WorldWideScience

Sample records for sam coverage subsequent

  1. Integration, Validation, and Application of a PV Snow Coverage Model in SAM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freeman, Janine M. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ryberg, David Severin [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-08-01

    Due to the increasing deployment of PV systems in snowy climates, there is significant interest in a method capable of estimating PV losses resulting from snow coverage that has been verified for a variety of system designs and locations. Many independent snow coverage models have been developed over the last 15 years; however, there has been very little effort verifying these models beyond the system designs and locations on which they were based. Moreover, major PV modeling software products have not yet incorporated any of these models into their workflows. In response to this deficiency, we have integrated the methodology of the snow model developed in the paper by Marion et al. (2013) into the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) System Advisor Model (SAM). In this work, we describe how the snow model is implemented in SAM and we discuss our demonstration of the model's effectiveness at reducing error in annual estimations for three PV arrays. Next, we use this new functionality in conjunction with a long term historical data set to estimate average snow losses across the United States for two typical PV system designs. The open availability of the snow loss estimation capability in SAM to the PV modeling community, coupled with our results of the nationwide study, will better equip the industry to accurately estimate PV energy production in areas affected by snowfall.

  2. Nanopatterned surface with adjustable area coverage and feature size fabricated by photocatalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bai Yang; Zhang Yan; Li Wei; Zhou Xuefeng; Wang Changsong; Feng Xin [State Key Laboratory of Materials-oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009 (China); Zhang Luzheng [Petroleum Research Recovery Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Lu Xiaohua, E-mail: xhlu@njut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Materials-oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009 (China)

    2009-08-30

    We report an effective approach to fabricate nanopatterns of alkylsilane self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) with desirable coverage and feature size by gradient photocatalysis in TiO{sub 2} aqueous suspension. Growth and photocatalytic degradation of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) were combined to fabricate adjustable monolayered nanopatterns on mica sheet in this work. Systematic atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis showed that OTS-SAMs that have similar area coverage with different feature sizes and similar feature size with different area coverages can be fabricated by this approach. Contact angle measurement was applied to confirm the gradually varied nanopatterns contributed to the gradient of UV light illumination. Since this approach is feasible for various organic SAMs and substrates, a versatile method was presented to prepare tunable nanopatterns with desirable area coverage and feature size in many applications, such as molecular and biomolecular recognition, sensor and electrode modification.

  3. Nanopatterned surface with adjustable area coverage and feature size fabricated by photocatalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai Yang; Zhang Yan; Li Wei; Zhou Xuefeng; Wang Changsong; Feng Xin; Zhang Luzheng; Lu Xiaohua

    2009-01-01

    We report an effective approach to fabricate nanopatterns of alkylsilane self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) with desirable coverage and feature size by gradient photocatalysis in TiO 2 aqueous suspension. Growth and photocatalytic degradation of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) were combined to fabricate adjustable monolayered nanopatterns on mica sheet in this work. Systematic atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis showed that OTS-SAMs that have similar area coverage with different feature sizes and similar feature size with different area coverages can be fabricated by this approach. Contact angle measurement was applied to confirm the gradually varied nanopatterns contributed to the gradient of UV light illumination. Since this approach is feasible for various organic SAMs and substrates, a versatile method was presented to prepare tunable nanopatterns with desirable area coverage and feature size in many applications, such as molecular and biomolecular recognition, sensor and electrode modification.

  4. Evaluation of Coverage and Barriers to Access to MAM Treatment in West Pokot County, Kenya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basquin, Cecile; Imelda, Awino; Gallagher, Maureen

    2014-01-01

    Full text: Despite an increased number of nutrition treatment coverage assessments conducted, they often focus on Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) treatment. In a recent experience in Kenya, Action Against Hunger| ACF International (ACF) conducted a coverage assessment to evaluate access to SAM and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) treatment. ACF supports the Ministry of Health (MoH) in delivering SAM and MAM treatment at health facility level through an Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme in West Pokot county since 2011. In order to evaluate the coverage of Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) and Supplementary Feeding Programme (SFP) components, the Simplified Lot Quality Assurance Sampling Evaluation of Access and Coverage (SLEAC) methodology was used. The goals of the coverage assessment were i) to estimate coverage for OTP and SFP; ii) to identify barriers to access to SAM and MAM treatment; iii) to evaluate whether any differences exist between barriers to access to SAM versus to MAM treatment as SFP coverage and uptake of MAM services were never assessed before; and iv) to build local capacities in assessing coverage and to provide recommendations for the MoH-led IMAM programme. With the support of the Coverage Monitoring Network (CMN), ACF led the SLEAC assessment as part of an on-the-job training exercise for MoH and partners in July 2013, covering all of West Pokot county. SLEAC is a rapid and low-resource survey method that uses a three-tier classification approach to evaluate and classify coverage, i.e., low coverage: < 20%; moderate: 20% -50%; and high coverage: ≤ 50%. In a first sampling stage, villages in each of the four sub-counties were randomly selected using systematic sampling. In a second sampling stage, in order to also assess MAM coverage, a house-to-house approach was applied to identify all or near all acutely malnourished children using Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape and identification of bilateral

  5. Surface adhesion and confinement variation of Staphylococcus aurius on SAM surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amroski, Alicia; Olsen, Morgan; Calabrese, Joseph; Senevirathne, Reshani; Senevirathne, Indrajith

    2012-02-01

    Controlled surface adhesion of non - pathogenic gram positive strain, Staphylococcus aureus is interesting as a model system due to possible development of respective biosensors for prevention and detection of the pathogenic strain methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and further as a study for bio-machine interfacing. Self Assembled Monolayers (SAM) with engineered surfaces of linear thiols on Au(111) were used as the substrate. Sub cultured S. aureus were used for the analysis. The SAM layered surfaces were dipped in 2 -- 4 Log/ml S. aureus solution. Subsequent surface adhesion at different bacterial dilutions on surfaces will be discussed, and correlated with quantitative and qualitative adhesion properties of bacteria on the engineered SAM surfaces. The bacteria adhered SAM surfaces were investigated using intermittent contact, noncontact, lateral force and contact modes of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).

  6. Sam37 is crucial for formation of the mitochondrial TOM-SAM supercomplex, thereby promoting β-barrel biogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wenz, Lena-Sophie; Ellenrieder, Lars; Qiu, Jian; Bohnert, Maria; Zufall, Nicole; van der Laan, Martin; Pfanner, Nikolaus; Wiedemann, Nils; Becker, Thomas

    2015-09-28

    Biogenesis of mitochondrial β-barrel proteins requires two preprotein translocases, the general translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) and the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM). TOM and SAM form a supercomplex that promotes transfer of β-barrel precursors. The SAM core complex contains the channel protein Sam50, which cooperates with Sam35 in precursor recognition, and the peripheral membrane protein Sam37. The molecular function of Sam37 has been unknown. We report that Sam37 is crucial for formation of the TOM-SAM supercomplex. Sam37 interacts with the receptor domain of Tom22 on the cytosolic side of the mitochondrial outer membrane and links TOM and SAM complexes. Sam37 thus promotes efficient transfer of β-barrel precursors to the SAM complex. We conclude that Sam37 functions as a coupling factor of the translocase supercomplex of the mitochondrial outer membrane. © 2015 Wenz et al.

  7. Teleconnection stationarity, variability and trends of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) during the last millennium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dätwyler, Christoph; Neukom, Raphael; Abram, Nerilie J.; Gallant, Ailie J. E.; Grosjean, Martin; Jacques-Coper, Martín; Karoly, David J.; Villalba, Ricardo

    2017-11-01

    The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the leading mode of atmospheric interannual variability in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extra-tropics. Here, we assess the stationarity of SAM spatial correlations with instrumental and paleoclimate proxy data for the past millennium. The instrumental period shows that temporal non-stationarities in SAM teleconnections are not consistent across the SH land areas. This suggests that the influence of the SAM index is modulated by regional effects. However, within key-regions with good proxy data coverage (South America, Tasmania, New Zealand), teleconnections are mostly stationary over the instrumental period. Using different stationarity criteria for proxy record selection, we provide new austral summer and annual mean SAM index reconstructions over the last millennium. Our summer SAM reconstructions are very robust to changes in proxy record selection and the selection of the calibration period, particularly on the multi-decadal timescale. In contrast, the weaker performance and lower agreement in the annual mean SAM reconstructions point towards changing teleconnection patterns that may be particularly important outside the summer months. Our results clearly portend that the temporal stationarity of the proxy-climate relationships should be taken into account in the design of comprehensive regional and hemispherical climate reconstructions. The summer SAM reconstructions show no significant relationship to solar, greenhouse gas and volcanic forcing, with the exception of an extremely strong negative anomaly following the AD 1257 Samalas eruption. Furthermore, reconstructed pre-industrial summer SAM trends are very similar to trends obtained by model control simulations. We find that recent trends in the summer SAM lie outside the 5-95% range of pre-industrial natural variability.

  8. SAM-VI RNAs selectively bind S-adenosylmethionine and exhibit similarities to SAM-III riboswitches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirihana Arachchilage, Gayan; Sherlock, Madeline E; Weinberg, Zasha; Breaker, Ronald R

    2018-03-04

    Five distinct riboswitch classes that regulate gene expression in response to the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) or its metabolic breakdown product S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) have been reported previously. Collectively, these SAM- or SAH-sensing RNAs constitute the most abundant collection of riboswitches, and are found in nearly every major bacterial lineage. Here, we report a potential sixth member of this pervasive riboswitch family, called SAM-VI, which is predominantly found in Bifidobacterium species. SAM-VI aptamers selectively bind the cofactor SAM and strongly discriminate against SAH. The consensus sequence and structural model for SAM-VI share some features with the consensus model for the SAM-III riboswitch class, whose members are mainly found in lactic acid bacteria. However, there are sufficient differences between the two classes such that current bioinformatics methods separately cluster representatives of the two motifs. These findings highlight the abundance of RNA structures that can form to selectively recognize SAM, and showcase the ability of RNA to utilize diverse strategies to perform similar biological functions.

  9. SAM Photovoltaic Model Technical Reference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilman, P. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-05-27

    This manual describes the photovoltaic performance model in the System Advisor Model (SAM). The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory maintains and distributes SAM, which is available as a free download from https://sam.nrel.gov. These descriptions are based on SAM 2015.1.30 (SSC 41).

  10. Electrochemical characterization of a 1,8-octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer (ODT-SAM) on a Au(111) single crystal electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia-Raya, Daniel; Madueno, Rafael; Sevilla, Jose Manuel; Blazquez, Manuel; Pineda, Teresa [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Termodinamica Aplicada, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Cordoba (Spain)

    2008-11-15

    Recently, it has becoming increasingly important to control the organization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of {omega}-functionalized thiols for its potential applications in the construction of more complex molecular architectures. In this paper, we report on the spontaneous formation of a SAM of octanedithiol (ODT) as a function of the modification time. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, double layer capacitance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used for the characterization of this monolayer. The increase in modification time brings about changes in the octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer (ODT-SAM) reductive desorption voltammograms that indicate an evolution toward a more ordered and compact monolayer. This trend has also been found by following the changes in the electron transfer processes of the redox probe K{sub 3}Fe(CN){sub 6}. In fact, the ODT-SAM formed at low-modification time does not significantly perturb the electrochemical response as it is typical of either a low coverage or of the presence of large defects in the layer. Upon increasing the modification time, the voltammograms of the redox probe adopt a sigmoidal shape indicating the existence of pinholes in the monolayer distributed as an array of microelectrodes. The surface coverage as well as the size and distribution of these pinholes have been determined by the impedance technique that gives a more reliable evaluation of these monolayer structural parameters. (author)

  11. Non-Photolithographic Manufacturing Processes for Micro-Channels Functioned by Micro-Contact-Printed SAMs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saigusa, Hiroki; Suga, Yasuo; Miki, Norihisa

    In this paper we propose non-photolithographic fabrication processes of micro-fluid channels with patterned SAMs (Self-Assembled-Monolayers). SAMs with a thiol group are micro-contact printed on a patterned Au/Ti layer, which is vapor-deposited through a shadow mask. Ti is an adhesion layer. Subsequently, the micro-channels are formed by bonding surface-activated PDMS onto the silicon substrate via a silanol group, producing a SAMs-functioned bottom wall of the micro-channel. No photolithographic processes are necessary and thus, the proposed processes are very simple, quick and low cost. The micro-reactors can have various functions associated with the micro-contact-printed SAMs. We demonstrate successful manufacturing of micro-reactors with two types of SAMs. The micro-reactor with patterned AUT (11-amino-1-undecanethiol) successfully trapped nano-particles with a carboxylic acid group, indicating that micro-contact-printed SAMs remain active after the manufacturing processes of the micro-reactor. AUT -functioned micro-channels are applicable to bioassay and to immobilize proteins for DNA arrays. ODT (1-octadecanethiol) makes surfaces hydrophobic with the methyl terminal group. When water was introduced into the micro-reactor with ODT-patterned surfaces, water droplets remained only in the hydrophilic areas where ODT was not patterned. ODT -functioned micro-channels are applicable to fluid handling.

  12. The Sam-Sam interaction between Ship2 and the EphA2 receptor: design and analysis of peptide inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercurio, Flavia Anna; Di Natale, Concetta; Pirone, Luciano; Iannitti, Roberta; Marasco, Daniela; Pedone, Emilia Maria; Palumbo, Rosanna; Leone, Marilisa

    2017-12-12

    The lipid phosphatase Ship2 represents a drug discovery target for the treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Its C-terminal sterile alpha motif domain (Ship2-Sam) associates with the Sam domain from the EphA2 receptor (EphA2-Sam). This interaction is expected to mainly induce pro-oncogenic effects in cells therefore, inhibition of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex may represent an innovative route to discover anti-cancer therapeutics. In the present work, we designed and analyzed several peptide sequences encompassing the interaction interface of EphA2-Sam for Ship2-Sam. Peptide conformational analyses and interaction assays with Ship2-Sam conducted through diverse techniques (CD, NMR, SPR and MST), identified a positively charged penta-amino acid native motif in EphA2-Sam, that once repeated three times in tandem, binds Ship2-Sam. NMR experiments show that the peptide targets the negatively charged binding site of Ship2-Sam for EphA2-Sam. Preliminary in vitro cell-based assays indicate that -at 50 µM concentration- it induces necrosis of PC-3 prostate cancer cells with more cytotoxic effect on cancer cells than on normal dermal fibroblasts. This work represents a pioneering study that opens further opportunities for the development of inhibitors of the Ship2-Sam/EphA2-Sam complex for therapeutic applications.

  13. SAM Theory Manual

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Rui [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2017-03-01

    The System Analysis Module (SAM) is an advanced and modern system analysis tool being developed at Argonne National Laboratory under the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. SAM development aims for advances in physical modeling, numerical methods, and software engineering to enhance its user experience and usability for reactor transient analyses. To facilitate the code development, SAM utilizes an object-oriented application framework (MOOSE), and its underlying meshing and finite-element library (libMesh) and linear and non-linear solvers (PETSc), to leverage modern advanced software environments and numerical methods. SAM focuses on modeling advanced reactor concepts such as SFRs (sodium fast reactors), LFRs (lead-cooled fast reactors), and FHRs (fluoride-salt-cooled high temperature reactors) or MSRs (molten salt reactors). These advanced concepts are distinguished from light-water reactors in their use of single-phase, low-pressure, high-temperature, and low Prandtl number (sodium and lead) coolants. As a new code development, the initial effort has been focused on modeling and simulation capabilities of heat transfer and single-phase fluid dynamics responses in Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) systems. The system-level simulation capabilities of fluid flow and heat transfer in general engineering systems and typical SFRs have been verified and validated. This document provides the theoretical and technical basis of the code to help users understand the underlying physical models (such as governing equations, closure models, and component models), system modeling approaches, numerical discretization and solution methods, and the overall capabilities in SAM. As the code is still under ongoing development, this SAM Theory Manual will be updated periodically to keep it consistent with the state of the development.

  14. Electrochemical characterization of a 1,8-octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer (ODT-SAM) on a Au(1 1 1) single crystal electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia-Raya, Daniel; Madueno, Rafael; Sevilla, Jose Manuel; Blazquez, Manuel [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Termodinamica Aplicada, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, E-14071 Cordoba (Spain); Pineda, Teresa [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Termodinamica Aplicada, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, E-14071 Cordoba (Spain)], E-mail: tpineda@uco.es

    2008-11-15

    Recently, it has becoming increasingly important to control the organization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of {omega}-functionalized thiols for its potential applications in the construction of more complex molecular architectures. In this paper, we report on the spontaneous formation of a SAM of octanedithiol (ODT) as a function of the modification time. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, double layer capacitance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used for the characterization of this monolayer. The increase in modification time brings about changes in the octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer (ODT-SAM) reductive desorption voltammograms that indicate an evolution toward a more ordered and compact monolayer. This trend has also been found by following the changes in the electron transfer processes of the redox probe K{sub 3}Fe(CN){sub 6}. In fact, the ODT-SAM formed at low-modification time does not significantly perturb the electrochemical response as it is typical of either a low coverage or of the presence of large defects in the layer. Upon increasing the modification time, the voltammograms of the redox probe adopt a sigmoidal shape indicating the existence of pinholes in the monolayer distributed as an array of microelectrodes. The surface coverage as well as the size and distribution of these pinholes have been determined by the impedance technique that gives a more reliable evaluation of these monolayer structural parameters.

  15. SAM Photovoltaic Model Technical Reference 2016 Update

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilman, Paul [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); DiOrio, Nicholas A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Freeman, Janine M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Janzou, Steven [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dobos, Aron [No longer NREL employee; Ryberg, David [No longer NREL employee

    2018-03-19

    This manual describes the photovoltaic performance model in the System Advisor Model (SAM) software, Version 2016.3.14 Revision 4 (SSC Version 160). It is an update to the 2015 edition of the manual, which describes the photovoltaic model in SAM 2015.1.30 (SSC 41). This new edition includes corrections of errors in the 2015 edition and descriptions of new features introduced in SAM 2016.3.14, including: 3D shade calculator Battery storage model DC power optimizer loss inputs Snow loss model Plane-of-array irradiance input from weather file option Support for sub-hourly simulations Self-shading works with all four subarrays, and uses same algorithm for fixed arrays and one-axis tracking Linear self-shading algorithm for thin-film modules Loss percentages replace derate factors. The photovoltaic performance model is one of the modules in the SAM Simulation Core (SSC), which is part of both SAM and the SAM SDK. SAM is a user-friedly desktop application for analysis of renewable energy projects. The SAM SDK (Software Development Kit) is for developers writing their own renewable energy analysis software based on SSC. This manual is written for users of both SAM and the SAM SDK wanting to learn more about the details of SAM's photovoltaic model.

  16. Scanning Tunneling Microscopic Observation of Adatom-Mediated Motifs on Gold-Thiol Self-assembled Monolayers at High Coverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Yun; Chi, Qijin; Hush, Noel S.

    2009-01-01

    the structural motifs observed on surfaces at low coverage and on gold nanoparticles to the observed spectroscopic properties of high-coverage SAMs formed by methanethiol. However, the significant role attributed to intermolecular steric packing effects suggests a lack of generality for the adatom-mediated motif......Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed by chemisorption of a branched-chain alkanethiol, 2-methyl-1-propanethiol, on Au(111) surfaces were studied by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under electrochemical potential control and analyzed using extensive density functional theory (DFT...... two R−S−Au−S−R adatom-mediated motifs per surface cell, with steric-induced variations in the adsorbate alignment inducing the observed STM image contrasts. Observed pits covering 5.6 ± 0.5% of the SAM surface are consistent with this structure. These results provide the missing link from...

  17. A surprising way to control the charge transport in molecular electronics: the subtle impact of the coverage of self-assembled monolayers of floppy molecules adsorbed on metallic electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bâldea, Ioan

    2017-10-26

    Inspired by earlier attempts in organic electronics aiming at controlling charge injection from metals into organic materials by manipulating the Schottky energy barrier using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), recent experimental and theoretical work in molecular electronics showed that metal-organic interfaces can be controlled via changes in the metal work function that are induced by SAMs. In this paper we indicate a different route to achieve interface-driven control over the charge transfer/transport at the molecular scale. It is based on the fact that, in floppy molecule based SAMs, the molecular conformation can be tuned by varying the coverage of the adsorbate. We demonstrate this effect with the aid of benchmark molecules that are often used to fabricate nanojunctions and consist of two rings that can easily rotate relative to each other. We show that, by varying the coverage of the SAM, the twisting angle φ of the considered molecular species can be modified by a factor of two. Given the fact that the low bias conductance G scales as cos 2  φ, this results in a change in G of over one order of magnitude for the considered molecular species. Tuning the twisting angle by controlling the SAM coverage may be significant, e.g., for current efforts to fabricate molecular switches. Conversely, the lack of control over the local SAM coverage may be problematic for the reproducibility and interpretation of the STM (scanning tunneling microscope) measurements on repeatedly forming single molecule break junctions.

  18. The ALICE Glance Shift Accounting Management System (SAMS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins Silva, H.; Abreu Da Silva, I.; Ronchetti, F.; Telesca, A.; Maidantchik, C.

    2015-12-01

    ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is an experiment at the CERN LHC (Large Hadron Collider) studying the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma. The experiment operation requires a 24 hours a day and 7 days a week shift crew at the experimental site, composed by the ALICE collaboration members. Shift duties are calculated for each institute according to their correlated members. In order to ensure the full coverage of the experiment operation as well as its good quality, the ALICE Shift Accounting Management System (SAMS) is used to manage the shift bookings as well as the needed training. ALICE SAMS is the result of a joint effort between the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the ALICE Collaboration. The Glance technology, developed by the UFRJ and the ATLAS experiment, sits at the basis of the system as an intermediate layer isolating the particularities of the databases. In this paper, we describe the ALICE SAMS development process and functionalities. The database has been modelled according to the collaboration needs and is fully integrated with the ALICE Collaboration repository to access members information and respectively roles and activities. Run, period and training coordinators can manage their subsystem operation and ensure an efficient personnel management. Members of the ALICE collaboration can book shifts and on-call according to pre-defined rights. ALICE SAMS features a user profile containing all the statistics and user contact information as well as the Institutes profile. Both the user and institute profiles are public (within the scope of the collaboration) and show the credit balance in real time. A shift calendar allows the Run Coordinator to plan data taking periods in terms of which subsystems shifts are enabled or disabled and on-call responsible people and slots. An overview display presents the shift crew present in the control room and allows the Run Coordination team to confirm the presence

  19. Crystal structures of the SAM-III/S[subscript MK] riboswitch reveal the SAM-dependent translation inhibition mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, C.; Smith, A.M.; Fuchs, R.T.; Ding, F.; Rajashankar, K.; Henkin, T.M.; Ke, A. (Cornell); (OSU)

    2010-01-07

    Three distinct classes of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-responsive riboswitches have been identified that regulate bacterial gene expression at the levels of transcription attenuation or translation inhibition. The SMK box (SAM-III) translational riboswitch has been identified in the SAM synthetase gene in members of the Lactobacillales. Here we report the 2.2-{angstrom} crystal structure of the Enterococcus faecalis SMK box riboswitch. The Y-shaped riboswitch organizes its conserved nucleotides around a three-way junction for SAM recognition. The Shine-Dalgarno sequence, which is sequestered by base-pairing with the anti-Shine-Dalgarno sequence in response to SAM binding, also directly participates in SAM recognition. The riboswitch makes extensive interactions with the adenosine and sulfonium moieties of SAM but does not appear to recognize the tail of the methionine moiety. We captured a structural snapshot of the SMK box riboswitch sampling the near-cognate ligand S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) in which SAH was found to adopt an alternative conformation and fails to make several key interactions.

  20. Redox Behavior of the S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-Binding Fe-S Cluster in Methylthiotransferase RimO, toward Understanding Dual SAM Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molle, Thibaut; Moreau, Yohann; Clemancey, Martin; Forouhar, Farhad; Ravanat, Jean-Luc; Duraffourg, Nicolas; Fourmond, Vincent; Latour, Jean-Marc; Gambarelli, Serge; Mulliez, Etienne; Atta, Mohamed

    2016-10-18

    RimO, a radical-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme, catalyzes the specific C 3 methylthiolation of the D89 residue in the ribosomal S 12 protein. Two intact iron-sulfur clusters and two SAM cofactors both are required for catalysis. By using electron paramagnetic resonance, Mössbauer spectroscopies, and site-directed mutagenesis, we show how two SAM molecules sequentially bind to the unique iron site of the radical-SAM cluster for two distinct chemical reactions in RimO. Our data establish that the two SAM molecules bind the radical-SAM cluster to the unique iron site, and spectroscopic evidence obtained under strongly reducing conditions supports a mechanism in which the first molecule of SAM causes the reoxidation of the reduced radical-SAM cluster, impeding reductive cleavage of SAM to occur and allowing SAM to methylate a HS - ligand bound to the additional cluster. Furthermore, by using density functional theory-based methods, we provide a description of the reaction mechanism that predicts the attack of the carbon radical substrate on the methylthio group attached to the additional [4Fe-4S] cluster.

  1. Impacts of palatal coverage on bolus formation during mastication and swallowing and subsequent adaptive changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, T; Furuya, J; Tamada, Y; Kondo, H

    2013-10-01

    Palatal coverage is often required for elderly edentulous patients with complete dentures. The purpose of this study was to clarify impacts of palatal coverage on bolus formation and subsequent adaptive changes. Subjects were 18 healthy young dentulous adults who wore 1·5-mm-thick palatal plates. Subjects were asked to feed 12 g of bicoloured rice as usual, and the bolus formation by mastication and swallowing in the pharynx was observed using a nasal videoendoscopy. The bolus formation index (BFI), number of mastication strokes until swallowing, visual analogue scale about swallowing easiness and masticatory performance using colour-changeable gum were measured under three conditions: before placement of the palatal plate (day 0), immediately after placement (day 1) and after 7 days of wearing the plate (day 7). BFI and visual analogue scale on day 1 were significantly lower than those on day 0, but those on day 7 significantly recovered to the level of day 0. The number of mastication strokes did not change from day 0 to day 1, however, that on day 7 was significantly higher. Masticatory performance on days 1 and 7 was significantly lower than that on day 0. Although palatal coverage inhibits bolus formation during feeding, subjects increased the number of mastication strokes until swallowing threshold as they adapted to palatal coverage over time. This adaptive change was due to compensate for the lowered masticatory performance to achieve bolus formation for comfortable swallowing. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. SAM International Case Studies: DPV Analysis in Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCall, James D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2018-03-28

    Presentation demonstrates the use of the System Advisor Model (SAM) in international analyses, specifically Mexico. Two analyses are discussed with relation to SAM modelling efforts: 1) Customer impacts from changes to net metering and billing agreements and 2) Potential benefits of PV for Mexican solar customers, the Mexican Treasury, and the environment. Along with the SAM analyses, integration of the International Utility Rate Database (I-URDB) with SAM and future international SAM work are discussed. Presentation was created for the International Solar Energy Society's (ISES) webinar titled 'International use of the NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) with case studies'.

  3. Background of SAM atom-fraction profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ernst, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Atom-fraction profiles acquired by SAM (scanning Auger microprobe) have important applications, e.g. in the context of alloy surface engineering by infusion of carbon or nitrogen through the alloy surface. However, such profiles often exhibit an artifact in form of a background with a level that anti-correlates with the local atom fraction. This article presents a theory explaining this phenomenon as a consequence of the way in which random noise in the spectrum propagates into the discretized differentiated spectrum that is used for quantification. The resulting model of “energy channel statistics” leads to a useful semi-quantitative background reduction procedure, which is validated by applying it to simulated data. Subsequently, the procedure is applied to an example of experimental SAM data. The analysis leads to conclusions regarding optimum experimental acquisition conditions. The proposed method of background reduction is based on general principles and should be useful for a broad variety of applications. - Highlights: • Atom-fraction–depth profiles of carbon measured by scanning Auger microprobe • Strong background, varies with local carbon concentration. • Needs correction e.g. for quantitative comparison with simulations • Quantitative theory explains background. • Provides background removal strategy and practical advice for acquisition

  4. Background of SAM atom-fraction profiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ernst, Frank

    2017-03-15

    Atom-fraction profiles acquired by SAM (scanning Auger microprobe) have important applications, e.g. in the context of alloy surface engineering by infusion of carbon or nitrogen through the alloy surface. However, such profiles often exhibit an artifact in form of a background with a level that anti-correlates with the local atom fraction. This article presents a theory explaining this phenomenon as a consequence of the way in which random noise in the spectrum propagates into the discretized differentiated spectrum that is used for quantification. The resulting model of “energy channel statistics” leads to a useful semi-quantitative background reduction procedure, which is validated by applying it to simulated data. Subsequently, the procedure is applied to an example of experimental SAM data. The analysis leads to conclusions regarding optimum experimental acquisition conditions. The proposed method of background reduction is based on general principles and should be useful for a broad variety of applications. - Highlights: • Atom-fraction–depth profiles of carbon measured by scanning Auger microprobe • Strong background, varies with local carbon concentration. • Needs correction e.g. for quantitative comparison with simulations • Quantitative theory explains background. • Provides background removal strategy and practical advice for acquisition.

  5. Samsø Energy Vision 2030

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Hansen, Kenneth; Ridjan, Iva

    The purpose of this report is to investigate potential scenarios for converting Samsø into 100% renewable energy supply in 2030 with focus on local electricity and biomass resources. Firstly, a 2013 reference scenario is established to investigate whether Samsø is 100% renewable today. Next, scen...

  6. System for Award Management (SAM) API

    Data.gov (United States)

    General Services Administration — The SAM API is a RESTful method of retrieving public information about the businesses, organizations, or individuals (referred to as entities) within the SAM entity...

  7. 78 FR 62627 - Sam Rayburn Dam Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-22

    ..., Wholesale Rates for Hydro Power and Energy Sold to Sam Rayburn Dam Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Contract No... Schedule SRD-08, Wholesale Rates for Hydro Power and Energy Sold to Sam Rayburn Dam Electric Cooperative... ADMINISTRATION RATE SCHEDULE SRD-13 \\1\\ WHOLESALE RATES FOR HYDRO POWER AND ENERGY SOLD TO SAM RAYBURN DAM...

  8. System Advisor Model, SAM 2014.1.14: General Description

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blair, Nate [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dobos, Aron P. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Freeman, Janine [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Neises, Ty [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wagner, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ferguson, Tom [Global Resources, Northbrook, IL (United States); Gilman, Paul [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Janzou, Steven [Janzou Consulting, Idaho Springs, CO (United States)

    2014-02-01

    This document describes the capabilities of the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory's System Advisor Model (SAM), Version 2013.9.20, released on September 9, 2013. SAM is a computer model that calculates performance and financial metrics of renewable energy systems. Project developers, policy makers, equipment manufacturers, and researchers use graphs and tables of SAM results in the process of evaluating financial, technology, and incentive options for renewable energy projects. SAM simulates the performance of photovoltaic, concentrating solar power, solar water heating, wind, geothermal, biomass, and conventional power systems. The financial model can represent financial structures for projects that either buy and sell electricity at retail rates (residential and commercial) or sell electricity at a price determined in a power purchase agreement (utility). SAM's advanced simulation options facilitate parametric and sensitivity analyses, and statistical analysis capabilities are available for Monte Carlo simulation and weather variability (P50/P90) studies. SAM can also read input variables from Microsoft Excel worksheets. For software developers, the SAM software development kit (SDK) makes it possible to use SAM simulation modules in their applications written in C/C++, C#, Java, Python, and MATLAB. NREL provides both SAM and the SDK as free downloads at http://sam.nrel.gov. Technical support and more information about the software are available on the website.

  9. SAMMate: a GUI tool for processing short read alignments in SAM/BAM format

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flemington Erik

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Next Generation Sequencing (NGS technology generates tens of millions of short reads for each DNA/RNA sample. A key step in NGS data analysis is the short read alignment of the generated sequences to a reference genome. Although storing alignment information in the Sequence Alignment/Map (SAM or Binary SAM (BAM format is now standard, biomedical researchers still have difficulty accessing this information. Results We have developed a Graphical User Interface (GUI software tool named SAMMate. SAMMate allows biomedical researchers to quickly process SAM/BAM files and is compatible with both single-end and paired-end sequencing technologies. SAMMate also automates some standard procedures in DNA-seq and RNA-seq data analysis. Using either standard or customized annotation files, SAMMate allows users to accurately calculate the short read coverage of genomic intervals. In particular, for RNA-seq data SAMMate can accurately calculate the gene expression abundance scores for customized genomic intervals using short reads originating from both exons and exon-exon junctions. Furthermore, SAMMate can quickly calculate a whole-genome signal map at base-wise resolution allowing researchers to solve an array of bioinformatics problems. Finally, SAMMate can export both a wiggle file for alignment visualization in the UCSC genome browser and an alignment statistics report. The biological impact of these features is demonstrated via several case studies that predict miRNA targets using short read alignment information files. Conclusions With just a few mouse clicks, SAMMate will provide biomedical researchers easy access to important alignment information stored in SAM/BAM files. Our software is constantly updated and will greatly facilitate the downstream analysis of NGS data. Both the source code and the GUI executable are freely available under the GNU General Public License at http://sammate.sourceforge.net.

  10. 核蛋白Sam68的原核表达及鉴定%Prokaryotic Expression and Identification of Nuclear Protein Sam68

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张华; 陈宁; 丁筠; 邹德华; 潘子夜; 李鹏飞; 李丽阳; 肖丽杰; 曹宏伟

    2017-01-01

    为了构建pGEX-4T-1-Sam68原核表达载体,表达并鉴定GST-Sam68融合蛋白,采用PCR扩增Sam68基因,插入pGEX-4T-1的EcoR I和Sal I位点,并转化Rosetta(DE3)大肠杆菌,IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE和Western Blot验证蛋白表达,GST pull-down技术验证Sam68的结合活性.酶切和测序结果证实Sam68基因正确插入pGEX-4T-1载体中,载体能够在Rosetta(DE3)细胞中正确表达,且纯化的GST-Sam68蛋白具有与PI3K p85特异结合的活性,说明成功构建了原核表达载体pGEX-4T-1-Sam68.

  11. International ISOE Workshop - Direction Forward for the Finalization of the EG-SAM Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okyar, H. Burcin

    2014-01-01

    The objective of the ISOE Expert Group on Occupational Radiation Protection in Severe Accident Management and Post-accident Recovery (EG-SAM) is to develop a report on best radiation protection management procedures for proper radiation protection job coverage during severe accident initial response and recovery efforts to identify good radiation protection practices and to organise and communicate radiation protection lessons learned from previous reactor accidents. The outcome of the work will be a new ISOE publication on Occupational Radiation Protection in severe accident management that will find broad use within the NPP radiation protection community. The EG-SAM has finalized an interim report which was presented at the Washington workshop. The interim report covered the following topics: RP Management and Organisation; RP Training and Exercises related to Severe Accident Management; Facility Configuration and Readiness; Overall Approach for Worker Protection; Monitoring and Managing the Radioactive Releases and Contamination; Key Lessons Learned from Past Accidents; Conclusions. Utilities and Regulatory Authorities have identified the factors and aspects which play key roles in achieving good practices on occupational radiation protection in severe accident management and post-accident recovery: knowledge, experience, technology, regulatory requirements and guidance, worker involvement, information exchange, training aspects, etc. They have analysed and quantified their impact on worker doses, and submitted recommendations for further work. The next step will be a final meeting of the EG-SAM for the finalization of the report with workshop inputs before its submission for approval

  12. Storifying Samsøs Renewable Energy Transition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Papazu, Irina

    2018-01-01

    Through a joint community effort Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island Samsø became self-sufficient with renewable energy over a period of 10 years from 1997 to 2007. Today, the story about Samsø’s successful energy transition has become a global export and a widely known model of community building...... the effects of such well-crafted transition narratives. This tendency toward the ‘storification’ of transition processes is not restricted to Samsø; it is employed as a tactics by environmental organizations operating globally....

  13. Samâ’ dalam Tradisi Tasawuf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Said Aqil Siradj

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Samâ‘ in Tasawuf has been a very important element in the dissemination of this spiritual dimension of Islam. Yet, it has received very little both from the practitioners of Tasawuf and its intellectuals. This paper tries to expose this simply in a hope to make it heard in the academic and popular circle. Here, samâ‘ is not only understood as a form of music, as many would do, but also as an art of listening of which music is certainly part. The paper will explore the meaning and definition of this term, putting emphasis on its many-faceted function in the formation and development of one’s soul and spirituality. It is argued that soul is musical and artistic. Using art and music to talk to soul is therefore the proper way and means. The paper will also try to show that samâ‘ is also an indispensable part of spiritual method to reach and know God. Knowledge of God in other words, can be gained through this practice. Hence, samâ‘ is treated not only as a form of entertainment, but also a kind of practical epistemology.

  14. The nuclear protein Sam68 is cleaved by the FMDV 3C protease redistributing Sam68 to the cytoplasm during FMDV infection of host cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, Paul; Schafer, Elizabeth A.; Rieder, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    Picornavirus infection can lead to disruption of nuclear pore traffic, shut-off of cell translation machinery, and cleavage of proteins involved in cellular signal transduction and the innate response to infection. Here, we demonstrated that the FMDV 3C pro induced the cleavage of nuclear RNA-binding protein Sam68 C-terminus containing the nuclear localization sequence (NLS). Consequently, it stimulated the redistribution of Sam68 to the cytoplasm. The siRNA knockdown of Sam68 resulted in a 1000-fold reduction in viral titers, which prompted us to study the effect of Sam68 on FMDV post-entry events. Interestingly, Sam68 interacts with the internal ribosomal entry site within the 5′ non-translated region of the FMDV genome, and Sam68 knockdown decreased FMDV IRES-driven activity in vitro suggesting that it could modulate translation of the viral genome. The results uncover a novel role for Sam68 in the context of picornaviruses and the proteolysis of a new cellular target of the FMDV 3C pro .

  15. Wide Range Vacuum Pumps for the SAM Instrument on the MSL Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorensen, Paul; Kline-Schoder, Robert; Farley, Rodger

    2014-01-01

    Creare Incorporated and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developed and space qualified two wide range pumps (WRPs) that were included in the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. This instrument was subsequently integrated into the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) "Curiosity Rover," launched aboard an Atlas V rocket in 2011, and landed on August 6, 2012, in the Gale Crater on Mars. The pumps have now operated for more than 18 months in the Gale Crater and have been evacuating the key components of the SAM instrument: a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and six gas chromatograph columns. In this paper, we describe the main design challenges and the ways in which they were solved. This includes the custom design of a miniaturized, high-speed motor to drive the turbo drag pump rotor, analysis of rotor dynamics for super critical operation, and bearing/lubricant design/selection.

  16. Technical Manual for the SAM Physical Trough Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wagner, M. J.; Gilman, P.

    2011-06-01

    NREL, in conjunction with Sandia National Lab and the U.S Department of Energy, developed the System Advisor Model (SAM) analysis tool for renewable energy system performance and economic analysis. This paper documents the technical background and engineering formulation for one of SAM's two parabolic trough system models in SAM. The Physical Trough model calculates performance relationships based on physical first principles where possible, allowing the modeler to predict electricity production for a wider range of component geometries than is possible in the Empirical Trough model. This document describes the major parabolic trough plant subsystems in detail including the solar field, power block, thermal storage, piping, auxiliary heating, and control systems. This model makes use of both existing subsystem performance modeling approaches, and new approaches developed specifically for SAM.

  17. Information System through ANIS at CeSAM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreau, C.; Agneray, F.; Gimenez, S.

    2015-09-01

    ANIS (AstroNomical Information System) is a web generic tool developed at CeSAM to facilitate and standardize the implementation of astronomical data of various kinds through private and/or public dedicated Information Systems. The architecture of ANIS is composed of a database server which contains the project data, a web user interface template which provides high level services (search, extract and display imaging and spectroscopic data using a combination of criteria, an object list, a sql query module or a cone search interfaces), a framework composed of several packages, and a metadata database managed by a web administration entity. The process to implement a new ANIS instance at CeSAM is easy and fast : the scientific project has to submit data or a data secure access, the CeSAM team installs the new instance (web interface template and the metadata database), and the project administrator can configure the instance with the web ANIS-administration entity. Currently, the CeSAM offers through ANIS a web access to VO compliant Information Systems for different projects (HeDaM, HST-COSMOS, CFHTLS-ZPhots, ExoDAT,...).

  18. 78 FR 47695 - Sam Rayburn Dam Power Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Southwestern Power Administration Sam Rayburn Dam Power Rate AGENCY: Southwestern Power Administration, DOE. ACTION: Notice of public review and comment. SUMMARY: The current Sam..., Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern), has prepared Current and Revised 2013 Power Repayment Studies...

  19. Recent Updates to the System Advisor Model (SAM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DiOrio, Nicholas A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2018-02-14

    The System Advisor Model (SAM) is a mature suite of techno-economic models for many renewable energy technologies that can be downloaded for free as a desktop application or software development kit. SAM is used for system-level modeling, including generating performance pro the release of the code as an open source project on GitHub. Other additions that will be covered include the ability to download data directly into SAM from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) and up- dates to a user-interface macro that assists with PV system sizing. A brief update on SAM's battery model and its integration with the detailed photovoltaic model will also be discussed. Finally, an outline of planned work for the next year will be presented, including the addition of a bifacial model, support for multiple MPPT inputs for detailed inverter modeling, and the addition of a model for inverter thermal behavior.

  20. Spirit Pluralisme dalam Klenteng Sam Po Kong Semarang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edi Nurwahyu Julianto

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Klenteng Sam Po Kong has very deep meaning as a symbol of multi cultural; multi ethnic and multi religious. Klenteng Sam Po Kong has a different function, not only used by people with background religious Tri Dharma (Budha, Tao and Konghuchu, but also used by Javanese ethnic with different religious backgrounds. Between ethnic China and Java, mutual respect and tolerance run beliefs and rituals of each. More over, Klenteng Sam Po Kong is a form of pluralism which reflected the fact Sino Javanese Muslim Culture is preserved to date both of sightings physical culture and system cultural in the form of religious rites performed by ethnic China and Java.

  1. Cooperation between Magnesium and Metabolite Controls Collapse of the SAM-I Riboswitch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Susmita; Onuchic, José N; Sanbonmatsu, Karissa Y

    2017-07-25

    The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-I riboswitch is a noncoding RNA that regulates the transcription termination process in response to metabolite (SAM) binding. The aptamer portion of the riboswitch may adopt an open or closed state depending on the presence of metabolite. Although the transition between the open and closed states is critical for the switching process, its atomistic details are not well understood. Using atomistic simulations, we calculate the effect of SAM and magnesium ions on the folding free energy landscape of the SAM-I riboswitch. These molecular simulation results are consistent with our previous wetlab experiments and aid in interpreting the SHAPE probing measurements. Here, molecular dynamics simulations explicitly identify target RNA motifs sensitive to magnesium ions and SAM. In the simulations, we observe that, whereas the metabolite mostly stabilizes the P1 and P3 helices, magnesium serves an important role in stabilizing a pseudoknot interaction between the P2 and P4 helices, even at high metabolite concentrations. The pseudoknot stabilization by magnesium, in combination with P1 stabilization by SAM, explains the requirement of both SAM and magnesium to form the fully collapsed metabolite-bound closed state of the SAM-I riboswitch. In the absence of SAM, frequent open-to-closed conformational transitions of the pseudoknot occur, akin to breathing. These pseudoknot fluctuations disrupt the binding site by facilitating fluctuations in the 5'-end of helix P1. Magnesium biases the landscape toward a collapsed state (preorganization) by coordinating pseudoknot and 5'-P1 fluctuations. The cooperation between SAM and magnesium in stabilizing important tertiary interactions elucidates their functional significance in transcription regulation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Motor coordination defects in mice deficient for the Sam68 RNA-binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukong, Kiven E; Richard, Stéphane

    2008-06-03

    The role of RNA-binding proteins in the central nervous system and more specifically their role in motor coordination and learning are poorly understood. We previously reported that ablation of RNA-binding protein Sam68 in mice results in male sterility and delayed mammary gland development and protection against osteoporosis in females. Sam68 however is highly expressed in most regions of the brain especially the cerebellum and thus we investigated the cerebellar-related manifestations in Sam68-null mice. We analyzed the mice for motor function, sensory function, and learning and memory abilities. Herein, we report that Sam68-null mice have motor coordination defects as assessed by beam walking and rotorod performance. Forty-week-old Sam68-null mice (n=12) were compared to their wild-type littermates (n=12). The Sam68-null mice exhibited more hindpaw faults in beam walking tests and fell from the rotating drum at lower speeds and prematurely compared to the wild-type controls. The Sam68-null mice were, however, normal for forelimb strength, tail-hang reflex, balance test, grid walking, the Morris water task, recognition memory, visual discrimination, auditory stimulation and conditional taste aversion. Our findings support a role for Sam68 in the central nervous system in the regulation of motor coordination.

  3. Radiation streaming with SAM-CE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Gangi, N.; Cohen, M.O.; Waluschka, E.; Steinberg, H.A.

    1980-01-01

    The SAM-CE Monte Carlo code has been employed to calculate doses, due to neutron streaming, on the operating floor and other locations of the Millstone Unit II Nuclear Power Facility. Calculated results were compared against measured doses

  4. On LAM's and SAM's for Halley's rotation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peale, Stanton J.

    1992-01-01

    Non principal axis rotation for comet Halley is inferred from dual periodicities evident in the observations. The modes where the spin axis precesses around the axis of minimum moment of inertia (long axis mode or LAM) and where it precesses around the axis of maximum moment of inertia (short axis mode or SAM) are described from an inertial point of view. The currently favored LAM model for Halley's rotation state satisfies observational and dynamical constraints that apparently no SAM can satisfy. But it cannot reproduce the observed post perihelion brightening through seasonal illumination of localized sources on the nucleus, whereas a SAM can easily produce post or pre perihelion brightening by this mechanism. However, the likelihood of a LAM rotation for elongated nuclei of periodic comets such as Halley together with Halley's extreme post perihelion behavior far from the Sun suggest that Halley's post perihelion brightening may be due to effects other than seasonal illumination of localized sources, and therefore such brightening may not constrain its rotation state.

  5. Prevention of passive film breakdown on iron in a borate buffer solution containing chloride ion by coverage with a self-assembled monolayer of hexadecanoate ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aramaki, Kunitsugu; Shimura, Tadashi

    2003-01-01

    Breakdown of a passive film on iron in a borate buffer solution (pH 8.49) containing 0.1 M of Cl - was suppressed by coverage of the passive film surface with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of hexadecanoate ion C 15 H 31 CO 2 - (C 16 A - ). The pitting potential of an iron electrode previously passivated in the borate buffer at 0.50 V/SCE increased by treatment in an aqueous solution of sodium hexadecanoate for many hours, indicating protection of the passive film from breakdown caused by an attack on defects of the film with Cl - . No breakdown occurred over the potential range of the passive region by coverage with the SAM of C 16 A - in some cases. Structures of the passive film and the monolayer were characterized by X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopies and contact angle measurement with a drop of water

  6. Renewing Samsø

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Papazu, Irina

    2017-01-01

    and globally, I ask: if indeed such a process of renewal must be understood as a political process and the island’s energy transition as an inherently political event, what can Samsø teach us about the workings of politics and local democracy as enacted in practice? This is politics not as election result...... or ideological struggle over values, ideals and the distribution of goods, but as the down-to-earth but significant activity of creating something new together....

  7. Identification of trans-acting factors regulating SamDC expression in Oryza sativa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Basu, Supratim, E-mail: supratim_genetics@yahoo.co.in [Department of Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Kolkata (India); Roychoudhury, Aryadeep [Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier' s College (Autonomous), 30, Mother Teresa Sarani, Kolkata - 700016, West Bengal (India); Sengupta, Dibyendu N. [Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, Kolkata (India)

    2014-03-07

    Highlights: • Identification of cis elements responsible for SamDC expression by in silico analysis. • qPCR analysis of SamDC expression to abiotic and biotic stress treatments. • Detection of SamDC regulators using identified cis-elements as probe by EMSA. • Southwestern Blot analysis to predict the size of the trans-acting factors. - Abstract: Abiotic stress affects the growth and productivity of crop plants; to cope with the adverse environmental conditions, plants have developed efficient defense machinery comprising of antioxidants like phenolics and flavonoids, and osmolytes like polyamines. SamDC is a key enzyme in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway in plants. In our present communication we have done in silico analysis of the promoter region of SamDC to look for the presence of different cis-regulatory elements contributing to its expression. Based on the presence of different cis-regulatory elements we completed comparative analysis of SamDC gene expression in rice lamina of IR-29 and Nonabokra by qPCR in response to the abiotic stress treatments of salinity, drought, cold and the biotic stress treatments of ABA and light. Additionally, to explore the role of the cis-regulatory elements in regulating the expression of SamDC gene in plants we comparatively analyzed the binding of rice nuclear proteins prepared from IR-29 and Nonabokra undergoing various stress treatments. The intensity of the complex formed was low and inducible in IR-29 in contrast to Nonabokra. Southwestern blot analysis helped in predicting the size of the trans-acting factors binding to these cis-elements. To our knowledge this is the first report on the comprehensive analysis of SamDC gene expression in rice and identification of the trans-acting factors regulating its expression.

  8. Unanticipated coordination of tris buffer to the Radical SAM cluster of the RimO methylthiotransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molle, Thibaut; Clémancey, Martin; Latour, Jean-Marc; Kathirvelu, Velavan; Sicoli, Giuseppe; Forouhar, Farhad; Mulliez, Etienne; Gambarelli, Serge; Atta, Mohamed

    2016-07-01

    Radical SAM enzymes generally contain a [4Fe-4S](2+/1+) (RS cluster) cluster bound to the protein via the three cysteines of a canonical motif CxxxCxxC. The non-cysteinyl iron is used to coordinate SAM via its amino-carboxylate moiety. The coordination-induced proximity between the cluster acting as an electron donor and the adenosyl-sulfonium bond of SAM allows for the homolytic cleavage of the latter leading to the formation of the reactive 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical used for substrate activation. Most of the structures of Radical SAM enzymes have been obtained in the presence of SAM, and therefore, little is known about the situation when SAM is not present. In this report, we show that RimO, a methylthiotransferase belonging to the radical SAM superfamily, binds a Tris molecule in the absence of SAM leading to specific spectroscopic signatures both in Mössbauer and pulsed EPR spectroscopies. These data provide a cautionary note for researchers who work with coordinative unsaturated iron sulfur clusters.

  9. Study of radiation effects on the senescence accelerated mouse (SAM), 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishikawa, Masao; Iseki, Masachika; Kondo, Hisayoshi

    1989-01-01

    The study of age-related changes in the central nervous system due to irradiation is being carried out in our laboratory. The senescence accelerated mouse (SAM P/1, male) was used for this investigation concerning the one-trial passive avoidance reaction. The experimental group of SAM P/1 was irradiated with 4 Gy at 8 weeks old, and passive avoidance reaction (PAR) was measured for 180 seconds as a learning task. At the age of 7 months, statistical analysis of PAR was conducted using the life time analysis method. The passive avoidance reaction of the irradiated group was more impaired than that of the control group. The results of this investigation suggested that the learning and/or memory disturbance of irradiated SAM P/1 is similar to the changes of more aged SAM P/1. (author)

  10. CareSam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liveng, Anne; Christensen, Jonas

    2016-01-01

    negative cultural perceptions of help-needing elderly and the people who support them in everyday life? In answering these questions and thereby reflecting on our own work process we apply a caring, a learning and a political perspective. Hereby the article wishes to formulate a methodological point...... to maintain immediately conflicting dimensions in this kind of work.......This article presents findings and discussions generated on the basis of the Danish-Swedish development project CareSam. The article will on the one hand focus on how work in groups consisting of representatives from different levels in the elderly care sector at one time served as learning spaces...

  11. Amine terminated SAMs: Investigating why oxygen is present in these films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baio, J.E.; Weidner, T.; Brison, J.; Graham, D.J.; Gamble, Lara J.; Castner, David G.

    2009-01-01

    Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold prepared from amine-terminated alkanethiols have long been employed as model positively charged surfaces. Yet in previous studies significant amounts of unexpected oxygen containing species are always detected in amine terminated SAMs. Thus, the goal of this investigation was to determine the source of these oxygen species and minimize their presence in the SAM. The surface composition, structure, and order of amine-terminated SAMs on Au were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), sum frequency generation (SFG) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. XPS determined compositions of amine-terminated SAMs in the current study exhibited oxygen concentrations of 2.4 ± 0.4 atomic %, a substantially lower amount of oxygen than reported in previously published studies. High-resolution XPS results from the S 2p , C 1s and N 1s regions did not detect any oxidized species. Angle-resolved XPS indicated that the small amount of oxygen detected was located at or near the amine head group. Small amounts of oxidized nitrogen, carbon and sulfur secondary ions, as well as ions attributed to water, were detected in the ToF-SIMS data due to the higher sensitivity of ToF-SIMS. The lack of N-O, S-O, and C-O stretches in the SFG spectra are consistent with the XPS and ToF-SIMS results and together show that oxidation of the amine-terminated thiols alone can only account for, at most, a small fraction of the oxygen detected by XPS. Both the SFG and angle-dependent NEXAFS indicated the presence of gauche defects in the amine SAMs. However, the SFG spectral features near 2865 cm -1 , assigned to the stretch of the methylene group next to the terminal amine unit, demonstrate the SAM is reasonably ordered. The SFG results also show another broad feature near 3200 cm -1 related to hydrogen-bonded water. From this multi-technique investigation it is

  12. The SAMS: Smartphone Addiction Management System and verification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Heyoung; Ahn, Heejune; Choi, Samwook; Choi, Wanbok

    2014-01-01

    While the popularity of smartphones has given enormous convenience to our lives, their pathological use has created a new mental health concern among the community. Hence, intensive research is being conducted on the etiology and treatment of the condition. However, the traditional clinical approach based surveys and interviews has serious limitations: health professionals cannot perform continual assessment and intervention for the affected group and the subjectivity of assessment is questionable. To cope with these limitations, a comprehensive ICT (Information and Communications Technology) system called SAMS (Smartphone Addiction Management System) is developed for objective assessment and intervention. The SAMS system consists of an Android smartphone application and a web application server. The SAMS client monitors the user's application usage together with GPS location and Internet access location, and transmits the data to the SAMS server. The SAMS server stores the usage data and performs key statistical data analysis and usage intervention according to the clinicians' decision. To verify the reliability and efficacy of the developed system, a comparison study with survey-based screening with the K-SAS (Korean Smartphone Addiction Scale) as well as self-field trials is performed. The comparison study is done using usage data from 14 users who are 19 to 50 year old adults that left at least 1 week usage logs and completed the survey questionnaires. The field trial fully verified the accuracy of the time, location, and Internet access information in the usage measurement and the reliability of the system operation over more than 2 weeks. The comparison study showed that daily use count has a strong correlation with K-SAS scores, whereas daily use times do not strongly correlate for potentially addicted users. The correlation coefficients of count and times with total K-SAS score are CC = 0.62 and CC =0.07, respectively, and the t-test analysis for the

  13. Using cross-sectional surveys to estimate the number of severely malnourished children needing to be enrolled in specific treatment programmes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dale, Nancy M; Myatt, Mark; Prudhon, Claudine

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: When planning severe acute malnutrition (SAM) treatment services, estimates of the number of children requiring treatment are needed. Prevalence surveys, used with population estimates, can directly estimate the number of prevalent cases but not the number of subsequent incident cases...... in different contexts. DESIGN: Observational study, with J estimated by correlating expected numbers of children to be treated, based on prevalence surveys, population estimates and assumed coverage, with the observed numbers of SAM patients treated. SETTING: Survey and programme data from six African...

  14. Automated one-loop calculations with GoSam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, Gavin; Greiner, Nicolas; Heinrich, Gudrun; Reiter, Thomas; Luisoni, Gionata; Mastrolia, Pierpaolo; Ossola, Giovanni; Tramontano, Francesco

    2012-01-01

    We present the program package GoSam which is designed for the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes for multi-particle processes in renormalisable quantum field theories. The amplitudes, which are generated in terms of Feynman diagrams, can be reduced using either D-dimensional integrand-level decomposition or tensor reduction. GoSam can be used to calculate one-loop QCD and/or electroweak corrections to Standard Model processes and offers the flexibility to link model files for theories Beyond the Standard Model. A standard interface to programs calculating real radiation is also implemented. We demonstrate the flexibility of the program by presenting examples of processes with up to six external legs attached to the loop. (orig.)

  15. Automated One-Loop Calculations with GoSam

    CERN Document Server

    Cullen, Gavin; Heinrich, Gudrun; Luisoni, Gionata; Mastrolia, Pierpaolo; Ossola, Giovanni; Reiter, Thomas; Tramontano, Francesco

    2012-01-01

    We present the program package GoSam which is designed for the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes for multi-particle processes in renormalisable quantum field theories. The amplitudes, which are generated in terms of Feynman diagrams, can be reduced using either D-dimensional integrand-level decomposition or tensor reduction. GoSam can be used to calculate one-loop QCD and/or electroweak corrections to Standard Model processes and offers the flexibility to link model files for theories Beyond the Standard Model. A standard interface to programs calculating real radiation is also implemented. We demonstrate the flexibility of the program by presenting examples of processes with up to six external legs attached to the loop.

  16. SAMS: The synchronization and monitoring system for ATF [Advanced Toroidal Facility] data acquisition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenwood, D.E.

    1987-01-01

    SAMS performs much of the synchronization of the distributed data acquisition system for the Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF). SAMS is responsible for propagating shot information and managing te data system directories and logical names. This paper describes how SAMS communicates with other processes, both within the VAX cluster that supports most of the ATF data acquisition and on VAXes that are connected to the cluster via DECnet. 3 refs

  17. Benchmark Simulation of Natural Circulation Cooling System with Salt Working Fluid Using SAM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, K. K.; Scarlat, R. O.; Hu, R.

    2017-09-03

    Liquid salt-cooled reactors, such as the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR), offer passive decay heat removal through natural circulation using Direct Reactor Auxiliary Cooling System (DRACS) loops. The behavior of such systems should be well-understood through performance analysis. The advanced system thermal-hydraulics tool System Analysis Module (SAM) from Argonne National Laboratory has been selected for this purpose. The work presented here is part of a larger study in which SAM modeling capabilities are being enhanced for the system analyses of FHR or Molten Salt Reactors (MSR). Liquid salt thermophysical properties have been implemented in SAM, as well as properties of Dowtherm A, which is used as a simulant fluid for scaled experiments, for future code validation studies. Additional physics modules to represent phenomena specific to salt-cooled reactors, such as freezing of coolant, are being implemented in SAM. This study presents a useful first benchmark for the applicability of SAM to liquid salt-cooled reactors: it provides steady-state and transient comparisons for a salt reactor system. A RELAP5-3D model of the Mark-1 Pebble-Bed FHR (Mk1 PB-FHR), and in particular its DRACS loop for emergency heat removal, provides steady state and transient results for flow rates and temperatures in the system that are used here for code-to-code comparison with SAM. The transient studied is a loss of forced circulation with SCRAM event. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first application of SAM to FHR or any other molten salt reactors. While building these models in SAM, any gaps in the code’s capability to simulate such systems are identified and addressed immediately, or listed as future improvements to the code.

  18. Bringing a Chemical Laboratory Named Sam to Mars on the 2011 Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahaffy, P. R.; Bleacher, L.; Jones, A.; Atreya, S. K.; Manning, H. L.; Cabane, M.; Webster, C. R.; Sam Team

    2010-12-01

    Introduction: An important goal of upcoming missions to Mars is to understand if life could have developed there. The task of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments [1] and the other Curiosity investigations [2] is to move us steadily toward that goal with an assessment of the habitability of our neighboring planet through a series of chemical and geological measurements. SAM is designed to search for organic compounds and inorganic volatiles and measure isotope ratios. Other instruments on Curiosity will provide elemental analysis and identify minerals. SAM will analyze both atmospheric samples and gases evolved from powdered rocks that may have formed billions of years ago with Curiosity providing access to interesting sites scouted by orbiting cameras and spectrometers. SAM Instrument Suite: SAM’s instruments are a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS), a 6-column Gas Chromatograph (GC), and a 2-channel Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). SAM can identify organic compounds in Mars rocks to sub-ppb sensitivity and secure precise isotope ratios for C, H, and O in carbon dioxide and water and measure trace levels of methane and its carbon 13 isotope. The SAM gas processing system consists of valves, heaters, pressure sensors, gas scrubbers and getters, traps, and gas tanks used for calibration or combustion experiments [2]. A variety of calibrant compounds interior and exterior to SAM will allow the science and engineering teams to assess SAM’s performance. SAM has been calibrated and tested in a Mars-like environment. Keeping Educators and the Public Informed: The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) goals of the SAM team are to make this complex chemical laboratory and its data widely available to educators, students, and the public. Formal education activities include developing templates for professional development workshops for educators to teach them about SAM and Curiosity, incorporating data into Mars Student Data Teams, and writing articles

  19. Alternative function for the mitochondrial SAM complex in biogenesis of alpha-helical TOM proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stojanovski, Diana; Guiard, Bernard; Kozjak-Pavlovic, Vera; Pfanner, Nikolaus; Meisinger, Chris

    2007-12-03

    The mitochondrial outer membrane contains two preprotein translocases: the general translocase of outer membrane (TOM) and the beta-barrel-specific sorting and assembly machinery (SAM). TOM functions as the central entry gate for nuclear-encoded proteins. The channel-forming Tom40 is a beta-barrel protein, whereas all Tom receptors and small Tom proteins are membrane anchored by a transmembrane alpha-helical segment in their N- or C-terminal portion. Synthesis of Tom precursors takes place in the cytosol, and their import occurs via preexisting TOM complexes. The precursor of Tom40 is then transferred to SAM for membrane insertion and assembly. Unexpectedly, we find that the biogenesis of alpha-helical Tom proteins with a membrane anchor in the C-terminal portion is SAM dependent. Each SAM protein is necessary for efficient membrane integration of the receptor Tom22, whereas assembly of the small Tom proteins depends on Sam37. Thus, the substrate specificity of SAM is not restricted to beta-barrel proteins but also includes the majority of alpha-helical Tom proteins.

  20. A classification model of Hyperion image base on SAM combined decision tree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhenghai; Hu, Guangdao; Zhou, YongZhang; Liu, Xin

    2009-10-01

    Monitoring the Earth using imaging spectrometers has necessitated more accurate analyses and new applications to remote sensing. A very high dimensional input space requires an exponentially large amount of data to adequately and reliably represent the classes in that space. On the other hand, with increase in the input dimensionality the hypothesis space grows exponentially, which makes the classification performance highly unreliable. Traditional classification algorithms Classification of hyperspectral images is challenging. New algorithms have to be developed for hyperspectral data classification. The Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) is a physically-based spectral classification that uses an ndimensional angle to match pixels to reference spectra. The algorithm determines the spectral similarity between two spectra by calculating the angle between the spectra, treating them as vectors in a space with dimensionality equal to the number of bands. The key and difficulty is that we should artificial defining the threshold of SAM. The classification precision depends on the rationality of the threshold of SAM. In order to resolve this problem, this paper proposes a new automatic classification model of remote sensing image using SAM combined with decision tree. It can automatic choose the appropriate threshold of SAM and improve the classify precision of SAM base on the analyze of field spectrum. The test area located in Heqing Yunnan was imaged by EO_1 Hyperion imaging spectrometer using 224 bands in visual and near infrared. The area included limestone areas, rock fields, soil and forests. The area was classified into four different vegetation and soil types. The results show that this method choose the appropriate threshold of SAM and eliminates the disturbance and influence of unwanted objects effectively, so as to improve the classification precision. Compared with the likelihood classification by field survey data, the classification precision of this model

  1. Quality Control Guidelines for SAM Biotoxin Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn more about quality control guidelines and recommendations for the analysis of samples using the pathogen methods listed in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  2. Quality Control Guidelines for SAM Radiochemical Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn more about quality control guidelines and recommendations for the analysis of samples using the radiochemistry methods listed in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  3. Quality Control Guidelines for SAM Pathogen Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn more about quality control guidelines and recommendations for the analysis of samples using the biotoxin methods listed in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  4. Quality Control Guidelines for SAM Chemical Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn more about quality control guidelines and recommendations for the analysis of samples using the chemistry methods listed in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  5. Data handling with SAM and art at the NOνA experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aurisano, A; Backhouse, C; Davies, G S; Illingworth, R; Mengel, M; Norman, A; Mayer, N; Rocco, D; Zirnstein, J

    2015-01-01

    During operations, NOvA produces between 5,000 and 7,000 raw files per day with peaks in excess of 12,000. These files must be processed in several stages to produce fully calibrated and reconstructed analysis files. In addition, many simulated neutrino interactions must be produced and processed through the same stages as data. To accommodate the large volume of data and Monte Carlo, production must be possible both on the Fermilab grid and on off-site farms, such as the ones accessible through the Open Science Grid. To handle the challenge of cataloging these files and to facilitate their off-line processing, we have adopted the SAM system developed at Fermilab. SAM indexes files according to metadata, keeps track of each file's physical locations, provides dataset management facilities, and facilitates data transfer to off-site grids. To integrate SAM with Fermilab's art software framework and the NOvA production workflow, we have developed methods to embed metadata into our configuration files, art files, and standalone ROOT files. A module in the art framework propagates the embedded information from configuration files into art files, and from input art files to output art files, allowing us to maintain a complete processing history within our files. Embedding metadata in configuration files also allows configuration files indexed in SAM to be used as inputs to Monte Carlo production jobs. Further, SAM keeps track of the input files used to create each output file. Parentage information enables the construction of self-draining datasets which have become the primary production paradigm used at NOvA. In this paper we will present an overview of SAM at NOvA and how it has transformed the file production framework used by the experiment. (paper)

  6. Winning Attitude & Dedication to Physical Therapy Keep Sam Schmidt on Track

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosley, Nikki Prevenslik

    2006-01-01

    This article relates how Sam Schmidt returned to living a productive life after an accident left him with spinal cord injury. Schmidt was a former Indy Racing League driver who founded Sam Schmidt Motorsports after his accident in 2000. Schmidt's car hit the wall as he exited turn two during a practice session at Walt Disney World Speedway in…

  7. Technoeconomic Modeling of Battery Energy Storage in SAM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DiOrio, Nicholas [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dobos, Aron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Janzou, Steven [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nelson, Austin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lundstrom, Blake [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Detailed comprehensive lead-acid and lithium-ion battery models have been integrated with photovoltaic models in an effort to allow System Advisor Model (SAM) to offer the ability to predict the performance and economic benefit of behind the meter storage. In a system with storage, excess PV energy can be saved until later in the day when PV production has fallen, or until times of peak demand when it is more valuable. Complex dispatch strategies can be developed to leverage storage to reduce energy consumption or power demand based on the utility rate structure. This document describes the details of the battery performance and economic models in SAM.

  8. Experimental and computational investigation of graphene/SAMs/n-Si Schottky diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydin, H.; Bacaksiz, C.; Yagmurcukardes, N.; Karakaya, C.; Mermer, O.; Can, M.; Senger, R. T.; Sahin, H.; Selamet, Y.

    2018-01-01

    We have investigated the effect of two different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on electrical characteristics of bilayer graphene (BLG)/n-Si Schottky diodes. Novel 4″bis(diphenylamino)-1, 1‧:3″-terphenyl-5‧ carboxylic acids (TPA) and 4,4-di-9H-carbazol-9-yl-1,1‧:3‧1‧-terphenyl-5‧ carboxylic acid (CAR) aromatic SAMs have been used to modify n-Si surfaces. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) results have been evaluated to verify the modification of n-Si surface. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of bare and SAMs modified devices show rectification behaviour verifying a Schottky junction at the interface. The ideality factors (n) from ln(I)-V dependences were determined as 2.13, 1.96 and 2.07 for BLG/n-Si, BLG/TPA/n-Si and BLG/CAR/n-Si Schottky diodes, respectively. In addition, Schottky barrier height (SBH) and series resistance (Rs) of SAMs modified diodes were decreased compared to bare diode due to the formation of a compatible interface between graphene and Si as well as π-π interaction between aromatic SAMs and graphene. The CAR-based device exhibits better diode characteristic compared to the TPA-based device. Computational simulations show that the BLG/CAR system exhibits smaller energy-level-differences than the BLG/TPA, which supports the experimental findings of a lower Schottky barrier and series resistance in BLG/CAR diode.

  9. Sam Wagstaffi unustatud kired / Ahto Külvet

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Külvet, Ahto

    2008-01-01

    Dokumentaalfilm "Black, White & Gray: Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe" : autor ja režissöör James Crump : Ameerika Ühendriigid 2007. Filmi näidati filminädala "Art in America" raames Tallinnas

  10. Detection of Organics at Mars: How Wet Chemistry Onboard SAM Helps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buch, A.; Freissinet, Caroline; Szopa, C.; Glavin, D.; Coll, P.; Cabane, M.; Eigenbrode, J.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Coscia, D.; Teinturier, S.; hide

    2013-01-01

    For the first time in the history of space exploration, a mission of interest to astrobiology could be able to analyze refractory organic compounds in the soil of Mars. Wet chemistry experiment allow organic components to be altered in such a way that improves there detection either by releasing the compounds from sample matricies or by changing the chemical structure to be amenable to analytical conditions. The latter is particular important when polar compounds are present. Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), on the Curiosity rover of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, has onboard two wet chemistry experiments: derivatization and thermochemolysis. Here we report on the nature of the MTBSTFA derivatization experiment on SAM, the detection of MTBSTFA in initial SAM results, and the implications of this detection.

  11. Electronic patient self-assessment and management (SAM): a novel framework for cancer survivorship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickers, Andrew J; Salz, Talya; Basch, Ethan; Cooperberg, Matthew R; Carroll, Peter R; Tighe, Foss; Eastham, James; Rosen, Raymond C

    2010-06-17

    We propose a novel framework for management of cancer survivorship: electronic patient Self-Assessment and Management (SAM). SAM is a framework for transfer of information to and from patients in such a way as to increase both the patient's and the health care provider's understanding of the patient's progress, and to help ensure that patient care follows best practice. Patients who participate in the SAM system are contacted by email at regular intervals and asked to complete validated questionnaires online. Patient responses on these questionnaires are then analyzed in order to provide patients with real-time, online information about their progress and to provide them with tailored and standardized medical advice. Patient-level data from the questionnaires are ported in real time to the patient's health care provider to be uploaded to clinic notes. An initial version of SAM has been developed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for aiding the clinical management of patients after surgery for prostate cancer. Pilot testing at MSKCC and UCSF suggests that implementation of SAM systems are feasible, with no major problems with compliance (> 70% response rate) or security. SAM is a conceptually simple framework for passing information to and from patients in such a way as to increase both the patient's and the health care provider's understanding of the patient's progress, and to help ensure that patient care follows best practice.

  12. Electronic patient self-assessment and management (SAM: a novel framework for cancer survivorship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tighe Foss

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We propose a novel framework for management of cancer survivorship: electronic patient Self-Assessment and Management (SAM. SAM is a framework for transfer of information to and from patients in such a way as to increase both the patient's and the health care provider's understanding of the patient's progress, and to help ensure that patient care follows best practice. Methods Patients who participate in the SAM system are contacted by email at regular intervals and asked to complete validated questionnaires online. Patient responses on these questionnaires are then analyzed in order to provide patients with real-time, online information about their progress and to provide them with tailored and standardized medical advice. Patient-level data from the questionnaires are ported in real time to the patient's health care provider to be uploaded to clinic notes. An initial version of SAM has been developed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF for aiding the clinical management of patients after surgery for prostate cancer. Results Pilot testing at MSKCC and UCSF suggests that implementation of SAM systems are feasible, with no major problems with compliance (> 70% response rate or security. Conclusion SAM is a conceptually simple framework for passing information to and from patients in such a way as to increase both the patient's and the health care provider's understanding of the patient's progress, and to help ensure that patient care follows best practice.

  13. The Performance of CSAM SAM when Cycle Length is extended

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roh, Kyung-ho; Moon, Sang-rae [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    In order to verify validation of that, CPC Axial Power Distribution is compared with Axial Power Distribution based on ICI every week. The difference between CPC Axial Power Distribution and Axial Power Distribution based on ICI increases according as fuels are burned. It is called CPC Axial Power Distribution Root Mean Square Error (CPC RMS Error). SAM and calibration of ex-core detector are important factors influencing the magnitude of the difference. According to vendor, the difference is limited by 8%. Otherwise, CPC penalty increases as many as difference increase. Therefore, KHNP developed Constrained Simulated Annealing Method (CSAM), which has better performance than that of Least Square Method (LSM), to calculate SAM constant. The CSA SAM contributed largely to maintain CPC operating margin. Somewhat, KHNP is developing the technology to be able to operate nuclear power plants for 24 month to optimize their efficiency. This paper shows trends of CPC RMS Error in a case of 24 months operation. Trends are based on data of a few OPR1000s under operation. It is data of OPR1000s that CSA SAM is applied. KHNP is developing the technology to extend operation cycle length in order to optimize the operation efficiency of OPR1000. To verify effect of extended operation cycle length on CPC, CPC Axial Power Distribution RMS Error in a case of 24 months operation was expected using operation data of six cycles in OPR1000. In cases that CPC Axial Power Distribution RMS Error exceeds threshold, operation margin is decreased due to CPC penalty. To prevent CPC operation margin from being decreased, improved method to calculate SAM or to calibrate ex-core detector is required. KHNP will consider the way to maintain CPC operation margin along with 24 month operation technology development, hereafter.

  14. Celiac Disease in Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM): A Hospital Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beniwal, Neetu; Ameta, Gaurav; Chahar, Chandra Kumar

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate the prevalence and clinical features of Celiac disease among children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). This prospective observational study was conducted in PBM Children Hospital, Bikaner from July 2012 through December 2013. All consecutively admitted children with SAM were recruited. All subjects were screened for Celiac disease by serological test for IgA-anti tissue Transglutaminase (IgA tTG) antibodies. All seropositive children underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for small bowel biopsy for the confirmation. Clinical features of patients with and without celiac disease were compared. The sero-prevalence (IgA tTg positivity) of Celiac disease was found to be 15.38% while prevalence of biopsy confirmed Celiac disease was 14.42% among SAM children. Abdominal distension, diarrhea, anorexia, constipation, pain in abdomen, vitamin deficiencies, edema, clubbing and mouth ulcers were more common in patients of Celiac disease compared to patients without Celiac disease but the difference was statistically significant only for abdominal distension and pain abdomen. There is a high prevalence of Celiac disease in SAM. Screening for Celiac disease (especially in presence of pain abdomen and abdominal distension) should be an essential part of work-up in all children with SAM.

  15. SAM-dependent enzyme-catalysed pericyclic reactions in natural product biosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, Masao; Liu, Fang; Hai, Yang; Chen, Mengbin; Tang, Man-Cheng; Yang, Zhongyue; Sato, Michio; Watanabe, Kenji; Houk, K. N.; Tang, Yi

    2017-09-01

    Pericyclic reactions—which proceed in a concerted fashion through a cyclic transition state—are among the most powerful synthetic transformations used to make multiple regioselective and stereoselective carbon-carbon bonds. They have been widely applied to the synthesis of biologically active complex natural products containing contiguous stereogenic carbon centres. Despite the prominence of pericyclic reactions in total synthesis, only three naturally existing enzymatic examples (the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction, and the Cope and the Claisen rearrangements) have been characterized. Here we report a versatile S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent enzyme, LepI, that can catalyse stereoselective dehydration followed by three pericyclic transformations: intramolecular Diels-Alder and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions via a single ambimodal transition state, and a retro-Claisen rearrangement. Together, these transformations lead to the formation of the dihydropyran core of the fungal natural product, leporin. Combined in vitro enzymatic characterization and computational studies provide insight into how LepI regulates these bifurcating biosynthetic reaction pathways by using SAM as the cofactor. These pathways converge to the desired biosynthetic end product via the (SAM-dependent) retro-Claisen rearrangement catalysed by LepI. We expect that more pericyclic biosynthetic enzymatic transformations remain to be discovered in naturally occurring enzyme ‘toolboxes’. The new role of the versatile cofactor SAM is likely to be found in other examples of enzyme catalysis.

  16. Multiple endmember spectral-angle-mapper (SAM) analysis improves discrimination of Savanna tree species

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Cho, Moses A

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available of this paper was to evaluate the classification performance of a multiple-endmember spectral angle mapper (SAM) classification approach in discriminating seven common African savanna tree species and to compare the results with the traditional SAM classifier...

  17. GoSam. A program for automated one-loop calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cullen, G. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Greiner, N.; Heinrich, G.; Reiter, T. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany); Luisoni, G. [Durham Univ. (United Kingdom). Inst. for Particle Physics Phenomenology; Mastrolia, P. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany); Padua Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica; Ossola, G. [City Univ. of New York, NY (United States). New York City College of Technology; Tramontano, F. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland)

    2011-11-15

    The program package GoSam is presented which aims at the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes for multi-particle processes. The amplitudes are generated in terms of Feynman diagrams and can be reduced using either D-dimensional integrand-level decomposition or tensor reduction, or a combination of both. GoSam can be used to calculate one-loop corrections to both QCD and electroweak theory, and model files for theories Beyond the Standard Model can be linked as well. A standard interface to programs calculating real radiation is also included. The flexibility of the program is demonstrated by various examples. (orig.)

  18. GoSam. A program for automated one-loop calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, G.; Greiner, N.; Heinrich, G.; Reiter, T.; Luisoni, G.

    2011-11-01

    The program package GoSam is presented which aims at the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes for multi-particle processes. The amplitudes are generated in terms of Feynman diagrams and can be reduced using either D-dimensional integrand-level decomposition or tensor reduction, or a combination of both. GoSam can be used to calculate one-loop corrections to both QCD and electroweak theory, and model files for theories Beyond the Standard Model can be linked as well. A standard interface to programs calculating real radiation is also included. The flexibility of the program is demonstrated by various examples. (orig.)

  19. GoSam: A program for automated one-loop calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, G; Greiner, N; Heinrich, G; Mastrolia, P; Reiter, T; Luisoni, G; Ossola, G; Tramontano, F

    2012-01-01

    The program package GoSam is presented which aims at the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes for multi-particle processes. The amplitudes are generated in terms of Feynman diagrams and can be reduced using either D-dimensional integrand-level decomposition or tensor reduction, or a combination of both. GoSam can be used to calculate one-loop corrections to both QCD and electroweak theory, and model files for theories Beyond the Standard Model can be linked as well. A standard interface to programs calculating real radiation is also included. The flexibility of the program is demonstrated by various examples.

  20. General Quality Control (QC) Guidelines for SAM Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learn more about quality control guidelines and recommendations for the analysis of samples using the methods listed in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  1. The Porter-Whitesides Discrepancy: Revisiting Odd-Even Effects in Wetting Properties of n-Alkanethiolate SAMs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhengjia Wang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This review discusses the Porter-Whitesides discrepancy in wetting properties of n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs. About 25 years ago, Whitesides and coworker failed to observe any odd-even effect in wetting, however, Porter and his coworker did, albeit in select cases. Most previous studies agreed with Whitesides’ results, suggesting the absence of the odd-even effect in hydrophobicity of n-alkanethiolate SAMs. Recent reports have, however, found the odd-even effect in hydrophobicity of n-alkanethiolate SAMs on smooth substrates, indicating that hydrophobicity, and analogous interfacial properties, of n-alkanethiolate SAMs significantly depends on the properties of substrate. Unfortunately, the Whitesides and Porter papers do not report on the quality of the surfaces used. Based on recent work, we inferred that the original discrepancy between Whitesides and Porter can be attributed to the quality of the surface. Odd-even effect of SAMs in charge transport, capacitance, friction, and SAM structure are also discussed in this review to inform the general discussion. The discrepancy between Porter's group and Whitesides’ group could be due to surface roughness, morphology, oxidation, and adventitious contaminants.

  2. Safety and Waste Management for SAM Pathogen Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    The General Safety and Waste Management page offers section-specific safety and waste management details for the pathogens included in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  3. Safety and Waste Management for SAM Biotoxin Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    The General Safety and Waste Management page offers section-specific safety and waste management details for the biotoxins included in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  4. ISO19770-1:2012 SAM process guidance

    CERN Document Server

    Canavan, Rory

    2012-01-01

    The pocket guide offers a concise summary of the principles of software asset management as conveyed by ISO 19770-1: 2012, and provides advice and guidance on how to kick-start your own SAM programme - something the Standard alone doesn't offer.

  5. Safety and Waste Management for SAM Chemistry Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    The General Safety and Waste Management page offers section-specific safety and waste management details for the chemical analytes included in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  6. Safety and Waste Management for SAM Radiochemical Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    The General Safety and Waste Management page offers section-specific safety and waste management details for the radiochemical analytes included in EPA's Selected Analytical Methods for Environmental Remediation and Recovery (SAM).

  7. Targeting EphA2-Sam and Its Interactome: Design and Evaluation of Helical Peptides Enriched in Charged Residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercurio, Flavia A; Marasco, Daniela; Di Natale, Concetta; Pirone, Luciano; Costantini, Susan; Pedone, Emilia M; Leone, Marilisa

    2016-11-17

    The EphA2 receptor controls diverse physiological and pathological conditions and its levels are often upregulated in cancer. Targeting receptor overexpression, through modulation of endocytosis and consequent degradation, appears to be an appealing strategy for attacking tumor malignancy. In this scenario, the Sam domain of EphA2 plays a pivotal role because it is the site where protein regulators of endocytosis and stability are recruited by means of heterotypic Sam-Sam interactions. Because EphA2-Sam heterotypic complexes are largely based on electrostatic contacts, we have investigated the possibility of attacking these interactions with helical peptides enriched in charged residues. Several peptide sequences with high predicted helical propensities were designed, and detailed conformational analyses were conducted by diverse techniques including NMR, CD, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Interaction studies were also performed by NMR, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and microscale thermophoresis (MST) and led to the identification of two peptides capable of binding to the first Sam domain of Odin. These molecules represent early candidates for the generation of efficient Sam domain binders and antagonists of Sam-Sam interactions involving EphA2. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Severe accident management (SAM), operator training and instrumentation capabilities - Summary and conclusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    for SAM. In most cases existing instrumentation should be able to provide usable information. Additional instrumentation requirements may arise from particular accident management measures implemented in some plants. In any case, depending on the time frame where the instrumentation should be relied upon, it should be assessed whether it is likely to survive the harsh environmental conditions it will be exposed to. Though uncertainties still remain in the understanding of some severe accident phenomena, this should not be considered as a de-facto impediment against using simplified models both as operator aids in the course of an accident and as an option of a simulator severe accident mathematical model. These tools, however, should be based on state-of-the-art physics and calibrated using more sophisticated codes. Having the capability for periodic assessment of trends and predictions against real plant parameter evolution, and subsequent correction, is also advised for such tools. Being prepared for the unexpected is the major objective pursued in training, especially when capabilities extend into severe accident situations. When training for severe accidents is contemplated, skill-oriented sessions should be emphasized as they allow evaluating operator reactions in highly perturbed situations. However, it is also advised to increase operator awareness in case of severe accident situations through tailored sessions stressing knowledge of basic phenomena involved in degraded situations. Though computer-based training could well prevail in the long run, table-top exercises as currently implemented by many utilities also bring extremely valuable results

  9. SAM-CE, Time-Dependent 3-D Neutron Transport, Gamma Transport in Complex Geometry by Monte-Carlo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    1 - Nature of physical problem solved: The SAM-CE system comprises two Monte Carlo codes, SAM-F and SAM-A. SAM-F supersedes the forward Monte Carlo code, SAM-C. SAM-A is an adjoint Monte Carlo code designed to calculate the response due to fields of primary and secondary gamma radiation. The SAM-CE system is a FORTRAN Monte Carlo computer code designed to solve the time-dependent neutron and gamma-ray transport equations in complex three-dimensional geometries. SAM-CE is applicable for forward neutron calculations and for forward as well as adjoint primary gamma-ray calculations. In addition, SAM-CE is applicable for the gamma-ray stage of the coupled neutron-secondary gamma ray problem, which may be solved in either the forward or the adjoint mode. Time-dependent fluxes, and flux functionals such as dose, heating, count rates, etc., are calculated as functions of energy, time and position. Multiple scoring regions are permitted and these may be either finite volume regions or point detectors or both. Other scores of interest, e.g., collision and absorption densities, etc., are also made. 2 - Method of solution: A special feature of SAM-CE is its use of the 'combinatorial geometry' technique which affords the user geometric capabilities exceeding those available with other commonly used geometric packages. All nuclear interaction cross section data (derived from the ENDF for neutrons and from the UNC-format library for gamma-rays) are tabulated in point energy meshes. The energy meshes for neutrons are internally derived, based on built-in convergence criteria and user- supplied tolerances. Tabulated neutron data for each distinct nuclide are in unique and appropriate energy meshes. Both resolved and unresolved resonance parameters from ENDF data files are treated automatically, and extremely precise and detailed descriptions of cross section behaviour is permitted. Such treatment avoids the ambiguities usually associated with multi-group codes, which use flux

  10. Monovalent Cation Activation of the Radical SAM Enzyme Pyruvate Formate-Lyase Activating Enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shisler, Krista A; Hutcheson, Rachel U; Horitani, Masaki; Duschene, Kaitlin S; Crain, Adam V; Byer, Amanda S; Shepard, Eric M; Rasmussen, Ashley; Yang, Jian; Broderick, William E; Vey, Jessica L; Drennan, Catherine L; Hoffman, Brian M; Broderick, Joan B

    2017-08-30

    Pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE) is a radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzyme that installs a catalytically essential glycyl radical on pyruvate formate-lyase. We show that PFL-AE binds a catalytically essential monovalent cation at its active site, yet another parallel with B 12 enzymes, and we characterize this cation site by a combination of structural, biochemical, and spectroscopic approaches. Refinement of the PFL-AE crystal structure reveals Na + as the most likely ion present in the solved structures, and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) demonstrates that the same cation site is occupied by 23 Na in the solution state of the as-isolated enzyme. A SAM carboxylate-oxygen is an M + ligand, and EPR and circular dichroism spectroscopies reveal that both the site occupancy and the identity of the cation perturb the electronic properties of the SAM-chelated iron-sulfur cluster. ENDOR studies of the PFL-AE/[ 13 C-methyl]-SAM complex show that the target sulfonium positioning varies with the cation, while the observation of an isotropic hyperfine coupling to the cation by ENDOR measurements establishes its intimate, SAM-mediated interaction with the cluster. This monovalent cation site controls enzyme activity: (i) PFL-AE in the absence of any simple monovalent cations has little-no activity; and (ii) among monocations, going down Group 1 of the periodic table from Li + to Cs + , PFL-AE activity sharply maximizes at K + , with NH 4 + closely matching the efficacy of K + . PFL-AE is thus a type I M + -activated enzyme whose M + controls reactivity by interactions with the cosubstrate, SAM, which is bound to the catalytic iron-sulfur cluster.

  11. Molten Salt Power Tower Cost Model for the System Advisor Model (SAM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turchi, C. S.; Heath, G. A.

    2013-02-01

    This report describes a component-based cost model developed for molten-salt power tower solar power plants. The cost model was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), using data from several prior studies, including a contracted analysis from WorleyParsons Group, which is included herein as an Appendix. The WorleyParsons' analysis also estimated material composition and mass for the plant to facilitate a life cycle analysis of the molten salt power tower technology. Details of the life cycle assessment have been published elsewhere. The cost model provides a reference plant that interfaces with NREL's System Advisor Model or SAM. The reference plant assumes a nominal 100-MWe (net) power tower running with a nitrate salt heat transfer fluid (HTF). Thermal energy storage is provided by direct storage of the HTF in a two-tank system. The design assumes dry-cooling. The model includes a spreadsheet that interfaces with SAM via the Excel Exchange option in SAM. The spreadsheet allows users to estimate the costs of different-size plants and to take into account changes in commodity prices. This report and the accompanying Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded at https://sam.nrel.gov/cost.

  12. Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huo, Lixia; Du, Pengcheng; Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng; Liu, Peng

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • n-Alkyltrimethoxysilanes with various chain lengths were self-assembled on silicon. • Effect of alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) on the SAMs was investigated. • Surface roughness of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain lengths. • The C 12 -SAM possessed superior friction reduction and wear resistance. - Abstract: It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C 6 , C 12 , or C 18 ) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (R a ) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al 2 O 3 ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C 12 alkyl chain (C 12 -SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C 12 -SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

  13. Fabrication and Surface Properties of Composite Films of SAM/Pt/ZnO/SiO 2

    KAUST Repository

    Yao, Ke Xin

    2008-12-16

    Through synthetic architecture and functionalization with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), complex nanocomposite films of SAM/Pt/ZnO/SiO2 have been facilely prepared in this work. The nanostructured films are highly uniform and porous, showing a wide range of tunable wettabilities from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity (water contact angles: 0° to 170°). Our approach offers synthetic flexibility in controlling film architecture, surface topography, coating texture, crystallite size, and chemical composition of modifiers (e.g., SAMs derived from alkanethiols). For example, wettability properties of the nanocomposite films can be finely tuned with both inorganic phase (i.e., ZnO/SiO2 and Pt/ZnO/SiO2) and organic phase (i.e., SAMs on Pt/ZnO/SiO2). Due to the presence of catalytic components Pt/ZnO within the nanocomposites, surface reactions of the organic modifiers can further take place at room temperature and elevated temperatures, which provides a means for SAM formation and elimination. Because the Pt/ZnO forms an excellent pair of metal-semiconductors for photocatalysis, the anchored SAMs can also be modified or depleted by UV irradiation (i.e., the films possess self-cleaning ability). Potential applications of these nanocomposite films have been addressed. Our durability tests also confirm that the films are thermally stable and structurally robust in modification- regeneration cycles. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

  14. Annals of SAM meeting `96. National meeting on precious metals; Anales de las jornadas SAM `96. Encuentro nacional de metales preciosos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-12-31

    Works are presented at the SAM meeting `96 of the Argentine Materials Association. The papers can be grouped under the following main topics: physical metallurgy; ceramics; polymers; precious metals; extractive metallurgy; corrosion; powder metallurgy. refs., ills.

  15. Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huo, Lixia [National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics, Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou, Gansu 730010 (China); Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China); Du, Pengcheng [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China); Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng [National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics, Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou, Gansu 730010 (China); Liu, Peng, E-mail: pliu@lzu.edu.cn [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • n-Alkyltrimethoxysilanes with various chain lengths were self-assembled on silicon. • Effect of alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) on the SAMs was investigated. • Surface roughness of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain lengths. • The C{sub 12}-SAM possessed superior friction reduction and wear resistance. - Abstract: It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C{sub 6}, C{sub 12}, or C{sub 18}) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (R{sub a}) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C{sub 12} alkyl chain (C{sub 12}-SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C{sub 12}-SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

  16. The Combustion Experiment on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite on the Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, J. C.; Malespin, C. A.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Graham, H. V.; Archer, P. D., Jr.; Brunner, A. E.; Freissinet, C.; Franz, H. B.; Fuentes, J.; Glavin, D. P.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The combustion experiment on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite on Curiosity will heat a sample of Mars regolith in the presence of oxygen and measure composition of the evolved gases using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) and tunable laser spectrometry (TLS). QMS will enable detection of combustion products such as CO, CO2, NO, and other oxidized species, while TLS will enable precise measurements of the abundance and carbon isotopic composition (delta(sup 13)C) of the evolved CO2 and hydrogen isotopic composition (deltaD) of H2O. SAM will perform a two-step combustion to isolate combustible materials below approx.550 C and above approx.550 C. The combustion experiment on SAM, if properly designed and executed, has the potential to answer multiple questions regarding the origins of volatiles seen thus far in SAM evolved gas analysis (EGA) on Mars. Constraints imposed by SAM and MSL time and power resources, as well as SAM consumables (oxygen gas), will limit the number of SAM combustion experiments, so it is imperative to design an experiment targeting the most pressing science questions. Low temperature combustion experiments will primarily target the quantification of carbon (and nitrogen) contributed by SAM wet chemistry reagants MTBSTFA (N-Methyl-N-tert-butyldimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide) and DMF (Dimethylformamide), which have been identified in the background of blank and sample runs and may adsorb to the sample while the cup is in the Sample Manipulation System (SMS). In addition, differences between the sample and "blank" may yield information regarding abundance and delta(sup 13)C of bulk (both organic and inorganic) martian carbon. High temperature combustion experiments primarily aim to detect refractory organic matter, if present in Cumberland fines, as well as address the question of quantification and deltaD value of water evolution associated with hydroxyl hydrogen in clay minerals.

  17. Kuula. Kuu artist Sam Sparro. Kuu plaat / Mart Juur

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Juur, Mart, 1964-

    2008-01-01

    Artistist Sam Sparrost. Heliplaatidest: "Sex And The City" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Maestro: Blue Note Trip", Melvin/Soo/Remmel/Julm "Geografix", Alanis Morrisette "Flavors Of Entanglement", Guillemots "Red"

  18. Fabrication and Surface Properties of Composite Films of SAM/Pt/ZnO/SiO 2

    KAUST Repository

    Yao, Ke Xin; Zeng, Hua Chun

    2008-01-01

    Through synthetic architecture and functionalization with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), complex nanocomposite films of SAM/Pt/ZnO/SiO2 have been facilely prepared in this work. The nanostructured films are highly uniform and porous, showing a

  19. Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Lixia; Du, Pengcheng; Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng; Liu, Peng

    2017-02-01

    It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (Ra) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al2O3 ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C12 alkyl chain (C12-SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C12-SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

  20. Optimization of pentacene double floating gate memories based on charge injection regulated by SAM functionalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Pentacene based double nano-floating gate memories (NFGM by using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO sheets as charge trapping layers are prepared and demonstrated. Particularly, the NFGM chemically treated by 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzenethiol (PFBT self-assembled monolayers (SAM exhibits excellent memory performances, including high mobility of 0.23 cm2V-1s-1, the large memory window of 51 V, and the stable retention property more than 108 s. Comparing the performances of NFGM without treating with PFBT SAM, the improving performances of the memory devices by SAM modification are explained by the increase of charge injection, which could be further investigated by XPS and UPS. In particular, the results highlight the utility of SAM modulations and controlling of charge transport in the development of organic transistor memories.

  1. Optimization of pentacene double floating gate memories based on charge injection regulated by SAM functionalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, S.; Guérin, D.; Lenfant, S.; Lmimouni, K.

    2018-02-01

    Pentacene based double nano-floating gate memories (NFGM) by using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets as charge trapping layers are prepared and demonstrated. Particularly, the NFGM chemically treated by 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzenethiol (PFBT) self-assembled monolayers (SAM) exhibits excellent memory performances, including high mobility of 0.23 cm2V-1s-1, the large memory window of 51 V, and the stable retention property more than 108 s. Comparing the performances of NFGM without treating with PFBT SAM, the improving performances of the memory devices by SAM modification are explained by the increase of charge injection, which could be further investigated by XPS and UPS. In particular, the results highlight the utility of SAM modulations and controlling of charge transport in the development of organic transistor memories.

  2. Bringing a Chemical Laboratory Named Sam to Mars on the 2011 Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahaffy, P. R.; Bleacher, L.; Jones, A.; Conrad, P. G.; Cabane, M.; Webster, C. R.; Atreya, S. A.; Manning, H.

    2010-01-01

    An important goal of upcoming missions to Mars is to understand if life could have developed there. The task of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments [1] and the other Curiosity investigations [2] is to move us steadily toward that goal with an assessment of the habitability of our neighboring planet through a series of chemical and geological measurements. SAM is designed to search for organic compounds and inorganic volatiles and measure isotope ratios. Other instruments on Curiosity will provide elemental analysis and identify minerals. SAM will analyze both atmospheric samples and gases evolved from powdered rocks that may have formed billions of years ago with Curiosity providing access to interesting sites scouted by orbiting cameras and spectrometers.

  3. A magnesium-induced triplex pre-organizes the SAM-II riboswitch.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susmita Roy

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Our 13C- and 1H-chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST experiments previously revealed a dynamic exchange between partially closed and open conformations of the SAM-II riboswitch in the absence of ligand. Here, all-atom structure-based molecular simulations, with the electrostatic effects of Manning counter-ion condensation and explicit magnesium ions are employed to calculate the folding free energy landscape of the SAM-II riboswitch. We use this analysis to predict that magnesium ions remodel the landscape, shifting the equilibrium away from the extended, partially unfolded state towards a compact, pre-organized conformation that resembles the ligand-bound state. Our CEST and SAXS experiments, at different magnesium ion concentrations, quantitatively confirm our simulation results, demonstrating that magnesium ions induce collapse and pre-organization. Agreement between theory and experiment bolsters microscopic interpretation of our simulations, which shows that triplex formation between helix P2b and loop L1 is highly sensitive to magnesium and plays a key role in pre-organization. Pre-organization of the SAM-II riboswitch allows rapid detection of ligand with high selectivity, which is important for biological function.

  4. Simulated SAM A-scans on multilayer MEMS components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Janting, Jakob; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Greisen, Christoffer

    2002-01-01

    A spreadsheet program for simulation of Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) A-scans on multilayer structures has been developed. Using this program, structure variations in samples can be analysed better. Further samples can be prepared to get optimal signal for enhanced failure and materials...

  5. Sam68 promotes Schwann cell proliferation by enhancing the PI3K/Akt pathway and acts on regeneration after sciatic nerve crush

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Weijie, E-mail: 459586768@qq.com; Liu, Yuxi, E-mail: 924013616@qq.com; Wang, Youhua, E-mail: wyouhua1516@163.com

    2016-05-13

    Sam68 (Src-associated in mitosis of 68 kD), a KH domain RNA-binding protein, is not only important in signaling transduction cascades, but crucial in a variety of cellular processes. Sam68 is reported to be involved in the phospoinositide3-kinase (PI3K) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, and it is closely associated with cell proliferation, RNA metabolism, and tumor progression. However, we know little about the role of Sam68 during peripheral nervous system injury and regeneration. In this study, we investigated the expression of Sam68 and its biological significances in sciatic nerve crush. Interestingly, we found Sam68 had a co-localization with S100 (Schwann cell marker). Moreover, after crush, Sam68 had a spatiotemporal protein expression, which was in parallel with proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). In vitro, we also observed increased expression of Sam68 during the process of TNF-α-induced Schwann cell proliferation model. Besides, flow cytometry analyses, CCK-8, and EDU were all performed with the purpose of investigating the role of Sam68 in the regulation of Schwann cell proliferation. Even more importantly, we discovered that Sam68 could enhance the phosphorylation of Akt while LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) obviously reversed Sam68-induced cell proliferation. Finally, we detected the variance during regeneration progress through the rat walk footprint test. In summary, all these evidences demonstrated that Sam68 might participate in Schwann cell proliferation partially via PI3K/Akt pathway and also regulate regeneration after sciatic nerve crush. -- Highlights: •The dynamic changes and location of Sam68 after sciatic nerve crush. •Sam68 promoted Schwann cell proliferation via PI3K/Akt pathway. •Sam68 modulated functional recovery after sciatic nerve crush.

  6. Sam68 promotes Schwann cell proliferation by enhancing the PI3K/Akt pathway and acts on regeneration after sciatic nerve crush

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Weijie; Liu, Yuxi; Wang, Youhua

    2016-01-01

    Sam68 (Src-associated in mitosis of 68 kD), a KH domain RNA-binding protein, is not only important in signaling transduction cascades, but crucial in a variety of cellular processes. Sam68 is reported to be involved in the phospoinositide3-kinase (PI3K) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways, and it is closely associated with cell proliferation, RNA metabolism, and tumor progression. However, we know little about the role of Sam68 during peripheral nervous system injury and regeneration. In this study, we investigated the expression of Sam68 and its biological significances in sciatic nerve crush. Interestingly, we found Sam68 had a co-localization with S100 (Schwann cell marker). Moreover, after crush, Sam68 had a spatiotemporal protein expression, which was in parallel with proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). In vitro, we also observed increased expression of Sam68 during the process of TNF-α-induced Schwann cell proliferation model. Besides, flow cytometry analyses, CCK-8, and EDU were all performed with the purpose of investigating the role of Sam68 in the regulation of Schwann cell proliferation. Even more importantly, we discovered that Sam68 could enhance the phosphorylation of Akt while LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) obviously reversed Sam68-induced cell proliferation. Finally, we detected the variance during regeneration progress through the rat walk footprint test. In summary, all these evidences demonstrated that Sam68 might participate in Schwann cell proliferation partially via PI3K/Akt pathway and also regulate regeneration after sciatic nerve crush. -- Highlights: •The dynamic changes and location of Sam68 after sciatic nerve crush. •Sam68 promoted Schwann cell proliferation via PI3K/Akt pathway. •Sam68 modulated functional recovery after sciatic nerve crush.

  7. Development of the criticality capability for the SAM-CE Monte Carlo System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lichtenstein, H.; Troubetzkoy, E.; Steinberg, H.; Cohen, M.O.

    1979-04-01

    A criticality capabilty has been developed and implemented in the SAM-CE Monte Carlo system. The data processing component, SAM-X, preserves, to any required accuracy, the data quality inherent in the ENDF/B library. The generated data is Doppler-broadened and includes (where applicable) probability tables for the unresolved resonance range, and thermal-scattering law data. Curves of several total and partial cross sections are generated and displayed. The Monte Carlo component, SAM-F, includes several eigenvalue estimators and variance reduction schemes. Stratification was found to effect significant improvement in calculational efficiency, but the usefulness of importance sampling is marginal in criticality problems. The entire system has been installed at BNL, for the analysis of TRX benchmarks. The TRX-1 and TRX-2 cell calculations have been performed, with estimated eigenvalues of 1.1751 +- 0.0016 and 1.1605 +- .0015, respectively. These results are shown to be statistically consistent with other sources

  8. Raman mapping and in situ SERS spectroelectrochemical studies of 6-mercaptopurine SAMs on the gold electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haifeng; Liu, Yanli; Liu, Zhimin; Yang, Yu; Jiang, Jianhui; Zhang, Zongrang; Shen, Guoli; Yu, Ruqin

    2005-02-24

    The self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) were formed at the roughened polycrystalline gold surfaces in acid and alkaline media. The time-dependent Raman mapping spectral analysis in conjunction with the quantum calculations for the vibrational modes using ab initio BLYP/6-31G method suggested that both of the resulted 6MP SAMs adopted the same adsorption mode through the S atom of pyrimidine moiety and the N7 atom of the imidazole moiety anchoring the gold surface in a vertical way. The in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroelectrochemical experiment was conducted to examine the stability of the SAMs at various bias potentials. It was found that the detaching process of the 6MP SAMs from the surface involved one electron reduction as the voltage was applied at ca. 0.7 V vs a standard calomel electrode.

  9. Orientation of 6-mercaptopurine SAMs at the silver electrode as studied by Raman mapping and in situ SERS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Hui; Yang, Haifeng; Huan, Shuangyan; Shen, Guoli; Yu, Ruqin

    2006-03-23

    Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) on a silver electrode in acid and alkaline media were investigated by a combination protocol of the SERS technique with Raman mapping, and it was found that the adsorption mode of 6MP SAMs changed with the pH value of the environment. Quantum calculations for the vibrational mode were performed by the BLYP/6-31G method. 6MP was adsorbed on the silver electrode with a tilted orientation via S, N1, and N7 atoms in acid medium, while the SAMs adopted head-on adsorption modes with the S atom and the N1 atom anchoring the silver surface in alkaline medium. However, 6MP SAMs turned to the same upright orientation on the electrode through the S and N7 atoms when either acid or basic solution was removed. Stability of 6MP SAMs was observed by in situ SERS spectroelectrochemical measurements. The results reveal that the desorption potentials of 6MP SAMs formed under acid and alkaline conditions from the Ag electrode were at ca. -1.3 V and -1.6 V vs SCE, respectively.

  10. Occupational Radiation Protection in Severe Accident Management. EG-SAM Interim Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    As an early response to the Fukushima NPP accident, the ISOE Bureau decided to focus on the following issues as an initial response of the joint program after having direct communications with the Japanese official participants in April 2011; - Management of high radiation area worker doses: It has been decided to make available the experience and information from the Chernobyl accident in terms of how emergency worker / responder doses were legally and practically managed, - Personal protective equipment for highly-contaminated areas: It was agreed to collect information about the types of personnel protective equipment and other equipment (e.g. air bottles, respirators, air-hoods or plastic suits, etc.), as well as high-radiation area worker dosimetry use (e.g. type, number and placement of dosimetry) for different types of emergency and high-radiation work situations. Detailed information was collected on dose criteria which are used for emergency workers/responders and their basis, dose management criteria for high dose/dose rate areas, protective equipment which is recommended for emergency workers / responders, recommended individual monitoring procedures, and any special requirement for assessment from the ISOE participating nuclear utilities and regulatory authorities and made available for Japanese utilities. With this positive response of the ISOE actors and interest in the situation in Fukushima, the Expert Group on Occupational Radiation Protection in Severe Accident Management (EG-SAM) was established by the ISOE Management Board in May 2011. The overall objective of the EG-SAM is to contribute to occupational exposure management (providing a view on management of high radiation area worker doses) within the Fukushima plant boundary with the ISOE participants and to develop a state-of-the- art ISOE report on best radiation protection management practices for proper radiation protection job coverage during severe accident initial response and recovery

  11. The SAM, not the electrodes, dominates charge transport in metal-monolayer//Ga2O3/gallium-indium eutectic junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reus, William F; Thuo, Martin M; Shapiro, Nathan D; Nijhuis, Christian A; Whitesides, George M

    2012-06-26

    The liquid-metal eutectic of gallium and indium (EGaIn) is a useful electrode for making soft electrical contacts to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This electrode has, however, one feature whose effect on charge transport has been incompletely understood: a thin (approximately 0.7 nm) film-consisting primarily of Ga(2)O(3)-that covers its surface when in contact with air. SAMs that rectify current have been measured using this electrode in Ag(TS)-SAM//Ga(2)O(3)/EGaIn (where Ag(TS) = template-stripped Ag surface) junctions. This paper organizes evidence, both published and unpublished, showing that the molecular structure of the SAM (specifically, the presence of an accessible molecular orbital asymmetrically located within the SAM), not the difference between the electrodes or the characteristics of the Ga(2)O(3) film, causes the observed rectification. By examining and ruling out potential mechanisms of rectification that rely either on the Ga(2)O(3) film or on the asymmetry of the electrodes, this paper demonstrates that the structure of the SAM dominates charge transport through Ag(TS)-SAM//Ga(2)O(3)/EGaIn junctions, and that the electrical characteristics of the Ga(2)O(3) film have a negligible effect on these measurements.

  12. CE-SAM: a conversational interface for ISR mission support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizzocaro, Diego; Parizas, Christos; Preece, Alun; Braines, Dave; Mott, David; Bakdash, Jonathan Z.

    2013-05-01

    There is considerable interest in natural language conversational interfaces. These allow for complex user interactions with systems, such as fulfilling information requirements in dynamic environments, without requiring extensive training or a technical background (e.g. in formal query languages or schemas). To leverage the advantages of conversational interactions we propose CE-SAM (Controlled English Sensor Assignment to Missions), a system that guides users through refining and satisfying their information needs in the context of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The rapidly-increasing availability of sensing assets and other information sources poses substantial challenges to effective ISR resource management. In a coalition context, the problem is even more complex, because assets may be "owned" by different partners. We show how CE-SAM allows a user to refine and relate their ISR information needs to pre-existing concepts in an ISR knowledge base, via conversational interaction implemented on a tablet device. The knowledge base is represented using Controlled English (CE) - a form of controlled natural language that is both human-readable and machine processable (i.e. can be used to implement automated reasoning). Users interact with the CE-SAM conversational interface using natural language, which the system converts to CE for feeding-back to the user for confirmation (e.g. to reduce misunderstanding). We show that this process not only allows users to access the assets that can support their mission needs, but also assists them in extending the CE knowledge base with new concepts.

  13. TRX and UO2 criticality benchmarks with SAM-CE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beer, M.; Troubetzkoy, E.S.; Lichtenstein, H.; Rose, P.F.

    1980-01-01

    A set of thermal reactor benchmark calculations with SAM-CE which have been conducted at both MAGI and at BNL are described. Their purpose was both validation of the SAM-CE reactor eigenvalue capability developed by MAGI and a substantial contribution to the data testing of both ENDF/B-IV and ENDF/B-V libraries. This experience also resulted in increased calculational efficiency of the code and an example is given. The benchmark analysis included the TRX-1 infinite cell using both ENDF/B-IV and ENDF/B-V cross section sets and calculations using ENDF/B-IV of the TRX-1 full core and TRX-2 cell. BAPL-UO2-1 calculations were conducted for the cell using both ENDF/B-IV and ENDF/B-V and for the full core with ENDF/B-V

  14. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) stably expressing CRISPR-based synergistic activation mediator (SAM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Kai; Zhou, Yan; Hyttel, Poul; Bolund, Lars; Freude, Kristine Karla; Luo, Yonglun

    2016-11-01

    Human fibroblasts were engineered to express the CRISPR-based synergistic activation mediator (SAM) complex: dCas9-VP64 and MS2-P65-HSF1. Two induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) clones expressing SAM were established by transducing these fibroblasts with lentivirus expressing OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and C-MYC. We have validated that the reprogramming cassette is silenced in the SAM iPSC clones. Expression of pluripotency genes (OCT4, SOX2, LIN28A, NANOG, GDF3, SSEA4, and TRA-1-60), differentiation potential to all three germ layers, and normal karyotypes are validated. These SAM-iPSCs provide a novel, useful tool to investigate genetic regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation through CRISPR-mediated activation of endogenous genes. Copyright © 2016 Michael Boutros, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Produksi Bahasa Tertulis Mahasiswa Penderita Disgrafia Di Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Universitas Sam Ratulangi

    OpenAIRE

    TANGKE, RIMA APRILIANA

    2015-01-01

    This research is entitled “Written Language Production of Student with Disgraphia in Faculty of Humanity Sam Ratulangi University”. The objectives of this research are to describe dysgraphia itself and to analyze the influences of dysgraphia on the written language production of the student in Faculty of Humanity, Sam Ratulangi University. This research uses a descriptive method. There are three steps to finish this research, the first step is preparation. In this step, the writer reads the r...

  16. THE MYTH OF MATERIAL SUCCESS AS REFLECTED IN SAM WALTON: MADE IN AMERICA-MY STORY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Utut Kurniati

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available American myth of material success had been orchestrated five basic beliefs that were reflected in Sam Walton’s biography, Sam Walton: Made in America-My Story. Those beliefs were: 1 Having a strong will to be successful man in America, Sam Walton was aware that the American democracy allowed its citizens to rise above any limitation in which they may have been born; 2 Then, he rose up from his limitation by hard work. His hard work successfully brought him to the riches and physical comforts; 3 He believed that those rewards came to those who were deserving of them (virtuous; 4 He also believed that those rewards came to those who had the drive and ambition to attain them. Therefore, he was optimistic to attain success in America; 5 Hard work to attain success made Sam Walton a lucky man who received good luck in his life. As a result, his dream of being a successful man in America came true. Keywords: the myth of material success, American dream, hard work

  17. Analysis of the in-vessel phase of SAM strategy for a Korean 1000 MWe PWR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Sung-Min; Oh, Seung-Jong [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of NPP Engineering; Diab, Aya [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of NPP Engineering; Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Mechanical Power Engineering Dept.

    2017-12-15

    This paper focuses on the in-vessel phase of Severe Accident Management (SAM) strategy for a Korean 1000 MWe Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) with reference to ROAAM+ framework approach. To apply ROAAM+, it is needed to identify epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. The selected scenario is a station blackout (SBO) and the corresponding SAM strategy is RCS depressurization followed by water injection into the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The analysis considers the depressurization timing and the flow rate and timing of in-vessel injection for scenario variations. For the phenomenological uncertainties, the core melting and relocation process is considered to be the most important phenomenon in the in-vessel phase of SAM strategy. Accordingly, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to assess the impact of the cut-off porosity below which the flow area of a core node is zero (EPSCUT), and the critical temperature for cladding rupture (TCLMAX) on the core melting and relocation process. In this paper, the SAM strategy for maintaining the integrity of RPV is derived after quantification of the scenario and phenomenological uncertainties.

  18. Nuclear Protein Sam68 Interacts with the Enterovirus 71 Internal Ribosome Entry Site and Positively Regulates Viral Protein Translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hua; Song, Lei; Cong, Haolong; Tien, Po

    2015-10-01

    Enterovirus 71 (EV71) recruits various cellular factors to assist in the replication and translation of its genome. Identification of the host factors involved in the EV71 life cycle not only will enable a better understanding of the infection mechanism but also has the potential to be of use in the development of antiviral therapeutics. In this study, we demonstrated that the cellular factor 68-kDa Src-associated protein in mitosis (Sam68) acts as an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) trans-acting factor (ITAF) that binds specifically to the EV71 5' untranslated region (5'UTR). Interaction sites in both the viral IRES (stem-loops IV and V) and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K homology (KH) domain of Sam68 protein were further mapped using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and biotin RNA pulldown assay. More importantly, dual-luciferase (firefly) reporter analysis suggested that overexpression of Sam68 positively regulated IRES-dependent translation of virus proteins. In contrast, both IRES activity and viral protein translation significantly decreased in Sam68 knockdown cells compared with the negative-control cells treated with short hairpin RNA (shRNA). However, downregulation of Sam68 did not have a significant inhibitory effect on the accumulation of the EV71 genome. Moreover, Sam68 was redistributed from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and interacts with cellular factors, such as poly(rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2) and poly(A)-binding protein (PABP), during EV71 infection. The cytoplasmic relocalization of Sam68 in EV71-infected cells may be involved in the enhancement of EV71 IRES-mediated translation. Since Sam68 is known to be a RNA-binding protein, these results provide direct evidence that Sam68 is a novel ITAF that interacts with EV71 IRES and positively regulates viral protein translation. The nuclear protein Sam68 is found as an additional new host factor that interacts with the EV71 IRES during infection and could potentially

  19. 77 FR 67813 - Sam Rayburn Dam Project Power Rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Southwestern Power Administration Sam Rayburn Dam Project Power Rate AGENCY: Southwestern Power Administration, DOE. ACTION: Notice of Rate Order Approving an Extension of Power Rate on an.... James K. McDonald, Assistant Administrator, Southwestern Power Administration, Department of Energy...

  20. SAM : an experiment dedicated to the Carbon Quest at Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coll, Patrice; Mahaffy, Paul; Webster, Chris; Cabane, Michel; Tan, F.; Coscia, D.; Nolan, T.; Rahen, E.; Teinturier, S.; Goutail, J. P.; Martin, D.; Montaron, C.; Galic, A.

    SAM is a suite of instruments that will be onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover. The SAM team consist of scientists and engineers at GSFC, U. Paris/CNRS, JPL, and Honeybee Robotics, along with many additional external partners. SAM's five science goals will address three of the most fundamental questions about the ability of Mars to support life -past, present, and future. Question 1: What does the inventory of carbon compounds near the surface of Mars tell us about its potential habitability? 1.Goal 1: Survey carbon compound sources and evaluate their possible mechanism of formation and destruction. 2.Goal 2: Search for organic compounds of biotic and prebiotic importance expecially methane. Question 2: What are the chemical and isotopic states of the lighter elements in the solids and atmosphere of Mars and what do they tell us about its potential habitability? 1.Goal 3: Reveal the chemical and isotopic state of elements (i.e., N, H, O, S and others) that are important for life as we know it. 2.Goal 4: Evaluate the habitability of Mars by studying its atmospheric chemistry and the composition of trace species that are evidence of interactions between the atmosphere and soil. Question 3: Were past habitability conditions different from today's? 1.Goal 5: Understand atmospheric and climatic evolution through measurements of noble gas and light element isotopes.

  1. The History of the Austin College Building and Old Main at Sam Houston State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Erin; Shields, Samantha

    2017-01-01

    Austin Hall and Old Main serve as the heart of what is now Sam Houston State University. The buildings' rich histories help one to understand how Sam Houston State University and its proud teacher education heritage came to be. To begin with Austin Hall's story, the University's original building has a unique and interesting tale that journeys…

  2. Supplementary Material for: A new mode of SAM domain mediated oligomerization observed in the CASKIN2 neuronal scaffolding protein

    KAUST Repository

    Smirnova, Ekaterina; Kwan, Jamie; Siu, Ryan; Gao, Xin; Zoidl, Georg; Demeler, Borries; Saridakis, Vivian; Donaldson, Logan

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background CASKIN2 is a homolog of CASKIN1, a scaffolding protein that participates in a signaling network with CASK (calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine kinase). Despite a high level of homology between CASKIN2 and CASKIN1, CASKIN2 cannot bind CASK due to the absence of a CASK Interaction Domain and consequently, may have evolved undiscovered structural and functional distinctions. Results We demonstrate that the crystal structure of the Sterile Alpha Motif (SAM) domain tandem (SAM1-SAM2) oligomer from CASKIN2 is different than CASKIN1, with the minimal repeating unit being a dimer, rather than a monomer. Analytical ultracentrifugation sedimentation velocity methods revealed differences in monomer/dimer equilibria across a range of concentrations and ionic strengths for the wild type CASKIN2 SAM tandem and a structure-directed double mutant that could not oligomerize. Further distinguishing CASKIN2 from CASKIN1, EGFP-tagged SAM tandem proteins expressed in Neuro2a cells produced punctae that were distinct both in shape and size. Conclusions This study illustrates a new way in which neuronal SAM domains can assemble into large macromolecular assemblies that might concentrate and amplify synaptic responses.

  3. A pilot study investigating the feasibility of symptom assessment manager (SAM), a Web-based real-time tool for monitoring challenging behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loi, Samantha M; Wanasinghage, Sangeeth; Goh, Anita; Lautenschlager, Nicola T; Darby, David G; Velakoulis, Dennis

    2018-04-01

    Improving and minimizing challenging behaviors seen in psychiatric conditions, including behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are important in the care of people with these conditions. Yet there is a lack of systematic evaluation of these as a part of routine clinical care. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory is a validated and reliable tool for rating the severity and disruptiveness of challenging behaviors. We report on the evaluation of a Web-based symptom assessment manager (SAM), designed to address the limitation of previous tools using some of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory functions, to monitor behaviors by staff caring for people with dementia and other psychiatric conditions in inpatient and residential care settings. The SAM was piloted in an 8-bed inpatient neuropsychiatry unit over 5 months. Eleven nurses and 4 clinicians were trained in usage of SAM. Primary outcomes were usage of SAM and perceived usability, utility, and acceptance of SAM. Secondary outcomes were the frequencies of documented behavior. Usage data were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression analyses. The SAM was used for all admitted patients regardless of diagnosis, with a usage rate of 64% for nurses regularly employed in the unit. Staff provided positive feedback regarding the utility of SAM. The SAM appeared to offer individualized behavior assessment by providing a quick, structured, and standardized platform for assessing behavior in a real-world setting. Further research would involve trialing SAM with more staff in alternative settings such as in home or residential care settings. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Investigation: Overview of Results from the First 120 Sols on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahaffy, P. R.; Cabane, M.; Webster, C. R.; Archer, P. D.; Atreya, S. K.; Benna, M.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Brunner, A. E.; Buch, A.; Coll, P.; hide

    2013-01-01

    During the first 120 sols of Curiosity s landed mission on Mars (8/6/2012 to 12/7/2012) SAM sampled the atmosphere 9 times and an eolian bedform named Rocknest 4 times. The atmospheric experiments utilized SAM s quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and tunable laser spectrometer (TLS) while the solid sample experiments also utilized the gas chromatograph (GC). Although a number of core experiments were pre-programmed and stored in EEProm, a high level SAM scripting language enabled the team to optimize experiments based on prior runs.

  5. Parabolic Trough Collector Cost Update for the System Advisor Model (SAM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurup, Parthiv [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Turchi, Craig S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-11-01

    This report updates the baseline cost for parabolic trough solar fields in the United States within NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM). SAM, available at no cost at https://sam.nrel.gov/, is a performance and financial model designed to facilitate decision making for people involved in the renewable energy industry. SAM is the primary tool used by NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for estimating the performance and cost of concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies and projects. The study performed a bottom-up build and cost estimate for two state-of-the-art parabolic trough designs -- the SkyTrough and the Ultimate Trough. The SkyTrough analysis estimated the potential installed cost for a solar field of 1500 SCAs as $170/m2 +/- $6/m2. The investigation found that SkyTrough installed costs were sensitive to factors such as raw aluminum alloy cost and production volume. For example, in the case of the SkyTrough, the installed cost would rise to nearly $210/m2 if the aluminum alloy cost was $1.70/lb instead of $1.03/lb. Accordingly, one must be aware of fluctuations in the relevant commodities markets to track system cost over time. The estimated installed cost for the Ultimate Trough was only slightly higher at $178/m2, which includes an assembly facility of $11.6 million amortized over the required production volume. Considering the size and overall cost of a 700 SCA Ultimate Trough solar field, two parallel production lines in a fully covered assembly facility, each with the specific torque box, module and mirror jigs, would be justified for a full CSP plant.

  6. Geometry modeling for SAM-CE Monte Carlo calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinberg, H.A.; Troubetzkoy, E.S.

    1980-01-01

    Three geometry packages have been developed and incorporated into SAM-CE, for representing in three dimensions the transport medium. These are combinatorial geometry - a general (non-lattice) system, complex combinatorial geometry - a very general system with lattice capability, and special reactor geometry - a special purpose system for light water reactor geometries. Their different attributes are described

  7. Toposelective electrochemical desorption of thiol SAMs from neighboring polycrystalline gold surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tencer, Michal; Berini, Pierre

    2008-11-04

    We describe a method for the selective desorption of thiol self-assembled monolayers from gold surfaces having micrometer-scale separations on a substrate. In an electrolyte solution, the electrical resistance between the adjacent areas can be much lower than the resistance between a surface and the counter electrode. Also, both reductive and oxidative thiol desorption may occur. Therefore, the potentials of the surfaces must be independently controlled with a multichannel potentiostat and operating windows for a given thiol/electrolyte system must be established. In this study operating windows were established for 1-dodecanethiol-based SAMs in phosphate buffer, phosphate-buffered saline, and sodium hydroxide solution, and selective SAM removal was successfully performed in a four-electrode configuration.

  8. ASAMPSA-E guidance for level 2 PSA Volume 3. Verification and improvement of SAM strategies with L2 PSA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahni, N.; Raimond, E.; Jan, P.; Lopez, J.; Loeffler, H.; Mildenberger, O.; Kubicek, J.; Vitazkova, J.; Ivanov, I.; Groudev, P.; Lajtha, G.; Serrano, C.; Zhabin, O.; Prosek, Andrej; Dirksen, G.; Yu, S.; Oury, L.; Hultqvist, G.

    2016-01-01

    For each NPP, severe accident management (SAM) strategies shall make use of components or systems and human resources to limit as far as possible the consequences of any severe accident on-site and off-site. L2 PSA is one of the tools that can be used to verify and improve these strategies. The present report (deliverable D40.5 of the project ASAMPSA-E) provides an opportunity for a comparison of objectives in the different countries in terms of SAM strategies verification and improvement. The report summarizes also experience of each partner (including potential deficiencies) involved in this activity, in order to derive some good practices and required progress, addressing: - SAM modeling in L2 PSA, - Positive and negative aspects in current SAM practices, - Discussion on possible criteria related to L2 PSA for verification and improvement: risk reduction (in relation with WP30 activities on risk metrics), reduction of uncertainties on the severe accident progression paths until NPP stabilization, reduction of human failure conditional probabilities (depending on the SAM strategy, the environmental conditions...), - Review with a perspective of verification and improvement of the main SAM strategies (corium cooling, RCS depressurization, control of flammable gases, reactivity control, containment function, containment pressure control, limitation of radioactive releases,...), - SAM strategies to be considered in the context of an extended L2 PSA (as far possible, depending on existing experience), taking into account all operating modes, accidents also occurring in the SFPs and long term and multi-unit accidents. The deliverable D40.5 is developed from the partners' experience. Many of the topics described here are beyond the common practices of L2 PSA applications: in some countries, L2 PSA application is limited to the calculations of frequencies of release categories with no formal requirement for SAM verification and improvement. (authors)

  9. Annals of SAM meeting '96. National meeting on precious metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    Works are presented at the SAM meeting '96 of the Argentine Materials Association. The papers can be grouped under the following main topics: physical metallurgy; ceramics; polymers; precious metals; extractive metallurgy; corrosion; powder metallurgy. refs., ills

  10. Investigation of functionalized silicon nanowires by self-assembled monolayer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hemed, Nofar Mintz [Dept. of Physical Electronics, Eng. Faculty, and the University Res. Inst. for Nano Science and Nano-Technologies, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Convertino, Annalisa [Istituto per la Microelettronica e i Microsistemi C.N.R.-Area della Ricerca di Roma, via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Shacham-Diamand, Yosi [Dept. of Physical Electronics, Eng. Faculty, and the University Res. Inst. for Nano Science and Nano-Technologies, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978 (Israel); The Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

    2016-03-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We characterize and verify the existence of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on silicon nanowires and α-Si:H. • We define the term “electrical coverage” and find the formula for both cases. • The SAM's electrical coverage on silicon nanowires is found to be ∼63%. • The SAM's electrical coverage on α-Si:H is found to be ∼65 ± 3%. • The amount of SAM on the SiNWs is sufficient and it can serve as a linker to biological molecules. - Abstract: The functionalization using self assembled monolayer (SAM) of silicon nanowires (SiNW) fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is reported here. The SAM is being utilized as the first building block in the functionalization process. The morphology of the SiNW comprises a polycrystalline core wrapped by an hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) shell. Since most of the available methods for SAM verification and characterization are suitable only for flat substrates; therefore, in addition to the SiNW α-Si:H on flat samples were produced in the same system as the SiNWs. First we confirmed the SAM's presence on the flat α-Si:H samples using the following methods: contact angle measurement to determine the change in surface energy; atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine uniformity and molecular coverage. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) were performed to measure SAM layer thickness and density. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was applied to study the chemical states of the surface. Next, SiNW/SAM were tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the results were compared to α-Si:H/SAM. The SAM electrical coverage on SiNW and α-Si:H was found to be ∼37% and ∼65 ± 3%, respectively. A model, based on transmission line theory for the nanowires is presented to explain the disparity in results between the nanowires and flat surface of the same materials.

  11. Vibrational Stark Effect of the Electric-Field Reporter 4-Mercaptobenzonitrile as a Tool for Investigating Electrostatics at Electrode/SAM/Solution Interfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Hildebrandt

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available 4-mercaptobenzonitrile (MBN in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs on Au and Ag electrodes was studied by surface enhanced infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy, to correlate the nitrile stretching frequency with the local electric field exploiting the vibrational Stark effect (VSE. Using MBN SAMs in different metal/SAM interfaces, we sorted out the main factors controlling the nitrile stretching frequency, which comprise, in addition to external electric fields, the metal-MBN bond, the surface potential, and hydrogen bond interactions. On the basis of the linear relationships between the nitrile stretching and the electrode potential, an electrostatic description of the interfacial potential distribution is presented that allows for determining the electric field strengths on the SAM surface, as well as the effective potential of zero-charge of the SAM-coated metal. Comparing this latter quantity with calculated values derived from literature data, we note a very good agreement for Au/MBN but distinct deviations for Ag/MBN which may reflect either the approximations and simplifications of the model or the uncertainty in reported structural parameters for Ag/MBN. The present electrostatic model consistently explains the electric field strengths for MBN SAMs on Ag and Au as well as for thiophenol and mercaptohexanoic acid SAMs with MBN incorporated as a VSE reporter.

  12. Assessing the suitability of written stroke materials: an evaluation of the interrater reliability of the suitability assessment of materials (SAM) checklist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Tammy; Ladner, Yvette

    2012-01-01

    Written materials are frequently used to provide education to stroke patients and their carers. However, poor quality materials are a barrier to effective information provision. A quick and reliable method of evaluating material quality is needed. This study evaluated the interrater reliability of the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) checklist in a sample of written stroke education materials. Two independent raters evaluated the materials (n = 25) using the SAM, and ratings were analyzed to reveal total percentage agreements and weighted kappa values for individual items and overall SAM rating. The majority of the individual SAM items had high interrater reliability, with 17 of the 22 items achieving substantial, almost perfect, or perfect weighted kappa value scores. The overall SAM rating achieved a weighted kappa value of 0.60, with a percentage total agreement of 96%. Health care professionals should evaluate the content and design characteristics of written education materials before using them with patients. A tool such as the SAM checklist can be used; however, raters should exercise caution when interpreting results from items with more subjective scoring criteria. Refinements to the scoring criteria for these items are recommended. The value of the SAM is that it can be used to identify specific elements that should be modified before education materials are provided to patients.

  13. Rhodium deposition onto a 4-mercaptopyridine SAM on Au(1 1 1)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manolova, M. [Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm (Germany); Kayser, M. [Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm (Germany); Kolb, D.M. [Institute of Electrochemistry, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm (Germany)]. E-mail: dieter.kolb@uni-ulm.de; Boyen, H.-G. [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm (Germany); Ziemann, P. [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm (Germany); Mayer, D. [BASF Electronic Materials GmbH, 67056 Ludwigshafen (Germany); Wirth, A. [BASF Electronic Materials GmbH, 67056 Ludwigshafen (Germany)

    2007-02-10

    The application of a recently developed method for the deposition of Pd and Pt on top of a SAM, has been successfully extended to Rh, thus proving the versatility of the new concept. Experimental evidence from cyclic voltammetry, in situ STM and ex situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy is presented for the deposition of monoatomic high rhodium islands onto a 4-mercaptopyridine self-assembled monolayer on a Au(1 1 1) electrode. By repetitive complexation of the Rh ions to the ring-nitrogen and reduction in a Rh-ion free solution, an almost completely covered SAM is obtained. The consequences of making contacts for molecular electronics are briefly discussed.

  14. Crystal Structure of Bicc1 SAM Polymer and Mapping of Interactions between the Ciliopathy-Associated Proteins Bicc1, ANKS3, and ANKS6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothé, Benjamin; Leettola, Catherine N; Leal-Esteban, Lucia; Cascio, Duilio; Fortier, Simon; Isenschmid, Manuela; Bowie, James U; Constam, Daniel B

    2018-02-06

    Head-to-tail polymers of sterile alpha motifs (SAM) can scaffold large macromolecular complexes. Several SAM-domain proteins that bind each other are mutated in patients with cystic kidneys or laterality defects, including the Ankyrin (ANK) and SAM domain-containing proteins ANKS6 and ANKS3, and the RNA-binding protein Bicc1. To address how their interactions are regulated, we first determined a high-resolution crystal structure of a Bicc1-SAM polymer, revealing a canonical SAM polymer with a high degree of flexibility in the subunit interface orientations. We further mapped interactions between full-length and distinct domains of Bicc1, ANKS3, and ANKS6. Neither ANKS3 nor ANKS6 alone formed macroscopic homopolymers in vivo. However, ANKS3 recruited ANKS6 to Bicc1, and the three proteins together cooperatively generated giant macromolecular complexes. Thus, the giant assemblies are shaped by SAM domains, their flanking sequences, and SAM-independent protein-protein and protein-mRNA interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Evidence for Perchlorates and the Origin of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Detected by SAM at the Rocknest Aeolian Deposit in Gale Crater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, Daniel P.; Freissinet, Caroline; Miller, Kristen E.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Brunner, Anna E.; Buch, Arnaud; Sutter, Brad; Archer, P. Douglas, Jr.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Brinckerhoff, William B.; hide

    2013-01-01

    A single scoop of the Rocknest aeolian deposit was sieved (less than 150 micrometers), and four separate sample portions, each with a mass of approximately 50 mg, were delivered to individual cups inside the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument by the Mars Science Laboratory rover's sample acquisition system. The samples were analyzed separately by the SAM pyrolysis evolved gas and gas chromatograph mass spectrometer analysis modes. Several chlorinated hydrocarbons including chloromethane, dichloromethane, trichloromethane, a chloromethylpropene, and chlorobenzene were identified by SAM above background levels with abundances of approximately 0.01 to 2.3 nmol. The evolution of the chloromethanes observed during pyrolysis is coincident with the increase in O2 released from the Rocknest sample and the decomposition of a product of N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA), a chemical whose vapors were released from a derivatization cup inside SAM. The best candidate for the oxychlorine compounds in Rocknest is a hydrated calcium perchlorate (Ca(ClO4)2·nH2O), based on the temperature release of O2 that correlates with the release of the chlorinated hydrocarbons measured by SAM, although other chlorine-bearing phases are being considered. Laboratory analog experiments suggest that the reaction of Martian chlorine from perchlorate decomposition with terrestrial organic carbon from MTBSTFA during pyrolysis can explain the presence of three chloromethanes and a chloromethylpropene detected by SAM. Chlorobenzene may be attributed to reactions of Martian chlorine released during pyrolysis with terrestrial benzene or toluene derived from 2,6-diphenylphenylene oxide (Tenax) on the SAM hydrocarbon trap. At this time we do not have definitive evidence to support a nonterrestrial carbon source for these chlorinated hydrocarbons, nor do we exclude the possibility that future SAM analyses will reveal the presence of organic compounds native to the

  16. Potensi Tinggalan Arkeologis di Kawasan Bandar Udara Sam Ratulangi Manado: Upaya Pelestarian, Pemanfaatan, dan Pengembangan bagi Masyarakat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irfanuddin W. Marzuki

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The area of Sam Ratulangi airport’s Manado has archaeological heritage which has been know as it is closed for public. This research used descriptive method, using inductive reasoning. Meanwhile, the analysis method used morphologyl, technology, and contextual analysis. This research aimed to find out the potential of archaeological heritage in Sam Ratulangi airport area of Manado. In addition to its strategy of preservation the haritage included veilbox, bungker, and waruga. The preservation can be conducted by doing protection, development, and utilization. The preservation both physical and non physical protection. The effort for its development and utilization was conducted for the purpose of science, education, culture, and tourism. Kawasan Bandar Udara Sam Ratulangi Manado mempunyai potensi tinggalan arkeologis yang selama ini tidak diketahui masyarakat luas, dikarenakan letak tinggalan yang berada dalam kawasan tertutup untuk umum. Penelitian menggunakan metode deskriptif dengan penalaran induktif. Metode analisis menggunakan analisis morfologi, teknologi dan kontekstual. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui potensi tinggalan arkeologis yang terdapat di kawasan Bandar Udara Sam Ratulangi dan strategi pelestariannya. Tinggalan arkeologis yang terdapat di kawasan Bandar Udara Sam Ratulangi meliputi veilbox, bungker, dan waruga. Upaya pelestarian dapat dilakukan dengan cara perlindungan, pengembangan dan pemanfaatan. Upaya perlindungan meliputi perlindungan secara fisik dan non fisik. Upaya pengembangan dan pemanfaatan dilakukan untuk kepentingan ilmu pengetahuan, pendidikan, kebudayaan dan pariwisata.

  17. Carbon tax effects on the poor: a SAM-based approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapa, Joana; Ortega, Araceli

    2017-09-01

    A SAM-based price model for Mexico is developed in order to assess the effects of the carbon tax, which was part of the fiscal reform approved in 2014. The model is formulated based on a social accounting matrix (SAM) that distinguishes households by the official poverty condition and geographical area. The main results are that the sector that includes coke, refined petroleum and nuclear fuel shows the highest price increase due to the direct impact of the carbon tax; in addition, air transport and inland transport are the most affected sectors, in an indirect manner, because both employ inputs from the former sector. Also, it is found that welfare diminishes more in the rural strata than in the urban one. In the urban area, the carbon tax is regressive: the negative impact of carbon tax on family welfare is greater on the poorest families.

  18. FIGURAL FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE: A STUDY OF THE SHORT PROSE OF SAM SHEPARD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RICARDO DA SILVA SOBREIRA

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACTThe paratactical style and the indeterminacies are literary strategies that resistthe conventional impulse of totalizing the elements projected by the text, becauseinstead of selecting the aspects of reality and subordinating the images andperceptions into a hierarchy, the use of these techniques favors the juxtapositionof multiple perspectives and the frustration of narrative closure. Thus, the useof parataxis and indeterminacies in the collection of short stories Great Dreamof Heaven (2002, by the American author Sam Shepard, tends to challenge theprocess of meaning production through the progressive erasure of narrative“certainties”.KEY WORDS: Postmodern, indeterminacy, parataxis, narrative, Sam Shepard.  

  19. Structural investigation of a C-terminal EphA2 receptor mutant: Does mutation affect the structure and interaction properties of the Sam domain?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercurio, Flavia A; Costantini, Susan; Di Natale, Concetta; Pirone, Luciano; Guariniello, Stefano; Scognamiglio, Pasqualina L; Marasco, Daniela; Pedone, Emilia M; Leone, Marilisa

    2017-09-01

    Ephrin A2 receptor (EphA2) plays a key role in cancer, it is up-regulated in several types of tumors and the process of ligand-induced receptor endocytosis, followed by degradation, is considered as a potential path to diminish tumor malignancy. Protein modulators of this mechanism are recruited at the cytosolic Sterile alpha motif (Sam) domain of EphA2 (EphA2-Sam) through heterotypic Sam-Sam associations. These interactions engage the C-terminal helix of EphA2 and close loop regions (the so called End Helix side). In addition, several studies report on destabilizing mutations in EphA2 related to cataract formation and located in/or close to the Sam domain. Herein, we analyzed from a structural point of view, one of these mutants characterized by the insertion of a novel 39 residue long polypeptide at the C-terminus of EphA2-Sam. A 3D structural model was built by computational methods and revealed partial disorder in the acquired C-terminal tail and a few residues participating in an α-helix and two short β-strands. We investigated by CD and NMR studies the conformational properties in solution of two peptides encompassing the whole C-terminal tail and its predicted helical region, respectively. NMR binding experiments demonstrated that these peptides do not interact relevantly with either EphA2-Sam or its interactor Ship2-Sam. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further indicated that the EphA2 mutant could be represented only through a conformational ensemble and that the C-terminal tail should not largely wrap the EphA2-Sam End-Helix interface and affect binding to other Sam domains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. A viral protein promotes host SAMS1 activity and ethylene production for the benefit of virus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Shanshan; Hong, Wei; Wu, Jianguo; Wang, Yu; Ji, Shaoyi; Zhu, Shuyi; Wei, Chunhong; Zhang, Jinsong; Li, Yi

    2017-10-10

    Ethylene plays critical roles in plant development and biotic stress response, but the mechanism of ethylene in host antiviral response remains unclear. Here, we report that Rice dwarf virus (RDV) triggers ethylene production by stimulating the activity of S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase (SAMS), a key component of the ethylene synthesis pathway, resulting in elevated susceptibility to RDV. RDV-encoded Pns11 protein specifically interacted with OsSAMS1 to enhance its enzymatic activity, leading to higher ethylene levels in both RDV-infected and Pns11-overexpressing rice. Consistent with a counter-defense role for ethylene, Pns11-overexpressing rice, as well as those overexpressing OsSAMS1 , were substantially more susceptible to RDV infection, and a similar effect was observed in rice plants treated with an ethylene precursor. Conversely, OsSAMS1- knockout mutants, as well as an osein2 mutant defective in ethylene signaling, resisted RDV infection more robustly. Our findings uncover a novel mechanism which RDV manipulates ethylene biosynthesis in the host plants to achieve efficient infection.

  1. Solution structure of the receptor tyrosine kinase EphB2 SAM domain and identification of two distinct homotypic interaction sites.

    OpenAIRE

    Smalla, M.; Schmieder, P.; Kelly, M.; Ter Laak, A.; Krause, G.; Ball, L.; Wahl, M.; Bork, P.; Oschkinat, H.

    1999-01-01

    The sterile alpha motif (SAM) is a protein interaction domain of around 70 amino acids present predominantly in the N- and C-termini of more than 60 diverse proteins that participate in signal transduction and transcriptional repression. SAM domains have been shown to homo- and hetero-oligomerize and to mediate specific protein-protein interactions. A highly conserved subclass of SAM domains is present at the intracellular C-terminus of more than 40 Eph receptor tyrosine kinases that are invo...

  2. Chemisorption of oxygen and subsequent reactions on low index surfaces of β-Mo2C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shi, Xue Rong; Wang, Shengguang; Wang, Jianguo

    2016-01-01

    to the carbon vacancy were identified. We examined the effect of oxygen coverage on the morphology of β-Mo2C by plotting the equilibrium crystal shape. Thermodynamic effect of temperature and reactant or product pressure on the CO/CO2 desorption were investigated. The CO/CO2 desorption is more favorable...... at the saturated oxygen coverage than the low oxygen coverage thermodynamically. The subsequent oxygen diffusion to the carbon vacancy after CO/CO2 desorption may happen depending on the surfaces and oxygen coverage....

  3. Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) - Smoking-Attributable Mortality (SAM)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — 2005-2009. SAMMEC - Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs. Smoking-attributable mortality (SAM) is the number of deaths caused by cigarette...

  4. SAMS--a systems architecture for developing intelligent health information systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yılmaz, Özgün; Erdur, Rıza Cenk; Türksever, Mustafa

    2013-12-01

    In this paper, SAMS, a novel health information system architecture for developing intelligent health information systems is proposed and also some strategies for developing such systems are discussed. The systems fulfilling this architecture will be able to store electronic health records of the patients using OWL ontologies, share patient records among different hospitals and provide physicians expertise to assist them in making decisions. The system is intelligent because it is rule-based, makes use of rule-based reasoning and has the ability to learn and evolve itself. The learning capability is provided by extracting rules from previously given decisions by the physicians and then adding the extracted rules to the system. The proposed system is novel and original in all of these aspects. As a case study, a system is implemented conforming to SAMS architecture for use by dentists in the dental domain. The use of the developed system is described with a scenario. For evaluation, the developed dental information system will be used and tried by a group of dentists. The development of this system proves the applicability of SAMS architecture. By getting decision support from a system derived from this architecture, the cognitive gap between experienced and inexperienced physicians can be compensated. Thus, patient satisfaction can be achieved, inexperienced physicians are supported in decision making and the personnel can improve their knowledge. A physician can diagnose a case, which he/she has never diagnosed before, using this system. With the help of this system, it will be possible to store general domain knowledge in this system and the personnel's need to medical guideline documents will be reduced.

  5. Evolved Gas Analyses of the Murray Formation in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity Rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; McAdam, A. C.; Rampe, E. B.; Thompson, L. M.; Ming, D. W.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Stern, J. C.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Archer, P. D.

    2017-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover has analyzed 13 samples from Gale Crater. All SAM-evolved gas analyses have yielded a multitude of volatiles (e.g., H2O, SO2, H2S, CO2, CO, NO, O2, HCl) [1- 6]. The objectives of this work are to 1) Characterize recent evolved SO2, CO2, O2, and NO gas traces of the Murray formation mudstone, 2) Constrain sediment mineralogy/composition based on SAM evolved gas analysis (SAM-EGA), and 3) Discuss the implications of these results relative to understanding the geological history of Gale Crater.

  6. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) stably expressing CRISPR-based synergistic activation mediator (SAM)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiong, Kai; Zhou, Yan; Hyttel, Poul

    2016-01-01

    Human fibroblasts were engineered to express the CRISPR-based synergistic activation mediator (SAM) complex: dCas9-VP64 and MS2-P65-HSF1. Two induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) clones expressing SAM were established by transducing these fibroblasts with lentivirus expressing OCT4, SOX2, KLF4...... a novel, useful tool to investigate genetic regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation through CRISPR-mediated activation of endogenous genes....

  7. Niedualna uważność a stan samādhi w kontekście badań neurofenomenologicznych

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr PŁANETA

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to compare various meditative states, such as Buddhist dhyāna‑s, yogic nirbīja samādhi and nondual awareness (Tib. gñis‑med. The primary source texts I refere to are Yogasūtras of Patañjali, Ānāpānasmṛtisūtra (MN 118, Samādhisūtra (AN 4.41, The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. I also discuss some relevant claims of contemporary empirical studies. First, I define the key terms used in Eastern meditation studies as well as in neurophenomenology, a contemporary method applied to examining the meditative states of mind, such as samādhi, dhyāna, and śamatha. Inspired by Shinzen Young, I distinguish three groups of meditative states that might be identified with nondual awareness. These three groups are: (1 the second, the third and fourth Buddhist dhyāna being equivalent to nirvicāra samādhi and nirānanda samādhi in the classical Indian yoga; (2 nirbīja samādhi and (3 nondual awareness, typical to the Mahayāna contemplative traditions. I explain why we can recognize each of the above states as nondual awareness and how they differ from each other. Then, I make a comparison between meditation practice explained in Ānāpānasmṛtisūtra and nondual awareness presented in the Tibetan Buddhism. Besides, I discuss the above kinds of mental states in terms of recent neurophenomenological findings. While doing so, I am trying to demonstrate that our understanding of meditation can benefit from the empirical studies which help us to objectify this kind of subjective experience, to some degree, if they are given an adequate place in our study.

  8. Atmospheric modeling of Mars CH4 subsurface clathrates releases mimicking SAM and 2003 Earth-based detections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pla-García, J.; Rafkin, S. C.

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this work is to establish the amount of mixing during all martian seasons to test whether CH4 releases inside or outside of Gale crater are consistent with MSL-SAM observations. Several modeling scenarios were configured, including instantaneous and steady releases, both inside and outside the crater. A simulation to mimic the 2003 Earth-based detections (Mumma et al. 2009 or M09) was also performed. In the instantaneous release inside Gale experiments, Ls270 was shown to be the faster mixing season when air within and outside the crater was well mixed: all tracer mass inside the crater is diluted after just 8 hours. The mixing of near surface crater air with the external environment in the rest of the year is potentially rapid but slower than Ls270.In the instantaneous release outside Gale (NW) experiment, in just 12 hours the CH4 that makes it to the MSL landing location is diluted by six orders of magnitude. The timescale of mixing in MRAMS experiments is on the order of 1 sol regardless of season. The duration of the CH4 peak observed by SAM is 100 sols. Therefore there is a steady release inside the crater, or there is a very large magnitude steady release outside the crater. In the steady release Gale experiments, CH4 flux rate from ground is 1.8 kg m-2 s-1 (derived from Gloesener et al. 2017 clathrates fluxes) and it is not predictive. In these experiments, 200 times lower CH4 values detected by SAM are modeled around MSL location. There are CH4 concentration variations of orders of magnitude depending on the hour, so timing of SAM measurements is important. With a larger (but further away) outside crater release area compared to inside, similar CH4 values around MSL are modeled, so distance to source is important. In the steady experiments mimicking M09 detection release area, only 12 times lower CH4 values detected by SAM are modeled around MSL. The highest value in the M09 modeled scenario (0.6 ppbv) is reached in Ls270. This value is the

  9. The Au-S bond and SAM-protein contact in long-range electron transfer of pure and biomimetic metalloproteins via functionalized alkanethiol linkers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chi, Qijin; Ford, Michael J.; Halder, Arnab

    disentangled a wealth of data to identify the nature of the crucial Au-S contact, all suggesting prevalence of a Au(0)-thiyl radical unit. Molecular packing is further determined by the SAM molecular structure and involves binding either to Au-atoms mined out of the surface or directly to a flat surface. We...... functionalized alkanethiols have emerged as core linkers. We have studied molecular linking in the long-range ET (LRET) processes in detail using electrochemistry, in situ STM and AFM, and electronic structure computations. A focus is the electronic structure of the Au-S link and the SAM packing. We have...... is exceedingly sensitive to the structure of the thiol-based SAM molecules, testifying to the crucial importance of SAM packing and Au-S binding, and of the SAM link to the protein. Some of the subtleties are illustrated simpler by similar size (5-6 nm) nanoparticles (NPs). Biomimetic NPs must possess a certain...

  10. REPRESENTASI HOMOSEKSUALITAS DI YOUTUBE: (Studi Semiotika pada Video Pernikahan Sam Tsui

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilis Rucirisyanti

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. Social media is instrumental in giving effect to nitizens, good effects or bad effect, then social media can be also represent a person. Diserve social media make it interesting for nitizens. One of social media is Youtube. Many a lot of video at there, strat from tips and trick videos, journey or vacation video, wedding video, and ect. Everyone can publish their video on Youtube. No exception of same sex enthusiast, in this study are homosexual or gay. One of is a wedding video Sam Tsui and Casey Braves. This research is a qualitative research and this research uses semiotcs analysus of Roland Barthes. By doing an analysis of video that have been published by Sam on Youtube, also do document search and literature. The author sees the existence of verbal and non vebal forms of representation from same sex merriage video of men and men.

  11. Application of the SAM Computer Program for Truckee River Stable Channel Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Scott, Stephen H

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to demonstrate the utility of the SAM computer programs for evaluating the stability of a stream restoration design on the Truckee River...

  12. Parabolic Trough Reference Plant for Cost Modeling with the Solar Advisor Model (SAM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turchi, C.

    2010-07-01

    This report describes a component-based cost model developed for parabolic trough solar power plants. The cost model was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), assisted by WorleyParsons Group Inc., for use with NREL's Solar Advisor Model (SAM). This report includes an overview and explanation of the model, two summary contract reports from WorleyParsons, and an Excel spreadsheet for use with SAM. The cost study uses a reference plant with a 100-MWe capacity and six hours of thermal energy storage. Wet-cooling and dry-cooling configurations are considered. The spreadsheet includes capital and operating cost by component to allow users to estimate the impact of changes in component costs.

  13. The Seismic Aftershock Monitoring System (SAMS) for OSI - Experiences from IFE14

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gestermann, Nicolai; Sick, Benjamin; Häge, Martin; Blake, Thomas; Labak, Peter; Joswig, Manfred

    2016-04-01

    An on-site inspection (OSI) is the third of four elements of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The sole purpose of an OSI is to confirm whether a nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion has been carried out in violation of the treaty and to gather any facts which might assist in identifying any possible violator. It thus constitutes the final verification measure under the CTBT if all other available measures are not able to confirm the nature of a suspicious event. The Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) carried out the Integrated Field Exercise 2014 (IFE14) in the Dead Sea Area of Jordan from 3 November to 9. December 2014. It was a fictitious OSI whose aim was to test the inspection capabilities in an integrated manner. The technologies allowed during an OSI are listed in the Treaty. The aim of the Seismic Aftershock Monitoring System (SAMS) is to detect and localize aftershocks of low magnitudes of the triggering event or collapses of underground cavities. The locations of these events are expected in the vicinity of a possible previous explosion and help to narrow down the search area within an inspection area (IA) of an OSI. The success of SAMS depends on the main elements, hardware, software, deployment strategy, the search logic and not least the effective use of personnel. All elements of SAMS were tested and improved during the Built-Up Exercises (BUE) which took place in Austria and Hungary. IFE14 provided more realistic climatic and hazardous terrain conditions with limited resources. Significant variations in topography of the IA of IFE14 in the mountainous Dead Sea Area of Jordan led to considerable challenges which were not expected from experiences encountered during BUE. The SAMS uses mini arrays with an aperture of about 100 meters and with a total of 4 elements. The station network deployed during IFE14 and results of the data analysis will be presented. Possible aftershocks of

  14. The Investigation of Chlorate and Perchlorate/Saponite Mixtures as a Possible Source of Oxygen and Chlorine Detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument in Gale Crater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, J.; Sutter, B.; Min, D. W.; Mahaffy, P.

    2016-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Curiosity Rover has detected O2 and HCl gas releases from all analyzed Gale Crater sediments, which are attributed to the presence of perchlorates and/or chlorates in martian sediment. Previous SAM analog laboratory analyses found that most pure perchlorates and chlorates release O2 and HCl at different temperatures than those observed in the SAM data. Subsequent studies examined the effects of perchlorate and chlorate mixtures with Gale Crater analog iron phases, which are known to catalyze oxychlorine decomposition. Several mixtures produced O2 releases at similar temperatures as Gale Crater materials, but most of these mixtures did not produce significant HCl releases comparable to those detected by the SAM instrument. In order to better explain the Gale Crater HCl releases, perchlorates and chlorates were mixed with Gale Crater analog saponite, which is found at abundances from 8 to 20 wt % in the John Klein and Cumberland drill samples. Mixtures of chlorates or perchlorates with calcium-saponite or ferrian-saponite were heated to 1000 deg C in a Labsys EVO differential scanning calorimeter/mass spectrometer configured to operate similarly to the SAM oven/quadrupole mass spectrometer system. Our results demonstrate that all chlorate and perchlorate mixtures produce significant HCl releases below 1000 deg C as well as depressed oxygen peak release temperatures when mixed with saponite. The type of saponite (calcium or ferrian saponite) did not affect the evolved gas results significantly. Saponite/Mg-perchlorate mixtures produced two HCl releases similar to the Cumberland drilled sample. Mg-chlorate mixed with saponite produced HCl releases similar to the Big Sky drilled sample in an eolian sandstone. A mixture of Ca-perchlorate and saponite produced HCl and oxygen releases similar to the Buckskin mudstone drilled sample and the Gobabeb 2 eolian dune material. Ca-chlorate mixed with saponite produced both

  15. Must, valge + hall : Sam Wagstaffi ja Robert Mapplethorpe'i portree / Madis Palm

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Palm, Madis

    2008-01-01

    Dokumentaalfilm "Black, White & Gray: Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe" : autor ja režissöör James Crump : Ameerika Ühendriigid 2007. Filmi näidati filminädala "Art in America" raames Tallinnas

  16. Congressmember Sam Farr: Five Decades of Public Service

    OpenAIRE

    Reti, Irene H.; Farr, Sam

    2017-01-01

    Congressmember Sam Farr (born July 4, 1941) represented California’s Central Coast in the United States House of Representatives for twenty-three years until his retirement from office in 2016.  Farr also served six years as a member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and twelve years in the California State Assembly. This oral history, a transcript of twenty-five hours of interviews conducted by Irene Reti, director of the UCSC Library’s Regional History Project, during the period i...

  17. Genome sequencing and annotation of Stenotrophomonas sp. SAM8

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samy Selim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We report draft genome sequence of Stenotrophomonas sp. strain SAM8, isolated from environmental water. The draft genome size is 3,665,538 bp with a G + C content of 67.2% and contains 6 rRNA sequence (single copies of 5S, 16S & 23S rRNA. The genome sequence can be accessed at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession no. LDAV00000000.

  18. Technical Manual for the SAM Biomass Power Generation Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jorgenson, J.; Gilman, P.; Dobos, A.

    2011-09-01

    This technical manual provides context for the implementation of the biomass electric power generation performance model in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) System Advisor Model (SAM). Additionally, the report details the engineering and scientific principles behind the underlying calculations in the model. The framework established in this manual is designed to give users a complete understanding of behind-the-scenes calculations and the results generated.

  19. Structural basis of RNA recognition and dimerization by the STAR proteins T-STAR and Sam68

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feracci, Mikael; Foot, Jaelle N.; Grellscheid, Sushma N.; Danilenko, Marina; Stehle, Ralf; Gonchar, Oksana; Kang, Hyun-Seo; Dalgliesh, Caroline; Meyer, N. Helge; Liu, Yilei; Lahat, Albert; Sattler, Michael; Eperon, Ian C.; Elliott, David J.; Dominguez, Cyril

    2016-01-01

    Sam68 and T-STAR are members of the STAR family of proteins that directly link signal transduction with post-transcriptional gene regulation. Sam68 controls the alternative splicing of many oncogenic proteins. T-STAR is a tissue-specific paralogue that regulates the alternative splicing of neuronal pre-mRNAs. STAR proteins differ from most splicing factors, in that they contain a single RNA-binding domain. Their specificity of RNA recognition is thought to arise from their property to homodimerize, but how dimerization influences their function remains unknown. Here, we establish at atomic resolution how T-STAR and Sam68 bind to RNA, revealing an unexpected mode of dimerization different from other members of the STAR family. We further demonstrate that this unique dimerization interface is crucial for their biological activity in splicing regulation, and suggest that the increased RNA affinity through dimer formation is a crucial parameter enabling these proteins to select their functional targets within the transcriptome. PMID:26758068

  20. Reactions Involving Calcium and Magnesium Sulfates as Potential Sources of Sulfur Dioxide During MSL SAM Evolved Gas Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAdam, A. C.; Knudson, C. A.; Sutter, B.; Franz, H. B.; Archer, P. D., Jr.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Hurowitz, J. A.; Mahaffy, P. R.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) have analyzed several subsamples of 860 C). Sulfides or Fe sulfates were detected by CheMin (e.g., CB, MJ, BK) and could contribute to the high temperature SO2 evolution, but in most cases they are not present in enough abundance to account for all of the SO2. This additional SO2 could be largely associated with x-ray amorphous material, which comprises a significant portion of all samples. It can also be attributed to trace S phases present below the CheMin detection limit, or to reactions which lower the temperatures of SO2 evolution from sulfates that are typically expected to thermally decompose at temperatures outside the SAM temperature range (e.g., Ca and Mg sulfates). Here we discuss the results of SAM-like laboratory analyses targeted at understanding this last possibility, focused on understanding if reactions of HCl or an HCl evolving phase (oxychlorine phases, chlorides, etc.) and Ca and Mg sulfates can result in SO2 evolution in the SAM temperature range.

  1. Molecular tilt-dependent and tyrosine-enhanced electron transfer across ITO/SAM/[DPPC–Au NP–Tyrosine] Janus nanoparticle junction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarangi, Nirod Kumar; Patnaik, Archita, E-mail: archita59@yahoo.com [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Department of Chemistry (India)

    2016-09-15

    Enhanced interfacial electron transfer (ET) across the otherwise insulating indium tin oxide/alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM)/redox molecule junction was accomplished when a Janus gold nanoparticle (JNP) protected by bioinspired phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid and tyrosine amino acid ligands was anchored on it. In addition to the most theoretical and experimental investigations on the distance-dependent ET across Metal–Organic SAM–Nanoparticle (NP) architectures, the current results succinctly illustrate molecular tilt angle of the SAM and the characteristic of JNP as key factors in expediting the ET rate via electron tunneling. In the absence of JNP, electron tunneling with a tunneling factor β = 1.1 Å{sup −1} across the SAM was the rate-limiting step, evidenced from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The apparent electron transfer rate constant (k{sub app}{sup 0}) for anchored SAM was enhanced by at least one order of magnitude than the DPPC-only protected nanoparticle, suggesting the potential role of tyrosine towards the enhanced ET. The asymmetric and biogenic nature of the construct sheds light on a potential bioelectronic device for novel electronic attributes.Graphical abstractEntry of TOC .

  2. Non-invasive vibrational SFG spectroscopy reveals that bacterial adhesion can alter the conformation of grafted "brush" chains on SAM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulard, Emilie; Guo, Ziang; Zheng, Wanquan; Dubost, Henri; Fontaine-Aupart, Marie-Pierre; Bellon-Fontaine, Marie-Noëlle; Herry, Jean-Marie; Briandet, Romain; Bourguignon, Bernard

    2011-04-19

    Understanding bacterial adhesion on a surface is a crucial step to design new materials with improved properties or to control biofilm formation and eradication. Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been employed to study in situ the conformational response of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of octadecanethiol (ODT) on a gold film to the adhesion of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ovococcoid model bacteria. The present work highlights vibrational SFG spectroscopy as a powerful and unique non-invasive biophysical technique to probe and control bacteria interaction with ordered surfaces. Indeed, the SFG vibrational spectral changes reveal different ODT SAM conformations in air and upon exposure to aqueous solution or bacterial adhesion. Furthermore, this effect depends on the bacterial cell surface properties. The SFG spectral modeling demonstrates that hydrophobic bacteria flatten the ODT SAM alkyl chain terminal part, whereas the hydrophilic ones raise this ODT SAM terminal part. Microorganism-induced alteration of grafted chains can thus affect the desired interfacial functionality, a result that should be considered for the design of new reactive materials. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  3. Evidence for Smectite Clays from MSL SAM Analyses of Mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAdam, Amy; Franz, Heather; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Stern, Jennifer C.; Brunner, Anna; Archer, Paul Douglas; Ming, Douglas W.; Morris, Richard V.; Atreya, Sushil K.

    2013-01-01

    Drilled samples of mudstone from the Sheepbed unit at Yellowknife Bay were analyzed by MSL instruments including the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instruments in MSL's Analytical Laboratory. CheMin analyses revealed the first in situ X-ray diffraction based evidence of clay minerals on Mars, which are likely trioctahedral smectites (e.g., saponite) and comprise approx 20% of the mudstone sample (e.g., Bristow et al., this meeting). SAM analyses, which heated the mudstone samples to 1000 C and monitored volatiles evolved to perform in situ evolved gas analysis mass spectrometry (EGA-MS), resulted in a H2O trace exhibiting a wide evolution at temperatures smectite interlayer H2O, and structural H2O/OH from bassanite and akaganeite (identified by CheMin) and H2O/OH from amorphous phases in the sample. The high temperature H2O is consistent with the evolution of H2O from the dehydroxylation of the smectite clay mineral. Comparison to EGA-MS data collected under SAM-like conditions on a variety of clay mineral reference materials indicate that a trioctahedral smectite, such as saponite, is most consistent with the high temperature H2O evolution observed. There may also be SAM EGA-MS evidence for a small high temperature H2O evolution from scoop samples from the Yellowknife Bay Rocknest sand shadow bedform. As in the mudstone samples, this evolution may indicate the detection of smectite clays, and the idea that minor clays may be present in Rocknest materials that could be expected to be at least partially derived from local sources is reasonable. But, because smectite clays were not definitively observed in CheMin analyses of Rocknest materials, they must be present at much lower abundances than the approx 20% observed in the mudstone samples. This potential detection underscores the complementary nature of the MSL CheMin and SAM instruments for investigations of martian sample mineralogy. Information on the nature of Yellowknife

  4. Molecular junctions based on SAMs of cruciform oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, Zhongming; Li, Tao; Jennum, Karsten Stein

    2012-01-01

    Cruciform oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) with an extended tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) donor moiety (OPE5-TTF and OPE3-TTF) and their simple analogues (OPE5-S and OPE3) without conjugated substituents were used to form high quality self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on ultra-flat gold substrates...

  5. Selective translational repression of HIV-1 RNA by Sam68DeltaC occurs by altering PABP1 binding to unspliced viral RNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soros Vanessa

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract HIV-1 structural proteins are translated from incompletely spliced 9 kb and 4 kb mRNAs, which are transported to the cytoplasm by Crm1. It has been assumed that once in the cytoplasm, translation of incompletely spliced HIV-1 mRNAs occurs in the same manner as host mRNAs. Previous analyses have demonstrated that Sam68 and a mutant thereof, Sam68ΔC, have dramatic effects on HIV gene expression, strongly enhancing and inhibiting viral structural protein synthesis, respectively. While investigating the inhibition of incompletely spliced HIV-1 mRNAs by Sam68ΔC, we determined that the effect was independent of the perinuclear bundling of the viral RNA. Inhibition was dependent upon the nuclear export pathway used, as translation of viral RNA exported via the Tap/CTE export pathway was not blocked by Sam68ΔC. We demonstrate that inhibition of HIV expression by Sam68ΔC is correlated with a loss of PABP1 binding with no attendant change in polyadenosine tail length of the affected RNAs. The capacity of Sam68ΔC to selectively inhibit translation of HIV-1 RNAs exported by Crm1 suggests that it is able to recognize unique characteristics of these viral RNPs, a property that could lead to new therapeutic approaches to controlling HIV-1 replication.

  6. Jo Ann Baumgartner and Sam Earnshaw: Organizers and Farmers

    OpenAIRE

    Rabkin, Sarah

    2010-01-01

    Jo Ann Baumgartner directs the Wild Farm Alliance, based in Watsonville, California. WFA’s mission, as described on the organization’s website, is “to promote agriculture that helps to protect and restore wild Nature.” Through research, publications, presentations, events, policy work, and consulting, the organization works to “connect food systems with ecosystems.” Sam Earnshaw is Central Coast regional coordinator of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Working with CAFF’s f...

  7. Reflections on Sam Harris' "Free Will"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel C. Dennett

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In his book Free Will Sam Harris tries to persuade us to abandon the morally pernicious idea of free will. The following contribution articulates and defends a more sophisticated model of free will that is not only consistent with neuroscience and introspection but also grounds a variety of responsibility that justifies both praise and blame, reward and punishment. This begins with the long lasting parting of opinion between compatibilists (who argue that free will can live comfortably with determinism and incompatibilists (who deny this. While Harris dismisses compatibilism as a form of theology, this article aims at showing that Harris has underestimated and misinterpreted compatibilism and at defending a more sophisticated version of compatibilism that is imprevious to Harris’ criticism.

  8. Methyl group balance in brain and liver: role of choline on increased S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) demand by chronic arsenic exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ríos, Rosalva; Santoyo, Martha E; Cruz, Daniela; Delgado, Juan Manuel; Zarazúa, Sergio; Jiménez-Capdeville, María E

    2012-11-30

    Arsenic toxicity has been related to its interference with one carbon metabolism, where a high demand of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) for arsenic methylation as well as a failure of its regeneration would compromise the availability of methyl groups for diverse cellular functions. Since exposed animals show disturbances of methylated products such as methylated arginines, myelin and axon membranes, this work investigates whether alterations of SAM, choline and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the brain of arsenic exposed rats are associated with myelin alterations and myelin basic protein (MBP) immunoreactivity. Also these metabolites, morphologic and biochemical markers of methyl group alterations were analyzed in the liver, the main site of arsenic methylation. In adult, life-long arsenic exposed rats through drinking water (3 ppm), no changes of SAM, choline and PC concentrations where found in the brain, but SAM and PC were severely decreased in liver accompanied by a significant increase of choline. These results suggest that choline plays an important role as methyl donor in arsenic exposure, which could underlie hepatic affections observed when arsenic exposure is combined with other environmental factors. Also, important myelin and nerve fiber alterations, accompanied by a 75% decrease of MBP immunoreactivity were not associated with a SAM deficit in the brain. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Thermal and Evolved Gas Analysis of Calcite Under Reduced Operating Pressures: Implications for the 2011 MSL Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauer, H. V. Jr.; Ming, D. W.; Sutter, B.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2010-01-01

    The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is scheduled for launch in 2011. The science objectives for MSL are to assess the past or present biological potential, to characterize the geology, and to investigate other planetary processes that influence habitability at the landing site. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) is a key instrument on the MSL payload that will explore the potential habitability at the landing site [1]. In addition to searching for organic compounds, SAM will have the capability to characterized evolved gases as a function of increasing temperature and provide information on the mineralogy of volatile-bearing phases such as carbonates, sulfates, phyllosilicates, and Fe-oxyhydroxides. The operating conditions in SAM ovens will be maintained at 30 mb pressure with a He carrier gas flowing at 1 sccm. We have previously characterized the thermal and evolved gas behaviors of volatile-bearing species under reduced pressure conditions that simulated operating conditions of the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) that was onboard the 2007 Mars Phoenix Scout Mission [e.g., 2-8]. TEGA ovens operated at 12 mb pressure with a N2 carrier gas flowing at 0.04 sccm. Another key difference between SAM and TEGA is that TEGA was able to perform differential scanning calorimetry whereas SAM only has a pyrolysis oven. The operating conditions for TEGA and SAM have several key parameter differences including operating pressure (12 vs 30 mb), carrier gas (N2 vs. He), and carrier gas flow rate (0.04 vs 1 sccm). The objectives of this study are to characterize the thermal and evolved gas analysis of calcite under SAM operating conditions and then compare it to calcite thermal and evolved gas analysis under TEGA operating conditions.

  10. iSAM: An iPhone Stealth Airborne Malware

    OpenAIRE

    Damopoulos , Dimitrios; Kambourakis , Georgios; Gritzalis , Stefanos

    2011-01-01

    Part 2: Malware, Information Flow and DoS Attacks; International audience; Modern and powerful mobile devices comprise an attractive target for any potential intruder or malicious code. The usual goal of an attack is to acquire users’ sensitive data or compromise the device so as to use it as a stepping stone (or bot) to unleash a number of attacks to other targets. In this paper, we focus on the popular iPhone device.We create a new stealth and airborne malware namely iSAM able to wirelessly...

  11. Coverage-dependent adsorption and desorption of oxygen on Pd(100)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dunnen, Angela den; Jacobse, Leon; Wiegman, Sandra; Juurlink, Ludo B. F., E-mail: l.juurlink@chem.leidenuniv.nl [Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Berg, Otto T. [Department of Chemistry, California State University Fresno, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., Fresno, California 93740 (United States)

    2016-06-28

    We have studied the adsorption and desorption of O{sub 2} on Pd(100) by supersonic molecular beam techniques and thermal desorption spectroscopy. Adsorption measurements on the bare surface confirm that O{sub 2} initially dissociates for all kinetic energies between 56 and 380 meV and surface temperatures between 100 and 600 K via a direct mechanism. At and below 150 K, continued adsorption leads to a combined O/O{sub 2} overlayer. Dissociation of molecularly bound O{sub 2} during a subsequent temperature ramp leads to unexpected high atomic oxygen coverages, which are also obtained at high incident energy and high surface temperature. At intermediate temperatures and energies, these high final coverages are not obtained. Our results show that kinetic energy of the gas phase reactant and reaction energy dissipated during O{sub 2} dissociation on the cold surface both enable activated nucleation of high-coverage surface structures. We suggest that excitation of local substrate phonons may play a crucial role in oxygen dissociation at any coverage.

  12. Coastal lagoon sediments as a recorder of Holocene landscape evolution and sea-level development: Samsø, southern Kattegat Sea, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sander, Lasse; Fruergaard, Mikkel; Johannessen, Peter N.

    on the fine-grained (lagoonal) sections of the cores. Age control was facilitated using radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Our data produced a surprisingly consistent pattern for the sedimentary successions found in the lagoons. The initial transgression can be identified along...... with the onset of deposition of fine-grained, organic-rich lagoonal sediments. The subsequent truncation and partial erosion of the lagoon sediments can be related to a decreasing sea-level. Based on these findings, we suggest a conceptual model that allows inferring age and elevation of transgressive...... and regressive stages from the lagoon sediments. Indication of geomorphological developments occurring in proximity to the lagoons (barrier formation, overwashing, dune formation) is further recorded in the deposits. These data can be used to support the proposed reconstruction of Samsø’s landscape evolution...

  13. Stealing the gold a celebration of the pioneering physics of Sam Edwards

    CERN Document Server

    Goldenfeld, Nigel; Sherrington, D C; Edwards, S F

    2004-01-01

    This title presents a survey of some of the most exciting topics in condensed matter physics today, from the perspective of the pioneering work of Sam Edwards. Original articles from leaders in the field highlight the historical development as well as new and emerging areas.

  14. Evolved Gas Analyses of Sedimentary Materials in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity Rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Stimson Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; McAdam, A. C.; Rampe, E. B.; Ming, D. W.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Stern, J. C.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Archer, P. D.

    2016-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover has analyzed 10 samples from Gale Crater. All SAM evolved gas analyses have yielded a multitude of volatiles (e.g, H2O, SO2, H2S, CO2, CO, NO, O2, HC1). The objectives of this work are to 1) Characterize the evolved H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 gas traces of sediments analyzed by SAM through sol 1178, 2) Constrain sediment mineralogy/composition based on SAM evolved gas analysis (SAM-EGA), and 3) Discuss the implications of these results releative to understanding the geochemical history of Gale Crater.

  15. Radical SAM Enzymes in the Biosynthesis of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides (RiPPs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alhosna Benjdia

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ribosomally-synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs are a large and diverse family of natural products. They possess interesting biological properties such as antibiotic or anticancer activities, making them attractive for therapeutic applications. In contrast to polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides, RiPPs derive from ribosomal peptides and are post-translationally modified by diverse enzyme families. Among them, the emerging superfamily of radical SAM enzymes has been shown to play a major role. These enzymes catalyze the formation of a wide range of post-translational modifications some of them having no counterparts in living systems or synthetic chemistry. The investigation of radical SAM enzymes has not only illuminated unprecedented strategies used by living systems to tailor peptides into complex natural products but has also allowed to uncover novel RiPP families. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on radical SAM enzymes catalyzing RiPP post-translational modifications and discuss their mechanisms and growing importance notably in the context of the human microbiota.

  16. SAM - Sistema Automatizado del Método MECAP para Especificar Casos de Prueba

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenyer Domínguez

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Existen cuatro elementos que son relevantes al momento de definir las pruebas: Confiabilidad, Costo, Tiempo y Calidad. El tiempo de desarrollo y el costo del producto se incrementan cuando se desean pruebas confiables y un software de calidad. Pero ¿qué se puede hacer para que los involucrados comprendan que las pruebas deben ser vistas como una red de seguridad? Si la calidad no se contempla antes de comenzar las pruebas, entonces ella no estará cuando se éstas terminen. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar la herramienta, SAM – Sistema Automatizado del Método MECAP que permite especificar Casos de Prueba a partir de Casos de Uso incorporando elementos que promueven la verificación y validación de la trazabilidad entre la Gestión de Requerimientos, el Análisis y Diseño y las Pruebas. SAM soporta el proceso de pruebas de forma automatizada, mejorando la confiabilidad de las mismas

  17. Progress in the development of a reactivity capability in the SAM-CE system for validating fuel management codes. Interim report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lichtenstein, H.; Steinberg, H.; Troubetzkoy, E.; Cohen, M.O.; Chui, C.

    1978-02-01

    The SAM-CE Monte Carlo system (for three dimensional neutron, gamma ray and electron transport) has been expanded to include a reactivity capability. The implemented code modifications have effected the following improvements: (a) Doppler broadening of ENDF/B-IV based nuclear data (including fission); (b) probability table representation for the unresolved resonance range; (c) utilization of thermal scattering law data for the moderator; (d) free gas model in the absence of thermal scattering law data; (e) generalization of the nuclear element data tape structure to facilitate data management; (f) generalization of data management routines; (g) extension of the SAM-CE Complex Combinatorial Geometry capability to facilitate treatment of hexagonal lattices; (h) simultaneous use of 4 different eigenvalue estimators; (i) estimation of the eigenfunction in user prescribed spatial domains; and (j) variance reduction via stratification of source (position, energy, direction) and absorption (based on a quota sampling technique), as well as optional suppression of absorption. The new coding has undergone extensive testing, both specific (via drivers and idealized data) and integral (via comparison with previous computations). Base data have been examined for internal consistency and checked for reasonableness. A documented TRX-1 benchmark calculation has been performed. Agreement with other calculations, as well as with experiment, has served to validate the reactivity mode of SAM-CE. Further refinement of the cross section data processing component of SAM-CE (i.e., SAM-X) is suggested

  18. Detection of Reduced Nitrogen Compounds at Rocknest Using the Sample Analysis At Mars (SAM) Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, J. C.; Steele, A.; Brunner, A.; Coll, P.; Eigenbrode, J.; Franz, H. B.; Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D.; Jones, J. H.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; hide

    2013-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Rover detected nitrogen-bearing compounds during the pyrolysis of Rocknest material at Gale Crater. Hydrogen cyanide and acetonitrile were identified by the quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) both in direct evolved gas analysis (EGA). SAM carried out four separate analyses from Rocknest Scoop 5. A significant low temperature release was present in Rocknest runs 1-4, while a smaller high temperature release was also seen in Rocknest runs 1-3. Here we evaluate whether these compounds are indigenous to Mars or a pyrolysis product resulting from known terrestrial materials that are part of the SAM derivatization.

  19. Theorizing the place of evil within Sam Ukala's Radical Theatre: A ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The perspectives of evil in this essay will be drawn mainly from the works of such thinkers as Paul Ricoeur, St Augustine, and Friedrich Nietzsche, yet not excluding occasional insights from thinkers like Immanuel Kant, Richard B. Sewall, and so on. Sam Ukala's Akpakaland, Break a Boil and Odour of Justice are the plays to ...

  20. Dosimetric comparison of the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) to 14 anatomical head models using a novel definition for the mobile phone positioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kainz, Wolfgang; Christ, Andreas; Kellom, Tocher; Seidman, Seth; Nikoloski, Neviana; Beard, Brian; Kuster, Niels

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents new definitions for obtaining reproducible results in numerical phone dosimetry. Numerous numerical dosimetric studies have been published about the exposure of mobile phone users which concluded with conflicting results. However, many of these studies lack reproducibility due to shortcomings in the description of the phone positioning. The new approach was tested by two groups applying two different numerical program packages to compare the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) to 14 anatomically correct head models. A novel definition for the positioning of mobile phones next to anatomically correct head models is given along with other essential parameters to be reported. The definition is solely based on anatomical characteristics of the head. A simple up-to-date phone model was used to determine the peak spatial specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile phones in SAM and in the anatomically correct head models. The results were validated by measurements. The study clearly shows that SAM gives a conservative estimate of the exposure in anatomically correct head models for head only tissue. Depending on frequency, phone position and head size the numerically calculated 10 g averaged SAR in the pinna can be up to 2.1 times greater than the peak spatial SAR in SAM. Measurements in small structures, such as the pinna, will significantly increase the uncertainty; therefore SAM was designed for SAR assessment in the head only. Whether SAM will provide a conservative value for the pinna depends on the pinna SAR limit of the safety standard considered

  1. Elp3 and RlmN: A tale of two mitochondrial tail-anchored radical SAM enzymes in Toxoplasma gondii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padgett, Leah R; Lentini, Jenna M; Holmes, Michael J; Stilger, Krista L; Fu, Dragony; Sullivan, William J

    2018-01-01

    Radical S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzymes use a 5'-deoxyadensyl 5'-radical to methylate a wide array of diverse substrates including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. One such enzyme, Elongator protein-3 (TgElp3), is an essential protein in Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite that can cause life-threatening opportunistic disease. Unlike Elp3 homologues which are present in all domains of life, TgElp3 localizes to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) via a tail-anchored trafficking mechanism in Toxoplasma. Intriguingly, we identified a second tail-anchored rSAM domain containing protein (TgRlmN) that also localizes to the OMM. The transmembrane domain (TMD) on Toxoplasma Elp3 and RlmN homologues is required for OMM localization and has not been seen beyond the chromalveolates. Both TgElp3 and TgRlmN contain the canonical rSAM amino acid sequence motif (CxxxCxxC) necessary to form the 4Fe-4S cluster required for tRNA modifications. In E. coli, RlmN is responsible for the 2-methlyadenosine (m2A) synthesis at purine 37 in tRNA while in S. cerevisiae, Elp3 is necessary for the formation of 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl-2-thiouridine (mcm5s2U) at the wobble tRNA position. To investigate why these two rSAM enzymes localize to the mitochondrion in Toxoplasma, and whether or not TgRlmN and TgElp3 possess tRNA methyltransferase activity, a series of mutational and biochemical studies were performed. Overexpression of either TgElp3 or TgRlmN resulted in a significant parasite replication defect, but overexpression was tolerated if either the TMD or rSAM domain was mutated. Furthermore, we show the first evidence that Toxoplasma tRNAGlu contains the mcm5s2U modification, which is the putative downstream product generated by TgElp3 activity.

  2. Influence of indium-tin oxide surface structure on the ordering and coverage of carboxylic acid and thiol monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerruti, Marta; Rhodes, Crissy; Losego, Mark; Efremenko, Alina; Maria, Jon-Paul; Fischer, Daniel; Franzen, Stefan; Genzer, Jan

    2007-01-01

    This paper analyses the variability of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formation on ITO depending on the substrate surface features. In particular, we report on the formation of carboxylic acid- and thiol-based SAMs on two lots of commercially prepared indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films. Contact angle measurements, electrochemical experiments, and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy showed that the quality of monolayers formed differed substantially between the two ITO batches. Only one of the two ITO substrates was capable of forming well-organized thiol- and carboxylic acid-based SAMs. In order to rationalize these observations, atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses were carried out, and SAMs were prepared on ITO substrates fabricated by sputtering in our laboratories. An attempt was made to influence the film microstructure and surface morphology by varying substrate temperatures during ITO deposition. Good-quality thiol and carboxylic acid SAMs were obtained on one of the ITO substrates prepared in-house. While our characterization could not single out conclusively one specific parameter in ITO surface structure that could be responsible for good SAMs formation, we could point out homogeneous surface morphology as a relevant factor for the quality of the SAMs. Evidence was also found for ITO crystallographic orientation to be a parameter influencing SAMs organization

  3. Deposition of phospholipid layers on SiO{sub 2} surface modified by alkyl-SAM islands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tero, R.; Takizawa, M.; Li, Y.J.; Yamazaki, M.; Urisu, T

    2004-11-15

    Formation of the supported planar bilayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on SiO{sub 2} surfaces modified with the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) has been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). DPPC was deposited by the fusion of vesicles on SiO{sub 2} surfaces with OTS-SAM islands of different sizes and densities. The DPPC bilayer membrane formed self-organizingly on the SiO{sub 2} surface with small and sparse OTS islands, while did not when the OTS islands were larger and denser. The relative size between the vesicles and the SiO{sub 2} regions is the critical factor for the formation of the DPPC bilayer membrane.

  4. Franchising as a Potential Growth Strategy for a Small Business : A Case of Sam-Chi Fast Food Restaurant

    OpenAIRE

    Odunsi, Sadiq

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to find out whether Sam-Chi fast food restaurant can grow through franchising as well as to give the owners recommendations on how to effectively adopt the franchising business model as a means to grow their business. Sam-Chi restaurant is situated in Lagos, Nigeria and the restaurant is owned and operated by Samuel Okore and his wife Chichi Okore. The theoretical framework of this research is separated into two sections. The first section covers the growth of a ...

  5. Necrosis-Driven Systemic Immune Response Alters SAM Metabolism through the FOXO-GNMT Axis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fumiaki Obata

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Sterile inflammation triggered by endogenous factors is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we demonstrate that apoptosis-deficient mutants spontaneously develop a necrosis-driven systemic immune response in Drosophila and provide an in vivo model for studying the organismal response to sterile inflammation. Metabolomic analysis of hemolymph from apoptosis-deficient mutants revealed increased sarcosine and reduced S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM levels due to glycine N-methyltransferase (Gnmt upregulation. We showed that Gnmt was elevated in response to Toll activation induced by the local necrosis of wing epidermal cells. Necrosis-driven inflammatory conditions induced dFoxO hyperactivation, leading to an energy-wasting phenotype. Gnmt was cell-autonomously upregulated by dFoxO in the fat body as a possible rheostat for controlling energy loss, which functioned during fasting as well as inflammatory conditions. We propose that the dFoxO-Gnmt axis is essential for the maintenance of organismal SAM metabolism and energy homeostasis.

  6. ISOE EG-SAM interim report - Report on behalf of the Sub expert Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, Willie; Miller, David W.; Djeffal, Salah; Anderson, Ellen; Couasnon, Olivier; Hagemeyer, Derek; Sovijarvi, Jukka; Amaral, Marcos A.; Tarzia, J.P.; Schmidt, Claudia; Fritioff, Karin; Kaulard, Joerg; Lance, Benoit; Fritioff, Karin; Schieber, Caroline; Hayashida, Yoshihisa; Doty, Rick

    2014-01-01

    During its November 2012 meeting, the expert group decided to develop an interim (preliminary) report before the end of 2013 (with a general perspective and discussion of specific severe accident management worker dose issues), and to finalize the report by organizing the international workshop of 2014 to address national experiences, which will be incorporated to the report. The work of the EG-SAM focuses on radiation protection management and organization, radiation protection training and exercises related to severe accident management, facility configuration and readiness, worker protection, radioactive materials, contamination controls and logistics and key lessons learned especially from the TMI, Chernobyl and Fukushima Dai-ichi accidents. This interim report was completed through intensive work of all Group members nominated by the ISOE, and was accomplished during EG-SAM meetings through 2012-2013. This document gathers the different presentations given by the sub expert groups in charge of each chapter of the report

  7. The captain class : the hidden force that creates the world's greatest teams / Sam Walker

    Trove (Australia)

    Walker, Sam

    2017-01-01

    ... it is. It's not the coach. It's not the star. It's not chemistry. It's not a strategy. It's something else entirely. Several years ago, Sam Walker set out to answer one of the most hotly debated questions in sports ...

  8. Medicare Coverage Database

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Medicare Coverage Database (MCD) contains all National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) and Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs), local articles, and proposed NCD...

  9. Efficient degradation of sulfamethazine in simulated and real wastewater at slightly basic pH values using Co-SAM-SCS /H2O2 Fenton-like system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Min; Zeng, Guangming; Huang, Danlian; Lai, Cui; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Chen; Wan, Jia; Hu, Liang; Zhou, Chengyun; Xiong, Weiping

    2018-07-01

    The presence of antibiotics in aquatic environments has attracted global concern. Fenton process is an attractive yet challenging method for antibiotics degradation, especially when such a reaction can be conducted at neutral pH values. In this study, a novel composite Fe/Co catalyst was synthesized via the modification of steel converter slag (SCS) by salicylic acid-methanol (SAM) and cobalt nitrate (Co(NO 3 ) 2 ). The catalysts were characterized by N 2 -Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results indicated that the Co-SAM-SCS/H 2 O 2 Fenton-like system was very effective for sulfamethazine (SMZ) degradation at a wide pH range. At initial pH of 7.0, the degradation rate of SMZ in Co-SAM-SCS/H 2 O 2 system was 2.48, 3.20, 6.18, and 16.21 times of that in Fe-SAM-SCS/H 2 O 2 , SAM-SCS/H 2 O 2 , Co(NO 3 ) 2 /H 2 O 2 and SCS/H 2 O 2 system, respectively. The preliminary analysis suggested that high surface area of Co-SAM-SCS sample and synergistic effect between introduced Co and SAM-SCS are responsible for the efficient catalytic activity. During the degradation, three main intermediates were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis. Based on this, a possible degradation pathway was proposed. The SEM images, XRD patterns and XPS spectra before and after the reactions demonstrate that the crystal and chemical structure of Co-SAM-SCS after five cycles are almost unchanged. Besides, the Co-SAM-SCS presented low iron and cobalt leaching (0.17 mg/L and 2.36 mg/L, respectively). The studied Fenton-like process also showed high degradation of SMZ in river water and municipal wastewater. The progress will bring valuable insights to develop high-performance heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for environmental remediation. Copyright © 2018

  10. In Situ Analysis of Martian Regolith with the SAM Experiment During the First Mars Year of the MSL Mission: Identification of Organic Molecules by Gas Chromatography from Laboratory Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millan, M.; Szopa, C.; Buch, A.; Coll, P.; Glavin, D. P.; Freissinet, C.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Francois, P.; Coscia, D.; Bonnet, J. Y.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover, is specifically designed for in situ molecular and isotopic analyses of martian surface materials and atmosphere. It contributes to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) missions primary scientific goal to characterize the potential past, present or future habitability of Mars. In all of the analyses of solid samples delivered to SAM so far, chlorinated organic compounds have been detected above instrument background levels and identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Freissinet et al., 2015; Glavin et al., 2013). While some of these may originate from reactions between oxychlorines and terrestrial organic carbon present in the instrument background (Glavin et al., 2013), others have been demonstrated to originate from indigenous organic carbon present in samples (Freissinet et al., 2015). We present here laboratory calibrations that focused on the analyses performed with the MXT-CLP GC column (SAM GC-5 channel) used for nearly all of the GC-MS analyses of the martian soil samples carried out with SAM to date. Complementary to the mass spectrometric data, gas chromatography allows us to separate and identify the species analyzable in a nominal SAM-GC run time of about 21 min. To characterize the analytical capabilities of this channel within the SAM Flight Model (FM) operating conditions on Mars, and their implications on the detection of organic matter, it is required to perform laboratory experimental tests and calibrations on spare model components. This work assesses the SAM flight GC-5 column efficiency, confirms the identification of the molecules based on their retention time, and enables a better understanding of the behavior of the SAM injection trap (IT) and its release of organic molecules. This work will enable further optimization of the SAM-GC runs for additional samples to be analyzed during the MSL mission.

  11. A Study to Evaluate the Organization and the Operating Procedures of the Patient Assistance Function at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-08-01

    15 March 1979. 59Interview with Wendy L. Farace , Head Nurse, Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 8...6 February 1979. Farace , Wendy L. Head Nurse, Obstetrica/Gynecology Clinic, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Interview, 8 January

  12. Effect of aromatic SAMs molecules on graphene/silicon schottky diode performance

    OpenAIRE

    Yağmurcukardeş, Nesli; Aydın, Hasan; Can, Mustafa; Yanılmaz, Alper; Mermer, Ömer; Okur, Salih; Selamet, Yusuf

    2016-01-01

    Au/n-Si/Graphene/Au Schottky diodes were fabricated by transferring atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposited (APCVD) graphene on silicon substrates. Graphene/n-Si interface properties were improved by using 5-[(3-methylphenyl)(phenyl) amino]isophthalic acid (MePIFA) and 5-(diphenyl)amino]isophthalic acid (DPIFA) aromatic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) molecules. The surface morphologies of modified and non-modified films were investigated by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron ...

  13. GoSam-2.0. A tool for automated one-loop calculations within the Standard Model and beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullen, Gavin; Deurzen, Hans van; Greiner, Nicolas

    2014-05-01

    We present the version 2.0 of the program package GoSam for the automated calculation of one-loop amplitudes. GoSam is devised to compute one-loop QCD and/or electroweak corrections to multi-particle processes within and beyond the Standard Model. The new code contains improvements in the generation and in the reduction of the amplitudes, performs better in computing time and numerical accuracy, and has an extended range of applicability. The extended version of the ''Binoth-Les-Houches-Accord'' interface to Monte Carlo programs is also implemented. We give a detailed description of installation and usage of the code, and illustrate the new features in dedicated examples.

  14. Within-Subject Comparison of Maxillary Implant-Supported Overdentures with and without Palatal Coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zembic, Anja; Tahmaseb, Ali; Wismeijer, Daniel

    2015-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes for maxillary implant-supported overdentures with and without palatal coverage. Twenty-one maxillary edentulous patients (six women, 15 men) were included. In total, 42 implants were inserted in the anterior maxilla. All patients received implant-supported overdentures on two retentive anchors with palatal coverage for 2 months. Thereafter, patient satisfaction was assessed by means of questionnaires capturing the oral health impact profile (OHIP) on functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical, psychological and social disability, and handicap. Additionally, cleaning ability, general satisfaction, speech, comfort, esthetics, stability, and chewing ability were rated. Subsequently, palatal coverage was reduced, and the patients wore the overdentures for another 2 months. Patient satisfaction was obtained in the same way as above, and the evaluated parameters were compared for the two overdenture designs. There were no significant differences between implant-supported overdentures with and without palatal coverage for any of the OHIP domains. The evaluation of additional parameters revealed significantly higher patient satisfaction for esthetics (mean difference 8.8 mm ± 24.6) and taste (mean difference 28.4 mm ± 29.9) without palatal coverage, p overdentures supported by two implants were equally satisfactory with and without palatal coverage. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Influence of Oxychlorine Phases During the Pyrolysis of Organic Molecules: Implications for the Quest of Organics on Mars with the SAM Experiment Onboard the Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millan, M.; Szopa, C.; Buch, A.; Belmahdi, I.; Glavin, D. P.; Freissinet, C.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Archer, P. D., Jr,; Sutter, B.; Mahaffy, P.

    2017-01-01

    One among the main objectives of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) experiment is the in situ molecular analysis of gases evolving from solid samples heated up to approximately 850 degrees Centigrade, and collected by Curiosity on Mars surface/sub-surface in Gale crater. With this aim, SAM uses a gas-chromatograph coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-QMS) devoted to separate, detect and identify both volatile inorganic and organic compounds. SAM detected chlorinated organic molecules produced in evolved gas analysis (EGA) experiments. Several of these were also detected by the Viking experiments in 1976. SAM also detected oxychlorine compounds that were present at the Phoenix landing site. The oxychlorines may be prevelant over much of the martian surface. The C1 to C3 aliphatic chlorohydrocarbons (chloromethane and di- and trichloromethane) detected by SAM were attributed to reaction products occurring between the oxychlorines phases and the organic compounds coming from SAM instrument background. But SAM also showed the presence of a large excess of chlorobenzene and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes among the volatile species released by the Cumberland sample of the Sheepbed mudstone. For the first time in the history of the Mars exploration, this proved the presence of Mars indigenous organic material at the Mars' surface. However, the identification of the precursor organic compounds of these chlorohydrocarbons is difficult due to the complexity of the reactions occurring during the sample pyrolysis. Laboratory pyrolysis experiments have demonstrated that oxychlorines phases such as perchlorates and chlorates, decomposed into dioxygen and volatile chlorine bearing molecules (HCl and/or Cl2) during the pyrolysis. These chemical species can then react with the organic molecules present in the martian solid samples through oxidation, chlorination and oxychlorination processes.

  16. miCLIP-MaPseq, a Substrate Identification Approach for Radical SAM RNA Methylating Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stojković, Vanja; Chu, Tongyue; Therizols, Gabriel; Weinberg, David E; Fujimori, Danica Galonić

    2018-06-13

    Although present across bacteria, the large family of radical SAM RNA methylating enzymes is largely uncharacterized. Escherichia coli RlmN, the founding member of the family, methylates an adenosine in 23S rRNA and several tRNAs to yield 2-methyladenosine (m 2 A). However, varied RNA substrate specificity among RlmN enzymes, combined with the ability of certain family members to generate 8-methyladenosine (m 8 A), makes functional predictions across this family challenging. Here, we present a method for unbiased substrate identification that exploits highly efficient, mechanism-based cross-linking between the enzyme and its RNA substrates. Additionally, by determining that the thermostable group II intron reverse transcriptase introduces mismatches at the site of the cross-link, we have identified the precise positions of RNA modification using mismatch profiling. These results illustrate the capability of our method to define enzyme-substrate pairs and determine modification sites of the largely uncharacterized radical SAM RNA methylating enzyme family.

  17. The Search for Organic Compounds of Martian Origin in Gale Crater by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument on Curiosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, Daniel; Freissinet, Caroline; Mahaffy, Paul; Miller, Kristen; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Summons, Roger; Archer, Douglas, Jr.; Brunner, Anna; Martin, Mildred; Buch, Arrnaud; hide

    2014-01-01

    One of the key objectives of the Mars Science Laboratory rover and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite is to determine the inventory of organic and inorganic volatiles in the atmosphere and surface regolith and rocks to help assess the habitability potential of Gale Crater. The SAM instrument on the Curiosity rover can detect volatile organic compounds thermally evolved from solid samples using a combination of evolved gas analysis (EGA) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) (Mahaffy et al. 2012). The first solid samples analyzed by SAM, a scoop of windblown dust and sand at Rocknest, revealed several chloromethanes and a C4-chlorinated hydrocarbon derived primarily from reactions between a martian oxychlorine phase (e.g. perchlorate) and terrestrial carbon from N-methyl-N-(tertbutyldimethylsilyl)- trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) vapor present in the SAM instrument background (Glavin et al. 2013). After the analyses at Rocknest, Curiosity traveled to Yellowknife Bay and drilled two separate holes in a fluvio-lacustrine sediment (the Sheepbed unit) designated John Klein and Cumberland. Analyses of the drilled materials by both SAM and the CheMin X-Ray Diffraction instrument revealed a mudstone consisting of 20 wt% smectite clays (Ming et al. 2013; Vaniman et al. 2013), which on Earth are known to aid the concentration and preservation of organic matter. Oxychlorine compounds were also detected in the Sheepbed mudstone during pyrolysis; however, in contrast to Rocknest, much higher levels of chloromethanes were released from the Sheepbed materials, suggesting an additional, possibly martian source of organic carbon (Ming et al. 2013). In addition, elevated abundances of chlorobenzene and a more diverse suite of chlorinated alkanes including dichloropropane and dichlorobutane detected in Cumberland compared to Rocknest suggest that martian or meteoritic organic carbon sources may be preserved in the mudstone (Freissinet et al. 2013

  18. CoverageAnalyzer (CAn: A Tool for Inspection of Modification Signatures in RNA Sequencing Profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralf Hauenschild

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Combination of reverse transcription (RT and deep sequencing has emerged as a powerful instrument for the detection of RNA modifications, a field that has seen a recent surge in activity because of its importance in gene regulation. Recent studies yielded high-resolution RT signatures of modified ribonucleotides relying on both sequence-dependent mismatch patterns and reverse transcription arrests. Common alignment viewers lack specialized functionality, such as filtering, tailored visualization, image export and differential analysis. Consequently, the community will profit from a platform seamlessly connecting detailed visual inspection of RT signatures and automated screening for modification candidates. CoverageAnalyzer (CAn was developed in response to the demand for a powerful inspection tool. It is freely available for all three main operating systems. With SAM file format as standard input, CAn is an intuitive and user-friendly tool that is generally applicable to the large community of biomedical users, starting from simple visualization of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq data, up to sophisticated modification analysis with significance-based modification candidate calling.

  19. In situ analysis of Mars soil sample with the sam gcms instrumentation onboard Curiosity : interpretation and comparison of measurements done at Rocknest and Yelloknife bay sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szopa, Cyril; Coll, Patrice; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Buch, Arnaud; Francois, Pascaline; Millan, Maeva; Teinturier, Sammy; Navarro-Gonzales, Rafael; Glavin, Daniel; Freissinet, Caro; Steele, Andrew; Eigenbrode, Jen; Mahaffy, Paul

    2014-05-01

    The characterisation of the chemical and mineralogical composition of regolith samples collected with the Curiosity rover is a primary objective of the SAM experiment. These data should provide essential clues on the past habitability of Gale crater. Amongst the SAM suite of instruments [1], SAM-GC (Gas Chromatograph) is devoted to identify and quantify volatiles evolved from the thermal (heating up to about 900°C)/chemical (derivatization procedure) treatment of any soil sample collected by the Curiosity rover. With the aim to search for potential organic molecules outgassed from the samples, a SAM-GC analytical channel composed of thermal-desorption injector and a MXT-CLP chromatographic column was chosen to achieve all the measurements done up today, as it was designed for the separation of a wide range of volatile organic molecules. Three solid samples have been analyzed with GCMS, one sand sample collected at the Rocknest site, and two rock samples (John Klein and Cumberland respectively) collected at the Yellowknife Bay site using the Curiosity driller. All the measurements were successful and they produced complex chromatograms with both detectors used for SAM GC, i.e. a thermal conductivity detector and the SAM quandrupole mass spectrometer. Their interpretation already revealed the presence of an oxychlorine phase present in the sample which is at the origin of chlorohydrocarbons clearly identified [2] but this represents only a fraction of the GCMS signal recorded [3,4]. This work presents a systematic comparison of the GCMS measurements done for the different samples collected, supported by reference data obtained in laboratory with different spare models of the gas chromatograph, with the aim to bring new elements of interpretation of the SAM measurements. References: [1] Mahaffy, P. et al. (2012) Space Sci Rev, 170, 401-478. [2] Glavin, D. et al. (2013), JGR. [3] Leshin L. et al. (2013), Science, [4] Ming D. et al. (2013), Science, 32, 64

  20. Purification of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase from apple fruits using s-adenosyl [3,414C]-methionine (SAM) as a probe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yip, Wingkip; Dong, Jianguo; Yang, Shang Fa

    1989-01-01

    Tomato ACC synthase is inactivated by its substrate SAM, with the moiety of aminobutyrate being covalently linked to ACC synthase during the catalytic reactions. A partial purified ACC synthase (the catalytic activity 100 μmol/h·mg protein) from pellets of apple extract was incubated with [3,4 14 C] SAM. Only one radioactive peak was revealed in a C-4 reverse phase HPLC and one radioactive band on SDS-PAGE with an M.W. of 48 kDa. Apple ACC synthase in native form is resistant to V8, α-chromtrypsin and carboxylpeptidase A digestion, but effectively inactivated by trypsin and ficin, as demonstrated by both the activity assay and SAM labeling. The radioactive protein cut from the SDS-PAGE was injected to three mice, two of the mice showed responses to the protein in western blot analysis. The antibodies from mice is currently under characterization

  1. Substrates adoption methodology (SAM) to achieve “Fast, Flexible, Future (F3)” pharmaceutical production processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Ravendra; Rozada-Sanchez, Raquel; Wrate, Tim

    within the template. In this way the substrates adoption methodology helps to achieve “fast, flexible, future (F3)” pharmaceutical production processes by adapting a recently designed generic modular process-plant. The supporting tools for the substrate adoption are: (1) an ontological knowledge......There is a significant cost associated with process development of a portfolio of pharmaceutical products, few of which will reach the market. Continuous processing will increase the “chemical space” which can increase development efficiency. For example one, particularly attractive option...... is to develop manufacturing processes based on modular continuous systems; a flexible generic continuous modular plant which can be adapted for different substrates. In the work reported here, a substrates adoption methodology (SAM) has been developed. The proposed SAM identifies the necessary changes...

  2. Attaining higher coverage: obstacles to overcome. English-speaking Caribbean and Suriname.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-12-01

    In 1983, 8 (42%) of the 19 English-speaking Caribbean countries (including Suriname) achieved at least 50% coverage with 3 doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine among children under 1 year of age and 6 countries (32%) had at least 50% coverage with 3 doses of trivalent oral polio vaccine (TOPV). In addition, 10 countries (53%) achieved over 75% DPT coverage and 11 (58%) achieved over 75% TOPV coverage. Despite this record of progress, several factors continue to impede further gains in immunization coverage. Of particular concern is the high dropout rate. As many as 25% of infants receive their 1st dose of DPT and TOPV but do not return to complete their course of immunization. There is also a need for each health center to estimate its annual target population for immunization every year through analysis of the total live births from the previous year in the health center's catchment area (minus infant mortality). Monthly target figures can thus be computed and coverage monitored. A further problem has been a reluctance on the part of some health workers to administer vaccines simultaneously. This does not reduce effectiveness or increase the risk of complications, and reduces the number of visits needed to complete the immunization schedule. An unresolved question is whether to immunize ill or malnourished children. Decisions on this matter should take into account the availability and accessibility of health care services, the ability to follow-up children who are not immunized, and the likelihood that children will return for subsequent immunizations. Finally, a number of immunizations performed by private practitioners and institutions are not reported. Both public and private health care providers should agree on a standardized reporting format to allow better estimation of coverage.

  3. SAM II aerosol profile measurements, Poker Flat, Alaska; July 16-19, 1979

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mccormick, M. P.; Chu, W. P.; Mcmaster, L. R.; Grams, G. W.; Herman, B. M.; Pepin, T. J.; Russell, P. B.; Swissler, T. J.

    1981-01-01

    SAM II satellite measurements during the July 1979 Poker Flat mission, yielded an aerosol extinction coefficient of 0.0004/km at 1.0 micron wavelength, in the region of the stratospheric aerosol mixing ratio peak (12-16 km). The stratospheric aerosol optical depth for these data, calculated from the tropopause through 30 km, is approximately 0.001. These results are consistent with the average 1979 summertime values found throughout the Arctic.

  4. Why Nature Uses Radical SAM Enzymes so Widely: Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Studies of Lysine 2,3-Aminomutase Show the 5'-dAdo• "Free Radical" Is Never Free.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horitani, Masaki; Byer, Amanda S; Shisler, Krista A; Chandra, Tilak; Broderick, Joan B; Hoffman, Brian M

    2015-06-10

    Lysine 2,3-aminomutase (LAM) is a radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme and, like other members of this superfamily, LAM utilizes radical-generating machinery comprising SAM anchored to the unique Fe of a [4Fe-4S] cluster via a classical five-membered N,O chelate ring. Catalysis is initiated by reductive cleavage of the SAM S-C5' bond, which creates the highly reactive 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical (5'-dAdo•), the same radical generated by homolytic Co-C bond cleavage in B12 radical enzymes. The SAM surrogate S-3',4'-anhydroadenosyl-L-methionine (anSAM) can replace SAM as a cofactor in the isomerization of L-α-lysine to L-β-lysine by LAM, via the stable allylic anhydroadenosyl radical (anAdo•). Here electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy of the anAdo• radical in the presence of (13)C, (2)H, and (15)N-labeled lysine completes the picture of how the active site of LAM from Clostridium subterminale SB4 "tames" the 5'-dAdo• radical, preventing it from carrying out harmful side reactions: this "free radical" in LAM is never free. The low steric demands of the radical-generating [4Fe-4S]/SAM construct allow the substrate target to bind adjacent to the S-C5' bond, thereby enabling the 5'-dAdo• radical created by cleavage of this bond to react with its partners by undergoing small motions, ∼0.6 Å toward the target and ∼1.5 Å overall, that are controlled by tight van der Waals contact with its partners. We suggest that the accessibility to substrate and ready control of the reactive C5' radical, with "van der Waals control" of small motions throughout the catalytic cycle, is common within the radical SAM enzyme superfamily and is a major reason why these enzymes are the preferred means of initiating radical reactions in nature.

  5. SAM Technical Review Committee Final Report: Summary and Key Recommendations from the Onsite TRC Meeting Held April 22-23, 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blair, N.; Dobos, S.; Janzou, S.; Gilman, P.; Freeman, J.; Kaffine, L.

    2013-08-01

    The System Advisor Model (SAM) is a broad and robust set of models and frameworks for analyzing both system performance and system financing. It does this across a range of technologies dominated by solar technologies including photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Program requested the SAM development team to review the photovoltaic performance modeling with the development community and specifically, with the independent engineering community. The report summarizes the major effort for this technical review committee (TRC).

  6. The Investigation of Perchlorate/Iron Phase Mixtures as A Possible Source of Oxygen Detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument in Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Heil, E.; Morris, R. V.; Archer, P. D.; Ming, D. W.; Niles, P. B.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Franz, H.; Freissinet C.; Glavin, D. P.; hide

    2015-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover detected O2 and HCl gas releases from the Rocknest (RN) eolian bedform and the John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) drill hole materials in Gale Crater. Chlorinated hydrocarbons have also been detected by the SAM quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GCMS). These detections along with the detection of perchlorate (ClO4-) by the Mars Phoenix Lander's Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) suggesting perchlorate is a possible candidate for evolved O2 and chlorine species. Laboratory thermal analysis of individual per-chlorates has yet to provide an unequivocal temperature match to the SAM O2 and HCl release data. These detections along with the detection of perchlorate (ClO4-) by the Mars Phoenix Lander's Wet Chemistry Laboratory suggested perchlorate is a possible candidate for evolved O2 and chlorine species. Laboratory thermal analysis of pure perchlorates has yet to provide an unequivocal temperature match to the SAM O2 and HCl release data. Analog laboratory analysis of iron mineralogy detected in Gale materials that was physically mixed with Ca- and Mg-perchlorate has been shown to catalyze lower O2 release temperatures and approach some SAM O2 release data. Instead of physical mixtures used in previous work, the work presented here utilized perchlorate solutions added to Fe phases. This technique allowed for perchlorate to come in closer contact with the Fe-phase and may more closely mimic Mars conditions where humidity can increase enough to cause deliquescence of the highly hygroscopic perchlorate phases. The objective of this work is to: 1) Utilize a laboratory SAM analog instrument to evaluate the O2 release temperatures from Mg- and Ca-perchlorates solutions applied to Fephases detetected in Gale Crate; and 2) Determine if perchlorate solutions can provide improved matches with the SAM O2 temperature release profiles.

  7. Rainfall declines over Queensland from 1951-2007 and links to the Subtropical Ridge and the SAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cottrill, D A; Ribbe, J

    2010-01-01

    Much of southern and eastern Australia including Queensland have experienced rainfall declines over recent decades affecting agricultural production and accelerating water infrastructure development. Rainfall declines from southern Australia have now been directly related to changes in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and the subtropical ridge. In southern and coastal Queensland, the rainfall declines have occurred mostly in the austral summer and autumn. Observations from this region reveal the rainfall decline is correlated to an increase in the mean sea level pressure (MSLP) at many stations. The largest increases in MSLP are over southeast Queensland and coastal regions, where some of the largest rainfall declines occur. This study indicates the subtropical ridge as one of the main factors in the rainfall decline over this region. SAM is also likely to be important, although its seasonal influence, apart from winter, is harder to determine.

  8. Influencia del Estado de Oxidación del Ión Cobalto en la Estabilidad de Electrodos Modificados con Monocapas SAM-TOA-ANTA-Con+-HRP-NHis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro R. Matheus*

    Full Text Available Influence of state oxidation of cobalt ion in the stability electrodes modified with monolayers SAM-TOA-ANTA-Con+-HRP-NHis. Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM was used to investigate the adsorption of the HRP-NHis enzyme (horseradish peroxidase, which was modified by the addition of a tail of six histidine on its extreme N-terminal. The QCM operating at flow of 0.025 mL min-1 on a crystal whose gold electrode was modified with monolayers of SAM-TOA-ANTA-Co2+ and SAM-TOA-ANTA -Co3+. The oxidize form was obtained from the electrochemical oxidation of a monolayer of SAM-TOA-ANTA-Co2+. The results suggest that the HRP-NHis is attached to both monolayers in a similar way; on the contrary, the desortion of the attached protein is dramatically different. Thus, whereas the ligand-Co2+ bonds are reversible, which allows that the anchored protein is easily replaced by imidazol molecules. The 3+ oxidation state of the metal does not allow the interchange of protein by the imidazol molecules.

  9. Post-translational modification of ribosomally synthesized peptides by a radical SAM epimerase in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjdia, Alhosna; Guillot, Alain; Ruffié, Pauline; Leprince, Jérôme; Berteau, Olivier

    2017-07-01

    Ribosomally synthesized peptides are built out of L-amino acids, whereas D-amino acids are generally the hallmark of non-ribosomal synthetic processes. Here we show that the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis is able to produce a novel type of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide that contains D-amino acids, and which we propose to call epipeptides. We demonstrate that a two [4Fe-4S]-cluster radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme converts L-amino acids into their D-counterparts by catalysing Cα-hydrogen-atom abstraction and using a critical cysteine residue as the hydrogen-atom donor. Unexpectedly, these D-amino acid residues proved to be essential for the activity of a peptide that induces the expression of LiaRS, a major component of the bacterial cell envelope stress-response system. Present in B. subtilis and in several members of the human microbiome, these epipeptides and radical SAM epimerases broaden the landscape of peptidyl structures accessible to living organisms.

  10. Increasing the Fill Factor of Inverted P3HT:PCBM Solar Cells Through Surface Modification of Al-Doped ZnO via Phosphonic Acid-Anchored C60 SAMs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stubhan, Tobias; Salinas, Michael; Ebel, Alexander

    2012-01-01

    The influence of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) electron extraction layers modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on inverted polymer solar cells is investigated. It is found that AZO modification with phosphonic acid-anchored Fullerene–SAMs leads to a reduction of the series resistance,...

  11. SAM: Support Vector Machine Based Active Queue Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, M.S.

    2014-01-01

    Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the design of AQM (Active Queue Management) controllers. The purpose of these controllers is to manage the network congestion under varying loads, link delays and bandwidth. In this paper, a new AQM controller is proposed which is trained by using the SVM (Support Vector Machine) with the RBF (Radial Basis Function) kernal. The proposed controller is called the support vector based AQM (SAM) controller. The performance of the proposed controller has been compared with three conventional AQM controllers, namely the Random Early Detection, Blue and Proportional Plus Integral Controller. The preliminary simulation studies show that the performance of the proposed controller is comparable to the conventional controllers. However, the proposed controller is more efficient in controlling the queue size than the conventional controllers. (author)

  12. A New Technique of Removing Blind Spots to Optimize Wireless Coverage in Indoor Area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. W. Reza

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Blind spots (or bad sampling points in indoor areas are the positions where no signal exists (or the signal is too weak and the existence of a receiver within the blind spot decelerates the performance of the communication system. Therefore, it is one of the fundamental requirements to eliminate the blind spots from the indoor area and obtain the maximum coverage while designing the wireless networks. In this regard, this paper combines ray-tracing (RT, genetic algorithm (GA, depth first search (DFS, and branch-and-bound method as a new technique that guarantees the removal of blind spots and subsequently determines the optimal wireless coverage using minimum number of transmitters. The proposed system outperforms the existing techniques in terms of algorithmic complexity and demonstrates that the computation time can be reduced as high as 99% and 75%, respectively, as compared to existing algorithms. Moreover, in terms of experimental analysis, the coverage prediction successfully reaches 99% and, thus, the proposed coverage model effectively guarantees the removal of blind spots.

  13. Women's Health Insurance Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Women's Health Policy Women’s Health Insurance Coverage Women’s Health Insurance Coverage Published: Oct 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn ... that many women continue to face. Sources of Health Insurance Coverage Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Approximately 57.9 million ...

  14. Possible Detection of Perchlorates by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument: Comparison with Previous Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro-Gonzalex, Rafael; Sutter, Brad; Archer, Doug; Ming, Doug; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Franz, Heather; Glavin, Daniel; McAdam, Amy; Stern, Jennifer; McKay, Christopher; hide

    2013-01-01

    The first chemical analysis of soluble salts in the soil was carried out by the Phoenix Lander in the Martian Arctic [1]. Surprisingly, chlorine was present as magnesium or calcium perchlorate at 0.4 to 0.6 percent. Additional support for the identification of perchlorate came from the evolved gas analysis which detected the release of molecular oxygen at 350-550C [1]. When Mars-like soils from the Atacama Desert were spiked with magnesium perchlorate (1 percent) and heated using the Viking GC-MS protocol, nearly all the organics were combusted but a small amount was chlorinated, forming chloromethane and dichloromethane [2]. These chlorohydrocarbons were detected by the Viking GC-MS experiments when the Martian soil was analyzed but they were considered to be terrestrial contaminants [3]. Reinterpretation of the Viking results suggests Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) ran four samples from an aeolian bedform named Rocknest. The samples analyzed were portioned from the fifth scoop at this location. The samples were heated to 835C at 35C/min with a He flow. The SAM QMS detected a major oxygen release (300-500C) [5], coupled with the release of chlorinated hydrocarbons (chloromethane, dichloromethane, trichloromethane, and chloromethylpropene) detected both by SAM QMS and GC-MS derived from known Earth organic contaminants in the instrument [6]. Calcium perchlorate appears to be the best candidate for evolved O2 in the Rocknest samples at this time but other Cl species (e.g., chlorates) are possible and must be evaluated. The potential detection of perchlorates in Rocknest material adds weight to the argument that both Viking Landers measured signatures of perchlorates. Even if the source of the organic carbon detected is still unknown, the chlorine source was likely Martian. Two mechanisms have been hypothesized for the formation of soil perchlorate: (1) Atmospheric oxidation of chlorine; and (2) UV photooxidation of

  15. Why Nature Uses Radical SAM Enzymes so Widely: Electron Nuclear Double Resonance Studies of Lysine 2,3-Aminomutase Show the 5′-dAdo• “Free Radical” Is Never Free

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horitani, Masaki; Byer, Amanda S.; Shisler, Krista A.; Chandra, Tilak; Broderick, Joan B.; Hoffman, Brian M.

    2015-01-01

    Lysine 2,3-aminomutase (LAM) is a radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme and, like other members of this superfamily, LAM utilizes radical-generating machinery comprising SAM anchored to the unique Fe of a [4Fe-4S] cluster via a classical five-membered N,O chelate ring. Catalysis is initiated by reductive cleavage of the SAM S–C5′ bond, which creates the highly reactive 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical (5′-dAdo•), the same radical generated by homolytic Co–C bond cleavage in B12 radical enzymes. The SAM surrogate S-3′,4′-anhydroadenosyl-L-methionine (anSAM) can replace SAM as a cofactor in the isomerization of L-α-lysine to L-β-lysine by LAM, via the stable allylic anhydroadenosyl radical (anAdo•). Here electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy of the anAdo• radical in the presence of 13C, 2H, and 15N-labeled lysine completes the picture of how the active site of LAM from Clostridium subterminale SB4 “tames” the 5′-dAdo• radical, preventing it from carrying out harmful side reactions: this “free radical” in LAM is never free. The low steric demands of the radical-generating [4Fe-4S]/SAM construct allow the substrate target to bind adjacent to the S–C5′ bond, thereby enabling the 5′-dAdo• radical created by cleavage of this bond to react with its partners by undergoing small motions, ~0.6 Å toward the target and ~1.5 Å overall, that are controlled by tight van der Waals contact with its partners. We suggest that the accessibility to substrate and ready control of the reactive C5′ radical, with “van der Waals control” of small motions throughout the catalytic cycle, is common within the radical SAM enzyme superfamily and is a major reason why these enzymes are the preferred means of initiating radical reactions in nature. PMID:25923449

  16. Stool frequency recording in severe acute malnutrition ('StoolSAM'); an agreement study comparing maternal recall versus direct observation using diapers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voskuijl, Wieger; Potani, Isabel; Bandsma, Robert; Baan, Anne; White, Sarah; Bourdon, Celine; Kerac, Marko

    2017-06-07

    Approximately 50% of the deaths of children under the age of 5 can be attributed to undernutrition, which also encompasses severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Diarrhoea is strongly associated with these deaths and is commonly diagnosed solely based on stool frequency and consistency obtained through maternal recall. This trial aims to determine whether this approach is equivalent to a 'directly observed method' in which a health care worker directly observed stool frequency using diapers in hospitalised children with complicated SAM. This study was conducted at 'Moyo' Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi. Participants were children aged 5-59 months admitted with SAM. We compared 2 days of stool frequency data obtained with next-day maternal-recall versus a 'gold standard' in which a health care worker observed stool frequency every 2 h using diapers. After study completion, guardians were asked their preferred method and their level of education. We found poor agreement between maternal recall and the 'gold standard' of directly observed diapers. The sensitivity to detect diarrhoea based on maternal recall was poor, with only 75 and 56% of diarrhoea cases identified on days 1 and 2, respectively. However, the specificity was higher with more than 80% of children correctly classified as not having diarrhoea. On day 1, the mean stool frequency difference between the two methods was -0.17 (SD; 1.68) with limits of agreement (of stool frequency) of -3.55 and 3.20 and, similarly on day 2, the mean difference was -0.2 (SD; 1.59) with limits of agreement of -3.38 and 2.98. These limits extend beyond the pre-specified 'acceptable' limits of agreement (±1.5 stool per day) and indicate that the 2 methods are non-equivalent. The higher the stool frequency, the more discrepant the two methods were. Most primary care givers strongly preferred using diapers. This study shows lack of agreement between the assessment of stool frequency in SAM

  17. Coastal lagoon sediments and benthic foraminifera as indicator for Holocene sea-level change: Samsø, southern Kattegat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sander, Lasse; Morigi, Caterina; Pejrup, Morten

    The island of Samsø is located in the southern Kattegat region of Denmark, a relatively sheltered micro-tidal environment. The area experienced a period of rapid transgression during the early Altantic period, reaching its maximum approx. 7,600 yr BP. Since then, isostatic uplift gradually caused....... Over time, an extensive beach ridge system formed, which eventually connected the islands, giving Samsø its characteristic shape. Ephemeral shallow-water lagoons evolved in topographic depressions along the shores of the island, most of which became inactive until today. A semi-enclosed coastal lagoon......-level and to investigate associated geomorphic responses in coastal lagoon and beach ridge systems. Vibracorings will be carried out in these sedimentary environments and will be supplemented with manual auger corings and ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys to assess vertical variations in the deposited sediments...

  18. Growth and Functionality of Cells Cultured on Conducting and Semi-Conducting Surfaces Modified with Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajendra K. Aithal

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Bioengineering of dermal and epidermal cells on surface modified substrates is an active area of research. The cytotoxicity, maintenance of cell phenotype and long-term functionality of human dermal fibroblast (HDF cells on conducting indium tin oxide (ITO and semi-conducting, silicon (Si and gallium arsenide (GaAs, surfaces modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs containing amino (–NH2 and methyl (–CH3 end groups have been investigated. Contact angle measurements and infrared spectroscopic studies show that the monolayers are conformal and preserve their functional end groups. Morphological analyses indicate that HDFs grow well on all substrates except GaAs, exhibiting their normal spindle-shaped morphology and exhibit no visible signs of stress or cytoplasmic vacuolation. Cell viability analyses indicate little cell death after one week in culture on all substrates except GaAs, where cells died within 6 h. Cells on all surfaces proliferate except on GaAs and GaAs-ODT. Cell growth is observed to be greater on SAM modified ITO and Si-substrates. Preservation of cellular phenotype assessed through type I collagen immunostaining and positive staining of HDF cells were observed on all modified surfaces except that on GaAs. These results suggest that conducting and semi-conducting SAM-modified surfaces support HDF growth and functionality and represent a promising area of bioengineering research.

  19. Fatty Acid Detection in Mars-Analogous Rock Samples with the TMAH Wet Chemistry Experiment on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, A. J.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Wilhelm, M. B.; Johnson, S. S.; Craft, K.; O'Reilly, S.; Lewis, J. M. T.; Williams, R.; Summons, R. E.; Benison, K. C.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2017-12-01

    The Curiosity rover is exploring sedimentary rock sequences in Gale Crater for evidence of habitability and searching for organic compounds using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. SAM includes a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and pyrolysis ovens. SAM has the ability to perform wet chemistry experiments, one of which uses tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis to liberate bound lipids, making them sufficiently volatile for detection by GC-MS. To determine the effectiveness of the SAM-like TMAH experiment on fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarker identification, rock and sediment samples were collected from a variety of Mars analog environments including iron oxides from a modern mineral precipitate and older surface gossan at Iron Mountain, CA, as well as modern acid salt and neutral lake sediments with mixed iron oxides and clays from Western Australia; siliceous sinter from recently inactive and modern near-vent Icelandic hot springs deposits; modern carbonate ooids from The Bahamas, and organic-rich shale from Germany. Samples underwent pyrolysis with TMAH. Fatty acids were analyzed by pyro-GC-MS using a SAM-like heating ramp (35°C/min) as well as a 500°C flash on a Frontier pyrolyzer and Agilent GC-MS instrument. Results reveal that FAMEs were detectable with the TMAH experiment in nearly all samples. Low molecular weight (MW) C6:0-C10:0 FAMEs were present in all samples, medium MW C11:0-C18:2 FAMEs were present in select samples, and high MW (HMW) C20:0-C30:0 FAMEs were present in the shale sample. Many of these samples exhibited an even-over-odd carbon number preference, indicating biological production. These experiments demonstrate that TMAH thermochemolysis with SAM-like pyro-GC-MS is effective in fatty acid analysis from natural Mars-analog samples that vary in mineralogy, age, and microbial community input. HMW FAMEs are not detected in iron-dominated samples, and may not be detectable at low

  20. Media Hyping and the "Herceptin Access Story": An Analysis of Canadian and UK Newspaper Coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abelson, Julia; Collins, Patricia A

    2009-02-01

    In May 2005, preliminary trial results pronouncing the effectiveness of Herceptin (trastuzumab) for treatment of early-stage breast cancer were disseminated at a high-profile scientific meeting. Herceptin was subsequently approved for use in the public healthcare systems of Canada and the United Kingdom, although the differences between the two decision timelines were stark. The authors compared UK and Canadian newspaper coverage of the Herceptin story to assess how it may have been "hyped" in each country. They analyzed a diverse sample of newspapers and coded clippings for reporters' framing of the drug's efficacy, costs and funding approval process. Canadian news coverage preceded formal publication of the trial results, while UK coverage mirrored major national events. Reporters in both countries used predominantly individualistic perspectives and framed Herceptin's efficacy in salutary terms. Framing of costs was more neutral in Canadian than in UK newspapers. Funding approval framing focused on inequitable access in the UK and timeliness in Canada. News coverage of drug access stories varies across jurisdictions in terms of intensity and some aspects of framing. Such variations likely reflect different journalistic practices and dominant political rhetoric. Greater attention should be given to the role that news coverage of drug access plays in shaping public opinion and policy action, especially when this coverage precedes scientific debate. Copyright © 2009 Longwoods Publishing.

  1. Simulation studies on structural and thermal properties of alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devi, J Meena

    2017-06-01

    The structural and thermal properties of the passivated gold nanoparticles were explored employing molecular dynamics simulation for the different surface coverage densities of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkane thiol. The structural properties of the monolayer protected gold nanoparticles such us overall shape, organization and conformation of the capping alkane thiol chains were found to be influenced by the capping density. The structural order of the thiol capped gold nanoparticles enhances with the increase in the surface coverage density. The specific heat capacity of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles was found to increase linearly with the thiol coverage density. This may be attributed to the enhancement in the lattice vibrational energy. The present simulation results suggest, that the structural and thermal properties of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles may be modified by the suitable selection of the SAM coverage density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. A paradigm shift for radical SAM reactions: The organometallic intermediate Ω is central to catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byer, Amanda S; Yang, Hao; McDaniel, Elizabeth C; Kathiresan, Venkatesan; Impano, Stella; Pagnier, Adrien; Watts, Hope; Denler, Carly; Vagstad, Anna; Piel, Jörn; Duschene, Kaitlin S; Shepard, Eric M; Shields, Thomas P; Scott, Lincoln G; Lilla, Edward A; Yokoyama, Kenichi; Broderick, William E; Hoffman, Brian M; Broderick, Joan B

    2018-06-28

    Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) en-zymes comprise a vast superfamily catalyzing diverse reactions essential to all life through ho-molytic SAM cleavage to liberate the highly-reactive 5-deoxyadenosyl radical (5-dAdo•). Our recent observation of a catalytically compe-tent organometallic intermediate Ω that forms dur-ing reaction of the radical SAM (RS) enzyme py-ruvate formate-lyase activating-enzyme (PFL-AE) was therefore quite surprising, and led to the question of its broad relevance in the superfamily. We now show that Ω in PFL-AE forms as an in-termediate under a variety of mixing order condi-tions, suggesting it is central to catalysis in this enzyme. We further demonstrate that Ω forms in a suite of RS enzymes chosen to span the totality of superfamily reaction types, implicating Ω as essential in catalysis across the RS superfamily. Finally, EPR and electron nuclear double reso-nance spectroscopy establish that Ω involves an Fe-C5 bond between 5-dAdo• and the [4Fe-4S] cluster. An analogous organometallic bond is found in the well-known adenosylcobalamin (co-enzyme B12) cofactor used to initiate radical reac-tions via a 5'-dAdo• intermediate. Generation of a 5'-dAdo• intermediate via homolytic metal-carbon bond cleavage thus appears to be similar for Ω and coenzyme B12. However coenzyme B12 is involved in enzymes catalyzing of only a small number (~12) of distinct reactions, while the RS superfamily has more than 100,000 distinct se-quences and over 80 reaction types character-ized to date. The appearance of Ω across the RS superfamily therefore dramatically enlarges the sphere of bio-organometallic chemistry in Nature.

  3. Surgery versus Active Monitoring in Intermittent Exotropia (SamExo: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Buck Deborah

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Childhood intermittent exotropia [X(T] is a type of strabismus (squint in which one eye deviates outward at times, usually when the child is tired. It may progress to a permanent squint, loss of stereovision and/or amblyopia (reduced vision. Treatment options for X(T include eye patches, glasses, surgery and active monitoring. There is no consensus regarding how this condition should be managed, and even when surgery is the preferred option clinicians disagree as to the optimal timing. Reports on the natural history of X(T are limited, and there is no randomised controlled trial (RCT evidence on the effectiveness or efficiency of surgery compared with active monitoring. The SamExo (Surgery versus Active Monitoring in Intermittent Exotropia pilot study has been designed to test the feasibility of such a trial in the UK. Methods Design: an external pilot patient randomised controlled trial. Setting: four UK secondary ophthalmology care facilities at Newcastle NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Moorfields Eye Hospital and York NHS Trust. Participants: children aged between 6 months and 16 years referred with suspected and subsequently diagnosed X(T. Recruitment target is a total of 144 children over a 9-month period, with 120 retained by 9-month outcome visit. Randomisation: permuted blocks stratified by collaborating centre, age and severity of X(T. Interventions: initial clinical assessment; randomisation (eye muscle surgery or active monitoring; 3-, 6- and 9-month (primary outcome clinical assessments; participant/proxy completed questionnaire covering time and travel costs, health services use and quality of life (Intermittent Exotropia Questionnaire; qualitative interviews with parents to establish reasons for agreeing or declining participation in the pilot trial. Outcomes: recruitment and retention rates; nature and extent of participation bias; nature and extent of biases arising from crossover or

  4. The Investigation of Chlorates as a Possible Source of Oxygen and Chlorine Detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument in Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Archer, D. P.; Ming, D. W.; Niles, P. B.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Franz, H.; Glavin, D. P.; McAdam, A. C.; Mahaffy, P; Stern, J. C.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover detect-ed O2 and HCl gas releases from the Rocknest (RN) eolian bedform and the John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) drill hole materials in Gale Crater. Chlorinated hydrocarbons have also been detected by the SAM quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GCMS). These detections along with the detection of perchlorate (ClO4-) by the Mars Phoenix Lander’s Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) suggesting perchlorate is a possible candidate for evolved O2 and chlorine species. Laboratory thermal analysis of perchlorates has yet to provide an unequivocal temperature match to the SAM O2 and HCl release data. Iron mineralogy found in the Rocknest materials when mixed with Ca-perchlorate does cause O2 release temperatures to be closer match to the SAM O2 release data but more work is required in evaluating the catalytic effects of Fe mineralogy on perchlorate decomposition. Chlorates (ClO3-) are relevant Mars materials and potential O2 and Cl sources. The objective of this work is to evaluate the thermal decomposition of select chlorate (ClO3-) salts as possible sources of the O2 and HCl releases in the Gale Crater materials.

  5. Surveillance and Measurement System (SAMS). Innovative Technology Summary Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The United States Department of Energy (DOE) continually seeks safer and more cost-effective technologies for the decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of nuclear facilities. The Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area (DDFA) of the DOE's Office of Science and Technology sponsors large-scale demonstration and deployment projects (LSDDPs) to identify and demonstrate technologies that will be safer and more cost-effective. At these LSDDPs, developers and vendors of improved or innovative technologies showcase products that are potentially beneficial to the DOE's projects as well as others in the D and D community. Benefits sought include decreased health and safety risks to personnel and the environment, increased productivity, and decreased cost of operation. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) LSDDP generated a list of need statements defining specific needs or problems where improved technologies could be incorporated into ongoing D and D tasks. Advances in characterization technologies are continuously being sought to decrease the cost of sampling and increase the speed of obtaining results. Currently it can take as long as 90 days to receive isotopic analysis of radioactive samples from laboratories on soil, liquid, and paint samples. The cost to analyze these types of samples for radionuclides is about $150 per sample. This demonstration investigated the feasibility of using the Surveillance and Measurement System (SAMS) (innovative technology) to make in situ isotopic radiation measurements in paint and soil. Sample collection and on-site laboratory analysis (baseline technology) is currently being used on D and D sampling activities. Benefits expected from using the innovative technology include: Significant decrease in time to receive results on radiological samples; Decrease in cost associated with sample collection, preparation, analysis, and disposal; Equivalent data quality to laboratory analysis; and Fewer

  6. Improving discrimination of savanna tree species through a multiple endmember spectral-angle-mapper (SAM) approach: canopy level analysis

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Cho, Moses A

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available sensing. The objectives of this paper were to (i) evaluate the classification performance of a multiple-endmember spectral angle mapper (SAM) classification approach (conventionally known as the nearest neighbour) in discriminating ten common African...

  7. Exploration of the Habitability of Mars with the SAM Suite Investigation on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahaffy, P. R.; Cabane, M.; Webster, C. R.

    2008-01-01

    The 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) with a substantially larger payload capability that any other Mars rover, to date, is designed to quantitatively assess a local region on Mars as a potential habitat for present or past life. Its goals are (1) to assess past or present biological potential of a target environment, (2) to characterize geology and geochemistry at the MSL landing site, and (3) to investigate planetary processes that influence habitability. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Suite, in its final stages of integration and test, enables a sensitive search for organic molecules and chemical and isotopic analysis of martian volatiles. MSL contact and remote surface and subsurface survey Instruments establish context for these measurements and facilitate sample identification and selection. The SAM instruments are a gas chromatograph (GC), a mass spectrometer (MS), and a tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). These together with supporting sample manipulation and gas processing devices are designed to analyze either the atmospheric composition or gases extracted from solid phase samples such as rocks and fines. For example, one of the core SAM experiment sequences heats a small powdered sample of a Mars rock or soil from ambient to -1300 K in a controlled manner while continuously monitoring evolved gases. This is followed by GCMS analysis of released organics. The general chemical survey is complemented by a specific search for molecular classes that may be relevant to life including atmospheric methane and its carbon isotope with the TLS and biomarkers with the GCMS.

  8. Séries temporais de NDVI do sensor SPOT Vegetation e algoritmo SAM aplicados ao mapeamento de cana‑de‑açúcar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Eduardo Vicente

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o mapeamento de área de cana‑de‑açúcar por meio de série temporal, de seis anos de dados do índice de vegetação por diferença normalizada (NDVI, oriundos do sensor Vegetation, a bordo do satélite "système pour l'observation de la Terre" (SPOT. Três classes de cobertura do solo (cana‑de‑açúcar, pasto e floresta, do Estado de São Paulo, foram selecionadas como assinaturas espectro‑temporais de referência, que serviram como membros extremos ("endmembers" para classificação com o algoritmo "spectral angle mapper" (SAM. A partir desta classificação, o mapeamento da área de cana‑de‑açúcar foi realizado com uso de limiares na imagem-regra do SAM, gerados a partir dos valores dos espectros de referência. Os resultados mostram que o algoritmo SAM pode ser aplicado a séries de dados multitemporais de resolução moderada, o que permite eficiente mapeamento de alvo agrícola em escala mesorregional. Dados oficiais de áreas de cana‑de‑açúcar, para as microrregiões paulistas, apresentam boa correlação (r² = 0,8 com os dados obtidos pelo método avaliado. A aplicação do algoritmo SAM mostrou ser útil em análises temporais. As séries temporais de NDVI do sensor SPOT Vegetation podem ser utilizadas para mapeamento da área de cana‑de‑açúcar em baixa resolução.

  9. Highlight on the indigenous organic molecules detected on Mars by SAM and potential sources of artifacts and backgrounds generated by the sample preparation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buch, A.; Belmahdi, I.; Szopa, C.; Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Coll, P. J.; Cabane, M.; Millan, M.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Stern, J. C.; Pinnick, V. T.; Coscia, D.; Teinturier, S.; Stambouli, M.; Dequaire, T.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2015-12-01

    Among the experiments which explore the martian soil aboard the Curiosity Rover, SAM experiment is mainly dedicated to the search for indigenous organic compounds. To reach its goals SAM can operate in different analysis modes: Pyrolysis-GC-MS and Pyrolysis-MS (EGA). In addition SAM includes wet chemistry experiments [1] to supports extraction of polar organic compounds from solid samples that improves their detection either by increasing the release of chemical species from solid sample matrices, or by changing their chemical structure to make compounds more amenable to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). The two wet chemistry experimental capabilities of SAM provide alternatives to the nominal inert-thermal desorption/pyrolysis analytical protocol and are more aptly suited for polar components: MTBSTFA derivatization [2-3] and TMAH thermochemolysis [4-5]. Here we focus on the MTBSTFA derivatization experiment. In order to build a support used to help the interpretation of SAM results, we have investigated the artifacts and backgrounds sources generated by the all analysis process: Solid sample were heated up to approximately 840°C at a rate of 35°C/min under He flow. For GC analyses, the majority of the gas released was trapped on a hydrocarbon trap (Tenax®) over a specific temperature range. Adsorbed volatiles on the GC injection trap (IT) were then released into the GC column (CLP-MXT 30m x 0.25mm x 0.25μm) by rapidly heating the IT to 300°C. Then, in order better understand the part of compounds detected coming from internal reaction we have performed several lab experiments to mimic the SAM device: Among the sources of artifact, we test: (1) the thermal stability and the organic material released during the degradation of Tenax® and carbosieve, (2) the impact of MTBSTFA and a mixture of DMF and MTBSTFA on the adsorbent, (3) the reaction between the different adsorbents (Tenax® and Carbosieve) and calcium perchlorate and then (4) the sources

  10. Systematic substrate adoption methodology (SAM) for future flexible, generic pharmaceutical production processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Ravendra; Godfrey, Andy; Gregertsen, Björn

    2013-01-01

    (APIs) for early delivery campaigns. Of these candidates only a few will be successful such that further development is required to scale-up the process. Systematic computer-aided methods and tools are required for faster manufacturing of these API candidates. In this work, a substrate adoption...... methodology (SAM) for a series of substrates with similar molecular functionality has been developed. The objective is to achieve “flexible, fast and future” pharmaceutical production processes by adapting a generic modular process template. Application of the methodology is illustrated through a case study...

  11. In Situ Analysis of Mars Soil and Rocks Sample with the Sam Gcms Instrumentation Onboard Curiosity : Interpretation and Comparison of Measurements Done during the First Martian Year of Curiosity on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szopa, C.; Coll, P. J.; Cabane, M.; Buch, A.; Coscia, D.; Millan, M.; Francois, P.; Belmahadi, I.; Teinturier, S.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Glavin, D. P.; Freissinet, C.; Steele, A.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2014-12-01

    The characterisation of the chemical and mineralogical composition of solid surface samples collected with the Curiosity rover is a primary objective of the SAM experiment. These data should provide essential clues on the past habitability of Gale crater. Amongst the SAM suite of instruments [1], SAM-GC (Gas Chromatograph) is devoted to identify and quantify volatiles evolved from the thermal (heating up to about 900°C)/chemical (derivatization procedure) treatment of any soil sample collected by the Curiosity rover. With the aim to search for potential organic molecules outgassed from the samples, SAM-GC analytical channels composed of thermal-desorption injector, and a MXT-CLP or a MXT-Q chromatographic column was chosen to achieve all the measurements done up today, with the aim to separate of a wide range of volatile inorganic and organic molecules. Four solid samples have been analyzed with GCMS, one sand sample collected at the Rocknest site, two rock samples (John Klein and Cumberland respectively) collected at the Yellowknife Bay site using the Curiosity driller, and one rock sample collected at the Kimberly site. All the measurements were successful and they produced complex chromatograms with both detectors used for SAM GC, i.e. a thermal conductivity detector and the SAM quandrupole mass spectrometer. Their interpretation already revealed the presence of an oxychlorine phase present in the sample which is at the origin of chlorohydrocarbons clearly identified [2] but this represents only a fraction of the GCMS signal recorded [3,4]. This work presents a systematic comparison of the GCMS measurements done for the different samples collected, supported by reference data obtained in laboratory with different spare models of the gas chromatograph, with the aim to bring new elements of interpretation of the SAM measurements. References: [1] Mahaffy, P. et al. (2012) Space Sci Rev, 170, 401-478. [2] Glavin, D. et al. (2013), JGR. [3] Leshin L. et al. (2013

  12. PDS4 vs PDS3 - A Comparison of PDS Data for Two Mars Rovers - Existing Mars Curiosity Mission Mass Spectrometer (SAM) PDS3 Data vs Future ExoMars Rover Mass Spectrometer (MOMA) PDS4 Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyness, E.; Franz, H. B.; Prats, B.

    2017-12-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument is a suite of instruments on Mars aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Centered on a mass spectrometer, SAM delivers its data to the PDS Atmosphere's node in PDS3 format. Over five years on Mars the process of operating SAM has evolved and extended significantly from the plan in place at the time the PDS3 delivery specification was written. For instance, SAM commonly receives double or even triple sample aliquots from the rover's drill. SAM also stores samples in spare cups for long periods of time for future analysis. These unanticipated operational changes mean that the PDS data deliveries are absent some valuable metadata without which the data can be confusing. The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) instrument is another suite of instruments centered on a mass spectrometer bound for Mars. MOMA is part of the European ExoMars rover mission schedule to arrive on Mars in 2021. While SAM and MOMA differ in some important scientific ways - MOMA uses an linear ion trap compared to the SAM quadropole mass spectrometer and MOMA has a laser desorption experiment that SAM lacks - the data content from the PDS point of view is comparable. Both instruments produce data containing mass spectra acquired from solid samples collected on the surface of Mars. The MOMA PDS delivery will make use of PDS4 improvements to provide a metadata context to the data. The MOMA PDS4 specification makes few assumptions of the operational processes. Instead it provides a means for the MOMA operators to provide the important contextual metadata that was unanticipated during specification development. Further, the software tools being developed for instrument operators will provide a means for the operators to add this crucial metadata at the time it is best know - during operations.

  13. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of nosiheptide-resistance methyltransferase from Streptomyces actuosus in complex with SAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Huirong; Wang, Ping; Dong, Zhenghong; Li, Xueyuan; Gong, Rui; Yang, Ying; Li, Ze; Xu, Youwei; Xu, Yanhui

    2010-01-01

    The expression, purification and crystallization of nosiheptide-resistance methyltransferase (NSR) from Streptomyces actuosus is described. Nosiheptide-resistance methyltransferase (NSR) methylates 23S rRNA at the nucleotide adenosine 1067 in Escherichia coli and thus contributes to resistance against nosiheptide, a sulfur-containing peptide antibiotic. Here, the expression, purification and crystallization of NSR from Streptomyces actuosus are reported. Diffracting crystals were grown by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in reservoir solution consisting of 0.35 M ammonium chloride, 24%(w/v) PEG 3350, 0.1 M MES pH 5.7 at 293 K. Native data have been collected from the apo enzyme and a SAM complex, as well as apo SeMet SAD data. The diffraction patterns of the apo form of NSR, of NSR complexed with SAM and of SeMet-labelled NSR crystals extended to 1.90, 1.95 and 2.25 Å resolution, respectively, using synchrotron radiation. All crystals belonged to space group P2 1 , with approximate unit-cell parameters a = 64.6, b = 69.6, c = 64.9 Å, β = 117.8°

  14. Efecto bioestimulante de Trichoderma harzianum Rifai en posturas de Leucaena, Cedro y Samán

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonides Castellanos González

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available El presente artículo evaluó el efecto bioestimulante de Trichoderma harzianum Rifai en la producción de postura de Leucaena leucocephala (Lam de Wit., Cedrela odorata L. y Albizia saman (Jacq. Merr. Se desarrollaron tres experimentos en condiciones de vivero, uno para cada especie. Se empleó un diseño completamente aleatorio con cuatro parcelas por tratamiento. En cada experimento los tratamientos fueron: Trichoderma harzianum a razón de 20 g.L-1, 40 g.L-1 y un testigo. Se evaluó el porcentaje de germinación y las variables morfométricas diámetro y altura del tallo, así como biomasa seca en raíz y parte aérea de la planta. Los tratamientos con Trichoderma no incrementaron el porcentaje de germinación en cedro, samán y leucaena. T. harzianum incrementó la altura, el número de hojas y la biomasa seca del área foliar en las plántulas de cedro, mientras que en leucaena y samán solo provocó incrementos del diámetro basal de las plántulas.

  15. Orientational analysis of dodecanethiol and p-nitrothiophenol SAMs on metals with polarisation-dependent SFG spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecchet, Francesca; Lis, Dan; Guthmuller, Julien; Champagne, Benoît; Caudano, Yves; Silien, Christophe; Mani, Alaa Addin; Thiry, Paul A; Peremans, André

    2010-02-22

    Polarisation-dependent sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of molecules on metallic surfaces. In particular, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of dodecanethiol (DDT) and of p-nitrothiophenol (p-NTP), grown on Pt and on Au, have been chosen as models to highlight the ability of combining ppp and ssp polarisations sets (representing the polarisation of the involved beams in the conventional order of SFG, Vis and IR beam) to infer orientational information at metallic interfaces. Indeed, using only the ppp set of data, as it is usually done for metallic surfaces, is not sufficient to determine the full molecular orientation. We show here that simply combining ppp and ssp polarisations enables both the tilt and rotation angles of methyl groups in DDT SAMs to be determined. Moreover, for p-NTP, while the SFG active vibrations detected with the ppp polarisation alone provide no orientational information, however, the combination with ssp spectra enables to retrieve the tilt angle of the p-NTP 1,4 axis. Though orientational information obtained by polarisation-dependent measurements has been extensively used at insulating interfaces, we report here their first application to metallic surfaces.

  16. Orientational Analysis of Dodecanethiol and P-Nitrothiophenol SAMs on Metals with Polarisation - dependent SFG spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manea, A.

    2011-01-01

    Polarisation-dependent sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of molecules on metallic surfaces. In particular, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of dodecanethiol (DDT) and of p-nitro thiophenol (p-NTP), grown on Pt and on Au, have been chosen as models to highlight the ability of combining ppp and ssp polarizations sets (representing the polarisation of the involved beams in the conventional order of SFG, Vis and IR beam) to infer orientational information at metallic interfaces. Indeed, using only the ppp set of data, as it is usually done for metallic surfaces, is not sufficient to determine the full molecular orientation. We show here that simply combining ppp and ssp polarizations enables both the tilt and rotation angles of methyl groups in DDT SAMs to be determined. Moreover, for p-NTP, while the SFG active vibrations detected with the ppp polarisation alone provide no orientational information, however, the combination with ssp spectra enables to retrieve the tilt angle of the p-NTP 1,4 axis. Though orientational information obtained by polarisation-dependent measurements has been extensively used at insulating interfaces, we report here their first application to metallic surfaces. (author)

  17. Coverage Metrics for Model Checking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penix, John; Visser, Willem; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    When using model checking to verify programs in practice, it is not usually possible to achieve complete coverage of the system. In this position paper we describe ongoing research within the Automated Software Engineering group at NASA Ames on the use of test coverage metrics to measure partial coverage and provide heuristic guidance for program model checking. We are specifically interested in applying and developing coverage metrics for concurrent programs that might be used to support certification of next generation avionics software.

  18. Comparative Study of Electroless Copper Film on Different Self-Assembled Monolayers Modified ABS Substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiushuai Xu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Copper films were grown on (3-Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS, (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES and 6-(3-(triethoxysilylpropylamino-1,3,5- triazine-2,4-dithiol monosodium (TES self-assembled monolayers (SAMs modified acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS substrate via electroless copper plating. The copper films were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD. Their individual deposition rate and contact angle were also investigated to compare the properties of SAMs and electroless copper films. The results indicated that the formation of copper nuclei on the TES-SAMs modified ABS substrate was faster than those on the MPTMS-SAMs and APTES-SAMs modified ABS substrate. SEM images revealed that the copper film on TES-SAM modified ABS substrate was smooth and uniform, and the density of copper nuclei was much higher. Compared with that of TES-SAMs modified resin, the coverage of copper nuclei on MPTMS and APTES modified ABS substrate was very limited and the copper particle size was too big. The adhesion property test demonstrated that all the SAMs enhanced the interfacial interaction between copper plating and ABS substrate. XRD analysis showed that the copper film deposited on SAM-modified ABS substrate had a structure with Cu(111 preferred orientation, and the copper film deposited on TES-SAMs modified ABS substrate is better than that deposited on MPTMS-SAMs or APTES-SAMs modified ABS resins in electromigrtion resistance.

  19. Effectivity System of Management Information in Information Tehcnology Center University of Sam Ratulangi Manado.

    OpenAIRE

    Kalalo, Intani Kirana; Mandey, Jantje; Pombengi, Jericho

    2015-01-01

    In accordance with Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia on the Organization and Work of Sam Ratulangi University of article 105, paragraph 1, which states that the Information and Communication Technology Unit is a unit of the technical implementation in the field of development and management of systems and information and communication technology. And Article 106, namely, Information and Communication Technology Unit has the t...

  20. Kualitas Udara Beberapa Ruang Perpustakaan Di Universitas Sam Ratulangi Manado Berdasarkan Uji Kualitas Fisika

    OpenAIRE

    Sahilatua, Josefine D

    2014-01-01

    : Air pollution not only comes from the outdoors but also indoors. Library is indoors that could potentially by polluted. Level of air quality that not complies the standard will cause symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, skin irritation, shortness of breathing, eye irritation and headache on library users. This research conducted on the five libraries at the Sam Ratulangi University using observational methods. Data collected was content of physical air quality. The variables were air temper...

  1. Surface barrier analysis of semi-insulating and n{sup +}-type GaAs(0 0 1) following passivation with n-alkanethiol SAMs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marshall, Gregory M. [Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1 (Canada); Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada); Bensebaa, Farid [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada); Dubowski, Jan J., E-mail: jan.j.dubowski@usherbrooke.ca [Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1 (Canada)

    2011-02-15

    The surface Fermi level of semi-insulating and n{sup +}-type GaAs(0 0 1) was determined before and after passivation with n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Fermi level positioning was achieved using Au calibration pads integrated directly onto the GaAs surface, prior to SAM deposition, in order to provide a surface equipotential binding energy reference. Fermi level pinning within 50 meV and surface barrier characteristics according to the Advanced Unified Defect Model were observed. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the Au integration technique for the determination of band-edge referenced Fermi level positions and are relevant to an understanding of emerging technologies based on the molecular-semiconductor junction.

  2. The Detection of Evolved Oxygen from the Rocknest Eolian Bedform Material by the Sample Analysis at Mars(SAM) instrument at the Mars Curiosity Landing Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Archer, D.; Ming, D.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Franz, H.; Glavin, D. P.; McAdam, A.; Mahaffy, P.; Stern, J.; Navarro-Gonzalex, R.; hide

    2013-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover detected an O2 gas release from the Rocknest eolain bedform (Fig. 1). The detection of perchlorate (ClO4-) by the Mars Phoenix Lander s Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) [1] suggests that perchlorate is a possible candidate for evolved O2 release detected by SAM. The perchlorate would also serve as a source of chlorine in the chlorinated hydrocarbons detected by the SAM quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GCMS) [2,3]. Chlorates (ClO3-) [4,5] and/or superoxides [6] may also be sources of evolved O2 from the Rocknest materials. The work objectives are to 1) evaluate the O2 release temperatures from Rocknest materials, 2) compare these O2 release temperatures with a series of perchlorates and chlorates, and 3) evaluate superoxide O2- sources and possible perchlorate interactions with other Rocknest phases during QMS analysis.

  3. HPA and SAM axis responses as correlates of self- vs parental ratings of anxiety in boys with an Autistic Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitsika, Vicki; Sharpley, Christopher F; Sweeney, John A; McFarlane, James R

    2014-03-29

    Anxiety and Autistic Disorder (AD) are both neurological conditions and both disorders share some features that make it difficult to precisely allocate specific symptoms to each disorder. HPA and SAM axis activities have been conclusively associated with anxiety, and may provide a method of validating anxiety rating scale assessments given by parents and their children with AD about those children. Data from HPA axis (salivary cortisol) and SAM axis (salivary alpha amylase) responses were collected from a sample of 32 high-functioning boys (M age=11yr) with an Autistic Disorder (AD) and were compared with the boys' and their mothers' ratings of the boys' anxiety. There was a significant difference between the self-ratings given by the boys and ratings given about them by their mothers. Further, only the boys' self-ratings of their anxiety significantly predicted the HPA axis responses and neither were significantly related to SAM axis responses. Some boys showed cortisol responses which were similar to that previously reported in children who had suffered chronic and severe anxiety arising from stressful social interactions. As well as suggesting that some boys with an AD can provide valid self-assessments of their anxiety, these data also point to the presence of very high levels of chronic HPA-axis arousal and consequent chronic anxiety in these boys. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Comparison of Various Online Strategies to Account for Interfractional Variations for Pancreatic Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahunbay, Ergun E.; Kimura, Brad; Liu, Feng; Erickson, Beth A.; Li, X. Allen

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To identify practical techniques to address the large interfractional variations for pancreas irradiation by comparing various used/proposed online strategies. Methods and Materials: The daily computed tomography (CT) images acquired using a respiration-gated in-room CT (CTVision; Siemens) for 10 pancreatic cancer patients treated with image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) were analyzed. The contours of the pancreas and organs at risk on each daily CT set were generated by populating from the planning CT using a deformable registration tool (ABAS; Elekta) with manual editing. Nine online strategies were considered: (1) standard IGRT (ie, IGRT with 0-mm additional margin [AM]); (2) IGRT with 2-mm AM; (3) IGRT with 5-mm AM; (4) IGRT with plan renormalized to maintain 95% planning target volume (PTV) coverage; (5) full-scale reoptimization; (6) reoptimization starting from the original plan; (7) segment aperture morphing (SAM) from the original plan, based on PTV shape change; (8) SAM plus segment weight optimization; and (9) reoptimization starting from the SAM plan. One-way analysis of variance was applied to plan qualities for the 9 strategies to assess statistical significance in difference. Results: The 3 IGRT strategies (1-3) lead to either inadequate PTV coverage or higher doses to critical structures, indicating that the additional margins alone are not adequate to account for the changes. The full-scale reoptimization results in the best plan but requires the delineation of several structures, which is time consuming. The SAM strategy (7) was the fastest one, because it requires delineating only 1 structure (target), and its plan quality was comparable to that for the full-scale reoptimization. Conclusion: Online replanning strategies can lead to either reduced organs-at-risk dose and/or improved target coverage as compared with the current practice of IGRT. The SAM-based online replanning is comparable to full-scale reoptimization and is efficient

  5. Comparison of Various Online Strategies to Account for Interfractional Variations for Pancreatic Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahunbay, Ergun E., E-mail: eahunbay@mcw.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States); Kimura, Brad; Liu, Feng; Erickson, Beth A.; Li, X. Allen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (United States)

    2013-08-01

    Purpose: To identify practical techniques to address the large interfractional variations for pancreas irradiation by comparing various used/proposed online strategies. Methods and Materials: The daily computed tomography (CT) images acquired using a respiration-gated in-room CT (CTVision; Siemens) for 10 pancreatic cancer patients treated with image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) were analyzed. The contours of the pancreas and organs at risk on each daily CT set were generated by populating from the planning CT using a deformable registration tool (ABAS; Elekta) with manual editing. Nine online strategies were considered: (1) standard IGRT (ie, IGRT with 0-mm additional margin [AM]); (2) IGRT with 2-mm AM; (3) IGRT with 5-mm AM; (4) IGRT with plan renormalized to maintain 95% planning target volume (PTV) coverage; (5) full-scale reoptimization; (6) reoptimization starting from the original plan; (7) segment aperture morphing (SAM) from the original plan, based on PTV shape change; (8) SAM plus segment weight optimization; and (9) reoptimization starting from the SAM plan. One-way analysis of variance was applied to plan qualities for the 9 strategies to assess statistical significance in difference. Results: The 3 IGRT strategies (1-3) lead to either inadequate PTV coverage or higher doses to critical structures, indicating that the additional margins alone are not adequate to account for the changes. The full-scale reoptimization results in the best plan but requires the delineation of several structures, which is time consuming. The SAM strategy (7) was the fastest one, because it requires delineating only 1 structure (target), and its plan quality was comparable to that for the full-scale reoptimization. Conclusion: Online replanning strategies can lead to either reduced organs-at-risk dose and/or improved target coverage as compared with the current practice of IGRT. The SAM-based online replanning is comparable to full-scale reoptimization and is efficient

  6. Boron (B) deprivation increases plasma homocysteine and decreases liver S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) in rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    The diverse effects of B deprivation suggest that B affects a biomolecule involved in a variety of biochemical reactions. An experiment was conducted to determine whether dietary B affects the liver concentration of SAM, a frequently used enzyme substrate, especially for methylation reactions that y...

  7. 5 CFR 890.1106 - Coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... family member is an individual whose relationship to the enrollee meets the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 8901... EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Temporary Continuation of Coverage § 890.1106 Coverage. (a) Type of enrollment. An individual who enrolls under this subpart may elect coverage for self alone or self and family...

  8. 29 CFR 801.3 - Coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coverage. 801.3 Section 801.3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OTHER LAWS APPLICATION OF THE EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT OF 1988 General § 801.3 Coverage. (a) The coverage of the Act extends to “any...

  9. Coverage-based constraints for IMRT optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mescher, H.; Ulrich, S.; Bangert, M.

    2017-09-01

    Radiation therapy treatment planning requires an incorporation of uncertainties in order to guarantee an adequate irradiation of the tumor volumes. In current clinical practice, uncertainties are accounted for implicitly with an expansion of the target volume according to generic margin recipes. Alternatively, it is possible to account for uncertainties by explicit minimization of objectives that describe worst-case treatment scenarios, the expectation value of the treatment or the coverage probability of the target volumes during treatment planning. In this note we show that approaches relying on objectives to induce a specific coverage of the clinical target volumes are inevitably sensitive to variation of the relative weighting of the objectives. To address this issue, we introduce coverage-based constraints for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning. Our implementation follows the concept of coverage-optimized planning that considers explicit error scenarios to calculate and optimize patient-specific probabilities q(\\hat{d}, \\hat{v}) of covering a specific target volume fraction \\hat{v} with a certain dose \\hat{d} . Using a constraint-based reformulation of coverage-based objectives we eliminate the trade-off between coverage and competing objectives during treatment planning. In-depth convergence tests including 324 treatment plan optimizations demonstrate the reliability of coverage-based constraints for varying levels of probability, dose and volume. General clinical applicability of coverage-based constraints is demonstrated for two cases. A sensitivity analysis regarding penalty variations within this planing study based on IMRT treatment planning using (1) coverage-based constraints, (2) coverage-based objectives, (3) probabilistic optimization, (4) robust optimization and (5) conventional margins illustrates the potential benefit of coverage-based constraints that do not require tedious adjustment of target volume objectives.

  10. Increasing the fill factor of inverted P3HT:PCBM solar cells through surface modification of Al-doped ZnO via phosphonic acid-anchored C60 SAMs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stubhan, Tobias [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Salinas, Michael; Halik, Marcus [Organic Materials and Devices (OMD)-Institute of Polymer Materials, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Ebel, Alexander; Hirsch, Andreas [Institute for Organic Chemistry II, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Krebs, Frederick C. [Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde (Denmark); Brabec, Christoph J. [Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I-MEET), Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern), Erlangen (Germany)

    2012-05-15

    The influence of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) electron extraction layers modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on inverted polymer solar cells is investigated. It is found that AZO modification with phosphonic acid-anchored Fullerene-SAMs leads to a reduction of the series resistance, while increasing the parallel resistance. This results in an increased efficiency from 2.9 to 3.3%. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  11. Monitoring intervention coverage in the context of universal health coverage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ties Boerma

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring universal health coverage (UHC focuses on information on health intervention coverage and financial protection. This paper addresses monitoring intervention coverage, related to the full spectrum of UHC, including health promotion and disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation. A comprehensive core set of indicators most relevant to the country situation should be monitored on a regular basis as part of health progress and systems performance assessment for all countries. UHC monitoring should be embedded in a broad results framework for the country health system, but focus on indicators related to the coverage of interventions that most directly reflect the results of UHC investments and strategies in each country. A set of tracer coverage indicators can be selected, divided into two groups-promotion/prevention, and treatment/care-as illustrated in this paper. Disaggregation of the indicators by the main equity stratifiers is critical to monitor progress in all population groups. Targets need to be set in accordance with baselines, historical rate of progress, and measurement considerations. Critical measurement gaps also exist, especially for treatment indicators, covering issues such as mental health, injuries, chronic conditions, surgical interventions, rehabilitation, and palliation. Consequently, further research and proxy indicators need to be used in the interim. Ideally, indicators should include a quality of intervention dimension. For some interventions, use of a single indicator is feasible, such as management of hypertension; but in many areas additional indicators are needed to capture quality of service provision. The monitoring of UHC has significant implications for health information systems. Major data gaps will need to be filled. At a minimum, countries will need to administer regular household health surveys with biological and clinical data collection. Countries will also need to improve the

  12. Kto samõi bogatõi v Estonii / Sten-Aleks Pihlak, Kärt Blumberg, Lemmi Kann

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Pihlak, Sten-Aleks

    2008-01-01

    Eesti laevatranspordi kolmik - Ain Hanschmidt, Enn Pant ja Kalev Järvelill on Äripäeva rikaste edetabelis esimesed. Viimaste kuude suure aktsiahinnalanguse tõttu on paljud Äripäeva rikaste edetabelis olijad kaotanud igast kolmest kroonist kaks. Artiklis selgitatakse miks on Äripäeva Rikaste TOPis vähe naisi. Lisad: Iz TOP-500 samõhh bogatõhh ljudei v Estonii; Reitingi bogatshei za prezhnije godõ; Metodika

  13. [Quantification of acetabular coverage in normal adult].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, R M; Yang, C Y; Yu, C Y; Yang, C R; Chang, G L; Chou, Y L

    1991-03-01

    Quantification of acetabular coverage is important and can be expressed by superimposition of cartilage tracings on the maximum cross-sectional area of the femoral head. A practical Autolisp program on PC AutoCAD has been developed by us to quantify the acetabular coverage through numerical expression of the images of computed tomography. Thirty adults (60 hips) with normal center-edge angle and acetabular index in plain X ray were randomly selected for serial drops. These slices were prepared with a fixed coordination and in continuous sections of 5 mm in thickness. The contours of the cartilage of each section were digitized into a PC computer and processed by AutoCAD programs to quantify and characterize the acetabular coverage of normal and dysplastic adult hips. We found that a total coverage ratio of greater than 80%, an anterior coverage ratio of greater than 75% and a posterior coverage ratio of greater than 80% can be categorized in a normal group. Polar edge distance is a good indicator for the evaluation of preoperative and postoperative coverage conditions. For standardization and evaluation of acetabular coverage, the most suitable parameters are the total coverage ratio, anterior coverage ratio, posterior coverage ratio and polar edge distance. However, medial coverage and lateral coverage ratios are indispensable in cases of dysplastic hip because variations between them are so great that acetabuloplasty may be impossible. This program can also be used to classify precisely the type of dysplastic hip.

  14. Cooperative Cloud Service Aware Mobile Internet Coverage Connectivity Guarantee Protocol Based on Sensor Opportunistic Coverage Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Qin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the Internet coverage ratio and provide connectivity guarantee, based on sensor opportunistic coverage mechanism and cooperative cloud service, we proposed the coverage connectivity guarantee protocol for mobile Internet. In this scheme, based on the opportunistic covering rules, the network coverage algorithm of high reliability and real-time security was achieved by using the opportunity of sensor nodes and the Internet mobile node. Then, the cloud service business support platform is created based on the Internet application service management capabilities and wireless sensor network communication service capabilities, which is the architecture of the cloud support layer. The cooperative cloud service aware model was proposed. Finally, we proposed the mobile Internet coverage connectivity guarantee protocol. The results of experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, in terms of the security of the Internet and the stability, as well as coverage connectivity ability.

  15. Increasing coverage and decreasing inequity in insecticide-treated bed net use among rural Kenyan children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdisalan M Noor

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Inexpensive and efficacious interventions that avert childhood deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have failed to reach effective coverage, especially among the poorest rural sectors. One particular example is insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs. In this study, we present repeat observations of ITN coverage among rural Kenyan homesteads exposed at different times to a range of delivery models, and assess changes in coverage across socioeconomic groups.We undertook a study of annual changes in ITN coverage among a cohort of 3,700 children aged 0-4 y in four districts of Kenya (Bondo, Greater Kisii, Kwale, and Makueni annually between 2004 and 2006. Cross-sectional surveys of ITN coverage were undertaken coincidentally with the incremental availability of commercial sector nets (2004, the introduction of heavily subsidized nets through clinics (2005, and the introduction of free mass distributed ITNs (2006. The changing prevalence of ITN coverage was examined with special reference to the degree of equity in each delivery approach. ITN coverage was only 7.1% in 2004 when the predominant source of nets was the commercial retail sector. By the end of 2005, following the expansion of heavily subsidized clinic distribution system, ITN coverage rose to 23.5%. In 2006 a large-scale mass distribution of ITNs was mounted providing nets free of charge to children, resulting in a dramatic increase in ITN coverage to 67.3%. With each subsequent survey socioeconomic inequity in net coverage sequentially decreased: 2004 (most poor [2.9%] versus least poor [15.6%]; concentration index 0.281; 2005 (most poor [17.5%] versus least poor [37.9%]; concentration index 0.131, and 2006 with near-perfect equality (most poor [66.3%] versus least poor [66.6%]; concentration index 0.000. The free mass distribution method achieved highest coverage among the poorest children, the highly subsidised clinic nets programme was marginally in favour of the least poor, and the commercial

  16. A phase I study of a new polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor, SAM486A, in cancer patients with solid tumours

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paridaens, R; Uges, DRA; Barbet, N; Choi, L; Seeghers, M; van der Graaf, WTA; Groen, HJM; Dumez, H; Van Buuren, [No Value; Muskiet, F; Capdeville, R; van Oosterom, AT; de Vries, EGE

    Because tumour cell proliferation is highly dependent upon up-regulation of de-novo polyamine synthesis, inhibition of the polyamine synthesis pathway represents a potential target for anticancer therapy. SAM486A (CGP 48664) is a new inhibitor of the polyamine biosynthetic enzyme

  17. Mass anti-malarial administration in western Cambodia: a qualitative study of factors affecting coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pell, Christopher; Tripura, Rupam; Nguon, Chea; Cheah, Phaikyeong; Davoeung, Chan; Heng, Chhouen; Dara, Lim; Sareth, Ma; Dondorp, Arjen; von Seidlein, Lorenz; Peto, Thomas J

    2017-05-19

    Mass anti-malarial administration has been proposed as a key component of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria elimination strategy in the Greater Mekong sub-Region. Its effectiveness depends on high levels of coverage in the target population. This article explores the factors that influenced mass anti-malarial administration coverage within a clinical trial in Battambang Province, western Cambodia. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with villagers, in-depth interviews with study staff, trial drop-outs and refusers, and observations in the communities. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and translated from Khmer to English for qualitative content analysis using QSR NVivo. Malaria was an important health concern and villagers reported a demand for malaria treatment. This was in spite of a fall in incidence over the previous decade and a lack of familiarity with asymptomatic malaria. Participants generally understood the overall study aim and were familiar with study activities. Comprehension of the study rationale was however limited. After the first mass anti-malarial administration, seasonal health complaints that participants attributed to the anti-malarial as "side effects" contributed to a decrease of coverage in round two. Staff therefore adapted the community engagement approach, bringing to prominence local leaders in village meetings. This contributed to a subsequent increase in coverage. Future mass anti-malarial administration must consider seasonal disease patterns and the importance of local leaders taking prominent roles in community engagement. Further research is needed to investigate coverage in scenarios that more closely resemble implementation i.e. without participation incentives, blood sampling and free healthcare.

  18. Characterization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silicon substrate comparative with polymer substrate for Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moldovan, Carmen; Mihailescu, Carmen; Stan, Dana; Ruta, Lavinia; Iosub, Rodica; Gavrila, Raluca; Purica, Munizer; Vasilica, Schiopu

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the characterization of two substrates, silicon and polymer coated with gold, that are functionalized by mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in order to efficiently immobilize the anti-Escherichia coli O157:H7 polyclonal purified antibody. A biosurface functionalized by SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) technique has been developed. Immobilization of goat anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody was performed by covalently bonding of thiolate mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) realized on two substrates: polymer coated with gold and silicon coated with gold. The F(ab') 2 fragments of the antibodies have been used for eliminating nonspecific bindings between the Fc portions of antibodies and the Fc receptor on cells. The properties of the monolayers and the biofilm formatted with attached antibody molecules were analyzed at each step using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In our study the gold-coated silicon substrates approach yielded the best results. These experimental results revealed the necessity to investigate each stage of the immobilization process taking into account in the same time the factors that influence the chemistry of the surface and the further interactions as well and also provide a solid basis for further studies aiming at elaborating sensitive and specific immunosensor or a microarray for the detection of E. coli O157:H7.

  19. Effect of assembled time on the corrosion behaviors of SAMs film on the AM60B alloy and its assembled mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Xianbin, E-mail: xbliu@imr.ac.cn; Shan, Dayong; Song, Yingwei; Han, En-hou

    2015-01-15

    The influence of assembled time on the corrosion behaviors of SAMs film on the AM60B alloy and its assembled mechanism have been investigated by electrochemical measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The self-assembled experiment on the AM60B magnesium alloy indicates that the corrosion susceptibility decreases with increasing assembled time until 24 h on cast AM60B alloy and then increases with increase of the assembled time proved by EIS measurement and potentiodynamic curves. The self-assembled experiments on pure magnesium and various heat treated cast AM60B magnesium alloy illuminate that the dissolved aluminum in magnesium solid solution is the key factor for assembled efficiency and is hard to self-assemble on the pure magnesium without aluminum. The corrosion resistance of self-assembled film on AM60B magnesium alloy is monotonically increasing with the dissolved aluminum. The results of XPS analysis reveal the assembled mechanism on AM60B and corroborate the function of Al element. - Highlights: • It is hard to self-assemble on the pure magnesium. • 24 h assembled film has the low corrosion susceptibility by EIS and polarization. • The corrosion susceptibility of SAMs film lie on the Al atom state in AM60B. • The corrosion susceptibility of SAMs film is decreasing with the dissolved Al.

  20. Effect of assembled time on the corrosion behaviors of SAMs film on the AM60B alloy and its assembled mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xianbin; Shan, Dayong; Song, Yingwei; Han, En-hou

    2015-01-01

    The influence of assembled time on the corrosion behaviors of SAMs film on the AM60B alloy and its assembled mechanism have been investigated by electrochemical measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The self-assembled experiment on the AM60B magnesium alloy indicates that the corrosion susceptibility decreases with increasing assembled time until 24 h on cast AM60B alloy and then increases with increase of the assembled time proved by EIS measurement and potentiodynamic curves. The self-assembled experiments on pure magnesium and various heat treated cast AM60B magnesium alloy illuminate that the dissolved aluminum in magnesium solid solution is the key factor for assembled efficiency and is hard to self-assemble on the pure magnesium without aluminum. The corrosion resistance of self-assembled film on AM60B magnesium alloy is monotonically increasing with the dissolved aluminum. The results of XPS analysis reveal the assembled mechanism on AM60B and corroborate the function of Al element. - Highlights: • It is hard to self-assemble on the pure magnesium. • 24 h assembled film has the low corrosion susceptibility by EIS and polarization. • The corrosion susceptibility of SAMs film lie on the Al atom state in AM60B. • The corrosion susceptibility of SAMs film is decreasing with the dissolved Al

  1. Characterization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silicon substrate comparative with polymer substrate for Escherichia coli O157:H7 detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moldovan, Carmen, E-mail: carmen.moldovan@imt.ro [National Institute for R and D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae, 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Mihailescu, Carmen, E-mail: carmen_mihail28@yahoo.com [University of Bucharest, 90-92 Sos Panduri, Bucharest (Romania); Stan, Dana, E-mail: dana_stan2005@yahoo.com [DDS Diagnostic, 1 Segovia Street, Bucharest (Romania); Ruta, Lavinia, E-mail: laviniacoco@yahoo.com [University of Bucharest, 90-92 Sos Panduri, Bucharest (Romania); Iosub, Rodica, E-mail: rodica.iosub@imt.ro [National Institute for R and D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae, 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Gavrila, Raluca, E-mail: raluca.gavrila@imt.ro [National Institute for R and D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae, 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Purica, Munizer, E-mail: munizer.purica@imt.ro [National Institute for R and D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae, 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Vasilica, Schiopu, E-mail: vasilica.schiopu@imt.ro [National Institute for R and D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae, 077190 Bucharest (Romania)

    2009-08-30

    This article presents the characterization of two substrates, silicon and polymer coated with gold, that are functionalized by mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in order to efficiently immobilize the anti-Escherichia coli O157:H7 polyclonal purified antibody. A biosurface functionalized by SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) technique has been developed. Immobilization of goat anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody was performed by covalently bonding of thiolate mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) realized on two substrates: polymer coated with gold and silicon coated with gold. The F(ab'){sub 2} fragments of the antibodies have been used for eliminating nonspecific bindings between the Fc portions of antibodies and the Fc receptor on cells. The properties of the monolayers and the biofilm formatted with attached antibody molecules were analyzed at each step using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In our study the gold-coated silicon substrates approach yielded the best results. These experimental results revealed the necessity to investigate each stage of the immobilization process taking into account in the same time the factors that influence the chemistry of the surface and the further interactions as well and also provide a solid basis for further studies aiming at elaborating sensitive and specific immunosensor or a microarray for the detection of E. coli O157:H7.

  2. Simultaneous determination of four active components in Alisma orientale (Sam. Juz. by HPLC–DAD using a single reference standard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yao-Wen Zhang

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available A rapid, simple and practical high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with diode array detector (HPLC–DAD was developed to evaluate the quality of Alisma orientale (Sam. Juz. through a simultaneous determination of four major active triterpenes using a single standard to determine the multi-components (SSDMCs. Alisol B 23-acetate was selected as the reference compound for calculating the relative response factors. All calibration curves showed good linearity (R2>0.9998 within test ranges. RSDs for intra- and inter-day of four analytes were less than 3.6% and 2.3%; the overall recovery was 92.1–110.2% (SSDMC. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantify the four components in 20 samples from different localities in China. Moreover, significant variations were demonstrated in the content of these compounds. In addition, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA and principal components analysis (PCA were performed to differentiate and classify the samples based on the contents of Alisol C 23-acetate, Alisol A, Alisol A 24-acetate and Alisol B 23-acetate. This simple, rapid, low-cost and reliable HPLC–DAD method using SSDMC is suitable for routine quantitative analysis and quality control of A. orientale (Sam. Juz. Keywords: SSDMC, Alisma orientale (Sam. Juz, Quality control, HCA, PCA

  3. Potential Precursor Compounds for Chlorohydrocarbons Detected in Gale Crater, Mars, by the SAM Instrument Suite on the Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kristen E.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Freissinet, Caroline; Glavin, Daniel P.; Kotrc, Benjamin; Francois, Pascaline; Summons, Roger E.

    2016-01-01

    The detection of chlorinated organic compounds in near-surface sedimentary rocks by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite aboard the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover represents an important step toward characterizing habitable environments on Mars. However, this discovery also raises questions about the identity and source of their precursor compounds and the processes by which they become chlorinated. Here we present the results of analog experiments, conducted under conditions similar to SAM gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, in which we pyrolyzed potential precursor compounds in the presence of various Cl salts and Fe oxides that have been identified in Martian sediments. While chloromethanes could not be unambiguously identified, 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), which is one of the chlorinated compounds identified in SAM data, is formed from the chlorination of aliphatic precursors. Additionally, propanol produced more 1,2-DCP than nonfunctionalized aliphatics such as propane or hexanes. Chlorinated benzenes ranging from chlorobenzene to hexachlorobenzene were identified in experiments with benzene carboxylic acids but not with benzene or toluene. Lastly, the distribution of chlorinated benzenes depended on both the substrate species and the nature and concentration of the Cl salt. Ca and Mg perchlorate, both of which release O2 in addition to Cl2 and HCl upon pyrolysis, formed less chlorobenzene relative to the sum of all chlorinated benzenes than in experiments with ferric chloride. FeCl3, a Lewis acid, catalyzes chlorination but does not aid combustion. Accordingly, both the precursor chemistry and sample mineralogy exert important controls on the distribution of chlorinated organics.

  4. Reflections on the individual–collective relation in change agency formation in the Samsø renewable energy island project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsson, Monica Susanne

    2018-01-01

    This paper offers reflections on change agency formation in the Renewable Energy Island (REI) project on Samsø, following a field visit to the island in June 2016. Both individual and collective agency are set out as central for the processes leading to the change in the REI project, spurring ref...

  5. Effect of the Presence of Chlorates and Perchlorates on the Pyrolysis of Organic Compounds: Implications for Measurements Done with the SAM Experiment Onboard the Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millan, M.; Szopa, C.; Buch, A.; Belmahdi, I.; Coll, P.; Glavin, D. P.; Freissinet, C.; Archer, P. D., Jr.; Sutter, B.; Summons, R. E.; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Rover carries a suite of instruments, one of which is the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) experiment. SAM is devoted to the in situ molecular analysis of gases evolving from solid samples collected by Curiosity on Mars surface/sub-surface. Among its three analytical devices, SAM has a gaschromatograph coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (GC-QMS). The GC-QMS is devoted to the separation and identification of organic and inorganic material. Before proceeding to the GC-QMS analysis, the solid sample collected by Curiosity is subjected to a thermal treatment thanks to the pyrolysis oven to release the volatiles into the gas processing system. Depending on the sample, a derivatization method by wet chemistry: MTBSTFA of TMAH can also be applied to analyze the most refractory compounds. The GC is able to separate the organic molecules which are then detected and identified by the QMS (Figure 1). For the second time after the Viking landers in 1976, SAM detected chlorinated organic compounds with the pyrolysis GC-QMS experiment. The detection of perchlorates salts (ClO4-) in soil at the Phoenix Landing site suggests that the chlorohydrocarbons detected could come from the reaction of organics with oxychlorines. Indeed, laboratory pyrolysis experiments have demonstrated that oxychlorines decomposed into molecular oxygen and volatile chlorine (HCl and/or Cl2) when heated which then react with the organic matter in the solid samples by oxidation and/or chlorination processes.

  6. CO-CO coupling on Cu facets: Coverage, strain and field effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandberg, Robert B.; Montoya, Joseph H.; Chan, Karen; Nørskov, Jens K.

    2016-01-01

    We present a DFT study on the effect of coverage, strain, and electric field on CO-CO coupling energetics on Cu (100), (111), and (211). Our calculations indicate that CO-CO coupling is facile on all three facets in the presence of a cation-induced electric field in the Helmholtz plane, with the lowest barrier on Cu(100). The CO dimerization pathway is therefore expected to play a role in C_2 formation at potentials negative of the Cu potential of zero charge, corresponding to CO_2/CO reduction conditions at high pH. Both increased *CO coverage and tensile strain further improve C-C coupling energetics on Cu (111) and (211). Since CO dimerization is facile on all 3 Cu facets, subsequent surface hydrogenation steps may also play an important role in determining the overall activity towards C_2 products. Adsorption of *CO, *H, and *OH on the 3 facets were investigated with a Pourbaix analysis. Here, the (211) facet has the largest propensity to co-adsorb *CO and *H, which would favor surface hydrogenation following CO dimerization.

  7. Influence of the solution pH in the 6-mercaptopurine self-assembled monolayer (6MP-SAM) on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madueño, Rafael; García-Raya, Daniel; Viudez, Alfonso J; Sevilla, José M; Pineda, Teresa; Blázquez, Manuel

    2007-10-23

    Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) have been prepared on a Au(111) single-crystal electrode by immersion of the metal surface in a 100 microM 6MP and 0.01 M HClO4 solution. The 6MP-SAM Au(111) single-crystal electrodes were transferred to the cell and allowed to equilibrate with the different aqueous working solutions before the electrochemical experiments. The influence of the solution pH was studied by cyclic voltammetry, double layer capacitance curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of the 6MP-SAM in acetic acid at pH 4 presents important differences in comparison to that obtained in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Cyclic voltammograms for the reductive desorption process in acid medium are broad and show some features that can be explained by a phase transition between a chemisorbed and a physisorbed state of the 6MP molecules. The low solubility of these molecules in acid medium could explain this phenomenon and the readsorption of the complete monolayer when the potential is scanned in the positive direction. The variation of the double-layer capacitance values in the potential range of monolayer stability with the pH suggests that the acid-base chemistry of the 6MP molecules is playing a role. This fact has been studied by following the variations of the electron-transfer rate constant of the highly charged redox probes as are Fe(CN)(6)-3/-4 and Ru(NH3)(6)+3/+2 as a function of solution pH. The apparent surface pKa value for the 6MP-SAM (pKa approximately 8) is explained by the total conversion of the different 6MP tautomers that exist in solution to the thiol species in the adsorbed state.

  8. 29 CFR 2.13 - Audiovisual coverage prohibited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Audiovisual coverage prohibited. 2.13 Section 2.13 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor GENERAL REGULATIONS Audiovisual Coverage of Administrative Hearings § 2.13 Audiovisual coverage prohibited. The Department shall not permit audiovisual coverage of the...

  9. Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) as Critical In Situ Investigation for Targeting Mars Returned Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Szopa, C.; Buch, A.; Goesmann, F.; Goetz, W.; Raulin, F.; SAM Science Team; MOMA Science Team

    2018-04-01

    SAM (Curiosity) and MOMA (ExoMars) Mars instruments, seeking for organics and biosignatures, are essential to establish taphonomic windows of preservation of molecules, in order to target the most interesting samples to return from Mars.

  10. Chemical imaging of structured SAMs with a novel SFG microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Dominik M. P.; Kuhnke, Klaus; Kern, Klaus

    2002-11-01

    We present a newly developed microscope for sum frequency generation (SFG) imaging of opaque and reflecting interfaces. The sample is viewed at an angle of 60° with respect to the surface normal in order to increase the collected SFG intensity. Our setup is designed to keep the whole field of view (FOV) in focus and to compensate for the distortion usually related to oblique imaging by means of a blazed grating. The separation of the SFG intensity and the reflected visible beam is accomplished by a suitable combination of spectral filters. The sum frequency microscope (SFM) is capable of in-situ chemically selective imaging by tuning the IR-beam to vibrational transitions of the respective molecules. The SFM is applied to imaging of structured self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of thiol molecules on a gold surface.

  11. Stool frequency recording in severe acute malnutrition ('StoolSAM'); an agreement study comparing maternal recall versus direct observation using diapers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voskuijl, Wieger; Potani, Isabel; Bandsma, Robert; Baan, Anne; White, Sarah; Bourdon, Celine; Kerac, Marko

    2017-01-01

    Background: Approximately 50% of the deaths of children under the age of 5 can be attributed to undernutrition, which also encompasses severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Diarrhoea is strongly associated with these deaths and is commonly diagnosed solely based on stool frequency and consistency

  12. 42 CFR 440.330 - Benchmark health benefits coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...) Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan Equivalent Coverage (FEHBP—Equivalent Health Insurance Coverage). A... coverage. Health benefits coverage that is offered and generally available to State employees in the State... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Benchmark health benefits coverage. 440.330 Section...

  13. Efecto de la polietilenimina en la actividad catalítica de la peroxidasa de rábano (horseradish peroxidase inmovilizada en electrodos de oro modificados con monocapas autoensambladas de tioles (SAMs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro R. Matheus

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Effect of the Polyethyleneimine in the Activity Catalytic of the horseradish peroxidase Immobilized on Gold Electrodes Modified with a Self-assembled Monolayer of Thiols (SAMs. Studies were conducted bycyclic voltammetry (CV to investigate the effect of the polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI in the electrochemical reversibility of the mediator thionine and thus the catalytic activity of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase of recombinant HRP-NHis (horseradish peroxidase to the has been added to a chain of six histidine in the extreme N-terminal protein. This self produced monolayers of thiols (SAMS on gold electrodes, with chemical modifications obtained through successive stages in the solid phase of the electrode. The gold electrodes were modified with monolayer SAM-TOA-[ANTA/DADOO] -Co2+ [SAM: self-assembled monolayers of thiols, TOA: dithioctic acid, ANTA: nitrilotriacetic acid, DADOO: 1,8-diamino-3,6-dioxa octane]. The results showed that the presence of the polymer improves the electrochemical reversibility of the mediator to endure catalyticcurrents as high as those that are obtained with molar ratios ANTA:DADOO 10:1 in the absence of PEI, and improve the response voltammetric obtained.

  14. GoSam 2.0. Automated one loop calculations within and beyond the standard model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greiner, Nicolas; Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron

    2014-10-01

    We present GoSam 2.0, a fully automated framework for the generation and evaluation of one loop amplitudes in multi leg processes. The new version offers numerous improvements both on generational aspects as well as on the reduction side. This leads to a faster and more stable code for calculations within and beyond the Standard Model. Furthermore it contains the extended version of the standardized interface to Monte Carlo programs which allows for an easy combination with other existing tools. We briefly describe the conceptual innovations and present some phenomenological results.

  15. To what extent does the reporting behavior of the media regarding a celebrity suicide influence subsequent suicides in South Korea?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, JeSuk; Lee, Weon-Young; Hwang, Jang-Sun; Stack, Steven John

    2014-08-01

    This study investigated the nature of media coverage of a national entertainer's suicide and its impact on subsequent suicides. After the celebrity suicide, the number of suicide-related articles reported surged around 80 times in the week after the suicide compared with the week prior. Many articles (37.1%) violated several critical items on the World Health Organization suicide reporting guidelines, like containing a detailed suicide method. Most gender and age subgroups were at significantly higher risk of suicide during the 4 weeks after the celebrity suicide. Results imply that massive and noncompliant media coverage of a celebrity suicide can cause a large-scale copycat effect. © 2014 The American Association of Suicidology.

  16. Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Two Lectins from Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus L. Blossoms Related to the Sam n1 Allergen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomas Girbes

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Sambucus species contain a number of lectins with and without antiribosomal activity. Here, we show that dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L. blossoms express two D-galactose-binding lectins that were isolated and purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. These proteins, which we named ebulin blo (A-B toxin and SELblo (B-B lectin—blo from blossoms—were subjected to molecular characterization and analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and tryptic peptide fingerprinting. Both lectins share a high degree of amino acid sequence homology with Sambucus lectins related to the Sam n1 allergen. Ebulin blo, but not SELblo, was highly toxic by nasal instillation to mice. Overall, our results suggested that both lectins would belong to an allergen family exemplified by Sam n1 and could trigger allergy responses. Furthermore, they raise a concern about ebulin blo toxicity.

  17. 40 CFR 51.356 - Vehicle coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Vehicle coverage. 51.356 Section 51.356....356 Vehicle coverage. The performance standard for enhanced I/M programs assumes coverage of all 1968 and later model year light duty vehicles and light duty trucks up to 8,500 pounds GVWR, and includes...

  18. Review on dog rabies vaccination coverage in Africa: a question of dog accessibility or cost recovery?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jibat, Tariku; Hogeveen, Henk; Mourits, Monique C M

    2015-02-01

    Rabies still poses a significant human health problem throughout most of Africa, where the majority of the human cases results from dog bites. Mass dog vaccination is considered to be the most effective method to prevent rabies in humans. Our objective was to systematically review research articles on dog rabies parenteral vaccination coverage in Africa in relation to dog accessibility and vaccination cost recovery arrangement (i.e.free of charge or owner charged). A systematic literature search was made in the databases of CAB abstracts (EBSCOhost and OvidSP), Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline (EBSCOhost and OvidSP) and AJOL (African Journal Online) for peer reviewed articles on 1) rabies control, 2) dog rabies vaccination coverage and 3) dog demography in Africa. Identified articles were subsequently screened and selected using predefined selection criteria like year of publication (viz. ≥ 1990), type of study (cross sectional), objective(s) of the study (i.e. vaccination coverage rates, dog demographics and financial arrangements of vaccination costs), language of publication (English) and geographical focus (Africa). The selection process resulted in sixteen peer reviewed articles which were used to review dog demography and dog ownership status, and dog rabies vaccination coverage throughout Africa. The main review findings indicate that 1) the majority (up to 98.1%) of dogs in African countries are owned (and as such accessible), 2) puppies younger than 3 months of age constitute a considerable proportion (up to 30%) of the dog population and 3) male dogs are dominating in numbers (up to 3.6 times the female dog population). Dog rabies parenteral vaccination coverage was compared between "free of charge" and "owner charged" vaccination schemes by the technique of Meta-analysis. Results indicate that the rabies vaccination coverage following a free of charge vaccination scheme (68%) is closer to the World Health Organization recommended coverage rate

  19. Fluorocarbon Contamination from the Drill on the Mars Science Laboratory: Potential Science Impact on Detecting Martian Organics by Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eigenbrode, J. L.; McAdam, A.; Franz, H.; Freissinet, C.; Bower, H.; Floyd, M.; Conrad, P.; Mahaffy, P.; Feldman, J.; Hurowitz, J.; hide

    2013-01-01

    Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or trade name: Teflon by Dupont Co.) has been detected in rocks drilled during terrestrial testing of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) drilling hardware. The PTFE in sediments is a wear product of the seals used in the Drill Bit Assemblies (DBAs). It is expected that the drill assembly on the MSL flight model will also shed Teflon particles into drilled samples. One of the primary goals of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on MSL is to test for the presence of martian organics in samples. Complications introduced by the potential presence of PTFE in drilled samples to the SAM evolved gas analysis (EGA or pyrolysisquadrupole mass spectrometry, pyr-QMS) and pyrolysis- gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Pyr- GCMS) experiments was investigated.

  20. Granular statistical mechanics - Building on the legacy of Sir Sam Edwards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumenfeld, Raphael

    When Sir Sam Edwards laid down the foundations for the statistical mechanics of jammed granular materials he opened a new field in soft condensed matter and many followed. In this presentation we review briefly the Edwards formalism and some of its less discussed consequences. We point out that the formalism is useful for other classes of systems - cellular and porous materials. A certain shortcoming of the original formalism is then discussed and a modification to overcome it is proposed. Finally, a derivation of an equation of state with the new formalism is presented; the equation of state is analogous to the PVT relation for thermal gases, relating the volume, the boundary stress and measures of the structural and stress fluctuations. NUDT, Changsha, China, Imperial College London, UK, Cambridge University, UK.

  1. Radical SAM, A Novel Protein Superfamily Linking Unresolved Steps in Familiar Biosynthetic Pathways with Radical Mechanisms: Functional Characterization Using New Analysis and Information Visualization Methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sofia, Heidi J.; Chen, Guang; Hetzler, Elizabeth G.; Reyes Spindola, Jorge F.; Miller, Nancy E.

    2001-03-01

    A large protein superfamily with over 500 members has been discovered and analyzed using powerful new bioinformatics and information visualization methods. Evidence exists that these proteins generate a 5?-deoxyadenosyl radical by reductive cleavage of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) through an unusual Fe-S center. Radical SAM superfamily proteins function in DNA precursor, vitamin, cofactor, antibiotic, and herbicide biosynthesis in a collection of basic and familiar pathways. One of the members is interferon-inducible and is considered a candidate drug target for osteoporosis. The identification of this superfamily suggests that radical-based catalysis is important in a number of previously well-studied but unresolved biochemical pathways.

  2. Insurance Coverage Policies for Personalized Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Hresko

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Adoption of personalized medicine in practice has been slow, in part due to the lack of evidence of clinical benefit provided by these technologies. Coverage by insurers is a critical step in achieving widespread adoption of personalized medicine. Insurers consider a variety of factors when formulating medical coverage policies for personalized medicine, including the overall strength of evidence for a test, availability of clinical guidelines and health technology assessments by independent organizations. In this study, we reviewed coverage policies of the largest U.S. insurers for genomic (disease-related and pharmacogenetic (PGx tests to determine the extent that these tests were covered and the evidence basis for the coverage decisions. We identified 41 coverage policies for 49 unique testing: 22 tests for disease diagnosis, prognosis and risk and 27 PGx tests. Fifty percent (or less of the tests reviewed were covered by insurers. Lack of evidence of clinical utility appears to be a major factor in decisions of non-coverage. The inclusion of PGx information in drug package inserts appears to be a common theme of PGx tests that are covered. This analysis highlights the variability of coverage determinations and factors considered, suggesting that the adoption of personal medicine will affected by numerous factors, but will continue to be slowed due to lack of demonstrated clinical benefit.

  3. Characterization of manganese tetraarylthiosubstituted phthalocyanines self assembled monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matemadombo, Fungisai; Durmus, Mahmut; Togo, Chamunorwa; Limson, Janice; Nyokong, Tebello

    2009-01-01

    Manganese tetraarylthiosubstituted phthalocyanines (complexes 1-5) have been deposited on Au electrode surfaces through the self assembled monolayer (SAM) technique. SAM characteristics reported in this work are: ion barrier factor (∼1); interfacial capacitance (303-539 μF cm -2 ) and surface coverage (1.06 x 10 -10 -2.80 x 10 -10 mol cm -2 ). Atomic force microscopy was employed in characterizing a SAM. SAMs of complexes 1-5 were employed to detect L-cysteine (with limit of detection ranging from 2.83 x 10 -7 to 3.14 x 10 -7 M at potentials of 0.68-0.75 V vs. Ag|AgCl) and nitrite (limit of detection ranging from 1.78 x 10 -7 to 3.02 x 10 -7 M at potentials of 0.69-0.76 V vs. Ag|AgCl).

  4. Single-base resolution and long-coverage sequencing based on single-molecule nanomanipulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An Hongjie; Huang Jiehuan; Lue Ming; Li Xueling; Lue Junhong; Li Haikuo; Zhang Yi; Li Minqian; Hu Jun

    2007-01-01

    We show new approaches towards a novel single-molecule sequencing strategy which consists of high-resolution positioning isolation of overlapping DNA fragments with atomic force microscopy (AFM), subsequent single-molecule PCR amplification and conventional Sanger sequencing. In this study, a DNA labelling technique was used to guarantee the accuracy in positioning the target DNA. Single-molecule multiplex PCR was carried out to test the contamination. The results showed that the two overlapping DNA fragments isolated by AFM could be successfully sequenced with high quality and perfect contiguity, indicating that single-base resolution and long-coverage sequencing have been achieved simultaneously

  5. Percent Coverage

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Percent Coverage is a spreadsheet that keeps track of and compares the number of vessels that have departed with and without observers to the numbers of vessels...

  6. A New Structural Form in the SAM/Metal-Dependent O;#8209;Methyltransferase Family: MycE from the Mycinamicin Biosynthetic Pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akey, David L.; Li, Shengying; Konwerski, Jamie R.; Confer, Laura A.; Bernard, Steffen M.; Anzai, Yojiro; Kato, Fumio; Sherman, David H.; Smith, Janet L. (Michigan); (Toho)

    2012-08-01

    O-linked methylation of sugar substituents is a common modification in the biosynthesis of many natural products and is catalyzed by multiple families of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM or AdoMet)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs). Mycinamicins, potent antibiotics from Micromonospora griseorubida, can be methylated at two positions on a 6-deoxyallose substituent. The first methylation is catalyzed by MycE, a SAM- and metal-dependent MT. Crystal structures were determined for MycE bound to the product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and magnesium, both with and without the natural substrate mycinamicin VI. This represents the first structure of a natural product sugar MT in complex with its natural substrate. MycE is a tetramer of a two-domain polypeptide, comprising a C-terminal catalytic MT domain and an N-terminal auxiliary domain, which is important for quaternary assembly and for substrate binding. The symmetric MycE tetramer has a novel MT organization in which each of the four active sites is formed at the junction of three monomers within the tetramer. The active-site structure supports a mechanism in which a conserved histidine acts as a general base, and the metal ion helps to position the methyl acceptor and to stabilize a hydroxylate intermediate. A conserved tyrosine is suggested to support activity through interactions with the transferred methyl group from the SAM methyl donor. The structure of the free enzyme reveals a dramatic order-disorder transition in the active site relative to the S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine complexes, suggesting a mechanism for product/substrate exchange through concerted movement of five loops and the polypeptide C-terminus.

  7. Providing Universal Health Insurance Coverage in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okebukola, Peter O; Brieger, William R

    2016-07-07

    Despite a stated goal of achieving universal coverage, the National Health Insurance Scheme of Nigeria had achieved only 4% coverage 12 years after it was launched. This study assessed the plans of the National Health Insurance Scheme to achieve universal health insurance coverage in Nigeria by 2015 and discusses the challenges facing the scheme in achieving insurance coverage. In-depth interviews from various levels of the health-care system in the country, including providers, were conducted. The results of the analysis suggest that challenges to extending coverage include the difficulty in convincing autonomous state governments to buy into the scheme and an inadequate health workforce that might not be able to meet increased demand. Recommendations for increasing the scheme's coverage include increasing decentralization and strengthening human resources for health in the service delivery systems. Strong political will is needed as a catalyst to achieving these goals. © The Author(s) 2016.

  8. Replacing -CH2CH2- with -CONH- does not significantly change rates of charge transport through Ag(TS)-SAM//Ga2O3/EGaIn junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thuo, Martin M; Reus, William F; Simeone, Felice C; Kim, Choongik; Schulz, Michael D; Yoon, Hyo Jae; Whitesides, George M

    2012-07-04

    This paper describes physical-organic studies of charge transport by tunneling through self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), based on systematic variations of the structure of the molecules constituting the SAM. Replacing a -CH(2)CH(2)- group with a -CONH- group changes the dipole moment and polarizability of a portion of the molecule and has, in principle, the potential to change the rate of charge transport through the SAM. In practice, this substitution produces no significant change in the rate of charge transport across junctions of the structure Ag(TS)-S(CH(2))(m)X(CH(2))(n)H//Ga(2)O(3)/EGaIn (TS = template stripped, X = -CH(2)CH(2)- or -CONH-, and EGaIn = eutectic alloy of gallium and indium). Incorporation of the amide group does, however, increase the yields of working (non-shorting) junctions (when compared to n-alkanethiolates of the same length). These results suggest that synthetic schemes that combine a thiol group on one end of a molecule with a group, R, to be tested, on the other (e.g., HS~CONH~R) using an amide-based coupling provide practical routes to molecules useful in studies of molecular electronics.

  9. Intra-mitochondrial Methylation Deficiency Due to Mutations in SLC25A26

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kishita, Y.; Pajak, A.; Bolar, N.A.; Marobbio, C.M.; Maffezzini, C.; Miniero, D.V.; Monne, M.; Kohda, M.; Stranneheim, H.; Murayama, K.; Naess, K.; Lesko, N.; Bruhn, H.; Mourier, A.; Wibom, R.; Nennesmo, I.; Jespers, A.; Govaert, P.; Ohtake, A.; Laer, L. Van; Loeys, B.L.; Freyer, C.; Palmieri, F.; Wredenberg, A.; Okazaki, Y.; Wedell, A.

    2015-01-01

    S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the predominant methyl group donor and has a large spectrum of target substrates. As such, it is essential for nearly all biological methylation reactions. SAM is synthesized by methionine adenosyltransferase from methionine and ATP in the cytoplasm and subsequently

  10. Biodistribution of samarium-153-EDTMP in rats treated with docetaxel Biodistribuição de EDTMP-153-samário em ratos tratados com docetaxel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur Villarim Neto

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: Many patients with metastatic bone disease have to use radiopharmaceuticals associated with chemotherapy to relieve bone pain. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of docetaxel on the biodistribution of samarium-153-EDTMP in bones and other organs of rats. METHODS: Wistar male rats were randomly allocated into 2 groups of 6 rats each. The DS (docetaxel/samarium group received docetaxel (15 mg/kg intraperitoneally in two cycles 11 days apart. The S (samarium/control group rats were not treated with docetaxel. Nine days after chemotherapy, all the rats were injected with 0.1ml of samarium-153-EDTMP via orbital plexus (25µCi. After 2 hours, the animals were killed and samples of the brain, thyroid, lung, heart, stomach, colon, liver, kidney and both femurs were removed. The percentage radioactivity of each sample (% ATI/g was determined in an automatic gamma-counter (Wizard-1470, Perkin-Elmer, Finland. RESULTS: On the 9th day after the administration of the 2nd chemotherapy cycle, the rats had a significant weight loss (314.50±22.09g compared (pOBJETIVO: Muitos pacientes com metástases ósseas são tratados com radiofármacos associados com quimioterapia para alívio da dor óssea. O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar a influência do docetaxel na biodistribuição do EDTMP-153-samário nos ossos e outros órgãos de ratos. MÉTODOS: Ratos Wistar foram aleatoriamente alocados em 2 grupos de 6 animais cada. O grupo DS (docetaxel/samário recebeu docetaxel (15 mg/kg intraperitoneal em dois ciclos com 11 dias de intervalo. Os ratos do grupo S (samário/controle não foram tratados com docetaxel. Nove dias após a quimioterapia, todos os animais receberam 0,1ml de EDTMP-153-samário via plexo orbital (25µCi. Após 2 horas, os animais foram mortos e feitas biópsias de cérebro, tireóide, pulmão, coração, estômago, cólon, fígado, rim e fêmures. O percentual de radioatividade por grama (%ATI/g de tecido de cada bi

  11. Constructing identities in the media: newspaper coverage analysis of a major UK Clostridium difficile outbreak.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burnett, Emma; Johnston, Bridget; Corlett, Joanne; Kearney, Nora

    2014-07-01

    To examine how a major Clostridium difficile outbreak in the UK was represented in the media. Clostridium difficile is a serious health care-associated infection with significant global prevalence. As major outbreaks have continued to occur worldwide over the last few decades, it has also resulted in increasing media coverage. Newspaper journalists are, however, frequently criticized for sensationalized and inaccurate reporting and alarming the public. Despite such criticisms, nothing is known about how the media frame Clostridium difficile related coverage. Qualitative interpretive descriptive study. An interpretive analysis of newspaper articles from the national press that reported about the outbreak from the first day of coverage over 3 weeks (12 June-3 July 2008). Twenty-eight newspaper articles were included in the study from tabloids, broadsheets, a regional and a Sunday newspaper. Monster and war metaphors were frequently adopted to portray the severity of Clostridium difficile and the impact it can have on patient safety. In addition, the positioning of the affected patients, their families, healthcare professionals and the Government produced representations of victims, villains and heroes. This subsequently evoked notions of vulnerability, blame and conflict. The media are and will remain critical convectors of public information and, as such, are hugely influential in risk perceptions and responses. Rather than simply dismissing media coverage, further understanding around how such stories in specific contexts are constructed and represented is needed so that it can help inform future communication and management strategies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Network television news coverage of environmental risks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenberg, M.R.; Sandman, P.M.; Sachsman, D.V.; Salomone, K.L.

    1989-01-01

    Despite the criticisms that surround television coverage of environmental risk, there have been relatively few attempts to measure what and whom television shows. Most research has focused analysis on a few weeks of coverage of major stories like the gas leak at Bhopal, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, or the Mount St. Helen's eruption. To advance the research into television coverage of environmental risk, an analysis has been made of all environmental risk coverage by the network nightly news broadcasts for a period of more than two years. Researchers have analyzed all environmental risk coverage-564 stories in 26 months-presented on ABC, CBS, and NBC's evening news broadcasts from January 1984 through February 1986. The quantitative information from the 564 stories was balanced by a more qualitative analysis of the television coverage of two case studies-the dioxin contamination in Times Beach, Missouri, and the suspected methyl isocyanate emissions from the Union Carbide plant in Institute, West Virginia. Both qualitative and quantitative data contributed to the analysis of the role played by experts and environmental advocacy sources in coverage of environmental risk and to the suggestions for increasing that role

  13. The influence of media coverage of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Andrew T A; Hawton, Keith; Chen, Tony H H; Yen, Amy M F; Chen, Chung-Ying; Chen, Lin-Chen; Teng, Po-Ren

    2007-06-01

    To investigate the impact of media reporting of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts. A Poisson time series autoregression analysis was conducted to examine whether there was a significant increase in suicide attempts during the 3-week period after the start of extensive media reporting of a celebrity suicide. The reporting began on May 2, 2005, and lasted about 17 days. To investigate the influence of media reporting on suicide attempts, a structured interview was conducted with 124 suicide attempters identified from 2 counties in Mid Taiwan who had exposure to the media reporting. After controlling for seasonal variation, calendar year, temperature, and humidity, there was a marked increase in the number of suicide attempts during the 3-week period after media reporting began (adjusted relative risk = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.91). Among 124 suicide attempters exposed to the media reports, 23.4% reported an influence from them. There was no relationship between the attempters' ages and the age of the celebrity or the method, but male attempters had a significantly higher risk for such influence. A considerably higher risk for such influence was found among subjects with a history of suicide attempt(s) in the previous year (odds ratio = 52.3, 95% CI = 5.96 to 459.1). The extensive media reporting of the suicide of a celebrity was followed by an increase in suicide attempts. The effect was particularly marked in individuals with a recent history of a suicide attempt. The results provide further support for the need for more restrained reporting of suicides as part of suicide prevention strategies and for special vigilance for contagious effects of such reporting on people who have carried out recent suicidal acts.

  14. Growth dynamics of L-cysteine SAMs on single-crystal gold surfaces: a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canepa, M.; Lavagnino, L.; Pasquali, L.; Moroni, R.; Bisio, F.; DeRenzi, V.; Terreni, S.; Mattera, L.

    2009-07-01

    We report on a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy investigation of the growth of L-cysteine layers deposited under UHV conditions on well-defined Au(110)- (1 × 2) and Au(111) surfaces. The interaction of He* with molecular orbitals gave rise to well-defined UPS-like Penning spectra which provided information on the SAM assembly dynamics and adsorption configurations. Penning spectra have been interpreted through comparison with molecular orbital DFT calculations of the free molecule and have been compared with XPS results of previous works. Regarding adsorption of first-layer molecules at room temperature (RT), two different growth regimes were observed. On Au(110), the absence of spectral features related to orbitals associated with SH groups indicated the formation of a compact SAM of thiolate molecules. On Au(111), the data demonstrated the simultaneous presence, since the early stages of growth, of strongly and weakly bound molecules, the latter showing intact SH groups. The different growth mode was tentatively assigned to the added rows of the reconstructed Au(110) surface which behave as extended defects effectively promoting the formation of the S-Au bond. The growth of the second molecular layer was instead observed to proceed similarly for both substrates. Second-layer molecules preferably adopt an adsorption configuration in which the SH group protrudes into the vacuum side.

  15. Growth dynamics of L-cysteine SAMs on single-crystal gold surfaces: a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canepa, M; Lavagnino, L; Moroni, R; Bisio, F; Terreni, S; Mattera, L; Pasquali, L; De Renzi, V

    2009-01-01

    We report on a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy investigation of the growth of L-cysteine layers deposited under UHV conditions on well-defined Au(110)- (1 x 2) and Au(111) surfaces. The interaction of He* with molecular orbitals gave rise to well-defined UPS-like Penning spectra which provided information on the SAM assembly dynamics and adsorption configurations. Penning spectra have been interpreted through comparison with molecular orbital DFT calculations of the free molecule and have been compared with XPS results of previous works. Regarding adsorption of first-layer molecules at room temperature (RT), two different growth regimes were observed. On Au(110), the absence of spectral features related to orbitals associated with SH groups indicated the formation of a compact SAM of thiolate molecules. On Au(111), the data demonstrated the simultaneous presence, since the early stages of growth, of strongly and weakly bound molecules, the latter showing intact SH groups. The different growth mode was tentatively assigned to the added rows of the reconstructed Au(110) surface which behave as extended defects effectively promoting the formation of the S-Au bond. The growth of the second molecular layer was instead observed to proceed similarly for both substrates. Second-layer molecules preferably adopt an adsorption configuration in which the SH group protrudes into the vacuum side.

  16. 20 CFR 404.1065 - Self-employment coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Self-employment coverage. 404.1065 Section... INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Self-Employment § 404.1065 Self-employment coverage. For an individual to have self-employment coverage under social security, the...

  17. Assessing Measurement Error in Medicare Coverage

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Assessing Measurement Error in Medicare Coverage From the National Health Interview Survey Using linked administrative data, to validate Medicare coverage estimates...

  18. 7 CFR 457.172 - Coverage Enhancement Option.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Coverage Enhancement Option. 457.172 Section 457.172..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.172 Coverage Enhancement Option. The Coverage Enhancement Option for the 2009 and succeeding crop years are as follows: FCIC policies: United...

  19. 29 CFR 2.12 - Audiovisual coverage permitted.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Audiovisual coverage permitted. 2.12 Section 2.12 Labor Office of the Secretary of Labor GENERAL REGULATIONS Audiovisual Coverage of Administrative Hearings § 2.12 Audiovisual coverage permitted. The following are the types of hearings where the Department...

  20. Optimisation and Characterisation of Anti-Fouling Ternary SAM Layers for Impedance-Based Aptasensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Miodek

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available An aptasensor with enhanced anti-fouling properties has been developed. As a case study, the aptasensor was designed with specificity for human thrombin. The sensing platform was developed on screen printed electrodes and is composed of a self-assembled monolayer made from a ternary mixture of 15-base thiolated DNA aptamers specific for human thrombin co-immobilised with 1,6-hexanedithiol (HDT and further passivated with 1-mercapto-6-hexanol (MCH. HDT binds to the surface by two of its thiol groups forming alkyl chain bridges and this architecture protects from non-specific attachment of molecules to the electrode surface. Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS, the aptasensor is able to detect human thrombin as variations in charge transfer resistance (Rct upon protein binding. After exposure to a high concentration of non-specific Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA solution, no changes in the Rct value were observed, highlighting the bio-fouling resistance of the surface generated. In this paper, we present the optimisation and characterisation of the aptasensor based on the ternary self-assembled monolayer (SAM layer. We show that anti-fouling properties depend on the type of gold surface used for biosensor construction, which was also confirmed by contact angle measurements. We further studied the ratio between aptamers and HDT, which can determine the specificity and selectivity of the sensing layer. We also report the influence of buffer pH and temperature used for incubation of electrodes with proteins on detection and anti-fouling properties. Finally, the stability of the aptasensor was studied by storage of modified electrodes for up to 28 days in different buffers and atmospheric conditions. Aptasensors based on ternary SAM layers are highly promising for clinical applications for detection of a range of proteins in real biological samples.

  1. Functional coverages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Donchyts, G.; Baart, F.; Jagers, H.R.A.; Van Dam, A.

    2011-01-01

    A new Application Programming Interface (API) is presented which simplifies working with geospatial coverages as well as many other data structures of a multi-dimensional nature. The main idea extends the Common Data Model (CDM) developed at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

  2. 29 CFR 95.31 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... recipient. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the... § 95.31 Insurance coverage. Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage...

  3. Extending Coverage and Lifetime of K-coverage Wireless Sensor Networks Using Improved Harmony Search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shohreh Ebrahimnezhad

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available K-coverage wireless sensor networks try to provide facilities such that each hotspot region is covered by at least k sensors. Because, the fundamental evaluation metrics of such networks are coverage and lifetime, proposing an approach that extends both of them simultaneously has a lot of interests. In this article, it is supposed that two kinds of nodes are available: static and mobile. The proposed method, at first, tries to balance energy among sensor nodes using Improved Harmony Search (IHS algorithm in a k-coverage and connected wireless sensor network in order to achieve a sensor node deployment. Also, this method proposes a suitable place for a gateway node (Sink that collects data from all sensors. Second, in order to prolong the network lifetime, some of the high energy-consuming mobile nodes are moved to the closest positions of low energy-consuming ones and vice versa after a while. This leads increasing the lifetime of network while connectivity and k-coverage are preserved. Through computer simulations, experimental results verified that the proposed IHS-based algorithm found better solution compared to some related methods.

  4. A comparative study of the growth of octadecyltrichlorosilane and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane self-assembled monolayers on hydrophilic silicon surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, S.-R.; Kolbesen, Bernd O.

    2008-01-01

    Self-assembled monolayers of two different organosilane precursors, methyl-terminated nonpolar n-octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS, Cl 3 Si(CH 2 ) 17 CH 3 ) and thiol-terminated polar 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS, (CH 3 O) 3 SiCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 SH), were prepared separately on hydrophilic silicon surfaces by immersion in millimolar solutions of the respective precursors in toluene at room temperature. Ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM), lateral force microscopy (LFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the growth and the properties of OTS and MPTMS SAMs. For OTS SAMs, generally speaking, small islands surrounded large dendrite-shaped islands. But for MPTMS SAMs, sporadic small round islands appeared, but no dendrites. The impact of the solution age was more significant on the growth of OTS SAMs than MPTMS SAMs. At the same precursor concentration and solution age, the growth of OTS SAMs was much faster than MPTMS SAMs due to the greater hydrolysis ability of Si-Cl bonds in OTS as compared with that of Si-OCH 3 bonds in MPTMS. The difference in hydrolysis ability was confirmed by the absence of a Cl signal in the XP spectrum of OTS SAMs and the existence of a C 1s peak corresponding to unhydrolyzed Si-OCH 3 bonds in the XP spectrum of MPTMS SAMs. This trend together with the difference in alkyl chain length had a strong influence on the surface morphology and coverage of these two SAMs. According to the individual adsorption behavior of the components, the predictable kinetic difficulty of preparing OTS/MPTMS mixed SAMs by co-adsorption is pointed out. Furthermore, a potential reaction condition for stepwise adsorption is suggested.

  5. Dental Care Coverage and Use: Modeling Limitations and Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moeller, John F.; Chen, Haiyan

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We examined why older US adults without dental care coverage and use would have lower use rates if offered coverage than do those who currently have coverage. Methods. We used data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study to estimate a multinomial logistic model to analyze the influence of personal characteristics in the grouping of older US adults into those with and those without dental care coverage and dental care use. Results. Compared with persons with no coverage and no dental care use, users of dental care with coverage were more likely to be younger, female, wealthier, college graduates, married, in excellent or very good health, and not missing all their permanent teeth. Conclusions. Providing dental care coverage to uninsured older US adults without use will not necessarily result in use rates similar to those with prior coverage and use. We have offered a model using modifiable factors that may help policy planners facilitate programs to increase dental care coverage uptake and use. PMID:24328635

  6. Detecting Organic Compounds Released from Iron Oxidizing Bacteria using Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Like Instrument Protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glavin, D. P.; Popa, R.; Martin, M. G.; Freissinet, C.; Fisk, M. R.; Dworkin, J. P.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2012-01-01

    Mars is a planet of great interest for Astrobiology since its past environmental conditions are thought to have been favourable for the emergence life. At present, the Red Planet is extremely cold and dry and the surface is exposed to intense UV and ionizing radiation, conditions generally considered to be incompatible with life as we know it on Earth. It was proposed that the shallow subsurface of Mars, where temperatures can be above freezing and liquid water can exist on rock surfaces, could harbor chemolithoautotrophic bacteria such as the iron oxidizing microorganism Pseudomonas sp. HerB. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission will provide the next opportunity to carry out in situ measurements for organic compounds of possible biological origin on Mars. One instrument onboard MSL, called the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite, will carry out a broad and sensitive search for organic compounds in surface samples using either high temperature pyrolysis or chemical extraction followed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. We present gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC/MS) data on crushed olivine rock powders that have been inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. HerB at different concentrations ranging from approx 10(exp 2) to 10(exp 7) cells per gram. The inoculated olivine samples were heated under helium carrier gas flow at 500 C and the pyrolysis products concentrated using a SAM-like hydrocarbon trap set at -20 C followed by trap heating and analysis by GC/Ms. In addition, the samples were also extracted using a low temperature "one-pot" chemical extraction technique using N-methyl, N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) as the silylating agent prior to GC/MS analysis. We identified several aldehydes, thiols, and alkene nitriles after pyrolysis GC/MS analysis of the bacteria that were not found in the olivine control samples that had not been inoculated with bacteria. The distribution of pyrolysis products extracted from the

  7. The two umuDC-like operons, samAB and umuDCST, in Salmonella typhimurium: The umuDCST operon may reduce UV-mutagenesis-promoting ability of the samAB operon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nohmi, Takehiko; Hakura, Atsushi; Watanabe, Masahiko; Yamada, Masami; Sofuni, Toshio; Nakai, Yasuharu; Murayama, Somay Y.

    1993-01-01

    Salmonella typhimurium, especially its derivatives containing pKM101 plasmid, has been widely used in the Ames test for the detection of environmental mutagens and carcinogens. It is known, however, that if the pKM101 plasmid is eliminated, S. typhimurium itself shows a much weaker mutagenic response to UV and some chemical mutagens than does Escherichia coli. In fact, certain potent base-change type mutagens, such as furylfuramide and aflatoxin B 1 , are nonmutagenic to S. typhimurium in the absence of pKM101, whereas they are strongly mutagenic to S. typhimurium in the presence of pKM101 plasmid as well as to E. coli. The low mutability can be restored to levels comparable to E. coli by introducing the plasmid carrying the E. coli umuDC operon or the pKM101 plasmid carrying mucAB operon. Salmonella typhimurium has an SOS regulatory system which resembles that of E. coli. Thus, it was suggested that S. typhimurium is deficient in the function of umuDC operon, which plays an essential role in UV and most chemical mutagenesis in E. coli. In order to clarify the implications of umuDC genes in mutagenesis and antimutagenesis in typhimurium, we have independently screened the umuDC-like genes of S. typhimurium TA1538. Consequently, we have cloned another umuDC-like operon which is 40% diverged from the aforementioned umuDC operon of S. typhimurium LT2 at the nucleotide level (16). We have termed the cloned DNA the samAB (Salmonella; mutagenesis) operon, and tentatively referred to the umuDC operon cloned from S. typhimurium LT2 (27,31) as the umuDC ST operon. Based on the results of the Southern hybridization experiment, we concluded that the two sets of umuDC-like operons reside in the same cells of S. typhimurium LT2 and TA1538. Our results also suggested that the umuDC ST operon reduces the UV-mutagenesis promoting ability of the samAB operon when the two operons are present on the same multi-copy number plasmid

  8. Sulphur-bearing Compounds Detected by MSL SAM Evolved Gas Analysis of Materials from Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAdam, A. C.; Franz, H. B.; Archer, P. D. Jr.; Sutter, B.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Freissinet, C.; Atreya, S. K.; Bish, D. L.; Blake, D. F.; Brunner, A.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) analysed several subsamples of sample fines (bearing phases present below the CheMin detection limit or difficult to characterize with XRD (e.g., X-ray amorphous phases). Here, we focus on potential constraints on phases that evolved SO2, H2S, OCS, and CS2 during thermal analysis.

  9. Progress Report on SAM Reduced-Order Model Development for Thermal Stratification and Mixing during Reactor Transients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2017-09-01

    This report documents the initial progress on the reduced-order flow model developments in SAM for thermal stratification and mixing modeling. Two different modeling approaches are pursued. The first one is based on one-dimensional fluid equations with additional terms accounting for the thermal mixing from both flow circulations and turbulent mixing. The second approach is based on three-dimensional coarse-grid CFD approach, in which the full three-dimensional fluid conservation equations are modeled with closure models to account for the effects of turbulence.

  10. Coverage matters: insurance and health care

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Board on Health Care Services Staff; Institute of Medicine Staff; Institute of Medicine; National Academy of Sciences

    2001-01-01

    ...? How does the system of insurance coverage in the U.S. operate, and where does it fail? The first of six Institute of Medicine reports that will examine in detail the consequences of having a large uninsured population, Coverage Matters...

  11. Konsep Kehidupan Dalam Ruang Pada Kelenteng Sam Kouw Di Surakarta Studi Kasus : Kelenteng T’ien Kok Sie, Kelenteng Poo An Kiong Dan Cetiya Ksiti Garbha

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dyah Susilowati Pradnya Paramita

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The kelenteng was used by three traditional religions brought by Chinese traders, namely Tao, Khonghucu and Buddhism which then together named Sam Kouw (Tri Darma The kelenteng Sam Kouw had many worshiped sculptures to which their worship ritualwas based. The kelenteng was taken care by a suhu acted as a mediator during the worship. Due to his role in worship, the Suhu and his family also stayed in the kelenteng.Based on that phenomenon, this research is focused on the rooms usage in kelenteng as a place of interaction of both worship and household routines. This research applies naturalistic qualitative methodology. The researcher played as the main instrument in collecting the data by observation, interview. The data gained during the research was formulated to some topics analyzed inductively before the researcher conducted an inter -topic dialog.. Thi s researched was conducted in three objects with cross sectional method to strengthen the data and sharpen the focus of observation. The three objects are: 1 Kelenteng T’ien Kok Sie in Ketandan; 2 Kelenteng Poo An Kiong in Coyudan, and 3 Cetiya Ksiti Garbha in Srambatan  The result of the research shows that kelenteng Sam Kouw has a public worship room in front of kelenteng , has a particular worship room in behind of kelenteng , and always has a meditation room that has always perpendicular a prominent god altar.

  12. Immunization Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... room/fact-sheets/detail/immunization-coverage","@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article"}; العربية 中文 français русский español ... Plan Global Health Observatory (GHO) data - Immunization More information on vaccines and immunization News 1 in 10 ...

  13. 22 CFR 226.31 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Insurance coverage. 226.31 Section 226.31 Foreign Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO U.S. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Post-award Requirements Property Standards § 226.31 Insurance coverage. Recipients...

  14. 14 CFR 1260.131 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... coverage. Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds as provided for property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the award. ...

  15. Effects of coverage gap reform on adherence to diabetes medications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Feng; Patel, Bimal V; Brunetti, Louis

    2013-04-01

    To investigate the impact of Part D coverage gap reform on diabetes medication adherence. Retrospective data analysis based on pharmacy claims data from a national pharmacy benefit manager. We used a difference-in-difference-indifference method to evaluate the impact of coverage gap reform on adherence to diabetes medications. Two cohorts (2010 and 2011) were constructed to represent the last year before Affordable Care Act (ACA) reform and the first year after reform, respectively. Each patient had 2 observations: 1 before and 1 after entering the coverage gap. Patients in each cohort were divided into groups based on type of gap coverage: no coverage, partial coverage (generics only), and full coverage. Following ACA reform, patients with no gap coverage and patients with partial gap coverage experienced substantial drops in copayments in the coverage gap in 2011. Their adherence to diabetes medications in the gap, measured by percentage of days covered, improved correspondingly (2.99 percentage points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-5.48, P = .019 for patients with no coverage; 6.46 percentage points, 95% CI 3.34-9.58, P gap in 2011. However, their adherence did not increase (-0.13 percentage point, P = .8011). In the first year of ACA coverage gap reform, copayments in the gap decreased substantially for all patients. Patients with no coverage and patients with partial coverage in the gap had better adherence in the gap in 2011.

  16. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... an ACS are provided in RUS Telecommunications Engineering and Construction Manual section 205. (e... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage... the borrower's records contain sufficient information as to subscriber development to enable cost...

  17. Self-assembled monolayers of a disulphide-derivatised cobalt-porphyrin on gold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viana, A.S.; Leupold, S.; Montforts, F.-P.; Abrantes, L.M.

    2005-01-01

    A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of a novel cobalt(II)porphyrin disulphide derivative was prepared on flat gold(1 1 1) electrode. Evidence for surface modification was provided by electrochemical reductive desorption of the monolayer and ellipsometry, consistent with a coverage of 2.5 x 10 -10 mol cm -2 and a thickness of 13 A, respectively. Both results support the presence of SAMs where the molecules share an intermediate position between perpendicular and flat orientation. Scanning tunnelling microscopy have also proven the formation of CoPSS SAMs, however high-resolution images could only be obtained when the CoPSS molecules were diluted in an hexanethiol SAM. The electrocatalytic activity of the surface confined Co-porphyrin was evaluated for the oxygen reduction. Voltammetric data indicate that reaction involves two electrons consistent with the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Under similar experimental conditions the data obtained for an iron-porphyrin analogue points for a full reduction of dioxygen to water

  18. 2 CFR 215.31 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Insurance coverage. Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds as provided to property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the award. ...

  19. 36 CFR 1210.31 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ....31 Insurance coverage. Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired with NHPRC funds as provided to property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the award. ...

  20. 28 CFR 55.6 - Coverage under section 203(c).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT REGARDING LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS Nature of Coverage § 55.6 Coverage under section 203(c). (a) Coverage formula. There are four ways in which a political subdivision can become subject to section 203(c). 2 2 The criteria for coverage are contained in section 203(b). (1) Political...

  1. Insurance premiums and insurance coverage of near-poor children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadley, Jack; Reschovsky, James D; Cunningham, Peter; Kenney, Genevieve; Dubay, Lisa

    States increasingly are using premiums for near-poor children in their public insurance programs (Medicaid/SCHIP) to limit private insurance crowd-out and constrain program costs. Using national data from four rounds of the Community Tracking Study Household Surveys spanning the seven years from 1996 to 2003, this study estimates a multinomial logistic regression model examining how public and private insurance premiums affect insurance coverage outcomes (Medicaid/SCHIP coverage, private coverage, and no coverage). Higher public premiums are significantly associated with a lower probability of public coverage and higher probabilities of private coverage and uninsurance; higher private premiums are significantly related to a lower probability of private coverage and higher probabilities of public coverage and uninsurance. The results imply that uninsurance rates will rise if both public and private premiums increase, and suggest that states that impose or increase public insurance premiums for near-poor children will succeed in discouraging crowd-out of private insurance, but at the expense of higher rates of uninsurance. Sustained increases in private insurance premiums will continue to create enrollment pressures on state insurance programs for children.

  2. 42 CFR 457.410 - Health benefits coverage options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health benefits coverage options. 457.410 Section 457.410 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... State Plan Requirements: Coverage and Benefits § 457.410 Health benefits coverage options. (a) Types of...

  3. The ghost of fouling communities past: the effect of original community on subsequent recruitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralston, Emily A; Swain, Geoffrey W

    2014-01-01

    Biofouling on ships has been linked to the spread of invasive species, which has been identified as one of the current primary threats to the environment. Previous research on antifouling coatings suggested that the quantity of fouling, as well as community composition, on biocidal coatings was modified by prior fouling settlement. The experiment reported in this paper was designed to determine how preconditioning affected the rate and composition of subsequent fouling on transplanted silicone coatings. A series of 10 × 20 cm panels coated with Intersleek 700 or DC3140 were placed at three locations in Florida (Ponce Inlet, Sebastian Inlet, and Port of Miami), which were characterized by distinct fouling communities. Panels were immersed for four months, cleaned, and reciprocally transplanted among the three sites. Fouling community composition and coverage were characterized at bimonthly intervals both before and after transplantation. The original fouling community affected the subsequent fouling composition and recolonization by tunicates, sea anemones, barnacles, sponges, hydroids, and arborescent bryozoans. The community-level effects were short-term, lasting 2-4 months, but specific responses lasted up to 14 months post-transplant.

  4. 5 CFR 531.402 - Employee coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Employee coverage. 531.402 Section 531... GENERAL SCHEDULE Within-Grade Increases § 531.402 Employee coverage. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this subpart applies to employees who— (1) Are classified and paid under the...

  5. Electrical properties of SAM-modified ITO surface using aromatic small molecules with double bond carboxylic acid groups for OLED applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Can, Mustafa [Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Engineering Sciences, Çiğli, Izmir (Turkey); Havare, Ali Kemal [Toros University, Faculty of Engineering, Electric and Electronic Department, Mersin (Turkey); Aydın, Hasan; Yagmurcukardes, Nesli [Izmir Institute of Technology, Material Science and Engineering, Izmir (Turkey); Demic, Serafettin [Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Çiğli, Izmir (Turkey); Icli, Sıddık [Ege University, Solar Energy Institute, Izmir (Turkey); Okur, Salih, E-mail: salih.okur@ikc.edu.tr [Izmir Katip Celebi University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Çiğli, Izmir (Turkey)

    2014-09-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We report that the performance of OLED consist of aromatic small molecules with double bond carboxylic acid groups on ITO surface. • The OLED devices were tested in terms of electrical and optical characteristics. • The I–V results show that OLEDs with SAM-modified ITO surface have lower turn on voltages than OLED configurations without SAMs. - Abstract: 5-[(3-Methylphenyl)(phenyl)amino]isophthalic acid (5-MePIFA) and 5-(diphenyl)amino]isophthalic acid (5-DPIFA) organic molecules were synthesized to form self-assembled monolayer on indium tin oxide (ITO) anode to enhance hole transport from ITO to organic hole transport layers such as TPD. The modified surface was characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The change in the surface potential was measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Our Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements showed that the surface potentials increased more than 100 mV with reference to bare indium tin-oxide. The results show that the threshold voltage on OLEDs with modified ITO is lowered significantly compared to OLEDs with unmodified ITO. The hole mobility of TPD has been estimated using space–charge-limited current measurements (SCLC)

  6. Electrical properties of SAM-modified ITO surface using aromatic small molecules with double bond carboxylic acid groups for OLED applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Can, Mustafa; Havare, Ali Kemal; Aydın, Hasan; Yagmurcukardes, Nesli; Demic, Serafettin; Icli, Sıddık; Okur, Salih

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We report that the performance of OLED consist of aromatic small molecules with double bond carboxylic acid groups on ITO surface. • The OLED devices were tested in terms of electrical and optical characteristics. • The I–V results show that OLEDs with SAM-modified ITO surface have lower turn on voltages than OLED configurations without SAMs. - Abstract: 5-[(3-Methylphenyl)(phenyl)amino]isophthalic acid (5-MePIFA) and 5-(diphenyl)amino]isophthalic acid (5-DPIFA) organic molecules were synthesized to form self-assembled monolayer on indium tin oxide (ITO) anode to enhance hole transport from ITO to organic hole transport layers such as TPD. The modified surface was characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The change in the surface potential was measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Our Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements showed that the surface potentials increased more than 100 mV with reference to bare indium tin-oxide. The results show that the threshold voltage on OLEDs with modified ITO is lowered significantly compared to OLEDs with unmodified ITO. The hole mobility of TPD has been estimated using space–charge-limited current measurements (SCLC)

  7. Characterization of a SAM-dependent fluorinase from a latent biosynthetic pathway for fluoroacetate and 4-fluorothreonine formation in Nocardia brasiliensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yaya; Deng, Zixin; Qu, Xudong

    2014-01-01

    Fluorination has been widely used in chemical synthesis, but is rare in nature. The only known biological fluorination scope is represented by the fl pathway from Streptomyces cattleya that produces fluoroacetate (FAc) and 4-fluorothreonine (4-FT). Here we report the identification of a novel pathway for FAc and 4-FT biosynthesis from the actinomycetoma-causing pathogen Nocardia brasiliensis ATCC 700358. The new pathway shares overall conservation with the fl pathway in S. cattleya. Biochemical characterization of the conserved domains revealed a novel fluorinase NobA that can biosynthesize 5'-fluoro-5'-deoxyadenosine (5'-FDA) from inorganic fluoride and S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM). The NobA shows similar halide specificity and characteristics to the fluorination enzyme FlA of the fl pathway. Kinetic parameters for fluoride ( K m 4153 μM, k cat 0.073 min (-1)) and SAM ( K m 416 μM, k cat 0.139 min (-1)) have been determined, revealing that NobA is slightly (2.3 fold) slower than FlA. Upon sequence comparison, we finally identified a distinct loop region in the fluorinases that probably accounts for the disparity of fluorination activity.

  8. Fabrication of an a-IGZO thin film transistor using selective deposition of cobalt by the self-assembly monolayer (SAM) process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Young-Je; Kim, HyunHo; Park, Kyoung-Yun; Lee, Jaegab; Bobade, Santosh M; Wu, Fu-Chung; Choi, Duck-Kyun

    2011-01-01

    Interest in transparent oxide thin film transistors utilizing ZnO material has been on the rise for many years. Recently, however, IGZO has begun to draw more attention due to its higher stability and superior electric field mobility when compared to ZnO. In this work, we address an improved method for patterning an a-IGZO film using the SAM process, which employs a cost-efficient micro-contact printing method instead of the conventional lithography process. After a-IGZO film deposition on the surface of a SiO2-layered Si wafer, the wafer was illuminated with UV light; sources and drains were then patterned using n-octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) molecules by a printing method. Due to the low surface energy of OTS, cobalt was selectively deposited on the OTS-free a-IGZO surface. The selective deposition of cobalt electrodes was successful, as confirmed by an optical microscope. The a-IZGO TFT fabricated using the SAM process exhibited good transistor performance: electric field mobility (micro(FE)), threshold voltage (V(th)), subthreshold slope (SS) and on/off ratio were 2.1 cm2/Vs, 2.4 V, 0.35 V/dec and 2.9 x 10(6), respectively.

  9. 42 CFR 435.350 - Coverage for certain aliens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage for certain aliens. 435.350 Section 435... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA Optional Coverage of the Medically Needy § 435.350 Coverage for certain aliens... treatment of an emergency medical condition, as defined in § 440.255(c) of this chapter, to those aliens...

  10. Recoding painting? Repeated use of artwork in Cindy Sherman and Sam Taylor Wood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dunja Radetic

    2012-12-01

    Through a theoretical analysis of two contemporary artworks by Cindy Sherman and Sam Taylor Wood, both based on earlier visual tradition, we will consider the effects of re-production of images as the re-production of deferred meaning. The intersystemic quotation such as painting - tableau vivant – coding by photographic and video technologies, works at different levels and creates high degree of ambiguity between the media and the images involved. This mediation produces disturbing effects on the viewer who has to recognize in the artwork an contaminated and elusive visual tradition, which displays a latent meanings and (reactivates memory images. In order to understand these complex layers it is necessary to consider the work and its subtext in terms of a shared temporality in which images, media and extratextual memories, interact.

  11. Terrorism and nuclear damage coverage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horbach, N. L. J. T.; Brown, O. F.; Vanden Borre, T.

    2004-01-01

    This paper deals with nuclear terrorism and the manner in which nuclear operators can insure themselves against it, based on the international nuclear liability conventions. It concludes that terrorism is currently not covered under the treaty exoneration provisions on 'war-like events' based on an analysis of the concept on 'terrorism' and travaux preparatoires. Consequently, operators remain liable for nuclear damage resulting from terrorist acts, for which mandatory insurance is applicable. Since nuclear insurance industry looks at excluding such insurance coverage from their policies in the near future, this article aims to suggest alternative means for insurance, in order to ensure adequate compensation for innocent victims. The September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC resulted in the largest loss in the history of insurance, inevitably leading to concerns about nuclear damage coverage, should future such assaults target a nuclear power plant or other nuclear installation. Since the attacks, some insurers have signalled their intentions to exclude coverage for terrorism from their nuclear liability and property insurance policies. Other insurers are maintaining coverage for terrorism, but are establishing aggregate limits or sublimits and are increasing premiums. Additional changes by insurers are likely to occur. Highlighted by the September 11th events, and most recently by those in Madrid on 11 March 2004, are questions about how to define acts of terrorism and the extent to which such are covered under the international nuclear liability conventions and various domestic nuclear liability laws. Of particular concern to insurers is the possibility of coordinated simultaneous attacks on multiple nuclear facilities. This paper provides a survey of the issues, and recommendations for future clarifications and coverage options.(author)

  12. 42 CFR 436.330 - Coverage for certain aliens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage for certain aliens. 436.330 Section 436... Coverage of the Medically Needy § 436.330 Coverage for certain aliens. If an agency provides Medicaid to... condition, as defined in § 440.255(c) of this chapter to those aliens described in § 436.406(c) of this...

  13. The multi-state energy landscape of the SAM-I riboswitch: A single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manz, Christoph; Kobitski, Andrei Yu.; Samanta, Ayan; Jäschke, Andres; Nienhaus, G. Ulrich

    2018-03-01

    RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules are highly flexible biopolymers fluctuating at physiological temperatures among many different conformations that are represented by minima in a hierarchical conformational free energy landscape. Here we have employed single-molecule FRET (smFRET) to explore the energy landscape of the B. subtilis yitJ SAM-I riboswitch (RS). In this small RNA molecule, specific binding of an S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) ligand in the aptamer domain regulates gene expression by inducing structural changes in another domain, the expression platform, causing transcription termination by the RNA polymerase. We have measured smFRET histograms over wide ranges of Mg2+ concentration for three RS variants that were specifically labeled with fluorescent dyes on different sites. In the analysis, different conformations are associated with discrete Gaussian model distributions, which are typically fairly broad on the FRET efficiency scale and thus can be extremely challenging to unravel due to their mutual overlap. Our earlier work on two SAM-I RS variants revealed four major conformations. By introducing a global fitting procedure which models both the Mg2+ concentration dependencies of the fractional populations and the average FRET efficiencies of the individual FRET distributions according to Mg2+ binding isotherms, we were able to consistently describe the histogram data of both variants at all studied Mg2+ concentrations. With the third FRET-labeled variant, however, we found significant deviations when applying the four-state model to the data. This can arise because the different FRET labeling of the new variant allows two states to be distinguished that were previously not separable due to overlap. Indeed, the resulting five-state model presented here consistently describes the smFRET histograms of all three variants as well as their variations with Mg2+ concentration. We also performed a triangulation of the donor position for two of the constructs

  14. [Coverage by health insurance or discount cards: a household survey in the coverage area of the Family Health Strategy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontenelle, Leonardo Ferreira; Camargo, Maria Beatriz Junqueira de; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso; Gonçalves, Helen; Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia; Barros, Aluísio J D

    2017-10-26

    This study was designed to assess the reasons for health insurance coverage in a population covered by the Family Health Strategy in Brazil. We describe overall health insurance coverage and according to types, and analyze its association with health-related and socio-demographic characteristics. Among the 31.3% of persons (95%CI: 23.8-39.9) who reported "health insurance" coverage, 57.0% (95%CI: 45.2-68.0) were covered only by discount cards, which do not offer any kind of coverage for medical care, but only discounts in pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. Both for health insurance and discount cards, the most frequently cited reasons for such coverage were "to be on the safe side" and "to receive better care". Both types of coverage were associated statistically with age (+65 vs. 15-24 years: adjusted odds ratios, aOR = 2.98, 95%CI: 1.28-6.90; and aOR = 3.67; 95%CI: 2.22-6.07, respectively) and socioeconomic status (additional standard deviation: aOR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.62-3.14; and aOR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.34-2.97). In addition, health insurance coverage was associated with schooling (aOR = 7.59, 95%CI: 4.44-13.00) for complete University Education and aOR = 3.74 (95%CI: 1.61-8.68) for complete Secondary Education, compared to less than complete Primary Education. Meanwhile, neither health insurance nor discount card was associated with health status or number of diagnosed diseases. In conclusion, studies that aim to assess private health insurance should be planned to distinguish between discount cards and formal health insurance.

  15. Synergistic Effects of SAM and Selenium Compounds on Proliferation, Migration and Adhesion of HeLa Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Licui; Zhang, Jianxin; Yang, Qiu; Si, Yang; Liu, Yiqun; Wang, Qin; Han, Feng; Huang, Zhenwu

    2017-08-01

    To determine the antitumor activities and molecular mechanism of selenium compounds in HeLa cells. Western blotting was used to detect ERK and AKT activation in HeLa cells induced by selenium compounds selenomethionine (SeMet), methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) and methylseleninic acids (MeSeA). Using MTT, wound-healing and Matrigel adhesion assays, the antitumor effects of SAM and selenium compounds were evaluated in HeLa cells. MeSeA inhibited ERK and AKT signaling pathways and suppressed the proliferation (peffects compared to the other treatments. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  16. Mobile-robot navigation with complete coverage of unstructured environments

    OpenAIRE

    García Armada, Elena; González de Santos, Pablo

    2004-01-01

    There are some mobile-robot applications that require the complete coverage of an unstructured environment. Examples are humanitarian de-mining and floor-cleaning tasks. A complete-coverage algorithm is then used, a path-planning technique that allows the robot to pass over all points in the environment, avoiding unknown obstacles. Different coverage algorithms exist, but they fail working in unstructured environments. This paper details a complete-coverage algorithm for unstructured environm...

  17. 76 FR 7767 - Student Health Insurance Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-11

    ... Student Health Insurance Coverage AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION... health insurance coverage under the Public Health Service Act and the Affordable Care Act. The proposed rule would define ``student health insurance [[Page 7768

  18. Persistence of Antarctic polar stratospheric clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mccormick, M. Patrick; Trepte, C. R.

    1988-01-01

    The persistence of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) observed by the Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) 2 satellite sensor over a 9-year period is compared and contrasted. Histograms of the SAM 2 1.0 micron extinction ratio data (aerosol extinction normalized by the molecular extinction) at an altitude of 18 km in the Antarctic have been generated for three 10-day periods in the month of September. Statistics for eight different years (1979 to 1982 and 1984 to 1987) are shown in separate panels for each figure. Since the SAM 2 system is a solar occultation experiment, observations are limited to the edge of the polar night and no measurements are made deep within the vortex where temperatures could be colder. For this reason, use is made of the NMC global gridded fields and the known temperature-extinction relationship to infer additional information on the occurrence and areal coverage of PSCs. Calculations of the daily areal coverage of the 195 K isotherm will be presented for this same period of data. This contour level lies in the range of the predicted temperature for onset of the Type 1 particle enhancement mode at 50 mb (Poole and McCormick, 1988b) and should indicate approximately when formation of the binary HNO3-H2O particles begins.

  19. Media Coverage of Nuclear Energy after Fukushima

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oltra, C.; Roman, P.; Prades, A.

    2013-01-01

    This report presents the main findings of a content analysis of printed media coverage of nuclear energy in Spain before and after the Fukushima accident. Our main objective is to understand the changes in the presentation of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion as a result of the accident in Japan. We specifically analyze the volume of coverage and thematic content in the media coverage for nuclear fusion from a sample of Spanish print articles in more than 20 newspapers from 2008 to 2012. We also analyze the media coverage of nuclear energy (fission) in three main Spanish newspapers one year before and one year after the accident. The results illustrate how the media contributed to the presentation of nuclear power in the months before and after the accident. This could have implications for the public understanding of nuclear power. (Author)

  20. Media Coverage of Nuclear Energy after Fukushima

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oltra, C.; Roman, P.; Prades, A.

    2013-07-01

    This report presents the main findings of a content analysis of printed media coverage of nuclear energy in Spain before and after the Fukushima accident. Our main objective is to understand the changes in the presentation of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion as a result of the accident in Japan. We specifically analyze the volume of coverage and thematic content in the media coverage for nuclear fusion from a sample of Spanish print articles in more than 20 newspapers from 2008 to 2012. We also analyze the media coverage of nuclear energy (fission) in three main Spanish newspapers one year before and one year after the accident. The results illustrate how the media contributed to the presentation of nuclear power in the months before and after the accident. This could have implications for the public understanding of nuclear power. (Author)

  1. Solid-State Densification of Spun-Cast Self-Assembled Monolayers for Use in Ultra-Thin Hybrid Dielectrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchins, Daniel O; Acton, Orb; Weidner, Tobias; Cernetic, Nathan; Baio, Joe E; Castner, David G; Ma, Hong; Jen, Alex K-Y

    2012-11-15

    Ultra-thin self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-oxide hybrid dielectrics have gained significant interest for their application in low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). A [8-(11-phenoxy-undecyloxy)-octyl]phosphonic acid (PhO-19-PA) SAM on ultrathin AlO x (2.5 nm) has been developed to significantly enhance the dielectric performance of inorganic oxides through reduction of leakage current while maintaining similar capacitance to the underlying oxide structure. Rapid processing of this SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating, however, as-cast monolayer density is not sufficient for dielectric applications. Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast PhO-19-PA molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. SAM density, or surface coverage, and order are examined as a function of annealing temperature. These SAM characteristics are probed through atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). It is found that at temperatures sufficient to melt the as-cast bulk molecular film, SAM densification is achieved; leading to a rapid processing technique for high performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric systems utilizing a single wet processing step. To demonstrate low-voltage devices based on this hybrid dielectric (with leakage current density of 7.7×10 -8 A cm -2 and capacitance density of 0.62 µF cm -2 at 3 V), pentacene thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated and yield sub 2 V operation and charge carrier mobilites of up to 1.1 cm 2 V -1 s -1 .

  2. State contraceptive coverage laws: creative responses to questions of "conscience".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dailard, C

    1999-08-01

    The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) guaranteed contraceptive coverage for employees of the federal government. However, opponents of the FEHBP contraceptive coverage questioned the viability of the conscience clause. Supporters of the contraceptive coverage pressed for the narrowest exemption, one that only permit religious plans that clearly states religious objection to contraception. There are six of the nine states that have enacted contraceptive coverage laws aimed at the private sector. The statutes included a provision of conscience clause. The private sector disagrees to the plan since almost all of the employees¿ work for employers who only offer one plan. The scope of exemption for employers was an issue in five states that have enacted the contraceptive coverage. In Hawaii and California, it was exemplified that if employers are exempted from the contraceptive coverage based on religious grounds, an employee will be entitled to purchase coverage directly from the plan. There are still questions on how an insurer, who objects based on religious grounds to a plan with contraceptive coverage, can function in a marketplace where such coverage is provided by most private sector employers.

  3. Mirror-finished superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces modified by anodic alumina nanofibers and self-assembled monolayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakajima, Daiki; Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Natsui, Shungo; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

    2018-05-01

    We demonstrate mirror-finished superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces fabricated via the formation of anodic alumina nanofibers and subsequent modification with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). High-density anodic alumina nanofibers were formed on the aluminum surface via anodizing in a pyrophosphoric acid solution. The alumina nanofibers became tangled and bundled by further anodizing at low temperature because of their own weight, and the aluminum surface was completely covered by the long falling nanofibers. The nanofiber-covered aluminum surface exhibited superhydrophilic behavior, with a contact angle measuring less than 10°. As the nanofiber-covered aluminum surface was modified with n-alkylphosphonic acid SAMs, the water contact angle drastically shifted to superhydrophobicity, measuring more than 150°. The contact angle increased with the applied voltage during pyrophosphoric acid anodizing, the anodizing time, and the number of carbon atoms contained in the SAM molecules modified on the alumina nanofibers. By optimizing the anodizing and SAM-modification conditions, superhydrophobic behavior could be achieved with only a brief pyrophosphoric acid anodizing period of 3 min and subsequent simple immersion in SAM solutions. The superhydrophobic aluminum surface exhibited a high reflectance, measuring approximately 99% across most of the visible spectrum, similar to that of an electropolished aluminum surface. Therefore, our mirror-finished superhydrophobic aluminum surface based on anodic alumina nanofibers and SAMs can be used as a reflective mirror in various optical applications such as concentrated solar power systems.

  4. Membrane protein resistance of oligo(ethylene oxide) self-assembled monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaish, Amit; Vanderah, David J; Vierling, Ryan; Crawshaw, Fay; Gallagher, D Travis; Walker, Marlon L

    2014-10-01

    As part of an effort to develop biointerfaces for structure-function studies of integral membrane proteins (IMPs) a series of oligo(ethylene oxide) self-assembled monolayers (OEO-SAMs) were evaluated for their resistance to protein adsorption (RPA) of IMPs on Au and Pt. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) was used to determine SAM thicknesses and compare the RPA of HS(CH2)3O(CH2CH2O)6CH3 (1), HS(CH2)3O(CH2CH2O)6H (2), [HS(CH2)3]2CHO(CH2CH2O)6CH3 (3) and [HS(CH2)3]2CHO(CH2CH2O)6H (4), assembled from water. For both substrates, SAM thicknesses for 1 to 4 were found to be comparable indicating SAMs with similar surface coverages and OEO chain order and packing densities. Fibrinogen (Fb), a soluble plasma protein, and rhodopsin (Rd), an integral membrane G-protein coupled receptor, adsorbed to the SAMs of 1, as expected from previous reports, but not to the hydroxy-terminated SAMs of 2 and 4. The methoxy-terminated SAMs of 3 were resistant to Fb but, surprisingly, not to Rd. The stark difference between the adsorption of Rd to the SAMs of 3 and 4 clearly indicate that a hydroxy-terminus of the OEO chain is essential for high RPA of IMPs. The similar thicknesses and high RPA of the SAMs of 2 and 4 show the conditions of protein resistance (screening the underlying substrate, packing densities, SAM order, and conformational mobility of the OEO chains) defined from previous studies on Au are applicable to Pt. In addition, the SAMs of 4, exhibiting the highest resistance to Fb and Rd, were placed in contact with undiluted fetal bovine serum for 2h. Low protein adsorption (≈12.4ng/cm(2)), obtained under these more challenging conditions, denote a high potential of the SAMs of 4 for various applications requiring the suppression of non-specific protein adsorption. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Large scale study on the variation of RF energy absorption in the head & brain regions of adults and children and evaluation of the SAM phantom conservativeness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshvari, J.; Kivento, M.; Christ, A.; Bit-Babik, G.

    2016-04-01

    This paper presents the results of two computational large scale studies using highly realistic exposure scenarios, MRI based human head and hand models, and two mobile phone models. The objectives are (i) to study the relevance of age when people are exposed to RF by comparing adult and child heads and (ii) to analyze and discuss the conservativeness of the SAM phantom for all age groups. Representative use conditions were simulated using detailed CAD models of two mobile phones operating between 900 MHz and 1950 MHz including configurations with the hand holding the phone, which were not considered in most previous studies. The peak spatial-average specific absorption rate (psSAR) in the head and the pinna tissues is assessed using anatomically accurate head and hand models. The first of the two mentioned studies involved nine head-, four hand- and two phone-models, the second study included six head-, four hand- and three simplified phone-models (over 400 configurations in total). In addition, both studies also evaluated the exposure using the SAM phantom. Results show no systematic differences between psSAR induced in the adult and child heads. The exposure level and its variation for different age groups may be different for particular phones, but no correlation between psSAR and model age was found. The psSAR from all exposure conditions was compared to the corresponding configurations using SAM, which was found to be conservative in the large majority of cases.

  6. CDMA coverage under mobile heterogeneous network load

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Saban, D.; van den Berg, Hans Leo; Boucherie, Richardus J.; Endrayanto, A.I.

    2002-01-01

    We analytically investigate coverage (determined by the uplink) under non-homogeneous and moving traffic load of third generation UMTS mobile networks. In particular, for different call assignment policies, we investigate cell breathing and the movement of the coverage gap occurring between cells

  7. 20 CFR 404.1913 - Precluding dual coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... precluding dual coverage to avoid inequitable or anomalous coverage situations for certain workers. However... 404.1913 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY...) General. Employment or self-employment or services recognized as equivalent under the Act or the social...

  8. Socio-economic inequality in oral healthcare coverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hosseinpoor, A R; Itani, L; Petersen, P E

    2012-01-01

    wealth quintiles in each country, a wealth-based relative index of inequality was used to measure socio-economic inequality. The index was adjusted for sex, age, marital status, education, employment, overall health status, and urban/rural residence. Pro-rich inequality in oral healthcare coverage......The objective of this study was to assess socio-economic inequality in oral healthcare coverage among adults with expressed need living in 52 countries. Data on 60,332 adults aged 18 years or older were analyzed from 52 countries participating in the 2002-2004 World Health Survey. Oral healthcare...... coverage was defined as the proportion of individuals who received any medical care from a dentist or other oral health specialist during a period of 12 months prior to the survey, among those who expressed any mouth and/or teeth problems during that period. In addition to assessment of the coverage across...

  9. Does media coverage influence public attitudes towards welfare recipients? The impact of the 2011 English riots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Aaron; de Vries, Robert

    2016-06-01

    Following the shooting of Mark Duggan by police on 4 August 2011, there were riots in many large cities in the UK. As the rioting was widely perceived to be perpetrated by the urban poor, links were quickly made with Britain's welfare policies. In this paper, we examine whether the riots, and the subsequent media coverage, influenced attitudes toward welfare recipients. Using the British Social Attitudes survey, we use multivariate difference-in-differences regression models to compare attitudes toward welfare recipients among those interviewed before (pre-intervention: i.e. prior to 6 August) and after (post-intervention: 10 August-10 September) the riots occurred (N = 3,311). We use variation in exposure to the media coverage to test theories of media persuasion in the context of attitudes toward welfare recipients. Before the riots, there were no significant differences between newspaper readers and non-readers in their attitudes towards welfare recipients. However, after the riots, attitudes diverged. Newspaper readers became more likely than non-readers to believe that those on welfare did not really deserve help, that the unemployed could find a job if they wanted to and that those on the dole were being dishonest in claiming benefits. Although the divergence was clearest between right-leaning newspaper and non-newspaper readers, we do not a find statistically significant difference between right- and left-leaning newspapers. These results suggest that media coverage of the riots influenced attitudes towards welfare recipients; specifically, newspaper coverage of the riots increased the likelihood that readers of the print media expressed negative attitudes towards welfare recipients when compared with the rest of the population. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

  10. Scalable Coverage Maintenance for Dense Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Lu

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Owing to numerous potential applications, wireless sensor networks have been attracting significant research effort recently. The critical challenge that wireless sensor networks often face is to sustain long-term operation on limited battery energy. Coverage maintenance schemes can effectively prolong network lifetime by selecting and employing a subset of sensors in the network to provide sufficient sensing coverage over a target region. We envision future wireless sensor networks composed of a vast number of miniaturized sensors in exceedingly high density. Therefore, the key issue of coverage maintenance for future sensor networks is the scalability to sensor deployment density. In this paper, we propose a novel coverage maintenance scheme, scalable coverage maintenance (SCOM, which is scalable to sensor deployment density in terms of communication overhead (i.e., number of transmitted and received beacons and computational complexity (i.e., time and space complexity. In addition, SCOM achieves high energy efficiency and load balancing over different sensors. We have validated our claims through both analysis and simulations.

  11. Inequity between male and female coverage in state infertility laws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupree, James M; Dickey, Ryan M; Lipshultz, Larry I

    2016-06-01

    To analyze state insurance laws mandating coverage for male factor infertility and identify possible inequities between male and female coverage in state insurance laws. We identified states with laws or codes related to infertility insurance coverage using the National Conference of States Legislatures' and the National Infertility Association's websites. We performed a primary, systematic analysis of the laws or codes to specifically identify coverage for male factor infertility services. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. The presence or absence of language in state insurance laws mandating coverage for male factor infertility care. There are 15 states with laws mandating insurance coverage for female factor infertility. Only eight of those states (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia) have mandates for male factor infertility evaluation or treatment. Insurance coverage for male factor infertility is most specific in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, yet significant differences exist in the male factor policies in all eight states. Three states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York) exempt coverage for vasectomy reversal. Despite national recommendations that male and female partners begin infertility evaluations together, only 8 of 15 states with laws mandating infertility coverage include coverage for the male partner. Excluding men from infertility coverage places an undue burden on female partners and risks missing opportunities to diagnose serious male health conditions, correct reversible causes of infertility, and provide cost-effective treatments that can downgrade the intensity of intervention required to achieve a pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Mediating Trust in Terrorism Coverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Kirsten

    crisis. While the framework is presented in the context of television coverage of a terror-related crisis situation, it can equally be used in connection with all other forms of mediated trust. Key words: National crisis, risk communication, crisis management, television coverage, mediated trust.......Mass mediated risk communication can contribute to perceptions of threats and fear of “others” and/or to perceptions of trust in fellow citizens and society to overcome problems. This paper outlines a cross-disciplinary holistic framework for research in mediated trust building during an acute...

  13. 28 CFR 55.5 - Coverage under section 4(f)(4).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT REGARDING LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS Nature of Coverage § 55.5 Coverage under section 4(f)(4). (a) Coverage formula. Section 4(f)(4) applies to any State or political subdivision in...) Coverage may be determined with regard to section 4(f)(4) on a statewide or political subdivision basis. (1...

  14. Target Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks with Probabilistic Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shan, Anxing; Xu, Xianghua; Cheng, Zongmao

    2016-01-01

    Sensing coverage is a fundamental problem in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which has attracted considerable attention. Conventional research on this topic focuses on the 0/1 coverage model, which is only a coarse approximation to the practical sensing model. In this paper, we study the target coverage problem, where the objective is to find the least number of sensor nodes in randomly-deployed WSNs based on the probabilistic sensing model. We analyze the joint detection probability of target with multiple sensors. Based on the theoretical analysis of the detection probability, we formulate the minimum ϵ-detection coverage problem. We prove that the minimum ϵ-detection coverage problem is NP-hard and present an approximation algorithm called the Probabilistic Sensor Coverage Algorithm (PSCA) with provable approximation ratios. To evaluate our design, we analyze the performance of PSCA theoretically and also perform extensive simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm. PMID:27618902

  15. [Medical coverage of a road bicycle race].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reifferscheid, Florian; Stuhr, Markus; Harding, Ulf; Schüler, Christine; Thoms, Jürgen; Püschel, Klaus; Kappus, Stefan

    2010-07-01

    Major sport events require adequate expertise and experience concerning medical coverage and support. Medical and ambulance services need to cover both participants and spectators. Likewise, residents at the venue need to be provided for. Concepts have to include the possibility of major incidents related to the event. Using the example of the Hamburg Cyclassics, a road bicycle race and major event for professional and amateur cyclists, this article describes the medical coverage, number of patients, types of injuries and emergencies. Objectives regarding the planning of future events and essential medical coverage are consequently discussed. (c) Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart-New York.

  16. 12 CFR 334.20 - Coverage and definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... FAIR CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 334.20 Coverage and definitions. (a) Coverage. Subpart C of... account numbers, names, or addresses. (4) Pre-existing business relationship. (i) In general. The term “pre-existing business relationship” means a relationship between a person, or a person's licensed...

  17. 12 CFR 571.20 - Coverage and definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Affiliate Marketing § 571.20 Coverage and definitions. (a) Coverage. Subpart C of this part applies to... account numbers, names, or addresses. (4) Pre-existing business relationship. (i) In general. The term “pre-existing business relationship” means a relationship between a person, or a person's licensed...

  18. 20 CFR 701.401 - Coverage under state compensation programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Coverage under state compensation programs...; DEFINITIONS AND USE OF TERMS Coverage Under State Compensation Programs § 701.401 Coverage under state compensation programs. (a) Exclusions from the definition of “employee” under § 701.301(a)(12), and the...

  19. Autologous but not Fibrin Sealant Patches for Stump Coverage Reduce Clinically Relevant Pancreatic Fistula in Distal Pancreatectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weniger, Maximilian; D'Haese, Jan Goesta; Crispin, Alexander; Angele, Martin Kurt; Werner, Jens; Hartwig, Werner

    2016-11-01

    Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) causes significant morbidity and mortality after distal pancreatectomy. Patch coverage of the pancreatic stump is often used with the intention to prevent POPF. Despite numerous investigations, the effects of patch coverage remain unclear. The present meta-analysis aims to clarify the effects of patch coverage in distal pancreatectomy on the incidence of POPF. A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane Database according to the PRISMA Statement was performed. Subsequently a meta-analysis on rates and overall incidence of POPF and length of hospital stay was carried out. By applying the inverse variance weighting method, the combined effect size and 95 % confidence interval were calculated. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics. Five randomized controlled trials and six observational clinical studies were included for final analysis. A cumulative incidence of 43 % of POPF grades A-C was identified. Patch coverage in distal pancreatectomy is significantly associated with a decreased rate of POPF grade C (p = 0.006). Patches of autologous vascularized tissue significantly reduce the overall incidence of POPF (p = 0.04) and clinically relevant POPF grade B and C (p = 0.002). Fibrin sealant patches do not influence rates of POPF after distal pancreatectomy. None of the outcomes evaluated showed adverse results for the patch group. Patch coverage after distal pancreatectomy can reduce the rate of POPF. Patch coverage with autologous vascularized tissue but not fibrin sealant patches may be used to reduce clinically relevant POPF and postoperative morbidity in distal pancreatectomy.

  20. 28 CFR 55.7 - Termination of coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... VOTING RIGHTS ACT REGARDING LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS Nature of Coverage § 55.7 Termination of coverage. (a) Section 4(f)(4). A covered State, a political subdivision of a covered State, or a separately covered political subdivision may terminate the application of section 4(f)(4) by obtaining the...

  1. On Connected Target k-Coverage in Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jiguo; Chen, Ying; Ma, Liran; Huang, Baogui; Cheng, Xiuzhen

    2016-01-15

    Coverage and connectivity are two important performance evaluation indices for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we focus on the connected target k-coverage (CTC k) problem in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks (HWSNs). A centralized connected target k-coverage algorithm (CCTC k) and a distributed connected target k-coverage algorithm (DCTC k) are proposed so as to generate connected cover sets for energy-efficient connectivity and coverage maintenance. To be specific, our proposed algorithms aim at achieving minimum connected target k-coverage, where each target in the monitored region is covered by at least k active sensor nodes. In addition, these two algorithms strive to minimize the total number of active sensor nodes and guarantee that each sensor node is connected to a sink, such that the sensed data can be forwarded to the sink. Our theoretical analysis and simulation results show that our proposed algorithms outperform a state-of-art connected k-coverage protocol for HWSNs.

  2. Measuring coverage in MNCH: a validation study linking population survey derived coverage to maternal, newborn, and child health care records in rural China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Liu

    Full Text Available Accurate data on coverage of key maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH interventions are crucial for monitoring progress toward the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. Coverage estimates are primarily obtained from routine population surveys through self-reporting, the validity of which is not well understood. We aimed to examine the validity of the coverage of selected MNCH interventions in Gongcheng County, China.We conducted a validation study by comparing women's self-reported coverage of MNCH interventions relating to antenatal and postnatal care, mode of delivery, and child vaccinations in a community survey with their paper- and electronic-based health care records, treating the health care records as the reference standard. Of 936 women recruited, 914 (97.6% completed the survey. Results show that self-reported coverage of these interventions had moderate to high sensitivity (0.57 [95% confidence interval (CI: 0.50-0.63] to 0.99 [95% CI: 0.98-1.00] and low to high specificity (0 to 0.83 [95% CI: 0.80-0.86]. Despite varying overall validity, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ranging between 0.49 [95% CI: 0.39-0.57] and 0.90 [95% CI: 0.88-0.92], bias in the coverage estimates at the population level was small to moderate, with the test to actual positive (TAP ratio ranging between 0.8 and 1.5 for 24 of the 28 indicators examined. Our ability to accurately estimate validity was affected by several caveats associated with the reference standard. Caution should be exercised when generalizing the results to other settings.The overall validity of self-reported coverage was moderate across selected MNCH indicators. However, at the population level, self-reported coverage appears to have small to moderate degree of bias. Accuracy of the coverage was particularly high for indicators with high recorded coverage or low recorded coverage but high specificity. The study provides insights into the accuracy of

  3. Modelling the implications of moving towards universal coverage in Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borghi, Josephine; Mtei, Gemini; Ally, Mariam

    2012-03-01

    A model was developed to assess the impact of possible moves towards universal coverage in Tanzania over a 15-year time frame. Three scenarios were considered: maintaining the current situation ('the status quo'); expanded health insurance coverage (the estimated maximum achievable coverage in the absence of premium subsidies, coverage restricted to those who can pay); universal coverage to all (government revenues used to pay the premiums for the poor). The model estimated the costs of delivering public health services and all health services to the population as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and forecast revenue from user fees and insurance premiums. Under the status quo, financial protection is provided to 10% of the population through health insurance schemes, with the remaining population benefiting from subsidized user charges in public facilities. Seventy-six per cent of the population would benefit from financial protection through health insurance under the expanded coverage scenario, and 100% of the population would receive such protection through a mix of insurance cover and government funding under the universal coverage scenario. The expanded and universal coverage scenarios have a significant effect on utilization levels, especially for public outpatient care. Universal coverage would require an initial doubling in the proportion of GDP going to the public health system. Government health expenditure would increase to 18% of total government expenditure. The results are sensitive to the cost of health system strengthening, the level of real GDP growth, provider reimbursement rates and administrative costs. Promoting greater cross-subsidization between insurance schemes would provide sufficient resources to finance universal coverage. Alternately, greater tax funding for health could be generated through an increase in the rate of Value-Added Tax (VAT) or expanding the income tax base. The feasibility and sustainability of efforts to

  4. 12 CFR 717.20 - Coverage and definitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 717.20 Coverage and definitions (a) Coverage. Subpart C of this part applies...-existing business relationship. (i) In general. The term “pre-existing business relationship” means a relationship between a person, or a person's licensed agent, and a consumer based on— (A) A financial contract...

  5. Determinants of vaccination coverage among pastoralists in north ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of vaccination coverage among pastoralists in north eastern Kenya. ... Attitudes, and Practices (KAPs) on vaccination coverage among settled and ... We used a structured instrument to survey pastoralist mothers with children ...

  6. The Influence of Mineralogy on Recovering Organic Acids from Mars Analogue Materials Using the One-Pot Derivatization Experiment on the Sample Analysis at Mars(SAM) Instrument Suite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stalport, Fabien; Glavin, Daniel P.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Bish, D.; Blake, D.; Coll, P.; Szopa, C.; Buch, A.; McAdam, A.; Dworkin, J. P.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The search for complex organic molecules on Mars, including important biomolecules such as amino acids and carboxylic acids, will require a chemical extraction and a derivatization step to transform these organic compounds into species that are sufficiently volatile to be detected by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). We have developed a ''one-pot'' extraction and chemical derivatization protocol using N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and dimethylformamide (DMF) for the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) experiment instrument suite on NASA's the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. The temperature and duration of the derivatization reaction, pre-concentration of chemical derivatives, and gas chromatographic separation parameters have been optimized under SAM instrument design constraints. MTBSTFA/DMF extraction and derivatization at 300 1C for several minutes of a variety of terrestrial Mars analog materials facilitated the detection of amino acids and carboxylic acids in a surface soil sample collected from the Atacama Desert and a carbonate-rich stromatolite sample from Svalbard. However, the rapid reaction of MTBSTFA with water in several analog materials that contained high abundances of hydrated minerals, and the possible deactivation of derivatized compounds by iron oxides, as detected by XRD/XRF using the CheMin field unit Terra, proved to be highly problematic for the direct extraction of organics using MTBSTFA. The combination of pyrolysis and two different wet-chemical derivatization methods employed by SAM should enable a wide range of organic compounds to be detected by GCMS if present on Mars.

  7. Large scale study on the variation of RF energy absorption in the head and brain regions of adults and children and evaluation of the SAM phantom conservativeness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keshvari, J; Kivento, M; Christ, A; Bit-Babik, G

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents the results of two computational large scale studies using highly realistic exposure scenarios, MRI based human head and hand models, and two mobile phone models. The objectives are (i) to study the relevance of age when people are exposed to RF by comparing adult and child heads and (ii) to analyze and discuss the conservativeness of the SAM phantom for all age groups. Representative use conditions were simulated using detailed CAD models of two mobile phones operating between 900 MHz and 1950 MHz including configurations with the hand holding the phone, which were not considered in most previous studies. The peak spatial-average specific absorption rate (psSAR) in the head and the pinna tissues is assessed using anatomically accurate head and hand models. The first of the two mentioned studies involved nine head-, four hand- and two phone-models, the second study included six head-, four hand- and three simplified phone-models (over 400 configurations in total). In addition, both studies also evaluated the exposure using the SAM phantom. Results show no systematic differences between psSAR induced in the adult and child heads. The exposure level and its variation for different age groups may be different for particular phones, but no correlation between psSAR and model age was found. The psSAR from all exposure conditions was compared to the corresponding configurations using SAM, which was found to be conservative in the large majority of cases. (paper)

  8. Impact analysis of side door of a car and bullet proof vest with material ‘SAM2X5-630’ using finite element analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhode, Trushant; Patil, Girish; Rajkumar, E.

    2017-11-01

    The components which are bound to impact are subjected to deformation even though it may be for a small scale. The efforts are always on for finding the best material to take impact that has no failure or moreover, less plastic deformation. A newly found material which is glass matrix steel named as ‘SAM2X5-630’ has astounding high elastic limit of 12.5GPa. Thus it can take powerful impact & regain its original shape avoiding the deformation of component under impact. The paper is focused on performing the Finite element analysis to assess the behaviour of ‘SAM2X5-630’ steel under impact loading of side door of car as well as impact of bullet on bulletproof jacket on which the material is assigned. The displacement or deformation occurred during impact is found to be lesser than known materials like Kevlar in bulletproof vest and Aluminium alloy in car door.

  9. Solid-state densification of spun-cast self-assembled monolayers for use in ultra-thin hybrid dielectrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchins, Daniel O.; Acton, Orb [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Weidner, Tobias [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Cernetic, Nathan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Baio, Joe E. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Castner, David G. [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Ma, Hong, E-mail: hma@uw.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Jen, Alex K.-Y., E-mail: ajen@uw.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rapid processing of SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric is obtained utilizing a single wet processing step. - Abstract: Ultra-thin self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-oxide hybrid dielectrics have gained significant interest for their application in low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). A [8-(11-phenoxy-undecyloxy)-octyl]phosphonic acid (PhO-19-PA) SAM on ultrathin AlO{sub x} (2.5 nm) has been developed to significantly enhance the dielectric performance of inorganic oxides through reduction of leakage current while maintaining similar capacitance to the underlying oxide structure. Rapid processing of this SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating, however, as-cast monolayer density is not sufficient for dielectric applications. Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast PhO-19-PA molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. SAM density, or surface coverage, and order are examined as a function of annealing temperature. These SAM characteristics are probed through atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). It is found that at temperatures sufficient to melt the as-cast bulk molecular film, SAM densification is achieved; leading to a rapid processing technique for high performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric systems utilizing a single wet processing step. To demonstrate low-voltage devices based on this hybrid dielectric (with leakage current density of 7.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -8} A cm{sup -2} and capacitance density of 0.62 {mu}F cm{sup -2} at 3 V), pentacene thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated and yield sub 2 V operation and charge carrier mobilites of up to

  10. 42 CFR 436.128 - Coverage for certain qualified aliens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage for certain qualified aliens. 436.128... Mandatory Coverage of the Categorically Needy § 436.128 Coverage for certain qualified aliens. The agency... § 440.255(c) of this chapter to those aliens described in § 436.406(c) of this subpart. [55 FR 36820...

  11. Patient Experience Of Provider Refusal Of Medicaid Coverage And Its Implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhandari, Neeraj; Shi, Yunfeng; Jung, Kyoungrae

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies show that many physicians do not accept new patients with Medicaid coverage, but no study has examined Medicaid enrollees' actual experience of provider refusal of their coverage and its implications. Using the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, we estimate provider refusal of health insurance coverage reported by 23,992 adults with continuous coverage for the past 12 months. We find that among Medicaid enrollees, 6.73% reported their coverage being refused by a provider in 2012, a rate higher than that in Medicare and private insurance by 4.07 (p<.01) and 3.68 (p<.001) percentage points, respectively. Refusal of Medicaid coverage is associated with delaying needed care, using emergency room (ER) as a usual source of care, and perceiving current coverage as worse than last year. In view of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion, future studies should continue monitoring enrollees' experience of coverage refusal.

  12. An efficient genetic algorithm for maximum coverage deployment in wireless sensor networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Yourim; Kim, Yong-Hyuk

    2013-10-01

    Sensor networks have a lot of applications such as battlefield surveillance, environmental monitoring, and industrial diagnostics. Coverage is one of the most important performance metrics for sensor networks since it reflects how well a sensor field is monitored. In this paper, we introduce the maximum coverage deployment problem in wireless sensor networks and analyze the properties of the problem and its solution space. Random deployment is the simplest way to deploy sensor nodes but may cause unbalanced deployment and therefore, we need a more intelligent way for sensor deployment. We found that the phenotype space of the problem is a quotient space of the genotype space in a mathematical view. Based on this property, we propose an efficient genetic algorithm using a novel normalization method. A Monte Carlo method is adopted to design an efficient evaluation function, and its computation time is decreased without loss of solution quality using a method that starts from a small number of random samples and gradually increases the number for subsequent generations. The proposed genetic algorithms could be further improved by combining with a well-designed local search. The performance of the proposed genetic algorithm is shown by a comparative experimental study. When compared with random deployment and existing methods, our genetic algorithm was not only about twice faster, but also showed significant performance improvement in quality.

  13. A felkelés éghajlata: Sam White környezettörténeti elmélete az Oszmán Birodalom hanyatlásáról - The Climate of Rebellion: Sam White’s Environmental Theory about the Decline of the Ottoman Empire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RÁCZ, Lajos

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The book of Sam White has offered a new interpretation of Ottoman history from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The American author has argued that historians have to consider the ecological conditions of the early modern Near East and the profound impacts and repercussions of the Little Ice Age in order to understand the empire’s successes, crises and transformations. White’s study presents the expansive ‘imperial ecology’ underlying the rapid expansion in the classical age which made the empire increasingly vulnerable to war and natural disasters as the population pressure set in in the late 1500s. Sam White examined the impact of Little Ice Age and climatic fluctuation from the late 16th through the early 18th centuries, demonstrating the strong links between extreme climatic events and the outbreak of the Celali Rebellion and the recurring disorders of the 1600s. Finally, the author argued that transformations in human ecology – particularly the spread of nomadic pastoralism, migration to urban areas, and a shift to new crops for commerce and exports – slowed the demographic recovery of Ottoman lands, leaving the empire relatively depopulated by the mid-19th century.

  14. Legislating health care coverage for the unemployed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palley, H A; Feldman, G; Gallner, I; Tysor, M

    1985-01-01

    Because the unemployed and their families are often likely to develop stress-related health problems, ensuring them access to health care is a public health issue. Congressional efforts thus far to legislate health coverage for the unemployed have proposed a system that recognizes people's basic need for coverage but has several limitations.

  15. Assessment of Effective Coverage of Voluntary Counseling and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Assessment of Effective Coverage of Voluntary Counseling and Testing ... The objective of this study was to assess effective coverage level for Voluntary Counseling and testing services in major health facilities ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  16. US Media Coverage of Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDaniel, Patricia A; Lown, E Anne; Malone, Ruth E

    2018-02-01

    Media coverage of tobacco industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives represents a competitive field where tobacco control advocates and the tobacco industry vie to shape public and policymaker understandings about tobacco control and the industry. Through a content analysis of 649 US news items, we examined US media coverage of tobacco industry CSR and identified characteristics of media items associated with positive coverage. Most coverage appeared in local newspapers, and CSR initiatives unrelated to tobacco, with non-controversial beneficiaries, were most commonly mentioned. Coverage was largely positive. Tobacco control advocates were infrequently cited as sources and rarely authored opinion pieces; however, when their voices were included, coverage was less likely to have a positive slant. Media items published in the South, home to several tobacco company headquarters, were more likely than those published in the West to have a positive slant. The absence of tobacco control advocates from media coverage represents a missed opportunity to influence opinion regarding the negative public health implications of tobacco industry CSR. Countering the media narrative of virtuous companies doing good deeds could be particularly beneficial in the South, where the burdens of tobacco-caused disease are greatest, and coverage of tobacco companies more positive.

  17. Aspects of coverage in medical DNA sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilson Richard K

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA sequencing is now emerging as an important component in biomedical studies of diseases like cancer. Short-read, highly parallel sequencing instruments are expected to be used heavily for such projects, but many design specifications have yet to be conclusively established. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is the redundancy required to detect sequence variations, which bears directly upon genomic coverage and the consequent resolving power for discerning somatic mutations. Results We address the medical sequencing coverage problem via an extension of the standard mathematical theory of haploid coverage. The expected diploid multi-fold coverage, as well as its generalization for aneuploidy are derived and these expressions can be readily evaluated for any project. The resulting theory is used as a scaling law to calibrate performance to that of standard BAC sequencing at 8× to 10× redundancy, i.e. for expected coverages that exceed 99% of the unique sequence. A differential strategy is formalized for tumor/normal studies wherein tumor samples are sequenced more deeply than normal ones. In particular, both tumor alleles should be detected at least twice, while both normal alleles are detected at least once. Our theory predicts these requirements can be met for tumor and normal redundancies of approximately 26× and 21×, respectively. We explain why these values do not differ by a factor of 2, as might intuitively be expected. Future technology developments should prompt even deeper sequencing of tumors, but the 21× value for normal samples is essentially a constant. Conclusion Given the assumptions of standard coverage theory, our model gives pragmatic estimates for required redundancy. The differential strategy should be an efficient means of identifying potential somatic mutations for further study.

  18. 29 CFR 1620.7 - “Enterprise” coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false âEnterpriseâ coverage. 1620.7 Section 1620.7 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION THE EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.7 “Enterprise” coverage. (a) The terms “enterprise” and “enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of...

  19. MC/DC and Toggle Coverage Measurement Tool for FBD Program Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Eui Sub; Jung, Se Jin; Kim, Jae Yeob; Yoo, Jun Beom [Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    The functional verification of FBD program can be implemented with various techniques such as testing and simulation. Simulation is preferable to verify FBD program, because it replicates operation of the PLC as well. The PLC is executed repeatedly as long as the controlled system is running based on scan time. Likewise, the simulation technique operates continuously and sequentially. Although engineers try to verify the functionality wholly, it is difficult to find residual errors in the design. Even if 100% functional coverage is accomplished, code coverage have 50%, which might indicate that the scenario is missing some key features of the design. Unfortunately, errors and bugs are often found in the missing points. To assure a high quality of functional verification, code coverage is important as well as functional coverage. We developed a pair tool 'FBDSim' and 'FBDCover' for FBD simulation and coverage measurement. The 'FBDSim' automatically simulates a set of FBD simulation scenarios. While the 'FBDSim' simulates the FBD program, it calculates the MC/DC and Toggle coverage and identifies unstimulated points. After FBD simulation is done, the 'FBDCover' reads the coverage results and shows the coverage with graphical feature and uncovered points with tree feature. The coverages and uncovered points can help engineers to improve the quality of simulation. We slightly dealt with the both coverages, but the coverage is dealt with more concrete and rigorous manner.

  20. Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Chronically Infected and Subsequently Challenged Ewes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dos Santos, Thaís Rabelo; Faria, Gabriela da Silva Magalhães; Guerreiro, Bruna Martins; Dal Pietro, Nathalia Helena Pereira da Silva; Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti; da Silva, Helenara Machado; Garcia, João Luis; Luvizotto, Maria Cecília Rui; Bresciani, Katia Denise Saraiva; da Costa, Alvimar José

    2016-01-01

    This experiment studied congenital transmission in sheep experimentally infected with oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii and reinfected at one of three stages of pregnancy. Twenty ewes were experimentally infected with T. gondii strain ME49 (day 0). After the T. gondii infection became chronic (IFAT≤512), the ewes were allocated with rams for coverage. After the diagnosis of pregnancy, these ewes were allocated into four experimental groups (n = 5): I-reinfected with T. gondii on the 40th day of gestation (DG); II-reinfected on DG 80; III-reinfected on DG 120; and IV-saline solution on DG 120 (not reinfected). Five ewes (IFATewes produced lambs serologically positive for T. gondii. The results of the mouse bioassay, immunohistochemistry and PCR assays revealed the presence of T. gondii in all 20 sheep and their lambs. The congenital transmission of T. gondii was associated with fetal loss and abnormalities in persistently infected sheep and in ewes infected and subsequently reinfected by this protozoan. Therefore, congenital T. gondii infection was common when ewes were chronically infected prior to pregnancy, with or without reinfection during at various stages of gestation.

  1. Greedy Sparse Approaches for Homological Coverage in Location Unaware Sensor Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-08

    problems (e.g., coverage hole detection, coverage verification , hole local- ization, and so on; see Section 2 for more details). The sparse coverage...10,17,20–25 2. detection or verification of coverage (i.e., ensuring there is no coverage gap or hole),11,12,26–29 3 Approved for public release...v))) = 0 then Broadcast self as candidate for collapse to neighbors if All neighboring nodes broadcast themselves as non-candidates then v not needed

  2. Detection of Evolved Carbon Dioxide in the Rocknest Eolian Bedform by the Sample Analysis at Mars(SAM) Instrument at the Mars Curiosity Landing Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Archer, D.; McAdam, A.; Franz, H.; Ming, D. W.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Glavin, D. P.; Mahaffy, P.; Stern, J.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.

    2013-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument detected four releases of carbon dioxide (CO2) that ranged from 100 to 700 C from the Rocknest eolian bedform material (Fig. 1). Candidate sources of CO2 include adsorbed CO2, carbonate(s), combusted organics that are either derived from terrestrial contamination and/or of martian origin, occluded or trapped CO2, and other sources that have yet to be determined. The Phoenix Lander s Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) detected two CO2 releases (400-600, 700-840 C) [1,2]. The low temperature release was attributed to Fe- and/or Mg carbonates [1,2], per-chlorate interactions with carbonates [3], nanophase carbonates [4] and/or combusted organics [1]. The high temperature CO2 release was attributed to a calcium bearing carbonate [1,2]. No evidence of a high temperature CO2 release similar to the Phoenix material was detected in the Rocknest materials by SAM. The objectives of this work are to evaluate the temperature and total contribution of each Rocknest CO2 release and their possible sources. Four CO2 releases from the Rocknest material were detected by SAM. Potential sources of CO2 are adsorbed CO2, (peak 1) and Fe/Mg carbonates (peak 4). Only a fraction of peaks 2 and 3 (0.01 C wt.%) may be partially attributed to combustion of organic contamination. Meteoritic organics mixed in the Rocknest bedform could be present, but the peak 2 and 3 C concentration (approx.0.21 C wt. %) is likely too high to be attributed solely to meteoritic organic C. Other inorganic sources of C such as interactions of perchlorates and carbonates and sources yet to be identified will be evaluated to account for CO2 released from the thermal decomposition of Rocknest material.

  3. Electrochemistry of 2-dimethylaminoethanethiol SAM on gold electrode: Interaction with SWCNT-poly(m-aminobenzene sulphonic acid), electric field-induced protonation-deprotonation, and surface pKa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Pillay, J

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available -called electric field induced protonation-deprotonation process, hitherto observed for the -COOH terminated SAMs, is also observed for the -N(H)+(CH3)2 terminated. The surface pKa of DMAET was estimated as 7.6, smaller than its solution pKa of 10.8. It is also...

  4. Coverage or Cover-up: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage of the 19th Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Linda Lazier

    A study compared newspaper coverage of the women's suffrage movement in the 1920s with coverage of efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s, to see if the similar movements with different outcomes were treated similarly or differently by the press. A content analysis of relevant articles in the "New York…

  5. Study The Effect of 4 weeks of Special Aerobic Training on CBS and SAM Levels in Hippocampus of Rats with Alzheimer-induced Disease with Aβ1-42 Injection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhad Azimi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: H2S plays a key role in the pathogenesis of the Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 4 weeks of the special aerobic training after induction of Alzheimer’s disease by Aβ1-42 injection on CBS and SAM levels in hippocampus of Wistar male rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats (8 weeks old and weight 195 ± 20 g were divided into four groups including: healthy control, Alzheimer’s control, Alzheimer’s + training and sham. To induce Alzheimer’s disease, Aβ1-42 was infused into the hippocampus of rats. Training group trained for 4-week. For data analysis, one-way ANOVA was used and Eta and Omega squared tests were used to determine the effect size (p<0.05. Results: Findings revealed that 4 weeks of special aerobic training increased significantly the CBS and SAM levels in hippocampus of Alzheimer’s rats compared to the control Alzheimer’s rats ( ES=53; p= 0.007, ES= 92.22; p= 0.001. Also, we showed 4 weeks of special aerobic training increased CBS level in hippocampus of Alzheimer’s rats compared to the healthy cotrol group (ES= 44.07; p= 0.014. Conclusion: It seems that the special aerobic training can be used as a useful non-pharmacologically effective therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's patients through positive regulation of hydrogen sulfide via CBS and SAM enzymes.

  6. Expanding the universe of universal coverage: the population health argument for increasing coverage for immigrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandi, Arijit; Loue, Sana; Galea, Sandro

    2009-12-01

    As the US recession deepens, furthering the debate about healthcare reform is now even more important than ever. Few plans aimed at facilitating universal coverage make any mention of increasing access for uninsured non-citizens living in the US, many of whom are legally restricted from certain types of coverage. We conducted a critical review of the public health literature concerning the health status and access to health services among immigrant populations in the US. Using examples from infectious and chronic disease epidemiology, we argue that access to health services is at the intersection of the health of uninsured immigrants and the general population and that extending access to healthcare to all residents of the US, including undocumented immigrants, is beneficial from a population health perspective. Furthermore, from a health economics perspective, increasing access to care for immigrant populations may actually reduce net costs by increasing primary prevention and reducing the emphasis on emergency care for preventable conditions. It is unlikely that proposals for universal coverage will accomplish their objectives of improving population health and reducing social disparities in health if they do not address the substantial proportion of uninsured non-citizens living in the US.

  7. Detecting Boundary Nodes and Coverage Holes in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Hui Zhao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The emergence of coverage holes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs means that some special events have broken out and the function of WSNs will be seriously influenced. Therefore, the issues of coverage holes have attracted considerable attention. In this paper, we focus on the identification of boundary nodes and coverage holes, which is crucially important to preventing the enlargement of coverage holes and ensuring the transmission of data. We define the problem of coverage holes and propose two novel algorithms to identify the coverage holes in WSNs. The first algorithm, Distributed Sector Cover Scanning (DSCS, can be used to identify the nodes on hole borders and the outer boundary of WSNs. The second scheme, Directional Walk (DW, can locate the coverage holes based on the boundary nodes identified with DSCS. We implement the algorithms in various scenarios and fully evaluate their performance. The simulation results show that the boundary nodes can be accurately detected by DSCS and the holes enclosed by the detected boundary nodes can be identified by DW. The comparisons confirm that the proposed algorithms outperform the existing ones.

  8. Length and coverage of inhibitory decision rules

    KAUST Repository

    Alsolami, Fawaz

    2012-01-01

    Authors present algorithms for optimization of inhibitory rules relative to the length and coverage. Inhibitory rules have a relation "attribute ≠ value" on the right-hand side. The considered algorithms are based on extensions of dynamic programming. Paper contains also comparison of length and coverage of inhibitory rules constructed by a greedy algorithm and by the dynamic programming algorithm. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

  9. Resolution, coverage, and geometry beyond traditional limits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronen, Shuki; Ferber, Ralf

    1998-12-31

    The presentation relates to the optimization of the image of seismic data and improved resolution and coverage of acquired data. Non traditional processing methods such as inversion to zero offset (IZO) are used. To realize the potential of saving acquisition cost by reducing in-fill and to plan resolution improvement by processing, geometry QC methods such as DMO Dip Coverage Spectrum (DDCS) and Bull`s Eyes Analysis are used. The DDCS is a 2-D spectrum whose entries consist of the DMO (Dip Move Out) coverage for a particular reflector specified by it`s true time dip and reflector normal strike. The Bull`s Eyes Analysis relies on real time processing of synthetic data generated with the real geometry. 4 refs., 6 figs.

  10. Delaunay Triangulation as a New Coverage Measurement Method in Wireless Sensor Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chizari, Hassan; Hosseini, Majid; Poston, Timothy; Razak, Shukor Abd; Abdullah, Abdul Hanan

    2011-01-01

    Sensing and communication coverage are among the most important trade-offs in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) design. A minimum bound of sensing coverage is vital in scheduling, target tracking and redeployment phases, as well as providing communication coverage. Some methods measure the coverage as a percentage value, but detailed information has been missing. Two scenarios with equal coverage percentage may not have the same Quality of Coverage (QoC). In this paper, we propose a new coverage measurement method using Delaunay Triangulation (DT). This can provide the value for all coverage measurement tools. Moreover, it categorizes sensors as ‘fat’, ‘healthy’ or ‘thin’ to show the dense, optimal and scattered areas. It can also yield the largest empty area of sensors in the field. Simulation results show that the proposed DT method can achieve accurate coverage information, and provides many tools to compare QoC between different scenarios. PMID:22163792

  11. Utilization of cone-beam CT for offline evaluation of target volume coverage during prostate image-guided radiotherapy based on bony anatomy alignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paluska, Petr; Hanus, Josef; Sefrova, Jana; Rouskova, Lucie; Grepl, Jakub; Jansa, Jan; Kasaova, Linda; Hodek, Miroslav; Zouhar, Milan; Vosmik, Milan; Petera, Jiri

    2012-01-01

    To assess target volume coverage during prostate image-guided radiotherapy based on bony anatomy alignment and to assess possibility of safety margin reduction. Implementation of IGRT should influence safety margins. Utilization of cone-beam CT provides current 3D anatomic information directly in irradiation position. Such information enables reconstruction of the actual dose distribution. Seventeen prostate patients were treated with daily bony anatomy image-guidance. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans were acquired once a week immediately after bony anatomy alignment. After the prostate, seminal vesicles, rectum and bladder were contoured, the delivered dose distribution was reconstructed. Target dose coverage was evaluated by the proportion of the CTV encompassed by the 95% isodose. Original plans employed a 1 cm safety margin. Alternative plans assuming a smaller 7 mm margin between CTV and PTV were evaluated in the same way. Rectal and bladder volumes were compared with the initial ones. Rectal and bladder volumes irradiated with doses higher than 75 Gy, 70 Gy, 60 Gy, 50 Gy and 40 Gy were analyzed. In 12% of reconstructed plans the prostate coverage was not sufficient. The prostate underdosage was observed in 5 patients. Coverage of seminal vesicles was not satisfactory in 3% of plans. Most of the target underdosage corresponded to excessive rectal or bladder filling. Evaluation of alternative plans assuming a smaller 7 mm margin revealed 22% and 11% of plans where prostate and seminal vesicles coverage, respectively, was compromised. These were distributed over 8 and 7 patients, respectively. Sufficient dose coverage of target volumes was not achieved for all patients. Reducing of safety margin is not acceptable. Initial rectal and bladder volumes cannot be considered representative for subsequent treatment.

  12. Controlling coverage of solution cast materials with unfavourable surface interactions

    KAUST Repository

    Burlakov, V. M.; Eperon, G. E.; Snaith, H. J.; Chapman, S. J.; Goriely, A.

    2014-01-01

    Creating uniform coatings of a solution-cast material is of central importance to a broad range of applications. Here, a robust and generic theoretical framework for calculating surface coverage by a solid film of material de-wetting a substrate is presented. Using experimental data from semiconductor thin films as an example, we calculate surface coverage for a wide range of annealing temperatures and film thicknesses. The model generally predicts that for each value of the annealing temperature there is a range of film thicknesses leading to poor surface coverage. The model accurately reproduces solution-cast thin film coverage for organometal halide perovskites, key modern photovoltaic materials, and identifies processing windows for both high and low levels of surface coverage. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

  13. Controlling coverage of solution cast materials with unfavourable surface interactions

    KAUST Repository

    Burlakov, V. M.

    2014-03-03

    Creating uniform coatings of a solution-cast material is of central importance to a broad range of applications. Here, a robust and generic theoretical framework for calculating surface coverage by a solid film of material de-wetting a substrate is presented. Using experimental data from semiconductor thin films as an example, we calculate surface coverage for a wide range of annealing temperatures and film thicknesses. The model generally predicts that for each value of the annealing temperature there is a range of film thicknesses leading to poor surface coverage. The model accurately reproduces solution-cast thin film coverage for organometal halide perovskites, key modern photovoltaic materials, and identifies processing windows for both high and low levels of surface coverage. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

  14. Massachusetts health reform: employer coverage from employees' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Sharon K; Stockley, Karen

    2009-01-01

    The national health reform debate continues to draw on Massachusetts' 2006 reform initiative, with a focus on sustaining employer-sponsored insurance. This study provides an update on employers' responses under health reform in fall 2008, using data from surveys of working-age adults. Results show that concerns about employers' dropping coverage or scaling back benefits under health reform have not been realized. Access to employer coverage has increased, as has the scope and quality of their coverage as assessed by workers. However, premiums and out-of-pocket costs have become more of an issue for employees in small firms.

  15. 45 CFR 148.124 - Certification and disclosure of coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... method of counting creditable coverage, and the requesting entity may identify specific information that... a payroll deduction for health coverage, a health insurance identification card, a certificate of...

  16. [Vaccination coverage in young, middle age and elderly adults in Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz-Hervert, Luis Pablo; Ferreira-Guerrero, Elizabeth; Díaz-Ortega, José Luis; Trejo-Valdivia, Belem; Téllez-Rojo, Martha María; Mongua-Rodríguez, Norma; Hernández-Serrato, María I; Montoya-Rodríguez, Airain Alejandra; García-García, Lourdes

    2013-01-01

    To estimate vaccination coverage in adults 20 years of age and older. Analysis of data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012. Among adults 20-59 years old coverage with complete scheme, measles and rubella (MR) and tetanus toxoid and diphtheria toxoid (Td) was 44.7,49. and 67.3%, respectively. Coverage and percentage of vaccination were significantly higher among women than men. Among women 20-49 years coverages with complete scheme, MR and Td were 48.3, 53.2 and 69.8%, respectively. Among adults 60-64 years old, coverage with complete scheme, Td and influenza vaccine were 46.5, 66.2 and 56.0%, respectively. Among adults >65 years coverages for complete scheme, Td, influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine were 44.0, 69.0, 63.3 and 62.0%, respectively. Vaccination coverage among adult population as obtained from vaccination card or self-report is below optimal values although data may be underestimated. Recommendations for improvements are proposed.

  17. Whole brain CT perfusion in acute anterior circulation ischemia: coverage size matters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emmer, B.J.; Rijkee, M.; Walderveen, M.A.A. van; Niesten, J.M.; Velthuis, B.K.; Wermer, M.J.H.

    2014-01-01

    Our aim was to compare infarct core volume on whole brain CT perfusion (CTP) with several limited coverage sizes (i.e., 3, 4, 6, and 8 cm), as currently used in routine clinical practice. In total, 40 acute ischemic stroke patients with non-contrast CT (NCCT) and CTP imaging of anterior circulation ischemia were included. Imaging was performed using a 320-multislice CT. Average volumes of infarct core of all simulated partial coverage sizes were calculated. Infarct core volume of each partial brain coverage was compared with infarct core volume of whole brain coverage and expressed using a percentage. To determine the optimal starting position for each simulated CTP coverage, the percentage of infarct coverage was calculated for every possible starting position of the simulated partial coverage in relation to Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score in Acute Stroke Triage (ASPECTS 1) level. Whole brain CTP coverage further increased the percentage of infarct core volume depicted by 10 % as compared to the 8-cm coverage when the bottom slice was positioned at the ASPECTS 1 level. Optimization of the position of the region of interest (ROI) in 3 cm, 4 cm, and 8 cm improved the percentage of infarct depicted by 4 % for the 8-cm, 7 % for the 4-cm, and 13 % for the 3-cm coverage size. This study shows that whole brain CTP is the optimal coverage for CTP with a substantial improvement in accuracy in quantifying infarct core size. In addition, our results suggest that the optimal position of the ROI in limited coverage depends on the size of the coverage. (orig.)

  18. Whole brain CT perfusion in acute anterior circulation ischemia: coverage size matters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Emmer, B.J. [Erasmus Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Postbus 2040, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Rijkee, M.; Walderveen, M.A.A. van [Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Leiden (Netherlands); Niesten, J.M.; Velthuis, B.K. [University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Wermer, M.J.H. [Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Neurology, Leiden (Netherlands)

    2014-12-15

    Our aim was to compare infarct core volume on whole brain CT perfusion (CTP) with several limited coverage sizes (i.e., 3, 4, 6, and 8 cm), as currently used in routine clinical practice. In total, 40 acute ischemic stroke patients with non-contrast CT (NCCT) and CTP imaging of anterior circulation ischemia were included. Imaging was performed using a 320-multislice CT. Average volumes of infarct core of all simulated partial coverage sizes were calculated. Infarct core volume of each partial brain coverage was compared with infarct core volume of whole brain coverage and expressed using a percentage. To determine the optimal starting position for each simulated CTP coverage, the percentage of infarct coverage was calculated for every possible starting position of the simulated partial coverage in relation to Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score in Acute Stroke Triage (ASPECTS 1) level. Whole brain CTP coverage further increased the percentage of infarct core volume depicted by 10 % as compared to the 8-cm coverage when the bottom slice was positioned at the ASPECTS 1 level. Optimization of the position of the region of interest (ROI) in 3 cm, 4 cm, and 8 cm improved the percentage of infarct depicted by 4 % for the 8-cm, 7 % for the 4-cm, and 13 % for the 3-cm coverage size. This study shows that whole brain CTP is the optimal coverage for CTP with a substantial improvement in accuracy in quantifying infarct core size. In addition, our results suggest that the optimal position of the ROI in limited coverage depends on the size of the coverage. (orig.)

  19. Coverage-maximization in networks under resource constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandi, Subrata; Brusch, Lutz; Deutsch, Andreas; Ganguly, Niloy

    2010-06-01

    Efficient coverage algorithms are essential for information search or dispersal in all kinds of networks. We define an extended coverage problem which accounts for constrained resources of consumed bandwidth B and time T . Our solution to the network challenge is here studied for regular grids only. Using methods from statistical mechanics, we develop a coverage algorithm with proliferating message packets and temporally modulated proliferation rate. The algorithm performs as efficiently as a single random walker but O(B(d-2)/d) times faster, resulting in significant service speed-up on a regular grid of dimension d . The algorithm is numerically compared to a class of generalized proliferating random walk strategies and on regular grids shown to perform best in terms of the product metric of speed and efficiency.

  20. Universal health coverage in Turkey: enhancement of equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atun, Rifat; Aydın, Sabahattin; Chakraborty, Sarbani; Sümer, Safir; Aran, Meltem; Gürol, Ipek; Nazlıoğlu, Serpil; Ozgülcü, Senay; Aydoğan, Ulger; Ayar, Banu; Dilmen, Uğur; Akdağ, Recep

    2013-07-06

    Turkey has successfully introduced health system changes and provided its citizens with the right to health to achieve universal health coverage, which helped to address inequities in financing, health service access, and health outcomes. We trace the trajectory of health system reforms in Turkey, with a particular emphasis on 2003-13, which coincides with the Health Transformation Program (HTP). The HTP rapidly expanded health insurance coverage and access to health-care services for all citizens, especially the poorest population groups, to achieve universal health coverage. We analyse the contextual drivers that shaped the transformations in the health system, explore the design and implementation of the HTP, identify the factors that enabled its success, and investigate its effects. Our findings suggest that the HTP was instrumental in achieving universal health coverage to enhance equity substantially, and led to quantifiable and beneficial effects on all health system goals, with an improved level and distribution of health, greater fairness in financing with better financial protection, and notably increased user satisfaction. After the HTP, five health insurance schemes were consolidated to create a unified General Health Insurance scheme with harmonised and expanded benefits. Insurance coverage for the poorest population groups in Turkey increased from 2·4 million people in 2003, to 10·2 million in 2011. Health service access increased across the country-in particular, access and use of key maternal and child health services improved to help to greatly reduce the maternal mortality ratio, and under-5, infant, and neonatal mortality, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Several factors helped to achieve universal health coverage and improve outcomes. These factors include economic growth, political stability, a comprehensive transformation strategy led by a transformation team, rapid policy translation, flexible implementation with

  1. Eldecalcitol improves mechanical strength of cortical bones by stimulating the periosteal bone formation in the senescence-accelerated SAM/P6 mice - a comparison with alfacalcidol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraishi, Ayako; Sakai, Sadaoki; Saito, Hitoshi; Takahashi, Fumiaki

    2014-10-01

    Eldecalcitol (ELD), a 2β-hydroxypropyloxy derivative of 1α,25(OH)2D3, is a potent inhibitor of bone resorption that has demonstrated a greater effect at reducing the risk of fracture in osteoporotic patients than alfacalcidol (ALF). In the present study, we used the senescence-accelerated mouse strain P6 (SAM/P6), which has low bone mass caused by osteoblast dysfunction, to evaluate the effect of ELD on cortical bone in comparison with ALF. Four-month-old SAM/P6 mice were given either ELD (0.025 or 0.05μg/kg) or ALF (0.2 or 0.4μg/kg) by oral gavage 5 times/week for 6 weeks. Both ELD and ALF increased serum calcium (Ca) in a dose-dependent manner. Serum Ca levels in the ELD 0.05μg/kg group were comparable to those of the ALF 0.2μg/kg group. ELD 0.05μg/kg significantly improved the bone biomechanical properties of the femur compared with the vehicle control group (pBone histomorphometry revealed that in the femoral endocortical surface, the suppression of bone resorption parameters (N.Oc/BS) and bone formation parameters (MS/BS) by ELD (0.05μg/kg) was greater than that by ALF (0.2μg/kg). In contrast, in the femoral periosteal surface, ELD 0.05μg/kg significantly increased bone formation parameters (BFR/BS, MS/BS) compared with the vehicle control group (pbone not only by inhibiting endocortical bone resorption but also by stimulating the periosteal bone formation in SAM/P6 mice. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled '16th Vitamin D Workshop'. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. 42 CFR 436.321 - Medically needy coverage of the blind.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Medically needy coverage of the blind. 436.321... Optional Coverage of the Medically Needy § 436.321 Medically needy coverage of the blind. If the agency provides Medicaid to the medically needy, it may provide Medicaid to blind individuals who meet— (a) The...

  3. Assessing Requirements Quality through Requirements Coverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajan, Ajitha; Heimdahl, Mats; Woodham, Kurt

    2008-01-01

    In model-based development, the development effort is centered around a formal description of the proposed software system the model. This model is derived from some high-level requirements describing the expected behavior of the software. For validation and verification purposes, this model can then be subjected to various types of analysis, for example, completeness and consistency analysis [6], model checking [3], theorem proving [1], and test-case generation [4, 7]. This development paradigm is making rapid inroads in certain industries, e.g., automotive, avionics, space applications, and medical technology. This shift towards model-based development naturally leads to changes in the verification and validation (V&V) process. The model validation problem determining that the model accurately captures the customer's high-level requirements has received little attention and the sufficiency of the validation activities has been largely determined through ad-hoc methods. Since the model serves as the central artifact, its correctness with respect to the users needs is absolutely crucial. In our investigation, we attempt to answer the following two questions with respect to validation (1) Are the requirements sufficiently defined for the system? and (2) How well does the model implement the behaviors specified by the requirements? The second question can be addressed using formal verification. Nevertheless, the size and complexity of many industrial systems make formal verification infeasible even if we have a formal model and formalized requirements. Thus, presently, there is no objective way of answering these two questions. To this end, we propose an approach based on testing that, when given a set of formal requirements, explores the relationship between requirements-based structural test-adequacy coverage and model-based structural test-adequacy coverage. The proposed technique uses requirements coverage metrics defined in [9] on formal high-level software

  4. Physics-Aware Informative Coverage Planning for Autonomous Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Physics-Aware Informative Coverage Planning for Autonomous Vehicles Michael J. Kuhlman1, Student Member, IEEE, Petr Švec2, Member, IEEE, Krishnanand...Physics-Aware Informative Coverage Planning for Autonomous Vehicles 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d

  5. A high-coverage nanoparticle monolayer for the fabrication of a subwavelength structure on InP substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dae-Seon; Park, Min-Su; Jang, Jae-Hyung

    2011-08-01

    Subwavelength structures (SWSs) were fabricated on the Indium Phosphide (InP) substrate by utilizing the confined convective self-assembly (CCSA) method followed by reactive ion etching (RIE). The surface condition of the InP substrate was changed by depositing a 30-nm-thick SiO2 layer and subsequently treating the surface with O2 plasma to achieve better surface coverage. The surface coverage of nanoparticle monolayer reached 90% by using O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate among three kinds of starting substrates such as the bare InP, SiO2/InP and O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate. A nanoparticle monolayer consisting of polystyrene spheres with diameter of 300 nm was used as an etch mask for transferring a two-dimensional periodic pattern onto the InP substrate. The fabricated conical SWS with an aspect ratio of 1.25 on the O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate exhibited the lowest reflectance. The average reflectance of the conical SWS was 5.84% in a spectral range between 200 and 900 nm under the normal incident angle.

  6. Country-level predictors of vaccination coverage and inequalities in Gavi-supported countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsenault, Catherine; Johri, Mira; Nandi, Arijit; Mendoza Rodríguez, José M; Hansen, Peter M; Harper, Sam

    2017-04-25

    Important inequalities in childhood vaccination coverage persist between countries and population groups. Understanding why some countries achieve higher and more equitable levels of coverage is crucial to redress these inequalities. In this study, we explored the country-level determinants of (1) coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis- (DTP3) containing vaccine and (2) within-country inequalities in DTP3 coverage in 45 countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We used data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2005 and 2014. We measured national DTP3 coverage and the slope index of inequality in DTP3 coverage with respect to household wealth, maternal education, and multidimensional poverty. We collated data on country health systems, health financing, governance and geographic and sociocultural contexts from published sources. We used meta-regressions to assess the relationship between these country-level factors and variations in DTP3 coverage and inequalities. To validate our findings, we repeated these analyses for coverage with measles-containing vaccine (MCV). We found considerable heterogeneity in DTP3 coverage and in the magnitude of inequalities across countries. Results for MCV were consistent with those from DTP3. Political stability, gender equality and smaller land surface were important predictors of higher and more equitable levels of DTP3 coverage. Inequalities in DTP3 coverage were also lower in countries receiving more external resources for health, with lower rates of out-of-pocket spending and with higher national coverage. Greater government spending on heath and lower linguistic fractionalization were also consistent with better vaccination outcomes. Improving vaccination coverage and reducing inequalities requires that policies and programs address critical social determinants of health including geographic and social exclusion, gender inequality and the availability of

  7. Effective cataract surgical coverage: An indicator for measuring quality-of-care in the context of Universal Health Coverage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Ramke

    Full Text Available To define and demonstrate effective cataract surgical coverage (eCSC, a candidate UHC indicator that combines a coverage measure (cataract surgical coverage, CSC with quality (post-operative visual outcome.All Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB surveys with datasets on the online RAAB Repository on April 1 2016 were downloaded. The most recent study from each country was included. By country, cataract surgical outcome (CSOGood, 6/18 or better; CSOPoor, worse than 6/60, CSC (operated cataract as a proportion of operable plus operated cataract and eCSC (operated cataract and a good outcome as a proportion of operable plus operated cataract were calculated. The association between CSC and CSO was assessed by linear regression. Gender inequality in CSC and eCSC was calculated.Datasets from 20 countries were included (2005-2013; 67,337 participants; 5,474 cataract surgeries. Median CSC was 53.7% (inter-quartile range[IQR] 46.1-66.6%, CSOGood was 58.9% (IQR 53.7-67.6% and CSOPoor was 17.7% (IQR 11.3-21.1%. Coverage and quality of cataract surgery were moderately associated-every 1% CSC increase was associated with a 0.46% CSOGood increase and 0.28% CSOPoor decrease. Median eCSC was 36.7% (IQR 30.2-50.6%, approximately one-third lower than the median CSC. Women tended to fare worse than men, and gender inequality was slightly higher for eCSC (4.6% IQR 0.5-7.1% than for CSC (median 2.3% IQR -1.5-11.6%.eCSC allows monitoring of quality in conjunction with coverage of cataract surgery. In the surveys analysed, on average 36.7% of people who could benefit from cataract surgery had undergone surgery and obtained a good visual outcome.

  8. Building high-coverage monolayers of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Mackenzie G.; Teplyakov, Andrew V., E-mail: andrewt@udel.edu

    2016-12-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A method for forming a layer of covalently bound nanoparticles is offered. • A nearly perfect monolayer of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles was formed on gold. • Spectroscopic techniques confirmed covalent binding by the “click” reaction. • The influence of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage was investigated. - Abstract: This work presents an approach for producing a high-coverage single monolayer of magnetic nanoparticles using “click chemistry” between complementarily functionalized nanoparticles and a flat substrate. This method highlights essential aspects of the functionalization scheme for substrate surface and nanoparticles to produce exceptionally high surface coverage without sacrificing selectivity or control over the layer produced. The deposition of one single layer of magnetic particles without agglomeration, over a large area, with a nearly 100% coverage is confirmed by electron microscopy. Spectroscopic techniques, supplemented by computational predictions, are used to interrogate the chemistry of the attachment and to confirm covalent binding, rather than attachment through self-assembly or weak van der Waals bonding. Density functional theory calculations for the surface intermediate of this copper-catalyzed process provide mechanistic insight into the effects of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage. Based on this analysis, it appears that steric limitations of the intermediate structure affect nanoparticle coverage on a flat solid substrate; however, this can be overcome by designing a functionalization scheme in such a way that the copper-based intermediate is formed on the spherical nanoparticles instead. This observation can be carried over to other approaches for creating highly controlled single- or multilayered nanostructures of a wide range of materials to result in high coverage and possibly, conformal filling.

  9. Immunization coverage among Hispanic ancestry, 2003 National Immunization Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darling, Natalie J; Barker, Lawrence E; Shefer, Abigail M; Chu, Susan Y

    2005-12-01

    The Hispanic population is increasing and heterogeneous (Hispanic refers to persons of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino descent). The objective was to examine immunization rates among Hispanic ancestry for the 4:3:1:3:3 series (> or = 4 doses diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and pertussis vaccine; > or = 3 doses poliovirus vaccine; > or = 1 doses measles-containing vaccine; > or = 3 doses Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine; and > or = 3 doses hepatitis B vaccine). The National Immunization Survey measures immunization coverage among 19- to 35-month-old U.S. children. Coverage was compared from combined 2001-2003 data among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites using t-tests, and among Hispanic ancestry using a chi-square test. Hispanics were categorized as Mexican, Mexican American, Central American, South American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Spanish Caribbean (primarily Dominican Republic), other, and multiple ancestry. Children of Hispanic ancestry increased from 21% in 1999 to 25% in 2003. These Hispanic children were less well immunized than non-Hispanic whites (77.0%, +/-2.1% [95% confidence interval] compared to 82.5%, +/-1.1% (95% CI) > in 2003). Immunization coverage did not vary significantly among Hispanics of varying ancestries (p=0.26); however, there was substantial geographic variability. In some areas, immunization coverage among Hispanics was significantly higher than non-Hispanic whites. Hispanic children were less well immunized than non-Hispanic whites; however, coverage varied notably by geographic area. Although a chi-square test found no significant differences in coverage among Hispanic ancestries, the range of coverage, 79.2%, +/-5.1% for Cuban Americans to 72.1%, +/-2.4% for Mexican descent, may suggest a need for improved and more localized monitoring among Hispanic communities.

  10. Dorsal hand coverage with free serratus fascia flap

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fotopoulos, Peter; Holmer, Per; Leicht, Pernille

    2003-01-01

    in the flap, leaving the long thoracic nerve intact on the serratus muscle. Coverage of the flap with split-thickness skin graft is done immediately. The free serratus fascia flap is an ideal flap for dorsal hand coverage when the extensor tendons are exposed, especially because of low donor-site morbidity....

  11. Health system strengthening in the context of CMAM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Israel, Anne-Dominique; Gallagher, Maureen

    2014-01-01

    The approach to the management of acute malnutrition has changed substantially in recent years. There has been recognition that, despite huge advances over the last 25 years on how Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is treated, coverage remains around 7 to 13%. Universal coverage to SAM management can only be achieved by ensuring availability of and access to treatment at all levels of the health system. SAM needs to be considered as a disease to be integrated and mainstreamed as part of the basic package of health services, which highlights the need to review existing implementation approaches to be increasingly horizontal, process oriented instead of vertical, model oriented. In many countries, programs to treat AM now fall under the responsibility and leadership of the Ministry of Health and its sub-national authorities. This provides an enabling environment for AM management within the health system as it is integrated as an additional component of the basic healthcare package. In considering SAM as a disease, we can learn from existing large global health initiatives (GHI) experiences, developed in the early 2000s, targeting specific diseases. GAVI (for immunization), PEPFAR (for HIV/AIDS) and Global Fund (for HIV, malaria & TB), applied, at their early stages a “disease based/ vertical approach”. This approach revealed its limitations as the countries where these global health initiatives were implemented had fragile health systems, continuously struggling to operate effectively and to deliver accessible standard quality care. The nutrition community, in promoting AM management to be integrated into the basic package of health services has been, these last years, faced with similar challenges and questions as GHIs. There is an increased need to recognize that most of the barriers identified in delivering SAM or MAM management are common to those faced by the health system overall. Therefore, a more global/ general and coordinated effort is required to

  12. ESTIMATION OF SEAGRASS COVERAGE BY DEPTH INVARIANT INDICES ON QUICKBIRD IMAGERY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Anshar Amran

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Management of seagrass ecosystem requires availability of information on the actual condition of seagrass coverage. Remote sensing technology for seagrass mapping has been used to detect the presence of seagrass coverage, but so far no information on the condition of seagrass could be obtained. Therefore, a research is required using remote sensing imagery to obtain information on the condition of seagrass coverage.The aim of this research is to formulate mathematical relationship between seagrass coverage and depth invariant indices on Quickbird imagery. Transformation was done on multispectral bands which could detect sea floor objects that are in the region of blue, green and red bands.The study areas covered are the seas around Barranglompo Island and Barrangcaddi Island, westward of Makassar city, Indonesia. Various seagrass coverages were detected within the region under study.Mathematical relationship between seagrass coverage and depth invariant indices was obtained by multiple linear regression method. Percentage of seagrass coverage (C was obtained by transformation of depth invariant indices (Xij on Quickbird imagery, with transformation equation as follows:C = 19.934 – 63.347 X12 + 23.239 X23.A good accuracy of 75% for the seagrass coverage was obtained by transformation of depth invariant indices (Xij on Quickbird imagery.

  13. Re-engineering SAM or Changing the Engine in the Train While it is Running

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illingworth, R.; Mengel, M.; Norman, A.

    2015-12-01

    In the last few years at Fermilab we re-architect-ed our SAM1[1] family of data catalog and file transfer tools - including major changes - while continuing to transfer over 1 Pb/month of data to multiple existing experiments and bring new experiments on board. This work was done with less than 3 FTE-years of effort, and the changes made include major ones, such as changing interprocess communication protocols, migrating database back-ends, removing and replacing major components, and supporting new file delivery methods. This paper will summarize the approaches we have used to do this, including using design patterns like the Facade, Adapter, and Command patterns, and assisting experiments one at a time with client migration. This process has allowed us to modernize our infrastructure with reasonable costs in both calendar time and developer effort, while continuing to provide the operating service to our customers with minimal interruptions.

  14. Assuring Access to Affordable Coverage

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of uninsured Americans will gain access to affordable coverage through Affordable Insurance Exchanges and improvements in...

  15. Disparities in Private Health Insurance Coverage of Skilled Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stacey A. Tovino

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This article compares and contrasts public and private health insurance coverage of skilled medical rehabilitation, including cognitive rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and skilled nursing services (collectively, skilled care. As background, prior scholars writing in this area have focused on Medicare coverage of skilled care and have challenged coverage determinations limiting Medicare coverage to beneficiaries who are able to demonstrate improvement in their conditions within a specific period of time (the Improvement Standard. By and large, these scholars have applauded the settlement agreement approved on 24 January 2013, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont in Jimmo v. Sebelius (Jimmo, as well as related motions, rulings, orders, government fact sheets, and Medicare program manual statements clarifying that Medicare covers skilled care that is necessary to prevent or slow a beneficiary’s deterioration or to maintain a beneficiary at his or her maximum practicable level of function even though no further improvement in the beneficiary’s condition is expected. Scholars who have focused on beneficiaries who have suffered severe brain injuries, in particular, have framed public insurance coverage of skilled brain rehabilitation as an important civil, disability, and educational right. Given that approximately two-thirds of Americans with health insurance are covered by private health insurance and that many private health plans continue to require their insureds to demonstrate improvement within a short period of time to obtain coverage of skilled care, scholarship assessing private health insurance coverage of skilled care is important but noticeably absent from the literature. This article responds to this gap by highlighting state benchmark plans’ and other private health plans’ continued use of the Improvement Standard in skilled care coverage decisions and

  16. Solving k-Barrier Coverage Problem Using Modified Gravitational Search Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhua Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Coverage problem is a critical issue in wireless sensor networks for security applications. The k-barrier coverage is an effective measure to ensure robustness. In this paper, we formulate the k-barrier coverage problem as a constrained optimization problem and introduce the energy constraint of sensor node to prolong the lifetime of the k-barrier coverage. A novel hybrid particle swarm optimization and gravitational search algorithm (PGSA is proposed to solve this problem. The proposed PGSA adopts a k-barrier coverage generation strategy based on probability and integrates the exploitation ability in particle swarm optimization to update the velocity and enhance the global search capability and introduce the boundary mutation strategy of an agent to increase the population diversity and search accuracy. Extensive simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.

  17. Did life exist on Mars? Search for organic and inorganic signatures, one of the goals for ``SAM'' (sample analysis at Mars)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabane, M.; Coll, P.; Szopa, C.; Israël, G.; Raulin, F.; Sternberg, R.; Mahaffy, P.; Person, A.; Rodier, C.; Navarro-Gonzàlez, R.; Niemann, H.; Harpold, D.; Brinckerhoff, W.

    2004-01-01

    Observation of Mars shows signs of a past Earth-like climate, and, in that case, there is no objection to the possible development of life, in the underground or at the surface, as in the terrestrial primitive biosphere. Sample analysis at Mars (SAM) is an experiment which may be proposed for atmospheric, ground and underground in situ measurements. One of its goals is to bring direct or indirect information on the possibility for life to have developed on Mars, and to detect traces of past or present biological activity. With this aim, it focuses on the detection of organic molecules: volatile organics are extracted from the sample by simple heating, whereas refractory molecules are made analyzable (i.e. volatile), using derivatization technique or fragmentation by pyrolysis. Gaseous mixtures thus obtained are analyzed by gas chromatography associated to mass spectrometry. Beyond organics, carbonates and other salts are associated to the dense and moist atmosphere necessary to the development of life, and might have formed and accumulated in some places on Mars. They represent another target for SAM. Heating of the samples allows the analysis of structural gases of these minerals (CO2 from carbonates, etc.), enabling to identify them. We also show, in this paper, that it may be possible to discriminate between abiotic minerals, and minerals (shells, etc.) created by living organisms.

  18. Conceptualising the lack of health insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, J B

    2000-01-01

    This paper examines the lack of health insurance coverage in the US as a public policy issue. It first compares the problem of health insurance coverage to the problem of unemployment to show that in terms of the numbers of individuals affected lack of health insurance is a problem comparable in importance to the problem of unemployment. Secondly, the paper discusses the methodology involved in measuring health insurance coverage, and argues that the current method of estimation of the uninsured underestimates the extent that individuals go without health insurance. Third, the paper briefly introduces Amartya Sen's functioning and capabilities framework to suggest a way of representing the extent to which individuals are uninsured. Fourth, the paper sketches a means of operationalizing the Sen representation of the uninsured in terms of the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) measure.

  19. An analysis of the policy coverage and examination of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... topics in subjects such as Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Orientation, ... The aim of the research reported here was to investigate the coverage and ... In analysing the coverage and examination of environmental-impact topics, ...

  20. Young Adults’ Selection and Use of Dependent Coverage under the Affordable Care Act

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weiwei Chen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The dependent coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA required health insurance policies that cover dependents to offer coverage for policyholder’ children up to age 26. It has been well documented that the provision successfully reduced the uninsured rate among the young adults. However, less is known about whether dependent coverage crowded out other insurance types and whether young adults used dependent coverage as a fill-in-the-gap short-term option. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation 2008 Panel, the paper assesses dependent coverage uptake and duration before and after the ACA provision among young adults aged 19–26 versus those aged 27–30. Regressions for additional coverage outcomes were also performed to estimate the crowd-out rate. It was found that the ACA provision had a significant positive impact on dependent coverage uptake and duration. The estimated crowd-out rate ranges from 27 to 42%, depending on the definition. Most dependent coverage enrollees used the coverage for 1 or 2 years. Differences in dependent coverage uptake and duration remained among racial groups. Less healthy individuals were also less likely to make use of dependent coverage.

  1. News Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention, 2007-2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejia, Pamela; Cheyne, Andrew; Dorfman, Lori

    2012-01-01

    News media coverage of child sexual abuse can help policymakers and the public understand what must be done to prevent future abuse, but coverage tends to focus on extreme cases. This article presents an analysis of newspaper coverage from 2007 to 2009 to describe how the daily news presents and frames day-to-day stories about child sexual abuse.…

  2. Effects of self-assembled monolayer structural order, surface homogeneity and surface energy on pentacene morphology and thin film transistor device performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchins, Daniel Orrin; Weidner, Tobias; Baio, Joe; Polishak, Brent; Acton, Orb; Cernetic, Nathan; Ma, Hong; Jen, Alex K-Y

    2013-01-04

    A systematic study of six phosphonic acid (PA) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with tailored molecular structures is performed to evaluate their effectiveness as dielectric modifying layers in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and determine the relationship between SAM structural order, surface homogeneity, and surface energy in dictating device performance. SAM structures and surface properties are examined by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Top-contact pentacene OFET devices are fabricated on SAM modified Si with a thermally grown oxide layer as a dielectric. For less ordered methyl- and phenyl-terminated alkyl ~(CH 2 ) 12 PA SAMs of varying surface energies, pentacene OFETs show high charge carrier mobilities up to 4.1 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . It is hypothesized that for these SAMs, mitigation of molecular scale roughness and subsequent control of surface homogeneity allow for large pentacene grain growth leading to high performance pentacene OFET devices. PA SAMs that contain bulky terminal groups or are highly crystalline in nature do not allow for a homogenous surface at a molecular level and result in charge carrier mobilities of 1.3 cm 2 V -1 s -1 or less. For all molecules used in this study, no causal relationship between SAM surface energy and charge carrier mobility in pentacene FET devices is observed.

  3. 45 CFR 148.122 - Guaranteed renewability of individual health insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... insurance coverage. 148.122 Section 148.122 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET... health insurance coverage. (a) Applicability. This section applies to all health insurance coverage in...

  4. Primary care practice and health professional determinants of immunisation coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Cameron C; Petousis-Harris, Helen; Turner, Nikki; Goodyear-Smith, Felicity; Kerse, Ngaire; Jones, Rhys; York, Deon; Desmond, Natalie; Stewart, Joanna

    2011-08-01

    To identify primary care factors associated with immunisation coverage. A survey during 2005-2006 of a random sample of New Zealand primary care practices, with over-sampling of practices serving indigenous children. An immunisation audit was conducted for children registered at each practice. Practice characteristics and the knowledge and attitudes of doctors, nurses and caregivers were measured. Practice immunisation coverage was defined as the percentage of registered children from 6 weeks to 23 months old at each practice who were fully immunised for age. Associations of practice, doctor, nurse and caregiver factors with practice immunisation coverage were determined using multiple regression analyses. One hundred and twenty-four (61%) of 205 eligible practices were recruited. A median (25th-75th centile) of 71% (57-77%) of registered children at each practice was fully immunised. In multivariate analyses, immunisation coverage was higher at practices with no staff shortages (median practice coverage 76% vs 67%, P = 0.004) and where doctors were confident in their immunisation knowledge (72% vs 67%, P= 0.005). Coverage was lower if the children's parents had received information antenatally, which discouraged immunisation (67% vs 73%, P = 0.008). Coverage decreased as socio-economic deprivation of the registered population increased (P < 0.001) and as the children's age (P = 0.001) and registration age (P = 0.02) increased. CONCLUSIONS Higher immunisation coverage is achieved by practices that establish an early relationship with the family and that are adequately resourced with stable and confident staff. Immunisation promotion should begin antenatally. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  5. Camera Coverage Estimation Based on Multistage Grid Subdivision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meizhen Wang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Visual coverage is one of the most important quality indexes for depicting the usability of an individual camera or camera network. It is the basis for camera network deployment, placement, coverage-enhancement, planning, etc. Precision and efficiency are critical influences on applications, especially those involving several cameras. This paper proposes a new method to efficiently estimate superior camera coverage. First, the geographic area that is covered by the camera and its minimum bounding rectangle (MBR without considering obstacles is computed using the camera parameters. Second, the MBR is divided into grids using the initial grid size. The status of the four corners of each grid is estimated by a line of sight (LOS algorithm. If the camera, considering obstacles, covers a corner, the status is represented by 1, otherwise by 0. Consequently, the status of a grid can be represented by a code that is a combination of 0s or 1s. If the code is not homogeneous (not four 0s or four 1s, the grid will be divided into four sub-grids until the sub-grids are divided into a specific maximum level or their codes are homogeneous. Finally, after performing the process above, total camera coverage is estimated according to the size and status of all grids. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method’s accuracy is determined by the method that divided the coverage area into the smallest grids at the maximum level, while its efficacy is closer to the method that divided the coverage area into the initial grids. It considers both efficiency and accuracy. The initial grid size and maximum level are two critical influences on the proposed method, which can be determined by weighing efficiency and accuracy.

  6. 42 CFR 435.139 - Coverage for certain aliens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage for certain aliens. 435.139 Section 435... Aliens § 435.139 Coverage for certain aliens. The agency must provide services necessary for the treatment of an emergency medical condition, as defined in § 440.255(c) of this chapter, to those aliens...

  7. Towards Semantic Web Services on Large, Multi-Dimensional Coverages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, P.

    2009-04-01

    Observed and simulated data in the Earth Sciences often come as coverages, the general term for space-time varying phenomena as set forth by standardization bodies like the Open GeoSpatial Consortium (OGC) and ISO. Among such data are 1-d time series, 2-D surface data, 3-D surface data time series as well as x/y/z geophysical and oceanographic data, and 4-D metocean simulation results. With increasing dimensionality the data sizes grow exponentially, up to Petabyte object sizes. Open standards for exploiting coverage archives over the Web are available to a varying extent. The OGC Web Coverage Service (WCS) standard defines basic extraction operations: spatio-temporal and band subsetting, scaling, reprojection, and data format encoding of the result - a simple interoperable interface for coverage access. More processing functionality is available with products like Matlab, Grid-type interfaces, and the OGC Web Processing Service (WPS). However, these often lack properties known as advantageous from databases: declarativeness (describe results rather than the algorithms), safe in evaluation (no request can keep a server busy infinitely), and optimizable (enable the server to rearrange the request so as to produce the same result faster). WPS defines a geo-enabled SOAP interface for remote procedure calls. This allows to webify any program, but does not allow for semantic interoperability: a function is identified only by its function name and parameters while the semantics is encoded in the (only human readable) title and abstract. Hence, another desirable property is missing, namely an explicit semantics which allows for machine-machine communication and reasoning a la Semantic Web. The OGC Web Coverage Processing Service (WCPS) language, which has been adopted as an international standard by OGC in December 2008, defines a flexible interface for the navigation, extraction, and ad-hoc analysis of large, multi-dimensional raster coverages. It is abstract in that it

  8. State Medicaid Coverage, ESRD Incidence, and Access to Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Benjamin A.; Hall, Yoshio N.; Mitani, Aya A.; Winkelmayer, Wolfgang C.

    2014-01-01

    The proportion of low-income nonelderly adults covered by Medicaid varies widely by state. We sought to determine whether broader state Medicaid coverage, defined as the proportion of each state’s low-income nonelderly adult population covered by Medicaid, associates with lower state-level incidence of ESRD and greater access to care. The main outcomes were incidence of ESRD and five indicators of access to care. We identified 408,535 adults aged 20–64 years, who developed ESRD between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2008. Medicaid coverage among low-income nonelderly adults ranged from 12.2% to 66.0% (median 32.5%). For each additional 10% of the low-income nonelderly population covered by Medicaid, there was a 1.8% (95% confidence interval, 1.0% to 2.6%) decrease in ESRD incidence. Among nonelderly adults with ESRD, gaps in access to care between those with private insurance and those with Medicaid were narrower in states with broader coverage. For a 50-year-old white woman, the access gap to the kidney transplant waiting list between Medicaid and private insurance decreased by 7.7 percentage points in high (>45%) versus low (Medicaid coverage states. Similarly, the access gap to transplantation decreased by 4.0 percentage points and the access gap to peritoneal dialysis decreased by 3.8 percentage points in high Medicaid coverage states. In conclusion, states with broader Medicaid coverage had a lower incidence of ESRD and smaller insurance-related access gaps. PMID:24652791

  9. A Two-Phase Coverage-Enhancing Algorithm for Hybrid Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingguo Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Providing field coverage is a key task in many sensor network applications. In certain scenarios, the sensor field may have coverage holes due to random initial deployment of sensors; thus, the desired level of coverage cannot be achieved. A hybrid wireless sensor network is a cost-effective solution to this problem, which is achieved by repositioning a portion of the mobile sensors in the network to meet the network coverage requirement. This paper investigates how to redeploy mobile sensor nodes to improve network coverage in hybrid wireless sensor networks. We propose a two-phase coverage-enhancing algorithm for hybrid wireless sensor networks. In phase one, we use a differential evolution algorithm to compute the candidate’s target positions in the mobile sensor nodes that could potentially improve coverage. In the second phase, we use an optimization scheme on the candidate’s target positions calculated from phase one to reduce the accumulated potential moving distance of mobile sensors, such that the exact mobile sensor nodes that need to be moved as well as their final target positions can be determined. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm provided significant improvement in terms of area coverage rate, average moving distance, area coverage–distance rate and the number of moved mobile sensors, when compare with other approaches.

  10. Identification of 8-methyladenosine as the modification catalyzed by the radical SAM methyltransferase Cfr that confers antibiotic resistance in bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giessing, Anders; Jensen, Søren Skov; Rasmussen, Anette

    2009-01-01

    The Cfr methyltransferase confers combined resistance to five different classes of antibiotics that bind to the peptidyl transferase center of bacterial ribosomes. The Cfr-mediated modification has previously been shown to occur on nucleotide A2503 of 23S rRNA and has a mass corresponding......,8-dimethyladenosine. The mutation of single conserved cysteine residues in the radical SAM motif CxxxCxxC of Cfr abolishes its activity, lending support to the notion that the Cfr modification reaction occurs via a radical-based mechanism. Antibiotic susceptibility data confirm that the antibiotic resistance...

  11. FET immunosensor for hemoglobin A1c using a gold nanofilm grown by a seed-mediated technique and covered with mixed self-assembled monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue, Q.; Bian, C.; Tong, J.; Sun, J.; Zhang, H.; Xia, S.

    2012-01-01

    A micro FET-based immunosensor was developed for the determination of hemoglobin-A1c (HbA1c). The HbA1c/hemoglobin ratio is an important index in diabetes control. The sensor was fabricated by Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistor (CMOS) and Micro Electronic Mechanical System (MEMS) techniques. The antibodies were immobilized via mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on a gold nanofilm. The nanofilm was deposited on a gold electrode by seed-mediated growth and gave a uniform and well distributed coverage. Nonspecific sites and interferences by noise were eliminated by covering the AuNPs with mixed SAMs. Compared to the immunosensor fabricated via the mixed SAMs method without gold nanofilm, the immunosensor displays a more than 2-fold sensitivity. The immunosensor is capable of detecting HbA1c and hemoglobin in hemolyzed and diluted whole blood, and results showed good agreement with the established clinical method. (author)

  12. Proton Therapy Coverage for Prostate Cancer Treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas, Carlos; Wagner, Marcus; Mahajan, Chaitali; Indelicato, Daniel; Fryer, Amber; Falchook, Aaron; Horne, David C.; Chellini, Angela; McKenzie, Craig C.; Lawlor, Paula C.; Li Zuofeng; Lin Liyong; Keole, Sameer

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the impact of prostate motion on dose coverage in proton therapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 120 prostate positions were analyzed on 10 treatment plans for 10 prostate patients treated using our low-risk proton therapy prostate protocol (University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute 001). Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging T 2 -weighted turbo spin-echo scans were registered for all cases. The planning target volume included the prostate with a 5-mm axial and 8-mm superoinferior expansion. The prostate was repositioned using 5- and 10-mm one-dimensional vectors and 10-mm multidimensional vectors (Points A-D). The beam was realigned for the 5- and 10-mm displacements. The prescription dose was 78 Gy equivalent (GE). Results: The mean percentage of rectum receiving 70 Gy (V 70 ) was 7.9%, the bladder V 70 was 14.0%, and the femoral head/neck V 50 was 0.1%, and the mean pelvic dose was 4.6 GE. The percentage of prostate receiving 78 Gy (V 78 ) with the 5-mm movements changed by -0.2% (range, 0.006-0.5%, p > 0.7). However, the prostate V 78 after a 10-mm displacement changed significantly (p 78 coverage had a large and significant reduction of 17.4% (range, 13.5-17.4%, p 78 coverage of the clinical target volume. The minimal prostate dose was reduced 33% (25.8 GE), on average, for Points A-D. The prostate minimal dose improved from 69.3 GE to 78.2 GE (p < 0.001) with realignment for 10-mm movements. Conclusion: The good dose coverage and low normal doses achieved for the initial plan was maintained with movements of ≤5 mm. Beam realignment improved coverage for 10-mm displacements

  13. Coverage and quality of antenatal care provided at primary health care facilities in the 'Punjab' province of 'Pakistan'.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ashraf Majrooh

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Antenatal care is a very important component of maternal health services. It provides the opportunity to learn about risks associated with pregnancy and guides to plan the place of deliveries thereby preventing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. In 'Pakistan' antenatal services to rural population are being provided through a network of primary health care facilities designated as 'Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centers. Pakistan is a developing country, consisting of four provinces and federally administered areas. Each province is administratively subdivided in to 'Divisions' and 'Districts'. By population 'Punjab' is the largest province of Pakistan having 36 districts. This study was conducted to assess the coverage and quality antenatal care in the primary health care facilities in 'Punjab' province of 'Pakistan'. METHODS: Quantitative and Qualitative methods were used to collect data. Using multistage sampling technique nine out of thirty six districts were selected and 19 primary health care facilities of public sector (seventeen Basic Health Units and two Rural Health Centers were randomly selected from each district. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted with clients, providers and health managers. RESULTS: The overall enrollment for antenatal checkup was 55.9% and drop out was 32.9% in subsequent visits. The quality of services regarding assessment, treatment and counseling was extremely poor. The reasons for low coverage and quality were the distant location of facilities, deficiency of facility resources, indifferent attitude and non availability of the staff. Moreover, lack of client awareness about importance of antenatal care and self empowerment for decision making to seek care were also responsible for low coverage. CONCLUSION: The coverage and quality of the antenatal care services in 'Punjab' are extremely compromised. Only half of the expected pregnancies are enrolled and

  14. Improving the Methods for Accounting the Coverages of Payments to Employees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhurakovska Iryna V.

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed at exploring the theoretical and practical problems of accounting the coverages of payments to employees and developing on this basis ways of addressing them. An analysis of both the international and the national accounting standards, practices of domestic enterprises, as well as scientific works of scientists, has helped to identify the problematic issues of accounting the coverages of payments to employees, including: ignoring the disclosure in accounting and reporting, absence of an adequate documentary support, complexity of the calculation methods, etc. The authors have suggested ways to improve accounting of payments to employees: documentation of coverages through the development of a Statement of the accrued coverages, simplification of calculation of payments to employees together with the related reflecting in the analytical accounting, disclosure in the accounting policy, and so forth. Such decisions would improve accounting the coverages of payments to employees, increase the frequency of applying such coverages in enterprises and their disclosure in the financial statements.

  15. Measles seroprevalence, outbreaks, and vaccine coverage in Rwanda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seruyange, Eric; Gahutu, Jean-Bosco; Mambo Muvunyi, Claude; Uwimana, Zena G; Gatera, Maurice; Twagirumugabe, Theogene; Katare, Swaibu; Karenzi, Ben; Bergström, Tomas

    2016-01-01

    Measles outbreaks are reported after insufficient vaccine coverage, especially in countries recovering from natural disaster or conflict. We compared seroprevalence to measles in blood donors in Rwanda and Sweden and explored distribution of active cases of measles and vaccine coverage in Rwanda. 516 Rwandan and 215 Swedish blood donors were assayed for measles-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data on vaccine coverage and acute cases in Rwanda from 1980 to 2014 were collected, and IgM on serum samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on nasopharyngeal (NPH) swabs from suspected measles cases during 2010-2011 were analysed. The seroprevalence of measles IgG was significantly higher in Swedish blood donors (92.6%; 95% CI: 89.1-96.1%) compared to Rwandan subjects (71.5%; 95% CI: 67.6-75.4%) and more pronounced Rwanda, with the exception of an outbreak in 1995 following the 1994 genocide. 76/544 serum samples were IgM positive and 21/31 NPH swabs were PCR positive for measles, determined by sequencing to be of genotype B3. Measles seroprevalence was lower in Rwandan blood donors compared to Swedish subjects. Despite this, the number of reported measles cases in Rwanda rapidly decreased during the study period, concomitant with increased vaccine coverage. Taken together, the circulation of measles was limited in Rwanda and vaccine coverage was favourable, but seroprevalence and IgG levels were low especially in younger age groups.

  16. Matching Subsequences in Trees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bille, Philip; Gørtz, Inge Li

    2009-01-01

    Given two rooted, labeled trees P and T the tree path subsequence problem is to determine which paths in P are subsequences of which paths in T. Here a path begins at the root and ends at a leaf. In this paper we propose this problem as a useful query primitive for XML data, and provide new...

  17. Coverage of Deep Cutaneous Wounds Using Dermal Template in Combination with Negative-pressure Therapy and Subsequent Skin Graft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Alexandre A.; Lobato, Rodolfo C.; Nakamoto, Hugo A.; Tuma, Paulo; Ferreira, Marcus C.

    2014-01-01

    Background: We consider the use of dermal matrix associated with a skin graft to cover deep wounds in the extremities when tendon and bone are exposed. The objective of this article was to evaluate the efficacy of covering acute deep wounds through the use of a dermal regeneration template (Integra) associated with vacuum therapy and subsequent skin grafting. Methods: Twenty patients were evaluated prospectively. All of them had acute (up to 3 weeks) deep wounds in the limbs. We consider a deep wound to be that with exposure of bone, tendon, or joint. Results: The average area of integration of the dermal regeneration template was 86.5%. There was complete integration of the skin graft over the dermal matrix in 14 patients (70%), partial integration in 5 patients (25%), and total loss in 1 case (5%). The wound has completely closed in 95% of patients. Conclusions: The use of Integra dermal template associated with negative-pressure therapy and skin grafting showed an adequate rate of resolution of deep wounds with low morbidity. PMID:25289363

  18. Variation in Private Payer Coverage of Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, James D; Wilkinson, Colby L; Anderson, Jordan E; Chenoweth, Matthew D

    2016-10-01

    Payers in the United States issue coverage determinations to guide how their enrolled beneficiaries use prescription drugs. Because payers create their own coverage policies, how they cover drugs can vary, which in turn can affect access to care by beneficiaries. To examine how the largest private payers based on membership cover drugs indicated for rheumatoid arthritis and to determine what evidence the payers reported reviewing when formulating their coverage policies. Coverage policies issued by the 10 largest private payers that make their policies publicly available were identified for rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Each coverage determination was compared with the drug's corresponding FDA label and categorized according to the following: (a) consistent with the label, (b) more restrictive than the label, (c) less restrictive than the label, or (d) mixed (i.e., more restrictive than the label in one way but less restrictive in another). Each coverage determination was also compared with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2012 treatment recommendations and categorized using the same relative restrictiveness criteria. The policies were then reviewed to identify the evidence that the payers reported reviewing. The identified evidence was divided into the following 6 categories: randomized controlled trials; other clinical studies (e.g., observational studies); health technology assessments; clinical reviews; cost-effectiveness analyses; and clinical guidelines. Sixty-nine percent of coverage determinations were more restrictive than the corresponding FDA label; 15% were consistent; 3% were less restrictive; and 13% were mixed. Thirty-four percent of coverage determinations were consistent with the ACR recommendations, 33% were more restrictive; 17% were less restrictive; and 17% were mixed. Payers most often reported reviewing randomized controlled trials for their coverage policies (an average of 2.3 per policy). The payers reported reviewing an average of

  19. Trapping dynamics of diindenoperylene (DIP) in self-assembled monolayers using molecular simulation

    KAUST Repository

    Kaushik, Ananth P.

    2011-07-01

    All-atom Molecular Dynamics simulation methods employing a well-tested intermolecular potential model, MM3 (Molecular Mechanics 3), demonstrate the propensity for diindenoperylene (DIP) molecules to insert between molecules of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) during a deposition process intended to grow a thin film of this organic semiconductor molecule onto the surface of self-assembled monolayers. The tendency to insert between SAM molecules is fairly prevalent at normal growth temperatures and conditions, but is most strongly dependent on the density and the nature of the SAM. We posit the existence of an optimal density to favor surface adsorption over insertion for this system. DIP is less likely to insert in fluorinated SAMs, like FOTS (fluorooctatrichlorosilane), than its unfluorinated analog, OTS (octatrichlorosilane). It is also less likely to insert between shorter SAMs (e.g., less insertion in OTS than ODTS (octadecyltrichlorosilane)). Very short length, surface-coating molecules, like HDMS (hexamethyldisilazane), are more likely to scatter energetic incoming DIP molecules with little insertion on first impact (depending on the incident energy of the DIP molecule). Grazing angles of incidence of the depositing molecules generally favor surface adsorption, at least in the limit of low coverage, but are shown to be dependent on the nature of the SAM. The validity of these predictions is confirmed by comparison of the predicted sticking coefficients of DIP at a variety of incident energies on OTS, ODTS, and FOTS SAMs with results obtained experimentally by Desai et al. (2010) [23]. The simulation predictions of the tendency of DIP to insert can be explained, in large part, in terms of binding energies between SAM and DIP molecules. However, we note that entropic and stochastic events play a role in the deposition outcomes. Preliminary studies of multiple deposition events, emulating growth, show an unexpected diffusion of DIP molecules inserted within the

  20. The Coverage of Campaign Advertising by the Prestige Press in 1972.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowers, Thomas A.

    The nature and extent of the news media coverage of political advertising in the presidential campaign of 1972 was shallow and spotty at best. The candidates' political advertising strategies received limited coverage by reporters and commentators. Even the "prestige" press--16 major newspapers--provided limited coverage to the nature…

  1. Mars Methane at Gale Crater Shows Strong Seasonal Cycle: Updated Results from TLS-SAM on Curiosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, C. R.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S. K.; Flesch, G.; Malespin, C.; McKay, C.; Martinez, G.; Moores, J.; Smith, C. L.; Martin-Torres, F. J.; Gomez-Elvira, J.; Zorzano, M. P.; Wong, M. H.; Trainer, M. G.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Glavin, D. P.; Steele, A.; Archer, D., Jr.; Sutter, B.; Coll, P. J.; Freissinet, C.; Meslin, P. Y.; Pavlov, A.; Keymeulen, D.; Christensen, L. E.; Gough, R. V.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Pla-García, J.; Rafkin, S. C.; Vicente-Retortillo, Á.; Kahanpää, H.; Viudez-Moreiras, D.; Smith, M. D.; Harri, A. M.; Genzer, M.; Hassler, D.; Lemmon, M. T.; Crisp, J. A.; Zurek, R. W.; Vasavada, A. R.

    2017-12-01

    In situ measurements of atmospheric methane have been made over a 5-year period at Gale Crater on Mars using the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) instrument in the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite on the Curiosity rover. We report two important observations: (i) a background level of mean value of 0.41 ±0.11 (2sem) that is about 5 times lower than some model predictions based on generation from UV degradation of micro-meteorites or interplanetary dust delivered to the martian surface; (ii) "spikes" of elevated levels of 7 ppbv attributed to episodic releases from small local sources, probably to the north of Gale crater1. Reports of plumes, patches or episodic releases of methane in the Martian atmosphere have to date eluded explanation in part because of their lack of repeatability in time or location. Our in situ measurements of the background methane levels exhibit a strong, repeatable seasonal variability. The amplitude of the observed seasonal cycle is 3 times greater than both that expected from the annual sublimation and freezing of polar carbon dioxide and that expected from methane production from ultraviolet (UV) degradation of exogenously-delivered surface material. The observed large seasonal variation in the background, and sporadic observations of higher pulses of 7 ppbv appear consistent with localized small sources of methane release from Martian surface reservoirs that may be occurring throughout the planet. We will present our updated data set, correlations of Mars methane with various other measurements from SAM, REMS, RAD and ChemCam instruments on Curiosity, as well as empirical models of UV surface insolation, and provide preliminary interpretation of results. 1 "Mars Methane Detection and Variability at Gale Crater", C. R. Webster et al., Science, 347, 415-417 (2015) and references therein. The research described here was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the

  2. Contraception coverage and methods used among women in South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background. Globally, family planning services are being strengthened and the range of contraceptive choices expanded. Data on contraceptive coverage and service gaps could help to shape these initiatives. Objective. To assess contraception coverage in South Africa (SA) and identify underserved populations and ...

  3. Improved HIV testing coverage after scale-up of ... - Lusaka

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Improved HIV testing coverage after scale-up of antiretroviral therapy programs in urban Zambia: Evidence from serial hospital surveillance. ... Background: We evaluated changing HIV testing coverage and prevalence rates before and after expanding city-wide antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in Lusaka, Zambia.

  4. 42 CFR 440.335 - Benchmark-equivalent health benefits coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...) Aggregate actuarial value. Benchmark-equivalent coverage is health benefits coverage that has an aggregate... planning services and supplies and other appropriate preventive services, as designated by the Secretary... State for purposes of comparison in establishing the aggregate actuarial value of the benchmark...

  5. Effect of hydrogen coverage on hydrogenation of o-cresol on Pt(111)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yaping; Liu, Zhimin; Crossley, Steven P.; Jentoft, Friederike C.; Wang, Sanwu

    2018-06-01

    The conversion of phenolics over metal catalysts is an important process for upgrading biofuels. With density functional calculations, hydrogenation of o-cresol on the hydrogen-covered Pt(111) surface was investigated. The results show that the coverage of hydrogen plays a significant role in the reaction rate while it does not affect the reaction selectivity. The reaction barriers of the hydrogenation process leading to the formation of both 2-methyl-cyclohexanone (the intermediate product) and 2-methyl-cyclohexanol (the final product) at high H coverages (∼1 ML) are found to be smaller by 0.14-0.69 eV than those at lower H coverages (∼1/25 ML). After both hydrogen and cresol are adsorbed on Pt(111) from their initial gas phase state, the reaction energy of each hydrogenation step on the surface is also dependent on the hydrogen coverage. On the H-covered Pt(111) surface, most steps of hydrogenation involve exothermic reactions when the hydrogen coverage is high while they are endothermic reactions at low hydrogen coverages. The differences in reaction rate and reaction energy between high and low H coverages can be understood with the coverage-dependent bonding strength and configurations.

  6. Land and federal mineral ownership coverage for northwestern Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biewick, L.H.; Mercier, T.J.; Levitt, Pam; Deikman, Doug; Vlahos, Bob

    1999-01-01

    This Arc/Info coverage contains land status and Federal mineral ownership for approximately 26,800 square miles in northwestern Colorado. The polygon coverage (which is also provided here as a shapefile) contains two attributes of ownership information for each polygon. One attribute indicates where the surface is State owned, privately owned, or, if Federally owned, which Federal agency manages the land surface. The other attribute indicates which minerals, if any, are owned by the Federal govenment. This coverage is based on land status and Federal mineral ownership data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and three Colorado State Bureau of Land Management (BLM) former district offices at a scale of 1:24,000. This coverage was compiled primarily to serve the USGS National Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Project in the Uinta-Piceance Basin Province and the USGS National Coal Resource Assessment Project in the Colorado Plateau.

  7. Newspaper coverage of mental illness in England 2008-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornicroft, Amalia; Goulden, Robert; Shefer, Guy; Rhydderch, Danielle; Rose, Diana; Williams, Paul; Thornicroft, Graham; Henderson, Claire

    2013-04-01

    Better newspaper coverage of mental health-related issues is a target for the Time to Change (TTC) anti-stigma programme in England, whose population impact may be influenced by how far concurrent media coverage perpetuates stigma and discrimination. To compare English newspaper coverage of mental health-related topics each year of the TTC social marketing campaign (2009-2011) with baseline coverage in 2008. Content analysis was performed on articles in 27 local and national newspapers on two randomly chosen days each month. There was a significant increase in the proportion of anti-stigmatising articles between 2008 and 2011. There was no concomitant proportional decrease in stigmatising articles, and the contribution of mixed or neutral elements decreased. These findings provide promising results on improvements in press reporting of mental illness during the TTC programme in 2009-2011, and a basis for guidance to newspaper journalists and editors on reporting mental illness.

  8. [Neonatal screening - the challenge of an universal and effective coverage].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botler, Judy; Camacho, Luiz Antônio Bastos; da Cruz, Marly Marques; George, Pâmela

    2010-03-01

    Newborn screening programs (NSP) aim to detect carriers of several congenital diseases among asymptomatic infants in order to warrant effective intervention. Specimen collection is the first step of a process that should be done in an universal and timely manner. A review of coverage and time of collection was done in NSP of several countries. The search was made in various sources, from 1998 to 2008, with "neonatal screening" and "coverage" as key words. The lack of a typical study design did not allow to the rigor required for a systematic review. Data were grouped in macro-regions. Canada had coverage of 71% in 2006 while the European coverage was of 69% in 2004, with data of 38 countries. In Asia and Pacific region, there were data of 19 countries. In Middle East and North Africa, there were data of 4 countries. In Latin America, the coverage was 49% in 2005, with data of 14 countries. In Brazil, coverage was 80%. Twelve reports had information about timeliness. The conclusion is that epidemiological transition has contributed to NSP success. Developed regions had more universal and timelier collection. In Brazil, government initiative increased access to the NSP, but late collections lead to the need of educational actions and participation of professional organizations in developing specific guidelines definition.

  9. Modulation-Frequency-Specific Adaptation in Awake Auditory Cortex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beitel, Ralph E.; Vollmer, Maike; Heiser, Marc A.; Schreiner, Christoph E.

    2015-01-01

    Amplitude modulations are fundamental features of natural signals, including human speech and nonhuman primate vocalizations. Because natural signals frequently occur in the context of other competing signals, we used a forward-masking paradigm to investigate how the modulation context of a prior signal affects cortical responses to subsequent modulated sounds. Psychophysical “modulation masking,” in which the presentation of a modulated “masker” signal elevates the threshold for detecting the modulation of a subsequent stimulus, has been interpreted as evidence of a central modulation filterbank and modeled accordingly. Whether cortical modulation tuning is compatible with such models remains unknown. By recording responses to pairs of sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) tones in the auditory cortex of awake squirrel monkeys, we show that the prior presentation of the SAM masker elicited persistent and tuned suppression of the firing rate to subsequent SAM signals. Population averages of these effects are compatible with adaptation in broadly tuned modulation channels. In contrast, modulation context had little effect on the synchrony of the cortical representation of the second SAM stimuli and the tuning of such effects did not match that observed for firing rate. Our results suggest that, although the temporal representation of modulated signals is more robust to changes in stimulus context than representations based on average firing rate, this representation is not fully exploited and psychophysical modulation masking more closely mirrors physiological rate suppression and that rate tuning for a given stimulus feature in a given neuron's signal pathway appears sufficient to engender context-sensitive cortical adaptation. PMID:25878263

  10. CBrowse: a SAM/BAM-based contig browser for transcriptome assembly visualization and analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pei; Ji, Guoli; Dong, Min; Schmidt, Emily; Lenox, Douglas; Chen, Liangliang; Liu, Qi; Liu, Lin; Zhang, Jie; Liang, Chun

    2012-09-15

    To address the impending need for exploring rapidly increased transcriptomics data generated for non-model organisms, we developed CBrowse, an AJAX-based web browser for visualizing and analyzing transcriptome assemblies and contigs. Designed in a standard three-tier architecture with a data pre-processing pipeline, CBrowse is essentially a Rich Internet Application that offers many seamlessly integrated web interfaces and allows users to navigate, sort, filter, search and visualize data smoothly. The pre-processing pipeline takes the contig sequence file in FASTA format and its relevant SAM/BAM file as the input; detects putative polymorphisms, simple sequence repeats and sequencing errors in contigs and generates image, JSON and database-compatible CSV text files that are directly utilized by different web interfaces. CBowse is a generic visualization and analysis tool that facilitates close examination of assembly quality, genetic polymorphisms, sequence repeats and/or sequencing errors in transcriptome sequencing projects. CBrowse is distributed under the GNU General Public License, available at http://bioinfolab.muohio.edu/CBrowse/ liangc@muohio.edu or liangc.mu@gmail.com; glji@xmu.edu.cn Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  11. Financial considerations insurance and coverage issues in intestinal transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaney, Michael

    2004-12-01

    To increase healthcare workers' knowledge of reimbursement concerns. Chronological survey of transplants reimbursed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from December 1997 to October 2003, which include accounts of 30 patients who received intestine transplants. Gross billed hospital charges for the past 30 transplantations ranged from dollars 112094 to dollars 667597. Length of stay ranged from 18 to 119 days. Charges include organ procurement fees. All 30 intestine transplants were reimbursed by third-party healthcare coverage; combination of coverage; and/or patient and family payments, which resulted in adherence to financial guidelines prearranged by the hospital. Financial guidelines are usually cost plus a percentage. Thirteen transplantations occurred after April 2001, when Medicare made a national coverage decision to reimburse this form of transplantation. Since then, obtaining surgical authorization and reimbursement is easier. Most insurance companies and state public health agencies accept intestinal transplantations as a form of treatment. Researching transplant coverage before evaluation is essential to be compensated adequately. Financial guidelines will secure the fiscal success of the program. Educating patients to insurance and entitlements may reduce the out-of-pocket cost to patients. Transplant financial coordinators coordinate these efforts for the facility. The best coverage option for the patient and transplant programs is a combination of commercial healthcare coverage, secondary entitlement program, and fund-raising. With length of stay ranging up to 119 days and a lifetime of posttransplant outpatient follow-up care, it is beneficial for the facility to also have a fundraising program to assist patients.

  12. 28 CFR 55.9 - Coverage of political units within a county.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coverage of political units within a... PROVISIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT REGARDING LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS Nature of Coverage § 55.9 Coverage of political units within a county. Where a political subdivision (e.g., a county) is determined to be subject...

  13. Single-Isocenter Multiple-Target Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Risk of Compromised Coverage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roper, Justin; Chanyavanich, Vorakarn; Betzel, Gregory; Switchenko, Jeffrey; Dhabaan, Anees

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the dosimetric effects of rotational errors on target coverage using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for multitarget stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Methods and Materials: This retrospective study included 50 SRS cases, each with 2 intracranial planning target volumes (PTVs). Both PTVs were planned for simultaneous treatment to 21 Gy using a single-isocenter, noncoplanar VMAT SRS technique. Rotational errors of 0.5°, 1.0°, and 2.0° were simulated about all axes. The dose to 95% of the PTV (D95) and the volume covered by 95% of the prescribed dose (V95) were evaluated using multivariate analysis to determine how PTV coverage was related to PTV volume, PTV separation, and rotational error. Results: At 0.5° rotational error, D95 values and V95 coverage rates were ≥95% in all cases. For rotational errors of 1.0°, 7% of targets had D95 and V95 values 95% for only 63% of the targets. Multivariate analysis showed that PTV volume and distance to isocenter were strong predictors of target coverage. Conclusions: The effects of rotational errors on target coverage were studied across a broad range of SRS cases. In general, the risk of compromised coverage increased with decreasing target volume, increasing rotational error and increasing distance between targets. Multivariate regression models from this study may be used to quantify the dosimetric effects of rotational errors on target coverage given patient-specific input parameters of PTV volume and distance to isocenter.

  14. 42 CFR 416.48 - Condition for coverage-Pharmaceutical services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition for coverage-Pharmaceutical services. 416... Coverage § 416.48 Condition for coverage—Pharmaceutical services. The ASC must provide drugs and... direction of an individual designated responsible for pharmaceutical services. (a) Standard: Administration...

  15. Policy Choices for Progressive Realization of Universal Health Coverage Comment on "Ethical Perspective: Five Unacceptable Trade-offs on the Path to Universal Health Coverage".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangcharoensathien, Viroj; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Panichkriangkrai, Warisa; Sommanustweechai, Angkana

    2016-07-31

    In responses to Norheim's editorial, this commentary offers reflections from Thailand, how the five unacceptable trade-offs were applied to the universal health coverage (UHC) reforms between 1975 and 2002 when the whole 64 million people were covered by one of the three public health insurance systems. This commentary aims to generate global discussions on how best UHC can be gradually achieved. Not only the proposed five discrete trade-offs within each dimension, there are also trade-offs between the three dimensions of UHC such as population coverage, service coverage and cost coverage. Findings from Thai UHC show that equity is applied for the population coverage extension, when the low income households and the informal sector were the priority population groups for coverage extension by different prepayment schemes in 1975 and 1984, respectively. With an exception of public sector employees who were historically covered as part of fringe benefits were covered well before the poor. The private sector employees were covered last in 1990. Historically, Thailand applied a comprehensive benefit package where a few items are excluded using the negative list; until there was improved capacities on technology assessment that cost-effectiveness are used for the inclusion of new interventions into the benefit package. Not only cost-effectiveness, but long term budget impact, equity and ethical considerations are taken into account. Cost coverage is mostly determined by the fiscal capacities. Close ended budget with mix of provider payment methods are used as a tool for trade-off service coverage and financial risk protection. Introducing copayment in the context of fee-for-service can be harmful to beneficiaries due to supplier induced demands, inefficiency and unpredictable out of pocket payment by households. UHC achieves favorable outcomes as it was implemented when there was a full geographical coverage of primary healthcare coverage in all districts and sub

  16. 24/7 pediatric radiology attending coverage: times are changing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donaldson, James S. [Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Department of Medical Imaging, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children' s Hospital of Chicago, IL (United States); Thakrar, Kiran H. [University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Body Imaging, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2017-06-15

    The job of the pediatric radiologist long ago ceased to be an 8-to-5 role. Many practices have adopted evening shifts of in-house attending radiologists to cover the busy evening activity. With the ever-increasing role of imaging in clinical decisions and patient management, there is a need - if not a demand - to further extend attending pediatric radiology coverage. In this article, we discuss the needs and justification for extending pediatric radiology coverage at a tertiary-care children's hospital. We also describe the approach we took toward implementing 24/7 attending in-house coverage of pediatric radiology. (orig.)

  17. Enhancing Political Will for Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aregbeshola, Bolaji S

    2017-01-01

    Universal health coverage aims to increase equity in access to quality health care services and to reduce financial risk due to health care costs. It is a key component of international health agenda and has been a subject of worldwide debate. Despite differing views on its scope and pathways to reach it, there is a global consensus that all countries should work toward universal health coverage. The goal remains distant for many African countries, including Nigeria. This is mostly due to lack of political will and commitment among political actors and policymakers. Evidence from countries such as Ghana, Chile, Mexico, China, Thailand, Turkey, Rwanda, Vietnam and Indonesia, which have introduced at least some form of universal health coverage scheme, shows that political will and commitment are key to the adoption of new laws and regulations for reforming coverage. For Nigeria to improve people's health, reduce poverty and achieve prosperity, universal health coverage must be vigorously pursued at all levels. Political will and commitment to these goals must be expressed in legal mandates and be translated into policies that ensure increased public health care financing for the benefit of all Nigerians. Nigeria, as part of a global system, cannot afford to lag behind in striving for this overarching health goal.

  18. Subsequence Automata with Default Transitions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bille, Philip; Gørtz, Inge Li; Skjoldjensen, Frederik Rye

    2016-01-01

    of states and transitions) of the subsequence automaton is O(nσ) and that this bound is asymptotically optimal. In this paper, we consider subsequence automata with default transitions, that is, special transitions to be taken only if none of the regular transitions match the current character, and which do...... not consume the current character. We show that with default transitions, much smaller subsequence automata are possible, and provide a full trade-off between the size of the automaton and the delay, i.e., the maximum number of consecutive default transitions followed before consuming a character......(nσ) and delay O(1), thus matching the bound for the standard subsequence automaton construction. The key component of our result is a novel hierarchical automata construction of independent interest....

  19. Health workers and vaccination coverage in developing countries: an econometric analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anand, Sudhir; Bärnighausen, Till

    2007-04-14

    Vaccine-preventable diseases cause more than 1 million deaths among children in developing countries every year. Although health workers are needed to do vaccinations, the role of human resources for health as a determinant of vaccination coverage at the population level has not been investigated. Our aim was to test whether health worker density was positively associated with childhood vaccination coverage in developing countries. We did cross-country multiple regression analyses with coverage of three vaccinations--measles-containing vaccine (MCV); diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP3); and poliomyelitis (polio3)--as dependent variables. Aggregate health worker density was an independent variable in one set of regressions; doctor and nurse densities were used separately in another set. We controlled for national income per person, female adult literacy, and land area. Health worker density was significantly associated with coverage of all three vaccinations (MCV p=0.0024; DTP3 p=0.0004; polio3 p=0.0008). However, when the effects of doctors and nurses were assessed separately, we found that nurse density was significantly associated with coverage of all three vaccinations (MCV p=0.0097; DTP3 p=0.0083; polio3 p=0.0089), but doctor density was not (MCV p=0.7953; DTP3 p=0.7971; polio3 p=0.7885). Female adult literacy was positively associated, and land area negatively associated, with vaccination coverage. National income per person had no effect on coverage. A higher density of health workers (nurses) increases the availability of vaccination services over time and space, making it more likely that children will be vaccinated. After controlling for other determinants, the level of income does not contribute to improved immunisation coverage. Health workers can be a major constraining factor on vaccination coverage in developing countries.

  20. Examining levels, distribution and correlates of health insurance coverage in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazungu, Jacob S; Barasa, Edwine W

    2017-09-01

    To examine the levels, inequalities and factors associated with health insurance coverage in Kenya. We analysed secondary data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) conducted in 2009 and 2014. We examined the level of health insurance coverage overall, and by type, using an asset index to categorise households into five socio-economic quintiles with quintile 5 (Q5) being the richest and quintile 1 (Q1) being the poorest. The high-low ratio (Q5/Q1 ratio), concentration curve and concentration index (CIX) were employed to assess inequalities in health insurance coverage, and logistic regression to examine correlates of health insurance coverage. Overall health insurance coverage increased from 8.17% to 19.59% between 2009 and 2014. There was high inequality in overall health insurance coverage, even though this inequality decreased between 2009 (Q5/Q1 ratio of 31.21, CIX = 0.61, 95% CI 0.52-0.0.71) and 2014 (Q5/Q1 ratio 12.34, CIX = 0.49, 95% CI 0.45-0.52). Individuals that were older, employed in the formal sector; married, exposed to media; and male, belonged to a small household, had a chronic disease and belonged to rich households, had increased odds of health insurance coverage. Health insurance coverage in Kenya remains low and is characterised by significant inequality. In a context where over 80% of the population is in the informal sector, and close to 50% live below the national poverty line, achieving high and equitable coverage levels with contributory and voluntary health insurance mechanism is problematic. Kenya should consider a universal, tax-funded mechanism that ensures revenues are equitably and efficiently collected, and everyone (including the poor and those in the informal sector) is covered. © 2017 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Root coverage with bridge flap

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushpendra Kumar Verma

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Gingival recession in anterior teeth is a common concern due to esthetic reasons or root sensitivity. Gingival recession, especially in multiple anterior teeth, is of huge concern due to esthetic reasons. Various mucogingival surgeries are available for root coverage. This case report presents a new bridge flap technique, which allows the dentist not only to cover the previously denuded root surfaces but also to increase the zone of attached gingiva at a single step. In this case, a coronally advanced flap along with vestibular deepening technique was used as root coverage procedure for the treatment of multiple recession-type defect. Here, vestibular deepening technique is used to increase the width of the attached gingiva. The predictability of this procedure results in an esthetically healthy periodontium, along with gain in keratinized tissue and good patient′s acceptance.

  2. Tetanus toxoid immunization coverage among mothers of below one ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Poverty and lack of health facilities also contributed to the low level of immunization coverage. For TT immunization to improve in the area studied, factors impeding immunization must be addressed. Keywords: tetanus, immunization, coverage. African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 6 (3) 2005: 233- ...

  3. Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network Coverage Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Xu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In order to serve for the ecological monitoring efficiency of Poyang Lake, an improved hybrid algorithm, mixed with differential evolution and particle swarm optimization, is proposed and applied to optimize the coverage problem of wireless sensor network. And then, the affect of the population size and the number of iterations on the coverage performance are both discussed and analyzed. The four kinds of statistical results about the coverage rate are obtained through lots of simulation experiments.

  4. The need for consumer behavior analysis in health care coverage decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, A M; Rao, C P

    1990-01-01

    Demographic analysis has been the primary form of analysis connected with health care coverage decisions. This paper reviews past demographic research and shows the need to use behavioral analyses for health care coverage policy decisions. A behavioral model based research study is presented and a case is made for integrated study into why consumers make health care coverage decisions.

  5. Microbial Habitability in Gale Crater: Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Detection of Microbial Essential Carbon and Nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Ming, D. W.; Eigenbrode, J. E.; Steele, A.; Stern, J. C.; Gonzalez, R. N.; McAdam, A. C.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2016-01-01

    Chemical analyses of Mars soils and sediments from previous landed missions have demonstrated that Mars surface materials possessed major (e.g., P, K, Ca, Mg, S) and minor (e.g., Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cl) elements essential to support microbial life. However, the detection of microbial essential organic-carbon (C) and nitrate have been more elusive until the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission. Nitrate and organic-C in Gale Crater, Mars have been detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the MSL Curiosity rover. Eolian fines and drilled sedimentary rock samples were heated in the SAM oven from approximately 30 to 860 degrees Centigrade where evolved gases (e.g., nitrous oxide (NO) and CO2) were released and analyzed by SAM’s quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). The temperatures of evolved NO was assigned to nitrate while evolved CO2 was assigned to organic-C and carbonate. The CO2 releases in several samples occurred below 450 degrees Centigrade suggesting organic-C dominated in those samples. As much as 7 micromoles NO3-N per gram and 200 micromoles CO2-C per gram have been detected in the Gale Crater materials. These N and C levels coupled with assumed microbial biomass (9 x 10 (sup -7) micrograms per cell) C (0.5 micrograms C per micrograms cell) and N (0.14 micrograms N per micrograms cell) requirements, suggests that less than 1 percent and less than 10 percent of Gale Crater C and N, respectively, would be required if available, to accommodate biomass requirements of 1 by 10 (sup 5) cells per gram sediment. While nitrogen is the limiting nutrient, the potential exists that sufficient N and organic-C were present to support limited heterotrophic microbial populations that may have existed on ancient Mars.

  6. Coverage Dependent Assembly of Anthraquinone on Au(111)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Brad; Deloach, Andrew; Einstein, Theodore; Dougherty, Daniel

    A study of adsorbate-adsorbate and surface state mediated interactions of anthraquinone (AnQ) on Au(111) is presented. We utilize scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to characterize the coverage dependence of AnQ structure formation. Ordered structures are observed up to a single monolayer (ML) and are found to be strongly dependent on molecular surface density. While the complete ML forms a well-ordered close-packed layer, for a narrow range of sub-ML coverages irregular close-packed islands are observed to coexist with a disordered pore network linking neighboring islands. This network displays a characteristic pore size and at lower coverages, the soliton walls of the herringbone reconstruction are shown to promote formation of distinct pore nanostructures. We will discuss these nanostructure formations in the context of surface mediated and more direct adsorbate interactions.

  7. Subsequence automata with default transitions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bille, Philip; Gørtz, Inge Li; Skjoldjensen, Frederik Rye

    2017-01-01

    of states and transitions) of the subsequence automaton is O(nσ) and that this bound is asymptotically optimal. In this paper, we consider subsequence automata with default transitions, that is, special transitions to be taken only if none of the regular transitions match the current character, and which do...... not consume the current character. We show that with default transitions, much smaller subsequence automata are possible, and provide a full trade-off between the size of the automaton and the delay, i.e., the maximum number of consecutive default transitions followed before consuming a character......(1), thus matching the bound for the standard subsequence automaton construction. Finally, we generalize the result to multiple strings. The key component of our result is a novel hierarchical automata construction of independent interest....

  8. Technical support for universal health coverage pilots in Karnataka ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Technical support for universal health coverage pilots in Karnataka and Kerala. This project will provide evidence-based support to implement universal health coverage (UHC) pilot activities in two Indian states: Kerala and Karnataka. The project team will provide technical assistance to these early adopter states to assist ...

  9. Comparison Of Irms Delhi Methodology With Who Methodology On Immunization Coverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Padam

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available Research question: What are the merits of IRMS Model over WHO Model for Coverage Evaluation Survey? Which method is superior and appropriate for coverage evolution survey of immunization in our setting? Objective: To compare IRMS Delhi methodology with WHO methodology on Immunization Coverage. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Setting: Urban and Rural both. Participants: Mothers& Children Sample Size: 300 children between 1-2 years and 300 mothers in rural areas and 75 children and 75 mothers in urban areas. Study Variables: Rural, Urban, Cast-Group, Size of the stratum, Literacy, Sex and Cost effectiveness. Outcome Variables: Coverage level of immunization. Analysis: Routine Statistical Analysis. Results: IRMS developed methodology scores better rating over WHO methodology, especially when coverage evolution is attempted in medium size villages with existence of socio-economic seggregation-which remains the main characteristic of the Indian villages.

  10. Tweeting celebrity suicides: Users' reaction to prominent suicide deaths on Twitter and subsequent increases in actual suicides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueda, Michiko; Mori, Kota; Matsubayashi, Tetsuya; Sawada, Yasuyuki

    2017-09-01

    A substantial amount of evidence indicates that news coverage of suicide deaths by celebrities is followed by an increase in suicide rates, suggesting a copycat behavior. However, the underlying process by which celebrity status and media coverage leads to increases in subsequent suicides is still unclear. This study collected over 1 million individual messages ("tweets") posted on Twitter that were related to 26 prominent figures in Japan who died by suicide between 2010 and 2014 and investigated whether media reports on suicide deaths that generated a greater level of reactions by the public are likely to be followed by a larger increase in actual suicides. We also compared the number of Twitter posts and the number of media reports in newspaper and on television to understand whether the number of messages on Twitter in response to the deaths corresponds to the amount of coverage in the traditional media. Using daily data from Japan's national death registry between 2010 and 2014, our analysis found an increase in actual suicides only when suicide deaths generated a large reaction from Twitter users. In contrast, no discernible increase in suicide counts was observed when the analysis included suicide deaths to which Twitter users did not show much interest, even when these deaths were covered considerably by the traditional media. This study also found suicides by relatively young entertainers generated a large number of posts on Twitter. This sharply contrasts with the relatively smaller volume of reaction to them generated by traditional forms of media, which focuses more on the deaths of non-entertainers. The results of this study strongly suggest that it is not sufficient to examine only traditional news media when investigating the impact of media reports on actual suicides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Cataract surgical coverage rate among adults aged 40 years and older

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lusianawaty Tana

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Cataract is a leading cause of curable blindness. Hence, in its global declaration of ‘Vision 2020 Right to Sight’, the World Health Organization (WHO encouraged its member countries to address the problem of incident cataract. Many factors are related to the cataract surgical coverage rate, such as gender and diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to determine the cataract surgical coverage rate and investigate the determinants factors of cataract surgical coverage rate among adults 40 years old and above with cataract. A cross sectional study was conducted using National Basic Health Research (Riskesdas 2007 data. Cataract surgery was defined as surgery conducted within the last 12 months before the survey was performed. There were 6939 subjects (3105 male, 3834 female who fulfilled the study criteria. The cataract surgical coverage rate was 19.3%. The cataract surgical coverage rate was lower in subjects with low education, in the group of farmers/fishermen/laborers, in the 40-49 years age group, in rural areas, and in subjects of low socioeconomic status (p0.05. Determinants that were related to cataract surgical coverage rate were age, type of area of residence, socioeconomic status, and region of residence (p<0.001. The implementation of educational programs and reforms to local ophthalmic health services may improve the cataract surgical coverage rate.

  12. Pertussis: herd immunity and vaccination coverage in St Lucia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, E; Fitch, L

    1983-11-12

    In a single complete epidemic in St Lucia, an island too small to support constant clinical pertussis, the pertussis case rates in small communities (villages and small towns) with differing levels of vaccination coverage of young children were compared. The association between greater vaccination coverage and greater herd immunity was clear, despite the imperfect protection given to individuals. An analysis in terms of population dynamics is evidence against the theory that endemic subclinical pertussis maintains transmission in a highly vaccinated population. We suggest that with a homogeneous vaccination coverage of 80% of 2-year-old children pertussis might be eradicated from the island, and that this is a practicable experiment.

  13. An Evaluation of Voluntary Varicella Vaccination Coverage in Zhejiang Province, East China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yu; Chen, Yaping; Zhang, Bing; Li, Qian

    2016-06-03

    In 2014 a 2-doses varicella vaccine (VarV) schedule was recommended by the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We aimed to assess the coverage of the 1st dose of VarV (VarV₁) and the 2nd dose of VarV (VarV₂) among children aged 2-6 years through the Zhejiang Provincial Immunization Information System (ZJIIS) and to explore the determinants associated with the VarV coverage. Children aged 2-6 years (born from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013) registered in ZJIIS were enrolled. Anonymized individual records of target children were extracted from the ZJIIS database on 1 January 2016, including their VarV and (measles-containing vaccine) MCV vaccination information. The VarV₁ and VarV₂ coverage rates were evaluated for each birth cohorts. The coverage of VarV also was estimated among strata defined by cities, gender and immigration status. We also evaluated the difference in coverage between VarV and MCV. A total of 3,028,222 children aged 2-6 years were enrolled. The coverage of VarV₁ ranged from 84.8% to 87.9% in the 2009-2013 birth cohorts, while the coverage of VarV₂ increased from 31.8% for the 2009 birth cohort to 48.7% for the 2011 birth cohort. Higher coverage rates for both VarV₁ and VarV₂ were observed among resident children in relevant birth cohorts. The coverage rates of VarV₁ and VarV₂ were lower than those for the 1st and 2nd dose of MCV, which were above 95%. The proportion of children who were vaccinated with VarV₁ at the recommended age increased from 34.6% for the 2009 birth cohort to 75.2% for the 2013 birth cohort, while the proportion of children who were vaccinated with VarV₂ at the recommended age increased from 19.7% for the 2009 birth cohort to 48.7% for the 2011 birth cohort. Our study showed a rapid increasing VarV₂ coverage of children, indicating a growing acceptance of the 2-doses VarV schedule among children's caregivers and physicians after the new recommendation released. We

  14. Anterior palatal island advancement flap for bone graft coverage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Palatal Island Advancement Flap was effective in bone graft coverage in premaxillary edentulous area. Conclusion: It can be used as an aid for bone graft coverage of premaxillary edentulous ridge, where the need for mucosa is small in width but long in length. Keywords: Anterior maxilla, bone graft, dental implant, ...

  15. [Gaps in effective coverage by socioeconomic status and poverty condition].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez, Juan Pablo

    2013-01-01

    To analyze, in the context of increased health protection in Mexico, the gaps by socioeconomic status and poverty condition on effective coverage of selected preventive interventions. Data from the National Health & Nutrition Survey 2012 and 2006, using previously defined indicators of effective coverage and stratifying them by socioeconomic (SE) status and multidimensional poverty condition. For vaccination interventions, immunological equity has been maintained in Mexico. For indicators related to preventive interventions provided at the clinical setting, effective coverage is lower among those in the lowest SE quintile and among people living in multidimensional poverty. Comparing 2006 and 2012, there is no evidence on gap reduction. While health protection has significantly increased in Mexico, thus reducing SE gaps, those gaps are still important in magnitude for effective coverage of preventive interventions.

  16. Medicaid Coverage Expansions and Cigarette Smoking Cessation Among Low-income Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koma, Jonathan W; Donohue, Julie M; Barry, Colleen L; Huskamp, Haiden A; Jarlenski, Marian

    2017-12-01

    Expanding Medicaid coverage to low-income adults may have increased smoking cessation through improved access to evidence-based treatments. Our study sought to determine if states' decisions to expand Medicaid increased recent smoking cessation. Using pooled cross-sectional data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey for the years 2011-2015, we examined the association between state Medicaid coverage and the probability of recent smoking cessation among low-income adults without dependent children who were current or former smokers (n=36,083). We used difference-in-differences estimation to examine the effects of Medicaid coverage on smoking cessation, comparing low-income adult smokers in states with Medicaid coverage to comparable adults in states without Medicaid coverage, with ages 18-64 years to those ages 65 years and above. Analyses were conducted for the full sample and stratified by sex. Residence in a state with Medicaid coverage among low-income adult smokers ages 18-64 years was associated with an increase in recent smoking cessation of 2.1 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 0.25-3.9). In the comparison group of individuals ages 65 years and above, residence in a state with Medicaid coverage expansion was not associated with a change in recent smoking cessation (-0.1 percentage point, 95% confidence interval, -2.1 to 1.8). Similar increases in smoking cessation among those ages 18-64 years were estimated for females and males (1.9 and 2.2 percentage point, respectively). Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that Medicaid coverage expansions may have increased smoking cessation among low-income adults without dependent children via greater access to preventive health care services, including evidence-based smoking cessation services.

  17. Coral Reef Coverage Percentage on Binor Paiton-Probolinggo Seashore

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Budi Wiyanto

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The coral reef damage in Probolinggo region was expected to be caused by several factors. The first one comes from its society that exploits fishery by using cyanide toxin and bomb. The second one goes to the extraction of coral reef, which is used as decoration or construction materials. The other factor is likely caused by the existence of large industry on the seashore, such as Electric Steam Power Plant (PLTU Paiton and others alike. Related to the development of coral reef ecosystem, availability of an accurate data is crucially needed to support the manner of future policy, so the research of coral reef coverage percentage needs to be conducted continuously. The aim of this research is to collect biological data of coral reef and to identify coral reef coverage percentage in the effort of constructing coral reef condition basic data on Binor, Paiton, and Probolinggo regency seashore. The method used in this research is Line Intercept Transect (LIT method. LIT method is a method that used to decide benthic community on coral reef based on percentage growth, and to take note of benthic quantity along transect line. Percentage of living coral coverage in 3 meters depth on this Binor Paiton seashore that may be categorized in a good condition is 57,65%. While the rest are dead coral that is only 1,45%, other life form in 23,2%, and non-life form in 17,7%. A good condition of coral reef is caused by coral reef transplantation on the seashore, so this coral reef is dominated by Acropora Branching. On the other hand, Mortality Index (IM of coral reef resulted in 24,5%. The result from observation and calculation of coral reef is dominated by Hard Coral in Acropora Branching (ACB with coral reef coverage percentage of 39%, Coral Massive (CM with coral reef coverage percentage of 2,85%, Coral Foliose (CF with coral reef coverage percentage of 1,6%, and Coral Mushroom (CRM with coral reef coverage percentage of 8,5%. Observation in 10 meters depth

  18. Coral Reef Coverage Percentage on Binor Paiton-Probolinggo Seashore

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Budi Wiyanto

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The coral reef damage in Probolinggo region was expected to be caused by several factors. The first one comes from its society that exploits fishery by using cyanide toxin and bomb. The second one goes to the extraction of coral reef, which is used as decoration or construction materials. The other factor is likely caused by the existence of large industry on the seashore, such as Electric Steam Power Plant (PLTU Paiton and others alike. Related to the development of coral reef ecosystem, availability of an accurate data is crucially needed to support the manner of future policy, so the research of coral reef coverage percentage needs to be conducted continuously. The aim of this research is to collect biological data of coral reef and to identify coral reef coverage percentage in the effort of constructing coral reef condition basic data on Binor, Paiton, and Probolinggo regency seashore. The method used in this research is Line Intercept Transect (LIT method. LIT method is a method that used to decide benthic community on coral reef based on percentage growth, and to take note of benthic quantity along transect line. Percentage of living coral coverage in 3 meters depth on this Binor Paiton seashore that may be categorized in a good condition is 57,65%. While the rest are dead coral that is only 1,45%, other life form in 23,2%, and non-life form in 17,7%. A good condition of coral reef is caused by coral reef transplantation on the seashore, so this coral reef is dominated by Acropora Branching. On the other hand, Mortality Index (IM of coral reef resulted in 24,5%. The result from observation and calculation of coral reef is dominated by Hard Coral in Acropora Branching (ACB with coral reef coverage percentage of 39%, Coral Massive (CM with coral reef coverage percentage of 2,85%, Coral Foliose (CF with coral reef coverage percentage of 1,6%, and Coral Mushroom (CRM with coral reef coverage percentage of 8,5%. Observation in 10 meters depth

  19. Computing Convex Coverage Sets for Faster Multi-Objective Coordination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roijers, D.M.; Whiteson, S.; Oliehoek, F.A.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, we propose new algorithms for multi-objective coordination graphs (MO-CoGs). Key to the efficiency of these algorithms is that they compute a convex coverage set (CCS) instead of a Pareto coverage set (PCS). Not only is a CCS a sufficient solution set for a large class of problems,

  20. Energy-efficient area coverage for intruder detection in sensor networks

    CERN Document Server

    He, Shibo; Li, Junkun

    2014-01-01

    This Springer Brief presents recent research results on area coverage for intruder detection from an energy-efficient perspective. These results cover a variety of topics, including environmental surveillance and security monitoring. The authors also provide the background and range of applications for area coverage and elaborate on system models such as the formal definition of area coverage and sensing models. Several chapters focus on energy-efficient intruder detection and intruder trapping under the well-known binary sensing model, along with intruder trapping under the probabilistic sens

  1. Did the Affordable Care Act's Dependent Coverage Mandate Increase Premiums?

    OpenAIRE

    Briggs Depew; James Bailey

    2014-01-01

    We investigate the impact of the Affordable Care Act's dependent coverage mandate on insurance premiums. The expansion of dependent coverage under the ACA allows young adults to remain on their parent's private health insurance plans until the age of 26. We find that the mandate has led to a 2.5-2.8 percent increase in premiums for health insurance plans that cover children, relative to single-coverage plans. We find no evidence that the mandate caused an increase in the amount of the employe...

  2. Protection coverage parameters indentification for uranium tailing dumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khakimov, N.; Nazarov, Kh.M.; Mirsaidov, I.U.; Akhmedov, M.Z.

    2012-01-01

    This article is devoted to protection coverage parameters indentification for uranium tailing dumps. Authors noticed that many tailing dumps In Tajikistan do not correspond to modern requirements of territories remediation published by IAEA and current norms of the Republic of Tajikistan. The most dangerous is radionuclide migration i.e., distribution of radioactive substances beyond the uranium tailing dumps territories. One of the basic distribution ways is atmospheric migration. At the same time potentially dangerous factors are: dust rising from open surfaces is the source for contamination distribution to neighboring territories; direct external exposure of public located in close distance to the sites; radioactive gas radon exhalation originating a threat if radionuclides penetration to the human body through breathing passages. Different methods of tailing's negative impact minimization, including coverage with neutral soil layer, coverage with fine-ground worked-out bentonite clay were proposed.

  3. A Max-Flow Based Algorithm for Connected Target Coverage with Probabilistic Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anxing Shan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Coverage is a fundamental issue in the research field of wireless sensor networks (WSNs. Connected target coverage discusses the sensor placement to guarantee the needs of both coverage and connectivity. Existing works largely leverage on the Boolean disk model, which is only a coarse approximation to the practical sensing model. In this paper, we focus on the connected target coverage issue based on the probabilistic sensing model, which can characterize the quality of coverage more accurately. In the probabilistic sensing model, sensors are only be able to detect a target with certain probability. We study the collaborative detection probability of target under multiple sensors. Armed with the analysis of collaborative detection probability, we further formulate the minimum ϵ-connected target coverage problem, aiming to minimize the number of sensors satisfying the requirements of both coverage and connectivity. We map it into a flow graph and present an approximation algorithm called the minimum vertices maximum flow algorithm (MVMFA with provable time complex and approximation ratios. To evaluate our design, we analyze the performance of MVMFA theoretically and also conduct extensive simulation studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.

  4. Unmanned Ground Vehicle Navigation and Coverage Hole Patching in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guyu

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation presents a study of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) navigation and coverage hole patching in coordinate-free and localization-free Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Navigation and coverage maintenance are related problems since coverage hole patching requires effective navigation in the sensor network environment. A…

  5. Coverage Improvement for Wireless Sensor Networks using Grid Quorum based Node Mobility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mathur, Prateek; Nielsen, Rasmus Hjorth; Prasad, Neeli R.

    2012-01-01

    Coverage of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is an important quality of service (QoS) metric and often the desired coverage is not attainable at the initial deployment, but node mobility can be used to improve the coverage by relocating sensor nodes. Unconstrained node mobility is considered infea...

  6. 5 CFR 610.402 - Coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS HOURS OF DUTY Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules § 610.402 Coverage. The regulations contained in this subpart apply only to flexible work schedules and compressed work schedules established under subchapter 11 of chapter 61 of...

  7. Coverage and Connectivity Issue in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachit Trivedi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks (WSNs are an emerging area of interest in research and development. It finds use in military surveillance, health care, environmental monitoring, forest fire detection and smart environments. An important research issue in WSNs is the coverage since cost, area and lifetime are directly validated to it.In this paper we present an overview of WSNs and try to refine the coverage and connectivity issues in wireless sensor networks.

  8. Assessing Measurement Error in Medicare Coverage From the National Health Interview Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gindi, Renee; Cohen, Robin A.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Using linked administrative data, to validate Medicare coverage estimates among adults aged 65 or older from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and to assess the impact of a recently added Medicare probe question on the validity of these estimates. Data sources Linked 2005 NHIS and Master Beneficiary Record and Payment History Update System files from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Study design We compared Medicare coverage reported on NHIS with “benchmark” benefit records from SSA. Principal findings With the addition of the probe question, more reports of coverage were captured, and the agreement between the NHIS-reported coverage and SSA records increased from 88% to 95%. Few additional overreports were observed. Conclusions Increased accuracy of the Medicare coverage status of NHIS participants was achieved with the Medicare probe question. Though some misclassification remains, data users interested in Medicare coverage as an outcome or correlate can use this survey measure with confidence. PMID:24800138

  9. Hospital emergency on-call coverage: is there a doctor in the house?

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Malley, Ann S; Draper, Debra A; Felland, Laurie E

    2007-11-01

    The nation's community hospitals face increasing problems obtaining emergency on-call coverage from specialist physicians, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. The diminished willingness of specialist physicians to provide on-call coverage is occurring as hospital emergency departments confront an ever-increasing demand for services. Factors influencing physician reluctance to provide on-call coverage include decreased dependence on hospital admitting privileges as more services shift to non-hospital settings; payment for emergency care, especially for uninsured patients; and medical liability concerns. Hospital strategies to secure on-call coverage include enforcing hospital medical staff bylaws that require physicians to take call, contracting with physicians to provide coverage, paying physicians stipends, and employing physicians. Nonetheless, many hospitals continue to struggle with inadequate on-call coverage, which threatens patients' timely access to high-quality emergency care and may raise health care costs.

  10. Exploring the relationship between population density and maternal health coverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanlon Michael

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Delivering health services to dense populations is more practical than to dispersed populations, other factors constant. This engenders the hypothesis that population density positively affects coverage rates of health services. This hypothesis has been tested indirectly for some services at a local level, but not at a national level. Methods We use cross-sectional data to conduct cross-country, OLS regressions at the national level to estimate the relationship between population density and maternal health coverage. We separately estimate the effect of two measures of density on three population-level coverage rates (6 tests in total. Our coverage indicators are the fraction of the maternal population completing four antenatal care visits and the utilization rates of both skilled birth attendants and in-facility delivery. The first density metric we use is the percentage of a population living in an urban area. The second metric, which we denote as a density score, is a relative ranking of countries by population density. The score’s calculation discounts a nation’s uninhabited territory under the assumption those areas are irrelevant to service delivery. Results We find significantly positive relationships between our maternal health indicators and density measures. On average, a one-unit increase in our density score is equivalent to a 0.2% increase in coverage rates. Conclusions Countries with dispersed populations face higher burdens to achieve multinational coverage targets such as the United Nations’ Millennial Development Goals.

  11. State Medicaid Expansion Tobacco Cessation Coverage and Number of Adult Smokers Enrolled in Expansion Coverage - United States, 2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiGiulio, Anne; Haddix, Meredith; Jump, Zach; Babb, Stephen; Schecter, Anna; Williams, Kisha-Ann S; Asman, Kat; Armour, Brian S

    2016-12-09

    In 2015, 27.8% of adult Medicaid enrollees were current cigarette smokers, compared with 11.1% of adults with private health insurance, placing Medicaid enrollees at increased risk for smoking-related disease and death (1). In addition, smoking-related diseases are a major contributor to Medicaid costs, accounting for about 15% (>$39 billion) of annual Medicaid spending during 2006-2010 (2). Individual, group, and telephone counseling and seven Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are effective treatments for helping tobacco users quit (3). Insurance coverage for tobacco cessation treatments is associated with increased quit attempts, use of cessation treatments, and successful smoking cessation (3); this coverage has the potential to reduce Medicaid costs (4). However, barriers such as requiring copayments and prior authorization for treatment can impede access to cessation treatments (3,5). As of July 1, 2016, 32 states (including the District of Columbia) have expanded Medicaid eligibility through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA),* ,† which has increased access to health care services, including cessation treatments (5). CDC used data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicaid Budget and Expenditure System (MBES) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to estimate the number of adult smokers enrolled in Medicaid expansion coverage. To assess cessation coverage among Medicaid expansion enrollees, the American Lung Association collected data on coverage of, and barriers to accessing, evidence-based cessation treatments. As of December 2015, approximately 2.3 million adult smokers were newly enrolled in Medicaid because of Medicaid expansion. As of July 1, 2016, all 32 states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility under ACA covered some cessation treatments for all Medicaid expansion enrollees, with nine states covering all nine cessation treatments for all Medicaid expansion

  12. Health-system reform and universal health coverage in Latin America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atun, Rifat; de Andrade, Luiz Odorico Monteiro; Almeida, Gisele; Cotlear, Daniel; Dmytraczenko, T; Frenz, Patricia; Garcia, Patrícia; Gómez-Dantés, Octavio; Knaul, Felicia M; Muntaner, Carles; de Paula, Juliana Braga; Rígoli, Felix; Serrate, Pastor Castell-Florit; Wagstaff, Adam

    2015-03-28

    Starting in the late 1980s, many Latin American countries began social sector reforms to alleviate poverty, reduce socioeconomic inequalities, improve health outcomes, and provide financial risk protection. In particular, starting in the 1990s, reforms aimed at strengthening health systems to reduce inequalities in health access and outcomes focused on expansion of universal health coverage, especially for poor citizens. In Latin America, health-system reforms have produced a distinct approach to universal health coverage, underpinned by the principles of equity, solidarity, and collective action to overcome social inequalities. In most of the countries studied, government financing enabled the introduction of supply-side interventions to expand insurance coverage for uninsured citizens--with defined and enlarged benefits packages--and to scale up delivery of health services. Countries such as Brazil and Cuba introduced tax-financed universal health systems. These changes were combined with demand-side interventions aimed at alleviating poverty (targeting many social determinants of health) and improving access of the most disadvantaged populations. Hence, the distinguishing features of health-system strengthening for universal health coverage and lessons from the Latin American experience are relevant for countries advancing universal health coverage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Coverage dependent molecular assembly of anthraquinone on Au(111)

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLoach, Andrew S.; Conrad, Brad R.; Einstein, T. L.; Dougherty, Daniel B.

    2017-11-01

    A scanning tunneling microscopy study of anthraquinone (AQ) on the Au(111) surface shows that the molecules self-assemble into several structures depending on the local surface coverage. At high coverages, a close-packed saturated monolayer is observed, while at low coverages, mobile surface molecules coexist with stable chiral hexamer clusters. At intermediate coverages, a disordered 2D porous network interlinking close-packed islands is observed in contrast to the giant honeycomb networks observed for the same molecule on Cu(111). This difference verifies the predicted extreme sensitivity [J. Wyrick et al., Nano Lett. 11, 2944 (2011)] of the pore network to small changes in the surface electronic structure. Quantitative analysis of the 2D pore network reveals that the areas of the vacancy islands are distributed log-normally. Log-normal distributions are typically associated with the product of random variables (multiplicative noise), and we propose that the distribution of pore sizes for AQ on Au(111) originates from random linear rate constants for molecules to either desorb from the surface or detach from the region of a nucleated pore.

  14. 28 CFR 70.31 - Insurance coverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... with Federal funds as provided to property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property need not be...-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Post-Award Requirements Property Standards § 70.31 Insurance coverage. Recipients...

  15. Is a 'convenience' sample useful for estimating immunization coverage in a small population?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weir, Jean E; Jones, Carrie

    2008-01-01

    Rapid survey methodologies are widely used for assessing immunization coverage in developing countries, approximating true stratified random sampling. Non-random ('convenience') sampling is not considered appropriate for estimating immunization coverage rates but has the advantages of low cost and expediency. We assessed the validity of a convenience sample of children presenting to a travelling clinic by comparing the coverage rate in the convenience sample to the true coverage established by surveying each child in three villages in rural Papua New Guinea. The rate of DTF immunization coverage as estimated by the convenience sample was within 10% of the true coverage when the proportion of children in the sample was two-thirds or when only children over the age of one year were counted, but differed by 11% when the sample included only 53% of the children and when all eligible children were included. The convenience sample may be sufficiently accurate for reporting purposes and is useful for identifying areas of low coverage.

  16. Sensor-driven area coverage for an autonomous fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paull, Liam; Thibault, Carl; Nagaty, Amr; Seto, Mae; Li, Howard

    2014-09-01

    Area coverage with an onboard sensor is an important task for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with many applications. Autonomous fixed-wing UAVs are more appropriate for larger scale area surveying since they can cover ground more quickly. However, their non-holonomic dynamics and susceptibility to disturbances make sensor coverage a challenging task. Most previous approaches to area coverage planning are offline and assume that the UAV can follow the planned trajectory exactly. In this paper, this restriction is removed as the aircraft maintains a coverage map based on its actual pose trajectory and makes control decisions based on that map. The aircraft is able to plan paths in situ based on sensor data and an accurate model of the on-board camera used for coverage. An information theoretic approach is used that selects desired headings that maximize the expected information gain over the coverage map. In addition, the branch entropy concept previously developed for autonomous underwater vehicles is extended to UAVs and ensures that the vehicle is able to achieve its global coverage mission. The coverage map over the workspace uses the projective camera model and compares the expected area of the target on the ground and the actual area covered on the ground by each pixel in the image. The camera is mounted on a two-axis gimbal and can either be stabilized or optimized for maximal coverage. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation results and real hardware implementation on a fixed-wing UAV show the effectiveness of the approach. By including the already developed automatic takeoff and landing capabilities, we now have a fully automated and robust platform for performing aerial imagery surveys.

  17. An Evaluation of Voluntary Varicella Vaccination Coverage in Zhejiang Province, East China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Hu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: In 2014 a 2-doses varicella vaccine (VarV schedule was recommended by the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We aimed to assess the coverage of the 1st dose of VarV (VarV1 and the 2nd dose of VarV (VarV2 among children aged 2–6 years through the Zhejiang Provincial Immunization Information System (ZJIIS and to explore the determinants associated with the VarV coverage. Methods: Children aged 2–6 years (born from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 registered in ZJIIS were enrolled. Anonymized individual records of target children were extracted from the ZJIIS database on 1 January 2016, including their VarV and (measles-containing vaccine MCV vaccination information. The VarV1 and VarV2 coverage rates were evaluated for each birth cohorts. The coverage of VarV also was estimated among strata defined by cities, gender and immigration status. We also evaluated the difference in coverage between VarV and MCV. Results: A total of 3,028,222 children aged 2–6 years were enrolled. The coverage of VarV1 ranged from 84.8% to 87.9% in the 2009–2013 birth cohorts, while the coverage of VarV2 increased from 31.8% for the 2009 birth cohort to 48.7% for the 2011 birth cohort. Higher coverage rates for both VarV1 and VarV2 were observed among resident children in relevant birth cohorts. The coverage rates of VarV1 and VarV2 were lower than those for the 1st and 2nd dose of MCV, which were above 95%. The proportion of children who were vaccinated with VarV1 at the recommended age increased from 34.6% for the 2009 birth cohort to 75.2% for the 2013 birth cohort, while the proportion of children who were vaccinated with VarV2 at the recommended age increased from 19.7% for the 2009 birth cohort to 48.7% for the 2011 birth cohort. Conclusions: Our study showed a rapid increasing VarV2 coverage of children, indicating a growing acceptance of the 2-doses VarV schedule among children’s caregivers and physicians after

  18. Local Coverage of Three Mile Island during 1981-82.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Sharon M.

    Local newspaper coverage of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant accident was examined in a study to determine what changes, if any, were made by local media and what lessons they had learned from it. Data were collected through interviews with 21 media representatives. TMI coverage in the six newspapers was examined using each…

  19. Awareness and Coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sub- national levels possess a high degree of autonomy in a number of sectors including health. It is important to assess the level of coverage of the scheme among the formal sector workers in Nigeria as a proxy to gauge the extent of coverage of the scheme and derive suitable lessons that could be used in its expansion.

  20. Comparison of gene coverage of mouse oligonucleotide microarray platforms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Medrano Juan F

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasing use of DNA microarrays for genetical genomics studies generates a need for platforms with complete coverage of the genome. We have compared the effective gene coverage in the mouse genome of different commercial and noncommercial oligonucleotide microarray platforms by performing an in-house gene annotation of probes. We only used information about probes that is available from vendors and followed a process that any researcher may take to find the gene targeted by a given probe. In order to make consistent comparisons between platforms, probes in each microarray were annotated with an Entrez Gene id and the chromosomal position for each gene was obtained from the UCSC Genome Browser Database. Gene coverage was estimated as the percentage of Entrez Genes with a unique position in the UCSC Genome database that is tested by a given microarray platform. Results A MySQL relational database was created to store the mapping information for 25,416 mouse genes and for the probes in five microarray platforms (gene coverage level in parenthesis: Affymetrix430 2.0 (75.6%, ABI Genome Survey (81.24%, Agilent (79.33%, Codelink (78.09%, Sentrix (90.47%; and four array-ready oligosets: Sigma (47.95%, Operon v.3 (69.89%, Operon v.4 (84.03%, and MEEBO (84.03%. The differences in coverage between platforms were highly conserved across chromosomes. Differences in the number of redundant and unspecific probes were also found among arrays. The database can be queried to compare specific genomic regions using a web interface. The software used to create, update and query the database is freely available as a toolbox named ArrayGene. Conclusion The software developed here allows researchers to create updated custom databases by using public or proprietary information on genes for any organisms. ArrayGene allows easy comparisons of gene coverage between microarray platforms for any region of the genome. The comparison presented here