Novel molecular diagnostic tools for malaria elimination: a review of options from the point of view of high-throughput and applicability in resource limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Britton, Sumudu; Cheng, Qin; McCarthy, James S

2016-02-16

As malaria transmission continues to decrease, an increasing number of countries will enter pre-elimination and elimination. To interrupt transmission, changes in control strategies are likely to require more accurate identification of all carriers of Plasmodium parasites, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, using diagnostic tools that are highly sensitive, high throughput and with fast turnaround times preferably performed in local health service settings. Currently available immunochromatographic lateral flow rapid diagnostic tests and field microscopy are unlikely to consistently detect infections at parasite densities less than 100 parasites/µL making them insufficiently sensitive for detecting all carriers. Molecular diagnostic platforms, such as PCR and LAMP, are currently available in reference laboratories, but at a cost both financially and in turnaround time. This review describes the recent progress in developing molecular diagnostic tools in terms of their capacity for high throughput and potential for performance in non-reference laboratories for malaria elimination.

Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX). Selected data sets

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Lola M.; Warnock, Archibald, III

1992-01-01

This CD-ROM contains selected data sets compiled by the participants of the Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX) workshop on atmospheric temperature. The data sets include surface, upper air, and/or satellite-derived measurements of temperature, solar irradiance, clouds, greenhouse gases, fluxes, albedo, aerosols, ozone, and water vapor, along with Southern Oscillation Indices and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation statistics.

BRANCHIAL ELIMINATION OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BY RAINBOW TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS)

Science.gov (United States)

The branchial elimination of pentachloroethane and four congeneric polychlorinated bephenyls by rainbow trout was measured using a fish respirometer-metabolism chamber and an adsorption resin column. Branchial elimination was characterized by calculating a set of apparent in vivo...

Information filtering based on corrected redundancy-eliminating mass diffusion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuzhen Zhu

Full Text Available Methods used in information filtering and recommendation often rely on quantifying the similarity between objects or users. The used similarity metrics often suffer from similarity redundancies arising from correlations between objects' attributes. Based on an unweighted undirected object-user bipartite network, we propose a Corrected Redundancy-Eliminating similarity index (CRE which is based on a spreading process on the network. Extensive experiments on three benchmark data sets-Movilens, Netflix and Amazon-show that when used in recommendation, the CRE yields significant improvements in terms of recommendation accuracy and diversity. A detailed analysis is presented to unveil the origins of the observed differences between the CRE and mainstream similarity indices.

Progress Toward Regional Measles Elimination - Worldwide, 2000-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbagh, Alya; Patel, Minal K; Dumolard, Laure; Gacic-Dobo, Marta; Mulders, Mick N; Okwo-Bele, Jean-Marie; Kretsinger, Katrina; Papania, Mark J; Rota, Paul A; Goodson, James L

2017-10-27

The fourth United Nations Millennium Development Goal, adopted in 2000, set a target to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015. One indicator of progress toward this target was measles vaccination coverage (1). In 2010, the World Health Assembly (WHA) set three milestones for measles control by 2015: 1) increase routine coverage with the first dose of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) among children aged 1 year to ≥90% at the national level and to ≥80% in every district; 2) reduce global annual measles incidence to measles mortality by 95% from the 2000 estimate (2).* In 2012, WHA endorsed the Global Vaccine Action Plan, † with the objective of eliminating measles in four World Health Organization (WHO) regions by 2015 and in five regions by 2020. Countries in all six WHO regions have adopted goals for measles elimination by or before 2020. Measles elimination is defined as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission in a region or other defined geographic area for ≥12 months, in the presence of a high quality surveillance system that meets targets of key performance indicators. This report updates a previous report (3) and describes progress toward global measles control milestones and regional measles elimination goals during 2000-2016. During this period, annual reported measles incidence decreased 87%, from 145 to 19 cases per million persons, and annual estimated measles deaths decreased 84%, from 550,100 to 89,780; measles vaccination prevented an estimated 20.4 million deaths. However, the 2015 milestones have not yet been met; only one WHO region has been verified as having eliminated measles. Improved implementation of elimination strategies by countries and their partners is needed, with focus on increasing vaccination coverage through substantial and sustained additional investments in health systems, strengthening surveillance systems, using surveillance data to drive programmatic actions, securing political commitment, and raising

Malaria training for community health workers in the setting of elimination: a qualitative study from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Guangyu; Liu, Yaobao; Wang, Jinsong; Li, Xiangming; Liu, Xing; Beiersmann, Claudia; Feng, Yu; Cao, Jun; Müller, Olaf

2018-02-23

Continuous training of health workers is a key intervention to maintain their good performance and keep their vigilance during malaria elimination programmes. However, countries progressing toward malaria elimination have a largely decreased malaria disease burden, less frequent exposure of health workers to malaria patients, and new challenges in the epidemiology of the remaining malaria cases. Moreover, competing health priorities and usually a decline in resources and in political commitment also pose challenges to the elimination programme. As a consequence, the acceptability, sustainability, and impact of malaria training and education programmes face challenges. However, little is known of the perceptions and expectations of malaria training and education programmes of health workers being engaged in countries with malaria elimination programmes. This qualitative study provides information on perceptions and expectations of health workers of malaria training programmes from China, which aims to malaria elimination by the year 2020. This study was embedded into a larger study on the challenges and lessons learned during the malaria surveillance strategy in China, involving 42 interviews with malaria experts, health staff, laboratory practitioners, and village doctors at the provincial, city, county, township, and village levels from Gansu province (northwestern China) and Jiangsu province (southeastern China). In the context of an increasing number of imported malaria cases in China, the majority of respondents emphasized the necessity and importance of such programmes and complained about a decreasing frequency of training courses. Moreover, they called for innovative strategies to improve the implementation and sustainability of the malaria training programmes until the elimination goal has been achieved. Perceptions and expectations of health workers from different health centres were quite different. Health workers from higher-level facilities were more

Strategy for elimination of iodine deficiency in Belarus: evaluation of 10 years experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V I Kachan

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Article presents results of implementation of successful program of elimination of iodine deficiency in Belarus. Government decree (2001 requires mandatory use of iodized salt in food industry and public catering. While retail trade of non-iodized salt is not prohibited, all foods shops must have iodized salt on sale. All these measures resulted in increase of iodized salt consumption: 94% of house-holds in Belarus were using iodized salt. Iodine nutrition of population also sig-nificantly improved: median urinary iodine levels in general population (school-children reached 169 mcg/l and in pregnant women – 224 mcg/l. Endemic goiter morbidity decreased significantly in children, adolescents and adults as well as frequency of transitory thyroid dysfunctions in newborns. Belarus experience in prevention of iodine deficiency can be used by other industrialized countries of Europe and rest of the world.

The role of experience curves for setting MEPS for appliances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siderius, Hans-Paul

2013-01-01

Minimum efficiency performance standards (MEPS) are an important policy instrument to raise the efficiency of products. In most schemes the concept of life cycle costs (LCC) is used to guide setting the MEPS levels. Although a large body of literature shows that product cost is decreasing with increasing cumulative production, the experience curve, this is currently not used for setting MEPS. This article shows how to integrate the concept of the experience curve into LCC calculations for setting MEPS in the European Union and applies this to household laundry driers, refrigerator-freezers and televisions. The results indicate that for driers and refrigerator-freezers at least twice the energy savings compared to the current approach can be achieved. These products also show that energy label classes can successfully be used for setting MEPS. For televisions an experience curve is provided, showing a learning rate of 29%. However, television prices do not show a relation with energy efficiency but are to a large extent determined by the time the product is placed on the market. This suggests to policy makers that for televisions and other products with a short (re)design and market cycle timing is more important than the MEPS levels itself. - Highlights: • We integrate experience curves into life cycle cost calculations for MEPS. • For driers and refrigerators this results in at least twice the energy savings. • For flat panel televisions an experience curve is provided

How To Eliminate Narcissism Overnight

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition appears likely to eliminate the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. There are significant problems with the discriminant validity of the current narcissistic personality disorder critiera set; furthermore, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition's narrow focus on “grandiosity” probably contributes to the wide disparity between low narcissistic personality disorder prevalence rates in epidemiological studies and high rates of narcissistic personality disorder in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the best course of action may be to refine the narcissistic personality disorder criteria, followed by careful field testing and a search for biomarkers, rather than wholesale elimination of the narcissistic personality disorder category. The construct of “malignant narcissism” is also worthy of more intense empirical investigation. PMID:21468294

A large proportion of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections with low and sub-microscopic parasite densities in the low transmission setting of Temotu Province, Solomon Islands: challenges for malaria diagnostics in an elimination setting

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Harris Ivor

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many countries are scaling up malaria interventions towards elimination. This transition changes demands on malaria diagnostics from diagnosing ill patients to detecting parasites in all carriers including asymptomatic infections and infections with low parasite densities. Detection methods suitable to local malaria epidemiology must be selected prior to transitioning a malaria control programme to elimination. A baseline malaria survey conducted in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands in late 2008, as the first step in a provincial malaria elimination programme, provided malaria epidemiology data and an opportunity to assess how well different diagnostic methods performed in this setting. Methods During the survey, 9,491 blood samples were collected and examined by microscopy for Plasmodium species and density, with a subset also examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs. The performances of these diagnostic methods were compared. Results A total of 256 samples were positive by microscopy, giving a point prevalence of 2.7%. The species distribution was 17.5% Plasmodium falciparum and 82.4% Plasmodium vivax. In this low transmission setting, only 17.8% of the P. falciparum and 2.9% of P. vivax infected subjects were febrile (≥38°C at the time of the survey. A significant proportion of infections detected by microscopy, 40% and 65.6% for P. falciparum and P. vivax respectively, had parasite density below 100/μL. There was an age correlation for the proportion of parasite density below 100/μL for P. vivax infections, but not for P. falciparum infections. PCR detected substantially more infections than microscopy (point prevalence of 8.71%, indicating a large number of subjects had sub-microscopic parasitemia. The concordance between PCR and microscopy in detecting single species was greater for P. vivax (135/162 compared to P. falciparum (36/118. The malaria RDT detected the 12 microscopy and

Visceral Leishmaniasis : Potential for Control and Elimination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.A. le Rutte (Epke)

2018-01-01

markdownabstractOver the past years there has been a steep increase in awareness of visceral leishmaniasis (VL); many large-scale interventions are being implemented and targets for control and elimination have been set. In this thesis the potential of reaching these targets will be explored. To

An Experiment of Ocular Artifacts Elimination from EEG Signals using ICA and PCA Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arjon Turnip

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In the modern world of automation, biological signals, especially Electroencephalogram (EEG is gaining wide attention as a source of biometric information. Eye-blinks and movement of the eyeballs produce electrical signals (contaminate the EEG signals that are collectively known as ocular artifacts. These noise signals are required to be separated from the EEG signals to obtain the accurate results. This paper reports an experiment of ocular artifacts elimination from EEG signal using blind source separation algorithm based on independent component analysis and principal component analysis. EEG signals are recorded on three conditions, which are normal conditions, closed eyes, and blinked eyes. After processing, the dominant frequency of EEG signals in the range of 12-14 Hz either on normal, closed, and blinked eyes conditions is obtained. 

Attacking the mosquito on multiple fronts: Insights from the Vector Control Optimization Model (VCOM for malaria elimination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samson S Kiware

Full Text Available Despite great achievements by insecticide-treated nets (ITNs and indoor residual spraying (IRS in reducing malaria transmission, it is unlikely these tools will be sufficient to eliminate malaria transmission on their own in many settings today. Fortunately, field experiments indicate that there are many promising vector control interventions that can be used to complement ITNs and/or IRS by targeting a wide range of biological and environmental mosquito resources. The majority of these experiments were performed to test a single vector control intervention in isolation; however, there is growing evidence and consensus that effective vector control with the goal of malaria elimination will require a combination of interventions.We have developed a model of mosquito population dynamic to describe the mosquito life and feeding cycles and to optimize the impact of vector control intervention combinations at suppressing mosquito populations. The model simulations were performed for the main three malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa, Anopheles gambiae s.s, An. arabiensis and An. funestus. We considered areas having low, moderate and high malaria transmission, corresponding to entomological inoculation rates of 10, 50 and 100 infective bites per person per year, respectively. In all settings, we considered baseline ITN coverage of 50% or 80% in addition to a range of other vector control tools to interrupt malaria transmission. The model was used to sweep through parameters space to select the best optimal intervention packages. Sample model simulations indicate that, starting with ITNs at a coverage of 50% (An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus or 80% (An. arabiensis and adding interventions that do not require human participation (e.g. larviciding at 80% coverage, endectocide treated cattle at 50% coverage and attractive toxic sugar baits at 50% coverage may be sufficient to suppress all the three species to an extent required to achieve local malaria

Which structural rules admit cut elimination? An algebraic criterion

OpenAIRE

Terui, Kazushige

2007-01-01

Consider a general class of structural inference rules such as exchange, weakening, contraction and their generalizations. Among them, some are harmless but others do harm to cut elimination. Hence it is natural to ask under which condition cut elimination is preserved when a set of structural rules is added to a structure-free logic. The aim of this work is to give such a condition by using algebraic semantics. ¶ We consider full Lambek calculus (FL), i.e., intuitioni...

Enhancing signal detection and completely eliminating scattering using quasi-phase-cycling in 2D IR experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloem, Robbert; Garrett-Roe, Sean; Strzalka, Halina; Hamm, Peter; Donaldson, Paul

2010-12-20

We demonstrate how quasi-phase-cycling achieved by sub-cycle delay modulation can be used to replace optical chopping in a box-CARS 2D IR experiment in order to enhance the signal size, and, at the same time, completely eliminate any scattering contamination. Two optical devices are described that can be used for this purpose, a wobbling Brewster window and a photoelastic modulator. They are simple to construct, easy to incorporate into any existing 2D IR setup, and have attractive features such as a high optical throughput and a fast modulation frequency needed to phase cycle on a shot-to-shot basis.

Noise elimination algorithm for modal analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao, X. X., E-mail: baoxingxian@upc.edu.cn [Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Li, C. L. [Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071 (China); Xiong, C. B. [The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061 (China)

2015-07-27

Modal analysis is an ongoing interdisciplinary physical issue. Modal parameters estimation is applied to determine the dynamic characteristics of structures under vibration excitation. Modal analysis is more challenging for the measured vibration response signals are contaminated with noise. This study develops a mathematical algorithm of structured low rank approximation combined with the complex exponential method to estimate the modal parameters. Physical experiments using a steel cantilever beam with ten accelerometers mounted, excited by an impulse load, demonstrate that this method can significantly eliminate noise from measured signals and accurately identify the modal frequencies and damping ratios. This study provides a fundamental mechanism of noise elimination using structured low rank approximation in physical fields.

Elimination of copper in tissues and organs of rainbow trout

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaye Dogan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Copper (Cu elimination was investigated in the tissue and organs of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792, after Cu-free diets exposure. In the current study, fish were fed to satiation on diets containing 0.022 (Group 1; Control, 0.043 (Group 2, 0.123 (Group 3, 0.424 (Group 4 g Cu*kg-1 diet for 60 days before elimination experiment. A total of 288 fish (mean weight 84.28±1.05 g were randomly transferred to 12 fibreglass tanks. The fish were fed the Cu-free diet twice daily, until apparent satiation, during 60 days. Subsequently, the experiment was established for a period of elimination, during which samples were taken at days 15, 30, 45 and 60. Cu concentration in the muscle, gill tissue, digestive system, liver and whole body of fish were determined after 60 days depuration. Cu concentrations in tissues of rainbow trout decreased during depuration period, and the order of Cu elimination in tissue and organs of rainbow trout was: digestive system (73.1 %, then gill (41.1 %, muscle (31.5 % and liver (17.2 % for group 2; digestive system (74.1%, then muscle (65.8%, gill (60.0% and liver (34.6% for group 3; and digestive system (85.8%, then muscle (80.8%, liver (50.5% and less/equal in gill (50.2% for group 4. In statistical analysis, both groups and time were significant factors (P less than 0.05 on elimination rate. Moreover, significant interaction between groups and time were identified on elimination rate. Digestive system showed the fastest elimination rates of Cu at all groups compared with other tissues.

Challenges beyond elimination in leprosy.

Science.gov (United States)

Naaz, Farah; Mohanty, Partha Sarathi; Bansal, Avi Kumar; Kumar, Dilip; Gupta, Umesh Datta

2017-01-01

Every year >200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. The World Health Organization has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020. It is important, in terms of global action and research activities, to consider the eventuality of multidrug therapy (MDT) resistance developing. It is necessary to measure disease burden comprehensively, and contact-centered preventive interventions should be part of a global elimination strategy. Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a drug such as an antimicrobial or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition. MDT has proven to be a powerful tool in the control of leprosy, especially when patients report early and start prompt treatment. Adherence to and its successful completion is equally important. This paper has reviewed the current state of leprosy worldwide and discussed the challenges and also emphasizes the challenge beyond the elimination in leprosy.

Eliminating armaments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, R.

1998-01-01

The end of Cold War induced optimistic projections concerning disarmament, elimination of nuclear weapons, elimination of massive inequities - poverty, hatred, racism. All these goals should be achieved simultaneously, but little has been achieved so far

Interprofessional education through shadowing experiences in multi-disciplinary clinical settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moore Ainsley E

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract The World Health Organization has recently added Interprofessional Education (IPE to its global health agenda recognizing it as a necessary component of all health professionals' education. We suggest mandatory interprofessional shadowing experiences as a mechanism to be used by chiropractic institutions to address this agenda. IPE initiatives of other professions (pharmacy and medicine are described along with chiropractic. This relative comparison of professions local to our jurisdiction in Ontario, Canada is made so that the chiropractic profession may take note that they are behind other health care providers in implementing IPE. Interprofessional shadowing experiences would likely take place in a multi-disciplinary clinical setting. We offer an example of how two separate professions within a Family Health Team (FHT can work together in such a setting to enhance both student learning and patient care. For adult learners, using interprofessional shadowing experiences with learner-derived and active objectives across diverse health professional groups may help to improve the educational experience. Mandatory interprofessional shadowing experiences for chiropractors during their training can enhance future collaborative practice and provide success in reaching a goal common to each profession - improved patient care.

Modification of Gaussian Elimination to the Complex Seismic Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smaglichenko, Tatyana A.

2011-01-01

A method for solution of large and sparse systems with complex seismic observations has been developed by revising of the classical Gaussian elimination. The observation matrix is divided into a set of smaller cells that can be determined based on clusters of a seismic activity. Reliable inversion solutions with minimum error rating are selected within each cell, then solutions that are non-stable with respect to the same unknown are rejected After the final sifting the found unknowns are eliminated from the initial system with subsequent decreasing of its size. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate how the method can be applied to a real data set (a case study of the Nagano fault area, Central Japan). Results of processing of a huge volume of data and their importance for the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system are briefly discussed.

Participatory health system priority setting: Evidence from a budget experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa-Font, Joan; Forns, Joan Rovira; Sato, Azusa

2015-12-01

Budget experiments can provide additional guidance to health system reform requiring the identification of a subset of programs and services that accrue the highest social value to 'communities'. Such experiments simulate a realistic budget resource allocation assessment among competitive programs, and position citizens as decision makers responsible for making 'collective sacrifices'. This paper explores the use of a participatory budget experiment (with 88 participants clustered in social groups) to model public health care reform, drawing from a set of realistic scenarios for potential health care users. We measure preferences by employing a contingent ranking alongside a budget allocation exercise (termed 'willingness to assign') before and after program cost information is revealed. Evidence suggests that the budget experiment method tested is cognitively feasible and incentive compatible. The main downside is the existence of ex-ante "cost estimation" bias. Additionally, we find that participants appeared to underestimate the net social gain of redistributive programs. Relative social value estimates can serve as a guide to aid priority setting at a health system level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consistent Set of Experiments from ICSBEP Handbook for Evaluation of Criticality Calculation Prediction of Apparatus of External Fuel Cycle with Different Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golovko, Yury E. [FSUE ' SSC RF-IPPE' , 249033, Bondarenko Square 1, Obninsk (Russian Federation)

2008-07-01

Experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 from the ICSBEP1 Handbook are being considered in this paper. Among these experiments it was selected only those, which seem to be the most relevant to the evaluation of uncertainty of critical mass of mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 with light water. All selected experiments were examined and covariance matrices of criticality uncertainties were developed along with some uncertainties were revised. Statistical analysis of these experiments was performed and some contradictions were discovered and eliminated. Evaluation of accuracy of prediction of criticality calculations was performed using the internally consistent set of experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 remained after the statistical analyses. The application objects for the evaluation of calculational prediction of criticality were water-reflected spherical systems of homogeneous aqueous mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 of different concentrations which are simplified models of apparatus of external fuel cycle. It is shows that the procedure allows to considerably reduce uncertainty in k{sub eff} caused by the uncertainties in neutron cross-sections. Also it is shows that the results are practically independent of initial covariance matrices of nuclear data uncertainties. (authors)

Improved variable reduction in partial least squares modelling by Global-Minimum Error Uninformative-Variable Elimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Andries, Jan P M; Vander Heyden, Yvan; Buydens, Lutgarde M C

2017-08-22

The calibration performance of Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) can be improved by eliminating uninformative variables. For PLS, many variable elimination methods have been developed. One is the Uninformative-Variable Elimination for PLS (UVE-PLS). However, the number of variables retained by UVE-PLS is usually still large. In UVE-PLS, variable elimination is repeated as long as the root mean squared error of cross validation (RMSECV) is decreasing. The set of variables in this first local minimum is retained. In this paper, a modification of UVE-PLS is proposed and investigated, in which UVE is repeated until no further reduction in variables is possible, followed by a search for the global RMSECV minimum. The method is called Global-Minimum Error Uninformative-Variable Elimination for PLS, denoted as GME-UVE-PLS or simply GME-UVE. After each iteration, the predictive ability of the PLS model, built with the remaining variable set, is assessed by RMSECV. The variable set with the global RMSECV minimum is then finally selected. The goal is to obtain smaller sets of variables with similar or improved predictability than those from the classical UVE-PLS method. The performance of the GME-UVE-PLS method is investigated using four data sets, i.e. a simulated set, NIR and NMR spectra, and a theoretical molecular descriptors set, resulting in twelve profile-response (X-y) calibrations. The selective and predictive performances of the models resulting from GME-UVE-PLS are statistically compared to those from UVE-PLS and 1-step UVE, one-sided paired t-tests. The results demonstrate that variable reduction with the proposed GME-UVE-PLS method, usually eliminates significantly more variables than the classical UVE-PLS, while the predictive abilities of the resulting models are better. With GME-UVE-PLS, a lower number of uninformative variables, without a chemical meaning for the response, may be retained than with UVE-PLS. The selectivity of the classical UVE method

The studies and experiments on size elimination of fine-grained feldspar from Asia Mining by using Vertical Air Classifier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siribumrungsukha, B.

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Asia Mining Company produces feldspar and supplies to both domestic and overseas industries. Ore from the mine is crushed and ground and then classified by screening. That which is coarsely sized (+40 mesh can be sold to the market, while that which is finely sized is left unsold due to the market requirement that size must be of -40+140 mesh. This research designed and constructed a Vertical Air Classifier in which the fine mineral is fed to a vertical chamber while air is blown from the bottom. The main variables are air flow rates and the length of contact between the air and the mineral (at length of 10 and 15 cm. The air is blown in by air compressor and its rate is controlled by a thin plate orifice. Experiments show that the classifier can eliminate more of the size of -140 mesh as the air flow rate increases. The % fractional recovery at the size of -140 mesh is found to decrease as the air flow rate increases. The length of contact between the air and the mineral influences the elimination and the % fractional recovery as well. When the length is shorter (at 10 cm, the elimination of the size -140 mesh is better and the % fractional recovery at the size -140 mesh in the underflow is lower. At the air flow rate of 6.42 L/S and the length of contact of 10 cm, the size of -140 mesh can be reduced from 37.11% in the feed down to 17.70% in the underflow. The results demonstrate the potential of the Vertical Air Classifier to be further developed in eliminating the size -140 mesh by connecting the classifiers in series.

malERA: An updated research agenda for malaria elimination and eradication.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinovich, Regina N; Drakeley, Chris; Djimde, Abdoulaye A; Hall, B Fenton; Hay, Simon I; Hemingway, Janet; Kaslow, David C; Noor, Abdisalan; Okumu, Fredros; Steketee, Richard; Tanner, Marcel; Wells, Timothy N C; Whittaker, Maxine A; Winzeler, Elizabeth A; Wirth, Dyann F; Whitfield, Kate; Alonso, Pedro L

2017-11-01

Achieving a malaria-free world presents exciting scientific challenges as well as overwhelming health, equity, and economic benefits. WHO and countries are setting ambitious goals for reducing the burden and eliminating malaria through the "Global Technical Strategy" and 21 countries are aiming to eliminate malaria by 2020. The commitment to achieve these targets should be celebrated. However, the need for innovation to achieve these goals, sustain elimination, and free the world of malaria is greater than ever. Over 180 experts across multiple disciplines are engaged in the Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) Refresh process to address problems that need to be solved. The result is a research and development agenda to accelerate malaria elimination and, in the longer term, transform the malaria community's ability to eradicate it globally.

malERA: An updated research agenda for malaria elimination and eradication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina N Rabinovich

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Achieving a malaria-free world presents exciting scientific challenges as well as overwhelming health, equity, and economic benefits. WHO and countries are setting ambitious goals for reducing the burden and eliminating malaria through the "Global Technical Strategy" and 21 countries are aiming to eliminate malaria by 2020. The commitment to achieve these targets should be celebrated. However, the need for innovation to achieve these goals, sustain elimination, and free the world of malaria is greater than ever. Over 180 experts across multiple disciplines are engaged in the Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA Refresh process to address problems that need to be solved. The result is a research and development agenda to accelerate malaria elimination and, in the longer term, transform the malaria community's ability to eradicate it globally.

Dual-Laser vibrometry: Elimination or extraction of pseudo vibration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Michael Linde; Bækbo, Martin Jesper; Hanson, Steen Grüner

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the principal idea of a method using two identical laser vibrometers to eliminate pseudovibrations, occurring as structured noise in laser-vibrometer measurements of angular velocity of a rotating object. Thetwo vibrometers monitor the same surface path on the rotating...... in angularvelocity of the object occur simultaneously at the two vibrometers. Knowing the angular separation between thevibrometers, simple trigonometry canbe used to eliminate the pseudo vibrations. These vibrometers are based oncameras, therefore the experiments demonstrate the principle of the method only...

Human movement data for malaria control and elimination strategic planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Pindolia, Deepa K; Garcia, Andres J; Wesolowski, Amy; Smith, David L; Buckee, Caroline O; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Tatem, Andrew J

2012-06-18

Recent increases in funding for malaria control have led to the reduction in transmission in many malaria endemic countries, prompting the national control programmes of 36 malaria endemic countries to set elimination targets. Accounting for human population movement (HPM) in planning for control, elimination and post-elimination surveillance is important, as evidenced by previous elimination attempts that were undermined by the reintroduction of malaria through HPM. Strategic control and elimination planning, therefore, requires quantitative information on HPM patterns and the translation of these into parasite dispersion. HPM patterns and the risk of malaria vary substantially across spatial and temporal scales, demographic and socioeconomic sub-groups, and motivation for travel, so multiple data sets are likely required for quantification of movement. While existing studies based on mobile phone call record data combined with malaria transmission maps have begun to address within-country HPM patterns, other aspects remain poorly quantified despite their importance in accurately gauging malaria movement patterns and building control and detection strategies, such as cross-border HPM, demographic and socioeconomic stratification of HPM patterns, forms of transport, personal malaria protection and other factors that modify malaria risk. A wealth of data exist to aid filling these gaps, which, when combined with spatial data on transport infrastructure, traffic and malaria transmission, can answer relevant questions to guide strategic planning. This review aims to (i) discuss relevant types of HPM across spatial and temporal scales, (ii) document where datasets exist to quantify HPM, (iii) highlight where data gaps remain and (iv) briefly put forward methods for integrating these datasets in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework for analysing and modelling human population and Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection movements.

Discovering highly informative feature set over high dimensions

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chongsheng; Masseglia, Florent; Zhang, Xiangliang

2012-01-01

For many textual collections, the number of features is often overly large. These features can be very redundant, it is therefore desirable to have a small, succinct, yet highly informative collection of features that describes the key characteristics of a dataset. Information theory is one such tool for us to obtain this feature collection. With this paper, we mainly contribute to the improvement of efficiency for the process of selecting the most informative feature set over high-dimensional unlabeled data. We propose a heuristic theory for informative feature set selection from high dimensional data. Moreover, we design data structures that enable us to compute the entropies of the candidate feature sets efficiently. We also develop a simple pruning strategy that eliminates the hopeless candidates at each forward selection step. We test our method through experiments on real-world data sets, showing that our proposal is very efficient. © 2012 IEEE.

Discovering highly informative feature set over high dimensions

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Chongsheng

2012-11-01

For many textual collections, the number of features is often overly large. These features can be very redundant, it is therefore desirable to have a small, succinct, yet highly informative collection of features that describes the key characteristics of a dataset. Information theory is one such tool for us to obtain this feature collection. With this paper, we mainly contribute to the improvement of efficiency for the process of selecting the most informative feature set over high-dimensional unlabeled data. We propose a heuristic theory for informative feature set selection from high dimensional data. Moreover, we design data structures that enable us to compute the entropies of the candidate feature sets efficiently. We also develop a simple pruning strategy that eliminates the hopeless candidates at each forward selection step. We test our method through experiments on real-world data sets, showing that our proposal is very efficient. © 2012 IEEE.

State plans to force companies to eliminate environmental burdens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcan, P.

2004-01-01

The Ministry of Environment is preparing legislation aimed at forcing the state and especially private enterprises to map and eliminate tips, refuse from company premises and farmyards, and manure heaps. It is expected that the main burden will fall on private enterprises. The department is still working on the wording of this new Act on environmental burdens and so it is not yet clear whether it will be of assistance in the elimination of environmental burdens. The Ministry is aware that economic aspects must also be taken into account when exercising pressure on the companies. Closing down a company that cannot meet environmental criteria would result in redundancies and so the time schedule for the elimination of environmental burdens will be adjusted to fit the financial situation of the company involved. The ministry plans to first find companies responsible for environmental debts and then set a deadline for the preparation of a project to eliminate the environmental burden. The project would have to contain a description of elimination methods, in addition to a time schedule and cost assessment. If a private company does not report an environmental burden, the competent public authority will have the power to request access to the premises to undertake an inspection. (author)

[An Algorithm to Eliminate Power Frequency Interference in ECG Using Template].

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Guohua; Li, Jiang; Xu, Yan; Feng, Liang

2017-01-01

Researching an algorithm to eliminate power frequency interference in ECG. The algorithm first creates power frequency interference template, then, subtracts the template from the original ECG signals, final y, the algorithm gets the ECG signals without interference. Experiment shows the algorithm can eliminate interference effectively and has none side effect to normal signal. It’s efficient and suitable for practice.

Measurement of metabolism of worker ants by using the elimination of caesium-134

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, M.G.; Jensen, T.F.

1977-01-01

In order to find a method for measuring field metabolism of worker ants the elimination of 134 Cs by two ant species has been investigated. Equations relating temperature to radiocaesium elimination and metabolism have been found. From these equations the relationship between elimination and metabolism is calculated. Consequently, the elimination of the isotope can be used for measuring metabolism. A pilot field experiment with Lasius alienus (Foerst.) reveals that the traditional methods of estimating field metabolism give values which are considerably lower than the value based on caesium elimination rate. This difference is supposed to be mainly due to greater motor activity of the animals in the field. Consequently, the value of the caesium elimination method is closer to the 'true' value of field metabolism. (orig.) [de

Recreation settings, scenery, and visitor experiences: a research assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel R. Williams

2007-01-01

A core task of recreation research is to understand the relation between settings, scenery, and visitor experiences. This paper uses environmental psychology to describe four conceptual models underlying these relations: inherent/aesthetic, opportunity/goal-directed, symbolic, and expressive. The paper then describes some challenges to applying results to recreation...

Experience-based design for integrating the patient care experience into healthcare improvement: Identifying a set of reliable emotion words.

Science.gov (United States)

Russ, Lauren R; Phillips, Jennifer; Brzozowicz, Keely; Chafetz, Lynne A; Plsek, Paul E; Blackmore, C Craig; Kaplan, Gary S

2013-12-01

Experience-based design is an emerging method used to capture the emotional content of patient and family member healthcare experiences, and can serve as the foundation for patient-centered healthcare improvement. However, a core tool-the experience-based design questionnaire-requires words with consistent emotional meaning. Our objective was to identify and evaluate an emotion word set reliably categorized across the demographic spectrum as expressing positive, negative, or neutral emotions for experience-based design improvement work. We surveyed 407 patients, family members, and healthcare workers in 2011. Participants designated each of 67 potential emotion words as positive, neutral, or negative based on their emotional perception of the word. Overall agreement was assessed using the kappa statistic. Words were selected for retention in the final emotion word set based on 80% simple agreement on classification of meaning across subgroups. The participants were 47.9% (195/407) patients, 19.4% (33/407) family members and 32.7% (133/407) healthcare staff. Overall agreement adjusted for chance was moderate (k=0.55). However, agreement for positive (k=0.69) and negative emotions (k=0.68) was substantially higher, while agreement in the neutral category was low (k=0.11). There were 20 positive, 1 neutral, and 14 negative words retained for the final experience-based design emotion word set. We identified a reliable set of emotion words for experience questionnaires to serve as the foundation for patient-centered, experience-based redesign of healthcare. Incorporation of patient and family member perspectives in healthcare requires reliable tools to capture the emotional content of care touch points. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New nuclear data set ABBN-90 and its testing on macroscopic experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosh'cheev, V.N.; Manturov, G.N.; Nikolaev, M.N.; Rineyskiy, A.A.; Sinitsa, V.V.; Tsyboolya, A.M.; Zabrodskaya, S.V.

1993-01-01

The new group constant set ABBN-90 is developed now. It based on the FOND-2 evaluated neutron data library processed with the code GRUCON. Some results of the testing ABBN-90 set in different macroscopic experiments are presented. (author)

Human movement data for malaria control and elimination strategic planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pindolia Deepa K

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Recent increases in funding for malaria control have led to the reduction in transmission in many malaria endemic countries, prompting the national control programmes of 36 malaria endemic countries to set elimination targets. Accounting for human population movement (HPM in planning for control, elimination and post-elimination surveillance is important, as evidenced by previous elimination attempts that were undermined by the reintroduction of malaria through HPM. Strategic control and elimination planning, therefore, requires quantitative information on HPM patterns and the translation of these into parasite dispersion. HPM patterns and the risk of malaria vary substantially across spatial and temporal scales, demographic and socioeconomic sub-groups, and motivation for travel, so multiple data sets are likely required for quantification of movement. While existing studies based on mobile phone call record data combined with malaria transmission maps have begun to address within-country HPM patterns, other aspects remain poorly quantified despite their importance in accurately gauging malaria movement patterns and building control and detection strategies, such as cross-border HPM, demographic and socioeconomic stratification of HPM patterns, forms of transport, personal malaria protection and other factors that modify malaria risk. A wealth of data exist to aid filling these gaps, which, when combined with spatial data on transport infrastructure, traffic and malaria transmission, can answer relevant questions to guide strategic planning. This review aims to (i discuss relevant types of HPM across spatial and temporal scales, (ii document where datasets exist to quantify HPM, (iii highlight where data gaps remain and (iv briefly put forward methods for integrating these datasets in a Geographic Information System (GIS framework for analysing and modelling human population and Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection movements.

Michaëlis--Menten kinetics of phenazone elimination in the perfused pig liver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, B; Tonnesen, K; Rabol, A

1977-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to define the elimination kinetics of phenazone (NFN) in the isolated perfused pig liver. In five experiments phenazone was administered as constant infusion to obtain steady-state periods over a wide range of concentrations. The elimination of phenazone follo...

Development of Data Acquisition Set-up for Steady-state Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Amit K.; Gupta, Arnab D.; Sunil, S.; Khan, Ziauddin

2017-04-01

For short duration experiments, generally digitized data is transferred for processing and storage after the experiment whereas in case of steady-state experiment the data is acquired, processed, displayed and stored continuously in pipelined manner. This requires acquiring data through special techniques for storage and on-the-go viewing data to display the current data trends for various physical parameters. A small data acquisition set-up is developed for continuously acquiring signals from various physical parameters at different sampling rate for long duration experiment. This includes the hardware set-up for signal digitization, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) based timing system for clock synchronization and event/trigger distribution, time slicing of data streams for storage of data chunks to enable viewing of data during acquisition and channel profile display through down sampling etc. In order to store a long data stream of indefinite/long time duration, the data stream is divided into data slices/chunks of user defined time duration. Data chunks avoid the problem of non-access of server data until the channel data file is closed at the end of the long duration experiment. A graphical user interface has been developed in Lab VIEW application development environment for configuring the data acquisition hardware and storing data chunks on local machine as well as at remote data server through Python for further data access. The data plotting and analysis utilities have been developed with Python software, which provides tools for further data processing. This paper describes the development and implementation of data acquisition for steady-state experiment.

Active-Set Reduced-Space Methods with Nonlinear Elimination for Two-Phase Flow Problems in Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Yang, Haijian

2016-07-26

Fully implicit methods are drawing more attention in scientific and engineering applications due to the allowance of large time steps in extreme-scale simulations. When using a fully implicit method to solve two-phase flow problems in porous media, one major challenge is the solution of the resultant nonlinear system at each time step. To solve such nonlinear systems, traditional nonlinear iterative methods, such as the class of the Newton methods, often fail to achieve the desired convergent rate due to the high nonlinearity of the system and/or the violation of the boundedness requirement of the saturation. In the paper, we reformulate the two-phase model as a variational inequality that naturally ensures the physical feasibility of the saturation variable. The variational inequality is then solved by an active-set reduced-space method with a nonlinear elimination preconditioner to remove the high nonlinear components that often causes the failure of the nonlinear iteration for convergence. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we compare it with the classical implicit pressure-explicit saturation method for two-phase flow problems with strong heterogeneity. The numerical results show that our nonlinear solver overcomes the often severe limits on the time step associated with existing methods, results in superior convergence performance, and achieves reduction in the total computing time by more than one order of magnitude.

Active-Set Reduced-Space Methods with Nonlinear Elimination for Two-Phase Flow Problems in Porous Media

KAUST Repository

Yang, Haijian; Yang, Chao; Sun, Shuyu

2016-01-01

Fully implicit methods are drawing more attention in scientific and engineering applications due to the allowance of large time steps in extreme-scale simulations. When using a fully implicit method to solve two-phase flow problems in porous media, one major challenge is the solution of the resultant nonlinear system at each time step. To solve such nonlinear systems, traditional nonlinear iterative methods, such as the class of the Newton methods, often fail to achieve the desired convergent rate due to the high nonlinearity of the system and/or the violation of the boundedness requirement of the saturation. In the paper, we reformulate the two-phase model as a variational inequality that naturally ensures the physical feasibility of the saturation variable. The variational inequality is then solved by an active-set reduced-space method with a nonlinear elimination preconditioner to remove the high nonlinear components that often causes the failure of the nonlinear iteration for convergence. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we compare it with the classical implicit pressure-explicit saturation method for two-phase flow problems with strong heterogeneity. The numerical results show that our nonlinear solver overcomes the often severe limits on the time step associated with existing methods, results in superior convergence performance, and achieves reduction in the total computing time by more than one order of magnitude.

Elimination reactions. V. Steric effects in Hofmann elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coke, J.L.; Smith, G.D.; Britton, G.H. Jr.

1975-01-01

Earlier Hofmann elimination studies were extended, and the percent syn eliminations in several ring systems have been correlated using cis-d 1 and trans-d 1 models. The measurements of several syn and anti k/sub H//k/sub D/ kinetic isotope effects are reported. Results indicate that Hofmann elimination of N,N,N-trimethyl-3,3-dimethylcyclopentylammonium hydroxide goes by 97 percent syn mechanism to give 3,3-dimethylcyclopentene and by 70 + - 6 percent syn mechanism to give 4,4-dimethylcyclopentene. There appears to be severe steric interactions in the anti mechanism in the 3,3-dimethylcyclopentyl system. Results indicate that, for Hofmann pyrolysis of trimethylammonium hydroxides, cyclopentene is formed by a 39 +- 7 percent syn mechanism, cyclohexene is formed by a 2 + - 2 percent syn mechanism, and cycloheptene is formed by a 30 +- 2 percent syn mechanism. Steric effects on isotope effects and mechanisms are discussed. (U.S.)

Universal leakage elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrd, Mark S.; Lidar, Daniel A.; Wu, L.-A.; Zanardi, Paolo

2005-01-01

'Leakage' errors are particularly serious errors which couple states within a code subspace to states outside of that subspace, thus destroying the error protection benefit afforded by an encoded state. We generalize an earlier method for producing leakage elimination decoupling operations and examine the effects of the leakage eliminating operations on decoherence-free or noiseless subsystems which encode one logical, or protected qubit into three or four qubits. We find that by eliminating a large class of leakage errors, under some circumstances, we can create the conditions for a decoherence-free evolution. In other cases we identify a combined decoherence-free and quantum error correcting code which could eliminate errors in solid-state qubits with anisotropic exchange interaction Hamiltonians and enable universal quantum computing with only these interactions

In vivo thermoterapy: attempt to eliminate virus in potato tuber

Science.gov (United States)

Ayu Astarini, Ida; Margareth, Deborah; Temaja, I. Gede Rai Maya

2018-03-01

Potato is one of an important vegetable crop in Indonesia, including Bali. Main potato production areas in Bali are at Bedugul region, 1.200 m above sea level. Potato production in Bali continued to decrease due to diseases infection, such as early blight, late blight, black leg and virus diseases. Potato farmers in Bali usually set aside their harvest as seed potatoes, resulting in virus diseases being carried out on the next planting seasons and eventually would decrease potato production both in quantity and quality. Four types of virus were confirmed: PVY, PVX, PVS and PRLV. A number of studies have reported thermotherapy technique has been employed to eliminate potato virus in vitro. However, this technique is not readily available for farmers, since there is no established tissue culture laboratory to support. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a more practical method. The objective of this study was to eliminate virus on seed potatoes using thermotherapy on tuber. Seed potatoes with 1 cm sprout which were virus positive were placed on sterile charred rice paddy husk, and then put into a humidified incubator. Tubers were exposed to 37°C for four days followed by 34°C for three days alternately for two weeks and three weeks duration. Four tubers received heat exposure regime for each virus type. After thermotherapy, potato tubers were transferred to pots containing charred rice paddy husk and maintain for three weeks until new leaves emerge for virus analyses. Results show that seed tubers experienced delayed growth after thermotherapy. Control plants sprout one week after thermotherapy, while treated plants were not yet sprouting. Experiment is currently underway. It is expected that heat treatment on tuber will give a practical method for farmers to eliminate virus of seed potatoes.

Is mass drug administration against lymphatic filariasis required in urban settings? The experience in Kano, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Pam, Dung D; de Souza, Dziedzom K; D'Souza, Susan; Opoku, Millicent; Sanda, Safiya; Nazaradden, Ibrahim; Anagbogu, Ifeoma N; Okoronkwo, Chukwu; Davies, Emmanuel; Elhassan, Elisabeth; Molyneux, David H; Bockarie, Moses J; Koudou, Benjamin G

2017-10-01

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF), launched in 2000, has the target of eliminating the disease as a public health problem by the year 2020. The strategy adopted is mass drug administration (MDA) to all eligible individuals in endemic communities and the implementation of measures to reduce the morbidity of those suffering from chronic disease. Success has been recorded in many rural endemic communities in which elimination efforts have centered. However, implementation has been challenging in several urban African cities. The large cities of West Africa, exemplified in Nigeria in Kano are challenging for LF elimination program because reaching 65% therapeutic coverage during MDA is difficult. There is therefore a need to define a strategy which could complement MDA. Thus, in Kano State, Nigeria, while LF MDA had reached 33 of the 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) there remained eleven 'urban' LGAs which had not been covered by MDA. Given the challenges of achieving at least 65% coverage during MDA implementation over several years in order to achieve elimination, it may be challenging to eliminate LF in such settings. In order to plan the LF control activities, this study was undertaken to confirm the LF infection prevalence in the human and mosquito populations in three urban LGAs. The prevalence of circulating filarial antigen (CFA) of Wuchereria bancrofti was assessed by an immuno-chromatography test (ICT) in 981 people in three urban LGAs of Kano state, Nigeria. Mosquitoes were collected over a period of 4 months from May to August 2015 using exit traps, gravid traps and pyrethrum knock-down spray sheet collections (PSC) in different households. A proportion of mosquitoes were analyzed for W. bancrofti, using dissection, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that none of the 981 subjects (constituted of West Africa may not be of significant importance

Is Performance in Task-Cuing Experiments Mediated by Task Set Selection or Associative Compound Retrieval?

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, Charlotte L. D.; Monsell, Stephen; McLaren, Ian P. L.

2014-01-01

Task-cuing experiments are usually intended to explore control of task set. But when small stimulus sets are used, they plausibly afford learning of the response associated with a combination of cue and stimulus, without reference to tasks. In 3 experiments we presented the typical trials of a task-cuing experiment: a cue (colored shape) followed,…

Graphical reduction of reaction networks by linear elimination of species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saez Cornellana, Meritxell; Wiuf, Carsten; Feliu, Elisenda

2017-01-01

We give a graphically based procedure to reduce a reaction network to a smaller reaction network with fewer species after linear elimination of a set of noninteracting species. We give a description of the reduced reaction network, its kinetics and conservations laws, and explore properties...

Quasi-Optimal Elimination Trees for 2D Grids with Singularities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Paszyńska

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We construct quasi-optimal elimination trees for 2D finite element meshes with singularities. These trees minimize the complexity of the solution of the discrete system. The computational cost estimates of the elimination process model the execution of the multifrontal algorithms in serial and in parallel shared-memory executions. Since the meshes considered are a subspace of all possible mesh partitions, we call these minimizers quasi-optimal. We minimize the cost functionals using dynamic programming. Finding these minimizers is more computationally expensive than solving the original algebraic system. Nevertheless, from the insights provided by the analysis of the dynamic programming minima, we propose a heuristic construction of the elimination trees that has cost ONelog⁡Ne, where Ne is the number of elements in the mesh. We show that this heuristic ordering has similar computational cost to the quasi-optimal elimination trees found with dynamic programming and outperforms state-of-the-art alternatives in our numerical experiments.

Quasi-Optimal Elimination Trees for 2D Grids with Singularities

KAUST Repository

Paszyńska, A.

2015-04-22

We construct quasi-optimal elimination trees for 2D finite element meshes with singularities.These trees minimize the complexity of the solution of the discrete system. The computational cost estimates of the elimination process model the execution of the multifrontal algorithms in serial and in parallel shared-memory executions. Since the meshes considered are a subspace of all possible mesh partitions, we call these minimizers quasi-optimal.We minimize the cost functionals using dynamic programming. Finding these minimizers is more computationally expensive than solving the original algebraic system. Nevertheless, from the insights provided by the analysis of the dynamic programming minima, we propose a heuristic construction of the elimination trees that has cost O(log(Ne log(Ne)), where N e is the number of elements in the mesh.We show that this heuristic ordering has similar computational cost to the quasi-optimal elimination trees found with dynamic programming and outperforms state-of-the-art alternatives in our numerical experiments.

Quasi-Optimal Elimination Trees for 2D Grids with Singularities

KAUST Repository

Paszyńska, A.; Paszyński, M.; Jopek, K.; Woźniak, M.; Goik, D.; Gurgul, P.; AbouEisha, H.; Moshkov, Mikhail; Calo, Victor M.; Lenharth, A.; Nguyen, D.; Pingali, K.

2015-01-01

We construct quasi-optimal elimination trees for 2D finite element meshes with singularities.These trees minimize the complexity of the solution of the discrete system. The computational cost estimates of the elimination process model the execution of the multifrontal algorithms in serial and in parallel shared-memory executions. Since the meshes considered are a subspace of all possible mesh partitions, we call these minimizers quasi-optimal.We minimize the cost functionals using dynamic programming. Finding these minimizers is more computationally expensive than solving the original algebraic system. Nevertheless, from the insights provided by the analysis of the dynamic programming minima, we propose a heuristic construction of the elimination trees that has cost O(log(Ne log(Ne)), where N e is the number of elements in the mesh.We show that this heuristic ordering has similar computational cost to the quasi-optimal elimination trees found with dynamic programming and outperforms state-of-the-art alternatives in our numerical experiments.

Designing Meaningful Game Experiences for Rehabilitation and Sustainable Mobility Settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Gabrielli

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the approach followed in two ongoing research projects aimed to designing meaningful game-based experiences to support home rehabilitation, eco-sustainable mobility goals and more in general better daily lifestyles. We first introduce the need for designing meaningful game-based experiences that are well-connected to the relevant non-game settings and can be customized by/for users, then, we show examples of how this approach can be realized in the rehabilitation and sustainable mobility contexts.

Set-up of experiment R606

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1976-01-01

Experiment R606 (Aachen, CERN, Harvard, Munich, Northwestern, Riverside)installed in the specially constructed pit at intersection 6. It was designed to investigate production of new particles in the fragmentation and diffraction regions. Use was made of a toroidal field provided by 12 flat copper coils, seen here as the rays of a wheel; in the free spaces between coils are housed Cerenkov counters. These counters, together with calorimetric shower detectors, located behind the magnet, provide separation of electrons from hadrons. The momenta of particles going through the system are measured with two sets of three drift chambers, two in front of the magnet, one behind, whose size increases from 1.5 m for the one seen in the picture, to 5 m for the one on the back. On the right the thin- walled cylindrical vacuum chamber.

Eliminating the Influence of Harmonic Components in Operational Modal Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Niels-Jørgen; Andersen, Palle; Brincker, Rune

2007-01-01

structures, in contrast, are subject inherently to deterministic forces due to the rotating parts in the machinery. These forces are seen as harmonic components in the responses, and their influence should be eliminated before extracting the modes in their vicinity. This paper describes a new method based...... on the well-known Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition (EFDD) technique for eliminating these harmonic components in the modal parameter extraction process. For assessing the quality of the method, various experiments were carried out where the results were compared with those obtained with pure stochastic...

Ab initio calculation of reaction energies. III. Basis set dependence of relative energies on the FH2 and H2CO potential energy surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frisch, M.J.; Binkley, J.S.; Schaefer, H.F. III

1984-01-01

The relative energies of the stationary points on the FH 2 and H 2 CO nuclear potential energy surfaces relevant to the hydrogen atom abstraction, H 2 elimination and 1,2-hydrogen shift reactions have been examined using fourth-order Moller--Plesset perturbation theory and a variety of basis sets. The theoretical absolute zero activation energy for the F+H 2 →FH+H reaction is in better agreement with experiment than previous theoretical studies, and part of the disagreement between earlier theoretical calculations and experiment is found to result from the use of assumed rather than calculated zero-point vibrational energies. The fourth-order reaction energy for the elimination of hydrogen from formaldehyde is within 2 kcal mol -1 of the experimental value using the largest basis set considered. The qualitative features of the H 2 CO surface are unchanged by expansion of the basis set beyond the polarized triple-zeta level, but diffuse functions and several sets of polarization functions are found to be necessary for quantitative accuracy in predicted reaction and activation energies. Basis sets and levels of perturbation theory which represent good compromises between computational efficiency and accuracy are recommended

Using Goal-Setting Strategies To Enrich the Practicum and Internship Experiences of Beginning Counselors.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Russell C.

2000-01-01

Goal setting can be an effective way to help beginning counselors focus on important developmental issues. This article argues that counselors and supervisors must consider issues related to goal-setting theory and understand the process by which goals are set so that optimal learning experiences are created. (Author/MKA)

Toward Elimination of Dog-Mediated Human Rabies: Experiences from Implementing a Large-scale Demonstration Project in Southern Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Mpolya, Emmanuel Abraham; Lembo, Tiziana; Lushasi, Kennedy; Mancy, Rebecca; Mbunda, Eberhard M; Makungu, Selemani; Maziku, Matthew; Sikana, Lwitiko; Jaswant, Gurdeep; Townsend, Sunny; Meslin, François-Xavier; Abela-Ridder, Bernadette; Ngeleja, Chanasa; Changalucha, Joel; Mtema, Zacharia; Sambo, Maganga; Mchau, Geofrey; Rysava, Kristyna; Nanai, Alphoncina; Kazwala, Rudovick; Cleaveland, Sarah; Hampson, Katie

2017-01-01

A Rabies Elimination Demonstration Project was implemented in Tanzania from 2010 through to 2015, bringing together government ministries from the health and veterinary sectors, the World Health Organization, and national and international research institutions. Detailed data on mass dog vaccination campaigns, bite exposures, use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and human rabies deaths were collected throughout the project duration and project areas. Despite no previous experience in dog vaccination within the project areas, district veterinary officers were able to implement district-wide vaccination campaigns that, for most part, progressively increased the numbers of dogs vaccinated with each phase of the project. Bite exposures declined, particularly in the southernmost districts with the smallest dog populations, and health workers successfully transitioned from primarily intramuscular administration of PEP to intradermal administration, resulting in major cost savings. However, even with improved PEP provision, vaccine shortages still occurred in some districts. In laboratory diagnosis, there were several logistical challenges in sample handling and submission but compared to the situation before the project started, there was a moderate increase in the number of laboratory samples submitted and tested for rabies in the project areas with a decrease in the proportion of rabies-positive samples over time. The project had a major impact on public health policy and practice with the formation of a One Health Coordination Unit at the Prime Minister's Office and development of the Tanzania National Rabies Control Strategy, which lays a roadmap for elimination of rabies in Tanzania by 2030 by following the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE). Overall, the project generated many important lessons relevant to rabies prevention and control in particular and disease surveillance in general. Lessons include the need for (1) a specific unit in the

Involuntary transfer of a top-down attentional set into the focus of attention: evidence from a contingent attentional capture paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Katherine Sledge; Weissman, Daniel H

2010-08-01

In the present study, we investigated whether involuntarily directing attention to a target-colored distractor causes the corresponding attentional set to enter a limited-capacity focus of attention, thereby facilitating the identification of a subsequent target whose color matches the same attentional set. As predicted, in Experiment 1, contingent attentional capture effects from a target-colored distractor were only one half to one third as large when subsequent target identification relied on the same (vs. a different) attentional set. In Experiment 2, this effect was eliminated when all of the target colors matched the same attentional set, arguing against bottom-up perceptual priming of the distractor's color as an alternative account of our findings. In Experiment 3, this effect was reversed when a target-colored distractor appeared after the target, ruling out a feature-based interference account of our findings. We conclude that capacity limitations in working memory strongly influence contingent attentional capture when multiple attentional sets guide selection.

A siphon well model for hydraulic performance optimization and bubble elimination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Hui, E-mail: fuhui_iwhr@126.com; Ji, Ping; Xia, Qingfu; Guo, Xinlei

2017-01-15

Highlights: • A new method was proposed to improve the hydraulic performance and bubble elimination. • The diversion pier and diversion grid were used to stabilize the flow pattern. • Double multi-hole orifices were arranged after the weir. • The new method has a simpler construction and greater bubble elimination. - Abstract: In coastal nuclear power plants, bubble entrainment at the hydraulic jump in the siphon well causes foam pollution and salt fog erosion near the outfall of the siphon well. Thus, bubble elimination in siphon wells has been a topic of considerable interest. This study presents a new hydraulic performance optimization and bubble elimination method based on model experiments. Compared to previous methods, the new method has a simple structure, is effective in eliminating bubbles and is well adapted to different tide levels. The method mainly uses a diversion pier, diversion grid and multi-hole orifices to improve the hydraulic performance, thus reducing bubble entrainment at the hydraulic jump and shortening the bubble movement length in the siphon well. This study provides a valuable reference for the future siphon well design of coastal power plants.

A siphon well model for hydraulic performance optimization and bubble elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Hui; Ji, Ping; Xia, Qingfu; Guo, Xinlei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A new method was proposed to improve the hydraulic performance and bubble elimination. • The diversion pier and diversion grid were used to stabilize the flow pattern. • Double multi-hole orifices were arranged after the weir. • The new method has a simpler construction and greater bubble elimination. - Abstract: In coastal nuclear power plants, bubble entrainment at the hydraulic jump in the siphon well causes foam pollution and salt fog erosion near the outfall of the siphon well. Thus, bubble elimination in siphon wells has been a topic of considerable interest. This study presents a new hydraulic performance optimization and bubble elimination method based on model experiments. Compared to previous methods, the new method has a simple structure, is effective in eliminating bubbles and is well adapted to different tide levels. The method mainly uses a diversion pier, diversion grid and multi-hole orifices to improve the hydraulic performance, thus reducing bubble entrainment at the hydraulic jump and shortening the bubble movement length in the siphon well. This study provides a valuable reference for the future siphon well design of coastal power plants.

Techniques to eliminate nuclear weapons testing infrastructure at former Semipalatinsk test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erofeev, I.E.; Kovalev, V.V.

2003-01-01

It was at the former Semipalatinsk Test Site where for the first time in the world the nuclear weapons testing infrastructure elimination was put into practice. Fundamentally new procedures for blasting operations have been developed by specialists of the Kazakh State Research and Production Center of Blasting Operations (KSCBO), National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC) and Degelen Enterprise to enhance reliability and provide safety during elimination of various objects and performance of large-scale experiments. (author)

Birth setting, labour experience, and postpartum psychological distress.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKinnon, Anna L; Yang, Lisa; Feeley, Nancy; Gold, Ian; Hayton, Barbara; Zelkowitz, Phyllis

2017-07-01

although psychosocial risk factors have been identified for postpartum depression (PPD) and perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the role of labour- and birth-related factors remains unclear. The present investigation explored the impact of birth setting, subjective childbirth experience, and their interplay, on PPD and postpartum PTSD. in this prospective longitudinal cohort study, three groups of women who had vaginal births at a tertiary care hospital, a birthing center, and those transferred from the birthing centre to the tertiary care hospital were compared. Participants were followed twice during pregnancy (12-14 and 32-34 weeks gestation) and twice after childbirth (1-3 and 7-9 weeks postpartum). symptoms of PPD and PTSD did not significantly differ between birth groups; however, measures of subjective childbirth experience and obstetric factors did. Moderation analyses indicated a significant interaction between pain and birth group, such that higher ratings of pain among women who were transferred was associated with greater symptoms of postpartum PTSD. women who are transferred appear to have a unique experience that may put them at greater risk for postpartum psychological distress. It may be beneficial for care providers to help prepare women for pain management and potential unexpected complications, particularly if it is their first childbirth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPARING INTRA- AND INTERENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS OF OPTIMAL SETTING IN BREEDING EXPERIMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domagoj Šimić

2004-06-01

Full Text Available A series of biometrical and quantitative-genetic parameters, not well known in Croatia, are being used for the most important agronomic traits to determine optimal genotype setting within a location as well as among locations. Objectives of the study are to estimate and to compare 1 parameters of intra-environment setting (effective mean square error EMSE, in lattice design, relative efficiency RE, of lattice design LD, compared to randomized complete block design RCBD, and repeatability Rep, of a plot value, and 2 operative heritability h2, as a parameter of inter-environment setting in an experiment with 72 maize hybrids. Trials were set up at four environments (two locations in two years evaluating grain yield and stalk rot. EMSE values corresponded across environments for both traits, while the estimations for RE of LD varied inconsistently over environments and traits. Rep estimates were more different over environments than traits. Rep values did not correspond with h2 estimates: Rep estimates for stalk rot were higher than those for grain yield, while h2 for grain yield was higher than for stalk rot in all instances. Our results suggest that due to importance of genotype × environment interaction, there is a need for multienvironment trials for both traits. If the experiment framework should be reduced due to economic or other reasons, decreasing number of locations in a year rather than decreasing number of years of investigation is recommended.

Servicing HEP experiments with a complete set of ready integreated and configured common software components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roiser, Stefan; Gaspar, Ana; Perrin, Yves; Kruzelecki, Karol

2010-01-01

The LCG Applications Area at CERN provides basic software components for the LHC experiments such as ROOT, POOL, COOL which are developed in house and also a set of 'external' software packages (70) which are needed in addition such as Python, Boost, Qt, CLHEP, etc. These packages target many different areas of HEP computing such as data persistency, math, simulation, grid computing, databases, graphics, etc. Other packages provide tools for documentation, debugging, scripting languages and compilers. All these packages are provided in a consistent manner on different compilers, architectures and operating systems. The Software Process and Infrastructure project (SPI) [1] is responsible for the continous testing, coordination, release and deployment of these software packages. The main driving force for the actions carried out by SPI are the needs of the LHC experiments, but also other HEP experiments could profit from the set of consistent libraries provided and receive a stable and well tested foundation to build their experiment software frameworks. This presentation will first provide a brief description of the tools and services provided for the coordination, testing, release, deployment and presentation of LCG/AA software packages and then focus on a second set of tools provided for outside LHC experiments to deploy a stable set of HEP related software packages both as binary distribution or from source.

Servicing HEP experiments with a complete set of ready integreated and configured common software components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roiser, Stefan; Gaspar, Ana; Perrin, Yves [CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23, PH Department, SFT Group (Switzerland); Kruzelecki, Karol, E-mail: stefan.roiser@cern.c, E-mail: ana.gaspar@cern.c, E-mail: yves.perrin@cern.c, E-mail: karol.kruzelecki@cern.c [CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23, PH Department, LBC Group (Switzerland)

2010-04-01

The LCG Applications Area at CERN provides basic software components for the LHC experiments such as ROOT, POOL, COOL which are developed in house and also a set of 'external' software packages (70) which are needed in addition such as Python, Boost, Qt, CLHEP, etc. These packages target many different areas of HEP computing such as data persistency, math, simulation, grid computing, databases, graphics, etc. Other packages provide tools for documentation, debugging, scripting languages and compilers. All these packages are provided in a consistent manner on different compilers, architectures and operating systems. The Software Process and Infrastructure project (SPI) [1] is responsible for the continous testing, coordination, release and deployment of these software packages. The main driving force for the actions carried out by SPI are the needs of the LHC experiments, but also other HEP experiments could profit from the set of consistent libraries provided and receive a stable and well tested foundation to build their experiment software frameworks. This presentation will first provide a brief description of the tools and services provided for the coordination, testing, release, deployment and presentation of LCG/AA software packages and then focus on a second set of tools provided for outside LHC experiments to deploy a stable set of HEP related software packages both as binary distribution or from source.

Tracking development assistance and government health expenditures for 35 malaria-eliminating countries: 1990-2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Shretta, Rima; Zelman, Brittany; Birger, Maxwell L; Haakenstad, Annie; Singh, Lavanya; Liu, Yingying; Dieleman, Joseph

2017-07-14

Donor financing for malaria has declined since 2010 and this trend is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. These reductions have a significant impact on lower burden countries actively pursuing elimination, which are usually a lesser priority for donors. While domestic spending on malaria has been growing, it varies substantially in speed and magnitude across countries. A clear understanding of spending patterns and trends in donor and domestic financing is needed to uncover critical investment gaps and opportunities. Building on the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's annual Financing Global Health research, data were collected from organizations that channel development assistance for health to the 35 countries actively pursuing malaria elimination. Where possible, development assistance for health (DAH) was categorized by spend on malaria intervention. A diverse set of data points were used to estimate government health budgets expenditure on malaria, including World Malaria Reports and government reports when available. Projections were done using regression analyses taking recipient country averages and earmarked funding into account. Since 2010, DAH for malaria has been declining for the 35 countries actively pursuing malaria elimination (from $176 million in 2010 to $62 million in 2013). The Global Fund is the largest external financier for malaria, providing 96% of the total external funding for malaria in 2013, with vector control interventions being the highest cost driver in all regions. Government expenditure on malaria, while increasing, has not kept pace with diminishing DAH or rising national GDP rates, leading to a potential gap in service delivery needed to attain elimination. Despite past gains, total financing available for malaria in elimination settings is declining. Health financing trends suggest that substantive policy interventions will be needed to ensure that malaria elimination is adequately financed and that

The da vinci robot system eliminates multispecialty surgical trainees' hand dominance in open and robotic surgical settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Badalato, Gina M; Shapiro, Edan; Rothberg, Michael B; Bergman, Ari; RoyChoudhury, Arindam; Korets, Ruslan; Patel, Trushar; Badani, Ketan K

2014-01-01

Handedness, or the inherent dominance of one hand's dexterity over the other's, is a factor in open surgery but has an unknown importance in robot-assisted surgery. We sought to examine whether the robotic surgery platform could eliminate the effect of inherent hand preference. Residents from the Urology and Obstetrics/Gynecology departments were enrolled. Ambidextrous and left-handed subjects were excluded. After completing a questionnaire, subjects performed three tasks modified from the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery curriculum. Tasks were performed by hand and then with the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California). Participants were randomized to begin with using either the left or the right hand, and then switch. Left:right ratios were calculated from scores based on time to task completion. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the significance of the impact of surgical technique on hand dominance. Ten subjects were enrolled. The mean difference in raw score performance between the right and left hands was 12.5 seconds for open tasks and 8 seconds for robotic tasks (Probot tasks, respectively (Probotic and open approaches for raw time scores (Phand, prior robotic experience, and comfort level. These findings remain to be validated in larger cohorts. The robotic technique reduces hand dominance in surgical trainees across all task domains. This finding contributes to the known advantages of robotic surgery.

Why Is 10 Past 10 the Default Setting for Clocks and Watches in Advertisements? A Psychological Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed A. Karim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Have you ever noticed that in watch advertisements the time is usually set at 10:10? The reasons and psychological effects of this default time setting are elusive. In Experiment 1, we hypothesized that watches showing a time setting resembling a smiling face (10:10 would enhance emotional valence and intention to buy compared to a neutral time setting (11:30, whereas a time setting resembling a sad face (8:20 would have the opposite effect. Moreover, we investigated a possible interaction effect with the gender of the participants. In Experiment 2, we directly tested the hypotheses that watches set at 10:10 resemble a smiling face, whereas watches set at 8:20 resemble a sad face. The data of the first experiment reveal that watches set at 10:10 showed a significant positive effect on the emotion of the observer and the intention to buy. However, watches set at 8:20 did not show any effect on the emotion or the intention to buy. Moreover, watches set at 10:10 induced in women significantly stronger ratings of pleasure than in men. The data of the second experiment show that participants consistently perceive high resemblance between watches set at 10:10 and a smiling face as well as high resemblance between watches set at 8:20 and a sad face. This study provides for the first time empirical evidence for the notion that using watches with a time setting resembling a smiling face (like 10:10 can positively affect the emotional response of the observers and their evaluation of a seen watch, even though they are not aware of the fact that the shown time setting is inducing this effect. Practical implications of the observed findings and alternative explanations are discussed.

Why Is 10 Past 10 the Default Setting for Clocks and Watches in Advertisements? A Psychological Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Ahmed A; Lützenkirchen, Britta; Khedr, Eman; Khalil, Radwa

2017-01-01

Have you ever noticed that in watch advertisements the time is usually set at 10:10? The reasons and psychological effects of this default time setting are elusive. In Experiment 1, we hypothesized that watches showing a time setting resembling a smiling face (10:10) would enhance emotional valence and intention to buy compared to a neutral time setting (11:30), whereas a time setting resembling a sad face (8:20) would have the opposite effect. Moreover, we investigated a possible interaction effect with the gender of the participants. In Experiment 2, we directly tested the hypotheses that watches set at 10:10 resemble a smiling face, whereas watches set at 8:20 resemble a sad face. The data of the first experiment reveal that watches set at 10:10 showed a significant positive effect on the emotion of the observer and the intention to buy. However, watches set at 8:20 did not show any effect on the emotion or the intention to buy. Moreover, watches set at 10:10 induced in women significantly stronger ratings of pleasure than in men. The data of the second experiment show that participants consistently perceive high resemblance between watches set at 10:10 and a smiling face as well as high resemblance between watches set at 8:20 and a sad face. This study provides for the first time empirical evidence for the notion that using watches with a time setting resembling a smiling face (like 10:10) can positively affect the emotional response of the observers and their evaluation of a seen watch, even though they are not aware of the fact that the shown time setting is inducing this effect. Practical implications of the observed findings and alternative explanations are discussed.

Eliminating Space Debris: Applied Technology and Policy Prescriptions, Fall 2007 - Project 07-02

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

Selfish maximization of the profit from property rights will lead to a socially efficient outcome. The negative externalities will be eliminated.52...Experiment (MSX)” MSX Celestial Backgrounds. 27 Dec. 2007 <http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/ipac/msx/msx.html> 155 Heyler, Gene “MSX Midcourse Space Experiment

Transcultural healthcare immersion: a unique interprofessional experience poised to influence collaborative practice in cultural settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Jennifer

2012-01-01

This paper describes a model for interprofessional and transcultural learning established by the author and supported by the University of New England and Ghana Health Mission, Inc. The model for interprofessional immersion in cultural settings represents a guiding framework predicated on a conceptual "brick and mortar" process for building cultural proficiency among individuals and within teams. It encompasses social, clinical and behavioral components (brick) and personal desire, cultural humility and values (mortar). The ``bounty'' aspect of the model is achieved by way of successful student learning outcomes, positive interprofessional and community-based collaborations, and finally, and to be measured over time, favorable patient and population (programmatic) outcomes. In partnership with the Ghana Health Mission, Inc and local community health workers, students and faculty from a range of health professions took part in a cultural-clinical experience known as Transcultural Immersion in Healthcare. The goal of the experience was to advance cultural proficiency and knowledge through intensive cultural immersion. An urban setting in Ghana, located in West Africa served as the setting for this unique experience. The transcultural immersion in healthcare experience achieved its ``bounty'' as seen in the enhanced cultural proficiency of students and faculty, seamless interprofessional communication and collaboration, and provision of primary care and related services to patients and the Ghanaian community. Future research is in development to test the Model for Interprofessional Immersion in Cultural Settings (MIICS) in a variety of other settings and with a cross section of health disciplines.

Eliminating malaria in Malaysia: the role of partnerships between the public and commercial sectors in Sabah

OpenAIRE

Sanders, Kelly C; Rundi, Christina; Jelip, Jenarun; Rashman, Yusof; Smith Gueye, Cara; Gosling, Roly D

2014-01-01

Background Countries in the Asia Pacific region have made great progress in the fight against malaria; several are rapidly approaching elimination. However, malaria control programmes operating in elimination settings face substantial challenges, particularly around mobile migrant populations, access to remote areas and the diversity of vectors with varying biting and breeding behaviours. These challenges can be addressed through subnational collaborations with commercial partners, such as mi...

Cut Elimination, Identity Elimination, and Interpolation in Super-Belnap Logics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Přenosil, Adam

2017-01-01

Roč. 105, č. 6 (2017), s. 1255-1289 ISSN 0039-3215 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP202/12/G061 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 689176 - SYSMICS Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : Super-Belnap logic s * Dunn–Belnap logic * Logic of Paradox * Strong Kleene logic * Exactly True Logic * Gentzen calculus * Cut elimination * Identity elimination * Interpolation Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Computer sciences, information science, bioinformathics (hardware development to be 2.2, social aspect to be 5.8) Impact factor: 0.589, year: 2016

Elimination device for metal impurities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagisawa, Ko.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To enable reuse of adsorbing materials by eliminating Fe 3 O 4 films reduced with adsorbing performance by way of electrolytic polishing and then forming fresh membranes using high temperature steams. Constitution: An elimination device is provided to a coolant clean-up system of a reactor for eliminating impurities such as cobalt. The elimination device comprises adsorbing materials made of stainless steel tips or the likes having Fe 3 O 4 films. The adsorbing materials are regenerated by applying an electric current between grid-like cathode plates and anode plates to leach out the Fe 3 O 4 films, washing out the electrolytic solution by cleaning water and then applying steams at high temperature onto the adsorbing materials to thereby form fresh Fe 3 O 4 films again thereon. The regeneration of the adsorbing materials enables to eliminate Co 60 and the like in the primary coolant efficiently. (Moriyama, K.)

Ghost marker detection and elimination in marker-based optical tracking systems for real-time tracking in stereotactic body radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Guanghua; Li, Jonathan; Huang, Yin; Mittauer, Kathryn; Lu, Bo; Liu, Chihray

2014-01-01

Purpose: To propose a simple model to explain the origin of ghost markers in marker-based optical tracking systems (OTS) and to develop retrospective strategies to detect and eliminate ghost markers. Methods: In marker-based OTS, ghost markers are virtual markers created due to the cross-talk between the two camera sensors, which can lead to system execution failure or inaccuracy in patient tracking. As a result, the users have to limit the number of markers and avoid certain marker configurations to reduce the chances of ghost markers. In this work, the authors propose retrospective strategies to detect and eliminate ghost markers. The two camera sensors were treated as mathematical points in space. The authors identified the coplanar within limit (CWL) condition as the necessary condition for ghost marker occurrence. A simple ghost marker detection method was proposed based on the model. Ghost marker elimination was achieved through pattern matching: a ghost marker-free reference set was matched with the optical marker set observed by the OTS; unmatched optical markers were eliminated as either ghost markers or misplaced markers. The pattern matching problem was formulated as a constraint satisfaction problem (using pairwise distances as constraints) and solved with an iterative backtracking algorithm. Wildcard markers were introduced to address missing or misplaced markers. An experiment was designed to measure the sensor positions and the limit for the CWL condition. The ghost marker detection and elimination algorithms were verified with samples collected from a five-marker jig and a nine-marker anthropomorphic phantom, rotated with the treatment couch from −60° to +60°. The accuracy of the pattern matching algorithm was further validated with marker patterns from 40 patients who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). For this purpose, a synthetic optical marker pattern was created for each patient by introducing ghost markers, marker position

Ghost marker detection and elimination in marker-based optical tracking systems for real-time tracking in stereotactic body radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Guanghua, E-mail: yan@ufl.edu; Li, Jonathan; Huang, Yin; Mittauer, Kathryn; Lu, Bo; Liu, Chihray [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610 (United States)

2014-10-15

Purpose: To propose a simple model to explain the origin of ghost markers in marker-based optical tracking systems (OTS) and to develop retrospective strategies to detect and eliminate ghost markers. Methods: In marker-based OTS, ghost markers are virtual markers created due to the cross-talk between the two camera sensors, which can lead to system execution failure or inaccuracy in patient tracking. As a result, the users have to limit the number of markers and avoid certain marker configurations to reduce the chances of ghost markers. In this work, the authors propose retrospective strategies to detect and eliminate ghost markers. The two camera sensors were treated as mathematical points in space. The authors identified the coplanar within limit (CWL) condition as the necessary condition for ghost marker occurrence. A simple ghost marker detection method was proposed based on the model. Ghost marker elimination was achieved through pattern matching: a ghost marker-free reference set was matched with the optical marker set observed by the OTS; unmatched optical markers were eliminated as either ghost markers or misplaced markers. The pattern matching problem was formulated as a constraint satisfaction problem (using pairwise distances as constraints) and solved with an iterative backtracking algorithm. Wildcard markers were introduced to address missing or misplaced markers. An experiment was designed to measure the sensor positions and the limit for the CWL condition. The ghost marker detection and elimination algorithms were verified with samples collected from a five-marker jig and a nine-marker anthropomorphic phantom, rotated with the treatment couch from −60° to +60°. The accuracy of the pattern matching algorithm was further validated with marker patterns from 40 patients who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). For this purpose, a synthetic optical marker pattern was created for each patient by introducing ghost markers, marker position

malERA: An updated research agenda for diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control in malaria elimination and eradication.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

Since the turn of the century, a remarkable expansion has been achieved in the range and effectiveness of products and strategies available to prevent, treat, and control malaria, including advances in diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control. These advances have once again put malaria elimination on the agenda. However, it is clear that even with the means available today, malaria control and elimination pose a formidable challenge in many settings. Thus, currently available resources must be used more effectively, and new products and approaches likely to achieve these goals must be developed. This paper considers tools (both those available and others that may be required) to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. New diagnostics are needed to direct treatment and detect transmission potential; new drugs and vaccines to overcome existing resistance and protect against clinical and severe disease, as well as block transmission and prevent relapses; and new vector control measures to overcome insecticide resistance and more powerfully interrupt transmission. It is also essential that strategies for combining new and existing approaches are developed for different settings to maximise their longevity and effectiveness in areas with continuing transmission and receptivity. For areas where local elimination has been recently achieved, understanding which measures are needed to maintain elimination is necessary to prevent rebound and the reestablishment of transmission. This becomes increasingly important as more countries move towards elimination.

Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Pediatric Elimination Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepard, Jaclyn A; Poler, Joseph E; Grabman, Jesse H

2017-01-01

Pediatric elimination disorders are common in childhood, yet psychosocial correlates are generally unclear. Given the physiological concomitants of both enuresis and encopresis, and the fact that many children with elimination disorders are initially brought to their primary care physician for treatment, medical evaluation and management are crucial and may serve as the first-line treatment approach. Scientific investigation on psychological and behavioral interventions has progressed over the past couple of decades, resulting in the identification of effective treatments for enuresis and encopresis. However, the body of literature has inherent challenges, particularly given the multicomponent nature of many of the treatment packages. This review identified 25 intervention studies-18 for nocturnal enuresis and 7 for encopresis-over the past 15 years and classified them according to the guidelines set forth by the Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures. For nocturnal enuresis, the urine alarm and dry-bed training were identified as well-established treatments, Full Spectrum Home Therapy was probably efficacious, lifting was possibly efficacious, and hypnotherapy and retention control training were classified as treatments of questionable efficacy. For encopresis, only two probably efficacious treatments were identified: biofeedback and enhanced toilet training (ETT). Best practice recommendations and suggestions for future research are provided to address existing limitations, including heterogeneity and the multicomponent nature of many of the interventions for pediatric elimination disorders.

Elimination of Dog-Mediated Human Rabies Deaths by 2030: Needs Assessment and Alternatives for Progress Based on Dog Vaccination

OpenAIRE

Wallace, Ryan M.; Undurraga, Eduardo A.; Blanton, Jesse D.; Cleaton, Julie; Franka, Richard

2017-01-01

Background Rabies imposes a substantial burden to about half of the world population. The World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization have set the goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. This could be achieved largely by massive administration of post-exposure prophylaxis—in perpetuity—, through elimination of dog rabies, or combining both. Here, we focused on the resources needed for the elimination...

Hybrid Compensatory-Noncompensatory Choice Sets in Semicompensatory Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaplan, Sigal; Bekhor, Shlomo; Shiftan, Yoram

2013-01-01

Semicompensatory models represent a choice process consisting of an elimination-based choice set formation on satisfaction of criterion thresholds and a utility-based choice. Current semicompensatory models assume a purely noncompensatory choice set formation and therefore do not support multinom...

The role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Njomo, Doris W; Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, Mary; Magambo, Japheth K; Njenga, Sammy M

2012-01-01

The main strategy adopted for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination globally is annual mass drug administration (MDA) for 4 to 6 rounds. At least 65% of the population at risk should be treated in each round for LF elimination to occur. In Kenya, MDA using diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole data shows declining compliance (proportion of eligible populations who receive and swallow the drugs) levels (85%-62.8%). The present study's aim was to determine the role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with MDA. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted between January and September 2009 in two districts based on December 2008 MDA round. In each district, one location with high and one with low compliance was selected. Through systematic sampling, nine villages were selected and interviewer-based questionnaires administered to 965 household heads or adult representatives also systematically sampled. The qualitative data were generated from opinion leaders, LF patients with clinical signs and community drug distributors (CDDs) all purposively selected and interviewed. Sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted with single-sex adult and youth male and female groups. Chi square test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in compliance with treatment based on the records reviewed. The house-to-house method of drug distribution influenced compliance. Over one-quarter (27%) in low compared to 15% in high compliance villages disliked this method. Problems related to size, number and taste of the drugs were more common in low (16.4%) than in high (14.4%) compliance villages. Reasons for failure to take the drugs were associated with compliance (pcompliance villages. Experience of side effects influenced compliance (Pcompliance in both types of villages (p>0.05). Community sensitization on treatment, drugs used, their regimen and distribution method involving all leaders should be strengthened by

Nurse managers' experiences in continuous quality improvement in resource-poor healthcare settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakyo, Tracy Alexis; Xiao, Lily Dongxia

2017-06-01

Ensuring safe and quality care for patients in hospitals is an important part of a nurse manager's role. Continuous quality improvement has been identified as one approach that leads to the delivery of quality care services to patients and is widely used by nurse managers to improve patient care. Nurse managers' experiences in initiating continuous quality improvement activities in resource-poor healthcare settings remain largely unknown. Research evidence is highly demanded in these settings to address disease burden and evidence-based practice. This interpretive qualitative study was conducted to gain an understanding of nurse managers' Continuous Quality Improvement experiences in rural hospitals in Uganda. Nurse managers in rural healthcare settings used their role to prioritize quality improvement activities, monitor the Continuous Quality Improvement process, and utilize in-service education to support continuous quality improvement. The nurse managers in our sample encountered a number of barriers during the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement, including: limited patient participation, lack of materials, and limited human resources. Efforts to address the challenges faced through good governance and leadership development require more attention. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Modern Approach to the Identification and Elimination of Periodontal Infection

OpenAIRE

Atanasovska-Stojanovska, Aneta

2012-01-01

In global terms, periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss, and causes serious aesthetic and functional problems. There are numerous scientific evidence that power periopathogenic microorganisms may have influence on some systemic conditions and diseases. If we add the fact that periimplantitis are caused by identical periopathogenes, management or effective identification and elimination of periodontal inflammation set as imperative in successful periodontal treatment and possible com...

Elimination of viruses, bacteria and protozoan oocysts by slow sand filtration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hijnen, W.A.M.; Visser, Ate; Schijven, J.F.; Bonné, P.; Medema, Gerriet Jan

2004-01-01

The decimal elimination capacity (DEC) of slow sand filters (SSF) for viruses, bacteria and oocysts of Cryptosporidium has been assessed from full-scale data and pilot plant and laboratory experiments. DEC for viruses calculated from experimental data with MS2-bacteriophages in the pilot plant

Albert Sabin and the Coalition to Eliminate Polio from the Americas.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, Lee

2009-01-01

Albert B. Sabin, MD, developer of the oral polio vaccine, was also a major proponent of its use in annual vaccination campaigns aimed at the elimination of polio. Sabin argued that administering his vaccine simultaneously to every child in a country would break polio's chains of transmission. Although he was already promoting mass vaccination by the 1960s, Sabin's efforts expanded considerably when he became an adviser to groups fighting polio in the Americas in the 1980s. Sabin's experiences provide a window into both the formation of the coalition that eliminated poliomyelitis from the Western Hemisphere and what can happen when biomedical researchers become public health policy advisers. Although the polio elimination coalition succeeded in part because member groups often accommodated each other's priorities, Sabin was often limited by his indifference to the interests of those he was advising and to the shortcomings of his vaccine.

Old ideas to innovate tuberculosis control: preventive treatment to achieve elimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Diel, Roland; Loddenkemper, Robert; Zellweger, Jean-Pierre; Sotgiu, Giovanni; D'Ambrosio, Lia; Centis, Rosella; van der Werf, Marieke J; Dara, Masoud; Detjen, Anne; Gondrie, Peter; Reichman, Lee; Blasi, Francesco; Migliori, Giovanni Battista

2013-09-01

The introduction of new rapid diagnostic tools for tuberculosis (TB) and the promising TB drugs pipeline together with the development of a new World Health Organization Strategy post 2015 allows new discussions on how to direct TB control. The European Respiratory Society's European Forum for TB Innovation was created to stimulate discussion on how to best take advantage of old and new opportunities, and advances, to improve TB control and eventually progress towards the elimination of TB. While TB control is aimed at reducing the incidence of TB by early diagnosis and treatment of infectious cases of TB, TB elimination requires focus on sterilising the pool of latently infected individuals, from which future TB cases would be generated. This manuscript describes the three core components that are necessary to implement the elimination strategy fully. 1) Improve diagnosis of latent TB infected individuals. 2) Improve regimens to treat latent TB infection. 3) ensure public health commitment to make both 1) and 2) possible. Old and new evidence is critically described, focusing on the European commitment to reach elimination and on the innovative experiences and best practices available.

Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Jo-An M; Fitzgerald, Lisa; Toaliu, Hilson; Taleo, George; Tynan, Anna; Whittaker, Maxine; Riley, Ian; Vallely, Andrew

2010-04-12

In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Nine focus group discussions (FGDs), 12 key informant interviews (KIIs), three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets); influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation for elimination will be essential and includes: 'sentinel sites

Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riley Ian

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Method Nine focus group discussions (FGDs, 12 key informant interviews (KIIs, three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets; influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. Results The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. Conclusion In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation

The Ilocos Norte Communities against Rabies Exposure Elimination Project in the Philippines: Epidemiological and Economic Aspects

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Anna Charinna B. Amparo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available As canine rabies control in Africa and Asia transitions from research-led proof-of-concept studies to government-led programs for elimination, experience and evidence of their impact and costs must be shared for the benefit of future programs. The Ilocos Norte Communities against Rabies Exposure project was implemented in April 2012 by the provincial veterinary and health offices and supported by many other partners. It delivered a comprehensive dog vaccination program and increased awareness of the need for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP, aiming to eliminate human and animal rabies cases from Ilocos Norte by 2015. Prior to the intervention, confirmed rabies cases in dogs were between 19 and 50 per year (2008–2011. The primary outcome of the project was a reduction in rabies cases in both dogs and humans to 0 in 2014 and 2015, which has subsequently been maintained. Animal bite consultations increased significantly during the project. Economic data for the dog vaccination and PEP components of the project were collated for two sites: Laoag City (an urban setting and Dingras Municipality (a rural setting between 2012 and 2014. The average programmatic cost of vaccinating each dog was $4.54 in Laoag City and $8.65 in Dingras, and costs fell as the project reached more dogs. The average costs of providing PEP were $69.72 per patient and $49.02 per patient for the two sites, respectively, again falling as the project reached more people. External donor contributions contributed less than 20% of dog vaccination costs and less than 1% of PEP costs. The project demonstrated that rabies elimination can be achieved in a short period of time, with concerted effort across multiple sectors. A lack of clear dog population estimates hampered interpretation of some aspects of the programme. From 2016, the provincial government has assumed complete responsibility for the programme and must now continue the vaccination and surveillance efforts. Although

OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES ELIMINATION MANAGEMENT: THE SUCCESS STORY OF MACEDONIA

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Margarita Matlievska

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Man, with its activities, produces and uses substances that have negative impact on the environment and the human health, and can cause an economic damage. Consequently, they have a great impact on quality of life. Among the most harmful chemicals are Ozone Depleting Substances that are subject of regulation with international conventions. This Paper supports the fact that each country has to undertake national efforts for ozone depleting substances reduction and elimination. In that respect, the general objective of the Paper is to present the Macedonian unique experience regarding its efforts to reduce or eliminate these substances. The following two aspects were subject to the research: national legislation which regulates the Ozone Depleting Substances import and export as well as the implementation of the projects that resulted with the elimination of Ozone Depleting Substances quantities in the period 1995 – 2010. The research outcomes confirm the starting research hypothesis i.e. that with adequately created and implemented national action, the amount of Ozone Depleting Substances consumption can dramatically fall.

Assessment of the Swedish EQ-5D experience-based value sets in a total hip replacement population.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemes, Szilárd; Burström, Kristina; Zethraeus, Niklas; Eneqvist, Ted; Garellick, Göran; Rolfson, Ola

2015-12-01

All patients undergoing elective total hip replacement (THR) in Sweden are asked to complete a survey, including the EQ-5D. Thus far, EQ-5D values have been presented using the UK TTO value set based on hypothetical values. Shift to the use of the recently introduced Swedish experience-based value set, derived from a representative Swedish population, is an appealing alternative. To investigate how accurate the Swedish experience-based VAS value set predicts observed EQ VAS values and to compare correlations between Swedish and UK value sets including two provisional value sets derived from the THR population. Pre- and one-year postoperative data from 56,062 THR patients from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register were used. Agreement between the observed and the predicted EQ VAS values was assessed with correlation. Based on pre- and postoperative data, we constructed two provisional VAS value sets. Correlations between observed and calculated values using the Swedish VAS value set were moderate (r = 0.46) in preoperative data and high (r = 0.72) in postoperative data. Correlations between UK and register-based value sets were constantly lower compared to Swedish value sets. Register-based values and Swedish values were highly correlated. The Swedish value sets are more accurate in terms of representation of the Swedish THR patients than the currently used UK TTO value set. We find it feasible to use the experience-based Swedish value sets for further presentation of EQ-5D values in the Swedish THR population.

Is the psychological refractory period effect for ideomotor compatible tasks eliminated by speed-stress instructions?

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Shin, Yun Kyoung; Cho, Yang Seok; Lien, Mei-Ching; Proctor, Robert W

2007-09-01

It has been argued that the psychological refractory period (PRP) effect is eliminated with two ideomotor compatible tasks when instructions stress fast and simultaneous responding. Three experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. In all experiments, Task 1 required spatially compatible manual responses (left or right) to the direction of an arrow, and Task 2 required saying the name of the auditory letter A or B. In Experiments 1 and 3, the manual responses were keypresses made with the left and right hands, whereas in Experiment 2 they were left-right toggle-switch movements made with the dominant hand. Instructions that stressed response speed reduced reaction time and increased error rate compared to standard instructions to respond fast and accurately, but did not eliminate the PRP effect on Task 2 reaction time. These results imply that, even when response speed is emphasized, ideomotor compatible tasks do not bypass response selection.

Elimination of radioactivity after intratracheal instillation of tritiated 3, 4-benzopyrene in hamsters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pylev, L N; Roe, F J.C.; Warwick, G P

1969-01-01

Injection and recovery experiments of tritiated 3,4-benzopyrene (BaP) injected alone or with particulate carriers into hamsters were performed. After 21 days, asbestos or carbon black carriers had significantly increased the retention of BaP in the lung. Elimination was rapid at first (2 weeks: and little influenced by carrier; slower rate of elimination was noted after that. Carriers increased recoverable macrophages but decreased the amount of radioactivity per macrophage. Radioactivity was similar in all groups for kidney, liver, blood, feces, and urine.

A Decision Logic Approach to Mill’s Eliminative Induction

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Piętka Dariusz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The subject of the paper is a contemporary interpretation of J.S. Mill’s elimination method using selected concepts of Zdzisław Pawlak’s decision logic. The aim of the interpretation is to reformulate the original rules (canons of Mill’s induction so that they correspond more precisely to his concept of cause as a complex sufficient condition. In the first part of the paper, we turn to Mill’s writings and justify the thesis that in his understanding the cause is an aggregation of circumstances, and not a single circumstance; next, we point out that Mill’s original canons (for example the canon of agreement and the canon of difference do not allow causes-aggregations to be singled out from empirical data. In the second part of this paper, we present such aspects of Z. Pawlak’s decision logic that serve as the basis for the formalisation of the method of eliminative induction. We describe exhaustively the schema of induction that involves a gradual - divided into three stages - simplification of a set of implications corresponding to the observed dependencies [system of potential causes, effect]. The simplification is deductive because it maintains consistency within the set of implications. We show that such schema is ideal for isolating complex causes (aggregations of circumstances, ultimately described using complex conditional formulas of decision logic.

Is mass drug administration against lymphatic filariasis required in urban settings? The experience in Kano, Nigeria.

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Dung D Pam

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF, launched in 2000, has the target of eliminating the disease as a public health problem by the year 2020. The strategy adopted is mass drug administration (MDA to all eligible individuals in endemic communities and the implementation of measures to reduce the morbidity of those suffering from chronic disease. Success has been recorded in many rural endemic communities in which elimination efforts have centered. However, implementation has been challenging in several urban African cities. The large cities of West Africa, exemplified in Nigeria in Kano are challenging for LF elimination program because reaching 65% therapeutic coverage during MDA is difficult. There is therefore a need to define a strategy which could complement MDA. Thus, in Kano State, Nigeria, while LF MDA had reached 33 of the 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs there remained eleven 'urban' LGAs which had not been covered by MDA. Given the challenges of achieving at least 65% coverage during MDA implementation over several years in order to achieve elimination, it may be challenging to eliminate LF in such settings. In order to plan the LF control activities, this study was undertaken to confirm the LF infection prevalence in the human and mosquito populations in three urban LGAs.The prevalence of circulating filarial antigen (CFA of Wuchereria bancrofti was assessed by an immuno-chromatography test (ICT in 981 people in three urban LGAs of Kano state, Nigeria. Mosquitoes were collected over a period of 4 months from May to August 2015 using exit traps, gravid traps and pyrethrum knock-down spray sheet collections (PSC in different households. A proportion of mosquitoes were analyzed for W. bancrofti, using dissection, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP assay and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR.The results showed that none of the 981 subjects (constituted of <21% of children 5-10 years old tested

Heterogeneity in the spread and control of infectious disease: consequences for the elimination of canine rabies

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Ferguson, Elaine A.; Hampson, Katie; Cleaveland, Sarah; Consunji, Ramona; Deray, Raffy; Friar, John; Haydon, Daniel T.; Jimenez, Joji; Pancipane, Marlon; Townsend, Sunny E.

2015-12-01

Understanding the factors influencing vaccination campaign effectiveness is vital in designing efficient disease elimination programmes. We investigated the importance of spatial heterogeneity in vaccination coverage and human-mediated dog movements for the elimination of endemic canine rabies by mass dog vaccination in Region VI of the Philippines (Western Visayas). Household survey data was used to parameterise a spatially-explicit rabies transmission model with realistic dog movement and vaccination coverage scenarios, assuming a basic reproduction number for rabies drawn from the literature. This showed that heterogeneous vaccination reduces elimination prospects relative to homogeneous vaccination at the same overall level. Had the three vaccination campaigns completed in Region VI in 2010-2012 been homogeneous, they would have eliminated rabies with high probability. However, given the observed heterogeneity, three further campaigns may be required to achieve elimination with probability 0.95. We recommend that heterogeneity be reduced in future campaigns through targeted efforts in low coverage areas, even at the expense of reduced coverage in previously high coverage areas. Reported human-mediated dog movements did not reduce elimination probability, so expending limited resources on restricting dog movements is unnecessary in this endemic setting. Enhanced surveillance will be necessary post-elimination, however, given the reintroduction risk from long-distance dog movements.

Radioactive wastes eliminating device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsutsuka, Norimasa.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To eliminate impurities and radioactive wastes by passing liquid sodium in a cold trap and an adsorption device. Constitution: Heated sodium is partially extracted from the core of a nuclear reactor by way of a pump, flown into and cooled in heat exchangers and then introduced into a cold trap for removal of impurities. The liquid sodium eliminated with impurities is introduced into an adsorption separator and purified by the elimination of radioactive wastes. The purified sodium is returned to the nuclear reactor. A heater is provided between the cold trap and the adsorption separator, so that the temperature of the liquid sodium introduced into the adsorption separator is not lower than the minimum temperature in the cold trap to thereby prevent deposition of impurities in the adsorption separator. (Kawakami, Y.)

Is the rate of whole-body nitrogen elimination influenced by exercise?

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Pendergast, D R; Senf, C; Lundgren, C E G

2012-01-01

Because it has earlier been shown that exercise 24 or two hours pre-dive may suppress the appearance of venous gas bubbles (VGB) in connection with the dive, we studied whether exercise before or during N2 elimination would influence the rate of the latter. Nitrogen elimination was recorded in eight volunteers breathing a normoxic O2+argon mixture for two hours. The N2 washout was preceded two (Condition A) or 24 hours (Condition B) earlier, by one hour of exercise at 85% VO2max (two hours of exercise interspersed with two hours of rest). In separate experiments, exercise at -40% of VO2max was performed throughout the two-hour washout (Condition C), and control experiments (Condition D) with denitrogenation without exercise were also performed. There were no significant differences among conditions for the total N2 eliminated (904 +/- 196 mL). The half-times of N2 washout for A (35.2 +/- 10.8 minutes) and B (31.9 +/- 8.6 minutes) did not differ from control washouts. The rate of washout in C increased 14% compared to D (half-time: 30.4 +/- 7.6 vs. 34.5 +/- 7.8 minutes, p = 0.002), and correlated with cardiac output. Exercise 24 or two hours pre-N2 washout did not affect it, suggesting that the decreased VGB scores noted by others in dives preceded by conditions similar to A and B are not due to changes in nitrogen exchange but rather to factors related to bubble formation and/or appearance. That N2 elimination is enhanced by concomitant exercise makes physiological sense but does not necessarily explain the observation by others of a reduced risk of decompression sickness with exercise before diving.

Exploring Rural High School Learners' Experience of Mathematics Anxiety in Academic Settings

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Hlalele, Dipane

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to explore rural high school learners' experience of mathematics anxiety in academic settings. Mathematics anxiety has been found to have an adverse effect on confidence, motivation and achievement. This quantitative study is exploratory and descriptive in nature. The participants were 403 learners doing mathematics in…

The experience of intimate partner violence in the context of the rural setting

Science.gov (United States)

Roush, karen

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a pervasive health and social problem in the United States; one in three women report being abused by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime. IPV presents unique challenges to women living in rural areas that increase their vulnerability, limit their options for safety, and hamper efforts to leave an abusive relationship. Yet there is little research examining the lived experience of WV in a general population of women in the rural setting. Also, though there is a large body of research on TV screening and health care providers' attitudes and beliefs, little is known about rural providers specifically. A mixed methods study exploring the lived experience of IPV in women in the context of the rural setting was conducted. Along with qualitative interviews with women with experience of IPV, I conducted a survey to examine the TV-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of the health care providers who interact with the women. The results from this study form a picture of the lives of women who experience IPV in the rural setting as one of isolation, fear, and uncertainty tempered by determination to understand and overcome the violence. Six major themes were identified, 1) living with violence, 2) protect self, 3) isolation, 4) search for understanding, 5) system level abuse, and 6) creating a new life. In contrast to earlier studies, health care providers demonstrated good overall knowledge and judicious attitudes about IPV and beliefs congruent with available evidence related to IPV. When looked at together the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the health care providers were aligned with the experiences voiced by the women participating in the interviews. The results of this study highlight the need for an interprofessional, public health approach that addresses the complex web of individual, social, cultural, economic, and political factors that create and feed the problem.

Environmental effects on energy metabolism and 86Rb elimination rates of fishes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, E.L.

1994-01-01

Relationships between energy metabolism and the turnover rates of number of important chemical and radiological elements (particularly the Group IA alkali metals: K, Rb, and Cs) have been observed in fishes. Using response surface statistics and fractional factorial ANOVA, the author examined the relative influences of temperature, salinity, food intake rate, mass, and their first order interactions on routine energy metabolism and 86 Rb elimination rates. Routine metabolic rates were increased primarily by increased temperature and salinity, with a strong body mass effect and a significant effect of food intake. 86 Rb elimination rates were increased primarily by increased temperature and salinity. There were no interactive effects between mass and either temperature or salinity for either routine energy metabolism or 86 Rb elimination rates. There was a significant interaction effect between temperature and salinity on routine energy metabolism rates, but not on 86 Rb elimination. The authors also observed a relationship between routine energy metabolism and 86 Rb elimination rates that may possibly be exploited as a means of estimating energy metabolic rates of fishes in the field. The statistical techniques used in this experiment have broad potential applications in assessing the contributions of combinations of environmental variables on contaminant kinetics, as well as in multiple toxicity testing, in that they greatly simplify experimental designs compared with traditional full-factorial methods

Unimolecular H2 elimination during the liquid phase radiolysis and photolysis of alkane - alkane mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojnarovits, L.; Foeldiak, G.

1980-01-01

Unimolecular H 2 elimination from alkanes was investigated in cyclopentane-cyclohexane, n-hexane-cyclohexane and cyclohexane-cyclooctane mixtures during fluradiolysis and 7.6 eV photolysis. During the radiolysis of all systems, and when the fluorescence shift law allowed it, during the photolysis as well, inhibited H 2 detachment was observed from the first component and sensitized hydrogen molecule elimination from the second. It has been concluded that the same excited state (the lowest singlet, S 1 ) is responsible for the H 2 elimination during radiolysis and photolysis and this is that one that gives rise to fluorescence in the experiments of other authors. The H 2 and H elimination from alkanes generally have different excited precursors. The direct population of S 1 by γ-irradiation is of limited importance and this intermediate is mainly produced in ''charge neutralization'' processes. (author)

Compact and lightweight support platform with electromagnetic disturbance elimination for interferometer on reversed field pinch Keda Torus eXperiment

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Mao, Wenzhe; Yuan, Peng; Zheng, Jian; Ding, Weixing; Li, Hong; Lan, Tao; Liu, Adi; Liu, Wandong; Xie, Jinlin

2016-11-01

A compact and lightweight support platform has been used as a holder for the interferometer system on the Keda Torus eXperiment (KTX), which is a reversed field pinch device. The vibration caused by the interaction between the time-varying magnetic field and the induced current driven in the metal optical components has been measured and, following comparison with the mechanical vibration of the KTX device and the refraction effect of the ambient turbulent air flow, has been identified as the primary vibration source in this case. To eliminate this electromagnetic disturbance, nonmetallic epoxy resin has been selected as the material for the support platform and the commercially available metal optical mounts are replaced. Following these optimization steps and mechanical reinforcements, the stability of the interferometer platform has improved significantly. The phase shift caused by the vibration has been reduced to the level of background noise.

Eliminating traditional reference services in an academic health sciences library: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Stephanie J

2011-01-01

Question: How were traditional librarian reference desk services successfully eliminated at one health sciences library? Setting: The analysis was done at an academic health sciences library at a major research university. Method: A gap analysis was performed, evaluating changes in the first eleven months through analysis of reference transaction and instructional session data. Main Results: Substantial increases were seen in the overall number of specialized reference transactions and those conducted by librarians lasting more than thirty minutes. The number of reference transactions overall increased after implementing the new model. Several new small-scale instructional initiatives began, though perhaps not directly related to the new model. Conclusion: Traditional reference desk services were eliminated at one academic health sciences library without negative impact on reference and instructional statistics. Eliminating ties to the confines of the physical library due to staffing reference desk hours removed one significant barrier to a more proactive liaison program. PMID:22022221

Experiences of violence, burnout and job satisfaction in Korean nurses in the emergency medical centre setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Hee Sook; Sok, Sohyune R

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the experience of violence in relation to burnout and job satisfaction in Korean nurses in the emergency medical centre setting. Participants were 236 nurses in the emergency medical centre setting of three metropolitan areas in Korea. Measures included a general characteristics form, characteristics related to experiences of violence, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data were collected from June 2013 to February 2014. In the prediction model, 33.4% of burnout was explained and 35.7% for job satisfaction. The greatest influence on burnout was handling violence, followed by verbal abuse. The greatest influence on job satisfaction was physical threat, followed by handling violence. The study shows that burnout and job satisfaction of Korean nurses in the emergency medical centre setting are related to experiences of violence such as verbal abuse, physical threat and physical violence, as well as handling violence. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Exploring rural high school learners' experience of mathematics anxiety in academic settings

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Dipane Hlalele

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to explore rural high school learners' experience of mathematics anxiety in academic settings. Mathematics anxiety has been found to have an adverse effect on confidence, motivation and achievement. This quantitative study is exploratory and descriptive in nature. The participants were 403 learners doing mathematics in 18 rural schools in the Free State province of South Africa. Participants completed a 20-item questionnaire and 373 (92.5% questionnaires were found to contain valid responses and were analysed by a professional statistician at the University of the Free State using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 17.0. The questionnaire was testedfor reliability using the Cronbach alpha coefficient and was found to have a reliability score of .841, indicating an acceptable reliability coefficient. Findings reveal that all learners sometimes, often, or always experience mathematics anxiety in academic settings. It is therefore important for teachers and authorities in education to observe its prevalence and to implement strategies toward the alleviation of the effects ofmathematics anxiety.

Two Sets of Piwi Proteins Are Involved in Distinct sRNA Pathways Leading to Elimination of Germline-Specific DNA

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Dominique I. Furrer

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Piwi proteins and piRNAs protect eukaryotic germlines against the spread of transposons. During development in the ciliate Paramecium, two Piwi-dependent sRNA classes are involved in the elimination of transposons and transposon-derived DNA: scan RNAs (scnRNAs, associated with Ptiwi01 and Ptiwi09, and iesRNAs, whose binding partners we now identify as Ptiwi10 and Ptiwi11. scnRNAs derive from the maternal genome and initiate DNA elimination during development, whereas iesRNAs continue DNA targeting until the removal process is complete. Here, we show that scnRNAs and iesRNAs are processed by distinct Dicer-like proteins and bind Piwi proteins in a mutually exclusive manner, suggesting separate biogenesis pathways. We also demonstrate that the PTIWI10 gene is transcribed from the developing nucleus and that its transcription depends on prior DNA excision, suggesting a mechanism of gene expression control triggered by the removal of short DNA segments interrupting the gene.

Children's moral experiences of crisis management in a child mental health setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Montreuil, Marjorie; Thibeault, Catherine; McHarg, Linda; Carnevale, Franco A

2018-02-15

The experiences of children related to conflict and crisis management in child mental health settings, especially those aged 12 and below, have been rarely studied. This study examined the moral experiences of children related to conflict and crisis management and the related use of restraint and seclusion in a child mental health setting. A 5-month focused ethnography using a participatory hermeneutic framework was conducted in a day hospital programme for children with severe disruptive disorders within a mental health institute. Children considered restraints and seclusion could help them feel safe in certain instances, for example if another child was being aggressive towards them or in exceptional cases to prevent self-injury. However, their own experiences of being restrained were predominantly negative, especially if not knowing the reason for their use, which they then found unfair. Some of the children emphasized the punitive nature of the use of restraints and seclusion, and most children disagreed with these practices when used as a punishment. Children's perspectives also highlighted the limits of the use of a uniform de-escalation approach by the staff to manage crises. Children considered discussing with the staff and developing a relationship with them as more helpful in case of a crisis then the use of a de-escalation approach or coercive strategies. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

EDF experience with open-quotes hot spotclose quotes management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guio, J.M. de

1995-01-01

During the past few years, open-quotes hot spotsclose quotes due to the presence of particles of metal activated during their migration through the reactor core, have been detected at several French pressurized water reactor (PWR) units. These open-quotes hot spots,close quotes which generate very high dose rates (from about 10 Gy/h to 200 G/h) are a significant factor in increase occupational exposures during outrates. Of particular concern are the difficult cases which prolong outage duration and increase the volume of radiological waste. Confronted with this situation, Electricite de France (EDF) has set up a national research group, as part of its ALARA program, to establish procedures and techniques to avoid, detect, and eliminate of hot spots. In particular, specific processes have been developed to eliminate these hot spots which are most costly in terms of occupational exposure due to the need for reactor maintenance. This paper sets out the general approach adopted at EDF so far to cope with the problem of hot spots, illustrated by experience at Blayais 3 and 4

Accumulation and Elimination of 137Cs Radionuclide by gold fish (Cyprinus Carpio)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiswara, E; Tjahaya, I P; Wahyudi

1996-01-01

A study to estimate accumulation and elimination of 137Cs radionuclide by gold fish (Cyprinus Carpio) has been carried out. The experiment used aquarium as a cultivating media. Gold fish was placed into aquarium filled with 70 liter of water and 137Cs concentration of 10 Bq/ml. From the observing time of 40 days it was found that activity concentration in fish became saturated in 30th day. Saturation after the 30th day was confined by additional observation using 137Cs concentration of 5 and 15 Bq/ml. Saturated concentration fish was then transfered to inactive aquarium to determine is elimination rate. Transfer factor, i.e. the ratio of 137Cs concentration in fish to that in water, was found to be (12.99+0.28) ml/g, whereas the elimination rate of 137Cs was found to be 0.046 day, which correspond to a biological half life of 15 days

USCIS Backlog Elimination

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Homeland Security — USCIS is streamlining the way immigration benefits are delivered. By working smarter and eliminating redundancies, USCIS is bringing a business model to government....

Elimination of harmonics in multilevel inverters with non-equal dc sources using PSO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Othman, A.K.; Abdelhamid, Tamer H.

2009-01-01

Multilevel inverters supplied from equal and constant dc sources almost do not exist in practical applications. The variation of the dc sources affects the values of the switching angles required for each specific harmonic profile, as well as increases the difficulty of the harmonic elimination's equations. This paper presents an extremely fast optimal solution of harmonic elimination of multilevel inverters with non-equal dc sources using a novel Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The overall system is suitable for large variable speed drives, UPS systems, and on-line utility applications such as static var compensation. A set of mathematical equations describing the general output waveform of the multilevel inverter with non-equal dc sources is formulated. PSO is then employed to compute the optimal solution set of switching angles, if it exists, for each required harmonic profile. Theoretical studies for different case studies regarding the number of levels and harmonic profile are carried out to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed technique, and validated through both simulations and laboratory experimentation

Adrenalectomy eliminates the extinction spike in autoshaping with rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, B L; Papini, M R

2001-03-01

Experiment 1, using rats, investigated the effect of adrenalectomy (ADX) on the invigoration of lever-contact performance that occurs in the autoshaping situation after a shift from acquisition to extinction (called the extinction spike). Groups of rats with ADX or sham operations were trained under spaced and massed conditions [average intertrial intervals (ITI) of either 15 or 90 s] for 10 sessions and then shifted to extinction. ADX did not affect acquisition training but it eliminated the extinction spike. Plasma corticosterone levels during acquisition were shown in Experiment 2 to be similar in rats trained under spaced or massed conditions. Adrenal participation in the emotional arousal induced by conditions of surprising nonreward (e.g., extinction) is discussed.

Goal setting with type 2 diabetes: a hermeneutic analysis of the experiences of diabetes educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Susan E; Boyd, Angela; Ballejos, Miriam; Kynast-Gales, Susan A; Malemute, Charlene L; Armstrong Shultz, Jill; Vandermause, Roxanne K

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explicate and interpret common experiences of diabetes educators (DEs) with patient goal setting for patients with type 2 diabetes in diabetes education. Transcripts (n = 10) from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to more deeply explore the accounts of DEs' goal setting with patients with type 2 diabetes. The overarching pattern that emerged was "Striking a Balance," which subsumed 4 subthemes: Applying Theoretical-Practical Principles When Setting Goals, Identifying Idealistic-Realistic Expectations, Creating Patient-Educator-Centered Plans, and Readying-Living With Goal Setting. The pattern, "Striking a Balance," revealed a common meaning of DEs as experiences requiring balance and nuance in goal setting with patients. The results of this study combined with the tenets of the self-determination theory can provide the DEs with real-life exemplars and a theoretical framework to encourage their patients to self-manage, increase intrinsic motivation, and improve adherence related to their lifestyle changes and glycemic control. DEs, as facilitators of change, can implement these changes with flexible and reciprocal activities with their patients. The DEs owned these activities and they are: "building the bond," "sharing the session," "readying for change," "sending them home," and "bringing them back."

Elimination of Chloramphenicol by Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon and White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei

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Heny Suseno

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Chloramphenicol (CAP has been illegally used in many shrimp farms in South East Asia, including Indonesia. We performed an experiment of elimination simulation of CAP in tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon and white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei. After 5 days of depuration process, the concentration of CAP in P. monodon decreased to 94.85% (muscle, 97.98% (cephalothoraxes, and 90.30% (exoskeleton. The elimination half-life of CAP in P monodon was 0.596 day in the muscle, 0.716 day in cephalothorax, and 0.437 day in exoskeleton. On the other hand, concentrations of CAP in L. vannamei decreased to 97.74% (muscle, 90.30% (cephalothoraxes, and 97.63% (exoskeleton. The elimination half-life of CAP in L. vannamei was 0.6624 day (muscle, 0.859 day (cephalothorax, and 0.796 day (exoskeleton. CAP was retained better by P. monodon compared to L. vannamei.

Global elimination of leprosy by 2020: are we on track?

Science.gov (United States)

Blok, David J; De Vlas, Sake J; Richardus, Jan Hendrik

2015-10-22

Every year more than 200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. WHO has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020. The aim of this study is to investigate whether this target, interpreted as global elimination, is feasible given the current control strategy. We focus on the three most important endemic countries, India, Brazil and Indonesia, which together account for more than 80 % of all newly registered leprosy cases. We used the existing individual-based model SIMCOLEP to predict future trends of leprosy incidence given the current control strategy in each country. SIMCOLEP simulates the spread of M. leprae in a population that is structured in households. Current control consists of passive and active case detection, and multidrug therapy (MDT). Predictions of leprosy incidence were made for each country as well as for one high-endemic region within each country: Chhattisgarh (India), Pará State (Brazil) and Madura (Indonesia). Data for model quantification came from: National Leprosy Elimination Program (India), SINAN database (Brazil), and Netherlands Leprosy Relief (Indonesia). Our projections of future leprosy incidence all show a downward trend. In 2020, the country-level leprosy incidence has decreased to 6.2, 6.1 and 3.3 per 100,000 in India, Brazil and Indonesia, respectively, meeting the elimination target of less than 10 per 100,000. However, elimination may not be achieved in time for the high-endemic regions. The leprosy incidence in 2020 is predicted to be 16.2, 21.1 and 19.3 per 100,000 in Chhattisgarh, Pará and Madura, respectively, and the target may only be achieved in another 5 to 10 years. Our predictions show that although country-level elimination is reached by 2020, leprosy is likely to remain a problem in the high-endemic regions (i.e. states, districts and provinces with multimillion populations), which account for most of the cases in a

The Experience of Adolescents and Young Adults Treated for Cancer in an Adult Setting: A Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Steve; Grinyer, Anne; Limmer, Mark

2018-02-13

The purpose of this review is to explore the literature on the experience of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) having cancer treatment in an adult setting, rather than on a specialist adolescent cancer unit. The integrative review method was used to explore the current literature. Primary research on the topic was located systematically and then synthesized into a thematic narrative. The experience of AYAs undergoing treatment in an adult setting was generally negative. This can be attributed to three themes: feeling isolated in the adult setting; the lack of empathy from staff working in the adult setting; and the inappropriateness of the adult environment for this age group. As many AYAs with cancer will continue to have treatment in adult settings, staff working in this environment should be aware of the negative experience of this cohort and the impact this can have on a vulnerable group of patients. Staff could consider simple ways of improving the AYA experience, such as connecting AYA patients with their peers to reduce isolation; adapting their approach to take account of the unique emotional needs of this age group; and considering ways of making the environment more welcoming and age-appropriate.

Application of Quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination Code to Quantum Secret Sharing Code

Science.gov (United States)

Diep, Do Ngoc; Giang, Do Hoang; Phu, Phan Huy

2018-03-01

The QSS codes associated with a MSP code are based on finding an invertible matrix V, solving the system vATMB (s a)=s. We propose a quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination Procedure to produce such a pivotal matrix V by using the Grover search code. The complexity of solving is of square-root order of the cardinal number of the unauthorized set √ {2^{|B|}}.

Fuzzy sets on step of planning of experiment for organization and management of construction processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lapidus Azariy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, problems of mathematical modeling and experiment planning of the organization and management of construction. The authors designated the basic restrictions and the difficulties in this field. Concluded that the planning of research experiment is possible in the information sphere with using of heuristic, graphical, mathematical models, as well as neural networks and genetic algorithms. The authors note the need for use of expert information in the case of the formalization of quality parameters. The article presented an overview of the translation methods of qualitative information into mathematical language. Comparison of methods the qualimetry of USSR scientists, the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy set theory were performed. The benefits of the latter for interpretation of qualitative parameters were identified. The authors have given many examples of application fuzzy sets for formalization of organizational factors of construction processes. Finally, there conclusion was made about progressiveness and effectiveness of fuzzy set theory to describe the qualitative parameters of organization and management of construction.

Local population structure of Plasmodium: impact on malaria control and elimination

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Chenet Stella M

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Regardless of the growing interest in detecting population structures in malarial parasites, there have been limited discussions on how to use this concept in control programmes. In such context, the effects of the parasite population structures will depend on interventions’ spatial or temporal scales. This investigation explores the problem of identifying genetic markers, in this case microsatellites, to unveil Plasmodium genetic structures that could affect decisions in the context of elimination. The study was performed in a low-transmission area, which offers a good proxy to better understand problems associated with surveillance at the final stages of malaria elimination. Methods Plasmodium vivax samples collected in Tumeremo, Venezuela, between March 2003 and November 2004 were analysed. Since Plasmodium falciparum also circulates in many low endemic areas, P. falciparum samples from the same locality and time period were included for comparison. Plasmodium vivax samples were assayed for an original set of 25 microsatellites and P. falciparum samples were assayed for 12 microsatellites. Results Not all microsatellite loci assayed offered reliable local data. A complex temporal-cluster dynamics is found in both P. vivax and P. falciparum. Such dynamics affect the numbers and the type of microsatellites required for identifying individual parasites or parasite clusters when performing cross-sectional studies. The minimum number of microsatellites required to differentiate circulating P. vivax clusters differs from the minimum number of hyper-variable microsatellites required to distinguish individuals within these clusters. Regardless the extended number of microsatellites used in P. vivax, it was not possible to separate all individual infections. Conclusions Molecular surveillance has great potential; however, it requires preliminary local studies in order to properly interpret the emerging patterns in the context of

Cut elimination in multifocused linear logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guenot, Nicolas; Brock-Nannestad, Taus

2015-01-01

We study cut elimination for a multifocused variant of full linear logic in the sequent calculus. The multifocused normal form of proofs yields problems that do not appear in a standard focused system, related to the constraints in grouping rule instances in focusing phases. We show that cut...... elimination can be performed in a sensible way even though the proof requires some specific lemmas to deal with multifocusing phases, and discuss the difficulties arising with cut elimination when considering normal forms of proofs in linear logic....

EDF experience with {open_quotes}hot spot{close_quotes} management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guio, J.M. de [Blayais Nuclear Power Plant, St. Ciers (France)

1995-03-01

During the past few years, {open_quotes}hot spots{close_quotes} due to the presence of particles of metal activated during their migration through the reactor core, have been detected at several French pressurized water reactor (PWR) units. These {open_quotes}hot spots,{close_quotes} which generate very high dose rates (from about 10 Gy/h to 200 G/h) are a significant factor in increase occupational exposures during outrates. Of particular concern are the difficult cases which prolong outage duration and increase the volume of radiological waste. Confronted with this situation, Electricite de France (EDF) has set up a national research group, as part of its ALARA program, to establish procedures and techniques to avoid, detect, and eliminate of hot spots. In particular, specific processes have been developed to eliminate these hot spots which are most costly in terms of occupational exposure due to the need for reactor maintenance. This paper sets out the general approach adopted at EDF so far to cope with the problem of hot spots, illustrated by experience at Blayais 3 and 4.

Appropriate criteria set for personnel promotion across organizational levels using analytic hierarchy process (AHP

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Charles Noven Castillo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, there has been limited established specific set of criteria for personnel promotion to each level of the organization. This study is conducted in order to develop a personnel promotion strategy by identifying specific sets of criteria for each level of the organization. The complexity of identifying the criteria set along with the subjectivity of these criteria require the use of multi-criteria decision-making approach particularly the analytic hierarchy process (AHP. Results show different sets of criteria for each management level which are consistent with several frameworks in literature. These criteria sets would help avoid mismatch of employee skills and competencies and their job, and at the same time eliminate the issues in personnel promotion such as favouritism, glass ceiling, and gender and physical attractiveness preference. This work also shows that personality and traits, job satisfaction and experience and skills are more critical rather than social capital across different organizational levels. The contribution of this work is in identifying relevant criteria in developing a personnel promotion strategy across organizational levels.

Mercury bioaccumulation and elimination by Xenomelanires brasiliensis - radioactive tracers technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malagrino, Waldir; Mesquita, Carlos Henrique de; Sousa, Eduinetty Ceci P.M. de

2002-01-01

The present work has as main objective to emphasized the importance of using radioactive tracers as well as to establish a methodology for the utilization of 203 Hg in the bioaccumulation study of mercury by X enomelanires brasiliensis. The exposure time was 168 hours. The bioaccumulation of mercury from the water as well as the elimination of the metal previously absorbed were determined by measuring the activity of 203 Hg, which was added to the water in the beginning of the experiments. The technique chosen is suitable to study the behavior of the stable mercury since the radioisotope used is an isotope of the same element and therefore presents the same chemical properties. The results obtained show that the absorption and elimination of mercury by Xenomelanires brasiliensis is slow, 168 hours being necessary for the elimination of 38 % of the previously absorbed mercury. The results are of main concern if it is considered that the literature about bioaccumulation of mercury by the Brazilian ichthyofauna is scarce. Furthermore the species Xenomelanires brasiliensis is part of the food chain and the results can be used in the evaluation of the potential risk of the mercury bioaccumulation by fishes of higher trophic levels and by men who are the final link of the food chain. (author)

Herbivory eliminates fitness costs of mutualism exploiters.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonsen, Anna K; Stinchcombe, John R

2014-04-01

A common empirical observation in mutualistic interactions is the persistence of variation in partner quality and, in particular, the persistence of exploitative phenotypes. For mutualisms between hosts and symbionts, most mutualism theory assumes that exploiters always impose fitness costs on their host. We exposed legume hosts to mutualistic (nitrogen-fixing) and exploitative (non-nitrogen-fixing) symbiotic rhizobia in field conditions, and manipulated the presence or absence of insect herbivory to determine if the costly fitness effects of exploitative rhizobia are context-dependent. Exploitative rhizobia predictably reduced host fitness when herbivores were excluded. However, insects caused greater damage on hosts associating with mutualistic rhizobia, as a consequence of feeding preferences related to leaf nitrogen content, resulting in the elimination of fitness costs imposed on hosts by exploitative rhizobia. Our experiment shows that herbivory is potentially an important factor in influencing the evolutionary dynamic between legumes and rhizobia. Partner choice and host sanctioning are theoretically predicted to stabilize mutualisms by reducing the frequency of exploitative symbionts. We argue that herbivore pressure may actually weaken selection on choice and sanction mechanisms, thus providing one explanation of why host-based discrimination mechanisms may not be completely effective in eliminating nonbeneficial partners. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Elimination of Ideas and Professional Socialisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gravengaard, Gitte; Rimestad, Lene

2012-01-01

. Our aim is to study how this building of expertise takes place at meetings with a particular focus on the decision-making process concerning ideas for new news stories. In order to do this, we perform linguistic analysis of news production practices, as we investigate how the journalists' ideas...... for potential news stories are eliminated by the editor at the daily newsroom meetings. The elimination of ideas for news stories are not just eliminations; they are also corrections of culturally undesirable behaviour producing and reproducing the proper perception of an important object of knowledge...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2011-01-01

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

Four years experience with filtration systems in commercial nurseries for eliminating Phytophthora species from recirculation water

Science.gov (United States)

T. Ufer; M. Posner; H.-P. Wessels; S. Wagner; K. Kaminski; T. Brand; Werres S.

2008-01-01

In a four year project, three different filtration systems were tested under commercial nursery conditions to eliminate Phytophthora spp. from irrigation water. Five nurseries were involved in the project. Slow sand filtration systems were tested in three nurseries. In the fourth nursery, a filtration system with lava grains (Shieer® Bio filtration)...

A Qualitative Inquiry into Nursing Students’ Experience of Facilitating Reflection in Clinical Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahnaz Karimi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim. Reflection is known as a skill that is central to nursing students’ professional development. Due to the importance and the role of reflection in clinical areas of nursing, it is important to know how to achieve it. However, nursing trainers face the challenge of how to help their students to improve reflection in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the nursing students’ experiences of facilitating reflection during clinical practice. This qualitative study was conducted by qualitative content analysis approach. Twenty nursing students during the second to eighth semester of their educational program were selected for participation using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. The interview was transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the data analysis, four main themes were extracted. Motivation to reflect, complex experiences, efficient trainer, and effective relations were four main themes obtained from study that, in interaction with each other, had facilitating roles in students’ reflective process on experiences. The findings revealed that the nursing students’ reflection in clinical settings is effective in personal and professional level. Reflection of nursing students depends on motivational and educational factors and these factors increase the quality of care in patients. Furthermore, nursing educators need to create nurturing climate as well as supporting reflective behaviors of nursing students.

Spectator experience management at FIA World Rally Championship events

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Dr Hans Erik Næss

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In light of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA call for research into what is needed to make world motorsport championships grow towards 2025, this paper responds by offering a framework for improving spectator experiences at the service parks of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC events based on five design principles of ‘the experience economy’: 1 theme the experience, 2 harmonise impressions with positive cues, 3 eliminate negative cues, 4 mix in memorabilia and 5 engage the senses. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork on seven WRC events in the period 2009-15, the result is a comprehensive set of findings that, while tailored to meet the WRC’s challenges, also includes theoretical and methodological insights relevant to other sporting bodies on how to manage spectator experiences to competitive advantage.

Neonatal tetanus elimination in Pakistan: progress and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambo, Jonathan A; Nagulesapillai, Tharsiya

2012-12-01

Pakistan is one of the 34 countries that have not achieved the neonatal tetanus (NT) global elimination target set by the World Health Organization (WHO). NT, caused by Clostridium tetani, is a highly fatal infection of the neonatal period. It is one of the most underreported diseases and remains a major but preventable cause of neonatal and infant mortality in many developing countries. In 1989, the World Health Assembly called for the elimination of NT by 1995, and since then considerable progress has been made using the following strategies: clean delivery practices, routine tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization of pregnant women, and immunization of all women of childbearing age with three doses of TT vaccine in high-risk areas during supplementary immunization campaigns. This review presents the activities, progress, and challenges in achieving NT elimination in Pakistan. A review of the literature found TT vaccination coverage in Pakistan ranged from 60% to 74% over the last decade. Low vaccination coverage, the main driver for NT in Pakistan, is due to many factors, including demand failure for TT vaccine resulting from inadequate knowledge of TT vaccine among reproductive age females and inadequate information about the benefits of TT provided by health care workers and the media. Other factors linked to low vaccination coverage include residing in rural areas, lack of formal education, poor knowledge about place and time to get vaccinated, and lack of awareness about the importance of vaccination. A disparity exists in TT vaccination coverage and antenatal care between urban and rural areas due to access and utilization of health care services. NT reporting is incomplete, as cases from the private sector and rural areas are underreported. To successfully eliminate NT, women of reproductive age must be made aware of the benefits of TT vaccine, not only to themselves, but also to their families. Effective communication strategies for TT vaccine delivery and

Handling of uncertainty due to interference fringe in FT-NIR transmittance spectroscopy - Performance comparison of interference elimination techniques using glucose-water system

Science.gov (United States)

Beganović, Anel; Beć, Krzysztof B.; Henn, Raphael; Huck, Christian W.

2018-05-01

The applicability of two elimination techniques for interferences occurring in measurements with cells of short pathlength using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was evaluated. Due to the growing interest in the field of vibrational spectroscopy in aqueous biological fluids (e.g. glucose in blood), aqueous solutions of D-(+)-glucose were prepared and split into a calibration set and an independent validation set. All samples were measured with two FT-NIR spectrometers at various spectral resolutions. Moving average smoothing (MAS) and fast Fourier transform filter (FFT filter) were applied to the interference affected FT-NIR spectra in order to eliminate the interference pattern. After data pre-treatment, partial least squares regression (PLSR) models using different NIR regions were constructed using untreated (interference affected) spectra and spectra treated with MAS and FFT filter. The prediction of the independent validation set revealed information about the performance of the utilized interference elimination techniques, as well as the different NIR regions. The results showed that the combination band of water at approx. 5200 cm-1 is of great importance since its performance was superior to the one of the so-called first overtone of water at approx. 6800 cm-1. Furthermore, this work demonstrated that MAS and FFT filter are fast and easy-to-use techniques for the elimination of interference fringes in FT-NIR transmittance spectroscopy.

Titanium nitride coatings synthesized by IPD method with eliminated current oscillations

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Chodun Rafał

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the effects of elimination of current oscillations within the coaxial plasma accelerator during IPD deposition process on the morphology, phase structure and properties of synthesized TiN coatings. Current observations of waveforms have been made by use of an oscilloscope. As a test material for experiments, titanium nitride TiN coatings synthesized on silicon and high-speed steel substrates were used. The coatings morphology, phase composition and wear resistance properties were determined. The character of current waveforms in the plasma accelerator electric circuit plays a crucial role during the coatings synthesis process. Elimination of the current oscillations leads to obtaining an ultrafine grained structure of titanium nitride coatings and to disappearance of the tendency to structure columnarization. The coatings obtained during processes of a non-oscillating character are distinguished by better wear-resistance properties.

SeriousGeoGames - Geoscience Virtual Reality Experiences for Festival Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Christopher

2017-04-01

Festivals, fairs and showcases provide scientists an opportunity to engage with potentially thousands of members of the public in a short space of time. However, the festival setting provides the same members of the public many exhibits competing for their attention - for family groups, this means a successful exhibit must both attract the attention of the group, and also entertain them long enough for the scientist to communicate their message. Here, we will discuss the use of short Virtual Reality (VR) experiences by the SeriousGeoGames project in engaging the public with research in a festival-like setting. SeriousGeoGames uses bespoke, immersive VR experiences to both attract and engage the user. They merge scientific models and/or research field data with popular gaming engines, and present them in VR using the Oculus Rift headset. The experiences are designed to last around four minutes and follow a basic script, although a conversational tone is encouraged. SeriousGeoGames applications have been successfully exhibited at several festivals of different sizes and intended audiences, such as the national-level week-long Cheltenham Science Festival, and the local arts and cultural festival, Hull Freedom Festival. The Flash Flood! application was developed for the Natural Environment Research Council UK (NERC) Flooding from Intense Rainfall (FFIR) programme as a Knowledge Transfer (KT) tool. It was demonstrated at the 5-day NERC Into the blue Science Showcase as one of 38 stands highlighting the UK's cutting edge environmental science research. Over 5000 members of the public attended, and more than 1000 demonstrations of Flash Flood! were made, with 400 booklets handed out. The exhibit received positive feedback from users, and won third prize in a public vote for favourite stand - but this had little visible impact on online metrics of the SeriousGeoGames web presence. In terms of providing a 'positive experience' with science the application was successfully

Reverse cope elimination of hydroxylamines and alkenes or alkynes: theoretical investigation of tether length and substituent effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Krenske, Elizabeth H; Davison, Edwin C; Forbes, Ian T; Warner, Jacqueline A; Smith, Adrian L; Holmes, Andrew B; Houk, K N

2012-02-01

Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to study the intramolecular additions of hydroxylamines to alkenes and alkynes ("reverse Cope eliminations"). In intermolecular reverse Cope eliminations, alkynes are more reactive than alkenes. However, competition experiments have shown that tethering the hydroxylamine to the alkene or alkyne can reverse the reactivity order from that normally observed. The exact outcome depends on the length of the tether. In agreement with experiment, a range of density functional theory methods and CBS-QB3 calculations predict that the activation energies for intramolecular reverse Cope eliminations follow the order 6-exo-dig hydroxylamine and alkyne. Cyclization onto an alkene in the 5-exo-trig fashion incurs slightly less tether strain than a 6-exo-dig alkyne cyclization, but its activation energy is higher because the hydroxylamine fragment must distort more before the TS is reached. If the alkene terminus is substituted with two methyl groups, the barrier becomes so much higher that it is also disfavored compared to the 5- and 7-exo-dig cyclizations. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Activity Settings and Daily Routines in Preschool Classrooms: Diverse Experiences in Early Learning Settings for Low-Income Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuligni, Allison Sidle; Howes, Carollee; Huang, Yiching; Hong, Sandra Soliday; Lara-Cinisomo, Sandraluz

2012-06-01

This paper examines activity settings and daily classroom routines experienced by 3- and 4-year-old low-income children in public center-based preschool programs, private center-based programs, and family child care homes. Two daily routine profiles were identified using a time-sampling coding procedure: a High Free-Choice pattern in which children spent a majority of their day engaged in child-directed free-choice activity settings combined with relatively low amounts of teacher-directed activity, and a Structured-Balanced pattern in which children spent relatively equal proportions of their day engaged in child-directed free-choice activity settings and teacher-directed small- and whole-group activities. Daily routine profiles were associated with program type and curriculum use but not with measures of process quality. Children in Structured-Balanced classrooms had more opportunities to engage in language and literacy and math activities, whereas children in High Free-Choice classrooms had more opportunities for gross motor and fantasy play. Being in a Structured-Balanced classroom was associated with children's language scores but profiles were not associated with measures of children's math reasoning or socio-emotional behavior. Consideration of teachers' structuring of daily routines represents a valuable way to understand nuances in the provision of learning experiences for young children in the context of current views about developmentally appropriate practice and school readiness.

76 FR 24802 - Eliminating the Decision Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-03

... 0960-AG80 Eliminating the Decision Review Board AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final rules. SUMMARY: We are eliminating the Decision Review Board (DRB) portions of part 405 of our rules...-level process. DSI also eliminated review by the Appeals Council, the final step in our administrative...

Electron-impact and pyrolytic eliminations from 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl xanthates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eadon, G.; Jefson, M.

1976-01-01

The stereochemistry of electron--impact induced xanthic acid elimination reactions was assessed by mass spectrographic studies of cis and trans deuterated 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl xanthates and their derivatives. Cis elimination was observed to be about 30 times as facile as trans elimination in the axial xanthate reaction. In the equatorial ester derivative reactions, the cis elimination was found to be slightly preferred. The electron-impact induced elimination results were compared with pyrolytic elimination results for the xanthates; and similar stereochemistry was observed for each type of elimination

How To Eliminate Narcissism Overnight: DSM-V and the Death of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Pies, Ronald

2011-02-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition appears likely to eliminate the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. There are significant problems with the discriminant validity of the current narcissistic personality disorder critiera set; furthermore, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition's narrow focus on "grandiosity" probably contributes to the wide disparity between low narcissistic personality disorder prevalence rates in epidemiological studies and high rates of narcissistic personality disorder in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the best course of action may be to refine the narcissistic personality disorder criteria, followed by careful field testing and a search for biomarkers, rather than wholesale elimination of the narcissistic personality disorder category. The construct of "malignant narcissism" is also worthy of more intense empirical investigation.

Improved set of criticality accident detectors used in the intercomparison experiment in Valduc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jozefowicz, K.; Golnik, N.

1996-01-01

An improved set of critically accident detectors has been elaborated for the needs of the Inst. of Atomic Energy in Swierk. The sets, which consist of fission track detectors, wide-base silicon diodes and RPL glasses, were tested in the international intercomparison experiment in Valduc, France. Comparison of our results with the reference measurements showed a good agreement (within 25%) for both the neutron and gamma measurements. Additionally, the diode response to neutron kerma was investigated more extensively in the dose range between 2 and 10 Gy, where the dependence of the diode signal versus neutron kerma was not well known. A possibility of the multiple use of the diodes has been proved. (author)

Frequent Statement and Dereference Elimination for Imperative and Object-Oriented Distributed Programs

Science.gov (United States)

El-Zawawy, Mohamed A.

2014-01-01

This paper introduces new approaches for the analysis of frequent statement and dereference elimination for imperative and object-oriented distributed programs running on parallel machines equipped with hierarchical memories. The paper uses languages whose address spaces are globally partitioned. Distributed programs allow defining data layout and threads writing to and reading from other thread memories. Three type systems (for imperative distributed programs) are the tools of the proposed techniques. The first type system defines for every program point a set of calculated (ready) statements and memory accesses. The second type system uses an enriched version of types of the first type system and determines which of the ready statements and memory accesses are used later in the program. The third type system uses the information gather so far to eliminate unnecessary statement computations and memory accesses (the analysis of frequent statement and dereference elimination). Extensions to these type systems are also presented to cover object-oriented distributed programs. Two advantages of our work over related work are the following. The hierarchical style of concurrent parallel computers is similar to the memory model used in this paper. In our approach, each analysis result is assigned a type derivation (serves as a correctness proof). PMID:24892098

Gas-chromatographic quantitative determination of argon in air samples, by elimination of oxigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofronie, E.

1982-08-01

A method of gas-chromatographic quantitative determination of argon in air samples, by elimination of oxygen, is presented. Experiments were carried out in a static system. Conditions for the application of the method in dynamic systems are specified. Sensibility of the method: 5 10 -4 cm 3 Ar per cm 3 of air. (author)

Availability of zeolite as an eliminant for the incorporated radionuclides, (3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Itaru; Matsusaka, Naonori; Kobayashi, Haruo; Nishimura, Yoshikazu.

1994-01-01

Zeolite is an inorganic ion-exchanger that is widely used in chemistry, livestock and industry. The authors have tried to apply it to an eliminant for the incorporated radionuclides. In this study, several experiments in vitro and in vivo were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of zeolite (A-3) in eliminating the incorporated 137 Cs from the body. Zeolite could adsorb 2.2 mmol of cesium ions per one gram of zeolite in cesium chloride solution. This value was only 44% of its ion-exchange capacity but it completely adsorbed 137 Cs within that limit. Coexistence of magnesium, calcium, manganese, cobalt and zinc ions hardly interfered with the adsorption of 137 Cs, but sodium, potassium and copper ions hindered the adsorption in proportion to their concentration. Therefore, sodium and potassium ions may be principal factors inhibiting the adsorption of 137 Cs in the intestinal tract. Biological half-life of 137 Cs was about 5.5 days in control mice. This half-life was significantly reduced to 5.2, 4.5 and 3.9 days by feeding the diet with 1%, 3% and 10% of zeolite, respectively. These results suggest the effectiveness of zeolite in eliminating the 137 Cs from contaminated persons. (author)

Progress toward elimination of onchocerciasis in the Americas.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauerbrey, Mauricio; Rakers, Lindsay J; Richards, Frank O

2018-03-01

The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA) is a regional initiative and international partnership that has made considerable progress toward its goal since it was launched in 1993. Its strategy is based on mass drug administration of ivermectin (Mectizan, donated by MSD, also known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA), twice or four times per year, with at least 85% coverage of eligible populations. From 1989 to 2016, 11 741 276 ivermectin treatments have been given in the Americas, eliminating transmission in 11 of 13 foci. The OEPA's success has had a great influence on programs in Africa, especially Sudan and Uganda, which moved from a control to an elimination strategy in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The successes in the Americas have also greatly influenced WHO guidelines for onchocerciasis transmission elimination. With four of the six originally endemic American countries now WHO verified as having eliminated onchocerciasis transmission, and 95% of ivermectin treatments in the region halted, the regional focus is now on the remaining active transmission zone, called the Yanomami Area, on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. Both countries have difficult political climates that hinder the elimination task in this remote and relatively neglected region. As with other elimination efforts, 'the final inch' is often the most difficult task of all.

Priority setting for risk assessment-The benefit of human experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonzo, Cristina; Laborde, Amalia

2005-01-01

The chemical risk assessment process plays an essential role in the potential human health risk evaluation. Setting priorities for this purpose is critical for better use of the available human and material resources. It has been generally accepted that all new chemicals require safety evaluation before manufacture and sale. This is a difficult task due to the large number of chemicals directly consumed by man, as well as those that are widely used. At present, more than 50% of chemicals do not have the minimum data requirements for risk assessment. Production and release volumes are well-established prioritization criteria, although volume itself does not directly reflect the likelihood of human exposure. This quantitative approach applied in setting priorities may be influenced by human experience. Human data provided by epidemiological investigations have been accepted as the most credible evidence for human toxicity although analytical studies are expensive and require long-term follow up. Unfortunately, some epidemiological studies continue to have difficulties with exposure documentation, controlling bias and confounding, and are not able to provide predictions of risk until humans are exposed. Clinical toxicology services and Poison Centres around the world accumulate a great amount of toxicological-related information that may contribute to the evidence-based medicine and research and so collaborate with all the risk assessment disciplines. The information obtained from these services and centers has the potential to prioritize existing chemical assessment processes or to influence scheduling of classes of chemicals. Prioritization process may be improved by evaluating Poisons Centres statistics about frequency of cases, severity of effects, detection of unusual circumstances of exposure, as well as vulnerable sub-populations. International efforts for the harmonization of these data offer a useful tool to take advantage of this global information. Case

Reactive case detection for malaria elimination: real-life experience from an ongoing program in Swaziland.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturrock, Hugh J W; Novotny, Joe M; Kunene, Simon; Dlamini, Sabelo; Zulu, Zulisile; Cohen, Justin M; Hsiang, Michelle S; Greenhouse, Bryan; Gosling, Roly D

2013-01-01

As countries move towards malaria elimination, methods to identify infections among populations who do not seek treatment are required. Reactive case detection, whereby individuals living in close proximity to passively detected cases are screened and treated, is one approach being used by a number of countries including Swaziland. An outstanding issue is establishing the epidemiologically and operationally optimal screening radius around each passively detected index case. Using data collected between December 2009 and June 2012 from reactive case detection (RACD) activities in Swaziland, we evaluated the effect of screening radius and other risk factors on the probability of detecting cases by reactive case detection. Using satellite imagery, we also evaluated the household coverage achieved during reactive case detection. Over the study period, 250 cases triggered RACD, which identified a further 74 cases, showing the value of RACD over passive surveillance alone. Results suggest that the odds of detecting a case within the household of the index case were significantly higher than in neighbouring households (odds ratio (OR) 13, 95% CI 3.1-54.4). Furthermore, cases were more likely to be detected when RACD was conducted within a week of the index presenting at a health facility (OR 8.7, 95% CI 1.1-66.4) and if the index household had not been sprayed with insecticide (OR sprayed vs not sprayed 0.11, 95% CI 0.03-0.46). The large number of households missed during RACD indicates that a 1 km screening radius may be impractical in such resource limited settings such as Swaziland. Future RACD in Swaziland could be made more effective by achieving high coverage amongst individuals located near to index cases and in areas where spraying has not been conducted. As well as allowing the programme to implement RACD more rapidly, this would help to more precisely define the optimal screening radius.

Elimination Voltammetry with Linear Scan as a New Detection Method for DNA Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rene Kizek

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The paper describes successful coupling of adsorptive transfer stripping (AdTS andelimination voltammetry with linear scan (EVLS for the resolution of reduction signals of cytosine (Cand adenine (A residues in hetero-oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs. Short ODNs (9-mers and 20-merswere adsorbed from a small volume on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE. After washing ofthe ODN-modified electrode by water and its transferring to an electrochemical cell, voltammetric curves were measured. The AdTS EVLS was able to determine of C/A ratio of ODNs through theelimination function conserving the diffusion current component and eliminating kinetic and chargingcurrent components. This function, which provides the elimination signal in a peak-counterpeak form,increased the current sensitivity for A and C resolution, and for the recognition of bases sequences inODN chains. Optimal conditions of elimination experiments such as pH, time of adsorption, and scanrate were found. The combination of EVLS with AdTS procedure can be considered as a newdetection method in a DNA sensor.

On the Importance of Elimination Heuristics in Lazy Propagation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Anders Læsø; Butz, Cory J.

2012-01-01

elimination orders on-line. This paper considers the importance of elimination heuristics in LP when using Variable Elimination (VE) as the message and single marginal computation algorithm. It considers well-known cost measures for selecting the next variable to eliminate and a new cost measure....... The empirical evaluation examines dierent heuristics as well as sequences of cost measures, and was conducted on real-world and randomly generated Bayesian networks. The results show that for most cases performance is robust relative to the cost measure used and in some cases the elimination heuristic can have...

[EXPERIENCE OF STUDY AND POSSIBLE WAYS OF ELIMINATION OF FALSE POSITIVE AND FALSE NEGATIVE RESULTS DURING EXECUTION OF POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ON AN EXAMPLE OF JUNIN VIRUS RNA DETECTION].

Science.gov (United States)

Sizikova, T E; Lebedev, V N; Pantyukhov, V B; Borisevich, S V; Merkulov, V A

2015-01-01

Experience of study and possible ways of elimination of false positive and false negative results during execution of polymerase chain reaction on an example of Junin virus RNA detection. MATERIALSS AND METHODS: Junin virus--causative agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF) strain XJpR37/5787 was obtained from the State collection of pathogenicity group I causative agents of the 48th Central Research Institute. Reagent kit for detection of Junin virus RNA by RT-PCR was developed in the Institute and consists of 4 sets: for isolation of RNA, execution of reverse-transcription reaction, execution of PCR and electrophoretic detection of PCR products. RT-PCR was carried out by a standard technique. Continuous cell cultures of African green monkey Vero B, GMK-AH-1(D) were obtained from the museum of cell culture department of the Centre. An experimental study of the effect of various factors of impact on the sample under investigation ("thawing-freezing", presence of formaldehyde, heparin) on the obtaining of false negative results during Junin virus RNA detection by using RT-PCR was studied. Addition of 0.01% heparin to the samples was shown to completely inhibit PCR. Addition of 0.05% formaldehyde significantly reduces sensitivity of the method. A possibility of reduction of analysis timeframe from 15 to 5 days was shown during detection of the causative agent in samples with low concentration of the latter by growing the samples and subsequent analysis of the material obtained by using RT-PCR. During detection of causative agent by using RT-PCR false negative results could appear in the presence of formaldehyde and heparin in the sample. A possibility of elimination of false negative PCR results due to concentration of the causative agent in the sample under investigation at a level below sensitivity threshold was shown on the example of Junin virus RNA detection by using growing of the pathogen in appropriate accumulation system with subsequent analysis of the

Supercritical Water Oxidation: A Solution for the Elimination of Back-End Organic Reprocessing Wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leybros, A.; Roubaud, A.; Turc, H.A.; Fournel, B. [Supercritical fluids and membranes Laboratory, CEA Valrho, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Ceze Cedex (France)

2008-07-01

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is a very efficient technique for total elimination of organic wastes from reprocessing activities on the way of 'zero wastes' facilities. This technology uses the properties of supercritical water (P > 221 bars and T > 647 K) to obtain a good mixing between oxygen (the oxidant) and the organic waste. Thereby, the oxidation reaction is fast and complete. Using the SCWO process, contamination contained in organic materials like spent solvents can be confined in a closed space, like a reactor in a glovebox. A new application is tested for the treatment of solid organic wastes like ion exchange resins (IER). Experiments are made with suspensions of IER in water and isopropyl-alcohol. A nuclear version of the process with the double shell reactor has been constructed and is being tested. The aim of this work is to obtain a treatment capacity of 1 kg/h for the nuclear version with the same global set-up, concept of process and security as well as contamination management as for a 200 g/h pilot. (authors)

Supercritical Water Oxidation: A Solution for the Elimination of Back-End Organic Reprocessing Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leybros, A.; Roubaud, A.; Turc, H.A.; Fournel, B.

2008-01-01

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) is a very efficient technique for total elimination of organic wastes from reprocessing activities on the way of 'zero wastes' facilities. This technology uses the properties of supercritical water (P > 221 bars and T > 647 K) to obtain a good mixing between oxygen (the oxidant) and the organic waste. Thereby, the oxidation reaction is fast and complete. Using the SCWO process, contamination contained in organic materials like spent solvents can be confined in a closed space, like a reactor in a glovebox. A new application is tested for the treatment of solid organic wastes like ion exchange resins (IER). Experiments are made with suspensions of IER in water and isopropyl-alcohol. A nuclear version of the process with the double shell reactor has been constructed and is being tested. The aim of this work is to obtain a treatment capacity of 1 kg/h for the nuclear version with the same global set-up, concept of process and security as well as contamination management as for a 200 g/h pilot. (authors)

The role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination in Kenya.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doris W Njomo

Full Text Available The main strategy adopted for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF elimination globally is annual mass drug administration (MDA for 4 to 6 rounds. At least 65% of the population at risk should be treated in each round for LF elimination to occur. In Kenya, MDA using diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC and albendazole data shows declining compliance (proportion of eligible populations who receive and swallow the drugs levels (85%-62.8%. The present study's aim was to determine the role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with MDA.This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted between January and September 2009 in two districts based on December 2008 MDA round. In each district, one location with high and one with low compliance was selected. Through systematic sampling, nine villages were selected and interviewer-based questionnaires administered to 965 household heads or adult representatives also systematically sampled. The qualitative data were generated from opinion leaders, LF patients with clinical signs and community drug distributors (CDDs all purposively selected and interviewed. Sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs were also conducted with single-sex adult and youth male and female groups. Chi square test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in compliance with treatment based on the records reviewed. The house-to-house method of drug distribution influenced compliance. Over one-quarter (27% in low compared to 15% in high compliance villages disliked this method. Problems related to size, number and taste of the drugs were more common in low (16.4% than in high (14.4% compliance villages. Reasons for failure to take the drugs were associated with compliance (p0.05.Community sensitization on treatment, drugs used, their regimen and distribution method involving all leaders should be strengthened by the Programme Implementers. The communities need to be made aware of the potential side effects of the

Patients' experiences of NPWT in an outpatient setting in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, B; Pedersen, B D

2013-01-01

qualitative interviews regarding their NPWT treatment. The French philosopher, Ricoeur's,theory of interpretation guided the data analysis, which included three levels: naive reading, structural analysis and critical interpretation and discussion. RESULTS: The patients experienced a high level of dependency......OBJECTIVE: To study patients' experiences of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) used for wounds of various aetiologies in the outpatient setting and the influences on daily life. METHOD: In this qualitative study, a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used. Ten patients underwent......, and they experienced embarrassment about odour,anxiety and uneasiness in relation to complications, a need for relatives' support and other social relation issues. It was important to include relatives as a resource and make use of the opportunity they presented to assist patients during information sessions about...

Teachers' Perceptions of Their Mentoring Role in Three Different Clinical Settings: Student Teaching, Early Field Experiences, and Entry Year Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Gut, Dianne M.; Beam, Pamela C.; Henning, John E.; Cochran, Deborah C.; Knight, Rhonda Talford

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in mentoring across three different clinical settings: student teaching, early field experiences, and entry year teachers. Eighteen teachers with mentoring experience in all three clinical settings were selected and interviewed. The teachers' expectations for teacher development,…

Acrylic microspheres in vivo. X. Elimination of circulating cells by active targeting using specific monoclonal antibodies bound to microparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, T.; Andersson, J.; Artursson, P.; Edman, P.; Sjoeholm, I.

1986-01-01

The elimination from the blood of 51 Cr-labelled mouse erythrocytes modified with trinitrophenyl (TNP) groups was followed in mice. After 24 hours, when a stable concentration of the labelled erythrocytes has been attained, monoclonal anti-TNP-antibodies were given intravenously, either in free, soluble form, or bound to microparticles containing immobilized protein A. The anti-TNP-antibodies induced a rapid elimination of the TNP- and 51 Cr-labelled erythrocytes. Over the 8-hours time period studied, the elimination rate was significantly faster when the antibodies were administered bound to the particles. After the elimination of the target cells, the radioactivity was found in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. These results and relevant control experiments indicate that a solid carrier (1) can be directed to a specific target cell with a specific antibody and (2) can induce a rapid elimination of the target cell from the circulation. 31 references, 1 figure, 2 tables

Teacher Experiences of Delivering an Obesity Prevention Programme (The WAVES Study Intervention) in a Primary School Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Tania L; Clarke, Joanne L; Lancashire, Emma R; Pallan, Miranda J; Passmore, Sandra; Adab, Peymane

2015-01-01

Objective: There has been a wealth of childhood obesity prevention studies in school-based settings. However, few have investigated the experiences of school staff charged with delivery of such programmes. This study aimed to elicit teachers' experiences of delivering a childhood obesity prevention programme for children aged 6-7 years. Design:…

How To Eliminate Narcissism Overnight: DSM-V and the Death of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

OpenAIRE

Pies, Ronald

2011-01-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition appears likely to eliminate the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. There are significant problems with the discriminant validity of the current narcissistic personality disorder critiera set; furthermore, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition's narrow focus on “grandiosity” probably contributes to the wide disparity between low narcissistic personality disorder prevalence ...

Elimination of onchocerciasis from Colombia: first proof of concept of river blindness elimination in the world.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Rubén Santiago; Duque, Sofía; Olaya, Luz Adriana; López, Myriam Consuelo; Sánchez, Sol Beatriz; Morales, Alba Lucía; Palma, Gloria Inés

2018-04-11

Onchocerciasis is a chronic parasitic infection originally endemic in 13 discrete regional foci distributed among six countries of Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela). In Colombia, this disease was discovered in 1965 in the Pacific Coast of the country. The National Onchocerciasis Elimination Program was established in 1993 with the aim of eliminating disease morbidity and infection transmission. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified Colombia as free of onchocerciasis, becoming the first country in the world to reach such a goal. This report provides the empirical evidence of the elimination of Onchocerca volvulus transmission by Simulium exiguum (s.l.) after 12 years of 6-monthly mass drug administration of Mectizan® (ivermectin) to all the eligible residents living in this endemic area. From 1996 onwards, a biannual community-based mass ivermectin administration programme was implemented, complemented by health education and community participation. In-depth parasitological, serological and entomological surveys were conducted periodically between 1998 and 2007 to evaluate the impact of ivermectin treatment according to the 2001 WHO guidelines. When the interruption of parasite transmission was demonstrated, the drug distribution ceased and a three-year post-treatment surveillance (PTS) period (2008-2010) was initiated. After 23 rounds of treatment, parasitological and ophthalmological assessments showed absence of microfilariae in skin and anterior chamber of the eyes. Serological tests proved lack of antibodies against O. volvulus in children under 10 years-old. A total of 10,500 S. exiguum flies tested by PCR had no L3 infection (infectivity rate = 0.0095%; 95% CI: 0.0029-0.049) during 2004, indicating interruption of parasite transmission. However, biannual ivermectin treatments continued until 2007 followed by a 3-year PTS period at the end of which 13,481 flies were analyzed and no infective flies were

Setting research priorities across science, technology, and health sectors: the Tanzania experience.

Science.gov (United States)

de Haan, Sylvia; Kingamkono, Rose; Tindamanyire, Neema; Mshinda, Hassan; Makandi, Harun; Tibazarwa, Flora; Kubata, Bruno; Montorzi, Gabriela

2015-03-12

Identifying research priorities is key to innovation and economic growth, since it informs decision makers on effectively targeting issues that have the greatest potential public benefit. As such, the process of setting research priorities is of pivotal importance for favouring the science, technology, and innovation (STI)-driven development of low- and middle-income countries. We report herein on a major cross-sectoral nationwide research priority setting effort recently carried out in Tanzania by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) in partnership with the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) and the NEPAD Agency. The first of its type in the country, the process brought together stakeholders from 42 sub-sectors in science, technology, and health. The cross-sectoral research priority setting process consisted of a 'training-of-trainers' workshop, a demonstration workshop, and seven priority setting workshops delivered to representatives from public and private research and development institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, and other agencies affiliated to COSTECH. The workshops resulted in ranked listings of research priorities for each sub-sector, totalling approximately 800 priorities. This large number was significantly reduced by an expert panel in order to build a manageable instrument aligned to national development plans that could be used to guide research investments. The Tanzania experience is an instructive example of the challenges and issues to be faced in when attempting to identify research priority areas and setting an STI research agenda in low- and middle-income countries. As countries increase their investment in research, it is essential to increase investment in research management and governance as well, a key and much needed capacity for countries to make proper use of research investments.

Experimental study on the thermal performance of a mechanical cooling tower with different drift eliminators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, M.; Martinez, P.J.; Viedma, A.

2009-01-01

Cooling towers are equipment devices commonly used to dissipate heat from power generation units, water-cooled refrigeration, air conditioning and industrial processes. Water drift emitted from cooling towers is objectionable for several reasons, mainly due to human health hazards. It is common practice to fit drift eliminators to cooling towers in order to minimize water loss from the system. It is foreseeable that the characteristics of the installed drift eliminators, like their pressure drop, affect the thermal performance of the cooling tower. However, no references regarding this fact have been found in the reviewed bibliography. This paper studies the thermal performance of a forced draft counter-flow wet cooling tower fitted with different drift eliminators for a wide range of air and water mass flow rates. The data registered in the experimental set-up were employed to obtain correlations of the tower characteristic, which defines the cooling tower's thermal performance. The outlet water temperature predicted by these correlations was compared with the experimentally registered values obtaining a maximum difference of ±3%

Elimination of nuclear device in tunnel 108K. Safety of works and ecological cleanness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrusenko, B. A.; Kuznetsov, Yu. I.; Litvinov, B. V.; Nechai, V. Z.; Smirnov, V. Z.; Zherbina, A.N.; Kozlov, E. P.; Matuschenko, A. M.; Zhantikin, T. M.; Smagulov, S. G.; Tukhvatulin, Sh. T.

1997-01-01

This paper represents the Russian and Kazakhstan specialists activity on ND elimination located in tunnel 108K at the former Semipalatinsk test site. The completed works system which is a great realized ecologically clean project for the interests of the solution of ecological problems and environment protection at the Semipalatinsk test site, is considered successively in this paper. The special attention is paid to the measures the application of which allowed to provide the absolute observance of ecological cleanness and operation safety - expertise of radiation and ecological project safety, joint radio-ecological control before and after the ND elimination, procedures of the end ND box opening, visualization and decision on the ND state, and the coordinated physical measuring as well confirming the fact of the charge BB acting and ND elimination. The paper gives the detailed comments on the realized project decisions for the stemming complex erection the use of which provided the safe disposal and sealing of chemical BB explosion products and atomized fission materials in the end box and allowed to prevent their release into the day surface. While erecting the stemming complex the new materials of stemming and stemming work technology of principle were used. The basic experiments outcomes and argumentation of the obtained experience use during the joint work while preparing and realizing the further International Agreements on the former Semipalatinsk test site, are presented in the paper conclusion

Martian Atmospheric Pressure Static Charge Elimination Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, Michael R.

2014-01-01

A Martian pressure static charge elimination tool is currently in development in the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory (ESPL) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In standard Earth atmosphere conditions, static charge can be neutralized from an insulating surface using air ionizers. These air ionizers generate ions through corona breakdown. The Martian atmosphere is 7 Torr of mostly carbon dioxide, which makes it inherently difficult to use similar methods as those used for standard atmosphere static elimination tools. An initial prototype has been developed to show feasibility of static charge elimination at low pressure, using corona discharge. A needle point and thin wire loop are used as the corona generating electrodes. A photo of the test apparatus is shown below. Positive and negative high voltage pulses are sent to the needle point. This creates positive and negative ions that can be used for static charge neutralization. In a preliminary test, a floating metal plate was charged to approximately 600 volts under Martian atmospheric conditions. The static elimination tool was enabled and the voltage on the metal plate dropped rapidly to -100 volts. This test data is displayed below. Optimization is necessary to improve the electrostatic balance of the static elimination tool.

Health professionals' experience of teamwork education in acute hospital settings: a systematic review of qualitative literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Eddy, Kylie; Jordan, Zoe; Stephenson, Matthew

2016-04-01

Teamwork is seen as an important element of patient care in acute hospital settings. The complexity of the journey of care for patients highlights the need for health professionals to collaborate and communicate clearly with each other. Health organizations in western countries are committed to improving patient safety through education of staff and teamwork education programs have been integral to this focus. There are no current systematic reviews of the experience of health professionals who participate in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. The objective of this systematic review was to search for the best available evidence on the experiences of health professionals who participate in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. This review considered studies reporting on experiences of registered health professionals who work in acute hospitals. This included medical, nursing and midwifery and allied health professionals. The focus of the meta-synthesis was the experiences and reflections of health professionals who were involved in teamwork education in acute hospital settings. The geographical context for this review was acute hospitals in rural or metropolitan settings in Australia and overseas countries. The review focused on the experiences of health professionals who work in acute hospitals and participated in teamwork education programs. This review considered studies that focused on qualitative data including, but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research.In the absence of research studies, other text such as opinion papers, discussion papers and reports were considered. Studies published in English and from 1990 to 2013 were included in this review. The literature search for relevant papers occurred between 13 September and 26 October 2013. A three-step search strategy was utilized in this review. The databases searched were PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus. The

The National Airborne Field Experiment Data Sets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walker, J. P.; Balling, Jan E.; Bell, M.

2007-01-01

The National Airborne Field Experiment's (NAFE) were a series of intensive experiments recently conducted in different parts of Australia. These hydrologic-focused experiments have been designed to answer a range of questions which can only be resolved through carefully planned and executed field...

An integrated methods study of the experiences of youth with severe disabilities in leisure activity settings: the importance of belonging, fun, and control and choice.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Gillian; Gibson, Barbara E; Mistry, Bhavnita; Pinto, Madhu; Goh, Freda; Teachman, Gail; Thompson, Laura

2014-01-01

The aim was to examine the leisure activity setting experiences of two groups of youth with severe disabilities - those with complex continuing care (CCC) needs and those who have little functional speech and communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Twelve youth took part in a mixed methods study, in which their experiences were ascertained using qualitative methods (observations, photo elicitation and interviews) and the measure of Self-Reported Experiences of Activity Settings (SEAS). Data integration occurred using a "following a thread" technique and case-by-case analysis. The analysis revealed several highly valued aspects of leisure activity setting experiences for youth, including engagement with others, enjoying the moment, and control and choice in selection and participation in activity settings. The findings provide preliminary insights into the nature of optimal activity settings for youth with severe disabilities, and the mediators of these experiences. Compared to other youth, the data illustrate both the commonalities of experiences and differences in the ways in which these experiences are attained. Implications for research concern the utility of mixed methods approaches in understanding the complex nature of participation experiences. Implications for clinical practice concern the importance of not assuming the nature of youths' experiences.

Analysis of benchmark critical experiments with ENDF/B-VI data sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, J. Jr.; Kahler, A.C.

1991-01-01

Several clean critical experiments were analyzed with ENDF/B-VI data to assess the adequacy of the data for U 235 , U 238 and oxygen. These experiments were (1) a set of homogeneous U 235 -H 2 O assemblies spanning a wide range of hydrogen/uranium ratio, and (2) TRX-1, a simple, H 2 O-moderated Bettis lattice of slightly-enriched uranium metal rods. The analyses used the Monte Carlo program RCP01, with explicit three-dimensional geometry and detailed representation of cross sections. For the homogeneous criticals, calculated k crit values for large, thermal assemblies show good agreement with experiment. This supports the evaluated thermal criticality parameters for U 235 . However, for assemblies with smaller H/U ratios, k crit values increase significantly with increasing leakage and flux-spectrum hardness. These trends suggest that leakage is underpredicted and that the resonance eta of the ENDF/B-VI U 235 is too large. For TRX-1, reasonably good agreement is found with measured lattice parameters (reaction-rate ratios). Of primary interest is rho28, the ratio of above-thermal to thermal U 238 capture. Calculated rho28 is 2.3 (± 1.7) % above measurement, suggesting that U 238 resonance capture remains slightly overpredicted with ENDF/B-VI. However, agreement is better than observed with earlier versions of ENDF/B

Making Career Decisions--A Sequential Elimination Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Gati, Itamar

1986-01-01

Presents a model for career decision making based on the sequential elimination of occupational alternatives, an adaptation for career decisions of Tversky's (1972) elimination-by-aspects theory of choice. The expected utility approach is reviewed as a representative compensatory model for career decisions. Advantages, disadvantages, and…

77 FR 30871 - Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-23

...--Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Proclamation 8823--Armed Forces Day, 2012 #0; #0; #0; Presidential... Prison Rape Elimination Act Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Sexual... Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) was enacted with bipartisan support and established a ``zero...

PROCAL: A Set of 40 Peptide Standards for Retention Time Indexing, Column Performance Monitoring, and Collision Energy Calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zolg, Daniel Paul; Wilhelm, Mathias; Yu, Peng; Knaute, Tobias; Zerweck, Johannes; Wenschuh, Holger; Reimer, Ulf; Schnatbaum, Karsten; Kuster, Bernhard

2017-11-01

Beyond specific applications, such as the relative or absolute quantification of peptides in targeted proteomic experiments, synthetic spike-in peptides are not yet systematically used as internal standards in bottom-up proteomics. A number of retention time standards have been reported that enable chromatographic aligning of multiple LC-MS/MS experiments. However, only few peptides are typically included in such sets limiting the analytical parameters that can be monitored. Here, we describe PROCAL (ProteomeTools Calibration Standard), a set of 40 synthetic peptides that span the entire hydrophobicity range of tryptic digests, enabling not only accurate determination of retention time indices but also monitoring of chromatographic separation performance over time. The fragmentation characteristics of the peptides can also be used to calibrate and compare collision energies between mass spectrometers. The sequences of all selected peptides do not occur in any natural protein, thus eliminating the need for stable isotope labeling. We anticipate that this set of peptides will be useful for multiple purposes in individual laboratories but also aiding the transfer of data acquisition and analysis methods between laboratories, notably the use of spectral libraries. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Body elimination attitude family resemblance in Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Fayez, Ghenaim; Awadalla, Abdelwahid; Arikawa, Hiroko; Templer, Donald I; Hutton, Shane

2009-12-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the family resemblance of attitude toward body elimination in Kuwaiti participants. This study was conceptualized in the context of the theories of moral development, importance of cleanliness in the Muslim religion, cross-cultural differences in personal hygiene practices, previous research reporting an association between family attitudes and body elimination attitude, and health implications. The 24-item Likert-type format Body Elimination Attitude Scale-Revised was administered to 277 Kuwaiti high school students and 437 of their parents. Females scored higher, indicating greater disgust, than the males. Moreover, sons' body elimination attitude correlated more strongly with fathers' attitude (r = .85) than with that of the mothers (r = .64). Daughters' attitude was similarly associated with the fathers' (r = .89) and the mothers' attitude (r = .86). The high correlations were discussed within the context of Kuwait having a collectivistic culture with authoritarian parenting style. The higher adolescent correlations, and in particular the boys' correlation with fathers than with mothers, was explained in terms of the more dominant role of the Muslim father in the family. Public health and future research implications were suggested. A theoretical formulation was advanced in which "ideal" body elimination attitude is relative rather than absolute, and is a function of one's life circumstances, one's occupation, one's culture and subculture, and the society that one lives in.

The clinical nurse leader in the perioperative setting: a preceptor experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesolowski, Michael S; Casey, Gwendolyn L; Berry, Shirley J; Gannon, Jane

2014-07-01

The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) has implemented the clinical nurse leader (CNL) role nationwide. Nursing leaders at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida, implemented the development of the CNL role in the perioperative setting during the summer of 2012. The perioperative department developed the position in partnership with the University of Florida College of Nursing, Gainesville, Florida. The team developed a description of the roles and experiences of the preceptors, the clinical nurse leader resident, and the University of Florida faculty member. The clinical nurse leader resident's successes and the positive outcomes, such as improved patient outcomes, experienced by the perioperative department demonstrated the importance of the CNL role. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Particle physics contribution to the elimination of nuclear waste

CERN Document Server

Revol, Jean Pierre Charles

2000-01-01

Progress in particle accelerator technology makes it possible to use a proton accelerator to eliminate nuclear waste efficiently. The Energy Amplifier (EA) proposed by C. Rubbia and his group is a subcritical system driven by a proton accelerator. It is particularly attractive for destroying, through fission, transuranic elements produced by present nuclear reactors. The EA could also transform efficiently and at minimal cost long-lived fission fragments using the concept of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) recently tested at CERN with the TARC experiment. The ARC concept can be extended to several other application domains (radioactive isotopes production for medicine and industry, neutron research applications, etc.).

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational eXperiment - University of Washington instrumented C-131A aircraft Data Set

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — TARFOX_UWC131A is the Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational eXperiment (TARFOX) - University of Washington instrumented C-131A aircraft data set. The...

How Can We Identify the Elimination of Infectious Diseases? Experience From an Active Measles Laboratory Surveillance System in the Republic of Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tae Un; Kang, Hae Ji; Eom, Hye Eun; Park, Young-Joon; Park, Ok; Kim, Su Jin; Nam, Jeong-Gu; Kim, Sung Soon; Jeong, Eun Kyeong

2015-11-01

Global efforts have markedly decreased the disease burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Many countries have made considerable progress toward the elimination of measles. As elimination is approached, the very low incidence achieved by high vaccination coverage has underscored the need for a sensitive and timely surveillance system. In the Republic of Korea, an active laboratory surveillance system (ALSS) was implemented to supplement the existing passive surveillance system in 2006. The ALSS connects 5 major commercial laboratories and the national measles reference laboratory, where referred samples with positive or equivocal results are retested. Annually, from 2009 to 2013, 3714 suspected cases were detected through the ALSS, an expansion of 8- to 57-fold, compared with only the passive surveillance system. The ALSS, with its sensitivity and timeliness, is a reasonable strategy to supplement the existing measles surveillance system and to help identify the elimination of measles. © 2015 APJPH.

An Optimization Study on Listening Experiments to Improve the Comparability of Annoyance Ratings of Noise Samples from Different Experimental Sample Sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Di, Guoqing; Lu, Kuanguang; Shi, Xiaofan

2018-03-08

Annoyance ratings obtained from listening experiments are widely used in studies on health effect of environmental noise. In listening experiments, participants usually give the annoyance rating of each noise sample according to its relative annoyance degree among all samples in the experimental sample set if there are no reference sound samples, which leads to poor comparability between experimental results obtained from different experimental sample sets. To solve this problem, this study proposed to add several pink noise samples with certain loudness levels into experimental sample sets as reference sound samples. On this basis, the standard curve between logarithmic mean annoyance and loudness level of pink noise was used to calibrate the experimental results and the calibration procedures were described in detail. Furthermore, as a case study, six different types of noise sample sets were selected to conduct listening experiments using this method to examine the applicability of it. Results showed that the differences in the annoyance ratings of each identical noise sample from different experimental sample sets were markedly decreased after calibration. The determination coefficient ( R ²) of linear fitting functions between psychoacoustic annoyance (PA) and mean annoyance (MA) of noise samples from different experimental sample sets increased obviously after calibration. The case study indicated that the method above is applicable to calibrating annoyance ratings obtained from different types of noise sample sets. After calibration, the comparability of annoyance ratings of noise samples from different experimental sample sets can be distinctly improved.

Gender differences in leadership amongst first-year medical students in the small-group setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wayne, Nancy L; Vermillion, Michelle; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian

2010-08-01

To investigate the extent of gender bias in the volunteerism of small-group leaders amongst first-year medical students, and whether bias could be eliminated with special instructions to the students. The gender of leaders in small-group sessions in a real academic setting was monitored under two conditions: control conditions, in which basic instructions were provided to participants, and intervention conditions, in which the same basic instructions were provided plus a brief "pep talk" on the importance of experiencing a leadership role in a safe environment. During the small-group sessions, an observer noted the gender and names of group leaders for later analysis. After a class debriefing, a subset of leaders and nonleaders from both the control and intervention groups were invited to be interviewed about their perceptions of the small-group experience. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed for analysis. In 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, disproportionately fewer women than men volunteered to become small-group leaders under control conditions. This gender bias was eliminated under intervention conditions. The interviews illustrated how a subtle change in instructions helped some female students take on a leadership role. Gender bias in leadership in the small-group setting amongst medical students-even when women make up half of the class-may persist without targeted intervention. The authors suggest that frequent and consistent intervention during medical school could be an important factor in encouraging women to identify themselves as leaders, promoting confidence to consider leadership roles in medicine.

Asymptomatic Malaria and its Challenges in the Malaria Elimination Program in Iran: a Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholmreza Hassanpour

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The ob­jective of this study was to find an appropriate approach to asymptomatic malaria in elimination setting through a systematic review.Methods: A broad search was conducted to find articles with the words ‘malaria’ in their titles and ‘asymptomatic’ or ‘submicroscopic’ in their texts, irrespective of the type of study conducted. The Cochrane, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus databases, as well as Google Scholar were systematically searched for English articles and reports and Iran’s databases- IranMedex, SID and Magiran were searched for Persian reports and articles, with no time limitation. The study was qualitatively summarized if it contained precise information on the role of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase.Results: Six articles were selected from the initial 2645 articles. The results all re-emphasize the significance of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase, and empha­size the significance of diagnostic tests of higher sensitivity to locate these patients and perform interventions to re­duce the asymptomatic parasitic reservoirs particularly in regions of low transmission. However, we may infer from the results that the current evidence cannot yet specify an accurate strategy on the role of asymptomatic malaria in the elimination phase.Conclusion: To eliminate malaria, alongside vector control, and treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic pa­tients, active and inactive methods of case detection need to be employed. The precise monitoring of asymptomatic individuals and submicroscopic cases of malaria through molecular assays and valid serological methods, especially in regions where seasonal and low transmission exists can be very helpful at this phase.

ParTIES: a toolbox for Paramecium interspersed DNA elimination studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Denby Wilkes, Cyril; Arnaiz, Olivier; Sperling, Linda

2016-02-15

Developmental DNA elimination occurs in a wide variety of multicellular organisms, but ciliates are the only single-celled eukaryotes in which this phenomenon has been reported. Despite considerable interest in ciliates as models for DNA elimination, no standard methods for identification and characterization of the eliminated sequences are currently available. We present the Paramecium Toolbox for Interspersed DNA Elimination Studies (ParTIES), designed for Paramecium species, that (i) identifies eliminated sequences, (ii) measures their presence in a sequencing sample and (iii) detects rare elimination polymorphisms. ParTIES is multi-threaded Perl software available at https://github.com/oarnaiz/ParTIES. ParTIES is distributed under the GNU General Public Licence v3. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Method of eliminating gaseous hydrogen isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagakura, Masaaki; Imaizumi, Hideki; Suemori, Nobuo; Aizawa, Takashi; Naito, Taisei.

1983-01-01

Purpose: To prevent external diffusion of gaseous hydrogen isotopes such as tritium or the like upon occurrence of tritium leakage accident in a thermonuclear reactor by recovering to eliminate the isotopes rapidly and with safety. Method: Gases at the region of a reactor container where hydrogen isotopes might leak are sucked by a recycing pump, dehumidified in a dehumidifier and then recycled from a preheater through a catalytic oxidation reactor to a water absorption tower. In this structure, the dehumidifier is disposed at the upstream of the catalytic oxidation reactor to reduce the water content of the gases to be processed, whereby the eliminating efficiency for the gases to be processed can be maintained well even when the oxidation reactor is operated at a low temperature condition near the ambient temperature. This method is based on the fact that the oxidating reactivity of the catalyst can be improved significantly by eliminating the water content in the gases to be processed. (Yoshino, Y.)

Comparative metabolism and elimination of acetanilide compounds by rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, K L; Larsen, G L; Feil, V J

1994-10-01

1. 14C-labelled propachlor, alachlor, butachlor, metolachlor, methoxypropachlor and some of their mercapturic acid pathway metabolites (MAP) were given to rat either by gavage or by perfusion into a renal artery. MAP metabolites were isolated from bile and urine. 2. Rat gavaged with propachlor and methoxypropachlor eliminated 14C mostly in urine, whereas rat gavaged with alachlor, butachlor and metolachlor eliminated 14C about equally divided between urine and faeces. When bile ducts were cannulated, the gavaged rat eliminated most of the 14C in bile for all compounds. The amount of 14C in bile from the propachlor-gavaged rat was less than that for the other acetanilides, with the difference being in the urine. 3. The mercapturic acid metabolites 2-methylsulphinyl-N-(1-methylhydroxyethyl)-N-phenylacetam ide and 2-methylsulphinyl-N-(1-methylmethoxyethyl)-N-phenylacetam ide were isolated from the urine and bile of the methoxypropachlor-gavaged rat. 4. Bile was the major route for 14C elimination when MAP metabolites of alachlor, butachlor and metolachlor were perfused into a renal artery. Urine was the major route for 14C elimination when MAP metabolites of propachlor and methoxypropachlor were perfused. Mercapturic acid conjugates were major metabolites in bile and urine when MAP metabolites were perfused. 5. We conclude that alkyl groups on the phenyl portion of the acetanilide causes biliary elimination to be favoured over urinary elimination.

Malaria medicines to address drug resistance and support malaria elimination efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Achan, Jane; Mwesigwa, Julia; Edwin, Chinagozi Precious; D'alessandro, Umberto

2018-01-01

Antimalarial drugs are essential weapons to fight malaria and have been used effectively since the 17 th century. However, P.falciparum resistance has been reported to almost all available antimalarial drugs, including artemisinin derivatives, raising concerns that this could jeopardize malaria elimination. Areas covered: In this article, we present a historical perspective of antimalarial drug resistance, review current evidence of resistance to available antimalarial drugs and discuss possible mitigating strategies to address this challenge. Expert commentary: The historical approach to drug resistance has been to change the national treatment policy to an alternative treatment. However, alternatives to artemisinin-based combination treatment are currently extremely limited. Innovative approaches utilizing available schizonticidal drugs such as triple combination therapies or multiple first line treatments could delay the emergence and spread of drug resistance. Transmission blocking drugs like primaquine may play a key role if given to a substantial proportion of malaria infected persons. Deploying antimalarial medicines in mass drug administration or mass screening and treatment campaigns could also contribute to containment efforts by eliminating resistant parasites in some settings. Ultimately, response to drug resistance should also include further investment in the development of new antimalarial drugs.

Experiences With and Perceptions of Workplace Bullying Among Athletic Trainers in the Secondary School Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitney, William A; Weuve, Celest; Mazerolle, Stephanie M

2016-09-01

Workplace bullying (WPB) has recently received much attention in society. Research on WPB in athletic training practice settings is limited. To determine the prevalence of WPB in the secondary school setting and explore the factors related to it. Mixed-methods study. Secondary school. A total of 567 athletic trainers (women = 322 [56.8%], men = 245 [43.2%]), aged 36.5 ± 11.1 years with 11.9 ± 9.5 years of experience took part in phase I. Ten participants (7 women and 3 men), aged 39.3 ± 10.1 years with 14.3 ± 8.3 years of experience, took part in phase II. For the online survey, we used the previously validated and reliable (Cronbach α = .84) Athletic Training Workplace Environment Survey, which included the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. The prevalence of WPB was measured with descriptive statistics, and χ 2 analyses were used to compare differences between groups (ie, females and males, perpetrators' titles). The interview data were examined using an inductive content analysis. Of the participants, 44 (7.8%) were empirically identified as targets of bullying, though a higher percentage (12.4%, n = 70) self-identified as bullying targets. Men and women did not differ with respect to having experienced WPB, but more perpetrators were male (71.6%, n = 48) than female (28.4%, n = 19; χ 2 1 = 12.55, P = discrimination were antecedents of bullying. Stress, depression, and sleep disturbances were reported consequences. Participants coped with bullying by avoidance and role refocusing. Bullying was experienced by a small percentage of athletic trainers in the secondary school setting, a contrast to the findings in the collegiate practice setting.

Optimising strategies for Plasmodium falciparum malaria elimination in Cambodia: primaquine, mass drug administration and artemisinin resistance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard J Maude

Full Text Available Malaria elimination requires a variety of approaches individually optimized for different transmission settings. A recent field study in an area of low seasonal transmission in South West Cambodia demonstrated dramatic reductions in malaria parasite prevalence following both mass drug administration (MDA and high treatment coverage of symptomatic patients with artemisinin-piperaquine plus primaquine. This study employed multiple combined strategies and it was unclear what contribution each made to the reductions in malaria.A mathematical model fitted to the trial results was used to assess the effects of the various components of these interventions, design optimal elimination strategies, and explore their interactions with artemisinin resistance, which has recently been discovered in Western Cambodia. The modelling indicated that most of the initial reduction of P. falciparum malaria resulted from MDA with artemisinin-piperaquine. The subsequent continued decline and near elimination resulted mainly from high coverage with artemisinin-piperaquine treatment. Both these strategies were more effective with the addition of primaquine. MDA with artemisinin combination therapy (ACT increased the proportion of artemisinin resistant infections, although much less than treatment of symptomatic cases with ACT, and this increase was slowed by adding primaquine. Artemisinin resistance reduced the effectiveness of interventions using ACT when the prevalence of resistance was very high. The main results were robust to assumptions about primaquine action, and immunity.The key messages of these modelling results for policy makers were: high coverage with ACT treatment can produce a long-term reduction in malaria whereas the impact of MDA is generally only short-term; primaquine enhances the effect of ACT in eliminating malaria and reduces the increase in proportion of artemisinin resistant infections; parasite prevalence is a better surveillance measure for

Testing the hypothesis that treatment can eliminate HIV

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Okano, Justin T; Robbins, Danielle; Palk, Laurence

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, approximately 35 million individuals are infected with HIV; about 25 million of these live in sub-Saharan Africa. WHO proposes using treatment as prevention (TasP) to eliminate HIV. Treatment suppresses viral load, decreasing the probability an individual transmits HIV....... The elimination threshold is one new HIV infection per 1000 individuals. Here, we test the hypothesis that TasP can substantially reduce epidemics and eliminate HIV. We estimate the impact of TasP, between 1996 and 2013, on the Danish HIV epidemic in men who have sex with men (MSM), an epidemic UNAIDS has...... identified as a priority for elimination. METHODS: We use a CD4-staged Bayesian back-calculation approach to estimate incidence, and the hidden epidemic (the number of HIV-infected undiagnosed MSM). To develop the back-calculation model, we use data from an ongoing nationwide population-based study...

Asymmetric epigenetic modification and elimination of rDNA sequences by polyploidization in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiang; Han, Fangpu

2014-11-01

rRNA genes consist of long tandem repeats clustered on chromosomes, and their products are important functional components of the ribosome. In common wheat (Triticum aestivum), rDNA loci from the A and D genomes were largely lost during the evolutionary process. This biased DNA elimination may be related to asymmetric transcription and epigenetic modifications caused by the polyploid formation. Here, we observed both sets of parental nucleolus organizing regions (NORs) were expressed after hybridization, but asymmetric silencing of one parental NOR was immediately induced by chromosome doubling, and reversing the ploidy status could not reactivate silenced NORs. Furthermore, increased CHG and CHH DNA methylation on promoters was accompanied by asymmetric silencing of NORs. Enrichment of H3K27me3 and H3K9me2 modifications was also observed to be a direct response to increased DNA methylation and transcriptional inactivation of NOR loci. Both A and D genome NOR loci with these modifications started to disappear in the S4 generation and were completely eliminated by the S7 generation in synthetic tetraploid wheat. Our results indicated that asymmetric epigenetic modification and elimination of rDNA sequences between different donor genomes may lead to stable allopolyploid wheat with increased differentiation and diversity. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Experiment list: SRX369069 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available cells or in CF tests against SV40, RSV or adenoviruses, mycoplasma contamination was detected and elimina...ted in 1972, (PMID: 6081590) 15242199,98.2,33.5,535 SET8 16h gammaH2AX name=SET8_16

Towards tuberculosis elimination: an action framework for low-incidence countries.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2015-04-01

This paper describes an action framework for countries with low tuberculosis (TB) incidence (<100 TB cases per million population) that are striving for TB elimination. The framework sets out priority interventions required for these countries to progress first towards "pre-elimination" (<10 cases per million) and eventually the elimination of TB as a public health problem (less than one case per million). TB epidemiology in most low-incidence countries is characterised by a low rate of transmission in the general population, occasional outbreaks, a majority of TB cases generated from progression of latent TB infection (LTBI) rather than local transmission, concentration to certain vulnerable and hard-to-reach risk groups, and challenges posed by cross-border migration. Common health system challenges are that political commitment, funding, clinical expertise and general awareness of TB diminishes as TB incidence falls. The framework presents a tailored response to these challenges, grouped into eight priority action areas: 1) ensure political commitment, funding and stewardship for planning and essential services; 2) address the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups; 3) address special needs of migrants and cross-border issues; 4) undertake screening for active TB and LTBI in TB contacts and selected high-risk groups, and provide appropriate treatment; 5) optimise the prevention and care of drug-resistant TB; 6) ensure continued surveillance, programme monitoring and evaluation and case-based data management; 7) invest in research and new tools; and 8) support global TB prevention, care and control. The overall approach needs to be multisectorial, focusing on equitable access to high-quality diagnosis and care, and on addressing the social determinants of TB. Because of increasing globalisation and population mobility, the response needs to have both national and global dimensions.

Elimination of nonspecific radioactivity from [76Br]bromide in PET study with [76Br]bromodeoxyuridine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Lu; Bergstroem, Mats; Fasth, Karl-Johan; Wu Feng; Eriksson, Barbro; Laangstroem, Bengt

1999-01-01

[ 76 Br]Bromodeoxyuridine ([ 76 Br]BrdU) might allow a determination of proliferation in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET), but only with consideration of organ nonspecific radioactivity constituted by [ 76 Br]bromide. A first study assessed the potential of diuretics to eliminate [ 76 Br]bromide. [ 76 Br]Bromide was injected in the vein of rats and different diuretic combinations were given. Urine was collected and radioactivity measured. Torasemide plus sodium chloride gave better 76 Br elimination than the other diuretics. In a second experiment, rats were given [ 76 Br]BrdU. After the radioactivity injection, the rats of the treatment group were given torasemide plus NaCl. At 44 h after the radioactivity injection, the radioactivity concentration and the fraction incorporated into DNA were measured in different organs. Using diuretics, the elimination of [ 76 Br]bromide was increased. The radioactivity decreased 30-50% in most of the organs but the highest radioactivity uptake was found in the organs with more active DNA synthesis. This method may facilitate the use of [ 76 Br]BrdU as a tracer for DNA synthesis using PET

Population genetics analysis during the elimination process of Plasmodium falciparum in Djibouti.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaireh, Bouh Abdi; Assefa, Ashenafi; Guessod, Hawa Hassan; Basco, Leonardo K; Khaireh, Mohamed Abdi; Pascual, Aurélie; Briolant, Sébastien; Bouh, Samatar Mohamed; Farah, Ismaïl Hassan; Ali, Habib Moussa; Abdi, Abdoul-Ilah Ahmed; Aden, Mouna Osman; Abdillahi, Zamzam; Ayeh, Souleiman Nour; Darar, Houssein Youssouf; Koeck, Jean-Louis; Rogier, Christophe; Pradines, Bruno; Bogreau, Hervé

2013-06-13

of malaria importation in the low malaria transmission setting of Djibouti. The molecular approach highlights i) the evolution of Djiboutian plasmodial population profiles that are consistent and compatible with Djiboutian pre-elimination goals and ii) the necessity to implement the monitoring of plasmodial populations and interventions at the regional scale in the Horn of Africa to ensure higher efficiency of malaria control and elimination.

Why use of interventions targeting outdoor biting mosquitoes will be necessary to achieve malaria elimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicodem James Govella

2012-06-01

Full Text Available By definition, elimination of malaria means permanent reduction to zero of locally incidence of infections. Achieving this goal among other reasons, it requires fully understanding on where and when persons are most exposed to malaria vectors as these are fundamental for targeting interventions to achieve maximum impact. While elimination can be possible in some settings with low malaria transmission intensity and dominated with late and indoor biting of vectors using Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRs, it’s difficult and even impossible in areas with high and where majority of human exposure to transmission occurs outside human dwellings. Recently in response to wide spread use of LLIN and IRS, human risk of exposure to transmission is increasingly spread across the entire night so that much of it occurs outdoors and before bed time. This modification of vector populations and behaviour has now been reported from across Africa, Asia and from the Solomon Islands. Historical evidence shows that even in areas with intervention coverage exceeding 90% of human population it was so hard to even push prevalence down below the pre elimination threshold of 1% being compromised mainly with the outdoor residual transmission. Malaria control experts must however continue to deliver interventions that tackle indoor transmission but considerable amount of resources that target mosquitoes outside of houses and outside of sleeping hours will therefore be required to sustain and go beyond existing levels of malaria control and achieve elimination.

The economics of malaria control and elimination: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shretta, Rima; Avanceña, Anton L V; Hatefi, Arian

2016-12-12

Declining donor funding and competing health priorities threaten the sustainability of malaria programmes. Elucidating the cost and benefits of continued investments in malaria could encourage sustained political and financial commitments. The evidence, although available, remains disparate. This paper reviews the existing literature on the economic and financial cost and return of malaria control, elimination and eradication. A review of articles that were published on or before September 2014 on the cost and benefits of malaria control and elimination was performed. Studies were classified based on their scope and were analysed according to two major categories: cost of malaria control and elimination to a health system, and cost-benefit studies. Only studies involving more than two control or elimination interventions were included. Outcomes of interest were total programmatic cost, cost per capita, and benefit-cost ratios (BCRs). All costs were converted to 2013 US$ for standardization. Of the 6425 articles identified, 54 studies were included in this review. Twenty-two were focused on elimination or eradication while 32 focused on intensive control. Forty-eight per cent of studies included in this review were published on or after 2000. Overall, the annual per capita cost of malaria control to a health system ranged from $0.11 to $39.06 (median: $2.21) while that for malaria elimination ranged from $0.18 to $27 (median: $3.00). BCRs of investing in malaria control and elimination ranged from 2.4 to over 145. Overall, investments needed for malaria control and elimination varied greatly amongst the various countries and contexts. In most cases, the cost of elimination was greater than the cost of control. At the same time, the benefits of investing in malaria greatly outweighed the costs. While the cost of elimination in most cases was greater than the cost of control, the benefits greatly outweighed the cost. Information from this review provides guidance to

Uptake, disposition, and elimination of acrylamide in rainbow trout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersen, D.W.; Kleinow, K.M.; Kraska, R.C.; Lech, J.J.

1985-01-01

The uptake, disposition, and elimination of [2,3- 14 C]acrylamide was studied in fingerling rainbow trout exposed to 0.388 and 0.710 mg/liter [2,3- 14 C]acrylamide at 12 degrees C under static water conditions for 72 hr. 14 C in carcass and viscera was determined at times ranging from 4 to 72 hr after the beginning of the exposure period and 4 to 96 hr after transfer of the fish to fresh flowing water for the elimination studies. Uptake of 14 C was initially rapid and plateaued after 72 hr of acrylamide exposure. No appreciable bioaccumulation occurred in carcass or viscera at either exposure concentration and 14 C distributed approximately equally to all tissues studied. Elimination of 14 C from carcass and viscera was biphasic with a terminal half-life of approximately 7 days. 14 C elimination was not uniform in all tissues studied with the most rapid elimination occurring in blood and gill and the slowest elimination occurring in muscle and intestine. In addition, 10 to 15% of the initial total 14 C in carcass or viscera was nonextractable and was associated with the protein fraction of the sample at all time points in the depuration period. Approximately 20% of an ip administered dose of [ 14 C]acrylamide was eliminated via the gills, 7% via the urine, and less than 1% via the bile in 2 hr. At least three biliary metabolites were isolated by HPLC

Recognizing, Confronting, and Eliminating Workplace Bullying.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Peggy Ann; Gillespie, Gordon L; Fisher, Bonnie S; Gormley, Denise K

2016-07-01

Workplace bullying (WPB) behaviors negatively affect nurse productivity, satisfaction, and retention, and hinder safe patient care. The purpose of this article is to define WPB, differentiate between incivility and WPB, and recommend actions to prevent WPB behaviors. Informed occupational and environmental health nurses and nurse leaders must recognize, confront, and eliminate WPB in their facilities and organizations. Recognizing, confronting, and eliminating WPB behaviors in health care is a crucial first step toward sustained improvements in patient care quality and the health and safety of health care employees. © 2016 The Author(s).

Elimination of americium-241 after a case of accidental inhalation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edvardsson, K.A.; Lindgren, L.

1976-01-01

In handling a 241 Am source one person received an internal contamination of about 140 nCi of americium oxide, which was deposited in the lung region. Elimination of the activity was followed for more than 3 months by external gamma counting and excreta analyses. During the first week after the inhalation about 80% of the total intake was eliminated with an effective half-life of less than 2 days. The remaining activity, deposited in the lung region, was eliminated with an effective half-life of about 17 days. About 15% of the activity eliminated from the lung region from the 10th to the 50th day was eliminated in the faeces. (author)

The Role of Quantifier Alternations in Cut Elimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerhardy, Philipp

2005-01-01

Extending previous results on the complexity of cut elimination for the sequent calculus LK, we discuss the role of quantifier alternations and develop a measure to describe the complexity of cut elimination in terms of quantifier alternations in cut formulas and contractions on such formulas...

Experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in Mopani district, Limpopo Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MP Mohale

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Professional nurses working in rural, primary health-care settings are experiencing burnout due to serious shortages of personnel. This is exacerbated by the brain drain of nurses leaving the country. Rural settings are resource constrained in terms of personnel and equipment. This results in dissatisfaction among nurses due to the unbearable working conditions which result in stress and frustration. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of nurses working in a rural primary health-care setting in the greater Letaba sub district in Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. Data was collected in the form of in-depth interviews. The study revealed that nurses working in primary health-care settings were experiencing emotional and physical strain as a result of the shortage of human resources. It was recommended that policies that meet the health-care needs of rural communities be developed, and that strategies to retain professional nurses in primary health-care settings be formulated.

Experiment list: SRX369067 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available cells or in CF tests against SV40, RSV or adenoviruses, mycoplasma contamination was detected and elimina...ted in 1972, (PMID: 6081590) 10852593,98.0,46.4,198 SET8 8h gammaH2AX name=SET8_8h_

Experiment list: SRX369066 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available cells or in CF tests against SV40, RSV or adenoviruses, mycoplasma contamination was detected and elimina...ted in 1972, (PMID: 6081590) 13394095,98.5,45.0,192 SET8 0h gammaH2AX name=SET8_0h_

Midwives' experiences of labour care in midwifery units. A qualitative interview study in a Norwegian setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Skogheim, Gry; Hanssen, Tove A

2015-12-01

In some economically developed countries, women's choice of birth care and birth place is encouraged. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of midwives who started working in alongside/free-standing midwifery units (AMU/FMU) and their experiences with labour care in this setting. A qualitative explorative design using a phenomenographic approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten strategically sampled midwives working in midwifery units. The analysis revealed the following five categories of experiences noted by the midwives: mixed emotions and de-learning obstetric unit habits, revitalising midwifery philosophy, alertness and preparedness, presence and patience, and coping with time. Starting to work in an AMU/FMU can be a distressing period for a midwife. First, it may require de-learning the medical approach to birth, and, second, it may entail a revitalisation (and re-learning) of birth care that promotes physiological birth. Midwifery, particularly in FMUs, requires an especially careful assessment of the labouring process, the ability to be foresighted, and capability in emergencies. The autonomy of midwives may be constrained also in AMUs/FMUs. However, working in these settings is also viewed as experiencing "the art of midwifery" and enables revitalisation of the midwifery philosophy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polio elimination in Nigeria: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Usman Nakakana; Bandyopadhyay, Ananda Sankar; Montagnani, Francesca; Akite, Jacqueline Elaine; Mungu, Etaluka Blanche; Uche, Ifeanyi Valentine; Ismaila, Ahmed Mohammed

2016-03-03

Nigeria has made tremendous strides towards eliminating polio and has been free of wild polio virus (WPV) for more than a year as of August 2015. However, sustained focus towards getting rid of all types of poliovirus by improving population immunity and enhancing disease surveillance will be needed to ensure it sustains the polio-free status. We reviewed the pertinent literature including published and unpublished, official reports and working documents of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners as well as other concerned organizations. The literature were selected based on the following criteria: published in English Language, published after year 2000, relevant content and conformance to the theme of the review and these were sorted accordingly. The challenges facing the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) in Nigeria were found to fall into 3 broad categories viz failure to vaccinate, failure of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and epidemiology of the virus. Failure to vaccinate resulted from insecurity, heterogeneous political support, programmatic limitation in implementation of vaccination campaigns, poor performance of vaccination teams in persistently poor performing Local Government areas and sporadic vaccine refusals in Northern Nigeria. Sub optimal effectiveness of OPV in some settings as well as the rare occurrence of VDPVs associated with OPV type 2 in areas of low immunization coverage were also found to be key issues. Some of the innovations which helped to manage the threats to the PEI include a strong government accountability frame work, change from type 2 containing OPV to bi valent OPVs for supplementary immunization activities (SIA), enhancing environmental surveillance in key states (Sokoto, Kano and Borno) along with an overall improvement in SIA quality. There has been an improvement in coverage of routine immunization and vaccination campaigns, which has resulted in Nigeria being removed from the list of endemic countries

Experiences of Nigerian Internationally Educated Nurses Transitioning to United States Health Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Iheduru-Anderson, Kechinyere C; Wahi, Monika M

2018-04-01

Successful transition to practice of internationally educated nurses (IENs) can critically affect quality of care. The aim of this study was to characterize the facilitators and barriers to transition of Nigerian IENs (NIENs) to the United States health care setting. Using a descriptive phenomenology approach, 6 NIENs were interviewed about their transitional experiences in the United States. Thematic methods were used for data analysis. The three major themes identified from the participants' stories were "fear/anger and disappointment" (FAD), "road/journey to success/overcoming challenges" (RJO), and "moving forward" (MF). The FAD theme predominated, including experiences of racism, bullying, and inequality. The RJO theme included resilience, and the MF theme encompassed personal growth. NIENs face personal and organizational barriers to adaptation, especially fear, anger and disappointment. Future research should seek to develop a model for optimal adaptation that focuses on improving both personal and organizational facilitators and decreasing barriers.

Comparing materials used in mist eliminators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Looney, B.; Baleno, B.; Boles, G.L.; Telow, J. [Solvay Advanced Polyers (United States)

2007-11-15

Wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems, or wet scrubbers, are notoriously capital - and maintenance-intensive. Mist eliminators are an integral part of most wet FGD systems. These are available in a variety of materials - polypropylene, fiberglass reinforced polymer (FRP), polysulfone and stainless steel. The article discusses the material properties, performance attributes and relative cost differences associated with each of these four materials. It describes the common problems with mist eliminators - fouling and corrosion. These can be minimised by routine cleaning and use of chemical additives to prevent deposition. An analysis was carried out to compare the four materials at APS Cholla power plant. As a result the facility is retrofitting its remaining wet scrubber towers in Unit 2 with mist eliminators constructed from polysulfone as each of the current ones of the existing polypropylene needs replacing. Polysulfone is cheaper to clean and components require replacing less frequently than polypropylene. Switching from stainless steel to polypropylene has proved advantageous on 22 wet scrubbers operated by PPL Montana. 5 figs. 2 tabs.

Understanding malaria treatment-seeking preferences within the public sector amongst mobile/migrant workers in a malaria elimination scenario: a mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Win, Aung Ye Naung; Maung, Thae Maung; Wai, Khin Thet; Oo, Tin; Thi, Aung; Tipmontree, Rungrawee; Soonthornworasiri, Ngamphol; Kengganpanich, Mondha; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit

2017-11-13

Migration flows and the emerging resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) create programmatic challenges to meeting the AD 2030 malaria elimination target in Myanmar. The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) targeted migrant workers based mainly on the stability of their worksites (categories 1: permanent work-setting; categories 2 and 3: less stable work-settings). This study aims to assess the migration patterns, malaria treatment-seeking preferences, and challenges encountered by mobile/migrant workers at remote sites in a malaria-elimination setting. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential study retrospectively analysed the secondary data acquired through migrant mapping surveys (2013-2015) in six endemic regions (n = 9603). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to ascertain the contributing factors. A qualitative strand (2016-2017) was added by conducting five focus-group discussions (n = 50) and five in-depth interviews with migrant workers from less stable worksites in Shwegyin Township, Bago Region. The contiguous approach was used to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings. Among others, migrant workers from Bago Region were significantly more likely to report the duration of stay ≥ 12 months (63% vs. 49%) and high seasonal mobility (40% vs. 35%). Particularly in less stable settings, a very low proportion of migrant workers (17%) preferred to seek malaria treatment from the public sector and was significantly influenced by the worksite stability (adjusted OR = 1.4 and 2.3, respectively for categories 2 and 1); longer duration of stay (adjusted OR = 3.5); and adjusted OR malaria messages, knowledge of malaria symptoms and awareness of means of malaria diagnosis. Qualitative data further elucidated their preference for the informal healthcare sector, due to convenience, trust and good relations, and put migrant workers at risk of substandard care. Moreover, the

Malaria elimination practices in rural community residents in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

53. Rwanda Journal Series F: Medicine and Health Sciences Vol. 2 No. 1, 2015. Malaria elimination practices in rural community residents in Rwanda: A cross sectional study ... is an entirely preventable and treatable disease, provided that effective .... The most way used for malaria prevention, control and elimination.

Challenges for malaria elimination in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Marcelo U; Castro, Marcia C

2016-05-20

Brazil currently contributes 42 % of all malaria cases reported in the Latin America and the Caribbean, a region where major progress towards malaria elimination has been achieved in recent years. In 2014, malaria burden in Brazil (143,910 microscopically confirmed cases and 41 malaria-related deaths) has reached its lowest levels in 35 years, Plasmodium falciparum is highly focal, and the geographic boundary of transmission has considerably shrunk. Transmission in Brazil remains entrenched in the Amazon Basin, which accounts for 99.5 % of the country's malaria burden. This paper reviews major lessons learned from past and current malaria control policies in Brazil. A comprehensive discussion of the scientific and logistic challenges that may impact malaria elimination efforts in the country is presented in light of the launching of the Plan for Elimination of Malaria in Brazil in November 2015. Challenges for malaria elimination addressed include the high prevalence of symptomless and submicroscopic infections, emerging anti-malarial drug resistance in P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and the lack of safe anti-relapse drugs, the largely neglected burden of malaria in pregnancy, the need for better vector control strategies where Anopheles mosquitoes present a highly variable biting behaviour, human movement, the need for effective surveillance and tools to identify foci of infection in areas with low transmission, and the effects of environmental changes and climatic variability in transmission. Control actions launched in Brazil and results to come are likely to influence control programs in other countries in the Americas.

Seeking to understand lived experiences of personal recovery in personality disorder in community and forensic settings - a qualitative methods investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Andrew; Sanders, Caroline; Shaw, Jenny

2017-08-01

Understandings of personal recovery have emerged as an alternative framework to traditional ideas of clinical progression, or symptom remission, in clinical practice. Most research in this field has focussed on the experience of individuals suffering with psychotic disorders and little research has been conducted to explore the experience of individuals with a personality disorder diagnosis, despite the high prevalence of such difficulties. The nature of the personality disorder diagnosis, together with high prevalence rates in forensic settings, renders the understanding of recovery in these contexts particularly problematic. The current study seeks to map out pertinent themes relating to the recovery process in personality disorder as described by individuals accessing care in either community or forensic settings. Individual qualitative interviews were utilised to explore the lived experience of those receiving a personality disorder diagnosis and accessing mental health care in either community or forensic settings. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify shared concepts and understanding between participants. Fourty-one individual participant interviews were conducted across forensic and community settings. Recovery was presented by participants as a developing negotiated understanding of the self, together with looked for change and hope in the future. Four specific themes emerged in relation to this process: 1. Understanding early lived experience as informing sense of self 2. Developing emotional control 3. Diagnosis as linking understanding and hope for change 4. The role of mental health services. Through considering personal recovery in personality disorder as a negotiated understanding between the individual, their social networks and professionals this study illustrates the complexity of working through such a process. Clarity of understanding in this area is essential to avoid developing resistance in the recovery process. Understanding of

Defense Logistics Agency Revenue Eliminations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1996-01-01

The issue of revenue eliminations was identified during our work on the Defense Logistics Agency portion of the Audit of Revenue Accounts in the FY 1996 Financial Statements of the Defense Business Operations Fund...

An elimination diet for chronic urticaria of childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, A S; Schembri, G

1985-09-16

Twenty-three children with chronic urticaria were treated with an elimination diet for two weeks. Eighteen completed the period of dietary elimination; in seven of the 18 children there was a marked remission of the urticaria during the second week of the diet. The administration of challenge capsules provoked an exacerbation of urticaria in five of the 14 (36%) children given aspirin. The incidence of reactions to tartrazine, sodium benzoate and yeast (7%) was not significantly different from those to the lactose placebo (9%). In selected cases, elimination diets with controlled reintroduction of foods have a role in the management of chronic urticaria in childhood.

Sliding Control with Chattering Elimination for Hydraulic Drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Lasse; Andersen, Torben Ole; Pedersen, Henrik C.

2012-01-01

This paper presents the development of a sliding mode control scheme with chattering elimination, generally applicable for position tracking control of electro-hydraulic valve-cylinder drives. The proposed control scheme requires only common data sheet information, no knowledge on load characteri......This paper presents the development of a sliding mode control scheme with chattering elimination, generally applicable for position tracking control of electro-hydraulic valve-cylinder drives. The proposed control scheme requires only common data sheet information, no knowledge on load...... controller is developed for the control derivative based on a reduced order model. Simulation results demonstrate strong robustness when subjected to parameter perturbations and that chattering is eliminated....

Eliminating Perinatal HIV Transmission

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

In this podcast, CDC’s Dr. Steve Nesheim discusses perinatal HIV transmission, including the importance of preventing HIV among women, preconception care, and timely HIV testing of the mother. Dr. Nesheim also introduces the revised curriculum Eliminating Perinatal HIV Transmission intended for faculty of OB/GYN and pediatric residents and nurse midwifery students.

Fear and blame in mental health nurses' accounts of restrictive practices: Implications for the elimination of seclusion and restraint.

Science.gov (United States)

Muir-Cochrane, Eimear; O'Kane, Deb; Oster, Candice

2018-03-09

Restrictive practices continue to be used in mental health care despite increasing recognition of their harms and an international effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate their use. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore mental health nurses' views of the potential elimination of these practices. Nine focus groups were conducted with 44 mental health nurses across Australia, and the data analysed using thematic analysis. Overall, the nurses expressed significant fear about the potential elimination of restrictive practices and saw themselves as being blamed for both the use of these practices and the consequences should they be eliminated. Findings detail the conflicts facing staff in balancing the need for ward safety for everyone present while at the same time providing person-centred care. Nurses described the changing role of the mental health nurse in acute settings, being more focussed on risk assessment and medication while at the same time attempting to practise in trauma-informed person-centred ways. The impact on ward safety with increasing acuity of consumers plus the presence of forensic consumers and those affected by methamphetamine was emphasized. Change initiatives need to take into account nurses' deep concerns about the consequences of eliminating all forms of control measures in hospitals and respond to the symptoms and behaviours consumers present with and associated unpredictable and concerning behaviours. Attempts to eliminate restrictive practices should, therefore, be carefully considered and come with a clear articulation of alternatives to ensure the safety of consumers, visitors, and staff. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Risks: diagnosing and eliminating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuriy A. Tikhomirov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective to develop conceptual theoretical and legal provisions and scientific recommendations on the identification analysis and elimination of risk. Methods universal dialectic method of cognition as well as scientific and private research methods based on it. Results the system was researched of risks diagnostics in the legal sphere and mechanism of influencing the quotrisk situationsquot and their consequences damage to the environment and harm to society. The concept of risk in the legal sphere was formulated the author39s classification of risks in the legal sphere is presented. The rules of analysis evaluation and prevention of risks and the model risk management framework are elaborated. Scientific novelty the mechanism for the identification analysis and elimination of risk has been developed and introduced into scientific circulation the author has proposed the classification and types of risks the reasons and the conditions promoting the risk occurrence. Practical significance the provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in the scientific lawmaking and lawenforcement activity as well as in the educational process of higher educational establishments. nbsp

Proportional counter end effects eliminator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meekins, J.F.

1976-01-01

An improved gas-filled proportional counter which includes a resistor network connected between the anode and cathode at the ends of the counter in order to eliminate ''end effects'' is described. 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures

What is needed to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections: The contribution of model-based analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Katie; Ciaranello, Andrea

2013-01-01

Purpose of Review Computer simulation models can identify key clinical, operational, and economic interventions that will be needed to achieve the elimination of new pediatric HIV infections. In this review, we summarize recent findings from model-based analyses of strategies for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). Recent Findings In order to achieve elimination of MTCT (eMTCT), model-based studies suggest that scale-up of services will be needed in several domains: uptake of services and retention in care (the PMTCT “cascade”), interventions to prevent HIV infections in women and reduce unintended pregnancies (the “four-pronged approach”), efforts to support medication adherence through long periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding, and strategies to make breastfeeding safer and/or shorter. Models also project the economic resources that will be needed to achieve these goals in the most efficient ways to allocate limited resources for eMTCT. Results suggest that currently recommended PMTCT regimens (WHO Option A, Option B, and Option B+) will be cost-effective in most settings. Summary Model-based results can guide future implementation science, by highlighting areas in which additional data are needed to make informed decisions and by outlining critical interventions that will be necessary in order to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections. PMID:23743788

Theoretical Study of the Kinetics of the Pyrolytic Elimination Reaction of Ethyl Chloride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isaiah Ajibade Adejoro

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The products of the gas-phase elimination of ethyl chloride are hydrogen chloride and ethane. Using AM1, MNDO and PM3 Hamiltonians of quantum mechanical computer code called MOPAC, a procedure for the kinetics and computation of the Arrhenius parameters for the pyrolytic elimination reaction of ethyl chloride was devised in order to evaluate the predictive ability of the three Hamiltonians used. The first-order rate coefficient for the three Hamiltonians are 1.15x10-8s-1, 4.55x10-15s-1 and 5.36x10-4s-1 for AM1, MNDO and PM3 respectively. The results obtained showed that the rate constant for the computed Arrhenius parameters compare well with the experimental values in the literature, thus showing that the computational procedure adequately simulates experimental results; also the semi-empirical AMI calculation has the best predictive ability with experiment followed by PM3 while MNDO has the least.

Elimination of field colonies of a mound-building termite Globitermes sulphureus (Isoptera: Termitidae) by bistrifluron bait.

Science.gov (United States)

Neoh, Kok-Boon; Jalaludin, Nur Atiqah; Lee, Chow-Yang

2011-04-01

The efficacy of Xterm, which contains 1% bistrifluron, in the form of cellulose bait pellets was evaluated for its efficacy in eradicating field colonies of the mound-building termite Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland) (Isoptera: Termitidae). The termite mounds were dissected at the end of the experiment to determine whether the colonies were eliminated. By approximately 2 mo postbaiting, the body of termite workers appeared marble white, and mites were present on the body. The soldier-worker ratio increased drastically in the colonies, and the wall surface of the mounds started to erode. Colony elimination required at least a 4-mo baiting period. Mound dissection revealed wet carton materials (food store) that were greatly consumed and overgrown by fast-growing fungi. Decaying cadavers were scattered all over the nests. On average, 84.1 +/- 16.4 g of bait matrix (68.9 +/- 13.4%, an equivalent of 841 +/- 164 mg of bistrifluron) was consumed in each colony. Moreover, we found that a mere 143 mg of bistrifluron was sufficient to eliminate a colony of C. sulphureus.

Determinants of Human African Trypanosomiasis Elimination via Paratransgenesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer A Gilbert

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, transmitted by tsetse flies, has historically infected hundreds of thousands of individuals annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last decade, concerted control efforts have reduced reported cases to below 10,000 annually, bringing complete elimination within reach. A potential technology to eliminate HAT involves rendering the flies resistant to trypanosome infection. This approach can be achieved through the introduction of transgenic Sodalis symbiotic bacteria that have been modified to produce a trypanocide, and propagated via Wolbachia symbionts, which confer a reproductive advantage to the paratransgenic tsetse. However, the population dynamics of these symbionts within tsetse flies have not yet been evaluated. Specifically, the key factors that determine the effectiveness of paratransgenesis have yet to be quantified. To identify the impact of these determinants on T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense transmission, we developed a mathematical model of trypanosome transmission that incorporates tsetse and symbiont population dynamics. We found that fecundity and mortality penalties associated with Wolbachia or recombinant Sodalis colonization, probabilities of vertical transmission, and tsetse migration rates are fundamental to the feasibility of HAT elimination. For example, we determined that HAT elimination could be sustained over 25 years when Wolbachia colonization minimally impacted fecundity or mortality, and when the probability of recombinant Sodalis vertical transmission exceeded 99.9%. We also found that for a narrow range of recombinant Sodalis vertical transmission probability (99.9-90.6% for T.b. gambiense and 99.9-85.8% for T.b. rhodesiense, cumulative HAT incidence was reduced between 30% and 1% for T.b. gambiense and between 21% and 3% for T.b. rhodesiense, although elimination was not predicted. Our findings indicate that fitness and mortality penalties associated with paratransgenic

Particle physics contribution to the elimination of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revol, Jean-Pierre

2001-01-01

My introduction on fundamental research and innovation will explain how CERN, a laboratory which is a priori entirely dedicated to fundamental research, came to contribute to a major challenge of society: the energy problem. I will describe the motivation behind the original experimental effort carried out at CERN (FEAT and TARC experiments) and discuss some of the main elements of the energy problem. Progress in particle accelerator technology makes it possible nowadays to use a proton accelerator to produce energy and eliminate nuclear waste efficiently. The Energy Amplifier proposed by Carlo Rubbia and his group is a subcritical fast neutron system driven by a proton accelerator. It is particularly attractive as it could destroy, through fission, transuranic elements produced by present nuclear reactors. The Energy Amplifier could also efficiently transform long lived fission fragments at minimal cost using the concept of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) recently tested at CERN with the TARC experiment. The ARC concept can be extended to several other domains of application (production of radioactive isotopes for medicine and industry, neutron research applications, etc.)

Hepatic, renal, and total body galactose elimination in the pig

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkler, K; Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Tygstrup, N

1993-01-01

Galactose elimination capacity is used as a quantitative measure of liver function on the assumption that galactose elimination outside the liver is negligible or easily corrected for. The relationship between hepatic and extrahepatic removal of galactose was studied in anesthetized pigs during...... reabsorption (Tm 178 +/- 3.0 mumol/min, Km 3.8 +/- 0.9 mmol/l, n = 20). Metabolic conversion of galactose in the kidney was not demonstrable. At all concentrations studied (0.4-5.8 mmol/l), total galactose elimination from the body exceeded the sum of hepatic and renal elimination by approximately 100 mumol....../min, independent of the concentration. At blood concentrations usually used for clinical estimation of the galactose elimination capacity (approximately 4 mmol/l), hepatic removal in the pig accounted for 55% and renal removal for 30% of total removal; 15% of removal occurred in other organs. We conclude...

Oxytocin eliminates the own-race bias in face recognition memory☆

Science.gov (United States)

Blandón-Gitlin, Iris; Pezdek, Kathy; Saldivar, Sesar; Steelman, Erin

2015-01-01

The neuropeptide Oxytocin influences a number of social behaviors, including processing of faces. We examined whether Oxytocin facilitates the processing of out-group faces and reduce the own-race bias (ORB). The ORB is a robust phenomenon characterized by poor recognition memory of other-race faces compared to the same-race faces. In Experiment 1, participants received intranasal solutions of Oxytocin or placebo prior to viewing White and Black faces. On a subsequent recognition test, whereas in the placebo condition the same-race faces were better recognized than other-race faces, in the Oxytocin condition Black and White faces were equally well recognized, effectively eliminating the ORB. In Experiment 2, Oxytocin was administered after the study phase. The ORB resulted, but Oxytocin did not significantly reduce the effect. This study is the first to show that Oxytocin can enhance face memory of out-group members and underscore the importance of social encoding mechanisms underlying the own-race bias. PMID:23872107

Deviance and resistance: Malaria elimination in the greater Mekong subregion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyttleton, Chris

2016-02-01

Malaria elimination rather than control is increasingly globally endorsed, requiring new approaches wherein success is not measured by timely treatment of presenting cases but eradicating all presence of infection. This shift has gained urgency as resistance to artemisinin-combination therapies spreads in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) posing a threat to global health security. In the GMS, endemic malaria persists in forested border areas and elimination will require calibrated approaches to remove remaining pockets of residual infection. A new public health strategy called 'positive deviance' is being used to improve health promotion and community outreach in some of these zones. However, outbreaks sparked by alternative understandings of appropriate behaviour expose the unpredictable nature of 'border malaria' and difficulties eradication faces. Using a recent spike in infections allegedly linked to luxury timber trade in Thai borderlands, this article suggests that opportunities for market engagement can cause people to see 'deviance' as a means to material advancement in ways that increase disease vulnerability. A malaria outbreak in Ubon Ratchathani was investigated during two-week field-visit in November 2014 as part of longer project researching border malaria in Thai provinces. Qualitative data were collected in four villages in Ubon's three most-affected districts. Discussions with villagers focused primarily on changing livelihoods, experience with malaria, and rosewood cutting. Informants included ten men and two women who had recently overnighted in the nearby forest. Data from health officials and villagers are used to frame Ubon's rise in malaria transmission within moral and behavioural responses to expanding commodity supply-chains. The article argues that elimination strategies in the GMS must contend with volatile outbreaks among border populations wherein 'infectiousness' and 'resistance' are not simply pathogen characteristics but also

Eliminating Crystals in Non-Oxide Optical Fiber Preforms and Optical Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Dennis S.; LaPointe, Michael R.

2012-01-01

Non ]oxide fiber optics such as heavy metal fluoride and chalcogenide glasses are extensively used in infrared transmitting applications such as communication systems, chemical sensors, and laser fiber guides for cutting, welding and medical surgery. The addition of rare earths such as erbium, enable these materials to be used as fiber laser and amplifiers. Some of these glasses however are very susceptible to crystallization. Even small crystals can lead to light scatter and a high attenuation coefficient, limiting their usefulness. Previously two research teams found that microgravity suppressed crystallization in heavy metal fluoride glasses. Looking for a less expensive method to suppress crystallization, ground based research was performed utilizing an axial magnetic field. The experiments revealed identical results to those obtained via microgravity processing. This research then led to a patented process for eliminating crystals in optical fiber preforms and the resulting optical fibers. In this paper, the microgravity results will be reviewed as well as patents and papers relating to the use of magnetic fields in various material and glass processing applications. Finally our patent to eliminate crystals in non ]oxide glasses utilizing a magnetic field will be detailed.

Lysophosphatidic acid metabolism and elimination in cardiovascular disease

Science.gov (United States)

Salous, Abdelghaffar Kamal

The bioactive lipids lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are present in human and mouse plasma at a concentration of ~0.1-1 microM and regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in the cardiovascular system including atherothrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and immune function, edema formation, and permeability. PPAP2B, the gene encoding LPP3, a broad activity integral membrane enzyme that terminates LPA actions in the vasculature, has a single nucleotide polymorphism that been recently associated with coronary artery disease risk. The synthesis and signaling of LPA and S1P in the cardiovascular system have been extensively studied but the mechanisms responsible for their elimination are less well understood. The broad goal of this research was to examine the role of LPP3 in the termination of LPA signaling in models of cardiovascular disease involving vascular wall cells, investigate the role of LPP3 in the elimination of plasma LPA, and further characterize the elimination of plasma LPA. The central hypothesis is that LPP3 plays an important role in attenuating the pathological responses to LPA signaling and that it mediates the elimination of exogenously applied bioactive lipids from the plasma. These hypotheses were tested using molecular biological approaches, in vitro studies, synthetic lysophospholipid mimetics, modified surgical procedures, and mass spectrometry assays. My results indicated that LPP3 played a critical role in attenuating LPA signaling mediating the pathological processes of intimal hyperplasia and vascular leak in mouse models of disease. Additionally, enzymatic inactivation of lysophospholipids by LPP and PLA enzymes in the plasma was not a primary mechanism for the rapid elimination of plasma LPA and S1P. Instead, evidence strongly suggested a transcellular uptake mechanism by hepatic non-parenchymal cells as the predominant mechanism for elimination of these molecules. These results support a model in

Cut-elimination for the mu-calculus with one variable

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grigori Mints

2012-02-01

Full Text Available We establish syntactic cut-elimination for the one-variable fragment of the modal mu-calculus. Our method is based on a recent cut-elimination technique by Mints that makes use of Buchholz' Omega-rule.

Toward rubella elimination in Poland: need for supplemental immunization activities, enhanced surveillance, and further integration with measles elimination efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Laura; Rogalska, Justyna; Wannemuehler, Kathleen A; Haponiuk, Marzena; Kosek, Adam; Pauch, Ewa; Plonska, Elzbieta; Veltze, Daniel; Czarkowski, Miroslaw P; Buddh, Nilesh; Reef, Susan; Stefanoff, Pawel

2011-07-01

All Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region have endorsed rubella elimination and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) prevention. However, Poland has continued high levels of reported rubella. We reviewed rubella incidence in Poland since 1966 and analyzed national aggregated surveillance data from the period 2003-2008 and case-based data from 4 provinces from the period 2006-2008. We described CRS cases since 1997 and assessed maternal receipt of vaccine. We reviewed national vaccination coverage from 1992 through 2008. Since 1966, rubella outbreaks have occurred every 4-6 years in Poland. Aggregate and case-based data from the period 2003-2008 indicate that rubella virus transmission has occurred across wide age ranges (from continues. To achieve rubella elimination, supplemental immunization activities among adolescent boys are needed, as is integration with measles elimination efforts. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2011.

Rabies elimination research: juxtaposing optimism, pragmatism and realism.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleaveland, Sarah; Hampson, Katie

2017-12-20

More than 100 years of research has now been conducted into the prevention, control and elimination of rabies with safe and highly efficacious vaccines developed for use in human and animal populations. Domestic dogs are a major reservoir for rabies, and although considerable advances have been made towards the elimination and control of canine rabies in many parts of the world, the disease continues to kill tens of thousands of people every year in Africa and Asia. Policy efforts are now being directed towards a global target of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 and the global elimination of canine rabies. Here we demonstrate how research provides a cause for optimism as to the feasibility of these goals through strategies based around mass dog vaccination. We summarize some of the pragmatic insights generated from rabies epidemiology and dog ecology research that can improve the design of dog vaccination strategies in low- and middle-income countries and which should encourage implementation without further delay. We also highlight the need for realism in reaching the feasible, although technically more difficult and longer-term goal of global elimination of canine rabies. Finally, we discuss how research on rabies has broader relevance to the control and elimination of a suite of diseases of current concern to human and animal health, providing an exemplar of the value of a 'One Health' approach. © 2017 The Authors.

Patients' self-interested preferences: empirical evidence from a priority setting experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Begoña; Rodríguez-Míguez, Eva

2011-04-01

This paper explores whether patients act according to self-interest in priority setting experiments. The analysis is based on a ranking experiment, conducted in Galicia (Spain), to elicit preferences regarding the prioritization of patients on a waiting list for an elective surgical intervention (prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia). Participants were patients awaiting a similar intervention and members of the general populations. All of them were asked to rank hypothetical patients on a waiting list. A rank-ordered logit was then applied to their responses in order to obtain a prioritization scoring system. Using these estimations, we first test for differences in preferences between patients and general population. Second, we implement a procedure based on the similarity between respondents (true patients) and the hypothetical scenarios they evaluate (hypothetical patients) to analyze whether patients provide self-interested rankings. Our results show that patient preferences differ significantly from general population preferences. The findings also indicate that, when patients rank the hypothetical scenarios on the waiting list, they consider not only the explicit attributes but also the similarity of each scenario to their own. In particular, they assign a higher priority to scenarios that more closely match their own states. We also find that such a preference structure increases their likelihood of reporting "irrational" answers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Duplicate Record Elimination in Large Data Files.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-08-01

UNCLASSIFIJED CSTR -445 NL LmEE~hhE - I1.0 . 111112----5 1.~4 __112 ___IL25_ 1.4 111111.6 EI24 COMPUTER SCIENCES DEPARTMENT oUniversity of Wisconsin...we propose a combinatorial model for the use in the analysis of algorithms for duplicate elimination. We contend that this model can serve as a...duplicates in a multiset of records, knowing the size of the multiset and the number of distinct records in it. 3. Algorithms for Duplicate Elimination

Ten years left to eliminate blinding trachoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haddad D.

2010-09-01

Full Text Available n 1997, the World Health Organization formed the Global Alliance to Eliminate Blinding Trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020, a coalition of governmental, non-governmental, research, and pharmaceutical partners. In 1998, the World Health Assembly urged member states to map blinding trachoma in endemic areas, implement the SAFE strategy (which stands for surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics, facial-cleanliness and environmental change, such as clean water and latrines and collaborate with the global alliance in its work to eliminate blinding trachoma.

Disease elimination and re-emergence in differential-equation models.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhalgh, Scott; Galvani, Alison P; Medlock, Jan

2015-12-21

Traditional differential equation models of disease transmission are often used to predict disease trajectories and evaluate the effectiveness of alternative intervention strategies. However, such models cannot account explicitly for probabilistic events, such as those that dominate dynamics when disease prevalence is low during the elimination and re-emergence phases of an outbreak. To account for the dynamics at low prevalence, i.e. the elimination and risk of disease re-emergence, without the added analytical and computational complexity of a stochastic model, we develop a novel application of control theory. We apply our approach to analyze historical data of measles elimination and re-emergence in Iceland from 1923 to 1938, predicting the temporal trajectory of local measles elimination and re-emerge as a result of disease migration from Copenhagen, Denmark. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job Resources, Physician Work Engagement, and Patient Care Experience in an Academic Medical Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheepers, Renée A; Lases, Lenny S S; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Heineman, Maas Jan; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

2017-10-01

Physician work engagement is associated with better work performance and fewer medical errors; however, whether work-engaged physicians perform better from the patient perspective is unknown. Although availability of job resources (autonomy, colleague support, participation in decision making, opportunities for learning) bolster work engagement, this relationship is understudied among physicians. This study investigated associations of physician work engagement with patient care experience and job resources in an academic setting. The authors collected patient care experience evaluations, using nine validated items from the Dutch Consumer Quality index in two academic hospitals (April 2014 to April 2015). Physicians reported job resources and work engagement using, respectively, the validated Questionnaire on Experience and Evaluation of Work and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The authors conducted multivariate adjusted mixed linear model and linear regression analyses. Of the 9,802 eligible patients and 238 eligible physicians, respectively, 4,573 (47%) and 185 (78%) participated. Physician work engagement was not associated with patient care experience (B = 0.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.02 to 0.03; P = .669). However, learning opportunities (B = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.52; P = .019) and autonomy (B = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.51; P = .004) were positively associated with work engagement. Higher physician work engagement did not translate into better patient care experience. Patient experience may benefit from physicians who deliver stable quality under varying levels of work engagement. From the physicians' perspective, autonomy and learning opportunities could safeguard their work engagement.

Experience in reconstruction of psychological reality for persons engaged in elimination of the Chernobyl' NPP accident effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salamatov, V.A.; Nyagu, A.T.

1990-01-01

The results of psichosemantic studies of adaptation process are discussed, i.e. the consciousness contents for personnel (120 persons) engaged in works connected with the Chernobyl' NPP accident effect elimination and reconstruction of the subjective image of the Chernobyl' NPP 30-km zone on this basis are described. The mental tension for the zone personnel is estimated. The results obtained testify to the presence of chronic stress and exceeding the level of psychoemotional tension. Increases in the uneasiness level and emotional instability for the personnel are revealed

International Experience with Key Program Elements of IndustrialEnergy Efficiency or Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target-SettingPrograms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Lynn; Galitsky, Christina; Kramer, Klaas Jan

2008-02-02

Target-setting agreements, also known as voluntary ornegotiated agreements, have been used by a number of governments as amechanism for promoting energy efficiency within the industrial sector. Arecent survey of such target-setting agreement programs identified 23energy efficiency or GHG emissions reduction voluntary agreement programsin 18 countries. International best practice related to target-settingagreement programs calls for establishment of a coordinated set ofpolicies that provide strong economic incentives as well as technical andfinancial support to participating industries. The key program elementsof a target-setting program are the target-setting process,identification of energy-saving technologies and measures usingenergy-energy efficiency guidebooks and benchmarking as well as byconducting energy-efficiency audits, development of an energy-savingsaction plan, development and implementation of energy managementprotocols, development of incentives and supporting policies, monitoringprogress toward targets, and program evaluation. This report firstprovides a description of three key target-setting agreement programs andthen describes international experience with the key program elementsthat comprise such programs using information from the three keytarget-setting programs as well as from other international programsrelated to industrial energy efficiency or GHG emissionsreductions.

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2013

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2015

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2014

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2009

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online: Water Discharge Monitoring Report Data Sets for FY2016

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) data sets for Clean Water...

75 FR 6402 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-09

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... for Health, and the Director, CDC, regarding the elimination of tuberculosis. Specifically, the... eliminating tuberculosis. Matters To Be Discussed: Agenda items include issues pertaining to regionalization...

Rabies Elimination in Dogs in the United States

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Rabies has been eliminated from dogs in the United States through efforts to promote annual vaccination, but it's still a problem in wildlife in the U.S. and in wild and domesticated animals abroad. In this podcast, CDC's Dr. Charles Rupprecht discusses a study which provides proof of the elimination of rabies in dogs and what this means for the average American.

76 FR 67459 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... Director, CDC, regarding the elimination of tuberculosis. Specifically, the Council makes recommendations... technologies; and reviews the extent to which progress has been made toward eliminating tuberculosis. Matters...

75 FR 63496 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-15

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... Director, CDC, regarding the elimination of tuberculosis. Specifically, the Council makes recommendations... technologies; and reviews the extent to which progress has been made toward eliminating tuberculosis. Matters...

77 FR 8877 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... for Health, and the Director, CDC, regarding the elimination of tuberculosis. Specifically, the... eliminating tuberculosis. Matters to be Discussed: Agenda items include the following topics: (1) Tuberculosis...

McGuire snubber elimination program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cloud, R.L.; Leung, J.S.M.; Taylor, W.H.; Morgan, R.L. Jr.

1993-01-01

An engineering program has been initiated at McGuire Nuclear Stations 1 and 2 to eliminate all existing snubbers. The elimination is achieved by replacing existing snubbers with limit stop pipe supports. The program establishes plant-wide modification procedures for one-to-one substitution under the 10 CFR 50.59 requirement. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) acceptance is based on the results of both comparison analyses and the hardware implementation of sample piping systems at McGuire nuclear stations. Experimental results obtained on shake table testing and from the NRC sponsored HDR research program are also used to formulate the technical basis and design procedures for plant-wide implementation of the snubber replacement effort. The overall program plan is for nearly 3,000 snubbers to be replaced in phases consistent with the plant scheduled outages. Duke Power estimates the program, when completed, will maintain ALARA, improve reliability, and reduce plant operating costs

Information Systems to Support Surveillance for Malaria Elimination

Science.gov (United States)

Ohrt, Colin; Roberts, Kathryn W.; Sturrock, Hugh J. W.; Wegbreit, Jennifer; Lee, Bruce Y.; Gosling, Roly D.

2015-01-01

Robust and responsive surveillance systems are critical for malaria elimination. The ideal information system that supports malaria elimination includes: rapid and complete case reporting, incorporation of related data, such as census or health survey information, central data storage and management, automated and expert data analysis, and customized outputs and feedback that lead to timely and targeted responses. Spatial information enhances such a system, ensuring cases are tracked and mapped over time. Data sharing and coordination across borders are vital and new technologies can improve data speed, accuracy, and quality. Parts of this ideal information system exist and are in use, but have yet to be linked together coherently. Malaria elimination programs should support the implementation and refinement of information systems to support surveillance and response and ensure political and financial commitment to maintain the systems and the human resources needed to run them. National malaria programs should strive to improve the access and utility of these information systems and establish cross-border data sharing mechanisms through the use of standard indicators for malaria surveillance. Ultimately, investment in the information technologies that support a timely and targeted surveillance and response system is essential for malaria elimination. PMID:26013378

A method for eliminating sulfur compounds from fluid, saturated, aliphatic hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fakhriev, A.M.; Galiautdinov, N.G.; Kashevarov, L.A.; Mazgarov, A.M.

1982-01-01

The method for eliminating sulfur compounds from fluid, saturated, aliphatic hydrocarbons, which involves extracting hydrocarbons using a dimethylsulfoxide extractant, is improved by using a dimethylsulfoxide blend and 10-60 percent (by volume) diethylenetriamine or polyethylenepolyamine which contains diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine and tetraethylenepentamine, in order to eliminate the above compounds. Polyethylenepolyamine is produced as a by-product during the production of ethylenediamine. Elimination is performed at 0-50 degrees and 1-60 atmospheres of pressure. Here, the extractant may contain up to 10 percent water. The use of the proposed method, rather than the existing method, will make it possible to increase hydrocarbon elimination from mercaptans by 40 percent and from H/sub 2/S by 10 percent when the same amount is eliminated from dialkylsulfides.

"Looking and Listening-In": A Methodological Approach to Generating Insights into Infants' Experiences of Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Sumsion, Jennifer; Goodfellow, Joy

2012-01-01

In this article, we describe an observational approach, "looking and listening-in," that we have used to try to understand the experience of an infant in an Australian family day-care home. The article is drawn from a larger study of infants' experiences of early childhood education and care settings. In keeping with the mosaic…

Continental-scale, data-driven predictive assessment of eliminating the vector-borne disease, lymphatic filariasis, in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020.

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Edwin; Singh, Brajendra K; Mayala, Benjamin K; Smith, Morgan E; Hampton, Scott; Nabrzyski, Jaroslaw

2017-09-27

There are growing demands for predicting the prospects of achieving the global elimination of neglected tropical diseases as a result of the institution of large-scale nation-wide intervention programs by the WHO-set target year of 2020. Such predictions will be uncertain due to the impacts that spatial heterogeneity and scaling effects will have on parasite transmission processes, which will introduce significant aggregation errors into any attempt aiming to predict the outcomes of interventions at the broader spatial levels relevant to policy making. We describe a modeling platform that addresses this problem of upscaling from local settings to facilitate predictions at regional levels by the discovery and use of locality-specific transmission models, and we illustrate the utility of using this approach to evaluate the prospects for eliminating the vector-borne disease, lymphatic filariasis (LF), in sub-Saharan Africa by the WHO target year of 2020 using currently applied or newly proposed intervention strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS: We show how a computational platform that couples site-specific data discovery with model fitting and calibration can allow both learning of local LF transmission models and simulations of the impact of interventions that take a fuller account of the fine-scale heterogeneous transmission of this parasitic disease within endemic countries. We highlight how such a spatially hierarchical modeling tool that incorporates actual data regarding the roll-out of national drug treatment programs and spatial variability in infection patterns into the modeling process can produce more realistic predictions of timelines to LF elimination at coarse spatial scales, ranging from district to country to continental levels. Our results show that when locally applicable extinction thresholds are used, only three countries are likely to meet the goal of LF elimination by 2020 using currently applied mass drug treatments, and that switching to more

Application of the theory of indistinct sets for evaluation scholarship quality of students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Вячеслав Порфирьевич Добрица

2010-03-01

Full Text Available An algorithm for evaluating of students quality education, which eliminates the disadvantages of the five point scale is discussed in the article. The theory of indistinct sets is the base of the constructed algorithm.

Setting priorities for space research: An experiment in methodology

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

In 1989, the Space Studies Board created the Task Group on Priorities in Space Research to determine whether scientists should take a role in recommending priorities for long-term space research initiatives and, if so, to analyze the priority-setting problem in this context and develop a method by which such priorities could be established. After answering the first question in the affirmative in a previous report, the task group set out to accomplish the second task. The basic assumption in developing a priority-setting process is that a reasoned and structured approach for ordering competing initiatives will yield better results than other ways of proceeding. The task group proceeded from the principle that the central criterion for evaluating a research initiative must be its scientific merit -- the value of the initiative to the proposing discipline and to science generally. The group developed a two-stage methodology for priority setting and constructed a procedure and format to support the methodology. The first of two instruments developed was a standard format for structuring proposals for space research initiatives. The second instrument was a formal, semiquantitative appraisal procedure for evaluating competing proposals. This report makes available complete templates for the methodology, including the advocacy statement and evaluation forms, as well as an 11-step schema for a priority-setting process. From the beginning of its work, the task group was mindful that the issue of priority setting increasingly pervades all of federally supported science and that its work would have implications extending beyond space research. Thus, although the present report makes no recommendations for action by NASA or other government agencies, it provides the results of the task group's work for the use of others who may study priority-setting procedures or take up the challenge of implementing them in the future.

Progress towards elimination of trans-fatty acids in foods commonly consumed in four Latin American cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Monge-Rojas, Rafael; Colón-Ramos, Uriyoán; Jacoby, Enrique; Alfaro, Thelma; Tavares do Carmo, Maria das Graças; Villalpando, Salvador; Bernal, Claudio

2017-09-01

To assess progress towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids (TFA) in foods after the 2008 Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommendation of virtual elimination of TFA in Latin America. A descriptive, comparative analysis of foods that were likely to contain TFA and were commonly consumed in four cities in Latin America. San José (Costa Rica), Mexico City (Mexico), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina). Foods from each city were sampled in 2011; TFA content was analysed using GC. TFA of selected foods was also monitored in 2016. In 2011-2016, there was a significant decrease in the content of TFA in the sampled foods across all sites, particularly in Buenos Aires (from 12·6-34·8 % range in 2011-2012 to nearly 0 % in 2015-2016). All sample products met the recommended levels of TFA content set by the PAHO. TFA were replaced with a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats. Our results indicate a virtual elimination of TFA from major food sources in the cities studied. This could be due to a combination of factors, including recommendations by national and global public health authorities, voluntary and/or mandatory food reformulation made by the food industry.

Improving drug delivery strategies for lymphatic filariasis elimination in urban areas in Ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nana-Kwadwo Biritwum

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF advocates for the treatment of entire endemic communities, in order to achieve its elimination targets. LF is predominantly a rural disease, and achieving the required treatment coverage in these areas is much easier compared to urban areas that are more complex. In Ghana, parts of the Greater Accra Region with Accra as the capital city are also endemic for LF. Mass Drug Administration (MDA in Accra started in 2006. However, after four years of treatment, the coverage has always been far below the 65% epidemiologic coverage for interrupting transmission. As such, there was a need to identify the reasons for poor treatment coverage and design specific strategies to improve the delivery of MDA. This study therefore set out to identify the opportunities and barriers for implementing MDA in urban settings, and to develop appropriate strategies for MDA in these settings. An experimental, exploratory study was undertaken in three districts in the Greater Accra region. The study identified various types of non-rural settings, the social structures, stakeholders and resources that could be employed for MDA. Qualitative assessment such as in-depth interviews (IDIs and focus group discussions (FGDs with community leaders, community members, health providers, NGOs and other stakeholders in the community was undertaken. The study was carried out in three phases: pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention phases, to assess the profile of the urban areas and identify reasons for poor treatment coverage using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The outcomes from the study revealed that, knowledge, attitudes and practices of community members to MDA improved slightly from the pre-intervention phase to the post-intervention phase, in the districts where the interventions were readily implemented by health workers. Many factors such as adequate leadership, funding, planning and

Cardiovascular disease prevention in low resource settings: lessons from the Heartfile experience in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishtar, Sania

2003-01-01

This paper outlines activities of the Heartfile Program in Pakistan (http://heartfile.org). The program focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention and health promotion, and includes several initiatives that encompass building policy, reorienting health services, and developing community interventions that utilize the print and electronic media and outreach at the grass-root level to incorporate social marketing approaches. Initiated by the nonprofit private sector, the program now links with major public sector primary healthcare programs, and is currently spearheading formulation of the National Action Plan on Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in Pakistan. In addition, the program is being refined, validated, and packaged as a replicable model for other developing countries and in low resource settings, utilizing appropriate principles of franchising with inbuilt components sensitive to cultural and social adaptations. A review of the planning process, implementation strategy, and fund-raising experience is presented. Strategies unique to low resource settings, such as the development of cost- and time-efficient strategic alliances and partnerships, have also been highlighted. In addition, specific caveats are identified as being helpful to private sector development of chronic disease prevention programs in resource-constrained settings, and a road map to a sustainable public-private sector partnership is provided.

The Study of Substitution and Elimination Reactions Using Gas Chromatography: An Examination of the Effects of Alkane and Base Structure on Product Distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Wharry, Donald L.

2011-01-01

An experiment that compares product distribution obtained by either substitution or elimination utilizing alkyl bromides and methoxide, ethoxide, or t-butoxide as the base (or nucleophile) is described. The change in product distribution caused by steric effects of the base and substrate are readily apparent. Prior work on this experiment focused…

Metal-coated microfluidic channels: An approach to eliminate streaming potential effects in nano biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jieun; Wipf, Mathias; Mu, Luye; Adams, Chris; Hannant, Jennifer; Reed, Mark A

2017-01-15

We report a method to suppress streaming potential using an Ag-coated microfluidic channel on a p-type silicon nanowire (SiNW) array measured by a multiplexed electrical readout. The metal layer sets a constant electrical potential along the microfluidic channel for a given reference electrode voltage regardless of the flow velocity. Without the Ag layer, the magnitude and sign of the surface potential change on the SiNW depends on the flow velocity, width of the microfluidic channel and the device's location inside the microfluidic channel with respect to the reference electrode. Noise analysis of the SiNW array with and without the Ag coating in the fluidic channel shows that noise frequency peaks, resulting from the operation of a piezoelectric micropump, are eliminated using the Ag layer with two reference electrodes located at inlet and outlet. This strategy presents a simple platform to eliminate the streaming potential and can become a powerful tool for nanoscale potentiometric biosensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Economic communication model set

Science.gov (United States)

Zvereva, Olga M.; Berg, Dmitry B.

2017-06-01

This paper details findings from the research work targeted at economic communications investigation with agent-based models usage. The agent-based model set was engineered to simulate economic communications. Money in the form of internal and external currencies was introduced into the models to support exchanges in communications. Every model, being based on the general concept, has its own peculiarities in algorithm and input data set since it was engineered to solve the specific problem. Several and different origin data sets were used in experiments: theoretic sets were estimated on the basis of static Leontief's equilibrium equation and the real set was constructed on the basis of statistical data. While simulation experiments, communication process was observed in dynamics, and system macroparameters were estimated. This research approved that combination of an agent-based and mathematical model can cause a synergetic effect.

R20 Programme: Grout setting and strength development in ONKALO. Literature review, observations and experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karttunen, P.; Raivio, P.

2008-12-01

ONKALO is an underground rock characterisation facility planned to be a part of nuclear waste repository in future. ONKALO is located in Olkiluoto Finland. Posiva Oy owned by Teollisuuden Voima Oy and Fortum Power and Heat Oy is responsible for the repository, research, construction and use of the ONKALO and closing of the underground facility after use. During construction of ONKALO it has been observed that the setting and strength of grouting materials have not sporadically developed as expected (in ONKALO). The phenomenon has been observed for the first time in the year 2005. The observations examined in this report are made in the grouting field tests and in ordinary grouting during the year 2007. The phenomenon has been observed with low pH and standard grouts and bolt grouting mortars. The reasons for this phenomenon are studied based on literature review, observations and tests in the field and laboratory. The effect of reactions between groundwater and grout, the effect of the raw materials as well as curing conditions, temperature and pressure are studied. There are several potential factors that can cause observed phenomenon. Some factors are more probable than others. Laboratory experiments for the samples of poor strength development were done. These samples were taken from the grouting holes or packers in which the strength of the grout was not developed as expected. The results of these experiments were compared to the results gained from the samples cast from the same grout batches and cured in the tunnel conditions. The purpose was to find out the factor causing slow strength development of the grouted mixes. One single reason, which can slow the setting of the grouts in ONKALO is the low temperature in the rock, but the temperature cannot cause the phenomenon alone. Locally groundwater contains compounds that can create chemically aggressive environment for (the Portland) cement based grouts. The groundwater chemistry in ONKALO has not been proved

Cancer risks: Strategies for elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bannasch, P.

1987-01-01

This book deals with the possibilities for identifying and eliminating cancer risk factors. The current state of knowledge on the detection, assessment and elimination of chemical, physical (radiation), and biological (viruses) risk factors are comprehensively presented in 15 contributions. Chemical risk factors resulting from smoking and environmental contamination are given special attention. The coverage of cancer risks by radiation includes some of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. Finally, the discussion of the possible risks that certain viruses hold for cancer in man is intended to further the development of vaccinations against these viral infections. The information is directed not only at specialists, but also at a wider interested audience. Its primary aim is to convey established findings that are already being used for cancer prevention. Furthermore, the book aims to promote more intense research in the field of primary cancer prevention. Contents: General aspects; chemical carcinogens: Risk assessment; chemical carcinogens: Primary prevention; physical carcinogens - Oncogenic viruses and subject index

Randomized controlled trial of false safety behavior elimination therapy: a unified cognitive behavioral treatment for anxiety psychopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Norman B; Buckner, Julia D; Pusser, Andrea; Woolaway-Bickel, Kelly; Preston, Jennifer L; Norr, Aaron

2012-09-01

We tested the efficacy of a unified cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol for anxiety disorders. This group treatment protocol, termed false safety behavior elimination therapy (F-SET), is a cognitive-behavioral approach designed for use across various anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). F-SET simplifies, as well as broadens, key therapeutic elements of empirically validated treatments for anxiety disorders to allow for easier delivery to heterogeneous groups of patients with anxiety psychopathology. Patients with a primary anxiety disorder diagnosis (N=96) were randomly assigned to F-SET or a wait-list control. Data indicate that F-SET shows good efficacy and durability when delivered to mixed groups of patients with anxieties (i.e., PD, SAD, GAD) by relatively inexperienced clinicians. Findings are discussed in the context of balancing treatment efficacy and clinical utility. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experience-Dependent Equilibration of AMPAR-Mediated Synaptic Transmission during the Critical Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Seok Han

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Experience-dependent synapse refinement is essential for functional optimization of neural circuits. However, how sensory experience sculpts excitatory synaptic transmission is poorly understood. Here, we show that despite substantial remodeling of synaptic connectivity, AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission remains at equilibrium during the critical period in the mouse primary visual cortex. The maintenance of this equilibrium requires neurogranin (Ng, a postsynaptic calmodulin-binding protein important for synaptic plasticity. With normal visual experience, loss of Ng decreased AMPAR-positive synapse numbers, prevented AMPAR-silent synapse maturation, and increased spine elimination. Importantly, visual deprivation halted synapse loss caused by loss of Ng, revealing that Ng coordinates experience-dependent AMPAR-silent synapse conversion to AMPAR-active synapses and synapse elimination. Loss of Ng also led to sensitized long-term synaptic depression (LTD and impaired visually guided behavior. Our synaptic interrogation reveals that experience-dependent coordination of AMPAR-silent synapse conversion and synapse elimination hinges upon Ng-dependent mechanisms for constructive synaptic refinement during the critical period.

Tissue distribution and elimination of rotenone in rainbow trout

Science.gov (United States)

Gingerich, W.H.

1986-01-01

The fate of a single i.v. dose (120 μg/kg) of the piscicide [14C]rotenone was evaluated in rainbow trout for periods up to 72 h after dosing. Rotenone was rapidly cleared from the plasma; less than 2% of the dose remained in the plasma compartment after 20 min. The highest concentrations of rotenone residues (% dose/g tissue) were in the hepatobiliary system, bile, intestine, and in heart, lateral line swimming muscle, and posterior kidney; tissues that are highly dependent on oxidative metabolism. Although rotenone activity was present in all cell fractions examined, greater than 40% was associated with the mitochondrial fraction of liver, kidney, and muscle. More than 85% of the activity extracted from these tissues, except the liver, was parent rotenone. Elimination from whole body and major tissue depots conformed to simple first-order kinetics; the estimated half-life from whole body was 68.5 h. Branchial elimination accounted for 5% of the injected dose over a 4-h period, and urinary elimination was less than 2% over a 48-h period. Rotenone was eliminated essentially unchanged across the gills; however, parent rotenone was not found in either urine or bile. More than 80% of the activity in both urine and bile eluted from HPLC chromatographs as a highly polar fraction that was not hydrolyzed by incubation with either β-glucuronidase or sulfatase. The results imply that hepatobiliary excretion is the major route of elimination for rotenone residues in the trout and that metabolism to a more polar form is a prerequisite for elimination in both the bile and the urine

Can Economic Analysis Contribute to Disease Elimination and Eradication? A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sicuri, Elisa; Evans, David B; Tediosi, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

Infectious diseases elimination and eradication have become important areas of focus for global health and countries. Due to the substantial up-front investments required to eliminate and eradicate, and the overall shortage of resources for health, economic analysis can inform decision making on whether elimination/eradication makes economic sense and on the costs and benefits of alternative strategies. In order to draw lessons for current and future initiatives, we review the economic literature that has addressed questions related to the elimination and eradication of infectious diseases focusing on: why, how and for whom? A systematic review was performed by searching economic literature (cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness and economic impact analyses) on elimination/eradication of infectious diseases published from 1980 to 2013 from three large bibliographic databases: one general (SCOPUS), one bio-medical (MEDLINE/PUBMED) and one economic (IDEAS/REPEC). A total of 690 non-duplicate papers were identified from which only 43 met the inclusion criteria. In addition, only one paper focusing on equity issues, the "for whom?" question, was found. The literature relating to "why?" is the largest, much of it focusing on how much it would cost. A more limited literature estimates the benefits in terms of impact on economic growth with mixed results. The question of how to eradicate or eliminate was informed by an economic literature highlighting that there will be opportunities for individuals and countries to free-ride and that forms of incentives and/or disincentives will be needed. This requires government involvement at country level and global coordination. While there is little doubt that eliminating infectious diseases will eventually improve equity, it will only happen if active steps to promote equity are followed on the path to elimination and eradication. The largest part of the literature has focused on costs and economic benefits of elimination

Being the Bridge: The Lived Experience of Educating with Online Courseware in the High School Blended Learning Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Rambo, Anna Lynn

2011-01-01

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of educators who teach in flex model blended learning settings using online, vendor-provided courseware. The tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology grounds this inquiry (Heidegger, 1927/2008). Phenomenological research activities designed by van Manen (1990, 2002) provide the methodological…

Measles and rubella elimination: learning from polio eradication and moving forward with a diagonal approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodson, James L; Alexander, James P; Linkins, Robert W; Orenstein, Walter A

2017-12-01

In 1988, an estimated 350,000 children were paralyzed by polio and 125 countries reported polio cases, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to achieve polio eradication by 2000, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was established as a partnership focused on eradication. Today, following eradication efforts, polio cases have decreased >99% and eradication of all three types of wild polioviruses is approaching. However, since polio resources substantially support disease surveillance and other health programs, losing polio assets could reverse progress toward achieving Global Vaccine Action Plan goals. Areas covered: As the end of polio approaches and GPEI funds and capacity decrease, we document knowledge, experience, and lessons learned from 30 years of polio eradication. Expert commentary: Transitioning polio assets to measles and rubella (MR) elimination efforts would accelerate progress toward global vaccination coverage and equity. MR elimination feasibility and benefits have long been established. Focusing efforts on MR elimination after achieving polio eradication would make a permanent impact on reducing child mortality but should be done through a 'diagonal approach' of using measles disease transmission to identify areas possibly susceptible to other vaccine-preventable diseases and to strengthen the overall immunization and health systems to achieve disease-specific goals.

Information systems to support surveillance for malaria elimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohrt, Colin; Roberts, Kathryn W; Sturrock, Hugh J W; Wegbreit, Jennifer; Lee, Bruce Y; Gosling, Roly D

2015-07-01

Robust and responsive surveillance systems are critical for malaria elimination. The ideal information system that supports malaria elimination includes: rapid and complete case reporting, incorporation of related data, such as census or health survey information, central data storage and management, automated and expert data analysis, and customized outputs and feedback that lead to timely and targeted responses. Spatial information enhances such a system, ensuring cases are tracked and mapped over time. Data sharing and coordination across borders are vital and new technologies can improve data speed, accuracy, and quality. Parts of this ideal information system exist and are in use, but have yet to be linked together coherently. Malaria elimination programs should support the implementation and refinement of information systems to support surveillance and response and ensure political and financial commitment to maintain the systems and the human resources needed to run them. National malaria programs should strive to improve the access and utility of these information systems and establish cross-border data sharing mechanisms through the use of standard indicators for malaria surveillance. Ultimately, investment in the information technologies that support a timely and targeted surveillance and response system is essential for malaria elimination. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Soil-biofilters for elimination of xenobiotics from wastewaters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bester, Kai; Schäfer, D; Janzen, N.

treatment plants are not designed to eliminate these compounds. Even more of these compounds are discharged by storm waters and combined sewer overflows. It is generally suggested that separating sewers into waste water and rainwater systems might help to improve the situation. However in the last few years...... it has been demonstrated, that storm waters can be heavily polluted with biocides, lubricants and PAHs. In this study we investigated the possibilities to eliminate lipophilic fragrances, bactericides, UV blockers, lubricants etc, as well as more hydrophilic organophosphate flame retardants, biocides...... and other components with low cost soil biofilter techniques suited for on-site decentralised treatment of storm waters and combined sewer overflows. On the other hand the same systems and compounds were tested in for polishing treated waste water in respect of further elimination of xenobiotic compounds....

Assessment of Barriers to Providing Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs in the Hospital Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew J Gibson

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The primary objective of the study is to identify the barriers to providing Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs in the hospital setting. Methods: Potential barriers to IPPEs were identified via literature review and interviews with current IPPE preceptors from various institutions. Based on this information, an electronic survey was developed and distributed to IPPE preceptors in order to assess student, preceptor, logistical and college or school of pharmacy related barriers that potentially exist for providing IPPE in the hospital setting. Results: Sixty-eight of the 287 eligible survey respondents (24% completed the electronic survey. Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that available time was a barrier to precepting IPPE students even though a majority of respondents reported spending a third or more of their day with an IPPE student when on rotation. Seventy-three percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that all preceptors have consistent performance expectations for students, while just 46% agreed or strongly agreed that they had adequate training to precept IPPEs. Sixty-five percent of respondents agreed that IPPE students have the ability to be a participant in patient care and 70% of preceptors believe that IPPE students should be involved in patient care. Conclusions: Conducting IPPEs in the institutional setting comes with challenges. Based on the results of this study, experiential directors and colleges/schools of pharmacy could make a positive impact on the quality and consistency of IPPEs by setting student expectations and training preceptors on appropriate and consistent expectations for students.   Type: Original Research

Pinworm Eradication in Community Residential Settings for People with Developmental Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kastner, Theodore; And Others

1992-01-01

A public health approach was used to eliminate pinworm from a system of community residential settings for individuals with developmental disabilities. The approach involved screening and treatment of staff members and clients living and working in close proximity to index cases, and prophylactically treating many clients and staff based on…

Laboratory confirmation of measles in elimination settings: experience from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 2003.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyde, Terri B; Nandy, Robin; Hickman, Carole J; Langidrik, Justina R; Strebel, Peter M; Papania, Mark J; Seward, Jane F; Bellini, William J

2009-02-01

To highlight the complications involved in interpreting laboratory tests of measles immunoglobulin M (IgM) for confirmation of infection during a measles outbreak in a highly vaccinated population after conducting a mass immunization campaign as a control measure. This case study was undertaken in the Republic of the Marshall Islands during a measles outbreak in 2003, when response immunization was conducted. A measles case was defined as fever and rash and one or more of cough, coryza or conjunctivitis. Between 13 July and 7 November 2003, serum samples were obtained from suspected measles cases for serologic testing and nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for viral isolation by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Specimens were collected from 201 suspected measles cases (19% of total): of the ones that satisfied the clinical case definition, 45% were IgM positive (IgM+) and, of these, 24% had received measles vaccination within the previous 45 days (up to 45 days after vaccination an IgM+ result could be due to either vaccination or wild-type measles infection). The proportion of IgM+ results varied with clinical presentation, the timing of specimen collection and vaccination status. Positive results on RT-PCR occurred in specimens from eight IgM-negative and four IgM+ individuals who had recently been vaccinated. During measles outbreaks, limiting IgM testing to individuals who meet the clinical case definition and have not been recently vaccinated allows for measles to be confirmed while conserving resources.

The increase elimination rate of tritium after administration of furosemide in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirovici, Maria; Jiquidi, Luminita; Reviu, Eugen

2001-01-01

It is well known that tritium has certain characteristics that present serious problems for dosimetry and health risk assessment. National Council on Radiation Protection recommends for persons contaminated with tritium oral intake of fluid (e.g. water, fruit juice, tea, coffee or beer), or instillation with 5 % glucose under a doctor's care, together with daily urinary monitoring. This paper tries to follow up the increase elimination rate of tritium in contaminated rats after administration of furosemide, a diuretic used in medical practice. The experiments has been realized on the Wistar rats divided into two groups. First, the control group was contaminated with 3 HHO by intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation. The second group was treated with 3 doses of 5.70 mg furosemide (i.p.) body weight at 2, 6 and 12 hours after i.p. inoculation with 3 HHO. Following exposure, the tritium elimination in excreta was monitored 18 days and blood, liver, muscle and kidney were extracted from rats at 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 18 days after contamination. The excreta and tissues were analyzed with specific tritium radiochemical methods and the samples radioactivity was measured by liquid scintillation technique. Efficiency of treatment was about 30 %. (authors)

Novel operation mode for eliminating influence of inclination angle and friction in atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Fei; Wang, Yueyu; Zhou, Faquan; Zhao, Xuezeng

2010-01-01

The accuracy of topography imaging in contact force mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM) depends on the one-to-one corresponding relationship between the cantilever deflection and the tip-sample distance, whereas such a relationship cannot be always achieved in the presence of friction and incline angle of sample surface. Recently, we have developed a novel operation mode in which we keep the van der Waals force as constant instead of the applied normal force, to eliminate the effect of inclination angle and friction on topography imaging in the contact force mode. We have improved our AFM to enable the new operation mode for validation. Comparative experiments have been performed and the results have shown that the effect of friction and inclination angle on topography imaging in contact mode of AFM can be eliminated or at least decreased effectively by working in the new operation mode we present.

Planning of elimination of emergency consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Kovalenko

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The volume of useful information in the planning of elimination of emergency consequences process is reasonable to assess with calculatory problems and mathematical models. Materials and methods. The expert survey method is used to calculate quantitative values of probability and to determine the optimal solution before the information in condition is received. Results. It is determined that the quality of the solution of elimination emergency consequences depends primarily on the number of factors that are taken into account in particular circumstances of the situation; on the level of information readiness of control bodies to take decision to eliminate emergency consequences as soon as possible and to consider several options for achieving reasonableness and concreteness of a particular decision. The ratio between volume of useful information collected and processed during operation planning which is required for identifying optimal solution is calculated. This ratio allows to construct a graph of probability of identifying a solution in existing environment and probability value of identifying optimal solution before information in P*condition is obtained. This graph also shows the ratio volume of useful information collected and processed during operation planning and necessary volume of information for identifying optimal solution. Conclusion. The results of this research can be used for improving control bodies decisions to ensure safe working conditions for employees of food industry.

The mysteries of memory effect and its elimination with antifreeze proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, V.; Gordienko, R.; Kuiper, M.; Huva, E.; Wu, Z. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Biology; Zeng, H.; Ripmeester, J. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Biology]|[National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Steacie Inst. for Molecular Sciences

2008-07-01

With the decline in easily accessible and conventional hydrocarbon supplies, exploration will focus on hydrocarbons in deep offshore waters, in permafrost or in crystalline water as gas hydrates. Crystallization of water or water-encaged gas molecules takes place when nuclei reach a critical size, but the crystal growth may be inhibited by certain antifreeze proteins (AFPs). In this study, the authors hypothesized that the crystal lattice of gas hydrates may act as an alternative for substrate antifreeze proteins (AFPs). AFP-mediated inhibition of ice and clathrate hydrate crystallization was examined. Since the AFPs had a notable ability to eliminate the memory effect (ME) or the faster reformation of clathrate hydrates after melting, the authors were prompted to examine heterogeneous nucleation. Silica, served as a model nucleator hydrophilic surface. Quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) experiments showed that an active AFP was tightly adsorbed to the silica surface. However, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap), 2 commercial hydrate kinetic inhibitors that do not eliminate ME, were not as tightly adsorbed. A mutant AFP inhibited tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate growth, but not ME. QCM-D analysis showed that adsorption of the mutant AFP was more similar to PVCap than the active AFP. It was concluded that although there is no evidence for memory in ice reformation, the crystallization of ice and hydrates, and the elimination of the more rapid recrystallization of hydrates, can be mediated by the same proteins. The properties of adsorbed layers can be effectively monitored by QCM-D. These study results provided useful information about the inhibition mechanism of heterogeneous nucleation of clathrate hydrate. The technique facilitates the screening of potential low dose hydrate inhibitors and residues in AFPs that are involved in silica adsorption. 24 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs.

A mechanistic study on the simultaneous elimination of soot and nitric oxide from engine exhaust

KAUST Repository

Raj, Abhijeet; Zainuddin, Zakwan; Sander, Markus; Kraft, Markus

2011-01-01

The non-catalytic interaction between soot and nitric oxide (NO) resulting in their simultaneous elimination was studied on different types of reactive site present on soot. The reaction mechanism proposed previously was extended by including seven new reaction pathways for which the reaction energetics and kinetics were studied using density functional theory and transition state theory. This has led to the calculation of a new rate for the removal of carbon monoxide (CO) from soot. The new pathways have been added to our polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth model and used to simulate the NO-soot interaction to form CO, N2 and N2O. The simulation results show satisfactory agreement with experiment for the new CO removal rate. The NO-soot reaction was found to depend strongly on the soot site type and temperature. For a set of temperatures, computed PAH structures were analysed to determine the functional groups responsible for the decrease in the reactivity of soot with NO with increasing reaction time. In isothermal conditions, it was found that as temperature is increased, the number of oxygen atoms remaining on the soot surface decreases, while the number of nitrogen atoms increases for a given reaction time. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A mechanistic study on the simultaneous elimination of soot and nitric oxide from engine exhaust

KAUST Repository

Raj, Abhijeet

2011-04-01

The non-catalytic interaction between soot and nitric oxide (NO) resulting in their simultaneous elimination was studied on different types of reactive site present on soot. The reaction mechanism proposed previously was extended by including seven new reaction pathways for which the reaction energetics and kinetics were studied using density functional theory and transition state theory. This has led to the calculation of a new rate for the removal of carbon monoxide (CO) from soot. The new pathways have been added to our polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth model and used to simulate the NO-soot interaction to form CO, N2 and N2O. The simulation results show satisfactory agreement with experiment for the new CO removal rate. The NO-soot reaction was found to depend strongly on the soot site type and temperature. For a set of temperatures, computed PAH structures were analysed to determine the functional groups responsible for the decrease in the reactivity of soot with NO with increasing reaction time. In isothermal conditions, it was found that as temperature is increased, the number of oxygen atoms remaining on the soot surface decreases, while the number of nitrogen atoms increases for a given reaction time. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinct mechanisms eliminate mother and daughter centrioles in meiosis of starfish oocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Borrego-Pinto, Joana; Somogyi, Kálmán; Karreman, Matthia A; König, Julia; Müller-Reichert, Thomas; Bettencourt-Dias, Mónica; Gönczy, Pierre; Schwab, Yannick; Lénárt, Péter

2016-03-28

Centriole elimination is an essential process that occurs in female meiosis of metazoa to reset centriole number in the zygote at fertilization. How centrioles are eliminated remains poorly understood. Here we visualize the entire elimination process live in starfish oocytes. Using specific fluorescent markers, we demonstrate that the two older, mother centrioles are selectively removed from the oocyte by extrusion into polar bodies. We show that this requires specific positioning of the second meiotic spindle, achieved by dynein-driven transport, and anchorage of the mother centriole to the plasma membrane via mother-specific appendages. In contrast, the single daughter centriole remaining in the egg is eliminated before the first embryonic cleavage. We demonstrate that these distinct elimination mechanisms are necessary because if mother centrioles are artificially retained, they cannot be inactivated, resulting in multipolar zygotic spindles. Thus, our findings reveal a dual mechanism to eliminate centrioles: mothers are physically removed, whereas daughters are eliminated in the cytoplasm, preparing the egg for fertilization. © 2016 Borrego-Pinto et al.

Dehydration of alcohols over oxide catalysts: γ-eliminations -- stereospecificity and selectivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddhan, S.; Narayanan, K.

1979-01-01

The effect of alkali impregnation on alumina catalysts has been investigated by a physicochemical study of pure and modified alumina catalyst samples. The stereospecificity and selectivity of dehyration reactions, as well as the incidence of γ-elimination, have been studied by passing suitable substrates over catalyst samples. There was a change in the acidity-basicity balance in the sodium-impregnated alumina samples vis a vis pure alumina, while the surface area virtually remained constant. A higher propensity for γ-elimination was noticed with increases in basicity of the catalyst. 1-Olefin formation was found to be larger in more basic alumina- and thoria-catalyzed dehydration reactions. Thoria was strikingly unique in its capacity to dehydrate only alcohols, which have at least one β-hydrogen atom. Neopentyl alcohol could not be dehydrated even under drastic conditions. The modes of elimination in the case of alumina and thoria have been shown to be anti and syn, respectively, from the results of the dehydration studies with threo-3-methyl-2-pentanol. Studies of alcohols with proper β-substituents revealed that the cis preference is not universal in all catalytic eliminations but, in fact, depends on the mode of elimination. While cis-preference was noticed in alumina-catalyzed anti eliminations, trans-olefin was formed to a major amount in thoria-catalyzed syn-elimination processes. 9 figures, 13 tables

Oxytocin eliminates the own-race bias in face recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Blandón-Gitlin, Iris; Pezdek, Kathy; Saldivar, Sesar; Steelman, Erin

2014-09-11

The neuropeptide Oxytocin influences a number of social behaviors, including processing of faces. We examined whether Oxytocin facilitates the processing of out-group faces and reduce the own-race bias (ORB). The ORB is a robust phenomenon characterized by poor recognition memory of other-race faces compared to the same-race faces. In Experiment 1, participants received intranasal solutions of Oxytocin or placebo prior to viewing White and Black faces. On a subsequent recognition test, whereas in the placebo condition the same-race faces were better recognized than other-race faces, in the Oxytocin condition Black and White faces were equally well recognized, effectively eliminating the ORB. In Experiment 2, Oxytocin was administered after the study phase. The ORB resulted, but Oxytocin did not significantly reduce the effect. This study is the first to show that Oxytocin can enhance face memory of out-group members and underscore the importance of social encoding mechanisms underlying the own-race bias. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advantages and limitations of the SETS method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahaffy, J.H.

1983-01-01

The stability-enchancing two-step (SETS) method has been used successfully in the Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRAC) for several years. The method consists of a basic semi-implicit step combined with a stabilizer step that, taken together, eliminate the material Courant stability limit associated with standard semi-implicit numerical methods. This approach toward stability requires significantly fewer computational operations than a fully implicit method, but currently maintains the first-order accuracy in space and time of its semi-implicit predecessors

Eliminating malaria in Malaysia: the role of partnerships between the public and commercial sectors in Sabah

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Countries in the Asia Pacific region have made great progress in the fight against malaria; several are rapidly approaching elimination. However, malaria control programmes operating in elimination settings face substantial challenges, particularly around mobile migrant populations, access to remote areas and the diversity of vectors with varying biting and breeding behaviours. These challenges can be addressed through subnational collaborations with commercial partners, such as mining or plantation companies, that can conduct or support malaria control activities to cover employees. Such partnerships can be a useful tool for accessing high-risk populations and supporting malaria elimination goals. Methods This observational qualitative case study employed semi-structured key informant interviews to describe partnerships between the Malaysian Malaria Control Programme (MCP), and private palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations in the state of Sabah. Semi-structured interview guides were used to examine resource commitments, incentives, challenges, and successes of the collaborations. Results Interviews with workers from private plantations and the state of Sabah MCP indicated that partnerships with the commercial sector had contributed to decreases in incidence at plantation sites since 1991. Several plantations contribute financial and human resources toward malaria control efforts and all plantations frequently communicate with the MCP to help monitor the malaria situation on-site. Management of partnerships between private corporations and government entities can be challenging, as prioritization of malaria control may change with annual profits or arrival of new management. Conclusions Partnering with the commercial sector has been an essential operational strategy to support malaria elimination in Sabah. The successes of these partnerships rely on a common understanding that elimination will be a mutually beneficial outcome for employers and the

Eliminating malaria in Malaysia: the role of partnerships between the public and commercial sectors in Sabah.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Kelly C; Rundi, Christina; Jelip, Jenarun; Rashman, Yusof; Smith Gueye, Cara; Gosling, Roly D

2014-01-21

Countries in the Asia Pacific region have made great progress in the fight against malaria; several are rapidly approaching elimination. However, malaria control programmes operating in elimination settings face substantial challenges, particularly around mobile migrant populations, access to remote areas and the diversity of vectors with varying biting and breeding behaviours. These challenges can be addressed through subnational collaborations with commercial partners, such as mining or plantation companies, that can conduct or support malaria control activities to cover employees. Such partnerships can be a useful tool for accessing high-risk populations and supporting malaria elimination goals. This observational qualitative case study employed semi-structured key informant interviews to describe partnerships between the Malaysian Malaria Control Programme (MCP), and private palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations in the state of Sabah. Semi-structured interview guides were used to examine resource commitments, incentives, challenges, and successes of the collaborations. Interviews with workers from private plantations and the state of Sabah MCP indicated that partnerships with the commercial sector had contributed to decreases in incidence at plantation sites since 1991. Several plantations contribute financial and human resources toward malaria control efforts and all plantations frequently communicate with the MCP to help monitor the malaria situation on-site. Management of partnerships between private corporations and government entities can be challenging, as prioritization of malaria control may change with annual profits or arrival of new management. Partnering with the commercial sector has been an essential operational strategy to support malaria elimination in Sabah. The successes of these partnerships rely on a common understanding that elimination will be a mutually beneficial outcome for employers and the general public. Best practices included

Eliciting preferences for priority setting in genetic testing: a pilot study comparing best-worst scaling and discrete-choice experiments

OpenAIRE

Severin, Franziska; Schmidtke, Jörg; Mühlbacher, Axel; Rogowski, Wolf H

2013-01-01

Given the increasing number of genetic tests available, decisions have to be made on how to allocate limited health-care resources to them. Different criteria have been proposed to guide priority setting. However, their relative importance is unclear. Discrete-choice experiments (DCEs) and best-worst scaling experiments (BWSs) are methods used to identify and weight various criteria that influence orders of priority. This study tests whether these preference eliciting techniques can be used f...

Chasing zero: the drive to eliminate surgical site infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Kristine M; Oldenburg, W Andrew; Deschamps, Claude; Rupp, William C; Smith, C Daniel

2011-09-01

It is estimated that healthcare associated infections (HAI) account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year, with annual direct medical costs of up to $45 billion. Surgical Site Infections (SSI) account for 17% of HAIs, an estimated annual cost of $3.5 to 10 billion for our country alone. This project was designed to pursue elimination of SSIs and document results. Starting in 2009 a program to eliminate SSIs was undertaken at a nationally recognized academic health center. Interventions already outlined by CMS and IHI were utilized, along with additional interventions based on literature showing relationships with SSI reduction and best practices. Rapid deployment of multiple interventions (SSI Bundle) was undertaken. Tactics included standardized order sets, a centralized preoperative evaluation (POE) clinic, high compliance with intraoperative interventions, and widespread monthly reporting of compliance and results. Data from 2008 to 2010 were collected and analyzed. Between May 1, 2008 and June 30, 2010, all patients with Class I and Class II wounds were tracked for SSIs. Baseline data (May-June 2008) was obtained showing a Class I surgical site infection rate of 1.78%, Class II of 2.82% (total surgical volume: 4160 cases). As of the second quarter 2010, those rates have dropped to 0.51% and 1.44%, respectively (P cost savings of nearly $1 million during the study period. Committed leadership, aggressive assurance of high compliance with multiple known interventions (SSI Bundle), transparency to achieve high levels of staff engagement, and centralization of critical surgical activities result in significant declines in SSIs with resulting substantial cost savings.

Eliminating Perinatal HIV Transmission

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2012-11-26

In this podcast, CDC’s Dr. Steve Nesheim discusses perinatal HIV transmission, including the importance of preventing HIV among women, preconception care, and timely HIV testing of the mother. Dr. Nesheim also introduces the revised curriculum Eliminating Perinatal HIV Transmission intended for faculty of OB/GYN and pediatric residents and nurse midwifery students.  Created: 11/26/2012 by Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.   Date Released: 11/26/2012.

Participation in Team Sports Can Eliminate the Effect of Social Loafing.

Science.gov (United States)

Czyż, Stanisław H; Szmajke, Andrzej; Kruger, Ankebé; Kübler, Magdalena

2016-12-01

The effect known as Ringelmann effect states that as group size increases, individual behavior may be less productive. If this decrease in productivity in groups is attributed to a decrement in individual motivation, it is called social loafing. We tested hypotheses that the collectivism associated with participation in team sports would reduce the level of social loafing compared to people who were not involved in team sports. In one experiment, participants (n = 72; M age = 21.7 years, SD = 2.0) had to pull a rope individually and collectively. Groups of two, three, four, and six persons were formed from among individuals with no previous sports experience, and of those who had engaged in individual and team sports. For each team, the sum of individual achievements of the individuals constituting a team was computed. This sum served as the anticipated result (expected value). The expected values were later compared to the actual achievements, i.e., the value achieved by the whole team. The results of the study suggested that previous experience in collective (team) sports eliminated the effect of social loafing. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Reverse Cope Elimination of Hydroxylamines and Alkenes or Alkynes: Theoretical Investigation of Tether Length and Substituent Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Krenske, Elizabeth H.; Davison, Edwin C.; Forbes, Ian T.; Warner, Jacqueline A.; Smith, Adrian L.; Holmes, Andrew B.; Houk, K. N.

2012-01-01

Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to study the intramolecular additions of hydroxylamines to alkenes and alkynes (“reverse Cope eliminations”). In intermolecular reverse Cope eliminations, alkynes are more reactive than alkenes. However, competition experiments have shown that tethering the hydroxylamine to the alkene or alkyne can reverse the reactivity order from that normally observed. The exact outcome depends on the length of the tether. In agreement with experiment, a range of density functional theory methods and CBS-QB3 calculations predict that the activation energies for intramolecular reverse Cope eliminations follow the order 6-exo-dig hydroxylamine and alkyne. Cyclization onto an alkene in the 5-exo-trig fashion incurs slightly less tether strain than a 6-exo-dig alkyne cyclization, but its activation energy is higher because the hydroxylamine fragment must distort more before the TS is reached. If the alkene terminus is substituted with two methyl groups, the barrier becomes so much higher that it is also disfavored compared to the 5- and 7-exo-dig cyclizations. PMID:22280245

Rabies Elimination in Dogs in the United States

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2008-12-01

Rabies has been eliminated from dogs in the United States through efforts to promote annual vaccination, but it's still a problem in wildlife in the U.S. and in wild and domesticated animals abroad. In this podcast, CDC's Dr. Charles Rupprecht discusses a study which provides proof of the elimination of rabies in dogs and what this means for the average American.  Created: 12/1/2008 by Emerging Infectious Diseases.   Date Released: 12/1/2008.

Online monitoring of oil film using electrical capacitance tomography and level set method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Q.; Ma, M.; Sun, B. Y.; Cui, Z. Q.; Wang, H. X.

2015-01-01

In the application of oil-air lubrication system, electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) provides a promising way for monitoring oil film in the pipelines by reconstructing cross sectional oil distributions in real time. While in the case of small diameter pipe and thin oil film, the thickness of the oil film is hard to be observed visually since the interface of oil and air is not obvious in the reconstructed images. And the existence of artifacts in the reconstructions has seriously influenced the effectiveness of image segmentation techniques such as level set method. Besides, level set method is also unavailable for online monitoring due to its low computation speed. To address these problems, a modified level set method is developed: a distance regularized level set evolution formulation is extended to image two-phase flow online using an ECT system, a narrowband image filter is defined to eliminate the influence of artifacts, and considering the continuity of the oil distribution variation, the detected oil-air interface of a former image can be used as the initial contour for the detection of the subsequent frame; thus, the propagation from the initial contour to the boundary can be greatly accelerated, making it possible for real time tracking. To testify the feasibility of the proposed method, an oil-air lubrication facility with 4 mm inner diameter pipe is measured in normal operation using an 8-electrode ECT system. Both simulation and experiment results indicate that the modified level set method is capable of visualizing the oil-air interface accurately online

Do Fitness Apps Need Text Reminders? An Experiment Testing Goal-Setting Text Message Reminders to Promote Self-Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuang; Willoughby, Jessica F

2018-01-01

Fitness tracking apps have the potential to change unhealthy lifestyles, but users' lack of compliance is an issue. The current intervention examined the effectiveness of using goal-setting theory-based text message reminders to promote tracking activities on fitness apps. We conducted a 2-week experiment with pre- and post-tests with young adults (n = 50). Participants were randomly assigned to two groups-a goal-setting text message reminder group and a generic text message reminder group. Participants were asked to use a fitness tracking app to log physical activity and diet for the duration of the study. Participants who received goal-setting reminders logged significantly more physical activities than those who only received generic reminders. Further, participants who received goal-setting reminders liked the messages and showed significantly increased self-efficacy, awareness of personal goals, motivation, and intention to use the app. The study shows that incorporating goal-setting theory-based text message reminders can be useful to boost user compliance with self-monitoring fitness apps by reinforcing users' personal goals and enhancing cognitive factors associated with health behavior change.

Estimation of the drift eliminator efficiency using numerical and experimental methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stodůlka Jiří

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the drift eliminators is to prevent water from escaping in significant amounts the cooling tower. They are designed to catch the droplets dragged by the tower draft and the efficiency given by the shape of the eliminator is the main evaluation criteria. The ability to eliminate the escaping water droplets is studied using CFD and using the experimental IPI method.

Immune Interventions to Eliminate the HIV Reservoir.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Denise C; Ananworanich, Jintanat

2017-10-26

Inducing HIV remission is a monumental challenge. A potential strategy is the "kick and kill" approach where latently infected cells are first activated to express viral proteins and then eliminated through cytopathic effects of HIV or immune-mediated killing. However, pre-existing immune responses to HIV cannot eradicate HIV infection due to the presence of escape variants, inadequate magnitude, and breadth of responses as well as immune exhaustion. The two major approaches to boost immune-mediated elimination of infected cells include enhancing cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated killing and harnessing antibodies to eliminate HIV. Specific strategies include increasing the magnitude and breadth of T cell responses through therapeutic vaccinations, reversing the effects of T cell exhaustion using immune checkpoint inhibition, employing bispecific T cell targeting immunomodulatory proteins or dual-affinity re-targeting molecules to direct cytotoxic T lymphocytes to virus-expressing cells and broadly neutralizing antibody infusions. Methods to steer immune responses to tissue sites where latently infected cells are located need to be further explored. Ultimately, strategies to induce HIV remission must be tolerable, safe, and scalable in order to make a global impact.

Palliative care for cancer patients in a primary health care setting:Bereaved relatives' experience, a qualitative group interview study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Mette Asbjørn; Olesen, Frede; Jensen, Anders Bonde

2008-01-01

care setting to explore barriers and facilitators for delivery of good palliative home care. Methods: Three focus group interviews with fourteen bereaved relatives in Aarhus County, Denmark. Results: Three main categories of experience were identified: 1) The health professionals' management, where...

TOWARDS THE ELIMINATION OF PREVENTABLE DISEASES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Shamsheva

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents incidence rates of major vaccine-preventable diseases in the world and the Russian Federation and cites mitigation measures that, in the end, must lead to the elimination of the diseases. 

Accelerating to Zero: Strategies to Eliminate Malaria in the Peruvian Amazon

Science.gov (United States)

Quispe, Antonio M.; Llanos-Cuentas, Alejandro; Rodriguez, Hugo; Clendenes, Martin; Cabezas, Cesar; Leon, Luis M.; Chuquiyauri, Raul; Moreno, Marta; Kaslow, David C.; Grogl, Max; Herrera, Sócrates; Magill, Alan J.; Kosek, Margaret; Vinetz, Joseph M.; Lescano, Andres G.; Gotuzzo, Eduardo

2016-01-01

In February 2014, the Malaria Elimination Working Group, in partnership with the Peruvian Ministry of Health (MoH), hosted its first international conference on malaria elimination in Iquitos, Peru. The 2-day meeting gathered 85 malaria experts, including 18 international panelists, 23 stakeholders from different malaria-endemic regions of Peru, and 11 MoH authorities. The main outcome was consensus that implementing a malaria elimination project in the Amazon region is achievable, but would require: 1) a comprehensive strategic plan, 2) the altering of current programmatic guidelines from control toward elimination by including symptomatic as well as asymptomatic individuals for antimalarial therapy and transmission-blocking interventions, and 3) the prioritization of community-based active case detection with proper rapid diagnostic tests to interrupt transmission. Elimination efforts must involve key stakeholders and experts at every level of government and include integrated research activities to evaluate, implement, and tailor sustainable interventions appropriate to the region.

Elimination patterns of worldwide used sulfonamides and tetracyclines during anaerobic fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Spielmeyer, Astrid; Breier, Bettina; Groißmeier, Kathrin; Hamscher, Gerd

2015-10-01

Antibiotics such as sulfonamides and tetracyclines are frequently used in veterinary medicine. Due to incomplete absorption in the animal gut and/or unmetabolized excretion, the substances can enter the environment by using manure as soil fertilizer. The anaerobic fermentation process of biogas plants is discussed as potential sink for antibiotic compounds. However, negative impacts of antibiotics on the fermentation process are suspected. The elimination of sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, tetracycline and chlortetracycline in semi-continuous lab-scale fermenters was investigated. Both biogas production and methane yield were not negatively affected by concentrations up to 38 mg per kg for sulfonamides and 7 mg per kg for tetracyclines. All substances were partly eliminated with elimination rates between 14% and 89%. Both matrix and structure of the target molecule influenced the elimination rate. Chlortetracycline was mainly transformed into iso-chlortetracycline. In all other cases, the elimination pathways remained undiscovered; however, sorption processes seem to have a negligible impact. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Economics of a Successful Raccoon Rabies Elimination Program on Long Island, New York

Science.gov (United States)

Elser, Julie L.; Bigler, Laura L.; Anderson, Aaron M.; Maki, Joanne L.; Lein, Donald H.; Shwiff, Stephanie A.

2016-01-01

Raccoon rabies is endemic in the eastern U.S.; however, an epizootic had not been confirmed on Long Island, New York until 2004. An oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program was initiated soon after the first rabies-positive raccoon was discovered, and continued until raccoon rabies was eliminated from the vaccination zone. The cost-effectiveness and economic impact of this rabies control program were unknown. A public health surveillance data set was evaluated following the ORV program on Long Island, and is used here as a case study in the health economics of rabies prevention and control efforts. A benefit-cost analysis was performed to determine the cost-effectiveness of the program, and a regional economic model was used to estimate the macroeconomic impacts of raccoon rabies elimination to New York State. The cost of the program, approximately $2.6 million, was recovered within eight years by reducing costs associated with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and veterinary diagnostic testing of rabies suspect animals. By 2019, the State of New York is projected to benefit from the ORV program by almost $27 million. The benefit-cost ratio will reach 1.71 in 2019, meaning that for every dollar spent on the program $1.71 will be saved. Regional economic modeling estimated employment growth of over 100 jobs and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increase of $9.2 million through 2019. This analysis suggests that baiting to eliminate rabies in a geographically constrained area can provide positive economic returns. PMID:27935946

Understanding the population genetics of Plasmodium vivax is essential for malaria control and elimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnott Alicia

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Traditionally, infection with Plasmodium vivax was thought to be benign and self-limiting, however, recent evidence has demonstrated that infection with P. vivax can also result in severe illness and death. Research into P. vivax has been relatively neglected and much remains unknown regarding the biology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of this parasite. One of the fundamental factors governing transmission and immunity is parasite diversity. An understanding of parasite population genetic structure is necessary to understand the epidemiology, diversity, distribution and dynamics of natural P. vivax populations. In addition, studying the population structure of genes under immune selection also enables investigation of the dynamic interplay between transmission and immunity, which is crucial for vaccine development. A lack of knowledge regarding the transmission and spread of P. vivax has been particularly highlighted in areas where malaria control and elimination programmes have made progress in reducing the burden of Plasmodium falciparum, yet P. vivax remains as a substantial obstacle. With malaria elimination back on the global agenda, mapping of global and local P. vivax population structure is essential prior to establishing goals for elimination and the roll-out of interventions. A detailed knowledge of the spatial distribution, transmission and clinical burden of P. vivax is required to act as a benchmark against which control targets can be set and measured. This paper presents an overview of what is known and what is yet to be fully understood regarding P. vivax population genetics, as well as the importance and application of P. vivax population genetics studies.

Investing in organisational culture: nursing students' experience of organisational learning culture in aged care settings following a program of cultural development.

Science.gov (United States)

Grealish, Laurie; Henderson, Amanda

2016-10-01

Concerns around organisational learning culture limit nursing student placements in aged care settings to first year experiences. Determine the impact of an extended staff capacity building program on students' experiences of the organisational learning culture in the aged care setting. Pre and post-test design. A convenience sample of first, second and third year Bachelor of Nursing students attending placements at three residential aged care facilities completed the Clinical Learning Organisational Culture Survey. Responses between the group that attended placement before the program (n = 17/44; RR 38%) and the group that attended following the program (n = 33/72; RR 45%) were compared. Improvements were noted in the areas of recognition, accomplishment, and influence, with decreases in dissatisfaction. Organisational investment in building staff capacity can produce a positive learning culture. The aged care sector offers a rich learning experience for students when staff capacity to support learning is developed.

Hypothyroidism in patients after thyroid elimination by 131I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vana, S.; Nemec, J.; Reisenauer, R.

1979-01-01

Patients after elimination of the thyroid gland with radioiodine 131 I develop hypothyroidism only slowly, the peripheral parameters lagging behind the protein bound iodine especially till the fiftieth day after elimination. In young patients the Achilles tendon reflex and the preejection period lag behind symmetrically, in older patients the effect of the supply of thyroid hormones to the skeletal muscles disappear faster, whereas the heart retains the reserves of the thyroid hormones or systems dependent on thyroid hormones affecting the rapidity of myocardial contraction for a relatively longer period of time. Thus, in older patients after elimination of the thyroid gland with radioiodine 131 I the Achilles tendon reflex is a better criterion of hypothyroidism than the preejection period of heart contraction. (author)

Risk Management - Variance Minimization or Lower Tail Outcome Elimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aabo, Tom

2002-01-01

on future cash flows (the budget), while risk managers concerned about costly lower tail outcomes will hedge (considerably) less depending on the level of uncertainty. A risk management strategy of lower tail outcome elimination is in line with theoretical recommendations in a corporate value......This paper illustrates the profound difference between a risk management strategy of variance minimization and a risk management strategy of lower tail outcome elimination. Risk managers concerned about the variability of cash flows will tend to center their hedge decisions on their best guess......-adding perspective. A cross-case study of blue-chip industrial companies partly supports the empirical use of a risk management strategy of lower tail outcome elimination but does not exclude other factors from (co-)driving the observations....

Passive elimination of static electricity in oil industry

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Gaćanović Mićo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study explains the existing and real conditions of a possible passive elimination of static electricity when loading oil and oil derivatives. We are considering the formation and survival of gas bubbles both in the volume of oil in its depth, but also at the surface of oil and oil derivatives of the partly filled reservoir, and formation of both volume and surface electric charge in oil and oil derivatives. The study presents the research of formation and survival of static electricity in both reservoirs and tank trucks of different geometric shapes partly filled with oil and oil derivatives. We are proposing a new original possibility of passive elimination of static electricity when loading oil and oil derivatives in reservoirs and tank trucks. The proposed passive device for elimination of static electricity is protected at the international level in the domain of intellectual property (with a patent, model and distinctive mark.

Uptake and elimination of radiotungsten in black bullheads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, J.R.

1975-01-01

Black bullheads, Ictalurus melas (Rafinesque), accumulated radiotungsten from food and water. Whole-body activity reached a plateau after the fish had been in tagged water 4 days (mean temperature 154 0 C). Whole-body elimination of radiotungsten varied with the method of uptake. Fish that had accumulated radiotungsten from water had a single exponential component of elimination with a biological half-life of 2.75 days. Fish that had received radioisotope in a single feeding lost activity at two rates; one component had a biological half-life of 14 hr and the second 6 days. The bone, skin, flesh, blood, and gills contained the greatest percentages of whole-body activity after 1 day of uptake from tagged water; after 8 days, the flesh, gills, bone, and gut together contained 78.6 percent of the total activity. The bone had the longest biological half-life (8.0 days) of the tissues examined and contained 69.8 percent of the whole-body acitivty after 16 days of elimination

Cadmium accumulation and elimination in tissues of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus after sub-chronic cadmium exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong-Gil; Jee, Jung-Hoon; Kang, Ju-Chan

2004-01-01

Cd accumulation and elimination in tissue of olive flounder. - Experiments were carried out to investigate the accumulation and elimination of cadmium (Cd) in tissues (gill, intestine, kidney, liver and muscle) of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, exposed to sub-chronic concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100 μg l -1 ) of Cd. Cd exposure resulted in an increased Cd accumulation in tissues of flounder with exposure periods and concentration, and Cd accumulation in gill and liver increased linearly with the exposure time. At 20 days of Cd exposure, the order of Cd accumulation in organs was gill > intestine > liver > kidney > muscle and after 30 days of exposure, those were intestine > gill > liver > kidney > muscle. An inverse relationship was observed between the accumulation factor (AF) and the exposure level, but AF showed an increase with exposure time. During the depuration periods, Cd concentration in the gill, intestine and liver decreased immediately following the end of the exposure periods. No significant difference was found Cd in concentration in the kidney and muscle during depuration periods. The order of Cd elimination rate in organs were decreased intestine > liver > gill during depuration periods

Elimination of nonspecific radioactivity from [{sup 76}Br]bromide in PET study with [{sup 76}Br]bromodeoxyuridine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Lu; Bergstroem, Mats E-mail: Mats.Bergstroem@pet.uu.se; Fasth, Karl-Johan; Wu Feng; Eriksson, Barbro; Laangstroem, Bengt

1999-10-01

[{sup 76}Br]Bromodeoxyuridine ([{sup 76}Br]BrdU) might allow a determination of proliferation in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET), but only with consideration of organ nonspecific radioactivity constituted by [{sup 76}Br]bromide. A first study assessed the potential of diuretics to eliminate [{sup 76}Br]bromide. [{sup 76}Br]Bromide was injected in the vein of rats and different diuretic combinations were given. Urine was collected and radioactivity measured. Torasemide plus sodium chloride gave better {sup 76}Br elimination than the other diuretics. In a second experiment, rats were given [{sup 76}Br]BrdU. After the radioactivity injection, the rats of the treatment group were given torasemide plus NaCl. At 44 h after the radioactivity injection, the radioactivity concentration and the fraction incorporated into DNA were measured in different organs. Using diuretics, the elimination of [{sup 76}Br]bromide was increased. The radioactivity decreased 30-50% in most of the organs but the highest radioactivity uptake was found in the organs with more active DNA synthesis. This method may facilitate the use of [{sup 76}Br]BrdU as a tracer for DNA synthesis using PET.

Elimination Problems in Infants and Children

Science.gov (United States)

... inability to digest wheat (CELIAC DISEASE) or milk (LACTOSE INTOLERANCE) can cause these symptoms. Self CareEliminate foods that ... be an appropriate substitute for infants who have lactose intolerance. Start OverDiagnosisPain from HEMORRHOIDS or an ANAL FISSURE ...

75 FR 65238 - Loan Guaranty: Elimination of Redundant Regulations; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-22

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 38 CFR Part 36 RIN 2900-AN71 Loan Guaranty: Elimination of... June 15, 2010 (75 FR 33704), amending its loan guaranty regulations to eliminate redundant regulations... INFORMATION CONTACT: William White, Acting Assistant Director for Loan Processing and Valuation (262...

Analysis reveals potential rangeland impacts if Williamson Act eliminated

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William C. Wetzel

2012-10-01

Full Text Available California budget cuts have resulted in dramatic reductions in state funding for the Williamson Act, a land protection program that reduces property taxes for the owners of 15 million acres of California farms and rangeland. With state reimbursements to counties eliminated, the decision to continue Williamson Act contracts lies with individual counties. We investigated the consequences of eliminating the Williamson Act, using a geospatial analysis and a mail questionnaire asking ranchers for plans under a hypothetical elimination scenario. The geospatial analysis revealed that 72% of rangeland parcels enrolled in Williamson Act contracts contained habitat important for statewide conservation goals. Presented with the elimination scenario, survey respondents reported an intention to sell 20% of their total 496,889 acres. The tendency of survey participants to respond that they would sell land was highest among full-time ranchers with low household incomes and without off-ranch employment. A majority (76% of the ranchers who reported that they would sell land predicted that the buyers would develop it for nonagricultural uses, suggesting substantial changes to California's landscape in a future without the Williamson Act.

Spatial part-set cuing facilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Matthew R; Parasiuk, Yuri; Salgado-Benz, Jennifer; Crocco, Megan

2016-07-01

Cole, Reysen, and Kelley [2013. Part-set cuing facilitation for spatial information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 39, 1615-1620] reported robust part-set cuing facilitation for spatial information using snap circuits (a colour-coded electronics kit designed for children to create rudimentary circuit boards). In contrast, Drinkwater, Dagnall, and Parker [2006. Effects of part-set cuing on experienced and novice chess players' reconstruction of a typical chess midgame position. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 102(3), 645-653] and Watkins, Schwartz, and Lane [1984. Does part-set cuing test for memory organization? Evidence from reconstructions of chess positions. Canadian Journal of Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie, 38(3), 498-503] showed no influence of part-set cuing for spatial information when using chess boards. One key difference between the two procedures was that the snap circuit stimuli were explicitly connected to one another, whereas chess pieces were not. Two experiments examined the effects of connection type (connected vs. unconnected) and cue type (cued vs. uncued) on memory for spatial information. Using chess boards (Experiment 1) and snap circuits (Experiment 2), part-set cuing facilitation only occurred when the stimuli were explicitly connected; there was no influence of cuing with unconnected stimuli. These results are potentially consistent with the retrieval strategy disruption hypothesis, as well as the two- and three-mechanism accounts of part-set cuing.

δ-Similar Elimination to Enhance Search Performance of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, Hernán; Sato, Masahiko; Tanaka, Kiyoshi

In this paper, we propose δ-similar elimination to improve the search performance of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms in combinatorial optimization problems. This method eliminates similar individuals in objective space to fairly distribute selection among the different regions of the instantaneous Pareto front. We investigate four eliminating methods analyzing their effects using NSGA-II. In addition, we compare the search performance of NSGA-II enhanced by our method and NSGA-II enhanced by controlled elitism.

The experience and views of mental health nurses regarding nursing care delivery in an integrated, inpatient setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, Michelle; Walter, Garry; Hunt, Glenn

2005-06-01

Positive and effective consumer outcomes hinge on having in place optimal models of nursing care delivery. The aim of this study was to ascertain the experience and views of mental health nurses, working in hospitals in an area mental health service, regarding nursing care delivery in those settings. Surveys (n = 250) were sent to all mental health nurses working in inpatient settings and 118 (47%) were returned. Results showed that the quality of nursing care achieved high ratings (by 87%), and that two-thirds of respondents were proud to be a mental health nurse and would choose to be a mental health nurse again. Similarly, the majority (71%) would recommend mental health nursing to others. Concern was, however, expressed about the continuity and consistency of nursing work and information technology resources. Nurses with community experiences rated the importance of the following items, or their confidence, higher than those without previous community placements: the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork; the importance of participating in case review; the importance of collaborating with community staff; confidence in performing mental state examinations; and confidence in collaborating with community staff, suggesting that this placement had positive effects on acute care nursing.

Sustaining visceral leishmaniasis elimination in Bangladesh - Could a policy brief help?

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Alyssa Fitzpatrick

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Bangladesh has made significant progress towards elimination of visceral leishmaniasis, and is on track to achieve its target of less than one case per 10,000 inhabitants in each subdistrict in 2017. As the incidence of disease falls, it is likely that the political capital and financial resources dedicated towards the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis may decrease, raising the prospect of disease resurgence. Policy memos may play a crucial role during the transition of the elimination plan from the 'attack' to the 'consolidation' and 'maintenance' phases, highlighting key stakeholders and areas where ongoing investment is crucial. An example of a policy brief is outlined in this paper. The background to the current elimination efforts is highlighted, with emphasis on remaining uncertainties including the impact of disease reservoirs and sustainable surveillance strategies. A stakeholder map is provided outlining the current and projected future activities of key bodies. Identification of key stakeholders subsequently frames the discussion of three key policy recommendations in the Bangladeshi context for the transition to the consolidation and maintenance phases of the elimination program. Recommendations include determining optimal vector control and surveillance strategies, shifting the emphasis towards horizontal integration of disease programs, and prioritising remaining research questions with a focus on operational and technical capacity. Achieving elimination is as much a political as a scientific question. Integrating the discussion of key stakeholders with policy priorities and the research agenda provides a novel insight into potential pathways forwards in the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh and in the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

Elimination of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Tajikistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondrashin, Anatoly V; Sharipov, Azizullo S; Kadamov, Dilshod S; Karimov, Saifuddin S; Gasimov, Elkhan; Baranova, Alla M; Morozova, Lola F; Stepanova, Ekaterina V; Turbabina, Natalia A; Maksimova, Maria S; Morozov, Evgeny N

2017-05-30

Malaria was eliminated in Tajikistan by the beginning of the 1960s. However, sporadic introduced cases of malaria occurred subsequently probably as a result of transmission from infected mosquito Anopheles flying over river the Punj from the border areas of Afghanistan. During the 1970s and 1980s local outbreaks of malaria were reported in the southern districts bordering Afghanistan. The malaria situation dramatically changed during the 1990s following armed conflict and civil unrest in the newly independent Tajikistan, which paralyzed health services including the malaria control activities and a large-scale malaria epidemic occurred with more than 400,000 malaria cases. The malaria epidemic was contained by 1999 as a result of considerable financial input from the Government and the international community. Although Plasmodium falciparum constituted only about 5% of total malaria cases, reduction of its incidence was slower than that of Plasmodium vivax. To prevent increase in P. falciparum malaria both in terms of incidence and territory, a P. falciparum elimination programme in the Republic was launched in 200, jointly supported by the Government and the Global Fund for control of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The main activities included the use of pyrethroids for the IRS with determined periodicity, deployment of mosquito nets, impregnated with insecticides, use of larvivorous fishes as a biological larvicide, implementation of small-scale environmental management, and use of personal protection methods by population under malaria risk. The malaria surveillance system was strengthened by the use of ACD, PCD, RCD and selective use of mass blood surveys. All detected cases were timely epidemiologically investigated and treated based on the results of laboratory diagnosis. As a result, by 2009, P. falciparum malaria was eliminated from all of Tajikistan, one year ahead of the originally targeted date. Elimination of P. falciparum also contributed towards

Development of methodology to assess application of practical elimination for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, J.; Sivekumar, D.; Thambirasa, S.

2015-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is presented as the primary case study for the topic of practical elimination. A decision matrix was created to assess whether practical elimination has been achieved or not. Public acceptance is included as a factor in practical elimination. An evaluation of an underground High-Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor was performed, where it was determined that a greater than 10 earthquake on the Richter scale is practically eliminated, but can easily be overturned based on public acceptance. A plane crash scenario was also practically eliminated. The gap analysis performed concluded that the developed decision matrix requires reworking. (author)

On the mechanism of imine elimination from Fischer tungsten carbene complexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philipp Veit

2016-06-01

Full Text Available (Aminoferrocenyl(ferrocenylcarbene(pentacarbonyltungsten(0 (CO5W=C(NHFcFc (W(CO5(E-2 is synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of the ethoxy group of (CO5W=C(OEtFc (M(CO5(1Et by ferrocenyl amide Fc-NH– (Fc = ferrocenyl. W(CO5(E-2 thermally and photochemically eliminates bulky E-1,2-diferrocenylimine (E-3 via a formal 1,2-H shift from the N to the carbene C atom. Kinetic and mechanistic studies to the formation of imine E-3 are performed by NMR, IR and UV–vis spectroscopy and liquid injection field desorption ionization (LIFDI mass spectrometry as well as by trapping experiments for low-coordinate tungsten complexes with triphenylphosphane. W(CO5(E-2 decays thermally in a first-order rate-law with a Gibbs free energy of activation of ΔG‡298K = 112 kJ mol−1. Three proposed mechanistic pathways are taken into account and supported by detailed (time-dependent densitiy functional theory [(TD-DFT] calculations. The preferred pathway is initiated by an irreversible CO dissociation, followed by an oxidative addition/pseudorotation/reductive elimination pathway with short-lived, elusive seven-coordinate hydrido tungsten(II intermediates cis(N,H-W(CO4(H(Z-15 and cis(C,H-W(CO4(H(Z-15.

Improved installation approach for variable spring setting on a pipe yet to be insulated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, H.H.; Chitnis, S.S.; Rencher, D.

1993-01-01

This paper provides an approach in setting of variable spring supports for noninsulated or partially insulated piping systems so that resetting these supports is not required when the insulation is fully installed. This approach shows a method of deriving the spring coldload setting tolerance values that can be readily utilized by craft personnel. This method is based on the percentage of the weight of the insulation compared to the total weight of the pipe and the applicable tolerance. Use of these setting tolerances eliminates reverification of the original cold-load settings, for the majority of variable springs when the insulation is fully installed

Application of lot quality assurance sampling for leprosy elimination monitoring--examination of some critical factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupte, M D; Murthy, B N; Mahmood, K; Meeralakshmi, S; Nagaraju, B; Prabhakaran, R

2004-04-01

The concept of elimination of an infectious disease is different from eradication and in a way from control as well. In disease elimination programmes the desired reduced level of prevalence is set up as the target to be achieved in a practical time frame. Elimination can be considered in the context of national or regional levels. Prevalence levels depend on occurrence of new cases and thus could remain fluctuating. There are no ready pragmatic methods to monitor the progress of leprosy elimination programmes. We therefore tried to explore newer methods to answer these demands. With the lowering of prevalence of leprosy to the desired level of 1 case per 10000 population at the global level, the programme administrators' concern will be shifted to smaller areas e.g. national and sub-national levels. For monitoring this situation, we earlier observed that lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS), a quality control tool in industry was useful in the initially high endemic areas. However, critical factors such as geographical distribution of cases and adoption of cluster sampling design instead of simple random sampling design deserve attention before LQAS could generally be recommended. The present exercise was aimed at validating applicability of LQAS, and adopting these modifications for monitoring leprosy elimination in Tamil Nadu state, which was highly endemic for leprosy. A representative sample of 64000 people drawn from eight districts of Tamil Nadu state, India, with maximum allowable number of 25 cases was considered, using LQAS methodology to test whether leprosy prevalence was at or below 7 per 10000 population. Expected number of cases for each district was obtained assuming Poisson distribution. Goodness of fit for the observed and expected cases (closeness of the expected number of cases to those observed) was tested through chi(2). Enhancing factor (design effect) for sample size was obtained by computing the intraclass correlation. The survey actually

Macrofilaricides and onchocerciasis control, mathematical modelling of the prospects for elimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazdins Janis

2001-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In most endemic parts of the world, onchocerciasis (river blindness control relies, or will soon rely, exclusively on mass treatment with the microfilaricide ivermectin. Worldwide eradication of the parasite by means of this drug is unlikely. Macrofilaricidal drugs are currently being developed for human use. Methods We used ONCHOSIM, a microsimulation mathematical model of the dynamics of onchocerciasis transmission, to explore the potentials of a hypothetical macrofilaricidal drug for the elimination of onchocerciasis under different epidemiological conditions, as characterized by previous intervention strategies, vectorial capacity and levels of coverage. Results With a high vector biting rate and poor coverage, a very effective macrofilaricide would appear to have a substantially higher potential for achieving elimination of the parasite than does ivermectin. Conclusions Macrofilaricides have a substantially higher potential for achieving onchocerciasis elimination than ivermectin, but high coverage levels are still key. When these drugs become available, onchocerciasis elimination strategies should be reconsidered. In view of the impact of control efforts preceding the introduction of macrofilaricides on the success of elimination, it is important to sustain current control efforts.

Elimination of User-Fees in Tertiary Education: A Distributive Analysis for Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Ponce, Juan; Loayza, Yessenia

2012-01-01

This paper offers new evidence and methods for understanding the distributive effect of a universal government policy to eliminate user fees in public universities in Ecuador. The main argument to eliminate user fees in higher education is that it will increase enrollment among the poor. In this regard, eliminating tuition fees is supposed to be a…

Field Experience Study in a Traditional Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Perenich, Theresa A.

1978-01-01

A field experience in fashion marketing for Kansas State University students is described. The functions and responsibilities of the coordinator, the student, and the departmental supervisor are outlined, along with the evaluation processes used. (Author/LBH)

Recursive Cluster Elimination (RCE for classification and feature selection from gene expression data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Showe Louise C

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Classification studies using gene expression datasets are usually based on small numbers of samples and tens of thousands of genes. The selection of those genes that are important for distinguishing the different sample classes being compared, poses a challenging problem in high dimensional data analysis. We describe a new procedure for selecting significant genes as recursive cluster elimination (RCE rather than recursive feature elimination (RFE. We have tested this algorithm on six datasets and compared its performance with that of two related classification procedures with RFE. Results We have developed a novel method for selecting significant genes in comparative gene expression studies. This method, which we refer to as SVM-RCE, combines K-means, a clustering method, to identify correlated gene clusters, and Support Vector Machines (SVMs, a supervised machine learning classification method, to identify and score (rank those gene clusters for the purpose of classification. K-means is used initially to group genes into clusters. Recursive cluster elimination (RCE is then applied to iteratively remove those clusters of genes that contribute the least to the classification performance. SVM-RCE identifies the clusters of correlated genes that are most significantly differentially expressed between the sample classes. Utilization of gene clusters, rather than individual genes, enhances the supervised classification accuracy of the same data as compared to the accuracy when either SVM or Penalized Discriminant Analysis (PDA with recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE and PDA-RFE are used to remove genes based on their individual discriminant weights. Conclusion SVM-RCE provides improved classification accuracy with complex microarray data sets when it is compared to the classification accuracy of the same datasets using either SVM-RFE or PDA-RFE. SVM-RCE identifies clusters of correlated genes that when considered together

Alpha process with biological elimination of nitrogen. Application of mathematical models; Proceso alpha con eliminacion biologica de nitrogeno. Aplicacion de modelos matematicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, J. C.; Lopez-Carrasco, M. D.; Cortacans, J. A.; Larrea, L.; Larrea, A.

1999-07-01

This article illustrates the advantages of a step feed process for the biological elimination of nitrogen by presenting the experiments carried out by INFILCO at a pilot plant in San Sebastian. This arrangement, also known as the alpha (alternative phase step feed) process, reduces the volume of the biological reactor, eliminates the need for internal recycling and optimised the consumption of the organic matter used for denitrication. This article also demonstrates the possibility of employing a mathematical model as a tool in assessing, designing and operating full scale treatment plants for typically urban sewage. (Author) 6 refs.

Development and Validation of a Portable Platform for Deploying Decision-Support Algorithms in Prehospital Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Reisner, A. T.; Khitrov, M. Y.; Chen, L.; Blood, A.; Wilkins, K.; Doyle, W.; Wilcox, S.; Denison, T.; Reifman, J.

2013-01-01

Summary Background Advanced decision-support capabilities for prehospital trauma care may prove effective at improving patient care. Such functionality would be possible if an analysis platform were connected to a transport vital-signs monitor. In practice, there are technical challenges to implementing such a system. Not only must each individual component be reliable, but, in addition, the connectivity between components must be reliable. Objective We describe the development, validation, and deployment of the Automated Processing of Physiologic Registry for Assessment of Injury Severity (APPRAISE) platform, intended to serve as a test bed to help evaluate the performance of decision-support algorithms in a prehospital environment. Methods We describe the hardware selected and the software implemented, and the procedures used for laboratory and field testing. Results The APPRAISE platform met performance goals in both laboratory testing (using a vital-sign data simulator) and initial field testing. After its field testing, the platform has been in use on Boston MedFlight air ambulances since February of 2010. Conclusion These experiences may prove informative to other technology developers and to healthcare stakeholders seeking to invest in connected electronic systems for prehospital as well as in-hospital use. Our experiences illustrate two sets of important questions: are the individual components reliable (e.g., physical integrity, power, core functionality, and end-user interaction) and is the connectivity between components reliable (e.g., communication protocols and the metadata necessary for data interpretation)? While all potential operational issues cannot be fully anticipated and eliminated during development, thoughtful design and phased testing steps can reduce, if not eliminate, technical surprises. PMID:24155791

GeneTopics - interpretation of gene sets via literature-driven topic models

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Annotation of a set of genes is often accomplished through comparison to a library of labelled gene sets such as biological processes or canonical pathways. However, this approach might fail if the employed libraries are not up to date with the latest research, don't capture relevant biological themes or are curated at a different level of granularity than is required to appropriately analyze the input gene set. At the same time, the vast biomedical literature offers an unstructured repository of the latest research findings that can be tapped to provide thematic sub-groupings for any input gene set. Methods Our proposed method relies on a gene-specific text corpus and extracts commonalities between documents in an unsupervised manner using a topic model approach. We automatically determine the number of topics summarizing the corpus and calculate a gene relevancy score for each topic allowing us to eliminate non-specific topics. As a result we obtain a set of literature topics in which each topic is associated with a subset of the input genes providing directly interpretable keywords and corresponding documents for literature research. Results We validate our method based on labelled gene sets from the KEGG metabolic pathway collection and the genetic association database (GAD) and show that the approach is able to detect topics consistent with the labelled annotation. Furthermore, we discuss the results on three different types of experimentally derived gene sets, (1) differentially expressed genes from a cardiac hypertrophy experiment in mice, (2) altered transcript abundance in human pancreatic beta cells, and (3) genes implicated by GWA studies to be associated with metabolite levels in a healthy population. In all three cases, we are able to replicate findings from the original papers in a quick and semi-automated manner. Conclusions Our approach provides a novel way of automatically generating meaningful annotations for gene sets that are directly

Impact of Vicarious Learning Experiences and Goal Setting on Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Technology Integration: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling; Ertmer, Peggy A.

This pilot study was designed to explore how vicarious learning experiences and goal setting influence preservice teachers' self-efficacy for integrating technology into the classroom. Twenty undergraduate students who were enrolled in an introductory educational technology course at a large midwestern university participated and were assigned…

Cue-elicited food seeking is eliminated with aversive outcomes following outcome devaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eder, Andreas B; Dignath, David

2016-01-01

In outcome-selective Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT), stimuli that are predictive of specific outcomes prime instrumental responses that are associated with these outcomes. Previous human studies yielded mixed evidence in respect to whether the PIT effect is affected by a posttraining devaluation of an outcome, with the PIT effect being preserved after a devaluation of a primary reinforcer (food, drugs) but not following the devaluation of a secondary reinforcer (money). The present research examined whether outcome-selective transfer is eliminated when the devaluation of a primary (liquid) reinforcer is strong and aversive. Experiment 1 confirmed these expectations following a devaluation with bad tasting Tween 20. However, outcome-selective transfer was still observed when the earned (devalued) outcome was not consumed immediately after each test (Experiment 2). These results suggest that the capacity of a Pavlovian cue to motivate a specific response is affected by the incentive value of the shared outcome only when the devaluation yields an aversive outcome that is consumed immediately.

Eliminating transducer distortion in acoustic measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerkvist, Finn T.; Torras Rosell, Antoni; McWalter, Richard Ian

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the in uence of nonlinear components that contaminate the linear response of acoustic transducer, and presents a method for eliminating the in uence of nonlinearities in acoustic measurements. The method is evaluated on simulated as well as experimental data, and is shown...

Primary chromatic aberration elimination via optimization work with genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bo-Wen; Liu, Tung-Kuan; Fang, Yi-Chin; Chou, Jyh-Horng; Tsai, Hsien-Lin; Chang, En-Hao

2008-09-01

Chromatic Aberration plays a part in modern optical systems, especially in digitalized and smart optical systems. Much effort has been devoted to eliminating specific chromatic aberration in order to match the demand for advanced digitalized optical products. Basically, the elimination of axial chromatic and lateral color aberration of an optical lens and system depends on the selection of optical glass. According to reports from glass companies all over the world, the number of various newly developed optical glasses in the market exceeds three hundred. However, due to the complexity of a practical optical system, optical designers have so far had difficulty in finding the right solution to eliminate small axial and lateral chromatic aberration except by the Damped Least Squares (DLS) method, which is limited in so far as the DLS method has not yet managed to find a better optical system configuration. In the present research, genetic algorithms are used to replace traditional DLS so as to eliminate axial and lateral chromatic, by combining the theories of geometric optics in Tessar type lenses and a technique involving Binary/Real Encoding, Multiple Dynamic Crossover and Random Gene Mutation to find a much better configuration for optical glasses. By implementing the algorithms outlined in this paper, satisfactory results can be achieved in eliminating axial and lateral color aberration.

Elimination of salmonella from fermented pork by gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noochpramul, K.; Loaharanu, P.

1974-01-01

A fermented pork product, locally known as ''Nham'', is usually contaminated with salmonella and occasionally with Trichinella spiralis and Taenea solium. This product is always eaten raw as cooking destroys its delicate flavour. A survey made on the MPN of salmonella revealed that much less than 100 salmonella was found in one gram of the product. Nham was inoculated with S. derby, S. anatum, S. newport, or S. paratyphi B, the most common serotypes of salmonella found in this product, at 10 6 , 10 4 , or 10 2 per gram. The inoculated product was irradiated by the gamma beam-650 Co-60 irradiator at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4 Mrad. Dosage at 0.4 Mrad eliminated salmonella as much as 10 6 per g; 0.3 Mrad eliminated 10 6 /g of S. newport and S. paratyphi B and 10 4 /g of S. derby and S. anatum; and 0.2 Mrad eliminated 10 2 /g of all serotypes of salmonella in the product. No changes in the organoleptic properties of irradiated Nham was found when irradiated at 0.3 Mrad or less. Dosage at 0.2 Mrad appeared to be sufficient for commercial irradiation of Nham for the elimination of salmonella

Cs-137 accumulation and elimination by Gracilaria caudata alga and Abudefduf saxatilis fish. Compartmental analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattiolo-Marchese, Sandra Regina

1998-01-01

From the ecological point of view, 137 Cs is a critical radionuclide because its physical half-life is long (30 years), and it has a high fission yield. Besides, it presents similar characteristics to sodium and potassium, fundamental elements for the living organisms, in great concentration in all cells. This work has as aim to study the 137 Cs accumulation and elimination by the alga Gracilaria caudata and by the fish Abudefduf saxatilis as well as to obtain the transfer constants of the 137 Cs from the water into the organisms. The concentration factor found for the fish was 5.6 +- 0.2 and for the alga, 13.0 +- 0,6. With 7 and 22 days, the fish and alga respectively had already eliminated half of the accumulated radionuclide. The 137 Cs ingestion efficiency by the fish was also studied and it was verified that the fish assimilated only 47.6 % of the cesium content in the food; and within of 4 days it had eliminated more than half of ingested cesium. A compartmental model was proposed to explain the distribution of cesium in the compartments (water - alga and water - fish). Data obtained from the experiments of 137 Cs accumulation and elimination were applied in the Ana Comp Program. This program permits the compartmental analysis, and quantifies the cesium distribution from the sea-water to the organisms, and vice versa, through the transfer constants (k). The Ana Comp Program also allowed to calculate the dose that one would receive by the consumption of fish contaminated by cesium. Levels of 137 Cs from the global fallout in environmental samples, from Sao Sebastiao, northern coast of Sao Paulo, (where the 'Centro de Biologia Marinha da Universidade de Sao Paulo - CEBIMar - USP' is located), were verified. (author)

Informal Leadership in the Clinical Setting: Occupational Therapist Perspectives

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Clark Patrick Heard

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Leadership is vital to clinical, organizational, and professional success. This has compelled a high volume of research primarily related to formal leadership concepts. However, as organizations flatten, eliminate departmental structures, or decentralize leadership structures the relevance of informal leaders has markedly enhanced. Methods: Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines the impact of informal leadership in the clinical setting for occupational therapists. Data was collected through the completion of semi-structured interviews with 10 peer-identified informal occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. Collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by multiple coders. Several methods were employed to support trustworthiness. Results: The results identify that informal leaders are collaborative, accessible, and considered the “go to” staff. They demonstrate professional competence knowledge, experience, and accountability and are inspirational and creative. Practically, informal leaders organically shape the practice environment while building strength and capacity among their peers. Conclusion: Recommendations for supporting informal leaders include acknowledgement of the role and its centrality, enabling informal leaders time to undertake the role, and supporting consideration of informal leadership concepts at the curriculum and professional level.

The Experience and Effectiveness of Nurse Practitioners in Orthopaedic Settings: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Anita; Staruchowicz, Lynda

This review asks "What is the experience and effectiveness of nurse practitioners in orthopaedic settings"?The objective of the quantitative component of this review is to synthesise the best available evidence on effectiveness of orthopaedic nurse practitioner specific care on patient outcomes and process indicators.The objective of the qualitative component of this review is to synthesise the best available evidence on the experience of becoming or being an orthopaedic nurse practitioner in relation to role development, role implementation and (ongoing) role evaluation.The objective of the text and opinion component of this review is to synthesise the best available evidence of the contemporary discourse on the effectiveness and experience of nurse practitioners in orthopaedic settings. Nurse practitioner roles have emerged in response to areas of unmet healthcare needs in a variety of settings. Nurse practitioners first evolved in the United States 40 years ago in response to a shortage of primary health care physicians. Nurse practitioners filled the void by providing access to primary health care services where otherwise there was none. Nurse practitioners comprise one branch of advanced nursing practice in the US along with Nurse Anaesthetists (NA), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Nurse Midwives (NM). Canada soon followed America's lead by establishing the nurse practitioner role in 1967. Canada has two areas of advanced nursing practice, namely nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist; they are moving towards introducing nurse anaesthetists currently. The nurse practitioner role was introduced into the United Kingdom 20 years ago.There is commonality amongst the definition and characteristics of Nurse Practitioner (NP)/Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role and practice internationally in terms of education, practice standards and regulation; operationally there is variability however. Australia's progress with nurse practitioners is very much

Possibilities of Sulphate Elimination from Mine Water

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Heviánková Silvie

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The issue of „acid water“ (or AMD is well known in the world for some centuries. In the Eastern Slovakia, the most acid surface water occurs in the area of old mine Smolník, which is closed and submerged for 15 years. The submitted contribution deals with the sulphate-elimination from this locality. Recently, several methods of sulphate-elimination from the mine water are applied. The best-known methods are biological, physical-chemical and chemical precipitation. The method described in this contribution consists of chemical precipitation by sodium aluminate and calcium hydrate. Under application of this method very interesting results were obtained. The amount of SO42- anions decreased to almost zero-value, using optimal doses of the chemical reagents.

Elimination of leprosy as a public health problem by 2000 AD: an epidemiological perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Nsagha, Dickson Shey; Bamgboye, Elijah Afolabi; Assob, Jules Clement Nguedia; Njunda, Anna Longdoh; Kamga, Henri Lucien Foumou; Zoung-Kanyi Bissek, Anne-Cécile; Tabah, Earnest Nji; Oyediran, Alain Bankole O O; Njamnshi, Alfred Kongnyu

2011-01-01

Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and manifests as damage to the skin and peripheral nerves. The disease is dreaded because it causes deformities, blindness and disfigurement. Worldwide, 2 million people are estimated to be disabled by leprosy. Multidrug therapy is highly effective in curing leprosy, but treating the nerve damage is much more difficult. The World Health Assembly targeted to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem from the world by 2000. The objective of the review was to assess the successes of the leprosy elimination strategy, elimination hurdles and the way forward for leprosy eradication. A structured search was used to identify publications on the elimination strategy. The keywords used were leprosy, elimination and 2000. To identify potential publications, we included papers on leprosy elimination monitoring, special action projects for the elimination of leprosy, modified leprosy elimination campaigns, and the Global Alliance to eliminate leprosy from the following principal data bases: Cochrane data base of systematic reviews, PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and the Leprosy data base. We also scanned reference lists for important citations. Key leprosy journals including WHO publications were also reviewed. The search identified 63 journal publications on leprosy-related terms that included a form of elimination of which 19 comprehensively tackled the keywords including a book on leprosy elimination. In 1991, the 44th World Health Assembly called for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in the world by 2000. Elimination was defined as less than one case of leprosy per 10000-population. Elimination has been made possible by a confluence of several orders of opportunities: the scientific (the natural history of leprosy at the present state of knowledge), technological (multi-drug therapy and the blister pack); political (commitment of governments) and financial (support from NGOs for example the Nippon Foundation that

Elimination diets in the management of eosinophilic esophagitis

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Wechsler JB

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Joshua B Wechsler, Sally Schwartz, Katie Amsden, Amir F Kagalwalla Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, IL, USA Abstract: Eosinophilic esophagitis, an increasingly recognized chronic inflammatory disorder isolated to the esophagus, is triggered by an abnormal allergic response to dietary antigens. Current treatment includes swallowed topical steroids and dietary modification, which aim to resolve symptoms and prevent long-term complications such as formation of strictures. The dietary approach has become more widely accepted because long-term steroid therapy is associated with potential risks. Dietary treatment includes elemental and elimination diets. An exclusive elemental diet, which requires replacement of all intact protein with amino acid-based formula, offers the best response of all available therapies, with remission in up to 96% of subjects proving it to be superior to all other available therapies including topical steroids. However, compliance with this approach is challenging because of poor taste and monotony. The high cost of formula and the associated psychosocial problems are additional drawbacks of this approach. Empiric and allergy test-directed elimination diets have gained popularity given that elimination of a limited number of foods is much easier and as such is more readily acceptable. There is a growing body of literature supporting this type of therapy in both children and adults. This paper reviews the evidence for all types of dietary therapy in eosinophilic esophagitis. Keywords: eosinophilic esophagitis, dietary therapy, empiric elimination, elemental, allergy test-directed

To eliminate or not. The minute of truth for nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edin, K.A.

1995-01-01

The book describes the political situation concerning nuclear power in Sweden. After the referendum 1980 the Swedish parliament has made a declaration that nuclear power should be phased out by 2010 and replaced by renewable energy, but no legislation or schedules have been proposed. In the meantime targets for reducing carbon dioxide emission have been set, that seem to be in conflict with the phaseout. The book goes through all the decisions that have to be made by the parliament and the different alternatives that should be available when a phaseout is planned. Financial compensation for the reactor owners, and lack of economic alternative power sources are seen as major obstacles. The author pleads that detailed governmental propositions for an elimination of nuclear power (including plans for substitutional power sources) should be made public to facilitate a realistic debate. 19 figs

Costs of eliminating malaria and the impact of the global fund in 34 countries.

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Brittany Zelman

Full Text Available International financing for malaria increased more than 18-fold between 2000 and 2011; the largest source came from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund. Countries have made substantial progress, but achieving elimination requires sustained finances to interrupt transmission and prevent reintroduction. Since 2011, global financing for malaria has declined, fueling concerns that further progress will be impeded, especially for current malaria-eliminating countries that may face resurgent malaria if programs are disrupted.This study aims to 1 assess past total and Global Fund funding to the 34 current malaria-eliminating countries, and 2 estimate their future funding needs to achieve malaria elimination and prevent reintroduction through 2030.Historical funding is assessed against trends in country-level malaria annual parasite incidences (APIs and income per capita. Following Kizewski et al. (2007, program costs to eliminate malaria and prevent reintroduction through 2030 are estimated using a deterministic model. The cost parameters are tailored to a package of interventions aimed at malaria elimination and prevention of reintroduction.The majority of Global Fund-supported countries experiencing increases in total funding from 2005 to 2010 coincided with reductions in malaria APIs and also overall GNI per capita average annual growth. The total amount of projected funding needed for the current malaria-eliminating countries to achieve elimination and prevent reintroduction through 2030 is approximately US$8.5 billion, or about $1.84 per person at risk per year (PPY (ranging from $2.51 PPY in 2014 to $1.43 PPY in 2030.Although external donor funding, particularly from the Global Fund, has been key for many malaria-eliminating countries, sustained and sufficient financing is critical for furthering global malaria elimination. Projected cost estimates for elimination provide policymakers with an indication of the

Utilization of lean management principles in the ambulatory clinic setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Casey, Jessica T; Brinton, Thomas S; Gonzalez, Chris M

2009-03-01

The principles of 'lean management' have permeated many sectors of today's business world, secondary to the success of the Toyota Production System. This management method enables workers to eliminate mistakes, reduce delays, lower costs, and improve the overall quality of the product or service they deliver. These lean management principles can be applied to health care. Their implementation within the ambulatory care setting is predicated on the continuous identification and elimination of waste within the process. The key concepts of flow time, inventory and throughput are utilized to improve the flow of patients through the clinic, and to identify points that slow this process -- so-called bottlenecks. Nonessential activities are shifted away from bottlenecks (i.e. the physician), and extra work capacity is generated from existing resources, rather than being added. The additional work capacity facilitates a more efficient response to variability, which in turn results in cost savings, more time for the physician to interact with patients, and faster completion of patient visits. Finally, application of the lean management principle of 'just-in-time' management can eliminate excess clinic inventory, better synchronize office supply with patient demand, and reduce costs.

Hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa: the current status and recommendations for achieving elimination by 2030.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonderup, Mark W; Afihene, Mary; Ally, Reidwaan; Apica, Betty; Awuku, Yaw; Cunha, Lina; Dusheiko, Geoffrey; Gogela, Neliswa; Lohouès-Kouacou, Marie-Jeanne; Lam, Phillip; Lesi, Olufunmilayo; Mbaye, Papa Saliou; Musabeyezu, Emmanuel; Musau, Betty; Ojo, Olesegun; Rwegasha, John; Scholz, Barbara; Shewaye, Abate B; Tzeuton, Christian; Kassianides, Chris; Spearman, C Wendy

2017-12-01

In 2016, WHO adopted a strategy for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. Africa, and more specifically, sub-Saharan Africa, carries a substantial portion of the global burden of viral hepatitis, especially chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections. The task that lies ahead for sub-Saharan Africa to achieve elimination is substantial, but not insurmountable. Major developments in the management of hepatitis C have put elimination within reach, but several difficulties will need to be navigated on the path to elimination. Many of the challenges faced are unique to sub-Saharan Africa and the development of strategies is complicated by a scarcity of good data from countries and regions within sub-Saharan Africa. However, this hindrance should not act as a barrier to delay interventions in screening, detection, and linkage to care. Moreover, by sharing experiences from across sub-Saharan Africa, countries can create supranational synergies to develop their programmes and work together in a more cohesive manner to tackle the burden of hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa. In this Series paper, several issues related to hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa are addressed, including prevalence, risk factors, and fibrosis assessment, and recommendations are given by experts from across the region. Simplified diagnostic algorithms and treatment regimens for both HIV co-infected and hepatitis C mono-infected patients are suggested. The recommendations are consensus based and provided to guide the development of programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Political will and appropriate funding will be required to provide impetus to implement these recommendations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transnational television audiences and modes of engagement: studying audience engagement as a set of experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keinonen, Heidi; Jensen, Pia Majbritt; Esser, Andrea

2018-01-01

Audience engagement is attracting increasing attention in various academic disciplines. Recently, the industry- and technology-oriented conceptualizations of engagement have been challenged by a more audience-oriented understanding. This article aims at contributing to the development of a more...... nuanced audience-oriented approach. First, we make a theoretical argument by bringing various key theories together and, second, we present an empirical contribution by analysing audience engagement as a set of experiences. Our analysis builds on the empirical material produced by conducting two rounds...... and ritualistic engagement, ludic engagement. We also discovered that audiences at times get disengaged or opt to actively resist engagement....

Food allergy diagnosis in patients with elimination diet history. Preliminary report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elsy Maureen Navarrete-Rodríguez

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Food allergy diagnosis is performed by a double blind placebo controlled challenge; however, in a lot of patients, it is only based on clinical history, skin prick tests, or parents’ perception. There is a high frequency of elimination diets without an adequate approach. Objective: To analyze the results of diagnostic tests in a group of children with elimination diet-based on suspected food allergy and verify such studies with double blind placebo-controlled test challenge. Material and method: An observational, analytical and prospective study was done in a group of patients with elimination diet for suspected food allergy. We performed prick test, Prick-to-Prick test and patch test and the positive ones were verified by double-blind placebo-controlled challenge. Results: Fourty-three patients were included within a total of 1,935 tests. Both approach for immediate and late sensitivity had not statistically significant relationship between a positive test and the elimination of food. Until now, we had 4 (8% positive challenges out of 50. Conclusion: The frequency of allergy proved by double-blind placebo-controlled test in 50 challenges was of 8% (4/50, thus, in the preliminary report we found a high frequency of elimination diets without adequate support. It is very important that food allergy diagnosis is accurate and based on an appropriate approach; since the implementation of an elimination diet in pediatric population can have a negative influence on their growth and development.

In situ measured elimination of Vibrio cholerae from brackish water.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, María Elena Martínez; Macek, Miroslav; Galván, María Teresa Castro

2004-01-01

In situ elimination of fluorescently labelled Vibrio cholerae (FLB) was measured in two saline water bodies in Mexico: in a brackish water lagoon, Mecoacán (Gulf of Mexico; State of Tabasco) and an athalassohaline lake, Alchichica (State of Puebla). Disappearance rates of fluorescently labelled V. cholera O1 showed that they were eliminated from the environment at an average rate of 32% and 63%/day, respectively (based on the bacterial standing stocks). The indirect immunofluorescence method confirmed the presence of V. cholerae O1 in the lagoon. However, the elimination of FLB was not directly related either to the presence or absence of the bacterium in the water body or to the phytoplankton concentration.

Criteria for eliminating items of a Test of Figural Analogies

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Diego Blum

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the steps taken to eliminate two of the items in a Test of Figural Analogies (TFA. The main guidelines of psychometric analysis concerning Classical Test Theory (CTT and Item Response Theory (IRT are explained. The item elimination process was based on both the study of the CTT difficulty and discrimination index, and the unidimensionality analysis. The a, b, and c parameters of the Three Parameter Logistic Model of IRT were also considered for this purpose, as well as the assessment of each item fitting this model. The unfavourable characteristics of a group of TFA items are detailed, and decisions leading to their possible elimination are discussed.

Multiview point clouds denoising based on interference elimination

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yang; Wu, Qian; Wang, Le; Jiang, Huanyu

2018-03-01

Newly emerging low-cost depth sensors offer huge potentials for three-dimensional (3-D) modeling, but existing high noise restricts these sensors from obtaining accurate results. Thus, we proposed a method for denoising registered multiview point clouds with high noise to solve that problem. The proposed method is aimed at fully using redundant information to eliminate the interferences among point clouds of different views based on an iterative procedure. In each iteration, noisy points are either deleted or moved to their weighted average targets in accordance with two cases. Simulated data and practical data captured by a Kinect v2 sensor were tested in experiments qualitatively and quantitatively. Results showed that the proposed method can effectively reduce noise and recover local features from highly noisy multiview point clouds with good robustness, compared to truncated signed distance function and moving least squares (MLS). Moreover, the resulting low-noise point clouds can be further smoothed by the MLS to achieve improved results. This study provides the feasibility of obtaining fine 3-D models with high-noise devices, especially for depth sensors, such as Kinect.

The architecture and effect of participation: a systematic review of community participation for communicable disease control and elimination. Implications for malaria elimination

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Whittaker Maxine

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Community engagement and participation has played a critical role in successful disease control and elimination campaigns in many countries. Despite this, its benefits for malaria control and elimination are yet to be fully realized. This may be due to a limited understanding of the influences on participation in developing countries as well as inadequate investment in infrastructure and resources to support sustainable community participation. This paper reports the findings of an atypical systematic review of 60 years of literature in order to arrive at a more comprehensive awareness of the constructs of participation for communicable disease control and elimination and provide guidance for the current malaria elimination campaign. Methods Evidence derived from quantitative research was considered both independently and collectively with qualitative research papers and case reports. All papers included in the review were systematically coded using a pre-determined qualitative coding matrix that identified influences on community participation at the individual, household, community and government/civil society levels. Colour coding was also carried out to reflect the key primary health care period in which community participation programmes originated. These processes allowed exhaustive content analysis and synthesis of data in an attempt to realize conceptual development beyond that able to be achieved by individual empirical studies or case reports. Results Of the 60 papers meeting the selection criteria, only four studies attempted to determine the effect of community participation on disease transmission. Due to inherent differences in their design, interventions and outcome measures, results could not be compared. However, these studies showed statistically significant reductions in disease incidence or prevalence using various forms of community participation. The use of locally selected volunteers provided with

Nurses' experiences providing palliative care to individuals living in rural communities: aspects of the physical residential setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaasalainen, S; Brazil, K; Williams, A; Wilson, D; Willison, K; Marshall, D; Taniguchi, A; Phillips, C

2014-01-01

Efforts are needed to improve palliative care in rural communities, given the unique characteristics and inherent challenges with respect to working within the physical aspects of residential settings. Nurses who work in rural communities play a key role in the delivery of palliative care services. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experiences of providing palliative care in rural communities, with a particular focus on the impact of the physical residential setting. This study was grounded in a qualitative approach utilizing an exploratory descriptive design. Individual telephone interviews were conducted with 21 community nurses. Data were analyzed by thematic content analysis. Nurses described the characteristics of working in a rural community and how it influences their perception of their role, highlighting the strong sense of community that exists but how system changes over the past decade have changed the way they provide care. They also described the key role that they play, which was often termed a 'jack of all trades', but focused on providing emotional, physical, and spiritual care while trying to manage many challenges related to transitioning and working with other healthcare providers. Finally, nurses described how the challenges of working within the physical constraints of a rural residential setting impeded their care provision to clients who are dying in the community, specifically related to the long distances that they travel while dealing with bad weather. These study findings contribute to our understanding of the experiences of nurses working in rural communities in terms of the provision of palliative care and the influence of the physical residential setting that surrounds them. These findings are important since nurses play a major role in caring for community-dwelling clients who are dying, but they are confronted with many obstacles. As such, these results may help inform future decisions about how to best improve

Lacunarity Elimination in the Translation of Nonequivalent Juridical Terms

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Vladimir A. Lazarev

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the article the authors refer to the problem of lacunarity elimination in legal texts reflecting national specific features in the legal sphere. Various ways of filling gaps when translating from English into Russian are suggested using legal-dogmatic theoretical texts as an example. Different variants of the lacunae elimination are proposed, which take into account the peculiarities of this type of text and can assist in the work of a legal translator.

Elimination of heavy metals from leachates by membrane electrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, R. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Siedlungs- und Industriewasserwirtschaft, Mommsenstrasse 13, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Seidel, H. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Bioremediation, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Rahner, D. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Physikalische Chemie und Eektrochemie, Mommsenstrasse 13, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Morgenstern, P. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Analytik, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Loeser, C. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Lebensmittel- und Bioverfahrenstechnik, Bergstrasse 120, D-01062 Dresden (Germany)

2004-10-01

The elimination of heavy metals from bioleaching process waters (leachates) by electrolysis was studied in the anode and cathode region of a membrane electrolysis cell at current densities of 5-20 mA/cm{sup 2} using various electrode materials. The leaching waters containing a wide range of dissolved heavy metals, were high in sulfate, and had pH values of approx. 3. In preliminary tests using a rotating disc electrode the current density-potential curve (CPK) was recorded at a rotation velocity of 0, 1000 and 2000 rpm and a scan rate of 10 mV/s in order to collect information on the influence of transport processes on the electrochemical processes taking place at the electrodes. The electrochemical deposition-dissolution processes at the cathode are strongly dependent on the hydrodynamics. Detailed examination of the anodic oxidation of dissolved Mn(II) indicated that the manganese dioxide which formed adhered well to the electrode surface but in the cathodic return run it was again reduced. Electrode pairs of high-grade steel, lead and coal as well as material combinations were used to investigate heavy metal elimination in a membrane electrolysis cell. Using high-grade steel, lead and carbon electrode pairs, the reduction and deposition of Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and some Cd in metallic or hydroxide form were observed in an order of 10-40 % in the cathode chamber. The dominant process in the anode chamber was the precipitation of manganese dioxide owing to the oxidation of dissolved Mn(II). Large amounts of heavy metals were co-precipitated by adsorption onto the insoluble MnO{sub 2}. High-grade steel and to some extent lead anodes were dissolved and hence were proven unsuitable as an anode material. These findings were largely confirmed by experiments using combination electrodes of coal and platinized titanium as an anode material and steel as a cathode material.The results indicate that electrochemical metal separation in the membrane electrolysis cell can represent a

Biologic phosphorus elimination - influencing parameters, boundary conditions, process optimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Xiaohu.

1992-01-01

This paper first presents a systematic study of the basic process of biologic phosphorus elimination as employed by the original 'Phoredox (Main Stream) Process'. The conditions governing the process and the factors influencing its performance were determined by trial operation. A stationary model was developed for the purpose of modelling biologic phosphorus elimination in such a main stream process and optimising the dimensioning. The validity of the model was confirmed by operational data given in the literature and by operational data from the authors' own semitechnical-scale experimental plant. The model permits simulation of the values to be expected for effluent phosphorus and phosphate concentrations for given influent data and boundary conditions. It is thus possible to dimension a plant for accomodation of the original Phoredox (Main Stream) Process or any similar phosphorus eliminating plant that is to work according to the principle of the main stream process. (orig./EF) [de

Rayleigh Instability-Assisted Satellite Droplets Elimination in Inkjet Printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiang; Li, Huizeng; Li, Mingzhu; Li, Yanan; Chen, Shuoran; Bao, Bin; Song, Yanlin

2017-11-29

Elimination of satellite droplets in inkjet printing has long been desired for high-resolution and precision printing of functional materials and tissues. Generally, the strategy to suppress satellite droplets is to control ink properties, such as viscosity or surface tension, to assist ink filaments in retracting into one drop. However, this strategy brings new restrictions to the ink, such as ink viscosity, surface tension, and concentration. Here, we report an alternative strategy that the satellite droplets are eliminated by enhancing Rayleigh instability of filament at the break point to accelerate pinch-off of the droplet from the nozzle. A superhydrophobic and ultralow adhesive nozzle with cone morphology exhibits the capability to eliminate satellite droplets by cutting the ink filament at breakup point effectively. As a result, the nozzles with different sizes (10-80 μm) are able to print more inks (1 printing electronics and biotechnologies.

Lessons learned from setting up the NOWESP research data base: Experiences in an interdisciplinary research project

Science.gov (United States)

Radach, Günther; Gekeler, Jens

1996-09-01

Research carried out within the framework of the MAST project NOWESP (North-West European Shelf Programme) was based on a multi-parameter data set of existing marine data, relevant for estimating trends, variability and fluxes on the Northwest European Shelf. The data sets were provided by the partners of the project. Additional data sets were obtained from several other institutions. During the project, the data were organized in the NOWESP Research Data Base (NRDB), for which a special data base scheme was defined that was capable of storing different types of marine data. Data products, like time series and interpolated fields, were provided to the partners for analysis (Radach et al. [1997]). After three years of project time, the feasibility of such an approach is discussed. Ways of optimizing data access and evaluation are proposed. A project-oriented Research Data Base is a useful tool because of its flexibility and proximity to the research being carried out. However, several requirements must be met to derive optimum benefits from this type of service unit. Since this task usually is carried out by a limited number of staff, an early start of project data management is recommended. To enable future projects to succeed in an analogous compilation of relevant data for their use, as performed in NOWESP, the task of organizing the data sets for any short-term project should be shared between a research data base group and a national or international data centre whose experience and software could be used. It must be ensured that only quality controlled data sets from the individual data-produ cing projects are delivered to the national data centres. It is recommended that data quality control should be performed by the originators and/or data centres before delivering any data sets to the research data base. Delivery of the (full) data sets should be checked and their quality should be approved by authorized data centres.

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT): initial experience in a clinical setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skaane, Per; Gullien, Randi; Eben, Ellen B.; Haakenaasen, Unni; Naess Jebsen, Ingvild; Krager, Mona; Bjoerndal, Hilde; Ekseth, Ulrika; Jahr, Gunnar

2012-01-01

Background: Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a promising new technology. Some experimental clinical studies have shown positive results, but the future role and indications of this new technique, whether in a screening or clinical setting, need to be evaluated. Purpose: To compare digital mammography and DBT in a side-by-side feature analysis for cancer conspicuity, and to assess whether there is a potential additional value of DBT to standard state-of-the-art conventional imaging work-up with respect to detection of additional malignancies. Material and Methods: The study had ethics committee approval. A total of 129 women underwent 2D digital mammography including supplementary cone-down and magnification views and breast ultrasonography if indicated, as well as digital breast tomosynthesis. The indication for conventional imaging in the clinical setting included a palpable lump in 30 (23%), abnormal mammographic screening findings in 54 (42%), and surveillance in 45 (35%) of the women. The women were examined according to present guidelines, including spot-magnification views, ultrasonography, and needle biopsies, if indicated. The DBT examinations were interpreted several weeks after the conventional imaging without knowledge of the conventional imaging findings. In a later session, three radiologists performed a side-by-side feature analysis for cancer conspicuity in a sample of 50 cases. Results: State-of-the-art conventional imaging resulted in needle biopsy of 45 breasts, of which 20 lesions were benign and a total of 25 cancers were diagnosed. The remaining 84 women were dismissed with a normal/definitely benign finding and without indication for needle biopsy. The subsequent DBT interpretation found suspicious findings in four of these 84 women, and these four women had to be called back for repeated work-up with knowledge of the tomosynthesis findings. These delayed work-ups resulted in two cancers (increasing the cancer detection by 8%) and two

Experiences and shared meaning of teamwork and interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals in primary health care settings: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangaleti, Carine; Schveitzer, Mariana Cabral; Peduzzi, Marina; Zoboli, Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone; Soares, Cassia Baldini

2017-11-01

During the last decade, teamwork has been addressed under the rationale of interprofessional practice or collaboration, highlighted by the attributes of this practice such as: interdependence of professional actions, focus on user needs, negotiation between professionals, shared decision making, mutual respect and trust among professionals, and acknowledgment of the role and work of the different professional groups. Teamwork and interprofessional collaboration have been pointed out as astrategy for effective organization of health care services as the complexity of healthcare requires integration of knowledge and practices from differente professional groups. This integration has a qualitative dimension that can be identified through the experiences of health professionals and to the meaning they give to teamwork. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the best available evidence on the experiences of health professionals regarding teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in primary health care settings. The populations included were all officially regulated health professionals that work in primary health settings: dentistry, medicine, midwifery, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical education, physiotherapy, psychology, social work and speech therapy. In addition to these professionals, community health workers, nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and other allied health workers were also included. The phenomena of interest were experiences of health professionals regarding teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in primary health care settings. The context was primary health care settings that included health care centers, health maintenance organizations, integrative medicine practices, integrative health care, family practices, primary care organizations and family medical clinics. National health surgery as a setting was excluded. The qualitative component of the review considered studies that

77 FR 65555 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-29

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... tuberculosis. Specifically, the Council makes recommendations regarding policies, strategies, objectives, and... progress has been made toward eliminating tuberculosis. Matters To Be Discussed: Agenda items include the...

Elimination of salmonella from animal glandular products.

Science.gov (United States)

De Fiebre, C W; Burck, K T; Feldman, D

1969-03-01

Methods for the elimination of salmonellae from selected powdered pharmaceuticals of animal glandular origin were studied. Terminal heat treatment under carefully controlled conditions was effective for pancreatin-a powder containing proteolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic enzymes prepared from hog pancreas glands. Use of this method resulted in a significant reduction in the number of salmonella-positive batches and also reduced the testing procedures required to confirm the absence of viable salmonellae among the majority of samples tested. Powders such as stomach substance and thyroid, in which the biological activity is not enzyme in nature, were treated successfully with acidified organic solvents. Other methods were investigated but were not suitable because of a deleterious effect on the biological activity or physical properties of the product or an inability to effect salmonella elimination.

Elimination of Salmonellae from Animal Glandular Products

Science.gov (United States)

De Fiebre, Conrad W.; Burck, Kenneth T.; Feldman, David

1969-01-01

Methods for the elimination of salmonellae from selected powdered pharmaceuticals of animal glandular origin were studied. Terminal heat treatment under carefully controlled conditions was effective for pancreatin—a powder containing proteolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic enzymes prepared from hog pancreas glands. Use of this method resulted in a significant reduction in the number of salmonella-positive batches and also reduced the testing procedures required to confirm the absence of viable salmonellae among the majority of samples tested. Powders such as stomach substance and thyroid, in which the biological activity is not enzyme in nature, were treated successfully with acidified organic solvents. Other methods were investigated but were not suitable because of a deleterious effect on the biological activity or physical properties of the product or an inability to effect salmonella elimination. PMID:5780395

Pharmacokinetics of repeated sodium salicylate administration to laying hens: evidence for time dependent increase in drug elimination from plasma and eggs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Błażej Poźniak

Full Text Available Salicylates were the first non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs to be used in any species and are still widely used in humans and livestock. However, the data on their pharmacokinetics in animals is limited, especially after repeated administration. Evidence exist that in chickens (Gallus gallus salicylate (SA may induce its own elimination. The aim of this study was to investigate salicylate pharmacokinetics and egg residues during repeated administration of sodium salicylate (SS to laying hens. Pharmacokinetics of SA was assessed during 14 d oral administration of SS at daily doses of 50 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight to laying hens. On the 1st, 7th and 14th d a 24 h-long pharmacokinetic study was carried out, whereas eggs were collected daily. Salicylate concentrations in plasma and eggs were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and pharmacokinetic variables were calculated using a non-compartmental model. Mean residence time (MRT, minimal plasma concentration (Cmin, C16h and elimination half-life (T1/2el of SA showed gradual decrease in layers administered with a lower dose. Total body clearance (ClB increased. Layers administered with the higher dose showed a decrease only in the T1/2el. In the low dose group, SA was found only in the egg white and was low throughout the experiment. Egg whites from the higher dose group showed initially high SA levels which significantly decreased during the experiment. Yolk SA levels were lower and showed longer periods of accumulation and elimination. Repeated administration of SS induces SA elimination, although this effect may differ depending on the dose and production type of a chicken. Decreased plasma drug concentration may have clinical implications during prolonged SS treatment.

Conformal anomaly and elimination of infrared divergences in curved spacetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grib, A.A.; Nesteruk, A.V.; Pritomanov, S.A.

1984-01-01

The relation between the problem of eliminating the infrared divergences and the conformal anomaly of the regularized energy-momentum tensor is studied in homogeneous isotropic and anisotropic spacetime. It is shown that elimination of the infrared divergence by means of a cutoff or the introduction of a conformally invariant mass of the field leads to the absence of the conformal anomaly

Natural elimination of volatile halogenated hydrocarbons from the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harress, H.M.; Grathwohl, P.; Torunski, H.

1987-01-01

Recently carried out field investigations of groundwater contaminations with volatile halogenated hydrocarbons have shown evidence of natural elimination of these hazardous substances. This elimination effects is rare and observed in connection with special geological conditions. With regard to some contaminated sites, the following mechanisms for this behaviour are discussed: 1. Stripping by naturally ascending gases. 2. Sorption on soil organic matter. 3. Biodegradation. The so far compiled knowledge allowed to develop further research programmes, which are pursued in various projects.

Expansive learning in the university setting: the case for simulated clinical experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Haigh, Jacquelyn

2007-03-01

This paper argues that simulated practice in the university setting is not just a second best to learning in the clinical area but one which offers the potential for deliberation and deep learning [Eraut, M., 2000. Non-formal learning, implicit learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 113-136]. The context of student learning in an undergraduate midwifery programme is analysed using human activity theory [Engeström, Y., 2001. Expansive learning at work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work, 14, 133-156]. The advantages of this approach to student learning as opposed to situated learning theory and the concept of legitimate peripheral participation [Lave, J., Wenger, E., 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press, New York] are discussed. An activity system changes as a result of contradictions and tensions between what it purports to produce and the views of stakeholders (multi-voicedness) as well as its historical context (Historicity of activity). A focus group with students highlights their expressed need for more simulated practice experience. The views of midwifery lecturers are sought as an alternative voice on this tension in the current programme. Qualitative differences in types of simulated experience are explored and concerns about resources are raised in the analysis. Discussion considers the value of well planned simulations in encouraging the expression of tacit understanding through a group deliberative learning process [Eraut, M., 2000. Non-formal learning, implicit learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 113-136].

Long-term studies in COD elimination and nitrification in an overcongested packed-bed reactor (biofilter); Langzeituntersuchungen zur CSB-Elimination und Nitrifikation in einem ueberstauten Festbettreaktor (Biofilter)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engelhart, M.; Dichtl, N. [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Siedlungswasserwirtschaft

1999-07-01

On a semi-technical scale, two process combinations were tested for their suitability for COD elimination and nitrification in combination with an overcongested packed-bed reactor (biofilter). (orig.) [German] Im halbtechnischen Massstab wurden zwei Verfahrenskombinationen unter Einbeziehung eines ueberstauten Festbettreaktors (Biofilter) auf ihre Tauglichkeit zur CSB-Elimination und Nitrifikation untersucht. (orig.)

Experiences of Work-Life Conflict for the Athletic Trainer Employed Outside the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Clinical Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Pitney, William A.; Eason, Christianne M.

2015-01-01

Context The intercollegiate setting receives much of the scholarly attention related to work-life conflict (WLC). However research has been focused on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. Multiple factors can lead to WLC for the athletic trainer (AT), including hours, travel, and lack of flexibility in work schedules. Objective To investigate the experiences of WLC among ATs working in the non-Division I collegiate setting and to identify factors that contribute to fulfillment of work-life balance in this setting. Design Qualitative study. Setting Institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions II and III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association. Patients or Other Participants A total of 244 ATs (128 women, 114 men; age = 37.5 ± 13.3 years, experience = 14 ± 12 years) completed phase I. Thirteen participants (8 women, 5 men; age = 38 ± 13 years, experience = 13.1 ± 11.4 years) completed phase II. Data Collection and Analysis For phase I, participants completed a previously validated and reliable (Cronbach α > .90) Web-based survey measuring their levels of WLC and work-family conflict (WFC). This phase included 2 WFC scales defining family; scale 1 defined family as having a partner or spouse with or without children, and scale 2 defined family as those individuals, including parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other close relatives, involved in one's life. Phase II consisted of an interview. Qualitative data were evaluated using content analysis. Data source and multiple-analyst triangulation secured credibility. Results The WFC scores were 26.33 ± 7.37 for scale 1 and 20.46 ± 10.14 for scale 2, indicating a moderate level of WFC for scale 1 and a low level of WFC for scale 2. Qualitative analyses revealed that organizational dimensions, such as job demands and staffing issues, can negatively affect WLC, whereas a combination of

Malaria vaccines and their potential role in the elimination of malaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greenwood Brian M

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Research on malaria vaccines is currently directed primarily towards the development of vaccines that prevent clinical malaria. Malaria elimination, now being considered seriously in some epidemiological situations, requires a different vaccine strategy, since success will depend on killing all parasites in the community in order to stop transmission completely. The feature of the life-cycles of human malarias that presents the greatest challenge to an elimination programme is the persistence of parasites as asymptomatic infections. These are an important source from which transmission to mosquitoes can occur. Consequently, an elimination strategy requires a community-based approach covering all individuals and not just those who are susceptible to clinical malaria. The progress that has been made in development of candidate malaria vaccines is reviewed. It is unlikely that many of these will have the efficacy required for complete elimination of parasites, though they may have an important role to play as part of future integrated control programmes. Vaccines for elimination must have a high level of efficacy in order to stop transmission to mosquitoes. This might be achieved with some pre-erythrocytic stage candidate vaccines or by targeting the sexual stages directly with transmission-blocking vaccines. An expanded malaria vaccine programme with such objectives is now a priority.

Taking Centrioles to the Elimination Round.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoborg, Todd A; Rusan, Nasser M

2016-07-11

Two recent papers published in The Journal of Cell Biology (Borrego-Pinto et al., 2016) and Science (Pimenta-Marques et al., 2016) have begun to shed light on the mechanism of centriole elimination during female oogenesis, highlighting a protective role for Polo kinase and the pericentriolar material. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Double elimination voltammetry of short oligonucleotides

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mikelová, R.; Trnková, L.; Jelen, František

2007-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 17 (2007), s. 1807-1814 ISSN 1040-0397 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100040602 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : adsorptive stripping voltammetry * elimination voltammetry * oligodeoxynucleotide Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 2.949, year: 2007

Heat treatment eliminates 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' from infected citrus trees under controlled conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Michele T; Doud, Melissa S; Williams, Lisa; Zhang, Mu-Qing; Ding, Fang; Stover, Ed; Hall, David; Zhang, Shouan; Jones, Lisa; Gooch, Mark; Fleites, Laura; Dixon, Wayne; Gabriel, Dean; Duan, Yong-Ping

2013-01-01

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide. The three known causal agents of HLB are species of α-proteobacteria: 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus', 'Ca. L. africanus', and 'Ca. L. americanus'. Previous studies have found distinct variations in temperature sensitivity and tolerance among these species. Here, we describe the use of controlled heat treatments to cure HLB caused by 'Ca. L. asiaticus', the most prevalent and heat-tolerant species. Using temperature-controlled growth chambers, we evaluated the time duration and temperature required to suppress or eliminate the 'Ca. L. asiaticus' bacterium in citrus, using various temperature treatments for time periods ranging from 2 days to 4 months. Results of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) after treatment illustrate significant decreases in the 'Ca. L. asiaticus' bacterial titer, combined with healthy vigorous growth by all surviving trees. Repeated qPCR testing confirmed that previously infected, heat-treated plants showed no detectable levels of 'Ca. L. asiaticus', while untreated control plants remained highly infected. Continuous thermal exposure to 40 to 42°C for a minimum of 48 h was sufficient to significantly reduce titer or eliminate 'Ca. L. asiaticus' bacteria entirely in HLB-affected citrus seedlings. This method may be useful for the control of 'Ca. Liberibacter'-infected plants in nursery and greenhouse settings.

Experiences of stigma and discrimination in social and healthcare settings among trans people living with HIV in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibbert, M; Wolton, A; Crenna-Jennings, W; Benton, L; Kirwan, P; Lut, I; Okala, S; Ross, M; Furegato, M; Nambiar, K; Douglas, N; Roche, J; Jeffries, J; Reeves, I; Nelson, M; Weerawardhana, C; Jamal, Z; Hudson, A; Delpech, V

2018-07-01

The People Living with HIV StigmaSurvey UK 2015 was a community led national survey investigating experiences of people living with HIV in the UK in the past 12 months. Participants aged 18 and over were recruited through over 120 cross-sector community organisations and 46 HIV clinics to complete an anonymous online survey. Trans is an umbrella term which refers to individuals whose current gender identity is different to the gender they were assigned at birth. Trans participants self-identified via gender identity and gender at birth questions. Descriptive analyses of reported experiences in social and health care settings were conducted and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify sociodemographic predictors of reporting being treated differently to non-HIV patients, and being delayed or refused healthcare treatment in the past 12 months. 31 out of 1576 participants (2%) identified as trans (19 trans women, 5 trans men, 2 gender queer/non-binary, 5 other). High levels of social stigma were reported for all participants, with trans participants significantly more likely to report worrying about verbal harassment (39% vs. 23%), and exclusion from family gatherings (23% vs. 9%) in the last 12 months, compared to cisgender participants. Furthermore, 10% of trans participants reported physical assault in the last 12 months, compared to 4% of cisgender participants. Identifying as trans was a predictor of reporting being treated differently to non-HIV patients (48% vs. 30%; aOR 2.61, CI 1.06, 6.42) and being delayed or refused healthcare (41% vs. 16%; aOR 4.58, CI 1.83, 11.44). Trans people living with HIV in the UK experience high levels of stigma and discrimination, including within healthcare settings, which is likely to impact upon health outcomes. Trans-specific education and awareness within healthcare settings could help to improve service provision for this demographic.

Modelling the elimination of river blindness using long-term epidemiological and programmatic data from Mali and Senegal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Walker

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The onchocerciasis transmission models EPIONCHO and ONCHOSIM have been independently developed and used to explore the feasibility of eliminating onchocerciasis from Africa with mass (annual or biannual distribution of ivermectin within the timeframes proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO and endorsed by the 2012 London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (i.e. by 2020/2025. Based on the findings of our previous model comparison, we implemented technical refinements and tested the projections of EPIONCHO and ONCHOSIM against long-term epidemiological data from two West African transmission foci in Mali and Senegal where the observed prevalence of infection was brought to zero circa 2007–2009 after 15–17 years of mass ivermectin treatment. We simulated these interventions using programmatic information on the frequency and coverage of mass treatments and trained the model projections using longitudinal parasitological data from 27 communities, evaluating the projected outcome of elimination (local parasite extinction or resurgence. We found that EPIONCHO and ONCHOSIM captured adequately the epidemiological trends during mass treatment but that resurgence, while never predicted by ONCHOSIM, was predicted by EPIONCHO in some communities with the highest (inferred vector biting rates and associated pre-intervention endemicities. Resurgence can be extremely protracted such that low (microfilarial prevalence between 1% and 5% can be maintained for 3–5 years before manifesting more prominently. We highlight that post-treatment and post-elimination surveillance protocols must be implemented for long enough and with high enough sensitivity to detect possible residual latent infections potentially indicative of resurgence. We also discuss uncertainty and differences between EPIONCHO and ONCHOSIM projections, the potential importance of vector control in high-transmission settings as a complementary intervention strategy, and the

Investigating the experience of outdoor and adventurous project work in an educational setting using a self-determination framework

OpenAIRE

Sproule, J.; Martindale, R.; Wang, J.; Allison, P.; Nash, C.; Gray, S.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to carry out a preliminary investigation to explore the use ofoutdoor and adventurous project work (PW) within an educational setting. Specifically, differencesbetween the PW and normal academic school experiences were examined using a selfdeterminationtheory framework integrated with a goal orientation and psychological skills perspective.Additionally, an exploratory investigation was carried out to examine the extent to which key motivation constructs predicted...

78 FR 66936 - Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-07

... Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal... Health, and the Director, CDC, regarding the elimination of tuberculosis. Specifically, the Council makes... tuberculosis. Matters To Be Discussed: Agenda items include the following topics: (1) ACET Chair's report to...

Goal Setting as Teacher Development Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Heather

2017-01-01

This article explores goal setting as a teacher development practice in higher education. It reports on a study of college teacher goal setting informed by goal setting theory. Analysis of study participants' goal setting practices and their experiences with goal pursuit offers a framework for thinking about the kinds of goals teachers might set…

Use of gamma radiation to eliminate fungi from wood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitag, C.M.; Morrell, J.J.

1998-01-01

The use of gamma irradiation for eliminating pests from imported wood products was investigated, using ponderosa pine blocks colonized by Aspergillus niger, Ophiostoma piceae, O. perfectum, Penicillium spp., Phlebia subserialis, or Postia placenta. While previous studies suggest that a dosage of 2.5 Mrads is required to eliminate fungi from wood, only one isolation was made from wafers exposed to 1.5 Mrad. This suggests that lower dosages may be adequate for mitigating pests in wood, although further studies using other fungi are recommended

Last-position elimination-based learning automata.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junqi; Wang, Cheng; Zhou, MengChu

2014-12-01

An update scheme of the state probability vector of actions is critical for learning automata (LA). The most popular is the pursuit scheme that pursues the estimated optimal action and penalizes others. This paper proposes a reverse philosophy that leads to last-position elimination-based learning automata (LELA). The action graded last in terms of the estimated performance is penalized by decreasing its state probability and is eliminated when its state probability becomes zero. All active actions, that is, actions with nonzero state probability, equally share the penalized state probability from the last-position action at each iteration. The proposed LELA is characterized by the relaxed convergence condition for the optimal action, the accelerated step size of the state probability update scheme for the estimated optimal action, and the enriched sampling for the estimated nonoptimal actions. The proof of the ϵ-optimal property for the proposed algorithm is presented. Last-position elimination is a widespread philosophy in the real world and has proved to be also helpful for the update scheme of the learning automaton via the simulations of well-known benchmark environments. In the simulations, two versions of the LELA, using different selection strategies of the last action, are compared with the classical pursuit algorithms Discretized Pursuit Reward-Inaction (DP(RI)) and Discretized Generalized Pursuit Algorithm (DGPA). Simulation results show that the proposed schemes achieve significantly faster convergence and higher accuracy than the classical ones. Specifically, the proposed schemes reduce the interval to find the best parameter for a specific environment in the classical pursuit algorithms. Thus, they can have their parameter tuning easier to perform and can save much more time when applied to a practical case. Furthermore, the convergence curves and the corresponding variance coefficient curves of the contenders are illustrated to characterize their

A balancing act: a phenomenological exploration of medical students' experiences of using mobile devices in the clinical setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid-Doubell, F; Mohamed, S; Elmusharaf, K; O'Neill, C S

2016-05-03

The aims of this study were to describe the experiences of senior students using mobile devices in a clinical setting while learning and interacting with clinical teachers, patients and each other, and to identify challenges that facilitated or impeded the use of such devices in the hospital. Interpretative phenomenology was chosen to guide our enquiry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the experiences of five senior medical students using mobile devices in the clinical setting. Senior medical students at an international medical school in the Middle East. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: learning; professional identity and transitioning from student to doctor. The findings showed that using mobile devices in the clinical area as a learning tool was not a formalised process. Rather, it was opportunistic learning at the bedside and on occasion a source of distraction from clinical teaching. Students needed to negotiate relationships between themselves, the clinical teacher and patients in order to ensure that they maintained an acceptable professional image. Participants experienced and negotiated the change from student to doctor making them mindful of using their devices at the bedside. Mobile devices are part of daily life for a medical student and there is a need to adapt medical education in the clinical setting, to allow the students to use their devices in a sensitive manner. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Analysis of Implementation The Policy on Malaria Elimination in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Betty Roosihermiatie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: As a tropic country Indonesia still faces malaria problems. In Asean, indonesia is one of three countries with the highest malaria morbidity. In 2007, 396 (80% of 495 districts/municipalities in indonesia are malaria. In 2009 the government issued a decree of the minister of health No 293 on malaria elimination. The study aimed to analyze the implementation decree of Ministry of Health No. 293/2009 on malaria elimination. Methods: It was a descriptive study. The study was conducted in 4 provinces, and 4 districts based on malaria elimination stages as in Bali province and Karangasem district, Riau islands province and Bintan district, West Nusa Tenggara province and west Lombok district, and Maluku province and South Halmahera district. The stakeholders were Heads and malaria programmers at province/district Health Offices and the related programs. Data were collected by focus group discussion and secondary data were taken. Data were collected by focus group discussion and secondary data. Analysis for Ministry of Health decree No.293 year 2009 on 1 Comphrehend, 2 Implementation, and, 3 Comittment, 4 Innovation intervension to support malaria elimination, 5 Sustainability of activity community empowerment, 6 Proportion of budget. Results: showed there was district that had not issued local policy on malaria elimination, the implementation with comittment especially that health centers in areas under study corfi rm diagnose by laboratory examination and malaria treatment by Artemisin Combined Therapy (ACT, although there were still treatment to clinical malaria, innovation activities were of bersifat local spesifi c, and reward for Juru Malaria Desa or malaria cadre to increase malaria suspect case detection, and with district budget for malaria program ranged 0,95-5,6% of the total budget. Recomendations: It suggested to advocate all malaria endemic areas to issue local policy on malaria elimination, decide intervension of the

Eliminative behaviour of dairy cows at pasture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whistance, Lindsay Kay; Sinclair, Liam A.; Arney, David Richard

2011-01-01

Walking whilst defaecating was most likely to occur when cows were simultaneously engaged in an ‘active’ state, such as going to drink or catching up with the herd. Overall, standing to defaecate and moving forward...... behaviour of 40 Holstein-Friesian cows was observed at pasture for6 heach day between morning and afternoon milking for a total of24 h. Lying (l), standing (s) and walking (w) behaviours were recorded pre, during and post-elimination. Sequences of 3–6 changes in these behaviours were recorded if expressed...... within 30 s of an eliminative event. Intentional, incidental or no avoidance of faeces was also recorded for each event. Activity, characterised as static (lying, grazing or loafing), or active (moving to a different area of field, going to drink and catching up with herd) was also recorded. Of the 437...

Women's toileting behaviour related to urinary elimination: concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kefang; Palmer, Mary H

2010-08-01

This paper is a report of analysis of the concept of women's toileting behaviour related to urinary elimination. Behaviours related to emptying urine from the bladder can contribute to bladder health problems. Evidence exists that clinical interventions focusing on specific behaviours that promote urine storage and controlled emptying are effective in reducing lower urinary tract symptoms. The concept of women's toileting behaviour related to urinary elimination has not been well-developed to guide nursing research and intervention. The CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo and ISI Citation databases were searched for publications between January, 1960 and May, 2009, using combinations of keywords related to women's toileting behaviour. Additional publications were identified by examining the reference lists in the papers identified. Johnson's behavioural system model provided the conceptual framework to identify the concept. Walker and Avant's method was used for this concept analysis. Women's toileting behaviour related to urinary elimination can be defined as voluntary actions related to the physiological event of emptying the bladder, which is comprised of specific attributes including voiding place, voiding time, voiding position and voiding style. This behaviour is also influenced by the physical and social environments. An explicit definition of women's toileting behaviour can offer a basis for nurses to understand the factors involved in women's toileting behaviour. It also facilitates the development of an instrument to assess women's toileting behaviour better, and to facilitate development of behavioural interventions designed to prevent, eliminate, reduce and manage female lower urinary tract symptoms.

Technique to eliminate helium induced weld cracking in stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin-An Wang; Chin, B.A.

1992-01-01

Experiments have shown that Type 316 stainless steel is susceptible to heat-affected-zone (HAZ) cracking upon cooling when welded using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) process under lateral constraint. The cracking has been hypothesized to be caused by stress-assisted helium bubble growth and rupture at grain boundaries. This study utilized an experimental welding setup which enabled different compressive stresses to be applied to the plates during welding. Autogenous GTA welds were produced in Type 316 stainless steel doped with 256 appm helium. The application of a compressive stress, 55 Mpa, during welding suppressed the previously observed catastrophic cracking. Detailed examinations conducted after welding showed a dramatic change in helium bubble morphology. Grain boundary bubble growth along directions parallel to the weld was suppressed. Results suggest that stress-modified welding techniques may be used to suppress or eliminate helium-induced cracking during joining of irradiated materials

Laboratory diagnostics in dog-mediated rabies: an overview of performance and a proposed strategy for various settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Veasna; Tarantola, Arnaud; Ong, Sivuth; Mey, Channa; Choeung, Rithy; Ly, Sowath; Bourhy, Hervé; Dussart, Philippe; Buchy, Philippe

2016-05-01

The diagnosis of dog-mediated rabies in humans and animals has greatly benefited from technical advances in the laboratory setting. Approaches to diagnosis now include the detection of rabies virus (RABV), RABV RNA, or RABV antigens. These assays are important tools in the current efforts aimed at the global elimination of dog-mediated rabies. The assays available for use in laboratories are reviewed herein, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, which vary with the types of sample analyzed. Depending on the setting, however, the public health objectives and use of RABV diagnosis in the field will also vary. In non-endemic settings, the detection of all introduced or emergent animal or human cases justifies exhaustive testing. In dog RABV-endemic settings, such as rural areas of developing countries where most cases occur, the availability of or access to testing may be severely constrained. Thus, these issues are also discussed along with a proposed strategy to prioritize testing while access to rabies testing in the resource-poor, highly endemic setting is improved. As the epidemiological situation of rabies in a country evolves, the strategy should shift from that of an endemic setting to one more suitable for a decreased rabies incidence following the implementation of efficient control measures and when nearing the target of dog-mediated rabies elimination. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Determination of separation efficiency in wire mesh mist eliminator by CFD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Shengqiang; Zhen Ni; Mu Xingsen

2014-01-01

On the assumption of the staggered array model, a numerical simulation of the vapor flow field in wire mesh mist eliminator along with the mechanism for droplet capture due to inertial impaction is presented in this paper. The efficiency of a single wire in the eliminator is computed in order that the efficiency of wire mesh mist eliminator can be calculated. The obtained efficiency is found to be within a reasonable agreement with the published literature data. The effect of wire diameter, pad thickness, packing fraction on the separation efficiency and the relation between Stk and the efficiency of a single wire is investigated. (authors)

Feasibility and roadmap analysis for malaria elimination in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiao-Nong; Xia, Zhi-Gui; Wang, Ru-Bo; Qian, Ying-Jun; Zhou, Shui-Sen; Utzinger, Jürg; Tanner, Marcel; Kramer, Randall; Yang, Wei-Zhong

2014-01-01

To understand the current status of the malaria control programme at the county level in accordance with the criteria of the World Health Organisation, the gaps and feasibility of malaria elimination at the county and national levels were analysed based on three kinds of indicators: transmission capacity, capacity of the professional team, and the intensity of intervention. Finally, a roadmap for national malaria elimination in the People's Republic of China is proposed based on the results of a feasibility assessment at the national level. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experiences from occupational exposure limits set on aerosols containing allergenic proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Gunnar; Larsen, Søren; Hansen, Jitka S

2012-01-01

Occupational exposure limits (OELs) together with determined airborne exposures are used in risk assessment based managements of occupational exposures to prevent occupational diseases. In most countries, OELs have only been set for few protein-containing aerosols causing IgE-mediated allergies. ...... is available for setting OELs for proteins and protein-containing aerosols where the critical effect is IgE sensitization and IgE-mediated airway diseases.......Occupational exposure limits (OELs) together with determined airborne exposures are used in risk assessment based managements of occupational exposures to prevent occupational diseases. In most countries, OELs have only been set for few protein-containing aerosols causing IgE-mediated allergies...... for setting OELs. Our aim is to analyse prerequisites for setting OELs for the allergenic protein-containing aerosols. Opposite to the key effect of toxicological reactions, two thresholds, one for the sensitization phase and one for elicitation of IgE-mediated symptoms in sensitized individuals, are used...

HNCA-TOCSY-CANH experiments with alternate 13C-12C labeling: a set of 3D experiment with unique supra-sequential information for mainchain resonance assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Koh; Gal, Maayan; Takahashi, Hideo; Shimada, Ichio; Wagner, Gerhard

2011-01-01

Described here is a set of three-dimensional (3D) NMR experiments that rely on CACA-TOCSY magnetization transfer via the weak 3 J(C α C α ) coupling. These pulse sequences, which resemble recently described 13 C detected CACA-TOCSY (Takeuchi et al. 2010) experiments, are recorded in 1 H 2 O, and use 1 H excitation and detection. These experiments require alternate 13 C- 12 C labeling together with perdeuteration, which allows utilizing the small 3 J(C α C α ) scalar coupling that is otherwise masked by the stronger 1 J CC couplings in uniformly 13 C labeled samples. These new experiments provide a unique assignment ladder-mark that yields bidirectional supra-sequential information and can readily straddle proline residues. Unlike the conventional HNCA experiment, which contains only sequential information to the 13 (C α ) of the preceding residue, the 3D hnCA-TOCSY-caNH experiment can yield sequential correlations to alpha carbons in positions i−1, i + 1 and i−2. Furthermore, the 3D hNca-TOCSY-caNH and Hnca-TOCSY-caNH experiments, which share the same magnetization pathway but use a different chemical shift encoding, directly couple the 15 N- 1 H spin pair of residue i to adjacent amide protons and nitrogens at positions i−2, i−1, i + 1 and i + 2, respectively. These new experimental features make protein backbone assignments more robust by reducing the degeneracy problem associated with the conventional 3D NMR experiments.

Identifying conditions for elimination and epidemic potential of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in nursing homes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataliya G. Batina

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Residents of nursing homes are commonly colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA but there is a limited understanding of the dynamics and determinants of spread in this setting. To address this gap, we sought to use mathematical modeling to assess the epidemic potential of MRSA in nursing homes and to determine conditions under which non-USA300 and USA300 MRSA could be eliminated or reduced in the facilities. Methods Model parameters were estimated from data generated during a longitudinal study of MRSA in 6 Wisconsin nursing homes. The data included subject colonization status with strain-specific MRSA collected every 3 months for up to 1 year. Deterministic and stochastic co-colonization and single-strain models were developed to describe strain-specific dynamics of MRSA in these facilities. Basic reproduction numbers of strain-independent MRSA, non-USA300 and USA300 MRSA were estimated numerically. The impact of antibiotic use in the past 3 months on the prevalence of strain-specific MRSA and associated basic reproduction numbers were evaluated. Results Our models predicted that MRSA would persist in Wisconsin nursing homes, and non-USA300 would remain the dominant circulating strain. MRSA eradication was theoretically achievable by elimination of MRSA-positive admissions over the course of years. Substantial reductions in MRSA prevalence could be attained through marked increase in clearance rates or reduction in MRSA-positive admissions sustained over years. The basic reproduction number of strain-independent MRSA was 0.18 (95 % CI = 0.13–0.23. Recent antibiotic use increased the prevalence of strain-specific MRSA and associated basic reproduction numbers, but was unlikely to lead to an outbreak. Conclusions Based on our model, MRSA elimination from nursing homes, while theoretically possible, was unlikely to be achieved in practice. Decolonization therapy that can sustain higher

A cultural setting where the other-race effect on face recognition has no social-motivational component and derives entirely from lifetime perceptual experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Lulu; Crookes, Kate; Reynolds, Katherine J; Irons, Jessica L; McKone, Elinor

2015-11-01

Competing approaches to the other-race effect (ORE) see its primary cause as either a lack of motivation to individuate social outgroup members, or a lack of perceptual experience with other-race faces. Here, we argue that the evidence supporting the social-motivational approach derives from a particular cultural setting: a high socio-economic status group (typically US Whites) looking at the faces of a lower status group (US Blacks) with whom observers typically have at least moderate perceptual experience. In contrast, we test motivation-to-individuate instructions across five studies covering an extremely wide range of perceptual experience, in a cultural setting of more equal socio-economic status, namely Asian and Caucasian participants (N = 480) tested on Asian and Caucasian faces. We find no social-motivational component at all to the ORE, specifically: no reduction in the ORE with motivation instructions, including for novel images of the faces, and at all experience levels; no increase in correlation between own- and other-race face recognition, implying no increase in shared processes; and greater (not the predicted less) effort applied to distinguishing other-race faces than own-race faces under normal ("no instructions") conditions. Instead, the ORE was predicted by level of contact with the other-race. Our results reject both pure social-motivational theories and also the recent Categorization-Individuation model of Hugenberg, Young, Bernstein, and Sacco (2010). We propose a new dual-route approach to the ORE, in which there are two causes of the ORE-lack of motivation, and lack of experience--that contribute differently across varying world locations and cultural settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elimination diets in the management of eosinophilic esophagitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wechsler, Joshua B; Schwartz, Sally; Amsden, Katie; Kagalwalla, Amir F

2014-01-01

Eosinophilic esophagitis, an increasingly recognized chronic inflammatory disorder isolated to the esophagus, is triggered by an abnormal allergic response to dietary antigens. Current treatment includes swallowed topical steroids and dietary modification, which aim to resolve symptoms and prevent long-term complications such as formation of strictures. The dietary approach has become more widely accepted because long-term steroid therapy is associated with potential risks. Dietary treatment includes elemental and elimination diets. An exclusive elemental diet, which requires replacement of all intact protein with amino acid-based formula, offers the best response of all available therapies, with remission in up to 96% of subjects proving it to be superior to all other available therapies including topical steroids. However, compliance with this approach is challenging because of poor taste and monotony. The high cost of formula and the associated psychosocial problems are additional drawbacks of this approach. Empiric and allergy test-directed elimination diets have gained popularity given that elimination of a limited number of foods is much easier and as such is more readily acceptable. There is a growing body of literature supporting this type of therapy in both children and adults. This paper reviews the evidence for all types of dietary therapy in eosinophilic esophagitis.

Elimination behavior of shelter dogs housed in double compartment kennels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denae Wagner

Full Text Available For animals in confinement housing the housing structure has tremendous potential to impact well being. Dogs in animal shelters are often housed in one of two types of confinement housing - single kennels and rooms or double compartment kennels and rooms most often separated by a guillotine door. This study examines the effect of housing on the location of elimination behavior in dogs housed in double compartment kennels were the majority of the dogs were walked daily. One side of the kennel contained the food, water and bed and the other side was empty and available except during cleaning time. Location of urination and defecation was observed daily for 579 dogs housed in indoor double compartment kennels for a total of 4440 days of observation. There were 1856 days (41.9% when no elimination was noted in the kennel. Feces, urine or both were observed in the kennel on 2584 days (58.1%. When elimination occurred in the kennel the probability of fecal elimination on the opposite side of the bed/food/water was 72.5% (95% CI 69.05% to 75.69%. The probability of urination on the opposite side of the bed/food/water was 77.4% (95% CI 74.33% to 80.07%. This study demonstrates the strong preference of dogs to eliminate away from the area where they eat, drink and sleep. Double compartment housing not only allows this - it allows staff the ability to provide safe, efficient, humane daily care and confers the added benefits of reducing risks for disease transmission for the individual dog as well as the population.

Effect of two mobilizing agents on the elimination of 147Pm from rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Kunyuan; Gao Xianhua; Lao Qinhua

1984-01-01

A study was performed to determine the effect of two new mobilizing agents: N,N-bis-carboxymethyl amino acetylcysteine and hyaluronidase on the elimination of intracheally-injected 147 Pm from rats. The results showed that both the two agents could promote the elimination of 147 Pm from rats and decrease the body retention of rats. The former agent is much more effective in elimination than the other

Eliminating Problems Caused by Multicollinearity: A Warning.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Peter E.

1982-01-01

Explains why an econometric practice introduced by J.C. Soper cannot eliminate the problems caused by multicollinearity. The author suggests that it can be a useful technique in that it forces researchers to pay more attention to the specifications of their models. (AM)

Procedural-support music therapy in the healthcare setting: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

DeLoach Walworth, Darcy

2005-08-01

This comparative analysis examined the cost-effectiveness of music therapy as a procedural support in the pediatric healthcare setting. Many healthcare organizations are actively attempting to reduce the amount of sedation for pediatric patients undergoing various procedures. Patients receiving music therapy-assisted computerized tomography scans ( n = 57), echocardiograms ( n = 92), and other procedures ( n = 17) were included in the analysis. Results of music therapy-assisted procedures indicate successful elimination of patient sedation, reduction in procedural times, and decrease in the number of staff members present for procedures. Implications for nurses and music therapists in the healthcare setting are discussed.

A method to eliminate the effect of protein binding on GFR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabakaran, K.; Fernandes, V.; Nour, R.

1998-01-01

Full text: Plasma clearance of 99m Tc-DTPA is a standard method for GFR assessment. Protein binding (PB) of 99m Tc-DTPA is thought to affect the accuracy of the GFR measurement. Therefore, eliminating PB portion would improve the accuracy of this measurement. Methods to eliminate PB are usually complex, but a simple Amicon micropartition system has been proposed to eliminate the PB effect. This study is aimed to assess if this simple method effectively excluded the PB fraction and improved the accuracy of the GFR measurement. Therefore, eliminating PB portion would improve the accuracy of this measurement. Methods to eliminate PB are usually complex, but a simple Amicon micropartition system separates free 99m Tc-DTPA from the PB fraction after a 10 min centrifugation of patient plasma. The ultrafiltrate obtained is totally free of PB 99m Tc-DTPA. 20 consecutive patients had GFRs performed using the two sample method with blood drawn at 60 and 150 min. All samples had an Ultrafiltrate 99m Tc-DTPA and normal plasma 99m Tc-DTPA. The GFRs were calculated from both samples. The findings showed a mean PB of 6.5 + 3.9% and 13 + 5.0% at 60 min and 150 min respectively for our DTPA. The mean GFR from normal plasma 85.7 + 26.4 mL/min and from ultrafiltrate = 97.2 + 28.8 mL/min. Statistical analysis using Student''s ''t'' test shows that there is a significant difference between the values of GFR (P < 0.05). Our result confirms that the PB of DTPA is substantial and affects the GFR estimation significantly. The method of ultrafiltration eliminates the PB, and very simple to use. This method could be used on a routine basis and/or to assess the suitability of the DTPA used in various departments for GFR measurement

Hearing the voices of children and young people to develop and test a patient-reported experience measure in a specialist paediatric setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wray, Jo; Hobden, Sylvie; Knibbs, Sarah; Oldham, Geralyn

2018-03-01

To develop and test patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) for children and young people in a specialist paediatric hospital setting. Six PREMs were developed and tested by children and young people for children and young people aged 8-11, 12-13 and 14-16 years in inpatient and outpatient settings. A week-long pilot was implemented across inpatient wards and outpatient clinics to identify facilitators and barriers to the routine use of PREMs in a real-time setting across our organisation. Tertiary paediatric hospital. Final PREMs; identified facilitators and barriers to implementation. 543 children and young people aged 8-16 years attending outpatient clinics or inpatient wards across a range of specialties. Three key themes about hospital experience were identified during focus groups: facilities, treatment and tests and people working at the hospital, and these provided the structure for the questionnaires. During cognitive testing the questionnaires were generally understood but some revisions to language and length of the questionnaires were required. Two designs were selected for the final PREMs. During acceptability and feasibility testing it was evident that children and young people liked the PREMs and wanted to give feedback on their hospital experience. Particular challenges for routine use of the PREMs focused on sustainability and resources. The new PREMs will provide children and young people receiving care in specialist paediatric hospitals with the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience. Sustainability and ensuring that feedback results in improvements need to be addressed in future work. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The global cost of eliminating avoidable blindness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten L Armstrong

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims : To complete an initial estimate of the global cost of eliminating avoidable blindness, including the investment required to build ongoing primary and secondary health care systems, as well as to eliminate the ′backlog′ of avoidable blindness. This analysis also seeks to understand and articulate where key data limitations lie. Materials and Methods : Data were collected in line with a global estimation approach, including separate costing frameworks for the primary and secondary care sectors, and the treatment of backlog. Results : The global direct health cost to eliminate avoidable blindness over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2020 is estimated at $632 billion per year (2009 US$. As countries already spend $592 billion per annum on eye health, this represents additional investment of $397.8 billion over 10 years, which is $40 billion per year or $5.80 per person for each year between 2010 and 2020. This is concentrated in high-income nations, which require 68% of the investment but comprise 16% of the world′s inhabitants. For all other regions, the additional investment required is $127 billion. Conclusions : This costing estimate has identified that low- and middle-income countries require less than half the additional investment compared with high-income nations. Low- and middle-income countries comprise the greater investment proportion in secondary care whereas high-income countries require the majority of investment into the primary sector. However, there is a need to improve sector data. Investment in better data will have positive flow-on effects for the eye health sector.

Elimination of Parallel Copies using Code Motion on Data Dependence Graphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandner, Florian; Colombet, Quentin

2013-01-01

, while at the same time a valid register assignment is preserved. Our results show that even after traditional register allocation with coalescing our technique is able to eliminate an additional 3% (up to 9%) of the remaining copies and reduce the weighted costs of register copies by up to 25......Register allocation regained much interest in recent years due to the development of decoupled strategies that split the problem into separate phases: spilling, register assignment, and copy elimination. Traditional approaches to copy elimination during register allocation are based on interference......% for the SPECINT 2000 benchmarks. In comparison to Parallel Copy Motion, our technique removes 11% (up to 20%) more copies and up to 39% more of the copy costs....

Eliminating radium from uranium mill acid effluent with barium chloride-sodium carbonate precipitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Jiayuan

1998-01-01

The eliminating radium procedure, barium chloride-sodium carbonate-sand filtering, being used, radium can be eliminated to 3.7 x 10 -2 Bq/L order of magnitude from uranium mill acid effluents which contain 3.7 Bq/L Ra and pH 6∼9 when Ba 2+ is added by 3∼5 mg per litre, Na 2 CO 3 5mg. The radium elimination rate is more than 90%

A procedure for eliminating additive bias from cross-cultural survey data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholderer, Joachim; Grunert, Klaus G.; Brunsø, Karen

2005-01-01

additive bias from cross-cultural data. The procedure involves four steps: (1) embed a potentially biased item in a factor-analytic measurement model, (2) test for the existence of additive bias between populations, (3) use the factor-analytic model to estimate the magnitude of the bias, and (4) replace......Measurement bias in cross-cultural surveys can seriously threaten the validity of hypothesis tests. Direct comparisons of means depend on the assumption that differences in observed variables reflect differences in the underlying constructs, and not an additive bias that may be caused by cultural...... differences in the understanding of item wording or response category labels. However, experience suggests that additive bias can be found more often than not. Based on the concept of partial measurement invariance (Byrne, Shavelson and Muthén 1989), the present paper develops a procedure for eliminating...

Calibration Method to Eliminate Zeroth Order Effect in Lateral Shearing Interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Chao; Xiang, Yang; Qi, Keqi; Chen, Dawei

2018-04-01

In this paper, a calibration method is proposed which eliminates the zeroth order effect in lateral shearing interferometry. An analytical expression of the calibration error function is deduced, and the relationship between the phase-restoration error and calibration error is established. The analytical results show that the phase-restoration error introduced by the calibration error is proportional to the phase shifting error and zeroth order effect. The calibration method is verified using simulations and experiments. The simulation results show that the phase-restoration error is approximately proportional to the phase shift error and zeroth order effect, when the phase shifting error is less than 2° and the zeroth order effect is less than 0.2. The experimental result shows that compared with the conventional method with 9-frame interferograms, the calibration method with 5-frame interferograms achieves nearly the same restoration accuracy.

Strategy elimination in games with interaction structures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Witzel, A.; Apt, K.R.; Zvesper, J.A.

2009-01-01

We study games in the presence of an interaction structure, which allows players to communicate their preferences, assuming that each player initially only knows his own preferences. We study the outcomes of iterated elimination of strictly dominated strategies (IESDS) that can be obtained in any

Flu Diagnosis System Using Jaccard Index and Rough Set Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Efendi, Riswan; Azah Samsudin, Noor; Mat Deris, Mustafa; Guan Ting, Yip

2018-04-01

Jaccard index and rough set approaches have been frequently implemented in decision support systems with various domain applications. Both approaches are appropriate to be considered for categorical data analysis. This paper presents the applications of sets operations for flu diagnosis systems based on two different approaches, such as, Jaccard index and rough set. These two different approaches are established using set operations concept, namely intersection and subset. The step-by-step procedure is demonstrated from each approach in diagnosing flu system. The similarity and dissimilarity indexes between conditional symptoms and decision are measured using Jaccard approach. Additionally, the rough set is used to build decision support rules. Moreover, the decision support rules are established using redundant data analysis and elimination of unclassified elements. A number data sets is considered to attempt the step-by-step procedure from each approach. The result has shown that rough set can be used to support Jaccard approaches in establishing decision support rules. Additionally, Jaccard index is better approach for investigating the worst condition of patients. While, the definitely and possibly patients with or without flu can be determined using rough set approach. The rules may improve the performance of medical diagnosis systems. Therefore, inexperienced doctors and patients are easier in preliminary flu diagnosis.

Modelling strategies to break transmission of lymphatic filariasis--aggregation, adherence and vector competence greatly alter elimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Irvine, M A; Reimer, L J; Njenga, S M; Gunawardena, S; Kelly-Hope, L; Bockarie, M; Hollingsworth, T D

2015-10-22

With ambitious targets to eliminate lymphatic filariasis over the coming years, there is a need to identify optimal strategies to achieve them in areas with different baseline prevalence and stages of control. Modelling can assist in identifying what data should be collected and what strategies are best for which scenarios. We develop a new individual-based, stochastic mathematical model of the transmission of lymphatic filariasis. We validate the model by fitting to a first time point and predicting future timepoints from surveillance data in Kenya and Sri Lanka, which have different vectors and different stages of the control programme. We then simulate different treatment scenarios in low, medium and high transmission settings, comparing once yearly mass drug administration (MDA) with more frequent MDA and higher coverage. We investigate the potential impact that vector control, systematic non-compliance and different levels of aggregation have on the dynamics of transmission and control. In all settings, increasing coverage from 65 to 80 % has a similar impact on control to treating twice a year at 65 % coverage, for fewer drug treatments being distributed. Vector control has a large impact, even at moderate levels. The extent of aggregation of parasite loads amongst a small portion of the population, which has been estimated to be highly variable in different settings, can undermine the success of a programme, particularly if high risk sub-communities are not accessing interventions. Even moderate levels of vector control have a large impact both on the reduction in prevalence and the maintenance of gains made during MDA, even when parasite loads are highly aggregated, and use of vector control is at moderate levels. For the same prevalence, differences in aggregation and adherence can result in very different dynamics. The novel analysis of a small amount of surveillance data and resulting simulations highlight the need for more individual level data to be

Surface Treatment of a Lithium Limiter for Spherical Torus Plasma Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaita, R.; Majeski, R.; Doerner, R.; Antar, G.; Timberlake, J.; Spaleta, J.; Hoffman, D.; Jones, B.; Munsat, T.; Kugel, H.; Taylor, G.; Stutman, D.; Soukhanovskii, V.; Maingi, R.; Molesa, S.; Efthimion, P.; Menard, J.; Finkenthal, M.; Luckhardt, S.

2001-03-20

The concept of a flowing lithium first wall for a fusion reactor may lead to a significant advance in reactor design, since it could virtually eliminate the concerns with power density and erosion, tritium retention, and cooling associated with solid walls. As part of investigations to determine the feasibility of this approach, plasma interaction questions in a toroidal plasma geometry are being addressed in the Current Drive eXperiment-Upgrade (CDX-U) spherical torus (ST). The first experiments involved a toroidally local lithium limiter (L3). Measurements of pumpout rates indicated that deuterium pumping was greater for the L3 compared to conventional boron carbide limiters. The difference in the pumpout rates between the two limiter types decreased with plasma exposure, but argon glow discharge cleaning was able to restore the pumping effectiveness of the L3. At no point, however, was the extremely low recycling regime reported in previous lithium experiments achieved. This may be due to the much larger lithium surfaces that were exposed to the plasma in the earlier work. The possibility will be studied in the next set of CDX-U experiments, which are to be conducted with a large area, fully toroidal lithium limiter.

Surface Treatment of a Lithium Limiter for Spherical Torus Plasma Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaita, R.; Majeski, R.; Doerner, R.; Antar, G.; Timberlake, J.; Spaleta, J.; Hoffman, D.; Jones, B.; Munsat, T.; Kugel, H.; Taylor, G.; Stutman, D.; Soukhanovskii, V.; Maingi, R.; Molesa, S.; Efthimion, P.; Menard, J.; Finkenthal, M.; Luckhardt, S.

2001-01-01

The concept of a flowing lithium first wall for a fusion reactor may lead to a significant advance in reactor design, since it could virtually eliminate the concerns with power density and erosion, tritium retention, and cooling associated with solid walls. As part of investigations to determine the feasibility of this approach, plasma interaction questions in a toroidal plasma geometry are being addressed in the Current Drive eXperiment-Upgrade (CDX-U) spherical torus (ST). The first experiments involved a toroidally local lithium limiter (L3). Measurements of pumpout rates indicated that deuterium pumping was greater for the L3 compared to conventional boron carbide limiters. The difference in the pumpout rates between the two limiter types decreased with plasma exposure, but argon glow discharge cleaning was able to restore the pumping effectiveness of the L3. At no point, however, was the extremely low recycling regime reported in previous lithium experiments achieved. This may be due to the much larger lithium surfaces that were exposed to the plasma in the earlier work. The possibility will be studied in the next set of CDX-U experiments, which are to be conducted with a large area, fully toroidal lithium limiter

Choking or Delivering Under Pressure? The Case of Elimination Games in NBA Playoffs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elia Morgulev

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Neoclassical economic theories foretell that individuals exert the most effort, and consequently produce their best performances, when the net returns to effort are highest. We scanned through 33 NBA seasons and analyzed 1930 playoffs games in order to test this prediction. Analysis of win probabilities in games where one of the two teams faces elimination from the playoffs, demonstrated that the threat of severe losses didn’t lead to elevated level of performance. While previous studies analyzed mainly single-level performance in a stable environment, our results shed light on collective performance in a dynamic setting. These findings can be applicable to other realms as we suggest that managers should refrain from deliberate building of high-pressure environments with hopes of achieving performance enhancement effect among their groups.

Leisure-time youth centres as health-promoting settings: Experiences from multicultural neighbourhoods in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredriksson, Ingela; Geidne, Susanna; Eriksson, Charli

2018-02-01

The aim of this paper is to advocate for the importance of meaningful leisure time for young people from a health-promotion perspective using experiences from two youth centres in multicultural neighbourhoods in Sweden. In this practice-based study, data were collected between 2012 and 2014 at two youth centres in multicultural, socially deprived suburbs in Sweden using surveys with 12- to 16-year-old adolescents ( n = 207), seven individual interviews with staff and three cooperation partners in the neighbourhoods, and six group interviews with adolescents (50% girls). Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods were used for analysis. As part of the youth centres' strategies, they are open and inclusive, foster supportive relationships, emphasise youth empowerment, and integrate family, school and community in their work. The youth centres are health-promoting settings with regard to four of the action areas in the Ottawa Charter: build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community actions and develop personal skills. There is a need for a variety and a combination of various structured and unstructured leisure-time activities because young people's background and life situation plays a role for their participation in leisure-time activities. We conclude that youth centres are well placed to be or to become health-promoting settings if the activities takes place in a structured environment.

Set-fit effects in choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Evers, Ellen R K; Inbar, Yoel; Zeelenberg, Marcel

2014-04-01

In 4 experiments, we investigate how the "fit" of an item with a set of similar items affects choice. We find that people have a notion of a set that "fits" together--one where all items are the same, or all items differ, on salient attributes. One consequence of this notion is that in addition to preferences over the set's individual items, choice reflects set-fit. This leads to predictable shifts in preferences, sometimes even resulting in people choosing normatively inferior options over superior ones.

Eliminating the Neglected Tropical Diseases: Translational Science and New Technologies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter J Hotez

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Today, the World Health Organization recognizes 17 major parasitic and related infections as the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs. Despite recent gains in the understanding of the nature and prevalence of NTDs, as well as successes in recent scaled-up preventive chemotherapy strategies and other health interventions, the NTDs continue to rank among the world's greatest global health problems. For virtually all of the NTDs (including those slated for elimination under the auspices of a 2012 London Declaration for NTDs and a 2013 World Health Assembly resolution [WHA 66.12], additional control mechanisms and tools are needed, including new NTD drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, and vector control agents and strategies. Elimination will not be possible without these new tools. Here we summarize some of the key challenges in translational science to develop and introduce these new technologies in order to ensure success in global NTD elimination efforts.

Design and CFD Simulation of the Drift Eliminators in Comparison with PIV Results

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Stodůlka Jiří

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Drift eliminators are the essential part of all modern cooling towers preventing significant losses of liquid water escaping to the enviroment. These eliminators need to be effective in terms of water capture but on the other hand causing only minimal pressure loss as well. A new type of such eliminator was designed and numerically simulated using CFD tools. Results of the simulation are compared with PIV visulisation on the prototype model.

Elimination of Iron Based Particles in Al-Si Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bolibruchová D.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with influence on segregation of iron based phases on the secondary alloy AlSi7Mg0.3 microstructure by chrome. Iron is the most common and harmful impurity in aluminum casting alloys and has long been associated with an increase of casting defects. In generally, iron is associated with the formation of Fe-rich phases. It is impossible to remove iron from melt by standard operations, but it is possible to eliminate its negative influence by addition some other elements that affect the segregation of intermetallics in less harmful type. Realization of experiments and results of analysis show new view on solubility of iron based phases during melt preparation with higher iron content and influence of chrome as iron corrector of iron based phases. By experimental work were used three different amounts of AlCr20 master alloy a three different temperature of chill mold. Our experimental work confirmed that chrome can be used as an iron corrector in Al-Si alloy, due to the change of intermetallic phases and shortening their length.

The Difficulties Experienced by Teachers in the Process of Primary Reading and Writing Instruction and Their Solution Offers for Eliminating These Difficulties

Science.gov (United States)

Gündogmus, Hatice Degirmenci

2018-01-01

The purpose of the current research is to identify the difficulties that primary school teachers experience in the primary reading and writing instruction, and to find out their solution offers for eliminating these difficulties. The study group of the research is composed of 51 primary school teachers selected by criterion sampling as a type of…

The Kolar Gold Field experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreekantan, B.V.

1982-01-01

Meson theory was propounded to explain the nuclear force which holds neutrons and protons inside the nucleus. Subsequently, quark theory was put forward to bring some order into an enormously large number of fundamental particles discovered in the hadron family. These two theories are briefly explained. The gravitational force, the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force are the basic forces which determine the behaviour of fundamental particles when they are in close proximity. If the last three of the above-mentioned four forces are one or just different aspects of a single force, quarks and leptons can be mingled in the same theoretical framework indicating the non-conservation of baryon number and the spontaneous decay of the proton into leptons. In order to test the last possibility i.e. proton decay, an experiment has been set up in the Kolar Gold Field at a depth of 2300 metres in India. 1650 gas proportional counters are sandwiched between iron plates. The total amount of iron in the form of iron plates and walls of the counters is 140 tons. In this experiment, nuclei of iron are serving as the source of protons and neutrons and the depth eliminates the background events which mimic proton decay. The amount of iron used in the experiment i.e. 140 tons is more than enough to obtain evidence of 10 proton decay events in a year, assuming that the lifetime of proton is 10 30 years or below. (M.G.B.)

Elimination of frequency noise from groundwater measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chien, Y.M.; Bryce, R.W.; Strait, S.R.; Yeatman, R.A.

1986-04-01

Groundwater response to atmospheric fluctuation can be effectively removed from downhole-pressure records using the systematic approach. The technique is not as successful for removal of earth tides, due to a probable discrepancy between the actual earth tide and the theoretical earth tide. The advantage of the systematic technique is that a causative relationship is established for each component of the pressure response removed. This concept of data reduction is easily understood and well accepted. The disadvantage is that a record of the stress causing the pressure fluctuation must be obtained. This may be done by monitoring or synthesizing the stress. Frequency analysis offers a simpler way to eliminate the undesirable hydrologic fluctuations from the downhole pressure. Frequency analysis may prove to be impractical if the fluctuations being removed have broadband characteristics. A combination of the two techniques, such as eliminating the atmospheric effect with the systematic method and the earth-tide fluctuations with the frequency method, is the most effective and efficient approach

Information-Analytic support of the programs of eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl accident: gained experience and its future application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arutyunyan, R.V.; Bolshov, L.A.; Linge, I.I.; Abalkina, I.L.; Simonov, A.V.; Pavlovsky, O.A.

1996-01-01

On the initial stage of eliminating the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, the role of system-analytic and information support in the decision making process for protection of the population and rehabilitation of territories was. to a certain extent, underestimated. Starting from 1991, activity in system-analytic support was the part of the USSR (later on, Russian) stage programs. This activity covered three direction: development of the Central bank of the generalized data on the radiation catastrophes; development, implementation, and maintenance of the control informational system for the Federal bodies; computer-system integration

Pictures, images, and recollective experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewhurst, S A; Conway, M A

1994-09-01

Five experiments investigated the influence of picture processing on recollective experience in recognition memory. Subjects studied items that differed in visual or imaginal detail, such as pictures versus words and high-imageability versus low-imageability words, and performed orienting tasks that directed processing either toward a stimulus as a word or toward a stimulus as a picture or image. Standard effects of imageability (e.g., the picture superiority effect and memory advantages following imagery) were obtained only in recognition judgments that featured recollective experience and were eliminated or reversed when recognition was not accompanied by recollective experience. It is proposed that conscious recollective experience in recognition memory is cued by attributes of retrieved memories such as sensory-perceptual attributes and records of cognitive operations performed at encoding.

Elimination of noise peak for signal processing in Johnson noise thermometry development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, I. G.; Moon, B. S.; Jeong, J. E.; Jeo, Y. H.; Kisner, Roger A.

2003-01-01

The internal and external noise is the most considering obstacle in development of Johnson Noise Thermometry system. This paper addresses an external noise elimination issue of the Johnson Noise Thermometry system which is underway of development in collaboration between KAERI and ORNL. Although internal random noise is canceled by Cross Power Spectral Density function, a continuous wave penetrating into the electronic circuit is eliminated by the difference of peaks between Johnson signal and external noise. The elimination logic using standard deviation of CPSD and energy leakage problem in discrete CPSD function are discussed in this paper

Dysregulated Th1 and Th2 responses in food-allergic children--does elimination diet contribute to the dysregulation?

Science.gov (United States)

Tomicić, Sara; Fälth-Magnusson, Karin; Böttcher, Malin Fagerås

2010-06-01

Infants with eczema and sensitization to foods are recommended skin care and, if food allergy is proven, an elimination diet. Although most of these children tolerate foods before 3 yr of age, some children experience prolonged food allergy. To our knowledge, no prospective study has investigated the cytokine profile in food-sensitized eczematous children with prolonged food intolerance. The aim of the study was to prospectively investigate the development of cytokine production induced by food allergen in food-sensitized eczematous children who, at 4(1/2) yr of age, were allergic or tolerant to egg or milk. Twenty-one eczematous infants, [age 5 (3-10) months; median and range], sensitized to egg and/or milk were included, put on elimination diet and followed prospectively. At 4(1/2) yr of age, the children were defined as tolerant or allergic to egg and/or milk based on open or double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from the children on inclusion, after 6 wk of elimination diet, and at 3 and 4(1/2) yr of age. Ovalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin and tetanus toxoid-induced IL-4, -5, -10, -13 and IFN-gamma production from PBMC were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The IFN-gamma and IL-5 secretion induced by food allergen at 4(1/2) yr was higher in cell cultures from children who were allergic to egg or milk than in tolerant children. In food-allergic children, the levels of IFN-gamma and IL-5 were higher at 4(1/2) yr compared with inclusion levels, but this increase was generally not observed in the tolerant children who consumed milk and egg. In conclusion, immune cells from food-allergic children on an elimination diet respond with up-regulated T helper 1 and T helper 2 cytokine secretion induced by food allergen. We hypothesize that allergen elimination may influence the regulatory mechanisms maintaining balanced immune responses to innocuous food antigens.

Setting up the photoluminescence laboratory at ISOLDE & Perturbed Angular Correlation spectroscopy for BIO physics experiments using radioactive ions

CERN Document Server

Savva, Giannis

2016-01-01

The proposed project I was assigned was to set up the photoluminescence (PL) laboratory at ISOLDE, under the supervision of Karl Johnston. My first week at CERN coincided with the run of a BIO physics experiment using radioactive Hg(II) ions in which I also participated under the supervision of Stavroula Pallada. This gave me the opportunity to work in two projects during my stay at CERN and in the present report I describe briefly my contribution to them.

Evaluation of Accuracy of Calculational Prediction of Criticality Based on ICSBEP Handbook Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovko, Yury; Rozhikhin, Yevgeniy; Tsibulya, Anatoly; Koscheev, Vladimir

2008-01-01

Experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 from the ICSBEP Handbook are being considered in this paper. Among these experiments it was selected only those, which seem to be the most relevant to the evaluation of uncertainty of critical mass of mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 with light water. All selected experiments were examined and covariance matrices of criticality uncertainties were developed along with some uncertainties were revised. Statistical analysis of these experiments was performed and some contradictions were discovered and eliminated. Evaluation of accuracy of prediction of criticality calculations was performed using the internally consistent set of experiments with plutonium, low enriched uranium and uranium-233 remained after the statistical analyses. The application objects for the evaluation of calculational prediction of criticality were water-reflected spherical systems of homogeneous aqueous mixtures of plutonium or low enriched uranium or uranium-233 of different concentrations which are simplified models of apparatus of external fuel cycle. It is shows that the procedure allows to considerably reduce uncertainty in k eff caused by the uncertainties in neutron cross-sections. Also it is shows that the results are practically independent of initial covariance matrices of nuclear data uncertainties. (authors)

Liposomal clodronate selectively eliminates microglia from primary astrocyte cultures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumamaru Hiromi

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is increasing interest in astrocyte biology because astrocytes have been demonstrated to play prominent roles in physiological and pathological conditions of the central nervous system, including neuroinflammation. To understand astrocyte biology, primary astrocyte cultures are most commonly used because of the direct accessibility of astrocytes in this system. However, this advantage can be hindered by microglial contamination. Although several authors have warned regarding microglial contamination in this system, complete microglial elimination has never been achieved. Methods The number and proliferative potential of contaminating microglia in primary astrocyte cultures were quantitatively assessed by immunocytologic and flow cytometric analyses. To examine the utility of clodronate for microglial elimination, primary astrocyte cultures or MG-5 cells were exposed to liposomal or free clodronate, and then immunocytologic, flow cytometric, and gene expression analyses were performed. The gene expression profiles of microglia-eliminated and microglia-contaminated cultures were compared after interleukin-6 (IL-6 stimulation. Results The percentage of contaminating microglia exceeded 15% and continued to increase because of their high proliferative activity in conventional primary astrocyte cultures. These contaminating microglia were selectively eliminated low concentration of liposomal clodronate. Although primary microglia and MG-5 cells were killed by both liposomal and free clodronate, free clodronate significantly affected the viability of astrocytes. In contrast, liposomal clodronate selectively eliminated microglia without affecting the viability, proliferation or activation of astrocytes. The efficacy of liposomal clodronate was much higher than that of previously reported methods used for decreasing microglial contamination. Furthermore, we observed rapid tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1b gene induction in

Automatic Generation of Minimal Cut Sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sentot Kromodimoeljo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A cut set is a collection of component failure modes that could lead to a system failure. Cut Set Analysis (CSA is applied to critical systems to identify and rank system vulnerabilities at design time. Model checking tools have been used to automate the generation of minimal cut sets but are generally based on checking reachability of system failure states. This paper describes a new approach to CSA using a Linear Temporal Logic (LTL model checker called BT Analyser that supports the generation of multiple counterexamples. The approach enables a broader class of system failures to be analysed, by generalising from failure state formulae to failure behaviours expressed in LTL. The traditional approach to CSA using model checking requires the model or system failure to be modified, usually by hand, to eliminate already-discovered cut sets, and the model checker to be rerun, at each step. By contrast, the new approach works incrementally and fully automatically, thereby removing the tedious and error-prone manual process and resulting in significantly reduced computation time. This in turn enables larger models to be checked. Two different strategies for using BT Analyser for CSA are presented. There is generally no single best strategy for model checking: their relative efficiency depends on the model and property being analysed. Comparative results are given for the A320 hydraulics case study in the Behavior Tree modelling language.

Increasing accuracy of pulse transit time measurements by automated elimination of distorted photoplethysmography waves.

Science.gov (United States)

van Velzen, Marit H N; Loeve, Arjo J; Niehof, Sjoerd P; Mik, Egbert G

2017-11-01

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a widely available non-invasive optical technique to visualize pressure pulse waves (PWs). Pulse transit time (PTT) is a physiological parameter that is often derived from calculations on ECG and PPG signals and is based on tightly defined characteristics of the PW shape. PPG signals are sensitive to artefacts. Coughing or movement of the subject can affect PW shapes that much that the PWs become unsuitable for further analysis. The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm that automatically and objectively eliminates unsuitable PWs. In order to develop a proper algorithm for eliminating unsuitable PWs, a literature study was conducted. Next, a '7Step PW-Filter' algorithm was developed that applies seven criteria to determine whether a PW matches the characteristics required to allow PTT calculation. To validate whether the '7Step PW-Filter' eliminates only and all unsuitable PWs, its elimination results were compared to the outcome of manual elimination of unsuitable PWs. The '7Step PW-Filter' had a sensitivity of 96.3% and a specificity of 99.3%. The overall accuracy of the '7Step PW-Filter' for detection of unsuitable PWs was 99.3%. Compared to manual elimination, using the '7Step PW-Filter' reduces PW elimination times from hours to minutes and helps to increase the validity, reliability and reproducibility of PTT data.

Renal lactate elimination is maintained during moderate exercise in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Volianitis, Stefanos; Dawson, Ellen A; Dalsgaard, Mads

2012-01-01

(2) (CaO(2)-CvO(2)) and lactate concentration differences were 0.8 ± 0.2 and 0.02 ± 0.02 mmol x L(-1), respectively. During exercise, arterial lactate and CaO(2)-CvO(2) increased to 7.1 ± 1.1 and 2.6 ± 0.8 mmol x L(-1), respectively (P renal blood flow...... with no significant change in the renal venous erythropoietin concentration (0.8 ± 1.4 U x L(-1)). The a-v lactate concentration difference increased to 0.5 ± 0.8 mmol x L(-1), indicating similar lactate elimination as at rest. In conclusion, a -70% reduction in renal blood flow does not provoke critical renal......Reduced hepatic lactate elimination initiates blood lactate accumulation during incremental exercise. In this study, we wished to determine whether renal lactate elimination contributes to the initiation of blood lactate accumulation. The renal arterial-to-venous (a-v) lactate difference...

Experiences of Work-Life Conflict for the Athletic Trainer Employed Outside the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Clinical Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazerolle, Stephanie M; Pitney, William A; Eason, Christianne M

2015-07-01

The intercollegiate setting receives much of the scholarly attention related to work-life conflict (WLC). However research has been focused on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I setting. Multiple factors can lead to WLC for the athletic trainer (AT), including hours, travel, and lack of flexibility in work schedules. To investigate the experiences of WLC among ATs working in the non-Division I collegiate setting and to identify factors that contribute to fulfillment of work-life balance in this setting. Qualitative study. Institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions II and III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association. A total of 244 ATs (128 women, 114 men; age = 37.5 ± 13.3 years, experience = 14 ± 12 years) completed phase I. Thirteen participants (8 women, 5 men; age = 38 ± 13 years, experience = 13.1 ± 11.4 years) completed phase II. For phase I, participants completed a previously validated and reliable (Cronbach α > .90) Web-based survey measuring their levels of WLC and work-family conflict (WFC). This phase included 2 WFC scales defining family; scale 1 defined family as having a partner or spouse with or without children, and scale 2 defined family as those individuals, including parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other close relatives, involved in one's life. Phase II consisted of an interview. Qualitative data were evaluated using content analysis. Data source and multiple-analyst triangulation secured credibility. The WFC scores were 26.33 ± 7.37 for scale 1 and 20.46 ± 10.14 for scale 2, indicating a moderate level of WFC for scale 1 and a low level of WFC for scale 2. Qualitative analyses revealed that organizational dimensions, such as job demands and staffing issues, can negatively affect WLC, whereas a combination of organizational and personal dimensions can positively affect WLC. Overload continues to be a prevalent

Benchmark Data Set for Wheat Growth Models: Field Experiments and AgMIP Multi-Model Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Asseng, S.; Ewert, F.; Martre, P.; Rosenzweig, C.; Jones, J. W.; Hatfield, J. L.; Ruane, A. C.; Boote, K. J.; Thorburn, P.J.; Rotter, R. P.

2015-01-01

The data set includes a current representative management treatment from detailed, quality-tested sentinel field experiments with wheat from four contrasting environments including Australia, The Netherlands, India and Argentina. Measurements include local daily climate data (solar radiation, maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation, surface wind, dew point temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure), soil characteristics, frequent growth, nitrogen in crop and soil, crop and soil water and yield components. Simulations include results from 27 wheat models and a sensitivity analysis with 26 models and 30 years (1981-2010) for each location, for elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature changes, a heat stress sensitivity analysis at anthesis, and a sensitivity analysis with soil and crop management variations and a Global Climate Model end-century scenario.

Tracer experiment data sets for the verification of local and meso-scale atmospheric dispersion models including topographic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartori, E.; Schuler, W.

1992-01-01

Software and data for nuclear energy applications are acquired, tested and distributed by several information centres; in particular, relevant computer codes are distributed internationally by the OECD/NEA Data Bank (France) and by ESTSC and EPIC/RSIC (United States). This activity is coordinated among the centres and is extended outside the OECD area through an arrangement with the IAEA. This article proposes more specifically a scheme for acquiring, storing and distributing atmospheric tracer experiment data (ATE) required for verification of atmospheric dispersion models especially the most advanced ones including topographic effects and specific to the local and meso-scale. These well documented data sets will form a valuable complement to the set of atmospheric dispersion computer codes distributed internationally. Modellers will be able to gain confidence in the predictive power of their models or to verify their modelling skills. (au)

Exposure to radon in Sweden dwellings - attitudes and elimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansson, B.; Tholander, M.; Axelson, O.

1989-01-01

Owners of 208 dwellings with radon daughter concentrations of 400 Bq/m 3 EER or above were asked about attitudes and measures toward elimination via mailed questionnaires. The response rate was 88% and some steps toward elimination had been taken in 83 dwellings. For the remaining houses, no improvements had been made either because of financial problems, lack of technical advice, or doubts about radon daughter exposure as a health hazard. The results of this study suggest the need to more definitely assess the risk through epidemiologic studies, as well as to provide more information about technical solutions and financial support to house owners

Elimination of the Landau ghost from chiral solitons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, J.; Beck, F.; Bentz, W.

1994-01-01

We show a practical way based on the Kaellen-Lehmann representation for the two-point functions to eliminate the instability of the vacuum against formation of small sized meson configurations in the chiral σ model

Malaria elimination in Haiti by the year 2020: an achievable goal?

Science.gov (United States)

Boncy, Paul Jacques; Adrien, Paul; Lemoine, Jean Frantz; Existe, Alexandre; Henry, Patricia Jean; Raccurt, Christian; Brasseur, Philippe; Fenelon, Natael; Dame, John B; Okech, Bernard A; Kaljee, Linda; Baxa, Dwayne; Prieur, Eric; El Badry, Maha A; Tagliamonte, Massimiliano S; Mulligan, Connie J; Carter, Tamar E; Beau de Rochars, V Madsen; Lutz, Chelsea; Parke, Dana M; Zervos, Marcus J

2015-06-05

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, are the last locations in the Caribbean where malaria still persists. Malaria is an important public health concern in Haiti with 17,094 reported cases in 2014. Further, on January 12, 2010, a record earthquake devastated densely populated areas in Haiti including many healthcare and laboratory facilities. Weakened infrastructure provided fertile reservoirs for uncontrolled transmission of infectious pathogens. This situation results in unique challenges for malaria epidemiology and elimination efforts. To help Haiti achieve its malaria elimination goals by year 2020, the Laboratoire National de Santé Publique and Henry Ford Health System, in close collaboration with the Direction d'Épidémiologie, de Laboratoire et de Recherches and the Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, hosted a scientific meeting on "Elimination Strategies for Malaria in Haiti" on January 29-30, 2015 at the National Laboratory in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The meeting brought together laboratory personnel, researchers, clinicians, academics, public health professionals, and other stakeholders to discuss main stakes and perspectives on malaria elimination. Several themes and recommendations emerged during discussions at this meeting. First, more information and research on malaria transmission in Haiti are needed including information from active surveillance of cases and vectors. Second, many healthcare personnel need additional training and critical resources on how to properly identify malaria cases so as to improve accurate and timely case reporting. Third, it is necessary to continue studies genotyping strains of Plasmodium falciparum in different sites with active transmission to evaluate for drug resistance and impacts on health. Fourth, elimination strategies outlined in this report will continue to incorporate use of primaquine in addition to chloroquine and active surveillance of cases. Elimination of

Is outdoor vector control needed for malaria elimination? An individual-based modelling study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lin; Müller, Günter C; Marshall, John M; Arheart, Kristopher L; Qualls, Whitney A; Hlaing, WayWay M; Schlein, Yosef; Traore, Sekou F; Doumbia, Seydou; Beier, John C

2017-07-03

Residual malaria transmission has been reported in many areas even with adequate indoor vector control coverage, such as long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). The increased insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes has resulted in reduced efficacy of the widely used indoor tools and has been linked with an increase in outdoor malaria transmission. There are considerations of incorporating outdoor interventions into integrated vector management (IVM) to achieve malaria elimination; however, more information on the combination of tools for effective control is needed to determine their utilization. A spatial individual-based model was modified to simulate the environment and malaria transmission activities in a hypothetical, isolated African village setting. LLINs and outdoor attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) stations were used as examples of indoor and outdoor interventions, respectively. Different interventions and lengths of efficacy periods were tested. Simulations continued for 420 days, and each simulation scenario was repeated 50 times. Mosquito populations, entomologic inoculation rates (EIRs), probabilities of local mosquito extinction, and proportion of time when the annual EIR was reduced below one were compared between different intervention types and efficacy periods. In the village setting with clustered houses, the combinational intervention of 50% LLINs plus outdoor ATSBs significantly reduced mosquito population and EIR in short term, increased the probability of local mosquito extinction, and increased the time when annual EIR is less than one per person compared to 50% LLINs alone; outdoor ATSBs alone significantly reduced mosquito population in short term, increased the probability of mosquito extinction, and increased the time when annual EIR is less than one compared to 50% LLINs alone, but there was no significant difference in EIR in short term between 50% LLINs and outdoor ATSBs. In the village setting with dispersed houses, the

Causal Set Generator and Action Computer

OpenAIRE

Cunningham, William; Krioukov, Dmitri

2017-01-01

The causal set approach to quantum gravity has gained traction over the past three decades, but numerical experiments involving causal sets have been limited to relatively small scales. The software suite presented here provides a new framework for the generation and study of causal sets. Its efficiency surpasses previous implementations by several orders of magnitude. We highlight several important features of the code, including the compact data structures, the $O(N^2)$ causal set generatio...

Eliminating Undesirable Variation in Neonatal Practice: Balancing Standardization and Customization.

Science.gov (United States)

Balakrishnan, Maya; Raghavan, Aarti; Suresh, Gautham K

2017-09-01

Consistency of care and elimination of unnecessary and harmful variation are underemphasized aspects of health care quality. This article describes the prevalence and patterns of practice variation in health care and neonatology; discusses the potential role of standardization as a solution to eliminating wasteful and harmful practice variation, particularly when it is founded on principles of evidence-based medicine; and proposes ways to balance standardization and customization of practice to ultimately improve the quality of neonatal care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aboriginal Australians' experience of social capital and its relevance to health and wellbeing in urban settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne-Yung, Kathryn; Ziersch, Anna; Baum, Fran; Gallaher, Gilbert

2013-11-01

Social capital has been linked to physical and mental health. While definitions of social capital vary, all include networks of social relationships and refer to the subsequent benefits and disadvantages accrued to members. Research on social capital for Aboriginal Australians has mainly focused on discrete rural and remote Aboriginal contexts with less known about the features and health and other benefits of social capital in urban settings. This paper presents findings from in-depth interviews with 153 Aboriginal people living in urban areas on their experiences of social capital. Of particular interest was how engagement in bonding and bridging networks influenced health and wellbeing. Employing Bourdieu's relational theory of capital where resources are unequally distributed and reproduced in society we found that patterns of social capital are strongly associated with economic, social and cultural position which in turn reflects the historical experiences of dispossession and disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal Australians. Social capital was also found to both reinforce and influence Aboriginal cultural identity, and had both positive and negative impacts on health and wellbeing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elimination kinetic model for organic chemicals in earthworms.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dimitrova, N.; Dimitrov, S.; Georgieva, D.; van Gestel, C.A.M.; Hankard, P.; Spurgeon, D.J.; Li, H.; Mekenyan, O.

2010-01-01

Mechanistic understanding of bioaccumulation in different organisms and environments should take into account the influence of organism and chemical depending factors on the uptake and elimination kinetics of chemicals. Lipophilicity, metabolism, sorption (bioavailability) and biodegradation of

Prospective Validation of the Decalogue, a Set of Doctor-Patient Communication Recommendations to Improve Patient Illness Experience and Mood States within a Hospital Cardiologic Ambulatory Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piercarlo Ballo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Strategies to improve doctor-patient communication may have a beneficial impact on patient’s illness experience and mood, with potential favorable clinical effects. We prospectively tested the psychometric and clinical validity of the Decalogue, a tool utilizing 10 communication recommendations for patients and physicians. The Decalogue was administered to 100 consecutive patients referred for a cardiologic consultation, whereas 49 patients served as controls. The POMS-2 questionnaire was used to measure the total mood disturbance at the end of the consultation. Structural equation modeling showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha 0.93, good test-retest reproducibility, and high validity of the psychometric construct (all > 0.80, suggesting a positive effect on patients’ illness experience. The total mood disturbance was lower in the patients exposed to the Decalogue as compared to the controls (1.4±12.1 versus 14.8±27.6, p=0.0010. In an additional questionnaire, patients in the Decalogue group showed a trend towards a better understanding of their state of health (p=0.07. In a cardiologic ambulatory setting, the Decalogue shows good validity and reliability as a tool to improve patients’ illness experience and could have a favorable impact on mood states. These effects might potentially improve patient engagement in care and adherence to therapy, as well as clinical outcome.

An Examination of Effective Practice: Moving Toward Elimination of Achievement Gaps in Science

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Carla C.

2009-06-01

This longitudinal study of middle school science teachers explored the relationship between effective science instruction, as defined by the National Science Education Standards (NRC in National science education standards. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1996), and student achievement in science. Eleven teachers participated in a three year study of teacher effectiveness, determined by the LSC Classroom Observation Protocol (Horizon Research, Inc. in Local Systemic Change Classroom Observation Protocol. May 1, 2002) and student achievement, which was assessed using the Discovery Inquiry Test in Science. Findings in this study revealed the positive impact that effective science teachers have on student learning, eliminating achievement gaps between White and Non-White students. Case studies of three teachers, both effective and ineffective explore the beliefs and experiences that influence teachers to change, or not to change practice. This study provides justification for teaching science effectively to narrow achievement gaps in science and provides insight to stakeholders in science education as to how to support teachers in becoming more effective, through addressing existing teacher beliefs and providing experiences that challenge those beliefs.

Evaluation of one-dimensional and two-dimensional volatility basis sets in simulating the aging of secondary organic aerosol with smog-chamber experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bin; Wang, Shuxiao; Donahue, Neil M; Chuang, Wayne; Hildebrandt Ruiz, Lea; Ng, Nga L; Wang, Yangjun; Hao, Jiming

2015-02-17

We evaluate the one-dimensional volatility basis set (1D-VBS) and two-dimensional volatility basis set (2D-VBS) in simulating the aging of SOA derived from toluene and α-pinene against smog-chamber experiments. If we simulate the first-generation products with empirical chamber fits and the subsequent aging chemistry with a 1D-VBS or a 2D-VBS, the models mostly overestimate the SOA concentrations in the toluene oxidation experiments. This is because the empirical chamber fits include both first-generation oxidation and aging; simulating aging in addition to this results in double counting of the initial aging effects. If the first-generation oxidation is treated explicitly, the base-case 2D-VBS underestimates the SOA concentrations and O:C increase of the toluene oxidation experiments; it generally underestimates the SOA concentrations and overestimates the O:C increase of the α-pinene experiments. With the first-generation oxidation treated explicitly, we could modify the 2D-VBS configuration individually for toluene and α-pinene to achieve good model-measurement agreement. However, we are unable to simulate the oxidation of both toluene and α-pinene with the same 2D-VBS configuration. We suggest that future models should implement parallel layers for anthropogenic (aromatic) and biogenic precursors, and that more modeling studies and laboratory research be done to optimize the "best-guess" parameters for each layer.

New Technique for Improving Performance of LDPC Codes in the Presence of Trapping Sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Adnan Landolsi

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Trapping sets are considered the primary factor for degrading the performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC codes in the error-floor region. The effect of trapping sets on the performance of an LDPC code becomes worse as the code size decreases. One approach to tackle this problem is to minimize trapping sets during LDPC code design. However, while trapping sets can be reduced, their complete elimination is infeasible due to the presence of cycles in the underlying LDPC code bipartite graph. In this work, we introduce a new technique based on trapping sets neutralization to minimize the negative effect of trapping sets under belief propagation (BP decoding. Simulation results for random, progressive edge growth (PEG and MacKay LDPC codes demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. The hardware cost of the proposed technique is also shown to be minimal.

Identifying and eliminating the problem with Einstein's cosmological constant

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Zachary

2005-12-01

The cosmological constant, L, was first introduced into Einstein's field equations in the early 20 th century. It was introduced as a quantity of outward-pushing energy in space that would counteract the contracting force of gravity thereby keeping the universe in a balanced and static state. Einstein willingly removed it once the universe was observed to be dynamic rather than static. However, as the decades have gone by, L has maintained its supporters and has continually been reintroduced to solve problems in cosmology. Presently, there is good reason to believe that L or something like it is indeed present in our universe. In the 1960s, in an effort to provide a physical basis for L, particle physicists turned to quantum vacuum energy and have since estimated a value for L to be ~ 10 110 erg/cm 3 , which happens to be significantly greater than its observationally constrained value of ~ 10 10 erg/cm 3 . This discrepancy of 120 orders of magnitude has come to be known as the cosmological constant problem. Any effort to resolve the inconsistency must also account for the various observations we attribute to L, such as cosmic inflation and cosmic acceleration. To date, there are two basic approaches to resolving the cosmological constant problem that we may call the Identity approach and the Eliminativist approach. The Identity approach entails that vacuum energy is responsible for all the relevant observations and the problem is to be solved by some cancellation mechanism within the internal components of the vacuum. The Eliminativist approach explicitly rejects the reality and cosmological efficacy of vacuum energy, seeks alternative explanations for the observations and eliminates the cosmological constant problem by eliminating the cosmological constant. The benefit of having a crisis between these two views at this particular stage in cosmology's history is that they can be tested against each other in an experimental situation. Whatever the outcome of the

[Application of thermosetting plastics to eliminate undercuts].

Science.gov (United States)

Bielawski, T

1989-01-01

The author proposes to utilize the properties of thermosetting plastics used in other fields to use them in prosthetics in order to eliminate undercuts. Application of extra equipment in claspograph in the form of studs of three dimension makes formation of undercuts' blockade easier improving the result of work at the same time.

Set of Frequent Word Item sets as Feature Representation for Text with Indonesian Slang

Science.gov (United States)

Sa'adillah Maylawati, Dian; Putri Saptawati, G. A.

2017-01-01

Indonesian slang are commonly used in social media. Due to their unstructured syntax, it is difficult to extract their features based on Indonesian grammar for text mining. To do so, we propose Set of Frequent Word Item sets (SFWI) as text representation which is considered match for Indonesian slang. Besides, SFWI is able to keep the meaning of Indonesian slang with regard to the order of appearance sentence. We use FP-Growth algorithm with adding separation sentence function into the algorithm to extract the feature of SFWI. The experiments is done with text data from social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and personal website. The result of experiments shows that Indonesian slang were more correctly interpreted based on SFWI.

Reducing hypothetical bias in choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ladenburg, Jacob; Olsen, Søren Bøye; Nielsen, Rasmus Christian Fejer

eliminate some of the hypothetical bias. The present paper tests an addition to Cheap Talk, an Opt-Out Reminder. The Opt-Out Reminder is an objective short script presented prior to the choice sets, prompting the respondent to choose the opt-out alternative, if he/she finds the proposed policy generated...... alternatives in a choice set too expensive. The results suggest that adding an Opt-Out Reminder to Cheap Talk can in fact reduce hypothetical bias even further and reduces some of the ineffectiveness of CT in relation to the survey bid range and experienced respondents....

Measuring elimination of podoconiosis, endemicity classifications, case definition and targets: an international Delphi exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Deribe, Kebede; Wanji, Samuel; Shafi, Oumer; Muheki Tukahebwa, Edridah; Umulisa, Irenee; Davey, Gail

2015-09-01

Podoconiosis is one of the major causes of lymphoedema in the tropics. Nonetheless, currently there are no endemicity classifications or elimination targets to monitor the effects of interventions. This study aimed at establishing case definitions and indicators that can be used to assess endemicity, elimination and clinical outcomes of podoconiosis. This paper describes the result of a Delphi technique used among 28 experts. A questionnaire outlining possible case definitions, endemicity classifications, elimination targets and clinical outcomes was developed. The questionnaire was distributed to experts working on podoconiosis and other neglected tropical diseases in two rounds. The experts rated the importance of case definitions, endemic classifications, elimination targets and the clinical outcome measures. Median and mode were used to describe the central tendency of expert responses. The coefficient of variation was used to describe the dispersals of expert responses. Consensus on definitions and indicators for assessing endemicity, elimination and clinical outcomes of podoconiosis directed at policy makers and health workers was achieved following the two rounds of Delphi approach among the experts. Based on the two Delphi rounds we discuss potential indicators and endemicity classification of this disabling disease, and the ongoing challenges to its elimination in countries with the highest prevalence. Consensus will help to increase effectiveness of podoconiosis elimination efforts and ensure comparability of outcome data. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Challenges and needs for China to eliminate rabies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Wenwu; Dong, Jie; Tu, Changchun; Edwards, John; Guo, Fusheng; Zhou, Hang; Yu, Hongjie; Vong, Sirenda

2013-10-02

In China, rabies is a significant public health concern where dogs remain the main reservoir of disease transmission to humans; rabies-related mortality ranks second in the world.We compiled all published articles and official documents on rabies in mainland China to examine challenges and needs to eliminate rabies in the country. The Chinese authorities have identified rabies as a priority, recognized rabies control in dogs as key to control rabies in humans and required intersectoral collaborations. Efforts have been made to respond effectively to the latest re-emergence of rabies, which peaked in 2007 with >3,300 cases. Despite these outcomes and the increasing volume of publications and regulations in the recent years, our review points to some major information gaps to improve rabies control activities and envisage elimination program. An emphasis on laboratory or pathogen-associated and basic epidemiology research in the literature has contrasted with the absence of information to monitor various systems in humans and animals (e.g. quality of surveillance, response and post-exposure prophylaxis). Information is also lacking to appropriately inform policymakers (e.g. economic disease burden, impact of policies) and assist program managers (e.g. comprehensive and strategic guidance for cost-effective prevention and control activities, public education and dog population management).In conclusion, strategic planning is needed to provide a sense of direction, demonstrate feasibility of elimination in China, and develop a research agenda, addressing country's operational needs and constraints. The planning should be a multisectoral effort.

Experiences of mental health professionals and patients in the use of pro re nata medication in acute adult mental healthcare settings: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Morkunas, Bernadette; Porritt, Kylie; Stephenson, Matthew

2016-10-01

The use of pro re nata (PRN) medication, a medication that is given when needed, as opposed to medication that is given at a regular time, is surrounded by claims of misuse and poor accountability within the mental health setting. Gaining insight into and understanding of the experiences of health professionals' and patients' use of PRN medication will assist in contributing to improving education and safety around this common intervention. To analyze and synthesize the best available evidence on the perspectives of patients and mental health professionals (MHPs) with their experiences of PRN medication in mental health settings. Participants considered for inclusion in this review include MHPs working in, and adult patients admitted to, an acute adult mental healthcare setting. This review will consider studies that investigated the experience of MHPs' and patients' use of PRN medication in acute adult mental healthcare settings. The current review will consider studies that focused on qualitative data including, but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research. The context of the review is acute adult mental healthcare settings with no restriction on geographical location. The search strategy aims to find both published and unpublished studies. The databases searched include CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Embase. A gray literature search included ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Mednar and Google Scholar. Papers selected for retrieval were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity before inclusion in the review using the standardized critical appraisal instrument from the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). The standardized data extraction tool from the JBI-QARI was used to extract data from the papers. Qualitative research findings were pooled using the JBI-QARI. This involved the aggregation of findings to generate a

Influence of Synchronized Dead Point Elimination Crank on Cyclist Muscle Fatigue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Aziz Khadijah Akmal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of newly proposed bicycle’s crank to crank angle setting on the Vastus Lateralis (VL and Bicep Femoris (BF muscle activity during cycling. Procedures of Conconi Test were used throughout the experiment for the data collection purpose. The muscles activities were recorded using surface electromyography and software LabChart7. The raw data were further processed in time (Root-Mean-Square, RMS and frequency (Mean Power Frequency, MPF domain. It was found that 0° crank to crank setting (similar to conventional crank to crank angle setting caused the prime mover VL (Normalized RMS = 0.119 to fatigue more than BF (Normalized RMS = 0.102. This setting is expected to decrease the cycling performance. In addition, −5° is the best crank to crank angle setting that causes least fatigue to both VL and BF. In short, to increase the cycling performance by avoiding the fatigue to the main muscles, −5° is the suggested as setting angle for the proposed crank design.

Stereochemistry of 1,2-elimination and proton-transfer reactions: toward a unified understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohrig, Jerry R

2013-07-16

Many mechanistic and stereochemical studies have focused on the breaking of the C-H bond through base-catalyzed elimination reactions. When we began our research, however, chemists knew almost nothing about the stereospecificity of addition-elimination reactions involving conjugated acyclic carbonyl compounds, even though the carbonyl group is a pivotal functional group in organic chemistry. Over the last 25 years, we have studied the addition-elimination reactions of β-substituted acyclic esters, thioesters, and ketones in order to reach a comprehensive understanding of how electronic effects influence their stereochemistry. This Account brings together our understanding of the stereochemistry of 1,2-elimination and proton-transfer reactions, describing how each study has built upon previous work and contributed to our understanding of this field. When we began, chemists thought that anti stereospecificity in base-catalyzed 1,2-elimination reactions occurred via concerted E2 mechanisms, which provide a smooth path for anti elimination. Unexpectedly, we discovered that some E1cBirrev reactions produce the same anti stereospecificity as E2 reactions even though they proceed through diffusionally equilibrated, "free" enolate-anion intermediates. This result calls into question the conventional wisdom that anti stereochemistry must result from a concerted mechanism. While carrying out our research, we developed insights ranging from the role of historical contingency in the evolution of hydratase-dehydratase enzymes to the influence of buffers on the stereochemistry of H/D exchange in D2O. Negative hyperconjugation is the most important concept for understanding our results. This idea provides a unifying view for the largely anti stereochemistry in E1cBirrev elimination reactions and a basis for understanding the stereoelectronic influence of electron-withdrawing β-substituents on proton-transfer reactions.

Site requirements and kinetics of immune-dependent elimination of intravascularly administered lung stage schistosomula in mice immunized with highly irradiated cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangold, B.L.; Dean, D.A.; Coulson, P.S.; Wilson, R.A.

1986-01-01

Experiments were performed to compare the migration and survival of 75Se-labeled schistosomes, introduced by percutaneous cercarial exposure or by intravascular administration of 7-day-old lung stage schistosomula, in control and irradiated cercaria-immunized mice. Schistosomula were intravascularly introduced into the lungs, systemic organs and liver by injection via the femoral vein (FV), left ventricle (LV), and superior mesenteric vein (SMV), respectively. The fate of challenge larvae was examined by autoradiography of host tissues and by recovery of adult worms. It was found that both normal and immune elimination were site-dependent. In control mice 45%-60% of cercarial penetrants and lung schistosomula injected into the FV and LV were recoverable as adult worms, while a significantly greater number (70%-85%) were recoverable when lung schistosomula were injected into the SMV. In immunized mice, parasites introduced as either cercariae or FV-injected schistosomula were both highly sensitive to immune elimination. LV-injected schistosomula were also sensitive but to a slightly lesser degree. In contrast, schistosomula placed directly in the liver by SMV injection were totally insensitive to immune elimination. It was concluded that elimination of schistosomula in irradiated cercaria-immunized mice occurs in the lungs and/or in the systemic organs, but not in the liver. Also, it was concluded that immune elimination is not a rapid process, since more than 7 days were required after intravascular challenge for the development of demonstrable differences between control and immunized mice

Experiences of stigma in healthcare settings among adults living with HIV in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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Rahmati-Najarkolaei, Fatemeh; Niknami, Shamsaddin; Aminshokravi, Farkhondeh; Bazargan, Mohsen; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Hadjizadeh, Ebrahim; Tavafian, Sedigheh S

2010-07-22

People living with HIV (PLHIV) sometimes experience discrimination. There is little understanding of the causes, forms and consequences of this stigma in Islamic countries. This qualitative study explored perceptions and experiences of PLHIV regarding both the quality of healthcare and the attitudes and behaviours of their healthcare providers in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were held with a purposively selected group of 69 PLHIV recruited from two HIV care clinics in Tehran. Data were analyzed using the content analysis approach. Nearly all participants reported experiencing stigma and discrimination by their healthcare providers in a variety of contexts. Participants perceived that their healthcare providers' fear of being infected with HIV, coupled with religious and negative value-based assumptions about PLHIV, led to high levels of stigma. Participants mentioned at least four major forms of stigma: (1) refusal of care; (2) sub-optimal care; (3) excessive precautions and physical distancing; and (4) humiliation and blaming. The participants' healthcare-seeking behavioural reactions to perceived stigma and discrimination included avoiding or delaying seeking care, not disclosing HIV status when seeking healthcare, and using spiritual healing. In addition, emotional responses to perceived acts of stigma included feeling undeserving of care, diminished motivation to stay healthy, feeling angry and vengeful, and experiencing emotional stress. While previous studies demonstrate that most Iranian healthcare providers report fairly positive attitudes towards PLHIV, our participants' experiences tell a different story. Therefore, it is imperative to engage both healthcare providers and PLHIV in designing interventions targeting stigma in healthcare settings. Additionally, specialized training programmes in universal precautions for health providers will lead to stigma reduction. National policies to strengthen medical training and

The influence of certain molecular descriptors of fecal elimination of angiotensin II receptor antagonists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trbojević-Stanković Jasna B.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARBs modulate the function of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and are commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs, especially in patients with renal failure. In this study, the relationship between several molecular properties of seven ARBs (candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan and their fecal elimination data obtained from the literature were investigated. The ARB molecular descriptors were calculated using three software packages. Simple linear regression analysis showed the best 2 correlation between fecal elimination data and lipophilicity descriptor, ClogP values (R2 = 0.725. Multiple linear regression was applied to examine the correlation of ARBs’ fecal elimination data with their lipophilicity and one additional, calculated descriptor. The best correlation (R2 = 0.909 with an acceptable probability value, P <0.05 was established between the ARB fecal elimination data and their lipophilicity and aqueous solubility data. Applying computed molecular descriptors for evaluating drug elimination is of great importance in drug research.

Retrograde Signaling from Progranulin to Sort1 Counteracts Synapse Elimination in the Developing Cerebellum.

Science.gov (United States)

Uesaka, Naofumi; Abe, Manabu; Konno, Kohtarou; Yamazaki, Maya; Sakoori, Kazuto; Watanabe, Takaki; Kao, Tzu-Huei; Mikuni, Takayasu; Watanabe, Masahiko; Sakimura, Kenji; Kano, Masanobu

2018-02-21

Elimination of redundant synapses formed early in development and strengthening of necessary connections are crucial for shaping functional neural circuits. Purkinje cells (PCs) in the neonatal cerebellum are innervated by multiple climbing fibers (CFs) with similar strengths. A single CF is strengthened whereas the other CFs are eliminated in each PC during postnatal development. The underlying mechanisms, particularly for the strengthening of single CFs, are poorly understood. Here we report that progranulin, a multi-functional growth factor implicated in the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia, strengthens developing CF synaptic inputs and counteracts their elimination from postnatal day 11 to 16. Progranulin derived from PCs acts retrogradely onto its putative receptor Sort1 on CFs. This effect is independent of semaphorin 3A, another retrograde signaling molecule that counteracts CF synapse elimination. We propose that progranulin-Sort1 signaling strengthens and maintains developing CF inputs, and may contribute to selection of single "winner" CFs that survive synapse elimination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ELM elimination with Li powder injection in EAST discharges using the tungsten upper divertor

Science.gov (United States)

Maingi, R.; Hu, J. S.; Sun, Z.; Tritz, K.; Zuo, G. Z.; Xu, W.; Huang, M.; Meng, X. C.; Canik, J. M.; Diallo, A.; Lunsford, R.; Mansfield, D. K.; Osborne, T. H.; Gong, X. Z.; Wang, Y. F.; Li, Y. Y.; EAST Team

2018-02-01

We report the first successful use of lithium (Li) to eliminate edge-localized modes (ELMs) with tungsten divertor plasma-facing components in the EAST device. Li powder injected into the scrape-off layer of the tungsten upper divertor successfully eliminated ELMs for 3-5 s in EAST. The ELM elimination became progressively more effective in consecutive discharges at constant lithium delivery rates, and the divertor D α baseline emission was reduced, both signatures of improved wall conditioning. A modest decrease in stored energy and normalized energy confinement was also observed, but the confinement relative to H98 remained well above 1, extending the previous ELM elimination results via Li injection into the lower carbon divertor in EAST (Hu et al 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 055001). These results can be compared with recent observations with lithium pellets in ASDEX-Upgrade that failed to mitigate ELMs (Lang et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 016030), highlighting one comparative advantage of continuous powder injection for real-time ELM elimination.

Accurate and diverse recommendations via eliminating redundant correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Tao; Su Riqi; Liu Runran; Jiang Luoluo; Wang Binghong; Zhang Yicheng

2009-01-01

In this paper, based on a weighted projection of a bipartite user-object network, we introduce a personalized recommendation algorithm, called network-based inference (NBI), which has higher accuracy than the classical algorithm, namely collaborative filtering. In NBI, the correlation resulting from a specific attribute may be repeatedly counted in the cumulative recommendations from different objects. By considering the higher order correlations, we design an improved algorithm that can, to some extent, eliminate the redundant correlations. We test our algorithm on two benchmark data sets, MovieLens and Netflix. Compared with NBI, the algorithmic accuracy, measured by the ranking score, can be further improved by 23 per cent for MovieLens and 22 per cent for Netflix. The present algorithm can even outperform the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, which requires much longer computational time. Furthermore, most previous studies considered the algorithmic accuracy only; in this paper, we argue that the diversity and popularity, as two significant criteria of algorithmic performance, should also be taken into account. With more or less the same accuracy, an algorithm giving higher diversity and lower popularity is more favorable. Numerical results show that the present algorithm can outperform the standard one simultaneously in all five adopted metrics: lower ranking score and higher precision for accuracy, larger Hamming distance and lower intra-similarity for diversity, as well as smaller average degree for popularity.

Accurate and diverse recommendations via eliminating redundant correlations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Tao; Su Riqi; Liu Runran; Jiang Luoluo; Wang Binghong [Department of Modern Physics and Nonlinear Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Anhui 230026 (China); Zhang Yicheng [Department of Physics, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musee 3, CH-1700 Fribourg (Switzerland)], E-mail: bhwang@ustc.edu.cn

2009-12-15

In this paper, based on a weighted projection of a bipartite user-object network, we introduce a personalized recommendation algorithm, called network-based inference (NBI), which has higher accuracy than the classical algorithm, namely collaborative filtering. In NBI, the correlation resulting from a specific attribute may be repeatedly counted in the cumulative recommendations from different objects. By considering the higher order correlations, we design an improved algorithm that can, to some extent, eliminate the redundant correlations. We test our algorithm on two benchmark data sets, MovieLens and Netflix. Compared with NBI, the algorithmic accuracy, measured by the ranking score, can be further improved by 23 per cent for MovieLens and 22 per cent for Netflix. The present algorithm can even outperform the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, which requires much longer computational time. Furthermore, most previous studies considered the algorithmic accuracy only; in this paper, we argue that the diversity and popularity, as two significant criteria of algorithmic performance, should also be taken into account. With more or less the same accuracy, an algorithm giving higher diversity and lower popularity is more favorable. Numerical results show that the present algorithm can outperform the standard one simultaneously in all five adopted metrics: lower ranking score and higher precision for accuracy, larger Hamming distance and lower intra-similarity for diversity, as well as smaller average degree for popularity.

Accurate and diverse recommendations via eliminating redundant correlations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Tao; Su, Ri-Qi; Liu, Run-Ran; Jiang, Luo-Luo; Wang, Bing-Hong; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2009-12-01

In this paper, based on a weighted projection of a bipartite user-object network, we introduce a personalized recommendation algorithm, called network-based inference (NBI), which has higher accuracy than the classical algorithm, namely collaborative filtering. In NBI, the correlation resulting from a specific attribute may be repeatedly counted in the cumulative recommendations from different objects. By considering the higher order correlations, we design an improved algorithm that can, to some extent, eliminate the redundant correlations. We test our algorithm on two benchmark data sets, MovieLens and Netflix. Compared with NBI, the algorithmic accuracy, measured by the ranking score, can be further improved by 23 per cent for MovieLens and 22 per cent for Netflix. The present algorithm can even outperform the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, which requires much longer computational time. Furthermore, most previous studies considered the algorithmic accuracy only; in this paper, we argue that the diversity and popularity, as two significant criteria of algorithmic performance, should also be taken into account. With more or less the same accuracy, an algorithm giving higher diversity and lower popularity is more favorable. Numerical results show that the present algorithm can outperform the standard one simultaneously in all five adopted metrics: lower ranking score and higher precision for accuracy, larger Hamming distance and lower intra-similarity for diversity, as well as smaller average degree for popularity.

Designing Programs for Eliminating Canine Rabies from Islands: Bali, Indonesia as a Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Sunny E.; Sumantra, I Putu; Pudjiatmoko; Bagus, Gusti Ngurah; Brum, Eric; Cleaveland, Sarah; Crafter, Sally; Dewi, Ayu P. M.; Dharma, Dewa Made Ngurah; Dushoff, Jonathan; Girardi, Janice; Gunata, I Ketut; Hiby, Elly F.; Kalalo, Corlevin; Knobel, Darryn L.; Mardiana, I Wayan; Putra, Anak Agung Gde; Schoonman, Luuk; Scott–Orr, Helen; Shand, Mike; Sukanadi, I Wayan; Suseno, Pebi Purwo; Haydon, Daniel T.; Hampson, Katie

2013-01-01

Background Canine rabies is one of the most important and feared zoonotic diseases in the world. In some regions rabies elimination is being successfully coordinated, whereas in others rabies is endemic and continues to spread to uninfected areas. As epidemics emerge, both accepted and contentious control methods are used, as questions remain over the most effective strategy to eliminate rabies. The Indonesian island of Bali was rabies-free until 2008 when an epidemic in domestic dogs began, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people. Here we analyze data from the epidemic and compare the effectiveness of control methods at eliminating rabies. Methodology/Principal Findings Using data from Bali, we estimated the basic reproductive number, R 0, of rabies in dogs, to be ∼1·2, almost identical to that obtained in ten–fold less dense dog populations and suggesting rabies will not be effectively controlled by reducing dog density. We then developed a model to compare options for mass dog vaccination. Comprehensive high coverage was the single most important factor for achieving elimination, with omission of even small areas (<0.5% of the dog population) jeopardizing success. Parameterizing the model with data from the 2010 and 2011 vaccination campaigns, we show that a comprehensive high coverage campaign in 2012 would likely result in elimination, saving ∼550 human lives and ∼$15 million in prophylaxis costs over the next ten years. Conclusions/Significance The elimination of rabies from Bali will not be achieved through achievable reductions in dog density. To ensure elimination, concerted high coverage, repeated, mass dog vaccination campaigns are necessary and the cooperation of all regions of the island is critical. Momentum is building towards development of a strategy for the global elimination of canine rabies, and this study offers valuable new insights about the dynamics and control of this disease, with immediate practical relevance. PMID:23991233

Random sets and random fuzzy sets as ill-perceived random variables an introduction for Ph.D. students and practitioners

CERN Document Server

Couso, Inés; Sánchez, Luciano

2014-01-01

This short book provides a unified view of the history and theory of random sets and fuzzy random variables, with special emphasis on its use for representing higher-order non-statistical uncertainty about statistical experiments. The authors lay bare the existence of two streams of works using the same mathematical ground, but differing form their use of sets, according to whether they represent objects of interest naturally taking the form of sets, or imprecise knowledge about such objects. Random (fuzzy) sets can be used in many fields ranging from mathematical morphology, economics, artificial intelligence, information processing and statistics per se, especially in areas where the outcomes of random experiments cannot be observed with full precision. This book also emphasizes the link between random sets and fuzzy sets with some techniques related to the theory of imprecise probabilities. This small book is intended for graduate and doctoral students in mathematics or engineering, but also provides an i...

New strategy for eliminating zero-sequence circulating current between parallel operating three-level NPC voltage source inverters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Kai; Dong, Zhenhua; Wang, Xiaodong

2018-01-01

A novel strategy based on a zero common mode voltage pulse-width modulation (ZCMV-PWM) technique and zero-sequence circulating current (ZSCC) feedback control is proposed in this study to eliminate ZSCCs between three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) voltage source inverters, with common AC and DC......, the ZCMV-PWM method is presented to reduce CMVs, and a simple electric circuit is adopted to control ZSCCs and neutral point potential. Finally, simulation and experiment are conducted to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Results show that ZSCCs between paralleled inverters can...

Hysteria, race, and phlogiston. A model of ontological elimination in the human sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, David

2014-03-01

Elimination controversies are ubiquitous in philosophy and the human sciences. For example, it has been suggested that human races, hysteria, intelligence, mental disorder, propositional attitudes such as beliefs and desires, the self, and the super-ego should be eliminated from the list of respectable entities in the human sciences. I argue that eliminativist proposals are often presented in the framework of an oversimplified "phlogiston model" and suggest an alternative account that describes ontological elimination on a gradual scale between criticism of empirical assumptions and conceptual choices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immersion-scanning-tunneling-microscope for long-term variable-temperature experiments at liquid-solid interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ochs, Oliver; Heckl, Wolfgang M.; Lackinger, Markus

2018-05-01

Fundamental insights into the kinetics and thermodynamics of supramolecular self-assembly on surfaces are uniquely gained by variable-temperature high-resolution Scanning-Tunneling-Microscopy (STM). Conventionally, these experiments are performed with standard ambient microscopes extended with heatable sample stages for local heating. However, unavoidable solvent evaporation sets a technical limit on the duration of these experiments, hence prohibiting long-term experiments. These, however, would be highly desirable to provide enough time for temperature stabilization and settling of drift but also to study processes with inherently slow kinetics. To overcome this dilemma, we propose a STM that can operate fully immersed in solution. The instrument is mounted onto the lid of a hermetically sealed heatable container that is filled with the respective solution. By closing the container, both the sample and microscope are immersed in solution. Thereby solvent evaporation is eliminated and an environment for long-term experiments with utmost stable and controllable temperatures between room-temperature and 100 °C is provided. Important experimental requirements for the immersion-STM and resulting design criteria are discussed, the strategy for protection against corrosive media is described, the temperature stability and drift behavior are thoroughly characterized, and first long-term high resolution experiments at liquid-solid interfaces are presented.

Feasibility of the Participatory Experience Survey and the Setting Affordances Survey for use in evaluation of programmes serving youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Liljenquist, K; Coster, W; Kramer, J; Rossetti, Z

2017-07-01

Participation by youth with disabilities in recreational activities has been shown to promote the development of important skills needed for transition to adulthood. The Participatory Experience Survey (PES) and the Setting Affordances Survey (SAS) were developed for use by recreational programmes serving youth with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (SIDD) to assess participant experiences and ensure that participants are afforded optimal opportunities to develop these skills. This paper presents a feasibility evaluation to determine the appropriateness of the PES and the SAS for use in a programme evaluation context. The PES and the SAS were used to evaluate a programme serving youth with SIDD in the greater northwest region of the United States. Three recreational activities were evaluated: an art project, trip to a zoo and a track practice. Programme volunteers used the SAS to assess opportunities and affordances offered within each activity. The PES was then given to 10 young people in each activity to capture their experiences. It was hypothesized that each setting would afford different experiences and developmental opportunities because of the differing nature of the activities. The PES and SAS were found to be feasible for conducting a programme evaluation. All three settings offered varying types of experiences and affordances. Notably, as measured by the SAS, opportunity for skill development was greater in more structured activities; the zoo had the fewest opportunities for skill development and the art project had the most skill development opportunities. Youth answered 'no' most often to 'asking for help' and 'helping a kid', suggesting changes to offer more opportunities to develop these skills would be beneficial in all three activities. These new instruments offer programmes a means to more fully include young people with disabilities during programme evaluations, leading to better-structured, more supportive programmes. �

Gaussian elimination in split unitary groups with an application to public-key cryptography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayan Mahalanobis

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Gaussian elimination is used in special linear groups to solve the word problem. In this paper, we extend Gaussian elimination to split unitary groups. These algorithms have an application in building a public-key cryptosystem, we demonstrate that.