Baseline Characteristics of fall from Height Victims Presenting to Emergency Department; a Brief Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatamabadi, Hamidreza; Arhami Dolatabadi, Ali; Atighinasab, Batoul; Safari, Saeed

2017-01-01

Trauma due to accidents or fall from height is a major cause of disability and mortality. The present study was designed aiming to evaluate the baseline characteristics of fall from height victims presenting to emergency department (ED). This prospective cross-sectional study evaluates the baseline characteristics of fall from height cases presenting to EDs of three educational Hospitals, Tehran, Iran, during one year. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and presented using descriptive statistics. 460 patients with the mean age of 27.89 ± 20.95 years were evaluated (76.5% male). 191 (41.5%) falls occurred when working, 27 (5.9%) during play, and 242 (52.6%) in other times. Among construction workers, 166 (81.4%) had not used any safety equipment. Fracture and dislocation with 180 (39.1%) cases and soft tissue injury with 166 (36.1%) were the most common injuries inflicted. Mean height of falling was 3.41 ± 0.34 (range: 0.5 - 20) meters. Finally, 8 (1.7%) of the patients died (50% intentional) and 63% were discharged from ED. A significant correlation was detected between mortality and the falls being intentional (p construction workers, with less than high school diploma education level. Intentional fall and greater height of falling significantly correlated with mortality.

Relationship of time to presentation after onset of upper GI bleeding with patient characteristics and outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laine, Loren; Laursen, Stig B; Dalton, Harry R

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We performed a prospective multi-national study of patients presenting to the emergency department with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and assessed the relationship of time to presentation after onset of UGIB symptoms with patient characteristics and outcomes. METHODS...

Baseline characteristics of patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction included in the Karolinska Rennes (KaRen) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Donal, Erwan; Lund, Lars H; Oger, Emmanuel; Hage, Camilla; Persson, Hans; Reynaud, Amélie; Ennezat, Pierre-Vladimir; Bauer, Fabrice; Sportouch-Dukhan, Catherine; Drouet, Elodie; Daubert, Jean-Claude; Linde, Cecilia

2014-02-01

Karolinska Rennes (KaRen) is a prospective observational study to characterize heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and to identify prognostic factors for long-term mortality and morbidity. To report characteristics and echocardiography at entry and after 4-8 weeks of follow-up. Patients were included following an acute heart failure presentation with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)>100 ng/L or N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP)>300 ng/L and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)>45%. The mean ± SD age of 539 included patients was 77 ± 9 years and 56% were women. Patient history included hypertension (78%), atrial tachyarrhythmia (44%), prior heart failure (40%) and anemia (37%), but left bundle branch block was rare (3.8%). Median NT-proBNP was 2448 ng/L (n=438), and median BNP 429 ng/L (n=101). Overall, 101 patients did not return for the follow-up visit, including 13 patients who died (2.4%). Apart from older age (80 ± 9 vs. 76 ± 9 years; P=0.006), there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between patients who did and did not return for follow-up. Mean LVEF was lower at entry than follow-up (56% vs. 62%; P<0.001). At follow-up, mean E/e' was 12.9 ± 6.1, left atrial volume index 49.4±17.8mL/m(2). Mean global left ventricular longitudinal strain was -14.6 ± 3.9%; LV mass index was 126.6 ± 36.2g/m(2). Patients in KaRen were old with slight female dominance and hypertension as the most prevalent etiological factor. LVEF was preserved, but with increased LV mass and depressed LV diastolic and longitudinal systolic functions. Few patients had signs of electrical dyssynchrony (ClinicalTrials.gov.- NCT00774709). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Baseline Characteristics of Fall from Height Victims Presenting to Emergency Department; a Brief Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Hatamabadi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Trauma due to accidents or fall from height is a major cause of disability and mortality. The present study was designed aiming to evaluate the baseline characteristics of fall from height victims presenting to emergency department (ED.Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study evaluates the baseline characteristics of fall from height cases presenting to EDs of three educational Hospitals, Tehran, Iran, during one year. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and presented using descriptive statistics.Results: 460 patients with the mean age of 27.89 ± 20.95 years were evaluated (76.5% male. 191 (41.5% falls occurred when working, 27 (5.9% during play, and 242 (52.6% in other times. Among construction workers, 166 (81.4% had not used any safety equipment. Fracture and dislocation with 180 (39.1% cases and soft tissue injury with 166 (36.1% were the most common injuries inflicted. Mean height of falling was 3.41 ± 0.34 (range: 0.5 – 20 meters. Finally, 8 (1.7% of the patients died (50% intentional and 63% were discharged from ED. A significant correlation was detected between mortality and the falls being intentional (p < 0.0001 as well as greater height of fall (p < 0.0001.Conclusion: Based on the findings, most fall from height victims in the present study were young men, single, construction workers, with less than high school diploma education level. Intentional fall and greater height of falling significantly correlated with mortality.

125I eye plaque dose distribution including penumbra characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Zerda, A; Chiu-Tsao, S T; Lin, J; Boulay, L L; Kanna, I; Kim, J H; Tsao, H S

1996-03-01

The two main purposes of this work are (1) to determine the penumbra characteristics for 125I eye plaque and the relative influence of the plaque and eye-air interface on the dose distribution, and (2) to initiate development of a treatment planning algorithm for clinical dose calculations. Dose was measured in a newly designed solid water eye phantom for an 125I (6711) seed at the center of a 20 mm COMS eye plaque using thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) "cubes" and "minichips" inside and outside the eye, in the longitudinal and transverse central planes. TLD cubes were used in most locations, except for short distances from the seed and in the penumbra region. In the presence of both the plaque and the eye-air interface, the dose along the central axis was found to be reduced by 10% at 1 cm and up to 20% at 2.5 cm, relative to the bulk homogeneous phantom case. In addition, the overall dose reduction was greater for larger off-axis coordinates at a given depth. The penumbra characteristics due to the lip collimation were quantified, particularly the dependence of penumbra center and width on depth. Only small differences were observed between the profiles in the transverse and longitudinal planes. In the bulk geometry (without the eye-air interface), the dose reduction due to the presence of the plaque alone was found to be 7% at a depth of 2.5 cm. The additional reduction of 13% observed, with the presence of eye-air interface (20% combined), can be attributed to the lack of backscattering from the air in front of the eye. The dose-reduction effect due to the anterior air interface alone became unnoticeable at a depth of 1.1 cm (1.5 cm from the eye-air interface). An analytic fit to measured data was developed for clinical dose calculations for a centrally loaded seed. The central axis values of the dose rates multiplied by distance squared, Dr2, were fitted with a double exponential function of depth. The off-axis profile of Dr2, at a given depth, was

[Data-mining characteristics of adverse drug reactions and pharmacovi-gilance of Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Meng; Li, Fan; Zhang, Bing; Chen, Xiao-Fen; Piao, Jing-Zhu

2018-01-01

The common Aconitum herbs in clinical application mainly include Aconiti Radix(Chuanwu), Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix(Caowu) and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparaia(Fuzi), all of which have toxicity. Therefore, the safety of using Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs has become an hot topic in clinical controversy. Based on the data-mining methods, this study explored the characteristics and causes of adverse drug reactions/events (ADR/ADE) of the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, in order to provide pharmacovigilance and rational drug use suggestions for clinical application. The detailed ADR/ADE reports about the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum herbs were retrieved in the domestic literature databases since 1984 to now. The information extraction and data-mining were conducted based on the platforms of Microsoft office Excel 2016, Clementine 12.0 and Cytoscape 3.3.0. Finally, 78 detailed ADR/ADE reports involving a total of 30 varieties were included. 92.31% ADR/ADE were surely or likely led by the Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, mostly involving multiple system/organ damages with good prognosis, and even 1 case of death. The incidence of included ADRs/ADEs was associated with various factors such as the patient idiosyncratic, drug toxicity, as well as clinical medication. The patient age was most closely related to ADR/ADEs, and those aged from 60 to 69 were more easily suffered from the ADRs/ADEs of Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum. The probability of ADR/ADEs for the drugs including Chuanwu or Caowu was greater than that of Fuzi, and the using beyond the instructions dose was the most important potential safety hazard in the clinical medication process. For the regular and characteristics of ADR/ADEs led by Chinese patent drugs including Aconitum, special attention shall be paid to the elder patients or with the patients with allergies; strictly control the dosage and course of treatment, strengthen the safety medication

Clinical presentation and characteristics of 25 adult cases of pulmonary sequestration.

Science.gov (United States)

Polaczek, Mateusz; Baranska, Inga; Szolkowska, Malgorzata; Zych, Jacek; Rudzinski, Piotr; Szopinski, Janusz; Orlowski, Tadeusz; Roszkowski-Sliz, Kazimierz

2017-03-01

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare congenital abnormality of lung tissue. Only few series of adult cases are reported. The aim was to describe clinical characteristics in adult cases of PS and to compare outcomes in different clinical situations. Using MSD engine we searched for cases of PS that have been diagnosed between Jan 1st, 2005 and Dec 31st, 2015. Clinical data was retrospectively gathered. Statistica v.12 (StatSoft, Inc.) was used for statistical analyses. We found 25 cases (18 females, 7 males), which underwent surgery and were histologically proven. There were 22 cases of intralobar PS. 7 cases were asymptomatic, 12 had infectious history (including 3 cases of lung abscess and pleural empyema), 4 presented with hemoptysis, 2 with chest pain. The average age to undergo surgery was 38.24, in the asymptomatic group 34, in symptomatic 39.89. In the latter the symptoms preceded the surgery for 2.45-year. Great majority of sequestrations was located in lower lobes (96%), 52% on the left. Symptomatic cases were at higher than expected risk of surgical complications, comparing to asymptomatic (chi 2 , P=0.04). In most cases there were surgical and histological signs of infection, only in 9 cases etiological factor was determined: in 5 cases it was A. fumigatus . A 0.53-day longer post-surgical hospital stay was observed in the symptomatic group, no statistical significance was found (U-test, P=0.45). Surgical treatment of symptomatic cases of PS is characterized by slightly longer post-surgical hospital stay and higher risk of surgical complications. Fungal infections are the most likely to occur in PS.

Construction, characteristics and present status of high-fluence irradiation facility at University of Tokyo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabata, Yoneho; Kobayashi, Hitoshi; Tagawa, Seiichi; Kouchi, Noriyuki.

1989-01-01

New ion accelerator facility (HIT Facility) was constructed at Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo. This facility, which was equipped with some special apparatus, has been mainly dedicated to the study of radiation effects of ion beams on materials. In this report, the construction, the characteristics and the present status of this facility are described. (author)

A quasi-static algorithm that includes effects of characteristic time scales for simulating failures in brittle materials

KAUST Repository

Liu, Jinxing

2013-04-24

When the brittle heterogeneous material is simulated via lattice models, the quasi-static failure depends on the relative magnitudes of Telem, the characteristic releasing time of the internal forces of the broken elements and Tlattice, the characteristic relaxation time of the lattice, both of which are infinitesimal compared with Tload, the characteristic loading period. The load-unload (L-U) method is used for one extreme, Telem << Tlattice, whereas the force-release (F-R) method is used for the other, Telem T lattice. For cases between the above two extremes, we develop a new algorithm by combining the L-U and the F-R trial displacement fields to construct the new trial field. As a result, our algorithm includes both L-U and F-R failure characteristics, which allows us to observe the influence of the ratio of Telem to Tlattice by adjusting their contributions in the trial displacement field. Therefore, the material dependence of the snap-back instabilities is implemented by introducing one snap-back parameter γ. Although in principle catastrophic failures can hardly be predicted accurately without knowing all microstructural information, effects of γ can be captured by numerical simulations conducted on samples with exactly the same microstructure but different γs. Such a same-specimen-based study shows how the lattice behaves along with the changing ratio of the L-U and F-R components. © 2013 The Author(s).

Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Neuroblastoma Presenting Genomic Amplification of Loci Other than MYCN

Science.gov (United States)

Guimier, Anne; Ferrand, Sandrine; Pierron, Gaëlle; Couturier, Jérôme; Janoueix-Lerosey, Isabelle; Combaret, Valérie; Mosseri, Véronique; Thebaud, Estelle; Gambart, Marion; Plantaz, Dominique; Marabelle, Aurélien; Coze, Carole; Rialland, Xavier; Fasola, Sylvie; Lapouble, Eve; Fréneaux, Paul; Peuchmaur, Michel; Michon, Jean; Delattre, Olivier; Schleiermacher, Gudrun

2014-01-01

Background Somatically acquired genomic alterations with MYCN amplification (MNA) are key features of neuroblastoma (NB), the most common extra-cranial malignant tumour of childhood. Little is known about the frequency, clinical characteristics and outcome of NBs harbouring genomic amplification(s) distinct from MYCN. Methods Genomic profiles of 1100 NBs from French centres studied by array-CGH were re-examined specifically to identify regional amplifications. Patients were included if amplifications distinct from the MYCN locus were seen. A subset of NBs treated at Institut Curie and harbouring MNA as determined by array-CGH without other amplification was also studied. Clinical and histology data were retrospectively collected. Results In total, 56 patients were included and categorised into 3 groups. Group 1 (n = 8) presented regional amplification(s) without MNA. Locus 12q13-14 was a recurrent amplified region (4/8 cases). This group was heterogeneous in terms of INSS stages, primary localisations and histology, with atypical clinical features. Group 2 (n = 26) had MNA as well as other regional amplifications. These patients shared clinical features of those of a group of NBs MYCN amplified (Group 3, n = 22). Overall survival for group 1 was better than that of groups 2 and 3 (5 year OS: 87.5%±11% vs 34.9%±7%, log-rank p<0.05). Conclusion NBs harbouring regional amplification(s) without MNA are rare and seem to show atypical features in clinical presentation and genomic profile. Further high resolution genetic explorations are justified in this heterogeneous group, especially when considering these alterations as predictive markers for targeted therapy. PMID:25013904

Clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with neuroblastoma presenting genomic amplification of loci other than MYCN.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Guimier

Full Text Available Somatically acquired genomic alterations with MYCN amplification (MNA are key features of neuroblastoma (NB, the most common extra-cranial malignant tumour of childhood. Little is known about the frequency, clinical characteristics and outcome of NBs harbouring genomic amplification(s distinct from MYCN.Genomic profiles of 1100 NBs from French centres studied by array-CGH were re-examined specifically to identify regional amplifications. Patients were included if amplifications distinct from the MYCN locus were seen. A subset of NBs treated at Institut Curie and harbouring MNA as determined by array-CGH without other amplification was also studied. Clinical and histology data were retrospectively collected.In total, 56 patients were included and categorised into 3 groups. Group 1 (n = 8 presented regional amplification(s without MNA. Locus 12q13-14 was a recurrent amplified region (4/8 cases. This group was heterogeneous in terms of INSS stages, primary localisations and histology, with atypical clinical features. Group 2 (n = 26 had MNA as well as other regional amplifications. These patients shared clinical features of those of a group of NBs MYCN amplified (Group 3, n = 22. Overall survival for group 1 was better than that of groups 2 and 3 (5 year OS: 87.5%±11% vs 34.9%±7%, log-rank p<0.05.NBs harbouring regional amplification(s without MNA are rare and seem to show atypical features in clinical presentation and genomic profile. Further high resolution genetic explorations are justified in this heterogeneous group, especially when considering these alterations as predictive markers for targeted therapy.

Clinical Characteristics of Adult Dogs More Than 5 Years of Age at Presentation for Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutet, B G; Saunders, A B; Gordon, S G

2017-05-01

The median age at presentation for dogs with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is closure is associated with a decrease in heart size and increased survival time, which are not well described in older dogs. To describe the clinical characteristics of dogs with PDA ≥5 years of age at the time of presentation to a veterinary referral hospital. 35 client-owned dogs. Retrospective case series. PDA was diagnosed at a median age of 7.4 years (range, 5.1-12.3 years). Females represented 23/35 (65.7%) of the patients. Concurrent heart disease included degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD; 13), arrhythmias (11), pulmonary hypertension (7), and other congenital defects (2). Cardiomegaly was documented in the majority of dogs consisting of left ventricular enlargement (91%) and left atrial enlargement (86%). Median vertebral heart size in 24 dogs was 12.9 (range, 10.7-18.2). The PDA shunt direction was left-to-right in 33 and bidirectional in 2 dogs. Closure was performed in 26 dogs, including 4 with pulmonary hypertension. In 10 dogs receiving furosemide pre-operatively for management of heart failure, furosemide was discontinued (8) or the dosage decreased (2) at the time of discharge. Adult dogs can present with a left-to-right shunting PDA that results in cardiomegaly and clinical signs that can improve or resolve with PDA closure. This improvement is also apparent in dogs with PDA complicated by DMVD. Pulmonary hypertension that does not result in complete right-to-left shunting should not be considered a contraindication to closure. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Clinical pathological characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital - a single centre study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiram, S.A.; Ahmed, M.; Nisar, S.

2018-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of clinopathological characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients presenting to Military Hospital (MH) Rawalpindi. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at MH Rawalpindi, from Jan 2011 to Dec 2013. Material and Methods: All patients presenting to Rheumatology department, MH Rawalpindi with a diagnosis of SLE were included in this study. Presenting features, clinical profile and laboratory parameters of patients were recorded. Results: A total of 76 patients were included in this study, 70 (92.1%) were females and 6 (7.9%) male patients with female- male ratio of 11.6:1. Mean age at presentation was 33 ± 8.31 years. Seventy two patients (94.7%) were anti nuclear antibody (ANA) positive, 63 (83%) were positive for anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibody and 6 (7.9%) were anti Smith positive. Seventy (92.1%) patients had musculoskeletal symptoms, 65 patients (85.5%) had fever, 36 (47.4%) patients had cutaneous symptoms, and 20 patients (26.3%) had oral ulcers. About 13 patients (17.1%) had alopecia and 15 patients (19.7%) had serositis. Forty two patients (55.3%) had nephritis, 20 patients (26.3%) had lupus cerebritis, 57 patients (75%) had hematological involvement, 9 patients (11.83%) had pulmonary involvement, 8 patients (10.5%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) factor positive and 7 patients (9.2%) had overlap syndrome. Conclusion: Renal and hematological involvement was more common in this study population while mucocutaneous features and neuropsychiatric features were comparable to many local studies with exception to that of Lahore based study that showed much higher percentage of these features. These results reflect the need to have a high index of suspicion for kidney and hematological involvement in SLE patients. (author)

Terrestrial snakebites in the South East of the Arabian Peninsula: patient characteristics, clinical presentations, and management.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juma M Alkaabi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To describe the characteristics, clinical presentations, management and complications of snakebites in the border region between Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE and Buraimi, Sultanate of Oman. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We carried out a retrospective review of medical records to study snakebite cases over four-year duration at three tertiary hospitals. Overall, 64 snakebite cases were studied with median hospitalization of 2 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-4 days. The majority of cases were male (87.5%, and most (61% of the incidents occurred during summer months. The bite sites were predominantly (95% to the feet and hands. Main clinical features included pain, local swelling, and coagulopathy, blistering and skin peeling. Overall, there were no deaths, but few major complications occurred; extensive skin peeling (n = 5, 8%, multi-organ failure (n = 1, 1.5%, and compartment syndrome (n = 1, 1.5%. Polyvalent anti snake venom (ASV, analgesia, tetanus toxoid, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics such as ampicillin, cloxacillin, and cephalosporins were commonly instituted as part of treatment protocols in the three hospitals. CONCLUSION: The overwhelming majority of bites occurred during summer months, and envenomations were more common in, relatively, young male farmers, but with no serious clinical complications. Prevention and treatment strategies should include increasing public awareness, developing management guidelines, and manufacturing specific ASV for a wide spectrum of the local venomous snakes.

Characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis presenting for physiotherapy management: a multicentre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Norelee; Keogan, Fiona; Fitzpatrick, Martina; Cussen, Grainne; Wallace, Lorraine

2007-03-01

To describe the characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) attending for physiotherapy management in Ireland. Managers of physiotherapy departments in the 53 hospitals in Ireland were invited to participate in a multi-centre observational study over a 6-month period. Data on patients with RA the day of presentation for physiotherapy management were recorded. These data related to patient demographic details, disease management, aids and appliances, splint and orthoses usage and occupational issues. The Health Assessment Questionnaire was also recorded for each patient. A total of 273 patients from eight physiotherapy departments participated in the survey (n = 199; 73% female). Mean age of the participants was 59.3 (SD 12.5) years with mean disease duration of 13.8 (SD 10.6) years. The majority of the patients were inpatients (n = 170, 62%). Sixty-eight per cent of patients had attended for previous physiotherapy treatment and 98% were under current rheumatologist care. Biologic therapies were prescribed to 11% of patients. Use of splint and foot orthoses was high with 133 patients (49%) wearing splints and 75 (31%) wearing foot orthoses. The majority of patients had moderate (n = 119, 44%) or severe (n = 94, 35%) disability as per Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score. Mean HAQ score was 1.5, with HAQ scores showing increasing disability with increasing age, disease duration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels. Patients with RA attending for physiotherapy management present with varied profiles. This study provides valuable information on the characteristics of patients with RA attending for physiotherapy management which will contribute to physiotherapy service planning and delivery and will optimize patient care.

Vascular leiomyoma of the oral cavity. Clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics. Presentation of five cases and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaitan Cepeda, Luis Alberto; Quezada Rivera, Daniel; Tenorio Rocha, Fernando; Leyva Huerta, Elba Rosa; Mendez Sánchez, Edgar Ramiro

2008-08-01

Leiomyoma, a benign neoplasia arising from smooth muscle is an uncommon neoplasia of the oral cavity. The most common histological subtype in the oral cavity is the vascular one. To supplement information on vascular leiomyoma of the oral cavity (VLOC), we present cases of VLOC describing their clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics. Case reports. Five cases of VLOC (3 females; 2 males) from the Clinical and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Dental School, National Autonomous University of México, are included. The most frequent clinical characteristic of VLOC was a single, asymptomatic, slow growing nodule. The age average of the cases was 40.6, however 3 out of our 5 cases were < or = 40 years old at the moment of their diagnosis. The lesions were composed of fusiform cells arranged in bundles or fascicles. The neoplastic cells were characterized by eosinophilic cytoplasm and tapered nuclei. The presence of vascular spaces was prominent in all cases. The immunocharacteristics of VLOC neoplastic cells were: alpha smooth muscle (+); vimentin (+), desmin (+), CD34 (-) and S-100 protein (-). The endothelial cells of vascular spaces were CD34 (+). Differential diagnosis of VLOC with fusocellular neoplasm is discussed.

Angioarchitectural characteristics associated with initial hemorrhagic presentation in supratentorial brain arteriovenous malformations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Jianwei, E-mail: swordman_pan@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310006 (China); Feng, Lei, E-mail: lei_feng66@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (United States); Vinuela, Fernando, E-mail: fvinuela@mednet.ucla.edu [Interventional Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiological Sciences, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); He, Hongwei, E-mail: ttyyhhw@126.com [Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, Capital Medical University, 6 Tiantan Xili, Beijing 100050 (China); Wu, Zhongxue, E-mail: 252694812@qq.com [Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, Capital Medical University, 6 Tiantan Xili, Beijing 100050 (China); Zhan, Renya, E-mail: neurovasword@gmail.com [Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310006 (China)

2013-11-01

Objective: The difference in arterial supply, venous drainage, functional localization in supratentorial and infratentorial compartments may contribute to the conflicting results about risk factors for hemorrhage in published case series of brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM). Further investigation focused on an individual brain compartment is thus necessary. This retrospective study aims to identify angioarchitectural characteristics associated with the initial hemorrhagic event of supratentorial bAVMs. Materials and methods: The clinical and angiographic features of 152 consecutive patients with supratentorial bAVMs who presented to our hospital from 2005 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. All these patients had new diagnosis of bAVM. Univariate (χ{sup 2} test) and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the angiographic features in patients with and without initial hemorrhagic presentations. A probability value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant in each analysis. Results: In 152 patients with supratentorial AVMs, 70.6% of deep and 52.5% of superficial sbAVMs presented with hemorrhage. The deep location was correlated with initial hemorrhagic presentation in univariate analysis (χ{sup 2} = 3.499, p = 0.046) but not in the multivariate model (p = 0.144). There were 44 sbAVMs with perforating feeders, 39 (88.6%) of which bled at a significantly higher rate than those with terminal feeders (χ{sup 2} = 25.904, p = 0.000). 87.5% (21/24) of exclusive deep venous drainage presented with hemorrhage, a significantly higher rate than those of the other type of venous drainage (χ{sup 2} = 11.099, p = 0.004). All 10 patients with both perforating feeders and exclusive deep draining vein presented with initial hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic presentation was correlated with perforating feeders (p = 0.000) and exclusive deep draining vein (p = 0.007) in multivariate analysis as well. Conclusions: Supratentorial bAVMs with perforating feeders

Angioarchitectural characteristics associated with initial hemorrhagic presentation in supratentorial brain arteriovenous malformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Jianwei; Feng, Lei; Vinuela, Fernando; He, Hongwei; Wu, Zhongxue; Zhan, Renya

2013-01-01

Objective: The difference in arterial supply, venous drainage, functional localization in supratentorial and infratentorial compartments may contribute to the conflicting results about risk factors for hemorrhage in published case series of brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM). Further investigation focused on an individual brain compartment is thus necessary. This retrospective study aims to identify angioarchitectural characteristics associated with the initial hemorrhagic event of supratentorial bAVMs. Materials and methods: The clinical and angiographic features of 152 consecutive patients with supratentorial bAVMs who presented to our hospital from 2005 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. All these patients had new diagnosis of bAVM. Univariate (χ 2 test) and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the angiographic features in patients with and without initial hemorrhagic presentations. A probability value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant in each analysis. Results: In 152 patients with supratentorial AVMs, 70.6% of deep and 52.5% of superficial sbAVMs presented with hemorrhage. The deep location was correlated with initial hemorrhagic presentation in univariate analysis (χ 2 = 3.499, p = 0.046) but not in the multivariate model (p = 0.144). There were 44 sbAVMs with perforating feeders, 39 (88.6%) of which bled at a significantly higher rate than those with terminal feeders (χ 2 = 25.904, p = 0.000). 87.5% (21/24) of exclusive deep venous drainage presented with hemorrhage, a significantly higher rate than those of the other type of venous drainage (χ 2 = 11.099, p = 0.004). All 10 patients with both perforating feeders and exclusive deep draining vein presented with initial hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic presentation was correlated with perforating feeders (p = 0.000) and exclusive deep draining vein (p = 0.007) in multivariate analysis as well. Conclusions: Supratentorial bAVMs with perforating feeders and deep venous

Sex differences in the characteristics and short-term prognosis of patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deisy Barrios

Full Text Available We sought to examine sex-related differences in the characteristics and outcome in patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,096 patients diagnosed with acute PE. The characteristics were recorded at presentation. Treatment was at the discretion of patients' physicians. The primary study outcome, all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes of PE-specific mortality, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and major bleeding were assessed during the first month of follow-up after PE diagnosis.Overall, the women were older than the men and had significantly higher rates of immobilization. They had significantly lower rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Women had a higher prevalence of syncope and elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels. Thirty-day all-cause mortality was similar between women and men (7.1% versus 6.2%; P = 0.38. Male gender was not independently significantly associated with PE-related death (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% CI, 0.50 to 2.07; P = 0.96. Restricting the analyses to haemodynamically stable patients (n = 2,021, female gender was an independent predictor of all-cause (adjusted OR 1.56; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.28; P = 0.02 and PE-specific mortality (adjusted OR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.02 to 3.33; P = 0.04. Compared with men, women were 2.05 times more likely to experience a major bleed.Women and men with PE had different clinical characteristics, presentation, and outcomes. Women receiving anticoagulation have a significantly higher risk of major bleeding, suggesting the need for careful monitoring of anticoagulant intensity in women.

Gas Permeation Characteristics across Nano-Porous Inorganic Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R Othman, H. Mukhtar

2012-10-01

Full Text Available An overview of parameters affecting gas permeation in inorganic membranes is presented. These factors include membrane physical characteristics, operational parameters and gas molecular characteristics. The membrane physical characteristics include membrane materials and surface area, porosity, pore size and pore size distribution and membrane morphology. The operational parameters include feed flow rate and concentration, stage cut, temperature and pressure. The gas molecular characteristics include gas molecular weight, diameter, critical temperature, critical pressure, Lennard-Jones parameters and diffusion volumes. The current techniques of material characterization may require complementary method in describing microscopic heterogeneity of the porous ceramic media. The method to be incorporated in the future will be to apply a stochastic model and/or fractal dimension. Keywords: Inorganic membrane, surface adsorption, Knudsen diffusion, Micro-porous membrane, permeation, gas separation.

Longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of light, twin-engine, propeller-driven airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

Wolowicz, C. H.; Yancey, R. B.

1972-01-01

Representative state-of-the-art analytical procedures and design data for predicting the longitudinal static and dynamic stability and control characteristics of light, propeller-driven airplanes are presented. Procedures for predicting drag characteristics are also included. The procedures are applied to a twin-engine, propeller-driven airplane in the clean configuration from zero lift to stall conditions. The calculated characteristics are compared with wind-tunnel and flight data. Included in the comparisons are level-flight trim characteristics, period and damping of the short-period oscillatory mode, and windup-turn characteristics. All calculations are documented.

[Geographical differences in clinical characteristics and management of stable outpatients with coronary artery disease: comparison between the Italian and international population included in the Worldwide CLARIFY registry].

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzoli, Massimo; Tavazzi, Luigi

2014-04-01

Limited data are available regarding specific differences among countries in demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with stable coronary artery disease. CLARIFY is an international, prospective and longitudinal registry including more than 33 000 patients with stable coronary artery disease enrolled in 45 countries worldwide. Data were used to compare the characteristics of patients enrolled in Italy with those enrolled in Europe and in the rest of the world. Baseline data were available for 33 283 patients, 2112 of whom from Italy and 12 614 from the remaining western European countries. Italian patients were found to be older, more frequently smoker, hypertensive and with sedentary habits. In addition, they presented more frequently a history of myocardial infarction, carotid arterial disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, when compared with patients of both European and international cohorts, more Italian patients had undergone coronary angiography and angioplasty. As far as treatment was concerned, a greater number of Italian patients were taking ivabradine, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers, nitrates, thienopyridines, while those taking beta-blockers, calcium antagonists and other antianginal medications were fewer. Among ambulatory patients with stable coronary artery disease, there are important geographic differences in terms of risk factors, clinical characteristics, surgical and pharmacological treatment.

Characteristics of cancer patients presenting to an integrative medicine practice-based research network.

Science.gov (United States)

Edman, Joel S; Roberts, Rhonda S; Dusek, Jeffery A; Dolor, Rowena; Wolever, Ruth Q; Abrams, Donald I

2014-09-01

To assess psychosocial characteristics, symptoms and reasons for seeking integrative medicine (IM) care in cancer patients presenting to IM clinical practices. A survey of 3940 patients was conducted at 8 IM sites. Patient reported outcome measures were collected and clinicians provided health status data. This analysis compares 353 participants self-identified as cancer patients with the larger noncancer cohort. Mean age of the cancer cohort was 55.0 years. Participants were predominantly white (85.9%), female (76.4%), and well educated (80.5% completed college). For 15.2% of cancer patients, depression scores were consistent with depressive symptoms, and average scores for perceived stress were higher than normal, but neither were significantly different from noncancer patients. The most prevalent comorbid symptoms were chronic pain (39.8%), fatigue (33.5%), and insomnia (23.3%). In the cancer cohort, perceived stress was significantly associated with depression, fatigue, insomnia, pain, and QOL. Cancer patients who chose an IM clinical practice "seeking healthcare settings that address spirituality as an aspect of care" had significantly higher levels of perceived stress, depression, and pain than those not selecting this reason. Demographic characteristics, depression scores, perceived stress scores, and reasons for seeking integrative cancer care were not significantly different between cancer patients and noncancer patients. Perceived stress may be an important indicator of QOL. The association of perceived stress, depression and pain with seeking spirituality suggests that providing IM interventions, such as effective stress management techniques and pastoral or spiritual counseling, may be helpful to patients living with cancer. © The Author(s) 2014.

Technical Meeting on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycle Facilities with Improved Economic Characteristics. Presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The objectives of the meeting were: • To identify the main issues and technical features that affect capital and energy production costs of fast reactors and related fuel cycle facilities; • To present fast reactor concepts and designs with enhanced economic characteristics, as well as innovative technical solutions (components, subsystems, etc.) that have the potential to reduce the capital costs of fast reactors and related fuel cycle facilities; • To present energy models and advanced tools for the cost assessment of innovative fast reactors and associated nuclear fuel cycles; • To discuss the results of studies and ongoing R&D activities that address cost reduction and the future economic competitiveness of fast reactors; • To identify research and technology development needs in the field, also in view of new IAEA initiatives to help and support Member States in improving the economic competitiveness of fast reactors and associated nuclear fuel cycles

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

Science.gov (United States)

Faith Ann Heinsch; Pat Andrews

2010-01-01

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

The relationship between the TMJ internal derangement state including rotational displacement and perforation and the clinical characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hwan Seok; You Dong Soo

1998-01-01

This study was designed to reveal the correlationship between the internal derangement state of TMJ and clinical characteristics including pain and mandibular dysfuntion. One hundred and twenty five subjects with TMJ signs and symptoms were chosen for two years. The level of pain and mandibular dysfuntion were evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Craniomandibular Index (CMI). The diagnostic categories of TMJ internal derangement were determined by arthrography and they included normal disc position, anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDR), rotational disc displacement with reduction (RDDR), andterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDNR), and rotational disc displacement without reduction (RDDNR). Also disc perforation was used as a criteria to divide the diagnostic subgroups. The obtained results were as follows ; 1. The patient distribution of each group was 5 in normal disc position (4%), 40 in ADDR (32%), 30 in RDDR (24%), 34 in ADDNR (27%), and 16 in RDDNR (13%). 2. Perforation was observed in 8% of ADDR, 10% of RDDR, 32% of ADDNR, and 19% of RDDNR. 3. CMI of perforation group was higher than that of reduction or normal group(p 0.05).

Characteristics of family violence victims presenting to emergency departments in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Ko Ling; Choi, Wai Man Anna; Fong, Daniel Y T; Chow, Chun Bong; Leung, Ming; Ip, Patrick

2013-01-01

The Emergency Department (ED) has been shown to be a valuable location to screen for family violence. To investigate the characteristics of family violence victims presenting to EDs in a Chinese population in Hong Kong. This study examined a retrospective cohort of patients presenting to the Accident and Emergency Departments of three regional hospitals in the Kwai Tsing district of Hong Kong for evaluation and management of physical injuries related to family violence during the period of January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2008. A total of 15,797 patients were assessed. The sample comprised cases of intimate partner violence (IPV; n=10,839), child abuse and neglect (CAN; n=3491), and elder abuse (EA; n=1467). Gender differences were found in patterns of ED utilization among the patients. The rates of readmission were 12.9% for IPV, 12.8% for CAN, and 8.9% for EA. Logistic regression showed that being male, being discharged against medical advice, and arriving at the hospital via ambulance were the common factors associated with readmission to the EDs for patients victimized by IPV and CAN. This study investigates the victim profile of a large cohort of a Chinese population, providing a unique data set not previously released in this cultural or medical system. The findings give insights to early identification of victims of family violence in the EDs and suggest that screening techniques focused on multiple forms of family violence would improve identification of violence cases. Multidisciplinary collaboration between health, legal, and social service professionals is also warranted to meet the various needs of victims and to reduce hospital readmissions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Independent Music Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Upitis, Rena; Abrami, Philip C.; Brook, Julia; Boese, Karen; King, Matthew

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to learn about the characteristics of independent music teachers, their beliefs about music teaching, and their studio practices. A self-report survey included questions about the teachers' (a) background experiences, (b) pedagogical approaches, (c) use of digital technologies, and (d) professional development…

Characteristics and Long-Term Prognosis of Holocaust Survivors Presenting with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiyovich, Arthur; Plakht, Ygal; Belinski, Katya; Gilutz, Harel

2016-05-01

Catastrophic life events are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular incidents and worsening of the clinical course followirg-such events. To evaluate the characteristics and long-term prognosis of Holocaust survivors presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to non-Holocaust survivors. Israeli Jews who were born before 1941 and had been admitted to a tertiary medical center due to AMI during the period 2002-2012 were studied. Holocaust survivors were compared with non-Holocaust survivor controls using individual age matching. Overall 305 age-matched pairs were followed for up to 10 years after AMI. We found a higher prevalence of depression (5.9% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.045) yet a similar rate of cardiovascular risk factors, non-cardiovascular co-morbidity, severity of coronary artery disease, and in-hospital complications in survivors compared to controls. Throughout the follow-up period, similar mortality rates (62.95% vs. 63.9%, P = 0.801) and reduced cumulative mortality (0.9 vs. 0.96, HR = 0.780, 95% CI 0.636-0.956, P = 0.016) were found among survivors compared to age-matched controls, respectively. However, in a multivariate analysis survival was not found to be an independent predictor of mortality, although some tendency towards reduced mortality was seen (AdjHR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.68-1.03, P = 0.094). Depression disorder was associated with a 77.9% increase in the risk for mortality. Holocaust survivors presenting with AMI were older and had a higher prevalence of depression than controls. No. excessive, and possibly even mildly improved, risk of mortality.was observed in survivors compared with controls presenting with AMI. Possibly, specific traits that are associated with surviving catastrophic events counter the excess risk of such events following AMI.

Clinical characteristics and presentation of ameloblastomas: an 8-year retrospective study of 240 cases in Eastern Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Chukwuneke, F N; Anyanechi, C E; Akpeh, J O; Chukwuka, A; Ekwueme, O C

2016-05-01

Our aim was to summarise the clinical characteristics and presentation of ameloblastomas in eastern Nigeria. We organised a retrospective study of 240 patients who presented with ameloblastomas to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery units of five specialist hospitals in the eastern states of Nigeria over an eight-year period (2004-2011). We analysed the casenotes, and categorised the cases by site of tumour, age, sex, and time of presentation. There were 117 men (49%) (mean (SD) age 43 (6.2) years) and 123 women (51%) (mean (SD) age 32 (4.7) years), a male:female ratio of 1:1.1. The largest age group was 20-39 years (n=102, 43%), and the most common site was the anterior mandible (n=140, 58%). Most of the patients presented late. Our results show that the most common site of ameloblastomas in Eastern Nigeria is the anterior mandible and that women are affected more than men, which is at variance with the results of most other studies. Copyright © 2015 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical presentation of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranchod, Tushar M; Ho, Lawrence Y; Drenser, Kimberly A; Capone, Antonio; Trese, Michael T

2011-10-01

To describe the clinical characteristics, staging and presentation of patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) in our clinical practice over the last 25 years. Case series, retrospective review. We included 273 eyes of 145 patients. Data collected from charts included gender, gestational age at birth, birthweight, age at presentation, referring diagnosis, family history, prior ocular surgery, and clinical presentation in each eye. Eyes with invasive posterior segment procedures before initial presentation were excluded. Demographics on presentation and clinical staging. Patients were slightly male predominant (57%) with a mean birthweight of 2.80 kg (range, 740 g-4.76 kg), mean gestational age of 37.8 weeks (range, 25-42), and mean age at presentation of almost 6 years (range, presentation, gestational age, and birthweight. Although a positive family history on presentation may support the diagnosis of FEVR, a negative family history is of little help. The majority of retinal folds extended radially in the temporal quadrants, but radial folds were seen in almost all quadrants. Fellow eyes demonstrated a wide variation in symmetry. The presentation of FEVR may mimic the presentation of other pediatric and adult vitreoretinal disorders, and careful examination is often crucial in making the diagnosis of FEVR. The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of acute febrile illness and determinants of illness recovery among adults presenting to Singapore primary care clinics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaw Myo Tun

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Undifferentiated acute febrile illness (AFI is a common presentation among adults in primary care settings in Singapore but large gaps exist in the understanding of the characteristics of these patients. We studied clinical and epidemiological characteristics of AFI patients and factors associated with delayed recovery from AFI. Methods We performed a secondary data analysis using data from the Early DENgue infection and outcome (EDEN study on 2046 adult patients presenting at 5 Singapore polyclinics between December 2007 and February 2013 with a history of fever (≥38 °C for less than 72 h. We used an accelerated failure time model to investigate factors associated with delayed recovery from AFI. Results The mean age of patients was 36.6 years, 65 % were male, 51 % were of Chinese ethnicity, and 75 % lived in public housing. Median illness duration was 5 days (interquartile range, 3–7. In multivariable analysis, the unemployed and white collar workers had longer illness duration compared with blue collar workers (time ratio (TR, 1.10; 95 % confidence interval (CI, 1.03–1.17 and TR, 1.08; 95 % CI, 1.02–1.15, respectively. Patients with more symptoms at initial consultation had slower recovery (TR, 1.03 per additional symptom; 95 % CI, 1.02–1.03. Other clinical factors were also associated with longer duration of illness, including use of analgesics (TR, 1.21; 95 % CI, 1.15–1.28; use of cough medicines (TR, 1.14; 95 % CI, 1.08–1.20; use of antibiotics (TR, 1.14; 95 % CI, 1.07–1.21; and hospitalization (TR, 1.59; 95 % CI, 1.39–1.82. Compared to patients with normal WBC count at first consultation, those with low WBC count had slower recovery (TR, 1.14; 95 % CI, 1.07–1.21, while the reverse was observed among patients with high WBC count (TR, 0.94; 95 % CI, 0.88–1.00. Conclusions Differences in illness duration among different types of employment may reflect differences in their underlying

Characteristic parameters of drift chambers calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duran, I.; Martinez-Laso, L.

1989-01-01

We present here the methods we used to analyse the characteristic parameters of drift chambers. The algorithms to calculate the electric potential in any point for any drift chamber geometry are presented. We include the description of the programs used to calculate the electric field, the drift paths, the drift velocity and the drift time. The results and the errors are discussed. (Author) 7 refs

Characteristics of patients presenting with erythema nodosum and sarcoidosis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, T M

2012-01-31

We explored the relationship between erythema nodosum (EN) and sex, age, serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis (BAL-I), interstitial granulomas and radiological stage in patients presenting with pulmonary sarcoidosis in Ireland. Sixty-nine patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis between 2003 and 2006 were studied. Forty one patients (59%) were male. Sixteen patients (23%) presented with EN. Forty one patients of 65 (63%) had transbronchial biopsies demonstrating non-caseating granulomas. Patients with sarcoidosis presenting with EN were more likely to be female (p=0.042), younger (p=0.012) and have earlier stage pulmonary disease (p=0.02). There were no correlations between serum ACE, interstitial granulomas and disease stage. BAL-I did however predict increasing disease radiological stage (p=0.042). In this study, one quarter of patients with sarcoidosis presented with EN among their presenting features. These patients were more likely to be young females with early stage radiological disease.

Assessing CO2 Mitigation Options Utilizing Detailed Electricity Characteristics and Including Renewable Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Bensaida, K.; Alie, Colin; Elkamel, A.; Almansoori, A.

2017-08-01

This paper presents a novel techno-economic optimization model for assessing the effectiveness of CO2 mitigation options for the electricity generation sub-sector that includes renewable energy generation. The optimization problem was formulated as a MINLP model using the GAMS modeling system. The model seeks the minimization of the power generation costs under CO2 emission constraints by dispatching power from low CO2 emission-intensity units. The model considers the detailed operation of the electricity system to effectively assess the performance of GHG mitigation strategies and integrates load balancing, carbon capture and carbon taxes as methods for reducing CO2 emissions. Two case studies are discussed to analyze the benefits and challenges of the CO2 reduction methods in the electricity system. The proposed mitigations options would not only benefit the environment, but they will as well improve the marginal cost of producing energy which represents an advantage for stakeholders.

Pediatric Burkitt lymphoma presenting as acute pancreatitis: MRI characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amodio, John; Brodsky, Jennie E. [SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Brooklyn, NY (United States)

2010-05-15

Acute pancreatitis is a rare initial presentation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with few reported cases described in older adults and even fewer in children. MRI features of Burkitt lymphoma of the pancreas are sparse in the radiologic literature. We present a 6-year-old boy who presented with pancreatitis and obstructive jaundice, which was the result of Burkitt lymphoma of the pancreas. The imaging findings of pancreatic involvement of Burkitt lymphoma on MRI are discussed and the contributory role of the radiologist in guiding the appropriate clinical work-up of this disease is highlighted. (orig.)

Are pelvic adhesions associated with pain, physical, emotional and functional characteristics of women presenting with chronic pelvic pain? A cluster analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, Ying; Saran, Mili; Hounslow, James William; Reading, Isabel Claire

2018-01-08

Chronic pelvic pain is a debilitating condition. It is unknown if there is a clinical phenotype for adhesive disorders. This study aimed to determine if the presence or absence, nature, severity and extent of adhesions correlated with demographic and patient reported clinical characteristics of women presenting with CPP. Women undergoing a laparoscopy for the investigation of chronic pelvic pain were recruited prospectively; their pain and phenotypic characteristics were entered into a hierarchical cluster analysis. The groups with differing baseline clinical and operative characteristics in terms of adhesions involvement were analyzed. Sixty two women were recruited where 37 had adhesions. A low correlation was found between women's reported current pain scores and that of most severe (r = 0.34) or average pain experienced (r = 0.44) in the last 6 months. Three main groups of women with CPP were identified: Cluster 1 (n = 35) had moderate severity of pain, with poor average and present pain intensity; Cluster 2 (n = 14) had a long duration of symptoms/diagnosis, the worst current pain and worst physical, emotional and social functions; Cluster 3 (n = 11) had the shortest duration of pain and showed the best evidence of coping with low (good) physical, social and emotional scores. This cluster also had the highest proportion of women with adhesions (82%) compared to 51% in Cluster 1 and 71% in Cluster 2. In this study, we found that there is little or no correlation between patient-reported pain, physical, emotional and functional characteristics scores with the presence or absence of intra-abdominal/pelvic adhesions found during investigative laparoscopy. Most women who had adhesions had the lowest reported current pain scores.

Characteristics of Successful Internal Medicine Resident Research Projects: Predictors of Journal Publication Versus Abstract Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Atreya, Auras R; Stefan, Mihaela; Friderici, Jennifer L; Kleppel, Reva; Fitzgerald, Janice; Rothberg, Michael B

2018-02-06

To identify the characteristics of successful research projects at an internal medicine residency program with an established research curriculum. The authors collected data about all research projects initiated by or involving medicine residents from 2006 to 2013 at Baystate Medical Center, using departmental files and institutional review board applications. Resident and mentor characteristics were determined using personnel files and Medline searches. Using multivariable models, the authors identified predictors of successful completion of projects using adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs). The primary outcome was manuscript publication by resident and secondary outcome was either publication or regional/national presentation. Finally, residents were surveyed to identify barriers and/or factors contributing to project completion. Ninety-four research projects were identified: 52 (55.3%) projects achieved the primary outcome and 72 (76.5%) met the secondary outcome, with overlap between categories. Most study designs were cross-sectional (41, 43.6%) or retrospective cohort (30, 31.9%). After adjustment, utilization of the epidemiology/biostatistical core (PR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.21), established publication record of resident (PR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.07), and resident with U.S. medical education (PR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.90) were associated with successful completion of projects. Mentor publication record (PR = 3.13) did not retain significance due to small sample size. Most respondents (65%) cited "lack of time" as a major project barrier. Programs seeking to increase resident publications should consider an institutional epidemiology/biostatistical core available to all residency research projects, and residents should choose experienced mentors with a track record of publications.

An optoelectronic integrated device including a laser and its driving circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsueda, H.; Nakano, H.; Tanaka, T.P.

1984-10-01

A monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) including a laser diode, photomonitor and driving and detecting circuits has been fabricated on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate. The OEIC has a horizontal integrating structure which is suitable for realising high-density multifunctional devices. The fabricating process and the static and dynamic characteristics of the optical and electronic elements are described. The preliminary results of the co-operative operation of the laser and its driving circuit are also presented.

[Changes in clinic-epidemiological characteristics of new cases of HIV-1 infection in Castellón (Spain), and its impact on delayed presentation (1987-2011)].

Science.gov (United States)

Mínguez-Gallego, Carlos; Vera-Remartinez, Enrique J; Albert-Coll, Monica; Roldán-Puchalt, M Concepción; Aguilar-Climent, Manuel; Rovira-Ferrando, Rosa E; Andrés-Soler, Jorge; Roig-Espert, Belén; Penadés-Vidal, María; Usó-Blasco, Jorge

2015-03-01

To describe the trend of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a cohort of HIV-1 infected patients in Castellón (Spain), and its impact on the delayed presentation. Data from HIV-1 infected outpatients presenting for care for the first time between 1987 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. There have been significant changes in the characteristics of the 1001 newly presented patients during the period studied. An increase in the mean age was observed (increasing from about 30 years before 1996, to approximately 35 after the 2000-2002 period), as well as an increase in the percentage of immigrants (de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Poster Presentations: Conceptualizing, Constructing and Critiquing

Science.gov (United States)

Newbrey, Michael G.; Baltezore, Joan M.

2006-01-01

Posters are commonly used as tools for disseminating information at scientific meetings, but many students lack an understanding of "good" poster characteristics. We present a set of characteristics for use in constructing posters for scientific meetings and classroom presentations along with tips on critiquing posters to enhance their…

MHC class II-derived peptides can bind to class II molecules, including self molecules, and prevent antigen presentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosloniec, E F; Vitez, L J; Buus, S

1990-01-01

the alpha k-3 peptide binds slightly less well. These combined data, suggesting that class II-derived peptides can bind to MHC class II molecules, including the autologous molecule from which they are derived, have important implications for the molecular basis of alloreactivity and autoreactivity. Further...... found in the first and third polymorphic regions (PMR) of the A alpha k chain (alpha k-1 and alpha k-3) were capable of inhibiting the presentation of three different HEL-derived peptide antigens to their appropriate T cells. In addition, the alpha k-1 peptide inhibited the presentation of the OVA(323......-339) immunodominant peptide to the I-Ad-restricted T cell hybridomas specific for it. Prepulsing experiments demonstrated that the PMR peptides were interacting with the APC and not with the T cell hybridomas. These observations were confirmed and extended by the demonstration that the alpha k-1 and alpha k-3...

Attenuation Characteristics of Strong Motions during the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes including Near-Field Records

Science.gov (United States)

Si, H.; Koketsu, K.; Miyake, H.; Ibrahim, R.

2016-12-01

During the two major earthquakes occurred in Kumamoto prefecture, at 21:26 on 14 April, 2016 (Mw 6.2, GCMT), and at 1:25 on 16 April, 2016 (Mw7.0, GCMT), a large number of strong ground motions were recorded, including those very close to the surface fault. In this study, we will discuss the attenuation characteristics of strong ground motions observed during the earthquakes. The data used in this study are mainly observed by K-NET, KiK-net, Osaka University, JMA and Kumamoto prefecture. The 5% damped acceleration response spectra (GMRotI50) are calculated based on the method proposed by Boore et al. (2006). PGA and PGV is defined as the larger one among the PGAs and PGVs of two horizontal components. The PGA, PGV, and GMRotI50 data were corrected to the bedrock with Vs of 1.5km/s based on the method proposed by Si et al. (2016) using the average shear wave velocity (Vs30) and the thickness of sediments over the bedrock. The thickness is estimated based on the velocity structure model provided by J-SHIS. We use a source model proposed by Koketsu et al. (2016) to calculate the fault distance and the median distance (MED) which defined as the closest distance from a station to the median line of the fault plane (Si et al., 2014). We compared the observed PGAs, PGVs, and GMRotI50 with the GMPEs developed in Japan using MED (Si et al., 2014). The predictions by the GMPEs are generally consistent with the observations during the two Kumamoto earthquakes. The results of the comparison also indicated that, (1) strong motion records from the earthquake on April 14th are generally consistent with the predictions by GMPE, however, at the periods of 0.5 to 2 seconds, several records close to the fault plane show larger amplitudes than the predictions by GMPE, including the KiK-net station Mashiki (KMMH16); (2) for the earthquake on April 16, the PGAs and GMRotI50 at periods from 0.1s to 0.4s with short distance from the fault plane are slightly smaller than the predictions by

Photoactive devices including porphyrinoids with coordinating additives

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, Stephen R; Zimmerman, Jeramy; Yu, Eric K; Thompson, Mark E; Trinh, Cong; Whited, Matthew; Diev, Vlacheslav

2015-05-12

Coordinating additives are included in porphyrinoid-based materials to promote intermolecular organization and improve one or more photoelectric characteristics of the materials. The coordinating additives are selected from fullerene compounds and organic compounds having free electron pairs. Combinations of different coordinating additives can be used to tailor the characteristic properties of such porphyrinoid-based materials, including porphyrin oligomers. Bidentate ligands are one type of coordinating additive that can form coordination bonds with a central metal ion of two different porphyrinoid compounds to promote porphyrinoid alignment and/or pi-stacking. The coordinating additives can shift the absorption spectrum of a photoactive material toward higher wavelengths, increase the external quantum efficiency of the material, or both.

Key Characteristics of Combined Accident including TLOFW accident for PSA Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bo Gyung; Kang, Hyun Gook [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Ho Joon [Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2015-05-15

The conventional PSA techniques cannot adequately evaluate all events. The conventional PSA models usually focus on single internal events such as DBAs, the external hazards such as fire, seismic. However, the Fukushima accident of Japan in 2011 reveals that very rare event is necessary to be considered in the PSA model to prevent the radioactive release to environment caused by poor treatment based on lack of the information, and to improve the emergency operation procedure. Especially, the results from PSA can be used to decision making for regulators. Moreover, designers can consider the weakness of plant safety based on the quantified results and understand accident sequence based on human actions and system availability. This study is for PSA modeling of combined accidents including total loss of feedwater (TLOFW) accident. The TLOFW accident is a representative accident involving the failure of cooling through secondary side. If the amount of heat transfer is not enough due to the failure of secondary side, the heat will be accumulated to the primary side by continuous core decay heat. Transients with loss of feedwater include total loss of feedwater accident, loss of condenser vacuum accident, and closure of all MSIVs. When residual heat removal by the secondary side is terminated, the safety injection into the RCS with direct primary depressurization would provide alternative heat removal. This operation is called feed and bleed (F and B) operation. Combined accidents including TLOFW accident are very rare event and partially considered in conventional PSA model. Since the necessity of F and B operation is related to plant conditions, the PSA modeling for combined accidents including TLOFW accident is necessary to identify the design and operational vulnerabilities.The PSA is significant to assess the risk of NPPs, and to identify the design and operational vulnerabilities. Even though the combined accident is very rare event, the consequence of combined

Integrated model of port oil piping transportation system safety including operating environment threats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kołowrocki Krzysztof

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an integrated general model of complex technical system, linking its multistate safety model and the model of its operation process including operating environment threats and considering variable at different operation states its safety structures and its components safety parameters. Under the assumption that the system has exponential safety function, the safety characteristics of the port oil piping transportation system are determined.

Integrated model of port oil piping transportation system safety including operating environment threats

OpenAIRE

Kołowrocki, Krzysztof; Kuligowska, Ewa; Soszyńska-Budny, Joanna

2017-01-01

The paper presents an integrated general model of complex technical system, linking its multistate safety model and the model of its operation process including operating environment threats and considering variable at different operation states its safety structures and its components safety parameters. Under the assumption that the system has exponential safety function, the safety characteristics of the port oil piping transportation system are determined.

Panhypopituitarism presenting as life-threatening heart failure caused by an inherited microdeletion in 1q25 including LHX4.

Science.gov (United States)

Filges, Isabel; Bischof-Renner, Andrea; Röthlisberger, Benno; Potthoff, Christian; Glanzmann, René; Günthard, Joëlle; Schneider, Jacques; Huber, Andreas R; Zumsteg, Urs; Miny, Peter; Szinnai, Gabor

2012-02-01

Clinical presentation of hypopituitarism in the neonate may be variable, ranging from absent to severe nonspecific symptoms and may be life-threatening in patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency. The LIM homeobox gene 4 (LHX4) transcription factor regulates early embryonic development of the anterior pituitary gland. Autosomal dominant mutations in LHX4 cause congenital hypopituitarism with variable combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). We report on a neonate with unexplained heart failure and minor physical anomalies, suggesting a midline defect. She was diagnosed with complete CPHD. Cardiac function was rescued by replacement with hydrocortisone and thyroxine; hypoglycaemia stopped under growth hormone therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dysgenetic pituitary gland suggesting an early developmental defect. Array comparative genomic hybridization showed a maternally inherited 1.5-megabase microdeletion in 1q25.2q25.3, including the LHX4 gene. Haploinsufficiency of LHX4 likely explains the predominant pituitary phenotype in the proposita and we suggest variable intrafamilial penetrance of the inherited microdeletion. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report on heart failure as a rare nonspecific symptom of treatable CPHD in the newborn. Variably penetrant pituitary insufficiency, including this severe and atypical presentation, can be correlated with LHX4 insufficiency and highlights the role of LHX4 for pituitary development.

Crohn's disease in adolescence: presentation and treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, Mick; Barnes, Claire

2015-05-13

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel condition that affects more than 115,000 people in the UK. This article focuses on Crohn's disease in adolescents. Management of the condition in this group should address adolescent-specific characteristics and treatment goals. Key elements include optimising growth, pubertal development and social functioning, including education. The condition can affect an individual's mental and emotional wellbeing significantly, as well as their physical health. As adolescence is a time of great change, the additional burden of a chronic illness can prove difficult to manage. The authors provide information on the presentation of Crohn's disease in adolescence and insights into the particular issues encountered by this group.

A comparison of high-level waste form characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmon, R.; Notz, K.J.

1991-01-01

The US DOE is responsible for the eventual disposal in a repository of spent fuels, high-level waste (HLW) and other radioactive wastes that may require long-term isolation. This includes light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and immobilized HLW as the two major sources, plus other forms including non-LWR spent fuels and miscellaneous sources (such as activated metals in the Greater-Than-Class-C category). The Characteristics Data Base, sponsored by DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), was created to systematically tabulate the technical characteristics of these materials. Data are presented here on the immobilized HLW forms that are expected to be produced between now and 2020

Serum levels of IGF-1 are related to human skin characteristics including the conspicuousness of facial pores.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama-Nakagiri, Y; Naoe, A; Ohuchi, A; Kitahara, T

2011-04-01

Conspicuous facial pores are one type of serious aesthetic defects for many women. However, the mechanism(s) that underlie the conspicuousness of facial pores remains unclear. We previously characterized the epidermal architecture around facial pores that correlates with the appearance of those pores in various ethnic groups including Japanese. The goal of this study was to evaluate the possible relationships between facial pore size, the severity of impairment of epidermal architecture around facial pores and sebum output levels to investigate the possible role of IGF-1 in the pathogenesis of conspicuous facial pores. The subjects consisted of 38 healthy Japanese women (aged 22-41 years). IGF-1 was measured using immunoradiometric assay. Surface replicas were collected to compare pore sizes of cheek skin and horizontal cross-section images of cheek skin were obtained non-invasively from the same subjects using in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy and the severity of impairment of epidermal architecture around facial pores was determined. The skin surface lipids of each subject were collected from their cheeks and lipid classes were determined using gas chromatography/flame ionization detection. The serum level of IGF-1 correlated significantly with total pore area (R = 0.36, P facial pores (R = 0.43, P pore area (R = 0.32, P facial skin characteristics including facial pore size and with the severity of impairment of epidermal architecture around facial pores. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Splenic flexure volvulus presenting with gangrene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machado, Norman O; Chopra, Pradeep J; Subramanian, Sureshkannan K

2009-01-01

Volvulus of the splenic flexure is very rare cause of colonic obstruction constituting 2% of cases of colonic segmental volvulus. Primary splenic flexure volvulus (SFV) is due to congenital absence or laxity of the phrenocolic, gastro colic, and splenocolic ligaments while secondary volvulus is due to other causes including some prior surgery releasing these ligaments. A preoperative diagnosis can be established based on the characteristic radiological findings on plain x-ray abdomen and CT scan. We present a case of SFV in a young man who presented with acute abdominal pain, and distension, and illustrate the usefulness of CT scan, and plain x-ray of the abdomen in making a preoperative diagnosis. Laparotomy revealed a gangrenous SFV, which was resected and primary anastomosis was carried out. Literature is reviewed with regards to predisposing factors, presentation, investigation, and management among the more than 32 cases reported so far. (author)

Payment Instrument Characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Jacques; Kjeldsen, Martin; Hedman, Jonas

2015-01-01

Over the last decade, we have witnessed payment innovations that fundamentally have changed the ways we pay. Payment innovations, such as mobile payments and on-line banking, include characteristics or features that are essential to understand if we want to know how and why payers choose among...... payment innovations. Using the Repertory Grid technique to explore 15 payers’ perception of six payment instruments, including coins, banknotes, debit cards, credit cards, mobile payments, and on-line banking, we identify 16 payment characteristics. The characteristics aggregate seventy-six unique...

Improved approach to characterizing and presenting streak camera performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiedwald, J.D.; Jones, B.A.

1985-01-01

The performance of a streak camera recording system is strongly linked to the technique used to amplify, detect and quantify the streaked image. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) streak camera images have been recorded both on film and by fiber-optically coupling to charge-coupled devices (CCD's). During the development of a new process for recording these images (lens coupling the image onto a cooled CCD) the definitions of important performance characteristics such as resolution and dynamic range were re-examined. As a result of this development, these performance characteristics are now presented to the streak camera user in a more useful format than in the past. This paper describes how these techniques are used within the Laser Fusion Program at LLNL. The system resolution is presented as a modulation transfer function, including the seldom reported effects that flare and light scattering have at low spatial frequencies. Data are presented such that a user can adjust image intensifier gain and pixel averaging to optimize the useful dynamic range in any particular application

Traveling-wave tube amplifier characteristics study for stochastic beam-cooling experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leskovar, B.; Lo, C.C.

1982-03-01

The characteristics of continuous-wave wideband traveling-wave tube amplifiers have been experimentally investigated over a frequency range of 1.5 to 4.5 GHz. We present measurements of characteristics important for stochastic beam cooling systems that are generally not available from manufacturers' data sheets. The amplifers measured include models 1177 H01 and 1277 H01 having output power capabilities of 10 to 20 W, respectively, at frequencies of 2 to 4 GHz. The power transfer characteristics, the phase-shift characteristics as functions of frequency and the input power level, the voltage standing-wave ratio, noise drive transfer characteristics, harmonics and intermodulation products content were accurately measured and are discussed. Measurement procedures and description of measuring systems, which include measuring system error corrections, are given in detail. Also several approaches are discussed for the reduction of harmonics and intermodulation products

Interim performance criteria for photovoltaic energy systems. [Glossary included

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeBlasio, R.; Forman, S.; Hogan, S.; Nuss, G.; Post, H.; Ross, R.; Schafft, H.

1980-12-01

This document is a response to the Photovoltaic Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-590) which required the generation of performance criteria for photovoltaic energy systems. Since the document is evolutionary and will be updated, the term interim is used. More than 50 experts in the photovoltaic field have contributed in the writing and review of the 179 performance criteria listed in this document. The performance criteria address characteristics of present-day photovoltaic systems that are of interest to manufacturers, government agencies, purchasers, and all others interested in various aspects of photovoltaic system performance and safety. The performance criteria apply to the system as a whole and to its possible subsystems: array, power conditioning, monitor and control, storage, cabling, and power distribution. They are further categorized according to the following performance attributes: electrical, thermal, mechanical/structural, safety, durability/reliability, installation/operation/maintenance, and building/site. Each criterion contains a statement of expected performance (nonprescriptive), a method of evaluation, and a commentary with further information or justification. Over 50 references for background information are also given. A glossary with definitions relevant to photovoltaic systems and a section on test methods are presented in the appendices. Twenty test methods are included to measure performance characteristics of the subsystem elements. These test methods and other parts of the document will be expanded or revised as future experience and needs dictate.

Actual and preferred personality characteristics of physical educators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saša Cecić Erpič

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The Five-Factor Model of personality, which includes dimensions energy, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness, gained a growing acceptance by personality researchers. In the present study the actual personality characteristics of physical educators and the personality profile of an ideal (according to subjective evaluations of experts physical educator were investigated. The aim of the study was to examine differences between profiles of actual and preferred personality characteristics and to present differences in personality characteristics between male and female physical educators of different ages. The study included 76 (40 male, 36 female 24 to 58 year-old physical educators (mean age 39.7 years. 34 experts from the field of sport, physical education, and kinesiology evaluated the preferred personality structure of an ideal physical educator. The Big Five Observer (BFO was used to assess actual and preferred personality structures. These results show that the actual personality profile of physical educators is described with all five moderately high dimensions, which is relatively congruent with the social type from Holland's typology, characteristic of educators. In comparison with participants, an ideal physical educator should have equally expressed agreeableness, while other four dimensions should be highly expressed. Gender differences in energy and agreeableness (women have higher results in both dimensions were found significant. No significant age differences in the personality structure were obtained by a cross-sectional comparison.

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

OpenAIRE

Pietrala Dawid

2017-01-01

The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics). It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles s...

Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts; Blackstone River basin

Science.gov (United States)

Wandle, S.W.; Phipps, A.F.

1984-01-01

The Blackstone River basin encompasses 335 square miles in south-central Massachusetts, including parts of Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics, were calculated using a new data base with records through 1980. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. The 7-day, 10-year low-flow values are presented for 31 partial-record sites and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of the basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for the six gaged streams in the Blackstone River basin. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources-related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities. (USGS)

Characteristics of patients presenting to the vascular emergency department of a tertiary care hospital: a 2-year study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kotsikoris Ioannis

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The structure of health care in Greece is receiving increased attention to improve its cost-effectiveness. We sought to examine the epidemiological characteristics of patients presenting to the vascular emergency department of a Greek tertiary care hospital during a 2-year period. We studied all patients presenting to the emergency department of vascular surgery at Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2010. Results Overall, 2452 (49.4% out of 4961 patients suffered from pathologies that should have been treated in primary health care. Only 2509 (50.6% needed vascular surgical intervention. Conclusions The emergency department of vascular surgery in a Greek tertiary care hospital has to treat a remarkably high percentage of patients suitable for the primary health care level. These results suggest that an improvement in the structure of health care is needed in Greece.

The rank-heat plot is a novel way to present the results from a network meta-analysis including multiple outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Veroniki, Areti Angeliki; Straus, Sharon E; Fyraridis, Alexandros; Tricco, Andrea C

2016-08-01

To present a novel and simple graphical approach to improve the presentation of the treatment ranking in a network meta-analysis (NMA) including multiple outcomes. NMA simultaneously compares many relevant interventions for a clinical condition from a network of trials, and allows ranking of the effectiveness and/or safety of each intervention. There are numerous ways to present the NMA results, which can challenge their interpretation by research users. The rank-heat plot is a novel graph that can be used to quickly recognize which interventions are most likely the best or worst interventions with respect to their effectiveness and/or safety for a single or multiple outcome(s) and may increase interpretability. Using empirical NMAs, we show that the need for a concise and informative presentation of results is imperative, particularly as the number of competing treatments and outcomes in an NMA increases. The rank-heat plot is an efficient way to present the results of ranking statistics, particularly when a large amount of data is available, and it is targeted to users from various backgrounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mineralized fibroma of the tendon sheath presenting as a bursitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Corroller, Thomas; Champsaur, Pierre [Hopital Sainte-Marguerite, Service de Radiologie, Marseille (France); Faculte de Medecine de Marseille, Departement d' Anatomie, Marseille (France); Bouvier-Labit, Corinne [Hopital La Timone, Service d' Anatomopathologie, Marseille (France); Sbihi, Abderrahmane [Clinique Juge, Service de Chirurgie orthopedique, Marseille (France)

2008-12-15

We report on the clinical, imaging - including ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging - and histological features of a fibroma of the tendon sheath with mineralized chondroid and osseous metaplasia, presenting as a semimembranosus bursitis. The anatomical characteristics of the semimembranosus bursa are demonstrated by dissection in a cadaveric specimen and correlated with the imaging findings in our patient. (orig.)

Mineralized fibroma of the tendon sheath presenting as a bursitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Corroller, Thomas; Champsaur, Pierre; Bouvier-Labit, Corinne; Sbihi, Abderrahmane

2008-01-01

We report on the clinical, imaging - including ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging - and histological features of a fibroma of the tendon sheath with mineralized chondroid and osseous metaplasia, presenting as a semimembranosus bursitis. The anatomical characteristics of the semimembranosus bursa are demonstrated by dissection in a cadaveric specimen and correlated with the imaging findings in our patient. (orig.)

Scientists Popularizing Science: Characteristics and Impact of TED Talk Presenters

OpenAIRE

Sugimoto, Cassidy R.; Thelwall, Mike; Larivi?re, Vincent; Tsou, Andrew; Mongeon, Philippe; Macaluso, Benoit

2013-01-01

The TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference and associated website of recorded conference presentations (TED Talks) is a highly successful disseminator of science-related videos, claiming over a billion online views. Although hundreds of scientists have presented at TED, little information is available regarding the presenters, their academic credentials, and the impact of TED Talks on the general population. This article uses bibliometric and webometric techniques to gather data o...

Profiling clinical cancer research across the Atlantic: a review of research and its characteristics presented at ASCO and ESMO Congresses during the last decade.

Science.gov (United States)

Pentheroudakis, George; Krikelis, Dimitrios; Cervantes, Andres; Vermorken, Jan; Pavlidis, Nicholas

2012-10-01

The comparison of clinical cancer research characteristics across the Atlantic and their evolution over time have not been studied to date. We collected oral presentations on breast, lung and colorectal cancer at ASCO (n=506) and ESMO (n=239) Congresses in years 2000-2010. EU-originated research constituted 52% of all ASCO presentations while US-research 26.7% of ESMO Congress presentations. Industry sponsorship was reported in 24.8% of ASCO vs. 31.8% of ESMO Congress trials. ASCO-presented trials were larger with longer follow-up periods but were blinded less often. ESMO-presented trials used Event-Free Survival (EFS, 38.1%) and Surrogate (18.4%) primary endpoints and reported positive primary endpoints (65%) more often than ASCO-presented trials. Interim analysis resulted in discontinuation of a trial more often at ASCO Congress (8.3% vs. 3.2%). ASCO Congress-presented research was more often published (69.2% vs. 59.8% at ESMO) at higher impact factor journals. Strong trends over the decade were seen for more frequent industry sponsorship, blinded design, larger sample size, early interim discontinuation, use of EFS endpoints and biomarker evaluation. Cancer clinical research is a complex scientific activity with common global but also distinct characteristics at the two sides of the Atlantic. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion: a unique and challenging population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Mary J; Nunez, Hector; Monaghan, Sean F; Heffernan, Daithi S; Adams, Charles A; Lueckel, Stephanie N; Stephen, Andrew H

2017-02-01

A proportion of trauma patients present for evaluation in a delayed fashion after injury, likely due to a variety of medical and nonmedical reasons. There has been little investigation into the characteristics and outcomes of trauma patients who present delayed. We hypothesize that trauma patients who present in a delayed fashion are a unique population at risk of increased trauma-related complications. This was a retrospective review from 2010-2015 at a Level I trauma center. Patients were termed delayed if they presented >24 hours after injury. Patients admitted within 24 hours of their injury were the comparison group. Charts were reviewed for demographics, mechanism, comorbidities, complications and outcomes. A subgroup analysis was done on patients who suffered falls. During the 5-y period, 11,705 patients were admitted. A total of 588 patients (5%) presented >24 h after their injury. Patients in the delayed group were older (65 versus 55 y, P fashion have unique characteristics and are more likely to suffer negative outcomes including substance withdrawal. Future goals will include exploring strategies for early intervention, such as automatic withdrawal monitoring and social work referral for all patients who present in a delayed fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized characteristic ratios assignment for commensurate fractional order systems with one zero.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatabaei, Mohammad

2017-07-01

In this paper, a new method for determination of the desired characteristic equation and zero location of commensurate fractional order systems is presented. The concept of the characteristic ratio is extended for zero-including commensurate fractional order systems. The generalized version of characteristic ratios is defined such that the time-scaling property of characteristic ratios is also preserved. The monotonicity of the magnitude frequency response is employed to assign the generalized characteristic ratios for commensurate fractional order transfer functions with one zero. A simple pattern for characteristic ratios is proposed to reach a non-overshooting step response. Then, the proposed pattern is revisited to reach a low overshoot (say for example 2%) step response. Finally, zero-including controllers such as fractional order PI or lag (lead) controllers are designed using generalized characteristic ratios assignment method. Numerical simulations are provided to show the efficiency of the so designed controllers. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietrala Dawid

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics. It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles shortening and values of loading forces, at a constant operational pressure (isobaric characteristics. It also shows the dependence of force generated by the muscle on the operating pressure, at a constant value of pneumatic muscles shortening (isometric characteristics. The paper also presents dynamic characteristics of a pneumatic muscle showing the response of an object to a gradual change in the operating pressure, at a constant loading force acting on the pneumatic muscle.

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrala, Dawid

The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics). It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles shortening and values of loading forces, at a constant operational pressure (isobaric characteristics). It also shows the dependence of force generated by the muscle on the operating pressure, at a constant value of pneumatic muscles shortening (isometric characteristics). The paper also presents dynamic characteristics of a pneumatic muscle showing the response of an object to a gradual change in the operating pressure, at a constant loading force acting on the pneumatic muscle.

Epidemiological characteristics and predictors of late presentation of HIV infection in Barcelona (Spain during the period 2001-2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guelar Ana

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early diagnosis of HIV infection can prevent morbidity and mortality as well as reduce HIV transmission. The aim of the present study was to assess prevalence, describe trends and identify factors associated with late presentation of HIV infection in Barcelona (Spain during the period 2001-09. Methods Demographic and epidemiological characteristics of cases reported to the Barcelona HIV surveillance system were analysed. Late presentation was defined for individuals with a CD4 count below 350 cells/ml upon HIV diagnosis or diagnosis of AIDS within 3 months of HIV diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors of late presentation. Results Of the 2,938 newly diagnosed HIV-infected individuals, 2,507 (85,3% had either a CD4 cell count or an AIDS diagnosis available. A total of 1,139 (55.6% of the 2,507 studied cases over these nine years were late presenters varying from 48% among men who have sex with men to 70% among heterosexual men. The proportion of late presentation was 62.7% in 2001-2003, 51.9% in 2004-2005, 52.6% in 2006-2007 and 52.1% in 2008-2009. A decrease over time only was observed between 2001-2003 and 2004-2005 (p = 0.001 but remained constant thereafter (p = 0.9. Independent risk factors for late presentation were older age at diagnosis (p Conclusion Late presentation of HIV is still too frequent in all transmission groups in spite of a strong commitment with HIV prevention in our city. It is necessary to develop interventions that increase HIV testing and facilitate earlier entry into HIV care.

Entrepreneurship Psychological Characteristics of Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghanzadeh, Mohammad Reza; Kholasehzadeh, Golrasteh; Birjandi, Masoumeh; Antikchi, Ensieh; Sobhan, Mohamad Reza; Neamatzadeh, Hossein

2016-09-01

Nurses are full partners with other health care professionals. Until fairly recently the scope of nurses potential in entrepreneurship has not been widely recognized. The present study tries to evaluate entrepreneurship psychological characteristics among nurses. The survey instrument included scales measuring entrepreneurship psychological characteristics including locus of control, need for achievement, risk taking propensity, ambiguity tolerance, and innovation, among nurses in the Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran in 2013. In this study average of entrepreneurship psychological characteristics of nurses which are higher than standard mark. The majority of the nurses have average entrepreneurship (20.4%). It means that they have some strong entrepreneurship. The result show that average of the need for achievement is 34.5%, the locus of control 33.8%, risk taking propensity 33.2%, ambiguity tolerance 34.2%, and innovation 41.6%. The results indicate that the 4 dimensions of the need for achievement, risk taking, Ambiguity Tolerance, and Innovation were significant. However, the locus of control is not significant at a 0.05 significance level. In terms, entrepreneurially nurses are comparatively more innovative, have risk taking attitudes, need for achievement, Ambiguity Tolerance, and Innovation. Results largely support significant positive relationships between psychological traits and entrepreneurial orientations.

Entrepreneurship Psychological Characteristics of Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Dehghanzadeh

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nurses are full partners with other health care professionals. Until fairly recently the scope of nurses potential in entrepreneurship has not been widely recognized. The present study tries to evaluate entrepreneurship psychological characteristics among nurses. The survey instrument included scales measuring entrepreneurship psychological characteristics including locus of control, need for achievement, risk taking propensity, ambiguity tolerance, and innovation, among nurses in the Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran in 2013. In this study average of entrepreneurship psychological characteristics of nurses which are higher than standard mark. The majority of the nurses have average entrepreneurship (20.4%. It means that they have some strong entrepreneurship. The result show that average of the need for achievement is 34.5%, the locus of control 33.8%, risk taking propensity 33.2%, ambiguity tolerance 34.2%, and innovation 41.6%. The results indicate that the 4 dimensions of the need for achievement, risk taking, Ambiguity Tolerance, and Innovation were significant. However, the locus of control is not significant at a 0.05 significance level. In terms, entrepreneurially nurses are comparatively more innovative, have risk taking attitudes, need for achievement, Ambiguity Tolerance, and Innovation. Results largely support significant positive relationships between psychological traits and entrepreneurial orientations.

Conns' syndrome - atypical presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, K V S Hari; Modi, K D; Jha, Sangeeta; Jha, Ratan

2009-01-01

Primary hyperaldosteronism (Conns' syndrome) commonly presents with a combination of clinical features of hypokalemia and hypertension. Atypical presentations like normotension, normokalemia and neurological ailments are described in few cases. We encountered two such cases, the first presenting with acute neurological complaint and second case having insignificant hypertension. Both the patients had a characteristic biochemical and imaging profile consistent with primary hyperaldosteronism and responded to surgical resection of adrenal adenoma. (author)

First-order symmetrizable hyperbolic formulations of Einstein's equations including lapse and shift as dynamical fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvi, Kashif

2002-01-01

First-order hyperbolic systems are promising as a basis for numerical integration of Einstein's equations. In previous work, the lapse and shift have typically not been considered part of the hyperbolic system and have been prescribed independently. This can be expensive computationally, especially if the prescription involves solving elliptic equations. Therefore, including the lapse and shift in the hyperbolic system could be advantageous for numerical work. In this paper, two first-order symmetrizable hyperbolic systems are presented that include the lapse and shift as dynamical fields and have only physical characteristic speeds

U.S. Coastal Lidar Elevation Data - Including the Great Lakes and Territories, 1996 - present

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The NOAA Coastal Services Center manages and distributes lidar data for the coastal United States, including territorial possessions via the Digital Coast Data...

Characteristics of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Notz, K.J.

1988-04-01

The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for the spent fuels and other wastes that will, or may, eventually be disposed of in a geological repository. The two major sources of these materials are commercial light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and immobilized high-level waste (HLW). Other wastes that may require long-term isolation include non-LWR spent fuels and miscellaneous sources such as activated metals. This report deals with spent fuels, but for completeness, the other sources are described briefly. Detailed characterizations are required for all of these potential repository wastes. These characteristics include physical, chemical, and radiological properties. The latter must take into account decay as a function of time. In addition, the present inventories and projected quantities of the various wastes are needed. This information has been assembled in a Characteristics Data Base which provides data in four formats: hard copy standard reports, menu-driven personal computer (PC) data bases, program-level PC data bases, and mainframe computer files. 5 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

Characteristics of children presenting with newly diagnosed type 1 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The clinical presentation of type 1 diabetes in children can be acute or insidious, and symptoms may be subtle ... weakness, together with simple bedside tests such as urine dipsticks ... a recent worldwide focus on programmes to reduce the incidence .... by parents, asking the correct questions by medical personnel, and.

Analysis of risk factor and clinical characteristics of angiodysplasia presenting as upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae Bum; Chung, Woo Chul; Lee, Seok Jong; Sung, Hea Jung; Woo, Seokyung; Kim, Hyo Suk; Jeong, Yeon Oh; Lee, Hyewon; Kim, Yeon-Ji

2016-07-01

Angiodysplasia is important in the differential diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but the clinical features and outcomes associated with UGIB from angiodysplasia have not been characterized. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of angiodysplasia presented as UGIB. Between January 2004 and December 2013, a consecutive series of patients admitted with UGIB were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-five patients with bleeding from angiodysplasia were enrolled. We compared them with an asymptomatic control group (incidental finding of angiodysplasia in health screening, n = 58) and bleeding control group (simultaneous finding of angiodysplasia and peptic ulcer bleeding, n = 28). When patients with UGIB from angiodysplasia were compared with the asymptomatic control group, more frequent rates of nonantral location and large sized lesion (≥ 1 cm) were evident in multivariate analysis. When these patients were compared with the bleeding control group, they were older (mean age: 67.94 ± 9.16 years vs.55.07 ± 13.29 years, p = 0.03) and received less transfusions (p = 0.03). They also had more frequent rate of recurrence (40.0% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.02). Non-antral location and large lesions (≥ 1 cm) could be risk factors of UGIB of angiodysplasia. UGIB due to angiodysplasia was more common in older patients. Transfusion requirement would be less and a tendency of clinical recurrence might be apparent.

A quasi-static algorithm that includes effects of characteristic time scales for simulating failures in brittle materials

KAUST Repository

Liu, Jinxing; El Sayed, Tamer S.

2013-01-01

When the brittle heterogeneous material is simulated via lattice models, the quasi-static failure depends on the relative magnitudes of Telem, the characteristic releasing time of the internal forces of the broken elements and Tlattice

Hodgkin's disease: correlation of clinical characteristics with probabilities for negative lymphangiogram vs. negative laparotomy findings in patients with stage I supradiaphragmatic presentations vs. those in patients with stage II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, Lillian M.; Mirza, Nadeem Q.; Palmer, J. Lynn; Davis, Barry R.; Ha, Chul S.; Rodriguez, M. Alma; Hagemeister, Fredrick B.; Cabanillas, Fernando; McLaughlin, Peter; Butler, James J.; North, Luceil B.; Martin, Richard G.

1998-01-01

Purpose: At a time both when late complications and second malignancies have become a growing concern and when staging laparotomy has been largely abandoned and comparative studies for staging Hodgkin's disease by state of the art computed tomography (CT) vs. lymphangiography have revealed minimal differences in results for these procedures, our purpose for undertaking this study was twofold. Our initial reason was to determine and compare probabilities for negative abdominal findings for patients with Stage I presentations with those for patients with Stage II as determined by lymphangiography and subsequently by laparotomy for those patients who had negative lymphangiograms. Our second reason, being an extension of the first, was to create a resource that can be used in conjunction with other information for arriving at appropriate treatment decisions including giving either more or particularly less than standard institutional therapy and especially with respect to the abdomen. Methods and Materials: Data on 714 patients with prelymphangiogram Stage I-II upper torso presentations of Hodgkin's disease were entered prospectively in our database between 1968 and 1987. Twenty-eight with lymphocyte predominant disease, who had both negative lymphangiogram and negative laparotomy findings and 17 with questionable diagnoses of lymphocyte-depleted or unclassified disease were excluded from subsequent analyses of 669 patients with nodular sclerosis (NS) and mixed cellularity (MC) diagnoses. Results: Stage I: in final logistic models, negative lymphangiogram findings were associated strongly with a combination of no constitutional symptoms and nodular sclerosis histology, whereas negative laparotomy findings correlated strongly with a combination of no constitutional symptoms and female sex. Predicted probabilities depended on the ratios of favorable to unfavorable characteristics. Stage II: in final logistic models, negative lymphangiogram findings were associated

From task characteristics to learning: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wielenga-Meijer, Etty G A; Taris, Toon W; Kompier, Michiel A J; Wigboldus, Daniël H J

2010-10-01

Although many theoretical approaches propose that job characteristics affect employee learning, the question is why and how job characteristics influence learning. The present study reviews the evidence on the relationships among learning antecedents (i.e., job characteristics: demands, variety, autonomy and feedback), learning processes (including motivational, meta-cognitive, cognitive and behavioral processes) and learning consequences. Building on an integrative heuristic model, we quantitatively reviewed 85 studies published between 1969 and 2005. Our analyses revealed strong evidence for a positive relation between job demands and autonomy on the one hand and motivational and meta-cognitive learning processes on the other. Furthermore, these learning processes were positively related to learning consequences. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Retinoblastoma: a most unusual presentation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. C. Pedro-Egbe

Although leukocoria and strabismus are the most common presenting signs of retinoblastoma, a retrospective study by Abramson et al. identified 32 distinct presenting signs of retinoblastoma.6-8. A few other studies have also noted some distinct characteristics exhibited by children whose conditions were diagnosed in the ...

Double-gate junctionless transistor model including short-channel effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paz, B C; Pavanello, M A; Ávila-Herrera, F; Cerdeira, A

2015-01-01

This work presents a physically based model for double-gate junctionless transistors (JLTs), continuous in all operation regimes. To describe short-channel transistors, short-channel effects (SCEs), such as increase of the channel potential due to drain bias, carrier velocity saturation and mobility degradation due to vertical and longitudinal electric fields, are included in a previous model developed for long-channel double-gate JLTs. To validate the model, an analysis is made by using three-dimensional numerical simulations performed in a Sentaurus Device Simulator from Synopsys. Different doping concentrations, channel widths and channel lengths are considered in this work. Besides that, the series resistance influence is numerically included and validated for a wide range of source and drain extensions. In order to check if the SCEs are appropriately described, besides drain current, transconductance and output conductance characteristics, the following parameters are analyzed to demonstrate the good agreement between model and simulation and the SCEs occurrence in this technology: threshold voltage (V TH ), subthreshold slope (S) and drain induced barrier lowering. (paper)

On intermittent flow characteristics of gas–liquid two-phase flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thaker, Jignesh; Banerjee, Jyotirmay, E-mail: jbaner@gmail.com

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Unified correlations for intermittent flow characteristics are developed. • Influence of inflow conditions on intermittent flow characteristics is analysed. • Developed correlations can be used for effective design of piping components. - Abstract: Flow visualisation experiments are reported for intermittent regime of gas–liquid two-phase flow. Intermittent flow characteristics, which include plug/slug frequency, liquid plug/slug velocity, liquid plug/slug length, and plug/slug bubble length are determined by image processing of flow patterns captured at a rate of 1600 frames per second (FPS). Flow characteristics are established as a function of inlet superficial velocity of both the phases (in terms of Re{sub SL} and Re{sub SG}). The experimental results are first validated with the existing correlations for slug flow available in literature. It is observed that the correlations proposed in literature for slug flow do not accurately predict the flow characteristics in the plug flow regime. The differences are clearly highlighted in this paper. Based on the measured database for both plug and slug flow regime, modified correlations for the intermittent flow regime are proposed. The correlations reported in the present paper, which also include plug flow characteristics will aid immensely to the effective design and optimization of operating conditions for safer operation of two-phase flow piping systems.

Housing characteristics 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-06-01

This report, Housing Characteristics 1993, presents statistics about the energy-related characteristics of US households. These data were collected in the 1993 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) -- the ninth in a series of nationwide energy consumption surveys conducted since 1978 by the Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy. Over 7 thousand households were surveyed, representing 97 million households nationwide. A second report, to be released in late 1995, will present statistics on residential energy consumption and expenditures.

Control characteristics of inert gas recovery plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikawa, Hiroji; Kato, Yomei; Kamiya, Kunio

1980-01-01

This paper presents a dynamic simulator and the control characteristics for a radioactive inert gas recovery plant which uses a cryogenic liquefying process. The simulator was developed to analyze the operational characteristics and is applicable to gas streams which contain nitrogen, argon, oxygen and krypton. The characteristics analysis of the pilot plant was performed after the accuracy of the simulator was checked using data obtained in fundamental experiments. The relationship between the reflux ratio and krypton concentration in the effluent gas was obtained. The decontamination factor is larger than 10 9 when the reflux ratio is more than 2. 0. The control characteristics of the plant were examined by changing its various parameters. These included the amount of gas to be treated, the heater power inside the evaporator and the liquid nitrogen level in the condenser. These characteristics agreed well with the values obtained in the pilot plant. The results show that the krypton concentration in the effluent gas increases when the liquid nitrogen level is decreased. However, in this case, the krypton concentration can be minimized by applying a feed forward control to the evaporator liquid level controller. (author)

Three Characteristics of Effective Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Natalie A.

2010-01-01

This article discusses three characteristics that are often associated with successful music educators. The three characteristics discussed include nonverbal communication, teacher self-efficacy, and servant leadership. Although there is no magical combination of characteristics that will produce an effective music teacher, these three attributes…

Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Miftari

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Study-research deals with younger students of both sexes aged 13-14, who, besides attending classes of physical education and sports, also practice in basketball schools in the city of Pristina. The experiment contains a total of 7 morphological variables, while four tests of basic motion skills and seven variables are from specific motion skills. In this study, the verification and analysis of the correlation of morphological characteristics and basic and situational motor skills in both groups of both sexes (boys and girls were treated. Based on the results obtained between several variables, valid correlations with high coefficients are presented, whereas among the variables are presented correlations with optimal values. The experimentation in question includes the number of 80 entities of both sexes; the group of 40 boys and the other group consisting of 40 girls who have undergone the tests for this study-experiment.

Advanced nuclear turbojet powerplant characteristics summary for supersonic aircraft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, John W.

1959-01-01

The estimated powerplant characteristics of an advanced nuclear powerplant intended for use in a nuclear supersonic manned airplane is contained in this report. This nuclear powerplant consists of a 575 MW, high temperature, lithium-cooled, solid fuel element-type reactor coupled to six turbojet engines especially designed for a supersonic nuclear airplane. The lithium coolant passes from the reactor at 2000F directly to the engine radiators without the use of an intermediate heat exchanger. The engines are fitted with burners enabling the thrust produced by the nuclear powerplant to be augmented by the use of chemical fuel for the take-off, transonic acceleration and landing portions of the flight. The powerplant components have been selected for a maximum thrust-to-weight ratio at Mach 3 and 55,000 feet altitude on nuclear heat only operation compromised for net thrust produced with chemical fuel augmentation during the transonic portion of flight. The power plant data presented, therefore, are primarily applicable to an all supersonic mission on nuclear heat alone. The powerplant data presented in this report are an extension of data contained in PWAC-243, 'NJ-14 All-Nuclear Supersonic Bomber Powerplant Characteristics Summary, March 11, 1958', to a higher reactor power. In addition, the engine compressor pressure ratio has been increased to improve transonic thrust characteristics. Weight data are tabulated for the 575 MW powerplant. The engine envelope based on preliminary radiator size estimates is illustrated. A liquid metal system flow schematic and piping data are included. Shield information including reactor shield outline, assumptions, weights, and direct dose pattern at 50 feet is also included. Estimated performance on nuclear heat only operation and nuclear heat plus burning is presented for an envelope of flight conditions.

Learning characteristics of a space-time neural network as a tether skiprope observer

Science.gov (United States)

Lea, Robert N.; Villarreal, James A.; Jani, Yashvant; Copeland, Charles

1993-01-01

The Software Technology Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center is testing a Space Time Neural Network (STNN) for observing tether oscillations present during retrieval of a tethered satellite. Proper identification of tether oscillations, known as 'skiprope' motion, is vital to safe retrieval of the tethered satellite. Our studies indicate that STNN has certain learning characteristics that must be understood properly to utilize this type of neural network for the tethered satellite problem. We present our findings on the learning characteristics including a learning rate versus momentum performance table.

Characteristics of water obtained by dewatering cyanobacteria-containing sludge formed during drinking water treatment, including C-, N-disinfection byproduct formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hangzhou; Pei, Haiyan; Jin, Yan; Xiao, Hongdi; Ma, Chunxia; Sun, Jiongming; Li, Hongmin

2017-03-15

This is the first study to systematically investigate the characteristics of the water obtained by dewatering cyanobacteria-containing sludge generated in the drinking water treatment plant, including formation of C- and N-disinfection by-products (DBPs). Results showed that this 'dewatering water' (DW) had different properties when the sludge was stored at different times. The content of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microcystins (MCs) in the DW were low when the sludge was treated or disposed of within 4 days; correspondingly, the C-, N-DBP production was also low. However, due to the damage of algal cells to some extent, the DOM and MC levels increased significantly for storage time longer than 4 days; the production of C-, N-DBPs also increased. There were also obvious differences in the characteristics of the DW from sludges generated with different coagulant species. Due to the better protective effect of FeCl 3 and polymeric aluminium ferric chloride (PAFC) flocs, the DOM and MC levels and the production of C-, N-DBPs in the DW with FeCl 3 and PAFC coagulation were lower than those with AlCl 3 coagulation, even though the sludges were stored for the same amount of time. Furthermore, because of the formation of Al and Fe hydroxides, precipitated onto the surface of flocs, the soluble Al and Fe in the DW decreased with increased storage time, especially in the first four days. Overall, this study revealed the trends in variation of DW quality for cyanobacteria-containing sludges formed with different coagulants, then FeCl 3 and PAFC coagulants are recommended and sludge should be treated or disposed of within 4 days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on the seismic response of reactor vessel of pool type LMFBR including fluid-structure interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanimoto, K.; Ito, T.; Fujita, K.; Kurihara, C.; Sawada, Y.; Sakurai, A.

1988-01-01

The paper presents the seismic response of reactor vessel of pool type LMFBR with fluid-structure interaction. The reactor vessel has bottom support arrangement, the same core support system as Super-Phenix in France. Due to the bottom support arrangement, the level of core support is lower than that of the side support arrangement. So, in this reactor vessel, the displacement of the core top tends to increase because of the core's rocking. In this study, we investigated the vibration and seismic response characteristics of the reactor vessel. Therefore, the seismic experiments were carried out using one-eighth scale model and the seismic response including FSI and sloshing were investigated. From this study, the effect of liquid on the vibration characteristics and the seismic response characteristics of reactor vessel were clarified and sloshing characteristics were also clarified. It was confirmed that FEM analysis with FSI can reproduce the seismic behavior of the reactor vessel and is applicable to seismic design of the pool type LMFBR with bottom support arrangement. (author). 5 refs, 14 figs, 2 tabs

Characteristics of type 2 diabetics presenting with end stage renal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mean fasting blood glucose was 6.0 ± 2.7 mmol/L. Hypertriglyceridemia was the most common dyslipidemia seen in 38.1% of the patients, followed by reduced high- density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in 33.3% and hypercholesterolemia in 23.8%. Common electrocardiographic abnormalities included myocardial ...

Hydrogen generator characteristics for storage of renewably-generated energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotowicz, Janusz; Bartela, Łukasz; Węcel, Daniel; Dubiel, Klaudia

2017-01-01

The paper presents a methodology for determining the efficiency of a hydrogen generator taking the power requirements of its auxiliary systems into account. Authors present results of laboratory experiments conducted on a hydrogen generator containing a PEM water electrolyzer for a wide range of device loads. On the basis of measurements, the efficiency characteristics of electrolyzers were determined, including that of an entire hydrogen generator using a monitored power supply for its auxiliary devices. Based on the results of the experimental tests, the authors have proposed generalized characteristics of hydrogen generator efficiency. These characteristics were used for analyses of a Power-to-Gas system cooperating with a 40 MW wind farm with a known yearly power distribution. It was assumed that nightly-produced hydrogen is injected into the natural gas transmission system. An algorithm for determining the thermodynamic and economic characteristics of a Power-to-Gas installation is proposed. These characteristics were determined as a function of the degree of storage of the energy produced in a Renewable Energy Sources (RES) installation, defined as the ratio of the amount of electricity directed to storage to the annual amount of electricity generated in the RES installation. Depending on the degree of storage, several quantities were determined. - Highlights: • The efficiency characteristics of PEM electrolyzer are determined. • Generalized characteristics of hydrogen generator efficiency are proposed. • Method of choice of electrolyser nominal power for Power-to-Gas system was proposed. • Development of Power-to-Gas systems requires implementation of support mechanisms.

Cost and Demand Characteristics of Telecom Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falch, Morten

1997-01-01

The Chapter presents the general characteristics of the cost and demand profiles for telecommunication services and identifies the barriers towards a free competitive market for telecommunication services related to these characteristics.......The Chapter presents the general characteristics of the cost and demand profiles for telecommunication services and identifies the barriers towards a free competitive market for telecommunication services related to these characteristics....

An Overview on Study of Identification of Driver Behavior Characteristics for Automotive Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Na Lin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Driver characteristics have been the research focus for automotive control. Study on identification of driver characteristics is provided in this paper in terms of its relevant research directions and key technologies involved. This paper discusses the driver characteristics based on driver’s operation behavior, or the driver behavior characteristics. Following the presentation of the fundamental of the driver behavior characteristics, the key technologies of the driver behavior characteristics are reviewed in detail, including classification and identification methods of the driver behavior characteristics, experimental design and data acquisition, and model adaptation. Moreover, this paper discusses applications of the identification of the driver behavior characteristics which has been applied to the intelligent driver advisory system, the driver safety warning system, and the vehicle dynamics control system. At last, some ideas about the future work are concluded.

Patient characteristics upon initial presentation to chiropractic teaching clinics: A descriptive study conducted at one university

Science.gov (United States)

Kaeser, Martha A.; Hawk, Cheryl; Anderson, Michelle

2014-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare demographics and chief complaints of the new patient population at our institution's fee-for-service clinics to the patient population of practicing chiropractors in the United States. We also compared the prevalence of obesity and hypertension to reference standards for the adult population. Methods Patient data were obtained from the electronic health records. All records identified as new patients during October 2013 were included. Variables of interest were clinic site, patient demographics, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), chief complaint, and ICD-9 codes. Descriptive statistics were computed and compared to reference standards from previous reports. Results During October 2013, there were 224 new patients that entered the clinics. The average patient was a 31- to 50-year-old white male. Our clinic patients differed from those seen by US chiropractors in the distribution of all demographic variables. For adult patients, 31.4% were overweight, 29% were obese, and 8% stage 1 or 2 hypertension. Conclusion New patients in the fee-for-service teaching clinics appear to be dissimilar to those of US practicing chiropractors in several important demographics, characteristics, and types of complaints. The new patients had lower levels of overweight, obesity, and hypertension compared to US reference standards. PMID:25162982

Present status of the ion ring compressor approach to fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleischmann, H.H.

1975-01-01

A short review is given of the present research status with regard to the Ion Ring Compressor. A consideration of the reactor characteristics of this fusion scheme indicates the potential for a number of technologically and economically interesting features, in particular with respect to the high-confinement characteristics expected for such minimum-B configurations. Experimental results from the RECE-program at Cornell indicate generally good gross stability of strong electron rings, including purely collisional decay, stability against field perturbations and others. Most-recent experiments have extended the ring lifetime to more than 2 x 10 5 electron orbits. Strong electron rings have been shifted over an axial distance of up to 30 cm. Experiments with magnetic-field insulated diodes indicate ion pulses of up to 300 nsec, and field insulation of up to 800 nsec when metallic electrodes are used

Unusual presentation of Klinefelter syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Chanchal; Sahana, Pranab Kumar; Sengupta, Nilanjan; Roy, Mukut; Dasgupta, Ranen

2013-01-01

Introduction: Klinefelter syndrome usually presents in the puberty and adulthood with its characteristic features. We report a boy who had Klinefelter syndrome with hypospadias and hydrocele. Case Note: Six and half year old boy had complaints of genitourinary problem in the form of hypospadias, small phallus and hydrocele. Karyotyping showed 47,XXY. Conclusion: This case illustrates that Klinefelter syndrome was presented in the infancy with hypospadias and hydrocele which are very uncommon presentation of the disease PMID:24910838

Xeroradiography. Principles, characteristics and method indications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uemura, L.; Forni, S.S.; Abreu Neto, B.P.; Broccoli Neto, J.; Abilio, S.O.

1987-01-01

The xeroradiography is an entirely photoeletric process to obtain the radiographic image, employing a selenium plate instead of the conventional radiologic film. A revision of the physical principles and technical aspects of the method is presented, and the characteristics of xeroradiographic images are explained. The applications of xeroradiography include evaluation of breast, structures of the neck soft tissues tumors and some bone tumors for soft tissue components, foreign body detection in soft issues and visualization of the smaller skeletal structures of the extremeties. (Author) [pt

Simulation and Experimental Investigation of Structural Dynamic Frequency Characteristics Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bing Li

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In general, mechanical equipment such as cars, airplanes, and machine tools all operate with constant frequency characteristics. These constant working characteristics should be controlled if the dynamic performance of the equipment demands improvement or the dynamic characteristics is intended to change with different working conditions. Active control is a stable and beneficial method for this, but current active control methods mainly focus on vibration control for reducing the vibration amplitudes in the time domain or frequency domain. In this paper, a new method of dynamic frequency characteristics active control (DFCAC is presented for a flat plate, which can not only accomplish vibration control but also arbitrarily change the dynamic characteristics of the equipment. The proposed DFCAC algorithm is based on a neural network including two parts of the identification implement and the controller. The effectiveness of the DFCAC method is verified by several simulation and experiments, which provide desirable results.

Characteristics of early psychosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schothorst, P.F.; Emck, C.; van Engeland, H.

2006-01-01

There is little research on characteristics related to course and prognosis of early-onset psychosis. The present article aims to advance our knowledge of this disorder for the purpose of proper diagnosis and treatment. It focuses on premorbid and prodromal characteristics, treatment history,

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus presenting as poikiloderma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hughes, R

2012-02-01

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) is a recognised variant of lupus erythematosus (LE), which accounts for 10-15% of all cases of cutaneous LE, occurring most commonly in young to middle-aged white women. Diagnosis is based on the detection of anti-Ro\\/SS-A antibodies in the skin and serum, characteristic clinical and histological cutaneous involvement, and relatively mild systemic involvement. Several unusual variants of SCLE have been reported including erythrodermic SCLE, SCLE with vitiligo-like lesions, acral SCLE and bullous SCLE. Poikoilodermatous SCLE is a recognised but rare variant of SCLE. There are currently only two case reports, comprising five individual cases, in the literature. We present a case of SCLE in which the main clinical findings were an extensive photodistributed poikilodermatous rash and alopecia.

Clinical presentation of renal cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, R.A.; Ashraf, S.; Jamil, N.

2015-01-01

Most common malignant tumour of the kidney is Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) and is known for its unpredictable clinical behaviour. Aetiology and risk factors are not completely understood. Extensive workup is being done in the understanding of the disease, especially to diagnose early and to treat promptly. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical presentation and pathological pattern of RCC. Methods: After approval from ethical committee a retrospective review of records was conducted extending from January 2012 to January 2014 to identify clinical characteristics of renal cell carcinomas. The study included all renal cancer patients presented to Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore with in this specified period. The data was retrieved regarding, history, physical examination and necessary investigations such as ultrasonography of abdomen and pelvis and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis. Results: There were total of 50 cases. The male to female ratio was 3:2. Mean age of patients were 52.38 (18-93) years old. Most common clinical presentation was gross haematuria(66%).The mean tumour size was 8.34 (3-24) cm. Tumour histology were clear cell (84%), papillary transitional cell carcinoma (12%) and oncosytoma contributed 4%. Conclusion: We observed that large number of the patients with RCC presented with haematuria and most of them were male. Common pathological type was clear cell carcinoma. (author)

Software for illustrative presentation of basic clinical characteristics of laboratory tests--GraphROC for Windows.

Science.gov (United States)

Kairisto, V; Poola, A

1995-01-01

GraphROC for Windows is a program for clinical test evaluation. It was designed for the handling of large datasets obtained from clinical laboratory databases. In the user interface, graphical and numerical presentations are combined. For simplicity, numerical data is not shown unless requested. Relevant numbers can be "picked up" from the graph by simple mouse operations. Reference distributions can be displayed by using automatically optimized bin widths. Any percentile of the distribution with corresponding confidence limits can be chosen for display. In sensitivity-specificity analysis, both illness- and health-related distributions are shown in the same graph. The following data for any cutoff limit can be shown in a separate click window: clinical sensitivity and specificity with corresponding confidence limits, positive and negative likelihood ratios, positive and negative predictive values and efficiency. Predictive values and clinical efficiency of the cutoff limit can be updated for any prior probability of disease. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves can be generated and combined into the same graph for comparison of several different tests. The area under the curve with corresponding confidence interval is calculated for each ROC curve. Numerical results of analyses and graphs can be printed or exported to other Microsoft Windows programs. GraphROC for Windows also employs a new method, developed by us, for the indirect estimation of health-related limits and change limits from mixed distributions of clinical laboratory data.

Computer Programs for Calculating and Plotting the Stability Characteristics of a Balloon Tethered in a Wind

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, R. M.; Bland, S. R.; Redd, L. T.

1973-01-01

Computer programs for calculating the stability characteristics of a balloon tethered in a steady wind are presented. Equilibrium conditions, characteristic roots, and modal ratios are calculated for a range of discrete values of velocity for a fixed tether-line length. Separate programs are used: (1) to calculate longitudinal stability characteristics, (2) to calculate lateral stability characteristics, (3) to plot the characteristic roots versus velocity, (4) to plot the characteristic roots in root-locus form, (5) to plot the longitudinal modes of motion, and (6) to plot the lateral modes for motion. The basic equations, program listings, and the input and output data for sample cases are presented, with a brief discussion of the overall operation and limitations. The programs are based on a linearized, stability-derivative type of analysis, including balloon aerodynamics, apparent mass, buoyancy effects, and static forces which result from the tether line.

Characteristics of child commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking victims presenting for medical care in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Varma, Selina; Gillespie, Scott; McCracken, Courtney; Greenbaum, V Jordan

2015-06-01

The objective of the study is to describe distinguishing characteristics of commercial sexual exploitation of children/child sex trafficking victims (CSEC) who present for health care in the pediatric setting. This is a retrospective study of patients aged 12-18 years who presented to any of three pediatric emergency departments or one child protection clinic, and who were identified as suspected victims of CSEC. The sample was compared with gender and age-matched patients with allegations of child sexual abuse/sexual assault (CSA) without evidence of CSEC on variables related to demographics, medical and reproductive history, high-risk behavior, injury history and exam findings. There were 84 study participants, 27 in the CSEC group and 57 in the CSA group. Average age was 15.7 years for CSEC patients and 15.2 years for CSA patients; 100% of the CSEC and 94.6% of the CSA patients were female. The two groups significantly differed in 11 evaluated areas with the CSEC patients more likely to have had experiences with violence, substance use, running away from home, and involvement with child protective services and/or law enforcement. CSEC patients also had a longer history of sexual activity. Adolescent CSEC victims differ from sexual abuse victims without evidence of CSEC in their reproductive history, high risk behavior, involvement with authorities, and history of violence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Overview of Structural Characteristics in Problematic Video Game Playing.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Mark D; Nuyens, Filip

2017-01-01

There are many different factors involved in how and why people develop problems with video game playing. One such set of factors concerns the structural characteristics of video games (i.e., the structure, elements, and components of the video games themselves). Much of the research examining the structural characteristics of video games was initially based on research and theorizing from the gambling studies field. The present review briefly overviews the key papers in the field to date. The paper examines a number of areas including (i) similarities in structural characteristics of gambling and video gaming, (ii) structural characteristics in video games, (iii) narrative and flow in video games, (iv) structural characteristic taxonomies for video games, and (v) video game structural characteristics and game design ethics. Many of the studies carried out to date are small-scale, and comprise self-selected convenience samples (typically using self-report surveys or non-ecologically valid laboratory experiments). Based on the small amount of empirical data, it appears that structural features that take a long time to achieve in-game are the ones most associated with problematic video game play (e.g., earning experience points, managing in-game resources, mastering the video game, getting 100% in-game). The study of video games from a structural characteristic perspective is of benefit to many different stakeholders including academic researchers, video game players, and video game designers, as well as those interested in prevention and policymaking by making the games more socially responsible. It is important that researchers understand and recognize the psycho-social effects and impacts that the structural characteristics of video games can have on players, both positive and negative.

On the comparability of acceptance tests for concrete by operation characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rackwitz, R.

1978-01-01

The purely statistical aspect of acceptance tests can be estimated by means of operation characteristics, the position and steepness of which determine the probability for acceptance or rejection of offered loads. For negative decisions in concrete checking there will be, as a rule, an after-check in normal quality control. The operation characteristics with after-check valid for DIN 1045, DIN 1084, and DIN 1048 are set up. Complete comparability of different acceptance tests by means of the operation characteristic can only be achieved if the different sampling rates and the number of decisions are also included in the consideration. Proposals for improving the acceptance tests for concrete are presented. (orig.) [de

Hemicrania continua: Case series presenting in an orofacial pain clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hryvenko, Iryna; Cervantes-Chavarría, Andrés R; Law, Alan S; Nixdorf, Donald R

2018-01-01

Aim of investigation Hemicrania continua (HC) is an uncommon primary headache and little is known of the characteristics of such patients managed in an orofacial pain setting. This study provides clinical features of HC, its association with other disorders, and treatment outcomes of patients managed in the TMD and Orofacial Pain Clinic at the University of Minnesota. Methods A retrospective review of patient records was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of HC and confirmation at follow-up. Results Six of the 1617 new patients seen between 2015 and 2017 met the selection criteria. Four patients presented with "facial pain", one with "toothache" and one with "jaw pain". All were female with mean age 55 ± 10.5 years (range = 41-69). Headache characteristics included unilateral (R:L = 1:1) pain of moderate intensity with severe exacerbations in the distribution of V 1 (1/6), V 1  + V 2 (3/6) and V 1  + V 2  + V 3 (2/6). Lacrimation and photophobia were the most common associated symptoms. Patient presentations were complicated by multiple medical and comorbid diagnoses. All were diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Indomethacin alone was sufficient for adequate headache control in 2/6 patients with several add-on medications providing sustained pain relief. Conclusions Comorbid pain conditions can be expected in patients with HC presenting to orofacial pain clinics. Symptom presentation varies, and multimodal treatment approach is necessary for success.

Case of clinical Reye syndrome presenting characteristic CT changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hino, Tamaki; Sai, Hoshun; Morikawa, Yuji; Mizuta, Ryuzo [Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital (Japan); Okuno, Takehiko

1984-05-01

A 9-month-old male infant was admitted to our hospital on the second day of cold like syndrome because of high fever, convulsion, coma, and decerebrate rigidity. Serum GOT, GPT, LDH, and CPK were markedly elevated. Serum ammonia was slightly increased, and hypoglycemia was present. The cerebrospinal fluid showed no pleocytosis, normal sugar content, but increased protein. Thus we made a diagnosis of clinical Reye syndrome according to the criteria by Yamashita, et al. A CT on the day of admission showed symmetrical low-density areas in the posterior fossa and the regions of thalamus. Ringed enhancements were seen around the areas of low density in the thalamus on the twenty-second hospital day. We consider that these lesions may represent the infarction due to obstruction of the thalamoperforant arteries caused by cerebral edema in the early stage of the disease.

Are Public School Teacher Salaries Paid Compensating Wage Differentials for Student Racial and Ethnic Characteristics?

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Stephanie M.

2010-01-01

The present paper examines the relationship between public school teacher salaries and the racial concentration and segregation of students in the district. A particularly rich set of control variables is included to better measure the effect of racial characteristics. Additional analyses included Metropolitan Statistical Area fixed effects and…

Clinical presentation in patients with systemic sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvarino, R.; Rebella, M.; Alonso, J.; Cairoli, E.

2009-01-01

Introduction: systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by endothelial damage, and skin, vessel and internal organ fibrosis and inflammation. There are differences in terms of frequency, severity and prognosis for the different ethnic groups, what reinforces the importance of the study in each geographical region with the purpose of enabling early diagnosis of its incipient symptoms.Methods: we conducted a descriptive and retrospective study form March 2006 through March 2008, including patients with a final diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, who are treated at the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit at the Clinicas Hospital. Results: 31 women were included in the study, average follow-up of patients was 39.2 months, and average age at the time of diagnosis was 47.6 years. Eleven patients (35,5) presented diffuse disease and 20 (64.5) of them evidenced limited disease. Thirty patients presented Raynaud's phenomenon. In 92 of cases capilaroscopy showed a sclerodermiform pattern. In terms of the respiratory system, we found interstitial pathology in 25 of cases, pulmonary arterial hypertension in 22.2 and are restrictive pattern in respiratory function studies in 35.5. Also, 67.7 presented digestive manifestations and 9.6 developed sclerodermic renal crisis. We found anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) in 29 out of 31 patients (93,5) patients; 16 presented anticentromere antibodies and five anti-topoisomerasa-I antibodies. The four patients (12.9)who died during follow-up presented common elements such as diffuse sclerosis, digital ulcers and severe respiratory compromise. Conclusions: the clinical and immune characteristics found in our study were similar to those described in other series. Should there be no specific treatment, it is essential to perform regular assessment of visceral impact in order to control and delay complications which result in high morbimortality rates. (author) [es

Statistical Literacy: High School Students in Reading, Interpreting and Presenting Data

Science.gov (United States)

Hafiyusholeh, M.; Budayasa, K.; Siswono, T. Y. E.

2018-01-01

One of the foundations for high school students in statistics is to be able to read data; presents data in the form of tables and diagrams and its interpretation. The purpose of this study is to describe high school students’ competencies in reading, interpreting and presenting data. Subjects were consisted of male and female students who had high levels of mathematical ability. Collecting data was done in form of task formulation which is analyzed by reducing, presenting and verifying data. Results showed that the students read the data based on explicit explanations on the diagram, such as explaining the points in the diagram as the relation between the x and y axis and determining the simple trend of a graph, including the maximum and minimum point. In interpreting and summarizing the data, both subjects pay attention to general data trends and use them to predict increases or decreases in data. The male estimates the value of the (n+1) of weight data by using the modus of the data, while the females estimate the weigth by using the average. The male tend to do not consider the characteristics of the data, while the female more carefully consider the characteristics of data.

The majority of genes in the pathogenic Neisseria species are present in non-pathogenic Neisseria lactamica, including those designated as 'virulence genes'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saunders Nigel J

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neisseria meningitidis causes the life-threatening diseases meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal septicemia. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is closely related to the meningococcus, but is the cause of the very different infection, gonorrhea. A number of genes have been implicated in the virulence of these related yet distinct pathogens, but the genes that define and differentiate the species and their behaviours have not been established. Further, a related species, Neisseria lactamica is not associated with either type of infection in normally healthy people, and lives as a harmless commensal. We have determined which of the genes so far identified in the genome sequences of the pathogens are also present in this non-pathogenic related species. Results Thirteen unrelated strains of N. lactamica were investigated using comparative genome hybridization to the pan-Neisseria microarray-v2, which contains 2845 unique gene probes. The presence of 127 'virulence genes' was specifically addressed; of these 85 are present in N. lactamica. Of the remaining 42 'virulence genes' only 11 are present in all four of the sequenced pathogenic Neisseria. Conclusion Assessment of the complete dataset revealed that the vast majority of genes present in the pathogens are also present in N. lactamica. Of the 1,473 probes to genes shared by all four pathogenic genome sequences, 1,373 hybridize to N. lactamica. These shared genes cannot include genes that are necessary and sufficient for the virulence of the pathogens, since N. lactamica does not share this behaviour. This provides an essential context for the interpretation of gene complement studies of the pathogens.

Does a presentation's medium affect its message? PowerPoint, Prezi, and oral presentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Moulton, Samuel T; Türkay, Selen; Kosslyn, Stephen M

2017-01-01

Despite the prevalence of PowerPoint in professional and educational presentations, surprisingly little is known about how effective such presentations are. All else being equal, are PowerPoint presentations better than purely oral presentations or those that use alternative software tools? To address this question we recreated a real-world business scenario in which individuals presented to a corporate board. Participants (playing the role of the presenter) were randomly assigned to create PowerPoint, Prezi, or oral presentations, and then actually delivered the presentation live to other participants (playing the role of corporate executives). Across two experiments and on a variety of dimensions, participants evaluated PowerPoint presentations comparably to oral presentations, but evaluated Prezi presentations more favorably than both PowerPoint and oral presentations. There was some evidence that participants who viewed different types of presentations came to different conclusions about the business scenario, but no evidence that they remembered or comprehended the scenario differently. We conclude that the observed effects of presentation format are not merely the result of novelty, bias, experimenter-, or software-specific characteristics, but instead reveal a communication preference for using the panning-and-zooming animations that characterize Prezi presentations.

An assessment on seasonal analysis of wind energy characteristics and wind turbine characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akpinar, E. Kavak; Akpinar, S.

2005-01-01

This paper presents seasonal variations of the wind characteristics and wind turbine characteristics in the regions around Elazig, namely Maden, Agin and Keban. Mean wind speed data in measured hourly time series format is statistically analyzed for the six year period 1998-2003. The probability density distributions are derived from the time series data and their distributional parameters are identified. Two probability density functions are fitted to the measured probability distributions on a seasonal basis. The wind energy characteristics of all the regions is studied based on the Weibull and Rayleigh distributions. Energy calculations and capacity factors for the wind turbine characteristics were determined for wind machines of different sizes between 300 and 2300 kW. It was found that Maden is the best region, among the regions analyzed, for wind characteristics and wind turbine characteristics

Sydenham's chorea: clinical and evolutive characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Teresa Ramos Ascensão Terreri

2002-01-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT: During the last 12 years we have observed an increase in the frequency of Sydenham's chorea in our country. We have observed that some of our patients have presented recurrence of the chorea despite regular treatment with benzathine penicillin. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate clinical and evolutive characteristics of Sydenham's chorea in a group of patients followed in our Pediatric Rheumatology Unit. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective study. SETTING: Section of Pediatric Rheumatology - Discipline of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology - Department of Pediatrics - UNIFESP - EPM. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and ninety patients with rheumatic fever followed between 1986 and 1999. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 290 patients with rheumatic fever followed between 1986 and 1999. All patients were diagnosed according to the revised Jones criteria (1992. We included 86 patients that presented Sydenham's chorea as one of the major criteria (one or more attacks and evaluated their clinical and evolutive characteristics as well the treatment. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were girls and 31 were boys. The mean age at onset was 9.7 years and mean follow-up period was 3.6 years. The 86 Sydenham's chorea patients presented 110 attacks of chorea. We observed isolated chorea in 35% of the patients, and 25 (29% presented one or more recurrences. We included only 17 of the 25 patients for further analysis, with a total of 22 recurrences of which 14 were attacks of chorea, because it was not possible to precisely detect the interval between attacks in the other patients. The approximate interval between the attacks ranged from 4 to 96 months. In 71% of the patients there was no failure in the secondary prophylaxis with benzathine penicillin, which was performed every 3 weeks. CONCLUSION: Despite the regular use of secondary benzathine penicillin prophylaxis, children with rheumatic fever have a high risk of Sydenham's chorea

Projection of own on others' job characteristics: evidence for the false consensus effect in job characteristics information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oliver, J.; Bakker, A.B.; Demerouti, E.; Jong, De R.D.

2005-01-01

The present study is an examination of the influence of rater characteristics as a source of bias in job characteristics information, as gleaned from the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS). Participants (N=133) completed an initial JDS for own job characteristics. Non-incumbents (n = 104) then completed a

Transmission Characteristics of a Generalized Parallel Plate Dielectric Waveguide at THz Frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Long-Fang; Xu Rui-Min; Zhang Yong; Lin Wei-Gan

2011-01-01

A generalized parallel-plate dielectric waveguide (G-PPDW) is proposed as a new guiding medium for terahertz wave. A theoretical analysis of the transmission characteristics for the TE modes of this generalized structure is performed. Equations are presented for the field components, dispersion, power ratio, transmission loss and characteristic impedance as functions of the operating frequencies, dimensions and material constants. In the case of the lowest-order mode TE 10 , design curves covering frequencies and dimensions for the given material constants in the THz region are presented. The theoretical results of transmission characteristics obtained from these equations are verified by the finite-element method with a good agreement. The investigation results show that by selecting proper dimensions and dielectric materials, G-PPDW can be used to guide THz waves efficiently with high power confinement and low attenuation. These outstanding properties may open up a way to many important applications for THz integrated circuits and systems. (fundamental areas of phenomenology(including applications))

[Histopathological characteristics of genital and breast cancer included in epidemiologic study cohort].

Science.gov (United States)

Matei, Mioara; Azoicăi, Doina

2009-01-01

The correct management of genitals and breast cancers and the improving of the preventional and therapeutical successes ratio involve the knowledge of the histopathological features of these nosological entities which have different origins, different risk factors, different simptomatology and also different prognosis. The descriptive evaluation of the histopathological features of the genitals and breast cancers to women from North-Eastern region of Romania. We have been included in the study 96 women (age range 23-77 years, mean 54,49) diagnosed with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer at the hospital admission, residency in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics within 23 months. The following main parameters were assessed: histological types, stage at diagnosis, Pap test. After data collection, these have been codified and included in a MS Excel Database, in order to be processed with SPSS 16 and EpiInfo 3.5.1. (2008) Softwares. The following cases' repartition on diagnostic types was observed: breast cancer (44 cases), cervical cancer (24 cases), endometrial cancer (16 cases) and ovarian cancer (12 cases). In our study, the most affected range of age was 40-69 years for breast cancer, 30-59 years for cervical cancer, over 6 years for endometrial cancer and 50-59 years for ovarian cancer. For the cervical neoplasia, 40% of analyzed cases were in incipient stages (in situ to IB stage lessions). More than 50% of breast cancer cases have been diagnosed in advances stages (IIB to IIIC stages). For the endometrium carcinoma, 45% of cases have been identified in incipient stages (in situ to IC). The ovarian neoplasia cases have been detected, most frequently, in advanced stages (III and IV). 25% of women which participated in our study had showed cervical changes. From a histopathological point of view, for cervical neoplasia, squamous carcinoma was the most frequent type (87%), for breast neoplasia--invasive ductal carcinoma (80

Thin films: Past, present, future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zweibel, K

1995-04-01

This report describes the characteristics of the thin film photovoltaic modules necessary for an acceptable rate of return for rural areas and underdeveloped countries. The topics of the paper include a development of goals of cost and performance for an acceptable PV system, a review of current technologies for meeting these goals, issues and opportunities in thin film technologies.

JOYO MK-II core characteristics database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkawachi, Yasushi; Maeda, Shigetaka; Sekine, Takashi; Aoyama, Takafumi

2003-04-01

The 'JOYO' MK-II core characteristics database was compiled and published in 1998. Comments and requests from many users led to the creation of a revised edition. The revisions include changes to the MAGI calculation code system to use the 70 group JFS-3-J3.2 constant set processed from the JENDL-3.2 library. Total control rod worth, reactor kinetic parameters and the MK-II core performance test results were included per user's requests. The core characteristics obtained from the 32 nd to 35 th operational cycles, which were conducted in the MK-III transition core, were newly added in this revised version. The MK-II core management data and core characteristics data were recorded to CD-ROM for user convenience. The Configuration Data' include the core arrangement and refueling record for each operational cycle. The 'Subassembly Library Data' include the atomic number density, neutron fluence, burn-up, integral power of 362 driver fuel subassemblies and 69 irradiation test subassemblies. The 'Output Data' contain the calculated neutron flux, gamma flux, power density, linear heat rate, coolant and fuel temperature distribution of all the fuel subassemblies at the beginning and end of each operational cycle. The 'Core Characteristics Data' include the measured excess reactivity, control rod worth calibration curve, and reactivity coefficients of temperature, power and burn-up. (author)

n-Characteristic Vector Fields of Contact Manifoldss

OpenAIRE

Hassanzadeh, Babak

2017-01-01

In present paper we define and study $n$-characteristic vector fields. We present definition of Tanaka-Webster connection, then use it for studying the behavior of $n$-characteristic vector fields. Also we show some results about of these vector fields by Tanaka-Webster connection.

Laparoendoscopic Rendezvous for Concomitant Cholecystocholedocholithiasis: A Successful Modality Even in the Most Difficult Presentations Including Pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirah, Bader Hamza; Mikwar, Zaher Abdulaziz; Ahmad, Akram Neyaz; Dahlan, Yaser Mohammed

2016-01-01

Background . Laparoendoscopic rendezvous (LERV) technique is emerging as an attractive treatment option for concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis. In this paper, we report our experience in performing the LERV technique in patients with unusual presentations in terms of anatomical difficulty, pregnancy, multiple comorbid diseases, and postlaparotomy. We aim to highlight the effectiveness of the LERV technique in some clinical situations where conventional methods would fail or carry high risks in adequately managing concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis. Methods . Four patients diagnosed to have concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis with associated difficult presentation or comorbid diseases were treated using the LERV technique. One patient presented with difficult anatomy where ERCP failed at initial attempts. Another patient was pregnant (first trimester). A third patient had complex comorbid diseases (bronchial asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and end-stage renal disease on regular hemodialysis). A fourth patient had previous laparotomy and sigmoidectomy for diverticular disease and had severe hospital phobia. Results . All patients tolerated the LERV technique very well; no intraoperative occurrence was reported. The mean operative time was 86.3 ± 17.2 minutes; mean time of the endoscopic part was 29.4 ± 3.57 minutes. The mean blood loss was 44.3 ± 18.2 mL (range 20-85). Residual stone, postoperative complications, postoperative morbidity, and postoperative mortality were 0 (0%). Postoperative short hospital stay was reported in all patients, average 3 days (range 2-4). Conclusion . LERV procedure is a safe and effective treatment option for the management of concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis, even in difficult situations where other methods would fail or carry high risks, or in patients presenting with severe comorbid diseases or pregnancy. This procedure may emerge as an attractive alternative option for high

Including Indigenous Minorities in Decision-Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pristed Nielsen, Helene

Based on theories of public sphere participation and deliberative democracy, this book presents empirical results from a study of experiences with including Aboriginal and Maori groups in political decision-making in respectively Western Australia and New Zealand......Based on theories of public sphere participation and deliberative democracy, this book presents empirical results from a study of experiences with including Aboriginal and Maori groups in political decision-making in respectively Western Australia and New Zealand...

Characteristics of new LiF preparations and sensitised LiF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driscoll, C M.H.; O' Hagan, J B; Mundy, S J; Todd, C D; McWhan, A F; Dodson, J

1986-01-01

The patent governing the preparation and production of lithium fluoride (LiF) awarded to the Harshaw Chemical Co. has expired. Other companies have become interested in developing additional preparations of this material. Two of these preparations include LiF:Mg,Ti manufactured by Vinten Instruments plc and high sensitivity LiF:Mg, Cu,P distributed by them. The properties of these materials, including sensitivity, dose threshold, photon energy response, reusability and storage characteristics, are presented in this paper and compared with those of Harshaw TLD-100 and with those of sensitised LiF.

Static, Lightweight Includes Resolution for PHP

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.A. Hills (Mark); P. Klint (Paul); J.J. Vinju (Jurgen)

2014-01-01

htmlabstractDynamic languages include a number of features that are challenging to model properly in static analysis tools. In PHP, one of these features is the include expression, where an arbitrary expression provides the path of the file to include at runtime. In this paper we present two

JOYO MK-II core characteristics database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabuchi, Shiro; Aoyama, Takafumi; Nagasaki, Hideaki; Kato, Yuichi

1998-12-01

The experimental fast reactor JOYO served as the MK-II irradiation bed core for testing fuel and material for FBR development for 15 years from 1982 to 1997. During the MK-II operation, extensive data were accumulated from the core characteristics tests conducted in thirty-one duty operations and thirteen special test operations. These core management data and core characteristics data were compiled into a database. The code system MAGI has been developed and used for core management of JOYO MK-II, and the core characteristics and the irradiation test conditions were calculated using MAGI on the basis of three dimensional diffusion theory with seven neutron energy groups. The core management data include extensive data, which were recorded on CD-ROM for user convenience. The data are specifications and configurations of the core, and for about 300 driver fuel subassemblies and about 60 uninstrumented irradiation subassemblies are core composition before and after irradiation, neutron flux, neutron fluences, fuel and control rod burn-up, and temperature and power distributions. MK-II core characteristics and test conditions were stored in the database for post analysis. Core characteristics data include excess reactivities, control rod worths, and reactivity coefficients, e.g., temperature, power and burn-up. Test conditions include both measured and calculated data for irradiation conditions. (author)

Environmental factors and dam characteristics associated with insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in newborn Holstein calves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamal, M.M.; Van Eetvelde, M.; Bogaert, H.; Hostens, M.; Vandaele, L.; Shamsuddin, M.; Opsomer, G.

2015-01-01

The objective of the present retrospective cohort study was to evaluate potential associations between environmental factors and dam characteristics, including level of milk production during gestation, and insulin traits in newborn Holstein calves

Flood-frequency characteristics of Wisconsin streams

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, John F.; Peppler, Marie C.; Danz, Mari E.; Hubbard, Laura E.

2017-05-22

Flood-frequency characteristics for 360 gaged sites on unregulated rural streams in Wisconsin are presented for percent annual exceedance probabilities ranging from 0.2 to 50 using a statewide skewness map developed for this report. Equations of the relations between flood-frequency and drainage-basin characteristics were developed by multiple-regression analyses. Flood-frequency characteristics for ungaged sites on unregulated, rural streams can be estimated by use of the equations presented in this report. The State was divided into eight areas of similar physiographic characteristics. The most significant basin characteristics are drainage area, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, main-channel slope, and several land-use variables. The standard error of prediction for the equation for the 1-percent annual exceedance probability flood ranges from 56 to 70 percent for Wisconsin Streams; these values are larger than results presented in previous reports. The increase in the standard error of prediction is likely due to increased variability of the annual-peak discharges, resulting in increased variability in the magnitude of flood peaks at higher frequencies. For each of the unregulated rural streamflow-gaging stations, a weighted estimate based on the at-site log Pearson type III analysis and the multiple regression results was determined. The weighted estimate generally has a lower uncertainty than either the Log Pearson type III or multiple regression estimates. For regulated streams, a graphical method for estimating flood-frequency characteristics was developed from the relations of discharge and drainage area for selected annual exceedance probabilities. Graphs for the major regulated streams in Wisconsin are presented in the report.

Spinning characteristics of wings II : rectangular Clark Y biplane cellule: 25 percent stagger; 0 degree decalage; gap/chord 1.0

Science.gov (United States)

Bamber, M J

1935-01-01

General methods of theoretical analysis of airplane spinning characteristics have been available for some time. Some of these methods of analysis might be used by designers to predict the spinning characteristics of proposed airplane designs if the necessary aerodynamic data were known. The present investigation, to determine the spinning characteristics of wings, is planned to include variations in airfoil sections, plan forms, and tip shapes of monoplane wings and variations in stagger, gap, and decalage for biplane cellules. The first series of tests, made on a rectangular Clark Y monoplane wing, are reported in reference 1. That report also gives an analysis of the data for predicting the probable effects of various important parameters on the spin for normal airplanes using such a wing. The present report is the second of the series. It gives the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular Clark Y biplane cellule in spinning attitudes and includes a discussion of the data, using the method of analysis given in reference 1.

NEONATAL TERATOMA PRESENTING AS HYGROMA-COLLI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

JAARSMA, AS; TAMMINGA, RYJ; DELANGEN, ZJ; NIKKELS, PGJ; KIMPEN, JLL

We describe a neonate with a large tumour involving cranial, cervical and upper mediastinal regions, which presented clinically as hygroma colli. Radiological and pathological investigations showed characteristics of a mature teratoma and prominent cystic components within the tumour. These findings

MODEL OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT BASED ON ASSOCIATION OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTIC, ORGANIZATION CHARACTERISTIC AND JOB CHARACTERISTIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Margaretha Bogar

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nursing care is integral part of health care and having important role in management of patient with emergency condition. The purpose of this research was to develop nurse performance improvement model based on individual, organization and job characteristics association in Emergency Department of RSUD dr TC Hillers Maumere. Method: This was an explanative survey by cross sectional approach held on July -August 2012. Respondents in this study were 22 nurses and 44 patients were obtained by purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed by partial least square test and signi fi cant t value > 1.64 (alpha 10%. Result: Results showed that individual characteristic had effect on nurse performance (t = 7.59, organization characteristic had effect on nurse performance (t = 2.03 and job characteristic didn’t have effect on nurse performance (t = 0.88. Nurse performance had effect on patient satisfaction (t = 6.54 but nurse satisfaction didn’t have effect on nurse performance (t = 1.31, and nurse satisfaction didn’t have effect either on patient satisfaction (t = 0.94. Discussion: This research concluded that individual characteristics which in fl uence nurse performance in nursing care were ability and skill, experience, age, sex, attitude and motivation. Organization characteristic that influence nurse performance was reward while job characteristic that include job design and feedback didn’t influence nurse performance in nursing care. Nurse performance influenced patient satisfaction but nurse satisfaction didn’t influence patient satisfaction and nurse performance.

Empirical study of the metal-nitride-oxide-semiconductor device characteristics deduced from a microscopic model of memory traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngai, K.L.; Hsia, Y.

1982-01-01

A graded-nitride gate dielectric metal-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (MNOS) memory transistor exhibiting superior device characteristics is presented and analyzed based on a qualitative microscopic model of the memory traps. The model is further reviewed to interpret some generic properties of the MNOS memory transistors including memory window, erase-write speed, and the retention-endurance characteristic features

Toxoplasmosis presented as a submental mass: a common disease, uncommon presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Zou, Jian; Wang, Wei-Ya; Liu, Shi-Xi

2015-01-01

Submental mass secondary to toxoplasmosis is not common in clinical work. A diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is rarely considered by physicians. Here we describe a 50-year-old woman presented with a progressive, painful, submental and left neck swelling for 1 month. After having obtained an insufficient evidence from the fine-needle biopsy, the patient finally received an excisional biopsy which highly indicated the possibility of lymphadenopathy consistent with toxoplasmosis. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was finally established by a combination of the pathological criteria, together with the positive serological finding. According to review the clinical presentations, pathological characteristics, diagnostic standard and treatment of this disease, the article aims to remind otolaryngologists who are evaluating a neck mass should be aware of the infectious cause of lymphadenopathy and the possibility of toxoplasmosis.

Laparoendoscopic Rendezvous for Concomitant Cholecystocholedocholithiasis: A Successful Modality Even in the Most Difficult Presentations Including Pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bader Hamza Shirah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Laparoendoscopic rendezvous (LERV technique is emerging as an attractive treatment option for concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis. In this paper, we report our experience in performing the LERV technique in patients with unusual presentations in terms of anatomical difficulty, pregnancy, multiple comorbid diseases, and postlaparotomy. We aim to highlight the effectiveness of the LERV technique in some clinical situations where conventional methods would fail or carry high risks in adequately managing concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis. Methods. Four patients diagnosed to have concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis with associated difficult presentation or comorbid diseases were treated using the LERV technique. One patient presented with difficult anatomy where ERCP failed at initial attempts. Another patient was pregnant (first trimester. A third patient had complex comorbid diseases (bronchial asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and end-stage renal disease on regular hemodialysis. A fourth patient had previous laparotomy and sigmoidectomy for diverticular disease and had severe hospital phobia. Results. All patients tolerated the LERV technique very well; no intraoperative occurrence was reported. The mean operative time was 86.3±17.2 minutes; mean time of the endoscopic part was 29.4±3.57 minutes. The mean blood loss was 44.3±18.2 mL (range 20–85. Residual stone, postoperative complications, postoperative morbidity, and postoperative mortality were 0 (0%. Postoperative short hospital stay was reported in all patients, average 3 days (range 2–4. Conclusion. LERV procedure is a safe and effective treatment option for the management of concomitant cholecystocholedocholithiasis, even in difficult situations where other methods would fail or carry high risks, or in patients presenting with severe comorbid diseases or pregnancy. This procedure may emerge as an attractive alternative option for high

Cauchy problem for differential operators with double characteristics non-effectively hyperbolic characteristics

CERN Document Server

Nishitani, Tatsuo

2017-01-01

Combining geometrical and microlocal tools, this monograph gives detailed proofs of many well/ill-posed results related to the Cauchy problem for differential operators with non-effectively hyperbolic double characteristics. Previously scattered over numerous different publications, the results are presented from the viewpoint that the Hamilton map and the geometry of bicharacteristics completely characterizes the well/ill-posedness of the Cauchy problem. A doubly characteristic point of a differential operator P of order m (i.e. one where Pm = dPm = 0) is effectively hyperbolic if the Hamilton map FPm has real non-zero eigenvalues. When the characteristics are at most double and every double characteristic is effectively hyperbolic, the Cauchy problem for P can be solved for arbitrary lower order terms. If there is a non-effectively hyperbolic characteristic, solvability requires the subprincipal symbol of P to lie between − Pµj and P µj , where iµj are the positive imaginary eigenvalues of FPm ....

Energy characteristics of Darrieus rotor ( review)

Science.gov (United States)

Gorelov, D. N.

2010-09-01

Presented below is the review of the results of experimental studies of energy characteristics of Darrieus rotor with vertical rotation axis. Influence of main geometry parameters of the rotor on its energy characteristics has been analyzed. It is shown that Darrieus rotor may have the higher level of energy characteristics than the best propeller wind turbines.

Mineralogical characteristics of the silica polymorphs in relation to their biological activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guthrie, G.D. Jr. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Heaney, P.J. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Geological and Geophysical Sciences

1993-10-01

Numerous aspects of minerals (including the silica polymorphs) can effect their biological activities. These include periodic structures, compositional variations, dissolution characteristics, surface properties, and particle size/shape. In order to understand mineral-induced pathogenesis in a mechanistic way, the links between these properties and biochemical processes must be elucidated. This paper presents some of the basic properties of the silica polymorphs that may relate to pathogenicity and mineralogical strategies for designing biological assays to evaluate these properties.

Modelling of hydrothermal characteristics of centrifugal nozzles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarkho, A.A.; Omelchenko, M.P.; Borshchev, V.A.

1990-01-01

Presented for the first time is a method of recalculating the hydrothermal characteristics of centrifugal nozzles obtained in laboratory conditions for full-scale nozzles. From the experimental hydrothermal characteristics of nozzles observed in the laboratory it is allowed to calculate the hydrothermal characteristics of any other centrifugal nozzle whose diameter and dimensionless geometric characteristic are known

Uranium mining and milling work force characteristics in the western US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapp, D.A.

1980-12-01

This report presents the results of a survey of the socioeconomic characteristics associated with 11 uranium mine and mill operations in 5 Western States. Comparisons are made with the socioeconomic characteristics of construction and operating crews for coal mines and utility plants in eight Western States. Worker productivity also is compared with that in similar types of coal and uranium mining operations. We found that there existed no significant differences between the socioeconomic characteristics of construction and operating crews and the secondary employment impacts associated with uranium mines and mills when compared with those associated with coal mines and utility plants requiring similar skills at comparable locations. In addition, our survey includes a comparison of several characteristics associated with the households of basic and nonbasic work forces and concludes that significant changes have occurred in the last 5 yr. Accordingly, we recommend additional monitoring and updating of data used in several economic forecasting models to avoid unwarranted delays in achieving national energy goals

Characteristic of the dosemeter used by the service of film dosimetry in the CPHR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capote Ferrera, E.A.; Diaz Bernal, E.; Manzano de Armas, J.F.

1998-01-01

Characteristic of the dosemeter used by the service of dosimetria filmica of the CPHR.The use of film dosemeter brings I get the aquisition first it gives data that it includes its evaluation regarding the calibration magnitude and second the interpretation of these data in terms of the magnitude of personal dose, such as the equivalent dose (ICRU 47) or to the effective dose (ICRP 60). presently work the results of the study of the characteristics of the dosemeters are picked up

Numerical optimization of conical flow waveriders including detailed viscous effects

Science.gov (United States)

Bowcutt, Kevin G.; Anderson, John D., Jr.; Capriotti, Diego

1987-01-01

A family of optimized hypersonic waveriders is generated and studied wherein detailed viscous effects are included within the optimization process itself. This is in contrast to previous optimized waverider work, wherein purely inviscid flow is used to obtain the waverider shapes. For the present waveriders, the undersurface is a streamsurface of an inviscid conical flowfield, the upper surface is a streamsurface of the inviscid flow over a tapered cylinder (calculated by the axisymmetric method of characteristics), and the viscous effects are treated by integral solutions of the boundary layer equations. Transition from laminar to turbulent flow is included within the viscous calculations. The optimization is carried out using a nonlinear simplex method. The resulting family of viscous hypersonic waveriders yields predicted high values of lift/drag, high enough to break the L/D barrier based on experience with other hypersonic configurations. Moreover, the numerical optimization process for the viscous waveriders results in distinctly different shapes compared to previous work with inviscid-designed waveriders. Also, the fine details of the viscous solution, such as how the shear stress is distributed over the surface, and the location of transition, are crucial to the details of the resulting waverider geometry. Finally, the moment coefficient variations and heat transfer distributions associated with the viscous optimized waveriders are studied.

[Clinical characteristics and renal uric acid excretion in early-onset gout patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Q H; Liang, J J; Chen, L X; Mo, Y Q; Wei, X N; Zheng, D H; Dai, L

2018-03-01

Objective: To investigate clinical characteristics and renal uric acid excretion in early-onset gout patients. Methods: Consecutive inpatients with primary gout were recruited between 2013 and 2017. The patients with gout onset younger than 30 were defined as early-onset group while the others were enrolled as control group. Clinical characteristics and uric acid (UA) indicators were compared between two groups. Results: Among 202 recruited patients, the early-onset group included 36 patients (17.8%). Compared with control group, the early-onset group presented more patients with obesity [13 patients (36.1%) vs. 22 patients (13.3%), Pgout early onset. Conclusion: The gout patients with early-onset younger than 30 present high serum and glomerular load of uric acid which might be due to obesity and relative under-excretion of renal uric acid.

Expert system characteristics and potential applications in safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, L.D.

1986-01-01

The general growth of expert, knowledge-based (KB) or rule based systems will significantly increase in the next three to five years. Improvements in computer hardware (speed, reduced size, power) and software (rule based, data based, user interfaces) in recent years are providing the foundations for the growth of expert systems. A byproduct of this growth will undoubtedly be the application of expert systems to various safeguards problems. Characteristics of these expert systems will involve 1) multiple rules governing an outcome, 2) confidence factors on individual variables and rule sets, 3) priority, cost, and risk based rule sets, and 4) the reasoning behind the advice or decision given by the expert system. This paper presents characteristics, structures, and examples of simple rule based systems. Potential application areas for these expert systems may include training, operations, management, designs, evaluations, and specific hardware operation

Quantifying Permafrost Characteristics with DCR-ERT

Science.gov (United States)

Schnabel, W.; Trochim, E.; Munk, J.; Kanevskiy, M. Z.; Shur, Y.; Fortier, R.

2012-12-01

Geophysical methods are an efficient method for quantifying permafrost characteristics for Arctic road design and engineering. In the Alaskan Arctic construction and maintenance of roads requires integration of permafrost; ground that is below 0 degrees C for two or more years. Features such as ice content and temperature are critical for understanding current and future ground conditions for planning, design and evaluation of engineering applications. This study focused on the proposed Foothills West Transportation Access project corridor where the purpose is to construct a new all-season road connecting the Dalton Highway to Umiat. Four major areas were chosen that represented a range of conditions including gravel bars, alluvial plains, tussock tundra (both unburned and burned conditions), high and low centered ice-wedge polygons and an active thermokarst feature. Direct-current resistivity using galvanic contact (DCR-ERT) was applied over transects. In conjunction complimentary site data including boreholes, active layer depths, vegetation descriptions and site photographs was obtained. The boreholes provided information on soil morphology, ice texture and gravimetric moisture content. Horizontal and vertical resolutions in the DCR-ERT were varied to determine the presence or absence of ground ice; subsurface heterogeneity; and the depth to groundwater (if present). The four main DCR-ERT methods used were: 84 electrodes with 2 m spacing; 42 electrodes with 0.5 m spacing; 42 electrodes with 2 m spacing; and 84 electrodes with 1 m spacing. In terms of identifying the ground ice characteristics the higher horizontal resolution DCR-ERT transects with either 42 or 84 electrodes and 0.5 or 1 m spacing were best able to differentiate wedge-ice. This evaluation is based on a combination of both borehole stratigraphy and surface characteristics. Simulated apparent resistivity values for permafrost areas varied from a low of 4582 Ω m to a high of 10034 Ω m. Previous

14 CFR 25.939 - Turbine engine operating characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Turbine engine operating characteristics... engine operating characteristics. (a) Turbine engine operating characteristics must be investigated in flight to determine that no adverse characteristics (such as stall, surge, or flameout) are present, to a...

Cyclic characteristics of earthquake time histories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, J.R. Jr; Shukla, D.K.; Kissenpfennig, J.F.

1977-01-01

From an engineering standpoint, an earthquake record may be characterized by a number of parameters, one of which is its 'cyclic characteristics'. The cyclic characteristics are most significant in fatigue analysis of structures and liquefaction analysis of soils where, in addition to the peak motion, cyclic buildup is significant. Whereas duration peak amplitude and response spectra for earthquakes have been studied extensively, the cyclic characteristics of earthquake records have not received an equivalent attention. Present procedures to define the cyclic characteristics are generally based upon counting the number of peaks at various amplitude ranges on a record. This paper presents a computer approach which describes a time history by an amplitude envelope and a phase curve. Using Fast Fourier Transform Techniques, an earthquake time history is represented as a projection along the x-axis of a rotating vector-the length the vector is given by the amplitude spectra-and the angle between the vector and x-axis is given by the phase curve. Thus one cycle is completed when the vector makes a full rotation. Based upon Miner's cumulative damage concept, the computer code automatically combines the cycles of various amplitudes to obtain the equivalent number of cycles of a given amplitude. To illustrate the overall results, the cyclic characteristics of several real and synthetic earthquake time histories have been studied and are presented in the paper, with the conclusion that this procedure provides a physical interpretation of the cyclic characteristics of earthquakes. (Auth.)

Flammability characteristics of LPG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardillo, Paolo

2005-01-01

The use of LPG is continuous increase not only in the domestic field but also in the field of the transports. Consequently, there is a renewed interest for its flammability characteristics in order to decide the necessary conditions of safety. The main components of LPG are hydrocarbons containing three or four carbon atoms. The normal components of LPG are propane and butane; small concentrations of other hydrocarbons (isobutene, propylene, butane, ethane, pentane) may also be present. Different mixtures of LGP have different and physical characteristics with a different behavior during the use. Also flammability characteristics can be different according to the composition. In this paper at firsts the flammability characteristics of the main components of LGP, taken singularly, are examinated; subsequently some examples of calculation of the flammability limits of different mixture are reported [it

Staphylococcus aureus septic pulmonary emboli presenting as angioinvasive aspergillosis: case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKerlie, I. [Montreal General Hospital, Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Bloom, C. [Jewish General Hospital, Dept. of Diagnostic Imaging, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Kreisman, H. [Jewish General Hospital, Pulmonary Div., Dept. of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

2001-12-01

Septic pulmonary emboli (SPE) have a wide spectrum of radiologic and clinical presentations. The characteristic chest radiographic findings of SPE have been well documented in the literature, but a significant number of patients present with nonspecific or equivocal infiltrates that are not definitive for septic emboli. Studies comparing computed tomographic (CT) scans and chest radiographs of patients with documented SPE suggest that CT provides a more characteristic and recognizable pattern of parenchymal involvement than can be routinely identified on plain radiographs. These findings include multiple peripheral nodules ranging in size from 0.5 cm to 3.5 cm, a feeding vessel sign, cavitation, wedge-shaped peripheral lesions abutting the pleura, air bronchograms within the nodules and extension into the pleural space. Patients with leukemia or lymphoma and prolonged bone marrow suppression are at high risk for developing opportunistic infections of the lung. Angioinvasive aspergillosis (AIA) can occur in any severely immunocompromised or chronically debilitated patient. By far, the most common clinical setting is the patient with prolonged granulocytopenia during treatment for acute leukemia. On CT images, AIA presents as round soft-tissue lung masses surrounded by a 'halo' of ground-glass attenuation. This appearance was once considered pathognomonic of AIA but is now known to be associated with a wide variety of hemorrhagic and vasculitic pulmonary processes. We report a case of SPE presenting radiographically as multiple lung nodules with surrounding halos, thus mimicking the diagnosis of AIA. To the best of our knowledge, these findings have not been reported in the literature. (author)

Energy consumption: Past, present, future

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

The energy consumption history of the United States and the changes which could occur in consumption characteristics in the next 50 years are presented. The various sources of energy are analyzed to show the limitations involved in development and utilization as a function of time available. Several scenarios were prepared to show the consumption and supply of energy under varying conditions.

Database on wind characteristics. Users manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsen, G.C.; Hansen, K.S.

2001-11-01

The main objective of IEA R and D Wind Annex XVII - Database on Wind Characteristics - is to provide wind energy planners and designers, as well as the international wind engineering community in general, with easy access to quality controlled measured wind field time series observed in a wide range of environments. The project partners are Sweden, Norway, U.S.A., The Netherlands, Japan and Denmark, with Denmark as the Operating Agent. The reporting of IEA R and D Annex XVII falls in three separate parts. Part one deals with the overall structure and philosophy behind the database (including the applied data quality control procedures), part two accounts in details for the available data in the established database bank and part three is the Users Manual describing the various ways to access and analyse the data. The present report constitutes part three of the Annex XVII reporting and contains a trough description of the available online facilities for identifying, selecting, downloading and handling measured wind field time series and resource data from 'Database on Wind Characteristics'. (au)

Electron beam characteristics on a Philips SL25

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palta, J.R.; Daftari, I.K.; Ayyangar, K.M.; Suntharalingam, N.

1990-01-01

Dosimetry measurements at nominal electron energies of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, and 22 MeV were made for different sized, open-sided applicators on two Philips SL25 linear accelerators. Measurements include beam flatness, percentage depth dose, surface dose, isodose curves, field size dependence, output at extended distances, virtual source position, and required low melting point alloy thickness for field shaping. These measurements are presented to document the characteristics of electron beams with a new type of applicator design on this series of Philips accelerators

The Effects of Poster Presentations and Class Presentations on Low-Proficiency Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Prichard, Caleb; Ferreira, Dan

2014-01-01

Presentation assignments for second language speakers can take several forms, such as a traditional class presentation or a poster presentation. Poster presentations, which are given repeatedly to small groups, seem to have several advantages, including increased speaking opportunities, more interaction between the speaker and the audience, and…

Basic clinical characteristics and hospital outcomes of acute ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Basic clinical characteristics and hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome patients - Sudan. A.M. Taha, H.O. Mirghani. Abstract. Background: There are Variation in the presentation of the acute coronary syndrome between countries. The present study aimed to investigate the basic clinical characteristics and ...

Molecular characteristics of the KCNJ5 mutated aldosterone-producing adenomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Masanori; Yoshimoto, Takanobu; Nakabayashi, Kazuhiko; Nakano, Yujiro; Fukaishi, Takahiro; Tsuchiya, Kyoichiro; Minami, Isao; Bouchi, Ryotaro; Okamura, Kohji; Fujii, Yasuhisa; Hashimoto, Koshi; Hata, Ken-Ichiro; Kihara, Kazunori; Ogawa, Yoshihiro

2017-10-01

The pathophysiology of aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) has been investigated via genetic approaches and the pathogenic significance of a series of somatic mutations, including KCNJ5 , has been uncovered. However, how the mutational status of an APA is associated with its molecular characteristics, including its transcriptome and methylome, has not been fully understood. This study was undertaken to explore the molecular characteristics of APAs, specifically focusing on APAs with KCNJ5 mutations as opposed to those without KCNJ5 mutations, by comparing their transcriptome and methylome status. Cortisol-producing adenomas (CPAs) were used as reference. We conducted transcriptome and methylome analyses of 29 APAs with KCNJ5 mutations, 8 APAs without KCNJ5 mutations and 5 CPAs. Genome-wide gene expression and CpG methylation profiles were obtained from RNA and DNA samples extracted from these 42 adrenal tumors. Cluster analysis of the transcriptome and methylome revealed molecular heterogeneity in APAs depending on their mutational status. DNA hypomethylation and gene expression changes in Wnt signaling and inflammatory response pathways were characteristic of APAs with KCNJ5 mutations. Comparisons between transcriptome data from our APAs and that from normal adrenal cortex obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus suggested similarities between APAs with KCNJ5 mutations and zona glomerulosa. The present study, which is based on transcriptome and methylome analyses, indicates the molecular heterogeneity of APAs depends on their mutational status. Here, we report the unique characteristics of APAs with KCNJ5 mutations. © 2017 Society for Endocrinology.

A case of clinical Reye syndrome presenting characteristic CT changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hino, Tamaki; Sai, Hoshun; Morikawa, Yuji; Mizuta, Ryuzo; Okuno, Takehiko.

1984-01-01

A 9-month-old male infant was admitted to our hospital on the second day of cold like syndrome because of high fever, convulsion, coma, and decerebrate rigidity. Serum GOT, GPT, LDH, and CPK were markedly elevated. Serum ammonia was slightly increased, and hypoglycemia was present. The cerebrospinal fluid showed no pleocytosis, normal sugar content, but increased protein. Thus we made a diagnosis of clinical Reye syndrome according to the criteria by Yamashita, et al. A CT on the day of admission showed symmetrical low-density areas in the posterior fossa and the regions of thalamus. Ringed enhancements were seen around the areas of low density in the thalamus on the twenty-second hospital day. We consider that these lesions may represent the infarction due to obstruction of the thalamoperforant arteries caused by cerebral edema in the early stage of the disease. (author)

Presenting characteristics and processing times for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients with chest pain in an emergency department: Time, Ethnicity, and Delay (TED) Study II.

Science.gov (United States)

Wechkunanukul, Kannikar; Grantham, Hugh; Teubner, David; Hyun, Karice K; Clark, Robyn A

2016-10-01

To date there has been limited published data presenting the characteristics and timeliness of the management in an Emergency Department (ED) for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients presenting with chest pain. This study aimed to describe the presenting characteristics and processing times for CALD patients with chest pain compared to the Australian-born population, and current guidelines. This study was a cross sectional analysis of a cohort of patients who presented with chest pain to the metropolitan hospital between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2014. Of the total study population (n=6640), 1241 (18.7%) were CALD and 5399 (81.3%) were Australian-born. CALD patients were significantly older than Australian-born patients (mean age 62 vs 56years, p<0.001). There were no differences in the proportion of patients who had central chest pain (74.9% vs 75.7%, p=0.526); ambulance utilisation (41.7% vs 41.1%, p=0.697); and time to initial treatment in ED (21 vs 22min, p=0.375). However, CALD patients spent a significantly longer total time in ED (5.4 vs 4.3h, p<0.001). There was no difference in guideline concordance between the two groups with low rates of 12.5% vs 13%, p=0.556. Nonetheless, CALD patients were 22% (95% CI, 0.65, 0.95, p=0.015) less likely to receive the guideline management for chest pain. The initial emergency care was equally provided to all patients in the context of a low rate of concordance with three chest pain related standards from the two guidelines. Nonetheless, CALD patients spent a longer time in ED compared to the Australian-born group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Btryoid Wilm's tumor in a child presenting with gross hematuria: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Chae Jung; Im, Young Jae; Shin, Hyun Joo; Kim, Myung Joon; Lee, Mi Jung [Severance Children' s Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

We report a unique case of botryoid Wilms' tumor with its characteristic imaging findings in a 5-month-old boy presenting with gross hematuria. In our case, ultrasonography revealed lobulated hyperechoic lesions filling the pelvicalyceal system without parenchymal invasion, mimicking a blood clot. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated the exact extent of the lesion with diffusion restriction and delayed enhancement suggestive of a tumor. Despite their rarity, botryoid Wilms' tumors should be included in the differential diagnosis of lobulated renal pelvic lesions presenting as gross hematuria in children, and MRI can suggest the diagnosis.

Characteristics of healthcare wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, L.F.; Eggerth, L.L.; Enkhtsetseg, Sh.; Savage, G.M.

2008-01-01

A comprehensive understanding of the quantities and characteristics of the material that needs to be managed is one of the most basic steps in the development of a plan for solid waste management. In this case, the material under consideration is the solid waste generated in healthcare facilities, also known as healthcare waste. Unfortunately, limited reliable information is available in the open literature on the quantities and characteristics of the various types of wastes that are generated in healthcare facilities. Thus, sound management of these wastes, particularly in developing countries, often is problematic. This article provides information on the quantities and properties of healthcare wastes in various types of facilities located in developing countries, as well as in some industrialized countries. Most of the information has been obtained from the open literature, although some information has been collected by the authors and from reports available to the authors. Only data collected within approximately the last 15 years and using prescribed methodologies are presented. The range of hospital waste generation (both infectious and mixed solid waste fractions) varies from 0.016 to 3.23 kg/bed-day. The relatively wide variation is due to the fact that some of the facilities surveyed in Ulaanbaatar include out-patient services and district health clinics; these facilities essentially provide very basic services and thus the quantities of waste generated are relatively small. On the other hand, the reported amount of infectious (clinical, yellow bag) waste varied from 0.01 to 0.65 kg/bed-day. The characteristics of the components of healthcare wastes, such as the bulk density and the calorific value, have substantial variability. This literature review and the associated attempt at a comparative analysis point to the need for worldwide consensus on the terms and characteristics that describe wastes from healthcare facilities. Such a consensus would greatly

Characteristic parameters of drift chambers calculation; Calculo de los parametros caracteristicos de camaras de deriva

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duran, I; Martinez-Laso, L

1989-07-01

We present here the methods we used to analyse the characteristic parameters of drift chambers. The algorithms to calculate the electric potential in any point for any drift chamber geometry are presented. We include the description of the programs used to calculate the electric field, the drift paths, the drift velocity and the drift time. The results and the errors are discussed. (Author) 7 refs.

Aerodynamic Characteristic of the Active Compliant Trailing Edge Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Rui; Qiu, Jinhao; Ji, Hongli; Li, Dawei

2016-06-01

This paper introduces a novel Morphing Wing structure known as the Active Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE). ACTE structures are designed using the concept of “distributed compliance” and wing skins of ACTE are fabricated from high-strength fiberglass composites laminates. Through the relative sliding between upper and lower wing skins which are connected by a linear guide pairs, the wing is able to achieve a large continuous deformation. In order to present an investigation about aerodynamics and noise characteristics of ACTE, a series of 2D airfoil analyses are established. The aerodynamic characteristics between ACTE and conventional deflection airfoil are analyzed and compared, and the impacts of different ACTE structure design parameters on aerodynamic characteristics are discussed. The airfoils mentioned above include two types (NACA0012 and NACA64A005.92). The computing results demonstrate that: compared with the conventional plane flap airfoil, the morphing wing using ACTE structures has the capability to improve aerodynamic characteristic and flow separation characteristic. In order to study the noise level of ACTE, flow field analysis using LES model is done to provide noise source data, and then the FW-H method is used to get the far field noise levels. The simulation results show that: compared with the conventional flap/aileron airfoil, the ACTE configuration is better to suppress the flow separation and lower the overall sound pressure level.

The Transition from Childhood Giftedness to Adult Creative Productiveness: Psychological Characteristics and Social Supports.

Science.gov (United States)

Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula

2000-01-01

A model is presented that proposes environmental conditions for creative producers which result in responses that include the development of several key personality characteristics, such as a preference for time alone, an ability to cope with anxiety, freedom from conventionality, and the use of intellectual activities to fulfill emotional needs.…

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting as ''cold'' lesions on bone scan: a report of two cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caudle, R.J.; Crawford, A.H.; Gelfand, M.J.; Gruppo, R.A.

1987-01-01

''Cold'' lesions on bone scan have been reported in a variety of disease processes, including infection, avascular necrosis, and cysts. We present two cases of children who presented with large ''cold'' areas on technetium bone scans and were treated initially for septic processes. Acute childhood leukemia frequently presents with bone or joint pain, fever, and elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Although the diagnosis may be difficult if the characteristic clinical signs and laboratory findings are absent, the presence of anemia should alert the physician to the possibility of malignancy. Bone scanning provides a sensitive method of localizing pathology, but diagnosis requires biopsy or marrow aspiration

The "Facebook-self": characteristics and psychological predictors of false self-presentation on Facebook.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil-Or, Oren; Levi-Belz, Yossi; Turel, Ofir

2015-01-01

In this study we present and empirically examine a new phenomenon related to social networking sites, such as Facebook, the "false Facebook-self." Arguably false self-presentation on Facebook is a growing phenomenon, and in extreme cases; i.e., when ones Facebook image substantially deviates from their true image, it may serve as a gateway behavior to more problematic behaviors which may lead to psychological problems and even pathologies. In this study we show that certain users are more vulnerable to such false self-presentation than others. The study involved 258 Facebook users. Applying ANOVA and SEM analyses we show that users with low self-esteem and low trait authenticity are more likely than others to present a Facebook-self which deviates from their true selves. These social-interaction-related traits are influenced by one's upbringing and the anxious and avoidant attachment styles he or she has developed. Several cases (7.5%) with large gaps between the true and false Facebook-self were detected, which implies that future research should consider the adverse consequences and treatments of high levels of false Facebook-self.

Fall-related gait characteristics on the treadmill and in daily life.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispens, Sietse M; Van Dieën, Jaap H; Van Schooten, Kimberley S; Cofré Lizama, L Eduardo; Daffertshofer, Andreas; Beek, Peter J; Pijnappels, Mirjam

2016-02-02

Body-worn sensors allow assessment of gait characteristics that are predictive of fall risk, both when measured during treadmill walking and in daily life. The present study aimed to assess differences as well as associations between fall-related gait characteristics measured on a treadmill and in daily life. In a cross-sectional study, trunk accelerations of 18 older adults (72.3 ± 4.5 years) were recorded during walking on a treadmill (Dynaport Hybrid sensor) and during daily life (Dynaport MoveMonitor). A comprehensive set of 32 fall-risk-related gait characteristics was estimated and compared between both settings. For 25 gait characteristics, a systematic difference between treadmill and daily-life measurements was found. Gait was more variable, less symmetric, and less stable during daily life. Fourteen characteristics showed a significant correlation between treadmill and daily-life measurements, including stride time and regularity (0.48  0.25). Gait characteristics revealed less stable, less symmetric, and more variable gait during daily life than on a treadmill, yet about half of the characteristics were significantly correlated between conditions. These results suggest that daily-life gait analysis is sensitive to static personal factors (i.e., physical and cognitive capacity) as well as dynamic situational factors (i.e., behavior and environment), which may both represent determinants of fall risk.

Forecasting characteristics of flood effects

Science.gov (United States)

Khamutova, M. V.; Rezchikov, A. F.; Kushnikov, V. A.; Ivaschenko, V. A.; Bogomolov, A. S.; Filimonyuk, L. Yu; Dolinina, O. N.; Kushnikova, E. V.; Shulga, T. E.; Tverdokhlebov, V. A.; Fominykh, D. S.

2018-05-01

The article presents the development of a mathematical model of the system dynamics. Mathematical model allows forecasting the characteristics of flood effects. Model is based on a causal diagram and is presented by a system of nonlinear differential equations. Simulated characteristics are the nodes of the diagram, and edges define the functional relationships between them. The numerical solution of the system of equations using the Runge-Kutta method was obtained. Computer experiments to determine the characteristics on different time interval have been made and results of experiments have been compared with real data of real flood. The obtained results make it possible to assert that the developed model is valid. The results of study are useful in development of an information system for the operating and dispatching staff of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM).

Characteristics of coal mine ventilation air flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Shi; Chen, Hongwei; Teakle, Philip; Xue, Sheng

2008-01-01

Coal mine methane (CMM) is not only a greenhouse gas but also a wasted energy resource if not utilised. Underground coal mining is by far the most important source of fugitive methane emissions, and approximately 70% of all coal mining related methane is emitted to the atmosphere through mine ventilation air. Therefore, research and development on mine methane mitigation and utilisation now focuses on methane emitted from underground coal mines, in particular ventilation air methane (VAM) capture and utilisation. To date, most work has focused on the oxidation of very low concentration methane. These processes may be classified based on their combustion kinetic mechanisms into thermal oxidation and catalytic oxidation. VAM mitigation/utilisation technologies are generally divided into two basic categories: ancillary uses and principal uses. However, it is possible that the characteristics of ventilation air flows, for example the variations in methane concentration and the presence of certain compounds, which have not been reported so far, could make some potential VAM mitigation and utilisation technologies unfeasible if they cannot cope with the characteristics of mine site ventilation air flows. Therefore, it is important to understand the characteristics of mine ventilation air flows. Moreover, dust, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, and other possible compounds emitted through mine ventilation air into the atmosphere are also pollutants. Therefore, this paper presents mine-site experimental results on the characteristics of mine ventilation air flows, including methane concentration and its variations, dust loadings, particle size, mineral matter of the dust, and other compounds in the ventilation air flows. The paper also discusses possible correlations between ventilation air characteristics and underground mining activities.

Cholesterol-α-glucosyltransferase gene is present in most Helicobacter species including gastric non-Helicobacter pylori helicobacters obtained from Japanese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakubo, Masatomo; Horiuchi, Kazuki; Matsumoto, Takehisa; Nakayama, Jun; Akamatsu, Taiji; Katsuyama, Tsutomu; Ota, Hiroyoshi; Sagara, Junji

2018-02-01

Non-Helicobacter pylori helicobacters (NHPHs) besides H. pylori infect human stomachs and cause chronic gastritis and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Cholesteryl-α-glucosides have been identified as unique glycolipids present in H. pylori and some Helicobacter species. Cholesterol-α-glucosyltransferase (αCgT), a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of cholesteryl-α-glucosides, plays crucial roles in the pathogenicity of H. pylori. Therefore, it is important to examine αCgTs of NHPHs. Six gastric NHPHs were isolated from Japanese patients and maintained in mouse stomachs. The αCgT genes were amplified by PCR and inverse PCR. We retrieved the αCgT genes of other Helicobacter species by BLAST searches in GenBank. αCgT genes were present in most Helicobacter species and in all Japanese isolates examined. However, we could find no candidate gene for αCgT in the whole genome of Helicobacter cinaedi and several enterohepatic species. Phylogenic analysis demonstrated that the αCgT genes of all Japanese isolates show high similarities to that of a zoonotic group of gastric NHPHs including Helicobacter suis, Helicobacter heilmannii, and Helicobacter ailurogastricus. Of 6 Japanese isolates, the αCgT genes of 4 isolates were identical to that of H. suis, and that of another 2 isolates were similar to that of H. heilmannii and H. ailurogastricus. All gastric NHPHs examined showed presence of αCgT genes, indicating that αCgT may be beneficial for these helicobacters to infect human and possibly animal stomachs. Our study indicated that NHPHs could be classified into 2 groups, NHPHs with αCgT genes and NHPHs without αCgT genes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association of emergency department and hospital characteristics with elopements and length of stay.

Science.gov (United States)

Handel, Daniel A; Fu, Rongwei; Vu, Eugene; Augustine, James J; Hsia, Renee Y; Shufflebarger, Charles M; Sun, Benjamin

2014-06-01

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) core measures in 2013 compare Emergency Department (ED) treatment time intervals, it is important to identify ED and hospital characteristics associated with these metrics to facilitate accurate comparisons. The objective of this study is to assess differences in operational metrics by ED and hospital characteristics. ED-level characteristics included annual ED volume, percentage of patients admitted, percentage of patients presenting by ambulance, and percentage of pediatric patients. Hospital-level characteristics included teaching hospital status, trauma center status, hospital ownership (nonprofit or for-profit), inpatient bed capacity, critical access status, inpatient bed occupancy, and rural vs. urban location area. Data from the ED Benchmarking Alliance from 2004 to 2009 were merged with the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey Database to include hospital characteristics that may impact ED throughput. Overall median length of stay (LOS) and left before treatment is complete (LBTC) were the primary outcome variables, and a linear mixed model was used to assess the association between outcome variables and ED and hospital characteristics, while accounting for correlations among multiple observations within each hospital. All data were at the hospital level on a yearly basis. There were 445 EDs included in the analysis, from 2004 to 2009, with 850 observations over 6 years. Higher-volume EDs were associated with higher rates of LBTC and LOS. For-profit hospitals had lower LBTC and LOS. Higher inpatient bed occupancies were associated with a higher LOS. Increasing admission percentages were positively associated with overall LOS for EDs, but not with rates of LBTC. Higher-volume EDs are associated with higher LBTC and LOS, and for-profit hospitals appear more favorably in these metrics compared with their nonprofit counterparts. It is important to appreciate that hospitals have different baselines

Explanation of Relationships between Biographical Characteristics and Entrepreneurship Spirit of Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassanali Aghajani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Three major causes of the importance of entrepreneurship are making wealth, developing technology and creating productive employment. It is generally believed that a revolution is needed for entrepreneurship to take place in societies nowadays. Thus, the present study aims at investigation of the biographical characteristics and explanation of its relation to entrepreneurial spirit at Mazandaran university students. The data collection instrument was a related questionnaire with the reliability level of 0.90, and the collected data related to the examined variables were analyzed by using T-Student and ANOVA Tests. The results explained and determined that, except age, other biographical characteristics including gender, marital status, employment, birth arrangement, parents‟ education level, did not have any meaningful relationship with the entrepreneurial spirit. Finally, it is the presented summary of implications for managers such as suggestions on how the managers and authorities can improve the entrepreneurial spirit among students, as well as directions for further researches.

Systemic calciphylaxis presenting as a painful, proximal myopathy.

OpenAIRE

Edelstein, C. L.; Wickham, M. K.; Kirby, P. A.

1992-01-01

A renal transplant patient who presented with a painful, proximal myopathy due to systemic calciphylaxis is described. The myopathy preceded the characteristic skin and soft tissue necrosis. Systemic calciphylaxis should be considered in a dialysis or a renal transplant patient presenting with a painful proximal myopathy even in the absence of necrotic skin lesions.

Graphical presentation of participants' results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

The results obtained by 19 participating dosimetry systems are presented in this section. Section 3 of the preceding report, ''Evaluation of the Results of the First IAEA Coordinated Research Program on Intercomparison for Individual Monitoring'', explains the format and conventions used for the graphical presentation. The system number appearing in the upper left hand corner of each page can be used to correlate the dosimeter design information found in Table 2 of the preceding report with the results. However, care should be used in drawing inferences from this correlation, since system performance depends on a number of factors other than detector selection and design characteristics. (orig.)

E-cigarettes: Impact of E-Liquid Components and Device Characteristics on Nicotine Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

DeVito, Elise E; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

2018-01-01

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased substantially in recent years. While e-cigarettes have been proposed as a potentially effective smoking cessation tool, dualuse in smokers is common and e-cigarettes are widely used by non-smokers, including youth and young-adult non-smokers. Nicotine, the primary addictive component in cigarettes, is present at varying levels in many e-liquids. E-cigarettes may lead to initiation of nicotine use in adult and youth non-smokers, re-initiation of nicotine dependence in ex-smokers or increased severity of nicotine dependence in dual-users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. As such, there are important clinical and policy implications to understanding factors impacting nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes. However, the broad and rapidly changing range of e-liquid constituents and e-cigarette hardware which could impact nicotine exposure presents a challenge. Recent changes in regulatory oversight of e-cigarettes underscore the importance of synthesizing current knowledge on common factors which may impact nicotine exposure. This review focuses on factors which may impact nicotine exposure by changing e-cigarette use behavior, puff topography, altering the nicotine yield (amount of nicotine exiting the e-cigarette mouth piece including nicotine exhaled as vapor) or more directly by altering nicotine absorption and bioavailability. Topics reviewed include e-liquid components or characteristics including flavor additives (e.g., menthol), base e-liquid ingredients (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin), components commonly used to dissolve flavorants (e.g., ethanol), and resulting properties of the e-liquid (e.g., pH), e-cigarette device characteristics (e.g., wattage, temperature, model) and user behavior (e.g., puff topography) which may impact nicotine exposure. E-liquid characteristics and components, e-cigarette hardware and settings, and user behavior can all contribute substantially to nicotine exposure from e

I'll Have What She's Having: The Impact of Model Characteristics on Children's Food Choices

Science.gov (United States)

Frazier, Brandy N.; Gelman, Susan A.; Kaciroti, Niko; Russell, Joshua W.; Lumeng, Julie C.

2012-01-01

This research investigates children's use of social categories in their food selection. Across three studies, we presented preschoolers with sets of photographs that contrasted food-eating models with different characteristics, including model gender, race (Black, White), age (child or adult), and/or expression (acceptance or rejection of the…

Clinical characteristics and management of children with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reflux (VUR), including the clinical characteristics and management. Summary background data The association ... different clinical characteristics compared with the other two groups of patients with high-grade VUR. .... way ANOVA test; while qualitative data were analyzed using Chi square. The difference was considered.

Characteristics of caring self-efficacy in pediatric nurses: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alavi, Azam; Bahrami, Masoud; Zargham-Boroujeni, Ali; Yousefy, Alireza

2015-07-01

The present study was conducted to clarify pediatric nurses' characteristics of caring self-efficacy. This study was conducted using a qualitative content analysis approach. The participants included 27 pediatric nurses and clinical instructors, selected purposively. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using the content analysis method. Data analysis generated four main themes as attributes of a self-efficient pediatric nurse including: (a) professional communications; (b) management of care; (c) altruism; and (d) proficiency. Nursing managers and instructors can use these results to help develop nurses' empowerment and self-efficacy, especially in pediatric care. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wastewater Characteristics, Treatment and Disposal

OpenAIRE

Von Sperling, Marcos

2007-01-01

"Wastewater Characteristics, Treatment and Disposal is the first volume in the series Biological Wastewater Treatment, presenting an integrated view of water quality and wastewater treatment. The book covers the following topics: wastewater characteristics (flow and major constituents) impact of wastewater discharges to rivers and lakes overview of wastewater treatment systems complementary items in planning studies. This book, with its clear and practical approach, lays the foundations f...

10 CFR 960.5-2-8 - Surface characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Surface characteristics. 960.5-2-8 Section 960.5-2-8... Closure § 960.5-2-8 Surface characteristics. (a) Qualifying condition. The site shall be located such that, considering the surface characteristics and conditions of the site and surrounding area, including surface...

Clinical characteristics of unruptured vertebral artery dissections presenting with headaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Homare; Mizuniwa, Yoshitaka; Kouno, Takao; Nakayama, Hirofumi; Furuya, Yu; Taguchi, Yoshio

2011-01-01

We reviewed 13 cases of patients with unruptured dissections of the vertebral artery who were treated at our hospital after presenting with headaches. We identified 13 patients who had headache alone at the time of onset and who were diagnosed as having vertebral artery dissection using three-dimensional CT, MRI, MR angiography (MRA), or angiography from November 2007 to October 2009. Primary radiographic investigations showed the 'pearl and string' sign in two cases, dilatation in eight, and the string sign alone in three cases. Following initial conservative treatment, 11 cases exhibited radiographic improvement, but two cases underwent surgical treatment because of progressive vertebral artery dissection. A definitive diagnosis was made using primary investigations in nine cases and dynamic changes on radiographic investigations in four cases. The headache was located posteriorly in all cases, but some patients had mild headaches. Clinicians need to be aware of the possibility of vertebral artery dissection even if the headache is mild at onset. Radiographic investigations are important for a definitive diagnosis and in deciding whether to intervene surgically. (author)

[Characteristics of systematic reviews about the impact of pharmacists].

Science.gov (United States)

Tanguay, C; Guérin, A; Bussières, J-F

2014-11-01

The pharmacists' role is varied and numerous articles evaluate the outcomes of pharmaceutical interventions. The main objectives of this study were to establish the characteristics of systematic reviews about pharmacists' interventions that were published in the last five years. A literature search was performed on Pubmed for French and English articles published between 01-01-2008 and 31-05-2013. Systematic reviews that presented the role, the interventions and the impact of pharmacists were selected by two research assistants. A total of 46 systematic reviews was identified, amongst which one third (n=15/46, 33 %) were meta-analyses. A quarter of systematic reviews did not evaluate the quality of included articles (n=13/46, 28 %). Twelve themes were identified. A median [min-max] of 16 [2-298] articles was included per systematic review. The most frequent pharmaceutical activities were patient counseling (n=41 systematic reviews), patient chart review (n=29), pharmacotherapy evaluation (n=27) and recommendations (n=26). The least frequent activities were teaching others than patients (n=12) and medical rounds participation (n=7). Many elements can influence the completion of pharmacy practice research projects; however, there exists no link between the presence of systematic reviews and the importance of pharmacists in a given healthcare program. This study presents the characteristics of 46 systematic reviews about pharmacists interventions published since 2008. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The influence of the mechanical properties on fuel rod support characteristics – A case study of dual cooled fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Yong; Kim, Hyung Kyu; Ko, Sung Ho

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Spring characterization test and analysis were performed to obtain characteristic curves of modified H-type spring. • Using an actual mechanical property is needed to correctly predict the spring characteristics. • The characteristics during unloading should be used for a spacer grid support design. - Abstract: This paper concerns a finite element analysis for a spacer grid support (spring and dimple) design. An accurate prediction of the support characteristics (contact force vs. deflection) is the most crucial in the design by analysis. It is found that the mechanical properties are the key parameter to simulate the characteristics as close as the experimental results after using three different sets of mechanical property data including the actual tensile test results of the present material for a spacer grid of a dual cooled fuel. Besides, the validity of using the characteristics during unloading process is also discussed incorporating a possible overshoot of the support. The coincidence between the present finite element prediction and experimental results is quite good: less than 3.09% at most

Management of patients presenting with diarrhoea to a regional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-09-02

Sep 2, 2014 ... subsequent discussion of opportunistic infections that cause chronic diarrhoea, i.e. diarrhoea lasting >4 ... graphic characteristics, HIV status, presenting symptoms, pre- scription of antibiotics, blood results, final ... Salmonella spp, Shigella and Campylobacter) or there were white cells and/or yeasts present.

DEVELOPMENT OF A VIRTUAL MUSEUM INCLUDING A 4D PRESENTATION OF BUILDING HISTORY IN VIRTUAL REALITY

OpenAIRE

T. P. Kersten; F. Tschirschwitz; S. Deggim

2017-01-01

In the last two decades the definition of the term “virtual museum” changed due to rapid technological developments. Using today’s available 3D technologies a virtual museum is no longer just a presentation of collections on the Internet or a virtual tour of an exhibition using panoramic photography. On one hand, a virtual museum should enhance a museum visitor's experience by providing access to additional materials for review and knowledge deepening either before or after the real ...

Characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Godinho

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to identify socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence. The sample was comprised of 1,680 adolescents (884 girls and 796 boys aged 13, attending private and public schools in Porto, Portugal, during 2003/2004. Adolescents completed questionnaires pertaining to demographic, social and behavioral characteristics, including the time spent watching television and playing computer games on week and weekend days. Logistic and proportional ordinal regressions showed that attending public schools, sleeping less time, using tobacco and presenting low levels of physical activity were factors associated with high media use. In boys living with one of their parents as well as living with younger and older parents were also associated with high media use. Besides the association with less healthier behaviours, we also found higher media use among adolescents from lower social classes and less structured families, which may increase their exposure to negative influence of the media.

Characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Godinho, José; Araújo, Joana; Barros, Henrique; Ramos, Elisabete

2014-03-01

This study aimed to identify socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence. The sample was comprised of 1,680 adolescents (884 girls and 796 boys) aged 13, attending private and public schools in Porto, Portugal, during 2003/2004. Adolescents completed questionnaires pertaining to demographic, social and behavioral characteristics, including the time spent watching television and playing computer games on week and weekend days. Logistic and proportional ordinal regressions showed that attending public schools, sleeping less time, using tobacco and presenting low levels of physical activity were factors associated with high media use. In boys living with one of their parents as well as living with younger and older parents were also associated with high media use. Besides the association with less healthier behaviours, we also found higher media use among adolescents from lower social classes and less structured families, which may increase their exposure to negative influence of the media.

Characteristic MR spectroscopy in fucosidosis: in vitro investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamourian, Alex C.; Chawla, Sanjeev; Poptani, Harish [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Hopkin, Jeremy R. [Barrow Neurological Institute, Department of Neuroradiology, Phoenix, AZ (United States)

2010-08-15

Fucosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder that results in the deposition of the sugar fucose within various organs, including the central nervous system. Neuroimaging abnormalities on MR, specifically T2 shortening in the basal ganglia, have been reported as suggestive of fucosidosis. A more recent report of MR spectroscopy (MRS) of one patient provided evidence that MRS is specific for fucosidosis. We present another confirmed case with nearly identical MR spectroscopic findings along with in vitro data that support the contention that MR spectroscopy, in the setting of typical clinical and imaging features, is characteristic for this rare disorder. (orig.)

Characteristic MR spectroscopy in fucosidosis: in vitro investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamourian, Alex C.; Chawla, Sanjeev; Poptani, Harish; Hopkin, Jeremy R.

2010-01-01

Fucosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder that results in the deposition of the sugar fucose within various organs, including the central nervous system. Neuroimaging abnormalities on MR, specifically T2 shortening in the basal ganglia, have been reported as suggestive of fucosidosis. A more recent report of MR spectroscopy (MRS) of one patient provided evidence that MRS is specific for fucosidosis. We present another confirmed case with nearly identical MR spectroscopic findings along with in vitro data that support the contention that MR spectroscopy, in the setting of typical clinical and imaging features, is characteristic for this rare disorder. (orig.)

Characteristics of synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, G.S.

1984-01-01

The characteristics and production of synchrotron radiation are qualitatively discussed. The spectral properties of wigglers and undulators are briefly described. Possible applications in condensed matter physics are outlined. These include atomic and molecular studies, crystallography, impurities in solids and radiographic imaging

Switching Characteristics of Ferroelectric Transistor Inverters

Science.gov (United States)

Laws, Crystal; Mitchell, Coey; MacLeod, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the switching characteristics of an inverter circuit using a ferroelectric field effect transistor, FeFET. The propagation delay time characteristics, phl and plh are presented along with the output voltage rise and fall times, rise and fall. The propagation delay is the time-delay between the V50% transitions of the input and output voltages. The rise and fall times are the times required for the output voltages to transition between the voltage levels V10% and V90%. Comparisons are made between the MOSFET inverter and the ferroelectric transistor inverter.

Develop your presentation skills

CERN Document Server

Theobald, Theo

2016-01-01

Going beyond handling nerves and presenting PowerPoint slides, the third edition of "Develop Your Presentation Skills "offers practical advice on developing a captivating presentation, constructing compelling content, and boosting self-confidence. The book includes three new chapters on delivering a "stripped down"presentation, using new media to engage with the audience, and handling being asked to present on short notice."

Inherently safe characteristics of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report is based on a detailed study which was carried out by Colenco (a company of the Motor-Columbus Group) on behalf of the Commission of the European Communities (CEC). It presents a summary of this study and concentrates more on the generic issues involved in the subject of inherent safety in nuclear power plants. It is assumed that the reader is reasonably familiar with the design outline of the systems included in the report. The report examines the role of inherent design features in achieving the safety of nuclear power plants as an alternative to the practice, which is largely followed in current reactors, of achieving safety by the addition of engineered safety features. The report examines current reactor systems to identify the extent to which their characteristics are either already inherently safe or, on the other hand, have inherent characteristics that require protective action to be taken. It then considers the advantages of introducing design changes to improve their inherent safety characteristics. Next, it looks at some new reactor types for which claims of inherent safety are made to see to what extent these claims are justified. The general question is then considered whether adoption of the inherently safe reactors would give advantages (by reducing risk in real terms or by improving the public acceptability of nuclear power) which are sufficient to offset the expected high costs and the technical risks associated with any new technology

Overflow Characteristic of Cylindrical Shape Crest Weirs Over Horizontal Bed

OpenAIRE

Emad4 AbdulGabbar

2013-01-01

The most common types of weirs are the broad-crested weir, the sharp-crested weir, the circular crested weir and the ogee crested weir. Advantages of the cylindrical weir shape include the stable overflow pattern, the ease to pass floating debris, the simplicity of design compared to ogee crest design and the associated lower costs. In present study, it was investigated the overflow characteristics of circular weirs in laboratory for various cylinder radii of three sizes (11.4, 9.0, 6.3 cm), ...

Protecting Astronaut Medical Privacy: Review of Presentations and Publications for Attributability

Science.gov (United States)

Wear, M. L.; Charvat, J. M.; Lee, L. R.; Babiak-Vazquez, A.; Mason, S. S.; Van Baalen, M.

2018-01-01

Retrospective research and medical data collected on astronauts can be a valuable resource for researchers. This data can be requested from two separate NASA Archives. The Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) holds astronaut medical data, and the Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA) holds research data. One condition of use of astronaut research and medical data is the requirement that all abstracts, publications and presentations using this data must be reviewed for attributability. All final versions of abstracts, presentations, posters, and manuscripts must be reviewed by LSDA/LSAH prior to submission to a conference, journal, or other entities outside the Principal Investigator (PI) laboratory [including the NASA Export Control Document Availability Authorization (DAA) system]. If material undergoes multiple revisions (e.g., journal editor comments), the new versions must also be reviewed by LSDA/LSAH prior to re-submission to the journal. The purpose of this review is to ensure that no personally identifiable information (PII) is included in materials that are presented in a public venue or posted to the public domain. The procedures for submitting materials for review will be outlined. The process that LSAH/LSDA follows for assessing attributability will be presented. Characteristics and parameter combinations that often prompt attributability concerns will be identified. A published case report for a National Football League (NFL) player will be used to demonstrate how, in a population of public interest, a combination of information can result in inadvertent release of private or sensitive information.

The user facility FELIX: Past, present and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meer, A.F.G. van der; Amersfoort, P.W. van

1995-01-01

The performance over the past year and the current user-relevant characteristics of the User Facility FELIX will be discussed. Also the existing plans for improving and extending the capabilities and provisions will be presented

The Pometum Apple Key - an internet tool for genebank data including cultivar identification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toldam-Andersen, Torben; Korsgaard, Maren; Nordling, Jonas

2011-01-01

by Robert Hogg in 1880s. Other parameters focus on quality for use (table fruit, cooking, juice), flowering characteristics and tree growth and health (disease sensitivity). The development and use of the Apple Key is demonstrated and the stability of different characters in cultivar identification......Cultivar descriptions and correct identification are central for the work with genetic material, especially in Genebanks. The data collection of many descriptive parameters is very laborious in itself, but the handling of the data is also a challenge. However, when it comes to the level of use....... A dual aim was; firstly to present the diversity of apples in terms of appearance and qualities and also allow the inclusion of unique historical and cultural information including photos, pomological drawings and paintings. Secondly, the aim was to develop a tool for identification of cultivars and easy...

Anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics of female ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

These included 24 university-level, 17 provincial-level, and 14 national team players. Anthropometric data included age, stature, body mass, sum of seven skinfolds and percentage body fat. The fitness characteristics included flexibility, strength, explosive power, muscular endurance, agility, speed and aerobic endurance.

Technology of surface wastewater purification, including high-rise construction areas

Science.gov (United States)

Tsyba, Anna; Skolubovich, Yury

2018-03-01

Despite on the improvements in the quality of high-rise construction areas and industrial wastewater treatment, the pollution of water bodies continues to increase. This is due to the organized and unorganized surface untreated sewage entry into the reservoirs. The qualitative analysis of some cities' surface sewage composition is carried out in the work. Based on the published literature review, the characteristic contamination present in surface wastewater was identified. The paper proposes a new technology for the treatment of surface sewage and presents the results of preliminary studies.

Fusion barrier characteristics of actinides

Science.gov (United States)

Manjunatha, H. C.; Sridhar, K. N.

2018-03-01

We have studied fusion barrier characteristics of actinide compound nuclei with atomic number range 89 ≤ Z ≤ 103 for all projectile target combinations. After the calculation of fusion barrier heights and positions, we have searched for their parameterization. We have achieved the empirical formula for fusion barrier heights (VB), positions (RB), curvature of the inverted parabola (ħω) of actinide compound nuclei with atomic number range 89 ≤ Z ≤ 103 for all projectile target combinations (6 projectile target combinations. The values produced by the present formula are also compared with experiments. The present pocket formula produces fusion barrier characteristics of actinides with the simple inputs of mass number (A) and atomic number (Z) of projectile-targets.

Commercial Buildings Characteristics, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-29

Commercial Buildings Characteristics 1992 presents statistics about the number, type, and size of commercial buildings in the United States as well as their energy-related characteristics. These data are collected in the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), a national survey of buildings in the commercial sector. The 1992 CBECS is the fifth in a series conducted since 1979 by the Energy Information Administration. Approximately 6,600 commercial buildings were surveyed, representing the characteristics and energy consumption of 4.8 million commercial buildings and 67.9 billion square feet of commercial floorspace nationwide. Overall, the amount of commercial floorspace in the United States increased an average of 2.4 percent annually between 1989 and 1992, while the number of commercial buildings increased an average of 2.0 percent annually.

Unsaturated Seepage Analysis of Cracked Soil including Development Process of Cracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Cao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cracks in soil provide preferential pathways for water flow and their morphological parameters significantly affect the hydraulic conductivity of the soil. To study the hydraulic properties of cracks, the dynamic development of cracks in the expansive soil during drying and wetting has been measured in the laboratory. The test results enable the development of the relationships between the cracks morphological parameters and the water content. In this study, the fractal model has been used to predict the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC of the cracked soil, including the developmental process of the cracks. The cracked expansive soil has been considered as a crack-pore medium. A dual media flow model has been developed to simulate the seepage characteristics of the cracked expansive soil. The variations in pore water pressure at different part of the model are quite different due to the impact of the cracks. This study proves that seepage characteristics can be better predicted if the impact of cracks is taken into account.

A two-stage procedure for determining unsaturated hydraulic characteristics using a syringe pump and outflow observations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wildenschild, Dorthe; Jensen, Karsten Høgh; Hollenbeck, Karl-Josef

1997-01-01

A fast two-stage methodology for determining unsaturated flow characteristics is presented. The procedure builds on direct measurement of the retention characteristic using a syringe pump technique, combined with inverse estimation of the hydraulic conductivity characteristic based on one......-step outflow experiments. The direct measurements are obtained with a commercial syringe pump, which continuously withdraws fluid from a soil sample at a very low and accurate how rate, thus providing the water content in the soil sample. The retention curve is then established by simultaneously monitoring......-step outflow data and the independently measured retention data are included in the objective function of a traditional least-squares minimization routine, providing unique estimates of the unsaturated hydraulic characteristics by means of numerical inversion of Richards equation. As opposed to what is often...

Properties of estimated characteristic roots

OpenAIRE

Bent Nielsen; Heino Bohn Nielsen

2008-01-01

Estimated characteristic roots in stationary autoregressions are shown to give rather noisy information about their population equivalents. This is remarkable given the central role of the characteristic roots in the theory of autoregressive processes. In the asymptotic analysis the problems appear when multiple roots are present as this implies a non-differentiablity so the δ-method does not apply, convergence rates are slow, and the asymptotic distribution is non-normal. In finite samples ...

How Do Le Fort-Type Fractures Present in a Pediatric Cohort?

Science.gov (United States)

Macmillan, Alexandra; Lopez, Joseph; Luck, J D; Faateh, Muhammad; Manson, Paul; Dorafshar, Amir H

2018-05-01

Le Fort-type fractures are very rare in children, and there is a paucity of literature presenting their frequency and characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the etiology, frequency, and fracture patterns of children with severe facial trauma associated with pterygoid plate fractures in a pediatric cohort. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all children aged younger than 16 years with pterygoid plate and facial fractures who presented to our institute between 1990 and 2010. Patient charts and radiologic records were reviewed for demographic and fracture characteristics. Patients were categorized into 2 groups as per facial fracture pattern: non-Le Fort-type fractures (group A) and Le Fort-type fractures (group B). Other variables including dentition age, frontal sinus development, mechanism of injury, injury severity, and concomitant injuries were recorded. Univariate methods were used to compare groups. We identified 24 children; 25% were girls, and 20.8% were of nonwhite race. Most presented with Le Fort-type fracture patterns (group B, 66.7%). Age was significantly different between group A and group B (mean, 5.9 years and 9.9 years, respectively; P = .009). No significant differences in Injury Severity Score, rate of operative repair, and length of stay were found between groups. Most children with severe facial fractures and pterygoid plate fractures presented with Le Fort-type fracture patterns in our cohort. The mean age of children with Le Fort-type fractures was greater than in those with non-Le Fort-type patterns. However, Le Fort-type fractures did occur in younger children with deciduous and mixed dentition. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The physical properties and compaction characteristics of swelling soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komine, Hideo; Ogata, Nobuhide

1990-01-01

Expansive soils have recently attracted increasing attention as the back filling material for the repositories of high level nuclear wastes or as the material for improving extremely soft grounds. However, since very little has been known concerning the physical and mechanical properties of such materials, it is necessary to clarify the swelling, compaction and thermal characteristics of expansive soils. For this purpose, various kinds of index tests and a series of static compaction tests were performed using several kinds of swelling soils in order to investigate the relationship between the fundamental physical properties and the compaction characteristics. Since the ordinary testing method stipulated in JIS is difficult to perform for such expansive soils, the new method was proposed to obtained the reliable values of specific gravity, grain size distribution and liquid/plastic limits. By this method, some representative values were presented for various kinds of clay including bentonite. As the results of static compaction tests, the compaction characteristics of clay were strongly dependent on the plastic limit of clay. The maximum dry density and optimum water content were strongly dependent on both plastic limit and compaction pressure. (K.I.)

Abdominal vascular syndromes: characteristic imaging findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardarelli-Leite, Leandro; Velloni, Fernanda Garozzo; Salvadori, Priscila Silveira; Lemos, Marcelo Delboni; D'Ippolito, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Abdominal vascular syndromes are rare diseases. Although such syndromes vary widely in terms of symptoms and etiologies, certain imaging findings are characteristic. Depending on their etiology, they can be categorized as congenital - including blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome) - compressive - including 'nutcracker' syndrome, median arcuate ligament syndrome, Cockett syndrome (also known as May-Thurner syndrome), and superior mesenteric artery syndrome. In this article, we aimed to illustrate imaging findings that are characteristic of these syndromes, through studies conducted at our institution, as well as to perform a brief review of the literature on this topic. (author)

Abdominal vascular syndromes: characteristic imaging findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cardarelli-Leite, Leandro; Velloni, Fernanda Garozzo; Salvadori, Priscila Silveira; Lemos, Marcelo Delboni; D' Ippolito, Giuseppe, E-mail: leandrocleite@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Mediciana. Departmento de Diagnostico por Imagem

2016-07-15

Abdominal vascular syndromes are rare diseases. Although such syndromes vary widely in terms of symptoms and etiologies, certain imaging findings are characteristic. Depending on their etiology, they can be categorized as congenital - including blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome) - compressive - including 'nutcracker' syndrome, median arcuate ligament syndrome, Cockett syndrome (also known as May-Thurner syndrome), and superior mesenteric artery syndrome. In this article, we aimed to illustrate imaging findings that are characteristic of these syndromes, through studies conducted at our institution, as well as to perform a brief review of the literature on this topic. (author)

Characteristics of leadership-oriented women

OpenAIRE

Htun, Tin Tin; Yamamoto, Mariko

2001-01-01

The present study explores within-gender differences between high leadership-oriented women and low leadership-oriented women regarding their characteristics and attitudes. One hundred and ninety-two Japanese ...

Compilation of anatomical, physiological and dietary characteristics for a Filipino Reference Man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natera, E.S.; Cuevas, C.D.; Azanon, E.M.; Palattao, M.B.; Espiritu, R.T.; Cobar, M.C.; Palad, L.H.; Torres, B.; Shiraishi, K.

1998-01-01

The Asian Reference Man is the study of the biological characteristics of the different ethnic populations in the Asian Region. Its aim is to update the existing International Reference Values called ICRP Reference Man which is used for the calculation of radiation exposure. The Philippines is a participant in the study of the formulation of the Asian Reference Man and is represented by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. The biological parameters included in the study are the physical, anatomical, physiological and the dietary characteristics representing the Filipino race and customs. The normal Filipino values were obtained from past nationwide and regional surveys, from medical records of private and government institutions and from random sampling of the population. Results of the study are presented in tabulations according to its gender and to its age group. Statistical analysis of the data are presented as the mean, standard deviation and the median using Microsoft Excel Software and Clipper Compiled Program. (author)

Compilation of anatomical, physiological and dietary characteristics for a Filipino reference man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natera, E.S.; Cuevas, G.D.; Azanon, E.M.; Palattao, M.B.; Espiritu, R.T.; Cobar, M.C.; Palad, L.H.; Torres, B.; Kawamura, H.; Shiraishi, K.

1995-01-01

The Asian reference man is a study of the biological characteristics of the different ethnic populations in the Asian region. Its aim is to update the existing international values called ICRP Reference Man which is used for the calculation of radiation exposure. The Philippines is a participant in the study of the formulation of the Asian reference man and is presented by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. The biological parameters included in this study are the physical anatomical, physiological and the dietary characteristics representing the Filipino race and customs. The normal Filipino values were obtained from past nationwide and regional surveys, from medical records of private and government institutions and from random sampling of the population. Results of the study are presented in tabulations according to its gender and to its age group. Statistical analysis of the data are represented as the mean, standard deviation and the median using Microsoft Excel Software and Clipper compiled Program. (author). 18 refs., 12 tabs., 1 fig

Lingual dyskinesia and tics: a novel presentation of copper-metabolism disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Goez, Helly R; Jacob, Francois D; Yager, Jerome Y

2011-02-01

Copper is a trace element that is required for cellular respiration, neurotransmitter biosynthesis, pigment formation, antioxidant defense, peptide amidation, and formation of connective tissue. Abnormalities of copper metabolism have been linked with neurologic disorders that affect movement, such as Wilson disease and Menkes disease; however, the diagnosis of non-Wilson, non-Menkes-type copper-metabolism disorders has been more elusive, especially in cases with atypical characteristics. We present here the case of an adolescent with a novel presentation of copper-metabolism disorder who exhibited acute severe hemilingual dyskinesia and prominent tics, with ballismus of the upper limbs, but had normal brain and spinal MRI results and did not show any signs of dysarthria or dysphagia. His serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels were low, but his urinary copper level was elevated after penicillamine challenge. We conclude that copper-metabolism disorders should be included in the differential diagnosis for movement disorders, even in cases with highly unusual presentations, because many of them are treatable. Moreover, a connection between copper-metabolism disorders and tics is presented, to our knowledge, for the first time in humans; further investigation is needed to better establish this connection and understand its underlying pathophysiology.

Acceptance of spent fuel of varying characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Short, S.M.

1990-03-01

This paper is a preliminary overview of a study with the primary objective of establishing a set of acceptance selection criteria and corresponding spent fuel characteristics to be incorporated as a component of requirements for the Federal Waste Management System (FWMS). A number of alternative acceptance allocations and selection rules were analyzed to determine the operational sensitivity of each element of the FWMS to the resultant spent fuel characteristics. Preliminary recommendations of the study include three different sets of selection rules to be included in the FWMS design basis. 2 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

Tips for Good Electronic Presentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Strasser, Dennis

1996-01-01

Describes library uses of presentation graphics software and offers tips for creating electronic presentations. Tips include: audience retention; visual aid options; software package options; presentation planning; presentation showing; and use of text, colors, and graphics. Sidebars note common presentation errors and popular presentation…

respondents characteristics, their awareness and benefits of sukur

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tersor

characteristics and to identify the economic benefits derived by the support zone dwellers from the ... used for the presentation of the results on socio–economic characteristics and the benefits ..... need to develop sustainable management.

Thermoset-cellulose nanocomposites: Flammability characteristics

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mngomezulu, Mfiso E

2017-04-01

Full Text Available . They have remarkable combination of properties including light weight, high mechanical, thermal and thermo-mechanical characteristics, excellent dielectric properties, dimensional stability and are easy to process. Furthermore, these composite materials show...

Exploring the rising incidence of neuroendocrine tumors: a population-based analysis of epidemiology, metastatic presentation, and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallet, Julie; Law, Calvin How Lim; Cukier, Moises; Saskin, Refik; Liu, Ning; Singh, Simron

2015-02-15

An increased incidence of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has been reported worldwide, but the reasons underlying this rise have not been identified. By assessing patterns of metastatic presentation, this study sought to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of NETs and the contribution of early-stage detection to the rising incidence. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted with prospectively maintained databases linked at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Adult patients with a NET diagnosis from 1994 to 2009 in Ontario, Canada were included. The main outcomes included the overall and site-specific incidence, proportion of metastatic disease, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Five thousand six hundred nineteen NET cases were identified. The incidence of NETs increased from 2.48 to 5.86 per 100,000 per year. Metastases were found in 20.8% at presentation and in another 38% after the initial diagnosis. The proportion of metastases at presentation decreased from 1994 to 2009 (from 29% to 13%). Therefore, although the incidence of all NETs increased, the overall incidence of metastases did not change (0.63-0.69 per 100,000 per year). The 10-year OS rate was 46.5%, and the RFS rate was 64.6%. In addition to the primary tumor site, independent predictors of worse OS included an advanced age (P incidence of NETs has markedly increased over the course of 15 years. This is the first study to provide evidence suggesting that the increase in the incidence of NETs may be due to increased detection. In addition to tumor characteristics, low income and rural residency portend worse survival for patients with NETs. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Hierarchical control of a photovoltaic/battery based DC microgrid including electric vehicle wireless charging station

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xiao, Zhao xia; Fan, Haodong; Guerrero, Josep M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, the hierarchical control strategy of a photovoltaic/battery based dc microgrid is presented for electric vehicle (EV) wireless charging. Considering irradiance variations, battery charging/discharging requirements, wireless power transmission characteristics, and onboard battery...... coils, receiving coils and compensation capacitors, the wireless power transmission system is designed to be resonant when it is operating at the rated power, with the aim to achieve the optimum transmission system efficiency. Simulation and experimental results of the hierarchical control...... charging power change and other factors, the possible operation states are obtained. A hierarchical control strategy is established, which includes central and local controllers. The central controller is responsible for the selection and transfer of operation states and the management of the local...

[Full-text publication of abstracts presented at the 33th Argentinean pediatric meeting and non publication related factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Canosa, Daniela; Ferrero, Fernando; Melamud, Ariel; Otero, Paula D; Merech, Raúl S; Ceriani Cernadas, José M

2011-02-01

There is no information about non publication of research presented at scientific meetings in Argentina. We analyzed the full-text publication rate of abstracts presented at the 33° Argentinean Pediatric Congress (APC), time to achieve publication, and factors associated with publication or non-publication. Survey-based cross-sectional study, including authors of abstracts presented at the 33° APC. The survey included age, gender, specialty and sub-specialty, professional area and reason of publication or non-publication. We randomly selected 140/894 presented abstracts. Only 16 abstracts (11.4%) were subsequently published in full, requiring 27±15 months. There were no association between full-text publication and author's characteristics. "Oral presentations" were more likely to be subsequently published (p= 0.018). In non published abstracts, 95% were not submitted by the author, more frequently because of "lack of time" (35.9%). Only 11.4% of abstracts were subsequently published in full. Oral presentation was associated with a higher publication rate. Most frequent cause for non-publication was non submission due to lack of time.

Presentation of gender dysphoria: A perspective from Eastern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debmalya Sanyal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: There is paucity of scientific data from India on gender identity disorders (GIDs or gender dysphoria (GD. Aims: To study the clinical, biochemical profile, personality characteristics and family support of GID subjects. Settings and Design: A retrospective and cross-sectional study at an endocrine referral center in Kolkata in Eastern India between 2010 and 2015. Subjects and Methods: Seventy-three GID subjects who presented to the center were included in the study. Clinical, biochemical profile, personality characteristics (cross-dressing, and family support were investigated. The protocol was presented to the Ethics Committee who felt that given the retrospective nature of the study, informed consent could be dispensed with. GD was diagnosed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition. Statistical Analysis Used: Unpaired t-test has been used to find the significance of study parameters between two groups of patients. Chi-square/Fisher Exact test has been used to find the significance of study parameters on categorical scale between two groups. Results: Out of the total 73 patients, 55 (75.34% patients were male-to-female and remaining 18 (24.66% were female-to-male. Around 11% of GD subjects practiced cross-dressing. In spite of median age of onset of GD was 9 years, the mean age of GD at presentation was quite late at 25.77 ± 6.25 years due to lack of social and informative support. It is difficult for transgender to express their sexual identity in family or in society as only 10.96% of our GD subjects had family support, leading to delayed presentation and delayed endocrine consultation. This delayed endocrine consultation have accounted for a significant proportion of GD subjects having unplanned and ill-timed castration (16.36% or mastectomy (16.67% even by nonmedically qualified person (66.7% of castrated subjects. All GD subjects had normal thyroid stimulating hormone, testosterone, estradiol, and

Personality characteristics and their connection with learning efficiency of deaf and partially deaf pupils in mainstream primary and secondary school

OpenAIRE

Kastelic, Helena

2012-01-01

This thesis deals with personality characteristics and their connection with learning efficiency of deaf and partially deaf pupils and students in mainstream primary and secondary school. The theoretical part defines learning efficiency and focuses on the most significant factors of learning efficiency, including also personality characteristics of an individual. This thesis represents the idea of inclusion and its advantages and disadvantages and suggests to what extent it is present in our ...

Dynamic load-sharing characteristic analysis of face gear power-split gear system based on tooth contact characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Hao; Hu, Yahui

2018-04-01

The bend-torsion coupling dynamics load-sharing model of the helicopter face gear split torque transmission system is established by using concentrated quality standard, to analyzing the dynamic load-sharing characteristic. The mathematical models include nonlinear support stiffness, time-varying meshing stiffness, damping, gear backlash. The results showed that the errors collectively influenced the load sharing characteristics, only reduce a certain error, it is never fully reached the perfect loading sharing characteristics. The system load-sharing performance can be improved through floating shaft support. The above-method will provide a theoretical basis and data support for its dynamic performance optimization design.

Women convicted of a sexual offence, including child pornography production: two case reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Prat, S; Bertsch, I; Chudzik, L; Réveillère, Ch

2014-03-01

All available studies addressing the clinical and legal aspects of child pornography have systematically concerned male abusers. The social lens through which women are viewed tends to play down their responsibility in the sexual abuse of children. Unlike men, women rarely abuse children outside the close or family circle. Furthermore, they have frequently been abused themselves in their childhood. To our knowledge, no cases of women charged with sex-related offences, including child pornography, have been described in the literature. The psychopathological characteristics of female sexual abusers and of the two women in our cases tend to suggest that the deliberate downloading of child pornography images by women is unusual, as their deviant behaviour is not related to paedophile sexual arousal It is hypothesized that the act enables women perpetrators to satisfy the sexual urges of their spouse. Sexual abuse by women exists, but the nature of the abuse appears to be specific to the gender of the perpetrator. We present two cases of women charged with sexual offences concerning minors, including the production of child pornography material. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Rheumatic polymyalgia like presentation of multiple myeloma and amyloidosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina, Yimy F; Martinez, Jose Bernardo; Restrepo, Jose Felix; Rondon, Federico; Iglesias Gamarra, Antonio

2005-01-01

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder with defined clinical characteristics and may be the initial expression or to be associated to other diseases. Although it is not associated to neoplastic diseases, may be their initial manifestation. We report a patient who presented the initial complaining of polymyalgia rheumatica as a manifestation of another illness, amyloidosis associated to multiple myeloma. We also discuss the clinical characteristics of these entities and revised the available literature with regard to this association

Primary pulmonary cryptococcosis: evaluation of CT characteristics in 26 immunocompetent Chinese patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qu, Yanjuan; Liu, Guobing; Ghimire, Prasanna; Liao, Meiyan; Xu, Liying [Dept. of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan Univ., Wuhan (China)], E-mail: leometeor123@gmail.com; Shi, Heshui [Dept. of Radiology, Union Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong Univ. of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Yang, Guifang [Dept. of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan Univ., Wuhan (China); Wang, Guanliang [Dept. of Radiology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou (China)

2012-07-15

Background. Discrepancies still exist in the diagnosis of primary pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients. Purpose. To describe and evaluate radiological manifestations of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients. Material and Methods. Twenty-six histopathologically confirmed cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis were analyzed for clinical, pathological, and CT characteristics. Necessary statistical tests for differences in CT presentations and correlation analysis between clinical and CT characteristics were performed. Results. The patients' ages ranged from 24 to 79 years, with 20 men and six women. Eighteen patients were symptomatic, with cough as the most common symptom (n = 14, 53.8%). Nodules (n = 21, 80.8%) were the most common CT findings. Eight cases presented with solitary and nine with multiple nodules, while 13 cases presented with irregular and 19 with ill-defined nodules. The halo sign was demonstrated, encompassing nodules in 14 of the 21 patients. Lesions were mainly localized in the lower lobes of the lungs (n = 15, 57.7%) with peripheral distribution (n = 18, 69.2%). Ground-glass opacities (GGOs) were more easily detected in older patients (66.7%, P <0.01). No significant differences in CT abnormalities were found between male and female patients. Conclusion. Primary pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients exhibits certain CT characteristics. The typical presentation includes multiple nodules with the halo sign scattered in the peripheral field in the lower lobes of the bilateral lungs. This could contribute to diagnosis of the disease entity. However, vigilance should be exercised when facing GGOs, with or without nodules, in older patients.

Wilson’s disease presenting with HELLP syndrome; A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sümeyra Nergiz Avcıoğlu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Wilson’s disease (WD is an autosomal recessive disorder. It is characterized by toxic accumulation of copper mainly in the liver and brain but also in cornea and kidney due to a defect in biliary excretion of copper. The hepatic manifestation of WD is diverse and may include asymptomatic elevation of aminotransferase, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or acute/fulminant hepatic failure. Characteristic of acute hepatic failure in WD is concomitance of acute intravascular hemolytic anemia. Acute intravascular hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia in WD may be interpreted as a feature of Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelet Count (HELLP syndrome besides acute liver failure. The differential diagnosis may be very difficult. Here, WD in pregnancy presenting with clinical symptoms of HELLP syndrome and developing acute liver failure in postpartum period is discussed.

Could Some Geriatric Characteristics Hinder the Prescription of Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paule Denoël

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Several studies have reported underprescription of anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation (AF. We conducted an observational study on 142 out of a total of 995 consecutive ≥75 years old patients presenting AF (14% when admitted in an emergency unit of a general hospital, in search of geriatric characteristics that might be associated with the underprescription of anticoagulation therapy (mostly antivitamin K at the time of the study. The following data was collected from patients presenting AF: medical history including treatment and comorbidities, CHADS2 score, ISAR scale (frailty, Lawton’s scale (ADL, GDS scale (mood status, MUST (nutrition, and blood analysis (INR, kidney function, and albumin. Among those patients for who anticoagulation treatment was recommended (73%, only 61% were treated with it. In the group with anticoagulation therapy, the following characteristics were observed more often than in the group without such therapy: a recent (≤6 months hospitalization and medical treatment including digoxin or based on >3 different drugs. Neither the value of the CHADS2 score, nor the geriatric characteristics could be correlated with the presence or the absence of an anticoagulation therapy. More research is thus required to identify and clarify the relative importance of patient-, physician-, and health care system-related hurdles for the prescription of oral anticoagulation therapy in older patients with AF.

Crystal-proven Gout and Characteristic Gout Severity Factors are Associated with Cardiovascular Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Disveld, Iris J M; Fransen, Jaap; Rongen, Gerard A; Kienhorst, Laura B E; Zoakman, Sahel; Janssens, Hein J E M; Janssen, Matthijs

2018-04-15

Our aim was to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with crystal-proven gout compared to arthritis controls. Further, we analyzed the association between characteristic gout severity factors and CVD to provide further support for a pathogenetic relationship between gout and CVD. Patients with arthritis referred for diagnosis were consecutively included in the Gout Arnhem-Liemers cohort. Joint fluid analysis was performed in all referred patients; controls were negative for crystals. Patients' characteristics and different manifestations of CVD and gout severity factors (disease duration, attack frequency, tophi, affected joints, high serum urate acid level, joint damage) were collected. Gout patients were compared with controls for the prevalence of CVD. In addition, the association between characteristic gout severity factors and presence of CVD was analyzed. Data from 700 gout patients and 276 controls were collected. CVD was present in 47% (95% CI 44%-51%) and 24% (95% CI 19%-29%) of gout patients and controls, respectively. Corrected for confounders, gout was still strongly associated with an increased prevalence of CVD compared to controls (OR 3.39, 95% CI 2.37-4.84). In patients with gout, disease duration ≥ 2 years, oligo- or polyarthritis, serum urate acid > 0.55 mmol/l at presentation, and joint damage were independently (p patients with gout, characteristic gout severity factors were associated with CVD.

Machine parameters and characteristic features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Duff, J.

1979-01-01

The design and operating characteristics of LEP are presented. Its probable performance, possible improvements and cost are discussed and some comparisons are drawn with machines currently in operation. (W.D.L.)

Cold Heat Storage Characteristics of O/W-type Latent Heat Emulsion Including Continuum Phase of Water Treated with a Freezing Point Depression

Science.gov (United States)

Inaba, Hideo; Morita, Shin-Ichi

This paper deals with flow and cold heat storage characteristics of the oil (tetradecane, C14H30, freezing point 278.9 K, Latent heat 229 kJ/kg)/water emulsion as a latent heat storage material having a low melting point. The test emulsion includes a water-urea solution as a continuum phase. The freezing point depression of the continuum phase permits enhancement of the heat transfer rate of the emulison, due to the large temperature difference between the latent heat storage material and water-urea solution. The velocity of emulsion flow and the inlet temperature of coolant in a coiled double tube heat exchanger are chosen as the experimental parameters. The pressure drop, the heat transfer coefficient of the emulsion in the coiled tube are measured in the temperture region over solid and liquid phase of the latent heat storage material. The finishing time of the cold heat storage is defined experimentally in the range of sensible and latent heat storage. It is clarified that the flow behavior of the emulsion as a non-Newtonian fluid has an important role in cold heat storage. The useful nondimentional correlation equations for the additional pressure loss coefficient, the heat transfer coefficient and the finishing time of the cold heat storage are derived in terms of Dean number and heat capacity ratio.

Beaulieu-Boycott-Innes syndrome: an intellectual disability syndrome with characteristic facies.

Science.gov (United States)

Casey, Jillian; Jenkinson, Allan; Magee, Alex; Ennis, Sean; Monavari, Ahmad; Green, Andrew; Lynch, Sally A; Crushell, Ellen; Hughes, Joanne

2016-10-01

We report a female child from an Irish Traveller family presenting with severe intellectual disability, dysmorphic features, renal anomalies, dental caries and cyclical vomiting. Current health issues include global developmental delay, mild concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, dental malocclusion and caries and a single duplex left kidney. The proband and her mother also have multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the underlying genetic cause. DNA from the proband was enriched with the Agilent Sure Select v5 Exon array and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq. Rare homozygous variants were prioritized. Whole-exome sequencing identified three linked homozygous missense variants in THOC6 (c.298T>A, p.Trp100Arg; c.700G>C, p.Val234Leu; c.824G>A, p.Gly275Asp) as the likely cause of this child's intellectual disability syndrome, resulting in a molecular diagnosis of Beaulieu-Boycott-Innes syndrome (BBIS). This is the first report of BBIS in Europe. BBIS has been reported previously in two Hutterite families and one Saudi family. A review of all patients to date shows a relatively homogenous phenotype. Core clinical features include low birth weight with subsequent growth failure, short stature, intellectual disability with language delay, characteristic facies, renal anomalies and dental malocclusion with caries. Some patients also have cardiac defects. All patients show characteristic dysmorphic facial features including a tall forehead with high anterior hairline and deep-set eyes with upslanting palpebral fissures. The coexistence of intellectual disability together with these characteristic facies should provide a diagnostic clue for BBIS during patient evaluation.

Calculation of Permeability inside the Basket including one Fuel Assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Seung Hwan; Bang, Kyung Sik; Lee, Ju an; Choi, Woo Seok [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In general, the porous media model and the effective thermal conductivity were used to simply the fuel assembly. The methods of calculating permeability were compared considering the flow inside a basket which includes a nuclear fuel. Detailed fuel assembly was a computational modeling and the flow characteristics were investigated. The flow inside the basket which included a fuel assembly is analyzed by CFD. As the height of the fuel assembly increases, the pressure drop linearly increased. The inertia resistance could be neglected. Three methods to calculate the permeability were compared. The permeability by the friction factor is 50% less than the permeability by wall shear stress and pressure drop.

The gelsluice, an innovative idea for the present sluice structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Gijt Jacob Gerrit (Jarit

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sluices have been built worldwide since in 984 when the first sluice was built in China to speed up the operations in the Grand canal. Since that time different types of sluices have been developed world wide both in size and material use and their own shipping and structural characteristics. One of the main drawbacks of the present sluice designs is the waiting time. This problem of the waiting time is in principle overcome by the design of the gelsluice (gellock. This paper describe the development of sluices construction in general and with the emphasis on the characteristics of the innovative gelsluice. A preliminary design of the gelsluice will be discussed and presented. Finally some recommendations are presented for further research to improve the design of the gelsluice.

Progressive IRP Models for Power Resources Including EPP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiping Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the view of optimizing regional power supply and demand, the paper makes effective planning scheduling of supply and demand side resources including energy efficiency power plant (EPP, to achieve the target of benefit, cost, and environmental constraints. In order to highlight the characteristics of different supply and demand resources in economic, environmental, and carbon constraints, three planning models with progressive constraints are constructed. Results of three models by the same example show that the best solutions to different models are different. The planning model including EPP has obvious advantages considering pollutant and carbon emission constraints, which confirms the advantages of low cost and emissions of EPP. The construction of progressive IRP models for power resources considering EPP has a certain reference value for guiding the planning and layout of EPP within other power resources and achieving cost and environmental objectives.

NTD Silicon; Product Characteristics, Main Uses and Growth Potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, M. G.; Bjorling, C. F.

2013-01-01

Topsil is a specialised manufacturer of ultrapure float zone silicon since 1959, headquartered in Denmark. Topsil co-pioneered the invention of Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) monocrystalline silicon with research institute Risoe in the 1970s and has since then been world leading manufacturer of NTD silicon for the power market. This presentation will focus on NTD silicon; its characteristics, invention and main uses. It will address the trends of the power market and market projections for NTD, and discuss the growth potential in the years ahead, including larger silicon wafers and management of the NTD supply chain

NTD Silicon; Product Characteristics, Main Uses and Growth Potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, M. G.; Bjorling, C. F. [Topsil Semiconductor Materials A/S, Odense (Denmark)

2013-07-01

Topsil is a specialised manufacturer of ultrapure float zone silicon since 1959, headquartered in Denmark. Topsil co-pioneered the invention of Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) monocrystalline silicon with research institute Risoe in the 1970s and has since then been world leading manufacturer of NTD silicon for the power market. This presentation will focus on NTD silicon; its characteristics, invention and main uses. It will address the trends of the power market and market projections for NTD, and discuss the growth potential in the years ahead, including larger silicon wafers and management of the NTD supply chain.

Analytical assessment of some characteristic ratios for s-wave superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Gonczarek, Ryszard; Krzyzosiak, Mateusz; Gonczarek, Adam; Jacak, Lucjan

2018-04-01

We evaluate some thermodynamic quantities and characteristic ratios that describe low- and high-temperature s-wave superconducting systems. Based on a set of fundamental equations derived within the conformal transformation method, a simple model is proposed and studied analytically. After including a one-parameter class of fluctuations in the density of states, the mathematical structure of the s-wave superconducting gap, the free energy difference, and the specific heat difference is found and discussed in an analytic manner. Both the zero-temperature limit T = 0 and the subcritical temperature range T ≲ T c are discussed using the method of successive approximations. The equation for the ratio R 1, relating the zero-temperature energy gap and the critical temperature, is formulated and solved numerically for various values of the model parameter. Other thermodynamic quantities are analyzed, including a characteristic ratio R 2, quantifying the dynamics of the specific heat jump at the critical temperature. It is shown that the obtained model results coincide with experimental data for low- T c superconductors. The prospect of application of the presented model in studies of high- T c superconductors and other superconducting systems of the new generation is also discussed.

Impacts of the proposed program approach on waste stream characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, J.F.; Fleming, M.E.

1995-01-01

The evolution of the U.S. Department of Energy's Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) over the past few years has led to significant changes in key system scenario assumption. This paper describes the effects of two recent changes on waste stream characteristics focusing primarily on repository impacts. First, the multi-purpose canister (MPC) concept has been included in the Program baseline. The change from a bare fuel system to one including an MPC-based system forces the fuel assemblies initially loaded together in MPCs to remain together throughout the system. Second, current system analyses also assume a system without a monitored retrievable storage (MRS), with the understanding that an MRS would be reincorporated if a site becomes available. Together these two changes have significant impacts on waste stream characteristics. Those two changes create a class of scenarios referred to generally as Program Approach (PA) scenarios. Scenarios based on the previously assumed system, bare fuel with an MRS, are referred to here as the Previous Reference (PR) system scenarios. The analysis compares scenarios with otherwise consistent assumptions and presents summary comparisons. The number of disposal containers and the waste heat output are determined for eight PA and PR scenarios

Static and transient characteristics of the shaft seal system for helium gas circulator (Part 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morohoshi, S.; Saki, K.; Nemoto, M.; Taniguchi, S.; Sugimoto, A.; Kojima, M.

1982-01-01

A development program of the shaft seal system for the helium circulator supported by water lubricated bearings is presented. A seal system simulating tester and a computer program which can simulate the transient characteristics of a buffer gas seal system were newly introduced, and an investigation was performed experimentally and analytically of the characteristics of water and gas seals and of the buffer gas seal system including the control system. Main results are as follows: (1) Water seals were especially investigated in detail, and it was found that turbulence in water flow through seal clearance and deformation of seal components affected the leakage characteristics of water seals. They should be considered not only to make safety design but also to get optimum design of the seal system. (2) The calculation method for transient response of the buffer gas seal system including the control system was developed. This digital simulating method can well simulate transients encountered in the tester, and it would make a powerful tool for developing a safe seal system under steady state operation conditions and at depressurization accidents in a reactor

Technological characteristics of meat - viscosity

OpenAIRE

DIBĎÁK, Tomáš

2012-01-01

This bachelor thesis is focused on the technological characteristics of meat, mainly viscosity of meat. At the beginning I dealt with construction of meat and various types of meat: beef, veal, pork, mutton, rabbit, poultry and venison. Then I described basic chemical composition of meat and it?s characteristic. In detail I dealt with viscosity of meat. Viscosity is the ability of meat to bind water both own and added. I mentioned influences, which effects viscosity and I presented the possib...

Isolated Torticollis May Present as an Atypical Presentation of Meningitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger Chirurgi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis is infrequently missed if the patient presents with the classic symptoms of fever, headache, rash, nuchal rigidity, or Kernig or Brudzinski sign. However, it may be less obvious in neonates, elderly, or immunocompromised patients. Meningitis which presents as isolated torticollis, without any other signs or symptoms, is exceedingly rare. Objective. To identify an abnormal presentation of meningitis in an adult immunocompromised patient. Case Report. We present a case of an adult diabetic male who presented multiple times to the ED with complaint of isolated torticollis, who ultimately was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Conclusion. We propose that in the absence of sufficient explanation for acute painful torticollis in an immunocompromised adult patient, further evaluation, possibly including a lumbar puncture may be warranted.

Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyejin; Sefcik, Justine S; Bradway, Christine

2017-02-01

Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, although there were some inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with the limited available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and effective for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD studies so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CT characteristics of thoracoabdominal localized Castleman disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Rengui; Huo Meng; Wang Dandan

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess the CT characteristics of thoracoabdominal localized Castleman disease (LCD) in 55 cases and correlate with histopathologic features. Methods: Fifty-five patients with LCD proved histopathologically in thorax (n=25) and abdomen (n=30) were collected during past 20 years. The unenhanced and contrast-enhanced CT were performed in all patients. Two radiologists reviewed CT images and the CT findings were analyzed simultaneously. Results: In 54 patients with hyaline-vascular type (n=50) and mixed type (n=4) localized CD, the lesion typically presented as solitary mass (90.7%, 49 cases), with irregular or lobular or infiltrative margin (83.3%, 45 cases), central calcification (38.9%, 21 cases), marked enhancement (100%, 54 cases), focal non-necrosis low attenuation areas (72.2%, 39 cases), lymphadenopathy (70.4%, 38 cases) and dilated feeding vessels adjacent to the mass (96.3%, 52 cases). One lesion with plasma cell type localized CD presented as a mass with irregular margin, mild enhancement and central necrosis, Four morphologic patterns were classified on CT, including solitary mass with well-circumscribed margin (n=4), irregular or lobular margin (n=30), infiltrative or halo-like margin (n=16), and multiple coalescent masses (n=5). Conclusion: CT features of thoracoabdominal localized CD are closely related to the location and pathological type. LCD with hyaline-vascular and mixed type has typical CT characteristics, while LCD with plasma cell type has no typical CT findings. (authors)

Global anthropogenic emissions of particulate matter including black carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Klimont, Zbigniew; Kupiainen, Kaarle; Heyes, Chris; Purohit, Pallav; Cofala, Janusz; Rafaj, Peter; Borken-Kleefeld, Jens; Schöpp, Wolfgang

2017-07-01

This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of historical (1990-2010) global anthropogenic particulate matter (PM) emissions including the consistent and harmonized calculation of mass-based size distribution (PM1, PM2. 5, PM10), as well as primary carbonaceous aerosols including black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC). The estimates were developed with the integrated assessment model GAINS, where source- and region-specific technology characteristics are explicitly included. This assessment includes a number of previously unaccounted or often misallocated emission sources, i.e. kerosene lamps, gas flaring, diesel generators, refuse burning; some of them were reported in the past for selected regions or in the context of a particular pollutant or sector but not included as part of a total estimate. Spatially, emissions were calculated for 172 source regions (as well as international shipping), presented for 25 global regions, and allocated to 0.5° × 0.5° longitude-latitude grids. No independent estimates of emissions from forest fires and savannah burning are provided and neither windblown dust nor unpaved roads emissions are included. We estimate that global emissions of PM have not changed significantly between 1990 and 2010, showing a strong decoupling from the global increase in energy consumption and, consequently, CO2 emissions, but there are significantly different regional trends, with a particularly strong increase in East Asia and Africa and a strong decline in Europe, North America, and the Pacific region. This in turn resulted in important changes in the spatial pattern of PM burden, e.g. European, North American, and Pacific contributions to global emissions dropped from nearly 30 % in 1990 to well below 15 % in 2010, while Asia's contribution grew from just over 50 % to nearly two-thirds of the global total in 2010. For all PM species considered, Asian sources represented over 60 % of the global anthropogenic total, and residential combustion

Global anthropogenic emissions of particulate matter including black carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Klimont

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of historical (1990–2010 global anthropogenic particulate matter (PM emissions including the consistent and harmonized calculation of mass-based size distribution (PM1, PM2. 5, PM10, as well as primary carbonaceous aerosols including black carbon (BC and organic carbon (OC. The estimates were developed with the integrated assessment model GAINS, where source- and region-specific technology characteristics are explicitly included. This assessment includes a number of previously unaccounted or often misallocated emission sources, i.e. kerosene lamps, gas flaring, diesel generators, refuse burning; some of them were reported in the past for selected regions or in the context of a particular pollutant or sector but not included as part of a total estimate. Spatially, emissions were calculated for 172 source regions (as well as international shipping, presented for 25 global regions, and allocated to 0.5°  ×  0.5° longitude–latitude grids. No independent estimates of emissions from forest fires and savannah burning are provided and neither windblown dust nor unpaved roads emissions are included. We estimate that global emissions of PM have not changed significantly between 1990 and 2010, showing a strong decoupling from the global increase in energy consumption and, consequently, CO2 emissions, but there are significantly different regional trends, with a particularly strong increase in East Asia and Africa and a strong decline in Europe, North America, and the Pacific region. This in turn resulted in important changes in the spatial pattern of PM burden, e.g. European, North American, and Pacific contributions to global emissions dropped from nearly 30 % in 1990 to well below 15 % in 2010, while Asia's contribution grew from just over 50 % to nearly two-thirds of the global total in 2010. For all PM species considered, Asian sources represented over 60 % of the global

Electrolytes including fluorinated solvents for use in electrochemical cells

Science.gov (United States)

Tikhonov, Konstantin; Yip, Ka Ki; Lin, Tzu-Yuan

2015-07-07

Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. The electrolytes include ion-supplying salts and fluorinated solvents capable of maintaining single phase solutions with the salts at between about -30.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C. The fluorinated solvents, such as fluorinated carbonates, fluorinated esters, and fluorinated esters, are less flammable than their non-fluorinated counterparts and increase safety characteristics of cells containing these solvents. The amount of fluorinated solvents in electrolytes may be between about 30% and 80% by weight not accounting weight of the salts. Fluorinated salts, such as fluoroalkyl-substituted LiPF.sub.6, fluoroalkyl-substituted LiBF.sub.4 salts, linear and cyclic imide salts as well as methide salts including fluorinated alkyl groups, may be used due to their solubility in the fluorinated solvents. In some embodiments, the electrolyte may also include a flame retardant, such as a phosphazene or, more specifically, a cyclic phosphazene and/or one or more ionic liquids.

Duane Syndrome. Presentation of a case.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedra Palmero Aragón

2010-04-01

Full Text Available It was carried out an observational descriptive prospective longitudinal study including the period from march 2008 till june 20, 2008 in the Ophthalmology Service of the Provincial Educational Pediatric Hospital: “José Martí Pérez” in Sancti Spiritus, with the objective to identify the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a patient with Duane Syndrome who went to consultation without receiving previous ophthalmological attention, the diagnosis age was determined, which was tardy, bracket the most affected eye and the kind of Duane, and also if there was any refractive defect and the presence of amblyopia , identifying the criteria for being operated, for collecting data a format was completed by the specialists, which included observation, interrogatory, ophthalmological medical record of the ill person and pictures, these elements allowed us to make a correct analysis. With the previous information we arrived as a conclusion that is all about a patient with 28 years of age who lives in Sancti Spiritus Municipality, with White skin, male, carried on the Duane Syndrome type I, unilateral left. A light Hypermetropia was presented in both eyes as a refractive defect, accompanied by a light bilateral amplyopia in the right eye and moderate in the left eye. It is necessary to stay that the patient was under surgical criterium by esotropia of more than 15 degrees in PPM and unacceptable torticollis although the time of evolution; there were no difficulties related to the surgical act. The postoperative picture can reflect the result of the surgery.

Learner characteristics involved in distance learning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cernicek, A.T.; Hahn, H.A.

1991-01-01

Distance learning represents a strategy for leveraging resources to solve educational and training needs. Although many distance learning programs have been developed, lessons learned regarding differences between distance learning and traditional education with respect to learner characteristics have not been well documented. Therefore, we conducted a survey of 20 distance learning professionals. The questionnaire was distributed to experts attending the second Distance Learning Conference sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory. This survey not only acquired demographic information from each of the respondents but also identified important distance learning student characteristics. Significant distance learner characteristics, which were revealed statistically and which influence the effectiveness of distance learning, include the following: reading level, student autonomy, and self-motivation. Distance learning cannot become a more useful and effective method of instruction without identifying and recognizing learner characteristics. It will be important to consider these characteristics when designing all distance learning courses. This paper will report specific survey findings and their implications for developing distance learning courses. 9 refs., 6 tabs.

Powder Metallurgy characteristics and application: state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaid, A.I.O.

2005-01-01

Powder metallurgy process (P/M) is a near-net or net-shape manufacturing process that combines the features of shape making technology of powder compaction with the development of final material and design properties (physical and mechanical) during subsequent densification or consolidation processes, e.g. sintering. It utilizes the metal powder or powders of metal alloys. In this paper, the major historical developments in P/M are reviewed and discussed. The main parameters involved in the process and their effects on the product characteristics are presented and discussed, which include: powders and methods of their production, particle size and shape, compressibility and additives, sintering temperature and time and finishing processes. The advantages and limitations of powder metallurgy are also presented and discussed. Finally, applications and future developments of the process are outlined and discussed. (author)

Digital characteristics of CMOS devices at cryogenic temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deen, M.J.

1989-01-01

This paper presents the results of measurements of the digital characteristics of CMOS devices as a function of temperature between 77 and 300 K and a supply voltage between 3 and 20 V. Using a fixed supply of 5 V, the low noise margin (NM L decreased from 2.54 to 2.11 V, but the high noise margin NM H ) increased from 2.18 to 2.40 V as the temperature was increased from 77 to 300 K. On lowering the temperature from 300 to 77 K, both V 1L and V 1H increased and the transition between these input logic voltages became more abrupt. These and other digital characteristics including noise immunity, V H - V L , and V 1H - V 1L all showed a smooth monotonic improvement as the temperature decreased. These results can be qualitatively explained as due to the increase in the absolute threshold voltages of the NMOS and PMOS transistors and to the decrease in the β N /β rho ratio as the temperature is lowered

Battery Electric Vehicles: characteristics and research projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Besselink, I.J.M.

2010-01-01

This presentation discusses briefly the history of the electric car and its main characteristics. Two projects introduced: the battery electric VW Lupo EL and URE05e electric Formula Student racecar. Presentation slides.

Gravitational wave extraction based on Cauchy-characteristic extraction and characteristic evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babiuc, Maria [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Szilagyi, Bela [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (United States); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany); Hawke, Ian [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany); School of Mathematics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Zlochower, Yosef [Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, TX 78520 (United States)

2005-12-07

We implement a code to find the gravitational news at future null infinity by using data from a Cauchy code as boundary data for a characteristic code. This technique of Cauchy-characteristic extraction (CCE) allows for the unambiguous extraction of gravitational waves from numerical simulations. We first test the technique on non-radiative spacetimes: Minkowski spacetime, perturbations of Minkowski spacetime and static black hole spacetimes in various gauges. We show the convergence and limitations of the algorithm and illustrate its success in cases where other wave extraction methods fail. We further apply our techniques to a standard radiative test case for wave extraction, a linearized Teukolsky wave, presenting our results in comparison to the Zerilli technique, and we argue for the advantages of our method of extraction.

Impact of the Gate Width of Al0.27Ga0.73N/AlN/Al0.04Ga0.96N/GaN HEMT on Its Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liwei Jin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents impact of layout sizes of Al0.27Ga0.73N/AlN/Al0.04Ga0.96N/GaN HEMT heterostructure high-mobility transistors (HEMTs on SiC substrate on its characteristics that include the threshold voltage, the maximum transconductance, characteristic frequency, and the maximum oscillation frequency. The changing parameters include the gate finger number, the gate width per finger. The measurement results based on common-source devices demonstrate that the above parameters have different effects on the threshold voltage, maximum transconductance, and frequency characteristics.

Video Game Structural Characteristics: A New Psychological Taxonomy

Science.gov (United States)

King, Daniel; Delfabbro, Paul; Griffiths, Mark

2010-01-01

Excessive video game playing behaviour may be influenced by a variety of factors including the structural characteristics of video games. Structural characteristics refer to those features inherent within the video game itself that may facilitate initiation, development and maintenance of video game playing over time. Numerous structural…

The “Facebook-self”: characteristics and psychological predictors of false self-presentation on Facebook

Science.gov (United States)

Gil-Or, Oren; Levi-Belz, Yossi; Turel, Ofir

2015-01-01

In this study we present and empirically examine a new phenomenon related to social networking sites, such as Facebook, the “false Facebook-self.” Arguably false self-presentation on Facebook is a growing phenomenon, and in extreme cases; i.e., when ones Facebook image substantially deviates from their true image, it may serve as a gateway behavior to more problematic behaviors which may lead to psychological problems and even pathologies. In this study we show that certain users are more vulnerable to such false self-presentation than others. The study involved 258 Facebook users. Applying ANOVA and SEM analyses we show that users with low self-esteem and low trait authenticity are more likely than others to present a Facebook-self which deviates from their true selves. These social-interaction-related traits are influenced by one’s upbringing and the anxious and avoidant attachment styles he or she has developed. Several cases (7.5%) with large gaps between the true and false Facebook-self were detected, which implies that future research should consider the adverse consequences and treatments of high levels of false Facebook-self. PMID:25741299

The “Facebook-self”: characteristics and psychological predictors of false self-presentation on Facebook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oren Gil-Or

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this study we present and empirically examine a new phenomenon related to social networking sites, such as Facebook, the “false Facebook-self.” Arguably false self-presentation on Facebook is a growing phenomenon, and in extreme cases; i.e., when ones Facebook image substantially deviates from their true image, it may serve as a gateway behavior to more problematic behaviors which may lead to psychological problems and even pathologies. In this study we show that certain users are more vulnerable to such false self-presentation than others. The study involved 258 Facebook users. Applying ANOVA and SEM analyses we show that users with low self-esteem and low trait authenticity are more likely than others to present a Facebook-self which deviates from their true selves. These social-interaction-related traits are influenced by one’s upbringing and the anxious and avoidant attachment styles he or she has developed. Several cases (7.5% with large gaps between the true and false Facebook-self were detected, which implies that future research should consider the adverse consequences and treatments of high levels of false Facebook-self.

Characteristics of the higher education system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongbloed, Benjamin W.A.; Sijgers, Irene; Hammer, Matthijs; ter Horst, Wolf; Nieuwenhuis, Paul; van der Sijde, Peter

2005-01-01

This chapter presents an overview of the main characteristics of the higher education system in the Netherlands. Section 2.1 presents some key facts about the system as a whole (types of institutions, number of students, degrees). Section 2.2 discusses the different types of higher education

Theory including future not excluded

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nagao, K.; Nielsen, H.B.

2013-01-01

We study a complex action theory (CAT) whose path runs over not only past but also future. We show that, if we regard a matrix element defined in terms of the future state at time T and the past state at time TA as an expectation value in the CAT, then we are allowed to have the Heisenberg equation......, Ehrenfest's theorem, and the conserved probability current density. In addition,we showthat the expectation value at the present time t of a future-included theory for large T - t and large t - T corresponds to that of a future-not-included theory with a proper inner product for large t - T. Hence, the CAT...

Investigating personal characteristics on e-banking adoption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Arfaeian

2013-12-01

Full Text Available During the past few years, there have been increasing interests on doing banking transactions using online services through internet. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to study the role of personal and social characteristics on acceptance of e-banking adoption. The proposed study designs two questionnaires and distributes them among 384 randomly selected people who use online banking in province of Alborz, Iran. The proposed study examines the effects of five factors including Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness on e-banking adoption. Using regression techniques, the study has confirmed that Neuroticism and Agreeableness have negative and meaningful impact on e-banking adoption while Conscientiousness has positive and meaningful relationship with e-banking adoption.

Assessment of the relationships between morphometric characteristics of relief with quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests using ASTER and SRTM digital terrain models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. M. Chernikhovsky

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the article are shown results of assessment of relationships between quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests and morphometric characteristics of relief on an example model plot in Nanayskoe forest district of Khabarovsk Territory. The relevance of the investigation is connected with need for improvement of the system of forest evaluation operations in the Russian Federation, including with use of the landscape approach. The tasks of the investigation were assessment of relationships between characteristics of relief and characteristics of forest vegetation cover on different levels of forest management; evaluation of morphometric characteristics of relief are important for structure and productivity of forests; comparison of the results obtained through the use of digital terrain models ASTER and SRTM. Geoinformatic projects were formed for a model plot on the basis of digital terrain models and data of forest mensuration and State (National Forest Inventory. On the basis of the developed method with use geoinformatic technologies were estimated morphometric characteristics of relief (average height, standard deviation of height, entropy, exposition and gradient of slopes, indexes of ruggedness and roughness, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests. The multifactor regression analysis, where characteristics of forests (as dependent variables and morphometric characteristics of relief (as independent variables were used, have been done. As a result of research, the set of morphometric characteristics of relief able to influence to variability of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forests was identified. The set of linear regression equations able to explain 30–50 % of variability of dependent variables was obtained. The regression equations, obtained on base of digital terrain models ASTER and SRTM, comparable to each other in strength of relations (coefficients of determination, but includes the

Code ATOM for calculation of atomic characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vainshtein, L.A.

1990-01-01

In applying atomic physics to problems of plasma diagnostics, it is necessary to determine some atomic characteristics, including energies and transition probabilities, for very many atoms and ions. Development of general codes for calculation of many types of atomic characteristics has been based on general but comparatively simple approximate methods. The program ATOM represents an attempt at effective use of such a general code. This report gives a brief description of the methods used, and the possibilities of and limitations to the code are discussed. Characteristics of the following processes can be calculated by ATOM: radiative transitions between discrete levels, radiative ionization and recombination, collisional excitation and ionization by electron impact, collisional excitation and ionization by point heavy particle (Born approximation only), dielectronic recombination, and autoionization. ATOM explores Born (for z=1) or Coulomb-Born (for z>1) approximations. In both cases exchange and normalization can be included. (N.K.)

The Coffin-Siris syndrome: five new cases including two siblings.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, J C; Hall, B D

1978-07-01

Five new cases and one previously reported case of the Coffin-Siris syndrome are described. These cases plus the remaining four already published bring to ten the number of cases available for scrutiny. Constant features (100% frequency) include variable degrees of mental retardation, nail hypoplasia or absence with predominantly fifth digit involvement, hypotonia, infancy feeding problems, and retarded bone age. Frequent features (75% to 90%) include postnatal growth deficiency, microcephaly, wide nasal tip and mouth, prominent lips, eyebrow/eyelash hypertrichosis, and scalp hair hypotrichosis. Significant but less frequent findings include short philtrum (50%, scoliosis (40%), decreased fetal activity (40%), smallness for gestational age (30%), and congenital heart defects (30%). We found the craniofacial phenotype to be mild in the young infant, but progressively more characteristic with age. Autosomal recessive inheritance is suspected on the basis of our brother-and-sister pair.

1975 Automotive Characteristics Data Base

Science.gov (United States)

1976-10-01

A study of automobile characteristics as a supportive tool for auto energy consumption, fuel economy monitoring, and fleet analysis studies is presented. This report emphasizes the utility of efficient data retrieval methods in fuel economy analysis,...

Monetary targeting and financial system characteristics : An empirical analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Samarina, A..

2012-01-01

This paper investigates how reforms and characteristics of the financial system affect the likelihood of countries to abandon their strategy of monetary targeting. Apart from financial system characteristics, we include macroeconomic, fiscal, and institutional factors potentially associated with

Characteristic analysis on UAV-MIMO channel based on normalized correlation matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xi jun; Chen, Zi li; Hu, Yong Jiang

2014-01-01

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channel correlation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMO channel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channel correlation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMO channel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMO channel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication.

Mechanical characteristics of hardened concrete with different mineral admixtures: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayub, Tehmina; Khan, Sadaqat Ullah; Memon, Fareed Ahmed

2014-01-01

The available literature identifies that the addition of mineral admixture as partial replacement of cement improves the microstructure of the concrete (i.e., porosity and pore size distribution) as well as increasing the mechanical characteristics such as drying shrinkage and creep, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity; however, no single document is available in which review and comparison of the influence of the addition of these mineral admixtures on the mechanical characteristics of the hardened pozzolanic concretes are presented. In this paper, based on the reported results in the literature, mechanical characteristics of hardened concrete partially containing mineral admixtures including fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and rice husk ash (RHA) are discussed and it is concluded that the content and particle size of mineral admixture are the parameters which significantly influence the mechanical properties of concrete. All mineral admixtures enhance the mechanical properties of concrete except FA and GGBS which do not show a significant effect on the strength of concrete at 28 days; however, gain in strength at later ages is considerable. Moreover, the comparison of the mechanical characteristics of different pozzolanic concretes suggests that RHA and SF are competitive.

Power attenuation characteristics as switch-over criterion in personal satellite mobile communications

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Jonathan P.

1993-01-01

A third generation mobile system intends to support communications in all environments (i.e., outdoors, indoors at home or office and when moving). This system will integrate services that are now available in architectures such as cellular, cordless, mobile data networks, paging, including satellite services to rural areas. One way through which service integration will be made possible is by supporting a hierarchical cellular structure based on umbrella cells, macro cells, micro and pico cells. In this type of structure, satellites are part of the giant umbrella cells allowing continuous global coverage, the other cells belong to cities, neighborhoods, and buildings respectively. This does not necessarily imply that network operation of terrestrial and satellite segments interconnect to enable roaming and spectrum sharing. However, the cell concept does imply hand-off between different cell types, which may involve change of frequency. Within this propsective, the present work uses power attenuation characteristics to determine a dynamic criterion that allows smooth transition from space to terrestrial networks. The analysis includes a hybrid channel that combines Rician, Raleigh and Log Normal fading characteristics.

Inclusive education in the Netherlands : Characteristics and effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Bij, T.

2017-01-01

In his dissertation ‘Inclusive education in the Netherlands: characteristics and effects’, Teije van der Bij presents a conceptual and empirical model of the characteristics of inclusive education in schools. This model is constructed with the use of the self-evaluation data of educational

Psychosocial Characteristics of Optimum Performance in Isolated and Confined Environments (ICE)

Science.gov (United States)

Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Keeton, Kathryn E.; Shea, Camille; Leveton, Lauren B.

2010-01-01

The Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element addresses human health risks in the NASA Human Research Program (HRP), including the Risk of Adverse Behavioral Conditions and the Risk of Psychiatric Disorders. BHP supports and conducts research to help characteristics and mitigate the Behavioral Medicine risk for exploration missions, and in some instances, current Flight Medical Operations. The Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element identified research gaps within the Behavioral Medicine Risk, including Gap BMed6: What psychosocial characteristics predict success in an isolated, confined environment (ICE)? To address this gap, we conducted an extensive and exhaustive literature review to identify the following: 1) psychosocial characteristics that predict success in ICE environments; 2) characteristics that are most malleable; and 3) specific countermeasures that could enhance malleable characteristics.

Evaluation of glycemic control, quality of life and psychological characteristics in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya Andreevna Shishkova

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Aim. To identify psychological characteristics associated with better glycemic control and higher quality of life (QoL in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM. Materials and Methods.  The study included 140 T1DM patients (47 males aged 18 to 28 years. Assessment of the QoL and associated emotional state (ES was performed by validated localized questionnaires, supplemented with the inventories for evaluation of psychological characteristics. Based on the acquired data we performed a trilateral analysis of glycemic control, QoL and ES, followed by testing of these parameters for correlation with certain psychological characteristics, including disease attitude, mindfulness, self-attitude and self-assessment, coping strategies, autoregulation parameters and the locus of control. Results.  In the studied sample, better glycemic control was associated with higher QoL and more favourable ES. We also identified several psychological characteristics associated with an improvement in all three primary parameters, namely: higher level of mindfulness, internal locus of control and ergopathic attitude. Conclusion.  The diagnostic inventory for QoL and ES evaluation used in the present study may be helpful for psychological testing in patients with T1DM.

Evaluation of glycemic control, quality of life and psychological characteristics in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya Andreevna Shishkova

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Aim. To identify psychological characteristics associated with better glycemic control and higher quality of life (QoL in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM.Materials and Methods. The study included 140 T1DM patients (47 males aged 18 to 28 years. Assessment of the QoL and associated emotional state (ES was performed by validated localized questionnaires, supplemented with the inventories for evaluation of psychological characteristics. Based on the acquired data we performed a trilateral analysis of glycemic control, QoL and ES, followed by testing of these parameters for correlation with certain psychological characteristics, including disease attitude, mindfulness, self-attitude and self-assessment, coping strategies, autoregulation parameters and the locus of control.Results. In the studied sample, better glycemic control was associated with higher QoL and more favourable ES. We also identified several psychological characteristics associated with an improvement in all three primary parameters, namely: higher level of mindfulness, internal locus of control and ergopathic attitude.Conclusion. The diagnostic inventory for QoL and ES evaluation used in the present study may be helpful for psychological testing in patients with T1DM.

Development of JOYO MK-II core characteristics database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabuchi, Shiro; Aoyama, Takafumi

2000-01-01

The MK-II core of the experimental fast reactor JOYO served as the irradiation bed for testing fuels and materials for FBR development since 1982 for 15 years. During the MK-II operation, extensive data were accumulated from the core management calculations and characteristics tests conducted in thirty-one duty operations and thirteen special test operations. These core management data and core characteristics data were compiled into a database recorded on CD-ROM for user convenience. The calculated core management data are the text style data. The 'Configuration Data' include the history of the fuel exchange and core arrangement for each cycle. The Subassembly Library Data' include the atomic number density, neutron fluence, burn-up, integral power of about 300 fuel subassemblies, and 60 irradiation subassemblies. The 'Output Data' include the neutron fluxes, gamma fluxes, power density, linear heat rates, coolant and fuel temperature distributions of each core position at the beginning and end of each cycle. The measured core characteristics data, such as the excess reactivity, control rod worths, temperature coefficient, power coefficient, and burn-up coefficient are also included along with the measurement conditions. (J.P.N.)

Characteristics of potential repository wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

This document, and its associated appendices and microcomputer (PC) data bases, constitutes the reference OCRWM data base of physical and radiological characteristics data of radioactive wastes. This Characteristics Data Base (CDB) system includes data on spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste (HLW), which clearly require geologic disposal, and other wastes which may require long-term isolation, such as sealed radioisotope sources. The data base system was developed for OCRWM by the CDB Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Various principal or official sources of these data provided primary information to the CDB Project which then used the ORIGEN2 computer code to calculate radiological properties. The data have been qualified by an OCRWM-sponsored peer review as suitable for quality-affecting work meeting the requirements of OCRWM's Quality Assurance Program. The wastes characterized in this report include: light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and immobilized HLW

Characteristics of pregnant and lactating women with leprosy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Sacha Frota Nogueira

2015-02-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The clinical characteristics of women who conceive during leprosy and the association between leprosy and pregnancy are not well known. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 49 pregnant or lactating women diagnosed with leprosy in 2011. RESULTS: The patients had a clinical dimorphous form of leprosy (44.9%, no physical incapacity at diagnosis (87.5%, and no complications in either the patient or infant (33.4%. In 36.3% of cases, leprosy symptoms were presented in the last trimester of pregnancy, and in 31.9% of patients were in the first trimester of lactation. CONCLUSIONS: The association between leprosy and pregnancy should be routinely investigated, particularly in endemic areas.

Juvenile primary extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma, presenting as cheek swelling

Science.gov (United States)

Nandhini, J; Ramasamy, S; Kaul, Ronak Nazir; Austin, Ravi David

2018-01-01

Angiofibroma is a locally advancing immensely vascular tumor that essentially arises from the nasopharynx. The clinical characteristics of extranasopharyngeal angiofibroma (ENA) do not accord to that of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma and can present a diagnostic confront. We describe a case of primary juvenile ENA in a 19-year-old patient who presented with a rapidly enlarging mass of the cheek region. The case is unusual because of its anatomic location. The diagnostic and management particulars are sketched. PMID:29491611

Physical characteristics of stream subbasins in the Pomme de Terre River Basin, west-central Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, D.L.; Payne, G.A.

1994-01-01

Data describing the physical characteristics of stream subbasins upstream from selected points on streams in the Pomme de Terre River Basin, located in west-central Minnesota, are presented in this report. The physical characteristics are the drainage area of the subbasin, the percentage area of the subbasin covered only by lakes, the percentage area of the subbasin covered by both lakes and wetlands, the main-channel length, and the main-channel slope. The points on the stream include outlets of subbasins of at least 5 square miles, outfalls of sewage treatment plants, and locations of U.S. Geological Survey low-flow, high-flow, and continuous-record gaging stations.

Avocado: characteristics, health benefits and uses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrícia Fonseca Duarte

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This study aimed to present a literature review about the characteristics, applications, and potential of avocado (Persea americana. Avocado is considered one of the main tropical fruits, as it contains fat-soluble vitamins which are less common in other fruits, besides high levels of protein, potassium and unsaturated fatty acids. Avocado pulp contains variable oil content, and is widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry, and in the production of commercial oils similar to olive oil. This fruit has been recognized for its health benefits, especially due to the compounds present in the lipidic fraction, such as omega fatty acids, phytosterols, tocopherols and squalene. Studies have shown the benefits of avocado associated to a balanced diet, especially in reducing cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular diseases. The processed avocado pulp is an alternative to utilize fruits, which can be used in various value-added food products. Fluid extract of the avocado leaves is widely used in pharmaceutical products, mainly due to the diuretic characteristic of the present compounds in plant leaves. With the increasing research supporting the nutritional characteristics and benefits of avocado, the tendency is to increase the production and exploitation of this raw material in Brazil, as also observed in other countries.

Adult exposures from MDCT including multiphase studies: first Italian nationwide survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palorini, Federica; Origgi, Daniela [Fisica Sanitaria Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan (Italy); Granata, Claudio [UOC di Radiologia Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa (Italy); Matranga, Domenica [Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute e Materno-infantile ' ' G. D' Alessandro' ' , Palermo (Italy); Salerno, Sergio [Policlinico Universita di Palermo, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Palermo (Italy)

2014-02-15

To evaluate the radiation dose in routine multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) examinations in Italian population. This was a retrospective multicentre study included 5,668 patients from 65 radiology departments who had undergone common CT protocols: head, chest, abdomen, chest-abdomen-pelvis (CAP), spine and cardiac. Data included patient characteristics, CT parameters, volumetric CT dose index (CTDI{sub vol}) and dose length product (DLP) for each CT acquisition phase. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and a multi-regression analysis was used to outline the main factors affecting exposure. The 75th percentiles of CTDI{sub vol} (mGy) and DLP (mGy cm) for whole head were 69 mGy and 1,312 mGy cm, respectively; for chest, 15 mGy and 569 mGy cm; spine, 42 mGy and 888 mGy cm; cardiac, 7 mGy and 131 mGy cm for calcium score, and 61 mGy and 1,208 mGy cm for angiographic CT studies. High variability was present in the DLP of abdomen and CAP protocols, where multiphase examinations dominated (71 % and 73 % respectively): for abdomen, 18 mGy, with 555 and 920 mGy cm in abdomen and abdomen-pelvis acquisitions respectively; for CAP, 17 mGy, with 508, 850 and 1,200 mGy cm in abdomen, abdomen-pelvis and CAP acquisitions respectively. The results of this survey could help in the definition of updated diagnostic reference levels (DRL). (orig.)

Jealousy at work: The role of rivals' characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zurriaga, Rosario; González-Navarro, Pilar; Buunk, Abraham Pieter; Dijkstra, Pieternel

2018-03-26

The present study examined rival characteristics that may evoke jealousy in the workplace, differences between men and women in this regard, and the relationship between jealousy responses and intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation. Participants were 426 male and female employees. By means of a questionnaire, participants were presented with a jealousy-evoking scenario after which jealousy responses to 24 rival characteristics were assessed. Findings showed that a rival's social communal attributes evoked highest levels of jealousy, and that, compared to men, women reported more jealousy in response to a rival's physical attractiveness. Overall, as individuals had higher scores on intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation, they also experienced more jealousy in response to their rival, regardless of his or her characteristics. These findings suggest that those characteristics that are highly valued in employees may backfire when employees perceive co-workers as rivals. © 2018 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characteristics of Suicidality among Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzler, Scott; And Others

1996-01-01

Examines the characteristics of suicidality and psychopathology (including depression, aggression, impulsivity, and stressful life events) among four groups of depressed adolescent outpatients. The nonsuicidal group was differentiated from the three suicidal groups on the basis of suicidality and psychopathology. The three suicidal groups were…

The DIII-D Computing Environment: Characteristics and Recent Changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McHarg, B.B. Jr.

1999-01-01

The DIII-D tokamak national fusion research facility along with its predecessor Doublet III has been operating for over 21 years. The DIII-D computing environment consists of real-time systems controlling the tokamak, heating systems, and diagnostics, and systems acquiring experimental data from instrumentation; major data analysis server nodes performing short term and long term data access and data analysis; and systems providing mechanisms for remote collaboration and the dissemination of information over the world wide web. Computer systems for the facility have undergone incredible changes over the course of time as the computer industry has changed dramatically. Yet there are certain valuable characteristics of the DIII-D computing environment that have been developed over time and have been maintained to this day. Some of these characteristics include: continuous computer infrastructure improvements, distributed data and data access, computing platform integration, and remote collaborations. These characteristics are being carried forward as well as new characteristics resulting from recent changes which have included: a dedicated storage system and a hierarchical storage management system for raw shot data, various further infrastructure improvements including deployment of Fast Ethernet, the introduction of MDSplus, LSF and common IDL based tools, and improvements to remote collaboration capabilities. This paper will describe this computing environment, important characteristics that over the years have contributed to the success of DIII-D computing systems, and recent changes to computer systems

Cardiovocal syndrome – A rare presentation of primary pulmonary hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Om Shankar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Primary pulmonary hypertension is a well known entity with characteristic features more common in females presenting commonly with dyspnea. However primary pulmonary hypertension presenting as hoarseness of voice is rare occurring most likely due to compression of left recurrent laryngeal nerve between normal aorta and dilated tense pulmonary artery. Here we are presenting a case of 19 year old boy with primary pulmonary hypertension who presented with hoarseness of voice as predominant symptom.

Characteristics of self-powered neutron detectors used in power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todt, W.H.

1997-01-01

Self-Powered Neutron Detectors have been used effectively as in-core flux monitors for over twenty-five years in nuclear power reactors world-wide. The basic properties of these radiation sensors are described including their nuclear, electrical and mechanical characteristics. Recommendations are given for the proper choice of the self-powered detector emitter to provide the proper response time and radiation sensitivity desired for use in an effective in-core radiation monitoring system. Examples are shown of specific self-powered detector designs which are being effectively used in in-core instrumentation systems for pressurised water, heavy water and graphite moderated light water reactors. Examples are also shown of the mechanical configurations of in-core assemblies of self-powered detectors combined with in-core thermocouples presently used in pressurised water and heavy water reactors worldwide. This paper is a summary of a new IEC standard to be issued in 1996 describing the characteristics and test methods of self-powered detectors used in nuclear power reactors. (author)

The Estimation Of The Regions’ Efficiency Of The Russian Federation Including The Intellectual Capital, The Characteristics Of Readiness For Innovation, Level Of Well-Being, And Quality Of Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeriy Leonidovich Makarov

2014-12-01

Full Text Available On the basis of the authors’ methodology, the models of productive potential of the Russian Federation regions, including estimations of intellectual capital, were constructed. It is shown that characteristics of well-being level and quality of life make a significant impact on the regional production’s efficiency. The characteristics of regions’ readiness to innovate are identified, it is possible to name it as a factor of production’s efficiency. It is shown that the inclusion of different factors of efficiency in the production potential model can significantly increase the differentiation of technical efficiency estimates, besides these estimates and their grades depend on a set of efficiency’s factors. On the basis of a comparison of real GRP and boundary GRP ratings, it is identified locally effective regions with a relatively high estimation of efficiency among regions with similar amounts of GRP and locally ineffective regions. It is calculated marginal effects of influence of the efficiency’s factors on the result of industrial activity in the region. It seems constructively to use these estimates while analyzing the prospects for regions’ development, which is based on the possibility of targeting impact on controllable efficiency’s factors. The article is also offered the option of methodology of the public policy efficiency estimation on the knowledge economy formation — an agent-based model for Russia, which is learning the “knowledge economy” sector and considering their relationship with the rest of the macroeconomic system.

Comparison of executive functions in students with and without specific learning disability with the characteristic reading and writing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saba Hasanvandi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of present study was to investigate executive functions included of working memory, organization-planning and reasoning in the children with and without specific learning disability with the characteristic reading and writing. Materials and methods: The design of this research was Ex-Post Facto design. Statistical population was all male students of third grade primary schools in Tehran which were referred to education institution with diagnosis special learning disorders in educational centers. The sample included of 90 students chosen and assigned into 3 groups of 30 students, included of: children who had specific learning disability with characteristic reading, children who had specific learning disability with characteristic writing, normal children were selected by systematic randomized sampling and 3 groups were compared. The data instruments were: Wechsler’ subtests of similarities and digit differences, Andre Ray test, in formal (unofficial reading and dictation test. The obtained data were analyzed with ANOVA. Results: The results showed that there was difference between the group of normal children and other group in executive functions including working memory, organization-planning and reasoning (P<0.05. Also there was difference between two children groups with specific learning disability with  characteristic reading and writing in working memory and reasoning, whereas for organization-planning parameter there were not seen any differences between these two groups (P<0.05. Conclusion: Regarding to obtained results, it is recommended to adoption some ways for improvements of working memory, organization-planning and reasoning

Characteristics and pattern of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamil, Muhammad Hannan; Farooq, Nesr; Khan, Muhammad Tariq; Jamil, Ahmed Zeeshan

2012-08-01

To determine the presenting characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in a consecutive series of Pakistani patients. Case series. Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT), Lahore, from June 2010 to October 2011. A total of 107 eyes underwent RRD surgery. Detailed diagrams were drawn pre-operatively for all. Other recorded details included, bio-data, age, gender, visual acuity, autorefractometery, predisposing risk factors, lens state and duration of symptoms. The data was analyzed with respect to age and gender distribution, frequency of various risk factors for RRD, duration of RRD and its various presenting characteristics. Mean age of the patients were 33.1 ± 1.5 years, 85% were males. Bilateral RRD was discovered in 2.8% patients. No identifiable risk factor for RRD was present in 28%, while in rest of the 72% eyes, the commonest risk factors were intraocular surgery, trauma and peripheral myopic degeneration in decreasing order of frequency. There were 70.1% phakic, 23.4% pseudophakic and 6.5% aphakic eyes. Majority (93.5%) presented with macula off detachment. There was an overall average time lapse of 97.24 ± 16.95 days between presenting and first occurrence of symptoms. In 31.8% of eyes no break could be found pre-operatively, while 38.3% had 1 and 29.9% eyes had ³ 2 breaks. Majority of the primary breaks were horse-shoe tears (42.1%). Total RRD was found in 35.5% eyes. Infero-temporal and supero-temporal were the most frequently involved quadrants (93.5% and 86.9% respectively). Intraocular surgery, trauma and lattice degeneration in myopia are established common risk factors for RRD. These patients deserve meticulous fundus examination with indentation indirect ophthalmoscopy by trained professionals.

Integration of nuclear power in the Portuguese network. Present status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Videira, F.M.

1977-01-01

The main characteristics of the Portuguese electric energy production system and their evolution in the past and near future are presented. Taking into consideration the Portuguese energy resources the alternatives to meet the additional long range electric energy needs are evaluated. Finally some comments are made about the present status of the nuclear option. (Auth.)

Characteristics of potential repository wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Notz, K.J.

1989-01-01

The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for the spent fuels and other wastes that will be disposed of in a geologic repository. The two major sources of these materials are commercial light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and immobilized high-level waste (HLW). Other wastes that may require long-term isolation include non-LWR spent fuels and miscellaneous sources such as activated metals. Detailed characterizations are required for all of these potential repository wastes. These characterizations include physical, chemical, and radiological properties. The latter must take into account decay as a function of time. This information has been extracted from primary data sources, evaluated, and assembled in a Characteristics Data Base which provides data in four formats: hard copy standard reports, menu-driven personal computer (PC) data bases, program-level PC data bases, and mainframe computer files. The Characteristics Data Base provides a standard set of self-consistent data to the various areas of responsibility including systems integration and waste stream analysis, storage, transportation, and geologic disposal. The data will be used for design studies, evaluation of alternatives, and system optimization by OCRWM and supporting contractors. 7 refs., 5 figs., 7 tabs

Developments on positron scattering experiments including beam production and detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selim, F.A.; Golovchenko, J.A.

2001-01-01

Positron scattering and channeling experiments require high quality (low emittance) beams. A new electrostatic optics system for extracting positrons from a moderator is presented. The system features improved efficiency of focusing and beam transport of moderated positrons emitted with angular spreads up to ± 30 , with good phase space characteristics. The presented optics also provides a high degree of freedom in controlling exit beam trajectories. The system has been installed in the LLNL Pelletron accelerator and showed great enhancement on the beam quality. On the detection side, image plates were used to measure the angular distributions of positrons transmitted through the gold crystals. The measurements demonstrate the advantages of image plates as quantitative position sensitive detectors for positrons. (orig.)

Diagnostic characteristics of lethal prostate cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helgstrand, John Thomas; Røder, Martin Andreas; Klemann, Nina

2017-01-01

eventually died from PCa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on the national database, the Danish Prostate Cancer Registry, a nationwide population-based study of all 19,487 men who died from PCa in Denmark between 1995 and 2013 was conducted. Trends in median survival and trends in age, prostate-specific antigen......BACKGROUND: The diagnostic characteristics of men who eventually die from prostate cancer (PCa) and the extent to which early diagnostic strategies have affected these characteristics are unclear. We aimed to investigate trends in survival and clinical presentation at diagnosis in men who...... significantly over time, parallelled by an increase in median survival. Taken together, this indicates a lead-time effect on survival, which presently, however, is not substantial enough to result in a reduced PCa-specific mortality....

Homelessness: patterns of emergency department use and risk factors for re-presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, G; Gerdtz, M F; Hepworth, G; Manias, E

2011-05-01

To describe patterns of service use and to predict risk factors for re-presentation to a metropolitan emergency department (ED) among people who are homeless. A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken over a 24-month period from a principal referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. All ED visits relating to people classified as homeless were included. A predictive model for risk of re-presentation was developed using logistic regression with random effects. Rates of re-presentation, defined as the total number of visits to the same ED within 28 days of discharge, were measured. The study period was 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. The re-presentation rate for homeless people was 47.8% (3199/6689) of ED visits and 45.5% (725/1595) of the patients. The final predictive model included risk factors, which incorporated both hospital and community service use. Those characteristics that resulted in significantly increased odds of re-presentation were leaving hospital at own risk (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.56), treatment in another hospital (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.72) and being in receipt of community-based case management (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.54) or pension (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.62). The predictive model identified nine risk factors of re-presentation to the ED for people who are homeless. Early identification of these factors among homeless people may alert clinicians to the complexity of issues influencing an individual ED visit. This information can be used at admission and discharge by ensuring that homeless people have access to services commensurate with their health needs. Improved linkage between community and hospital services must be underscored by the capacity to provide safe and secure housing.

Important Text Characteristics for Early-Grades Text Complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Jill; Elmore, Jeff; Koons, Heather; Hiebert, Elfrieda H.; Bowen, Kimberly; Sanford-Moore, Eleanor E.; Stenner, A. Jackson

2015-01-01

The Common Core set a standard for all children to read increasingly complex texts throughout schooling. The purpose of the present study was to explore text characteristics specifically in relation to early-grades text complexity. Three hundred fifty primary-grades texts were selected and digitized. Twenty-two text characteristics were identified…

Modeling of static characteristics of switched reluctance motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asgharmemon, A.; Hussain, I.; Daudpoto, J.

2013-01-01

To investigate the running characteristics of a switched reluctance motor, the static characteristics and related input data tables are required. The static characteristics comprise of flux linkage, co-energy and static torque characteristics. The co-energy and static torque are calculated once data of magnetization characteristics is available. The data of co-energy is required for the calculation of static torque characteristics. The simulation model includes the data of static characteristics for prediction of the instantaneous and steady state performance of the motor. In this research a computer based procedure of experiments is carried out for measurement of the magnetization characteristics. For every set of measurements, the removal of eddy current is carefully addressed. The experiments are carried out on an existing 8/6 pole rotary switched reluctance motor. Additionally, the instantaneous phase current, instantaneous torque and flux waveforms are produced by using linear, which is by default and spline data interpolation separately. The information obtained from theses simulation results will help in an improved simulation model for predicting the performance of the machine. (author)

Discourse Characteristics of Self-Help Books: The Example of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

OpenAIRE

Nerat, Tamara

2017-01-01

The main purpose of the thesis was to explore the discourse characteristics in self-help books on the example of a popular classic of this genre. The aim was a discourse analysis of the self-help manual The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) by Stephen R. Covey. The book falls under the self-help category and includes typical features which are common for the genre. The thesis presents the distinguishing characteristics and shows the conventions which make it a typical representative ...

The Type of Forage Substrate Preparation Included as Substrate in a RUSITEC System Affects the Ruminal Microbiota and Fermentation Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre V. Chaves

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In vitro fermentation systems such as the rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC are frequently used to assess dietary manipulations in livestock, thereby limiting the use of live animals. Despite being in use for nearly 40 years, improvements are continually sought in these systems to better reflect and mimic natural processes in ruminants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of forage preparation, i.e., frozen minced (FM and freeze-dried and ground (FDG, on the ruminal microbiota and on fermentation characteristics when included as a substrate in a RUSITEC system. A completely randomized design experiment was performed over a 15-day period, with 7 days of adaptation and an 8-day experimental period. Fermentation parameters (total gas, CH4, and volatile fatty acid production were analyzed on a daily basis over the experimental period and the archaeal and bacterial microbiota (liquid-associated microbes [LAM] and solid-associated microbes [SAM] was assessed at 0, 5, 10, and 15 days using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Results from this study suggested a tendency (P = 0.09 of FM treatment to increase daily CH4 (mg/d production by 16.7% when compared with FDG treatment. Of the major volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate, only butyrate production was greater (P = 0.01 with FM treatment compared with FDG substrate. The archaeal and bacterial diversity and richness did not differ between the forage preparations, although feed particle size of the forage had a significant effect on microbial community structure in the SAM and LAM samples. The Bacteroidetes phylum was more relatively abundant in the FM substrate treatment, while Proteobacteria was enriched in the FDG treatment. At the genus-level, Butyrivibrio, Prevotella, and Roseburia were enriched in the FM substrate treatment and Campylobacter and Lactobacillus in the FDG substrate treatment. Evidence from this study suggests that forage preparation

Free software, Open source software, licenses. A short presentation including a procedure for research software and data dissemination

OpenAIRE

Gomez-Diaz , Teresa

2014-01-01

4 pages. Spanish version: Software libre, software de código abierto, licencias. Donde se propone un procedimiento de distribución de software y datos de investigación; The main goal of this document is to help the research community to understand the basic concepts of software distribution: Free software, Open source software, licenses. This document also includes a procedure for research software and data dissemination.

Low-flow characteristics of Virginia streams

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Samuel H.; Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Wiegand, Ute

2011-01-01

Low-flow annual non-exceedance probabilities (ANEP), called probability-percent chance (P-percent chance) flow estimates, regional regression equations, and transfer methods are provided describing the low-flow characteristics of Virginia streams. Statistical methods are used to evaluate streamflow data. Analysis of Virginia streamflow data collected from 1895 through 2007 is summarized. Methods are provided for estimating low-flow characteristics of gaged and ungaged streams. The 1-, 4-, 7-, and 30-day average streamgaging station low-flow characteristics for 290 long-term, continuous-record, streamgaging stations are determined, adjusted for instances of zero flow using a conditional probability adjustment method, and presented for non-exceedance probabilities of 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, and 0.005. Stream basin characteristics computed using spatial data and a geographic information system are used as explanatory variables in regional regression equations to estimate annual non-exceedance probabilities at gaged and ungaged sites and are summarized for 290 long-term, continuous-record streamgaging stations, 136 short-term, continuous-record streamgaging stations, and 613 partial-record streamgaging stations. Regional regression equations for six physiographic regions use basin characteristics to estimate 1-, 4-, 7-, and 30-day average low-flow annual non-exceedance probabilities at gaged and ungaged sites. Weighted low-flow values that combine computed streamgaging station low-flow characteristics and annual non-exceedance probabilities from regional regression equations provide improved low-flow estimates. Regression equations developed using the Maintenance of Variance with Extension (MOVE.1) method describe the line of organic correlation (LOC) with an appropriate index site for low-flow characteristics at 136 short-term, continuous-record streamgaging stations and 613 partial-record streamgaging stations. Monthly

Past absence as a predictor of present absence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løkke Møller, Ann-Kristina Løkke

2014-01-01

of confounders such as gender, age, seniority, wage, contracted number of work hours and season. The results of the empirical study show that there is a significant positive relationship between employees' absence duration and past absence spells and past absence days, respectively. The study thus confirms...... that past days and past spells have an equal potential of predicting present absent. Past absence behaviour can thus be used as an early warning for managers. The study also confirms that personal characteristics such as age and seniority also influence absence duration. Moreover, job characteristics...... such as wage and contracted number of work hours also influence absence duration. Finally, the season of the year seems to influence absence duration....

A case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome presented with psychiatric features.

Science.gov (United States)

Mufaddel, Amir; Alsabousi, Mouza; Salih, Badr; Alhassani, Ghanem; Osman, Ossama T

2014-01-01

We report a case of a 34-year-old male who presented with an acute onset of pleomorphic psychiatric features. Upon examination we later diagnosed him with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome based on clinical and radiological findings that are characteristic for this rare autosomal dominant syndrome. His psychiatric manifestations included irritability, aggressive behavior, labile mood, hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and transient cognitive impairment. His past history indicated surgical excision of pigmented lesion in the left lower eyelid which turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. His past visits to dermatology clinics indicated pitted keratosis involving hands, callosities, and seborrheic dermatitis. There were numerous palmar pits, and Brain CT Head scan revealed extensive calcification along falx cerebri and around the cerebellar vermis. He had low (20 ng/L) vitamin D level and high parathyroid hormone level. The patient improved using antipsychotic medications and vitamin D supplementations for symptomatic management and was discharged with a plan for multispecialty outpatient follow-up. This case highlights the importance of considering rare organic etiologies in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms. This is of vital importance for early intervention to prevent complications and for better outcomes of the coexistent diseases.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: Clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P S Rakesh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is an uncommon disorder with worldwide distribution, characterized by fever and benign enlargement of the lymph nodes, primarily affecting young adults. Awareness about this disorder may help prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate investigations and treatment. The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of histopathologically confirmed cases of Kikuchi′s disease from a tertiary care center in southern India. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all adult patients with histopathologically confirmed Kikuchi′s disease from January 2007 to December 2011 in a 2700-bed teaching hospital in South India was done. The clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcome were analyzed. Results: There were 22 histopathologically confirmed cases of Kikuchi′s disease over the 5-year period of this study. The mean age of the subjects′ was 29.7 years (SD 8.11 and majority were women (Male: female- 1:3.4. Apart from enlarged cervical lymph nodes, prolonged fever was the most common presenting complaint (77.3%. The major laboratory features included anemia (54.5%, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (31.8%, elevated alanine aminotransferase (27.2% and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH (31.8%. Conclusion: Even though rare, Kikuchi′s disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of young individuals, especially women, presenting with lymphadenopathy and prolonged fever. Establishing the diagnosis histopathologically is essential to avoid inappropriate investigations and therapy.

Characteristics of complaints resulting in disciplinary actions against Danish GPs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

S, Birkeland; RD, Christensen; N, Damsbo

2013-01-01

The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action.......The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action....

Presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The PARIS meeting held in Cracow, Poland from 14 to 15 May 2007. The main subjects discussed during this meeting were the status of international project dedicated to gamma spectroscopy research. The scientific research program includes investigations of giant dipole resonance, probe of hot nuclei induced in heavy reactions, Jacobi shape transitions, isospin mixing and nuclear multifragmentation. The mentioned programme needs Rand D development such as new scintillations materials as lanthanum chlorides and bromides as well as new photo detection sensors as avalanche photodiodes - such subjects are also subjects of discussion. Additionally results of computerized simulations of scintillation detectors properties by means of GEANT- 4 code are presented

Extensive hypertrophic lupus erythematosus: Atypical presentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarun Narang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lupus erythematosus (LE is a disease with a wide spectrum of cutaneous and systemic manifestations. Clinical features of patients with LE show a great variation, and for this reason it is difficult to develop a unifying concept of this disease. Our objective is to present a case of hypertrophic LE with atypical morphology and extensive involvement, who responded favorably to isotretinoin. Diagnosis of hypertrophic lupus erythematosus (HLE was confirmed by characteristic histopathological findings. Combination therapy with isotretinoin and hydroxychloroquine resulted in flattening and repression of previously refractory skin lesions. Sometimes, HLE lesions may present a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. In long standing lesions, squamous cell carcinoma may arise. Therefore, HLE requires adequate therapy with clinical and histopathological follow up.

MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RED BLOOD CELLS OF Telestes metohiensis (Steindachner, 1901

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radoslav Dekić

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the morphometric characteristics of red blood cells of endemic fish species of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Telestes metohiensis (Steindachner, 1901 inhabiting the Vrijeka river in the Dabar field. A total of 30 fish were sampled during August, 2010. Morphological measurements included the following parameters: axes of the red blood cells and nuclei, the surface of the red blood cells and nuclei and the thickness of the red blood cells. Morphometric characteristics of the erythrocyte maturation stages (acidophilic and polychromatic erythroblasts were also studied as well as their proportion in the peripheral blood. 100 mature forms were measured for each individual. The propotion of the immature forms was expressed per 1000 erythrocytes. Results showed that dimensions of the erythrocytes differed in systematic categories as well as fish types. Dimensions of mature erythrocytes and their maturation stages of the same species differed in shape and size of the nuclei. Proportion of the erythrocyte maturation stages was very low in comparison with the mature erythrocytes, indicating the optimal environmental conditions for the studied species.Key words: morphometric characteristics, erythrocytes, Telestes metohiensis, proportion of immature stages

The characteristics of mechanical engineering systems

CERN Document Server

Holmes, R

1977-01-01

The Characteristics of Mechanical Engineering Systems focuses on the characteristics that must be considered when designing a mechanical engineering system. Mechanical systems are presented on the basis of component input-output relationships, paying particular attention to lumped-parameter problems and the interrelationships between lumped components or """"black-boxes"""" in an engineering system. Electric motors and generators are treated in an elementary manner, and the principles involved are explained as far as possible from physical and qualitative reasoning. This book is comprised of

Bearing Health Assessment Based on Chaotic Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Lu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Vibration signals extracted from rotating parts of machinery carry a lot of useful information about the condition of operating machine. Due to the strong non-linear, complex and non-stationary characteristics of vibration signals from working bearings, an accurate and reliable health assessment method for bearing is necessary. This paper proposes to utilize the selected chaotic characteristics of vibration signal for health assessment of a bearing by using self-organizing map (SOM. Both Grassberger-Procaccia algorithm and Takens' theory are employed to calculate the characteristic vector which includes three chaotic characteristics, such as correlation dimension, largest Lyapunov exponent and Kolmogorov entropy. After that, SOM is used to map the three corresponding characteristics into a confidence value (CV which represents the health state of the bearing. Finally, a case study based on vibration datasets of a group of testing bearings was conducted to demonstrate that the proposed method can reliably assess the health state of bearing.

Modeling of planar carbon nanotube field effect transistor and three dimensional simulation of current-voltage characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinh Sy Hien; Nguyen Thi Luong; Thi Tran Anh Tuan; Dinh Viet Nga

2009-01-01

We provide a CNTFET model with planar geometry. Planar CNTFETs constitute the majority of devices fabricated to date, mostly due to their relative simplicity and moderate compatibility with existing manufacturing technologies. We explore the possibilities of using non-equilibrium Green function method to get I-V characteristics for CNTFETs. This simulator also includes a graphic user interface (GUI) of Matlab that enables parameter entry, calculation control, intuitive display of calculation results, and in-situ data analysis methods. In this paper, we review the capabilities of simulator, and give examples of typical CNTFET 3D simulations. The I-V characteristics of CNTFET are also presented.

Analysis of design characteristics of a V-type support using an advanced engineering environment

Science.gov (United States)

Gwiazda, A.; Banaś, W.; Sękala, A.; Cwikla, G.; Topolska, S.; Foit, K.; Monica, Z.

2017-08-01

Modern mining support, for the entire period of their use, is the important part of the mining complex, which includes all the devices in the excavation during his normal use. Therefore, during the design of the support, it is an important task to choose the shape and to select the dimensions of a support as well as its strength characteristics. According to the rules, the design process of a support must take into account, inter alia, the type and the dimensions of the expected means of transport, the number and size of pipelines, and the type of additional equipment used excavation area. The support design must ensure the functionality of the excavation process and job security, while maintaining the economic viability of the entire project. Among others it should ensure the selection of a support for specific natural conditions. It is also important to take into consideration the economic characteristics of the project. The article presents an algorithm of integrative approach and its formalized description in the form of integration the areas of different construction characteristics optimization of a V-type mining support. The paper includes the example of its application for developing the construction of this support. In the paper is also described the results of the characteristics analysis and changings that were introduced afterwards. The support models are prepared in the computer environment of the CAD class (Siemens NX PLM). Also the analyses were conducted in this design, graphical environment.

Cycom 977-2 Composite Material: Impact Test Results (workshop presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Engle, Carl; Herald, Stephen; Watkins, Casey

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Ambient (13A) tests of Cycom 977-2 impact characteristics by the Brucenton and statistical method at MSFC and WSTF. Repeat (13A) tests of tested Cycom from phase I at MSFC to expended testing statistical database. Conduct high-pressure tests (13B) in liquid oxygen (LOX) and GOX at MSFC and WSTF to determine Cycom reaction characteristics and batch effect. Conduct expended ambient (13A) LOX test at MSFC and high-pressure (13B) testing to determine pressure effects in LOX. Expend 13B GOX database.

Dental and craniofacial characteristics in a patient with Dubowitz syndrome: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tullo Domenica

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Dubowitz syndrome is a very rare, autosomal recessive disease characterized by microcephaly, growth retardation, a high sloping forehead, facial asymmetry, blepharophimosis, sparse hair and eyebrows, low-set ears and mental retardation. Symptoms vary between patients, but other characteristics include a soft high-pitched voice, dental and craniofacial abnormalities, partial webbing of the fingers and toes, palate deformations, genital abnormalities, eczema, hyperactivity, preference for concrete over abstract thinking, language difficulties and an aversion to crowds. Case presentation We describe the craniofacial and dental characteristics of a 12-year-old Caucasian Italian boy with both the typical and less common findings of Dubowitz syndrome. Conclusion Diagnosis of Dubowitz syndrome is mainly based on the facial phenotype. Possible conditions for differential diagnosis include Bloom syndrome, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, and fetal alcohol syndrome. As there are few reports of this syndrome in the literature, we hope this case report will enable health professionals to recognize the phenotypic alterations of this syndrome, and allow early referral for the necessary multidisciplinary treatments.

Coping strategies and socio-demographic characteristics among Jordanian caregivers of patients receiving hemodialysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eman Alnazly

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Individuals who care for family members receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD are likely to experience burdens that may adversely impact their patients. Effective coping strategies are shaped by various factors, including sociodemographic characteristics. To assess the relationship between caregivers and their patients, we studied 225 family-member caregivers of chronic HD patients through answering the Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised. Sociodemographic data, including caregiver age, gender, educational level, relationship to the patients, length of care time and weekly hours of caregiving were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance and least-significant difference post hoc test. Of the eight coping strategies investigated, seven were significantly related to at least one of the analyzed sociodemographic variables; these were confrontive coping, distancing, self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, planful problem solving and positive reappraisal. The findings of the present study may be useful for administering dialysis by nurses for identifying coping strategies among caregivers and for establishing plans of care that would promote coping strategies in relation to the caregiver′s sociodemographic characteristics.

Characteristics of suicide hotspots on the Belgian railway network.

Science.gov (United States)

Debbaut, Kevin; Krysinska, Karolina; Andriessen, Karl

2014-01-01

In 2004, railway suicide accounted for 5.3% of all suicides in Belgium. In 2008, Infrabel (Manager of the Belgian Railway Infrastructure) introduced a railway suicide prevention programme, including identification of suicide hotspots, i.e., areas of the railway network with an elevated incidence of suicide. The study presents an analysis of 43 suicide hotspots based on Infrabel data collected during field visits and semi-structured interviews conducted in mental health facilities in the vicinity of the hotspots. Three major characteristics of the hotspots were accessibility, anonymity, and vicinity of a mental health institution. The interviews identified several risk and protective factors for railway suicide, including the training of staff, introduction of a suicide prevention policy, and the role of the media. In conclusion, a comprehensive railway suicide prevention programme should continuously safeguard and monitor hotspots, and should be embedded in a comprehensive suicide prevention programme in the community.

[Quantitative spectrum analysis of characteristic gases of spontaneous combustion coal].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yun-Tao; Tang, Xiao-Jun; Luo, Hai-Zhu; Sun, Yong

2011-09-01

Aimed at the characteristics of spontaneous combustion gas such as a variety of gases, lou limit of detection, and critical requirement of safety, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis is presented to analyze characteristic gases of spontaneous combustion In this paper, analysis method is introduced at first by combing characteristics of absorption spectra of analyte and analysis requirement. Parameter setting method, sample preparation, feature variable abstract and analysis model building are taken into consideration. The methods of sample preparation, feature abstraction and analysis model are introduced in detail. And then, eleven kinds of gases were tested with Tensor 27 spectrometer. CH4, C2H6, C3H8, iC4H10, nC4H10, C2 H4, C3 H6, C3 H2, SF6, CO and CO2 were included. The optical path length was 10 cm while the spectra resolution was set as 1 cm(-1). The testing results show that the detection limit of all analytes is less than 2 x 10(-6). All the detection limits fit the measurement requirement of spontaneous combustion gas, which means that FTIR may be an ideal instrument and the analysis method used in this paper is competent for spontaneous combustion gas measurement on line.

Clinical presentation and biochemical findings children with glycogen storage disease type 1A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed, A.; Suleman, H.; Arshad, H.

2015-01-01

To determine the clinical pattern of presentation and biochemical characteristics of glycogen storage disease (GSD) type 1a in children at a tertiary referral centre. Study Design: Descriptive/ cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pediatric, division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Children's hospital, Lahore over a period of 11 years. Patients and Methods: Confirmed cases of glycogen storage disease (clinical plus biochemical findings consistent with GSD 1a and proven on liver biopsy) were enrolled in this study from neonatal age till 18 years. Data was retrieved from files and electronic record for these cases. Diagnosis was made on the basis of history, clinical findings including hepatomegaly, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypoglycemia and hyperuricemia (if present). Diagnosis was confirmed on liver biopsy. Patients with other storage disorders and benign and malignant tumours were excluded from the study. Results: Total patients included in the study were 360 with male to female ratio of 1.25:1. Median age at the time of diagnosis was 25.6 months (age range from one month to 18 years). Most common presentation was abdominal distension (83%) followed by failure to thrive (69%) and recurrent wheezing and diarrhoea (44%) each. Seizures were present in only 1/3rd of children. Other presentations included vomiting, respiratory distress, altered sensorium, nephrocalcinosis, epistaxis and hypothyroidism. Few patients around 11% presented with acute hepatitis and later were diagnosed as GSD. Significant hepatomegaly was evident in almost all patients but nephromegaly was present in only 5.5% patients. All children had marked hypertriglyceridemia but cholesterol levels were raised in 1/3rd of children. A large majority of children had deranged ALT more than 2 times of normal and around 38% children had marked anemia. Significant hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis was documented in around 1/3rd of children

Study of Combustion Characteristics of Hydrocarbon Nanofuel Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-23

NUMBER (Include area code) 23 August 2017 Briefing Charts 01 August 2017 - 31 August 2017 Study of Combustion Characteristics of Hydrocarbon...Douglas Talley N/A 1 Study of Combustion Characteristics of Hydrocarbon Nanofuel Droplets DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release...Angeles ϯAir Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Combustion Devices Group, Edwards AFB, CA ONR/ARO/AFOSR Meeting, 23 Aug., 2017

Transport synthetic acceleration for long-characteristics assembly-level transport problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zika, M R; Adams, M L

2000-02-01

The authors apply the transport synthetic acceleration (TSA) scheme to the long-characteristics spatial discretization for the two-dimensional assembly-level transport problem. This synthetic method employs a simplified transport operator as its low-order approximation. Thus, in the acceleration step, the authors take advantage of features of the long-characteristics discretization that make it particularly well suited to assembly-level transport problems. The main contribution is to address difficulties unique to the long-characteristics discretization and produce a computationally efficient acceleration scheme. The combination of the long-characteristics discretization, opposing reflecting boundary conditions (which are present in assembly-level transport problems), and TSA presents several challenges. The authors devise methods for overcoming each of them in a computationally efficient way. Since the boundary angular data exist on different grids in the high- and low-order problems, they define restriction and prolongation operations specific to the method of long characteristics to map between the two grids. They implement the conjugate gradient (CG) method in the presence of opposing reflection boundary conditions to solve the TSA low-order equations. The CG iteration may be applied only to symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices; they prove that the long-characteristics discretization yields an SPD matrix. They present results of the acceleration scheme on a simple test problem, a typical pressurized water reactor assembly, and a typical boiling water reactor assembly.

Transport synthetic acceleration for long-characteristics assembly-level transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zika, M.R.; Adams, M.L.

2000-01-01

The authors apply the transport synthetic acceleration (TSA) scheme to the long-characteristics spatial discretization for the two-dimensional assembly-level transport problem. This synthetic method employs a simplified transport operator as its low-order approximation. Thus, in the acceleration step, the authors take advantage of features of the long-characteristics discretization that make it particularly well suited to assembly-level transport problems. The main contribution is to address difficulties unique to the long-characteristics discretization and produce a computationally efficient acceleration scheme. The combination of the long-characteristics discretization, opposing reflecting boundary conditions (which are present in assembly-level transport problems), and TSA presents several challenges. The authors devise methods for overcoming each of them in a computationally efficient way. Since the boundary angular data exist on different grids in the high- and low-order problems, they define restriction and prolongation operations specific to the method of long characteristics to map between the two grids. They implement the conjugate gradient (CG) method in the presence of opposing reflection boundary conditions to solve the TSA low-order equations. The CG iteration may be applied only to symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices; they prove that the long-characteristics discretization yields an SPD matrix. They present results of the acceleration scheme on a simple test problem, a typical pressurized water reactor assembly, and a typical boiling water reactor assembly

Transport Synthetic Acceleration for Long-Characteristics Assembly-Level Transport Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zika, Michael R.; Adams, Marvin L.

2000-01-01

We apply the transport synthetic acceleration (TSA) scheme to the long-characteristics spatial discretization for the two-dimensional assembly-level transport problem. This synthetic method employs a simplified transport operator as its low-order approximation. Thus, in the acceleration step, we take advantage of features of the long-characteristics discretization that make it particularly well suited to assembly-level transport problems. Our main contribution is to address difficulties unique to the long-characteristics discretization and produce a computationally efficient acceleration scheme.The combination of the long-characteristics discretization, opposing reflecting boundary conditions (which are present in assembly-level transport problems), and TSA presents several challenges. We devise methods for overcoming each of them in a computationally efficient way. Since the boundary angular data exist on different grids in the high- and low-order problems, we define restriction and prolongation operations specific to the method of long characteristics to map between the two grids. We implement the conjugate gradient (CG) method in the presence of opposing reflection boundary conditions to solve the TSA low-order equations. The CG iteration may be applied only to symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices; we prove that the long-characteristics discretization yields an SPD matrix. We present results of our acceleration scheme on a simple test problem, a typical pressurized water reactor assembly, and a typical boiling water reactor assembly

On characteristic classes and continuous cohomology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bott, R.

1986-01-01

The paper was presented at the workshop on 'Supersymmetry and its applications', Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1985. Six theorems on characteristic classes and continuous cohomology are described, in connection with the theory of anomalies. (UK)

Direct Comparison of the Enzymatic Characteristics and Superoxide Production of the Four Aldehyde Oxidase Enzymes Present in Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Kücükgöze, Gökhan; Terao, Mineko; Garattini, Enrico; Leimkühler, Silke

2017-08-01

Aldehyde oxidases (AOXs) are molybdoflavoenzymes with an important role in the metabolism and detoxification of heterocyclic compounds and aliphatic as well as aromatic aldehydes. The enzymes use oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor and produce reduced oxygen species during turnover. Four different enzymes, mAOX1, mAOX3, mAOX4, and mAOX2, which are the products of distinct genes, are present in the mouse. A direct and simultaneous comparison of the enzymatic properties and characteristics of the four enzymes has never been performed. In this report, the four catalytically active mAOX enzymes were purified after heterologous expression in Escherichia coli The kinetic parameters of the four mouse AOX enzymes were determined and compared with the use of six predicted substrates of physiologic and toxicological interest, i.e., retinaldehyde, N 1 -methylnicotinamide, pyridoxal, vanillin, 4-(dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde ( p- DMAC), and salicylaldehyde. While retinaldehyde, vanillin, p- DMAC, and salycilaldehyde are efficient substrates for the four mouse AOX enzymes, N 1 -methylnicotinamide is not a substrate of mAOX1 or mAOX4, and pyridoxal is not metabolized by any of the purified enzymes. Overall, mAOX1, mAOX2, mAOX3, and mAOX4 are characterized by significantly different K M and k cat values for the active substrates. The four mouse AOXs are also characterized by quantitative differences in their ability to produce superoxide radicals. With respect to this last point, mAOX2 is the enzyme generating the largest rate of superoxide radicals of around 40% in relation to moles of substrate converted, and mAOX1, the homolog to the human enzyme, produces a rate of approximately 30% of superoxide radicals with the same substrate. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes for patients with an initial emergency presentation of malignancy: a 15 month audit of patient level data.

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Philip; Sharkey, Rachel; Kua, Teresa; Papanastasopoulos, Panagiotis; McDonald-Burrows, Zoe; Hassan, Shazalia; Probst, Fay; Sanders, Ali; Millington, Hugh

2015-02-01

To investigate the demographics, diagnoses and outcomes for new adult cancer patients with an initial presentation via the A&E or acute oncology teams. Patients with initial emergency presentation of malignancy have been documented to have poorer treatment outcomes and shorter survival. Patient level data on this subject is relatively limited with regard to the demographics, diagnoses and the clinical factors that may underlie late presentations. A 15 month audit of the patients presenting with a new diagnosis of malignancy was performed in 2011-2012. Data on demographics, diagnosis and outcome were assembled and analysed. The clinical data on emergency presentations were compared to reference information on the incidence and median age at presentation for each malignancy within the standard population. During the study a total of 178 new cancer patients presented via the A and E service. The most frequent diagnoses were lung cancer with 21% of cases and CNS and colorectal cancer each with 9% of cases. There was a higher incidence of emergency new presentations of lung cancer, CNS tumours, ovarian, pancreatic and testicular cancer than in the standard population, whilst breast cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer patients were under-represented. The median age at diagnosis was 74 and for a number of malignancies including CNS tumours, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer the emergency cases presented at significantly greater ages than in the standard population. Overall 27% of patients were unfit or unsuitable for a diagnostic biopsy, this group had only a 3 month median survival compared to 14 months for those suitable for biopsy and treatment. Despite a wide range of initiatives, the emergency and late diagnosis of patients with metastatic cancer remains a significant challenge with many patients too advanced and unwell at presentation for active treatment. These patients tend to be older and have malignancies that present with either

Workplace design: Conceptualizing and measuring workplace characteristics for motivation

OpenAIRE

Karanika-Murray, M.; Michaelides, George

2015-01-01

PURPOSE – Although both job design and its broader context are likely to drive motivation, little is known about the specific workplace characteristics that are important for motivation. The purpose of this paper is to present the Workplace Characteristics Model, which describes the workplace characteristics that can foster motivation, and the corresponding multilevel Workplace Design Questionnaire.\\ud \\ud DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – The model is configured as nine workplace attributes desc...

Turner′s syndrome presenting as metabolic bone disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadishkumar Kamalanathan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Turner′s syndrome is a genetic disorder with a complete or partial absence of one X chromosome with characteristic phenotypic features. The prevalence of renal anomalies in turner syndrome is 30-40%. However, the renal function is usually normal. We report a case of Turner′s syndrome presenting with chronic kidney disease and renal osteodystrophy.

Sensory characteristics of different cod products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sveinsdottir, K.; Martinsdottir, E.; Hyldig, Grethe

2010-01-01

atmosphere) were evaluated with quantitative descriptive analysis by a trained sensory panel. Signal-to-noise analysis, p*MSE (discrimination and repeatability) and line plots proved to be very useful in studying panelists' performance. Most sensory attributes described significant differences between...... the products, and principal component analysis provided an overview of the differences and similarities between the products with regard to sensory characteristics. Farmed cod had different sensory characteristics compared with wild cod, such as more meat flavor, and rubbery and meaty texture. Different...... storage methods had minor influence on sensory characteristics of cod fillets after short storage time, but after extended storage, the groups were different with regard to most attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This paper presents different ways of analyzing sensory data. The process of analysis...

HTR characteristics affecting reactor physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehlers, K.

1980-01-01

A physical description of high-temperature has-cooled reactors is given, followed by an overview of HTR characteristics. The emphasis is placed on the HTR fuel cycle alternatives and thermohydraulics of pebble bed core. Some prospects of HTRs in the Federal Republic of Germany are also presented

Bioclim Deliverable D4/5: global climatic characteristics, including vegetation and seasonal cycles over Europe, for snapshots over the next 200,000 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The aim of the BIOCLIM project is to develop and present techniques that can be used to develop self-consistent patterns of possible future climate changes over the next million years (climate scenarios), and to demonstrate how these climate scenarios can be used in assessments of the long-term safety of nuclear waste repository sites. Within the project, two strategies are implemented to predict climate change. The first is the hierarchical strategy, in which a hierarchy of climate models is used to investigate the evolution of climate over the period of interest. These models vary from very simple 2-D and threshold models, which simulate interactions between only a few aspects of the earth system, through general circulation models (GCMs) and vegetation models, which simulate in great detail the dynamics and physics of the atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere, to regional models, which focus in particular on the European region and the specific areas of interest. The second strategy is the integrated strategy, in which intermediate complexity climate models are developed, and used to consecutively simulate the development of the earth system over many millennia. Although these models are relatively simple compared to a GCM, they are more advanced than 2D models, and do include physical descriptions of the biosphere, cryo-sphere, atmosphere and ocean. This deliverable, D4/5, focuses on the hierarchical strategy, and in particular the GCM and vegetation model simulation of possible future climates. Deliverable D3 documented the first step in this strategy. The Louvain-la-Neuve 2-D climate model (LLN-2D) was used to estimate (among other variables) annual mean temperatures and ice volume in the Northern Hemisphere over the next 1 million years. It was driven by the calculated evolution of orbital parameters, and plausible scenarios of CO 2 concentration. From the results, 3 future time periods within the next 200,000 years were identified as being extreme, that is

QTL mapping of sake brewing characteristics of yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Katou, Taku; Namise, Masahiro; Kitagaki, Hiroshi; Akao, Takeshi; Shimoi, Hitoshi

2009-04-01

A haploid sake yeast strain derived from the commercial diploid sake yeast strain Kyokai no. 7 showed better characteristics for sake brewing compared to the haploid laboratory yeast strain X2180-1B, including higher production of ethanol and aromatic components. A hybrid of these two strains showed intermediate characteristics in most cases. After sporulation of the hybrid strain, we obtained 100 haploid segregants of the hybrid. Small-scale sake brewing tests of these segregants showed a smooth continuous distribution of the sake brewing characteristics, suggesting that these traits are determined by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs). To examine these sake brewing characteristics at the genomic level, we performed QTL analysis of sake brewing characteristics using 142 DNA markers that showed heterogeneity between the two parental strains. As a result, we identified 25 significant QTLs involved in the specification of sake brewing characteristics such as ethanol fermentation and the production of aromatic components.

Development of a Virtual Museum Including a 4d Presentation of Building History in Virtual Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Kersten, T. P.; Tschirschwitz, F.; Deggim, S.

2017-02-01

In the last two decades the definition of the term "virtual museum" changed due to rapid technological developments. Using today's available 3D technologies a virtual museum is no longer just a presentation of collections on the Internet or a virtual tour of an exhibition using panoramic photography. On one hand, a virtual museum should enhance a museum visitor's experience by providing access to additional materials for review and knowledge deepening either before or after the real visit. On the other hand, a virtual museum should also be used as teaching material in the context of museum education. The laboratory for Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning of the HafenCity University Hamburg has developed a virtual museum (VM) of the museum "Alt-Segeberger Bürgerhaus", a historic town house. The VM offers two options for visitors wishing to explore the museum without travelling to the city of Bad Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Option a, an interactive computer-based, tour for visitors to explore the exhibition and to collect information of interest or option b, to immerse into virtual reality in 3D with the HTC Vive Virtual Reality System.

A Retrospective Review of Conjunctival Melanoma Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome and an Investigation of Features Associated With BRAF Mutations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Ann-Cathrine; Dahmcke, Christina M.; Dahl, Christina

2015-01-01

IMPORTANCE: Large studies investigating clinical presentation and treatment in primary conjunctival melanoma (CM) are rare. Clinicopathological characteristics of BRAF-mutated CM have not been studied thoroughly. OBJECTIVES: To determine the associations of clinicopathological tumor features...... and treatment with local recurrence, metastasis, and mortality and to determine the association of BRAF mutations with these features. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Population-based cohort study at the Eye Pathology Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants included 139 patients with primary CM...

Assessment of railway wagon suspension characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Soukup, Josef; Skočilas, Jan; Skočilasová, Blanka

2017-05-01

The article deals with assessment of railway wagon suspension characteristics. The essential characteristics of a suspension are represented by the stiffness constants of the equivalent springs and the eigen frequencies of the oscillating movements in reference to the main central inertia axes of a vehicle. The premise of the experimental determination of these characteristic is the knowledge of the gravity center position and the knowledge of the main central inertia moments of the vehicle frame. The vehicle frame performs the general spatial movement when the vehicle moves. An analysis of the frame movement generally arises from Euler's equations which are commonly used for the description of the spherical movement. This solution is difficult and it can be simplified by applying the specific assumptions. The eigen frequencies solutions and solutions of the suspension stiffness are presented in the article. The solutions are applied on the railway and road vehicles with the simplifying conditions. A new method which assessed the characteristics is described in the article.

Yellow-Poplar: Characteristics and Management

Science.gov (United States)

Donald E. Beck; Lino Della-Bianca

1981-01-01

This reference tool and field guide for foresters and other landmanagers includes a synthesis of information on the characteristics of yellow-poplar with guidelines for managing the species. It is based on research conducted by many individuals in State and Federal forestry organizations and in universities throughout the Eastern United States. This handbook...

A Kantorovich Type of Szasz Operators Including Brenke-Type Polynomials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatma Taşdelen

2012-01-01

convergence properties of these operators by using Korovkin's theorem. We also present the order of convergence with the help of a classical approach, the second modulus of continuity, and Peetre's -functional. Furthermore, an example of Kantorovich type of the operators including Gould-Hopper polynomials is presented and Voronovskaya-type result is given for these operators including Gould-Hopper polynomials.

Heterodyne detector for measuring the characteristic of elliptically polarized microwaves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leipold, Frank; Nielsen, Stefan Kragh; Michelsen, Susanne

2008-01-01

In the present paper, a device is introduced, which is capable of determining the three characteristic parameters of elliptically polarized light (ellipticity, angle of ellipticity, and direction of rotation) for microwave radiation at a frequency of 110 GHz. The device consists of two perpendicu......In the present paper, a device is introduced, which is capable of determining the three characteristic parameters of elliptically polarized light (ellipticity, angle of ellipticity, and direction of rotation) for microwave radiation at a frequency of 110 GHz. The device consists of two...... be calculated. Results from measured and calculated wave characteristics of an elliptically polarized 110 GHz microwave beam for plasma heating launched into the TEXTOR-tokamak experiment are presented. Measurement and calculation are in good agreement. ©2008 American Institute of Physics...

Validity of self-reported periodontal measures, demographic characteristics and systemic medical conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzopoulos, Georgios S; Cisneros, Alejandro; Sanchez, Miguel; Lunos, Scott; Wolff, Larry F

2018-04-06

The objective of the present study was to assess self-reported periodontal screening questions, demographic characteristics, systemic medical conditions and tobacco use for predicting periodontal disease among individuals seeking dental therapy in a university dental clinic. In this retrospective study, a total of 4,890 randomly selected dental charts were evaluated from among patients who had attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry clinics for treatment. Radiographic bone loss measurements were utilized to assess the severity of periodontal disease. Demographic characteristics as well as medical history of the patients were also recorded. Five self-reported periodontal screening questions were included with the range of answers limited to Yes/No. Generalized logit models were used to assess the association between bone loss and the predictors. The sample mean age was 54.1 years and included 52.6% males and 14.9% smokers with a mean number of missing teeth of 3.5. Self-reported tooth mobility, history of "gum treatment" and the importance to keep the teeth as well as age, tobacco use and cancer were statistically significant (p brushing", gender, diabetes, anxiety and arthritis. Self-reported periodontal screening questions as well as demographic characteristics, smoking and systemic medical conditions were significant predictors of periodontal disease and they could be used as valid, economical and practical measures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 American Academy of Periodontology.

Multiple Primary Merkel Cell Carcinomas Presenting as Pruritic, Painful Lower Leg Tumors

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenthal, Laura; VandenBoom, Timothy; Melian, Edward; Peterson, Anthony; Hutchens, Kelli A.

2015-01-01

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumor of the skin which almost exclusively presents as a solitary tumor. It is most often seen on sun-exposed regions, historically almost exclusively on the head and neck, with only rare case reports on the extremities. Although recent studies have shown increased incidence with up to 20% on the extremities, here we present one of these rare emerging presentations, with the addition of a unique treatment option. Our patient is an 80-year-old male with a 3-month history of multiple raised, rapidly enlarging tumors on the right ankle. Two separate biopsies were performed and demonstrated sheets and clusters of small blue cells filling the dermis with scant cytoplasm, dusty chromatin, and nuclear molding. Subsequent immunohistochemical stains confirmed the diagnosis of multiple primary MCC. Despite the characteristic immunohistochemical profile of primary MCC, the possibility of a metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma from an alternate primary site was entertained, given his unusual clinical presentation. A complete clinical workup including CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed no evidence of disease elsewhere. Instead of amputation, the patient opted for nonsurgical treatment with radiation therapy alone, resulting in a rapid and complete response. This case represents an unusual presentation of primary MCC and demonstrates further evidence that radiation as monotherapy is an effective local treatment option for inoperable MCC. PMID:26594171

SPT+-IGBT characteristics and optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Weili; Zhu Yangjun; Hu Aibin; Zhang Jie

2013-01-01

A novel advanced soft punch through (SPT) IGBT signed as SPT + -IGBT is investigated. Static and dynamic characteristics are simulated based on the 1200 V device structure and adopted technology. Extensive research on the structure optimization of SPT + -IGBT is presented and discussed. Compared with the structure of conventional IGBT, SPT + -IGBT has a much lower collector—emitter saturation voltage and better switching characteristics. Therefore it is very suitable for applications blocking a voltage higher than 3000 V. In addition, due to the improvement of switching speed achieved by using a thinner chip, SPT + -IGBT is also very competitive in 1200 V and 1700 V applications. (semiconductor devices)

Uncommon presentation of neuro- cysticercosis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Uncommon presentation of neuro- cysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The clinical presentation of NCC in children includes generalised and partial seizures with or without features of raised intracranial pressure.

Electron diffraction study of {alpha}-AlMnSi crystals including non-crystallographic axes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, G.L.; Bursill, L.A.

1997-06-01

The structure of crystalline {alpha}-AlMnSi is examined by electron diffraction. Six distinct zone axes are examined, including both normal crystallographic and non-crystallographic zones axes, allowing the space group symmetry to be studied. Electron diffraction patterns characteristic of Pm3-bar were obtained for thicker specimens. However, for very thin specimens, as used for HRTEM imaging, the electron diffraction patterns were characteristic of Im3-bar space group symmetry. The structural basis of the Pm3-bar to Im3-bar transformation may be understood in terms of an analysis of the icosahedral structural elements located at the corners and body-centers of the cubic unit cell. A method for indexing the non-crystallographic zone axis diffraction patterns is described. An electron diffraction pattern of the 5-fold axis of the quasicrystalline phase i-AlMnSi is also included; this is compared with the experimental results and calculations for the [0{tau}1] axis of Pm3-bar and Im3-bar crystalline phases. 26 refs., 4 tabs., 7 figs.

Modeling the basic superconductor thermodynamical-statistical characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palenskis, V.; Maknys, K.

1999-01-01

In accordance with the Landau second-order phase transition and other thermodynamical-statistical relations for superconductors, and using the energy gap as an order parameter in the electron free energy presentation, the fundamental characteristics of electrons, such as the free energy, the total energy, the energy gap, the entropy, and the heat capacity dependences on temperature were obtained. The obtained modeling results, in principle, well reflect the basic low- and high-temperature superconductor characteristics

Cardiac asthma in elderly patients: incidence, clinical presentation and outcome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ray Patrick

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiac asthma is common, but has been poorly investigated. The objective was to compare the characteristics and outcome of cardiac asthma with that of classical congestive heart failure (CHF in elderly patients. Methods Prospective study in an 1,800-bed teaching hospital. Results Two hundred and twelve consecutive patients aged ≥ 65 years presenting with dyspnea due to CHF (mean age of 82 ± 8 years were included. Findings of cardiac echocardiography and natriuretic peptides levels were used to confirm CHF. Cardiac asthma patients were defined as a patient with CHF and wheezing reported by attending physician upon admission to the emergency department. The CHF group (n = 137 and the cardiac asthma group (n = 75, differed for tobacco use (34% vs. 59%, p 2 (47 ± 15 vs. 41 ± 11 mmHg, p Conclusion Patients with cardiac asthma represented one third of CHF in elderly patients. They were more hypercapnic and experienced more distal airway obstruction. However, outcomes were similar.

A review of hospital characteristics associated with improved performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Caroline A; Barker, Anna L; Morello, Renata T; Vitale, Michael R; Evans, Sue M; Scott, Ian A; Stoelwinder, Johannes U; Cameron, Peter A

2012-10-01

The objective of this review was to critically appraise the literature relating to associations between high-level structural and operational hospital characteristics and improved performance. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, proQuest and PsychINFO were searched for articles published between January 1996 and May 2010. Reference lists of included articles were reviewed and key journals were hand searched for relevant articles. and data extraction Studies were included if they were systematic reviews or meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, controlled before and after studies or observational studies (cohort and cross-sectional) that were multicentre, comparative performance studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data, assigned grades of evidence according to the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and critically appraised the included articles. Data synthesis Fifty-seven studies were reported within 12 systematic reviews and 47 observational articles. There was heterogeneity in use and definition of performance outcomes. Hospital characteristics investigated were environment (incentives, market characteristics), structure (network membership, ownership, teaching status, geographical setting, service size) and operational design (innovativeness, leadership, organizational culture, public reporting and patient safety practices, information technology systems and decision support, service activity and planning, workforce design, staff training and education). The strongest evidence for an association with overall performance was identified for computerized physician order entry systems. Some evidence supported the associations with workforce design, use of financial incentives, nursing leadership and hospital volume. There is limited, mainly low-quality evidence, supporting the associations between hospital characteristics and healthcare performance. Further characteristic-specific systematic reviews are

SOCIAL COMPARISON, SELF-CONSISTENCY AND THE PRESENTATION OF SELF.

Science.gov (United States)

MORSE, STANLEY J.; GERGEN, KENNETH J.

TO DISCOVER HOW A PERSON'S (P) SELF-CONCEPT IS AFFECTED BY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANOTHER (O) WHO SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THE SAME SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, SEVERAL QUESTIONNAIRES, INCLUDING THE GERGEN-MORSE (1967) SELF-CONSISTENCY SCALE AND HALF THE COOPERSMITH SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY, WERE ADMINISTERED TO 78 UNDERGRADUATE MEN WHO HAD ANSWERED AN AD FOR WORK…

An investigation on the effects of personal characteristics on word of mouth advertisement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hosseinali Aziziha

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study to measure the effect of personal characteristics including neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness on word of mouth advertisement. The population of this survey includes all people who use mobile phone in city of Tehran, Iran. The study designs a questionnaire in Likert scape and distributes it among 400 randomly selected people who use mobile devices. Using Spearman correlation test, the study confirms the positive of effects of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience on word of mouth advertisement and the negative impact of agreeableness on word of mouth advertisement. However, the study does not find any meaningful relationship between conscientiousness and word of mouth advertisement.

Performance Characteristic of Cold Recycled Mixture with Asphalt Emulsion and Chemical Additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaowen Du

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Three types of chemical additives were used to modify asphalt emulsion recycled mixture. These chemical additives include composite Portland cement (CPC, hydrated lime (HL, and a combination of hydrated lime and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBF. The influence of different additives on the recycled mixture performance was investigated by volumetric and strength tests, moisture susceptibility test, rutting resistance test, and low temperature bending test. To better understand its performance characteristic, the microstructure images of the recycled mixture were observed by environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM. Test results demonstrate that the performance improvement of the emulsion recycled mixture depends on the types and content of chemical additives. Several recommendations are presented for the selection of chemical materials. Based on ESEM image analysis, the interface bonding mechanism is proposed to explain the performance characteristic of the recycled mixture with asphalt emulsion and cementitious materials.

Intracranial Infections: Clinical and Imaging Characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foerster, B.R.; Thurnher, M.M.; Malani, P.N.; Petrou, M.; Carets-Zumelzu, F.; Sundgren, P.C. [Dept. of Radiology, and Divisions of Infectious Diseases and G eriatric Medicine, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Univ. of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2007-10-15

The radiologist plays a crucial role in identifying and narrowing the differential diagnosis of intracranial infections. A thorough understanding of the intracranial compartment anatomy and characteristic imaging findings of specific pathogens, as well incorporation of the clinical information, is essential to establish correct diagnosis. Specific types of infections have certain propensities for different anatomical regions within the brain. In addition, the imaging findings must be placed in the context of the clinical setting, particularly in immunocompromised and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. This paper describes and depicts infections within the different compartments of the brain. Pathology-proven infectious cases are presented in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, with a discussion of the characteristic findings of each pathogen. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) characteristics for several infections are also discussed.

Workshop presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanden, Per-Olof; Edland, Anne; Reiersen, Craig; Mullins, Peter; Ingemarsson, Karl-Fredrik; Bouchard, Andre; Watts, Germaine; Johnstone, John; Hollnagel, Erik; Ramberg, Patric; Reiman, Teemu

2009-01-01

An important part of the workshop was a series of invited presentations. The presentations were intended to both provide the participants with an understanding of various organisational approaches and activities as well as to stimulate the exchange of ideas during the small group discussion sessions. The presentation subjects ranged from current organisational regulations and licensee activities to new organisational research and the benefits of viewing organisations from a different perspective. There were more than a dozen invited presentations. The initial set of presentations gave the participants an overview of the background, structure, and aims of the workshop. This included a short presentation on the results from the regulatory responses to the pre-workshop survey. Representatives from four countries (Sweden, Canada, Finland, and the United Kingdom) expanded upon their survey responses with detailed presentations on both regulatory and licensee safety-related organisational activities in their countries. There were also presentations on new research concerning how to evaluate safety critical organisations and on a resilience engineering perspective to safety critical organisations. Below is the list of the presentations, the slides of which being available in Appendix 2: 1 - Workshop Welcome (Per-Olof Sanden); 2 - CSNI Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors (Craig Reiersen); 3 - Regulatory expectations on justification of suitability of licensee organisational structures, resources and competencies (Anne Edland); 4 - Justifying the suitability of licensee organisational structures, resources and competencies (Karl-Fredrik Ingemarsson); 5 - Nuclear Organisational Suitability in Canada (Andre Bouchard); 6 - Designing and Resourcing for Safety and Effectiveness (Germaine Watts); 7 - Organisational Suitability - What do you need and how do you know that you've got it? (Craig Reiersen); 8 - Suitability of Organisations - UK Regulator's View (Peter

Dentomaxillofacial characteristics of ectodermal dysplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, Yumiko; Baba, Yoshiyuki; Tsuji, Michiko; Fukuoka, Hiroki; Ogawa, Takuya; Ohkuma, Mizue; Moriyama, Keiji

2015-02-01

The aim of this retrospective hospital-based study was to elucidate the dentomaxillofacial characteristics of ectodermal dysplasia. Six Japanese individuals (one male and five female; age range, 12.7-27.2 years) underwent comprehensive examinations, including history recording, cephalometric analysis, panoramic radiography, and analysis of dental models. All the subjects had two or more major manifestations for clinical diagnosis of ectodermal dysplasia (e.g., defects of hair, teeth, nails, and sweat glands). They presented hypodontia (mean number of missing teeth, 9.5; range, 5-14), especially in the premolar region, and enamel dysplasia. Five subjects had bilateral molar occlusion, whereas one subject had unilateral molar occlusion. The common skeletal features were small facial height, maxillary hypoplasia, counterclockwise rotation of the mandible, and mandibular protrusion. Interestingly, the maxillary first molars were located in higher positions and the upper anterior facial height was smaller than the Japanese norm. The results suggest that vertical and anteroposterior maxillary growth retardation, rather than lack of occlusal support due to hypodontia, leads to reduced anterior facial height in individuals with ectodermal dysplasia. © 2014 Japanese Teratology Society.

Photovoltaic array: Power conditioner interface characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, C. C.; Hill, G. M.; Ross, R. G., Jr.

1982-01-01

The electrical output (power, current, and voltage) of flat plate solar arrays changes constantly, due primarily to changes in cell temperature and irradiance level. As a result, array loads such as dc-to-ac power conditioners must be capable of accommodating widely varying input levels while maintaining operation at or near the maximum power point of the array. The array operating characteristics and extreme output limits necessary for the systematic design of array load interfaces under a wide variety of climatic conditions are studied. A number of interface parameters are examined, including optimum operating voltage, voltage energy, maximum power and current limits, and maximum open circuit voltage. The effect of array degradation and I-V curve fill factor or the array power conditioner interface is also discussed. Results are presented as normalized ratios of power conditioner parameters to array parameters, making the results universally applicable to a wide variety of system sizes, sites, and operating modes.

Electric Power Monthly, August 1990. [Glossary included

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-11-29

The Electric Power Monthly (EPM) presents monthly summaries of electric utility statistics at the national, Census division, and State level. The purpose of this publication is to provide energy decisionmakers with accurate and timely information that may be used in forming various perspectives on electric issues that lie ahead. Data includes generation by energy source (coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric, and nuclear); generation by region; consumption of fossil fuels for power generation; sales of electric power, cost data; and unusual occurrences. A glossary is included.

Characteristics of an β-N-Acetylhexosaminidase from Bacillus sp. CH11, Including its Transglycosylation Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurakake, Masahiro; Amai, Yukari; Konishi, Mizuki; Ikehira, Kaho

2018-04-06

β-N-Acetylhexosaminidase was identified from Bacillus sp. CH11 and found to have relatively high transferring activity. In this study, its enzymatic properties and transglycosylation activity including its acceptor specificity were investigated. Its molecular weight was estimated to be 90 kDa by SDS-PAGE and its optimal pH was approximately 7 with good stability from pH 6 to 8. Its optimal temperature was 40 °C, and its activity was stable at temperatures of up to 40 °C. To analyze its acceptor specificity for transglycosylation, N, N'-diacetylchitobiose was used as a donor substrate and alcohols, sugar alcohols, sugars and polyphenols were used as acceptors. Dialcohols, which have 2 hydroxyl groups on the outside of the carbon chains, were good acceptors. The molecular size of the acceptor did not influence the transglycosylation up to at least 1,5-pentanediol (carbon number: C5). Glycerin (C3), erythritol (C4), and xylitol (C5), all small molecular weight sugar alcohols, had high acceptor specificity. Transglycosylation to mono- and disaccharides and polyphenols was not observed except for L-fucose. For the β-N-acetylhexosaminidase-catalyzed transglycosylation of chitin oligosaccharides and xylitol, the transfer product was identified as 1-O-β-D-N-acetylglucosaminyl xylitol. The optimal ratio of xylitol was 24% to 2% N, N'-diacetylchitobiose and 226 mg per 1 g N, N'-diacetylchitobiose was produced. CH11 β-N-acetylhexosaminidase efficiently produced 1-O-β-D-N-acetylglucosaminyl xylitol via transglycosylation. The new transfer products including 1-O-β-D-N-acetylglucosaminyl xylitol are attractive compounds for their potential physiological functions. 1-O-β-D-N-Acetylglucosaminyl xylitol was produced effectively from chitin-oligosaccharides and xylitol by β-N-acetylhexosaminidase from Bacillus sp. CH11. This enzyme may be useful for the development of food materials for health-related applications such as oligosaccharides with intestinal functions and

Quantum technology past, present, future: quantum energetics (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sang H.

2017-04-01

Since the development of quantum physics in the early part of the 1900s, this field of study has made remarkable contributions to our civilization. Some of these advances include lasers, light-emitting diodes (LED), sensors, spectroscopy, quantum dots, quantum gravity and quantum entanglements. In 1998, the NASA Langley Research Center established a quantum technology committee to monitor the progress in this area and initiated research to determine the potential of quantum technology for future NASA missions. The areas of interest in quantum technology at NASA included fundamental quantum-optics materials associated with quantum dots and quantum wells, device-oriented photonic crystals, smart optics, quantum conductors, quantum information and computing, teleportation theorem, and quantum energetics. A brief review of the work performed, the progress made in advancing these technologies, and the potential NASA applications of quantum technology will be presented.

The frequency characteristics of medium voltage distribution system impedances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liviu Emil Petrean

2009-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the frequency characteristics of impedances involved in the electrical equivalent circuit of a large medium voltage distribution system. These impedances influence harmonics distortions propagation occurring due to the nonsinusoidal loads. We analyse the case of a 10 kV large urban distribution system which supplies industrial, commercial and residential customers. The influence of various parameters of the distribution network on the frequency characteristics are presented, in order to assess the interaction of harmonic distortion and distribution system network.

Creativity-Relevant Personal Characteristics among Indonesia Creative Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nugroho J. Setiadi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The study aims to identify Creativity-relevant Personal Characteristics among creative workers in Indonesia’s creative industry. Identification of the constituent elements of the nature of the changes needs to be measured. Researchers have advocated replacing creativity-relevant personal characteristics based on the five-factor model to investigate how individual differences stimulate creativity. This study presents data supporting reliability (internal consistency and validity (criterion and construct of the instrument. Validity of the instrument is based on the content validity involving art and design experts. The 220 creative workers from several creative industry firms in Indonesia participated as samples in this research. Results of a factor analysis indicated a five factor solution of creative characteristics and behavior. Discussion of findings and the most important ways in which individuals differ in their enduring emotional, interpersonal, experiential, attitudinal, and motivational styles for stimulating creativity are presented.

A practical algorithm for distribution state estimation including renewable energy sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niknam, Taher [Electronic and Electrical Department, Shiraz University of Technology, Modares Blvd., P.O. 71555-313, Shiraz (Iran); Firouzi, Bahman Bahmani [Islamic Azad University Marvdasht Branch, Marvdasht (Iran)

2009-11-15

Renewable energy is energy that is in continuous supply over time. These kinds of energy sources are divided into five principal renewable sources of energy: the sun, the wind, flowing water, biomass and heat from within the earth. According to some studies carried out by the research institutes, about 25% of the new generation will be generated by Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) in the near future. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of RESs on the power systems, especially on the distribution networks. This paper presents a practical Distribution State Estimation (DSE) including RESs and some practical consideration. The proposed algorithm is based on the combination of Nelder-Mead simplex search and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms, called PSO-NM. The proposed algorithm can estimate load and RES output values by Weighted Least-Square (WLS) approach. Some practical considerations are var compensators, Voltage Regulators (VRs), Under Load Tap Changer (ULTC) transformer modeling, which usually have nonlinear and discrete characteristics, and unbalanced three-phase power flow equations. The comparison results with other evolutionary optimization algorithms such as original PSO, Honey Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO), Neural Networks (NNs), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) for a test system demonstrate that PSO-NM is extremely effective and efficient for the DSE problems. (author)

Historical outline of 16th century signets: including examples from the Franciscan monastery in Novo mesto

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ines Jerele

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The library of the Franciscan Monastery in Novo mesto keeps 224 early prints from the 16th century in which 175 printers’ and publishers’ devices were recorded. These were printed between 1501 and 1600 in 88 printers’ workshops across Europe. Printers’ and publishers’ devices, also called signets, were used in the 16th century as trademarks of respective printers and publishers. Spiritual and cultural ideas of the 16th century and intellectual goals of their owners are reflected in the complex humanistic motifs of signets. Most of the 16th century signets can be compared to impresas; they include a symbolic image and a short motto in Latin. This text presents some of the main characteristics of signets registered in Slovenia, such as the meaning, design features and motifs, dating from the early development of print culture in Europe.

Clinical and social characteristics associated with reduced visual acuity at presentation in Australian patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a prospective study from a long-term observational data set. The Fight Retinal Blindness! Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Vuong; Daien, Vincent; Guymer, Robyn H; McAllister, Ian L; Morlet, Nigel; Barthelmes, Daniel; Gillies, Mark C

2018-04-01

Identifying variables that influence presenting visual acuity (VA) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is important because it is a strong predictor of long-term outcomes. To assess the clinical and social characteristics associated with low presenting VA in nAMD patients. The present study is a cross-sectional analysis from a prospective, observational database. We identified 3242 treatment-naïve patients from 54 Australian practices in the Fight Retinal Blindness! registry. Age, gender, ethnicity and VA were recorded at the baseline visit. Socio-economic status was determined using the Australian Bureau of Statistics socio-economic indexes for areas. Association between clinical and socio-economic characteristics with presenting VA was identified. Poor VA (≤35 letters) in the presenting eye was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.33 for patients aged ≥80 years vs. <80 years [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.04, 1.71]), treatment at a public practice (AOR: 1.91 for public vs. private practices [95% CI: 1.46, 2.50]) and intermediate (36-69 letters) VA in the fellow eye (AOR: 0.67 [95% CI: 0.47, 0.95] and 0.64 [95% CI: 0.48, 0.85] for poor [≤35 letters] and good [≥70 letters] VA vs. intermediate VA in the fellow eye). Gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status were not independently associated with VA at presentation. Poor presenting vision is detrimental to the long-term outcomes of nAMD. Poor presentation of nAMD in Australia may not be related to socio-economic circumstances, but due to systems of care. Further research is warranted to determine why patients at public practices present with worse vision compared with private practices in Australia. © 2017 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

CAD Design of Human Male Body for Mass–Inertial Characteristics Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolova Gergana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present research is to present a 16-segmental biomechanical model of the Bulgarian male to determine the mass-inertial characteristics of the body of the Bulgarian male based on parameters available in the literature and its 3D generation within SolidWorks software. The motivation of the research is to support mainly sport, rehabilitation, wearable robots and furniture design users. The proposed CAD model of the human body of men is verified against the analytical results from our previous investigation, as well as through comparison with data available in the provided references. In this paper we model two basic human body positions: standing position and sitting with thighs elevated. The comparison performed between our model results and data reported in literature gives us confidence that this model can be reliably used to calculate the mass-inertial characteristics of male body at any postures of the body that is of interest. Therefore, our model can be used to obtain data for positions which the human body has to take in everyday live, in sport, leisure, including space exploration, for investigating criminology cases – body fall, car crash, etc. The model is suitable for performing computer simulation in robotics, medicine, sport and other areas.

Product Characteristics and Internet Shopping Intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayasarathy, Leo R.

2002-01-01

Discussion of electronic commerce and online marketing focuses on an empirical study that investigated differences between Internet shopping intentions for products categorized by cost and tangibility. Highlights include hypotheses; respondent characteristics; results that showed that intentions to shop using the Internet differ by tangibility of…

Development and use of molecular markers: past and present.

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Atul; Sharma, P C

2016-01-01

Molecular markers, due to their stability, cost-effectiveness and ease of use provide an immensely popular tool for a variety of applications including genome mapping, gene tagging, genetic diversity diversity, phylogenetic analysis and forensic investigations. In the last three decades, a number of molecular marker techniques have been developed and exploited worldwide in different systems. However, only a handful of these techniques, namely RFLPs, RAPDs, AFLPs, ISSRs, SSRs and SNPs have received global acceptance. A recent revolution in DNA sequencing techniques has taken the discovery and application of molecular markers to high-throughput and ultrahigh-throughput levels. Although, the choice of marker will obviously depend on the targeted use, microsatellites, SNPs and genotyping by sequencing (GBS) largely fulfill most of the user requirements. Further, modern transcriptomic and functional markers will lead the ventures onto high-density genetic map construction, identification of QTLs, breeding and conservation strategies in times to come in combination with other high throughput techniques. This review presents an overview of different marker technologies and their variants with a comparative account of their characteristic features and applications.

LOO: a low-order nonlinear transport scheme for acceleration of method of characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Lulu; Smith, Kord; Forget, Benoit; Ferrer, Rodolfo

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new physics-based multi-grid nonlinear acceleration method: the low-order operator method, or LOO. LOO uses a coarse space-angle multi-group method of characteristics (MOC) neutron transport calculation to accelerate the fine space-angle MOC calculation. LOO is designed to capture more angular effects than diffusion-based acceleration methods through a transport-based low-order solver. LOO differs from existing transport-based acceleration schemes in that it emphasizes simplified coarse space-angle characteristics and preserves physics in quadrant phase-space. The details of the method, including the restriction step, the low-order iterative solver and the prolongation step are discussed in this work. LOO shows comparable convergence behavior to coarse mesh finite difference on several two-dimensional benchmark problems while not requiring any under-relaxation, making it a robust acceleration scheme. (author)

Characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence

OpenAIRE

Godinho, José; Araújo, Joana; Barros, Henrique; Ramos, Elisabete

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics associated with media use in early adolescence. The sample was comprised of 1,680 adolescents (884 girls and 796 boys) aged 13, attending private and public schools in Porto, Portugal, during 2003/2004. Adolescents completed questionnaires pertaining to demographic, social and behavioral characteristics, including the time spent watching television and playing computer games on week and weekend days. Logistic and propor...

The prevalence and clinical characteristics of punding in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Ashley H; Rickards, Hugh; Fasano, Alfonso; Cavanna, Andrea E

2011-03-01

Punding (the display of stereotyped, repetitive behaviors) is a relatively recently discovered feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Little is known about the prevalence and clinical characteristics of punding in PD. In this review, four large scientific databases were comprehensively searched for literature in relation to punding prevalence and clinical correlates in the context of PD. Prevalence was found to vary greatly (between 0.34 to 14%), although there were large disparities in study populations, assessment methods, and criteria. We observed an association between punding, dopaminergic medications, and impulse control disorder. Other characteristics, which may be more common among punders, include a higher severity of dyskinesia, younger age of disease onset, longer disease duration, and male gender. More research in large clinical datasets is required in many areas before conclusions are drawn. The pathophysiology behind the punding phenomenon is also poorly understood at present, rendering it difficult to develop targeted therapy. The current mainstay of treatment is the reduction in the dose of dopaminergic medications, the evidence for other suggested therapies being purely empirical.

A Survey of the Scattering Characteristics and Detection of Aircraft Wake Vortices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Jianbing

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aircraft wake vortex is a pair of strong counter-rotating vortices and has attracted considerable attention in various fields including aviation safety and atmospheric physics. The characteristics and detection of wake vortex act as the basis for both behavior prediction as well as hazard assessment. This paper provides a short survey of the characteristics and detection researches. Initially, the wake vortex is classified as clear-air wake vortex (i.e., wake turbulence and contrail and precipitation wake vortex (i.e., under rainy, foggy or snowy condition. Subsequently, the dynamics and scattering are introduced, and the main verdicts are: the radar (radio detection and ranging scattering of wake vortex is relatively weak under clear air conditions, but the Lidar (Light detection and ranging scattering is appreciable owing to the presence of particles such as aerosols. Wake vortices under precipitation conditions and contrails possess relatively good radar reflectivity owing the strong scattering characteristics of precipitation droplets and ice crystals. Furthermore, we have introduced a joint detection scheme of Lidar and radar for wake vortex along with parameter-retrieval algorithms. Finally, we have presented our conclusions and intended future research.

Clinical characteristics and SAP scintigraphic findings in 10 patients with AGel amyloidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowczenio, Dorota; Tennent, Glenys A; Gilbertson, Janet; Lachmann, Helen J; Hutt, David F; Bybee, Alison; Hawkins, Philip N; Gillmore, Julian D

2014-12-01

The clinical features of hereditary gelsolin (AGel) amyloidosis include corneal lattice dystrophy, distal sensorimotor, cranial neuropathy and cutis laxa. To date, four mutations of the gelsolin (GSN) gene encoding the following variants have been identified as the cause of this malady; p.D214N, p.D214Y, p.G194R and p.N211K (this nomenclature includes the 27-residue signal peptide). Interestingly, the latter two variants are associated exclusively with a renal amyloidosis phenotype. Here we report the clinical features in 10 patients with AGel amyloidosis associated with the p.D214N mutation, all of whom underwent whole body (123)I-SAP scintigraphy and were followed up in a single UK Centre for a prolonged period. Two patients, from the same kindred presented with proteinuria; eight subjects had a characteristic AGel amyloidosis phenotype including cranial neuropathy and/or corneal lattice dystrophy. (123)I-SAP scintigraphy revealed substantial renal amyloid deposits in all 10 patients, including those with preserved renal function, and usually without tracer uptake into other visceral organs. (123)I-SAP scintigraphy is a non-invasive technique that aids early diagnosis of patients with this rare disease, especially those who lack a family history and/or present with an unusual clinical phenotype.

Characteristics of the ISABELLE vacuum system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggus, J.R.; Edwards, D. Jr.; Halama, H.J.; Herrera, J.C.

1977-01-01

A discussion is given of the complete vacuum system of ISABELLE, emphasizing those design characteristics dictated by high vacuum, the avoidance of beam current loss, and the reduction of background. The experimental and theoretical justifications for the design are presented

Airborne sound transmission loss characteristics of wood-frame construction

Science.gov (United States)

Rudder, F. F., Jr.

1985-03-01

This report summarizes the available data on the airborne sound transmission loss properties of wood-frame construction and evaluates the methods for predicting the airborne sound transmission loss. The first part of the report comprises a summary of sound transmission loss data for wood-frame interior walls and floor-ceiling construction. Data bases describing the sound transmission loss characteristics of other building components, such as windows and doors, are discussed. The second part of the report presents the prediction of the sound transmission loss of wood-frame construction. Appropriate calculation methods are described both for single-panel and for double-panel construction with sound absorption material in the cavity. With available methods, single-panel construction and double-panel construction with the panels connected by studs may be adequately characterized. Technical appendices are included that summarize laboratory measurements, compare measurement with theory, describe details of the prediction methods, and present sound transmission loss data for common building materials.

Observation of dark pulses in 10 nm thick YBCO nanostrips presenting hysteretic current voltage characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Ejrnaes, M.; Parlato, L.; Arpaia, R.; Bauch, T.; Lombardi, F.; Cristiano, R.; Tafuri, F.; Pepe, G. P.

2017-12-01

We have fabricated several 10 nm thick and 65 nm wide YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) nanostrips. The nanostrips with the highest critical current densities are characterized by hysteretic current voltage characteristics (IVCs) with a direct bistable switch from the zero-voltage to the finite voltage state. The presence of hysteretic IVCs allowed the observation of dark pulses due to fluctuations phenomena. The key role of the bistable behavior is its ability to transform a small disturbance (e.g. an intrinsic fluctuation) into a measurable transient signal, i.e. a dark pulse. On the contrary, in devices characterized by lower critical current density values, the IVCs are non-hysteretic and dark pulses have not been observed. To investigate the physical origin of the dark pulses, we have measured the bias current dependence of the dark pulse rate: the observed exponential increase with the bias current is compatible with mechanisms based on thermal activation of magnetic vortices in the nanostrip. We believe that the successful amplification of small fluctuation events into measurable signals in nanostrips of ultrathin YBCO is a milestone for further investigation of YBCO nanostrips for superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors and other quantum detectors for operation at higher temperatures.

Characteristics of complaints resulting in disciplinary actions against Danish GPs.

Science.gov (United States)

Birkeland, Søren; Depont Christensen, Rene; Damsbo, Niels; Kragstrup, Jakob

2013-09-01

The risk of being disciplined in connection with a complaint case causes distress to most general practitioners. The present study examined the characteristics of complaint cases resulting in disciplinary action. The Danish Patients' Complaints Board's decisions concerning general practice in 2007 were examined. Information on the motives for complaining, as well as patient and general practitioner characteristics, was extracted and the association with case outcome (disciplinary or no disciplinary action) was analysed. Variables included complaint motives, patient gender and age, urgency of illness, cancer diagnosis, healthcare settings (daytime or out-of-hours services), and general practitioner gender and professional seniority. Cases where the complaint motives involved a wish for placement of responsibility (OR = 2.35, p = 0.01) or a wish for a review of the general practitioner's competence (OR = 1.95, p = 0.02) were associated with increased odds of the general practitioner being disciplined. The odds of discipline decreased when the complaint was motivated by a feeling of being devalued (OR = 0.39, p = 0.02) or a request for an explanation (OR = 0.46, p = 0.01). With regard to patient and general practitioner characteristics, higher general practitioner professional seniority was associated with increased odds of discipline (OR = 1.97 per 20 additional years of professional seniority, p = 0.01). None of the other characteristics was statistically significantly associated with discipline in the multiple logistic regression model. Complaint motives and professional seniority were associated with decision outcomes. Further research is needed on the impact of professional seniority on performance.

Clinical characteristics of keratosis obturans and external auditory canal cholesteatoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, So Young; Jung, Young Hoon; Oh, Jeong-Hoon

2015-02-01

Keratosis obturans (KO) and external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) have been considered separate entities. While the disorders are distinct, they share many overlapping characteristics, making a correct diagnosis difficult. In the present study, we compared their clinical characteristics and radiological features to clarify the diagnostic criteria. Retrospective case series. Academic medical center. The clinical data of 23 cases of EACC and KO were retrospectively reviewed. The following clinical characteristics were compared between the 2 groups: sex, age, onset of symptoms, follow-up period, audiometric results, and imaging findings on temporal bone computed tomography including bilaterality, location, and the presence of extension to adjacent tissue. The mean age of the EACC group was significantly older than that of the KO group. All of the cases of EACC occurred unilaterally, and bilateral occurrences of KO were observed in 4 of 9 cases. All of the lesions in the KO group were circumferential, and no lesion in the EACC group invaded the superior canal wall. No significant differences in symptoms, such as acute otalgia, otorrhea, and hearing loss, were noted between the 2 groups. The incidence of conductive hearing impairment more than 10 dB was higher in the KO group than in the EACC group. Thus, KO and EACC are 2 distinct disease entities that share common features in clinical characteristics except for predominant age and bilaterality. Conservative treatment with meticulous cleaning of the lesion was successful in most cases with a long-term follow-up. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

Bone metastases as initial presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteserin, Luzdivina; Mesa, Alicia; Fernandez-Garcia, Maria Soledad; Gadanon-Garcia, Arantza; Rodriguez, Manuel; Varela, María

2017-10-18

Extra-hepatic spread is present in 5% to 15% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at the time of diagnosis. The most frequent sites are lung and regional lymph nodes. Here, we report 3 cases of unsuspected HCC with symptoms due to bone lesions as initial presentation. Morphological characteristics and immunohistochemistry from the examined bone were the key data for diagnosis. None of the patients had an already known chronic liver disease. Differential diagnoses with HCC upon ectopic liver disease or hepatoid adenocarcinoma were shown. Therapy with the orally active multikinase inhibitor sorafenib plus symptomatic treatment was indicated.

Demographic, behavioral, and psychometric characteristics of persons denied unescorted access on the basis of psychological assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berghausen, P.E.

1988-01-01

This paper examines the demographic, behavioral, and psychometric characteristics of persons who were denied unescorted access authorization for protected areas and vital islands of nuclear power plants, in accordance with the relevant proposed rule of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Demographic characteristics examined include age, sex, occupation, education, marital status, and number of children. Behavioral characteristics examined include substance use/abuse/treatment and instances of antisocial behavior. Psychometric characteristics examined include elevations on basic MMPI clinical scales, elevations on special indices of psychosis and substance abuse, and endorsement of so-called critical items

Including climate change in energy investment decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ybema, J.R.; Boonekamp, P.G.M.; Smit, J.T.J.

1995-08-01

To properly take climate change into account in the analysis of energy investment decisions, it is required to apply decision analysis methods that are capable of considering the specific characteristics of climate change (large uncertainties, long term horizon). Such decision analysis methods do exist. They can explicitly include evolving uncertainties, multi-stage decisions, cumulative effects and risk averse attitudes. Various methods are considered in this report and two of these methods have been selected: hedging calculations and sensitivity analysis. These methods are applied to illustrative examples, and its limitations are discussed. The examples are (1a) space heating and hot water for new houses from a private investor perspective and (1b) as example (1a) but from a government perspective, (2) electricity production with an integrated coal gasification combined cycle (ICGCC) with or without CO 2 removal, and (3) national energy strategy to hedge for climate change. 9 figs., 21 tabs., 42 refs., 1 appendix

The presentation and treatment

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

tion of single collocations proposals are made for an implicit presentation of complex ... function lexicographers often include items to illustrate the typical use of the ... they have no items explicitly addressed at them to elevate them to treatment.

Technical presentation

CERN Document Server

FI Department

2008-01-01

RADIOSPARES, the leading catalogue distributor of components (electronic, electrical, automation, etc.) and industrial supplies will be at CERN on Friday 3 October 2008 (Main Building, Room B, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.) to introduce its new 2008/2009 catalogue. This will be the opportunity for us to present our complete range of products in more detail: 400 000 part numbers available on our web site (Radiospares France, RS International, extended range of components from other manufacturers); our new services: quotations, search for products not included in the catalogue, SBP products (Small Batch Production: packaging in quantities adapted to customers’ requirements); partnership with our focus manufacturers; demonstration of the on-line purchasing tool implemented on our web site in conjunction with CERN. RADIOSPARES will be accompanied by representatives of FLUKE and TYCO ELECTRONICS, who will make presentations, demonstrate materials and answer any technical questio...

A Case of Gorlin-Goltz Syndrome Presented with Psychiatric Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Mufaddel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We report a case of a 34-year-old male who presented with an acute onset of pleomorphic psychiatric features. Upon examination we later diagnosed him with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome based on clinical and radiological findings that are characteristic for this rare autosomal dominant syndrome. His psychiatric manifestations included irritability, aggressive behavior, labile mood, hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and transient cognitive impairment. His past history indicated surgical excision of pigmented lesion in the left lower eyelid which turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma. His past visits to dermatology clinics indicated pitted keratosis involving hands, callosities, and seborrheic dermatitis. There were numerous palmar pits, and Brain CT Head scan revealed extensive calcification along falx cerebri and around the cerebellar vermis. He had low (20 ng/L vitamin D level and high parathyroid hormone level. The patient improved using antipsychotic medications and vitamin D supplementations for symptomatic management and was discharged with a plan for multispecialty outpatient follow-up. This case highlights the importance of considering rare organic etiologies in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms. This is of vital importance for early intervention to prevent complications and for better outcomes of the coexistent diseases.

Material presented to advisory committee on reactor safeguards, subcommittee on extreme external phenomena, January 29-30, 1981, Los Angeles, California. Seismic safety margins research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, P.D.; Bernreuter, D.L.; Bohn, M.P.; Chuang, T.Y.; Cummings, G.E.; Dong, R.G.; Johnson, J.J.; Wells, J.E.

1981-01-01

The January 29-30, 1981, meeting of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), Subcommittee on Extreme External Phenomena, mark the close of Phase I efforts on the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP). Presentations at the meeting focused on results produced. These included computer codes, response computations, failure and release probabilities, data bases, and fragilities and parameter characteristics

Investigation of vibration characteristics of electric motors

Science.gov (United States)

Bakshis, A. K.; Tamoshyunas, Y. K.

1973-01-01

The vibration characteristics of electric motors were analyzed using mathematical statistics methods. The equipment used and the method of conducting the test are described. Curves are developed to show the visualization of the electric motor vibrations in the vertical direction. Additional curves are included to show the amplitude-phase frequency characteristic of dynamic rotor-housing vibrations at the first lug and the same data for the second lug of the electric motor. Mathematical models were created to show the transmission function of the dynamic rotor housing system.

Monozygotic twins with a de novo 0.32 Mb 16q24.3 deletion, including TUBB3 presenting with developmental delay and mild facial dysmorphism but without overt brain malformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønborg, Sabine; Kjaergaard, Susanne; Hove, Hanne

2015-01-01

been associated with missense mutations in this group of genes. Here, we report two patients, monozygotic twins, carrying a de novo 0.32 Mb deletion of chromosome 16q24.3 including the TUBB3 gene. The patients presented with global developmental delay, mild facial dysmorphism, secondary microcephaly...

Calculation analysis on steady state natural circulation characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fei; Nie Changhua; Huang Yanping

2005-01-01

The calculation results of single-phase steady state natural circulation characteristics by using Retran02 code have been presented, good agreement is achieved between the verified calculation result and the experimental data which were conducted at a test facility. Based on the calculation model, some sensibility analyses were made and much deeper understanding for single-phase steady state natural circulation characteristics was obtained. (author)

[Demographic characteristics of consumers in Indonesia?].

Science.gov (United States)

Ananta, A

1993-06-01

"This paper presents a mosaic of business opportunities arising from the different demographic characteristics of the provinces in the western part of Indonesia. The author discusses the total number of population, density, and per capita income to [shed] some light on the volume of the market. He also presents the business impact of the [changes] in fertility, mortality, and the...life style of those aged 40-64." (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

Safety characteristics of small heat producing reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seifritz, W.

1987-10-01

The primary objectives of protection in nuclear power plants are the possibility to shut the reactor down in case of emergency and keep it subcritical in the long run, the existence of a heat sink for post-decay heat removal in order to avoid overheating, let alone core meltdown, and the containment of radioactivity within the barriers designed for this purpose, thus preventing significant activity release. In principle, these objectives can be met in various ways, namely by active, passive or inherent technical safeguards systems. In practice, a mixture of these approaches is employed in almost all cases. What matters in the end is the assessment of the overall concept, not of some outstanding feature. Inherent characteristics are easier to achieve in small reactors. However, also in this case, inherent safety does not mean absolute safety. If inherent safety characteristics were all encompassing, they would have to include self-healing effects. However, inanimate matter is incapable of such self-organization. Consequently, inherent characteristics in nuclear technology by definition should include the increased use of dissipative processes in the thermal part of the plant. (author)

Narcissism and newlywed marriage: Partner characteristics and marital trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavner, Justin A; Lamkin, Joanna; Miller, Joshua D; Campbell, W Keith; Karney, Benjamin R

2016-04-01

Despite narcissism's relation with interpersonal dysfunction, surprisingly little empirical research has been devoted to understanding narcissism's effect on intimate relationships in general or marital relationships in particular. The current study addressed this gap using longitudinal data from a community sample of 146 newlywed couples assessed 6 times over the first 4 years of marriage. First, we examined partner characteristics associated with higher levels of narcissism to determine the degree to which couples were matched on narcissism and related traits. Second, we examined how narcissism predicted the trajectory of marital quality over time, testing narcissism's association with initial levels of relationship functioning (the intercept) and changes in relationship functioning (the slope). Results indicated a small degree of homophily but otherwise no clear pattern of partner characteristics for individuals higher in narcissism. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that wives' total narcissism and entitlement/exploitativeness scores predicted the slope of marital quality over time, including steeper declines in marital satisfaction and steeper increases in marital problems. Husbands' narcissism scores generally had few effects on their own marital quality or that of their wives. These findings are notable in indicating that the effects of personality characteristics on marital functioning may take some time to manifest themselves, even if they were present from early in the marriage. Future research into the mediating psychological and interpersonal processes that link wives' narcissism with poorer marital functioning over time would be valuable. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation between Podoplanin-positive Lymphatic Microvessel Density 
and CT Characteristics of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui ZHOU

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that ymphatic microvessel density (LMVD was closely correlated with the lymphatic metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between podoplanin-LMVD and multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT characteristics of NSCLC. Methods MSCT scanning was performed on 34 cases of NSCLC (squamous carcinoma, 15 cases; adenocarcinoma, 15 cases; and adenosquamous carcinoma, 4 cases prior to operation. Clinical pathology results, including lymph node metastasis, were obtained. CT characteristics, such as shape of the edge, internal structure, and adjacent structures, were described. LMVD in the central and peripheral areas examined respectively using SP immunohistochemical technique were analyzed. Results Lymph node metastasis was found to be associated with LMVD in the peripheral areas. LMVD in the peripheral areas of the resected lesions, the MSCT findings of which included spinous process, pleural indentation, and carcinomatous lymphangitis, was higher than that of the lesions without these MSCT characteristics (P<0.05. Conclusion MSCT findings of spinous process, pleural indentation, or carcinomatous lymphangitis of NSCLC may suggest a higher level of tumor lymphangiogenesis with a higher risk of lymph node metastasis.

Emotions and Multimedia Learning: The Moderating Role of Learner Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Knörzer, L.; Brünken, R.; Park, B.

2016-01-01

The Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media postulates that affective factors as well as individual learner characteristics impact multimedia learning. The present study investigated how experimentally induced positive and negative emotions influence multimedia learning and how learner characteristics moderated this impact. Results…

Comparing Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use with or without Including Prayer as a Modality in a Local and Diverse United States Jurisdiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Robles, Brenda; Upchurch, Dawn M; Kuo, Tony

2017-01-01

Few studies to date have examined the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a local, ethnically diverse population in the United States (U.S.). Fewer have addressed the differences in their use based on inclusion or exclusion of prayer as a modality. Variable definitions of CAM are known to affect public health surveillance (i.e., continuous, systematic data collection, analysis, and interpretation) or benchmarking (i.e., identifying and comparing key indicators of health to inform community planning) related to this non-mainstream collection of health and wellness therapies. The present study sought to better understand how including or excluding prayer could affect reporting of CAM use among residents of a large, urban U.S. jurisdiction. Using population-weighted data from a cross-sectional Internet panel survey collected as part of a larger countywide population health survey, the study compared use of CAM based on whether prayer or no prayer was included in its definition. Patterns of CAM use by socio-demographic characteristics were described for the two operationalized definitions. Multivariable binomial regression analyses were performed to control for gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, income, and health insurance status. One of the analyses explored the associations between CAM use and racial/ethnic characteristics in the study sample. Los Angeles County, California. A socio-demographically diverse sample of Los Angeles County residents. CAM use (with prayer) and CAM use (excluding prayer). Blacks were among the highest users of CAM when compared to Whites, especially when prayer was included as a CAM modality. Regardless of prayer inclusion, being a woman predicted higher use of CAM. How CAM is defined matters in gauging the utilization of this non-mainstream collection of therapies. Given that surveillance and/or benchmarking data are often used to inform resource allocation and planning decisions, results from

Land characteristics, run-off and potential for rainwater harvesting in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effective utilization of rainfall in semi-arid areas is very much dependent on land characteristics land use, and management practices. Important land characteristics include soil, type, soil hydraulic properties down the profile, soil valiation along-the catena, slope and vegetation cover. In most semi-mid areas of Tanzania, ...

Fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of flax fibre composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Bo; Asian, Mustafa; Lilholt, Hans

2016-01-01

Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned f...... novel observations, measurements and interpretations to be used in the further analysis and understanding of the properties of natural fibre composites. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.......Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned...... flax fibre/thermoplastic composites are presented. The findings are presented in relation to the three operational parts in composites: fibres, matrix and fibre/matrix interface. For the flax fibres, the striated structure on the fibre surface is shown to consist of cellulose macrofibrils oriented...

Cryopreservation does not alter main characteristics of Good Manufacturing Process-grade human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells including immunomodulating potential and lack of malignant transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Luetzkendorf, Jana; Nerger, Katrin; Hering, Julian; Moegel, Angelika; Hoffmann, Katrin; Hoefers, Christiane; Mueller-Tidow, Carsten; Mueller, Lutz P

2015-02-01

The immunomodulating capacity of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) qualifies them as a therapeutic tool in several diseases. However, repeated transplantation with products of reproducible characteristics may be required. This could be achieved with cryopreserved aliquots of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-grade MSCs. However, the impact of cryopreservation on the characteristics of GMP-MSCs is ill defined. We produced fresh and cryopreserved MSCs from human donors with a xenogen-free GMP protocol. Immunogenicity and immunomodulating capacity were tested in co-culture with putative recipient-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Risk of malignant transformation was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Cryopreservation had no impact on viability and consensus criteria of MSCs. In co-culture with PBMCs, MSCs showed low immunogenicity and suppressed mitogen-stimulated proliferation of PBMC irrespective of cryopreservation. Cytogenetic aberrations were not observed consistently in fresh and cryopreserved products, and no signs of malignant transformation occurred in functional assays. MSC products from an elderly pretreated donor showed reduced functional quality, but imminent failure of functional criteria could be detected by an increased population doubling time in early passages. This study is the first systematic analysis on cryopreservation of xenogen-free human bone marrow-derived GMP-MSCs. The data support that cryopreservation does not alter the characteristics of the cells and thus may allow the generation of products for serial transplantation. In addition, the protocol allowed early detection of MSC products with low functional capacity. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of perceptual audio reproduction characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Volk, Christer Peter

Perception of the reproduction characteristics of headphones and loudspeakers are presently not directly related to the many technical measurements made in the physical domain. This have made it difficult to interpret traditional measurements of headphones and loudspeakers in terms of how physics...

Analysis of clinical features of ocular presentation in cranial venous sinus thrombosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang D

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To recognize ocular presentations in cranial venous sinus thrombosis (CVST which were easy to be misdiagnosis. Design Retrospective study. Methods Review clinical informations including general informations, general performances, and ocular presentations of 118 inpatients with CVST in the general hospital of chinese people's liberation army during 2005-2009. Main Outcome Measures The ocular symptoms as the initial onset presentations or simultaneous phenomenon among different onset type patients were analyzed. Results Of all the CVST patients, 21.2% (25/118 presented with ocular symptom as the initial presentation, 30.5% (36/118 presented with ocular symptom as well as the other symptoms, and 48.3% (57/118 presented with non-ocular symptoms as the initial onset. The CVST patients were divided into 3 groups according to the onset type. There was no marked statistical significance among groups. The most common major complaints were blurring and degeneration of acute vision, accounting for 85.9% (61/71 of all abnormal ocular chief complaints. The most common objective sign in eyes was papilloedema, accounting for 48.3% (57/118 in this group of CVST patients. About 22.4% (13/58 showed acute vision deterioration at 1-year follow-up, due to optic atrophy. Conclusions As ophthalmologists, we should master the onset characteristics and clinical manifestations of CVST. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important for the prevention of vision deterioration, especially for patients with ocular syndrome as the initial onset syndrome. For isolated agnogenic intracranial hypertension, we should consider the possibility of CVST.

Short and long-term mortality of patients presenting with bleeding events to the Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Conti, Alberto; Renzi, Noemi; Molesti, Daniele; Bianchi, Simone; Bogazzi, Irene; Bongini, Giada; Pepe, Giuseppe; Frosini, Fabiana; Bertini, Alessio; Santini, Massimo

2017-12-01

Death of patients presenting with bleeding events to the Emergency Department still represent a major problem. We sought to analyze clinical characteristics associated with worse outcomes including short- and long-term death, beyond antithombotic treatment strategy. Patients presenting with any bleeding events during 2016-2017years were enrolled. Clinical parameters, site of bleeding, major bleeding, ongoing anti-thrombotic treatment strategy and death were collected. Hard 5:1 propensity score matching was performed to adjust dead patients in baseline characteristics. Endpoints were one-month and one-year death. Out of 166,000 visits to the Emergency Department, 3.050 patients (1.8%) were enrolled and eventually 429 were analyzed after propensity. Overall, anticoagulants or antiplatelets were given to 234(54%). Major bleeding account for 111(26%) patients, without differences between those taking anticoagulants or antiplatelets versus others. Death at one-month and one-year was 26(6%) and 72(17%), respectively. Independent predictors of one-month death were major bleeding (Odds Ratio, OR 26, pbleeding (OR 7, pbleeding where higher than others (pbleeding and age (0.75 and 0.72, respectively) over others; pbleeding events, death rate was driven by major bleeding on short-term and older age on long-term. Among dead patients mortality was approximately 40% on one-month; 60% in older patients, and 80% in female gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency characteristics of geomagnetic induction anomalies in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

P V Vijaya Kumar

2017-10-07

Oct 7, 2017 ... characteristics of electrical conductivity distribution are presented in the form of induction arrows. From ... High resistive block related to underplating mantle material has .... Recent seismic tomography studies indicate low.

STS-95 Post Flight Presentation

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

The STS-95 flight crew, Cmdr. Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Stephen K. Robinson, and Pedro Duque, and Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai and John H. Glenn present a video mission over-view of their space flight. Images include prelaunch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, crew suit-up, and the ride out to the launch pad. Also, included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew can be seen being readied in the "whiteroom" for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters. The primary objectives, which include the conducting of a variety of science experiments in the pressurized SPACEHAB module, the deployment and retrieval of the Spartan free-flyer payload, and operations with the HST Orbiting Systems Test (HOST) and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH) payloads are discussed in both the video and still photo presentation.

The dioxins - essential characteristics. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunn, H.

1993-01-01

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) belong to the group of persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are predominantly of anthropogenic origin, except for those originating from fires caused by lightning or volcanic eruption. PCDD, according to the present knowledge, are absolutely useless. They are toxic, lipophilic, hardly degradable, and therefore ubiquitous in environment and food chain. PCDD have also been found in breast milk. Because their carcinogenic mechanism of action is little known, the toxicological evaluation of PCDD is still incomplete. Even lowest concentrations of PCDD may be detrimental to health. These characteristics are reason with enough to group PCDD not with xenobiotics, but with harmful substances. Closely related to PCDD in their origin and characteristics are polychlorinated dibenzofuranes (PCDF), which therefore are frequently ranked among ''the dioxins'': Essential characteristics of PCDD and PCDF are discussed. (orig.) [de

Are P values and statistical assessments in poster abstracts presented at annual meetings of Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists relative to the characteristics of hospitals?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Fu-Jung; Wu, Chih-Cheng; Peng, Shih-Yen; Fan, Kuo-Tung

2007-09-01

Many anesthesiologists in medical centers (MC) or in anesthesiologist-training hospitals (ATH) are accustomed to present their research data in the form of poster abstracts at the annual meetings of Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists (TSA) to represent their academic gainings in a designated period of time. However, an orphaned P value without mentioning the related specified statistical test has frequently been found in these articles. The difference in presentation of statistical test after P value between MC/ATH and non-MC/non-ATH in recent three TSA consecutive annual meetings was explored in this article. We collected the proceedings handbooks of TSA annual meetings in a period spanning 3 yrs (2003 to 2005) and analyzed the hospital characteristic of first institute-byliner in the poster abstract. Data were analyzed with Fisher's exact test and statistical significance was assumed if P poster abstracts with byliners of 20 hospitals. Only 2 of the 20 hospitals were accredited as non-ATH and 4 as non-MC. There were 64 (63%) abstracts without specified statistical test after P value and no significant difference was found among each category. (P = 0.47 in ATH vs. non-ATH and P = 0.07 in MC vs. non-MC). The basic concept of P value with specified statistical test was not applicable comprehensively in poster abstracts of the annual conferences. Based on our wishful intention, we suggest that the anesthesia administrators and senior anesthesiologists at ATH or MC, and the members of the committee responsible for running academic affairs in TSA, should pay attention to this prodigy and work together to improve our basic statistics in poster presentation.

Injury-related visits and comorbid conditions among homeless persons presenting to emergency departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammig, Bart; Jozkowski, Kristen; Jones, Ches

2014-04-01

The authors examined the clinical characteristics of homeless patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States, with a focus on unintentional and intentional injury events and related comorbid conditions. The study included a nationally representative sample of patients presenting to EDs with data obtained from the 2007 through 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Descriptive and analytical epidemiologic analyses were employed to examine injuries among homeless patients. Homeless persons made 603,000 visits annually to EDs, 55% of which were for injuries, with the majority related to unintentional (52%) and self-inflicted (23%) injuries. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that homeless patients had a higher odds of presenting with injuries related to unintentional (odds ratio [OR]=1.4. 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.1 to 1.9), self-inflicted (OR=6.0, 95% CI=3.7 to 9.5), and assault (OR=3.0, 95% CI=1.5 to 5.9) injuries. A better understanding of the injuries affecting homeless populations may provide medical and public health professionals insight into more effective ways to intervene and limit further morbidity and mortality related to specific injury outcomes. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Persons Presenting with Deliberate Self-harm to the Accident and Emergency Department of the University Hospital of the West Indies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Henry

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of all persons who presented to the Accident and Emergency Department of the University Hospital of the West Indies with a history of deliberate harm over a six-month period. Methods: The dockets of patients presenting with deliberate self-harm were collected and reviewed for the information. A questionnaire was designed to extract the information. Data were analysed using SPSS version 17 and RXC programme. Results: Of the total number of dockets reviewed (n = 61, 78% of patients were below age 40 years, with a mean age of 28 years. Sixty-four per cent were female, 82% were single, 83% lived with someone, 80% had a secondary school level of education and 72% were unemployed. Overdose of medications was the main method of harm. Seventy-five per cent of patients did not use illicit substances. There was a significant association found between reason for self-harm and psychiatric illness (p < 0.001. Conclusion: Given these preliminary results, it would be useful to conduct a wider, island-wide study to determine the extent of self-harming behaviour in Jamaica so that appropriate interventions can be implemented to reduce this problem.

Biological contaminants and house characteristics : an interim analysis of data from the PEI study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onysko, D.M. [DMO Associates (Canada); Ruest, K. [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada); Lawton, M. [Morrison Hershfield Ltd., Ottawa, ON (Canada); Miller, D. [Carleton Univ., Ottawa, ON (Canada); Fraser, B. [Jacques Whitford and Associates Limited, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Dale, R. [Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Kazimierz, K.F.

2005-07-01

This paper discussed the results of a joint study on housing conditions, biological exposure and the health of infants in Prince Edward Island (PEI). The study was a longitudinal cohort investigation of the exposure of infants to biological materials in their home environments. Possible associations between housing data, biological data, operational circumstances and relevant family life style information were presented. A methodology of the study was presented, in which a total of 366 dwellings with newborn infants were monitored over a period of 6 years. All tests and inspections were presented, as well as the nature of variables in the study. House investigations included the following: housing and operational characteristics; variables related to the measure of molds in the air; mold areas as determined by visual inspection; the presence/absence of visible molds; past wetting events; and concentrations of endotoxins, ergosterol and allergens in various air and settled dust samples. It was concluded that there was support for the presumption that some housing characteristics were related to factors that may influence the health of occupants and their children. Moisture related concerns dominated the experimental design. Details of the following housing characteristics were summarized: ground moisture source coupling; operation of the residence by the occupant; analysis of dust samples; visible molds; and wetting events. It was concluded that further work is needed to review the final database in order to further correlate studies with the health of newborns who lived in the houses studied. 3 refs., 8 tabs., 4 figs.

Low-frequency characteristics extension for vibration sensors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

杨学山; 高峰; 候兴民

2004-01-01

Traditional magneto-electric vibration sensors and servo accelerometers have severe shortcomings when used to measure vibration where low frequency components predominate. A low frequency characteristic extension for velocity vibration sensors is presented in this paper. The passive circuit technology, active compensation technology and the closedcycle pole compensation technology are used to extend the measurable range and to improve low frequency characteristics of sensors. Thses three types of low frequency velocity vibration sensors have been developed and widely adopted in China.

A minimalist model of characteristic earthquakes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vázquez-Prada, M.; González, Á.; Gómez, J.B.

2002-01-01

In a spirit akin to the sandpile model of self- organized criticality, we present a simple statistical model of the cellular-automaton type which simulates the role of an asperity in the dynamics of a one-dimensional fault. This model produces an earthquake spectrum similar to the characteristic-earthquake...... behaviour of some seismic faults. This model, that has no parameter, is amenable to an algebraic description as a Markov Chain. This possibility illuminates some important results, obtained by Monte Carlo simulations, such as the earthquake size-frequency relation and the recurrence time...... of the characteristic earthquake....

Characteristic of combustion of Colombian gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil B, Edison; Maya, Ruben; Andres, Amel A.

1996-01-01

The variety of gas locations in the country, makes that the gas that will be distributed by the net of present gas pipeline a very different composition, what bears to that these they behave in a different way during its use. In this work the main characteristics of the combustion are calculated for the Colombian gases, basically the properties of the combustion and the characteristics of the smoke, as basic information for the design and operation of the gas teams and their certification. These properties were calculated with the special help software for combustion developed by the authors

The reporting of study and population characteristics in degenerative cervical myelopathy: A systematic review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin M Davies

Full Text Available Degenerative cervical myelopathy [DCM] is a disabling and increasingly prevalent condition. Variable reporting in interventional trials of study design and sample characteristics limits the interpretation of pooled outcomes. This is pertinent in DCM where baseline characteristics are known to influence outcome. The present study aims to assess the reporting of the study design and baseline characteristics in DCM as the premise for the development of a standardised reporting set.A systematic review of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, registered with PROSPERO (CRD42015025497 was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Full text articles in English, with >50 patients (prospective or >200 patients (retrospective, reporting outcomes of DCM were deemed to be eligible.A total of 108 studies involving 23,876 patients, conducted world-wide, were identified. 33 (31% specified a clear primary objective. Study populations often included radiculopathy (51, 47% but excluded patients who had undergone previous surgery (42, 39%. Diagnositic criteria for myelopathy were often uncertain; MRI assessment was specified in only 67 (62% of studies. Patient comorbidities were referenced by 37 (34% studies. Symptom duration was reported by 46 (43% studies. Multivariate analysis was used to control for baseline characteristics in 33 (31% of studies.The reporting of study design and sample characteristics is variable. The development of a consensus minimum dataset for (CODE-DCM will facilitate future research synthesis in the future.

Flight Measurements of the Longitudinal Stability and Control Characteristics of the Grumman F8F-1 Airplane, TED No. NACA 2379

Science.gov (United States)

Assadourian, Arthur; Reeder, John P.

1948-01-01

A series of flight tests have been made at the Langley Flight Research Division at the request of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Department of the Navy, to determine the flying qualities of the Grumman F8F-1 air- plane. This paper presents the test results necessary to determine the longitudinal stability and control characteristics end the stalling characteristics. These tests were made between February and June of 1947- The range of Mach numbers covered in this investigation was approximately 0.10 to 0.62, and no attempt was made to investigate compressibility effects at higher Mach numbers. The lateral and directional stability and control characteristics of the subject airplane have already been reported (reference 1). Also presented in this paper is a discussion of the normal accelerations induced by yawing velocity and sideslip which were considered ob,jectionable by the pilot for this airplane. A discussion of the undesirable accelerations has been included with a view towards formulating some flying-qualities requirements limiting them.

Contribution of changing risk factors to the trend in breech presentation at term.

Science.gov (United States)

Bin, Yu Sun; Roberts, Christine L; Nicholl, Michael C; Nassar, Natasha; Ford, Jane B

2016-12-01

Recent population-wide changes in perinatal risk factors may affect rates of breech presentation at birth, and have implications for the provision of breech services and training in breech management. To investigate whether changes in maternal and pregnancy characteristics explain the observed trend in breech presentation at term. All singleton term (≥37 week) births in New South Wales during 2002-2012 were identified through birth and associated hospital records. Annual rates of breech presentation were determined. Logistic regression modelling was used to predict expected rates of breech presentation and these were compared with observed rates over time. A priori predictors included maternal age, country of birth, parity, smoking during pregnancy, diabetes, pregnancy hypertension, placenta praevia, previous singleton term breech, previous caesarean section, infant sex, gestational age, birthweight and congenital anomalies. Hospital and Medicare data were used to assess concomitant trends in external cephalic version. Among 914 147 singleton term births, 3.1% were breech at delivery. Rates of breech presentation declined from 3.6% in 2002 to 2.7% in 2012 (test for trend P breech presentation and previous caesarean section. However, use of external cephalic version appears to have increased over time. Breech presentation at delivery has decreased in New South Wales. Increased use of external cephalic version likely accounts for this decline, as changes in risk factors do not. © 2016 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Building a Relationship between Robot Characteristics and Teleoperation User Interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortimer, Michael; Horan, Ben; Seyedmahmoudian, Mehdi

2017-03-14

The Robot Operating System (ROS) provides roboticists with a standardized and distributed framework for real-time communication between robotic systems using a microkernel environment. This paper looks at how ROS metadata, Unified Robot Description Format (URDF), Semantic Robot Description Format (SRDF), and its message description language, can be used to identify key robot characteristics to inform User Interface (UI) design for the teleoperation of heterogeneous robot teams. Logical relationships between UI components and robot characteristics are defined by a set of relationship rules created using relevant and available information including developer expertise and ROS metadata. This provides a significant opportunity to move towards a rule-driven approach for generating the designs of teleoperation UIs; in particular the reduction of the number of different UI configurations required to teleoperate each individual robot within a heterogeneous robot team. This approach is based on using an underlying rule set identifying robots that can be teleoperated using the same UI configuration due to having the same or similar robot characteristics. Aside from reducing the number of different UI configurations an operator needs to be familiar with, this approach also supports consistency in UI configurations when a teleoperator is periodically switching between different robots. To achieve this aim, a Matlab toolbox is developed providing users with the ability to define rules specifying the relationship between robot characteristics and UI components. Once rules are defined, selections that best describe the characteristics of the robot type within a particular heterogeneous robot team can be made. A main advantage of this approach is that rather than specifying discrete robots comprising the team, the user can specify characteristics of the team more generally allowing the system to deal with slight variations that may occur in the future. In fact, by using the

Building a Relationship between Robot Characteristics and Teleoperation User Interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Mortimer

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The Robot Operating System (ROS provides roboticists with a standardized and distributed framework for real-time communication between robotic systems using a microkernel environment. This paper looks at how ROS metadata, Unified Robot Description Format (URDF, Semantic Robot Description Format (SRDF, and its message description language, can be used to identify key robot characteristics to inform User Interface (UI design for the teleoperation of heterogeneous robot teams. Logical relationships between UI components and robot characteristics are defined by a set of relationship rules created using relevant and available information including developer expertise and ROS metadata. This provides a significant opportunity to move towards a rule-driven approach for generating the designs of teleoperation UIs; in particular the reduction of the number of different UI configurations required to teleoperate each individual robot within a heterogeneous robot team. This approach is based on using an underlying rule set identifying robots that can be teleoperated using the same UI configuration due to having the same or similar robot characteristics. Aside from reducing the number of different UI configurations an operator needs to be familiar with, this approach also supports consistency in UI configurations when a teleoperator is periodically switching between different robots. To achieve this aim, a Matlab toolbox is developed providing users with the ability to define rules specifying the relationship between robot characteristics and UI components. Once rules are defined, selections that best describe the characteristics of the robot type within a particular heterogeneous robot team can be made. A main advantage of this approach is that rather than specifying discrete robots comprising the team, the user can specify characteristics of the team more generally allowing the system to deal with slight variations that may occur in the future. In fact, by

Carbon monoxide poisoning in Beirut, Lebanon: Patient′s characteristics and exposure sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazen J El Sayed

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Carbon monoxide (CO poisoning is a preventable disease. Patients present with nonspecific symptoms post CO exposure. Causal factors are well described in developed countries, but less in developing countries. Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of patients with CO poisoning treated at a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon, and their association with the CO poisoning source. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients who presented to the Emergency Department (ED of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC over 4-year period and for whom a carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb level was available. Patients with CO poisoning diagnosis were included in the study. Patients′ characteristics and their association with CO poisoning source were described. Results: Twenty-seven patients were treated for CO poisoning during the study period, 55% of whom were males. Headache was the most common presenting symptom (51.9%. Burning charcoal indoors was the most common causal factor (44.4%, whereas fire-related smoke was another causal factor. The median arterial CO-Hb level on presentation for all cases was 12.0% (interquartile range (IQR 7.3-20.2. All patients received normobaric oxygen therapy. No complications were documented in the ED. All patients were discharged from the ED with a median ED length of stay of 255 min (IQR 210-270. Young females were more likely to present with CO poisoning from burning charcoal indoors than from another cause. Conclusion: CO poisoning in Beirut, Lebanon is mainly due to charcoal burning grills used indoors and to fire-related smoke. A clinically significant association was present between gender and CO poisoning source. An opportunity for prevention is present in terms of education and increased awareness regarding CO emission sources.

Dynamic Performance Characteristics of a Curved Slider Bearing Operating with Ferrofluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udaya P. Singh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the present theoretical investigation, the effect of ferrofluid on the dynamic characteristics of curved slider bearings is presented using Shliomis model which accounts for the rotation of magnetic particles, their magnetic moments, and the volume concentration in the fluid. The modified Reynolds equation for the dynamic state of the bearing is obtained. The results of dynamic stiffness and damping characteristics are presented. It is observed that the effect of rotation of magnetic particles improves the stiffness and damping capacities of the bearings.

Characteristics and respiratory risk profile of children aged less than 5 years presenting to an urban, Aboriginal-friendly, comprehensive primary health practice in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Kerry K; Chang, Anne B; Anderson, Jennie; Dunbar, Melissa; Arnold, Daniel; O'Grady, Kerry-Ann F

2017-07-01

There are no published data on factors impacting on acute respiratory illness (ARI) among urban Indigenous children. We describe the characteristics and respiratory risk profile of young urban Indigenous children attending an Aboriginal-friendly primary health-care practice. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline in a cohort study investigating ARI in urban Indigenous children aged less than 5 years registered with an Aboriginal primary health-care service. Descriptive analyses of epidemiological, clinical, environmental and cultural factors were performed. Logistic regression was undertaken to examine associations between child characteristics and the presence of ARI at baseline. Between February 2013 and October 2015, 180 Indigenous children were enrolled; the median age was 18.4 months (7.7-35), 51% were male. A total of 40 (22%) children presented for a cough-related illness; however, ARI was identified in 33% of all children at the time of enrolment. A total of 72% of children were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. ARI at baseline was associated with low birthweight (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-5.94), a history of eczema (aOR 2.67, 95% CI 1.00-7.15) and either having a family member from the Stolen Generation (aOR 3.47, 95% CI 1.33-9.03) or not knowing this family history (aOR 3.35, 95% CI 1.21-9.26). We identified an urban community of children of high socio-economic disadvantage and who have excessive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Connection to the Stolen Generation or not knowing the family history may be directly impacting on child health in this community. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between cultural factors and ARI. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Differences in clinical characteristics and disease-free survival for Latino, African American, and non-Latino White men with localized prostate cancer: Data from CaPSURE™

OpenAIRE

Latini, DM; Elkin, EP; Cooperberg, MR; Sadetsky, N; DuChane, J; Carroll, PR

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND. Few studies of ethnicity and prostate cancer have included Latino men in analyses of baseline clinical characteristics, treatment selection, and disease-free survival (DFS). The present study examines the impact of Latino ethnicity on these parameters in a large, multiinstitutional database of men with prostate cancer. METHODS. We compared baseline disease characteristics and clinical outcomes for Latino (N = 138), non-Latino White (NLW, N = 5619), and African-American (AA, N = 60...

Job characteristic perception and intrinsic motivation in medical record department staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Isfahani, Sakineh Saghaeiannejad; Bahrami, Soosan; Torki, Sedighe

2013-01-01

Human resources are key factors in service organizations like hospitals. Therefore, motivating human recourses to achieve the objectives of an organization is important. Job enrichment is a strategy used to increase job motivation in staffs. The goal of the current study is to determine the relationship between job characteristics and intrinsic motivation in medical record staff in hospitals related to Medical Science University in Isfahan in 2011-2012 academic year. The type of the study is descriptive and corelational of multi variables. The population of the study includes all the medical record staffs of medical record department working in Medical Science hospitals of Isfahan. One hundred twentyseven subjects were selected by conducting a census. In the present study, data collected by using two questionnaires of job characteristics devised by Hackman and Oldeham, and of intrinsic motivation. Content validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability was calculated through coefficient of Cronbach's alpha (r1 = 0.84- r2 = 0.94). The questionnaires completed were entered into SPSS(18) software; furthermore, statistical analysis done descriptively (frequency percent, mean, standard deviation, Pierson correlation coefficient,...) and inferentially (multiple regression, MANOVA, LSD). A significant relationship between job characteristics as well as its elements (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback) and intrinsic motivation was noticed. (p intrinsic motivation was significant and job feedback had the most impact upon the intrinsic motivation. No significant difference was noticed among the mean amounts of job characteristic perception according to age, gender, level of education, and the kind of educational degree in hospitals. However, there was a significant difference among the mean amounts of job characteristic perception according to the unit of service and the years of servicein hospitals. The findings show that all job

Prediction of neonatal metaboic acidos in women with a singleton term pregnancy in cephalic presentation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerhuis, M.E.M.H.; Schuit, E.; Kwee, A.; Zuithoff, N.P.A.; Groenwold, R.H.H.; Akker, van den E.S.A.; Beek, van E.; Dessel, van H.J.H.M.; Drogtrop, A.P.; Geijn, van H.P.; Graziosi, G.C.M.; Lith, van J.M.M.; Nijhuis, J.G.; Oei, S.G.; Oosterbaan, H.P.; Porath, M.M.; Rijnders, R.J.P.; Schuitemaker, N.W.E.; Wijnberger, L.D.E.; Willekes, C.; Wouters, M.G.A.J.; Visser, G.H.A.; Mol, B.W.J.; Moons, K.G.M.

2012-01-01

We sought to predict neonatal metabolic acidosis at birth using antepartum obstetric characteristics (model 1) and additional characteristics available during labor (model 2). In 5667 laboring women from a multicenter randomized trial that had a high-risk singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation

Secondary waste characteristics and ITS filtration system on laser cutting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hara, Kunio; Miyao, Hidehiko [Research Association for Facility Decommissioning (RANDEC), Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Nakazawa, Masaharu [Tokyo Univ. (Japan); Kataoka, Shinichi; Nagura, Yasumi; Saiki, Hideo [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2001-03-01

Technology of dismantling nuclear facilities has been developing in various fields for its evaluation and dismantling system. RANDEC has been studying remote dismantling system for highly activated equipments such as core internals with a laser using optical fiber. Recently a high power YAG laser having the advantage of application for remote dismantling on thick metallic material is the stage for practical use, and narrow kerf can bring the reduction of secondary waste as well. The present paper describes the experimental results and discussion on the laser cutting, including the secondary waste characteristics and its filtration system using the YAG laser. This study has been performed on consignment to RANDEC from the Science and Technology Agency of Japan. (author)

Multiple Primary Merkel Cell Carcinomas Presenting as Pruritic, Painful Lower Leg Tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Blumenthal

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC is a rare and highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumor of the skin which almost exclusively presents as a solitary tumor. It is most often seen on sun-exposed regions, historically almost exclusively on the head and neck, with only rare case reports on the extremities. Although recent studies have shown increased incidence with up to 20% on the extremities, here we present one of these rare emerging presentations, with the addition of a unique treatment option. Our patient is an 80-year-old male with a 3-month history of multiple raised, rapidly enlarging tumors on the right ankle. Two separate biopsies were performed and demonstrated sheets and clusters of small blue cells filling the dermis with scant cytoplasm, dusty chromatin, and nuclear molding. Subsequent immunohistochemical stains confirmed the diagnosis of multiple primary MCC. Despite the characteristic immunohistochemical profile of primary MCC, the possibility of a metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma from an alternate primary site was entertained, given his unusual clinical presentation. A complete clinical workup including CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed no evidence of disease elsewhere. Instead of amputation, the patient opted for nonsurgical treatment with radiation therapy alone, resulting in a rapid and complete response. This case represents an unusual presentation of primary MCC and demonstrates further evidence that radiation as monotherapy is an effective local treatment option for inoperable MCC.

Characteristic of Rings. Prime Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schwarzweller Christoph

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The notion of the characteristic of rings and its basic properties are formalized [14], [39], [20]. Classification of prime fields in terms of isomorphisms with appropriate fields (ℚ or ℤ/p are presented. To facilitate reasonings within the field of rational numbers, values of numerators and denominators of basic operations over rationals are computed.

Research of nuclear fragmentation characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richert, J.

1989-01-01

Motivations for the study of nuclear fragmentation are presented. Different models and methods which were developed in the past are reviewed, critically discussed and confronted in connection with the experimental information gathered over the past years. Specific aspects related to the onset of the process, its characteristics and the mechanism which governs it are discussed [fr

Mechanical Characteristics of Some Deepwater Floater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Zhen-Zhe; Tarp-Johansen, Niels Jacob; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher

2006-01-01

This paper presents an initial study of the mechanical characteristics of some deepwater floater designs for offshore wind turbines. Three different concepts (NREL TLP, Dutch Trifloater, and Japanese SPAR) are summarized, based on data from the available studies. A 5 MW Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine...

Analysis of Simulated Output Characteristics of Gas Sensor Based on Graphene Nanoribbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Mahmoudi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This work presents simulated output characteristics of gas sensor transistors based on graphene nanoribbon (GNRFET. The device studied in this work is a new generation of gas sensing devices, which are easy to use, ultracompact, ultrasensitive, and highly selective. We will explain how the exposure to the gas changes the conductivity of graphene nanoribbon. The equations of the GNRFET gas sensor model include the Poisson equation in the weak nonlocality approximation with proposed sensing parameters. As we have developed this model as a platform for a gas detection sensor, we will analyze the current-voltage characteristics after exposure of the GNRFET nanosensor device to NH3 gas. A sensitivity of nearly 2.7% was indicated in our sensor device after exposure of 1 ppm of NH3. The given results make GNRFET the right candidate for use in gas sensing/measuring appliances. Thus, we will investigate the effect of the channel length on the ON- and OFF-current.

Present state and development of positron tomographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allemand, R.; Gariod, R.; Laval, M.; Tournier, F.

1979-01-01

This document presents the main characteristics of positron tomographs and analyses the relative importance of the parameters to be taken into consideration in the design of a tomograph: on the one hand, the physical parameters linked to the measurement of the annihilation photons by time coincidence and, on the other, the geometrical and technological parameters of prime importance in minimizing the many spurious effects. The last part endeavours to show this sort of instrumentation has evolved. Using the results obtained in our laboratory by mathematical simulation, the expected advantages are presented on the picture quality of the time of flight measurement of annihilation photons. Where the physical aspects of this method are concerned, the advantage of using cesium fluoride as scintillator is demonstrated [fr

Characteristics of high gradient insulators for accelerator and high power flow applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizondo, J.M.; Krogh, M.L.; Smith, D.

1997-07-01

The high gradient insulator has been demonstrated to operate at levels comparable or better than special geometry or coated insulators. Some patented insulator configurations allow for sophisticated accelerator structures, high power flow interfaces, and microwave applications not previously possible. Sophisticated manufacturing techniques available at AlliedSignal FM and T made this development possible. Bipolar and high power flow applications are specially suited for present insulator designs. The insulator shows a beneficial effect when used under RF fields or RF structures. These insulators can be designed, to a first approximation, from simple electron flight path equations. With a recently developed model of surface flashover physics the authors completed a set of design calculations that include effects such as layer density and dielectric/metal thickness. Experimental data, obtained in the last few years of development, is presented and reviewed. Several insulator fabrication characteristics, indicating critical design parameters, are also presented

Characteristics of Montessori educators in Slovenia

OpenAIRE

Uštević, Maja

2016-01-01

This diploma thesis presents the Montessori pedagogy with a focus on the characteristics of Montessori educators and Montessori education in Slovenia. It presents the development of the Montessori pedagogy and life of Maria Montessori, related to education and institutions which operate on the principle of Montessori pedagogy worldwide and in Slovenia. It describes the role of the Montessori educator, his/her duties and responsibilities in the process of education according to the Montessori ...

Different grades MEMS accelerometers error characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Pachwicewicz, M.; Weremczuk, J.

2017-08-01

The paper presents calibration effects of two different MEMS accelerometers of different price and quality grades and discusses different accelerometers errors types. The calibration for error determining is provided by reference centrifugal measurements. The design and measurement errors of the centrifuge are discussed as well. It is shown that error characteristics of the sensors are very different and it is not possible to use simple calibration methods presented in the literature in both cases.

Characteristics desired in clinical data warehouse for biomedical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Soo-Yong; Kim, Woo Sung; Lee, Jae-Ho

2014-04-01

Due to the unique characteristics of clinical data, clinical data warehouses (CDWs) have not been successful so far. Specifically, the use of CDWs for biomedical research has been relatively unsuccessful thus far. The characteristics necessary for the successful implementation and operation of a CDW for biomedical research have not clearly defined yet. THREE EXAMPLES OF CDWS WERE REVIEWED: a multipurpose CDW in a hospital, a CDW for independent multi-institutional research, and a CDW for research use in an institution. After reviewing the three CDW examples, we propose some key characteristics needed in a CDW for biomedical research. A CDW for research should include an honest broker system and an Institutional Review Board approval interface to comply with governmental regulations. It should also include a simple query interface, an anonymized data review tool, and a data extraction tool. Also, it should be a biomedical research platform for data repository use as well as data analysis. The proposed characteristics desired in a CDW may have limited transfer value to organizations in other countries. However, these analysis results are still valid in Korea, and we have developed clinical research data warehouse based on these desiderata.

Differences in clinical presentation between bipolar I and II disorders in the early stages of bipolar disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinberg, Maj; Mikkelsen, Rie Lambaek; Kirkegaard, Thomas

2017-01-01

Aim In a naturalistic clinical study of patients in the early stages of bipolar disorders the aim was to assess differences between patients with bipolar I (BD I) and bipolar II (BD II) disorders on clinical characteristics including affective symptoms, subjective cognitive complaints, functional...... level, the presence of comorbid personality disorders and coping strategies. Methods Diagnoses were confirmed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders. Clinical symptoms were rated with the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and functional status using...... Inventory for Stressful Situations. Results In total, 344 patients were included (BD I (n=163) and BD II (n=181). Patients with BD II presented with significantly more depressive symptoms, more cognitive complaints, lower overall functioning, and a higher prevalence of comorbid personality disorders...

Farm characteristics and management routines related to neonatal porcine diarrhoea: a survey among Swedish piglet producers

OpenAIRE

Larsson, Jenny; Fall, Nils; Lindberg, Maria; Jacobson, Magdalena

2016-01-01

Background In recent years reports from a number of countries, including Sweden, describe problems with diarrhoea in newborn piglets despite the use of previously effective preventive measures. This seemingly altered disease pattern of neonatal porcine diarrhoea (NPD) warrants investigations on the magnitude and manifestation of the problem. The aim of the present study was to investigate the herd-level prevalence of NPD in Sweden and to describe disease characteristics and intervention strat...

Presentation Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froejmark, M.

1992-10-01

The report presents a wide, easily understandable description of presentation technique and man-machine communication. General fundamentals for the man-machine interface are illustrated, and the factors that affect the interface are described. A model is presented for describing the operators work situation, based on three different levels in the operators behaviour. The operator reacts routinely in the face of simple, known problems, and reacts in accordance with predetermined plans in the face of more complex, recognizable problems. Deep fundamental knowledge is necessary for truly complex questions. Today's technical status and future development have been studied. In the future, the operator interface will be based on standard software. Functions such as zooming, integration of video pictures, and sound reproduction will become common. Video walls may be expected to come into use in situations in which several persons simultaneously need access to the same information. A summary of the fundamental rules for the design of good picture ergonomics and design requirements for control rooms are included in the report. In conclusion, the report describes a presentation technique within the Distribution Automation and Demand Side Management area and analyses the know-how requirements within Vattenfall. If different systems are integrated, such as geographical information systems and operation monitoring systems, strict demands are made on the expertise of the users for achieving a user-friendly technique which is matched to the needs of the human being. (3 figs.)

Non-neoplastic conditions presenting as soft-tissue tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crundwell, N.; O'Donnell, P.; Saifuddin, A.

2007-01-01

Review of referrals to our unit over the last 7 years showed that of approximately 750 cases referred as soft-tissue tumours, 132 were subsequently diagnosed as non-neoplastic lesions. The imaging characteristics of these lesions are presented to differentiate them from neoplasms. The most common diagnoses were myositis ossificans, ganglion cyst, abscess/infection, bursitis and synovitis. The imaging features of other rarer conditions will also be discussed

Non-neoplastic conditions presenting as soft-tissue tumours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crundwell, N. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex (United Kingdom); O' Donnell, P. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex (United Kingdom); Saifuddin, A. [Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: asif.saifuddin@rnoh.nhs.uk

2007-01-15

Review of referrals to our unit over the last 7 years showed that of approximately 750 cases referred as soft-tissue tumours, 132 were subsequently diagnosed as non-neoplastic lesions. The imaging characteristics of these lesions are presented to differentiate them from neoplasms. The most common diagnoses were myositis ossificans, ganglion cyst, abscess/infection, bursitis and synovitis. The imaging features of other rarer conditions will also be discussed.

Data breach locations, types, and associated characteristics among US hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabriel, Meghan Hufstader; Noblin, Alice; Rutherford, Ashley; Walden, Amanda; Cortelyou-Ward, Kendall

2018-02-01

The objectives of this study were to describe the locations in hospitals where data are breached, the types of breaches that occur most often at hospitals, and hospital characteristics, including health information technology (IT) sophistication and biometric security capabilities, that may be predicting factors of large data breaches that affect 500 or more patients. The Office of Civil Rights breach data from healthcare providers regarding breaches that affected 500 or more individuals from 2009 to 2016 were linked with hospital characteristics from the Health Information Management Systems Society and the American Hospital Association Health IT Supplement databases. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospitals with and without breaches, data breach type, and location/mode of data breaches in hospitals. Multivariate logistic regression analysis explored hospital characteristics that were predicting factors of a data breach affecting at least 500 patients, including area characteristics, region, health system membership, size, type, biometric security use, health IT sophistication, and ownership. Of all types of healthcare providers, hospitals accounted for approximately one-third of all data breaches and hospital breaches affected the largest number of individuals. Paper and films were the most frequent location of breached data, occurring in 65 hospitals during the study period, whereas network servers were the least common location but their breaches affected the most patients overall. Adjusted multivariate results showed significant associations among data breach occurrences and some hospital characteristics, including type and size, but not others, including health IT sophistication or biometric use for security. Hospitals should conduct routine audits to allow them to see their vulnerabilities before a breach occurs. Additionally, information security systems should be implemented concurrently with health information technologies. Improving

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Required characteristics of the reference biosphere. 63... Standards § 63.305 Required characteristics of the reference biosphere. (a) Features, events, and processes that describe the reference biosphere must be consistent with present knowledge of the conditions in...

The Impact of Job Characteristics on Burnout Among Chinese Correctional Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xiaohong; Sun, Ivan Y; Jiang, Shanhe; Wang, Yongchun; Wen, Shufang

2018-02-01

Job burnout has long been recognized as a common occupational hazard among correctional workers. Although past studies have investigated the effects of job-related characteristics on correctional staff burnout in Western societies, this line of research has largely been absent from the literature on community corrections in China. Using data collected from 225 community correction workers in a Chinese province, this study assessed the effects of positive and negative job characteristics on occupational burnout. Positive job characteristics included job autonomy, procedural justice, and role clarity. Negative characteristics included role conflict, job stress, and job dangerousness. As expected, role clarity tended to reduce burnout, whereas role conflict, job stress, and job dangerousness were likely to produce greater burnout among Chinese community correction workers. Male correctional officers were also subjected to a higher level of burnout than their female coworkers. Implications for future research and policy were discussed.

The physical characteristics of the French MRE zones. Focus on the tidal turbine sites. PP presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jambu, Emilie; Laporte, Patrice; Garlan, Thierry; Le Boulluec, Marc; Germain, Gregory; Michel, Sylvain; Belan, Pierre-Yves

2014-04-01

This document gathers Power Point presentations which were contributions to a workshop on French sites of marine renewable energies (MRE). A first one presents the production potential of tidal energy sites in Basse-Normandie, and how favourable areas are defined. The second one reports works performed by the SHOM to characterize the physical marine environment of French MRE sites (SHOM missions, objectives, knowledge on tidal currents, 3D current models, location of current meters offshore Cotentin and the Iroise Sea). The next contribution discusses the relationship between MREs and sedimentology in the case of different offshore wind farms and tidal energy sites. A contribution addresses modelling based on the HOMERE database (Hydrodynamics Ocean-Meteorology and Marine Renewable Energies). The next one presents programmes undertaken by the French Agency of Protected Marine Areas for a better knowledge of the natural patrimony of MRE sites. The last contribution presents the CEREMA, the development of a geographical information system to plan MRE sites, and information activities

Exploring the Technological Collaboration Characteristics of the Global Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available With the intensification of international competition, there are many international technological collaborations in the integrated circuit manufacturing (ICM industry. The importance of improving the level of international technological collaboration is becoming more and more prominent. Therefore, it is vital for a country, a region, or an institution to understand the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry and, thus, to know how to enhance its own international technological collaboration. This paper depicts the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry based on patent analysis. Four aspects, which include collaboration patterns, collaboration networks, collaboration institutions, and collaboration impacts, are analyzed by utilizing patent association analysis and social network analysis. The findings include the following: first, in regard to international technological collaboration, the USA has the highest level, while Germany has great potential for future development; second, Asia and Europe have already formed clusters, respectively, in the cooperative network; last, but not least, research institutions, colleges, and universities should also actively participate in international collaboration. In general, this study provides an objective reference for policy making, competitiveness, and sustainability in the ICM industry. The framework presented in this paper could be applied to examine other industrial international technological collaborations.

Anisotropic Characteristics of Turbulence Dissipation in Swirling Flow: A Direct Numerical Simulation Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingtuan Yang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the anisotropic characteristics of turbulent energy dissipation rate in a rotating jet flow via direct numerical simulation. The turbulent energy dissipation tensor, including its eigenvalues in the swirling flows with different rotating velocities, is analyzed to investigate the anisotropic characteristics of turbulence and dissipation. In addition, the probability density function of the eigenvalues of turbulence dissipation tensor is presented. The isotropic subrange of PDF always exists in swirling flows relevant to small-scale vortex structure. Thus, with remarkable large-scale vortex breakdown, the isotropic subrange of PDF is reduced in strongly swirling flows, and anisotropic energy dissipation is proven to exist in the core region of the vortex breakdown. More specifically, strong anisotropic turbulence dissipation occurs concentratively in the vortex breakdown region, whereas nearly isotropic turbulence dissipation occurs dispersively in the peripheral region of the strong swirling flows.

Reading Time Allocation Strategies and Working Memory Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

Science.gov (United States)

Busler, Jessica N.; Lazarte, Alejandro A.

2017-01-01

Rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) is a useful method for controlling the timing of text presentations and studying how readers' characteristics, such as working memory (WM) and reading strategies for time allocation, influence text recall. In the current study, a modified version of RSVP (Moving Window RSVP [MW-RSVP]) was used to induce…

Rectangular drift tube characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denisov, D.S.; Musienko, Yu.V.

1985-01-01

Results on the study of the characteristics of a 50 x 100 mm aluminium drift tube are presented. The tube was filled with argon-methane and argon-isobutane mixtures. With 16 per cent methane concentration the largest deviation from a linear relation between the drift time and the drift path over 50 mm is less than 2 mm. The tube filled with argon-isobutane mixture is capable of operating in a limited streamer mode

Imaging characteristics of lipofibromatosis presenting as a shoulder mass in a 16-month-old girl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, James R.; Donaldson, Matthew M.; Mazuru, Dana G.; Green, Brian A.

2010-01-01

Lipofibromatosis is a rare, benign fibrofatty tumor of childhood. Since the tumor was first characterized in 2000, only a few additional cases have been reported. The classic presentation of lipofibromatosis is a slow-growing mass arising in a distal extremity, with boys more commonly affected than girls. We report a 16-month-old girl who presented with a lipofibromatosis in her left scapular region that increased 30% in size during a 6-week period. Although previous case reports of lipofibromatosis have emphasized immunohistological findings, this paper focuses on imaging findings and discusses the utility of imaging in the differential diagnosis of pediatric soft-tissue tumors. (orig.)

Imaging characteristics of lipofibromatosis presenting as a shoulder mass in a 16-month-old girl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walton, James R.; Donaldson, Matthew M.; Mazuru, Dana G. [University of Missouri School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Columbia, MO (United States); Green, Brian A. [University of Missouri School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Columbia, MO (United States); Memphis Radiological, PC, Memphis, TN (United States)

2010-12-15

Lipofibromatosis is a rare, benign fibrofatty tumor of childhood. Since the tumor was first characterized in 2000, only a few additional cases have been reported. The classic presentation of lipofibromatosis is a slow-growing mass arising in a distal extremity, with boys more commonly affected than girls. We report a 16-month-old girl who presented with a lipofibromatosis in her left scapular region that increased 30% in size during a 6-week period. Although previous case reports of lipofibromatosis have emphasized immunohistological findings, this paper focuses on imaging findings and discusses the utility of imaging in the differential diagnosis of pediatric soft-tissue tumors. (orig.)

Automatic Detection and Visualization of Qualitative Hemodynamic Characteristics in Cerebral Aneurysms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasteiger, R; Lehmann, D J; van Pelt, R; Janiga, G; Beuing, O; Vilanova, A; Theisel, H; Preim, B

2012-12-01

Cerebral aneurysms are a pathological vessel dilatation that bear a high risk of rupture. For the understanding and evaluation of the risk of rupture, the analysis of hemodynamic information plays an important role. Besides quantitative hemodynamic information, also qualitative flow characteristics, e.g., the inflow jet and impingement zone are correlated with the risk of rupture. However, the assessment of these two characteristics is currently based on an interactive visual investigation of the flow field, obtained by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or blood flow measurements. We present an automatic and robust detection as well as an expressive visualization of these characteristics. The detection can be used to support a comparison, e.g., of simulation results reflecting different treatment options. Our approach utilizes local streamline properties to formalize the inflow jet and impingement zone. We extract a characteristic seeding curve on the ostium, on which an inflow jet boundary contour is constructed. Based on this boundary contour we identify the impingement zone. Furthermore, we present several visualization techniques to depict both characteristics expressively. Thereby, we consider accuracy and robustness of the extracted characteristics, minimal visual clutter and occlusions. An evaluation with six domain experts confirms that our approach detects both hemodynamic characteristics reasonably.

Who presents past the gestational age limit for first trimester abortion in the public sector in Mexico City?

Science.gov (United States)

Saavedra-Avendano, Biani; Schiavon, Raffaela; Sanhueza, Patricio; Rios-Polanco, Ranulfo; Garcia-Martinez, Laura; Darney, Blair G.

2018-01-01

Objective To identify socio-demographic factors associated with presenting for abortion services past the gestational age (GA) limit (12 weeks), and thus not receiving services, in Mexico City’s public sector first trimester abortion program. Methods We used clinical data from four high volume sites in the Interrupción Legal de Embarazo (ILE) program, 2007–2015. We used descriptive statistics to quantify the proportion of women who did not receive an abortion due to presenting past the gestational age limit. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify associations between women’s characteristics and presenting past the GA limit and calculated predicted probabilities of late presentation for key characteristics. Results Our sample included 52,391 women, 8.10% (n = 4,246) of whom did not receive abortion services due to presenting past the GA limit. Adolescents (12–17) made up 8.69% of the total sample and 13.40% of those presenting past the GA limit (p = 40 years’ old respectively). Women living in Mexico City and with higher levels of education had lower odds of presenting past the GA limit, and there was an educational gradient across all age groups. In the multivariable predicted probability models, adolescents at every level of education have significantly higher probabilities of not receiving an abortion due to presenting past the gestational age limit compared with adults (among women with a primary education: 11.75% adolescents vs. 9.02–4.26% across adult age groups). Conclusions Our results suggest that continued efforts are needed to educate women, especially younger and less educated women, about early pregnancy recognition. In addition, all women need information about the availability of first trimester legal abortion to ensure timely access to abortion services. PMID:29414987

Who presents past the gestational age limit for first trimester abortion in the public sector in Mexico City?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Biani Saavedra-Avendano

Full Text Available To identify socio-demographic factors associated with presenting for abortion services past the gestational age (GA limit (12 weeks, and thus not receiving services, in Mexico City's public sector first trimester abortion program.We used clinical data from four high volume sites in the Interrupción Legal de Embarazo (ILE program, 2007-2015. We used descriptive statistics to quantify the proportion of women who did not receive an abortion due to presenting past the gestational age limit. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify associations between women's characteristics and presenting past the GA limit and calculated predicted probabilities of late presentation for key characteristics.Our sample included 52,391 women, 8.10% (n = 4,246 of whom did not receive abortion services due to presenting past the GA limit. Adolescents (12-17 made up 8.69% of the total sample and 13.40% of those presenting past the GA limit (p = 40 years' old respectively. Women living in Mexico City and with higher levels of education had lower odds of presenting past the GA limit, and there was an educational gradient across all age groups. In the multivariable predicted probability models, adolescents at every level of education have significantly higher probabilities of not receiving an abortion due to presenting past the gestational age limit compared with adults (among women with a primary education: 11.75% adolescents vs. 9.02-4.26% across adult age groups.Our results suggest that continued efforts are needed to educate women, especially younger and less educated women, about early pregnancy recognition. In addition, all women need information about the availability of first trimester legal abortion to ensure timely access to abortion services.

Modeling and experiments on the drive characteristics of high-strength water hydraulic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zengmeng; Hou, Jiaoyi; Ning, Dayong; Gong, Xiaofeng; Gong, Yongjun

2017-05-01

Fluidic artificial muscles are popular in robotics and function as biomimetic actuators. Their pneumatic version has been widely investigated. A novel water hydraulic artificial muscle (WHAM) with high strength is developed in this study. WHAMs can be applied to underwater manipulators widely used in ocean development because of their environment-friendly characteristics, high force-to-weight ratio, and good bio-imitability. Therefore, the strength of WHAMs has been improved to fit the requirements of underwater environments and the work pressure of water hydraulic components. However, understanding the mechanical behaviors of WHAMs is necessary because WHAMs use work media and pressure control that are different from those used by pneumatic artificial muscles. This paper presents the static and dynamic characteristics of the WHAM system, including the water hydraulic pressure control circuit. A test system is designed and built to analyze the drive characteristics of the developed WHAM. The theoretical relationships among the amount of contraction, pressure, and output drawing force of the WHAM are tested and verified. A linearized transfer function is proposed, and the dynamic characteristics of the WHAM are investigated through simulation and inertia load experiments. Simulation results agree with the experimental results and show that the proposed model can be applied to the control of WHAM actuators.

Characteristics of a nationwide cohort of patients presenting with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH).

Science.gov (United States)

Bonomi, Marco; Vezzoli, Valeria; Krausz, Csilla; Guizzardi, Fabiana; Vezzani, Silvia; Simoni, Manuela; Bassi, Ivan; Duminuco, Paolo; Di Iorgi, Natascia; Giavoli, Claudia; Pizzocaro, Alessandro; Russo, Gianni; Moro, Mirella; Fatti, Letizia; Ferlin, Alberto; Mazzanti, Laura; Zatelli, Maria Chiara; Cannavò, Salvo; Isidori, Andrea M; Pincelli, Angela Ida; Prodam, Flavia; Mancini, Antonio; Limone, Paolo; Tanda, Maria Laura; Gaudino, Rossella; Salerno, Mariacarolina; Francesca, Pregnolato; Maghnie, Mohamad; Maggi, Mario; Persani, Luca

2018-01-01

Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is a rare disorder with pubertal delay, normal (normoosmic-IHH, nIHH) or defective sense of smell (Kallmann syndrome, KS). Other reproductive and non-reproductive anomalies might be present although information on their frequency are scanty, particularly according to the age of presentation. Observational cohort study carried out between January 2008 and June 2016 within a national network of academic or general hospitals. We performed a detailed phenotyping of 503 IHH patients with: (1) manifestations of hypogonadism with low sex steroid hormone and low/normal gonadotropins; (2) absence of expansive hypothalamic/pituitary lesions or multiple pituitary hormone defects. Cohort was divided on IHH onset (PPO, pre-pubertal onset or AO, adult onset) and olfactory function: PPO-nIHH ( n  = 275), KS ( n  = 184), AO-nIHH ( n  = 36) and AO-doIHH (AO-IHH with defective olfaction, n  = 8). 90% of patients were classified as PPO and 10% as AO. Typical midline and olfactory defects, bimanual synkinesis and familiarity for pubertal delay were also found among the AO-IHH. Mean age at diagnosis was significantly earlier and more frequently associated with congenital hypogonadism stigmata in patients with Kallmann's syndrome (KS). Synkinesis, renal and male genital tract anomalies were enriched in KS. Overweight/obesity are significantly associated with AO-IHH rather than PPO-IHH. Patients with KS are more prone to develop a severe and complex phenotype than nIHH. The presence of typical extra-gonadal defects and familiarity for PPO-IHH among the AO-IHH patients indicates a common predisposition with variable clinical expression. Overall, these findings improve the understanding of IHH and may have a positive impact on the management of patients and their families. © 2018 European Society of Endocrinology.

Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia presenting as atrophic rhinitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barman, Debasis; Mandal, Satadal; Nandi, Santanu; Banerjee, Pranabashish; Rashid, M A

2011-11-01

Ectodermal dysplasia is a complex group of familial disorders with numerous clinical characteristics, with an incidence of 7 in 10000 born alive children. Ectodermal dysplasia affects structures of ectodermal origin like the skin and its appendages as well as other non-ectodermal structures. The most common sites of involvement are the defects in the skin, hair, teeth, nails and sweat glands,which are of ectodermal origin. Though the dermatologists and paediatricians often manage such cases, we report one case of ectodermal dysplasia presenting with atrophic rhinitis.

Characteristics of Patients Accepting and Declining Participation in a Transition of Care Service Provided by a Community Pharmacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julianne M Kowalski, PharmD

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To identify characteristics of patients who accepted or declined an appointment for a transition of care service provided by an independent community pharmacist and identify the most common reasons patients declined the service. Methods: A transition of care service was offered by a community pharmacy to patients discharged to home from the cardiac unit of a local hospital. The community pharmacist approached patients prior to discharge for recruitment into the service. Outcomes included service acceptance rate, LACE score at discharge, readmission risk category, age, gender, geographic home location, and reason for refusing the service. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to compare characteristics between those who accepted or declined the service. Reasons for decline were assessed using content analysis. Results: Of the 87 patients that were included in the analysis, 21 patients received the transitions of care service (24.1%. None of the characteristics were found to be statistically significant between patients who received or declined the service. Patients at a moderate risk for readmission seemed more likely to accept the pharmacist-run appointment than those at high risk (27.9% vs 15.3%; P = 0.29. Of the 66 patients who declined, 51 gave a reason (77.3%. Thirty-nine patients saw no benefit (76.5%, five patients had perceived barriers (10%, and seven patients gave reasons that fell into both categories (13.5%. Conclusions: This evaluation did not find a statistically significant difference in characteristics between those patients who accepted or declined participation in a pharmacist-run transition of care service. Patients may be less likely to accept pharmacist-run transition of care appointments primarily due to no perceived benefits. To increase participation, we need to understand the patient’s health beliefs, educate patients on pharmacy services, and implement changes to recruit potential

The Virtual Poster Showcase: Opportunities for students to present their research from anywhere

Science.gov (United States)

Asher, P. M.; Furukawa, H.; Williams, B. M.; Holm Adamec, B.

2015-12-01

Although many students conduct research with faculty in organized summer programs or as part of their course work or their degree work, they often face barriers to traveling to present that research, especially at national or international conferences. This is especially true for students who are members of underrepresented minority populations and students studying outside of the United States. A new and exciting opportunity for undergraduate as well as graduate students to showcase their work is now available. AGU piloted three opportunities for an undergraduate and graduate virtual poster showcase in the fall of 2015. Student participants were recruited from a diverse array of groups including minority-serving organizations, two-year colleges, and internship programs at federal agencies and national laboratories. Students uploaded an abstract, poster, and short video explain their research, and then participated in Q&A sessions with peers as well as expert judges. This presentation will share characteristics of participating groups, lessons learned from this new program, and preliminary evaluation findings as well as plans for the future.

Excess of non-verbal cases of autism spectrum disorders presenting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives. Characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in Africa are not known because of unavailability of large-scale epidemiological studies in this region. This review explored the age at first presentation to orthodox clinical practice of African children with ASDs and their expressive language ability ...

Chikungunya: an emerging viral infection with varied clinical presentations in Bangladesh: Reports of seven cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, Muhammad Abdur; Uddin, Khwaja Nazim

2017-08-15

Chikungunya is an emerging and rapidly spreading viral infection in many parts of the world including Bangladesh. It shares many epidemiological and clinical characteristics with dengue. So, a sound knowledge is required for its detection and differentiation from dengue, specially in endemic regions. We present seven confirmed cases of chikungunya having different clinical presentations occurring among middle aged males and females from different socio-economic background in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh. All patients had fever and aches and pains. Less common features were rash, diarrhea, vomiting and altered liver biochemistry. Dengue was excluded in six patients. Paracetamol remained the mainstay of treatment during febrile periods, but over 50% of the patients had prolonged joint symptoms requiring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In spite of being a self-limiting disease, chikungunya may have different presentations and a protracted clinical course. During the febrile episode, exclusion of dengue is equally important. Physicians should be aware of the condition and public health initiatives are necessary to break the disease transmission.

The influence of maternal psychosocial characteristics on infant feeding styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Katherine J; Thompson, Amanda L; Bentley, Margaret E

2016-08-01

Maternal feeding styles in infancy and early childhood are associated with children's later risk for overweight and obesity. Maternal psychosocial factors that influence feeding styles during the complementary feeding period, the time during which infants transition from a milk-based diet to one that includes solid foods and other non-milk products, have received less attention. The present study explores how maternal psychosocial factors-specifically self-esteem, parenting self-efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and depression symptoms-influence mothers' infant feeding styles at nine months of age, a time during which solid foods eating habits are being established. Participants included 160 low-income, African-American mother-infant pairs in central North Carolina who were enrolled in the Infant Care and Risk of Obesity Study. Regression models tested for associations between maternal psychosocial characteristics and pressuring and restrictive feeding styles. Models were first adjusted for maternal age, education, marital status and obesity status. To account for infant characteristics, models were then adjusted for infant weight-for-length, distress to limitations and activity level scores. Maternal self-esteem was negatively associated with pressuring to soothe. Maternal parenting self-efficacy was positively associated with restriction-diet quality. Maternal parenting satisfaction and depression symptoms were not associated with feeding styles in the final models. Focusing on strengthening maternal self-esteem and parenting self-efficacy may help to prevent the development of less desirable infant feeding styles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of the Capable Teacher from the Viewpoint of the Students at Faculty of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)