Relative Contribution of Dengue IgG Antibodies Acquired during Gestation or Breastfeeding in Mediating Dengue Disease Enhancement and Protection in Type I Interferon Receptor-Deficient Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pei Xuan; Ong, Li Ching; Libau, Eshele Anak; Alonso, Sylvie

2016-06-01

Dengue virus (DENV) causes a spectrum of diseases ranging from self-limiting dengue fever to severe conditions such as haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is thought to explain the occurrence of severe dengue whereby pre-existing binding but non-neutralising antibodies enhance DENV infection. The ADE phenomenon is supported by epidemiological findings that infants that born to dengue immune mothers are at greater risk to develop severe dengue upon primary infection. The role of maternally acquired dengue-specific antibodies in disease enhancement was recently recapitulated in a mouse model where mice born to DENV1-immune mothers experienced enhanced disease severity upon DENV2 infection. Here, this study investigates the relative contribution of maternal dengue-specific antibodies acquired during gestation and breastfeeding in dengue disease. Using a surrogate breastfeeding mother experimental approach, we showed that majority of the maternal dengue-specific antibodies were acquired during breastfeeding and conferred an extended enhancement window. On the other hand, in the context of homologous infection, breastfeeding conferred protection. Furthermore, measurement of dengue-specific antibody titres over time in mice born to dengue immune mothers revealed a biphasic pattern of antibody decay as reported in humans. Our work provides evidence of the potential contribution of breast milk-acquired dengue-specific IgG antibodies in enhancement and protection against dengue. Should such contribution be established in humans as well, it may have important implications for the development of guidelines to dengue-immune breastfeeding mothers.

Relative Contribution of Dengue IgG Antibodies Acquired during Gestation or Breastfeeding in Mediating Dengue Disease Enhancement and Protection in Type I Interferon Receptor-Deficient Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pei Xuan; Ong, Li Ching; Libau, Eshele Anak; Alonso, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Dengue virus (DENV) causes a spectrum of diseases ranging from self-limiting dengue fever to severe conditions such as haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is thought to explain the occurrence of severe dengue whereby pre-existing binding but non-neutralising antibodies enhance DENV infection. The ADE phenomenon is supported by epidemiological findings that infants that born to dengue immune mothers are at greater risk to develop severe dengue upon primary infection. The role of maternally acquired dengue-specific antibodies in disease enhancement was recently recapitulated in a mouse model where mice born to DENV1-immune mothers experienced enhanced disease severity upon DENV2 infection. Here, this study investigates the relative contribution of maternal dengue-specific antibodies acquired during gestation and breastfeeding in dengue disease. Using a surrogate breastfeeding mother experimental approach, we showed that majority of the maternal dengue-specific antibodies were acquired during breastfeeding and conferred an extended enhancement window. On the other hand, in the context of homologous infection, breastfeeding conferred protection. Furthermore, measurement of dengue-specific antibody titres over time in mice born to dengue immune mothers revealed a biphasic pattern of antibody decay as reported in humans. Our work provides evidence of the potential contribution of breast milk-acquired dengue-specific IgG antibodies in enhancement and protection against dengue. Should such contribution be established in humans as well, it may have important implications for the development of guidelines to dengue-immune breastfeeding mothers. PMID:27341339

Enhanced salt-induced antioxidative responses involve a contribution of polyamine biosynthesis in grapevine plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikbal, Fatima Ezzohra; Hernández, José Antonio; Barba-Espín, Gregorio; Koussa, Tayeb; Aziz, Aziz; Faize, Mohamed; Diaz-Vivancos, Pedro

2014-06-15

The possible involvement of polyamines in the salt stress adaptation was investigated in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) plantlets focusing on photosynthesis and oxidative metabolism. Salt stress resulted in the deterioration of plant growth and photosynthesis, and treatment of plantlets with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) inhibitor, enhanced the salt stress effect. A decrease in PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm), effective PSII quantum yield (Y(II)) and coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP) as well as increases in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and its coefficient (qN) was observed by these treatments. Salt and/or MGBG treatments also triggered an increase in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation as well as an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX) activities, but not ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity. Salt stress also resulted in an accumulation of oxidized ascorbate (DHA) and a decrease in reduced glutathione. MGBG alone or in combination with salt stress increased monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), SOD and POX activities and surprisingly no accumulation of DHA was noticed following treatment with MGBG. These salt-induced responses correlated with the maintaining of high level of free and conjugated spermidine and spermine, whereas a reduction of agmatine and putrescine levels was observed, which seemed to be amplified by the MGBG treatment. These results suggest that maintaining polyamine biosynthesis through the enhanced SAMDC activity in grapevine leaf tissues under salt stress conditions could contribute to the enhanced ROS scavenging activity and a protection of photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative damages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Enhancing of optic phonon contribution in hydrodynamic phonon transport

Science.gov (United States)

de Tomas, C.; Cantarero, A.; Lopeandia, A. F.; Alvarez, F. X.

2015-10-01

In the framework of the kinetic-collective model of phonon heat transport, we analyze how each range of the phonon frequency spectrum contributes to the total thermal conductivity both in the macro and the nanoscale. For this purpose, we use two case study samples: naturally occurring bulk silicon and a 115 nm of diameter silicon nanowire. We show that the contribution of high-energy phonons (optic branches) is non-negligible only when N-collisions are strongly present. This contribution increases when the effective size of the sample decreases, and it is found to be up to a 10% at room temperature for the 115 nm nanowire, corroborating preliminar ab-initio predictions.

Diagnosis of colorectal endometriosis: contribution of contrast enhanced MR-colonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scardapane, Arnaldo; Lorusso, Filomenamila; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio; Lasciarrea, Maurilia; Angelelli, Giuseppe; Bettocchi, Stefano; Vimercati, Antonella; Ceci, Oronzo

2011-01-01

To investigate the contribution of contrast-enhanced MR-colonography (CE-MR-C) for the diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis. One hundred and four women with suspected endometriosis were prospectively enrolled. All patients were subjected to MRI consisting of two phases: pelvic high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI) followed by CE-MR-C after colonic distension using a 1.5-liter water enema and injection of 0.15 ml/kg of 0.5 M gadolinium-DTPA with T1w high-resolution isotropic volume (THRIVE) and balanced turbo field echo (BTFE) images. HR-MRI and CE-MR-C were considered as two datasets, which were independently reviewed by two radiologists with 12 and 2 years' experience respectively. The presence of deep pelvic endometriotic lesions with particular attention to colorectal involvement was recorded. MRI findings correlated with laparoscopy in all cases. Thanks to CE-MR-C images, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy for diagnosis of colorectal endometriosis increased from 76%, 96%, 84%, 93% and 91%, to 95%, 97%, 91%, 99% and 97% for the most experienced radiologist and from 62%, 93%, 72%, 89% and 85%, to 86%, 94%, 82%, 96% and 92% for the less experienced radiologist; moreover, the interobserver agreement increased from 0.63 to 0.80 (Cohen's K test). CE-MR-C allows easier recognition of colorectal endometriosis and higher interobserver agreement. (orig.)

Diagnosis of colorectal endometriosis: contribution of contrast enhanced MR-colonography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scardapane, Arnaldo; Lorusso, Filomenamila; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio; Lasciarrea, Maurilia; Angelelli, Giuseppe [University Hospital Policlinico, Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health (Di.M.I.M.P.) - Section of Diagnostic Imaging, Bari (Italy); Bettocchi, Stefano; Vimercati, Antonella; Ceci, Oronzo [University Hospital Policlinico, Department of General and Specialistic Surgical Sciences, Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bari (Italy)

2011-07-15

To investigate the contribution of contrast-enhanced MR-colonography (CE-MR-C) for the diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis. One hundred and four women with suspected endometriosis were prospectively enrolled. All patients were subjected to MRI consisting of two phases: pelvic high-resolution MRI (HR-MRI) followed by CE-MR-C after colonic distension using a 1.5-liter water enema and injection of 0.15 ml/kg of 0.5 M gadolinium-DTPA with T1w high-resolution isotropic volume (THRIVE) and balanced turbo field echo (BTFE) images. HR-MRI and CE-MR-C were considered as two datasets, which were independently reviewed by two radiologists with 12 and 2 years' experience respectively. The presence of deep pelvic endometriotic lesions with particular attention to colorectal involvement was recorded. MRI findings correlated with laparoscopy in all cases. Thanks to CE-MR-C images, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy for diagnosis of colorectal endometriosis increased from 76%, 96%, 84%, 93% and 91%, to 95%, 97%, 91%, 99% and 97% for the most experienced radiologist and from 62%, 93%, 72%, 89% and 85%, to 86%, 94%, 82%, 96% and 92% for the less experienced radiologist; moreover, the interobserver agreement increased from 0.63 to 0.80 (Cohen's K test). CE-MR-C allows easier recognition of colorectal endometriosis and higher interobserver agreement. (orig.)

Estimation of contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on an enhanced water quality model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Bibo; Li, Chuan; Liu, Yan; Zhao, Yue; Sha, Jian; Wang, Yuqiu

2015-05-01

Because water quality monitoring sections or sites could reflect the water quality status of rivers, surface water quality management based on water quality monitoring sections or sites would be effective. For the purpose of improving water quality of rivers, quantifying the contribution ratios of pollutant resources to a specific section is necessary. Because physical and chemical processes of nutrient pollutants are complex in water bodies, it is difficult to quantitatively compute the contribution ratios. However, water quality models have proved to be effective tools to estimate surface water quality. In this project, an enhanced QUAL2Kw model with an added module was applied to the Xin'anjiang Watershed, to obtain water quality information along the river and to assess the contribution ratios of each pollutant source to a certain section (the Jiekou state-controlled section). Model validation indicated that the results were reliable. Then, contribution ratios were analyzed through the added module. Results show that among the pollutant sources, the Lianjiang tributary contributes the largest part of total nitrogen (50.43%), total phosphorus (45.60%), ammonia nitrogen (32.90%), nitrate (nitrite + nitrate) nitrogen (47.73%), and organic nitrogen (37.87%). Furthermore, contribution ratios in different reaches varied along the river. Compared with pollutant loads ratios of different sources in the watershed, an analysis of contribution ratios of pollutant sources for each specific section, which takes the localized chemical and physical processes into consideration, was more suitable for local-regional water quality management. In summary, this method of analyzing the contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on the QUAL2Kw model was found to support the improvement of the local environment.

Enhancing international medical graduates' communication: the contribution of applied linguistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahm, Maria R; Yates, Lynda; Ogden, Kathryn; Rooney, Kim; Sheldon, Brooke

2015-08-01

International medical graduates (IMGs) make up one-third of the Australian medical workforce. Those from non-English-language backgrounds can face cultural and communication barriers, yet linguistic support is variable and medical educators are often required to provide feedback on both medical and communication issues. However, some communication difficulties may be very specific to the experiences of IMGs as second language users. This interdisciplinary study combines perspectives from applied linguistics experts and clinical educators to address IMGs' difficulties from multiple dimensions and to enhance feedback quality. Five video-recorded patient encounters with five IMGs were collected at Launceston General Hospital. Three clinical educators gave quantitative and qualitative feedback using the Rating Instrument for Clinical Consulting Skills, and two applied linguistics experts analysed the data for language, pragmatic and communication difficulties. The comparison of the educators' language-related feedback with linguistic analyses of the same interactions facilitated the exploration of differences in the difficulties identified by the two expert groups. Although the clinical educators were able to use their tacit intuitive understanding of communication issues to identify IMG difficulties, they less frequently addressed the underlying issues or suggested specific remedies in their feedback. This pilot study illustrates the effectiveness of interdisciplinary collaboration in highlighting the specific discourse features contributing to IMG communication difficulties and thus assists educators in deconstructing their intuitive knowledge. The authors suggest that linguistic insights can therefore improve communications training by assisting educators to provide more targeted feedback. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Contribution inequality in the spatial public goods game: Should the rich contribute more?

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Jing

2018-04-01

Scale-free property exists in resource distribution, and the rich pay more in public goods is commonplace in reality. What will happen if the rich are expected to contribute more in the spatial public goods game? This paper therefore proposes a new contribution paradigm, in which individual contribution is determined by his payoff in the last evolution step. Tunable parameter w is used to characterize the contribution rate of nodes whose payoff is larger than the average. The results of simulations reveal that the impact of w on cooperation is associated with the enhancement factor r. When r is low, the higher w is, the lower the cooperation rate is. With the increment of r, the value of w to optimize cooperation rate increases with r. The relationship of cooperation rate and wealth on the network has also been investigated. Interestingly, higher cooperation rate does not always lead to higher wealth. Finally, the impact of w on the wealth distribution on the network is explored. The higher w reduces the inequality in wealth distribution by the shrinking of lower-class, which is enhanced by a higher r.

Enhancing the contribution of research to health care policy-making: a case study of the Dutch Health Care Performance Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegger, Ingrid; Marks, Lisanne K; Janssen, Susan W J; Schuit, Albertine J; van Oers, Hans A M

2016-01-01

The Dutch Health Care Performance Report, issued by the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, aims to monitor health care performance in The Netherlands. Both the National Institute and the Ministry of Health wish to increase the contribution of the Report to health care policy-making. Our aim was to identify ways to achieve that. We used contribution mapping as a theoretical framework that recognizes alignment of research as crucial to managing contributions to policy-making. To investigate which areas need alignment efforts by researchers and/or policy-makers, we interviewed National Institute researchers and policy-makers from the Ministry of Health and assessed the process for developing the 2010 Report. We identified six areas where alignment is specifically relevant for enhancing the contributions of future versions of the Dutch Health Care Performance Report: well-balanced information for different ministerial directorates; backstage work; double role actors; reports of other knowledge institutes; data collection/generation and presentation forms. The contribution of health care performance reporting to policy-making is complex and requires continuous alignment efforts between researchers and policy-makers. These efforts should form an inseparable part of health care performance reporting and although this demands considerable resources, it is worth considering since it may pay back in better contributions to policy-making. © The Author(s) 2015.

Thrombopoietin contributes to enhanced platelet activation in patients with unstable angina.

Science.gov (United States)

Lupia, Enrico; Bosco, Ornella; Bergerone, Serena; Dondi, Anna Erna; Goffi, Alberto; Oliaro, Elena; Cordero, Marco; Del Sorbo, Lorenzo; Trevi, Giampaolo; Montrucchio, Giuseppe

2006-12-05

We sought to investigate the potential role of elevated levels of thrombopoietin (TPO) in platelet activation during unstable angina (UA). Thrombopoietin is a humoral growth factor that does not induce platelet aggregation per se, but primes platelet activation in response to several agonists. No data concerning its contribution to platelet function abnormalities described in patients with UA are available. We studied 15 patients with UA and, as controls, 15 patients with stable angina (SA) and 15 healthy subjects. We measured TPO and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as monocyte-platelet binding and the platelet expression of P-selectin and of the TPO receptor, c-Mpl. The priming activity of patient or control plasma on platelet aggregation and monocyte-platelet binding and the role of TPO in this effect also were studied. Patients with UA showed higher circulating TPO levels, as well as increased monocyte-platelet binding, platelet P-selectin expression, and CRP levels, than those with SA and healthy control subjects. The UA patients also showed reduced platelet expression of the TPO receptor, c-Mpl. In vitro, the plasma from UA patients, but not from SA patients or healthy controls, primed platelet aggregation and monocyte-platelet binding, which were both reduced when an inhibitor of TPO was used. Thrombopoietin may enhance platelet activation in the early phases of UA, potentially participating in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes.

Contribution of transposable elements and distal enhancers to evolution of human-specific features of interphase chromatin architecture in embryonic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Glinsky, Gennadi V

2018-03-01

Transposable elements have made major evolutionary impacts on creation of primate-specific and human-specific genomic regulatory loci and species-specific genomic regulatory networks (GRNs). Molecular and genetic definitions of human-specific changes to GRNs contributing to development of unique to human phenotypes remain a highly significant challenge. Genome-wide proximity placement analysis of diverse families of human-specific genomic regulatory loci (HSGRL) identified topologically associating domains (TADs) that are significantly enriched for HSGRL and designated rapidly evolving in human TADs. Here, the analysis of HSGRL, hESC-enriched enhancers, super-enhancers (SEs), and specific sub-TAD structures termed super-enhancer domains (SEDs) has been performed. In the hESC genome, 331 of 504 (66%) of SED-harboring TADs contain HSGRL and 68% of SEDs co-localize with HSGRL, suggesting that emergence of HSGRL may have rewired SED-associated GRNs within specific TADs by inserting novel and/or erasing existing non-coding regulatory sequences. Consequently, markedly distinct features of the principal regulatory structures of interphase chromatin evolved in the hESC genome compared to mouse: the SED quantity is 3-fold higher and the median SED size is significantly larger. Concomitantly, the overall TAD quantity is increased by 42% while the median TAD size is significantly decreased (p = 9.11E-37) in the hESC genome. Present analyses illustrate a putative global role for transposable elements and HSGRL in shaping the human-specific features of the interphase chromatin organization and functions, which are facilitated by accelerated creation of novel transcription factor binding sites and new enhancers driven by targeted placement of HSGRL at defined genomic coordinates. A trend toward the convergence of TAD and SED architectures of interphase chromatin in the hESC genome may reflect changes of 3D-folding patterns of linear chromatin fibers designed to enhance both

Acquisition of glial cells missing 2 enhancers contributes to a diversity of ionocytes in zebrafish.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takanori Shono

Full Text Available Glial cells missing 2 (gcm2 encoding a GCM-motif transcription factor is expressed in the parathyroid in amniotes. In contrast, gcm2 is expressed in pharyngeal pouches (a homologous site of the parathyroid, gills, and H(+-ATPase-rich cells (HRCs, a subset of ionocytes on the skin surface of the teleost fish zebrafish. Ionocytes are specialized cells that are involved in osmotic homeostasis in aquatic vertebrates. Here, we showed that gcm2 is essential for the development of HRCs and Na(+-Cl(- co-transporter-rich cells (NCCCs, another subset of ionocytes in zebrafish. We also identified gcm2 enhancer regions that control gcm2 expression in ionocytes of zebrafish. Comparisons of the gcm2 locus with its neighboring regions revealed no conserved elements between zebrafish and tetrapods. Furthermore, We observed gcm2 expression patterns in embryos of the teleost fishes Medaka (Oryzias latipes and fugu (Fugu niphobles, the extant primitive ray-finned fishes Polypterus (Polypterus senegalus and sturgeon (a hybrid of Huso huso × Acipenser ruhenus, and the amphibian Xenopus (Xenopus laevis. Although gcm2-expressing cells were observed on the skin surface of Medaka and fugu, they were not found in Polypterus, sturgeon, or Xenopus. Our results suggest that an acquisition of enhancers for the expression of gcm2 contributes to a diversity of ionocytes in zebrafish during evolution.

Contribution of Renewables to Energy Security

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

The environmental benefits of renewable energy are well known. But the contribution that they can make to energy security is less widely recognised. This report aims to redress the balance, showing how in electricity generation, heat supply, and transport, renewables can enhance energy security and suggesting policies that can optimise this contribution.

ICIT contribution to JET gamma-ray diagnostics enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soare, S.; Curuia, M.; Zoita, V.

2010-01-01

Full text: Gamma-ray emission of tokamak plasmas is the result of the interaction of fast ions (fusion reaction products, including alpha particles, NBI ions, ICRH-accelerated ions) with main plasma impurities (e.g., carbon, beryllium). Gamma-ray diagnostics involve both gamma-ray imaging (cameras) and gamma-ray spectrometry (spectrometers). For the JET tokamak, gamma-ray diagnostics have been used to provide information on the characteristics of the fast ion population in plasmas. Two gamma-ray diagnostics enhancements project have been launched by JET and the MEdC/EURATOM Association has agreed to lead both of them with ICIT as projects leader. (authors)

Institutional delivery in India, 2004-14: unravelling the equity-enhancing contributions of the public sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Joe, William; Perkins, Jessica M; Kumar, Saroj; Rajpal, Sunil; Subramanian, S V

2018-06-01

To achieve faster and equitable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes, the government of India launched the National Rural Health Mission in 2005. This paper describes the equity-enhancing role of the public sector in increasing use of institutional delivery care services in India between 2004 and 2014. Information on 24 661 births from nationally representative survey data for 2004 and 2014 is analysed. Concentration index is computed to describe socioeconomic-rank-related relative inequalities in institutional delivery and decomposition is used to assess the contributions of public and private sectors in overall socioeconomic inequality. Multilevel logistic regression is applied to examine the changes in socioeconomic gradient between 2004 and 2014. The analysis finds that utilization of institutional delivery care in India increased from 43% in 2004 to 83% in 2014. The bulk of the increase was in public sector use (21% in 2004 to 53% in 2014) with a modest increase in private sector use (22% in 2004 to 30% in 2014). The shift from a pro-rich to pro-poor distribution of public sector use is confirmed. Decomposition analysis indicates that 51% of these reductions in socioeconomic inequality are associated with improved pro-poor distribution of public sector births. Multilevel logistic regressions confirm the disappearance of a wealth-based gradient in public sector births between 2004 and 2014. We conclude that public health investments in India have significantly contributed towards an equitable increase in the coverage of institutional delivery care. Sustained policy efforts are necessary, however, with an emphasis on education, sociocultural and geographical factors to ensure universal coverage of institutional delivery care services in India.

Elevated plasma factor VIII enhances venous thrombus formation in rabbits: contribution of factor XI, von Willebrand factor and tissue factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugita, Chihiro; Yamashita, Atsushi; Matsuura, Yunosuke; Iwakiri, Takashi; Okuyama, Nozomi; Matsuda, Shuntaro; Matsumoto, Tomoko; Inoue, Osamu; Harada, Aya; Kitazawa, Takehisa; Hattori, Kunihiro; Shima, Midori; Asada, Yujiro

2013-07-01

Elevated plasma levels of factor VIII (FVIII) are associated with increased risk of deep venous thrombosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate how elevated FVIII levels affect venous thrombus formation and propagation in vivo. We examined rabbit plasma FVIII activity, plasma thrombin generation, whole blood coagulation, platelet aggregation and venous wall thrombogenicity before and one hour after an intravenous infusion of recombinant human FVIII (rFVIII). Venous thrombus induced by the endothelial denudation of rabbit jugular veins was histologically assessed. Thrombus propagation was evaluated as indocyanine green fluorescence intensity. Argatroban, a thrombin inhibitor, and neutralised antibodies for tissue factor (TF), factor XI (FXI), and von Willebrand factor (VWF) were infused before or after thrombus induction to investigate their effects on venous thrombus formation or propagation. Recombinant FVIII (100 IU/kg) increased rabbit plasma FVIII activity two-fold and significantly enhanced whole blood coagulation and total plasma thrombin generation, but did not affect initial thrombin generation time, platelet aggregation and venous wall thrombogenicity. The rFVIII infusion also increased the size of venous thrombus 1 hour after thrombus induction. Argatroban and the antibodies for TF, FXI or VWF inhibited such enhanced thrombus formation and all except TF suppressed thrombus propagation. In conclusion, elevated plasma FVIII levels enhance venous thrombus formation and propagation. Excess thrombin generation by FXI and VWF-mediated FVIII recruitment appear to contribute to the growth of FVIII-driven venous thrombus.

COFFEE - Coherent Optical System Field Trial for Spectral Efficiency Enhancement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Imran, Muhammad; Fresi, Francesco; Rommel, Simon

2016-01-01

The scope, aims, and contributions of the COFFEE project for spectral efficiency enhancement and market exposure are presented.......The scope, aims, and contributions of the COFFEE project for spectral efficiency enhancement and market exposure are presented....

TWEAK enhances E-selectin and ICAM-1 expression, and may contribute to the development of cutaneous vasculitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Chen

Full Text Available Our previous work indicated that TWEAK is associated with various types of cutaneous vasculitis (CV. Herein, we investigate the effects of TWEAK on vascular injury and adhesion molecule expression in CV mice. We showed that TWEAK priming in mice induced a local CV. Furthermore, TWEAK priming also increased the extravasation of FITC-BSA, myeloperoxidase activity and the expression of E-selectin and ICAM-1. Conversely, TWEAK blockade ameliorated the LPS-induced vascular damage, leukocyte infiltrates and adhesion molecules expression in LPS-induced CV. In addition, TWEAK treatment of HDMECs up-regulated E-selectin and ICAM-1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. TWEAK also enhanced the adhesion of PMNs to HDMECs. Finally, western blot data revealed that TWEAK can induce phosphorylation of p38, JNK and ERK in HDMECs. These data suggest that TWEAK acted as an inducer of E-selectin and ICAM-1 expression in CV mice and HDMECs, may contribute to the development of CV.

Low momentum penguin contributions in a chiral theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eeg, J.O.

1985-11-01

It has been shown that penguin diagram contributions corresponding to u-quark loop momenta below a scale Λsub(x) approximately= 1 GeV are enhanced and could at least partly explain the ΔI=1/2 rule. Thus a previous calculation within the bag model is confirmed. The present caluculation is performed wihtin an effective chiral theory with pions and kaons coupled to quarks. It has been found that low momentum left-left loop contributions are important, while left-right contributions can be neglected

The value contribution of strategic foresight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohrbeck, René; Schwarz, Jan Oliver

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on exploring the potential and empirically observable value creation of strategic foresight activities in firms. We first review the literature on strategic foresight, innovation management and strategic management in order to identify the potential value contributions. We use ......, (3) influencing other actors, (4) and through an enhanced capacity for organizational learning....

Contribution to the enhancement of the energy efficiency in electrical / electronic architectures of automobiles; Beitrag zur Steigerung der Energieeffizienz in Kfz-Elektrik-/Elektronik-Architekturen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goerber, Matthias

2013-06-01

Increasing customer demands for enhanced comfort, safety or assistance functions provide automotive manufacturers with high demands in their product development process. At the same time the criterion of environmental friendliness of the automobile gained more and more importance. These requirements mean that the electrical / electronic architecture of a vehicle is becoming important increasingly. Under this aspect, the author of the contribution under consideration reports on the criterion of energy efficiency of electrical / electronic architecture and its influence on fuel consumption and range of vehicles.

Enhancement of crop photosynthesis by diffuse light: quantifying the contributing factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, T.; Heuvelink, E.; Dueck, T.A.; Janse, J.; Gort, G.; Marcelis, L.F.M.

2014-01-01

Plants use diffuse light more efficiently than direct light. However, experimental comparisons between diffuse and direct light have been obscured by co-occurring differences in environmental conditions (e.g. light intensity). This study aims to analyse the factors that contribute to an increase in

Elevated CO2 enhances biological contributions to elevation change in coastal wetlands by offsetting stressors associated with sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, J.A.; McKee, K.L.; Grace, J.B.

2009-01-01

1. Sea-level rise, one indirect consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2, poses a major challenge to long-term stability of coastal wetlands. An important question is whether direct effects of elevated CO 2 on the capacity of marsh plants to accrete organic material and to maintain surface elevations outweigh indirect negative effects of stressors associated with sea-level rise (salinity and flooding). 2. In this study, we used a mesocosm approach to examine potential direct and indirect effects of atmospheric CO2 concentration, salinity and flooding on elevation change in a brackish marsh community dominated by a C3 species, Schoenoplectus americanus, and a C4 grass, Spartina patens. This experimental design permitted identification of mechanisms and their role in controlling elevation change, and the development of models that can be tested in the field. 3. To test hypotheses related to CO2 and sea-level rise, we used conventional anova procedures in conjunction with structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM explained 78% of the variability in elevation change and showed the direct, positive effect of S. americanus production on elevation. The SEM indicated that C3 plant response was influenced by interactive effects between CO2 and salinity on plant growth, not a direct CO2 fertilization effect. Elevated CO2 ameliorated negative effects of salinity on S. americanus and enhanced biomass contribution to elevation. 4. The positive relationship between S. americanus production and elevation change can be explained by shoot-base expansion under elevated CO 2 conditions, which led to vertical soil displacement. While the response of this species may differ under other environmental conditions, shoot-base expansion and the general contribution of C3 plant production to elevation change may be an important mechanism contributing to soil expansion and elevation gain in other coastal wetlands. 5. Synthesis. Our results revealed previously unrecognized interactions and

Pion-exchange contribution to the parity-violating asymmetry in pp scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silbar, R.R.; Kloet, W.M.; Kisslinger, L.S.; Dubach, J.

1988-01-01

Charged pion exchange, producing nΔ ++ intermediate states, contributes negatively to the weak scattering asymmetry in longitudinally-polarized pp scattering. Including this contribution moves the theoretical prediction away from the 800 MeV experimental datum. The pion-exchange contribution has both inelastic and elastic scattering components and is sizeable even below the pion production threshold. Strong distortions enhance the magnitude of the effect. 14 refs., 5 figs

A Monte Carlo Study of dose enhancement according to the enhancement agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jung Hoon; Kim, Chang Soo [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Chul Hwan [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

Dose enhancement effects at megavoltage (MV) X and γ-ray energies, and the effects of different energy levels on incident energy, dose enhancement agents, and concentrations were analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations. Gold, gadolinium, Iodine, and iron oxide (Fe2O3) were compared as dose enhancement agents. For incident energy, 4, 6, 10 and 15 MV X-ray spectra produced by a linear accelerator and a Co60 γ-ray were used. The dose enhancement factor (DEF) was calculated using an ICRU Slab phantom for concentrations of 7, 18, and 30 mg/g. The DEF was higher at higher concentrations of dose enhancement agents and at lower incident energies. The calculated DEF ranged from 1.035 to 1.079, and dose enhancement effects were highest for iron oxide, followed by iodine, gadolinium, and gold. Thus, this study contributes to improving the therapeutic ratio by delivering larger doses of radiation to tumor volume, and provides data to support further in vivo and in vitro studies.

Enhanced Contribution of HLA in Pediatric Onset Ulcerative Colitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkateswaran, Suresh; Prince, Jarod; Cutler, David J; Marigorta, Urko M; Okou, David T; Prahalad, Sampath; Mack, David; Boyle, Brendan; Walters, Thomas; Griffiths, Anne; Sauer, Cary G; LeLeiko, Neal; Keljo, David; Markowitz, James; Baker, Susan S; Rosh, Joel; Pfefferkorn, Marian; Heyman, Melvin B; Patel, Ashish; Otley, Anthony; Baldassano, Robert; Noe, Joshua; Rufo, Paul; Oliva-Hemker, Maria; Davis, Sonia; Zwick, Michael E; Gibson, Greg; Denson, Lee A; Hyams, Jeffrey; Kugathasan, Subra

2018-03-19

The genetic contributions to pediatric onset ulcerative colitis (UC), characterized by severe disease and extensive colonic involvement, are largely unknown. In adult onset UC, Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) has identified numerous loci, most of which have a modest susceptibility risk (OR 0.84-1.14), with the exception of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region on Chromosome 6 (OR 3.59). To study the genetic contribution to exclusive pediatric onset UC, a GWAS was performed on 466 cases with 2099 healthy controls using UK Biobank array. SNP2HLA was used to impute classical HLA alleles and their corresponding amino acids, and the results are compared with adult onset UC. HLA explained the almost entire association signal, dominated with 191 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (p = 5 x 10-8 to 5 x 10-10). Although very small effects, established SNPs in adult onset UC loci had similar direction and magnitude in pediatric onset UC. SNP2HLA imputation identified HLA-DRB1*0103 (odds ratio [OR] = 6.941, p = 1.92*10-13) as the most significant association for pediatric UC compared with adult onset UC (OR = 3.59). Further conditioning showed independent effects for HLA-DRB1*1301 (OR = 2.25, p = 7.92*10-9) and another SNP rs17188113 (OR = 0.48, p = 7.56*10-9). Two HLA-DRB1 causal alleles are shared with adult onset UC, while at least 2 signals are unique to pediatric UC. Subsequent stratified analyses indicated that HLA-DRB1*0103 has stronger association for extensive disease (E4: OR = 8.28, p = 4.66x10-10) and female gender (OR = 8.85, p = 4.82x10-13). In pediatric onset UC, the HLA explains almost the entire genetic associations. In addition, the HLA association is approximately twice as strong in pediatric UC compared with adults, due to a combination of novel and shared effects. We speculate the paramount importance of antigenic stimulation either by infectious or noninfectious stimuli as a causal event in pediatric UC onset.

Resolution enhancement techniques in microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Christoph; Masters, Barry R.

2013-05-01

We survey the history of resolution enhancement techniques in microscopy and their impact on current research in biomedicine. Often these techniques are labeled superresolution, or enhanced resolution microscopy, or light-optical nanoscopy. First, we introduce the development of diffraction theory in its relation to enhanced resolution; then we explore the foundations of resolution as expounded by the astronomers and the physicists and describe the conditions for which they apply. Then we elucidate Ernst Abbe's theory of optical formation in the microscope, and its experimental verification and dissemination to the world wide microscope communities. Second, we describe and compare the early techniques that can enhance the resolution of the microscope. Third, we present the historical development of various techniques that substantially enhance the optical resolution of the light microscope. These enhanced resolution techniques in their modern form constitute an active area of research with seminal applications in biology and medicine. Our historical survey of the field of resolution enhancement uncovers many examples of reinvention, rediscovery, and independent invention and development of similar proposals, concepts, techniques, and instruments. Attribution of credit is therefore confounded by the fact that for understandable reasons authors stress the achievements from their own research groups and sometimes obfuscate their contributions and the prior art of others. In some cases, attribution of credit is also made more complex by the fact that long term developments are difficult to allocate to a specific individual because of the many mutual connections often existing between sometimes fiercely competing, sometimes strongly collaborating groups. Since applications in biology and medicine have been a major driving force in the development of resolution enhancing approaches, we focus on the contribution of enhanced resolution to these fields.

Input Enhancement and L2 Question Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Lydia; And Others

1991-01-01

Investigated the extent to which form-focused instruction and corrective feedback (i.e., "input enhancement"), provided within a primarily communicative program, contribute to learners' accuracy in question formation. Study results are interpreted as evidence that input enhancement can bring about genuine changes in learners' interlanguage…

Texture and structure contribution to low-temperature plasticity enhancement of Mg-Al-Zn-Mn Alloy MA2-1hp after ECAP and annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Serebryany, V. N.; D'yakonov, G. S.; Kopylov, V. I.; Salishchev, G. A.; Dobatkin, S. V.

2013-05-01

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) in magnesium alloys due to severe plastic shear deformations provides both grain refinement and the slope of the initial basal texture at 40°-50° to the pressing direction. These changes in microstructure and texture contribute to the improvement of low-temperature plasticity of the alloys. Quantitative texture X-ray diffraction analysis and diffraction of backscattered electrons are used to study the main textural and structural factors responsible for enhanced low-temperature plasticity based on the example of magnesium alloy MA2-1hp of the Mg-Al-Zn-Mn system. The possible mechanisms of deformation that lead to this positive effect are discussed.

Strengthening Research Capacity to Enhance Natural Resources ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... to Enhance Natural Resources Management and Improve Rural Livelihoods ... and contribute to the food and income security of the rural poor by enhancing the ... of its 2017 call for proposals to establish Cyber Policy Centres in the Global South. ... partnering on a new initiative, aimed at reducing the emerging risk that.

Evolution of transcriptional enhancers and animal diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Rubinstein, Marcelo; de Souza, Flávio S. J.

2013-01-01

Deciphering the genetic bases that drive animal diversity is one of the major challenges of modern biology. Although four decades ago it was proposed that animal evolution was mainly driven by changes in cis-regulatory DNA elements controlling gene expression rather than in protein-coding sequences, only now are powerful bioinformatics and experimental approaches available to accelerate studies into how the evolution of transcriptional enhancers contributes to novel forms and functions. In the introduction to this Theme Issue, we start by defining the general properties of transcriptional enhancers, such as modularity and the coexistence of tight sequence conservation with transcription factor-binding site shuffling as different mechanisms that maintain the enhancer grammar over evolutionary time. We discuss past and current methods used to identify cell-type-specific enhancers and provide examples of how enhancers originate de novo, change and are lost in particular lineages. We then focus in the central part of this Theme Issue on analysing examples of how the molecular evolution of enhancers may change form and function. Throughout this introduction, we present the main findings of the articles, reviews and perspectives contributed to this Theme Issue that together illustrate some of the great advances and current frontiers in the field. PMID:24218630

Foreign and Domestic Contributions to Springtime Ozone Pollution over China

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, R.; Lin, J.; Yan, Y.; Lin, W.; Chen, H.

2017-12-01

Ozone is a critical air pollutant that damages human health and vegetation. Previous studies for the United States and Europe have shown large influences of foreign emissions on domestic ozone levels, whereas the relative contributions of foreign versus domestic emissions are much less clear for China. Here, we use a global-regional two-way coupled model system based on GEOS-Chem to quantify the contributions to springtime ozone over China from anthropogenic emissions in major source regions across the globe. Our results indicate considerable influences of foreign anthropogenic pollution on China's ozone pollution. Together, foreign anthropogenic emissions enhance springtime surface ozone over China by 3 12 ppb. Of all ozone over China produced by global anthropogenic emissions, foreign emissions contribute 40% near the surface, and the contribution increases with altitude until a value of 80% in the upper troposphere. Impact from Japan and Korea is 1 2 ppb over east coastal regions, and negligible in inland. Anthropogenic emissions of South and South-East Asia increase ozone over Tibet and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau by up to 5 ppb, and their contribution increases with height due to strong vertical transport. Pollution from North America and Europe mainly accompanies strong westerly winds and frequent cyclonic activities that are favorable to long-range transport. European anthropogenic pollution enhances surface ozone by 1 3 ppb over West and North China. Despite a much longer transport distance, the contribution from North America is greater than European contribution due to the nearly doubled amount of anthropogenic NMVOC emissions. The high percentage contribution of foreign anthropogenic emissions to China's ozone pollution can be partly explained by excessive domestic NOx emissions that suppress ozone production efficiency and even destroy ozone. Our study is relevant to Chinese ozone pollution control and global environmental protection collaboration.

Resonance-enhanced electron-impact excitation of Cu-like gold

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, L.; Zhang, C. Y.; Si, R.; Guo, X. L.; Chen, Z. B.; Yan, J.; Li, S.; Chen, C. Y.; Wang, K.

2017-09-01

Employing the independent-process and isolated-resonance approximations using distorted-waves (IPIRDW), we have performed a series of calculations of the resonance-enhanced electron-impact excitations (EIE) among 27 singly excited levels from the n ≤ 6 configurations of Cu-like gold (Au, Z = 79). Resonance excitation (RE) contributions from both the n = 4 → 4 - 7 and n = 3 → 4 core excitations have been considered. Our results demonstrate that RE contributions are significant and enhance the effective collision strengths (ϒ) of certain excitations by up to an order of magnitude at low temperature (106.1 K), and are still important at relatively high temperature (107.5 K). Results from test calculations of the resonance-enhanced EIE processes among 16 levels from the n ≤ 5 configurations using both the Dirac R-matrix (DRM) and IPIRDW approaches agree very well with each other. This means that the close-coupling effects are not important for this ion, and thus warrants the reliability of present resonance-enhanced EIE data among the 27 levels. The results from the collisional-radiative model (CRM) show that, at 3000 eV, near where Cu-like Au is most abundant, RE contributions have important effects (up to 25%) on the density diagnostic line intensity ratios, which are sensitive near 1020 cm-3. The present work is the first EIE research including RE contributions for Cu-like Au. Our EIE data are more accurate than previous results due to our consideration of RE contributions, and the data should be helpful for modeling and diagnosing a variety of plasmas.

How do openers contribute to student learning?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amber Zertuche

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Openers, or brief activities that initiate a class, routinely take up classroom time each day yet little is known about how to design these activities so they contribute to student learning. This study uses technology-enhanced learning environments to explore new opportunities to transform Openers from potentially busy work to knowledge generating activities. This study compares the impact of teacher-designed Openers, Opener designs based on recent research emphasizing knowledge integration, and no Opener for an 8th grade technology-enhanced inquiry science investigation. Results suggest that students who participate in a researcher-designed Opener are more likely to revisit and refine their work, and to make significant learning gains, than students who do not participate in an Opener. Students make the greatest gains when they revisit key evidence in the technology-enhanced curriculum unit prior to revision. Engaging students in processes that promote knowledge integration during the Opener motivate students to revise their ideas. The results suggest design principles for Openers in technology-enhanced instruction.

Contribution of canonical nonhomologous end joining to chromosomal rearrangements is enhanced by ATM kinase deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Ragini; Carson, Caree R; Lee, Gabriella; Stark, Jeremy M

2017-01-24

A likely mechanism of chromosomal rearrangement formation involves joining the ends from two different chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs). These events could potentially be mediated by either of two end-joining (EJ) repair pathways [canonical nonhomologous end joining (C-NHEJ) or alternative end joining (ALT-EJ)], which cause distinct rearrangement junction patterns. The relative role of these EJ pathways during rearrangement formation has remained controversial. Along these lines, we have tested whether the DNA damage response mediated by the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase may affect the relative influence of C-NHEJ vs. ALT-EJ on rearrangement formation. We developed a reporter in mouse cells for a 0.4-Mbp deletion rearrangement that is formed by EJ between two DSBs induced by the Cas9 endonuclease. We found that disruption of the ATM kinase causes an increase in the frequency of the rearrangement as well as a shift toward rearrangement junctions that show hallmarks of C-NHEJ. Furthermore, ATM suppresses rearrangement formation in an experimental condition, in which C-NHEJ is the predominant EJ repair event (i.e., expression of the 3' exonuclease Trex2). Finally, several C-NHEJ factors are required for the increase in rearrangement frequency caused by inhibition of the ATM kinase. We also examined ATM effectors and found that H2AX shows a similar influence as ATM, whereas the influence of ATM on this rearrangement seems independent of 53BP1. We suggest that the contribution of the C-NHEJ pathway to the formation of a 0.4-Mbp deletion rearrangement is enhanced in ATM-deficient cells.

Enhanced Fine-Form Perception Does Not Contribute to Gestalt Face Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Maekawa, Toshihiko; Miyanaga, Yuka; Takahashi, Kenji; Takamiya, Naomi; Ogata, Katsuya; Tobimatsu, Shozo

2017-01-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show superior performance in processing fine detail, but often exhibit impaired gestalt face perception. The ventral visual stream from the primary visual cortex (V1) to the fusiform gyrus (V4) plays an important role in form (including faces) and color perception. The aim of this study was to investigate how the ventral stream is functionally altered in ASD. Visual evoked potentials were recorded in high-functioning ASD adults (n = 14) and typically developing (TD) adults (n = 14). We used three types of visual stimuli as follows: isoluminant chromatic (red/green, RG) gratings, high-contrast achromatic (black/white, BW) gratings with high spatial frequency (HSF, 5.3 cycles/degree), and face (neutral, happy, and angry faces) stimuli. Compared with TD controls, ASD adults exhibited longer N1 latency for RG, shorter N1 latency for BW, and shorter P1 latency, but prolonged N170 latency, for face stimuli. Moreover, a greater difference in latency between P1 and N170, or between N1 for BW and N170 (i.e., the prolongation of cortico-cortical conduction time between V1 and V4) was observed in ASD adults. These findings indicate that ASD adults have enhanced fine-form (local HSF) processing, but impaired color processing at V1. In addition, they exhibit impaired gestalt face processing due to deficits in integration of multiple local HSF facial information at V4. Thus, altered ventral stream function may contribute to abnormal social processing in ASD. PMID:28146575

Enhanced Fine-Form Perception Does Not Contribute to Gestalt Face Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takao Yamasaki

Full Text Available Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD show superior performance in processing fine detail, but often exhibit impaired gestalt face perception. The ventral visual stream from the primary visual cortex (V1 to the fusiform gyrus (V4 plays an important role in form (including faces and color perception. The aim of this study was to investigate how the ventral stream is functionally altered in ASD. Visual evoked potentials were recorded in high-functioning ASD adults (n = 14 and typically developing (TD adults (n = 14. We used three types of visual stimuli as follows: isoluminant chromatic (red/green, RG gratings, high-contrast achromatic (black/white, BW gratings with high spatial frequency (HSF, 5.3 cycles/degree, and face (neutral, happy, and angry faces stimuli. Compared with TD controls, ASD adults exhibited longer N1 latency for RG, shorter N1 latency for BW, and shorter P1 latency, but prolonged N170 latency, for face stimuli. Moreover, a greater difference in latency between P1 and N170, or between N1 for BW and N170 (i.e., the prolongation of cortico-cortical conduction time between V1 and V4 was observed in ASD adults. These findings indicate that ASD adults have enhanced fine-form (local HSF processing, but impaired color processing at V1. In addition, they exhibit impaired gestalt face processing due to deficits in integration of multiple local HSF facial information at V4. Thus, altered ventral stream function may contribute to abnormal social processing in ASD.

Degradation of slime extracellular polymeric substances and inhibited sludge flocs destruction contribute to sludge dewaterability enhancement during fungal treatment of sludge using filamentous fungus Mucor sp. GY-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenyu; Zheng, Guanyu; Zhou, Lixiang

2015-09-01

Mechanisms responsible for the sludge dewaterability enhanced by filamentous fungi during fungal treatment of sludge were investigated in the present study. The filamentous fungus Mucor sp. GY-1, isolated from waste activated sludge, enhanced sludge dewaterability by 82.1% to achieve the lowest value of normalized sludge specific resistance to filtration (SRF), 8.18 × 10(10) m · L/kg · g-TSS. During the fungal treatment of sludge, 57.8% of slime extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and 51.1% of polysaccharide in slime EPS were degraded, respectively, by Mucor sp. GY-1, contributing to the improvement of sludge dewaterability. Slime EPS is much more available for Mucor sp. GY-1 than either LB-EPS or TB-EPS that bound with microbial cells. In addition, filamentous fungus Mucor sp. GY-1 entrapped small sludge particles and inhibited the destruction of sludge flocs larger than 100 μm, thus enhancing sludge dewaterability, during fungal treatment of sludge using Mucor sp. GY-1. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Job burnout and contributing factors for nurses].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Wang, Zhi-ming; Wang, Mian-zhen; Lan, Ya-jia; Wu, Si-ying

2006-07-01

To investigate the degree of job burnout and contributing factors for nurses. A total of 495 nurses from three provincial hospitals were randomly selected. The MBI-GS, EPQ-RSC and OSI-R were administered to measure job burnout, personality traits and occupational stress, respectively. The medical and surgical nurses had significant greater scores of job burnout than others (P < 0.05). The poorer educational background was correlated with lower professional efficacy. The younger nurses had stronger feeling of job burnout. The scores of job burnout changed with different personality traits. The main contributing variables to exhaustion were overload, sense of responsibility, role insufficient and self-care (P < 0.05). The main contributing variables to cynicism were role insufficiency, role boundary, sense of responsibility and self-care (P < 0.05). The main contributing variables to professional inefficacy were role insufficiency, social support and rational/cognitive coping (P < 0.05). Job burnout for nurses can be prevented by reducing or keeping moderate professional duties and responsibility, making clearer job descriptions, promoting leisure activities, and enhancing self-care capabilities.

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY BY UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert C. JOHNS

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the importance of knowledge in the global economy and reviews the process in which knowledge is applied to develop innovations. It confirms the importance of innovation as a key factor for success in today's competitive environment. The paper discusses the contributions a university can make to the innovation process in the field of transportation, and offers a vision of how a university center can enhance and facilitate these contributions. It then describes the efforts of one center, including three examples of innovations facilitated by the center in traffic detection, regional planning, and pavement management. The paper concludes with suggestions that would strengthen the societal contributions of university transportation centers.

Enhanced expression of Gqα and PLC-β1 proteins contributes to vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy in SHR: role of endogenous angiotensin II and endothelin-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Atef, Mohammed Emehdi; Anand-Srivastava, Madhu B

2014-07-01

Vascular Gqα signaling has been shown to contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, angiotensin II (ANG II) was shown to induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hypertrophy through Gqα signaling; however, the studies on the role of Gqα and PLC-β1 proteins in VSMC hypertrophy in animal model are lacking. The present study was therefore undertaken to examine the role of Gqα/PLC-β1 proteins and the signaling pathways in VSMC hypertrophy using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR and not from 12-wk-old SHR exhibited enhanced levels of Gqα/PLC-β1 proteins compared with age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as determined by Western blotting. However, protein synthesis as determined by [(3)H]leucine incorporation was significantly enhanced in VSMC from both 12- and 16-wk-old SHR compared with VSMC from age-matched WKY rats. Furthermore, the knockdown of Gqα/PLC-β1 in VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR by antisense and small interfering RNA resulted in attenuation of protein synthesis. In addition, the enhanced expression of Gqα/PLC-β1 proteins, enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and enhanced protein synthesis in VSMC from SHR were attenuated by the ANG II AT1 and endothelin-1 (ET-1) ETA receptor antagonists losartan and BQ123, respectively, but not by the ETB receptor antagonist BQ788. In addition, PD98059 decreased the enhanced expression of Gqα/PLC-β1 and protein synthesis in VSMC from SHR. These results suggest that the enhanced levels of endogenous ANG II and ET-1 through the activation of AT1 and ETA receptors, respectively, and MAP kinase signaling, enhanced the expression of Gqα/PLC-β1 proteins in VSMC from 16-wk-old SHR and result in VSMC hypertrophy. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

The contribution of self-deceptive enhancement to display rules in the United States and Japan

OpenAIRE

Chung, Joanne M.

2012-01-01

Socially desirable responding was tested as a mediator of American and Japanese college student differences in display rules. Americans endorsed the expression of anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, and surprise more than the Japanese. Americans also exhibited more self-deceptive enhancement than the Japanese, and self-deceptive enhancement partially mediated country differences on the endorsement of anger, disgust, happiness, and surprise, but not contempt and fear. These findings hig...

Allergic sensitization enhances the contribution of Rho-kinase to airway smooth muscle contraction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaafsma, D.; Gosens, Reinout; Bos, I.S.T.; Meurs, Herman; Zaagsma, Hans; Nelemans, Herman

2004-01-01

1 Repeated allergen challenge has been shown to increase the role of Rho-kinase in airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction. We considered the possibility that active allergic sensitization by itself, that is, without subsequent allergen exposure, could be sufficient to enhance Rho-kinase-mediated ASM

Plasmonic enhancement of electroluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Guzatov, D. V.; Gaponenko, S. V.; Demir, H. V.

2018-01-01

Here plasmonic effect specifically on electroluminescence (EL) is studied in terms of radiative and nonradiative decay rates for a dipole near a metal spherical nanoparticle (NP). Contribution from scattering is taken into account and is shown to play a decisive role in EL enhancement owing to pronounced size-dependent radiative decay enhancement and weak size effect on non-radiative counterpart. Unlike photoluminescence where local incident field factor mainly determines the enhancement possibility and level, EL enhancement is only possible by means of quantum yield rise, EL enhancement being feasible only for an intrinsic quantum yield Q0 red-orange range only. Independently of positive effect on quantum yield, metal nanoparticles embedded in an electroluminescent device will improve its efficiency at high currents owing to enhanced overall recombination rate which will diminish manifestation of Auger processes. The latter are believed to be responsible for the known undesirable efficiency droop in semiconductor commercial quantum well based LEDs at higher current. For the same reason plasmonics can diminish quantum dot photodegradation from Auger process induced non-radiative recombination and photoionization thus opening a way to avoid negative Auger effects in emerging colloidal semiconductor LEDs.

Elements that contribute to boost female entrepreneurship: A prospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Ortiz García

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to identify what environmental modulators elements favor and contribute to enhance female entrepreneurship from a gender perspective. The qualitative study draws on 10 interviews in depth after being tested on their contents, from a relational perspective, allow a set of conclusions and recommendations that contribute to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs figure. The results highlight the importance of social support and comprehensive training in creating a culture that promotes and makes visible the role of women entrepreneurs.

The contribution of dynamic visual cues to audiovisual speech perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaekl, Philip; Pesquita, Ana; Alsius, Agnes; Munhall, Kevin; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

2015-08-01

Seeing a speaker's facial gestures can significantly improve speech comprehension, especially in noisy environments. However, the nature of the visual information from the speaker's facial movements that is relevant for this enhancement is still unclear. Like auditory speech signals, visual speech signals unfold over time and contain both dynamic configural information and luminance-defined local motion cues; two information sources that are thought to engage anatomically and functionally separate visual systems. Whereas, some past studies have highlighted the importance of local, luminance-defined motion cues in audiovisual speech perception, the contribution of dynamic configural information signalling changes in form over time has not yet been assessed. We therefore attempted to single out the contribution of dynamic configural information to audiovisual speech processing. To this aim, we measured word identification performance in noise using unimodal auditory stimuli, and with audiovisual stimuli. In the audiovisual condition, speaking faces were presented as point light displays achieved via motion capture of the original talker. Point light displays could be isoluminant, to minimise the contribution of effective luminance-defined local motion information, or with added luminance contrast, allowing the combined effect of dynamic configural cues and local motion cues. Audiovisual enhancement was found in both the isoluminant and contrast-based luminance conditions compared to an auditory-only condition, demonstrating, for the first time the specific contribution of dynamic configural cues to audiovisual speech improvement. These findings imply that globally processed changes in a speaker's facial shape contribute significantly towards the perception of articulatory gestures and the analysis of audiovisual speech. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low momentum penguin contributions - towards a better understanding of the ΔI=1/2 rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eeg, J.O.

1986-05-01

It is assumed that the ''penguin'' interaction, introduced to explain the ΔI=1/2 rule, is not short distance dominated. An effective shiral field theory, including mesons coupling to quarks, is used to calculate the penguin loop contributions below a scale approximately=1 GeV. It is found that such contributions are enhanced and can probably account for half of the needed ΔI=1/2 enhancement. However, additional (non-penguin) effects have to be considered before any conclusion can be drawn within the considered chiral model

Enhanced electrochemomechanical activity of polyaniline films towards high pH region: contribution of Donnan effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takashima, Wataru; Nakashima, Megumi; Pandey, Shyam S.; Kaneto, Keiichi

2004-01-01

Enhancement of electrochemomechanical deformation (ECMD) and expansion of ECMD activity towards high pH have been simultaneously achieved in the electrolytes equilibrated with HCl and NaCl solutions for polyaniline (PANI) film. The maximum deformation has been reached to 6.7% in the mixture of 3 M HCl and 3 M NaCl equilibrated at pH 3 at ambient temperature. By comparing the fact that the ECMD magnitude is 3.2% in 1 M HCl equilibrated at pH 0.5, the simple judicious selection of electrolyte condition leads to the enhancement of ECMD magnitude by around two times. The concentration dependence on both electrical conductivity and absorption spectra elucidates the increase of protonation ratio as a function of electrolyte concentration. The results indicate that the high concentration retains both the electrochemical and ECMD activities in PANI film towards high pH region, which is the enhanced functionality of PANI supported by Donnan effect

A Familiar Pattern? Semantic Memory Contributes to the Enhancement of Visuo-Spatial Memories

Science.gov (United States)

Riby, Leigh M.; Orme, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

In this study we quantify for the first time electrophysiological components associated with incorporating long-term semantic knowledge with visuo-spatial information using two variants of a traditional matrix patterns task. Results indicated that the matrix task with greater semantic content was associated with enhanced accuracy and RTs in a…

Enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upregulated MYC in ectopic lesions contribute independently to endometriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Proestling, Katharina; Birner, Peter; Gamperl, Susanne; Nirtl, Nadine; Marton, Erika; Yerlikaya, Gülen; Wenzl, Rene; Streubel, Berthold; Husslein, Heinrich

2015-07-22

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in which epithelial cells lose polarity and cell-to-cell contacts and acquire the migratory and invasive abilities of mesenchymal cells. These abilities are thought to be prerequisites for the establishment of endometriotic lesions. A hallmark of EMT is the functional loss of E-cadherin (CDH1) expression in epithelial cells. TWIST1, a transcription factor that represses E-cadherin transcription, is among the EMT inducers. SNAIL, a zinc-finger transcription factor, and its close relative SLUG have similar properties to TWIST1 and are thus also EMT inducers. MYC, which is upregulated by estrogens in the uterus by an estrogen response cis-acting element (ERE) in its promoter, is associated with proliferation in endometriosis. The role of EMT and proliferation in the pathogenesis of endometriosis was evaluated by analyzing TWIST1, CDH1 and MYC expression. CDH1, TWIST1, SNAIL and SLUG mRNA expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR from 47 controls and 74 patients with endometriosis. Approximately 42 ectopic and 62 eutopic endometrial tissues, of which 30 were matched samples, were collected during the same surgical procedure. We evaluated TWIST1 and MYC protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the epithelial and stromal tissue of 69 eutopic and 90 ectopic endometrium samples, of which 49 matched samples were analyzed from the same patient. Concordant expression of TWIST1/SNAIL/SLUG and CDH1 but also of TWIST1 and MYC was analyzed. We found that TWIST1, SNAIL and SLUG are overexpressed (p < 0.001, p = 0.016 and p < 0.001) in endometriosis, while CDH1 expression was concordantly reduced in these samples (p < 0.001). Similar to TWIST1, the epithelial expression of MYC was also significantly enhanced in ectopic endometrium compared to eutopic tissues (p = 0.008). We found exclusive expression of either TWIST1 or MYC in the same samples (p = 0.003). Epithelial TWIST1 is overexpressed in

Key Issue: Enhancing Teacher Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2007

2007-01-01

"Teachers are leaders when they function in professional communities to affect student learning; contribute to school improvement; inspire excellence in practice; and empower stakeholders to participate in educational improvement" (Childs-Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000, p. 28). Enhancing teacher leadership can help schools and districts reach the…

Some Contributions of Self-Efficacy Research to Self-Concept Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorrell, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

Self-efficacy theory and research contribute to self-concept theory primarily by supporting the enhancement model of belief change. This article describes current problems with self-concept theory, describes self-efficacy research, and suggests that self-efficacy theory and methodology present findings that strengthen the association between…

Street foods contribute to nutrient intakes among children from rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The contribution of Street Foods (SF) to the energy and nutrient intakes of young children in rural African communities has been understudied. Under the Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM) project, a microcredit and nutrition education intervention with caregivers of children 2-to ...

Do we need teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirschner, Paul A.

2016-01-01

In this special issue, five teams of researchers discuss different aspects of the teacher as designer of technology enhanced learning situations. This final contribution critically discusses if and how teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning might (not) be feasible or even desirable.

When is diminishment a form of enhancement? Rethinking the enhancement debate in biomedical ethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian D. Earp

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The enhancement debate in neuroscience and biomedical ethics tends to focus on the augmentation of certain capacities or functions: memory, learning, attention, and the like. Typically, the point of contention is whether these augmentative enhancements are permissible for individuals with no particular ‘medical’ disadvantage along any of the dimensions of interest. Less frequently addressed in the literature, however, is the fact that sometimes the diminishment of a capacity or function, under the right set of circumstances, could plausibly contribute to an individual’s overall well-being: more is not always better, and sometimes less is more. Such cases may be especially likely, we suggest, when trade-offs in our modern environment have shifted since the environment of evolutionary adaptation. In this article, we introduce the notion of diminishment as enhancement and go on to defend a welfarist conception of enhancement. We show how this conception resolves a number of definitional ambiguities in the enhancement literature, and we suggest that it can provide a useful framework for thinking about the use of emerging neurotechnologies to promote human flourishing.

Reduced Hyperpolarization-Activated Current Contributes to Enhanced Intrinsic Excitability in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons from PrP(-/-) Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jing; Stemkowski, Patrick L; Gandini, Maria A; Black, Stefanie A; Zhang, Zizhen; Souza, Ivana A; Chen, Lina; Zamponi, Gerald W

2016-01-01

Genetic ablation of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) has been linked to increased neuronal excitability and synaptic activity in the hippocampus. We have previously shown that synaptic activity in hippocampi of PrP-null mice is increased due to enhanced N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function. Here, we focused on the effect of PRNP gene knock-out (KO) on intrinsic neuronal excitability, and in particular, the underlying ionic mechanism in hippocampal neurons cultured from P0 mouse pups. We found that the absence of PrP(C) profoundly affected the firing properties of cultured hippocampal neurons in the presence of synaptic blockers. The membrane impedance was greater in PrP-null neurons, and this difference was abolished by the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel blocker ZD7288 (100 μM). HCN channel activity appeared to be functionally regulated by PrP(C). The amplitude of voltage sag, a characteristic of activating HCN channel current (I h), was decreased in null mice. Moreover, I h peak current was reduced, along with a hyperpolarizing shift in activation gating and slower kinetics. However, neither HCN1 nor HCN2 formed a biochemical complex with PrP(C). These results suggest that the absence of PrP downregulates the activity of HCN channels through activation of a cell signaling pathway rather than through direct interactions. This in turn contributes to an increase in membrane impedance to potentiate neuronal excitability.

Efficient Translation of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA Polymerase Contributes to the Enhanced Lytic Replication Phenotype of M81 EBV.

Science.gov (United States)

Church, Trenton Mel; Verma, Dinesh; Thompson, Jacob; Swaminathan, Sankar

2018-03-15

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to the development of both lymphoid and epithelial malignancies worldwide. The M81 strain of EBV, isolated from a Chinese patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), demonstrates spontaneous lytic replication and high-titer virus production in comparison to the prototype B95-8 EBV strain. Genetic comparisons of M81 and B95-8 EBVs were previously been performed in order to determine if the hyperlytic property of M81 is associated with sequence differences in essential lytic genes. EBV SM is an RNA-binding protein expressed during early lytic replication that is essential for virus production. We compared the functions of M81 SM and B95-8 SM and demonstrate that polymorphisms in SM do not contribute to the lytic phenotype of M81 EBV. However, the expression level of the EBV DNA polymerase protein was much higher in M81- than in B95-8-infected cells. The relative deficiency in the expression of B95-8 DNA polymerase was related to the B95-8 genome deletion, which truncates the BALF5 3' untranslated region (UTR). Similarly, the insertion of bacmid DNA into the widely used recombinant B95-8 bacmid creates an inefficient BALF5 3' UTR. We further showed that the while SM is required for and facilitates the efficient expression of both M81 and B95-8 mRNAs regardless of the 3' UTR, the BALF5 3' UTR sequence is important for BALF5 protein translation. These data indicate that the enhanced lytic replication and virus production of M81 compared to those of B95-8 are partly due to the robust translation of EBV DNA polymerase required for viral DNA replication due to a more efficient BALF5 3' UTR in M81. IMPORTANCE Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects more than 90% of the human population, but the incidence of EBV-associated tumors varies greatly in different parts of the world. Thus, understanding the connection between genetic polymorphisms from patient isolates of EBV, gene expression phenotypes, and disease is important and may help in

Use of cognitive enhancers among medical students in Lithuania

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Lengvenyte Aiste

2016-04-01

Full Text Available AIMS – The purpose of this study is to analyse the use of cognitive enhancers among medical students in Lithuania, determine the reasons for usage and evaluate the contributing factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, stress levels, sleep quality and knowing somebody who has used a neuro-enhancing drug.

Contribution of crosslinking products in the flavour enhancer processing: the new concept of Maillard peptide in sensory characteristics of Maillard reaction systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Karangwa, Eric; Murekatete, Nicole; Habimana, Jean de Dieu; Masamba, Kingsley; Duhoranimana, Emmanuel; Muhoza, Bertrand; Zhang, Xiaoming

2016-06-01

In this study, the flavour-enhancing properties of the Maillard reaction products (MRPs) for different systems consisted of different peptides (sunflower, SFP; corn, CP and soyabean SP) with, xylose and cysteine were investigated. Maillard systems from peptides of sunflower, corn and soyabean with xylose and cysteine were designated as PXC, MCP and MSP, respectively. The Maillard systems were prepared at pH of 7.4 using temperature of 120C for 2 h. Results showed that all systems were significantly different in all sensory attributes. The highest scores for mouthfulness and continuity were observed for MCP with the lowest peptides distribution between 1000 and 5000 Da, known as Maillard peptide. This revealed that the MCP with the lowest Maillard peptide content had the strongest "Kokumi" effect compared to the other MRPsand demonstrated that "kokumi effect" of MRPs was contributed by not only the "Maillard peptide" defined by the molecular weight (1000-5000 Da). Results on sensory evaluation after fractionation of PXC followed by enzymatic hydrolysis showed no significant differences between PXC, P-PXC and their hydrolysates. This observation therefore confirmed that the presence of other contributors attributed to the "Kokumi" effect rather than the Maillard peptide. It can be deduced that the unhydrolyzed crosslinking products might have contributed to the "Kokumi" effect of MRPs. The structures of four probable crosslinking compounds were proposed and the findings have provided new insights in the sensory characteristics of xylose, cysteine and sunflower peptide MRPs.

Enhancing innovation in agriculture at the policy level : The potential contribution of Technology Assessment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vanclay, Frank M.; Russell, A. Wendy; Kimber, Julie

Technology Assessment (TA) is an applied process that considers the societal implications of technological change in order to influence policy to improve technology governance. TA has considerable potential to enhance innovation in agriculture and to assist agricultural industries in becoming more

Enhanced fire-related traits may contribute to the invasiveness of Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum)

Science.gov (United States)

Although several invasive species have induced changes to the fire regime of invaded ecosystems, potential intraspecific shifts in fire-related traits that might enhance their invasion success, have never been addressed. We assumed that traits conferring persistence and competitiveness in post-fire ...

The Contribution of Forests and Trees to Sustainable Diets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny Hunter

2013-11-01

Full Text Available With the growing demands from a population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, it is unclear how our current global food system will meet future food needs. Ensuring that all people have access to adequate and nutritious food produced in an environmentally and socio-culturally sustainable manner is one of the greatest challenges of our time. “Sustainable diets” have been proposed as a multidimensional framework to address the need for nutritious and adequate food in the context of the many challenges facing the world today: reducing poverty and hunger, improving environmental health, enhancing human well-being and health, and strengthening local food networks, sustainable livelihoods and cultural heritage. This paper examines the contribution of forests and trees to sustainable diets, covering among others, nutritional, cultural, environmental and provisioning aspects. The literature reviewed highlight major opportunities to strengthen the contribution of forest and tree foods to sustainable diets. However, several constraints need to be removed. They relate to: cultural aspects, sustainable use of non-wood forest products, organization of forest food provisioning, limited knowledge of forest food composition, challenges in adapting management of forests and trees to account for forest foods, and in integrating forest biodiversity into complex landscapes managed for multiple benefits. Finally, the paper identifies research gaps and makes recommendations to enhance the contribution of forest foods to sustainable diets through increased awareness and better integration of information and knowledge on nutritious forest foods into national nutrition strategies and programs.

Cognitive Enhancement Using ICT and Its Ethical Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Doukakis, Spyros; Stamatellos, Giannis; Glinou, Nektaria

2017-01-01

The utilization of digital tools aiming at the cognitive enhancement of students and adults, so that they can achieve better performance and professional or academic success, has increased in recent years. This paper focuses on ICT tools such as computer games, programming languages and educational software as means for cognitive enhancement and attempts to highlight their contributions. Issues of design and the limitations of digital tools are discussed. In the final section, the ethical implications of using educational ICT tools for cognitive enhancement from a virtue ethics perspective are presented.

Optional contributions have positive effects for volunteering public goods games

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qi-Qing; Li, Zhen-Peng; Fu, Chang-He; Wang, Lai-Sheng

2011-11-01

Public goods (PG) games with the volunteering mechanism are referred to as volunteering public goods (VPG) games, in which loners are introduced to the PG games, and a loner obtains a constant payoff but not participating the game. Considering that small contributions may have positive effects to encourage more players with bounded rationality to contribute, this paper introduces optional contributions (high value or low value) to these typical VPG games-a cooperator can contribute a high or low payoff to the public pools. With the low contribution, the logit dynamics show that cooperation can be promoted in a well mixed population comparing to the typical VPG games, furthermore, as the multiplication factor is greater than a threshold, the average payoff of the population is also enhanced. In spatial VPG games, we introduce a new adjusting mechanism that is an approximation to best response. Some results in agreement with the prediction of the logit dynamics are found. These simulation results reveal that for VPG games the option of low contributions may be a better method to stimulate the growth of cooperation frequency and the average payoff of the population.

Proximity does not contribute to activity enhancement in the glucose oxidase-horseradish peroxidase cascade

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yifei; Tsitkov, Stanislav; Hess, Henry

2016-12-01

A proximity effect has been invoked to explain the enhanced activity of enzyme cascades on DNA scaffolds. Using the cascade reaction carried out by glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase as a model system, here we study the kinetics of the cascade reaction when the enzymes are free in solution, when they are conjugated to each other and when a competing enzyme is present. No proximity effect is found, which is in agreement with models predicting that the rapidly diffusing hydrogen peroxide intermediate is well mixed. We suggest that the reason for the activity enhancement of enzymes localized by DNA scaffolds is that the pH near the surface of the negatively charged DNA nanostructures is lower than that in the bulk solution, creating a more optimal pH environment for the anchored enzymes. Our findings challenge the notion of a proximity effect and provide new insights into the role of DNA scaffolds.

Electroweak penguin contributions in charmless B→VV decays beyond leading logarithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dongsheng Du; Libo Guo

1997-01-01

Using the next-to-leading-order, low-energy effective Hamiltonian for vertical bar ΔB vertical bar = 1, ΔC = ΔU = 0 transitions, the contributions of electroweak penguin operators in charmless B→VV decays are estimated in the standard model. We find that, for some channels, the electroweak penguin effects can enhance or reduce the QCD penguin and/or tree-level contributions by at least 20%, and can even play a dominant role in decay widths and CP-asymmetries, but the corrections to the angular distribution are negligible. (author)

Physical mechanisms contributing to enhanced bipolar gain degradation at low dose rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleetwood, D.M.; Reber, R.A. Jr.; Winokur, P.S.; Kosier, S.L.; Schrimpf, R.D.; Wei, A.; DeLaus, M.; Combs, W.E.; Pease, R.L.

1994-01-01

The authors have performed capacitance-voltage (C-V) and thermally-stimulated-current (TSC) measurements on non-radiation-hard MOS capacitors simulating screen oxides of modern bipolar technologies. For 0-V irradiation of ∼25 C, the net trapped-positive-charge density (N ox ) inferred from midgap C-V shifts is ∼25--40% greater for low-dose-rate ( 2 )/s) than for high-dose-rate (> 100 rad(SiO 2 )/s) exposure. Device modeling shows that such a difference in screen-oxide N ox is enough to account for the enhanced low-rate gain degradation often observed in bipolar devices, due to the ∼ exp(N ox 2 ) dependence of the excess base current. At the higher rates, TSC measurements reveal a ∼10% decrease in trapped-hole density over low rates. Also, at high rates, up to ∼2.5-times as many trapped holes are compensated by electrons in border traps than at low rates for these devices and irradiation conditions. Both the reduction in trapped-hole density and increased charge compensation reduce the high-rate midgap shift. A physical model is developed which suggests that both effects are caused by time-dependent space charge in the bulk of these soft oxides associated with slowly transporting and/or metastably trapped holes (e.g., in Eδ' centers). On the basis of this model, bipolar transistors and screen-oxide capacitors were irradiated at 60 C at 200 rad(SiO 2 )/s in a successful effort to match low-rate damage. these surprising results provide insight into enhanced low-rate bipolar gain degradation and suggest potentially promising new approaches to bipolar and BiCMOS hardness assurance for space applications

More than visual literacy: art and the enhancement of tolerance for ambiguity and empathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentwich, Miriam Ethel; Gilbey, Peter

2017-11-10

Comfort with ambiguity, mostly associated with the acceptance of multiple meanings, is a core characteristic of successful clinicians. Yet past studies indicate that medical students and junior physicians feel uncomfortable with ambiguity. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a pedagogic approach involving discussions of art works and deciphering the different possible meanings entailed in them. However, the contribution of art to the possible enhancement of the tolerance for ambiguity among medical students has not yet been adequately investigated. We aimed to offer a novel perspective on the effect of art, as it is experienced through VTS, on medical students' tolerance of ambiguity and its possible relation to empathy. Quantitative method utilizing a short survey administered after an interactive VTS session conducted within mandatory medical humanities course for first-year medical students. The intervention consisted of a 90-min session in the form of a combined lecture and interactive discussions about art images. The VTS session and survey were filled by 67 students in two consecutive rounds of first-year students. 67% of the respondents thought that the intervention contributed to their acceptance of multiple possible meanings, 52% thought their visual observation ability was enhanced and 34% thought that their ability to feel the sufferings of other was being enhanced. Statistically significant moderate-to-high correlations were found between the contribution to ambiguity tolerance and contribution to empathy (0.528-0.744; p ≤ 0.01). Art may contribute especially to the development of medical students' tolerance of ambiguity, also related to the enhancement of empathy. The potential contribution of visual art works used in VTS to the enhancement of tolerance for ambiguity and empathy is explained based on relevant literature regarding the embeddedness of ambiguity within art works, coupled with reference to John Dewey's theory of learning. Given the

Impact of Sommerfeld enhancement on helium reionization via WIMP dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Bandyopadhyay, Bidisha; Schleicher, Dominik R. G.

2018-03-01

Dark matter annihilation can have a strong impact on many astrophysical processes in the Universe. In the case of Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation cross sections, the annihilation rates are enhanced at late times, thus enhancing the potential annihilation signatures. We here calculate the Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation signatures during the epoch of helium reionization, the epoch where helium becomes fully ionized due to energetic photons. When considering the upper limits on the energy injection from the CMB, we find that the resulting abundance of He++ becomes independent of the dark matter particle mass. The resulting enhancement compared to a standard scenario is thus 1-2 orders of magnitude higher. For realistic scenarios compatible with CMB constraints, there is no significant shift in the epoch of helium reionization, which is completed between redshifts 3 and 4. While it is thus difficult to disentangle dark matter annihilation from astrophysical contributions (active galactic nuclei), a potential detection of dark matter particles and its interactions using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) would allow one to quantify the dark matter contribution.

Frontal and temporal lobe contributions to emotional enhancement of memory in behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease

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Fiona eKumfor

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Emotional events gain special priority in how they are remembered, with emotionally arousing events typically recalled more vividly and with greater confidence than non-emotional events. In dementia, memory and emotion processing are affected to varying degrees, however, whether emotional enhancement of memory for complex ecologically valid events is differentially affected across dementia syndromes remains unclear, with previous studies examining effects of emotion on simple visual recognition only. Here, we examined memory for an emotionally arousing short story and a closely matched, emotionally neutral story in behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD (n = 13 and Alzheimer’s disease (AD (n = 14, and contrasted their performance with healthy controls (n = 12. Multiple-choice recognition memory for specific details of the story was assessed after a 1-hour delay. While AD and control groups showed enhanced memory for the emotional story, the bvFTD group recalled a similar number of details from the emotional and neutral stories. Voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed emotional enhancement of memory correlated with distinct brain regions in each patient group. In AD, emotional enhancement was associated with integrity of the bilateral hippocampus, parahippocampal gyri, temporal fusiform gyrus and frontal pole, regions implicated in memory processes. In contrast in bvFTD, integrity of emotion processing regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex, right amygdala and right insula, correlated with the extent emotion enhanced memory. Our results reveal that integrity of frontal and temporal regions determine the quality and nature of emotional memories. While emotional enhancement of memory is present in mild AD, in bvFTD emotion does not facilitate memory retrieval for complex realistic events. This attenuation of emotional enhancement is due to degradation of emotion processing regions, which may be important for modulating levels

Preterm birth enhances the contribution of mothers' mind-mindedness to infants' expressive language development: A longitudinal investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Costantini, Alessandro; Coppola, Gabrielle; Fasolo, Mirco; Cassibba, Rosalinda

2017-11-01

Maternal mind-mindedness has been shown to be a powerful predictor of many developmental outcomes and to buffer the impact of psychosocial risk conditions, but no study has investigated whether this parental feature might support child development in the presence of biological risk, such as preterm birth. The present study addresses this gap, by investigating whether early maternal mind-mindedness contributes to the growth of a child's linguistic abilities in the following two years of life, and if the contribution of this maternal feature might be stronger in the presence of preterm birth. Forty mother-child dyads (twenty with a preterm infant) were followed longitudinally, with maternal mind-mindedness assessed at 14 months of age and child's expressive linguistic abilities at 24 and 36 months through observational measures. Multilevel models showed that linguistic abilities increased from 24 to 36 months of age, but that this increase was stronger in full-term infants. Maternal mind-mindedness also contributed to this growth, playing a stronger role in preterm infants than in full-term infants. Altogether, these findings contribute more deeply to the understanding of language development in preterm infants and of the joint contribution made by biological risk and environmental factors; from a practical standpoint, they suggest the importance of addressing mother's mind-mindedness in order to support child's language development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-range contributions to double beta decay revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helo, J.C. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Centro-Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso,Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso (Chile); Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Avenida Cisternas 1200, La Serena (Chile); Hirsch, M. [HEP Group, Instituto de Física Corpuscular,C.S.I.C./Universitat de València Edificio Institutos de Investigacion,Parc Cientific de Paterna, Apartado 22085, E-46071 València (Spain); Ota, T. [Department of Physics, Saitama University,Shimo-Okubo 255, 338-8570 Saitama-Sakura (Japan)

2016-06-01

We discuss the systematic decomposition of all dimension-7 (d=7) lepton number violating operators. These d=7 operators produce momentum enhanced contributions to the long-range part of the 0νββ decay amplitude and thus are severely constrained by existing half-live limits. In our list of possible models one can find contributions to the long-range amplitude discussed previously in the literature, such as the left-right symmetric model or scalar leptoquarks, as well as some new models not considered before. The d=7 operators generate Majorana neutrino mass terms either at tree-level, 1-loop or 2-loop level. We systematically compare constraints derived from the mass mechanism to those derived from the long-range 0νββ decay amplitude and classify our list of models accordingly. We also study one particular example decomposition, which produces neutrino masses at 2-loop level, can fit oscillation data and yields a large contribution to the long-range 0νββ decay amplitude, in some detail.

Factors contributing to sleep deprivation in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valerie J. Ehlers

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Patients in intensive care units require rest and sleep to recuperate, but might suffer from sleep deprivation due to ongoing unit activities. The study aimed to identify and describe the factors contributing to sleep deprivation in one multi-disciplinary intensive care unit MDICU in a private hospital in South Africa. Quantitative, descriptive research was conducted to identify factors contributing to sleep deprivation in the research setting, and to make recommendations to enhance these patients’ abilities to sleep. Structured interviewswere conducted with 34 adult non-ventilated patients who had spent at least one night in the MDICU and who gave informed consent. Out of the 34 interviewed patients 70.6% n = 24 indicated that they suffered from sleep deprivation in the MDICU. The five major factors contributing to sleep deprivation in a MDICU were, (1 not knowing nurses’ names, noise caused by alarms, (2 stress, (3 inability to understand medical terms, and (3 blood pressure cuffs that restricted patients’ movements and smelled badly. Patients’ abilities to sleep were enhanced by reassuring nurses whose names they knew and with whom they could communicate. By attending to the identified five major factors, patients’ abilities to sleep in a MDICU could be enhanced enabling patients to recuperate faster. The implementation of such measures need not incur financial costs for the MDICU concerned.

Factors contributing to sleep deprivation in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valerie J. Ehlers

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Patients in intensive care units require rest and sleep to recuperate, but might suffer from sleep deprivation due to ongoing unit activities. The study aimed to identify and describe the factors contributing to sleep deprivation in one multi-disciplinary intensive care unit (MDICU in a private hospital in South Africa. Quantitative, descriptive research was conducted to identify factors contributing to sleep deprivation in the research setting, and to make recommendations to enhance these patients’ abilities to sleep. Structured interviews were conducted with 34 adult non-ventilated patients who had spent at least one night in the MDICU and who gave informed consent. Out of the 34 interviewed patients 70.6% (n = 24 indicated that they suffered from sleep deprivation in the MDICU. The five major factors contributing to sleep deprivation in a MDICU were, (1 not knowing nurses’ names, noise caused by alarms, (2 stress, (3 inability to understand medical terms, and (3 blood pressure cuffs that restricted patients’ movements and smelled badly. Patients’ abilities to sleep were enhanced by reassuring nurses whose names they knew and with whom they could communicate. By attending to the identified five major factors, patients’ abilities to sleep in a MDICU could be enhanced enabling patients to recuperate faster. The implementation of such measures need not incur financial costs for the MDICU concerned.

The Refund of Social Insurance Contributions of Disabled Persons Conducting Non-agricultural Economic Activity

OpenAIRE

Marzena Szabłowska-Juckiewicz

2014-01-01

Disabled persons conducting non-agricultural economic activity may apply for the refund of social insurance contributions from the State Fund for Rehabilitation of the Disabled Persons. The exception to the general rule of financing social insurance contributions of persons conducting non-agricultural economic activity by the insured persons themselves, entirely from their own funds, constitutes one of the instruments introduced by the law-maker to enhance vocational activation of disabled pe...

The contribution of microbial biotechnology to mitigating coral reef degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Damjanovic, Katarina; Blackall, Linda L; Webster, Nicole S; van Oppen, Madeleine J H

2017-09-01

The decline of coral reefs due to anthropogenic disturbances is having devastating impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Here we highlight the potential and challenges of microbial manipulation strategies to enhance coral tolerance to stress and contribute to coral reef restoration and protection. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Tunable graphene antennas for selective enhancement of THz-emission

KAUST Repository

Filter, Robert; Farhat, Mohamed; Steglich, Mathias; Alaee, Rasoul; Rockstuhl, Carsten; Lederer, Falk L.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we will introduce THz graphene antennas that strongly enhance the emission rate of quantum systems at specific frequencies. The tunability of these antennas can be used to selectively enhance individual spectral features. We will show as an example that any weak transition in the spectrum of coronene can become the dominant contribution. This selective and tunable enhancement establishes a new class of graphene-based THz devices, which will find applications in sensors, novel light sources, spectroscopy, and quantum communication devices. © 2013 Optical Society of America.

Methodologies and intelligent systems for technology enhanced learning

CERN Document Server

Gennari, Rosella; Vitorini, Pierpaolo; Vicari, Rosa; Prieta, Fernando

2014-01-01

This volume presents recent research on Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning. It contains the contributions of ebuTEL 2013 conference which took place in Trento, Italy, on September, 16th 2013 and of mis4TEL 2014 conference, which took take place in Salamanca, Spain, on September, 4th-6th 2014 This conference series are an open forum for discussing intelligent systems for Technology Enhanced Learning and empirical methodologies for its design or evaluation.

Midterm peer feedback in problem-based learning groups: the effect on individual contributions and achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamp, Rachelle J A; van Berkel, Henk J M; Popeijus, Herman E; Leppink, Jimmie; Schmidt, Henk G; Dolmans, Diana H J M

2014-03-01

Even though peer process feedback is an often used tool to enhance the effectiveness of collaborative learning environments like PBL, the conditions under which it is best facilitated still need to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of individual versus shared reflection and goal setting on students' individual contributions to the group and their academic achievement. In addition, the influence of prior knowledge on the effectiveness of peer feedback was studied. In this pretest-intervention-posttest study 242 first year students were divided into three conditions: condition 1 (individual reflection and goal setting), condition 2 (individual and shared reflection and goal setting), and condition 3 (control group). Results indicated that the quality of individual contributions to the tutorial group did not improve after receiving the peer feedback, nor did it differ between the three conditions. With regard to academic achievement, only males in conditions 1 and 2 showed better academic achievement compared with condition 3. However, there was no difference between both ways of reflection and goal setting with regard to achievement, indicating that both ways are equally effective. Nevertheless, it is still too early to conclude that peer feedback combined with reflection and goal setting is not effective in enhancing students' individual contributions. Students only had a limited number of opportunities to improve their contributions. Therefore, future research should investigate whether an increase in number of tutorial group meetings can enhance the effectiveness of peer feedback. In addition, the effect of quality of reflection and goal setting could be taken into consideration in future research.

Contributions of knowledge products to health policy: a case study on the Public Health Status and Forecasts Report 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegger, Ingrid; Kok, Maarten O; Janssen, Susan W J; Schuit, Albertine J; van Oers, Hans A M

2016-12-01

The Dutch Public Health Status and Forecasts report (PHSF Report) integrates research data and identifies future trends affecting public health in the Netherlands. To investigate how PHSF contributions to health policy can be enhanced, we analysed the development process whereby the PHSF Report for 2010 was produced (PHSF-2010). To collect data, a case study approach was used along the lines of Contribution Mapping including analysis of documents from the PHSF-2010 process and interviews with actors involved. All interviews were recorded and transcribed ad verbatim and coded using an inductive code list. The PHSF-2010 process included activities aimed at alignment between researchers and policy-makers, such as informal meetings. However, we identified three issues that are easily overlooked in knowledge development, but provide suggestions for enhancing contributions: awareness of divergent; continuously changing actor scenarios; vertical alignment within organizations involved and careful timing of draft products to create early adopters. To enhance the contributions made by an established public health report, such as the PHSF Report, it is insufficient to raise the awareness of potential users. The knowledge product must be geared to policy-makers' needs and must be introduced into the scenarios of actors who may be less familiar. The demand for knowledge product adaptations has to be considered. This requires continuous alignment efforts in all directions: horizontal and vertical, external and internal. The findings of this study may be useful to researchers who aim to enhance the contributions of their knowledge products to health policy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Promoting Social Entrepreneurship among Entrepreneur with Disabilities in Contribution for Community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rozali Norhasyikin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Looking forward of the uniqueness social entrepreneurship (SE new phenomena born from entrepreneurships felid. Because of that it is a new step point for the entrepreneur with disabilities (EWD to be part of social entrepreneurship environments. Where SE, link the positive impact for society creating by entrepreneur that understand that social problem give a big opportunities for profit or nonprofit activity that can be solve creatively. This give a lot of advantage of EWD to contributes to community in the term of “social impact”. This conceptual paper maps SE and EWD in contribution to community with the important role play by stakeholder in promoting SE. This conceptualization enhances understanding of EWD in SE and clear picture of role play by stakeholder give chances for EWD contributes to community.

Global estimate of lichen and bryophyte contributions to forest precipitation interception

Science.gov (United States)

Van Stan, John; Porada, Philipp; Kleidon, Axel

2017-04-01

Interception of precipitation by forest canopies plays an important role in its partitioning to evaporation, transpiration and runoff. Field observations show arboreal lichens and bryophytes can substantially enhance forests' precipitation storage and evaporation. However, representations of canopy interception in global land surface models currently ignore arboreal lichen and bryophyte contributions. This study uses the lichen and bryophyte model (LiBry) to provide the first process-based modelling approach estimating these organisms' contributions to canopy water storage and evaporation. The global mean value of forest water storage capacity increased significantly from 0.87 mm to 1.33 mm by the inclusion of arboreal poikilohydric organisms. Global forest canopy evaporation of intercepted precipitation was also greatly enhanced by 44%. Ratio of total versus bare canopy global evaporation exceeded 2 in many forested regions. This altered global patterns in canopy water storage, evaporation, and ultimately the proportion of rainfall evaporated. A sensitivity analysis was also performed. Results indicate rainfall interception is of larger magnitude than previously reported by global land surface modelling work because of the important role of lichen and bryophytes in rainfall interception.

CTIF`s contribution to enhance cupola furnace smoke de-dusting; Contribution du CTIF a l`amelioration du depoussierage des fumees de cubilot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charbonnier, M. [Centre Technique des Industries de la Fonderie (CTIF), 92 - Sevres (France)

1996-12-31

Two industrial prototypes for enhancing subsequent smoke dust extraction in cupola furnaces have been developed by the CTIF French Foundry research center: processes involve post-combustion of smokes inside the furnace, which allow for a strong reduction in carbon monoxide emissions and a lower hydrocarbon content, and smoke conditioning by evaporative cooling, which regulates the smoke flow and stimulates filtration condition optimization before de-dusting. Prototypes have been installed in two foundries and results are discussed

An analysis of the proposed Airline Competition Enhancement Act

OpenAIRE

Smith, Janice S.

1990-01-01

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited This analysis examines problem issues in the passenger airline industry and determines how the proposed Airline Competition Enhancement Act would impact these issues. A summarization of the history of airline deregulation is followed by an assessment of the factors that are contributing to the call for re-regulation. From this assessment, recommendations for changes to the proposed Airline Competition Enhancement Act are made. Lieut...

Leadership Elasticity Enhancing Style-Flex for Leadership Equilibrium

Science.gov (United States)

Rajbhandari, Mani Man Singh

2017-01-01

Leadership elasticity enhances leadership style flexibility and mobility to enable educational leaders to maintain appropriate leadership equilibrium. The essential of leadership elasticity contributes towards organizational effectiveness by followership's maintenance through appropriate expansion and contraction of relations and task behavioural…

Enhanced attention amplifies face adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Gillian; Jeffery, Linda; Evangelista, Emma; Ewing, Louise; Peters, Marianne; Taylor, Libby

2011-08-15

Perceptual adaptation not only produces striking perceptual aftereffects, but also enhances coding efficiency and discrimination by calibrating coding mechanisms to prevailing inputs. Attention to simple stimuli increases adaptation, potentially enhancing its functional benefits. Here we show that attention also increases adaptation to faces. In Experiment 1, face identity aftereffects increased when attention to adapting faces was increased using a change detection task. In Experiment 2, figural (distortion) face aftereffects increased when attention was increased using a snap game (detecting immediate repeats) during adaptation. Both were large effects. Contributions of low-level adaptation were reduced using free viewing (both experiments) and a size change between adapt and test faces (Experiment 2). We suggest that attention may enhance adaptation throughout the entire cortical visual pathway, with functional benefits well beyond the immediate advantages of selective processing of potentially important stimuli. These results highlight the potential to facilitate adaptive updating of face-coding mechanisms by strategic deployment of attentional resources. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Professional Learning: Contributing to the Growth of Leadership, Professional Identity and Professionalism

Science.gov (United States)

Colmer, Kaye

2017-01-01

This article contributes to understanding of professionalism in early childhood education and argues that in working to implement a mandated curriculum framework, professional identity and professionalism can be enhanced. While primarily focused on examining the nature of leadership practice during professional development and learning to…

Enhanced noradrenergic activity in the amygdala contributes to hyperarousal in an animal model of PTSD

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ronzoni, G.; Arco, A. Del; Mora, F.; Segovia, G.

2016-01-01

Increased activity of the noradrenergic system in the amygdala has been suggested to contribute to the hyperarousal symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, only two studies have examined the content of noradrenaline or its metabolites in the amygdala of rats

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yao; Chen, Zeng-Ping; Zuo, Qi; Shi, Cai-Xia; Yu, Ru-Qin

2015-01-01

In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM SERS ) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc. - Highlights: • A novel conical holed SERS enhancing substrate was designed and manufactured. • The optimal conical holed glass substrates can produce stronger SERS signal. • The novel substrates can overcome the shortcomings of both dry and wet methods. • The novel substrates coupled with MEM SERS can realize quantitative SERS assays

The Value of Information from a GRACE-Enhanced Drought Severity Index

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwayama, Y.; Bernknopf, R.; Macauley, M.; Brookshire, D.; Zaitchik, B. F.; Rodell, M.

2013-12-01

Water storage anomalies derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Data Assimilation System (GRACE-DAS) have been used to enhance the information contained in drought indicators. The potential value of this information is to inform local and regional decisions to improve economic welfare in the face of drought. Based on a characterization of current drought evaluations, a modeling framework has been structured to analyze the contributed value of the Earth observations in the assessment of the onset and duration of droughts and their regional impacts. The analysis focuses on (1) characterizing how GRACE-DAS provides Earth observation information for a drought warning, (2) assessing how a GRACE-DAS-enhanced U.S. Drought Monitor would improve economic outcomes in a region, and (3) applying this enhancement process in a decision framework to illustrate the potential role of GRACE data products in a recent drought and response scenario for a value-of-information (VOI) analysis. The VOI analysis quantifies the relative contribution of enhanced understanding and communication of the societal benefits associated with GRACE Earth observation science. Our emphasis is to illustrate the role of an enhanced National Integrated Drought Information System outlook on three key societal outcomes: effects on particular economic sectors, changes in land management decisions, and reductions in damages to ecosystem services.

Near-Field Enhanced Photochemistry of Single Molecules in a Scanning Tunneling Microscope Junction.

Science.gov (United States)

Böckmann, Hannes; Gawinkowski, Sylwester; Waluk, Jacek; Raschke, Markus B; Wolf, Martin; Kumagai, Takashi

2018-01-10

Optical near-field excitation of metallic nanostructures can be used to enhance photochemical reactions. The enhancement under visible light illumination is of particular interest because it can facilitate the use of sunlight to promote photocatalytic chemical and energy conversion. However, few studies have yet addressed optical near-field induced chemistry, in particular at the single-molecule level. In this Letter, we report the near-field enhanced tautomerization of porphycene on a Cu(111) surface in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) junction. The light-induced tautomerization is mediated by photogenerated carriers in the Cu substrate. It is revealed that the reaction cross section is significantly enhanced in the presence of a Au tip compared to the far-field induced process. The strong enhancement occurs in the red and near-infrared spectral range for Au tips, whereas a W tip shows a much weaker enhancement, suggesting that excitation of the localized plasmon resonance contributes to the process. Additionally, using the precise tip-surface distance control of the STM, the near-field enhanced tautomerization is examined in and out of the tunneling regime. Our results suggest that the enhancement is attributed to the increased carrier generation rate via decay of the excited near-field in the STM junction. Additionally, optically excited tunneling electrons also contribute to the process in the tunneling regime.

Cranial CT revisited: do we really need contrast enhancement?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demaerel, P.; Buelens, C.; Wilms, G.; Baert, A.L.

1998-01-01

The aim of this study was to define guidelines for intravenous contrast administration in cranial CT, as currently there are no recent guidelines based on a large series of patients. In 1900 consecutive patients (1480 adults and 420 children) pre- and post-contrast scan was analysed in order to assess the contribution of contrast enhancement to the diagnosis. The findings were grouped according to whether abnormalities were seen on the pre- and/or post-contrast scan, or whether no abnormalities were seen at all. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accurracy of a pre-contrast scan were used to determine validity. Intravenous contrast enhancement only contributes to the diagnosis if a suspicious abnormality is seen on the unenhanced scan or in the appropriate clinical setting (33.6 %). In the remaining patients (65.6 %) there is no diagnostic contribution, except for a small number of abnormalities (0.8 %). These are often anatomical variants and have no therapeutic impact. The number of contrast-enhanced cranial CT examinations can significantly be reduced by using four general guidelines for contrast administration resulting in considerable cost savings without affecting the quality of service to the patient. These guidelines are defined by the clinical findings/presentation or by the findings on the unenhanced scan. The number of contrast-related complications will be reduced, which may have medicolegal implications. These guidelines can be applied in any radiology department. (orig.) (orig.)

Summary of strategies for planning Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement (PIQE)

Science.gov (United States)

1986-01-01

The Summary of NASA Strategies for Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement respond to NASA's eighth top goal: Establish NASA as a leader in the development and application of advanced technology and management practices which contribute to significant increases in both Agency and national productivity. The Strategies provide the framework for development of the agency-wide Productivity Improvement and Quality Enhancement (PIQE) Plans.

The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution of Nuclear Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

What contribution can nuclear energy make to improve the security of energy supply? This study, which examines a selection of OECD member countries, qualitatively and quantitatively validates the often intuitive assumption that, as a largely domestic source of electricity with stable costs and no greenhouse gas emissions during production, nuclear energy can make a positive contribution. Following an analysis of the meaning and context of security of supply, the study uses transparent and policy-relevant indicators to show that, together with improvements in energy efficiency, nuclear energy has indeed contributed significantly to enhanced energy supply security in OECD countries over the past 40 years. Content: Foreword; Executive Summary; 1. The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution of Nuclear Energy - Concepts and Issues: - Energy supply security: An introduction, - Why security of energy supply remains a policy issue in OECD countries, - The external dimension: import dependence, resource exhaustion and carbon policy, - The internal dimension: economic, financial and technical considerations for energy supply security - Orientations for government policies to enhance the security of energy supply, - Conclusions; 2. Indicators and Models for Measuring Security of Energy Supply Risks: - Introduction, - Different approaches towards designing the Supply/Demand Index, - A detailed review of selected security of supply indicators, - Comprehensive models for assessing the security of energy supply, - The Supply/Demand Index, - Concluding observations; 3. Evolution of the Security of Energy Supply in OECD Countries: - Time-dependent quantification of the security of energy supply, - Changes in security of supply in selected OECD countries, - Electricity generation and the security of energy supply, - The contribution of nuclear energy and energy intensity to the security of energy supply, - The geographical distribution of SSDI values, - Conclusions; 4. Public

Occupational Therapy Contributions in Early Intervention: Implications for Personnel Preparation and Interprofessional Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Muhlenhaupt, Mary; Pizur-Barnekow, Kris; Schefkind, Sandra; Chandler, Barbara; Harvison, Neil

2015-01-01

Occupational therapy provides a unique contribution in early intervention programs for families and their children from birth to 3 years old who are at risk for, or who have, identified disabilities. This article describes occupational therapy's distinct value and presents the profession's perspective on services to enhance families' caregiving…

REDD-plus and China's contribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuyong, Li; Mei, Huang; Shenggong, Li

2014-01-01

The United Nations' program Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) seeks to reduce emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. The program's overarching goal is to curb rising CO 2 levels and combat global climate change, and it focuses in particular on nations in or near the tropics that possess abundant rainforest resources. REDD-plus upgrades the program to include additional emphases on the roles of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. China has one of the world's richest forest resources and, through its afforestation and reforestation efforts, also possesses the world's largest reserve of planted forests. Currently, most of China's forests are young and/or mid-aged, and, as a result, China is positioned to make significant contributions to REDD-plus through sustainable forest management that enhanced forest carbon stocks. Though REDD-plus does not represent a comprehensive solution to global climate change, it can help stabilize rising temperatures and buy time for researchers to devise solutions that target the greenhouse effect

Detection of breast abnormalities on enhanced chest CT: Correlation with breast composition on mammography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Eun Mi; Kang, Hee; Shin, Young Gyung; Yun, Jong Hyouk; Oh, Kyung Seung [Dept. of Radiology, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-15

To investigate the capability of enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) for detecting breast abnormalities and to assess the influence of breast composition on this detectability. From 2000 to 2013, 75 patients who underwent mammography, breast sonography, and enhanced chest CT within one month and had abnormalities on sonography were included. Detection rate of breast abnormality on enhanced chest CT was compared among 4 types of breast composition by the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. Contribution of breast composition, size and enhancement of target lesions to detectability of enhanced chest CT was assessed using logistic regression and chi-square test. Of the 75 target lesions, 34 (45.3%) were detected on enhanced chest CT, corresponding with those on breast sonography; there were no significantly different detection rates among the 4 types of breast composition (p = 0.078). Breast composition [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, p = 0.206] and enhancement (OR = 21.49, p = 0.998) had no significant effect, but size (OR = 1.23, p = 0.004) was a significant contributing factor influencing the detectability of enhanced chest CT for breast lesions. About half of the cases (45.3%) demonstrated breast lesions on chest CT corresponding with target lesions on sonography. Breast composition defined on mammography did not affect the detectability of enhanced chest CT for breast lesions.

Enhanced axion-photon coupling in GUT with hidden photon

Science.gov (United States)

Daido, Ryuji; Takahashi, Fuminobu; Yokozaki, Norimi

2018-05-01

We show that the axion coupling to photons can be enhanced in simple models with a single Peccei-Quinn field, if the gauge coupling unification is realized by a large kinetic mixing χ = O (0.1) between hypercharge and unbroken hidden U(1)H. The key observation is that the U(1)H gauge coupling should be rather strong to induce such large kinetic mixing, leading to enhanced contributions of hidden matter fields to the electromagnetic anomaly. We find that the axion-photon coupling is enhanced by about a factor of 10-100 with respect to the GUT-axion models with E / N = 8 / 3.

Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning

CERN Document Server

Gennari, Rosella; Vittorini, Pierpaolo; Prieta, Fernando

2015-01-01

This volume presents recent research on Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning. It contains the contributions of MIS4TEL 2015, which took place in Salamanca, Spain,. On June 3rd to 5th 2015. Like the previous edition, this proceedings and the conference is an open forum for discussing intelligent systems for Technology Enhanced Learning and empirical methodologies for their design or evaluation MIS4TEL’15 conference has been organized by University of L’aquila, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the University of Salamanca.  .

Optimizing plasmon-enhanced fluorescence with nonlocal metallic nanospheres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tserkezis, Christos; Stefanou, Nikolaos; Wubs, Martijn

, through the recent Generalized Nonlocal Optical Response (GNOR) theory, the concurrent contribution of modal shifts and nonradiative losses, together with a reduced emitter excitation rate due to the decreased field intensity, lead always to a strong reduction of fluorescence (see Fig. 1). Finally, we...... identify situations where the common, intuitive recipe of tuning the NP modes to match λem can in fact lead to strong fluorescence quenching, instead of the anticipated enhancement. Our results highlight the necessity for careful modeling and design of plasmon-field-enhancement based applications....

Enhancing Community Service Learning Via Practical Learning Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilana Ronen

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The advantages of learning communities focused on analyzing social issues and educational repercussions in the field are presented in this study. The research examines the contribution of a learning community to enhancing student teachers' responsibility and their social involvement. The assumption was that participating in learning community would further implement student teachers' community social involvement while enhancing responsibility in their field of action. A questionnaire aimed to present the student teachers' attitudes involving all aspects of studying in the learning community and their social activity in the community was conducted. The findings pinpointed that there were positive contributions of the learning communities from a personal aspect such as developing self-learning, and learning about “me”, as well as broaden their teaching skills, through methodology for teacher training, and developing reflective thought. These insights can also be implemented in various educational frameworks and during service learning as part of teacher training.

Parity-violating internucleon potential and strong-interaction enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donoghue, J.F.

1976-01-01

The NNπ and NNV vertices that enter the parity-violating internucleon potential are calculated in the Cabibbo and Weinberg-Salam models, using a mechanism whereby octet enhancement results from the short-distance behavior of the current-current product. A quark model is used to calculate the NNπ vertex, and for the NNV vertices, a modified factorization approach is proposed. The Cabibbo NNπ vertex is estimated to be an order of magnitude smaller than previous calculations had indicated and arguments against the previous method are given. In the Weinberg model the NNπ vertex is A (N 0 /sub -/) = 1.3 sin 2 theta/subW/A (Λ 0 /sub -/), with only neutral currents contributing. In both models the NNV vertices with only neutral currents contributing. In both models the NNV vertices, however, reasonable values of the enhancement parameters are not expected to be large enough to explain by themselves the large circular polarization measured in n + p → d+γ

Natural and technologically enhanced sources of radon-222

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travis, C.C.; Watson, A.P.; McDowell-Boyer, L.M.; Cotter, S.J.; Randolph, M.L.; Fields, D.E.

1979-01-01

An assessment of 222 Rn releases (curies/year) from major natural and technologically enhanced sources in the United States is presented. The resulting inhalation population dose commitments to the bronchial epithelium of the lung (lung-rem) are also estimated. The sources of radon considered are natural soil, evapotranspiration, potable water supplies, building materials, natural gas, uranium mining and milling, coal and phosphate mining, phosphate fertilizer, liquefied petroleum gas, geothermal power facilities, coal-fired power plants, and gas and oil wells. The most important natural source of 222 Rn is decay of 226 Ra in the soil and rocks of the earth's crust. This source results in approximately 40% of the total population dose from all sources of radon. The largest technoligcally enhanced contributor to population dose is airborne 222 Rn in building interiors, which is estimated to contribute 55% to the total population exposure to 222 Rn. Each of the other sources is estimated to contribute less than 3% to the total

Promoting Well-Being: The Contribution of Emotional Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Fabio, Annamaria; Kenny, Maureen E

2016-01-01

Adopting a primary prevention perspective, this study examines competencies with the potential to enhance well-being and performance among future workers. More specifically, the contributions of ability-based and trait models of emotional intelligence (EI), assessed through well-established measures, to indices of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being were examined for a sample of 157 Italian high school students. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test was used to assess ability-based EI, the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Inventory and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire were used to assess trait EI, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and the Satisfaction With Life Scale were used to assess hedonic well-being, and the Meaningful Life Measure was used to assess eudaimonic well-being. The results highlight the contributions of trait EI in explaining both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, after controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. Implications for further research and intervention regarding future workers are discussed.

Increased diacylglycerol kinase ζ expression in human metastatic colon cancer cells augments Rho GTPase activity and contributes to enhanced invasion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Kun; Mulatz, Kirk; Ard, Ryan; Nguyen, Thanh; Gee, Stephen H

2014-01-01

their invasiveness. Elevated DGKζ expression contributes to increased Rho GTPase activation and the enhanced motility of metastatic cancer cells. These findings warrant further investigation of the clinical relevance of DGKζ upregulation in colon and other cancers. Interfering with DGKζ function could provide a means of inhibiting invasion and metastasis

The Class I HDAC Inhibitor RGFP963 Enhances Consolidation of Cued Fear Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Bowers, Mallory E.; Xia, Bing; Carreiro, Samantha; Ressler, Kerry J.

2015-01-01

Evidence indicates that broad, nonspecific histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition enhances learning and memory, however, the contribution of the various HDACs to specific forms of learning is incompletely understood. Here, we show that the Class I HDAC inhibitor, RGFP963, enhances consolidation of cued fear extinction. However, RGFP966, a strong…

Enhancing agricultural value chain for economic diversification in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined how enhancing the agricultural value chain can contribute to rapid economic diversification in Nigeria within the period of 1981-2015. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model was employed as the econometric method of estimation. The inferences were drawn at 5% significant level. The result ...

BitTorrent's dilemma: Enhancing reciprocity or reducing inequity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jia, A.L.; D'Acunto, L.; Meulpolder, M.; Pouwelse, J.A.; Epema, D.H.J.

2011-01-01

Enhancing reciprocity has been one of the primary motivations for the design of incentive policies in BitTorrent-like P2P systems. Reciprocity implies that peers need to contribute their bandwidth to other peers if they want to receive bandwidth in return. However, the over-provisioning that

Recommender systems for technology enhanced learning research trends and applications

CERN Document Server

Manouselis, Nikos; Verbert, Katrien

2014-01-01

Presents cutting edge research from leading experts in the growing field of Recommender Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning (RecSys TEL) International contributions are included to demonstrate the merging of various efforts and communities Topics include: Linked Data and the Social Web as Facilitators for TEL Recommender Systems in Research and Practice, Personalised Learning-Plan Recommendations in Game-Based Learning and Recommendations from Heterogeneous Sources in a Technology Enhanced Learning Ecosystem

Assessment of myocardial enhancement during coronary CT angiography in critically ill patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mírka, Hynek, E-mail: mirka@fnplzen.cz [Department of Imaging Methods, Faculty of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital in Pilsen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň (Czech Republic); Biomedical Centre, Faculty of Medicine in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Alej Svobody 76, 304 60 Plzeň (Czech Republic); Ferda, Jiří, E-mail: ferda@fnplzen.cz [Department of Imaging Methods, Faculty of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital in Pilsen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň (Czech Republic); Baxa, Jan, E-mail: baxaj@fnplzen.cz [Department of Imaging Methods, Faculty of Medicine and University Teaching Hospital in Pilsen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň (Czech Republic)

2016-10-15

Highlights: • There are still unmet needs for the imaging, such as conditions with unknown cause that are not associated with dominant symptoms indicating primarily cardiac cause. • The contribution of the myocardial enhancement evaluation improves to determining the diagnosis of acute myocardial injury and choosing appropriate treatment. • When incorporating the myocardial enhancement assessment into the imaging algorithm, emphasis is placed on a uniform evaluation approach. • The color coded images of the myocardial enhancement in emergency situations help identify the most serious pathologies and shorten the time to adequate therapy. - Abstract: There are still challenges and unmet needs for the imaging techniques, such as conditions of uncertain origin in patients with clinically serious, life-threatening conditions with unknown cause that are not associated with dominant chest pain, ECG changes or other symptoms indicating a possible primarily cardiac or coronary cause. The contribution of the myocardial enhancement evaluation of urgent cardiac CTA scans significantly improves to determining the diagnosis of acute myocardial injury and choosing appropriate treatment. When incorporating the myocardial enhancement assessment into the imaging algorithm of an emergency department, emphasis is placed on a uniform imaging procedure and a uniform evaluation approach. The color coded images of the myocardial enhancement in emergency situations helps identify the most serious pathologies and shorten the time to adequate targeted therapy in patients.

Assessment of myocardial enhancement during coronary CT angiography in critically ill patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mírka, Hynek; Ferda, Jiří; Baxa, Jan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • There are still unmet needs for the imaging, such as conditions with unknown cause that are not associated with dominant symptoms indicating primarily cardiac cause. • The contribution of the myocardial enhancement evaluation improves to determining the diagnosis of acute myocardial injury and choosing appropriate treatment. • When incorporating the myocardial enhancement assessment into the imaging algorithm, emphasis is placed on a uniform evaluation approach. • The color coded images of the myocardial enhancement in emergency situations help identify the most serious pathologies and shorten the time to adequate therapy. - Abstract: There are still challenges and unmet needs for the imaging techniques, such as conditions of uncertain origin in patients with clinically serious, life-threatening conditions with unknown cause that are not associated with dominant chest pain, ECG changes or other symptoms indicating a possible primarily cardiac or coronary cause. The contribution of the myocardial enhancement evaluation of urgent cardiac CTA scans significantly improves to determining the diagnosis of acute myocardial injury and choosing appropriate treatment. When incorporating the myocardial enhancement assessment into the imaging algorithm of an emergency department, emphasis is placed on a uniform imaging procedure and a uniform evaluation approach. The color coded images of the myocardial enhancement in emergency situations helps identify the most serious pathologies and shorten the time to adequate targeted therapy in patients.

Relative contribution of lateral inhibition to the Delboeuf and Wundt-Hering illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Coren, S

1999-06-01

It has been suggested that lateral neural interactions contribute to some illusions with intersecting or converging line elements but cannot be present in figures that lack these components. Most attempts to ascertain the contribution of neural interactions in visual illusions have involved changes in the actual pattern of illusion. It has now been demonstrated that certain forms of intermittent light stimulation can enhance lateral inhibitory activity. The Wundt-Hering and the Delboeuf illusions were tested under continuous illumination and "shaped" intermittent illumination which augments lateral inhibition. As expected, the Delboeuf illusion was unchanged with increased lateral inhibition while the magnitude of the Wundt-Hering illusion increased.

Enhancements to knowledge discovery framework of SOPHIA textual case-based reasoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Islam Elhalwany

2014-11-01

This paper contributes to propose enhancements to SOPHIA approach that aims to enhance the retrieval efficiency and increase the precision degree. It also aimed to grantee that all results will have the same subject of the user query. The enhancements include performing an automatic classification to the case-base before the clustering step in the indexing stage, and include performing an automatic classification to the user query before the retrieval stage. Moreover, proofing that SOPHIA approach is a domain and language independent by applying it in the domain of Islamic jurisprudence in Arabic language.

Estimating the contribution of the private power plant on electricity market in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonn, Yang-Hoon; Park, Jong-Bae

2010-09-15

This paper aims to measure the contribution of merchant power provider in electricity market in Korea. In spite of the restructuring process of last one decade, wholesale power market is still dominated by KEPCO and its subsidiaries. The share of the public-owned power plants is 89% in capacity, and 96% in generation. The participation of the private power shows very significant contribution in promoting the competition in the market in spite of the small share. The conclusion of the paper is that we need to enhance the competition among suppliers in order to build stable electricity market for the consumer.

Gas-exfoliated porous monolayer boron nitride for enhanced aerobic oxidative desulfurization performance

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yingcheng; Wu, Peiwen; Chao, Yanhong; He, Jing; Li, Hongping; Lu, Linjie; Jiang, Wei; Zhang, Beibei; Li, Huaming; Zhu, Wenshuai

2018-01-01

Hexagonal boron nitride has been regarded to be an efficient catalyst in aerobic oxidation fields, but limited by the less-exposed active sites. In this contribution, we proposed a simple green liquid nitrogen gas exfoliation strategy for preparation of porous monolayer nanosheets (BN-1). Owing to the reduced layer numbers, decreased lateral sizes and artificially-constructed pores, increased exposure of active sites was expected, further contributed to an enhanced aerobic oxidative desulfurization (ODS) performance up to ˜98% of sulfur removal, achieving ultra-deep desulfurization. This work not only introduced an excellent catalyst for aerobic ODS, but also provided a strategy for construction of some other highly-efficient monolayer two-dimensional materials for enhanced catalytic performance.

Electroweak contributions to squark-pair production processes at the LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Germer, Jan

2011-04-28

We study the electroweak (EW) contributions to squark-squark and sbottom-anti-sbottom production processes at the LHC within the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Aiming at precise theoretical predictions, the EW contributions are considered up to next-to leading order (NLO) which are of O({alpha}{sup 2}{sub s}{alpha}). Since the EW interaction distinguishes flavor and chirality of the initial- and final-state quarks and squarks, respectively, the contributing processes are manifold and their interplay is non-trivial. All technical details needed in order to calculate the NLO EW contributions to the hadronic cross section for the abovementioned processes are given within this dissertation. This includes appropriate regularization and renormalization prescriptions and a proper treatment of mass singularities in order to get ultraviolet finite and infrared and collinear safe observables. Squark-squark production consists of 36 processes and the same amount for anti-squark- anti-squark production. The tree-level EW contributions of O({alpha}{sub s}{alpha}+{alpha}{sup 2}) and the NLO EW contributions are calculated for all processes. Depending on the flavor and chirality of the produced squarks, many interferences between EW-mediated and QCD-mediated diagrams give non-zero contributions at tree-level and NLO EW. While the tree-level EW contributions to the integrated cross section can reach the 20% level, the NLO EW corrections typically lower the LO prediction by a few percent. Sbottom-anti-sbottom pair production exhibits specific features like left-right mixing and the renormalization of the sbottom sector which has to be chosen with care in order to get reliable predictions. In addition, Yukawa couplings get enhanced for large values of tan {beta} with the related need of resummation. This renders the computation of the electroweak contributions substantially different from the corresponding computations for squark-anti- squark and stop

Electroweak contributions to squark-pair production processes at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Germer, Jan

2011-01-01

We study the electroweak (EW) contributions to squark-squark and sbottom-anti-sbottom production processes at the LHC within the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Aiming at precise theoretical predictions, the EW contributions are considered up to next-to leading order (NLO) which are of O(α 2 s α). Since the EW interaction distinguishes flavor and chirality of the initial- and final-state quarks and squarks, respectively, the contributing processes are manifold and their interplay is non-trivial. All technical details needed in order to calculate the NLO EW contributions to the hadronic cross section for the abovementioned processes are given within this dissertation. This includes appropriate regularization and renormalization prescriptions and a proper treatment of mass singularities in order to get ultraviolet finite and infrared and collinear safe observables. Squark-squark production consists of 36 processes and the same amount for anti-squark- anti-squark production. The tree-level EW contributions of O(α s α+α 2 ) and the NLO EW contributions are calculated for all processes. Depending on the flavor and chirality of the produced squarks, many interferences between EW-mediated and QCD-mediated diagrams give non-zero contributions at tree-level and NLO EW. While the tree-level EW contributions to the integrated cross section can reach the 20% level, the NLO EW corrections typically lower the LO prediction by a few percent. Sbottom-anti-sbottom pair production exhibits specific features like left-right mixing and the renormalization of the sbottom sector which has to be chosen with care in order to get reliable predictions. In addition, Yukawa couplings get enhanced for large values of tan β with the related need of resummation. This renders the computation of the electroweak contributions substantially different from the corresponding computations for squark-anti- squark and stop-anti-stop production. The tree-level EW

ASDEX contributions to the 17th European conference on controlled fusion and plasma heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

The 'ASDEX contributions to the 17th European conference on controlled fusion and plasma heating' (Amsterdam, June 25-29, 1990) hold one invited paper (Physics of enhanced confinement with peaked and board density profiles) and 12 chapters containing 44 contributed papers dealing with the following topics: Lower hybrid current drive and heating; Ion cyclotron heating; General confinement studies; Fluctuation studies; Direct measurement of transport coefficients; H-mode studies; Pellet studies; Divertor and SOL-studies; Impurity and impurity transport studies; Density limit studies; MHD studies; Diagnostic development. (orig./AH)

Nurse IOM members' contributions to the Institute of Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Grey, Margaret; Holzemer, William L; Larson, Elaine

2012-01-01

Nursing is the largest health care profession, and Institute of Medicine (IOM) nurse members have the potential to contribute to health policy through IOM activities. We studied reported activities of IOM nurse members. To describe activities of IOM nurse members within the IOM. An e-mail survey was conducted that asked nurse IOM members to assess self-reported IOM activities. Of 57 members, 47 had functioning e-mail addresses, and 33 usable responses were received. The survey consisted of 9 questions dealing with roles and responsibilities undertaken in the previous 5 years. Data analyses were descriptive. The data suggest that nurses have made considerable contributions to the IOM and their participation seems to be as high, or higher, than other disciplines. In an era of health care reform, there is additional opportunity for nurse IOM members to enhance their work in the IOM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Near-field enhanced thermionic energy conversion for renewable energy recycling

Science.gov (United States)

Ghashami, Mohammad; Cho, Sung Kwon; Park, Keunhan

2017-09-01

This article proposes a new energy harvesting concept that greatly enhances thermionic power generation with high efficiency by exploiting the near-field enhancement of thermal radiation. The proposed near-field enhanced thermionic energy conversion (NETEC) system is uniquely configured with a low-bandgap semiconductor cathode separated from a thermal emitter with a subwavelength gap distance, such that a significant amount of electrons can be photoexcited by near-field thermal radiation to contribute to the enhancement of thermionic current density. We theoretically demonstrate that the NETEC system can generate electric power at a significantly lower temperature than the standard thermionic generator, and the energy conversion efficiency can exceed 40%. The obtained results reveal that near-field photoexcitation can enhance the thermionic power output by more than 10 times, making this hybrid system attractive for renewable energy recycling.

Memory for time and place contributes to enhanced confidence in memories for emotional events

Science.gov (United States)

Rimmele, Ulrike; Davachi, Lila; Phelps, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

Emotion strengthens the subjective sense of remembering. However, these confidently remembered emotional memories have not been found be more accurate for some types of contextual details. We investigated whether the subjective sense of recollecting negative stimuli is coupled with enhanced memory accuracy for three specific types of central contextual details using the remember/know paradigm and confidence ratings. Our results indicate that the subjective sense of remembering is indeed coupled with better recollection of spatial location and temporal context. In contrast, we found a double-dissociation between the subjective sense of remembering and memory accuracy for colored dots placed in the conceptual center of negative and neutral scenes. These findings show that the enhanced subjective recollective experience for negative stimuli reliably indicates objective recollection for spatial location and temporal context, but not for other types of details, whereas for neutral stimuli, the subjective sense of remembering is coupled with all the types of details assessed. Translating this finding to flashbulb memories, we found that, over time, more participants correctly remembered the location where they learned about the terrorist attacks on 9/11 than any other canonical feature. Likewise participants’ confidence was higher in their memory for location vs. other canonical features. These findings indicate that the strong recollective experience of a negative event corresponds to an accurate memory for some kinds of contextual details, but not other kinds. This discrepancy provides further evidence that the subjective sense of remembering negative events is driven by a different mechanism than the subjective sense of remembering neutral events. PMID:22642353

Upregulation of SK3 and IK1 channels contributes to the enhanced endothelial calcium signaling and the preserved coronary relaxation in obese Zucker rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belén Climent

Full Text Available Endothelial small- and intermediate-conductance KCa channels, SK3 and IK1, are key mediators in the endothelium-derived hyperpolarization and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and also in the modulation of endothelial Ca2+ signaling and nitric oxide (NO release. Obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction and impaired relaxation, although how obesity influences endothelial SK3/IK1 function is unclear. Therefore we assessed whether the role of these channels in the coronary circulation is altered in obese animals.In coronary arteries mounted in microvascular myographs, selective blockade of SK3/IK1 channels unmasked an increased contribution of these channels to the ACh- and to the exogenous NO- induced relaxations in arteries of Obese Zucker Rats (OZR compared to Lean Zucker Rats (LZR. Relaxant responses induced by the SK3/IK1 channel activator NS309 were enhanced in OZR and NO- endothelium-dependent in LZR, whereas an additional endothelium-independent relaxant component was found in OZR. Fura2-AM fluorescence revealed a larger ACh-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in the endothelium of coronary arteries from OZR, which was inhibited by blockade of SK3/IK1 channels in both LZR and OZR. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of SK3/IK1 channels in coronary arteries of OZR and immunohistochemistry suggested that it takes place predominantly in the endothelial layer.Obesity may induce activation of adaptive vascular mechanisms to preserve the dilator function in coronary arteries. Increased function and expression of SK3/IK1 channels by influencing endothelial Ca2+ dynamics might contribute to the unaltered endothelium-dependent coronary relaxation in the early stages of obesity.

The theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering on semiconductor nanoparticles; toward the optimization of SERS sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lombardi, John R

2017-12-04

We present an expression for the lowest order nonzero contribution to the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum obtained from a system of a molecule adsorbed on a semiconductor nanoparticle. Herzberg-Teller vibronic coupling of the zero-order Born-Oppenheimer states results in an expression which may be regarded as an extension of the Albrecht A-, B-, and C-terms to SERS substrates. We show that the SERS enhancement is caused by combinations of several types of resonances in the combined system, namely, surface, exciton, charge-transfer, and molecular resonances. These resonances are coupled by terms in the numerator, which provide selection rules that enable various tests of the theory and predict the relative intensities of the Raman lines. Furthermore, by considering interactions of the various contributions to the SERS enhancement, we are able to develop ways to optimize the enhancement factor by tailoring the semiconductor nanostructure, thereby adjusting the locations of the various contributing resonances. This provides a procedure by which molecular sensors can be constructed and optimized. We provide several experimental examples on substrates such as monolayer MoS 2 and GaN nanorods.

Remembering the past and imagining the future: Identifying and enhancing the contribution of episodic memory

Science.gov (United States)

Schacter, Daniel L; Madore, Kevin P

2016-01-01

Recent studies have shown that imagining or simulating future events relies on many of the same cognitive and neural processes as remembering past events. According to the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis (Schacter and Addis, 2007), such overlap indicates that both remembered past and imagined future events rely heavily on episodic memory: future simulations are built on retrieved details of specific past experiences that are recombined into novel events. An alternative possibility is that commonalities between remembering and imagining reflect the influence of more general, non-episodic factors such as narrative style or communicative goals that shape the expression of both memory and imagination. We consider recent studies that distinguish the contributions of episodic and non-episodic processes in remembering the past and imagining the future by using an episodic specificity induction – brief training in recollecting the details of a past experience – and also extend this approach to the domains of problem solving and creative thinking. We conclude by suggesting that the specificity induction may target a process of scene construction that contributes to episodic memory as well as to imagination, problem solving, and creative thinking. PMID:28163775

Electromagnetic theories of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Song-Yuan; You, En-Ming; Tian, Zhong-Qun; Moskovits, Martin

2017-07-07

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and related spectroscopies are powered primarily by the concentration of the electromagnetic (EM) fields associated with light in or near appropriately nanostructured electrically-conducting materials, most prominently, but not exclusively high-conductivity metals such as silver and gold. This field concentration takes place on account of the excitation of surface-plasmon (SP) resonances in the nanostructured conductor. Optimizing nanostructures for SERS, therefore, implies optimizing the ability of plasmonic nanostructures to concentrate EM optical fields at locations where molecules of interest reside, and to enhance the radiation efficiency of the oscillating dipoles associated with these molecules and nanostructures. This review summarizes the development of theories over the past four decades pertinent to SERS, especially those contributing to our current understanding of SP-related SERS. Special emphasis is given to the salient strategies and theoretical approaches for optimizing nanostructures with hotspots as efficient EM near-field concentrating and far-field radiating substrates for SERS. A simple model is described in terms of which the upper limit of the SERS enhancement can be estimated. Several experimental strategies that may allow one to approach, or possibly exceed this limit, such as cascading the enhancement of the local and radiated EM field by the multiscale EM coupling of hierarchical structures, and generating hotspots by hybridizing an antenna mode with a plasmonic waveguide cavity mode, which would result in an increased local field enhancement, are discussed. Aiming to significantly broaden the application of SERS to other fields, and especially to material science, we consider hybrid structures of plasmonic nanostructures and other material phases and strategies for producing strong local EM fields at desired locations in such hybrid structures. In this vein, we consider some of the numerical

Enhancing maya women's development through cooperative associations : what factors support or restrict the contribution of cooperatives?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Osorio Vazquez, Maria Cristina

2017-01-01

With the aim of contributing to the development of Mayan women living in the Yucatan Peninsula, this research focused on determine the factors that support or inhibit the sustainability of micro-businesses cooperatives, which are organizations with innovative elements that allow Mayan women to work

Contribution of Metal Defects in the Assembly Induced Emission of Cu Nanoclusters

KAUST Repository

Wu, Zhennan

2017-03-20

Aggregation/assembly induced emission (AIE) has been observed for metal nanoclusters (NCs), but the origin of the enhanced emission is not fully understood, yet. In this work, the significant contribution of metal defects on AIE is revealed by engineering the self-assembly process of Cu NCs using ethanol. The presence of ethanol leads to a rapid assembly of NCs into ultrathin nanosheets, promoting the formation of metal defects-rich surface. Detailed studies and computer simulation confirm that the metal defects-rich nanosheets possess increased Cu(I)-to-Cu(0) ratio, which greatly influences ligand-to-metal-metal charge transfer and therewith facilitates the radiative relaxation of excitons. Consequently, the Cu NCs self-assembly nanosheets exhibit obvious emission enhancement.

The value and pitfalls of speculation about science and technology in bioethics: the case of cognitive enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Racine, Eric; Martin Rubio, Tristana; Chandler, Jennifer; Forlini, Cynthia; Lucke, Jayne

2014-08-01

In the debate on the ethics of the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals for cognitive performance enhancement in healthy individuals there is a clear division between those who view "cognitive enhancement" as ethically unproblematic and those who see such practices as fraught with ethical problems. Yet another, more subtle issue, relates to the relevance and quality of the contribution of scholarly bioethics to this debate. More specifically, how have various forms of speculation, anticipatory ethics, and methods to predict scientific trends and societal responses augmented or diminished this contribution? In this paper, we use the discussion of the ethics of cognitive enhancement to explore the positive and negative contribution of speculation in bioethics scholarship. First, we review and discuss how speculation has relied on different sets of assumptions regarding the non-medical use of stimulants, namely: (1) terminology and framing; (2) scientific aspects such as efficacy and safety; (3) estimates of prevalence and consequent normalization; and (4) the need for normative reflection and regulatory guidelines. Second, three methodological guideposts are proposed to alleviate some of the pitfalls of speculation: (1) acknowledge assumptions more explicitly and identify the value attributed to assumptions; (2) validate assumptions with interdisciplinary literature; and (3) adopt a broad perspective to promote more comprehensive reflection. We conclude that, through the examination of the controversy about cognitive enhancement, we can employ these methodological guideposts to enhance the value of contributions from bioethics and minimize potential epistemic and practical pitfalls in this case and perhaps in other areas of bioethical debate.

Significantly enhanced thermal conductivity of indium arsenide nanowires via sulfur passivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yucheng; Tang, Hao; Wang, Xiaomeng; Zhao, Yang; Fu, Qiang; Yang, Juekuan; Xu, Dongyan

2017-10-16

In this work, we experimentally investigated the effect of sulfur passivation on thermal transport in indium arsenide (InAs) nanowires. Our measurement results show that thermal conductivity can be enhanced by a ratio up to 159% by sulfur passivation. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were performed on both unpassivated and S-passivated InAs nanowires to understand the mechanism of thermal conductivity enhancement. We observed a remarkable improvement in electrical conductivity upon sulfur passivation and a significant contribution of electrons to thermal conductivity, which account for the enhanced thermal conductivity of the S-passivated InAs nanowires.

Learning a No-Reference Quality Assessment Model of Enhanced Images With Big Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Ke; Tao, Dacheng; Qiao, Jun-Fei; Lin, Weisi

2018-04-01

In this paper, we investigate into the problem of image quality assessment (IQA) and enhancement via machine learning. This issue has long attracted a wide range of attention in computational intelligence and image processing communities, since, for many practical applications, e.g., object detection and recognition, raw images are usually needed to be appropriately enhanced to raise the visual quality (e.g., visibility and contrast). In fact, proper enhancement can noticeably improve the quality of input images, even better than originally captured images, which are generally thought to be of the best quality. In this paper, we present two most important contributions. The first contribution is to develop a new no-reference (NR) IQA model. Given an image, our quality measure first extracts 17 features through analysis of contrast, sharpness, brightness and more, and then yields a measure of visual quality using a regression module, which is learned with big-data training samples that are much bigger than the size of relevant image data sets. The results of experiments on nine data sets validate the superiority and efficiency of our blind metric compared with typical state-of-the-art full-reference, reduced-reference and NA IQA methods. The second contribution is that a robust image enhancement framework is established based on quality optimization. For an input image, by the guidance of the proposed NR-IQA measure, we conduct histogram modification to successively rectify image brightness and contrast to a proper level. Thorough tests demonstrate that our framework can well enhance natural images, low-contrast images, low-light images, and dehazed images. The source code will be released at https://sites.google.com/site/guke198701/publications.

The Potential Contribution of Distance Teaching Universities to Improving the Learning/Teaching Practices in Conventional Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri-Rozenblit, Sarah

1990-01-01

Based on the experience of Everyman's University (Israel), it is proposed that the experience of distance teaching institutions will contribute to: improving university textbook quality; enhancing independent study skills; improving college instruction; promoting interdisciplinary courses; promoting interinstitutional collaboration; advancing the…

Contribution to Quebec's economic development: Development plan 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The activities of Hydro-Quebec are analyzed from the standpoint of their contribution to economic development and their support of regional development. The structuring effects of Hydro-Quebec's electricity supply activities are described, specifically the utility's role as an employer and an important agent of economic development by virtue of its purchasing power. The role played by research and development activities in the technological development of Quebec is discussed along with the contribution of those activities to new industrial developments. Finally, the impacts of electricity use on industrial development are considered. An analysis is presented of Hydro-Quebec's marketing activities and the options they afford. These marketing activities are aimed mainly at supporting economic development. The availability of reasonably priced electricity enhances the competitiveness of all industrial sectors, especially those for which electricity is a factor in siting. Furthermore, Hydro-Quebec can use its marketing activities to reinforce this comparative advantage. Hydro-Quebec can also support regional development by decentralizing operations, standardizing rates, and extending its marketing activities to the regions. 2 tabs

Promoting well-being: The contribution of emotional intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamaria Di Fabio

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Adopting a primary prevention perspective, this study examines competencies with the potential to enhance well-being and performance among future workers. More specifically, the contributions of ability-based and trait models of emotional intelligence (EI, assessed through well-established measures, to indices of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being were examined for a sample of 157 Italian high school students. The Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT was used to assess ability-based EI, the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EQ-i and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TeiQue were used to assess trait EI, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS were used to assess hedonic well-being, and the Meaningful Life Measure (MLM was used to assess eudaimonic well-being. The results highlight the contributions of trait emotional intelligence in explaining both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, after controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. Implications for further research and intervention regarding future workers are discussed.

"It's in the Cards": The Contribution of Illustrated Metaphor Cards to Exploring Values Within Narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Nissim, Geffen; Goldberg, Miriam

2017-01-01

In this article, we present the use of illustrated metaphorical cards as a technique to enrich the qualitative narrative interview. We examine the advantages of incorporating a projective tool to assist in constructing and understanding personal narratives of people living with severe mental illness. We interviewed 25 participants-staff and members of a clubhouse in Israel (an international community model of rehabilitation in mental health)-and sought to understand their stories focused on personal and organizational values. The findings revealed that, in most cases, the cards contributed to data collection by enhancing the interviewees' ability for expression and by facilitating richer, more comprehensive stories and descriptions. This in turn enhanced the researcher's ability to understand the messages and stories presented. The research conclusions discuss the cards' potential contribution to improving data collection and analysis. The cards became an additional channel for expressing participants' experiences, emotions, and unique voice. © The Author(s) 2015.

Enhanced Security for Online Exams Using Group Cryptography

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, I. Y.; Yeom, H. Y.

2009-01-01

While development of the Internet has contributed to the spread of online education, online exams have not been widely adopted. An online exam is defined here as one that takes place over the insecure Internet, and where no proctor is in the same location as the examinees. This paper proposes an enhanced secure online exam management environment…

Surface tiny grain-dependent enhanced rate performance of MoO3 nanobelts with pseudocapacitance contribution for lithium-ion battery anode

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Liyun; He, Juju; Li, Jiayin; Yan, Jingwen; Huang, Jianfeng; Qi, Ying; Feng, Liangliang

2018-07-01

In order to improve the rate performance of MoO3, a novel MoO3 nanobelt with tiny grains on surface (named as d-MoO3) is fabricated via one-step facile hydrothermal method with citric acid adding, in which citric acid (CA) serves as a weak reductant as well as surface modification agent. When tested as an anode in LIBs, d-MoO3 displays an improved discharge capacity of 787 mAh·g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 over 100 cycles with capacity retention of ∼91% while MoO3 decays to 50 mAh·g-1 in the 100th cycle. Notably, d-MoO3 delivers enhanced rate capability (536 and 370 mAh·g-1 at high rates of 5 and 10 A g-1 respectively). We consider these excellent electrochemical properties of d-MoO3 electrode are associated with the tiny grains on MoO3 surface, which effectively maintains the electrode's structural integrity. Even though d-MoO3 nanobelt suffers from a degree of in-situ pulverization after several cycles, these pulverized active particles can still maintain stable electrochemical contact and are highly exposed to electrolyte, realizing ultrahigh e-/Li+ diffusion kinetics. In addition, part extrinsic pseudocapacitance contribution to the Li+ storage also explains the high-rate performance. Combining all these merits, d-MoO3 is potentially a high-energy, high-power and well-stable anode material for Li ion batteries (LIBs).

Interference contributions to gluon initiated heavy Higgs production in the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greiner, Nicolas

2016-03-01

We discuss the production of a heavy neutral Higgs boson of a CP-conserving Two-Higgs-Doublet Model in gluon fusion and its decay into a four-fermion final state, gg(→VV)→e + e - π + π - /e + e - ν l anti ν l . We investigate the interference contributions to invariant mass distributions of the four-fermion final state and other relevant kinematical observables. The relative importance of the different contributions is quantified for the process in the on-shell approximation, gg→ZZ. We show that interferences of the heavy Higgs with the light Higgs boson and background contributions are essential for a correct description of the differential cross section. Even though they contribute below O(10%) to those heavy Higgs signal cross sections, to which the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider were sensitive in its first run, we find that they are sizeable in certain regions of the parameter space that are relevant for future heavy Higgs boson searches. In fact, the interference contributions can significantly enhance the experimental sensitivity to the heavy Higgs boson.

Nurse middle managers contributions to patient-centred care: A 'managerial work' analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalleman, Pcb; Smid, Gac; Dikken, J; Lagerwey, M D; Schuurmans, M J

2017-10-01

Nurse middle managers are in an ideal position to facilitate patient-centred care. However, their contribution is underexposed in literature due to difficulties to articulate this in practice. This paper explores how nurse middle managers contribute to patient-centred care in hospitals. A combination of time-use analysis and ethnographic work was used to disclose their contribution to patient-centred care at a micro level. Sixteen nurse managers were shadowed for over 560 hours in four hospitals. Some nurse middle managers seldom contribute to patient-centred care. Others are involved in direct patient care, but this does not result in patient-centred practices. At one hospital, the nurse middle managers did contribute to patient-centred care. Here balancing between "organizing work" and "caring work" is seen as a precondition for their patient-centeredness. Other important themes are feedback mechanisms; place matters; with whom to talk and how to frame the issues at stake; and behavioral style. Both "hands-on" and "heads-on" caring work of nurse middle managers enhances their patient-centeredness. This study is the first of its kind to obtain insight in the often difficult to articulate "doings" of nurse middle managers with regard to patient-centred care through combining time-use analysis with ethnographic work. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fate of water pumped from underground and contributions to sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Yoshihide; Lo, Min-Hui; Yeh, Pat J.-F.; Reager, John T.; Famiglietti, James S.; Wu, Ren-Jie; Tseng, Yu-Heng

2016-08-01

The contributions from terrestrial water sources to sea-level rise, other than ice caps and glaciers, are highly uncertain and heavily debated. Recent assessments indicate that groundwater depletion (GWD) may become the most important positive terrestrial contribution over the next 50 years, probably equal in magnitude to the current contributions from glaciers and ice caps. However, the existing estimates assume that nearly 100% of groundwater extracted eventually ends up in the oceans. Owing to limited knowledge of the pathways and mechanisms governing the ultimate fate of pumped groundwater, the relative fraction of global GWD that contributes to sea-level rise remains unknown. Here, using a coupled climate-hydrological model simulation, we show that only 80% of GWD ends up in the ocean. An increase in runoff to the ocean accounts for roughly two-thirds, whereas the remainder results from the enhanced net flux of precipitation minus evaporation over the ocean, due to increased atmospheric vapour transport from the land to the ocean. The contribution of GWD to global sea-level rise amounted to 0.02 (+/-0.004) mm yr-1 in 1900 and increased to 0.27 (+/-0.04) mm yr-1 in 2000. This indicates that existing studies have substantially overestimated the contribution of GWD to global sea-level rise by a cumulative amount of at least 10 mm during the twentieth century and early twenty-first century. With other terrestrial water contributions included, we estimate the net terrestrial water contribution during the period 1993-2010 to be +0.12 (+/-0.04) mm yr-1, suggesting that the net terrestrial water contribution reported in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report report is probably overestimated by a factor of three.

The Contribution of Local Environments to Competence Creation in Multinational Enterprises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Ulf; Dellestrand, Henrik; Pedersen, Torben

2014-01-01

This paper examines the competence development of subsidiaries in multinational enterprises. We analyze how local subsidiary environments affect the development of technological and business competencies among other units in the multinational enterprise. We test our predictions using data from 2......,107 foreign-owned subsidiaries located in seven European countries, by means of structural equation modeling — namely, LISREL. By bringing the local environment to the fore, we contribute to the literature on the emergence and determinants of firm-specific advantages. We link local subsidiary environments...... throughout the organization. Thus, we contribute to an enhanced understanding of location as a determinant of the creation of units of competence and centers of excellence within multinational enterprises. In other words, we demonstrate that country-specific advantages are beneficial for competence creation...

Nef does not contribute to replication differences between R5 pre-AIDS and AIDS HIV-1 clones from patient ACH142

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rekosh David

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract AIDS-associated, CCR5-tropic (R5 HIV-1 clones, isolated from a patient that never developed CXCR4-tropic HIV-1, replicate to a greater extent and cause greater cytopathic effects than R5 HIV-1 clones isolated before the onset of AIDS. Previously, we showed that HIV-1 Env substantially contributed to the enhanced replication of an AIDS clone. In order to determine if Nef makes a similar contribution, we cloned and phenotypically analyzed nef genes from a series of patient ACH142 derived R5 HIV-1 clones. The AIDS-associated Nef contains a series of residues found in Nef proteins from progressors 1. In contrast to other reports 123, this AIDS-associated Nef downmodulated MHC-I to a greater extent and CD4 less than pre-AIDS Nef proteins. Additionally, all Nef proteins enhanced infectivity similarly in a single round of replication. Combined with our previous study, these data show that evolution of the HIV-1 env gene, but not the nef gene, within patient ACH142 significantly contributed to the enhanced replication and cytopathic effects of the AIDS-associated R5 HIV-1 clone.

Psychoanalytic contributions to the generation of creativity in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Gottschalk, L A

1981-08-01

This paper describes the major characteristics of the concept of creativity: (1) originality and uniqueness, (2) comprehensibility to others, (3) utility, (4) generalizability to allied and other fields, (5) a capacity for continued and repeated creative outputs in similar and/or different fields, and (6) a capacity to stimulate others to artistic, literary, or scientific originality. Consideration is given to out limited current knowledge of hereditary factors contributing to creativity, in contrast to familial factors which are likely to include environmental contributions. A review follows of psychiatric and psychoanalytic observations on the enhancement or inhibition, during child development, of the innate capacity to be creative in children and adults. In regard to the development of creative prowess, emphasis is placed on the importance of preserving and encouraging the use of primary-process thinking in children so that this mental activity can be called upon at will. Emphasized also is the importance of the availability of examples of creative ability in parental behavior as well as in the kinship and social networks to which the child is exposed. The encouragement of analogical thinking and imagination in children and the development of the ability to turn on and off such mental activity by secondary-process thinking is stressed. Hence, in the enhancement of the creative process in children, catalytic parent-child rearing and exposure to creative people are key elements. Three brief case examples are given in which the creative potential was blocked or inhibited and later released by psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Electromagnetic modelling of Raman enhancement from nanoscale substrates: a route to estimation of the magnitude of the chemical enhancement mechanism in SERS.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Richard J C; Wang, Jian; Tantra, Ratna; Yardley, Rachel E; Milton, Martin J T

2006-01-01

Despite widespread use for more than two decades, the SERS phenomenon has defied accurate physical and chemical explanation. The relative contributions from electronic and chemical mechanisms are difficult to quantify and are often not reproduced under nominally similar experimental conditions. This work has used electromagnetic modelling to predict the Raman enhancement expected from three configurations: metal nanoparticles, structured metal surfaces, and sharp metal tips interacting with metal surfaces. In each case, parameters such as artefact size, artefact separation and incident radiation wavelength have been varied and the resulting electromagnetic field modelled. This has yielded an electromagnetic description of these configurations with predictions of the maximum expected Raman enhancement, and hence a prediction of the optimum substrate configuration for the SERS process. When combined with experimental observations of the dependence of Raman enhancement with changing ionic strength, the modelling results have allowed a novel estimate of the size of the chemical enhancement mechanism to be produced.

PENILE ENHANCEMENT PROCEDURES: UROLOGICAL AND ETHICOLEGAL ISSUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Vella

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Phalloplasty procedures for most men requiring penile augmentation surgery are cosmetic procedures; generally the patients have a normal-sized and fully functional penis but they think that their penis is too small. There are not well defined indications for penile enhancement surgery and, except for the treatment of “micropenis”, there are not established guidelines and the outcome measures for success are still unclear. All penile enhancement techniques often do not reach the expected result and the grade of patient’s satisfaction is frequently poor. Phalloplasty procedures for psychological dysmorfism are not approved by any scientific society and the majority of these procedures are performed in private settings. The ethical and medicolegal problems resulting from a penis enhancement can be various and numerous, but few of them are reported in literature. After phalloplasty an attribution of professional responsibility and request of reimbursement is not rare. In this contribution the authors summarize a panorama of several urological and medico-legal aspects related to phalloplasty procedures.

Exchange current contributions to isoscalar magnetic moments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arima, A.; Bentz, W.; Ichii, S.

1986-01-01

In this work the authors have investigated two recent suggestions which indicated appreciable exchange current contributions to isoscalar magnetic moments. On account of gauge invariance the authors found that in both treatments certain important terms seem to be omitted. The authors then performed explicit calculations using a one-boson exchange model for the exchange current operator. The authors found that the results are sensitive to the ratio of coupling constants g/sub σNN///g/sub ωNN/. Due to this fact it is difficult to draw quantitative conclusions. In the present model calculation the authors found that both g/sub s/(0) and g/sub 1//sup 0/ are enhanced by about 3% to 4%, resulting in non-negligible corrections to isoscalar magnetic moments

Accounting for immediate emotional memory enhancement

OpenAIRE

Talmi, Deborah; McGarry, Lucy M.

2012-01-01

Memory for emotional events is usually very good even when tested shortly after study, before it is altered by the influence of emotional arousal on consolidation. Immediate emotion-enhanced memory may stem from the influence of emotion on cognitive processes at encoding and retrieval. Our goal was to test which cognitive factors are necessary and sufficient to account for EEM, with a specific focus on clarifying the contribution of attention to this effect. In two experiments, participants e...

Efficiency enhancement in a single emission layer yellow organic light emitting device: Contribution of CIS/ZnS quantum dot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demir, Nuriye; Oner, Ilker; Varlikli, Canan; Ozsoy, Cihan; Zafer, Ceylan

2015-01-01

Electroluminescence (EL) efficiency from a single emission layer solution processed yellow emitting polymer, i.e. poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(1,4-benzo-{2,10,3}-thiadiazole)] end-capped with dimethylphenyl (ADS233YE), is firstly enhanced by the optimization of stock polymer concentrations and the coating rates, and then with the addition of copper indium disulfide/zinc sulfide (CIS/ZnS) core/shell quantum dots (QDs). Using these bare core/shell QDs as the active layer in the studied device gave no EL at all. However, yellow EL with the maximum brightness of 56834 cd/m 2 , maximum current efficiency of 4.7 cd/A and maximum power efficiency of 2.3 lm/W is obtained from the device structure of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)/ADS233YE:0.4 wt.% CIS/ZnS QD/Ca/Al those of which correspond to approximately 4 and 2 folds of enhancements in the brightness and luminous and power efficiency values, respectively, compared to that of the device without CIS/ZnS. - Highlights: • Copper indium disulfide/zinc sulfide (CIS/ZnS) particles are synthesized. • Polymer light emitting diode performance of a yellow emitting polymer is enhanced. • The presence of CIS/ZnS in active layer enhanced the power efficiency two folds. • Optimum concentration of CIS/ZnS in polymer is 0.4 wt.%

Efficiency enhancement in a single emission layer yellow organic light emitting device: Contribution of CIS/ZnS quantum dot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demir, Nuriye; Oner, Ilker; Varlikli, Canan, E-mail: canan.varlikli@ege.edu.tr; Ozsoy, Cihan; Zafer, Ceylan

2015-08-31

Electroluminescence (EL) efficiency from a single emission layer solution processed yellow emitting polymer, i.e. poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(1,4-benzo-{2,10,3}-thiadiazole)] end-capped with dimethylphenyl (ADS233YE), is firstly enhanced by the optimization of stock polymer concentrations and the coating rates, and then with the addition of copper indium disulfide/zinc sulfide (CIS/ZnS) core/shell quantum dots (QDs). Using these bare core/shell QDs as the active layer in the studied device gave no EL at all. However, yellow EL with the maximum brightness of 56834 cd/m{sup 2}, maximum current efficiency of 4.7 cd/A and maximum power efficiency of 2.3 lm/W is obtained from the device structure of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)/ADS233YE:0.4 wt.% CIS/ZnS QD/Ca/Al those of which correspond to approximately 4 and 2 folds of enhancements in the brightness and luminous and power efficiency values, respectively, compared to that of the device without CIS/ZnS. - Highlights: • Copper indium disulfide/zinc sulfide (CIS/ZnS) particles are synthesized. • Polymer light emitting diode performance of a yellow emitting polymer is enhanced. • The presence of CIS/ZnS in active layer enhanced the power efficiency two folds. • Optimum concentration of CIS/ZnS in polymer is 0.4 wt.%.

Higgs Pair Production as a Signal of Enhanced Yukawa Couplings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, Martin [Heidelberg U.; Carena, Marcela [Chicago U., KICP; Carmona, Adrián [U. Mainz, PRISMA

2017-12-31

We present a non-trivial correlation between the enhancement of the Higgs-fermion couplings and the Higgs pair production cross section in two Higgs doublet models with a flavour symmetry. This symmetry suppresses flavour-changing neutral couplings of the Higgs boson and allows for a partial explanation of the hierarchy in the Yukawa sector. After taking into account the constraints from electroweak precision measurements, Higgs coupling strength measurements, and unitarity and perturbativity bounds, we identify an interesting region of parameter space leading to enhanced Yukawa couplings as well as enhanced di-Higgs gluon fusion production at the LHC reach. This effect is visible in both the resonant and non-resonant contributions to the Higgs pair production cross section. We encourage dedicated searches based on differential distributions as a novel way to indirectly probe enhanced Higgs couplings to light fermions.

Antibody-dependent enhancement of HIV-1 infection in human term syncytiotrophoblast cells cultured in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Tóth, F D; Mosborg-Petersen, P; Kiss, J; Aboagye-Mathiesen, G; Zdravkovic, M; Hager, H; Aranyosi, J; Lampé, L; Ebbesen, P

1994-06-01

We examined if Fc receptor-mediated antibody-dependent enhancement (FcR-ADE) or complement-mediated antibody-dependent enhancement (C'-ADE) of virus infection can contribute to increasing replication of HIV-1 in human syncytiotrophoblast (ST) cells. Here we report that both FcR-ADE and C'-ADE may result in enhanced virus release from HIV-1-infected ST cells. We show that FcR-ADE of HIV-1 infection in ST cells is mediated by FcRIII and other FcR(s) belonging to undetermined Fc classes and does not require CD4 receptors, whereas C'-ADE uses both CD4 and CR2-like receptors. FcR-ADE seems to be more efficient in enhancing HIV-1 replication than C'-ADE. While FcR-ADE leads to increased internalization of HIV-1, C'-ADE does not result in enhanced endocytosis of the virus. In addition, antibodies mediating FcR-ADE are reactive with the gp120 viral envelope antigen, whereas antibodies involved in C'-ADE react with the viral transmembrane glycoprotein gp41. Data suggest that both FcR-ADE and C'-ADE may contribute to the spread of HIV-1 from mother to the fetus.

Simple, complex and hyper-complex understanding - enhanced sensitivity in observation of information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bering Keiding, Tina

for construction and analysis of empirical information. A quick overview on empirical research drawing on Luhmann reveals a diverse complex of analytical strategies and empirical methods. Despite differences between strategies and methods they have in common that understanding of uttered information is crucial...... in their production of empirically founded knowledge. However research generally seems to pay more attention to production of uttered information than to selection of understanding. The aim of this contribution is to sketch out a suggestion to how selection of understanding can be systematized in order to produce...... enhanced transparency in selection of understanding as well as enhanced sensitivity and definition in dept. The contribution suggest that we distinguish between three types of understanding; simple, complex and hyper-complex understanding. Simple understanding is the simultaneous selection of understanding...

Contribution of sulfuric acid and oxidized organic compounds to particle formation and growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Riccobono

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Lack of knowledge about the mechanisms underlying new particle formation and their subsequent growth is one of the main causes for the large uncertainty in estimating the radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols in global models. We performed chamber experiments designed to study the contributions of sulfuric acid and organic vapors to the formation and early growth of nucleated particles. Distinct experiments in the presence of two different organic precursors (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene and α-pinene showed the ability of these compounds to reproduce the formation rates observed in the low troposphere. These results were obtained measuring the sulfuric acid concentrations with two chemical ionization mass spectrometers confirming the results of a previous study which modeled the sulfuric acid concentrations in presence of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene.

New analysis methods were applied to the data collected with a condensation particle counter battery and a scanning mobility particle sizer, allowing the assessment of the size resolved growth rates of freshly nucleated particles. The effect of organic vapors on particle growth was investigated by means of the growth rate enhancement factor (Γ, defined as the ratio between the measured growth rate in the presence of α-pinene and the kinetically limited growth rate of the sulfuric acid and water system. The observed Γ values indicate that the growth is already dominated by organic compounds at particle diameters of 2 nm. Both the absolute growth rates and Γ showed a strong dependence on particle size, supporting the nano-Köhler theory. Moreover, the separation of the contributions from sulfuric acid and organic compounds to particle growth reveals that the organic contribution seems to be enhanced by the sulfuric acid concentration. Finally, the size resolved growth analysis indicates that both condensation of oxidized organic compounds and reactive uptake contribute to particle growth.

Contribution of Orexin to the Neurogenic Hypertension in BPH/2J Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Kristy L; Dampney, Bruno W; Moretti, John-Luis; Stevenson, Emily R; Davern, Pamela J; Carrive, Pascal; Head, Geoffrey A

2016-05-01

BPH/2J mice are a genetic model of hypertension associated with an overactive sympathetic nervous system. Orexin is a neuropeptide which influences sympathetic activity and blood pressure. Orexin precursor mRNA expression is greater in hypothalamic tissue of BPH/2J compared with normotensive BPN/3J mice. To determine whether enhanced orexinergic signaling contributes to the hypertension, BPH/2J and BPN/3J mice were preimplanted with radiotelemetry probes to compare blood pressure 1 hour before and 5 hours after administration of almorexant, an orexin receptor antagonist. Mid frequency mean arterial pressure power and the depressor response to ganglion blockade were also used as indicators of sympathetic nervous system activity. Administration of almorexant at 100 (IP) and 300 mg/kg (oral) in BPH/2J mice during the dark-active period (2 hours after lights off) markedly reduced blood pressure (-16.1 ± 1.6 and -11.0 ± 1.1 mm Hg, respectively;PBPH/2J mice (PBPH/2J mice have 29% more orexin neurons than BPN/3J mice which are preferentially located in the lateral hypothalamus. The results suggest that enhanced orexinergic signaling contributes to sympathetic overactivity and hypertension during the dark period in BPH/2J mice. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Enhanced photoluminescence from porous silicon by hydrogen-plasma etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Q.; Gu, C.Z.; Li, J.J.; Wang, Z.L.; Shi, C.Y.; Xu, P.; Zhu, K.; Liu, Y.L.

2005-01-01

Porous silicon (PS) was etched by hydrogen plasma. On the surface a large number of silicon nanocone arrays and nanocrystallites were formed. It is found that the photoluminescence of the H-etched porous silicon is highly enhanced. Correspondingly, three emission centers including red, green, and blue emissions are shown to contribute to the enhanced photoluminescence of the H-etched PS, which originate from the recombination of trapped electrons with free holes due to Si=O bonding at the surface of the silicon nanocrystallites, the quantum size confinement effect, and oxygen vacancy in the surface SiO 2 layer, respectively. In particular, the increase of SiO x (x<2) formed on the surface of the H-etched porous silicon plays a very important role in enhancing the photoluminescence properties

Career Satisfaction and Willingness to Contribute to Malaysian Economy: Skilled Migrants in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuie-Hong TAN

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This article examines the effects of immigrants’ perceptions of their contribution to the host country, access to equal opportunities and government support on their career satisfaction. Results suggested that expatriates’ willingness to contribute to the host country have a significant positive association with their career satisfaction. Expatriates’ positive perceptions on equal opportunities to be successful are also significantly related directly to their career satisfaction. Results support the view that the expatriates’ optimistic perceptions towards the host country will enhance the quality of their career undertakings. Government should adopt a light touch towards the problem, by providing entry relaxation for them and promoting Malaysia as an attractive working and living environment.

Contribution to the heat transfer analysis of substitute refrigerants in evaporator tubes with smooth or enhanced tube surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kattan, N

1997-12-31

The substitution of CFC refrigerants in refrigeration systems, heat pumps and organic Rankine cycles for heat recovery, requests a good knowledge of heat transfer properties of substitute fluids. A new test facility has been built at the Laboratory for Industrial Energy Systems (LENI) to contribute to this international effort. It consists of two sets of concentric tubes allowing either annular or inside tube convective boiling with a counter current water flow heating to be studied. A new data base including heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop measurements for four new refrigerants (R123, R134A, R402A and R404A) and three older refrigerants (R11, R12 and R502) has been collected. Flow boiling measurements covered a broad range of mass velocities, vapor qualities and heat fluxes. Some of the tests included plain tubes and others enhanced surface tubes (microfilms from Wieland) in horizontal and vertical orientations. An improved Wilson plot technique, that covers both the transition and turbulent flow regimes of the water flowing in the annular channel for the inside tube boiling tests, is proposed to overcome the severe limitations of conventional Wilson plots, to improve accuracy and to facilitate data processing. Mean flow boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured for R12 and R134A evaporating inside a horizontal plain tube and for R11 and R123 evaporating inside a horizontal plain tube. Local flow boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured for : R134A, R123, R404A and R502 evaporating inside a horizontal plain tube, for R134A and R123 evaporating inside a horizontal microfin tube and for R134 evaporating inside a vertical microfin tube. In addition microfin heat transfer augmentation relative to plain tube test data was investigated. The measured heat transfer coefficients were compared to different existing inside tube flow boiling correlations. (author) figs., tabs., refs.

Factors contributing to low institutional deliveries in the Marondera district of Zimbabwe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Mugweni

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to identify factors contributing to low institutional deliveries in the Marondera District, Zimbabwe, among women who attended antenatal clinics, in order to enhance the number of institutional deliveries. A quantitative descriptive survey, gathering data by conducting structured interviews with 80 women, was used in this study. All 80 women attended ante-natal clinics but 40 delivered at home and 40 delivered at an institution.

The physiological and biomechanical contributions of poling to roller ski skating.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandbakk, Øyvind; Ettema, Gertjan; Holmberg, Hans-Christer

2013-08-01

Poling is considered to make a significant contribution to cross-country skiing with the skating technique. To better understand this contribution, the current investigation compared roller ski skating on a treadmill with the so-called G3 skating technique with (G3-P) and without poling (G3-NP). Seven male elite skiers performed 5-min submaximal tests at 8, 12, and 15 km h(-1), as well as an incremental test to exhaustion with both techniques on a 5 % incline. Ventilatory variables were assessed by open-circuit indirect calorimetry and three-dimensional kinematics analyzed using the Qualisys Pro Reflex system. G3-P was associated with approximately 15 % higher peak velocity and 10 % higher peak oxygen uptake than G3-NP in the incremental test (both P skating, specifically by enhancing peak oxygen uptake, skiing efficiency and associated biomechanical variables.

Impaired Sympathoadrenal Axis Function Contributes to Enhanced Insulin Secretion in Prediabetic Obese Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Eliza Andreazzi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The involvement of sympathoadrenal axis activity in obesity onset was investigated using the experimental model of treating neonatal rats with monosodium L-glutamate. To access general sympathetic nervous system activity, we recorded the firing rates of sympathetic superior cervical ganglion nerves in animals. Catecholamine content and secretion from isolated adrenal medulla were measured. Intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed, and isolated pancreatic islets were stimulated with glucose and adrenergic agonists. The nerve firing rate of obese rats was decreased compared to the rate for lean rats. Basal catecholamine secretion decreased whereas catecholamine secretion induced by carbachol, elevated extracellular potassium, and caffeine in the isolated adrenal medulla were all increased in obese rats compared to control. Both glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinaemia were observed in obese rats. Adrenaline strongly inhibited glucose-induced insulin secretion in obese animals. These findings suggest that low sympathoadrenal activity contributes to impaired glycaemic control in prediabetic obese rats.

Higher-order power harmonics of pulsed electrical stimulation modulates corticospinal contribution of peripheral nerve stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chiun-Fan; Bikson, Marom; Chou, Li-Wei; Shan, Chunlei; Khadka, Niranjan; Chen, Wen-Shiang; Fregni, Felipe

2017-03-03

It is well established that electrical-stimulation frequency is crucial to determining the scale of induced neuromodulation, particularly when attempting to modulate corticospinal excitability. However, the modulatory effects of stimulation frequency are not only determined by its absolute value but also by other parameters such as power at harmonics. The stimulus pulse shape further influences parameters such as excitation threshold and fiber selectivity. The explicit role of the power in these harmonics in determining the outcome of stimulation has not previously been analyzed. In this study, we adopted an animal model of peripheral electrical stimulation that includes an amplitude-adapted pulse train which induces force enhancements with a corticospinal contribution. We report that the electrical-stimulation-induced force enhancements were correlated with the amplitude of stimulation power harmonics during the amplitude-adapted pulse train. In an exploratory analysis, different levels of correlation were observed between force enhancement and power harmonics of 20-80 Hz (r = 0.4247, p = 0.0243), 100-180 Hz (r = 0.5894, p = 0.0001), 200-280 Hz (r = 0.7002, p harmonics. This is a pilot, but important first demonstration that power at high order harmonics in the frequency spectrum of electrical stimulation pulses may contribute to neuromodulation, thus warrant explicit attention in therapy design and analysis.

Contributions of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell in Mediating the Enhancement in Memory Following Noradrenergic Activation of Either the Amygdala or Hippocampus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin C. Kerfoot

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The nucleus accumbens shell is a site of converging inputs during memory processing for emotional events. The accumbens receives input from the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS regarding changes in peripheral autonomic functioning following emotional arousal. The shell also receives input from the amygdala and hippocampus regarding affective and contextual attributes of new learning experiences. The successful encoding of affect or context is facilitated by activating noradrenergic systems in either the amygdala or hippocampus. Recent findings indicate that memory enhancement produced by activating NTS neurons, is attenuated by suppressing accumbens functioning after learning. This finding illustrates the significance of the shell in integrating information from the periphery to modulate memory for arousing events. However, it is not known if the accumbens shell plays an equally important role in consolidating information that is initially processed in the amygdala and hippocampus. The present study determined if the convergence of inputs from these limbic regions within the nucleus accumbens contributes to successful encoding of emotional events into memory. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received bilateral cannula implants 2 mm above the accumbens shell and a second bilateral implant 2 mm above either the amygdala or hippocampus. The subjects were trained for 6 days to drink from a water spout. On day 7, a 0.35 mA footshock was initiated as the rat approached the spout and was terminated once the rat escaped into a white compartment. Subjects were then given intra-amygdala or hippocampal infusions of PBS or a dose of norepinephrine (0.2 μg previously shown to enhance memory. Later, all subjects were given intra-accumbens infusion of muscimol to functionally inactivate the shell. Muscimol inactivation of the accumbens shell was delayed to allow sufficient time for norepinephrine to activate intracellular cascades that lead to long-term synaptic

Contributions of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell in Mediating the Enhancement in Memory Following Noradrenergic Activation of Either the Amygdala or Hippocampus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerfoot, Erin C; Williams, Cedric L

2018-01-01

The nucleus accumbens shell is a site of converging inputs during memory processing for emotional events. The accumbens receives input from the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) regarding changes in peripheral autonomic functioning following emotional arousal. The shell also receives input from the amygdala and hippocampus regarding affective and contextual attributes of new learning experiences. The successful encoding of affect or context is facilitated by activating noradrenergic systems in either the amygdala or hippocampus. Recent findings indicate that memory enhancement produced by activating NTS neurons, is attenuated by suppressing accumbens functioning after learning. This finding illustrates the significance of the shell in integrating information from the periphery to modulate memory for arousing events. However, it is not known if the accumbens shell plays an equally important role in consolidating information that is initially processed in the amygdala and hippocampus. The present study determined if the convergence of inputs from these limbic regions within the nucleus accumbens contributes to successful encoding of emotional events into memory. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received bilateral cannula implants 2 mm above the accumbens shell and a second bilateral implant 2 mm above either the amygdala or hippocampus. The subjects were trained for 6 days to drink from a water spout. On day 7, a 0.35 mA footshock was initiated as the rat approached the spout and was terminated once the rat escaped into a white compartment. Subjects were then given intra-amygdala or hippocampal infusions of PBS or a dose of norepinephrine (0.2 μg) previously shown to enhance memory. Later, all subjects were given intra-accumbens infusion of muscimol to functionally inactivate the shell. Muscimol inactivation of the accumbens shell was delayed to allow sufficient time for norepinephrine to activate intracellular cascades that lead to long-term synaptic modifications

Underestimated effects of sediments on enhanced startup performance of biofilm systems for polluted source water pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Zheng-Hui; Wang, Jing; Yang, Guang-Feng; Feng, Li-Juan; Mu, Jun; Zhu, Liang; Xu, Xiang-Yang

2018-02-01

In order to evaluate the enhancement mechanisms of enhanced startup performance in biofilm systems for polluted source water pretreatment, three lab-scale reactors with elastic stereo media (ESM) were operated under different enhanced sediment and hydraulic agitation conditions. It is interesting to found the previously underestimated or overlooked effects of sediment on the enhancement of pollutants removal performance and enrichment of functional bacteria in biofilm systems. The maximum NH 4 + -N removal rate of 0.35 mg L -1 h -1 in sediment enhanced condition was 2.19 times of that in control reactor. Sediment contributed to 42.0-56.5% of NH 4 + -N removal and 15.4-41.2% of total nitrogen removal in different reactors under different operation conditions. The enhanced hydraulic agitation with sediment further improved the operation performance and accumulation of functional bacteria. Generally, Proteobacteria (48.9-52.1%), Bacteroidetes (18.9-20.8%) and Actinobacteria (15.7-18.5%) were dominant in both sediment and ESM bioiflm at  phylum level. The potentially functional bacteria found in sediment and ESM biofilm samples with some functional bacteria mainly presented in sediment samples only (e.g., Genera Bacillus and Lactococcus of Firmicutes phylum) may commonly contribute to the removal of nitrogen and organics.

Biomass burning contribution to ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Chengdu-Chongqing Region (CCR), China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lingyu; Chen, Yuan; Zeng, Limin; Shao, Min; Xie, Shaodong; Chen, Wentai; Lu, Sihua; Wu, Yusheng; Cao, Wei

2014-12-01

Ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured intensively using an online gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector (GC-MS/FID) at Ziyang in the Chengdu-Chongqing Region (CCR) from 6 December 2012 to 4 January 2013. Alkanes contributed the most (59%) to mixing ratios of measured non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), while aromatics contributed the least (7%). Methanol was the most abundant oxygenated VOC (OVOC), contributing 42% to the total amount of OVOCs. Significantly elevated VOC levels occurred during three pollution events, but the chemical composition of VOCs did not differ between polluted and clean days. The OH loss rates of VOCs were calculated to estimate their chemical reactivity. Alkenes played a predominant role in VOC reactivity, among which ethylene and propene were the largest contributors; the contributions of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were also considerable. Biomass burning had a significant influence on ambient VOCs during our study. We chose acetonitrile as a tracer and used enhancement ratio to estimate the contribution of biomass burning to ambient VOCs. Biomass burning contributed 9.4%-36.8% to the mixing ratios of selected VOC species, and contributed most (>30% each) to aromatics, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde.

Dual-frequency magnetic particle imaging of the Brownian particle contribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viereck, Thilo, E-mail: t.viereck@tu-bs.de; Kuhlmann, Christian; Draack, Sebastian; Schilling, Meinhard; Ludwig, Frank

2017-04-01

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is an emerging medical imaging modality based on the non-linear response of magnetic nanoparticles to an exciting magnetic field. MPI has been recognized as a fast imaging technique with high spatial resolution in the mm range. For some applications of MPI, especially in the field of functional imaging, the determination of the particle mobility (Brownian rotation) is of great interest, as it enables binding detection in MPI. It also enables quantitative imaging in the presence of Brownian-dominated particles, which is otherwise implausible. Discrimination of different particle responses in MPI is possible via the joint reconstruction approach. In this contribution, we propose a dual-frequency acquisition scheme to enhance sensitivity and contrast in the detection of different particle mobilities compared to a standard single-frequency MPI protocol. The method takes advantage of the fact, that the magnetization response of the tracer is strongly frequency-dependent, i.e. for low excitation frequencies a stronger Brownian contribution is observed.

The Use of Digital Repositories for Enhancing Teacher Pedagogical Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Anat; Kalimi, Sharon; Nachmias, Rafi

2013-01-01

This research examines the usage of local learning material repositories at school, as well as related teachers' attitudes and training. The study investigates the use of these repositories for enhancing teacher performance and assesses whether the assimilation of the local repositories increases their usage of and contribution to by teachers. One…

Novel target design for enhanced laser driven proton acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malay Dalui

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate a simple method of preparing structured target for enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration under target-normal-sheath-acceleration scheme. A few layers of genetically modified, clinically grown micron sized E. Coli bacteria cell coated on a thin metal foil has resulted in an increase in the maximum proton energy by about 1.5 times and the total proton yield is enhanced by approximately 25 times compared to an unstructured reference foil at a laser intensity of 1019 W/cm2. Particle-in-cell simulations on the system shows that the structures on the target-foil facilitates anharmonic resonance, contributing to enhanced hot electron production which leads to stronger accelerating field. The effect is observed to grow as the number of structures is increased in the focal area of the laser pulse.

Dynamic rayed aurora and enhanced ion-acoustic radar echoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Blixt

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The generation mechanism for naturally enhanced ion-acoustic echoes is still debated. One important issue is how these enhancements are related to auroral activity. All events of enhanced ion-acoustic echoes observed simultaneously with the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR and with high-resolution narrow field-of-view auroral imagers have been collected and studied. Characteristic of all the events is the appearance of very dynamic rayed aurora, and some of the intrinsic features of these auroral displays are identified. Several of these identified features are directly related to the presence of low energy (10-100eV precipitating electrons in addition to the higher energy population producing most of the associated light. The low energy contribution is vital for the formation of the enhanced ion-acoustic echoes. We argue that this type of aurora is sufficient for the generation of naturally enhanced ion-acoustic echoes. In one event two imagers were used to observe the auroral rays simultaneously, one from the radar site and one 7km away. The data from these imagers shows that the auroral rays and the strong backscattering filaments (where the enhanced echoes are produced are located on the same field line, which is in contrast to earlier statements in the litterature that they should be separated.

Distributive justice and cognitive enhancement in lower, normal intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, Mikael; Savulescu, Julian

2014-01-01

There exists a significant disparity within society between individuals in terms of intelligence. While intelligence varies naturally throughout society, the extent to which this impacts on the life opportunities it affords to each individual is greatly undervalued. Intelligence appears to have a prominent effect over a broad range of social and economic life outcomes. Many key determinants of well-being correlate highly with the results of IQ tests, and other measures of intelligence, and an IQ of 75 is generally accepted as the most important threshold in modern life. The ability to enhance our cognitive capacities offers an exciting opportunity to correct disabling natural variation and inequality in intelligence. Pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers, such as modafinil and methylphenidate, have been shown to have the capacity to enhance cognition in normal, healthy individuals. Perhaps of most relevance is the presence of an 'inverted U effect' for most pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers, whereby the degree of enhancement increases as intelligence levels deviate further below the mean. Although enhancement, including cognitive enhancement, has been much debated recently, we argue that there are egalitarian reasons to enhance individuals with low but normal intelligence. Under egalitarianism, cognitive enhancement has the potential to reduce opportunity inequality and contribute to relative income and welfare equality in the lower, normal intelligence subgroup. Cognitive enhancement use is justifiable under prioritarianism through various means of distribution; selective access to the lower, normal intelligence subgroup, universal access, or paradoxically through access primarily to the average and above average intelligence subgroups. Similarly, an aggregate increase in social well-being is achieved through similar means of distribution under utilitarianism. In addition, the use of cognitive enhancement within the lower, normal intelligence subgroup negates, or at

APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research: Cameron J. Camp.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. The 2017 recipient is Cameron J. Camp, whose innovative programs have informed psychologists in working with dementia patients to improve their living skills and enhance their independence. Camp's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Flexible Microsphere-Embedded Film for Microsphere-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Cheng; Yan, Yinzhou; Feng, Chao; Xu, Jiayu; Dong, Peng; Guan, Wei; Zeng, Yong; Zhao, Yan; Jiang, Yijian

2017-09-27

Dielectric microspheres with extraordinary microscale optical properties, such as photonic nanojets, optical whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), and directional antennas, have drawn interest in many research fields. Microsphere-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MERS) is an alternative approach for enhanced Raman detection by dielectric microstructures. Unfortunately, fabrication of microsphere monolayer arrays is the major challenge of MERS for practical applications on various specimen surfaces. Here we report a microsphere-embedded film (MF) by immersing a highly refractive microsphere monolayer array in the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film as a flexible MERS sensing platform for one- to three-dimensional (1D to 3D) specimen surfaces. The directional antennas and wave-guided whispering-gallery modes (WG-WGMs) contribute to the majority of Raman enhancement by the MFs. Moreover, the MF can be coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to provide an extra >10-fold enhancement. The limit of detection is therefore improved for sensing of crystal violet (CV) and Sudan I molecules in aqueous solutions at concentrations down to 10 -7 M. A hybrid dual-layer microsphere enhancer, constructed by depositing a MF onto a microsphere monolayer array, is also demonstrated, wherein the WG-WGMs become dominant and boost the enhancement ratio >50-fold. The present work opens up new opportunities for design of cost-effective and flexible MERS sensing platforms as individual or associated techniques toward practical applications in ultrasensitive Raman detection.

MR imaging of spine and spinal canal neoplasms: value of Gd-DTPA contrast enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paprzycki, W.; Gradzki, J.; Sosnowski, P.; Stajgis, M.

1994-01-01

Value of Gadolinium-DTPA contrast enhancement in diagnosis of neoplastic diseases of spinal canal was estimated on the basis of retrospective analysis of MR examinations performed in 75 patients. The analyzed material consisted of 15 cases of intramedullary tumors (group 1.), 38 of subdural extramedullary (group 2.) and 22 extradural ones (group 3.). Contrast enhanced MR contributed significant information to the final diagnosis in all groups. The utmost significance of Gd-DTPA contrast enhancement was ascertained in group 1. Authors conclude that contrast enhancement with Gd-DTPA is indispensable in all these cases of spinal canal neoplasms, where non-contrast MR did not reveal pathologic changes in optimal manner. (author)

Discriminative identification of transcriptional responses of promoters and enhancers after stimulus

KAUST Repository

Kleftogiannis, Dimitrios A.

2016-10-17

Promoters and enhancers regulate the initiation of gene expression and maintenance of expression levels in spatial and temporal manner. Recent findings stemming from the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) demonstrate that promoters and enhancers, based on their expression profiles after stimulus, belong to different transcription response subclasses. One of the most promising biological features that might explain the difference in transcriptional response between subclasses is the local chromatin environment. We introduce a novel computational framework, PEDAL, for distinguishing effectively transcriptional profiles of promoters and enhancers using solely histone modification marks, chromatin accessibility and binding sites of transcription factors and co-activators. A case study on data from MCF-7 cell-line reveals that PEDAL can identify successfully the transcription response subclasses of promoters and enhancers from two different stimulations. Moreover, we report subsets of input markers that discriminate with minimized classification error MCF-7 promoter and enhancer transcription response subclasses. Our work provides a general computational approach for identifying effectively cell-specific and stimulation-specific promoter and enhancer transcriptional profiles, and thus, contributes to improve our understanding of transcriptional activation in human.

Thermal transport contributed by the torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires: Role of evanescent modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Zhong-Xiang; Zhang, Yong; Zhang, Li-Fu; Fan, Dian-Yuan

2017-01-01

Thermal transport contributed by the torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires is investigated by using the isotropic elastic continuum theory. The numerical calculations for both the concavity-shaped and convexity-shaped cylindrical structures are made to reveal the role of the evanescent modes. Results show that the evanescent modes play an important role in influencing the thermal transport in such structures. For the concavity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can enhance the thermal conductance by about 20 percent, while for the convexity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can suppress the thermal conductance by 6 percent. It is also shown that the influence of the evanescent modes on the thermal conductance is strongly related to the attenuation length of the evanescent modes. A brief analysis of these results is given. - Highlights: • The evanescent modes play an important role in influencing thermal transport contributed by torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires. • For the concavity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can enhance the thermal conductance by about 20 percent, while for the convexity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, they can suppress the thermal conductance by 6 percent.

Thermal transport contributed by the torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires: Role of evanescent modes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Zhong-Xiang [SZU-NUS Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science Technology, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Department of Mathematics and Physics, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Zhang, Yong [Department of Mathematics and Physics, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China); Zhang, Li-Fu, E-mail: zhanglifu68@hotmail.com [SZU-NUS Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science Technology, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Fan, Dian-Yuan [SZU-NUS Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Science Technology, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronic Science & Technology, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China)

2017-05-03

Thermal transport contributed by the torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires is investigated by using the isotropic elastic continuum theory. The numerical calculations for both the concavity-shaped and convexity-shaped cylindrical structures are made to reveal the role of the evanescent modes. Results show that the evanescent modes play an important role in influencing the thermal transport in such structures. For the concavity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can enhance the thermal conductance by about 20 percent, while for the convexity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can suppress the thermal conductance by 6 percent. It is also shown that the influence of the evanescent modes on the thermal conductance is strongly related to the attenuation length of the evanescent modes. A brief analysis of these results is given. - Highlights: • The evanescent modes play an important role in influencing thermal transport contributed by torsional phonons in cylindrical nanowires. • For the concavity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, the evanescent modes can enhance the thermal conductance by about 20 percent, while for the convexity-shaped cylindrical nanowire, they can suppress the thermal conductance by 6 percent.

Predicting cell types and genetic variations contributing to disease by combining GWAS and epigenetic data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Gerasimova

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWASs identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs that are enriched in individuals suffering from a given disease. Most disease-associated SNPs fall into non-coding regions, so that it is not straightforward to infer phenotype or function; moreover, many SNPs are in tight genetic linkage, so that a SNP identified as associated with a particular disease may not itself be causal, but rather signify the presence of a linked SNP that is functionally relevant to disease pathogenesis. Here, we present an analysis method that takes advantage of the recent rapid accumulation of epigenomics data to address these problems for some SNPs. Using asthma as a prototypic example; we show that non-coding disease-associated SNPs are enriched in genomic regions that function as regulators of transcription, such as enhancers and promoters. Identifying enhancers based on the presence of the histone modification marks such as H3K4me1 in different cell types, we show that the location of enhancers is highly cell-type specific. We use these findings to predict which SNPs are likely to be directly contributing to disease based on their presence in regulatory regions, and in which cell types their effect is expected to be detectable. Moreover, we can also predict which cell types contribute to a disease based on overlap of the disease-associated SNPs with the locations of enhancers present in a given cell type. Finally, we suggest that it will be possible to re-analyze GWAS studies with much higher power by limiting the SNPs considered to those in coding or regulatory regions of cell types relevant to a given disease.

Seasonally asymmetric enhancement of northern vegetation productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Park, T.; Myneni, R.

2017-12-01

Multiple evidences of widespread greening and increasing terrestrial carbon uptake have been documented. In particular, enhanced gross productivity of northern vegetation has been a critical role leading to observed carbon uptake trend. However, seasonal photosynthetic activity and its contribution to observed annual carbon uptake trend and interannual variability are not well understood. Here, we introduce a multiple-source of datasets including ground, atmospheric and satellite observations, and multiple process-based global vegetation models to understand how seasonal variation of land surface vegetation controls a large-scale carbon exchange. Our analysis clearly shows a seasonally asymmetric enhancement of northern vegetation productivity in growing season during last decades. Particularly, increasing gross productivity in late spring and early summer is obvious and dominant driver explaining observed trend and variability. We observe more asymmetric productivity enhancement in warmer region and this spatially varying asymmetricity in northern vegetation are likely explained by canopy development rate, thermal and light availability. These results imply that continued warming may facilitate amplifying asymmetric vegetation activity and cause these trends to become more pervasive, in turn warming induced regime shift in northern land.

Development of 'Enhance reconstruction package' software for whole-body PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuta, Tetsuro; Imanishi, Tatsuru; Ishikawa, Akihiro

2011-01-01

We have developed 'Enhance Reconstruction Package' Software for our whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) Eminence series. This package improves image quality and streamlines the workflow in clinical PET and PET/CT studies. The present paper describes an outline of the applications for data collection, normalization, etc. and also reports some PET images obtained by the software. The signal to noise ratio was optimized in the phantom study, leading to the improvement in image quality. The real time display tool and the remote control tool would make a contribution to enhancement in operability in the routine workflow. (author)

Winning with Pinning: Enhancing Health and Physical Education with Pinterest

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, Hillary; Krause, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

Social media can enhance teaching and learning by contributing to a quality health and physical education (HPE) program. Social networking has equipped HPE teachers with many novel resources for use in their classrooms. Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) is a social media website that allows teachers to search and find lesson ideas and professional…

Contribution of constitutively proliferating precursor cell subtypes to dentate neurogenesis after cortical infarcts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oberland Julia

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It is well known that focal ischemia increases neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation but the cellular mechanisms underlying this proliferative response are only poorly understood. We here investigated whether precursor cells which constitutively proliferate before the ischemic infarct contribute to post-ischemic neurogenesis. To this purpose, transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP under the control of the nestin promoter received repetitive injections of the proliferation marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU prior to induction of cortical infarcts. We then immunocytochemically analyzed the fate of these BrdU-positive precursor cell subtypes from day 4 to day 28 after the lesion. Results Quantification of BrdU-expressing precursor cell populations revealed no alteration in number of radial glia-like type 1 cells but a sequential increase of later precursor cell subtypes in lesioned animals (type 2a cells at day 7, type 3 cells/immature neurons at day 14. These alterations result in an enhanced survival of mature neurons 4 weeks postinfarct. Conclusions Focal cortical infarcts recruit dentate precursor cells generated already before the infarct and significantly contribute to an enhanced neurogenesis. Our findings thereby increase our understanding of the complex cellular mechanisms of postlesional neurogenesis.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

Science.gov (United States)

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K.; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-09-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

Science.gov (United States)

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; Van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-01-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues1–3. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption4–6, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa)7 to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs. PMID:28854172

Computer Simulations Support a Morphological Contribution to BDNF Enhancement of Action Potential Generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico F Galati

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF regulates both action potential (AP generation and neuron morphology. However, whether BDNF-induced changes in neuron morphology directly impact AP generation is unclear. We quantified BDNF’s effect on cultured cortical neuron morphological parameters and found that BDNF stimulates dendrite growth and addition of dendrites while increasing both excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic inputs in a spatially restricted manner. To gain insight into how these combined changes in neuron structure and synaptic input impact AP generation, we used the morphological parameters we gathered to generate computational models. Simulations suggest that BDNF-induced neuron morphologies generate more APs under a wide variety of conditions. Synapse and dendrite addition have the greatest impact on AP generation. However, subtle alterations in excitatory/inhibitory synapse ratio and strength have a significant impact on AP generation when synaptic activity is low. Consistent with these simulations, BDNF rapidly enhances spontaneous activity in cortical cultures. We propose that BDNF promotes neuron morphologies that are intrinsically more efficient at translating barrages of synaptic activity into APs, which is a previously unexplored aspect of BDNF’s function.

Development of microwave-enhanced spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Yuji; Moon, Ahsa; Kaneko, Masashi

2010-01-01

We propose microwave-enhanced spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy with the same measurement and analysis processes as in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, but with a different plasma generation mechanism. The size and lifetime of the plasma generated can contribute to increased measurement accuracy and expand its applicability to industrial measurement, such as an exhaust gas analyzer for automobile engine development and its regulation, which has been hard to operate by laser at an engineering evaluation site. The use of microwaves in this application helps lower the cost, reduce the system size, and increase the ease of operation to make it commercially viable. A microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz was used to enhance the volume and lifetime of the plasma at atmospheric condition even at elevated pressure.

Microscopic model of the THz field enhancement in a metal nanoslit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novitsky, Andrey; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Malureanu, Radu

2011-01-01

We discuss the strong THz-field enhancement effect in a metal slit of dozens of nanometers sizes reported recently. Proposed simple microscopic model considers electric charges induced at the edges of the slit by a polarized incident wave. These charges contribute then to the field in the slit...

Impact of β- radiolysis and transient products on irradiation-enhanced corrosion of zirconium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemaignan, C.

1992-01-01

An analysis has been undertaken of the various cases of local enhancement of the corrosion rate of zirconium alloys under irradiation. It is observed that in most cases a strong emission of energetic β - is present leading to a local energy desorption rate higher than the core average. This suggests that the local transient radiolytic oxidising species produced in the coolant by the β - particles could contribute to corrosion enhancement, by increasing the local corrosion potential. This process is applicable to the local enhanced corrosion found in front of stainless steels structural parts, due to the contribution of Mn, in front of Pt inserts and Cu-rich cruds. It explains also the irradiation corrosion enhancement of Cu-rich Zr alloys. Enhanced corrosion around neutron absorbing material is explained similarly by pair production from conversion of high energy capture photons in the cladding, leading to energetic electrons. The same process was found to be active with other highly ionising species like α in Ni-rich alloys and fission products in homogeneous reactors. This mechanism, applicable for an explanation of localised irradiation-enhanced corrosion, is proposed to be extended to the reactor core, where the general enhancement of Zr-alloy corrosion under irradiation would be due to the general radiolysis. It suggests that care should be taken to avoid any source of β - emission or other ionising species in the reactor core that could give an increase of energy deposition rate for radiolysis. Also the corrosion testing conditions for the materials to be used in reactors have to be relevant to the radiolytic environments found in the reactor cores. (orig.)

Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignasi Bartomeus

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production.Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes.Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries’ commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness.Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild

Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartomeus, Ignasi; Potts, Simon G; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Vaissière, Bernard E; Woyciechowski, Michal; Krewenka, Kristin M; Tscheulin, Thomas; Roberts, Stuart P M; Szentgyörgyi, Hajnalka; Westphal, Catrin; Bommarco, Riccardo

2014-01-01

Background. Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods. We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient from simple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results. Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries' commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in

Experimental and theoretical investigations of diffraction enhanced imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Junyue; Zhu Peiping; Yuan Qingxi; Huang Wanxia; Shu Hang; Chen Bo; Li Enrong; Liu Yijin; Hu Tiandou; Wu Ziyu

2007-01-01

This contribution investigates the effect on the imaging contrast of the small angle scattering and of the rocking curve in the entire angular range. We show that based on the small angle scattering properties, the reflectivity of the crystal analyzer and the rocking curve of the monochromator-analyzer, in a diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) experimental setup the contrast of the image collected at the top of the rocking curve is always higher than that of the apparent absorption image. Moreover, our experimental data confirm that the quality of a refraction image is superior to a refraction-like image. In order to understand the observed behavior we introduce and discuss the contribution of a new term in the classical DEI equation

Experimental and theoretical investigations of diffraction enhanced imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Junyue [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhu Peiping [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)], E-mail: zhupp@ihep.ac.cn; Yuan Qingxi; Huang Wanxia [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Shu Hang [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen Bo [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Li Enrong [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Liu Yijin; Hu Tiandou; Wu Ziyu [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2007-09-21

This contribution investigates the effect on the imaging contrast of the small angle scattering and of the rocking curve in the entire angular range. We show that based on the small angle scattering properties, the reflectivity of the crystal analyzer and the rocking curve of the monochromator-analyzer, in a diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) experimental setup the contrast of the image collected at the top of the rocking curve is always higher than that of the apparent absorption image. Moreover, our experimental data confirm that the quality of a refraction image is superior to a refraction-like image. In order to understand the observed behavior we introduce and discuss the contribution of a new term in the classical DEI equation.

On the enhancement of the back-to-back two-electron-one photon ionization in molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Amusia, Miron; Drukarev, Eugene

2014-05-01

Recently, the long ago predicted quasi-free mechanism of two-electron photoionization was detected already at relatively low energy photoionization in He. It was observed that some pairs of electrons are leaving the target atom back-to-back, i.e. in opposite direction with almost the same energy. They have opposite spin directions. The cross-section of this process depends upon the probability for a pair of electrons to be close to each other before meeting the incoming photon. Such probability is greatly enhanced in molecules with covalent bonding, like H2. In this and similar molecules the electrons spend an essential part of time being between nuclei and thus screening them from each other. We demonstrate that indeed the back-to-back contribution is much bigger in H2 than in He. We analyze qualitatively some other situations that lead to relative growth of back-to-back contribution. Atoms with electrons with bigger principal quantum numbers have bigger back-to-back contributions. An external pressure applied to molecules forces electrons to be closer to each other. As a result for them the back-to-back contribution can be controllable enhanced.

The contribution of MRI to the diagnosis of diffuse meningeal lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreuzberg, B.; Kastner, J.; Ferda, J.

2004-01-01

We analysed MRI findings in patients in whom a diffuse abnormality of the meninges was revealed by MRI. We looked at T1 and T2-weighted spin-echo or fast spin-echo images and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. There were 15 patients with abnormalities on MRI, clinically suspected in ten. Four had meningoencephalitis, one meningeal and subcortical sarcoidosis nodules, four meningeal malignancies - one disseminated oligodendroglioma, one with meningeal infiltration around an adenocarcinoma, three meningeal infiltration by a haematological malignancy, and one a chronic subdural haematoma without a history of injury. We excluded patients with primary meningeal tumours and typical injury-related meningeal bleeding. The relatively small number of patients is due to both the infrequency of diffuse meningeal disease and to the low frequency of suspected meningeal pathology as an indication for MRI. The latter's diagnostic contribution is greatest in infectious disease and neoplastic infiltration, and less obvious in haematological malignancies. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images are most useful. (orig.)

The effects of contributing to patient care on medical students' workplace learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samantha E; Tallentire, Victoria R; Cameron, Helen S; Wood, S Morwenna

2013-12-01

Previous research has suggested that as medical students become more senior, they should increasingly take on the roles they will enact as newly qualified doctors by contributing to patient care. However, student contribution to patient care carries inherent risks to patient safety. This study aimed to provide students with a new opportunity to contribute to patient care and to use this as a platform from which to explore the influence of contributing to patient care on medical student learning. This study took place in the context of final-year medical student prescribing education at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Students on attachment at a district general hospital were afforded a unique opportunity to learn prescribing by completing in-patient drug charts in a process termed 'pre-prescribing'. All students were invited to participate in focus groups conducted by the principal researcher. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Six focus groups, each lasting 20-50 minutes, were conducted with four to seven participants (33 students in total). The emerging themes took the form of developmental outcomes and learning processes. Developmental outcomes included ability to perform the task, modification of attitudes towards the task, formation of a professional identity, and development of relationships within the team. The central feature of the experience which influenced all developmental outcomes, was making mistakes. The themes interact in complex ways and all contribute towards development as a professional. This study has demonstrated that contributing to patient care enhances students' development as professionals. Some of these developmental outcomes, such as improvements in knowledge and skills, may be achievable to some extent within the classroom. Other changes, such as developing relationships, forming a sense of professional identity and modifying attitudes, might arguably be achievable

75 FR 34388 - Employee Contribution Elections and Contribution Allocations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-17

... contributions equal to 3 percent of the employee's basic pay will be deducted from his or her pay and... employees who are rehired after a separation in service of 31 or more calendar days and who are eligible to participate in the TSP will automatically have 3 percent of their basic pay contributed to the TSP, unless...

Disentangling the Impact of Control-Enhancing Mechanisms on Firm Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zattoni, Alessandro; Pedersen, Torben

2011-01-01

shareholders to expropriate minority shareholders. The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate investigating the implications of these control-enhancing mechanisms on firm performance. To reach this purpose, we collected ownership data on the (100) largest listed companies per capitalization......Governance scholars and investors traditionally advocate against the use of control enhancing mechanisms, i.e. mechanisms aimed at separating voting and cash flow rights. These mechanisms may, in fact, determine a deviation from the proportionality principle and may encourage large and controlling...... in five European countries (i.e. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK). Then we tested the consequences of control-enhancing mechanisms for firm performance using 2SLS regression models. Our results show that (i) mechanisms that lock-in control do have a direct and negative impact on firm performance...

Daytime eyeshine contributes to pupil camouflage in a cryptobenthic marine fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Santon, Matteo; Bitton, Pierre-Paul; Harant, Ulrike K; Michiels, Nico K

2018-05-09

Ocular reflectors enhance eye sensitivity in dim light, but can produce reflected eyeshine when illuminated. Some fish can occlude their reflectors during the day. The opposite is observed in cryptic sit-and-wait predators such as scorpionfish and toadfish, where reflectors are occluded at night and exposed during the day. This results in daytime eyeshine, proposed to enhance pupil camouflage by reducing the contrast between the otherwise dark pupil and the surrounding tissue. In this study, we test this hypothesis in the scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus and show that eyeshine is the result of two mechanisms: the previously described Stratum Argenteum Reflected (SAR) eyeshine, and Pigment Epithelium Transmitted (PET) eyeshine, a newly described mechanism for this species. We confirm that the ocular reflector is exposed only when the eye is light-adapted, and present field measurements to show that eyeshine reduces pupil contrast against the iris. We then estimate the relative contribution of SAR and PET eyeshine to pupil brightness. Visual models for different light scenarios in the field show that daytime eyeshine enhances pupil camouflage from the perspective of a prey fish. We propose that the reversed occlusion mechanism of some cryptobenthic predators has evolved as a compromise between camouflage and vision.

Plasmonic Organic Photovoltaics: Unraveling Plasmonic Enhancement for Realistic Cell Geometries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beliatis, Michail

2018-01-01

Incorporating plasmonic nanoparticles in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices can increase the optical thickness of the organic absorber layer while keeping its physical thickness small. However, trade-offs between various structure parameters have caused contradictions regarding the effectiveness...... of plasmonics in the literature, that have somewhat stunted the progressing of a unified theoretical understanding for practical applications. We examine the optical enhancement mechanisms of practical PCDTBT:PC70BM OPV cells incorporating metal nanoparticles. The plasmonic near- and far-field contributions...... show that an already optimized PCDTBT:PC70BM cell can be further optically enhanced by plasmonic effects by at least 20% with the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles....

Increased extracellular dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels contribute to enhanced subthalamic nucleus neural activity during exhausting exercise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y Hu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to explore the mechanism underlying the enhanced subthalamic nucleus (STN neural activity during exhausting exercise from the perspective of monoamine neurotransmitters and changes of their corresponding receptors. Rats were randomly divided into microdialysis and immunohistochemistry study groups. For microdialysis study, extracellular fluid of the STN was continuously collected with a microdialysis probe before, during and 90 min after one bout of exhausting exercise. Dopamine (DA and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT levels were subsequently detected with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. For immunohistochemistry study, the expression of DRD 2 and HT 2C receptors in the STN, before, immediately after and 90 min after exhaustion was detected through immunohistochemistry technique. Microdialysis study results showed that the extracellular DA and 5-HT neurotransmitters increased significantly throughout the procedure of exhausting exercise and the recovery period (P0.05. Our results suggest that the increased extracellular DA and 5-HT in the STN might be one important factor leading to the enhanced STN neural activity and the development of fatigue during exhausting exercise. This study may essentially offer useful evidence for better understanding of the mechanism of the central type of exercise-induced fatigue.

MUC1 enhances tumor progression and contributes toward immunosuppression in a mouse model of spontaneous pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tinder, Teresa L; Subramani, Durai B; Basu, Gargi D; Bradley, Judy M; Schettini, Jorge; Million, Arefayene; Skaar, Todd; Mukherjee, Pinku

2008-09-01

MUC1, a membrane tethered mucin glycoprotein, is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in >80% of human ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, the role of MUC1 in pancreatic cancer has been elusive, partly due to the lack of an appropriate model. We report the characterization of a novel mouse model that expresses human MUC1 as a self molecule (PDA.MUC1 mice). Pancreatic tumors arise in an appropriate MUC1-tolerant background within an immune-competent host. Significant enhancement in the development of pancreatic intraepithelial preneoplastic lesions and progression to adenocarcinoma is observed in PDA.MUC1 mice, possibly due to increased proliferation. Tumors from PDA.MUC1 mice express higher levels of cyclooxygenase-2 and IDO compared with PDA mice lacking MUC1, especially during early stages of tumor development. The increased proinflammatory milieu correlates with an increased percentage of regulatory T cells and myeloid suppressor cells in the pancreatic tumor and tumor draining lymph nodes. Data shows that during pancreatic cancer progression, MUC1-mediated mechanisms enhance the onset and progression of the disease, which in turn regulate the immune responses. Thus, the mouse model is ideally suited for testing novel chemopreventive and therapeutic strategies against pancreatic cancer.

MUC1 enhances tumor progression and contributes towards immunosuppression in a mouse model of spontaneous pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Tinder, Teresa L.; Subramani, Durai B.; Basu, Gargi D.; Bradley, Judy M.; Schettini, Jorge; Million, Arefayene; Skaar, Todd

2008-01-01

MUC1, a membrane tethered mucin glycoprotein, is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in >80% of human ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, the role of MUC1 in pancreatic cancer has been elusive, partly due to the lack of an appropriate model. We report the characterization of a novel mouse model that expresses human MUC1 as a self molecule (PDA.MUC1 mice). Pancreatic tumors arise in an appropriate MUC1-tolerant background within an immune competent host. Significant enhancement in the development of pancreatic intraepithelial pre-neoplastic lesions (PanINs) and progression to adenocarcinoma is observed in PDA.MUC1 mice, possibly due to increased proliferation. Tumors from PDA.MUC1 mice express higher levels of cyclooxygenase-2 and indoleamine 2,3, dioxygenase compared to PDA mice lacking MUC1, especially during early stages of tumor development. The increased pro-inflammatory milieu correlates with an increased percentage of regulatory T cells and myeloid suppressor cells in the pancreatic tumor and tumor draining lymph nodes. Data shows that during pancreatic cancer progression, MUC1-mediated mechanisms enhance the onset and progression of the disease which in turn regulate the immune responses. Thus, the mouse model is ideally-suited for testing novel chemopreventive and therapeutic strategies against pancreatic cancer. PMID:18713982

Contribution of regional-scale fire events to ozone and PM2.5 ...

Science.gov (United States)

Two specific fires from 2011 are tracked for local to regional scale contribution to ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) using a freely available regulatory modeling system that includes the BlueSky wildland fire emissions tool, Spare Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) model, Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model, and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) photochemical grid model. The modeling system was applied to track the contribution from a wildfire (Wallow) and prescribed fire (Flint Hills) using both source sensitivity and source apportionment approaches. The model estimated fire contribution to primary and secondary pollutants are comparable using source sensitivity (brute-force zero out) and source apportionment (Integrated Source Apportionment Method) approaches. Model estimated O3 enhancement relative to CO is similar to values reported in literature indicating the modeling system captures the range of O3 inhibition possible near fires and O3 production both near the fire and downwind. O3 and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) are formed in the fire plume and transported downwind along with highly reactive VOC species such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde that are both emitted by the fire and rapidly produced in the fire plume by VOC oxidation reactions. PAN and aldehydes contribute to continued downwind O3 production. The transport and thermal decomposition of PAN to nitrogen oxides (NOX) enables O3 production in areas

Abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension: contribution of neural factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jere H

2017-06-01

During both dynamic (e.g., endurance) and static (e.g., strength) exercise there are exaggerated cardiovascular responses in hypertension. This includes greater increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and efferent sympathetic nerve activity than in normal controls. Two of the known neural factors that contribute to this abnormal cardiovascular response are the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and functional sympatholysis. The EPR originates in contracting skeletal muscle and reflexly increases sympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart and blood vessels as well as decreases parasympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart. These changes in autonomic nerve activity cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular contractility, and vasoconstriction in the arterial tree. However, arterial vessels in the contracting skeletal muscle have a markedly diminished vasoconstrictor response. The markedly diminished vasoconstriction in contracting skeletal muscle has been termed functional sympatholysis. It has been shown in hypertension that there is an enhanced EPR, including both its mechanoreflex and metaboreflex components, and an impaired functional sympatholysis. These conditions set up a positive feedback or vicious cycle situation that causes a progressively greater decrease in the blood flow to the exercising muscle. Thus these two neural mechanisms contribute significantly to the abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. In addition, exercise training in hypertension decreases the enhanced EPR, including both mechanoreflex and metaboreflex function, and improves the impaired functional sympatholysis. These two changes, caused by exercise training, improve the muscle blood flow to exercising muscle and cause a more normal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Cavity-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Food Chain Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenz Sandfort

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive food chain management requires the monitoring of many parameters including temperature, humidity, and multiple gases. The latter is highly challenging because no low-cost technology for the simultaneous chemical analysis of multiple gaseous components currently exists. This contribution proposes the use of cavity enhanced Raman spectroscopy to enable online monitoring of all relevant components using a single laser source. A laboratory scale setup is presented and characterized in detail. Power enhancement of the pump light is achieved in an optical resonator with a Finesse exceeding 2500. A simulation for the light scattering behavior shows the influence of polarization on the spatial distribution of the Raman scattered light. The setup is also used to measure three relevant showcase gases to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, including carbon dioxide, oxygen and ethene.

Peer mentoring: Enhancing the transition from student to professional.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Margaret; Stanyer, Rachel

2018-05-01

to share the experience of a model of peer mentoring in a pre-qualification midwifery programme DESIGN: description of the framework and benefits of the model SETTING: University and practice PARTICIPANTS: third year midwifery students INTERVENTIONS: practical activities meeting regulatory body requirements in a pre-qualification mentorship module MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: informal evaluations by students of key activities undertaken during peer mentoring demonstrated a range of positive outcomes. These included enhanced confidence, self-awareness, interpersonal and teaching skills, team-working and leadership - factors also associated with emotional intelligence. Students developed an appreciation of the accountability of the mentor including making practice assessment decisions. They stated that the learning achieved had aided their professional development and enhanced employability. this module equips students with skills for their future role in facilitating learners and contributes to development of a 'professional persona', enhancing their transition to qualified midwives. The Peer Mentoring Model would be easily adapted to other programmes and professional contexts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delayed shear enhancement in mesoscale atmospheric dispersion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moran, M.D. [Atmospheric Environment Service, Ontario (Canada); Pielke, R.A. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)

1994-12-31

Mesoscale atmospheric dispersion (MAD) is more complicated than smaller-scale dispersion because the mean wind field can no longer be considered steady or horizontally homogeneous over mesoscale time and space scales. Wind shear also plays a much more important role on the mesoscale: horizontal dispersion can be enhanced and often dominated by vertical wind shear on these scales through the interaction of horizontal differential advection and vertical mixing. Just over 30 years ago, Pasquill suggested that this interaction need not be simultaneous and that the combination of differential horizontal advection with delayed or subsequent vertical mixing could maintain effective horizontal diffusion in spite of temporal or spatial reductions in boundary-layer turbulence intensity. This two-step mechanism has not received much attention since then, but a recent analysis of observations from and numerical simulations of two mesoscale tracer experiments suggests that delayed shear enhancement can play an important role in MAD. This paper presents an overview of this analysis, with particular emphasis on the influence of resolvable vertical shear on MAD in these two case studies and the contributions made by delayed shear enhancement.

Field strength and dose dependence of contrast enhancement by gadolinium-based MR contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinck, P.A.; Muller, R.N.

1999-01-01

The relaxivities r 1 and r 2 of magnetic resonance contrast agents and the T 1 relaxation time values of tissues are strongly field dependent. We present quantitative data and simulations of different gadolinium-based extracellular fluid contrast agents and the modulation of their contrast enhancement by the magnetic field to be able to answer the following questions: How are the dose and field dependences of their contrast enhancement? Is there an interrelationship between dose and field dependence? Should one increase or decrease doses at specific fields? Nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion data were acquired for the following contrast agents: gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadoterate meglumine, gadodiamide injection, and gadoteridol injection, as well as for several normal and pathological human tissue samples. The magnetic field range stretched from 0.0002 to 4.7 T, including the entire clinical imaging range. The data acquired were then fitted with the appropriate theoretical models. The combination of the diamagnetic relaxation rates (R 1 = 1/T 1 and R 2 = 1/T 2 ) of tissues with the respective paramagnetic contributions of the contrast agents allowed the prediction of image contrast at any magnetic field. The results revealed a nearly identical field and dose-dependent increase of contrast enhancement induced by these contrast agents within a certain dose range. The target tissue concentration (TTC) was an important though nonlinear factor for enhancement. The currently recommended dose of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight seems to be a compromise close to the lower limits of diagnostically sufficient contrast enhancement for clinical imaging at all field strengths. At low field contrast enhancement might be insufficient. Adjustment of dose or concentration, or a new class of contrast agents with optimized relaxivity, would be a valuable contribution to a better diagnostic yield of contrast enhancement at all fields. (orig.)

Motivation and engagement in computer-based learning tasks: investigating key contributing factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michela Ott, Mauro Tavella

2010-04-01

Full Text Available This paper, drawing on a research project concerning the educational use of digital mind games with primary school students, aims at giving a contribution to the understanding of which are the main factors influencing student motivation during computer-based learning activities. It puts forward some ideas and experience based reflections, starting by considering digital games that are widely recognized as the most promising ICT tools to enhance student motivation. The project results suggest that student genuine engagement in learning activities is mainly related to the actual possession of the skills and of the cognitive capacities needed to perform the task. In this perspective, cognitive overload should be regarded as one of the main reasons contributing to hinder student motivation and, consequently, should be avoided. Other elements such as game attractiveness and experimental setting constraints resulted to have a lower effect on student motivation.

Heavy Higgs boson with a light sneutrino next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle in the MSSM with enhanced SU(2) D-terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina, Anibal D.; Shah, Nausheen R.; Wagner, Carlos E. M.

2009-01-01

The minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model provides a solution to the hierarchy problem and leads to the presence of a light Higgs. A Higgs boson with mass above the present experimental bound may only be obtained for relatively heavy third generation squarks, requiring a precise, somewhat unnatural balance between different contributions to the effective Higgs mass parameter. It was recently noticed that somewhat heavier Higgs bosons, which are naturally beyond the CERN LEP bound, may be obtained by enhanced weak SU(2) D-terms. Such contributions appear in models with an enhanced electroweak gauge symmetry, provided the supersymmetry breaking masses associated with the scalars responsible for the breakdown of the enhanced gauge symmetry group to the standard model one are larger than the enhanced symmetry breaking scale. In this article we emphasize that the enhanced SU(2) D-terms will not only raise the Higgs boson mass but also affect the spectrum of the nonstandard Higgs bosons, sleptons, and squarks, which therefore provide a natural contribution to the T parameter, compensating for the negative one coming from the heavy Higgs boson. The sleptons and nonstandard Higgs bosons of these models, in particular, may act in a way similar to the so-called inert Higgs doublet. The phenomenological properties of these models are emphasized, and possible cosmological implications as well as collider signatures are described.

Enhancement of the incoherent scattering plasma lines due to precipitating protons and secondary electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoernaa, N.; Havnes, O.; Jensen, J.O.; Trulsen, J.

1982-01-01

Precipitating protons in the energy range 1-100 keV are regularly present in the auroral ionosphere. These protons will produce enhancements in the intensity of the upshifted plasma line of the incoherently scattered spectrum. Similarly, secondary electrons produced by the precipitating protons give rise to enhanced plasma line intensities. For a quantitative discussion of these effects an experimentally measured proton flux is adapted and the corresponding secondary electron flux calculated. These particle fluxes are then applied in connection with the EISCAT radar facility. Both fluxes give rise to enhancements of the order of 20. It is possible to separate between proton and electron contributions to the enhanced plasma lines for scattering heights above the source region of secondary electrons. (Auth.)

Cytoplasmic Flow Enhances Organelle Dispersion in Eukaryotic Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Koslover, Elena; Mogre, Saurabh; Chan, Caleb; Theriot, Julie

The cytoplasm of a living cell is an active environment through which intracellular components move and mix. We explore, using theoretical modeling coupled with microrheological measurements, the efficiency of particle dispersion via different modes of transport within this active environment. In particular, we focus on the role of cytoplasmic flow over different scales in contributing to organelle transport within two different cell types. In motile neutrophil cells, we show that bulk fluid flow associated with rapid cell deformation enhances particle transport to and from the cell periphery. In narrow fungal hyphae, localized flows due to hydrodynamic entrainment are shown to contribute to optimally efficient organelle dispersion. Our results highlight the importance of non-traditional modes of transport associated with flow of the cytoplasmic fluid in the distribution of organelles throughout eukaryotic cells.

Time scales of transient enhanced diffusion: Free and clustered interstitials

Science.gov (United States)

Cowern, N. E. B.; Huizing, H. G. A.; Stolk, P. A.; Visser, C. C. G.; de Kruif, R. C. M.; Kyllesbech Larsen, K.; Privitera, V.; Nanver, L. K.; Crans, W.

1996-12-01

Transient enhanced diffusion (TED) and electrical activation after nonamorphizing Si implantations into lightly B-doped Si multilayers shows two distinct timescales, each related to a different class of interstitial defect. At 700°C, ultrafast TED occurs within the first 15 s with a B diffusivity enhancement of > 2 × 10 5. Immobile clustered B is present at low concentration levels after the ultrafast transient and persists for an extended period (˜ 10 2-10 3 s). The later phase of TED exhibits a near-constant diffusivity enhancement of ≈ 1 × 10 4, consistent with interstitial injection controlled by dissolving {113} interstitial clusters. The relative contributions of the ultrafast and regular TED regimes to the final diffusive broadening of the B profile depends on the proportion of interstitials that escape capture by {113} clusters growing within the implant damage region upon annealing. Our results explain the ultrafast TED recently observed after medium-dose B implantation. In that case there are enough B atoms to trap a large proportion of interstitials in SiB clusters, and the remaining interstitials contribute to TED without passing through an intermediate {113} defect stage. The data on the ultrafast TED pulse allows us to extract lower limits for the diffusivities of the Si interstitial ( DI > 2 × 10 -10 cm 2s -1) and the B interstitial(cy) defect ( DBi > 2 × 10 -13 cm 2s -1) at 700°C.

Reduced platelet-mediated and enhanced leukocyte-mediated fibrinolysis in experimentally induced diabetes in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winocour, P.D.; Colwell, J.A.

1985-01-01

Studies of fibrinolytic activity in diabetes mellitus have produced conflicting results. This may be a result of methodologic insensitivity or of variable contributions of the different blood components to whole blood fibrinolysis. To explore these two possibilities, the authors used a sensitive solid-phase radiometric assay to examine the fibrinolytic activity of whole blood, platelet-rich plasma, leukocytes, and platelet- and leukocyte-poor plasma prepared from control rats and rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes at various times after induction of diabetes. Fibrinolytic activity of whole blood from diabetic rats after 7 days was significantly reduced, and remained reduced after longer durations of diabetes up to 28 days. Platelet-rich plasma from diabetic rats had decreased fibrinolytic activity, which followed the same time course of changes as in whole blood. The platelet contribution to whole blood fibrinolysis was further reduced in vivo after 14 days of diabetes by a reduced whole blood platelet count. In contrast, fibrinolytic activity of leukocytes from diabetic rats became enhanced after 7 days of diabetes. After 49 days of diabetes, the whole blood leukocyte count was reduced, and in vivo would offset the enhanced activity. Plasma fibrinolytic activity was small compared with that of whole blood and was unaltered in diabetic rats. The authors conclude that altered platelet function contributes to decreased fibrinolytic activity of whole blood in diabetic rats, and that this may be partially offset by enhanced leukocyte-mediated fibrinolysis

Extrinsic photoresponse enhancement under additional intrinsic photoexcitation in organic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kounavis, P., E-mail: pkounavis@upatras.gr [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras (Greece)

2016-06-28

Dual light beam photoresponse experiments are employed to explore the photoresponse under simultaneous extrinsic and intrinsic photoexcitation of organic semiconductors. The photoresponse of a red modulated light extrinsic photoexcitation is found that can be significantly enhanced under an additional blue bias-light intrinsic photoexcitation in two terminal pentacene films on glass substrates. From the frequency resolved photoresponse, it is deduced that the phenomenon of photoresponse enhancement can be attributed to an increase in the extrinsic photogeneration rate of the red modulated light and/or an improvement of the drift velocity of carriers under an additional blue light intrinsic photoexcitation. The possible predominant extrinsic photogeneration mechanism, which can be compatible with the observed dependence of the photoresponse enhancement on the frequency and on the light intensities of the red and blue light excitation, is the singlet exciton dissociation through electron transfer to acceptor-like traps. Moreover, an improvement in the drift velocity of carriers traversing grain boundaries with potential energy barriers, which may be reduced by trapping of minority carriers created from the intrinsic photoexcitation, may partly contribute to the photoresponse enhancement.

Extrinsic photoresponse enhancement under additional intrinsic photoexcitation in organic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kounavis, P.

2016-01-01

Dual light beam photoresponse experiments are employed to explore the photoresponse under simultaneous extrinsic and intrinsic photoexcitation of organic semiconductors. The photoresponse of a red modulated light extrinsic photoexcitation is found that can be significantly enhanced under an additional blue bias-light intrinsic photoexcitation in two terminal pentacene films on glass substrates. From the frequency resolved photoresponse, it is deduced that the phenomenon of photoresponse enhancement can be attributed to an increase in the extrinsic photogeneration rate of the red modulated light and/or an improvement of the drift velocity of carriers under an additional blue light intrinsic photoexcitation. The possible predominant extrinsic photogeneration mechanism, which can be compatible with the observed dependence of the photoresponse enhancement on the frequency and on the light intensities of the red and blue light excitation, is the singlet exciton dissociation through electron transfer to acceptor-like traps. Moreover, an improvement in the drift velocity of carriers traversing grain boundaries with potential energy barriers, which may be reduced by trapping of minority carriers created from the intrinsic photoexcitation, may partly contribute to the photoresponse enhancement.

Microneedle Enhanced Delivery of Cosmeceutically Relevant Peptides in Human Skin

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Yousuf H.; Yamada, Miko; Lin, Lynlee L.; Grice, Jeffrey E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Raphael, Anthony P.; Benson, Heather A. E.; Prow, Tarl W.

2014-01-01

Peptides and proteins play an important role in skin health and well-being. They are also found to contribute to skin aging and melanogenesis. Microneedles have been shown to substantially enhance skin penetration and may offer an effective means of peptide delivery enhancement. The aim of this investigation was to assess the influence of microneedles on the skin penetration of peptides using fluorescence imaging to determine skin distribution. In particular the effect of peptide chain length (3, 4, 5 amino acid chain length) on passive and MN facilitated skin penetration was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to image fluorescence intensity and the area of penetration of fluorescently tagged peptides. Penetration studies were conducted on excised full thickness human skin in Franz type diffusion cells for 1 and 24 hours. A 2 to 22 fold signal improvement in microneedle enhanced delivery of melanostatin, rigin and pal-KTTKS was observed. To our knowledge this is the first description of microneedle enhanced skin permeation studies on these peptides. PMID:25033398

Microneedle enhanced delivery of cosmeceutically relevant peptides in human skin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousuf H Mohammed

Full Text Available Peptides and proteins play an important role in skin health and well-being. They are also found to contribute to skin aging and melanogenesis. Microneedles have been shown to substantially enhance skin penetration and may offer an effective means of peptide delivery enhancement. The aim of this investigation was to assess the influence of microneedles on the skin penetration of peptides using fluorescence imaging to determine skin distribution. In particular the effect of peptide chain length (3, 4, 5 amino acid chain length on passive and MN facilitated skin penetration was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to image fluorescence intensity and the area of penetration of fluorescently tagged peptides. Penetration studies were conducted on excised full thickness human skin in Franz type diffusion cells for 1 and 24 hours. A 2 to 22 fold signal improvement in microneedle enhanced delivery of melanostatin, rigin and pal-KTTKS was observed. To our knowledge this is the first description of microneedle enhanced skin permeation studies on these peptides.

ENHANCING TRUST OR REDUCING PERCEIVED RISK, WHAT MATTERS MORE WHEN LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT?

OpenAIRE

ANN-MARIE NIENABER; GERHARD SCHEWE

2014-01-01

Using a collection of data among 490 participants from different companies in the field of medical engineering market, we contribute to the role of contact intensity by a business partner when launching new products by introducing trust as a mediator to the concept of perceived risk reduction to enhance the relationship commitment. The findings show that the common concept of risk reduction to enhance the relationship commitment is overrated. In detail, the results show first, that the influe...

Possible contributions of a novel form of synaptic plasticity in Aplysia to reward, memory, and their dysfunctions in mammalian brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Robert D

2013-09-18

Recent studies in Aplysia have identified a new variation of synaptic plasticity in which modulatory transmitters enhance spontaneous release of glutamate, which then acts on postsynaptic receptors to recruit mechanisms of intermediate- and long-term plasticity. In this review I suggest the hypothesis that similar plasticity occurs in mammals, where it may contribute to reward, memory, and their dysfunctions in several psychiatric disorders. In Aplysia, spontaneous release is enhanced by activation of presynaptic serotonin receptors, but presynaptic D1 dopamine receptors or nicotinic acetylcholine receptors could play a similar role in mammals. Those receptors enhance spontaneous release of glutamate in hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, and nucleus accumbens. In all of those brain areas, glutamate can activate postsynaptic receptors to elevate Ca(2+) and engage mechanisms of early-phase long-term potentiation (LTP), including AMPA receptor insertion, and of late-phase LTP, including protein synthesis and growth. Thus, presynaptic receptors and spontaneous release may contribute to postsynaptic mechanisms of plasticity in brain regions involved in reward and memory, and could play roles in disorders that affect plasticity in those regions, including addiction, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

SHI induced enhancement in green emission from nanocrystalline CdS thin films for photonic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Pragati; Saxena, Nupur; Chandra, Ramesh; Gao, Kun; Zhou, Shengqiang; Agarwal, Avinash; Singh, Fouran; Gupta, Vinay; Kanjilal, D.

2014-01-01

Intense green emission is reported from nanocrystalline CdS thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of ion beam induced dense electronic excitation on luminescence property of CdS films is explored under irradiation using 70 MeV 58 Ni 6+ ions. It is found that swift heavy ion beam irradiation enhances the emission intensity by an order of 1 and broadens the emission range. This feature is extremely useful to enhance the performance of different photonic devices like light emitting diodes and lasers, as well as luminescence based sensors. To examine the role of energy relaxation process of swift heavy ions in creation/annihilation of different defect levels, multi-peaks are fitted in photoluminescence spectra using a Gaussian function. The variation of contribution of different emissions in green emission with ion fluence is studied. Origin of enhancement in green emission is supported by various characterization techniques like UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A possible mechanism of enhanced GE due to ion beam irradiation is proposed on the basis of existing models. -- Highlights: • Room temperature green luminescence nanocrystalline CdS thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. • Enhanced green emission by means of swift heavy ion irradiation. • Multipeak fitting of photoluminescence spectra using a Gaussian function. • Variation of area contributed by different emissions in green emission is studied with respect to ion fluence. • Mechanism of enhanced green emission is discussed based on creation/annihilation of defects due to ion beam irradiation

SHI induced enhancement in green emission from nanocrystalline CdS thin films for photonic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Pragati, E-mail: pkumar.phy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Bareilly College, Shahmat Ganj Road, Bareilly 243005, Uttar Pradesh (India); Saxena, Nupur [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, P.O. Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India); Chandra, Ramesh [Institute Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee 247667 (India); Gao, Kun; Zhou, Shengqiang [Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), P.O. Box 510119, 01314 Dresden (Germany); Agarwal, Avinash [Department of Physics, Bareilly College, Shahmat Ganj Road, Bareilly 243005, Uttar Pradesh (India); Singh, Fouran [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, P.O. Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Delhi University, Delhi 110007 (India); Kanjilal, D. [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, P.O. Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India)

2014-03-15

Intense green emission is reported from nanocrystalline CdS thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of ion beam induced dense electronic excitation on luminescence property of CdS films is explored under irradiation using 70 MeV {sup 58}Ni{sup 6+} ions. It is found that swift heavy ion beam irradiation enhances the emission intensity by an order of 1 and broadens the emission range. This feature is extremely useful to enhance the performance of different photonic devices like light emitting diodes and lasers, as well as luminescence based sensors. To examine the role of energy relaxation process of swift heavy ions in creation/annihilation of different defect levels, multi-peaks are fitted in photoluminescence spectra using a Gaussian function. The variation of contribution of different emissions in green emission with ion fluence is studied. Origin of enhancement in green emission is supported by various characterization techniques like UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A possible mechanism of enhanced GE due to ion beam irradiation is proposed on the basis of existing models. -- Highlights: • Room temperature green luminescence nanocrystalline CdS thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. • Enhanced green emission by means of swift heavy ion irradiation. • Multipeak fitting of photoluminescence spectra using a Gaussian function. • Variation of area contributed by different emissions in green emission is studied with respect to ion fluence. • Mechanism of enhanced green emission is discussed based on creation/annihilation of defects due to ion beam irradiation.

Percentage-based Author Contribution Index: a universal measure of author contribution to scientific articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Stéphane; Ikeda, Takayoshi; Lefort, Marie-Caroline; Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba; Schmidt, Jason M

2017-01-01

Deciphering the amount of work provided by different co-authors of a scientific paper has been a recurrent problem in science. Despite the myriad of metrics available, the scientific community still largely relies on the position in the list of authors to evaluate contributions, a metric that attributes subjective and unfounded credit to co-authors. We propose an easy to apply, universally comparable and fair metric to measure and report co-authors contribution in the scientific literature. The proposed Author Contribution Index (ACI) is based on contribution percentages provided by the authors, preferably at the time of submission. Researchers can use ACI to compare the contributions of different authors, describe the contribution profile of a particular researcher or analyse how contribution changes through time. We provide such an analysis based on contribution percentages provided by 97 scientists from the field of ecology who voluntarily responded to an online anonymous survey. ACI is simple to understand and to implement because it is based solely on percentage contributions and the number of co-authors. It provides a continuous score that reflects the contribution of one author as compared to the average contribution of all other authors. For example, ACI(i) = 3, means that author i contributed three times more than what the other authors contributed on average. Our analysis comprised 836 papers published in 2014-2016 and revealed patterns of ACI values that relate to career advancement. There are many examples of author contribution indices that have been proposed but none has really been adopted by scientific journals. Many of the proposed solutions are either too complicated, not accurate enough or not comparable across articles, authors and disciplines. The author contribution index presented here addresses these three major issues and has the potential to contribute to more transparency in the science literature. If adopted by scientific journals, it

A broader consideration of human factor to enhance sustainable building design.

Science.gov (United States)

Attaianese, Erminia

2012-01-01

The link between ergonomic/human factor and sustainability seems to be clearly evidenced mainly in relation to social dimension of sustainability, in order to contribute to assure corporate social responsibility and global value creation. But the will to establish an equilibrated connection among used resources in human activities, supported by the sustainability perspective, evidences that the contribution of ergonomics/human factors can be effectively enlarged to other aspects, especially in relation to building design. In fact a sustainable building is meant to be a building that contributes, through its characteristics and attribute, to a sustainable development by assuring, in the same time, a decrease of resources use and environmental impact and an increase of health, safety and comfort of the occupants. The purpose of this paper is to analyze in a broader sense the contribution of ergonomic/human factor to design of sustainable building, focusing how ergonomics principles, methodology and techniques can improve building design, enhancing its sustainability performance during all phases of building lifecycle.

Resonance Raman Optical Activity and Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Optical Activity analysis of Cytochrome C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannessen, Christian; Abdali, Salim; White, Peter C.

2007-01-01

High quality Resonance Raman (RR) and resonance Raman Optical Activity (ROA) spectra of cytochrome c were obtained in order to perform full assignment of spectral features of the resonance ROA spectrum. The resonance ROA spectrum of cytochrome c revealed a distinct spectral signature pattern due...... to resonance enhanced skeletal porphyrin vibrations, more pronounced than any contribution from the protein back-bone. Combining the intrinsic resonance enhancement of cytochrome c with surface plasmon enhancement by colloidal silver particles, the Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering (SERRS) and Chiral...... Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (ChERS) spectra of the protein were successfully obtained at very low concentration (as low as 1 µM). The assignment of spectral features was based on the information obtained from the RR and resonance ROA spectra. Excellent agreement between RR and SERRS spectra is reported...

Case study on total electron content enhancements at low latitudes during low geomagnetic activities before the storms

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Libo Liu

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Sometimes the ionospheric total electron content (TEC is significantly enhanced during low geomagnetic activities before storms. In this article, we investigate the characteristics of those interesting TEC enhancements using regional and global TEC data. We analyzed the low-latitude TEC enhancement events that occurred around longitude 120° E on 10 February 2004, 21 January 2004, and 4 March 2001, respectively. The TEC data are derived from regional Global Positioning System (GPS observations in the Asia/Australia sector as well as global ionospheric maps (GIMs produced by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL. Strong enhancements under low geomagnetic activity before the storms are simultaneously presented at low latitudes in the Asia/Australia sector in regional TEC and JPL GIMs. These TEC enhancements are shown to be regional events with longitudinal and latitudinal extent. The regions of TEC enhancements during these events are confined at narrow longitude ranges around longitude 120° E. The latitudinal belts of maxima of enhancements locate around the northern and southern equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA crests, which are consistent with those low-latitude events presented by Liu et al. (2008. During the 4 March 2001 event, the total plasma density N_i observed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP spacecraft F13 at 840 km altitude are of considerably higher values on 4 March than on the previous day in the TEC enhanced regions. Some TEC enhancement events are possibly due to contributions from auroral/magnetospheric origins; while there are also quasi-periodic enhancement events not related to geomagnetic activity and associated probably with planetary wave type oscillations (e.g. the 6 January 1998 event. Further investigation is warrented to identify/separate contributions from possible sources.

Social Contributions in Romania

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Attila Gyorgy

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Social contributions have an important impact on payroll policy. Also, social contributions represent a significant budgetary revenue item which can be viewed at the edge between taxation and insurance. Social contributions in Romania experienced many changes which ended in 2008. Nowadays, they are within a long transaction period towards partial externalization of the insurance activity to privately managed funds. The aim of this paper is to analyse the homogeneity of Romanian social security public scheme using annual data extracted from 2002-2009.The main findings reveal that social contributions reached the pinnacle of diversification, being too many, some of them with a small contribution rates; fiscal reforms which reduced contribution rates advantaged employers, and state will be interested to externalize this activity as far private sector will be able to assume this responsibility and the budgetary effects are acceptable for the public finance.

MRI of spondylodiscities: contribution of gadolinium-DTPA and fat suppression sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cova, M.A.; Dalla Palma, L.; Pozzi-Mucelli, R.S.; Ricci, C.

1993-01-01

Twenty-six patients with a clinical diagnosis of spondylodiscitis were examined with non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI in order to define the contribution of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) and different pulse sequences, including a fat suppression sequence (SPIR). Spin echo (SE) T1-weighted images before and after Gd-DTPA injection and SE T2-weighted images were obtained in all patients. Twelve patients were also examined using the SPIR sequence following Gd-DTPA injection. Signal intensity and morphological features of the disc and vertebral lesions were then evaluated. The SE T1-weighted sequence with Gd-DTPA was very effective in showing the pathological changes at the level of the disc as an area of low signal intensity surrounded by a peripheral rim of enhancement in 24 of 26 cases (92%). This feature was not visible on non-enhanced images. As regards contiguous vertebral lesions this sequence was less informative, since in 8 of 26 cases (31%) the vertebral lesions became isointense and therefore not detectable. In 12 cases there was extension into the surrounding structures (spinal canal and/or paravertebral tissues). An enhanced SE T1-weighted sequence provided good anatomical definition of the extension of the infection in the spinal canal in all cases with this type of involvement (7 of 12). Regarding the 7 cases with paravertebral extension, no extension was visible in 1 case due to the reduced contrast with the surrounding fat following Gd-DTPA injection. The enhanced SPIR sequence was very effective, particularly in detecting the lesions in the vertebral bodies, avoiding the limitation of the enhanced SE T1-weighted sequence. The SPIR sequence was also effective in showing the extension within the spinal canal and the paravertebral fat. On the basis of our results the combination of a SE T1-weighted sequence without contrast and SPIR sequence with Gd-DTPA seems to be the best approach in cases of spondylodiscitis. (orig.)

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator contributes to reacidification of alkalinized lysosomes in RPE cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ji; Lu, Wennan; Guha, Sonia; Baltazar, Gabriel C; Coffey, Erin E; Laties, Alan M; Rubenstein, Ronald C; Reenstra, William W; Mitchell, Claire H

2012-07-15

The role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in lysosomal acidification has been difficult to determine. We demonstrate here that CFTR contributes more to the reacidification of lysosomes from an elevated pH than to baseline pH maintenance. Lysosomal alkalinization is increasingly recognized as a factor in diseases of accumulation, and we previously showed that cAMP reacidified alkalinized lysosomes in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. As the influx of anions to electrically balance proton accumulation may enhance lysosomal acidification, the contribution of the cAMP-activated anion channel CFTR to lysosomal reacidification was probed. The antagonist CFTR(inh)-172 had little effect on baseline levels of lysosomal pH in cultured human RPE cells but substantially reduced the reacidification of compromised lysosomes by cAMP. Likewise, CFTR activators had a bigger impact on cells whose lysosomes had been alkalinized. Knockdown of CFTR with small interfering RNA had a larger effect on alkalinized lysosomes than on baseline levels. Inhibition of CFTR in isolated lysosomes altered pH. While CFTR and Lamp1 were colocalized, treatment with cAMP did not increase targeting of CFTR to the lysosome. The inhibition of CFTR slowed lysosomal degradation of photoreceptor outer segments while activation of CFTR enhanced their clearance from compromised lysosomes. Activation of CFTR acidified RPE lysosomes from the ABCA4(-/-) mouse model of recessive Stargardt's disease, whose lysosomes are considerably alkalinized. In summary, CFTR contributes more to reducing lysosomal pH from alkalinized levels than to maintaining baseline pH. Treatment to activate CFTR may thus be of benefit in disorders of accumulation associated with lysosomal alkalinization.

Aneurysmal wall enhancement and perianeurysmal edema after endovascular treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Su, I-Chang

2014-06-01

Perianeurysmal edema and aneurysm wall enhancement are previously described phenomenon after coil embolization attributed to inflammatory reaction. We aimed to demonstrate the prevalence and natural course of these phenomena in unruptured aneurysms after endovascular treatment and to identify factors that contributed to their development.

Enhanced aerobic degradation of 4-chlorophenol with iron-nickel nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Wenjuan; Mu, Yi; Wang, Bingning; Ai, Zhihui, E-mail: jennifer.ai@mail.ccnu.edu.cn; Zhang, Lizhi

2017-01-30

Highlights: • Bimetallic iron-nickel nanoparticles possessed an enhanced performance on aerobic degradation of 4-CP. • Hydroxyl radicals were the major active species contributed to aerobic 4-CP degradation with nZVI. • Superoxide radicals predominated the 4-CP degradation in the nZVIN/Air process. • The 4-CP degradation pathways were dependent on the generated superoxide radicals in the nZVIN/Air process. - Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate that the bimetallic iron-nickel nanoparticles (nZVIN) possessed an enhanced performance in comparison with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on aerobic degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The 4-CP degradation rate constant in the aerobic nZVIN process (nZVIN/Air) was 5 times that in the classic nZVI counterpart system (nZVI/Air). Both reactive oxygen species measurement and inhibition experimental results suggested that hydroxyl radicals were the major active species contributed to aerobic 4-CP degradation with nZVI, on contrast, superoxide radicals predominated the 4-CP degradation in the nZVIN/Air process. High performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis indicated the intermediates of the nZVI/Air system were p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone, which were resulted from the bond cleavage between the chlorine and carbon atom in the benzene ring by hydroxyl radicals. However, the primary intermediates of 4-CP found in the nZVIN/Air system were phenol via the direct dechlorination by superoxide radicals, accompanying with the formation of chloride ions. On the base of experimental results, a superoxide radicals mediated enhancing mechanism was proposed for the aerobic degradation of 4-CP in the nZVIN/Air system. This study provides new insight into the role of bimetallic nickel on enhancing removal of organic pollutants with nZVI.

Morphological image processing for quantitative shape analysis of biomedical structures: effective contrast enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimori, Yoshitaka

2013-01-01

A contrast enhancement approach utilizing a new type of mathematical morphology called rotational morphological processing is introduced. The method is quantitatively evaluated and then applied to some medical images. Image processing methods significantly contribute to visualization of images captured by biomedical modalities (such as mammography, X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and light and electron microscopy). Quantitative interpretation of the deluge of complicated biomedical images, however, poses many research challenges, one of which is to enhance structural features that are scarcely perceptible to the human eye. This study introduces a contrast enhancement approach based on a new type of mathematical morphology called rotational morphological processing. The proposed method is applied to medical images for the enhancement of structural features. The effectiveness of the method is evaluated quantitatively by the contrast improvement ratio (CIR). The CIR of the proposed method is 12.1, versus 4.7 and 0.1 for two conventional contrast enhancement methods, clearly indicating the high contrasting capability of the method

UV Irradiance Enhancements by Scattering of Solar Radiation from Clouds

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Uwe Feister

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Scattering of solar radiation by clouds can reduce or enhance solar global irradiance compared to cloudless-sky irradiance at the Earth’s surface. Cloud effects to global irradiance can be described by Cloud Modification Factors (CMF. Depending on strength and duration, irradiance enhancements affect the energy balance of the surface and gain of solar power for electric energy generation. In the ultraviolet region, they increase the risk for damage to living organisms. Wavelength-dependent CMFs have been shown to reach 1.5 even in the UV-B region at low altitudes. Ground-based solar radiation measurements in the high Andes region at altitudes up to 5917 m a.s.l showed cloud-induced irradiance enhancements. While UV-A enhancements were explained by cloud scattering, both radiation scattering from clouds and Negative Ozone Anomalies (NOA have been discussed to have caused short-time enhancement of UV-B irradiance. Based on scenarios using published CMF and additional spectroradiometric measurements at a low-altitude site, the contribution of cloud scattering to the UV-B irradiance enhancement in the Andes region has been estimated. The range of UV index estimates converted from measured UV-B and UV-A irradiance and modeled cloudless-sky ratios UV-B/erythemal UV is compatible with an earlier estimate of an extreme UV index value of 43 derived for the high Andes.

Contributions of seed bank and vegetative propagules to vegetation composition on prairie dog colonies in western South Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

Emily R. Helms; Lan Xu; Jack L. Butler

2012-01-01

Characterizing the contributions of the seed bank and vegetative propagules will enhance our understanding of community resiliency associated with prairie dog disturbances. Our objective was to determine the effects of ecological condition (EC) and distance from burrows on the soil seed bank and vegetative propagules. Based on species composition of the extant...

Doping enhanced barrier lowering in graphene-silicon junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xintong; Zhang, Lining; Chan, Mansun

2016-06-01

Rectifying properties of graphene-semiconductor junctions depend on the Schottky barrier height. We report an enhanced barrier lowering in graphene-Si junction and its essential doping dependence in this paper. The electric field due to ionized charge in n-type Si induces the same type doping in graphene and contributes another Schottky barrier lowering factor on top of the image-force-induced lowering (IFIL). We confirm this graphene-doping-induced lowering (GDIL) based on well reproductions of the measured reverse current of our fabricated graphene-Si junctions by the thermionic emission theory. Excellent matching between the theoretical predictions and the junction data of the doping-concentration dependent barrier lowering serves as another evidence of the GDIL. While both GDIL and IFIL are enhanced with the Si doping, GDIL exceeds IFIL with a threshold doping depending on the as-prepared graphene itself.

Selecting enhancing solutions for electrokinetic remediation of dredged sediments polluted with fuel.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozas, F; Castellote, M

2015-03-15

In this paper a procedure for selecting the enhancing solutions in electrokinetic remediation experiments is proposed. For this purpose, dredged marine sediment was contaminated with fuel, and a total of 22 different experimental conditions were tested, analysing the influence of different enhancing solutions by using three commercial non-ionic surfactants, one bio-surfactant, one chelating agent, and one weak acid. Characterisation, microelectrophoretic and electrokinetic remediation trials were carried out. The results are explained on the basis of the interactions between the fuel, the enhancing electrolytes and the matrix. For one specific system, the electrophoretic zeta potential, (ζ), of the contaminated matrix in the solution was found to be related to the electroosmotic averaged ζ in the experiment and not to the efficiency in the extraction. This later was correlated to a parameter accounting for both contributions, the contaminant and the enhancing solution, calculated on the basis of differences in the electrophoretic ζ in different conditions which has allowed to propose a methodology for selection of enhancing solutions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Electroweak Penguin Amplitude in B→VV Decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beneke, M.; Rohrer, J.; Yang, D.

2006-01-01

We discuss a novel electromagnetic penguin contribution to the transverse helicity amplitudes in B decays to two vector mesons, which is enhanced by two powers of m B /Λ relative to the standard penguin amplitudes. This leads to unique polarization signatures in penguin-dominated decay modes such as B→ρK* similar to polarization effects in the radiative decay B→K*γ and offers new opportunities to probe the magnitude and chirality of flavor-changing neutral current couplings to photons

Supersymmetric contribution to B{yields}{rho}K and B{yields}{pi}K{sup Low-Asterisk} decays in SCET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faisel, Gaber, E-mail: gfaisel@cc.ncu.edu.tw [Department of Physics and Center for Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, National Central University, Chung-li, 32054, Taiwan (China); Egyptian Center for Theoretical Physics, Modern University for Information and Technology, Cairo (Egypt); Delepine, David [Departamento de Fisica, DCI, Campus Leon, Universidad de Guanajuato, C.P. 37150, Leon, Guanajuato (Mexico); Shalaby, M. [Ain Shams University, Faculty of Science, Cairo 11566 (Egypt)

2011-11-17

We analyze the supersymmetric contributions to the direct CP asymmetries of the decays B{yields}{pi}K{sup Low-Asterisk} and B{yields}{rho}K within Soft Collinear Effective Theory. We extend the Standard Model analysis of these asymmetries to include the next leading order QCD corrections. We find that, even with QCD correction, the Standard Model predictions cannot accommodate the direct CP asymmetries in these decay modes. Using Mass Insertion Approximation (MIA), we show that non-minimal flavor SUSY contributions mediated by gluino exchange can enhance the CP asymmetries significantly and thus can accommodate the experimental results.

A Novel Soybean Dirigent Gene GmDIR22 Contributes to Promotion of Lignan Biosynthesis and Enhances Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ninghui Li

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Phytophthora root and stem rot caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae is a destructive disease of soybean worldwide. Plant dirigent proteins (DIR are proposed to have roles in biosynthesis of either lignan or lignin-like molecules, and are important for defense responses, secondary metabolism, and pathogen resistance. In the present work, a novel DIR gene expressed sequence tag is identified as up-regulated in the highly resistant soybean cultivar ‘Suinong 10’ inoculated with P. sojae. The full length cDNA is isolated using rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and designated GmDIR22 (GenBank accession no. HQ_993047. The full length GmDIR22 is 789 bp and contains a 567 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 188 amino acids. The sequence analysis indicated that GmDIR22 contains a conserved dirigent domain at amino acid residues 43–187. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR demonstrated that soybean GmDIR22 mRNA is expressed most highly in stems, followed by roots and leaves. The treatments with stresses demonstrated that GmDIR22 is significantly induced by P. sojae and gibberellic acid (GA3, and also responds to salicylic acid, methyl jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid. The GmDIR22 is targeted to the cytomembrane when transiently expressed in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Moreover, The GmDIR22 recombinant protein purified from Escherichia coli could effectively direct E-coniferyl alcohol coupling into lignan (+-pinoresinol. Accordingly, the overexpression of GmDIR22 in transgenic soybean increased total lignan accumulation. Moreover, the lignan extracts from GmDIR22 transgenic plants effectively inhibits P. sojae hyphal growth. Furthermore, the transgenic overexpression of GmDIR22 in the susceptible soybean cultivar ‘Dongnong 50’ enhances its resistance to P. sojae. Collectively, these data suggested that the primary role of GmDIR22 is probably involved in the regulation of lignan biosynthesis, and which

Capacitance enhancement of polyaniline coated curved-graphene supercapacitors in a redox-active electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Rakhi, R. B.; Alshareef, H. N.

2013-05-01

We show, for the first time, a redox-active electrolyte in combination with a polyaniline-coated curved graphene active material to achieve significant enhancement in the capacitance (36-92% increase) compared to supercapacitors that lack the redox-active contribution from the electrolyte. The supercapacitors based on the redox-active electrolyte also exhibit excellent rate capability and very long cycling performance (>50 000 cycles).We show, for the first time, a redox-active electrolyte in combination with a polyaniline-coated curved graphene active material to achieve significant enhancement in the capacitance (36-92% increase) compared to supercapacitors that lack the redox-active contribution from the electrolyte. The supercapacitors based on the redox-active electrolyte also exhibit excellent rate capability and very long cycling performance (>50 000 cycles). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section, supporting figures including SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, CV and CD curves and a summary table of capacitance. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00773a

Frontal and temporal lobe contributions to emotional enhancement of memory in behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease

OpenAIRE

Kumfor, Fiona; Irish, Muireann; Hodges, John R.; Piguet, Olivier

2014-01-01

Emotional events gain special priority in how they are remembered, with emotionally arousing events typically recalled more vividly and with greater confidence than non-emotional events. In dementia, memory and emotion processing are affected to varying degrees, however, whether emotional enhancement of memory for complex ecologically-valid events is differentially affected across dementia syndromes remains unclear, with previous studies examining effects of emotion on simple visual recogniti...

Ficus Deltoidea Enhance Glucose Uptake Activity in Cultured Muscle Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zainah Adam; Shafii Khamis; Amin Ismail; Muhajir Hamid

2015-01-01

Ficus deltoidea or locally known as Mas cotek is one of the common medicinal plants used in Malaysia. Our previous studies showed that this plant have blood glucose lowering effect. Glucose uptake into muscle and adipocytes cells is one of the known mechanisms of blood glucose lowering effect. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Ficus deltoidea on glucose uptake activity into muscle cells. The cells were incubated with Ficus deltoidea extracts either alone or combination with insulin. Amount of glucose uptake by L6 myotubes was determined using glucose tracer, 2-deoxy-(1- 3 H 1 )-glucose. The results showed that Ficus deltoidea extracts at particular doses enhanced basal or insulin-mediated glucose uptake into muscle cells significantly. Hot aqueous extract enhanced glucose uptake at the low concentration (10 μg/ ml) whereas methanolic extract enhanced glucose uptake at low and high concentrations. Methanolic extract also mimicked insulin activity during enhancing glucose uptake into L^ muscle cells. Glucose uptake activity of Ficus deltoidea could be attributed by the phenolic compound presence in the plant. This study had shown that Ficus deltoidea has the ability to enhance glucose uptake into muscle cells which is partly contributed the antidiabetic activity of this plant. (author)

Endogenous retroviruses function as species-specific enhancer elements in the placenta.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuong, Edward B; Rumi, M A Karim; Soares, Michael J; Baker, Julie C

2013-03-01

The mammalian placenta is remarkably distinct between species, suggesting a history of rapid evolutionary diversification. To gain insight into the molecular drivers of placental evolution, we compared biochemically predicted enhancers in mouse and rat trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and found that species-specific enhancers are highly enriched for endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) on a genome-wide level. One of these ERV families, RLTR13D5, contributes hundreds of mouse-specific histone H3 lysine 4 monomethylation (H3K4me1)- and histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac)-defined enhancers that functionally bind Cdx2, Eomes and Elf5-core factors that define the TSC regulatory network. Furthermore, we show that RLTR13D5 is capable of driving gene expression in rat placental cells. Analysis in other tissues shows that species-specific ERV enhancer activity is generally restricted to hypomethylated tissues, suggesting that tissues permissive for ERV activity gain access to an otherwise silenced source of regulatory variation. Overall, our results implicate ERV enhancer co-option as a mechanism underlying the extensive evolutionary diversification of placental development.

Liver hemangioma : comparison of echogenecity and contrast-enhancement on dynamic MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seong, Chang Kyu; Han, Joon Koo; Choi, Byung Ihn; Kim, Seog Joon; Yeon, Kyung Mo; Han, Man Chung

1998-01-01

To evaluate the differences in sonographic appearance and hemodynamics between hypoechoic and hyperechoic hemangioma Material and Method : We retrospectively reviewed the sonographic appearance and MRI findings of 23 hypoechoic hepatic hemangiomas in 16 consecutive patients. Nine were men and seven were women, witha mean age of 50 years(range, 40-72). We analyzed the sonographic appearance such as size, shape, border,echogenecity, posterior acoustic enhancement and the presence of fatty liver, and MRI findings such as signal intensity, enhancement pattern. For comparison, we also reviewed the sonographic appearance and MRI findings of 23 hyperechoic hemangiomas in 16 randomly selected patients. Results : There were no differences in size, shape,incidence of posterior acoustic enhancement, MR signal intensity or enhancement pattern between hypoechoic and hyperechoic hemangiomas(p>0.05, Chi-square). However, fatty infiltration of the liver and echogenic rim of the masses were more commonly seen in hypoechoic hemangiomas(9:1, 5:0, respectively, p<0.05). Conclusions : There we reno differences in MR enhomcement pattern or incidence of posterior acoustic enhancement between hypoechoic hyperechoic hemangioma. The vascularity of a mass therefore seems to contribute little to its echogenecity

Dynamic oxygen-enhanced MRI of cerebrospinal fluid.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taha M Mehemed

Full Text Available Oxygen causes an increase in the longitudinal relaxation rate of tissues through its T1-shortening effect owing to its paramagnetic properties. Due to such effects, MRI has been used to study oxygen-related signal intensity changes in various body parts including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF space. Oxygen enhancement of CSF has been mainly studied using MRI sequences with relatively longer time resolution such as FLAIR, and T1 value calculation. In this study, fifteen healthy volunteers were scanned using fast advanced spin echo MRI sequence with and without inversion recovery pulse in order to dynamically track oxygen enhancement of CSF. We also focused on the differences of oxygen enhancement at sulcal and ventricular CSF. Our results revealed that CSF signal after administration of oxygen shows rapid signal increase in both sulcal CSF and ventricular CSF on both sequences, with statistically significant predominant increase in sulcal CSF compared with ventricular CSF. CSF is traditionally thought to mainly form from the choroid plexus in the ventricles and is absorbed at the arachnoid villi, however, it is also believed that cerebral arterioles contribute to the production and absorption of CSF, and controversy remains in terms of the precise mechanism. Our results demonstrated rapid oxygen enhancement in sulcal CSF, which may suggest inhaled oxygen may diffuse into sulcal CSF space rapidly probably due to the abundance of pial arterioles on the brain sulci.

Bacterial contribution to iodine volatilization in the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amachi, S; Kasahara, M; Fujii, T [Chiba Univ., Dept. of Bioresources Chemistry, Matsudo, Chiba (Japan); Muramatsu, Y [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

2003-09-01

The roles of microorganisms in iodine volatilization from the environment were studied. More than 100 bacterial strains were isolated from various environments such as soils, seawater and marine sediments, and were examined their capacities for volatilizing iodine. Approximately 40% of these bacteria showed significant capacities for volatilizing iodine. Gas chromatographic determinations revealed that the chemical species of gaseous iodine is methyl iodide (CH{sub 3}I). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S ribosomal DNA showed that these 'iodine-volatilizing bacteria' are widely distributed through the bacterial domain. The iodide-methylating reaction was mediated by an enzyme protein with S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as the methyl donor. We then estimated bacterial contribution to iodine volatilization from soils. Iodine in soils was volatilized mainly as CH{sub 3}I. CH{sub 3}I emission was enhanced in the presence of glucose or yeast extract, but was inhibited by autoclaving of soils. Little CH{sub 3}I was produced under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, the addition of streptomycin and tetracycline, antibiotics which inhibit bacterial growth, strongly inhibited CH{sub 3}I emission, while a fungal inhibitor cycloheximide caused little effect. These results suggest that iodine in soils is volatilized as CH{sub 3}I mainly by the action of aerobic soil bacteria. Similar experiment was carried out by using sea water samples. The emission of iodine from sea waters occurred biologically, and bacterial (and also other microbial) contribution was confirmed. Our results suggest that iodine is methylated and volatilized into the atmosphere as a result of bacterial activities. Since bacteria are so abundant and widespread in the environments, they may significantly contribute to global iodine volatilization. This indicates that if {sup 129}I would be released from nuclear facilities, weapons testing or ground storage of nuclear wastes, the pathway of volatilization by

Effect of electronic contribution on temperature-dependent thermal transport of antimony telluride thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Won-Yong; Park, No-Won [Department of Physics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Ji-Eun [Department of Materials Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Soon-Gil, E-mail: sgyoon@cnu.ac.kr [Department of Materials Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Koh, Jung-Hyuk [School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang-Kwon, E-mail: sangkwonlee@cau.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-25

Highlights: • We investigated thermal transport of the antimony telluride thin films. • The contribution of the electronic thermal conductivity increased up to ∼77% at 300 K. • We theoretically analyze and explain the high contribution of electronic component. - Abstract: We study the theoretical and experimental characteristics of thermal transport of 100 nm and 500 nm-thick antimony telluride (Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}) thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The thermal conductivity was measured at temperatures ranging from 20 to 300 K, using four-point-probe 3-ω method. Out-of-plane thermal conductivity of the Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin film was much lesser in comparison to the bulk material in the entire temperature range, confirming that the phonon- and electron-boundary scattering are enhanced in thin films. Moreover, we found that the contribution of the electronic thermal conductivity (κ{sub e}) in total thermal conductivity (κ) linearly increased up to ∼77% at 300 K with increasing temperature. We theoretically analyze and explain the high contribution of electronic component of thermal conductivity towards the total thermal conductivity of the film by a modified Callaway model. Further, we find the theoretical model predictions to correspond well with the experimental results.

Kinetic and Potential Sputtering Enhancements of Lunar Regolith Erosion: The Contribution of the Heavy Multicharged (Minority) Solar Wind Constituents

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, F. W.; Barghouty, A. F.

2012-01-01

We report preliminary results for H+, Ar+1, Ar+6 and Ar+9 ion sputtering of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant at solar wind velocities, obtain ed at the ORNL Multicharged Ion Research Facility using quadrupole ma ss spectrometry. The multi-charged Ar ions were used as proxies for i ntermediate mass solar wind multicharged ions. Prior to the Ar beam e xposures, the sample was exposed to high fluence H+ irradiation to si mulate H-loading due to the dominant solar wind constituent. A x80 en hancement of oxygen sputtering by Ar+ over same velocity H+ was measu red and an additional x2 increase for Ar+9 over same velocity Ar+ was demonstrated, giving clear evidence of the importance of potential s puttering by multicharged ions. This enhancement was observed to pers ist to the maximum fluences investigated (approx 10(exp 16)/sq cm). As discussed in a companion abstract by N. Barghouty, such persistent s puttering enhancement has significant implications on weathering and aging of lunar regolith. In addition, XPS measurements showed strong evidence of Fe reduction for those target areas that had been exposed to high fluence Ar+ and Ar+8 beams. Preferential oxidation of the Fe -reduced beam-exposed regions during transfer to the XPS system led t o enhanced O concentrations in those regions as well. On the basis of these very promising preliminary results, a NASA-LASER project on mo re extensive measurements was recently selected for funding. The prop osal expands the collaboration with NASA-MSFC for the simulation effort, and adds a new collaboration with NASA-GSFC for lunar mission-rele vant measurements.

Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and/or bacteria to enhancing plant drought tolerance under natural soil conditions: effectiveness of autochthonous or allochthonous strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, N; Armada, E; Duque, E; Roldán, A; Azcón, R

2015-02-01

Autochthonous microorganisms [a consortium of arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)] were assayed and compared to Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri), Bacillus megaterium (Bm) or Pseudomonas putida (Psp) and non-inoculation on Trifolium repens in a natural arid soil under drought conditions. The autochthonous bacteria Bt and the allochthonous bacteria Psp increased nutrients and the relative water content and decreased stomatal conductance, electrolyte leakage, proline and APX activity, indicating their abilities to alleviate the drought stress. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced plant growth, nutrient uptake and the relative water content, particularly when associated with specific bacteria minimizing drought stress-imposed effects. Specific combinations of autochthonous or allochthonous inoculants also contributed to plant drought tolerance by changing proline and antioxidative activities. However, non-inoculated plants had low relative water and nutrients contents, shoot proline accumulation and glutathione reductase activity, but the highest superoxide dismutase activity, stomatal conductance and electrolyte leakage. Microbial activities irrespective of the microbial origin seem to be coordinately functioning in the plant as an adaptive response to modulated water stress tolerance and minimizing the stress damage. The autochthonous AM fungi with Bt or Psp and those allochthonous Ri with Bm or Psp inoculants increased water stress alleviation. The autochthonous Bt showed the greatest ability to survive under high osmotic stress compared to the allochthonous strains, but when single inoculated or associated with Ri or AM fungi were similarly efficient in terms of physiological and nutritional status and in increasing plant drought tolerance, attenuating and compensating for the detrimental effect of water limitation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Shock enhancement of cellular materials subjected to intensive pulse loading

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.; Fan, J.; Wang, Z.; Zhao, L.; Li, Z.

2018-03-01

Cellular materials can dissipate a large amount of energy due to their considerable stress plateau, which contributes to their extensive applications in structural design for crashworthiness. However, in some experiments with specimens subjected to intense impact loads, transmitted stress enhancement has been observed, leading to severe damage to the objects protected. Transmitted stress through two-dimensional Voronoi cellular materials as a protective device is qualitatively studied in this paper. Dimensionless parameters of material properties and loading parameters are defined to give critical conditions for shock enhancement and clarify the correlation between the deformations and stress enhancement. The effect of relative density on this amplifying phenomenon is investigated as well. In addition, local strain fields are calculated by using the optimal local deformation gradient, which gives a clear presentation of deformations and possible local non-uniformity in the crushing process. This research provides valuable insight into the reliability of cellular materials as protective structures.

Representational Classroom Practices that Contribute to Students' Conceptual and Representational Understanding of Chemical Bonding

Science.gov (United States)

Hilton, Annette; Nichols, Kim

2011-11-01

Understanding bonding is fundamental to success in chemistry. A number of alternative conceptions related to chemical bonding have been reported in the literature. Research suggests that many alternative conceptions held by chemistry students result from previous teaching; if teachers are explicit in the use of representations and explain their content-specific forms and functions, this might be avoided. The development of an understanding of and ability to use multiple representations is crucial to students' understanding of chemical bonding. This paper draws on data from a larger study involving two Year 11 chemistry classes (n = 27, n = 22). It explores the contribution of explicit instruction about multiple representations to students' understanding and representation of chemical bonding. The instructional strategies were documented using audio-recordings and the teacher-researcher's reflection journal. Pre-test-post-test comparisons showed an improvement in conceptual understanding and representational competence. Analysis of the students' texts provided further evidence of the students' ability to use multiple representations to explain macroscopic phenomena on the molecular level. The findings suggest that explicit instruction about representational form and function contributes to the enhancement of representational competence and conceptual understanding of bonding in chemistry. However, the scaffolding strategies employed by the teacher play an important role in the learning process. This research has implications for professional development enhancing teachers' approaches to these aspects of instruction around chemical bonding.

Genomic instability: potential contributions to tumour and normal tissue response, and second tumours, after radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendry, Jolyon H.

2001-01-01

Purpose: Induced genomic instability generally refers to a type of damage which is transmissible down cell generations, and which results in a persistently enhanced frequency of de novo mutations, chromosomal abnormalities or lethality in a significant fraction of the descendant cell population. The potential contribution of induced genomic instability to tumour and normal tissue response, and second tumours, after radiotherapy, is explored. Results: The phenomenon of spontaneous genomic instability is well known in some rare genetic diseases (e.g. Gorlin's syndrome), and there is evidence in such cases that it can lead to a greater propensity for carcinogenesis (with shortened latency) which is enhanced after irradiation. It is unclear what role induced genomic instability plays in the response of normal individuals, but persistent chromosomal instability has been detected in vivo in lymphocytes and keratinocytes from irradiated normal individuals. Such induced genomic instability might play some role in tumour response in a subset of tumours with specific defects in damage response genes, but again its contribution to radiocurability in the majority of cancer patients is unclear. In normal tissues, genomic instability induced in wild-type cells leading to delayed cell death might contribute to more severe or prolonged early reactions as a consequence of increased cell loss, a longer time required for recovery, and greater residual injury. In tumours, induced genomic instability reflected in delayed reductions in clonogenic capacity might contribute to the radiosensitivity of primary tumours, and also to a lower incidence, longer latency and slower growth rate of recurrences and metastases. Conclusions: The evidence which is reviewed shows that there is little information at present to support these propositions, but what exists is consistent with their expectations. Also, it is not yet clear to what extent mutations associated with genomic instability

Role of Disorder in Enhancing Lithium-Ion Battery Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yue, Yuanzheng; He, W.

and type of disorder, material performances can be significantly enhanced. Disorder can be tuned by doping, calcination, redox reaction, composition tuning, and so on. Recently we have fabricated a cathode material for lithium ion battery by introducing heterostructure and disorder into the material...... material exhibits the extremely high reversible lithium ion capacity and extraordinary rate capability with high cycling stability at high discharge current. In this presentation we demonstrate that the disorder plays a decisive role in achieving those exceptional electrochemical performances. We describe...... how the disorder affects the migration of both lithium ions and electrons. It is found that both the modified glassy surface and the heterogeneous superlattice structure greatly contribute to the extremely high discharge/charge rates owing to the enhanced storage capacity of lithium ions and ultrafast...

Radiation dose of aircrews during a solar proton event without ground-level enhancement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Kataoka

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A significant enhancement of radiation doses is expected for aircrews during ground-level enhancement (GLE events, while the possible radiation hazard remains an open question during non-GLE solar energetic particle (SEP events. Using a new air-shower simulation driven by the proton flux data obtained from GOES satellites, we show the possibility of significant enhancement of the effective dose rate of up to 4.5 μSv h−1 at a conventional flight altitude of 12 km during the largest SEP event that did not cause a GLE. As a result, a new GOES-driven model is proposed to give an estimate of the contribution from the isotropic component of the radiation dose in the stratosphere during non-GLE SEP events.

Statistical learning of multisensory regularities is enhanced in musicians: An MEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paraskevopoulos, Evangelos; Chalas, Nikolas; Kartsidis, Panagiotis; Wollbrink, Andreas; Bamidis, Panagiotis

2018-07-15

The present study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to identify the neural correlates of audiovisual statistical learning, while disentangling the differential contributions of uni- and multi-modal statistical mismatch responses in humans. The applied paradigm was based on a combination of a statistical learning paradigm and a multisensory oddball one, combining an audiovisual, an auditory and a visual stimulation stream, along with the corresponding deviances. Plasticity effects due to musical expertise were investigated by comparing the behavioral and MEG responses of musicians to non-musicians. The behavioral results indicated that the learning was successful for both musicians and non-musicians. The unimodal MEG responses are consistent with previous studies, revealing the contribution of Heschl's gyrus for the identification of auditory statistical mismatches and the contribution of medial temporal and visual association areas for the visual modality. The cortical network underlying audiovisual statistical learning was found to be partly common and partly distinct from the corresponding unimodal networks, comprising right temporal and left inferior frontal sources. Musicians showed enhanced activation in superior temporal and superior frontal gyrus. Connectivity and information processing flow amongst the sources comprising the cortical network of audiovisual statistical learning, as estimated by transfer entropy, was reorganized in musicians, indicating enhanced top-down processing. This neuroplastic effect showed a cross-modal stability between the auditory and audiovisual modalities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nanoantennas for surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy: Effects of interaction and higher order resonant excitations

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J. Aizpurua

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The sensitivity in surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy (SEIRS strongly depends on where the resonant excitation is spectrally located compared to the molecular vibration that is to be enhanced. In this contribution, we study the effect of coupling in the electromagnetic properties of 2D gold nanorod arrays in the IR. We also study the SEIRS activity of higher order resonant excitations in long nanoantennas to identify polaritonic signals of a supporting SiO2 layer with nanometer thickness (3 nm on a silicon substrate.

Enhanced delivery of hydrophilic peptides in vitro by transdermal microneedle pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Suohui; Qiu, Yuqin; Gao, Yunhua

2014-02-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the utility of solid microneedle arrays (150 µm in length) in enhancing transdermal delivery of peptides and to examine the relationship between peptide permeation rates and D2O flux. Four model peptides were used (Gly-Gln-Pro-Arg [tetrapeptide-3, 456.6 Da], Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly [hexapeptide, 498.6 Da], AC-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-NH2 [acetyl hexapeptide-3, 889 Da] and Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 [oxytocin, 1007.2 Da]). The influence of microneedle pretreatment on skin permeation was evaluated using porcine ear skin with Franze diffusion cell. Peptide permeation across the skin was significantly enhanced by microneedle pretreatment, and permeation rates were dependent on peptide molecular weights. A positive correlation between D2O flux and acetyl hexapeptide-3 clearances suggests that convective solvent flow contributes to the enhanced transdermal peptide delivery. It is concluded that solid microneedle arrays are effective devices to enhance skin delivery of peptides.

Enhanced delivery of hydrophilic peptides in vitro by transdermal microneedle pretreatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suohui Zhang

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to investigate the utility of solid microneedle arrays (150 µm in length in enhancing transdermal delivery of peptides and to examine the relationship between peptide permeation rates and D2O flux. Four model peptides were used (Gly–Gln–Pro–Arg [tetrapeptide-3, 456.6 Da], Val–Gly–Val–Ala–Pro–Gly [hexapeptide, 498.6 Da], AC–Glu–Glu–Met–Gln–Arg–Arg–NH2 [acetyl hexapeptide-3, 889 Da] and Cys–Tyr–Ile–Gln–Asn–Cys–Pro–Leu–Gly–NH2 [oxytocin, 1007.2 Da]. The influence of microneedle pretreatment on skin permeation was evaluated using porcine ear skin with Franze diffusion cell. Peptide permeation across the skin was significantly enhanced by microneedle pretreatment, and permeation rates were dependent on peptide molecular weights. A positive correlation between D2O flux and acetyl hexapeptide-3 clearances suggests that convective solvent flow contributes to the enhanced transdermal peptide delivery. It is concluded that solid microneedle arrays are effective devices to enhance skin delivery of peptides.

Fluorescence Enhancement Factors on Optical Antennas: Enlarging the Experimental Values without Changing the Antenna Design

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Jérôme Wenger

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Plasmonic antennas offer promising opportunities to control the emission of quantum objects. As a consequence, the fluorescence enhancement factor is widely used as a figure of merit for a practical antenna realization. However, the fluorescence enhancement factor is not an intrinsic property of the antenna. It critically depends on several parameters, some of which are often disregarded. In this contribution, I explore the influence of the setup collection efficiency, emitter's quantum yield, and excitation intensity. Improperly setting these parameters may significantly alter the enhancement values, leading to potential misinterpretations. The discussion is illustrated by an antenna example of a nanoaperture surrounded by plasmonic corrugations.

Enhanced perception in savant syndrome: patterns, structure and creativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mottron, Laurent; Dawson, Michelle; Soulières, Isabelle

2009-05-27

According to the enhanced perceptual functioning (EPF) model, autistic perception is characterized by: enhanced low-level operations; locally oriented processing as a default setting; greater activation of perceptual areas during a range of visuospatial, language, working memory or reasoning tasks; autonomy towards higher processes; and superior involvement in intelligence. EPF has been useful in accounting for autistic relative peaks of ability in the visual and auditory modalities. However, the role played by atypical perceptual mechanisms in the emergence and character of savant abilities remains underdeveloped. We now propose that enhanced detection of patterns, including similarity within and among patterns, is one of the mechanisms responsible for operations on human codes, a type of material with which savants show particular facility. This mechanism would favour an orientation towards material possessing the highest level of internal structure, through the implicit detection of within- and between-code isomorphisms. A second mechanism, related to but exceeding the existing concept of redintegration, involves completion, or filling-in, of missing information in memorized or perceived units or structures. In the context of autistics' enhanced perception, the nature and extent of these two mechanisms, and their possible contribution to the creativity evident in savant performance, are explored.

Depletion of NAD pool contributes to impairment of endothelial progenitor cell mobilization in diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pei; Yang, Xi; Zhang, Zheng; Song, Jie; Guan, Yun-Feng; Zou, Da-Jin; Miao, Chao-Yu

2016-06-01

The impaired mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from bone marrow (BM) critically contributes to the diabetes-associated vascular complications. Here, we investigated the relationship between the nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-controlled nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism and the impaired mobilization of BM-derived EPCs in diabetic condition. The NAMPT-NAD pool in BM and BM-derived EPCs in wild-type (WT) and diabetic db/db mice was determined. Nicotinamide, a natural substrate for NAD biosynthesis, was administrated for 2weeks in db/db mice to examine the influence of enhancing NAD pool on BM and blood EPCs number. The modulations of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein in BM were measured using immunoblotting. The EPCs intracellular NAMPT level and NAD concentration, as well as the blood EPCs number, were compared between 9 healthy people and 16 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The T2DM patients were treated with nicotinamide for two weeks and then the blood EPCs number was determined. Moreover, the association between blood EPCs numbers and EPCs intracellular NAD(+)/NAMPT protein levels in 21 healthy individuals was determined. We found that NAD concentration and NAMPT expression in BM and BM-derived EPCs of db/db mice were significantly lower than those in WT mice BM. Enhancing NAD pool not only increased the EPCs intracellular NAD concentration and blood EPCs number, but also improved post-ischemic wound healing and blood reperfusion in db/db mice with hind-limb ischemia model. Enhancing NAD pool rescued the impaired modulations of stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein levels in db/db mice BM upon hind-limb ischemia. In addition, enhancing NAD pool significantly inhibited PARP and caspase-3 activates in db/db mice BM. The intracellular NAMPT-NAD pool was positively associated with blood

Correlation of near-Earth proton enhancements >100 MeV with parameters of solar microwave bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Grechnev, Victor; Kiselev, Valentin; Meshalkina, Nataliya; Chertok, Ilya

2017-09-01

We analyze the relations between various combinations of peak fluxes and fluences of solar microwave bursts at 35 GHz recorded with the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters during 1990–2015, and corresponding parameters of proton enhancements with E>100 MeV exceeding 0.1 pfu registered by GOES monitors in near-Earth environment. The highest correlation has been found between the microwave and proton fluences. This fact reflects a dependence of the total number of protons on the total duration of the acceleration process. In the events with strong flares, the correlation coefficients of proton fluences with microwave and soft X-ray fluences are higher than those with speeds of coronal mass ejections. The results indicate a statistically larger contribution of flare processes to acceleration of high-energy protons. Acceleration by shock waves seems to be less important at high energies in events associated with strong flares, although its contribution probably prevails in weaker events. The probability of a detectable proton enhancement was found to directly depend on the peak flux and duration of a microwave burst. This can be used for diagnostics of proton enhancements based on microwave observations.

Models as artefacts of a dual nature : A philosophical contribution to teaching about models designed and used in engineering practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ghaemi Nia, M.M.; De Vries, M.J.

2016-01-01

Although ‘models’ play a significant role in engineering activities, not much has yet been developed to enhance the technological literacy of students in this regard. This contribution intends to help fill this gap and deliver a comprehensive account as to the nature and various properties of these

Avoidance of Novelty Contributes to the Uncanny Valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoshiro Sasaki

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A hypothesis suggests that objects with a high degree of visual similarity to real humans trigger negative impressions (i.e., the uncanny valley. Previous studies have suggested that difficulty in object categorization elicits negative emotional reactions to enable the avoidance of potential threats. The present study further investigated this categorization-difficulty hypothesis. In an experiment, observers categorized morphed images of photographs and human doll faces as “photograph” or “doll” and evaluated the perceived eeriness of the images. Additionally, we asked the observers to answer questionnaires on behavioral inhibition systems (BIS. The results indicated that individual differences in the BIS score were associated with enhanced eeriness in the objects with a specific human likeness. These findings suggest that the tendency to avoid a potentially threatening novel experience contributes to promoting the perceived eeriness of objects with some degree of visual similarity to real humans.

A Simple Predictive Enhancer Syntax for Hindbrain Patterning Is Conserved in Vertebrate Genomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Grice

Full Text Available Determining the function of regulatory elements is fundamental for our understanding of development, disease and evolution. However, the sequence features that mediate these functions are often unclear and the prediction of tissue-specific expression patterns from sequence alone is non-trivial. Previous functional studies have demonstrated a link between PBX-HOX and MEIS/PREP binding interactions and hindbrain enhancer activity, but the defining grammar of these sites, if any exists, has remained elusive.Here, we identify a shared sequence signature (syntax within a heterogeneous set of conserved vertebrate hindbrain enhancers composed of spatially co-occurring PBX-HOX and MEIS/PREP transcription factor binding motifs. We use this syntax to accurately predict hindbrain enhancers in 89% of cases (67/75 predicted elements from a set of conserved non-coding elements (CNEs. Furthermore, mutagenesis of the sites abolishes activity or generates ectopic expression, demonstrating their requirement for segmentally restricted enhancer activity in the hindbrain. We refine and use our syntax to predict over 3,000 hindbrain enhancers across the human genome. These sequences tend to be located near developmental transcription factors and are enriched in known hindbrain activating elements, demonstrating the predictive power of this simple model.Our findings support the theory that hundreds of CNEs, and perhaps thousands of regions across the human genome, function to coordinate gene expression in the developing hindbrain. We speculate that deeply conserved sequences of this kind contributed to the co-option of new genes into the hindbrain gene regulatory network during early vertebrate evolution by linking patterns of hox expression to downstream genes involved in segmentation and patterning, and evolutionarily newer instances may have continued to contribute to lineage-specific elaboration of the hindbrain.

Quantum-enhanced sensing from hyperentanglement

Science.gov (United States)

Walborn, S. P.; Pimentel, A. H.; Davidovich, L.; de Matos Filho, R. L.

2018-01-01

Hyperentanglement—simultaneous entanglement between multiple degrees of freedom of two or more systems—has been used to enhance quantum information tasks such as quantum communication and photonic quantum computing. Here we show that hyperentanglement can lead to increased quantum advantage in metrology, with contributions from the entanglement in each degree of freedom, allowing for Heisenberg scaling in the precision of parameter estimation. Our experiment employs photon pairs entangled in polarization and spatial degrees of freedom to estimate a small tilt angle of a mirror. Precision limits beyond shot noise are saturated through a simple binary measurement of the polarization state. The dynamics considered here have broad applicability, implying that similar strategies based on hyperentanglement can offer improvement in a wide variety of physical scenarios and metrological tasks.

Dimuon enhancement in nucleus-nucleus ultrarelativistic interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordalo, Paula; Abreu, M.C.; Alessandro, B.; Alexa, C.; Arnaldi, R.; Astruc, J.; Atayan, M.; Baglin, C.; Baldit, A.; Bedjidian, M.; Bellaiche, F.; Beole, S.; Bohrani, A.; Boldea, V.; Bussiere, A.; Capelli, L.; Caponi, V.; Casagrande, L.; Castor, J.; Chambon, T.; Chaurand, B.; Chevrot, I.; Cheynis, B.; Chiavassa, E.; Cicalo, C.; Comets, M.P.; Constans, N.; Constantinescu, S.; Contardo, D.; Cruz, J.; De Falco, A.; De Marco, N.; Dellacasa, G.; Devaux, A.; Dita, S.; Drapier, O.; Ducroux, L.; Espagnon, B.; Fargeix, J.; Ferreira, R.; Filippov, S.N.; Fleuret, F.; Force, P.; Gallio, M.; Gavrilov, Y.K.; Gerschel, C.; Giubellino, P.; Golubeva, M.B.; Gonin, M.; Gorodetzky, P.; Grigorian, A.A.; Grossiord, J.Y.; Guber, F.F.; Guichard, A.; Gulkanyan, H.; Hakobyan, R.; Haroutunian, R.; Idzik, M.; Jouan, D.; Karavitcheva, T.L.; Kluberg, L.; Kossakowski, R.; Kurepin, A.B.; Landau, G.; Le Bornec, Y.; Lourenco, C.; Luquin, L.; Macciotta, P.; Mac Cormick, M.; Mandry, R.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Masera, M.; Masoni, A.; Mehrabyan, S.; Monteno, M.; Mourgues, S.; Musso, A.; Ohlsson-Malek, F.; Petiau, P.; Piccotti, A.; Pizzi, J.R.; Prado da Silva, W.L.; Puddu, G.; Quintans, C.; Racca, C.; Ramello, L.; Ramos, S.; Rato-Mendes, P.; Riccati, L.; Romana, A.; Ropotar, I.; Saturnini, P.; Scomparin, E.; Serci, S.; Shahoyan, R.; Silva, S.; Sitta, M.; Soave, C.; Sonderegger, P.; Tarrago, X.; Topilskaya, N.S.; Usai, G.L.; Varela, J.; Vercellin, E.; Villatte, L.

1999-01-01

The study of muon pairs in the mass region 1.5 μμ 2 in 450 GeV/c p-A, 200 GeV/nucleon S-U and 158 GeV/nucleon Pb-Pb collisions is presented. In p-A interactions, the dimuon signal mass spectra are well described by a superposition of Drell-Yan and charmed meson semi-leptonic decay contributions, in agreement with previous experiments when considering a linear A dependence. In nucleus-nucleus reactions, taking only into account these two physical ingredients, a dimuon enhancement both with increasing A·B and centrality is observed

Enhancing Transparency in Multidisciplinary Expert Communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hukki, Kristiina; Pulkkinen, Urho

2003-01-01

Faced with problems of public acceptance most nuclear waste management organisations now acknowledge the importance of transparency in their pursuit of solutions for high-level nuclear waste disposal. To make progress the implementing organizations need the trust of other stakeholders in the decision-making process. For such trust these outside stakeholders need knowledge on the grounds for the judgments and decisions made in different scientific and technical disciplines. Transparency is, however, at least as important for the multidisciplinary expert communication itself. As a matter of fact, the transparency of the internal expert interaction processes is a prerequisite for the true transparency of the communication between the implementer and the external stakeholder groups. The introduced conceptual framework has been developed for the identification of the requirements of safety-informed communication in multidisciplinary expert work in nuclear waste management. The framework offers a common thinking model and common concepts which can be utilized in the development of the communication practices. The basis of the framework is on the possibility to understand the safety-critical significance of one's work. The transparency of communication is, for its part, based on making explicit the relevant knowledge necessary for gaining the understanding. This supplementary knowledge, which is related to the substance issues but is not scientific-technical by nature, enhances the experts' awareness of the context of their own contribution and of the background of the other experts' contributions. The common conceptualization and modelling of the knowledge-related dependencies between the tasks make it possible to realize the significance of the supplementary knowledge for transparent communication in actual situations. They also facilitate the recognition of the need for different types of supplementary knowledge in the interfaces between the tasks. By enhancing mutual

Enhanced peripheral visual processing in congenitally deaf humans is supported by multiple brain regions, including primary auditory cortex

OpenAIRE

Scott, Gregory D.; Karns, Christina M.; Dow, Mark W.; Stevens, Courtney; Neville, Helen J.

2014-01-01

Brain reorganization associated with altered sensory experience clarifies the critical role of neuroplasticity in development. An example is enhanced peripheral visual processing associated with congenital deafness, but the neural systems supporting this have not been fully characterized. A gap in our understanding of deafness-enhanced peripheral vision is the contribution of primary auditory cortex. Previous studies of auditory cortex that use anatomical normalization across participants wer...

Observations of the magnetic fluctuation enhancement in the earth's foreshock region

Science.gov (United States)

Le, G.; Russell, C. T.

1990-01-01

Upstream waves have been postulated to be a major source of energy for the dayside magnetic pulsations within the magnetosphere. Thus, it is of interest to determine over what frequency range in the ion foreshock the power of fluctuations in the solar wind is enhanced. The magnetic field data from pairs of spacecraft, when they stay on either side of the ion foreshock boundary, were examined. It was found that the power of magnetic fluctuations is enhanced only at periods less than about two minutes, not at longer periods. Thus the upstream waves may contribute to Pc 3 and Pc 4 pulsations in the dayside magnetosphere, but they cannot be directly responsible for the longer-period waves.

Enhanced B-Raf-mediated NRF2 gene transcription and HATs-mediated NRF2 protein acetylation contributes to ABCC1-mediated chemoresistance and glutathione-mediated survival in acquired topoisomerase II poison-resistant cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huang-Hui; Chang, Hsin-Huei; Chang, Jang-Yang; Tang, Ya-Chu; Cheng, Yung-Chi; Lin, Li-Mei; Cheng, Shu-Ying; Huang, Chih-Hsiang; Sun, Man-Wu; Chen, Chiung-Tong; Kuo, Ching-Chuan

2017-12-01

Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) mainly regulates transcriptional activation through antioxidant-responsive elements (AREs) present in the promoters of NRF2 target genes. Recently, we found that NRF2 was overexpressed in a KB-derived drug-resistant cancer cell panel. In this panel, KB-7D cells, which show acquired resistance to topoisomerase II (Top II) poisons, exhibited the highest NRF2 activation. To investigate whether NRF2 directly contributed to acquired resistance against Top II poisons, we manipulated NRF2 by genetic and pharmacological approaches. The result demonstrated that silencing of NRF2 by RNA interference increased the sensitivity and treatment with NRF2 activator decreased the sensitivity of KB and KB-7D cells toward Top II poisons. Further, increased B-Raf-mediated NRF2 gene transcription and HATs-mediated NRF2 protein acetylation activated NRF2 signaling in KB-7D cells. Moreover, increased binding of NRF2 to an ARE in the promoter of ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 1 (ABCC1) directly contributed to Top II poison resistance. In addition, activation of NRF2 increased glutathione level and antioxidant capacity in KB-7D cells compared with that in KB cells; moreover, high glutathione level provided survival advantage to KB-7D cells. Our study is the first to show that aberrant NRF2 activation is via increased B-Raf-mediated NRF2 gene transcription and HATs-mediated NRF2 protein acetylation, which increases the acquired resistance and promote the survival of Top II poison-resistant cancer cells. Importantly, NRF2 downstream effectors ABCC1 and glutathione directly contribute to acquired resistance and survival, respectively. These results suggest that blockade of NRF2 signaling may enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce the survival of Top II poison-refractory tumors in clinical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present-Day Subsidence of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Karpytchev, M.; Ballu, V.; Krien, Y.; Becker, M.; Goodbred, S.; Spada, G.; Calmant, S.; Shum, C. K.; Khan, Z.

2018-02-01

The contribution of subsidence to relative sea level rise in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta (GBD) is largely unknown and may considerably enhance exposure of the Bengal Basin populations to sea level rise and storm surges. This paper focuses on estimating the present-day subsidence induced by Holocene sediment in the Bengal Basin and by oceanic loading due to eustatic sea level rise over the past 18 kyr. Using a viscoelastic Earth model and sediment deposition history based on in situ measurements, results suggest that massive sediment influx initiated in the early Holocene under a strengthened South Asian monsoon may have contributed significantly to the present-day subsidence of the GBD. We estimate that the Holocene loading generates up to 1.6 mm/yr of the present-day subsidence along the GBD coast, depending on the rheological model of the Earth. This rate is close to the twentieth century global mean sea level rise (1.1-1.7 mm/yr). Thus, past climate change, by way of enhanced sedimentation, is impacting vulnerability of the GBD populations.

A mixed methods study of foreign language teachers implementing technology-enhanced multimedia instructio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olha Ketsman

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Technology-enhanced multimedia instruction offers benefits for foreign language learners. Despite having much potential, technology itself is neither effective or nor effective, but teachers play a key role in determining its effectiveness because they are in charge of making instructional decisions and choose whether and how to use technology. This article fills a gap in the literature by reporting findings of a mixed methods study of technology- enhanced multimedia instruction in middle and high school foreign language classrooms. Convergent parallel mixed methods design was applied in this study and data was collected through quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews with teachers. Results from the study indicated a significant positive correlation between variables that contribute to the use of technology-enhanced multimedia instruction in foreign language classrooms and described effective technology-enhanced multimedia practices. The findings of the study have implications for teachers, administrators and faculty of teacher preparation programs as well as state teacher education policy makers.

Positron-attachment to small molecules: Vibrational enhancement of positron affinities with configuration interaction level of multi-component molecular orbital approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tachikawa, Masanori [Quantum Chemistry Division, Graduate School of NanoBioScience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa, Yokohama 236-0027 (Japan)

2015-12-31

To theoretically demonstrate the binding of a positron to small polarized molecules, we have calculated the vibrational averaged positron affinity (PA) values along the local vibrational contribution with the configuration interaction level of multi-component molecular orbital method. This method can take the electron-positron correlation contribution into account through single electronic - single positronic excitation configurations. The PA values are enhanced by including the local vibrational contribution from vertical PA values due to the anharmonicity of the potential.

Enhancing social skills through cooperative learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M J Booysen

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The National Curriculum Statement of South Africa envisages qualified and competent teachers to deal with the diversity of learners and their needs in the classroom. One of the needs refers to all learners (Gr R-12 who need to acquire the necessary social skills to enable them to work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organization and community. These skills refer inter alia to: learning to work with others, listening to others, giving attention, asking clarifying questions, learning how to evaluate, and to praise others, handling conflict, reflecting on group work and allowing all group members to participate. The most obvious place to deal purposefully with the development of social skills is the classroom. This implies that alternative ways and methods of teaching must be introduced to develop the necessary social skills. This article reports on the findings obtained from a combined quantitative and qualitative study that set out to determine the levels of social competence achieved by a group of Grade 2 learners, and the possible association of a cooperative teaching and learning intervention programme for enhancing the social skills of these learners. The results revealed the latent potential of cooperative learning to enhance the social skills of Grade 2 learners. The significance of this research lies in the contribution it makes to establish the social competence of a group of Grade 2 learners and to determine the possibilities for enhancing their social skills through cooperative learning.

Towards Enhanced Affective Design: Rethinking the Notion of Design

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, SuKyoung; Cho, Youngil

2017-09-01

Design disciplines have been contributing to shaping the life of human beings, as well as fostering culture and heritage. Design disciplines and research have been rapidly transforming, and not only objects but also services are target of design. This paper reviews design disciplines towards enhanced affective design, which attributes to intuitive knowledge. It aims at rethinking the notion of design to propose a conceptual framework for integrating user experience into objects that strengthen the form and function based design with pleasing.

In silico modelling of permeation enhancement potency in Caco-2 monolayers based on molecular descriptors and random forest

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Welling, Søren Havelund; Clemmensen, Line Katrine Harder; Buckley, Stephen T.

2015-01-01

has been developed.The random forest-QSAR model was based upon Caco-2 data for 41 surfactant-like permeation enhancers from Whitehead et al. (2008) and molecular descriptors calculated from their structure.The QSAR model was validated by two test-sets: (i) an eleven compound experimental set with Caco......-2 data and (ii) nine compounds with Caco-2 data from literature. Feature contributions, a recent developed diagnostic tool, was applied to elucidate the contribution of individual molecular descriptors to the predicted potency. Feature contributions provided easy interpretable suggestions...

Laser-induced electron--ion recombination used to study enhanced spontaneous recombination during electron cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schramm, U.; Wolf, A.; Schuess ler, T.; Habs, D.; Schwalm, D.; Uwira, O.; Linkemann, J.; Mueller, A.

1997-01-01

Spontaneous recombination of highly charged ions with free electrons in merged velocity matched electron and ion beams has been observed in earlier experiments to occur at rates significantly higher than predicted by theoretical estimates. To study this enhanced spontaneous recombination, laser induced recombination spectra were measured both in velocity matched beams and in beams with well defined relative velocities, corresponding to relative electron-ion detuning energies ranging from 1 meV up to 6.5 meV where the spontaneous recombination enhancement was found to be strongly reduced. Based on a comparison with simplified calculations, the development of the recombination spectra for decreasing detuning energies indicates additional contributions at matched velocities which could be related to the energy distribution of electrons causing the spontaneous recombination rate enhancement

Trade and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): How can trade in education services contribute to the SDGs?

OpenAIRE

Lim, Aik Hoe; Apaza, Pamela; Horj, Alin

2017-01-01

While trade can greatly contribute to providing more education opportunities in the development world, its potential has not been fully exploited so far. This paper examines how international trade can help increase supply of and investment in higher education, thereby enhancing access and quality in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). First, the paper examines the changing dynamics in the higher education sector and how these have spurred reforms in education systems and nov...

Investigating the factors that contribute to the academic underachievement of grade 9 learners / Uys R.M.

OpenAIRE

Uys, Riza Mari

2011-01-01

Academic underachievement potentially redirects the future of adolescents. The specific sample for this research was Grade nine learners. Grade nine is when subject choices are made and the last year of compulsory education. Academic underachievement during Grade nine becomes a barrier to career enhancing subject choices. Subject choice is a first step to greater specialisation of skills and a future career path. This study focused on the investigation of factors that could possibly contribut...

Estrogen Signaling Contributes to Sex Differences in Macrophage Polarization during Asthma.

Science.gov (United States)

Keselman, Aleksander; Fang, Xi; White, Preston B; Heller, Nicola M

2017-09-01

Allergic asthma is a chronic Th2 inflammation in the lungs that constricts the airways and presents as coughing and wheezing. Asthma mostly affects boys in childhood and women in adulthood, suggesting that shifts in sex hormones alter the course of the disease. Alveolar macrophages have emerged as major mediators of allergic lung inflammation in animal models as well as humans. Whether sex differences exist in macrophage polarization and the molecular mechanism(s) that drive differential responses are not well understood. We found that IL-4-stimulated bone marrow-derived and alveolar macrophages from female mice exhibited greater expression of M2 genes in vitro and after allergen challenge in vivo. Alveolar macrophages from female mice exhibited greater expression of the IL-4Rα and estrogen receptor (ER) α compared with macrophages from male mice following allergen challenge. An ERα-specific agonist enhanced IL-4-induced M2 gene expression in macrophages from both sexes, but more so in macrophages from female mice. Furthermore, IL-4-stimulated macrophages from female mice exhibited more transcriptionally active histone modifications at M2 gene promoters than did macrophages from male mice. We found that supplementation of estrogen into ovariectomized female mice enhanced M2 polarization in vivo upon challenge with allergen and that macrophage-specific deletion of ERα impaired this M2 polarization. The effects of estrogen are long-lasting; bone marrow-derived macrophages from ovariectomized mice implanted with estrogen exhibited enhanced IL-4-induced M2 gene expression compared with macrophages from placebo-implanted littermates. Taken together, our findings suggest that estrogen enhances IL-4-induced M2 gene expression and thereby contributes to sex differences observed in asthma. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Nursing research: can a feminist perspective make any contribution?

Science.gov (United States)

Ehlers, V

1999-03-01

As more than 90% of the RSA's nurses are women and as at least 50% of the health care clients are also women, nursing research can definitely benefit by incorporating feminist research approaches. Specific feminist research issues which could be relevant to nursing research include: inherent themes in feminist research feminist research methodology gender stereotypes and nursing research gender-based stereotypes of researchers potential benefits of incorporating feminist research approaches in nursing research. Most formal models of nursing, and thus also most nursing research based on these models, ignore gender issues. Thus they ignore part of the social reality of nursing and might provide distorted images of nursing. A feminist approach to nursing research could enhance the reality-based gender issues relevant to nursing specifically, and health care generally, and contribute towards rendering effective health care within a multidisciplinary health care context.

Psychology's contribution to the well-being of older americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatz, Margaret; Smyer, Michael A; DiGilio, Deborah A

2016-01-01

In concert with 6 decennial White House Conferences on Aging, psychologists have considered how developments in psychological science can contribute to the well-being of older Americans. We suggest 5 illustrative areas of psychological research: Advances in neuroscience elucidate ways to promote healthy cognitive aging; associated developments in neuropsychological assessment can help in protecting older Americans with cognitive losses from financial exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Psychological research on decision making and behavioral economics has much to offer to planning for retirement security and reducing vulnerability to financial abuse. Psychological research on self-management and behavior change can contribute importantly to enhancing good health behaviors among older adults; similarly the power of context on behavior can be harnessed in long-term care settings. Psychological research on attitudes and stereotypes gives insight into age bias that can be detrimental to healthy aging. Adaptive technologies and information technologies are beginning to transform assessment in research and clinical settings; technology also holds the promise of improving long-term support for older adults in both institutional and community-based settings. Finally, with 1 in 7 Americans now ages 65 and older, compared with 1 in 11 50 years ago, the psychology workforce-including health services providers and faculty to train those providers-is insufficient to meet the challenge of the aging population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Anatomy of Bs → PV decays and effects of next-to-leading order contributions in the perturbative QCD factorization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Da-Cheng; Yang, Ping; Liu, Xin; Xiao, Zhen-Jun

2018-06-01

In this paper, we will make systematic calculations for the branching ratios and the CP-violating asymmetries of the twenty one Bbars0 → PV decays by employing the perturbative QCD (PQCD) factorization approach. Besides the full leading-order (LO) contributions, all currently known next-to-leading order (NLO) contributions are taken into account. We found numerically that: (a) the NLO contributions can provide ∼ 40% enhancement to the LO PQCD predictions for B (Bbars0 →K0K bar * 0) and B (Bbars0 →K±K*∓), or a ∼ 37% reduction to B (Bbars0 →π-K*+); and we confirmed that the inclusion of the known NLO contributions can improve significantly the agreement between the theory and those currently available experimental measurements; (b) the total effects on the PQCD predictions for the relevant Bs0 → P transition form factors after the inclusion of the NLO twist-2 and twist-3 contributions is generally small in magnitude: less than 10% enhancement respect to the leading order result; (c) for the "tree" dominated decay Bbars0 →K+ρ- and the "color-suppressed-tree" decay Bbars0 →π0K*0, the big difference between the PQCD predictions for their branching ratios are induced by different topological structure and by interference effects among the decay amplitude AT,C and AP: constructive for the first decay but destructive for the second one; and (d) for Bbars0 → V (η ,η‧) decays, the complex pattern of the PQCD predictions for their branching ratios can be understood by rather different topological structures and the interference effects between the decay amplitude A (Vηq) and A (Vηs) due to the η-η‧ mixing.

Aneurysmal wall enhancement and perianeurysmal edema after endovascular treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, I. Chang; Willinsky, Robert A.; Agid, Ronit; Fanning, Noel F.

2014-01-01

Perianeurysmal edema and aneurysm wall enhancement are previously described phenomenon after coil embolization attributed to inflammatory reaction. We aimed to demonstrate the prevalence and natural course of these phenomena in unruptured aneurysms after endovascular treatment and to identify factors that contributed to their development. We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutively treated unruptured aneurysms between January 2000 and December 2011. The presence and evolution of wall enhancement and perianeurysmal edema on MRI after endovascular treatment were analyzed. Variable factors were compared among aneurysms with and without edema. One hundred thirty-two unruptured aneurysms in 124 patients underwent endovascular treatment. Eighty-five (64.4 %) aneurysms had wall enhancement, and 9 (6.8 %) aneurysms had perianeurysmal brain edema. Wall enhancement tends to persist for years with two patterns identified. Larger aneurysms and brain-embedded aneurysms were significantly associated with wall enhancement. In all edema cases, the aneurysms were embedded within the brain and had wall enhancement. Progressive thickening of wall enhancement was significantly associated with edema. Edema can be symptomatic when in eloquent brain and stabilizes or resolves over the years. Our study demonstrates the prevalence and some appreciation of the natural history of aneurysmal wall enhancement and perianeurysmal brain edema following endovascular treatment of unruptured aneurysms. Aneurysmal wall enhancement is a common phenomenon while perianeurysmal edema is rare. These phenomena are likely related to the presence of inflammatory reaction near the aneurysmal wall. Both phenomena are usually asymptomatic and self-limited, and prophylactic treatment is not recommended. (orig.)

Autonomous Unmanned Merchant Vessel and its Contribution towards the e-Navigation Implementation: The MUNIN Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans-Christoph Burmeister

2014-12-01

Full Text Available While IMO's e-Navigation project's scope is to enhance safety of navigation by improved ship-to-shore-cooperation, the EU's FP7 project MUNIN's aim is to develop a concept for an autonomous dry bulk carrier, that is at least as safe as a manned vessel. As e-Navigation has a strong focus on improving the human element in shipping and MUNIN tends towards an unmanned bridge, a common baseline might look quite contradictory at first, but they share the need to ensure and enhance the safety of navigation. After an introduction into e-Navigation and the MUNIN project, this paper will demonstrate with two examples, how MUNIN's results address identified e-Navigation's gaps and addresses e-Navigation's user needs. Thus, MUNIN contributes to the development and implementation of the prioritized e-Navigation solutions.

Appearance of enhancement effect in adsorption of binary gas mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakano, T. [Ajinomoto General Foods, Inc., Tokyo (Japan); Tamon, H.; Okazaki, M. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

1997-10-20

The properties of adsorbents and adsorbates contributing to the enhancement in adsorption of binary gas mixtures were experimentally investigated. It is found that adsorbent is required to maintain the phenolic hydroxyl group and the carbonyl group as acidic surface oxides on the carbon surface, and to have a microporous structure for the main adsorption sites. Each gas component is required to be chemisorbed on the phenolic hydroxyl group or the carbonyl group on the adsorbent, and that both components are adsorbed in the micropores together. From the characterization of adsorbents after adsorption-desorption runs, it is demonstrated that the adsorbates in the micropores exist at a higher density than in the bulk state through the promotion of micropore filling when adsorption enhancement appears. 17 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.

Introducing and modeling inefficiency contributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asmild, Mette; Kronborg, Dorte; Matthews, Kent

2016-01-01

-called inefficiency contributions, which are defined as the relative contributions from specific variables to the overall levels of inefficiencies. A statistical model for distinguishing the inefficiency contributions between subgroups is proposed and the method is illustrated on a data set on Chinese banks....

Arctigenin Efficiently Enhanced Sedentary Mice Treadmill Endurance

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Yu, Liang; Hu, Lihong; Jiang, Hualiang; Shen, Xu

2011-01-01

Physical inactivity is considered as one of the potential risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases, while endurance exercise training could enhance fat oxidation that is associated with insulin sensitivity improvement in obesity. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as an energy sensor plays pivotal roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis, and its activation could improve glucose uptake, promote mitochondrial biogenesis and increase glycolysis. Recent research has even suggested that AMPK activation contributed to endurance enhancement without exercise. Here we report that the natural product arctigenin from the traditional herb Arctium lappa L. (Compositae) strongly increased AMPK phosphorylation and subsequently up-regulated its downstream pathway in both H9C2 and C2C12 cells. It was discovered that arctigenin phosphorylated AMPK via calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK) and serine/threonine kinase 11(LKB1)-dependent pathways. Mice treadmill based in vivo assay further indicated that administration of arctigenin improved efficiently mice endurance as reflected by the increased fatigue time and distance, and potently enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) related genes expression in muscle tissues. Our results thus suggested that arctigenin might be used as a potential lead compound for the discovery of the agents with mimic exercise training effects to treat metabolic diseases. PMID:21887385

Arctigenin efficiently enhanced sedentary mice treadmill endurance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuan Tang

Full Text Available Physical inactivity is considered as one of the potential risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases, while endurance exercise training could enhance fat oxidation that is associated with insulin sensitivity improvement in obesity. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK as an energy sensor plays pivotal roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis, and its activation could improve glucose uptake, promote mitochondrial biogenesis and increase glycolysis. Recent research has even suggested that AMPK activation contributed to endurance enhancement without exercise. Here we report that the natural product arctigenin from the traditional herb Arctium lappa L. (Compositae strongly increased AMPK phosphorylation and subsequently up-regulated its downstream pathway in both H9C2 and C2C12 cells. It was discovered that arctigenin phosphorylated AMPK via calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK and serine/threonine kinase 11(LKB1-dependent pathways. Mice treadmill based in vivo assay further indicated that administration of arctigenin improved efficiently mice endurance as reflected by the increased fatigue time and distance, and potently enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO related genes expression in muscle tissues. Our results thus suggested that arctigenin might be used as a potential lead compound for the discovery of the agents with mimic exercise training effects to treat metabolic diseases.

ZoBell and his contributions to petroleum microbiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bass, C.

2000-01-01

The unique contributions that microbiologist Claude ZoBell has made toward the advancement of knowledge in petroleum microbiology was discussed. His research from 1938 to 1978 has provided opportunity for improved oil recovery, modification of petroleum products, knowledge of subsurface microbiology and remediation of polluted environments. Much of his work focused on the key role of microorganisms in the diagenesis of hydrocarbon products and in enhanced oil recovery. Petroleum microbiology is divided into the following six broad areas: (1) diagenesis of organic components in sediments and subsequent oleogenesis, (2) degradation of hydrocarbons, (3) improved recovery of hydrocarbons from reservoirs, (4) modification of hydrocarbon products in formation or post production, (5) mitigation of the effects of 'nuisance organisms' during production, and (6) bioremediation of escaped crude or processed product. ZoBell recognized that oil recovery could be improved using bacterial products such as acids and gases to help mobilisation and as a control agent in oil spill pollution. 26 refs

Effects of drugs of abuse on hippocampal plasticity and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory: contributions to development and maintenance of addiction

Science.gov (United States)

Kutlu, Munir Gunes

2016-01-01

It has long been hypothesized that conditioning mechanisms play major roles in addiction. Specifically, the associations between rewarding properties of drugs of abuse and the drug context can contribute to future use and facilitate the transition from initial drug use into drug dependency. On the other hand, the self-medication hypothesis of drug abuse suggests that negative consequences of drug withdrawal result in relapse to drug use as an attempt to alleviate the negative symptoms. In this review, we explored these hypotheses and the involvement of the hippocampus in the development and maintenance of addiction to widely abused drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, alcohol, opiates, and cannabis. Studies suggest that initial exposure to stimulants (i.e., cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine) and alcohol may enhance hippocampal function and, therefore, the formation of augmented drug-context associations that contribute to the development of addiction. In line with the self-medication hypothesis, withdrawal from stimulants, ethanol, and cannabis results in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory deficits, which suggest that an attempt to alleviate these deficits may contribute to relapse to drug use and maintenance of addiction. Interestingly, opiate withdrawal leads to enhancement of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Given that a conditioned aversion to drug context develops during opiate withdrawal, the cognitive enhancement in this case may result in the formation of an augmented association between withdrawal-induced aversion and withdrawal context. Therefore, individuals with opiate addiction may return to opiate use to avoid aversive symptoms triggered by the withdrawal context. Overall, the systematic examination of the role of the hippocampus in drug addiction may help to formulate a better understanding of addiction and underlying neural substrates. PMID:27634143

Gluon contribution to the Sivers effect. COMPASS results on deuteron target

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szabelski Adam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sivers effect for gluons is connected to gluon orbital angular momentum which may be the missing part of the nucleon spin puzzle. We present a method of extraction of Sivers effect for gluons from COMPASS SIDIS data on transversely polarised target. In order to access the Sivers effect for gluons photon-gluon fusion (PGF process is used. To enhance the fraction of PGF in the sample high-pT hadron pair events are selected. The method is based on a assumption that there are 3 processes contributing to the muon-nucleon scattering: PGF, leading process and QCD Compton process. Then one performs a weighting procedure which enables to extract the asymmetries for the 3 contributing processes simultaneously. In order to do that a neural network trained by a Monte Carlo to assign to each event 3 probabilities corresponding to the 3 processes is needed. Finaly we show results of Sivers effect for gluons extraction on COMPASS data with transversely polarised deuteron target. APGFsinΦ2h–ΦS = −0.14 ± 0.15 (stat. at ‹XG› = 0.126.

Resveratrol Enhances Self-Renewal of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Na; Du, Zhaoyu; Shen, Qiaoyan; Lei, Qijing; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Mengfei; Hua, Jinlian

2017-07-01

Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to affect the differentiation of several types of stem cells, while the detailed mechanism is elusive. Here, we aim to investigate the function of RSV in self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the related mechanisms. In contrast with its reported roles, we found unexpectedly that differentiated ESCs or iPSCs treated by RSV would not show further differentiation, but regained a naïve pluripotency state with higher expressions of core transcriptional factors and with the ability to differentiate into all three germ layers when transplanted in vivo. In accordance with these findings, RSV also enhanced cell cycle progression of ESCs via regulating cell cycle-related proteins. Finally, enhanced activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and suppressed activation of mTOR were found essential in enhancing the self-renewal of ESCs by RSV. Our finding discovered a novel function of RSV in enhancing the self-renewal of ESCs, and suggested that the timing of treatment and concentration of RSV determined the final effect of it. Our work may contribute to understanding of RSV in the self-renewal maintenance of pluripotent stem cells, and may also provide help to the generation and maintenance of iPSCs in vitro. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1928-1935, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cognitive Enhancers for Facilitating Drug Cue Extinction: Insights from Animal Models

OpenAIRE

Nic Dhonnchadha, Bríd Áine; Kantak, Kathleen M.

2011-01-01

Given the success of cue exposure (extinction) therapy combined with a cognitive enhancer for reducing anxiety, it is anticipated that this approach will prove more efficacious than exposure therapy alone in preventing relapse in individuals with substance use disorders. Several factors may undermine the efficacy of exposure therapy for substance use disorders, but we suspect that neurocognitive impairments associated with chronic drug use are an important contributing factor. Numerous insigh...

Relative contributions of local wind and topography to the coastal upwelling intensity in the northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dongxiao; Shu, Yeqiang; Xue, Huijie; Hu, Jianyu; Chen, Ju; Zhuang, Wei; Zu, TingTing; Xu, Jindian

2014-04-01

Topographically induced upwelling caused by the interaction between large-scale currents and topography was observed during four cruises in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) when the upwelling favorable wind retreated. Using a high-resolution version of the Princeton Ocean Model, we investigate relative contributions of local wind and topography to the upwelling intensity in the NSCS. The results show that the topographically induced upwelling is sensitive to alongshore large-scale currents, which have an important contribution to the upwelling intensity. The topographically induced upwelling is comparable with the wind-driven upwelling at surface and has a stronger contribution to the upwelling intensity than the local wind does at bottom in the near-shore shelf region. The widened shelf to the southwest of Shanwei and west of the Taiwan Banks intensifies the bottom friction, especially off Shantou, which is a key factor for topographically induced upwelling in terms of bottom Ekman transport and Ekman pumping. The local upwelling favorable wind enhances the bottom friction as well as net onshore transport along the 50 m isobath, whereas it has less influence along the 30 m isobath. This implies the local wind is more important in upwelling intensity in the offshore region than in the nearshore region. The contribution of local upwelling favorable wind on upwelling intensity is comparable with that of topography along the 50 m isobath. The effects of local upwelling favorable wind on upwelling intensity are twofold: on one hand, the wind transports surface warm water offshore, and as a compensation of mass the bottom current transports cold water onshore; on the other hand, the wind enhances the coastal current, and the bottom friction in turn increases the topographically induced upwelling intensity.

45 CFR 1326.9 - Contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... INDIAN TRIBES FOR SUPPORT AND NUTRITION SERVICES § 1326.9 Contributions. (a) Each tribal organization... contributions to expand comprehensive and coordinated services systems supported under this part, while using nutrition services contributions only to expand services as provided under section 307(a)(13)(c)(ii) of the...

Perturbative theory of higher-order collision-enhanced wave mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trebino, R.; Rahn, L.A.

1989-01-01

This paper reports on collision-enhanced resonances which represent an interesting class of nonlinear- optical processes. They occur because collisional dephasing can rephase quantum-mechanical amplitudes that ordinarily cancel out exactly, thereby allowing otherwise unobservable wave-mixing resonances to be seen. This is an especially interesting phenomenon because these resonances are coherent effects that are induced by an incoherent process (collisional dephasing). First predicted in the late 1970s and eventually observed in 1981, these novel effects have now been seen in a wide variety of four-wave-mixing experiments, ranging from self-focusing to coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. Recently, the authors have extended these observations to higher order, where the authors have shown both experimentally and theoretically the higher-order, collision-enhanced effects exist in nonlinear optics, appearing as subharmonics of two-photon resonances. Indeed, the authors have found that collision-enhanced processes are ideal systems for studying higher-order, nonlinear-optical effects because very high orders can be made to contribute with little or no saturation braodening. Experiments on sodium in a flame using six- and eight-wave-mixing geometries have revealed still higher-order effects (at least as high- order as χ (13) )

Enhanced angular overlap model for nonmetallic f -electron systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gajek, Z.

2005-07-01

An efficient method of interpretation of the crystal field effect in nonmetallic f -electron systems, the enhanced angular overlap model (EAOM), is presented. The method is established on the ground of perturbation expansion of the effective Hamiltonian for localized electrons and first-principles calculations related to available experimental data. The series of actinide compounds AO2 , oxychalcogenides AOX , and dichalcogenides UX2 where X=S ,Se,Te and A=U ,Np serve as probes of the effectiveness of the proposed method. An idea is to enhance the usual angular overlap model with ab initio calculations of those contributions to the crystal field potential, which cannot be represented by the usual angular overlap model (AOM). The enhancement leads to an improved fitting and makes the approach intrinsically coherent. In addition, the ab initio calculations of the main, AOM-consistent part of the crystal field potential allows one to fix the material-specific relations for the EAOM parameters in the effective Hamiltonian. Consequently, the electronic structure interpretation based on EAOM can be extended to systems of the lowest point symmetries or/and deficient experimental data. Several examples illustrating the promising capabilities of EAOM are given.

Observations of the magnetic fluctuation enhancement in the Earth's foreshock region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le, G.; Russell, C.T.

1990-01-01

Upstream waves have been postulated to be a major source of energy for the dayside magnetic pulsations within the magnetosphere. Thus it is of interest to determine over what frequency range in the ion foreshock the power of fluctuations in the solar wind is enhanced. The authors have examined the magnetic field data from pairs of spacecraft when they are on either side of the ion fore-shock boundary. They find that the power of magnetic fluctuations is enhanced only at periods less than about two minutes, not at longer periods. Thus the upstream waves may contribute to Pc 3 and Pc 4 pulsations in the dayside magnetosphere, but they can not be directly responsible for the longer period waves

Enhancing Safety of Artificially Ventilated Patients Using Ambient Process Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lins, Christian; Gerka, Alexander; Lüpkes, Christian; Röhrig, Rainer; Hein, Andreas

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present an approach for enhancing the safety of artificially ventilated patients using ambient process analysis. We propose to use an analysis system consisting of low-cost ambient sensors such as power sensor, RGB-D sensor, passage detector, and matrix infrared temperature sensor to reduce risks for artificially ventilated patients in both home and clinical environments. We describe the system concept and our implementation and show how the system can contribute to patient safety.

Periodic array-based substrates for surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Mayerhöfer, Thomas G.; Popp, Jürgen

2018-01-01

At the beginning of the 1980s, the first reports of surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy (SEIRS) surfaced. Probably due to signal-enhancement factors of only 101 to 103, which are modest compared to those of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), SEIRS did not reach the same significance up to date. However, taking the compared to Raman scattering much larger cross-sections of infrared absorptions and the enhancement factors together, SEIRS reaches about the same sensitivity for molecular species on a surface in terms of the cross-sections as SERS and, due to the complementary nature of both techniques, can valuably augment information gained by SERS. For the first 20 years since its discovery, SEIRS relied completely on metal island films, fabricated by either vapor or electrochemical deposition. The resulting films showed a strong variance concerning their structure, which was essentially random. Therefore, the increase in the corresponding signal-enhancement factors of these structures stagnated in the last years. In the very same years, however, the development of periodic array-based substrates helped SEIRS to gather momentum. This development was supported by technological progress concerning electromagnetic field solvers, which help to understand plasmonic properties and allow targeted design. In addition, the strong progress concerning modern fabrication methods allowed to implement these designs into practice. The aim of this contribution is to critically review the development of these engineered surfaces for SEIRS, to compare the different approaches with regard to their performance where possible, and report further gain of knowledge around and in relation to these structures.

COP 21: the national contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jouette, Isabelle

2015-01-01

This article comments the content of the national contributions (the so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDC) which every country should have transmitted to the UN before the COP 21. In fact, 148 contributions, i.e. 75 per cent of the expected ones, have been transmitted. The author recalls that the content of these contributions had to obey some principles which had been defined in Lima in 2014, and that each country must identify its objectives in terms of mitigation (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (reduction of the vulnerability of natural and human systems). The author comments some specific commitments regarding climate, emission reduction, adaptation to climate change, and more particularly evokes the Ethiopian contribution which is considered as exemplary

Experimental Study of Heat Transfer Enhancements from Array of Alternate Rectangular Dwarf Fins at Different Inclinations

Science.gov (United States)

Awasarmol, Umesh Vandeorao; Pise, Ashok T.

2018-02-01

The main objective of this experimental work is to investigate and compare heat transfer enhancement of alternate dwarf fin array at different angles of inclination. In this study, the steady state heat transfer from the full length fin arrays and alternate dwarf fin arrays are measured in natural convection and radiation environment. Largest increase in the Nusselt number was achieved with alternate dwarf fin at angle of orientation 90°, which shows about 28% enhanced heat transfer coefficient as opposed to the full-length fin array with 25% saving in material. In case of non-black FAB, contribution of radiation heat transfer is found to be very small nearly within 1% of the heater input. After coating lamp black contribution of radiation heat transfer is found to increase to about 3-4% of the heater input in the range of temperatures considered in this study.

Relative contribution of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis to basal, glucagon- and nerve stimulation-dependent glucose output in the perfused liver from fed and fasted rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beuers, U.; JUNGERMANN, K.

1990-01-01

The relative contribution to basal, glucagon- and nerve stimulation-enhanced glucose output of glycogenolysis (glucose output in the presence of the gluconeogenic inhibitor mercaptopicolinate) and gluconeogenesis (difference in glucose output in the absence and presence of the inhibitor) was

Homeostatic Proliferation and IL-7R Alpha Expression Do Not Correlate with Enhanced T Cell Proliferation and Protection in Chronic Mouse Malaria

OpenAIRE

Stephens, Robin; Seddon, Benedict; Langhorne, Jean

2011-01-01

While chronic infection has been shown to enhance protection from disease caused by several pathogens, the mechanisms are not known. The gamma-c family of cytokines IL-7, IL-2, and IL-15 are implicated in homeostatic proliferation, which is thought to maintain T cell memory. However in chronic infection, prolonged antigen exposure itself may contribute to lymphocyte survival. We have previously observed that chronic malaria infection enhances protection to re-infection, as well as enhancing B...

Charged Higgs contribution to B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} and B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faisel, Gaber, E-mail: gfaisel@hep1.phys.ntu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Department of Physics and Center for Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan (China); Egyptian Center for Theoretical Physics, Modern University for Information and Technology, Cairo (Egypt)

2014-04-04

We study the decay modes B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} and B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0} within the frameworks of two-Higgs doublet models type-II and type-III. We adopt in our study Soft Collinear Effective Theory as a framework for the calculation of the amplitudes. We derive the contributions of the charged Higgs mediation to the weak effective Hamiltonian governing the decay processes in both models. Moreover, we analyze the effect of the charged Higgs mediation on the Wilson coefficients of the electroweak penguins and on the branching ratios of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} and B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0} decays. We show that within two-Higgs doublet models type-II and type-III the Wilson coefficients corresponding to the electroweak penguins can be enhanced due to the contributions from the charged Higgs mediation leading into enhancement in the branching ratios of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} and B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0} decays. We find that, within two-Higgs doublet models type-II, the enhancement in the branching ratio of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} cannot exceed 18% with respect to the SM predictions. For the branching ratio of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0}, we find that the charged Higgs contribution in this case is small where the branching ratio of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0} can be enhanced or reduced by about 4% with respect to the SM predictions. For the case of the two-Higgs doublet models type-III we show that the branching ratio of B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} can be enhanced by about a factor 2 of its value within two-Higgs doublet models type-II. However, no sizeable enhancement with respect to the SM predictions can be obtained for both B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕπ{sup 0} and B{sup ¯}{sub s}→ϕρ{sup 0} decays.

Extrinsic response enhancement at the polymorphic phase boundary in piezoelectric materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochoa, Diego A.; García, José E., E-mail: jose.eduardo.garcia@upc.edu [Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech, Barcelona 08034 (Spain); Esteves, Giovanni; Jones, Jacob L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27696 (United States); Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Fernández, José F. [Department of Electroceramics, Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio - CSIC, Madrid 28049 (Spain)

2016-04-04

Polymorphic phase boundaries (PPBs) in piezoelectric materials have attracted significant interest in recent years, in particular, because of the unique properties that can be found in their vicinity. However, to fully harness their potential as micro-nanoscale functional entities, it is essential to achieve reliable and precise control of their piezoelectric response, which is due to two contributions known as intrinsic and extrinsic. In this work, we have used a (K,Na)NbO{sub 3}-based lead-free piezoceramic as a model system to investigate the evolution of the extrinsic contribution around a PPB. X-ray diffraction measurements are performed over a wide range of temperatures in order to determine the structures and transitions. The relevance of the extrinsic contribution at the PPB region is evaluated by means of nonlinear dielectric response measurements. Though it is widely appreciated that certain intrinsic properties of ferroelectric materials increase as PPBs are approached, our results demonstrate that the extrinsic contribution also maximizes. An enhancement of the extrinsic contribution is therefore also responsible for improving the functional properties at the PPB region. Rayleigh's law is used to quantitatively analyze the nonlinear response. As a result, an evolution of the domain wall motion dynamics through the PPB region is detected. This work demonstrates that the extrinsic contribution at a PPB may have a dynamic role in lead-free piezoelectric materials, thereby exerting a far greater influence on their functional properties than that considered to date.

Contribution of metallic fission product inclusions to axial fuel motion potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasa, P.; Cronenberg, A.; Stevenson, M.

1979-01-01

In the analysis of postulated nuclear reactor accidents, axial fuel motion within the fuel pin prior to cladding failure can have an important mitigating effect. The question of primary importance is whether or not metallic inclusions have the potential to vaporize during an overheating event and thus contribute to fuel motion. To assess this potential, two limiting calculations were made: 1) The inclusion constituent assumed insoluble in one another and 2) The constituents assumed totally miscible in one another. Thermodynamic considerations indicate that the metallic fission products found within inclusions of fuel rods irradiated in a fast neutron spectrum, would form homogeneous solutions. Therefore, it is concluded that the metallic fission products would not enhance fuel swelling during an overheating event. 16 refs

Regulation of galactolipid biosynthesis by overexpression of the rice MGD gene contributes to enhanced aluminum tolerance in tobacco

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meijuan eZhang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Membrane lipid alterations affect Al tolerance in plants, but little is known about the regulation of membrane lipid metabolism in response to Al stress. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum overexpressing rice monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG synthase (OsMGD gene and wild-type tobacco plants were exposed to AlCl3, and the impact of Al toxicity on root growth, Al accumulation, plasma membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation and membrane lipid composition were investigated. Compared with the wild type, the transgenic plants exhibited rapid regrowth of roots after removal of Al and less damage to membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation under Al stress, meanwhile, the Al accumulation showed no difference between wild-type and transgenic plants. Lipid analysis showed that Al treatment dramatically decreased the content of MGDG and the ratio of MGDG to digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG in wild-type plants, while it was unchanged in transgenic plants. The stable of MGDG level and the ratio of MGDG/DGDG contribute to maintain the membrane stability and permeability. Moreover, Al caused a significant increase in phospholipids in wild-type plants, resulting in a high proportion of phospholipids and low proportion of galactolipids, but these proportions were unaffected in transgenic plants. The high proportion of phospholipids could contribute to a higher rate of Al3+ binding in the membrane and thereby leads to more membrane perturbation and damage. These results show that the regulation of galactolipid biosynthesis could play an important role in maintaining membrane structure and function under Al stress.

Enhancing Ecosystem Stewardship in Small-Scale Fisheries: Prospects for Latin America and the Caribbean

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Rodrigo Pereira Medeiros

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Despite recognition of small-scale fisheries (SSF contribution to livelihood diversity and food security worldwide, a better understanding of their social and ecological dynamics is required. This paper is a synthesis of the main findings from the special issue “Enhancing ecosystem stewardship in small-scale fisheries” published in this journal. Contributors explored ecosystem stewardship in three dimensions: impacts, monitoring and stewardship. Results suggested that ecosystem stewardship encompasses collaborative action to foster: i new perspectives on SSF management; ii a broader perspective on managers and stakeholders – as stewards for implementing these new perspectives; and iii enabling environments through partnership, networking, communication and collective action. This special issue is an output from the Too Big to Ignore (TBTI Working Group 4 - “Enhancing the Stewardship”. TBTI is a global research network and knowledge mobilization partnership intended to better comprehend SSF contributions on issues such as food security and poverty alleviation, as well as the associated impacts of global changes, through the efforts of diverse partners around the world.

A molecular dynamics study of liquid layering and thermal conductivity enhancement in nanoparticle suspensions

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, J.; Madhu, A. K.; Jayadeep, U. B.; Sobhan, C. B.; Peterson, G. P.

2018-03-01

Liquid layering is considered to be one of the factors contributing to the often anomalous enhancement in thermal conductivity of nanoparticle suspensions. The extent of this layering was found to be significant at lower particle sizes, as reported in an earlier work by the authors. In continuation to that work, an investigation was conducted to better understand the fundamental parameters impacting the reported anomalous enhancement in thermal conductivity of nanoparticle suspensions (nanofluids), utilizing equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations in a copper-argon system. Nanofluids containing nanoparticles of size less than 6 nm were investigated and studied analytically. The heat current auto-correlation function in the Green-Kubo formulation for thermal conductivity was decomposed into self-correlations and cross-correlations of different species and the kinetic, potential, collision and enthalpy terms of the dominant portion of the heat current vector. The presence of liquid layering around the nanoparticle was firmly established through simulations that show the dominant contribution of Ar-Ar self-correlation and the trend displayed by the kinetic-potential cross-correlation within the argon species.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of acellular nerves

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Wei-ling Cui

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vascularization of acellular nerves has been shown to contribute to nerve bridging. In this study, we used a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect model in rats to determine whether cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of injured acellular nerves. The rat nerve defects were treated with acellular nerve grafting (control group alone or acellular nerve grafting combined with intraperitoneal injection of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (experimental group. As shown through two-dimensional imaging, the vessels began to invade into the acellular nerve graft from both anastomotic ends at day 7 post-operation, and gradually covered the entire graft at day 21. The vascular density, vascular area, and the velocity of revascularization in the experimental group were all higher than those in the control group. These results indicate that cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of acellular nerves.

A study on enhancing policy transparency in the nuclear field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheon, S. W. [Korea Institute for National Unification, Seoul (Korea)

2000-11-01

Enhancing transparency in the nuclear field is a pending issue for the South Korea's nuclear community. International suspicions and mistrust of ROK's nuclear activities have been obstacles to the developments of South Korea's nuclear industry. South Korea's efforts have not been sufficient enough to ensure international community that its nuclear program will be used solely for peaceful purposes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to conduct a positive and creative research on the issue of transparency and provide policy options that are conducive to developing of South Korea's nuclear industry. Based on an in-depth study on transparency of national policies, this study presents a package of detail policy measures that can contribute to enhancing transparency in the nuclear filed. 75 refs., 2 tabs. (Author)

Retaining the nursing workforce: factors contributing to the reduction of nurses' turnover intention in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Takase, Miyuki; Teraoka, Sachiko; Yabase, Kousuke

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of psychological contract fulfilment, perceived advancement opportunities and age on reducing the turnover intention of nurses in Japan. The factors that contribute to and mitigate the intentions of nurses to leave their organisations need to be investigated to understand the determinants of nurse turnover better. However, there is a paucity of studies identifying these mitigating factors. Potential participants were 1337 registered nurses and midwives, of whom 766 participated in the study (a return rate of 57%). The data were analysed using a moderated regression analysis. Fulfilment of the psychological contract and perceived advancement opportunities independently and jointly contributed to a reduction in nurses' turnover intentions. The results also showed that nurses' ages were negatively correlated with their turnover intentions. Fulfilment of the psychological contract and advancement opportunities are important for reducing nurses' turnover intentions, especially among younger nurses. Clear guidelines/evaluations of contributions made by nurses and their organisations are needed to enhance the experience of nurses in terms of psychological contract fulfilment. Moreover, a structured advancement support system needs to be implemented to reduce nurses' turnover intentions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Putting SEA in context: A discourse perspective on how SEA contributes to decision-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runhaar, Hens

2009-01-01

Over the last couple of years there is an ongoing debate in the environmental assessment literature about the contribution of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to public decision-making and how this can be understood and enhanced by better incorporating insights from policy analysis, planning theory and political sciences. By explicitly framing SEA as an element in a process where stakeholders with diverging interests struggle, acceptability of SEA processes and results by stakeholders has become an important element in SEA evaluation. In addition, the importance of other context variables, such as the institutional organisation, and the need for SEA to adapt to this context, is stressed. Thus far, publications in this area have been dealing with the operationalisation of SEA's 'contribution', typologies of roles that SEA can or should play in different policy settings and on factors that stimulate or impede SEA to play these roles. In this paper an alternative approach is suggested that starts from the deliberative processes around a particular policy issue or decision supported by SEA. Of particular interest are 'discourses': the frames through which groups of actors give meaning to aspects of the policy issues and decisions that are supported by SEA. Discourses do not only reflect conflicts of interests and power play, but also the ways in which actors perceive and understand aspects of the world. Decision-making is conceptualised as a 'system of competing discourse coalitions and their struggles to 'control shared meanings' and to gain acceptance of their framing of a policy issue' [Durning D. A review of Fischer and Forrester (1993) The argumentative turn in policy analysis and planning. Policy Sci 1995;28(1):102-8]. SEA is one of the events in this process that may impact upon dominant discourses. Discourse analysis allows for an understanding of arguments that are considered legitimate for (not) incorporating particular elements of SEA. In addition it

Mitochondrial dysfunction enhances cisplatin resistance in human gastric cancer cells via the ROS-activated GCN2-eIF2α-ATF4-xCT pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng-Fan; Chen, Meng-Shian; Chou, Yueh-Ching; Ueng, Yune-Fang; Yin, Pen-Hui; Yeh, Tien-Shun; Lee, Hsin-Chen

2016-11-08

Mitochondrial DNA mutations and defects in mitochondrial enzymes have been identified in gastric cancers, and they might contribute to cancer progression. In previous studies, mitochondrial dysfunction was induced by oligomycin-enhanced chemoresistance to cisplatin. Herein, we dissected the regulatory mechanism for mitochondrial dysfunction-enhanced cisplatin resistance in human gastric cancer cells. Repeated cisplatin treatment-induced cisplatin-resistant cells exhibited high SLC7A11 (xCT) expression, and xCT inhibitors (sulfasalazine or erastin), xCT siRNA, or a GSH synthesis inhibitor (buthionine sulphoximine, BSO) could sensitize these cells to cisplatin. Clinically, the high expression of xCT was associated with a poorer prognosis for gastric cancer patients under adjuvant chemotherapy. Moreover, we found that mitochondrial dysfunction enhanced cisplatin resistance and up-regulated xCT expression, as well as intracellular glutathione (GSH). The xCT inhibitors, siRNA against xCT or BSO decreased mitochondrial dysfunction-enhanced cisplatin resistance. We further demonstrated that the upregulation of the eIF2α-ATF4 pathway contributed to mitochondrial dysfunction-induced xCT expression, and activated eIF2α kinase GCN2, but not PERK, stimulated the eIF2α-ATF4-xCT pathway in response to mitochondrial dysfunction-increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. In conclusion, our results suggested that the ROS-activated GCN2-eIF2α-ATF4-xCT pathway might contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction-enhanced cisplatin resistance and could be a potential target for gastric cancer therapy.

Enhancing water security in a rapidly developing shale gas region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon Holding

2017-06-01

New hydrological insights for the region: Initiatives and tools enhancing water security in the region include strategic partnerships and stakeholder collaborations, policy and regulation development, and data collection and distribution efforts. The contributions and limitations of each of these are discussed. A vulnerability mapping framework is presented which addresses data gaps and provides a tool for decision-making surrounding risk to water quality from various hazards. An example vulnerability assessment was conducted for wastewater transport along pipeline and trucking corridors.

Theory of enhanced second-harmonic generation by the quadrupole-dipole hybrid exciton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roslyak, Oleksiy; Birman, Joseph L

2008-01-01

We report calculated substantial enhancement of the second-harmonic generation (SHG) in cuprous oxide crystals, resonantly hybridized with an appropriate organic material (DCM2:CA:PS 'solid state solvent'). The quadrupole origin of the inorganic part of the quadrupole-dipole hybrid provides inversion symmetry breaking and the organic part contributes to the oscillator strength of the hybrid. We show that the enhancement of the SHG, compared to the bulk cuprous oxide crystal, is proportional to the ratio of the DCM2 dipole moment and the effective dipole moment of the quadrupole transitions in the cuprous oxide. It is also inversely proportional to the line-width of the hybrid and bulk excitons. The enhancement may be regulated by adjusting the organic blend (mutual concentration of the DCM2 and CA part of the solvent) and pumping conditions (varying the angle of incidence in the case of optical pumping or populating the minimum of the lower branch of the hybrid in the case of electrical pumping)

Is caffeine a cognitive enhancer?

Science.gov (United States)

Nehlig, Astrid

2010-01-01

The effects of caffeine on cognition were reviewed based on the large body of literature available on the topic. Caffeine does not usually affect performance in learning and memory tasks, although caffeine may occasionally have facilitatory or inhibitory effects on memory and learning. Caffeine facilitates learning in tasks in which information is presented passively; in tasks in which material is learned intentionally, caffeine has no effect. Caffeine facilitates performance in tasks involving working memory to a limited extent, but hinders performance in tasks that heavily depend on working memory, and caffeine appears to rather improve memory performance under suboptimal alertness conditions. Most studies, however, found improvements in reaction time. The ingestion of caffeine does not seem to affect long-term memory. At low doses, caffeine improves hedonic tone and reduces anxiety, while at high doses, there is an increase in tense arousal, including anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness. The larger improvement of performance in fatigued subjects confirms that caffeine is a mild stimulant. Caffeine has also been reported to prevent cognitive decline in healthy subjects but the results of the studies are heterogeneous, some finding no age-related effect while others reported effects only in one sex and mainly in the oldest population. In conclusion, it appears that caffeine cannot be considered a ;pure' cognitive enhancer. Its indirect action on arousal, mood and concentration contributes in large part to its cognitive enhancing properties.

Effects of drugs of abuse on hippocampal plasticity and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory: contributions to development and maintenance of addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutlu, Munir Gunes; Gould, Thomas J

2016-10-01

It has long been hypothesized that conditioning mechanisms play major roles in addiction. Specifically, the associations between rewarding properties of drugs of abuse and the drug context can contribute to future use and facilitate the transition from initial drug use into drug dependency. On the other hand, the self-medication hypothesis of drug abuse suggests that negative consequences of drug withdrawal result in relapse to drug use as an attempt to alleviate the negative symptoms. In this review, we explored these hypotheses and the involvement of the hippocampus in the development and maintenance of addiction to widely abused drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine, alcohol, opiates, and cannabis. Studies suggest that initial exposure to stimulants (i.e., cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine) and alcohol may enhance hippocampal function and, therefore, the formation of augmented drug-context associations that contribute to the development of addiction. In line with the self-medication hypothesis, withdrawal from stimulants, ethanol, and cannabis results in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory deficits, which suggest that an attempt to alleviate these deficits may contribute to relapse to drug use and maintenance of addiction. Interestingly, opiate withdrawal leads to enhancement of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Given that a conditioned aversion to drug context develops during opiate withdrawal, the cognitive enhancement in this case may result in the formation of an augmented association between withdrawal-induced aversion and withdrawal context. Therefore, individuals with opiate addiction may return to opiate use to avoid aversive symptoms triggered by the withdrawal context. Overall, the systematic examination of the role of the hippocampus in drug addiction may help to formulate a better understanding of addiction and underlying neural substrates. © 2016 Kutlu and Gould; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Monitoring fetal heart rate during pregnancy: contributions from advanced signal processing and wearable technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Signorini, Maria G; Fanelli, Andrea; Magenes, Giovanni

2014-01-01

Monitoring procedures are the basis to evaluate the clinical state of patients and to assess changes in their conditions, thus providing necessary interventions in time. Both these two objectives can be achieved by integrating technological development with methodological tools, thus allowing accurate classification and extraction of useful diagnostic information. The paper is focused on monitoring procedures applied to fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) signals, collected during pregnancy, in order to assess fetal well-being. The use of linear time and frequency techniques as well as the computation of non linear indices can contribute to enhancing the diagnostic power and reliability of fetal monitoring. The paper shows how advanced signal processing approaches can contribute to developing new diagnostic and classification indices. Their usefulness is evaluated by comparing two selected populations: normal fetuses and intra uterine growth restricted (IUGR) fetuses. Results show that the computation of different indices on FHRV signals, either linear and nonlinear, gives helpful indications to describe pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular and neural system controlling the fetal heart. As a further contribution, the paper briefly describes how the introduction of wearable systems for fetal ECG recording could provide new technological solutions improving the quality and usability of prenatal monitoring.

Major contributions to science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Andre

1991-03-15

It may look difficult to describe the scientific contributions of Léon Van Hove, who started his career as a pure mathematician, and then a mathematical physicist, and ended it as a phenomenologist and an adseveral of Léon's students, in particular N. Hugenholtz. In this domain, his contributions were numerous and fundamental.

ATP Supply May Contribute to Light-Enhanced Calcification in Corals More Than Abiotic Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Galli

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Zooxanthellate corals are known to increase calcification rates when exposed to light, a phenomenon called light-enhanced calcification that is believed to be mediated by symbionts' photosynthetic activity. There is controversy over the mechanism behind this phenomenon, with hypotheses coarsely divided between abiotic and biologically-mediated mechanisms. At the same time, accumulating evidence shows that calcification in corals relies on active ion transport to deliver the skeleton building blocks into the calcifying medium, making it is an energetically costly activity. Here we build on generally accepted conceptual models of the coral calcification machinery and conceptual models of the energetics of coral-zooxanthellae symbiosis to develop a model that can be used to isolate the biologically-mediated and abiotic effects of photosynthesis, respiration, temperature, and seawater chemistry on coral calcification rates and related metabolic costs. We tested this model on data from the Mediterranean scleractinian Cladocora caespitosa, an acidification resistant species. We concluded that most of the variation in calcification rates due to photosynthesis, respiration and temperature can be attributed to biologically-mediated mechanisms, in particular to the ATP supplied to the active ion transports. Abiotic effects are also present but are of smaller magnitude. Instead, the decrease in calcification rates caused by acidification, albeit small, is sustained by both abiotic and biologically-mediated mechanisms. However, there is a substantial extra cost of calcification under acidified conditions. Based on these findings and on a literature review we suggest that the energy aspect of coral calcification might have been so far underappreciated.

EDITORIAL: Nano-enhanced! Nano-enhanced!

Science.gov (United States)

Demming, Anna

2010-08-01

In the early 19th century, a series of engineering and scientific breakthroughs by Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, James Watt and many others led to the foundations of thermodynamics and a new pedigree of mechanical designs that reset the standards of engineering efficiency. The result was the industrial revolution. In optical- and electronics- based nanotechnology research, a similarly subtle bargain is being made; we cannot alter the fact that systems have a finite response to external excitations, but what we can do is enhance that response. The promising attributes of ZnO have long been recognised; its large band gap and high exciton binding energy lend it to a number of applications from laser diodes, LEDs, optical waveguides and switches, and acousto-optic applications to sun cream. When this material is grown into nanowires and nanorods, the material gains a whole new dimension, as quantum confinement effects come into play. Discovery of the enhanced radiative recombination, which has potential for exploitation in many optical and opto-electronic applications, drove intensive research into investigating these structures and into finding methods to synthesise them with optimised properties. This research revealed further subtleties in the properties of these materials. One example is the work by researchers in the US reporting synthesis procedures that produced a yield—defined as the weight ratio of ZnO nanowires to the original graphite flakes—of 200%, and which also demonstrated, through photoluminescence analysis of nanowires grown on graphite flakes and substrates, that graphite induces oxygen vacancies during annealing, which enhances the deep-level to near-band-edge emission ratio [1]. Other one-dimensional materials that provide field emission enhancements include carbon nanotubes, and work has been performed to find ways of optimising the emission efficiency from these structures, such as through control of the emitter density [2]. One of the

Energization of the Ring Current through Convection of Substorm Enhancements of the Plasma Sheet Source.

Science.gov (United States)

Menz, A.; Kistler, L. M.; Mouikis, C.; Spence, H. E.; Henderson, M. G.; Matsui, H.

2017-12-01

It has been shown that electric field strength and night-side plasma sheet density are the two best predictors of the adiabatic energy gain of the ring current during geomagnetic storms (Liemohn and Khazanov, 2005). While H+ dominates the ring current during quiet times, O+ can contribute substantially during geomagnetic storms. Substorm activity provides a mechanism to enhance the energy density of O+ in the plasma sheet during geomagnetic storms, which is then convected adiabatically into the inner-magnetosphere. Using the Van Allen Probes data in the the plasma sheet source region (defined as L>5.5 during storms) and the inner magnetosphere, along with LANL-GEO data to identify substorm injection times, we show that adiabatic convection of O+ enhancements in the source region can explain the observed enhancements in the inner magnetosphere. We use the UNH-IMEF electric field model to calculate drift times from the source region to the inner magnetosphere to test whether enhancements in the inner-magnetosphere can be explained by dipolarization driven enhancements in the plasma sheet source hours before.

Contribution of Golden Apple Snail Flour to Enhance Omega- 3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids Contents in Weaning Food

Science.gov (United States)

Marsyha, D. D.; Wijayanti, H. S.; Nuryanto; Anjani, G.

2018-02-01

The case of undernourished children in Grobogan District (15.3%) is caused by children nutrients intake less than the Recommendation Dietary Allowance (RDA). To enhance children nutrients intake, be required formulation of weaning food using high-nutrient local food such as golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata). Golden apple snail flour contains high contents of zinc, iron, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This study aims to analyze the effect of golden apple snail flour substitution on nutrients content and organoleptic properties of weaning food (baby porridge). This is an experimental research by substitution of golden apple snail flour in the making of weaning food with four treatments of substitution (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%). Substitution of golden apple snails flour could affect the nutrient content levels of fat, zinc, iron (p=0.0001), carbohydrate (p=0.011), water (p=0.003), ash (p=0.001), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Whereas, it could not affect the content of energy (p=0.678), protein (p=0.129) and fiber (p=0.482). Furthermore, the substitution could affect the organoleptic properties include color, texture and taste (p=0.0001) while not for the aroma (p=0.798). Based on nutrient content analysis, substitution of golden apple snail flour could enhance the zinc, iron, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids contents of weaning food.

Decreased repopulation as well as increased reoxygenation contribute to the improvement in local control after targeting of the EGFR by C225 during fractionated irradiation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krause, M.; Ostermann, G.; Petersen, C.; Yaromina, A.; Hessel, F.; Harstrick, A.; Kogel, A.J. van der; Thames, H.D.; Baumann, M.

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Inhibition of repopulation and enhanced reoxygenation has been suggested to contribute to improvement of local tumour control after fractionated irradiation combined with inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The present study addresses this hypothesis in

Plasmonic Effects of Metallic Nanoparticles on Enhancing Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Qi; Zhang, Chenxi; Deng, Xueshuang; Zhu, Hongbing; Li, Zhiqiang; Wang, Zengbo; Chen, Xiaohong; Huang, Sumei

2017-10-11

We report systematic design and formation of plasmonic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by integrating Au@TiO 2 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) into porous TiO 2 and/or perovskite semiconductor capping layers. The plasmonic effects in the formed PSCs are examined. The most efficient configuration is obtained by incorporating Au@TiO 2 NPs into both the porous TiO 2 and the perovskite capping layers, which increases the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 12.59% to 18.24%, demonstrating over 44% enhancement, compared with the reference device without the metal NPs. The PCE enhancement is mainly attributed to short-circuit current improvement. The plasmonic enhancement effects of Au@TiO 2 core-shell nanosphere photovoltaic composites are explored based on the combination of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, external quantum efficiency (EQE), photocurrent properties, and photoluminescence (PL). The addition of Au@TiO 2 nanospheres increased the rate of exciton generation and the probability of exciton dissociation, enhancing charge separation/transfer, reducing the recombination rate, and facilitating carrier transport in the device. This study contributes to understanding of plasmonic effects in perovskite solar cells and also provides a promising approach for simultaneous photon energy and electron management.

Enhancing the Meaningfulness of Work for Astronauts on Long Duration Space Exploration Missions.

Science.gov (United States)

Britt, Thomas W; Sytine, Anton; Brady, Ashley; Wilkes, Russ; Pittman, Rebecca; Jennings, Kristen; Goguen, Kandice

2017-08-01

Numerous authors have identified the stressors likely to be encountered on long duration space exploration missions (e.g., to Mars), including the possibility of significant crises, separation from family, boredom/monotony, and interpersonal conflict. Although many authors have noted that meaningful work may be beneficial for astronauts on these missions, none have detailed the sources of meaningful work for astronauts and how these sources may differ between astronauts. The present article identifies how engagement in meaningful work during long duration missions may mitigate the adverse effects of demands and increase the potential for benefits resulting from the missions. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine NASA personnel, including astronauts, flight directors, and flight surgeons. Questions addressed sources of meaning for astronauts, characteristics of tasks that enhance vs. detract from meaning, and recommendations for enhancing meaning. Personnel mentioned contributing to humanity and the next generation, contributing to the mission, and exploration as the most meaningful aspects of their work. Characteristics of tasks that enhanced meaning included using a variety of skills, feeling personal control over their schedule, autonomy in the execution of tasks, and understanding the importance of the experiments conducted on the mission. Top recommendations to sustain meaning were insuring social needs were met through such activities as the strategic use of social media, giving astronauts autonomy as well as structure, and conducting training during transit. Implications are addressed for tailoring meaning-based interventions for astronauts participating on long duration missions and assessing the effectiveness of these interventions.Britt TW, Sytine A, Brady A, Wilkes R, Pittman R, Jennings K, Goguen K. Enhancing the meaningfulness of work for astronauts on long duration space exploration missions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(8):779-783.

Major contributions to science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Andre

1991-01-01

It may look difficult to describe the scientific contributions of Léon Van Hove, who started his career as a pure mathematician, and then a mathematical physicist, and ended it as a phenomenologist and an adseveral of Léon's students, in particular N. Hugenholtz. In this domain, his contributions were numerous and fundamental

Military psychology and police psychology: mutual contributions to crisis intervention and stress management.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Laurence

2008-01-01

Like siblings separated at birth, military psychology and police psychology have each independently addressed the cognitive, perceptual, emotional, and behavioral aspects of men and women performing extreme service in defense of their neighborhood or their country. This article reviews the major areas of commonality in the work of military and police psychologists in the areas of crisis intervention and stress management, and provides practical strategies for handling these operational and clinical challenges. The article makes specific recommendations for how police and military psychologists can cross-contribute to each other's fields for the overall enhanced provision of services to the men and women who wear uniforms of all kinds.

Hand Vein Images Enhancement Based on Local Gray-level Information Histogram

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Wang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Based on the Histogram equalization theory, this paper presents a novel concept of histogram to realize the contrast enhancement of hand vein images, avoiding the lost of topological vein structure or importing the fake vein information. Firstly, we propose the concept of gray-level information histogram, the fundamental characteristic of which is that the amplitudes of the components can objectively reflect the contribution of the gray levels and information to the representation of image information. Then, we propose the histogram equalization method that is composed of an automatic histogram separation module and an intensity transformation module, and the histogram separation module is a combination of the proposed prompt multiple threshold procedure and an optimum peak signal-to-noise (PSNR calculation to separate the histogram into small-scale detail, the use of the intensity transformation module can enhance the vein images with vein topological structure and gray information preservation for each generated sub-histogram. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve extremely good contrast enhancement effect.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhances conditioned taste aversion retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Diana V; Figueroa-Guzmán, Yazmín; Escobar, Martha L

2006-01-05

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has recently emerged as one of the most potent molecular mediators of not only central synaptic plasticity, but also behavioral interactions between an organism and its environment. Our previous studies on the insular cortex (IC), a region of the temporal cortex implicated in the acquisition and storage of conditioned taste aversion (CTA), have demonstrated that induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the projection from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (Bla) to the IC, previous to CTA training, enhances the retention of this task. Recently, we found that intracortical microinfusion of BDNF induces a lasting potentiation of synaptic efficacy in the Bla-IC projection of adult rats in vivo. In this work, we present experimental data showing that intracortical microinfusion of BDNF previous to CTA training enhances the retention of this task. These findings support the concept that BDNF may contribute to memory-related functions performed by a neocortical area, playing a critical role in long-term synaptic plasticity.

Defining the `negative emission' capacity of global agriculture deployed for enhanced rock weathering

Science.gov (United States)

Beerling, D. J.; Taylor, L.; Banwart, S. A.; Kantzas, E. P.; Lomas, M.; Mueller, C.; Ridgwell, A.; Quegan, S.

2016-12-01

Enhanced rock weathering involves application of crushed silicates (e.g. basalt) to the landscape to accelerate their chemical breakdown to release base cations and form bicarbonate that ultimate sequester CO2 in the oceans. Global croplands cover an area of 12 million km2 and might be deployed for long-term removal of anthropogenic CO2 through enhanced rock weathering with a number of co-benefits for food security. This presentation assesses the potential of this strategy to contribute to `negative emissions' as defined by a suite of simulations coupling a detailed model of rock grain weathering by crop root-microbial processes with a managed land dynamic global vegetation model driven by the `business as usual' future climate change scenarios. We calculate potential atmospheric CO2 drawdown over the next century by introducing a strengthened C-sink term into the global carbon cycle model within an intermediate complexity Earth system model. Our simulations indicate agricultural lands deployed in this way constitute a `low tech' biological negative emissions strategy. As part of a wider portfolio of options, this strategy might contribute to limiting future warming to 2oC, subject to economic costs and energy requirements.

International conference on challenges faced by technical and scientific support organizations in enhancing nuclear safety. Contributed papers and presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

Over the past two decades, the IAEA has conducted a series of major conferences that have addressed topical issues and strategies critical to nuclear safety for consideration by the world's nuclear regulators. More recently, the IAEA organized the International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems - Facing Safety and Security Challenges, held in Moscow in 2006. The Moscow conference was the first of its kind, because it brought together senior regulators of nuclear safety, radiation safety and security from around the world to discuss how to improve regulatory effectiveness with the objective of improving the protection of the public and the users of nuclear and radioactive material. The International Conference on Challenges Faced by Technical and Scientific Support Organizations in Enhancing Nuclear Safety was held in Aix-en-Provence, France, from 23 to 27 April 2007. This conference, again, was the first of its kind, because it was the first to address technical and scientific support organizations (TSOs), the role they play in supporting either the national regulatory bodies or the industry in making optimum safety decisions and the challenges they face in providing this support. This conference provided a forum for the TSOs to discuss these and other issues with the organizations to which they provide this support - that is, the regulators and the operators/industry - as well as with other stakeholders such as research organizations and public authorities. This conference can also be considered to have a link to the Moscow conference. The Moscow conference concluded that effective regulation of nuclear safety is vital for the safe use of nuclear energy and associated technologies, both now and in the future, and is an essential prerequisite for establishing an effective Global Nuclear Safety Regime. The Moscow conference also highlighted the importance of continued and improved international cooperation in the area of nuclear safety. These

Contributions: SAGE

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Contributions: SAGE. Space Alternating Generalized Expectation (SAGE) Maximization algorithm provides an iterative approach to parameter estimation when direct maximization of the likelihood function may be infeasible. Complexity is less in those applications ...

Various Contributions

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Various Contributions. Developed an Off –Diagonal MIMO Canceller to mitigate Upstream Crosstalk in VDSL. Developed a low complexity, Expectation Maximization based iterative Crosstalk cancellation. Developed an optimal way of computational complexity ...

Growth and contribution of stocked channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818): the importance of measuring post-stocking performance

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, David R.; Long, James M.

2015-01-01

In this study it was sought to quantify post-stocking growth, survival, and contribution of advanced size (178 mm total length [TL]) channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings, something rarely done. Channel catfish populations were evaluated before (May 2010) and after (May to August 2011 and 2012) stocking. Relative abundance, stocking contribution, and growth were different (P stocked in Lake Lone Chimney, stocking contribution was lower (3–35%), and average length and weight of stocked fish by age-2 reached 230 mm TL and 85 g, whereas the stocking contribution (84–98%) and growth in length (340 mm TL) and weight (280 g) were higher by age-2 in Lake Greenleaf. Given these unambiguous differences of post-stocking performance, benchmark metrics that represent population-level information such as relative abundance and average length and weight of the sample masked these significant differences, highlighting the importance of marking hatchery-fish and then following them through time to determine the effectiveness of stocking. These results suggest that stock enhancement programmes would benefit from studies that quantify post-stocking performance of hatchery fish.

Improved Eco-Friendly Recombinant Anabaena sp. Strain PCC7120 with Enhanced Nitrogen Biofertilizer Potential▿

Science.gov (United States)

Chaurasia, Akhilesh Kumar; Apte, Shree Kumar

2011-01-01

Photosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing Anabaena strains are native to tropical paddy fields and contribute to the carbon and nitrogen economy of such soils. Genetic engineering was employed to improve the nitrogen biofertilizer potential of Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120. Constitutive enhanced expression of an additional integrated copy of the hetR gene from a light-inducible promoter elevated HetR protein expression and enhanced functional heterocyst frequency in the recombinant strain. The recombinant strain displayed consistently higher nitrogenase activity than the wild-type strain and appeared to be in homeostasis with compatible modulation of photosynthesis and respiration. The enhanced combined nitrogen availability from the recombinant strain positively catered to the nitrogen demand of rice seedlings in short-term hydroponic experiments and supported better growth. The engineered strain is stable, eco-friendly, and useful for environmental application as nitrogen biofertilizer in paddy fields. PMID:21057013

Improved eco-friendly recombinant Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 with enhanced nitrogen biofertilizer potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaurasia, Akhilesh Kumar; Apte, Shree Kumar

2011-01-01

Photosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing Anabaena strains are native to tropical paddy fields and contribute to the carbon and nitrogen economy of such soils. Genetic engineering was employed to improve the nitrogen biofertilizer potential of Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120. Constitutive enhanced expression of an additional integrated copy of the hetR gene from a light-inducible promoter elevated HetR protein expression and enhanced functional heterocyst frequency in the recombinant strain. The recombinant strain displayed consistently higher nitrogenase activity than the wild-type strain and appeared to be in homeostasis with compatible modulation of photosynthesis and respiration. The enhanced combined nitrogen availability from the recombinant strain positively catered to the nitrogen demand of rice seedlings in short-term hydroponic experiments and supported better growth. The engineered strain is stable, eco-friendly, and useful for environmental application as nitrogen biofertilizer in paddy fields.

Enhancement of the Laser Transmission Weldability between Polyethylene and Polyoxymethylene by Plasma Surface Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huixia Liu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Due to their large compatibility difference, polyethylene (PE and polyoxymethylene (POM cannot be welded together by laser transmission welding. In this study, PE and POM are pretreated using plasma that significantly enhances their laser transmission welding strength. To understand the mechanism underlying the laser welding strength enhancement, surface modification is analyzed using contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM, optical microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. Characterization results show that the plasma surface treatment improves the surface free energy, significantly enhancing the wettability of the materials. The increase in surface roughness and the generation of homogeneous bubbles contribute to the formation of mechanical micro-interlocking. The oxygen-containing groups introduced by the oxygen plasma treatment improve the compatibility of PE and POM, and facilitate the diffusion and entanglement of molecular chains and the formation of van der Waals force.

The contribution of air cushioned vehicles in oil spill response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, M.W.; McGrath, J.

1993-01-01

On July 22, 1991, the Tuo Hai, a 46,500 ton Chinese grain carrier, collided with the Tenyo Maru, a 4,800 ton Japanese fish processing ship, off the coast of Washington State. The Tenyo Maru sank, creating an oil spill that cost upwards of $4 million (US) to clean up. The incident initiated a joint response from the US and Canadian governments. As part of this response, the Canadian Coast Guard mobilized an SRN-6 hovercraft. This air cushioned vehicle (ACV) provided logistical support to responders on both sides of the international boundary. The response operation along the Pacific Coast was extensive. Dense fog and the remote location of the impacted area provided formidable challenges to the cleanup effort. It was the mission scenario of the Canadian SRN-6 hovercraft to provide logistical support-as an experiment in ACV utility-to the organizations responding to this incident. Based on this experience, it can be argued that the hovercraft offers great potential value in responding to marine oil spills. Appropriate application of ACV technology can enhance oil spill response work, spill waste management, and incident surveillance. This paper discusses the contribution of the SRN-6 hovercraft to the Tenyo Maru response, briefly examines the use of another, very different hovercraft, during a response in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and reviews a new hovercraft design and discusses its potential contributions

A p-n heterojunction of CuI/TiO2 with enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Mingjuan; Hu, Jiayue; Zhai, Chunyang; Zhu, Mingshan; Pan, Jianguo

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A p-n heterojunction of CuI/TiO 2 is constructed. •CuI/TiO 2 is used as the support for depositing Pt nanoparticles. •Enhanced catalytic activity of MOR by using Pt-CuI/TiO 2 under light irradiation. •Improved charger separation contributes to enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: In this paper, a p-n heterojunction including p-type CuI and n-type TiO 2 is first time constructed to be the support for the deposition of Pt. The as-prepared Pt-CuI/TiO 2 modified electrode is studied for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol both in dark and under light illumination. Compare to traditional electrocatalytic oxidation, the electrocatalytic activity of Pt-CuI/TiO 2 for methanol oxidation is improved with 4.0 times upon light illumination. Moreover, compare to bare CuI and TiO 2 upon light illumination, the heterostructure of CuI/TiO 2 displays 4.3 and 9.1 times enhanced electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation, respectively. The synergistic effects of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis as well as the effective charge transport in the p-n heterojunction of Pt-CuI/TiO 2 contribute such big enhancement. The present studies indicate that the constructing of p-n heterojunction provides more insights in the fields of photoelectrochemical and photo–assisted fuel cell system.

Enhancing Ocean Research Data Access

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, Cynthia; Groman, Robert; Shepherd, Adam; Allison, Molly; Arko, Robert; Chen, Yu; Fox, Peter; Glover, David; Hitzler, Pascal; Leadbetter, Adam; Narock, Thomas; West, Patrick; Wiebe, Peter

2014-05-01

The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) works in partnership with ocean science investigators to publish data from research projects funded by the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections and the Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems Program at the U.S. National Science Foundation. Since 2006, researchers have been contributing data to the BCO-DMO data system, and it has developed into a rich repository of data from ocean, coastal and Great Lakes research programs. While the ultimate goal of the BCO-DMO is to ensure preservation of NSF funded project data and to provide open access to those data, achievement of those goals is attained through a series of related phases that benefits from active collaboration and cooperation with a large community of research scientists as well as curators of data and information at complementary data repositories. The BCO-DMO is just one of many intermediate data management centers created to facilitate long-term preservation of data and improve access to ocean research data. Through partnerships with other data management professionals and active involvement in local and global initiatives, BCO-DMO staff members are working to enhance access to ocean research data available from the online BCO-DMO data system. Continuing efforts in use of controlled vocabulary terms, development of ontology design patterns and publication of content as Linked Open Data are contributing to improved discovery and availability of BCO-DMO curated data and increased interoperability of related content available from distributed repositories. We will demonstrate how Semantic Web technologies (e.g. RDF/XML, SKOS, OWL and SPARQL) have been integrated into BCO-DMO data access and delivery systems to better serve the ocean research community and to contribute to an expanding global knowledge network.

Microscale Enhancement of Heat and Mass Transfer for Hydrogen Energy Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drost, Kevin [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Jovanovic, Goran [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Paul, Brian [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

2015-09-30

The document summarized the technical progress associated with OSU’s involvement in the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence. OSU focused on the development of microscale enhancement technologies for improving heat and mass transfer in automotive hydrogen storage systems. OSU’s key contributions included the development of an extremely compact microchannel combustion system for discharging hydrogen storage systems and a thermal management system for adsorption based hydrogen storage using microchannel cooling (the Modular Adsorption Tank Insert or MATI).

MicroRNA-203-mediated posttranscriptional deregulation of CPEB4 contributes to colorectal cancer progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Xiaohua; Xiao, Yipin; Chen, Chao; Wei, Xiuwen; Hu, Chen; Ling, Xukun; Liu, Xinbin

2015-01-01

Elevated cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding 4 (CPEB4) is aberrantly expressed in several malignant cancers. However, its expression pattern, clinical significance, and biological function in colorectal cancer are still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that CPEB4 is abundantly overexpressed in colorectal cancers and has the potential to be used for predicting clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients. We suppressed CPEB4 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in SW480 and LOVO cells to clarify the role of CPEB4 on the cell apoptosis and proliferation in vitro. Further study revealed that knockdown of CPEB4 decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), but enhanced the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X (Bax). In addition, we indicated that CPEB4 is a novel target of miR-203, a tumor suppressive microRNA. Notably, restoration of CPEB4 in SW480 cells inhibited miR-203-induced apoptosis signaling pathway, which in turn enhanced cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis. Taken together, our findings imply that posttranscriptional deregulation of CPEB4 contributes to the inhibited cell proliferation and the enhanced cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer, and directly targeting CPEB4 by miR-203 might be a novel strategy in colorectal cancer treatment. - Highlights: • CPEB4 is aberrantly expressed in human colorectal cancers. • Knockdown of CPEB4 inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis. • CPEB4 is a direct target of miR-203 and inversely correlates with miR-203 expression. • miR-203 inhibited cell growth and enhanced cell apoptosis in CPEB4 dependent manner. • miR-203 is an upstream regulator of the CPEB4-induced apoptosis pathway.

MicroRNA-203-mediated posttranscriptional deregulation of CPEB4 contributes to colorectal cancer progression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhong, Xiaohua; Xiao, Yipin; Chen, Chao, E-mail: chenchaopw@126.com; Wei, Xiuwen; Hu, Chen; Ling, Xukun; Liu, Xinbin

2015-10-16

Elevated cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding 4 (CPEB4) is aberrantly expressed in several malignant cancers. However, its expression pattern, clinical significance, and biological function in colorectal cancer are still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that CPEB4 is abundantly overexpressed in colorectal cancers and has the potential to be used for predicting clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients. We suppressed CPEB4 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in SW480 and LOVO cells to clarify the role of CPEB4 on the cell apoptosis and proliferation in vitro. Further study revealed that knockdown of CPEB4 decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), but enhanced the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X (Bax). In addition, we indicated that CPEB4 is a novel target of miR-203, a tumor suppressive microRNA. Notably, restoration of CPEB4 in SW480 cells inhibited miR-203-induced apoptosis signaling pathway, which in turn enhanced cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis. Taken together, our findings imply that posttranscriptional deregulation of CPEB4 contributes to the inhibited cell proliferation and the enhanced cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer, and directly targeting CPEB4 by miR-203 might be a novel strategy in colorectal cancer treatment. - Highlights: • CPEB4 is aberrantly expressed in human colorectal cancers. • Knockdown of CPEB4 inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis. • CPEB4 is a direct target of miR-203 and inversely correlates with miR-203 expression. • miR-203 inhibited cell growth and enhanced cell apoptosis in CPEB4 dependent manner. • miR-203 is an upstream regulator of the CPEB4-induced apoptosis pathway.

Primate-specific evolution of an LDLR enhancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Qian-Fei; Prabhakar, Shyam; Wang, Qianben; Moses, Alan M.; Chanan, Sumita; Brown, Myles; Eisen, Michael B.; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Rubin,Edward M.; Boffelli, Dario

2005-12-01

Sequence changes in regulatory regions have often been invoked to explain phenotypic divergence among species, but molecular examples of this have been difficult to obtain. In this study we identified an anthropoid primate-specific sequence element that contributed to the regulatory evolution of the low-density lipoprotein receptor. Using a combination of close and distant species genomic sequence comparisons coupled with in vivo and in vitro studies, we found that a functional cholesterol-sensing sequence motif arose and was fixed within a pre-existing enhancer in the common ancestor of anthropoid primates. Our study demonstrates one molecular mechanism by which ancestral mammalian regulatory elements can evolve to perform new functions in the primate lineage leading to human.

Options for Environmental Sustainability of the Crude Palm Oil Industry in Thailand through Enhancement of Industrial Ecosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chavalparit, O.; Rulkens, W.H.; Mol, A.P.J.; Khaodhair, S.

2006-01-01

The crude palm oil industry plays an important role in the economic development of Thailand and in enhancing the economic welfare of the population. Despite obvious benefits of this industrial development, it also significantly contributes to environmental degradation, both at the input and the

Remora fish suction pad attachment is enhanced by spinule friction.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckert, Michael; Flammang, Brooke E; Nadler, Jason H

2015-11-01

The remora fishes are capable of adhering to a wide variety of natural and artificial marine substrates using a dorsal suction pad. The pad is made of serial parallel pectinated lamellae, which are homologous to the dorsal fin elements of other fishes. Small tooth-like projections of mineralized tissue from the dorsal pad lamella, known as spinules, are thought to increase the remora's resistance to slippage and thereby enhance friction to maintain attachment to a moving host. In this work, the geometry of the spinules and host topology as determined by micro-computed tomography and confocal microscope data, respectively, are combined in a friction model to estimate the spinule contribution to shear resistance. Model results are validated with natural and artificially created spinules and compared with previous remora pull-off experiments. It was found that spinule geometry plays an essential role in friction enhancement, especially at short spatial wavelengths in the host surface, and that spinule tip geometry is not correlated with lamellar position. Furthermore, comparisons with pull-off experiments suggest that spinules are primarily responsible for friction enhancement on rough host topologies such as shark skin. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

A Recombinant Measles Vaccine with Enhanced Resistance to Passive Immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Julik, Emily; Reyes-Del Valle, Jorge

2017-09-21

Current measles vaccines suffer from poor effectiveness in young infants due primarily to the inhibitory effect of residual maternal immunity on vaccine responses. The development of a measles vaccine that resists such passive immunity would strongly contribute to the stalled effort toward measles eradication. In this concise communication, we show that a measles virus (MV) with enhanced hemagglutinin (H) expression and incorporation, termed MVvac2-H2, retained its enhanced immunogenicity, previously established in older mice, when administered to very young, genetically modified, MV-susceptible mice in the presence of passive anti-measles immunity. This immunity level mimics the sub-neutralizing immunity prevalent in infants too young to be vaccinated. Additionally, toward a more physiological small animal model of maternal anti-measles immunity interference, we document vertical transfer of passive anti-MV immunity in genetically-modified, MV susceptible mice and show in this physiological model a better MVvac2-H2 immunogenic profile than that of the parental vaccine strain. In sum, these data support the notion that enhancing MV hemagglutinin incorporation can circumvent in vivo neutralization. This strategy merits additional exploration as an alternative pediatric measles vaccine.

A new contribution to the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons in Au + Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Garcia, G.; Gadrat, S.; Crochet, P.

2007-02-01

We investigate the effect of the so-called anomalous baryon/meson enhancement to the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons in Au+Au collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV. It is demonstrated that an enhancement of the charm baryon/meson ratio, as it is observed for non-strange and strange hadrons, can be responsible for a part of the amplitude of the nuclear modification factor of non-photonic electrons. About half of the measured suppression of non-photonic electrons in the 2 - 4 GeV/c p t range can be explained by a charm baryon/meson enhancement of 5. This contribution to the non-photonic electron nuclear modification factor has nothing to do with heavy quark energy loss. (authors)

The interaction between cations and anionic groups inducing SHG enhancement in a series of apatite-like crystals: A first-principles study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing, Qun; Dong, Xiaoyu; Yang, Zhihua; Pan, Shilie; Zhang, Bingbing; Huang, Xuchu; Chen, Mingwei

2014-01-01

It is an interesting topic to reveal the origin of the SHG intensity enhancement after substitution from alkali and alkali-earth metal atoms to cadmium in a series of apatite-like borates KSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 , Ca 5 (BO 3 ) 3 F, Cd 5 (BO 3 ) 3 F. Combined with the first-principles method, SHG-density method and real-space atom-cutting method, the electronic structure, the optical properties and the contribution of respective ion and ion groups have been investigated. Second harmonic generation (SHG) responses are mainly attributed to BO 3 groups with π conjugated configuration and their alignment framework. The contributions of A site are more important in CaBOF and CdBOF compounds than in KSrBO. It is also demonstrated that the strong covalent interactions between the boron–oxygen groups and the cadmium atoms contribute the enhancement of SHG responses after substitution from alkali and alkali-earth metal atoms. - graphical abstract: Combined with the first-principles method, SHG-density method and real-space atom-cutting method, the enhancement of SHG response are attributed to the interaction between cadmium and BO 3 groups. - Highlights: • SHG response on a series of apatite-like borates was studied by a SHG-density method. • SHG responses are mainly attributed to BO 3 groups and their alignment framework. • The contributions of A site are more important in CaBOF and CdBOF than in KSrBO. • Covalent interaction between BO and Cd is responsible for SHG of CdBOF

Enhanced change detection performance reveals improved strategy use in avid action video game players.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Kait; Fleck, Mathias S; Mitroff, Stephen R

2011-01-01

Recent research has shown that avid action video game players (VGPs) outperform non-video game players (NVGPs) on a variety of attentional and perceptual tasks. However, it remains unknown exactly why and how such differences arise; while some prior research has demonstrated that VGPs' improvements stem from enhanced basic perceptual processes, other work indicates that they can stem from enhanced attentional control. The current experiment used a change-detection task to explore whether top-down strategies can contribute to VGPs' improved abilities. Participants viewed alternating presentations of an image and a modified version of the image and were tasked with detecting and localizing the changed element. Consistent with prior claims of enhanced perceptual abilities, VGPs were able to detect the changes while requiring less exposure to the change than NVGPs. Further analyses revealed this improved change detection performance may result from altered strategy use; VGPs employed broader search patterns when scanning scenes for potential changes. These results complement prior demonstrations of VGPs' enhanced bottom-up perceptual benefits by providing new evidence of VGPs' potentially enhanced top-down strategic benefits. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Little Smoky Woodland Caribou Calf Survival Enhancement Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirkby G. Smith

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The Little Smoky woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus herd is a boreal ecotype located in west central Alberta, Canada. This herd has declined steadily over the past decade and is currently thought to number approximately 80 animals. Factors contributing to the herds' decline appear related to elevated predator-caused mortality rates resulting from industrial caused landscape change. At current rates of decline, the herd is at risk of extirpation. A calf survival enhancement project was initiated in the first half of 2006 as a means of enhancing recruitment while other longer-term approaches were implemented. A total of 10 pregnant females were captured in early March and held in captivity until all calves were at least 3 weeks old. Before release, calves were radiocollared with expandable drop-off collars. Following release, survival of mother and offspring were tracked at intervals until the fall rut. Survival of penned calves was compared to "wild-born" calves at heel of non captive radiocollared females. This approach is compared to other techniques designed to increase recruitment in caribou.

Original contributions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hefere

Original contributions ... Results suggest that there is a significant positive ... psychological abuse, including economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage ... or maintaining the structure and function of the African home (Alio et al., 2011; Jewkes,. Levin ... Revictimisation occurs due to emotional violence and.

A time correlation function theory describing static field enhanced third order optical effects at interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Neipert, Christine; Space, Brian

2006-12-14

Sum vibrational frequency spectroscopy, a second order optical process, is interface specific in the dipole approximation. At charged interfaces, there exists a static field, and as a direct consequence, the experimentally detected signal is a combination of enhanced second and static field induced third order contributions. There is significant evidence in the literature of the importance/relative magnitude of this third order contribution, but no previous molecularly detailed approach existed to separately calculate the second and third order contributions. Thus, for the first time, a molecularly detailed time correlation function theory is derived here that allows for the second and third order contributions to sum frequency vibrational spectra to be individually determined. Further, a practical, molecular dynamics based, implementation procedure for the derived correlation functions that describe the third order phenomenon is also presented. This approach includes a novel generalization of point atomic polarizability models to calculate the hyperpolarizability of a molecular system. The full system hyperpolarizability appears in the time correlation functions responsible for third order contributions in the presence of a static field.

Contribution of transposable elements in the plant's genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahebi, Mahbod; Hanafi, Mohamed M; van Wijnen, Andre J; Rice, David; Rafii, M Y; Azizi, Parisa; Osman, Mohamad; Taheri, Sima; Bakar, Mohd Faizal Abu; Isa, Mohd Noor Mat; Noor, Yusuf Muhammad

2018-07-30

Plants maintain extensive growth flexibility under different environmental conditions, allowing them to continuously and rapidly adapt to alterations in their environment. A large portion of many plant genomes consists of transposable elements (TEs) that create new genetic variations within plant species. Different types of mutations may be created by TEs in plants. Many TEs can avoid the host's defense mechanisms and survive alterations in transposition activity, internal sequence and target site. Thus, plant genomes are expected to utilize a variety of mechanisms to tolerate TEs that are near or within genes. TEs affect the expression of not only nearby genes but also unlinked inserted genes. TEs can create new promoters, leading to novel expression patterns or alternative coding regions to generate alternate transcripts in plant species. TEs can also provide novel cis-acting regulatory elements that act as enhancers or inserts within original enhancers that are required for transcription. Thus, the regulation of plant gene expression is strongly managed by the insertion of TEs into nearby genes. TEs can also lead to chromatin modifications and thereby affect gene expression in plants. TEs are able to generate new genes and modify existing gene structures by duplicating, mobilizing and recombining gene fragments. They can also facilitate cellular functions by sharing their transposase-coding regions. Hence, TE insertions can not only act as simple mutagens but can also alter the elementary functions of the plant genome. Here, we review recent discoveries concerning the contribution of TEs to gene expression in plant genomes and discuss the different mechanisms by which TEs can affect plant gene expression and reduce host defense mechanisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced expression of Ang-(1-7 during pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brosnihan K.B.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Pregnancy is a physiological condition characterized by a progressive increase of the different components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS. The physiological consequences of the stimulated RAS in normal pregnancy are incompletely understood, and even less understood is the question of how this system may be altered and contribute to the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Findings from our group have provided novel insights into how the RAS may contribute to the physiological condition of pregnancy by showing that pregnancy increases the expression of both the vasodilator heptapeptide of the RAS, angiotensin-(1-7 [Ang-(1-7], and of a newly cloned angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE homolog, ACE2, that shows high catalytic efficiency for Ang II metabolism to Ang-(1-7. The discovery of ACE2 adds a new dimension to the complexity of the RAS by providing a new arm that may counter-regulate the activity of the vasoconstrictor component, while amplifying the vasodilator component. The studies reviewed in this article demonstrate that Ang-(1-7 increases in plasma and urine of normal pregnant women. In preeclamptic subjects we showed that plasma Ang-(1-7 was suppressed as compared to the levels found in normal pregnancy. In addition, kidney and urinary levels of Ang-(1-7 were increased in pregnant rats coinciding with the enhanced detection and expression of ACE2. These findings support the concept that in normal pregnancy enhanced ACE2 may counteract the elevation in tissue and circulating Ang II by increasing the rate of conversion to Ang-(1-7. These findings provide a basis for the physiological role of Ang-(1-7 and ACE2 during pregnancy.

Nursing staff perceptions of student contributions in clinical settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Slaughter-Smith, Cheryl; Helms, Jennifer E; Burris, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Because nursing is a practice discipline, students are placed in clinical settings to collaborate with professional nurses in caring for patients. This descriptive study aimed to explore the benefits and limitations of undergraduate nursing students in the clinical setting. A 54-item instrument, Nursing Students' Contributions to Clinical Agencies, was used to collect data from staff nurses (N = 84) at three hospitals. The instrument also provided space for participants to share qualitative data, which revealed perceptions with which staff nurses were likely to agree and three key themes: Eager to Learn, Willing to Help, and Serving Their Time. The major implication for students is that they are often judged on their assertiveness skills and should offer assistance so they appear eager to learn. Faculty must ascertain that students understand their objectives for the clinical rotation and share those objectives with the staff nurses to enhance their learning experience. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Comparative study of conventional US, contrast enhanced US and enhanced MR for the follow-up of prostatic radiofrequency ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Chao; Hu, Bin; Hu, Bing; Chen, Lei; Li, Jia; Huang, Jin

2017-06-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different imaging methods during follow-up of prostatic radiofrequency ablation. Prostatic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was performed in 20 healthy beagle dogs. Various imaging examinations were used to monitor the results of RFA, including conventional ultrasound (US), contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and enhanced magnetic resonance (MR). Imaging exams were performed at five phases: Immediately following RFA, one week later, one month later, three months later and six months later. The morphology for each imaging test and histological results were recorded and compared in each phase. Based on the actual results from autopsy, the accuracy of those imaging exams was evaluated. The canine prostate gland demonstrated typical coagulative necrosis immediately following RFA. The lesion would develop into stable cyst if no other complications occurred within the six-month follow-up. Regarding the RFA lesion volume measurement and the reflection of pathological changes, conventional US was not able to accurately measure the volume of RFA lesion and missed many more details concerning the RFA-treated area than CEUS and MR during the three months. The results from CEUS exhibited comparable accuracy to those from enhanced MR at each phase. However, there were no significant differences in the results from US, CEUS and MR at six months, which may contribute to the complete formation of lesion cyst. In the early phase, conventional US was not sufficient for evaluating the efficacy of RFA. Enhanced US and MR provided clear images and accurate information. However, CEUS has the advantage of being more economical, using more convenient equipment and faster scanning, thus identifying it as the more feasible choice. Furthermore, no notable advantages were observed among any image examinations in the long-term follow-up.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ultrathin Si solar cells via semiconductor nanocrystal sensitization: energy transfer vs. optical coupling effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Son; Ashraf, Ahsan; Eisaman, Matthew D; Nykypanchuk, Dmytro; Nam, Chang-Yong

2016-03-21

Excitonic energy transfer (ET) offers exciting opportunities for advances in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While recent experimental attempts have demonstrated its potential in both organic and inorganic photovoltaics (PVs), what remains to be addressed is quantitative understanding of how different ET modes contribute to PV performance and how ET contribution is differentiated from the classical optical coupling (OC) effects. In this study, we implement an ET scheme using a PV device platform, comprising CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal energy donor and 500 nm-thick ultrathin Si acceptor layers, and present the quantitative mechanistic description of how different ET modes, distinguished from the OC effects, increase the light absorption and PV efficiency. We find that nanocrystal sensitization enhances the short circuit current of ultrathin Si solar cells by up to 35%, of which the efficient ET, primarily driven by a long-range radiative mode, contributes to 38% of the total current enhancement. These results not only confirm the positive impact of ET but also provide a guideline for rationally combining the ET and OC effects for improved light harvesting in PV and other optoelectronic devices.

Contributions of individual muscles to the sagittal- and frontal-plane angular accelerations of the trunk in walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Klemetti, Rudolf; Steele, Katherine M; Moilanen, Petro; Avela, Janne; Timonen, Jussi

2014-07-18

This study was conducted to analyze the unimpaired control of the trunk during walking. Studying the unimpaired control of the trunk reveals characteristics of good control. These characteristics can be pursued in the rehabilitation of impaired control. Impaired control of the trunk during walking is associated with aging and many movement disorders. This is a concern as it is considered to increase fall risk. Muscles that contribute to the trunk control in normal walking may also contribute to it under perturbation circumstances, attempting to prevent an impending fall. Knowledge of such muscles can be used to rehabilitate impaired control of the trunk. Here, angular accelerations of the trunk induced by individual muscles, in the sagittal and frontal planes, were calculated using 3D muscle-driven simulations of seven young healthy subjects walking at free speed. Analysis of the simulations demonstrated that the abdominal and back muscles displayed large contributions throughout the gait cycle both in the sagittal and frontal planes. Proximal lower-limb muscles contributed more than distal muscles in the sagittal plane, while both proximal and distal muscles showed large contributions in the frontal plane. Along with the stance-limb muscles, the swing-limb muscles also exhibited considerable contribution. The gluteus medius was found to be an important individual frontal-plane control muscle; enhancing its function in pathologies could ameliorate gait by attenuating trunk sway. In addition, since gravity appreciably accelerated the trunk in the frontal plane, it may engender excessive trunk sway in pathologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flood-risk mapping: contributions towards an enhanced assessment of extreme events and associated risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Büchele

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, a shift from classical flood protection as engineering task towards integrated flood risk management concepts can be observed. In this context, a more consequent consideration of extreme events which exceed the design event of flood protection structures and failure scenarios such as dike breaches have to be investigated. Therefore, this study aims to enhance existing methods for hazard and risk assessment for extreme events and is divided into three parts. In the first part, a regionalization approach for flood peak discharges was further developed and substantiated, especially regarding recurrence intervals of 200 to 10 000 years and a large number of small ungauged catchments. Model comparisons show that more confidence in such flood estimates for ungauged areas and very long recurrence intervals may be given as implied by statistical analysis alone. The hydraulic simulation in the second part is oriented towards hazard mapping and risk analyses covering the whole spectrum of relevant flood events. As the hydrodynamic simulation is directly coupled with a GIS, the results can be easily processed as local inundation depths for spatial risk analyses. For this, a new GIS-based software tool was developed, being presented in the third part, which enables estimations of the direct flood damage to single buildings or areas based on different established stage-damage functions. Furthermore, a new multifactorial approach for damage estimation is presented, aiming at the improvement of damage estimation on local scale by considering factors like building quality, contamination and precautionary measures. The methods and results from this study form the base for comprehensive risk analyses and flood management strategies.

National contributions to observed global warming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, H Damon; Graham, Tanya L; Keverian, Serge; Lamontagne, Cassandra; Seto, Donny; Smith, Trevor J

2014-01-01

There is considerable interest in identifying national contributions to global warming as a way of allocating historical responsibility for observed climate change. This task is made difficult by uncertainty associated with national estimates of historical emissions, as well as by difficulty in estimating the climate response to emissions of gases with widely varying atmospheric lifetimes. Here, we present a new estimate of national contributions to observed climate warming, including CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, as well as methane, nitrous oxide and sulfate aerosol emissions While some countries’ warming contributions are reasonably well defined by fossil fuel CO 2 emissions, many countries have dominant contributions from land-use CO 2 and non-CO 2 greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the importance of both deforestation and agriculture as components of a country’s contribution to climate warming. Furthermore, because of their short atmospheric lifetime, recent sulfate aerosol emissions have a large impact on a country’s current climate contribution We show also that there are vast disparities in both total and per-capita climate contributions among countries, and that across most developed countries, per-capita contributions are not currently consistent with attempts to restrict global temperature change to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial temperatures. (paper)

Protease inhibitors enhance extracellular collagen fibril deposition in human mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Sejin; Li, Yuk Yin; Chan, Barbara Pui

2015-10-15

Collagen is a widely used naturally occurring biomaterial for scaffolding, whereas mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising cell source in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is generally known that cells are able to remodel their environment by simultaneous degradation of the scaffolds and deposition of newly synthesized extracellular matrix. Nevertheless, the interactions between MSCs and collagen biomaterials are poorly known, and the strategies enhancing the extracellular matrix deposition are yet to be defined. In this study, we aim to investigate the fate of collagen when it is in contact with MSCs and hypothesize that protease inhibition will enhance their extracellular deposition of collagen fibrils. Specifically, human MSCs (hMSCs) were exposed to fluorescence-labeled collagen with and without intracellular or extracellular protease inhibitors (or both) before tracing the collagen at both intracellular and extracellular spaces. Collagen were internalized by hMSCs and degraded intracellularly in lysosomes. In the presence of protease inhibitors, both intracellular collagen fibril growth and extracellular deposition of collagen fibrils were enhanced. Moreover, protease inhibitors work synergistically with ascorbic acid, a well-known matrix deposition-enhancing reagent, in further enhancing collagen fibril deposition at the extracellular space. These findings provide a better understanding of the interactions between hMSCs and collagen biomaterials and suggest a method to manipulate matrix remodeling and deposition of hMSCs, contributing to better scaffolding for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The auditory enhancement effect is not reflected in the 80-Hz auditory steady-state response.

Science.gov (United States)

Carcagno, Samuele; Plack, Christopher J; Portron, Arthur; Semal, Catherine; Demany, Laurent

2014-08-01

The perceptual salience of a target tone presented in a multitone background is increased by the presentation of a precursor sound consisting of the multitone background alone. It has been proposed that this "enhancement" phenomenon results from an effective amplification of the neural response to the target tone. In this study, we tested this hypothesis in humans, by comparing the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) to a target tone that was enhanced by a precursor sound with the ASSR to a target tone that was not enhanced. In order to record neural responses originating in the brainstem, the ASSR was elicited by amplitude modulating the target tone at a frequency close to 80 Hz. The results did not show evidence of an amplified neural response to enhanced tones. In a control condition, we measured the ASSR to a target tone that, instead of being perceptually enhanced by a precursor sound, was acoustically increased in level. This level increase matched the magnitude of enhancement estimated psychophysically with a forward masking paradigm in a previous experimental phase. We found that the ASSR to the tone acoustically increased in level was significantly greater than the ASSR to the tone enhanced by the precursor sound. Overall, our results suggest that the enhancement effect cannot be explained by an amplified neural response at the level of the brainstem. However, an alternative possibility is that brainstem neurons with enhanced responses do not contribute to the scalp-recorded ASSR.

Controlling the resistivity gradient in aluminum-doped zinc oxide grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ponomarev, M.; Verheijen, M.A.; Keuning, W.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Creatore, M.

2012-01-01

Aluminum-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) generally exhibit a major drawback, i.e., a gradient in resistivity extending over a large range of film thickness. The present contribution addresses the plasma-enhanced CVD deposition of ZnO:Al layers by focusing on the control

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Its Partners' Contributions to Global Health Security.

Science.gov (United States)

Tappero, Jordan W; Cassell, Cynthia H; Bunnell, Rebecca E; Angulo, Frederick J; Craig, Allen; Pesik, Nicki; Dahl, Benjamin A; Ijaz, Kashef; Jafari, Hamid; Martin, Rebecca

2017-12-01

To achieve compliance with the revised World Health Organization International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), countries must be able to rapidly prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. Most nations, however, remain unprepared to manage and control complex health emergencies, whether due to natural disasters, emerging infectious disease outbreaks, or the inadvertent or intentional release of highly pathogenic organisms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works with countries and partners to build and strengthen global health security preparedness so they can quickly respond to public health crises. This report highlights selected CDC global health protection platform accomplishments that help mitigate global health threats and build core, cross-cutting capacity to identify and contain disease outbreaks at their source. CDC contributions support country efforts to achieve IHR 2005 compliance, contribute to the international framework for countering infectious disease crises, and enhance health security for Americans and populations around the world.

International Workshop on Evidence-Based Technology Enhanced Learning

CERN Document Server

Gennari, Rosella; Marenzi, Ivana; Prieta, Fernando; Rodríguez, Juan

2012-01-01

Research on Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) investigates how information and communication technologies can be designed in order to support pedagogical activities. The workshop proceedings collects contributions concerning evidence based TEL systems, like their design following EBD principles as well as studies or best practices that educators, education stakeholders or psychologists used to diagnose or improve their students' learning skills, including students with specific difficulties. The international ebTEL’12 workshop wants to be a forum in which TEL researchers and practitioners alike can discuss ideas, projects, and lessons related to ebTEL. The workshop takes place in Salamanca, Spain, on March 28th-30th 2012.  

Counteracting effect of threat on reward enhancements during working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jong Moon; Padmala, Srikanth; Pessoa, Luiz

2015-01-01

Cognitive performance has been shown to be enhanced when performance-based rewards are at stake. On the other hand, task-irrelevant threat processing has been shown to have detrimental effects during several cognitive tasks. Crucially, the impact of reward and threat on cognition has been studied largely independently of one another. Hence, our understanding of how reward and threat simultaneously contribute to performance is incomplete. To fill in this gap, the present study investigated how reward and threat interact with one another during a cognitive task. We found that threat of shock counteracted the beneficial effect of reward during a working memory task. Furthermore, individual differences in self-reported reward-sensitivity and anxiety were linked to the extent to which reward and threat interacted during behaviour. Together, the current findings contribute to a limited but growing literature unravelling how positive and negative information processing jointly influence cognition.

Type 1 fimbrial expression enhances Escherichia coli virulence for the urinary tract.

OpenAIRE

Connell, I; Agace, W; Klemm, P; Schembri, M; Mărild, S; Svanborg, C

1996-01-01

Type 1 fimbriae are adhesion organelles expressed by many Gram-negative bacteria. They facilitate adherence to mucosal surfaces and inflammatory cells in vitro, but their contribution to virulence has not been defined. This study presents evidence that type 1 fimbriae increase the virulence of Escherichia coli for the urinary tract by promoting bacterial persistence and enhancing the inflammatory response to infection. In a clinical study, we observed that disease severity was greater in chil...

Direct measurements of the tile drain and groundwater flow route contributions to surface water contamination: From field-scale concentration patterns in groundwater to catchment-scale surface water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozemeijer, J.C.; Velde, Y. van der; Geer, F.C. van; Bierkens, M.F.P.; Broers, H.P.

2010-01-01

Enhanced knowledge of water and solute pathways in catchments would improve the understanding of dynamics in water quality and would support the selection of appropriate water pollution mitigation options. For this study, we physically separated tile drain effluent and groundwater discharge from an agricultural field before it entered a 43.5-m ditch transect. Through continuous discharge measurements and weekly water quality sampling, we directly quantified the flow route contributions to surface water discharge and solute loading. Our multi-scale experimental approach allowed us to relate these measurements to field-scale NO 3 concentration patterns in shallow groundwater and to continuous NO 3 records at the catchment outlet. Our results show that the tile drains contributed 90-92% of the annual NO 3 and heavy metal loads. Considering their crucial role in water and solute transport, enhanced monitoring and modeling of tile drainage are important for adequate water quality management. - Direct measurements of flow route contributions to surface water contaminant loading reveal the crucial role of tile drainage for catchment-scale water and solute transport.

7 CFR 966.45 - Contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... contributions but these shall only be used for production research, market research and development and marketing and promotion including paid advertising pursuant to § 966.48. Furthermore, such contributions..., 1986] Research and Development ...

Differentiation of recurrent breast cancer from radiation fibrosis with dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dao, T.H.; Campana, F.; Fourquet, A.; Rahmouni, A.

1991-01-01

This paper assesses the ability of dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging to differentiate radiation fibrosis from tumor recurrence of breast cancer after conservative treatment. Twenty-five women with previous breast cancer treated with radiation therapy underwent MR imaging examination. Tumor recurrence was suspected on palpation of masses (18 cases) or at mammography (7 cases). The MR imaging protocol was performed on a 0.5-T imager with a breast coil and included T1 and T2 spin-echo, short To inversion recovery (STIR), and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted sequenced to evaluate the hemokinetics of the lesion. Ratios of signal intensity of suspected lesions to that of fat, surrounding breast gland, and background noise were calculated. Percutaneous biopsies were performed in all cases after MR imaging. Curves of signal-to-noise ratio of recurrences (5 cases) showed an early enhancement within the first minutes after injection, although localized fibrosis (20 cases) was not significantly enhanced. T2 and STIR sequences were not contributive in differentiating fibrosis from tumor recurrence

Anisotropic Effective Mass, Optical Property, and Enhanced Band Gap in BN/Phosphorene/BN Heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Tao; Hong, Jisang

2015-10-28

Phosphorene is receiving great research interests because of its peculiar physical properties. Nonetheless, the phosphorus has a trouble of degradation due to oxidation. Hereby, we propose that the electrical and optical anisotropic properties can be preserved by encapsulating into hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). We found that the h-BN contributed to enhancing the band gap of the phosphorene layer. Comparing the band gap of the pristine phosphorene layer, the band gap of the phosphorene/BN(1ML) system was enhanced by 0.15 eV. It was further enhanced by 0.31 eV in the BN(1ML)/phosphorene/BN(1ML) trilayer structure. However, the band gap was not further enhanced when we increased the thickness of the h-BN layers even up to 4 MLs. Interestingly, the anisotropic effective mass and optical property were still preserved in BN/phosphorene/BN heterostructures. Overall, we predict that the capping of phosphorene by the h-BN layers can be an excellent solution to protect the intrinsic properties of the phosphorene.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering active gold nanoparticle/nanohole arrays fabricated through electron beam lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tsunghsueh; Lin, Yang-Wei

2018-03-01

Effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates from gold nanoparticle and gold nanohole arrays were successfully fabricated through electron beam lithography with precise computer-aided control of the unit size and intergap distance. Their SERS performance was evaluated using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). These gold arrays yielded strong SERS signals under 785 nm laser excitation. The enhancement factors for 4-MBA molecules on the prepared gold nanoparticle and nanohole arrays maxed at 1.08 × 107 and 8.61 × 106, respectively. The observed increase in SERS enhancement was attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength shifting toward the near-infrared regime when the gold nanohole diameter increased, in agreement with the theoretical prediction in this study. The contribution of LSPR to the Raman enhancement from nanohole arrays deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass was elucidated by comparing SERS and transmission spectra. This simple fabrication procedure, which entails employing electron beam lithography and the controllability of the intergap distance, suggests highly promising uses of nanohole arrays as functional components in sensing and photonic devices.

Malaysia's contributions towards global climate change concerns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuzlaini Mohd Yusop; Yvonne Lunsong; Norhayati Kamaruddin

2000-01-01

Concerns about Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and global climate change were voiced by the scientific community as far back as the International Geophysical year in 1957 when climate changes scenarios and impacts were analysed. More recently, the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992, renewing a global acknowledgement and commitment towards curbing GHG emissions. Little progress was made until the adoption of Kyoto Protocol in December 1997, over 5 years later. Basically, developed countries would not commit to strong measures if there were no global effort (i. e. corresponding efforts by developing countries) while developing countries are waiting for developed countries to show concrete results first. Since 1950, developed countries cumulatively produced more than 80% of worldwide GHG emissions. Between 1950 and 1990, North America alone contributed 40 billion tons of carbon while Western and Eastern Europe contributed 57 billion tons. Developing countries produced only 24 billion tons of carbon emissions during the same period. At present, per capita emission in developed countries are also about ten times higher than those of developing countries. This imbalance has caused most developing countries to adopt a wait till others do it stance and justifiably so. Nonetheless, curbing GHG emissions should be a larger community effort (which includes business and the public) and not just the efforts of Governments and officials. Thus, the deciding factors should make more business or economic sense. It is likely that business and the general public would listen and contribute positively if they are made aware of potential cost savings and international competitiveness to be derived from these efforts. During the current economic slowdown, especially in East Asia, it makes business sense to defer the capital investment in new electricity generating capacity and related energy supply infrastructure. Pusat Tenaga Malaysia

Enhancement of Aggregation-Induced Emission by Introducing Multiple o-Carborane Substitutions into Triphenylamine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenta Nishino

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The enhancement of aggregation-induced emission (AIE is presented on the basis of the strategy for improving solid-state luminescence by employing multiple o-carborane substituents. We synthesized the modified triphenylamines with various numbers of o-carborane units and compared their optical properties. From the optical measurements, the emission bands from the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT state were obtained from the modified triphenylamines. It was notable that emission efficiencies of the multi-substituted triphenylamines including two or three o-carborane units were enhanced 6- to 8-fold compared to those of the mono-substituted triphenylamine. According to mechanistic studies, it was proposed that the single o-carborane substitution can load the AIE property via the TICT mechanism. It was revealed that the additional o-carborane units contribute to improving solid-state emission by suppressing aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ. Subsequently, intense AIEs were obtained. This paper presents a new role of the o-carborane substituent in the enhancement of AIEs.

Enhanced ferrihydrite dissolution by a unicellular, planktonic cyanobacterium: a biological contribution to particulate iron bioavailability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranzler, Chana; Kessler, Nivi; Keren, Nir; Shaked, Yeala

2016-12-01

Iron (Fe) bioavailability, as determined by its sources, sinks, solubility and speciation, places severe environmental constraints on microorganisms in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are a widespread group of aquatic, photosynthetic microorganisms with especially high iron requirements. While iron exists predominantly in particulate form, little is known about its bioavailability to cyanobacteria. Some cyanobacteria secrete iron solubilizing ligands called siderophores, yet many environmentally relevant strains do not have this ability. This work explores the bioavailability of amorphous synthetic Fe-oxides (ferrihydrite) to the non-siderophore producing, unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp PCC 6803. Iron uptake assays with 55 ferrihydrite established dissolution as a critical prerequisite for iron transport. Dissolution assays with the iron binding ligand, desferrioxamine B, demonstrated that Synechocystis 6803 enhances ferrihydrite dissolution, exerting siderophore-independent biological influence on ferrihydrite bioavailability. Dissolution mechanisms were studied using a range of experimental conditions; both cell-particle physical proximity and cellular electron flow were shown to be important determinants of bio-dissolution by Synechocystis 6803. Finally, the effects of ferrihydrite stability on bio-dissolution rates and cell physiology were measured, integrating biological and chemical aspects of ferrihydrite bioavailability. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Synechocystis 6803 actively dissolves ferrihydrite, highlighting a significant biological component to mineral phase iron bioavailability in aquatic environments. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Student Scientific Conference, 2010. Proceedings of reviewed contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The conference included the following sections: (i) Biology (154 contributions); (ii) Chemistry (39 contributions); (iii) Geography; (41 contributions); (iv) Geology (22 contributions); (v) Environment (45 contributions); (vi) Didactics (6 contributions). Contributions relevant of INIS interest has been inputted to INIS.

Student Scientific Conference, 2009. Proceedings of reviewed contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

The conference included the following sections: (i) Biology (145 contributions); (ii) Chemistry (42 contributions); (iii) Geology (42 contributions); (iv) Environment (40 contributions); (v) Geography (28 contributions); (vi) Didactics (13 contributions). Contributions relevant of INIS interest has been inputted to INIS.

Contributions of solar-wind induced potential sputtering to the lunar surface erosion rate and it's exosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Alnussirat, S. T.; Barghouty, A. F.; Edmunson, J. E.; Sabra, M. S.; Rickman, D. L.

2018-04-01

Sputtering of lunar regolith by solar-wind protons and heavy ions with kinetic energies of about 1 keV/amu is an important erosive process that affects the lunar surface and exosphere. It plays an important role in changing the chemical composition and thickness of the surface layer, and in introducing material into the exosphere. Kinetic sputtering is well modeled and understood, but understanding of mechanisms of potential sputtering has lagged behind. In this study we differentiate the contributions of potential sputtering from the standard (kinetic) sputtering in changing the chemical composition and erosion rate of the lunar surface. Also we study the contribution of potential sputtering in developing the lunar exosphere. Our results show that potential sputtering enhances the total characteristic sputtering erosion rate by about 44%, and reduces sputtering time scales by the same amount. Potential sputtering also introduces more material into the lunar exosphere.

Morphological reason for enhancement of electrochemical double layer capacitances of various acetylene blacks by electrochemical polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Taegon; Ham, Chulho; Rhee, Choong Kyun; Yoon, Seong-Ho; Tsuji, Masaharu; Mochida, Isao

2008-01-01

Enhancement of electrochemical capacitance and morphological variations of various acetylene blacks caused by electrochemical polarization are presented. Acetylene blacks of different mean particle diameters were modified by air-oxidation and heat treatment to diversify the morphologies of the acetylene blacks before electrochemical polarization. The various acetylene blacks were electrochemically oxidized at 1.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 10 s and the polarization step was repeated until the capacitance values did not change any longer. These polarization steps enhanced the capacitances of the acetylene blacks and the specific enhancement factors range from 2 to 5.5. Such an enhancement is strongly related to morphological modification as revealed by transmission electron microscopic observations. The electrochemical polarization resulted in formation of tiny graphene sheets on the wide graphitic carbon surfaces, which were most responsible for the observed capacitive enhancement. Although the pseudo-capacitance increased after polarization by forming oxygenated species on the surfaces, its contribution to the total capacitance was less than 10%. The mechanism of the formation of the tiny graphene sheets during the electrochemical oxidation is described schematically

Optimal Control and Operation Strategy for Wind Turbines Contributing to Grid Primary Frequency Regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mun-Kyeom Kim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study introduces a frequency regulation strategy to enable the participation of wind turbines with permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs. The optimal strategy focuses on developing the frequency support capability of PMSGs connected to the power system. Active power control is performed using maximum power point tracking (MPPT and de-loaded control to supply the required power reserve following a disturbance. A kinetic energy (KE reserve control is developed to enhance the frequency regulation capability of wind turbines. The coordination with the de-loaded control prevents instability in the PMSG wind system due to excessive KE discharge. A KE optimization method that maximizes the sum of the KE reserves at wind farms is also adopted to determine the de-loaded power reference for each PMSG wind turbine using the particle swarm optimization (PSO algorithm. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed optimal control and operation strategy, three different case studies are conducted using the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation tool. The results demonstrate that the optimal strategy enhances the frequency support contribution from PMSG wind turbines.

Phonon contribution to quasiparticle lifetimes in Cu measured by angle-resolved photoemission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDougall, B.A.; Balasubramanian, T.; Jensen, E.

1995-01-01

The line shape of the photoelectron spectrum emitted from the sp-derived surface state at bar Γ on Cu(111) is investigated. The line shape is Lorentzian, and the temperature dependence of the width is linear, varying from 30 meV at 30 K to 75 meV at 625 K. Less than 5-meV variation with binding energy is observed. The temperature dependence is explained as the phonon contribution to the inverse hole lifetime, predicted to be 2πλk b T allowing the determination that the electron-phonon mass enhancement parameter λ=0.14±0.02 for this surface state at bar Γ. This is compared to λ=0.15 reported as an average over the bulk Fermi surface

Critical Thinking and Collaboration: A Strategy to Enhance Student Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald A. Styron, Jr.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In numerous studies relative to collaboration and critical thinking, an instructional strategy called Team- Based Learning has proven to be an effective approach to teaching and learning. Team-Based Learning utilizes a specific sequence of individual work, group work and immediate feedback to create a motivational framework in which students increasingly hold each other accountable for coming to class prepared and contributing to discussion. Using an action research conceptual model diffusion of innovation theory, the process of P-20 quality enhancement using Team-Based Learning is examined.

Scalar contribution to the BFKL kernel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerasimov, R. E.; Fadin, V. S.

2010-01-01

The contribution of scalar particles to the kernel of the Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) equation is calculated. A great cancellation between the virtual and real parts of this contribution, analogous to the cancellation in the quark contribution in QCD, is observed. The reason of this cancellation is discovered. This reason has a common nature for particles with any spin. Understanding of this reason permits to obtain the total contribution without the complicated calculations, which are necessary for finding separate pieces.

Ginsenoside compound K promotes β-amyloid peptide clearance in primary astrocytes via autophagy enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jinhui; Chang, Li; Zhang, Xin; Pei, Sujuan; Yu, Meishuang; Gao, Jianlian

2014-10-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ginsenoside compound K on β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide clearance in primary astrocytes. Aβ degradation in primary astrocytes was determined using an intracellular Aβ clearance assay. Aggregated LC3 in astrocyte cells, which is a marker for the level of autophagy, was detected using laser scanning confocal microscope. The effect of compound K on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/autophagy pathway was determined using western blot analysis, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for Aβ detection. The results demonstrated that compound K promoted the clearance of Aβ and enhanced autophagy in primary astrocytes. In addition, it was found that phosphorylation of mTOR was inhibited by compound K, which may have contributed to the enhanced autophagy. In conclusion, compound K promotes Aβ clearance by enhancing autophagy via the mTOR signaling pathway in primary astrocytes.

The contribution of international trade to economic growth through human capital accumulation: Evidence from nine Asian countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirajul Haq

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study is an attempt to test the hypothesis “international trade contributes to economic growth through its effects on human capital accumulation.” To assess the hypothesis empirically, we employed the extended Neo-Classical growth model that reflects some features of the endogenous growth models. We thus ended up with a model in which the change in human capital is sensitive to change in trade policies. Unlike conventional approaches, the model serves to assess and determine the impact of international trade on the accumulation of human capital. The empirical analysis estimates dynamic panel growth equations by using a data-set of nine Asian countries, over the period 1972–2012. The overall evidence substantiates the fact that in countries under consideration, international trade enhances the accumulation of human capital and contributes to economic growth positively through human capital accumulation.

Comparison of AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT in the detection of hepatic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saitou, Kazuhiro; Matsuda, Hiromichi; Fukushima, Hiroaki; Kanzaki, Hiroshi; Hirose, Takashi; Karizaki, Dai; Abe, Kimihiko; Amino, Saburou

1994-01-01

We performed AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT in 12 cases of hepatic lesions. Nine of these were hepatocellular carcinomas. Two cases were metastatic liver tumors (the primary lesion was gastric in one and the other was gallbladder cancer). One case was suspected to be adenomatous hyperplasia. Thirty-two lesions were detected in T2-weighted SE images before AMI-25 administration, while 46 lesions were detected in AMI-25 enhanced MRI images. In particular, AMI-25 enhanced MRI was superior to plain MRI in lesions less than 10 mm in size. A total of 48 lesions were detected in helical dynamic CT. Although AMI-25 enhanced MRI almost equaled helical dynamic CT in the detection of liver tumors, helical dynamic CT was slightly superior to AMI-25 enhanced MRI in the detection of subphrenic lesions. It was possible to know the hemodynamics in each hepatic lesion by helical dynamic CT. AMI-25 enhanced MRI was useful to know the inclusion of reticuloendothelial system, and that yielded different diagnoses in adenomatous hyperplasia and well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. Helical dynamic CT was useful for qualitative diagnosis. Both AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT contributed to the detection of liver tumor and qualitative diagnosis. (author)

Landau-de Gennes theory of surface-enhanced ordering in smectic films.

Science.gov (United States)

Shalaginov, A N; Sullivan, D E

2001-03-01

A Landau theory for surface-enhanced ordering in smectic-A free-standing films is described, based on a generalization of de Gennes' model for a "presmectic" fluid confined between two walls. According to the theory, smectic ordering in free-standing films heated above the bulk smectic melting temperature is due to an intrinsic surface contribution rather than an external field. The theory yields a persistent finite-size effect, in that the film melting temperatures do not tend to the bulk transition temperature in the limit of infinite film thickness. It also predicts that a continuous transition from (N+1)- to N-layer films is impossible without an external field. The theory closely fits existing experimental data on layer-thinning transitions in compounds which exhibit a bulk smectic-A to nematic phase transition. Possible origins of the intrinsic surface contribution are discussed.

Brian Barry: innovative contributions to transdermal and topical drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, A C

2013-01-01

Brian Barry published over 300 research articles across topics ranging from colloid science, vasoconstriction and the importance of thermodynamics in dermal drug delivery to exploring the structure and organisation of the stratum corneum barrier lipids and numerous strategies for improving topical and transdermal drug delivery, including penetration enhancers, supersaturation, coacervation, eutectic formation and the use of varied liposomes. As research in the area blossomed in the early 1980s, Brian wrote the book that became essential reading for both new and established dermal delivery scientists, explaining the background mathematics and principles through to formulation design. Brian also worked with numerous scientists, as collaborators and students, who have themselves taken his rigorous approach to scientific investigation into their own research groups. This paper can only describe a small fraction of the many significant contributions that Brian made to the field during his 40-year academic career.

Gd-enhanced MR imaging of the herniated lumbar disc: patterns of enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwag, Hyon Joo; Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Hyae Young; Kim, Yoo Kyung; Kim, Ah Young; Chung, Eun Chul

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the patterns of enhancement of the herniated lumbar disc with Gd-DTPA enhanced MR imaging. Out of 65 patients, 103 lumbar discs diagnosed to be herniated by MR image were retrospectively analyzed. The MR imaging was performed with 1.5 T MR unit, using T1-and T2-weighted sagittal and axial spin echo techniques. Contrast-enhanced T1 weighted sagittal and axial images were performed after intravenous injection of Gadopentetate-dimeglumine(Magnevist, Shering) (0.1 mmol/kg). Contrast enhancement was seen in 66 cases(64%). Thirteen cases of bulging disc were not enhanced. Twenty-eight cases of protruded disc showed intraannular enchantment in 23 cases, peripheral linear and irregular enhancement in each of one case, and nonenhancement in three cases. Fifty-seven cases of extruded disc showed irregular enhancement in 14 cases, peripheral linear enhancement in 12 cases, peripheral ring enhancement in five cases and intraannular enhancement in five cases. All five cases of sequestered disc showed peripheral ring enhancement. Protruded discs show intraannular enhancement frequently and sequestered discs usually show peripheral ring enhancement. Enhanced MR imaging may be helpful to evaluate the type of herniated lumbar disc and relationship among disc material, nerve root and thecal sac

The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Muma, John B; Mwacalimba, Kennedy K; Munang'andu, Hetron M; Matope, Gift; Jenkins, Akinbowale; Siamudaala, Victor; Mweene, Aaron S; Marcotty, Tanguy

2014-01-01

Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John B. Muma

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

Effect of ion-implantation enhanced intermixing on luminescence of InAs/InP quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Q; Barik, S; Tan, H H; Jagadish, C [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra 0200 (Australia)

2008-10-21

Temperature dependent photoluminescence spectra of ion implanted InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) followed by rapid thermal annealing were studied. By employing a recently developed luminescence model for localized states ensemble, the broadening of the distribution of the localized QD states was determined from the fitting to the luminescence peak energy positions. The broadening of the distribution of the localized QD states reduces due to ion-implantation enhanced intermixing. The contribution of carrier distribution within the localized QD states to the luminescence linewidth decreases after ion-implantation enhanced intermixing. The effect of doses and types of ions used for implantation were also investigated.

Enhanced Field Emission from Argon Plasma-Treated Ultra-sharp α-Fe2O3Nanoflakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang JX

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Hematite nanoflakes have been synthesized by a simple heat oxide method and further treated by Argon plasmas. The effects of Argon plasma on the morphology and crystal structures of nanoflakes were investigated. Significant enhancement of field-induced electron emission from the plasma-treated nanoflakes was observed. The transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the plasma treatment effectively removes amorphous coating and creates plenty of sub-tips at the surface of the nanoflakes, which are believed to contribute the enhancement of emission. This work suggests that plasma treatment technique could be a direct means to improve field-emission properties of nanostructures.

Inhibition of Super-Enhancer Activity in Autoinflammatory Site-Derived T Cells Reduces Disease-Associated Gene Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Peeters, Janneke G C; Vervoort, Stephin J; Tan, Sander C; Mijnheer, Gerdien; de Roock, Sytze; Vastert, Sebastiaan J; Nieuwenhuis, Edward E S; van Wijk, Femke; Prakken, Berent J; Creyghton, Menno P; Coffer, Paul J; Mokry, Michal; van Loosdregt, Jorg

2015-09-29

The underlying molecular mechanisms for many autoimmune diseases are poorly understood. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an exceptionally well-suited model for studying autoimmune diseases due to its early onset and the possibility to analyze cells derived from the site of inflammation. Epigenetic profiling, utilizing primary JIA patient-derived cells, can contribute to the understanding of autoimmune diseases. With H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation, we identified a disease-specific, inflammation-associated, typical enhancer and super-enhancer signature in JIA patient synovial-fluid-derived CD4(+) memory/effector T cells. RNA sequencing of autoinflammatory site-derived patient T cells revealed that BET inhibition, utilizing JQ1, inhibited immune-related super-enhancers and preferentially reduced disease-associated gene expression, including cytokine-related processes. Altogether, these results demonstrate the potential use of enhancer profiling to identify disease mediators and provide evidence for BET inhibition as a possible therapeutic approach for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of Super-Enhancer Activity in Autoinflammatory Site-Derived T Cells Reduces Disease-Associated Gene Expression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janneke G.C. Peeters

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The underlying molecular mechanisms for many autoimmune diseases are poorly understood. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA is an exceptionally well-suited model for studying autoimmune diseases due to its early onset and the possibility to analyze cells derived from the site of inflammation. Epigenetic profiling, utilizing primary JIA patient-derived cells, can contribute to the understanding of autoimmune diseases. With H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation, we identified a disease-specific, inflammation-associated, typical enhancer and super-enhancer signature in JIA patient synovial-fluid-derived CD4+ memory/effector T cells. RNA sequencing of autoinflammatory site-derived patient T cells revealed that BET inhibition, utilizing JQ1, inhibited immune-related super-enhancers and preferentially reduced disease-associated gene expression, including cytokine-related processes. Altogether, these results demonstrate the potential use of enhancer profiling to identify disease mediators and provide evidence for BET inhibition as a possible therapeutic approach for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Aberrant Receptor Internalization and Enhanced FRS2-dependent Signaling Contribute to the Transforming Activity of the Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 IIIb C3 Isoform*

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Jiyoung Y.; Maddileti, Savitri; Mitin, Natalia; Harden, T. Kendall; Der, Channing J.

2009-01-01

Alternative splice variants of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) IIIb, designated C1, C2, and C3, possess progressive reduction in their cytoplasmic carboxyl termini (822, 788, and 769 residues, respectively), with preferential expression of the C2 and C3 isoforms in human cancers. We determined that the progressive deletion of carboxyl-terminal sequences correlated with increasing transforming potency. The highly transforming C3 variant lacks five tyrosine residues present in C1, and we determined that the loss of Tyr-770 alone enhanced FGFR2 IIIb C1 transforming activity. Because Tyr-770 may compose a putative YXXL sorting motif, we hypothesized that loss of Tyr-770 in the 770YXXL motif may cause disruption of FGFR2 IIIb C1 internalization and enhance transforming activity. Surprisingly, we found that mutation of Leu-773 but not Tyr-770 impaired receptor internalization and increased receptor stability and activation. Interestingly, concurrent mutations of Tyr-770 and Leu-773 caused 2-fold higher transforming activity than caused by the Y770F or L773A single mutations, suggesting loss of Tyr and Leu residues of the 770YXXL773 motif enhances FGFR2 IIIb transforming activity by distinct mechanisms. We also determined that loss of Tyr-770 caused persistent activation of FRS2 by enhancing FRS2 binding to FGFR2 IIIb. Furthermore, we found that FRS2 binding to FGFR2 IIIb is required for increased FRS2 tyrosine phosphorylation and enhanced transforming activity by Y770F mutation. Our data support a dual mechanism where deletion of the 770YXXL773 motif promotes FGFR2 IIIb C3 transforming activity by causing aberrant receptor recycling and stability and persistent FRS2-dependent signaling. PMID:19103595

An Enhanced TIMESAT Algorithm for Estimating Vegetation Phenology Metrics from MODIS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Bin; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Wolfe, Robert E.; Gao, Feng; Ederer, Gregory A.; Nightingale, Joanne; Pedelty, Jeffrey A.

2012-01-01

An enhanced TIMESAT algorithm was developed for retrieving vegetation phenology metrics from 250 m and 500 m spatial resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indexes (VI) over North America. MODIS VI data were pre-processed using snow-cover and land surface temperature data, and temporally smoothed with the enhanced TIMESAT algorithm. An objective third derivative test was applied to define key phenology dates and retrieve a set of phenology metrics. This algorithm has been applied to two MODIS VIs: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). In this paper, we describe the algorithm and use EVI as an example to compare three sets of TIMESAT algorithm/MODIS VI combinations: a) original TIMESAT algorithm with original MODIS VI, b) original TIMESAT algorithm with pre-processed MODIS VI, and c) enhanced TIMESAT and pre-processed MODIS VI. All retrievals were compared with ground phenology observations, some made available through the National Phenology Network. Our results show that for MODIS data in middle to high latitude regions, snow and land surface temperature information is critical in retrieving phenology metrics from satellite observations. The results also show that the enhanced TIMESAT algorithm can better accommodate growing season start and end dates that vary significantly from year to year. The TIMESAT algorithm improvements contribute to more spatial coverage and more accurate retrievals of the phenology metrics. Among three sets of TIMESAT/MODIS VI combinations, the start of the growing season metric predicted by the enhanced TIMESAT algorithm using pre-processed MODIS VIs has the best associations with ground observed vegetation greenup dates.

Positive enhancement integral values in dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of breast carcinoma: Ductal carcinoma in situ vs. invasive ductal carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nadrljanski, Mirjan, E-mail: dr.m.nadrljanski@gmail.com [Clinic for Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Maksimović, Ružica [Center for Radiology and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Clinical Center of Serbia, Pasterova 2, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 8, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Plešinac-Karapandžić, Vesna; Nikitović, Marina [Clinic for Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 8, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Marković-Vasiljković, Biljana [Center for Radiology and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Clinical Center of Serbia, Pasterova 2, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 8, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Milošević, Zorica [Clinic for Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 8, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia)

2014-08-15

Objectives: The aim of this study was to contribute to the standardization of the numeric positive enhancement integral (PEI) values in breast parenchyma, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and to evaluate the significance of the difference in PEI values between IDC and parenchyma, DCIS and parenchyma and IDC and DCIS. Materials and Methods: In the prospective trial, we analyzed the dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of 60 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed unilateral DCIS (n = 30) and IDC (n = 30) and defined the PEI values (range; mean ± SD) for the lesions and the breast parenchyma. Tumor-to-non-tumor (T/NT) ratios were calculated for DCIS and IDC and compared. PEI color maps (PEICM) were created. The differences in PEI values between IDC and parenchyma and between DCIS and parenchyma were tested according to t-test. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the differences between the mean PEI values of parenchyma, DCIS and IDC. Results: IDC showed highly statistically different PEI numeric values compared to breast parenchyma (748.7 ± 32.2 vs. 74.6 ± 17.0; p < 0.0001). The same applied to the differences in the group of patients with DCIS (428.0 ± 25.0 vs. 66.0 ± 10.6; p < 0.0001). The difference between IDC, DCIS and parenchyma were also considered highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and so were the T/NT ratios for IDC and DCIS (10.1 ± 2.4 vs. 6.6 ± 1.4; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: PEI numeric values may contribute to differentiation between invasive and in situ breast carcinoma.

Psl Produced by Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa Contributes to the Establishment of Biofilms and Immune Evasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Christopher J; Wozniak, Daniel J

2017-06-20

Despite years of research and clinical advances, chronic pulmonary infections with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa remain the primary concern for cystic fibrosis patients. Much of the research on these strains has focused on the contributions of the polysaccharide alginate; however, it is becoming evident that the neutral polysaccharide Psl also contributes to biofilm formation and the maintenance of chronic infections. Here, we demonstrate that Psl produced by mucoid strains has significant roles in biofilm structure and evasion of immune effectors. Though mucoid strains produce less Psl than nonmucoid strains, the Psl that is produced is functional, since it mediates adhesion to human airway cells and epithelial cell death. Additionally, Psl protects mucoid bacteria from opsonization and killing by complement components in human serum. Psl production by mucoid strains stimulates a proinflammatory response in the murine lung, leading to reduced colonization. To determine the relevance of these data to clinical infections, we tested Psl production and biofilm formation of a panel of mucoid clinical isolates. We demonstrated three classes of mucoid isolates, those that produce Psl and form robust biofilms, those that did not produce Psl and have a poor biofilm phenotype, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) redundant strains. Collectively, these experimental results demonstrate that Psl contributes to the biofilm formation and immune evasion of many mucoid strains. This is a novel role for Psl in the establishment and maintenance of chronic pulmonary infections by mucoid strains. IMPORTANCE Cystic fibrosis patients are engaged in an ongoing battle against chronic lung infections by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa One key factor contributing to the maintenance of chronic infections is the conversion to a mucoid phenotype, where the bacteria produce copious amounts of the polysaccharide alginate. Once the bacteria become mucoid, existing treatments are poorly effective. We

Rapidity gap survival in enhanced Pomeron scheme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ostapchenko, Sergey [Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Moscow State University, D.V. Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Bleicher, Marcus [Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Goethe-Universitat, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2018-01-15

We apply the phenomenological Reggeon field theory framework to investigate rapidity gap survival (RGS) probability for diffractive dijet production in proton-proton collisions. In particular, we study in some detail rapidity gap suppression due to elastic rescatterings of intermediate partons in the underlying parton cascades, described by enhanced (Pomeron-Pomeron interaction) diagrams. We demonstrate that such contributions play a subdominant role, compared to the usual, so-called ''eikonal'', rapidity gap suppression due to elastic rescatterings of constituent partons of the colliding protons. On the other hand, the overall RGS factor proves to be sensitive to color fluctuations in the proton. Hence, experimental data on diffractive dijet production can be used to constrain the respective model approaches. (orig.)

Pharmacological cognitive enhancement-how neuroscientific research could advance ethical debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Maslen, Hannah; Faulmüller, Nadira; Savulescu, Julian

2014-01-01

THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS PEOPLE CAN IMPROVE THEIR COGNITIVE CAPACITIES: good nutrition and regular exercise can produce long-term improvements across many cognitive domains, whilst commonplace stimulants such as coffee temporarily boost levels of alertness and concentration. Effects like these have been well-documented in the medical literature and they raise few (if any) ethical issues. More recently, however, clinical research has shown that the off-label use of some pharmaceuticals can, under certain conditions, have modest cognition-improving effects. Substances such as methylphenidate and modafinil can improve capacities such as working memory and concentration in some healthy individuals. Unlike their more mundane predecessors, these methods of "cognitive enhancement" are thought to raise a multitude of ethical issues. This paper presents the six principal ethical issues raised in relation to pharmacological cognitive enhancers (PCEs)-issues such as whether: (1) the medical safety-profile of PCEs justifies restricting or permitting their elective or required use; (2) the enhanced mind can be an "authentic" mind; (3) individuals might be coerced into using PCEs; (4), there is a meaningful distinction to be made between the treatment vs. enhancement effect of the same PCE; (5) unequal access to PCEs would have implications for distributive justice; and (6) PCE use constitutes cheating in competitive contexts. In reviewing the six principal issues, the paper discusses how neuroscientific research might help advance the ethical debate. In particular, the paper presents new arguments about the contribution neuroscience could make to debates about justice, fairness, and cheating, ultimately concluding that neuroscientific research into "personalized enhancement" will be essential if policy is to be truly informed and ethical. We propose an "ethical agenda" for neuroscientific research into PCEs.

Tip enhancement

CERN Document Server

Kawata, Satoshi

2007-01-01

This book discusses the recent advances in the area of near-field Raman scattering, mainly focusing on tip-enhanced and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Some of the key features covered here are the optical structuring and manipulations, single molecule sensitivity, analysis of single-walled carbon nanotubes, and analytic applications in chemistry, biology and material sciences. This book also discusses the plasmonic materials for better enhancement, and optical antennas. Further, near-field microscopy based on second harmonic generation is also discussed. Chapters have been written by some of the leading scientists in this field, who present some of their recent work in this field.·Near-field Raman scattering·Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy·Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy·Nano-photonics·Nanoanalysis of Physical, chemical and biological materials beyond the diffraction limits·Single molecule detection

Electrical and Optical Enhancement in Internally Nanopatterned Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Fina, Michael Dane

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have made tremendous technological progress in the past two decades and have emerged as a top competitor for next generation light-emitting displays and lighting. State-of-the-art OLEDs have been reported in literature to approach, and even surpass, white fluorescent tube efficiency. However, despite rapid technological progress, efficiency metrics must be improved to compete with traditional inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) technology. Organic materials possess specialized traits that permit manipulations to the light-emitting cavity. Overall, as demonstrated within, these modifications can be used to improve electrical and optical device efficiencies. This work is focused at analyzing the effects that nanopatterned geometric modifications to the organic active layers play on device efficiency. In general, OLED efficiency is complicated by the complex, coupled processes which contribute to spontaneous dipole emission. A composite of three sub-systems (electrical, exciton and optical) ultimately dictate the OLED device efficiency. OLED electrical operation is believed to take place via a low-mobility-modified Schottky injection process. In the injection-limited regime, geometric effects are expected to modify the local electric field leading to device current enhancement. It is shown that the patterning effect can be used to enhance charge carrier parity, thereby enhancing overall recombination. Current density and luminance characteristics are shown to be improved by OLED nanopatterning from both the model developed within and experimental techniques. Next, the optical enhancement effects produced by the nanopatterned array are considered. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations are used to determine positional, spectral optical enhancement for the nanopatterned device. The results show beneficial effects to the device performance. The optical enhancements are related to the reduction in internal radiative

PAR-1 contributes to the innate immune response during viral infection

Science.gov (United States)

Antoniak, Silvio; Owens, A. Phillip; Baunacke, Martin; Williams, Julie C.; Lee, Rebecca D.; Weithäuser, Alice; Sheridan, Patricia A.; Malz, Ronny; Luyendyk, James P.; Esserman, Denise A.; Trejo, JoAnn; Kirchhofer, Daniel; Blaxall, Burns C.; Pawlinski, Rafal; Beck, Melinda A.; Rauch, Ursula; Mackman, Nigel

2013-01-01

Coagulation is a host defense system that limits the spread of pathogens. Coagulation proteases, such as thrombin, also activate cells by cleaving PARs. In this study, we analyzed the role of PAR-1 in coxsackievirus B3–induced (CVB3-induced) myocarditis and influenza A infection. CVB3-infected Par1–/– mice expressed reduced levels of IFN-β and CXCL10 during the early phase of infection compared with Par1+/+ mice that resulted in higher viral loads and cardiac injury at day 8 after infection. Inhibition of either tissue factor or thrombin in WT mice also significantly increased CVB3 levels in the heart and cardiac injury compared with controls. BM transplantation experiments demonstrated that PAR-1 in nonhematopoietic cells protected mice from CVB3 infection. Transgenic mice overexpressing PAR-1 in cardiomyocytes had reduced CVB3-induced myocarditis. We found that cooperative signaling between PAR-1 and TLR3 in mouse cardiac fibroblasts enhanced activation of p38 and induction of IFN-β and CXCL10 expression. Par1–/– mice also had decreased CXCL10 expression and increased viral levels in the lung after influenza A infection compared with Par1+/+ mice. Our results indicate that the tissue factor/thrombin/PAR-1 pathway enhances IFN-β expression and contributes to the innate immune response during single-stranded RNA viral infection. PMID:23391721

Natural selection on HFE in Asian populations contributes to enhanced non-heme iron absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Kaixiong; Cao, Chang; Lin, Xu; O'Brien, Kimberly O; Gu, Zhenglong

2015-06-10

HFE, a major regulator of iron (Fe) homeostasis, has been suggested to be under positive selection in both European and Asian populations. While the genetic variant under selection in Europeans (a non-synonymous mutation, C282Y) has been relatively well-studied, the adaptive variant in Asians and its functional consequences are still unknown. Identifying the adaptive HFE variants in Asians will not only elucidate the evolutionary history and the genetic basis of population difference in Fe status, but also assist the future practice of genome-informed dietary recommendation. Using data from the International HapMap Project, we confirmed the signatures of positive selection on HFE in Asian populations and identified a candidate adaptive haplotype that is common in Asians (52.35-54.71%) but rare in Europeans (5.98%) and Africans (4.35%). The T allele at tag SNP rs9366637 (C/T) captured 95.8% of this Asian-common haplotype. A significantly reduced HFE expression was observed in individuals carrying T/T at rs9366637 compared to C/C and C/T, indicating a possible role of gene regulation in adaptation. We recruited 57 women of Asian descent and measured Fe absorption using stable isotopes in those homozygous at rs9366637. We observed a 22% higher absorption in women homozygous for the Asian-common haplotype (T/T) compared to the control genotype (C/C). Additionally, compared with a group of age-matched Caucasian women, Asian women exhibited significantly elevated Fe absorption. Our results indicate parallel adaptation of HFE gene in Europeans and Asians with different genetic variants. Moreover, natural selection on HFE may have contributed to elevated Fe absorption in Asians. This study regarding population differences in Fe homeostasis has significant medical impact as high Fe level has been linked to an increased disease risk of metabolic syndromes.

Adding temporally localized noise can enhance the contribution of target knowledge on contrast detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, Daphné; Cavanagh, Patrick; Arleo, Angelo; Allard, Rémy

2017-02-01

External noise paradigms are widely used to characterize sensitivity by comparing the effect of a variable on contrast threshold when it is limited by internal versus external noise. A basic assumption of external noise paradigms is that the processing properties are the same in low and high noise. However, recent studies (e.g., Allard & Cavanagh, 2011; Allard & Faubert, 2014b) suggest that this assumption could be violated when using spatiotemporally localized noise (i.e., appearing simultaneously and at the same location as the target) but not when using spatiotemporally extended noise (i.e., continuously displayed, full-screen, dynamic noise). These previous findings may have been specific to the crowding and 0D noise paradigms that were used, so the purpose of the current study is to test if this violation of noise-invariant processing also occurs in a standard contrast detection task in white noise. The rationale of the current study is that local external noise triggers the use of recognition rather than detection and that a recognition process should be more affected by uncertainty about the shape of the target than one involving detection. To investigate the contribution of target knowledge on contrast detection, the effect of orientation uncertainty was evaluated for a contrast detection task in the absence of noise and in the presence of spatiotemporally localized or extended noise. A larger orientation uncertainty effect was observed with temporally localized noise than with temporally extended noise or with no external noise, indicating a change in the nature of the processing for temporally localized noise. We conclude that the use of temporally localized noise in external noise paradigms risks triggering a shift in process, invalidating the noise-invariant processing required for the paradigm. If, instead, temporally extended external noise is used to match the properties of internal noise, no such processing change occurs.

Contribution of vegetation and peat fires to particulate air pollution in Southeast Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddington, C L; Yoshioka, M; Arnold, S R; Spracklen, D V; Balasubramanian, R; Ridley, D; Toh, Y Y

2014-01-01

Smoke haze, caused by vegetation and peat fires in Southeast Asia, is of major concern because of its adverse impact on regional air quality. We apply two different methods (a chemical transport model and a Lagrangian atmospheric transport model) to identify the locations of fires contributing to the increased mass concentration of particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) in Singapore over the period 2004–09. We find that fires in southern Sumatra account for the greatest percentage of the total fire enhancement to PM 2.5 concentrations in Singapore (42–62%), with fires in central Sumatra and Kalimantan contributing 21–35% and 14–15%, respectively. Furthermore, we find that fires in these regions also increase PM 2.5 concentrations in other major cities across Southeast Asia. Our results suggest that acting to reduce fires in southern and central Sumatra (specifically in the eastern parts of the provinces of Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung and Riau) and southwest Kalimantan (the southern extent of the provinces of West, Central and South Kalimantan) would have the greatest benefit to particulate air quality in Singapore and more widely across Southeast Asia. (letter)

Combined Effects of Note-Taking/-Reviewing on Learning and the Enhancement through Interventions: A Meta-Analytic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Keiichi

2006-01-01

Meta-analyses of 33 studies were conducted to examine (1) how much the combination of taking and reviewing notes contributes to school learning, and (2) whether interventions in the note-taking/-reviewing procedure enhance note-taking/-reviewing effects, and if so, how much and under what conditions. Syntheses of findings from…

Enhanced killing of mammalian cells by radiation combined with m-AMSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, P.B.; Millar, B.C.

1980-01-01

m-AMSA is an intercalating agent at present on Phase II trial as a chemotherapeutic drug. A 30min exposure of Chinese hamster (Line V79-753B) cells to submicromolar concentrations of m-AMSA killed 50% of the cells. The survivors had an enhanced sensitivity to radiation-induced cell killing. Depending upon the conditions, m-AMSA enhanced the radiation effect by either a decrease in the survival-curve shoulder or by an increase in slope. m-AMSA may act partly by suppressing the accumulation of sublethal damage but, if so, recovery from damage as measured in split-dose experiments with cells pretreated with the drug is not affected. m-AMSA increased radiation lethality throughout the cell cycle, but a contribution to its radiation effect from selective toxicity to cells in a radioresistant phase of the cell cycle cannot be excluded. Radiation and the drug interacted to give increased cell killing, even when the exposures to each agent were separated in time. It is concluded that m-ASMA may behave like actinomycin D and adriamycin, and enhance clinical radiation responses. In vivo testing to determine the effect of m-AMSA on the therapeutic index is recommended. (author)

Enhanced killing of mammalian cells by radiation combined with m-AMSA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, P B; Millar, B C [Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (UK). Surrey Branch

1980-11-01

m-AMSA is an intercalating agent at present on Phase II trial as a chemotherapeutic drug. A 30 min exposure of Chinese hamster (Line V79-753B) cells to submicromolar concentrations of m-AMSA killed 50% of the cells. The survivors had an enhanced sensitivity to radiation-induced cell killing. Depending upon the conditions, m-AMSA enhanced the radiation effect by either a decrease in the survival-curve shoulder or by an increase in slope. m-AMSA may act partly by suppressing the accumulation of sublethal damage but, if so, recovery from damage as measured in split-dose experiments with cells pretreated with the drug is not affected. m-AMSA increased radiation lethality throughout the cell cycle, but a contribution to its radiation effect from selective toxicity to cells in a radioresistant phase of the cell cycle cannot be excluded. Radiation and the drug interacted to give increased cell killing, even when the exposures to each agent were separated in time. It is concluded that m-ASMA may behave like actinomycin D and adriamycin, and enhance clinical radiation responses. In vivo testing to determine the effect of m-AMSA on the therapeutic index is recommended.

Contribution of food additives to sodium and phosphorus content of diets rich in processed foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrigan, Anna; Klinger, Andrew; Choquette, Suzanne S; Luzuriaga-McPherson, Alexandra; Bell, Emmy K; Darnell, Betty; Gutiérrez, Orlando M

2014-01-01

Phosphorus-based food additives increase the total phosphorus content of processed foods. However, the extent to which these additives augment total phosphorus intake per day is unclear. To examine the contribution of phosphorus-based food additives to the total phosphorus content of processed foods, separate 4-day menus for a low-additive and additive-enhanced diet were developed using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software. The low-additive diet was designed to conform to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for energy and phosphorus intake (∼2,000 kcal/day and 900 mg of phosphorus per day), and it contained minimally processed foods. The additive-enhanced diet contained the same food items as the low-additive diet except that highly processed foods were substituted for minimally processed foods. Food items from both diets were collected, blended, and sent for measurement of energy and nutrient intake. The low-additive and additive-enhanced diet provided approximately 2,200 kcal, 700 mg of calcium, and 3,000 mg of potassium per day on average. Measured sodium and phosphorus content standardized per 100 mg of food was higher each day of the additive-enhanced diet as compared with the low-additive diet. When averaged over the 4 menu days, the measured phosphorus and sodium contents of the additive-enhanced diet were 606 ± 125 and 1,329 ± 642 mg higher than the low-additive diet, respectively, representing a 60% increase in total phosphorus and sodium content on average. When comparing the measured values of the additive-enhanced diet to NDSR-estimated values, there were no statistically significant differences in measured versus estimated phosphorus contents. Phosphorus and sodium additives in processed foods can substantially augment phosphorus and sodium intake, even in relatively healthy diets. Current dietary software may provide reasonable estimates of the phosphorus content in processed foods. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney

Limited uptake, translocation and enhanced metabolic degradation contribute to glyphosate tolerance in Mucuna pruriens var. utilis plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojano-Delgado, Antonia María; Cruz-Hipolito, Hugo; De Prado, Rafael; Luque de Castro, María Dolores; Franco, Antonio Rodríguez

2012-01-01

Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens, Fabaceae) plants exhibits an innate, very high resistance (i.e., tolerance) to glyphosate similar to that of plants which have acquired resistance to this herbicide as a trait. We analyzed the uptake of [(14)C]-glyphosate by leaves and its translocation to meristematic tissues, and used scanning electron micrographs to further analyze the cuticle and 3D capillary electrophoresis to investigate a putative metabolism capable of degrading the herbicide. Velvet bean exhibited limited uptake of glyphosate and impaired translocation of the compound to meristematic tissues. Also, for the first time in a higher plant, two concurrent pathways capable of degrading glyphosate to AMPA, Pi, glyoxylate, sarcosine and formaldehyde as end products were identified. Based on the results, the innate tolerance of velvet bean to glyphosate is possibly a result of the combined action of the previous three traits, namely: limited uptake, impaired translocation and enhanced degradation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New physics contributions to anti B{sub s} → π{sup 0}(ρ{sup 0})η{sup (')} decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faisel, Gaber [Sueleyman Demirel University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Isparta (Turkey); National Taiwan University, Department of Physics, Taipei (China)

2017-06-15

The decay modes anti B{sub s} → π{sup 0}(ρ{sup 0})η{sup (')} are dominated by electroweak penguins that are small in the standard model. In this work we investigate the contributions to these penguins from a model with an additional U(1){sup '} gauge symmetry and show there effects on the branching ratios of anti B{sub s} → π{sup 0}(ρ{sup 0})η{sup (')}. In a scenario of the model, where Z{sup '} couplings to the left-handed quarks vanish, we show that the maximum enhancement occurs in the branching ratio of anti B{sub s}{sup 0} → π{sup 0}η{sup '} where it can reach 6 times the SM prediction. On the other hand, in a scenario of the model where Z{sup '} couplings to both left-handed and right-handed quarks do not vanish, we find that Z{sup '} contributions can enhance the branching ratio of B{sup 0}{sub s} → ρ{sup 0}η up to one order of magnitude comparing to the SM prediction for several sets of the parameter space where both ΔM{sub B{sub s}} and S{sub ψφ} constraints are satisfied. This kind of enhancement occurs for a rather fine-tuned point where the ΔM{sub B{sub s}} constraint on vertical stroke S{sub SM}(B{sub s}) + S{sub Z}{sup {sub '}} (B{sub s}) vertical stroke is fulfilled by overcompensating the SM via S{sub Z}{sup {sub '}}(B{sub s}) ≅ -2S{sub SM}(B{sub s}). (orig.)

Contributions of conduction band offset to the enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced charges for SrTiO3/Bi2O3 heterojunction semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhenlong; Zhu, Jichun; Li, Shengjun; Mao, Yanli

2014-01-01

SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 heterojunction semiconductor was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV–vis absorption spectrum, and scanning electron microscope, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The surface photovoltage spectra indicate that the separation efficiency of photoinduced charges for SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 was enhanced compared with that of SrTiO 3 or Bi 2 O 3 . The energy band diagram of SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 heterojunction was directly determined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the conduction band offset between SrTiO 3 and Bi 2 O 3 was quantified to be 0.28±0.03 eV. The photoluminescence spectra display that the recombination rate of photoinduced carriers for SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 decreases compared with that of SrTiO 3 or Bi 2 O 3 , which is mainly due to the energy levels matching between them. Therefore the enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced charges is resulting from the energy difference between the conduction band edges of SrTiO 3 and Bi 2 O 3 . -- Graphical abstract: Enhanced separation efficiency for SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 is resulting from the energy difference between the conduction band edges. Highlights: ●Heterojunction semiconductor of SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 was prepared. ●SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 presents enhanced separation efficiency. ●Conduction band offset between SrTiO 3 and Bi 2 O 3 is quantified. ●Recombination rate of SrTiO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 decreases compared with single phases

Replicating enterprise environment using Office 365 to enhance graduates’ employability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carutasu Nicoleta Luminita

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The need of faster insertion of graduates into labor market and enhancing professional and soft skills of graduates required by employees, conduct to new learning method necessity. Starting from stated foreseen of Europe 2020 strategy, creativity, entrepreneurship and intensive use of ICT should be enhanced soon to all academic levels. Also, the entrepreneurs require that graduates to have strong organizational knowledge, to quickly integrate into company’ business processes. The traditional assessment of students implies an individual form, team assessment being avoided to be sure of each individual contribution. Also, the future Industry 4.0 implementations will ask for interdisciplinary skills regarding ICT use and specific digital workflows. The proposed enterprise environment replication uses ERP as backbone of IT infrastructure and Office 365 as business workflow tool management. The experience in using ERP as laboratory IT infrastructure for multiple subjects of academic curriculum of the same academic program showed that graduates could focus on internal business process and documents flow rather than learning how to use the software. The Office 365 is used to experience internal workflow of companies, implemented on existent tenants. To enhance the entrepreneurship and innovation, the learning method is completed with simulated enterprise specific activities.

The 130 GeV gamma-ray line and Sommerfeld enhancements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jing; Zhou, Yu-Feng

2013-01-01

Recently, possible indications of line spectral features in the Fermi-LAT photon spectrum towards the galactic center have been reported. If the distinct line features arise from dark matter (DM) annihilation into γX(X = γ,Z 0 or h 0 ), the corresponding annihilation cross-section is unnaturally large for typical loop-induced radiative processes. On the other hand, it is still too small to be responsible for the observed DM relic density. We show that the mechanism of Sommerfeld enhancement with scalar force-carrier can provide a simple solution to these puzzles. The possibly large Sommerfeld enhancement of the cross-section for s-wave DM annihilation can significantly reduce the required effective couplings between DM and charged particles in typical loop diagrams. The DM particles necessarily annihilate into scalar force-carriers through tree-level p-wave process, which can dominate the total DM annihilation cross-section at freeze out, resulting in the correct thermal relic density, but has subdominant contributions to the DM annihilation today due to velocity suppression. We perform detailed analysis on the effects of p-wave Sommerfeld enhancement on freeze out. The results show that with the constraints from the thermal relic density, the required effective couplings can be reduced by an order of magnitude

Guilt enhances the sense of control and drives risky judgments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouchaki, Maryam; Oveis, Christopher; Gino, Francesca

2014-12-01

In the present studies, we investigate the hypothesis that guilt influences risk taking by enhancing one's sense of control. Across multiple inductions of guilt, we demonstrate that experimentally induced guilt enhances optimism about risks for the self (Study 1), preferences for gambles versus guaranteed payoffs (Studies 2, 4, and 6), and the likelihood that one will engage in risk-taking behaviors (Study 5). In addition, we demonstrate that guilt enhances the sense of control over uncontrollable events, an illusory control (Studies 3, 4, and 5), and found that a model with illusory control as a mediator is consistent with the data (Studies 5 and 6). We also found that a model with feelings of guilt as a mediator but not generalized negative affect fits the data (Study 4). Finally, we examined the relative explanatory power of different appraisals and found that appraisals of illusory control best explain the influence of guilt on risk taking (Study 6). These results provide the first empirical demonstration of the influence of guilt on sense of control and risk taking, extend previous theorizing on guilt, and more generally contribute to the understanding of how specific emotions influence cognition and behavior. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Penetration enhancer: monoethylether of diethylene glycol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koprda, V.; Kassai, Z.; Bohacik, L.; Bezek, S.; Hadcrafft, J.; Falson-Rieg, F.

1999-01-01

The monoethylether of diethylene glycol (Transcutol), an excellent solubilising agent, has been suggested as a penetration enhancer compatible with trans-dermal drug delivery systems. Using the abdominal skin of 5 day old rats and Franz-type diffusion cells the following topics were studied in this contribution: (1) Flux of Transcutol, labelled with [Ethyl- 14 C]-ether, across an intact skin model, (2) Changes in properties of the skin barrier after stripping with adhesive tape, and (3) Changes in flux of Transcutol when mixed with different co-solvents. The flux from pure solvent in donor compartment reached around 50 μg cm -2 hr -1 across the intact skin horny layer, whilst after 12 strips the flux increased about 200 times. In the presence of propylene glycol dipelargonate, the flux over 2 mg cm -2 hr -1 across non stripped skin was achieved. (authors)

Uncapacitated facility location problems: contributions

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Galvão Roberto Diéguez

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present paper is to review my personal contributions in the field of uncapacitated facility location problems. These contributions took place throughout my academic career, from the time I was a Ph.D. student at Imperial College to the present day. They cover approximately 30 years, from 1973 to 2003; they address: algorithms developed for the p-median problem and for a general formulation of uncapacitated location problems; the study of dynamic location models; covering and hierarchical location problems; queuing-based probabilistic location models. The contributions encompass theoretical developments, computational algorithms and practical applications. All work took place in an academic environment, with the invaluable collaboration of colleagues (both in Brazil and abroad and research students at COPPE. Each section in the paper is dedicated to a topic that involves a personal contribution. Every one of them is placed within the context of the existing literature.

Epibiotic pressure contributes to biofouling invader success.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Kaeden; Hewitt, Chad L; Campbell, Marnie L; Primo, Carmen; Miller, Steven D

2017-07-12

Reduced competition is a frequent explanation for the success of many introduced species. In benthic marine biofouling communities, space limitation leads to high rates of overgrowth competition. Some species can utilise other living organisms as substrate (epibiosis), proffering a competitive advantage for the epibiont. Additionally, some species can prevent or reduce epibiotic settlement on their surfaces and avoid being basibionts. To test whether epibiotic pressure differs between native and introduced species, we undertook ex situ experiments comparing bryozoan larval settlement to determine if introduced species demonstrate a greater propensity to settle as epibionts, and a reduced propensity to be basibionts, than native species. Here we report that introduced species opportunistically settle on any space (bare, native, or introduced), whereas native species exhibit a strong tendency to settle on and near other natives, but avoid settling on or near introduced basibionts. In addition, larvae of native species experience greater larval wastage (mortality) than introduced species, both in the presence and absence of living substrates. Introduced species' ability to settle on natives as epibionts, and in turn avoid epibiosis as basibionts, combined with significantly enhanced native larval wastage, provides a comprehensive suite of competitive advantages contributing to the invasion success of these biofouling species.

Enhanced surveillance program FY97 accomplishments. Progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauzy, A. [ed.; Laake, B. [comp.

1997-10-01

This annual report is one volume of the Enhanced Surveillance Program (ESP) FY97 Accomplishments. The complete accomplishments report consists of 11 volumes. Volume 1 includes an ESP overview and a summary of selected unclassified FY97 program highlights. Volume 1 specifically targets a general audience, reflecting about half of the tasks conducted in FY97 and emphasizing key program accomplishments and contributions. The remaining volumes of the accomplishments report are classified, organized by program focus area, and present in technical detail the progress achieved in each of the 104 FY97 program tasks. Focus areas are as follows: pits; high explosives; organics; dynamics; diagnostics; systems; secondaries; nonnuclear materials; nonnuclear components; and Surveillance Test Program upgrades.

Brillouin gain enhancement in nano-scale photonic waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Nouri Jouybari, Soodabeh

2018-05-01

The enhancement of stimulated Brillouin scattering in nano-scale waveguides has a great contribution in the improvement of the photonic devices technology. The key factors in Brillouin gain are the electrostriction force and radiation pressure generated by optical waves in the waveguide. In this article, we have proposed a new scheme of nano-scale waveguide in which the Brillouin gain is considerably improved compared to the previously-reported schemes. The role of radiation pressure in the Brillouin gain was much higher than the role of the electrostriction force. The Brillouin gain strongly depends on the structural parameters of the waveguide and the maximum value of 12127 W-1 m-1 is obtained for the Brillouin gain.

An inverse switch in DNA base excision and strand break repair contributes to melphalan resistance in multiple myeloma cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirta M L Sousa

Full Text Available Alterations in checkpoint and DNA repair pathways may provide adaptive mechanisms contributing to acquired drug resistance. Here, we investigated the levels of proteins mediating DNA damage signaling and -repair in RPMI8226 multiple myeloma cells and its Melphalan-resistant derivative 8226-LR5. We observed markedly reduced steady-state levels of DNA glycosylases UNG2, NEIL1 and MPG in the resistant cells and cross-resistance to agents inducing their respective DNA base lesions. Conversely, repair of alkali-labile sites was apparently enhanced in the resistant cells, as substantiated by alkaline comet assay, autoribosylation of PARP-1, and increased sensitivity to PARP-1 inhibition by 4-AN or KU58684. Reduced base-excision and enhanced single-strand break repair would both contribute to the observed reduction in genomic alkali-labile sites, which could jeopardize productive processing of the more cytotoxic Melphalan-induced interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICLs. Furthermore, we found a marked upregulation of proteins in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ pathway of double-strand break (DSB repair, likely contributing to the observed increase in DSB repair kinetics in the resistant cells. Finally, we observed apparent upregulation of ATR-signaling and downregulation of ATM-signaling in the resistant cells. This was accompanied by markedly increased sensitivity towards Melphalan in the presence of ATR-, DNA-PK, or CHK1/2 inhibitors whereas no sensitizing effect was observed subsequent to ATM inhibition, suggesting that replication blocking lesions are primary triggers of the DNA damage response in the Melphalan resistant cells. In conclusion, Melphalan resistance is apparently contributed by modulation of the DNA damage response at multiple levels, including downregulation of specific repair pathways to avoid repair intermediates that could impair efficient processing of cytotoxic ICLs and ICL-induced DSBs. This study has revealed several novel

Capacitance enhancement of polyaniline coated curved-graphene supercapacitors in a redox-active electrolyte

KAUST Repository

Chen, Wei

2013-01-01

We show, for the first time, a redox-active electrolyte in combination with a polyaniline-coated curved graphene active material to achieve significant enhancement in the capacitance (36-92% increase) compared to supercapacitors that lack the redox-active contribution from the electrolyte. The supercapacitors based on the redox-active electrolyte also exhibit excellent rate capability and very long cycling performance (>50 000 cycles). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Neutron flux enhancement in the NRAD reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weeks, A.A.; Heidel, C.C.; Imel, G.R.

1988-01-01

In 1987 a series of experiments were conducted at the NRAD reactor facility at Argonne National Laboratory - West (ANL-W) to investigate the possibility of increasing the thermal neutron content at the end of the reactor's east beam tube through the use of hydrogenous flux traps. It was desired to increase the thermal flux for a series of experiments to be performed in the east radiography cell, in which the enhanced flux was required in a relatively small volume. Hence, it was feasible to attempt to focus the cross section of the beam to a smaller area. Two flux traps were constructed from unborated polypropylene and tested to determine their effectiveness. Both traps were open to the entire cross-sectional area of the neutron beam (as it emerges from the wall and enters the beam room). The sides then converged such that at the end of the trap the beam would be 'focused' to a greater intensity. The differences in the two flux traps were primarily in length, and hence angle to the beam as the inlet and outlet cross-sectional areas were held constant. The experiments have contributed to the design of a flux trap in which a thermal flux of nearly 10 9 was obtained, with an enhancement of 6.61

Tumour cell–derived extracellular vesicles interact with mesenchymal stem cells to modulate the microenvironment and enhance cholangiocarcinoma growth

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Hiroaki Haga

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The contributions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs to tumour growth and stroma formation are poorly understood. Tumour cells can transfer genetic information and modulate cell signalling in other cells through the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs. We examined the contribution of EV-mediated inter-cellular signalling between bone marrow MSCs and tumour cells in human cholangiocarcinoma, highly desmoplastic cancers that are characterized by tumour cells closely intertwined within a dense fibrous stroma. Exposure of MSCs to tumour cell–derived EVs enhanced MSC migratory capability and expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNA, in addition to mRNA expression and release of CXCL-1, CCL2 and IL-6. Conditioned media from MSCs exposed to tumour cell–derived EVs increased STAT-3 phosphorylation and proliferation in tumour cells. These effects were completely blocked by anti-IL-6R antibody. In conclusion, tumour cell–derived EVs can contribute to the generation of tumour stroma through fibroblastic differentiation of MSCs, and can also selectively modulate the cellular release of soluble factors such as IL-6 by MSCs that can, in turn, alter tumour cell proliferation. Thus, malignant cells can “educate” MSCs to induce local microenvironmental changes that enhance tumour cell growth.

Progressivity Enhanced

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Hren

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Rather than a scientific text, the author contributes a concise memorandum from the originator of the idea who has managed the campaign for the conversion of the military barracks into a creative cluster between 1988 and 2002, when he parted ways with Metelkova due to conflicting views on the center’s future. His views shed light on a distant period of time from a perspective of a participant–observer. The information is abundantly supported by primary sources, also available online. However, some of the presented hypotheses are heavily influenced by his personal experiences of xenophobia, elitism, and predatorial behavior, which were already then discernible on the so-called alternative scene as well – so much so that they obstructed the implementation of progressive programs. The author claims that, in spite of the substantially different reality today, the myths and prejudices concerning Metelkova must be done away with in order to enhance its progressive nature. Above all, the paper calls for an objective view on internal antagonisms, mainly originating in deep class divisions between the users. These make a clear distinction between truly marginal ndividuals and the overambitious beau-bourgeois, as the author labels the large part of users of Metelkova of »his« time. On these grounds, he argues for a robust approach to ban all forms of xenophobia and self-ghettoization.

Juvenile neurogenesis makes essential contributions to adult brain structure and plays a sex-dependent role in fear memories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Daniel Cushman

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Postnatal-neurogenesis (PNN contributes neurons to olfactory bulb (OB and dentate gyrus (DG throughout juvenile development, but the quantitative amount, temporal dynamics and functional roles of this contribution have not been defined. By using transgenic mouse models for cell lineage tracing and conditional cell ablation, we found that juvenile neurogenesis gradually increased the total number of granule neurons by approximately 40% in OB, and by 25% in DG, between two weeks and two months of age, and that total numbers remained stable thereafter. These findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of net postnatal neuronal addition in these regions occurs during the juvenile period and that adult neurogenesis contributes primarily to replacement of granule cells in both regions. Behavioral analysis in our conditional cell ablation mouse model showed that complete loss of PNN throughout both the juvenile and adult period produced a specific set of sex-dependent cognitive changes. We observed normal hippocampus-independent delay fear conditioning, but excessive generalization of fear to a novel auditory stimulus, which is consistent with a role for PNN in psychopathology. Standard contextual fear conditioning was intact, however, pre-exposure dependent contextual fear was impaired suggesting a specific role for PNN in incidental contextual learning. Contextual discrimination between two highly similar contexts was enhanced; suggesting either enhanced contextual pattern separation or impaired temporal integration. We also observed a reduced reliance on olfactory cues, consistent with a role for OB PNN in the efficient processing of olfactory information. Thus, juvenile neurogenesis adds substantively to the total numbers of granule neurons in OB and DG during periods of critical juvenile behavioral development, including weaning, early social interactions and sexual maturation, and plays a sex-dependent role in fear memories.

A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Joanna Petrasek; Ford, James D; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Ross, Nancy A

2013-12-09

To review the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English-language research was conducted to systematically examine the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with elements of a realist review. From 160 records identified in the initial search of 3 databases, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for full review. Data were extracted using a codebook to organize and synthesize relevant information from the articles. More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature. More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social

Panel acoustic contribution analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Sean F; Natarajan, Logesh Kumar

2013-02-01

Formulations are derived to analyze the relative panel acoustic contributions of a vibrating structure. The essence of this analysis is to correlate the acoustic power flow from each panel to the radiated acoustic pressure at any field point. The acoustic power is obtained by integrating the normal component of the surface acoustic intensity, which is the product of the surface acoustic pressure and normal surface velocity reconstructed by using the Helmholtz equation least squares based nearfield acoustical holography, over each panel. The significance of this methodology is that it enables one to analyze and rank relative acoustic contributions of individual panels of a complex vibrating structure to acoustic radiation anywhere in the field based on a single set of the acoustic pressures measured in the near field. Moreover, this approach is valid for both interior and exterior regions. Examples of using this method to analyze and rank the relative acoustic contributions of a scaled vehicle cabin are demonstrated.

Contributions to sampling statistics

CERN Document Server

Conti, Pier; Ranalli, Maria

2014-01-01

This book contains a selection of the papers presented at the ITACOSM 2013 Conference, held in Milan in June 2013. ITACOSM is the bi-annual meeting of the Survey Sampling Group S2G of the Italian Statistical Society, intended as an international  forum of scientific discussion on the developments of theory and application of survey sampling methodologies and applications in human and natural sciences. The book gathers research papers carefully selected from both invited and contributed sessions of the conference. The whole book appears to be a relevant contribution to various key aspects of sampling methodology and techniques; it deals with some hot topics in sampling theory, such as calibration, quantile-regression and multiple frame surveys, and with innovative methodologies in important topics of both sampling theory and applications. Contributions cut across current sampling methodologies such as interval estimation for complex samples, randomized responses, bootstrap, weighting, modeling, imputati...

Ultra-Wideband RCS Reduction and Gain Enhancement of Aperture-Coupled Antenna Based on Hybrid-FSS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. L. Cong

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A novel design of aperture-coupled microstrip antenna with ultra-wideband low radar cross section (RCS is proposed. Hybrid frequency selective surface (FSS structures consisting of two kinds of polarization-dependent folded split ring resonators (PDFSRRs and square patches are utilized to replace the conventional metallic ground. By orthogonally arranging the PDFSRRs in a chessboard-like configuration, the band-stop characteristic contributes to the gain enhancement, while the zero degree points of reflection phase and wave-transmission characteristic are utilized to achieve RCS reduction both in-band and out-of-band. Furthermore, with square patches periodically etched on the bottom of FSS structure, a new zero degree reflection phase is introduced to enhance the effect of RCS reduction. Full wave simulations and measurements demonstrate that the proposed antenna achieves RCS reduction from 1 GHz to 18 GHz and gain enhancement compared with traditional microstrip antenna.

Thermal conductivity enhancement of paraffin by adding boron nitride nanostructures: A molecular dynamics study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Changpeng; Rao, Zhonghao

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Different contributions to thermal conductivity are obtained. • Thermal conductivity of paraffin could be improved by boron nitride. • Crystallization effect from boron nitride was the key factor. • Paraffin nanocomposite is the desirable candidate for thermal energy storage. - Abstract: While paraffin is widely used in thermal energy storage today, its low thermal conductivity has become a bottleneck for the further applications. Here, we construct two kinds of paraffin-based phase change material nanocomposites through introducing boron nitride (BN) nanostructures into n-eicosane to enhance the thermal conductivity. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was adopted to estimate their thermal conductivities and related thermal properties. The results indicate that, after adding BN nanostructures, the latent heat of composites is reduced compared with the pure paraffin and they both show a glass-like thermal conductivity which increases as the temperature rises. This happens because the increasing temperature leads to gradually smaller inconsistency in vibrational density of state along three directions and increasingly significant overlaps among them. Furthermore, by decomposing the thermal conductivity, it is found that the major contribution to the overall thermal conductivity comes from BN nanostructures, while the contribution of n-eicosane is insignificant. Though the thermal conductivity from n-eicosane term is small, it has been improved greatly compared with amorphous state of n-eicosane, mainly due to the crystallization effects from BN nanostructures. This work will provide microscopic views and insights into the thermal mechanism of paraffin and offer effective guidances to enhance the thermal conductivity.

Exposure to Experimental Preeclampsia in Mice Enhances the Vascular Response to Future Injury

Science.gov (United States)

Pruthi, Dafina; Khankin, Eliyahu V.; Blanton, Robert M.; Aronovitz, Mark; Burke, Suzanne D.; McCurley, Amy; Karumanchi, S. Ananth; Jaffe, Iris Z.

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading killer of women in developed nations. One gender-specific risk factor is preeclampsia (PE), a syndrome of hypertension and proteinuria that complicates 5% of pregnancies. Although PE resolves after delivery, exposed women are at increased long term risk of premature CVD and mortality. Preexisting CVD risk factors are associated with increased risk of developing PE but whether PE merely uncovers risk or contributes directly to future CVD remains a critical unanswered question. A mouse PE model was used to test the hypothesis that PE causes an enhanced vascular response to future vessel injury. A PE-like state was induced in pregnant CD1 mice by overexpressing soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a circulating anti-angiogenic protein that induces hypertension and glomerular disease resembling human PE. Two months post-partum, sFlt-1 levels and blood pressure normalized and cardiac size and function by echocardiography and renal histology were indistinguishable in PE-exposed compared to control mice. Mice were then challenged with unilateral carotid injury. PE-exposed mice had significantly enhanced vascular remodeling with increased vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation (180% increase, P<0.01) and vessel fibrosis (216% increase, P<0.001) compared to control pregnancy. In the contralateral uninjured vessel, there was no difference in remodeling after exposure to PE. These data support a new model in which vessels exposed to PE retain a persistently enhanced vascular response to injury despite resolution of PE after delivery. This new paradigm may contribute to the substantially increased risk of CVD in woman exposed to PE. PMID:25712723

Adam M. Grant: Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

Presents Adam M. Grant, the 2011 winner of the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology. "For extensive, elegant, and programmatic research on the power of relational job design in enhancing employee motivation, productivity, and satisfaction; for creative and rigorous studies documenting the profound and surprising effects of connecting employees to their impact on others; for highlighting prosocial motivation, not only extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, as a key force behind employee behavior; and for demonstrating by example the feasibility and benefits of conducting field experiments, yielding studies rich in internal validity, external validity, and practical impact. In addition to his accomplishments, Adam M. Grant is known for his generosity as a scholar, teacher, and colleague." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved). 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Contribution of scanning Auger microscopy to electron beam damage study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontaine, J.M.

1983-04-01

Electron bombardment can produce surface modifications of the analysed sample. The electron beam effects on solid surfaces which have been discussed in the published literature can be classified into the following four categories: (1) heating and its consequent effects, (2) charge accumulation in insulators and its consequent effects, (3) electron stimulated adsorption (ESA), and (4) electron stimulated desorption and/or decomposition (ESD). In order to understand the physico-chemical processes which take place under electron irradiation in an Al-O system, we have carried out experiments in which, effects, such as heating, charging and gas contamination, were absent. Our results point out the role of an enhanced surface diffusion of oxygen during electron bombardment of an Al (111) sample. The importance of this phenomenon and the contribution of near-elastic scattering of the primary electrons (5 keV) to the increase of the oxidation degree observed on Al (111) are discussed, compared to the generally studied effects

Increased residual force enhancement in older adults is associated with a maintenance of eccentric strength.

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Geoffrey A Power

Full Text Available Despite an age-related loss of voluntary isometric and concentric strength, muscle strength is well maintained during lengthening muscle actions (i.e., eccentric strength in old age. Additionally, in younger adults during lengthening of an activated skeletal muscle, the force level observed following the stretch is greater than the isometric force at the same muscle length. This feature is termed residual force enhancement (RFE and is believed to be a combination of active and passive components of the contractile apparatus. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial assessment of RFE in older adults and utilize aging as a muscle model to explore RFE in a system in which isometric force production is compromised, but structural mechanisms of eccentric strength are well-maintained. Therefore, we hypothesised that older adults will experience greater RFE compared with young adults. Following a reference maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC of the dorsiflexors in 10 young (26.1 ± 2.7 y and 10 old (76.0 ± 6.5 y men, an active stretch was performed at 15°/s over a 30° ankle joint excursion ending at the same muscle length as the reference MVCs (40° of plantar flexion. Any additional torque compared with the reference MVC therefore represented RFE. In older men RFE was ~2.5 times greater compared to young. The passive component of force enhancement contributed ~37% and ~20% to total force enhancement, in old and young respectively. The positive association (R(2 = 0.57 between maintained eccentric strength in old age and RFE indicates age-related mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of eccentric strength likely contributed to the observed elevated RFE. Additionally, as indicated by the greater passive force enhancement, these mechanisms may be related to increased muscle series elastic stiffness in old age.

Rubrics and the enhancement of student learning

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Malini Y Reddy

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Empirical research on the effectiveness of rubrics has primarily concentrated on its contribution towards improvement in academic performance, as reflected in attainment of higher grades. Its role in assessing the other dimensions of SL such as attitudes, behaviors and perceptions that affect students’ inclination and ability to learn has been largely unexplored. There is also a paucity of literature on how the tool can be used for informing course delivery and course design. The objectives of the study are derived from these gaps in literature. The proposed study seeks to explore the usefulness of rubrics from the perspective of students, drawing motivation from two recent studies – the study by Andrade & Du (2005, which examined the usage of rubrics by students to support their own learning and academic performance and the study by Petkov & Petkova(2006, which explored the possibility of developing curriculum wide rubrics at post-graduate level. This study intends to investigate the contribution of rubrics referenced feedback towards enhancement of motivation, development of self- regulation characteristics and improvement in academic performance. It seeks to achieve this by assessing student-learning outcomes in a multiple courses of general Masters in Business Administration (MBA program in two or more business schools in Hyderabad including, ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad.

Changes in blood glucose and salivary cortisol are not necessary for arousal to enhance memory in young or older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gore, Jane B; Krebs, Desiree L; Parent, Marise B

2006-06-01

Emotional arousal enhances memory, and this memory-enhancing effect may involve neurochemicals released by arousal, such as glucose and cortisol. Physiological consequences of arousal change with age, and these changes may contribute to age-related memory decline. The present study examined whether emotionally arousing pictures would affect glucose and cortisol levels and enhance memory in young and older adults. Blood glucose and salivary cortisol were measured once before and six times after young and old adults viewed either 60 highly arousing or 60 relatively neutral pictures. Recall for the stimuli was measured 75 min later. The results indicated that recall was impaired in older adults. Arousal as measured by self-report enhanced recall in both young and older adults. However, arousal did not affect glucose or cortisol levels in either group. These findings demonstrate that changes in blood glucose or salivary cortisol levels are not necessary for arousal to enhance memory.

Contribution of Nanostructures in High Performance Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Aly, Abouelmaaty M.; Ebrahim, Essamudin A.; Sweelem, Emad

2017-11-01

Nanotechnology has great contributions in various fields, especially in solar energy conversion through solar cells (SCs). Nanostructured SCs can provide high performance with lower fabrication costs. The transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable sustainable energy represents a major technological challenge for the world. In the last years, the industry of SCs has grown rapidly due to strong attention in renewable energy in order to handle the problem of global climate change that is now believed to occur due to use of the fossil fuels. Cost is an influential factor in the eventual success of any solar technology, since inexpensive SCs are needed to produce electricity, especially for rural areas and for third world countries. Therefore, new developments in nanotechnology may open the door for the production of inexpensive and more efficient SCs by reducing the manufacturing costs of SCs. Utilizing nanotechnology in cheaper SCs will help maintain the environment. This article covers a review of the progress that has been made to-date to enhance efficiencies of various nanostructures used in SCs, including utilizations of all the wavelengths present in of the solar spectrum.

Enhancement of accuracy in shape sensing of surgical needles using optical frequency domain reflectometry in optical fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, Francois; Loranger, Sebastien; Mandal, Koushik Kanti; Iezzi, Victor Lambin; Lapointe, Jerome; Boisvert, Jean-Sébastien; Baiad, Mohamed Diaa; Kadoury, Samuel; Kashyap, Raman

2017-04-01

We demonstrate a novel approach to enhance the precision of surgical needle shape tracking based on distributed strain sensing using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). The precision enhancement is provided by using optical fibers with high scattering properties. Shape tracking of surgical tools using strain sensing properties of optical fibers has seen increased attention in recent years. Most of the investigations made in this field use fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), which can be used as discrete or quasi-distributed strain sensors. By using a truly distributed sensing approach (OFDR), preliminary results show that the attainable accuracy is comparable to accuracies reported in the literature using FBG sensors for tracking applications (~1mm). We propose a technique that enhanced our accuracy by 47% using UV exposed fibers, which have higher light scattering compared to un-exposed standard single mode fibers. Improving the experimental setup will enhance the accuracy provided by shape tracking using OFDR and will contribute significantly to clinical applications.

COMPARISON OF IMAGE ENHANCEMENT METHODS FOR CHROMOSOME KARYOTYPE IMAGE ENHANCEMENT

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Dewa Made Sri Arsa

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The chromosome is a set of DNA structure that carry information about our life. The information can be obtained through Karyotyping. The process requires a clear image so the chromosome can be evaluate well. Preprocessing have to be done on chromosome images that is image enhancement. The process starts with image background removing. The image will be cleaned background color. The next step is image enhancement. This paper compares several methods for image enhancement. We evaluate some method in image enhancement like Histogram Equalization (HE, Contrast-limiting Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE, Histogram Equalization with 3D Block Matching (HE+BM3D, and basic image enhancement, unsharp masking. We examine and discuss the best method for enhancing chromosome image. Therefore, to evaluate the methods, the original image was manipulated by the addition of some noise and blur. Peak Signal-to-noise Ratio (PSNR and Structural Similarity Index (SSIM are used to examine method performance. The output of enhancement method will be compared with result of Professional software for karyotyping analysis named Ikaros MetasystemT M . Based on experimental results, HE+BM3D method gets a stable result on both scenario noised and blur image.

Participatory epidemiology: the contribution of participatory research to epidemiology

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Mario Bach

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiology has contributed in many ways to identifying various risk factors for disease and to promoting population health. However, there is a continuing debate about the ability of epidemiology not only to describe, but also to provide results which can be better translated into public health practice. It has been proposed that participatory research approaches be applied to epidemiology as a way to bridge this gap between description and action. A systematic account of what constitutes participatory epidemiology practice has, however, been lacking. Methods A scoping review was carried out focused on the question of what constitutes participatory approaches to epidemiology for the purpose of demonstrating their potential for advancing epidemiologic research. Relevant databases were searched, including both the published and non-published (grey literature. The 102 identified sources were analyzed in terms of comparing common epidemiologic approaches to participatory counterparts regarding central aspects of the research process. Exemplary studies applying participatory approaches were examined more closely. Results A highly diverse, interdisciplinary body of literature was synthesized, resulting in a framework comprised of seven aspects of the research process: research goal, research question, population, context, data synthesis, research management, and dissemination of findings. The framework specifies how participatory approaches not only differ from, but also how they can enhance common approaches in epidemiology. Finally, recommendations for the further development of participatory approaches are given. These include: enhancing data collection, data analysis, and data validation; advancing capacity building for research at the local level; and developing data synthesis. Conclusion The proposed framework provides a basis for systematically developing the emergent science of participatory epidemiology.

Abdominal vascular and visceral parenchymal contrast enhancement in MDCT: Effects of injection duration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuge, Yusuke, E-mail: tsugeu@cup.ocn.ne.jp [Department of Radiology, Kizawa Memorial Hospital, 590 Kobityo Shimokobi, Minokamo City, Gifu 505-8503 (Japan); Kanematsu, Masayuki [Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu (Japan); Department of Radiology Services, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu (Japan); Goshima, Satoshi; Kondo, Hiroshi [Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu (Japan); Yokoyama, Ryujiro; Miyoshi, Toshiharu [Department of Radiology Services, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu (Japan); Onozuka, Minoru [Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Kanagawa Dental College, Yokosuka (Japan); Moriyama, Noriyuki [Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tsukiji (Japan); Bae, Kyongtae T. [Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2011-11-15

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the effect of short and long injection durations on aortic, pancreatic and hepatic enhancement in abdominal MDCT. Methods and materials: Triphasic contrast-enhanced CT images (16-MDCT, 1.25-mm collimation, 5-mm thickness, 6.1-s acquisition time for each phase) were obtained with 2 mL/kg injection of 300 mgI/mL iodine contrast material in 116 patients. Patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: one receiving contrast medium for 25-s injection duration and the other for 35-s injection duration. In both groups, triphasic scans were initiated 5, 15, and 40 s after the completion of contrast injection for the first, second and third phases, respectively. CT values (HU) in the abdominal aorta, liver, spleen, pancreas, splenic and superior mesenteric arteries, and veins (splenic, superior mesenteric, portal, and hepatic) were measured. Quantitative and qualitative analysis for the degree of contrast enhancement between the two groups in various organs was compared at each scan phase. Results: The aortic and arterial enhancements in the first-phase scan were higher for the 25-s group than those of the 35-s group (P < .001). Hepatic enhancement was higher for the 35-s group in the first (P < .001) and second (P < .01) phases, but no difference in the third-phase. No difference was found between the groups for the pancreatic enhancement at any phases. Qualitative results were in good agreement with quantitative results. Conclusion: Contrast administration with shorter injection duration increased peak aortic and arterial enhancement and contributed to improvement in the quality of CT angiograms, but for the solid abdominal organs 35-s protocol is recommended.

HemoHIM enhances the therapeutic efficacy of ionizing radiation treatment in tumor-bearing mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hae-Ran; Ju, Eun-Jin; Jo, Sung-Kee; Jung, Uhee; Kim, Sung-Ho

2010-02-01

Although radiotherapy is commonly used for a variety of cancers, radiotherapy alone does not achieve a satisfactory therapeutic outcome. In this study, we examined the possibility that HemoHIM can enhance the anticancer effects of ionizing radiation (IR) in melanoma-bearing mice. The HemoHIM was prepared by adding the ethanol-insoluble fraction to the total water extract of a mixture of three edible herbs-Angelica Radix, Cnidium Rhizoma, and Paeonia Radix. Anticancer effects of HemoHIM were evaluated in melanoma-bearing mice exposed to IR. IR treatment (5 Gy at 7 days after melanoma cell injection) reduced the weight of the solid tumors, and HemoHIM supplementation with IR enhanced the decreases in tumor weight (P HemoHIM administration also increased the activity of natural killer cells and cytotoxic T cells, although the proportions of these cells in spleen were not different. In addition, HemoHIM administration increased the interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion from lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A, which seemed to contribute to the enhanced efficacy of HemoHIM in tumor-bearing mice treated with IR. In conclusion, HemoHIM may be a beneficial supplement during radiotherapy for enhancing the antitumor efficacy.

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Training Efficacy on Expatriate Adjustment through Emotional Intelligence and Social Capital

OpenAIRE

Susanto, Ely; Rostiani, Rokhima

2012-01-01

Cross cultural training is widely believed to make a positive contribution to expatriate adjustment. In practice, however, it is very costly and sometimes ineffective for expatriates. Therefore, there is a growing importance placed on increasing the cost effectiveness or enhancing the efficacy of crosscultural training by functioning individual expatriate’s social capital and emotional intelligence as moderating variables towards expatriate’s adjustment and performance. To do so we blend idea...

Enhancing frontline clinical leadership in an acute hospital trust.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Natasha; Byrne, Geraldine

2013-09-01

To report on a leadership programme for ward managers in one National Health Service Trust that aimed to enhance their contribution to the delivery of the organisation's key objectives to support excellent patient experience. Effective ward leadership has been recognised as vital to the quality of care, resource management and interprofessional working. However, there is evidence that, at present, front-line nurse leaders are ill equipped to lead effectively and lack confidence in their ability to do so. The project aimed to provide a tailored programme for ward managers to develop their portfolio of skills to perform this pivotal role. The course contained two key elements: an integrated teaching programme to enhance leadership knowledge and skills and action learning to facilitate application to individual's own leadership practice. Both were underpinned by a change project where each individual identified, undertook and evaluated an innovation in practice. Twenty-two ward managers completed the leadership programme. Participants completed semi-structured questionnaires after each taught module. Action learning was evaluated through a combined structured and semi-structured questionnaire. All participants evaluated the programme as increasing their repertoire of leadership skills. Following completion of the programme, ward managers continue to work together as an evolving community of practice. Ward managers' development is enhanced by a programme integrating theory, action learning and completion of a ward-based project. Ward managers cannot be effectively developed in isolation. Leadership development is best supported where the organisation is also committed to developing. A leadership development programme that incorporates knowledge from within the organisation with external expertise can be an effective method to enhance front-line clinical leadership. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A Rationale for Music Training to Enhance Executive Functions in Parkinson's Disease: An Overview of the Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesiuk, Teresa; Bugos, Jennifer A; Murakami, Brea

2018-04-22

Music listening interventions such as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation can improve mobility, balance, and gait in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Yet, the impact of music training on executive functions is not yet known. Deficits in executive functions (e.g., attention, processing speed) in patients with PD result in gait interference, deficits in emotional processing, loss of functional capacity (e.g., intellectual activity, social participation), and reduced quality of life. The model of temporal prediction and timing suggests two networks collectively contribute to movement generation and execution: the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network (BGTC) and the cerebellar-thalamocortical network (CTC). Due to decreases in dopamine responsible for the disruption of the BGTC network in adults with PD, it is hypothesized that rhythmic auditory cues assist patients through recruiting an alternate network, the CTC, which extends to the supplementary motor areas (SMA) and the frontal cortices. In piano training, fine motor finger movements activate the cerebellum and SMA, thereby exercising the CTC network. We hypothesize that exercising the CTC network through music training will contribute to enhanced executive functions. Previous research suggested that music training enhances cognitive performance (i.e., working memory and processing speed) in healthy adults and adults with cognitive impairments. This review and rationale provides support for the use of music training to enhance cognitive outcomes in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

The role of attention and relatedness in emotionally enhanced memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Talmi, Deborah; Schimmack, Ulrich; Paterson, Theone; Moscovitch, Morris

2007-02-01

Examining the positive and negative pictures separately revealed that emotionally enhanced memory (EEM) for positive pictures was mediated by attention, with no significant influence of emotional arousal, whereas the reverse was true of negative pictures. Consistent with this finding, in Experiment 2 EEM for negative pictures was found even when task emphasis was manipulated so that equivalent attention was allocated to negative and neutral pictures. The results show that attention and semantic relatedness contribute to EEM, with the extent varying with emotional valence. Negative emotion can influence memory independently of these 2 factors. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams: A Reflection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlowski, Steve W J

2018-03-01

Teamwork has been at the core of human accomplishment across the millennia, and it was a focus of social psychological inquiry on small group behavior for nearly half a century. However, as organizations world-wide reorganized work around teams over the past two decades, the nature of teamwork and factors influencing it became a central focus of research in organizational psychology and management. In this article, I reflect on the impetus, strategy, key features, and scientific contribution of "Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams," by Kozlowski and Ilgen, a review monograph published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest in 2006.

Mast Cells Can Enhance Resistance to Snake and Honeybee Venoms

Science.gov (United States)

Metz, Martin; Piliponsky, Adrian M.; Chen, Ching-Cheng; Lammel, Verena; Åbrink, Magnus; Pejler, Gunnar; Tsai, Mindy; Galli, Stephen J.

2006-07-01

Snake or honeybee envenomation can cause substantial morbidity and mortality, and it has been proposed that the activation of mast cells by snake or insect venoms can contribute to these effects. We show, in contrast, that mast cells can significantly reduce snake-venom-induced pathology in mice, at least in part by releasing carboxypeptidase A and possibly other proteases, which can degrade venom components. Mast cells also significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality induced by honeybee venom. These findings identify a new biological function for mast cells in enhancing resistance to the morbidity and mortality induced by animal venoms.

HEALTH INSURANCE: CONTRIBUTIONS AND REIMBURSEMENT MAXIMAL

CERN Document Server

HR Division

2000-01-01

Affected by both the salary adjustment index on 1.1.2000 and the evolution of the staff members and fellows population, the average reference salary, which is used as an index for fixed contributions and reimbursement maximal, has changed significantly. An adjustment of the amounts of the reimbursement maximal and the fixed contributions is therefore necessary, as from 1 January 2000.Reimbursement maximalThe revised reimbursement maximal will appear on the leaflet summarising the benefits for the year 2000, which will soon be available from the divisional secretariats and from the AUSTRIA office at CERN.Fixed contributionsThe fixed contributions, applicable to some categories of voluntarily insured persons, are set as follows (amounts in CHF for monthly contributions):voluntarily insured member of the personnel, with complete coverage:815,- (was 803,- in 1999)voluntarily insured member of the personnel, with reduced coverage:407,- (was 402,- in 1999)voluntarily insured no longer dependent child:326,- (was 321...

Subendometrial enhancement and peritumoral enhancement for assessing endometrial cancer on dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Shinya; Kido, Aki; Baba, Tsukasa; Fujimoto, Koji; Daido, Sayaka; Matsumura, Noriomi; Konishi, Ikuo; Togashi, Kaori

2015-01-01

Highlights: •We have assessed the peritumoral enhancement (PTE), which mimics SEE on DCE. •We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of SEE for the myometrial invasion and the frequency of PTE. •We assessed the relationship between these enhancements and important pathologic factors. •PTE Type 1 is the main factor causing the overestimation of myometrial invasion using SEE on DCE. •PTE Type 2 correlates the myometrial invasion and may play an important role in the diagnosis of LVSI. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) in assessing the myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer, the frequency and clinical significance of peritumoral enhancement (PTE) on dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging. Materials and methods: MR images of 147 patients with endometrial cancer were retrospectively analyzed for intact SEE and PTEs: Type 1, a focal early enhancement peritumorally, and Type 2, an irregular thin-layered early intense enhancement peritumorally. Two radiologists independently assessed intact SEE and PTEs on DCE imaging and compared the lesions by the presence and depth of myometrial invasion, grade, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), and lymph node metastasis. The relationship between SEE, PTEs, and each factor was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for SEE. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy for myometrial invasion based on SEE disruption on DCE were 96.6%, 32.1–46.4%, 85.8–88.5%, 69.2–76.5%, and 84.4–87.1%. According to multivariate analysis, SEE significantly predicted myometrial invasion (p < 0.0001). PTE Type 2 significantly predicted myometrial invasion presence (p < 0.05) and depth (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Diagnosis of myometrial invasion only by using SEE might be difficult on DCE-MRI due to the

Subendometrial enhancement and peritumoral enhancement for assessing endometrial cancer on dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Shinya [Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago (Japan); Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Kido, Aki, E-mail: akikido@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Baba, Tsukasa [Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Fujimoto, Koji; Daido, Sayaka [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Matsumura, Noriomi; Konishi, Ikuo [Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Togashi, Kaori [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

2015-04-15

Highlights: •We have assessed the peritumoral enhancement (PTE), which mimics SEE on DCE. •We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of SEE for the myometrial invasion and the frequency of PTE. •We assessed the relationship between these enhancements and important pathologic factors. •PTE Type 1 is the main factor causing the overestimation of myometrial invasion using SEE on DCE. •PTE Type 2 correlates the myometrial invasion and may play an important role in the diagnosis of LVSI. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) in assessing the myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer, the frequency and clinical significance of peritumoral enhancement (PTE) on dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging. Materials and methods: MR images of 147 patients with endometrial cancer were retrospectively analyzed for intact SEE and PTEs: Type 1, a focal early enhancement peritumorally, and Type 2, an irregular thin-layered early intense enhancement peritumorally. Two radiologists independently assessed intact SEE and PTEs on DCE imaging and compared the lesions by the presence and depth of myometrial invasion, grade, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), and lymph node metastasis. The relationship between SEE, PTEs, and each factor was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for SEE. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy for myometrial invasion based on SEE disruption on DCE were 96.6%, 32.1–46.4%, 85.8–88.5%, 69.2–76.5%, and 84.4–87.1%. According to multivariate analysis, SEE significantly predicted myometrial invasion (p < 0.0001). PTE Type 2 significantly predicted myometrial invasion presence (p < 0.05) and depth (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Diagnosis of myometrial invasion only by using SEE might be difficult on DCE-MRI due to the

Pancultural self-enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedikides, Constantine; Gaertner, Lowell; Toguchi, Yoshiyasu

2003-01-01

The culture movement challenged the universality of the self-enhancement motive by proposing that the motive is pervasive in individualistic cultures (the West) but absent in collectivistic cultures (the East). The present research posited that Westerners and Easterners use different tactics to achieve the same goal: positive self-regard. Study 1 tested participants from differing cultural backgrounds (the United States vs. Japan), and Study 2 tested participants of differing self-construals (independent vs. interdependent). Americans and independents self-enhanced on individualistic attributes, whereas Japanese and interdependents self-enhanced on collectivistic attributes. Independents regarded individualistic attributes, whereas interdependents regarded collectivistic attributes, as personally important. Attribute importance mediated self-enhancement. Regardless of cultural background or self-construal, people self-enhance on personally important dimensions. Self-enhancement is a universal human motive.

Ultrasound Microbubble Treatment Enhances Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis and Fluid-Phase Uptake through Distinct Mechanisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnaz Fekri

Full Text Available Drug delivery to tumors is limited by several factors, including drug permeability of the target cell plasma membrane. Ultrasound in combination with microbubbles (USMB is a promising strategy to overcome these limitations. USMB treatment elicits enhanced cellular uptake of materials such as drugs, in part as a result of sheer stress and formation of transient membrane pores. Pores formed upon USMB treatment are rapidly resealed, suggesting that other processes such as enhanced endocytosis may contribute to the enhanced material uptake by cells upon USMB treatment. How USMB regulates endocytic processes remains incompletely understood. Cells constitutively utilize several distinct mechanisms of endocytosis, including clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME for the internalization of receptor-bound macromolecules such as Transferrin Receptor (TfR, and distinct mechanism(s that mediate the majority of fluid-phase endocytosis. Tracking the abundance of TfR on the cell surface and the internalization of its ligand transferrin revealed that USMB acutely enhances the rate of CME. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy experiments revealed that USMB treatment altered the assembly of clathrin-coated pits, the basic structural units of CME. In addition, the rate of fluid-phase endocytosis was enhanced, but with delayed onset upon USMB treatment relative to the enhancement of CME, suggesting that the two processes are distinctly regulated by USMB. Indeed, vacuolin-1 or desipramine treatment prevented the enhancement of CME but not of fluid phase endocytosis upon USMB, suggesting that lysosome exocytosis and acid sphingomyelinase, respectively, are required for the regulation of CME but not fluid phase endocytosis upon USMB treatment. These results indicate that USMB enhances both CME and fluid phase endocytosis through distinct signaling mechanisms, and suggest that strategies for potentiating the enhancement of endocytosis upon USMB treatment may

Proteolytic enzymes in seawater: contribution of prokaryotes and protists

Science.gov (United States)

Obayashi, Y.; Suzuki, S.

2016-02-01

Proteolytic enzyme is one of the major catalysts of microbial processing of organic matter in biogeochemical cycle. Here we summarize some of our studies about proteases in seawater, including 1) distribution of protease activities in coastal and oceanic seawater, 2) responses of microbial community and protease activities in seawater to organic matter amending, and 3) possible contribution of heterotrophic protists besides prokaryotes to proteases in seawater, to clarify cleared facts and remaining questions. Activities of aminopeptidases, trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases were detected from both coastal and oceanic seawater by using MCA-substrate assay. Significant activities were detected from not only particulate (cell-associated) fraction but also dissolved fraction of seawater, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. Hydrolytic enzymes in seawater have been commonly thought to be mainly derived from heterotrophic prokaryotes; however, it was difficult to determine actual source organisms of dissolved enzymes in natural seawater. Our experiment with addition of dissolved protein to subtropical oligotrophic Pacific water showed drastically enhancement of the protease activities especially aminopeptidases in seawater, and the prokaryotic community structure simultaneously changed to be dominant of Bacteroidetes, indicating that heterotrophic bacteria were actually one of the sources of proteases in seawater. Another microcosm experiment with free-living marine heterotrophic ciliate Paranophrys marina together with an associated bacterium showed that extracellular trypsin-type activity was mainly attributed to the ciliate. The protist seemed to work in organic matter digestion in addition to be a grazer. From the results, we propose a system of organic matter digestion by prokaryotes and protists in aquatic environments, although their actual contribution in natural environments should be estimated in future studies.

An Indication of the Enhanced Circumstellar Matter Near the Orbital Plane of the Symbiotic Star EG And

Science.gov (United States)

Shagatova, N.; Skopal, A.

2015-07-01

In this contribution we derive the velocity profile of the material produced by the giant in the symbiotic binary EG And, and the corresponding mass loss rate. Our analysis revealed a significant enhancement of the wind material along the binary plane, which allows a high efficiency of the wind transfer onto the accreting white dwarf.

Steve Clarke, Julian Savulescu, Tony Coady, Alberto Giubilini, and Sagar Sanyal: the ethics of human enhancement: understanding the debate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frank, L.E.

2017-01-01

A decade of research on the ethics of human enhancement has produced a vast literature. This collection is an excellent contribution to the field; it fulfills and exceeds the promises of its two subsections: understanding and advancing the debate. Section 1, Understanding the Debate includes eight

Characterization of magnetically enhanced buried soil layer in arid environment

Science.gov (United States)

Petrovsky, E.; Grison, H.; Kapicka, A.; Silva, P. F.; Font, E.

2011-12-01

Magnetic susceptibility (MS) of soils, reflecting the presence of magnetite/maghemite, can be used in several environmental applications. Magnetic topsoil mapping is often used to outline areas polluted by atmospherically deposited dust. However, in these studies, the magnetically enhanced layer is usually shallow, some 5-6 cm under the surface. In our contribution, we present the case when the magnetic susceptibility is enhanced in deeper soil layers. Investigated soils are mostly sandy soils, from several localities in Portugal, in a zone with arid climate. Sample profiles were collected always in forests or forest stands with pines, cork oaks or eucalyptus trees in two areas: around the city of Sines (on the coast south of Lisbon) and around the city of Abrantes (inland, north-east of Lisbon). Both areas are presumably affected by one major source of pollution - power plant. Surface magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed by Bartington MS2D loop; values vary from 10 to 300 x 10-5 SI units. Vertical distribution of magnetic susceptibility was measured already in situ using the SM400 (ZHInstruments) on profiles about 40cm in length. Mass-specific MS was determined using Bartington MS2B dual frequency meter and Agico MFK1. Nine vertical profiles were selected for detailed analyses including the ARM, IRM and hysteresis measurements. Distinctly enhanced magnetic layers were detected in deeper horizons. This enhancement can be ascribed to several mechanisms. Migration of magnetic particles seems to be probable, as observed in our model experiments with sand columns. In coastal areas, the enhanced layer could be due to tsunami deposits, as described in other areas. Finally, in particular at sites close to power plants, the construction works followed by surface remediation have to be also considered as one of the possible mechanisms.

The mechanisms underlying the enhanced resolution of atomic force microscopy with functionalized tips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moll, Nikolaj; Gross, Leo; Mohn, Fabian; Curioni, Alessandro; Meyer, Gerhard