the alerts to people immediately for taking emergency actions. After the surface modification with polydopamine of GO (PGO), the sensitivity and flame retardancy of the GO thermosensitive sensor are further improved, resulting in a low responsive temperature (126.9 °C), fast response (2 s), and sustained working time in the flame (at least 5 min). Compared with combustible commercial wallpaper, the smart fire alarm wallpaper based on HNs and GO (or PGO) is superior owing to excellent nonflammability and high-temperature resistance of HNs, which can protect the GO (or PGO) thermosensitive sensor from the flames. The smart fire alarm wallpaper can be processed into various shapes, dyed with different colors, and printed with the commercial printer and thus has promising applications in high-safety interior decoration of houses.

Predicting mortality of ponderosa pine regeneration after prescribed fire in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Treesearch

Mike Battaglia; Frederick W. Smith; Wayne D. Shepperd

2009-01-01

Reduction of crown fire hazard in Pinus ponderosa forests in the Black Hills, SD, often focuses on the removal of overstorey trees to reduce crown bulk density. Dense ponderosa pine regeneration establishes several years after treatment and eventually increases crown fire risk if allowed to grow. Using prescribed fire to control this regeneration is...

Latent resilience in ponderosa pine forest: effects of resumed frequent fire.

PubMed

Larson, Andrew J; Belote, R Travis; Cansler, C Alina; Parks, Sean A; Dietz, Matthew S

2013-09-01

Ecological systems often exhibit resilient states that are maintained through negative feedbacks. In ponderosa pine forests, fire historically represented the negative feedback mechanism that maintained ecosystem resilience; fire exclusion reduced that resilience, predisposing the transition to an alternative ecosystem state upon reintroduction of fire. We evaluated the effects of reintroduced frequent wildfire in unlogged, fire-excluded, ponderosa pine forest in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, USA. Initial reintroduction of fire in 2003 reduced tree density and consumed surface fuels, but also stimulated establishment of a dense cohort of lodgepole pine, maintaining a trajectory toward an alternative state. Resumption of a frequent fire regime by a second fire in 2011 restored a low-density forest dominated by large-diameter ponderosa pine by eliminating many regenerating lodgepole pines and by continuing to remove surface fuels and small-diameter lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir that established during the fire suppression era. Our data demonstrate that some unlogged, fire-excluded, ponderosa pine forests possess latent resilience to reintroduced fire. A passive model of simply allowing lightning-ignited fires to burn appears to be a viable approach to restoration of such forests.

Fire, humans and landscape. Is there a connection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valese, Eva; Ascoli, Davide; Conedera, Marco; Held, Alex

2013-04-01

Fire evolved on the earth under the direct influence of climate and the accumulation of burnable biomass at various times and spatial scales. As a result, fire regimes depend not only on climatic and biological factors, but also greatly reflect the cultural background of how people do manage ecosystems and fire. A new awareness among scientists and managers has been rising about the ecological role of fire and the necessity to understand its past natural and cultural dynamics in different ecosystems, in order to preserve present ecosystem functionality and minimize management costs and negative impacts. As a consequence we assisted in the last decades to a general shift from the fire control to the fire management approach, where fire prevention, fire danger rating, fire ecology, fire pre-suppression and suppression strategies are fully integrated in the landscape management. Nowadays, a large number of authors recognize that a total suppression strategy, as the one adopted during last decades, leads to a fire paradox: the more we fight for putting out all fires, the more extreme events occur and cause long term damages. The aim of this review is to provide a state of art about the connection between fire, humans and landscape, along time and space. Negative and positive impacts on ecosystem services and values are put in evidence, as well as their incidence on human aptitude to fire use as to fire suppression. In order to capture a consistent fragment of fire history, palaeofires and related palynological studies are considered. They enable a valuable, even if partial, look at the millenary fire regime. Actual strategies and future directions are described in order to show what are the alternatives for living with fire, since removing completely this disturbance from earth is not a option, nor feasible neither advisable. Examples from the world, in particular from the Alps and the Mediterranean basin, are shown for better illustrating the signature of

Mercury speciation and distribution in a 660-megawatt utility boiler in Taiwan firing bituminous coals.

PubMed

Hsi, Hsing-Cheng; Lee, Hsiu-Hsia; Hwang, Jyh-Feng; Chen, Wang

2010-05-01

Mercury speciation and distribution in a 660-MW tangential-fired utility boiler in Taiwan burning Australian and Chinese bituminous coal blends was investigated. Flue gases were simultaneously sampled at the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet, the SCR outlet, the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) outlet, and the stack. Samplings of coal, lime, bottom ash/slag, fly ash, and gypsum slurry were also conducted. Results indicated that flue gases at the inlet to SCR contained a great potion of particle-bound mercury (Hg(p)), 59-92% of the total mercury. Removal of mercury was not observed for the SCR system. However, repartitioning of mercury species across the SCR occurred that significantly increased the portion of elemental mercury (Hg0) to up to 29% and oxidized mercury (Hg2+) to up to 33% in the SCR outlet gas. Overreporting of Hg(p) at the inlet of SCR may cause the observed repartitioning; the high ammonia/nitric oxide circumstance in the SCR unit was also speculated to cause the mercury desorption from ash particles and subsequent reentrance into the gas phase. ESP can remove up to 99% of Hg(p), and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) can remove up to 84% of Hg2+. Mercury mass balances were calculated to range between 81 and 127.4%, with an average of 95.7% wherein 56-82% was in ESP fly ash, 8.7-18.6% was retained in the FGD gypsum, and 6.2-26.1% was emitted from the stack. Data presented here suggest that mercury removal can be largely enhanced by increasing the conversion of Hg0 into Hg(p) and Hg2+.

Advanced fire-resistant forms of activated carbon and methods of adsorbing and separating gases using same

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

Xiong, Yongliang; Wang, Yifeng

A method of removing a target gas from a gas stream is disclosed. The method uses advanced, fire-resistant activated carbon compositions having vastly improved fire resistance. Methods for synthesizing the compositions are also provided. The advanced compositions have high gas adsorption capacities and rapid adsorption kinetics (comparable to commercially-available activated carbon), without having any intrinsic fire hazard.

Identification and classification of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types among senior patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment using latent tree analysis.

PubMed

Fu, Chen; Zhang, Nevin Lianwen; Chen, Bao-Xin; Chen, Zhou Rong; Jin, Xiang Lan; Guo, Rong-Juan; Chen, Zhi-Gang; Zhang, Yun-Ling

2017-05-01

To treat patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment (VMCI) using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is necessary to classify the patients into TCM syndrome types and to apply different treatments to different types. In this paper, we investigate how to properly carry out the classification for patients with VMCI aged 50 or above using a novel data-driven method known as latent tree analysis (LTA). A cross-sectional survey on VMCI was carried out in several regions in Northern China between February 2008 and February 2012 which resulted in a data set that involves 803 patients and 93 symptoms. LTA was performed on the data to reveal symptom co-occurrence patterns, and the patients were partitioned into clusters in multiple ways based on the patterns. The patient clusters were matched up with syndrome types, and population statistics of the clusters are used to quantify the syndrome types and to establish classification rules. Eight syndrome types are identified: Qi deficiency, Qi stagnation, Blood deficiency, Blood stasis, Phlegm-dampness, Fire-heat, Yang deficiency, and Yin deficiency. The prevalence and symptom occurrence characteristics of each syndrome type are determined. Quantitative classification rules are established for determining whether a patient belongs to each of the syndrome types. A solution for the TCM syndrome classification problem for patients with VMCI and aged 50 or above is established based on the LTA of unlabeled symptom survey data. The results can be used as a reference in clinic practice to improve the quality of syndrome differentiation and to reduce diagnosis variances across physicians. They can also be used for patient selection in research projects aimed at finding biomarkers for the syndrome types and in randomized control trials aimed at determining the efficacy of TCM treatments of VMCI.

Rapid microwave assisted synthesis of YIn1-xMnxO3 blue pigments: Synthesis, microstructure and optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yuncheng; Jiang, Peng; Kuang, Jianlei; Yang, Xueshan; Cao, Wenbin

2018-07-01

The YIn1-xMnxO3 (0.1 ≤x ≤ 0.5) blue pigment samples are successfully prepared through a sol-gel process followed by microwave assisted sintering process. All the samples are shown single phases in the X-ray diffraction results. In the morphology study from scanning electronic microscope, the samples are composed of loosely connected small particles. The oxidation state of Mn is confirmed to be 3 + from the results of X-ray photonelectronic scan. The optical properties are characterized by UV-Visible spectrum and UV-visible-NIR spectrum. The samples exhibit intense blue color and they show small absorption in infrared region.

Range expansion of invasive shrubs: implication for crown fire risk in forestlands of the southern USA

PubMed Central

Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Wonkka, Carissa L.; Grant, William E.; Rogers, William E.

2016-01-01

Non-native plant invasions and changing management activities have dramatically altered the structure and composition of forests worldwide. Invasive shrubs and fire suppression have led to increased densification and biomass accumulation in forest ecosystems of the southeastern USA. Notably, Chinese and European privets are rapid growing, shade-tolerant shrubs which number among the most aggressive invasive species in these forests. Privet encroachment has caused losses of native diversity, alteration of ecosystem processes and changes in community structure. The latter has become manifest through decreases in fine herbaceous fuels concurrent with increases in coarse woody fuels in forest understoreys. These alterations in fuel structure will potentially lead to less frequent, but more severe forest fires, which threaten important forest resources during extreme weather conditions. Drawing on extensive data sets compiled by the US Forest Service, we integrated statistical forecasting and analytical techniques within a spatially explicit, agent-based, simulation framework to predict potential range expansion of Chinese and European privet (Ligustrum sinense and L. vulgare) and the associated increase in crown fire risk over the next two decades in forestlands of Mississippi and Alabama. Our results indicate that probability of invasion is positively associated with elevation, adjacency (within 300 m) to water bodies, mean daily maximum temperature, site productivity and private land ownership, and is negatively associated with slope, stand age, artificial regeneration, distance to the nearest road and fire disturbance. Our projections suggest the total area invaded will increase from 1.36 to ≈31.39% of all forestlands in Mississippi and Alabama (≈7 million hectares) and the annual frequency of crown fires in these forestlands will approximately double within the next two decades. Such time series projections of annual range expansions and crown fire frequency

46 CFR 28.315 - Fire pumps, fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... fire pump on a vessel 79 feet (24 meters) or more in length must be capable of delivering water..., fire mains, fire hydrants, and fire hoses. (a) Each vessel 36 feet (11.8 meters) or more in length must...) A fire hose on a vessel less than 79 feet (24 meters) in length must be at least 5/8 inch (16...

Large Scale Experiments on Spacecraft Fire Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Ruff, Gary A.; Minster, Olivier; Toth, Balazs; Fernandez-Pello, A. Carlos; T'ien, James S.; Torero, Jose L.; Cowlard, Adam J.; Legros, Guillaume; Eigenbrod, Christian;

Large Scale Experiments on Spacecraft Fire Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David; Ruff, Gary A.; Minster, Olivier; Fernandez-Pello, A. Carlos; Tien, James S.; Torero, Jose L.; Legros, Guillaume; Eigenbrod, Christian; Smirnov, Nickolay; Fujita, Osamu;

Modeling of fire smoke movement in multizone garments building using two open source platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandoker, Md. Arifur Rahman; Galib, Musanna; Islam, Adnan; Rahman, Md. Ashiqur

2017-06-01

Casualty of garment factory workers from factory fire in Bangladesh is a recurring tragedy. Smoke, which is more fatal than fire itself, often propagates through different pathways from lower to upper floors during building fire. Among the toxic gases produced from a building fire, carbon monoxide (CO) can be deadly, even in small amounts. This paper models the propagation and transportation of fire induced smoke (CO) that resulted from the burning of synthetic polyester fibers using two open source platforms, CONTAM and Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). Smoke migration in a generic multistoried garment factory building in Bangladesh is modeled using CONTAM where each floor is compartmentalized by different zones. The elevator and stairway shafts are modeled by phantom zones to simulate contaminant (CO) transport from one floor to upper floors. FDS analysis involves burning of two different stacks of polyester jacket of six feet height and with a maximum heat release rate per unit area of 1500kw/m2 over a storage area 50m2 and 150m2, respectively. The resulting CO generation and removal rates from FDS are used in CONTAM to predict fire-borne CO propagation in different zones of the garment building. Findings of the study exhibit that the contaminant flow rate is a strong function of the position of building geometry, location of initiation of fire, amount of burnt material, presence of AHU and contaminant generation and removal rate of CO from the source location etc. The transport of fire-smoke in the building Hallways, stairways and lifts are also investigated in detail to examine the safe egress of the occupants in case of fire.

[Therapeutic efficacy of modified zigui decoction in treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome of gan-shen yin deficiency syndrome].

PubMed

Li, Xiao-ping; Lin, Shu; Ye, Shuang

2011-08-01

To study the therapeutic efficacy of Modified Zigui Decoction (MZD) in treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome of Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome. 66 polycystic ovary syndrome patients of Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome were randomly assigned to the MZD group (Group A) and the Westem medicine group (Group B), 33 patients in each. Patients in Group A orally took MZD, while those in Group B orally took Diane-35. Their menstrual cycle rate, basal body temperature (BBT), the ovarian size, the number of follicles, and changes of endocrine hormones were observed before treatment, the first menstrual cycle, and the sixth menstrual cycle after treatment. (1) The normal rate of one menstrual cycle after stopping taking medicine was 57.58% in Group A and 63.64% in Group B. There was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The normal rate of six menstrual cycles after stopping taking medicine was 45. 45% in Group A and 21.21% in Group B. The former was superior to the latter, showing statistical difference (P<0.05). (2) The biphasic BBT rates of one menstrual cycle after stopping taking medicine were somewhat elevated in the two groups, better than before treatment respectively (P<0.01). But there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The biphasic BBT rate of six menstrual cycles after stopping taking medicine was 45.45% in Group A and 18.18% in Group B. The former was superior to the latter, showing statistical difference (P<0.05). (3) The bilateral ovarian volume of one menstrual cycle after stopping taking medicine was obviously reduced in both groups (P<0.01). The bilateral ovarian volume of six menstrual cycles after stopping taking medicine was still more reduced than before treatment in Group A (P<0.01), while it returned to the size of before treatment in Group B (P>0.05). (4) The number of follicles of one menstrual cycle after stopping taking medicine was obviously reduced in both groups (P<0.01). The number of follicles

Small-diameter timber alchemy: can utilization pay the way toward fire-resistant forests

Treesearch

Jeremy S. Fried; R. Jamie Barbour; Roger D. Fight; Glenn Christensen; Guy Pinjuv

2008-01-01

There is growing interest in using biomass removed from hazardous fuels reduction treatments in wood-fired electrical generation facilities. An application of FIA BioSum to southwest Oregon’s Klamath ecoregion assessed the financial feasibility of fuel treatment and biomass generation under a range of product prices and fire hazard-motivated silvicultural prescriptions...

[Prediction model of human-caused fire occurrence in the boreal forest of northern China].

PubMed

Guo, Fu-tao; Su, Zhang-wen; Wang, Guang-yu; Wang, Qiang; Sun, Long; Yang, Ting-ting

2015-07-01

The Chinese boreal forest is an important forest resource in China. However, it has been suffering serious disturbances of forest fires, which were caused equally by natural disasters (e.g., lightning) and human activities. The literature on human-caused fires indicates that climate, topography, vegetation, and human infrastructure are significant factors that impact the occurrence and spread of human-caused fires. But the studies on human-caused fires in the boreal forest of northern China are limited and less comprehensive. This paper applied the spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.0 and Logistic regression model to investigate the driving factors of human-caused fires. Our data included the geographic coordinates of human-caused fires, climate factors during year 1974-2009, topographic information, and forest map. The results indicated that distance to railway (x1) and average relative humidity (x2) significantly impacted the occurrence of human-caused fire in the study area. The logistic model for predicting the fire occurrence probability was formulated as P= 1/[11+e-(3.026-0.00011x1-0.047x2)] with an accuracy rate of 80%. The above model was used to predict the monthly fire occurrence during the fire season of 2015 based on the HADCM2 future weather data. The prediction results showed that the high risk of human-caused fire occurrence concentrated in the months of April, May, June and August, while April and May had higher risk of fire occurrence than other months. According to the spatial distribution of possibility of fire occurrence, the high fire risk zones were mainly in the west and southwest of Tahe, where the major railways were located.

Wildland fire limits subsequent fire occurrence

Treesearch

Sean A. Parks; Carol Miller; Lisa M. Holsinger; Scott Baggett; Benjamin J. Bird

2016-01-01

Several aspects of wildland fire are moderated by site- and landscape-level vegetation changes caused by previous fire, thereby creating a dynamic where one fire exerts a regulatory control on subsequent fire. For example, wildland fire has been shown to regulate the size and severity of subsequent fire. However, wildland fire has the potential to influence...

Impact of Chinese privet and its removal on pollinator diversity and abundance

Treesearch

James L. Hanula; Scott Horn

2009-01-01

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) was introduced into the United States in 1852 as an ornamental shrub, and by 1932 was established throughout the Southeast. In the 1990s privet occurred on 2.9 million acres of forest...

Abrupt fire regime change may cause landscape-wide loss of mature obligate seeder forests.

PubMed

Bowman, David M J S; Murphy, Brett P; Neyland, Dominic L J; Williamson, Grant J; Prior, Lynda D

2014-03-01

Obligate seeder trees requiring high-severity fires to regenerate may be vulnerable to population collapse if fire frequency increases abruptly. We tested this proposition using a long-lived obligate seeding forest tree, alpine ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis), in the Australian Alps. Since 2002, 85% of the Alps bioregion has been burnt by several very large fires, tracking the regional trend of more frequent extreme fire weather. High-severity fires removed 25% of aboveground tree biomass, and switched fuel arrays from low loads of herbaceous and litter fuels to high loads of flammable shrubs and juvenile trees, priming regenerating stands for subsequent fires. Single high-severity fires caused adult mortality and triggered mass regeneration, but a second fire in quick succession killed 97% of the regenerating alpine ash. Our results indicate that without interventions to reduce fire severity, interactions between flammability of regenerating stands and increased extreme fire weather will eliminate much of the remaining mature alpine ash forest. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The dynamics and drivers of fuel and fire in the Portuguese public forest.

PubMed

Fernandes, Paulo M; Loureiro, Carlos; Guiomar, Nuno; Pezzatti, Gianni B; Manso, Filipa T; Lopes, Luís

2014-12-15

The assumption that increased wildfire incidence in the Mediterranean Basin during the last decades is an outcome of changes in land use warrants an objective analysis. In this study we examine how annual area burned (BA) in the Portuguese public forest varied in relation to environmental and human-influenced drivers during the 1943-2011 period. Fire behaviour models were used to describe fuel hazard considering biomass removal, cover type changes, area burned, post-disturbance fuel accumulation, forest age-classes distribution and fuel connectivity. Biomass removal decreased rapidly beyond the 1940s, which, along with afforestation, increased fuel hazard until the 1980s; a subsequent decline was caused by increased fire activity. Change point analysis indicates upward shifts in BA in 1952 and in 1973, both corresponding to six-fold increases. Fire weather (expressed by the 90th percentile of the Canadian FWI during summer) increased over the study period, accounting for 18 and 36% of log(BA) variation before 1974 and after 1973, respectively. Regression modelling indicates that BA responds positively to fire weather, fuel hazard and number of fires in descending order of importance; pre-summer and 2-year lagged precipitation respectively decrease and increase BA, but the effects are minor and non-significant when both variables are included in the model. Land use conflicts (expressed through more fires) played a role, but it was afforestation and agricultural abandonment that supported the fire regime shifts, explaining weather-drought as the current major driver of BA as well. We conclude that bottom-up factors, i.e. human-induced changes in landscape flammability and ignition density, can enhance or override the influence of weather-drought on the fire regime in Mediterranean humid regions. A more relevant role of fuel control in fire management policies and practices is warranted by our findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Yin and Yang of Formative Research in Designing Serious (Exer-)games.

PubMed

DeSmet, Ann; Palmeira, António; Beltran, Alicia; Brand, Leah; Davies, Vanessa Fernandes; Thompson, Debbe

2015-02-01

Despite its relevance, formative research on games may be an undervalued part of the game development process. At the 2014 International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity exergaming preconference satellite meeting, a roundtable discussion was held to assemble experiences and suggestions on enhancing the use of formative research in the development of active videogames (i.e., exergames). This article presents a summary of the concepts discussed. The discussants concluded that, although formative research may slightly expand the project timeline, the potential benefits include a game more in line with preferences of the intended users, with better operationalized theoretical constructs and broader stakeholder support, facilitating implementation and sustainability. It also improves the efficiency of other research parts because of a lower dropout rate of participants. Formative, qualitative research is thus a necessary complement to quantitative measurements of intervention outcomes, in a sort of Yin and Yang dynamic. An adapted version of formative research that casts a wider net may, however, be needed, involving both behavioral scientists and game developers, expanding the topics beyond the game's looks and soliciting the opinions of a larger group of stakeholders, such as implementers, gatekeepers, and funders.

Prescribed fire in a Great Basin sagebrush ecosystem: Dynamics of soil extractable nitrogen and phosphorus

Treesearch

B. M. Rau; R. R. Blank; J. C. Chambers; D. W. Johnson

2007-01-01

Pinyon and juniper have been expanding into sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems since settlement of the Great Basin around 1860. Herbaceous understory vegetation is eliminated as stand densities increase and the potential for catastrophic fires increases. Prescribed fire is increasingly used to remove trees and promote recovery of sagebrush...

Recent advances in Chinese archeomagnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Shuhui; Tauxe, Lisa; Paterson, Greig A.; Deng, Chenglong; Pan, Yongxin; Qin, Huafeng; Zhu, Rixiang

2017-11-01

The geomagnetic field is one of Earth’s fundamental properties with a history of 3.5 Gyr. The field, generated in Earth’s core is a window to the deep interior of Earth and may have played a key role in evolution of life on our planet. Materials on Earth’s surface that contain magnetic minerals can record information about the geomagnetic field in which they formed. Fired archeological materials (e.g., pottery, brick, and burnt clay) are favorable recorders of the field, and have been widely employed to recover geomagnetic variations over periods of hundreds to thousands of years. The longevity of Chinese civilization and the abundant nature of archeological artifacts make Chinese archeomagnetism a promising source of data. The main work of Chinese archeomagnetism was carried out in the 1980s and 90s, followed by a break of more than a decade; in the 2010s activity resumed. In this paper, we review the development of Chinese archeomagnetism, including a summary of previous work, recent progress, remaining issues and future studies with the aim of promoting an understanding of archeomagnetic work in China and to guide the way for future studies. Here, we compile published data, including some data discovered in old publications that have not yet been included in paleomagnetic databases. We also establish the first, albeit preliminary, archeomagnetic reference curves (with 42 declination / inclination pairs and 76 / 192 archeointensities) for the geomagnetic field in China (ArchInt_China.1a / ArchInt_China.1b, ArchDec_China.1, ArchInc_China.1), which can be used for global comparison of the field and regional archeomagnetic dating.

Horny Goat Weed

MedlinePlus

... 15 horny goat weed species are known as “yin yang huo” in Chinese medicine. Horny goat weed is used for weak back and knees, joint pain, osteoarthritis, mental and physical fatigue, memory loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, bronchitis, liver disease, HIV/AIDS, polio, a ...

Slag processing system for direct coal-fired gas turbines

DOEpatents

Pillsbury, Paul W.

1990-01-01

Direct coal-fired gas turbine systems and methods for their operation are provided by this invention. The systems include a primary combustion compartment coupled to an impact separator for removing molten slag from hot combustion gases. Quenching means are provided for solidifying the molten slag removed by the impact separator, and processing means are provided forming a slurry from the solidified slag for facilitating removal of the solidified slag from the system. The released hot combustion gases, substantially free of molten slag, are then ducted to a lean combustion compartment and then to an expander section of a gas turbine.

Effects of fire interval restoration on carbon and nitrogen in sedimentary- and volcanic-derived soils of the Mogollon Rim, Arizona

Treesearch

Dan Neary; Steven T. Overby; Sally M. Haase

2003-01-01

Prescribed fire was returned into over-stocked ponderosa pine stands on the Mogollon Rim of Arizona for the purpose of restoring fire into the ecosystem and removing fuel buildups. Prescribed fires have been ignited at intervals of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years to determine the best fire return interval for Southwest ponderosa pine ecosystems. Two sites were treated; one...

Effects of fire on major forest ecosystem processes: an overview.

PubMed

Chen, Zhong

2006-09-01

Fire and fire ecology are among the best-studied topics in contemporary ecosystem ecology. The large body of existing literature on fire and fire ecology indicates an urgent need to synthesize the information on the pattern of fire effects on ecosystem composition, structure, and functions for application in fire and ecosystem management. Understanding fire effects and underlying principles are critical to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires and for proper use of fire as an effective management tool toward management goals. This overview is a synthesis of current knowledge on major effects of fire on fire-prone ecosystems, particularly those in the boreal and temperate regions of the North America. Four closely related ecosystem processes in vegetation dynamics, nutrient cycling, soil and belowground process and water relations were discussed with emphases on fire as the driving force. Clearly, fire can shape ecosystem composition, structure and functions by selecting fire adapted species and removing other susceptible species, releasing nutrients from the biomass and improving nutrient cycling, affecting soil properties through changing soil microbial activities and water relations, and creating heterogeneous mosaics, which in turn, can further influence fire behavior and ecological processes. Fire as a destructive force can rapidly consume large amount of biomass and cause negative impacts such as post-fire soil erosion and water runoff, and air pollution; however, as a constructive force fire is also responsible for maintaining the health and perpetuity of certain fire-dependent ecosystems. Considering the unique ecological roles of fire in mediating and regulating ecosystems, fire should be incorporated as an integral component of ecosystems and management. However, the effects of fire on an ecosystem depend on the fire regime, vegetation type, climate, physical environments, and the scale of time and space of assessment. More ecosystem

Public acceptance of wildland fire and fuel management: panel responses in seven locations.

PubMed

Toman, Eric; Shindler, Bruce; McCaffrey, Sarah; Bennett, James

2014-09-01

Wildland fire affects both public and private resources throughout the United States. A century of fire suppression has contributed to changing ecological conditions and accumulated fuel loads. Managers have used a variety of approaches to address these conditions and reduce the likelihood of wildland fires that may result in adverse ecological impacts and threaten communities. Public acceptance is a critical component of developing and implementing successful management programs. This study examines the factors that influence citizen support for agency fuel reduction treatments over time-particularly prescribed fire and mechanical vegetation removal. This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study examining resident beliefs and attitudes regarding fire management and fuels treatments in seven states: Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The study was implemented in two phases over a 6-year period using mail surveys to residents of communities adjacent to federal lands in each location. Questions replicated measures from the original project as well as some new items to allow a more in-depth analysis of key concepts. The study design enables comparisons over time as well as between locations. We also assess the factors that influence acceptance of both prescribed fire and mechanical vegetation removal. Findings demonstrate a relative stability of attitudes toward fuels management approaches over time and suggest that this acceptance is strongly influenced by confidence in resource managers and beliefs that the treatments would result in positive outcomes.

Managing an established tree invader: developing control methods for Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) in maritime forests

Treesearch

Lauren S. Pile; G. Geoff Wang; Thomas A. Waldrop; Joan L. Walker; William C. Bridges; Patricia A. Layton

2017-01-01

Biological invasions by woody species in forested ecosystems can have significant impacts on forest management and conservation. We designed and tested several management options based on the physiology of Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera [L.] Small). Specifically, we tested four treatments, including mastication, foliar herbicide, and fire (MH...

Removal of Mn(II) from the acid mine wastewaters using coal fired bottom ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahidin, M.; Sulaiman, T. N.; Muslim, A.; Gani, A.

2017-06-01

Acid mine wastewater (AMW), the wastewater from mining activities which has low pH about 3-5 and contains hazardous heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, etc. Those heavy metals pollution is of prime concern from the environmental view point. Among the heavy metals, Mn occupies the third position in the AMW from one the iron ore mining company in Aceh, Indonesia. In this study, the possibility use of bottom ash from coal fired boiler of steam power plants for the removal of Mn(II) in AMW has been investigated. Experimental has been conducted as follows. Activation of bottom ash was done both by physical and chemical treatments through heating at 270 °C and washing with NaOH activator 0.5 and 1 M. Adsorption test contains two parts observation; preliminary and primary experiments. Preliminary study is addressed to select the best condition of three independent variables i.e.: pH of AMW (3 & 7), bottom ash particle size (40, 60 & 100 mesh) and initial Mn(II) concentrations (100 & 600 mg/l). AMW used was synthetics wastewater. It was found that the best value for NaOH is 1 M, pH is 7, particle size is 100 meshes and initial Mn(II) concentration is 600 mg/l from the adsorption efficiency point of view. The maximum adsorption capacity (q e) is 63.7 mg/g with the efficiency of 85%.

Restoration of fire in managed forests: a model to prioritize landscapes and analyze tradeoffs

Treesearch

Alan A. Ager; Nicole M. Vaillant; Andrew McMahan

2013-01-01

Ongoing forest restoration on public lands in the western US is a concerted effort to counter the growing incidence of uncharacteristic wildfire in fire-adapted ecosystems. Restoration projects cover 725,000 ha annually, and include thinning and underburning to remove ladder and surface fuel, and seeding of fire-adapted native grasses and shrubs. The backlog of areas...

Characterization of exposure to byproducts from firing lead-free frangible ammunition in an enclosed, ventilated firing range.

PubMed

Grabinski, Christin M; Methner, Mark M; Jackson, Jerimiah M; Moore, Alexander L; Flory, Laura E; Tilly, Trevor; Hussain, Saber M; Ott, Darrin K

2017-06-01

-free frangible ammunition. Using an ultrafine particle counter appears to be an alternative method of assessing ventilation effectiveness in removing ultrafine particulate produced during firing events.

Relative effects of climatic and local factors on fire occurrence in boreal forest landscapes of northeastern China.

PubMed

Wu, Zhiwei; He, Hong S; Yang, Jian; Liu, Zhihua; Liang, Yu

2014-09-15

Fire significantly affects species composition, structure, and ecosystem processes in boreal forests. Our study objective was to identify the relative effects of climate, vegetation, topography, and human activity on fire occurrence in Chinese boreal forest landscapes. We used historical fire ignition for 1966-2005 and the statistical method of Kernel Density Estimation to derive fire-occurrence density (number of fires/km(2)). The Random Forest models were used to quantify the relative effects of climate, vegetation, topography, and human activity on fire-occurrence density. Our results showed that fire-occurrence density tended to be spatially clustered. Human-caused fire occurrence was highly clustered at the southern part of the region, where human population density is high (comprising about 75% of the area's population). In the north-central areas where elevations are the highest in the region and less densely populated, lightning-caused fires were clustered. Climate factors (e.g., fine fuel and duff moisture content) were important at both regional and landscape scales. Human activity factors (e.g., distance to nearest settlement and road) were secondary to climate as the primary fire occurrence factors. Predictions of fire regimes often assume a strong linkage between climate and fire but usually with less emphasis placed on the effects of local factors such as human activity. We therefore suggest that accurate forecasting of fire regime should include human influences such as those measured by forest proximity to roads and human settlements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate Impacts of Fire-Induced Land-Surface Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Hao, X.; Qu, J. J.

2017-12-01

One of the consequences of wildfires is the changes in land-surface properties such as removal of vegetation. This will change local and regional climate through modifying the land-air heat and water fluxes. This study investigates mechanism by developing and a parameterization of fire-induced land-surface property changes and applying it to modeling of the climate impacts of large wildfires in the United States. Satellite remote sensing was used to quantitatively evaluate the land-surface changes from large fires provided from the Monitoring Trends in Burning Severity (MTBS) dataset. It was found that the changes in land-surface properties induced by fires are very complex, depending on vegetation type and coverage, climate type, season and time after fires. The changes in LAI are remarkable only if the actual values meet a threshold. Large albedo changes occur in winter for fires in cool climate regions. The signs are opposite between the first post-fire year and the following years. Summer day-time temperature increases after fires, while nigh-time temperature changes in various patterns. The changes are larger in forested lands than shrub / grassland lands. In the parameterization scheme, the detected post-fire changes are decomposed into trends using natural exponential functions and fluctuations of periodic variations with the amplitudes also determined by natural exponential functions. The final algorithm is a combination of the trends, periods, and amplitude functions. This scheme is used with Earth system models to simulate the local and regional climate effects of wildfires.

Design and application of a new series of gallbladder endoscopes that facilitate gallstone removal without gallbladder excision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Tie; Huang, Wan-Chao; Luo, Xiao-Bing; Zhang, Yang-De

2012-01-01

In recent years, some Chinese doctors have proposed a new concept, gallstone removal without gallbladder excision, along with transition of the medical model. As there is no specialized endoscope for gallstone removal without gallbladder excision, we designed and produced a new series of gallbladder endoscopes and accessories that have already been given a Chinese invention patent (No. ZL200810199041.2). The design of these gallbladder endoscopes was based on the anatomy and physiology of the gallbladder, characteristics of gallbladder disease, ergonomics, and industrial design. This series of gallbladder endoscopes underwent clinical trials in two hospitals appointed by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The clinical trials showed that surgeries of gallstones, gallbladder polyps, and cystic duct calculus could be smoothly performed with these products. In summary, this series of gallbladder endoscopes is safe, reliable, and effective for gallstone removal without gallbladder excision. This note comprehensively introduces the research and design of this series of gallbladder endoscopes.

Studying the Post-Fire Response of Vegetation in California Protected Areas with NDVI-based Pheno-Metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, S.; Gillespie, T. W.

2016-12-01

Post-fire response from vegetation is determined by the intensity and timing of fires as well as the nature of local biomes. Though the field-based studies focusing on selected study sites helped to understand the mechanisms of post-fire response, there is a need to extend the analysis to a broader spatial extent with the assistance of remotely sensed imagery of fires and vegetation. Pheno-metrics, a series of variables on the growing cycle extracted from basic satellite measurements of vegetation coverage, translate the basic remote sensing measurements such as NDVI to the language of phenology and fire ecology in a quantitative form. In this study, we analyzed the rate of biomass removal after ignition and the speed of post-fire recovery in California protected areas from 2000 to 2014 with USGS MTBS fire data and USGS eMODIS pheno-metrics. NDVI drop caused by fire showed the aboveground biomass of evergreen forest was removed much slower than shrubland because of higher moisture level and greater density of fuel. In addition, the above two major land cover types experienced a greatly weakened immediate post-fire growing season, featuring a later start and peak of season, a shorter length of season, and a lower start and peak of NDVI. Such weakening was highly correlated with burn severity, and also influenced by the season of fire and the land cover type, according to our modeling between the anomalies of pheno-metrics and the difference of normalized burn ratio (dNBR). The influence generally decayed over time, but can remain high within the first 5 years after fire, mostly because of the introduction of exotic species when the native species were missing. Local-specific variables are necessary to better address the variance within the same fire and improve the outcomes of models. This study can help ecologists in validating the theories of post-fire vegetation response mechanisms and assist local fire managers in post-fire vegetation recovery.

Characteristics of NOx emission from Chinese coal-fired power plants equipped with new technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zizhen; Deng, Jianguo; Li, Zhen; Li, Qing; Zhao, Ping; Wang, Liguo; Sun, Yezhu; Zheng, Hongxian; Pan, Li; Zhao, Shun; Jiang, Jingkun; Wang, Shuxiao; Duan, Lei

2016-04-01

Coal combustion in coal-fired power plants is one of the important anthropogenic NOx sources, especially in China. Many policies and methods aiming at reducing pollutants, such as increasing installed capacity and installing air pollution control devices (APCDs), especially selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units, could alter NOx emission characteristics (NOx concentration, NO2/NOx ratio, and NOx emission factor). This study reported the NOx characteristics of eight new coal-fired power-generating units with different boiler patterns, installed capacities, operating loads, and coal types. The results showed that larger units produced less NOx, and anthracite combustion generated more NOx than bitumite and lignite combustion. During formation, the NOx emission factors varied from 1.81 to 6.14 g/kg, much lower than those of older units at similar scales. This implies that NOx emissions of current and future units could be overestimated if they are based on outdated emission factors. In addition, APCDs, especially SCR, greatly decreased NOx emissions, but increased NO2/NOx ratios. Regardless, the NO2/NOx ratios were lower than 5%, in accordance with the guidelines and supporting the current method for calculating NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants that ignore NO2.

Pharmacogenomics and the Yin/Yang actions of ginseng: anti-tumor, angiomodulating and steroid-like activities of ginsenosides

PubMed Central

Yue, Patrick Ying Kit; Mak, Nai Ki; Cheng, Yuen Kit; Leung, Kar Wah; Ng, Tzi Bun; Fan, David Tai Ping; Yeung, Hin Wing; Wong, Ricky Ngok Shun

2007-01-01

In Chinese medicine, ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has long been used as a general tonic or an adaptogen to promote longevity and enhance bodily functions. It has also been claimed to be effective in combating stress, fatigue, oxidants, cancer and diabetes mellitus. Most of the pharmacological actions of ginseng are attributed to one type of its constituents, namely the ginsenosides. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the study of ginsenosides on angiogenesis which is related to many pathological conditions including tumor progression and cardiovascular dysfunctions. Angiogenesis in the human body is regulated by two sets of counteracting factors, angiogenic stimulators and inhibitors. The 'Yin and Yang' action of ginseng on angiomodulation was paralleled by the experimental data showing angiogenesis was indeed related to the compositional ratio between ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1. Rg1 was later found to stimulate angiogenesis through augmenting the production of nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Mechanistic studies revealed that such responses were mediated through the PI3K→Akt pathway. By means of DNA microarray, a group of genes related to cell adhesion, migration and cytoskeleton were found to be up-regulated in endothelial cells. These gene products may interact in a hierarchical cascade pattern to modulate cell architectural dynamics which is concomitant to the observed phenomena in angiogenesis. By contrast, the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of ginsenosides (e.g. Rg3 and Rh2) have been demonstrated in various models of tumor and endothelial cells, indicating that ginsenosides with opposing activities are present in ginseng. Ginsenosides and Panax ginseng extracts have been shown to exert protective effects on vascular dysfunctions, such as hypertension, atherosclerotic disorders and ischemic injury. Recent work has demonstrates the target molecules of ginsenosides to be a group of nuclear steroid

Removing celiac disease-related gluten proteins from bread wheat while retaining technological properties: a study with Chinese Spring deletion lines

PubMed Central

van den Broeck, Hetty C; van Herpen, Teun WJM; Schuit, Cees; Salentijn, Elma MJ; Dekking, Liesbeth; Bosch, Dirk; Hamer, Rob J; Smulders, Marinus JM; Gilissen, Ludovicus JWJ; van der Meer, Ingrid M

2009-01-01

Background Gluten proteins can induce celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals. In CD patients gluten-derived peptides are presented to the immune system, which leads to a CD4+ T-cell mediated immune response and inflammation of the small intestine. However, not all gluten proteins contain T-cell stimulatory epitopes. Gluten proteins are encoded by multigene loci present on chromosomes 1 and 6 of the three different genomes of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) (AABBDD). Results The effects of deleting individual gluten loci on both the level of T-cell stimulatory epitopes in the gluten proteome and the technological properties of the flour were analyzed using a set of deletion lines of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring. The reduction of T-cell stimulatory epitopes was analyzed using monoclonal antibodies that recognize T-cell epitopes present in gluten proteins. The deletion lines were technologically tested with respect to dough mixing properties and dough rheology. The results show that removing the α-gliadin locus from the short arm of chromosome 6 of the D-genome (6DS) resulted in a significant decrease in the presence of T-cell stimulatory epitopes but also in a significant loss of technological properties. However, removing the ω-gliadin, γ-gliadin, and LMW-GS loci from the short arm of chromosome 1 of the D-genome (1DS) removed T-cell stimulatory epitopes from the proteome while maintaining technological properties. Conclusion The consequences of these data are discussed with regard to reducing the load of T-cell stimulatory epitopes in wheat, and to contributing to the design of CD-safe wheat varieties. PMID:19351412

Dereplication-guided isolation of a new indole alkaloid triglycoside from the hooks of Uncaria rhynchophylla by LC with ion trap time-of-flight MS.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-Gang; Huang, Xiao-Yan; Ma, Yun-Bao; Zhang, Xue-Mei; Chen, Ji-Jun; Geng, Chang-An

2018-04-01

Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gou-Teng) as the monarch herb of many formulae (Fufang), e.g. "Tian-Ma-Gou-Teng-Yin," "Ling-Jiao-Gou-Teng-Yin," and "Yi-Gan-San", is a famous traditional Chinese medicine documented in the Chinese pharmacopoeia for mental and cardiovascular diseases. In the traditional Chinese medicine system, only the hook-bearing stems are used as the crude materials for Gou-Teng, and the hooks are always considered more effective than the stems. Focusing on the mono-herb and its active constituents from combinatorial formulae is the core idea of reductionism of traditional Chinese medicine theory. Detailed liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis on the hooks of U. rhynchophylla was performed to profile the chemical constituents based on tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation and UV absorption. Under the guidance of liquid chromatography with ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, one new indole alkaloid triglycoside (1), together with five known compounds 2-6 as the main constituents, were isolated from the hooks of U. rhynchophylla by various column chromatography methods. Compound 1 showed moderate activity on MT 1 and MT 2 melatonin receptors with agonistic rates of 79.6 and 46.3% at the concentration of 1 mM. This dereplication strategy can be equally applicable to rapidly disclose the active constituents of other Chinese herbs through targeted purification. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Range expansion of invasive shrubs: implication for crown fire risk in forestlands of the southern USA.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Wonkka, Carissa L; Grant, William E; Rogers, William E

2016-01-01

Non-native plant invasions and changing management activities have dramatically altered the structure and composition of forests worldwide. Invasive shrubs and fire suppression have led to increased densification and biomass accumulation in forest ecosystems of the southeastern USA. Notably, Chinese and European privets are rapid growing, shade-tolerant shrubs which number among the most aggressive invasive species in these forests. Privet encroachment has caused losses of native diversity, alteration of ecosystem processes and changes in community structure. The latter has become manifest through decreases in fine herbaceous fuels concurrent with increases in coarse woody fuels in forest understoreys. These alterations in fuel structure will potentially lead to less frequent, but more severe forest fires, which threaten important forest resources during extreme weather conditions. Drawing on extensive data sets compiled by the US Forest Service, we integrated statistical forecasting and analytical techniques within a spatially explicit, agent-based, simulation framework to predict potential range expansion of Chinese and European privet (Ligustrum sinenseandL. vulgare) and the associated increase in crown fire risk over the next two decades in forestlands of Mississippi and Alabama. Our results indicate that probability of invasion is positively associated with elevation, adjacency (within 300 m) to water bodies, mean daily maximum temperature, site productivity and private land ownership, and is negatively associated with slope, stand age, artificial regeneration, distance to the nearest road and fire disturbance. Our projections suggest the total area invaded will increase from 1.36 to ≈31.39% of all forestlands in Mississippi and Alabama (≈7 million hectares) and the annual frequency of crown fires in these forestlands will approximately double within the next two decades. Such time series projections of annual range expansions and crown fire frequency

Left-right and Yin-Yang balance of biophoton emission from hands.

PubMed

Yang, Joon-mo; Choi, Chunho; Hyun-hee; Woo, Won-myung; Yi, Seung-ho; Soh, Kwang-sup; Yang, Jong Soo; Choi, C

2004-01-01

Yearlong measurements of biophotons from palm and back of hand of three healthy people were performed. The detection of biophoton was done with two photomultiplier tubes whose spectral range was from 300 nm to 650 nm. The measurement was done on a circular area of diameter 46 mm whose centers were at the acupuncture point Laogong (PC8) of a palm and the mid-point of a back, respectively. The emission rates from the dorsa showed strong seasonal dependence which is consistent with the active nature of Yang meridians, while the palm sides show less seasonal dependence as they belong to the passive Yin meridians. This could be quantified simply by the standard deviations from the yearly average: They were 47.6 counts per second (cps), 66.1 cps and 66.0 cps from the dorsa, and 23.8 cps, 29.7 cps and 30.4 cps from the palms of subject 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Biophoton emission revealed qualitative individual tendencies: The subjects 1 and 2 emitted more strongly from the left dorsa, while the subject 3 from the right dorsum. The left-right balance of biophoton emission was well kept for normal people, which is in contrast with the severe imbalance for some stroke patients. Thus biophoton measurement has a diagnostic potential that encourages more studies.

Consumption and reaccumulation of forest fuels in oak shelterwood stands managed with prescribed fire

Treesearch

Patrick H. Brose

2016-01-01

In the shelterwood-burn technique, a moderate- to high-intensity growing-season prescribed fire is essential to achieve desired oak regeneration goals. These levels of fire intensity are dependent on the increased fuel loadings created by the preceding first removal cut. However, the loadings of forest fuels and their fluctuation during implementation of the...

36 CFR 294.24 - Timber cutting, sale, or removal in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... removal in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation. The cutting, sale, or removal of timber is prohibited in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Wild Land Recreation under this subpart, except: (1) For... processes; (iii) To reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildland fire effects to an at-risk community or...

36 CFR 294.24 - Timber cutting, sale, or removal in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... removal in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation. The cutting, sale, or removal of timber is prohibited in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Wild Land Recreation under this subpart, except: (1) For... processes; (iii) To reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildland fire effects to an at-risk community or...

36 CFR 294.24 - Timber cutting, sale, or removal in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... removal in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation. The cutting, sale, or removal of timber is prohibited in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Wild Land Recreation under this subpart, except: (1) For... processes; (iii) To reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildland fire effects to an at-risk community or...

36 CFR 294.24 - Timber cutting, sale, or removal in Idaho Roadless Areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... removal in Idaho Roadless Areas. (a) Wild Land Recreation. The cutting, sale, or removal of timber is prohibited in Idaho Roadless Areas designated as Wild Land Recreation under this subpart, except: (1) For... processes; (iii) To reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildland fire effects to an at-risk community or...

Comparison of treatment with an Alexandrite picosecond laser and Nd:YAG nanosecond laser for removing blue-black Chinese eyeliner tattoos.

PubMed

Zhang, Mengli; Huang, Yuqing; Lin, Tong; Wu, Qiuju

2018-02-28

To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of an Alexandrite picosecond laser versus Nd:YAG nanosecond laser for removing blue-black eyeliner tattoos which have existed more than 10 years. A total of 40 patients were treated with an Alexandrite picosecond laser in our department from August 2015 to July 2017, with a fluence of 1.96-6.37J/cm 2 , spot size of 2.0-3.6 mm, and pulse width of 750 ps. Another 32 patients were treated with an Nd:YAG nanosecond laser, with a fluence of 2.80-7.00 J/cm 2 , spot size of 3 mm, and pulse width of 5-20 ns. All analysed patients completed at least one treatment and follow-up. The median number of treatment for all the patients was 1 (range, 1-4). After a single session, no difference was found between the two lasers for the eyeliner removal (p > 0.05). For the people who achieved an excellent response of tattoo clearance, there was still no difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Transient side effects were observed in two groups, but neither group had significant adverse reactions. To treat blue-black Chinese eyeliner tattoos over 10 years, Alexandrite picosecond laser does not provide better clearance than the Nd:YAG nanosecond laser.

Comparison of a low-tech vs. a high-tech method to evaluate surface fire temperatures

Treesearch

Daniel Yaussy; Joanne Rebbeck; Louis Iverson; Todd Hutchinson; Robert Long

2003-01-01

Prescribed surface fires were conducted in late March-early April 2001, at the Raccoon Ecological Management Area (two ~20 ha areas), and the Tar Hollow (~40 ha) and Zaleski (~40 ha) State Forests in thinned and unthinned mixed-oak forests of southeastern Ohio. Fires are being investigated as a silvicultural tool to aid in regenerating oaks, by removing understory...

Use of financial and economic analyses by federal forest managers for woody biomass removal

Treesearch

Todd A. Morgan; Jason P. Brandt; John D. Baldridge; Dan R. Loeffler

2011-01-01

This study was sponsored by the Joint Fire Science Program to understand and enhance the ability of federal land managers to address financial and economic (F&E) aspects of woody biomass removal as a component of fire hazard reduction. Focus groups were conducted with nearly 100 federal land managers throughout the western United States. Several issues and...

[Analysis on traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions treating cancer-related anorexia syndrome based on grey system theory combined with multivariate analysis method and discovery of new prescriptions].

PubMed

Chen, Song-Lin; Chen, Cong; Zhu, Hui; Li, Jing; Pang, Yan

2016-01-01

Cancer-related anorexia syndrome (CACS) is one of the main causes for death at present as well as a syndrome seriously harming patients' quality of life, treatment effect and survival time. In current clinical researches, there are fewer reports about empirical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions and patent prescriptions treating CACS, and prescription rules are rarely analyzed in a systematic manner. As the hidden rules are not excavated, it is hard to have an innovative discovery and knowledge of clinical medication. In this paper, the grey screening method combined with the multivariate statistical method was used to build the ″CACS prescriptions database″. Based on the database, totally 359 prescriptions were selected, the frequency of herbs in prescription was determined, and commonly combined drugs were evolved into 4 new prescriptions for different syndromes. Prescriptions of TCM in treatment of CACS gave priority to benefiting qi for strengthening spleen, also laid emphasis on replenishing kidney essence, dispersing stagnated liver-qi and dispersing lung-qi. Moreover, interdependence and mutual promotion of yin and yang should be taken into account to reflect TCM's holism and theory for treatment based on syndrome differentiation. The grey screening method, as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine research-supporting method, can be used to subjectively and objectively analyze prescription rules; and the new prescriptions can provide reference for the clinical use of TCM for treating CACS and the drug development. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

FIRES: Fire Information Retrieval and Evaluation System - A program for fire danger rating analysis

Treesearch

Patricia L. Andrews; Larry S. Bradshaw

1997-01-01

A computer program, FIRES: Fire Information Retrieval and Evaluation System, provides methods for evaluating the performance of fire danger rating indexes. The relationship between fire danger indexes and historical fire occurrence and size is examined through logistic regression and percentiles. Historical seasonal trends of fire danger and fire occurrence can be...

Decreased Genetic Dosage of Hepatic Yin Yang 1 Causes Diabetic-Like Symptoms

PubMed Central

Verdeguer, Francisco; Blättler, Sharon M.; Cunningham, John T.; Hall, Jessica A.; Chim, Helen

2014-01-01

Insulin sensitivity in liver is characterized by the ability of insulin to efficiently inhibit glucose production and fatty acid oxidation as well as promote de novo lipid biosynthesis. Specific dysregulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in liver is sufficient to cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes; this is seen by a selective inability of insulin to suppress glucose production while remaining insulin-sensitive to de novo lipid biosynthesis. We have previously shown that the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) controls diabetic-linked glucose and lipid metabolism gene sets in skeletal muscle, but whether liver YY1-targeted metabolic genes impact a diabetic phenotype is unknown. Here we show that decreased genetic dosage of YY1 in liver causes insulin resistance, hepatic lipid accumulation, and dyslipidemia. Indeed, YY1 liver-specific heterozygous mice exhibit blunted activation of hepatic insulin signaling in response to insulin. Mechanistically, YY1, through direct recruitment to promoters, functions as a suppressor of genes encoding for metabolic enzymes of the gluconeogenic and lipogenic pathways and as an activator of genes linked to fatty acid oxidation. These counterregulatory transcriptional activities make targeting hepatic YY1 an attractive approach for treating insulin-resistant diabetes. PMID:24467246

The Ethics of Clinical Care and the Ethics of Clinical Research: Yin and Yang.

PubMed

Kowalski, Charles J; Hutchinson, Raymond J; Mrdjenovich, Adam J

2017-02-01

The Belmont Report's distinction between research and the practice of accepted therapy has led various authors to suggest that these purportedly distinct activities should be governed by different ethical principles. We consider some of the ethical consequences of attempts to separate the two and conclude that separation fails along ontological, ethical, and epistemological dimensions. Clinical practice and clinical research, as with yin and yang, can be thought of as complementary forces interacting to form a dynamic system in which the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. Just as effective clinical practice cannot exist without clinical research, meaningful clinical research requires the context of clinical practice. We defend this thesis by triangulation, that is, by outlining how multiple investigators have reached this conclusion on the basis of varied theoretical and applied approaches. More confidence can be placed in a result if different methods/viewpoints have led to that result. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mercury emission and speciation of coal-fired power plants in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S. X.; Zhang, L.; Li, G. H.; Wu, Y.; Hao, J. M.; Pirrone, N.; Sprovieri, F.; Ancora, M. P.

2010-02-01

Comprehensive field measurements are needed to understand the mercury emissions from Chinese power plants and to improve the accuracy of emission inventories. Characterization of mercury emissions and their behavior were measured in six typical coal-fired power plants in China. During the tests, the flue gas was sampled simultaneously at inlet and outlet of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), electrostatic precipitators (ESP), and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) using the Ontario Hydro Method (OHM). The pulverized coal, bottom ash, fly ash and gypsum were also sampled in the field. Mercury concentrations in coal burned in the measured power plants ranged from 17 to 385 μg/kg. The mercury mass balances for the six power plants varied from 87 to 116% of the input coal mercury for the whole system. The total mercury concentrations in the flue gas from boilers were at the range of 1.92-27.15 μg/m3, which were significantly related to the mercury contents in burned coal. The mercury speciation in flue gas right after the boiler is influenced by the contents of halogen, mercury, and ash in the burned coal. The average mercury removal efficiencies of ESP, ESP plus wet FGD, and ESP plus dry FGD-FF systems were 24%, 73% and 66%, respectively, which were similar to the average removal efficiencies of pollution control device systems in other countries such as US, Japan and South Korea. The SCR system oxidized 16% elemental mercury and reduced about 32% of total mercury. Elemental mercury, accounting for 66-94% of total mercury, was the dominant species emitted to the atmosphere. The mercury emission factor was also calculated for each power plant.

Mercury emission and speciation of coal-fired power plants in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, S.; Zhang, L.; Li, G.; Wu, Y.; Hao, J.; Pirrone, N.; Sprovieri, F.; Ancora, M. P.

2009-11-01

Comprehensive field measurements are needed to understand the mercury emissions from Chinese power plants and to improve the accuracy of emission inventories. Characterization of mercury emissions and their behavior were measured in six typical coal-fired power plants in China. During the tests, the flue gas was sampled simultaneously at inlet and outlet of selective catalyst reduction (SCR), electrostatic precipitators (ESP), and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) using the Ontario Hydro Method (OHM). The pulverized coal, bottom ash, fly ash and gypsum were also sampled in the field. Mercury concentrations in coal burned in the measured power plants ranged from 17 to 385 μg/kg. The mercury mass balances for the six power plants varied from 87 to 116% of the input coal mercury for the whole system. The total mercury concentrations in the flue gas from boilers were at the range of 1.92-27.15 μg/m3, which were significantly related to the mercury contents in burned coal. The mercury speciation in flue gas right after the boiler is influenced by the contents of halogen, mercury, and ash in the burned coal. The average mercury removal efficiencies of ESP, ESP plus wet FGD, and ESP plus dry FGD-FF systems were 24%, 73% and 66%, respectively, which were similar to the average removal efficiencies of pollution control device systems in other countries such as US, Japan and South Korea. The SCR system oxidized 16% elemental mercury and reduced about 32% of total mercury. Elemental mercury, accounting for 66-94% of total mercury, was the dominant species emitted to the atmosphere. The mercury emission factor was also calculated for each power plant.

"Yin and Yang" tuned fluorescence sensing behavior of branched 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaohuan; Qi, Yanyu; Liu, Huijing; Peng, Junxia; Liu, Kaiqiang; Fang, Yu

2014-11-26

Achieving high sensing performance and good photostability of fluorescent films based on adlayer construction represents a significant challenge in the area of functional fluorescent film research. A solution may be offered by "Yin and Yang", a balance idea from Chinese philosophy, for the design of a fluorophore and the relevant assembly. Accordingly, a 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene (BPEB) derivative (C2) with two cholesteryl residues in the side chains and two glucono units in the head and tail positions was designed and synthesized. As a control, compound C1 was also prepared. The only difference between C1 and C2 is that the hydroxyl groups in the glucono residues of C1 are fully acetylated. Studies of the fluorescence behaviors of the two compounds in solution revealed that both the profile and the intensity of the fluorescence emission of the compounds, in particular C2, are dependent on their concentration and on the nature of solvents employed. Presence of HCl also alters the emission of the compounds in solution. On the basis of the studies, three fluorescent films were prepared, and their sensing performances to HCl in vapor state were studied. Specifically, Film 1 and Film 3 were fabricated via physical coating, separately, of C2 and C1 on glass plate surfaces. As another comparison, Film 2 was also fabricated with C2 as a fluorophore but at a much lower concentration if compared to that for the preparation of Film 1. As revealed by SEM and fluorescent microscopy studies, Film 1 and Film 2 exhibit well-defined microstructures, which are spherical particles and spherical pores, respectively, while Film 3 is characterized by irregular aggregates of C1. Fluorescence measurements demonstrated that Film 1 and Film 3 both display an aggregation emission, of which the emission from Film 1 is supersensitive to the presence of HCl vapor (detection limit: 0.4 ppb, a lowest value reported in the literatures). For Film 3, however, its emission is insensitive to the

Biological Degradation of Chinese Fir with Trametes Versicolor (L.) Lloyd

PubMed Central

Chen, Meiling; Wang, Chuangui; Fei, Benhua; Ma, Xinxin; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Shuangyan; Huang, Anmin

2017-01-01

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) has been an important afforestation species in northeast China. It has obvious defects of buckling and cracking easily, which are caused by its chemical components. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd, a white-rot fungus, can decompose the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the wood. White-rot fungus was used to biologically degrade Chinese fir wood. The effects of different degradation time on the Chinese fir wood’s mechanical properties, micromorphology, chemical components, and crystallinity were studied. The results showed that the heartwood of Chinese fir was more durable than the sapwood and the durability class of Chinese fir was III. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd had a greater influence on the mechanical properties (especially with respect to the modulus of elasticity (MOE)) for the sapwood. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd degraded Chinese fir and colonized the lumen of various wood cell types in Chinese fir, penetrated cell walls via pits, caused erosion troughs and bore holes, and removed all cell layers. The ability of white-rot fungus to change the chemical composition mass fraction for Chinese fir was: hemicellulose > lignin > cellulose. The durability of the chemical compositions was: lignin > cellulose > hemicellulose. The crystallinity of the cellulose decreased and the mean size of the ordered (crystalline) domains increased after being treated by white-rot fungus. PMID:28773191

Southwestern Oregon's Biscuit Fire: An Analysis of Forest Resources, Fire Severity, and Fire Hazard

Treesearch

David L. Azuma; Glenn A. Christensen

2005-01-01

This study compares pre-fire field inventory data (collected from 1993 to 1997) in relation to post-fire mapped fire severity classes and the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator growth and yield model measures of fire hazard for the portion of the Siskiyou National Forest in the 2002 Biscuit fire perimeter of southwestern Oregon. Post-fire...

Traditional Chinese Medicine Induced Liver Injury

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is popular around the world and encompasses many different practices with particular emphasis on herbal TCM. Using the PubMed database, a literature search was undertaken to assess the extent herbal TCM products exert rare hepatotoxicity. Analysis of reported cases revealed numerous specified herbal TCM products with potential hepatotoxicity. Among these were An Shu Ling, Bai Fang, Bai Xian Pi, Ban Tu Wan, Bo He, Bo Ye Qing Niu Dan, Bofu Tsu Sho San, Boh Gol Zhee, Cang Er Zi, Chai Hu, Chaso, Chi R Yun, Chuan Lian Zi, Ci Wu Jia, Da Chai Hu Tang, Da Huang, Du Huo, Gan Cao, Ge Gen, Ho Shou Wu, Hu Bohe You, Hu Zhang, Huang Qin, Huang Yao Zi, Hwang Geun Cho, Ji Gu Cao, Ji Ji, Ji Xue Cao, Jiguja, Jin Bu Huan, Jue Ming Zi, Kamishoyosan, Kudzu, Lei Gong Teng, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, Lu Cha, Ma Huang, Mao Guo Tian Jie Cai, Onshido, Polygonum multiflorum, Qian Li Guang, Ren Shen, Sairei To, Shan Chi, Shen Min, Shi Can, Shi Liu Pi, Shou Wu Pian, Tian Hua Fen, White flood, Wu Bei Zi, Xi Shu, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Yin Chen Hao, Zexie, Zhen Chu Cao, and various unclassified Chinese herbal mixtures. Causality was firmly established for a number of herbal TCM products by a positive reexposure test result, the liver specific scale of CIOMS (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences), or both. Otherwise, the quality of case data was mixed, especially regarding analysis of the herb ingredients because of adulteration with synthetic drugs, contamination with heavy metals, and misidentification. In addition, non-herbal TCM elements derived from Agaricus blazei, Agkistrodon, Antelope, Bombyx, Carp, Fish gallbladder, Phellinus, Scolopendra, Scorpio, and Zaocys are also known or potential hepatotoxins. For some patients, the clinical course was severe, with risks for acute liver failure, liver transplantation requirement, and lethality. In conclusion, the use of few herbal TCM products may rarely be associated with hepatotoxicity in some

Fight Fire Without Fire Fighters!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peacock, Richard D.

1977-01-01

There is a role for the classroom teacher in teaching fire safety. Discusses the inadequacies of present fire prevention programs and provides ten specific steps teachers can take to avoid suffering and death from fire. (Author/RK)

Mandarin Chinese Dictionary: English-Chinese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Fred Fangyu

This dictionary is a companion volume to the "Mandarin Chinese Dictionary (Chinese-English)" published in 1967 by Seton Hall University. The purpose of the dictionary is to help English-speaking students produce Chinese sentences in certain cultural situations by looking up the English expressions. Natural, spoken Chinese expressions within the…

In Vivo Chromatin Targets of the Transcription Factor Yin Yang 2 in Trophoblast Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Pérez-Palacios, Raquel; Macías-Redondo, Sofía; Climent, María; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno; Muniesa, Pedro; Schoorlemmer, Jon

2016-01-01

Background Yin Yang 2 (YY2) is a zinc finger protein closely related to the well-characterized Yin Yang 1 (YY1). YY1 is a DNA-binding transcription factor, with defined functions in multiple developmental processes, such as implantation, cell differentiation, X inactivation, imprinting and organogenesis. Yy2 has been treated as a largely immaterial duplication of Yy1, as they share high homology in the Zinc Finger-region and similar if not identical in vitro binding sites. In contrast to these similarities, gene expression alterations in HeLa cells with attenuated levels of either Yy1 or Yy2 were to some extent gene-specific. Moreover, the chromatin binding sites for YY2, except for its association with transposable retroviral elements (RE) and Endogenous Retroviral Elements (ERVs), remain to be identified. As a first step towards defining potential Yy2 functions matching or complementary to Yy1, we considered in vivo DNA binding sites of YY2 in trophoblast stem (TS) cells. Results We report the presence of YY2 protein in mouse-derived embryonic stem (ES) and TS cell lines. Following up on our previous report on ERV binding by YY2 in TS cells, we investigated the tissue-specificity of REX1 and YY2 binding and confirm binding to RE/ERV targets in both ES cells and TS cells. Because of the higher levels of expression, we chose TS cells to understand the role of Yy2 in gene and chromatin regulation. We used in vivo YY2 association as a measure to identify potential target genes. Sequencing of chromatin obtained in chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays carried out with αYY2 serum allowed us to identify a limited number of chromatin targets for YY2. Some putative binding sites were validated in regular ChIP assays and gene expression of genes nearby was altered in the absence of Yy2. Conclusions YY2 binding to ERVs is not confined to TS cells. In vivo binding sites share the presence of a consensus binding motif. Selected sites were uniquely bound by YY2 as

Effects of TCMC on Transformation of Good Health Status to Suboptimal Health Status: A Nested Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Wang, Tian; Chen, Jieyu; Sun, Xiaomin; Xiang, Lei; Zhou, Lin; Li, Fei; Lin, Changsong; Jiang, Pingping; Wu, Shengwei; Xiao, Ya; Cheng, Jingru; Luo, Ren; Liu, Yanyan; Zhao, Xiaoshan

2015-01-01

To explore the effects of traditional Chinese medicine constitution (TCMC) on transformation of good health status to suboptimal health status (SHS), we conducted a nested case-control study among college students in China. During the 18-month mean follow-up time, 543 cases of SHS (42.7%) occurred in 1273 healthy students. There was a significant (P = 0.000) and marked reduction in SHMS V1.0 total score in the case group at the 18-month follow-up (69.32 ± 5.45) compared with baseline (78.60 ± 4.70), but there was no significant change in the control group. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that respondents reporting Yin-deficiency and Qi-deficiency were, respectively, 2.247 and 2.198 times more likely to develop SHS, while tendency to Yin-deficiency and tendency to Damp-heat were, respectively, 1.642 and 1.506 times more likely to develop SHS. However, the Balanced Constitution was a significant protective factor (OR 0.649; P < 0.05). Altogether, these findings demonstrate that Yin-deficiency, Qi-deficiency, tendency to Yin-deficiency, and tendency to Damp-heat appeared to induce a change in health status to SHS, while the Balanced Constitution seemed to restrain this change. We conclude that regulating the unbalanced TCMC (such as Yin-deficiency and Qi-deficiency) may prevent a healthy status developing into SHS or lead to the regression of SHS. PMID:26346320

Therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine, Shen-Mai San, in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy: study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Cancer is one of the major health issues worldwide. An increasing number of cancer patients are offered treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most common complementary therapies offered to cancer patients in Taiwan. We designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of TCM in patients with cancer. Methods/design In this study, inclusion criteria are postoperative patients with histologically confirmed cancer within 3 years who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, more than 18 years old, have given signed informed consent, have the ability to read Chinese, and the ability for oral intake. Exclusion criteria include being pregnant, breast feeding, having completed chemotherapy or radiotherapy, brain metastasis with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of two to four, delusion or hallucinations, acute infection, and have received medications under other clinical trials. The patients were separated into an intervention group (Shen-Mai-San, SMS) and a placebo group for four weeks using a randomized, double-blind procedure. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life questionnaire (QOL-C30) was used to evaluate the quality of life. General data, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), TCM diagnosis data and heart rate variability (HRV) were also recorded. These data were collected at baseline, two weeks and four weeks after receiving medication. The patients were prescribed granules which contained therapeutic medicines or placebo. Paired-T test was used for statistical analysis. Discussion Shen-Mai-San is composed of processed Ginseng radis, Liriope spicata, and Schizandrae fructus. It was found to be effective for treating cancer

Large-Scale Spacecraft Fire Safety Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David; Ruff, Gary A.; Ferkul, Paul V.; Olson, Sandra; Fernandez-Pello, A. Carlos; T'ien, James S.; Torero, Jose L.; Cowlard, Adam J.; Rouvreau, Sebastien; Minster, Olivier;

The Yin and Yang aspects of IL-27 in induction of cancer-specific T-cell responses and immunotherapy.

PubMed

Li, Ming-Song; Liu, Zhenzhen; Liu, Jin-Qing; Zhu, Xiaotong; Liu, Zhihao; Bai, Xue-Feng

2015-01-01

Accumulating evidences from animal studies have indicated that both endogenous and exogenous IL-27, an IL-12 family of cytokine, can increase antitumor T-cell activities and inhibit tumor growth. IL-27 can modulate Treg responses, and program effector T cells into a unique T-effector stem cell (TSEC) phenotype, which enhances T-cell survival in the tumor microenvironment. However, animal studies also suggest that IL-27 induces molecular pathways such as IL-10, PD-L1 and CD39, which may downregulate tumor-specific T-cell responses. In this review paper, we will discuss the Yin and Yang aspects of IL-27 in the induction of tumor-specific T-cell responses, and the potential impacts of these functions of IL-27 in the design of cancer immunotherapy.

Fire!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Rebecca

1996-01-01

The number of school fires is up nationwide. This article describes unsafe school conditions, problems with new fire codes, and the factors that contribute to school fires. Installation of sprinkler systems is recommended. A fire-safety checklist is included. (LMI)

Fire weather and fire behavior in the 1966 loop fire

Treesearch

C.M. Countryman; M.A. Fosberg; R.C. Rothermel; M.J. Schroeder

1968-01-01

Southern California regularly experiences a wind condition known as the Santa Ana winds. This paper describes the phenomenon and the effects it had on fire behavior during the 1966 Loop Fire in the Angeles National Forest, which claimed the lives of 12 fire fighters.

Early forest fire detection using principal component analysis of infrared video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saghri, John A.; Radjabi, Ryan; Jacobs, John T.

2011-09-01

A land-based early forest fire detection scheme which exploits the infrared (IR) temporal signature of fire plume is described. Unlike common land-based and/or satellite-based techniques which rely on measurement and discrimination of fire plume directly from its infrared and/or visible reflectance imagery, this scheme is based on exploitation of fire plume temporal signature, i.e., temperature fluctuations over the observation period. The method is simple and relatively inexpensive to implement. The false alarm rate is expected to be lower that of the existing methods. Land-based infrared (IR) cameras are installed in a step-stare-mode configuration in potential fire-prone areas. The sequence of IR video frames from each camera is digitally processed to determine if there is a fire within camera's field of view (FOV). The process involves applying a principal component transformation (PCT) to each nonoverlapping sequence of video frames from the camera to produce a corresponding sequence of temporally-uncorrelated principal component (PC) images. Since pixels that form a fire plume exhibit statistically similar temporal variation (i.e., have a unique temporal signature), PCT conveniently renders the footprint/trace of the fire plume in low-order PC images. The PC image which best reveals the trace of the fire plume is then selected and spatially filtered via simple threshold and median filter operations to remove the background clutter, such as traces of moving tree branches due to wind.

Increasing microbial diversity and nitrogen cycling potential of burnt forest soil in Spain through post-fire management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereg, Lily; Mataix-Solera, Jorge; McMillan, Mary; García-Orenes, Fuensanta

2016-04-01

Microbial diversity and function in soils are increasingly assessed by the application of molecular methods such as sequencing and PCR technology. We applied these techniques to study microbial recovery in post-fire forest soils. The recovery of forest ecosystems following severe fire is influenced by post-fire management. The removal of burnt tree stumps (salvage logging) is a common practice in Spain following fire. In some cases, the use of heavy machinery in addition to the vulnerability of soils to erosion and degradation make this management potentially damaging to soil, and therefore to the ecosystem. We hypothesized that tree removal slows down the recovery of soil biological communities including microbial and plant communities and contributes to soil degradation in the burnt affected area. The study area is located in "Sierra de Mariola Natural Park" in Alcoi, Alicante (E Spain). A big forest fire (>500 has) occurred in July 2012. The forest is composed mainly of Pinus halepensis trees with an understory of typical Mediterranean shrubs species such as Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Brachypodium retusum, etc. Soil is classified as a Typic Xerorthent (Soil Survey Staff, 2014) developed over marls. In February 2013, salvage logging (SL) treatment, with a complete extraction of the burned wood using heavy machinery, was applied to a part of the affected forest. Plots for monitoring the effects of SL were installed in this area and in a similar nearby control (C) area, where no SL treatment was done. The recovery of soil bacterial and fungal communities post-fire with and without tree removal was analysed by using Next-Generation sequencing and the abundance of functional genes, related to nitrogen cycling, in the soil was estimated using quantitative PCR (qPCR). We will present the methods used and the results of our study in this PICO presentation.

Post-fire reconstructions of fire intensity from fire severity data: quantifying the role of spatial variability of fire intensity on forest dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Patrick; Oborne, Lisa

2015-04-01

Large, high-intensity fires have direct and long-lasting effects on forest ecosystems and present a serious threat to human life and property. However, even within the most catastrophic fires there is important variability in local-scale intensity that has important ramifications for forest mortality and regeneration. Quantifying this variability is difficult due to the rarity of catastrophic fire events, the extreme conditions at the time of the fires, and their large spatial extent. Instead fire severity is typically measured or estimated from observed patterns of vegetation mortality; however, differences in species- and size-specific responses to fires often makes fire severity a poor proxy for fire intensity. We developed a statistical method using simple, plot-based measurements of individual tree mortality to simultaneously estimate plot-level fire intensity and species-specific mortality patterns as a function of tree size. We applied our approach to an area of forest burned in the catastrophic Black Saturday fires that occurred near Melbourne, Australia, in February 2009. Despite being the most devastating fire in the past 70 years and our plots being located in the area that experienced some of the most intense fires in the 350,000 ha fire complex, we found that the estimated fire intensity was highly variable at multiple spatial scales. All eight tree species in our study differed in their susceptibility to fire-induced mortality, particularly among the largest size classes. We also found that seedling height and species richness of the post-fire seedling communities were both positively correlated with fire intensity. Spatial variability in disturbance intensity has important, but poorly understood, consequences for the short- and long-term dynamics of forests in the wake of catastrophic wildfires. Our study provides a tool to estimate fire intensity after a fire has passed, allowing new opportunities for linking spatial variability in fire intensity to

A review of fire interactions and mass fires

Treesearch

Mark A. Finney; Sara S. McAllister

2011-01-01

The character of a wildland fire can change dramatically in the presence of another nearby fire. Understanding and predicting the changes in behavior due to fire-fire interactions cannot only be life-saving to those on the ground, but also be used to better control a prescribed fire to meet objectives. In discontinuous fuel types, such interactions may elicit fire...

Effects of Introduced Grasses, Grazing and Fire on Regional Biogeochemistry in Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmore, A. J.; Asner, G. P.

2003-12-01

correlated with the fractional cover of P. setaceum. Soil carbon also increased with precipitation. These results show how grazing impacts fire conditions and soil chemistry through changes in species composition, and not through removal of carbon inputs (direct removal of biomass).

Aeolian Dust and Forest Fire Smoke in Urban Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brimblecombe, P.

2006-12-01

Particles of aeolian dust and forest fire smoke are now regularly detected in urban air. Although dusts are common on the Asian Pacific Rim and forest fire smoke characteristic of South East Asia they also frequently detected elsewhere. In the past dust was treated as though it was fairly inert and reactions on the surface limited to the neutralizing ability of alkaline minerals. More recent work shows that that dust has a complex organic chemistry. Observations in China found fatty acids from urban areas (oleic acid and linoleic acid from cooking) on dust derived aerosols. The fatty acids and PAHs decreased sharply after dust storms, suggesting a role for dust in removal processes. When silica particles absorb unsaturated compounds they can react with ozone and release compounds such as formaldehyde. Particles from forest fires have a similarly complex chemistry and the acid-alkaline balance may vary depend on the balance of removal rates of alkaline materials (ammonia, potassium carbonate) and inorganic and organic acids. Airborne dust and forest fire soot can contain humic like substances (HULIS) either as primary material or as secondary oxidation products of the surface of soot. This paper will report on the role polluted air masses in the generation humic materials, particularly those that are surface active. These materials of high molecular weight oxygen rich organic compounds, which exhibit a range of properties of importance in aerosols: they can form complexes with metal ions and thus enhance their solubility, photosensitize the oxidation of organic compounds and lower the surface tension of aqueous aerosols. HULIS can be oxidized to form a range of simpler acids such as formic, acetic and oxalic acid. Dust and forest fire smoke particles have a different composition and size range to that of typical urban combustion particles, so it is likely that the health impacts will be different, yet current regulation often does not recognize any significant

Fire characteristics charts for fire behavior and U.S. fire danger rating

Treesearch

Faith Ann Heinsch; Pat Andrews

2010-01-01

The fire characteristics chart is a graphical method of presenting U.S. National Fire Danger Rating indices or primary surface or crown fire behavior characteristics. A desktop computer application has been developed to produce fire characteristics charts in a format suitable for inclusion in reports and presentations. Many options include change of scales, colors,...

A Comparison of the Ecological Effects of Herbicide and Prescribed Fire in a Mature Longleaf Pine Forest: Response of Juvenile and Overstory Pine

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Gagnon; Steven B. Jack

2004-01-01

Prescribed fire may be removed as a forest management tool by regulatory agencies concerned about air quality issues. Herbicides have been proposed as substitutes for prescribed fires in southern pine forests, but we are aware of no studies that examine the effects of herbicide application in mature, fire maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris...

Forest-fire model with natural fire resistance.

PubMed

Yoder, Mark R; Turcotte, Donald L; Rundle, John B

2011-04-01

Observations suggest that contemporary wildfire suppression practices in the United States have contributed to conditions that facilitate large, destructive fires. We introduce a forest-fire model with natural fire resistance that supports this theory. Fire resistance is defined with respect to the size and shape of clusters; the model yields power-law frequency-size distributions of model fires that are consistent with field observations in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Removal of perennial herbaceous species affects response of cold desert scrublands to fire

Treesearch

Jeanne C. Chambers; David I. Board; Bruce A. Roundy; Peter J. Weisberg

2017-01-01

Our results show that loss of perennial herbaceous species, which can result from inappropriate livestock grazing, and loss of shrubs, which often results from fire, interact to affect key functional groups. The implications are that ecosystem resilience to disturbance in Cold Desert shrublands decreases when competition from perennial native grasses and forbs for...

Field Test Program for Long-Term Operation of a COHPAC System for Removing Mercury from Coal-Fired Flue Gas

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

Jean Bustard; Charles Lindsey; Paul Brignac

With the Nation's coal-burning utilities facing the possibility of tighter controls on mercury pollutants, the U.S. Department of Energy is funding projects that could offer power plant operators better ways to reduce these emissions at much lower costs. Sorbent injection technology represents one of the simplest and most mature approaches to controlling mercury emissions from coal-fired boilers. It involves injecting a solid material such as powdered activated carbon into the flue gas. The gas-phase mercury in the flue gas contacts the sorbent and attaches to its surface. The sorbent with the mercury attached is then collected by the existing particlemore » control device along with the other solid material, primarily fly ash. During 2001, ADA Environmental Solutions (ADA-ES) conducted a full-scale demonstration of sorbent-based mercury control technology at the Alabama Power E.C. Gaston Station (Wilsonville, Alabama). This unit burns a low-sulfur bituminous coal and uses a hot-side electrostatic precipitator (ESP) in combination with a Compact Hybrid Particulate Collector (COHPAC{reg_sign}) baghouse to collect fly ash. The majority of the fly ash is collected in the ESP with the residual being collected in the COHPAC{reg_sign} baghouse. Activated carbon was injected between the ESP and COHPAC{reg_sign} units to collect the mercury. Short-term mercury removal levels in excess of 90% were achieved using the COHPAC{reg_sign} unit. The test also showed that activated carbon was effective in removing both forms of mercury-elemental and oxidized. However, a great deal of additional testing is required to further characterize the capabilities and limitations of this technology relative to use with baghouse systems such as COHPAC{reg_sign}. It is important to determine performance over an extended period of time to fully assess all operational parameters. The project described in this report focuses on fully demonstrating sorbent injection technology at a coal-fired

Comparison of the characteristics of fire and non-fire households in the 2004-2005 survey of fire department-attended and unattended fires.

PubMed

Greene, Michael A

2012-06-01

Comparison of characteristics of fire with non-fire households to determine factors differentially associated with fire households (fire risk factors). National household telephone survey in 2004-2005 by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission with 916 fire households and a comparison sample of 2161 non-fire households. There were an estimated 7.4 million fires (96.6% not reported to fire departments) with 130,000 injuries. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess differences in household characteristics. Significant factors associated with fire households were renting vs. owning (OR 1.988 p<0.0001); household members under 18 year of age (OR 1.277 p<0.0001); lack of residents over 64 years old (OR 0.552 p=0.0007); and college or higher education (some college OR 1.444 p=0.0360, college graduate OR 1.873, p<0.0001, postgraduate OR 2.156 p<0.0001). Not significant were age of house; race; ethnicity; and income. Number of smokers was borderline significant (OR 1.132 p=0.1019) but was significant in the subset of fire households with non-cooking fires (OR 1.383 p=0.0011). Single family houses were associated with non-fire households in the bivariate analysis but not in the multivariate analyses. Renting, household members under 18 years old and smokers are risk factors for unattended fires, similar to the literature for fatal and injury fires. Differences included household members over 65 years old (associated with non-fire households), college/postgraduate education (associated with fire households) and lack of significance of income. Preventing cooking fires (64% of survey incidents), smoking prevention efforts and fire prevention education for families with young children have the potential for reducing unattended fires and injuries.

Mössbauer study of the firing technology of the moon-white Jun porcelain in Chinese Yuan Dynasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Songhua, Chen; Zhengyao, Gao; Zhongtian, Sun; Xiande, Chen

1994-12-01

The moon-white Jun porcelain glaze contains Fe2O3, Fe3O4 and structural iron. The firing atmosphere of ancient Jun kilns was modestly reductive. The firing temperature was slightly above 1250 ‡C. The glaze color appears moon-white, and is related to the low concentration of Fe2+. The coordination numbers of Fe2+ and Fe3+ are both 4.

Fire investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomberg, A.

There was considerable progress made on several fronts of fire investigation in the United States in recent years. Progress was made in increasing the quantity of fire investigation and reporting, through efforts to develop the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Improving overall quality of fire investigation is the objective of efforts such as the Fire Investigation Handbook, which was developed and published by the National Bureau of Standards, and the upgrading and expanding of the ""dictionary'' of fire investigation and reporting, the NFPA 901, Uniform Coding for Fire Protection, system. The science of fire investigation as furthered also by new approaches to post fire interviews being developed at the University of Washington, and by in-depth research into factors involved in several large loss fires, including the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Finally, the use of special study fire investigations - in-depth investigations concentrating on specific fire problems - is producing new glimpses into the nature of the national fire problem. A brief description of the status of efforts in each of these areas is discussed.

Using Singular Value Decomposition to Investigate Degraded Chinese Character Recognition: Evidence from Eye Movements during Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hsueh-Cheng; Schotter, Elizabeth R.; Angele, Bernhard; Yang, Jinmian; Simovici, Dan; Pomplun, Marc; Rayner, Keith

2013-01-01

Previous research indicates that removing initial strokes from Chinese characters makes them harder to read than removing final or internal ones. In the present study, we examined the contribution of important components to character configuration via singular value decomposition. The results indicated that when the least important segments, which…

Resolving vorticity-driven lateral fire spread using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire numerical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, C. C.; Sharples, J. J.; Evans, J. P.

2014-05-01

Fire channelling is a form of dynamic fire behaviour, during which a wildland fire spreads rapidly across a steep lee-facing slope in a direction transverse to the background winds, and is often accompanied by a downwind extension of the active flaming region and extreme pyro-convection. Recent work using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire model has demonstrated that fire channelling can be characterised as vorticity-driven lateral fire spread (VDLS). In this study, 16 simulations are conducted using WRF-Fire to examine the sensitivity of resolving VDLS to spatial resolution and atmosphere-fire coupling within the WRF-Fire model framework. The horizontal grid spacing is varied between 25 and 90 m, and the two-way atmosphere-fire coupling is either enabled or disabled. At high spatial resolution, the atmosphere-fire coupling increases the peak uphill and lateral spread rate by a factor of up to 2.7 and 9.5. The enhancement of the uphill and lateral spread rate diminishes at coarser spatial resolution, and VDLS is not modelled for a horizontal grid spacing of 90 m. The laterally spreading fire fronts become the dominant contributors of the extreme pyro-convection. The resolved fire-induced vortices responsible for driving the lateral spread in the coupled simulations have non-zero vorticity along each unit vector direction, and develop due to an interaction between the background winds and vertical return circulations generated at the flank of the fire front as part of the pyro-convective updraft. The results presented in this study demonstrate that both high spatial resolution and two-way atmosphere-fire coupling are required to reproduce VDLS within the current WRF-Fire model framework.

Application of Toxic Chinese Medicine in Chinese Pharmacopoeia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hui; Feng, Yu; Mao, Mingsan

2018-01-01

Objective: Explore the application characteristics of proprietary Chinese medicine prescriptions containing toxic herbs in pharmacopoeia. Methods: In this paper, according to the clinical application of pharmacopoeia proprietary Chinese medicine is divided into table agent, Qushu agent, diarrhea agent, heat agent, Wen Li agent, cough and asthma agents, resuscitation agent, Gutian agent, Fuzheng agent, Anshen agent, hemostatic agent, The traditional Chinese medicine prescription and the clinical application of the Chinese herbal medicine containing the toxic Chinese medicine were analyzed and sorted out., Summed up the compatibility of toxic herbs and application characteristics. Results: Toxic Chinese herbal medicine in the cure of traditional Chinese medicine to play a long-standing role, through the overall thinking, dialectical thinking, and thinking of toxic Chinese medicine in the analysis of Chinese medicine that [2], toxic Chinese medicine in the application of proprietary Chinese medicine can not lack. Conclusion: Pharmacopoeia included proprietary Chinese medicine not only in the clinical treatment of good, but also the application of its toxic traditional Chinese medicine and its understanding of the enrichment of the toxic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and treatment-related disease pathology between the points of contact for patients with clinical applications Based on and theoretical guidance of Chinese medicine [3].

Comparing fire severity models from post-fire and pre/post-fire differenced imagery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wildland fires are common in rangelands worldwide. The potential for high severity fires to affect long-term changes in rangelands is considerable, and for this reason assessing fire severity shortly after the fire is critical. Such assessments are typically carried out following Burned Area Emergen...

The role of fire in deep time ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Andrew C.; Bond, William J.; Collinson, Margaret E.; Glasspool, Ian J.; Brown, Sarah; Braman, Dennis R.

2010-05-01

Fires are very widespread in the world today and fire has also been common in the deep past. Fire is important in structuring contemporary World vegetation maintaining extensive open vegetation where the climate has the potential to support closed forests. The influence of fire on the structure of vegetation and plant traits present in a community vary depending on the fire regime. The fire regime is the characteristic pattern of fire frequency, severity (amount of biomass removed) and spatial extent. Fire regimes depend on the synergy between external physical factors and the properties of vegetation. Changes in the fire regime can be brought about by changes in external conditions such as climate, but also by changes in vegetation such as changes in flammability or productivity that influence the amount of fuel. For example, invasion of grasses into closed wooded habitats has initiated a ‘grass fire cycle' in many parts of the world triggering cascading changes in vegetation structure and composition from forest to open grassland or savanna woodland. The spread of flammable invasive species, especially grasses, has even altered fire regimes of fire-dependent flammable communities causing catastrophic ecosystem changes. We suggest that the spread of angiosperms in the Cretaceous was promoted by the development of novel fire regimes linked to the evolution of novel, highly productive (and flammable) plants. Within the limits of physical constraints on fire occurrence, Cretaceous angiosperms would have initiated a positive feedback analogous to the grass-fire cycle rapidly accumulating fuel that promoted more frequent fires, which maintained open habitats in which rapid growth-traits of angiosperms would be most favoured promoting rapid fuel accumulation etc. Frequent fires would have altered vegetation structure and composition both by increasing mortality rates of fire-damaged trees and reducing recruitment rates of seedlings and saplings where fires recurred

Yin Yang 1 Is a Critical Repressor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Expression in Brain Neurons*

PubMed Central

Rylski, Marcin; Amborska, Renata; Zybura, Katarzyna; Mioduszewska, Barbara; Michaluk, Piotr; Jaworski, Jacek; Kaczmarek, Leszek

2008-01-01

Membrane depolarization controls long lasting adaptive neuronal changes in brain physiology and pathology. Such responses are believed to be gene expression-dependent. Notably, however, only a couple of gene repressors active in nondepolarized neurons have been described. In this study, we show that in the unstimulated rat hippocampus in vivo, as well as in the nondepolarized brain neurons in primary culture, the transcriptional regulator Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is bound to the proximal Mmp-9 promoter and strongly represses Mmp-9 transcription. Furthermore, we demonstrate that monoubiquitinated and CtBP1 (C-terminal binding protein 1)-bound YY1 regulates Mmp-9 mRNA synthesis in rat brain neurons controlling its transcription apparently via HDAC3-dependent histone deacetylation. In conclusion, our data suggest that YY1 exerts, via epigenetic mechanisms, a control over neuronal expression of MMP-9. Because MMP-9 has recently been shown to play a pivotal role in physiological and pathological neuronal plasticity, YY1 may be implicated in these phenomena as well. PMID:18940814

Fire in the OR--developing a fire safety plan.

PubMed

McCarthy, Patricia M; Gaucher, Kenneth A

2004-03-01

Approximately 100 operating room fire occur each year in the United States. Although rare, fire in a perioperative setting can be disastrous for both patients and staff members. It is crucial that all perioperative departments have a well thought out and previously rehearsed fire plan in place. Multidisciplinary planning and implementation of regularly scheduled and scripted fire drills are essential to prevent adverse outcomes. Fire drills ensure that all staff members are familiar with the use and location of fire pull stations, fire extinguishers, and fire blankets. Fire drills also prepare staff members to evacuate the OR area if necessary. This article provides the information and framework necessary to develop and implement comprehensive OR fire safety plans that could make the difference between life and death in a fire emergency.

Evidence of fuels management and fire weather influencing fire severity in an extreme fire event

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lydersen, Jamie M; Collins, Brandon M.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Matchett, John R.; Shive, Kristen L.; Povak, Nicholas A.; Kane, Van R.; Smith, Douglas F.

2017-01-01

Following changes in vegetation structure and pattern, along with a changing climate, large wildfire incidence has increased in forests throughout the western U.S. Given this increase there is great interest in whether fuels treatments and previous wildfire can alter fire severity patterns in large wildfires. We assessed the relative influence of previous fuels treatments (including wildfire), fire weather, vegetation and water balance on fire severity in the Rim Fire of 2013. We did this at three different spatial scales to investigate whether the influences on fire severity changed across scales. Both fuels treatments and previous low to moderate severity wildfire reduced the prevalence of high severity fire. In general, areas without recent fuels treatments and areas that previously burned at high severity tended to have a greater proportion of high severity fire in the Rim Fire. Areas treated with prescribed fire, especially when combined with thinning, had the lowest proportions of high severity. Proportion of the landscape burned at high severity was most strongly influenced by fire weather and proportional area previously treated for fuels or burned by low to moderate severity wildfire. The proportion treated needed to effectively reduce the amount of high fire severity fire varied by spatial scale of analysis, with smaller spatial scales requiring a greater proportion treated to see an effect on fire severity. When moderate and high severity fire encountered a previously treated area, fire severity was significantly reduced in the treated area relative to the adjacent untreated area. Our results show that fuels treatments and low to moderate severity wildfire can reduce fire severity in a subsequent wildfire, even when burning under fire growth conditions. These results serve as further evidence that both fuels treatments and lower severity wildfire can increase forest resilience.

Susceptibility of eastern U.S. habitats to invasion of Celastrus orbiculatus (oriental bittersweet) following fire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leicht-Young, Stacey A.; Pavlovic, Noel B.; Grundel, Ralph

2013-01-01

Fire effects on invasive species are an important land management issue in areas subjected to prescribed fires as well as wildfires. These effects on invasive species can be manifested across life stages. The liana Celastrus orbiculatus (oriental bittersweet) is a widespread invader of eastern US habitats including those where fire management is in practice. This study examined if prescribed fire makes these habitats more susceptible to invasion of C. orbiculatus by seed at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Four treatments (control, litter removed, high and low intensity fire) were applied in six habitat types (sand savanna/woodland, sand prairie, moraine prairie, sand oak forest, beech-maple forest, and oak-hickory forest) and germinating seedlings were tracked over two growing seasons. Treatment did not have a significant effect on the germination, survival, or biomass of C. orbiculatus. However, habitat type did influence these responses mostly in the first growing season. Moraine prairie, beech-maple forest, and oak-hickory forests had the greatest peak percentage of germinants. Moraine prairie had significantly greater survival than oak forest and savanna habitats. Control plots with intact litter, and the moraine prairie habitat had the tallest seedlings at germination, while tallest final heights and greatest aboveground biomass were highest in oak forest. Thus, fire and litter removal did not increase the susceptibility of these habitats to germination and survival of C. orbiculatus. These results indicate that most eastern US habitats are vulnerable to invasion by this species via seed regardless of the level or type of disturbance to the litter layer.

Competing consumers: contrasting the patterns and impacts of fire and mammalian herbivory in Africa

PubMed Central

Archibald, Sally

2016-01-01

Fire and herbivory are the two consumers of above-ground biomass globally. They have contrasting impacts as they differ in terms of selectivity and temporal occurrence. Here, we integrate continental-scale data on fire and herbivory in Africa to explore (i) how environmental drivers constrain these two consumers and (ii) the degree to which each consumer affects the other. Environments conducive to mammalian herbivory are not necessarily the same as those conducive to fire, although their spheres of influence do overlap—especially in grassy ecosystems which are known for their frequent fires and abundance of large mammalian herbivores. Interactions between fire and herbivory can be competitive, facultative or antagonistic, and we explore this with reference to the potential for alternative ecosystem states. Although fire removes orders of magnitude more biomass than herbivory their methane emissions are very similar, and in the past, herbivores probably emitted more methane than fire. We contrast the type of herbivory and fire in different ecosystems to define ‘consumer-realms’. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation’. PMID:27502374

Effect of naringenin in Qianggu capsule on population pharmacokinetics in Chinese women with primary osteoporosis.

PubMed

Jiannong, Wang; Junjie, Jiang; Yanming, Xie; Xu, Wei; Jianpeng, Li; Jingli, Duan; Xin, Xiong

2015-04-01

To characterize naringenin (NAR) pop- ulation pharmacokinetics (PPK) in Chinese women with primary osteoporosis. Ninety-eight female patients with primary osteoporosis from the Jingshan, Beixinqiao, Jiaodaokou, Chaoyangmen, and Donghuamen communities in Beijing, China, aged 40 to 80 years, re- ceived oral Qianggu capsules (250 mg). Blood samples were collected before and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration. The concentration of NAR in the blood samples was measured using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. PPK analyses were performed with nonlinear mixed-effect modeling software (version 7.1.2, PsN3.2.12). The clearance (C1), central distribution volume (V), absorption rate constant (Ka1), peripheral distribution volume (VII), and inter-compartmental clearance (CLII) were set as parameters and estimated by the base model, covariate model, and final model. Kidney-Yang deficiency [Shenyangxu (SYAX)] and liver-kidney-Yin deficiency (Ganshenyinxu) are patterns of symptoms in Traditional Chinese Medicine that were set as covariates, along with age, height, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and hyperlipidemia. Both stepwise forward and backward procedures were accomplished to build models. The final model was evaluated by internal and external validation, visual predictive check, bootstrap, and leverage analysis. A one compartment open model with first order degradation was the best fitted to the concentration-time profiles following oral administration of NAR. The mean of population parameters of the final model, C1, SYAX on C1, V, Ka1, CLII, and VII, were measured to be 37.6 L/h, 0.427 L, 123 L/h, 0.12/h, 0.3056, and 1.446, respectively. Inter-individual variability was estimated and SYAX was identified as a significant covariate. The population pharmacokinetic model described in this study could effectively characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of NAR

EEOC sues aerospace company over firing of worker with AIDS. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

PubMed

1995-09-22

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit against a New Jersey aerospace company for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). AlliedSignal Aerospace is charged with refusing to provide reasonable accommodations to [name removed], an employee with AIDS, and terminating him when he announced that he was seeking legal counsel. AlliedSignal initially agreed to tailor the employee's schedule and exempt him from overnight business trips, then reneged on the agreement. Following disclosure of [name removed]'s diagnosis and intent to seek counsel, the company retaliated. [Name removed]'s evaluations plummeted and he was fired. [Name removed] is now deceased, but the EEOC continues to pursue charges on behalf of his estate.

Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 2: Description and interpretations of fire behavior

Treesearch

Mark A. Finney; Charles W. McHugh; Roberta Bartlette; Kelly Close; Paul Langowski

2003-01-01

This report summarizes the progress of the Hayman Fire, its behavior, and the influence of environmental conditions. Data were obtained from narratives from fire behavior analysts assigned to the fire management teams, discussions with fire management staff, meteorology from local weather stations and Bradshaw and others (2003), photographs, satellite imagery, and...

IET control building (TAN620). equipment removed. Lube oil and waste ...

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

IET control building (TAN-620). equipment removed. Lube oil and waste piping at upper right. Fire door on right. Rebar exposed in concrete of ceiling. INEEL negative no. HD-21-5-3 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Fire Control Agent Effectiveness for Hazardous Chemical Fires: Carbon Disulfide.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

Fires..................................... 46 12. AFFF Fire Control Data for Carbon Disulfide Fires............................. 47 13. Extinguishment...Disulfide and Hexane Fires ....... 67 22. Comparison of AFFF Fire Control Times for Carbon Disulfide and Hexane Fires ................... 68 23. Comparison of...Data .............. 27 2. Summary of Fluoroprotein Foam Fire Test Data ....... 28 3. Summary of AFFF Fire Test Data ..................... 29 4. Summary

Sundance Fire: an analysis of fire phenomena

Treesearch

Hal E. Anderson

1968-01-01

The Sundance Fire on September 1, 1967, made a spectacular run of 16 miles in 9 hours and destroyed more than 50,000 acres. This run became the subject of a detailed research analysis of the environmental, topographic, and vegetation variables aimed at reconstructing and describing fire phenomena. This report details the fire's progress; discusses the fire's...

Process for non-contact removal of organic coatings from the surface of paintings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1995-01-01

The present invention discloses a method of removing organic protective coatings from a painting. In the present invention degraded protective coatings such as lacquers, acrylics, natural resins, carbons, soot, and polyurethane are safely removed from the surface of a painting without contact to the surface of the painting. This method can be used for restoration of paintings when they have been damaged, through age, fire, etc.

Laboratory fire behavior measurements of chaparral crown fire

Treesearch

C. Sanpakit; S. Omodan; D. Weise; M Princevac

2015-01-01

In 2013, there was an estimated 9,900 wildland fires that claimed more than 577,000 acres of land. That same year, about 542 prescribed fires were used to treat 48,554 acres by several agencies in California. Being able to understand fires using laboratory models can better prepare individuals to combat or use fires. Our research focused on chaparral crown fires....

Fire ignition during laser surgery in pet rodents

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Laser surgery is an attractive alternative to other means of section device in terms of tissue inflammation and interaction, which has been extensively used in human and veterinary medicine. Although accidental ignition during laser surgeries is sporadically reported in human medical literature, to the authors’ knowledge this is the first report regarding laser-dependent fire ignition during surgery in veterinary medicine. Case presentation Two rodents, a 13-month old, 27-gram, male pet mouse (Mus musculus) and a 1-year old, female Russian hamster (Phodopus sungorus), underwent surgical removal of masses with diode laser. During the surgical procedures fires ignited from the face masks. The mouse presented severe burns on the head and both forelimbs, it was hospitalized and approximately 2 months after surgery burns were resolved. The hamster presented severe burns on the face and the proximal regions of the body. At 72 hours from the accident the hamster was euthanized. Conclusion The present report suggests that fire ignition is a potential life-threatening complication of laser surgery in non-intubated rodents maintained under volatile anesthesia. High oxygen concentrations, the presence of combustible, and the narrowness of the surgical field with the face mask during laser surgery on rodents are risk factors for fire ignition. PMID:23009047

Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora

Treesearch

James K. Brown; Jane Kapler Smith

2000-01-01

VOLUME 2: This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on flora and fuels can assist land managers with ecosystem and fire management planning and in their efforts to inform others about the ecological role of fire. Chapter topics include fire regime classification, autecological effects of fire, fire regime characteristics and postfire plant community...

Prescribed fire and brush removal affect vegetation, fuel loads, and abundance of selected beetle populations in pine stands

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; Tessa A. Bauman; Richard A. Goyer; Gerald J. Lenhard

2015-01-01

Three forest sites were selected in Louisiana in early 2001. On each site, three treatments were applied: (1) Check: no further management; (2) PF: prescribed fire was applied in May 2001 and June 2003; and (3) PF-MPC: between the two prescribed fires, midstory and understory woody vegetation was masticated with mechanical equipment in July 2002. Management did not...

Resolving vorticity-driven lateral fire spread using the WRF-Fire coupled atmosphere-fire numerical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, C. C.; Sharples, J. J.; Evans, J. P.

2014-09-01

Vorticity-driven lateral fire spread (VLS) is a form of dynamic fire behaviour, during which a wildland fire spreads rapidly across a steep leeward slope in a direction approximately transverse to the background winds. VLS is often accompanied by a downwind extension of the active flaming region and intense pyro-convection. In this study, the WRF-Fire (WRF stands for Weather Research and Forecasting) coupled atmosphere-fire model is used to examine the sensitivity of resolving VLS to both the horizontal and vertical grid spacing, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling from within the model framework. The atmospheric horizontal and vertical grid spacing are varied between 25 and 90 m, and the fire-to-atmosphere coupling is either enabled or disabled. At high spatial resolutions, the inclusion of fire-to-atmosphere coupling increases the upslope and lateral rate of spread by factors of up to 2.7 and 9.5, respectively. This increase in the upslope and lateral rate of spread diminishes at coarser spatial resolutions, and VLS is not modelled for a horizontal and vertical grid spacing of 90 m. The lateral fire spread is driven by fire whirls formed due to an interaction between the background winds and the vertical circulation generated at the flank of the fire front as part of the pyro-convective updraft. The laterally advancing fire fronts become the dominant contributors to the extreme pyro-convection. The results presented in this study demonstrate that both high spatial resolution and two-way atmosphere-fire coupling are required to model VLS with WRF-Fire.

Fire

Treesearch

John R. Jones; Norbert V. DeByle

1985-01-01

In some areas, many aspen stands are all the same age, dating from a single great fire or a year of widespread fires (fig. 1). The 1879 fire in the Jackson Hole region of Wyoming (Loope and Gruell 1973) and the 1904 fires in Arizona's White Mountains (Kallander 1969) are examples. Choate (1966) found that almost all aspen stands in New Mexico were even-aged, many...

Effects of high- and low-intensity fires on soil properties and plant growth in a Bolivian dry forest

Treesearch

Deborah K. Kennard; H.L. Gholz

2001-01-01

We compared soil nutrient availabiiity and soil physical properties among four treatments (high-intensity fire, low- intensity fire, plant removal, and harvesting gap) and a control (intact forest understory) over a period of 18 months in a tropical dry forest in Bolivia. The effect of treatments on plant growth was tested using a shade intolerant tree species (

Conservation implications for neotropical migratory and game birds in oak-hardwood stands managed with shelterwood harvests and prescribed fire

Treesearch

J. Drew Lanham; Patrick H. Brose; Patrick D. Keyser

2006-01-01

Prescribed fire in conjunction with shelterwood cutting is a novel way to regenerate oakdominated stands on certain upland sites while minimizing the intrusion of hardwoods. We describe three options (complete or partial canopy retention, postharvest prescribed burning, and complete canopy removal) within a shelterwood-prescribed fire regime that will create two-age...

Chinese tallow: Invading the southeastern Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2000-01-01

Chinese tallow is an ornamental tree with colorful autumn foliage that can survive full sunlight and shade, flooding, drought, and in some cases fire. To horticulturists this kind of tree sounds like a dream, but to ecologists, land managers, and land owners this kind of tree can be a nightmare, especially when it invades an area and takes over native vegetation. Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), a nonnative tree from China, is currently transforming the southeastern Coastal Plain.Over the last 30 years, Chinese tallow has become a common tree in old fields and bottomland swamps of coastal Louisiana. Several studies at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC), Lafayette, Louisiana, are aimed at understanding the factors that contribute to Chinese tallow growth, spread, and management.When tallow invades, it eventually monopolizes an area, creating a forest without native animal or plant species. This tree exhibits classic traits of most nonnative invaders: it is attractive so people want to distribute it, it has incredible resiliency, it grows quickly and in a variety of soils, and it is resistant to pests.In the coastal prairie of Louisiana and Texas, Chinese tallow can grow up to 30 feet and shade out native sun-loving prairie species. The disappearing of prairie species is troublesome because less than 1% of original coastal prairie remains, and in Louisiana, less than 500 of the original 2.2 million acres still exist.Tallow reproduces and grows quickly and can cause large-scale ecosystem modification (fig. 1). For example, when it completely replaces native vegetation, it has a negative effect on birds by degrading the habitat. Besides shading out grasses that cattle like to eat, it can also be potentially harmful to humans and animals because of its berries (fig. 2) and plant sap that contain toxins. There is some concern its leaves may shed toxins that change the soil chemistry and make it difficult for other plants to grow.

Active fire detection using a peat fire radiance model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushida, K.; Honma, T.; Kaku, K.; Fukuda, M.

2011-12-01

The fire fractional area and radiances at 4 and 11 μm of active fires in Indonesia were estimated using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images. Based on these fire information, a stochastic fire model was used for evaluating two fire detection algorithms of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). One is single-image stochastic fire detection, and the other is multitemporal stochastic fire detection (Kushida, 2010 - IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett.). The average fire fractional area per one 1 km2 ×1 km2 pixel was 1.7%; this value corresponds to 32% of that of Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires. The average radiances at 4 and 11 μm of active fires were 7.2 W/(m2.sr.μm) and 11.1 W/(m2.sr.μm); these values correspond to 47% and 91% of those of Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires, respectively. In order to get false alarms less than 20 points per 106 km2 area, for the Siberian and Mongolian boreal forest fires, omission errors (OE) of 50-60% and about 40% were expected for the detections by using the single and multitemporal images, respectively. For Indonesian peat fires, OE of 80-90% was expected for the detections by using the single images. For the peat-fire detections by using the multitemporal images, OE of about 40% was expected, provided that the background radiances were estimated from past multitemporal images with less than the standard deviation of 1K. The analyses indicated that it was difficult to obtain sufficient active-fire information of Indonesian peat fires from single MODIS images for the fire fighting, and that the use of the multitemporal images was important.

The effect of leaf beetle herbivory on the fire behaviour of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima Lebed.)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drus, Gail M.; Dudley, Tom L.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Matchett, John R.

2012-01-01

The non-native tree, Tamarix spp. has invaded desert riparian ecosystems in the south-western United States. Fire hazard has increased, as typically fire-resistant native vegetation is replaced by Tamarix. The tamarisk leaf beetle, Diorhabda carinulata Desbrochers, introduced for biological control, may affect fire behaviour by converting hydrated live Tamarix leaves and twigs into desiccated and dead fuels. This potentially increases fire hazard in the short term before native vegetation can be re-established. This study investigates how fire behaviour is altered in Tamarix fuels desiccated by Diorhabda herbivory at a Great Basin site, and by herbivory simulated by foliar herbicide at a Mojave Desert site. It also evaluates the influence of litter depth on fire intensity. Fire behaviour was measured with a fire intensity index that integrates temperature and duration (degree-minutes above 70°C), and with maximum temperature, duration, flame lengths, rates of spread and vegetation removal. Maximum temperature, flame length and rate of spread were enhanced by foliar desiccation of Tamarix at both sites. At only the Mojave site, there was a trend for desiccated trees to burn with greater fire intensity. At both sites, fire behaviour parameters were influenced to a greater degree by litter depth, vegetation density and drier and windier conditions than by foliar desiccation.

Fire intensity drives post-fire temporal pattern of soil carbon accumulation in Australian fire-prone forests.

PubMed

Sawyer, Robert; Bradstock, Ross; Bedward, Michael; Morrison, R John

2018-01-01

The impact of fire on global C cycles is considerable but complex. Nevertheless, studies on patterns of soil C accumulation following fires of differing intensity over time are lacking. Our study utilised 15 locations last burnt by prescribed fire (inferred low intensity) and 18 locations last burnt by wildfire (inferred high intensity), with time since fire (TSF) up to 43years, in a homogenous forest type in south eastern Australia. Following a stratified approach to mineral soil sampling, the soil % total C (% C Tot ) and % recalcitrant pyrogenic C (% RPC), were estimated. Generalised additive models indicated increases in % C Tot at TSF >30years in sites last burnt by wildfire. Estimates in sites last subjected to prescribed fire however, remained constant across the TSF chronosequence. There was no significant difference in % C Tot between the different fire types for the first 20years after fire. In the first 10years after wildfires, % RPC was elevated, declining to a minimum at ca. TSF 25years. After prescribed fires, % RPC was unaffected by TSF. Differences in response of % C Tot and % RPC to fire type may reflect the strength of stimulation of early successional processes and extent of charring. The divergent response to fire type in % C Tot was apparent at TSF longer than the landscape average fire return interval (i.e., 15 to 20years). Thus, any attempt to increase C sequestration in soils would require long-term exclusion of fire. Conversely, increased fire frequency is likely to have negligible impact on soil C stocks in these forests. Further investigation of the effects of fire frequency, fire intensity combinations and interaction of fire with other disturbances will enhance prediction of the likely impact of imposed or climatically induced changes to fire regimes on soil C. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fire Detection Tradeoffs as a Function of Vehicle Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Dietrich, Daniel L.; Brooker, John E.; Meyer, Marit E.; Ruff, Gary A.

2016-01-01

Fire survivability depends on the detection of and response to a fire before it has produced an unacceptable environment in the vehicle. This detection time is the result of interplay between the fire burning and growth rates; the vehicle size; the detection system design; the transport time to the detector (controlled by the level of mixing in the vehicle); and the rate at which the life support system filters the atmosphere, potentially removing the detected species or particles. Given the large differences in critical vehicle parameters (volume, mixing rate and filtration rate) the detection approach that works for a large vehicle (e.g. the ISS) may not be the best choice for a smaller crew capsule. This paper examines the impact of vehicle size and environmental control and life support system parameters on the detectability of fires in comparison to the hazard they present. A lumped element model was developed that considers smoke, heat, and toxic product release rates in comparison to mixing and filtration rates in the vehicle. Recent work has quantified the production rate of smoke and several hazardous species from overheated spacecraft polymers. These results are used as the input data set in the lumped element model in combination with the transport behavior of major toxic products released by overheating spacecraft materials to evaluate the necessary alarm thresholds to enable appropriate response to the fire hazard.

Fire suppression effectiveness for simultaneous fires: an examination of fire histories

Treesearch

Larry F. Bednar; Romain Mees; David Strauss

1990-01-01

We examined fire and weather records for areas of the western United States for the period 1970-1984 to determine the effects of simultaneous wildfire occurrence on fire suppression efforts. Burning conditions were accounted for by use of short strings of fires which involved simultaneous suppression efforts. These strings were matched with closely preceding isolated...

PROTOTYPE SCALE TESTING OF LIMB TECHNOLOGY FOR A PULVERIZED-COAL-FIRED BOILER

EPA Science Inventory

The report summarizes results of an evaluation of furnace sorbent injection (FSI) to control sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from coal-fired utility boilers. (NOTE: FSI of calcium-based sorbents has shown promise as a moderate SO2 removal technology.) The Electric Power Research I...

Restoration of a Mediterranean forest after a fire: bioremediation and rhizoremediation field-scale trial

PubMed Central

Pizarro-Tobías, Paloma; Fernández, Matilde; Niqui, José Luis; Solano, Jennifer; Duque, Estrella; Ramos, Juan-Luis; Roca, Amalia

2015-01-01

Forest fires pose a serious threat to countries in the Mediterranean basin, often razing large areas of land each year. After fires, soils are more likely to erode and resilience is inhibited in part by the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons produced during the combustion of cellulose and lignins. In this study, we explored the use of bioremediation and rhizoremediation techniques for soil restoration in a field-scale trial in a protected Mediterranean ecosystem after a controlled fire. Our bioremediation strategy combined the use of Pseudomonas putida strains, indigenous culturable microbes and annual grasses. After 8 months of monitoring soil quality parameters, including the removal of monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as vegetation cover, we found that the site had returned to pre-fire status. Microbial population analysis revealed that fires induced changes in the indigenous microbiota and that rhizoremediation favours the recovery of soil microbiota in time. The results obtained in this study indicate that the rhizoremediation strategy could be presented as a viable and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of ecosystems affected by fires. PMID:25079309

Alien plant dynamics following fire in mediterranean-climate California shrublands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.; Baer-Keeley, M.; Fotheringham, C.J.

2005-01-01

Over 75 species of alien plants were recorded during the first five years after fire in southern California shrublands, most of which were European annuals. Both cover and richness of aliens varied between years and plant association. Alien cover was lowest in the first postfire year in all plant associations and remained low during succession in chaparral but increased in sage scrub. Alien cover and richness were significantly correlated with year (time since disturbance) and with precipitation in both coastal and interior sage scrub associations. Hypothesized factors determining alien dominance were tested with structural equation modeling. Models that included nitrogen deposition and distance from the coast were not significant, but with those variables removed we obtained a significant model that gave an R2 = 0.60 for the response variable of fifth year alien dominance. Factors directly affecting alien dominance were (1) woody canopy closure and (2) alien seed banks. Significant indirect effects were (3) fire intensity, (4) fire history, (5) prefire stand structure, (6) aridity, and (7) community type. According to this model the most critical factor influencing aliens is the rapid return of the shrub and subshrub canopy. Thus, in these communities a single functional type (woody plants) appears to the most critical element controlling alien invasion and persistence. Fire history is an important indirect factor because it affects both prefire stand structure and postfire alien seed banks. Despite being fire-prone ecosystems, these shrublands are not adapted to fire per se, but rather to a particular fire regime. Alterations in the fire regime produce a very different selective environment, and high fire frequency changes the selective regime to favor aliens. This study does not support the widely held belief that prescription burning is a viable management practice for controlling alien species on semiarid landscapes. ?? 2005 by the Ecological Society of

Predicted fire behavior and societal benefits in three eastern Sierra Nevada vegetation types

Treesearch

C.A. Dicus; K. Delfino; D.R. Weise

2009-01-01

We investigated potential fire behavior and various societal benefits (air pollution removal, carbon sequestration, and carbon storage) provided by woodlands of pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus californica), shrublands of Great Basin sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa...

Screening to Identify Commonly Used Chinese Herbs That Affect ERBB2 and ESR1 Gene Expression Using the Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cell Line.

PubMed

Chiu, Jen-Hwey; Chang, Chun-Ju; Wu, Jing-Chong; Liu, Hui-Ju; Wen, Che-Sheng; Hsu, Chung-Hua; Chen, Jiun-Liang; Tseng, Ling-Ming; Chen, Wei-Shone; Shyr, Yi-Ming

2014-01-01

Aim. Our aim the was to screen the commonly used Chinese herbs in order to detect changes in ERBB2 and ESR1 gene expression using MCF-7 cells. Methods. Using the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line, cell cytotoxicity and proliferation were evaluated by MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays, respectively. A luciferase reporter assay was established by transient transfecting MCF-7 cells with plasmids containing either the ERBB2 or the ESR1 promoter region linked to the luciferase gene. Chinese herbal extracts were used to treat the cells at 24 h after transfection, followed by measurement of their luciferase activity. The screening results were verified by Western blotting to measure HER2 and ER α protein expression. Results. At concentrations that induced little cytotoxicity, thirteen single herbal extracts and five compound recipes were found to increase either ERBB2 or ESR1 luciferase activity. By Western blotting, Si-Wu-Tang, Kuan-Shin-Yin, and Suan-Tsao-Ren-Tang were found to increase either HER2 or ER α protein expression. In addition, Ligusticum chuanxiong was shown to have a great effect on ERBB2 gene expression and synergistically with estrogen to stimulate MCF-7 cell growth. Conclusion. Our results provide important information that should affect clinical treatment strategies among breast cancer patients who are receiving hormonal or targeted therapies.

Shrub-Steppe Early Succession Following Juniper Cutting and Prescribed Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, Jonathan D.; Davies, Kirk W.; Sharp, Robert N.

2011-03-01

Pinus- Juniperus L. (Piñon-juniper) woodlands of the western United States have expanded in area nearly 10-fold since the late 1800's. Juniperus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis Hook. (western juniper) dominance in sagebrush steppe has several negative consequences, including reductions in herbaceous production and diversity, decreased wildlife habitat, and higher erosion and runoff potentials. Prescribed fire and mechanical tree removal are the main methods used to control J. occidentalis and restore sagebrush steppe. However, mature woodlands become difficult to prescribe burn because of the lack of understory fuels. We evaluated partial cutting of the woodlands (cutting 25-50% of the trees) to increase surface fuels, followed by prescribed fire treatments in late successional J. occidentalis woodlands of southwest Idaho to assess understory recovery. The study was conducted in two different plant associations and evaluated what percentage of the woodland required preparatory cutting to eliminate remaining J. occidentalis by prescribed fire, determined the impacts of fire to understory species, and examined early post-fire successional dynamics. The study demonstrated that late successional J. occidentalis woodlands can be burned after pre-cutting only a portion of the trees. Early succession in the cut-and-burn treatments were dominated by native annual and perennial forbs, in part due to high mortality of perennial bunchgrasses. By the third year after fire the number of establishing perennial grass seedlings indicated that both associations would achieve full herbaceous recovery. Cutting-prescribed fire combinations are an effective means for controlling encroaching late successional J. occidentalis and restoring herbaceous plant communities. However, land managers should recognize that there are potential problems associated with cutting-prescribed fire applications when invasive weeds are present.

Shrub-steppe early succession following juniper cutting and prescribed fire.

PubMed

Bates, Jonathan D; Davies, Kirk W; Sharp, Robert N

2011-03-01

Pinus-Juniperus L. (Piñon-juniper) woodlands of the western United States have expanded in area nearly 10-fold since the late 1800's. Juniperus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis Hook. (western juniper) dominance in sagebrush steppe has several negative consequences, including reductions in herbaceous production and diversity, decreased wildlife habitat, and higher erosion and runoff potentials. Prescribed fire and mechanical tree removal are the main methods used to control J. occidentalis and restore sagebrush steppe. However, mature woodlands become difficult to prescribe burn because of the lack of understory fuels. We evaluated partial cutting of the woodlands (cutting 25-50% of the trees) to increase surface fuels, followed by prescribed fire treatments in late successional J. occidentalis woodlands of southwest Idaho to assess understory recovery. The study was conducted in two different plant associations and evaluated what percentage of the woodland required preparatory cutting to eliminate remaining J. occidentalis by prescribed fire, determined the impacts of fire to understory species, and examined early post-fire successional dynamics. The study demonstrated that late successional J. occidentalis woodlands can be burned after pre-cutting only a portion of the trees. Early succession in the cut-and-burn treatments were dominated by native annual and perennial forbs, in part due to high mortality of perennial bunchgrasses. By the third year after fire the number of establishing perennial grass seedlings indicated that both associations would achieve full herbaceous recovery. Cutting-prescribed fire combinations are an effective means for controlling encroaching late successional J. occidentalis and restoring herbaceous plant communities. However, land managers should recognize that there are potential problems associated with cutting-prescribed fire applications when invasive weeds are present.

Inaja Fire - 1956, Pine Hills Fire - 1967...similar, yet different

Treesearch

Mark J. Schroeder; Bernadine B. Taylor

1968-01-01

Two fires burned in the same area in southern California under nearly similar weather conditions, 11 years apart. Yet the Inaja fire of 1956 was much more disastrous than the Pine Hills fire of 1967. The earlier fire claimed 11 lives, and covered an area five times larger than the 1967 fire. Differences in fuels, topography, fire behavior, fire-control action, and...

Yin yang 1 is a novel regulator of pulmonary fibrosis.

PubMed

Lin, Xin; Sime, Patricia J; Xu, Haodong; Williams, Marc A; LaRussa, Larry; Georas, Steve N; Guo, Jia

2011-06-15

The differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is a cardinal feature of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) plays a role in the proliferation and differentiation of diverse cell types, but its role in fibrotic lung diseases is not known. To elucidate the mechanism by which YY1 regulates fibroblast differentiation and lung fibrosis. Lung fibroblasts were cultured with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β or tumor necrosis factor-α. Nuclear factor (NF)-κB, YY1, and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) were determined in protein, mRNA, and promoter reporter level. Lung fibroblasts and lung fibrosis were assessed in a partial YY1-deficient mouse and a YY1(f/f) conditional knockout mouse after being exposed to silica or bleomycin. TGF-β and tumor necrosis factor-α up-regulated YY1 expression in lung fibroblasts. TGF-β-induced YY1 expression was dramatically decreased by an inhibitor of NF-κB, which blocked I-κB degradation. YY1 is significantly overexpressed in both human IPF and murine models of lung fibrosis, including in the aggregated pulmonary fibroblasts of fibrotic foci. Furthermore, the mechanism of fibrogenesis is that YY1 can up-regulate α-SMA expression in pulmonary fibroblasts. YY1-deficient (YY1(+/-)) mice were significantly protected from lung fibrosis, which was associated with attenuated α-SMA and collagen expression. Finally, decreasing YY1 expression through instilled adenovirus-cre in floxed-YY1(f/f) mice reduced lung fibrosis. YY1 is overexpressed in fibroblasts in both human IPF and murine models in a NF-κB-dependent manner, and YY1 regulates fibrogenesis at least in part by increasing α-SMA and collagen expression. Decreasing YY1 expression may provide a new therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Firing system modification to alter ash properties for reduction of deposition and slagging under low NOx firing conditions

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

Hart, D.; Lewis, R.; Tobiasz, R.

1998-12-31

The composition and properties of ash formed during coal firing have a major impact on boiler performance. Higher ash content in the coal can mean higher costs associated with coal handling, transportation, ash removal and ash disposal along with higher costs due to the increased ash content`s deleterious effects on pulverizing, combustion and heat transfer. ABB C-E Services, Inc. has conducted research for many years on what might be done to minimize the adverse effects of ash on boiler performance. Recently, ABB C-E Services has studied the effects of firing system modifications on ash composition and properties and the effectmore » these firing system modifications have on overall furnace performance. The subject of this paper is the impact of the installation of the CFS Concentric Firing System on the propensity for boiler wall ash deposition. For this study, CFS yaw angles were varied and particle samples were collected at the waterwalls for the different yaw angles tested. These ash samples were analyzed for ash composition. The results showed that with a larger CFS yaw angle (the air stream directed more towards the boiler walls) the base/acid ratio, iron content and sulfur content of the particle samples collected at the waterwall were reduced. This effect is due to several contributing factors: (1) an oxidizing environment produced by injecting more air toward the walls; and (2) an aerodynamic change which impacts the particle combustion time/temperature history.« less

Removal of Invasive Fire-Prone Grasses to Increase Training Lands in the Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

Boone Kauffman. U.S. Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Research Center. Hilo . Hawaii . SWCA, Inc. 39 SWCA also acknowledges Amy Brown Curtis...Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Marine Corps Training Area Bellows (MCTAB), Army installations Makua Valley, Schofield Barracks, Pohakuloa Training...Area, the Hawaii Army National Guard facility at Diamond Head Crater, and at the Naval Magazine on the Island of Guam. Invasive, fire-prone

Some new results of PIXE study on Chinese ancient porcelain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, H. S.; Zhang, B.; Zhu, D.; Yang, F. J.; Sun, X. M.; Guo, M. S.

2005-10-01

This paper reports some new results obtained by PIXE on Chinese ancient porcelain. The first results concern the provenance of blue and white porcelain made during the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), which are the earliest products found in China. The PIXE experimental results show that they were fired in Huangye Kiln, Gongyi, Henan Province. The chemical composition of the body, white glaze and of the cobalt pigment will be reported. This paper also reports the results for early Chinese blue and white porcelain made under the Yuan dynasty (AD1206-1368) in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. Experimental results show that the chemical composition of the cobalt pigment used by officers and popular are similar. These materials were imported from another country. The local asbolite was used as cobalt pigment material since the early Ming Dynasty (AD1368-1644) in Jingdezhen at folk kiln, and it was used at official kiln until the 16th century.

Fire-Walking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willey, David

2010-01-01

This article gives a brief history of fire-walking and then deals with the physics behind fire-walking. The author has performed approximately 50 fire-walks, took the data for the world's hottest fire-walk and was, at one time, a world record holder for the longest fire-walk (www.dwilley.com/HDATLTW/Record_Making_Firewalks.html). He currently…

Forest-fire models

Treesearch

Haiganoush Preisler; Alan Ager

2013-01-01

For applied mathematicians forest fire models refer mainly to a non-linear dynamic system often used to simulate spread of fire. For forest managers forest fire models may pertain to any of the three phases of fire management: prefire planning (fire risk models), fire suppression (fire behavior models), and postfire evaluation (fire effects and economic models). In...

Numerical Modelling by FLAC on Coal Fires in North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusat, D.; Drebenstedt, C.

2009-04-01

coal mine with the backfill. A smaller fires can also be handled by taking out burning coal by bulldozing techniques described above are applicable to small fires, but they do not work well in extinction of large coal fires. References [1] http://www.coalfire.caf.dlr.de [2] Schalke, H.J.W.G.; Rosema, A.; Van Genderen, J.L. (1993): Environmental monitoring of coal fires in North China. Project Identification Mission Report. Report Remote Sensing Programme Board, Derft, the Netherlands. [3] Zhang, X.; Kroonenberg, S. B.; De Boer, C. B. (2004): Dating of coal fires in Xinjiang, north-west China. Terra Nova. Band 16, No 2, S. 68-74. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2004.00532.x [4] Deng Jun, Hou Shuang, Li Huirong, e.t.c (2006): Oxidation Mechanism at Initial Stage of a Simulated Coal Molecule with -CH2O-[J]. Journal of Changchun University of Science and Technology, 29(2), P. 84-87. [5] Deng, Jun (2008): Presentation. Chinese Researches and Practical Experiences on Controlling Underground Coal Fires. The 2nd Australia-China Symposium on Science, Technology and Education. 15-18 October 2008, Courtyard Marriott, Surfers Paradise Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. [6] Itasca (2003): FLAC, Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua. Itasca Consultants Group, Inc., Minneapolis.

Environmentally Safer, Less Toxic Fire-Extinguishing Agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, Clyde F.

2003-01-01

Fire-extinguishing agents comprising microscopic drops of water microencapsulated in flame-retardant polymers have been proposed as effective, less toxic, non-ozone-depleting, non-globalwarming alternatives to prior fire-extinguishing agents. Among the prior fire-extinguishing agents are halons (various halocarbon fluids), which are toxic and contribute both to depletion of upperatmospheric ozone and to global warming. Other prior fire-extinguishing agents are less toxic and less environmentally harmful but, in comparison with halons, are significantly less effective in extinguishing fires. The proposal to formulate new waterbased agents is based on recent success in the use of water mist as a fire-suppression agent. Water suppresses a flame by reducing the flame temperature and the concentration of oxygen available for the combustion process. The temperature is reduced because the water droplets in the mist absorb latent heat of vaporization as they evaporate. The concentration of oxygen is reduced because the newly generated water vapor displaces air. Unfortunately, water mists are difficult to produce in confined spaces and can evaporate before they reach the bases of flames. The proposal addresses both of these issues: The proposed fire-extinguishing agents would be manufactured in microencapsulated form in advance, eliminating the problem of generating mists in confined spaces. Because of the microencapsulation, the droplets would not evaporate until exposed directly to the heat of flames. In addition, the proposal calls for the introduction of free radicals that would inhibit the propagation of the chemical reactions of the combustion reactions. Manufacturing of a fire-extinguishing agent according to the proposal would begin with the formulation of a suitable polymer (e.g., a polybromostyrene) that would contribute free radicals to the combustion process. The polymer would be dissolved in a suitable hydrocarbon liquid (e.g., toluene). Water would be

Electronic firing systems and methods for firing a device

DOEpatents

Frickey, Steven J [Boise, ID; Svoboda, John M [Idaho Falls, ID

2012-04-24

An electronic firing system comprising a control system, a charging system, an electrical energy storage device, a shock tube firing circuit, a shock tube connector, a blasting cap firing circuit, and a blasting cap connector. The control system controls the charging system, which charges the electrical energy storage device. The control system also controls the shock tube firing circuit and the blasting cap firing circuit. When desired, the control system signals the shock tube firing circuit or blasting cap firing circuit to electrically connect the electrical energy storage device to the shock tube connector or the blasting cap connector respectively.

Conifer removal in the sagebrush steppe: why, when, where, and how?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the past 150 years, juniper and pine woodlands have increased in both distribution and density across the sagebrush steppe of the Intermountain West. To restore sagebrush steppe plant communities the application of mechanical and prescribed fire treatments are used to remove the influence of e...

Dynamics of excitatory synaptic components in sustained firing at low rates.

PubMed

Wyart, Claire; Cocco, Simona; Bourdieu, Laurent; Léger, Jean-Francois; Herr, Catherine; Chatenay, Didier

2005-06-01

Sustained firing is necessary for the persistent activity associated with working memory. The relative contributions of the reverberation of excitation and of the temporal dynamics of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) to the maintenance of activity are difficult to evaluate in classical preparations. We used simplified models of synchronous excitatory networks, hippocampal autapses and pairs, to study the synaptic mechanisms underlying firing at low rates. Calcium imaging and cell attached recordings showed that these neurons spontaneously fired bursts of action potentials that lasted for seconds over a wide range of frequencies. In 2-wk-old cells, the median firing frequency was low (11 +/- 8.8 Hz), whereas in 3- to 4-wk-old cells, it decreased to a very low value (2 +/- 1.3 Hz). In both cases, we have shown that the slowest synaptic component supported firing. In 2-wk-old autapses, antagonists of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) induced rare isolated spikes showing that the NMDA component of the EPSP was essential for bursts at low frequency. In 3- to 4-wk-old neurons, the very low frequency firing was maintained without the NMDAR activation. However EGTA-AM or alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG) removed the very slow depolarizing component of the EPSP and prevented the sustained firing at very low rate. A metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-activated calcium sensitive conductance is therefore responsible for a very slow synaptic component associated with firing at very low rate. In addition, our observations suggested that the asynchronous release of glutamate might participate also in the recurring bursting.

Fire safety distances for open pool fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudheer, S.; Kumar, Lokendra; Manjunath, B. S.; Pasi, Amit; Meenakshi, G.; Prabhu, S. V.

2013-11-01

Fire accidents that carry huge loss with them have increased in the previous two decades than at any time in the history. Hence, there is a need for understanding the safety distances from different fires with different fuels. Fire safety distances are computed for different open pool fires. Diesel, gasoline and hexane are used as fuels for circular pool diameters of 0.5 m, 0.7 m and 1.0 m. A large square pool fire of 4 m × 4 m is also conducted with diesel as a fuel. All the prescribed distances in this study are purely based on the thermal analysis. IR camera is used to get the thermal images of pool fires and there by the irradiance at different locations is computed. The computed irradiance is presented with the threshold heat flux limits for human beings.

[Effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis on carotid atherosclerosis and ischemic cerebrovascular events].

PubMed

Lu, Yan; Li, Tao

2014-03-01

To explore the effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis (CDABCRBS) on carotid atherosclerotic plaque and long-term ischemic cerebrovascular events. By using open and control method, effect of 4 groups of platelet antagonists, platelet antagonists + CDABCRBS, platelet antagonists +atorvastatin, platelet antagonists +atorvastatin +CDABCRBS on carotid atherosclerotic plaque and long-term ischemic cerebrovascular events of 90 cerebral infarction patients were analyzed. Through survival analysis, there was no statistical difference in the effect of the 4 interventions on the variation of carotid stenosis rates or ischemic cerebrovascular events (P > 0.05). The occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular events could be postponed by about 4 months in those treated with platelet antagonists + CDABCRBS and platelet antagonists + atorvastatin +CDABCRBS. By multivariate Logistic analysis, age, hypertension, and clopidogrel were associated with stenosis of extracranial carotid arteries (P <0.05). Age, diabetes, aspirin, clopidogrel, CDABCRBS were correlated with cerebrovascular accidents (P < 0.05). Whether or not accompanied with hypertension is an influential factor for carotid stenosis, but it does not affect the occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular events. CDABCRBS could effectively prolong the occurrence time of ischemic cerebrovascular events.

Fire weather conditions and fire-atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires - RxCADRE 2012

Treesearch

Craig B. Clements; Neil P. Lareau; Daisuke Seto; Jonathan Contezac; Braniff Davis; Casey Teske; Thomas J. Zajkowski; Andrew T. Hudak; Benjamin C. Bright; Matthew B. Dickinson; Bret W. Butler; Daniel Jimenez; J. Kevin Hiers

2016-01-01

The role of fire-atmosphere coupling on fire behaviour is not well established, and to date few field observations have been made to investigate the interactions between fire spread and fire-induced winds. Therefore, comprehensive field observations are needed to better understand micrometeorological aspects of fire spread. To address this need, meteorological...

Community participation in fire management planning: The Trinity county fire safe council's fire plan

Treesearch

Yvonne Everett

2008-01-01

In 1999, Trinity County CA, initiated a participatory fire management planning effort. Since that time, the Trinity County Fire Safe Council has completed critical portions of a fire safe plan and has begun to implement projects defined in the plan. Completion of a GIS based, landscape scale fuels reduction element in the plan defined by volunteer fire fighters, agency...

The study of soils and vegetation transformation due fire disturbances in remote areas through scenario modelling of observed hydrological response to fire impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesterova, Natalia; Semenova, Olga; Lebedeva, Luidmila

2015-04-01

Large territories of Siberia and Russian Far East are the subject to frequent forest fires. Often there is no information available about fire impact except its timing, areal distribution and qualitative characteristics of fire severity. Observed changes of hydrological response in burnt watersheds can be considered as indirect evidence of soil and vegetation transformation due to fire impact. In our study we used MODIS Fire products to detect spatial distribution of fires in Transbaikal and Far East regions of Russia in 2000 - 2012 period. Small and middle-size watersheds (with area up to 10000 km2) affected by extensive (burn area not less than 20 %) fires were chosen. We analyzed available hydrological data (measured discharges in watersheds outlets) for chosen basins. In several cases apparent hydrological response to fire was detected. To investigate main factors causing the change of hydrologic regime after fire several scenarios of soil and vegetation transformation were developed for each watershed under consideration. Corresponding sets of hydrological model parameters describing those transformations were elaborated based on data analysis and post-fire landscape changes as derived from a literature review. We implied different factors such as removal of organic layer, albedo changes, intensification of soil thaw (in presence of permafrost and seasonal soil freezing), reduction of infiltration rate and evapotranspiration, increase of upper subsurface flow fraction in summer flood events following the fire and others. We applied Hydrograph model (Russia) to conduct simulation experiments aiming to reveal which landscape changes scenarios were more plausible. The advantages of chosen hydrological model for this study are 1) that it takes into consideration thermal processes in soils which in case of permafrost and seasonal soil freezing presence can play leading role in runoff formation and 2) that observable vegetation and soil properties are used as its

Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on air

Treesearch

David V. Sandberg; Roger D. Ottmar; Janice L. Peterson

2002-01-01

This state-of-knowledge review about the effects of fire on air quality can assist land, fire, and air resource managers with fire and smoke planning, and their efforts to explain to others the science behind fire-related program policies and practices to improve air quality. Chapter topics include air quality regulations and fire; characterization of emissions from...

Managing wildland fires: integrating weather models into fire projections

Treesearch

Anne M. Rosenthal; Francis Fujioka

2004-01-01

Flames from the Old Fire sweep through lands north of San Bernardino during late fall of 2003. Like many Southern California fires, the Old Fire consumed susceptible forests at the urban-wildland interface and spread to nearby city neighborhoods. By incorporating weather models into fire perimeter projections, scientist Francis Fujioka is improving fire modeling as a...

Patient fire during dental care: A case report and call for safety.

PubMed

Bosack, Robert C; Bruley, Mark E; VanCleave, Andrea M; Weaver, Joel M

2016-08-01

Fire risk is present whenever there is a convergence of fuel, oxidizer, and an ignition source, which is called the fire triangle. A heightened awareness of fire risk is necessary whenever a fire triangle is present. The authors provide a sentinel event case report of fire in a dental office. A 72-year-old woman received second-degree facial burns from a fire that ignited near the nasal hood supplying a nitrous oxide-oxygen mixture. The presumed ignition source was heat generated during the preparation of a titanium post with a high-speed, irrigated carbide bur. The patient was transferred to the local emergency department and subsequently discharged after possible pulmonary complications were ruled out. The patient was then transferred to a regional burn unit and was discharged home with second-degree burns. When the source of a fuel cannot be removed from the immediate area, soaked with water, or covered with a water-soluble jelly, the dentist should stop the open flow of oxygen or nitrous oxide-oxygen mixtures to the patient for 1 minute before the use of a potential ignition source, and intraoral suction should be used to clear the ambient atmosphere of oxidizer-enriched exhaled gas. Copyright © 2016 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Algorithm and assessment work of active fire detection based on FengYun-3C/VIRR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Chen, F.

2017-12-01

The wildfire is one of the most destructive and uncontrollable disasters and causes huge environmental, ecological, social effects. To better serve scientific research and practical fire management, an algorithm and corresponding validation work of active fire detection based on FengYun-3C/VIRR data, which is an optical sensor onboard the Chinese polar-orbiting meteorological sun-synchronous satellite, is hereby introduced. While the main structure heritages the `contextual algorithm', some new concepts including `infrared channel slope' are introduced for better adaptions to different situations. The validation work contains three parts: 1) comparing with the current FengYun-3C fire product GFR; 2) comparing with MODIS fire products; 3) comparing with Landsat series data. Study areas are selected from different places all over the world from 2014 to 2016. The results showed great improvement on GFR files on accuracy of both positioning and detection rate. In most study areas, the results match well with MODIS products and Landsat series data (with over 85% match degree) despite the differences in imaging time. However, detection rates and match degrees in Africa and South-east Asia are not satisfied (around 70%), where the occurrences of numerous small fire events and corresponding smokes may strongly affect the results of the algorithm. This is our future research direction and one of the main improvements requires achieving.

Fire! Fire Prevention and Safety: A Teacher's Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Educational Planning and Support.

In this curriculum guide, guidelines for teaching children about fire safety and related topics and activities representing an interdisciplinary approach to fire safety are outlined. Major fire hazards and methods of dealing with them are described. Possible sites for field trips and films relating to fire are listed. The rules of the New York…

Vehicle fires and fire safety in tunnels

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-20

Tunnels present what is arguably the most hazardous environment, from the point of view of fire safety, that members of the public ever experience. The fire safety design of tunnels is carried out by tunnel engineers on the basis of a potential fire ...

a New Hybrid Yin-Yang Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Uncapacitated Warehouse Location Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidari, A. A.; Kazemizade, O.; Hakimpour, F.

2017-09-01

Yin-Yang-pair optimization (YYPO) is one of the latest metaheuristic algorithms (MA) proposed in 2015 that tries to inspire the philosophy of balance between conflicting concepts. Particle swarm optimizer (PSO) is one of the first population-based MA inspired by social behaviors of birds. In spite of PSO, the YYPO is not a nature inspired optimizer. It has a low complexity and starts with only two initial positions and can produce more points with regard to the dimension of target problem. Due to unique advantages of these methodologies and to mitigate the immature convergence and local optima (LO) stagnation problems in PSO, in this work, a continuous hybrid strategy based on the behaviors of PSO and YYPO is proposed to attain the suboptimal solutions of uncapacitated warehouse location (UWL) problems. This efficient hierarchical PSO-based optimizer (PSOYPO) can improve the effectiveness of PSO on spatial optimization tasks such as the family of UWL problems. The performance of the proposed PSOYPO is verified according to some UWL benchmark cases. These test cases have been used in several works to evaluate the efficacy of different MA. Then, the PSOYPO is compared to the standard PSO, genetic algorithm (GA), harmony search (HS), modified HS (OBCHS), and evolutionary simulated annealing (ESA). The experimental results demonstrate that the PSOYPO can reveal a better or competitive efficacy compared to the PSO and other MA.

School Fires. Topical Fire Research Series. Volume 8, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Homeland Security, 2007

2007-01-01

Using the past 3 years of data, for 2003 to 2005, from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) database, the yearly national fire loss for fires on nonadult school properties is estimated at $85 million. Such losses are the result of an estimated annual average of 14,700 fires that required a fire department response. Fires on school…

Non-destructive analysis and appraisal of ancient Chinese porcelain by PIXE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, H. S.; Zhang, Z. Q.; Xia, H. N.; Jiang, J. C.; Yang, F. J.

2002-05-01

This paper reports the results of the PIXE analysis on ancient Chinese blue and white porcelain fired at Kuan Kiln (Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province) during 13-19th century. The major, minor and trace element of porcelain body, white glaze and blue glaze were determined by PIXE. In this paper the chemical compositions of porcelain body, white glaze and blue glaze measured from Yuan (AD 1206-1368), Ming (AD 1368-1644) and Qing (AD 1616-1911) blue and white porcelain are present. The cobalt blue pigment used in Yuan, Ming and Qing are also discussed.

34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

34 CFR 668.49 - Institutional fire safety policies and fire statistics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... fire. Fire safety system: Any mechanism or system related to the detection of a fire, the warning resulting from a fire, or the control of a fire. This may include sprinkler systems or other fire extinguishing systems, fire detection devices, stand-alone smoke alarms, devices that alert one to the presence...

Chinese health beliefs of older Chinese in Canada.

PubMed

Lai, Daniel W L; Surood, Shireen

2009-02-01

Objectives. This study examines the cultural health beliefs held by older Chinese in Canada. Methods. Chinese surnames are randomly selected from the local Chinese telephone directories. Telephone screening is then conducted to identify eligible Chinese people 55 years of age or older to take part in a face-to-face interview to complete a structured survey questionnaire. Results. The results of exploratory factor analysis indicate that the health beliefs of the older Chinese are loaded onto three factors related to beliefs about traditional health practices, beliefs about traditional Chinese medicine, and beliefs about preventive diet. Education, religion, country of origin, length of residency in Canada, and city of residency are the major correlates of the various Chinese health beliefs scales. Discussion. The findings support the previous prescriptive knowledge about Chinese health beliefs and illustrate the intragroup sociocultural diversity that health practitioners should acknowledge in their practice.

Predicting Fire Severity and Hydrogeomorphic Effects for Wildland Fire Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, K.; Woods, S. W.; Calkin, D.; Ryan, K.; Keane, R.

2007-12-01

The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) uses the Fire Spread Probability (FSPro) model to predict the spatial extent of fire, and to assess values-at-risk within probable spread zones. This information is used to support Appropriate Management Response (AMR), which involves decision making regarding fire-fighter deployment, fire suppression requirements, and identification of areas where fire may be safely permitted to take its course. Current WFDSS assessments are generally limited to a binary prediction of whether or not a fire will reach a given location and an assessment of the infrastructure which may be damaged or destroyed by fire. However, an emerging challenge is to expand the capabilities of WFDSS so that it also estimates the probable fire severity, and hence the effect on soil, vegetation and on hydrologic and geomorphic processes such as runoff and soil erosion. We present a conceptual framework within which derivatives of predictive fire modelling are used to predict impacts upon vegetation and soil, from which fire severity and probable post-fire watershed response can be inferred, before a fire actually occurs. Fire severity predictions are validated using Burned Area Reflectance Classification imagery. Recent tests indicate that satellite derived BARC images are a simple and effective means to predict post-fire erosion response based on relative vegetation disturbance. A fire severity prediction which reasonably approximates a BARC image may therefore be used to assess post-fire erosion and flood potential before fire reaches an area. This information may provide a new avenue of reliable support for fire management decisions.

Optimizing prescribed fire allocation for managing fire risk in central Catalonia.

PubMed

Alcasena, Fermín J; Ager, Alan A; Salis, Michele; Day, Michelle A; Vega-Garcia, Cristina

2018-04-15

We used spatial optimization to allocate and prioritize prescribed fire treatments in the fire-prone Bages County, central Catalonia (northeastern Spain). The goal of this study was to identify suitable strategic locations on forest lands for fuel treatments in order to: 1) disrupt major fire movements, 2) reduce ember emissions, and 3) reduce the likelihood of large fires burning into residential communities. We first modeled fire spread, hazard and exposure metrics under historical extreme fire weather conditions, including node influence grid for surface fire pathways, crown fraction burned and fire transmission to residential structures. Then, we performed an optimization analysis on individual planning areas to identify production possibility frontiers for addressing fire exposure and explore alternative prescribed fire treatment configurations. The results revealed strong trade-offs among different fire exposure metrics, showed treatment mosaics that optimize the allocation of prescribed fire, and identified specific opportunities to achieve multiple objectives. Our methods can contribute to improving the efficiency of prescribed fire treatment investments and wildfire management programs aimed at creating fire resilient ecosystems, facilitating safe and efficient fire suppression, and safeguarding rural communities from catastrophic wildfires. The analysis framework can be used to optimally allocate prescribed fire in other fire-prone areas within the Mediterranean region and elsewhere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DEVELOPMENT OF COST-EFFECTIVE NONCARBON SORBENTS FOR HG0 REMOVAL FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Noncarbon materials or mineral oxides (silica gel, alumina, molecular sieves, zeolites, and montmorillonite) were modified with various functional groups such as amine, amide, thiol, urea and active additives such as elemental mercury (Hg⁰) vapor at coal-fired utility ...

Davis Fire: Fire behavior and fire effects analysis

Treesearch

LaWen T. Hollingsworth

2010-01-01

The Davis Fire presents an interesting example of fire behavior in subalpine fir, partially dead lodgepole pine with multiple age classes, and moist site Douglas-fir vegetation types. This has been summer of moderate temperatures and intermittent moisture that has kept live herbaceous and live woody moistures fairly high and dead fuel moistures at a moderate level....

Effects of Liuwei Dihuang Granule ([symbols; see text]) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization pre-embryo transfer in infertility women with Kidney-yin deficiency syndrome and the proteome expressions in the follicular fluid.

PubMed

Lian, Fang; Wu, Hai-cui; Sun, Zhen-gao; Guo, Ying; Shi, Lei; Xue, Ming-yue

2014-07-01

To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Granule ([symbols; see text], LDG) for tonifying Kidney (Shen) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization pre-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) of infertility women with Kidney-yin deficiency syndrome and to explore its mechanism by detecting the proteome expression in the follicular fluid. Sixty-six infertility patients of Kidney-yin deficiency syndrome who would undergo IVF-ET, were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group according to a random number table, 33 cases in each group. Another 33 cases of non-Kidney-yin deficiency syndrome was taken as a syndrome-control group. Besides Western routine therapy, LDG was given 3 menstrual cycles before IVF to the treatment group, and a placebo granule to the control and syndrome-control groups. The scores of Kidney-yin deficiency symptoms (sore waist and knees, dry vagina, dysphoria with feverish sensation in the chest, palms and soles, etc.) were assessed, the number of retrieved oocytes, rates of high quality oocytes and embryos, fertility rate and clinical pregnancy rate were recorded, and the follicular fluid was collected on the day when the ovum was picked up, the differential protein expression was detected using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and then, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was applied to identify the proteins. The syndrome score in the treatment group decreased significantly from 16.09±2.58 to 8.67±2.13, while it changed insignificantly in the control group, with a significant difference in the lowering score between the two groups (P<0.05); the high quality rates of oocytes and embryos and clinical pregnancy rate were all superior in the treatment group to the control group (82.29% vs 78.08%, 76.76% vs 68.79%, 63.64% vs 36.36%, all P<0.05). The protein expression map from the follicular fluid showed that compared with the control group, 33 differential protein expressions were found in

Fire Behavior (FB)

Treesearch

Robert E. Keane

2006-01-01

The Fire Behavior (FB) method is used to describe the behavior of the fire and the ambient weather and fuel conditions that influence the fire behavior. Fire behavior methods are not plot based and are collected by fire event and time-date. In general, the fire behavior data are used to interpret the fire effects documented in the plot-level sampling. Unlike the other...

Volatile organic compounds composition of merged and aged forest fire plumes from Alaska and western Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Gouw, J. A.; Warneke, C.; Stohl, A.; Wollny, A. G.; Brock, C. A.; Cooper, O. R.; Holloway, J. S.; Trainer, M.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Atlas, E. L.; Donnelly, S. G.; Stroud, V.; Lueb, A.

2006-05-01

The NOAA WP-3 aircraft intercepted aged forest fire plumes from Alaska and western Canada during several flights of the NEAQS-ITCT 2k4 mission in 2004. Measurements of acetonitrile (CH3CN) indicated that the air masses had been influenced by biomass burning. The locations of the plume intercepts were well described using emissions estimates and calculations with the transport model FLEXPART. The best description of the data was generally obtained when FLEXPART injected the forest fire emissions to high altitudes in the model. The observed plumes were generally drier than the surrounding air masses at the same altitude, suggesting that the fire plumes had been processed by clouds and that moisture had been removed by precipitation. Different degrees of photochemical processing of the plumes were determined from the measurements of aromatic VOCs. The removal of aromatic VOCs was slow considering the transport times estimated from the FLEXPART model. This suggests that the average OH levels were low during the transport, which may be explained by the low humidity and high concentrations of carbon monoxide and other pollutants. In contrast with previous work, no strong secondary production of acetone, methanol and acetic acid is inferred from the measurements. A clear case of removal of submicron particle volume and acetic acid due to precipitation scavenging was observed.

Development of Large-Scale Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.; Urban, David; Fernandez-Pello, A. Carlos; T'ien, James S.; Torero, Jose L.; Legros, Guillaume; Eigenbrod, Christian; Smirnov, Nickolay; Fujita, Osamu; Cowlard, Adam J.;

MODIS Near real-time (NRT) data for fire applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, M.; Davies, D.; Ilavajhala, S.; Molinario, G.; Justice, C.; Latham, J.; Martucci, A.; Murphy, K. J.

2011-12-01

This paper describes the lessons learned from the development of the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) prototype and its transition to an operational system, the Global Fire Information Management System (GFIMS), at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in August 2010. These systems provide active fire data from the MODIS sensor, on board NASA's Terra and Aqua Earth Observing Satellites, to users at no cost, in near-real time and in easy-to-use formats. The FIRMS prototype evolved from simply providing daily active fire text files via FTP, to include services such as providing fire data in various data formats, an interactive WebGIS allowing users to view and query the data and an email alert service enabling users to receive emails of near real-time fire data of their chosen area of interest. FIRMS was designed to remove obstacles to the uptake and use of fire data by addressing issues often associated with satellite data: cost, timeliness of delivery, limited data formats and the need for technical expertise to process and analyze the data. We also illustrate how the MODIS active fire data are routinely used for firefighting and conservation monitoring. We present results from a user survey, completed by approximately 345 people from 65 countries, and provide case studies highlighting how the provision of MODIS active fire data have made an impact on conservation and firefighting, especially in remote areas where it is difficult to have on-the-ground surveillance. We highlight the gaps in current capabilities, both with users and the data. A major obstacle still for some users is having low or no internet connectivity and a possible solution is through the use of cell phone technologies such as SMS text messaging of fire locations and information. GFIMS, and its precursor, FIRMS, were developed by the University of Maryland with funding from NASA's Applied Sciences Program. With GFIMS established at FAO as an operational

46 CFR 27.301 - What are the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains, and fire hoses on towing vessels?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... place where the remote fire pump control is located. (c) The fire main must have a sufficient number of... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false What are the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains... the requirements for fire pumps, fire mains, and fire hoses on towing vessels? By April 29, 2005, you...

Evaluating greenhouse gas emissions inventories for agricultural burning using satellite observations of active fires.

PubMed

Lin, Hsiao-Wen; Jin, Yufang; Giglio, Louis; Foley, Jonathan A; Randerson, James T

2012-06-01

Fires in agricultural ecosystems emit greenhouse gases and aerosols that influence climate on multiple spatial and temporal scales. Annex 1 countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), many of which ratified the Kyoto Protocol, are required to report emissions of CH4 and N2O from these fires annually. In this study, we evaluated several aspects of this reporting system, including the optimality of the crops targeted by the UNFCCC globally and within Annex 1 countries, and the consistency of emissions inventories among different countries. We also evaluated the success of individual countries in capturing interannual variability and long-term trends in agricultural fire activity. In our approach, we combined global high-resolution maps of crop harvest area and production, derived from satellite maps and ground-based census data, with Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements of active fires. At a global scale, we found that adding ground nuts (e.g., peanuts), cocoa, cotton and oil palm, and removing potato, oats, rye, and pulse other from the list of 14 crops targeted by the UNFCCC increased the percentage of active fires covered by the reporting system by 9%. Optimization led to a different recommended list for Annex 1 countries, requiring the addition of sunflower, cotton, rapeseed, and alfalfa and the removal of beans, sugarcane, pulse others, and tuber-root others. Extending emissions reporting to all Annex 1 countries (from the current set of 19 countries) would increase the efficacy of the reporting system from 6% to 15%, and further including several non-Annex 1 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and Nigeria) would capture over 55% of active fires in croplands worldwide. Analyses of interannual trends from the United States and Australia showed the importance of both intensity of fire use and crop production in controlling year

Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 1: Fire weather, meteorology, and climate

Treesearch

Larry Bradshaw; Roberta Bartlette; John McGinely; Karl Zeller

2003-01-01

The Hayman Fire in June 2002 was heavily influenced by antecedent regional weather conditions, culminating in a series of daily weather events that aligned to produce widely varying fire behavior. This review of weather conditions associated with the Hayman Fire consists of two parts: 1) A brief overview of prior conditions as described by a regional climate review and...

FARSITE: a fire area simulator for fire managers

Treesearch

Mark A. Finney

1995-01-01

A fire growth model (FARSITE) has been developed for use on personal computers (PC’s). Because PC’s are commonly used by land and fire managers, this portable platform would be an accustomed means to bring fire growth modeling technology to management applications. The FARSITE model is intended for use in projecting the growth of prescribed natural fires for wilderness...

Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird).

PubMed

Atwood, Elizabeth C; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

2016-01-01

Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2-3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future.

Effects of blood-activating and stasis-removing drugs combined with VEGF gene transfer on angiogenesis in ischemic necrosis of the femoral head.

PubMed

Li, Jun-Hui; Wu, Ya-Ling; Ye, Jian-Hong; Ning, Ya-Gong; Yu, Hai-Ying; Peng, Zhong-Jie; Luan, Xiao-Wen

2009-09-01

To observe the promoting effects of blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs combined with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transfer on angiogenesis in ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. Forty Japanese giant-ear rabbits were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a Chinese drug group, a gene group, and a combined group. After 8 weeks of treatment, the rate of VEGF positive cell expression in the synovium of the femoral head was measured using the immunohistochemical method, and the number of blood vessels in the femoral head was measured by digital subtraction angiography. The rate of VEGF positive cell expression in the model group was significantly lower than that in the Chinese drug group (P < 0.05) and very significantly lower than those in other groups (P < 0.01); but in the combined group it was significantly higher than in the Chinese drug group (P < 0.05). The differences in the number of blood vessels in area A between the model group and other groups were not statistically significant. However, in area B, the number of blood vessels significantly increased in the control group, the gene group and the combined group as compared with the model group (P < 0.05), and in the combined group the number of blood vessels was significantly more than in the gene group (P < 0.05); but in the Chinese drug group it was not significantly different than the model group (P > 0.05). Either the blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs or VEGF gene transfer can promote the angiogenesis and building of collateral circulation for femoral head ischemic necrosis, and the combined therapy with Chinese drugs or VEGF gene transfer may show a better therapeutic effect. The present study provides an experimental basis for clinical application of the combined therapy with the blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs and VEGF gene transfer.

Assessment of Fire Occurrence and Future Fire Potential in Arctic Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, N. H. F.; Jenkins, L. K.; Loboda, T. V.; Bourgeau-Chavez, L. L.; Whitley, M. A.

2014-12-01

An analysis of the occurrence of fire in Alaskan tundra was completed using the relatively complete historical record of fire for the region from 1950 to 2013. Spatial fire data for Alaskan tundra regions were obtained from the Alaska Large Fire Database for the region defined from vegetation and ecoregion maps. A detailed presentation of fire records available for assessing the fire regime of the tundra regions of Alaska as well as results evaluating fire size, seasonality, and general geographic and temporal trends is included. Assessment of future fire potential was determined for three future climate scenarios at four locations across the Alaskan tundra using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI). Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) weather variables were used for historical (1850-2005) and future (2006-2100) time periods. The database includes 908 fire points and 463 fire polygons within the 482,931 km2 of Alaskan tundra. Based on the polygon database 25,656 km2 (6,340,000 acres) has burned across the six tundra ecoregions since 1950. Approximately 87% of tundra fires start in June and July across all ecoregions. Combining information from the polygon and points data records, the estimated average fire size for fire in the Alaskan Arctic region is 28.1 km2 (7,070 acres), which is much smaller than in the adjacent boreal forest region, averaging 203 km2 for high fire years. The largest fire in the database is the Imuruk Basin Fire which burned 1,680 km2 in 1954 in the Seward Peninsula region (Table 1). Assessment of future fire potential shows that, in comparison with the historical fire record, fire occurrence in Alaskan tundra is expected to increase under all three climate scenarios. Occurrences of high fire weather danger (>10 FWI) are projected to increase in frequency and magnitude in all regions modeled. The changes in fire weather conditions are expected to vary from one region to another in seasonal occurrence as well as severity and frequency

Quantifying soil surface change in degraded drylands: shrub encroachment and effects of fire and vegetation removal in a desert grassland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sankey, Joel B.; Ravi, Sujith; Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Webb, Robert H.; Huxman, Travis E.

2012-01-01

Woody plant encroachment, a worldwide phenomenon, is a major driver of land degradation in desert grasslands. Woody plant encroachment by shrub functional types ultimately leads to the formation of a patchy landscape with fertile shrub patches interspaced with nutrient-depleted bare soil patches. This is considered to be an irreversible process of land and soil degradation. Recent studies have indicated that in the early stages of shrub encroachment, when there is sufficient herbaceous connectivity, fires (prescribed or natural) might provide some reversibility to the shrub encroachment process by negatively affecting shrub demography and homogenizing soil resources across patches within weeks to months after burning. A comprehensive understanding of longer term changes in microtopography and spatial patterning of soil properties following fire in shrub-encroached grasslands is desirable. Here, we investigate the changes in microtopography with LiDAR (light detection and ranging), vegetation recovery, and spatial pattering of soil properties in replicated burned, clipped, and control areas in a shrub-grass transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert four years after prescribed fire or clipping. Results indicate a greater homogeneity in soil, microtopography, and vegetation patterning on burned relative to clipped and control treatments. Findings provide further evidence that disturbance by prescribed fire may allow for reversal of the shrub encroachment process, if the event occurs in the early stages of the vegetation shift. Improved understanding of longer-term effects of fire and associated changes in soil patterning can inform the use and role of fire in the context of changing disturbance regimes and climate.

Restoration of a Mediterranean forest after a fire: bioremediation and rhizoremediation field-scale trial.

PubMed

Pizarro-Tobías, Paloma; Fernández, Matilde; Niqui, José Luis; Solano, Jennifer; Duque, Estrella; Ramos, Juan-Luis; Roca, Amalia

2015-01-01

Forest fires pose a serious threat to countries in the Mediterranean basin, often razing large areas of land each year. After fires, soils are more likely to erode and resilience is inhibited in part by the toxic aromatic hydrocarbons produced during the combustion of cellulose and lignins. In this study, we explored the use of bioremediation and rhizoremediation techniques for soil restoration in a field-scale trial in a protected Mediterranean ecosystem after a controlled fire. Our bioremediation strategy combined the use of Pseudomonas putida strains, indigenous culturable microbes and annual grasses. After 8 months of monitoring soil quality parameters, including the removal of monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as vegetation cover, we found that the site had returned to pre-fire status. Microbial population analysis revealed that fires induced changes in the indigenous microbiota and that rhizoremediation favours the recovery of soil microbiota in time. The results obtained in this study indicate that the rhizoremediation strategy could be presented as a viable and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of ecosystems affected by fires. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Fire-driven alien invasion in a fire-adapted ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, Jon E.; Brennan, Teresa J.

2012-01-01

Disturbance plays a key role in many alien plant invasions. However, often the main driver of invasion is not disturbance per se but alterations in the disturbance regime. In some fire-adapted shrublands, the community is highly resilient to infrequent, high-intensity fires, but changes in the fire regime that result in shorter fire intervals may make these communities more susceptible to alien plant invasions. This study examines several wildfire events that resulted in short fire intervals in California chaparral shrublands. In one study, we compared postfire recovery patterns in sites with different prefire stand ages (3 and 24 years), and in another study we compared sites that had burned once in four years with sites that had burned twice in this period. The population size of the dominant native shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum was drastically reduced following fire in the 3-year sites relative to the 24-year sites. The 3-year sites had much greater alien plant cover and significantly lower plant diversity than the 24-year sites. In a separate study, repeat fires four years apart on the same sites showed that annual species increased significantly after the second fire, and alien annuals far outnumbered native annuals. Aliens included both annual grasses and annual forbs and were negatively correlated with woody plant cover. Native woody species regenerated well after the first fire but declined after the second fire, and one obligate seeding shrub was extirpated from two sites by the repeat fires. It is concluded that some fire-adapted shrublands are vulnerable to changes in fire regime, and this can lead to a loss of native diversity and put the community on a trajectory towards type conversion from a woody to an herbaceous system. Such changes result in alterations in the proportion of natives to non-natives, changes in functional types from deeply rooted shrubs to shallow rooted grasses and forbs, increased fire frequency due to the increase in fine fuels

Fire-driven alien invasion in a fire-adapted ecosystem.

PubMed

Keeley, Jon E; Brennan, Teresa J

2012-08-01

Disturbance plays a key role in many alien plant invasions. However, often the main driver of invasion is not disturbance per se but alterations in the disturbance regime. In some fire-adapted shrublands, the community is highly resilient to infrequent, high-intensity fires, but changes in the fire regime that result in shorter fire intervals may make these communities more susceptible to alien plant invasions. This study examines several wildfire events that resulted in short fire intervals in California chaparral shrublands. In one study, we compared postfire recovery patterns in sites with different prefire stand ages (3 and 24 years), and in another study we compared sites that had burned once in four years with sites that had burned twice in this period. The population size of the dominant native shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum was drastically reduced following fire in the 3-year sites relative to the 24-year sites. The 3-year sites had much greater alien plant cover and significantly lower plant diversity than the 24-year sites. In a separate study, repeat fires four years apart on the same sites showed that annual species increased significantly after the second fire, and alien annuals far outnumbered native annuals. Aliens included both annual grasses and annual forbs and were negatively correlated with woody plant cover. Native woody species regenerated well after the first fire but declined after the second fire, and one obligate seeding shrub was extirpated from two sites by the repeat fires. It is concluded that some fire-adapted shrublands are vulnerable to changes in fire regime, and this can lead to a loss of native diversity and put the community on a trajectory towards type conversion from a woody to an herbaceous system. Such changes result in alterations in the proportion of natives to non-natives, changes in functional types from deeply rooted shrubs to shallow rooted grasses and forbs, increased fire frequency due to the increase in fine fuels

The boundary vector cell model of place cell firing and spatial memory

PubMed Central

Barry, Caswell; Lever, Colin; Hayman, Robin; Hartley, Tom; Burton, Stephen; O'Keefe, John; Jeffery, Kate; Burgess, Neil

2009-01-01

We review evidence for the boundary vector cell model of the environmental determinants of the firing of hippocampal place cells. Preliminary experimental results are presented concerning the effects of addition or removal of environmental boundaries on place cell firing and evidence that boundary vector cells may exist in the subiculum. We review and update computational simulations predicting the location of human search within a virtual environment of variable geometry, assuming that boundary vector cells provide one of the input representations of location used in mammalian spatial memory. Finally, we extend the model to include experience-dependent modification of connection strengths through a BCM-like learning rule, and compare the effects to experimental data on the firing of place cells under geometrical manipulations to their environment. The relationship between neurophysiological results in rats and spatial behaviour in humans is discussed. PMID:16703944

Spacecraft Fire Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margle, Janice M. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Fire detection, fire standards and testing, fire extinguishment, inerting and atmospheres, fire-related medical science, aircraft fire safety, Space Station safety concerns, microgravity combustion, spacecraft material flammability testing, and metal combustion are among the topics considered.

Contribution of finger tracing to the recognition of Chinese characters.

PubMed

Yim-Ng, Y Y; Varley, R; Andrade, J

2000-01-01

Finger tracing is a simulation of the act of writing without the use of pen and paper. It is claimed to help in the processing of Chinese characters, possibly by providing additional motor coding. In this study, blindfolded subjects were equally good at identifying Chinese characters and novel visual stimuli through passive movements made with the index finger of the preferred hand and those made with the last finger of that hand. This suggests that finger tracing provides a relatively high level of coding specific to individual characters, but non-specific to motor effectors. Beginning each stroke from the same location, i.e. removing spatial information, impaired recognition of the familiar characters and the novel nonsense figures. Passively tracing the strokes in a random sequence also impaired recognition of the characters. These results therefore suggest that the beneficial effect of finger tracing on writing or recall of Chinese characters is mediated by sequence and spatial information embedded in the motor movements, and that proprioceptive channel may play a part in mediating visuo-spatial information. Finger tracing may be a useful strategy for remediation of Chinese language impairments.

Surgical Fires in Otolaryngology: A Systematic and Narrative Review.

PubMed

Day, Andrew T; Rivera, Erika; Farlow, Janice L; Gourin, Christine G; Nussenbaum, Brian

2018-04-01

Objective To bring attention to the epidemiology, prevention, management, and consequences of surgical fires in otolaryngology by reviewing the literature. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus. Review Methods Comprehensive search terms were developed, and searches were performed from data source inception through August 2016. A total of 4506 articles were identified; 2351 duplicates were removed; and 2155 titles and abstracts were independently reviewed. Reference review was also performed. Eligible manuscripts described surgical fires involving patients undergoing otolaryngologic procedures. Results Seventy-two articles describing 87 otolaryngologic surgical fire cases were identified. These occurred during oral cavity or oropharyngeal procedures (11%), endoscopic laryngotracheal procedures (25%), tracheostomies (36%), "other" general anesthesia procedures (3%), and monitored anesthesia care or local procedures (24%). Oxidizing agents consisted of oxygen alone (n = 63 of 81, 78%), oxygen and nitric oxide (n = 17 of 81, 21%), and room air (n = 1 of 81, 1%). The fractional inspired oxygen delivered was >30% in 97% of surgical fires in non-nitrous oxide general anesthesia cases (n = 35 of 36). Laser-safe tubes were used in only 12% of endoscopic laryngotracheal cases with endotracheal tube descriptions (n = 2 of 17). Eighty-six percent of patients experienced acute complications (n = 76 of 87), including 1 intraoperative death, and 22% of patients (n = 17 of 77) experienced long-term complications. Conclusion Surgical fires in otolaryngology persist despite aggressive multi-institutional efforts to curb their incidence. Guideline recommendations to minimize the concentration of delivered oxygen and use laser-safe tubes when indicated were not observed in many cases. Improved institutional fire safety practices are needed nationally and internationally.

NOVEL MERCURY OXIDANT AND SORBENT FOR MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS

EPA Science Inventory

The authors have successfully developed novel efficient and cost-effective sorbent and oxidant for removing mercury from power plant flue gases. These sorbent and oxidant offer great promise for controlling mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants burning a wide range of c...

Allowable Stresses For Use in Dynamic Analysis of PF-4 Fire Suppression System Piping

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

Menefee, Maia Catherine; Salmon, Michael W.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a limited test program performed on samples of fittings removed from the PF-4 fire suppression system and to present recommendations for allowable stresses to be used in subsequent piping analysis.

Diesel oil pool fire characteristic under natural ventilation conditions in tunnels with roof openings.

PubMed

Wang, Yanfu; Jiang, Juncheng; Zhu, Dezhi

2009-07-15

In order to research the fire characteristic under natural ventilation conditions in tunnels with roof openings, full-scale experiment of tunnel fire is designed and conducted. All the experimental data presented in this paper can be further applied for validation of numerical simulation models and reduced-scale experimental results. The physical model of tunnel with roof openings and the mathematical model of tunnel fire are presented in this paper. The tunnel fire under the same conditions as experiment is simulated using CFD software. From the results, it can be seen that most smoke is discharged directly off the tunnel through roof openings, so roof openings are favorable for exhausting smoke. But along with the decrease of smoke temperatures, some smoke may backflow and mix with the smoke-free layer below, which leads to fall in visibility and is unfavorable for personnel evacuation. So it is necessary to research more efficient ways for improving the smoke removal efficiency, such as early fire detection systems, adequate warning signs and setting tunnel cap.

Being Chinese or Being Different: Chinese Undergraduates' Use of Discourses of Chineseness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skyrme, Gillian

2014-01-01

Myths about "the Chinese learner" developed from an outsider perspective abound in the Western world. The focus of this article, however, is how discourses of Chineseness were used by the Chinese international students themselves who, as undergraduate students in a New Zealand university, were the subjects of my doctoral research. It…

Post-fire vegetation and fuel development influences fire severity patterns in reburns.

PubMed

Coppoletta, Michelle; Merriam, Kyle E; Collins, Brandon M

2016-04-01

In areas where fire regimes and forest structure have been dramatically altered, there is increasing concern that contemporary fires have the potential to set forests on a positive feedback trajectory with successive reburns, one in which extensive stand-replacing fire could promote more stand-replacing fire. Our study utilized an extensive set of field plots established following four fires that occurred between 2000 and 2010 in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA that were subsequently reburned in 2012. The information obtained from these field plots allowed for a unique set of analyses investigating the effect of vegetation, fuels, topography, fire weather, and forest management on reburn severity. We also examined the influence of initial fire severity and time since initial fire on influential predictors of reburn severity. Our results suggest that high- to moderate-severity fire in the initial fires led to an increase in standing snags and shrub vegetation, which in combination with severe fire weather promoted high-severity fire effects in the subsequent reburn. Although fire behavior is largely driven by weather, our study demonstrates that post-fire vegetation composition and structure are also important drivers of reburn severity. In the face of changing climatic regimes and increases in extreme fire weather, these results may provide managers with options to create more fire-resilient ecosystems. In areas where frequent high-severity fire is undesirable, management activities such as thinning, prescribed fire, or managed wildland fire can be used to moderate fire behavior not only prior to initial fires, but also before subsequent reburns.

[Penetration depth of missiles fired from a pneumatic weapon with kinetic energy below 17 J, in 20% gelatine blocks as correlated with injuries found during autopsy of a 9-year-old boy].

PubMed

Smedra-Kaźmirska, Anna; Barzdo, Maciej; Kedzierski, Maciej; Szram, Stefan; Berent, Jarosław

2011-01-01

In Poland, according to the Act About Weapons and Ammunition, an air weapon which has kinetic energy of the fired projectiles below 17 J does not require registration and can be bought even on the Internet. Sport and recreation shooting with this weapon basically have to be performed in shooting ranges, but can be also carried on outside of shooting ranges, providing "particular caution" is exercised. In this study, we presented a case of fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy; the weapon was a Chinese pneumatic device weapon with kinetic energy of the fired projectiles below 17 J. The aim of this study was to compare autopsy findings with penetration depth of missiles fired from this pneumatic weapon in 20% gelatine blocks. During the experiment, we used a Chinese pneumatic weapon with kinetic energy below 17 J, five kinds of lead projectiles with different shape and mass and 20% gelatine blocks at the temperature of 10 degrees C, which were the model of human soft tissues.

Fire intensity impacts on post-fire temperate coniferous forest net primary productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, Aaron M.; Kolden, Crystal A.; Smith, Alistair M. S.; Boschetti, Luigi; Johnson, Daniel M.; Cochrane, Mark A.

2018-02-01

Fire is a dynamic ecological process in forests and impacts the carbon (C) cycle through direct combustion emissions, tree mortality, and by impairing the ability of surviving trees to sequester carbon. While studies on young trees have demonstrated that fire intensity is a determinant of post-fire net primary productivity, wildland fires on landscape to regional scales have largely been assumed to either cause tree mortality, or conversely, cause no physiological impact, ignoring the impacted but surviving trees. Our objective was to understand how fire intensity affects post-fire net primary productivity in conifer-dominated forested ecosystems on the spatial scale of large wildland fires. We examined the relationships between fire radiative power (FRP), its temporal integral (fire radiative energy - FRE), and net primary productivity (NPP) using 16 years of data from the MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) for 15 large fires in western United States coniferous forests. The greatest NPP post-fire loss occurred 1 year post-fire and ranged from -67 to -312 g C m-2 yr-1 (-13 to -54 %) across all fires. Forests dominated by fire-resistant species (species that typically survive low-intensity fires) experienced the lowest relative NPP reductions compared to forests with less resistant species. Post-fire NPP in forests that were dominated by fire-susceptible species were not as sensitive to FRP or FRE, indicating that NPP in these forests may be reduced to similar levels regardless of fire intensity. Conversely, post-fire NPP in forests dominated by fire-resistant and mixed species decreased with increasing FRP or FRE. In some cases, this dose-response relationship persisted for more than a decade post-fire, highlighting a legacy effect of fire intensity on post-fire C dynamics in these forests.

Fire and fire ecology: Concepts and principles

Treesearch

Mark A. Cochrane; Kevin C. Ryan

2009-01-01

Fire has been central to terrestrial life ever since early anaerobic microorganisms poisoned the atmosphere with oxygen and multicellular plant life moved onto land. The combination of fuels, oxygen, and heat gave birth to fire on Earth. Fire is not just another evolutionary challenge that life needed to overcome, it is, in fact, a core ecological process across much...

Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird)

PubMed Central

Atwood, Elizabeth C.; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

2016-01-01

Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2–3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future. PMID:27486664

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Chinese Eco-Industrial Parks by Targeting Energy Infrastructure: A Vintage Stock Model.

PubMed

Guo, Yang; Tian, Jinping; Chertow, Marian; Chen, Lujun

2016-10-03

Mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in China's industrial sector is crucial for addressing climate change. We developed a vintage stock model to quantify the GHG mitigation potential and cost effectiveness in Chinese eco-industrial parks by targeting energy infrastructure with five key measures. The model, integrating energy efficiency assessments, GHG emission accounting, cost-effectiveness analyses, and scenario analyses, was applied to 548 units of energy infrastructure in 106 parks. The results indicate that two measures (shifting coal-fired boilers to natural gas-fired boilers and replacing coal-fired units with natural gas combined cycle units) present a substantial potential to mitigate GHGs (42%-46%) compared with the baseline scenario. The other three measures (installation of municipal solid waste-to-energy units, replacement of small-capacity coal-fired units with large units, and implementation of turbine retrofitting) present potential mitigation values of 6.7%, 0.3%, and 2.1%, respectively. In most cases, substantial economic benefits also can be achieved by GHG emission mitigation. An uncertainty analysis showed that enhancing the annual working time or serviceable lifetime levels could strengthen the GHG mitigation potential at a lower cost for all of the measures.

Overview of the 2013 FireFlux II grass fire field experiment

Treesearch

C.B. Clements; B. Davis; D. Seto; J. Contezac; A. Kochanski; J.-B. Fillipi; N. Lareau; B. Barboni; B. Butler; S. Krueger; R. Ottmar; R. Vihnanek; W.E. Heilman; J. Flynn; M.A. Jenkins; J. Mandel; C. Teske; D. Jimenez; J. O' Brien; B. Lefer

2014-01-01

In order to better understand the dynamics of fire-atmosphere interactions and the role of micrometeorology on fire behaviour the FireFlux campaign was conducted in 2006 on a coastal tall-grass prairie in southeast Texas, USA. The FireFlux campaign dataset has become the international standard for evaluating coupled fire-atmosphere model systems. While FireFlux is one...

Fire safety

Treesearch

Robert H. White; Mark A. Dietenberger

1999-01-01

Fire safety is an important concern in all types of construction. The high level of national concern for fire safety is reflected in limitations and design requirements in building codes. These code requirements are discussed in the context of fire safety design and evaluation in the initial section of this chapter. Since basic data on fire behavior of wood products...

Fire scars reveal variability and dynamics of eastern fire regimes

Treesearch

Richard P. Guyette; Daniel C. Dey; Michael C. Stambaugh; Rose-Marie Muzika

2006-01-01

Fire scar evidence in eastern North America is sparse and complex but shows promise in defining the dynamics of these fire regimes and their influence on ecosystems. We review fire scar data, methods, and limitations, and use this information to identify and examine the factors influencing fire regimes. Fire scar data from studies at more than 40 sites in Eastern North...

Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 4: Relation of roads to burn severity

Treesearch

Charles W. McHugh; Mark A. Finney

2003-01-01

Effects of roads on fire behavior intensity and severity can be studied directly or indirectly. A direct study of road effects would include uses by fire suppression, burnout operations, and delay of fire progress at the roadside. Interpretations after the fire burns are easily confounded by the unknown nature of suppression activities and fire arrival time, and fire...

[Characteristics and drug analysis associated with vertigo disease in real world].

PubMed

Xie, Qian; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Xie, Yan-Ming; Yang, Wei; Zhao, Wei; Zhuang, Yan; Wang, Yong-Yan

2014-09-01

To explore the characteristics and influenced factors associated with the onset of vertigo disease, analysis of 3 719 cases of hospitalized patients with vertigo disease from the real world. Analysis the date of patients diagnosed with vertigo disease from the hospital information system of 19 grade-III class-A hospital from 2004 to 2011, include general information, the doctor's advice, other diseases combined, diagnostic information and the relationship with the onset of 24 solar terms, and the treatment drugs. The median age of hospitalized patients with vertigo disease was 59, the number of women (65.91%) was more than men (34.09%), manual workers (85.32%) were the majority career, most patients (81.63%) condition were general by the time they were hospital admission, patients more like admitted to neurologist (70.34%) when they first time to outpatient serves, hospitalization days were in 8-14 days (46.65%), 46.04% of the patients in the hospital total cost is in 5 000 RMB to 10 000 RMB, 73.86% of patients paid by National Health Medical Insurance. Hypertension (20.79%) was the most common underlying health problems, The most common syndromes was deficiency of liver-Yin and kidney-Yin(44. 21%) , followed by hyperactivity of liver-yang, disease of phlegm turbidity in mongolia and deficiency of Qi and blood. There were more deficiency syndrome and less excess syndrome. The highest rate of hospital admission solar terms in 2009 was the insects awaken throttle (5.21%), In 2010, the highest rate solar terms of hospital admission was the rain throttle (6.14%). The most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine was gastrodine injection (20.55%), the most frequently used western medicine for betahistine (10.19%), gastrodine injection was the most traditional Chinese medicine that combination with other western medicine. Hypertension was the most underlying health problems in the patients with vertigo disease in the real world, although the mental factors should

Mapping landscape fire frequency for fire regime condition class

Treesearch

Dale A. Hamilton; Wendel J. Hann

2015-01-01

Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is a departure index that compares the current amounts of the different vegetation succession classes, fire frequency, and fire severity to historic reference conditions. FRCC assessments have been widely used for evaluating ecosystem status in many areas of the U.S. in reports such as land use plans, fire management plans, project...

Classifying syndromes in Chinese medicine using multi-label learning algorithm with relevant features for each label.

PubMed

Xu, Jin; Xu, Zhao-Xia; Lu, Ping; Guo, Rui; Yan, Hai-Xia; Xu, Wen-Jie; Wang, Yi-Qin; Xia, Chun-Ming

2016-11-01

To develop an effective Chinese Medicine (CM) diagnostic model of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to confifirm the scientifific validity of CM theoretical basis from an algorithmic viewpoint. Four types of objective diagnostic data were collected from 835 CHD patients by using a self-developed CM inquiry scale for the diagnosis of heart problems, a tongue diagnosis instrument, a ZBOX-I pulse digital collection instrument, and the sound of an attending acquisition system. These diagnostic data was analyzed and a CM diagnostic model was established using a multi-label learning algorithm (REAL). REAL was employed to establish a Xin (Heart) qi defificiency, Xin yang defificiency, Xin yin defificiency, blood stasis, and phlegm fifive-card CM diagnostic model, which had recognition rates of 80.32%, 89.77%, 84.93%, 85.37%, and 69.90%, respectively. The multi-label learning method established using four diagnostic models based on mutual information feature selection yielded good recognition results. The characteristic model parameters were selected by maximizing the mutual information for each card type. The four diagnostic methods used to obtain information in CM, i.e., observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse diagnosis, can be characterized by these parameters, which is consistent with CM theory.

Fire Whirls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tohidi, Ali; Gollner, Michael J.; Xiao, Huahua

2018-01-01

Fire whirls present a powerful intensification of combustion, long studied in the fire research community because of the dangers they present during large urban and wildland fires. However, their destructive power has hidden many features of their formation, growth, and propagation. Therefore, most of what is known about fire whirls comes from scale modeling experiments in the laboratory. Both the methods of formation, which are dominated by wind and geometry, and the inner structure of the whirl, including velocity and temperature fields, have been studied at this scale. Quasi-steady fire whirls directly over a fuel source form the bulk of current experimental knowledge, although many other cases exist in nature. The structure of fire whirls has yet to be reliably measured at large scales; however, scaling laws have been relatively successful in modeling the conditions for formation from small to large scales. This review surveys the state of knowledge concerning the fluid dynamics of fire whirls, including the conditions for their formation, their structure, and the mechanisms that control their unique state. We highlight recent discoveries and survey potential avenues for future research, including using the properties of fire whirls for efficient remediation and energy generation.

ZiBuPiYin recipe improves cognitive decline by regulating gut microbiota in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

PubMed Central

Wang, Wang; Xiang, Hong; Xu, Huiying; Liang, Lina; Sui, Hua; Zhan, Libin; Lu, Xiaoguang

2017-01-01

Numerous researches supported that microbiota can influence behavior and modulate cognitive function through “microbiota-gut-brain” axis. Our previous study has demonstrated that ZiBuPiYin recipe (ZBPYR) possesses excellent pharmacological effects against diabetes-associated cognitive decline. To elucidate the role of ZBPYR in regulating the balance of gut microbiota to improve psychological-stress-induced diabetes-associated cognitive decline (PSDACD), we compared blood glucose, behavioral and cognitive functions and diversity of the bacterial community among experimental groups. The Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats with PSDACD exhibited behavioral and cognitive anomalies showing as increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and decreased learning and memory abilities. High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that Roseburia and Coprococcus were decreased in ZDF rats with PSDACD compared with control group. Notably, these changes were reversed by ZBPYR treatment. Our findings indicate that ZBPYR might prevent PSDACD by maintaining the compositions of gut microbiota, which could be developed as a new therapy for T2D with PSDACD. PMID:28099913

ZiBuPiYin recipe improves cognitive decline by regulating gut microbiota in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

PubMed

Gu, Chunyan; Zhou, Wen; Wang, Wang; Xiang, Hong; Xu, Huiying; Liang, Lina; Sui, Hua; Zhan, Libin; Lu, Xiaoguang

2017-04-25

Numerous researches supported that microbiota can influence behavior and modulate cognitive function through "microbiota-gut-brain" axis. Our previous study has demonstrated that ZiBuPiYin recipe (ZBPYR) possesses excellent pharmacological effects against diabetes-associated cognitive decline. To elucidate the role of ZBPYR in regulating the balance of gut microbiota to improve psychological-stress-induced diabetes-associated cognitive decline (PSDACD), we compared blood glucose, behavioral and cognitive functions and diversity of the bacterial community among experimental groups. The Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats with PSDACD exhibited behavioral and cognitive anomalies showing as increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and decreased learning and memory abilities. High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that Roseburia and Coprococcus were decreased in ZDF rats with PSDACD compared with control group. Notably, these changes were reversed by ZBPYR treatment. Our findings indicate that ZBPYR might prevent PSDACD by maintaining the compositions of gut microbiota, which could be developed as a new therapy for T2D with PSDACD.

Fire severity and ecosytem responses following crown fires in California shrublands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.; Brennan, T.; Pfaff, A.H.

2008-01-01

Chaparral shrublands burn in large high-intensity crown fires. Managers interested in how these wildfires affect ecosystem processes generally rely on surrogate measures of fire intensity known as fire severity metrics. In shrublands burned in the autumn of 2003, a study of 250 sites investigated factors determining fire severity and ecosystem responses.Using structural equation modeling we show that stand age, prefire shrub density, and the shortest interval of the prior fire history had significant direct effects on fire severity, explaining >50% of the variation in severity.Fire severity per se is of interest to resource managers primarily because it is presumed to be an indicator of important ecosystem processes such as vegetative regeneration, community recovery, and erosion. Fire severity contributed relatively little to explaining patterns of regeneration after fire. Two generalizations can be drawn: fire severity effects are mostly short-lived, i.e., by the second year they are greatly diminished, and fire severity may have opposite effects on different functional types.Species richness exhibited a negative relationship to fire severity in the first year, but fire severity impacts were substantially less in the second postfire year and varied by functional type. Much of this relationship was due to alien plants that are sensitive to high fire severity; at all scales from 1 to 1000 m2, the percentage of alien species in the postfire flora declined with increased fire severity. Other aspects of disturbance history are also important determinants of alien cover and richness as both increased with the number of times the site had burned and decreased with time since last fire.A substantial number of studies have shown that remote-sensing indices are correlated with field measurements of fire severity. Across our sites, absolute differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) was strongly correlated with field measures of fire severity and with fire history at a site

Fire severity and ecosytem responses following crown fires in California shrublands.

PubMed

Keeley, Jon E; Brennan, Teresa; Pfaff, Anne H

2008-09-01

Chaparral shrublands burn in large high-intensity crown fires. Managers interested in how these wildfires affect ecosystem processes generally rely on surrogate measures of fire intensity known as fire severity metrics. In shrublands burned in the autumn of 2003, a study of 250 sites investigated factors determining fire severity and ecosystem responses. Using structural equation modeling we show that stand age, prefire shrub density, and the shortest interval of the prior fire history had significant direct effects on fire severity, explaining > 50% of the variation in severity. Fire severity per se is of interest to resource managers primarily because it is presumed to be an indicator of important ecosystem processes such as vegetative regeneration, community recovery, and erosion. Fire severity contributed relatively little to explaining patterns of regeneration after fire. Two generalizations can be drawn: fire severity effects are mostly shortlived, i.e., by the second year they are greatly diminished, and fire severity may have opposite effects on different functional types. Species richness exhibited a negative relationship to fire severity in the first year, but fire severity impacts were substantially less in the second postfire year and varied by functional type. Much of this relationship was due to alien plants that are sensitive to high fire severity; at all scales from 1 to 1000 m2, the percentage of alien species in the postfire flora declined with increased fire severity. Other aspects of disturbance history are also important determinants of alien cover and richness as both increased with the number of times the site had burned and decreased with time since last fire. A substantial number of studies have shown that remote-sensing indices are correlated with field measurements of fire severity. Across our sites, absolute differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) was strongly correlated with field measures of fire severity and with fire history at a

NOVEL ECONOMICAL HG(0) OXIDATION REAGENT FOR MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL FROM COAL-FIRED BOILERS

EPA Science Inventory

The authors have developed a novel economical additive for elemental mercury (Hg0) removal from coal-fired boilers. The oxidation reagent was rigorously tested in a lab-scale fixed-bed column with the Norit America's FGD activated carbon (DOE's benchmark sorbent) in a typical PRB...

Thermal surface characteristics of coal fires 1 results of in-situ measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianzhong; Kuenzer, Claudia

2007-12-01

Natural underground coal fires are fires in coal seams occurring subsurface. The fires are ignited through a process named spontaneous combustion, which occurs based on a natural reaction but is usually triggered through human interaction. Coal mining activities expose coal to the air. This leads to the exothermal oxidation of the carbon in the coal with the air's oxygen to CO 2 and - under certain circumstances - to spontaneous combustion. Coal fires occur in many countries world wide - however, currently the Chinese coal mining industry faces the biggest problems with coal fires. Coal fires destroy the valuable resource coal and furthermore lead to many environmental degradation phenomena such as the deterioration of surrounding vegetation, land subsidence and the emission of toxic gasses (CO, N 2O). They additionally contribute to the emission of green house relevant gasses such as CO 2 and CH 4 to the atmosphere. In this paper we present thermal characteristics of coal fires as measured in-situ during a field campaign to the Wuda coal fire area in south-central Inner Mongolia, China. Thermal characteristics include temperature anomaly measurements at the surface, spatial surface temperature profiles of fire areas and unaffected background areas, diurnal temperature profiles, and temperature measurements inside of coal fire induced cracks in the overlying bedrock. For all the measurements the effects of uneven solar heating through influences of slope and aspect are considered. Our findings show that coal fires result in strong or subtle thermal surface anomalies. Especially the latter can easily be influenced by heating of the surrounding background material through solar influences. Temperature variation of background rocks with different albedo, slope, aspect or vegetation cover can substantially influence the detectability of thermal anomalies. In the worst case coal fire related thermal anomalies can be completely masked by solar patterns during the daytime

Fire ants

MedlinePlus

... a fire ant delivers a harmful substance, called venom, into your skin. This article is for information ... in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Fire ant venom contains a chemical called piperidine. Where Found Fire ...

Fire Extinguisher Designated Worker and Fire Watch: Self-Study Course 15672

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

Harris, Jimmy D.

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), all workers must be aware of LANL fire protection policies and be trained on what to do in the event of a fire. This course, Fire Extinguisher Training for Fire Watch and Designated Workers (#9893), provides awareness-level and hands-on training for fire watch personnel and designated workers. Fire watch personnel and designated workers are appointed by line management and must receive both awareness-level training and hands-on training in the use of portable fire extinguishers to extinguish an incipient-stage fire. This training meets the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Code ofmore » Federal Regulations (CFR) 29 CFR 1910.157, Portable Fire Extinguishers, and Procedure (P) 101-26, Welding, Cutting, and Other Spark-/Flame-Producing Operations.« less

Fire Extinguisher Training for Fire Watch and Designated Workers, Course 9893

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

Harris, Jimmy D.

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), all workers must be aware of LANL fire protection policies and be trained on what to do in the event of a fire. This course, Fire Extinguisher Training for Fire Watch and Designated Workers (#9893), provides awareness-level and hands-on training for fire watch personnel and designated workers. Fire watch personnel and designated workers are appointed by line management and must receive both awareness-level training and hands-on training in the use of portable fire extinguishers to extinguish an incipient-stage fire. This training meets the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Code ofmore » Federal Regulations (CFR) 29 CFR 1910.157, Portable Fire Extinguishers, and Procedure (P) 101-26, Welding, Cutting, and Other Spark-/Flame-Producing Operations.« less

FastICA peel-off for ECG interference removal from surface EMG.

PubMed

Chen, Maoqi; Zhang, Xu; Chen, Xiang; Zhu, Mingxing; Li, Guanglin; Zhou, Ping

2016-06-13

Multi-channel recording of surface electromyographyic (EMG) signals is very likely to be contaminated by electrocardiographic (ECG) interference, specifically when the surface electrode is placed on muscles close to the heart. A novel fast independent component analysis (FastICA) based peel-off method is presented to remove ECG interference contaminating multi-channel surface EMG signals. Although demonstrating spatial variability in waveform shape, the ECG interference in different channels shares the same firing instants. Utilizing the firing information estimated from FastICA, ECG interference can be separated from surface EMG by a "peel off" processing. The performance of the method was quantified with synthetic signals by combining a series of experimentally recorded "clean" surface EMG and "pure" ECG interference. It was demonstrated that the new method can remove ECG interference efficiently with little distortion to surface EMG amplitude and frequency. The proposed method was also validated using experimental surface EMG signals contaminated by ECG interference. The proposed FastICA peel-off method can be used as a new and practical solution to eliminating ECG interference from multichannel EMG recordings.

Fire characteristics associated with firefighter injury on large federal wildland fires.

PubMed

Britton, Carla; Lynch, Charles F; Torner, James; Peek-Asa, Corinne

2013-02-01

Wildland fires present many injury hazards to firefighters. We estimate injury rates and identify fire-related factors associated with injury. Data from the National Interagency Fire Center from 2003 to 2007 provided the number of injuries in which the firefighter could not return to his or her job assignment, person-days worked, and fire characteristics (year, region, season, cause, fuel type, resistance to control, and structures destroyed). We assessed fire-level risk factors of having at least one reported injury using logistic regression. Negative binomial regression was used to examine incidence rate ratios associated with fire-level risk factors. Of 867 fires, 9.5% required the most complex management and 24.7% required the next-highest level of management. Fires most often occurred in the western United States (82.8%), during the summer (69.6%), caused by lightening (54.9%). Timber was the most frequent fuel source (40.2%). Peak incident management level, person-days of exposure, and the fire's resistance to control were significantly related to the odds of a fire having at least one reported injury. However, the most complex fires had a lower injury incidence rate than less complex fires. Although fire complexity and the number of firefighters were associated with the risk for at least one reported injury, the more experienced and specialized firefighting teams had lower injury incidence. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fire protection for launch facilities using machine vision fire detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Douglas B.

1993-02-01

Fire protection of critical space assets, including launch and fueling facilities and manned flight hardware, demands automatic sensors for continuous monitoring, and in certain high-threat areas, fast-reacting automatic suppression systems. Perhaps the most essential characteristic for these fire detection and suppression systems is high reliability; in other words, fire detectors should alarm only on actual fires and not be falsely activated by extraneous sources. Existing types of fire detectors have been greatly improved in the past decade; however, fundamental limitations of their method of operation leaves open a significant possibility of false alarms and restricts their usefulness. At the Civil Engineering Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, a new type of fire detector is under development which 'sees' a fire visually, like a human being, and makes a reliable decision based on known visual characteristics of flames. Hardware prototypes of the Machine Vision (MV) Fire Detection System have undergone live fire tests and demonstrated extremely high accuracy in discriminating actual fires from false alarm sources. In fact, this technology promises to virtually eliminate false activations. This detector could be used to monitor fueling facilities, launch towers, clean rooms, and other high-value and high-risk areas. Applications can extend to space station and in-flight shuttle operations as well; fiber optics and remote camera heads enable the system to see around obstructed areas and crew compartments. The capability of the technology to distinguish fires means that fire detection can be provided even during maintenance operations, such as welding.

Fire protection for launch facilities using machine vision fire detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Douglas B.

1993-01-01

Fire protection of critical space assets, including launch and fueling facilities and manned flight hardware, demands automatic sensors for continuous monitoring, and in certain high-threat areas, fast-reacting automatic suppression systems. Perhaps the most essential characteristic for these fire detection and suppression systems is high reliability; in other words, fire detectors should alarm only on actual fires and not be falsely activated by extraneous sources. Existing types of fire detectors have been greatly improved in the past decade; however, fundamental limitations of their method of operation leaves open a significant possibility of false alarms and restricts their usefulness. At the Civil Engineering Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, a new type of fire detector is under development which 'sees' a fire visually, like a human being, and makes a reliable decision based on known visual characteristics of flames. Hardware prototypes of the Machine Vision (MV) Fire Detection System have undergone live fire tests and demonstrated extremely high accuracy in discriminating actual fires from false alarm sources. In fact, this technology promises to virtually eliminate false activations. This detector could be used to monitor fueling facilities, launch towers, clean rooms, and other high-value and high-risk areas. Applications can extend to space station and in-flight shuttle operations as well; fiber optics and remote camera heads enable the system to see around obstructed areas and crew compartments. The capability of the technology to distinguish fires means that fire detection can be provided even during maintenance operations, such as welding.

Where's the Fire?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Needham, Dorothy

1977-01-01

National Fire Protection Week is a perfect time for launching a fire safety learning center. The activities described here are intended to help children recognize fire hazards in their homes, play areas and public buildings; learn how to act intelligently in fire emergencies; be able to share their knowledge of fire safety with others and…

Fire Frequent as a Measure of Fire Prevention Accomplishments

Treesearch

A.W. Lindenmuth; J.J. Keetch

1953-01-01

At the end of every year fire organizations regularly tally up the number of fires that burned in their territory and then try to decide whether the record is good or bad. Thirteen northeastern states reported 8,948 fires in 1951 on days of known fire danger, for example. Now the question is: would it have been reasonable to expect a larger or smaller number than 8,...

Firing system modification to alter ash properties for reduction of deposition and slagging under low NOx firing conditions

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

Hart, D.; Lewis, R.; Tobiasz, R.

1998-07-01

The composition and properties of ash formed during coal firing have a major impact on boiler performance. Higher ash content in the coal can mean higher costs associated with coal handling, transportation, ash removal and ash disposal along with higher costs due to the increased ash content's deleterious effects on pulverizing, combustion and heat transfer. ABB C-E Services, Inc. has conducted research what might be done to minimize the adverse effects of ash on boiler performance for many years. Recently, ABB C-E Services has studied the effects of firing system modifications on ash composition and properties and the effect thesemore » firing system modifications have on overall furnace performance. The subject of this paper is the impact of the installation of the CFS{trademark} yaw angles were varied and particle samples were collected at the waterwalls for the different yaw angles tested. These ash samples were analyzed for ash composition. The results showed that with a larger CFS{trademark} yaw angle (the air stream directed more towards the boiler walls) the base/acid ratio, iron content and sulfur content of the particle samples collected at the waterwall were reduced. This effect is due to several contributing factors: (1) an oxidizing environment produced by injecting more air toward the walls; and (2) an aerodynamic change which impacts the particle combustion time/temperature history.« less

Prescribed fire and oak sapling physiology, demography, and folivore damage in an Ozark woodland

Treesearch

D. Alexander Wait; Douglas P. Aubrey

2014-01-01

Prescribed fire is a tool in wildlife management for restoring and maintaining midwestern oak woodlands. The success of some of the wildlife management objectives depends upon opening the canopy, new oak (Quercus spp.) saplings entering the canopy, and removal of cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.). We examined population...

Cyclodextrin-Enhanced In Situ Removal of Organic Contaminants from Groundwater at Department of Defense Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-01

Advantage Nontoxic to humans and resident microbial populations Cyclodextrins are widely used in pharmaceuticals, food processing, and cosmetics ...dechlorination of tetrachloroethene by the Fenton reaction. Environ. Sci. Technol., 17 (9): 1689-1694. 25. Yin, Y., Allen, H.E., 1999: In situ chemical

Mössbauer analysis of the firing process of the sky-green glaze of the imitative ancient Chinese Ru porcelain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Songhua, Chen; Zhengyao, Gao; Guoju, Hu; Xiande, Chen

1994-12-01

The variation of the Mössbauer parameters of the imitative ancient Ru porcelain skygreen glaze with the firing conditions is studied in detail in the present paper. The Mössbauer spectra show that the sky-green glaze contains three kinds of iron minerals, i.e. the structural iron (Fe2+ and Fe3+); Fe2O3 and Fe3O4. The relative intensity of the paramagnetic peak Fe2+ increases and the magnetic ratio of the magnetic peak decreases with increasing temperature. Based on the variation of the quadrupole splitting ( QS) of the paramagnetic peak Fe2+, the phase transformation characteristics of the sky-green glaze in the firing process is discussed. The coloring mechanism of the sky-green glaze and the variation of its magnetism in the firing process are also investigated in the present paper.

Remote sensing information for fire management and fire effects assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuvieco, Emilio; Kasischke, Eric S.

2007-03-01

Over the past decade, much research has been carried out on the utilization of advanced geospatial technologies (remote sensing and geographic information systems) in the fire science and fire management disciplines. Recent advances in these technologies were the focus of a workshop sponsored by the EARSEL special interest group (SIG) on forest fires (FF-SIG) and the Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) fire implementation team. Here we summarize the framework and the key findings of papers submitted from this meeting and presented in this special section. These papers focus on the latest advances for near real-time monitoring of active fires, prediction of fire hazards and danger, monitoring of fuel moisture, mapping of fuel types, and postfire assessment of the impacts from fires.

Interactions among wildland fires in a long-established Sierra Nevada natural fire area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, B.M.; Miller, J.D.; Thode, A.E.; Kelly, M.; van Wagtendonk, J.W.; Stephens, S.L.

2009-01-01

We investigate interactions between successive naturally occurring fires, and assess to what extent the environments in which fires burn influence these interactions. Using mapped fire perimeters and satellite-based estimates of post-fire effects (referred to hereafter as fire severity) for 19 fires burning relatively freely over a 31-year period, we demonstrate that fire as a landscape process can exhibit self-limiting characteristics in an upper elevation Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest. We use the term 'self-limiting' to refer to recurring fire as a process over time (that is, fire regime) consuming fuel and ultimately constraining the spatial extent and lessening fire-induced effects of subsequent fires. When the amount of time between successive adjacent fires is under 9 years, and when fire weather is not extreme (burning index <34.9), the probability of the latter fire burning into the previous fire area is extremely low. Analysis of fire severity data by 10-year periods revealed a fair degree of stability in the proportion of area burned among fire severity classes (unchanged, low, moderate, high). This is in contrast to a recent study demonstrating increasing high-severity burning throughout the Sierra Nevada from 1984 to 2006, which suggests freely burning fires over time in upper elevation Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests can regulate fire-induced effects across the landscape. This information can help managers better anticipate short- and long-term effects of allowing naturally ignited fires to burn, and ultimately, improve their ability to implement Wildland Fire Use programs in similar forest types. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Forest fire management to avoid unintended consequences: a case study of Portugal using system dynamics.

PubMed

Collins, Ross D; de Neufville, Richard; Claro, João; Oliveira, Tiago; Pacheco, Abílio P

2013-11-30

Forest fires are a serious management challenge in many regions, complicating the appropriate allocation to suppression and prevention efforts. Using a System Dynamics (SD) model, this paper explores how interactions between physical and political systems in forest fire management impact the effectiveness of different allocations. A core issue is that apparently sound management can have unintended consequences. An instinctive management response to periods of worsening fire severity is to increase fire suppression capacity, an approach with immediate appeal as it directly treats the symptom of devastating fires and appeases the public. However, the SD analysis indicates that a policy emphasizing suppression can degrade the long-run effectiveness of forest fire management. By crowding out efforts to preventative fuel removal, it exacerbates fuel loads and leads to greater fires, which further balloon suppression budgets. The business management literature refers to this problem as the firefighting trap, wherein focus on fixing problems diverts attention from preventing them, and thus leads to inferior outcomes. The paper illustrates these phenomena through a case study of Portugal, showing that a balanced approach to suppression and prevention efforts can mitigate the self-reinforcing consequences of this trap, and better manage long-term fire damages. These insights can help policymakers and fire managers better appreciate the interconnected systems in which their authorities reside and the dynamics that may undermine seemingly rational management decisions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests.

PubMed

Fontaine, Joseph B; Kennedy, Patricia L

2012-07-01

Management in fire-prone ecosystems relies widely upon application of prescribed fire and/or fire surrogate (e.g., forest thinning) treatments to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function. Recently, published literature examining wildlife response to fire and fire management has increased rapidly. However, none of this literature has been synthesized quantitatively, precluding assessment of consistent patterns of wildlife response among treatment types. Using meta-analysis, we examined the scientific literature on vertebrate demographic responses to burn severity (low/moderate, high), fire surrogates (forest thinning), and fire and fire surrogate combined treatments in the most extensively studied fire-prone, forested biome (forests of the United States). Effect sizes (magnitude of response) and their 95% confidence limits (response consistency) were estimated for each species-by-treatment combination with two or more observations. We found 41 studies of 119 bird and 17 small-mammal species that examined short-term responses (< or =4 years) to thinning, low/moderate- and high-severity fire, and thinning plus prescribed fire; data on other taxa and at longer time scales were too sparse to permit quantitative assessment. At the stand scale (<50 ha), thinning and low/moderate-severity fire demonstrated similar response patterns in these forests. Combined thinning plus prescribed fire produced a higher percentage of positive responses. High-severity fire provoked stronger responses, with a majority of species possessing higher or lower effect sizes relative to fires of lower severity. In the short term and at fine spatial scales, fire surrogate forest-thinning treatments appear to effectively mimic low/moderate-severity fire, whereas low/moderate-severity fire is not a substitute for high-severity fire. The varied response of taxa to each of the four conditions considered makes it clear that the full range of fire-based disturbances (or their surrogates) is

PERSPECTIVE: Fire on the fringe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyne, Stephen J.

2009-09-01

Stephen J Pyne For the past two decades fire agencies have grappled with a seemingly new and intractable problem. Like the return of smallpox or polio, an issue they thought had vanished reappeared in virulent form. Year by year, the unthinkable became the undeniable: all across many industrial nations settlements began to burn. The earliest formal study followed the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires that swept through southeastern Australia [1]. That report remains definitive: nearly every subsequent inquiry has reaffirmed its conclusions about how houses actually burn and what remedial measures could counter the destruction [2, 3]. In many respects these insights simply adapted to nominal `wildlands' the lessons long learned for urban fire protection. Ban combustible roofing. Plug openings where embers might enter buildings. Establish defensible spaces. Provide firefighters. The larger concern was that wild landscapes and cityscapes were being intermixed in dangerous and unprecedented ways, like some kind of environmental matter and anti-matter. That mingling assumed two different forms. One was typical of developed nations with extensive wildlands in which suburban (or exurban) sprawl pushed against reserved landscapes. In 1987 researchers with the US Forest Service coined a name for this variant, the awkwardly labeled `wildland/urban interface' (WUI) or I-zone [4]. The second pattern found its best expression in Mediterranean Europe. Here agricultural lands were being abandoned, and then partially reclaimed by exurbanites [5]. The upshot for both was an explosion of fuels, houses (and communities) not built according to standard fire codes, and the absence of formal fire brigades [6]. The solution seemed obvious: install standard fire protection measures. More broadly, remove the houses or remove the wildlands. The apparitional fires would vanish as had urban conflagrations before them. In effect, define the problem as one that existing engineering, or techniques

Characterization of potential fire regimes: applying landscape ecology to fire management in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardel, E.; Alvarado, E.; Perez-Salicrup, D.; Morfín-Rios, J.

2013-05-01

Knowledge and understanding of fire regimes is fundamental to design sound fire management practices. The high ecosystem diversity of Mexico offers a great challenge to characterize the fire regime variation at the landscape level. A conceptual model was developed considering the main factors controlling fire regimes: climate and vegetation cover. We classified landscape units combining bioclimatic zones from the Holdridge life-zone system and actual vegetation cover. Since bioclimatic conditions control primary productivity and biomass accumulation (potential fuel), each landscape unit was considered as a fuel bed with a particular fire intensity and behavior potential. Climate is also a determinant factor of post-fire recovery rates of fuel beds, and climate seasonality (length of the dry and wet seasons) influences fire probability (available fuel and ignition efficiency). These two factors influence potential fire frequency. Potential fire severity can be inferred from fire frequency, fire intensity and behavior, and vegetation composition and structure. Based in the conceptual model, an exhaustive literature review and expert opinion, we developed rules to assign a potential fire regime (PFR) defined by frequency, intensity and severity (i.e. fire regime) to each bioclimatic-vegetation landscape unit. Three groups and eight types of potential fire regimes were identified. In Group A are fire-prone ecosystems with frequent low severity surface fires in grasslands (PFR type I) or forests with long dry season (II) and infrequent high-severity fires in chaparral (III), wet temperate forests (IV, fire restricted by humidity), and dry temperate forests (V, fire restricted by fuel recovery rate). Group B includes fire-reluctant ecosystems with very infrequent or occasional mixed severity surface fires limited by moisture in tropical rain forests (VI) or fuel availability in seasonally dry tropical forests (VII). Group C and PFR VIII include fire-free environments