Pre-existing differences in motivation for food and sensitivity to cocaine-induced locomotion in obesity-prone rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollbrecht, Peter J; Nobile, Cameron W; Chadderdon, Aaron M; Jutkiewicz, Emily M; Ferrario, Carrie R

2015-12-01

Obesity is a significant problem in the United States, with roughly one third of adults having a body mass index (BMI) over thirty. Recent evidence from human studies suggests that pre-existing differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits that mediate motivational processes may promote obesity and hamper weight loss. However, few preclinical studies have examined pre-existing neurobehavioral differences related to the function of mesolimbic systems in models of individual susceptibility to obesity. Here, we used selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats to examine 1) the effect of a novel "junk-food" diet on the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, 2) over-consumption of "junk-food" in a free access procedure, 3) motivation for food using instrumental procedures, and 4) cocaine-induced locomotor activity as an index of general mesolimbic function. As expected, eating a sugary, fatty, "junk-food" diet exacerbated weight gain and increased fasted insulin levels only in obesity-prone rats. In addition, obesity-prone rats continued to over-consume junk-food during discrete access testing, even when this same food was freely available in the home cage. Furthermore, when asked to press a lever to obtain food in an instrumental task, rates of responding were enhanced in obesity-prone versus obesity-resistant rats. Finally, obesity-prone rats showed a stronger locomotor response to 15 mg/kg cocaine compared to obesity-resistant rats prior to any diet manipulation. This enhanced sensitivity to this dose of cocaine is indicative of basal differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits in obesity-prone rats. We speculate that pre-existing differences in motivational systems may contribute to over-consumption and enhanced motivation in susceptible individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pre-existing differences in motivation for food and sensitivity to cocaine-induced locomotion in obesity-prone rats

Science.gov (United States)

Vollbrecht, Peter J.; Nobile, Cameron W.; Chadderdon, Aaron M.; Jutkiewicz, Emily M.; Ferrario, Carrie R.

2015-01-01

Obesity is a significant problem in the United States, with roughly one third of adults having a body mass index (BMI) over thirty. Recent evidence from human studies suggests that pre-existing differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits that mediate motivational processes may promote obesity and hamper weight loss. However, few preclinical studies have examined pre-existing neurobehavioral differences related to the function of mesolimbic systems in models of individual susceptibility to obesity. Here, we used selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats to examine 1) the effect of a novel “junk-food” diet on the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, 2) over-consumption of “junk-food” in a free access procedure, 3) motivation for food using instrumental procedures, and 4) cocaine-induced locomotor activity as an index of general mesolimbic function. As expected, eating a sugary, fatty, “junk-food” diet exacerbated weight gain and increased fasted insulin levels only in obesity-prone rats. In addition, obesity-prone rats continued to over-consume junk-food during discrete access testing, even when this same food was freely available in the home cage. Furthermore, when asked to press a lever to obtain food in an instrumental task, rates of responding were enhanced in obesity-prone versus obesity-resistant rats. Finally, obesity-prone rats showed a stronger locomotor response to 15 mg/kg cocaine compared to obesity-resistant rats prior to any diet manipulation. This enhanced sensitivity to this dose of cocaine is indicative of basal differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits in obesity-prone rats. We speculate that pre-existing differences in motivational systems may contribute to over-consumption and enhanced motivation in susceptible individuals. PMID:26423787

Surrogate-based optimization of hydraulic fracturing in pre-existing fracture networks

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mingjie; Sun, Yunwei; Fu, Pengcheng; Carrigan, Charles R.; Lu, Zhiming; Tong, Charles H.; Buscheck, Thomas A.

2013-08-01

Hydraulic fracturing has been used widely to stimulate production of oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy in formations with low natural permeability. Numerical optimization of fracture stimulation often requires a large number of evaluations of objective functions and constraints from forward hydraulic fracturing models, which are computationally expensive and even prohibitive in some situations. Moreover, there are a variety of uncertainties associated with the pre-existing fracture distributions and rock mechanical properties, which affect the optimized decisions for hydraulic fracturing. In this study, a surrogate-based approach is developed for efficient optimization of hydraulic fracturing well design in the presence of natural-system uncertainties. The fractal dimension is derived from the simulated fracturing network as the objective for maximizing energy recovery sweep efficiency. The surrogate model, which is constructed using training data from high-fidelity fracturing models for mapping the relationship between uncertain input parameters and the fractal dimension, provides fast approximation of the objective functions and constraints. A suite of surrogate models constructed using different fitting methods is evaluated and validated for fast predictions. Global sensitivity analysis is conducted to gain insights into the impact of the input variables on the output of interest, and further used for parameter screening. The high efficiency of the surrogate-based approach is demonstrated for three optimization scenarios with different and uncertain ambient conditions. Our results suggest the critical importance of considering uncertain pre-existing fracture networks in optimization studies of hydraulic fracturing.

49 CFR 28.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 28.150 Section 28.150 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION § 28...

C/EBPα Activates Pre-existing and De Novo Macrophage Enhancers during Induced Pre-B Cell Transdifferentiation and Myelopoiesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris van Oevelen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Transcription-factor-induced somatic cell conversions are highly relevant for both basic and clinical research yet their mechanism is not fully understood and it is unclear whether they reflect normal differentiation processes. Here we show that during pre-B-cell-to-macrophage transdifferentiation, C/EBPα binds to two types of myeloid enhancers in B cells: pre-existing enhancers that are bound by PU.1, providing a platform for incoming C/EBPα; and de novo enhancers that are targeted by C/EBPα, acting as a pioneer factor for subsequent binding by PU.1. The order of factor binding dictates the upregulation kinetics of nearby genes. Pre-existing enhancers are broadly active throughout the hematopoietic lineage tree, including B cells. In contrast, de novo enhancers are silent in most cell types except in myeloid cells where they become activated by C/EBP factors. Our data suggest that C/EBPα recapitulates physiological developmental processes by short-circuiting two macrophage enhancer pathways in pre-B cells.

Pre-existing psychiatric disorder in the burn patient is associated with worse outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Alexandra; Al Youha, Sarah; Samargandi, Osama A; Paletz, Justin

2017-08-01

To compare patient and burn characteristics between patients who had a pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis and patients who did not in a Burn Unit at an academic hospital. Psychosocial issues are common in patients recovering from a burn; however, little is known regarding hospital course and discharge outcomes in patients with a pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis presenting with a burn. Baseline medical comorbidities of burn patients have been shown to be a significant risk for in-hospital mortality. A retrospective chart review of 479 consecutive patients admitted to the Burn Unit of an academic hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia between March 2nd 1995 and June 1st 2013 was performed. Extensive data regarding patient and burn characteristics and outcomes was collected. Patients with and without pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses at the time of hospital admission were compared. Sixty-three (13%) patients had a psychiatric diagnosis, with the most common being depression (52%). Forty-percent (n=25/63) of these patients had multiple pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses. Patients with a psychiatric diagnosis had a greater total-body-surface-area (TBSA)% covered by a third-degree burn (p=0.001), and were more likely to have an inhalation injury (pBurn Unit (p=0.01). The risk of death in burn patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders was about three times the risk of death in patients with no psychiatric disorders when adjusting for other potential confounders (95% CI, 1.13-9.10; p-value 0.03). Presence of a pre-existing psychiatric disorder in the burn patient was associated with worse outcomes and was a significant predictor of death. Psychiatric diagnoses should be identified early in burn treatment and efforts should be made to ensure a comprehensive approach to inpatient support and patient discharge to reduce unfavorable burn outcomes and placement issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

12 CFR 410.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Program accessibility: Existing facilities. 410.150 Section 410.150 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED...

Impact of pre-existing co-morbidities on mortality in granulomatosis with polyangiitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faurschou, Mikkel; Ahlström, Magnus Glindvad; Lindhardsen, Jesper

2016-01-01

of pre-existing co-morbidities among the patients was quantified according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Each patient was matched with five age- and gender-matched population controls with no pre-existing co-morbidities captured by the CCI (CCI score = 0). The study subjects were followed...... throughout 2010. Cox regression analyses were used to calculate mortality rate ratios (MRRs). RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up in the GPA cohort was 5.8 years (interquartile range 2.3-10.0). Compared with their matched population controls, the MRR for patients presenting with a CCI score of 0 (n...

78 FR 30218 - Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-22

... require immediate and ongoing medical treatment including severe or life threatening conditions such as..., work, risk and resources of the service. (Hereafter, we generally refer to this pricing methodology as..., facilities and providers will be prohibited from ``balance billing'' enrollees in the federally-administered...

Ranging behavior relates to welfare indicators pre- and post-range access in commercial free-range broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Peta S; Hemsworth, Paul H; Groves, Peter J; Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G; Rault, Jean-Loup

2018-06-01

Little is known about the effect of accessing an outdoor range on chicken welfare. We tracked individual ranging behavior of 538 mixed-sex Ross 308 chickens on a commercial farm across 4 flocks in winter and summer. Before range access, at 17 to 19 d of age, and post-range access, at 30 to 33 and 42 to 46 d of age in winter and summer flocks respectively, welfare indicators were measured on chickens (pre-range: winter N = 292; summer N = 280; post-range: winter N = 131; summer N = 140), including weight, gait score, dermatitis and plumage condition. Post-ranging autopsies were performed (winter: N = 170; summer: N = 60) to assess breast burn, leg health, and ascites. Fewer chickens accessed the range in winter flocks (32.5%) than summer flocks (82.1%). Few relationships between welfare and ranging were identified in winter, likely due to minimal ranging and the earlier age of post-ranging data collection compared to summer flocks. In summer flocks prior to range access, chickens that accessed the range weighed 4.9% less (P = 0.03) than chickens that did not access the range. Pre-ranging weight, gait score, and overall plumage cover predicted the amount of range use by ranging chickens in summer flocks (P ranging behavior. In summer flocks post-range access, ranging chickens weighed 12.8% less than non-ranging chickens (P range visits were associated with lower weight (P range was associated with lower weight (P range in summer is partly related to changes in broiler chicken welfare. Further investigations are required to determine causation.

Challenges in horizontal integration of eye care services into the pre-existing rural primary care structure: an operations research perspective from Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Chinyere Nkemdilim Ezisi; Boniface Ikenna Eze; Obiekwe Okoye; Chimdi Memnofu Chuka-Okosa; Jude Obinna Shiweobi

2017-01-01

Background . The provision of population-wide, accessible, affordable, acceptable and evenly distributed qualitative eye care services remains a recurrent challenge to eye care organizations worldwide. Objectives . To report the challenges encountered in setting up eye care service in a pre-existing primary health care facility in rural Nigeria and also audit the common causes of eye disorders in rural setting southeast of Nigeria. Material and methods . The study was an operations ...

Are there pre-existing neural, cognitive, or motoric markers for musical ability?

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, Andrea; Winner, Ellen; Cronin, Karl; Overy, Katie; Lee, Dennis J; Schlaug, Gottfried

2005-11-01

Adult musician's brains show structural enlargements, but it is not known whether these are inborn or a consequence of long-term training. In addition, music training in childhood has been shown to have positive effects on visual-spatial and verbal outcomes. However, it is not known whether pre-existing advantages in these skills are found in children who choose to study a musical instrument nor is it known whether there are pre-existing associations between music and any of these outcome measures that could help explain the training effects. To answer these questions, we compared 5- to 7-year-olds beginning piano or string lessons (n=39) with 5- to 7-year-olds not beginning instrumental training (n=31). All children received a series of tests (visual-spatial, non-verbal reasoning, verbal, motor, and musical) and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. We found no pre-existing neural, cognitive, motor, or musical differences between groups and no correlations (after correction for multiple analyses) between music perceptual skills and any brain or visual-spatial measures. However, correlations were found between music perceptual skills and both non-verbal reasoning and phonemic awareness. Such pre-existing correlations suggest similarities in auditory and visual pattern recognition as well a sharing of the neural substrates for language and music processing, most likely due to innate abilities or implicit learning during early development. This baseline study lays the groundwork for an ongoing longitudinal study addressing the effects of intensive musical training on brain and cognitive development, and making it possible to look retroactively at the brain and cognitive development of those children who emerge showing exceptional musical talent.

Environmental Education in Pre-Service Teacher Training: A Literature Review of Existing Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez-García, Olaya; Sureda-Negre, Jaume; Comas-Forgas, Rubén

2015-01-01

The importance of pre-service teacher training regarding environmental education (EE) has been vastly demonstrated. This systematic review examined the existing evidence from studies evaluating and analysing the relationship between EE, including environmental competences and pre-service primary school teacher training. The literature review…

The Post-Embargo Open Access Citation Advantage: It Exists (Probably), Its Modest (Usually), and the Rich Get Richer (of Course).

Science.gov (United States)

Ottaviani, Jim

2016-01-01

Many studies show that open access (OA) articles-articles from scholarly journals made freely available to readers without requiring subscription fees-are downloaded, and presumably read, more often than closed access/subscription-only articles. Assertions that OA articles are also cited more often generate more controversy. Confounding factors (authors may self-select only the best articles to make OA; absence of an appropriate control group of non-OA articles with which to compare citation figures; conflation of pre-publication vs. published/publisher versions of articles, etc.) make demonstrating a real citation difference difficult. This study addresses those factors and shows that an open access citation advantage as high as 19% exists, even when articles are embargoed during some or all of their prime citation years. Not surprisingly, better (defined as above median) articles gain more when made OA.

Pediatric blood sample collection from a pre-existing peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter.

Science.gov (United States)

Braniff, Heather; DeCarlo, Ann; Haskamp, Amy Corey; Broome, Marion E

2014-01-01

Aiming to minimize pain in a hospitalized child, the purpose of this observational study was to describe characteristics of blood samples collected from pre-existing peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters in pediatric patients. One hundred and fifty blood samples were reviewed for number of unusable samples requiring a specimen to be re-drawn. Success of the blood draw and prevalence of the loss of the PIV following blood collection was also measured. Findings included one clotted specimen, success rate of 91.3%, and 1.3% of PIVs becoming non-functional after collection. Obtaining blood specimens from a pre-existing PIV should be considered in a pediatric patient. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Temperature, Light and Pre-Chilling on Seed Germination of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni Bertoni Accessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Macchia

Full Text Available Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni Bertoni is a perennial shrub of the Asteraceae family native to Paraguay and Brazil where it has been used for several years as a sweetener. It is a short-day species, with a critical light requirement for flowering of roughly 13 hours. In plants whose biological cycle is strongly photoperiod-dependent, latitude is one of the major factors influencing reproduction. Late flowering may adversely affect seed production if this occurs during a season that is unfavorable to pollination. At Italian latitudes, this species often gives scanty seed production, with low germination rate and poor germination energy of seeds produced. In 2001 four accessions have been grown for seed production in a field plot experiment in Central Italy. The various accessions were found to exhibit noticeably different photoperiod requirements, which affected flowering time (from late August to the end of September and consequently also the conditions of achene filling and ripening. Late flowering and seed ripening occurred during autumn season, unfavourable to complete seed formation, leading to an increase in the empty seed percentage recorded for each accession. Detailed germination trials were therefore undertaken using seeds collected from plants of the different accessions in order to assess the quality of the seeds produced. Various germination methods have been tested in a controlled environment adopting four different temperatures (20° C, 25° C constant temperature and 15/25° C, 20/30° C (16/8h alternating temperature in light or darkness with or without pre-chilling. Germination rates varied over an extensive range (germination percentage from 9 to 83%, mainly due to the divergent specific characteristics of the material examined and the different treatments studied. At all temperatures tested, the most earlier accession, showed the higher germination percentages (54-83% while the latest accession was among those with the lowest

Race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and pregnancy complications in New York City women with pre-existing diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

James-Todd, Tamarra; Janevic, Teresa; Brown, Florence M; Savitz, David A

2014-03-01

More women are entering pregnancy with pre-existing diabetes. Disease severity, glycaemic control, and predictors of pregnancy complications may differ by race/ethnicity or educational attainment, leading to differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes. We used linked New York City hospital record and birth certificate data for 6291 singleton births among women with pre-existing diabetes between 1995 and 2003. We defined maternal race/ethnicity as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, South Asian, and East Asian, and education level as 12 years. Our outcomes were pre-eclampsia, preterm birth (PTB) (pregnancy complications. Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and South Asian women with pre-existing diabetes may benefit from targeted interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes. © 2013 The Authors. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Super-low dose endotoxin pre-conditioning exacerbates sepsis mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Keqiang; Geng, Shuo; Yuan, Ruoxi; Diao, Na; Upchurch, Zachary; Li, Liwu

2015-04-01

Sepsis mortality varies dramatically in individuals of variable immune conditions, with poorly defined mechanisms. This phenomenon complements the hypothesis that innate immunity may adopt rudimentary memory, as demonstrated in vitro with endotoxin priming and tolerance in cultured monocytes. However, previous in vivo studies only examined the protective effect of endotoxin tolerance in the context of sepsis. In sharp contrast, we report herein that pre-conditionings with super-low or low dose endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) cause strikingly opposite survival outcomes. Mice pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS experienced severe tissue damage, inflammation, increased bacterial load in circulation, and elevated mortality when they were subjected to cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP). This is in opposite to the well-reported protective phenomenon with CLP mice pre-conditioned with low dose LPS. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that super-low and low dose LPS differentially modulate the formation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) in neutrophils. Instead of increased ERK activation and NET formation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with low dose LPS, we observed significantly reduced ERK activation and compromised NET generation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel mechanism potentially responsible for the dynamic programming of innate immunity in vivo as it relates to sepsis risks.

Super-low Dose Endotoxin Pre-conditioning Exacerbates Sepsis Mortality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keqiang Chen

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Sepsis mortality varies dramatically in individuals of variable immune conditions, with poorly defined mechanisms. This phenomenon complements the hypothesis that innate immunity may adopt rudimentary memory, as demonstrated in vitro with endotoxin priming and tolerance in cultured monocytes. However, previous in vivo studies only examined the protective effect of endotoxin tolerance in the context of sepsis. In sharp contrast, we report herein that pre-conditioning with super-low or low dose endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS cause strikingly opposite survival outcomes. Mice pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS experienced severe tissue damage, inflammation, increased bacterial load in circulation, and elevated mortality when they were subjected to cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP. This is in contrast to the well-reported protective phenomenon with CLP mice pre-conditioned with low dose LPS. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that super-low and low dose LPS differentially modulate the formation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET in neutrophils. Instead of increased ERK activation and NET formation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with low dose LPS, we observed significantly reduced ERK activation and compromised NET generation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS. Collectively, our findings reveal a mechanism potentially responsible for the dynamic programming of innate immunity in vivo as it relates to sepsis risks.

Access to care for patients with time-sensitive conditions in Pennsylvania.

Science.gov (United States)

Salhi, Rama A; Edwards, J Matthew; Gaieski, David F; Band, Roger A; Abella, Benjamin S; Carr, Brendan G

2014-05-01

Collective knowledge and coordination of vital interventions for time-sensitive conditions (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI], stroke, cardiac arrest, and septic shock) could contribute to a comprehensive statewide emergency care system, but little is known about population access to the resources required. We seek to describe existing clinical management strategies for time-sensitive conditions in Pennsylvania hospitals. All Pennsylvania emergency departments (EDs) open in 2009 were surveyed about resource availability and practice patterns for time-sensitive conditions. The frequency with which EDs provided essential clinical bundles for each condition was assessed. Penalized maximum likelihood regressions were used to evaluate associations between ED characteristics and the presence of the 4 clinical bundles of care. We used geographic information science to calculate 60-minute ambulance access to the nearest facility with these clinical bundles. The percentage of EDs providing each of the 4 clinical bundles in 2009 ranged from 20% to 57% (stroke 20%, STEMI 32%, cardiac arrest 34%, sepsis 57%). For STEMI and stroke, presence of a board-certified/board-eligible emergency physician was significantly associated with presence of a clinical bundle. Only 8% of hospitals provided all 4 care bundles. However, 53% of the population was able to reach this minority of hospitals within 60 minutes. Reliably matching patient needs to ED resources in time-dependent illness is a critical component of a coordinated emergency care system. Population access to critical interventions for the time-dependent diseases discussed here is limited. A population-based planning approach and improved coordination of care could improve access to interventions for patients with time-sensitive conditions. Copyright © 2013 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of aerobic- versus strength-training on body image among young women with pre-existing body image concerns.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin Ginis, Kathleen A; Strong, Heather A; Arent, Shawn M; Bray, Steven R; Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca L

2014-06-01

This experiment compared the effects of aerobic-training (AT) versus strength-training (ST) on body image among young women with pre-existing body image concerns. Theory-based correlates of body image change were also examined. Participants were 46 women (M age=21.5 years), randomly assigned to an 8-week AT or ST intervention consisting of supervised exercise 3 days/week. Multidimensional measures of body image were administered pre- and post-intervention, along with measures of physical fitness, perceived fitness, and exercise self-efficacy. Women in the AT condition reported greater reductions in social physique anxiety (p=.001) and tended to report greater improvements in appearance evaluation (p=.06) than women in the ST condition. Changes in perceived fatness, perceived aerobic endurance and aerobic self-efficacy were significantly correlated with body image change (psexercise to improve body image and advancing theory to account for the effects of exercise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 76.806 - Pre-termination access to cable home wiring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... the installation of their own cable home wiring; or connect additional home wiring, splitters or other... and other equipment used in the installation of home wiring) meets reasonable technical specifications... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pre-termination access to cable home wiring. 76...

The Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory: Final evaluation of the hydrogeochemical pre-investigations in relation to existing geologic and hydraulic conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smellie, J.; Laaksoharju, M.

1992-11-01

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Management Company (SKB) is currently excavating the access tunnel to an underground experimental laboratory, the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory, planned to be located some 500 m below the island of Aespoe which is located in the Simpevarp area, southeast Sweden. The construction of an underground laboratory forms part of the overall SKB strategy to test, not only the construction techniques for deep excavation, but also the various methods and protocols required to obtain a three-dimensional model of the geology and groundwater flow and chemistry, within a fractured crystalline bedrock similar to that envisaged for the final disposal of spent fuel. Aespoe was chosen because it geologically represents a variety of typical crystalline bedrock environments. The hydrogeochemical activities described and interpreted in this report form part of the initial pre-investigation phase (from the surface to around 1000 metres depth) aimed at siting the laboratory, describing the natural hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical conditions in the bedrock and predicting the changes that will occur during excavation and construction of the laboratory. Hydrogeochemical interpretation has therefore been closely integrated with the hydrogeological investigations and other disciplines of major influence, in particular, bedrock geology and geochemistry and fracture mineralogy and chemistry. A large section of this report has been devoted to the detailed investigation of each individual zone hydraulically selected, tested and sampled for hydrogeochemical characterization. The data have been used to describe the chemistry and origin of the Aespoe groundwaters, models have been developed to illustrate groundwater mixing and standard geochemical modelling approaches have been employed to understand rock/water interaction processes. An attempt has been made to integrate the hydrogeochemical information with known geological and hydrogeological parameters to construct a

Influence of pre-existing inflammation on the outcome of acute coronary syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odeberg, J.; Freitag, M.; Forssell, Henrik

2016-01-01

Objectives: Inflammation is a well-established risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, less is known about its influence on the outcome of ACS. The aim of this study was to determine if blood biomarkers of inflammation were...... that a pre-existing low-grade inflammation may dispose towards MI over UA....

10 CFR 725.23 - Terms and conditions of access.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... warranty or other representation, expressed or implied, (1) with respect to the accuracy, completeness or... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Terms and conditions of access. 725.23 Section 725.23 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PERMITS FOR ACCESS TO RESTRICTED DATA Permits § 725.23 Terms and conditions...

COMPETENCE CONDITIONS ENABLING EDUCATION IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS: PARENTS’ EVALUATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skaistė Kovienė

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Competence, psychological and material-organisational conditions determine favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishments. The aim of this research is - to identify competence conditions determining favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishment. Competence conditions, determining favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishments, which are formed of pedagogues and parents’ collaboration and parents’ communication between themselves, have been examined in the research. One of the determining factors, forming favourable educational environment for parent education is- pre-school educational establishment pedagogues, therefore both professional and personal pedagogues’ abilities were analysed to apply the most suitable communication and collaboration forms with parents in a concrete situation, to give parents pedagogical-psychological support. Standardised interview was applied for the research (for gathering empiric research data and content analysis (empiric data analysis. Parents of the children attending pre-school education establishments participated in the research. The obtained results allowed making concrete conclusions about competence conditions determining favourable environment for parent education and to identify, according to parents, the most necessary for parents’ education improvement educational environment area, – pedagogues and parents’ communication and collaboration.

Using an Electronic Highlighter to Eliminate the Negative Effects of Pre-Existing, Inappropriate Highlighting

Science.gov (United States)

Gier, Vicki; Kreiner, David; Hudnell, Jason; Montoya, Jodi; Herring, Daniel

2011-01-01

The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether using an active learning technique, electronic highlighting, can eliminate the negative effects of pre-existing, poor highlighting on reading comprehension. Participants read passages containing no highlighting, appropriate highlighting, or inappropriate highlighting. We hypothesized…

Gabapentin Superadded to a Pre-Existent Regime Containing Amytriptyline for Chronic Sciatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Kelvin L; Marshman, Laurence A G

2016-11-01

There is currently a gross lack of evidence base guiding the medical management of chronic sciatica (CS). Only scant previous studies have assessed gabapentin (GBP) in CS. Extrapolating NICE-UK guidelines, prescribing authorities often insist on trialling anti-depressants (e.g., amytriptyline, AMP) as a first line for neuropathic pain states such as CS. When super-adding second-line agents, such as GBP, NICE-UK encourages overlap with first-line agents to avoid decreased pain-control. No study has reflected this practice. Evaluate efficacy and side effects (SE) of GBP superadded to a pre-existent regime containing AMP for CS. Prospective cohort of patients with unilateral CS attending a specialist spine clinic. Eligible patients had experienced partial benefit to a pre-existent regime containing AMP: none had significant SE. No drugs other than GBP were added or discontinued (the latter was considered inequitable) for 3 months. Visual analog pain score (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and SE were recorded. Efficacy: in 56% (43/77) there were reductions in VAS (5.3 ± 3.6→2.8 ± 2.7, P < 0.0001) and ODI (42.8 ± 31.1→30.7 ± 25.2, P = 0.008). SE: Eighty-two SE (23 types) were reported in 53% (41/77). Efficacy was less in those with SE: a trend existed for a lesser reduction in VAS (2.0 ± 2.4 v 3.0 ± 2.7, P = 0.08), which proved significant for ODI (8.1 ± 11.4 v 16.7 ± 18.2, P = 0.01). Thirty-four percent (26/77) discontinued GBP all within 1 week (i.e., during titration). This is the first prospective cohort study of GBP super-added to a pre-existent regime containing AMP for CS, as per routine clinical practice and NICE-UK principles. Super-added GBP demonstrated further efficacy over the previous regime in 56%; however, SE were frequent (53%) and diverse (23 types), and 34% abruptly discarded GBP. Although SE were associated with decreased efficacy, 37% nevertheless tolerated GBP despite SE. © 2016

Conditions for the Existence of Market Equilibrium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, William D. A.

1997-01-01

Maintains that most graduate-level economics textbooks rarely mention the need for consumers to be above their minimum wealth position as a condition for market equilibrium. Argues that this omission leaves students with a mistaken sense about the range of circumstances under which market equilibria can exist. (MJP)

Exacerbation of pre-existing diabetes insipidus during pregnancy, mechanisms and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Tack, Lloyd J W; T'Sjoen, Guy; Lapauw, Bruno

2017-06-01

During pregnancy, physiological changes in osmotic homeostasis cause water retention. If excessive, this can cause gestational diabetes insipidus (DI), particularly in patients with already impaired vasopressin secretion. We present the case of a 34-year-old patient with pre-existing hypopituitarism who experienced a transient exacerbation of her DI during a twin pregnancy. In contrast to typical gestational DI, polyuria and polydipsia occurred during the first trimester and remained stable thereafter. This case highlights a challenging clinical entity of which pathophysiology, diagnostic approach and treatment will be discussed.

Invisible thread: pre-service success indicators among Marine general officers

OpenAIRE

Munoz, Valerie; Common, Joseph; Lue, Kendra

2017-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The purpose of this study is to identify commonalities that may exist among general officers within the Unites States Marine Corps. This exploratory analysis focuses on pre-service indicators of success and assesses the existence of any competitive advantages. The data used in this analysis includes pre- and post-accession information obtained from the United States Marine Corps' Total Force Data Warehouse (TFDW), as well as semi-struc...

National electricity planning in settings with low pre-existing grid coverage: Development of a spatial model and case study of Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parshall, Lily; Pillai, Dana; Mohan, Shashank; Sanoh, Aly; Modi, Vijay

2009-01-01

We develop a spatial electricity planning model to guide grid expansion in countries with low pre-existing electricity coverage. The model can be used to rapidly estimate connection costs and compare different regions and communities. Inputs that are modeled include electricity demand, costs, and geographic characteristics. The spatial nature of the model permits accurate representation of the existing electricity network and population distribution, which form the basis for future expansion decisions. The methodology and model assumptions are illustrated using country-specific data from Kenya. Results show that under most geographic conditions, extension of the national grid is less costly than off-grid options. Based on realistic penetration rates for Kenya, we estimate an average connection cost of $1900 per household, with lower-cost connection opportunities around major cities and in denser rural regions. In areas with an adequate pre-existing medium-voltage backbone, we estimate that over 30% of households could be connected for less than $1000 per connection through infilling. The penetration rate, an exogenous factor chosen by electricity planners, is found to have a large effect on household connection costs, often outweighing socio-economic and spatial factors such as inter-household distance, per-household demand, and proximity to the national grid.

Association of IgA multiple myeloma with pre-existing disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schafer, A.I.; Miller, J.B.

1979-01-01

A retrospective analysis of 153 patients with multiple myeloma was performed for evaluation of the possible significance of pre-existing disease. 37% of the group had no significant antecedent disorder. The most common prior illnesses were peptic ulcer disease and gallbladder disease. Of 12 patients in the group who had prior biliary tract disease and for whom immunoelectrophoretic studies were available, eight (66.7%) had IgA paraproteins. This figure is statistically higher than the 14.1% of prevalence of IgA paraproteins in those myeloma patients without biliary disease. We conclude that prior inflammatory gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and, particularly, biliary disease may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the IgA subset of multiple myeloma.

Using Motion Planning to Determine the Existence of an Accessible Route in a CAD Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xiaoshan; Han, Charles S.; Law, Kincho H.

2010-01-01

We describe an algorithm based on motion-planning techniques to determine the existence of an accessible route through a facility for a wheeled mobility device. The algorithm is based on LaValle's work on rapidly exploring random trees and is enhanced to take into consideration the particularities of the accessible route domain. Specifically, the…

Release of Waste Tire Comprehensive Utilization Industry Access Conditions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

On July 31, 2012, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the Tire Retread- ing lndustry Access Conditions and Waste Tire Comprehensive Utilization Industry Access Condi- tions with the No. 32 announcement of 2012. The state will lay a foundation for realizing the green, safe, efficient, eco-friendly and energy saving tar- gets in the "12th Five-year Plan" of the industry by raising access conditions, regulating industrial development order, strengthening environmental protection, promoting corporate optimizing and up- grading, improving resources comprehensive utiliza- tion technology and management level and guiding the "harmless recycling and eco-friendly utiliza- tion" of the industry.

The impact of socioeconomic status and geographic remoteness on access to pre-emptive kidney transplantation and transplant outcomes among children.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Anna; Didsbury, Madeleine; Lim, Wai H; Kim, Siah; White, Sarah; Craig, Jonathan C; Wong, Germaine

2016-06-01

Low socioeconomic status (SES) and geographic disparity have been associated with worse outcomes and poorer access to pre-emptive transplantation in the adult end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) population, but little is known about their impact in children with ESKD. The aim of our study was to determine whether access to pre-emptive transplantation and transplant outcomes differ according to SES and geographic remoteness in Australia. Using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (1993-2012), we compared access to pre-emptive transplantation, the risk of acute rejection and graft failure, based on SES and geographic remoteness among Australian children with ESKD (≤ 18 years), using adjusted logistic and Cox proportional hazard modelling. Of the 768 children who commenced renal replacement therapy, 389 (50.5%) received living donor kidney transplants and 28.5% of these (111/389) were pre-emptive. There was no significant association between SES quintiles and access to pre-emptive transplantation, acute rejection or allograft failure. Children residing in regional or remote areas were 35% less likely to receive a pre-emptive transplant compared to those living in major cities [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-1.0]. There was no significant association between geographic disparity and acute rejection (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.68-1.57) or graft loss (adjusted hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.74-1.41). In Australia, children from regional or remote regions are much less likely to receive pre-emptive kidney transplantation. Strategies such as improved access to nephrology services through expanding the scope of outreach clinics, and support for regional paediatricians to promote early referral may ameliorate this inequity.

Sex differences in the effects of ethanol pre-exposure during adolescence on ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion in adult rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherrill, Luke K; Berthold, Claire; Koss, Wendy A; Juraska, Janice M; Gulley, Joshua M

2011-11-20

Alcohol use, which typically begins during adolescence and differs between males and females, is influenced by both the rewarding and aversive properties of the drug. One way adolescent alcohol use may modulate later consumption is by reducing alcohol's aversive properties. Here, we used a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm to determine if pre-exposure to alcohol (ethanol) during adolescence would attenuate ethanol-induced CTA assessed in adulthood in a sex-dependent manner. Male and female Long-Evans rats were given intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of saline or 3.0g/kg ethanol in a binge-like pattern during postnatal days (PD) 35-45. In adulthood (>PD 100), rats were given access to 0.1% saccharin, followed by saline or ethanol (1.0 or 1.5g/kg, i.p.), over four conditioning sessions. We found sex differences in ethanol-induced CTA, with males developing a more robust aversion earlier in conditioning. Sex differences in the effects of pre-exposure were also evident: males, but not females, showed an attenuated CTA in adulthood following ethanol pre-exposure, which occurred approximately nine weeks earlier. Taken together, these findings indicate that males are more sensitive to the aversive properties of ethanol than females. In addition, the ability of pre-exposure to the ethanol US to attenuate CTA is enhanced in males compared to females. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Access road reclamation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manson, T.; Blok, M.

1997-01-01

A general review of the measures involved in restoring abandoned access road sites in British Columbia was presented. Permits and licences are needed for the use of crown land for roads used by the petroleum and natural gas industry for exploration activities. However, the regulatory framework for road site reclamation is not well developed. The nature of access road reclamation is very site-specific. Some of the issues that are considered for all reclamation projects include slope stability, water control, revegetation, soil rehabilitation, access management and monitoring. The primary objective of reclaiming access road sites is to return the site to conditions that are equal or better than pre-disturbance conditions. Restoration measures must be approved by BC Environment and by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans where federal fisheries responsibilities are involved. 54 refs., 5 tabs., 3 figs

Role of pre-existing structures in controlling the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the eastern Tibetan plateau: New insights from analogue experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ming; Yin, An; Yan, Danping; Ren, Hongyu; Mu, Hongxu; Zhu, Lutao; Qiu, Liang

2018-06-01

Pre-existing weakness due to repeated tectonic, metamorphic, and magmatic events is a fundamental feature of the continental lithosphere on Earth. Because of this, continental deformation results from a combined effect of boundary conditions imposed by plate tectonic processes and heterogeneous and anisotropic mechanical strength inherited from protracted continental evolution. In this study, we assess how this interaction may have controlled the Cenozoic evolution of the eastern Tibetan plateau during the India-Asia collision. Specifically, we use analogue models to evaluate how the pre-Cenozoic structures may have controlled the location, orientation, and kinematics of the northwest-striking Xianshuihe and northeast-striking Longmen Shan fault zones, the two most dominant Cenozoic structures in eastern Tibet. Our best model indicates that the correct location, trend, and kinematics of the two fault systems can only be generated and maintained if the following conditions are met: (1) the northern part of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane in eastern Tibet has a strong basement whereas its southern part has a weak basement, (2) the northern strong basement consists of two pieces bounded by a crustal-scale weak zone that is expressed by the Triassic development of a northwest-trending antiform exposing middle and lower crustal rocks, and (3) the region was under persistent northeast-southwest compression since ∼35 Ma. Our model makes correct prediction on the sequence of deformation in eastern Tibet; the Longmen Shan right-slip transpressional zone was initiated first as an instantaneous response to the northeast-southwest compression, which is followed by the formation of the Xianshuihe fault about a half way after the exertion of northeast-southwest shortening in the model. The success of our model highlights the importance of pre-existing weakness, a key factor that has been largely neglected in the current geodynamic models of continental deformation.

Pre-existing mutations in reverse transcriptase of hepatitis B virus in treatment-naive Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Xu

Full Text Available High rate of viral replication and lacking of proofreading activity in hepatitis B virus (HBV polymerase lead to the generation of mutations in HBV virus. Mutations in the reverse transcriptase (RT region of HBV polymerase are demonstrated to be strongly associated with drug resistance during antiviral treatment. However, the presence of mutations as well as its clinical significance in treatment-naïve hepatitis patients (defined as pre-existing mutations need to be further investigated. In the present study, a total of 168 serum samples from treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB patients were collected, and the RT region of HBV polymerase was sequenced. The results showed that pre-existing mutations in the RT region of HBV polymerase were detected in 43 of 168 (25.6% treatment-naive CHB patients within which there were no well-characterized primary nucleotide analogs (NAs resistance sites. Three dominant sites at rt191, rt207 and rt226 were found mutant in 7(16.28%, 8(18.60%, and 14(32.56% samples respectively among these 43 patients. No significant correlation was found between pre-existing mutations and gender, age, HBV genotype, ALT, HBeAg or HBV DNA loads. However, patients with pre-existing RT mutations under HBeAg sero-negative status exhibited decreased HBV DNA loads, which contributed to the decreased HBV DNA loads in the total HBeAg sero-negative patients. The above investigation indicated that there was a prevalence of pre-existing mutations in RT region of HBV polymerase which might affect the serum HBV DNA level in treatment-naive CHB patients. Its effects on the occurrence of NAs resistance and the prognosis after treatment need to be further investigated.

Survivability of Existing Peripheral Intravenous Access Following Blood Sampling in a Pediatric Population.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neil, Sheree W; Friesen, Mary Ann; Stanger, Debra; Trickey, Amber Williams

2018-03-07

Although pediatric patients report venipuncture as their most feared experience during hospitalization, blood sampling from peripheral intravenous accesses (PIVs) is not standard of care. Blood sampling from PIVs has long been considered by healthcare personnel to harm the access. In an effort to minimize painful procedures, pediatric nursing staff conducted a prospective, observational study to determine if blood sampling using existing PIVs resulted in the loss of the access. The ability to obtain the sample from the PIV was measured along with patient and PIV characteristics. Specimen collection using 100 existing PIVs was attempted on pediatric inpatients. Each PIV was observed for functionality, infiltration, occlusion, and dislodgement following collection and again in 4h. Frequencies of PIV loss and successful blood sampling were calculated. Patient age, PIV gauge, access site, and PIV age were evaluated for associations with successful sampling using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and logistic regression. PIV survivability was reported at 99%. The ability to obtain a complete specimen was reported at 76% and found to be significantly related to PIV age and site. Size of PIV and patient's age were not significantly related to successful sampling. Encouraging rates of PIV survivability and collectability suggest blood sampling from PIVs to be a valuable technique to minimize painful and distressful procedures. Nursing practice was changed in this pediatric department. Patients and families are saved the pain and distress of venipuncture. Nurses reported saving time and personal distress by avoiding the venipuncture procedure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of pre-existing diabetes mellitus on hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence and prognosis: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan-Shui Yang

Full Text Available The impact of pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC occurrence and prognosis is complex and unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the association between pre-existing diabetes mellitus and hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence and prognosis.We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library from their inception to January, 2011 for prospective epidemiological studies assessing the effect of pre-existing diabetes mellitus on hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence, mortality outcomes, cancer recurrence, and treatment-related complications. Study-specific risk estimates were combined by using fixed effect or random effect models.The database search generated a total of 28 prospective studies that met the inclusion criteria. Among these studies, 14 reported the risk of HCC incidence and 6 studies reported risk of HCC specific mortality. Six studies provided a total of 8 results for all-cause mortality in HCC patients. Four studies documented HCC recurrence risks and 2 studies reported risks for hepatic decomposition occurrence in HCC patients. Meta-analysis indicated that pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM was significantly associated with increased risk of HCC incidence [meta-relative risk (RR = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI: 1.15-2.27] and HCC-specific mortality (meta-RR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.39-2.55 compared with their non-DM counterparts. HCC patients with pre-existing DM had a 38% increased (95% CI: 1.13-1.48 risk of death from all-causes and 91% increased (95%CI: 1.41-2.57 risk of hepatic decomposition occurrence compared to those without DM. In DM patients, the meta-RR for HCC recurrence-free survival was 1.93(95%CI: 1.12-3.33 compared with non-diabetic patients.The findings from the current meta-analysis suggest that DM may be both associated with elevated risks of both HCC incidence and mortality. Furthermore, HCC patients with pre-existing diabetes have a poorer prognosis relative to their

Factors affecting degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) during pre-flotation conditioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caparanga, Alvin R.; Basilia, Blessie A.; Dagbay, Kevin B.; Salvacion, Jonathan W.L.

2009-01-01

In general, plastics are exposed to different degrading agents in every procedure involved in their recovery from waste mixture and from subsequent recycling. In this study, two methods of pre-flotation conditioning were used to determine how these methods affect the general properties of the pre-conditioned PET particles to be recovered from the PET-PVC mixture. The first method comprised the conditioning of PET samples using an alkaline solution of nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) based on the patent by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The second method, developed in this study, was a conditioning process which used an alkali-less solution of the same nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) used in the first method. The following analytical methods were used to characterize properties of the pre-conditioned PET samples that were correlated to relative degradation of the samples: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), for thermal behavior of the samples; FT-IR spectroscopy, for functional groups present in the samples; and, Pohl's method, for carboxyl end-group concentration count. Results show that in addition to water the presence of NaOH in the conditioning solution contributes to the further degradation of the polymer.

Large scale access tests and online interfaces to ATLAS conditions databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amorim, A; Lopes, L; Pereira, P; Simoes, J; Soloviev, I; Burckhart, D; Schmitt, J V D; Caprini, M; Kolos, S

2008-01-01

The access of the ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system to the ATLAS Conditions Databases sets strong reliability and performance requirements on the database storage and access infrastructures. Several applications were developed to support the integration of Conditions database access with the online services in TDAQ, including the interface to the Information Services (IS) and to the TDAQ Configuration Databases. The information storage requirements were the motivation for the ONline A Synchronous Interface to COOL (ONASIC) from the Information Service (IS) to LCG/COOL databases. ONASIC avoids the possible backpressure from Online Database servers by managing a local cache. In parallel, OKS2COOL was developed to store Configuration Databases into an Offline Database with history record. The DBStressor application was developed to test and stress the access to the Conditions database using the LCG/COOL interface while operating in an integrated way as a TDAQ application. The performance scaling of simultaneous Conditions database read accesses was studied in the context of the ATLAS High Level Trigger large computing farms. A large set of tests were performed involving up to 1000 computing nodes that simultaneously accessed the LCG central database server infrastructure at CERN

Influence of pre-cooking protein paste gelation conditions and post-cooking gel storage conditions on gel texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Paker, Ilgin; Matak, Kristen E

2016-01-15

Gelation conditions affect the setting of myofibrillar fish protein gels. Therefore the impact of widely applied pre-cooking gelation time/temperature strategies and post-cooking period on the texture and color of final protein gels was determined. Four pre-cooking gelation strategies (no setting time, 30 min at 25 °C, 1 h at 40 °C or 24 h at 4 °C) were applied to protein pastes (fish protein concentrate and standard functional additives). After cooking, texture and color were analyzed either directly or after 24 h at 4 °C on gels adjusted to 25 °C. No-set gels were harder, gummier and chewier (P cooking. Gel-setting conditions had a greater (P cooking stored gels in texture and color, depending on the pre-cooking gelation strategy. Pre-cooking gelation conditions will affect final protein gel texture and color, with gel stability benefiting from a gel-setting period. However, post-cooking storage may have a greater impact on final gels, with textural attributes becoming more consistent between all samples. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proposed Terminology and Classification of Pre-Malignant Neoplastic Conditions: A Consensus Proposal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Valent

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Cancer evolution is a step-wise non-linear process that may start early in life or later in adulthood, and includes pre-malignant (indolent and malignant phases. Early somatic changes may not be detectable or are found by chance in apparently healthy individuals. The same lesions may be detected in pre-malignant clonal conditions. In some patients, these lesions may never become relevant clinically whereas in others, they act together with additional pro-oncogenic hits and thereby contribute to the formation of an overt malignancy. Although some pre-malignant stages of a malignancy have been characterized, no global system to define and to classify these conditions is available. To discuss open issues related to pre-malignant phases of neoplastic disorders, a working conference was organized in Vienna in August 2015. The outcomes of this conference are summarized herein and include a basic proposal for a nomenclature and classification of pre-malignant conditions. This proposal should assist in the communication among patients, physicians and scientists, which is critical as genome-sequencing will soon be offered widely for early cancer-detection.

Recruitment of pre-existing networks during the evolution of C4 photosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyna-Llorens, Ivan; Hibberd, Julian M

2017-09-26

During C 4 photosynthesis, CO 2 is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO. The net effect is to reduce photorespiration while increasing water and nitrogen use efficiencies. Species that use C 4 photosynthesis have evolved independently from their C 3 ancestors on more than 60 occasions. Along with mimicry and the camera-like eye, the C 4 pathway therefore represents a remarkable example of the repeated evolution of a highly complex trait. In this review, we provide evidence that the polyphyletic evolution of C 4 photosynthesis is built upon pre-existing metabolic and genetic networks. For example, cells around veins of C 3 species show similarities to those of the C 4 bundle sheath in terms of C 4 acid decarboxylase activity and also the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Enzymes of C 4 photosynthesis function together in gluconeogenesis during early seedling growth of C 3 Arabidopsis thaliana Furthermore, multiple C 4 genes appear to be under control of both light and chloroplast signals in the ancestral C 3 state. We, therefore, hypothesize that relatively minor rewiring of pre-existing genetic and metabolic networks has facilitated the recurrent evolution of this trait. Understanding how these changes are likely to have occurred could inform attempts to install C 4 traits into C 3 crops.This article is part of the themed issue 'Enhancing photosynthesis in crop plants: targets for improvement'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Kinetic Dissection of the Pre-existing Conformational Equilibrium in the Trypsin Fold*

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Austin D.; Chakraborty, Pradipta; Di Cera, Enrico

2015-01-01

Structural biology has recently documented the conformational plasticity of the trypsin fold for both the protease and zymogen in terms of a pre-existing equilibrium between closed (E*) and open (E) forms of the active site region. How such plasticity is manifested in solution and affects ligand recognition by the protease and zymogen is poorly understood in quantitative terms. Here we dissect the E*-E equilibrium with stopped-flow kinetics in the presence of excess ligand or macromolecule. Using the clotting protease thrombin and its zymogen precursor prethrombin-2 as relevant models we resolve the relative distribution of the E* and E forms and the underlying kinetic rates for their interconversion. In the case of thrombin, the E* and E forms are distributed in a 1:4 ratio and interconvert on a time scale of 45 ms. In the case of prethrombin-2, the equilibrium is shifted strongly (10:1 ratio) in favor of the closed E* form and unfolds over a faster time scale of 4.5 ms. The distribution of E* and E forms observed for thrombin and prethrombin-2 indicates that zymogen activation is linked to a significant shift in the pre-existing equilibrium between closed and open conformations that facilitates ligand binding to the active site. These findings broaden our mechanistic understanding of how conformational transitions control ligand recognition by thrombin and its zymogen precursor prethrombin-2 and have direct relevance to other members of the trypsin fold. PMID:26216877

Diastolic blood pressure is a potentially modifiable risk factor for preeclampsia in women with pre-existing diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nørgaard, Sidse Kjærhus; Vestgaard, Marianne Jenlev; Jørgensen, Isabella Lindegaard; Ásbjörnsdóttir, Björg; Ringholm, Lene; McIntyre, Harold David; Damm, Peter; Mathiesen, Elisabeth Reinhardt

2018-04-01

To identify early clinical, modifiable risk factors for preeclampsia present at first antenatal visit and assess the prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders in women with pre-existing diabetes treated with tight glycemic and blood pressure (BP) control. A population-based cohort study of 494 women with pre-existing diabetes (307 and 187 women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively), included at their first antenatal visit from 2012 to 2016. The prevalence of chronic hypertension (without diabetic nephropathy or microalbuminuria), gestational hypertension and preeclampsia was recorded. Diabetic microangiopathy included presence of nephropathy, microalbuminuria and/or retinopathy. Treatment target was BP preeclampsia developed in 8% (9% vs. 7%). Presence of diabetic microangiopathy (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 4.35 (confidence interval 2.12-8.93)) and diastolic BP (adjusted OR 1.72 per 10 mmHg (1.05-2.82)) at the first antenatal visit were independent risk factors for preeclampsia. At the first antenatal visit, diastolic BP was the only independent, potentially modifiable risk factor for preeclampsia in women with pre-existing diabetes in the context of tight glycemic and BP control. One out of four women had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nasal delivery of an adenovirus-based vaccine bypasses pre-existing immunity to the vaccine carrier and improves the immune response in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria A Croyle

Full Text Available Pre-existing immunity to human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5 is common in the general population. Bypassing pre-existing immunity could maximize Ad5 vaccine efficacy. Vaccination by the intramuscular (I.M., nasal (I.N. or oral (P.O. route with Ad5 expressing Ebola Zaire glycoprotein (Ad5-ZGP fully protected naïve mice against lethal challenge with Ebola. In the presence of pre-existing immunity, only mice vaccinated I.N. survived. The frequency of IFN-gamma+ CD8+ T cells was reduced by 80% and by 15% in animals vaccinated by the I.M. and P.O. routes respectively. Neutralizing antibodies could not be detected in serum from either treatment group. Pre-existing immunity did not compromise the frequency of IFN-gamma+ CD8+ T cells (3.9+/-1% naïve vs. 3.6+/-1% pre-existing immunity, PEI nor anti-Ebola neutralizing antibody (NAB, 40+/-10 reciprocal dilution, both groups. The number of INF-gamma+ CD8+ cells detected in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BAL after I.N. immunization was not compromised by pre-existing immunity to Ad5 (146+/-14, naïve vs. 120+/-16 SFC/million MNCs, PEI. However, pre-existing immunity reduced NAB levels in BAL by approximately 25% in this group. To improve the immune response after oral vaccination, the Ad5-based vaccine was PEGylated. Mice given the modified vaccine did not survive challenge and had reduced levels of IFN-gamma+ CD8+ T cells 10 days after administration (0.3+/-0.3% PEG vs. 1.7+/-0.5% unmodified. PEGylation did increase NAB levels 2-fold. These results provide some insight about the degree of T and B cell mediated immunity necessary for protection against Ebola virus and suggest that modification of the virus capsid can influence the type of immune response elicited by an Ad5-based vaccine.

Impacts of pre-existing ocean cyclonic circulation on sea surface chlorophyll-a concentrations off northeastern Taiwan following episodic typhoon passages

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Fanghua; Yao, Yuan; Oey, Leo; Lin, Yanluan

2017-08-01

Off northeastern Taiwan, enhancement of sea surface chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration is frequently found after typhoon passages. From 1998 to 2013, 46 typhoon events are analyzed to examine the variations in Chl-a concentration from satellite ocean color data. On average, Chl-a concentration increased by 38% after a typhoon passage. Noticeably, four remarkable Chl-a increases after typhoons coincide with pre-existing oceanic cyclones in the study area. The Chl-a increase is significantly anticorrelated (p typhoons, we conduct a series of numerical experiments to simulate the oceanic response to Typhoon Kaemi (2006) with or without a pre-existing oceanic cyclone, and with or without strong typhoon winds. The results show that the experiment with a pre-existing oceanic cyclone produces the largest upwelling due to cyclone intensification, mainly induced by the positive wind stress curl dipole northeast of Taiwan.

Personnel shift assignment: Existence conditions and network models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Jeroen P.; van den Berg, J.P.; Panton, David M.

1994-01-01

The personnel scheduling problem is known to be a five-stage process in which the final stage involves the assignment of shifts to the days worked in the schedule. This paper discusses the existence conditions for both continuous and forward rotating shift assignments and heuristic network

The pre-existing population of 5S rRNA effects p53 stabilization during ribosome biogenesis inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Onofrillo, Carmine; Galbiati, Alice; Montanaro, Lorenzo; Derenzini, Massimo

2017-01-17

Pre-ribosomal complex RPL5/RPL11/5S rRNA (5S RNP) is considered the central MDM2 inhibitory complex that control p53 stabilization during ribosome biogenesis inhibition. Despite its role is well defined, the dynamic of 5S RNP assembly still requires further characterization. In the present work, we report that MDM2 inhibition is dependent by a pre-existing population of 5S rRNA.

Evaluation of pre-existing antibody presence as a risk factor for posttreatment anti-drug antibody induction: analysis of human clinical study data for multiple biotherapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Li; Rup, Bonita

2013-07-01

Biotherapeutic-reactive antibodies in treatment-naïve subjects (i.e., pre-existing antibodies) have been commonly detected during clinical immunogenicity assessments; however information on pre-existing antibody prevalence, physiological effects, and impact on posttreatment anti-drug antibody (ADA) induction remains limited. In this analysis, pre-existing antibody prevalence and impact on posttreatment ADA induction were determined using ADA data from 12 biotherapeutics analyzed in 32 clinical studies. Approximately half (58%) of the biotherapeutics were associated with some level of pre-existing antibodies and 67% of those were associated with posttreatment ADA induction. Across all studies, 5.6% of study subjects demonstrated presence of pre-existing antibodies, among which, 17% of the individual subjects had posttreatment increases in their ADA titers while 16% had decreased titers and 67% had no change in titers. However, in studies conducted in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population, 14.8% of RA patients were associated with pre-existing antibodies and 30% of those had posttreatment titer increases. The results suggest that in most study subjects, pre-existing antibodies pose a low risk for posttreatment ADA induction. That said, the high risk of induction implicated for RA patients, primarily observed in treatments evaluating novel antibody-based constructs, indicates that further understanding of the contribution of product and disease-specific factors is needed. Cross-industry efforts to collect and analyze a larger data set would enhance understanding of the prevalence, nature, and physiological consequences of pre-existing antibodies, better inform the immunogenicity risk profiles of products associated with these antibodies and lead to better fit-for-purpose immunogenicity management and mitigation strategies.

Material pre-conditioning effects on the creep behaviour of 316H stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehmanparast, A.; Davies, C.M.; Dean, D.W.; Nikbin, K.

2013-01-01

Material pre-conditioning by, for example, pre-strain through component bending and welding is known to alter the creep deformation and creep crack growth (CCG) behaviour of 316H stainless steel. Experimental test data on the creep deformation and crack growth behaviour of 316H weldment compact tension specimens at 550 °C, where the starter defect was introduced into the heat affected zone (HAZ), have been compared to those of obtained from similar specimens manufactured from parent material, which had been subjected to 8% compressive plastic pre-strain at room temperature. Similar degrees of accelerated cracking behaviour compared to parent material, for given values of C*, were exhibited in both 316H HAZ and pre-compressed parent materials. This acceleration has been attributed to the influence of material hardening effects and the reduction of creep ductility in the pre-conditioned materials. These results are discussed in terms of the potential for using material pre-conditioning to assist in predicting the long term cracking behaviour of high temperature 316H stainless steel plant components from shorter term laboratory CCG tests

Proposed Terminology and Classification of Pre-Malignant Neoplastic Conditions: A Consensus Proposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Valent, Peter; Akin, Cem; Arock, Michel; Bock, Christoph; George, Tracy I; Galli, Stephen J; Gotlib, Jason; Haferlach, Torsten; Hoermann, Gregor; Hermine, Olivier; Jäger, Ulrich; Kenner, Lukas; Kreipe, Hans; Majeti, Ravindra; Metcalfe, Dean D; Orfao, Alberto; Reiter, Andreas; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Staber, Philipp B; Sotlar, Karl; Schiffer, Charles; Superti-Furga, Giulio; Horny, Hans-Peter

2017-12-01

Cancer evolution is a step-wise non-linear process that may start early in life or later in adulthood, and includes pre-malignant (indolent) and malignant phases. Early somatic changes may not be detectable or are found by chance in apparently healthy individuals. The same lesions may be detected in pre-malignant clonal conditions. In some patients, these lesions may never become relevant clinically whereas in others, they act together with additional pro-oncogenic hits and thereby contribute to the formation of an overt malignancy. Although some pre-malignant stages of a malignancy have been characterized, no global system to define and to classify these conditions is available. To discuss open issues related to pre-malignant phases of neoplastic disorders, a working conference was organized in Vienna in August 2015. The outcomes of this conference are summarized herein and include a basic proposal for a nomenclature and classification of pre-malignant conditions. This proposal should assist in the communication among patients, physicians and scientists, which is critical as genome-sequencing will soon be offered widely for early cancer-detection. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Connectivity and conditional models of access and abundance of species in stream networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chelgren, Nathan D; Dunham, Jason B

2015-07-01

Barriers to passage of aquatic organisms at stream road crossings are a major cause of habitat fragmentation in stream networks. Accordingly, large investments have been made to restore passage at these crossings, but often without estimation of population-level benefits. Here, we describe a broad-scale approach to quantifying the effectiveness of passage restoration in terms interpretable at population levels, namely numbers of fish and length of stream gained through restoration, by sampling abundance in a study design that accounts for variable biogeographic species pools, variable stream and barrier configurations, and variable probabilities of capture and detectability for multiple species. We modified an existing zero-inflated negative-binomial model to estimate the probability of site access, abundance conditional on access, and capture probability of individual fish. Therein, we modeled probability of access as a function of gradient, stream road-crossing type, and downstream access by fish simultaneously with a predictive model for abundance at sites accessible to fish. Results indicated that replacement of barriers with new crossing designs intended to allow for greater movement was associated with dramatically higher probability of access for all fishes, including migratory Pacific salmon, trout, sculpin, and lamprey. Conversely, existing non-replaced crossings negatively impacted fish distributions. Assuming no downstream constraints on access, we estimated the potential length of stream restored by the program ranged between 7.33 (lamprey) and 15.28 km (small coastal cutthroat and rainbow trout). These contributions represented a fraction of the total length available upstream (187 km) of replaced crossings. When limited ranges of species were considered, the estimated contributions of culvert replacement were reduced (1.65-km range, for longnose dace to 12.31 km for small coastal cutthroat and rainbow trout). Numbers of fish contributed ranged from

Sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement with pre-existing chronic periodontitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaibhavi Joshipura

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Gingival enlargement is a common clinical feature of gingival and periodontal diseases. Currently, more than 20 prescription medications are associated with gingival enlargement. Although the mechanisms of action may be different, the clinical and microscopic appearance of drug-induced gingival enlargement is similar with any drug. Gingival enlargement produces esthetic changes, and clinical symptoms including pain, tenderness, bleeding, speech disturbances, abnormal tooth movement, dental occlusion problems, enhancement of caries development and periodontal disorders. Sodium valproate is considered to produce gingival enlargement, but very rarely. This case report features sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement in a patient with pre-existing chronic periodontitis, who came to the Dental Department, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bangalore. The case is special as the patient did not develop the enlargement in spite of taking phenytoin for 1 year and developed enlargement with sodium valproate within 6 months.

Sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement with pre-existing chronic periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshipura, Vaibhavi

2012-04-01

Gingival enlargement is a common clinical feature of gingival and periodontal diseases. Currently, more than 20 prescription medications are associated with gingival enlargement. Although the mechanisms of action may be different, the clinical and microscopic appearance of drug-induced gingival enlargement is similar with any drug. Gingival enlargement produces esthetic changes, and clinical symptoms including pain, tenderness, bleeding, speech disturbances, abnormal tooth movement, dental occlusion problems, enhancement of caries development and periodontal disorders. Sodium valproate is considered to produce gingival enlargement, but very rarely. This case report features sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement in a patient with pre-existing chronic periodontitis, who came to the Dental Department, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bangalore. The case is special as the patient did not develop the enlargement in spite of taking phenytoin for 1 year and developed enlargement with sodium valproate within 6 months.

Conducting qualitative research in the context of pre-existing peer and collegial relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

McDermid, Fiona; Peters, Kath; Jackson, Debra; Daly, John

2014-05-01

To highlight issues and challenges faced in recruitment and interviewing during a study that sought to explore the transition of nurses into academic life and the associated ethical implications. This paper explores the challenges faced in conducting research where the potential participants are peers and workplace colleagues. There are advantages when conducting research with those among whom a pre-existing relationship is shared. However, difficulties can also arise. A methodological review was undertaken. Key database searches included CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar using the keywords as search terms. Studies were included if they described in detail issues surrounding qualitative interviewing of peers and colleagues. Management of the issues involved is discussed, with emphasis on boundaries, trust and rapport, the use of self-disclosure and maintaining confidentiality. Research involving peers and colleagues has received relatively little consideration in the literature. There are difficulties associated with interviewing participants with whom the researcher has a pre-existing and ongoing relationship in the same organisation. To ensure ethical conduct, strategies can be used to mitigate negative situations such as issues surrounding dual roles, practising reflexivity, trust and rapport, self-disclosure and confidentiality. It is imperative that dual roles are declared and acknowledged. Researchers need to be mindful of the difficulties that may occur and prioritise participants' confidentiality and privacy.

Contrary to Common Observations in the West, Urban Park Access Is Only Weakly Related to Neighborhood Socioeconomic Conditions in Beijing, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingyue Tu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Parks provide critical ecosystem services to urban residents. Park access critically determines how parks are used by residents. Many existing studies, which mostly have been conducted in developed countries, reported that park access disproportionately benefits the socioeconomically advantaged groups. To test if this observation also holds true in developing countries, we examined the park access and its relationship with socioeconomic conditions in Beijing, China. We used a buffering method and a road network-based analysis to calculate the park access of 130 neighborhoods, and applied the Pearson correlation to examine how neighborhood park access is related to socioeconomic conditions. Our results showed that (1 the park access decreased from 76% in the downtown areas to 24% in the suburbs; (2 the correlation coefficients (r between socioeconomic conditions and park access were all smaller than 0.3 (p < 0.05—that is, explaining less than 8% of the variability. Our study indicated that neighborhood socioeconomic conditions were only weakly associated with park access in Beijing and did not support the common phenomenon in western countries. Such a contradiction might be explained by the fact that park planning in Beijing is funded and administered by the city government and influenced by the central government’s policy, whereas in most developed countries market sectors play a critical role in park planning. Our research suggested that urban planning funded by governments, when aimed at improving the wellbeing of all urban residents, may effectively reduce potential environmental inequalities.

Optimization of Saccharification Conditions of Lignocellulosic Biomass under Alkaline Pre-Treatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafał Łukajtis

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Pre-treatment is a significant step in the production of second-generation biofuels from waste lignocellulosic materials. Obtaining biofuels as a result of fermentation processes requires appropriate pre-treatment conditions ensuring the highest possible degree of saccharification of the feed material. An influence of the following process parameters were investigated for alkaline pre-treatment of Salix viminalis L.: catalyst concentration (NaOH, temperature, pre-treatment time and granulation. For this purpose, experiments were carried out in accordance to the Box-Behnken design for four factors. In the saccharification process of the pre-treated biomass, cellulolytic enzymes immobilized on diatomaceous earth were used. Based on the obtained results, a mathematical model for the optimal conditions of alkaline pre-treatment prediction is proposed. The optimal conditions of alkaline pre-treatment are established as follows: granulation 0.75 mm, catalyst concentration 7%, pre-treatment time 6 h and temperature 65 °C if the saccharification efficiency and cost analysis are considered. An influence of the optimized pre-treatment on both the chemical composition and structural changes for six various lignocellulosic materials (energetic willow, energetic poplar, beech, triticale, meadow grass, corncobs was investigated. SEM images of raw and pre-treated biomass samples are included in order to follow the changes in the biomass structure during hydrolysis.

Modifying effects of pre-existing fibrosis in rats exposed to aerosols of {sup 239}PuO{sub 2}. II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundgren, D L; Mauderly, J L; Gillett, N A; Hahn, F F

1988-12-01

We have initiated a study using rats to determine the modifying effects of pre-existing pulmonary fibrosis on the retention and biological effects of inhaled {sup 239}PuO{sub 2}. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by intratracheal instillation of 8.5 IU/kg body weight of bleomycin at 45 to 49 days before inhalation exposure to an aerosol of {sup 239}PuO{sub 2}. The clearance of {sup 239}Pu from the lungs of rats was decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in rats with pre-existing pulmonary fibrosis compared with controls. Respiratory function, lung morphometric measurements and histological evaluations were all consistent with the presence of mild pulmonary fibrosis in the rats treated with bleomycin. Pre-existing pulmonary fibrosis resulted in an increased retention of the initial lung burdens of {sup 239}Pu, apparently by entrapping the particles in fibrotic areas of the lung. The life span of the rats with pulmonary fibrosis was decreased by up to 25% compared with control rats having similar initial lung burdens of {sup 239}Pu. (author)

On the conditions of existence of cold-blanket systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehnert, B.

1977-12-01

An extende analysis of the partially ionized boundary layer of a magnetized plasma has been performed, leading to the following results: (i) In a first approximation the ion density at the inner ''edge'' of the layer becomes related to the wall-near neutral gas density, in a way being independent of the spatial distribution of the ionization rate. (ii) The particle and momentum balance equations, and the associated impermeability condition of the plasma with respect to neutral gas penetration, are not sufficient to specify a cold-blanket state, but have to be combined with considerations of the heat blance. This leads to lower and upper power input limits, thus defining conditions for the existence of a cold-blanket state. At decreasing beta values , or increasing radiation losses, there are situations where such a state cannot exist at all. (iii) It should become possible to fulfill the cold-blanket conditions in full-scale reactors as well as in certain model experiments. Probably these conditions can also be satisfied in large tokamaks like JET, and by fast gas injection in devices such as Alcator, but not in medium-size tokamaks being operated at moderately high ion densities. (iv) A strong ''boundary layer stabilization'' mechanism due to the joint viscosity-resistivity-pressure effects is available under cold-blanket conditions. (author)

P3-24: Pre-Existing Brain States Predict Aesthetic Judgments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Po-Jang Hsieh

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Intuition and an assumption of basic rationality would suggest that people evaluate a stimulus on the basis of its properties and their underlying utility. However, various findings suggest that evaluations often depend not only on the thing evaluated, but also on a variety of contextual factors. Here we demonstrate a further departure from normative decision making: Aesthetic evaluations of abstract fractal art by human subjects were predicted with up to 75% accuracy by their brain states before the stimuli were presented. These predictions were based on cross-validation tests of pre-stimulus patterns of BOLD fMRI signals across a distributed network of regions in the frontal lobes. This predictive power did not simply reflect motor biases in favor of pressing a particular button. Our findings suggest that endogenous neural signals that exist before trial onset can bias people's decisions when evaluating visual stimuli.

Pre-Session Satiation as a Treatment for Stereotypy During Group Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, Mandy; Camargo, Síglia Hoher; Neely, Leslie; Gerow, Stephanie; Lang, Russell; Goodwyn, Fara; Ninci, Jennifer

2014-05-01

Individuals with developmental disabilities may engage in automatically reinforced behaviors that may interfere with learning opportunities. Manipulation of motivating operations has been shown to reduce automatically maintained behavior in some individuals. Considering behavioral indicators of satiation may assist in identifying the point at which an abolishing operation has begun to effect behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-session satiation of automatic reinforcement on subsequent levels of stereotypy and activity engagement during group activities for three males ages 5 to 13 years with developmental disabilities. Following functional analyses with analogue conditions, an alternating treatment design compared a pre-session access to stereotypy condition with a no-pre-session access condition prior to group activity sessions. Results indicated that pre-session satiation of the putative reinforcer produced by stereotypy was effective in decreasing stereotypy and increasing activity engagement during subsequent group activities for all participants. These findings add to the literature supporting the effectiveness of abolishing operations to decrease automatically maintained stereotypy. © The Author(s) 2013.

A JEE RESTful service to access Conditions Data in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00081940; Gallas, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Usage of Conditions Data in ATLAS is extensive for offline reconstruction and analysis (e.g.: alignment, calibration, data quality). The system is based on the LCG Conditions Database infrastructure, with read and write access via an ad hoc C++ API (COOL), a system which was developed before Run 1 data taking began. The infrastructure dictates that the data is organized into separate schemata (assigned to subsystems/groups storing distinct and independent sets of conditions), making it difficult to access information from several schemata at the same time. We have thus created PL/SQL functions containing queries to provide content extraction at multi-schema level. The PL/SQL API has been exposed to external clients by means of a Java application providing DB access via RESTful services, deployed inside an application server (JBoss WildFly). The services allow navigation over multiple schemata via simple URLs. The data can be retrieved either in XML or JSON formats, via simple clients (like curl or Web browser...

A JEE RESTful service to access Conditions Data in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

Formica, Andrea; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

Usage of Conditions Data in ATLAS is extensive for offline reconstruction and analysis (for example: alignment, calibration, data quality). The system is based on the LCG Conditions Database infrastructure, with read and write access via an ad hoc C++ API (COOL), a system which was developed before Run 1 data taking began. The infrastructure dictates that the data is organized into separate schemas (assigned to subsystems/groups storing distinct and independent sets of conditions), making it difficult to access information from several schemas at the same time. We have thus created PL/SQL functions containing queries to provide content extraction at multi-schema level. The PL/SQL API has been exposed to external clients by means of an intermediate java application server (JBoss), where an application delivering access to the DB via RESTful services has been deployed. The services allow navigation over multiple schema content, via simple URLs. The queried data can be retrieved either in XML or JSON formats, vi...

A JEE RESTful service to access Conditions Data in ATLAS

Science.gov (United States)

Formica, Andrea; Gallas, E. J.

2015-12-01

Usage of condition data in ATLAS is extensive for offline reconstruction and analysis (e.g. alignment, calibration, data quality). The system is based on the LCG Conditions Database infrastructure, with read and write access via an ad hoc C++ API (COOL), a system which was developed before Run 1 data taking began. The infrastructure dictates that the data is organized into separate schemas (assigned to subsystems/groups storing distinct and independent sets of conditions), making it difficult to access information from several schemas at the same time. We have thus created PL/SQL functions containing queries to provide content extraction at multi-schema level. The PL/SQL API has been exposed to external clients by means of a Java application providing DB access via REST services, deployed inside an application server (JBoss WildFly). The services allow navigation over multiple schemas via simple URLs. The data can be retrieved either in XML or JSON formats, via simple clients (like curl or Web browsers).

Gene expression analysis to identify molecular correlates of pre- and post-conditioning derived neuroprotection.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Shiv S; Russell, Marsha; Nowakowska, Margeryta; Williams, Andrew; Yauk, Carole

2012-06-01

Mild ischaemic exposures before or after severe injurious ischaemia that elicit neuroprotective responses are referred to as preconditioning and post-conditioning. The corresponding molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection are not completely understood. Identification of the genes and associated pathways of corresponding neuroprotection would provide insight into neuronal survival, potential therapeutic approaches and assessments of therapies for stroke. The objectives of this study were to use global gene expression approach to infer the molecular mechanisms in pre- and post-conditioning-derived neuroprotection in cortical neurons following oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro and then to apply these findings to predict corresponding functional pathways. To this end, microarray analysis was applied to rat cortical neurons with or without the pre- and post-conditioning treatments at 3-h post-reperfusion, and differentially expressed transcripts were subjected to statistical, hierarchical clustering and pathway analyses. The expression patterns of 3,431 genes altered under all conditions of ischaemia (with and without pre- or post-conditioning). We identified 1,595 genes that were commonly regulated within both the pre- and post-conditioning treatments. Cluster analysis revealed that transcription profiles clustered tightly within controls, non-conditioned OGD and neuroprotected groups. Two clusters defining neuroprotective conditions associated with up- and downregulated genes were evident. The five most upregulated genes within the neuroprotective clusters were Tagln, Nes, Ptrf, Vim and Adamts9, and the five most downregulated genes were Slc7a3, Bex1, Brunol4, Nrxn3 and Cpne4. Pathway analysis revealed that the intracellular and second messenger signalling pathways in addition to cell death were predominantly associated with downregulated pre- and post-conditioning associated genes, suggesting that modulation of cell death and signal transduction pathways

Entrance C - Meyrin site: new access conditions

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

Entrance C on the Meyrin site, which drivers of motorised vehicles can use Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., has been altered to include a turnstile to allow cyclists and pedestrians to use their access card to get in and out of the site from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.   The following video illustrates how to use the new turnstile: A new type of entrance gate fitted with a number plate reader similar to that installed at the entrance to the Prévessin site should, once fully tested, allow drivers of motorised vehicles to access the site. For the time being, the conditions of use of Entrance C remain unchanged. Further information on the entry into force of new arrangements will be issued in due course. For further information about CERN entrances: CERN opening hours CERN control access GS Department

Existence condition of the relativistic ion-acoustic soliton in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chian, A.C.-L.

1981-07-01

Stationary solutions which descrite longitudinal waves in a hot ion-electron plasma, taking in account the relativistic effect of the particle dynamics, are investigated. The solution of the problem can be reduced to two equations related with energy-momentum conservation of the system. Particular attention to the existence condition of the solitary wave solution is given. It is shown that the Langmuir mode (Te=Ti) only admits infinite train-like wave solutions, the existence of solitary-like wave solutions being not possible. On the other hand, in the case of hot electrons and cold ions, an appropriate choice of the boundary conditions produces localized wave solutions, which describe relativistic ion-acoustic solitons. (L.C.) [pt

Phenotypic T cell exhaustion in a murine model of bacterial infection in the setting of pre-existing malignancy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohit Mittal

Full Text Available While much of cancer immunology research has focused on anti-tumor immunity both systemically and within the tumor microenvironment, little is known about the impact of pre-existing malignancy on pathogen-specific immune responses. Here, we sought to characterize the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell response following a bacterial infection in the setting of pre-existing pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Mice with established subcutaneous pancreatic adenocarcinomas were infected with Listeria monocytogenes, and antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses were compared to those in control mice without cancer. While the kinetics and magnitude of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell expansion and accumulation was comparable between the cancer and non-cancer groups, bacterial antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and total CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in cancer mice exhibited increased expression of the coinhibitory receptors BTLA, PD-1, and 2B4. Furthermore, increased inhibitory receptor expression was associated with reduced IFN-γ and increased IL-2 production by bacterial antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the cancer group. Taken together, these data suggest that cancer's immune suppressive effects are not limited to the tumor microenvironment, but that pre-existing malignancy induces phenotypic exhaustion in T cells by increasing expression of coinhibitory receptors and may impair pathogen-specific CD8+ T cell functionality and differentiation.

Towards the Automatic Detection of Pre-Existing Termite Mounds through UAS and Hyperspectral Imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandino, Juan; Wooler, Adam; Gonzalez, Felipe

2017-09-24

The increased technological developments in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) combined with artificial intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) approaches have opened the possibility of remote sensing of extensive areas of arid lands. In this paper, a novel approach towards the detection of termite mounds with the use of a UAV, hyperspectral imagery, ML and digital image processing is intended. A new pipeline process is proposed to detect termite mounds automatically and to reduce, consequently, detection times. For the classification stage, several ML classification algorithms' outcomes were studied, selecting support vector machines as the best approach for their role in image classification of pre-existing termite mounds. Various test conditions were applied to the proposed algorithm, obtaining an overall accuracy of 68%. Images with satisfactory mound detection proved that the method is "resolution-dependent". These mounds were detected regardless of their rotation and position in the aerial image. However, image distortion reduced the number of detected mounds due to the inclusion of a shape analysis method in the object detection phase, and image resolution is still determinant to obtain accurate results. Hyperspectral imagery demonstrated better capabilities to classify a huge set of materials than implementing traditional segmentation methods on RGB images only.

Behavior of pre-irradiated fuel under a simulated RIA condition. Results of NSRR Test JM-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuketa, Toyoshi; Sasajima, Hideo; Mori, Yukihide; Tanzawa, Sadamitsu; Ishijima, Kiyomi; Kobayashi, Shinsho; Kamata, Hiroshi; Homma, Kozo; Sakai, Haruyuki.

1995-11-01

This report presents results from the power burst experiment with pre-irradiated fuel rod, Test JM-5, conducted in the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR). The data concerning test method, pre-irradiation, pre-pulse fuel examination, pulse irradiation, transient records and post-pulse fuel examination are described, and interpretations and discussions of the results are presented. Preceding to the pulse irradiation in the NSRR, test fuel rod was irradiated in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) up to a fuel burnup of 25.7 MWd/kgU with average linear heat rate of 33.4 kW/m. The fuel rod was subjected to the pulse irradiation resulting in a desposited energy of 223 ± 7 cal/g·fuel (0.93 ± 0.03 kJ/g·fuel) and a peak fuel enthalpy of 167 ± 5 cal/g·fuel (0.70 ± 0.02 kJ/g·fuel) under stagnant water cooling condition at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. Test fuel rod behavior was assessed from pre- and post-pulse fuel examinations and transient records during the pulse. The Test JM-5 resulted in cladding failure. More than twenty small cracks were found in the post-test cladding, and most of the defects located in pre-existing locally hydrided region. The result indicates an occurrence of fuel failure by PCMI (pellet/cladding mechanical interaction) in combination with decreased integrity of hydrided cladding. (author)

Effect of pre-existing shear bands on the tensile mechanical properties of a bulk metallic glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Q.P.; Liu, J.W.; Yang, K.J.; Xu, F.; Yao, Z.Q.; Minkow, A.; Fecht, H.J.; Ivanisenko, J.; Chen, L.Y.; Wang, X.D.; Qu, S.X.; Jiang, J.Z.

2010-01-01

Bulk Zr 64.13 Cu 15.75 Ni 10.12 Al 10 metallic glass has been rolled at room temperature in two different directions, and the dependences of microstructure and tensile mechanical property on the degree of deformation and rolling directions have been investigated. No deformation-induced crystallization occurs except for shear bands. Shear band formation in conjugated directions is achieved in the specimen rolled in two directions, while rolling in one direction induces shear band formation only in a single direction. Pre-existing properly spaced soft inhomogeneities can stabilize shear bands and lead to tensile plastic strain, and the efficient intersection of shear bands in conjugated directions results in work-hardening behavior, which is further confirmed by in situ tensile scanning electron microscopic observation. Based on the experimental results obtained in two different specimen geometries and finite element analysis, it is deduced that a normal-stress-modified maximum shear stress criterion rather than a shear plane criterion can describe the conditions for the formation of shear bands in uniaxial tension.

Understanding the political economy and key drivers of energy access in addressing national energy access priorities and policies: African Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khennas, Smail

2012-01-01

This paper is focused on the key drivers of energy access in North and sub-Saharan Africa which are characterized by huge discrepancies in terms of energy access to modern forms of energy. The paper points out that long term development strategies and large programmes with significant financial resources are essential to achieving substantial results in terms of energy access. The paper argues that building up the energy infrastructure (power plants, grid interconnections and small-scale decentralized energy options in rural areas.) is a pre-condition for economic growth and ultimately for energy access. It underlines that historically there is a trend towards more efficient, convenient and cost effective forms of energy. Low carbon path and above all renewable will therefore play an increasing role in the energy mix in the next couple of decades. Manufacturing of capital goods for the renewable energy industry in Africa will be a key challenge to achieving energy security economic growth and energy access. - Highlights: ► Sharp differences of energy access situation and approaches between North and Sub Saharan Africa. ► Energy infrastructure is a pre-condition to economic growth and energy access. ► Interconnections and small-scale decentralized energy schemes are a good mechanism to increasing energy access. ► However interconnections will only contribute marginally to the urban-rural energy divide. ► Manufacturing of capital goods is a key challenge to economic development.

Enhanced Eyeblink Conditioning in Behaviorally Inhibited Individuals is Disrupted by Proactive Interference Following US Alone Pre-exposures.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Michael Todd; Miller, Daniel P

2016-01-01

Anxiety vulnerable individuals exhibit enhanced acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks as well as enhanced proactive interference from conditioned stimulus (CS) or unconditioned stimulus (US) alone pre-exposures (Holloway et al., 2012). US alone pre-exposures disrupt subsequent conditioned response (CR) acquisition to CS-US paired trials as compared to context pre-exposure controls. While Holloway et al. (2012) reported enhanced acquisition in high trait anxiety individuals in the context condition, anxiety vulnerability effects were not reported for the US alone pre-exposure group. It appears from the published data that there were no differences between high and low anxiety individuals in the US alone condition. In the work reported here, we sought to extend the findings of enhanced proactive interference with US alone pre-exposures to determine if the enhanced conditioning was disrupted by proactive interference procedures. We also were interested in the spontaneous eyeblinks during the pre-exposure phase of training. We categorized individuals as anxiety vulnerability or non-vulnerable individuals based scores on the Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (AMBI). Sixty-six participants received 60 trials consisting of 30 US alone or context alone pre-exposures followed by 30 CS-US trials. US alone pre-exposures not only disrupted CR acquisition overall, but behaviorally inhibited (BI) individuals exhibited enhanced proactive interference as compared to non-inhibited (NI) individuals. In addition, US alone pre-exposures disrupted the enhanced acquisition observed in BI individuals as compared to NI individuals following context alone pre-exposures. Differences were also found in rates of spontaneous eyeblinks between BI and NI individuals during context pre-exposure. Our findings will be discussed in the light of the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning as well as possible factors such as hypervigilance in the amygdala and hippocampal systems, and possible

Techniques of monitoring blood glucose during pregnancy for women with pre-existing diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moy, Foong Ming; Ray, Amita; Buckley, Brian S; West, Helen M

2017-06-11

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is recommended as a key component of the management plan for diabetes therapy during pregnancy. No existing systematic reviews consider the benefits/effectiveness of various techniques of blood glucose monitoring on maternal and infant outcomes among pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes. The effectiveness of the various monitoring techniques is unclear. To compare techniques of blood glucose monitoring and their impact on maternal and infant outcomes among pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 November 2016), searched reference lists of retrieved studies and contacted trial authors. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing techniques of blood glucose monitoring including SMBG, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) or clinic monitoring among pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2). Trials investigating timing and frequency of monitoring were also included. RCTs using a cluster-randomised design were eligible for inclusion but none were identified. Two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Data were checked for accuracy. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. This review update includes at total of 10 trials (538) women (468 women with type 1 diabetes and 70 women with type 2 diabetes). The trials took place in Europe and the USA. Five of the 10 included studies were at moderate risk of bias, four studies were at low to moderate risk of bias, and one study was at high risk of bias. The trials are too small to show differences in important outcomes such as macrosomia, preterm birth, miscarriage or death of baby. Almost all the reported GRADE outcomes were assessed as being very low-quality evidence. This was due to design limitations in the studies, wide confidence intervals, small

The Existing Regulatory Conditions for 'Energy Smart Water Utilities'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basse, Ellen Margrethe

2014-01-01

This chapter is focused on the legal conditions that exist for the energy–smart water utilities in the European Union (EU). In section 2 the interdependencies of water and energy services and the growing interest in solving these problems that may arise from this interdependence by regulatory ini...... legal design and the problems that it causes for the water utilities that want to be resource–efficient and have a low–carbon footprint.......This chapter is focused on the legal conditions that exist for the energy–smart water utilities in the European Union (EU). In section 2 the interdependencies of water and energy services and the growing interest in solving these problems that may arise from this interdependence by regulatory...... initiatives are shortly described. One of the solutions needed is a reduction of energy use in the water utilities by their utilisation of renewable sources – acting as energy–smart water utilities. Such utilities are described in section 3. The policy and law regulating the water utilities are important...

Deterioration of pre-existing hemiparesis due to injury of the ipsilateral anterior corticospinal tract.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Sung Ho; Kwon, Hyeok Gyu

2013-05-29

The anterior corticospinal tract (CST) has been suggested as one of the ipsilateral motor pathways, which contribute to motor recovery following stroke. In this study, we report on a patient who showed deterioration of pre-existing hemiparesis due to an injury of the ipsilateral anterior CST following a pontine infarct, as evaluated by diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). A 55-year-old male patient showed quadriparesis after the onset of an infarct in the right pontine basis. He had history of an infarct in the left middle cerebral artery territory 7 years ago. Consequently, he showed right hemiparesis before onset of the right pontine infarct. Following this, his right hemiparesis deteriorated whereas his left hemiparesis newly developed. The DTTs for whole CST of the right hemisphere in the patient and both hemispheres in control subjects descended through the known CST pathway. By contrast, the DTT for the left whole CST of the patient showed a complete injury finding. The DTTs for the anterior CST of control subjects passed through the known pathway of the CST from cerebral cortex to medulla and terminated in the anterior funiculus of the upper cervical cord. However, the DTT for right anterior CST in the patient showed discontinuation below the right pontine infarct. It appeared that the deterioration of the pre-existing right hemiparesis was ascribed to an injury of the right anterior CST due to the right pontine infarct.

The Human Right to Access Electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tully, Stephen

2006-04-15

Electricity access is already well established within the framework of human rights, either as an implicit attribute of a pre-existing right (such as non-discrimination or sustainable development) or explicitly in the context of eliminating discrimination against women. There is also broad acknowledgement by states of the desirability of eliminating energy poverty - for all, but particularly for the rural poor, and women. (author)

Building America Case Study: Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level, Cold-Climate Home, Westport, Connecticut; Whole-House Solutions for Existing Homes, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-08-01

??National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR(R) and numerous other utility air sealing programs have brought awareness to homeowners of the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits. Yet, these programs tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit: air-sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switch to efficient lighting, and low-flow fixtures. At the other end of the spectrum, deep-energy retrofit programs are also being encouraged by various utilities across the country. While deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy usage in existing homes lies between the low hanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches - retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy over the existing conditions. A key is to be non-intrusive with the efficiency measures so the retrofit projects can be accomplished in occupied homes. This cold climate retrofit project involved the design and optimization of a home in Connecticut that sought to improve energy savings by at least 30% (excluding solar PV) over the existing home's performance. This report documents the successful implementation of a cost-effective solution package that achieved performance greater than 30% over the pre-retrofit - what worked, what did not, and what improvements could be made. Confirmation of successfully achieving 30% source energy savings over the pre-existing conditions was confirmed through energy modeling and comparison of the utility bills pre- and post- retrofit.

Percutaneous trans-papillary elimination of common bile duct stones using an existing gallbladder drain for access.

Science.gov (United States)

Atar, Eli; Neiman, Chaim; Ram, Eduard; Almog, Mazal; Gadiel, Itai; Belenky, Alexander

2012-06-01

The presence of stones in the common bile duct (CBD) may cause complications such as obstructing jaundice or ascending cholangitis, and the stones should be removed. To assess the efficacy of percutaneous elimination of CBD stones from the gallbladder through the papilla. During a 4 year period, six patients (five men and one woman, mean age 71.5 years) who had CBD stones and an existing gallbladder drain underwent percutaneous stone push into the duodenum after balloon dilatation of the papilla, with a diameter equal to that of the largest stone. Access into the CBD was from the gallbladder, using an already existing percutaneous gallbladder drain (cholecystostomy tube). Each patient had one to three CBD stones measuring 7-14 mm. Successful CBD stone elimination into the duodenum was achieved in five of the six patients. The single failure occurred in a patient with choledochal diverticulum, who was operated successfully. There were no major or minor complications during or after the procedures. Trans-cholecystic CBD stone elimination is a safe and feasible percutaneous technique that utilizes existing tracts, thus obviating the need to create new percutaneous access. This procedure can replace endoscopic or surgical CBD exploration.

Existence of weak solutions to first-order stationary mean-field games with Dirichlet conditions

KAUST Repository

Ferreira, Rita; Gomes, Diogo A.; Tada, Teruo

2018-01-01

In this paper, we study first-order stationary monotone mean-field games (MFGs) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. While for Hamilton--Jacobi equations Dirichlet conditions may not be satisfied, here, we establish the existence of solutions of MFGs that satisfy those conditions. To construct these solutions, we introduce a monotone regularized problem. Applying Schaefer's fixed-point theorem and using the monotonicity of the MFG, we verify that there exists a unique weak solution to the regularized problem. Finally, we take the limit of the solutions of the regularized problem and using Minty's method, we show the existence of weak solutions to the original MFG.

Does pre-exposure to warming conditions increase Mytilus galloprovincialis tolerance to Hg contamination?

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Rosa; Coppola, Francesca; Henriques, Bruno; Wrona, Fredrick; Figueira, Etelvina; Pereira, Eduarda; Soares, Amadeu M V M

2017-12-01

The degree to which marine invertebrate populations can tolerate extreme weather events, such as short-term exposure to high temperatures, and the underlying biochemical response mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Furthermore, scarce information is available on how marine organisms respond to the presence of pollutants after exposure to heat stress conditions. Therefore, the present study aimed to understand how the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis responds to Hg pollution after pre-exposure to warming conditions. Mussels were exposed to control (17°C) and warming (21°C) conditions during 14days, followed by Hg contamination during 28days under different temperature regimes (17 and 21°C). The results obtained demonstrated significantly higher Hg concentrations in mussels under 17°C during the entire experiment than in organisms exposed to 21°C during the same period, which resulted in higher oxidative stress in mussels under control temperature. Significantly higher Hg concentrations were also observed in mussels pre-exposed to 21°C followed by a 17°C exposure comparing with organisms maintained the entire experiment at 21°C. These results may be explained by higher metabolic capacity in organisms exposed to 17°C after pre-exposure to 21°C that although induced antioxidant defences were not enough to prevent oxidative stress. No significant differences in terms of Hg concentration were found between mussels exposed to 17°C during the entire experiment and organisms pre-exposed to 21°C followed by a 17°C exposure, leading to similar oxidative stress levels in mussels exposed to both conditions. Therefore, our findings demonstrated that pre-exposure to warming conditions did not change mussels' accumulation and tolerance to Hg in comparison to Hg contaminated mussels maintained at control temperature. Furthermore, the present study indicate that organisms maintained under warming conditions for long periods may prevent the accumulation of

Pre-existing hypertension dominates γδT cell reduction in human ischemic stroke.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mateusz G Adamski

Full Text Available T lymphocytes may play an important role in the evolution of ischemic stroke. Depletion of γδT cells has been found to abrogate ischemia reperfusion injury in murine stroke. However, the role of γδT cells in human ischemic stroke is unknown. We aimed to determine γδT cell counts and γδT cell interleukin 17A (IL-17A production in the clinical setting of ischemic stroke. We also aimed to determine the associations of γδT cell counts with ischemic lesion volume, measures of clinical severity and with major stroke risk factors. Peripheral blood samples from 43 acute ischemic stroke patients and 26 control subjects matched on race and gender were used for flow cytometry and complete blood count analyses. Subsequently, cytokine levels and gene expression were measured in γδT cells. The number of circulating γδT cells was decreased by almost 50% (p = 0.005 in the stroke patients. γδT cell counts did not correlate with lesion volume on magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging or with clinical severity in the stroke patients, but γδT cells showed elevated levels of IL-17A (p = 0.048. Decreased γδT cell counts were also associated with older age (p = 0.004, pre-existing hypertension (p = 0.0005 and prevalent coronary artery disease (p = 0.03, with pre-existing hypertension being the most significant predictor of γδT cell counts in a multivariable analysis. γδT cells in human ischemic stroke are reduced in number and show elevated levels of IL-17A. A major reduction in γδT lymphocytes also occurs in hypertension and may contribute to the development of hypertension-mediated stroke and vascular disease.

14 CFR 1251.301 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Existing facilities. 1251.301 Section 1251... HANDICAP Accessibility § 1251.301 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate each... existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. (b...

Existence of weak solutions to first-order stationary mean-field games with Dirichlet conditions

KAUST Repository

Ferreira, Rita

2018-04-19

In this paper, we study first-order stationary monotone mean-field games (MFGs) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. While for Hamilton--Jacobi equations Dirichlet conditions may not be satisfied, here, we establish the existence of solutions of MFGs that satisfy those conditions. To construct these solutions, we introduce a monotone regularized problem. Applying Schaefer\\'s fixed-point theorem and using the monotonicity of the MFG, we verify that there exists a unique weak solution to the regularized problem. Finally, we take the limit of the solutions of the regularized problem and using Minty\\'s method, we show the existence of weak solutions to the original MFG.

External access to ALICE controls conditions data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jadlovský, J; Jadlovská, A; Sarnovský, J; Jajčišin, Š; Čopík, M; Jadlovská, S; Papcun, P; Bielek, R; Čerkala, J; Kopčík, M; Chochula, P; Augustinus, A

2014-01-01

ALICE Controls data produced by commercial SCADA system WINCCOA is stored in ORACLE database on the private experiment network. The SCADA system allows for basic access and processing of the historical data. More advanced analysis requires tools like ROOT and needs therefore a separate access method to the archives. The present scenario expects that detector experts create simple WINCCOA scripts, which retrieves and stores data in a form usable for further studies. This relatively simple procedure generates a lot of administrative overhead – users have to request the data, experts needed to run the script, the results have to be exported outside of the experiment network. The new mechanism profits from database replica, which is running on the CERN campus network. Access to this database is not restricted and there is no risk of generating a heavy load affecting the operation of the experiment. The developed tools presented in this paper allow for access to this data. The users can use web-based tools to generate the requests, consisting of the data identifiers and period of time of interest. The administrators maintain full control over the data – an authorization and authentication mechanism helps to assign privileges to selected users and restrict access to certain groups of data. Advanced caching mechanism allows the user to profit from the presence of already processed data sets. This feature significantly reduces the time required for debugging as the retrieval of raw data can last tens of minutes. A highly configurable client allows for information retrieval bypassing the interactive interface. This method is for example used by ALICE Offline to extract operational conditions after a run is completed. Last but not least, the software can be easily adopted to any underlying database structure and is therefore not limited to WINCCOA.

45 CFR 1170.32 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Existing facilities. 1170.32 Section 1170.32... ASSISTED PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES Accessibility § 1170.32 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient... require a recipient to make each of its existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and...

45 CFR 605.22 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Existing facilities. 605.22 Section 605.22 Public... Accessibility § 605.22 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate each program or... existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and usable by qualified handicapped persons...

Pre-existing weakness is critical for the occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in mice of the same age.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujie Tang

Full Text Available Occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD is age-dependent and heterogenous. Factors deciding the occurrence of POCD in patients of the same age undergone same surgeries remain unclear. Here we investigated the effects of pre-existing weakness on the occurrence of POCD in mice of the same age. Pre-existing weakness of mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (8mg/kg and was evaluated by physical frailty index (by open field test, neuroinflammation level (by Iba1 immunostaining and inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β, and neuronal activity (by p-CREB immunostaining. POCD was induced by partial hepatolobectomy and was evaluated by puzzle box test and Morris water maze test. The brains were collected to detect the levels of neuroinflammation, synaptophysin and NMDA receptor subunits NR2A, NR2B and NR1 (by western blot, and oxidative stress (by Dihydroethidium. Compared to the normal adult mice of the same age, LPS pretreated mice had increased physical frailty index, higher levels of neuroinflammation, and lower neuronal activity. Partial hepatolobectomy induced obvious impairments in executive function, learning and memory in LPS pretreated mice after surgery, but not in normal mice of the same age. Partial hepatolobectomy also induced heightened neuroinflammation, obvious loss of NMDA receptor subunits, strong oxidative stress in LPS pretreated mice on the 1st and 3rd postoperative day. However, the POCD-associated pathological changes didn't occur in normal mice of the same age after surgery. These results suggest that pre-existing weakness is critical for the occurrence of POCD in mice of the same age.

Exact solutions for shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yuan; Zhang Shuangnan

2009-01-01

The gravitational collapse of a star is an important issue both for general relativity and astrophysics, which is related to the well-known 'frozen star' paradox. This paradox has been discussed intensively and seems to have been solved in the comoving-like coordinates. However, to a real astrophysical observer within a finite time, this problem should be discussed in the point of view of the distant rest-observer, which is the main purpose of this Letter. Following the seminal work of Oppenheimer and Snyder (1939), we present the exact solution for one or two dust shells collapsing towards a pre-existing black hole. We find that the metric of the inner region of the shell is time-dependent and the clock inside the shell becomes slower as the shell collapses towards the pre-existing black hole. This means the inner region of the shell is influenced by the property of the shell, which is contrary to the result in Newtonian theory. It does not contradict the Birkhoff's theorem, since in our case we cannot arbitrarily select the clock inside the shell in order to ensure the continuity of the metric. This result in principle may be tested experimentally if a beam of light travels across the shell, which will take a longer time than without the shell. It can be considered as the generalized Shapiro effect, because this effect is due to the mass outside, but not inside as the case of the standard Shapiro effect. We also found that in real astrophysical settings matter can indeed cross a black hole's horizon according to the clock of an external observer and will not accumulate around the event horizon of a black hole, i.e., no 'frozen star' is formed for an external observer as matter falls towards a black hole. Therefore, we predict that only gravitational wave radiation can be produced in the final stage of the merging process of two coalescing black holes. Our results also indicate that for the clock of an external observer, matter, after crossing the event horizon

Enhanced eyeblink conditioning in behaviorally inhibited individuals is disrupted by proactive interference following US alone pre-exposures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Todd Allen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Anxiety vulnerable individuals exhibit enhanced acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks as well as enhanced proactive interference from CS or US alone pre-exposures (Holloway et al., 2012. US alone pre-exposures disrupt subsequent CR acquisition to CS-US paired trials as compared to context pre-exposure controls. While Holloway et al., (2012 reported enhanced acquisition in high trait anxiety individuals in the context condition, anxiety vulnerability effects were not reported for the US alone pre-exposure group. It appears from the published data that there were no differences between high and low anxiety individuals in the US alone condition. In the work reported here, we sought to extend the findings of enhanced proactive interference with US alone pre-exposures to determine if the enhanced conditioning was disrupted by proactive interference procedures. We also were interested in the spontaneous eyeblinks during the pre-exposure phase of training. We categorized individuals as anxiety vulnerability or non-vulnerable individuals based scores on the Adult Measure of Behavioural Inhibition (AMBI. Sixty six participants received 60 trials consisting of 30 US alone or context alone pre-exposures followed by 30 CS-US trials. US alone pre-exposures not only disrupted CR acquisition overall, but behaviorally inhibited (BI individuals exhibited enhanced proactive interference as compared to non-inhibited (NI individuals. In addition, US alone pre-exposures disrupted the enhanced acquisition observed in BI individuals as compared to NI individuals following context alone pre-exposures. Differences were also found in rates of spontaneous eyeblinks between BI and NI individuals during context pre-exposure. Our findings will be discussed in the light of the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning as well as possible factors such as hypervigilance in the amygdala and hippocampal systems, and possible learned helplessness. Applications of these findings of

Pre-existing diabetes mellitus and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahabi Hayfaa A

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pregnancies complicated by pre-existing diabetes mellitus (PDM are associated with a high rate of adverse outcomes, including an increased miscarriage rate, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, perinatal mortality and congenital malformations; compared to the background population. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of PDM and to investigate the maternal and the neonatal outcomes of women with PDM. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study for women who delivered in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH during the period of January 1st to the 31st of December 2008. The pregnancy outcomes of the women with PDM were compared to the outcomes of all non-diabetic women who delivered during the same study period. Results A total of 3157 deliveries met the inclusion criteria. Out of the study population 116 (3.7% women had PDM. There were 66 (57% women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and 50 (43% women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Compared to non-diabetic women those with PDM were significantly older, of higher parity, and they had more previous miscarriages. Women with PDM were more likely to be delivered by emergency cesarean section (C/S, OR 2.67, 95% confidence intervals (CI (1.63-4.32, P P P P = 0.002. They more frequently have APGAR scores P 0.057 and more likely to be delivered at P 0.003. The stillbirth rate was 2.6 times more among the women with PDM; however the difference did not reach statistical significance, P 0.084. Conclusion PDM is associated with increased risk for C/S delivery, macrosomia, stillbirth, preterm delivery and low APGAR scores at 5 min.

The interaction of de novo and pre-existing aortic regurgitation after TAVI: insights from a new quantitative aortographic technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tateishi, Hiroki; Abdelghani, Mohammad; Cavalcante, Rafael; Miyazaki, Yosuke; Campos, Carlos M.; Collet, Carlos; Slots, Tristan L. B.; Leite, Rogério S.; Mangione, José A.; Abizaid, Alexandre; Soliman, Osama I. I.; Spitzer, Ernest; Onuma, Yoshinobu; Serruys, Patrick W.; Lemos, Pedro A.; de Brito, Fabio S.

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intermediate-term clinical impact of aortic regurgitation (AR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using a novel quantitative angiographic method taking into account the influence of pre-existing AR. AR after TAVI was quantified in 338

Adaptive Finite Element-Discrete Element Analysis for Microseismic Modelling of Hydraulic Fracture Propagation of Perforation in Horizontal Well considering Pre-Existing Fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongliang Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Hydrofracturing technology of perforated horizontal well has been widely used to stimulate the tight hydrocarbon reservoirs for gas production. To predict the hydraulic fracture propagation, the microseismicity can be used to infer hydraulic fractures state; by the effective numerical methods, microseismic events can be addressed from changes of the computed stresses. In numerical models, due to the challenges in accurately representing the complex structure of naturally fractured reservoir, the interaction between hydraulic and pre-existing fractures has not yet been considered and handled satisfactorily. To overcome these challenges, the adaptive finite element-discrete element method is used to refine mesh, effectively identify the fractures propagation, and investigate microseismic modelling. Numerical models are composed of hydraulic fractures, pre-existing fractures, and microscale pores, and the seepage analysis based on the Darcy’s law is used to determine fluid flow; then moment tensors in microseismicity are computed based on the computed stresses. Unfractured and naturally fractured models are compared to assess the influences of pre-existing fractures on hydrofracturing. The damaged and contact slip events were detected by the magnitudes, B-values, Hudson source type plots, and focal spheres.

New-onset vitiligo and progression of pre-existing vitiligo during treatment with biological agents in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Méry-Bossard, L; Bagny, K; Chaby, G; Khemis, A; Maccari, F; Marotte, H; Perrot, J L; Reguiai, Z; Sigal, M L; Avenel-Audran, M; Boyé, T; Grasland, A; Gillard, J; Jullien, D; Toussirot, E

2017-01-01

The development of vitiligo during treatment with biological agents is an unusual event and only a few isolated cases have been reported. To describe the clinical characteristics and evolution of patients developing new-onset vitiligo following initiation of a biological agent for chronic inflammatory disease; and also to report the clinical course of pre-existing vitiligo under biological therapy. This nationwide multicentre, retrospective study, carried out between July 2013 and January 2015, describes the characteristics of a large series of 18 patients (psoriasis N = 8, inflammatory rheumatic diseases N = 8, ulcerative colitis N = 1, uveitis N = 1) who developed new-onset vitiligo while receiving a biological agent. TNFα inhibitors were the most common biological agent involved (13/18) while anti-IL-12/23 and anti-IL-17 agents or abatacept were less common (4/18 and 1/18 respectively). Mean duration of biological agent exposure before vitiligo onset was 13.9 ± 16.5 months. Outcome was favourable for most patients (15/17) while maintaining the biological agent. Data were also collected for 18 patients (psoriasis N = 5, inflammatory rheumatic diseases N = 10, inflammatory bowel diseases N = 2, SAPHO N = 1) who had pre-existing vitiligo when treatment with a biological agent started (TNFα inhibitors N = 15, ustekinumab N = 1, rituximab N = 1, tocilizumab N = 1). Vitiligo progressed in seven patients and was stable or improved in eight cases. Vitiligo may thus emerge and/or progress during treatment with various biological agents, mainly TNFα inhibitors and could be a new paradoxical skin reaction. De novo vitiligo displays a favourable outcome when maintaining the biological agent, whereas the prognosis seems worse in cases of pre-existing vitiligo. © 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Pre-existing malignancy results in increased prevalence of distinct populations of CD4+ T cells during sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jianfeng; Robertson, Jennifer M; Chen, Ching-Wen; Zhang, Wenxiao; Coopersmith, Craig M; Ford, Mandy L

2018-01-01

The presence of pre-existing malignancy in murine hosts results in increased immune dysregulation and risk of mortality following a septic insult. Based on the known systemic immunologic changes that occur in cancer hosts, we hypothesized that the presence of pre-existing malignancy would result in phenotypic and functional changes in CD4+ T cell responses following sepsis. In order to conduct a non-biased, unsupervised analysis of phenotypic differences between CD4+ T cell compartments, cohorts of mice were injected with LLC1 tumor cells and tumors were allowed to grow for 3 weeks. These cancer hosts and age-matched non-cancer controls were then subjected to CLP. Splenocytes were harvested at 24h post CLP and flow cytometry and SPADE (Spanning-tree Progression Analysis of Density-normalized Events) were used to analyze populations of CD4+ cells most different between the two groups. Results indicated that relative to non-cancer controls, cancer mice contained more resting memory CD4+ T cells, more activated CD4+ effectors, and fewer naïve CD4+ T cells during sepsis, suggesting that the CD4+ T cell compartment in cancer septic hosts is one of increased activation and differentiation. Moreover, cancer septic animals exhibited expansion of two distinct subsets of CD4+ T cells relative to previously healthy septic controls. Specifically, we identified increases in both a PD-1hi population and a distinct 2B4hi BTLAhi LAG-3hi population in cancer septic animals. By combining phenotypic analysis of exhaustion markers with functional analysis of cytokine production, we found that PD-1+ CD4+ cells in cancer hosts failed to make any cytokines following CLP, while the 2B4+ PD-1lo cells in cancer mice secreted increased TNF during sepsis. In sum, the immunophenotypic landscape of cancer septic animals is characterized by both increased CD4+ T cell activation and exhaustion, findings that may underlie the observed increased mortality in mice with pre-existing malignancy

Pre-existing malignancy results in increased prevalence of distinct populations of CD4+ T cells during sepsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianfeng Xie

Full Text Available The presence of pre-existing malignancy in murine hosts results in increased immune dysregulation and risk of mortality following a septic insult. Based on the known systemic immunologic changes that occur in cancer hosts, we hypothesized that the presence of pre-existing malignancy would result in phenotypic and functional changes in CD4+ T cell responses following sepsis. In order to conduct a non-biased, unsupervised analysis of phenotypic differences between CD4+ T cell compartments, cohorts of mice were injected with LLC1 tumor cells and tumors were allowed to grow for 3 weeks. These cancer hosts and age-matched non-cancer controls were then subjected to CLP. Splenocytes were harvested at 24h post CLP and flow cytometry and SPADE (Spanning-tree Progression Analysis of Density-normalized Events were used to analyze populations of CD4+ cells most different between the two groups. Results indicated that relative to non-cancer controls, cancer mice contained more resting memory CD4+ T cells, more activated CD4+ effectors, and fewer naïve CD4+ T cells during sepsis, suggesting that the CD4+ T cell compartment in cancer septic hosts is one of increased activation and differentiation. Moreover, cancer septic animals exhibited expansion of two distinct subsets of CD4+ T cells relative to previously healthy septic controls. Specifically, we identified increases in both a PD-1hi population and a distinct 2B4hi BTLAhi LAG-3hi population in cancer septic animals. By combining phenotypic analysis of exhaustion markers with functional analysis of cytokine production, we found that PD-1+ CD4+ cells in cancer hosts failed to make any cytokines following CLP, while the 2B4+ PD-1lo cells in cancer mice secreted increased TNF during sepsis. In sum, the immunophenotypic landscape of cancer septic animals is characterized by both increased CD4+ T cell activation and exhaustion, findings that may underlie the observed increased mortality in mice with pre-existing

Awareness of patients about existing oral precancerous lesions/conditions in Nashik city of Maharashtra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhushan Sukdeo Ahire

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Many oral squamous cell carcinomas develop from premalignant lesions/conditions of oral cavity. Hence, the awareness of such lesions/conditions is important. Aim: To assess the awareness about existing oral precancerous lesions/conditions among patients arriving for dental treatment at a dental hospital, in Nashik city of Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was used to collect information from 80 patients with existing oral precancerous lesions/conditions attending the dental hospital, in Nashik city of Maharashtra. The questionnaire included questions to ascertain information on sociodemographic parameters, awareness, and sources of information about of oral precancerous lesions/conditions, habit of tobacco, areca nut chewing, smoking, alcohol, and combined habits. Results: We found that 40% (n = 32 respondents knew about the existence of lesion in their mouth of which only 50% (out of 40% had thought that it was precancerous lesion/condition. Among all subjects, only 47.5% (n = 38 were aware of oral precancerous lesions/conditions. Television was the major source of information about oral precancerous lesions/conditions almost all the subjects (97.5% wanted more information about oral precancerous lesions/conditions but through television (42.5% and lectures (27.5%. Conclusion: Awareness of patients (coming to hospital about oral precancerous lesions/conditions was found to be low. The people must be made aware of symptoms, signs, and preventive strategies of oral precancerous lesions/conditions through their preferred media – television and lectures.

Whole-body pre-cooling and heat storage during self-paced cycling performance in warm humid conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, D; Taaffe, D R; Marino, F E

1999-12-01

The aim of this study was to establish the effect that pre-cooling the skin without a concomitant reduction in core temperature has on subsequent self-paced cycling performance under warm humid (31 degrees C and 60% relative humidity) conditions. Seven moderately trained males performed a 30 min self-paced cycling trial on two separate occasions. The conditions were counterbalanced as control or whole-body pre-cooling by water immersion so that resting skin temperature was reduced by approximately 5-6 degrees C. After pre-cooling, mean skin temperature was lower throughout exercise and rectal temperature was lower (P body sweat fell from 1.7+/-0.1 l x h(-1) to 1.2+/-0.1 l h(-1) (P < 0.05). The distance cycled increased from 14.9+/-0.8 to 15.8+/-0.7 km (P < 0.05) after pre-cooling. The results indicate that skin pre-cooling in the absence of a reduced rectal temperature is effective in reducing thermal strain and increasing the distance cycled in 30 min under warm humid conditions.

Is additional conditionality preventing EU accession? Serbian democratic 'step back'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milenković Miloš

2013-01-01

Full Text Available European Union integration of Western Balkan countries in conditioned on the fulfilment on the set of criteria aimed at profound societal change. However, there is a number of additional criteria within the EU enlargement policy for the Western Balkans and Serbia in particular. We have already designated this process as 'culturalization' of accession criteria. It comprises of alterations of criteria from initial, identity-neutral and technical issues to coming to terms with the legacy of identity conflicts in the Balkan region. These conditions pose a significant challenge to political institutions in a not yet consolidated democracy. In this article we analyze how, as a result of additional conditioning, the EU accession, instead of enjoying social consensus, has reopened identity issues, divided the society and boosted discourses on 'sovereignty', 'double standards of international community' and 'injustice' perpetrated to Serbia at the time of disintegration of Yugoslavia. Serbia is in a paradoxical situation we refer to as democratic deadlock - it is in need of consolidated democracy in order to achieve political stability and stable government capable to implement EU reforms, while the instability itself is a result of additional criteria for EU accession (and reactions to it. It is a theoretically intriguing case of additional criteria preventing fulfilment of the basic accession requirements. It is further analyzed how this observed tendency can be redirected through slight alteration of beneficiaries of EU incentives aimed at facilitating cultural change. In order to viably change the political community, external assistance process needs to be as inclusive as possible. It is argued that external assistance should not only cover main political, economic and legal actors, but also include cultural actors, especially culturally legitimate elites.

Silane pre-treatments on copper and aluminium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deflorian, F.; Rossi, S.; Fedrizzi, L.

2006-01-01

A large part of aluminium products are coated with an organic layer in order to improve the corrosion resistance. Copper surfaces are also sometimes protected with an organic coating to improve the durability or the aesthetic properties. Examples of industrial applications are household appliances and heat exchanger components. For these applications it is not rare to have the industrial need to treat at the same time components made of aluminium and copper. In order to extend the service life of the organic coated copper a specific surface pre-treatment is often required. Nevertheless, probably because of the limited market of this application, no specific pre-treatments for copper are industrially developed, with the exception of cleaning procedures, but simply extensions of existing pre-treatments optimised for other metals (aluminium, zinc) are used. The application of silane pre-treatments as adhesion promoters for organic coated metals is remarkably increasing in the last decade, because silanes offer very good performance together with high environmental compatibility. The idea is therefore to try to develop a specific silane based pre-treatment for copper. The starting point is the existing silane products for aluminium, optimising the composition and the application conditions (concentration, temperature, pH of the bath, etc.) in order to develop a high performance copper alloy pre-treatment increasing the protective properties and the adhesion of a successively applied organic coating. Moreover these pre-treatments could be used for aluminium alloys too and therefore could be suggested for multi-metals components. The deposits were analysed using FTIR spectroscopy and optical and electron microscopic observations. A careful electrochemical characterisation, mainly by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements (EIS) was carried out to highlight the presence of silane and to evaluate the performance of the different deposits. In order to study an

PBMC: Pre-conditioned Backward Monte Carlo code for radiative transport in planetary atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

García Muñoz, A.; Mills, F. P.

2017-08-01

PBMC (Pre-Conditioned Backward Monte Carlo) solves the vector Radiative Transport Equation (vRTE) and can be applied to planetary atmospheres irradiated from above. The code builds the solution by simulating the photon trajectories from the detector towards the radiation source, i.e. in the reverse order of the actual photon displacements. In accounting for the polarization in the sampling of photon propagation directions and pre-conditioning the scattering matrix with information from the scattering matrices of prior (in the BMC integration order) photon collisions, PBMC avoids the unstable and biased solutions of classical BMC algorithms for conservative, optically-thick, strongly-polarizing media such as Rayleigh atmospheres.

10 CFR 4.127 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Existing facilities. 4.127 Section 4.127 Energy NUCLEAR... 1973, as Amended Discriminatory Practices § 4.127 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient... make each of its existing facilities or every part of an existing facility accessible to and usable by...

Advanced technologies for scalable ATLAS conditions database access on the grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basset, R; Canali, L; Girone, M; Hawkings, R; Valassi, A; Viegas, F; Dimitrov, G; Nevski, P; Vaniachine, A; Walker, R; Wong, A

2010-01-01

During massive data reprocessing operations an ATLAS Conditions Database application must support concurrent access from numerous ATLAS data processing jobs running on the Grid. By simulating realistic work-flow, ATLAS database scalability tests provided feedback for Conditions Db software optimization and allowed precise determination of required distributed database resources. In distributed data processing one must take into account the chaotic nature of Grid computing characterized by peak loads, which can be much higher than average access rates. To validate database performance at peak loads, we tested database scalability at very high concurrent jobs rates. This has been achieved through coordinated database stress tests performed in series of ATLAS reprocessing exercises at the Tier-1 sites. The goal of database stress tests is to detect scalability limits of the hardware deployed at the Tier-1 sites, so that the server overload conditions can be safely avoided in a production environment. Our analysis of server performance under stress tests indicates that Conditions Db data access is limited by the disk I/O throughput. An unacceptable side-effect of the disk I/O saturation is a degradation of the WLCG 3D Services that update Conditions Db data at all ten ATLAS Tier-1 sites using the technology of Oracle Streams. To avoid such bottlenecks we prototyped and tested a novel approach for database peak load avoidance in Grid computing. Our approach is based upon the proven idea of pilot job submission on the Grid: instead of the actual query, an ATLAS utility library sends to the database server a pilot query first.

45 CFR 84.22 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Accessibility § 84.22 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate its program or activity so that when each part is..., welfare, or other social services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of existing facilities and...

Differentiation of pre-existing trapped methane from thermogenic methane in an igneous-intruded coal by hydrous pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Robert F.; Lewan, Michael D.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Kotarba, Maciej J.

2014-01-01

So as to better understand how the gas generation potential of coal changes with increasing rank, same-seam samples of bituminous coal from the Illinois Basin that were naturally matured to varying degrees by the intrusion of an igneous dike were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis (HP) conditions of 360 °C for 72 h. The accumulated methane in the reactor headspace was analyzed for δ13C and δ2H, and mol percent composition. Maximum methane production (9.7 mg/g TOC) occurred in the most immature samples (0.5 %Ro), waning to minimal methane values at 2.44 %Ro (0.67 mg/g TOC), and rebounding to 3.6 mg/g TOC methane in the most mature sample (6.76 %Ro). Methane from coal with the highest initial thermal maturity (6.76 %Ro) shows no isotopic dependence on the reactor water and has a microbial δ13C value of −61‰. However, methane from coal of minimal initial thermal maturity (0.5 %Ro) shows hydrogen isotopic dependence on the reaction water and has a δ13C value of −37‰. The gas released from coals under hydrous pyrolysis conditions represents a quantifiable mixture of ancient (270 Ma) methane (likely microbial) that was generated in situ and trapped within the rock during the rapid heating by the dike, and modern (laboratory) thermogenic methane that was generated from the indigenous organic matter due to thermal maturation induced by hydrous pyrolysis conditions. These findings provide an analytical framework for better assessment of natural gas sources and for differentiating generated gas from pre-existing trapped gas in coals of various ranks.

Pre-existing anti-HLA antibodies negatively impact survival of pediatric aplastic anemia patients undergoing HSCT.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hua; He, Jun; Cai, Junchao; Yuan, Xiaoni; Jiang, Hua; Luo, Changying; Wang, Jianmin; Luo, Chengjuan; Pan, Zhijuan; Terasaki, Paul I; Ding, Lixia; Chen, Jing

2014-11-01

Graft failure and survival are the major problems for patients with aplastic anemia undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Previous studies showed that anti-HLA antibodies negatively impact engraftment in HSCT. This retrospective study of 51 pediatric patients with acquired aplastic anemia who underwent allogeneic HSCT at a single institution between 2006 and 2012 investigated the influence of anti-HLA antibodies on the outcome of HSCT. Serum samples collected before HSCT were tested for the presence of anti-HLA antibodies. Pre-existing anti-HLA antibodies were detected in 54.9% (28/51) of patients, among whom 39.2% (20/51) had anti-HLA class I antibodies. Anti-HLA antibodies were associated with worse five-yr survival (78.6% vs. 100%, p = 0.021) and higher treatment-related mortality (21.4% vs. 0%, p = 0.028) compared with antibody-negative patients. Anti-HLA class I antibody-positive patients had poorer five-yr survival (75.0%) than anti-HLA class I&II antibody-positive and antibody-negative patients (87.5% and 100.0%, respectively, p = 0.039). Presence of anti-HLA class I antibodies (p = 0.024) and older age (10 yr or more; p = 0.027) significantly increased the risk of post-HSCT mortality. Pre-existing anti-HLA antibodies negatively affect the outcome of HSCT in pediatric patients with aplastic anemia. Routine testing for anti-HLA antibodies concurrent with efficient treatment should be conducted prior to HSCT. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Are pre-spraying growing conditions a major determinant of herbicide efficacy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Riethmuller-Haage, I.C.P.; Bastiaans, L.; Kempenaar, C.; Smutny, V.; Kropff, M.J.

2007-01-01

To evaluate the effect of pre-spraying growing conditions on herbicide efficacy, two years of experimentation were conducted in which Persicaria maculosa plants were exposed to different light intensities for 1¿4 days before metribuzin treatment. Specific leaf area, rather than plant growth rate or

Age dynamic of physical condition changes in pre-school age girls, schoolgirls and students, living in conditions of Eastern Siberia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.Y. Lebedinskiy

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to analyze dynamic of physical condition, considering sex (females and age of the tested, living in region with unfavorable ecology. Material: we studied pre school age girls (n=1580, age 4-7 years. In the research we did not include children with chronic diseases, who were under observation. We tested schoolgirls (n=3211, age 7-17 years and girl students (n=5827, age 17-21 years, 1-4 years of study. Girl students were divided into five age groups: from 17 to 21 years. All participants lived in conditions of Eastern Siberia (Irkutsk. This region is characterized by unfavorable ecology and climate geographic characteristics. Results: in dynamic of physical condition of pre-school girls, schoolgirls and students we marked out three substantial periods of it characteristics' changes. Age 7-8 years is critical (transition from 1st to 2nd stage. The least values of these characteristics are found in older (after 17-18 years ages. In students we observed relative stabilization of these indicators. Conclusions: the received results shall be considered in building physical education training process in pre-school educational establishments, secondary comprehensive schools and higher educational establishments.

77 FR 52614 - Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-30

... program, program benefits, program oversight, program funding, coordination with state laws and programs... relief from removal by exercising deferred action on a case-by-case basis with respect to certain... of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, at: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/s1-exercising...

Clinical Outcomes of Virologically-Suppressed Patients with Pre-existing HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations Switching to Rilpivirine/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in the SPIRIT Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Danielle P; Toma, Jonathan; Tan, Yuping; Solberg, Owen; Cai, Suqin; Kulkarni, Rima; Andreatta, Kristen; Lie, Yolanda; Chuck, Susan K; Palella, Frank; Miller, Michael D; White, Kirsten L

2016-02-01

Antiretroviral regimen switching may be considered for HIV-1-infected, virologically-suppressed patients to enable treatment simplification or improve tolerability, but should be guided by knowledge of pre-existing drug resistance. The current study examined the impact of pre-existing drug resistance mutations on virologic outcomes among virologically-suppressed patients switching to Rilpivirine (RPV)/emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). SPIRIT was a phase 3b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of switching to RPV/FTC/TDF in virologically-suppressed HIV-1-infected patients. Pre-existing drug resistance at baseline was determined by proviral DNA genotyping for 51 RPV/FTC/TDF-treated patients with known mutations by historical RNA genotype and matched controls and compared with clinical outcome at Week 48. Drug resistance mutations in protease or reverse transcriptase were detected in 62.7% of patients by historical RNA genotype and in 68.6% by proviral DNA genotyping at baseline. Proviral DNA sequencing detected 89% of occurrences of NRTI and NNRTI resistance-associated mutations reported by historical genotype. Mutations potentially affecting RPV activity, including E138A/G/K/Q, Y181C, and H221Y, were detected in isolates from 11 patients by one or both assays. None of the patients with single mutants had virologic failure through Week 48. One patient with pre-existing Y181Y/C and M184I by proviral DNA genotyping experienced virologic failure. Nineteen patients with K103N present by historical genotype were confirmed by proviral DNA sequencing and 18/19 remained virologically-suppressed. Virologic success rates were high among virologically-suppressed patients with pre-existing NRTI and NNRTI resistance-associated mutations who switched to RPV/FTC/TDF in the SPIRIT study. While plasma RNA genotyping remains preferred, proviral DNA genotyping may provide additional value in virologically-suppressed patients for whom historical resistance

Newly occurred L4 spondylolysis in the lumbar spine with pre-existence L5 spondylolysis among sports players: case reports and biomechanical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sairyo, Koichi; Sakai, Toshinori; Yasui, Natsuo; Kiapour, Ali; Biyani, Ashok; Ebraheim, Nabil; Goel, Vijay K

2009-10-01

Case series and a biomechanical study using a finite element (FE) analysis. To report three cases with multi-level spondylolysis and to understand the mechanism biomechanically. Multi-level spondylolysis is a very rare condition. There have been few reports in the literature on multi-level spondylolysis among sports players. We reviewed three cases of the condition, clinically. These patients were very active young sports players and had newly developed fresh L4 spondylolysis and pre-existing L5 terminal stage spondylolysis. Thus, we assumed that L5 spondylolysis may have increased the pars stress at the cranial adjacent levels, leading to newly developed spondylolysis at these levels. Biomechanically, we investigated pars stress at L4 with or without spondylolysis at L5 using the finite element technique. L4 pars stress decreased in the presence of L5 spondylolysis, which does not support our first hypothesis. It seems that multi-level spondylolysis may occur due to genetic and not biomechanical reasons.

Advanced technologies for scalable ATLAS conditions database access on the grid

CERN Document Server

Basset, R; Dimitrov, G; Girone, M; Hawkings, R; Nevski, P; Valassi, A; Vaniachine, A; Viegas, F; Walker, R; Wong, A

2010-01-01

During massive data reprocessing operations an ATLAS Conditions Database application must support concurrent access from numerous ATLAS data processing jobs running on the Grid. By simulating realistic work-flow, ATLAS database scalability tests provided feedback for Conditions Db software optimization and allowed precise determination of required distributed database resources. In distributed data processing one must take into account the chaotic nature of Grid computing characterized by peak loads, which can be much higher than average access rates. To validate database performance at peak loads, we tested database scalability at very high concurrent jobs rates. This has been achieved through coordinated database stress tests performed in series of ATLAS reprocessing exercises at the Tier-1 sites. The goal of database stress tests is to detect scalability limits of the hardware deployed at the Tier-1 sites, so that the server overload conditions can be safely avoided in a production environment. Our analysi...

Behavior of pre-irradiated fuel under a simulated RIA condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuketa, Toyoshi; Sasajima, Hideo; Mori, Yukihide

1994-07-01

This report presents results from the power burst experiment with pre-irradiated fuel rod, Test JM-3, conducted in the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSSR). The data concerning test method, pre-irradiation, pre-pulse fuel examination, pulse irradiation, transient records and post-pulse fuel examination are described, and analyses, interpretations, and discussions of the results are presented. Preceding to the pulse irradiation in the NSRR, test fuel rod was irradiated in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) up to a fuel burnup of 19.6MWd/kgU with average linear heat rate of 25.3 kW/m. The fuel rod was subjected to the pulse irradiation resulting in a deposited energy of 174±6 cal/g·fuel and a peak fuel enthalpy of 130±5 cal/g·fuel under stagnant water cooling condition at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. Test fuel rod behavior was assessed from pre- and post-pulse fuel examinations and transient records during the pulse. The cladding surface temperature increased to only 150degC, and the test resulted in slight fuel deformation and no fuel failure. An estimated rod-average fission gas release during the transient was about 2.2%. Through the detailed fuel examinations, the information concerning microstructural change in the fuel pellets were also obtained. (author)

The effect of thermal pre-treatment of titanium hydride (TiH2) powder in argon condition

Science.gov (United States)

Franciska P., L.; Erryani, Aprilia; Annur, Dhyah; Kartika, Ika

2018-04-01

Titanium hydride (TiH2) powders are used to enhance the foaming process in the formation of a highly porous metallic material with a cellular structure. But, the low temperature of hydrogen release is one of its problems. The present study, different thermal pre-treatment temperatures were employed to investigate the decomposition behavior of TiH2 to retard or delay a hydrogen gas release process during foaming. As a foaming agent, TiH2 was subjected to various heat treatments prior at 450 and 500°C during 2 hours in argon condition. To study the formation mechanism, the thermal behavior of titanium hydride and hydrogen release are investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The morphology of pre-treated titanium hydride powders were examined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) while unsure mapping and elemental composition of the pre-treated powders processed by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). To study the phase formation was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). In accordance with the results, an increase in pre-treatment temperature of TiH2 to higher degrees are changing the process of releasing hydrogen from titanium hydride powder. DTA/TGA results showed that thermal pre-treatment TiH2 at 450°C, released the hydrogen gas at 560°C in heat treatment when foaming process. Meanwhile, thermal pre-treatment in TiH2 at 500°C, released the hydrogen gas at 670°C when foaming process. There is plenty of direct evidence for the existence of oxide layers that showed by EDS analysis obtained in SEM. As oxygen is a light element and qualitative proof shows that the higher pre-treatment temperature produces more and thicker oxygen layers on the surface of the TiH2 powder particles. It might the thickness of oxide layer are different from different pre-treatment temperatures, which leading to the differences in the decomposition temperature. But from SEM result that oxidation of the powder does not

The EcoData retriever: improving access to existing ecological data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin D Morris

Full Text Available Ecological research relies increasingly on the use of previously collected data. Use of existing datasets allows questions to be addressed more quickly, more generally, and at larger scales than would otherwise be possible. As a result of large-scale data collection efforts, and an increasing emphasis on data publication by journals and funding agencies, a large and ever-increasing amount of ecological data is now publicly available via the internet. Most ecological datasets do not adhere to any agreed-upon standards in format, data structure or method of access. Some may be broken up across multiple files, stored in compressed archives, and violate basic principles of data structure. As a result acquiring and utilizing available datasets can be a time consuming and error prone process. The EcoData Retriever is an extensible software framework which automates the tasks of discovering, downloading, and reformatting ecological data files for storage in a local data file or relational database. The automation of these tasks saves significant time for researchers and substantially reduces the likelihood of errors resulting from manual data manipulation and unfamiliarity with the complexities of individual datasets.

45 CFR 1151.22 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Existing facilities. 1151.22 Section 1151.22... Prohibited Accessibility § 1151.22 Existing facilities. (a) A recipient shall operate each program or... make each of its existing facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and usable by...

34 CFR 104.22 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Existing facilities. 104.22 Section 104.22 Education... Accessibility § 104.22 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate its program or activity.... This paragraph does not require a recipient to make each of its existing facilities or every part of a...

The mutual influence of krypton implantation and pre-existing stress states in polycrystalline alpha titanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nsengiyumva, S. [Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Department of Physics, Kigali Institute of Education, P.O. Box 5039 Kigali (Rwanda)], E-mail: schadrack.nsengiyumva@uct.ac.za; Ntsoane, T.P. [Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA), P.O. Box 582 (South Africa); Raji, A.T. [Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Topic, M. [iThemba LABS, Somerset West 7129 (South Africa); Kellermann, G. [Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincrotron (LNLS), Campinas (Brazil); Riviere, J.P. [Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux UMR6630-CNRS, 86960 (France); Britton, D.T.; Haerting, M. [Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa)

2009-08-15

The stress profile in polycrystalline titanium implanted with krypton ions at different fluences has been determined using synchrotron radiation diffraction. For each fluence, the krypton profile has been measured using Rutherford backscattering geometry. The results were compared to model calculations obtained from the SRIM 2008 computer code. A strong stress relaxation was found for high fluence implantation, whereas for low fluence implantation an additional source of tensile stress was introduced in the near surface region. The projected range of the implanted krypton was significantly reduced compared to the expected range. A possible cause of this discrepancy is the drift of implanted ions under the influence of the pre-existing stress gradient.

The mutual influence of krypton implantation and pre-existing stress states in polycrystalline alpha titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nsengiyumva, S.; Ntsoane, T.P.; Raji, A.T.; Topic, M.; Kellermann, G.; Riviere, J.P.; Britton, D.T.; Haerting, M.

2009-01-01

The stress profile in polycrystalline titanium implanted with krypton ions at different fluences has been determined using synchrotron radiation diffraction. For each fluence, the krypton profile has been measured using Rutherford backscattering geometry. The results were compared to model calculations obtained from the SRIM 2008 computer code. A strong stress relaxation was found for high fluence implantation, whereas for low fluence implantation an additional source of tensile stress was introduced in the near surface region. The projected range of the implanted krypton was significantly reduced compared to the expected range. A possible cause of this discrepancy is the drift of implanted ions under the influence of the pre-existing stress gradient.

Protective efficacy of a single immunization with capripoxvirus-vectored recombinant peste des petits ruminants vaccines in presence of pre-existing immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Caufour, Philippe; Rufael, Tesfaye; Lamien, Charles Euloge; Lancelot, Renaud; Kidane, Menbere; Awel, Dino; Sertse, Tefera; Kwiatek, Olivier; Libeau, Geneviève; Sahle, Mesfin; Diallo, Adama; Albina, Emmanuel

2014-06-24

Sheeppox, goatpox and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) are highly contagious ruminant diseases widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Capripoxvirus (CPV)-vectored recombinant PPR vaccines (rCPV-PPR vaccines), which have been developed and shown to protect against both Capripox (CP) and PPR, would be critical tools in the control of these important diseases. In most parts of the world, these disease distributions overlap each other leaving concerns about the potential impact that pre-existing immunity against either disease may have on the protective efficacy of these bivalent rCPV-PPR vaccines. Currently, this question has not been indisputably addressed. Therefore, we undertook this study, under experimental conditions designed for the context of mass vaccination campaigns of small ruminants, using the two CPV recombinants (Kenya sheep-1 (KS-1) strain-based constructs) developed previously in our laboratory. Pre-existing immunity was first induced by immunization either with an attenuated CPV vaccine strain (KS-1) or the attenuated PPRV vaccine strain (Nigeria 75/1) and animals were thereafter inoculated once subcutaneously with a mixture of CPV recombinants expressing either the hemagglutinin (H) or the fusion (F) protein gene of PPRV (10(3) TCID50/animal of each). Finally, these animals were challenged with a virulent CPV strain followed by a virulent PPRV strain 3 weeks later. Our study demonstrated full protection against CP for vaccinated animals with prior exposure to PPRV and a partial protection against PPR for vaccinated animals with prior exposure to CPV. The latter animals exhibited a mild clinical form of PPR and did not show any post-challenge anamnestic neutralizing antibody response against PPRV. The implications of these results are discussed herein and suggestions made for future research regarding the development of CPV-vectored vaccines. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity of endophytic fungi of Myricaria laxiflora grown under pre- and post-flooding conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, W; Bi, Y H; Zeng, W; Jiang, W; Xue, Y H; Wang, G X; Liu, S P

2015-09-09

Myricaria laxiflora is distributed along the riverbanks of the Yangtze River valley. The Three Gorges Dam has dramatically changed the habitat of M. laxiflora, which has evolved to develop increased resistance to flooding stress. In order to elucidate the relationship between plant endophytic fungi and flooding stress, we isolated and taxonomically characterized the endophytic fungi of M. laxiflora. One hundred and sixty-three fungi were isolated from healthy stems, leaves and roots of M. laxiflora grown under pre- and post-flooding conditions. Culture and isolation were carried out under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Based on internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis and morphological characteristics, the isolates exhibited abundant biodiversity; they were classified into 5 subphyla, 7 classes, 12 orders, 17 families, and 26 genera. Dominant endophytes varied between pre- and post-flooding plants, among different plant tissues, and between aerobic and anaerobic culture conditions. Aspergillus and Alternaria accounted for more than 55% of all isolates. Although the number of isolates from post-flooding plants was greater, endophytes from pre-flooding plants were more diverse and abundant. Endophytes were distributed preferentially in particular tissues; this affinity was constrained by both the host habitat and the oxygen availability of the host.

Hydraulic and Condition Assessment of Existing Sewerage Network: A Case Study of an Educational Institute

Science.gov (United States)

Sourabh, Nishant; Timbadiya, P. V.

2018-04-01

The hydraulic simulation of the existing sewerage network provides various information about critical points to assess the deteriorating condition and help in rehabilitation of existing network and future expansion. In the present study, hydraulic and condition assessment of existing network of educational Institute (i.e. Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology-Surat, Gujarat, India), having an area of 100 ha and ground levels in range of 5.0-9.0 m above mean sea level, has been carried out using sewage flow simulation for existing and future scenarios analysis using SewerGEMS v8i. The paper describes the features of 4.79 km long sewerage network of institute followed by network model simulation for aforesaid scenarios and recommendations on improvement of the existing network for future use. The total sewer loads for present and future scenarios are 1.67 million litres per day (MLD) and 3.62 MLD, considering the peak factor of 3 on the basis of population. The hydraulic simulation of the existing scenario indicated depth by diameter (d/D) ratio in the range of 0.02-0.48 and velocity range of 0.08-0.53 m/s for existing network for present scenario. For the future scenario, the existing network is needed to be modified and it was found that total of 11 conduits (length: 464.8 m) should be replaced to the next higher diameter available, i.e., 350 mm for utilization of existing network for future scenario. The present study provides the methodology for condition assessment of existing network and its utilization as per guidelines provided by Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization, 2013. The methodology presented in this paper can be used by municipal/public health engineer for the assessment of existing sewerage network for its serviceability and improvement in future.

Relation between Protein Intrinsic Normal Mode Weights and Pre-Existing Conformer Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozgur, Beytullah; Ozdemir, E Sila; Gursoy, Attila; Keskin, Ozlem

2017-04-20

Intrinsic fluctuations of a protein enable it to sample a large repertoire of conformers including the open and closed forms. These distinct forms of the protein called conformational substates pre-exist together in equilibrium as an ensemble independent from its ligands. The role of ligand might be simply to alter the equilibrium toward the most appropriate form for binding. Normal mode analysis is proved to be useful in identifying the directions of conformational changes between substates. In this study, we demonstrate that the ratios of normalized weights of a few normal modes driving the protein between its substates can give insights about the ratios of kinetic conversion rates of the substates, although a direct relation between the eigenvalues and kinetic conversion rates or populations of each substate could not be observed. The correlation between the normalized mode weight ratios and the kinetic rate ratios is around 83% on a set of 11 non-enzyme proteins and around 59% on a set of 17 enzymes. The results are suggestive that mode motions carry intrinsic relations with thermodynamics and kinetics of the proteins.

ACCESS: integration and pre-flight performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Morris, Matthew J.; Aldoroty, Lauren N.; Pelton, Russell; Kurucz, Robert; Peacock, Grant O.; Hansen, Jason; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Rauscher, Bernard J.; Kimble, Randy A.; Kruk, Jeffrey W.; Wright, Edward L.; Orndorff, Joseph D.; Feldman, Paul D.; Moos, H. Warren; Riess, Adam G.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Bohlin, Ralph; Deustua, Susana E.; Dixon, W. V.; Sahnow, David J.; Perlmutter, Saul

2017-09-01

Establishing improved spectrophotometric standards is important for a broad range of missions and is relevant to many astrophysical problems. ACCESS, "Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars", is a series of rocket-borne sub-orbital missions and ground-based experiments designed to enable improvements in the precision of the astrophysical flux scale through the transfer of absolute laboratory detector standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to a network of stellar standards with a calibration accuracy of 1% and a spectral resolving power of 500 across the 0.35 - 1.7μm bandpass. This paper describes the sub-system testing, payload integration, avionics operations, and data transfer for the ACCESS instrument.

[Effect of indications and pre-existing conditions on the result of McDonald's cervix-closure surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Avar, Z; Tóth, B; Zacher, P

1979-01-01

Authors have performed the McDonald cerclage operation on 172 gravidae because of cervical incompetence. From these pregnancies 80.2 per cent of the infants have survived over the sixth day. While with operations performed on the basis of extended indications for surgery an effect of 56.5 per cent was achieved, it was in cases of classical ones 92.8 per cent. Two complicated cases are reported caused by blastospores or bacteria respectively, isolated also in the vaginal secretion which have ascended into the uterine cavity. Both cases resulted in fetal death and in a septic condition of the mother. It is emphasized that the normal vaginal bioflora is essential condition for the cervical suture.

The ethics of attaching research conditions to access to new health technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Stephen; Hope, Tony

2012-06-01

Decisions on which new health technologies to provide are controversial because of the scarcity of healthcare resources, the competing demands of payers, providers and patients and the uncertainty of the evidence base. Given this, additional information about new health technologies is often considered valuable. One response is to make access to a new health technology conditional on further research. Access can be restricted to patients who participate in a research study, such as a randomised controlled trial; alternatively, a new treatment can be made generally available, but only on condition that further evidence is collected (eg, on long-term outcomes and adverse events, in patient registries). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance on which new health technologies to make available under the UK's NHS, for example, has made some research conditional recommendations, and the current interest in such options suggests that they are likely to become more prevalent in the future. This paper identifies and discusses the main ethical issues created by this distinctive range of recommendations. We argue that decisions to put research conditions on access to new technologies are compatible with widely accepted values, principles and practices relevant to resource allocation. However, there are important features of these distinctive judgements that must be taken into account by resource allocation decision-making bodies and research ethics committees, and that require new sorts of empirical data.

Adiabatic perturbations in pre-big bang models: Matching conditions and scale invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durrer, Ruth; Vernizzi, Filippo

2002-01-01

At low energy, the four-dimensional effective action of the ekpyrotic model of the universe is equivalent to a slightly modified version of the pre-big bang model. We discuss cosmological perturbations in these models. In particular we address the issue of matching the perturbations from a collapsing to an expanding phase. We show that, under certain physically motivated and quite generic assumptions on the high energy corrections, one obtains n=0 for the spectrum of scalar perturbations in the original pre-big bang model (with a vanishing potential). With the same assumptions, when an exponential potential for the dilaton is included, a scale invariant spectrum (n=1) of adiabatic scalar perturbations is produced under very generic matching conditions, both in a modified pre-big bang and ekpyrotic scenario. We also derive the resulting spectrum for arbitrary power law scale factors matched to a radiation-dominated era

CMS conditions data access using FroNTier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumenfeld, Barry; Johns Hopkins U.; Dykstra, David; Lueking, Lee; Wicklund, Eric; Fermilab

2007-01-01

The CMS experiment at the LHC has established an infrastructure using the FroNTier framework to deliver conditions (i.e. calibration, alignment, etc.) data to processing clients worldwide. FroNTier is a simple web service approach providing client HTTP access to a central database service. The system for CMS has been developed to work with POOL which provides object relational mapping between the C++ clients and various database technologies. Because of the read only nature of the data, Squid proxy caching servers are maintained near clients and these caches provide high performance data access. Several features have been developed to make the system meet the needs of CMS including careful attention to cache coherency with the central database, and low latency loading required for the operation of the online High Level Trigger. The ease of deployment, stability of operation, and high performance make the FroNTier approach well suited to the GRID environment being used for CMS offline, as well as for the online environment used by the CMS High Level Trigger (HLT). The use of standard software, such as Squid and various monitoring tools, make the system reliable, highly configurable and easily maintained. We describe the architecture, software, deployment, performance, monitoring and overall operational experience for the system

CMS conditions data access using FroNTier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumenfeld, B; Dykstra, D; Lueking, L; Wicklund, E

2008-01-01

The CMS experiment at the LHC has established an infrastructure using the FroNTier framework to deliver conditions (i.e. calibration, alignment, etc.) data to processing clients worldwide. FroNTier is a simple web service approach providing client HTTP access to a central database service. The system for CMS has been developed to work with POOL which provides object relational mapping between the C++ clients and various database technologies. Because of the read only nature of the data, Squid proxy caching servers are maintained near clients and these caches provide high performance data access. Several features have been developed to make the system meet the needs of CMS including careful attention to cache coherency with the central database, and low latency loading required for the operation of the online High Level Trigger. The ease of deployment, stability of operation, and high performance make the FroNTier approach well suited to the GRID environment being used for CMS offline, as well as for the online environment used by the CMS High Level Trigger. The use of standard software, such as Squid and various monitoring tools, makes the system reliable, highly configurable and easily maintained. We describe the architecture, software, deployment, performance, monitoring and overall operational experience for the system

Proposed minimal diagnostic criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and potential pre-MDS conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Valent, Peter; Orazi, Attilio; Steensma, David P; Ebert, Benjamin L; Haase, Detlef; Malcovati, Luca; van de Loosdrecht, Arjan A; Haferlach, Torsten; Westers, Theresia M; Wells, Denise A; Giagounidis, Aristoteles; Loken, Michael; Orfao, Alberto; Lübbert, Michael; Ganser, Arnold; Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten; Ogata, Kiyoyuki; Schanz, Julie; Béné, Marie C; Hoermann, Gregor; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Sotlar, Karl; Bettelheim, Peter; Stauder, Reinhard; Pfeilstöcker, Michael; Horny, Hans-Peter; Germing, Ulrich; Greenberg, Peter; Bennett, John M

2017-09-26

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) comprise a heterogeneous group of myeloid neoplasms characterized by peripheral cytopenia, dysplasia, and a variable clinical course with about 30% risk to transform to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the past 15 years, diagnostic evaluations, prognostication, and treatment of MDS have improved substantially. However, with the discovery of molecular markers and advent of novel targeted therapies, new challenges have emerged in the complex field of MDS. For example, MDS-related molecular lesions may be detectable in healthy individuals and increase in prevalence with age. Other patients exhibit persistent cytopenia of unknown etiology without dysplasia. Although these conditions are potential pre-phases of MDS they may also transform into other bone marrow neoplasms. Recently identified molecular, cytogenetic, and flow-based parameters may add in the delineation and prognostication of these conditions. However, no generally accepted integrated classification and no related criteria are as yet available. In an attempt to address this challenge, an international consensus group discussed these issues in a working conference in July 2016. The outcomes of this conference are summarized in the present article which includes criteria and a proposal for the classification of pre-MDS conditions as well as updated minimal diagnostic criteria of MDS. Moreover, we propose diagnostic standards to delineate between ´normal´, pre-MDS, and MDS. These standards and criteria should facilitate diagnostic and prognostic evaluations in clinical studies as well as in clinical practice.

AcconPred: Predicting Solvent Accessibility and Contact Number Simultaneously by a Multitask Learning Framework under the Conditional Neural Fields Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jianzhu; Wang, Sheng

2015-01-01

The solvent accessibility of protein residues is one of the driving forces of protein folding, while the contact number of protein residues limits the possibilities of protein conformations. The de novo prediction of these properties from protein sequence is important for the study of protein structure and function. Although these two properties are certainly related with each other, it is challenging to exploit this dependency for the prediction. We present a method AcconPred for predicting solvent accessibility and contact number simultaneously, which is based on a shared weight multitask learning framework under the CNF (conditional neural fields) model. The multitask learning framework on a collection of related tasks provides more accurate prediction than the framework trained only on a single task. The CNF method not only models the complex relationship between the input features and the predicted labels, but also exploits the interdependency among adjacent labels. Trained on 5729 monomeric soluble globular protein datasets, AcconPred could reach 0.68 three-state accuracy for solvent accessibility and 0.75 correlation for contact number. Tested on the 105 CASP11 domain datasets for solvent accessibility, AcconPred could reach 0.64 accuracy, which outperforms existing methods.

Fitness, work, and leisure-time physical activity and ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality among men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holtermann, Andreas; Mortensen, Ole Steen; Burr, Hermann

2010-01-01

Our aim was to study the relative impact of physical fitness, physical demands at work, and physical activity during leisure time on ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality among employed men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD)....

Existence of longitudinal waves in pre-stressed anisotropic elastic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

waves is truly longitudinal. Longitudinal wave in an anisotropic elastic medium is defined as the wave motion in which the particle motion (i.e., the. Keywords. General anisotropy; elastic stiffness; pre-stress; group velocity; ray direction; longitudinal waves; polarization. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 118, No. 6, December 2009, pp. 677– ...

Consumer health organisations for chronic conditions: why do some people access them and others don’t?

Science.gov (United States)

Sav, Adem; McMillan, Sara S; Kelly, Fiona; Whitty, Jennifer A; Kendall, Elizabeth; King, Michelle A; Wheeler, Amanda J

2014-10-01

Consumer health organisations (CHOs), which operate outside the mainstream healthcare system with a specific focus on supporting people to self-manage their health conditions, have become widespread. Yet, there has been little systematic research into CHOs, including their perceived benefits and barriers, which encourage or deter their access by people with a variety of chronic health conditions. This study explored the benefits of CHOs in self-management and also the barriers that inhibit their access, from the perspective of people with chronic conditions and their unpaid carers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were completed with 97 participants across four regions of Australia. The sample included a high representation of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as well as non-indigenous Australians. Three inter-related themes were identified that represented the benefits of involvement and participation in CHOs: knowledge and information, connection and support and experiential learning. However, limited access pathways emerged as a barrier that inhibited a person’s entry into CHOs. Furthermore, the person’s beliefs and experiences about their own health condition(s) also inhibited their continued participation in CHO programmes. Although our findings confirm that CHOs are a valuable resource in alleviating the ‘work of being a patient’ for some people, there seems to be some barriers that prevent their full access and utilisation.Structured integration systems to increase the reliable delivery and accessibility of CHOs are needed to ensure that people who would benefit from accessing them can do so.

Obesity and risk of incident heart failure in older men with and without pre-existing coronary heart disease: does leptin have a role?

Science.gov (United States)

Wannamethee, S Goya; Shaper, A Gerald; Whincup, Peter H; Lennon, Lucy; Sattar, Naveed

2011-10-25

We examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and incident HF in men with and without pre-existing coronary heart disease (CHD) and assessed the contribution of plasma leptin concentration to these associations. Leptin has been proposed as a potential link between obesity and heart failure (HF). This was a prospective study of 4,080 men age 60 to 79 years with no diagnosed HF followed for a mean period of 9 years, in whom there were 228 incident HF cases. Increased BMI was associated with significantly increased risk of HF in men with and without pre-existing CHD (myocardial infarction or angina) after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors including C-reactive protein. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) associated with a 1-SD increase in BMI were 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09 to 1.72) and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.39) in men with and without CHD, respectively. Increased leptin was significantly associated with an increased risk of HF in men without pre-existing CHD, independent of BMI and potential mediators (adjusted HR for a 1-SD increase in log leptin: 1.30 [95% CI: 1.06 to 1.61]; p = 0.01). However, no association was seen in those with pre-existing CHD (corresponding HR: 1.06 [95% CI: 0.77 to 1.45]; p = 0.72). Adjustment for leptin abolished the association between BMI and HF in men with no CHD; in those with CHD, the association between BMI and HF remained significant (p = 0.03). Similar patterns were seen for waist circumference. In the absence of established CHD, the association between obesity and HF may be mediated by plasma leptin. In those with CHD, obesity appears to increase the risk of HF independent of leptin. Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

General conditions for the existence of non-standard Lagrangians for dissipative dynamical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musielak, Z.E.

2009-01-01

Equations of motion describing dissipative dynamical systems with coefficients varying either in time or in space are considered. To identify the equations that admit a Lagrangian description, two classes of non-standard Lagrangians are introduced and general conditions required for the existence of these Lagrangians are determined. The conditions are used to obtain some non-standard Lagrangians and derive equations of motion resulting from these Lagrangians.

Evidence for the existence of supercooled ethane droplets under conditions prevalent in Titan's atmosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigurbjörnsson, Omar F; Signorell, Ruth

2008-11-07

Recent evidence for ethane clouds and condensation in Titan's atmosphere raise the question whether liquid ethane condensation nuclei and supercooled liquid ethane droplets exist under the prevalent conditions. We present laboratory studies on the phase behaviour of pure ethane aerosols and ethane aerosols formed in the presence of other ice nuclei under conditions relevant to Titan's atmosphere. Combining bath gas cooling with infrared spectroscopy, we find evidence for the existence of supercooled liquid ethane aerosol droplets. The observed homogeneous freezing rates imply that supercooled ethane could be a long-lived species in ethane-rich regions of Titan's atmosphere similar to supercooled water in the Earth's atmosphere.

10 CFR 1040.72 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Existing facilities. 1040.72 Section 1040.72 Energy... § 1040.72 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate any program or activity to... facilities or every part of a facility accessible to and useable by handicapped persons. (b) Methods. A...

Association of the severity of diabetes-related complications with stage of breast cancer at diagnosis among elderly women with pre-existing diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Alenzi, Ebtihag O; Madhavan, S Suresh; Tan, Xi

2018-01-01

This study assessed the association between the severity of diabetes complications using diabetes complications severity index (DCSI) and stage of breast cancer (BC) at diagnosis among elderly women with pre-existing diabetes and incident BC. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data, we identified women with incident BC during 2004-2011 and pre-existing diabetes (N = 7729). Chi-square tests were used to test for group differences in stage of BC at diagnosis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the associations between the severity of diabetes complications and stage of BC at diagnosis. Overall, women with a DCSI = 2 and a DCSI ≥ 3 were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages as compared to those with no diabetes complications. In full adjusted association (after adding BC screening to the analysis model), the severity of diabetes complications was no longer an independent predictor of advanced stages at diagnosis. However, women with a DCSI = 2 were 26% more likely to be diagnosed at stage I (versus stage 0) of BC at diagnosis as compared to those without diabetes complications (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.53). The increased likelihood of having advanced-stage BC at diagnosis associated with severity of diabetes-related complications appears to be mediated by lower rates of breast cancer screening among elderly women with pre-existing diabetes complications. Therefore, reducing disparity in receiving breast cancer screening among elderly women with diabetes may reduce the risk of advanced-stage breast cancer diagnosis.

Assessment of existing local houses condition as analysis tools for shore housing improvement program in Weriagar district, Bintuni Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Firmansyah, F.; Fernando, A.; Allo, I. P. R.

2018-01-01

The housing assessment is a part of the pre-feasibility study inThe Shore Housing Improvement Program in Weriagar District, West Papua. The housing assessment was conducted to identify the physical condition of existing houses. The parameters of assessment formulated from local references, practices and also national building regulation that covers each building system components, such as building structure/frame, building floor, building cover, and building roof. This study aims to explains lessons from local practices and references, used as the formula to generate assessment parameter, elaborate with Indonesia building regulation. The result of housing assessment were used as a basis to develop the house improvement strategy, the design alternative for housing improvement and further planning recommendations. The local knowledges involved in housing improvement program expected that the local-based approach could respect to the local build culture, respect the local environment, and the most important can offer best suitable solutions for functional utility and livability.

Existence of Solutions of Abstract Nonlinear Mixed Functional Integrodifferential equation with nonlocal conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhakne Machindra B.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we discuss the existence of mild and strong solutions of abstract nonlinear mixed functional integrodifferential equation with nonlocal condition by using Sadovskii’s fixed point theorem and theory of fractional power of operators.

論健康保險之保前疾病、追溯保險與被保險人之善意 ― 相關實務見解綜合評析 Pre-existing Conditions in Health Insurance, Retrospective Insurance and Good Faith – Comments on Relevant Court Rulings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

葉啟洲 Chi-Chou Yeh

2009-12-01

Full Text Available 依照保險法第127條，健康保人對於被保險人在訂約時已經存在的疾病不負保險責任。所以如果被保險人帶病投保，保險人通常拒絕給付保險金。不過，許多法院判決表示，如果訂約時該疾病無外觀上可見之症狀，而被保險人並不知道自己罹患疾病者，保險人不得免責。依照判決內容及文獻說明來看，此項見解似乎是以同法第51條第1項（追溯保險）為推論依據。但在我國法上，疾病即為健康保險的保險事故，對於訂約前已經發生的保險事故，如果契約雙方當事人並未約定將承保期刊提前，似乎不能以追溯保險之原則使保險人對該項疾病負責，以追溯保險的要件來限制保險法第127條之適用，似與該條的規範目的不符，亦有違反保險法契約對價平衡原則之虞，並不妥當。 According to Article 127 of Insurance Act, the provider of health insurance is not liable for any illness that existed before the contract is formed (pre-existing conditions, Hence, in a majority of cases, the insurers would deny the insured benefit payments based on Articles 127 or similar terms in the insurance contracts. However, a number of courts have rules that, if the insured is unaware of such pre-existing conditions because the illness has no symptoms that can be observed based on appearances, then the insurer is still liable. The basis of this judgment seemingly rests on the retrospective insurance provision in Article 51(a of Insurance Act. Nevertheless, illness itself is an insured risk under health insurance, so without the insurer’s prior and explicit consent to extend coverage period retrospectively, it seems to be unfounded to hold the insurer liable for pre-existing conditions based on the retrospective insurance doctrine. To restrict the application of Article 127 with the retrospective insurance doctrine contradicts the intention of the legislature and

On real-time assessment of post-emergency condition existence in complex electric power systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarasov, Vladimir I. [Irkutsk State Technical University 83, Lermontov Street, Irkutsk 664074 (Russian Federation)

2008-12-15

This paper presents two effective numerical criteria of estimating post-emergency operating conditions' non-existence in complicated electric power systems. These criteria are based on mathematic and programming tools of the regularized quadratic descent method and the regularized two-parameter minimization method. The proposed criteria can be effectively applied in calculations of real-time electric operating conditions. (author)

AcconPred: Predicting Solvent Accessibility and Contact Number Simultaneously by a Multitask Learning Framework under the Conditional Neural Fields Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianzhu Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Motivation. The solvent accessibility of protein residues is one of the driving forces of protein folding, while the contact number of protein residues limits the possibilities of protein conformations. The de novo prediction of these properties from protein sequence is important for the study of protein structure and function. Although these two properties are certainly related with each other, it is challenging to exploit this dependency for the prediction. Method. We present a method AcconPred for predicting solvent accessibility and contact number simultaneously, which is based on a shared weight multitask learning framework under the CNF (conditional neural fields model. The multitask learning framework on a collection of related tasks provides more accurate prediction than the framework trained only on a single task. The CNF method not only models the complex relationship between the input features and the predicted labels, but also exploits the interdependency among adjacent labels. Results. Trained on 5729 monomeric soluble globular protein datasets, AcconPred could reach 0.68 three-state accuracy for solvent accessibility and 0.75 correlation for contact number. Tested on the 105 CASP11 domain datasets for solvent accessibility, AcconPred could reach 0.64 accuracy, which outperforms existing methods.

Prognostic factors in Chinese patients with prostate cancer receiving primary androgen deprivation therapy: validation of Japan Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (J-CAPRA) score and impacts of pre-existing obesity and diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Meng-Bo; Yang, Tian; Hu, Ji-Meng; Zhu, Wen-Hui; Jiang, Hao-Wen; Ding, Qiang

2018-06-01

Our aim was to determine the prognostic factors in Chinese patients with prostate cancer receiving primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT), validate the Japan Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (J-CAPRA) score, and investigate the impacts of pre-existing obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM). The study enrolled Chinese patients diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma and treated with bilateral orchiectomy as PADT at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (Shanghai, China), from January 2003 to December 2015. The overall survival (OS) and prognostic value of J-CAPRA score, pre-existing obesity, DM, and various clinicopathological variables were analyzed. Of the 435 patients enrolled, 174 (40.0%) deaths occurred during follow-up; 3- and 5-year OS were 74.0 and 58.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified that higher Gleason score and metastasis were both correlated with worse OS and that higher J-CAPRA score was correlated with worse OS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.110, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.035-1.190, P = 0.003). Different risk categories based on J-CAPRA score showed good stratification in OS (log-rank P = 0.015). In subgroup analysis, pre-existing obesity as a protective factor in younger patients (age ≤ 65, HR 0.271, 95% CI 0.075-0.980, P = 0.046) and pre-existing DM as a risk factor in older patients (> 75, HR 1.854, 95% CI 1.026-3.351, P = 0.041) for OS were recognized, and the prediction accuracy of J-CAPRA was elevated after incorporating pre-existing obesity and DM. The J-CAPRA score presented with good OS differentiation among Chinese patients under PADT. Younger patients (age ≤ 65) had better OS with pre-existing obesity, while older patients (age > 75) had worse OS with pre-existing DM.

Assessing the reactivation potential of pre-existing fractures in the southern Karoo, South Africa: Evaluating the potential for sustainable exploration across its Critical Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Dhansay, Taufeeq; Navabpour, Payman; de Wit, Maarten; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2017-10-01

Understanding the kinematics of pre-existing fractures under the present-day stress field is an indispensable prerequisite for hydraulically increasing fracture-induced rock permeability, i.e. through hydraulic stimulation, which forms the basis of economically viable exploitation of resources such as natural gas and geothermal energy. Predicting the likelihood of reactivating pre-existing fractures in a target reservoir at particular fluid injection pressures requires detailed knowledge of the orientations and magnitudes of the prevailing stresses as well as pore fluid pressures. In the absence of actual in-situ stress measurements, e.g. derived from boreholes, as is mostly the case in previously underexplored ;frontier areas;, such predictions are often difficult. In this study, the potential of reactivating pre-existing fractures in a likely exploration region of the southern Karoo of South Africa is investigated. The orientations of the present-day in-situ stresses were assessed from surrounding earthquake focal mechanisms, implying c. NW-SE oriented maximum horizontal stress and a stress regime changing between strike-slip and normal faulting. A comparison with paleo-stress axes derived from inverted fault-slip data suggests that the stress field very likely did not experience any significant reorientation since Cretaceous times. Maximum possible in-situ stress magnitudes are estimated by assuming that these are limited by frictional strength on pre-existing planes and subsequently, slip and dilation tendency calculations were performed, assuming hydrostatic pore fluid pressures of c. 32 MPa at targeted reservoir depth. The results suggest that prevalent E-W and NW-SE oriented sub-vertical fractures are likely to be reactivated at wellhead pressures exceeding hydrostatic pore fluid pressures by as little as 2-5 MPa, while less prevalent sub-horizontal and moderately inclined fractures require higher wellhead pressures that are still technically feasible

Early life events carry over to influence pre-migratory condition in a free-living songbird.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg W Mitchell

Full Text Available Conditions experienced during development can have long-term consequences for individual success. In migratory songbirds, the proximate mechanisms linking early life events and survival are not well understood because tracking individuals across stages of the annual cycle can be extremely challenging. In this paper, we first use a 13 year dataset to demonstrate a positive relationship between 1(st year survival and nestling mass in migratory Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis. We also use a brood manipulation experiment to show that nestlings from smaller broods have higher mass in the nest relative to individuals from larger broods. Having established these relationships, we then use three years of field data involving multiple captures of individuals throughout the pre-migratory period and a multi-level path model to examine the hypothesis that conditions during development limit survival during migration by affecting an individual's ability to accumulate sufficient lean tissue and fat mass prior to migration. We found a positive relationship between fat mass during the pre-migratory period (Sept-Oct and nestling mass and a negative indirect relationship between pre-migratory fat mass and fledging date. Our results provide the first evidence that conditions during development limit survival during migration through their effect on fat stores. These results are particularly important given recent evidence showing that body condition of songbirds at fledging is affected by climate change and anthropogenic changes to landscape structure.

Existence theory for sequential fractional differential equations with anti-periodic type boundary conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aqlan Mohammed H.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We develop the existence theory for sequential fractional differential equations involving Liouville-Caputo fractional derivative equipped with anti-periodic type (non-separated and nonlocal integral boundary conditions. Several existence criteria depending on the nonlinearity involved in the problems are presented by means of a variety of tools of the fixed point theory. The applicability of the results is shown with the aid of examples. Our results are not only new in the given configuration but also yield some new special cases for specific choices of parameters involved in the problems.

Estimating the Reactivation Potential of Pre-Existing Fractures in Subsurface Granitoids from Outcrop Analogues and in-Situ Stress Modeling: Implications for EGS Reservoir Stimulation with an Example from Thuringia (Central Germany)

Science.gov (United States)

Kasch, N.; Ustaszewski, K. M.; Siegburg, M.; Navabpour, P.; Hesse, G.

2014-12-01

The Mid-German Crystalline Rise (MGCR) in Thuringia (central Germany) is part of the European Variscan orogen and hosts large extents of Visean granites (c. 350 Ma), locally overlain by up to 3 km of Early Permian to Mid-Triassic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. A geothermal gradient of 36°C km-1 suggests that such subsurface granites form an economically viable hot dry rock reservoir at > 4 km depth. In order to assess the likelihood of reactivating any pre-existing fractures during hydraulic reservoir stimulation, slip and dilation tendency analyses (Morris et al. 1996) were carried out. For this purpose, we determined orientations of pre-existing fractures in 14 granite exposures along the southern border fault of an MGCR basement high. Additionally, the strike of 192 Permian magmatic dikes affecting the granite was considered. This analysis revealed a prevalence of NW-SE-striking fractures (mainly joints, extension veins, dikes and subordinately brittle faults) with a maximum at 030/70 (dip azimuth/dip). Borehole data and earthquake focal mechanisms reveal a maximum horizontal stress SHmax trending N150°E and a strike-slip regime. Effective in-situ stress magnitudes at 4.5 km depth, assuming hydrostatic conditions and frictional equilibrium along pre-existing fractures with a friction coefficient of 0.85 yielded 230 and 110 MPa for SHmax and Shmin, respectively. In this stress field, fractures with the prevailing orientations show a high tendency of becoming reactivated as dextral strike-slip faults if stimulated hydraulically. To ensure that a stimulation well creates fluid connectivity on a reservoir volume as large as possible rather than dissipating fluids along existing fractures, it should follow a trajectory at the highest possible angle to the orientation of prevailing fractures, i.e. subhorizontal and NE-SW-oriented. References: Morris, A., D. A. Ferrill, and D. B. Henderson (1996), Slip-tendency analysis and fault reactivation, Geology, 24, 275-278.

Optimizing access to conditions data in ATLAS event data processing

CERN Document Server

Rinaldi, Lorenzo; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The processing of ATLAS event data requires access to conditions data which is stored in database systems. This data includes, for example alignment, calibration, and configuration information that may be characterized by large volumes, diverse content, and/or information which evolves over time as refinements are made in those conditions. Additional layers of complexity are added by the need to provide this information across the world-wide ATLAS computing grid and the sheer number of simultaneously executing processes on the grid, each demanding a unique set of conditions to proceed. Distributing this data to all the processes that require it in an efficient manner has proven to be an increasing challenge with the growing needs and number of event-wise tasks. In this presentation, we briefly describe the systems in which we have collected information about the use of conditions in event data processing. We then proceed to explain how this information has been used to refine not only reconstruction software ...

Sensitive detection of pre-existing BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in CD34+ cells of newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients is associated with imatinib resistance: implications in the post-imatinib era.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zafar Iqbal

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations are infrequently detected in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML patients. Recent studies indicate the presence of pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations in a higher percentage of CML patients when CD34+ stem/progenitor cells are investigated using sensitive techniques, and these mutations are associated with imatinib resistance and disease progression. However, such studies were limited to smaller number of patients. METHODS: We investigated BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in CD34+ cells from 100 chronic-phase CML patients by multiplex allele-specific PCR and sequencing at diagnosis. Mutations were re-investigated upon manifestation of imatinib resistance using allele-specific PCR and direct sequencing of BCR-ABL kinase domain. RESULTS: Pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations were detected in 32/100 patients and included F311L, M351T, and T315I. After a median follow-up of 30 months (range 8-48, all patients with pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations exhibited imatinib resistance. Of the 68 patients without pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations, 24 developed imatinib resistance; allele-specific PCR and BCR-ABL kinase domain sequencing detected mutations in 22 of these patients. All 32 patients with pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations had the same mutations after manifestation of imatinib-resistance. In imatinib-resistant patients without pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations, we detected F311L, M351T, Y253F, and T315I mutations. All imatinib-resistant patients except T315I and Y253F mutations responded to imatinib dose escalation. CONCLUSION: Pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations can be detected in a substantial number of chronic-phase CML patients by sensitive allele-specific PCR technique using CD34+ cells. These mutations are associated with imatinib resistance if affecting drug binding directly or indirectly. After the recent approval of nilotinib, dasatinib, bosutinib and ponatinib for treatment of chronic myeloid

Prediction of novel pre-microRNAs with high accuracy through boosting and SVM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanwei; Yang, Yifan; Zhang, Huan; Jiang, Xiaohua; Xu, Bo; Xue, Yu; Cao, Yunxia; Zhai, Qian; Zhai, Yong; Xu, Mingqing; Cooke, Howard J; Shi, Qinghua

2011-05-15

High-throughput deep-sequencing technology has generated an unprecedented number of expressed short sequence reads, presenting not only an opportunity but also a challenge for prediction of novel microRNAs. To verify the existence of candidate microRNAs, we have to show that these short sequences can be processed from candidate pre-microRNAs. However, it is laborious and time consuming to verify these using existing experimental techniques. Therefore, here, we describe a new method, miRD, which is constructed using two feature selection strategies based on support vector machines (SVMs) and boosting method. It is a high-efficiency tool for novel pre-microRNA prediction with accuracy up to 94.0% among different species. miRD is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/rpg/mird/mird.php.

Compliance with Operational Circular No. 2 on conditions of access to the fenced CERN sites

CERN Multimedia

Relations with the Host States Service

2004-01-01

The purpose of Operational Circular No. 2 is to contribute to the protection of people and property by defining the conditions of access to the Organization's fenced sites. However, recently, the services concerned have noted a significant increase in the instances of non-compliance with those conditions that cannot be tolerated, for example: use of CERN access cards by people, other than the cardholders themselves, in order to gain access to facilities without having attended the required safety course; speeding, particularly on Route Gregory and Route Weisskopf; driving in and out of the site on the wrong side of the road; parking on spaces set aside for the disabled; nuisance parking, especially in the proximity of the Restaurants; the dumping of wrecked vehicles. As the aforementioned instances of non-compliance can lead to dangerous situations, the Organization reserves the right to apply the penalties provided for under paragraph 26 of Operational Circular No. 2, namely to refuse access to the site...

Urban search mobile platform modeling in hindered access conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Barankova, I. I.; Mikhailova, U. V.; Kalugina, O. B.; Barankov, V. V.

2018-05-01

The article explores the control system simulation and the design of the experimental model of the rescue robot mobile platform. The functional interface, a structural functional diagram of the mobile platform control unit, and a functional control scheme for the mobile platform of secure robot were modeled. The task of design a mobile platform for urban searching in hindered access conditions is realized through the use of a mechanical basis with a chassis and crawler drive, a warning device, human heat sensors and a microcontroller based on Arduino platforms.

IFLA General Conference, 1986. Pre-Conference Seminar on Automated Systems for Access to Multilingual and Multiscript Library materials: Problems and Solutions. Papers.

Science.gov (United States)

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, The Hague (Netherlands).

A seminar which considered problems and solutions regarding automated systems for access to multilingual and multiscript library materials was held as a pre-session before the IFLA general conference in 1986. Papers presented include: (1) "Romanized and Transliterated Databases of Asian Language Materials--History, Problems, and…

38 CFR 18.422 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap Accessibility § 18.422 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate each program or activity to which this... visits, delivery of health, or other social services at alternate accessible sites, alteration of...

Impact of pre-conditioning on the qualification of safety-related equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isgro, J.R.

1982-01-01

This paper shares some recent experiences on the effects of preconditioning on the qualification of safety-related equipment not located in a harsh environment. Environmental and seismic qualification testing programs were conducted following the guidelines of IEEE 323-1974, IEEE 344-1975 and appropriate IEEE daughter standards, where available. The examples that follow will illustrate the degree of pre-conditioning of safety-related equipment qualified to the requirements of IEEE-323-1974, and its effect on the outcome of the qualification program

Global existence and exponential growth for a viscoelastic wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

KAUST Repository

Gerbi, Sté phane; Said-Houari, Belkacem

2013-01-01

The goal of this work is to study a model of the wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions and a viscoelastic term. First, applying the Faedo-Galerkin method combined with the fixed point theorem, we show the existence and uniqueness of a local in time solution. Second, we show that under some restrictions on the initial data, the solution continues to exist globally in time. On the other hand, if the interior source dominates the boundary damping, then the solution is unbounded and grows as an exponential function. In addition, in the absence of the strong damping, then the solution ceases to exist and blows up in finite time.

Global existence and exponential growth for a viscoelastic wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

KAUST Repository

Gerbi, Stéphane

2013-01-15

The goal of this work is to study a model of the wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions and a viscoelastic term. First, applying the Faedo-Galerkin method combined with the fixed point theorem, we show the existence and uniqueness of a local in time solution. Second, we show that under some restrictions on the initial data, the solution continues to exist globally in time. On the other hand, if the interior source dominates the boundary damping, then the solution is unbounded and grows as an exponential function. In addition, in the absence of the strong damping, then the solution ceases to exist and blows up in finite time.

Social existence: between subjective and objective conditions. Impact on the theoretical discussion on development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aura González Serna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This article aims to instill reflections on the theoretical debate around the development. The premise for fixing the analysis is to consider the impact of modes of apprehending social existence, since it is demarcated between subjectivities and objective conditions. Different conceptions appear to interpret and represent the individual and collective imagination. Fragmentation between subjectivity and objectivity, constitute an impediment to understanding the generic nature of being that builds and permanently transformed the social existence.

Privacy preserving probabilistic record linkage (P3RL): a novel method for linking existing health-related data and maintaining participant confidentiality.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidlin, Kurt; Clough-Gorr, Kerri M; Spoerri, Adrian

2015-05-30

Record linkage of existing individual health care data is an efficient way to answer important epidemiological research questions. Reuse of individual health-related data faces several problems: Either a unique personal identifier, like social security number, is not available or non-unique person identifiable information, like names, are privacy protected and cannot be accessed. A solution to protect privacy in probabilistic record linkages is to encrypt these sensitive information. Unfortunately, encrypted hash codes of two names differ completely if the plain names differ only by a single character. Therefore, standard encryption methods cannot be applied. To overcome these challenges, we developed the Privacy Preserving Probabilistic Record Linkage (P3RL) method. In this Privacy Preserving Probabilistic Record Linkage method we apply a three-party protocol, with two sites collecting individual data and an independent trusted linkage center as the third partner. Our method consists of three main steps: pre-processing, encryption and probabilistic record linkage. Data pre-processing and encryption are done at the sites by local personnel. To guarantee similar quality and format of variables and identical encryption procedure at each site, the linkage center generates semi-automated pre-processing and encryption templates. To retrieve information (i.e. data structure) for the creation of templates without ever accessing plain person identifiable information, we introduced a novel method of data masking. Sensitive string variables are encrypted using Bloom filters, which enables calculation of similarity coefficients. For date variables, we developed special encryption procedures to handle the most common date errors. The linkage center performs probabilistic record linkage with encrypted person identifiable information and plain non-sensitive variables. In this paper we describe step by step how to link existing health-related data using encryption methods to

Dropping the hammer: Examining impact ignition and combustion using pre-stressed aluminum powder

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Kevin J.; Warzywoda, Juliusz; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Levitas, Valery I.

2017-09-01

Pre-stressing aluminum (Al) particles by annealing and quenching Al powder alters particle mechanical properties and has also been linked to an increase in particle reactivity. Specifically, energy propagation in composites consisting of aluminum mixed with copper oxide (Al + CuO) exhibits a 24% increase in flame speed when using pre-stressed aluminum (PS Al) compared to Al of the same particle size. However, no data exist for the reactivity of PS Al powders under impact loading. In this study, a drop weight impact tester with pressure cell was designed and built to examine impact ignition sensitivity and combustion of PS Al when mixed with CuO. Both micron and nanometer scale powders (i.e., μAl and nAl, respectively) were pre-stressed, then combined with CuO and analyzed. Three types of ignition and combustion events were identified: ignition with complete combustion, ignition with incomplete combustion, and no ignition or combustion. The PS nAl + CuO demonstrated a lower impact ignition energy threshold for complete combustion, differing from nAl + CuO samples by more than 3.5 J/mg. The PS nAl + CuO also demonstrated significantly more complete combustion as evidenced by pressure history data during ignition and combustion. Additional material characterization provides insight on hot spot formation in the incomplete combustion samples. The most probable reasons for higher impact-induced reactivity of pre-stressed particles include (a) delayed but more intense fracture of the pre-stressed alumina shell due to release of energy of internal stresses during fracture and (b) detachment of the shell from the core during impact due to high tensile stresses in the Al core leading to much more pronounced fracture of unsupported shells and easy access of oxygen to the Al core. The μAl + CuO composites did not ignite, even under pre-stressed conditions.

Pre-anaesthetic screening of geriatric dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.E. Joubert

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Pre-anaesthetic screening has been advocated as a valuable tool for improving anaesthetic safety and determining anaesthetic risk. This study was done determine whether pre-anaesthetic screening result in cancellation of anaesthesia and the diagnosis of new clinical conditions in geriatric dogs. One hundred and one dogs older than 7 years of age provided informed owner consent were included in the study. Each dog was weighed, and its temperature, pulse and respiration recorded. An abdominal palpation, examination of the mouth, including capillary refill time and mucous membranes, auscultation, body condition and habitus was performed and assessed. A cephalic catheter was placed and blood drawn for pre-anaesthetic testing. A micro-haematocrit tube was filled and the packed cell volume determined. The blood placed was in a test tube, centrifuged and then analysed on an in-house blood analyser. Alkaline phosphatase, alanine transferase, urea, creatinine, glucose and total protein were determined. A urine sample was then obtained by cystocentesis, catheterisation or free-flow for analysis. The urine specific gravity was determined with a refractometer. A small quantity of urine was then placed on a dip stick. Any new diagnoses made during the pre-anaesthetic screening were recorded. The average age of the dogs was 10.99+2.44 years and the weight was 19.64+15.78 kg. There were 13 dogs with pre-existing medical conditions. A total of 30 new diagnoses were made on the basis of the pre-anaesthetic screening. The most common conditions were neoplasia, chronic kidney disease and Cushing's disease. Of the 30 patients with a new diagnosis, 13 did not undergo anaesthesia as result of the new diagnosis. From this study it can be concluded that screening of geriatric patients is important and that sub-clinical disease could be present in nearly 30 % of these patients. The value of screening before anaesthesia is perhaps more questionable in terms of

Ischemic conditioning-induced endogenous brain protection: Applications pre-, per- or post-stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuechun; Reis, Cesar; Applegate, Richard; Stier, Gary; Martin, Robert; Zhang, John H

2015-10-01

In the area of brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases, a plethora of experimental and clinical evidence strongly indicates the promise of therapeutically exploiting the endogenous adaptive system at various levels like triggers, mediators and the end-effectors to stimulate and mobilize intrinsic protective capacities against brain injuries. It is believed that ischemic pre-conditioning and post-conditioning are actually the strongest known interventions to stimulate the innate neuroprotective mechanism to prevent or reverse neurodegenerative diseases including stroke and traumatic brain injury. Recently, studies showed the effectiveness of ischemic per-conditioning in some organs. Therefore the term ischemic conditioning, including all interventions applied pre-, per- and post-ischemia, which spans therapeutic windows in 3 time periods, has recently been broadly accepted by scientific communities. In addition, it is extensively acknowledged that ischemia-mediated protection not only affects the neurons but also all the components of the neurovascular network (consisting of neurons, glial cells, vascular endothelial cells, pericytes, smooth muscle cells, and venule/veins). The concept of cerebroprotection has been widely used in place of neuroprotection. Intensive studies on the cellular signaling pathways involved in ischemic conditioning have improved the mechanistic understanding of tolerance to cerebral ischemia. This has added impetus to exploration for potential pharmacologic mimetics, which could possibly induce and maximize inherent protective capacities. However, most of these studies were performed in rodents, and the efficacy of these mimetics remains to be evaluated in human patients. Several classical signaling pathways involving apoptosis, inflammation, or oxidation have been elaborated in the past decades. Newly characterized mechanisms are emerging with the advances in biotechnology and conceptual renewal. In this review we are going to focus on

Existence and asymptotic behavior of the wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

KAUST Repository

Graber, Philip Jameson; Said-Houari, Belkacem

2012-01-01

The goal of this work is to study a model of the strongly damped wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions and nonlinear boundary/interior sources and nonlinear boundary/interior damping. First, applying the nonlinear semigroup theory, we show the existence and uniqueness of local in time solutions. In addition, we show that in the strongly damped case solutions gain additional regularity for positive times t>0. Second, we show that under some restrictions on the initial data and if the interior source dominates the interior damping term and if the boundary source dominates the boundary damping, then the solution grows as an exponential function. Moreover, in the absence of the strong damping term, we prove that the solution ceases to exists and blows up in finite time. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Existence and asymptotic behavior of the wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

KAUST Repository

Graber, Philip Jameson

2012-03-07

The goal of this work is to study a model of the strongly damped wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions and nonlinear boundary/interior sources and nonlinear boundary/interior damping. First, applying the nonlinear semigroup theory, we show the existence and uniqueness of local in time solutions. In addition, we show that in the strongly damped case solutions gain additional regularity for positive times t>0. Second, we show that under some restrictions on the initial data and if the interior source dominates the interior damping term and if the boundary source dominates the boundary damping, then the solution grows as an exponential function. Moreover, in the absence of the strong damping term, we prove that the solution ceases to exists and blows up in finite time. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Modifying effects of pre-existing fibrosis in rats exposed to aerosols of 239PuO2. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundgren, D.L.; Mauderly, J.L.; Gillett, N.A.; Hahn, F.F.

1988-01-01

We have initiated a study using rats to determine the modifying effects of pre-existing pulmonary fibrosis on the retention and biological effects of inhaled 239 PuO 2 . Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by intratracheal instillation of 8.5 IU/kg body weight of bleomycin at 45 to 49 days before inhalation exposure to an aerosol of 239 PuO 2 . The clearance of 239 Pu from the lungs of rats was decreased significantly (p 239 Pu, apparently by entrapping the particles in fibrotic areas of the lung. The life span of the rats with pulmonary fibrosis was decreased by up to 25% compared with control rats having similar initial lung burdens of 239 Pu. (author)

Diastolic blood pressure is a potentially modifiable risk factor for preeclampsia in women with pre-existing diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Sidse Kjærhus; Vestgaard, Marianne Jenlev; Jørgensen, Isabella Lindegaard

2018-01-01

AIMS: To identify early clinical, modifiable risk factors for preeclampsia present at first antenatal visit and assess the prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders in women with pre-existing diabetes treated with tight glycemic and blood pressure (BP) control. METHODS: A population...... and preeclampsia was recorded. Diabetic microangiopathy included presence of nephropathy, microalbuminuria and/or retinopathy. Treatment target was BP ... women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. At the first antenatal visit, the prevalence of microalbuminuria was 6% (6% vs. 6%), nephropathy 2% (1% vs. 2%) and chronic hypertension 6% (3% vs. 10%, p = 0.03). Gestational hypertension developed in 8% (9% vs. 6%) and preeclampsia developed in 8% (9% vs. 7...

Validation of a pre-existing safety climate scale for the Turkish furniture manufacturing industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Akyuz, Kadri Cemil; Yildirim, Ibrahim; Gungor, Celal

2018-03-22

Understanding the safety climate level is essential to implement a proactive safety program. The objective of this study is to explore the possibility of having a safety climate scale for the Turkish furniture manufacturing industry since there has not been any scale available. The questionnaire recruited 783 subjects. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested a pre-existing safety scale's fit to the industry. The CFA indicated that the structures of the model present a non-satisfactory fit with the data (χ 2  = 2033.4, df = 314, p ≤ 0.001; root mean square error of approximation = 0.08, normed fit index = 0.65, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.65, comparative fit index = 0.69, parsimony goodness-of-fit index = 0.68). The results suggest that a new scale should be developed and validated to measure the safety climate level in the Turkish furniture manufacturing industry. Due to the hierarchical structure of organizations, future studies should consider a multilevel approach in their exploratory factor analyses while developing a new scale.

Non-Imaging Acoustical Properties in Monitoring Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Access. A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anas Mohd Noor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The limitations of the gold standard angiography technique in arteriovenous access surveillance have opened a gap for researchers to find the best way to monitor this condition with low-cost, non-invasive and continuous bedside monitoring. The phonoangiography technique has been developed prior to these limits. This measurement and monitoring technique, associated with intelligence signal processing, promises better analysis for early detection of hemodialysis access problems, such as stenosis and thrombosis. Some research groups have shown that the phonoangiography technique could identify as many as 20% of vascular diameter changes and also its frequency characteristics due to hemodialysis access problems. The frequency characteristics of these acoustical signals are presented and discussed in detail to understand the association with the stenosis level, blood flows, sensor locations, fundamental frequency bands of normal and abnormal conditions, and also the spectral energy produced. This promising technique could be used in the near future as a tool for pre-diagnosis of arteriovenous access before any further access correction by surgical techniques is required. This paper provides an extensive review of various arteriovenous access monitoring techniques based on non-imaging acoustical properties.

Racial Disparities in Access to Care Under Conditions of Universal Coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqi, Arjumand A; Wang, Susan; Quinn, Kelly; Nguyen, Quynh C; Christy, Antony Dennis

2016-02-01

Racial disparities in access to regular health care have been reported in the U.S., but little is known about the extent of disparities in societies with universal coverage. To investigate the extent of racial disparities in access to care under conditions of universal coverage by observing the association between race and regular access to a doctor in Canada. Racial disparities in access to a regular doctor were calculated using the largest available source of nationally representative data in Canada--the Canadian Community Health Survey. Surveys from 2000-2010 were analyzed in 2014. Multinomial regression analyses predicted odds of having a regular doctor for each racial group compared to whites. Analyses were stratified by immigrant status--Canadian-born versus shorter-term immigrant versus longer-term immigrants--and controlled for sociodemographics and self-rated health. Racial disparities in Canada, a country with universal coverage, were far more muted than those previously reported in the U.S. Only among longer-term Latin American immigrants (OR=1.90, 95% CI=1.45, 2.08) and Canadian-born Aboriginals (OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.22, 1.47) were significant disparities noted. Among shorter-term immigrants, all Asians were more likely than whites, and among longer-term immigrants, South Asians were more like than whites, to have a regular doctor. Universal coverage may have a major impact on reducing racial disparities in access to health care, although among some subgroups, other factors may also play a role above and beyond health insurance. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accessibility of the pre-big-bang models to LIGO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandic, Vuk; Buonanno, Alessandra

2006-01-01

The recent search for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with LIGO interferometers has produced a new upper bound on the amplitude of this background in the 100 Hz region. We investigate the implications of the current and future LIGO results on pre-big-bang models of the early Universe, determining the exclusion regions in the parameter space of the minimal pre-big-bang scenario. Although the current LIGO reach is still weaker than the indirect bound from big bang nucleosynthesis, future runs by LIGO, in the coming year, and by Advanced LIGO (∼2009) should further constrain the parameter space, and in some parts surpass the Big Bang nucleosynthesis bound. It will be more difficult to constrain the parameter space in nonminimal pre-big bang models, which are characterized by multiple cosmological phases in the yet not well understood stringy phase, and where the higher-order curvature and/or quantum-loop corrections in the string effective action should be included

REMINDER - Compliance with Operational Circular No. 2 on conditions of access to the fenced CERN sites

CERN Multimedia

Relations with the Host States Service

2004-01-01

The purpose of Operational Circular No. 2 is to contribute to the protection of people and property by defining the conditions of access to the Organization's fenced sites. However, recently, the services concerned have noted a significant increase in the instances of non-compliance with those conditions that cannot be tolerated, for example: use of CERN access cards by people, other than the cardholders themselves, in order to gain access to facilities without having attended the required safety course; speeding, particularly on Route Gregory and Route Weisskopf; driving in and out of the site on the wrong side of the road; parking on spaces set aside for the disabled; nuisance parking, especially in the proximity of the Restaurants; the dumping of wrecked vehicles. As the aforementioned instances of non-compliance can lead to dangerous situations, the Organization reserves the right to apply the penalties provided for under paragraph 26 of Operational Circular No. 2, namely to refuse access to the site ...

Pre-enlistment hearing loss and hearing loss disability among US soldiers and marines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlene E Gubata

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Hearing loss is a common condition among US adults, with some evidence of increasing prevalence in young adults. Noise-induced hearing loss attributable to employment is a significant source of preventable morbidity world-wide. The US military population is largely comprised of young adult males serving in a wide variety of occupations, many in high noise-level conditions, at least episodically. To identify accession and service-related risk factors for hearing-related disability, matched case-control study of US military personnel was conducted. Individuals evaluated for hearing loss disability in the US Army and Marine Corps were frequency matched to controls without history of disability evaluation on service and enlistment year. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the association between accession and service-related factors and hearing-related disability evaluations between October 2002 and September 2010. Individuals with medically disqualifying audiograms or hearing loss diagnoses at application for military service were 8 and 4 times more likely, respectively, to have a disability evaluation related to hearing loss, after controlling for relevant accession, demographic, and service-related factors. Conservative hearing loss thresholds on pre-enlistment audiograms, stricter hearing loss medical waiver policies or qualified baseline audiograms pre-enlistment are needed in the U.S military. Industrial corporations or labor unions may also benefit from identifying individuals with moderate hearing loss at the time of employment to ensure use of personal protective equipment and engineer controls of noise.

Pre-produsage and the remediation of virtual products

Science.gov (United States)

Skågeby, Jörgen

2011-04-01

This paper introduces and explores cycles of pre-produsage and produsage. It reports on the results from an online ethnographical study of the Apple iPad conducted before the public release of the material product. Consequently, most users had not physically interacted with the device in question. Nevertheless, the release of the technical specifications and marketing material generated a massive amount of produsage-related online discussion. As such this paper explores the concept of pre-produsage. Pre-produsage is a form of predicted or expected use, relating to products or services that are only accessible to users as a form of representation (e.g. technical specification, virtual prototype, and design sketch), but with an added element of user-generated design suggestions, conflict coordination, and software development. Remediation-the process by which new digital media technologies reuses qualities of previous technologies and enters an existing media ecology-is a prevalent theme in pre-produsage and involves a tension between features that support protracted use and features that provide total innovation. The paper argues that an analysis of pre-produsage can provide insights that relate to both anticipated and actual user experience (UX). More specifically, pre-produsage analysis can trace the underlying reasons for a certain problem, intention, or concern and connect it to a specific set of features and potential solutions. Finally, the paper shows how proprietary products become subject to produsage, resulting in artifacts negotiated by cycles of produsage.

Pre-existing vector immunity does not prevent replication deficient adenovirus from inducing efficient CD8 T-cell memory and recall responses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Abildgaard Steffensen

Full Text Available Adenoviral vectors have shown a great potential for vaccine development due to their inherent ability to induce potent and protective CD8 T-cell responses. However, a critical issue regarding the use of these vectors is the existence of inhibitory immunity against the most commonly used Ad5 vector in a large part of the human population. We have recently developed an improved adenoviral vaccine vector system in which the vector expresses the transgene tethered to the MHC class II associated invariant chain (Ii. To further evaluate the potential of this system, the concept of pre-existing inhibitory immunity to adenoviral vectors was revisited to investigate whether the inhibition previously seen with the Ad5 vector also applied to the optimized vector system. We found this to be the case, and antibodies dominated as the mechanism underlying inhibitory vector immunity. However, presence of CD8 T cells directed against epitopes in the adenoviral vector seemed to correlate with repression of the induced response in re-vaccinated B-cell deficient mice. More importantly, despite a repressed primary effector CD8 T-cell response in Ad5-immune animals subjected to vaccination, memory T cells were generated that provided the foundation for an efficient recall response and protection upon subsequent viral challenge. Furthermore, the transgene specific response could be efficiently boosted by homologous re-immunization. Taken together, these studies indicate that adenoviral vectors can be used to induce efficient CD8 T-cell memory even in individuals with pre-existing vector immunity.

Spiral computed tomographic pulmonary angiography in patients with acute pulmonary emboli and no pre-existing comorbidity: a prospective prognostic panel study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javadrashid, Reza; Mozayan, Maryam; Tarzamni, Mohammad Kazem [Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghaffari, Mohammad Reza [Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Department of Lung and Respiratory Disease, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Fouladi, Daniel F. [Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-01-15

To investigate the prognostic validity of the right ventricular to left ventricular diameter (RVD/LVD) ratio and Qanadli pulmonary artery obstruction score (PAOS) in hemodynamically stable patients with no pre-existing comorbidities. Sixty-three patients with no previous comorbidity were recruited for this study. The RVD/LVD ratio was calculated based on axial image measurements obtained from contrast-enhanced non-electrocardiography-gated spiral computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiographic studies. Patients were followed up for 60 days after the initial CT and study variables including demographic data, the RVD/LVD ratio and PAOS were compared between deceased cases and survivors via univariate and multivariate statistical models. The 60-day mortality rate was 22.2 %. The deceased and surviving groups were comparable for PAOS, whereas both the median age and RVD/LVD ratio were significantly higher in the first group. In multivariate analysis, however, age was the only significant, independent predictor of 60-day mortality (p = 0.02, Exp(B) = 1.06). At a cut-off age of 63 years the 60-day mortality was predicted with a sensitivity and specificity of 64.3 % and 69.4 %, respectively. The RVD/LVD ratio and PAOS are not independent predictors of mortality in hemodynamically stable patients with acute PE and no pre-existing comorbidities. (orig.)

Impact of Users Identities and Access Conditions on Downlink Performance in Closed Small-Cell Networks

KAUST Repository

Radaydeh, Redha

2015-05-26

This paper investigates the effect of various operation parameters on the downlink user performance in overlaid small-cell networks. The case study considers closed-access small cells (e.g., femtocells), wherein only active authorized user equipments (UEs) can be served, and each of which is allocated single downlink channel at a time. On the other hand, the macrocell base station can unconditionally serve macrocell UEs that exist inside its coverage space. The available channels can be shared simultaneously in the macrocell network and the femtocell network. Moreover, a channel can be reused only at the macrocell base station. The analysis provides quantitative approaches to model UEs identities, their likelihoods of being active, and their likelihoods of producing interference, considering UEs classifications, locations, and access capabilities. Moreover, it develops models for various interference sources observed from effective interference femtocells, considering femtocells capacities and operation conditions. The associated formulations to describe a desired UE performance and the impact of the number of available channels as well as the adopted channel assignment approach are thoroughly investigated. The results are generally presented for any channel models of interference sources as well as the desired source of the served UE. Moreover, specific channel models are then adopted, for which generalized closedform analytical results for the desired UE outage probability performance are obtained. Numerical and simulation results are presented to further clarify the main outcomes of the developed analysis.

Quality assessment of baby food made of different pre-processed organic raw materials under industrial processing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Kathrin; Kahl, Johannes; Paoletti, Flavio; Birlouez, Ines; Busscher, Nicolaas; Kretzschmar, Ursula; Särkkä-Tirkkonen, Marjo; Seljåsen, Randi; Sinesio, Fiorella; Torp, Torfinn; Baiamonte, Irene

2015-02-01

The market for processed food is rapidly growing. The industry needs methods for "processing with care" leading to high quality products in order to meet consumers' expectations. Processing influences the quality of the finished product through various factors. In carrot baby food, these are the raw material, the pre-processing and storage treatments as well as the processing conditions. In this study, a quality assessment was performed on baby food made from different pre-processed raw materials. The experiments were carried out under industrial conditions using fresh, frozen and stored organic carrots as raw material. Statistically significant differences were found for sensory attributes among the three autoclaved puree samples (e.g. overall odour F = 90.72, p processed from frozen carrots show increased moisture content and decrease of several chemical constituents. Biocrystallization identified changes between replications of the cooking. Pre-treatment of raw material has a significant influence on the final quality of the baby food.

Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation Pre- or Post-Resistance Training on Muscle Mass, Muscular Strength, and Functional Capacity in Pre-Conditioned Older Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hellen C. G. Nabuco

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Aging is associated with sarcopenia and dynapenia, with both processes contributing to functional dependence and mortality in older adults. Resistance training (RT and increased protein intake are strategies that may contribute to health improvements in older adults. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the effects of whey protein (WP supplementation consumed either immediately pre- or post-RT on skeletal muscle mass (SMM, muscular strength, and functional capacity in pre-conditioned older women. Seventy older women participated in this investigation and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: whey protein pre-RT and placebo post-RT (WP-PLA, n = 24, placebo pre-RT and whey protein post-RT (PLA-WP, n = 23, and placebo pre- and post-RT (PLA-PLA, n = 23. Each group ingested 35 g of WP or PLA. The RT program was carried out over 12 weeks (three times per week; 3 × 8–12 repetition maximum. Body composition, muscular strength, functional capacity, and dietary intake were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA for repeated measures, with baseline scores as covariates were used for data analysis. A time vs. group interaction (p < 0.05 was observed with WP-PLA and PLA-WP presenting greater increases compared with PLA-PLA for SMM (WP-PLA = 3.4%; PLA-WP = 4.2%; PLA-PLA = 2.0%, strength (WP-PLA = 8.1%; PLA-WP = 8.3%; PLA-PLA = 7.0%, and the 10-m walk test (WP-PLA = −10.8%; PLA-WP = −11.8%; PLA-PLA = −4.3%. Whey protein supplementation was effective in promoting increases in SMM, muscular strength, and functional capacity in pre-conditioned older women, regardless of supplementation timing. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03247192.

Transcriptome comparisons shed light on the pre-condition and potential barrier for C4 photosynthesis evolution in eudicots.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yimin; Lyu, Ming-Ju Amy; Zhu, Xin-Guang

2016-05-01

C4 photosynthesis evolved independently from C3 photosynthesis in more than 60 lineages. Most of the C4 lineages are clustered together in the order Poales and the order Caryophyllales while many other angiosperm orders do not have C4 species, suggesting the existence of biological pre-conditions in the ancestral C3 species that facilitate the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in these lineages. To explore pre-adaptations for C4 photosynthesis evolution, we classified C4 lineages into the C4-poor and the C4-rich groups based on the percentage of C4 species in different genera and conducted a comprehensive comparison on the transcriptomic changes between the non-C4 species from the C4-poor and the C4-rich groups. Results show that species in the C4-rich group showed higher expression of genes related to oxidoreductase activity, light reaction components, terpene synthesis, secondary cell synthesis, C4 cycle related genes and genes related to nucleotide metabolism and senescence. In contrast, C4-poor group showed up-regulation of a PEP/Pi translocator, genes related to signaling pathway, stress response, defense response and plant hormone metabolism (ethylene and brassinosteroid). The implications of these transcriptomic differences between the C4-rich and C4-poor groups to C4 evolution are discussed.

[Do organizational barriers to pneumococcal and influenza vaccine access exist?].

Science.gov (United States)

Rousseau, Louise; Guay, Maryse; Archambault, Denis; El m'ala, Zahra; Abdelaziz, Nadia

2007-01-01

Despite the implementation of a Quebec immunization program against influenza and pneumococcal disease (PQIIP), vaccine coverage has remained low. There have been many studies on personal barriers to vaccination, but few have explored other kinds of barriers. To explore the presence of barriers in relation to the organization of the health care system and to propose recommendations for increasing vaccine coverage. Within a mixed protocol, a phone survey of 996 people in the target population and a case study implicating the follow-up of the PQIIP with all the site and actor categories via 43 semistructured interviews and 4 focus groups were realized. Survey data underwent a descriptive statistical analysis. Qualitative analysis followed the Miles and Huberman approach. The results indicate the presence of barriers with regard to information accessibility. These include access to: the physicians' recommendation, knowledge of the efficacy or the security of vaccines, and admissibility of clients to the PQIIP. Organizational barriers were also found to limit access to vaccination, especially in terms of restricted choices of time and location. Coordination and incentives mechanisms are not optimal. Removal of organizational barriers depends more on strategic rather than structural factors. Addressing organizational barriers should be an important component of strategies aimed at improving vaccine coverage. Public health authorities should focus on strategic management of the information and inter-organizational environment.

Amelioration of rCBF and PbtO2 following TBI at high altitude by hyperbaric oxygen pre-conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shengli; Li, Fei; Luo, Haishui; Xia, Yongzhi; Zhang, Jiuquan; Hu, Rong; Cui, Gaoyu; Meng, Hui; Feng, Hua

2010-03-01

Hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude can lead to brain damage and pre-conditioning with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) can reduce ischemic/hypoxic brain injury. This study investigates the effects of high altitude on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and examines the neuroprotection provided by HBO preconditioning against TBI. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: HBO pre-conditioning group (HBOP, n=10), high altitude group (HA, n=10), plain control group (PC, n=10) and plain sham operation group (sham, n=10). All groups were subjected to head trauma by weight drop device except for the sham group. Rats from each group were examined for neurological function, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and brain tissue oxygen pressure (PbtO(2)) and were killed for analysis by transmission electron microscope. The score of neurological deficits in the HA group was highest, followed by the HBOP group and the PC group, respectively. Both rCBF and PbtO(2) were the lowest in the HA group. Brain morphology and structure seen via the transmission electron microscope was diminished in the HA group, while fewer pathological injuries occurred in the HBOP and PC groups. High altitude aggravates TBI significantly and HBO pre-conditioning can attenuate TBI in rats at high altitude by improvement of rCBF and PbtO(2). Pre-treatment with HBO might be beneficial for people traveling to high altitude locations.

Evaluation of pre-existing neuropathy and bortezomib retreatment as risk factors to develop severe neuropathy in a mouse model.

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Bruna, Jordi; Alé, Albert; Velasco, Roser; Jaramillo, Jessica; Navarro, Xavier; Udina, Esther

2011-09-01

Pre-existing neuropathy, a not uncommon feature in oncologic patients, is a potential but non-confirmed risk factor to develop early or severe chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the role of pre-existing neuropathy induced by vincristine (VNC) or bortezomib (BTZ) as a risk factor to develop more severe BTZ-induced neuropathy in a mouse model. VNC, at doses of 1 and 1.5 mg/kg given twice per week for 4 weeks, induced a moderate and severe sensory-motor neuropathy, primarily axonal, with predominant involvement of myelinated sensory axons. The neuropathy induced by BTZ at dose of 1 mg/kg given twice per week for 6 weeks was a mild axonal sensory neuropathy involving myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. The neuropathy in mice previously treated and retreated with the same schedule of BTZ after 4 weeks of washout period was similar in profile and severity to the one observed after the first treatment. When basal neuropathy was classified as moderate (most of BTZ-treated animals) or severe (all VNC-treated animals and two BTZ-treated animals), there was a more marked decline in sensory nerve function during BTZ retreatment in the group with basal severe neuropathy (-86%) than in the groups with basal mild (-57%) or without neuropathy (-52%; p < 0.001). Histopathological findings supported the functional results. Therefore, this study shows that the presence of a severe neuropathy previous to treatment with an antitumoral agent, such as BTZ, results in a more marked involvement of peripheral nerves. © 2011 Peripheral Nerve Society.

The impact of pre-existing anxiety on affective and cognitive processing of a Virtual Reality analogue trauma.

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Schweizer, Tina; Schmitz, Julian; Plempe, Laura; Sun, Dali; Becker-Asano, Christian; Leonhart, Rainer; Tuschen-Caffier, Brunna

2017-01-01

Dysfunctional processing of traumatic events may be in particular related to high trait anxiety as a pre-traumatic risk factor for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, as this has rarely been investigated in prospective, experimental studies, we aimed to analyse the association between high trait anxiety and affective as well as cognitive processing of stress using a new prospective Virtual Reality analogue trauma paradigm to overcome limitations of retrospective or current analogue designs. Individuals with high and low trait anxiety (N = 80) were exposed to a multi-sensory Virtual Reality emergency scenario while psychophysiological stress response, emotion regulation and intrusive memories were assessed. Our results showed that high trait anxiety individuals display increased (i) subjective stress responses, (ii) emotion dysregulation and (iii) intrusive memories upon VR analogue trauma exposure. In particular, our sample of high trait anxiety individuals displayed limited access to different emotion regulation strategies as well as increased worry and rumination regarding perceived intrusive memories. Considering the complex interplay of multiple risk factors, our findings suggests that peri-traumatic affective processing seems to mediate high trait anxiety and post-traumatic intrusive memories thereby pointing out the central role of peri-traumatic processes for intrusion development. In addition, HA as a modulating pre-traumatic risk factor might further increase the risk of later dysfunctional processing of an analogue trauma by interacting with factors of affective processing during analogue trauma exposure. Implications of these findings which may contribute to a higher risk to develop PTSD are discussed.

The impact of pre-existing anxiety on affective and cognitive processing of a Virtual Reality analogue trauma.

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Tina Schweizer

Full Text Available Dysfunctional processing of traumatic events may be in particular related to high trait anxiety as a pre-traumatic risk factor for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD. However, as this has rarely been investigated in prospective, experimental studies, we aimed to analyse the association between high trait anxiety and affective as well as cognitive processing of stress using a new prospective Virtual Reality analogue trauma paradigm to overcome limitations of retrospective or current analogue designs. Individuals with high and low trait anxiety (N = 80 were exposed to a multi-sensory Virtual Reality emergency scenario while psychophysiological stress response, emotion regulation and intrusive memories were assessed. Our results showed that high trait anxiety individuals display increased (i subjective stress responses, (ii emotion dysregulation and (iii intrusive memories upon VR analogue trauma exposure. In particular, our sample of high trait anxiety individuals displayed limited access to different emotion regulation strategies as well as increased worry and rumination regarding perceived intrusive memories. Considering the complex interplay of multiple risk factors, our findings suggests that peri-traumatic affective processing seems to mediate high trait anxiety and post-traumatic intrusive memories thereby pointing out the central role of peri-traumatic processes for intrusion development. In addition, HA as a modulating pre-traumatic risk factor might further increase the risk of later dysfunctional processing of an analogue trauma by interacting with factors of affective processing during analogue trauma exposure. Implications of these findings which may contribute to a higher risk to develop PTSD are discussed.

Global existence of strong solutions to the three- dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with special boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Douglas A.

We study the three-dimensional incompressible Navier- Stokes equations in a domain of the form W'×(0,e) . First, we assume W' is a C3 bounded domain and impose no-slip boundary conditions on 6W'×(0,e ) , and periodic conditions on W'×0,e . Physically, this models fluid flow through a pipe with cross-section W' where the inlet and outlet conditions are assumed periodic. Secondly, we assume W'=(0,l4) ×(0,l5) and impose periodic boundary conditions. This problem is of interest mathematically, and has been more widely considered than the pipe flow problem. For both sets of boundary conditions, we show that a strong solution exists for all time with conditions on the initial data and forcing. We start by recalling that if the forcing function and initial condition do not depend on x3, then a global strong solution exists which also does not depend on x3. Here (x1,x2,x3) ∈W≡W'×( 0,e) . With this observation as motivation, and using an additive decomposition introduced by Raugel and Sell, we split the initial data and forcing into a portion independent of x3 and a remainder. In our first result, we impose a smallness condition on the remainder and assume the forcing function is square- integrable in time as a function into L2(W) . With these assumptions, we prove a global existence theorem that does not require a smallness condition on e or on the portion of the initial condition and forcing independent of x3. However, these quantities do affect the allowable size of the remainder. For our second result, we assume the forcing is only bounded in time as a function into L2(W) . In this case, we need a smallness condition on the initial data, the forcing, and e to obtain global existence. The interesting observation is that the allowable sizes for the initial data and forcing grow as e-->0 . Thus, we obtain a `thin-domain' result as originally obtained by Raugel and Sell. In fact, our results allow the portion of the initial data and forcing independent of x3 to

Access to healthcare, HIV/STI testing, and preferred pre-exposure prophylaxis providers among men who have sex with men and men who engage in street-based sex work in the US.

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Kristen Underhill

Full Text Available Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP is a promising strategy for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM and men who engage in sex work. But access will require routine HIV testing and contacts with healthcare providers. This study investigated men's healthcare and HIV testing experiences to inform PrEP implementation.We conducted 8 focus groups (n = 38 in 2012 and 56 in-depth qualitative interviews in 2013-14 with male sex workers (MSWs (n = 31 and other MSM (n = 25 in Providence, RI. MSWs primarily met clients in street-based sex work venues. Facilitators asked participants about access to healthcare and HIV/STI testing, healthcare needs, and preferred PrEP providers.MSWs primarily accessed care in emergency rooms (ERs, substance use clinics, correctional institutions, and walk-in clinics. Rates of HIV testing were high, but MSWs reported low access to other STI testing, low insurance coverage, and unmet healthcare needs including primary care, substance use treatment, and mental health services. MSM not engaging in sex work were more likely to report access to primary and specialist care. Rates of HIV testing among these MSM were slightly lower, but they reported more STI testing, more insurance coverage, and fewer unmet needs. Preferred PrEP providers for both groups included primary care physicians, infectious disease specialists, and psychiatrists. MSWs were also willing to access PrEP in substance use treatment and ER settings.PrEP outreach efforts for MSWs and other MSM should engage diverse providers in many settings, including mental health and substance use treatment, ERs, needle exchanges, correctional institutions, and HIV testing centers. Access to PrEP will require financial assistance, but can build on existing healthcare contacts for both populations.

Access to healthcare, HIV/STI testing, and preferred pre-exposure prophylaxis providers among men who have sex with men and men who engage in street-based sex work in the US.

Science.gov (United States)

Underhill, Kristen; Morrow, Kathleen M; Colleran, Christopher M; Holcomb, Richard; Operario, Don; Calabrese, Sarah K; Galárraga, Omar; Mayer, Kenneth H

2014-01-01

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a promising strategy for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM) and men who engage in sex work. But access will require routine HIV testing and contacts with healthcare providers. This study investigated men's healthcare and HIV testing experiences to inform PrEP implementation. We conducted 8 focus groups (n = 38) in 2012 and 56 in-depth qualitative interviews in 2013-14 with male sex workers (MSWs) (n = 31) and other MSM (n = 25) in Providence, RI. MSWs primarily met clients in street-based sex work venues. Facilitators asked participants about access to healthcare and HIV/STI testing, healthcare needs, and preferred PrEP providers. MSWs primarily accessed care in emergency rooms (ERs), substance use clinics, correctional institutions, and walk-in clinics. Rates of HIV testing were high, but MSWs reported low access to other STI testing, low insurance coverage, and unmet healthcare needs including primary care, substance use treatment, and mental health services. MSM not engaging in sex work were more likely to report access to primary and specialist care. Rates of HIV testing among these MSM were slightly lower, but they reported more STI testing, more insurance coverage, and fewer unmet needs. Preferred PrEP providers for both groups included primary care physicians, infectious disease specialists, and psychiatrists. MSWs were also willing to access PrEP in substance use treatment and ER settings. PrEP outreach efforts for MSWs and other MSM should engage diverse providers in many settings, including mental health and substance use treatment, ERs, needle exchanges, correctional institutions, and HIV testing centers. Access to PrEP will require financial assistance, but can build on existing healthcare contacts for both populations.

Existence of mild solutions of a semilinear evolution differential inclusions with nonlocal conditions

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Reem A. Al-Omair

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we prove the existence of a mild solution for a semilinear evolution differential inclusion with nonlocal condition and governed by a family of linear operators, not necessarily bounded or closed, in a Banach space. No compactness assumption is assumed on the evolution operator generated by the family operators. Also, we prove that the set of mild solutions is compact.

A universal pre- and postprocessing system, feasible or fiction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lonink, G.; Bink, E.

1982-01-01

The large number and the widespread applicability of available auxiliary software for pre- and postprocessing of finite element analyses has led to the desire to obtain access to one or more general purpose tools. The article discusses important aspects influencing the feasibility and likelihood of such tools to be developed. Required capabilities are summarized as well as features incorporated in existing programs, implications of new hardware and software provisions and types of suppliers one may expect to come out with attractive products. The preprocessing function in itself is straight forward and is covered by increasingly convenient tools. Computer aided design (CAD) requirements however dictate the necessity to interact strongly with the postprocessing part. Therefore developers in the CAD area of application are expected to be the ones with the potential of offering the most flexible facilities for large ranges of combined pre- and postprocessing activities. (orig.)

Key risk indicators for accident assessment conditioned on pre-crash vehicle trajectory.

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Shi, X; Wong, Y D; Li, M Z F; Chai, C

2018-08-01

Accident events are generally unexpected and occur rarely. Pre-accident risk assessment by surrogate indicators is an effective way to identify risk levels and thus boost accident prediction. Herein, the concept of Key Risk Indicator (KRI) is proposed, which assesses risk exposures using hybrid indicators. Seven metrics are shortlisted as the basic indicators in KRI, with evaluation in terms of risk behaviour, risk avoidance, and risk margin. A typical real-world chain-collision accident and its antecedent (pre-crash) road traffic movements are retrieved from surveillance video footage, and a grid remapping method is proposed for data extraction and coordinates transformation. To investigate the feasibility of each indicator in risk assessment, a temporal-spatial case-control is designed. By comparison, Time Integrated Time-to-collision (TIT) performs better in identifying pre-accident risk conditions; while Crash Potential Index (CPI) is helpful in further picking out the severest ones (the near-accident). Based on TIT and CPI, the expressions of KRIs are developed, which enable us to evaluate risk severity with three levels, as well as the likelihood. KRI-based risk assessment also reveals predictive insights about a potential accident, including at-risk vehicles, locations and time. Furthermore, straightforward thresholds are defined flexibly in KRIs, since the impact of different threshold values is found not to be very critical. For better validation, another independent real-world accident sample is examined, and the two results are in close agreement. Hierarchical indicators such as KRIs offer new insights about pre-accident risk exposures, which is helpful for accident assessment and prediction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health system barriers to access and use of magnesium sulfate for women with severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan: evidence for policy and practice.

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Maryam Bigdeli

Full Text Available Severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are rare but serious complications of pregnancy that threaten the lives of mothers during childbirth. Evidence supports the use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 as the first line treatment option for severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Eclampsia is the third major cause of maternal mortality in Pakistan. As in many other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC, it is suspected that MgSO4 is critically under-utilized in the country. There is however a lack of information on context-specific health system barriers that prevent optimal use of this life-saving medicine in Pakistan. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, namely policy document review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation at health facility, we explored context-specific health system barriers and enablers that affect access and use of MgSO4 for severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan. Our study finds that while international recommendations on MgSO4 have been adequately translated in national policies in Pakistan, the gap remains in implementation of national policies into practice. Barriers to access to and effective use of MgSO4 occur at health facility level where the medicine was not available and health staff was reluctant to use it. Low price of the medicine and the small market related to its narrow indications acted as disincentives for effective marketing. Results of our survey were further discussed in a multi-stakeholder round-table meeting and an action plan for increasing access to this life-saving medicine was identified.

Health system barriers to access and use of magnesium sulfate for women with severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan: evidence for policy and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bigdeli, Maryam; Zafar, Shamsa; Assad, Hafeez; Ghaffar, Adbul

2013-01-01

Severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are rare but serious complications of pregnancy that threaten the lives of mothers during childbirth. Evidence supports the use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) as the first line treatment option for severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Eclampsia is the third major cause of maternal mortality in Pakistan. As in many other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), it is suspected that MgSO4 is critically under-utilized in the country. There is however a lack of information on context-specific health system barriers that prevent optimal use of this life-saving medicine in Pakistan. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, namely policy document review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation at health facility, we explored context-specific health system barriers and enablers that affect access and use of MgSO4 for severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan. Our study finds that while international recommendations on MgSO4 have been adequately translated in national policies in Pakistan, the gap remains in implementation of national policies into practice. Barriers to access to and effective use of MgSO4 occur at health facility level where the medicine was not available and health staff was reluctant to use it. Low price of the medicine and the small market related to its narrow indications acted as disincentives for effective marketing. Results of our survey were further discussed in a multi-stakeholder round-table meeting and an action plan for increasing access to this life-saving medicine was identified.

22 CFR 142.16 - Existing facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Accessibility § 142.16 Existing facilities. (a) Accessibility. A recipient shall operate each program or activity to which this part applies so that when each...., telecommunication device for the deaf) redesign of equipment, reassignment of classes or other services to...

Open pre-schools at integrated health services - A program theory

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Agneta Abrahamsson

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Family centres in Sweden are integrated services that reach all prospective parents and parents with children up to their sixth year, because of the co-location of the health service with the social service and the open pre-school. The personnel on the multi-professional site work together to meet the needs of the target group. The article explores a program theory focused on the open pre-schools at family centres.Method: A multi-case design is used and the sample consists of open pre-schools at six family centres. The hypothesis is based on previous research and evaluation data. It guides the data collection which is collected and analysed stepwise. Both parents and personnel are interviewed individually and in groups at each centre.Findings: The hypothesis was expanded to a program theory. The compliance of the professionals was the most significant element that explained why the open access service facilitated positive parenting. The professionals act in a compliant manner to meet the needs of the children and parents as well as in creating good conditions for social networking and learning amongst the parents. Conclusion: The compliance of the professionals in this program theory of open pre-schools at family centres can be a standard in integrated and open access services, whereas the organisation form can vary. The best way of increasing the number of integrative services is to support and encourage professionals that prefer to work in a compliant manner.

Open pre-schools at integrated health services - A program theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agneta Abrahamsson

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Family centres in Sweden are integrated services that reach all prospective parents and parents with children up to their sixth year, because of the co-location of the health service with the social service and the open pre-school. The personnel on the multi-professional site work together to meet the needs of the target group. The article explores a program theory focused on the open pre-schools at family centres. Method: A multi-case design is used and the sample consists of open pre-schools at six family centres. The hypothesis is based on previous research and evaluation data. It guides the data collection which is collected and analysed stepwise. Both parents and personnel are interviewed individually and in groups at each centre. Findings: The hypothesis was expanded to a program theory. The compliance of the professionals was the most significant element that explained why the open access service facilitated positive parenting. The professionals act in a compliant manner to meet the needs of the children and parents as well as in creating good conditions for social networking and learning amongst the parents. Conclusion: The compliance of the professionals in this program theory of open pre-schools at family centres can be a standard in integrated and open access services, whereas the organisation form can vary. The best way of increasing the number of integrative services is to support and encourage professionals that prefer to work in a compliant manner.

Biomass Resource Assessment and Existing Biomass Use in the Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu States of India

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Karthikeyan Natarajan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available India is experiencing energy crisis and a widening gap between energy supply and demand. The country is, however, endowed with considerable, commercially and technically available renewable resources, from which surplus agro-biomass is of great importance and a relatively untapped resource. In the policy making process, knowledge of existing biomass use, degree of social reliance, and degree of biomass availability for energy production is unequivocal and pre-conditional. Field observations, documentation, and fill-in sheet tools were used to investigate the potential of biomass resources and the existing domestic, commercial, and industrial uses of biomass in selected Indian states. To do so, a team of field observers/supervisors visited three Indian states namely: Maharashtra (MH, Madhya Pradesh (MP, and Tamil Nadu (TN. Two districts from each state were selected to collect data regarding the use of biomass and the extent of biomass availability for energy production. In total, 471 farmers were interviewed, and approximately 75 farmers with various land holdings have been interviewed in each district. The existing uses of biomass have been documented in this survey study and the results show that the majority of biomass is used as fodder for domestic livestock followed by in-site ploughing, leaving trivial surplus quantities for other productive uses. Biomass for cooking appeared to be insignificant due to the availability and access to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG cylinders in the surveyed districts. Opportunities exist to utilize roadside-dumped biomass, in-site burnt biomass, and a share of biomass used for ploughing. The GIS-based maps show that biomass availability varies considerably across the Taluks of the surveyed districts, and is highly dependent on a number of enviromental and socio-cultural factors. Developing competitive bioenergy market and enhancing and promoting access to more LPG fuel connections seem an appropriate socio

Pre-calculus 1,001 practice problems for dummies

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Sterling, Mary Jane; Sterling

2014-01-01

Prepare for calculus the smart way, with customizable pre-calculus practice 1,001 Pre-Calculus Practice Problems For Dummies offers 1,001 opportunities to gain confidence in your math skills. Much more than a workbook, this study aid provides pre-calculus problems ranked from easy to advanced, with detailed explanations and step-by-step solutions for each one. The companion website gives you free online access to all 1,001 practice problems and solutions, and you can track your progress and ID where you should focus your study time. Accessible on the go by smart phone, tablet, o

European union water policy--tasks for implementing "Water Framework Directive" in pre-accession countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sözen, Seval; Avcioglu, Ebru; Ozabali, Asli; Görgun, Erdem; Orhon, Derin

2003-08-01

Water Framework Directive aiming to maintain and improve the aquatic environment in the EU was launched by the European Parliament in 2000. According to this directive, control of quantity is an ancillary element in securing good water quality and therefore measures on quantity, serving the objective of ensuring good quality should also be established. Accordingly, it is a comprehensive and coordinated package that will ensure all European waters to be protected according to a common standard. Therefore, it refers to all other Directives related to water resources management such as Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive Nitrates Directive, Drinking Water Directive, Integrated Pollution Prevention Control etc. Turkey, as a candidate state targeting full-membership, should comply the necessary preparations for the implementation of the "Water Framework Directive" as soon as possible. In this study, the necessary legislative, political, institutional, and technical attempts of the pre-accession countries have been discussed and effective recommendations have been offered for future activities in Turkey.

The onset condition of equatorial plasma bubbles - the role of seeding mechanism and growth condition

Science.gov (United States)

Kil, H.; Choi, J. M.; Kwak, Y. S.; Lee, W. K.; Park, J.

2015-12-01

We investigate the role of seeding mechanism and growth condition of perturbations in the creation of equatorial plasma bubbles by analyzing the C/NOFS and ROCSAT-1 satellite observations. The initial development times of bubbles were identified by manual processing of the data, and the periodic characteristics in the occurrence of bubbles were investigated using periodograms obtained from segments of bubble chains. Our preliminary results show that bubbles initiate at the time that the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) ends. This time corresponds to the time that the F region reaches the highest altitude where the growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability is large. The initial onset time of bubbles varies with season and longitude in accordance with the variation of the PRE ending time. Our investigation of the periodicity in the occurrence of bubbles (spacing between bubbles) shows that a dominant periodicity does not exist; the spacing between bubbles ranges from 100 km to over 1000 km. A pronounced periodicity occurs in some series of bubbles, but, in general, multiple periodicity co-exists. The initiation of bubbles at a specific local time but the absence of a preferential wave property in the occurrence of bubbles lead to the conclusion that the onset of bubbles is controlled by the growth condition of the R-T instability.

Recent advances in pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Monica; Field, Nigel; Grant, Robert; McCormack, Sheena

2017-12-11

Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-the use of antiretroviral drugs by non-infected people to prevent the acquisition of HIV-is a promising preventive option, important public health questions remain. Daily oral emtricitabine (FTC)-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is highly efficacious in preventing the acquisition of HIV in people at risk as a result of a range of different types of sexual exposure. There is good evidence of efficacy in women and men, and when men who have sex with men use event based dosing. Studies have been conducted in several countries and epidemics. Because adherence to this treatment varies greatly there are questions about its public health benefit. Oral FTC-TDF is extremely safe, with minimal impact on kidney, bone, or pregnancy outcomes, and there is no evidence that its effectiveness has been reduced by risk compensation during open label and programmatic follow-up. It is too early to assess the impact of this treatment on the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at a population level. Many challenges remain. Access to pre-exposure prophylaxis is limited and disparities exist, including those governed by race and sex. Different pricing and access models need to be explored to avoid further widening inequalities. The optimal combination prevention program needs to be defined, and this will depend on local epidemiology, service provision, and cost effectiveness. This review updates the evidence base for pre-exposure prophylaxis regarding its effectiveness, safety, and risk compensation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Long term health-related quality of life after burns is strongly dependent on pre-existing disease and psychosocial issues and less due to the burn itself.

Science.gov (United States)

Orwelius, L; Willebrand, M; Gerdin, B; Ekselius, L; Fredrikson, M; Sjöberg, F

2013-03-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is reduced after a burn, and is affected by coexisting conditions. The aims of the investigation were to examine and describe effects of coexisting disease on HRQoL, and to quantify the proportion of burned people whose HRQoL was below that of a reference group matched for age, gender, and coexisting conditions. A nationwide study covering 9 years and examined HRQoL 12 and 24 months after the burn with the SF-36 questionnaire. The reference group was from the referral area of one of the hospitals. The HRQoL of the burned patients was below that of the reference group mainly in the mental dimensions, and only single patients were affected in the physical dimensions. The factor that significantly affected most HRQoL dimensions (n=6) after the burn was unemployment, whereas only smaller effects could be attributed directly to the burn. Poor HRQoL was recorded for only a small number of patients, and the decline were mostly in the mental dimensions when compared with a group adjusted for age, gender, and coexisting conditions. Factors other than the burn itself, such as mainly unemployment and pre-existing disease, were most important for the long term HRQoL experience in these patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Challenges in horizontal integration of eye care services into the pre-existing rural primary care structure: an operations research perspective from Nigeria

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Chinyere Nkemdilim Ezisi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background . The provision of population-wide, accessible, affordable, acceptable and evenly distributed qualitative eye care services remains a recurrent challenge to eye care organizations worldwide. Objectives . To report the challenges encountered in setting up eye care service in a pre-existing primary health care facility in rural Nigeria and also audit the common causes of eye disorders in rural setting southeast of Nigeria. Material and methods . The study was an operations research study conducted at Akpuoga-Nike between February and April 2011. Demographic and ophthalmic clinical data were collected. Health system-, community- and patient-determined challenges were catalogued and analyzed using Epi Info Statistical software for Windows, version 6. Univariate analysis was performed for data distribution testing. Analytical statistics were performed, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results . A total of 481 (males, 144 (29.9%; females, 377(70.1% patients aged 42.3 ± 20.2 SD years (range 4–80 years were seen. The leading eye disorders were refractive error – 28.9%, and cataract – 16.4%. The operations challenges encountered included difficulties with community sensitization/advocacies, inadequate infrastructure and mobile equipment, as well as lack of eye care manpower, consumables and funding deficits. Conclusions . Health system-related issues were the main challenges encountered. Recruitment of an adequate number of rural eye care workforce, provision of needed material resources, adequate funding and engendering community participation in rural eye care delivery through grass roots advocacy and health service public education would overcome the challenges.

Existence of solutions for a fourth order eigenvalue problem ] {Existence of solutions for a fourth order eigenvalue problem with variable exponent under Neumann boundary conditions

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Khalil Ben Haddouch

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this work we will study the eigenvalues for a fourth order elliptic equation with $p(x$-growth conditions $\\Delta^2_{p(x} u=\\lambda |u|^{p(x-2} u$, under Neumann boundary conditions, where $p(x$ is a continuous function defined on the bounded domain with $p(x>1$. Through the Ljusternik-Schnireleman theory on $C^1$-manifold, we prove the existence of infinitely many eigenvalue sequences and $\\sup \\Lambda =+\\infty$, where $\\Lambda$ is the set of all eigenvalues.

Optimization of cell adhesion on mg based implant materials by pre-incubation under cell culture conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Willumeit, Regine; Möhring, Anneke; Feyerabend, Frank

2014-05-05

Magnesium based implants could revolutionize applications where orthopedic implants such as nails, screws or bone plates are used because they are load bearing and degrade over time. This prevents a second surgery to remove conventional implants. To improve the biocompatibility we studied here if and for how long a pre-incubation of the material under cell culture conditions is favorable for cell attachment and proliferation. For two materials, Mg and Mg10Gd1Nd, we could show that 6 h pre-incubation are already enough to form a natural protective layer suitable for cell culture.

Optimization of Cell Adhesion on Mg Based Implant Materials by Pre-Incubation under Cell Culture Conditions

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Regine Willumeit

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Magnesium based implants could revolutionize applications where orthopedic implants such as nails, screws or bone plates are used because they are load bearing and degrade over time. This prevents a second surgery to remove conventional implants. To improve the biocompatibility we studied here if and for how long a pre-incubation of the material under cell culture conditions is favorable for cell attachment and proliferation. For two materials, Mg and Mg10Gd1Nd, we could show that 6 h pre-incubation are already enough to form a natural protective layer suitable for cell culture.

High fat diet intake during pre and periadolescence impairs learning of a conditioned place preference in adulthood

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Sanabria Federico

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Brain regions that mediate learning of a conditioned place preference (CPP undergo significant development in pre and periadolescence. Consuming a high fat (HF diet during this developmental period and into adulthood can lead to learning impairments in rodents. The present study tested whether HF diet intake, consumed only in pre and periadolescence, would be sufficient to cause impairments using a CPP procedure. Methods Rats were randomly assigned to consume a HF or a low fat (LF diet during postnatal days (PD 21-40 and were then placed back on a standard lab chow diet. A 20-day CPP procedure, using HF Cheetos® as the unconditioned stimulus (US, began either the next day (PD 41 or 40 days later (PD 81. A separate group of adult rats were given the HF diet for 20 days beginning on PD 61, and then immediately underwent the 20-day CPP procedure beginning on PD 81. Results Pre and periadolescent exposure to a LF diet or adult exposure to a HF diet did not interfere with the development of a HF food-induced CPP, as these groups exhibited robust preferences for the HF Cheetos® food-paired compartment. However, pre and periadolescent exposure to the HF diet impaired the development of a HF food-induced CPP regardless of whether it was assessed immediately or 40 days after the exposure to the HF diet, and despite showing increased consumption of the HF Cheetos® in conditioning. Conclusions Intake of a HF diet, consumed only in pre and periadolescence, has long-lasting effects on learning that persist into adulthood.

Influence of weathering and pre-existing large scale fractures on gravitational slope failure: insights from 3-D physical modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Bachmann

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Using a new 3-D physical modelling technique we investigated the initiation and evolution of large scale landslides in presence of pre-existing large scale fractures and taking into account the slope material weakening due to the alteration/weathering. The modelling technique is based on the specially developed properly scaled analogue materials, as well as on the original vertical accelerator device enabling increases in the 'gravity acceleration' up to a factor 50. The weathering primarily affects the uppermost layers through the water circulation. We simulated the effect of this process by making models of two parts. The shallower one represents the zone subject to homogeneous weathering and is made of low strength material of compressive strength σl. The deeper (core part of the model is stronger and simulates intact rocks. Deformation of such a model subjected to the gravity force occurred only in its upper (low strength layer. In another set of experiments, low strength (σw narrow planar zones sub-parallel to the slope surface (σwl were introduced into the model's superficial low strength layer to simulate localized highly weathered zones. In this configuration landslides were initiated much easier (at lower 'gravity force', were shallower and had smaller horizontal size largely defined by the weak zone size. Pre-existing fractures were introduced into the model by cutting it along a given plan. They have proved to be of small influence on the slope stability, except when they were associated to highly weathered zones. In this latter case the fractures laterally limited the slides. Deep seated rockslides initiation is thus directly defined by the mechanical structure of the hillslope's uppermost levels and especially by the presence of the weak zones due to the weathering. The large scale fractures play a more passive role and can only influence the shape and the volume of the sliding units.

Improving Urban Accessibility: A Methodology for Urban Dynamics Analysis in Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Cities

OpenAIRE

Pérez-delHoyo, Raquel; Garcia-Mayor, Clara; Mora, Higinio; Gilart, Virgilio; Andújar-Montoya, María Dolores

2016-01-01

Despite the improvisations of current urban accessibility regulations and their application in urban systems, it is a fact that our cities are not accessible. Both, the assessment of the effectiveness of urban accessibility and its maintenance over time are issues that require a more consistent approach. In order to address these aspects, it is necessary to have an accurate awareness of the existing condition of urban accessibility. Therefore, the way this information is transformed into spec...

PRE-DIABETES

OpenAIRE

Akula Annapurna

2013-01-01

Pre-diabetes is a condition where the body's cells begin to show resistance to insulin. Glucose circulates in the blood instead of being used by the cells for energy. Blood sugar levels become elevated. Increased weight, unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to pre-diabetes. WHAT IS PRE-DIABETES A diagnosis of pre-diabetes means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin and your blood glucose levels are higher than they should be. Since the levels aren't as hig...

Evidence that proliferation of golgi apparatus depends on both de novo generation from the endoplasmic reticulum and formation from pre-existing stacks during the growth of tobacco BY-2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Abiodun, Moses Olabiyi; Matsuoka, Ken

2013-04-01

In higher plants, the numbers of cytoplasmic-distributed Golgi stacks differ based on function, age and cell type. It has not been clarified how the numbers are controlled, whether all the Golgi apparatus in a cell function equally and whether the increase in Golgi number is a result of the de novo formation from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or fission of pre-existing stacks. A tobacco prolyl 4-hydroxylase (NtP4H1.1), which is a cis-Golgi-localizing type II membrane protein, was tagged with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein, mKikGR (monomeric Kikume green red), and expressed in tobacco bright yellow 2 (BY-2) cells. Transformed cells were exposed to purple light to convert the fluorescence from green to red. A time-course analysis after the conversion revealed a progressive increase in green puncta and a decrease in the red puncta. From 3 to 6 h, we observed red, yellow and green fluorescent puncta corresponding to pre-existing Golgi; Golgi containing both pre-existing and newly synthesized protein; and newly synthesized Golgi. Analysis of the number and fluorescence of Golgi at different phases of the cell cycle suggested that an increase in Golgi number with both division and de novo synthesis occurred concomitantly with DNA replication. Investigation with different inhibitors suggested that the formation of new Golgi and the generation of Golgi containing both pre-existing and newly synthesized protein are mediated by different machineries. These results and modeling based on quantified results indicate that the Golgi apparatuses in tobacco BY-2 cells are not uniform and suggest that both de novo synthesis from the ER and Golgi division contribute almost equally to the increase in proliferating cells.

The Existing Condition of Mangrove Region of Avicenia marina, Its: Distribution and Functional Transformation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Herison

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Mangrove ecosystem existence is important for environment and other organisms because of its ecological and economical values, so that management and preservation of mangrove ecosystem are needed. The purpose of this research was to determine the existing condition of mangrove, both its distribution and its functional transformation in Indah Kapuk Coastal Area. Avicennia marina becomes important as wave attenuation, a form of abrasion antidote. Transect-Square and Spot-Check methods were used to determine the existing condition of A.marina mangrove forests. Autocad program, coordinate converter, Google Earth, Google Map, and Arc View were applied in process of making mangrove distribution map. In western of research location exactly at Station 1 and Station 2, the density value of mangrove was 450 and 825 tree ha-1, respectively with sparse category because they were contaminated by waste and litter. In eastern of research location namely Station 3, Station 4, and Station 5 the mangroves grow well with density value of 650 (sparse, 1,500 (very dense, and 1,200 tree ha-1 (fair, respectively, eventhough the contamination still happened. The mangrove forests around the stations do not function as wave attenuation because there were many waterfront constructions which have replaced the function of mangrove forests to damp the wave. In short, it can be stated that the mangrove's function has changed in a case of wave attenuation. The function of mangrove forests is not determined by mangrove forest density but it is determined by mangrove's free position.

Metabolomic differentiation of maca (Lepidium meyenii) accessions cultivated under different conditions using NMR and chemometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jianping; Avula, Bharathi; Chan, Michael; Clément, Céline; Kreuzer, Michael; Khan, Ikhlas A

2012-01-01

To gain insights on the effects of color type, cultivation history, and growing site on the composition alterations of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers) hypocotyls, NMR profiling combined with chemometric analysis was applied to investigate the metabolite variability in different maca accessions. Maca hypocotyls with different colors (yellow, pink, violet, and lead-colored) cultivated at different geographic sites and different areas were examined for differences in metabolite expression. Differentiations of the maca accessions grown under the different cultivation conditions were determined by principle component analyses (PCAs) which were performed on the datasets derived from their ¹H NMR spectra. A total of 16 metabolites were identified by NMR analysis, and the changes in metabolite levels in relation to the color types and growing conditions of maca hypocotyls were evaluated using univariate statistical analysis. In addition, the changes of the correlation pattern among the metabolites identified in the maca accessions planted at the two different sites were examined. The results from both multivariate and univariate analysis indicated that the planting site was the major determining factor with regards to metabolite variations in maca hypocotyls, while the color of maca accession seems to be of minor importance in this respect. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Pre-existing oblique transfer zones and transfer/transform relationships in continental margins: New insights from the southeastern Gulf of Aden, Socotra Island, Yemen

Science.gov (United States)

Bellahsen, N.; Leroy, S.; Autin, J.; Razin, P.; d'Acremont, E.; Sloan, H.; Pik, R.; Ahmed, A.; Khanbari, K.

2013-11-01

Transfer zones are ubiquitous features in continental rifts and margins, as are transform faults in oceanic lithosphere. Here, we present a structural study of the Hadibo Transfer Zone (HTZ), located in Socotra Island (Yemen) in the southeastern Gulf of Aden. There, we interpret this continental transfer fault zone to represent a reactivated pre-existing structure. Its trend is oblique to the direction of divergence and it has been active from the early up to the latest stages of rifting. One of the main oceanic fracture zones (FZ), the Hadibo-Sharbithat FZ, is aligned with and appears to be an extension of the HTZ and is probably genetically linked to it. Comparing this setting with observations from other Afro-Arabian rifts as well as with passive margins worldwide, it appears that many continental transfer zones are reactivated pre-existing structures, oblique to divergence. We therefore establish a classification system for oceanic FZ based upon their relationship with syn-rift structures. Type 1 FZ form at syn-rift structures and are late syn-rift to early syn-OCT. Type 2 FZ form during the OCT formation and Type 3 FZ form within the oceanic domain, after the oceanic spreading onset. The latter are controlled by far-field forces, magmatic processes, spreading rates, and oceanic crust rheology.

Cladodes, leaf-like organs in Asparagus, show the significance of co-option of pre-existing genetic regulatory circuit for morphological diversity of plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, Hokuto; Yamaguchi, Takahiro; Tsukaya, Hirokazu

2012-08-01

Plants in the genus Asparagus have determinate leaf-like organs called cladodes in the position of leaf axils. Because of their leaf-like morphology, axillary position, and morphological variation, it has been unclear how this unusual organ has evolved and diversified. In the previous study, we have shown that cladodes in the genus Asparagus are modified axillary shoots and proposed a model that cladodes have arisen by co-option and deployment of genetic regulatory circuit (GRC) involved in leaf development. Moreover, we proposed that the alteration of the expression pattern of genes involved in establishment of adaxial/abaxial polarity has led to the morphological diversification from leaf-like to rod-like form of cladodes in the genus. Thus, these results indicated that the co-option and alteration of pre-existing GRC play an important role in acquisition and subsequent morphological diversification. Here, we present data of further expression analysis of A. asparagoides. The results suggested that only a part of the GRC involved in leaf development appears to have been co-opted into cladode development. Based on our study and several examples of the morphological diversification, we briefly discuss the importance of co-option of pre-existing GRC and its genetic modularity in the morphological diversity of plants during evolution.

Impact of pre-existing MSP142-allele specific immunity on potency of an erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum vaccine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bergmann-Leitner Elke S

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MSP1 is the major surface protein on merozoites and a prime candidate for a blood stage malaria vaccine. Preclinical and seroepidemiological studies have implicated antibodies to MSP1 in protection against blood stage parasitaemia and/or reduced parasite densities, respectively. Malaria endemic areas have multiple strains of Plasmodium falciparum circulating at any given time, giving rise to complex immune responses, an issue which is generally not addressed in clinical trials conducted in non-endemic areas. A lack of understanding of the effect of pre-existing immunity to heterologous parasite strains may significantly contribute to vaccine failure in the field. The purpose of this study was to model the effect of pre-existing immunity to MSP142 on the immunogenicity of blood-stage malaria vaccines based on alternative MSP1 alleles. Methods Inbred and outbred mice were immunized with various recombinant P. falciparum MSP142 proteins that represent the two major alleles of MSP142, MAD20 (3D7 and Wellcome (K1, FVO. Humoral immune responses were analysed by ELISA and LuminexTM, and functional activity of induced MSP142-specific antibodies was assessed by growth inhibition assays. T-cell responses were characterized using ex vivo ELISpot assays. Results Analysis of the immune responses induced by various immunization regimens demonstrated a strong allele-specific response at the T cell level in both inbred and outbred mice. The success of heterologous regimens depended on the degree of homology of the N-terminal p33 portion of the MSP142, likely due to the fact that most T cell epitopes reside in this part of the molecule. Analysis of humoral immune responses revealed a marked cross-reactivity between the alleles. Functional analyses showed that some of the heterologous regimens induced antibodies with improved growth inhibitory activities. Conclusion The development of a more broadly efficacious MSP1 based vaccine may be

The sensitivity of US wildfire occurrence to pre-season soil moisture conditions across ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Daniel; Reager, John T.; Zajic, Brittany; Rousseau, Nick; Rodell, Matthew; Hinkley, Everett

2018-01-01

It is generally accepted that year-to-year variability in moisture conditions and drought are linked with increased wildfire occurrence. However, quantifying the sensitivity of wildfire to surface moisture state at seasonal lead-times has been challenging due to the absence of a long soil moisture record with the appropriate coverage and spatial resolution for continental-scale analysis. Here we apply model simulations of surface soil moisture that numerically assimilate observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission with the USDA Forest Service’s historical Fire-Occurrence Database over the contiguous United States. We quantify the relationships between pre-fire-season soil moisture and subsequent-year wildfire occurrence by land-cover type and produce annual probable wildfire occurrence and burned area maps at 0.25 degree resolution. Cross-validated results generally indicate a higher occurrence of smaller fires when months preceding fire season are wet, while larger fires are more frequent when soils are dry. This is consistent with the concept of increased fuel accumulation under wet conditions in the pre-season. These results demonstrate the fundamental strength of the relationship between soil moisture and fire activity at long lead-times and are indicative of that relationship’s utility for the future development of national-scale predictive capability.

Effects of pre-existing anti-carrier immunity and antigenic element multiplicity on efficacy of a modular virus-like particle vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuan, Yap P; Rivera-Hernandez, Tania; Wibowo, Nani; Connors, Natalie K; Wu, Yang; Hughes, Fiona K; Lua, Linda H L; Middelberg, Anton P J

2013-09-01

Modularization of a peptide antigen for presentation on a microbially synthesized murine polyomavirus (MuPyV) virus-like particle (VLP) offers a new alternative for rapid and low-cost vaccine delivery at a global scale. In this approach, heterologous modules containing peptide antigenic elements are fused to and displayed on the VLP carrier, allowing enhancement of peptide immunogenicity via ordered and densely repeated presentation of the modules. This study addresses two key engineering questions pertaining to this platform, exploring the effects of (i) pre-existing carrier-specific immunity on modular VLP vaccine effectiveness and (ii) increase in the antigenic element number per VLP on peptide-specific immune response. These effects were studied in a mouse model and with modular MuPyV VLPs presenting a group A streptococcus (GAS) peptide antigen, J8i. The data presented here demonstrate that immunization with a modular VLP could induce high levels of J8i-specific antibodies despite a strong pre-existing anti-carrier immune response. Doubling of the J8i antigenic element number per VLP did not enhance J8i immunogenicity at a constant peptide dose. However, the strategy, when used in conjunction with increased VLP dose, could effectively increase the peptide dose up to 10-fold, leading to a significantly higher J8i-specific antibody titer. This study further supports feasibility of the MuPyV modular VLP vaccine platform by showing that, in the absence of adjuvant, modularized GAS antigenic peptide at a dose as low as 150 ng was sufficient to raise a high level of peptide-specific IgGs indicative of bactericidal activity. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Accessible Support for Family Caregivers of Seniors with Chronic Conditions: From Isolation to Inclusion

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Miriam; Barnfather, Alison; Neufeld, Anne; Warren, Sharon; Letourneau, Nicole; Liu, Lili

2006-01-01

Accessible support programs can improve health outcomes for family caregivers of older relatives with a chronic condition. Over the course of 6 months, 27 experienced family caregivers provided weekly support via the telephone to 66 individuals, either new family caregivers of seniors recently diagnosed with stroke or newly vulnerable family…

PRE-SCHOOL UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFICULTIES-CONDITION FOR SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATIONAL EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zora JACOVA

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Preschool upbringing of children with developmental difficulties is the first link in the system of education and upbringing and at the same time the utmost segment in the system of integrational rehabilitation.Initiating the process of preschool upbringing and adequate organized treatment at early age, permits support of the development and maximum usage of the remained capabilities of children with developmental difficulties.The newest world experiences show that the upbringing and educational integration of children with developmental difficulties as asegment of the social integration, should set the main conditions in the frames of upbringing education and rehabilitational continuity and support the minimal restrictive environment for their development.In the pre-school institutions that function on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, an indifferent attitude towards the children with developmental difficulties is present, due to the uninformed educators for the characteristics and capabilities of these children and their believes for the negative influence of the children with developmental difficulties on the children without impairments, that implicates involvement of subsidery defectological education of present employed staff in the mainstream preschool institutions, also including defectologists in kindergartens for work with children with special difficulties in their development. Also, the data about the educator’s attitude in the mainstream preschool institutions is disturbing, so that they put the accent on the obligation for reducing of the program for work with handicapped children, not taking into consideration that subsidery, special forms and methods are needed beside the programs that are for the main stream group.The goal of our paper is to point out the need of involving of children with light developmental difficulties; the existence of special team in the preschool institutions when involving children with

Existence conditions for bulk large-wavevector waves in metal-dielectric and graphene-dielectric multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhukovsky, Sergei; Andryieuski, Andrei; Lavrinenko, Andrei

2014-01-01

We theoretically investigate general existence conditions for broadband bulk large-wavevector (high-k) propagating waves (such as volume plasmon polaritons in hyperbolic metamaterials) in arbitrary subwavelength periodic multilayers structures. Treating the elementary excitation in the unit cell...... of the structure as a generalized resonance pole of reflection coefficient and using Bloch's theorem, we derive analytical expressions for the band of large-wavevector propagating solutions. We apply our formalism to determine the high-k band existence in two important cases: the well-known metal-dielectric...

Evolution PDEs with nonstandard growth conditions existence, uniqueness, localization, blow-up

CERN Document Server

Antontsev, Stanislav

2015-01-01

This monograph offers the reader a treatment of the theory of evolution PDEs with nonstandard growth conditions. This class includes parabolic and hyperbolic equations with variable or anisotropic nonlinear structure. We develop methods for the study of such equations and present a detailed account of recent results. An overview of other approaches to the study of PDEs of this kind is provided. The presentation is focused on the issues of existence and uniqueness of solutions in appropriate function spaces, and on the study of the specific qualitative properties of solutions, such as localization in space and time, extinction in a finite time and blow-up, or nonexistence of global in time solutions. Special attention is paid to the study of the properties intrinsic to solutions of equations with nonstandard growth.

Inflationary and deflationary branches in extended pre-big-bang cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidsey, J.E.

1997-01-01

The pre-big-bang cosmological scenario is studied within the context of the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity. An epoch of superinflationary expansion may occur in the pre-big-bang phase of the Universe close-quote s history in a certain region of parameter space. Two models are considered that contain a cosmological constant in the gravitational and matter sectors of the theory, respectively. Classical pre- and post-big-bang solutions are found for both models. The existence of a curvature singularity forbids a classical transition between the two branches. On the other hand, a quantum cosmological approach based on the tunneling boundary condition results in a nonzero transition probability. The transition may be interpreted as a spatial reflection of the wave function in minisuperspace. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Inflationary and deflationary branches in extended pre-big-bang cosmology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lidsey, J.E. [Astronomy Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary Westfield, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

1997-03-01

The pre-big-bang cosmological scenario is studied within the context of the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity. An epoch of superinflationary expansion may occur in the pre-big-bang phase of the Universe{close_quote}s history in a certain region of parameter space. Two models are considered that contain a cosmological constant in the gravitational and matter sectors of the theory, respectively. Classical pre- and post-big-bang solutions are found for both models. The existence of a curvature singularity forbids a classical transition between the two branches. On the other hand, a quantum cosmological approach based on the tunneling boundary condition results in a nonzero transition probability. The transition may be interpreted as a spatial reflection of the wave function in minisuperspace. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Pre-task music improves swimming performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirmaul, B P; Dos Santos, R V; Da Silva Neto, L V

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-task music on swimming performance and other psychological variables. A randomized counterbalanced within-subjects (experimental and control condition) design was employed. Eighteen regional level male swimmers performed two 200-m freestyle swimming time trials. Participants were exposed to either 5 minutes of self-selected music (pre-task music condition) or 5 minutes of silence (control condition) and, after 1 minute, performed the swimming task. Swimming time was significantly shorter (-1.44%) in the pre-task music condition. Listening to pre-task music increased motivation to perform the swimming task, while arousal remained unchanged. While fatigue increased after the swimming task in both conditions, vigor, ratings of perceived exertion and affective valence were unaltered. It is concluded, for the first time, that pre-task music improves swimming performance.

Designing a new supply chain for competition against an existing supply chain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rezapour, S.; Farahani, R.Z.; Dullaert, W.E.H.; de Borger, B.

2014-01-01

We develop a bi-level model for designing an entrant supply chain (SC) in the presence of a pre-existing competing SC where demand is elastic with respect to price and distance. The model assumes dynamic competition between the new and pre-existing SCs in retailers' level and probabilistic

The effect of pre-existing defects on the strength and deformation behavior of α-Fe nanopillars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Kelvin Y.; Shrestha, Sachin; Cao, Yang; Felfer, Peter J.; Wang Yanbo; Liao Xiaozhou; Cairney, Julie M.; Ringer, Simon P.

2013-01-01

The effects of two types of pre-existing defects, dislocations and clusters, on the strength and deformation behavior of body-centered cubic Fe nanopillars with a diameter of ∼150 nm were investigated using in situ nanocompression in a transmission electron microscope. The plastic deformation of nanopillars containing high initial dislocation densities was observed to be relatively continuous, proceeding via a series of small- and intermediate-scale strain bursts that were associated with the movement/escape of dislocations and the formation of slip bands. Mechanical annealing was observed in nanopillars with high dislocation densities. When the dislocation density was reduced by in situ heating, the nanopillars were much stronger and the plastic deformation behavior transformed to a more abrupt and explosive mode. The introduction of a dispersion of solute atom clusters into nanopillars caused further strengthening as a higher stress level is required for dislocations to pass the clusters. The strengthening effect of cluster dispersion in nanopillars is comparable to that observed in the bulk steel. These phenomena are universal for Fe nanopillars with different crystallographic orientations.

A Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupled Numerical modeling of Injection-induced seismicity on a pre-existing fault

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongchan; Archer, Rosalind

2017-04-01

In terms of energy development (oil, gas and geothermal field) and environmental improvement (carbon dioxide sequestration), fluid injection into subsurface has been dramatically increased. As a side effect of these operations, a number of injection-induced seismic activities have also significantly risen. It is known that the main causes of induced seismicity are changes in local shear and normal stresses and pore pressure as well. This mechanism leads to increase in the probability of earthquake occurrence on permeable pre-existing fault zones predominantly. In this 2D fully coupled THM geothermal reservoir numerical simulation of injection-induced seismicity, we investigate the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical behavior of the fracture zone, considering a variety of 1) fault permeability, 2) injection rate and 3) injection temperature to identify major contributing parameters to induced seismic activity. We also calculate spatiotemporal variation of the Coulomb stress which is a combination of shear stress, normal stress and pore pressure and lastly forecast the seismicity rate on the fault zone by computing the seismic prediction model of Dieterich (1994).

Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 3) - Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2015-01-01

Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 3) entitled "Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site", approved by the Director-General following discussion in the Standing Concertation Committee meeting on 24 September 2015, is now available via this link.   This revised circular cancels and replaces Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 2) also entitled "Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site", of September 2014. The circular was revised predominantly in order to specify that access to the CERN site is granted to CERN Pension Fund beneficiaries only provided that they are actually in receipt of payments from the Fund; and to allow the Director-General to permit special types of vehicles on site, such as trailers. It also includes a certain number of text improvements and an updated version of the implementation measures, in particular with regard to vehicle identification, road traffic and parking.  

The effect of pre-plasma formation under nonlocal transport conditions for ultra-relativistic laser-plasma interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Holec, M.; Nikl, J.; Vranic, M.; Weber, S.

2018-04-01

Interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets is in general strongly affected by the limited contrast available. The laser pre-pulse ionizes the target and produces a pre-plasma which can strongly modify the interaction of the main part of the laser pulse with the target. This is of particular importance for future experiments which will use laser intensities above 1021 W cm-2 and which are subject to the limited contrast. As a consequence the main part of the laser pulse will be modified while traversing the pre-plasma, interacting with it partially. A further complication arises from the fact that the interaction of a high-power pre-pulse with solid targets very often takes place under nonlocal transport conditions, i.e. the characteristic mean-free-path of the particles and photons is larger than the characteristic scale-lengths of density and temperature. The classical diffusion treatment of radiation and heat transport in the hydrodynamic model is then insufficient for the description of the pre-pulse physics. These phenomena also strongly modify the formation of the pre-plasma which in turn affects the propagation of the main laser pulse. In this paper nonlocal radiation-hydrodynamic simulations are carried out and serve as input for subsequent kinetic simulations of ultra-high intensity laser pulses interacting with the plasma in the ultra-relativistic regime. It is shown that the results of the kinetic simulations differ considerably whether a diffusive or nonlocal transport is used for the radiation-hydrodynamic simulations.

Pattern of pre-existing IgG subclass responses to a panel of asexual stage malaria antigens reported during the lengthy dry season in Daraweesh, Sudan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nasr, A; Iriemenam, N C; Troye-Blomberg, M

2011-01-01

The anti-malarial IgG immune response during the lengthy and dry season in areas of low malaria transmission as in Eastern Sudan is largely unknown. In this study, ELISA was used for the measurement of pre-existing total IgG and IgG subclasses to a panel of malaria antigens, MSP2-3D7, MSP2-FC27, ...

Pre-existing vector immunity does not prevent replication deficient adenovirus from inducing efficient CD8 T-cell memory and recall responses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steffensen, Maria Abildgaard; Jensen, Benjamin Anderschou Holbech; Holst, Peter Johannes

2012-01-01

directed against epitopes in the adenoviral vector seemed to correlate with repression of the induced response in re-vaccinated B-cell deficient mice. More importantly, despite a repressed primary effector CD8 T-cell response in Ad5-immune animals subjected to vaccination, memory T cells were generated...... that provided the foundation for an efficient recall response and protection upon subsequent viral challenge. Furthermore, the transgene specific response could be efficiently boosted by homologous re-immunization. Taken together, these studies indicate that adenoviral vectors can be used to induce efficient CD......8 T-cell memory even in individuals with pre-existing vector immunity....

Living conditions and access to health services by Bolivian immigrants in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Cássio; Carneiro Junior, Nivaldo; Ribeiro, Manoel Carlos Sampaio de Almeida; Barata, Rita de Cássia Barradas

2013-10-01

Bolivian immigrants in Brazil experience serious social problems: precarious work conditions, lack of documents and insufficient access to health services. The study aimed to investigate inequalities in living conditions and access to health services among Bolivian immigrants living in the central area of São Paulo, Brazil, using a cross-sectional design and semi-structured interviews with 183 adults. According to the data, the immigrants tend to remain in Brazil, thus resulting in an aging process in the group. Per capita income increases the longer the immigrants stay in the country. The majority have secondary schooling. Work status does not vary according to time since arrival in Brazil. The immigrants work and live in garment sweatshops and speak their original languages. Social networks are based on ties with family and friends. Access to health services shows increasing inclusion in primary care. The authors conclude that the immigrants' social exclusion is decreasing due to greater access to documentation, work (although precarious), and the supply of health services from the public primary care system.

Living conditions and access to health services by Bolivian immigrants in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cássio Silveira

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Bolivian immigrants in Brazil experience serious social problems: precarious work conditions, lack of documents and insufficient access to health services. The study aimed to investigate inequalities in living conditions and access to health services among Bolivian immigrants living in the central area of São Paulo, Brazil, using a cross-sectional design and semi-structured interviews with 183 adults. According to the data, the immigrants tend to remain in Brazil, thus resulting in an aging process in the group. Per capita income increases the longer the immigrants stay in the country. The majority have secondary schooling. Work status does not vary according to time since arrival in Brazil. The immigrants work and live in garment sweatshops and speak their original languages. Social networks are based on ties with family and friends. Access to health services shows increasing inclusion in primary care. The authors conclude that the immigrants' social exclusion is decreasing due to greater access to documentation, work (although precarious, and the supply of health services from the public primary care system.

Pre-existing liver cirrhosis reduced the toxic effect of diethylene glycol in a rat model due to the impaired hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Ming Xing Huang; Xiao Mou Peng; Lin Gu; Gui Hua Chen

2011-09-01

Hepatic metabolizing enzymes of diethylene glycol (DEG) are impaired in liver diseases. Thus, the purpose of this study was to increase our understandings in metabolism and toxicology of DEG by clarifying the influences of pre-existing liver disease. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis and 20 control rats were intraperitoneally administered a single dose of DEG, and randomly killed 1, 2, 5 or 8 days following exposure. Compared with control rats, the model rats had significantly higher blood CO(2)-combining power, lower blood urine nitrogen, serum creatinine and alanine aminotransferase levels on the second day and a lower mortality rate on the eighth day following DEG exposure. Enlargements of liver and kidneys and degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes and renal tubules in the model rats was also less serious than in the control rats. Urine DEG levels were significantly higher on the first day in the model rats than the control rats (46.65 ± 8.79 mg vs 18.88 ± 6.18 mg, p activity in the model rats was significantly lower than that in the control rats, which was positively related to renal damage. The toxic effects of DEG in rats with pre-existing liver cirrhosis are significantly reduced, which may be due to the decreased hepatic ADH activity. It suggests that the metabolite of ADH is responsible for DEG poisoning, and this toxic metabolite may mainly originate in the liver.

Is risk of degenerative musculoskeletal conditions associated with pre-pregnancy body mass index and parity?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bliddal, Mette; Pottegård, Anton; Kirkegaard, Helene

Background Obesity among women may influence the risk of degenerative musculoskeletal conditions (MSCs) and contribute to poor quality of life. Parity, which constitutes a sudden natural increase in weight as well it affects long-term body mass index (BMI), may put strain on the musculoskeletal....... Information on height and weight prior to pregnancy was obtained from telephone interviews and parity from the Danish Medical Birth Registry. Diagnoses on degenerative MSC including osteoarthritis, disc disorders, low back pain, and soft tissue disorders were obtained from the National Patient Registry......% confidence interval 1.41-1.83]). Conclusions High pre-pregnancy BMI increased the occurrence of degenerative MSC in the years following pregnancy and childbirth. In combination with increasing pre-pregnancy BMI, higher parity added to an already elevated risk. Prevention of maternal overweight may reduce...

Bacterial contamination on household toys and association with water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in Honduras.

Science.gov (United States)

Stauber, Christine E; Walters, Adam; Fabiszewski de Aceituno, Anna M; Sobsey, Mark D

2013-04-18

There is growing evidence that household water treatment interventions improve microbiological water quality and reduce diarrheal disease risk. Few studies have examined, however, the impact of water treatment interventions on household-level hygiene and sanitation. This study examined the association of four water and sanitation conditions (access to latrines, improved sanitation, improved water and the plastic biosand filter) on the levels of total coliforms and E. coli on existing and introduced toys during an on-going randomized controlled trial of the plastic biosand filter (plastic BSF). The following conditions were associated with decreased bacterial contamination on children's toys: access to a latrine, access to improved sanitation and access to the plastic BSF. Overall, compared to existing toys, introduced toys had significantly lower levels of both E. coli and total coliforms. Results suggest that levels of fecal indicator bacteria contamination on children's toys may be associated with access to improved water and sanitation conditions in the home. In addition, the fecal indicator bacteria levels on toys probably vary with duration in the household. Additional information on how these toys become contaminated is needed to determine the usefulness of toys as indicators or sentinels of water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, behaviors and risks.

Accessibility and sensory experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryhl, Camilla

2010-01-01

and accessibility. Sensory accessibility accommodates aspects of a sensory disability and describes architectural design requirements needed to ensure access to architectural experiences. In the context of architecture accessibility has become a design concept of its own. It is generally described as ensuring...... physical access to the built environment by accommodating physical disabilities. While the existing concept of accessibility ensures the physical access of everyone to a given space, sensory accessibility ensures the choice of everyone to stay and be able to participate and experience....

The prevalence of the pre-existing hepatitis C viral variants and the evolution of drug resistance in patients treated with the NS3-4a serine protease inhibitor telaprevir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rong, Libin [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Ribeiro, Ruy M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Perelson, Alan S [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

Telaprevir (VX-950), a novel hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-4A serine protease inhibitor, has demonstrated substantial antiviral activity in patients infected with HCV genotype 1. Some patients experience viral breakthrough, which has been shown to be associated with emergence of telaprevir-resistant HCV variants during treatment. The exact mechanisms underlying the rapid selection of drug resistant viral variants during dosing are not fully understood. In this paper, we develop a two-strain model to study the pre-treatment prevalence of the mutant virus and derive an analytical solution of the mutant frequency after administration of the protease inhibitor. Our analysis suggests that the rapid increase of the mutant frequency during therapy is not due to mutant growth but rather due to the rapid and profound loss of wild-type virus, which uncovers the pre-existing mutant variants. We examine the effects of backward mutation and hepatocyte proliferation on the pre-existence of the mutant virus and the competition between wild-type and drug resistant virus during therapy. We then extend the simple model to a general model with multiple viral strains. Mutations during therapy do not play a significant role in the dynamics of various viral strains, although they are capable of generating low levels of HCV variants that would otherwise be completely suppressed because of fitness disadvantages. Hepatocyte proliferation may not affect the pretreatment frequency of mutant variants, but is able to influence the quasispecies dynamics during therapy. It is the relative fitness of each mutant strain compared with wild-type that determines which strain(s) will dominate the virus population. The study provides a theoretical framework for exploring the prevalence of pre-existing mutant variants and the evolution of drug resistance during treatment with other protease inhibitors or HCV polymerase inhibitors.

Overview of the role of pre-operative breast MRI in the absence of evidence on patient outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sardanelli, Francesco

2010-02-01

The role of pre-operative breast MRI is outlined on the basis of the existing evidence in favor of a superior capability in comparison with mammography and sonography to detect ipsilateral and contralateral malignant lesions and to evaluate the disease extent, including the extensive intraductal component associated with invasive cancers. Patients with a potential higher anticipated benefit from pre-operative MRI can be identified as those: with mammographically dense breasts; with a unilateral multifocal/multicentric cancer or a synchronous bilateral cancer already diagnosed at mammography and sonography; with a lobular invasive cancer; at high-risk for breast cancer; with a cancer which shows a discrepancy in size of >1 cm between mammography and sonography; or under consideration for partial breast irradiation. More limited evidence exists in favor of MRI for evaluating candidates for total skin sparing mastectomy or for patients with Paget's disease. Irrespective of whether the clinical team routinely uses preoperative MRI or not: women newly diagnosed with breast cancer should always be informed of the potential risks and benefits of pre-operative MRI; results of pre-operative MRI should be interpreted taking into account clinical breast examination, mammography, sonography and verified by percutaneous biopsy; MRI-only detected lesions require MR-guidance for needle biopsy and pre-surgical localization, and these should be available or potentially accessible if pre-operative MRI is to be implemented; total therapy delay due to pre-operative MRI (including MRI-induced work-up) should not exceed one month; changes in therapy planning resulting from pre-operative MRI should be decided by a multidisciplinary team. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of pre-sowing laser biostimulation on seeds on white lupine growth under differentiated temperature conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podleśny, J.

1999-01-01

The experiment went on over 6 weeks. Plants emergence depended on the temperature and pre-sowing laser irradiation of seeds. White lupine seeds germinated better under normal thermal conditions than in chilling stress. Triple irradiation of seeds showed the best advantageous effect improving the quality of plant emergence, irrespective of thermal conditions. The plants sprouted about 3-4 days earlier in comparison to plants from not irradiated seeds. Laser light positively affected also the height of plants, root length and dry matter yield of roots and aboveground parts

Rehabilitation Nursing and the Accessibility of the Person With Disability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Ribeiro

2017-04-01

Full Text Available An inclusive society leads all citizens to participate in community life, without any discrimination, but often citizens with reduced or conditioned mobility face barriers of a different nature. The condition of person with disability is arduous and unequal, even protected by legislation, but it is essential effectiveness in its application, which also involves the Rehabilitation Nurse. Objectives: Reflect on the rights of persons with disabilities and on the role of professionals in the overall rehabilitation action, particularly the rehabilitation nurses; Mobilize strategies for the promotion of accessibility. Methodology: Descriptive study using specific legislation, official websites and sources on rehabilitation, nursing and rehabilitation nursing. Results: The legislation is oriented towards the protection of the citizen with reduced or conditioned mobility. But barriers exist and changes are needed in people and society, and the professional has a relevant role in its implementation. Nurses in general and rehabilitation specialists in particular should advocate for the conditions necessary for the enjoyment of accessibility by developing specific strategies. Conclusions: Continuous monitoring is required for equal opportunities and accessibility, which involves the attitude of people, responsible entities and professionals. Rehabilitation nurses must assert themselves as an integral part of this mission.

Pelvic Arterial Embolisation in a Trauma Patient with a Pre-Existing Aortobifemoral Graft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abulaban, Osama; Hopkins, Jonathan; Willis, Andrew P.; Jones, Robert G.

2011-01-01

Pelvic fractures secondary to blunt trauma are associated with a significant mortality rate due to uncontrolled bleeding. Interventional radiology (IR) can play an important and central role in the management of such patients, offering definitive minimally invasive therapy and avoiding the need for high-risk surgery. Rapid access to whole-body computed tomography has been shown to improve survival in polytrauma patients and allows rapid diagnosis of vascular injury and assessment of suitability for endovascular therapy. IR can then target and treat the specific area of bleeding. Embolisation of bleeding pelvic arteries has been shown to be highly effective and should be the treatment of choice in this situation. The branches of the internal iliac artery (IIA) are usually involved, and these arteries are accessed by way of IIA catheterisation after abdominal aortography. Occasionally these arteries cannot be accessed by way of this conventional route because of recent IIA ligation carried out surgically in an attempt to stop the bleeding or because (in the rare situation we describe here) these vessels are excluded secondary to previous aortoiliac repair. In this situation, knowledge of pelvic arterial collateral artery pathways is important because these will continue to supply pelvic structures whilst making access to deep pelvic branches challenging. We describe a rare case, which has not been previously reported in the literature, in which successful embolisation of a bleeding pelvic artery was carried out by way of the collateral artery pathways.

Influence of boundary conditions on the existence and stability of minimal surfaces of revolution made of soap films

Science.gov (United States)

Salkin, Louis; Schmit, Alexandre; Panizza, Pascal; Courbin, Laurent

2014-09-01

Because of surface tension, soap films seek the shape that minimizes their surface energy and thus their surface area. This mathematical postulate allows one to predict the existence and stability of simple minimal surfaces. After briefly recalling classical results obtained in the case of symmetric catenoids that span two circular rings with the same radius, we discuss the role of boundary conditions on such shapes, working with two rings having different radii. We then investigate the conditions of existence and stability of other shapes that include two portions of catenoids connected by a planar soap film and half-symmetric catenoids for which we introduce a method of observation. We report a variety of experimental results including metastability—an hysteretic evolution of the shape taken by a soap film—explained using simple physical arguments. Working by analogy with the theory of phase transitions, we conclude by discussing universal behaviors of the studied minimal surfaces in the vicinity of their existence thresholds.

Barriers to Access and Adoption of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in a Relatively Rural State.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubach, Randolph D; Currin, Joseph M; Sanders, Carissa A; Durham, André R; Kavanaugh, Katherine E; Wheeler, Denna L; Croff, Julie M

2017-08-01

Biomedical intervention approaches, including antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), have been demonstrated to reduce HIV incidence among several at-risk populations and to be cost effective. However, there is limited understanding of PrEP access and uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM) residing in relatively rural states. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted (August-November 2016) to assess opinions of and perceived barriers to accessing and adopting PrEP among MSM residing in Oklahoma. Participants perceived substantial barriers to accessing PrEP including a stigmatizing environment and less access to quality, LGBT-sensitive medical care. Overall, geographic isolation limits access to health providers and resources that support sexual health for Oklahoma MSM. Addressing stigma situated across ecological levels in an effort to increase adoption of PrEP by MSM residing in rural states remains necessary. Without this, social determinants may continue to negatively influence PrEP adoption and sexual health outcomes.

Conditions for the existence of quasi-stationary distributions for birth–death processes with killing

OpenAIRE

van Doorn, Erik A.

2012-01-01

We consider birth-death processes on the nonnegative integers, where $\\{1,2,...\\}$ is an irreducible class and $0$ an absorbing state, with the additional feature that a transition to state $0$ (killing) may occur from any state. Assuming that absorption at $0$ is certain we are interested in additional conditions on the transition rates for the existence of a quasi-stationary distribution. Inspired by results of M. Kolb and D. Steinsaltz (Quasilimiting behaviour for one-dimensional diffusion...

Method for Pre-Conditioning a Measured Surface Height Map for Model Validation

Science.gov (United States)

Sidick, Erkin

2012-01-01

This software allows one to up-sample or down-sample a measured surface map for model validation, not only without introducing any re-sampling errors, but also eliminating the existing measurement noise and measurement errors. Because the re-sampling of a surface map is accomplished based on the analytical expressions of Zernike-polynomials and a power spectral density model, such re-sampling does not introduce any aliasing and interpolation errors as is done by the conventional interpolation and FFT-based (fast-Fourier-transform-based) spatial-filtering method. Also, this new method automatically eliminates the measurement noise and other measurement errors such as artificial discontinuity. The developmental cycle of an optical system, such as a space telescope, includes, but is not limited to, the following two steps: (1) deriving requirements or specs on the optical quality of individual optics before they are fabricated through optical modeling and simulations, and (2) validating the optical model using the measured surface height maps after all optics are fabricated. There are a number of computational issues related to model validation, one of which is the "pre-conditioning" or pre-processing of the measured surface maps before using them in a model validation software tool. This software addresses the following issues: (1) up- or down-sampling a measured surface map to match it with the gridded data format of a model validation tool, and (2) eliminating the surface measurement noise or measurement errors such that the resulted surface height map is continuous or smoothly-varying. So far, the preferred method used for re-sampling a surface map is two-dimensional interpolation. The main problem of this method is that the same pixel can take different values when the method of interpolation is changed among the different methods such as the "nearest," "linear," "cubic," and "spline" fitting in Matlab. The conventional, FFT-based spatial filtering method used to

Under-coding of secondary conditions in coded hospital health data: Impact of co-existing conditions, death status and number of codes in a record.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Mingkai; Southern, Danielle A; Williamson, Tyler; Quan, Hude

2017-12-01

This study examined the coding validity of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and depression related to the presence of their co-existing conditions, death status and the number of diagnosis codes in hospital discharge abstract database. We randomly selected 4007 discharge abstract database records from four teaching hospitals in Alberta, Canada and reviewed their charts to extract 31 conditions listed in Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices. Conditions associated with the four study conditions were identified through multivariable logistic regression. Coding validity (i.e. sensitivity, positive predictive value) of the four conditions was related to the presence of their associated conditions. Sensitivity increased with increasing number of diagnosis code. Impact of death on coding validity is minimal. Coding validity of conditions is closely related to its clinical importance and complexity of patients' case mix. We recommend mandatory coding of certain secondary diagnosis to meet the need of health research based on administrative health data.

Transparency of Biobank Access in Canada: An Assessment of Industry Access and the Availability of Information on Access Policies and Resulting Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Shannon G; Axler, Renata E; Lemmens, Trudo

2017-12-01

A key issue impacting public trust in biobanks is how these resources are utilized, including who is given access to biobank data and samples. To assess the conditions under which researchers are given access to Canadian biobanks, we reviewed websites and contacted Canadian biobanks to determine the availability of information on access policies and procedures; research resulting from access biobank data and samples; and conditions on private industry access to biobanks. We also conducted expert interviews with key Canadian stakeholders ( n = 11) to obtain their perspectives on biobank transparency and access policies. Among 21 Canadian biobanks, there was wide variation in the access information made publicly available, and the majority of these allowed access by industry applicants. Biobanks should be governed by the principles of transparency, accountability, and accessibility, and attention must be given to the conditions around the commercialization of biobank-based research.

Better recovery of kidney function in patients with de novo chronic kidney disease after partial nephrectomy compared with those with pre-existing chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Toshio; Kondo, Tsunenori; Iizuka, Junpei; Omae, Kenji; Kobayashi, Hirohito; Hashimoto, Yasunobu; Yoshida, Kazuhiko; Tanabe, Kazunari

2014-06-01

We compared kidney functional recovery between patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease, those with de novo chronic kidney disease and those with normal kidney function, after partial nephrectomy. A total of 311 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, between January 2004 and July 2011 with sufficient kidney functional data participated in the study. Patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (group1: 78 patients) were defined as those with estimated glomerular filtration rate under 60 mL/min/m(2) before partial nephrectomy. Patients with de novo chronic kidney disease (group 2: 49) were defined as those with estimated glomerular filtration rate over 60 mL/min/m(2) before surgery and who developed estimated glomerular filtration rate under 60 mL/min/m(2) 3 months after partial nephrectomy. Normal patients (group 3: 184) were defined as those with estimated glomerular filtration rate over 60 mL/min/m(2) both before and after partial nephrectomy. Group 1 was associated with older age and higher comorbidity, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus, compared with other groups. R.E.N.A.L. score was not significantly different between the groups. Although the percent change of estimated glomerular filtration rate between the preoperative period and 3 months after partial nephrectomy in group 2 was significantly decreased compared with that in other groups (group 1: -6.8%, group 2: -18%, group 3: -7.3%), the renal functional recovery between 3 and 12 months after partial nephrectomy in group 2 was better than that in other groups (group 1: -0.5%, group 2: 5.6%, group 3: -0.4%). Patients with de novo chronic kidney disease had better kidney functional recovery than the other two groups, which might suggest that they were surgically assaulted and developed chronic kidney disease in the early postoperative period, and were essentially different from those with pre-existing chronic kidney

Primary marine aerosol emissions from the Mediterranean Sea during pre-bloom and oligotrophic conditions: correlations to seawater chlorophyll a from a mesocosm study

Science.gov (United States)

Schwier, A. N.; Rose, C.; Asmi, E.; Ebling, A. M.; Landing, W. M.; Marro, S.; Pedrotti, M.-L.; Sallon, A.; Iuculano, F.; Agusti, S.; Tsiola, A.; Pitta, P.; Louis, J.; Guieu, C.; Gazeau, F.; Sellegri, K.

2015-07-01

The effect of ocean acidification and changing water conditions on primary (and secondary) marine aerosol emissions is not well understood on a regional or a global scale. To investigate this effect as well as the indirect effect on aerosol that changing biogeochemical parameters can have, ~ 52 m3 pelagic mesocosms were deployed for several weeks in the Mediterranean Sea during both winter pre-bloom and summer oligotrophic conditions and were subjected to various levels of CO2 to simulate the conditions foreseen in this region for the coming decades. After seawater sampling, primary bubble-bursting aerosol experiments were performed using a plunging water jet system to test both chemical and physical aerosol parameters (10-400 nm). Comparing results obtained during pre-bloom and oligotrophic conditions, we find the same four log-normal modal diameters (18.5 ± 0.6, 37.5 ± 1.4, 91.5 ± 2.0, 260 ± 3.2 nm) describing the aerosol size distribution during both campaigns, yet pre-bloom conditions significantly increased the number fraction of the second (Aitken) mode, with an amplitude correlated to virus-like particles, heterotrophic prokaryotes, TEPs (transparent exopolymeric particles), chlorophyll a and other pigments. Organic fractions determined from kappa closure calculations for the diameter, Dp ~ 50 nm, were much larger during the pre-bloom period (64 %) than during the oligotrophic period (38 %), and the organic fraction decreased as the particle size increased. Combining data from both campaigns together, strong positive correlations were found between the organic fraction of the aerosol and chlorophyll a concentrations, heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria abundance, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. As a consequence of the changes in the organic fraction and the size distributions between pre-bloom and oligotrophic periods, we find that the ratio of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) to condensation nuclei (CN) slightly decreased during the

Pre- and Post-Conditions Expressed in Variants of the Modal µ-Calculus

Science.gov (United States)

Tanabe, Yoshinori; Sekizawa, Toshifusa; Yuasa, Yoshifumi; Takahashi, Koichi

Properties of Kripke structures can be expressed by formulas of the modal µ-calculus. Despite its strong expressive power, the validity problem of the modal µ-calculus is decidable, and so are some of its variants enriched by inverse programs, graded modalities, and nominals. In this study, we show that the pre- and post-conditions of transformations of Kripke structures, such as addition/deletion of states and edges, can be expressed using variants of the modal µ-calculus. Combined with decision procedures we have developed for those variants, the properties of sequences of transformations on Kripke structures can be deduced. We show that these techniques can be used to verify the properties of pointer-manipulating programs.

Successful introduction of an underutilized elderly pneumococcal vaccine in a national immunization program by integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tae Un; Kim, Eunsung; Park, Young-Joon; Kim, Dongwook; Kwon, Yoon Hyung; Shin, Jae Kyong; Park, Ok

2016-03-18

Although pneumococcal vaccines had been recommended for the elderly population in South Korea for a considerable period of time, the coverage has been well below the optimal level. To increase the vaccination rate with integrating the pre-existing public health infrastructure and governmental funding, the Korean government introduced an elderly pneumococcal vaccination into the national immunization program with a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in May 2013. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the program in increasing the vaccine coverage rate and maintaining stable vaccine supply and safe vaccination during the 20 months of the program. We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the process of introducing and the outcomes of the program in terms of the systematic organization, efficiency, and stability at the national level. A staggered introduction during the first year utilizing the public sector, with a target coverage of 60%, was implemented based on the public demand for an elderly pneumococcal vaccination, vaccine supply capacity, vaccine delivery capacity, safety, and sustainability. During the 20-month program period, the pneumococcal vaccine coverage rate among the population aged ≥65 years increased from 5.0% to 57.3% without a noticeable vaccine shortage or safety issues. A web-based integrated immunization information system, which includes the immunization registry, vaccine supply chain management, and surveillance of adverse events following immunization, reduced programmatic errors and harmonized the overall performance of the program. Introduction of an elderly pneumococcal vaccination in the national immunization program based on strong government commitment, meticulous preparation, financial support, and the pre-existing public health infrastructure resulted in an efficient, stable, and sustainable increase in vaccination coverage. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Endoscopic skull base training using 3D printed models with pre-existing pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Vairavan; Narayanan, Prepageran; Rajagopalan, Raman; Karuppiah, Ravindran; Rahman, Zainal Ariff Abdul; Wormald, Peter-John; Van Hasselt, Charles Andrew; Waran, Vicknes

2015-03-01

Endoscopic base of skull surgery has been growing in acceptance in the recent past due to improvements in visualisation and micro instrumentation as well as the surgical maturing of early endoscopic skull base practitioners. Unfortunately, these demanding procedures have a steep learning curve. A physical simulation that is able to reproduce the complex anatomy of the anterior skull base provides very useful means of learning the necessary skills in a safe and effective environment. This paper aims to assess the ease of learning endoscopic skull base exposure and drilling techniques using an anatomically accurate physical model with a pre-existing pathology (i.e., basilar invagination) created from actual patient data. Five models of a patient with platy-basia and basilar invagination were created from the original MRI and CT imaging data of a patient. The models were used as part of a training workshop for ENT surgeons with varying degrees of experience in endoscopic base of skull surgery, from trainees to experienced consultants. The surgeons were given a list of key steps to achieve in exposing and drilling the skull base using the simulation model. They were then asked to list the level of difficulty of learning these steps using the model. The participants found the models suitable for learning registration, navigation and skull base drilling techniques. All participants also found the deep structures to be accurately represented spatially as confirmed by the navigation system. These models allow structured simulation to be conducted in a workshop environment where surgeons and trainees can practice to perform complex procedures in a controlled fashion under the supervision of experts.

About binding conditions for a system of three fermions and impossibility of existence of a trineutron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byidasyuk, Yu.M.; Simenog, Yi.V.; Simenog, Yi.V.

2007-01-01

Conditions of the existence of a three-fermion bound state are investigated for the states with nonzero angular momentum L = 1 and a wide class of interaction potentials. It is shown that the binding of three fermions with purely attractive potentials or the standard attractive potentials at high distances and a short-range repulsion is impossible if two of the fermions are unbound. Moreover, this system is even farther from a bound state when the parameters of potentials are in agreement with the low-energy two-neutron data. The possibility for a bound state of a three-fermion system with L = 1 without bound subsystems to exist is demonstrated for the potentials with two attractive regimes. But there exists no bound trineutron for the realistic neutron-neutron interaction even with two regimes of attractions, in contrast to a tetraneutron considered in [9

Building partnership to improve migrants’ access to healthcare in Mumbai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilesh Chandrakant Gawde

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: An intervention to improve migrants’ access to healthcare was piloted in Mumbai with purpose of informing health policy and planning. This paper aims to describe the process of building partnership for improving migrants’ access to healthcare of the pilot intervention including the role played by different stakeholders and the contextual factors affecting the intervention. Methods: The process evaluation was based upon Baranowski and Stables’ framework. their Observations in community and conversations with stakeholders as recorded in daily diaries, minutes of pre-intervention workshops and stakeholder meetings served as data sources. Data were coded using the framework and descriptive summaries of evaluation components were prepared.Results: Recruitment of stakeholders was easier than sustaining their interest. Community representatives led the intervention assisted by government officials. They planned community level interventions to improve access to healthcare which involved predominantly information, education and communication activities for which pre-existing formal and informal social networks and community events were used. Although the intervention reached migrants living with families, single male migrants neither participated nor did the intervention reach them consistently. Contextual factors such as culture differences between migrants and native population and illegality in the nature of the settlement resulting in the exclusion from services were the barriers. Conclusion: Inclusive multi-stakeholder partnership including migrants themselves and using both formal and informal networks in community is a feasible strategy for health education and has potential to improve the migrants’ access to healthcare. However, there are challenges to the partnership process and new strategies to overcome these challenges need to be tested such as peer-led models for involvement of single male migrants. For sustaining such

Building Partnership to Improve Migrants' Access to Healthcare in Mumbai.

Science.gov (United States)

Gawde, Nilesh Chandrakant; Sivakami, Muthusamy; Babu, Bontha V

2015-01-01

An intervention to improve migrants' access to healthcare was piloted in Mumbai with purpose of informing health policy and planning. This paper aims to describe the process of building partnership for improving migrants' access to healthcare of the pilot intervention, including the role played by different stakeholders and the contextual factors affecting the intervention. The process evaluation was based on Baranowski and Stables' framework. Observations in community and conversations with stakeholders as recorded in daily diaries, minutes of pre-intervention workshops, and stakeholder meetings served as data sources. Data were coded using the framework and descriptive summaries of evaluation components were prepared. Recruitment of stakeholders was easier than sustaining their interest. Community representatives led the intervention assisted by government officials. They planned community-level interventions to improve access to healthcare that involved predominantly information, education, and communication activities for which pre-existing formal and informal social networks and community events were used. Although the intervention reached migrants living with families, single male migrants neither participated nor did the intervention reach them consistently. Contextual factors such as culture differences between migrants and native population and illegality in the nature of the settlement, resulting in the exclusion from services, were the barriers. Inclusive multi-stakeholder partnership, including migrants themselves and using both formal and informal networks in community is a feasible strategy for health education and has potential to improve the migrants' access to healthcare. However, there are challenges to the partnership process and new strategies to overcome these challenges need to be tested such as peer-led models for involvement of single male migrants. For sustaining such efforts and mainstreaming migrants, addressing contextual factors and

Digital Scholarship and Open Access

Science.gov (United States)

Losoff, Barbara; Pence, Harry E.

2010-01-01

Open access publications provide scholars with unrestricted access to the "conversation" that is the basis for the advancement of knowledge. The large number of open access journals, archives, and depositories already in existence demonstrates the technical and economic viability of providing unrestricted access to the literature that is the…

Proof of existence of global solutions for m-component reaction-diffusion systems with mixed boundary conditions via the Lyapunov functional method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelmalek, Salem; Kouachi, Said

2007-01-01

To prove global existence for solutions of m-component reaction-diffusion systems presents fundamental difficulties in the case in which some components of the system satisfy Neumann boundary conditions while others satisfy nonhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions and nonhomogeneous Robin boundary conditions. The purpose of this paper is to prove the existence of a global solution using a single inequality for the polynomial growth condition of the reaction terms. Our technique is based on the construction of polynomial functionals. This result generalizes those obtained recently by Kouachi et al (at press), Kouachi (2002 Electron. J. Diff. Eqns 2002 1), Kouachi (2001 Electron. J. Diff. Eqns 2001 1) and independently by Malham and Xin (1998 Commun. Math. Phys. 193 287)

47 CFR 76.971 - Commercial leased access terms and conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... operators that have not satisfied their statutory leased access requirements shall accommodate part-time..., educational and governmental access programming, provided that the operator's franchise agreement requires it... leased commercial channels. Cable operators may impose reasonable insurance requirements on leased access...

Effects of Brief Psychoeducational Program on Stigma in Malaysian Pre-clinical Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Aaron; Tan, Kit-Aun; Knaak, Stephanie; Chew, Boon How; Ghazali, Sazlina Shariff

2016-12-01

If presented with serious mental illness (SMI), individuals' low help-seeking behaviors and poor adherence to treatment are associated with negative stereotypes and attitudes of healthcare providers. In this study, we examined the effects of a brief psychoeducational program on reducing stigma in pre-clinical medical students. One hundred and two pre-clinical medical students (20-23 years old) were randomly assigned to face-to-face contact + educational lecture (n = 51) condition or video-based contact + educational lecture (n = 51) condition. Measures of pre-clinical medical students' mental illness-related stigma using the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) were administered at pre-, post-treatment, and 1-month follow-up. A 2 (condition: face-to-face contact + educational lecture, video-based contact + educational lecture) by 3 (time: pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 1-month follow-up) mixed model MANOVA was conducted on the Attitudes, Disclosure and Help-Seeking, and Social Distance OMS-HC subscales. Participants' scores on all subscales changed significantly across time, regardless of conditions. To determine how participants' scores changed significantly over time on each subscale, Bonferroni follow-up comparisons were performed to access pairwise differences for the main effect of time. Specifically, pairwise comparisons produced a significant reduction in Social Distance subscale between pre-treatment and post-treatment and between pre-treatment and 1-month follow-up, and a significant increase between post-treatment and 1-month follow-up, regardless of conditions. With respect to the Attitudes and Disclosure and Help-Seeking subscales, pairwise comparisons produced a significant reduction in scores between pre-treatment and post-treatment and a significant increase between post-treatment and 1-month follow-up. Our findings provide additional evidence that educational lecture on mental illness, coupled

Break-glass handling exceptional situations in access control

CERN Document Server

Petritsch, Helmut

2014-01-01

Helmut Petritsch describes the first holistic approach to Break-Glass which covers the whole life-cycle: from access control modeling (pre-access), to logging the security-relevant system state during Break-Glass accesses (at-access), and the automated analysis of Break-Glass accesses (post-access). Break-Glass allows users to override security restrictions in exceptional situations. While several Break-Glass models specific to given access control models have already been discussed in research (e.g., extending RBAC with Break-Glass), the author introduces a generic Break-Glass model. The pres

Pre-Primary Education of Roma Children in Serbia: Barriers and Possibilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunčica Macura-Milovanović

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In Serbia, as in the other countries of the Western Balkans and South-Eastern Europe, the most disadvantaged communities belong to the Roma minority. The present paper demonstrates the conditions of Roma preschool children in Serbia: primarily their early education, but also habitation and health in Roma settlements. The data highlight the under-representation of Roma children in pre-primary education, although their growing up in extremely deprived settlements would suggest a need for their earliest possible inclusion in pre-primary services. The paper analyses the following barriers to the access of Roma children to the system of pre-primary education: the poverty of Roma families; discrimination and prejudice towards Roma; the lack of intercultural provision; insufficient inter-sectorial cooperation; the underdeveloped network of preschool institutions; and the absence of kindergartens in Roma settlements. In addition, possible ways to increase the coverage of Roma children in pre-primary education are discussed. As a transitory solution, the paper proposes comprehensivecommunity-based programmes that could contribute to the education, care, health and overall development of young Roma children before their inclusion in desegregated programmes in preschool institutions.

Children with disabling chronic conditions in the Western health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Children with disabling chronic conditions often have extensive, complex and unmet healthcare and educational needs. ... such children that access specialist health and special educational services, particularly in an urban setting, and what services exist for them. ..... Kromberg J, Zwane E, Manga P, et al.

Performance improvement of a hybrid air conditioning system using the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffles as a pre-cooling unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.E. Kabeel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, the effects of the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle on the performance of the hybrid air conditioning system are numerically investigated. The hybrid air conditioning system contains two indirect evaporative coolers with internal baffle, one is utilized to pre-cool the air inlet to the desiccant wheel and the other is utilized to pre-cool the supply air inlet to the room. The effects of the inlet conditions of the process and reactivation air and working air ratio on the thermal performance of the hybrid air conditioning system have been analyzed. The results of this study show that in the hybrid air conditioning system for using the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle as a pre-cooling unit, the supply air temperature reduced by 21% and the coefficient of performance improved by 71% as compared to previous designs of the hybrid air conditioning system at the same inlet conditions. For increasing process air inlet temperature from 25 °C to 45 °C, supply air temperature increases from 12.7 °C to 14.2 °C, thermal COP increases from 1.87 to 2.84, and supply air relative humidity increases from 76.7% to 77.4%. Also, for increasing the reactivation air inlet temperature from 70 °C to 110 °C, supply air temperature dropped from 15.9 °C to 10.9 °C, supply air relative humidity dropped from 82.7% to 71.8%, and thermal COP dropped from 4.5 to 1.7. The recommended optimal air working ratio in the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle should be 0.15. Keywords: Desiccant material, Solar air collector, Evaporative cooler, Internal baffles, Air conditioning

The status of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of accession to the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lakić Danijela

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the level that Bosnia and Herzegovina has reached in the process of accession to the European union. Since year 2000, it has been included in Stabilization and Accession process, politico-legal framework of the European union for the integration in the Western Balkans. Among the countries in this region, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the slowest advancement on its way to the EU. It has not yet submitted the application for EU membership nor has the Stabilization and Accession Agreement come into force. The EU requires that Bosnia and Herzegovina meet two conditions in order to move forward. The first condition is the implementation of the Sejdić and Finci ruling of The European Court of Human Rights, from 2009, and the second is to create an efficient coordination mechanism on EU issues ( with one voice on EU issues. until the second condition is met, the EU has postponed making the decision on pre-accession assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina until further notice. According to the assessment of the European Commission, the main cause of this stagnation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the lack of political will, and its specific constitution that does not present the obstacle to succession in the process of European integration.

RESEARCH OF EXISTENCE OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIABLES BY THE METHOD OF CONDITION-CONSEQUENCE DECOMPOSITION OF EVENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Dron'

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the work an algorithm for establishing the existence of relationship between arbitrary socio-economic variables is given. The algorithm is based on the condition-consequence decomposition of events. It involves the construction of event-model and the using two classifications – types of interdependencies between events and types of relationships between their attributes.

Biodegradation of Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Biodegradability under Co-Existing Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Miho; Zhang, Ming; Toyota, Koki

2017-09-27

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major pollutants that are found in contaminated sites, particularly in developed countries such as Japan. Various microorganisms that degrade individual VOCs have been reported, and genomic information related to their phylogenetic classification and VOC-degrading enzymes is available. However, the biodegradation of multiple VOCs remains a challenging issue. Practical sites, such as chemical factories, research facilities, and illegal dumping sites, are often contaminated with multiple VOCs. In order to investigate the potential of biodegrading multiple VOCs, we initially reviewed the biodegradation of individual VOCs. VOCs include chlorinated ethenes (tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride), BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), and chlorinated methanes (carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and dichloromethane). We also summarized essential information on the biodegradation of each kind of VOC under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, together with the microorganisms that are involved in VOC-degrading pathways. Interactions among multiple VOCs were then discussed based on concrete examples. Under conditions in which multiple VOCs co-exist, the biodegradation of a VOC may be constrained, enhanced, and/or unaffected by other compounds. Co-metabolism may enhance the degradation of other VOCs. In contrast, constraints are imposed by the toxicity of co-existing VOCs and their by-products, catabolite repression, or competition between VOC-degrading enzymes. This review provides fundamental, but systematic information for designing strategies for the bioremediation of multiple VOCs, as well as information on the role of key microorganisms that degrade VOCs.

Biodegradation of Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Biodegradability under Co-Existing Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Miho; Zhang, Ming; Toyota, Koki

2017-01-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major pollutants that are found in contaminated sites, particularly in developed countries such as Japan. Various microorganisms that degrade individual VOCs have been reported, and genomic information related to their phylogenetic classification and VOC-degrading enzymes is available. However, the biodegradation of multiple VOCs remains a challenging issue. Practical sites, such as chemical factories, research facilities, and illegal dumping sites, are often contaminated with multiple VOCs. In order to investigate the potential of biodegrading multiple VOCs, we initially reviewed the biodegradation of individual VOCs. VOCs include chlorinated ethenes (tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride), BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), and chlorinated methanes (carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and dichloromethane). We also summarized essential information on the biodegradation of each kind of VOC under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, together with the microorganisms that are involved in VOC-degrading pathways. Interactions among multiple VOCs were then discussed based on concrete examples. Under conditions in which multiple VOCs co-exist, the biodegradation of a VOC may be constrained, enhanced, and/or unaffected by other compounds. Co-metabolism may enhance the degradation of other VOCs. In contrast, constraints are imposed by the toxicity of co-existing VOCs and their by-products, catabolite repression, or competition between VOC-degrading enzymes. This review provides fundamental, but systematic information for designing strategies for the bioremediation of multiple VOCs, as well as information on the role of key microorganisms that degrade VOCs. PMID:28904262

A 10-days heatwave around flowering superimposed on climate change conditions significantly affects production of 22 barley accessions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingvordsen, Cathrine Heinz; Lyngkjær, Michael F.; Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo

2015-01-01

Extreme climate events as heatwaves, floods and storms cause acute changes in season variability influencing primary production and are very likely to increase in magnitude and/or frequency (IPCC, AR5, WGI). In the present study 22 primarily Nordic barley accessions were grown in four basic clima...... climate change conditions on numerous accessions in order to select appropriate genotypes for breeding future cultivars that can secure the primary production....

Nutritional practices in full-day-care pre-schools.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Jennings, A

2011-06-01

Full-day-care pre-schools contribute significantly to the nutritional intake and acquisition of dietary habits of the pre-school child. The present study investigated nutritional practices in full-day-care pre-schools in Dublin, Ireland, aiming to determine the nutritional support that pre-school managers deem necessary, thereby facilitating the amelioration of existing pre-school nutritional training and practices.

Evidence from cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating for the existence of a pre-Minoan caldera on Santorini, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Athanassas, C. D.; Bourlès, D. L.; Braucher, R.; Druitt, T. H.; Nomikou, P.; Léanni, L.

2016-05-01

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating was performed on the caldera cliffs of Santorini with the aim of detecting cliff segments predating the Minoan eruption (17th century BCE). The methodology involved the determination of in situ-produced cosmogenic 36Cl concentration in basaltic-to-rhyodacitic whole rocks cropping out in the cliffs. After the samples were processed following the chemical protocol of 36Cl preparation for silicate rocks, 36Cl concentrations were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Important challenges during the implementation procedure were related to large amounts of radiogenic 36Cl, complex modeling of inherited 36Cl, and dominance of the thermal and epithermal (low-energy) neutron capture production pathway. Nevertheless, quantitative assessments on the basis of the contribution of the low-energy neutron capture pathway percent to the total production rate validated the calculated CRE dates. Current CRE ages demonstrate that an ancient caldera existed on pre-Minoan Santorini, occupying at least the northern half of the modern-day caldera.

Pre-existing differences and diet-induced alterations in striatal dopamine systems of obesity-prone rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollbrecht, Peter J; Mabrouk, Omar S; Nelson, Andrew D; Kennedy, Robert T; Ferrario, Carrie R

2016-03-01

Interactions between pre-existing differences in mesolimbic function and neuroadaptations induced by consumption of fatty, sugary foods are thought to contribute to human obesity. This study examined basal and cocaine-induced changes in striatal neurotransmitter levels without diet manipulation and D2 /D3 dopamine receptor-mediated transmission prior to and after consumption of "junk-foods" in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats. Microdialysis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to determine basal and cocaine-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels in real time with cocaine-induced locomotor activity. Sensitivity to the D2 /D3 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole was examined before and after restricted junk-food exposure. Selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats were used. Cocaine-induced locomotion was greater in obesity-prone rats versus obesity-resistant rats prior to diet manipulation. Basal and cocaine-induced increases in dopamine and serotonin levels did not differ. Obesity-prone rats were more sensitive to the D2 receptor-mediated effects of quinpirole, and junk-food produced modest alterations in quinpirole sensitivity in obesity-resistant rats. These data show that mesolimbic systems differ prior to diet manipulation in susceptible versus resistant rats, and that consumption of fatty, sugary foods produce different neuroadaptations in these populations. These differences may contribute to enhanced food craving and an inability to limit food intake in susceptible individuals. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Initial conditions for hydrodynamics from weakly coupled pre-equilibrium evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazeliauskas, Aleksas

2017-01-01

We use leading order effective kinetic theory to simulate the pre-equilibrium evolution of transverse energy and flow perturbations in heavy-ion collisions. We provide a Green function which propagates the initial perturbations of the energy-momentum tensor to a time when hydrodynamics becomes applicable. With this map, the pre-thermal evolution from saturated nuclei to hydrodynamics can be modeled in the framework of weakly coupled QCD. (paper)

Initial conditions for hydrodynamics from weakly coupled pre-equilibrium evolution

CERN Document Server

Keegan, Liam; Mazeliauskas, Aleksas; Teaney, Derek

2016-01-01

We use effective kinetic theory, accurate at weak coupling, to simulate the pre-equilibrium evolution of transverse energy and flow perturbations in heavy-ion collisions. We provide a Green function which propagates the initial perturbations to the energy-momentum tensor at a time when hydrodynamics becomes applicable. With this map, the complete pre-thermal evolution from saturated nuclei to hydrodynamics can be modelled in a perturbatively controlled way.

Identifying hydrological pre-conditions and rainfall triggers of slope failures for 2014 storm events in the Ialomita Subcarpathians, Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Chitu, Zenaida; Bogaard, Thom; Busuioc, Aristita; Burcea, Sorin; Adler, Mary-Jeanne; Sandric, Ionut

2015-04-01

Like in many parts of the world, in Romania, landslides represent recurrent phenomena that produce numerous damages to infrastructure every few years. Various studies on landslide occurrence in the Curvature Subcarpathians reveal that rainfall represents the most important triggering factor for landslides. Depending on rainfall characteristics and environmental factors different types of landslides were recorded in the Ialomita Subcarpathians: slumps, earthflows and complex landslides. This area, located in the western part of Curvature Subcarpathians, is characterized by a very complex geology whose main features are represented by the nappes system, the post tectonic covers, the diapirism phenomena and vertical faults. This work aims to investigate hydrological pre-conditions and rainfall characteristics which triggered slope failures in 2014 in the Ialomita Subcarpathians, Romania. Hydrological pre-conditions were investigated by means of water balance analysis and low flow techniques, while spatial and temporal patterns of rainfalls were estimated using radar data and six rain gauges. Additionally, six soil moisture stations that are fitted with volumetric soil moisture sensors and temperature soil sensors were used to estimate the antecedent soil moisture conditions.

Performance of African Agricultural Exports and External Market Access Conditions under International Trade Reforms

OpenAIRE

Nyangito, Hezron Omare

2004-01-01

Sub Saharan African agriculture is currently facing challenges in international trade with respect to external market access conditions and competition in world markets as a result of trade liberalization efforts under the world trade organization (WTO) agreements and in particular the agreement on agriculture (AoA). This paper presents the performance of agricultural exports for selected countries and indicates external market barriers faced and the resulting implications of the barriers on ...

Wave fields in Weyl spaces and conditions for the existence of a preferred pseudo-Riemannian structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audretsch, J.; Gaehler, F.; Straumann, N.

1984-01-01

Previous axiomatic approaches to general relativity which led to a Weylian structure of space-time are supplemented by a physical condition which implies the existence of a preferred pseudo-Riemannian structure. It is stipulated that the trajectories of the short wave limit of classical massive fields agree with the geodesics of the Weyl connection and it is shown that this is equivalent to the vanishing of the covariant derivative of a ''mass function'' of nontrivial Weyl type.This in turn is proven to be equivalent to the existence of a preferred metric of the conformal structure such that the Weyl connection is reducible to a connection of the bundle of orthonormal frames belonging to this distinguished metric. (orig.)

The role of pre-existing disturbances in the effect of marine reserves on coastal ecosystems: a modelling approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Savina

Full Text Available We have used an end-to-end ecosystem model to explore responses over 30 years to coastal no-take reserves covering up to 6% of the fifty thousand square kilometres of continental shelf and slope off the coast of New South Wales (Australia. The model is based on the Atlantis framework, which includes a deterministic, spatially resolved three-dimensional biophysical model that tracks nutrient flows through key biological groups, as well as extraction by a range of fisheries. The model results support previous empirical studies in finding clear benefits of reserves to top predators such as sharks and rays throughout the region, while also showing how many of their major prey groups (including commercial species experienced significant declines. It was found that the net impact of marine reserves was dependent on the pre-existing levels of disturbance (i.e. fishing pressure, and to a lesser extent on the size of the marine reserves. The high fishing scenario resulted in a strongly perturbed system, where the introduction of marine reserves had clear and mostly direct effects on biomass and functional biodiversity. However, under the lower fishing pressure scenario, the introduction of marine reserves caused both direct positive effects, mainly on shark groups, and indirect negative effects through trophic cascades. Our study illustrates the need to carefully align the design and implementation of marine reserves with policy and management objectives. Trade-offs may exist not only between fisheries and conservation objectives, but also among conservation objectives.

Radiation protection programme for existing exposure situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadhani, Hilali Hussein

2016-04-01

This study was conducted to develop the Radiation protection Programme (RPP) to ensure that measures are in place for protection of individuals from the existing source of exposure. The study established a number of protective and remedial actions to be considered by the responsible regulatory Authority, licensee for existing exposure in workplace and dwellings. Tanzania is endowed with a number NORMs processing industries with an experience of uncontrolled exploration and extraction of minerals and the use of unsafe mining methods leading to severe environmental damage and appalling living conditions in the mining communities. Some of NORMs industries have been abandoned due to lack of an effect management infrastructure. The residual radioactive materials have been found to be the most import source of existing exposure resulted from NORMs industries. The Radon gas and its progeny have also been found to be a source of existing exposure from natural source as well as the major source of risk and health effects associated with existing exposure situation. The following measures have been discovered to play a pivotal role in avoiding or reducing the source of exposure to individuals such as restriction of the use of the construction materials, restriction on the consumption of foodstuffs and restriction on the access to the land and buildings, the removal of the magnitude of the source in terms of activity concentration as well as improvement of ventilation in dwellings. Therefore, the regulatory body (Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission) should examine the major areas outlined in the established RRP for existing exposure situation resulted from the NORMs industries and natural sources so as to develop strategies that will ensure the adequate protection of members of the public and the environment as well as guiding operating organizations to develop radiation protection and safety measures for workers. (au)

Macro-mesoscopic Fracture and Strength Character of Pre-cracked Granite Under Stress Relaxation Condition

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junfeng; Yang, Haiqing; Xiao, Yang; Zhou, Xiaoping

2018-05-01

The fracture characters are important index to study the strength and deformation behavior of rock mass in rock engineering. In order to investigate the influencing mechanism of loading conditions on the strength and macro-mesoscopic fracture character of rock material, pre-cracked granite specimens are prepared to conduct a series of uniaxial compression experiments. For parts of the experiments, stress relaxation tests of different durations are also conducted during the uniaxial loading process. Furthermore, the stereomicroscope is adopted to observe the microstructure of the crack surfaces of the specimens. The experimental results indicate that the crack surfaces show several typical fracture characters in accordance with loading conditions. In detail, some cleavage fracture can be observed under conventional uniaxial compression and the fractured surface is relatively rough, whereas as stress relaxation tests are attached, relative slip trace appears between the crack faces and some shear fracture starts to come into being. Besides, the crack faces tend to become smoother and typical terrace structures can be observed in local areas. Combining the macroscopic failure pattern of the specimens, it can be deduced that the duration time for the stress relaxation test contributes to the improvement of the elastic-plastic strain range as well as the axial peak strength for the studied material. Moreover, the derived conclusion is also consistent with the experimental and analytical solution for the pre-peak stage of the rock material. The present work may provide some primary understanding about the strength character and fracture mechanism of hard rock under different engineering environments.

Comparison of two long acting pre-lambing anthelmintic treatments on the productivity of ewes in low body condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bingham, C; Hodge, A; Mariadass, B

2017-05-01

To determine if there was a benefit from treating ewes with a low body condition score (BCS) with long acting anthelmintic products pre-lambing and to compare the effects of two commonly used treatment options. The study was conducted on a single commercial hill country sheep and beef property in the central North Island of New Zealand. Mixed age twin-bearing ewes were preselected by the farmer as being in poor condition 4 weeks before the planned start of lambing, and were sequentially drafted into three equal groups identified with coloured ear tags. The negative control group (n=199) received no anthelmintic treatment; the other two groups received either a controlled release capsule (CRC) containing abamectin, albendazole, Se and Co (n=200) or a long-acting injection of moxidectin (n=200). All ewes were body condition scored (1-5 scale) and weighed at pre-lambing, docking (65 days after treatment) and at weaning (127 days after treatment). Faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) were carried out on 10 ewes from each group at these three times. Most lambs were matched to the ewe treatment groups at weaning, and weighed. At weaning the mean body weight of ewes treated with moxidectin was 3.2 (95% CI=2.3-4.3) kg heavier than controls, and of ewes treated with CRC was 3.6 (95% CI=2.5-4.5) kg heavier than control ewes (pewes had a BCS≥3. At weaning, more ewes treated with CRC (140/194; 72%) or moxidectin (122/187; 65%) had a BCS≥3 than control ewes (55/179 (31%); pewes from the treatment groups, the mean weight at weaning of lambs from ewes treated with moxidectin was 2.6 (95% CI=1.9-3.3) kg heavier, and from ewes treated with CRC was 2.6 (95% CI=1.9-3.4) kg heavier than lambs from control ewes (pewes with low BCS pre-lambing with long acting anthelmintic treatments (moxidectin long acting injection or CRC) resulted in an increase in mean body weight of the ewes and lambs at weaning. There were no significant differences between the two pre-lambing treatments used

On the existence of consistent price systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bayraktar, Erhan; Pakkanen, Mikko S.; Sayit, Hasanjan

2014-01-01

We formulate a sufficient condition for the existence of a consistent price system (CPS), which is weaker than the conditional full support condition (CFS). We use the new condition to show the existence of CPSs for certain processes that fail to have the CFS property. In particular this condition...

Physical condition and stress levels during early development reflect feeding rates and predict pre- and post-fledging survival in a nearshore seabird.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Juliet S; O'Reilly, Kathleen M; Jodice, Patrick G R

2016-01-01

conditions, provided pre-existing baseline variation is monitored and understood.

An Analytical Model for Assessing Stability of Pre-Existing Faults in Caprock Caused by Fluid Injection and Extraction in a Reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Bai, Bing; Li, Xiaochun; Liu, Mingze; Wu, Haiqing; Hu, Shaobin

2016-07-01

Induced seismicity and fault reactivation associated with fluid injection and depletion were reported in hydrocarbon, geothermal, and waste fluid injection fields worldwide. Here, we establish an analytical model to assess fault reactivation surrounding a reservoir during fluid injection and extraction that considers the stress concentrations at the fault tips and the effects of fault length. In this model, induced stress analysis in a full-space under the plane strain condition is implemented based on Eshelby's theory of inclusions in terms of a homogeneous, isotropic, and poroelastic medium. The stress intensity factor concept in linear elastic fracture mechanics is adopted as an instability criterion for pre-existing faults in surrounding rocks. To characterize the fault reactivation caused by fluid injection and extraction, we define a new index, the "fault reactivation factor" η, which can be interpreted as an index of fault stability in response to fluid pressure changes per unit within a reservoir resulting from injection or extraction. The critical fluid pressure change within a reservoir is also determined by the superposition principle using the in situ stress surrounding a fault. Our parameter sensitivity analyses show that the fault reactivation tendency is strongly sensitive to fault location, fault length, fault dip angle, and Poisson's ratio of the surrounding rock. Our case study demonstrates that the proposed model focuses on the mechanical behavior of the whole fault, unlike the conventional methodologies. The proposed method can be applied to engineering cases related to injection and depletion within a reservoir owing to its efficient computational codes implementation.

Dissolution of pre-existing platelet thrombus by synergistic administration of low concentrations of bifunctional antibodies against β3 integrin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suying Dang

Full Text Available Most antithrombotic approaches target prevention rather than the more clinically relevant issue of resolution of an existing thrombus. In this study, we describe a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for ex vivo clearance of pre-existing platelet thrombus by the combination of two bifunctional platelet GPIIIa49-66 ligands that target different parts of the arterial thrombus. We produced an additional GPIIIa49-66 agent (named APAC, which homes to activated platelets. Like our previously described SLK (which targets newly deposited fibrin strands surrounding the platelet thrombus, APAC destroys platelet aggregates ex vivo in an identical fashion with 85% destruction of platelet aggregates at 2 hours. The combined application of APAC and SLK demonstrated a ~2 fold greater platelet thrombus dissolution than either agent alone at a low concentration (0.025 µM. Platelet-rich clot lysis experiments demonstrated the time required for 50% platelet-rich fibrin clot lysis (T(50% by APAC (95 ± 6.1 min or SLK (145 ± 7.1 min was much longer than that by combined APAC + SLK (65 ± 7.6 min at the final concentration of 0.025 µM (APAC + SLK vs APAC, p<0.05; APAC + SLK vs SLK, p<0.01. Thus these low concentrations of a combination of both agents are likely to be more effective and less toxic when used therapeutically in vivo.

Basic math and pre-algebra practice problems for dummies

CERN Document Server

Zegarelli, Mark

2013-01-01

1001 Basic Math & Pre- Algebra Practice Problems For  Dummies   Practice makes perfect-and helps deepen your understanding of basic math and pre-algebra 1001 Basic Math & Pre-Algebra Practice Problems For Dummies, with free access to online practice problems, takes you beyond the instruction and guidance offered in Basic Math & Pre-Algebra For Dummies, giving you 1,001 opportunities to practice solving problems from the major topics in your math course. You begin with some basic arithmetic practice, move on to fractions, decimals, and per

The Effect of Task Type and Pre-task Planning Condition on the Accuracy of Intermediate EFL Learners' Writing Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyeed Mohammad Alavi

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Task-based language teaching, which requires learners to transact tasks resembling their real life language needs, demands language learners to perform planning at different stages of their learning. Since various types of tasks can be used in task-based instruction, the present study examined the effect of task types and various participatory structures during pre-task planning on the quality of learners' writing performance, (i.e., accuracy. Towards this end, 120 intermediate EFL students were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups and one control group. While the experimental groups were subjected to different pre-task planning conditions, (i.e., individual, pair, and group, the control group performed tasks without any planning. During the treatment, they experienced task modeling, presentation and completion. A factorial design was followed in the present study, and the collected data were analyzed through ANOVAs that revealed task type and pre-task planning condition influenced the writing accuracy of the participants in a way that resulted in greater accuracy in the decision-making task in the experimental groups, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment in mitigating the long-standing problem of EFL learners in achieving higher levels of accuracy when a specific task type is concerned.

Performance Comparison of Several Pre-Processing Methods in a Hand Gesture Recognition System based on Nearest Neighbor for Different Background Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwan Setyawan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a performance analysis and comparison of several pre-processing methods used in a hand gesture recognition system. The pre-processing methods are based on the combinations of several image processing operations, namely edge detection, low pass filtering, histogram equalization, thresholding and desaturation. The hand gesture recognition system is designed to classify an input image into one of six possible classes. The input images are taken with various background conditions. Our experiments showed that the best result is achieved when the pre-processing method consists of only a desaturation operation, achieving a classification accuracy of up to 83.15%.

Stay in the Box! Embedded Assistive Technology Improves Access for Students with Disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Koch

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Assistive technology is not only a required component of a student’s IEP; it can be an effective way to help students with (and without disabilities access their education and to provide them with required instructional accommodations. Teachers, however, are often not adequately prepared in their pre-service course work and ongoing professional development to address the technology needs of their special education students and have not had the opportunities to access technology due to limited availability and cost. While assistive technology can be purchased to augment an existing computer, it is often unnecessary to do that. Both Microsoft and Apple operating systems in “off-the-shelf” computers and handheld devices have embedded assistive technology that is easy to access and easy to use. This embedded technology can help teachers become familiar with technology and assist students with sensory, physical, learning, and attention disabilities, and it might have practical applications with Universal Design for Learning. This paper provides a discussion on how embedded technology can support students with disabilities in the school setting and provides examples for access and use.

Moving toward a universally accessible web: Web accessibility and education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Serhat

2017-12-08

The World Wide Web is an extremely powerful source of information, inspiration, ideas, and opportunities. As such, it has become an integral part of daily life for a great majority of people. Yet, for a significant number of others, the internet offers only limited value due to the existence of barriers which make accessing the Web difficult, if not impossible. This article illustrates some of the reasons that achieving equality of access to the online world of education is so critical, explores the current status of Web accessibility, discusses evaluative tools and methods that can help identify accessibility issues in educational websites, and provides practical recommendations and guidelines for resolving some of the obstacles that currently hinder the achievability of the goal of universal Web access.

Pre-irradiation induced emulsion graft polymerization of acrylonitrile onto polyethylene nonwoven fabric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hanzhou; Yu Ming; Deng Bo; Li Linfan; Jiang Haiqing; Li Jingye

2012-01-01

Acrylonitrile has been widely used in the modification of polymers by graft polymerization. In the present work, pre-irradiation induced emulsion graft polymerization method is used to introduce acrylonitrile onto PE nonwoven fabric instead of the traditional reaction in organic solvents system. The degree of grafting (DG) is measured by gravimetric method and the kinetics of the graft polymerization is studied. The existence of the graft chains is proven by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. Thermal stability of the grafted polymer is measured by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). - Highlights: → Acrylonitrile is grafted onto pre-irradiated polyethylene (PE) nonwoven fabrics. → Emulsion system is applied, for the graft polymerization avoids organic solvent. → Kinetic of the pre-irradiation induced graft polymerization is studied. → Optimal condition is determined at the temperature below the b.p. of acrylonitrile.

Cyberscience and the Knowledge-Based Economy. Open Access and Trade Publishing: From Contradiction to Compatibility with Non-Exclusive Copyright Licensing

Science.gov (United States)

Armbruster, Chris

2008-01-01

Open source, open content and open access are set to fundamentally alter the conditions of knowledge production and distribution. Open source, open content and open access are also the most tangible result of the shift towards e-science and digital networking. Yet, widespread misperceptions exist about the impact of this shift on knowledge…

National Scale Marine Geophysical Data Portal for the Israel EEZ with Public Access Web-GIS Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Ketter, T.; Kanari, M.; Tibor, G.

2017-12-01

Recent offshore discoveries and regulation in the Israel Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are the driving forces behind increasing marine research and development initiatives such as infrastructure development, environmental protection and decision making among many others. All marine operations rely on existing seabed information, while some also generate new data. We aim to create a single platform knowledge-base to enable access to existing information, in a comprehensive, publicly accessible web-based interface. The Israel EEZ covers approx. 26,000 sqkm and has been surveyed continuously with various geophysical instruments over the past decades, including 10,000 km of multibeam survey lines, 8,000 km of sub-bottom seismic lines, and hundreds of sediment sampling stations. Our database consists of vector and raster datasets from multiple sources compiled into a repository of geophysical data and metadata, acquired nation-wide by several research institutes and universities. The repository will enable public access via a web portal based on a GIS platform, including datasets from multibeam, sub-bottom profiling, single- and multi-channel seismic surveys and sediment sampling analysis. Respective data products will also be available e.g. bathymetry, substrate type, granulometry, geological structure etc. Operating a web-GIS based repository allows retrieval of pre-existing data for potential users to facilitate planning of future activities e.g. conducting marine surveys, construction of marine infrastructure and other private or public projects. User interface is based on map oriented spatial selection, which will reveal any relevant data for designated areas of interest. Querying the database will allow the user to obtain information about the data owner and to address them for data retrieval as required. Wide and free public access to existing data and metadata can save time and funds for academia, government and commercial sectors, while aiding in cooperation

Effects of individual pre-fledging traits and environmental conditions on return patterns in juvenile king penguins.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraux, Claire; Viblanc, Vincent A; Hanuise, Nicolas; Le Maho, Yvon; Le Bohec, Céline

2011-01-01

Despite the importance of early life stages in individuals' life history and population dynamics, very few studies have focused on the constraints to which these juvenile traits are subjected. Based on 10 years of automatic monitoring of over 2500 individuals, we present the first study on the effects of environmental conditions and individual pre-fledging traits on the post-fledging return of non-banded king penguins to their natal colony. Juvenile king penguins returned exclusively within one of the three austral summers following their departure. A key finding is that return rates (range 68-87%) were much higher than previously assumed for this species, importantly meaning that juvenile survival is very close to that of adults. Such high figures suggest little juvenile dispersal, and selection occurring mostly prior to fledging in king penguins. Pre-fledging conditions had a strong quadratic impact on juvenile return rates. As expected, cohorts reared under very unfavourable years (as inferred by the breeding success of the colony) exhibited low return rates but surprisingly, so did those fledged under very favourable conditions. Juvenile sojourns away from the colony were shorter under warm conditions and subsequent return rates higher, suggesting a positive effect of climate warming. The longer the post-fledging trip (1, 2 or 3 years), the earlier in the summer birds returned to their natal colony and the longer they stayed before leaving for the winter journey. The presence of juveniles in the colony was more than twice the duration required for moulting purposes, yet none attempted breeding in the year of their first return. Juvenile presence in the colony may be important for acquiring knowledge on the social and physical colonial environment and may play an important part in the learning process of mating behaviour. Further studies are required to investigate its potential implications on other life-history traits such as recruitment age.

Impact of the environmental conditions and substrate pre-treatment on whey protein hydrolysis: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheison, Seronei Chelulei; Kulozik, Ulrich

2017-01-22

Proteins in solution are subject to myriad forces stemming from interactions with each other as well as with the solvent media. The role of the environmental conditions, namely pH, temperature, ionic strength remains under-estimated yet it impacts protein conformations and consequently its interaction with, and susceptibility to, the enzyme. Enzymes, being proteins are also amenable to the environmental conditions because they are either activated or denatured depending on the choice of the conditions. Furthermore, enzyme specificity is restricted to a narrow regime of optimal conditions while opportunities outside the optimum conditions remain untapped. In addition, the composition of protein substrate (whether mixed or single purified) have been underestimated in previous studies. In addition, protein pre-treatment methods like heat denaturation prior to hydrolysis is a complex phenomenon whose progression is influenced by the environmental conditions including the presence or absence of sugars like lactose, ionic strength, purity of the protein, and the molecular structure of the mixed proteins particularly presence of free thiol groups. In this review, we revisit protein hydrolysis with a focus on the impact of the hydrolysis environment and show that preference of peptide bonds and/or one protein over another during hydrolysis is driven by the environmental conditions. Likewise, heat-denaturing is a process which is dependent on not only the environment but the presence or absence of other proteins.

The study on the recycle condition for existence of the decommissioning waste in the nuclear power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hironaga, Michihiko; Ozaki, Sachio; Hirai, Mitsuyuki; Sakamoto, Hiroyuki; Usui, Tatsuo; Simizu, Yasuo; Ogane, Daisuke

2000-01-01

To establish the technique of the recycle for concrete waste, this paper describes the recycle condition for existence of the decommissioning concrete waste in the nuclear power plant and considers the durability of cask yard concrete constructed at about twenty years ago. The authors examine the recycle system of concrete in the power plant. (author)

Natural variation in rosette size under salt stress conditions corresponds to developmental differences between Arabidopsis accessions and allelic variation in the LRR-KISS gene

KAUST Repository

Julkowska, Magdalena

2016-02-11

Natural variation among Arabidopsis accessions is an important genetic resource to identify mechanisms underlying plant development and stress tolerance. To evaluate the natural variation in salinity stress tolerance, two large-scale experiments were performed on two populations consisting of 160 Arabidopsis accessions each. Multiple traits, including projected rosette area, and fresh and dry weight were collected as an estimate for salinity tolerance. Our results reveal a correlation between rosette size under salt stress conditions and developmental differences between the accessions grown in control conditions, suggesting that in general larger plants were more salt tolerant. This correlation was less pronounced when plants were grown under severe salt stress conditions. Subsequent genome wide association study (GWAS) revealed associations with novel candidate genes for salinity tolerance such as LRR-KISS (At4g08850), flowering locus KH-domain containing protein and a DUF1639-containing protein. Accessions with high LRR-KISS expression developed larger rosettes under salt stress conditions. Further characterization of allelic variation in candidate genes identified in this study will provide more insight into mechanisms of salt stress tolerance due to enhanced shoot growth.

The Tala Tuff, La Primavera caldera Mexico. Pre-eruptive conditions and magma processes before eruption

Science.gov (United States)

Sosa-Ceballos, G.

2015-12-01

La Primavera caldera, Jalisco Mexico, is a Pleistocenic volcanic structure formed by dome complexes and multiple pyroclastic flows and fall deposits. It is located at the intersection of the Chapala, Colima, and Tepic grabens in western Mexico. The first volcanic activity associated to La Primavera started ~0.1 Ma with the emission of pre-caldera lavas. The caldera collapse occurred 95 ka and is associated to the eruption of ~20 km3of pumice flows known as the Tala tuff (Mahood 1980). The border of the caldera was replaced by a series of domes dated in 75-30 ky, which partially filled the inner depression of the caldera with pyroclastic flows and falls. For more than a decade the Federal Commission of Electricity in Mexico (CFE) has prospected and evaluated the geothermal potential of the Cerritos Colorados project at La Primavera caldera. In order to better understand the plumbing system that tapped the Tala tuff and to investigate its relation with the potential geothermal field at La Primavera we performed a series of hydrothermal experiments and studied melt inclusions hosted in quartz phenocrysts by Fourier Infra red stectroscopy (FTIR). Although some post caldera products at La Primavera contain fayalite and quartz (suggesting QFM conditions) the Tala tuff does not contain fayalite and we ran experiments under NNO conditions. The absence of titanomagnetite does not allowed us to calculate pre-eruptive temperature. However, the stability of quartz and plagioclase, which are natural phases, suggest that temperature should be less than 750 °C at a pressure of 200 MPa. The analyses of H2O and CO2 dissolved in melt inclusions yielded concentrations of 2-5 wt.% and 50-100 ppm respectively. This data confirm that the pre-eruptive pressure of the Tala tuff is ~200 MPa and in addition to major elements compositions suggest that the Tala tuff is either, compositionally zoned or mixed with other magma just prior to eruption.

Increased numbers of pre-existing memory CD8 T cells and decreased T-bet expression can restrain terminal differentiation of secondary effector and memory CD8 T cells1

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Nikhil S.; Cui, Weiguo; Dominguez, Claudia; Chen, Jonathan H.; Hand, Timothy W.; Kaech, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Memory CD8 T cells acquire TEM properties following reinfection, and may reach terminally differentiated, senescent states (“Hayflick limit”) after multiple infections. The signals controlling this process are not well understood, but we found that the degree of 2o effector and memory CD8 T cell differentiation was intimately linked to the amount of T-bet expressed upon reactivation and pre-existing memory CD8 T cell number (i.e., 1o memory CD8 T cell precursor frequency) present during secondary infection. Compared to naïve cells, memory CD8 T cells were predisposed towards terminal effector (TE) cell differentiation because they could immediately respond to IL-12 and induce T-bet, even in the absence of antigen. TE cell formation following 2o or 3o infections was dependent on increased T-bet expression because T-bet+/− cells were resistant to these phenotypic changes. Larger numbers of pre-existing memory CD8 T cells limited the duration of 2o infection and the amount of IL-12 produced, and consequently, this reduced T-bet expression and the proportion of 2o TE CD8 T cells that formed. Together, these data show that, over repeated infections, memory CD8 T cell quality and proliferative fitness is not strictly determined by the number of serial encounters with antigen or cell divisions, but is a function of the CD8 T cell differentiation state, which is genetically controlled in a T-bet-dependent manner. This differentiation state can be modulated by pre-existing memory CD8 T cell number and the intensity of inflammation during reinfection. These results have important implications for vaccinations involving prime-boost strategies. PMID:21930973

The influence of covalent immobilization conditions on antibody accessibility on nanoparticles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saha, Bedabrata; Songe, Pål; Evers, Toon H.; Prins, Menno W.J.

2017-01-01

The accessibility of particle-coupled antibodies is important for many analytical applications, but comprehensive data on parameters controlling the accessibility are scarce. Here we report on the site-specific accessibility of monoclonal antibodies, immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (500 nm) by

Age-related macular degeneration with choroidal neovascularization in the setting of pre-existing geographic atrophy and ranibizumab treatment. Analysis of a case series and revision paper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Hage Amaro

2012-12-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To report the response of choroidal neovascularization (CNV to intravitreal ranibizumab treatment in the setting of age-related macular degeneration (AMD with extensive pre-existing geographic atrophy (GA and a revision paper. METHODS: This is a revision paper and a retrospective case series of 10 eyes in nine consecutive patients from a photographic database. The patients were actively treated with ranibizumab for neovascular AMD with extensive pre-existing GA. Patients were included if they had GA at or adjacent to the foveal center that was present before the development of CNV. The best corrected visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT analysis of the central macular thickness were recorded for each visit. Serial injections of ranibizumab were administered until there was resolution of any subretinal fluid clinically or on OCT. Data over the entire follow-up period were analyzed for overall visual and OCT changes. All patients had been followed for at least 2 years since diagnosis. RESULTS: The patients received an average of 6 ± 3 intravitreal injections over the treatment period. Eight eyes had reduced retinal thickening on OCT. On average, the central macular thickness was reduced by 94 ± 101 µm. Eight eyes had improvement of one or more lines of vision, where as one eye had dramatic vision loss and one had no change. The average treatment outcome for all patients was -0.07 ± 4.25 logMAR units, which corresponded to a gain of 0.6 ± 4.4 lines of Snellen acuity. The treatment resulted in a good anatomic response with the disappearance of the subretinal fluid, improved visual acuity, and stabilized final visual results. CONCLUSION: The results of this case series suggest that the use of an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF agent (ranibizumab for CNV in AMD with extensive pre-existing GA is effective. Our results are not as striking as published results from large-scale trials of anti

Matrix multiplication operations with data pre-conditioning in a high performance computing architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Eichenberger, Alexandre E; Gschwind, Michael K; Gunnels, John A

2013-11-05

Mechanisms for performing matrix multiplication operations with data pre-conditioning in a high performance computing architecture are provided. A vector load operation is performed to load a first vector operand of the matrix multiplication operation to a first target vector register. A load and splat operation is performed to load an element of a second vector operand and replicating the element to each of a plurality of elements of a second target vector register. A multiply add operation is performed on elements of the first target vector register and elements of the second target vector register to generate a partial product of the matrix multiplication operation. The partial product of the matrix multiplication operation is accumulated with other partial products of the matrix multiplication operation.

Variability of pre-vitamin D3 effectiveness of UV appliances for skin tanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayre, Robert M; Dowdy, John C; Shepherd, James G

2010-07-01

While there is limited documentation that certain indoor tanning lamps effectively produce vitamin D, the diversity of such devices has not been extensively surveyed. This study compares the spectral effectiveness of a variety of tanning units, and solar spectra, for ultraviolet (UV) photosynthesis of pre-vitamin D3 (preD3) and UV induced erythema. Well-established techniques exist for the calculation of spectral effectiveness for photobiological responses that have defined action spectra. Using spectroradiometric data from sunlamp measurements, and standard solar reference spectra, we computed effective irradiances using the CIE action spectrum for the production of preD3 in human skin and the ISO/CIE human erythema reference action spectrum. We found, as with sunlight at different times or latitude, the preD3 and erythemal effectiveness of sunlamps varied as a function of the UV-B proportion of the spectrum. Ratios of sunlamp preD3 to erythemal effectiveness ranged from approximately 0.5 to nearly 2.0, similar to ratios for sunlight. Optimal risk to benefit conditions for preD3 from solar UV exposure occurs under high solar altitude, low zenith angle, midday midsummer sunlight. Analogous optimal preD3 exposure conditions are provided by low to intermediate pressure sunlamps with greater UV-B spectral overlap with the preD3 action spectrum. Similar to low altitude or high latitude sunlight, high pressure tanning units, filtered for negligible UV-B emissions, have insignificant vitamin D benefit. We conclude that while vitamin D can be made by both UVB exposure from indoor tanning units and by exposure UVB from sunlight, the effect is also comparably variable. Unlike sunlight, indoor tanning offers privacy and environmental conditions for practical full body exposure, lowering the requisite exposure per skin surface area, and device timers limit the potential of overexposure. Guidance for optimal use of tanning sources for vitamin D benefit is needed. Copyright (c

An Analysis of Naval Officer Accession Programs

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lehner, William D

2008-01-01

... Training Corps, and Officer Candidate School. Three areas are covered: historical patterns in officer accessions and historical changes in Navy pre-commissioning training and education philosophy and policy...

Open Access Publishing in High-Energy Physics

CERN Document Server

Mele, S

2007-01-01

The goal of Open Access (OA) is to grant anyone, anywhere and anytime free access to the results of scientific research. The High- Energy Physics (HEP) community has pioneered OA with its "pre-print culture": the mass mailing, first, and the online posting, later, of preliminary versions of its articles. After almost half a century of widespread dissemination of pre-prints, the time is ripe for the HEP community to explore OA publishing. Among other possible models, a sponsoring consortium appears as the most viable option for a transition of HEP peer-reviewed literature to OA. A Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3) is proposed as a central body which would remunerate publishers for the peer-review service, effectively replacing the "reader-pays" model of traditional subscriptions with an "author-side" funding. Funding to SCOAP3 would come from HEP funding agencies and library consortia through a re-direction of subscriptions. This model is discussed in details togethe...

Operational Circular No.2 (Rev. 2) - Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 2) entitled “Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site” and its “implementation measures”, approved by the Director-General following discussion at the Standing Concertation Committee meeting on 20 May 2014 and entering into force on 1 September 2014, are available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department (see here).   This circular is applicable to members of the personnel and other persons concerned. It cancels and replaces Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 1) entitled “Conditions of access to the fenced parts of the CERN site”, of April 1998. In particular, the revised circular provides for the possibility of mandating a person responsible for the proper implementation of the circular, specifies the rules relating to vehicles allowed on the site and the respective responsibilities of their owners, and relaxes certain administrative formalities in case of loss, theft or di...

Combinatorial RNA Interference Therapy Prevents Selection of Pre-existing HBV Variants in Human Liver Chimeric Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Yao-Ming; Sun, Cheng-Pu; Chou, Hui-Hsien; Wu, Tzu-Hui; Chen, Chun-Chi; Wu, Ping-Yi; Enya Chen, Yu-Chen; Bissig, Karl-Dimiter; Tao, Mi-Hua

2015-01-01

Selection of escape mutants with mutations within the target sequence could abolish the antiviral RNA interference activity. Here, we investigated the impact of a pre-existing shRNA-resistant HBV variant on the efficacy of shRNA therapy. We previously identified a highly potent shRNA, S1, which, when delivered by an adeno-associated viral vector, effectively inhibits HBV replication in HBV transgenic mice. We applied the “PICKY” software to systemically screen the HBV genome, then used hydrodynamic transfection and HBV transgenic mice to identify additional six highly potent shRNAs. Human liver chimeric mice were infected with a mixture of wild-type and T472C HBV, a S1-resistant HBV variant, and then treated with a single or combined shRNAs. The presence of T472C mutant compromised the therapeutic efficacy of S1 and resulted in replacement of serum wild-type HBV by T472C HBV. In contrast, combinatorial therapy using S1 and P28, one of six potent shRNAs, markedly reduced titers for both wild-type and T472C HBV. Interestingly, treatment with P28 alone led to the emergence of escape mutants with mutations in the P28 target region. Our results demonstrate that combinatorial RNAi therapy can minimize the escape of resistant viral mutants in chronic HBV patients. PMID:26482836

An integrated model of multiple-condition ChIP-Seq data reveals predeterminants of Cdx2 binding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaun Mahony

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Regulatory proteins can bind to different sets of genomic targets in various cell types or conditions. To reliably characterize such condition-specific regulatory binding we introduce MultiGPS, an integrated machine learning approach for the analysis of multiple related ChIP-seq experiments. MultiGPS is based on a generalized Expectation Maximization framework that shares information across multiple experiments for binding event discovery. We demonstrate that our framework enables the simultaneous modeling of sparse condition-specific binding changes, sequence dependence, and replicate-specific noise sources. MultiGPS encourages consistency in reported binding event locations across multiple-condition ChIP-seq datasets and provides accurate estimation of ChIP enrichment levels at each event. MultiGPS's multi-experiment modeling approach thus provides a reliable platform for detecting differential binding enrichment across experimental conditions. We demonstrate the advantages of MultiGPS with an analysis of Cdx2 binding in three distinct developmental contexts. By accurately characterizing condition-specific Cdx2 binding, MultiGPS enables novel insight into the mechanistic basis of Cdx2 site selectivity. Specifically, the condition-specific Cdx2 sites characterized by MultiGPS are highly associated with pre-existing genomic context, suggesting that such sites are pre-determined by cell-specific regulatory architecture. However, MultiGPS-defined condition-independent sites are not predicted by pre-existing regulatory signals, suggesting that Cdx2 can bind to a subset of locations regardless of genomic environment. A summary of this paper appears in the proceedings of the RECOMB 2014 conference, April 2-5.

Exercise training prevents the attenuation of anesthetic pre-conditioning-mediated cardioprotection in diet-induced obese rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, L; Meng, F; Li, N; Zhang, L; Wang, J; Wang, H; Li, D; Zhang, X; Dong, P; Chen, Y

2015-01-01

Obesity abolishes anesthetic pre-conditioning-induced cardioprotection due to impaired reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, a consequence of increased basal myocardial oxidative stress. Exercise training has been shown to attenuate obesity-related oxidative stress. This study tests whether exercise training could normalize ROS-mediated AMPK pathway and prevent the attenuation of anesthetic pre-conditioning-induced cardioprotection in obesity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into lean rats fed with control diet and obese rats fed with high-fat diet. After 4 weeks of feeding, lean and obese rats were assigned to sedentary conditions or treadmill exercise for 8 weeks. There was no difference in infarct size between lean sedentary and obese sedentary rats after 25 min of myocardial ischemia followed by 120 min reperfusion. In lean rats, sevoflurane equally reduced infarct size in lean sedentary and lean exercise-trained rats. Molecular studies revealed that AMPK activity, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and superoxide production measured at the end of ischemia in lean rats were increased in response to sevoflurane. In obese rats, sevoflurane increased the above molecular parameters and reduced infarct size in obese exercise-trained rats but not in obese sedentary rats. Additional study showed that obese exercise-trained rats had decreased basal oxidative stress than obese sedentary rats. The results indicate that exercise training can prevent the attenuation of anesthetic cardioprotection in obesity. Preventing the attenuation of this strategy may be associated with reduced basal oxidative stress and normalized ROS-mediated AMPK pathway, but the causal relationship remains to be determined. © 2014 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Diagnosis and treatment delays among elderly breast cancer patients with pre-existing mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Iglay, Kristy; Santorelli, Melissa L; Hirshfield, Kim M; Williams, Jill M; Rhoads, George G; Lin, Yong; Demissie, Kitaw

2017-11-01

This study aimed to compare diagnosis and treatment delays in elderly breast cancer patients with and without pre-existing mental illness. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data including 16,636 women 68+ years, who were diagnosed with stage I-IIIa breast cancer in the United States from 2005 to 2007. Mental illness was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes recorded on inpatient and outpatient claims during the 3 years prior to breast cancer diagnosis. Patients were classified as having no mental illness, anxiety, depression, anxiety and depression, or severe mental illness (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorder). Multivariable binomial regression was used to assess the association between mental illness and delays of ≥60 and ≥90 days after adjustment for confounders. Patients with comorbid anxiety and depression had an increased risk for diagnosis delay of ≥90 days from symptom recognition (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.00, 1.23), and those with severe mental illness had an increased risk for initial treatment delay of ≥60 days from diagnosis (RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.06, 1.74). Patients with any mental illness experienced an increased risk for adjuvant chemotherapy delay of ≥90 days from last operation (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.01, 1.26) and each category of mental illness, except depression, showed a non-significant trend for this association. Breast cancer patients with mental illness should be closely managed by a cross-functional care team, including a psychiatrist, a primary care physician, and an oncologist, to ensure adequate care is received within an appropriate timeframe.

Demystifying Open Access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mele, Salvatore

2007-01-01

The tenets of Open Access are to grant anyone, anywhere and anytime free access to the results of scientific research. HEP spearheaded the Open Access dissemination of scientific results with the mass mailing of preprints in the pre-WWW era and with the launch of the arXiv preprint system at the dawn of the '90s. The HEP community is now ready for a further push to Open Access while retaining all the advantages of the peer-review system and, at the same time, bring the spiralling cost of journal subscriptions under control. I will present a possible plan for the conversion to Open Access of HEP peer-reviewed journals, through a consortium of HEP funding agencies, laboratories and libraries: SCOAP3 (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics). SCOAP3 will engage with scientific publishers towards building a sustainable model for Open Access publishing, which is as transparent as possible for HEP authors. The current system in which journals income comes from subscription fees is replaced with a scheme where SCOAP3 compensates publishers for the costs incurred to organise the peer-review service and give Open Access to the final version of articles. SCOAP3 will be funded by all countries active in HEP under a 'fair share' scenario, according to their production of HEP articles. In this talk I will present a short overview of the history of Open Access in HEP, the details of the SCOAP3 model and the outlook for its implementation.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Group Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit for 30% Energy Savings, Washington, D.C.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2013-11-01

Energy efficiency retrofits (EERs) face many challenges on the path to scalability. Limited budgets, cost effectiveness, risk factors, and accessibility impact the type and the extent of measures that can be implemented feasibly to achieve energy savings goals. Group home retrofits can face additional challenges than those in single family homes – such as reduced access (occupant-in-place restrictions) and lack of incentives for occupant behavioral change. This project studies the specification, implementation, and energy savings from an EER in a group home, with an energy savings goal of 30%. This short term test report chronicles the retrofit measures specified, their projected cost-effectiveness using building energy simulations, and the short term test results that were used to characterize pre-retrofit and post-retrofit conditions. Additionally, the final report for the project will include analysis of pre- and post-retrofit performance data on whole building energy use, and an assessment of the energy impact of occupant interface with the building (i.e., window operation). Ultimately, the study’s results will be used to identify cost effective EER measures that can be implemented in group homes, given constraints that are characteristic of these buildings. Results will also point towards opportunities for future energy savings.

Assessment of the accessibility legislation in Spain and its effective application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Hernández-Galán

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The existence of legislation on accessibility does not always imply it is enforced effectively. This article aims to answer the following question: Is the existence of accessibility legislation enough to make physical environments truly accessible?This study assesses the current Spanish legislation as well as any existing voluntary regulations in the country. This assessment is done chronologically, so as to show the historical evolution of the accessibility regulations in Spain.In order to determine whether accessibility legislation has been truly effectively enforced, the issue is studied as it affects Spanish municipalities with respect to urban planning, public buildings, public transportation and websites. The conclusion of this study is that the existence of accessibility legislation per se is not enough to ensure its practical application, and ultimately, to render physical environments, products and services accessible to the majority of the population regardless of their functional capabilities.

Comparison and Optimization of Saccharification Conditions of Alkaline Pre-Treated Triticale Straw for Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Followed by Ethanol Fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafał Łukajtis

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns the comparison of the efficiency of two-stage hydrolysis processes, i.e., alkaline pre-treatment and acid hydrolysis, as well as alkaline pre-treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis, carried out in order to obtain reducing sugars from triticale straw. For each of the analyzed systems, the optimization of the processing conditions was carried out with respect to the glucose yield. For the alkaline pre-treatment, an optimal catalyst concentration was selected for constant values of temperature and pre-treatment time. For enzymatic hydrolysis, optimal process time and concentration of the enzyme preparation were determined. For the acidic hydrolysis, performed with 85% phosphoric acid, the optimum temperature and hydrolysis time were determined. In the hydrolysates obtained after the two-stage treatment, the concentration of reducing sugars was determined using HPLC. The obtained hydrolysates were subjected to ethanol fermentation. The concentrations of fermentation inhibitors are given and their effects on the alcoholic fermentation efficiency are discussed.

Undiagnosed Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes in Health Disparities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan P Fisher-Hoch

Full Text Available Globally half of all diabetes mellitus is undiagnosed. We sought to determine the extent and characteristics of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes in Mexican Americans residing in the United States. This disadvantaged population with 50% lifetime risk of diabetes is a microcosm of the current pandemic. We accessed baseline data between 2004 and 2014 from 2,838 adults recruited to our Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC; a two-stage randomly selected 'Framingham-like' cohort of Mexican Americans on the US Mexico border with severe health disparities. We examined prevalence, risk factors and metabolic health in diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes. Two thirds of this Mexican American population has diabetes or pre-diabetes. Diabetes prevalence was 28.0%, nearly half undiagnosed, and pre-diabetes 31.6%. Mean BMI among those with diabetes was 33.5 kg/m2 compared with 29.0 kg/m2 for those without diabetes. Significant risk factors were low income and educational levels. Most with diabetes had increased waist/hip ratio. Lack of insurance and access to health services played a decisive role in failure to have diabetes diagnosed. Participants with undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes had similar measures of poor metabolic health similar but generally not as severe as those with diagnosed diabetes. More than 50% of a minority Mexican American population in South Texas has diabetes or pre-diabetes and is metabolically unhealthy. Only a third of diabetes cases were diagnosed. Sustained efforts are imperative to identify, diagnose and treat individuals in underserved communities.

Functional imaging in pre-motor Parkinson’s disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnaldi, D.; Picco, A.; Ferrara, M.; Nobili, F.; Famà, F.; Buschiazzo, A.; Morbelli, S.; De Carli, F.

2014-01-01

Several non motor symptoms (NMS) can precede the onset of the classical motor Parkinson’s disease (PD) syndrome. The existence of pre-motor and even pre-clinical PD stages has been proposed but the best target population to be screened to disclose PD patients in a pre-clinical, thus asymptomatic, stage is still matter of debate. The REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) often affects PD patients at different stages of the disease and could precede the onset of motor symptoms by several years. However, RBD could also precede other synucleinopathies (namely, dementia with Lewy bodies and multisystem atrophy), and less frequently could be related to other neurological conditions or remain idiopathic. Moreover, not all PD patients exhibit RBD. Despite these caveats, RBD probably represents the best feature to disclose pre-motor PD patients given its high-risk of developing a full motor syndrome. Other clinical clues in the premotor stages of PD undergoing active investigation include hyposmia, depression, and autonomic dysfunction. Effective biomarkers are needed in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy in the pre-motor stage of PD, to monitor disease progression and to plan both pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention. Functional imaging, in particular radionuclide methodologies, has been often used to investigate dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic features as well as cortical functioning in patients with RBD in its idiopathic form (iRBD) and/or associated with PD. Recently, new tracers to image α-synuclein pathologies are under development. Functional imaging in pre-motor PD, and in particular in iRBD, could improve our knowledge about the underlying mechanisms and the neurodegenerative progress of PD

Neurological condition in 42-month-old children in relation to pre- and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patandin, S; Fidler, [No Value; Weisglas-Kuperus, N; Sauer, PJJ; Boersma, ER; Touwen, BCL

1998-01-01

Adverse neurological effects of exposure to PCBs have been found up to 18 months of age. Now we report on the effect of pre-and postnatal exposure to PCBs and dioxins on the neurological condition at 42 months of age. For this purpose, PCB levels were determined in cord and maternal plasma, and used

Pre-calculus essentials

CERN Document Server

Woodward, Ernest

2012-01-01

REA's Essentials provide quick and easy access to critical information in a variety of different fields, ranging from the most basic to the most advanced. As its name implies, these concise, comprehensive study guides summarize the essentials of the field covered. Essentials are helpful when preparing for exams, doing homework and will remain a lasting reference source for students, teachers, and professionals. Pre-Calculus reviews sets, numbers, operations and properties, coordinate geometry, fundamental algebraic topics, solving equations and inequalities, functions, trigonometry, exponents

Thyroglobulin assay in fluids from lymph node fine needle-aspiration washout: influence of pre-analytical conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Casson, Florence Boux de; Moal, Valérie; Gauchez, Anne-Sophie; Moineau, Marie-Pierre; Sault, Corinne; Schlageter, Marie-Hélène; Massart, Catherine

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pre-analytical factors contributing to uncertainty in thyroglobulin measurement in fluids from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) washout of cervical lymph nodes. We studied pre-analytical stability, in different conditions, of 41 samples prepared with concentrated solutions of thyroglobulin (FNA washout or certified standard) diluted in physiological saline solution or buffer containing 6% albumin. In this buffer, over time, no changes in thyroglobulin concentrations were observed in all storage conditions tested. In albumin free saline solution, thyroglobulin recovery rates depended on initial sample concentrations and on modalities of their conservation (in conventional storage tubes, recovery mean was 56% after 3 hours-storage at room temperature and 19% after 24 hours-storage for concentrations ranged from 2 to 183 μg/L; recovery was 95%, after 3 hours or 24 hours-storage at room temperature, for a concentration of 5,656 μg/L). We show here that these results are due to non-specific adsorption of thyroglobulin in storage tubes, which depends on sample protein concentrations. We also show that possible contamination of fluids from FNA washout by plasma proteins do not always adequately prevent this adsorption. In conclusion, non-specific adsorption in storage tubes strongly contributes to uncertainty in thyroglobulin measurement in physiological saline solution. It is therefore recommended, for FNA washout, to use a buffer containing proteins provided by the laboratory.

Strengthening of Existing Bridge Structures for Shear and Bending with Carbon Textile-Reinforced Mortar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Herbrand

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Increasing traffic loads and changes in code provisions lead to deficits in shear and flexural capacity of many existing highway bridges. Therefore, a large number of structures are expected to require refurbishment and strengthening in the future. This projection is based on the current condition of many older road bridges. Different strengthening methods for bridges exist to extend their service life, all having specific advantages and disadvantages. By applying a thin layer of carbon textile-reinforced mortar (CTRM to bridge deck slabs and the webs of pre-stressed concrete bridges, the fatigue and ultimate strength of these members can be increased significantly. The CTRM layer is a combination of a corrosion resistant carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP fabric and an efficient mortar. In this paper, the strengthening method and the experimental results obtained at RWTH Aachen University are presented.

Strengthening of Existing Bridge Structures for Shear and Bending with Carbon Textile-Reinforced Mortar.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbrand, Martin; Adam, Viviane; Classen, Martin; Kueres, Dominik; Hegger, Josef

2017-09-19

Increasing traffic loads and changes in code provisions lead to deficits in shear and flexural capacity of many existing highway bridges. Therefore, a large number of structures are expected to require refurbishment and strengthening in the future. This projection is based on the current condition of many older road bridges. Different strengthening methods for bridges exist to extend their service life, all having specific advantages and disadvantages. By applying a thin layer of carbon textile-reinforced mortar (CTRM) to bridge deck slabs and the webs of pre-stressed concrete bridges, the fatigue and ultimate strength of these members can be increased significantly. The CTRM layer is a combination of a corrosion resistant carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric and an efficient mortar. In this paper, the strengthening method and the experimental results obtained at RWTH Aachen University are presented.

A Semilinear Wave Equation with a Boundary Condition of Many-Point Type: Global Existence and Stability of Weak Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giai Giang Vo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is devoted to the study of a wave equation with a boundary condition of many-point type. The existence of weak solutions is proved by using the Galerkin method. Also, the uniqueness and the stability of solutions are established.

Association between mental health conditions and rehospitalization, mortality, and functional outcomes in patients with stroke following inpatient rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dossa, Almas; Glickman, Mark E; Berlowitz, Dan

2011-11-15

Limited evidence exists regarding the association of pre-existing mental health conditions in patients with stroke and stroke outcomes such as rehospitalization, mortality, and function. We examined the association between mental health conditions and rehospitalization, mortality, and functional outcomes in patients with stroke following inpatient rehabilitation. Our observational study used the 2001 VA Integrated Stroke Outcomes database of 2162 patients with stroke who underwent rehabilitation at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Separate models were fit to our outcome measures that included 6-month rehospitalization or death, 6-month mortality post-discharge, and functional outcomes post inpatient rehabilitation as a function of number and type of mental health conditions. The models controlled for patient socio-demographics, length of stay, functional status, and rehabilitation setting. Patients had an average age of 68 years. Patients with stroke and two or more mental health conditions were more likely to be readmitted or die compared to patients with no conditions (OR: 1.44, p = 0.04). Depression and anxiety were associated with a greater likelihood of rehospitalization or death (OR: 1.33, p = 0.04; OR:1.47, p = 0.03). Patients with anxiety were more likely to die at six months (OR: 2.49, p = 0.001). Patients with stroke with pre-existing mental health conditions may need additional psychotherapy interventions, which may potentially improve stroke outcomes post-hospitalization.

Existence theorem and optimality conditions for a class of convex semi-infinite problems with noncompact index sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Kostyukova

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to study of a special class of semi-infinite problems arising in nonlinear parametric Semi-infinite Programming, when the differential properties of the solutions are being studied. These problems are convex and possess noncompact index sets. In the paper, we present conditions guaranteeing the existence of optimal solutions, and prove new optimality criterion. An example illustrating the obtained results is presented.

Necessary conditions of existence for an elliptic equation with source term and measure data involving p-Laplacian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Francoise Bidaut-Veron

2002-10-01

Full Text Available We study the nonnegative solutions to equation $$ -Delta_{p}u=u^{q}+lambdau, $$ in a bounded domain $Omega$ of $mathbb{R}^{N}$, where $1p-1$, $u$ is a nonnegative Radon measure on $Omega$, and $lambda>0$ is a parameter. We give necessary conditions on $u$ for existence, with $lambda$ small enough, in terms of capacity. We also give a priori estimates of the solutions.

Critical Challenges of Pre and Post Service Extension Education ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Critical Challenges of Pre and Post Service Extension Education and ... poor policy decision and implementation, rapid development in science and ... problems associated with information/communication echnologies access and utilization.

The evolution of a Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic intraplate basin (Duaringa Basin), eastern Australia: evidence for the negative inversion of a pre-existing fold-thrust belt

Science.gov (United States)

Babaahmadi, Abbas; Sliwa, Renate; Esterle, Joan; Rosenbaum, Gideon

2017-12-01

The Duaringa Basin in eastern Australia is a Late Cretaceous?-early Cenozoic sedimentary basin that developed simultaneously with the opening of the Tasman and Coral Seas. The basin occurs on the top of an earlier (Permian-Triassic) fold-thrust belt, but the negative inversion of this fold-thrust belt, and its contribution to the development of the Duaringa Basin, are not well understood. Here, we present geophysical datasets, including recently surveyed 2D seismic reflection lines, aeromagnetic and Bouguer gravity data. These data provide new insights into the structural style in the Duaringa Basin, showing that the NNW-striking, NE-dipping, deep-seated Duaringa Fault is the main boundary fault that controlled sedimentation in the Duaringa Basin. The major activity of the Duaringa Fault is observed in the southern part of the basin, where it has undergone the highest amount of displacement, resulting in the deepest and oldest depocentre. The results reveal that the Duaringa Basin developed in response to the partial negative inversion of the pre-existing Permian-Triassic fold-thrust belt, which has similar orientation to the extensional faults. The Duaringa Fault is the negative inverted part of a single Triassic thrust, known as the Banana Thrust. Furthermore, small syn-depositional normal faults at the base of the basin likely developed due to the reactivation of pre-existing foliations, accommodation faults, and joints associated with Permian-Triassic folds. In contrast to equivalent offshore basins, the Duaringa Basin lacks a complex structural style and thick syn-rift sediments, possibly because of the weakening of extensional stresses away from the developing Tasman Sea.

Existence of solutions to second-order nonlinear coupled systems with nonlinear coupled boundary conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imran Talib

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, study the existence of solutions for the second-order nonlinear coupled system of ordinary differential equations $$\\displaylines{ u''(t=f(t,v(t,\\quad t\\in [0,1],\\cr v''(t=g(t,u(t,\\quad t\\in [0,1], }$$ with nonlinear coupled boundary conditions $$\\displaylines{ \\phi(u(0,v(0,u(1,v(1,u'(0,v'(0=(0,0, \\cr \\psi(u(0,v(0,u(1,v(1,u'(1,v'(1=(0,0, }$$ where $f,g:[0,1]\\times \\mathbb{R}\\to \\mathbb{R}$ and $\\phi,\\psi:\\mathbb{R}^6\\to \\mathbb{R}^2$ are continuous functions. Our main tools are coupled lower and upper solutions, Arzela-Ascoli theorem, and Schauder's fixed point theorem.

Impact of ACA Health Reforms for People With Mental Health Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Kathleen C; Shartzer, Adele; Kurth, Noelle K; Hall, Jean P

2018-02-01

This brief report explores the impact of health reform for people with mental illness. The Health Reform Monitoring Survey was used to examine health insurance, access to care, and employment for 1,550 people with mental health conditions pre- and postimplementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and by state Medicaid expansion status. Multivariate logistic regressions with predictive margins were used. Post-ACA reforms, people with mental health conditions were less likely to be uninsured (5% versus 13%; t=-6.89, df=50, peffects were experienced in both Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states. Findings underscore the importance of ACA improvements in the quality of health insurance coverage.

Role of transglutaminase 2 in A1 adenosine receptor- and β2-adrenoceptor-mediated pharmacological pre- and post-conditioning against hypoxia-reoxygenation-induced cell death in H9c2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Falguni S; Nelson, Carl P; Dickenson, John M

2018-01-15

Pharmacologically-induced pre- and post-conditioning represent attractive therapeutic strategies to reduce ischaemia/reperfusion injury during cardiac surgery and following myocardial infarction. We have previously reported that transglutaminase 2 (TG2) activity is modulated by the A 1 adenosine receptor and β 2 -adrenoceptor in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. The primary aim of this study was to determine the role of TG2 in A 1 adenosine receptor and β 2 -adrenoceptor-induced pharmacological pre- and post-conditioning in the H9c2 cells. H9c2 cells were exposed to 8h hypoxia (1% O 2 ) followed by 18h reoxygenation, after which cell viability was assessed by monitoring mitochondrial reduction of MTT, lactate dehydrogenase release and caspase-3 activation. N 6 -cyclopentyladenosine (CPA; A 1 adenosine receptor agonist), formoterol (β 2 -adrenoceptor agonist) or isoprenaline (non-selective β-adrenoceptor agonist) were added before hypoxia/reoxygenation (pre-conditioning) or at the start of reoxygenation following hypoxia (post-conditioning). Pharmacological pre- and post-conditioning with CPA and isoprenaline significantly reduced hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cell death. In contrast, formoterol did not elicit protection. Pre-treatment with pertussis toxin (G i/o -protein inhibitor), DPCPX (A 1 adenosine receptor antagonist) or TG2 inhibitors (Z-DON and R283) attenuated the A 1 adenosine receptor-induced pharmacological pre- and post-conditioning. Similarly, pertussis toxin, ICI 118,551 (β 2 -adrenoceptor antagonist) or TG2 inhibition attenuated the isoprenaline-induced cell survival. Knockdown of TG2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated CPA and isoprenaline-induced pharmacological pre- and post-conditioning. Finally, proteomic analysis following isoprenaline treatment identified known (e.g. protein S100-A6) and novel (e.g. adenine phosphoribosyltransferase) protein substrates for TG2. These results have shown that A 1 adenosine receptor and β 2 -adrenoceptor

REMINDER: Compliance with Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 1) on “Conditions of access to the fenced CERN site”

CERN Multimedia

2012-01-01

The purpose of Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 1) is to contribute to the protection of people and property by defining the conditions of access to the Organization's fenced sites. The behaviours that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances are: use of CERN access cards by people, other than the cardholders themselves, in order to gain access to facilities without having attended the required safety course; speeding, particularly on Route Gregory and Route Weisskopf; driving in and out of the site on the wrong side of the road; parking on spaces set aside for the disabled; nuisance parking, especially in the proximity of the restaurants; dumping of wrecked vehicles. As the aforementioned instances of non-compliance can lead to dangerous situations, the Organization reserves the right to apply the penalties provided for under paragraph 26 of Operational Circular No. 2 (Rev. 1), namely to refuse access to the site to people and/or their vehicles deemed to be in infringement of the circu...

STAR Online Meta-Data Collection Framework: Integration with the Pre-existing Controls Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Arkhipkin, D.; Lauret, J.

2017-10-01

One of the STAR experiment’s modular Messaging Interface and Reliable Architecture framework (MIRA) integration goals is to provide seamless and automatic connections with the existing control systems. After an initial proof of concept and operation of the MIRA system as a parallel data collection system for online use and real-time monitoring, the STAR Software and Computing group is now working on the integration of Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) with MIRA’s interfaces. This integration goals are to allow functional interoperability and, later on, to replace the existing/legacy Detector Control System components at the service level. In this report, we describe the evolutionary integration process and, as an example, will discuss the EPICS Alarm Handler conversion. We review the complete upgrade procedure starting with the integration of EPICS-originated alarm signals propagation into MIRA, followed by the replacement of the existing operator interface based on Motif Editor and Display Manager (MEDM) with modern portable web-based Alarm Handler interface. To achieve this aim, we have built an EPICS-to-MQTT [8] bridging service, and recreated the functionality of the original Alarm Handler using low-latency web messaging technologies. The integration of EPICS alarm handling into our messaging framework allowed STAR to improve the DCS alarm awareness of existing STAR DAQ and RTS services, which use MIRA as a primary source of experiment control information.

75 FR 4007 - Risk Management Controls for Brokers or Dealers With Market Access

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-26

... 3235-AK53 Risk Management Controls for Brokers or Dealers With Market Access AGENCY: Securities and... or other persons, to implement risk management controls and supervisory procedures reasonably... access may not utilize any pre-trade risk management controls (i.e., ``unfiltered'' or ``naked'' access...

AR4VI: AR as an Accessibility Tool for People with Visual Impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlan, James M; Miele, Joshua

2017-10-01

Although AR technology has been largely dominated by visual media, a number of AR tools using both visual and auditory feedback have been developed specifically to assist people with low vision or blindness - an application domain that we term Augmented Reality for Visual Impairment (AR4VI). We describe two AR4VI tools developed at Smith-Kettlewell, as well as a number of pre-existing examples. We emphasize that AR4VI is a powerful tool with the potential to remove or significantly reduce a range of accessibility barriers. Rather than being restricted to use by people with visual impairments, AR4VI is a compelling universal design approach offering benefits for mainstream applications as well.

Influence of pre-hydriding on embrittlement of E110 alloy under LOCA conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (SC VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" >Fedotov, P.; VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (SC VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" >Kuznetsov, V.; VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (SC VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" >Nechaeva, O.; VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (SC VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" >Novikov, V.; VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (SC VNIINM, Moscow (Russian Federation))" >Salatov, A.; Ignatiev, D.; Mokrushin, A.; Soldatkin, D.; Urusov, A.

2015-01-01

The researches presented in this paper were carried out in the framework of TVS-K project developed by JSC “TVEL”. The data on the corrosion and residual ductility of unirradiated and pre-hydrided E110 alloy under LACA conditions at temperature range from 1100 to 1200°C are presented. The hydrogen concentration was varied from 30 (as-received) to 600 wppm. The initial concentration of hydrogen has no effect on the oxidation kinetics, while the oxidation kinetics are parabolic and the breakaway oxidation is not observed. Oxide films on surfaces of claddings are black and shining. There are no cracks, visual spots and peelings. The residual ductility of oxidised samples decrease with hydrogen concentration rise. The residual ductility of claddings oxidized at 1100 °C, generally higher than the same of the claddings oxidized at 1200 °C. E110 alloy has a good residual ductility in comparison to Zry-4, ZIRLO, M5. Joint analysis of the test results allowed us to formulate embrittlement criteria of the E110 alloy under LOCA conditions. This embrittlement criterion is preliminary, because the experimental data base must to be enlarged by results of tests with claddings of another geometry and quench experiments. (author)

Over-the-horizon, connected home/office (OCHO): situation management of environmental, medical, and security conditions at remote premises via broadband wireless access

Science.gov (United States)

Hortos, William S.

2010-04-01

Broadband wireless access standards, together with advances in the development of commercial sensing and actuator devices, enable the feasibility of a consumer service for a multi-sensor system that monitors the conditions within a residence or office: the environment/infrastructure, patient-occupant health, and physical security. The proposed service is a broadband reimplementation and combination of existing services to allow on-demand reports on and management of the conditions by remote subscribers. The flow of on-demand reports to subscribers and to specialists contracted to mitigate out-of-tolerance conditions is the foreground process. Service subscribers for an over-the-horizon connected home/office (OCHO) monitoring system are the occupant of the premises and agencies, contracted by the service provider, to mitigate or resolve any observed out-of-tolerance condition(s) at the premises. Collectively, these parties are the foreground users of the OCHO system; the implemented wireless standards allow the foreground users to be mobile as they request situation reports on demand from the subsystems on remote conditions that comprise OCHO via wireless devices. An OCHO subscriber, i.e., a foreground user, may select the level of detail found in on-demand reports, i.e., the amount of information displayed in the report of monitored conditions at the premises. This is one context of system operations. While foreground reports are sent only periodically to subscribers, the information generated by the monitored conditions at the premises is continuous and is transferred to a background configuration of servers on which databases reside. These databases are each used, generally, in non-real time, for the assessment and management of situations defined by attributes like those being monitored in the foreground by OCHO. This is the second context of system operations. Context awareness and management of conditions at the premises by a second group of analysts and

Pre-existing neutralizing antibody mitigates B cell dysregulation and enhances the Env-specific antibody response in SHIV-infected rhesus macaques.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Pablo Jaworski

Full Text Available Our central hypothesis is that protection against HIV infection will be powerfully influenced by the magnitude and quality of the B cell response. Although sterilizing immunity, mediated by pre-formed abundant and potent antibodies is the ultimate goal for B cell-targeted HIV vaccine strategies, scenarios that fall short of this may still confer beneficial defenses against viremia and disease progression. We evaluated the impact of sub-sterilizing pre-existing neutralizing antibody on the B cell response to SHIV infection. Adult male rhesus macaques received passive transfer of a sub-sterilizing amount of polyclonal neutralizing immunoglobulin (Ig purified from previously infected animals (SHIVIG or control Ig prior to intra-rectal challenge with SHIVSF162P4 and extensive longitudinal sampling was performed. SHIVIG treated animals exhibited significantly reduced viral load and increased de novo Env-specific plasma antibody. Dysregulation of the B cell profile was grossly apparent soon after infection in untreated animals; exemplified by a ≈50% decrease in total B cells in the blood evident 2-3 weeks post-infection which was not apparent in SHIVIG treated animals. IgD+CD5+CD21+ B cells phenotypically similar to marginal zone-like B cells were highly sensitive to SHIV infection, becoming significantly decreased as early as 3 days post-infection in control animals, while being maintained in SHIVIG treated animals, and were highly correlated with the induction of Env-specific plasma antibody. These results suggest that B cell dysregulation during the early stages of infection likely contributes to suboptimal Env-specific B cell and antibody responses, and strategies that limit this dysregulation may enhance the host's ability to eliminate HIV.

Factors influencing the transport accessibility level - seniors point of view

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakowska, L.; Pulawska-Obiedowska, S.

2016-07-01

The growing group of European older inhabitants, namely senior citizens (aged + 65) belong to the most vulnerable group to social exclusion. Transport accessibility is a concept, that can lead to enhancing life quality of seniors, which is shown based on the case study of Cracow, Poland as a European city. 100 seniors, that are living in different areas (urban, suburban), were asked for define different aspects that may influence their travel behaviour. Respondents were indicating their individual concerns connected with travelling, the existing barriers and expected solutions.The goal of the paper is to present the main outcomes of the conducted surveys, in order to present the concept of transport accessibility in the context of the most important factors influencing seniors life quality. The accessibility conditions and barriers, which can affect mobility possibilities and different activities of senior citizens in urban areas, are indicated in the paper. The identification of the crucial aspects of accessibility play an important role in development of sustainable transport system together with sustainable urban design, that will be friendly for all citizens in aging society. (Author)

78 FR 2418 - Privacy Act; Notification of New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-11

...); prior experience completing pre-purchase counseling or education; regular access to a computer and... New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact... of record is the Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact Evaluation Random...

Review and proposal for heat transfer predictions at supercritical water conditions using existing correlations and experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaeger, Wadim, E-mail: wadim.jaeger@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology, DE-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Sanchez Espinoza, Victor Hugo [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology, DE-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Hurtado, Antonio [Technical University of Dresden, Institute of Power Engineering, DE-01062 Dresden (Germany)

2011-06-15

Highlights: > Implementation of heat transfer correlations for supercritical water into TRACE. > Simulation of several heat transfer experiments with modified TRACE version. > Most correlations are not able to reproduce the experimental results. > Bishop, Sandberg and Tong correlation is most suitable for TRACE applications. - Abstract: This paper summarizes the activities of the TRACE code validation at the Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology related to supercritical water conditions. In particular, the providing of the thermo physical properties and its appropriate use in the wall-to-fluid heat transfer models in the frame of the TRACE code is the object of this investigation. In a first step, the thermo physical properties of the original TRACE code were modified in order to account for supercritical conditions. In a second step, existing Nusselt correlations were reviewed and implemented into TRACE and available experiments were simulated to identify the most suitable Nusselt correlation(s).

Relative role of pre-monsoon conditions and intraseasonal oscillations in determining early-vs-late indian monsoon intensity in a GCM

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Rohit; Chakraborty, Arindam; Nanjundiah, Ravi S.

2018-01-01

The aim of this paper is to identify relative roles of different land-atmospheric conditions, apart from sea surface temperature (SST), in determining early vs. late summer monsoon intensity over India in a high resolution general circulation model (GCM). We find that in its early phase (June-July; JJ), pre-monsoon land-atmospheric processes play major role to modulate the precipitation over Indian region. These effects of pre-monsoon conditions decrease substantially during its later phase (August-September; AS) for which the interannual variation is mainly governed by the low frequency northward propagating intraseasonal oscillations. This intraseasonal variability which is related to mean vertical wind shear has a significant role during the early phase of monsoon as well. Further, using multiple linear regression, we show that interannual variation of early and late monsoon rainfall over India is best explained when all these land-atmospheric parameters are taken together. Our study delineates the relative role of different processes affecting early versus later summer monsoon rainfall over India that can be used for determining its subseasonal predictability.

The effects of feeding unpredictability and classical conditioning on pre-release training of white-lipped peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selene S C Nogueira

Full Text Available Some authors have suggested that environmental unpredictability, accompanied by some sort of signal for behavioral conditioning, can boost activity or foster exploratory behavior, which may increase post-release success in re-introduction programs. Thus, using white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari, a vulnerable Neotropical species, as a model, we evaluated an unpredictable feeding schedule. Associating this with the effect of classical conditioning on behavioral activities, we assessed the inclusion of this approach in pre-release training protocols. The experimental design comprised predictable feeding phases (control phases: C1, C2 and C3 and unpredictable feeding phases (U1- signaled and U2- non-signaled. The animals explored more during the signaled and non-signaled unpredictable phases and during the second control phase (C2 than during the other two predictable phases (C1 and C3. The peccaries also spent less time feeding during the signaled unpredictable phase (U1 and the following control phase (C2 than during the other phases. Moreover, they spent more time in aggressive encounters during U1 than the other experimental phases. However, the animals did not show differences in the time they spent on affiliative interactions or in the body weight change during the different phases. The signaled unpredictability, besides improving foraging behavior, showing a prolonged effect on the next control phase (C2, also increased the competition for food. The signaled feeding unpredictability schedule, mimicking wild conditions by eliciting the expression of naturalistic behaviors in pre-release training, may be essential to fully prepare them for survival in the wild.

The effects of feeding unpredictability and classical conditioning on pre-release training of white-lipped peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Nogueira, Selene S C; Abreu, Shauana A; Peregrino, Helderes; Nogueira-Filho, Sérgio L G

2014-01-01

Some authors have suggested that environmental unpredictability, accompanied by some sort of signal for behavioral conditioning, can boost activity or foster exploratory behavior, which may increase post-release success in re-introduction programs. Thus, using white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a vulnerable Neotropical species, as a model, we evaluated an unpredictable feeding schedule. Associating this with the effect of classical conditioning on behavioral activities, we assessed the inclusion of this approach in pre-release training protocols. The experimental design comprised predictable feeding phases (control phases: C1, C2 and C3) and unpredictable feeding phases (U1- signaled and U2- non-signaled). The animals explored more during the signaled and non-signaled unpredictable phases and during the second control phase (C2) than during the other two predictable phases (C1 and C3). The peccaries also spent less time feeding during the signaled unpredictable phase (U1) and the following control phase (C2) than during the other phases. Moreover, they spent more time in aggressive encounters during U1 than the other experimental phases. However, the animals did not show differences in the time they spent on affiliative interactions or in the body weight change during the different phases. The signaled unpredictability, besides improving foraging behavior, showing a prolonged effect on the next control phase (C2), also increased the competition for food. The signaled feeding unpredictability schedule, mimicking wild conditions by eliciting the expression of naturalistic behaviors in pre-release training, may be essential to fully prepare them for survival in the wild.

Subchondral Insufficiency Fracture of the Femoral Head in a Pregnant Woman with Pre-existing Anorexia Nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasahara, Kyoko; Mimura, Tomohiro; Moritani, Suzuko; Kawasaki, Taku; Imai, Shinji; Tsuji, Shunichiro; Kimura, Fuminori; Murakami, Takashi

2018-05-01

Subchondral insufficiency fracture (SIF) is a fragility fracture secondary to osteoporosis that leads to collapse of the femoral head with no evidence of osteonecrosis. SIF of the femoral head has been reported in adults of varying ages and both sexes, but it has never been reported to occur in pregnant women. Herein, we describe a 40-year-old primiparous patient with pre-existing anorexia nervosa who developed SIF of the femoral head in the third trimester. At 29 weeks of gestation, the patient complained of sudden pain on walking in both hips. Despite the bed rest, her hip pain increased; consequently, cesarean section was performed at 36 weeks. After delivery, plain radiographs showed that the left femoral head was collapsed. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry indicated that the patient was osteoporotic. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her hips showed the findings that were compatible with SIF. Her left hip pain worsened during follow-up, and a radiograph showed progressive collapse of the left femoral head. The patient then underwent left bipolar hip arthroplasty 18 months after delivery, and she was diagnosed with SIF histopathologically. This is the first report of SIF in a pregnant woman that may reflect pregnancy-associated osteoporosis. SIF in pregnancy might be overlooked or misdiagnosed because the MRI findings have several overlaps with those of other hip disorders. Precise diagnosis of SIF in pregnancy may contribute to a better outcome by avoiding early arthroplasty in young women and appropriate evaluation of the osteopenic status of the patient.

Invisible Thread: Pre-Service Success Indicators Among Marine General Officers

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

30 Table 12. Self -Perception About Pre-Service Success Indicators .............................34...then reviewed by an Officer Review Board, which according to Marine Corps Order is “used to determine which company grade officers will be offered the...Status 91 Place of Birth State 83 Quarter of Birth 64 Religion 91 Sex 91 9 1. Accession Type Accession type defines which program each general

Use of computer access technology as an alternative to writing for a pre-school child with athetoid cerebral palsy--a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhas, Brightlin Nithis; Samuel, Preethy Sarah; Manigandan, C

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the use of an outcome-driven model of decision-making in the implementation of computer access technology (CAT) for a pre-school child with athetoid cerebral palsy. The child did not have the fine motor skills required to hold a pencil but had the cognitive abilities to learn to write; therefore, we explored the use of a CAT device to enable written communication. Case study methodology was used to describe the selection process, child-level outcomes, and clinical challenges faced by the therapist in the use of a consortium model that was designed for an outcome-driven model of decision-making. The critical role of an occupational therapist in this process using a family-centered approach is discussed.

Condition of the existence of cooling flow in galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov, E.V.

1986-01-01

A criterion for the existence of subsonic spherical symmetrical flow of cooling gas in galaxies has been found. Some equations are given describing the behaviour of gas in the gravitational field of a galaxy in the framework of a stationary accretion model. The results of numerical calculations of a nonstationary accretion of gas on a cD galaxy are presented. The gas is initially in a hydrostatic equilibrium

BRIEF OVERVIEW ON THE CONDITIONALITY IN THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana Mocanu

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP has become a top issue on the EU agenda after the EU enlargement wave of 2004, completed in 2007. The question of efficiently managing the new borders of EU, by facing the new-fangled challenges related to security, combating trafficking, ensuring economic prosperity and environment protection has driven new and restructured EU mechanisms in order to manage the relations with its new neighbourhood - rather diverse in terms of economic and social welfare. Conditionality from the part of EU towards the ENP partner states has been an intricate issue even from the start. How committed can these countries be on the path of rough economic, political and social reforms, in the absence of a perspective of EU accession? If conditionality, as we know it from the pre-accession process of the former candidate states for example, is going to be a success or a failure in the case of the ENP states is still a matter of perception. This paper attempts to give an overview of different opinions upon the potential effect of the conditionality mechanism within the ENP. The victory or breakdown of conditionality within the ENP depends both on the commitment of the ENP partner states to the goals, values, concrete projects promoted through this policy and its consolidated initiatives (Eastern Partnership, Union for Mediterranean, but most of all on the capacity of the European Union to replace the traditional incentive of accession with a proper alternative, mostly in economic, financial, social and security terms.

FLAT FEET OF DHE CHILDREN IN PRE-SCHOOL AGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Admira Koničanin

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Subjekt : Of this research are flat feet of the children of both sexes in pre-school age children Aim : Of the research is confirm wheter is exists or flat feel of the children of both sexes in pre-school age.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level Cold-Climate Home

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puttagunta, S.

2015-08-01

National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® and numerous other utility air sealing programs have brought awareness to homeowners of the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits. Yet, these programs tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit: air-sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switch to efficient lighting, and low-flow fixtures. At the other end of the spectrum, deep-energy retrofit programs are also being encouraged by various utilities across the country. While deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy usage in existing homes lies between the low hanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches - retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy over the existing conditions.

A comparison between pre- and posthibernation morphometry, hematology, and blood chemistry in viperid snakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutton, Christopher J; Taylor, Peter

2003-03-01

Snakes from temperate climates are often made to hibernate in zoos to stimulate reproduction. Unfortunately, deaths have occurred during and after hibernation. This study evaluated the health status, pre- and posthibernation, of 31 adult viperid snakes. It included morphometric measurements, hematology, and blood chemistry. No differences were seen in body weights and weight to length ratios between pre- and posthibernation examinations, suggesting that the overall condition of the snakes did not change. No differences were seen in hematologic and blood chemistry parameters, except that bile acids (3alpha-hydroxybile acids) decreased, the implications of which are unknown. Three individuals had markedly high plasma uric acid levels posthibernation; of these, two individuals died from extensive visceral gout and one recovered with fluid therapy. Viperid snakes should be clinically healthy, well hydrated, and in good body condition when they are put into hibernation. They should be maintained in an environment with sufficient humidity and should have access to water. Blood samples should be collected on arousal for measuring plasma uric acid levels. Changes in morphometry, hematology, and blood chemistry appear to be abnormal and should be investigated thoroughly.

Manganese oxide electrode with excellent electrochemical performance for sodium ion batteries by pre-intercalation of K and Na ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Mengya; Du, Qinghua; Su, Li; Zhang, Guowei; Wang, Guiling; Ma, Zhipeng; Gao, Weimin; Qin, Xiujuan; Shao, Guangjie

2017-05-22

Materials with a layered structure have attracted tremendous attention because of their unique properties. The ultrathin nanosheet structure can result in extremely rapid intercalation/de-intercalation of Na ions in the charge-discharge progress. Herein, we report a manganese oxide with pre-intercalated K and Na ions and having flower-like ultrathin layered structure, which was synthesized by a facile but efficient hydrothermal method under mild condition. The pre-intercalation of Na and K ions facilitates the access of electrolyte ions and shortens the ion diffusion pathways. The layered manganese oxide shows ultrahigh specific capacity when it is used as cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. It also exhibits excellent stability and reversibility. It was found that the amount of intercalated Na ions is approximately 71% of the total charge. The prominent electrochemical performance of the manganese oxide demonstrates the importance of design and synthesis of pre-intercalated ultrathin layered materials.

Pre-operative assessment of patients undergoing endoscopic, transnasal, transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lubbe, D; Semple, P

2008-06-01

To demonstrate the importance of pre-operative ear, nose and throat assessment in patients undergoing endoscopic, transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumours. Literature pertaining to the pre-operative otorhinolaryngological assessment and management of patients undergoing endoscopic anterior skull base surgery is sparse. We describe two cases from our series of 59 patients undergoing endoscopic pituitary surgery. The first case involved a young male patient with a large pituitary macroadenoma. His main complaint was visual impairment. He had no previous history of sinonasal pathology and did not complain of any nasal symptoms during the pre-operative neurosurgical assessment. At the time of surgery, a purulent nasal discharge was seen emanating from both middle meati. Surgery was abandoned due to the risk of post-operative meningitis, and postponed until the patient's chronic rhinosinusitis was optimally managed. The second patient was a 47-year-old woman with a large pituitary macroadenoma, who presented to the neurosurgical department with a main complaint of diplopia. She too gave no history of previous nasal problems, and she underwent uneventful surgery using the endoscopic, transnasal approach. Two weeks after surgery, she presented to the emergency unit with severe epistaxis. A previous diagnosis of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia was discovered, and further surgical and medical intervention was required before the epistaxis was finally controlled. Pre-operative otorhinolaryngological assessment is essential prior to endoscopic pituitary or anterior skull base surgery. A thorough otorhinolaryngological history will determine whether any co-morbid diseases exist which could affect the surgical field. Nasal anatomy can be assessed via nasal endoscopy and sinusitis excluded. Computed tomography imaging is a valuable aid to decisions regarding additional procedures needed to optimise access to the pituitary fossa.

Effect of pre-swelling of coal on its liquefaction properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hengfu Shui; Zhicai Wang; Meixia Cao [Anhui University of Technology, Ma' anshan (China). School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering

2007-07-01

The effects of pre-swelling of Shenhua coal on its liquefaction property were studied in this paper. It was found that pre-swelling treatments of Shenhua coal in three solvents, i.e toluene (TOL), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and tetralin (THN) increased its liquefaction conversion, and the liquefied product distributions were also quite different. Removal of the pre-swelling solvent from the swollen coals further increased the liquefaction conversion compared to that of the swollen coals with the swelling solvent existed in them. It was found that oil and gas yields for the liquefaction of swollen coals in NMP and TOL with swelling solvent existed dramatically decreased. Pre-swelling in THN at 120{sup o}C gave the highest liquefaction conversion, however the liquefaction conversion decreased with the increase of pre-swelling temperature in the case of NMP. TG and FTIR analyses of raw coal, the swollen coals and liquefied products were carried out and the mechanism of the effects of pre-swelling of coal on its extraction and liquefaction behaviors were probed in the paper. 12 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

Review and proposal for heat transfer predictions at supercritical water conditions using existing correlations and experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger, Wadim; Sanchez Espinoza, Victor Hugo; Hurtado, Antonio

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Implementation of heat transfer correlations for supercritical water into TRACE. → Simulation of several heat transfer experiments with modified TRACE version. → Most correlations are not able to reproduce the experimental results. → Bishop, Sandberg and Tong correlation is most suitable for TRACE applications. - Abstract: This paper summarizes the activities of the TRACE code validation at the Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology related to supercritical water conditions. In particular, the providing of the thermo physical properties and its appropriate use in the wall-to-fluid heat transfer models in the frame of the TRACE code is the object of this investigation. In a first step, the thermo physical properties of the original TRACE code were modified in order to account for supercritical conditions. In a second step, existing Nusselt correlations were reviewed and implemented into TRACE and available experiments were simulated to identify the most suitable Nusselt correlation(s).

Effect of Pre-Aging Conditions on Bake-Hardening Response of Al-0.4 wt%Mg-1.2 wt%Si-0.1 wt%Mn Alloy Sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kwang-jin; Woo, Kee-do

2011-01-01

Pre-aging heat treatment after solution heat treatment (SHT) of Al-0.4 wt%Mg-1.2 wt%Si-0.1 wt%Mn alloy sheets for auto-bodies was carried out to investigate the effect of pre-aging and its conditions on the bake-hardening response. Mechanical properties were evaluated by a tensile and Vickers hardness test. Microstructural observation was also performed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). It was revealed that pre-aging treatments play a great role in the bake-hardening response. In addition, it was found that the sphere-shaped nanosized clusters that can directly transit to the needle-shaped β” phase during the paint-bake process, not being dissolved into the matrix, are formed at 343 K. The result, reveals that the dominant factor of the bake-hardening response is the pre-aging temperature rather than the pre-aging time.

Multi-epitope Models Explain How Pre-existing Antibodies Affect the Generation of Broadly Protective Responses to Influenza.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronika I Zarnitsyna

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The development of next-generation influenza vaccines that elicit strain-transcendent immunity against both seasonal and pandemic viruses is a key public health goal. Targeting the evolutionarily conserved epitopes on the stem of influenza's major surface molecule, hemagglutinin, is an appealing prospect, and novel vaccine formulations show promising results in animal model systems. However, studies in humans indicate that natural infection and vaccination result in limited boosting of antibodies to the stem of HA, and the level of stem-specific antibody elicited is insufficient to provide broad strain-transcendent immunity. Here, we use mathematical models of the humoral immune response to explore how pre-existing immunity affects the ability of vaccines to boost antibodies to the head and stem of HA in humans, and, in particular, how it leads to the apparent lack of boosting of broadly cross-reactive antibodies to the stem epitopes. We consider hypotheses where binding of antibody to an epitope: (i results in more rapid clearance of the antigen; (ii leads to the formation of antigen-antibody complexes which inhibit B cell activation through Fcγ receptor-mediated mechanism; and (iii masks the epitope and prevents the stimulation and proliferation of specific B cells. We find that only epitope masking but not the former two mechanisms to be key in recapitulating patterns in data. We discuss the ramifications of our findings for the development of vaccines against both seasonal and pandemic influenza.

Microsoft DirectAccess best practices and troubleshooting

CERN Document Server

Krause, Jordan

2013-01-01

This book covers best practices and acts as a complete guide to DirectAccess and automatic remote access.Microsoft DirectAccess Best Practices and Troubleshooting is an ideal guide for any existing or future DirectAccess administrator and system administrators who are working on Windows Server 2012. This book will also be beneficial for someone with a basic knowledge of networking and deployment of Microsoft operating systems and software who wants to learn the intricacies of DirectAccess and its interfaces.

Vascular Access in Children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamurthy, Ganesh; Keller, Marc S.

2011-01-01

Establishment of stable vascular access is one of the essential and most challenging procedures in a pediatric hospital. Many clinical specialties provide vascular service in a pediatric hospital. At the top of the “expert procedural pyramid” is the pediatric interventional radiologist, who is best suited and trained to deliver this service. Growing awareness regarding the safety and high success rate of vascular access using image guidance has led to increased demand from clinicians to provide around-the-clock vascular access service by pediatric interventional radiologists. Hence, the success of a vascular access program, with the pediatric interventional radiologist as the key provider, is challenging, and a coordinated multidisciplinary team effort is essential for success. However, there are few dedicated pediatric interventional radiologists across the globe, and also only a couple of training programs exist for pediatric interventions. This article gives an overview of the technical aspects of pediatric vascular access and provides useful tips for obtaining vascular access in children safely and successfully using image guidance.

Generalized boundary conditions in an existence and uniqueness proof for the solution of the non-stationary electron Boltzmann equation by means of operator-semigroups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartolomaeus, G.; Wilhelm, J.

1983-01-01

Recently, based on the semigroup approach a new proof was presented of the existence of a unique solution of the non-stationary Boltzmann equation for the electron component of a collision dominated plasma. The proof underlies some restriction which should be overcome to extend the validity range to other problems of physical interest. One of the restrictions is the boundary condition applied. The choice of the boundary condition is essential for the proof because it determines the range of definition of the infinitesimal generator and thus the operator semigroup itself. The paper proves the existence of a unique solution for generalized boundary conditions, this solution takes non-negative values, which is necessary for a distribution function from the physical point of view. (author)

Repair of fractured abutment teeth under pre-existing crowns: An alternative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kennedy Mascarenhas

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes a technique for repair of abutment tooth which fractured during removal of a provisional restoration before bisque trial. The technique uses plastic templates to fabricate new composite core foundation for the existing crowns. This technique helps the dentist to rebuild the core in a single appointment.

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for the Existence of Positive Solution for Singular Boundary Value Problems on Time Scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Xuemei

2009-01-01

Full Text Available By constructing available upper and lower solutions and combining the Schauder's fixed point theorem with maximum principle, this paper establishes sufficient and necessary conditions to guarantee the existence of as well as positive solutions for a class of singular boundary value problems on time scales. The results significantly extend and improve many known results for both the continuous case and more general time scales. We illustrate our results by one example.

Fitness, work, and leisure-time physical activity and ischaemic heart disease and all-cause mortality among men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holtermann, Andreas; Mortensen, Ole Steen; Burr, Hermann

2010-01-01

, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, physical work demands, leisure-time physical activity, and social class - showed a substantially reduced risk for IHD mortality among employees who were intermediately fit [VO (2)Max range 25-36; hazard ratio (HR) 0.54, 95% confidence......OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to study the relative impact of physical fitness, physical demands at work, and physical activity during leisure time on ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and all-cause mortality among employed men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHOD: We carried out a 30-year...... physical work demands and leisure-time physical activity using a self-reported questionnaire. Results Among 274 men with a history of CVD, 93 men died from IHD. Using male employees with a history of CVD and a low level of fitness as the reference group, our Cox analyses - adjusted for age, blood pressure...

A qualitative study of the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ennion, Liezel; Johannesson, Anton

2018-04-01

There is a known shortage of rehabilitation staff in rural settings and a sharp increase in the number of lower limb amputations being performed. A lack of adequate pre-prosthetic rehabilitation will result in worse physical and psychological outcomes for a person with a lower limb amputation, and they will not be eligible to be fitted with a prosthesis. To explore therapists' experiences with providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in a rural setting. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect and analyse data. Data were collected from 17 purposively sampled therapists in five district hospitals in a rural community in South Africa. Data were collected in two rounds of focus groups to explore the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa. The main themes identified in the study were (1) a lack of government health system support, (2) poor socioeconomic circumstances of patients and (3) cultural factors that influence rehabilitation. These themes all negatively influence the therapists' ability to follow up patients for pre-prosthetic rehabilitation after discharge from hospital. A lack of adequate pre-prosthetic rehabilitation is a substantial barrier to prosthetic fitting in rural South Africa. Patients who do not receive pre-prosthetic rehabilitation have a poorly shaped residuum or other complications such as knee or hip joint contractures which disqualifies them from being referred to prosthetic services. Therapists involved in this study identified the most important barriers to patients having access to prosthetic services. Clinical relevance Pre-prosthetic rehabilitation provides care of the residuum; maintenance or improvement of physical strength, joint range of motion and referral to a prosthetist. By exploring the challenges known to exist in this service, we can identify potential ways to reduce these barriers and improve the lives of those who use it.

48 CFR 809.106-1 - Conditions for pre-award surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... service or using service chiefs or designees appointed by the facility or VISN director will conduct a pre... for contracts covering the products and services of the following: (1) Bakeries. (2) Dairies. (3) Ice cream plants. (4) Laundry and dry cleaning activities. (b) Before any inspection, the contracting...

Libraries and Accessibility: Istanbul Public Libraries Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gül Yücel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the study; the assessment of accessibility has been conducted in Istanbul public libraries within the scope of public area. Public libraries commonly serve with its user of more than 20 million in total, spread to the general of Turkey, having more than one thousand branches in the centrums and having more than one million registered members. The building principles and standards covering the subjects such as the selection of place, historical and architectural specification of the region, distance to the centre of population and design in a way that the disabled people could benefit from the library services fully have been determined with regulations in the construction of new libraries. There are works for the existent libraries such as access for the disabled, fire safety precautions etc. within the scope of the related standards. Easy access by everyone is prioritized in the public libraries having a significant role in life-long learning. The purpose of the study is to develop solution suggestions for the accessibility problems in the public libraries. The study based on the eye inspection and assessments carried out within the scope of accessibility in the public libraries subsidiary to Istanbul Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate Library and Publications Department within the provincial borders of Istanbul. The arrangements such as reading halls, study areas, book shelves etc. have been examined within the frame of accessible building standards. Building entrances, ramps and staircases, horizontal and vertical circulation of building etc. have been taken into consideration within the scope of accessible building standards. The subjects such as the reading and studying areas and book shelf arrangements for the library have been assessed within the scope of specific buildings. There are a total of 34 public libraries subsidiary to Istanbul Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate on condition that 20 ea. of them are in the

Streamlining Research by Using Existing Tools

OpenAIRE

Greene, Sarah M.; Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Dolor, Rowena J.; Thompson, Ella; Neale, Anne Victoria

2011-01-01

Over the past two decades, the health research enterprise has matured rapidly, and many recognize an urgent need to translate pertinent research results into practice, to help improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of U.S. health care. Streamlining research operations would speed translation, particularly for multi-site collaborations. However, the culture of research discourages reusing or adapting existing resources or study materials. Too often, researchers start studies and...

Performance Comparison of Several Pre-Processing Methods in a Hand Gesture Recognition System based on Nearest Neighbor for Different Background Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Lionnie

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a performance analysis and comparison of several pre-processing  methods  used  in  a  hand  gesture  recognition  system.  The  preprocessing methods are based on the combinations ofseveral image processing operations,  namely  edge  detection,  low  pass  filtering,  histogram  equalization, thresholding and desaturation. The hand gesture recognition system is designed to classify an input image into one of six possibleclasses. The input images are taken with various background conditions. Our experiments showed that the best result is achieved when the pre-processing method consists of only a desaturation operation, achieving a classification accuracy of up to 83.15%.

The mechanical effect of the existing cement mantle on the in-cement femoral revision.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeling, Parnell; Lennon, Alexander B; Kenny, Patrick J; O'Reilly, Peter; Prendergast, Patrick J

2012-08-01

Cement-in-cement revision hip arthroplasty is an increasingly popular technique to replace a loose femoral stem which retains much of the original cement mantle. However, some concern exists regarding the retention of the existing fatigued and aged cement in such cement-in-cement revisions. This study investigates whether leaving an existing fatigued and aged cement mantle degrades the mechanical performance of a cement-in-cement revision construct. Primary cement mantles were formed by cementing a polished stem into sections of tubular steel. If in the test group, the mantle underwent conditioning in saline to simulate ageing and was subject to a fatigue of 1 million cycles. If in the control group no such conditioning or fatigue was carried out. The cement-in-cement procedure was then undertaken. Both groups underwent a fatigue of 1 million cycles subsequent to the revision procedure. Application of a Mann-Whitney test on the recorded subsidence (means: 0.51, 0.46, n=10+10, P=0.496) and inducible displacement (means: 0.38, 0.36, P=0.96) revealed that there was no statistical difference between the groups. This study represents further biomechanical investigation of the mechanical behaviour of cement-in-cement revision constructs. Results suggest that pre-revision fatigue and ageing of the cement may not be deleterious to the mechanical performance of the revision construct. Thus, this study provides biomechanical evidence to back-up recent successes with this useful revision technique. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlocal free vibration in the pre- and post-buckled states of magneto-electro-thermo elastic rectangular nanoplates with various edge conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, R.; Gholami, R.

2016-09-01

Considering the small scale effect together with the influences of transverse shear deformation, rotary inertia and the magneto-electro-thermo-mechanical coupling, the linear free vibration of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic (METE) rectangular nanoplates with various edge supports in pre- and post-buckled states is investigated herein. It is assumed that the METE nanoplate is subjected to the external in-plane compressive loads in combination with magnetic, electric and thermal loads. The Mindlin plate theory, von Kármán hypothesis and the nonlocal theory are utilized to develop a size-dependent geometrically nonlinear plate model for describing the size-dependent linear and nonlinear mechanical characteristics of moderately thick METE rectangular nanoplates. The nonlinear governing equations and the corresponding boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton’s principle which are then discretized via the generalized differential quadrature method. The pseudo-arc length continuation approach is used to obtain the equilibrium postbuckling path of METE nanoplates. By the obtained postbuckling response, and taking a time-dependent small disturbance around the buckled configuration, and inserting them into the nonlinear governing equations, an eigenvalue problem is achieved from which the frequencies of pre- and post-buckled METE nanoplates can be calculated. The effects of nonlocal parameter, electric, magnetic and thermal loadings, length-to-thickness ratio and different boundary conditions on the free vibration response of METE rectangular nanoplates in the pre- and post-buckled states are highlighted.

Disparities in Alcohol, Drug Use, and Mental Health Condition Prevalence and Access to Care in Rural, Isolated, and Reservation Areas: Findings From the South Dakota Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Melinda M; Spurlock, Margaret; Dulacki, Kristen; Meath, Thomas; Li, Hsin-Fang Grace; McCarty, Dennis; Warne, Donald; Wright, Bill; McConnell, K John

2016-06-01

Research on urban/rural disparities in alcohol, drug use, and mental health (ADM) conditions is inconsistent. This study describes ADM condition prevalence and access to care across diverse geographies in a predominantly rural state. Multimodal cross-sectional survey in South Dakota from November 2013 to October 2014, with oversampling in rural areas and American Indian reservations. Measures assessed demographic characteristics, ADM condition prevalence using clinical screenings and participant self-report, perceived need for treatment, health service usage, and barriers to obtaining care. We tested for differences among urban, rural, isolated, and reservation geographic areas, controlling for participant age and gender. We analyzed 7,675 surveys (48% response rate). Generally, ADM condition prevalence rates were not significantly different across geographies. However, respondents in isolated and reservation areas were significantly less likely to have access to primary care. Knowledge of treatment options was significantly lower in isolated regions and individuals in reservation areas had significantly lower odds of reporting receipt of all needed care. Across the sample there was substantial discordance between ADM clinical screenings and participant self-reported need; 98.1% of respondents who screened positive for alcohol or drug misuse and 63.8% of respondents who screened positive for a mental health condition did not perceive a need for care. In a predominantly rural state, geographic disparities in ADM conditions are related to differences in access as opposed to prevalence, particularly for individuals in isolated and reservation areas. Educational interventions about ADM condition characteristics may be as important as improving access to care. © 2015 National Rural Health Association.

PDC bit selection to drill the Brazilian pre-salt heterogeneous carbonates; Selecao de broca PDC para a perfuracao dos carbonatos heterogeneos do pre-sal brasileiro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lima, Araken Dumont Ramos; Tocantins, Joao Pedro Tourinho [Schlumberger, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2012-07-01

The well drilling operation to access the oil reserves of the Brazilian pre-salt find their highest challenge in the rock reservoir, which is formed from organic limestone and other sediments, and it can have different heterogeneous features that are hostile to drilling. Those features such as the silica nodules increase the rock formation strength and abrasiveness that together with the PDC bit vibrations generated during the rock cutting reduce the life of the cutting structure to a few meters. Because of these conditions, the development of more stable bits, with very low lateral and torsional vibration levels and with more strength PDC, has been one oil industry challenges to drill the pre-salt limestone with silica. This paper aims to present a dynamic comparative analysis between three PDC bits, called BR1, BR2 and BR3, of different generations, selected to drill a well design in a limestone heterogeneous and homogeneous (without silica nodules). This analysis was performed with dynamic three dimensional finite elements software, which considers the interaction between the bit cutter structure and the rock to be drilled, used to design bits, reamers and BHA (Bottom Hole Assembly). (author)

The Scope of the Common Commercial Policy after Lisbon: The Daiichi Sankyo and Conditional Access Services Grand Chamber Judgments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ankersmit, L.J.

2014-01-01

This case note discusses two important recent judgments rendered by the ECJ on the scope of the Common Commercial Policy. In Daiichi Sankyo (Case C-414/11), the Court overturned its previous case law on TRIPs in light of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. In Conditional Access Services (Case

Post-accession economic development of Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witold ORŁOWSKI

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse the economic performance of Poland in the post-accession period. Poland joined the EU in 2004, after a long and difficult economic transition. The whole post-accession period could be divided into two sub-periods: the pre-crisis period of 2004-07, and the turbulent period of 2008-11. During the pre-crisis period, Poland recorded a fast growth, with a built-up of macroeconomic disequilibria. During the turbulent period, the economy was dealing successfully with the global financial crisis. The growth slowed down and the disequilibria were reduced. The paper discusses the growth patterns in the both sub-periods and tries to explain the factors that contributed to the good economic performance during the financial crisis. The astonishingly good economic growth results cannot be attributed to a single factor, but to a combination of many factors contributing at the same time. However, Poland has many valuable assets that may help in dealing with the further economic turbulences.

Access to public drinking water fountains in Berkeley, California: a geospatial analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, Dylan C; Smith, Charlotte D

2018-01-24

In January 2015, Berkeley, California became the first city in the Unites States to impose a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The tax is intended to discourage purchase of sugary beverages and promote consumption of healthier alternatives such as tap water. The goal of the study was to assess the condition of public drinking water fountains and determine if there is a difference in access to clean, functioning fountains based on race or socio-economic status. A mobile-GIS App was created to locate and collect data on existing drinking water fountains in Berkeley, CA. Demographic variables related to race and socio-economic status (SES) were acquired from the US Census - American Community Survey database. Disparities in access to, or condition of drinking water fountains relative to demographics was explored using spatial analyses. Spatial statistical-analysis was performed to estimate demographic characteristics of communities near the water fountains and logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between household median income or race and condition of fountain. Although most fountains were classified as functioning, some were dirty, clogged, or both dirty and clogged. No spatial relationships between demographic characteristics and fountain conditions were observed. All geo-located data and a series of maps were provided to the City of Berkeley and the public. The geo-database created as an outcome of this study is useful for prioritizing maintenance of existing fountains and planning the locations of future fountains. The methodologies used for this study could be applied to a wide variety of asset inventory and assessment projects such as clinics or pharmaceutical dispensaries, both in developed and developing countries.

Wireless Smart Sensor Network System Using SmartBridge Sensor Nodes for Structural Health Monitoring of Existing Concrete Bridges

Science.gov (United States)

Gaviña, J. R.; Uy, F. A.; Carreon, J. D.

2017-06-01

There are over 8000 bridges in the Philippines today according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Currently, visual inspection is the most common practice in monitoring the structural integrity of bridges. However, visual inspections have proven to be insufficient in determining the actual health or condition of a bridge. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) aims to give, in real-time, a diagnosis of the actual condition of the bridge. In this study, SmartBridge Sensor Nodes were installed on an existing concrete bridge with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Type IV Girders to gather vibration of the elements of the bridge. Also, standards on the effective installation of SmartBridge Sensor Nodes, such as location and orientation was determined. Acceleration readings from the sensor were then uploaded to a server, wherein they are monitored against certain thresholds, from which, the health of the bridge will be derived. Final output will be a portal or webpage wherein the information, health, and acceleration readings of the bridge will be available for viewing. With levels of access set for different types of users, the main users will have access to download data and reports. Data transmission and webpage access are available online, making the SHM system wireless.

Indigenous education during the pre-colonial period in Southern Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... process was intimately integrated with the social, cultural, artistic, religious and recreational life of the indigenous peoples. This article discusses different forms of indigenous education that existed in Southern Africa during the pre-colonial period. Keywords: Pre-colonial period, indigenous education, indigenous people,

Genetic dissection of photoperiod response based on GWAS of pre-anthesis phase duration in spring barley.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad M Alqudah

Full Text Available Heading time is a complex trait, and natural variation in photoperiod responses is a major factor controlling time to heading, adaptation and grain yield. In barley, previous heading time studies have been mainly conducted under field conditions to measure total days to heading. We followed a novel approach and studied the natural variation of time to heading in a world-wide spring barley collection (218 accessions, comprising of 95 photoperiod-sensitive (Ppd-H1 and 123 accessions with reduced photoperiod sensitivity (ppd-H1 to long-day (LD through dissecting pre-anthesis development into four major stages and sub-phases. The study was conducted under greenhouse (GH conditions (LD; 16/8 h; ∼20/∼16°C day/night. Genotyping was performed using a genome-wide high density 9K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs chip which assayed 7842 SNPs. We used the barley physical map to identify candidate genes underlying genome-wide association scans (GWAS. GWAS for pre-anthesis stages/sub-phases in each photoperiod group provided great power for partitioning genetic effects on floral initiation and heading time. In addition to major genes known to regulate heading time under field conditions, several novel QTL with medium to high effects, including new QTL having major effects on developmental stages/sub-phases were found to be associated in this study. For example, highly associated SNPs tagged the physical regions around HvCO1 (barley CONSTANS1 and BFL (BARLEY FLORICAULA/LEAFY genes. Based upon our GWAS analysis, we propose a new genetic network model for each photoperiod group, which includes several newly identified genes, such as several HvCO-like genes, belonging to different heading time pathways in barley.

Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics

CERN Document Server

2007-01-01

Particle Physics, often referred to as High Energy Physics (HEP), spearheaded the Open Access dissemination of scientific results with the mass mailing of preprints in the pre-Web era and with the launch of the arXiv preprint system at the dawn of the '90s. The HEP community is now ready for a further push to Open Access while retaining all the advantages of the peerreview system and, at the same time, bring the spiralling cost of journal subscriptions under control. I will present a plan for the conversion to Open Access of HEP peer-reviewed journals, through a consortium of HEP funding agencies, laboratories and libraries: SCOAP3 (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics). SCOAP3 will engage with scientific publishers towards building a sustainable model for Open Access publishing, which is as transparent as possible for HEP authors. The current system in which journals income comes from subscription fees is replaced with a scheme where SCOAP3 compensates publishers for the costs...

Techniques to Access Databases and Integrate Data for Hydrologic Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whelan, Gene; Tenney, Nathan D.; Pelton, Mitchell A.; Coleman, Andre M.; Ward, Duane L.; Droppo, James G.; Meyer, Philip D.; Dorow, Kevin E.; Taira, Randal Y.

2009-06-17

This document addresses techniques to access and integrate data for defining site-specific conditions and behaviors associated with ground-water and surface-water radionuclide transport applicable to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews. Environmental models typically require input data from multiple internal and external sources that may include, but are not limited to, stream and rainfall gage data, meteorological data, hydrogeological data, habitat data, and biological data. These data may be retrieved from a variety of organizations (e.g., federal, state, and regional) and source types (e.g., HTTP, FTP, and databases). Available data sources relevant to hydrologic analyses for reactor licensing are identified and reviewed. The data sources described can be useful to define model inputs and parameters, including site features (e.g., watershed boundaries, stream locations, reservoirs, site topography), site properties (e.g., surface conditions, subsurface hydraulic properties, water quality), and site boundary conditions, input forcings, and extreme events (e.g., stream discharge, lake levels, precipitation, recharge, flood and drought characteristics). Available software tools for accessing established databases, retrieving the data, and integrating it with models were identified and reviewed. The emphasis in this review was on existing software products with minimal required modifications to enable their use with the FRAMES modeling framework. The ability of four of these tools to access and retrieve the identified data sources was reviewed. These four software tools were the Hydrologic Data Acquisition and Processing System (HDAPS), Integrated Water Resources Modeling System (IWRMS) External Data Harvester, Data for Environmental Modeling Environmental Data Download Tool (D4EM EDDT), and the FRAMES Internet Database Tools. The IWRMS External Data Harvester and the D4EM EDDT were identified as the most promising tools based on their ability to access and

Techniques to Access Databases and Integrate Data for Hydrologic Modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whelan, Gene; Tenney, Nathan D.; Pelton, Mitchell A.; Coleman, Andre M.; Ward, Duane L.; Droppo, James G.; Meyer, Philip D.; Dorow, Kevin E.; Taira, Randal Y.

2009-01-01

This document addresses techniques to access and integrate data for defining site-specific conditions and behaviors associated with ground-water and surface-water radionuclide transport applicable to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews. Environmental models typically require input data from multiple internal and external sources that may include, but are not limited to, stream and rainfall gage data, meteorological data, hydrogeological data, habitat data, and biological data. These data may be retrieved from a variety of organizations (e.g., federal, state, and regional) and source types (e.g., HTTP, FTP, and databases). Available data sources relevant to hydrologic analyses for reactor licensing are identified and reviewed. The data sources described can be useful to define model inputs and parameters, including site features (e.g., watershed boundaries, stream locations, reservoirs, site topography), site properties (e.g., surface conditions, subsurface hydraulic properties, water quality), and site boundary conditions, input forcings, and extreme events (e.g., stream discharge, lake levels, precipitation, recharge, flood and drought characteristics). Available software tools for accessing established databases, retrieving the data, and integrating it with models were identified and reviewed. The emphasis in this review was on existing software products with minimal required modifications to enable their use with the FRAMES modeling framework. The ability of four of these tools to access and retrieve the identified data sources was reviewed. These four software tools were the Hydrologic Data Acquisition and Processing System (HDAPS), Integrated Water Resources Modeling System (IWRMS) External Data Harvester, Data for Environmental Modeling Environmental Data Download Tool (D4EM EDDT), and the FRAMES Internet Database Tools. The IWRMS External Data Harvester and the D4EM EDDT were identified as the most promising tools based on their ability to access and

Effects of managed care on service use and access for publicly insured children with chronic health conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidoff, Amy; Hill, Ian; Courtot, Brigette; Adams, Emerald

2007-05-01

Our goal was to estimate the effects of managed care program type on service use and access for publicly insured children with chronic health conditions. Data on Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program managed care programs were linked by county and year to pooled data from the 1997-2002 National Health Interview Survey. We used multivariate techniques to examine the effects of managed care program type, relative to fee-for-service, on a broad array of service use and access outcomes. Relative to fee-for-service, managed care program assignment was associated with selected reductions in service use but not with deterioration in reported access. Capitated managed care plans with mental health or specialty carve-outs were associated with a 7.4-percentage-point reduction in the probability of a specialist visit, a 6.3-percentage-point reduction in the probability of a mental health specialty visit, and a 5.9-percentage-point decrease in the probability of regular prescription drug use. Reductions in use associated with primary care case management and integrated capitated programs (without carve-outs) were more limited, and integrated capitated plans were associated with a reduction in unmet medical care need. We failed to find significant effects of special managed care programs for children with chronic health conditions. Managed care is associated with reduced service use, particularly when capitated programs carve out services. This finding is of key policy importance, as the proportion of children enrolled in plans with carve-out arrangements has been increasing over time. It is not possible to determine whether reductions in services represent better care management or skimping. However, despite the reductions in use, we did not observe a corresponding increase in perceived unmet need; thus, the net change may represent improved care management.

Education and Access to Christian Thought in the Writing of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Anna Julia Cooper

Science.gov (United States)

Magno, JoJo

2009-01-01

In attempting to climb past the racist and sexist barriers which existed in nineteenth-century America, women could look to writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Anna Julia Cooper. Their works not only reflect the conditions of women and African-American women in particular, but also call for access to educational opportunities for these women…

Access to services, quality of care, and family impact for children with autism, other developmental disabilities, and other mental health conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vohra, Rini; Madhavan, Suresh; Sambamoorthi, Usha; St Peter, Claire

2014-10-01

This cross-sectional study examined perceived access to services, quality of care, and family impact reported by caregivers of children aged 3-17 years with autism spectrum disorders, as compared to caregivers of children with other developmental disabilities and other mental health conditions. The 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs was utilized to examine the association between child's special needs condition and three outcomes (N = 18,136): access to services (difficulty using services, difficulty getting referrals, lack of source of care, and inadequate insurance coverage), quality of care (lack of care coordination, lack of shared decision making, and no routine screening), and family impact (financial, employment, and time-related burden). Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to compare caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders to caregivers of children with developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental delay, or intellectual disability), mental health conditions (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavioral/conduct problems, or depression), or both developmental disabilities and mental health conditions. Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders were significantly more likely to report difficulty using services, lack of source of care, inadequate insurance coverage, lack of shared decision making and care coordination, and adverse family impact as compared to caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, or both. © The Author(s) 2013.

An Authentication and Key Management Mechanism for Resource Constrained Devices in IEEE 802.11-based IoT Access Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki-Wook Kim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Many Internet of Things (IoT services utilize an IoT access network to connect small devices with remote servers. They can share an access network with standard communication technology, such as IEEE 802.11ah. However, an authentication and key management (AKM mechanism for resource constrained IoT devices using IEEE 802.11ah has not been proposed as yet. We therefore propose a new AKM mechanism for an IoT access network, which is based on IEEE 802.11 key management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism. The proposed AKM mechanism does not require any pre-configured security information between the access network domain and the IoT service domain. It considers the resource constraints of IoT devices, allowing IoT devices to delegate the burden of AKM processes to a powerful agent. The agent has sufficient power to support various authentication methods for the access point, and it performs cryptographic functions for the IoT devices. Performance analysis shows that the proposed mechanism greatly reduces computation costs, network costs, and memory usage of the resource-constrained IoT device as compared to the existing IEEE 802.11 Key Management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism.

An Authentication and Key Management Mechanism for Resource Constrained Devices in IEEE 802.11-based IoT Access Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ki-Wook; Han, Youn-Hee; Min, Sung-Gi

2017-09-21

Many Internet of Things (IoT) services utilize an IoT access network to connect small devices with remote servers. They can share an access network with standard communication technology, such as IEEE 802.11ah. However, an authentication and key management (AKM) mechanism for resource constrained IoT devices using IEEE 802.11ah has not been proposed as yet. We therefore propose a new AKM mechanism for an IoT access network, which is based on IEEE 802.11 key management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism. The proposed AKM mechanism does not require any pre-configured security information between the access network domain and the IoT service domain. It considers the resource constraints of IoT devices, allowing IoT devices to delegate the burden of AKM processes to a powerful agent. The agent has sufficient power to support various authentication methods for the access point, and it performs cryptographic functions for the IoT devices. Performance analysis shows that the proposed mechanism greatly reduces computation costs, network costs, and memory usage of the resource-constrained IoT device as compared to the existing IEEE 802.11 Key Management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism.

How learning might strengthen existing visual object representations in human object-selective cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Brants, Marijke; Bulthé, Jessica; Daniels, Nicky; Wagemans, Johan; Op de Beeck, Hans P

2016-02-15

Visual object perception is an important function in primates which can be fine-tuned by experience, even in adults. Which factors determine the regions and the neurons that are modified by learning is still unclear. Recently, it was proposed that the exact cortical focus and distribution of learning effects might depend upon the pre-learning mapping of relevant functional properties and how this mapping determines the informativeness of neural units for the stimuli and the task to be learned. From this hypothesis we would expect that visual experience would strengthen the pre-learning distributed functional map of the relevant distinctive object properties. Here we present a first test of this prediction in twelve human subjects who were trained in object categorization and differentiation, preceded and followed by a functional magnetic resonance imaging session. Specifically, training increased the distributed multi-voxel pattern information for trained object distinctions in object-selective cortex, resulting in a generalization from pre-training multi-voxel activity patterns to after-training activity patterns. Simulations show that the increased selectivity combined with the inter-session generalization is consistent with a training-induced strengthening of a pre-existing selectivity map. No training-related neural changes were detected in other regions. In sum, training to categorize or individuate objects strengthened pre-existing representations in human object-selective cortex, providing a first indication that the neuroanatomical distribution of learning effects depends upon the pre-learning mapping of visual object properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medicaid expansion and access to care among cancer survivors: a baseline overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazi, Wafa W; Bradley, Cathy J; Harless, David W; Bear, Harry D; Sabik, Lindsay M

2016-06-01

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act facilitates access to care among vulnerable populations, but 21 states have not yet expanded the program. Medicaid expansions may provide increased access to care for cancer survivors, a growing population with chronic conditions. We compare access to health care services among cancer survivors living in non-expansion states to those living in expansion states, prior to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. We use the 2012 and 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate multiple logistic regression models to compare inability to see a doctor because of cost, having a personal doctor, and receiving an annual checkup in the past year between cancer survivors who lived in non-expansion states and survivors who lived in expansion states. Cancer survivors in non-expansion states had statistically significantly lower odds of having a personal doctor (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.76, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.92, p Medicaid could potentially leave many cancer survivors with limited access to routine care. Existing disparities in access to care are likely to widen between cancer survivors in Medicaid non-expansion and expansion states.

The role of performing life support courses in rural areas in improving pre-hospital physiologic condition of patients with penetrating injuries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naffisi, N.; Mohebbi, H.A.; Moharamzadeh, Y.

2008-01-01

To evaluate the impact of animal model based medical training courses for village healthcare workers on prehospital physiologic condition and prognosis of patients with penetrating injuries. Seventy-six village healthcare workers were trained and equipped to deliver in-field medical first cares. First group (226 patients) consisted of those who received this cares by the trained group and second group (245 patients) were those who received no in-field cares and were transported directly to the trauma center in provincial capital, Ilam. Physiologic Severity Score (PSS) was calculated to determine the physiologic condition of patients in both groups. Results: The most prevalent cause of trauma in both groups was car accidents (61.6%). Controlling of hemorrhage was the most frequent provided initial medical care (40.6%). A significant improvement regarding the PSS score was observed in the first group of patients compared to the second group (7.505 vs. 6.799, 95% CI for difference: 0.3 to 0.9). The mortality rates of the first and second group of patients were 3% and 7.3%, respectively (p=0.051). Performing life support courses in rural areas of low-income countries where there is no pre-hospital triage and emergency medical system and provision of classic resuscitative measures are limited, has a significant impact on improvement of pre-hospital physiologic condition and prognosis of patients with penetrating injuries. (author)

PRE-EXISTING ELEMENTS OF CUSTOMS OFFENSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND THESE OF ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurel Octavian Pasat

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Our scientific approach will include, to a considerable extent, the analysis of smuggling offenses. We will analyze the pre-existing elements of customs offenses in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Moldova and that of Romania, our focus being on the investigation of the object of customs offenses. The analysis carried out aims at: highlighting the generic legal object and the special legal object of customs offenses. Different research methods were used to carry out the study, including: analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction. However, the most used method was comparative considering the specifics of the subject under investigation. In the customs sphere, the Romanian legislator has incriminated: simple smuggling, skilled smuggling, the use of unrealistic acts and the use of falsified documents. The analysis of smuggling (simple and qualified will make an incursion both in the legislation of the Republic of Moldova and in Romania; analysis of using false documents and use of forged documents will refer to the rules of the Customs Code of Romania, while the analysis evade customs payments will make use of the Criminal Code rules.

Optimization of analytical and pre-analytical conditions for MALDI-TOF-MS human urine protein profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvano, C D; Aresta, A; Iacovone, M; De Benedetto, G E; Zambonin, C G; Battaglia, M; Ditonno, P; Rutigliano, M; Bettocchi, C

2010-03-11

Protein analysis in biological fluids, such as urine, by means of mass spectrometry (MS) still suffers for insufficient standardization in protocols for sample collection, storage and preparation. In this work, the influence of these variables on healthy donors human urine protein profiling performed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was studied. A screening of various urine sample pre-treatment procedures and different sample deposition approaches on the MALDI target was performed. The influence of urine samples storage time and temperature on spectral profiles was evaluated by means of principal component analysis (PCA). The whole optimized procedure was eventually applied to the MALDI-TOF-MS analysis of human urine samples taken from prostate cancer patients. The best results in terms of detected ions number and abundance in the MS spectra were obtained by using home-made microcolumns packed with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) resin as sample pre-treatment method; this procedure was also less expensive and suitable for high throughput analyses. Afterwards, the spin coating approach for sample deposition on the MALDI target plate was optimized, obtaining homogenous and reproducible spots. Then, PCA indicated that low storage temperatures of acidified and centrifuged samples, together with short handling time, allowed to obtain reproducible profiles without artifacts contribution due to experimental conditions. Finally, interesting differences were found by comparing the MALDI-TOF-MS protein profiles of pooled urine samples of healthy donors and prostate cancer patients. The results showed that analytical and pre-analytical variables are crucial for the success of urine analysis, to obtain meaningful and reproducible data, even if the intra-patient variability is very difficult to avoid. It has been proven how pooled urine samples can be an interesting way to make easier the comparison between

pre-art guidelines

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Enrique

2004-11-01

Nov 1, 2004 ... As these guidelines address pre-ART issues, only conditions that occur at ... All HIV-infected adults who are immunosuppressed, i.e. ... therefore recommended that HIV-infected health care ... vaccine in severely immunosuppressed persons, i.e. those ... with residual insecticides, the use of larvicides, and.

Conditioned Stimuli’s Role in Relapse: Pre-Clinical Research on Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, R.J.; Schindler, W.; Pinkston, Jonathan W.

2016-01-01

Rationale and Objective Pavlovian learning is central to many theories of addiction. In these theories, stimuli paired with drug ingestion become Conditioned Stimuli (CS) and subsequently elicit drug-seeking and -taking. However in most relevant studies, Pavlovian and instrumental learning are confounded. This confound may be avoided in Pavlovian-Instrumental-Transfer (PIT) procedures. In PIT, Pavlovian and instrumental learning are established separately, and then combined. In order to better understand the role of CSs in addiction, we review the relevant studies using PIT. Findings We identified seven articles examining PIT effects of ethanol- or cocaine-paired CSs. Under at least one condition six of these articles reported CS-elicited increases in responding previously maintained by drug. However, the only study using the optimal control condition failed to find a CS-elicited increase. Two studies examining CS specificity found the CS also increased responding maintained by a different reinforcer. Two studies examined if CSs elicit increases in actual drug-taking. Both failed to find CS-elicited increases, i.e., no study shows CS-elicited increases in actual drug-taking. Further, CS-elicited increases in extinguished responding are short-lived. Conclusions These findings are not entirely consistent with Pavlovian learning playing a central role in addiction. However, design issues can explain most of these inconsistencies. Studies without these design issues are needed. Additionally, existing theories hypothesize drug-paired CSs increase drug-taking by increasing motivation, by eliciting conditioned responses that make drug-seeking more probable, or by a combination of these. Work distinguishing between these mechanisms would also be useful. PMID:26800688

Study of oxide film formed in a pre cracked CT specimen of AISI 304L during a rising displacement test in 288 C water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz S, A.; Castano M, V.

2007-01-01

A study of oxide film formed inside pre cracked CT specimens during a rising displacement test in high temperature water (288 C) was performed in this study, The environmental conditions used during the experiments were similar to these found in Boiling Water Reactors (BWR): Normal Water Condition (NWC - 200 ppb O 2 ) and Hydrogen Water Chemistry (HWC - 125 ppb H2). The oxide films formed were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In both cases the oxide film consisted of two layers identified as magnetite. In the case of HWC the results agree with previous reports that mention magnetite as a stable phase in reducing conditions. However the stable phase in oxidant conditions is hematite and this work shows the presence of magnetite crystals in the narrow crack of CT specimens in spite of the oxidant environmental condition. This situation confirms that inside the pre-cracked CT specimens the environmental conditions were different from the oxidant bulk, and probably a poor oxygen access and stagnant conditions within the narrow crack promoted a localized reducing environment that permitted the magnetite formation. Is evident that the crack growth studies should consider the conditions inside crack because they are significantly different. (Author)

The Then and Now of Reference Conditions in Streams of the Central Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Huggins, D.; Angelo, R.; Baker, D. S.; Welker, G.

2005-05-01

Models of contemporary and pre-settlement reference conditions were constructed for streams that once drained the tallgrass prairies of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri (e.g. Western Corn Belt Plains ecoregion), and for streams within the heart of the mixed grass prairie (e.g. Southwestern Tablelands ecoregion). Data on watershed, habitat, chemistry and biology compiled for existing reference streams (least or minimally impacted systems) were used to characterize contemporary reference conditions. Contemporary reference conditions within these two prairie regions are contrasted against hypothetical pre-settlement conditions using information from the best streams (upper 25%) of the current reference population, historical accounts, museum records, natural heritage programs, Public Land Survey and current remote sensing data. Similar comparisons were made between historical and current reference conditions for the Southwestern Tablelands located in central Kansas and Oklahoma. Much of this region remains in mixed grass prairie; has limited hydrological alterations (e.g. impoundments, dewatering) and low human and livestock densities. Within the tablelands these factors have preserved reference conditions that resemble historic conditions. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons indicate that many regions within the Central Plains require caution when using "least disturbed" reference streams and conditions to identify regional biological integrity goals relative to the Clean Water Act.

Cocaine mummies and the pre-frontal reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, Mark Anthony

2001-01-01

Full text: The scientific community frames its world with facts - facts which have been subjected to tests and apparently proven themselves and are therefore proffered by scientists to mankind as things upon which it can rely to steer it safely through life. However, facts are a moveable feast. Time and fresh minds often prove scientific 'facts' wrong. The cocaine mummies seem to indicate that 2000 years ago the Ancient Egyptians had access to both tobacco and cocaine - something previously believed impossible. One part of the German and British scientific community has proven in laboratory tests that the mummies are telling the truth. The rest of the scientific community disputes that truth'. But if the laboratory tests are right, then humanity has to rewrite its entire history. Nuclear communicators have very little credibility with the general public because they represent scientists, who not only are often proven wrong by time but also cannot agree on the truth. At the same time, there are fundamental facts about the human condition that nuclear communicators ignore - to the detriment of their message. Fact: thinking is a learned skill, not an instinct. Fact: language is a learned skill, not an instinct. For humans to follow the positive nuclear argument they must both think and also understand language. But thinking is not the brain's first choice of operation. Fact: the pre-frontal lobe of the brain is the seat of mankind's primitive emotions, including the instinct of fear and the instinct for life. The pre-frontal lobe dominates the way man thinks and speaks. Therefore, nuclear communicators have to learn the skill of mapping their messages to the pre-frontal human reality. This presentation provides practical points for that learning and message mapping exercise. (author)

Pre-processing by data augmentation for improved ellipse fitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pankaj; Belchamber, Erika R; Miklavcic, Stanley J

2018-01-01

Ellipse fitting is a highly researched and mature topic. Surprisingly, however, no existing method has thus far considered the data point eccentricity in its ellipse fitting procedure. Here, we introduce the concept of eccentricity of a data point, in analogy with the idea of ellipse eccentricity. We then show empirically that, irrespective of ellipse fitting method used, the root mean square error (RMSE) of a fit increases with the eccentricity of the data point set. The main contribution of the paper is based on the hypothesis that if the data point set were pre-processed to strategically add additional data points in regions of high eccentricity, then the quality of a fit could be improved. Conditional validity of this hypothesis is demonstrated mathematically using a model scenario. Based on this confirmation we propose an algorithm that pre-processes the data so that data points with high eccentricity are replicated. The improvement of ellipse fitting is then demonstrated empirically in real-world application of 3D reconstruction of a plant root system for phenotypic analysis. The degree of improvement for different underlying ellipse fitting methods as a function of data noise level is also analysed. We show that almost every method tested, irrespective of whether it minimizes algebraic error or geometric error, shows improvement in the fit following data augmentation using the proposed pre-processing algorithm.

Conditions of the existence of the exact symmetric representation for some algebra classes with involution of the fields of real and complex numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, V.P.

1980-01-01

Necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of the exact symmetric representation of algebras with involution called sometimes regular of the fields of real and complex numbers are formulated in the paper

Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptions of Probability

Science.gov (United States)

Odafe, Victor U.

2011-01-01

Probability knowledge and skills are needed in science and in making daily decisions that are sometimes made under uncertain conditions. Hence, there is the need to ensure that the pre-service teachers of our children are well prepared to teach probability. Pre-service teachers' conceptions of probability are identified, and ways of helping them…

Influence of photo- and thermal bleaching on pre-irradiation low water peak single mode fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jianchong; Wen, Jianxiang; Luo, Wenyun; Xiao, Zhongyin; Chen, Zhenyi; Wang, Tingyun

2011-12-01

Reducing the radiation-induced transmission loss in low water peak single mode fiber (LWP SMF) has been investigated by using photo-bleaching method with 980nm pump light source and using thermal-bleaching method with temperature control system. The results show that the radiation-induced loss of pre-irradiation optical fiber can be reduced effectively with the help of photo-bleaching or thermal-bleaching. Although the effort of photo-bleaching is not as significant as thermal-bleaching, by using photo-bleaching method, the loss of fiber caused by radiation-induced defects can be reduced best up to 49% at 1310nm and 28% at 1550nm in low pre-irradiation condition, the coating of the fiber are not destroyed, and the rehabilitating time is just several hours, while self-annealing usually costs months' time. What's more, the typical high power LASER for photo-bleaching can be 980nm pump Laser Diode, which is very accessible.

Notified Access: Extending Remote Memory Access Programming Models for Producer-Consumer Synchronization

KAUST Repository

Belli, Roberto; Hoefler, Torsten

2015-01-01

Remote Memory Access (RMA) programming enables direct access to low-level hardware features to achieve high performance for distributed-memory programs. However, the design of RMA programming schemes focuses on the memory access and less on the synchronization. For example, in contemporary RMA programming systems, the widely used producer-consumer pattern can only be implemented inefficiently, incurring in an overhead of an additional round-trip message. We propose Notified Access, a scheme where the target process of an access can receive a completion notification. This scheme enables direct and efficient synchronization with a minimum number of messages. We implement our scheme in an open source MPI-3 RMA library and demonstrate lower overheads (two cache misses) than other point-to-point synchronization mechanisms for each notification. We also evaluate our implementation on three real-world benchmarks, a stencil computation, a tree computation, and a Colicky factorization implemented with tasks. Our scheme always performs better than traditional message passing and other existing RMA synchronization schemes, providing up to 50% speedup on small messages. Our analysis shows that Notified Access is a valuable primitive for any RMA system. Furthermore, we provide guidance for the design of low-level network interfaces to support Notified Access efficiently.

Notified Access: Extending Remote Memory Access Programming Models for Producer-Consumer Synchronization

KAUST Repository

Belli, Roberto

2015-05-01

Remote Memory Access (RMA) programming enables direct access to low-level hardware features to achieve high performance for distributed-memory programs. However, the design of RMA programming schemes focuses on the memory access and less on the synchronization. For example, in contemporary RMA programming systems, the widely used producer-consumer pattern can only be implemented inefficiently, incurring in an overhead of an additional round-trip message. We propose Notified Access, a scheme where the target process of an access can receive a completion notification. This scheme enables direct and efficient synchronization with a minimum number of messages. We implement our scheme in an open source MPI-3 RMA library and demonstrate lower overheads (two cache misses) than other point-to-point synchronization mechanisms for each notification. We also evaluate our implementation on three real-world benchmarks, a stencil computation, a tree computation, and a Colicky factorization implemented with tasks. Our scheme always performs better than traditional message passing and other existing RMA synchronization schemes, providing up to 50% speedup on small messages. Our analysis shows that Notified Access is a valuable primitive for any RMA system. Furthermore, we provide guidance for the design of low-level network interfaces to support Notified Access efficiently.

Accelerating Monte Carlo molecular simulations by reweighting and reconstructing Markov chains: Extrapolation of canonical ensemble averages and second derivatives to different temperature and density conditions

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim; Sun, Shuyu; Salama, Amgad

2014-01-01

thermodynamically consistent technique to regenerate rapidly Monte Carlo Markov Chains (MCMCs) at different thermodynamic conditions from the existing data points that have been pre-computed with expensive classical simulation. This technique can speed up

Analysis of La Dehesa paleo-landslide. Central Pre-Andes of Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Tapia Baldis, Carla; Rothis, Luis Martín; Perucca, Laura; Esper Angillieri, María; Vargas, Horacio; Ponce, David; Allis, Carlos

2018-04-01

The main objective of this paper is to consider the influence of Quaternary faults as likely triggering factor for rockslides occurrence in the Central Pre-Andes, a region with intense shallow seismic activity. A rockslide deposit was selected as study case, placed in the western flank of La Dehesa and Talacasto (DT) range (31°3‧37″ S and 68°46‧ 8″ W). Applied methodology includes the characterization of main discontinuities, reconstruction of the topography using a high-resolution digital elevation model, safety factor calculation along the sliding surface and, Newmark displacements estimation for three different hypothetical seismic scenarios, recreated from existing neotectonic local information. Equilibrium-limit method's results confirm that study case, La Dehesa rockslide (LDR), had a stable and safe slope's configuration under static conditions. However, a seismic horizontal coefficient between 0.2 and 0.3 decreases safety factor below the safety threshold. Newmark's displacements for different seismic reconstructed scenarios varies between 4.1 and 15.9 cm, values that agreed with a coherent failure process, likely triggered by Pleistocene to Holocene seismogenic sources in Central Pre-Andes. LDR trigger could be assigned mainly to an earthquake related to La Dehesa Quaternary fault (LDF) activity; however, similar movements produced by neighboring faults should not be discarded. LDR triggering related to climatic conditions is despised. Finally, the methodology presented in this work is easy to reproduce and may be applied to other rockslides located in the mountainous areas of the Central Pre-Andes of Argentina.

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts: End of Year Report, 2009-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts was created to provide research-based, high quality pre-kindergarten opportunities to at-risk children across the commonwealth by leveraging the existing early education services in schools, Keystone STARS child care programs, Head Start, and licensed nursery schools. The standards are high and the accountability…

“Assessment as Discourse”: A Pre-Service Physics Teacher’s Evolving Capacity to Support an Equitable Pedagogy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward G. Lyon

2013-07-01

Full Text Available One way to view ‘equitable pedagogy’ is through an opportunity to learn (OTL lens, meaning that regardless of race, class, or culture, a student has access to rigorous and meaningful content, as well as appropriate resources and instruction necessary to learn and demonstrate understanding of that content. Assessment holds a unique position in the classroom in that it can both uncover whether inequitable conditions exist (i.e., performance gaps, denied OTL and provide an OTL by mediating communication between teacher and students regarding learning progress and what is important to learn. Nevertheless, individuals entering teacher education programs often hold deficit views toward marginalized students, such as Language Minorities (LMs, believe that assessment strictly serves to evaluate learning, and do not do consider how language and culture influence student thinking–views supplanting assessment’s role at supporting an equitable pedagogy for LMs. Through surveys, interviews, program artifacts, and classroom observation, I report on a case study of one pre-service physics teacher, Dean, to depict how his expertise at assessing science did evolve throughout his yearlong teacher education program in terms of (a becoming more knowledgeable of the role of language and (b developing a belief in incorporating ‘discourse’ while assessing science. Within the case study, I analyze one particular episode from Dean’s teaching practicum to highlight remaining challenges for pre-service teachers to integrate science and language in classroom assessment—namely, interpreting students’ use of language along with their understanding of core science ideas. The findings underscore the need for connecting language and equity issues to content-area assessment in teacher preparation.

Assurance of opportunities for smooth start to school for pre-school education systems

OpenAIRE

Duobienė, Raimonda

2016-01-01

During a period of rapid globalisation, education has an obligation to adapt to the -needs of society. Current Lithuanian education policy for pre-school children provides that each child must be granted access to public services, working or needy families must be provided with greater support and a wider range of educational programmes that meet the needs of parents and children have to be developed. Currently in Lithuania, pre-school and pre-primary education is not mandatory, but it is...

Atopic dermatitis-like pre-Sézary syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sokolowska-Wojdylo, Malgorzata; Baranska-Rybak, Wioletta; Cegielska, Agnieszka

2011-01-01

histology without presence of atypical cells). In our patients, overt Sézary syndrome developed after immunosuppressive treatment (including cyclosporine). These cases support the validity of the concept of pre-Sézary syndrome, which is a long-lasting, pre-malignant condition, and which may develop to true...

Open Access Publishing in High-Energy Physics the SCOAP$^{3}$ model

CERN Document Server

Mele, S

2009-01-01

The Open Access (OA) movement is gaining an increasing momentum: its goal is to grant anyone, anywhere and anytime free access to the results of publicly funded scientific research. The High- Energy Physics (HEP) community has pioneered OA for decades, through its widespread “pre-print culture”. After almost half a century of worldwide dissemination of pre-prints, in paper first and electronically later, OA journals are becoming the natural evolution of scholarly communication in HEP. Among other OA business models, the one based on a sponsoring consortium appears as the most viable option for a transition of the HEP peer-reviewed literature to OA. The Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3) is proposed as a central body to remunerate publishers for their peer-review service, effectively replacing the “reader-pays” model of traditional subscriptions with an “author-side” funding, without any direct financial burden on individual authors and research groups. Su...

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for the Existence of Positive Solution for Singular Boundary Value Problems on Time Scales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meiqiang Feng

2009-01-01

Full Text Available By constructing available upper and lower solutions and combining the Schauder's fixed point theorem with maximum principle, this paper establishes sufficient and necessary conditions to guarantee the existence of Cld[0,1]𝕋 as well as CldΔ[0,1]𝕋 positive solutions for a class of singular boundary value problems on time scales. The results significantly extend and improve many known results for both the continuous case and more general time scales. We illustrate our results by one example.

Barriers in health care access faced by children with intellectual disabilities living in rural Uttar Pradesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jubin Varghese

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: People with disability in rural India face multiple barriers accessing healthcare; our hypothesis is that children with intellectual disability suffer the same but little is known about the barriers faced by them. The objectives of the study were to identify the health seeking behaviours of families with children with intellectual disabilities and the barriers they faced accessing healthcare. Methods: This qualitative study involved interviewing caregivers of children with intellectual disability from a pre-existing community development project in the Sahadoli Kadim block of rural Uttar Pradesh. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the local practitioners frequented by these caregivers. Results: Barriers identified were grouped under cognitive, structural and financial barriers which were found to be consistent with the Health Care Access Barrier Model (Carrillo, et al., 2011; WHO, 2011. Cognitive barriers included caregivers being unable to identify the complex health needs of their children. Caregivers lacked appropriate knowledge of intellectual disability, with doctors failing to educate them. Structural and financial barriers encompassed poor availability of healthcare providers and contributed to poor access to specialists. Caregivers had no information about government financial aid and healthcare providers did not refer them to these. Conclusion: Children with intellectual disabilities are forced to live with a poor quality of life because of cognitive, structural and financial barriers they face in accessing health care. Results are specific to children with intellectual disability in rural Sahadoli Kadim and could be used to inform policies and strategies to reduce disparities in health care access for these children.

Survey of Canadian Myotonic Dystrophy Patients' Access to Computer Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Climans, Seth A; Piechowicz, Christine; Koopman, Wilma J; Venance, Shannon L

2017-09-01

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is an autosomal dominant condition affecting distal hand strength, energy, and cognition. Increasingly, patients and families are seeking information online. An online neuromuscular patient portal under development can help patients access resources and interact with each other regardless of location. It is unknown how individuals living with myotonic dystrophy interact with technology and whether barriers to access exist. We aimed to characterize technology use among participants with myotonic dystrophy and to determine whether there is interest in a patient portal. Surveys were mailed to 156 participants with myotonic dystrophy type 1 registered with the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry. Seventy-five participants (60% female) responded; almost half were younger than 46 years. Most (84%) used the internet; almost half of the responders (47%) used social media. The complexity and cost of technology were commonly cited reasons not to use technology. The majority of responders (76%) were interested in a myotonic dystrophy patient portal. Patients in a Canada-wide registry of myotonic dystrophy have access to and use technology such as computers and mobile phones. These patients expressed interest in a portal that would provide them with an opportunity to network with others with myotonic dystrophy and to access information about the disease.

Questioning the efficacy of 'gold' open access to published articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredericks, Suzanne

2015-07-01

To question the efficacy of 'gold' open access to published articles. Open access is unrestricted access to academic, theoretical and research literature that is scholarly and peer-reviewed. Two models of open access exist: 'gold' and 'green'. Gold open access provides everyone with access to articles during all stages of publication, with processing charges paid by the author(s). Green open access involves placing an already published article into a repository to provide unrestricted access, with processing charges incurred by the publisher. This is a discussion paper. An exploration of the relative benefits and drawbacks of the 'gold' and 'green' open access systems. Green open access is a more economic and efficient means of granting open access to scholarly literature but a large number of researchers select gold open access journals as their first choices for manuscript submissions. This paper questions the efficacy of gold open access models and presents an examination of green open access models to encourage nurse researchers to consider this approach. In the current academic environment, with increased pressures to publish and low funding success rates, it is difficult to understand why gold open access still exists. Green open access enhances the visibility of an academic's work, as increased downloads of articles tend to lead to increased citations. Green open access is the cheaper option, as well as the most beneficial choice, for universities that want to provide unrestricted access to all literature at minimal risk.

A review of blood sample handling and pre-processing for metabolomics studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandes, Vinicius Veri; Barbas, Coral; Dudzik, Danuta

2017-09-01

Metabolomics has been found to be applicable to a wide range of clinical studies, bringing a new era for improving clinical diagnostics, early disease detection, therapy prediction and treatment efficiency monitoring. A major challenge in metabolomics, particularly untargeted studies, is the extremely diverse and complex nature of biological specimens. Despite great advances in the field there still exist fundamental needs for considering pre-analytical variability that can introduce bias to the subsequent analytical process and decrease the reliability of the results and moreover confound final research outcomes. Many researchers are mainly focused on the instrumental aspects of the biomarker discovery process, and sample related variables sometimes seem to be overlooked. To bridge the gap, critical information and standardized protocols regarding experimental design and sample handling and pre-processing are highly desired. Characterization of a range variation among sample collection methods is necessary to prevent results misinterpretation and to ensure that observed differences are not due to an experimental bias caused by inconsistencies in sample processing. Herein, a systematic discussion of pre-analytical variables affecting metabolomics studies based on blood derived samples is performed. Furthermore, we provide a set of recommendations concerning experimental design, collection, pre-processing procedures and storage conditions as a practical review that can guide and serve for the standardization of protocols and reduction of undesirable variation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimal Reorganization of NASA Earth Science Data for Enhanced Accessibility and Usability for the Hydrology Community

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, William; Rui, Hualan; Strub, Richard; Vollmer, Bruce

2016-01-01

A long-standing "Digital Divide" in data representation exists between the preferred way of data access by the hydrology community and the common way of data archival by earth science data centers. Typically, in hydrology, earth surface features are expressed as discrete spatial objects (e.g., watersheds), and time-varying data are contained in associated time series. Data in earth science archives, although stored as discrete values (of satellite swath pixels or geographical grids), represent continuous spatial fields, one file per time step. This Divide has been an obstacle, specifically, between the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. and NASA earth science data systems. In essence, the way data are archived is conceptually orthogonal to the desired method of access. Our recent work has shown an optimal method of bridging the Divide, by enabling operational access to long-time series (e.g., 36 years of hourly data) of selected NASA datasets. These time series, which we have termed "data rods," are pre-generated or generated on-the-fly. This optimal solution was arrived at after extensive investigations of various approaches, including one based on "data curtains." The on-the-fly generation of data rods uses "data cubes," NASA Giovanni, and parallel processing. The optimal reorganization of NASA earth science data has significantly enhanced the access to and use of the data for the hydrology user community.

Comparing the lived experience to objective measures of Accessibility

OpenAIRE

Angela Curl; John Nelson; Jillian Anable

2011-01-01

This paper presents work undertaken to date as part of PhD research into the process of Accessibility Planning in the UK and how existing objective measures of accessibility relate to individual perceptions or the "lived experience" of accessibility. Since 1997, Accessibility has been framed in the social exclusion context within UK transport planning and policy, focusing on the ability of people to participate fully in society, which is seen as being limited by poor accessibility. This appro...

The Relationship between Critical Thinking Disposition and Locus of Control in Pre-Service Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Oguz, Aytunga; Sariçam, Hakan

2016-01-01

The aim of the current research study was to examine the link between critical thinking dispositions and locus of control in pre-service teachers. The participants of this study were selected via easily accessible sampling technique. The participants consist of 347 pre-service teachers (203 female, 144 male) in Kütahya, Turkey. The Rotter…

Sources of pre-admission medication information: observational study of accuracy and availability.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Fitzsimons, Michelle

2011-12-01

To identify the accessibility of sources of pre-admission medication (PAM) information, to quantify agreement between the PAM list and the \\'gold-standard\\' PAM list (GS-PAML) and to categorise disagreements.

Structural Statics and Dynamics of the Economy of Transcarpathia under Pre-Crisis and Crisis Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slava Svitlana S.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Under current conditions in Ukraine, when the vector is directed at increasing self-sufficiency of the regions, diagnostics of structural transformations in their economic systems is a mandatory and necessary component to identify potential points of the region development. Accordingly, the purpose of the article is to study the structural trends in the economy of the Transcarpathian region and identify its leading sectors under the pre-crisis and crisis conditions, balance in dynamics of the main indicators — the volume of sales, regional value added, capital investment and the number of employees, as well as formation of the main directions in development of the regional economy. It has been revealed that for the past ten years the restructuring of the region economic did not go on too rapidly and it is still difficult to speak about a clear trend of transition to a post-industrial system. Given the current characteristics of the economy of Transcarpathia, the article defined the basic problematic aspects of its structural transformation. It allowed to determine the long-term, according to the authors, ways of “modernization” of economic processes in terms of attracting investments, increasing innovation, business activity, formation of a complete production cycle, use of alternative energy sources, implementation of the EU requirements.

Existence and non-existence of solutions for a p(x-biharmonic problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghasem A. Afrouzi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study the following problem with Navier boundary conditions $$\\displaylines{ \\Delta (|\\Delta u|^{p(x-2}\\Delta u+|u|^{p(x-2}u =\\lambda |u|^{q(x-2}u +\\mu|u|^{\\gamma(x-2}u\\quad \\text{in } \\Omega,\\cr u=\\Delta u=0 \\quad \\text{on } \\partial\\Omega. }$$ where $\\Omega$ is a bounded domain in $\\mathbb{R}^{N}$ with smooth boundary $\\partial \\Omega$, $N\\geq1$. $p(x,q(x$ and $\\gamma(x$ are continuous functions on $\\overline{\\Omega}$, $\\lambda$ and $\\mu$ are parameters. Using variational methods, we establish some existence and non-existence results of solutions for this problem.

Digital Watermarks Enabling E-Commerce Strategies: Conditional and User Specific Access to Services and Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Dittmann, Jana; Steinebach, Martin; Wohlmacher, Petra; Ackermann, Ralf

2002-12-01

Digital watermarking is well known as enabling technology to prove ownership on copyrighted material, detect originators of illegally made copies, monitor the usage of the copyrighted multimedia data and analyze the spread spectrum of the data over networks and servers. Research has shown that data hiding techniques can be applied successfully to other application areas like manipulations recognition. In this paper, we show our innovative approach for integrating watermark and cryptography based methods within a framework of new application scenarios spanning a wide range from dedicated and user specific services, "Try&Buy" mechanisms to general means for long-term customer relationships. The tremendous recent efforts to develop and deploy ubiquitous mobile communication possibilities are changing the demands but also possibilities for establishing new business and commerce relationships. Especially we motivate annotation watermarks and aspects of M-Commerce to show important scenarios for access control. Based on a description of the challenges of the application domain and our latest work we discuss, which methods can be used for establishing services in a fast convenient and secure way for conditional access services based on digital watermarking combined with cryptographic techniques. We introduce an example scenario for digital audio and an overview of steps in order to establish these concepts practically.

Existence of 2m-1 Positive Solutions for Sturm-Liouville Boundary Value Problems with Linear Functional Boundary Conditions on the Half-Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanmei Sun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available By using the Leggett-Williams fixed theorem, we establish the existence of multiple positive solutions for second-order nonhomogeneous Sturm-Liouville boundary value problems with linear functional boundary conditions. One explicit example with singularity is presented to demonstrate the application of our main results.

The impact of home gardens on pre-schoolers nutrition in Eatonside in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mosa Selepe

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study set out to determine the impact of home gardens on nutrient intake, access to food and dietary diversity of pre-school children. Objective: To determine the impact of home gardens on nutrient intake, access to food and dietary diversity of pre-school children in an informal settlement in Gauteng, South Africa. Design: Children aged two to five years (n=40 whose caregivers participated in a garden project participated in this study. Data was gathered using quantitative food frequency, 24-hour recall and dietary diversity questionnaires. The study compared the pre- and post-project food consumption frequencies, dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy. Results: Access to food and food consumption improved with the addition of nutrient-rich produce from the garden. The increase in dietary diversity was statistically significant. The mean nutrient intakes of iron and vitamin A improved but energy and calcium intakes dropped marginally. Conclusions: The level of malnutrition among the participating children was alarming at the start of the project. The home garden project in Eatonside improved access to food, providing readily available vegetables that improved the frequency of consumption of these vegetables and the dietary diversity of the participating children.

Can overeating induce conditioned taste avoidance in previously food restricted rats?

Science.gov (United States)

Hertel, Amanda; Eikelboom, Roelof

2010-03-30

While feeding is rewarding, the feeling of satiation has been theorized to have a mixed affect. Using a food restriction model of overeating we examined whether bingeing was capable of supporting conditioned taste avoidance (CTA). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on either an ad lib (n=8) or restricted (50% of regular consumption; n=24) food access for 20 days. On Days 9, 14, and 19 all rats were given access to a novel saccharin solution in place of water, and two groups of food restricted rats were given access to either 100% of regular food consumption or ad lib food. Ad lib access in the restricted rats induced significant overeating on all three exposures. After all rats were returned to ad lib feeding, a 24h two-bottle saccharin/water choice test displayed significantly reduced saccharin consumption in the overeating rats, compared to those in the other 3 groups. To determine whether this avoidance was due to a learned association, a second experiment used a latent inhibition paradigm, familiarizing half the rats with the saccharin for 8 days prior to pairing it with overeating. Using the design of Experiment 1, with only the continuously ad lib and the restricted to ad lib feeding groups, it was found that the overeating-induced saccharin avoidance was attenuated by the pre-exposure. These results suggest that self-induced overeating is capable of supporting a learned avoidance of a novel solution suggestive of a conditioned satiety or taste avoidance. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rethinking ADA signage standards for low-vision accessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Arditi, Aries

2017-05-01

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and International Code Council (ICC) standards for accessible buildings and facilities affect design and construction of all new and renovated buildings throughout the United States, and form the basis for compliance with the ADA. While these standards may result in acceptable accessibility for people who are fully blind, they fall far short of what they could and should accomplish for those with low vision. In this article I critique the standards, detailing their lack of evidence base and other shortcomings. I suggest that simply making existing requirements stricter (e.g., by mandating larger letter size or higher contrasts) will not ensure visual accessibility and therefore cannot act as a valid basis for compliance with the law. I propose two remedies. First, requirements for visual characteristics of signs intended to improve access for those with low vision should be expressed not in terms of physical features, such as character height and contrast, but rather in terms of the distance at which a sign can be read by someone with nominally normal (20/20) visual acuity under expected lighting conditions for the installed environment. This would give sign designers greater choice in design parameters but place on them the burden of ensuring legibility. Second, mounting of directional signs, which are critical for effective and efficient wayfinding, should be required to be in consistent and approachable locations so that those with reduced acuity may view them at close distance.

Pre-outbreak forest conditions mediate the effects of spruce beetle outbreaks on fuels in subalpine forests of Colorado.

Science.gov (United States)

Mietkiewicz, Nathan; Kulakowski, Dominik; Veblen, Thomas T

2018-03-01

Over the past 30 years, forest disturbances have increased in size, intensity, and frequency globally, and are predicted to continue increasing due to climate change, potentially relaxing the constraints of vegetation properties on disturbance regimes. However, the consequences of the potentially declining importance of vegetation in determining future disturbance regimes are not well understood. Historically, bark beetles preferentially attack older trees and stands in later stages of development. However, as climate warming intensifies outbreaks by promoting growth of beetle populations and compromising tree defenses, smaller diameter trees and stands in early stages of development now are being affected by outbreaks. To date, no study has considered how stand age and other pre-outbreak forest conditions mediate the effects of outbreaks on surface and aerial fuel arrangements. We collected fuels data across a chronosequence of post-outbreak sites affected by spruce beetle (SB) between the 1940s and the 2010s, stratified by young (130 yr) post-fire stands. Canopy and surface fuel loads were calculated for each tree and stand, and available crown fuel load, crown bulk density, and canopy bulk densities were estimated. Canopy bulk density and density of live canopy individuals were reduced in all stands affected by SB, though foliage loss was proportionally greater in old stands as compared to young stands. Fine surface fuel loads in young stands were three times greater shortly (fuels decreased to below endemic (i.e., non-outbreak) levels. In both young and old stands, the net effect of SB outbreaks during the 20th and 21st centuries reduced total canopy fuels and increased stand-scale spatial heterogeneity of canopy fuels following outbreak. Importantly, the decrease in canopy fuels following outbreaks was greater in young post-fire stands than in older stands, suggesting that SB outbreaks may more substantially reduce risk of active crown fire when they affect

Who Cares? Pre and Post Abortion Experiences among Young ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Issues of abortion are critical in Ghana largely due to its consequences on sexual and reproductive health. The negative perception society attaches to it makes it difficult for young females to access services and share their experiences. This paper examines the pre and post abortion experiences of young females; ...

Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Recuenco, Sergio; Navarro-Vela, Ana Maria; Deray, Raffy; Vigilato, Marco; Ertl, Hildegund; Durrheim, David; Rees, Helen; Nel, Louis H; Abela-Ridder, Bernadette; Briggs, Deborah

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To review the safety and immunogenicity of pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis (including accelerated schedules, co-administration with other vaccines and booster doses), its cost–effectiveness and recommendations for use, particularly in high-risk settings. Methods We searched the PubMed, Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases for papers on pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis published between 2007 and 29 January 2016. We reviewed field data from pre-exposure prophylaxis campaigns in Peru and the Philippines. Findings Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis was safe and immunogenic in children and adults, also when co-administered with routine childhood vaccinations and the Japanese encephalitis vaccine. The evidence available indicates that shorter regimens and regimens involving fewer doses are safe and immunogenic and that booster intervals could be extended up to 10 years. The few studies on cost suggest that, at current vaccine and delivery costs, pre-exposure prophylaxis campaigns would not be cost-effective in most situations. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis has been advocated for high-risk populations, only Peru and the Philippines have implemented appropriate national programmes. In the future, accelerated regimens and novel vaccines could simplify delivery and increase affordability. Conclusion Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis is safe and immunogenic and should be considered: (i) where access to postexposure prophylaxis is limited or delayed; (ii) where the risk of exposure is high and may go unrecognized; and (iii) where controlling rabies in the animal reservoir is difficult. Pre-exposure prophylaxis should not distract from canine vaccination efforts, provision of postexposure prophylaxis or education to increase rabies awareness in local communities. PMID:28250534

Magnetic nesting and co-existence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elesin, V.F.; Kapaev, V.V.; Kopaev, Yu.V.

2004-01-01

In the case of providing for the magnetic nesting conditions of the electron spin dispersion law the co-existence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity is possible by any high magnetization. The co-existence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in the layered cuprate compounds of the RuSr 2 GdCu 2 O 8 -type is explained on this basis, wherein due to the nonstrict provision of the magnetic nesting condition there exists the finite but sufficiently high critical magnetization [ru

Cardiac arrest caused by sibutramine obtained over the Internet: a case of a young woman without pre-existing cardiovascular disease successfully resuscitated using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunya, Naofumi; Sawamoto, Keigo; Uemura, Shuji; Kyan, Ryoko; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Nishida, Junichi; Kouzu, Hidemichi; Kokubu, Nobuaki; Miura, Tetsuji; Narimatsu, Eichi

2017-07-01

Sibutramine is a weight loss agent that was withdrawn from the market in the USA and European Union because it increases adverse events in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, non-prescription weight loss pills containing sibutramine can be still easily purchased over the Internet. A 21-year-old woman without history of cardiovascular diseases developed cardiac arrest. She was a user of a weight loss pills, containing sibutramine and hypokalemia-inducing agents, imported from Thailand over the Internet. She was successfully resuscitated without any neurological deficits by using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory ventricular fibrillation. This case indicates that sibutramine can cause cardiac arrest even in subjects without pre-existing cardiovascular disease when combined with agents that promote QT prolongation.

Comparison of a preQ1 riboswitch aptamer in metabolite-bound and free states with implications for gene regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Jermaine L; Krucinska, Jolanta; McCarty, Reid M; Bandarian, Vahe; Wedekind, Joseph E

2011-07-15

Riboswitches are RNA regulatory elements that govern gene expression by recognition of small molecule ligands via a high affinity aptamer domain. Molecular recognition can lead to active or attenuated gene expression states by controlling accessibility to mRNA signals necessary for transcription or translation. Key areas of inquiry focus on how an aptamer attains specificity for its effector, the extent to which the aptamer folds prior to encountering its ligand, and how ligand binding alters expression signal accessibility. Here we present crystal structures of the preQ(1) riboswitch from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis in the preQ(1)-bound and free states. Although the mode of preQ(1) recognition is similar to that observed for preQ(0), surface plasmon resonance revealed an apparent K(D) of 2.1 ± 0.3 nm for preQ(1) but a value of 35.1 ± 6.1 nm for preQ(0). This difference can be accounted for by interactions between the preQ(1) methylamine and base G5 of the aptamer. To explore conformational states in the absence of metabolite, the free-state aptamer structure was determined. A14 from the ceiling of the ligand pocket shifts into the preQ(1)-binding site, resulting in "closed" access to the metabolite while simultaneously increasing exposure of the ribosome-binding site. Solution scattering data suggest that the free-state aptamer is compact, but the "closed" free-state crystal structure is inadequate to describe the solution scattering data. These observations are distinct from transcriptional preQ(1) riboswitches of the same class that exhibit strictly ligand-dependent folding. Implications for gene regulation are discussed.

Does Technical Success of Angioplasty in Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Accesses Correlate with Access Patency?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sidhu, Arshdeep; Tan, Kong T.; Noel-Lamy, Maxime; Simons, Martin E.; Rajan, Dheeraj K., E-mail: dheeraj.rajan@uhn.ca [University Health Network, University of Toronto, Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Center (Canada)

2016-10-15

PurposeTo study if <30 % residual stenosis post angioplasty (PTA) correlates with primary access circuit patency, and if any variables predict technical success.Materials and MethodsA prospective observational study was performed between January 2009 and December 2012, wherein 76 patients underwent 154 PTA events in 56 prosthetic grafts (AVG) and 98 autogenous fistulas (AVF). Data collected included patient age, gender, lesion location and laterality, access type and location, number of prior interventions, and transonic flow rates pre- and postintervention. Impact of technical outcome on access patency was assessed. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of variables on technical success with significant factors assessed with a multiple variable model.ResultsTechnical success rates of PTA in AVFs and AVGs were 79.6 and 76.7 %, respectively. Technical failures of PTA were associated with an increased risk of patency loss among circuits with AVFs (p < 0.05), but not with AVGs (p = 0.7). In AVFs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and 6 months were 74.4 versus 61.9 % (p = 0.3) and 53.8 versus 23.8 % (p < 0.05), respectively. In AVGs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and six months were 72.1 versus 53.9 % (p = 0.5) and 33.6 versus 38.5 % (p = 0.8), respectively. Transonic flow rates did not significantly differ among technically successful or failed outcomes at one or three months.ConclusionTechnical failures of PTA had a significant impact on access patency among AVFs with a trend toward poorer access patency within AVGs.

Does Technical Success of Angioplasty in Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Accesses Correlate with Access Patency?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidhu, Arshdeep; Tan, Kong T.; Noel-Lamy, Maxime; Simons, Martin E.; Rajan, Dheeraj K.

2016-01-01

PurposeTo study if <30 % residual stenosis post angioplasty (PTA) correlates with primary access circuit patency, and if any variables predict technical success.Materials and MethodsA prospective observational study was performed between January 2009 and December 2012, wherein 76 patients underwent 154 PTA events in 56 prosthetic grafts (AVG) and 98 autogenous fistulas (AVF). Data collected included patient age, gender, lesion location and laterality, access type and location, number of prior interventions, and transonic flow rates pre- and postintervention. Impact of technical outcome on access patency was assessed. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of variables on technical success with significant factors assessed with a multiple variable model.ResultsTechnical success rates of PTA in AVFs and AVGs were 79.6 and 76.7 %, respectively. Technical failures of PTA were associated with an increased risk of patency loss among circuits with AVFs (p < 0.05), but not with AVGs (p = 0.7). In AVFs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and 6 months were 74.4 versus 61.9 % (p = 0.3) and 53.8 versus 23.8 % (p < 0.05), respectively. In AVGs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and six months were 72.1 versus 53.9 % (p = 0.5) and 33.6 versus 38.5 % (p = 0.8), respectively. Transonic flow rates did not significantly differ among technically successful or failed outcomes at one or three months.ConclusionTechnical failures of PTA had a significant impact on access patency among AVFs with a trend toward poorer access patency within AVGs.

Optimizing bio-physical conditions and pre-treatment options for breaking lignin barrier of maize stover feed using white rot fungi

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Andrew M. Atuhaire

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The greatest limitation to utilization of maize stover by ruminants as a feed is the high concentration of lignin, which limits fibre digestibility. However, ruminants can effectively utilize maize stover if its nutritive value is improved using white rot fungal species. This study was designed to determine optimal bio-physical conditions for mycelial growth and select the most ideal fungal species and pre-treatment options for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Four popular edible Pleurotus fungal species (viz. Pleurotus florida, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor caju and Pleurotus pulmonarius were subjected to varying temperatures, pH levels, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 concentration and illumination to establish the extent of mycelial growth rate. Inclusion of H2O2 was used to determine optimal levels for preservation and prevention of contamination from other indigenous microbiota. Effects of pre-treatment options on chemical composition and nutritive value of maize stover were also examined. Mycelial growth rate of Pleurotus species on potato dextrose agar (PDA varied (P < 0.05 with temperature, pH level and H2O2 concentration following a quadratic trend. Optimal temperature, pH and H2O2 concentration for mycelial growth on PDA were 25 °C, 5 and 0.01 mL/L, respectively. Under the different bio-physical conditions, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelia density and growth rate. Chemical composition of solid-state fermented maize stover differed (P < 0.05 among the Pleurotus species. Maize stover fermented with P. sajor caju had the highest crude protein (CP of 86.6 g/kg DM, in-vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD of 731 g/kg DM, in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD of 670.4 g/kg DM and metabolizable energy (ME of 10.0 MJ/kg DM but with the lowest lignin (sa of 50 g/kg DM. At 25 °C, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelial growth rate on PDA and highest lignin (sa breakdown in the maize stover substrate. It was

Research of the pre-launch powered lubrication device of major parts of the engine D-240

Science.gov (United States)

Korchuganova, M.; Syrbakov, A.; Tkachev, A.; Zorina, T.

2015-09-01

In the publication, the issues have been considered concerning combustion engine start wear of mobile machines in case of outside storage in the conditions of low environmental temperature. Based on the analysis of existing methods and constructions of powered lubrication devices for contact surfaces of engines, a design of a combined device has been suggested which unites the functions of hydraulic and heat accumulators. On the basis of the elaborated design, preparatory tests have been conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-start oil circulation in the engine D-240, as well as the effectiveness rate of thermoinsulation and the heating device of the hydraulic accumulator. The findings of the survey have shown that the pre-start powered lubrication device for major parts of the engine is effective.

A New Proposed Cost Model for List Accessing Problem using Buffering